"Harry!" Hermione's voice rang shrilly throughout the Burrow. "There's something on the doorstep for you!" She pulled the door open the rest of the way, not sure exactly who had placed the large, bowl-shaped package on the front porch. Harry's name was very clearly written on it though, so she only hoped there wasn't some dark magic surrounding it.
"What is it?" asked Ron, coming up behind her. "Not gonna eat us or something, is it?"
"Revelio!" She said confidently, pointing her wand at the package. "I don't think so. Nothing very dangerous could have made it through our defenses," she concluded, leaning over once again to join Ron in inspecting it.
Finally, Harry managed to climb down the stairs with Ginny and Molly Weasley close behind him.
"We've only just managed to get Teddy to sleep, so stop shouting you two," Molly hissed at her son and Hermione. "Now what's all this?"
"It could be dangerous," Ginny started, reaching out to poke the bundle with her wand.
"Nah, it's not. It looks like Dumbledore's Pensieve," Harry said, unconcerned as he reached out to unwrap it. They all waited apprehensively, but, sure enough, Harry was right. It was indeed a Pensieve, although not Dumbledore's. It was a large bowl, filled with silvery memory liquid.
"So, whose is it?" George asked, appearing behind the group bending over the table.
"Dunno, who'd want to threaten Harry with memories?" Ron shrugged, mesmerized but oddly disgusted by the floating, swirling silver strands.
"Well," Harry decided, "memories can't physically hurt us, so might as well go in and I can pull myself when I've had enough."
"Do you suppose we could see the memories too? You have so much experience with Pensieves, and I've never even been in one. I'm just curious as to what it will entail, how it works, what you mean when you say it compels you to follow the one who owns the memories, what would happen if you left the memory owner…?" Hermione trailed off, realizing how ridiculous she must have sounded. No one spoke for a minute following her speech before Ginny broke the silence.
"I'd like to see them as well."
There was an assortment of nods around the group and even Molly looked as if she wanted to join in.
"It's safer with more people anyway, right, mate?" Fred joked, nudging Harry's shoulder.
Finally Harry sighed in agreement, a mysterious Pensieve, might as well let his friends in, they would probably hear about it from him anyway.
"Alright then, everyone reach in and touch the silver."
The group tumbled down into a warm, home-y living room.
"It's the Tonks's," Harry murmured, remembering the comfort Andromeda and Ted Tonks's house from when he would bring Teddy or pick him up to give his grandmother a break.
They all gasped lightly when a very familiar, tall, thin, brown-and-grey haired man came into focus, a squirming little blue haired bundle in his arms. The man was cooing softly to the baby, rocking him easily in his arms, before he seemed to remember something and stood up a little straighter. He turned to face the group, seemingly staring at them straight on.
"Lupin," Harry breathed, scarcely daring to hope that one of his parents' oldest friends had somehow managed to leave him a message beyond the grave.
Remus Lupin gave a small smile and began talking, as though he were actually addressing all of them: Harry, Hermoine, Ron, Ginny, Molly, Fred, and George.
"Well, I suppose I feel a bit ridiculous standing here talking to myself, but here goes. Harry, if you're watching this, I hope it means you've defeated Voldemort once and for all. I really do believe you can do it. It also most likely means that I have died in the battle, or from old age, though hopefully that means I will have been with you the first time you experienced this, but… I digress. What I'm trying to say is that you never met your parents. And Teddy here will never know any of my best friends who made me the man I am today. So, I've put a bit of a memory show together for you both, a small way for you to meet the Marauders' at their best rather than the way you've known me mostly at my worst. Sirius and I had talked about this back when we lived together at Grimmauld Place, we thought we'd give it to you as a bit of a birthday gift, but then Sirius passed and, well, things got complicated," Lupin paused here, nuzzling the baby gently as he squirmed and mewled from his blanket nest. "Shhh, I know you're hungry, love, mum'll be in soon."
The group was all awed at what they were seeing. It was Remus Lupin, not as a werewolf, not as a teacher, and not as a stressed out and anxious mess. He was a calm father, gentle, easy, and he had been thinking about the future despite all of the horror taking place in the world at that point.
"Remus, what on earth are you doing?" A voice interrupted their musings as the memory continued around them. They glanced up to see a young woman with long dark brown hair and a pale heart-shaped face glaring playfully at Lupin.
"Dora, I told you, I'm setting up Harry's memory gift today," he sighed in light exasperation.
"That includes talking to yourself does it?"
"I'm talking to Teddy. And if I have the memory of talking to myself, then it will seem like I'm talking directly to Harry rather than through him as most memories do," he explained to her. She merely raised an eyebrow.
"You can always just take him through these yourself, I don't know why you insist on this introduction… thing," she waved her hand vaguely in the air as through trying to illustrate her point.
"I can take this memory out if I am able to take him through these memories on my own, but we have to face the possibility that might not be the case."
"You're so morbid, Remus. I think I'll make sure this memory sticks so when you do show Harry, you'll have to relive this moment again and be overly embarrassed that you looked like such a prat."
"I supposed we'll just have to wait and see, Dora dear," he chuckled warmly.
"Anyway, I only hope my hair choices don't leave me looking all peaky and motherly, ugh, I better be back to my pink soon," Tonks trailed off, walking over to the crib in the corner of the room to fix the blankets up for Teddy's nap.
"I'm sure you'll look wonderful, love," Lupin commented, shifting slightly as he watched her. "Do you mind if I….?"
"Finish your absurd introduction?" She finished his question for him, glaring playfully at him, but with a loving twinkle in her eyes "nah, go ahead, but I'm staying in the room so I can make fun of you for talking to yourself later."
"Very well," he conceded, turning his attention back to the group, who were still standing in awe of the scene before them. "Harry, this is a collection of memories, mostly my own but also many of Sirius's, to let you really see what being a Marauder meant. I've also included, upon Molly's request, a bit of Dora and my story towards the end, in the hopes that one day Teddy would want to understand it and also, that you may a little more. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy! There are a lifetime of memories in here, a lifetime which you deserve to be a part of. You'll see me again very soon!"
Tonks looked like she was having a very hard time trying not to laugh her arse off. She walked up to Lupin, holding her arms out to the now incessantly moving Teddy. Lupin bent over and very tenderly kissed the baby's head before relinquishing his hold to his wife. Tonks brought Teddy gently into her arms, pressing him close to her chest, as Lupin moved his now free arm to wrap loosely around her waist. He leaned over and kissed her just as affectionately along her jaw bone as he had with their baby. She leaned easily into him, tucking her head into his shoulder, as he murmured quiet words to her.
The scene drifted away from the memory travelers and soon they were encased in darkness, now aware that they were preparing for an onslaught of memories from those who had long since passed on from life.