5th December 2004
It was the loud crash that made Harry poke his head out of the study and made him go check into the playroom. James was sitting on the carpet giggling away, Teddy was sprawled on the floor in front of him, near a broken vase, Teddy sat up and checked himself before turning to James. "Are you hurt Jamie?" But James just giggled. "Good so no one is hurt. We will tell everyone that it was an accident and don't you ever try to push a stool again, you could have been hurt." Teddy reprimanded James lightly, who just continued giggling stopping long enough to say, "Yeth, Taee."
Ginny brushed past Harry with a smirk, "Oh no!" She said dramatically as she placed her hands on her hips, "Who did this?" Teddy smirked at Ginny as James waddled up to Teddy and pulled his hair screaming, "TAEEE, NO!" as if he was reprimanding his elder brother for causing mischief.
"Ow, Jamie!" Teddy complained, trying to pry James' fingers from his hair, James plopped down on the carpet giggling as Ginny, Harry and Teddy burst out laughing. It had become James' favourite past time to cause mischief and blame Teddy for it, initially Harry and Ginny had a hard time believing Teddy but then they caught James at it once.
Harry picked Teddy up and gave him a once over, "You alright, Bear?" Harry asked.
"Yup." Teddy said cheerfully.
"Good, don't go hurting yourself in order to save James."
Teddy grinned.
"Hey Ted. Thank you for being such a good big brother to James." Harry said softly as Ginny picked up James who immediately started pulling her hair. Teddy laughed, gave Harry a quick kiss and hug before running after Ginny making funny faces at James who kept giggling. Harry watched Teddy snuggle next to Ginny as she sat with James on her knees and started reading a story to them. His thoughts taking him back to the day when they informed Teddy about a potential new sibling.
Once the Euphoria of Ginny's pregnancy ebbed both Harry and Ginny were worried about Teddy. They did not want him to feel that he would be less loved because of a new baby and they definitely did not know how to break this news to Teddy. Andromeda had offered to talk to Teddy but Harry knew that Teddy would prefer to hear it from Ginny and him. Molly was at a loss for preparing a child for a sibling because Bill was only two when Charlie was born and the rest just followed. His great grandmother had three children but she claimed that his grandfather had demanded for siblings thus, even they didn't know much about telling a child that they may have a sibling on the way. Bill and Fleur had Dominique when Victoire was two and Percy and Audrey had the same age difference between their daughters.
Harry paced the room, his parents, grandparents, Sirius, Remus and Dora all had assured him that he would do fine and that Teddy was a wonderful kid he would not create much fuss over it. There was a knock on the door, little Teddy walked in wearing his favourite black t-shirt, blue jeans and sporting turquoise hair with pink roots.
"Grandma said mum and you wanted to talk to me."
Harry nodded, motioning for Teddy to take a seat before turning to look at the door waiting for Ginny. The awkward silence between them stretched on and Teddy couldn't take the tension anymore.
"Look," Teddy said desperately. "If this is about the blown up tree house at the Burrow, I swear I told Vic, Dom and Molly that the firecracker in the tree house would be a bad idea, but they just wouldn't listen. Rookies, the lot of them, if they wanted to scare someone all they had to do was pick up one of those invisibility cloaks, hide under it and then throw paintballs at unsuspecting people mostly Uncles George and Ron. A firecracker in the tree house was stupid and I played no part in it." Teddy finished folding his hands on his chest.
"What firecracker in the tree house are we talking about?" Harry asked.
"So, this isn't about that?"
Harry shook his head eyeing Teddy curiously.
"Oh, nothing. It wasn't something serious and at least no one got hurt." Teddy said with a shrug and a smile which made him look like an innocent angel but Harry was not fooled, he knew Teddy was a lot like his father, a prankster at heart but he never tried to get anyone in danger. Harry narrowed his eyes, folding his arms across his chest. Teddy sighed looking defeated.
"Vic had this idea that a firecracker dragon from the tree house at the burrow would surprise and scare everyone which would mean pranking Uncle George and Uncle Ron. Dom and Molly agreed to the idea too, I told them it won't work but they didn't listen. If only they spent as much time at the shop as I did, they would have known it wouldn't have worked. Anyway, so they planted the firecracker in the tree house and the tree house sort of blew up. Well, I told them I had no part to play in it, but no one seems to believe me apart from Uncle George and Uncle Ron. I wasn't punished but Gran said she would tell you about it, since I am the eldest I am supposed to keep the younger ones in check. It's not fair, I didn't ask for it and the younger ones are stupid."
"Tough luck, pup." Sirius piped up from the portrait. Teddy grinned and winked at him before schooling his expression to look guilty and sorry. Harry rolled his eyes. He knew Teddy would only feel sorry if someone was hurt or injured because of his pranks. Teddy peeked at Harry, Harry couldn't help but crack a smile, Teddy grinned before scrambling out of his seat to hug Harry who lifted him up. "You little bugger! You always get out of trouble with me, but don't let your mum hear about this incident okay?" Teddy nodded.
"Edward Remus Lupin!" Ginny thundered as soon as she entered the study. "You blew up the tree house?"
Both Teddy and Harry flinched before exchanging a quick glance. "You knew?" Ginny asked Harry, hands on her hips.
