Back with chapter nine! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews from you guys.
Miss Mizzie - Thanks for checking for me. I had tried it myself but to no avail.
KittyDeeDee - You're about to find out.
CHAPTER 9
Teddy joined his parents in the balcony. They smiled at each other sadly as he took his place in between the both of them. They were silent for a while, each sneaking peeks at each other. Naturally, it was Tonks who broke the silence; she hated uncomfortable silences.
"How are you in the future Teddy?" she asked.
"I'm alright." Teddy replied grinning at the obvious concern of Tonks. "The Potter's are a great god family and the Weasley's are welcoming. Grandma's well, grandma. She didn't really approve of me becoming an auror y'know."
Tonks nodded with a reminiscing smile. "She was like that with me too."
"Yeah?"
Tonks nodded and resumed her staring contest with the night sky. Teddy held her hand and they - along with Remus - stood in silence once more. Teddy opened his mouth to ask his mother something that had been bugging him for the longest time. Yet he was beaten to it by Tonks.
"Are you proud of us Teddy? Of me?" she asked. "I'm sorry you know. How could I leave? You were barely a month old. "
Teddy stared at her. That was supposed to be his question. The whole 'are you proud of me?' part. Teddy himself always wanted to know if Remus and Tonks were proud of him. Often he would wonder to himself and ask silently. Mum, dad, are you proud of me?
Wherever you are, I hope that you are proud of what I had achieved.
All his life, he wanted to know if they were proud of him. So it came as a suprise to that Tonks wanted to know if he was proud of them. Of her. The mother that had left him She had left him to see to the safety of his father. That was all for his safety. To ensure that the world he grew up in was safe and bright with hope.
"Yeah. I'm proud of you Ton - mum." he said. "Proud of both of you."
Tonks gave him an affectionate hug and Teddy could tell she was still holding back the tears. Remus gave him a smile. He didn't need words to convey to Teddy what he wanted to say. Those green eyes spoke for him.
"You're a fine man Teddy." Tonks said looking up at him. "I couldn't be prouder."
Teddy smiled such a big smile he felt like his cheek muscles would explode. Remus clapped Teddy on the shoulder.
"Let's get to bed shall we?" he asked both Teddy and Tonks. "Your mother has work tomorrow."
Minerva McGonagall was pacing in her office. It was just like Fred II and James II to do something stupid and life-endangering like that. Really, they most certainly lived up to their name sakes.
"Minerva." a voice said making her jump. It was Dumbeldore.
"Yes?"
"I think that I have just found my little red box."
Minera stared hard at Dumbeldore hardly comprehending what he was saying. Following Dumbeldore's gaze, McGonagall found herself looking at a small red box with golden carving on the desk.
"Open it Minerva." Dumbeldore said quite excitedly. "It may help us with our current predicament."
Minerva did so and inside was a tightly bounded scroll of parchment. Untying it, she recognised the familiar handwriting of the ex-headmaster. It was addressed to her.
Minerva,
As you may have already learned, we have time travellers from your year. They are, I believe, eleven people in all. Do not worry Minerva, they are safe in Grimmauld Place in the year 1995. Sirius and Remus along with the Weasleys and Harry and Miss Granger are in the same house.
This box, as you might have already worked out, can communicate between the past and the present. This way, we may discuss the methods of returning your mischief makers back to where they came from.
Please inform the parents that they may communicate with their children thorough this box. Of course they shall have to write first.
Thank you,
Dumbeldore
McGonagall folded up the letter and placed it in her drawer. With a wave of her wand, four cat patronus' appeared and stood at the ready. When the former Transfiguration professor gave them her message, they chased each other's tails and one by one, ran out of the window and into the night sky.
Breakfast next morning was a noisy affair. The occupants of the kitchen were talking to each other at the top of their lungs, each trying to make themselves heard.
Teddy watched as James and Fred II snicker in the corner. The both had a mischievous glint in their eyes. No doubt they were planning something. Teddy made a mental note to keep a close eye on the both of them.
