A few nights later…

James awoke in the middle of the night. He frowned. Something had woken him. He listened carefully.

Yes, there it was again. He couldn't tell what it was, but there was some noise in the house. He got out of his bed and went to investigate.

James tracked the sound to his parents' bedroom. He pushed the door open a little and slipped inside.

Ginny was sitting up in bed, knees drawn to her chest, sobbing. Harry sat next to her, one hand rubbing her back soothingly.

"Tom again?" he asked in a low voice.

She nodded, still crying.

"Mummy's crying," said James.

They looked at him hurriedly.

"James!" said Harry, as Ginny quickly wiped her face. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"Crying," James repeated insistently. "Mummy is sad?"

"S'alright, James, sweetie, I'm fine," Ginny told him, smiling. "Mum's okay, you can go back to sleep."

"Mummy is sad like Teddy?" James asked, rubbing his eyes.

Harry frowned. "Teddy? Teddy's sad?"

"Teddy cries like Mummy," James said in a whisper. "Don't tell."

"Thanks, James," Harry said, looking troubled. "G'night."

"Night, Daddy," and James went back to bed.

The next morning…

Harry stormed up to Remus and grabbed his arm. He pulled him into a seat and sat down opposite him.

"We need to talk."

Remus frowned faintly. "About what?"

"Your son, Remus. Did you know James told me last night that he found Teddy crying himself to sleep?"

Remus looked away and moved to stand up, but Harry held his arms in place and kept him down.

"No. You're not leaving this conversation. Remus, why are you doing this? Isn't it bad enough the boy's lost one parent? Don't deprive him of his father."

The older man blinked slowly. He met Harry's eyes and flushed with shame. "You're right, of course," he said. "It's just… after everything, I-"

"You're scared of getting close to anyone," Harry quietly completed. His voice broke on the next sentence. "You think I don't know how that feels? Everyone's lost someone. Don't make us lose you too."

Remus managed a weak smile. Harry was struck by how old Remus always looked now. The man was only 47, but he carried lifetimes' worth of pain. Harry closed his eyes for a moment, and it startled Remus: with the scar hidden by falling hair he looked exactly like James.

"Remus," Harry whispered. "Your son needs you."

And the words pierced the layers of grief and guilt that Remus Lupin had hidden behind for years, and he cried.