A/N: I'm back again...And this time with a chapter you all have probably been waiting for. It's time for everyone to meet! (This is all November 1996 by the way- so we're talking HBP era). I hope you enjoy it!

Feel free to drop me a review. It would make me so happy!


Chapter 4

Opening his eyes again, Teddy felt like he had only blinked, but the world around him was obviously different. He could feel it in his bones and he could see it all around him. He was outside of 12 Grimmauld Place again and he wondered why the time turner had spit him out there before remembering the Fidelus Charm that had been on the house, along with the numerous other layers of magical protection.

The sky overhead was steel grey and cloudy, the kind of sky that foretold a storm. The street was deserted, thankfully, and most of the windows of the Muggle houses were dark. A cold wind whipped and Teddy buttoned up his Aurors' robes- deep grey like the sky above. It was obviously the middle of winter from the frost-filled air.

If this wasn't actually 1996, it certainly felt like it. The back of Teddy's neck prickled and he shifted anxiously on his feet. It felt like there was more than a simple storm brewing.

Despite the Fidelus Charm, Teddy found that he could plainly see number 12, sitting right where it always had, though looking as though it could use a bit of paint and a whole lot of love. He had been too young to remember the house prior to all the renovations, but they had all seen photographs and he knew what he was in for..

Teddy tucked the time turner down his shirt and hopped up the steps. He tapped the door handle with his wand and it opened slowly. Teddy stepped inside, wand ahead of him like he was going on a raid with the other Aurors. Of course, it was just him this time, and he had no idea what to expect from the people inside.

They better be here and not some random part of the world, Teddy thought to himself as he crept down the dark hallway. He knew there was a huge risk in exposing himself to so many people they knew in the future, and possibly those that they hadn't had the fortune of meeting. He was immediately met with the strong smell of must and mildew. He scrunched up his nose but crept on as silently as he could. He knew Sirius's mother must be mounted on the wall and the last thing he wanted to do was to wake her.

"Did you hear the door open?" asked a voice to Teddy's right. Teddy stopped in his tracks, trying to listen harder.

"I don't know. Are we expecting anyone to drop off reports?"

"I thought Remus was going to come back tonight, but it seems a bit early." Teddy held in a gasp upon hearing his father's name.

Of course, idiot, he thought to himself. They're both alive in this time. His heart beat frantically in his chest. Both his parents were alive. They were alive and he could possibly run into one or both of them.

I need to get the kids and go, he told himself. He took a step forward. The board creaked. He winced.

"Someone is here," said a deep, growling voice. Teddy held his breath. He hadn't even given a though as to what he would say upon arriving at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. He always seemed to leave out a few details whenever he came up with a seemingly well-thought-out plan.

Teddy saw a flurry of movement out of the corner of his eye and instinctively raised his wand. The tip hit the hard mass of a man's chest as he felt the tip of the man's wand dig into his neck.

"Put the wand down, boy, or you're going to be in a world of trouble." Teddy raised his free hand, palm up in surrender and slowly backed up to set his wand on the ground. He raised his wand hand as well for good measure and stared up sheepishly at Mad-Eye Moody.

It was so strange seeing the legendary Auror in person. Everyone at the office still talked about him, and there was only a handful of Aurors who could even remember the man. He was everything Teddy had seen in pictures and memories- stout and gruff with a wild mane of hair and that magical eye whirring crazily in its socket. Teddy had to look away for all the motion was making him rather queasy.

"What are you doing in Auror robes, boy?" Moody asked.

"I'm an Auror," Teddy answered simply. "I qualified three years ago."

"Wrong answer," Moody said. "I know all the Aurors around and you're not one of them."

Teddy opened his mouth to answer when, from behind Mad-Eye, a familiar head appeared with messy black hair and thick-rimmed glasses covering bright green eyes that widened comically upon seeing him.

"Teddy!" Al exclaimed happily. "Guys, Teddy's here! Maybe he can get us home!"

