When I see my face in the mirror

We look so alike that it makes me shiver

I still look for your face in the crowd

Oh if you could see me now

Would you stand in disgrace or take a bow

Oh if you could see me now

If You Could See Me Now by The Script

They had all come. James, Al, even Lily was there, squirming in her mother's arms. Harry was beaming, beside him his Gran, trying to maintain propriety and failing, her grin wide.

Ted felt his body language grow sheepish, embarrassed by his large cheering section. He shifted his broom on his shoulder and approached the group. His grandmother immediately enveloped him in a hug.

"You were fantastic, Teddy."

"Thanks, Gran."

Ginny was next, Lily grabbing at his turquoise hair. "You've been practicing," she murmured.

He exchanged high fives with the boys, quickly answering their hurried questions about a few plays. Then Ginny and Harry shared a smile and she spoke.

"You lot want to go out on the pitch?"

Once they were gone, his godfather placed his hands on his shoulders. "You're parents would be so, so proud. Mind you, neither one of them had any talent for the sport, so their scale would've been a bit off," he teased.

Ted rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Harry, I think. I guess I did pretty well, huh?"

"Teddy, I mean it when I say we are all proud of you. You better be proud yourself."

"I am, I promise. But it is nice to hear it from you."

Harry pulled him in for a tight hug. "I know what you're doing. Don't question what I say, what we all say. If they saw you today, they'd be so proud."

He had stuck close to Harry's side the remainder of the day. Remus, his father, spent the day in a daze, it seemed. Teddy often caught him staring; he knew it had to do with the fact that he kept his face in its natural state, caramel eyes and all.

Sitting in the armchair beside Harry, he was trying to flip through a Quidditch magazine, a poor attempt at distraction. Albus and Jamie were engrossed in a chess match with Sirius. Lily and James were conversing quietly with Remus in the kitchen.

"That was a brave thing you did."

He turned to his godfather. "Felt right."

"I'm glad. What made you decide to do it?"

Ted sighed. "I guess I just wanted to know. Even if he'll forget."

Harry pursed his lips. "Not necessarily. It'll become lodged in the back of his mind, away from his thoughts. But never completely gone."

Teddy hummed, looking back at the magazine.

"Oh, not interested in talking to me now, hm?"

He dropped the magazine, sighing. "It's just frustrating. Are we supposed to just wait around?"

Harry's eyes glinted toward the firelight, watching flames dance for a moment before he sighed, his face softening as it focused back on Teddy. "Well, I can think of one way to pass the time."

Biting on his lip, Ted shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Harry turned to look out the windows. Teddy hadn't noticed when, but at some point Remus had moved outside and was now standing out in the garden.

He should be taking advantage of this, right? Here he was, able to talk to his father...and all he could do was hide behind Harry. All of his life, he had been plagued with questions. Some of them meaningful, like what career did his father imagine for him; others were less so, just simple details no one had ever been able to answer him. What was his favorite food? Did he prefer winter or summer? Remus Lupin, it seemed, was a quiet, guarded man. He rarely shared much with those who were not closest to him. And all those who were ever close to him were long dead in Teddy's proper time.

"I don't even know where to start," he whispered.

Harry gave him a nudge in the shoulder. "'Hello' usually works pretty well. He's just as nervous and confused as you are, cub."

Staring out at the man in the snow, he knew Harry was right. Now was the time.

He approached slowly, partly so as to not startle Remus and partly because Ted was still working up courage. He was unable to be stealthy though, and he froze when he saw his father's head turn and his lips curl at the ends.

"I've been questioning myself all day on whether or not to speak with you."

Teddy found himself blinking in response, confused. "Why?"

"I wasn't sure if you really wanted me to." Lupin shrugged, appearing at ease as Teddy came to stand beside him. "That, and the thought was terrifying."

"My thoughts have been about the same."

"Perhaps genetics do play a role."

