Five times Teddy Lupin called Ginny Potter his mum. One time he called her grandmum. A few times he called Harry Potter his dad.
"A Potter and a Lupin"
Teddy Lupin bounded down the corridors of his primary school with enthusiasm. He pointed out his picture he drew of The Cat in the Hat on the wall outside of the classroom. He showed off his careful penmanship of his name underneath the drawing. He dashed across the corridor to show a huge bulletin board where his name shone colorfully on a lamented top hat with red and white stripes. Quickly, he pointed to the ceiling where cardboard Green Eggs and Ham pictures were hanging from the ceiling by yarn. He pointed out his own green eggs that he carefully cut out and colored.
Harry and Ginny Potter barely had time to process everything he showed them and really look at all the boy's accomplishments before he beckoned them to follow him inside the classroom. Ginny shot her husband a puzzled look and pointed, a laugh on the tip of her tongue, to the eggs above her head. Harry just grinned, told her he'd explain later, and placed a gentle hand on the small of her back and led her into the classroom.
Parents and kids were already in the classroom. Teddy was not the only excited five-year-old in the room. The volume in the classroom was nearly deafening as kids shouted and pointed out all their artwork that littered the walls and hung from the ceiling. Teddy bounced next to a tiny table and excited pointed at the chairs. On each chair were the life-size drawings of the kids that were taped to their chairs situated around the little oval tables.
"Miss Carpenter traced us!" Teddy said excited. "We laid down on huge pieces of paper and then we got to color our clothes and hair and then we got to cut them out. Then, Miss Carpenter helped us all tape them before we left school today so they can sit where we normally sit!"
Harry and Ginny bent down to look at the picture of Teddy sitting in the blue chair. His hair was black like a chalkboard (it was the color hair they had all decided on that he keep while in the Muggle world). He had brown eyes just like Ginny. His clothes were gold and red stripes for Gryffindor. Before the two adults could look any more at all the little details, Teddy drew their attention to a lamented picture of a pencil with his name on it and another sheet of paper that had the alphabet.
"Upper case AND lower case! We have to learn them both!" Teddy prattled on with a wide grin on his heart-shaped face. "I have a letter in my name that goes below the bottom line! Look! Isn't that special. Not everyone has that!"
A short blonde woman glided across the room and stopped in front of the small family. She smiled warmly at them, her hand extending to introduce herself as Miss Carpenter. She was young like Harry and Ginny. It was her first year teaching and it had shown for the sheer amount of artwork that was taped all over the room. She loved the children and wanted to show off everything they did and never wanted to take anything down.
"Harry Potter," Harry introduced himself. "This is my wife, Ginny."
"It's nice to meet you, Mister Potter. Missus Potter, I believe we've met before. You helped out with the Christmas party, didn't you?"
"I did!" Ginny nodded enthusiastically. "It was so much fun!"
Teddy grinned up at his guardians. He had lived with Ginny and Harry for as long as he could remember. He had even been their page boy in their wedding the summer before he started school. His parents had died bravely in a war that he wasn't allowed to talk about at school. It was one of the rules just like how he wasn't supposed to change his hair at school or tell any of his friends about magic. He often visited his grandmother on the weekends who was, more often than not, the one to take him into the Wizarding World.
He half listened as Miss Carpenter chatted with Harry and Ginny about how well he could write his letters, how high he could count, and how well he was doing with his phonics. Teddy turned his attention to his friend, Benjamin Cummings, who showed his parents his life-size cut out the next table over. Teddy crept away silently from his guardians to where his friend stood. He waved happily.
"Hiya, Teddy!"
"Hi, Ben!"
"I didn't know your godmother was having a baby!" Ben announced as he pointed at Ginny's massive belly.
"She is! I'm going to be a big brother! It's a boy and he's gonna be born next month. His due date is the day before my birthday!"
"Well, it's not really gonna be your brother though," Ben said. "That's not really your mum."
Teddy frowned and glanced over at Ginny. One hand rested on her swollen belly, her other hand touched Harry's bicep. Something his teacher said had made her laugh.
"She is my mum," Teddy protested. "Ginny and Harry are my mum and dad."
"I thought they were your godparents?" Ben inquired with a confused look on his face. "You don't call them mum and dad."
"Just 'cause I don't call them mum and dad doesn't mean they're not my mum and dad. Ginny takes me shopping and reads me bedtime stories and we cook together and-and she picks me up from my grandmum's house. Harry teaches me how to play games and takes me for rides on his godfather's old motorbike and we get ice cream together. They do all the stuff that mums and dads do," Teddy retorted through clenched teeth.
