It was not uncommon for Lupin boys to be found in the hospital wing around the full moon—that much Poppy could tell anyone. Only, she would say, it was for entirely different reasons. Remus Lupin, pale and fragile, would need his rest to regain his strength after tearing himself to pieces after becoming a fully-fledged werewolf. His son Teddy, on the other hand, would arrive with some sort of black eye or bruised knuckles—anything indicative of a fight.

His temper, always there inside of him, would rise to the surface around the time of the full moon. The boy and his family had known this for years and when things went smoothly, Teddy nearly always had a handle on it. In school, however, his classmates weren't really sure how to handle the boy who always looked a bit on edge once a month. Some of them, mostly friends, knew what he was going through and did their best to give him space or a friendly pat on the back. Most students didn't even understand why their normally jovial classmate would turn sullen, bags under his eyes, skin a bit paler than usual, and treated him normally—as he wanted them to. The worst combination, however, was when someone did know what Teddy was going through and purposefully didn't give him space. Generally, this someone happened to be Baron Fawley—a sixth year Slytherin boy who, along with his friends, made it his own personal mission to tormet the boy.

"Fancy a moonlit stroll, Lupin?"

"About that time of the month, eh Lupin?"

"Do they lock you up at night, Wolf-Boy? Is that where you are when you miss class?"

Their words stung, the howling whenever Teddy crossed his path made his heart sink further into his chest, and the taunts about his condition took their toll. But there was one thing Teddy could not stand, and Fawley knew it: jibes at his father. Earlier that day, the first-year had heard something particularly terrible. He wouldn't tell Headmistress McGonagall what the boys had said, and he certainly wouldn't tell Madame Pomfrey, but whatever it was had caused him to take one punch square in the jaw and the other right at his nose—after, of course, sending Fawley to the hospital wing himself.

Still, Teddy was a small boy, alone (he wouldn't drag his friends into 'his messes') going up against four boys nearly twice his size. It wasn't a fair fight, and so long after Fawley and his friends had left Poppy's care, Teddy remained. His own friends would try to visit, but Teddy would shoo them away—it was close enough to the full moon anyway that the boy figured he would stay in the hospital wing for the next day or two, alone with his thoughts. On this particular evening, however, outside his wing, he could hear Pomfrey and McGonagall talking.

"It's the third time this year—I can only fix a broken nose so many times, Minerva—"

"But he will be okay, Poppy? It's…it won't make it worse tomorrow—"

"—I imagine it will. This can't keep going on, for the boy's sake. I don't know what to do, he won't talk to me—"

"—nor to me, but you are correct. This can't go on like this. The more detention I give Fawley, the more angry letters I get from the Board. I can't bring myself to punish Remus' boy, Poppy. Not for this. I hear the way they taunt—and he never reacts unless it's about him."

"Did he say anything about what they said this time?"

"Not at all. That's why I'm hoping seeing his godfather will help—"

Godfather? Teddy thought to himself, eyes widening. They don't mean…

"Oh Mr. Potter," he heard Poppy exclaim. "Thank goodness—oh and this must be little James."

Teddy gulped. Harry brought his little cousin with him?

"I had to—been asking all month when he could see Teddy again."

"Of course, well, do come in—Minerva, would you like to—"

"I should go back to my office, Poppy. Harry—do give him my best."

Teddy heard the door crack open and fell back down onto his cot, pretending he had been sleeping. As he heard the pitter patter of James' feet, he feigned a yawn and began to sit upright.

"Hey there Jamesie," he grinned. "What brings you to Hogwarts?"

"Teddy," the little boy began, eyes glued to Teddy's face. "What happened to you?"

Before Teddy could answer, he heard his godfather enter the room. Harry looked very, very upset, and the young Lupin boy couldn't help but feel like it was his fault.

"James, that's not very nice to ask," Harry told his son, placing a head on top of that unruly black mane of James'. "Now that you've seen Teddy, why don't you go find Poppy and tell her about the gnomes you saw today?"

Teddy could see the strain on James' face. As much as the little boy wanted to see his cousin…he knew he should listen to his father.

"Alright, but I can see Teddy soon? He looks hurt."

