FIC: Many Precious Things [1/?]
Aug. 20th, 2008 09:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
leashy_bebesTitle: Many Precious Things [1/?] [wip]
Author: Lyds
Rating: This part, G
Notes: Teddy/James, only James isn't born yet, so not ;) Just lots and lots of Teddy.
Disclaimer: JKR’s, not mine. Title is from an Elvis Costello song, When It Sings, and that's not mine either.
Words: This part, about 3750
Teddy Lupin wakes up early on Saturday morning, which is unusual. Teddy loves his bed, and he loves sleeping, and he especially loves waking up early in the morning and drifting off again, waking and sleeping, waking and sleeping. His grandmother only ever lets him do that on Saturdays and not much makes Teddy willing to waste the opportunity. A whole day out with his godfather though, is definitely something worth waking up early for. Teddy's godfather's name is Harry Potter and he's very famous; he sometimes he changes his face when they go out together so people don’t bother them (Teddy doesn't know how but it takes a lot longer than his own changes and Harry needs his wand). Teddy has seen Harry in the newspapers sometimes. Harry is still only young but he has a wife. Her name is Ginny, and Teddy thinks she is very pretty. Sometimes, he borrows her freckles and she always hugs him tight when he does.
Ginny used to play Quidditch professionally and Teddy remembers the excitement of watching her games from the stands with Harry. A few years ago though, Ginny had been injured during a match and forced to take early retirement from the game. Everyone said it was a tragedy, because she was still young and talented and had a lot to give to the game. Her leg still hurts sometimes, especially in the winter, but she is loud and brave and funny. Teddy likes her because she doesn’t treat him like a little boy and she tells him stories about his mum. He is always glad to visit the Potters because something always happens. People arrive at their floo gate without warning and are always welcomed eagerly. Most of them are members of Ginny’s family, but lots of them are old school friends from Hogwarts. Whoever comes, Harry always makes a point of introducing them to Teddy (This is Teddy Lupin, my godson) and many of the school friends look at him with interest and fond smiles. Teddy knows that this is because his dad used to teach at the school they all went to, Hogwarts.
Teddy lives with his grandmother and he loves it. He thinks she is just as pretty as Ginny, even though she is a lot older. She taught him how to read, and about his parents, and Teddy has never for one second doubted her love. His grandmother is his only family though, and Teddy loves that, too. Well, his grandmother says that they do have other relatives, but that they fought a very long time ago, and she no longer sees them. Teddy doesn’t mind though. He likes spending most of his time with one person. It makes him feel safe and real. He’s not a loud boy like some of Harry and Ginny’s nephews and sometimes when it is too full, he finds the Potters’ lively household a bit too much.
Today though, he is going out with just Harry for the whole day. They're going to go to Diagon Alley first which Teddy always enjoys. When he goes there with his grandmother, they always have a plan, and a list of essential items to buy. She doesn't like the crowded street very much and always keeps a tight grip on Teddy's hand. When he goes with Harry it is always just to explore. They spend time looking at everything from books to animals to brooms and Harry guides Teddy with a gentle hand on his shoulder. They will spend some time in the shops, and then probably eat ice-creams at Fortescue's. Harry always buys Teddy things, and although he loves the books and Quidditch stuff and toys, it makes him feel a little uncomfortable sometimes, partly because it seems to make Harry uncomfortable. After that, they're going to go fishing - the muggle way, Harry has promised. Teddy doesn't know how Harry learned all that he knows about the muggle world because he doesn't get along with his muggle family, unless it is from Mr. Weasley, who is Ginny's dad. He's going to spend the night, too, so he'll get to see Ginny. In the floo, Harry had given Teddy a knowing smile and said that they'd probably be back too late for visitors. Either Harry or Harry and Ginny will bring him home on Sunday lunchtime, probably via Diagon Alley and another ice cream.
Teddy dresses hurriedly and bounds down the stairs, his normally sedate nature all but lost in his excitement. Although Harry tries to see Teddy as often as he can, he has a very important job, and it's been over a month since Teddy last saw his godfather. His grandmother is waiting, as she always is, with breakfast. Teddy dutifully munches his cereal, even though he's so excited he neither wants nor tastes the food. He drinks his orange juice - he hates pumpkin juice passionately - and watches his grandmother adding milk and sugar to her customary tea. He wants to try some, but she always says no, that the sugar would be bad for him, and the taste without sugar too strong. She smiles at him over her cup and asks if he is looking forward to his day.
"Yeah!" he says enthusiastically. "We're going fishing!"
He feels a bit silly when his grandmother smiles gently and says, "I know, sweetheart." He's told her so many times already. She looks a tiny bit sad, like she always does on these days, and Teddy jumps down from his seat and gives her an impromptu cuddle, returning to his chair after a moment and finishing off his cereal. Then he looks expectantly at the clock and his face falls when he realises it's still only half past eight and Harry is not due for a whole hour longer.
