hapter I

Remus's POV

Sirius and Draco returned from the train station pensive and broody. Draco went up to his room after a quick hello. Remus told Sirius about seeing Draco in the woods that night, but they decided not to tell Harry. Harry and Draco had to figure it out themselves according to Sirius. A Black figuring out feelings and owning up to them, Remus had his doubts.

Sirius collapsed in a chair after a quick peck.

"He has something in mind, that one. I can't seem to get to him anymore," Sirius sighed.

"Molly said that this is how teenagers are," Remus said calmly.

"Taken a lot of child rearing advices from Molly Weasley, have you?" Sirius teased.

"She is an expert in it. I mean all of her kids turned out great."

"There is Percy also."

Remus glared at his partner. "Percy is following his dream"

"Thank god, he didn't want to be a Death Eater then."

"Padfoot! I am sure Percy will come through in the end. I can understand his drive coming from such a big family with a dragon tamer older brother and a curse breaker."

"And two twin brothers that are shop owners," Sirius grinned.

"You managed to get them approved?" Remus asked smiling himself from Sirius's infectious joy.

"Yeah, they are in Diagon Alley near the Bank. I am glad our system is too corrupt for people to look where the bribe is coming from."

"Things will change!" Remus said stubborn.

"The bitch is back in the Government."

Remus glared at Sirius. He spent enough time with Lily to object on that term regardless of the person. Then again, Lily would have approved of it used on Umbridge.

"No new laws against magical creatures yet."

"Maybe because she has nothing left to banish you guys from," Sirius grumble.

"You talk like Bodin."

"He has a point. You know it would have served her well for him to sink his fangs in her, just a quick bite."

"We are better than that!"

"I can still bite her, you know."

Remus laughed, "Then she will ban pets next!"

Lucius came to pick up Draco 20 minutes early. Sirius made him wait in the foyer for all of that time. Remus had to sit across from him in his chair and reading his book with the other man's eyes glaring at him. When they left, Lucius didn't even say good-bye.

"I am kidnapping Draco as soon as he turns 18," Sirius let Remus know with a dark look in his eyes.

"We will let him come to us, remember?"

"Nope, I am buying him and Harry and cottage and lock them inside."

"Padfoot!"

"It would do them good!" Sirius walked closer and whispered his next words against Remus's lips. "Worked with you"

"I still think you shouldn't take your romantic cues from Beauty and the Beast."

Sirius laughed full hearty and kissed Remus.

"Why fix something that works?"

Draco refused to celebrate his birthday with them. He didn't even respond to any of their letters. On June 6, one day after his birthday they received a letter from the Ministry letting them know that being of legal age, Draco dropped the Black name and choose to be the Malfoy heir instead.

"I am storming Malfoy Manor!" Sirius said with a calm tone simmering with rage.

"Siri!" Andromeda shook her head sad.

"He killed his mother, I refuse to believe he is not forced into this!"

"If he has reason to believe Draco is held against his will and not acting like himself… as an Auror I am forced to check," Dora piped in from her chair.

"Draco has changed in the last few months," Remus said.

"His mother died, of course he did!" Sirius screamed.

Everyone stopped and looked at him.

"Just… humor me."

"As long as we can make it legal…" Remus looked at Dora.

She nodded.

"I will fill in the complaint and file it, we can go tomorrow," She reassured Sirius.

They left, Dora had her warrant, rushed over by her own hand to jump over the legal loops.

Sirius was shaking outside the gates. the Manor starts resembling its old self, no doubt due to the newly formed heir bond and the familial magic poured in. A few peacocks hiss at them and try to attack, but Dora cast a shield around them.

A raggedy house elf welcomed them at the door. She was shacking and not looking very good, but Remus tried to choose his battles. She wouldn't come even if they abused her.

"Auror Tonks," Lucius is waiting for them in the main foyer. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We have a complaint about the welfare of your… heir."

"Filled by you, I assume?" Lucius glared daggers at Sirius.

"You are right. I want to see Draco!"

"Stay there, I will call him, we do not allow animals in the house," Lucius said sounding bored and waving the house elf.

