Disclaimer: I don't own, J.K. Rowling and friends don't sue... Deal?

TwistedlySweetFiction: I'm sorry your Thanksgiving so so bad doll! But I'm happy this story was able to provide a bit of a distraction for you. I'm posting more for you to read now! Originally, I wasn't going to include teddy in this story. I forgot all about him actually. But a reviewer reminded me about him and after that I couldn't get him out of my head! I agree, it sad that Andromeda is dying, but the plot bunny bit so what comes, comes. I love working with Wipe Out Homophobia!, and the people at Wipe Out Transphobia! are great. We did a lot with them for the National Transgender Day of Remeberance that just passed. I gained a whole new respect for transgenders. They're a very brave group of people. And tell your partner i said so. If you ever do feel as if you can wrangle some time out for Wipe Out Transphobia!, I say go for, though I understand how it is to try to fight for a cause on top of going to school and raising a family. My own daughter keeps me busy, but I tend to bring her with me to a lot of the functions. She's learning from a young age that prejudice is just ignorance wrapped in rhetoric. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, even if your thanksgiving ended up in a bad spot. Lots of love dear!

fanandfuturewriter: Thank you love! Cancer is a horrible thing, but even if she had side-effects, rejoice in the fact that she survived! There are far too many who aren't nearly as lucky.

MaryAliceB1: Thank you!

DeathEatersAreGreat: Teddy is adorable! And what little kid wouldn't take advantage of an ability like that? Lol. He's totally going to use it as he gets older! I hope the press conference lives up to your expectations, and thank you on behalf of my daughter. This story isn't over yet! I'm just not ready for it to end yet. Lol. Thanks for the review!

Mego225: Lol. Thank you! I was trying to balance sweet and sad in that set of chapters. And yeah, the happy but sad thing makes perfect sense. :D I do have a daughter. She's just over a year old and the brightest light in my life. I swear theres not a more beautiful baby out there. It sucks that you don't know your neighbors that well. If you live near any state parks, try looking into them. Most have a set of stables for trail rides. It might cost you twenty dollars or so, but it'll get you on a horse. I'm going to ignore the fact that your fourteen, simply because that would royally freak me out that someone so young is reading a story like this. I'm overprotective because, well, she got a bad card in life. Her little brother is autistic and her little sister is the baby, so she got shifted from the oldest to more of the middle child in the way she's treated. She needs someone to be there for her, and since I'm the oldest of the generation, it kinda fell to me. Plus, we're more alike than I am with the rest of my cousins, so it makes it easier to talk to her. Oh yeah, and, as I often tell her, she's mine. She may have her parents, but it's my job to listen to her and comfort her and talk her off the ledge when she needs me. Yeah, I got my first flamers. And quite frankly, they can bite me. It wouldn't be so bad if they had legitimate points, but they don't. They just wanted to bitch. And of course my response to you is the longest. You give me the longest reviews! You may need to step up your game though sweetie! TwistedlySweetFiction is catching up quickly. Lol. Just to let you know, seriously babe, thank you for continuingot review. You seem hyper and bouncy and it shows through in your reviews and makes me smile everytime I see a new one from you.

imcck: Thank you doll! They are adorable making their new family. And Teddy is going to grow up well loved and cared for! The press conference is chapter 27! I hope you enjoy it!

Author's Note: I know by this point we should probably be winding down, but I'm just not ready for this story to end! So it's going to soldier on for a while as long as all of you are still interested in reading it. As always, thank you for the reviews and support! And hello to all the new followers! Thank you for taking the time to read this!

"Harry! Harry! Wake up love!" Little pecking kisses were being placed all over his face, but he didn't want to get up. The bed was comfy. And he'd been up and down with Teddy all night. The little boy not only ate like a lion every… 3… hours… but he also wanted to stay up and play after each feeding. And the nappies! How can something so little create a stink so big?! "Harry! Please wake up baby? We have to get the day started. We've got to go to the ministry and fill out the paperwork to adopt Teddy. Then we have to talk to Kingsley and get the press conference set up. Then we're supposed to go to the Weasleys for the rest of the day to introduce them to Teddy. Get up."