"Why don't you go upstairs and pack and bag, then read until Harry gets here?" his grandmother suggests. Teddy nods and finishes his orange juice.
Back upstairs in his room, Teddy opens his Chudley Cannons satchel and looks inside gingerly. There are several tissues and a brown apple core lurking in the bottom and Teddy upends the bag over the bin. He packs a pair of dark blue pyjamas with moons and stars on them, as well as two spare t-shirts, socks, underwear, a book (because Harry casts lumos and gives Teddy his wand to read by at night if he can't sleep, and he loves reading that way) and the few sickles he has saved up, although Harry rarely lets Teddy spend his own money.
He checks his bag and puts on his shoes so that he will be ready to leave the instant Harry arrives. He knows that Harry always stays for a cup of tea with his grandmother but he wants to be ready nonetheless. With his bag over his shoulder he bounces down the stairs, past wizarding photos of his mum and dad, himself, and his grandmother and grandfather. He knows the photos very well, especially the single one of himself with both of his parents. His mum is lying in a bed with white sheets drawn up around her, looking exhausted but happy, and his dad is sitting on the bed next to her, holding Teddy and staring down into the bundle with an indescribable look on his face. In the picture he says something to Teddy (and hours of studying the picture have him almost convinced that it's hello, little man) then turns to Teddy's mum and kisses her temple while she smiles tiredly at her husband and baby. Teddy wouldn't say that he misses them, because he doesn't remember them, but he loves to look at the pictures.
His grandmother smiles indulgently at Teddy as he sits on the sofa, trying to read. He is far too excited to take much notice of his book even though it's one of his favourites, a muggle book about a boy who gets squashed flat by a notice board and posts himself across the ocean. Finally, the floo roars into life and Harry stumbles out, almost missing the grate like he always does. He gives Teddy a massive grin as soon as he arrives and Teddy puts his book aside and practically leaps across the room to Harry.
"Alright, mate?" Harry asks, hugging Teddy around the shoulders and ruffling his hair.
"Yeah!" Teddy says, stepping back from Harry and looking over at his grandmother who is watching them with a small, amused smile.
"Tea, Harry?"
"Thanks. Actually, Andromeda, I'll give you a hand. Wait here a second, Ted, I just need to talk to your nan for a minute."
Teddy nods and busies himself with checking his bag. In the kitchen, he can hear Harry talking, although he can't make out the words. Moments later, he hears his grandmother gives a happy little shout. When they return, she is beaming and Harry is flushing above his cup of tea. He smiles a little weirdly at Teddy, who tries not to look too interested in whatever the grown ups had discussed in the kitchen. He's very curious of course, but he doesn't want them to think he's being nosy.
It doesn't take long for Harry to drink his tea and when he sets his cup aside he looks at Teddy.
"Got everything?" he asks and Teddy nods, patting his bag. Harry grins at the logo.
"Can we go by Floo?" Teddy asks, like always. His grandmother hates travelling that way even more than Harry does, and Teddy is eager to try it out.
"Not this time. I've got something even better," Harry says, digging in his pocket. "C'mere."
Teddy crosses the room and kneels on the floor in front of Harry, looking eagerly at the small object in his hand. It's a pyramid, only a few inches high, and a dark, shiny blue colour. There might be tiny letters carved into it, Teddy isn't sure. With his fingernail, Harry flicks the very tip of the pyramid and it unfolds before Teddy's eyes, each side moving noiselessly to lay flat on Harry's palm, exposing a fluttering blue flame.
"Cool!" Teddy says. Harry often brings weird little items like this, things he says he's picked up while abroad for work. As well as being an excellent and famous Auror, Harry is known and trusted by what Teddy's grandmother calls the international wizarding community, so he's often sent overseas to talk to Aurors from other countries.
"It'll never go out," Harry says and after a glance over Teddy's shoulder at his grandmother, pokes his finger at the flame. "It won't burn you or anything else, and it'll always be as bright as you need it to be."
"How does it know?" Teddy asks.
"Magic," Harry says, ruffling Teddy's hair again. "Duh."
"Duh, yourself," Teddy says. "What kind of magic?"
"Well, charms mostly I suppose," Harry shrugs. "I'm not really sure."
"Wicked," Teddy grins. He loves charms. "How do you close it?"
Harry taps his finger twice on the flame and the pyramid closes itself up again. "You try," he says, tipping it into Teddy's hand. Teddy sets it squarely in his palm. "Good hard flick, and think about what you want to use it for." Harry says. "Try to get it right on the top or it'll tip over." Teddy flicks the little pyramid, thinking of reading books under his covers late at night, and it opens again, the flame burning white and bright this time, hardly flickering at all.