He was upset. He could feel the heat rising on his cheeks as his chest heaved. He knew his hair was going to turn a very bright red. It always did whenever he became upset. Ron and George joked that it was the Weasley anger coming out in him. Before he could change and Harry had to Obliviate everyone, he stomped off towards them with his fists clenched by his side. He tugged on Ginny's shirt and asked her to take him to the restroom.
Ginny knew immediately that something had happened and he didn't really need to use the restroom. Harry made a motion to leave as well but Ginny told him to finish talking to the teacher and they would be right back. She clasped his hand into hers and she hurriedly ushered him outside of the classroom.
The Year One classrooms were by a door that led to the outside. They could see the football field from their classroom. Ginny tugged him along until they were out of sight and behind a rather large bush. As soon as they were hidden, Teddy's hair immediately matched Ginny's.
"What's wrong?" she questioned as she knelt down as best as she could with her ginormous belly.
"Ben Cummings is a wanking bloody tosser," Teddy growled viciously.
"Edward Remus Lupin!" hissed Ginny. "We don't use that kind of language!"
"Ron says stuff like that all the time!"
"I don't want you taking language advice from my brother," Ginny said softly yet sternly. "It would do you some good to talk more like your godfather. You don't hear that kind of language from him."
"He uses it too! I've heard him when he gets mad!" protested Teddy. "I'm mad! So, I am talking like him!"
"Why are you mad?" Ginny changed the subject with a sigh as she rested two calming hands on his heaving shoulders. "What did Ben do?"
"He-he-he said the baby wasn't really going to be my brother because you weren't really my mum," Teddy bit out as the tears fell from his eyelashes and doubt clouded his words. "'Cept, you are! Aren't you? I think of you as my mum and you do all the things that mums do, don't you?"
Suddenly, Teddy found himself in a tight hug. Ginny held him close against her. He couldn't get his arms around her because of her pregnant belly. He laid awkwardly against her as he let the tears flow freely against her shirt.
"Of course, I am your mum," Ginny said soothingly. "You are so special, do you know why?"
Teddy pulled away to look at her. She smiled at him sweetly with her hands cupping his cheeks. Her thumbs brushed the tears away.
"Why?"
"Because, Teddy, you have two sets of parents," she whispered with wonderment. "You have your mum and dad in heaven who are watching over you. Then, you have Harry and me who are your mum and dad here on Earth. Not everyone has two sets of parents. I bet Ben Cummings isn't special enough to have two sets of parents."
"He doesn't," Teddy replied with a broad grin. "Ben Cummings is a wanker with one set of parents."
"Let's not call people wankers, alright?" Ginny commented lightly. "You really should stop repeating words that Ron says."
Teddy nodded while Ginny leaned forward to give him a kiss on the cheek. He felt much better. He had two sets of parents. He was special. His hair slipped easily back into its traditional black.
Ginny attempted to stand up but couldn't find the leverage to do so. Teddy was by her side in a second with his hands wrapped around her arm. He tried to heave her up but couldn't. They burst into a fit of giggles so loud that they drew attention from various parents walking by. A couple peered around the bushes to see the laughing duo and the man helped Ginny to stand up.
When they entered the classroom again, they noticed Harry standing where they had left him. His hands were stuffed in his pockets as he watched them enter with a look of concern plastered across his face. When he saw them still giggling and laughing, their clasped hands swinging together in tandem, he relaxed and grinned back.
"Want to show us the rest of the school?" inquired Harry.
Teddy did. He held Ginny's hand the entire time because he wanted to feel her warm hand against his.
Teddy Lupin sat outside under the bright sun at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. His trainers swung underneath his seat, the tips of dragging against the concrete as he ate his double chocolate ice cream cone. It was a warm, summer afternoon. He was on a date with Ginny Potter. At least, that's what Ginny always called their outings.
Ginny and Harry always took the time to spend one on one time with each of their children. Harry had taken him last month to a Quidditch game to have a guys' day out. Today, he had a shopping and dinner date with Ginny in Diagon Alley. To be honest, Teddy was glad to be out of the house. James had just entered what Ginny dubbed the worst age of childhood: the completely unbearable three-year-old stage. Al had started to cut teeth and cried more than normal. The newly turned nine-year-old Teddy Lupin was glad to be out of the house for the day.
Ginny had their packages stacked on the table in front of them. They giggled as they hid from view so nobody could bother them. Anytime Teddy went out in the Wizarding World with his godparents, cameras and adoring fans seemed to accost them. In fact, it was so bad that Teddy almost exclusively went to the Wizarding World with his grandmother while his godparents stuck to the Muggle world.
The best laid plans often failed though. Someone, somehow, had seen them. It was a plump, older witch. She reminded Teddy of a blonde Molly Weasley. She had a boy a few years older than Teddy trotting beside her. She beamed at them as Ginny tried to not look in their direction in hopes that they would go away. Teddy stared at them openly.
