Chapter 57: Sending the Pup into the Wild

Harry studied his godson out of the corner of his eye and fought to tamp down a smirk. Teddy was staring up at the imposing stone stantion between Platforms 9 and 10 as if the thing was suddenly going to topple over and onto him any second.

The Chosen One's smirk only had to grow wider as he now turned his mirth back on himself – then again, he had been just as lost and petrified and confused upon his first arriving at King's Cross station, and only a certain group of red heads passing by had saved him. Little had he known then that he was meeting his future family, his wife and his best friend.

While he could only hope for Teddy to be so fortunate as he, the palpable wariness in the boy's eyes was nevertheless relatable.

Harry glanced casually at the clock, and its hands nearing the hour of 11 AM.

"Best get on board, lad, or it'll leave without you."

Teddy gazed up at him, leery. "It wouldn't…." His voice sounded unsure.

Harry pursed his lips grimly. "It left me and your Uncle Ron behind once."

"That it did, but honestly, Harry, if my husband heard you telling Ted that story, he'd kill you!"

The men turned to see Hermione dashing up to them, stuffing something in her clutch purse while wearing her creamy white business suit. She immediately began circling Teddy and fussing over him, combing his turquoise locks into something more presentable using nothing but her hand. Glancing to her left, she softly cringed.

"I beg your pardon, Andromeda."

"No pardon necessary, my dear. I'm just the grandmother." Standing off to the side and trying to inconspicuous, Andromeda Tonks was adopting a strategy of letting her grandson figure things out on his own. If Harry and Hermione, as the godparents, wanted to coddle him, well then at the very least it made for a good balance in parenting strategies and styles.

Hermione finally leaned back and performed a sweeping appraisal as a means of inspection. "Well….. you're not as coiffed as I'd like, but nevertheless, you are quite handsome! So much like your father…" Teddy flushed pink at the praise while his godmother glanced at the clock. "But goodness, you'll have to hurry up! The train will be pulling away soon!" Turning to her parental partner and brother-in-law, she nudged Harry in the arm. "Tell him!"

Harry just smirked dryly. "I have. He has to pump himself up, Hermione."

"In a manner that is of the essence," Hermione pointed out. She then proceeded to coach Teddy on how to cross the barrier in a manner that was reminiscient of the way Molly had advised Harry lo those many years ago. "Now, Ted, what you want to do is run straight at the barrier…"

"….Run straight at it?! Auntie…."

"….. between platforms nine and ten. Don't you dare stop, and don't think you're going to smash into it!"

"But what if I do?" Teddy stared up at his godmother, stricken.

"You won't. I promise. But if you're feeling that nervous, best to start at a bit of a run." At Teddy's skeptical look, she coached, "It's just like ripping off a band aid."

"Sure…." Teddy grumbled, flexing his fingers over the handlebars of his trolley. "Except when ripping off a band aid, there's always bound to be a sting…" Hermione blinked at this rather witty and erudite comeback.

Taking a deep breath, Teddy charged the barrier. He didn't stop, despite how he winced and braced himself for a wipe out that never came. Sending each other bemused smirks, Harry and Hermione strode through the barrier, Andromeda bustling after them.

On the other side, Teddy was letting out the breath he had been holding, smiling up at the adults. "I did it!"

"Good man," Harry clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on Teddy, lad, we'll get you a seat…." The boy's godparents and grandmother guided him to the train and found a window looking in on an empty compartment; in a fit of both strength and gallantry, Harry single-handedly hefted Teddy's entire trunk, owl cage and all onto the train.

Hermione stared, impressed. "Those Auror training drills have really paid off….!"

Harry sent her a tight smile. "You should know – your husband probably still wishes he looked this good!"

Hermione smirked dryly. "He does," she promised. "Even without an Auror's schedule and pay."

"I figured his teaching Rosie how to play Quidditch would count as a form of exercise," Teddy observed. Harry and Hermione glanced down at him, looked at each other, and laughed.

Teddy tugged on Harry's shirtsleeve. "I wish Aunt Ginny could have come to see me off."

"So do I, boy-o, but she has her job and the kids, you know. She sent me off with the assurance that I would give you her love."

The locomotive's whistle blew.

"Hurry up!" Andromeda called, and Teddy scampered aboard. Once he counted off paces back to his compartment, he leaned out the window and permitted Hermione to kiss his cheek. Harry pumped his hand.

"Knock them dead there, lad! Remember, Neville will be there to help you. Auntie Luna as well; she's a brand new professor this term."

"Have a good year, Teddy!" Hermione cried. "Your uncle and I expect you to send us an owl when you get there!" Teddy promised he would with a nod.

Andromeda was last of all. Over more than a decade of knowing her, Harry had come to understand that there were some instances when she appeared older than she really was; grief aged a person like that. In truth, Andromeda was a young grandmother. Still, here was a moment when age took a toll on the good woman.

"I, uh….. I'll always be here for you."

Teddy leaned halfway out the window to hug the woman who had raised him, jerking back to keep his balance as the train started to move. Hermione started scampering down the platform alongside it, Harry ambling behind at a leisurely stroll.

"Goodbye, Teddy, love!"

"Goodbye, Aunt Hermione! Goodbye, Harry! Goodbye, Gran!"

Hermione blew a kiss. "Godric be with you…."

The train roared out of sight, with Harry's hand still raised in farewell.

"Harry?" He turned just a smidge at the sound of Hermione's voice. "He'll be all right, won't he?"

He nodded. "Course he will." He tried not to laugh in discomfort and shock at how Hermione now buried one face in her palm and wept unabashedly. "Aw…. There, there, old girl….."

"It seems like only yesterday we were teaching him flashcards for Muggle primary school and now…." she whimpered, blinking back tears. "Godric, he's not even mine, but…. oh, bloody hell, is this how it's going to be with Rosie and Hughie when it's their time? Does it have to feel this bad….?"

Harry stole an arm around her, rubbing her shoulder. "Yes," he told her with grim honesty. "It will be this hard with our own – bloody hell, even harder. But that's often what the right thing is, yeah? Hard. But hey, let's not waste away the years, sis – they'll go by fast enough already."

Andromeda sidled up to them. "Harry…. Hermione: …. Thank you."

"No – thank you," Harry gave her a deferential nod. Then he held out his arms for both woman to loop an arm through each one. "Shall we?"

Hermione beamed wetly. "We shall. Lead on."

And he gentlemanly escorted his sister-in-law and the grandmother of his godson out of the station.