"Excellent!" Teddy enthuses.
"Try a different colour," Harry says abruptly and Teddy taps the white flame twice, watching the pyramid close. This time, he thinks of going to sleep, and when he flicks the pyramid, the flame exposed this time is a warm rosy colour. Instead of flickering it seems to pulse, almost in time with Teddy's heartbeat. "Teddy," Harry says, and then sits back on the sofa, looking at him curiously. "What'd you do?"
"Nothing," Teddy says, a little nervous. "I just imagined what I wanted the light for and - "
"Well, well," Harry smiles. "That's amazing. They're not meant to change colour." He laughs. "Colour changers are about five times the price of these ones. And they're bigger. Have to be to allow for all the possibilities. Wow, Ted."
"What does it mean?" Teddy asks curiously.
"That you're a genius," his grandmother says. "But we already knew that."
"I'm not - " Teddy protests, closing up the pyramid again. "I really like it, that's all."
"That's a lot of natural ability," Harry says, his eyes on Teddy's grandmother. Looking between the two of them, Teddy sees his grandmother nod and smile. "Any more - ?" he asks.
"Only a little," Teddy's grandmother says. "If I didn't know better, I'd say he cast a cheering charm on me the other day."
"How could he - "
"It was Ted's birthday," she explains. "I was - upset."
"Of course," Harry nods. "I didn't realise."
"Your friend Dean came," Teddy pipes up. He remembers that day very well, and knows exactly what they're talking about - his accidental magic. Until recently, it had just been his morphing he couldn't control. It was mostly manageable now, the worst thing that had happened for ages was his hair blushing just like his face when he was embarrassed. Since then though, other things had started to happen. Teddy knows that most kids get things they want from their accidental magic - and not always that accidentally; his friend Johnny says that he sometimes thinks icecream-icecream-icecream and a bowlful appears. For Teddy though, it doesn't usually happen like that.
"Did he?" Harry asks but his eyes quickly go back to Teddy's grandmother. "What happened?"
"He came to tell me Dean was in the floo, and I was crying. And then - I wasn't."
"Could be - " Harry starts.
"No, I'm sure. It was magic," his grandmother says.
"Am I in trouble?" Teddy asks.
"Not even a little bit," Harry assures him. "Do you remember what happened when your nan stopped crying?"
"I didn't want her to be sad," Teddy shrugs. "I don't really know, I just wanted things to be nice. And then they were." He's aware of Harry and his grandmother exchanging another look over his shoulder but rather than annoyed, they seem pleased. He resolves that later on, he will tell Harry all the details if he wants to hear. How he had known it was his grandfather's birthday and known why his grandmother was crying. How he'd thought don't cry, don't be sad, I love you and pushed the thought at his grandmother, like hugging her with his mind.
"It's fine," Harry says. "Nothing to worry about, just natural ability with charms, apparently."
"Was mum good at charms?" Teddy asks, looking at his grandmother.
"Merlin, no. Absolutely hopeless," she says fondly.
"What about dad?" he asks, turning to Harry.
"First time we ever met him he saved us from a dementor with the patronus charm," Harry says. "But I think it was all defensive stuff he was good at, really, not specifically charms."
"Will you teach me some of the stuff dad taught you?" Teddy asks.
"When you're older," Harry promises. "Come on, kid, we better get going."
Teddy hugs his grandmother goodbye and watches closely as Harry taps the pyramid with his wand and says Portus. The pyramid glows briefly and Teddy grips Harry’s free hand tightly as they touch their fingers to it. Teddy tries to ready himself for the tug but it comes as a surprise as always, and it’s only Harry’s hand that stops him from falling over when they land.
“Alright?” Harry checks, and Teddy nods up at him, trying to get his bearings as Harry deactivates the portkey and hands it back to Teddy. “Shove that in your bag,” he says. “Right then, mate. Ice cream?”
“Yeah!”
“I’m going to have bubblegum flavour,” Harry says, and Teddy wrinkles his nose.
“Chocolate,” he says decisively. “And strawberry sauce.”
“And white chocolate sprinkles?” Harry teases. “Just like your dad.”
Teddy can’t help feeling a little proud every time Harry says something like that. When he was much younger, Teddy had messed up a few times and called Harry ‘dad’ or his grandmother ‘mum’. He remembers being horribly embarrassed, mainly because they had both looked so upset, Harry in particular. Now he’s old enough to understand though, he tries to seek out all of the tiny ways in which he is like one or both of his parents. Even if it is just bright hair and occasional clumsiness or an obsession with chocolate and books.
At Fortescue’s, they sit outside at a small silver table in the sunshine. Teddy picks off individual sprinkles from his sundae and melts them on his tongue while Harry chews on the Tingle-Tongue Toffee stick from his own.
