I wasn't originally planning to post this latest chapter so soon, but by popular demand here it is. Remember to review please.
"I honestly don't get how a woman as vile as Mrs. Black could muster up a sticking charm so powerful that none of the Order could undo it," Tonks said, walking in and settling down in the very chair Victoire was hiding behind. Teddy peeked around the sofa so he could see the two newcomers out of the corner of his eye. His father looked weary and scruffy, his tweed coat sporting several rips and his stubbly face lined with the thin pink traces of scars. The best word to describe Remus Lupin was tired. He looked flat out tired. Teddy wondered if the full moon was approaching. His mother too looked exhausted. Today her hair was long and dark, and her pale heart-shaped face bore the signs of a lot of worrying. He quickly drew back his head, both hoping they would and wouldn't find him.
"You'd be amazed at the magic that hate can produce," Lupin replied, remaining standing. He paced around for a moment before coming to a halt. "What's this?"
Teddy risked another quick peek around the corner and saw grasped in his scarred hand a tiny broken object. The time turner.
"Looks like a time turner," Tonks answered, standing up to get a better look.
"Yes I grasp that," Remus replied, his voice overlain by a hint of sarcasm "but what is it doing here?"
"No idea," Tonks replied. Teddy was completely and utterly annoyed yet relieved at what came next. Victoire sneezed.
"Who's there!" Remus demanded, pulling out his wand and glaring around the room. Tonks followed suit. Teddy wanted to be able to see his parents properly and for them to touch him and look into his eyes. On the other hand he knew that the more people that saw him and Victoire in this other time the worse off he and her would be.
Remus took a tentative step towards the chair where Tori lay, turning around it to peer at her in one fluid motion.
"Aha!" he cried, pulling Victoire up hastily by one arm. "An intruder!"
Teddy stood up, ready to demand for her to let him go. Over the years Victoire had been the closest thing to a sister he had, but he also loved her in a different way. He had to protect her. Now he had a full view of the parents he never knew. They looked about as dumbfounded as he felt.
"Make that two," Tonks added.
"What are doing here!" Remus growled at Victoire, "spying on the Order of the Phoenix."
Tonks scanned over Teddy and Victoire for a moment. "They're just kids Remus, no need to ship them off to Azkaban for showing up in headquarters."
"Well they could be fraternizing with you-know-who!" Remus protested.
"Really? You think he's using school children now?"
"But Draco-" Remus started, but Tonks cut him off.
"I know what Harry claims about the Malfoy boy," she answered, spitting out the last two words "and I'm not saying I don't believe it. But do these kids look nearly as evil as him?"
Remus scanned Victoire and Teddy over several times.
"I guess not," he sighed, "who are you kids anyways?"
"Victoire-ugh," Tori started and paused. Teddy could see her expression harden as she scrambled mentally to come up with an alias. If she said Weasley, then there would be too many questions, "Wilson. Victoire Wilson. And this is Teddy-"
"Lawrence. Teddy Lawrence," Teddy added before Tori could come up with some bizarre last name. Knowing her she'd probably want to get back at him for getting them in this mess in the first place.
"Teddy..." Tonks' brow furrowed and she bit her lip.
"And do you have naturally turquoise hair Teddy?" Lupin asked suspiciously.
"Um actually, I kind of do," Teddy shrugged sheepishly, figuring there wasn't much else to say. Already eh was finding it difficult to lie to his father, "it runs in the family." He couldn't help but catch the suspicious glance Remus shot at Tonks. Teddy inwardly scolded himself on his color choices, and his idiocy to tell the truth considering it was natural. How many kids have naturally blue hair? Not too many last time he checked.
"Curious," Remus said thoughtfully, releasing Victoire and settling down on one dusty sofa.
"Well since Remus here has determined you two aren't dark wizards out to destroy us I guess you guys can sit down if you want," Tonks said with the faintest trace of humor, reclaiming her seat in the chair. Teddy and Victoire cautiously set themselves down on another sofa. No one spoke for several moments, the only sound was the distant creaking of floorboard which Teddy knew from what he'd heard was Kreacher.
"Sooo," Victoire cut into the silence. "Who are you and where are we?" Teddy knew she knew the answers to both, but he as much as Tori wanted to get the topic off of themselves.
"Well you're at Grimmauld Place. I'm Remus Lupin and this is," Remus said but was cut off by a glare that could only be murderous from Tonks, "Tonks."
"Just Tonks? No last name?" Victoire laughed hesitantly, though it sounded a tad too high pitched and tinkly. Teddy could tell she was just trying to brighten the mood. Deep down she was feeling the same way as him. Frightened, confused, bewildered, unsure what to do next.
"It is my last name. I just prefer it over my first. You would too if your fool of a mother decided to honor family traditions and give you the most bizarre name possible," Tonks replied with a faint smile. Teddy wondered exactly when they were. Were his parents seeing each other yet? Did they have the slightest clue that one day they'd produce a kid together? Teddy wracked his brain for what happened all that long ago. They must be sometime after Sirius died, but before Dumbledore did. That narrowed it down a little bit.
"I can relate," Victoire laughed nervously, "and I bet Teddy could too. He's got some pretty obscurely named relatives too."
There was another awkward pause, before Lupin finally cleared his throat.
