First Harry Potter story, I used to not like this couple but I've read so many great stories from SqueakySwings, S i l v e r a u r o u r a, Howlsthemoon and many others so I thought I would give it a shot.
"Hey stop that," Ginny slapped Teddy's hand away and stirred the dish.
"What? I wasn't doing anything." He looked up at her, eyes wide.
"Sure." She nodded rolling her eyes and whisked the dish away. "I want this to be the prefect Christmas, which means no stealing food." She pretended to point a stern finger at him.
"Right. You know I think this will be the quietest Christmas we've ever had."
The families were all doing their own thing, which was rare. It started with the fact that Aunt Hermione wanted to see her parents. Then Molly announced that she and Arthur had won a cruise from witch weekly. Many of the other male Weasleys at the thought of what their wives would say if they offered up their house to the entire clan quickly shrugged and confessed that they also had their own plans. Something would be arranged for the New Year.
It would be even quieter though. James had taken the big step of spending Christmas with his girlfriend's family and Albus had been invited to the States with some friends in an opportunity that he just can't pass up.
Everyone seemed to be going away. Even Teddy's grandmother was visiting old friends in France.
So it will be just the four of them for Christmas, himself Harry and Ginny and Lily home from school. Teddy is struggling to remember a time when there were only four of them around the table. Even before James was born there was always somebody else there.
He's not sure what it will be like.
Actually it's turns out it's very nice. Everyone is able to have one conversation with everyone contributing instead of lots of little ones where only snippets can be heard.
They are able to talk a whole series of different topics and eventually feeling very stuffed with turkey the focus is aimed at the youngest member of the table.
"So Lilykins what are you going to do after you leave school?" Teddy asks taking a sip of his wine.
"Um." She tucks a strand her hair behind her ear and pushes her fork around her plate, despite the fact that there is no way she can eat another bite. "I thought I might like to go travelling." She looks up at her parents as if asking them for permission and Teddy is aware that this is not something she has discussed before.
"Oh." Harry adds helpfully.
"If that's ok with you," she looks up at them hastily.
"Of course. I mean we let Al go and James was gone for about a month before he got signed on with the team."
Teddy is surprised. Unusually with parents of more than one child, Harry and Ginny are less relaxed when it comes to Lily's safety. Typically he knows that most parents have got over their fears with the first. Maybe because Lily is the only girl, this is certainly something the press have always been interested in. Or it could be that of all their children she is the only to have received a death threat. It was a crazed crackpot who was caught quickly but still enough to scare them. She's also always seemed more fragile, more prone to illness.
"Who are you going with?" Ginny asks.
"I hadn't thought about it."
"Ok, we'll offer you the same deal as your brothers, that is we'll finance you slightly but you have to go with someone, ok?"
It seemed Ginny was the one who was likely to be more over protective.
"Al didn't have to go with anyone." She points out.
"Well Albus was always more solitary," her father adds uncomfortably.
Ginny shoots him a look, clearly asking 'why on earth would you say that' and adds, "It's not that. It's just that and I know that this is not fair, but it's a different world for women. It's a lot less safe."
"But that's so unfair Mum." Lily is not aware of how much like her five year old self she sounds.
"I know. Look I wasn't happy about Albus going on his own but I still feel safer about him being alone than you. I know you're not but people might mistake you for a vulnerable woman and take advantage of you."
"They wouldn't," she started to protest until Harry pointed out,
"They might. Besides you might get lonely. You're not the sort of person who can just talk to people and after meeting Al's friend Q I'm glad of that."
Teddy smiled at the thought of Q a rather loud American friend of Als who believed in all sorts of conspiracy theories. They had met in Italy at the tower of Pisa which Q believed was proof that the earth had once rotated in a different direction. Why, no one knew.
"But that's stupid, there's no one that I really want to go with." She was annoyed now and Teddy wondered if it was because she had never expected her parents to say yes and had been looking for a fight. That's fairly typical of Lily.
Harry looked across at Ginny and Teddy thinks he was about to waver but Ginny is remaining resolute.
"What about Amy?"
A close friend of Lily's who Teddy has met several times.
"Amy? Please, we'd kill each other before we'd even got into mainland Europe."
"Ok. Well you've got plenty of time to think about it. It's not something that needs to happen straight away and if not you could always come with us when we go away."
It had been a long talked plan between Harry and Ginny that once the children had officially left they would go out and see the world properly as Ginny put it.
"Mother. I am not going travelling with my parents." She pauses for a moment. "Um what about Josh?"
"Finnegan? Ravenclaw?"
"Yes. He's been going on for ages about how he wants to go travelling."
"Well sure." Harry shrugged looking across at his wife. "I don't see a problem with that."
"Excellent." Lily is smiling with a faraway look in her eye. "I'll go ask him now."
"Lily it is Christmas day. Write him a letter, don't floo over."
She drops briefly. "Can I write it now though?"
Ginny smiled and waved an impatient hand.
Teddy stares at how things have suddenly changed over the answer to a simple question. He's not sure he likes it. His grandmother has always said that he doesn't like change but he thinks it's more than that. This is Lily after all.
