A/N: I can't believe real people are reading this! I honestly thought it was such a niche pair, making a Teddy x OC story, that no one would find it. I AM SMILLING :DDDDD

I almost merged this one with the first chapter, but I wanted to have more leeway to think and organize some story details, and where I wanted to go with it... Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

tumblr, ao3: thcorvi


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Chapter II | Not a Weird Sisters' Rock Concert

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If Teddy thought his confusion levels reached max out before, the sight that had greeted him in the Hospital Wing after his leave for the bathroom had certainly increased it—plus his concern— to an astronomical level.

Almost reaching the footing of the Castle, based on how much pacing he seemed to take in a continuous circle, was his godfather as he'd never seen before; cloak long forgotten, sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up shoddily; a ghostly pale complexion, with nose just as red as his watery eyes. His hands tangled in his unruly hair, as he talked with his own godfather—who honestly didn't seem to be tuning in to anything he was saying. Which in itself would be odd, because even as a grown adult, Sirius still stopped everything to pay attention to his godson.

So to see the contrast of the two wizards like that, with Sirius sitting in the visitor's chair; holding one of the girl's hands so tightly, Teddy thought he was probably bruising them both; while never opening his mouth to utter a single word, and never taking his eyes off the unconscious figure beside him. It honestly felt like those two were two entirely different people.

What was happening? Why was everyone taking that situation so personally? Yes, he understood that maybe this brought up memories, and flashbacks from their past livings... And yes, even Teddy was notoriously shaken up — but not to that point, at least for now. It's not exactly like they knew the girl, or anything... Right?

Before he could open his mouth to question it aloud, the wing doors swung open. The Headmistress burst in hastily, with his father on her heels—eroding a similar expression to that of the other two men in the room.

"Sweet Merlin, it really is her," McGonagall covered her mouth in disbelief, then looked at the two manic men in the room. "What have ye two done?"

"We haven't done anything!… But maybe that was our actual mistake here, right?" Harry stopped in his tracks, almost pulling tufts out of his head.

"Mr Potter, ye must calm yourself down."

"I'm not a child any more, Professor. I don't need to calm myself down, I need to— I need to… to… to fucking understand what the bloody hell is going on."

"Guys—"

Harry interjected, "No, Remus. You told us to move on, told us that we were looking for things that weren't there… 'It's the grief'," he chuckled humourlessly. "How could it be grief, if she's breathing two meters away from me right now?"

His dad lowered his head in shame, not knowing what else to say.

Regardless of whether he understood the situation or not, Teddy felt a mite of irritation towards his godfather for hurting his dad.

It wasn't like he was having a picnic at the Black Lake either, the old man was clearly as distressed as everyone else. The younger boy walked towards him placidly, leaning his head on his cloak covered shoulder; Remus sighed and mimed his action, letting himself be comforted.

Professor McGonagall decided to intervene again.

"This is not the place nor the time for this conversation to proceed in. Madam Pomfrey and Mrs Longbottom must do their job, we must return to the Remembrance—"

"Return to the Remem—Is that a joke?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter, the Remembrance. Or would ye like for the entire Wizarding World to be aware of this very situation in no time?" she shot him an irritated look, lips pressed into a thin line. "I could perhaps even arrange a room for ye and yer Aurors to have a briefing over this new case—or better yet; let's invite in the queue of reporters out there in the Hall. It'd cover the front page, I'm certain."

Harry averted his eyes, he knew the Headmistress was right. If anything even remoted closer to what's happened reached someone else's ears, the night would turn into a pandemonium. A student, even more, a student closer to the Chosen One suffering an attack at the 2nd of May Celebration? On the presumably safe grounds of Hogwarts, nevertheless? Peace would be no more, including hers.

Not even brushing on the fact that Harry wouldn't be able to dodge his duties for later—he'd have to call his department on the spot. The Ministry would step in seconds after; it'd even frozen time if it was legal, as long as they could investigate what's happened right away. They were extremely rigorous over any situation that could've had any Dark Wizard's fingers on. What under normal circumstances would be considered an important and meaningful part of the current Ministry. But Teddy wasn't daft, he knew how to read the room and grok that the situation was anything but typical.

