Existing in Radiance

Chapter Fifty-Six | Shell Cottage, April 1998

Chapter Fifty-Six

Shell Cottage, April 1998

 

            The wind tore at Andrew’s cloak as he climbed the dune to Shell Cottage, blonde hair getting in his eyes. The last few months had passed so quickly he’d forgotten to trim his hair, but Amara said he looked handsome with shaggy hair – he didn’t particularly care either way, as long as it didn’t get in his way.

The wind was so loud Andrew had on bang on the door with both fists.

“Who eez it?” Fleur called out, her voice thin and worried.

“Andrew W.S Bowen!” he called. Long ago Hazel had told him to never tell anyone his third name – only later had he realized it was because she hadn’t wanted anyone to know who his father was. “Son of Hazel Bowen, brother of Sonia Lily – you told me the location of Shell Cottage at your wedding in case anything ever happened to my mother.”

“Andrew!” Fleur threw open the door and hugged him tightly “What brings you here?”

“I heard Ron, Hermione and Harry were with you?”

“How did you find us?” Harry spoke from the table, looking surprised.

Hermione rushed over and gave Andrew a hug “Who cares really? It’s nice to see you, Andrew.”

Hugging her back, Andrew smiled “You too, Hermione. Listen, did you three -”

There was a bang on the front door. Everyone’s head turned toward it. Fleur came running out of the kitchen, looking frightened; Bill jumped to his feet, his wand pointing at the door; Harry, Ron, and Hermione did the same. Silently Griphook slipped beneath the table, out of sight.

“Who is it?” Bill called.

“It is I, Remus John Lupin!” called a voice over the howling wind. Harry experienced a thrill of fear; what had happened? “I am a werewolf, married to Nymphadora Tonks, and you, the Secret-Keeper of Shell Cottage, told me the address and bade me come in an emergency!”

“Lupin,” muttered Bill, and he ran to the door and wrenched it open.

Lupin fell over the threshold. He was white-faced, wrapped in a traveling cloak, his graying hair windswept. He straightened up, looked around the room, making sure of who was there, then cried aloud, “It’s a boy! We’ve named him Ted, after Dora’s father!”

Hermione shrieked.

“Wha — ? Tonks — Tonks has had the baby?”

“Yes, yes, she’s had the baby!” shouted Lupin. All around the table came cries of delight, sighs of relief: Hermione and Fleur both squealed, “Congratulations!” and Ron said, “Blimey, a baby!” as if he had never heard of such a thing before.

“Yes — yes — a boy,” said Lupin again, who seemed dazed by his own happiness. He strode around the table and hugged Harry and Andrew, an arm around each of them; the scene in the basement of Grimmauld Place might never have happened.

“You’ll be godfather?” he said as he released them. “Both of you – please.”

“M-me?” stammered Harry, looking at Andrew in disbelief.

“Remus – me as well?” Andrew almost wanted to refuse – he felt as if he and Harry would both put Remus’ son in danger.

“You, yes, of course — Dora quite agrees, no one better —”

“I — yeah — blimey —”

Andrew felt overwhelmed, astonished, delighted; now Bill was hurrying to fetch wine, and Fleur was persuading Lupin to join them for a drink.

“I can’t stay long, I must get back,” said Lupin, beaming around at them all: He looked years younger than Andrew had ever seen him. “Thank you, thank you, Bill.”

Bill had soon filled all of their goblets, they stood and raised them high in a toast.

“To Teddy Remus Lupin,” said Lupin, “a great wizard in the making!”

“ ’Oo does ’e look like?” Fleur inquired.

“I think he looks like Dora, but she thinks he is like me. Not much hair. It looked black when he was born, but I swear it’s turned ginger in the hour since. Probably be blond by the time I get back. Andromeda says Tonks’s hair started changing color the day that she was born.” He drained his goblet. “Oh, go on then, just one more,” he added, beaming, as Bill made to fill it again.

The wind buffeted the little cottage and the fire leapt and crackled, and Bill was soon opening another bottle of wine. Lupin’s news seemed to have taken them out of themselves, removed them for a while from their state of siege: Tidings of new life were exhilarating. Only the goblin seemed untouched by the suddenly festive atmosphere, and after a while he slunk back to the bedroom he now occupied alone. Andrew thought he and Harry were the only one who had noticed this, until he saw Bill’s eyes following the goblin up the stairs.

“No … no … I really must get back,” said Lupin at last, declining yet another goblet of wine. He got to his feet and pulled his traveling cloak back around himself. “Good-bye, good-bye — I’ll try and bring some pictures in a few days’ time — they’ll all be so glad to know that I’ve seen you —”

Before leaving he hugged Andrew tightly “I know you will ne a good godfather to my son, Andrew – together you and Harry will make sure he is safe if anything … well, if Dora and I aren’t around.”

“I hope that never happens Mooney,” Andrew told him “I’m honored though. I can’t wait to take him out on hikes and teach him all the things you taught me.”

Beaming, Remus kissed his cheek and fastened his cloak and made his farewells, hugging the women and grasping hands with the men, then, still beaming, returned into the wild night.

A/N: Awww....Teddy gets two great Godfathers! I couldn't bare not having Andrew as Teddy's Godfather as well, it seemed wrong.

Question: I don't know...um...what do you think will happen before/at/after the Chonia wedding?

Rose<3