A/N: Uhoh, guess you guys are going to be a bit ornery with me...

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything you recognize. c:

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The New Dawning

Chapter Thirteen: Unexpected Revelations

"For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." ~Stuart Chase.

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February 10, 2000

Harry wasn't quite sure how it happened, but Teddy's vocabulary had suddenly boomed and the boy became more talkative than ever. Andromeda had laughed when he Floo'd to her house crying about how their little Teddy was a genius, and then proceeded to ruin his fun by telling him that children usually gain a little more confidence around this age and he'd probably always known those words. She sent them off after lunch with a knowing smile, muttering about 'first time parents'. (Which Harry was rather sore about, as Andy herself had only had one child!)

"Don't worry, buddy," Harry told Teddy conversationally. "I think you're a genius."

"I think you're a genius!" Teddy parroted happily, playing with the strings on Harry's coat.

"If only," Harry muttered under his breath, plopping a kiss on his godson's now-black hair. When he'd first brought Teddy to La Push, he'd been afraid the boy would blow their cover by suddenly changing his hair or eye color while they were out. He'd come to learn, however, that it took a long time for kids this young to change their appearance: when Harry noticed the boy changing his hair color, he'd have an hour or so before he really had to worry.

He also explained away the constantly different hair colors by his godson's love of non-toxic Halloween hairspray. That wasn't strictly true, of course, but nobody who mattered would be able to realize that. All of his friends were in on the secret now – Seth, Paul, and Leah were all somewhat magical themselves. And nobody else usually noticed, save for the man who could be seen shoveling the sidewalks in the afternoon when Harry took Teddy down to the diner for lunch.

"Black today?" said man called cheerfully, waving.

"Black today," Harry responded, letting Teddy wave at him. Shortly afterward, he had his godson's cold nose pressed against the warm juncture of his neck and shoulder. "Ah! Teddy," he complained, instinctively bringing his shoulder up to shield the little area. The boy was giggling wildly, continuing to press his chilly face there. "Little monster," Harry griped good-naturedly. "Where'd your scarf go?"

"Bye-bye," Teddy responded innocently, and Harry knew the boy had stripped it off somewhere along the way.

"You're going to catch a cold," Harry fretted, shifting Teddy to his other hip as they entered the diner.

"Nuh-uh!" Teddy protested. "You ah my scawf!"

Harry grinned, nuzzling his cheek against the little boy's, before asking him what he wanted. When they were finished ordering, Harry carried the tray in one hand and his feet automatically led the duo to their usual seat...which was occupied by Paul.

"Knew you'd be here," Paul shrugged, eying Teddy with something akin to curiosity and distaste all in one. Harry had realized a week or so ago that Paul seemed to not be a kid person, which turned Harry off of him almost immediately. "Have you been avoiding me or something?"

Harry placed Teddy on the inside of the booth, then slid in next to him, a little guilty. "Kind of," he admitted – he couldn't lie, even the scar on his hand said that much.

Paul looked incredibly hurt. "What? Why? Did I do something?"

Harry chewed his lip, then shook his head. "No, you didn't. You just...Paul, you don't like kids. I do. Teddy is my godson and I'm working on adopting him. How could a relationship between us ever work if you didn't like children?"

Not to mention I plan to have a couple more, Harry thought distractedly. It might not be for years, but someday he'd have a family of his own – even if it wasn't with the girl he'd originally thought it would be with.

Paul looked at his plate, and then up under his eyebrows at Harry. "I need to tell you something."

"Well, tell me, then," Harry grumbled distractedly, working to free Teddy of his coat and gloves.

"I imprinted on you."

"What does that mean?" Harry wondered, vaguely remembering the word from one of the legends. It had something to do with a wolf and a non-wolf, but what, exactly, he couldn't tell you.

"It means...umm.. Imprinting is when a wolf first sees their soul mate," Paul murmured in a fast voice, but Harry was used to people talking quickly. He'd learned out of necessity, because Hermione would talk at three times the normal speed when she was interested in something.

"What?" Harry gaped, trying to decide whether or not to put Teddy's coat and gloves back on and leave or wait for Paul to explain. He opted for the explanation route, as he'd probably get the explanation while attempting to flee, anyways.

"Er...yeah. Sam and Emily are imprinted," Paul said, avoiding Harry's eyes. "Imprinting is the best thing that could happen to us, 'cause otherwise we might settle down with someone who wasn't our imprint and then be forced to leave them if we ever imprinted. It physically hurts us – and our imprints – to be away from each other for too long."

Harry's eyes narrowed, remembering those long four or five months while he was in the hospital and none of the Healers could explain why he had chest pains, and how the longer he'd been away the worse it hurt... right up until he reentered La Push. At the time, he'd thought that he'd just become attached to the reservation and his body instinctively knew that he was going home. But if what Paul was saying was true...

"In your chest?" Harry whispered.

Paul traced the area where it had hurt him, and Harry watched the fingers with avid interest. What Paul was saying couldn't possibly be true, there was no such thing as 'imprinting', no bonding at first sight... it was cliché, just a legend...

"It's not possible," Harry said out loud, turning to prod Teddy into eating some more of his food. "And if it was, why wouldn't you have told me before?" he demanded, his mind coming to the conclusion that Paul was just trying to stop Harry from avoiding him. "Why only now that I don't want to see you?"

Paul's eyes widened at the blurted question, and then narrowed, and he tried his best to not get angry. After a handful of deep breaths, he succeeded. "Because I was in denial," he murmured. "I...the legends say that you imprint on the one who can pass on the wolf gene the easiest and the one who you're most compatible with. But...there's only ever been two cases of a male imprinting on a male, and both of those were long-thought to be myths. We...well, the creatures were said to be able to get pregnant, and everyone knows guys can't get pregnant."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Do you? One of my friends is pregnant right now, and he's a male," he informed Paul, thinking of the letter he'd gotten from Dean and Seamus last week. "I can get pregnant."

Not that he'd ever thought of it as a possibility before now – Harry had always been under the impression that he was straight, but Paul had changed that in him. Of course, he'd only kissed and cuddled with the man for a a week and a half or so before beginning to avoid him, so maybe he was straight..

"Y-you can?" Paul's eyes darkened. "I...need to think. I need to...I need to.." he jumped up, muttering to himself as he left the diner.

Neither boy was quite sure what had gotten into them. Harry wondered why he was so adamant about not liking men, when quite obviously he'd liked Paul. Paul wasn't sure why he was so against men being pregnant, why it was such a shock to him. If werewolves and shapeshifters and vampires and wizards existed, why couldn't men get pregnant?

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A/N: Don't worry, both of them will come to their senses by, on, or before Teddy's birthday (April 16). Oh, that's too far away? D: Sorrrrrry. :c

LAST CHAPTER: as with many of you, I will choose both Fred AND George...because Fred and George without Fred is just "and George" and Fred and George without George is just "Fred and", and isn't that sad?

NEW QUESTION: What is your opinion on authors who like to write twins? (I admit, I have a 'multiple' problem..those of you who remember my story Who We Are will remember that Bella and Edward had quintuplets, a singleton, triplets, a singleton. Yup. Multiple problem.)...

...this is not to say that Harry and Paul, when they finally come 'round, will have anything more than a singleton. It's not to say they'll even HAVE a singleton...just asking. c: