A/N: same day, later on.

Ack. I just caught my "little brother" (my exchange family's son) watching porn! *sniffle* they grow up so fast.

So! Turns out my best friend Ary is on and reads this story. So hi, Ary, out there! You're awesome :) I love you. Anyway, you should thank her that I'm updating this today because I was GOING to wait until tomorrow night.

I did notice the reviews slacking off a bit. Don't be shy, I love hearing from all of you! Reviews help like crazy! Don't make me be one of THOSE authors who requires a specific number of reviews before I post the next chapter.

Because the next chapter is Remus' journal. Don't tell me you won't find that interesting. YOU WILL.

Right now, I'm dissatisfied with the epilogue's ending. Trying to think of a way to make it less cheesy. Need Ary's help.

Review answering is at the bottom this time!

Ellara- thanks for letting me know of my mess-up. I fixed it, so no worries :)

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN IT.

James, August 2021

"Teddy was here," Harry mentioned as James hopped down the stairs. James froze in the act of plucking an apple out of the fruit bowl on the table.

"Did he ask for me?"

"No," said Harry, his forehead wrinkling, "which is odd. Have you two been in a fight or something? He hasn't been round in ages and you haven't talked to him."

"Dad, remember how we didn't see Teddy for a whole year when I was fifteen?" James asked, successfully maneuvering around his father's question.

Harry scratched his chin. "That's true. Listen, if you see your mum, could you tell her not to come to the kitchen? I'm wrapping up her birthday present."

James peered over his dad's shoulder. "What did you get her?"

Harry shoved him lightly, blocking his view. "Not a chance. You'll have to come up with something for her yourself. And Charlie floo'ed this morning, said he wanted to talk to you. You can floo into his house at any time."

"I guess I'll go now," James said, his forehead wrinkling, "seeing as I'm not going anywhere else."

Harry let James through the door, and James covertly snuck a look around for Ginny's present.

"No good," said Harry's voice from behind him, "I put a concealing charm on it."

"Damn," James muttered, and took a handful of floo powder from the glass jar beside the fireplace. "You're good."

"I just know you too well," Harry countered.

James stuck his tongue out at his father, very maturely, and threw the handful of powder into the fireplace before stepping in. "Number Fourteen, Woolborough Road, Crawley."

He stumbled out of Charlie's fireplace and rubbed the soot off his glasses. Charlie was sitting at his kitchen table, sipping a beer.

"Hello, Jamie," he said, sliding a butterbeer across the table. "How've you been?"

"Not bad," James said, cautiously, taking the drink. "You?"

"Not bad." He scrutinized James over his own drink. "Come on, James, tell me what's wrong."

Charlie had always been the Uncle that James confided in, the one who he felt he could tell anything to. But the idea of telling Uncle Charlie that he was in love with Teddy, that he'd made a move on Teddy, that he'd been rejected by Teddy, was so revolting to him he thought he might throw up.

"Is it Teddy?" Charlie asked, so unexpectedly that James choked on his butterbeer.

"What?" He sputtered.

"I just wondered if it might be Teddy. You two were always so close, and he seems so miserable lately. Did you two have a fight or something?"

Or something. That might be the correct way to describe it.

"Yeah, we had a fight." James admitted.

"What about?" Charlie said, curiously. "Did he- I don't know, find out you fancied him or something?"

It was James' second time to choke. "What?" he spluttered, again.

Charlie laughed, a pleasant, booming sound. "Oh, James. Does it really surprise you all that much to know? I've been with Oliver for, what, twelve years now? Have you ever heard of 'gaydar'?"

James simply stared, his mouth hanging open.

"So what happened?"

"I made a move on him. And then he shoved me away, and told me that he was a teacher and I was a student." James said, still in shock. Charlie knew? Who else did?

"And then?"

"And then... I made a cruel remark about him not being a faggot like me, and got away, fast."

Charlie quirked one eyebrow. "So..." he said, slowly. "You didn't wait around to see if maybe he might have something else to say to you."

"No," James said, slightly abashed.

"Did it ever occur to you that you just put Teddy in a very uncomfortable position? He is a teacher and you are a student. He would lose his job if it was discovered that he did something with you. Particularly since you are both male, particularly since you are godbrothers, particularly since you are Harry Potter's son. He might never have been able to get a job again. Did you think of that?"

"No," James said, again, now considerably embarrassed.

"And it never occurred to you that Teddy may feel the exact same way about you as you do about him, he just may have considered what being brash about this would mean for both of you?"

"No, Uncle Charlie, it didn't!" James cried, "and you know why? Because at the moment, all I was focused on was the fact that my little brother, who is supposed to look up to me and admire me, had just completely turned on me for how I feel about Teddy! And that right after I finally worked up the courage to do something about how I felt, I was outright rejected. Do you know how that feels?" he could feel his face heating up and his voice cracked embarrassingly a few times, but he didn't care.

"Actually, I do," Charlie said, softly. "Many times over. Do you think it was easy coming out to my family? Telling my brothers I was gay, and your mum, who'd always looked up to me the most? Do you think it was easy for me to tell my mum and dad, 'sorry, there won't be any little Charlies running around?' No. It wasn't. But I did it because I had to. And of course I've been rejected. If you haven't, you're not human. But you know what? I don't believe that Teddy rejected you. And I don't believe that Al did either. And when I finally told your mum- the first of anyone, mind you- she welcomed me with open arms and I have no doubt she would give you the same exact treatment. Your family loves you, James- no matter who or what you are."

"But Teddy- his job-"

"Teddy is planning on resigning soon," Charlie said. "He never really wanted to be a teacher- I think it was a temporary position while he looked elsewhere. But he's gotten a few job offers- remember that he used to be an auror? I think he may want to go back there. He's been offered position as a healer, too."

"So then-"

"On September 15th," Charlie said, smoothly speaking over James' words, "You will be seventeen. And then nobody can stop you from doing what you want to do, or being who you want to be with."

James drained the last of his butterbeer and stood up, feeling considerably more light-hearted.

"And James?" Charlie added, as James turned towards the fireplace. He looked back over his shoulder.

"If I were you, I would think about telling your dad," he said.

A/N: Review answering!

Hufflepuff Girl17: please don't cry. but I'm glad you love the ending :)

Soapiefan: I hope "updating demon" is a compliment! I try hard to stick to canon except when the canon is bullshit. Like Remus and Tonks.

Shadowed Shinobi: notears! Well, thank you for the compliment. Chapters 10 and 11 were probably my favorite chapters to write, honestly.

HarryPotterResidentEvilFanJnL: Unlucky you :( I don't start college until a few weeks. Yes, I told my mum "my reviewers on fanfiction say Happy Birthday" and she called me a nerd and told me to talk to her when I got a life, so I won't be calling her for the rest of my life then...

Noir Lime Canuto: your name interests me. And I'm glad you understand my Harry issue (wow, that sounds weird). thanks so much!

ConradKCat: lol, I have a Sirius and Remus thing, so does Ary. I couldn't NOT put them in my story. Plus, it's good for Teddy. And really, I think Harry might know. I know I should know this, because I'm the author, but sometimes the characters are more knowing than I am. They pen themselves, really.

please review, and boost my self-esteem.

My daddy says it doesn't need boosting, and my ego is inflated enough.

but why should I believe him?