Adventures in Your Children Dating
Chapter One – Teddy
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Harry knew that once his children hit their teenage years, there was a chance – no, a certainty, that they would start seeing the opposite sex as something more than "just girls," as Ron had once eloquently said to Hermione.
That didn't mean he was any more prepared for it.
Even though Teddy wasn't technically his, the boy had been a part of his and Ginny's life since the beginning. He had taken the role of godfather that Remus Lupin bestowed upon him in stride. He made it his mission to be the godfather that his own never had gotten the chance to be. Before the young Metamorphmagus had gone to Hogwarts, he would always stay with the Potters on the weekend. As James, Albus, and Lily got older, the four of them would have sleepovers, occasionally with a few of their many cousins in the Weasley clan. But when they started Hogwarts, the sleepovers became less of an occurrence, in a way. When half of Gryffindor House was made up of Team Potter/Weasley/Lupin, everyday was a sleepover to the kids.
So when Bill Weasley of all people cornered him after Sunday lunch at the Burrow one day, Harry had no idea what was going on. That was until he pointed to Teddy and Victoire, who were sitting in the living room beside each other, bright red in the face and avoiding each other's gaze.
Harry sighed, thinking that there had been another row between the two. "Who cursed who this time?" he asked warily. "You know when we go to Cup next month, you two can't do that, right?"
"I wish that was what they were doing!" Bill said angrily. "In fact, I would have preferred to have caught them fighting!"
Harry's brows furrowed, and he looked back at the two teenagers. Teddy's hair was shifting colors, something that he did when he was extremely nervous. Victoire's face was still bright right, and she looked to be on the verge of tears. Bill was towering over the both of them and the scars on his face from so many years before weren't helping with the intimidating situation.
"What did you catch them doing?" Harry asked, not exactly sure he wanted to know.
"I found them upstairs, in Charlie's old room, snogging," Bill seethed. "And I'm pretty sure that Victoire and I had a conversation about her not being old enough for that yet."
"Well, how was I supposed to know!" Teddy shouted, but a look from both Bill and Harry shut him up.
The shout had been enough to capture the attention of Molly, Ginny, and Fleur, who were looking at the two men and two teenagers in confusion. "What's going on?" Molly asked. "Who cursed who this time?"
"There were upstairs snogging!" Bill snarled, sounding more like a teenager than 43 years old.
Molly looked at the group in her living room and tried to hide a smile. "Well, as the parents and godparents involved, I'll let you take care of it," she replied, and returned to the kitchen.
"Bill, you sound like you're being a bit overprotective," Ginny said.
"Of course I am, she's my daughter!" Bill shouted.
"And she's growing up! Of course she was bound to discover not all boys have cooties eventually!"
"You are not helping, Ginny! What would you do if it were Lily?"
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes for a second and sighed. He should have known that this conversation was going to happen eventually, but never expected Teddy to fall for a Weasley.
Actually, now that he thought about it, he probably should have expected it.
"How long has this been going on?" Harry asked, and he felt Bill tense up beside him, preparing to burst like a balloon.
Victoire seemed to have taken a vow of silence, as Teddy spoke again. "Er...since our final week of the semester?" he answered sheepishly.
"THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THREE WEEKS AND YOU JUST NOW THINK ITS BEST TO INFORM US!"
As Bill exploded beside him, Harry wasn't exactly sure on how to feel about the situation yet. He was sure this was a conversation that Teddy should be having with Andromeda, but since he was currently in his care, it fell onto him. Honestly, he didn't see what the problem was – he had been 16 when he started to date Ginny. And Victoire was only a year younger than Ginny had been when she started dating. But he vaguely remembered the death glares the two had gotten not only from Ron but from Bill and Charlie and felt it was better not to bring that up at the moment.
"...is completely ridiculous, Victoire Weasley, you are 14 years old! You are still a child, and I will not have you dating, I don't care if it's the muggle prince of Wales!"
"Bill!" Fleur's voice through the yelling was the only thing that stopped the eldest Weasley sibling. Harry looked back at Ginny, who was watching the entire situation with a comical expression.
"Well?" Bill thundered, looking at Harry expectantly. "Anything you would like to add, seeing as Teddy is your godson?"
Harry looked back at Teddy, who was looking at his godfather with a small look of fear. There had only been one time Harry had lost his temper toward him, and that was when Teddy, James, and Albus had left Lily in the treehouse behind the Potter's house and had taken the ladder so she couldn't climb down. Lily had tried to get down by climbing down the branches, fallen halfway and had broken her arm. Ginny had taken her St. Mungo's while Harry yelled himself hoarse at his sons and godson, grounded them from their Quidditch gear, gave them a long list of chores, and had talked to Andromeda about the incident, who hadn't been as nice with the punishment as Harry had been.