"Don' wanna… sleep now… bed comfy." Harry mumbled grumpily, turning away from the insistent voice and lips.

Draco let out a small sigh and a smile. He was not a morning person under the best of circumstances, but Harry was being ridiculous. "Harry. Baby." He leaned down and pressed a kiss under Harry's jawline. "I hate to do this, but you leave me no other option… HARRY! TEDDY'S CRIB IS ON FIRE!"

In an instant Harry was up, jerking the infant from the crib and disappearing from the room with a crack of apparation. Draco stared at the spot where his boyfriend had just stood, in nothing but his boxers, and chuckled lightly. "Well that wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but at least he's awake."

Smiling, he left the room, and headed downstairs. Narcissa and Andromeda looked up from their morning tea. "Where's Harry?"

Draco shrugged. "He'll be back soon. He left in his pajamas."

Severus eyed his godson warily. "Draco… What did you do?"

"He wouldn't get up! So I told him Teddy's crib was on fire. The next thing I know, he's got Teddy and is apparating off into the great unknown."

Cissy tried to scowl at her son, but the effect was marred by the giggle that slipped through her lips. "That was…" Giggle. "Very…" Snort. "Mean, Draco…" Chuckle. "There had…" Cough. "To have been…" Snicker. "A better way!"

She couldn't control it anymore and burst into bouts of hysterical laughter. Meda joined her; the sisters holding onto each other and acting like children. Draco arched one pale blond brow at his mother, calmly taking a sip of his coffee. "Well, I could have always poured water on him… Mother."

Narcissa flushed and stopped laughing as Draco and Severus burst into their own uncontrollable sniggers. Meda looked between them, a little lost. "Cissy?"

"Harry was having a nightmare and wouldn't wake up." Narcissa started quietly. "So I used Augamenti on him."

Andromeda stared at her sister in horror for a moment before breaking snickering… then chortling… then collapsing into deep guffaws. "Oh Cissy! I can't believe you did that to poor Harry!"

"I had to wake him up!"

"So did I." Draco pointed out wryly, grinning unabashedly in response to his mother's glare.

Just then, Harry popped into the kitchen at Grimmauld Place, glaring at his boyfriend. Marching stiffly over to Draco, the Boy-Who-Lived settled a now screaming Teddy in the blonde's arms, summoned a bottle, wipes, powder, diaper cream, and a fresh diaper, and put it all on the table in front of the frightened looking Slytherin. "Your turn. The whole Weasley clan got quite the show, by the way. Speak to me before I've ingested at least three cups of coffee and I'm not responsible for any bodily injuries you might receive."

The Ice-Prince visibly gulped at the irritation in his boyfriend's eyes. "Right… Well then, I think I'm just going to go change the little pup. Ok?"

Harry nodded tersely, already at the coffee pot, pouring his first steaming cup. Draco skittered upstairs, the baby supplies floating along behind him, and the adults watched the scene with amusement. Severus smirked at Harry as the teen sat down. "First night as a new parent tough?"

"Shove it Sev. You've never had kids." Harry replied, with no real rancor behind the words.

Snape chuckled. "Neither have you, technically."

"How often did Teddy have you up, Harry?" Meda asked personably, seeming to realize now was not the time for any but those with thick skin to bait the Golden Boy.

He glowered into his coffee cup, noting that it was already empty. When did that happen? He summoned the pot to him for more. "Every 3 bloody hours! And he wanted to play after he ate. Every. Time. I don't know how you do it Meda."

Meda rolled her eyes. "Don't curse Harry. It's a waste of good language and solves nothing. And I have practice. Lots and lots of practice. Just give it a couple weeks and you'll get into the swing of things."

