Edward Remus Lupin had always been told that his parents were these incredible people, talented Aurors, who had died fighting for what they believed in. He was proud of who his parents were, and what they did, even if what they were was classed as unaccectable, or wrong. Werewolves are pretty amazing, and though he didn't know any, Bill Weasley was a sort-of werewolf, and he was a great man. Teddy loved that he had inherited the same trait his mother had, being a Metamorphmagus. Somehow, he felt closer to her this way. It was an odd feeling.
He had found out a lot about Nymphadora from his grandmother. His grandfather had died before he was born, so his grandmother rarely taked about him, because it was still a sore subject for her to talk about. However, she felt as though she owed her only grandson, and told him stories about his mother growing up. She was rather like him; mischeivious, enthusiastic, and eager. Constantly finding herself in trouble, and unable to do as she was told - much like himself.
Teddy's grandmother loved him like a son, for as long as she was alive. Sadly, she didn't make it past his eigth birthday. So, Teddy went to live with his godfather, and the rest of the Potters. He rather liked Harry, as he told him stories about Remus, his father, and how his own father was friends with Teddy's. He explained to him that Sirius Black was Teddy's second cousin, and Harry's own godfather. Harry could tell him things about Remus that his grandmother couldn't, and this made him happy. Plus, Harry was a nice person, and kind to Teddy.
Harry's wife, Ginny, was a riot. She somehow always made Teddy laugh, and could cheer him up when he was sad. She reminded him of his own mother - from what people had told him about her. Ginny could tell him things about her too, and she said that was very close to her. Teddy did like living with the Potter's. When he had moved in with them, they had two of their own sons, James, and Albus. James was three, and Albus was a mere few months old. Teddy loved them as if they were his own brothers, and Ginny and Harry made him feel as if they were.
He grew to love them as if they were his own parents, and they loved him like he was their own. That's why, not long after Lily was born, when Teddy was ten, he couldn't stand to hear them argue all the time.
The top stair had grown to be his favourite, and least favourite spot in the house. Here, he could see out of the window, onto the streets of Godric's Hollow. When it was sunny, he watched people as they mowed their lawns, and chased the gnomes that popped out of said lawns. Then, when it was snowing, it would sit and watch the snowflakes fall, and wonder what it would be like to be a snowflake.
However, when Harry and Ginny fought, this was were he would sit, so he could listen. He didn't like it when they fought, but he couldn't help but drop an Extendable Ear down, and eavesdrop. Curiosity was what it was.
On this occasion, five year old James came and sat next to him. His messy, inky hair stuck out in all directions, and his bright brown eyes looked in to Teddy's, with such a wise and knowing gleam. Reaching out, he put his hand on Teddy's, and patted.
"It will be okay" he whispered, in that innocently loud way only toddlers who have yet to learn the point of whispering is to be quiet.
Teddy mouthed a thank you, and motioned to the Extendable Ear, silently asking if he wanted to listen in too. James nodded.
Downstairs, Harry was packing his breifcase, struggling to find all his essentials. You see, two year old Albus's favourite game was to play 'hide daddy's things so he can stay home longer'. It wasn't Harry's favourite. Cursing under his breath, he lifted cushions up off the sofa, and threw them back down.
"Harry, it wasn't Alby's fault, okay" Ginny tried, clutching the giggling toddler in her arms, balancing him on her hip.
"That look on his face says otherwise" Harry mumbled, as he wrinkled his nose up at a crumpled piece of tissue he found covering his wand.
"Merlin's beard, Harry, he's two years old!" Ginny exclaimed, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Yes, well, you need to keep a better eye on him! If we just let him roam about her, chewing on and playing with whatever he wants, then - "
"Keep a better eye on him? Harry, whilst you're at work all day, I'm at home, looking after four children! Okay, and one one of them is a baby! They all need my attention!"
"So what are you saying? That I'm not home enough, is that it?"
"Yes, yes I am! Did you know that James made the milk float out of his beaker today? And Lily laughed at least three times! Albus, he pointed to a picture of my family photograph, and said 'Uncle Fred'."
Harry swallowed, and turned round to look at his wife. It surprised him a little, what he saw. Sometimes he has moments when he thinks Ginny is still the seventeen year old girl with a free spirit and determination and passion that he fell in love with. Now, looking at her, she is a twenty-seven year old mum of three, you could say four. She was still beautiful, and he sometimes didn't appreciate that enough. Her hair was shorter now, as it stopped just below her shoulders. It was still as vibrant as ever, though. And she didn't look much older, just somehow more elegant. Elegant - an odd word to describe someone dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and a loose burgundy top, but that's what she was.
Harry sighed.
"I can't help the hours that I work - " he began, but the look on Ginny's face told him that she didn't believe a word he was saying.
"Bullshit. Hermione told me that Ron is out the house by ten o'clock, and home by five in the afternoon. You're out the house by seven, and come home at seven. Then, most days now, you're out again by nine! I called the Ministry - "
"You did what?"
