For those of you who don't know this, today (3/29/17) is Memorial Day in the United States, which is the day we remember everyone who fell in service to our country. No matter the state of our political affairs, it's important that we don't forget that this day honors them first and foremost. If you don't live in the U.S., your country most likely also has ways to honor your fallen troops. Even if that day is not today for you, this piece is written with that important tradition in mind.

III - The Ones We Love

(Harry P. and Teddy L.)

May 2, 2011

"I hate him! I hate both of them!"

The door slammed. Harry exhaled loudly, pushing down his rising temper. He was not altogether surprised by Teddy's outburst. In fact, he had been expecting something like this for a long time. Harry had never been angry at his parents for dying, but Teddy had different circumstances.

He had to admit, though, that his godson's timing had not been ideal. He scratched the back of his neck and surveyed the faces of those around him, expressing various levels of shock, disappointment, or sympathy.

"I'll go after him," Andromeda sighed. She started to get up from the table, but Harry waved a hand.

"I'll do it," he said wearily. "Let's give him a few minutes to cool off. He'll be fine outside, there's only a few places he can go. Everyone, go back to your meal."

The Weasleys restarted their conversations, now a little more subdued. Harry found that he preferred it to the false cheeriness before Teddy started yelling. At least they were not pretending everything was okay, today of all days.

The gathering had become a tradition thirteen years ago, on the first anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts and the end of the Second Wizarding War. Back then, when the wounds they had were still raw, the invitations to celebrations seemed more like prison sentences. It was Ron's idea to have a private gathering instead, something they could cite as a reason for not attending the larger celebrations. Harry would be eternally grateful for this suggestion. So every year, everyone would go to the Burrow, bringing meals and stories and an increasing number of children. Even now, when the oldest were attending Hogwarts, Minerva would give them permission to leave for the evening.

This year, Harry had sensed Teddy's dark mood the moment he arrived at the Burrow. He had turned thirteen a month ago, mature enough to question the decisions of others, especially his parents. In retrospect, Harry probably should not have pushed him to share his feelings in a public space. But at least whatever resentment Teddy was harboring was not growing in secret anymore. What am I going to say to him?

He was distracted from his thoughts by Lily climbing into his lap. He put his fork down (which he was only using to push his food around his plate anyway), and helped her get comfortable.

"Hey there, Flower," he said, smoothing the agitation from his voice. "What's up?"

"Jamie keeps bragging about how he gets to go to Hogwarts before me and Albie," she complained. "It's annoying."

"Just ignore him, sweetheart. You're all going at the same age, so technically, he has to wait just as long as you do, even though it seems shorter. I'll have a word with him about bragging though. Not good form. But neither is tattling, Flower."

He gave her a stern look and she smiled tentatively back. Then she frowned at the empty seat at the table.

"Teddy didn't finish his dinner. Do you think he's hungry?" Her chocolate eyes were wide with concern.

"I think he might be," Harry replied. "Why don't you go get his plate and I'll bring it out to him."

"Okay." She grinned brightly and slid of his lap. She wove around the adults and got the plate, an expression of concentration on her face as she balanced it in her small hands. Harry excused himself from the table and met her halfway.

"Make sure he eats his vegetables," she said, her tone resembling Ginny's so much that Harry laughed out loud.

"I'll do that," he chuckled.

Ron mouthed "Good luck" at him as he exited. Once outside, Harry put a warming spell on the food. Overhead, the stars twinkled in the blue velvet sky. It smelled like springtime, a mix of damp earthiness and something floral. The Weasley's garden was just as gnome-infested as ever, and Harry could hear them giggling as he passed. He noticed that the door to the shed was ajar, which gave him a good idea of where he could find his godson. He went out the back gate and struck out across the field towards the spreading branches of an ancient elm. As he walked, he scanned the sky with seeker's eyes. It was not hard to find Teddy's dark silhouette against the stars.

Part of Harry was proud that Teddy had found an appropriate way to blow off steam. At least he was not yelling like his godfather did. Harry was still working on that, despite the fact that he did not get angry nearly as often as he used to. He stood quietly for a few minutes before interrupting Teddy's flying.

"I have your dinner, if you're hungry," he announced. Teddy's hands jerked on the broom handle, but he did not look down. "Whenever you're ready to come down, Teddy. I'll be waiting by the elm tree."