"Ex-excuse me?" the witch peered around their assortment of bags. "You're Ginny Potter, aren't you?"
Ginny looked up and a fake smile crossed her features. Her hand found its way onto Teddy's neck.
"Yes, I am," she responded with a guarded tone.
"Oh, I just love your husband. He was just so brave. He's still so brave. I met him after the war, you know? My husband and I volunteered that summer to help rebuild Hogwarts so it could reopen on time. He was so kind and so humble," the witch spoke in an almost swooning tone.
"Yes, that sounds like Harry," Ginny commented warily.
"I mean, you never would have thought he was famous!" the witch continued. "I don't think I've met someone quite as humble as he was. He wouldn't even accept a thank you for all he did. He just praised everyone else's contributions. I never would have thought he'd be like that."
"Harry just did what every other decent human being was doing at the time," Ginny responded as her grip tightened slightly on Teddy's neck.
"Is this his godson? The one he took in after the war? I couldn't imagine that either! He was just a boy himself and he took on the responsibility of a young child! Bless his heart and bless your heart, dear."
Teddy froze as the woman focused her attention to him. He didn't know what to say or do. He just frowned at the woman. She seemed taken aback by his expression before she turned her attention back to Ginny.
"You, dear, bless your heart as well. It's very difficult to take on the responsibility of another woman's child let alone one that's not even related to your husband! I mean, the boy is nothing to you yet here you are spending quality time with him. You're amazing."
"Excuse me?" Ginny's words were dripped with venom.
"Ginny's my mum," Teddy spoke up bravely.
"Oh, of course," the witch replied in a sympathetic tone and shot a wink in Ginny's direction that made Teddy frown even more.
"Come on, Teddy, let's go," Ginny stood up suddenly.
She turned and tossed her ice cream cone in the bin that was two tables away with ease. Pulling out her wand, she started shrinking their packages to fit inside one another. When she was finished, she grabbed one large bag in one hand and the other gripped Teddy's hand.
"If you'll excuse us, my son and I need to get going," Ginny said coolly.
Teddy didn't bother saying anything. He smiled into his ice cream cone before taking another lick. His brown eyes glanced up at Ginny. His hair turned from its normal turquoise color to a very bright Weasley red as he pitched the rest of his ice cream so that they could enter Quality Quidditch Supplies.
Ginny led Teddy to look at the brand new Firebolt that had been released last month. Teddy marveled over it with wide eyes and a soft smile. Ginny purchased three of them on the spot.
"You're a very lucky boy," the young shopper keeper said as she wrapped the three brooms up while her boss rang Ginny up.
"Yeah, she's the best mum," Teddy replied with a wide grin.
Teddy Lupin clenched the handle of his trolley tightly. A five-year-old James sat on his trunk and faced him, his own little hands clenched the handle between Teddy's hands. Ginny was on his right of him as she cuddled a one-year-old Lily against her chest. On his left of him was Harry who carried a squirming three-year-old Albus who whined about not riding on the trolley with his brother.
He took a deep breath before he ran at the barrier between platform nine and three-quarters for the first time. He skrewed his eyes shut as he ran. He felt a shiver run down his spine before he opened his eyes to see the scarlet engine in front of him. A grin broke out on his face as Ginny and Harry appeared by his side once more. He felt Ginny's comforting arm sling around his shoulders.
"What if I'm not in Gryffindor?" Teddy voiced the concern that had been gnawing away at him for the past few weeks.
"Then, you're not in Gryffindor," Ginny replied. "It doesn't really matter."
"But… my dad was in Gryffindor. You both were in Gryffindor," Teddy replied as he chewed on his bottom lip.
"Your mum was in Hufflepuff," Harry said thoughtfully. "You know, the hat wanted to put me in Slytherin. If you really want to be in Gryffindor, just ask it. It will take in consideration what you want."
"Okay," Teddy responded.
"We won't care, Ted," Harry stressed as he allowed Al to sit next to James on the unmoving trolley.
"I want an owl as soon as you get back to your dorm," Ginny told him sternly. "No matter where you end up. If it's not in Gryffindor, I want a very detailed description of your house."
"I can do that," Teddy said as his face broke out in a grin as a heavy weight lifted from his shoulders.
"You know what will make me upset?" inquired Ginny as she leant down to whisper in his ear. "If you don't come home for Christmas. Your butt better not sign up to stay over the holidays."
Teddy laughed loudly enough to draw the attention to people passing by. More than half of the people who stopped turned their attention to Ginny and Harry. Whispers broke out on the platform as everyone's chatted excitedly about the famous family.
"Trust me, I have no desire to stay over the holidays," Teddy promised. "Why would you even think that?"
"Hogwarts is a magical place, Teddy," Harry spoke up as he shifted until his back was to the onlookers. "I considered it home."
