Written for the All You Need Is Love Competition; for the Disney Character Challenge; for the Triwizard Tournament Competition; for the Pick a Card, Any Card Challenge.
"Your dad was one of the most amazing people I knew," said Harry.
"Oh yeah?" retorted an angry Teddy one night at the dinner table. "Then why didn't you name your kid after him? Why's there only a James Sirius and not an Albus Remus? Why'd you name your son after a complete idiot, Harry, instead of this great bloke you keep talking about? Everything you're saying is complete rubbish and you need to stop denying it! Remus Lupin wasn't any good!"
Remus this, Remus that. His teachers all knew Remus; the young ones had had him as their teacher and the middle-aged ones had been at school with him and the old ones had taught him when he was in Hogwarts. He was the greatest man in the world to them, kind, well-mannered, friendly, intelligent, encouraging, caring, generous, thoughtful. In contrast to that perfect man, there was Teddy, the young delinquent who actually wasn't a delinquent but one time he's caught snogging Victoire with his blue hair and suddenly he's out to destroy the world, apparently.
And what really was the cause of everybody's love for Remus Lupin? He hadn't been anything special. Sure, he'd fought in the war, but so had countless others. What was so great about him?
Nothing.
In loving memory of
REMUS LUPIN
and
NYMPHADORA TONKS
Their battles were fought bravely
and none shall ever forget
their bountiful contribution to humankind.
They didn't really make a huge difference, though, Teddy thought every time he was dragged to the graveyard by his grandmother.
It was wrong, he knew, for him not to feel to upset about his parents' deaths. He did not think it good that they had been killed, but he hadn't had a bad childhood; it wasn't as if his parents had been in his life for many years and memorable moments. Teddy had been less than a month old when Remus and Tonks had been killed. Was he supposed to feel as if he had lived a horrible childhood? He certainly didn't.
Dear Teddy,
I write this letter because I fear that I will not survive the war. I am going off to Hogwarts to fight mere minutes from now, but I want you to know that I love you. I know that you will not read nor comprehend this letter should I die tonight, even if Tonks was to read it to you. I know that you are very small and will not remember me should I die tonight. I know that you will never love me should I die tonight.
Still, I must tell you that I do truly love you. I hope that, should I die tonight, you will learn that. I am so, so very sorry that I might not raise nor love you as you grow older. I do hope your mother gives you this letter should I die tonight, for I want you to know that the past weeks have been the best of my life, even with your endless screaming and crying for reasons even Tonks doesn't know.
Should I die tonight, I love you.
Hugs and kisses,
Dad
Dad,
I'm writing this even though I know you'll never read it, just to say I'm sorry.
I'm sorry I have been so offended by any mention of you, I'm sorry you were killed, and I'm sorry that I'll never be able to love you.
I don't really know what to say. I don't really know you at all.
I wish I did, though.
Sincerely,
Teddy