A/N: This FanFic takes place way before any of the Next Generation kiddies are ever even in Hogwarts. It's mostly centered around Teddy during a certain day in the summer before his Fifth Year at Hogwarts. This Fic is loosely based around the conversation between Teddy and James in Friction, when discussing Teddy's ability to change his appearance and how his trademark blue hair began, but it also includes others that are important in Teddy's life as well. So, I do hope you all will enjoy this considering it's a bit all over the place, but there were conversations to be explored and thoughts to process. Anyway, please enjoy this!
Note: Please check my account page for a link to all of the characters' statuses.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters, all belong to J.K Rowling.
"You want to know something, Nan? This summer is complete bollocks."
"Speak that way again, Teddy Lupin and you'll have soap coming out of your nose for a week."
Teddy promptly groaned at his grandmother's words and let his head fall to the kitchen table with a loud bang. He knew better than to cross his grandmother, Andromeda Tonks when she was already in a sour mood. Teddy himself should also be in a horrible mood as well due to what the day's date was, but he couldn't bring himself to mope like Andromeda had done for half of the day already.
"If you feel so bloody bored, why don't you just go over to Harry's? You can stay the night if you want too." Andromeda offered as she tossed him a glance over her shoulder as she continued to wash dishes by hand. Usually, his grandmother would have enchanted the tableware to wash themselves, but since today was that day, she needed all the distractions she could get.
Teddy brought his head up off of the kitchen table and contemplated his grandmother's words. He could go to Harry's, but he was already there the day before and the day before that and henceforth. He felt like a burden to the Potters. Especially since Harry's youngest daughter, Lily, had said that they should build Teddy his own bedroom since he is always staying the night.
As Andromeda continued washing the dishes, Teddy sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. No fifteen year old should feel so bored during the summer, especially considering the amount of friends he has. Teddy wasn't one to brag much, but since being Sorted into Hufflepuff four years ago he hadn't expected to make so many friends. Maybe the stereotype of Hufflepuffs being the friendliest of the lot had been right, because there was no hesitation in Teddy's Sorting.
"I'm assuming you don't want to visit Harry's then?" Andromeda questioned as she dried a glass plate with a soaking rag. She turned around and leaned against the sink with her hip as she continued drying the plate, but she did so while looking at her grandson.
Teddy glanced at his grandmother, taking in her gray hair pulled back into a bun on the back of her head. It felt as if Andromeda grew older with each passing day and Teddy felt like he was partially that reason. She had already raised one child of her own and for her to be thrown another at the end of an Earth shattering war felt so unfair to the woman who had already gone through so much.
Despite that those happenings had occurred over fifteen years ago, his grandmother still retained some of her gracefulness that came with being a child to the name of Black. Teddy had to give her some credit that for looking so pitiful and sullen, she managed to do it with some elegance and grace no one else possessed.
"Nah.. I've been there too many times this summer already." Teddy answered Andromeda as he began twisting the friendship bracelet around his wrist. He began to think about Harry's eldest son, the small black haired child with large brown eyes had given him the bracelet two summers ago on this particular day.
"Are you really giving me a friendship bracelet?"
"Well, yeah! Why wouldn't I give you one?"
"'Cause I figured you were too young to understand the meaning of friendship."
"Just 'cause I'm six doesn't mean I don't know what friendship is! I'm not a dumb baby like Lily."
"Alright then, fair point , James. You aren't three like Lily. So, why don't you tell me what friendship means."
"You're asking me what friendship means? Maybe Uncle Ron was right when he said Hufflepuffs were morons."
"Well, I wouldn't say spending every day there since you came home as, 'too many times'." Andromeda teased with a small smile on her face. Teddy couldn't help, but feel his own smile on his face. It was the first time in the day that his grandmother had smiled a genuine smile to him. He had heard her crying earlier and figured she wouldn't even bother with conversation like she did last year, but smiling was an improvement that Teddy would gladly take.
"Oh, ha ha, Nan. You know I only spend so much time there, because of the Quidditch pitch in Harry's backyard and wow would you look at that." Teddy pulled back the curtain on the window nearest him as he peered into their own backyard. "Just some flowers, gnomes and the cat playing dead in the middle of the grass. Hmm, there doesn't seem to even be so much as a bloody broomstick back here. Shame."
Teddy closed the curtain and looked back at his grandmother with a smug smirk on his face, only to have a handful of water thrown in his face by none other than Andromeda. Her laughter filled the room as she took in the shocked expression on her grandson's face as he swiped his hands down the front of his face quickly, sputtering out water as well.
