Chapter Text
T E D D Y
September 2011
The evening before Draco came to pick up Teddy, Uncle Harry brought a box down from the attic. Overflowing with items, it contained books, records and loose papers. Harry clutched the box tightly, his hands white knuckling before attempting to place it on the table but quickly bringing it back to his chest. He took a deep breath before finally setting the box on the table.
“As promised, here are a few things I think might help you.”
Teddy looked at the cardboard box with an incredulous expression. Uncle Harry never offered to give him things. He plucked a book from the top of the pile. How to Win Over Your Enemies in Five Easy Steps: A Pureblood’s Guide to Social Etiquette.
“Help me?” he inquired dubiously, thumbing through the first few pages and catching words like power, tyranny and manipulation.
“You know…the other night…our talk…there are a couple of things here from Sirius and Regulus that you might like.” Harry wore a reluctant expression—his attempted smile turned into an accidental grimace, as if giving away these little pieces caused him pain.
Without another word, Harry gave his godson some privacy and left.
Teddy brushed off his uncle’s abrasive behaviour. Though it was odd, it wasn’t anything unusual. The thirteen-year-old was smart enough to realise that anything related to the Black family would be a touchy subject. It still hurt him though… and Teddy couldn’t fathom why his godfather decided to live in the Black ancestral home but then decided to act like… act like an utter prick to him when Teddy dared to ask about his own family. It’s not like Uncle Harry was even bloody related to them…Teddy didn’t understand what the big deal was.
Teddy rifled through the box of miscellaneous items and picked a few things he thought he and Linus might enjoy.
He picked out a few records from bands he had never heard of. They all appeared to be muggle bands. Judas Priest…The Rolling Stones…Queen…David Bowie…
Later that evening, Teddy and Ginny were packing his trunk when out of nowhere she pulled a dingy-looking piece of parchment from her back pocket. She retrieved her wand and tapped the piece of parchment.
“I solemnly swear I am up to no good.” Teddy regarded her with a curious expression, wondering where on earth this was going. Ginny wore an expectant grin as she watched for Teddy’s reaction.
Slowly, the parchment began to reveal some kind of map. He immediately recognised it to be a detailed layout of Hogwarts. He could see all his teachers walking down the hallways—Headmaster Neville’s name was hovering over the greenhouses—with their little footsteps moving around the rooms as they prepared their classrooms for the students' arrival. His eyes swept the map as Ginny unfolded each section, revealing more of the castle.
“This used to belong to Harry. It was his most prized possession while at Hogwarts.”
“I thought Hogwarts was unplottable,” Teddy said quickly, tearing his eyes away from the map.
Ginny merely smirked. “Well, your dad and his friends were quite the geniuses. It’s not surprising that they managed the unmanageable.”
“My dad?”
Ginny refolded the parchment and motioned towards the title.
Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers
are proud to present
THE MARAUDERS’ MAP
“Moony was your dad’s nickname back in the day.”
Teddy revelled in Ginny’s proclamation tracing his finger over the penned nickname. It sounded like his father was a bit of a troublemaker, totally opposite to what Professor McGonnagall made him out to be.
Teddy always wondered if his dad had more than one side—the studious and well-spoken, kind-hearted young man who wouldn’t hurt a fly—and Aunt Ginny had finally answered his burning question.
Mischief apparently ran in his veins. And though Teddy wasn’t the biggest prankster, he did have his impish moments with Linus and his Hufflepuff classmates.
Aunt Ginny’s small gesture kindled a flame in his heart.
“Thanks, Aunt Gin,” Teddy gratefully stated.
Her hands were moving frantically when she first presented him with the map. So when she patted Teddy’s shoulder enthusiastically and moved closer to him as if she were about to divulge a big secret, Teddy was buzzing with anticipation.
“When you’re done using the map, you simply say”—Ginny pulled out her wand, pointing it at the parchment—“mischief managed.”
Rendered speechless, he continued to stare as Ginny continued. “Uncle Harry made this silly promise to McGonagall that he wouldn’t pass the map on to his children,” Ginny snickered. “But I never did.”
Aunt Gin was never much of a stickler for rules.
