A/N: This may seem a little short, but it's simply based on how long I need to be in this perspective. The next chapter will be a more average length.

Chapter 3: Trouble

Teddy

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I guess I'm really lucky. I have a lot of people looking out for me. The amount of parent figures in my life is staggering. It's hard to feel lucky, however, when none of those figures are your actual parents.

"Teddy," Harry says quite warmly considering the situation, "sit." I take my usual seat in front of my godfather's desk. "Okay, what happened?" He hasn't changed much from the pictures I've seen of him when he was young.

"I got in a fight," I reply nonchalantly. I know how difficult I am. I don't care. It's not my job to make other people's lives easy.

"Teddy, let's not go through this again. You know what I mean."

"She pushed me. I pushed back."

"I see." He lets out a sigh before removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "We've discussed this before. Just because someone "pushes" you doesn't mean you should push back."

"We've also discussed how I should stand up for myself."

"I don't Miss Grayson was insulting you. Besides, it got much worse than simple pushing. You broke her nose! Teddy this is simply unacceptable. I don't get it. You're a smart kid and a good wizard but if you keep getting in these fights, you may have to leave the school."

"Maybe I want to leave." A lie.

"You and I both know that's not true." He knows me too well. "You can't go around punching girls"

"Linor would say that's sexist bullshit." He glares at me, disapproving of my language. "Direct quote."

"Well how did the other four get involved?"

"They shouldn't get in trouble. They were trying to stop us."

"Oh, were they. Well let me ask you this, you're aware that Miss McNeil is at the top of the third years, right?"

"Yes." Here we go, either this will lead to how I could be the top of my year (a personal favorite of Harry's) or yet another teacher discussing how smart she is. Either way, I don't want to hear it.

"Well then perhaps, you should have listened to her advice and stopped fighting."

"Oh, she didn't try to stop us, she just read her book."

"Teddy, that's not the point!" he says voice rising, "you know full well that you shouldn't have fought on the train! This is a new record for you, fighting before classes even start. Why, Teddy? Why can't you just get yourself together and stop this." Good question.

"Look, Harry…"

"Professor, when I'm yelling at you."

"Ok, Professor, can you just give me detention and be done with this."

"No, I can't. You don't get it do you? Professor Bane will not be as forgiving as Professor McGonagall was. If you keep this up, you'll be expelled. Do you think that's what your parents would want from you?" And of course my parents come up. Always my parents. I don't give a damn about my parents. All they ever did for me was die. "Obviously talking and detention isn't going to get you to listen, so I'm going to take another approach. If you get in another fight, even a disruptive verbal disagreement, you will be off the Quidditch team."

"What!?!" Fantastic. The one good thing about this school of idiots taken away.

"I figured that would get your attention. You will serve detention this Friday night with me and the rest of your classmates on the Quidditch pitch. Teddy, I'm only doing this for your own good."

"Did it ever occur to you that I don't want you looking out for my own good? And it's Mr. Tonks when you're yelling at me." I yell. Tonks, not Lupin.

"You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do. I'm so sick of being everyone's pity case. I can handle myself."

"Obviously not, Teddy. Handling yourself is about to get you expelled. Please, just try to go this year without another fight. Please."

"Whatever. Are we done?"

"Are you? Is there anything else you need to talk to me about? I'm not only willing…"

"But wanting to hear blah blah awesome godfather BS. Yes, I'm done. See you in class." I turn and leave the room before stopping. "What's the password?"

"Beta fish" he says. A look of hurt is on his face. I shouldn't have insulted the fact that he cares.

"Thanks." I set off toward the Fat Lady loosening my tie. I feel bad about how I treat him, but I don't need him. He thinks I fight as a cry for attention, but he's wrong. I have plenty of attention. I fight because I hate people walking all over me.

I reach the staircase and begin to climb when suddenly it changes. "DAMMIT!" I yell hearing the echo off the tall walls. With any luck, I've woken someone up. Now I'll have to take the long way back. I enter the hallway and turn right, and find myself face to face with Mark Lawrence.

"Whoa," he says halting to avoid hitting me. It occurs to me that he is surprisingly alone.

"Where's your loyal posse?"

"Jones and Kat?" he asks. I nod in a way that suggests this was obvious. "We're not attached at the hip. We're capable of being apart."

"Had me fooled." Instead of looking upset at my insult, he smiles.

"I can understand. We do spend a lot of time together." It occurs to me how nice he is. It isn't often you find someone who is this genuinely nice. "Professor Mulligan is yelling at us one at a time. I'm just wandering waiting for Kathryn. Jones went back without us."

"Sorry about this, by the way." I am. I didn't mean to involve them.

"Good," he replies, "an easy way to avoid this scenario is to not fight."

"That's what they tell me. Now Harry's threatening to take away Quidditch."

"That sucks, man." Hmm. Not a "you deserve it" or "serves you right." Is it possible that I've found someone who is genuinely nice? "Do you have to help clean the pitch?"

"Is that what he's having us do? Fun."

"It'll take a while, but at least we'll be outside and on brooms. It's better than having to polish trophies."

"True." What is this? Am I actually having a civil conversation with someone? Finally, someone who isn't treating me like a poor, hurting orphan nor rolling over and letting me get my way. I like it.

"Well, I have to get back. Nice talking to you." As he turns to leave, I stop him.

"Do you mean that?"

"What?"

"Did you honestly enjoy talking to me?"

"Yeah. You apologized, and I respect that."

"It was nice to be talked to like a person and not a pity case. Thanks."

"You're welcome Teddy. Good Night."

I feel so strange. This is the first time I've felt like I'm a person not a story. This is the first time I'm more that where I come from. As I walk back to Gryffindor tower, I consider that I may have found an actual friend. It's odd, but I finally feel lucky.