"You know, Nan. I would of thought you of a kid rather than a sixty year old woman." Teddy managed to splutter out while still drying his face with the ends of his shirt. Andromeda still had a playful smile on her face.
"I'll gladly take that as a compliment, love." She said with a laugh as she reached into the sink full of water, cupped another handful of water to promptly throw in her grandson's face once more. Teddy wasn't amused.
"Oi! You think this is funny now, because you have the advantage of being near the sink now? Well move it, old woman!" Teddy leaped from his chair, dashing to the sink as he elbowed Andromeda out of the way. Cupping his own handful of water, he mimicked his grandmother's actions and threw the water in her face as well. She howled in laughter.
Their tirade continued on for another five minutes. The two of them elbowing each other out of the way from the sink as they continued tossing water at one another, laughing maniacally. Teddy knew this would have been more efficient if he and his grandmother had those Muggle toys called water guns with them, but they settled for soapy dish water which was still loads of fun to the two of them.
The playful fight finally conceded when Andromeda managed to get a bit too much of the soapy water in Teddy's mouth, which had been wide with laughter when he saw bubbles landing in her gray hair.
Teddy bent over, coughing as he tried to get the soap out of his mouth, but it was already trickling down his throat. Andromeda was laughing happily at the sight as she wiped her wet hands on a portion of her pants that hadn't managed to get soaked with water.
"I did say I would put soap in your mouth if you swore one more time." Andromeda reminded her grandson who only responded with what sounded like a, 'bugger off', but his words were mashed together. She smiled to herself as she conjured a mop and enchanted it to clean up the mess of water that had spilt onto the floor.
Once the burning sensation of soap finally left his throat feeling skinned alive, Teddy turned his attention back to his grandmother who had wandered to the other side of the kitchen. She was staring intently at the calender, her finger trailing on today's date. Teddy didn't miss the way her finger trembled.
"She would have been forty today." Andromeda said softly. All traces of amusement and happiness had left her face in an instant as she continued gazing sullenly at the date. Teddy slowly came up behind his grandmother and saw the indent her finger was making on today's date.
Today was July 3rd, 2013.
"I wish she was still here to have seen you grow up. Your father too. They adored and loved you so much in the short time that they spent with you. If they were here now.. oh you would see how alike you and your mother are." Andromeda spoke quietly as she could feel the burning sensation behind her eyes. Teddy swallowed the lump forming in his throat before speaking.
"How am I like my mother?" Teddy swore he could hear Andromeda make a painful noise in the back of her throat and he immediately regretted asking the question. He's pondered several times over the years what his parents were truly like and he's only gotten small facts.
When his grandmother wasn't a blubbering mess when bringing up her deceased daughter, she'd mention how playful and energetic, Nymphadora had been. Teddy had asked often why such an odd name, but Andromeda had waved him off saying it fit her perfectly no matter how many times they argued over it.
Since his grandmother knew so little of Teddy's father other than the fact that he was a werewolf and several years older than his mother, Teddy sought out answers from his godfather, Harry Potter. Harry himself knew little of Remus Lupin in the short time he knew him, but managed to give Teddy some insight on his father.
According to Harry, Teddy learned how his father had been best friends with Harry's own father which Teddy found cool all on it's own accord. He also learned how his father was incredibly intelligent and with his friends created the Marauder's Map when they were still in Hogwarts. Harry had shown the map to Teddy a year before he started his First Year at Hogwarts and told him he could keep it until it was time to give to James.
"You can never, ever, lose this map, Teddy. Do 'ya hear me?"
"Loud and clear, Harry. Keep a close eye on the map until I graduate. I can do that."
"You better. Our dads put a lot of work into that for it to end up in Filch's hands again."
"Do I get to keep it forever?"
"Well, when you graduate, I would like for James to have it, then pass it to Albus and then to the new baby.."
"Wait, you and Ginny are gonna have ANOTHER baby?! The two of you are like rabbits, it's mad!"
"If you tell anyone before tonight's dinner, Teddy, I solemnly swear to that you'll be up in the air by a Levicorpus jinx."
"Your mother, Nymphadora, was one of kind, I'm telling you." Andromeda said softly, her voice had pulled Teddy from his memory. He gave his grandmother a once over and noticed her eyes brimming with tears. The last thing Teddy wanted was for Andromeda to burst into tears after the complete madness of fun they were having.
