Chapter 4
Friday 8th July 2022- Teddy Lupin
Teddy, or Ted as he now went at work, had had a pretty shitty week. He was a junior auror and therefore he got all the jobs no one else wanted to do. No one wanted to do them for an extremely good reason, he'd soon found out. This week he'd been surveilling the Malfoy's, but Mr Malfoy never left his house. Ever. It had been the slowest week of his life, topped only by the time he was made to go through a skip for evidence. It just sucked.
He wanted nothing more to help on the case, he'd known Annie at school and then at the Ministry and he was loath to let these murderers get away with it. He daren't say this to Harry though, he knew he had to go through this like all the others. When he was needed, he'd be there. At least he was actually doing something, the trainee aurors were reading files from twenty-plus-years-ago to see if the aurors had missed any names. At least his job had more chance of paying off.
Teddy hadn't told Harry or his superiors this, mainly because he knew they'd disagree, but he knew that the Malfoy's weren't involved. Narcissa went to his grandma's house every week; she was forever mentioning how Draco wanted to disappear. His lack of confidence, his want to be normal, and how good Astoria had been for him.
He just knew Malfoy had already lost so much that he wouldn't risk ruining his wife and child's lives. Of course, Harry would think it was because he got on so well with Narcissa and Scorpius. Harry would not think him able to be unbiased and therefore there was no chance of him trusting his judgement.
Sometimes, at night, with only Victorie to listen to him, he'd wonder if he'd made the right choice. Had he joined the aurors because he wanted to? Or to make his godfather happy?
He didn't know.
Did he even enjoy it?
He couldn't answer that either.
He and Victorie had married in late spring, on a beautiful morning surrounded by their close friends and family. Although in the depths of winter, it was hard to remember how happy they had been just six months ago, and how harder things had become since. Soon after, they had moved into a small flat in the centre of London. It was pretty muggle, or at least pretty muggle compared to their families houses. However, he and Vic preferred it that way. They had a tv, internet and a coffee maker, which in Teddy's opinion was the single greatest muggle invention. It had been a weird transition, marriage. Even though they'd been dating on and off since Vic was about fifteen and they'd known each other their entire lives- marriage was something entirely different.
It wasn't that they argued, really, it was that there was suddenly someone you had to make decisions with, someone who was always around. It was nice- lovely even, it was brilliant to finally have a family of his own. What he wanted more than anything though was to complete the family- to have a little Teddy or Victorie. She wasn't ready- even though he was.
As Victorie had said, they were really young. She'd only just qualified as a healer and she wanted a little longer to progress in her field. Plus, they weren't really 'comfortable' yet, they needed to be earning a little more and to have a house. It all made sense, but he still wanted a kid to complete their family. A place to finally belong.
One day they could have, and he was really looking forward to it.
"Lupin!" a voice called, startling Teddy who was sat at his desk filling a surveillance report that literally said…"nothing fricking happened- again." Ted looked up and met the hard face of Creevey, who was frowning angrily, Ted racked his brains frantically to work out what he'd done wrong. "Meeting, my office." Ted closed the file and stood up, following Creevey- albeit meekly- to his office. Creevey was in charge of the surveillance as well as being Ted and Greg's mentor as they were still fresh out of auror training, or how Creevey had put it, 'wet behind the ears.' For the next year they would report to him, until they were allowed to play with the big boys.
"We all know the surveillance has been horse-shit," Creevey said bluntly, Ted looked at him in shock. His surveillance had been pretty good- not his fault nothing ever fucking happened! Creevey waved off their mutinous looks, "what Potter expected to see, I don't know. But we've got a new lead." He slammed a photo down on the desk, Teddy peered down at it but didn't recognise him. "Albert Runcorn," he was released from Azkaban 5 years ago, he was sentenced for crimes against muggle-borns at the end of the war. We have been keeping an eye on his mail and we hit the jackpot."
"He has been in contact with the terrorist group?" Ted asked.
"They've been in contact with him, he's meeting with them tonight." He corrected.
"Could this be a trap?" Greg asked.