Teddy did not acknowledge him, but flew in a frenetic figure eight. Harry made his way through the grass to the wide bowl of roots of the giant elm tree. He found a particularly large root and sat down, his knees bending a little above his waist. Then he leaned back against the trunk and watched. In the light of the full moon, he could just make out the changing colors of Teddy's hair. It seemed to be flashing between red, black, and navy blue. Finally, it faded to Teddy's natural fawn brown. He guided the borrowed broom to the lowest branch and sat with his feet dangling in their trainers. Just out of Harry's reach. Harry chose not to comment.

"Your parents loved you very much," he said instead, feeling this would be the best way to start.

"If they loved me, they wouldn't have left," Teddy replied bitterly.

There was plenty Harry could have said to this. He wanted to say what he'd always said in the past, that Remus and Tonks died to make the world a better place for their son. But Teddy had heard this before, many times.

"They wanted nothing more than to live for you, Teddy," Harry said quietly.

"Then why didn't they?" Teddy demanded. Harry wished he had a good answer.

"It was war," he sighed. "And it was bigger than us. The choices we made then… we had to think about more than just ourselves. But trust me, when they chose to fight that day, it was out of love for you."

Teddy was quiet for a long time. When he spoke next, his words were almost lost in the rusling new leaves of the elm.

"What if he didn't want me?"

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Harry asked.

"Gran… she talks about mum all the time. I feel like I know her, you know? And I know that you tell me stories about dad and stuff, but… Gran just doesn't. She tries, though. I know she didn't approve at first, even though she grew to love him. It was hard for her." Teddy hesitated and Harry gave him some time to come up with the words to say whatever he wanted to say next. "He left mum once, didn't he?"

Harry opened his mouth. Then closed it, surprise hitting him. And sudden, terrible understanding. "How did you hear about that?"

"Gran didn't mean to let it slip," Teddy said hurriedly. "She was just telling a story, when mum was first pregnant with me. I realized that dad wasn't around and mum was living with Gran. I put two and two together and… Why didn't you tell me?"

"Honestly, Ted," Harry sighed. "I was going to, but… it was never the right time. How long has this been bothering you?"

"Since… since Christmas," Teddy admitted. Harry's heart sank a little further into his intestines. The entire semester? No wonder he exploded.

"I'm so sorry, Teddy. That must have been awful."

"Yeah," Teddy agreed. His shoulders slumped. "It was the wolf thing, wasn't it?"

"It was," Harry answered, constructing his response carefully. "I know it's hard, but you have to look at the situation from your dad's point of view. Werewolves had never really had kids before and he did not know if his condition would be passed to you."

"Would it even matter if it had been?"

"It would to him. He would have seen himself as the guilty one, cursing you to life as an outcast. Your dad was strong enough to resist most of what the rest of the world said about him. But it still wore him down. Words and actions leave scars." Harry sighed. "And the transformation is brutal. Your dad was a rare case. He was bitten as a very small child and miraculously survived his first few transformations. He was afraid you would be killed. Fear and guilt can make a person do things they regret."

"You sound like you've thought that through."

"Yeah, well, I was not so calm when Remus showed up on the doorstep of Grimmauld Place, which was where I was at the time. I kind of… shouted him out of the house. But I get it now. You will too, whenever you fall in love and have your first kid. And he did go back, which is what matters."

Teddy did not respond. But he did get on his broom and fly from the tree branch to the ground. Harry relaxed his neck, which was sore from looking up at his godson. Up close, he was pleased to see some turquoise coloring the roots of Teddy's hair. Teddy lay the broom across the gnarled network of roots and sat next to Harry. Harry offered him the plate of food, which Teddy took and half-heartedly began to eat.

"Your dad was… radiant when he told us you were born. It was the happiest I had ever seen him. He wanted you, Teddy. And it hurt him more than anything to be taken from you so early."

Teddy glanced at him with eyes that were so much like his father's. Harry read the question there.

"I talked to him once, after he died." Teddy's eyes widened. Harry had never told anyone but Ron, Hermione, and Ginny about his encounter with the dead in the forest. "It was a rare magic, but I saw him one last time. He told me as much. And that he hoped that one day you would understand why he died."

"What if I don't understand yet?" Teddy asked. His voice shook a little and in the darkness, Harry could see his face color. Harry wrapped an arm around the teenager's shoulders.

"It's quite a big thing to understand," he said softly. "Give yourself some time."

"I miss them," Teddy whispered.

"The ones we love never truly leave us," Harry said, echoing the words his own godfather had said to him so many years ago. Teddy leaned into his side. They stayed like that for a long time.

And unseen by either of them, a man stood beneath the full moon, his arm around a petite woman with a heart-shaped face. Neither said a word, but watched with peaceful expressions until the night was gone.

In remembrance of all the brave men and women who died in service to their country.