AN - Hello! Welcome to my first Teddy fic! Don't worry, there is still plenty of Remus and Tonks too. I have most of this fic written, but I am still working on the end, so please do read and review :)
Chapter One - Love, Hugs and Vanilla Hot Chocolate.
Streamers, balloons, banners, cake and more food than a platoon of hungry soldiers could devour, the Potter and Weasley's did not do small celebrations. That is what he had asked for, just a little get together. He knew, had it been left to his Godfather alone, he would have gotten his way. The gene which made you desperately seek anonymity when the world seemed to insist you be front and centre was one that the men in the Potter and Lupin families seemed to share. Still, Teddy smiled, it had been an exceptionally lovely day, if not a little loud. It was the general volume of the evening that had led him to his current position, sitting on the steps in the Potter's back garden.
"You ok Teddy?" His Godfather came and sat on the step next to him.
"Yeah great. Thanks so much for all this." Teddy gestured vaguely towards the house.
"Of course." Harry smiled, "I know you were after something a little more, er... subdued, but you know the Weasley's...it's because they love you, you know."
Teddy smiled, "I do know and I'm grateful, really I am." He changed his hair to match the perfect shade of Weasley red. "I just wanted a second to... to..."
Harry placed a hand on his Godsons shoulder. "I know. Just so you know, if they had been here, it would have been three times as big as this. Your Mum would have made sure of that. Though your Dad would have sided with you of course, wanting something a little smaller, more intimate."
"I miss them. Especially on nights like tonight. I know that sounds stupid 'cause I barely even spent any time with them." Teddy studied his feet intently.
"It doesn't sound stupid; believe me I know exactly what you mean. And because I truly know how you feel, I also know there is nothing I can say to make you feel any better right now. I do have something to give you though..."
As Harry spoke Teddy looked up, the sun was dipping down behind the horizon, Teddy became suddenly aware of the moon. Feeling as though it was staring just at him. He looked to his Godfather who was moving his hand, reaching into his pocket too slowly, as though time was moving at a quarter of its usual speed until suddenly it stopped. Harry's hand was halfway to his pocket, stuck in mid-air. Teddy jumped to his feet, pulled his wand from his own pocket and swung around. Seeing no one, he closed his eyes briefly, hoping when he opened them, everything would be normal again.
As he opened them, Teddy felt dizzy and immediately sat down, landing on a log turned chair.
"You can't say things like that in front of his friends, you'll embarrass the poor kid." Said the man sat to his right, taking a sip of hot chocolate.
"I carried him, causing me to throw up regularly and become roughly the size of a small car. I spent 13 hours in labour, pushing him out of my body, that means I am the only person who gets to embarrass him, a right I have more than earned. Besides which, our boy is, as of today, no longer a kid, he's 17." The woman to his left tussled his hair and then placed a kiss on his cheek.
The man to Teddy's right stood up and raising his hot chocolate, he cleared his throat, "To Teddy. Our wonderful son, Happy 17th Birthday. We couldn't be prouder of the man you've become. We love you Teddy."
Without really knowing what he was doing, Teddy was on his feet and hugging the man toasting him. "I love you so very very much son." He whispered in his ear.
His Father.
Turning, Teddy stared at the woman he'd been sat next to just seconds before. Heart shaped face, pink hair and beaming smile, she was beautiful. He flung himself on the floor at her feet and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Talk about me embarrassing him...as much as I love any hug from you, your friends here aren't going to let you live this down you know."
Teddy hugged her tighter. "I don't care." He heard himself say shakily. "I love you Mum." He pulled away slightly and looked at his Dad, "I love you too Dad."
Moving back onto the log he'd been sat on, he took a minute to take in his surroundings. They were all sat in a circle, all of the people he loved. Harry and Ginny, James, Albus and little Lily asleep on Harry's lap. Ron and Hermione were holding hands, Hugo asleep on a log near them, Rose holding her Dad's hand. Victoire sat tall, her beautiful blonde hair gathered together around one shoulder. His closest friends from Hogwarts, Cassie, Derek and Shane were all there too. In the middle of them all was a fire pit and all of his nearest and dearest seemed to be roasting marshmallows.
They were all talking happily to each other and smiling, laughing, being happy. Just as everyone should be at a birthday party. Teddy sat between his parents, he wondered if he should be worried, was he simply having the most wonderful dream, or had he fallen and hit his head. He couldn't bring himself to care. Taking a hand each of his Mother and Father, Teddy smiled at them both. "Thank you. For this. For everything."
His Mum snorted, "It's your father you should be thanking. I had all sorts of plans to throw you a humungous party but he convinced me to compromise."
"What was the compromise," Teddy asked, beaming at his wonderful Mum.
"He's going to help me throw you an even bigger Graduation party." She wiggled her eyebrows.
Remus chuckled, "Sorry son. They'll be no getting out of that one."
His Mum placed her hand on his cheek. "You might have inherited my metamorphic genes, but you are your father's son, through and through. I couldn't be happier about that. I love you Teds. Always will. Hope you know that. Always will."
Teddy could feel the tears stinging the back of his eyes. "I do Mum and I love you too. So, so much."
Smiling, his Mum stood to her feet, "Right, well, as good at convincing me not to throw a big party as your Dad was, he wasn't quite able to sweet talk Molly out of throwing...in her own words, 'just a little dinner party' so we best all get to bed ready for the biggest dinner party ever tomorrow."
