Note: And here we are, the final chapter! It is a slightly daft ending...but I don't care. =) It's very likely that there will be a fourth story in the Blood 'ficverse, so look out for that! A number of people wanted to know if I will add to A Good Impression. My answer is yes, I probably will, but only when I come up with something funny to write! As is evident from the fact that I have only ever posted a single humour fic, such an endeavour may take me a long time! I also plan to finish Meet the Lupins. A few people also asked for a sequel to Fake. I have no idea what such a story would involve right now, so at the moment I do not plan on writing one.

Thank you to everybody who has been kind enough to review this story, I hope that you enjoy the ending as much as the rest of it! I appreciate you taking the time to writing reviews for me.

I listened to A Window to the Past on repeat whilst writing this, so...if anybody wants a soundtrack for the chapter...there you have it! =)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from this piece of writing.

14: St Mungo's Hospital for Parties and Celebrations

Time dragged on, hour after hour, and come early evening Teddy found that no matter how anxious he felt, the past few days' drama were finally catching up with him, it soon became an effort to keep his eyes open. Despite his fatigue the young Gryffindor did not sleep for long, and come the third time that he awoke with a start from a nightmare, Teddy found himself desperate to stay awake. The child got groggily to his feet and headed towards the small writing desk that sat in the corner of the Weasley's sitting room, desperate for something to preoccupy his mind and keep him from dreaming.

It was another two hours until the child was discovered by his mud-stained, rather bedraggled looking godfather, and when Harry crept into the sitting room, he found that Teddy had lost his battle to stay awake, once again he had fallen asleep, this time slumped over the desk, one hand dangerously close to upsetting an open ink bottle.

The Auror tip-toed across the room and carefully rescued the ink bottle, as he lifted it from the desk a piece of parchment caught his eye.

Dear Dad...

Harry reached to carefully pull the parchment out from beneath Teddy's arm, only to hastily let go again when the child stirred and opened his eyes.

"Hi Ted," Harry greeted softly as the boy stared blearily up at him, attempting to blink the sleep from his eyes. "How're you doing?"

Teddy sat up and looked down at the letter, reaching to smooth a dog-eared corner.

"I've spoken to your mum." Harry told him after a short silence. "She's still at the hospital, but she said I could come and fetch you. We could go and give this to your dad, if you like." He gestured to the letter, and Teddy hastily picked it up, as if he were worried that Harry would see what he had written. When the boy said nothing, Harry asked:

"Does that sound like a good idea?"

"Yeah," Teddy mumble at last, and he got to his feet, still holding onto the letter as if it were made of china.

"Let's go then." Harry said, reaching to put a hand upon his godson's shoulder. As they headed for the door he asked: "D'you want me to put that somewhere safe?"

"No. I've got it."

"Okay then..."

They had paused only briefly in the kitchen to assure Molly, who was busy slicing vegetables for dinner, that Harry would let her know if there was any news, before stepping outside into the gathering darkness and then Harry had apparated them into a London backstreet.

Teddy barely noticed which roads they walked down to reach St. Mungo's Hospital, he simply concentrated on ensuring that his letter did not get too creased in the evening's breeze. Once they had entered the hospital and Harry had gone to the welcome desk to find out exactly where they needed to go, Teddy simply stood gazing at the piece of parchment, he felt no desire to take a look around the large reception room and wonder why on earth that man's head was twice it's normal size, or what had happened to make that baby's skin turn such an ugly shade of green.

"C'mon Teddy, it's this way." Teddy felt Harry's hand once again upon his shoulder and he allowed himself to be guided across the room and towards a set of double doors. As they made their way along a corridor and up a staircase, Teddy recalled the last time that he had visited the hospital. It had been under a year ago when his mother had fallen foul of a nasty curse or two. He had left Hogwarts with his father and they had gone to visit her together. Teddy had recalled being worried that Tonks would be in too dire a state for him to recognize her. He had held his father's hand as they had walked down the corridor and entered the ward. There had been so much comfort in that contact, Teddy remembered, and quite suddenly, despite Harry's hand upon his shoulder, the boy felt painfully alone.

At last they reached the third floor and at the end of the corridor they found a trio of healers clustered around a doorway. As Harry and Teddy approached, it became apparent that they were arguing.