"Was it because she's a Metamorphmagus like me?" Teddy asked in the same quiet tone Andromeda was using. When she didn't answer him immediately, Teddy tried his best to morph his face into what he believed was a pig and when Andromeda turned to address him, her lips quirked up in a shaky smile.
"She'd do that whenever I told her she ate like a pig. Then, she'd oink at me and Ted until we were red in the face. Ted's from laughter and mine from trying incredibly hard not to laugh." Andromeda admitted sheepishly.
Teddy found the moment too good to pass up and he, like his mother had done so many years ago, oinked at his grandmother.
Andromeda wasn't sure whether she should burst out laughing or start crying, because her grandson resembled her late daughter so much it pained her to look at him for too long. Sometimes, Andromeda was grateful that Teddy mostly resembled Remus when he came to his physical human looks. His tall, gangly, skinny body reminded her of her son in law and it wasn't as terrible as being reminded of Nymphadora when he would morph his face.
Returning to the present, Andromeda chuckled softly to herself as she gazed at her grandson. She placed her hand on the side of his face and lightly grazed her thumb over the pig snout that replaced his nose, her eyes threatening to let the tears that were welled up to cascade down her weathered face.
Slowly, Teddy morphed his face back to it's original form, but his grandmother still kept her hand on the side of his face as she ran her thumb over the side of his nose. Teddy could tell she was deep in thought over his mother and he knew better than to interrupt her during these moments.
After Andromeda managed to reign in her emotions enough that the threatening sensation of crying had subsided, she realized she had kept her hand on Teddy's face for longer than she had thought. She quickly dropped her hand and bustled her way to the sink where she had left the remaining dirty dishes.
"Sweetheart, why don't you just change your clothes and go visit Harry's? I'm sure he and Ginny could use some extra hands with those rambunctious children of theirs." Andromeda suggested as she began scrubbing at a dish with ferocity she didn't know she possessed.
Teddy didn't bother arguing with his grandmother at this point. He knew she was attempting to get him out of the house so she could have some alone time to mull over the day's date and her daughter. Teddy knew that if he had any recollection of his parents, he would also want to spend time alone to think of happier and better memories.
After agreeing with Andromeda on going to Harry's, Teddy climbed the stairs to his bedroom which looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in years. If Teddy were to be honest, he couldn't remember the last time he saw the bottom of his bedroom floor. No matter how many times Andromeda got on his case about picking up his clothes and straightening up his room he always refused. His grandmother had said it was another trait he gained from his mother.
As the young Hufflepuff gripped his soaking shirt from the back of his neck and pulled it over his head, he promptly threw it into the corner of his room where he would probably forget about it for the remainder of the summer. When he then turned to cross to the other side of the room where he knew he had a couple of freshly cleaned shirts, his eye caught one of the moving pictures he had situated on his desk.
It was ironic that he and his grandmother would have a conversation concerning his parents, namely his mother, and it would be their photo that caught his eye. Usually, Teddy would give it notice every once in a while, because he knew if he admired the photo for much too long his emotions would be of his grandmother's.
Yet, it seemed fitting that Teddy pay it some attention today since it was his mother's birthday. His grandmother had said she would've turned forty today and yet in the photo she looked so young, so free as she laughed happily next to his father. Teddy knew he resembled his father greatly when it came to the physical looks. Despite sharing the initial tallness and skinniness, they both had abnormally long fingers.
In the moving picture, his parents had all of these qualities. The two of them stood next to each other in what seemed to be a run down, shabby home. The wallpaper behind them seemed to be peeling off and the photos on the wall seemed horrifying, but Remus and Nymphadora seemed absolutely happy.
As the picture continued to move, Nymphadora, or as his grandmother had said she preferred being named, Tonks had thrown her arms around Remus' neck and was nuzzling her face against his heavily scarred cheek. Teddy had inquired at a young age on why his father seemed to have such a scarred face, his grandmother had told him instantly that he was a werewolf. She had then went on to say how much of a kind hearted man he was and that he wasn't frightening at all, but Teddy knew this already. His father seemed so cheerful in photos with his mother that he couldn't possibly be a terrifying man. Misunderstood, yes, but never terrifying.
The picture continued on of the two being blissfully unaware that their son was gazing at them with a smile on his face. Teddy couldn't find himself to be upset over the matter, he was happy himself, just like his parents.
"Daddy, can we go outside and play in the Quidditch pitch together?"
"James, I already told you seven times now, I can't."
