Saying Goodbye

"Well, that is the wall done. Or at least my work with it," Sif said as she walked into the kitchen at Blackbird. "You now have a wall that shows the entirety of the night sky as seen from Earth."

"Thank you, Madam Sif," Harry said.

"Equal exchange is beneficial for the whole Nation, young man," Sif said. Rather than pay each other, they had exchanged work. The wards Harry had laid for Sif's two sons certainly valued similar to the wall she had made for him. It was one of the ways that goblins got around the problems with ownership within the clans.

Andromeda and Teddy came home not long after Sif had left.

"That wall is done?" Teddy asked as he looked towards the living room. He had been locked out of the room while Sif worked, and he could see that it was open now.

"It is done," Harry said. He had prepared food for later, so they didn't need to worry when it was time to eat. He walked with Teddy into the living room and looked at the wall. "You can zoom it, and I'll add nodes for each star and the constellations so you can search for them. That will take me a while, though, because I'm not dealing with it all at once."

"Cool," Teddy said.

Andromeda nodded slowly as she saw the wall. "Certainly better than the tapestry," she said.

"Once I have the nodes, I can add in a colour shift that will show where the active members of the house has their stars or galaxies," Harry said as he hugged Andromeda. He looked down at Teddy and smiled as his son scrolled over the sky. The house was coming together and he liked it.

"Can I go with you to Hogwarts on Saturday, dad?" Teddy asked

"Well, I'm not starting on wards then, so I don't see why not," Harry said. "Then we can head by the Burrow so they don't forget we exist."

"Okay," Teddy said.

With plans for the weekend set, Harry settled down with his son and read to him. They headed over to Hogwarts a few days later and found that one thousand galleons had been brought together to support new wards for the school. That meant Harry knew sort of what wards he could put up. He could easily be done before the start of the next term.

…

"So the security ward is up?" Minerva asked as she looked around.

"Yes now I'm going for the two wards that should keep the rest up," Harry said. "I can hand primary control over to you now, though."

"Would it be possible for us to get a directory and loop the Head's of Houses in?" Minerva asked.

"The budget should just about cover that," Harry said. "It will be the last thing I do, though."

"You are giving us a lot more than we paid for, Hydrus," Minerva said. "We did not discus dual layers and Castle close wards."

"No, but I could do it, so I did," Harry said. "I'm not really making these wards for profit, you know. I want the students safe, and I can hear the rumours just as well as anyone else."

"Hopefully that is nothing," Minerva said. "We have barely recovered from last time."

"We are approaching ten years since it happened, though. They didn't give us much more than that last time," Harry said. "The difference is that this time, the jaded people aren't just willing to forget. There aren't that many of us, but if it comes to it, we will do what is needed."

Minerva nodded slowly. She understood him. That was the kind of response she would have expected from his parents had they lived. "At least now the children are safer," she said. She felt the wards now in a way she hadn't before. There was magic there much older than the rest of the wards. Magic that Harry had preserved.

Harry smiled at her. "I'll add to the wards some day," he said. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"See you then, Master Hydrus," Minerva said.

In the following eighteen days, Harry raised the last wards and built the directory for the Heads of Houses. He split the school into four sections, and handed control of the sections out to the corresponding Head of House.

The real test of the new wards was when the students arrived again and five professors at the high table could all tell that they were there. It felt overwhelming for just a bit before it settled as the student got added into the security roster and shifted to each Head.

"Well, that was interesting," Filius said. "I like that we have the directory so we can delegate a lot of this information to something we aren't constant having to be aware of."

"Yes, this would get too much otherwise," Pomona said. "I do like it, though. It feels like we will have more of an idea of what is going on and people won't just be able to enter the school without us knowing that they are here." She said as she taped her bracelet and shifted the students over to the hub she carried. Then it was time to prepare for the noise.

The students walked into the hall and nothing really happened. They could hear the murmur of voices, but it was nowhere near as loud as it usually was.

"It would seem Master Black's dislike of the overwhelming sound might have caused him to add just a bit of protection for us," Filius said.

