Chapter 25

Teddy, refusing to exit Thomas' mind just yet, entered another memory. He would deal with the whole Hermione and him being related thing later.

This particular memory seemed familiar to him as he stood in what seemed to be like his own house. It looked much newer than it did in the present, though, and some of the furniture were different. But it was his house, no less. House, not home; Teddy had never considered this madhouse his home.

He was standing in the living room. It was dimly lit by the chandelier above, and had very tall walls. The floor-to-ceiling windows were all covered by velvet curtains, and the carpeted floor kept his footsteps silent. Antique furniture decorated the room, and although the room seemed right out of a magazine, Teddy shuddered.

He thought he would never step foot in this house ever again.

Resisting the urge to get out of the memory and out of the house, Teddy stood still and waited for Thomas' mind to show him what he was here for. Teddy noticed movement by the corner of his eye and quickly turned to look. By the fireplace that stood by the back wall was a man and woman. The woman had long, wavy black hair that draped over her back serenely. Her dark eyes were seemingly endless, her gaze unfaltering. Her dress was very familiar – Teddy knew it as her favorite dress. It was a white sundress that made her skin seem like ivory.

Teddy's feet shook as he took a few steps towards her, wanting to be as close to her as he could.

It was Felicity. It was his mother.

She looked much younger than he had remembered her. She had no scars on her arms as Teddy remembered her to have, and she looked healthier than Teddy had ever seen her. He reached out a hand, wanting to touch her, only to go right through her. He withdrew it and let it fall to his side. Reminding himself that she was dead, and that he was merely in Thomas' memories, he took a step back.

The man beside her, who was clasping her hands with his and gazing at her just as intently as she was gazing at him, was clearly Thomas Nott. His dark hair was cut short, now, barely touching the collar of his shirt. His eyes were as warm as ever as he looked at the woman beside her with...adoration?

Teddy looked at the scene in front of him, confused. Surely, that was his mother. And surely, that was Thomas, his uncle. If that were the case, then why were they...?

"Felicity, I haven't got much time. Tod...Tod will be home soon," said Thomas softly and sadly, as he turned his gaze down to the ring on the woman's finger.

The woman merely nodded, tears threatening to fall from her lovely eyes.

"Oh, Felicity, please don't cry," said Thomas, wrapping his arms around her.

Felicity clutched the front of Thomas' robes as she sobbed.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," whispered Thomas again and again as he stroked her hair.

"Why couldn't I just be with you? Why did it have to be like this?" cried Felicity.

"Because I'm only a half-blood. Your father wants was best for you, and that would be Tod, who is a Pureblood," said Thomas solemnly. His voice was without malice nor anger, but filled with sadness.

"But am I happy, Thomas? Do you think I am happy? Look at me, on the day after my own wedding, I am crying my heart out! I have barely slept, barely ate, barely done anything at all! I do not love the man I have married, and did not enjoy our love making at all! How could I, when all I have been thinking about was you, Thomas!' she sobbed into his chest.

Thomas merely continued to hold her, stroking her long hair.

"I am disgusted with myself, Thomas. I married a man I did not love, and slept with him mere hours after our marriage, when I have just slept with his brother the day before," she sobbed bitterly.

Thomas withdrew his arms around her only to rest his hands on her shoulders to look at her in the eye. "No, that was not your fault. It was mine; I forced myself on you-"

"You did no such thing! It is true that you initiated the act, but did I tell you to stop, Thomas? No, I did not," she argued.

"But-"

"And now I carry a son that is not my husband's. I am despicable," she said sobbing harder.

Thomas froze. "A-are you sure?" he asked.

She nodded. "I did not use protection when we..."

"But you have slept with him as well the day after. It could be his-"

"No. It is yours. Before the wedding, and before sleeping with him, I checked. I was already pregnant," she sobbed.

"Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry Felicity, I -"

"Don't. Just don't," she said, shaking her head. "It was my choice, and therefore it's my fault."

Thomas stood there silently, the look on his face unreadable.

"I will tell him it is his," she said softly, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "It will spare both you and I."

Thomas merely nodded. One of his hands traveled to her stomach. He held it there for a few seconds, before he whispered, "I have to go."

Felicity nodded sadly. She stood on her toes to kiss Thomas softly. Thomas took her hands in his once again, and gave each one a kiss. He let them go reluctantly, as he stepped backward to the fireplace. He took some floo powder from a bag in his pocket. Looking at Felicity one last time, he whispered, "Goodbye," before saying, "Thomas Nott's Manor," and disappeared.

Thomas' disappearance from the scene forced Teddy's exit as well. Teddy could feel Thomas panicking, could feel him pushing Teddy out of his mind. Teddy stayed strong and continued – he still didn't have what he was looking for. He now knew things he wished he never quite knew, but he still didn't have what he wanted. Not yet.

