"Harry! Harry! Come look quick! Come see!"

Harry followed the frantic cries of his godson into the parlor. Teddy sat cross legged on the floor in front of baby James' rocker. His finger was wrapped up in James' tiny fist and he was grinning a toothily triumphant smile in the direction of the doorway. He looked, Harry thought with a smirk, as if he had just won a World Cup.

"Harry, see what he's doing?" Teddy waved wildly at him and Harry, tossing the dishtowel he had been using moments before over his shoulder, crossed the room to squat beside the two boys. "Harry, look, he won't let go! How is he doing that when he's asleep?"

Harry chuckled. "His fingers don't stop working just because he's sleeping, Ted."

"They don't?"

"Nope. You did that, too."

"I did?"

"Sure did. You drooled a lot, too, just like he does."

Teddy wrinkled his nose sourly and gave his godfather's knee a shove with his free hand. "I did not. That's gross."

"And you pooped. All the time-"

"Harry!"

"-Even in the tub-"

"Harry!"

"And one time on Grampy-"

"I did not!"

Harry sat back and roared with laughter at the indignant look on Teddy's face. "It's okay. You were just a baby."

Teddy narrowed his eyes and turned back to James. "You're a liar," He declared. "I never did any of that gross stuff."

"Did too. Just ask Grampy."

Teddy rolled his eyes. "Like I'd believe him? He's always on your side."

Harry shook his head and stood. "Fine. Don't believe me."

"I won't."

Harry laughed again and headed out of the room. "Dinner is in ten minutes, bud."

"I can't eat."

Harry paused in the doorway. "Why not? You've been dying of starvation all afternoon."

"I have not. And I can't because of Jamie. He might not let go. Forever."

Somehow, Harry didn't think that Teddy would have minded that at all.

One thing that Harry and Ginny had worried incessantly about, the entire pregnancy, was whether or not Teddy would feel left out of the family by the arrival of a baby. Teddy was smart for his age, and he was all too acutely aware of the fact that while Harry and Ginny loved him dearly, he was not their real son. Harry knew it upset him sometimes. Often times, when they would come home from a day at Shell Cottage or the Burrow, Teddy would become extra attached and sulk for hours. The arrival of a baby, Harry confessed to Ginny late one night in her second trimester, might be another pointed reminder to Teddy that he was not a born and bred Potter.

Thankfully, that was not the case at all. From the day they brought little Jamie home, Teddy was a devoted and happy older brother. He took to the baby with enthusiasm, rocking his cradle when he slept, dutifully learning the proper way to hold him, and even going so far as to assist Ginny in the changing of a few nappies. When guests came over to hold the new baby, Teddy was rigid in his command, staying at Jamie's side the entire, even as he traveled from person to person. Bill joked, at the sight of the little boy standing straight-backed only inches from Fleur, who held Jamie, "It's a military career for that one, Harry. Look at how he holds his head!"

Harry and Ginny, who welcomed Teddy into their home several weeks a month, worried about the transition of caring for one little boy to two, but it was easier than either of them had imagined. Teddy seemed to have grown up a bit at the sight of the baby, which both impressed and saddened Harry. He realized, very suddenly, that Teddy was no longer the little boy Harry would have liked him to always be.

There was no apparent jealousy between the two boys. With the exception of one night, when Teddy realized that James was to sleep between Harry and Ginny – which had been, on key nights, his spot- he threw a tantrum fit for a queen. It was only Jamie's fifth night home, and Harry was altogether too tired to deal with the fit head on. He relented and spent an uncomfortable night with James drooling on his left side, Ginny much too far away for his comfort, and Teddy's elbows in his right kidney. It was after that night that the idea of a bedtime routine was considered.

Harry once laughed when Bill and Fleur had described their elaborate way of putting their two young girls to bed, which involved set bath times, hair ribbons, snacks, and stories. Teddy was a breeze compared to that. At eight o'clock he changed into his pajamas, drank a cup of milk, kissed Ginny goodnight, and climbed into bed for a story. It was simple and took less than half an hour from start to finish. This went all to waste, however, as soon as James came home.

Harry wasn't sure what it was. It was possible that having to now split his attention between two boys maybe rushed things. It might have been that Teddy's sleep pattern was suddenly disrupted by middle of the night screams and feedings. Whatever it was, Teddy, who had always gone to bed so easily, just stopped.

Eight o'clock rolled around one night, in James' third week of life, and Teddy went upstairs to change into his pajamas. Harry was putting together a file for work and Ginny was doing the dishes. James was sleeping. All was well, until Harry realized that it was 8:20 and Teddy had not come downstairs for his glass of milk. Harry, frowning, put aside his folder and went to find him.

Teddy was in his room. He sat on his floor, coloring, fully dressed but for one sneaker. His pajamas lay untouched on his bed. He looked up innocently as Harry came in the room.