"That is nice of him," Septima said. "Much easier on the ears." She looked around. The population had increased after the war, but those children weren't starting Hogwarts for a while yet, so their numbers were relatively low right now. Hopefully, they wouldn't be overwhelmed in a few years.

…

Susan hummed as she hung another picture on the wall in the living room. She smiled at the small evidence of the past five months hanging on the wall. Apart from her abysmal chances at a job, she had never been happier. Harry was amazing and Teddy was just the sweetest child. She loved their time together.

"Looks good," Harry said as he walked up behind her. They had been to the Zoo and Andromeda had taken a picture of the two of them holding Teddy with tigers roaming right behind them. It was a really nice picture. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. "Anything else we need to deal with today?" he asked.

"You clean your studio?" Susan asked.

"Yep, all done," Harry said. "Do we have everything we need for Christmas?" he asked.

"Maybe not," Susan said. "Should we head out in the nomag world and have a look around?"

Harry nodded. "Sure," he said. "I could do with something more for Teddy. Something that isn't more Lego.

"What about one of those gaming consoles?" Susan said. "They are pretty popular, aren't they."

"Are there any adapted for magic yet, though," Harry said. He wasn't against it, since it was something Teddy's friends were talking about. They couldn't just buy one, though, it had to be adapted for magic or the whole thing would crash and burn in seconds at Blackbird.

"I think so, we could always check," Susan said.

They grabbed their coats and headed out in the rainy November weather. Susan followed behind Harry as they walked around the store. There were too many people around for them to walk side by side. It almost felt like everyone had the same idea they did, except they were looking for DIY projects they could do with Teddy.

"This is exhausting," Susan said after two hours of different stores. "At least I found something for Hannah? That feels good."

"I got Neville a book series, the Broken Earth trilogy. It sounded like it would be good," Harry said.

Susan laughed. "I guess we are giving them something to do while enjoying that beautiful garden of theirs, then," she said. "I got Hannah a very nice cross stitching pattern. I happen to know that they enjoy sitting outside together, with Neville reading to her as she does some kind of small scale project."

Harry laughed. "Okay, so our gifts will work together," he said. He kissed her. "Great minds work together."

"Definitely," Susan said. "Now let's head home. This is crowded and cold and not very nice. I'd like a mug of hot cocoa and you and a blanket."

Harry chuckled. "And a film?" he asked.

"Film sounds nice," Susan said.

They headed home and cuddled up together.

"I'll get you that consol for Teddy," Susan said as she watched the intro of Love Actually.

Harry smiled. "I know you will," he said. "I got tickets for Andromeda. She can bring a friend and travel to the sun, but also get spoiled in all the best ways."

Susan laughed. "That sounds amazing," she said. She kissed him lazily and ran her finger though his hair.

…

About a week later, Susan came home to Blackbird with a big box under her arm. She had managed to get a consol adapted, and she had bought two games for Teddy. Harry had already given her money for the consol and the refurbishing, so the games were from her.

She placed the box on the bed and brought paper out so she could wrap it. She hummed happily as she cut the paper and wrapped a ribbon around it. She put the box away in Harry's studio. She smiled as she saw his latest painting. It was a set of three blooming lilies that were slowly bleeding. She really hoped he would put that painting up. So far he had refused displaying anything he had made. This one would be beautiful in the bedroom. She could see why he wouldn't want it there because of the meaning of the lily, though. She would have to speak with him about it.

Mail lay collected on the kitchen table. It must have arrived while Harry or Andromeda were still home. She picked out a letter addressed to her. She pulled it open and read it slowly. She sat down in a chair as excitement went through her. Then she read the last bit of it.

"We wish your participation by the fifteenth of December or this spot will be offered to another," Susan said softly.

"Participation in what?" Harry said softly.

Susan looked up at him, and she saw Teddy standing behind him, holding onto his shirt. They must have arrived as she read the letter. "Teddy, could I speak to your father for a bit," she asked.

Teddy nodded slowly. "Okay," he said. He understood that something was going on, but not what. He headed over to his room and sat down with his Lego. He knew he wouldn't be able to listen in, so there was no reason to even try.