"Well then," Harry slowly pulled himself up out of his chair. "Who wants another drink?"
"You're happy to let her go with a boy?" Teddy's rather incredulous at his godfather's relaxed attitude.
Ginny shrugged. "If it were up to me I'd rather she were. Some 6ft four strapping guy who got straight O's at Newt level, has access to a host of protection spells and is trained in muggle martial arts but I don't think it's likely to happen."
Teddy smiled.
"We just don't want her going on her own."
"But with Josh Finnegan?
"He's a nice boy."
Teddy's had experience knowing nice boys and knew that no teenage boy was as nice as he seemed.
"He's not going!"
Lily stormed into the living room holding a letter in her hand. It was the day after Boxing Day, James had come home and everyone was a little bit fed up of each other having been cooped into the house for several days due to the persistence of the rain.
"What?" James asked with his mouth full of the turkey that had been offered to him after he claimed slyly that Laura's mother didn't cook like his.
"Josh! He's not going travelling anymore. Been offered an internship at the ministry. Opportunity 'he can't turn down'." She rolled her eyes. She flung herself down on the sofa.
"Oh. Well. Never liked him anyway. Git. And Mum used to date his Dad so that would be weird."
"What?"
"Didn't you know? Mum used to date Mr Finnegan."
"No she didn't. Did you Mum?" She called out to the kitchen.
"What?"
"Date Josh Finnegan's Dad? James said you did."
"No." Ginny called back from the kitchen.
"About the only person she didn't date back then," Harry muttered coming into the room.
"Excuse me?" Ginny by now had properly joined the conversation by now. "I did not date that much."
"Really Dean Thomas?"
"Mr Thomas Mum?" Both Potter siblings were amazed at how they had never heard this story before.
"Um yes. Look lets not talk about that now."
"Oh lets." Both are grinning and Teddy is struck by the fact that although they both bicker a lot and would never admit to this; they are exceptionally like each other.
"No."
"But, Mr Thomas?"
"No. Lily you need to make plans soon. You can't go off travelling if you haven't planned it properly and I know you don't think so but these months will fly by."
"That doesn't end this conversation!" Lily yelled as she walked out of the room and upstairs to her bedroom to write more letters to friends.
The responses weren't exactly quick and although Lily's owl Eowyn was not known for being the fastest flier she had expected a few results by now.
So she sulked around for a couple of days, not really sure what to do whilst various other family members returned to work and she pretended to be getting on with her holiday homework.
And then she decided to not sulk anymore and visit someone who might offer more advice.
Teddy who knew she was upset had gone to an old fashioned sweet shop to buy her some special sweets before she got home, was sitting at the kitchen table with a newspaper when she came in.
She was flying. Not with a broomstick or anything but she just seemed so genuinely happy for the first time in days that her feet barely touched the ground.
"I've got it!" she announced to the kitchen table. "Luna!
"Luna?" Ginny asked.
"As in Scamander?" Teddy asked.
"Yes," she turned to him. "As in my godmother. She's going to Asia in July with Rolf and the twins."
"She is?" Harry frowned.
"You knew that dear. Their going to write a book about something called the whispering winged wasp thing, I don't know. She's been mentioning it for months." Ginny informed him.
"Never mind that. It's perfect! Look, she said I can go with her and it'll be so great. See she'll be going to Asia and working and that means that I'll get my freedom but also be completely safe. And she knows some amazing people, like really amazing people, so I could be introduced to them. And they're like the best people in their fields. And you know that she doesn't like apparating long distances so she wants us to travel like muggles through Europe. And you know she and Rolf are really interested in culture so I get to see all the stuff. And she's taking the twins so I'll have some company with people my own age. And…"
"Lily breathe." Harry chuckled.
"Ok, ok," she wasn't particularly listening, "So can I go?"
Harry looked across at his wife who nodded. "Yes."
"Oh thank you thank you," she hugged them both and then made to run upstairs.
"Wait where are you going?"
"I have to go and look at what clothes to take. I really need new stuff. Ah." She gave a very un Lily like squeal to fit in with her very un Lily like behaviour.
"But you're not going for months." Harry frowned.
"Yes, but," she was talking very slowly and carefully as if explaining something to a very young child. "We're going like five days after terms ends. I will be in muggle clothes most of the time. I won't be home in between now and then and it's not as if Hogsmeade is known for it's muggle clothes. And it's the January sales so I need to work out what I'm taking. It's very simple really."
"Right."
"Oh I'm so excited." She ran upstairs.
"You're ok with this?" Teddy tried to keep his voice neutral but didn't succeed.
Ginny sighed. "Ted it's Luna. Of course I am. I mean she's Lily's godmother and I mean there's no one I trust more."
"But….what about…"
"What exactly? Honestly Teddy I thought that Harry and I were the ones who were over protective. Look, this will be a brilliant opportunity for her; she gets to help Luna and so she'll clearly get some sort of education.
