I was carrying a sleeping Lily up to her room when she stirred and muttered something unintelligible into my chest. Thinking she was just muttering nonsense in her sleep I ignored her.

But when I placed her down gently on her bed there was no mistaking it when she announced loudly with her eyes still closed;

"I hope you marry Vic one day."

The shock of what she said made me snap up so fast my back cracked painfully.

"What?!" I exclaimed, perplexed that such a statement could be said so bluntly and by an 8 year old girl too.

Lily didn't respond as she kept her eyes closed and rolled over with a smirk on her face.

My younger sister could sure be cheeky and observant when she wanted to be, a trait that made everyone determined to hide their secrets from her prying ears.

I just stood there with my mouth hanging open trying to convince myself that Vic and I were just friends. And if we were just friends then we couldn't possibly end up married one day right? Lily was just being cheeky that's all. It's not like anything had happened between Vic and I to make her say that! Yet ..

What no! No "yets" because Vic and I will always remain friends unless I wanted to lose her by opening my stupid mouth. She was practically my cousin after all.

It was just a phase that's all. A really weird phase that I was going to put a stop to now.


I was walking back to my room when Harry's voice called me to come into his office. I walked in a little wary, my thoughts still preoccupied by Lily's statement.

"Dad?" I asked, finding him sitting on the edge of his desk staring at something in his hand.

"Oh Teddy, come sit, there's something I need to give you."

Wondering what Harry could possibly need to give me, I sat down in the seat in front of him.

"But first I think we need to have a little chat about what happened at the Burrow," Harry was saying, and at the mention of the Burrow I snapped my head up.

"What?" I asked completely bewildered, racking my brains and coming up with nothing. "What happened at the Burrow?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at me and said "Oh Teddy do you think I'm blind? Did I or did I not catch you staring out the window at a young lady by the name of Victoire Weasley?"

Not knowing what to say to this I felt my face grow hotter by the second; aware that I was starting to look like a goldfish with the way my mouth was opening and closing silently.

"It's her fault!" I finally spluttered out, waving my arms about in a mad attempt to get my point across. "Coming back from France like that looking all .. goddess like and .. " I trailed off as thoughts of Vic's beautiful face came flooding into my mind rendering me speechless, which wasn't helping my case at all. So much for putting a stop to my weird phase.

Harry's eyebrows had now risen so high, they had disappeared underneath his jet black hair.

"You don't have it bad for her at all," Harry laughed.

"I don't! We're just friends!" I protested.

But Harry just clapped me on the back saying "That's what they all say Teddy. It's all just a matter of time."

I didn't know what to say to this so I just stared at his desk, determined not to meet his gaze.

"Anyway I had something to give you," his tone turning serious and I looked up to see that he looked almost .. sad.

Silently he handed over two yellowed envelopes.

Confused, I asked, "what are these?"

"They're letters. Letters from your parents." My eyes immediately turned into saucers. "Your grandmother gave them to me to give to you at the beginning of your seventh year, and well that time has come," Harry said with a shrug, a forlorn look on his face.

I didn't say anything, just stared down at the two envelopes in my hands suddenly feeling very ill.

"Dad," I started slowly. "I don't know if I want to read these."

Harry looked at me understandably, he too had never known his parents, which was why the two of us understood each other in a way no one else did.

"Teddy, you don't have to read them now," he said gently. "Hell you don't have to read them ever if you don't want to. But I just thought you should have them."

I nodded before standing up to give Harry a hug. I hadn't hugged him in a long time, and suddenly I felt like a little boy again, clinging to his father for support.

"Thanks dad, I love you," I whispered, tears starting to form in my eyes. I don't even know why I was feeling so emotional today.

"Oh Teddy, I love you too. You know you'll always be my little boy," he said, hugging me back just as tightly.

I was almost at the door when Harry spoke again.

"They'd be proud of you, you know. I know I am."


I sat on my bed, staring at the two letters Harry had given me. I wasn't sure if I wanted to read them. But they were from my parents. My real parents. It was strange to think that I had parents other than Harry and Ginny.

A knock at my door interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to see James standing there looking slightly sheepish.

"Hey buddy, what's up?" I asked him.

James came in and sat down on my bed dejectedly.

"Al is mad at me again. I'm always making him mad but I don't mean to! Mum says it's because I tease him too much but I tease Lily too and she doesn't get half as worked up as Al! I just said he might be in Slytherin next year, nothing is wrong with might!" James cried out in a rush.

I chuckled, "James he's mad because you're pointing out something that Albus is really scared of, though he'd never admit it."

James looked thoroughly bemused.

"What's he got to be scared of? He was named after a Slytherin after all!"

"I think that's why he's so scared James. He's scared of being the first one to break the Gryffindor streak and you're just freaking him out more."

James was silent for a bit, probably mulling over what I'd just said.

Suddenly he looked up at me and said "what were you staring at those old envelope's for anyway?"

"Oh," I glanced down at the letters I'd temporarily forgotten deciding to just tell James. "They're letters from my parents."

"From mum and dad? How come I didn't get one?" he said indignantly.

A bit thrown off by this I laughed lightly.

"No James, I meant my other parents. You know, the ones that died in the war."

Immediately his face changed, eyes wide at his mistake.

"Oh," was all he said.

A moment of silence passed between us as we both stared at the envelopes.

"Well are you going to read them?" he suddenly asked.

I hesitated before saying, "I'm not sure buddy. Do you think I should?"

Getting advice from a 12 year old was always the smart thing to do.

James looked thoughtful for a moment before saying "I think you should read it with a friend. That way you won't have to do it alone!"

As James said that, a familiar voice interjected into my thoughts.

"I'm here to talk if you need it okay? What are best friends for right?"

Yes that was it! I'd go to Victoire and talk about it and maybe even read the letters with her. That way I could start getting rid of my weird phase and go back to being best friends with Vic. Just the way things used to be.

"You're brilliant James. Thanks for the advice buddy," I said clapping him on the back.

James looked right pleased with himself as he bounded off my bed and ran out, "anytime Teddy!"

Getting advice from a 12 year old had worked after all.


AN: I did say I'd update frequently! Please please please review/follow/favourite/anything. It'd be nice to know there are people out there actually enjoying this! Already working on the third chapter .. this is what holiday boredom does to you.