Susan handed Harry the letter she had been reading. He looked through it as he leaned against the table. A deep sigh left him, and he looked up at her. There were unshed tears in his eyes. "This is what you want," he said.

"It is the opportunity of a lifetime," Susan said. "I might not get this kind of chance again for years, if ever."

"We cannot come with you," Harry said. "Teddy has school and friends. I can't rip him away from his life here." He was crying. "I know you want to go, and I support you leaving." He said as the tears started running down his face. "I'll miss you. I love you."

Susan walked up to Harry. She was so happy that he understood. So glad she didn't have to argue about this, but she understood his sadness too. That would probably hit home for her when she was alone in a bed somewhere in Japan in a few weeks. Right now, she was just so happy that she would be able to work with the thing she had worked so hard to become good at. "I love you too," she said. "You are amazing, Harry. This is a hard choice for me, but I feel like I will always regret it if I don't go for this. You don't deserve me being bitter about this."

Harry dried his tears away and wrapped his arms around her. "I think these people are disgusting and could at least have waited until after Christmas," he said as he hugged her tightly. "I assume you need to pack? Do you need me to hold things for you?" he asked as he moved away from her. He took her hands.

"I was going to ask if you just want me to leave right away," Susan said.

Harry shook his head. "No. You need to respond and let them know you are coming so you can get more information. Then we plan accordingly," he said. "I still love you. That doesn't go away because you are leaving. I want you with me until you are leaving and then it is over. I've done this before, even if it wasn't as emotionally taxing that time. We are not a couple after you head for Japan. We will never get back together because I can't put myself or Teddy through that."

Susan smiled at him. "I understand that," she said. "Do you think he will hate me?"

Harry sighed. "I can't tell you that," he said. He kissed her. "But I need to tell him." He let go of her and headed over to his son's room. He sat down next to his son. "I have something a bit tough to tell you, Teddy."

Teddy nodded. "Okay," he said. He could see that his father had been crying.

"Susan and I are not going to stay together," Harry said. "She has been offered a really amazing job, but the job is in Japan."

Teddy nodded slowly. "Japan is far away," he said.

Harry smiled at him. "It is. I don't think we can move that far even if we really like Susan," he said. "We would leave Andy behind and David and Oscar and Jenna and all your other friends. Sure, you will have to sort of leave your friends as you start Hogwarts, too."

"That isn't the same," Teddy said. "And I don't want to leave Grandma. I really like Susan. Are you sure she can't stay."

"Not if we want her to be happy," Harry said. "It is kind of like we are a safe cocoon, and we need to release the beautiful butterfly that is Susan so she can be truly happy. She loves me, and she loves you, but the work she does here is not what she should be working with. Sometimes love is worth it, but not always."

Teddy clutched the edge of his bed. He felt tears running down his face as warm arms wrapped around him. He didn't want Susan to leave. He liked Susan.

"I don't want you to be angry with Susan," Harry said. "I know you might be, and your feelings are okay, but I would like you to talk to me or Andy about it if you feel that way."

Teddy nodded. "Can I give Sue a picture book?" he asked.

"Yes, of course," Harry said. "I'll help you." He ruffled Teddy's hair. His fingers were twitching. There was something he wanted to create, but it would have to wait.

The next day, Harry took Teddy to school before returning home. He walked into his studio and picked up paints. He threw his shirt off and squeezed paint out on his arm before dipping a brush into it. He swept the brush across the canvas slowly, There was sadness in his strokes at first, but that was not what he wanted to leave her with. He wanted happiness and protection as the butterfly escaped its cocoon. He wanted to send her off with something that would give her safety. Something that would bring a smile to her face.

The colours mixed on his arm as he painted. He would need to clean up, and he needed to lock the room so she wouldn't stumble in on this one. He cleaned his arm from paint and picked the lilies off the shelf so he could bring it out to the kitchen and hang it up. Susan was right. This one was beautiful.

"How do you feel?" Andromeda asked.

"Like I'm not meant to find someone," Harry said. "The one time nothing goes wrong, she is ripped away from me, and I cannot ask her to stay because it wouldn't be fair on her."