But clearly, neither was his dad…
* * *
It was in moments like these he wished he hadn’t left the trustworthy map in his trunk back in his dorm.
“Over here,” one of them shouted, “I think I found them.”
They were hot on Teddy’s trail as he turned into the empty seventh-floor hallway.
Shit. Shit. Shit. We’ll never be able to outrun them.
“Hey canis doofus! You can’t hide from us!” shouted Lars Nootbaar, captain of Gryffindor’s Quidditch team and Teddy’s archnemesis.
Teddy cast a quick glance backward. Linus was sprinting to catch up, their short legs pounding the stone. Already out of breath, Teddy could discern a flash of red robes. They weren’t too far behind now.
“Come on, Lin.” Teddy bellowed. “We need to find a place to hide.”
Catching a glimpse of the Barnabas the Barmy tapestry, Teddy exclaimed: “Wait, over here! Let’s hide in the Room of Requirement.” He skidded to a stop, arms flailing as Linus whizzed past with a yelp.
“They’re gaining on us, Teddy!” They spouted before obediently backtracking. “What are you doing just standing there??”
Teddy, who faced an empty wall and had his eyes tightly shut, was trying to focus. He was trying to pull the information from somewhere deep inside of his brain. He pictured a safe haven where he and Linus could hide from the Gryffindors’ torment.
He opened his eyes but was met with the sight of a still-blank wall. “Oh gods…this isn’t right! It’s supposed to be right here!”
Linus stared at him like he had grown a second head, mouth opening like they were going to say something when another angry shout rang from down the hall.
“Three times! Pace with me three times!” exclaimed Teddy, the realisation of his blunder hitting him like a freight train. Linus stood for a moment, their eyes wide with horror until Teddy grabbed them firmly by the shoulders. The sudden movement snapped them from their stupor and the two of them frantically ran back and forth. Teddy grabbed hold of the records tucked underneath his armpit just as he almost lost his grip on them.
Teddy stopped, halting Linus in place and watched as a door materialised right before them. The enormous wooden door swung wide and Teddy broke the threshold, hand fisting into Linus’ cloak as he dragged them inside.
The door closed itself upon their entry, the echoes of fast footsteps trekking past them.
“How in Merlin’s name did we lose those Hufflefucks? We had them cornered!” Lars’ deep voice ricocheted off the now empty hallway, addressing his friends aggressively.
A loud thud sounded from the opposite side of the wall—a foot kicking stone—followed by loud swearing. The two friends turned to each other and cast a cautionary glance at one another while holding in their breaths. Trolls, presumably from the tapestry, grumbled in response to the raucous.
Teddy let out a breath. “We should be in the clear, I think. I made sure of it.” He remembered wishing that the room would provide them with the ability to stay safely hidden.
“I really wish you had that map with you today, Ted,” Linus huffed. “We got incredibly lucky just now. Outrunning Quidditch players is no easy feat.”
Linus—the more artistic of their little duo—was gasping deep breathfuls of air. If Teddy had not known better, he would have said that they had asthma; with their small stature, it was not a simple task to outrun their classmates who had regular endurance training.
Wiping the sweat off their forehead, Linus began to look around. “How in the bollocks did you know this room exists?”
“Auntie Mi told me about it.”
“Figures…” Linus chuckled, still slightly out of breath.
Teddy let out a shuddering breath. It hadn’t even been a few weeks since their return to Hogwarts and the incessant commentary and browbeating had resumed as if the Gryffindors had been waiting all summer to continue their bullying rampage.
Teddy’s stomach rumbled with hunger pains; he’d missed lunch thanks to the red-robed bullies. Lars had been waiting with taunts and jeers when he first entered the Great Hall for the midday meal.
Wednesdays were usually Teddy's favourite since he didn't have afternoon classes and often spent his time scouring the new books Mi gifted him. Their morning classes consisted of Herbology and a double period of History of Magic, which Teddy found tedious.
Herbology in itself was fine. It helped him gain a basic understanding of the components mentioned in his Potions book, and overall, Teddy loved the practicality of the class and getting his hands dirty. One would think with the amount of time he spent with his face glued in a book he’d be more studious, but the more hands-on classes like Transfiguration, Herbology and Potions had always been his favourite.