"You know the boy?" Moody questioned. He did not turn away from Teddy but rather spun his magical eye in the direction of the growing crowd of Potter children.

"Yes, that's our god brother, Teddy," James said. "He was downstairs when the accident happened."

Mad-Eye gave him one last intimidating look before lowering his wand. Letting out a breath, Teddy stooped to pick his up and tuck it back in his sleeve. He followed Mad-Eye into the drawing room where the Potters and Victoire were sitting along with Molly Weasley, Bill Weasley, and…Nymphadora Tonks. Teddy kept his face as neutral as possible as he walked past them towards the Potters and Victoire.

"You guys are so dead, you'd be lucky to survive until your father gets home and I've told him what you did," Teddy said. Lily and Albus looked at each other sheepishly while James scratched his head. "And Vic, I can't believe they dragged you along too." She glared icily at him and Teddy tried not to wince. He never liked being on the receiving end of Victoire's anger. She was scarily exactly like Fleur.

"I did not get 'dragged along', Edward! James there just pulled out the time turner and I told him not to touch it and then the git went ahead and broke it and we all fell into the fire and ended up in the old room up there."

"You're another time traveler, dearie?" Molly Weasley stood to greet him. It was surreal seeing her staring at him as though she didn't recognize him, which she honestly didn't.

"Yes, ma'am," Teddy said. "And I apologize for all the trouble caused by my stupid god brother and his silly antics. He says he's eighteen, but I think the one must've been mistakenly placed in front of his real age." Teddy shot an accusatory glare at James.

"It wasn't entirely my fault," he protested.

"Says the guy who started the prank, found the time turner, and then broke it," Lily muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Well, here, why don't you sit down on the couch, dear and we can figure out what's happened. Obviously you all are a bit out of place. Alastor, should we call Dumbledore here?" Teddy took a seat next to Victoire who slipped her hand straight into his.

"Were you here very long?" Teddy asked. Victoire shook her head.

"We all found ourselves in the office upstairs a-la-1996. Moody took us all down here so that we could explain that we're not, in fact, Death Eaters. That was maybe fifteen minutes ago. I don't know what to tell them. I don't t want to screw things up." Teddy nodded. Across the room, Moody was just explaining that Dumbledore was off somewhere and would not be able to be reached until he returned to Hogwarts.

"Let me talk to them, then," Teddy whispered back. "I'm not sure I can fix things exactly but, knowing Moody, he might want to try legilimency or veritaserum and I'd rather take that than any of you." Victoire frowned and hit him lightly on the leg.

"We can take care of ourselves, mister noble sacrifice," she said. "Anyway, how did you get here?"

"I got another time turner from the Department of Mysteries. They're experimenting with new models, apparently. And, unlike you, I didn't have to break mine to end up here." He winked at her as she hit him again.

"Alright then," Moody said. He conjured up a stool and positioned it directly in front of the couch so he could keep both intimidating eyes on the lot of them. "I need names, backgrounds, and the actual story behind your appearance here. We'll start with the git at the end."

James Potter looked wide-eyed back at the grizzled old Auror and, Teddy was surprised to notice, somewhat scared. "But…What if that messes with time and the way history does…things…" he said, eloquent as always.

"We'll deal with it if we must," Moody replied tersely. "I want your name, boy." James gulped.

"I'm James Potter," he said quietly. If the situation wasn't so serious, Teddy thought he might've died of laughter at everyone's expressions. Molly had her hands up to her mouth. Bill looked as though he was trying to decipher a code. Moody's magical eye roved over James at a dizzying speed. Tonks's eyes widened. Teddy kept his gaze on her for a second longer than what might've been acceptable before he pulled his gaze away again.

She didn't look like the pictures he had, he realized and it unsettled him a little. Her face was the same, if a little pale-looking, but her hair was limp and lifeless, a mute mouse brown color. She seemed, he had to admit, rather depressed. He wondered what had happened.

"Tell them your full name, idiot," Lily said, obviously already fed up with everything.