"Do y'wanna see my picture? I colored it for Jamie's wall."

Harry squatted down in front of his godson and squinted at the picture. "It's lovely, Ted, but I thought you were supposed to be getting ready for bed."

Teddy shrugged one shoulder and leaned in closer to the floor, scribbling furiously with his blue crayon. "I know but I just wanted to make this for Jamie."

Harry nodded. "I understand that you want to give something to Jamie, but it's getting very late."

Teddy shook his head. "I looked at the clock. It's not."

"Teddy…"

Teddy sighed and heaved himself off of the floor. "Okay, okay, Harry, okay." He put his back to Harry, kicked off his remaining sneaker, and wiggled determinately out of his sweatshirt. Harry sat back and watched him fight with it.

"Do you want some help, bud?"

"No."

"All right." Harry stood. "Come downstairs for some milk and crackers after, okay?"

"Okay, Harry."

The next night when Teddy was sent to get changed, he did not come back downstairs. Harry went searching and found him, still dressed, standing beside Jamie's cradle. He was very innocently lining the bassinet with his collection of wooden Quidditch players. He started when Harry came in the room.

"Teddy, what are you doing?"

"I thought he would like to play with me." He shuffled to the side, his eyes wide and golden, as Harry started over. "He was watching me with them today and I thought he would like some too."

Harry sighed and began to pluck the toys from his son's cradle. "Ted, buddy, you can't put things like this in his cradle. He could hurt himself on them."

Teddy stuck his finger in his mouth and popped his cheek. "Because they're too small?"

"And wooden." Harry, his hands full, surveyed his godson with a frown. "And I thought you were getting in your pajamas."

Teddy shrugged. "I guess I just forgot." He looked longingly at his toys in Harry's hands. "Do you think after I get in my pajamas I could play for a little bit?"

Harry shook his head. "Teddy, it's very late."

"Okay, okay."

The next night, Teddy made it into bed on time, but he didn't stay there. From downstairs in the parlor, where Ginny and Harry sat enjoying a cup of tea, they could hear his bedroom door opening and closing and his footsteps wandering into the bathroom. It happened several times before Harry put down his tea and went up. He found Teddy in the middle of the hallway, looking indecisive.

"Are you feeling all right, Teddy?"

Teddy tugged on the bottom of his pajama shirt. "Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"I'm thirsty."

Harry nodded. He held out his hand to Teddy, who rushed to take it. "Okay, buddy. How about you get back into bed and I'll bring you up some water?"

Teddy balked. "Can't I come with you?"

"I really would prefer it if you were in bed, Teddy."

"Can we get Jamie some water, too?" Teddy asked as Harry flipped on the light switch to his bedroom. The floor, which had been clean only an hour ago, was covered in Teddy's toys. Harry turned to fix his suddenly blushing godson with a stern look.

"Ted, what happened to your room?"

Teddy mumbled something under his breath, and Harry leaned down. "I can't hear you-"

"I said, I just wanted to find something!" Teddy wrenched his hand from Harry's and crossed his arms stubbornly. Harry blinked at the sudden changing of Teddy's hair, from blue to crimson red.

"You were supposed to be in bed."

"I don't know why I have to go to bed anyways! It's not like I'm gonna be able to sleep, because of all of that stupid racket." Teddy scrubbed at his eyes, and Harry sighed as he knelt down to face him.

"Teddy, buddy, look at you. You're exhausted- why are you doing this?"

"I'm not doing anything, Harry." Teddy looked down, but he kept his fists pressed to his eyes. "I'm not. I just wanna sleep, okay? I just wanna go to sleep."

Teddy asking to sleep was better than Teddy fighting it, Harry decided, so he relented, picking Teddy up and putting him into bed. He tucked he covers around Teddy tightly, who had rolled over and refused to look at Harry. Harry sighed. "Still want that water, buddy?"

Teddy grunted. Harry sighed and went downstairs to fetch it. In the kitchen, Ginny was rinsing out the tea kettle. She looked over at Harry and smiled softly. "Everything all right, love? His stomach isn't bothering him, is it? I forgot to tell you but Fleur Flooed earlier to tell me that Dom came down with some sort of bug this afternoon."

Harry shook his head. He took Teddy's blue Warbling Wangles cup from the cabinet and filled it at the sink. "He's just putting off going to sleep, I guess. Asking for water and such." Ginny nodded in understanding, and Harry stopped only long enough to kiss her before heading back up the stairs. When he re-entered Teddy's room, Teddy was fast asleep. Harry put the cup of water on his nightstand and leaned over to kiss him before leaving. He was met in the hallway by Ginny, who was coming out of their bedroom, Teddy's toy broom stick in her hand. She was frowning.

"I just found this-" she thrust it out, "-in Jamie's cradle."

