Technically, I based this scene off a moment in J.K's books, but it was just too good a scene to leave out.

Chapter 8

- Mistakes -

Days passed and Kreacher didn't return. "Are you sure he's going to come back?" Arkie asked as she served the five of them hot plates of spaghetti one night. "I mean, he doesn't seem to be the most loyal person in the world."

"He will." Harry had replied surely. "When Sirius died Grimmauld Place and everything in it, including Kreacher, got passed down to Teddy and I."

Teddy looked up from his plate, his fork covered in strings of pasta. "Really? Maybe I can convince him to stop calling me half-breed." He said aloud, though knew the chances were unlikely.

More than a week had passed and there was still no word from Kreacher or any of the Order. Teddy hoped it was because Mundungus was a hard person to find, especially when there were now Snatchers roaming the streets, the new evil police of a sort.

Arkie, who had gone unusually quiet the past few days, had been busying herself by cleaning up the old home of Black. Even though Harry said over and over again that they wouldn't be staying for much longer. Teddy insisted on helping Arkie. Like her he needed something to keep himself busy. And it helped. Over the span of a few days, the two were capable of talking between each other casually and laughing at each others jokes and clumsiness.

For a few minutes each day, Teddy could almost forget what was happening in the outside world.

When he wasn't cleaning and couldn't find anything to do, Teddy would spend hours lying in front of the fireplace, a notebook and quill in hand. He'd been able to convince the others it was a diary, but really he was just jotting down ideas. Ideas of how to contact his father. He'd thought of trying to send a message through his patronus, like so many of the other members of the Order had done so.

But he was sure someone was bound to notice a huge bear made of light, running through the streets of London.

After coming up blank for days in a row he slowly began to lose hope in his quest to contact his father. Eventually, he began to offer to take the necessary trips outside of the house. They were running low on food and other items, such as toothpaste, toilet paper and soap, at an alarming rate. Teddy always made sure to bring home the latest Daily Prophet issues.

One night, as he re-entered the house, shaking the raindrops from his messy hair, he walked into the living room to find Ron sitting by the radio as per usual.

The device was crackling out a constant stream of names, listing people who were either missing and, or dead. Teddy had given up listening to it. He didn't need a stupid machine to tell him whether or not his father was alive, he knew deep in his heart he was.

He threw the paper onto the kitchen bench and crouched over it. HNew Minister for Magic, Pius Thicknesse Has Much To Say!" He read aloud. Harry, Arkie and Hermione's heads turned in his direction. "As your new Minister for Magic I promise to restore this temple of tolerance to its former glory. Therefore, beginning today each employee will submit themselves for evaluation. You have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide."

Teddy glared at the large image on the front page, showing the new Minister in his full pride and glory. Behind him stood a short women with a wide, beady eyed face. An unsurprisingly growl left Teddy's throat and the white scars on his hand grew paler. He tossed the Prophet onto one of the huge piles in the corner of the room.

Suddenly, there was an unfamiliar sound. A door opening and closing. But all five of them were in the room, who could be coming in? Teddy jumped out of his chair and winced as it scratched loudly against the floorboards. He slipped his wand out from where it'd been tucked into his belt. Creeping into the hall his voice cracked. "Who's there?"

"It's just me."

Teddy's heart raced as he pointed the tip of his wand in the direction of the figure, standing in the shadows at the end of the thin hallway. "Step out into the light- slowly!" He added and the figure did as he asked. "Dad?"

"Hey, Teddy." Teddy ran down the hall, wand still in hand. He jumped on his father, entangling his arms around his neck. "Oh thank, Merlin you're alright!" Remus sighed. "I was hoping you'd be here."

"I didn't know where you went. I was trying to find ways to contact you."

"I'm glad you didn't, it would've been to risky." He shrugged off his coat and hung it over the staircase railing, inviting himself into the small living room. Teddy noticed how worn out he looked. His clothes were shabbier than before and grey strands of hair had begun to sprout just above his hairline. "We're all in hiding, most of us that is. I've been looking for you five."