"Look," one healer, a short man with unruly curly hair was saying as the two visitors came to a halt. "If she doesn't want to leave him to get herself looked at...well...that's up to her..."

"If she doesn't go she'll end up terribly scarred!" an elderly healer wearing a pair of huge spectacles exclaimed, and when the third healer, a young witch who looked young enough to still be in school, voiced her opinion, she was glared at furiously.

"I dunno...couldn't she just morph the scars away?"

"That's not the point!" the older witch exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration, only for the man to clear his throat meaningfully and all three of them hurriedly turned to face the newcomers, each smiling brightly.

"Can we help you?" asked the man, and Harry gave Teddy a little push forwards.

"We're here to see Mr. Lupin." the Auror explained, and Teddy couldn't help but notice the rather pained expression that the two witches exchanged.

"Are you family?"

"Yes, Teddy here is his son. I'm a friend of the family."

"Well that's a relief," the older woman said as they stepped aside to let the visitors pass. "Perhaps you might talk some sense into his wife, she won't leave his bedside and she isn't the picture of health herself..."

"She's alright." the other witch insisted, offering Teddy a reassuring smile. Teddy did not smile back.

It was a small, clinical room with plain, white walls and white tiled flooring.

Rather like his father's skin.

Remus was lying motionlessly in the bed, blankets tucked firmly around him and a mound of pillows propping up his head. His eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow and wheezing.

The only chair beside the bed was vacant, instead Tonks was perched somewhat precariously upon edge of the bed beside the werewolf, forehead resting against the side of his head, as if she too were sleeping. One hand upon the bed to stop herself sliding off onto the floor, the Head of Aurors' other hand was resting upon her husband's chest, rising and falling along with his rapid breathing.

"You're wasting your time," she mumbled as Teddy heard Harry step through the doorway after him. "I'm not going anywhere."

"So they're saying." Harry said as Teddy hurried over to the bed and grabbed hold of his father's hand in both of his own. "You're causing quite a stir, you know."

Tonks let out a small sigh, shifting a little until she could look across the bed at her son.

"I don't see why," she told Harry stubbornly. "There's nothing wrong with me."

Harry opened his mouth to argue with her, but seemingly thought better of it. Instead, he went and sat in the chair and eyed Remus worriedly.

"How's he doing?" he asked her as she reached across the bed to put her hand atop of Teddy's with a small smile and murmured greeting to the boy.

"Is he getting better?" Teddy asked, scrutinizing his father's face. He wasn't entirely sure that Remus looked much better, perhaps a little less bruised after his ordeal back in the woods, but just as lifeless. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Tonks and Harry exchange a glance, it made his stomach clench and he gripped hold of Remus' hand a little tighter.

"It's...a bit early to tell, love." Tonks told him rather uncertainly.

"But it's been hours!"

"Yes," said a voice from the doorway, and Teddy looked round to see the older woman who had been arguing with the other two healers out in the corridor. "But your father is very sick." The healer took a small step into the room, gaze upon Tonks. "Mrs. Lupin?" she said, and Tonks turned to look at her with a somewhat suspicious look. "Can I have a word with you?"

"Is it about him or me?" Tonks asked, eyes piercing, and Teddy almost found it amusing until the healer confirmed:

"It's about him."

Teddy felt her give his hand a squeeze and as she slowly eased herself up onto her feet, hunching her shoulders as she did so, Tonks told him:

"Keep on eye on Dad, won't you love?" When Teddy nodded she offered him a surprisingly bright smile and said: "That's my boy." Then she headed for the door, back hunched and pace rather slow.

"You want a moment, Ted?" Harry asked, and he too got to his feet. "I was going to go and get us all a cup of tea."

Teddy gave a small nod, and before he knew it he was alone in the room, all was quiet save for Remus' wheezing breathing. After a long minute of silence Teddy couldn't quite stand the sound, and so he retrieved his letter from his lap and leant a little closer to his father, drawing in a deep breath.

"Dad?" he whispered, glancing out into the corridor to see that his mother and the healer were stood right down the other end of the corridor, huddled together as they spoke in hushed voices. "Dad...it's me. It's Teddy...listen...Dad...I've written something. I've written this thing for you...I hope you can hear me, because I'm going to read it to you. I know it's...well it's probably not the right time for you to hear it, but I have to read it now, just in case...in case you don't wake up. Because then I'll know you heard it. I mean...we never talked about where you go...if you don't wake up...so...so just in case it's a real long way away, somewhere where you won't be able to hear me...I'm going to read it now. Okay? Okay..." he reached to wipe a tear from his eye and raised the letter up so that he could see it clearly. "Dear Dad. I have had a terrible dream. I dreamt that you were dead, and Mum wouldn't stop crying, and...and we had to have a funeral. But the thing is, Dad, it was sort of nice...because lots of people came to say goodbye to you and they all said loads of nice things about you and what a good person you were. And I think...if you don't wake up...that is going to be what it will be like. Everybody is going to be really sad and miss you lots, and they are going to say really nice things about you. I want you to remember that, Dad. Loads of people love you.

I want you to know, too, that I'm not mad at you for not telling me about the Death Eaters. I know you just wanted me to have a nice Christmas, and I'm sorry I kept telling you it wasn't very good. The truth is, Dad, it was the best Christmas ever because I got to do loads of cool stuff with you. You told me loads of great stories, I love your stories about you and Mum and the Order. I liked it when we played chess, too. I'm glad you taught me to play before Mum tried to because you are a much better teacher than she is. Speaking of teachers, Hogwarts won't be the same if you aren't there. I don't think I'll go back if you don't go with me. I'll tell Mum I want to go to Durmstrang or somewhere else. Chester thinks you are the best teacher ever, even if you keep taking points off of him because of his homework. I know I shouldn't have let him copy off of me all the time, and I'm sorry about that.

Thank you for always looking after me, Dad. I wish I had done the same for you. I was thinking the other day about what Harry said at Christmas, when he said I was just like you. The thing is, Dad, I'm not sure that he is right. I don't think I'm as brave as you, or as clever. I hope it is only because I'm young, I hope I am more like you when I am older. I will have to be as brave as you if I am going to be an Auror like Mum. I know you don't like her job very much because it is dangerous, but would you be proud of me anyway if I still decided to do it? I think you would, because Mum says the tests for Auror training are really, really hard and you have to be dead clever to pass them. Plus you always told me I should stand up for what I believe in, and that's what Aurors do all the time, they stand up to the bad guys. If I don't end up being an Auror I want to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts like you. I'll tell all the students about the Order of the Phoenix and the stories you have told me, except that one about you and Mum and the boggart. That one is for family members only. I'll tell it to my son or my daughter if I ever have one. If I do I hope I am as good a dad as you.

I really hope you wake up soon, Dad, because I need you to look after Mum and I. But if you don't, I promise I will look after Mum for you. I'll make her cheese on toast for breakfast at the weekend like you do and I'll run her bath when she gets home from work.

Do you remember how I used to joke to James and Harry that you were too old for stuff? Like when I always asked Harry to play Quidditch because you were too old? Well I want you to know that I'd rather have you as my dad than anybody else in the whole world. I don't care if we don't play Quidditch or if you don't play chase with me and the others in the woods anymore. You're still the coolest dad ever. You teach me cool spells to use at Duelling Club, you made the Marauders' Map which is the coolest thing ever created, and you used to beat up Death Eaters and hang out with an escaped convict in your spare time. If that isn't cool, I don't know what is.

There are so many other things that I could tell you, Dad, but I'm running our of room on this parchment and I can't find another sheet. So I'll just say a few things:

Thank you for being the most wonderful father anyone could ever have, thank you for keeping me safe and unafraid, thank you for coming back to us and keeping us together as a family, thank you for believing in yourself and teaching me to do the same, and thank you for loving Mum and me so much. We love you too, more than anything.

I hope you are proud of me.

With all my love,

Your son, Teddy.