'You mustn't be seen', those were his dad's words. If even his godfather didn't want his own Aurors in the room, then who was Teddy to wish so otherwise.

"Do what you must do," Harry sighed, with a final decision, "Finish the celebration, or whatever. I, for one, am not."

"And how will I explain your sudden absence?"

"Tell 'em I'm not feeling very well. Make something up, I honestly don't care."

Her sharp gaze didn't budge; along with the same austere posture she's always saved for particular disobedient students—which Teddy had seen quite a few times himself. Making him thank the stars momentarily, for having Professor Longbottom as the one who's always got to decide on his punishments, at the end of the day.

"Ye honestly do not presume that the other Potters and the Weasleys won't come looking for ye? And after they disappear, the Blacks—"

"No Weasleys," Madam Pomfrey's sharp tone made all the adults stop in their tracks. "No more Potters or Blacks either!" Coming back from the Potions master's storeroom, she carried vials of medicine in her arms.

Turning to his dad, Teddy whispered, "No whinges about the Lupins, d'ya noticed? I think we're clear for once."

"Do not even get me started with you, Mr. Lupin. What have I told you lot? Out! This is not a Weird Sisters' rock concert, everyone out!"

"Pardon our intrusion, Poppy," the headmistress apologized. "The adult men and I will continue this conversation in my office later. Won't we, Mr Potter?"

Her edgy tone conveyed the true meaning behind the words directed at his godfather, and Harry understood the warning all too well. He truly wasn't a kid any more, he knew he wouldn't accomplish anything by butting heads with the headmistress. Because that was what she was at the end of it all, the Headmistress; and he knew from experience that she'd go to great lengths to do anything she believed would guarantee the safety of her students.

Still feeling a bit averse, Harry nodded.

Content with the answer, McGonagall nodded back, before heading for the exit door. Accompanied by the old Healer, whom, she was gathering more information on the girl's condition.

"So… Am I getting an explanation now or…?" Teddy lifted his head up.

Remus sighed as he observed Harry watching the girl from afar, with his arms wrapped around his rigid form, as if he was apprehensive of getting any closer.

"Later, pup... Now, we'll get out of the Madam's hair for a bit," he laid his arm over the boy's shoulders, sighing. "They'll finish patching Badger up, and we'll—"

"M'not leaving," Sirius croaked, reminding everyone else of his quiet presence.

The boy swore he could see a vein popping out on the head Healer's forehead at that moment.

Being practical flatmates all of his life, Teddy's one of the few people who can say with certainty that they know Sirius Black. And overall, his uncle has always been quite a lovable guy — stubborn, sure. But based on what he's heard from his dad, Sirius used to be much harder to deal with, to a point of everyone recognizing him only for his famous Black temper and arrogance. Especially in his school years.

So he could see clearly in Poppy's distressed expression, that she'd rather do anything else than deal with Sirius Black's notorious stubbornness at this moment. Probably thinking she's already dealt with it enough for at least another thirty and something years.

"Mr. Black, I will not repeat myself!" She screeched, slamming the last vital on the table with probably too much force. "Let go of her right this second! Are you aiming to break another one of her bones? Hasn't she suffered enough?"

As if he hadn't even noticed what he was doing before, Sirius lessened the strength of his grip instantaneously; using his thumb to caress the spot, in a silent apology.

"I- I didn't — I'm not leaving."

"Padfoot, please. The sooner we let Poppy finishes her job, the sooner—"

"Not happening," he shook his head vehemently, without moving his gaze from the girl. "The only way you'll get me out of here is by either stunnin' or druggin' me. Either way, I'm staying."

Ever since they had tucked in uncle Sirius' unconscious body on one of the Hospital Wing's bed, Teddy has been questioned about five hundred times over the order in which the events had taken place in.

No, he hadn't seen where she had come from. No, he hadn't noticed anything else out of the ordinary. No, no weird striking of lights, no unusual devices lying around, no other people. No, Professor, he hadn't tampered with any dangerous artefacts—and for Merlin's sake, no, he wasn't playing around with any dark spell book's scriptures.

