A/N: I'm so sorry! I know. It's been forever. My only excuse is that I had my first major presentation at a national scientific meeting and the data analysis wasn't locked until the week before the conference and between that and keeping up with the rest of my workload, I was overwhelmed for a few months. A doctorate is certainly not for the weak. Sometimes I question my sanity.

But don't worry. This story has not been abandoned. I actually already have quite the outline going for the whole story. I've even been developing a kind of "in-between" story to cover what happened between this story and my it's prequel (The Unexpected Seventh Year). Originally, the sequel wasn't supposed to be quite so far in the future but this story just up and ran away with me. But I've got a bunch of little plot bunnies that I had worked out and I'm planning to put them all into a little multiple one-shot story.

So thanks for waiting! I promise it won't ever be this long between chapters again. I'm now done with classes for the (fingers-crossed) rest of my life so I no longer have both coursework and dissertation work at the same time! Which means I have a bit more time to write :)

And now, without further ado, chapter 3. Let me know what you think!

Chapter 3

A Father Son Chat

x-X-x

James jerked awake, unsure of what had woken him. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced around the room, seeing nothing unusual. The sun was up but his roommates were still sound asleep. Afterall, it was still early on a Saturday morning.

Groaning, James flipped onto his stomach and buried his head into his pillow, searching for a few more hours of sleep. After failing to find the blissful oblivion of sleep for nearly half an hour, he gave it up as a bad job and reluctantly hauled himself out of bed and to the loo.

Twenty minutes later, James was sneaking out of his dorm, careful not to wake his friends as he headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. It was over an hour later before his friends finally made an appearance.

"Bugger all, James, why are you down here so early?" Freddie asked as he dropped onto the seat next to James.

"Couldn't sleep," James answered with a shrug. He had had a vague feeling of uneasiness ever since he had awoken but he ignored it, blaming it on the stress of N.E.W.T.s.

"Never thought I'd see the day when Jay beat us down to breakfast. And on a weekend, no less," Sara said with a grin.

"Hardy, Har, Har," James said drolly. Glancing back to the door, he asked, "Where's Victoire?" as he finally noticed their group was one short.

"She was still sound asleep," Mandie said. "We decided to just let her sleep. She looked like she needed it yesterday."

"We'll bring her up some breakfast," Sara added.

"I'm a little worried about her," James said.

"I think we all are, mate," Owen said. "Freddie and I were talking about it yesterday during our free periods. I think we should force her to see Madam Pomfrey if she is still falling asleep in class on Monday."

"Yeah. Give her the weekend to recover and if it doesn't work, we'll drag her there. Five of us versus one scrawny blond. I think we can take her," Freddie added with a smirk.

"No torturing Vic when she doesn't feel well," Sara admonished. Freddie simply stuck his tongue out at her and started piling eggs onto his plate.

Talk turned to their plans for the day as they enjoyed a leisurely Saturday breakfast. When the rustle of wings filled the hall, announcing the arrival of the morning post, they glanced up. James spotted Teddy's owl heading towards them. When it landed in front of him, James reached out to take the letter in confusion.

"Teddy didn't send it to Victoire?" Owen asked in surprise.

"No, it's addressed to me," James said slowly.

"I know he is your brother, mate, but Teddy never writes you," Freddie said.

"I know," James responded. Hesitantly, he popped open the seal. Reading quickly, he took in the details contained in the short note. "Who's Yaxley?" he asked.

"Dunno, mate," Freddie said with a shrug.

"Oh, I know that name," Mandie said with a look of concentration on her face as she tried to uncover the buried memory.

Sara's eyes lit up. "I remember!" she exclaimed. "Yaxley, assuming we are talking about the same one, was a death eater in the war with Voldemort. We read a little about his role at the ministry during Voldemort's reign in Defense last year."

"That's right," James said, vaguely remembering the lesson.

"Why?" Owen asked as he shoved his last sausage into his mouth.

"Teddy said he escaped Azkaban. Thought I should know. Don't know why though."

"Could be because it's a pretty amazing feat. I mean, not many people manage," Owen suggested as the group got to their feet and headed out of the hall.

