Hey, here's chapter three! Sorry I don't have time to respond individually tonight to all of you, but thanks so much for reviewing! Hope you enjoy this next one...its got a weird memory at the end, but I couldn't cut it. So just kind of disregard it as a ridiculous whim of mine.
Thanks!
Chapter Three
A young boy sat sobbing on a grassy hillock overlooking the lake, head in arms. His shoulders shook in misery, and Teddy stopped, feeling awkward. Then he reminded himself that it had happened years ago, and that there was nothing he could do. He glanced around him, searching for Remus, feeling a little disgusted with himself. What had happened? Why was he so eager?
"Frank?"
It was Remus, bag slung over his shoulder, face concerned. The boy jerked, turned his face away from the approaching Remus. "I'm fine."
"Sure you are." Remus sat down a few feet away from Frank, tactfully turning to face the lake. "I saw what happened back there. I'm sorry I didn't stop it."
"There was nothing you could have done."
"Prefect," Remus reminded with a slight smile. "I could have stopped it. But I'm a coward, Frank, and it cost you. I'm sorry."
Frank shrugged. "No, really. I'll be fine."
Remus sighed. "I know. But that doesn't make it any easier right now." Frank made an odd sort of hiccupping laugh noise. Remus coughed. "You wanna come back up to the common room? James and Sirius are planning something."
"Oh…you go ahead. I'll come later."
Remus raised an eyebrow, and Frank flushed faintly. "I'll wait with you, mate."
"No, really, you don't have too…"
"Listen," Remus began firmly. "You've been up here for nearly half an hour. That's long enough to get it out of your system; I don't want you wallowing, hear? It doesn't do any good. You've just got to get past it. If you don't let it affect you, it won't. Trust me on this one."
Frank grimaced. "All right."
"Come on."
Remus stood and held out a hand to the younger boy; Frank took it and stood, looking embarrassed but grateful. "Why are you friends with them?"
"With who?" They started back toward the castle, and Teddy scrambled up to follow them.
"James and Sirius."
"Why?"
"They're so…calloused, almost." Frank looked really embarrassed now, and he waved a hand. "Forget it. That's not what I meant."
"No, I know what you mean," Remus said thoughtfully. He grinned. "I guess someone's got to keep them in line." He slugged Frank gently on the arm. "But it's a good thing I know you too, mate. Sometimes it's nice to get away for a while."
Frank smiled, pleased, and Teddy paused, watching them walk back up toward the castle.
--
"Lily. Lily!" A flustered Remus sprinted unseeing past Teddy, who took a step back in surprise and then followed his father at a jog. A pretty girl with long auburn hair turned at the top of the stairs; it was obvious she'd been crying.
"What do you want?"
"Lily…" Remus ground to a halt a few feet away from her, unusually pale and stricken. "I'm so sorry. I should have…I should have stopped them. I could have stopped them. It was my fault, I'm so sorry…"
"It wasn't your fault, Remus," Lily-Potter, Teddy thought-snapped. "It was theirs. Theirs and his. I'm not going to sugar-coat Sev, Remus. I know you don't like him, but he's…he's not what you think…" her face twisted, and she turned away. Remus reached out a hand and grasped her shoulder gently.
"Lily, please, don't. Can we talk?"
She nodded mutely, hesitatingly. Remus pulled her across the hall into a shadowy alcove and stared down at her—he was several inches taller. "I don't hate Severus," he said abruptly. Lily wiped her face with one hand and shook her head.
"No, I know you don't. I shouldn't have said you did."
"But James and Sirius do." Lily looked hurt. Remus held up his hands hastily. "It's just a fact, Lil. You know as well as I do. But that doesn't make them bad people. They're just…just boys. They don't get it. Not yet."
"You're their same age, Rem," Lily said. "And you don't act like that."
"Yes, well, I never really had a chance to be a kid," Remus said with a sad half-smile. "They did. They didn't have to grow up like I did. And we both know that guys grow up slower than girls do. They'll grow out of it."
Lily laughed shortly. "Maybe."
"Lil…"
Lily placed a placating hand on Remus' chest, the highest part she could comfortably reach. Teddy saw his father shiver, and Lily smiled slightly. "I know. I know they will. It's just a little hard to believe after they do something like they did." Her face quivered, but she didn't stop. "And I'm going to stop hanging around Sev so much." It looked as if it hurt immeasurably to say this, but she held her chin firm and offered another small smile. "I think it's for the best."
Remus looked for a moment as if he were about to protest, but Lily shook her head. "Don't, Remus," she said softly. "Don't make it harder for me."
Remus gave a sideways jerk of the head and then drew her into a hug. She pressed his face against his shoulder and Teddy could see her eyes sparkling with tears before she shut them tightly.