"Well, you found us." Harry said with a slight smile. Everyone was happy to see the kind Werewolf again, but Teddy couldn't ignore the miserable aura that hung indivisibly around his father. "Yes," Remus sat on the end of one of the kitchen table chairs. "And, forgive me for saying, most of the Order's is under the impression that you are all on some sort of mission that Dumbledore set you up to."

"We are." Teddy said, sitting beside him at the head of the table. The others gathered round, also taking a seat.

"I was hoping, Harry, if you might allow me to join you on your mission- whatever it is."

All eyes went on Harry who seemed to be debating his options. Teddy was excited, his father was going to come with them. He sent a strong silent plea in Harry's direction. "I don't know, Remus. Dumbledore told me that-"

"But I might still be of some use to you, Harry." Remus interrupted. "You know what I am and what I can do. I could come with you all to provide protection." He put a hand on Teddy's shoulder, massaging it for a short second. "And I have to stick with my son."

Although Teddy was flattered he still couldn't shake the question burning in his scalp. "But, Dad... What about Tonks?"

"What about her?" He asked casually. Teddy could've sworn he saw something apprehensive in the man's eye.

"Well..." He hesitated slightly. "How does she feel about you going away with us?"

Remus waved an careless hand, to which Teddy looked at him in confusion. "Tonks will be perfectly safe. She'll be at her parents' house." Teddy found that strange. Tonks was part of the Order, and he knew she'd want to be part of the fight.

"Dad, is everything alright... between you and-"

"Everything's fine, thank you." Remus replied pointedly. Teddy looked down his feet, feeling as though his heart had just been jabbed by a fork. He glanced up from under his eyelashes at the others, whose eyes were swiveling between the two of them. Remus looked at his son, regretting his sharp tone. "Tonks is going to have a baby."

Teddy looked up, his green eyes wide. "Really? That's great!"

"Congratulations!"

"We're so happy for you."

"That's great!"

A stream of congratulations flowed from the end of the hall. But Remus simply nodded, looking nothing more than miserable. He leaned over the table, twisting his wedding ring uncomfortably. "So what do you say? I'm sure Dumbledore would've wanted me to come. He did appoint me as your Dark Arks professor, after all. And who knows what kinds of magic we'll be facing?"

Everyone was silent and stared at Teddy, all thinking the same question. "So," Teddy murmured, wondering if he'd heard right. "Just to be clear... you want to leave Tonks at her parents' house and come away with us?"

"She'll be safe there," Remus replied swiftly. "They'll look after her." He saw their unsure faces and continued. "I want to come with you, Teddy. To protect you. And, Harry, I'm sure James would have wanted me to stick with you."

Harry glanced at Teddy, as if asking for permission to say what was on all of their minds. Teddy gave the slightest of nods. "Well, I'm sure my father would have wanted to know why you aren't sticking with your own kid, actually."

Remus went pale and everything went deadly silent. Teddy stared up at his father, waiting for his answer. "You don't understand."

"Then explain it to me." Teddy said, crossing his arms on top of the table.

Remus couldn't seem to keep eye contact with anyone, specifically not Teddy. He was still fiddling with his wedding ring, and was staring down at it in disliking. "I-I made a great mistake in marrying Tonks." Teddy felt his heart race. "I did it against my better judgement and I have regretted it very much ever since."

Hermione and Arkie looked as though they wanted to sink in their seats, Ron was glancing around the room, looking uncomfortable and Harry was glanced between the father and son. Teddy had a cold glare in his eyes which he set down upon his father. "So you're just going to dump her, and the kid, and run off with us?"

"Teddy," Remus begun and Teddy could sense the rest of his sentence wouldn't be good. "You of all people should understand what I've done to my wife and my unborn child?"

Teddy's hand curled into a fist on the table. "And what's that?"

"I should never have married her, I've made her an outcast." Remus finally met his son's eyes, flinching when he saw how cold they had become. "Teddy, you know how most of the wizarding world see creatures like me!"

"Like us!"

