Sewing 101: "What are you doing?", Squib!au, Teddy Lupin

Piñata: Order member

Back to School: experiment

Feline, Egyptian Mau: family

Disney, I Wanna Be Like You: Write about someone who wants to be "normal"

Dark Lady's Lair: squib!au

Book Club, The Faun: following someone, worried, intervene

Count Your Buttons: teddy bear

Emy's Emporium, Urg the Unclean: Write about someone inspirational

Arcade, Sonic the Hedgehog: running, electric blue, summer

Word Count: 476

"We should follow him," Remus says, watching their son running through the backyard, teddy bear in hand.

Sirius hates the worried expression on his husband's face. He would do anything to make Remus feel okay again. "Let's go."

He knows Teddy has been acting strange since his eleventh birthday. Once, the boy enjoyed being out and about. This summer, however, he's spent it hiding away and ignoring his dads. Sirius doesn't have to ask why. He imagines not getting his Hogwarts letter had to be hard for his son.

He and Remus follow behind Teddy. Their son doesn't too far; they find him near the entrance of the woods—just out of view from the kitchen—standing over his favorite teddy bear. Both adults stand in silence. Neither seem to know how to intervene or what to say as Teddy holds his arms over his beloved toy.

"What are you doing?" Remus asks at last.

Teddy looks up, eyes wide as he accidentally steps on the electric-blue toy. A deep pink stains his cheeks, and he awkwardly shifts his weight from foot to foot, wringing his hands together and clearing his throat. "Bit of an experiment," he answers.

"What sort of experiment?" Sirius asks, dark brows raising curiously.

The eleven year old's expression drops, and Sirius feels his heart break when he sees their son's tears. Teddy turns away quickly, sniffling. "I just wanted my Hogwarts letter," he says. "I don't want to be a Squib! I just want to be normal and do magic like you guys."

Remus kneels before Teddy and takes him by the hand. Sirius moves closer, resting a comforting hand on his husband's shoulder.

This isn't easy. When he and Remus had gotten together years after the war, the thought of being a stepfather had terrified him. Truth be told, he still hasn't quite wrapped his head around it six years later. Most days, he doesn't have a clue what he's doing. But Remus is so good at this, and it makes Sirius want to be like him, to know the right things to do and the right words to say.

He swallows dryly. He may not know what he's doing, but he takes the lead, kneeling beside Remus. "It's okay, buddy," he says. "I know you're disappointed, but life is like that sometimes. We love you, okay? Nothing is going to change that."

Teddy nods, though he continues to sniffle. "Even if I can't do magic?"

"Even then. That just means you're special, kiddo."

Teddy considers for a moment, lips pursing. After several second pass, he smiles and rushes forward, hugging Sirius. "Thanks, Daddy."

…

"You were amazing earlier," Remus says as he and Sirius climb into bed together. "With Teddy."

Sirius grins. "I learned it from you."

Remus rolls over, kissing him gently. "You're a good dad, Padfoot."