Andromeda walked up to him and hugged him. "I know it feels pointless right now," she said. "Please don't get stuck in that feeling."

Harry nodded. "Can I show you something?" he asked.

Andromeda smiled at him. "Of course?" she said. She followed him into the studio and smiled as she saw the painting. "It is for her?" she asked.

"Is it too much?" Harry asked.

Andromeda shook her head. "No, I don't think so," she said. "You left a lot of magic in it, but it is pure. You aren't giving her a piece that holds your magic. That is good. I think it is fair. You still love her."

"Thank you, Andromeda," Harry said.

…

Susan looked at her boxes. She couldn't bring everything, and Harry had been a sweetheart and offered her to store the things she couldn't bring at his place. He walked into the room. "This is it?" he asked.

Susan nodded. "This is my life in boxes," she said. "I might have missed something around here. I guess. If it makes sense to keep, throw it in a box."

"Let's put these away then," Harry said as he grabbed a box and carried it over to a storage room. "I hope you have just a bit of space in your bag because we have some things for you."

Susan smiled at him. "You don't have to," she said.

"Of course not, but we did anyway," Harry said as he placed the box on a shelf. "If you want to see mine, it's in the studio."

Susan handed him a box and walked over to the studio. She pushed the door open and stumbled back as a banner unfolded and people raised glasses filled with colourful drinks.

"Good luck on your adventure," Everyone called out, and Susan felt arms wrap around her. She looked back at Harry. "You did this?" she asked. She looked at all the people gathered. Harry didn't know half of them. They were her friends.

"Hannah and I worked together," Harry said. "I thought you deserved a send-off." He kissed her neck and moved into the room with her. Then he let her go so she could walk around and talk to her friends.

Neville walked up to him and clutched his shoulder. "What you are doing is a very powerful move, Harry," he said. "This will spread, and her friends will tell people. They know how much she wants this, and they have seen how supportive you are."

"I'm not doing any of this for anyone but her," Harry said. "I want her happy, and that isn't going to happen here. If I didn't have Teddy, I would have gone with her because I can be a Warder over there too, but my son shouldn't have to move because of her work. No matter what, I will always put him first."

"Is he coming?" Neville asked.

Harry nodded. "He is just finishing something first," he said. He watched Susan as she mingled with her friends. Her smile was contagious, but it couldn't chase the sadness from his eyes. He walked over to the door as Teddy arrived. He picked his son up and held him close. A sharp whistle pulled everyone's attention to them. "Now there are two things beside our well-wishes that Teddy and I would like to send you off with, Susan," Harry said. "One hangs on the wall behind you."

Hannah moved the curtain aside and the painting Harry had done became visible.

Dean smiled at him and offered him thumbs up. Harry had improved a lot, and the vibrant butterfly he had made for Susan held movement in a way that made it almost seem as if it was going to fly off the canvas.

Susan walked up to it. The vibrant oranges and pink bled into purple in a way that made her smile. In a way, it was similar to the lilies she knew he had placed in the kitchen. He was good at this. It looked beautiful. "Thank you, Harry," she said.

People looked back at Harry and Teddy as he placed the boy down on the floor. The appearance of a child that looked so much like Harry gave people pause. Those of Susan's friends who had wondered why he didn't just move with her understood better why he didn't.

Teddy walked up to Susan and gave her a scrapbook. "It is filled with things we've done together," he said. "I want you to have it."

Susan took the scrapbook, and she turned the pages slowly, seeing all their adventures, but also days just spent at home doing things together. Harry or Andromeda had helped Teddy write things with certain pictures. She swallowed thickly as she turned the last page.

You will be missed

In play in companionship

We shall remember your laughter

The way you snort

But this is your chance to fly

To be like the butterfly

We have been your cocoon for a time

Don't look back

Walk forward

Find happiness anew

And know that in a corner of our hearts

We will always love you

Tears fell from Susan checks now. It was finally hitting home that she was leaving them. She wouldn't be coming back and even if she did things would not be the same. She whipped her tears and reached out for Teddy. Sure, it had only been a few months, but she had been so happy with them. She rose and walked up to Harry. He kissed her deeply, and then he raised her up and held her above him as his magic swirled around them, forming big bright butterfly wings from her back. That stayed as he placed her down, and she laughed as she saw herself in the mirror.