"How's school?" Harry asks.
Teddy goes two days a week to a wizarding primary school hidden away in the west end of London. They aren't taught to do magic, but they are taught about it, and Teddy usually enjoys it.
"Good," he nods. "We learnt about the life cycle of a Phoenix yesterday."
"Did you now?" Harry grins, and taps his upper arm through his shirt sleeve, where Teddy knows there is a wizarding tattoo of a phoenix, bursting into flames.
"I saw Victoire last week," Teddy adds, pushing his ice cream around in the glass. "Shekissedme," he blurts out, and hears Harry's gentle laugh. "On the cheek," he adds, because anything else would just be horrible.
"Oh, really?" Harry asks. "Did you like it?"
"I - don't know," Teddy shrugs.
"Maybe you will one day," Harry suggests and Teddy shrugs again.
"Maybe," he agrees.
"Well if you don't like it, tell her not to," Harry says. Teddy shrugs once more.
"It's okay, I suppose. She's nice unless I call her Vicky."
"Ha, yeah, she wouldn't like that," Harry agrees before continuing seriously, "Teddy, I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Alright," Teddy nods, setting his spoon down.
"You can still eat," Harry laughs, and Teddy grins, scraping up some strawberry sauce on his fingernail and licking it off. "You know where we're going fishing today?"
"Yeah," Teddy nods. Harry had included a map in his letter to Teddy's grandmother, and Teddy had pored over it for long moments, wondering where they would sit, and what the ground would look like when it was more than just green ink on a page.
"Well - " Harry says and then stops for another mouthful of ice cream. "Me and Ginny bought a house near there."
"Oh," Teddy says, his heart plummeting. It's very far away from London.
"It's alright!" Harry says, catching sight of his slight frown. "We'll only ever be a floo call away. But we - we need a bigger house, Teddy, because me and Ginny are going to have a baby."
"A - oh," Teddy says.
"Is that okay?" Harry asks gently.
"Um. Of course," Teddy says, slightly baffled that Harry is even asking him. What would happen if Teddy said no, it was not okay? "Just one?" he blurts out.
"Yes," Harry says with a smile. "For now, anyway."
"That's - wow," Teddy mutters. "When's it coming?"
"In five months," Harry says. "It's going to be a little boy."
"Oh, okay," Teddy says again, because again, what else can he say?
"He's going to be called James," Harry offers.
"Like your dad," Teddy nods.
"I want - " Harry says awkwardly. "We both still love you, Teddy, and we always will. This isn't going to change anything, I promise."
"Yeah?" Teddy asks, looking up at Harry through his eyelashes.
"It'll be like having a little brother you can get rid of whenever he gets too annoying," Harry says. "It'll be great."
"What - what if he doesn't like me?" Teddy asks. He's not sure how he feels about the idea of Harry and Ginny's son, whether there's jealousy mixed in with the excitement, or anger, or confusion. Mainly he is arrested by the idea of the child not liking him, because there would be no question who Ginny and Harry would choose. There wouldn't even be a choice.
"Oh, Teddy," Harry says fondly, reaching over the table to ruffle Teddy's blushing hair. "I'm sure he's going to love you."
Teddy smiles and picks up his spoon again, still not completely sure Harry's telling the truth. Well, he is sure that Harry is telling what he thinks is the truth. Teddy knows from school that some kids just don't like some other kids. Although, Teddy comforts himself, even kids at school who don't really like him are amused by his tricks with his hair and eyes. Maybe James will like that, Teddy thinks, turning back to his ice cream and letting Harry distract him with stories about Quidditch.
He doesn’t think about James again until they are sitting at the river, fishing the muggle way. He wonders if the three of them will do this together, or if it is something Harry will want to do on his own, with his son. Maybe one day, if James likes him, Teddy will take him fishing. He sneaks a look at Harry who is watching him out of the corner of his eye.
"Teddy," Harry says carefully, tapping his fishing rod with his wand so that he can let go and it will hang there unaided. He turns to look at Teddy seriously as though he's mentally weighing him up. "I know that I'm not," he says, "And I know that you know I'm not, but I do think of you as mine, you know? My boy, my kid."
Teddy lets go of his own fishing rod and only a wave of Harry's wand keeps it out of the water. Impulsively, Teddy leans into his godfather's side and hugs him. He's not sure how to say what he feels - he would never wish for Harry to be his real dad, because he loves his real dad, even if he doesn't know him. He wouldn't wish to be Harry and Ginny's son instead of Remus and Nymphadora's, but if he was, he would be pleased.
Instead of trying to say anything, Teddy just snuggles into Harry's side like he still does with his grandmother sometimes. He feels Harry's hand come up to soothe over his hair and turns it turquoise in the wake of Harry's hand to make him laugh.