There, Dad. I hope you're listening..." Teddy glanced over his shoulder out into the corridor again. Tonks and the healer seemed to be finishing their conversation, the healer turned to head for the stairs and Tonks stared after her for a long moment, before turning towards the wall, shoulders slumping as her head came to rest against the cool plaster. Even from a distance Teddy was sure that he could see her trembling with tears and where her hair had been mousy brown it was now a feeble grey. She stayed there, head bowed for a long moment until footsteps sounded on the staircase and she suddenly straightened up, hair darkening to brown with a shake of her head. When Harry appeared at the bottom of the staircase, carrying their cups of tea, she thanked him and accepted a cup with a smile. When they both turned to make their way back up the corridor towards him, Teddy hastily turned back to Remus, pretending he hadn't been watching. Once they were all back in the room, plastic cups of tea in their hands, Tonks came to perch at Teddy's side, lips pursed together thoughtfully as she regarded his silent vigil.

"So..." she said after several minutes of silence. "The healer and I have had a little chat about Dad."

"What did she say?" Teddy asked, not daring to look round at her. He was not entirely sure that he would like what he would see, nor what he was going to hear, but he knew he had no choice but to ask.

"She said he's getting better."

Teddy immediately turned to face her. He had not been expecting her to say that, though he was not sure how truthful she was being, her expression was far from glad.

"That's great...isn't it?"

"Yeah," At last a small smile touched his mother's lips and she reached to rest her hand upon his father's arm. "It's really great..." she sighed heavily and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "The thing is, Teddy...the thing is...just because Dad's getting better, doesn't mean he's going to...well..." she trailed off and sighed again. Teddy stared at her with wide eyes, and she reached to put her arm around him. "That poison, Teddy, that Dad keeps coughing up, is very nasty stuff...and the healer says that it'll take a few days to clear it from his lungs and make him better. But the thing is, love...even if the poison get's cleared away...well it's already done quite a lot of damage. Dad's lungs...well they're not looking so healthy right now. They're all...weak and...thin. And that means there's a chance they might...well...tear..."
"T...tear?"

"Yeah...they could tear or rip or something...and...well then Dad won't be able to breath properly...he'll suffocate."

There was a long pause as if Tonks was waiting for Teddy to give some sort of reaction, but he could do nothing but stare at her mutely.

"Now the healers can fix Dad's lungs, they're dead clever like that. There's this potion...what they do is they boil it and Dad can inhale the steam...but the thing is, love, they can't do that until all the poison is gone. So...until then...well we just have to hope Dad's lungs don't give up on him, okay?"

Teddy gave a sniff and reached to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"Okay." he whispered.

Teddy had dosed off to sleep again within half an hour, and when he awoke again with a start, having watched a coffin being lowered into the earth amongst a crowd of crying friends and relatives, he was shocked to feel a hand upon his shoulder and a hoarse voice rasped:

"It's alright...Ted...it was...just a dream."

Teddy sat bolt upright and turned to find Remus watching him through heavy, sunken eyes.

"Dad! You're awake!" the boy made to throw his arms around his father, only to think better of it at the last minute, reaching to take hold of his hand instead. Remus' mouth twitched in a poor imitation of a smile.

"I've been...awake for a while." he told his son slowly, pausing to gasp for breath between words. "Your mother w...wanted to wake you. I said...she should let you sleep."

Teddy glanced across the bed, only to find that Tonks was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is she?" he asked, only to wince at the sound of the werewolf's hacking cough. It took some time for Remus to recover enough to attempt a reply.

"She's...gone to see...somebody about her back. She didn't...w...want to go. But I...threatened to...sing opera."

Despite a fresh wave of coughing to leave his father slumped back against his pillows, eyes drifting shut wearily, Teddy couldn't help but grin.

"What about Harry?"

Remus was too busy coughing to answer, but he managed to shake his head.

"He's gone home." Teddy guessed, shuddering to see tar-like black bile seeping from the werewolf's lips.

"I hear...you've been...beating up Death E...ters y...yourself." Remus said at last, and it was just then that Teddy noticed that his letter was lying upon his father's lap. "Y...your mother says...she's never seen a better...f...full body bind."

Teddy felt his cheeks redden, embarrassed at the praise.

"I dunno..." he mumbled, shifting in his seat. "It was scary..."

"It was."

"You were awake?"

The werewolf frowned into the blacks of his eyelids.

"Maybe." he mumbled, as if he wasn't really sure.

