Chapter 26

It was probably eleven at night, but Teddy wasn't tired at all. He probably wopuldn't be able to sleep anyway - too many things were out of hand. Lily in critical condition at the hospital, thretaning to slip into death any minute, James poisined and confined to St. Mungo's like his sister, the hassle of getting all the kids that were fit enough to get to Hogwarts the next morning (Teddy was to take them himself - the others would undoubtedly be busy), Teddy's parents were there, and alive, and... alive. He had to get to know them - before it was too late and Harry (O) decided to bring them back. And, on top of that, Teddy felt unbeliveably guilty. He had his godfather hadn't spoken a word to eachother since their quarrel - Teddy didn't know what he had been thinking at the time. How dare he say a thing to his father in many ways, the man who had raised him, the man who had shown nothing but love for him for over twenty years? Harry (O) had never said anything against Teddy, had never gotten very angry with him, and even taken him in after his parents died - yet Teddy still blew up on him like that. Of course Teddy knew Harry (O) loved Lily. How could he ever say otherwise? Teddy should've thought. He should've kept it to himself. The worst possible thing to do was to imply something like that at a time like that, in front of everyone, nonetheless! Teddy should've known already that Harry (O) was the best father anyone could ever have - how dare he think otherwise? Why was he so selfish? These thoughts flew around in Teddy's head. He was sitting in the dimly lit kitchen of the Potter's house - the house where he'd grown up with Harry (O) and Ginny (O). He had so many memories of it - he even remembered the day James was born, vividly, actually. He remembered mostly all his cousins being born (except Victoire and Roxanne - he was too young). He also remembered going to the Quidditch games when he was really little - Ginny (O) was Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. He remembered when Harry (O) was put him on his shoulders so he would be able to see...All he ever did was love me, and I made everything worse...Everything was runied because of bloody Voldemort. He and Victoire were supposed to be married in a few months time - how would that happen? "What are you doing up, kiddo?" His head snapped up - in the shadowy doorway was none other than Sirius Black. Then he remembered Harry (O) and Ginny (O) telling him stories about his parents, and Sirius Black, and the Marauders..."I - I couldn't sleep," Teddy said to Sirius. "You're awake, too." "I never sleep," said Sirius, crossing over to sit across from Teddy at the table. "Not really - you see, when we were back in school and used to help Remus - your dad - with the full moon, it lasted a few nights, and we would never sleep. That reminds me, we need some Wolfsbane... Anyway, Peter and James might've taken a few naps, but not me, I never did." He chuckled sadly. "James called me a 'Bloody Knockturnal Bat' for weeks after the first time, but I hexed him good and he stopped."Teddy grinned a bit. "I never knew that. But I guess I only know what Harry and the others got to know before you died..." "Yeah, I guess so," said Sirius glumly. Then he changed the subject. "Nice place, huh? You grew up here?" "Mostly," Teddy answered. "For the first year I was with Andromeda - then she got sick and died, I was two, and that's when Harry and Ginny took me. We lived at the Burrow for a little while then eventually moved into here.""Do you play Quidditch?" "A bit. Not at Hogwarts, but here I played sometimes." "Just like Moony," Sirius murmered. "Now, you have to promise me you'll answer this question." "I... promise?" "Why did Muggles make movies about Harry's life?" Teddy had to give a small laugh. "Well, this is what happened; Hermione thought it would be good to keep all the information, right? So they transformed his memories and thoughts into seven seperate books. Somehow the books got released to the Muggle public and it just went from there - I'm sure James'll try to get you to watch one... or three." "Sounds interesting - like Muggle actors and all?" Sirius asked."Yes," said Teddy. "It's actually quite good - Harry was surprised at how accurate it was... Now can I ask you something?" "Shoot," said Sirius. "Is he mad at me?" Teddy blurted out. "I know I was being an idiot, but he hasn't talked to me, and I'm just scared he's disowned me or something - but would he do that? I don't know, I'm scared -" "Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa," Sirius stopped him, holding his hands up in alarm. "Who? Harry? Ron? What are you talking about?" "Harry," Teddy replied earnestly, suddenly interested in the table. "When I got mad at him... I didn't mean to, I was just..." "Oh." Sirius sighed. "Look, Teddy - Harry's not angry anymore, I don't think. I think he knows you were just stressed, just