"I'll send you the painting," Dean said. He already had ideas, though he would have to run a few of them past Harry before drawing it up, just so he wasn't stepping on any toes.

Susan pressed close to Harry, as she stood ready to leave. "I wish we could have stayed together," she said.

"That wasn't the way it was meant to be," Harry said. He kissed her forehead. "Good luck and live well." He watched her leave and wondered if Kahmu had felt anything, even remotely, like what he was feeling. He walked back into the house and looked over at the picture wall in the living room, where pictures of them together hung. Should he take them down? He wasn't sure. He didn't regret what they had shared.

"You could have seen your life with her?" Andromeda asked.

Harry nodded. "I could have, and we would have been happy," he said. "It is too late now, though. I need to move forward. I can't dwell on what could have been."

"Then do so, but don't move too fast. All you will do then is hurt yourself and Teddy," Andromeda said. She clutched his shoulders and held him close. "I'll be around more for a bit."

"We might spend more time at Ferngale for a bit," Harry said. "Unless you mind."

Andromeda shook her head. "You are most welcome," she said.

…

Harry headed between shops in Diagon Alley. It was snowing, though he doubted it would stay. He walked into Madam Malkin's and looked around. Teddy needed new clothes, and he preferred to book a time for a fitting if he could.

"A moment."

It took a few minutes before a stressed looking assistant walked out from the dressing rooms. "What can I do for you?" she asked.

"I'd like to book a time in January for a fitting," Harry said.

The assistant looked relieved. "Okay, sure, we can make that happen. Who is being fitted?"

"Therion Black," Harry said.

The assistant made a surprised noise and looked up at him again. "Lord Black, I apologise," she said.

Harry smiled softly at her. "I don't expect people to know who I am," he said. "There are no hard feelings, I assure you."

"Erm, well," she said with a flustered expression on her face. "We have a two-hour block on the seventh," she supplied him with.

"Book us," Harry said. The seventh would still be before school started up again, and that was all he really needed. They bought clothes in the muggle world for Teddy a lot, but Harry like giving him a base wardrobe made in the magical world. The clothes held better for a playing little boy.

"There you go," the assistant handed him a slip, and he smiled at her.

"Thank you," Harry said.

"You shouldn't charm the poor soul that way, Hydrus. You might give her hopes that would never be fulfilled."

Harry looked up at the customer who exited the dressing room area. "I'm simply being polite, Luna. Wasn't it you who said I need to smile more," he said. He held his arm out for her and she took it.

"Did I say that?" Luna said. "I might have. I am here over Christmas, will you house me?"

Harry smiled at her. "Of course," he said as she was handed her bag. "Some day you will appear when my heart isn't broken and the world shall end, my fairy queen."

Luna rolled her eyes at him. "Homewards my valiant knight, the weather is less than friendly," she said.

Harry smiled as he shook his head. He guided her out of the store and teleported them over to Blackbird. He walked her to the guest rooms and made her room appear. He kissed her hair. "It has been too long," he said.

"Maybe it has," Luna said. "And maybe it has been the perfect amount of time. We will pick Teddy up in a bit?"

Harry sighed happily at the certainty in her voice. "Yes, we shall," he said. "He will be glad to see you."

"Naturally," Luna said. She looked up at him. "You made the right choice," she said. "Letting the butterfly fly free was the right decision. My advice is to let your heart heal. Do not rush. They are out there, and you will meet," she said.

Harry smiled at her. He had given up on asking questions. Luna wouldn't answer them, so what was the point in asking. "Will you aid in the decorations?" he asked.

Luna smiled at him. "You want to decorate the whole house?" she asked.

Harry nodded slowly. "That was the plan," he said. He checked his watch. "Time to go," he said.

Luna smiled at him as she walked up to him. "Then let's go," she said.