The Metamorphmagus gave the boy a smile. "I promise I'm alright, Teddy. You can see me soon," he insisted, doing his best to avoid his godfather's gaze.

The little boy ran off, and finally Teddy had no choice but to meet Harry's eyes. "I know what you're going to say," he mumbled. "I shouldn't get into fights—my parents wouldn't have liked it."

Harry's gaze softened instantly. "Teddy, that's not what I think—not exactly, anyways. I would love if you never had to get into a fight, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't just a little bit proud of you for standing up for yourself and your family," he admitted. "And besides: your father might not have liked you taking a beating for him, but your mother would have adored it—though preferred that you won," he smiled weakly. "Point is, though, no one wants to see you get hurt—not when you're already hurting."

"It's nothing compared to what my dad would have gone through," Teddy wheezed, "Had your dad not been there for him, had the school know...I don't want anyone to worry—I'm fine."

Harry reached his hand out to touch Teddy's, pushing some of the boy's sandy-brown hair away from his face. "You don't always have to be fine, Teddy. It's just me here—I do know what it's like to be made fun of for things entirely out of your control. I know what it's like to have your parents called names. I could help, if you'd let me."

Teddy looked up at Harry, eyes growing heavy with tears. "I know they want me to tell you what Fawley said," he replied, voice breaking somewhat. "That's why you're here, isn't it? I wasn't asleep, I heard out in the hallways—they're worried I'll get too hurt one of these days."

Harry nodded slowly. He really needed to impress upon people that his little godson was much more observant than anyone gave him credit for. "Yes, Teddy, that's why I'm here. I won't lie to you—not ever. But it's not just you I'm worried about. James knows something is wrong, Teddy, and he'll be at school with you before you know it. He worries, and I worry for him because of it. I fear that one day I'll be visiting the hospital wing for the both of you—"

"—I'd never let him," Teddy insisted. "You know that—he's like a brother to me. I don't let me friends fight for me, and I won't let family do it either."

"You might not let him," Harry began, "But that doesn't mean he won't rush to your defense—he'll defend his family, Teddy, without asking. Just like you do."

The young Lupin paused, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from crying. "If I tell you," he stammered, "Then you can't tell anyone else. Not word for word, at least. It's not Fawley's fault—he just grew up…wrong," Teddy sighed.

Harry smiled. "Defending those who hurt you—a very Lupin trait, if I might say. You might do better trying to tap into your mother's side here," he joked, poking Teddy lightly in the chest. The boy chuckled slightly.

"It tickles, Harry," he whispered. The chuckling, however, subsided, and Teddy met his godfather's eyes as a tear ran down his cheek. "Fawley said…" he drifted off, trying to regain his composure. "He said it was a shame my dad died—said he didn't have a chance to finish the job, to make me a…" Teddy crinkled his nose, trying to keep the tears down. "He didn't have the chance to bite me and make me a real werewolf," he huffed.

Harry, seated at the foot of Teddy's cot, looked like he was nearly about to fall off in a fit of rage. "He…he said that?"

Teddy nodded, wiping at his good eye as best he could.

"Teddy," Harry spoke very slowly and his godson could tell he was doing his best to hold in a great deal of anger. "He can't speak to you like that. He can't. How…how long has this been going on?"

Teddy mumbled something incoherent.

"Teddy…"

"All year, alright?" Teddy snapped. "I don't try to hide what I am, who my parents are, but it didn't matter because he already knew. Second I stepped into the castle," he added bitterly. Harry was bristling.

"And you're sure I can't—"

"You promised!" Teddy yelped, voice cracking. "You promised you wouldn't tell. If you tell him off, it just gets worse…I tried that. His father is on the Board, he controls an entire house, it seems like, and he and his git friends terrorize me."

Harry paused. He remembered a particularly nasty Slytherin boy who had tormented him quite a bit his first year. While he and Draco were passably on good terms…it had taken quite a bit of time to get there. Complaining wouldn't do any good—Harry knew this was a battle Teddy needed to fight himself.

"I won't say anything, Teddy, but if I may, I think I know of something that might help you stay out of trouble—at least, it could help you stay away from the people causing you trouble—it's a map you see, can tell you where anyone is in Hogwarts at any given time." Harry smiled.

"Teddy, has anyone ever told you about the Marauders?"