History of Magic was an entirely different matter—too theoretical and boring for its own good.
The new semester’s curriculum was laying the groundwork to dive into the most recent historic events—the wizarding wars.
Teddy sat in the back of Professor Binns’ classroom, his eyes glazing over as the professor droned on, catching every few words. Rise to power…corruption within the ministry…Dark Magic…
Teddy knew the story, he understood the political climate that was the catalyst of the first wizarding war. But he also understood that this class was going to be nothing but background knowledge for what came next.
He bit the inside of his cheek, skimming his textbook to see where they were. They were nearing the formation of the Order of the Phoenix; Teddy had just caught Binns speaking about Augustus Rockwood and the underground network of Death Eaters infiltrating the Ministry.
He was starting to get nervous, the feeling eating away in the pit of his stomach. What will be covered when they get to the second wizarding war?
Nana—of course—had told him all she could of the war, but it wasn’t the same as learning it in school. He knew they would be talking about his parents, about Uncle Harry, the rest of the so-called Golden Trio and Cousin Draco.
Teddy closed his eyes and took in a steadying breath. There was so much that happened in the war that the adults in his life just didn’t feel comfortable telling him. Aunt Ginny and Cousin Draco never shied away from answering questions about the war, but their answers were...stilted...objective and distanced to a fault as if they were summarising—offering a sound bite for the press.
Whenever he brought up his parents’ death, the conversation was always dropped by either adult. Now he had to learn about it from a ghost, instead of the people who were actually knew them.
He stared out the window, watching the clouds drift lazily across the sky. The sun was shining, and he could hear birds singing in the distance. He longed to be outside, to sit in the field reading a good book while the weather was still enjoyable or to explore the forbidden forest together with Linus.
“...but of course by the time the second war rolled around, the Order was able to use the ancestral Black home as their headquarters…”
As Professor Binns continued to lecture, Teddy's thoughts turned to his family. He wondered what they were doing right now. James and Albus were most likely sitting at the kitchen table, playing Wizard's chess while Aunt Ginny was busy working on an article with Uncle Harry preparing an early afternoon lunch. He tried picturing Draco—but honestly, Teddy hardly knew what Draco did during the day, so he imagined his cousin playing with Scorp and teaching him all about the wonders of the wizarding world now that he was old enough to hold his own in a conversation. He smiled to himself, imagining the fun they were having, the thought of Scorpius and Cousin Draco being able to enjoy themselves—without fear—gave him comfort.
He couldn’t imagine the fear they must have felt at the time, they had been the same age Teddy was now. The only things Teddy ever had to worry about were House point deductions and rude Quidditch players.
Suddenly, he was jolted back to reality as Professor Binns slammed the levitating chalk down on the board. "Mr. Lupin, I see you’re not taking any notes. Are you even paying attention?" the ghostly teacher asked sternly.
Teddy blushed, realising that he’d been caught daydreaming. "Uh, yes, Professor. Sorry, I was just, uh, thinking," he stammered.
"Well, young man, I suggest you start thinking about the wizarding wars," scolded Professor Binns. "They are a crucial part of our history, and it is important that you understand them if we don't want history to repeat itself." The professors stern words trailed off into an awkward, stilted silence; Professor Binns seemed almost embarrassed, as if realising whom he was rebuking a moment too late.
Teddy nodded, feeling chastened. He knew he should be paying attention, but he just couldn't seem to focus. He sighed and picked up his quill, determined to try harder. Maybe if he took better notes, he would be able to stay focused. Or maybe, he thought wistfully, he could sneak out of class and go explore the castle and try to find the much-talked-about Room of Requirement. The promise of a new adventure made him smile.
As he flipped through his textbook, he was startled to see a picture of his father staring back at him. He had his arm flung casually around the shoulders of a shorter boy with long black hair and striking blue eyes. They both looked young—no older than twenty—but his father had deep scars across his face framing his kind brown eyes. The picture caught the two of them mid-laugh with the black-haired boy turning his head to jovially look up at his father. Teddy felt a jolt of connection; it was as if he was looking back at a reflection of himself, always the tallest in the room with the lean and towering physique.