As the scene dissolved and Teddy wondered just whose memory that had been, he caught a glimpse of Professor McGonagall with a softened look on her face standing half-hidden in the shadows with an armload of books…
--
He was in McGonagall's office now, and watching three boys bowed over three desks, scribbling what looked like lines. He moved closer, recognizing them as James, Sirius, and Remus. As Teddy watched, Sirius nudged James, who was sitting between them, and palmed him a scrap of parchment under the table. James took it, glanced at it, and passed it on to Remus. Remus took it and opened it carefully. Feigning a yawn, he read it quickly. His face grew stony, and one eyebrow rose in what Teddy was beginning to recognize as signature. He stared at it for several seconds, giving Teddy the time to skim it hastily.
I'm really sorry. It was my fault. Snape won't ever forgive me, but you're one of my best mates. I'm sick of not talking.
-Padfoot
Remus crumpled the parchment in one fist and shoved it into his pocket before bending down and beginning to write in a neat, slanted cursive once more. His hand was shaking. Sirius' face dropped and he returned to his own writing. Teddy gathered from the seriousness of this exchange that more was at stake than just a detention. His mind flashed back to the scene he had viewed earlier; that of the four boys in the Hospital Wing. Looking more carefully at Remus, Teddy judged he looked the same age, decided that this was indeed the aftermath of the Whomping Willow incident, and bent over to read the next note.
I'm really, really, really sorry, Moony. Please. I won't stop until you say something.
-Padfoot
Remus scribbled a hasty reply and sent it back via James. Sirius shot him a grin that he ignored and opened the note.
Forget it.
It was almost comical how quickly the grin left Sirius' face. James glanced sideways at the note too, and he turned back to stare accusingly at Remus as if to say, can't you let it go, yet?
NO. He almost ruined everything.
But he didn't.
But he could have.
Teddy watched this with growing sympathy on Sirius' part. He understood where Remus was coming from, yet from all he had seen of his father until now, his attitude now seemed uncharacteristic. Several times McGonagall looked up from her desk suspiciously, but all she saw were three boys bent obediently over their desks, diligently writing lines.
I don't blame you. I wouldn't (This was crossed out and replaced with 'haven't) forgiven myself either.
Sirius looked utterly miserable and he sent a lopsided shrug at Remus with the last note before returning to the lines in earnest. He did not look up again, but Remus, normally so diligent, seemed unable to focus. He was uneasy, restless, and kept shifting position and shooting glances at James and Sirius, who were stoically working without further notes. As Teddy waited, his father's hard face softened, until finally, with a small sigh, he began another note.
Forget about it, Padfoot. Nothing TOO serious happened. I can't say I've forgiven you completely, but I'm not really chuffed anymore. Promise me you'll NEVER do anything like that again, because next time I don't know if I'll be able to find it in me to forgive you. This is hard for me, Sirius. But I don't like not talking either. Shake on it.
Moony
As Sirius read the note, his face lit up. He leaned around James, gave Remus a huge grin, a thumbs up, and a mouthed, I'm really, really sorry, and promptly froze at the sound of McGonagall's voice.
"I could put you in separate rooms, Black."
Sirius flashed her a charming smile. "My, are you looking splendid tonight, Professor. Wouldn't want to deprive one of us of your…"
"Yes, that's quite enough," McGonagall said. There was a hint of a smile around her mouth as she shook her head. "Keep working."
"Yes, Professor. Won't happen again."
"I should think not."
Remus was grinning as he continued his writing, but it was nothing compared to what shone on Sirius' face, or Teddy's as the scene dissolved…
--
Remus looked older than Teddy now, and Teddy surmised from the packed Great Hall that it was the going away feast for his father's seventh year. He glanced around and caught sight of Frank sitting a few seats away from his father and his friends. His memory, then.
The Feast was apparently just ending, because Dumbledore was standing and the Hall fell silent almost at once. Teddy turned toward the Headmaster, interested. He had never met the man almost as famous as Harry himself, though Dumbledore's wide smile was almost as familiar as if he had.
"Another year ends. And for our seventh years, it will be the last. Ah, parting; 'tis such sweet sorrow. Sweeter for you, I am sure; as you all go on to become Quidditch Players and Healers and politicans, I am sure that the rest of us will scarcely cross your mind. However, you will all be sorely missed by most of the students in this school. I say this only because I have had a special request by one of our lovely fifth year girls who speaks for the entire female student body. Rachelle?"
Dumbledore gestured with one hand at a Ravenclaw girl with long black hair who stood and made her way to the front of the hall. She looked rather nervous, but excited, and she tossed her hair back over her shoulder and cleared her throat loudly. Dumbledore sat back down as she beckoned several girls up beside her, who all came giggling and whispering with violent blushes.
"We decided early this year to compile a list of the most eligible seventh year boys," she began. Titters, but she pushed on. "And we wanted to give them something to remember Hogwarts by and let them know that they've been missed, and that every single girl here has fancied at least one of them at least once while they've been here. So…" she pulled out a square of parchment from inside her robes. Despite the skepticism, most of the girls looked interested, and the boys as if they were trying not to be so.