As Teddy gulped, Harry looked back at Bill. "Teddy and I will have a talk later. Until then he can sit in here and think about what's been said," he said simply.
"THAT'S IT?" Bill yelled, his face changing to an equivalent shade of red as his hair.
Fleur stepped up, and grabbed her husband by the hand, and pulled him toward the kitchen. "And that's exactly what you are going to do too," she said. "Our daughter has been embarrassed enough." She looked back at her daughter. "Go find your siblings, Victoire. We should be heading home, anyway."
"I'll go find the kids," Ginny murmured and followed. Teddy looked back at Harry, who shook his head and chuckled.
"I figured we'd eventually have this talk," he said. "But we'll have it when we get home, alright?"
Teddy nodded, and his hair finally went back to his normal turquoise spikes. Harry was positive the teenager didn't know if he would be having just another 'talk' with his godfather or if he'd be getting yelled at once more. Harry motioned for him to follow him to the kitchen, where Ginny and their children were saying goodbye to Mrs. Weasley. He hugged his mother-in-law and thanked her for another excellent lunch before the Potters (and Teddy) flooed back to Godric's Hollow.
James, Albus, and Lily all ran outside to the backyard as Ginny called for them to behave, while Harry and Teddy made their way to the study on the first floor of the house. It was covered with a silencing charm, which is where Harry and Ginny usually pulled one or two (if not all three) siblings in for lectures and talks when needed. As Teddy sat down in the chair at the desk, Harry leaned up against it, studying his godson. His hair was starting to cycle through colors again, and was avoiding Harry's gaze. Harry felt slightly guilty for playing up what was happening, but he had to instill some kind of fear in the teenager, or Bill Weasley certainly would.
Finally, Harry spoke. "I'm not angry, you know," he started.
Teddy looked up at him, wide-eyed. His hair settled back to turquoise. "You're not?"
Harry shook his head. "I couldn't exactly be made at you when you're the same age I started seeing Ginny. I knew you would eventually start seeing girls in another light. Granted, I thought it was going to be sooner than 16 and I was fairly certain it wouldn't be a Weasley, but I was wrong." He shrugged. "I'm sure it's Bill who is getting a lecture with Victoire by Fleur, so I wouldn't worry too much."
His godson was looking at him like he'd grown another head. "I'm not in trouble?" he asked in awe.
Harry chuckled. "You're 16. Victoire is 14. Yes, she may be a couple years younger, but before either of you know it, and before Bill and Fleur or Andromeda or I realize it, you're going to be on your own. You have three years of school left, and she has four. Bill has always been protective. You should have seen him when Ginny and I got back together after the war." He shuddered slightly at the memory.
"Then how come you let Bill yell at us?" Teddy asked accusingly.
Harry smiled. "Considering it a reminder if you and Victoire try anything before you're ready to take your relationship any farther," he advised. "Or if you break her heart, which I hope that you would never consider doing."
Teddy paled slightly, and shook his head. "I would never want to hurt her, Harry. I feel like she would hex me beyond repair."
"You two remind me a lot of Ron and Hermione," Harry said. "They were constantly bickering. They had since our first year. And look at where they are now. Happily married."
"And still bickering," Teddy added. "I heard them get into it at lunch."
"I'm sure you and Victoire are the same way at Hogwarts, am I right?" Teddy nodded and finally broke into a smile as he and Harry stood up. Harry clapped his godson on the back. "Just one thing, okay?"
"Sure, Harry."
"When we go to the World Cup next month, just watch out for Bill, yeah? I wouldn't want my favorite godson to be murdered in a crime of protectiveness, after all."
Teddy laughed. "I'm your only godson," he replied. "But deal."
Harry smiled, ruffled the teenager's hair, and sent him outside to play with the others. One down, three to go, he thought with a bittersweet smile.
I had this idea that I thought would be fun to write where Harry had to start accepting his children (and godson) were starting to date and how his reaction would be to each one. I plan on writing three more chapters, one for each child. Each will be their own unique story so it won't be the typical "boy meets girl" scenario.
I know we don't have much information about Post-Hogwarts life other than the short story JK Rowling released last July about the Quidditch World Cup, so I had this chapter set a month before the World Cup of 2014.
Reviews are appreciated!