A/N: Apologies for the long delay I have moved house to live with my sweet heart. *Does happy dance* Anyway, now that I'm settled, on with the story ;)
Her long, vermillion nails stood out sharply against the black and white parchment in her hand. She strode confidently into the grand foyer that made up the main entrance of the daily prophet, adjusting her horn rimmed glasses, and perfecting her venomous smile as she went. She had an appointment with publishing, and knew from their correspondence via owl that he was very interested in what she had to say.
Her heels made a clicking sound as she crossed the marble floor. That Granger girl had almost ruined her many years ago. But now she would have her revenge. Her money. Her glory.
It was practically in the bag.
Somebody else very confident of his findings was Horace Slughorn. In his sweaty palm he grasped shards of glass wrapped in a clear plastic bag. His genetics and forensics teams were top notch really, especially for Wizards. He should give them all a pay rise soon enough.
Well, they wouldn't need a pay rise when they were famous.
He gave a sharp rap on the minister of magic's door, and waited for Madam Bones to call him in. It didn't take long.
As he stepped through the doorway, and the teak door clicked closed behind him, Horace knew. He just knew this was going to be it.
Rita Skeeter left the publisher's office a new woman. A woman with an income, a social standing, a reputation. Someone to be admired. They had lapped up her story. It was a true, 'Stop the presses! This has to make the afternoon edition!" piece, and she knew it was the first step to her reform. Who gave a stuff, really, if Potter's brat was a werewolf? It's not like the ministry would actually do anything. And if the world ended up seeing that Potter wasn't as perfect as he was painted…..well. That'd be a fantastic bonus.
Slughorn also left the minister's office a new man. An unemployed man. The minister had torn him to pieces.
"How dare you! How every dare you come into my office, with a piece of information that could destroy the lives of two innocent people! Do you hate Teddy Lupin? Do you wish ill on Harry Potter? Get out of my sight!"
Slughorn had made a hasty retreat, but not before the minister had made him hand over all the glass he had, and submitted him to veratisim to make sure he had no more.
Slughorn didn't know quite how to feel. He was angry. He was disappointed. Mostly, he was offended. The ministry should know how lucky they'd been to have him on their staff and this was an affront to his dignity!
Well, nobody would know he was fired. He had….resigned, for personal reasons. Yes, that would do. It would have to.
Slughorn didn't know that wheels to put his findings into the public eye were already turning.
Soon, everyone would know.
Harry and Teddy stood, in the chilly December air, waving goodbye to the Hogwarts express as it chugged away, taking home the students for the Christmas holidays. Harry and Teddy had decided together that they would stay at Hogwarts for Christmas this year. They'd been invited for tea at the Weasleys, and had happily accepted, but Harry was happy to get out of having to cook for the rest of the holidays. Well, with the exception of going to see Dudley on boxing day, for which Kate had made him promise to contribute some food to the table. He had no idea what yet.
His first, and best, true Christmas had been at Hogwarts and he was looking forward to re-living those memories.
Also, with the castle empty, it would be the perfect time to talk to Teddy.
Teddy was happy enough to stay at Hogwarts. He had a vague suspicion that Harry wanted to talk to him about something important; he'd been oddly quiet over the last week. Still dependable, still there for him but somewhat….reserved. Holding something back. Looking at Teddy with a certain sadness in his eyes.
Teddy leaned further into the warmth of Harry's body as they stood side by side. Some might say that he was too old for this, but Teddy was going to take all the comfort he could get.
Sure enough, Teddy wasn't wrong. Two days after everyone had left Harry ambled into the Gryffindor common room, seeking out the young man who had made his life so much happier over the years.
Harry had thought long and hard of how to approach this topic with Teddy. He hadn't slept in what felt like a month but was in fact not much longer than a week. He loved his godson so much…..in the end it felt better to just be honest. The way that no one had been with him while he was growing up.
Teddy was sat near the fire, curled up reading a book. Harry smiled. He could imagine Remus being so proud of his son. And Harry knew he was never going to let them down. Teddy or Remus. He owed them both so much.
Harry smiled as he walked nearer his Godson. Teddy could tell it was forced, but didn't say a word. He could also see Harry's hand shaking.
Harry looked down. Teddy had placed his tiny hand in Harry's own, and it was only then that Harry had realised he'd been trembling.
Harry sat on the floor near the fire, leaning his back against one of the comfy armchairs. Teddy slid off the one he had been sitting in, and curled up next to his godfather. Waiting for the conversation he knew was coming.
"Teddy…." Harry began, his throat suddenly strangely dry. Teddy gave his hand a comforting squeeze, waiting for Harry to continue.
"Before I begin, I just want to let you know that having you in my life has made me prouder, and happier, than I ever thought I could be. You are a very special young man and it had been my honour to care for you." Harry paused to take breath. Teddy was worried now. Was this the rise before the fall?
"I need to tell you something. Hermione has been doing some research for me, and what she found is very important. And I need you to be grown up. Because I am going to tell you the worst case scenario, so that I know we can be prepared for it if it does happen."
Teddy nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
"Many years ago, there was a young girl, like you. Her mother was a werewolf. Her father wasn't." Teddy nodded again, this hadn't been the direction he had been expecting this conversation to take. Actually, he wasn't quite sure what he had been expecting, come to think about it.
"When she got to about 13, and started going through puberty,"
Teddy snorted at this point. Harry pulled a face. "Yeah, I know, girls are gross right? Anyway, when she got to 13 she started to change."
Harry chose his words very carefully here. He didn't want at any point to make Teddy feel….not normal.
"She started to become like her mother."
"You mean a werewolf?" Teddy asked, curiously. This could explain a lot.
"Yes. The ministry didn't know how to react, it had never happened before."
"What did they do?" Teddy asked, in a hushed voice.
"They…..took her away from her parents." Harry said in a wavering voice. "They tested her. Tested her blood. It turned out that she always had been a werewolf…..but her body wasn't ready to handle it yet, so she didn't start to change until she was 13 years old."
"Oh…" Teddy said quietly, not sure of what to say.
"But I promise I am not going to let them take you away." Harry said firmly, wrapping his arms around his godson. "That will never happen."
"What?" Teddy looked up in alarm. "But they only took her away because she was new right? They let her go home after they knew?"
"No, Ted." Harry shook his head sadly. "They killed her."
Teddy staggered to his feet, breathing fast.
"Are they going to kill me?" He gasped, trying not to fall.
"I'm not going to let that happen." Harry said firmly, standing up to hug Teddy, who just pushed him away.
"But it could." Teddy choked, before he ran from the room. Out through the portrait hole and into the empty castle, his sobs echoing, bouncing off the cold, stone walls.
Better to be dead, he supposed, than to be a risk to his friends, to Harry.
He carried on running into the night.
A/N: Sorry it's so short! Another chapter before the end of the week, I promise!