I do not own Harry Potter!
Another short chapter… Sorry guys… I'm so exhausted…
Enjoy! Next chapter the caster of the curse will be revealed to the Lupins! :D
Remus straightened Teddy's jacket and smiled at his son. "You are going to behave for Aunty Mione and Uncle Harry aren't you?"
The boy instantly morphed his hair into a bright blue mess he nodded eagerly and Remus' lips twitched. "Bet you won't." He tweaked the small nose and lifted Teddy onto his hip. "Let's go find Aunty Mione, Teddy Bear." Remus winced as Teddy's small foot grazed him aching hip.
"Un'le Dorge shop!" Teddy crowed. His arms were wrapped around his father's neck. "You come, Dada?"
Remus smiled wistfully. "No, Teddy Bear. Not this time, but mama will be there and you can get Uncle Harry to find something and bring it home. But don't tell Aunty Mione cause she will scold."
Hermione's smothered laughter heralded her appearance from the kitchen and she reached for the toddler everyone adored. "He is getting too heavy for you to carry, Remus." Hermione scolded.
"Yes, mini Dora." Remus replied. "Besides, he is still unsettled." A shadow crossed Remus' face as he watched Teddy pull at Hermione's hair.
"Remus, he will be fine." Hermione shifted Teddy in her arms. "We will be home later." She kissed his cheek. "Have a relaxing day, Remus." She smiled and stepped into the floo, pressing Teddy's face against her shoulder so he wouldn't breathe in ashes or coal dust. Remus watched the flames flare and die and his shoulders slumped. It was days like this, when he longed to be beside George, beside Dora, beside his family that the curse seemed to crush his spirit.
It had been two months since the attack, since George's shop had been destroyed, since Bellatrix and Greyback had entered the Lupin's house. Two months and the marks were still clearly visible. The scar on Harry's neck was still pink and angry, Remus' shoulder throbbed at night and Teddy, Teddy refused to sleep anywhere but in his father's arms and when Harry was home the small boy seemed to follow his godfather everywhere.
Remus made his way to his study. The house had never been so silent before. He made his way to the bookshelf and scanned the titles expectantly. Dora had forbidden him to touch any books related to his curse, her terror that their wards had been breached because of the research Remus had gone was illogical, but she had been unshakable. Remus would not research his curse. Hermione had sided with Dora, her eyes filled with sympathetic understanding, and Remus had found himself barely able to enter his study before he was swooped upon and mysteriously needed elsewhere in the house.
"Uh oh, Moony is on the warpath! He has his study face on." Sirius remarked casually. His eyes were keen as he surveyed the werewolf's back.
"He looks like he did before the NEWTS and OWLS, and pretty much every exam." James agreed.
"Shut up." Remus murmured. "Ah." He pulled a book from the shelf and turned to survey the three portraits. "I suppose you are in on the plot too?"
"What plot?" Lily's green eyes widened innocently and Remus snorted.
"That's what I thought." He settled into his chair and flicked his hand at the fire place. Immediately a warm blaze appeared and another twitch of his fingers had a cup of hot chocolate sailing through the air.
"Show off." Sirius muttered.
Remus smiled. "Lily, please tell my dear wife that this is purely for interests sake." He lifted the book so Lily could see the title. Bites of Magical Beings, Volume 3, Dark Creatures.
"Are you still blaming yourself about Harry?" James sighed.
Remus gritted his teeth and flicked the book open. He began to read, studiously ignoring the exasperated huff that escaped his three, long dead friends.
"Remus." James spoke firmly and the werewolf looked up reluctantly.
"Yes, Prongs?"
"Harry is fine. He is not a werewolf and he has no lasting ill effects. He is fine."
Remus shook his head stubbornly. "Harry should never have been in that position! He should not have stayed to fight, he should have taken Teddy and left. He should not have let Bellatrix distract him when she managed to get me."
"Oh no." Sirius muttered sarcastically. "He should have ignored you screaming in agony, you who hardly admits the bloody full moon hurts."
Remus scowled and James' face contorted as he struggled not to laugh. "He kind of has a point." Harry's father mused once he had recovered from not laughing. "And Harry adores you, believe me, Moony, he would do it again."
"Prongs is right." Sirius propped his chin on his hands. "Harry regards you as a surrogate god-father or even father. He loves you, Remus, you are both just too big-a gits to admit it."
George looked around the shop that was filled with people looking with excitement at the products that filled the shelves. The golden and maroon robes that he, Ron and Harry wore were the robes he and Fred had designed and he could see his younger brother and Harry mingling in the crowd, selling products with enthusiasm, both young men relishing the crowded store, the laughter and excitement that seemed to radiate in the air. George finished packaging a Love Potion and a purple Pygmy puff for a blushing young witch before he headed towards the stairs that led to the store room and office. He sprang up the stairs two at a time and headed towards where the Daydream charms were stored. He looked around at the open room. Shelves filled with products, desks with pads of paper stacked neatly. It was all in order. It was clean. It was now. George crossed to his desk and settled onto the wooden chair. He reached for the photo frame that set on his desk and looked at it. A small smile crossed his face. The two young men had their arms wrapped around one another's shoulders, grinning at the camera and laughing. George stared at his twins face. He swallowed. It had been taken on the day their store opened.
Fred grinned as he watched George flip the sign to 'Open'. "Gred." He declared. "This calls for a photo! Lee! Get down here!"
Lee thundered down the stairs. "No customers?" He shook his head. "Pathetic!"
"Wait for it." Fred nodded wisely. "We will get them. I mean, when Hogwarts goes back and we aren't there to sell direct, they will be flooding in!"
Lee rolled his eyes. "Sure."
"Get a photo!" George shoved the camera at their friend. "Weasley and Weasley, owners of the greatest joke store in Britain!"
Fred shoved his twin. "More like the world." They were laughing as Lee took the photo, arms wrapped around one another's neck, their eyes bright with enthusiasm, with life.
The doorbell opened and the boys turned. They had their first customer. The first person to enter their store, the first person to see the Weasley's Emporium of magic, mischief, and mayhem.
George sighed as Fred winked at him and he smiled sadly back at the happy faces that had been virtually untouched by the war. The boys who had only experienced death in the form of their uncles who were killed when they were babies, and Cedric Diggory who had been a Hufflepuff and therefore moved in other circles.
George sighed. Within two years it had all changed. Sirius was dead, Fred was dead, half the Order, Colin Creevey, children… So many lives pointlessly lost in the bid for pureblood supremacy.
"Hey." Hermione's voice reached him and he looked up. Her eyes were sympathetic but months of living with Remus kept her silent. "Someone." She jiggled Teddy in her arms. "Was demanding to see Uncle George."
The young man rose and lifted Teddy onto his shoulders. "How's my favourite little man?"
"Dood." The almost two year old replied. "Dada want prank!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "This." She stated. "Is where I go find Ron and leave you with the small Marauder."
George laughed and pulled Teddy from his shoulders to hold him so he could look into the small face. "Let's go find something fun for Dada then shall we? Something to make Muma realllly mad?"
Teddy grinned and his hair changed to an orange colour. "Uh Hu! Fun! Fun!" George descended the stairs, a smile on his face, his arms tight around the promise that was new life, the new generation, the generation who would never know the fear of Voldemort in their lives.
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