[interlude #1]
Author: Lyds
Rating: This part, G
Notes: Teddy/James, only James isn't born yet, so not ;) Just lots and lots of Teddy.
Disclaimer: JKR’s, not mine. Title is from an Elvis Costello song, When It Sings, and that's not mine either.
Words: This part, about 3750
Teddy Lupin wakes up early on Saturday morning, which is unusual. Teddy loves his bed, and he loves sleeping, and he especially loves waking up early in the morning and drifting off again, waking and sleeping, waking and sleeping. His grandmother only ever lets him do that on Saturdays and not much makes Teddy willing to waste the opportunity. A whole day out with his godfather though, is definitely something worth waking up early for. Teddy's godfather's name is Harry Potter and he's very famous; he sometimes he changes his face when they go out together so people don’t bother them (Teddy doesn't know how but it takes a lot longer than his own changes and Harry needs his wand). Teddy has seen Harry in the newspapers sometimes. Harry is still only young but he has a wife. Her name is Ginny, and Teddy thinks she is very pretty. Sometimes, he borrows her freckles and she always hugs him tight when he does.
Ginny used to play Quidditch professionally and Teddy remembers the excitement of watching her games from the stands with Harry. A few years ago though, Ginny had been injured during a match and forced to take early retirement from the game. Everyone said it was a tragedy, because she was still young and talented and had a lot to give to the game. Her leg still hurts sometimes, especially in the winter, but she is loud and brave and funny. Teddy likes her because she doesn’t treat him like a little boy and she tells him stories about his mum. He is always glad to visit the Potters because something always happens. People arrive at their floo gate without warning and are always welcomed eagerly. Most of them are members of Ginny’s family, but lots of them are old school friends from Hogwarts. Whoever comes, Harry always makes a point of introducing them to Teddy (This is Teddy Lupin, my godson) and many of the school friends look at him with interest and fond smiles. Teddy knows that this is because his dad used to teach at the school they all went to, Hogwarts.
Teddy lives with his grandmother and he loves it. He thinks she is just as pretty as Ginny, even though she is a lot older. She taught him how to read, and about his parents, and Teddy has never for one second doubted her love. His grandmother is his only family though, and Teddy loves that, too. Well, his grandmother says that they do have other relatives, but that they fought a very long time ago, and she no longer sees them. Teddy doesn’t mind though. He likes spending most of his time with one person. It makes him feel safe and real. He’s not a loud boy like some of Harry and Ginny’s nephews and sometimes when it is too full, he finds the Potters’ lively household a bit too much.
Today though, he is going out with just Harry for the whole day. They're going to go to Diagon Alley first which Teddy always enjoys. When he goes there with his grandmother, they always have a plan, and a list of essential items to buy. She doesn't like the crowded street very much and always keeps a tight grip on Teddy's hand. When he goes with Harry it is always just to explore. They spend time looking at everything from books to animals to brooms and Harry guides Teddy with a gentle hand on his shoulder. They will spend some time in the shops, and then probably eat ice-creams at Fortescue's. Harry always buys Teddy things, and although he loves the books and Quidditch stuff and toys, it makes him feel a little uncomfortable sometimes, partly because it seems to make Harry uncomfortable. After that, they're going to go fishing - the muggle way, Harry has promised. Teddy doesn't know how Harry learned all that he knows about the muggle world because he doesn't get along with his muggle family, unless it is from Mr. Weasley, who is Ginny's dad. He's going to spend the night, too, so he'll get to see Ginny. In the floo, Harry had given Teddy a knowing smile and said that they'd probably be back too late for visitors. Either Harry or Harry and Ginny will bring him home on Sunday lunchtime, probably via Diagon Alley and another ice cream.
Teddy dresses hurriedly and bounds down the stairs, his normally sedate nature all but lost in his excitement. Although Harry tries to see Teddy as often as he can, he has a very important job, and it's been over a month since Teddy last saw his godfather. His grandmother is waiting, as she always is, with breakfast. Teddy dutifully munches his cereal, even though he's so excited he neither wants nor tastes the food. He drinks his orange juice - he hates pumpkin juice passionately - and watches his grandmother adding milk and sugar to her customary tea. He wants to try some, but she always says no, that the sugar would be bad for him, and the taste without sugar too strong. She smiles at him over her cup and asks if he is looking forward to his day.
"Yeah!" he says enthusiastically. "We're going fishing!"
He feels a bit silly when his grandmother smiles gently and says, "I know, sweetheart." He's told her so many times already. She looks a tiny bit sad, like she always does on these days, and Teddy jumps down from his seat and gives her an impromptu cuddle, returning to his chair after a moment and finishing off his cereal. Then he looks expectantly at the clock and his face falls when he realises it's still only half past eight and Harry is not due for a whole hour longer.