"It could always be a trap, boy," Creevey said, "so we should be alert. The team will be us and Oldridge- this is a recovery mission. We want them alive." Creevey showed them the location and together they formulated the plan of attack. Later, Oldridge came in and joined their planning. They agreed to stay in pairs, one pair on the front entrance and the other at the rear. Creevey and Oldridge as they were senior members would enter through the front and announce themselves. Ted and Spinnet would wait at the rear. It was Ted's first proper mission and he was more than excited, he was glad Harry wasn't coming- he didn't want to screw up in front of him. Not that he thought he would screw up but history told him that Harry would be more likely to notice and point out his mistakes.
The plan was sound. At 4pm they were waiting in the apparition zone. It would just be going dark outside, but Ted had a pocket full of instant darkness powder that he could throw if needed. He was in charge of the anti apparition wards. He would be disillusioned alongside Greg at the rear of the property, waiting in case the suspects decided to escape through the back entrance. They were counted down and together they turned on the spot, the dim room in the Ministry instantly replaced with a dreary lane in the countryside leading to the rear of a small barn house that looked like it had seen better days.
Ted muttered the disillusioned charm and felt the icy-cold feeling drip down his neck. Ted looked back to where Greg had been stood and although he was now invisible he could see the faint shimmering lines that indicated Greg's presence. The lot was silent and the sky was growing steadily dark, midnight hues throwing the house and surroundings into an eerie state. They got into position just outside the back gate. They had to wait until the others announced their presence before they entered, Ted threw up the apparition wards and sent up blue sparks that would almost be invisible in the night sky- unless you were looking for it like Oldridge was. They waited in silence, they were too far away to hear distinct noises, but they could hear a loud voice calling- Oldridge- Ted suspected, announcing their presence. Greg eased open the gate and they slipped forward towards the back door. Hairs began to stand up on Ted's neck, something felt off. He could hear Oldridge and Creevey, but no one else.
"NO! Colin sto-" but whatever Oldridge was about to scream Ted would never find out. The building exploded, the blast large enough to knock Teddy off his feet and send him tumbling to the floor, dazed and watching in a stupor as the building began to collapse. He couldn't move and the building around him was falling and he needed to mov-
"Ted, Teddy- get the hell up!" Greg yelled but Ted couldn't hear him through his ringing ears and the noise around him. "Ted, for fucks sake!"
Awareness started to float back in and he was suddenly aware of the crushing pain in the back of his head. He looked at the building in front of him and bile rose in his throat. "Greg- Oldridge, Creevey."
Greg swam into his vision and he nodded sending dust specs flying from his hair, "they were inside," he muttered something and a small animal burst out of his wand and ran into the distance. Greg pushed Ted back into the ground, wiping the blood that was falling freely from his eyebrow. "I'm going to find them- they might have been able to shield." Ted nodded and made to stand, "No, you've had a bang and I can't heal a concussion. Just wait here." Ted shook his head and then suddenly regretted it as he vomited violently onto himself and Greg. "Stay."
With that, Greg disappeared into the haze. The floor was so comfy and Ted was beginning to feel so tired, the sky had finally faded into the darkness and Ted knew it was protecting him from the destruction that must have surrounded him. The entire house had come down, but there couldn't have been anyone inside. The wards prevented anyone from escape, and there was no way anyone was stupid enough to bring a building down on their head just to kill two aurors.
It had to be remote, had to be activated by movement. Oldridge had called out. He must have known what was about to happen. He must have seen something, he- Ted laid his head down, waiting for the dizziness to disappear.
His eyelids drooped half closed as he fought violently against the urge to sleep. He blinked heavily and saw a movement in the distance. It was a man, a man with dark hair stood several feet away from him. He was staring at the house and just before Ted lost his battle he swore he saw the man begin to laugh.
Friday 8th July 2022- Harry Potter
This wasn't the first time Harry had been in St. Mungo's. When he'd been 15 he'd spent Christmas day here when Mr Weasley had been hospitalised. Then, of course, all three of his children had been born here not to mention his own unlucky missions.
Then there had been those awful months where Ron lie dying while Harry had spent every free moment by his side begging and pleading him to live, to stay so he could aplogise and to pay him back for saving him- again.
But none of that, not even Ron compared to the clench of worry in his gut as he approached his godson's room because- Merlin- it had never been one of his children dying before, and -Merlin- this was worse than anything that had ever happened.