"Remus Lupin, a known werewolf and Order of Phoenix member, with Sirius Black in headquarters during the first wizarding war" read the caption beneath the moving picture.
So this was the infamous Sirius Black…Teddy thought for a moment before his eyes settled back on his father.
Teddy felt a surge of pride mixed with sadness as he gazed at the image of the Remus Lupin. He knew that his father had been a brave and loyal member of the Order, fighting against the dark forces that threatened the wizarding world. But it didn’t hurt Teddy any less, to know that his father had been a victim of the war he had fought so hard to win.
He could feel the weight of his classmates' stares upon him. They were all aware of his parentage, and he felt self-conscious under their scrutiny. He wondered if they were judging him, or if they felt sorry for him. He didn't want their pity, and he didn't want to be treated differently because of who his parents were.
Ignoring the attention, Teddy tried to refocus on the lecture. He listened as Professor Binns talked about the sacrifices that members of the Order had made. He felt a sense of awe and admiration for the people who had fought against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, knowing that they had risked everything for the greater good.
As class ended and the students filed out of the room, Teddy lingered behind for a moment, staring once more at the photograph of his father.
Linus had already gone by the time he packed up his things, so he’d made his way over to the Great Hall for lunch, the records he had previously stowed in his bag were now firmly in his hands, too excited to show off his prized possessions to his best friend.
Teddy walked in, heading towards Hufflepuff’s table when he heard a ruckus coming from said table.
“—none of your business!“
“Ah, well here comes canis doofus. Why don’t you let him defend himself for once, Galecki?"
”You think you’re so funny, but you’re just pathetic.”
“Wanna repeat that again, Hufflepunk?”
A menacing look flashed across Linus’ face. “You heard me right the first time, you fu—”
“Woah there!” Teddy stepped in, holding Linus back. “They didn’t mean anything by it, Nootbaar.”
Linus shoved his arms away, while Teddy’s pleading looks to stop instigating a fight went unnoticed by the enraged Hufflepuff. “I. Meant. Every. Single. Word.”
“Seems like the roles have been reversed, gentlemen. Better get a leash for your pet, wolf boy.”
Lars’ friends laughed and a smattering of students in the surrounding area chuckled along, while others turned away from the spectacle.
Where are the professors when you need them? Teddy thought angrily.
Before Teddy could retaliate or diffuse the situation, Lars produced his wand and within a split second, Teddy could feel his face involuntarily elongating. His hands flew up to his face, patting the skin and slowly realising what the Gryffindor had done.
“There, now your face matches your name.” Lars began howling mockingly, and those watching joined in. Lars’ cronies pointed at Teddy’s newly-deformed face—a snout—and laughed viciously.
Teddy looked around, trying to catch Linus’ attention amongst all the uproar, but he spotted someone watching the ordeal over their shoulder. At the Slytherin table, Selma sat with her jaw open. His resolve melted, his desire to diffuse the conflict long gone as he saw his long-time crush look at him with a look of horror and pity flashing across her face. He was embarrassed beyond measure and turned to run out of the room while his best friend dug themselves an early grave.
“Oh, I wasn’t aware your name was bitch… That would explain your face!!” Linus snapped back, further enraging the Gryffindors.
Shortly afterward the two Hufflepuffs found themselves being chased through the castle, Linus racing in Teddy’s footsteps and Teddy hastily metamorphosing his face back.
Now, Teddy surveyed the room, the safe haven he wished for. The Room of Requirement had transformed into an amalgamation of his childhood bedroom and Malfoy Manor. He ran a hand along the dark wood of a familiar four-poster bed. Linus disembarked from behind him and headed off to explore another corner.
The wood was smooth beneath his touch. This room is insane… He saw his bookshelf with books from both the manor and the cottage. Something that wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for magic. He even spotted his old gaming console that Aunt Cissy had charmed for him so that it would work inside the confines of Malfoy Manor.