James Potter felt like he was being deprived of spending time with his father this summer. He knew that his father had important duties to attend to, but James had thought that he and his siblings were also on that list. The only one his father ever gave more attention to was Lily and namely that was because she would throw herself on the floor if she didn't get enough attention.
"But can't you just tell the people at the Ourur place that you can't do their stuff for them anymore?" James asked with such innocence that Harry stopped writing on a piece of parchment to look at his son. He wanted to chuckle at how James had never quite understood how to say the word Auror despite that he's only eight and can say Quidditch with no difficulty.
"Firstly, it's Auror, James. I work as an Auror." James attempted to say the word again like Harry had, drawn out pronunciation and all, but the word came out sounding like Awerer. Ignoring to the urge to correct his eight year old, Harry continued, "and secondly, I have to do this work, James. It's really important I finish this today. Tell you what, if I manage to finish this before dinner, we can have a go around in the Quidditch pitch, yeah?"
Harry knew it was a far fetched idea, he knew that with the amount of paperwork he had he wouldn't be done until after dinner, but he'd stretch out his words just a tad bit to see James smile. Harry was right though, James did smile, beam actually, at his father.
"Alright! I'll be back before dinner and you better be done before then okay?" The eight year old's words held no dominating tone that Lily's would, it was complete youthfulness and happiness in his words that Harry only nodded. James then said he would bother Albus for a bit before scurrying out of the room.
Harry smiled to himself as he placed his quill down, maybe he could possibly just leave the paperwork to be done tomorrow. The higher ups at the Auror office wouldn't be too terribly angry at him, especially considering who he was. Harry didn't prefer to use his name and fame to his advantage, but if it meant spending more time with his children, then so be it.
Though, before Harry could push himself from his chair to go after his eldest son, his eye caught one of the photos on his desk. There were a total of three moving pictures set on Harry's desk and even more at his own personal office at the Ministry of Magic.
Yet, in amidst of all the photos lacing his desk. A photo of the day he married Ginny or photos of all three of his children together resembling cherubs when they were far from that. It was the photo of him and Teddy.
Teddy must've been only two or three in the picture, his hair was a frighteningly, alarming shade of red as it stood straight up on his head. There was no way a toddler could control their Metamorphmagus abilities and every time Harry saw the child, his hair was a new color he never knew existed until it sprouted on Teddy's head.
Despite Teddy's flaming red hair, the picture was sweet nonetheless. Harry was perhaps twenty in the picture and had been taking the duty of godfather very seriously. He never expected to be appointed the title at such a young age, but he absolutely adored Teddy and it worth it to hold the squirming bugger whenever he got the chance. Even if the said bugger was attempting to rip his glasses off of his face.
Suddenly, Harry was ripped from his memories as he heard a loud whoosh come from the fireplace in his office. He instinctively pulled his wand, which was strapped to his upper leg, and gripped it tightly as she shot straight up from the chair he was sitting in.
Although, there was no threat. Unless Harry found his threat in the form of a gangly, green haired teenager toppling out of his fireplace and face first on the wooden floors. Harry grumbled to himself as he situated his wand back into it's band around his thigh.
"You could've owled me before falling though my chimney you know. Giving me a bloody heart attack at my age."
"I hope you realize that thirty-three is not an old age. Merlin, you make it seem like you're already getting gray." Teddy said as he pushed himself off of the ground and brushed the soot that laced his clothes and face off.
"I'll have you know I found a strand of gray in my hair this morning. These monsters that I call children are aging me, Teddy." Harry informed his godson as he quickly conjured a broom and enchanted it to clean up the soot Teddy left behind on the wooden floors.
"Then why does Ginny never look a day past twenty?" Teddy questioned with a lace of sarcasm in his tone. He would have chuckled at Harry's face, which turned into a scowl, except it quickly fell and he sighed deeply.
"I really wish I was told that when I saved the entire Wizarding World from a sadistic man that one of the cons would be going completely gray before I turn forty. Maybe I would've rethought the entire process."
"Oh, but all of that popularity definitely fuels your ego right? That's what Rita Skeeter said in her latest column about you." Teddy said with a smirk on his face and Harry only groaned. The woman was a true monster in Harry's eyes. It's been years since the Second Wizarding War and the woman still won't let Harry go. If that wasn't enough, nearly every word she writes is absolute rubbish.
"If she writes that my eyes still glisten with the ghosts of my past, I'll go off the rails. That woman is absolutely maddening."