Teddy reached to grasp a corner of the sheet and reached to wipe the tar from his father's chin. Remus didn't seem to notice, and Teddy wondered if he had fallen asleep. But quite suddenly he drew in a wheezing breath and murmured:

"You were...very brave. I'm...proud of you."

Teddy smiled and reached to wipe away another tear upon the sleeve of his jumper.

"Thanks Dad," he whispered, and they sat in silence for a long few minutes until Teddy remembered an important question that he wanted to ask. "Dad?" he said, shifting up the bed a little so that he could study Remus' face intently. "I need to ask you something."

"Mm?"

"What happens...when we die? Like...where do we go?" Teddy waited for an answer, biting his lip in anticipation.

Remus said:

"Mm."

Teddy reached to give his shoulder a little shake.

"Dad? Where do we go?"

"Mmm..."

"Dad don't fall asleep! I need you to tell me...Dad?"

Remus made no response, and Teddy sighed heavily.

"Please don't fall asleep," the boy whispered miserably, reaching to hug his father's arm to his chest. "I didn't ask you everything yet, and I need to tell you I love you, just in case..."

"He'll wake up again soon."

Teddy turned to find Tonks stood in the doorway, standing visibly straighter than she had done so earlier that night.

"You can talk to him then, love," she said as she walked to take a seat in the chair that Harry had sat in when Teddy had dosed off to sleep. "Don't expect him to talk back much, though. Healer Gillard says he's not to strain himself."

"We talked quite a lot."

"Yeah? Well I'm going to talk a lot when he wakes up again. All about just what I'm going to do if he doesn't start listening to healer's orders."

Teddy sniggered and reached to retrieve his letter and set it down upon the bedside table.

"He spent a lot of time looking at that." Tonks told him, and for some reason Teddy felt embarrassed again. He was glad that his mother did not comment any further, but was not pleased by what else she had to tell him. "He wants me to send you back to Hogwarts."

Teddy turned to fix her with a horrified stare.

"What?"

"And I think he has a good point..."

"No!" Teddy jumped to his feet, dropping Remus' arm so that it hung from the bed at what Teddy didn't think was an entirely natural angle. "I won't go! You can't make me!"

Tonks got swiftly to her feet and strode around the bed until she was stood beside him.

"Shh!" she hissed, reaching to carefully lift Remus' arm back onto the bed, frowning when the wizard stirred in his sleep. "Listen, Teddy," she said, turning to fix her son with a firm look. "Your Dad and I have already talked about it. In fact it was one of the first things he mentioned when he woke up earlier..."

"I'm not going back to school!" Teddy insisted, folding his arms firmly across his chest, only for Tonks to put her arms around him and hug him tightly.

"You know, when I told him how many hours you'd been sitting there next to him, Dad was very upset. He doesn't want you to sit here and watch him all day long, love. He's worried...about something going wrong."

"What..." Teddy said, trying to turn to look over at Remus again. "He's worried what? That I'm gonna see him suddenly die?"

There was a long pause that Teddy suspected meant yes, that's exactly what he's worried about, before Tonks asked him:

"Don't you think it'll be better if you went back to school? At least for a little? That way Dad doesn't have to worry about you, and the less worry he has right now the better."

Teddy sighed heavily, burying his face in his mother's shoulder. He could not imagine what it would be like to go back to Hogwarts now, to sit in lessons and eat lunch with Chester and his friends, knowing that his father could be alive when one lesson began and dead by the time it had finished...

Remus stirred again, and slowly his eyes drifted open once again. He stared somewhat blankly at his wife and son for a long moment, before smiling weakly.

"Wotcher love," Tonks said over Teddy's shoulder, smiling back at him. "I was just telling Teddy about going back to Hogwarts."

"You've got...a party...to organize." Remus whispered, and for a long moment Teddy didn't know what he was talking about. "Chester won't forgive you...if you...aren't there." It was then that Teddy remembered the deal that Chester had struck with the new Head of Gryffindor on their first evening back at Hogwarts. He turned to regard his father, lying in bed, still smiling up at him, and it occurred to Teddy that this was a good memory to have. Dad smiling. It would make a good last memory, if it had to come to that...

Better than the alternative, a crowd of panicking healers and Merlin knew what else...