The whistle on the train blew loudly. Teddy glanced at the clock to see it was five until eleven. He gulped as he let go of the trolley. He wrapped his arms around Ginny's slim waist as his head avoided colliding with Lily's feet.
"I'll miss you. Can you send me some of your chocolate biscuits? Your rock cakes are really good too. I really, really miss your shepherd's pie," Teddy said as he felt Ginny's hand on his messy, blue locks. "I love you so much, Ginny."
"I love you, Teddy. Of course, I'll send care packages as I'm sure you'll get some from my mum too."
She kissed the top of his head before he let go. He could see tears shining in her eyes. He turned and then launched himself at his godfather. Harry's strong arms wrapped tightly around him, tighter than they normally did.
"I'll miss you too, Harry," Teddy whispered. "I love you."
"I love you too, Ted," Harry croaked slightly. "Write to us often, alright?"
Teddy pulled back to see his godfather's eyes were a bit misty. He smiled warmly down at him. Teddy swore he saw the man's Adam's apple bobble. Teddy only grinned. His godfather never cried.
After a tearful goodbye to James and Al, Teddy pushed his trolley towards the train. He looked back briefly before stepping up onto the stairs. Harry held both Al and James in his arms. They were both crying something awful as snot and tears ran down their faces. Harry nodded and smiled awkwardly when people turned to stare at him. Ginny stood beside him with a sleeping Lily in her arms. Silent tears slid down her own cheeks. Teddy waved feebly and told himself not to cry as he felt his heart drop slightly.
He had been excited about Hogwarts. He would finally get to see the castle that Harry and Ginny talked about with such fondness, walk the same corridors that his mother and father walked, and learn the magic he had craved. Except, he felt a little sad to be leaving his family. He would miss Ginny's cooking, Harry's stories, Friday night dinners at the Burrow, and his godbrothers annoying pestering him. He'd miss the blanket forts he'd build with James. He'd miss reading stories to Al. He'd miss the games of tag with all the Weasley cousins. Most of all, he'd just miss talking to Ginny and Harry. They were always there, always willing to talk, always willing to be with him.
The whistle blew the one minute warning. Teddy hurried inside and started to look for a compartment where he could give one last wave to his family. There was one with a solo boy who looked like he could have been a first year. Teddy asked to join him and the boy broke into a grin. Teddy didn't bother with his trunk or owl. He opened the window and shoved his blue head out the window.
"Ginny! Harry!"
The Potters all waved to him. The train started to pull away. Ginny started to follow the train as she continued to wave. Once they became specks he could no longer see, Teddy flopped down in his seat with a large smile.
"You know Harry and Ginny Potter?" questioned the boy with his eyes slightly wide.
"Yeah," he replied with a grin. "They're my mum and dad."
Seventeen-year-old Teddy Lupin would not admit that he was stupid. Foolish at times, perhaps, but not stupid. Except, he felt pretty stupid at the moment as he lay in a hospital bed. A Muggle hospital to boot. He had snuck out of the house and met up with Victoire who had snuck out as well. They were exploring Muggle London when some creep tried to make a pass at Victoire. He didn't keep his temper in check as he clocked the guy in the jaw. Ugh! The bloke had friends and they decided to pummel Teddy into the ground.
Victoire was forced to use some illegal underage magic in front of Muggles. She half carried, half dragged him about ten blocks to a Muggle hospital as he clenched his side that had been kicked repeatedly. She hadn't been allowed in to see him as they wrapped his chest for some bruised ribs and placed little butterfly bandages on his brow. The Healer (or did they call them doctors in the Muggle world?) loomed over him, arms crossed over his chest, as he looked down at the seventeen-year-old.
"Is there anyone we can call for you?" the Healer asked.
"Can you call my mum?" Teddy asked.
Teddy thought about telling him to contact his godmother but said mum instead. Ginny had always been his unofficial godmother after all. She had just sort of taken on the title without really asking and nobody really cared. It wasn't like Harry and Ginny didn't both sign the adoption papers when he was younger. Harry signed them a few months after his parents died in the war. Ginny signed them a little over a year later after she left Hogwarts and moved in with them. They were both legally responsible for him.
Harry was out of town on some big case. Except, even if he wasn't, he didn't think he'd want Harry to pick him up at the hospital. His godfather normally wasn't one to yell or throw around punishments unless one of his kids had been stupid enough to put themselves in harm's way. Teddy had snuck out of the house. Alone. In the dead of night. To hang out with Harry's very young, fifteen-year-old niece. He put himself and Victoire in danger for a night of secret snogging and a moonlit walk. Harry would be furious. Harry was scary when he was furious.
Ginny, well, she always yelled. She was definitely the disciplinarian of the family. She would put her hands on her hips, her face would get red with anger, and she would scream until none of them could hear anymore. Harry, normally, stood behind her with a disappointed expression.
