Disclaimer: See First Chapter
A/N: HUGE thanks to Dee and hp-scribbler who have reviewed every chapter! The alternative ending may show up somewhere someday.
"Remus, come on."
Lupin bit his lip and watched his son shift in his sleep. He reached down and tucked a stray strand of hair behind the boy's ears.
"Remus," she hissed.
"Alright, I'm coming. I'm coming." He risked once last glance and apologised before he was dragged into the brilliant white light at the other end of the room.
Teddy Lupin woke with a gasp of horror. He had had the dream again. The tears welled in his eyes and he allowed them to fall. He sniffed and brought his legs to his chest, wrapping his arms around them.
He knew that was his father leaving. He knew that was his father deciding that he would rather be dead than live as a family. The only thing he didn't know is why he kept dreaming of it.
He wriggled back under the duvet and sniffled for a few moments until he heard the door creak and the sound of soft footsteps padding towards his bed. He didn't want his mother. He wanted his dad.
The mattress shifted and long arms wrapped around him, pulling him close to soft, warm skin. He felt the kiss land on his forehead and breathed in the familiar scent of cinnamon and summer rain; the smell of home and comfort itself.
"Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"Dad, I keep dreaming it."
Lupin sighed and held his son closer. "Keep dreaming what?"
"About you."
Lupin raised his eyebrows and was grateful for the darkness of the room and his son's face pressed into his chest. It wouldn't do for him to catch sight of such an expression.
"Oh really? Why don't you tell me about it?"
This recurring nightmare had troubled Teddy for the past week and it remained a mystery to his parents who had assured one another that it was the usual sort of thing four year olds dream about and it would soon resolve itself. Deep down, however, both had worried constantly to the point where Lupin had found himself lying awake and listening for the telltale sniffle in the next room and occasional call for him.
Teddy pulled back a little but kept his arms firmly locked around as much of his father as he could keep hold of.
"There's a girl in it with you. You're both leaning over my bed and then you tell me you're sorry and you walk away and I wake up and I keep shouting for you but you don't even turn around. She keeps pulling you."
Lupin frowned slightly. It was vaguely familiar. "Tell me about her then. Who is she?"
He felt Teddy shrug. "She has lovely brown hair and it's really curly. For a little bit I think she looks like Mummy."
"But she's not Mummy?"
Teddy shook his head. "She doesn't speak like Mummy and you don't speak to her like she is."
Struggling to keep up, Lupin made an encouraging noise. "Right. So who is she?"
"I don't know but you go with her."
Lupin sighed and cupped his son's chin, forcing him to make eye contact even in the darkness as both pairs of eyes had become accustomed to it.
"Look, Ted, there is absolutely no chance. I would never leave you. There's never been a choice. No matter how much you might want to get rid of me, you might as well face it; you won't."
"Dad?"
"Yeah?"
There was a pause in which Lupin began to wonder whether he had been told the whole truth.
"I love you."
Teddy clutched at him and squeezed, prompting his still sensitive bruises to burn. Lupin winced in response to the searing pain in his ribs. Ignoring it as best as he could, he rasped out; "I love you too."
"Will you stay?"
Lupin shifted slightly, releasing the pressure on his aching muscles. "Of course I will. Do me a favour though; not quite so hard, okay?"
"Are you still hurting?"
"A little," Lupin replied, turning his son over so his back pressed against his chest. "Now go to sleep," he told him, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close.
There was a moment of delicious peace and quiet before…
"Daddy?"
"Mmm?"
Teddy turned ever so slightly. "When Mummy has her baby…" he trailed off, waiting for a sign that his father was still awake. "Will it have to sleep in here?"
"Maybe, Ted."
"I don't think there's room."
Lupin was about to ask why when two yellow orbs stared into his eyes from the other end of the small bed. He felt the weight on his legs as the creature they belonged to advanced towards him.
"Ted, what's that?"
"What's what?" his son asked sleepily.
"That…that thing?"
"Hmm?" Teddy propped himself up. "Oh, that's Artemis."
Lupin stared into its eyes. Whatever it was, it didn't look like an Artemis. It looked like a bloody-murdering-monster.
"It's a Kneazle, isn't it? Where did you get it?"
"She comes in," Teddy told him. "She uses my window."
It could have Rabies. It could be a killer. It could be an extremely ugly Animagus. Lupin was almost tempted to ask it if it was Mundungus Fletcher taking part in another ridiculous and illegal scheme.
It was also sitting on his chest.
"When did this happen then? When did it get a name?"
Teddy yawned. "Mummy said I could keep her. You were at work."
Lupin raised one eyebrow. "Oh right, I see."
"Night, Dad."
Lupin hummed dubiously. "Don't let the Kneazles bite."
It was only when Ted had fallen asleep that Lupin thought to ask the most important question.
"Ted? Ted, does she bite?"
Artemis made a strange noise and yawned, revealing long teeth.
Lupin thought he would be extremely lucky to see forty-three.
A/N Part 2: And from here will surely spawn lots of AU fics - Word Wars being the chronological first. Check it out if you haven't already :) I did warn you at the start that this was AU. I kept thinking I'd given it away. This is especially for Dee in the hope that I will not be ignored and recieve angry reviews ;-). I just couldn't bring myself to kill him off although I did write it and for those who wonder why he didn't go back, I'll be more than willing to send the alternative ending if you PM me an email address. Thanks. Candy~