"Will you save me...some chocolate?" Remus asked him, still smiling despite his wheezing, and Teddy knew then that there was only one thing to do: exactly what he father asked him to.

"Course I will, Dad." he said, and he delighted in Remus' smile growing before his eyes drifted shut again with a soft splutter.

Professor McGonnogal arrived first thing the following morning. Teddy was sent off to fetch his mother a cup of tea. At first she had requested coffee, only to rapidly change her mind because, for some reason the Head of Aurors couldn't quite fathom, her husband seemed dead set against such a choice of beverage. When Teddy returned some minutes later, he found the headmistress and his mother clustered around Remus' bed as the three of them spoke together in hushed voices. Teddy gave his mother a hug goodbye and then went to hug his father too. He wondered just what he should say to him, but Remus beat him to it:

"We don't go anywhere." he whispered, drawing back slightly and reaching to press a hand to Teddy's chest. "No matter...what happens to me...I'll stay right...here."

Teddy was determined not to cry, so he swallowed hard and nodded his understanding.

"Right here." he echoed, reaching forward to press his own hand to his father's chest, the steady heartbeat beneath his fingers comforting to him. They hugged once more, briefly, and Teddy was glad that he remembered to tell his father that he loved him.

Teddy had been right about going back to school. From the moment that he followed the Headmistress out of his father's room at the hospital, it didn't feel right. But he put on a brave face, because it was what Remus had wanted.

He'd skipped most of his lessons on the first day, and all but two on the second. None of the teachers seemed to notice, or if they did they didn't care, not even when Chester decided to skip double potions on the second afternoon to keep Teddy company.

"He could drop dead, Ches, at any minute." Teddy told his best friend for the sixth time that day.

The two boys had gone to sit upon the edge of the lake, Chester was busy throwing stones into the water as Teddy stared aimlessly at the ever growing circles of ripples that appeared as they hit the surface.

"I dunno, Teddy mate." Chester said uncertainly, not even sure how he ought pitch his voice, let alone what would be a useful thing to say. "I don't reckon he will. I reckon...I mean I know he's gonna be okay."

Teddy resisted the urge to ask how in Merlin's name Chester could "know", because despite the pointlessness of the statement the young metamorphmagus was grateful that his friend was trying. Instead he tried to distract himself with a topic that Chester would no doubt find easier to talk about.

"He says I have to save him some chocolate. You know, from the party? Mum gave me twenty galleons to buy sweets and stuff."

"Twenty galleons?"

"Yeah, cool isn't it?"

From Chester's expression, Teddy imagined that this was quite possibly the coolest thing that his best friend had ever heard, but quite suddenly Chester paused in his rock throwing and told Teddy:

"I told the others the party was canceled."

"That's okay," Teddy assured him, leaning back upon the grass and staring up at the cloudy sky. "We can just un-cancel it."

"Actually," Chester said, "I had a better idea. I was thinking...well...we can't have a party for our new Head of House if he isn't going to be there to yell at us when we get too loud and send us all off to bed, can we?"

Teddy wondered why Chester sounded so cheery whilst pointing out this fact.

"I guess not." he agreed heavily, and frowned when Chester grinned.

"Teddy," Chester said, jumping to his feet. "I have a really cool idea!"

It was seven o'clock in the evening when a healer came into Remus' room with a letter that had been addressed to him in vaguely familiar, messy handwriting. The professor allowed his wife to open the envelope, unfold the letter and read it to him aloud.

"Dear Profess Lupin,

Since you have been taken ill, Gryffindor House has held a meeting in our common room and we have decided to postpone the party which was to be held on Saturday evening. We have come to the conclusion that we cannot possibly risk throwing a party whilst our Head of House is not here to keep an eye on us all. We do not want to risk the wrath of Professor McGonnogal and ruin our chances of winning the House Cup.

Please be aware that Professor Addlesford is teaching your classes whilst you are away, and as fond as we are of her, we are not entirely convinced that she knows exactly what she is talking about. The fourth years would like to know if you agree with them that being able to draw an anatomically accurate cornish pixie is in no way even slightly beneficial to their magical education, and the first years ask if they may ignore the homework she has set them on red caps because even the most stupid of Slytherins know that we don't study them until our second year. Please come back to work as soon as possible.