He knew what he was going to say in protest but also knew how much he couldn't say it. The twins. Lorcan and Lysander. Blonde and attractive and tall and used to travelling all over the world and to doing all sorts of physical activities and having smart parents and reading all the sorts of books Lily read and being so much closer to her in age.
That was the real crux of the issue. They were ideal boyfriend material, both of them. And people, Teddy knew from bitter experience, had a terrible habit of becoming close, very close whilst travelling.
And he didn't want that to happen.
He really didn't want to Lily to grow close- well in that way- to any male. Or any male that wasn't him.
But it wasn't as if that could ever happen.
Unless he did something about it.
"So you want to go in the first week of the holidays? Even though you may never see some of these people again?"
He hated himself for doing this, but he knew he had to try. It was the first trip to Hogsmeade and it was February and Teddy had begged Lily to meet him. They were sitting in The Three Broomsticks and he was trying every tactic to persuade her not to go.
"Yeah it's a bit annoying. I mean that is when all the best parties are but it's probably the best option. I mean it's going to be an amazing trip."
"Right. So you get on well with the twins?"
"Yeah . Course, known them all of my life."
"Oh right, I would just be concerned if I were you." He added this casually and took a large gulp of his drink, trying not to be annoyed with what he was doing.
"What?"
"Well I mean they're brothers, twins even. They're probably pretty close and they are going with their parents." He shrugged with fake nonchalance.
"Aww Teddy, why do you have to try and put a downer on it? I know what happened with the whole travelling thing but it'll be fine I promise."
"Travelling thing?"
"You know with Victoire."
"Oh that. Lily I don't even think about that anymore."
"But how can you not? She ruined your travelling chances and potentially it would have been your career, so you probably have a negative attitude on all types of travelling now."
"I don't."
He thought about it for a moment and whether or not he was lying.
Victoire had, like it seemed all teenagers in the Weasley family now that he thought about it, wanted to go travelling. At this point they had still been dating. Teddy hadn't been able to take that time off in his job, or so he had originally thought and so she had gone with a series of school friends. And then he had a wonderful opportunity to take some time off and fly out to meet her. Only to see her coming out of the wizard bar with another young man, her close friend, wrapped around her. He would have thought little about it had this man's tongue not also been down her throat.
"No, but you are. I mean I know not everyone can go and it's quite a luxurious way to spend time but it can provide you with an amazing opportunity." She was using some of his arguments for not doing it. "I mean it broadens your horizons and views. And, since I don't know what I'm doing later on in life it's bound to help."
"Ok." She was slowly wearing him down.
"I mean you never go travelling do you Ted? I mean I know you have to work all the time but even when you do get a break what do you do? Come round to ours? Not exactly glamorous or exciting is it. When was the last time you were abroad, and not," she added as he went to interrupt, "to catch a dangerous criminal?"
"Well I," he was growing uncomfortable.
"Exactly! When was the last time you went outside of your comfort zone," she was growing more incensed. "Oh look I ordered a different type of pasta last night. I mean really when was the last time you had fried cricket? Or spider? Or something you didn't know what you were eating?"
"Well to be honest Lily that doesn't sound completely appealing."
"Oh you know what I mean. Look it was great seeing you but I did promise I'd meet my friends." Teddy knew he was getting the brush off. "I know you're just trying to be practical but I have thought of every eventuality." She went to hug him and then was off to another corner of the pub laughing with a group of friends that Teddy noticed to his regret contained several boys.
It was all so simple. She was going to of and have the time of her life and have all these wonderful opportunities and meet all these amazing people and he, well, he wasn't. He was going to stay at home with his job which despite the fact that he loved it and it would certainly never be described as boring didn't seem to be going anywhere.
Except it isn't that simple. As Ginny explains when Teddy is invited to dinner a spanner has been thrown into the woodwork. Rolf it turns out was attacked by a dragon. He's fine, nothing magic and lots of burns potions couldn't fix but now Luna is obsessed with the creatures and wants to follow them everywhere.
"Dragons? I would have thought they would have been all a little bit real for her."
Harry laughed slightly and his wife added. "She's convinced there must be something else other than potions for burns. She wants to try powdered scale."
"What? Surely that's suicidal."
"Oh I don't think that they necessarily have to be alive for her to try to get a scale"
"No she does." Ginny contradicted Harry. "Anyway she and Rolf have been invited to stay on a dragon reserve whilst she studies."
"Charlie's?"
"No. Anyway Luna thinks it'll take six months which means at least a year. Luna has invited her to join them once term ends but you know how Lily feels about dragons."
Teddy nodded. He knew. Lily had been very young and obsessed about dragons from a young age. She had toys of them and they were painted along the wall of her bedroom before she was born. Large toy versions had been sent from her mysterious and exciting Uncle Charlie. Mysterious and exciting because he was the only uncle that she never saw. It had also been one of the few stories she had been told about her Dad's school days. Mainly because it was the one of the few that didn't involve death eaters. It became a popular request for a bedtime story.
