Harry Potter and the Death Awakener

Chapter Fourteen: Godfather

   Harry awoke to a pounding noise that snaked up into to his room. He sat up and squinted at his room in confusion. Harry grabbed his glasses of the night stand and shoved them on his nose. He pushed the covers back and stumbled out of his room to the front door. As he exited the room, he quickly turned around and grabbed his wand. If someone wanted to kill him, he was sure they would have bursted in instead of knocking, but it didn't hurt to have protection.

   It couldn't have been a muggle at the door. Muggles didn't even know about Grimmauld Place. That meant it had to be a wizard and if they were knocking it had to be, hopefully, a friendly one.

As he got closer to the door, Harry could hear a screaming baby as well the continued frantic knocking. He glanced at his wristwatch as he made his way down the stairs and grumbled. It was nearly four in the morning. He would have to be awake in a few hours to make it to the Ministry on time.

The wailing got louder and the knocking got more frantic as he neared the door. Harry unlocked it and raised his wand as he opened the door. He nearly had a heart attack when he saw who it was.

He would never get used to how uncannily Andromeda Tonks looks to her sister Bellatrix. Though her hair was a pretty light brown, her face was eerily similar to that of her sister's.

Andromeda was standing on his front steps, mid-knock. She wore a thick nightgown and her was messily pulled up into a bun. Even in the dark Harry could see the black circles under her eyes.

In her arms, she held a screaming baby with hair the color of a cherry. The baby, Teddy Lupin, was a also dressed in his pajamas that were slowly but steadily growing wet from his tears. Harry glanced back and forth between the two in confusion.

"Mrs. Tonks," he said, "Please, come in." He stepped aside so they could enter the threshold.

"Oh, Harry! I'm so sorry to be bothering you this late at night, but I didn't know what else to do." Her words were rushed and just frantic as her knocking was.

"What's wrong?" Harry said looking at Teddy. He took in every inch of him but he didn't seem to be hurt or injured in anyway.

"I've tried and tried, Harry, but I can't get him to sleep. He's been this way for the past couple of nights." Andromeda pauses and takes a breath. "Every time I lay him down in his crib to sleep, he immediately starts crying. He'll take naps during the day but he won't sleep at night. I'm desperate, Harry. I haven't slept in Merlin knows how long. I thought since you're so good with Teddy that maybe you could get him to sleep." She didn't need to add that she would get some sleep too.

"Of course I'll take him," Harry said holding out his arms. "I'll have to be at work by eight but I'll take him to Mrs. Weasley's and pick him up after. Take your time and rest," he says as Andromeda plops the baby in his arms, "You know that anytime you need something, you can come to me. Next time don't wait so long"

Andromeda visibly sighs with relief as Harry takes the one-year-old. She says, "Do you still have diapers and all the works?" Harry nodded and she sighs again. "Thank you so much, Harry. I'll pick him up after Teddy, and me for that matter, has gotten some sleep." She kissed Harry's cheek over the still crying baby and left.

"Well," Harry says, "it looks like it's just you and me, Teddy." Harry thinks he knows why Teddy won't sleep. He was here a few days ago and Harry had forgotten to give Andromeda the pacifier that Teddy left lying on the floor when he had awoken from his nap.

Harry takes Teddy into the kitchen. That was where he had last seen the pacifier. He rocks Teddy in his arms in an attempt to quite him. Though he doesn't stop entirely, Teddy seems to have calmed a bit. He was no longer screaming but his hair was still a flame red and tears still streaked his face. He must be tiring himself out.

Harry spies the pacifier on the counter. He grabs it and quickly rinses it off with some water before giving it to Teddy. Thankfully, Teddy doesn't fight him as Harry gently pushes it into his mouth. He sits down in one of the chairs in the dark kitchen and tries to soothe the baby to the best of his ability. Finally, after an hour or so, Teddy finally calms and drifts off into sleep. His hair transitions from an angry red, to a dark purple, and back to its usual blue.

Harry shouldn't be the one doing this. Neither should Andromeda. Teddy should be held in his mother's or father's arms, not his. He shouldn't be orphaned by the war like Harry was. It wasn't fair that he had to grow up without knowing his parents. Though, deep down in his gut, he know Remus and Tonks were out there somewhere. Their graves had gone mysteriously empty like his parents'. Maybe, just maybe, they would show up and then Teddy wouldn't have to be raised by his grandmother or his godfather who had no idea what he was doing.

Harry glanced down at Teddy, who was now asleep in his arms. Harry didn't know when he started crying for the orphaned baby. He just knew his cheek were wet and that some of his tears escaped and landed on Teddy's blue hair. He carefully scrubbed at his face and leaned back in the chair.

He glanced at his wristwatch and sighed. It was five-thirty. He set the alarm on his watch for seven and leaned back in his chair. He closed his eyes and before he knew it, he and Teddy were both asleep.

  Hi there! I'm sorry this took so long for me to get up. I hope this bit of fluff makes up for my absence!!