Harry bounced his eyes between Narcissa and Andromeda. "Now I see where you get it." He said, shaking his head. He went to take a sip of the delicious black brew that would turn him back into a functioning human being, only to note that his cup was empty again. He knew he hadn't drunk it all that time. Scowling, he looked around the table, noting just the tip of Severus's wand poking from his sleeve. "Severus. I love you. But if you vanish my coffee one more time, you'll be joining Sirius in the Veil."

Severus tried to widen his eyes innocently, and failed miserably. Reaching into his pocket with a laugh, he pulled out three small vials and pushed them across the table to Harry. "Here. Try these instead. They don't taste as good, but they'll keep you awake and energized for far longer."

The teen eyes them suspiciously. "What are they?"

"Pepper-Up Potion, Alert&Awake, and All-Day Energy Draught." Severus replied, looking slightly miffed. "Aren't we past the point of suspicion, Mr. Potter?"

"Would you ever just drink something someone told you to, without knowing what it is? Especially when it comes from a Potions Master that could probably make Polyjuice taste like Pumpkin Juice?" Harry retorted, popping the top on the first potion and downing it quickly. "Speaking of which, why do potions always taste so terrible?"

"Deterrent from people wanting to take them again. Potions are our world's drugs. One can easily become addicted to the effects of certain potions, like Dreamless Sleep, if used too often, so the taste is set as an encouragement not to become dependent on the substances." Snape grinned. "It works. If you noticed, our world has a much lower rate of drug addiction than the Muggle world, and most of our addicted are muggleborns or half-bloods on a Muggle substance."

Green-eyes closed in a grimace as he swallowed the next two potions in rapid succession, trying to get them done and over with as soon as possible. His face turned red and steam poured from his ears as the Pepper-Up Potion made its way through his system. When it was over, the bags were gone from under his eyes and he sparkled with his normal energy and good nature. "Right. Thank you Sev." Harry smiled, leaning over to give the Potions Master a side-hug. "I think I need to go apologize to Draco now." He stood from the table and stretched. "Meda? You're coming with us to the Ministry, right?"

Andromeda's face was flushing when she nodded in the assent, and he couldn't figure out why. Shrugging, he turned to make his way out of the kitchen, stopping only when Severus's voice called him back.

The former spy was grinning wickedly. "Harry… you realize you're still only wearing your boxers, right?"

~*~GREY~*~

"It wasn't a big deal, love."

Harry humphed. "You weren't the one running around in front of God and everybody in nothing but your boxers."

Draco sniggered, but quickly suppressed the reaction at the death glare his boyfriend sent him. "I already said I'm sorry." The blond whined, wrapping his hands around Harry's waist from behind as they walked. He peeped over the brunette's shoulder to kiss a gurgling Teddy on the forehead. "What more do you want me to do?"

"Buy an alarm clock." Harry snapped, adjusting Teddy on his shoulder. "Or an air horn. Just something so that I can stop being woken up in odd or embarrassing ways."

Draco shook his head against Harry's back. "I thought I was supposed to be the dramatic one. It's only happened twice Harry."

"That's two times too many Dray." Harry growled out.

Andromeda chuckled from beside him. "Only together for a little while now and already acting like an old married couple. How sweet." She stopped in front of an oak door with a small gilded plaque mounted on it. "Here we are. Department of Records. Miranda will be happy to see us. She's been expecting me back for weeks now."

"You already came to see her?" Harry asked curiously, pulling the door open and holding it for her and Draco.

She nodded as she passed through. "I thought it would make it easier. I also wanted to see if there would be any complications since you're not a blood-relation."

"Are there?"

"No. Remus and Nymphadora made it clear that you were supposed to take care of Teddy should they pass. It will be considered acting on their final wishes."

"What about adding my name to the paperwork?" Draco asked worriedly. He was a former Deatheater after all. While he'd been given a full pardon and was currently dating the Savior of the Wizarding World, that, combined with his family name, would be a black mark against him.