She disappeared with a poof.

Sirius growled low and threatening. Remus grabbed his arm.

"Yes, father?" Draco called after a few tense minutes.

"Some people are here to inquire after your health, I assume your decision had shocked them."

Draco saw their small group and tensed.

"I can't fathom why, since I already cut ties with them."

"I could understand you wanting to hang out with your father, I understand trying to impress family, but I thought you would get to your senses already."

"Auror Tonks, as you can see my heir is perfectly fine. You gave chase to enough wild geese, you can go now," Lucius's tone was cold as ice.

"Draco, are you ok? We can help you with anything you need… If he has something on you, if he is threatening you…" Dora started.

"Auror Tonks, I do not like what you are implying!"

"I am not implying anything, you killed Narcissa, what else can I expect from you!" Sirius's voice boomed as if he had cast a Sonorus.

Draco flinched. Lucius remained as unmoving as a statue.

"I want to file an official complaint with the Ministry, this is slander!"

"How can you look him in the eyes after you know what you have done?! And it's not the first one you killed out of jealousy!" Sirius made a step to get to them, but Remus grabbed him tighter.

"Not like this!" Remus asked.

"I would listen to him, you do not want to start anything you can't finish."

"Draco!" Sirius pleaded.

"I would ask you to leave the house, I am sure you have enough kids to fill in the role!"

Draco cast a spell using the house wand. The wards cast them out and Dora's warrant burnt.

A few days later Dora received her termination from the Ministry, for influence peddling. They all knew this was Lucius's doing and interfering, but they had no way to fight it. Remus always found the Ministry scary, but now the beast that was growing inside it was more powerful than ever before.

Remus was working in the store. They were getting a healthy flow of customers that summer. Remus took over Narcissa's accounting after she…. left. In the end, no one was accused of it. Like she took her own life with an Avada Kadavra in her own home.

Both he and Sirius knew that Draco was drifting, that he needed help, but he stubbornly refused it. Harry was angry at Draco for what happened with the heir. It was painful to see them ignore each other. Draco stopped dropping by altogether. Remus was tempted then to tell Harry he smelled Draco in the forest that night with Umbridge, but he doesn't know if the young Slytherin would even believe him at this point.

Harry was dropping by the shop almost every day that Lily was at the hospital. He was helping out where he could or dropped by Fred and George that were working hard to open in the fall. His friends stopped by as well, Hermione and the Gryffindors. Blaise Zabini once, but not the other Slytherins. Sirius believed their parents banned them from visiting.

Remus was the first to arrive that morning. It was raining and so very cold for a summer morning. He was scheduled to open the shop since it would be a slow morning due to the rain. He unlocked the front door and was walking to the cash register to open the day, when he heard a faint rustling sound coming from the back door, the "special" emergency door.

He walked closer, he could hear a faint heartbeat, but could not smell anything other than rain and a barely there milk scent. He walked to the door cautious, they installed more charms on the door, but he was still shaken up from what happened to Narcissa.

He opened the door slowly, he didn't smell blood or infection that were very strong scents, so it was not anyone in need of medical care. He pointed his wand forward, but there was nothing in his line of vision. The rustling got louder and he looked down. A basket, filled with linen and a small baby bundled up.

Remus's heart went cold. The baby had pale white skin and his hair, the few strands that he had, where wispy blond as well. Huge blue eyes were staring at him, baby eyes, not fully in their color yet. Remus picked up the basket, the baby didn't cry only fussed a bit in the small basket. He didn't cry and that was what worried Remus.

There was no note in the basket, the baby was wearing a blue onesie that had the word Teddy stitched on it with green thread. Remus picked him up, the baby was warm to the touch, so close Remus could smell the werewolf on him. He panicked. This baby was even younger than he was and he was the youngest ever recorded case. He sent a Patronus for Bodin, Lily and Sirius.

Lily arrived first. She was wearing her uniform, on her way to or back from work, Remus hadn't got time to ask before she was a furry of movement fretting over the baby.

