Author's note: Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The following characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and this story derives from her original works, storylines, and world. Please do not sue me, I can barely pay tuition.

Hogwarts: Assignment #9, Ballroom Dancing Task #5, Write a fic with the Hurt/Comfort genre. (BONUS: happy ending!)

Warnings: Parental anxiety

On Making Families

"Harry," Remus said with some shock as he opened his front door. "Harry, I… I didn't expect you today."

Harry was standing in the doorframe, looking dazed and on the verge of being sick. His coat was thrown over his shoulders and his hair was particularly disheveled—which was indeed saying something. For all Remus knew, he had just been hit with a confounding charm.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Can… can I come in?" Harry asked. His voice was hoarse in a way that immediately rang Remus' alarm bells.

"Of course," Remus said, standing aside to let Harry in. "Let me take your coat."

"Yeah, thanks," Harry said.

"Harry?" Teddy's little voice echoed further down. The sound of pitter-pattering feet on the hardwood floor announced Teddy's arrival before he appeared at the end of the hallway—grinning a gap-toothed smile and wearing a crimson Gryffindor sweater he'd stolen from Remus' pile of old clothes. It was, of course, far too large on him and fit more like a dress with extravagantly long sleeves.

"Hey, little mate," Harry said, forcing a smile and crouching down just in time to scoop up his godson as Teddy ran into his arms.

"You're here!" Teddy exclaimed greefully.

"Sure am," Harry said, propping up the little boy on his hip. "Nice sweater, there. Are you going to be a Gryffindor like me and Dad?"

"No," Teddy said, shaking his head and sending his tufty turquoise hair flying. "I'm going to be a Huffapuffa!"

To illustrate his point, he turned his hair a bright canary yellow colour.

"If you say so," Harry said. He plopped Teddy back down at his feet.

"I gotta have to show you something," Teddy said. "It's a picture I made but it's in my room."

"I would love that," Harry promised him. "Do you want to go get it?"

"Yeah!" Teddy said before darting up. Remus watched him go for just a second before turning back to Harry. He lowered his voice. "Is everything alright, Harry?"

Harry looked at him. Finally he took a deep breath and found the words to tell Remus.

"Ginny's pregnant," he said.

Then Remus recognized the look in Harry's eyes for what it was. Absolute panic.

"Harry!" Dora said, waltzing into the kitchen. "I thought I'd heard you."

"Hey," Harry said, trying to shoot her a smile. It turned out crooked and she immediately arched an eyebrow.

"Dora, could you take Teddy to the park for a second?" Remus asked. "He wants to show Harry that picture of the Burrow that he drew, but we… need to talk."

"Yeah, of course," Dora said. She smiled a bullshit pleasant smile as if everything was fine, but Remus knew that she knew better.

Teddy ran back into the kitchen and showed Harry the picture of the Burrow that he'd made and showed his godfather, who appropriately ooohed and aaahed, where every room's windows were and where he still needed to add the apple orchard or the chicken coop or vegetable patch. Dora took the opportunity to go fish a pair of socks from Teddy's closet while he did and then proceeded to convince Teddy to go to the park to give Harry and Remus some grown-up time.

"They'll be really boring," she told Teddy. "All they'll talk about is taxes."

"What are taxes?" Teddy asked. Remus bit back a smile, watching the two of them go.

"You don't want to know," Tonks said. "Trust me, the park is way more fun."

Teddy, reasonable child that he was, seemed deeply suspicious and unamused by taxes, and so out they went. When the front door shut, Remus turned to Harry.

"Have a seat," Remus said. "I'll make us coffee."

"Alright," Harry said.

Remus joined him at the kitchen table moments later with a full French press and two ceramic mugs in hand. They were quiet for a second, while the coffee brewed and the smell of it filled the air.

"Absolutely no rush," Remus said, pushing Harry's cup in front of him when it was properly brewed and ready.

"I just…" Harry said, as if he'd only been waiting for an invitation to speak. "I… we… hadn't talked about it… it… I guess it's an accident."

"Okay," Remus said.

"I mean, we were…" Harry scratched the back of his head. "I knew she wanted kids and that's great, but we haven't been married long and we're still really young and we were being careful and so… and so I guess I'm a little bit in shock."

"Okay," Remus said again, curling his hands around his mug and nodding along.

Harry swallowed.

"I…" Harry said. "I don't think I reacted properly. When she told me about it this morning, before she had to go into work to talk to her coach about it. That's, that's where she is now, but I'm afraid that I muddled it.."

"Did you immediately decide that you were terribly unsuited for this business and proceed to offer your services to three outlaws who were on the run in order to fulfill a dangerous quest?" Remus asked.

Harry took a second to process this before cracking a smile.

"No," he said. He took a sip of his coffee. "No, I didn't do that."