Then, when she was about five the family, that is her parents, brothers and even Teddy had been invited out to Romania to see Charlie. Lily had been so excited that even though they'd had their reservations the Potters agreed to go.
Except it hadn't been what she had thought it would be. The dragons were so loud and so large and so terrifying that she hadn't dared go anywhere near the perimeters set up for her. Teddy remembered how she had crawled into his bedroom most nights, the roaring keeping her awake. She also had refused, despite the heat, to go anywhere around the camp without wearing Charlie's thick dragon proof gloves and vest.
"She's not over that?"
"She probably is but I think she has reservations about being in the same place for six months. I mean you were there when you were sixteen. These types of places are not exactly 'happening' spots. She's turned down the offer."
"How's she taking it?
"Well in her letter she's trying to make the best of it but I asked Hermione to ask Hugo and he reckoned that she was a lot more upset than she was letting on."
Teddy smiled at her sympathetically.
"I'm sure something will work out." Harry added.
Teddy was struck with the idea that if he didn't say something now he would find himself regretting it for years.
"I'll go with her."
"Excuse me?"
"I've always wanted a travel. I could take an extended holiday and actually see the world."
"What about your career?" As head of the Auror department Harry had helped to nurture his godson's career and this type of decision was unusual.
"Well with all due respect Harry, I do think that I have learned a lot and I would be able to come back, wouldn't I?"
"It could risk your chance of a promotion. And it doesn't reflect that greatly. You may come back and find work very different which may involve a lot of paperwork and boring tasks. It will effect your learning about the job."
"Says the boy who went camping with his friends for a year. Not affecting your education at all," Ginny laughed knowing that almost thirty years later was an appropriate time to make jokes although on this subject they were rare.
Teddy thought for a moment. "Anyway some things are more important."
"Ok, wow, well I'm sure Lily would love to go with you. You'll have to write to her immediately," Ginny pointed out surprised that Teddy was serious about it.
"Your superiors at work will need a written copy of your wishes at least two months in advance." Harry added rather sternly.
Many letters are exchanged over the following months. Lily was of course thrilled with the idea and immediately writes with all the places they should visit and what she thinks is the best order and does Teddy have a suitcase?
Ginny is equally thrilled. Admittedly she was joking when she described the perfect travelling companion for Lily but Teddy fits it well. As an Auror he does have host to a series of protection spells and had done a little basic muggle defence training. She had also been worried about him, how seriously he seemed to be taking things lately, this would be perfect.
Harry is less than thrilled. He doesn't know why but something feels off. There is actually a large age gap and he's not so sure that they will want to do the same things and whether this is sensible. He supposes it is better that she is going with him than a group of girls who will be into all manor of partying.
Still he is inclined to trust his gut. Ginny mentions that this doesn't always work out for him and he wonders if she is thinking of Sirius but she doesn't mention it. He of all people knows he is wrong sometimes.
Teddy knows that he is worried; Harry wonders if Teddy is that good an Auror that he can sense it or the more likely case that Ginny confided in him. When they set off on August 1st he promises faithfully that they will be in contact regularly.
To begin with they do. Letters are sent with an encouraging regularity filled with all sorts of details about their days and where they had been.
Soon however they slow down. Ginny reassures him it is because they are further away, in the middle of Asia by now but even she can't help but notice that there are fewer letters. She adds that they are probably so busy that by the time they are writing they're too worn out. She's says they probably don't want to bore them but Harry is concerned. What if they are busy with the sort of details that they can't let them know? What he's not sure but he thinks drugs. Maybe it's more relaxed over there or maybe he's wrong but the letters certainly give that feeling of stupor.
They have no fixed plans which annoys him; he doesn't like to think that he doesn't know where his daughter and Godson are but according to many people, his wife and sons included, this is the best way to go. He still thinks they've been away for a very long time and he hasn't exactly heard anything.
And suddenly they're back. Very very suddenly. There is no announcement, no time to arrange a welcome back party or to clean rooms, cook food.
There is something different about them and it's not just the fact that Lily is tanned, very tanned far more tanned then Harry has ever seen her. They are standing exceptionally close to each other and it seems as if they are sharing some great secret.
"Actually we have something to tell you." They are still holding suitcases and have barely made their way through the door but clearly this news can't wait.
"Oh I'm sure you do," Ginny smiles. "Sit down and tell me all about it. I want to hear everything."
"It's not that Ginny." Teddy's arm is looped around Lily and she's smiling up at him. "What we wanted to tell you was that we are now a couple."
"Huh." This is the closest written version of what Harry actually says being somewhere in between a noise, word and squeak of indignation.
"What? When did this happen?" Ginny asks amazed.
"Uh," Lily pauses for a moment. "Somewhere between Nepal and Hong Kong." She has a great big infectious smile. Soon a similar version is mirroring itself across Teddy's face as he remembers what happened in between Nepal and Hong Kong. What, Harry doesn't like to think.
"Ok, clearly we need to talk." Harry is frowning, no longer happy to have his daughter back but wondering just what they were doing whilst they were away. "Let's sit down."