Teddy moved on to another memory. It was his house again, but this time, instead of the living room, it was his bedroom. With Black Cherry paneled walls and floors, a bed by a single window, a book case by the wall, and a desk across it, the room with it's three pieces of furniture used to be Teddy's Sanctuary in the Madhouse. He remembered curling up on the window sill with a good book as he shut the door of his room, as if it protected him from the evils of the damned house.

Thomas stood there with Teddy, looking more like he did now. He seemed like he had just Apparated, and was brushing off invisible dirt from his robes.

Teddy heard a scream from downstairs. Thomas quickly strode to leave the room, Disilliusioning himself on the way. Teddy followed reluctantly, knowing what he was going to see. This had been his nightmare for months.

Teddy and a Disillusioned Thomas walked briskly to the living room, where they found a dead Felicity on the floor, her eyes still wide open in fear, and Tod slowly approaching a somewhat younger looking Teddy who stood with shaking knees by the wall.

The younger Teddy whipped out his wand and pointed it a little shakily at Tod, eyes blazing with fury and fear.

"What, you're going to kill me? You can't do that, you're too much of a coward," spat Tod, laughing maniacally.

Younger Teddy gripped his wand tighter, steadied his shaking hand, closed his eyes, and shouted. He shouted and shouted, as if all his anger and hate were pouring out of his lungs. Tod looked taken-aback as Younger Teddy's wand shot out a spell. The room flashed a blinding green. When the flashing subsided, Teddy saw his younger self shaking like a leaf. Younger Teddy looked down at Tod's sprawled body on the floor, eyes wide-open. Examining Tod's chest, Younger Teddy concluded that the man was dead – Tod was no longer breathing. Younger Teddy started to shake even harder, and suddenly burst out laughing and crying at the same time.

Now that Teddy was looking at what happened 2 years ago from an outsider's perspective, he looked like he had gone crazy. Younger Teddy suddenly ran out of the room and up the stairs, vanishing out of sight for a few seconds, only to come back down again with a trunk. Younger Teddy threw the front door of the house open and slammed it shut. It was the day he left home, only to never come back.

Thomas Disillusioned himself and stepped towards Felicity's dead body. He looked like he was about to cry. He knelt down beside her and was about to reach for her when suddenly, Tod stirred.

Teddy watched as Tod groaned and blinked his eyes, shifting around on the floor, trying to move different parts of his body. Finding that he couldn't move anything without being in pain, he grunted and gave up, turning his head to the side to look at Thomas.

"I knew you were there," said Tod simply.

Thomas just stared dumbly. "You-"

"Help me," interrupted Tod. It wasn't a request, either.

Thomas narrowed his eyes at Tod. "Why? You killed your own wife. And attempted to kill your own son," he said accusingly.

Tod scoffed, only to groan in pain. "Help me, or I will go after Theo and kill him," he threatened.

Thomas eyes widened.

Tod smirked. "Ah, got your attention, have I? I know you have a soft spot for the boy. As for why..." his eyes darted to his wife on the floor, but he said nothing.

Thomas didn't seem to notice this, however, and just stared at Tod. "What do you need me to do?" he said begrudgingly.

"Hide me at your place. Tell everyone I'm dead. Tell Voldemort I'm dead. Hide me," instructed Tod.

"Why?" Thomas asked.

"Voldemort. Voldemort is after me. After years of hiding my capabilities from him, he found out. This is the perfect opportunity for me to go into hiding," said Tod.

"Why do you hide from Voldemort? He cannot kill you, you are more powerful than that," said Thomas.

"I can take him on, and yet when I kill that body he will not die. He has horcruxes. Me? I do not have any horcruxes, nor do I ever want to live eternally. No, I have just managed to block Theo's curse in time tonight. If not, I would have been dead. But I am weak; it is as if he has sucked the power out of me. That boy is getting powerful," sighed Tod. "Knowing Voldemort, he will force me into submission or just attempt to kill me. He has the mercy of his faithful followers at his every beck and call. I cannot win against so many. No, I will hide. You will hide me," he said firmly, "or else."

After a few seconds of staring at each other, Thomas merely nodded. He walked over to Tod, helped him to stand, and Apparated.

Now that Teddy knew what he had wanted to know, he left Thomas' mind, panting heavily. A sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead, and he wiped it with the back of his hand. He was back in McGonagall's office, and Thomas, in front of him, was panting as well.

"You're getting more powerful," breathed Thomas.

Teddy took a few deep breaths before he looked at Thomas in the eye.

"You're my father," he said.

A/N: Thank you, Nocturnal Twilight, my lovely beta, for editing this and the past chapter despite being busy. You rock! :)

It's been all about Teddy this chappie, and next would be some DraMione! Something for you guys to look forward to! But for now, tell me what you think! Review button? :)