As if to prove his point further, Teddy grabbed the latest Daily Prophet paper that was still rolled up neatly on Harry's desk. After unraveling the paper and flipping through the pages, Teddy found the article Rita had written. He cleared his throat dramatically as he began reading,
"'It seems as if our beloved hero, Harry Potter, still seems shaken after the events of the Second Wizarding War. It's been fifteen years since the disastrous night where many lost their lives, but also the fight against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had been won by our wonderful hero.'"
"Oh, she's laying it on thick already, huh? Not even using Voldemort's name, but complimenting me at the same time? This woman.." Teddy only chuckled at Harry's words before continuing on,
"'Recently, we've heard rumors that our savior of the Wizarding World has been going through rough times in his personal life. Credible sources are saying he and his wife, Ginny Potter, have been quarrelling nightly over the fact that Harry can't seem to let the past go.'"
"She dragged my wife into this? Ginny is going to have a field day with that one."
"'Perhaps, Harry Potter's eyes are still glistening with the ghosts of his past. After losing so many important individuals in his life, his parents, his-'"
Harry tore the Daily Prophet right out of Teddy's hands and promptly threw it into the fireplace. He started the fire with an Incendio charm, gladly lighting the lies on fire.
"Damn, I shouldn't have read so far. Bollocks, I'm sorry about that, Harry." Teddy apologized, feeling slightly awful for having even decided to read the article in the first place.
"Don't apologize, Teddy, it isn't your fault. Ginny will straighten her out next time she sees her at the Daily Prophet." Harry dismissed with a wave of his hand as he returned to his desk, messy with the paperwork he had.
"Gin's a force to be reckoned with, right?" Teddy inquired with a smirk on his face. Harry felt the corners of his lips turn up into their own smile as he nodded at his godson's words.
"I made the right choice in marrying a strong woman, Teddy. She'll cast hexes at women when I can't."
"That must be the all time goal then right? Find a woman who has a bigger wanker than you do?" Teddy asked, a full blown grin on his face as Harry laughed at his words while nodding.
"I wouldn't say that to any woman's face, especially Ginny's, but yes. Find someone who isn't afraid to get their hands dirty." Harry said as he sat down at his desk, trying his best to stack his parchment.
"So you wouldn't mind if I just snatched Ginny from you, right?" Teddy teased and Harry merely shook his head at the teenage boy.
"Go right ahead. I'm sure Gin fancies teenage boys with green hair anyway. I'm just a bloke from Hogwarts to her anyway. Nothin' special."
Teddy snorted and started making his way to the door leading out of Harry's study. He tossed words over his shoulder about going to see what everyone else was up to, but as he placed his hand on the handle, Harry began speaking,
"Teddy, how do you feel about getting your own room here?"
Teddy froze. He thought Lily's childish jab about building Teddy a room was nothing more than childish ramblings. He had no idea that Harry and Ginny possibly gave any attention to what Lily says half of the time.
"My own room?" Teddy asked in a small voice. "But you guys don't have any extra rooms. Lily took up the last one." Before Lily was even conceived, Teddy had thought about asking Harry if that their extra room could be his, but he never asked since Lily's conception happened fairly quickly after Teddy pondered his question.
"Well, I've mostly been thinking that we can renovate my study into a bedroom for you. You stay over so frequently and I feel like rubbish for having you share a bed with James who is a bugger to sleep with." Teddy nodded to Harry's truthful words. James kicked and punched during his sleep. It was often Teddy would wake up with a bleeding nose or a black eye.
"Where would you do your work at though? It wouldn't be fair to have you spend more time away from your family, Harry." Teddy questioned in a quiet voice.
"I could always move my work up to mine and Ginny's bedroom. Or I could work back at my office at the Ministry. Either way, I want this space to be yours." Harry spoke softly, his eyes shining with generosity that Teddy didn't have the heart to turn away so he merely nodded at Harry's words.
"Good! That's good. It'll probably be a while before we have all of this set up. I still have to tell Ginny about it, but she'll be fine with it. That's all I wanted to say, I need to get back to work and you can go off and bother the kids. Give them something to do than tear everyone's hair out." Harry suggested before grabbing his quill, dabbing it in ink and begun to write on the parchment again.
Teddy felt sluggish as he pushed open the door that led out of Harry's study or perhaps it would now be Teddy's future room. He felt indecisive on the whole matter. On one scale, he was ecstatic that he would be getting his own place here, it made it feel like he was one step closer into this family. On the other scale, he felt like a bother, like they had to make this room for him.