"Starting with number ten and working our way up, number ten is Evan Rosier."
A storm of cheering from the Slytherin table. The burly seventh year stood and strode down the hall to stand next to Rachelle.
"Tavin Withers."
Ravenclaw. This boy was blushing, but looked pleased.
Teddy snorted in amusement. He'd have to remember to ask Harry why exactly this memory was here. He glanced at his father, who was looking just as amused as he; Sirius and James were both clapping rather lazily, obviously certain they'd be in the top slots.
"Wyakin Brewster."
Ravenclaw.
"Talon Omard."
Hufflepuff.
"Easton Klingler."
Gryffindor.
"Parker Chambers."
Ravenclaw.
"Darryl Summers."
Slytherin.
The crowd was into it now; even the teachers looked interested, clapping politely for each student who worked their way up to stand next to the girls. Everyone was shooting glances at Sirius and James now, obviously wondering which of them would take first. Remus leaned forward and whispered something in Sirius' ear, who grinned and slapped him on the shoulder. James shot them a dirty look and Teddy laughed.
"James Potter."
Sirius whooped triumphantly as James stood. James slugged him as he passed, earning a cry of outrage. There were a few whispered mutterings around the hall, and several of the girls looked ready to start protesting. James was more eligible than third, for Merlin's Beard…
"Sirius Black."
Silence. Teddy laughed out loud. Sirius' face was a picture of shock as he stood and walked up to stand by James. Embarrassed laughter as everyone realized how seriously they were taking this, and then Rachelle flipped her hair again and glanced up at everyone.
"And now, for number one, who, despite popular rumors, is NOT Sirius Black, the most fanciable boy in school, whom we'll all miss very much…" she seemed to be enjoying her moment very much now, and she took a deep breath, drawing out the suspense.
Teddy had a sudden suspicion and glanced down at his father, who was taking another bite of pudding and looking around the hall like everyone else. Perhaps this was why Harry had put it in here…
"Remus Lupin."
Remus choked, gagging on the pudding, and Peter thumped him on the back. The hall erupted in feminine cheers and a few half-hearted deeper voices and smiles from the staff. Remus twisted in his seat and gaped at Peter. "Me?"
"You, you prat!" Peter yelped. "Go on!"
Remus stumbled to his feet, blushing furiously, and waded through the crowd of students up to the top of the Hall. Sirius and James were both half laughing, half glaring as he joined them, looking as if he'd like nothing better than to crawl into a hole and die.
"Judging by the reception, I'd say the vote was unanimous," Rachelle said pompously, and she stuffed the parchment back into her pocket with a flourish. "And now, for the lucky prize; we have asked several girls to bestow them in an orderly fashion. As winner, Remus will get a little bit extra."
A Slytherin girl stood up from her seat and sashayed up to Evan, who looked excited. She planted a kiss on his cheek to catcalls from the student body and then looped her arm in his and escorted him back to the Slytherin table, where room for two had been made. A Ravenclaw girl came for Tavin and acted in kind; all of the other boys were either apprehensive or excited now.
When it reached James, Lily stood from the Gryffindor table. When she reached him, he grabbed her and planted as kiss on her mouth instead; laughter and applause, and a slap from Lily, and she escorted him back to the Gryffindor table. Sirius, of course, had to outdo him, and so when his escort arrived her kissed her full on the mouth, swung her up into his arms, and carried her back to Gryffindor table amid hoots and a storm of applause. Remus now stood alone, hands thrust into pockets, pale face almost glowing. Teddy moved closer, startled at how similar they appeared at a distance. It was like looking in a mirror; the same amber-colored eyes, light brown hair, and long, angular jaw line. They were within two inches of each others' heights, with the same lanky build.
He felt a sudden rush of affection toward his father that he didn't try to push away. There was still doubt, still fears about what he might see with Remus as an adult, but for now…
The scene changed. Teddy yelped in protest. What had happened?
Harry was back, looking at the wall with a hopeful expression.
"Please, don't be tempted to murder me with that last memory, Teddy. I watched it, and it was quite disturbing, actually. I'll tell you this much; your father did NOT enjoy it, and it involved several girls from various years and houses. The teachers weren't too thrilled either; I believe that all those involved received detention." He shifted and grinned.
"So, that's your father during his teenage years. I believe I covered everything; he was kind, patient, forgiving, loyal, friendly, and quite popular with the girls. He was also hardworking and honest, and watching this myself gave me a new appreciation for how hard he worked. He didn't have it easy. As we move into his adult years, you're going to see just how hard he had it. Oh…and I got some of these memories from some of the Order's collections, so some of the witnesses have already passed away. Some of them are actually your father's. Here we go."
Review, please! And forgive the last memory. I really don't know what came over me.