"Who is your mother?" the Healer asked lazily as he scribbled on a sheet of paper.
"Ginny Potter," he whispered and then listed off their telephone number.
Harry had decided, years ago, when Teddy started primary school, to get a Muggle telephone in the house. Ginny learned to use it after a few months. They kept it even after all the kids started Hogwarts.
"Alright, Teddy Potter, I'll contact your mum."
Teddy didn't bother to correct him. He had only given his first name to the doctor when he asked earlier.
Without another word, the man left. Teddy adjusted in the uncomfortable bed with a grimace. His side tinged painfully. He looked around the sterile room feeling quite empty inside. The only company he had were two other blokes who were fast sleep with their curtains drawn around them. He listened to their soft snores as he wondered what Victoire had done. Did she take the Knight Bus home so that nobody would know she performed underage magic in front of a couple of drunk Muggles? Did the Ministry find out and fix the whole mess? He licked his busted lip as he threw his head back and started to practice his apology speech to Ginny in his head.
It wasn't even twenty minutes later when Ginny appeared in the door to the hospital room. The cross look on her face immediately faded when she took a look at Teddy. She rushed forward. Her hair was pulled back in a slept-in plait and her face was decidedly more pale than normal.
"What in Merlin's name happened to you?" she gasped.
"I'm sorry, Ginny," he said miserably. "Is Victoire still here?"
"Yes, I saw her in the waiting room and sent her home. What were you two doing out in Muggle London in the middle of the night?"
Ginny's hand was on his hair. She brushed the black locks off his forehead to get a better look at the cut on his brow. He gulped.
"We, err, we are sort of dating," he admitted. "We wanted to just go on a date without anyone knowing. I don't really fancy telling Bill because of the age gap."
An incredulous look crossed over Ginny's features. She looked torn between laughing and crying.
"You are your father," she whispered as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "He thought he was too old for your mother as well."
"Well, I don't think I'm too old, but it's Bill. I mean, this is my last year at Hogwarts and then I'll be working and she'll still be at Hogwarts for a while. Is that weird?"
"Teddy, you are only two years older than her," Ginny said softly. "It's not a massive age gap. Do you know how many years were between your dad and mum? Harry and I are a year apart. I was still at Hogwarts when he started training to be an Auror. It was hard but not weird."
The doctor came into the room. He looked at Ginny and his brow furrowed.
"You're Missus Potter?" he inquired with a frown. "You know, we don't take kindly to pranks."
"Excuse me?" Ginny inquired with narrowed eyes.
"You look like you're his older sister. Not his mother."
Teddy tried to hide the smirk that slowly crept on his face. Ginny looked positively fuming. People always made comments that Ginny looked far too young to be Teddy's mother. Sometimes, people often made that comment about James as well. Ginny looked young and vibrant. She certainly didn't look to be in her early thirties.
"He was born when I was sixteen," she said coldly. "He's my son. No doubt about that. I'm thirty-three. Do you want a blood sample or something to prove it?"
The doctor blanched at her words. He shook his head in the negative.
"I'm sorry, Missus Potter. You wouldn't believe some of the hijinks we get in here. Older siblings or friends posing as parents. I… forgive me."
"Well, if there's no lasting damage to my son, I would like to get him home to rest," she replied as she stood up from the bed.
It was forty-five minutes later when they made it back home. Ron was asleep on the sofa. Apparently, she called him to sit in the house with the kids while she was out collecting Teddy. Ginny nudged him softly to wake him up.
"You owe me, you tosser," Ron grumbled.
Teddy grinned and then winced. His face still hurt despite the weird little pills he was given at the hospital. ("What do you mean I just swallow them and not chew? What are you giving me? Don't you have something I can drink?") Ron gave a hollow laugh before clapping the kid on the shoulder. He bid them both goodnight before he disappeared through the fireplace. Teddy glanced at the clock to see it was nearing two in the morning. He licked his busted lip again before turning to Ginny.
"Can we not tell Harry about this?" Teddy whispered. "Can it just be between us?"
"You want me to keep this a secret from your godfather?" Ginny clarified as she pulled out her wand to point it at Teddy's face and muttered a few healing spells.
"You know how Harry gets," Teddy continued as his face felt a million times better. "He'd flip to know we went out alone so late at night. He gets all worried and anxious when we do anything dangerous."
"Harry would be absolutely livid with you if he were home," Ginny commented as she fixed his ribs.
"I know. That's why I'm asking you to just… I don't know, can't you just dish out my punishment? It can be a double punishment if you want."
It wasn't so much the yelling or the punishment he didn't want from Harry. He just didn't want to see the utter disappointment in his godfather's eyes. He didn't want to see the trust break between them. Harry had a way of making him feel dead guilty.