"Wait, Teddy?" Harry caught Teddy's attention once more. Teddy, who was already halfway out of the door looked back over his shoulder at his godfather. Harry cleared his throat before continuing,
"I know what today is." Teddy swallowed at Harry's words. "I know that this is a hard day for 'Dromeda and yourself, so I'm glad you're here. If you wish to talk about it, I'll still be here." Harry finished with a small, sympathetic smile. Teddy nodded before fully leaving the office.
Despite the thoughts of the conversation flying around like a broomstick in the Hufflepuff's head, Teddy shook them off and started his search for the Potter children making a mess of trouble somewhere. Those three rascals would certainly take his mind off of today's events.
"Leave me 'lone, Jamie! I wanna play by m'self."
"That's so boring though. It'd be better if we played together, Al."
Albus Potter wanted nothing more than to play with his stuffed creatures in peace, but his older brother, James had other qualms in mind as he began snatching the Hippogriff from Albus' grip.
"But that's mine! You can't just take it from me! Go play with your own!" Albus shouted as he tried pulling the stuffed Hippogriff from James' strong grip.
"I'm tryin' to help you out and make playing funner!" James retorted as he pulled back on the Hippogriff with all of his strength.
"Funner isn't a word, Jamie! Now give it back!" Albus argued on as he now tried pulling with all of his might.
"You two are going to tear that poor stuffed Hippogriff into pieces."
James and Albus both ignored the smirking, green haired teenager who had been watching the two argue for a couple minutes now. Teddy figured he should step in and take the stuffed creature away from their grubby hands, but just as he took a step forward into Albus' room, the chaos unfolded.
The stuffed Hippogriff, which had been a gift from Luna Lovegood the previous year when she had taken a break in her exploration of the world to visit the Potters, was torn in two by the quarreling brothers.
The three boys watched as the fluff that made the Hippogriff feel so squishy to Albus, was now floating in the air, sticking in their hair or to their clothes. Albus watched as a pile of the white fluff landed at his knees. He still had the upper body of the Hippogriff in his small hands and he tried terribly to fight the urge to cry.
Teddy saw the trembling in the younger boy's lips and he quickly came to Albus' aid. The Hufflepuff crouched down to Albus' height and gently placed a hand on the green eyed boy's shoulder.
"It's okay, Al. We can get your mum to fix it." Teddy said in the soft voice he usually reserved for Lily during her temper tantrums, but Albus shook his head at Teddy's words and clutched at the head of the Hippogriff tighter.
"Mummy said she isn't gonna fix our stuff anymore since we keep breaking it. She's not gonna fix Hippie and he's gonna be dead forever!" Albus cried out as he held the upper half of the Hippogriff tighter to his chest.
"We can always ask Aunt Loony for a new Hippie, Al." James suggested as he reached out a hand to Albus, but the younger brother recoiled away from the touch. James' face fell.
"Her name is Luna, James." Teddy corrected the eight year old as he rubbed circles on Albus' back in an attempt to stop the waterworks from making an appearance.
"Uncle Ron said her name was Loony though. He also said that was Lily's middle name." James said with a confused look on his face. Teddy sighed.
"You can't always believe what he says, James. Ron can be a bit thick sometimes."
"He's not fat either." James retorted and Teddy groaned, giving up with explaining words to James for now. He turned his attention back to Albus whose bottom lip was still quivering
"You know what, Al? Maybe James was right. You can always owl Luna and ask for another one. I'm sure she'll be happy to that for you." Teddy said with a small smile on his face, hoping Albus would see it and be reassured, but alas, the seven year old was still shaken up over a stuffed creature. This was beyond for Teddy to understand.
The Hufflepuff merely sat on the floor with his arm around the sniffling seven year old who was still trying his hardest not to cry, because according to Albus, he was far too old to cry anymore.
Teddy was going to try his hand at encouraging words once more when fast paced footsteps approached the bedroom and he looked up to see a red faced James who had his own stuffed Hippogriff in his hands. Teddy didn't even notice James so much as leave the room.
James crouched down to Albus' level and held out the pristine stuffed Hippogriff to him.
"Here, you can have mine instead. I don't really play with it anyway. It can be yours now." James offered with a smile on his face.
Albus glanced up and loosened his grip on the severed head of his own Hippogriff. He cocked his head to the side as he studied the stuffed creature and James.
"But.. you like collecting the creatures Aunt Luna brings home." Albus replied in a small voice as he reached out to feel the soft fur on the Hippogriff's body.