"I bet he just wants you to be careful," Sara said reasonably. "I mean, death eaters really don't like your dad."

When the five friends reached the Gryffindor common room, they found Victoire sitting on the couch in front of the fire.

"Hey Vicky. We brought you some breakfast," Freddie said as he plopped down on the chair next to the fire.

Victoire scrunched up her nose. "Er- not right now, thanks. I don't feel great." Shooting a glare at her cousin, she growled, "And don't call me Vicky!"

"You sure you're okey, Vic?" Sara asked as she sat next to the blond and reached out to check her for a fever.

"I'm sure I'm fine, Sara," Victoire said, leaning away from Sara's hand.

"Well, if you still feel sick by Monday, you are going to Pomfrey whether you want to or not," Mandie said sternly, causing Victoire to turn her glare on the red-head.

Eager to change the subject before a cat fight developed, James quickly asked, "Hey, you remember Yaxley, Vic?"

Victoire's faced paled slightly as she slowly responded, "Yes. Why?"

"Teddy wrote me this morning. Apparently he escaped from Azkaban."

"What?" Vicotire exclaimed in alarm as her face paled even more.

"Calm down, Vic. It's just some death eater. I'm sure my dad will catch him and he'll go back to rotting away in his cell. Frankly, I'm not sure why Teddy was so frantic to tell me."

Victoire took a deep breath before looking over at James, her eyes serious. "Jay, don't you remember who Yaxley is?"

"Yeah. He is some death eater who was big in the ministry during the last war."

"James," Victoire said carefully, "Yaxley is the death eater who kidnapped Teddy and tortured Aunt Andromeda."

At Victoire's announcement, they all stared at her, slack jawed. Finally, Freddie recovered enough to say "Bloody hell," to which Victoire could only nod in agreement.

x-X-x

After overhearing his parents discussing Yaxley's escape, Teddy couldn't get it out of his mind. Friday night, he had sent off the letter to James and then stayed through dinner but was noticeably distracted. He had tried to hide it but and had known he failed when his dad pulled him aside on the way out and asked him if everything was okay. He'd shrugged the question off, claiming he was nervous for his upcoming exam.

Now, though, two days later, he really was getting nervous for his upcoming exam. Not because he didn't think he knew the material. No, it was because he still couldn't focus to save his life. There was no way he could be expected to brew an antidote to some unknown poison if he kept imagining the former death eater forcing said poison down his throat.

And so, on Sunday, Teddy finally gave up trying to ignore the giant dark wizard in the room and instead found him once again the front steps of his childhood home. Letting himself inside, Teddy took a few deep breaths to calm himself. He wanted information and there was no way he could wheedle it out of his parents if he was upset.

As he shut the door, Harry's voice floated into the entryway.

"Teddy? Is that you?"

"Yeah."

Harry's head peered around the corner, a smile lighting up his features as he saw his eldest. "I didn't think we'd see you this weekend. I was sure you'd be tucked away, studying for your test."

"Yeah, well, I was but…" Teddy trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence.

"But you wanted free food?" Harry asked with a grin on his face, knowing how often Teddy used them for food.

Teddy managed a small grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Not quite. I mean, I'll take the food, too, but that's not why I came."

Seeing the look on his son's face, Harry became serious and, pulling Teddy into the nearby sitting room, asked, "What's wrong, Ted? Is it Victoire? Is she upset you can't make it next weekend?"

Teddy's eyes went wide, his purpose for visiting temporarily forgotten. "Bloody hell. I forgot to tell her I can't make it."

"Language, Ted."

"Er, yeah, sorry. But can I borrow Flemming?" Teddy asked, referring to the Potter family owl.

"Sure, Teddy. You know you can always use Flemming. But if it isn't Victoire, what's wrong?" Harry asked, directing the conversation back to the Teddy's original purpose.

Teddy hesitated, not sure how to broach the subject with the man who was his father in everything but blood.

"Teddy, whatever it is, just tell me. It's not good to keep everything buried. Trust me, I know."

"Right," Teddy said, trying to sort his thoughts out, no longer even sure what he wanted to know. Figuring he might as well start at the beginning and see where it led him, he blurted out, "I heard you and mum talking about Yaxley's escape on Friday."