Teddy's correction didn't seem to help, if anything it made Remus feel worse than before. "When they know of our conditions... they'll barely be able to talk to us. I know you haven't experienced it yet, but it's true!"

"I've experienced a lot, Dad! I can take it." He spat, but Remus wasn't convinced. The thunder outside boomed loudly, like the racing hearts of the two Werewolves.

Remus shook his greying hair. "That's what I'm saying, Teddy!" His voice raised, but Teddy didn't shrink back. "Don't you see what I've done? Even Tonk's own family is disgusted by our marriage- what kind of parent wants their daughter to marry a Werewolf?"

Arkie stared down at her hands, her face losing its colour.

The Werewolf was running his fingers through his light hair, gripping it at it tightly. "And the child- the child-"

"What about the child?" Remus looked at Harry, who had spoken.

"Harry, my kind don't usually breed!" He moaned. "It'll be like me, I am convinced of it. I mean, look at Teddy!" The tall boy felt a strange feeling in his gut as his father gestured towards him. "I've already steered one child onto the road of poverty and prejudice! How can I forgive myself, when I knowingly risked passing on my condition to ANOTHER innocent child?!"

Teddy opened his mouth, losing his fist slightly. "Dad, I'm fine-"

"No, you're not, Teddy!" His father shouted. "Because of me you'll live the same life I did! Scared and alone!"

"He's not alone!" Arkie said firmly from the other end of the table. Remus barely noticed her though and nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"Dad, I'm fine. I love my life and I don't blame you for anything." He tried to touch his father's hand but he yanked it away. "I'm proud to be like you."

"I'm so sorry, Teddy." He exhaled. "I should never have... Carla and I were young and stupid- we should never have..."

"You should never have had me?"

The room was quiet again. Teddy's hard eyes had softened sadly and Remus look flustered, as if for a while there he'd forgotten he was talking out loud. "Teddy, no."

"That's what you were going to say, right?"

Remus could've lied, but his face gave it all away. Teddy held back tears, his chest tightening. "If I'm such a mistake, why'd you come here?"

"Teddy, you're not-"

"Answer the question!" Now Teddy couldn't meet his father's eyes, so instead he stared at the fireplace at the end of the room. Silence.

"Because I love you."

"But you love Tonks to, don't you?"

There was a shuffling from his father's seat. "Of course. But, Teddy... I can't... We can't risk passing on our condition."

"We?" Teddy's eyes narrowed.

"Yes." Remus bowed his head. "Because of me, not even you can have kids of your own... I'm so so-"

"I don't want to hear it!" He held up his hand abrasively. "Maybe you should just go."

"Teddy!" Remus looked at him pleading. "I'm not leaving you."

"I can protect myself, Dad." He hissed the last word. "Like you said, I'm going to live my life alone, right? Why not start now?" Remus was silent, but didn't stand up. Teddy glared back at him. "I know why you're really here. You're just using us as an escape route from your problems!"

"I would never-"

Teddy wouldn't hear any of it. "You know what you are, Dad? You're a coward!"

"H-how dare you!" Remus jumped from his seat, knocking it over. Teddy stood up also his back as tense as a wooden board. "I thought you of all people would understand, Teddy! Even if the child, by some miracle, isn't like you and me, then he'd be better off without a father he would be ashamed of. I know you'd understand that!"

"Well, I don't! Because I was never ashamed of you, Dad. At least not until today!" He took a deep breath, but it did little calm his nerves. "Is this how you reacted when Carla had me?"

Remus' eyes opened wider. "I didn't know you even existed until you were-"

"I know! But when you saw me for the first time... What were you thinking then?" His voice grew quiet.

"I... I was thinking of how sorry I was."

Teddy faced the other direction, leaning on the table. "You've already abandoned one child... don't abandon another."

"Teddy-"

"Just go."

There were hesitant footsteps, then the slamming of a door. Still not facing the others, Teddy let his held back tears slid down his cheeks like rivers. A shaky breath escaped his lips. Suddenly, a hand was on his back. He leaned into Arkie, who rested her hands on his back. The others left the room silently, leaving Teddy to sob into his lover's chest.