"Why don't you go upstairs and pack and bag, then read until Harry gets here?" his grandmother suggests. Teddy nods and finishes his orange juice.
Back upstairs in his room, Teddy opens his Chudley Cannons satchel and looks inside gingerly. There are several tissues and a brown apple core lurking in the bottom and Teddy upends the bag over the bin. He packs a pair of dark blue pyjamas with moons and stars on them, as well as two spare t-shirts, socks, underwear, a book (because Harry casts lumos and gives Teddy his wand to read by at night if he can't sleep, and he loves reading that way) and the few sickles he has saved up, although Harry rarely lets Teddy spend his own money.
He checks his bag and puts on his shoes so that he will be ready to leave the instant Harry arrives. He knows that Harry always stays for a cup of tea with his grandmother but he wants to be ready nonetheless. With his bag over his shoulder he bounces down the stairs, past wizarding photos of his mum and dad, himself, and his grandmother and grandfather. He knows the photos very well, especially the single one of himself with both of his parents. His mum is lying in a bed with white sheets drawn up around her, looking exhausted but happy, and his dad is sitting on the bed next to her, holding Teddy and staring down into the bundle with an indescribable look on his face. In the picture he says something to Teddy (and hours of studying the picture have him almost convinced that it's hello, little man) then turns to Teddy's mum and kisses her temple while she smiles tiredly at her husband and baby. Teddy wouldn't say that he misses them, because he doesn't remember them, but he loves to look at the pictures.
His grandmother smiles indulgently at Teddy as he sits on the sofa, trying to read. He is far too excited to take much notice of his book even though it's one of his favourites, a muggle book about a boy who gets squashed flat by a notice board and posts himself across the ocean. Finally, the floo roars into life and Harry stumbles out, almost missing the grate like he always does. He gives Teddy a massive grin as soon as he arrives and Teddy puts his book aside and practically leaps across the room to Harry.
"Alright, mate?" Harry asks, hugging Teddy around the shoulders and ruffling his hair.
"Yeah!" Teddy says, stepping back from Harry and looking over at his grandmother who is watching them with a small, amused smile.
"Tea, Harry?"
"Thanks. Actually, Andromeda, I'll give you a hand. Wait here a second, Ted, I just need to talk to your nan for a minute."
Teddy nods and busies himself with checking his bag. In the kitchen, he can hear Harry talking, although he can't make out the words. Moments later, he hears his grandmother gives a happy little shout. When they return, she is beaming and Harry is flushing above his cup of tea. He smiles a little weirdly at Teddy, who tries not to look too interested in whatever the grown ups had discussed in the kitchen. He's very curious of course, but he doesn't want them to think he's being nosy.
It doesn't take long for Harry to drink his tea and when he sets his cup aside he looks at Teddy.
"Got everything?" he asks and Teddy nods, patting his bag. Harry grins at the logo.
"Can we go by Floo?" Teddy asks, like always. His grandmother hates travelling that way even more than Harry does, and Teddy is eager to try it out.
"Not this time. I've got something even better," Harry says, digging in his pocket. "C'mere."
Teddy crosses the room and kneels on the floor in front of Harry, looking eagerly at the small object in his hand. It's a pyramid, only a few inches high, and a dark, shiny blue colour. There might be tiny letters carved into it, Teddy isn't sure. With his fingernail, Harry flicks the very tip of the pyramid and it unfolds before Teddy's eyes, each side moving noiselessly to lay flat on Harry's palm, exposing a fluttering blue flame.
"Cool!" Teddy says. Harry often brings weird little items like this, things he says he's picked up while abroad for work. As well as being an excellent and famous Auror, Harry is known and trusted by what Teddy's grandmother calls the international wizarding community, so he's often sent overseas to talk to Aurors from other countries.
"It'll never go out," Harry says and after a glance over Teddy's shoulder at his grandmother, pokes his finger at the flame. "It won't burn you or anything else, and it'll always be as bright as you need it to be."
"How does it know?" Teddy asks.
"Magic," Harry says, ruffling Teddy's hair again. "Duh."
"Duh, yourself," Teddy says. "What kind of magic?"
"Well, charms mostly I suppose," Harry shrugs. "I'm not really sure."
"Wicked," Teddy grins. He loves charms. "How do you close it?"
Harry taps his finger twice on the flame and the pyramid closes itself up again. "You try," he says, tipping it into Teddy's hand. Teddy sets it squarely in his palm. "Good hard flick, and think about what you want to use it for." Harry says. "Try to get it right on the top or it'll tip over." Teddy flicks the little pyramid, thinking of reading books under his covers late at night, and it opens again, the flame burning white and bright this time, hardly flickering at all.
