Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. No money is made from this.

Chapter 4 - Of tantrums and Aunt Marge

Predictably Teddy was grumpy as can be the next day and Ginny knew the decision they had made wouldn't change that. In fact she merely prayed the bomb would go off after dinner. Unfortunately for her, she was out of luck that day and the six of them had just settled at the table taking the first bites when her 15-year old godson raised the issue.

"Have you decided yet whether or not to grant me one time permission to leave this prison or not?" For a moment there was utter silence then the three children giggled at Teddy's words. Harry had looked up from the plate.

"I'd prefer you wouldn't talk like that, and we can speak about this later. Alone!"

Harry's voice was calm, yet serious. He resumed eating just to find out moments later, that his godson had no intention to drop the topic.

"I would like to know now, if you don't mind. It's only a simple yes or no."

"I am not having an argument with you at the dinner table, so let's please talk about this afterwards." Harry had placed his cutlery carefully at the side of the plate and now starred at the boy opposite him who spoke up.

"There is no need for a talk, if you think your answer to my simple question will raise an argument, then I already know the answer. You won't let me go, will you?" Teddy was practically shouting by now.

Although he felt his Potter temper rising, Harry remained a calm voice: "You're right Teddy. Ginny and I believe it is best for you to concentrate on the exams for now. In two weeks it is all done and you've plenty of time to meet your friends then."

"Or you'll just find another excuse to lock me up here." Teddy spat out as he rose to his feet.

Harry's face hardened:"That's quite enough young man, you either sit down and finish your dinner civilly or you go upstairs and calm that temper of yours. Either way this discussion will not go further now."

Teddy didn't move, still standing at the table facing the man on the other side.

"TEMPER" ,he shouted, " you talk to me about temper? I am not the one who blew up his aunt, am I? You're pathetic – what is it to you if I fail the resits or not? Will it bring shame on the great Harry Potter if his godson failed? Never mind you wouldn't have made it past third year without Aunt Hermione!"

The sentences were spit out like venom and by now Harry had stood up as well while Ginny was trying her best to calm him with her hand on his palm. Teddy's hair had gone red again and was all spiked-up clearly portraying his emotions.

Harry felt a sudden urge to slap his godson although he knew he would never strike any of his children. It weren't so much the insults he had fired at him. He knew the boy didn't really mean them, but the fact that he had felt he could talk to him like that, probably believing to be in the right.

When Harry finally spoke his voice was rusty, suppressing the anger and instinct to shout.

"To your room. Upstairs ...now. Go!"

For a second Teddy imagined refusing but then he just turned on the heel and stomped upstairs.

The Potter children had watched through this scenario in shock. They all knew their dad could get mad, yet even that was rare, but what had just happened at their dinner table was unheard of. Although eager to know what was going on, at this point they didn't dare getting on the wrong side of their dad and finished the meal including every last bite of yucky vegetables in subdued silence.

...

When Ginny came back into the kitchen after placing the children in the living room for a pre-bedtime movie she found her husband cutting up sandwiches.

She smiled:"Didn't have enough dinner, did you?"

Without looking up Harry replied:"These are for Teddy, I'll bring them up in a minute."

Ginny's face dropped:"You are making him sandwiches?"

"He didn't have two proper bites of his dinner, so I think he is hungry." He told her in a flat voice.

"So what, let him be hungry for one night. It's not like we're starving him. He chose to ran out from dinner."

Harry turned facing his wife who glared at him furiously. He loved her temper and had learnt how to deal with it long ago.

"Ginny darling, I won't let him go hungry. You may think he deserves it, but it will do more wrong than good. Plus the sandwiches give me an excuse to go up and talk to him."

"It's our house. That kinda gives you the right to go there when you want."

Ginny gave a small smile; she knew what a touchy topic food was for Harry so she let it go.

"You are planning to do something about that behaviour though, aren't you?"

Harry nodded:"We wouldn't do him any favours if we didn't. I think we finally saw the Teddy that has been described to me by Neville."

With that he grabbed the sandwich plate and went upstairs.

Upon hearing footsteps on the stairs, Teddy rushed himself to his bed pretending to be asleep facing the wall so he didn't see his godfather opening the door with his left hand holding the plate in his right. He was still angry at him and Ginny, and was not at all in the mood for the supposedly upcoming lecture. So mildly surprised he noticed Harry's calm voice.

"I brought you some sandwiches in case you're hungry."

There was silence in the room and Teddy squeezed his eyes shut adamant not to give in to his godfather.

Harry sighed:"Teddy please turn around and look at me. I'm not gonna shout. I'm not mad anymore, but I'm not leaving before we have talked."

Reluctantly Teddy turned around and sat up on his bed, back to the wall and knees up to his chest. The look on his face said – you wanted to talk, so talk but don't expect me to care or respond. Grabbing a seat on the desk chair placing it directly in front of Teddy, Harry spoke up.

"I don't think I need to tell you that what happened tonight was completely unacceptable. If we make rules or decisions, we do so for your own good, not to annoy you. So I expect and insist that you follow them. I promise you the opportunity to always argue your point of view. However there is a time for everything and tonight's dinner table was not one for that discussion. Would you like to talk now and explain yourself?"

Harry had leaned forward awaiting an answer or even a new outburst but Teddy just shook his head.

"Alright if you don't want to talk I will. I'm disappointed by your behaviour Teddy. I've been told again and again that your disrespect towards teachers and peers is getting out of hand. I didn't want to believe it, because that is not the boy I know and we surely haven't raised you like that. We love you Teddy, very much, but I will not tolerate behaviour like tonight. You are going to apologise to me and Ginny. Until you're ready to sincerely do so, you can stay up here and do some thinking."

With that Harry left the room. Teddy still starred at the same point on the wall. He felt the knot in his stomach and all the anger that just wouldn't leave. Somewhere in there he felt guilt for saying those things to Harry, but then again wasn't it Harry's fault dealing with him like he was a child. It had hurt to hear the disappointment in his godfather's voice and even more to hear it in words, but Teddy was not going to apologise. "Not yet anyway." He thought grabbing a sandwich from the plate.