Chapter 4 – Godfather(s)

He couldn't decide on a hair colour. Teddy stared into the mirror in the bedroom he had slept in many times over the years shifting between about fifteen different colours. Sirius was obviously very distracted with the whole 'you were dead and now you're back so here's what you missed' ordeal of the last few hours. So Teddy really wanted to make a better impression on his dad's best friend whom he had never met. How was Harry keeping it together? Teddy was finally going to have someone in front of him that knew Remus Lupin more than anyone else and he didn't want to blow it at dinner.

Lost in his spiralling thoughts, Teddy nearly didn't register the quiet knock on his door. James Potter didn't wait for his godbrother to respond and walked into Teddy's room with wide eyes. 'Are you alright, Ted?'

'I'm not really sure, Jamie,' he replied. 'I don't know him. But he knew my parents. Lived with my dad for a while. It's really incredible that he's here but there's a lot of feelings, you know?'

James nodded in understanding. Teddy thought it must also be very strange for the younger boy having the man he's named after show up after so many years of not knowing him. But if James was feeling all of this, he wasn't about to let Teddy know. Just as Ted began to ask 'Are you-?'

'Mum says supper is ready in 5 minutes. Your gran's just got here and she's talking to him right now.' At Teddy's nod, James turned, leaving to door slightly ajar on the way out.

Sighing, Teddy settled on his go-to blue; short on the sides and longer on top. James' difficulties with Sirius coming back from the dead could wait until later. Teddy had his own feelings to work through. Even though he'd already met Sirius and introduced himself he was still extremely nervous about having normal conversations with the man. What if it turned out Sirius was disappointed in who Moony's kid turned out to be? He could hear Andromeda's voice as he got closer to the living room.

'…such a terribly clumsy boy, just like his mother.'

Teddy paused before entering, wanting to hear what his gran was saying about him. Instead of her continuing, he heard a rough bark of a laugh from Sirius. 'I can't wait to get to know him a bit more. Still can't believe those two, having the audacity to name Harry godfather instead of their dead best friend.'

Teddy couldn't help it. At the same time as his gran let out a laugh, he snorted out loud from his position behind the door. He didn't account for his horrible snorty laugh to give away him location.

'I think the birthday boy has come to pay us a visit,' smiled Sirius as Teddy shamefully peeped round the doorframe.

He walked over to give Gran a hug. 'Alright, Gran?'

'More than alright, my darling.' She looked more glowing and happier than he'd seen her in a long time. 'You've met my baby cousin then?'

Sirius snorted. 'I'll have you know I'm just an extremely young looking fifty-nine-year-old. I like the blue on you, Teddy,' he added.

'Thanks!'

This was good. Things were going really well. Sirius was joking around with him and he seemed to not be put off by talking about his mum and dad. No need to panic. By the time Ginny and Harry had got the pasta on the table, everyone else was vying for Sirius' attention. Teddy and the rest of the kids barely spoke the entire dinner, because they were all being regaled with stories from the rest of the adults about life with Sirius pre- and post-Azkaban. It was all expressions of shock, horror and awe at their relatives' antics. Teddy was learning a lot of new things about his dad's best friend, and even more about his grandmother.

'Andy, remember when we convinced Narcissa that her soulmate was Reggie's owl?'

Andromeda howled with laughter. 'That was all you and Reggie!'

'Well, who was it then, who performed the confundus charm?'

'You and Reg didn't even have wands yet! I was an obligate accomplice!'

The older woman turned beet red, and Teddy felt his hair change to a similar shade in sympathy. This was one of the weirdest days of his life. And he was desperate for a moment with Sirius alone instead of with all the Potters and his gran around. Asking about his mum and dad would be a private thing. Sirius shouldn't have to get upset at the dinner, and Teddy didn't want either of them to appear vulnerable in front of everyone else.

After the food was eaten and everyone was absolutely stuffed, bellies aching from food and laughter, Sirius announced that he was knackered and Harry promptly escorted him to one of the many guest rooms in the Potter household. Teddy thought about Victoire. She was going to go back to Hogwarts tomorrow evening (a fact that her parents were aware of) meaning that she'd be sleeping at Shell Cottage tonight. Teddy didn't feel like going back to his own empty London flat, so instead said goodnight to his gran and the Potters, and marched upstairs to his room on the third floor, which had a permanent stack of pyjamas ready for whenever Ted decided to spend the night. He might be twenty years old, but Teddy Lupin loved a sleepover at his godparents.

His bedroom at the Potters was incredible cosy. With a bright and intense colour scheme in an old manor, and a view of the greenhouse, it wasn't a far cry from his Hufflepuff dormitory back at Hogwarts which brought him comfort. The comfort was short lived when Teddy realised that tomorrow meant so many more complicated emotions, and hopefully a one-on-one with Sirius Black.

A knock on his door brought Teddy out of his thoughts. 'Come in!'

His godfather walked through wearing an unidentifiable expression on his face. He gave Ted a gentle uneasy smile and sat down on the corner of his bed. 'Hey kid.'

'Hey.' Another moment of silence as Harry removed his glasses and gave them a little cleaning with his shirt. 'Are you okay, Harry?'

His godfather nodded. 'I've been through a lot of shit in my lifetime. But this without a doubt the weirdest day I've ever had. But I'm ok; there's just a lot happening in my head.'

'Me too,' whispered Teddy. He could feel the words choking him a little, and Harry noticed this too. At the same time, the two men moved to embrace each other. They needed each other in that moment – the orphans whose fathers' best mate just came back from the dead. It was hard to believe even after a full day of being around him.

'Sirius must have been exhausted,' Teddy said, as the hug ended.

Harry smiled gently. 'The man was knackered. As jarring as it is for us, he's got it worse. It's not easy going from being a wanted man in the middle of a war to this. He missed me growing up a second time-'

Harry wiped a solitary tear from Teddy's cheek. 'I think you and I need to have some Sirius time without everyone crowding around him. You're just as much his family as I am.'

Teddy nodded, and Harry ruffled his hair as he moved towards the doorway. 'Happy Birthday, my boy.'

And the metamorphmagus fell asleep on a dampened pillow, no idea of what would be coming for him the following day.