He sees Lily's confusion as she looks up at Teddy but they make their way over to the table. Both pick the same side of the table and pull their chairs too close to each other.
"What exactly is going on?"
"We're dating Harry," Teddy stares at him in a way that Harry certainly does not like.
"Yes so you said but you see I'm not entirely sure what that means. I mean we trusted you with our daughter especially after you were so worried about her going and now this happens. We thought you had been working too hard and that this would be good for you. But now it turns out that the whole reason that you were going was to manipulate our daughter. Or was that not your plan?" He adds accusingly.
"Dad!" Lily yells whilst her mother adds "Harry!"
"Harry," Teddy looked pained. "It's not like that at all. I didn't plan this. I am in love with your daughter."
Here Harry looks across at his daughter wondering if this is news to her as he suspects or hopes it might be but she just stares coolly back at him with her mothers eyes.
"And," Teddy continues. "I'm pretty sure that she's in love with me too." Lily smiles at him.
"No! This is not happening any more," Harry stands up his chair scrapping across the floor. "Teddy I suggest that you leave whilst we talk some sense to our daughter. I don't want to see you around here. Oh and since you just turned up out of the blue I will expect you at work tomorrow, you've clearly been gone long enough and you've got a lot of paperwork to be catching up on." He then proceeded to do the unthinkable and turn his back on his godson in anger.
"Harry," Teddy is slightly weary and is reminding both of the elder Potters of his father, "I understand that you're angry but if you think for one moment that I'm staying away from Lily then you've finally cracked."
Harry stares at him and then pulls his wand out immediately pointing it at Teddy's chest.
"Harry!" Ginny cries and then seeing the look on his face, sighs again. "Teddy you'd better go."
He looks at her in disbelief but seeing the look in her eyes kisses Lily on her forehead and walks out of the door disappearing with a small pop.
This is when the shouting starts. Lily is yelling at Harry and Harry is yelling at Lily. Ginny is trying to pacify both of them before yelling at them because the neighbours will soon be yelling at them for yelling.
Many comments are made before Lily finally happens to yell out. "Fine you know what? I'm not going to listen to another ridiculous comment, I'm off."
"No you are not…" Harry yells at her but she has already gone.
"Just let it be. She'll be back." Ginny sighs.
She does. She comes back very late. So late that they are wondering if she is planning to stay the night at his. Because that is obviously where she must be.
"Lily," Ginny smiles in relief. "You're back."
"I didn't want to but Teddy said I had to." Harry smirks slightly and she flares up again. "Not because he wanted me to leave but because he knew you would be worried."
"Right well it might have been better if you had because you won't be seeing him for awhile."
"Excuse me? I'm an adult I don't have to do what you say so!"
"Oh really? Because I'm the Head of the Auror department, I can have you arrested for apparating if I want."
"Oh yeah right. No one would let you do that."
"I don't need anyone to let me."
"Right! That's enough." Ginny shouts. "Lily go to bed. And Harry we need to talk. Again."
Lily shuffles away and Harry sits down both knowing that there is no point arguing with her when she's in that mood. Just as she goes Lily can here her father say
"This can't work! I mean for goodness sakes Ginny think of the most basic things like the age difference! I don't want her seeing him for a long time."
This is pretty hypocritical of a man who has always gone on about the strength of Teddy's parents relationship when they had an even further age gap of an additional two years.
Also difficult relationship? He was wanted by Voldemort and her mother was his best friends little sister not to mention the fact that they were apart for almost two years whilst she was at school and he was trying to get himself killed and then he didn't even return to school to be with her. That was a difficult relationship and they had a very successful marriage with three children.
Ironically (except it's not) this turns out to be true. She doesn't see him for a fair amount of time.
Harry has always known that it is not fair to Teddy to be involved in his career so has always made sure that another member of his department had handled the young man. This means he is not responsible for the cases he is sent on or charges he is given.
This is why he knows nothing about what happens on the Monday as he takes the day off work.
A big case had just come up and since it was in Cuba where Teddy had just been it was obviously the most sensible suggestion that he go.
It might take longer than a work day but not much and he leaves a note to say that if he is that much later could Lily Potter be contacted to say he'll talk to her when he gets back. He writes a change on his form that asks his emergency contact be changed from his grandmother to her. He hasn't told any they are dating but everyone knows that they are close and have been travelling together. Enid the office secretary will handle it.
She does. There are two secretaries because the office doesn't close just becomes slightly more quiet in the evening. Typically Enid finishes up on her own work and then does a quick sweep of the other desks before putting on her coat and hat.
However on days like this she doesn't go home. In fact it doesn't get quieter in the evening, as each hour passes and no new information comes in the headquarters are flooded with more people.
It's happened before and so they have policies. Enid has been around for many years and knows not to contact the youngest Potter too early otherwise she'll just worry and there really is no estimation of when he should be back. Then when it passes the average time she waits an extra hour and then informs her superiors. Then she contacts Lily Potter.
"Miss Potter?" Her head was in the fireplace but she was unable to see the girl.
