Marauders Era Short Stories

If You Could See Me Now (Teddy)

Teddy first asked about his father when he was four. He asked Harry if he was his dad since he spent so much time with him other than his gran. And the only person he knew who spent time with a kid was Bill Weasley who was always there with his daughter Victoire. Harry was silent for a good ten seconds before saying no. He showed teddy pictures of Remus and Tonks that day. Teddy has seen those pictures before. His gran has shown them to him but he never questioned who they were. Teddy decided that he liked the woman's style more. She was more colourful and what did a kid like more than colours?

James was born when Teddy was seven. That day he cried like no other. His gran held him tight but couldn't answer why little James had both of his parents but Teddy didn't. She can't possibly tell a kid about a bloody war. She only kept whispering that they didn't want to, they had to. But it did nothing to calm the seven-year-old.

Teddy was nine when he asked his gran if his parents left because they didn't like him. She told him no, that they loved him so much but Teddy couldn't believe her. He must have done something wrong, something so terrible for them to leave him when he was only a week or so old while everyone else he saw had both of the parents with them. Didn't he deserve to have at least one of the with him?

Harry sat him down a few days after that and told him that he too didn't have any of his parents. Tedd shook his head and said that he was old. Harry gave him a sad smile and told him how he too had to grow up without both his parents. He asked if Teddy thought that Harry too had done something wrong for them to leave like that. Teddy couldn't say yes. How could Harry have done something wrong? He was the best person in the world. No one could hate him.

Teddy was eleven when he asked why there weren't as many pictures and stories of his father as his mother. He had heard a lot about his mother and seen a lot of her childhood, teenage and adult pictures but he has only listened to a handful of stories about his father and only seen one picture of him. In all of them, he was either a really good teacher or a really calm and collected man and Teddy couldn't resonate with him. Those stories always made Teddy feel like his father wouldn't have liked him. Because he was nothing like him. On the other hand, he was a lot like his mother and he couldn't help but feel she would've understood him more than anyone he's met.

When Teddy was thirteen he asked his grandfather Lyall about his father's childhood. His grandfather was always a timid person who talked very little. Whenever teddy visited him throughout the years he only dotted on him and avoided talking about Remus whenever teddy asked. That day it felt like he'd do the same but after sitting quietly for a few minutes when Teddy is just about to get up and leave it at that he talked. he told him stories of Remus. Stories of his father. And Teddy listened eagerly.

Remus was a nice kid. He was as timid as Lyall himself. Didn't talk much and when he did it felt like a wise person was talking. Teddy wasn't anything like that. Teddy loved to talk, Teddy loved to change his hair and do pranks with his friends. Teddy loved breaking rules. When he said that to Lyall he laughed and told him that he was definitely Remus' son then. he told Teddy about Remus' time at Hogwarts and his friends at school. And Teddy was surprised to learn that his father was friends with Harry's father. After all, harry was so much older than him. That day he went home with all of Lyall's photo albums.

The next time he saw Harry he showed him all the pictures that had the four marauders in them. He asked him to point out who was who. He was saving them for Harry and didn't want to ask his gran. Harry gladly pointed out Remus, James, Sirius and Peter. He told him the story of Peter and how he betrayed all his friends. After all, Harry thought he was thirteen as well he learned that story himself. Harry's eyes watered as he shared the story. Professor Lupin and Sirius were there when he first listened to this same story. He learned him from their own mouth and now Professor Lupin's son was here listening to it from him. Teddy went up and hugged Harry tight. Both of them cried that day. They cried like they never have.

When Teddy was fifteen and got his prefect's badge he went up to the mirror and changed his features to the one of his fifteen-year-old dad in the picture. He didn't have to change much. He only needed to change his hair colour, and eye colour and add a few scars on his face. He touched his face and observed the changes. And then he broke the mirror. he hated that he looked a lot like his father. He didn't want to look like someone who abandoned their child twice. He also hated his mother for loving him and for going with him the last time.

Was Remus the only one that deserved her love? Didn't Teddy deserve her love? He was also angry ad grandfather Ted for leaving and making gran cry for the rest of her life. Why did everyone abandon him and his gran and his grandfather, Lyall? Couldn't one of them stay? Couldn't gran Hope stay and love him like deserves? Couldn't grandfather Ted? couldn't mum? couldn't dad? Harry didn't have his mum and dad but Harry had Sirius even if for only a short time. Harry got to know Teddy's father. Why couldn't Teddy get to know at least one of them instead of listening to their stories and their bravery? The stories didn't do them any justice. At least not his father and mother.

It made Teddy hate him even more. It was all his dad's fault. Why couldn't he just love Teddy and stay? For once. What did Teddy do to not deserve to see them?

When Teddy was eighteen and was looking over at the crowd at his graduation he felt like someone was missing. He kept searching but after a few moments, he realized why he couldn't find them. He was searching for his dead parents and relatives. There was no way he could find them. He didn't even see them before. And for the first time, Teddy realized that he missed them. He missed his dead relatives. He missed his parents. He missed his dad. And that was the moment he realized why he hated them so much. He hated them because he missed them. And hating was easier than missing. He chose the easy way out. Just like his dad.

He shook his head to clear out the thought. But his mind kept drifting back to it. He loved his mum. Possibly more than his dad. That was also like Remus according to Lyall. He once told Teddy that Remus loved Hope more than he loved Lyall. He was so much like his dad and he has been acting so much like his dad without realizing it. He was a prefect, he was a head boy. He broke rules but he also helped to maintain them. Just like him.

And for the first time in eighteen years, he asked if Remus would've been proud of him. If Remus could see him now would he have been proud of who Teddy has become and was becoming? He has no douth that Nymphadora would have been. He doesn't know why but he feels more sure of his mother than his father. Maybe because Remus was a mystery most of his life while Nymphadora wasn't. Or maybe simply because she was his mother.

If Remus saw him now, would he have recognized Teddy? Was Teddy the same Teddy Remus left behind? Was he the same person Remus wanted him to be? Teddy would never get to know the answers. But he wouldn't stop asking them. Remus wasn't good, he was great and now Teddy realizes why he left him the second time, why his mother followed him and left Teddy with his gran. They wanted Teddy to have this. They wanted Teddy to graduate and grow up like normal kids. They didn't want him to end up like Harry. Because he and Harry were the same except one had to go through much more than the other.

At that moment of realization, a body came and collided with him. It was eleven-year-old James Sirius Potter. Embracing him in a bone-crushing hug. And at that moment, all the envy he had for James melted away. He had never hugged James as enthusiastically.