"Playing" with dark spell books is not one of the hobbies he took upon to do in his spare time — especially not right outside an event, one that was packet with officials.

And after all that, he still was kicked out of the room—wait, no, not kicked out. He'd earned the important duty of staying in the Great Hall babysitting the Potters and Weasleys-Grangers, while the "adults" talked.

A sack brimful of shite, if you asked him.

The little ones slept peacefully on the wooden table—over a made-up bed, crafted with pillows the elves' transfigured for them. As probably all the pre-teens did as well, at least those who were old enough to attend Hogwarts, who had been sent to their respective dorms; leaving him and the stubborn James Sirius—who swore he wasn't napping on one of the chairs, right before dozing off again, alone.

Blimey, he was already a legal adult! It was Teddy who had found her after all, and then, carried her body to Madam Pomfrey's care. He felt like he at least deserved more than a few clipped words and a kick in the arse. For Helga Hufflepuff's potato sacks, he still had bits of her blood crusted on his robes. Wasn't that enough?

The boy stood up, watching the elves move on and about between the mess everyone left in the Hall. It was the time he'd always waited for, wasn't it? Regardless of how atypical the night had been; the affair was over, everyone had big their goodbyes. So, his feet dragged him subconsciously back to the front of the Memorial.

And there it was.

What once looked like a boring rectangular glass filled with names and photographies, now resembled more of a piece of art; colours adorned almost every centimetre of space; as with non-stopping blossoming flowers; multiple ornament charms; little fairies flying all around it.

Teddy couldn't help but smile when his eyes found his mother's corner. The colours and decorations surrounding it were mostly in bubblegum-pink or similar hues—including the origami birds Teddy had enchanted to fly around it.

He brushed the tip of his fingers over the embossed writing of her name, watching her portrait move. His grandma Dro was the one who'd picked it; there, his mum is laughing at someone off-camera and then, as she caresses the tiny bump on her stomach, her hair starts to change from icy white to a mixture of purple and blueish shades.

Nymphadora "Tonks" Lupin ~every bloody year!

(1973 – 1998)

The fact that he had that little scene engraved into his mind, didn't take away the tightening he felt in his chest every time he looked at it after some time. Without even meaning to, his hair, which had been a known sand brown-Lupin for most of the night, had turned to the same purple-bluish as his mother's.

'If Tonks were here, this mural would've been on the floor before Kingsley could do his first cloak swoosh at the entrance.' — not G.W

The boy chuckled lightly as he read the message his uncle George had written. That was his thing, he wrote a different version of it every year without fail. One of Teddy's favourite one was when he wrote the same "If Tonks were here… been on the floor before…" set-up, and when it was time for the punchline; he made a huge smudge with the ink, as if his mother had knocked down the mural before he could've finished it.

It certainly looked filled this year, he noticed, while scanning for something interesting enough to catch his attention.

'We met at the Hogwarts Express. I'm a muggle-born, and I was so terrified of everything, that I spent the first 10 min of the ride standing outside in the corridors, prettified — that until Sean invited me to sit with him. We held hands for the entirety of 9 hours of travelling. He didn't let it go even after I was feeling better… There's no other hand I'd wanted to be holding more right now—clammy, sticky and everything.' — your love.

No matter how melancholic some of them might be, Teddy couldn't help but treasure those little memories. Of getting at the end of a note, and then checking out the photographies a second time; and suddenly, as if done by magic itself, those people came back to life once again. Even if for a mere seconds.

'Lav bought me my first Hogsmeade sweets at Honeydukes. It was a Chocolate Frog, but forgot she got it for me and ate it all in one bite. Now, every time I buy one, I remember her red embarrassed face smudged with chocolate, and my throat closes up. All to say is: thank you, Lav, for helping me stay in shape — even in the afterlife.' — Parvati P.

How could you picture something like that from a single photo? You simply couldn't, there was no way.

When would Teddy glance at the rugged face of Taylor Malone, dolled up in his blue and silver Beater uniform; and think that, once, when he was a little turd, he changed the life of a little girl just by holding her hand—a little girl whom would later become his girlfriend. Or Sally Smith, with her innocent eyes and shy wave for the camera, who had created the biggest explosion in Potions class since '76 — on purpose.