"Hello, sweetheart," She said and took the baby in her arms. She cast a few diagnostic charms and the baby yelped unhappy at the touch of her magic.

The baby, Teddy, turned to Remus and grabbed at him. He started fussing in Lily's arms, but still not crying.

"He is one year old, 9 kilograms, that is on the smaller side, the venom is taking hold though, not fully transformed, the bite is not older than a few hours, probably last night."

"But there wasn't a full…." Remus froze. "Greyback."

Bodin crushed though the front door, he was not fully dressed and his shirt was askew, but his eyes were focused.

"What happened? You said something about a baby?" He asked.

Lily showed Teddy to Bodin.

"But he is so…." Bodin's eyes watered. "I don't know if a baby can even take the potion…."

"Greyback bit him, he is turning fast," Remus warned.

"Fucking…" Bodin cursed loudly. "Let me get him a dose… How much do you distill a potion for a baby?"

"Depends how potent it is, what you made, 10 times," Lily answered.

Sirius appeared next.

"Baby?" He asked catching his breath.

"Werewolf baby" Remus clarified.

Bodin worked fast with the help of Lily to modify the potion he made into a dose that was not too strong for a baby to handle. Remus was in charge of Te… the baby, while Sirius was in the shop.

"We are ready to try," Bodin said after an undistinguished amount of time.

Remus looked down at the sleeping baby in his lap. His scent got sharper, the werewolf overpowering the milk scent. Remus nodded and handed over the baby. Teddy woke up and stared at Remus with sharp blue eyes.

"Is it safe?" Remus gulped.

"As safe as we could make it," Lily assured.

Remus nodded and Bodin fed Teddy the potion. The baby started crying.

"Anything?" Remus asked. Teddy was curled up in his arms. After the potion he fell into a deep sleep. At least it worked.

"No record of a baby with Teddy as his name, we have one Theodore, but at least one year older," Lily said. She had checked all of the records from the hospital covering the last two years.

Remus sighed and rested his chin on the sleeping's baby head.

"Bodin couldn't find anything on the werewolf front either. Maybe his parents were killed."

"But who left us the basket then?" Sirius asked. "I do not see Greyback being this considerate"

"He was out there for a while, I couldn't pick any scents other than his own," Remus stroked the few strands of hair on Teddy's head.

"Something must have happened, Greyback bit him, but couldn't just leave him alone like that."

"What if someone abandoned him? If one of his parents, or a relative just left him with you instead of dealing with it?" Lily asked.

Remus squeezed Teddy tighter, "If they knew about us, they should have known we can cure a recent bite."

"I asked Dora to snoop around the Aurors, but there was no baby reported missing," Sirius said.

"What are you going to do with him while we search for his parents?" Lily asked

"He can stay here… we do not exactly lack space," Sirius said.

"What if we do not find his family?" Lily whispered.

No one had an answer for that.

"Moony!" Sirius screamed from the room they changed into a temporary nursery.

"What?" Remus rushed in.

"He changed his eyes, look, he had grey eyes!" Sirius said excited and presented the baby.

His eyes looked a bit darker than usual, but a murky color, nothing definitive. Remus took Teddy and got a better look.

"His eyes are brown!"

Sirius puffed up like an angry peacock. He walked closer and stared at the baby. Teddy booped him on the nose. His eyes murky again.

"How often does babies change eye color?" Sirius asked Lily that night during a Floo talk.

"Well once during the developing period"

"What eye color does he has to you?" Sirius asked holding Teddy up. Teddy was making grabby hands at the green fire and Remus snatched him back.

"Greyish," Lily said.

Remus glared at Sirius and held Teddy closer.

His eyes turned to clear brown in front of Lily's eyes.

"His eyes shift colors!" Lily said surprised.

"What?" Sirius and Remus said in the same time.

"How did you not notice that?" Lily admonished.

Teddy was passed on from Sirius to Remus like a hot potato. It took a few seconds, but his eyes changed depending on who was holding him.

"Our baby is magical!" Sirius said surprised.

Remus stared wide-eyed, the "our baby" part, the eyes changing part, a bit too much to take in.