Harry had known, logically, that sooner or later Ted would end up in Mungo's. It was a risky job, after all, and no one managed an entire career without landing here at least once. But somehow he seemed to have forgotten that logic recently and had fallen into the complacency where he believed that Ted would never be hurt, because how could Teddy ever get hurt? How could he ever get hurt when the world owed him so much?
But the message read clear, the raid on the farmhouse had gone so far south they'd ended up north again, yet all his report had said was that three of the four were injured, two critical.
Harry screamed to a stop in the Auror's corridor, they and the hitwizard had several rooms pre-booked, so to speak. There -at the end of the corridor- with a bandage taped to one side of his head and looking dreadfully confused was his Teddy.
"Teddy!" Harry called, he almost ran but he caught himself at the last second and controlled it into a fast walk. "Ted, thank Merlin." He dragged the boy into his arms, giving him a rough pat and rubbing at his own eyes as they broke apart.
"Mild concussion, Harry. Nothing to worry about."
"Tell that to my heart, you've probably aged it five years." Ted rolled his eyes. "What happened?"
"You might be better hearing it from Spinnet, I spent most of the mission laid on the floor," Ted told him, reddening slightly.
"Tell me what you know, what you've figured out," Harry knew his godson and by now he would have probably made sense of everything.
"It was a trap," Ted said tightly staring into the distance with a furrowed brow. "It must have been planned between Runcorn and the group- they knew we would go through his mail and they knew that we would be at that farmhouse. That perhaps indicated they have someone in the Ministry or that they are intimately aware of auror tactics." Harry nodded, and with a swallow Ted continued, "they must have known we would have two teams, front and back. When Oldridge and Creevey entered, they must have triggered the charge. There was a charge in the hallway near the front entrance but there must have also been one on the back entrance. We were still outside when Creevey triggered it- if we'd be inside I and Greg would be critical too."
"Well thank God you weren't." Harry said, running a hand through his hair. "Do you know how they are?"
"Creevey was blasted the worst- he lost his leg." Ted said thickly, "spell damage makes it damn near impossible for them to reattach it. Oldridge should recover, he had internal bleeding and shattered several bones but they said in a few weeks all that should be healed up."
"They were my most senior aurors." Harry said almost to himself and Ted didn't respond because he knew however much Harry was glad he hadn't been hurt, the fact that Oldridge, his old mentor, and Creevey, who he'd known from school, had been so badly injured had shaken him. The aurors hadn't been this dangerous in a while, the last critical injury had been Ron and that had been ten or so years ago.
They weren't used to this. Not anymore.
"I'm going to go back to the office, I have to let Barb know and tell Colin's mother," Harry looked down at Ted, "I'll take you home."
"Harry- I'll be fine." Ted said, waving him away.
"Wasn't a question, kid." Harry yanked him to his feet. "Come on Ted, let your old man look after you for once." Ted's insides leapt knowing with that little sentence Harry was acknowledging him as a son. He couldn't help but smile as Harry dragged him down the corridor and fretted with his head. He knew Harry loved him, always had. But there was nothing like seeing it in action, knowing he mattered as much to Harry as Harry did to him.
Nothing like knowing that although he wasn't his dad, he was as close as he damn well could be.
The Ministry- Auror HQ
Saturday 9th July 2022- Ron Weasley
Ron nervously twirled his quill through his fingers as he sat in the lumpy chair in Harry's office. He was staring around him with slight intrigue, he hadn't been here in a few years and being here again in Harry's home from home was a little weird. The desk was the same as always, scratched and dented and still wearing the burn Ron had gave it when Harry pissed him off years ago. He smiled fondly and the burn and turned his head to the pictures on the wall. There was one of the whole Potter clan, including Teddy. It looked like the year before Teddy had left school and in the photo Ted stood beside Harry sporting the Potter hair. In the photo, Ted tweaked James' ear and Harry smiled with pride. Ginny and Lily stood together throwing the boys annoyed looks while Albus smiled through gapped teeth. The photo was at the centre of the wall with several others of the Potter clan and photos of the Weasley's around it.
Ron's leg shook.