"I'm James Sirius Potter," James repeated, but their audience's looks only grew more confused. "I'm eighteen. I was born in 2004. Where we come from, the year is 2022, and I graduated from Hogwarts this past June."

"Are you saying that you are related to Harry Potter?" Bill asked. James nodded.

"I'm his son," he said, "And this is my brother, Albus, and my sister, Lily." Molly made a little squeak of surprise and looked as though she was going to cry.

"Oh, he survives," she said, grasping onto her son's arm. "He has such beautiful children!" Out of the corner of his eye, Teddy could see James holding in a smirk as he watched his grandmum fall apart.

"Hold on a second, Molly. We don't know if they're telling the truth."

"Well of course they must be," Bill said. "I mean, look at Albus- he's the spitting image of Harry! Lily looks familiar too, but I can't place her face exactly, and it makes sense with their time travel story."

"Who's your mother, dears?" Molly asked. James's face lit up with glee as he eyed his sibling conspiratorially. They turned to their grandmum together and all at once proclaimed, "Ginny Weasley."

Cue the waterworks, Teddy thought as Molly really began to cry, exclaiming happily that Harry was finally part of the family and dear Ginny made such a good choice. Meanwhile, Bill looked contemplative and Teddy wondered whether he was secretly imagining a noose around Harry's neck for knocking up his baby sister. There was the reason Lily looked so familiar- she was like a young Ginny through and through.

"Your dad looks like he's going to have a serious talk with Harry," Teddy whispered to Victoire. She laughed behind her hands.

"Same look he gave you when we started dating," she recalled. Teddy shivered. That hadn't been a fun family dinner at all. It wasn't even as if Bill hadn't known him. He had been rather fond of Teddy before him and Victoire starting going out…And then he had found out just how intimidating Mr. Weasley could be…

It was strange to see Bill so young, with his face so whole and perfect. The scars from his encounter with Fenrir Greyback had never fully healed, as cursed wounds are wont to do. But that protective look in his eyes- that was the Bill Weasley everyone knew in their time. No one touched his little girls- not even the little boy who had splashed with them in the ocean when they were in diapers and training pants.

"Molly, please collect yourself," Moody said. "I want to find out who the other two are and then we can decide what to do with the lot of them." He directed his gaze to Victoire as Molly hiccupped into silence, a handkerchief clutched tightly in her hand. "Who are you, then?"

"Victoire Juliette Weasley," Victoire replied. Molly quietly celebrated her fourth known grandchild. "I'm twenty-two and the oldest daughter of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour." Bill paled. Molly grew quiet. Tonks cracked a smile.

"Bill, you can't mean you actually married her," Molly said. Bill winced. Victoire did not hold back from displaying her infamous 'Did you really just say that?' expression.

"We're engaged, Mum. That's usually the next step." He still looked a bit dazed.

"So I'm your dad, huh?" he said. Victoire nodded, unable to hold back a smile. His face was too funny. Actually, he looked rather like Uncle Ron whenever Aunt Hermione went on one of her long speeches about the horrible treatment of house elves or mermaids or even hags.

"You have two other kids," Victoire said. "There's Dominique who's twenty and Louis who's nineteen."

"And what about you, dear," Molly said to Teddy. "Are you another Weasley?" Teddy shook his head. Molly looked a little disappointed but still eager to know his parentage anyway.

"I'm Teddy," he said, "just Teddy. I'm not related." He glanced at Victoire and shared a knowing look with her. She stroked his arm comfortingly. Unfortunately, Teddy's answer wasn't cutting it for Moody and, much to Teddy's surprise, his words had attracted the interests of Teddy's mother. She leaned in closer; her brow furrowed as she examined her face and Teddy had to consciously tell himself not to morph out of embarrassment. He was thankful that his hair was at least a normal color- light blond today- so that he attracted much less attention.

