Warnings:Drama coming up now!

Chapter seven

Something changes between them after that and Sirius finds himself thinking more often about Teddy. He wonders if he is poring over books like Remus used to, or maybe he is having a last laugh with his friends before leaving Hogwarts, it is funny how children grow up.

He also finds it funny how having Teddy inside him had opened up dams of nostalgia; it had always been only Remus he had allowed to take him, and the fact that he finds the thought of Teddy wanting him to such an extent so desirable makes him realise that this is more than what he had originally bargained for. Not even in a bad way; he actually is starting to want this more and more.

Then Molly, though good-hearted has to go shattering the illusion of their relationship and asking Harry if he doesn't think it is somewhat strange that Teddy, a boy of this age and time has not yet brought home a 'a nice, sweet girl' for them to meet.

Sirius knows he has been pushing back all feelings of guilt and the thoughts like 'maybe this is wrong' or 'what the hell are we even doing'. Teddy is young and vibrant and still able to be an utter romantic. Sirius just is not. The thought consumes him and he finds himself thinking about all the alternatives that their relationship is preventing Teddy from exploring.

"Is everything alright with you?" Teddy asks him through the two-way mirror and Sirius can see the shimmering snitches on curtains around him; Teddy is surprisingly very good with decorative spells.

"Yes. Of course it is." Teddy frowns at that.

"Sirius, I know that when you say that, it means something is definitely wrong. Talk to me, come on." Sirius does consider telling him what Molly has been saying but what is the point?

"—should have seen his face when I sucked him off." Sirius's gaze snaps towards the mirror and he sees the grin on Teddy's face when he realises that he had zoned out. He does scowl though.

"Which 'he' are we talking about here? Is there any need for some young bones to be broken?" Teddy laughs raucously at him and Sirius finds himself calming down.

"Got your attention, didn't it? You have nothing to fear from the younglings, they do not hold a candle to one as mighty as yourself," he says in an exaggerated tone before sobering up, "but seriously, you know I've only got eyes for you. Sometimes I don't understand how the girls in this school actually end up with any of these boys." Sirius grins at the unsaid 'Nobody here is good enough'.

"Is that your way of telling me how much you miss this gentleman?" Teddy smiles slyly at that.

"The sexy, old man's body is more like it." Sirius's mouth almost drops at that.

"You little prat! Just wait till I get my hands on you."

"I'll be waiting." Teddy replies with a wink. Sirius grins when Teddy vanishes; Molly Weasley can go to hell, she's got enough sons to deal with meeting 'a nice, sweet girl'.

OOooOO

When Teddy does leave Hogwarts, landing a job becomes his priority as it should. But Sirius can see him getting anxious with time after time of rejections despite his best efforts to appear his usual playful self. Sometimes Sirius thinks he is only free from worry when the moon is full and his mind is more animalistic than the complicated human one.

He is certainly one determined young man, Sirius realises when Teddy refuses to give in and continues looking for ways to end up as the 'bloody, best Curse-breaker ever'.

"Why a Curse-breaker?" Ron asks Teddy curiously once, earning a thoughtful look from him.

"I dunno, maybe it's the danger element, y'know?" he says and continues, "But part of it is because—because Goblins don't judge you for being a werewolf." It gives Sirius the kind of hope that he had lost when Remus had been young and turned away so many times.

Teddy, he thinks, might just be able to have his way after all; his youthfulness and stubborn drive is infectious and Sirius finds himself along with some of the family always encouraging Teddy. Unfortunately, he is also Remus's son and as such, does find the idea of any influence of the names Black or Potter unwelcome.

"What in the world were you doing?" Sirius asks with a raised brow one time when he enters Teddy's flat, pizza boxes in hand-a mushroom just for Teddy and a barbeque for himself-and the young man jumps as he quickly turns the telly off muttering something and Sirius grins. "What was that?"

"I didn't think you'd be back so early." Teddy tries to dissuade him as he takes the boxes from Sirius. "You didn't forget the extra toppings, did you?" Sirius places a hand on his heart.

"You wound me," he replies, "to think that this is what I get, and after all the trouble I went to for your extra mushroom toppings too." Teddy rolls his eyes.

"Since when is using your masculine charm so much trouble, you perverted old man?" Sirius swats the air as Teddy ducks and makes his way into the kitchen for plates as he cackles loudly. "Old age will do that to you, maybe you need glasses."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Sirius shouts at his retreating form and shakes his head and rolls his shoulders to relieve the stiffness; maybe he is getting old. He sighs and grabs the remote from the sofa as he grins; Teddy had obviously been watching dirty videos. That boy!

Sirius is surprised when the telly comes on and sits down comfortably with a grin. Oh, this is just too good; he is going to give Teddy such a hell of a time. Teddy returns, whistling and stops abruptly when he sees the telly on. He groans.

"Aww, come on," he says when he sees Sirius grinning madly, "shut up. Don't say a word, I'm serious." Sirius increases the volume and falls back laughing.

"Oh. Oh, Teddy, you're just so—" he breaks off chuckling as the pink-clad girl lands a blow on the large robot that topples backwards and presumably dies. He seals his lips shut at Teddy's scowl.