On the bookcase in the corner were several large tomes on defensive magic and dark arts, along with some biographies on muggle police work that caused Ron to chuckle as he read the spine. Several on the tomes had cracks down the spine and looked battered through overuse. Ron eye's scanned till he spotted 'How not to die in a duel' by Wallinger Walluster. That book had saved his life back in the day several times.
He clenched his hand and avoided the temptation to check his watch.
Harry's room was like those in police detective shows on the tellyvision. There was a glass wall that was opposite Harry's desk so he could see the rest of the office and he had two couches and a coffee table. Filing cabinets lined one wall and several newspaper articles were tacked lopsidedly to the walls.
He tapped his foot.
Voices echoed from the offices outside, several people had entered and were talking but there voices were muffled. He couldn't place the voices but then again most of the aurors had joined after he'd left.
"Ron?" Harry's voice came out from behind him causing Ron to spin to face the glass sliding door behind him. Harry's brows were raised in confusion, "I've just seen 'Mione and she didn't mention you bein-. She doesn't know." Harry said walking to his desk, Ron gulped. Ron's old friend sat slowly, staring intently into his eyes, "Ron, why doesn't she know?"
"I haven't mentioned it to her yet," Ron said wringing his hands, "I wanted to ask you first."
"Whatever this is I can guarantee she won't like being left in the dark." Harry said folding his arms and glaring at his friend, "I don't like being in the middle of your two's idiotic fights."
"S'not like you haven't slept on our couch," Ron grumbled defensively, "look I'm not doing this to hurt her."
"Okay." Harry nodded to tell him to continue.
"I heard about Teddy," Ron blurted out wringing his hands again, "and Colin and Pete."
"Right?"
"Yeah."
There was a silence that hung heavily in the room and Ron shifted uncomfortably under his gaze until Harry rolled his eyes, "for Merlin's sake Ron, just spit it out."
"We both know why I left, and it wasn't just the injury, you didn't need me here anymore, the baddies were gone and the good was doing, well, good."
"Ron, you were more than injured," Harry said softly but Ron shook his head.
"Doesn't matter. Your deputy is out of action, Creevey would have been the next up but he's down to one leg and has a long recovery. Your next oldest Auror is what? 28? 29?"
"I was that age at deputy." Harry pointed out fairly.
"Yeah but you are Harry-hero-Potter," Ron pointed out, "look, you need me and I want in," Harry went to interrupt but Ron held up his hand to silence him, "Harry I've never sat on the sidelines, not through school, not through the war, and I don't want to start now."
Ron waited for a response, hands clenched. Harry looked surprised, shocked, and his eyes flickered quickly in a way that Ron had always associated with him creating a game plan. "Ron, I don't know how to say this really, but you quit over ten years ago. Back then maybe you were the best man for the job but you've been out too long." Ron reeled back in shock.
"Harry… you know I am. If you're worried about fitness then you don't need to be, I'm as fit now as I was then and you know I've always kept on top of duelling practice- I've been duelling at least once a month since I quit- with you!" Ron paused breathing heavily, "I have always made sure that no matter what happened I would be ready to protect you, to protect my family."
"Ron, you've been running a joke shop for 12 years. You aren't an auror," Harry said coldly. "Having you back would be fun, but it would put everyone at risk and I won't do that."
"So now you are saying I'm a risk? That I'm incapable?" Ron broke off breathing angrily, he pushed out of his chair kicking it to the floor, "I am not worthless, I'm not incapable. I was, and still could be, a damn good auror and you fucking know that."
"Don't swear at me in my own office! See this is why you couldn't come back you've still got the same temper you had when you were seventeen!" Harry yelled raising to his feet and leaning over the desk. "Think about what you did then and then think about why I would never want you back."
Ron's mouth dropped open in shock and horror, Harry had never used that against him before it had always been forgiven. Ron knew that past mistake was long since forgiven and that's when comprehension fell with a dull thud. "This isn't about that, it isn't about my ability," he half whispered, "this is because I left the aurors, isn't it? You think I abandoned you back then…" Ron looked terrified, angry and he begged, he wished that Harry would say something, anything, to prove him wrong but he didn't. Harry stood, chest heaving with a face of stone.
"Back then, when I nearly killed myself to save you, when I spent months thinking I would never walk or pee by myself ever again you said, you said I should. You wanted me to. You thought Hermione was right." Ron paused, "I never wanted to leave and you knew that. I never wanted to leave your side."