"You're not getting out of answering my questions, boy," Moody said. "And I still don't believe you're an Auror." Teddy sighed, his eyes lighting upon each of the people who were scrutinizing him as though he was under a microscope. His gaze stopped at his mother and they made eye contact for a brief moment before he looked away.

"My name is Edward Remus Lupin," Teddy said. He closed his eyes as he heard a gasp, wondering whether it was from Molly or his mother. "I'm twenty-four years old. I qualified to be an Auror ages ago." He pulled out his badge to show Moody. "They changed styles after the war ended," he explained. "Harry changed a lot of things about the department." Moody examined the badge thoroughly before returning it to Teddy who tucked it into his robes.

"Wow," Bill breathed out. "Who knew? I mean, Remus is wonderful with everyone and I'm sure he'd make a fine father, but he's never seemed interested in a family or anything."

"Who's your mum?" Teddy looked up and met his mother's eyes again. This was the first time she had said anything and Teddy found himself staring at her with awe for a second, trying to process the question.

"Isn't it obvious?" Molly Weasley said. She was drying her eyes with the handkerchief again, looking wonderfully pleased with each bit of new information she gleaned from the group. The expression she had was one Teddy was actually very familiar with. She always had that look about her around May 2nd.

Tonks stared at him, obviously waiting for him to answer her question. Rather than speak, Teddy let his hair shift darker until it turned bright pink, like his mother's hair in so many of the pictures he had in the scrapbook Harry and Grandmother put together for him. Teddy didn't think it would be possible for his mother to lose anymore color in her face, but she turned ashen white and swayed as though she was about to faint.

"No," she said. "He can't be…Remus and…He…" She never finished her sentence, instead bolting out of the room. Teddy's face fell and he could feel the color drain from his hair, leaving his natural brown in its place.

"I'll go after the poor girl," Molly said, but Bill put a hand out to stop her.

"Let her calm down a bit," he said. "You know how things are between them better than any of us."

Teddy was rather ashamed of his reaction to his mother up and leaving the room as if being with Remus Lupin was the worst thing possible next to being with a dementor. He was a bloody adult and had been for more years than he cared to announce and yet he felt rather like a shunned child. Victoire wrapped both of her arms around his right one and rested her cheek on his shoulder in comfort.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to him. "I know this is probably the last thing you'd pictured, thinking about meeting her." Teddy merely nodded. He had gone back in time to bring his god siblings and girlfriend back and there he was being comforted about the less-than-satisfactory reception he received from his mum.

He felt a hand on his back and looked up to see James had gotten up and was kneeling by the other end of the couch. "Hey, I'll bet you can talk to her later and everything will sort itself out," James said, serious for once in his life ("Yeah, I'm Sirius. What's it to you?"). "Look, obviously they fall into each other's arms at one point and profess their love and head off to make little werewolf babies because here you are." He grinned; obviously proud of the advice he had given.

"Thank you for that, James," Teddy said with a wan smile.

Despite Mad-Eye Moody's ravings that it was unsafe and they were still uncertain of the verity of the children's story, Molly insisted that they all be put up in rooms while they awaited the return of Dumbledore.

"Alright," Moody acquiesced, "but I still think we need to examine some memories just to make sure- the eldest one would be most ideal as he is the biggest threat." Molly sent him a glare that would've shaken any young Weasley in their boots. "But we can certainly wait until another legilimens arrives since you obviously don't want me touching them," Mad-Eye amended.

"I just want someone with a lighter hand to do it," Molly said. "If not Albus, perhaps Remus could do it. He'd be very gentlemanly about it."

Molly then led the time travelers upstairs to bunk in the rooms that had been cleared away the summer of '95 for Harry, Hermione, and the younger Weasley children. They hadn't been used much since then, but they were certifiably rid of all manner of magical pests and fine enough for their (hopefully) short stay.

