"Everything okay Ted?"
I looked up to see Harry standing in the doorway to my room. Well it wasn't actually my room, it was my room when I stay here at the Potter's house. Harry smiled at me but his grin disappeared soon enough, I think it was obvious that I'd been crying, I didn't want sympathy but these feelings were feeling strong today, I just couldn't keep them inside my system anymore, it felt like they were getting stronger every second that I kept them inside of me.
Harry entered the room and closed the door silently behind him, immediately blocking off most of the sound from the hallway. I could hear the faint cry's of Lily from the floor below, and the banging around in James' room - he'd probably been ordered by Ginny to re-pack his trunk. Harry sat in silence at the end of my bed. This is something I liked about Harry, he seemed to understand what I wanted.
"Harry.." I plucked up my courage. He turned his head and looked at me through his green eyes. "What were my parents like?"
"Any word I could say, wouldn't be enough" Harry replied. He put his hand deep within his pocket.
"Please try, Harry." I urged.
"No need.. I was wondering when the best time would be for this, Teddy. And I think now would fit. I was going to wait until you were seventeen actually. But I find that to be too long to wait now. I think you're ready" He looked at me seriously. He pulled out a scroll and placed it in my hand, he then took my fingers and curled them around the parchment and squeezing them tightly around it. He then took out a very odd shaped looking vile, it had a sort of cloud contained within it that looked as if it was urging to escape.
He held it up. "This Teddy, is a memory"
I didn't take my eyes of the vile. "A memory?"
Harry was staring at the vile too. "It's not one of my own memories, it's one of your fathers. I had this passed to me by your grandma when you were only a baby."
He turned and looked at me. "Teddy, You're father was…" he stopped. He took in a deep breath. I realised at that moment that this wasn't just hard for me, It was hurting everybody, even Harry.
They say that over time, the wounds heal, but I believe that the wounds never heal completely, there's always going to be traces of the scars left deep within your heart that will never fade, they will always remain a part of you.
"He was amazing. Throughout the year he taught at Hogwarts, he helped me a lot. He was the one who taught me the protronus charm, you know. He was my teacher, but he was also my only connection to my father, until Sirius came along of course. And then, I watched as the two men were re-united properly, I listened to the memories that they shared some of them were with my father. I listened to the stories and…" he placed his hand on mine. "no matter how many times I asked them to repeat the stories, he would never be back. It's nice to remember Teddy, but you also have to move on, it's what they would want" he squeezed my hand gently, and then placed the memory into it. He smiled at me and took a deep breath. He stood and walked towards the door. I didn't take my eyes off him. "Oh and Teddy.. The pensive, it's in the wardrobe" he said quietly without turning around, he then left the room.
Tears splashed down onto the parchment and I sniffed. I'd locked the door and let all of my emotions out, and it felt good. It felt good to just be able to do this. I looked back down to the letter and studied the writing, it was written in blue ink and the handwriting was long and thin, and all the letters had a funny curl at the ends, making it look very sophisticated at the same time of looking incredibly unique. I re-read the letter.
Dear Teddy,
I still remember the first time I found out I was pregnant. I was over the moon, okay maybe I shouldn't use that term (I'm sure you know by now that daddy was a werewolf) but you should know that you should never ever let that change your opinion of him because he is the most amazing man that ever walked this earth, and I can tell you that from the bottom of my heart. I don't know whether he survived the Battle of Hogwarts, but because you've received this letter, this means that I didn't. I want to apologize for not being there for you sweetie, but please understand that I did this for you. I wanted to make sure that you have the best life I could possibly provide for you, but now its you're time. It's you're time to spread your wings.
My little caterpillar. You're going to Hogwarts tomorrow, and no matter who you make friends with, no matter what house you get sorted into, just remember that mummy's proud of you. I'm proud of what you've become, because even though you're only a speck inside of me now, I know that you're going to be an amazing person, you know why? Because you're ours.
You've been looked after for so long my little caterpillar, now its time to spread your wings and show everyone who you are, its time to spread you're wings and become that beautiful butterfly. Show everyone Teddy Lupin, show everyone you and don't even think about changing for anybody.
I'm sorry I cannot be with you in person my darling, but know that I'll always be in your heart.
I love you, always.
Mummy.
I still held the memory tight in my fingers. I walked over to the wardrobe and grasped the brass handle. I closed my eyes for a second and took deep breaths. Once my pulse had gotten a little slower I opened my eyes again and opened the door to the wardrobe. The pensive was laying there at the bottom and I knelt down beside it. I poured the memory from the vile into it and pushed my head into the pensive. The surroundings around me changed and I felt myself pulled into the stone contraption.
I found myself standing in a very cramped looking living room. There was a large fire, which was letting off a lot of heat, on the centre of one of the walls. Two sofa's and one chair were surrounding the fire, all crushed together creating a very cosy atmosphere. I stood by the bay window looking out onto a magnificent front garden. I recognised the room instantly, this was Gran's house.
I noticed a man standing next to me. He, like me, was looking out onto the front garden. His face looked weak and pale and he was very thin. His hair was mousy-brown, yet it was going grey in some parts. He was quite scruffy looking and he looked exhausted. I studied his face and couldn't work out what emotion he was feeling, I had a feeling that he didn't entirely know either. I also noticed that his nose was very much alike my own.
"Remus" came a whisper. I turned just in time to see a woman with bright blue hair, holding a baby, walking into the room. It seemed that the man beside me had done so too. I noticed the way colour came back to his face the moment he lay his eyes on her. His cheeks turned a rosy-pink colour and a smile now lay on his face. He walked over to them and put his arms around them. The family looked so happy, on top of the world. Yet you could feel the upset there. I had now gathered that these were my parents, and that the baby was me. Had they known then that they would die soon? Did they realise that their time was limited with me?
The woman made he way over to a Moses basket which was placed at the other side of the room beside Gran's coffee table. I realised now that there was something missing from it. At the house now, on this very coffee table, was nothing. But away from this memory a photo had been placed there…
I watched the baby form of myself as my hair changed from the bright blue it was a few seconds ago to a mousy-brown, the same colour as my fathers.
"There you go, my little caterpillar" Mum whispered as she lowered the baby into the Moses basket. Dad walked over and I watched as my parents looked down at me, smiling. It was a perfect moment, and I could now savour it in my heart, forever.
It was time to go now. There was no more that I wanted to see. I would come back to this memory one day, and replay it, but I have to keep in mind that this is all it will ever be, a memory.
Just as I was leaving, I watched my Gran bursting through the door with a camera. I smiled as I watched a photo that was taken, the same photo that lay on my Gran's coffee table in the present. I took a last look at my mother, she was happy and smiling, and as I turned to my father I noticed him look over to the window I was standing by. It was almost like he looked strait at me. It was almost like for a moment, we connected.
Raising my head from the pensive, I put the memory back into the vile and tucked it deep within my pocket. I closed the door to the wardrobe and leant my head back against the wall.
"I love you" I whispered into the air and somehow, I know they heard me.