"Well, you did."
Ron licked his lips trying to regain his calm but no matter what he tried he couldn't cap the anger that escaped. All these years he'd been furious with his best friend, it was irrational, or so he'd thought. Back then he'd left because Harry had begged him to, told him it was for the best. Ron had hated him for it, it had felt like when he was back at school and Harry didn't believe that he could do it, Harry didn't think he should be an auror, he hadn't wanted him around. He hadn't wanted him around after he'd saved him- again. Merlin that had killed him back then but now, remembering the anger, the injustice again. "I'll never forgive you for this," Ron said bluntly, "you don't get to do this, not to me." He paused, "I've always been worth more than the crap you put me through." Ron turned to leave but at the door he turned and landed the killing blow, "back then when we all thought I was a goner, I couldn't talk, couldn't open my eyes and you all thought I was unconscious. I heard you, I heard what you said to 'Mione. You told her you wished I'd never become an auror, that I had followed you and that it was the worst mistake I'd ever made."
"Ron-"
"No. Even after you said that, I laid there and thought that me dying was far better than you. The world could live without me but it couldn't without you. You don't get to do that to me anymore, you don't get to make me feel like crap. Fuck you Harry. Just, fuck you."
He left, sliding the door so violently that the window shattered. But he didn't stop, didn't falter. He stormed away from Harry and vowed that he wouldn't go back.
Potter Cottage
Harry Potter
Harry came home not long after the confrontation with Ron. Ron's words and his own tumbled around in his head and he couldn't find the silence to think, to rationalise, to work out how to fix this. He didn't think he could fix this.
Harry staggered into the house and straight to the kitchen, he hesitated before pouring himself a glass of firewhiskey. He gulped it down in seconds but even the burn of the whisky couldn't make him feel better. Harry sank into the kitchen chair and glared at the wall. It was then Ginny burst in.
"Harry! You're home!" Ginny called happily but upon noticing her husband curled up on the kitchen chair staring abjectly she said quickly, "Harry, what's wrong." She dropped to the floor beside the chair and grasped his chin firmly, turning him to face her, "Harry, merlin" she said catching the red rims around his eyes and their emptiness, "what happened." she said calmly.
"I fucked up Gin, I really fucked up," he said, Ginny flinched at his tone.
"Harry, what-"
"Ron, Ron wanted his job back," he said slowly, painfully, grimacing around the words, "I couldn't let his come back, not after what happened before. I can't- I can't lose him. Can't."
"Okay, okay" she soothed.
"But I have, I have," he murmured.
"Ron loves you, whatever happened I'm sure…" she stopped when she saw Harry violently shake his head.
"I wanted to make him mad, make him stay away. Ron is easy to predict- I just, I pushed too much. Made him think that I never wanted him in the aurors."
"And Ron took that to mean you didn't want him around."
"You know Ron," Harry chuckled without humour, his eyes met Ginny's, "I said stupid stuff, said that I can't have him in the aurors because I can't trust him to have my back- basically."
"Harry!" Ginny admonished.
"I know. I know. It just got out of hand, I didn't mean for… he's never been like this with me before, never."
Ginny rolled her eyes, "you make it sound like you are a couple. It'll be fine- it always is."
"Not this time. I can't let him back, he'll end up throwing himself in front of a spell destined for me and this time he won't be so lucky. It's not fair on him, it's not fair on his kids and it isn't fair on Hermione."
"What about me? Or what about your kids?"
"Ginny-"
"No, Harry just stop. Apologise to Ron and tell him the truth."
Harry trembled slightly, "Gin, if I do he'll join the aurors."
"And?" Ginny demanded, "that's his choice, stop being so damn selfish. You don't get to decide what other people do, he's your friend." She paused. "So you'll speak to him?"
"Yeah."
"Good."
Ginny stood up, brushed her knees and left the room. Harry stayed there for several more minutes, mind reeling. The more he thought about it the more sure he became, he'd rather have Ron safe than be friends. He had enough deaths on his hands and he refused to add Ron. Ginny would forgive him eventually and one day so would Ron.
He just wondered if he could forgive himself.