"Yeah, but I'd rather you have it instead. I don't need it nearly as much as you do." James' sincere words were enough for Albus' lips to break out into a grin as he threw his arms around his brother's neck.
"You're the best, Jamie." Albus murmured into James' neck, his tight hold around his neck gaining strength. James smiled and wrapped his arms around Albus' small, skinny frame. Teddy watched the two with a smile on his own face.
Albus soon let go of James and exclaimed that he was going to find a quiet place in the house to play with Griffon the Hippogriff and soon ran off from his room, his new friend in tow. Hippie lay forgotten in a heap of fluff.
"Well, he moves on quick. Feel sorry for the girl he ends up dating." Teddy joked as he started picking up the strands of fluff, wishing he was of age already and could use magic without his wand being traced.
"Girls are icky, though." James said with a scrunched up face, he too was on his knees picking up the remains of Hippie.
"Eh, not all girls are gross, James. You'll realize that once you're my age. They get rather fit as they get older." Teddy informed with a wry smile on his face. James cocked an eyebrow, wondering what he meant by, 'fit', but decided he would ask someone later.
"Do you have a girlfriend then?" James asked.
"Nah. There's not a whole lot of available girls in my Year anyway. They're all taken by some blokes, but it's alright. I don't need a girlfriend." Teddy admitted with a shrug as he tossed the remains of Hippie into the trash bin.
"So, just find a girl who isn't in your Year. It can't be that hard right?" James questioned curiously. It wouldn't be long before James was at Hogwarts and he was more than a bit curious on how situations worked there.
"It's pretty tough, mate. Some are too young or too old. It's just best I mind my business there and not interfere. Nan says that dating will turn my marks into rubbish." Teddy then flopped down onto Albus' bed once he was finished talking. He wasn't even sure why he was telling James all of this information. It'd be good couple of years until he goes to Hogwarts anyway.
"Is it tough, because you have green hair?" Teddy snorted at James' question.
"I'll have you know that people happen to find my green hair pretty cool."
"So, you mean just the Slytherins then?" Teddy turned to glare at the eight year old who was biting back a grin.
"The stereotypes that Ron feeds you are ridiculous." Teddy muttered to himself. "My mates in Hufflepuff find it neat. A couple of girls in Gryffindor think it's refreshing from the purple I had before and your cousin, Victoire found it as an eye opener."
"I think you need a new color." James said plainly as he took a seat next to James' on Albus' bed.
"Green isn't a bad color, James. I happen to like it very much." Teddy said in a pompous tone as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I heard Vic say that it looks like spinach is growing out of 'ya head." James admitted with a laugh. Teddy turned on him in an instant.
"No, she didn't! She said it was an eye opener, that's a compliment!" Teddy argued, feeling foolish if people did in fact find the green a bit too much.
"Nah, I heard her tellin' Dom that she only said that to make you feel better about it. Tons of people were calling you spinach-head behind your back, I guess." James confessed with a shrug, not noticing that his words had hurt his best friend's feelings.
"Spinach-head, eh?" Teddy said in a small voice, feeling completely and utterly foolish. "Well, that's gotta change then." He stood up and walked towards the full length mirror on the back of Albus' door. The green hair wasn't as bright as it was earlier, it had darkened with his emotions throughout the day.
"You should try blue." James piped up from his stance on the bed. "Blue's a safe color. It's the color of the blanket I use to have." Teddy snorted at his comment.
"You use to have? You were sleeping with the poor piece of fabric last night." James' face turned bright red and he mumbled something unintelligible under his breath.
Teddy turned his attention back to himself in the mirror and focused on changing the color to something different, something he hasn't tried or hasn't had for a while. He closed his eyes and begun thinking of the color orange, he'd never had orange hair an it'd be something different from green.
When he opened his eyes, his hair was a bright yellowish-orange. He could hear James sniggering behind him and he fought the urge to throw him out of the bedroom.
"You could a Weasley!" James shouted as he clasped his hands over his mouth and started giggling.
"Hush up, I'm just trying something new." Teddy muttered as he closed his eyes again and concentrated on another color, a maroon perhaps. He hadn't tried maroon before and it'd be a bit more tamer than the flaming orange or green.
"That one isn't too bad." James commented as Teddy opened his eyes to the reddish-brown that sat atop his head. "I still say you go with blue."
"What is it with you and that ruddy blue?" Teddy asked as he took his eyes off of himself in the mirror and turned to look at the aloof eight year old.