"Alright, look, I'm not belittling your taste—"

"You better not!" Teddy interrupts before turning the telly off by the button on the machine itself and then turns to Sirius with his arms crossed. "You will forget that this ever happened. And eat. Don't say a word." Sirius nods and Teddy warily takes a seat beside the older man. A minute later-

"Teddy—"

"No, I don't want to hear anything."

"I'm just saying—" Sirius stuffs his own slice of pizza into his mouth to shut him, "—that it's absolutely okay to watch Power Rangers in secret. Or you know, not in secret is also fine," he adds. Teddy gobbles down the slice and smacks him in the arm.

"No one should know," he says in a serious tone and Sirius nods before kissing his cheek, overcome with a sudden bout of affection.

"Of course they won't, love," Sirius reassures him and does not think too much about the slip of the endearment. "If it makes you feel any better, I do find it dreadfully cute." Teddy scowls and swats him in the arm again.

"Don't go calling the werewolf cute!" Sirius rubs his arm.

"Such violent tendencies," he says easily, "the things I endure for you." Teddy smiles widely and pats his arm.

"You poor, old thing."

"You little wanker!"

OOooOO

Teddy tries keeping his spirits up, most of the time it isn't too difficult but after months of rejection, he finds himself falling into bouts of depression again. He really does not do depression well; he snaps at everyone, feels the anger threaten to overwhelm him and make him want to just crush every offending person like bugs and the world just looks bleak all around. He hates this feeling.

On a Tuesday like this Teddy is throwing a ball made out of a crumpled rejection letter and summoning it before throwing it again as he ponders on the hopelessness of his future. He can't get help from his godfather, he just can't. It is hard to explain it to somebody, even Sirius so he doesn't. He is related to all these people whose lives and names are on pages of books and yet sometimes he realises that he honestly cannot relate to the way they talk of the war, of almost anything. He is always 'Harry Potter's godson' or 'Remus Lupin's son' or something along those lines. He just wants to be Teddy Lupin.

Then Sirius shoves his MacBook on to his lap with a manic grin and Teddy is forcefully pulled up from his spot on the sofa where he had been drowning in his misery.

"We're going to America," Sirius announces and Teddy stares at him gob smacked.

"What?" But Sirius does not let him gather his thoughts before he finds himself packing a bag and by evening rushing between Muggles to catch a plane—an actual fucking Muggle airplane—with Sirius jogging right before him.

"Mental," Teddy wheezes out when they are seated in a place that is nothing like what Uncle Ron has described to him, "absolutely fucking crazy." Sirius catches his breath before leaning over and kissing him on the cheek.

"You're welcome. First class seats," he adds when Teddy looks around interestedly. He adjusts his seat and retrieves the remote controller making Teddy's eyes go round.

"Seriously?" Sirius nods and Teddy leans back with a blissful look. "Whoever said money can't buy happiness is an idiot." Sirius laughs right until they take off.

They have basically run away from home without telling anybody; as if they have eloped like a starry-eyed young couple. It almost feels like pretend honeymoon bliss, Teddy thinks on Thursday as he lies lazily on the expensive sofa that feels wonderful under his back, his legs propped up on Sirius's knees as the man solves a crossword intently, sucking the end of the pen occasionally before jotting the words down. Teddy stares at Sirius's handsome features now that he has gotten a proper haircut. His hands itch to finger through the dark hair.

"Sometimes, Teddy, you make me feel so young," Sirius tells him in an unguarded moment as Teddy is almost drowning in the blissful softness of the bed that night. He does however, look at Sirius at that and the man has a thoughtful gaze directed at him.

"Young?" Teddy asks and Sirius's brows draw together before answering.

"Young. Alive." That is all he says before roughly pulling him in to kiss the top of his head and ruffle his turquoise hair.

They rent a motorcycle that is almost as big as Sirius's one and Sirius lets him have a go after which Teddy lets Sirius drive them around. He wraps his arms around his torso and as he rests his cheek against Sirius's shoulder blades, he finds himself smiling because it will get better; he is going to give it a try again.

OOooOO

"Well, a man could get used to this," Sirius says, a slow smile curving his lips as he blatantly stares at Teddy's back as the younger man mutters to himself while dressing himself in front of the mirror. Teddy pauses and smiles at his image in the mirror. Damn! The formal-casual look really is really rather fetching on him.

"You just want to get into my pants again, don't you?" Teddy states with a glance in his direction and Sirius waggles his eyebrows. "Dirty old man."

"Oi! Who're you calling old, Teddy, dear?" he asks in mock seriousness, "and yes, to answer your question, I am planning on it—" Teddy rolls his eyes, "—what? I see no reason to lie." Teddy chuckles at him lightly before grabbing a blue tube of hair-gel. Sirius watches him for a few seconds and then shifts, head resting in the crook of his elbow.

"Nervous?" he asks conversationally and Teddy spares him a look before shrugging.

"Nah, not really." Sirius almost smiles at that. Definitely a lie if he ever saw one. He shifts and props himself up on an elbow.