Ted finally smiled. He could do this. "I've been told that I do tend to favor your side. Except my humor. That's all Mum apparently."

Mentioning his mother silenced Remus, who glanced away, but only briefly. It was clear to anyone that the man was fighting an internal battle. The battle that Teddy had been told all about. The same one that nearly kept Remus Lupin from ever marrying Nymphadora Tonks.

Teddy said, "I have never been once ashamed of having you as a father. And while I have no personal experience, I do know that my mother was always proud." Remus didn't speak, spurring Ted to carry on.

"I know that's what you've been thinking about. But remember what Jamie said at dinner? It's true. Werewolves may still frighten people, but the prejudice you face and will face later in life has never affected me. If anything, having you as a father aided me. People hear who my parents are and immediately respect me. They thank me."

"I don't understand," Remus questioned lowly.

Teddy swallowed; his throat had become thick and his stomach churned. "You and Mum died. You died in the most famous battle in history. I don't know if I'm supposed to say this...Both of you were posthumously awarded Order of Merlins. I have medals and certificates and all sorts of things honoring the work you both did. You're in history books that are assigned at school. I was the kid whose parents were great heroes. While I'd rather you had both lived, a kid could do worse in terms of heritage."

Remus looked overwhelmed by all Teddy was telling him. Gesturing to the woods, he asked, "Would you like to take a walk? I feel that I may be less likely to collapse from shock if I keep moving."

"Er, yeah, I could walk."

As they walked, side by side, breaths fogging the air, a comfortable companionship formed. Teddy no longer felt that awkward tension. It wasn't unlike walking beside Harry.

"I still have a lot of questions."

His father's words removed him from his thoughts. "I have quite a few as well."

"I know you're a special force Auror. Very impressive by the way." He directed a proud look at Ted before looking ahead again. "But what else do you do? What are your interests?"

"Wow, er, I played Quidditch in school. Chaser, actually. But it was never more than a game to me. I didn't even try out for the house team until fourth year."

"What house?"

"Gryffindor, but the hat said I was smart enough for Ravenclaw. Too hotheaded though."

"That is from your mother's side then."

A joke. His father had just made a joke. Teddy grinned. "Yes, it is. For the most part I am rather calm, brooding some would say."

Remus nodded his head. "That's the Lupin condition."

"Was my grandfather like that?"

"He was. Do you know anything about my parents?"

"Their names for one. I know the story of Lyall offending Greyback, which is why you were bitten." He decided to skim over this information quickly and move onto happier topics. "Your Mum was a muggle though. What was that like?"

"You make it sound as if that makes her inhuman."

Teddy grimaced, despite Remus's words being light hearted. "I mean, Harry keeps us aware of the muggle world and I have a few muggle born relatives. But someone completely non magical?"

"It seemed no different to me. We lived in the countryside and when I was taken to anywhere magical like the ministry or Diagon Alley with my father, my mother seldom accompanied us. She was quiet and had a very gentle manner, something I believe drew my parents together. Magic was just something she lived around. The only time I think she felt truly disconnected from us was after I was bitten. Then magic was something rather dark. She pushed on though."

Teddy stopped walking, his toes numb despite the thick lining of his boots. "Her name was-is Hope."

Remus buried his hands in his pocket, looking at his son. "Yes. Hope Howell before she married my father. I try to visit them, but I know it's never often enough. Mother's health declines more and more with every visit..."

From what Teddy knew, Hope died rather young, not even fifty years old. He knew that her end must be very near, but he could not recall the exact date...He had never been more grateful to have forgotten something.

Remus cleared his throat before resuming. "It could just be me, but this conversation is going far smoother than I had imagined."

"Oh, in so many ways," Teddy agreed. "I've waited my whole life for a chance like this."

They came to a fallen tree and made themselves comfortable. Remus, ever the gentleman, seated himself delicately and placed his hands in his lap. Teddy, ever the Tonks, straddled the trunk and leaned back on one arm.

"Have you considered finding your mother while you are here?"

