A Teddy Lupin fanfiction! I really hope you guys like it! I'm actually co-writing this one with one of my awesome buddies, and we both really like it so far! Please R&R, it makes us so happy!

CHAPTER 1: What to Say?

"Harry, please. Don't put all of this on Teddy's shoulders, not yet. He's too young."

"Ginny, I promised his parents that he would know. Remus asked me to tell him what his family fought for, died for."

"It's too soon. He isn't ready yet." They had been arguing like this for hours, never shouting, but relentless nonetheless. Two days from now marked the outset of Teddy Lupin's Hogwarts years, and Harry had yet to tell him about his mother and father. Harry had taken Teddy in without question after his parents had died, and Teddy had been living with them ever since.

It was Harry's belief that Teddy should know his parents' legacy before he went off to school; they had died valiantly in battle in an effort to defeat Voldemort, and Harry didn't want Teddy growing up any more than he already had without that knowledge. Ginny, however, disagreed; she thought that Teddy, at age eleven, was much too young to hear how his parents were killed.

"I have to tell him, honey. He has a right to know!" It was the closest Harry had come to raising his voice; he dared not yell lest he wake the children. Teddy Lupin, age eleven, James Sirius, age four, Albus Severus, age three, and Lily Luna, age two, were all peacefully sleeping on the floor above, oblivious to the tension below.

Ginny sighed, knowing that her husband had a point but reluctant to admit it. "Fine." Harry was shocked; he hardly ever won arguments when up against Ginny. "But please, Harry, don't tell him more than just the general idea. For now, keep it on a need-to-know basis; when he's older, he'll be ready to hear the details."

Harry nodded, silently agreeing to the compromise. Tomorrow morning, he thought. I'll tell him tomorrow morning.

…

The next day dawned bright and clear; the sun shone through the large picture window in Harry and Ginny's bedroom, illuminating the small room. After their second child, the couple had decided to relocate to a house with more room. They had moved closer to the Burrow, in a medium-sized house perfect for their growing family. With three children now and Teddy to take care of, they knew at once that it had been the right thing to do.

Harry woke up to find all three children in bed with him and Ginny. "Hi, Daddy!" Lily cried, putting her newly learned words into use. "Hey, sweetie!" Harry replied. So much has changed, he thought, reflecting on the past years in that moment. He felt around on the bedside table for his glasses, which he still needed. Well, not everything.

"Dad, wake up!" James shouted, pouncing on him. "Mum! Come on!"

Ginny groaned from the other side of the bed, slowly sitting up. Albus, she noted, was sitting at the foot of the bed, smiling but quiet as usual. He had been the more thoughtful of their two boys, right from the day he was born, whilst James was reckless and energetic even at only four years of age.

"Where's Teddy?" Harry asked groggily, looking around for his godson. James shrugged, bouncing around the bed some more.

"He's probably packing," Ginny assumed. "Can you believe he'll be at Hogwarts tomorrow?"

Harry shook his head, wondering where the past eleven years had gone. "I'll go check on him." After a fruitless attempt to flatten his unruly hair, Harry dressed while Ginny took the little ones downstairs for breakfast. Now was the perfect opportunity to tell Teddy about his parents; it was likely the last moment Harry would have alone with him.

He knocked softly on the door, which had been left ajar, before entering the bedroom. "Teddy?"

Teddy looked up, his bright eyes sparkling from beneath a mess of shaggy golden hair. He was a Metamorphmagus, just like his mother, and looked different almost every day. He usually preferred to leave his hair brown, but sometimes surprised everyone by coming downstairs with bright blue curls or a banana yellow mullet. "Hi. I'm just packing, you know, I leave tomorrow and I want to make sure I have everything before the train leaves because I don't want to forget something here and then have to—"

"Whoa, slow down! I figured you must be finding all your things."

"Yeah," He said absentmindedly, searching in a pile of clothes for something. "Have you seen my spare robes?"

