Predisposition|Remus Lupin

Flesh and blood

Chapter LII

*~Mature scenes ahead~*

Hozier: Foreigner's God (we're about to start deathly hallows part two just for reference)

Harry never returned to Grimmauld Place, they never got to hear our news, never got to taste the stew Kreacher spent hours mulling over. Sirius watches the house for movement, like Harry will appear and tell him it's a joke, that he's safe.

But we've been waiting 9 months.

And a lot happened within the 9 months they were searching for Horcruxes and the wizarding world was falling apart. But thankfully our little world thrives, ours is filled with the gurgling of children, baby bottles and cots.

Remus keeps Teddy in the crook of his arm as he reads over the Daily Prophet, Oliver's grizzling in his cot, as Sirius' old mobile swings above him, I thought skeletons was a morbid thing to hang over a baby's cot, but he seems to enjoy it. The flutter of breeze on his round cheeks from its movements.

They both look inexplicably like Remus, the full cheeks, the rounded noses. But Remus is adamant they have my temperament, my complexion. At first, it was startling how much Teddy looked like us. I remember him making us first aware of his metamorphic abilities, we had him with us as we ventured around Muggle shops for baby grows, Diagon Alley didn't feel safe anymore. It didn't feel like it would fill you with childish glee.

So we pushed a pram around Oxford street, Teddy sleeping his fists scrunching, Oliver's head rested on Remus' chest as he readjusts the straps that keep him to strapped to him.

Women's eyes went wide with admiration as they saw Remus admire Oliver, but my blood boiled. Biting my lip when woman smiled at him touching his arm, Remus grinned before pulling me towards him, kissing the top of my head. My finger swirling over Oliver's head as I let him soothe that temper.

"What about this?" Remus holds up a pair of dungarees, eyeing them as I grin. "Don't you like them? I think yellow would suit Teddy." Remus leans over the pram as Teddy gives a toothless smile, I remember Remus running down the stairs cradling Teddy the minute he started smiling, his grin bigger than any I'd ever seen.

Oliver is still a little stubborn, his face is that of curiosity, fists balled. Remus frequently runs his thumb over his frown lines as he does mine. He even frowns like you.

"Teddy, what do you think of this?" We hold the dungarees to him as his nose scrunched, he sneezed harshly and his hair became a vivid blue. Remus and I turn to each other, our eyes wide.

"Well, that was unexpected." Remus had smiled down at him, placing his dummy back in his mouth as the other mother's stared at us dubiously. Oliver was none the wiser, his brown downy curl slipping over his eyes the way Remus's did.

Tonks didn't stop smiling when we told her. She was reluctant at first to meet Teddy, to hold him. The nymphs were right, it felt uncomfortable for me to watch her hold him, Teddy looked back at me with wide eyes. I was steady with him in my arms, his tiny fingers wrapping around my hair, but it was Tonks' blood that flowed through him, yet he is unequivocally my son, he is my flesh, and there's ferociousness on my tongue.

A bitterness I don't mean.

"She knows you don't mean to snap," Remus whispers as he lies next to me, Oliver and Teddy asleep in the next room over, Kreacher sitting dutifully waiting for any tears, the way he tended to Sirius and Regulus.

"It doesn't make it right. But, I just, when I see her hold him, I don't know. I feel almost violent?" Remus chuckles. "Don't laugh." I hit his chest.