He hesitated to answer. Truthfully, he had considered it, several times in fact. But he always arrived to the same conclusion: his mother was a child right now. She was full of life and innocence and unaware of the horrors the world held. However, if he got the chance, there was one person he hoped to see...

"It's hard to explain, but seeing her right now...It wouldn't be like it is with you. But I would like to see her from afar maybe. Just to have the sight of her alive and young. And maybe get the chance to meet my grandfather, her father. He's who I'm named after."

"Really?"

Ted nodded. "Edward Remus Lupin. Mum nicknamed me Teddy, of course. Made sure everyone stuck to it. Poor Harry didn't even know Edward was my real name until I was a few weeks old."

"I think Edward is a fine name."

"My Gran agrees and wishes I would use it. If she's cross with me, she does."

"Grans have the right to that sort of thing. Is she who raised you?"

"Yeah, but I've always had a room at the Potter house. Not to mention the Weasley family considers me one of their own as well. For an orphan, I have a whole lot of family."

Sadness crept into Remus's eyes for the first time. "It makes me happy to know you are so taken care of. I only wish it wasn't necessary.

"Voldemort rose to his highest power in our sixth year. That's when there were more Death Eaters than Aurors and newspapers didn't have enough room to print all the destruction. It's only gotten worse since. I never hesitated joining the Order of Phoenix because I felt as if it was my only option. I wanted to do the right thing and I wanted to protect my friends. And I didn't have a future family to consider." He smirked. "Though you have officially ruined that one, thank you very much."

"Harry raised me to remember that honor is good quality. But that nothing is stronger than love." Teddy's voice was low, nearly a whisper.

"So it seems we both understand just what this war means."

There was a sort of finality to his words. Remus peered around his surroundings out of habit before looking back at Teddy. "I believe Lily will be displeased if we are late to dinner. Shall we?"

They walked back in silence, happy with the words shared. For the first time in years, Teddy felt as if he was no longer missing something.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

His chest was burning.

The now typical throbbing in his head had faded into the background of his pains. Right now, the focus was his chest. Ever since he had coughed up blood, his chest was reminding him of the morning after the Final Battle. The curse had bruised his entire torso and left him aching for days. Now, it was aching for reasons that seemed even more unpleasant.

Harry watched his sons bond with his godfather. It was something he had imagined so many times before, and here it was happening before his very eyes. Ever since James first showed that sly Weasley humor, his parents both knew that there were to be serious repercussions from naming him after such troublemakers. His Uncle George was his Godfather, his mentor, and George's son Freddy, Jamie's partner in crime. He smiled faintly, remembering the day George found the two toddlers in the back room at Wheezes, fire works ricocheting in every direction. He swore from that day on, that the shop was going to one day be run by the two boys. He hoped Sirius would teach Jamie and Albus a few trade secrets before this adventure was over.

Looking out the window, he watched the light snow fall cover the two sets of tracks leading into the woods. Teddy and Remus had been gone for some time now. Yet, there was no worry in Harry's mind. This was to be looked at like a gift, and while he was too old to appreciate the circumstance fully, Ted was not.

His parents were both in the kitchen, where they had been hiding out. Lily claimed she was dealing with morning sickness, which albeit true, was not the reason they were tucked away. No, Harry had enough experience with war and life to know that they needed more time to absorb the situation than he did. He had made his peace with the deaths of his parents, Sirius and everyone else he lost. He had made peace many years ago, May second of 1998.

"Harry?"

He looked up. James and Lily were standing over him, the latter wringing her hands nervously.

James cleared his throat before speaking again. "We were wondering if...er, you'd like to talk?"

On second thought, maybe he could appreciate this opportunity.

Oh, Hi! *waves*

Yes, this story is still being written. I loathe when stories are unfinished, so I promise I will complete this! I appreciate the patience of those sticking with it for so many years. I have already begun the next chapter so hopefully I will finish it in a timely manner this time!