"Oh," was all Harry said.

"Yeah."

"And you're worried?" Harry asked, not quite sure where Teddy was going with this conversation.

"Sort of. Not really. I don't know. I mean, this is the man who kidnapped me and tortured my grandmother into insanity. He's evil and clearly isn't afraid to come after our family. But on the other hand, I'm not a toddler anymore. I am a fully qualified wizard and he has been without a wand, locked up in Azkaban for nearly twenty years. He's not the same threat that he used to be." Teddy stopped, knowing he was starting to ramble and not really sure how to explain how he was feeling.

"This is why your mother and I were hesitant to tell you. We didn't want to distract you and we knew you would worry."

"That's just it, though, dad. I think the biggest problem I have is that I don't know. It's the not knowing that has my mind going in circles. How did he escape? Why did he escape? Is he going to come after me again? Or my brothers or sister? How much of a threat is he? I don't want to be in the dark. I deserve to know. More than anyone, I deserve to know."

Harry sighed and dragged his hands over his face. He looked older than his 36 years, the years of chasing dark wizards and keeping his family safe having taken their toll.

"You're right, Teddy. You do deserve to know. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Your mum and I debated it but we didn't want to worry you, especially right now. I should have. I know better than anyone what it's like to be kept in the dark about things like this. I never should have done it to you."

"So tell me," Teddy said, a vulnerable look on his face. He wasn't sure he wanted to know but it would be worse not knowing. His imagination was running away with him.

Harry gave Teddy a long look, trying to decide where to begin. Finally he said, "Why don't we move into my office. I don't want your sister to overhear us."

Teddy nodded absently and stood to follow his father. Before they headed upstairs, Harry paused Teddy. "Just let me tell your mum where we will be." Harry quickly headed down the hall and stuck he head into the kitchen. Teddy could hear the mumbled sound of voices before Harry came back out and nodded his head towards the stairs, indicating Teddy should lead the way.

Once they were safely in the office, Harry pulled out his wand and cast several privacy wards, including his long-time standard, Muffliato.

"Have a seat Ted," Harry said, indicating the couch located underneath the large window. Harry himself took a seat across from the couch, perched on the edge of a chair, leaning forward.

"I'll tell you what I know, Ted, but it's not everything. And it cannot leave this room. This is still an active Auror investigation so any information made available to the public has to come from my office."

"I understand," Teddy said, but then added, "but, uh, dad, I kind of already told James. Not everything. Just what I overheard."

Harry smiled ruefully. "Of course you did."

"I didn't want him in the dark while he was away from the castle. And I told him to tell Vic, too. They shouldn't be in Hogsmeade without knowing."

"I don't fault you for telling him, Teddy. Although I'm glad you didn't tell Albus or Lily. They are a bit young. I don't want them to grow up too quickly. They don't need to be worried about dark wizards. I didn't fight a war so my kids would just repeat the same cycle I did."

"I get it dad, but James is technically an adult, even if he doesn't act like it sometimes," Teddy said with a smile.

"And you told him for the right reasons, Teddy. You wanted him to be safe. But don't worry. I already had aurors stationed in Hogsmeade to keep an eye out. But you are right. He is an adult and he should be aware of what is going on, too. There is nothing wrong with an extra set of eyes. And he can keep an eye on your younger brother."

"That's what I thought."

"Right. So, back to Yaxley. What do you already know?"

"He was a death eater during the last war and was a leading figure in Voldemort's Ministry. When the war ended, he escaped capture and led a faction of death eaters who wanted revenge on you for killing their Dark Lord. He got it by kidnapping me and Grandmum. You and Uncle Draco captured him and he was sentenced to life in Azkaban for his crimes both during and after the war."

"Right. Well, what you don't know is that he didn't just come after you. He also tried to attack Ginny while she was pregnant with James and there was an attempt to kidnap James from the Hogwarts Express at the end of the school year but Draco warned us in time and we escaped."

"So I was right to warn James. He wasn't just after me."

"He didn't care who he hurt, as long as it would hurt me. When he couldn't get to James, that is when he went for you. He actually attacked my aunt and uncle too. But getting to you and your grandmother was how he finally got to me."