"I called the Ministry! And Bill answered. He told me that you've been asking to put these hours in! He assumed that we were tight for money, and offered me some! Do you know embarrassed I felt! We are not tight for money Harry, far from it!"
Harry saw the hurt expression on Ginny's face, and looked down at his feet. He gritted his teeth, and resumed to packing his briefcase, thinking it best if he leave the house as soon as he could.
Ginny leant over the sofa, and shut the briefcase. She had a blazing look in her eye.
"How dare you try and leave!" she told him. In her arms, Albus had started to cry. Kissing him on the cheek, Ginny bounced him up and down.
"He's crying, because he knows you're walking out on us" Ginny told him, bitterly.
Harry scoffed. "He's a baby, Ginny, for God's sake. And I'm hardly walking out on you."
"Teddy called me mum today. He called me mum, and asked where dad was."
She was holding in tears now, the blazing look in her eye extinguishing.
"We're not his parents, Ginny" Harry muttered. "His parents are dead."
Suddenly, with her free hand, slapped Harry sharply across his face. She didn't look like she regretted it, either.
"You disgust me."
Harry, unlike his wife, regretted what he had said, and immediatley wished he could take it back.
"Ginny, I didn't - "
"Do you know what else Hermione told me? She said the Minister for Magic got a new secretary, and I bet you know exactly who she is."
He did. It was Cho Chang. She was the reason he couldn't look his wife, or his children, in the eyes. Harry guessed that his reaction betrayed him, and Ginny registered this.
"No" she gasped, pools of tears gathering in her eyes. "No."
"It's not what you think, love, I promise - "
"Oh my God. Holy shit. You're sleeping with her, aren't you?" she cried, tears now streaming down her face. She set Albus down in his crib, and wiped her face. Harry tried to comfort her, but she batted his hands away.
"Don't you touch me!" she yelled at him, covering her mouth and holding out a hand in his direction. She edged away from him, retreating into herself.
"Ginny, please - " Harry tried, desperate to explain himself.
"Get away from me" she whispered to him, her voice trembling.
"No, please don't - "
"I said get away!" she told him, pushing him away. He kept coming back, however, and this made her more distressed. She beat her hands against his chest, sobbing.
"Please, get out!" she shouted, trying to shove him towards the door. However, Harry was much stronger than she was.
"Ginny, let's talk - "
"I don't want to even look at you, let alone talk!" Ginny cried, pushing him into the hallway.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps bounding down the stairs interrupted them. It was James, swiftly followed by Teddy. They both looked bewildered.
"Daddy!" James exclaimed, as he caught sight of his father, who had been at work all day. He tried to run towards him, but Ginny knelt down and stopped him.
"Daddy's just leaving" Ginny told James, softly. "He's got to go to work, remember?"
"You work too much, daddy" James sighed, as he clung to his mother's leg.
Harry felt devastated, looking between his son and the love of his life. Ginny was still crying, and James's sad expression was heartbreaking.
Teddy tugged on Ginny's sleeve, so she bent down to be face to face with him.
"Is this my fault, Ginny? For calling you mum? Because it won't happen again, I promise" he told her, with an earnest tone. This merely made Ginny sob harder, and Harry feel even worse.
"No, Teddy, it's not your fault" Ginny told him, stroking his cheek, softly. "And I don't want you to call me Ginny ever again, okay?"
Teddy beamed, and wrapped his arms around her neck. "Can I tell you I love you too?" he asked, into her shoulder. A tear fell from Ginny's eye, as she smiled back. "Of course you can. Because I love you too."
Ginny then stood up, holding James against her hip, and holding Teddy's hand. She looked at Harry with a seriousness he rarely saw in her.
"I think you should go, now" she told him. "And find somewhere else to sleep tonight. We can talk in the morning."
Harry just nodded, closing his eyes. He opened the door, and took one last glance back at his wife. She was struggling to not breakdown, he could see that. And that was probably what hurt him most.
Closing the door as he stepped outside, he thought about how that conversation could of gone. He could of told her that he and Cho had never slept together, only sharing a single kiss a few weeks before. It was when everybody else had gone home, and Cho approached him in his office. She stole the kiss from his lips, and if he had realised what was happening straight away, he could of pushed her off without hesitation. However, he didn't, and they had stayed in that position - Cho, her hands on Harry's face, lips ferociously on his, Harry, his hands limp by his sides, frozen - for a good few seconds. When Harry had come around, he pushed Cho off him. She told him she still had feelings for him, and he told her he was in love with his wife. He tried his best to ignore her after that, but was ashamed of what hat happened, and couldn't bring himself to tell his wife. That's why he spent so long at work, a stupid desicion, he knows.
Harry was feeling so horrible and guilty, that he didn't even realise his cheek was numb.