"Excellent!" Teddy enthuses.
"Try a different colour," Harry says abruptly and Teddy taps the white flame twice, watching the pyramid close. This time, he thinks of going to sleep, and when he flicks the pyramid, the flame exposed this time is a warm rosy colour. Instead of flickering it seems to pulse, almost in time with Teddy's heartbeat. "Teddy," Harry says, and then sits back on the sofa, looking at him curiously. "What'd you do?"
"Nothing," Teddy says, a little nervous. "I just imagined what I wanted the light for and - "
"Well, well," Harry smiles. "That's amazing. They're not meant to change colour." He laughs. "Colour changers are about five times the price of these ones. And they're bigger. Have to be to allow for all the possibilities. Wow, Ted."
"What does it mean?" Teddy asks curiously.
"That you're a genius," his grandmother says. "But we already knew that."
"I'm not - " Teddy protests, closing up the pyramid again. "I really like it, that's all."
"That's a lot of natural ability," Harry says, his eyes on Teddy's grandmother. Looking between the two of them, Teddy sees his grandmother nod and smile. "Any more - ?" he asks.
"Only a little," Teddy's grandmother says. "If I didn't know better, I'd say he cast a cheering charm on me the other day."
"How could he - "
"It was Ted's birthday," she explains. "I was - upset."
"Of course," Harry nods. "I didn't realise."
"Your friend Dean came," Teddy pipes up. He remembers that day very well, and knows exactly what they're talking about - his accidental magic. Until recently, it had just been his morphing he couldn't control. It was mostly manageable now, the worst thing that had happened for ages was his hair blushing just like his face when he was embarrassed. Since then though, other things had started to happen. Teddy knows that most kids get things they want from their accidental magic - and not always that accidentally; his friend Johnny says that he sometimes thinks icecream-icecream-icecream and a bowlful appears. For Teddy though, it doesn't usually happen like that.
"Did he?" Harry asks but his eyes quickly go back to Teddy's grandmother. "What happened?"
"He came to tell me Dean was in the floo, and I was crying. And then - I wasn't."
"Could be - " Harry starts.
"No, I'm sure. It was magic," his grandmother says.
"Am I in trouble?" Teddy asks.
"Not even a little bit," Harry assures him. "Do you remember what happened when your nan stopped crying?"
"I didn't want her to be sad," Teddy shrugs. "I don't really know, I just wanted things to be nice. And then they were." He's aware of Harry and his grandmother exchanging another look over his shoulder but rather than annoyed, they seem pleased. He resolves that later on, he will tell Harry all the details if he wants to hear. How he had known it was his grandfather's birthday and known why his grandmother was crying. How he'd thought don't cry, don't be sad, I love you and pushed the thought at his grandmother, like hugging her with his mind.
"It's fine," Harry says. "Nothing to worry about, just natural ability with charms, apparently."
"Was mum good at charms?" Teddy asks, looking at his grandmother.
"Merlin, no. Absolutely hopeless," she says fondly.
"What about dad?" he asks, turning to Harry.
"First time we ever met him he saved us from a dementor with the patronus charm," Harry says. "But I think it was all defensive stuff he was good at, really, not specifically charms."
"Will you teach me some of the stuff dad taught you?" Teddy asks.
"When you're older," Harry promises. "Come on, kid, we better get going."
Teddy hugs his grandmother goodbye and watches closely as Harry taps the pyramid with his wand and says Portus. The pyramid glows briefly and Teddy grips Harry’s free hand tightly as they touch their fingers to it. Teddy tries to ready himself for the tug but it comes as a surprise as always, and it’s only Harry’s hand that stops him from falling over when they land.
“Alright?” Harry checks, and Teddy nods up at him, trying to get his bearings as Harry deactivates the portkey and hands it back to Teddy. “Shove that in your bag,” he says. “Right then, mate. Ice cream?”
“Yeah!”
“I’m going to have bubblegum flavour,” Harry says, and Teddy wrinkles his nose.
“Chocolate,” he says decisively. “And strawberry sauce.”
“And white chocolate sprinkles?” Harry teases. “Just like your dad.”
Teddy can’t help feeling a little proud every time Harry says something like that. When he was much younger, Teddy had messed up a few times and called Harry ‘dad’ or his grandmother ‘mum’. He remembers being horribly embarrassed, mainly because they had both looked so upset, Harry in particular. Now he’s old enough to understand though, he tries to seek out all of the tiny ways in which he is like one or both of his parents. Even if it is just bright hair and occasional clumsiness or an obsession with chocolate and books.
At Fortescue’s, they sit outside at a small silver table in the sunshine. Teddy picks off individual sprinkles from his sundae and melts them on his tongue while Harry chews on the Tingle-Tongue Toffee stick from his own.