"So he is a horrible, evil wizard. But so are many of the residents of Azkaban. Why did he escape?"

"This is where we change from facts to conjecture. We think he escaped to get his revenge but we don't actually know. For all we know, he simply escaped to escape. Or he could be insane and have no idea what's going on. But he didn't seem that way the last time the healers visited Azkaban. They declared him sane. A bit off his rocker but mostly sane."

"So he probably knows what he is doing."

"That is the theory we are going with. And if that is the case, most likely he wants his revenge on me. I already told you I have aurors stationed in Hogsmeade to protect your brothers. I also have some protecting your grandmother. There are some watching Ginny and your sister and I even had a few keeping a discreet eye on you."

"You were having me watched without telling me?"

"I wanted to protect you, Teddy."

"Dad, if you were worried enough to station aurors on me, you should have told me."

"You're right. But I'm telling you now."

"Fine," Teddy said, trying to keep his irritation under control.

"I'm sorry, Teddy. I love you and I fell into the same trap so many people who loved me fell into during my adolescence. I should have known better."

"Yes, you should have."

"I don't want to fight with you, Teddy."

"I don't want to fight, either, dad. Just don't do it again."

"I'll try. One day you'll understand. There is no handbook for being a parent. Sometimes we make mistakes, even if they are with the best intentions. I used to be furious with Professor Dumbledore for how much he didn't tell me when I was growing up but now that I see if from this side, I can at least understand it, even if I don't like it."

"I'm trying to understand now, dad. I really am."

"I appreciate that, Teddy."

"So, do you have any information on Yaxley?"

"We have a few leads. I can't tell you all of them, I really can't, but suffice to say we are still searching. So far, there is no evidence that he is planning to come after you or your brothers or sister but there is also no concrete evidence to say he isn't. We are playing it safe. So now that you know, I want you to be careful. You'll have aurors tailing you and you can keep living your life but don't take any unnecessary risks. And keep your wand on you. I love you more than life itself, Teddy. I couldn't stand if anything happened to you, especially if it happened because you are my godson, my son. I promised your father I would protect you. I failed once already. I can't fail twice." Harry's eyes glistened with unshed tears as he pleaded with his son to understand and be careful.

Teddy stood up and moved over to sit on the table in front of Harry. Enveloping his dad in a hug, he said, "You didn't fail, dad. You saved me. And you have given me a family that I love and that loves me."

Harry's arms tightened around the younger metamorphagus. "You are my little boy, Teddy. You always will be. I know I have to let you grow up, let all of my kids grow up. But I'll never stop trying to protect you."

"Just don't try to protect me by not telling me. I'm a big boy, dad. I can take it. So can James. I understand if you still want to keep Albus and Lily in the dark. But James and I aren't so little anymore."

Releasing Teddy, Harry leaned back to look his son in his eyes. "I know. Somewhere along the line, you grew up on me. I don't really know when it happened."

"Had to happen sometime."

"Just don't tell your mother. She still likes to think of you as her little buddy."

Teddy laughed at the old nickname. "I wouldn't dare break her of that dilusion."

"Right," Harry said, taking a deep breath, "now that we are done being sentimental witches, are you staying for dinner?"

Teddy gave Harry an incredulous look.

"Right, stupid question."

"A bit. Like I want to cook when I'm already here."

"How could I have ever even questioned it?" Harry said with a little laugh. "Will you have time to pull away from your studies to come to your sister's birthday dinner tomorrow?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. She keeps trying to convince me that she is turning eleven instead of ten. She wants to go to Hogwarts something fierce."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, she tried that on your mum and I, too. Too bad magic knows better and won't send her letter until she really is eleven."

"Reality has never stopped her before."

"Too true," Harry agreed. As he went to take down the wards and head back down to the kitchen to help Ginny with dinner, he turned back to his son. "I know I should have told you everything to begin with and I know we don't have much information right now but I'll tell you if we get anymore developments with Yaxley. I promise."

"Thanks, dad. I just don't want to be in the dark if there is a threat out there. I just want to know it is there, you know."

"I know."

Together, father and son headed down the stairs, Harry to help his wife with dinner and Teddy to write an overdue letter to his girlfriend.