'I guess he has an OK name.' — Al Severus P.'

' ^^ Yeah, he looks severe. But like, in a cool way.' — J.S.P

Oh, sweet Merlin. Who in their right mind had given a sharpie to these two? And a red one even… Based on what he knew and had heard about Professor Snape, the wizard would've had frothed in his own spit at the mere thought of having a mural; especially if two little Potters were the ones to write under his name.

'The fourth Marauder. Mischief Managed' — the older ones left.

Yeah, you didn't need much to know which one of them had written that… Uncle Sirius' ego would have never allowed him to write such a comment, indoors or not.

'This girl played Quidditch on the back of a sodding Hippogriff once. I was pro for almost fifteen years, and that is still the maddest shit I've seen on a field.' — Ginny 3

Teddy raised his brows. For a group that loved to reminisce over and over again about "the good ole days" — the few moments they had of good, at least —, he for sure have never heard a nick about that story before. I mean, playing Quidditch on Bucky's back is the kind of tale you end up telling everybody; not one your nephew finds out written on a Memorial stone... Well, I mean, knowing him and his little cousins, they'd tried to replicate that as soon as the words 'Hippogriff' and 'Quidditch' would've come out of her mouth.

Then, with a glance at the portrait below, Teddy wondered how come he'd been so dim.

He knew her face was familiar!

That thought had been floating around in the back of his head for hours, ever since he was able to fully take her in at the Hospital Wing. So many years of having that photograph next to his mum's; so many years reading the messages his family left for her. The girl who always appeared in the photo albums; the girl who was a touchy topic.

It was the same one!

The pretty girl in the portrait that used to bring a crimson to his cheeks when he was younger; the first letter of her last name that always made her have an alphabetical space next to his mother. Right there, in the same spot, for the last seventeen years.

Maia Alexander Maverick

(1980 – 1998)

Teddy traced over the name he'd heard repeatedly in the last couple of hours. It all seemed so… surrealistic, that he honestly didn't know when the penny of what he had witnessed would finally drop.

Until then—a time when he'd probably go berserk and freak the fuck out—he'd simply go with the flow.

'Now, whenever I need to buy new fags, I always get a small bag of Nagaraya originals. I don't even like those bloody nuts, but I eat the entire packet on the way home. If one day I break a tooth, I'll be putting the bill under your brother's vault. Miss ya, Peanut.' — Snuffles

Peanut.

Maia, Maia, Maia.

The girl his father once said not to ask around Sirius, when he was a kid messing around in their attic boxes. Everything seemed to fit better now, the little bits and pieces of the night, plus what he'd overheard from the Order's meeting upstairs. More so, Sirius disconcerting reaction, in the Hospital Wing earlier. He had always been a very loyal bloke—loving too, but more, one thing that he was; was resilient. So for her to have made such an impact on him, Maia must've meant a lot.

Teddy couldn't take his eyes off of that same old portrait; which now he watched repeat itself again, and again, and again as if he was seeing it for the first time. Looking about fifteen or sixteen, she was posing in front of some spot in a snowy Hogsmeade; her dark, wavy hair flying away from under the yellow and black scarf, which was wrapped around her neck; a white cloth crossed her torso, holding her left arm in some sort of cast; her rounded cheeks were flushed, but Teddy couldn't tell if it was from the cold or from the fits of laughs she was having; and then, she turned her hazel eyes straight to the lens, and stuck her tongue out, in a cheeky way.

Covering a blush of his own, he tried to make a game of seven errors between the dirty, scared girl he'd met; and the healthier and happier one, who stuck her tongue out at him, again, and again, and again.

Maia Maverick, one of the students who was seen in being engulfed in the blinding green light of the killing curse, but nobody had ever been found.

Well, none until today — only seventeen years later.

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A/N: My Teddy will deviate a lot of what people usually have as head canon for Teddy, or just know about him, simply because Remus is alive in this particular story (even physically, but that's something for later chapters)... Also, Teddy having a small crush on a portrait of a random girl he found pretty is ME, ME, ME.