"Very good—in my experience, this is not an appropriate response," Remus said. He reciprocated Harry's crooked smile. "What did you do?"

"I mean…" Harry said. "I mean, I hugged her, when she told me."

"Okay, good," Remus said.

"I think my face was wrong though, because she asked me if I was okay and I said yes," Harry said.

That's obviously a lie—not so good, Remus thought to himself though he didn't say it out loud.

Harry swallowed hard.

"I asked her if she was okay, and she said yes," Harry said. "She said it's unexpected but she's happy about it."

"Alright," Remus said. "And when are you going to tell her how you really feel?"

"I'm okay," Harry said.

Remus arched an eyebrow and stared down Harry. Harry's emerald green eyes didn't even manage to hold Remus' gaze for a second before he looked away and scratched the back of his head some more. He took a sip of his coffee, probably to have something to do other than talk about his feelings. It hurt Remus, how much his years with the Dursleys and at war with Voldemort and the world had stunted Harry's ability to process and share his emotions. It would break Lily's heart, if she were here.

"I won't judge how you feel," Remus promised, speaking as gently and honestly as he could. "Heaven knows I would have no right to."

Harry looked into his cup as he mulled this over.

"I'm… in shock, I think," Harry said, pronouncing the word as if it was sudden.

"That's fair," Remus nodded.

"I'm… I'm scared, too," Harry admitted, lowering his voice. "Because, I…"

His eyes lingered on the picture Teddy had left on the kitchen table. His fingers lingered over the wax crayon lines.

"This was my first real home," Harry said. He brushed the window at the very top of the house, which would show the attic where Remus knew he and Ron had spent many summers. He traced the uneven and squiggly kitchen windows Teddy had drawn next.

"I mean, Hogwarts was like a home to me, but it was a home and it shouldn't have been like that. I know that Dumbledore was thinking about keeping me protected by leaving me with relatives, when he left me with the Dursleys, but he didn't protect me from…. From a lot," Harry said. "This place was the first time that I could remember being in a place that was built out of love where people liked each other and were happy to see each other and helped each other and took care of each other… and I was 12 when I first got there. I know that my parents loved me first. They did everything that they could even before they gave their lives for me, and whenever you and Sirius talk about them I remember how much they loved me too. But I… I don't remember any of them, I never really knew them or the kind of family that we were. I was 12 years old when I started thinking of what a family should look like and what it should feel like and how they should work."

"You were," Remus nodded. "And that's profoundly unjust and it shouldn't have happened to you, Harry. It's really, really important to me that you know that."

Harry nodded stiffly.

"I don't know how to make a family," Harry said, finally. "I don't… I don't know… I don't think I can do it, Remus. I don't think I can do this, I don't think I can just be a dad."

Remus nodded. He put a hand on Harry's arm and squeezed.

"I'm going to tell you what you told me when I was very similarly panicking," Remus told Harry, handing him a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

"Are you going to scream at me, then?" Harry asked.

"No, I won't," Remus said with a grin. "You don't deserve to be shouted. You're being far more reasonable about your absolute panic than I was being at the time. But do you remember what it was that you shouted at me, exactly?"

Harry thought it over for a second.

"I shouted at you a lot," Harry said with a wince.

"Think of the most important thing you said," Remus said.

"That parents should be with their children," Harry said.

"Parents should be with their children," Remus said, nodding. "You didn't tell me parents had to be exceptional or perfect or confident. You didn't even tell me that I was going to be a particularly good parent, either—which was quite fair of you. But by sending me back to Dora and back to Teddy, you saved my life, Harry."

"I didn't," Harry mumbled.

"You did," Remus nodded. "I refuse to let you be humble on this account, Harry. You saved me from making the biggest mistake I have ever even come close to making. And you were right."

He squeezed Harry's arm.

"You don't need to know what you're doing," Remus confided in him. "James didn't. I didn't. I'm sure Arthur Weasley didn't either. You'll learn as you go, like everyone does. Just be prepared to be with Ginny and to be with your child, whoever they end up being. You'll see; it'll turn out perfectly."

Harry chewed his lip.

"Do you really think I can do it, Remus?" he asked at last.

"Yes," Remus said. "I would swear an unbreakable vow to that effect, Harry. I've seen you with Teddy, with your little nieces and nephews. You will be brilliant."

Harry nodded with an encouraging and determined vigor, though he still seemed a little shaky and pale. Remus tried not to worry about that too much; parenthood was a constant state of anxiety, after all.

"Can I tell you something else?" Remus asked.

"Yeah," Harry said.

"Congratulations," Remus smiled.

And with that, Harry smiled too.

Stacked with: Hogwarts; Shipping War; Spring Bingo; Link Maker; Chimera Creator

Word Count: 1868