His bed was made, the blue-tinted, grey-coloured duvet pulled tightly on the mattress, just like the house elves always did it. Draco had purchased the neutral set of bedding for Teddy years ago, exchanging the old green and silver set out just for him.
On the corner of the bed sat a navy blanket, folded neatly while still displaying the intricate embroidery work. Nana had made the quilt for him for his tenth birthday. She told him about it the moment she started it and he had excitedly chosen the colours. She never kept secrets from him, not even when it came to birthday presents.
At the manor, they would sit in the solarium every night and he would read aloud as she stitched. The sound of the needle pushing through the taut fabric was punctuated by her questions about what he was reading. While he enjoyed sharing details of the adventures he read about, Teddy was not the type to stay quiet and always asked questions in return.
“I don’t want to talk about my book anymore, Nana,” he said one night, snapping it closed before placing it on one of the side tables.
“Well then my dear, what would you like to talk about?” She regarded him momentarily before bringing her gaze back down to her work.
“Why stars?” Teddy asked a little petulantly, his hand finding the edge of the fabric and twirling it absently. They always sat in the same spot in the solarium, Teddy sprawled out on the couch while Andromeda took up an ornately-carved rocking chair. The cotton fabric was draped over her as she worked.
“You know of the Black family tradition, for hundreds of years all of our children were named after stars. Even your mother has a star in her name.”
“I know that, Nana, but you hate the Black’s.”
“Teddy!” Andy admonished. “While the relationship with my parents was strained and my family held archaic views, I have never and will never hate them. True hate…it poisons the mind and heart…and you’ll do well to remember that. Family is important.” His grandmother heaved a deep, staggered sigh. “And not everyone is as lucky as we are, to be able to reconnect with our family. We’ve lost so many good people in the name of war—”
“Like Regulus? Or…” Teddy pondered. “Or like Sirius?”
“Yes, my darling.” She ran her fingers through his blue-gone-violet hair.
“Sirius chose his own path, just like I did back then. In fact, he was the one who gave me the courage to leave my ancestral home. To choose love rather than destiny…”
Seeing the quilt now in the Room of Requirement instead of his own bedroom, tracing her even stitches across the fabric, left him with an ache deep within his chest. Nana always had shaky hands, ever since he could remember, but when she sewed her hands were steady, confident, and made no mistakes.
He missed her. Teddy wrapped himself tightly in the quilt and like a steaming cup of tea, felt comfort and nostalgia wash over him. But it lacked its distinct smell, namely the scent of crisp sweet jasmine.
He hadn’t seen his nan since Draco took him for a visit a week before his departure to Hogwarts. She seemed okay then—more lucid than he had seen her in a while—and he asked her if she would be moving back into the manor if she was feeling well again. But Draco had interrupted, telling Teddy that Narcissa was waiting for him in Diagon Alley and ushered him out before Nana could respond.
Teddy noticed Linus approaching—a look of wariness written on their face—and promptly snapped out of his nostalgic stupor.
“Well, go on then. Show me those tunes you mentioned in your letters, my little Paddington.”
* * *
They had spent the last hour talking about their summer holidays. Linus had just returned from a trip to Romania and Poland, and they regaled Teddy with tales of their travels, sharing stories too detailed to include in their letters.
As Linus spoke, Teddy felt a pang of jealousy. They had spent part of their summer at their grandparents’ house, exploring their home country and learning how to cook. He hadn't gone on any grand adventures or visited exotic locations like Linus had. But he didn't want to spoil the mood by dwelling on his own lacklustre summer, so he listened politely as Linus recounted their antics.
"That sounds amazing," Teddy said, nodding as Linus finished their story about exploring the Wawel castle in Muggle Krakow.
"It was pretty cool," Linus said with a grin. "But what about you, Teddy? Your letters were quite vague."
Teddy hesitated, not wanting to admit that he had spent most of his time reading and doing chores. "Oh, nothing too exciting," he said, shrugging. "Just hung out with my family and read a few books."
Linus nodded, but Teddy could tell that they were trying to hide a look of disappointment. Teddy felt a pang of guilt. He didn't want Linus to think that he was boring or unadventurous. But he also didn't want to lie or exaggerate his summer experiences.