Albus and James were put into Fred and Georges' old room- two dire mistakes in one go, but Teddy hoped James would at least realize he either had to act like an adult or risk changing the future drastically. Lily and Victoire were put into Hermione and Ginny's old room, but Teddy doubted Victoire would actually stay there. At least, he hoped not. Especially being in this odd and confusing situation, Teddy wanted at least to feel her next to him at night like at home. Teddy of course was put into his own room that had a large, austere bed and dark green curtains shadowing the windows.

After staring up at the ceiling from the bed whose linens smelled of damp, Teddy decided to get up and get a cup of tea. He was still mulling over his mother's reaction to learning about him and, though the wound was less fresh, he still felt just as horrible about the whole thing. It was strange really, he thought, to be so worried about something like this so late in life. After all, according to Harry, the day he was born was the happiest he had ever seen Remus Lupin and Grandmum said the same thing about Tonks.

Teddy walked past Victoire's room, not even stopping to ask if she wanted anything. He just needed to be alone for a while before she inevitably forced him to open up and tell her all about his feelings, most likely in the comfort of the night while they were wrapped in each other.

On the first floor, Teddy turned left and continued on back into the dining room. Though the décor was drastically different, the layout of the house was the same. From there, he pushed open the door in the back and entered the kitchen. He wasn't alone, however. His mother stood at the counter, stirring a cup of tea. She jumped and turned as she heard him walk in. Her eyes widened.

"I'm sorry," Teddy said reflexively, and began to leave.

"No," she said. He turned, feeling a little spark of hope flare in his chest. "Stay. Do you want some tea?" He nodded and she brought down another mug. She set it down on the counter and spun around to get the cream and sugar, knocking the mug to the floor with a loud crash in the process.

"Oh, bugger," she muttered, running a hand over her face. "I'm so damned clumsy!"

"It's okay," Teddy said. He pointed his wand at the mug and the pieces jumped back together as if nothing had happened. He began to make the tea himself, though his hands were shaking. "I'm the same way most of the time. Professor McGonagall wouldn't let me in her office after I caused such a mess during the start of my seventh year." A smile grew on Tonks's face, an honest, happy smile.

"Well if you're anything like me, you should watch where you step in the entrance hall. There's an umbrella stand whose life ambition is to trip me, and the commotion always wakes up that horrid painting of Sirius's mother." She faltered somewhat over the name 'Sirius', but smiled soon again.

"Of course; I'd only seen the painting once before Harry took it down. I was very little, but I remember what she yelled at me quite clearly." Tonks's eyes widened.

"You can take it down?"

"It took a team of Ministry officials and three long, grueling afternoons but it did happen," Teddy said. "I think it was the most expensive thing Harry did to fix up the place. It's completely different in our time. The Potters live there and I used to stay over a bunch when I was school-age."

"Are things very different in the future?" Tonks asked. "They must be. I assume the war is over."

"Things are much better," Teddy promised.

"I'm sorry for running out earlier," Tonks said. She took a sip of her tea. Teddy had watched the way she made it- a dash of cream and three sugars. He just took his black.

"That's alright," Teddy replied. He didn't want her to know how hurt he was from that. "It must've been a lot to take in. I mean, I'm your age." Tonks's eyes glazed over slightly and she looked deep in thought.

"Yes it is," she said. "And, anyway, Remus…" Here her voice really faltered. "Remus and I aren't exactly on speaking terms right now. I was beginning to give up hope on him."

Teddy felt as though the image of his parents that he had been building all his life from the fragments he was given suddenly shattered and began to rearrange themselves into some darker, more grotesque picture. Real life, he told himself. He was old enough to realize the truth of the matter after all. What he had been told was a fairy tale of princesses and dragons and happy endings.

Still, he found himself angry with Harry and his grandmother and Molly Weasley for blatantly lying to him like that. Everyone always said they were so in love, and it was 1996 for Merlin's sake. They didn't have much time to get their issues sorted out.

"Molly always told me how…I mean…" Teddy found himself saying, hating how young he sounded even to his own ears. Teddy strove to find the right words to explain himself; words that didn't give away the fact that he had never met his father or mother. "I always thought you and…Dad…were really in love with one another." Tonks let out a cynical laugh at that.