"So, um," he started, "how did you kids get here exactly? Grimmauld place has some of the best defenses magic can produce, so it's highly unlikely two teenagers are just going to pop up in our sitting room."
"Well Victoire and I were looking through some old boxes in her Grammy's attic when we came across an old time turner," Teddy started.
"And Teddy in all his klutziness went and broke it," Victoire interjected.
"Not completely my fault," Teddy shot a glare not all that unsimilar to the one his mother had just produced in Victoire's direction, then finished, "and there was a flash and here we are."
"So you two are from a different time?" Lupin asked curiously, "what year might I ask?"
"2014," Teddy replied immediately and was instantaneously hit by a returning glare from Victoire. She probably didn't want him saying too much, but it's hard to lie to one's father, he was quickly discovering. Remus looked so kindly and genuine; not the kind of person you can lie to.
"The future?" Tonks' eyebrows raised, "that's 17 years from now."
"We realize that," Victoire added.
"Wait a second," Remus shifted in his seat, "you're telling me that you two were probably born not to long from now but you knew about what year it is? Do you know who we are?" Teddy sent a pleading look over at Victoire. She was always the smooth talker with her Veela lineage and (admittedly) hot looks. She knew what to do in situations like this. But she looked as bewildered as he. Teddy weighed the options in his mind. He could tell them the truth and get a real reunion with the parents he never knew. Then again that might change history a little too much. He could also lie to the parents he just met, which would be difficult, and fabricating an entire legit back story that would be near impossible to stick too.
"Yeah we do," he finally said, "Victoire's real last name isn't Wilson. It's Weasley."
"You're a Weasley?" Tonks looked utterly shocked, "who are your parents?"
"Bill and Fleur," Remus said calmly and simply, "we can definitely say she has her mother's looks. I'm surprised I didn't see the resemblance before. That and the French name and the time difference should have given it away. But if Miss Victoire here is one if the many Weasley descendants, who are you?" He fixed Teddy with a curious glance. Teddy didn't say anything at first, instead he looked over at Tonks who was murmuring to herself.
"Blue hair," she said softly, "klutzy. Ted. Obscure names. Runs in the family. With a Weasley." She repeated these phrases several times, as if cementing them in her mind as true.
"You-you're," she finally looked directly at him, "my son."
"Wh-What?" Remus stammered.
"It makes sense doesn't it Remus?" Tonks said, coming to her senses and standing up from her seat, "his name's Ted. Like my dad, I always wanted to name my child after my dad. He's joined at the hip with a Weasley girl! He's admittedly klutzy! And look at him Remus! No kid's hair is naturally Turquoise, believe me I'd know. He's a metamorphmagus. He might not admit it or say anything, but I can tell! I've been the only one in the last 2 centuries! Do you think another one would just randomly pop up in 16 years without a direct relation? I think not!" As she spoke she paced back and forth and her voice grew in volume and intensity. "All the puzzle pieces fit Remus! Don't you see! And you know what else, he looks about 16 which means he's born around a year from now. A year from now, no three months really, I'm in a serious relationship with someone. Someone either saw the light or left for good and let me move on with my life! Either way, in three months I'm in love with a man who returns my love." By now her face was streaked with thick teardrops and her words came out as hardly more than sobs.
"And most importantly Remus! He's healthy! He's not some mutant or mixed up kid! That means this thing between us, it can work. He's proof of that!" She motioned with one shaking arm towards Teddy.
"What if he's not mine hmmm?" Remus said in frighteningly dark tone, "what if it's YOU who saw the light and finally stopped chasing after an impossible dream? And you got with a fully human man who loved you like I never could?" Though his tone was harsh, Teddy could see the thin line of tears creeping out of the corner of his eye.
"Why don't we ask him!" Tonks shouted, "Ted, is Remus your father?" Teddy stood stock still for a moment terrified of being put on the spot, fighting the urge to start sobbing himself, then managed one short, curt, nod. Lupin looked utterly shocked. He looked from Teddy to Tonks and back again.
"Yeah that's right," Tonks said, her voice cracking from tears, "turns out you aren't so wrong for me after all." And with that she turned and sped up the stairs, taking two at a time. Lupin stood for a moment, obviously still shocked, before coming to his senses.
"Nymphadora!" he called and started up the stairs after her.
Several floors above, from behind a closed door Teddy could hear the muffled retort of "don't call me that!" Beside him Victoire stifled a small giggle.
"She really does hate it as much as everybody said," but as she spoke her expression darkened. Teddy didn't say anything, nothing at all. He just sat there on the couch, clasping and unclasping his hands. Tori reached up a trembling hand and brushed his cheek before setting it on his fisted hands. Teddy was surprised to find it wet.
"You're crying Teddy," Victoire whispered.
"I didn't think it would cause so much trouble," he breathed slowly and softly, "I just wanted-" He choked off. Then he looked down and squeezed his hands tighter until his nails dug into his palms.
"A family," Victoire finished.
"Not really," Teddy looked up, "you and the Weasleys and the Potters, you guys are my family. What I wanted here is to meet my parents as my parents. To catch a glimpse of what it could have been like. I'm happy where I am, or was. But there's always that what if, you know? Do you think if Harry had the chance to meet his parents and not just meet them but have them see him as a son, that if he got that opportunity he would seize it? No matter how happy he was at the time? Just to see what could have been? That's what I wanted."