Harry groaned and raked his fingers through his hair. "I found him trying to give Jamie his Quidditch players last night too." He took the broom from Ginny, who gave a little sigh.

"I suppose he thinks he's just sharing with Jamie, but Harry, it could be dangerous. Suppose he leaves something tiny in there and Jamie chokes on it?"

"I know, I know." Harry followed Ginny into their bedroom, where he placed the toy broom on his dresser and began unbuttoning his shirt. "He was so fussy tonight… he said he didn't know why he should bother going to sleep because he was just going to wake up with all of this 'stupid racket'."

Ginny smiled wryly. "I suppose he means Jamie." Harry nodded and she sat down on the bed. She reached up to unpin her hair. "I don't know why we haven't thought of this before, but perhaps we should muffle the room when he wakes."

Harry nodded slowly. "That might help." He frowned at the broom. "I suppose we ought to have a talk with him as well about this."

Ginny nodded, then smiled slightly. "We will, but in the morning. Come to bed now? I'm dying for a hug."

Harry grinned and obliged.

The next morning after breakfast, through which Teddy looked groggy eyed and drowsy, they sat in the parlor and Harry brought out the offending broomstick. To Harry's surprise, Teddy burst into tears.

"I'm sorry," he sobbed earnestly. " I was just trying to help him. He was fussing and I thought it would help."

Ginny scooted over closer to him and gently, put her arm around his shoulder. "Sweetheart, it isn't anything to cry about. You aren't in trouble. We just want to make sure you know that putting your toys in Jamie's cradle is dangerous." Teddy cried even harder and Ginny shot Harry a desperate look.

"I'm not- I'm not trying to hurt him-"

"We know you aren't." Ginny brushed his hair off of his forehead, and he looked up at her with wide, red rimmed eyes.

"I just wanted to share and I was afraid that if he kept fussing he was gonna fuss all night long."

"We know you want to share your things with him, Ted," Harry began, "And we're very happy to see that you're being very kind with Jamie. But we would just like you to ask before you share anything with him, okay?"

Teddy nodded, sniffling, and Harry conjoured a handkerchief for him before going on, "And Teddy, if Jamie is fussy, we would much rather you come to us. Sometimes he is fussy because he needs me or Ginny to take care of him in ways that you can't yet."

"Can I some day?"

"Perhaps."

Teddy brightened, momentarily, before hanging his head. "But what if you guys are downstairs kissing and stuff like last night?"

Ginny laughed aloud. "We weren't kissing- we were having tea!"

Teddy rolled his eyes. "You guys are always kissing when me and Jamie aren't around. I'm not dumb. One time I saw it happen."

Harry coughed to conceal his laugh. Ginny rolled her eyes at him and said to Teddy, "Even if we're kissing, we want you to come to us if you think James needs one of us. All right?"

"What about if I need one of you?"

"If you need one of us, you can interrupt. You and Jamie are much more important than a good snog," Ginny replied, and Teddy broke into peals of laughter. When he quieted down to choked back giggles, Harry put his hand on his knee.

"Teddy, we want to talk to you about something else too." Teddy sobered immediately and Harry smiled at him. "We think that we need to do something about you going to bed on time."

Teddy bit his bottom lip, a worried look in his eyes, and Harry plunged on, "Ginny and I think that it would be a good idea if we start you getting ready for bed a little earlier at night. That way you can still have some disruptions and you'll still get enough sleep." He cast a look at Ginny. "We also decided that from now on, we're going to muffle our bedroom when Jamie wakes up, so you won't wake up too."

Teddy smiled brightly at this. "Can I have two stories at night instead of one?"

Harry smiled back. "We'll see."

"Please?" Teddy clasped his hands together and threw himself backwards, very dramatically, on the sofa. "Please? I just love bedtime stories, Harry."

Harry pursed his lips. "We'll see, buddy."

The next several nights went smoothly. Teddy was in bed with little or no trouble, and James began, to Ginny's relief, to attach himself to a feeding cycle. The night before Jamie turned one month old, Harry went up at around nine to check on the sleeping boys. Teddy's bed was empty.

A little irritated, Harry poked his head into the bathroom, office, and spare bedrooms on his way down the hallway. At the last minute, he noticed that his own bedroom door was slightly ajar and Harry, fearing that Teddy was up to his sharing again, hurried in and flipped on the switch.

There was nothing in James' bassinet but the little boy himself. He was sleeping soundly, his legs kicking softly underneath his blanket. Teddy lay asleep on Harry and Ginny's bed. He was curled over onto one side, one arm tight around his stuffed bear, his other stretched out over the gap that separated James' cradle from the bed. His hand was wrapped up securely in Jamie's little fingers and both boys were smiling.

Harry watched them a moment longer before turning off the light and backing out of the room. Ginny was waiting a movie on him, and besides, he thought with a smile, having two little boys to contend with at night was not such a rough thing after all.