Chapter eight
As Harry sat there staring at his son, tears fell down his face, 'Mrs. Tonks,' Harry said but his voice cracked with the emotion he was feeling.
'I know this was a shock Harry, but you can take your time and get to know Teddy.'
'Um, yeah, shocked, but I want to. How are we going to work this out, I don't have a home yet, you love your grandson and I don't want to take him away from you. But I want Teddy, I want my son, I want to be a father to him.'
'That is what we need to discuss. Now the first thing is if you want, why don't you live here for now? Get to know Teddy, learn what you need so you can look after him. I know you will want him with you and that's understandable. But I urged you to take your time, you are young and this has been a big shock.'
Harry slowly lifted his eyes away from Teddy, 'So you really wouldn't mind if I lived here with you so I can be with Teddy?'
'No, I don't. I still would like to be a big part of my grandson's life he's all the family I have left, so even if you do eventually get your own home, I would like to be able to have him come here, just occasionally. But he is your son, which means all the responsibility that comes with being a father.'
'Sounds good, but give me a few days then I'll come stay. I'm going to have to explain all this to my friends, and merlin Ginny, how's she going to take this, knowing what happened with Tonks.'
'Ginny Weasley you mean?'
'She's my girlfriend, we were together before Dumbledore died. But because I had to leave I broke up with her. We only just got back together.'
'Oh I see, well, she might be a little angry with you when you tell her,' just then Teddy gave a small cry, 'I think your son needs a feed, would you like to do it Harry?'
'Yeah, I have to learn anyway, so thanks.'
'You don't need to thank me, now we get to share Teddy and raise him together. I'll just get his bottle,' Andromeda smiled then went into the kitchen.
'Well Teddy, I suppose we're going to see a lot of each other. Daddy, oh man, I can't believe this, but I can't say I'm sorry,' Harry bent down and kissed Teddy's forehead, 'You'll have everything you ever want or need. I just need to work a few things out.'
'Here you go Harry,' Andromeda handed him the bottle then sat and watched Harry feed his son, 'You're doing good, it's all very easy, you'll pick it up.'
'I hope so, I want to be a good dad.'
'You will because the main thing is, you just need to love them.'
'I already do love him,' Harry smiled down at his son, 'He's watching me.'
'Yes, he will do that a lot when he's being fed. Now after he's had his feed, I'll show you how to change him and put him down. Maybe tomorrow I can show you how to bathe him.'
'I'd like that, thanks Mrs. Tonks.'
'I think we can skip the formality Harry, we're family now, so Andromeda.'
Harry nodded, but kept watching his son and still had trouble believing Teddy was his. After he finished, Andromeda explained about bringing up Teddy's wind, then they went into his room and changed him. Harry getting a soaking the moment he took the baby's nappy off which made Andromeda snigger. She used a cleaning spell on Harry while he finished changing Teddy.
Over the next few days, Harry would leave the Burrow early and spend all day with Teddy. He hasn't told Ginny or his friends yet, he knows he's stalling because he's not sure how they will take it, especially Ginny. But Harry kept reminding himself that they weren't together when he slept with Tonks, so really, she can't be angry even though Harry knew she would be. Andromeda and Harry worked out for him to move in the following week, that would give Harry time to shop for himself, go to Gringotts and more importantly, explain to his friends that he was a father.
Harry stepped into the kitchen of the Burrow just as everyone was sitting down to dinner.
'You've been gone all day, again. I never get to see you Harry and why can't I go with you? You never let me go with you.' Ginny snapped.
'Blimey, I just walked in the door Ginny, give me a break,' Harry run his fingers through his hair. 'I'm trying to get to know Teddy and learn everything I can so I can look after him.'
'But he has his grandmother to do all that, you're just his godfather, you don't need to learn anything, just spoil him, isn't that what a godfather is for?'
'Blimey, you are being really selfish Ginny, he's a baby, all he has is me and Andromeda and we're both going to be there for him. But there's something you don't know, something none of you know. But I can't keep walking in here and being yelled at for wanting to be there for Teddy.'
'What don't we know?' Hermione asked seeing the look on Harry's face, like he was a bit embarrassed.
'I'm not his godfather,' Harry growled in frustration, which was happening a lot lately and that was because every day he came home Ginny was at him and she never let up. It was starting to piss Harry off, so he figured now was the time to explain.
'What do you mean you aren't his godfather, Remus told you at Bills that you were, we were there remember Harry,' Ron said.
'I know what he said, but he couldn't tell me the truth, not then,' Harry sighed, 'Okay, there's no easy way to say this, than to just say it.'
'Say what?' Ginny snapped again.
'I'm Teddy's father, not godfather.'
Harry sat there listening to all the voices saying the same thing, how, before they all thought Harry couldn't quite understand how a godfather works or was making himself believe he was Teddy's father.
'No, it's all of you that don't understand,' Harry sighed, 'A few days before my last birthday, after you all went to sleep, I went out, I needed to get away and think. Ron saw me when I came back, I said I was just walking around, I wasn't. I went to Grimmauld place, I needed to feel Sirius. Tonks was there, crying, I tried to get her to tell me what was wrong, she wouldn't,' Harry lowered his head knowing he had to say the rest, 'We slept together that night, she fell pregnant to me and meant to. Remus couldn't have children, that's why she was crying, she wanted to be a mother,' Harry sat there and couldn't believe how quiet it was, but he knew that wouldn't last long, not when that information sank in and Ginny finally understood what he said.