"So, what album do you want to listen to next?" Teddy asked, changing the subject. "I've got a few more I think you'll like."
Linus perked up at the mention of music, and they spent the rest of the afternoon listening to records and talking about their favourite bands. Teddy may not have had an exciting summer, but he was glad to have a friend like Linus to share his love of music with.
Perched on a black velvet couch, like the one residing in Malfoy Manor, Linus was bobbing their head to the melody of an old Queen album.
To avoid complications
She never kept the same address
In conversation
She spoke just like a baroness
“And? What do you think?” Teddy had been bursting with excitement to see what Linus thought. Wondering if they would fall in love with Queen as much as he had.
Perfume came naturally from Paris
For cars, she couldn’t care less
Fastidious and precise
She’s a Killer Queen
“It’s good. The Chosen One has good taste in music.”
“Oh, these aren’t Uncle Harry’s. We found a box of vinyls in the attic this summer. These all belonged to Sirius.”
Linus gave an affirming nod. “Wicked.”
It was clear as day that these records belonged to Uncle Sirius. It made him wonder what type of person Sirius Black was. He had only heard second-hand recounts of the man through his nan.
As the record played in the background, Teddy thought about the boy with blue eyes standing next to his father. Had his dad listened to these records with Sirius? Did they talk about the music like he always did with Linus?
“Teddy, look what I found,” Linus suddenly exclaimed, holding up an envelope. “This must be a hiding spot, didn’t you say the Black’s are weird about Muggle things?”
Teddy took the envelope from Linus, turning it over and seeing who it was addressed to.
“Starboy? It just says starboy on the outside. Maybe it’s a song title? Did Sirius write notes about the music he was listening to? Are there more?”
The two sorted through the record sleeves, their minds reeling from the revelation of a mysterious note. As they pulled out album after album, Teddy couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to uncover.
Suddenly, Teddy let out a small gasp, his fingers brushing against something unexpected. "Linus, look," he said, holding up another envelope. "There's another one here."
Without hesitation, Linus grabbed the envelope from Teddy’s grasp, pulled the note out and began to read. Teddy watched his friend’s expression change from excitement to confusion.
“My dear Starboy, I bet you’d look cute with face paint—”
Teddy glanced over, his eyes widening. He turned his body to clasp his hand over their mouth. “STOP. Just stop please.”
Lifting Teddy’s hand from their face, Linus asked: “Wait, so who’s starboy?”
Teddy snatched the letter out of their hand—ignoring Linus—sitting on the floor, as he began to read for himself.
Teddy didn’t want to face the contents of the letter, it was clearly written by his father and Starboy could only be Sirius.
Teddy couldn’t help but feel conflicted. He knew that reading someone else’s personal letters was a complete violation. On the one hand, he wanted to know everything about his father’s past, but on the other hand, he knew that reading these letters was wrong. His heart was pounding, and he could feel the weight of his decision to read through the entire letter pressing down on him. He tucked the letter back into its envelope with the distinct feeling he was doing something he shouldn’t.
He felt like he was caught in a web of secrets and white lies. The letter was addressed to Godric’s Hollow, not Grimmauld Place. What did that mean? He’d never heard of that place before, and the confusion ate at him.
Teddy didn’t want to think about it anymore, not ready to analyse the disclosed details. He put the letter back in the record sleeve and stood up, feeling as though he had made a mistake. Linus stood from the couch, walking over to Teddy’s spot on the floor.
They sat down and Linus’ face was wracked with guilt. As they reclined back, they hugged themselves, their one knee nudging Teddy softly.
“I’m sorry…” they whispered. “We don’t have to talk about it, but I’m here when you need me.”
Teddy didn’t know what to say. There was a moment of impassivity as the record stopped, the needle finding its way back to the beginning, as it waited to be flipped. The mechanical sound of the turntable filled the room.
He took a deep breath, trying to collect himself. “So…I saw Selma over the summer at Flourish and Blotts.”
Linus picked up on Teddy’s attempt to change the subject and went along with it. “Oh yeah? Did you finally muster up the guts to talk to her?”
“I wish I had. After what happened earlier, all chances with her are now gone.”