Teddy was sitting on the swings with David as they arrived to pick him up. He looked up and his face shown like the sun as he saw Luna. "Auntie Luna," he shouted before he reached them, and he hugged her tightly.

"Luna will stay with us until after Christmas," Harry said.

Teddy squealed happily. "Yes," he shouted triumphantly.

"Hello, Harry."

Harry smiled at David's mother. "Hello Diane," he said.

"Mum! Teddy and I want to play," David said. "Can we?"

"Well, not today, we have some things we need to do," Diane said as she looked at Harry.

"We could take them Friday and keep David overnight if you would like," Harry suggested.

Diane considered if for a moment. It would make things easier for her. She would get time to wrap his gifts and… she looked at the woman next to Harry. She knew this was not his partner.

"This is Luna, she is Teddy's Aunt," Harry said as he noticed Diane looking at her. "She is over for Christmas. She travels a lot for work, so we meet sporadically."

"Oh, I see," Diane said. "Well David, what do you think, does a sleepover sound good?" She looked down at her son.

"Yes, awesome," David said. He loved sleepovers with Teddy, they were always so cool.

"The let's say that," Harry said. "Luna and I will be picking the both of you up on Friday."

"Say goodbye now, Teddy. I was thinking we would make some gingerbread dough so it is ready for Friday," Luna said.

"Yes," Teddy exclaimed. "Bye David, see you tomorrow."

"Bye Teddy," David said. He took his mother's hand, and they headed towards the car park.

Harry smiled at Teddy as his son spoke to Luna. She was smiling at him. He was glad Luna had showed up. This had promised to be a rather dull Christmas otherwise. Teddy had been down ever since Susan left. It was almost like it had taken worse on him than it had on Harry. Which it might have. At least Harry had some kind of choice to make. Teddy hadn't, he just had to live with the results.

Harry and Luna grabbed things from the cupboards as they gathered in the kitchen. Then Harry sat down with the recipe and read the instructions aloud as Luna helped Teddy out and mixed.

Andromeda came home to Christmas music playing and laugher streaming out of the kitchen. For a moment, she was worried what was going on until she looked saw who their guest was. "Hello Luna," she said happily.

"Hello, Andy. I hope things are well," Luna said.

"Quite well," Andromeda said. "Nathaniel is expecting his second child, and he is frazzled. It does mean we will be a person short in the shop after May sometime."

"Hire a graduate," Harry said calmly.

Andromeda looked at him. "That's not a bad idea," she said. "I should look into Slughorn's prospects this year."

"Teddy will have David over on Friday. Will that be an issue?" Harry asked. They always hosted non-magical guests at Ferngale since there was just less magic there.

Andromeda shook her head. "Not at all," she said. "The two of you will be taking care of everything?" she asked as she looked between him and Luna.

"Yes, absolutely," Harry said.

"No problem, Andy," Luna said.

Teddy smiled at them, as far as he was concerned Friday couldn't come fast enough. He helped Luna make the table and smiled at his father as he filled his plate. "Wednesday, then Thursday, then …"

It was finally Friday.

Teddy was buzzing as they headed off to school.

David's father Joshua met them at the door. He clutched Harry's shoulder. "Thank you," he said.

Harry smiled at him. "No problems," he said. "We don't mind having David over."

"I told Miss Stanton so she knows," Joshua said. "Would you like for us to pick David up on Saturday?"

"That would be good," Harry said. "Diane should have our address and my number."

"I'm sure she does," Joshua said. He waved goodbye and offered them a good day, and Harry continued into the school with Teddy.

The day passed by quickly, suddenly it was time for pickup. Harry and Luna showed up together and brought Teddy and David home. They rolled out gingerbread dough over the whole kitchen table and baked gingerbread cars and dinosaurs and narggles and snidgets.

Some of the creatures Harry and Luna cut out were rather strange, but when everything sounded insane, it didn't really matter that magical things were spoken of. It was a question of how you spoke.

David listened to them, and he just laughed at how silly it all sounded. This was one of the reasons he liked being over, though. Teddy's dad was really good with stories, and it seemed Miss Luna was too.