"Enid?" Harry jumped up knowing that the only reason she would be contacting him was if it was bad news. "What is it?"
"Oh hello Mr Potter. I was hoping to speak to your daughter."
"Lily? Um yes, I'll just go and fetch her."
There was a pause and then slowly, curiously Lily came into the kitchen. Enid wondered if something else had happened, she had only met the girl once or twice at events or in the office but now she looked distinctively different, more tidy and drawn. Certainly it seemed she hadn't slept well.
"Miss Potter. I'm afraid to inform you that Mr. Lupin seems to have disappeared whilst on a mission today."
Lily gasped and looked at her father waiting for him to confirm it.
"Enid?" Harry stared in shock.
"Yes we had believed that it would be a relatively short mission but he has been missing for several hours. Of course it could be that he is having trouble getting away from Cuba but we do believe that it may be more complex than that."
"Cuba?" Lily gasped again stood up and then sat down almost immediately.
"Yes," Enid hesitated slightly she wasn't supposed to let details like this get out and her boss was standing in front of her. "We just thought that as the next of kin we should let you know. We of course are doing every thing we can to retrieve Mr. Lupin and have no reason to presume that he is not alive. If you would like any information then there is our twenty four hour support team available."
Harry nodded. He was used to this speech. He had been the one to implement then support team for the victims of violent dark art attacks.
"But I'm not his next of kin," Lily frowned and looked across to Harry, "Andromeda is."
"Mr Lupin had recently made adjustments to his form. This morning in fact. We are sending someone over to her."
"Right. Good." Harry stood up. "Meanwhile Lily and I will be flooing into the office."
"Mr Potter, sir," Enid began to protest but was cut down by a look. It wasn't protocol, family and friends were likely to become very emotional in times of distress and would only hinder the search operation.
"She was recently in Cuba, she'll be able to provide us some information. Besides," he swept his daughter a sidelong glance, "she needs to be there."
They arrive at the office which is a flurry of activity. Various maps have been drawn up with a series of blue dots that are moving across; supposedly signs of magic similar to Teddy's.
Lily is whisked off and tries to give as much information as possible. Harry who has been allowed to listen in is amazed at how much she knows. She can give all the elements of his wand, the clothes he was wearing, any friends he had near the country, what his password is most likely to be.
Harry thinks that even after being married all this time he can't give those sorts of details about Ginny.
Lily is extremely frustrated by how long this takes.
This information is taken away and stored up and discussed and cups of coffee are made and more people arrive and Andromeda floos in only to find there is no information.
Ginny and James arrive having received Harry's owl just moments before Pastons caught the snitch. They had been at the Wasps late night opening game. Ginny was writing a column and James was desperately searching for information on his opponents.
They sit and wait.
It is almost twenty four hours since Teddy first went missing and she is told to go home and shower and change but refuses.
Lily is sitting on a chair in the corner a rug wrapped around her. Someone has given her a coffee but it is the instant office sort and all she can think is of Brazil and travelling with Teddy to the forests searching for the fairies that are known for harvesting the bean.
She gets some sleep but doesn't know how and wonders suspiciously if her Dad had something put in her drink for she certainly didn't have any dreams. She does go home now and takes the world's shortest shower.
It's now Wednesday after lunch, nearly thirty six hours and a new flurry of people are in the office and yet they seem to be doing the same work as the last lot. She has been watching them for hours now just staring endlessly at the clock.
She looks around at all of these people none of whom seemed to be achieving anything and tries to remember Teddy's opinion on them all. She has worked out about four fifths of the people when she realises she can't see his boss, Graham Hargreaves. She has met him several times before at events; he and her Dad are close.
"Where's Graham?" she asks her Dad who is wearily flipping through a book on Che Guvera which contains many photos of the terrain. "Is he in Cuba? Is he looking for him?" One thing that hasn't escaped her notice is the despite the business of the office, every Auror seems to be here looking at paperwork and charts instead of out there searching him.
"No Lily." Harry is very tired and all though he would never admit this, very worried.
"But why not? He should be here!" Lily who has been relatively calm is starting to lose it. She knows how the system goes, if he is gone for another day they will soon be starting to look for a body instead.
Harry doesn't know what to say. He can't tell his only daughter that the reason his right hand man isn't out looking for her boyfriend is because he told him not to. It was dangerous. Graham was at home partially because he had a sick daughter but also because right now Harry didn't feel he could use him; the situation felt too helpless.
"We're working in shifts right now Lils he'll be here sometime." He goes to hug her bit she wriggles away.
"I don't want him here! I want him out there looking for him. Who is in Cuba Dad? Who," she is growing increasingly hysterical, "Bambrage? Cowsdon? Hooper?" she spins around and can suddenly see all three Aurors that she just mentioned standing there.
"It's too dangerous right now Lily to send anyone," Harry is calm but firm.
"I'll go."
"No. Why don't you go and get some food with your mother and then try and get some rest. I'll have them make up a bed for you in my office. I promise you when you wake up we will have some news for you." He gives Ginny a look over her head in that parental way trying to convey some deeper meaning but this doesn't work anymore as Lily is now taller than her mother.