The door banged open and one Sirius Orion Black came into the kitchen whistling. He took his seat opposite Teddy and helped himself to some toast before paying attention to other people.
"So," he said as he finished his first piece of toast. "What d'you want to do today?"
James bounded over from the other end of the table and pushed Teddy out of the way. His hazel eyes shimmered in excitement. Fred II was watching with an amused face. Next to Teddy, Victoire frowned at her younger cousin.
"Can you tell me and Freddie about the pranks you pulled?" James asked, his elbow on top of Teddy's toast. "Every single one."
Sirius gave a pleased grin. "Certainly Marauderlet."
Marauderlet...Pfft. Teddy thought with a snort.
While James, Fred II, Sirius and the Weasley twins spent the rest of the day discussing the fine art of pranking, the rest of the inhabitants of Grimmauld Place spent their day ideally filling in thier spare time. Teddy wandered around the house marvelling at the difference of the house now.
He met Kreacher a few times but was ignored by the house elf. This Kreacher was very much different from the one in the future. Teddy also found quite a lot of pictures with Sirius and a James look alike. This man, he suppose, was the original James Potter. There were also a few with his father who looked pleased to be included. So far, Teddy had only found three of the four Marauders.
So who was the fourth?
Teddy pondered the question for a while but pushed it away in the end. What did it matter to him who the fourth was? Harry had never talked about him and only addressed him as 'that rat' or 'Wormtail'.
There was one picture that caught his attention. It was his father with James, Sirius, and a red-haired woman. His grandmother, a rather big belly and fair hair – his grandfather, Teddy assumed – and a young, pink-haired girl. This girl, Teddy supposed after closer inspection was in fact his mother.
They all looked so carefree and happy that Teddy's heart ached when he thought of the fates that awaited them. The house in the background looked like his grandmother's and the more Teddy stared at it, the surer he felt that it was, in fact, the same house.
"Admiring I see." A voice behind him said. Teddy jumped and spun around so fast, one foot caught the other and he ended up in a heap on the floor.
He looked up to find his dark-haired cousin grinned down at him. Teddy could only grin sheepishly as he was hauled to his feet.
"When was this taken?" he asked gesturing towards the picture.
"1978. I was just out of Hogwarts. Paid a visit to your grandparents." Sirius replied whilst pointing to the respective people. "That's James and Lily. Harry's parents." Sirius continued pointing to the James II look-alike and the ginger lady.
"That's me obviously. Your dad's this handsome chap over here." Sirius pointed at a much younger and less-scarred version of his father. Remus was smiling happily as the young girl patted his head happily. Teddy laughed at that. So did Sirius and the occupants of the picture.
"And that little squirt is none other than your mother." Sirius said with a chuckle. Pink seemed to be Tonks' colour, even from a young age. "I stayed with them for a few weeks. There's an entire album of my stay there. You can have it."
"Really?" asked Teddy surprised at the generosity of his cousin. "You mean it?"
"But of course. I know you never got to know your parents Teddy." Sirius replied. "This is the least I can do."
"Thanks Sirius."
"You're welcome." he replied. "I just have to find it first."
Teddy laughed as he went out of the room with Sirius close behind.
Harry folded up the red envelope and placed it into the box that laid open on Headmistress McGonagall's desk. He felt a sense of relive knowing that they were safe in Grimmauld Place and not anywhere near Death Eaters.
The adults watched as McGonagall sealed the red box and placed it below the portrait of Dumbeldore. Harry's former headmaster smiled at him and Harry found himself smiling back. Together, the adults watched the box shimmer slightly and disappeared. It was going back into the past.
Harry watched it go back. To a time where everyone he knew and loved. Back where Sirius, Snape, Remus, Tonks, Dumbeldore, Fred, Mad-Eye, and countless others were still alive. For one mad moment, he was seized with a sudden longing to grab the box and force it to take him back.
No. What's done is done. He reminded himself. Meddling with the course of time was dangerous. They were going to get the kids out of there.
That's it for this chapter. Stick around for the next one.