The boys went to bed that evening giggling about the way that Harry and Luna read bedtime stories. They would switch off lines and make voices. Neither boy quite knew how they kept track of where in the book they were.

David had a big box of gingerbread biscuits with him as he walked out behind his father. He put the box on an empty seat and climbed into the car.

"Well, it looks like we have gingerbread enough for Christmas at least. Your mum will feel less bad about not having time to bake with you," Joshua said. "Did you have a fun time?"

"I did. Teddy's dad and Miss Luna are great, and they tell funny stories. Did you know that narggels make your head fuzzy, and they live in mistletoe?" David said.

Joshua chuckled. "I see. I was not aware of that," he said. He was glad David had fun, and they had managed to clean the house and wrap his gifts. He did wonder what Mr Black worked with though because he seemed to be home to take care of his son a lot. Not that he judged the man for that.

…

Christmas morning was dark and snowy. Clouds covered the sky as Teddy looked outside. He opened the door to his bedroom and headed out. The hallway was full of silvery snowflakes. He smiled as he watched them fall slowly until they popped in a cloud of glitter against the floor.

Soft steps hurried over to a dark door and pushed it open. Teddy peaked inside. His father was asleep. He rushed in and jumped onto the bed. As he reached out to shake Harry's shoulder, a soft whimper escaped his father. Teddy moved out of bed. If Harry was having a nightmare, it was better to get another adult. His grandma had been really clear about that. He opened Andromeda's door. She wasn't there. She might not get there until later.

Teddy hurried down the corridor to Luna's room. He stopped outside her door and raised his hand to knock. He bit his lip as worry coursed through him. What if Luna didn't like being woken up? He took a deep breath and knocked.

The door opened slowly and Luna looked down at him. "Is something the matter, Teddy?" Luna asked.

"Dad's having a nightmare," Teddy said.

"Oh, my," Luna said. She followed him back to Harry's room and climbed into the bed. She sat down against Harry's back and ran a hand down his side slowly. "There, there, Harry," she said. "It's okay, you are dreaming and Teddy is worried about you, my Knight. Please wake up for us." She turned to Teddy. "You can come up here. He won't hurt you," she said.

"What do you think he is dreaming about?" Teddy asked.

Luna sighed softly. "His past," she said. "The people he lived with were not very nice to him."

"Why?" Teddy asked.

"They were scared of magic and jealous that he had it, and they did not," Luna said. She felt Harry relax under her arm slowly. He drew a deep breath and opened his eyes slowly. "Why you here?" he asked as he turned around slowly and sat up so he could envelop the both of them.

"You were having a bad dream," Teddy said.

Harry nodded. "I see," he said. He pulled Teddy closer to him and hugged him. "Thank you for getting Luna," he said. He checked the time. "Even if it is four in the morning." He looked at them. "Frankly, I think we could use some more sleep." He grabbed them and pulled them down with him, hugging the both of them close, with Teddy trapped between him and Luna. Her arms moved up and wrapped around Teddy.

"Let us tell you a story."

"It is a story of a little elven boy."

"A little elven boy curious of the world around him."

Teddy smiled as Luna and Harry kept going.

About three hours later, when Andromeda got there, she walked around the house, checking the living room and Teddy's bedroom before pushing Harry's open door further as she entered. She chuckled softly as she saw them and summoned the camera. She checked the pictures and looked back at the bed. Two sets of green eyes stared back at her. "Awake are we?" she asked.

"Yes," Harry said. "Though Teddy did get up at four in the morning." He rolled and got out of bed before pulling Teddy with him. "Go ahead and start finding things for breakfast," he said as he walked around the bed, following his son. He reached out and grabbed Luna before throwing her over his shoulder. "Let's go," he said.

Luna pushed herself up and Harry dropped her so she could wrap her legs around his waist. "You are very warm," she mumbled against his hair. His magic was dancing around her, and she sighed contently. "You know, all you have to do is ask, Harry," she said.

Harry looked up at her. He still didn't know what the question was.

"Can you and Luna be together, dad?" Teddy asked.