"I just got to know about it." Harry said raising his hands in surrender. "And Teddy didn't do anything. He tried to stop Victoire, Dominique and Molly but they did not listen to him. Ask Ron he would tell you the same."
Ginny turned to look at Teddy, "Why didn't you tell Grandma Molly or someone else about their plan, then?"
Teddy stared at her horrified, "And break their trust? I would never do such a thing to a friend Uncle James, Uncle Sirius and Moony Da would kill me!" Teddy yelped, "It is wrong to talk about someone else's secrets and they asked me keep it a secret."
Ginny's expression softened, but before she could say anything Remus interjected, "That is an admirable thought Teddy. But sometimes, when you know that a secret could hurt a lot of people it is okay to tell someone about it. In fact under such circumstances you should talk to someone. You understand that?" Teddy nodded.
He walked over to Ginny and hugged her, "I am sorry mum. I will tell someone the next time they hatch a dangerous prank plan." Ginny nodded and kissed Teddy's forehead, no one could ever stay mad at Teddy for long, it was a miracle that the kid wasn't spoiled.
Harry cleared his throat nervously, "Now that we have that cleared, Teddy could you please take a seat, we need to talk to you about something." Teddy nodded and went back to his seat. Ginny took a seat next to him at Harry knelt in front of him.
"Now, Teddy. We want you to know that we love you a lot and nothing is going to change that. Okay?" Teddy nodded, looking at Harry cautiously.
"Well, you know, we were thinking, would you like a sibling? A little brother or a sister?"
Teddy turned to look at Ginny, "Are you going to have a baby like Aunt Fleur? But you don't look fat." Teddy stated giving Ginny a once over. Ginny smiled, "That's because the baby is really small right now, once the baby grows up, I would become fat."
Teddy nodded concentrating hard on her stomach. "How did it even get in their? Did you eat the baby? Did my mum eat me?" He asked looking quite alarmed.
"No. No Teddy; Ginny or your mum did not eat any babies." Harry said, looking uncomfortably at Ginny while the portraits snickered in the background.
"That's a relief. So, how did the baby get in there? I have always wondered but I didn't know how to ask Uncle Bill or Percy about it. How do you know you are going to have a baby?"
"Well, Teddy." Ginny started as the portraits guffawed behind her, "When two people love each other a lot, some kind of magic happens and they get a baby because they love each other a lot." Ginny finished lamely.
"So, how do muggles get babies? They can't do magic."
"This is a very special kind of magic, it works for muggles too." Harry added uncomfortably.
"Okay." Teddy nodded trying to understand this complicated bit of magic. "So, will this baby also have Moony da and Dora mum to love him like you love me? Will I have to share grandma and Great Aunt Cissy and Uncle Draco and Aunt Tori with him too?"
"No, Teddy. You won't have to share your Moony da, Dora mum or grandma or anyone else with this baby, you will only have to share your mum and I." Harry said.
"Why not? It's not fair!" Teddy complained. "This baby is my little brother or sister; it should have as many people to love it. It would have less people to love it now."
Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance quite taken aback by Teddy's outburst. "But Teddy," Ginny continues gently. "The baby would have something you don't, an elder brother. And I am sure the others would love the baby just as much."
"So, I will have to be an older brother?"
"I guess, Teddy bear." Harry said shrugging slightly.
Teddy nodded. "So, I get to teach him stuff? Like flying?"
Harry nodded as Ginny smiled fondly. "Great!" Teddy said excitedly. "Now I will show Victoire how to be a good elder brother. Say mum can the baby hear me?"
"I don't know." Ginny said with a smile. "Do you want to say something to it?"
Teddy nodded, scrambling down and poked Ginny's stomach softly before placing his hand on it. "Okay, now that I have your attention, I hope you are a boy. There are only girls out here, not that they are not great. Vic and Dom are great, we play Quidditch and Molly likes to pretend that she knows how to read and we are not really sure about how cool Lucy is, she just likes to destroy things, but I would still like a little brother. But even if you are a girl, it's okay. I don't mind a little sister, I guess if you are anything like Dom, you would be great. And I love you and I would be the best big brother you ever had."
"Dad? Hey, Dad?" Harry was brought out of his reverie with Teddy waving his hand in front of him.
"Yes, Teddy?"
"Do you think James is old enough for a broom?"
"He would be in a few months." Harry said looking at James who was clinging on Teddy's pants and smiling toothily at him. Teddy turned to James, "Did you hear that, Jamie? You will be able to fly soon, it would be great!"
"Yeth! Taeeeeeeā¦." James exclaimed before giggling, losing his balance and falling on the carpet with a plop. Teddy, Harry and Ginny laughed with James. This was Harry's bliss.
Hello! So yet another chapter. Time for a huge leap. Next up would be Teddy leaving for Hogwarts, which would probably bring us closer to the end of this fic, 2 to 3 more chapters. But spinoffs would come from here. I am already working on a Draco- Astoria story, next up would be moments between Draco and Teddy, as well as a next gen fic on the love and life of the Weasley, Potter, Lupin, Zabini, Malfoy, Nott, Longbottom children.
For now please check out my two new fic: "Lilies on your grave." An alternate universe fic where James survives and Sirius, Lupin and James try to bring Harry up together.
"To love a Malfoy"- A Draco- Astoria fanfic.
Please do read and review. I would love to hear from you. Happy Reading.
The fishes.