"I just told you, Teddy. It makes me feel safe. That's why I had mummy use a spell to color my walls blue instead of yellow."
"Care to explain?" Teddy asked, feeling rather intrigued that he didn't know this about James.
James shrugged and sighed.
"I guess, because ever since mummy and daddy told us about.. You-Know-Who and their part in it all.. It makes me scared. He was gone once and then he came back and I know daddy got rid of him again.. but still.."
Upon hearing Voldemort's nickname used, Teddy sat next to James on the bed and wrapped his arm around the eight year old's shoulders, squeezing them affectionately.
"But, you know he's gone for good this time, right?" Teddy questioned and James nodded. "He won't be coming back ever again. Your father was able to kill him fifteen years ago and no one has heard anything about him since."
"What about those people who supported him? Death Aters?" James asked so innocently that Teddy ignored the urge to correct him for pronouncing Death Eaters incorrectly.
"I'm pretty sure your dad also told you how some of them died, some of them went to Azkaban and some managed to slip away." James shuddered under Teddy's arm. "But that's why your dad is an Auror, James. So he can catch those bad guys who got away. He's good at his job, right?" James nodded. "Then there's nothing to be afraid about. Nothing horrible like what happened in 1998 will ever happen again."
Teddy gave James' shoulder one last squeeze before standing up from the bed and strolling towards the full length mirror again. He was contemplating whether or not stay with the maroon color when he felt a tug on his elbow. He looked down to see James had the calendar that hug in Albus' room in his hand and his finger was on today's date.
"Today's your mummy's birthday, right?" James asked in a quiet voice that Teddy barely heard him. Teddy gently took the calendar from James' hand and stared at the date.
Ever since the Second Wizarding War, there had been a number of casualties of course. So in every new edition of a calendar had the ones who had fallen, birth dates and death dates on nearly every single day. Teddy gulped as he saw his mother's name underneath the bold letters of, July 3rd.
Nymphadora Lupin (nee Tonks) July 3rd, 1973 - May 2nd, 1998
"Yeah.. she would have been forty today." Teddy murmured as his eyes grazed the rest of the calendar. He barely registered Harry's birthday at the bottom of the calendar before he felt James' arms wrap around his hips.
"Did your mummy have funny colored hair too?" James inquired and Teddy chuckled.
"Yeah, her hair use to be a bubblegum pink all the time. Maybe I should do that, huh? Have pink hair?" James giggled at the thought of Teddy strutting around with bubblegum pink hair for the rest of the summer and shook his head.
"No! Go with blue!"
Teddy contemplated about staying with the maroon or going with the blue when his hair begun changing before his eyes. This came as a shock considering he has to think before morphing his face or hair, but it the tousled maroon waves were turning into a light blue.
"See, I told you it would look nice!" James exclaimed as he too looked at Teddy's light blue strands of hair in the mirror. Teddy ran a tentative hand through the blue locks and found the color to suit him better than the green had.
"It's okay, I guess." Teddy said simply, not wanting to give the bugger too much excitement of the color of his hair.
While James continued to blabber on about how he was going to tell Albus and Lily how he changed Teddy's spinach-head hair, Teddy was locked in his own mind. His hand continued to weave through the soft blue hair he was beginning to warm up to completely. Perhaps now he'll have better luck with the ladies in Ravenclaw if he was seen sporting the blue hair this upcoming term.
Surely, the day had been a difficult one. It was hard to get through a day that reminded someone that they had once had a person who was now lost to them. While Teddy doesn't remember his mother, he has pictures of her, stories his grandmother tells him and plenty of family members who can say that Nymphadora Lupin was a wonderful woman to know and was well on her way to being an amazing mother and wife.
A/N: This took some time for me to complete, mostly because so many ideas popped into my mind while writing this. It was originally going to be way shorter and focused more on the Teddy/James friendship I thought up, but it expanded to Teddy/Andromeda's grandmother and grandson relationship, Teddy/Harry's godfather and godson relationship and I loved writing every second of it.
Also, in case you didn't know, I made up the month and date Tonks was born. It's said she was born in 1973, but never specified when exactly, so that little bit was made up on my end.
Alright, so! I've also decided that I'll be starting a chapter Fic soon and it'll be taking place in the same universe just as this Fic, Friction and Fancy. The most I'll give away is that it mainly deals with Rose as the main character in her Seventh Year.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this! Please, review below and tell me how you felt about this Fic, I love getting any form of feedback from you guys! So thank you so much for reading this!