Harry looked down at his son. "No," he said calmly.

"But you love her," Teddy said.

"I love Luna," Harry agreed as he set her down on the floor. "I don't love her in the same way I loved Susan." While his feelings for Susan hadn't lessened any, he had to speak of them in past tense for his own sanity. "I love Luna more like I love you or Andy. She is part of my family."

Teddy looked at him like he was crazy. It was obvious enough that he didn't understand.

"Don't worry too much about it, Teddy," Andromeda said. She was not ready to explain the difference to her seven-year-old grandson yet, and she doubted Harry was either. Though Luna might just try. The question there was if he would understand her explanation or not. She handed Teddy his sandwich and grabbed the kettle so she could make some tea. "Would you like hot chocolate, Teddy?" she asked.

"Yes, please," Teddy said. He smiled at her when she placed the hot cup in front of him. Harry reached out and brought the chocolate down to drinking temperature for him.

"So, Luna, where are you going next?" Harry asked.

"Probably Madagascar," Luna said. "We are looking for a masindi. It is a skeletal zombie indri that hasn't been seen for over three hundred years. We want to see if they are still alive."

"Could we go with Luna, dad?" Teddy asked.

"You have school," Harry said. "Maybe we can go with her in the summer sometime."

Luna smiled at him. "I would like that," she said. "We could go somewhere nice. I'm sure there are a few creatures that would like your magic." She smiled at him. "I'll look into a good place."

Harry returned her smile. "That sounds great," he said.

They finished breakfast before heading into the living room. Gifts were gathered before the fireplace, and Teddy dropped down in the middle of everything so he could start handing them out. He handed a big box to Harry, who looked over at Luna as he saw the tag. He pulled the paper off slowly and opened the box. He stared at the print. It was a beautiful snake reminiscent of a basilisk. He turned it around to show Teddy and froze as text bleed into existence on the back. 'Want to delve into my Chamber of Secrets?' "Luna these…"

"Are safe for children," Luna said. "I made sure. Some are even directed."

Harry blushed as he saw the next one, and he lifted out a dark red shirt with a black lion swept over it. "Are they all like this?" he asked. He looked into the box. There had to be like ten of them in there.

"Yes," Luna said. She seemed quite proud of herself. Mostly because she knew Harry would wear them, since children couldn't see the text.

"No mag?"

"Only the animal print," Luna said. "I wanted you to be able to wear them, you know. They are mostly grandma safe, too."

Andromeda raised an eyebrow and sighed heavily. She didn't say anything though and no one would have heard her either way since Teddy just opened the box to his brand new Xbox 360. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, dad. You are the best," he shouted as he got up and threw himself at his dad.

Harry laughed as he hugged Teddy. "I know it is kind of a big deal and I don't want you left out at school," he said. "Susan got it modified so It will work here or at Ferngale."

Teddy nodded slowly.

"How about you open the next gift, Teddy," Luna said.

Teddy returned to the pile and fished out more gifts for everyone. He kept going until the floor was filed with wrapping paper, and Harry got up to clear it away. He saw his son glancing at the consol. "Tomorrow, buddy," he said. "Let's bring out a board game instead."

"Can we play the Lost Diamond," Teddy asked.

"Bring it out," Harry said. He arranged the table and moved the furniture around so they could all reach. Teddy returned and sat down as he opened the box. He poured the markers out so Luna and Harry could grab them and turned them all face down before placing them on the board.

"Who is the teller?" Harry asked.

"Luna," Teddy said.

Luna smiled at him as he handed her the box. She checked the rules and handed everyone a thousand galleons each. She looked through the rest of the rules as Teddy picked his token. He was going to play as the daring wizard.

Luna smiled as she took the little fairy queen, and Andromeda was handed the grand sorceress. Harry placed his knight on the board, and they rolled their dice to see who would start.

Later that night, once Teddy had gone to bed, Harry put his shirts away. He shook his head at some of the text. He would need to be in the right frame of mind to wear any of those, knowing what they said. He closed the drawer and sighed. He was so glad Luna had joined them. She had probably saved their Christmas.