"Ginny has them; she wanted to make sure they weren't wrinkly." Harry always insisted that Teddy call him and Ginny by their first names; he hadn't wanted Teddy to think that they were his parents.

Teddy rolled his eyes. "They're brand new, I haven't even worn them!"

"I know. She just wanted to check." Harry sat down in an old chair that had been put in Teddy's room. "Are you excited? To go to Hogwarts?"

"Yes! Finally, I'll be able to do real magic!" Like every other young witch or wizard, Teddy had caused little things to happen without trying, such as knotting Lily's hair without touching it and smashing a particularly ugly vase the family had received for Christmas. He was anxious to learn real spells and use them in a way that was actually helpful, and Harry didn't blame him in the slightest.

"Do you have everything? We don't want a panicked rush tomorrow morning."

"Um…cauldron, books, quills…I put my robes at the bottom, and Bertie's cage is over there. I think I've got it all." Bertie was Teddy's tawny owl, who was currently out flying.

"Wait!" Teddy shouted.

"What is it?" Harry asked. Teddy ran over to his dresser and tore open the top drawer. From its depths he drew a small square of paper. Harry smiled; it was the only picture they had of Teddy as a baby. He was in his mother's arms, smiling and waving a tiny fist at the camera while his hair constantly changed color. His father, Remus Lupin, smiled in the background, laughing and holding an arm around his mother, Nymphadora Tonks.

"I almost forgot this," Teddy said breathlessly, tucking the photo into the pocket of his pants. "Now I have everything. I'm hungry," he exclaimed suddenly. "Can we go eat breakfast now?"

"In a moment. Teddy, I—"

Suddenly, Ginny called from downstairs. "Harry, there's an urgent owl here for you!" Harry patted Teddy's shoulder.

"I'll be right back." He said. Harry went downstairs to find a sleek, well-groomed Ministry of Magic owl seated on the windowsill, a royal purple envelope tied to its right foot. Fishing in his pocket for a gold Galleon, Harry untied the letter, curious.

To Mr. Harry Potter, Auror:

Reports of goings-on in the town of Ottery St. Catchpole. Assistance needed. May be the work of Dark Wizards.

-Auror Office

Harry sighed; the Ministry had been sending out letters such as these for months now. Very little had been occurring lately, and whether they were checking to make sure the Aurors were still doing their job or just making things more interesting, Harry did not know. Either way, he knew he had to go. Talking to Teddy would have to wait.

"Do you have to leave?" Ginny asked. "What I mean is, can't it wait until after the train leaves tomorrow?"

"I have to go today, Ginny, I'm sorry. It's probably nothing, but I have to be sure."

"Alright. Be careful." Harry pulled her into a hug, kissing her quickly while James made an "ick" face from the table behind them.

"I'll see you soon, kids," Harry said gently, kissing each of his children and calling a quick goodbye to Teddy, who was just now coming downstairs. With that, he stepped outside and Disapparated.

"What was that all about?" Teddy asked, startling Ginny by switching his hair color to jet black before her eyes and going from brown eyes to baby blues.

"Harry got another letter from the Auror Office. I'd expect he'll be back tomorrow evening."

"But I thought—so he's not going to come to the station?"

"I'm afraid not, sweetie. He doesn't have a choice." Teddy's face fell and he slumped into a chair at the table.

"Teddy, I know you're frustrated, but please sit up," Ginny scolded gently. "And what have I told you about wands at the table?" Teddy had discreetly been twirling his brand new, twelve inch, oak and dragon heartstring wand in his fingers, and sheepishly handed it to Ginny upon being caught. He was disappointed that Harry wouldn't make it to the station to say goodbye, but he knew that anyone who asked where he was would be impressed when he told them he was off on "Auror business."

The rest of the day seemed to drag by for Teddy, and that night he could barely sleep as his pondered all the exciting new things he was soon to learn as he finally, finally went to Hogwarts.

So what'd you think? Was it good, bad, horrific, awesome? Let me (and my awesome co-writer!) know in a REVIEW!