Trouble With Time

Seven

Teddy suggested that they all go down to the kitchen again so that he could explain properly, despite it being around 1AM. The future kids all seemed to of worked out what had happened and Roxanne, Lily, Lucy, Hugo and Albus all decided to stay upstairs to avoid the horrible conversation to come.

As they all sat down, Mrs. Weasley being supported by Remus and Ginny being half carried by Hermione and Rose, and looked intently at Teddy and Victoire. Sighing Teddy started.

"So, I guess that Rose and Molly told you three. I suppose we should tell you what will really happen in the war. If you are all to be oblivarated after we have left then it cant do much harm to the timeline. So, well, there are many deaths and..." Teddy trailed off as he saw his father's somber face mixed in with all the Weasleys.

"Ok," James said, taking over. He seemed very serious for once. "So, in the middle of next year, Sirius will fall through a veil in the Ministry during a battle against the death eaters." Sirius turned very pale and Harry's mouth fell open. "Then, next year Dumbledore will be killed by-" Someone, probably Victoire, kicked  kicked his leg under the table, "never mind..."

Everyone seemed shocked and terrified by this news. James looked very nervous and couldn't seem to get the words out anymore. Fred took over as Teddy was still struggling, a look of grim determination on his face.

"In the summer of 1997, there was... will be a battle in the sky and Mad-eye Moody will die then, umm... The next year there are many deaths but then there is a huge final battle where many people die including..." Fred took a deep breathe. "Well, Severus, Remus, Tonks and Fred."

"What?!" George said. It came out as a whisper. A tear trickled down his face. All the other Weasley (from the present) looked distraught. Fred himself seemed to be taking the news the best, although he was still clearly upset and shocked.

Harry was staring at his Godfather in distress. He was opening and closing his mouth. It would have been funny under different circumstances.

Remus was looking at Teddy with an ashen face. Rose was currently in the seat next to him and gave Teddy a push in his direction, so they could talk properly.

"Y-you said that... no... but you must of been a-"

"I was 1 month old when you and mum died," Teddy said, trying to keep his voice even. It didn't work.

Teddy had always been an orphan. That was a fact that he had accepted a long time ago. He had lived with his grandmother and spent some weekends at the Potters since before he could remember. However, seeing his mum and dad in the flesh, conversing with his long-deceased father 2 years before he was supposed to die, made him feel very vulnerable. Over the years, he had built layer upon layer of protection so that he could act like it didn't affect him anymore. It really did though.

Teddy held back tears as his father drank in his face. They stared at each other for a moment longer then Remus opened his arms, indicating that Teddy could hug him. They stayed like that for a few minutes whilst the pain of the Weasleys sounded clearly around them. Teddy cried. Properly. It was the first time since his grandmother (and last close blood-relative) died, 3 years ago. He sobbed into his fathers shoulder and he could feel Remus holding back his tears.

Teddy pulled back and he and his fathers eyes met again. Remus smiled weakly at him. "Your hair's like mine again," he said and Teddy automatically reached up and touched it. Sure enough, it was shorter than usual and felt messier.

Deciding to keep it like that, Teddy smiled breifly then they turned back to what was happening in the room.

Harry and Sirius were sitting together and seemed to be having a very serious conversation. Harry was on the verge of tears. Remus stood and went to sit with them. Ginny, Molly and George were all crowding around and trying to hug Fred whilst he kept saying, "I'm not dead yet, I'm fine!" Ron and Bill were standing with them, the former with tears running freely down his face and the latter holding a firm hand on his youngest brother's shoulder with a grip so tight that Ron's shoulder might soon fall off.

All the future Weasleys and Potter sat together in an awkward group, no one saying anything, just watching their family grief for people who were not yet dead.

.../...

Eventually, everyone headed back upstairs. Roxanne, Lily and Lucy were all already asleep but Hugo and Albus had stayed awake. Teddy made sure that all his 'charges' were in bed before heading to his shared room. As he entered, he noticed that Bill's bed was empty. That was strange, they had walked upstairs together.

Putting it to the back of his mind, Teddy layed down and turned off the light. Despite it being around 2 in the morning, he just layed on his back, thinking about his father and mother and everything he had missed out on. His thoughts turned to the Weasleys, who knew that one of their own was soon to die and yet couldn't do anything about it. He wondered if they would get home in time for Christmas or whether they would celebrate away from their families, as far as you could get really. And yet, this was the closest Teddy had ever had to having his parents with him. And he didn't want it to stop anytime soon...