Andromeda placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Miranda is an understanding woman. And a forgiving one. I'm sure that once you and Harry state your case, it won't be a problem."

Draco nodded, but worried his bottom lip between his teeth nonetheless. Just then, a statuesque red-head glided from the back office, giving Andromeda a warm smile. "Mrs. Tonks. How wonderful to finally see you! I see you've finally decided to contact Mr. Potter?"

The older brunette woman nodded and pushed Harry and Draco forward. "He came to me, actually. And there's been a small change in plans. It won't be just Harry adopting my grandson."

Miranda Hopkins took in Draco with cool, assessing eyes. "Mr. Malfoy as well?" She furrowed her brow. "I believe we should take this to my office."

The teens nodded and obediently followed her into a small room that barely housed a desk and two chairs. With a wave of her wand, Miranda slightly expanded the room and added a third chair for Andromeda. As they settled in their places, Teddy started to fuss and Harry bounced him slightly, reaching into the diaper bag at his side to pull out a bottle and pop it in the infant's mouth. Without a word, Draco took the baby from Harry and conjured a lap-sized changing table, quickly divesting Teddy of his onesie and wet diaper, replacing both with clean counter-parts. Harry balanced the bottle in Teddy's mouth while Draco worked, cooing softly at the baby throughout the ordeal. Miranda smiled at the easy way the boys worked together, and made a small note if it on the parchment in front of her.

"Now boys," She began, struggling to keep an impersonal façade through the interview. "I have to say, to have such… opposing, personalities raising a child doesn't exactly strike me as good for the well-being of young Mr. Lupin here."

Harry shot her a quick glare, pulling Teddy from Draco's lap and cradling the infant against his chest protectively. Balancing the baby in on one arm, he reached over with his free hand and gripped Draco's hand in his. "I'm sure you'll find, Ms. Hopkins, that our 'opposing personalities' have been put to rest since the end of the war. Many things have changed since then, including our relationship."

Miranda's eyebrows shot up her forehead as she looked at their intertwined fingers and the expression of pure love that shone on Draco's face as the blond gazed at Harry. She coughed lightly to cover her embarrassment. "So I see. May I ask how long you have been together?"

"Long enough." Harry answered succinctly, making it clear that this line of questioning was unwelcome.

She forged on anyway. "Do you intent to marry?"

"Perhaps. In the future."

She rubbed her temples. "So… you two, who have been dating for an indeterminate amount of time, would like to adopt a child, together, at the tender age of seventeen, and have no set plan to marry or way of proving to me that this isn't a fleeting fancy on your parts?"

It was Draco's turned to narrow his eyes. "Our age is unimportant. As is the duration of our relationship. What matters is we'd both like to raise Teddy, who is Harry's godson and my second-cousin. The fact that we're in a relationship complicated matters, so, to ensure that neither of us can ever, for any reason in the future, deny the other the right to see Teddy, we have decided to adopt him together, making both of us his legal guardian and therefore subject to custody rulings and the same rights that any parents would have."

"So, in short, the fact that the two of you are romantically involved is more of a problem than a solution."

"No." Draco drew out the word, adding in a trace of haughtiness that made it clear he thought the woman was stupid. "The fact that we are romantically involved makes it all the more necessary for us to take steps that ensure Teddy is raised in a loving, stable home, no matter what happens to our relationship."

Miranda pursed her lips, irritated by the blonde's attitude. "So you'd want to raise Teddy even if you weren't dating Mr. Potter?"

He shrugged. "Who knows? That's not the situation, so I can't accurately say. We never no how we will behave in a situation until we're actually living it."

"Speculate for me."