"It'll only give him more gray hair and probably cause his blood pressure to go through the roof," Ginny sighed. "Fine. It's between us. I mean, you did tell the hospital you were Teddy Potter."
He didn't bother to correct her that he never technically told the hospital anything. He just let them believe he was Teddy Potter because he didn't feel like explaining. Sometimes, it was just easier for people to call him that. He never minded. In fact, a little burst of joy filled his heart whenever someone just assumed he really was Harry and Ginny's kid. Most Muggles did. He still kept his classic black hair for when he was out in the Muggle world even after all these years.
"Thanks, Mum," Teddy said with a smile.
He pulled Ginny into an embrace. He was officially taller than Ginny now. In fact, he towered over her. The top of her head rested against his shoulder as she returned the hug.
It was over the Easter holidays. James was home from Hogwarts and had just turned seventeen-years-old. Teddy took him out to a pub in the Wizarding World with a few of his friends from work. Teddy and his friends were determined to get James positively sloshed before the night was over with. They had to give him a proper coming of age party at a pub.
Teddy worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. It had been a passion of his since he was young and learned that his father had been a werewolf. He kept his private life private at work. Nobody knew he was the godson of Harry and Ginny Potter. Nobody knew he considered the Potter children his siblings. In fact, Teddy didn't even tell his mates that James was James Potter. He simply introduced the kid as his brother James.
Teddy never wanted any preferential treatment because of his connection to the famous Potter family. He wanted to get where he was because of his own talent and abilities. He wanted to make his godparents and parents proud that he worked for everything he got and had nothing handed to him. Ginny and Harry had always been good at keeping the kids' faces out of the magazines and newspapers. Their names were well-known but, somehow, his colleagues didn't put two and two together. The kids were considerably less family than their parents.
"What do you want to do when you leave Hogwarts, James?" Holly McMillian asked.
"I wanna be an Auror," James slurred slightly as Teddy pushed him another firewhiskey shot. "Catch them bad guys!"
"Merlin, Teddy, your brother can't hold his liquor," Hanson Dobbs said with a laugh.
"Have you looked at him?" Teddy said with a small chuckle. "He's a twig. Plays Seeker at Hogwarts. No muscle mass to him."
"I gotta bulk up this summer for sure," James commented as he nodded his head. "My dad's an Auror, you know. I bet he'd tell me what to do."
"I didn't know your dad was an Auror," Holly said to Teddy. "How come you never told us that?"
"Eh, never came up, I suppose," Teddy said with a shrug as James snorted into his drink.
There was a huge gust of wind that entered the pub as a mass of people entered the pub. Teddy looked up to see Ginny Potter amongst the crowd. She was still in her work clothes as she laughed at something someone beside her said.
"Oh, Merlin, look who it is," Hanson whispered. "It's Ginny Potter."
"Where?" Holly gasped as she craned her neck. "She is so pretty."
"Pretty? Try smoking hot," Hanson added.
"Why don't you wave her on over here and say hi?" James questioned with a smirk.
"Are you really that drunk?" hissed Holly. "You can't ju-"
"OI! GINNY POTTER!" James shouted and waved like a maniac.
Ginny turned with a scowl on her face. The whole pub seemed to all be looking at her. Holly and Hanson tried to sink in their chairs in embarrassment. When Ginny's eyes landed on James and Teddy sitting side by side, she raised an auburn eyebrow into the air and a grin graced her features. She started to walk towards their table.
"Merlin, she's coming this way!" Hanson moaned as his hands shot up to flatten his hair.
"Your brother is a prat, Teddy," Holly added.
Ginny stopped in front of their table and looked fondly at the occupants. There was an amused look on her face.
"You called?" she teased.
"She thinks you're pretty," James declared as he nodded his head in Holly's direction. "He thinks you're smoking."
"Merlin, god!" Holly lamented as she blushed a bright red as Hanson sank deeper into his chair.
"That's very kind of you, thank you," Ginny said with a soft smile.
"They wanted to meet you," James continued. "So, I thought, what the hell?"
"As much as I would love to stay and chat, I came out with some friends from work," Ginny continued. "Can one of you stay responsible enough and make sure everyone gets home okay?"
"Yes, Mum," Teddy replied with a smirk.
Much to Holly and Hanson's astonishment, Ginny Potter laughed as she leaned down and gave Teddy a kiss on the cheek. When she pulled away, she leaned over Teddy and gave James the same treatment.
"Don't be too late. Your dad is making stew tonight," she commented before she glided away from the table.
"Mum?" Holly whispered.
"Dad?" Hanson asked with a furrow brow.
"Oh, yeah, my name's James Potter," James said with a smirk.
"Harry and Ginny Potter are my godparents," Teddy supplied. "They've been my mum and dad since I can remember. They adopted me after my birth parents were killed in the war."