Teddy smiled and hugged everyone as they said goodbye. He particularly enjoyed seeing his Mum mess up Harry's hair and pull him into a huge hug and loved watching his Dad and Harry laugh together and hug fiercely. He thought Harry would like that.
As his Mum led everyone into the house, Teddy covered his face with his hands, closing his eyes, he breathed in the smell of the fire, the vanilla hot chocolate... opening his eyes again he was sat on some steps, just as he had been with Harry, only he wasn't in the Potter's garden and he had just his Dad next to him. "I have something for you Teddy."
He watched as his Dad moved his hand to his pocket and pull out a black, velvet looking pouch and hand it to him.
Tipping the contents into his hand, Teddy was holding an old, but clearly well looked after pocket watch.
"It was my Grandfathers, who passed it on to my Dad, who gave it to me when I was 17 and well...here we are. It's yours now son. I am so very proud of you Teddy. Not just because you get good grades and you work hard but because of the man you are. Your kindness, your compassion, your ability to love everyone even when they perhaps struggle to love themselves... those are qualities which, all inherited from your mother of course, will bring you happiness of the richest kind. More than wealth or power ever could."
Teddy allowed the tears he'd been holding back all evening to slide down his cheeks. "You're all those things too you know Dad. Harry is always telling stories of how, when he was a kid in the war, you would always take time to just sit and talk with him, tell him all about his Mum and Dad, what they were like. He says you were the kindest person he's ever met. He says that in those hardest years, after Sirius… well you were the one person that reminded him he was loved."
Teddy loved seeing his father smile, though he watched as it turned wistful, "You know Teddy, there was a time when I thought it would be Harry giving this watch to you instead of me. I left it to him in a will, when I went to fight in the battle at Hogwarts. In case I... well, I'm just so, so grateful every single day that I'm here, watching you grow into the most amazing young man."
Teddy threw his arms around his Dad's neck.
"You know, I think we might have to start throwing you more parties if we get this many hugs from you." Teddy looked up and saw his mother coming into the garden, sitting on the other side of him.
Sat there in between his mother and father, who snuggled in closer to him, he took their hands and squeezed them tightly. Leaning his head against his mother's shoulder. "Gosh I love you kid. More and more every single day."
Teddy closed his eyes, praying that if this was a dream, he would never wake up.
But opening his eyes, Teddy knew, he felt the cold air hit his face. Instantly missing the warmth of the bonfire and his parents.
Sat next to him, Harry's hand was moving to his pocket, at a normal speed. He pulled out a black velvet pouch and handed it to Teddy.
"A pocket watch." Teddy said without opening it.
Harry sounded surprised, "How did you...?"
"My Dad left it to you, to give to me, in the will he wrote on the day of the battle of Hogwarts."
Harry now sounded stunned, "Well yes, but how could you possibly...?"
"My Dad loved you, you know. He really loved you, and Mum did too."
Harry placed a hand on Teddy's shoulder, "Yes, I believe they did. They loved you too. Very, very, very much."
Teddy smiled and wiped away the tear that was sliding down his cheek, "I know. I really do. Sorry, Harry, I think I'm just gonna... I mean, is it ok if I just use the guest room, have a few minutes to myself."
Harry squeezed his Godsons shoulder, "Of course. You know we call that your room, it's yours whenever you want it, for as long as you want it. Just don't be surprised if Gin comes looking for you. My wife loves parties almost as much as your mother did."
Teddy made his way as stealthily as possible, through the hordes of people here to celebrate his birthday with him; upstairs to the room, which Harry was right, had always been his. He had spent almost as much time there as he did with Granny Meada. He tipped the pocket watch out into his hand and stared at it.
What had just happened? Had he passed out? No - Harry would have said something. Had he really just seen, touched, hugged and kissed his actual parents? Teddy lifted his t-shirt to his nose...
Bonfire mixed with smells that, after hugging them so tightly, he recognised as his mother and fathers' scents. His father smelt like chocolate and sweet vanilla, his mother like strawberries and bruising cream.
Teddy closed his eyes and willed himself back to that moment. Wanting desperately to feel their hands in his once again but when he opened his eyes he was still sitting on his bed, staring at the quidditch poster on the back of his door.
Sighing, Teddy placed the watch back in the velvet protector and into his pocket. Hearing Ginny calling his name, he thought it best that he re-join the party willingly, before she dragged him down.
Hours later, as he hugged Ginny and Harry and thanked them before slowly walking up the stairs to his bed, he heard Harry saying...
"Gin, are you making hot chocolate? With...with vanilla?"
Ginny called from the kitchen, "No, but I can if you want some... I'm not sure if we have any vanilla in though..."
Harry was silent for a moment, "No, no that's okay. Thank you though. It's just..." his voice lowered so he wouldn't be heard in the kitchen, but Teddy could hear him from his spot on the stairs, "I could swear; that smell... vanilla and hot chocolate - it's Remus."
AN - Eek! There is something a little scary in posting a new fic! As always your, comments, favs, follows and reviews mean a lot to me! Just to clarify - in case anyone is confused - Tonks and Remus did die in the Battle of Hogwarts in this story. But you will still see them regularly :D I promise.