"No." He leaned forward, untangling his hand from Harry's. "I won't. Because speculation does nothing. We could speculate all day, but we'll never know for sure. What we do know for sure is that Harry and I want to raise Teddy, together. What was, or what could be, is immaterial. What matters is that we are determined to give that little boy a loving home with two parents and a large family who will spoil him rotten and let him know, every day, that he is the most important person in the universe to them. What matters is that he already loves us, if his current coloring is any indication."

She looked curiously to see that the little boy, who Andromeda had already told her was a metamorphous, indeed had Draco's pale blond hair and Harry's green eyes. Green eyes that were currently looking at her with as much disdain as an infant could muster. He continued, "What matters is that we are willing, no matter what may come in our personal relationship, to push all that aside in order to give him the type of life he deserves. The type of life his parents would want."

Harry looked at Draco with proud eyes, subtly spelling the blonde's chair to move closer to him so that he could throw an arm across his boyfriend's shoulder. Steely, verdant eyes speared Miranda, demanding her attention. "Remus and Tonks left Teddy to me, but I can't do this alone. As you said, I'm only seventeen and I'm still trying to catch up on the year of schooling I missed during the war as well as making preparations for my future. I want that future to include Teddy and Draco. Draco is going through the same things, and, on our own, either of us would be a horrible parent to Teddy. Together though, between the two of us and our families, we stand a far better chance."

He carefully shifted the baby over to Draco. "We are young. We are inexperienced. But we have the will and the drive and means to be great parents for Teddy. Besides," He settled back in his chair, "given the option between allowing Teddy to be raised by a single, male, teenaged orphan or by two loving, caring teenage boys, who, with the addition of the second, are related to almost every wizarding family in our world today, what would the Ministry really prefer?"

Miranda sat back heavily in her chair, impressed by the level of conviction in both boy's voices as they spoke of wanting to provide a good life for the infant in her office. She'd met biological parents who didn't seem to care half as much. She looked over at Andromeda, who was giving a small, smug smile. "I take it you have no objections to this?"

"Object to my grandson's godfather and my nephew raising my daughter's child?" Andromeda laughed. "Why would I? They're both mature and responsible. They're old beyond their years. And, even though they've only been at this for a day," she waved her hand at Harry and Draco, "well, you can already see how good they are with Teddy."

"They've only been caring for Teddy for a day?" Miranda was shocked. They moved together with an ease that bespoke of time and practice.

Andromeda nodded. "And there has been absolutely no help from either myself, my sister, or Severus Snape, who also lives with Harry and Draco, during that time. They've muddled through it on their own, and done an excellent job of it."

The Ministry official shook her head, amazed. "In that case," she sighed, knowing she was about to catch hell from every superior she had, "Then I grant the adoption. On!" She raised her finger, stalling Harry and Draco's whoops of joy. "On a trial basis. I will be making random visits over the next several months to check on you and evaluate their parenting skills. We'll say… a year. At the end of that year, depending on how you've done, I'll grant you official guardianship."

"This is the best offer we're going to get, isn't it?" Harry asked forlornly, looking down at Teddy and running a hand over his hair.

She nodded, sad that she had to do it this way, but knowing that it would appease her superiors and her conscious. They seemed to be well on their way to being amazing guardians, but they were young. And they were scarred from the war, more so than most. She had to be sure that she was making the right decision. "I'm afraid so Mr. Potter."

He stood, taking Teddy from Draco's arms and helping the blond to his feet. "Then we'll take it."

Miranda smiled and conjured the paperwork. A few scribbles from the quill and a drop of blood from each boy, and Andromeda, later and it was official. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were the probationary guardians of one Mr. Theodore Lupin.

As she watched the boys walk from the office hand in hand, Teddy cradled against Harry's chest, a feeling of warmth bloomed in her chest. She had to be sure, but she had a feeling that Teddy was going to be one very lucky little boy with those two as his parents. Andromeda shot her a small smile and thank-you before following the teens out. Miranda laughed, watching Andromeda catch-up to the waiting boys and give them each a warm hug. Yes, Teddy was going to be very lucky indeed.