She doesn't care anymore. For whatever reason, she decides that sleep might be best and snuggles up in Harry's office clutching Bob-bob the cuddly dog that she slept with as a baby. Teddy gave it to her and this way she can pretend he is there with her.
When she wakes up Bob-bob has fallen on the floor under the desk and for a moment she can't remember where she is and is happy. Then she stands up sees the clock that she Al and James bought for their father's birthday and notes the time. She never would have slept that late normally and so they must have slipped something in her drink, again. Clearly they didn't want her knowing something.
Albus has arrived in the night but this doesn't make her feel any better. If he can get across from America, where he has been living since before last Christmas then clearly they aren't doing enough. It also means, somewhere subconsciously in her mind that the situation must be very serious.
It is.
She is taken back into her father's office the whole family is and they are explained the situation by Harry.
"Currently, at the moment we have yet to receive any intelligence from Teddy nor be shown any true sign that he is alive. Normally in this kind of scenario given the country and the type of case this is we would tell the family that they must start preparing themselves for the worst. It is very likely that Teddy is not alive."
"No!" Ginny lets forward a violent cry and her shoulders began to shake dangerously. Albus goes to comfort her and James has tears rolling out of his eyes but it is his daughter that Harry is looking at.
"No." she echoes her mother's words but it is with a calm certainty. "You're wrong."
"Well Lily," Harry braced himself having known that this was a possible action. "Like I said we don't know yet. Just looking at these things it is much more likely that he is dead."
Ginny was crying now in a way that none of the children had seen her cry and yet Lily isn't. If anything she seemed stronger than she had in days previously.
"You're wrong. That won't happen to Teddy. He wouldn't, couldn't do that to me!"
"Oh Lily," Harry's face crumpled slightly as he makes his way across to her. "It's not always about what we want in life. It's sometimes about what happens."
He went to hug her but she pushed him away again with surprising strength. His elbow hit the handle and the door opened.
"This would never have happened if it wasn't for you!" Lily was yelling at her father hysterically.
"Lily," Ginny said reproachfully clutching a tissue and sitting at the desk in shock.
"No!" she turned on her mother. "No. He should never have been in work! He was far too tired. We had only just got back! But no, you had to goad him into it, bully him so that he would end up taking risks he didn't need to."
"Excuse me?" A voice from the corridor whispers, gravelly but oh so familiar. "Me take un necessary risks? Who was the one trying to convince me to do a bungee jump?"
Lily hurtles herself out of the door at such an alarming speed that Harry has to wonder where she managed to get that strength.
"Teddy?" Albus look up in astonishment.
Out in the corridor he looks simply awful. There is a very large gash across his face narrowly avoiding his right eye whilst his left one has the blackest black eye that James a fan of violent sports has ever seen. His shirt has blood on it, a lot of blood and he has lost one of his shoes. Lily is wrapped round him and Harry can't survey the rest of the damage but it looks pretty bad.
"Sorry I took so long getting back," he is a cheerful and jokey as ever. "Damaged my wand you see?" He holds up a wand that clearly looks as if it has been trampled on by an troll with his left hand. Lily moves away and his right arm which is now black and bruised also looks like it has been trampled on.
Lily gasps when she sees it and puts her hand to her mouth as if she might be sick.
"'Fraid I didn't get Shroedner but one of my spell made him blind I think so that ought to make it easier next time. Picked up some new information as well."
He goes towards Harry but as he takes is second step collapses onto the floor. There is a collective gasp and Lily rushes towards him. She wraps her arm around him but struggles to get him into the chair that she has summoned.
He looks up at her and sees the tears pooling in her eyes. With his left hand he thumbs her chin and then leans in and kisses her.
There is a stunned silence as her brothers realise what this means. Then…
"Oh." Lily who has her hand on his shoulder feels the wetness of her fingers before knowing what it is. Seeing the red on her fingers Harry declares.
"Hospital. Now."
A stretcher is summoned and several relieved Aurors help Teddy onto it and Harry levitates it asking someone to floo St Mungos to let them know that they're coming. It seems that the final push of magic in order to get to the ministry has worn Teddy out; he is losing consciousness at an alarming rate. With one final laboured breath he calls out for Lily.
She runs after the stretcher and her Father and they disappear into the lifts before shuffling backwards out of sight. There is a collective sigh around the office and then people get back to what they were doing. More paperwork is filled in be some others shuffle off home and those unlucky ones have to start working on some of the other cases that have been put aside.
St Mungo's hasn't changed really since the last time Lily was there; a Quidditch accident that James was involved in. Teddy is given special treatment but it is not for once to do with the fact that he is connected to a Potter but that he is an Auror injured in the battlefield.
Teddy is woken up so that the damage can be surveyed. He is warned that it will be very painful but he doesn't blink merely watches Lily's face as she winces each time a new spell is performed or a new bruise discovered. She is invited to sit on the bed next to him so he can see her better and gingerly she does so.