"Whoa, whoa, wait," Hanson said with a wicked smirk on his face. "So, the other day when you told me you went home to your parents' house and you saw your dad and little sister sitting in the parlor with face masks on and their toe nails painted, you were talking about Harry Potter?"
James roared with laughter as he pounded the table with his fist. Teddy grinned broadly at the memory of walking in on Harry and Lily having a spa day. Harry had been stressed at work lately with a big case and Lily had apparently pestered him the whole holiday to have a spa day with her to unwind. He had caved by Wednesday night. James had joined in on the face mask but refused the toe nail treatment.
"That's amazing," Holly whispered. "Who would have thought Harry Potter having a spa night with his daughter?"
"Oh, you should have seen the things we made him do growing up," Teddy said with a smile. "Don't tell anyone, though. I don't make it known that the famous Potters are my mum and dad."
"I won't be able to avoid it next year," James added thoughtfully. "Everyone is going to know I'm the Head Auror's son. I'm looking forward to the nepotism personally."
"Merlin, I can't believe your mum and dad are Ginny and Harry Potter," Hanson whistled.
"They're pretty cool," Teddy commented.
It was nearly three hours later when Holly maneuvered Teddy and James onto the Knight Bus. They stumbled and giggled like little school girls the entire way out of the pub. James opened one of the windows on the bus while Teddy fumbled with the coins in his pocket to pay for their fare.
"Glad you think my mum's smoking hot!" James yelled. "I can't wait to tell my dad! He'll come to knock you on your arse at work on Monday and I'll be laughing my arse off at Hogwarts when Teddy sends me the owl!"
"You're a bloody wanker!" Hanson shouted as he fell onto the sidewalk.
"Not the first person to te-"
James didn't get to finish his sentence. The Knight Bus gave a terrible lurch and he was knocked flat on his arse. His back collided with one of the beds. Teddy laughed as he hung onto a pole for dear life. It was nearly twenty minutes later when the bus stopped in front of the Potter's home. The two brothers stumbled up the walk with their arms around each other's shoulders.
They must have tripped some kind of ward that Harry put up because they were greeted by Ginny and Harry on the front porch when they approached. Lily and Al lingered behind them with amused looks on their faces.
"You missed dinner," Harry pointed out with a smirk.
"Dad, dad, dad, dad, dad," James chanted. "One of Teddy's friends called Mum smoking hot. I told him you were going to beat his arse at work on Monday. You gotta go down there and act all tough and mad. It'd be soooooo hilarious."
Ginny burst out laughing. Harry looked amused.
"So fucking disrespectful and rude," Teddy commented as they both stumbled up the few steps to the porch. "I told him off for you, Ginny. I said, my mother always taught me to treat a lady with respect and he should show some to my mother who is a wonderful, amazing woman."
"You're a tossing suck up, Ted," James commented. "He didn't say that."
James attempted to push Teddy away from him. He succeeded and the older boy stumbled violently to the side. Harry reached out and grabbed him before he smacked his head into the railing. James started to giggle uncontrollably for some reason when Teddy shot him a glare.
"I'll send a Patronus to Victoire and tell her you're sleeping here tonight," Ginny said. "You can sleep in your old room."
"Did you leave us any stew?" questioned Teddy in a somber voice. "If not, I'm going home in protest."
"There's plenty of stew leftover," Harry said with a laugh. "Ginny made some treacle tart too."
"Oh, Merlin, I love you," Teddy gushed as he stumbled to give Ginny a warm hug. "You're the most amazing mum I could have asked for. The best. The absolute best. I love treacle tart after a night of drinking."
"You're such a mama's boy, Teddy," Lily quipped.
"Aww, Lilikins, like you're not a total daddy's girl," Teddy shot back as he swiftly kissed Ginny on the cheek.
"We all know I'm a daddy's boy," James joined in as he clobbered his father into a drunken hug. "I wanna be just like you one day, Dad, you know that? I'm gonna be the bestest Auror ever and I'm going to take over the department once you finally retire which might not be too much longer considering the amount of gray hair that you have. You should really start charming it so you don't look so old. Even if you don't want to charm it, I'll love you anyways. You're the best dad ever."
"You two are so soppy when you're drunk," commented Al with a bemused look.
"Come here, Alby, you know you're a mama's boy with me," Teddy said as he kept one arm wrapped around Ginny and held out a free one for Al to join them.
"Oh, Teddy, I love you," Ginny said with a laugh and patted his cheek gently.
At twenty-four, Teddy Lupin ran through St. Mungo's with a wide grin splattered across his face. His heart soured with a love like he had never experienced before. He was a father. He had a baby. A teeny, tiny baby with teeny, tiny hands and teeny, tiny fingers. The baby started changing his hair color after being in Victoire's arms for less than a minute. The little baby blinked and wiggled. He had grabbed Teddy's finger and held on tight.
