Every time I hear the Simpsons theme lately, I think, "The Lupins." Anyway, I still own nothing.
-------
"Mum, why does Teddy have to go? I want him to stay with us," brown haired Juniper protested. For a three year old, Juniper spoke very clearly.
"Juniper, Teddy needs to go to school. You'll see him again, I promise," Tonks replied.
Remus and lime green haired Teddy walked slightly ahead. They stopped when they came to a good spot in the platform.
"Promise to write?" Teddy asked.
"I promise. Do you promise to write?" Remus asked Teddy.
"Yeah." Teddy paused. "Dad, what if I don't get sorted into Gryffindor? What if I end up in a house where no one's at all like me?"
"Teddy," Remus replied, "I can't imagine you in any house except Gryffindor." Teddy looked confused. "You'd annoy the other Ravenclaws when they'd study, you're not at all Slytherin like, and Hufflepuffs are a tad boring, which you are definitely not."
"Okay."
Teddy hugged and kissed both his parents several times, and allowed Juniper to plant multiple wet, sloppy kisses on his cheek.
Remus looked at his watch. "If you don't get on soon, it's going to leave without you."
Teddy gave his mum, dad, and sister one last hug each. And with the good-byes taken care of, he got onto the train.
He walked along, pulling his trunk. The train started moving while he was walking. He peaked inside compartments full of friends, looking for one that was empty, or with someone his year inside.
"Hey, you want to sit in here? It's just me so far, but I'm waiting for a friend," said a girl about Teddy's height with strawberry blonde hair tied up in two short pigtails. She had wire glasses, and was wearing baggy khakis with a green t-shirt, bearing the name of the Hinkypunks.
"Sure," Teddy said, pulling his trunk inside the compartment. There was only one other trunk inside.
"Oh, he'll come around," The girl said. She pulled the door shut and sat down opposite Teddy. "I'm Mackenzie Skeldon," She introduced. "And you either have really lenient parents, or you're a Metemorphagus."
"I'm Teddy Lupin," Teddy said. "And yeah, both."
"Cool," Mackenzie said. "And I obviously go by Mack, because life's short, and every time someone calls me Mackenzie instead of Mack, they've just wasted two valuable syllables.
"So," Mack began, "First year?"
"Yeah, you too?" Teddy asked.
Mack grinned. "Second. I should've asked this at the door, but you want to be in Gryffindor, right?" Teddy nodded. "Good. You might want to change your hair color though." Teddy changed it to scarlet. "Much better."
They talked about hobbies; Mack was impressed with Teddy's drumming. They talked about Quidditch; Mack wanted to be a Beater. As Teddy began to ask questions about classes, the door opened. Mack ran to the figure in the doorway and jumped on him.
"Where were you?" Mack asked the brown haired boy whom she was hugging.
"With Christina. She's trying to institute 'Junior Prefects', and thought I'd be a good example of 'exemplary behavior.' There was silence for a moment, and then Mack and the boy burst out laughing. The boy was a bit taller than Teddy, and had glasses, just like the other occupants of the compartment.
"Ah, what little they know," Mack said, grinning. "Anyway, Hank, meet Teddy Lupin, Teddy Lupin meet Hank Erchief."
Hank rolled his eyes. "Hank Emerson. I'm in Gryffindor."
Hank sat down next to Mack. "I got practically no sleep last night, so I might doze off."
Teddy realized he was quite tired as well. "I might also," he said.
"You guys are no fun! I mean, Hank I haven't seen you all summer, and now you want to sleep!"
"Fine, I'll stay awake."
The conversation turned to family. Hank, as it turned out, had two older sisters and two younger sisters.
"What years are they in?" Teddy asked.
"Christina's in sixth year, she's a Ravenclaw and a prefect. Veronica's in fourth year, she's in Hufflepuff. Jenna starts next year, and then Liz two years after that," He said. "Our family's in every house except Slytherin."
"I live with my dad. What's your family like, Teddy?" Mack asked.
"My Mum's an Auror; she's who I get my Metamorphagus abilities from." Hank looked amazed, so Teddy changed his hair from scarlet to gold and back again. "My dad stays at home with me and my little sister, Juniper. Juniper's also a Metamorphagus. She's three," Teddy added.
Soon after, Hank fell asleep. Mack was stretched out on the seat, back against the window, and feet on Hank's lap. Teddy was about to doze off as well, when a woman pushing a cart loaded with chocolate and sweets came to the door.
Before Teddy could even think about getting up, Mack was at the cart, picking out candies. She paid the woman, and turned around and walked back inside the compartment.
Mack poured all the candy next to Teddy, then sat down on the other side of the pile. "Dig in!" Mack announced.
Teddy knew one thing: It had been a good idea to sit with Mack. She hadn't gotten anything that didn't have some sort of chocolate in it.
After ten minutes of eating, Teddy broke the silence. "You remind me of my mum."
Mack looked at him. "I need to meet her so I can find out whether that's a good thing or an insult."
The rest of the ride passed quickly. Mack and Teddy joked around, and Hank slept. At one point, a rodent crawled out of Hank's pocket. Mack told Teddy that it was Steve, Hank's hamster.
"Why does he have a hamster?" Teddy asked.
"His sisters' hamster had babies."
"Oh."
A little while after, the train stopped. Mack woke Hank up. They realized they hadn't changed yet, so Hank and Teddy changed hurriedly standing towards one side, while Mack looked at the other.
"Hank, don't you dare turn around," Mack said whenever he moved the slightest.
"Yeesh."
And so the two second years and the one first year stepped off the train, Mack and Hank going one way, Teddy going another.
-----
Natalie Tena didn't get much screen time, but who have you always pictured as Tonks? Review and share.