Harry step out for a moment to give them privacy but comes rushing back into the room when the Healer exclaims.
"Merlin's beard! What on earth is that?"
Teddy is lying on his side and Harry can't help but notice that now he is even closer to Lily staring at her intently.
His shirt has been cut off and on his back are a series of pink welts, large balls on his skin, almost two dozen of them.
"Oh right," Teddy awkwardly shuffles his left hand round and pulls at one, "Fireball Lils?"
"What?" she stares at what he has just offered her.
"There a sweet," Teddy explained to the stunned Healers, "You can only get them in Cuba. I suppose with all the heat and the magic they must have melted and stuck to me. They were Lily's favourites whilst we were travelling."
"You stupid boy." Lily is crying and laughing now, "If I weren't afraid of what would happen to you I would hit you right now. You picked up sweets for me?"
"You said you liked them?" Teddy shrugged and then winced.
The Healers got some water and gently removed the balls, saving them in a special paper bag.
Harry left the room chuckling slightly.
He returns a few hours later with the rest of the family. They're not really supposed to be visiting yet so they can only stay for a few minutes. Lily is sleeping still on the bed but Teddy who by all accounts should be sleeping is wide awake. Harry can see the pain in his bright blue eyes that also match his hair.
"Lily's favourite?" He guesses accurately.
"We'll be having words about that won't we James?" Albus nodded.
"Absolutely." James was grinning. "We'll let you recover and then we'll kick the living daylights out of you. Honestly travelling with our sister and then seducing her only to leave her crazy and hysterical when you disappear."
They all smile. Ginny comes closer and gently touches Teddy's shoulder. "We've told Andromeda that you're okay. She'll be by tomorrow. What do you want me to make? Chocolate cheesecake?" she mentions Teddy's favourite and he nods.
It's actually a recipe of Lily's but has always been his favourite. Harry realises he should have spotted it sooner.
They soon have to say goodbye but as they are being slowly shown towards the door by a nurse Harry points towards his daughter.
"What about her?" He knows that for all his training and the fact that he is relatively fit he cannot lift his daughter anymore and thinks that she should sleep when she can.
"Oh she can stay Mr Potter. It seems Mr Lupin does much better medically whilst she's around."
Teddy smiles sheepishly. Harry pushes on the door and turns back,
"I'm sorry Teddy. She's right, I wasn't fair to you and I shouldn't have made you come to work."
"It's fine Harry. There's nothing for you to apologise for. I mean I should have been facing my responsibilities sooner. It's not like I made up for anything today." He was clearly annoyed with himself for not catching Shroedner.
"Hey you did the best you could do."
"It wasn't good enough. And I'm sorry by the way for the way Lily and I told you. It wasn't fair to spring everything on you."
"Now you have nothing to apologise for. You know Teddy," he paused. "Ginny and I are very proud of you and the work you do and who you are. And as my wife pointed out to me several days ago there is nobody better for our daughter. It just took me awhile to catch on but I see that now."
"Thanks Harry."
"Still I am far too young to be a grandfather so just you mind yourself." He feels exceptionally stupid and awkward for saying that but Teddy doesn't notice.
"I think you ought to be more worried about James and Laura." Teddy laughs as he sees Harry age years in a matter of seconds.
Harry smiles as well and shuts the door watching through the window as Teddy tucks his arm further around Lily pulling her closer and closes his eyes. Everything should be all right now.
The recovery phase doesn't actually take that long. Soon he is returned to work. It has become all that Harry threatened it would be all those months ago with endless reams of paperwork until he is fully recovered.
Even after three months has passed he is still kept on office duties sometimes involved in research and other areas. He is sent out on one small mission when his boss is away and when he returns Graham is unhappy that he went.
He wonders if Harry has finally interfered with his career but not in a positive way and goes to confront him about this. His godfather nods and pauses for a long time before confessing that Lily asked him to, just for a little while. Teddy nods and goes back to his desk to alphabetize files.
And if he is a little bored and a little frustrated he only needs to think of the look on Lily's face when he returns home. The relief in her eyes and the smile as she hands him a plate of whatever she has been experimenting with today is one of the greatest joys in his life.
That is the second great outcome of their trip. Lily knows what she wants to do and that is cook. She realizes that muggles are fascinated with it for a reason and that there is a huge open market for it in the wizarding world with all sorts of different ingredients.
One night she happens to mention a rare herb that she needs from Russia and that she can't think where to get it. Teddy remembers this particularly when he sees the words MOSCOW- URGENT printed on a file on his desk and he knows that she has finally got over the fears that have filled her nightmares for months.
This is how they continue, he brings home food ingredients for her from all around the world and she creates recipes for her new book that she is publishing always getting him to taste him first. When he turns down a mission on account of the danger he asks a friend to pick up the ingredients or he returns home and they plan to visit it properly themselves.
The drawer in Lily's kitchen is getting steadily filled with holiday destinations. It is, after all, how they got together.
There! It was far longer than I had ever thought it would be. Please let me know what you think because I have so many doubts about this one.