like everyone else. Victoire faught with Domique - she was stressed out over everything." "I wanted to blame someone," Teddy admitted. "I wanted to yell at someone so badly... She's my sister, I wanted to take it out on someone - I shouldn't have done that to him, he didn't deserve it." "I think Ginny was more mad, to be honest," said Sirius. "Harry was a bit annoyed and muttered something about you 'testing your boundaries' but then got over it. Maybe you should talk to him." "I should, but I dunno if -" Little did they know, Harry (O) and Ginny (O) were standing right outside the door, listening. They had come to get Teddy and Al to see James, but had stopped short outside of the door. They had heard the whole conversation, mostly. "Harry," Ginny (O) said quietly, taking his hands (which were running through his hair nervously) and looking him in the eye, "talk to him." "I... alright," Harry (O) agreed in a whisper, nodding slowly. Ginny (O) gave him a long kiss - after years, she still got lost in his emerald eyes... "Go now - I'll wake Al." Harry (O) nodded again, watched her walk away and braced himself, walking into the kitchen. He saw Sirius and Teddy sitting at the table, and instantly Sirius said, "I'll be off to bed then, see you guys in the morning." "'Night Sirius," said Teddy."'Night," Harry (O) said as Sirius walked out. He looked at Teddy and gave him a small smile - Well, what now? Apologise, idiot. Oh. Right. Well, don't just stand there! Alright, alright, hurry up and think of something to say - I'm out of bloody ideas...Thankfully, his brain stopped argueing with itself because Teddy talked first."Any improvement?" "No," Harry said misrably, sitting in Sirius's vacant seat. "Nothing... James woke up, though." "He's okay?" Teddy asked hopefully. "He'll recover in a few weeks," Harry answered. "He wants to see you." "Alright." Teddy stood up and made for the door. "Ted," Harry said quietly, and Teddy stopped at the door, his back to Harry. "Yeah?" "I-I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you or anything..." "No, I'm sorry," said Teddy, turning to face him. "I - I shouldn't have yelled, I didn't mean it, really. I was just angry over everything that was happening... and scared something would happen to my mum, and Lily... I'm sorry, I didn't -" "It wasn't your fault - you were right," said Harry (O) wearily. "I souldn't have promised anything, I shoud've gone and helped more - we could've found her faster, and she wouldn't be... she wouldn't be like this. She's dying because of me, Teddy!" he cried the last part, tears welling up in his eyes. "Dad - please don't," Teddy said softly, looking away as his own eyes glassed over. "She'll - she'll be fine. It was Voldemort, not you." "Yes, but..." Harry (O) suddenly looked right at him. "You called me Dad." "Well - yeah," Teddy said, draging his blue eyes up to his godfather's green ones. "You are my dad." His voice cracked. "Sod everyone else." Harry (O) grinned a little, then it dissapeared. "Let's go, James is waiting." WITH JAMES...I need to see Lily. But how are you going to do that? I dunno. Any ideas? Well, seeing as you're the biggest prankster in the school, I thought you would have some kind of plan stirring in your brilliant mind, but I guess not. Hey, I'm handicapped, you can't expect me to even move! Excuses, James. Shut up. Maybe I can convince a Healer to let me have a wheelchair or something. Am I the only one who has a problem seeing you wheelchair? I mean, come on, you're handicapped, James, and have trouble opening your bloody eyes. Exactly, that's the problem... Ah, sod it, I don't even have a wand. Your parents probably have it. They probably knew you would try and do something like this. Ah, crap - wait! Hey! There's Al and Teddy - maybe they can help me! "How're you feeling, Jamsie?" Al asked as he sat down next to the bed, and James opened his eyes to look at his brother. "Fine, up until you called me 'Jamsie,'" said James hoarsely, and his brothers flinched. "I mean, where the Merlin did that come from, Al?" "You sound terrible," Teddy commented, wincing. "Why, thank you, Ted," he replied sarcastically. "Right. Alright you two - you have to help me get out of here," said James, attempting to sit up and trying to hide his grimaces. Teddy and Albus looked at each other. "Er - I don't think that's a good idea," said Al. "You might hurt your leg again," Teddy put in. "Look you two," James said, "I need to get out of here to see my sister, with or without you. You, for example, can choose not to help me, but I can't expect to get all the way to the ciritical condiotion ward all by my onsies, can I? So, can you help me, or can you not?" "Brother of mine," said Albus seriously, "you have been watching way to much Pirates of the Caribbean." "Fine, whatever you guys, I'll do it by myself," James decided. Al and Teddy shared another look. "I'll go find the wheelchair," Teddy said.