"I love Remus very much," she said, "and, whether he wants to admit it or not, he loves me. He's just being a major git right now." She took a sip of tea.

"Is that why your hair is all…" Teddy tried not to be mean, but she seriously didn't look like herself. She laughed.

"Yeah," she replied sadly. "I haven't been able to control it in months. He's off throwing himself into what is essentially a suicide mission because he wants to get away from me. And then, whenever we do see each other, it's the same routine over and over. 'I'm too old' or 'I'm too dangerous'. The bloody idiot," she muttered, shaking her head. "Anyway, we haven't told you the story before?"

"No," Teddy said.

"What am I like, you know, as a mum? Am I a fun mum?" Teddy held his breath. He could feel his heart thundering in his chest. He wasn't the greatest liar; he had already expended the extent of his capabilities with the Unspeakable. But, really, what was he supposed to say to that?

"You're the best mum," he said quietly, willing his voice not the catch and betray him. He looked at the floor for a moment to hide his face as he took a calming breath. Tonks grinned at him for a second before her smile faltered and faded.

"Teddy," she said seriously, "Teddy, in the future…Am I dead?" Teddy only had to look up for her breath to catch. She could probably tell by the pained look in Teddy's eyes that he found impossible to morph away.

"Oh Merlin," Tonks said.

"I'm sorry," Teddy said. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have told you."

"No, no, Teddy…Oh, Merlin…No, it's okay, really," Tonks said. "Come here." She held her arms out and Teddy suddenly felt himself being held by his mother for the first time in his memory. It was rather strange with them being the same age and him being a full head taller than she was, but he made sure to commit the moment to memory anyway. He took in her smell and the way she patted his back, somewhat awkwardly considering the situation.

"When does it happen?" Tonks asked as she pulled away. Teddy shook his head.

"I shouldn't tell you."

"Mad-Eye will erase all our memories of this; there's too much risk in keeping them," Tonks argued. "I just want to know for now…Please." Teddy took a deep breath.

"I never knew you," he admitted. "I've never met you before." As his words registered in Tonks's head, her eyes widened. "I never knew Remus either. You both died in the battle at Hogwarts a bit less than a month after I was born." Tonks looked like she was going to pass out again.

"Remus dies too?" she asked. Teddy nodded. As he confirmed his fate, tears began to tell up in Tonks's eyes. "Who did it?" she asked.

"Antonin Dolohov, according to some witnesses," Teddy answered. "And Bellatrix Lestrange was rather vocal about getting you." Tonks let out a string of curse words worthy of a Muggle sailor. He face grew red and she looked more angry than weepy.

"That bitch!" she exclaimed. "I should've killed her in the Ministry! I hope she got what she deserved. I hope she was thrown to the dementors and given the kiss of her life."

"Molly killed her after she aimed a killing curse at Ginny," Teddy said, rationalizing that if he told that much, he might as well finish off the story.

"Molly? Our Molly Weasley killed her?" Tonks looked awestruck.

"I'm told it was a great sight to behold." A grin tugged at the corner of Teddy's lips and he and his mother shared a laugh.

Even from the kitchen, they could hear the door creak open and Molly exclaim her happiness to see the guest.

"Remus," Teddy heard her say, "I was hoping you would be by soon!" Teddy and Tonks looked at one another, two startled deer. The footsteps sounded as though they were getting closer and closer to the kitchen.

"He's not going to take this well," Tonks muttered to Teddy. "So just be prepared for some mild ranting, derisive comments about his state of being, and a speech on the trials and tribulations of growing up with a werewolf in the family."

"Right," Teddy said, rubbing his slightly clammy palms on his pants. He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he had developed. "That doesn't sound too bad."


A/N: So that's it for this week. Next week you'll get to see Remus and a glimpse of Teddy's childhood. Remember to review and hopefully I'll see you all next week. Thanks!