We understand that you are very unwell, however, so do not come back too quickly because we would like our Head of House returned to us in full working order. It may be some time until you are back here at Hogwarts and so we have sent the Head Girl to speak to the Headmistress about a little school trip that we would like to organize. It shall be a landmark event in Hogwarts history, the first ever outing for students outside of Hogsmeade village! As you know, we here in Gryffindor House are not the most patient of students (not to name names, but the Bennet twins, Chester Burton and Rory Dipper might spring to mind,) and we don't think that we can wait long enough to have the party that you promised. Since it is vital that you are around to oversee the proceedings, we have decided that if you cannot come to our party, we will bring our party to you.

Enclosed is a parental consent form, please sign and return it so that Teddy can join the rest of us at our party to celebrate the fact that we have a brilliant new Head of House.

Sincerely,

The Students of Gryffindor House

PS. Please thank Mrs. Lupin for her generous contribution to our party fund. We have persuaded Professor Flitwick to visit Honeydukes for us."

When inspected, Tonks discovered the consent form to read:

I, _ do hereby give permission to my son/daughter/ward, _ to attend the following school event.

Event: Gryffindor House's Head of House Celebration

Place: The Visitor's Cafe, St. Mungo's Hospital

Date: To be confirmed by the Head Healer of the Poisons Department at St. Mungo's Hospital, dependent on Professor Lupin's rate of recovery.

Signature of Parent/Gaurdian: _

Minerva McGonnogal had never received such a swift response from a group of students who had each been presented with a blank consent form, and as the signed pieces of parchment began to pile up on her desk the Headmistress of Hogwarts was beginning to wonder if she was making a big mistake. There was a reason why nothing like this trip had ever been seen before in the school's history: It was madness. Complete and utter madness.

And to take a group of students...a bunch of rowdy Gryffindors, no less...into a hospital...!

As she continued to tick names off a list, grimacing at a couple of them and feeling downright despairing at a few others, she couldn't help but feel that Dumbledore would have approved.

The date was finally set a week later, when it was reported that the poison had finally been cleared from Remus' lungs and he was beginning the final stages of treatment. Teddy had been to visit a couple of times and, though still rather short of breath, he was delighted to find that his father could manage full sentences in a single breath and had taken to having a single nap in the afternoon rather than one that seemed to last almost all day long. He had even laughed quite merrily when Teddy had told him about the students' disastrous attempt to hold Duelling Club without him – the Great Hall had been reduced to something resembling a rather upper class junk shop and by the time Professor McGonnogal was done with them each student found themselves in detention every night for a week.

The party itself, though quite an alarming spectacle for the staff and visitors of St. Mungo's Hospital, passed in a rush of sugar, laughter and cheerful frivolity and the Headmistress was just beginning to think that she was going to get away with her short bout of insanity when, whilst she had disappeared out into the corridor for a brief moment of peace, chaos ensued.

At the sudden whooshing noise, Tonks looked up from the paper plate that she was busy rolling up into a tight tube. Her eyes widened.

"Umm...Remus?" she called, eyes fixed upon the scene before her as she reached with a blind hand to tap her husband sharply on the shoulder.

From his position sat just beside her in a wheelchair, Remus opened his eyes, giving himself a little shake to wake himself up.

He wondered why he bothered. The sight that met his eyes was more than enough to jerk him fully awake.

"Oh Merlin..." the professor breathed.

It was as though a snowstorm of red and gold glitter had suddenly swept into the cafe. It was so thick that Remus could barely make out the figures stood in the middle of it, a blurry mass of cheering Gryffindor students.

"Where's Minerva?" he wondered aloud, and Tonks shrugged.

"No idea. So...that's gotta be worth at least a month's detention, right? What are you gonna do?"

Remus squinted into the midst of red and gold, and he was sure that in the center, bobbing up and down in time to the Weird Sisters that had begun to blare out of...he wasn't quite sure where, was a shock bright turquoise hair.

The professor smiled.

"I'm going to go back to bed." he decided, and with that the two Lupins made a discreet move towards the door.

Note: Yes, it's a silly ending but it was FUN, so *blows raspberry!* I hope you enjoyed this story! Thank you for reading! And to those of you who take the time, thank you for reviewing too! =)