"How's school?" Harry asks.
Teddy goes two days a week to a wizarding primary school hidden away in the west end of London. They aren't taught to do magic, but they are taught about it, and Teddy usually enjoys it.
"Good," he nods. "We learnt about the life cycle of a Phoenix yesterday."
"Did you now?" Harry grins, and taps his upper arm through his shirt sleeve, where Teddy knows there is a wizarding tattoo of a phoenix, bursting into flames.
"I saw Victoire last week," Teddy adds, pushing his ice cream around in the glass. "Shekissedme," he blurts out, and hears Harry's gentle laugh. "On the cheek," he adds, because anything else would just be horrible.
"Oh, really?" Harry asks. "Did you like it?"
"I - don't know," Teddy shrugs.
"Maybe you will one day," Harry suggests and Teddy shrugs again.
"Maybe," he agrees.
"Well if you don't like it, tell her not to," Harry says. Teddy shrugs once more.
"It's okay, I suppose. She's nice unless I call her Vicky."
"Ha, yeah, she wouldn't like that," Harry agrees before continuing seriously, "Teddy, I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Alright," Teddy nods, setting his spoon down.
"You can still eat," Harry laughs, and Teddy grins, scraping up some strawberry sauce on his fingernail and licking it off. "You know where we're going fishing today?"
"Yeah," Teddy nods. Harry had included a map in his letter to Teddy's grandmother, and Teddy had pored over it for long moments, wondering where they would sit, and what the ground would look like when it was more than just green ink on a page.
"Well - " Harry says and then stops for another mouthful of ice cream. "Me and Ginny bought a house near there."
"Oh," Teddy says, his heart plummeting. It's very far away from London.
"It's alright!" Harry says, catching sight of his slight frown. "We'll only ever be a floo call away. But we - we need a bigger house, Teddy, because me and Ginny are going to have a baby."
"A - oh," Teddy says.
"Is that okay?" Harry asks gently.
"Um. Of course," Teddy says, slightly baffled that Harry is even asking him. What would happen if Teddy said no, it was not okay? "Just one?" he blurts out.
"Yes," Harry says with a smile. "For now, anyway."
"That's - wow," Teddy mutters. "When's it coming?"
"In five months," Harry says. "It's going to be a little boy."
"Oh, okay," Teddy says again, because again, what else can he say?
"He's going to be called James," Harry offers.
"Like your dad," Teddy nods.
"I want - " Harry says awkwardly. "We both still love you, Teddy, and we always will. This isn't going to change anything, I promise."
"Yeah?" Teddy asks, looking up at Harry through his eyelashes.
"It'll be like having a little brother you can get rid of whenever he gets too annoying," Harry says. "It'll be great."
"What - what if he doesn't like me?" Teddy asks. He's not sure how he feels about the idea of Harry and Ginny's son, whether there's jealousy mixed in with the excitement, or anger, or confusion. Mainly he is arrested by the idea of the child not liking him, because there would be no question who Ginny and Harry would choose. There wouldn't even be a choice.
"Oh, Teddy," Harry says fondly, reaching over the table to ruffle Teddy's blushing hair. "I'm sure he's going to love you."
Teddy smiles and picks up his spoon again, still not completely sure Harry's telling the truth. Well, he is sure that Harry is telling what he thinks is the truth. Teddy knows from school that some kids just don't like some other kids. Although, Teddy comforts himself, even kids at school who don't really like him are amused by his tricks with his hair and eyes. Maybe James will like that, Teddy thinks, turning back to his ice cream and letting Harry distract him with stories about Quidditch.
He doesn’t think about James again until they are sitting at the river, fishing the muggle way. He wonders if the three of them will do this together, or if it is something Harry will want to do on his own, with his son. Maybe one day, if James likes him, Teddy will take him fishing. He sneaks a look at Harry who is watching him out of the corner of his eye.
"Teddy," Harry says carefully, tapping his fishing rod with his wand so that he can let go and it will hang there unaided. He turns to look at Teddy seriously as though he's mentally weighing him up. "I know that I'm not," he says, "And I know that you know I'm not, but I do think of you as mine, you know? My boy, my kid."
Teddy lets go of his own fishing rod and only a wave of Harry's wand keeps it out of the water. Impulsively, Teddy leans into his godfather's side and hugs him. He's not sure how to say what he feels - he would never wish for Harry to be his real dad, because he loves his real dad, even if he doesn't know him. He wouldn't wish to be Harry and Ginny's son instead of Remus and Nymphadora's, but if he was, he would be pleased.
Instead of trying to say anything, Teddy just snuggles into Harry's side like he still does with his grandmother sometimes. He feels Harry's hand come up to soothe over his hair and turns it turquoise in the wake of Harry's hand to make him laugh.
[interlude #1]