"Magical heterochromia?" Lily pondered out loud.

"We should try and see how he reacts with different color eyes or if he has only these two colors. Me and Harry are dropping by tomorrow!"

The next day brought not only Harry and Lily, but Andromeda as well. Teddy was passed down from one to the other in squeals. He loved to be held and kept blabbering at whoever was holding him. His eyes turned to grey and hazel easily, but took more to get to the green of Lily and Harry.

"He is a metamorphus. This is how Dora started as well, next it will be hair color," Andromeda said when it was her turn to held the squealing baby.

"But… isn't that a Black trait?" Sirius asked.

"It is passed down in our family, but we are not the only people to have it. You know how bloodlines get crossed over the years."

"He can be related to us then?" Sirius asked.

"Who is not related to us in the magical community?" Andromeda sighed.

"Could that help us find his family?" Lily asked.

"We have more than we had before," Remus said.

The Black family lawyer looked like he may have a conniption.

"And who will you say birthed him?"

"Magic?" Sirius asked.

Remus glared at his lover.

"We need to find someone down the Black line, a minor relative," he clarified.

"Why do I need to be a part of this?"

"Let's be honest, you are the family lawyer for a while now, this is not the weirdest thing someone in my family ever asked you."

They lawyer sighed and stared at the baby that was trying to chew a piece of paper he took from his desk. The baby looked healthy and happy enough, brown hair and eyes.

"Not exactly easy to say he has the Black blood."

Remus handed the baby over to Sirius. The change was almost immediate, grey eyes and his hair was two shades darker.

"I can work with that!" The lawyer announced slightly more confident on this endeavor.

"I found someone, from the French side of the family though, a niece that died a few months ago, no connection with her family for the past years since she was disowned. No one would claim the baby since they are still mad about her going to a muggle university."

"What happened to her?" Sirius asked.

"Car crash, a muggle death since she chose to give up magic."

"Are you sure the family will not be claiming the baby?" Remus asked.

"Yes, having Sirius claim him is a step up in the family hierarchy anyway, they will be pleased."

"Okay, we can do that then, thank you!" Sirius said shacking the lawyer's hand.

And that was how Theodore Lupus Black came to be. They were given custody pretty easy since the current legislation really favored the old pureblood families. Remus never though he would ever be grateful for that. The baby was healthy and seemed to be adjusting well. Both Andromeda and Lily gave them parenting books and now Remus and Sirius were reading through them since they had no idea about babies except how to entertain them or babysit them for short periods of time. And Teddy was definitely a special baby.

A few weeks in, Sirius took him and Harry to a muggle farmer's market, Sirius's latest obsession. Teddy's favorite new thing was walking, so they tried to walk with him as more as possible even though he tire easily. Remus decided to sit in and read a bit since he didn't get as much time to do it with Teddy around. Of course, he didn't get to sleep as much either and he was out cold after the first paragraph.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but he was woken up by screaming. He looked around confused and still a bit drowsy. Sirius's voice was the loudest in the hall so he made his way there.

"What happened?" He asked. Sirius was talking with Andromeda and waving his arms in a frenzy.

"I lost Teddy!" Sirius screamed.

Remus's heart stopped.

"He is eating apple bunnies with Harry in the kitchen," Andromeda said.

"What?"

"Well, he is licking bunny apples"

"What about losing him then?" Remus turned towards his lover.

"In the market…I had my hands busy and asked Harry to hold him, but Teddy really wanted to walk so we let him down. And Harry was holding his hand…."

Remus frowned and looked at Andromeda for an explanation.

"Teddy let go of his hand. They couldn't recognize the kid, Teddy wobbled away and got lost in the crowd, didn't respond when they called him, but found him by smell as Padfood. He had to emergency turn in a loo. And then Floo called me and I told him what I am telling you now, that this is normal, Dora did it all the time. Usually till they get much older they have trouble with some part of turning, for Dora was her nose, she could never get it right as a kid. Teddy apparently keeps his smell."

"You lost our child!"

"I swear to Merlin, I have more luck reasoning with Teddy!" Andromeda sighed.