"Hey, come here for a second." Teddy looks at the mirror, his hand still holding the unopened tube. Sirius moves the bed sheet covering part of his leg and pats the space beside him. "Come on now, I don't bite. Unless I'm really in the mood." he adds with a wink. Teddy drops the tube on his dressing table and sits down beside Sirius.

"What?" he asks in a slightly gruff tone.

"Don't 'what' me, young man," Sirius replies easily and reaches out with his free hand to twine their fingers. "Look, what are you so scared of? You have the 'O's, you're brilliant at practically everything —"

"Except brewing potions—" Teddy injects and Sirius tightens his hand with a serious look.

"Teddy," he admonishes and looks at him earnestly, "I know the things you've been told about the ministry but believe me, it's not like it used to be twenty years back." He pauses, abandoned memories of Remus tugging painfully at his heart—Remus pulling on his own hair in frustration, Remus kicking at their door and apologizing, Remus quiet and resigned after every encounter with the bigoted world of magic.

"They're a lot more lenient with werewolves now." Teddy still has his jaws clenched as if scared of what might come out if he dares open his mouth. "What have you got to lose anyway?" Teddy looks at him and Sirius let go of his hand in favour of pulling him in for a light kiss. Teddy's shoulders relax slightly and they break apart. Teddy is smiling.

"I guess you're right," he says and Sirius smiles smugly.

"Of course I'm right. Aren't I always?" he replies and Teddy laughs as he pushes away from Sirius and stands in front of the mirror again.

"Is kissing your way of trying to convince everybody that you're always right?" he asks as he squirts out a blob of gel and rubs it between his hands expertly. Sirius watches his fingers at work and then looked at the younger man's reflection.

"Only with you," Sirius tells him with a sly smile before sobering up, "this isn't like you, Teddy." Teddy stares at his hands for a second before grinning as he looks up to meet Sirius's eyes in the mirror.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Since when have I given a rat's arse about what anyone thinks of me?" he continues to grin and run his hands through his hair, smoothing the gel evenly.

"Edward Lupin!" Sirius exclaims in a perfect imitation of Andromeda and Teddy snorts. Sirius tilts his head to look at Teddy as he smooths his brown hair back with a comb; the effect is startling actually. "You know, you actually do look like an 'Edward'," he tells the nineteen year-old who wrinkles his nose as he turns back.

"Oh God, no; not you too," Teddy moans. "I resent that," he adds as he turns back to see his reflection in the mirror. He really does look different, not like a whole new person but…good; even he has to admit that. He smiles and is about to make a pass at Sirius when he catches sight of Sirius in the mirror.

The mix of wonder, longing and something akin to pain on his strong features has Teddy's smile disappearing.

"Sirius?" As if waking up from a trance, Sirius's eyes clears and he looks away, swallowing before pushing himself up. In three seconds flat Sirius has summoned his clothes and is quickly buttoning his shirt. "Sirius?" Teddy repeats, alarmed at the sudden change.

"I have to go," Sirius says in a rush as he stands up and buttons his trousers.

"What—"

"You have an interview, I shouldn't be keeping you." He doesn't even look up as he glances around the room to check if he had left anything and then with a word of farewell strides to the door and pulls it open.

Teddy stares at the open door through which Sirius has just left until he hears his front door close. What had just happened?

He looks down to see his hands shaking slightly.

OOooOO

"Moons."

"Stop that, Sirius."

"Moaning Moony, like the Moaning Myrtle—"

"Sirius!" the look that Remus throws at Sirius makes his grin widen further and he continues lying down on his stomach and proceeds to flick his wand towards Remus's book causing another page to flip. He is about to repeat it yet again when Remus sends a nonverbal stinging hex at his hand and he yelps as his wand clatters on to the floor.

"Oi! You git!" Sirius shouts as the werewolf flicks his wand and seals the curtains on his bed from outside. He can hear Remus shuffling to find his page as he speaks up in amusement.

"Don't know why I put up with immature idiots like you." Sirius grins from behind the curtains as he contemplates tearing them apart.

"Obviously, it's your undying love for me, Moon-Moon," he replies as he rests his head on the crook of his elbow with an easy smile; he can almost feel Remus's smile from inside.

"Obviously," Remus agrees. "But can you refrain from coming up with such daft variations of my name?"

"No. That can't happen, my dear sweet—" Sirius tears open the curtains with his bare hand and bounds down to lie beside Remus on the dormitory floor, "—bookworm-y little Moony."

Remus groans and pushes Sirius's hand away when he ruffles his hair, "God, not you too. I like reading; it doesn't make me a 'bookworm'. I resent being called that," he says in a tone that is considered vehement for Remus.

Sirius blinks once before deciding that 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' has spent far too much time in Remus's hands and pulls it out gently enough not to cause any crease or tear in it and places it carefully under Remus's bed in front of them.

"And I absolutely love how you say that," he tells the werewolf as he tugs at the brown hair and pulls him in for a light brush of lips before running his tongue along the seam of those sinful lips. "You can be such a posh little boy sometimes."

AN: Thank you everyone for the support!Hope you enjoy this long installment! :)