Skidding around the corner, Teddy stilled when he saw his family. Ginny Potter was sitting next to Bill and Fleur Weasley. On another sofa were Molly and Arthur Weasley with James between them. The rest of the family said they would come as soon as Teddy sent a Patronus. The only person missing who should already be there was Harry Potter.
Harry was apparently stuck in an interrogation with a big potions smuggler for the better part of the day. Ginny was told that they would tell him immediately what was going on as soon as he exited said interrogation. James left the Auror Department without even asking. He knew his dad would never tell him to stay when such a big family event was occurring.
"It's a boy!" Teddy gasped as he opened his arms wide.
The Potters and Weasleys in the waiting room jumped up in excitement and rushed towards him. Ginny reached him first, her arms wrapping securely around his waist while everyone else huddled around them. They marched through the hospital until they reached the room that the Lupins would call home for the next two days.
Victoire looked exhausted in the hospital bed with a little blue bundle in her arms. The boy was passed around to the various people. Molly Weasley howled loudly in joy as she cuddled the tiny baby close to her chest. Fleur kissed the baby all over his precious face as Bill embraced his wife and grandson. Arthur wiped a tear off his cheek as he hugged Teddy and gave him a good two pats on the back.
"His name is Remus Harry Lupin," Teddy said proudly. "After my two dads."
At the announcement, Ginny totally lost it. She sobbed uncontrollably as she wrapped her arms around the man. James chuckled as he finally was able to hold the bundle of joy.
"Oh, Teddy, your godfather is going to be so happy when he gets here," Ginny whispered as she held him tight.
"We also want a certain James Potter to be godfather," Teddy commented.
"Bloody hell, Ted!" James exclaimed. "You mean it?"
"Who else would we pick?" challenged Teddy lightly as he steered Ginny towards the tiny child. "James, give the new grandmum a chance to hold him. She's the only one who hasn't."
James carefully passed the tiny bundle into his mother's arms. She choked out a sob as little Remus' hair changed to a Weasley red as soon as he saw her.
"What are you going to be called, Mum?" inquired James. "Grandmum Potter or Grandmum Ginny?"
"I like Grandmum Ginny," Teddy commented as he peered down at his son in her arms. "I call you Ginny and Mum so it's only fitting that you'd be Grandmum Ginny."
"Oh, Teddy," Ginny sniffed. "I love it."
The door to the hospital room burst open. A frazzled Harry Potter appeared in the doorway. His eyes flickered around the room until they landed on a crying Ginny holding a baby.
"I missed it?" he breathed.
"Nah, you didn't miss a thing," Teddy said as he beckoned him forward. "Come on, Granddad Harry."
Harry furrowed his brow but said nothing as he entered the room. He stood in front of his wife and held out his arms. Ginny transferred the precious bundle to her husband and leaned into Teddy's welcoming arms.
"What's his name?" questioned Harry.
"Remus Harry Lupin," Teddy repeated as his godfather snapped his head up. "After my two dads."
"Ted…" Harry trailed off.
There were plenty of times that Teddy almost saw Harry cry. He would get misty eyed but never allowed himself to really cry. Harry looked down at the bundle in his arms again and silent tears poured down his face for the first time that Teddy could remember. His shoulders shook slightly as his grip tightened around the baby.
"You and Ginny have been the only parents I have ever really known," Teddy choked out. "You've always treated me like I was one of your own. I never questioned being loved or wanted or a part of a family. I'm as much of a Potter as I am a Lupin. How could I name my son after one dad but not the other? It didn't seem right. I had to name him after both of my dads. Vic agreed."
"We love you so much, Teddy," Ginny murmured with a loud sniff.
Harry looked up at him with bloodshot, watery eyes. He smiled as a soft sob escaped his throat.
"You've always been our son, Ted," Harry croaked.
"Is anyone going to tell Dad that I'm godfather?" James interrupted with a wide grin. "Let's talk about the important stuff here. Like you being a Potter is anything new, Ted."
Teddy laughed and reached out to gently push James.
"That's it, I'm revoking godfather privileges. Give me an owl so I can write to Al at Hogwarts and ask him instead," Teddy teased.
"You really want that moody berk to be godfather?" James said with a laugh. "Little Remus will be moping around like a pro by three."
"James, be nice," Harry snapped softly.
"I'm only kidding, Granddad," James said cheekily.
Harry laughed as he reluctantly gave the baby back to Teddy. He pulled Ginny close to his chest as they looked at the child they raised together. Teddy was both a Potter and a Lupin.
I wanted to write this for Mother's Day tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed! Please, if you took the time to read, take the time to review. Thanks to Arnel for being my second set of eyes.