Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Harry was having a terrible day. Then again, most of them were. When he joined the aurors he had hoped he could move past the war. Instead, remnants and reminders of that dark time continued to permeate his life. 

His reputation as the Boy Who Lived and the Chosen One had only grown since his time at school, and now he could hardly leave the house without some stranger thanking him. But he didn’t deserve their thanks. 

He had just walked the path that had been laid before him. Whether or not you believe in destiny or fate, the undeniable fact was that at every turn Harry had made the only choice that he could have. Harry Potter the war hero was a lie, a fairy tale.

A real hero would have been able to save Lavender and Fred and Remus. Harry had not. And now he was destined to carry that weight with him forevermore.

Harry sighed as he opened the door to his apartment. 

“Ginny, I’m home.”

A delicious smell wafted through the air and Harry could hear the banging of pots and pans, as well as a few choice curse words, echoing from the kitchen. Harry stalled in the entryway, his mind racing. 

Ginny, while an excellent cook, did not spend much time in the kitchen. Typically, when it was her night for dinner, she would just order out, which was perfectly fine with Harry. The fact that his wife was currently battling the stove told Harry there was something significant about today.

His birthday was last week so it wasn’t that. There weren’t any anniversaries coming up…  

“Harry? Is that you?” Ginny’s voice interrupted his thoughts. Probably best to just wait for her to tell him what this was about anyway.

“Hey Gin,” Harry walked into the kitchen and gave her a hug. “Smells good, need any help?”

“It's pretty much ready, but if you want to set the table… ”

“You got it.”

Dinner was an awkward affair. Harry’s questions about Ginny’s day received only one-word responses and any conversation topics he brought up quickly died. Ginny spent more of the meal looking at her food than looking at Harry. With the conversation stalled, the only sound that could be heard was the clink of the cutlery as it hit the plate. It was apparent, even to Harry, that Ginny had something on her mind that she wanted to discuss, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what it might be… unless she wanted a divorce? They had only been married a few months and he thought things had been going fine. But what if she was bored or thought he spent too much time at work or…

“Harry, I can practically see the gears in your head ticking.” There was a fondness in Ginny’s voice that calmed him.

“Sorry Gin.”

“I suppose I should just out and say it huh.” Ginny sighed and looked Harry in the eye. “I’m pregnant.”

The fork in Harry’s hand fell to the floor. He left it there. “You’re…” He was unable to finish the thought.

“Pregnant, yes.”

“Oh my god Gin!” Harry shot up and pulled Ginny into a hug. “That’s amazing! Are you… you’re happy about this right?”

Ginny gave him a knowing smile. “Yes, Harry I am very happy.”

“Christ. I thought you were breaking up with me.”

“Not tonight,” Ginny teased.

Harry sat back down and processed the news. He was going to be a father. He had always wanted a family of his own— it was his deepest desire. Sure he had the Weasleys who were his family in every way that mattered, but it wasn’t the same. They had accepted him with open arms but sometimes Harry felt like an outsider— there were inside jokes that still went over his head and he didn’t exactly blend in.

“Harry are you ok,” Ginny asked.

“Hmmm, yeah just thinking. We are going to love this baby so much aren’t we, Gin?”

Ginny took Harry’s hand in hers and rubbed it lovingly; he thought back on his own childhood, before Ginny or Hogwarts or wizards. Before he had been the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One. Back when he was just Harry. 

Harry wasn’t sure if Dumbledore had made the right decision leaving him on his aunt’s doorstep all those years ago— hell that was probably a question that Dumbledore had asked plenty of times himself— but, despite the abuse he had suffered, he was grateful to have had a time in his life where he had been more or less, normal. A time when he didn’t have the weight of the world on his shoulders. Harry couldn’t imagine who he would have been if he had grown up with the fame from the start. 

“Hey, Ginny?” Harry asked softly.

“Hmmm.”

“What if we left?”

“Left?” Ginny cocked her head in confusion.

“I mean, I know I didn’t have the perfect childhood. But our baby is going to have us and we are going to love them so much and I don’t want them to grow up with that kind of pressure hanging over their head.” The words poured out of him in a rush.

“Whoah, Harry slow down. What are you talking about?”

“What if we left the wizarding world?” Harry searched Ginny’s face for a reaction. Her eyes grew wide in shock, but Harry pressed on before she could speak.

“I haven’t been happy with the aurors in a long time and you have been wanting to switch to journalism anyway.” Harry sighed. “From the moment I turned eleven my whole life changed. And it wasn’t just because of the magic. Suddenly I was this great saviour. Everyone kept telling me how much I was like my parents. And I was faced with the impossible task of living up to that legacy. Even now I can’t escape the idea of the great Harry Potter and it is suffocating me. I don’t want to— I can’t subject my child to that same fate. They deserve so much better, they deserve to grow up in a world free from my shadow.”

Ginny gently touched Harry’s cheek pulling him back into the moment. “This is something you need, isn’t it.”

Harry nodded. “It is.”

“Okay, then.”

Chapter Text

~20 Years Later~

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

James fumbled around in the sheets for his phone. You would think he would be used to waking up at six in the morning by now. You would be wrong.

Shutting off his alarm, James took one more minute to appreciate the softness of his sheets before forcing his body into a vertical position. It was Thursday so it would be a rigorous training session in preparation for Sunday’s game against Tottenham. James made himself a hearty breakfast of eggs and turkey sausage which he ate as he scrolled through Instagram. 

He was just about to like a picture of a very cute puppy when his phone began to ring, Dad. James debated for a moment whether he should answer it or not, it was probably best to just get it over with. When had talking to his dad become such a chore? James thought to himself as he picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“James hey,” he could hear the noise from the street as his dad walked to work, “Just wanted to check and make sure you’re still coming over for dinner tonight?”

“Yes, Dad.” Just like he came over every week, twice a week since moving into his own place.

“Oh, well that’s good. Your mother will be happy to see you.”

James stayed quiet a moment waiting for his dad to continue, after a beat of silence he asked, “Was there something else?”

“Oh no,” he took a breath, “I just feel like we hardly get to see you since you started up with Arsenal.”

James rolled his eyes. “Dad, I see you like three times a week, sometimes more.”

“I know. I know. Can’t a dad just miss his son?”

Well, I would still be living at home if you had been more supportive of me playing pro football. His dad had caved eventually, but there was still an underlying tension in their usually effortless relationship. James had no idea why his dad was so against the notation in the first place, well that wasn’t entirely true, James suspected it has something to do with his dad’s past. All of the reasons his dad had given for why James shouldn’t join Arsenal were total bullshit and they both knew it. No, whatever reason his dad really had for not wanting James to play professionally he had chosen to keep to himself. 

James sighed, “I miss you too Dad. Listen, I’ve got to go but I’ll see you later today. Love you.”

“I love you too.”

James hung up and set his dishes in the sink. The clock on his phone read six-fourty-six, time to go. James grabbed his duffle bag and jacket on his way out the door. And shit— James stood helplessly as his water crashed to the floor. Pieces of glass scattered everywhere.

James sighed and put down his jacket. He waved his hand in s familiar clockwise spiralling motion and muttered the incantation, “Reparo.”

Sharp, jagged shards and wet droplets reformed until the glass of water was whole once more. James scooted it back away from the edge. Seeing that done, he made his way out the door this time careful not to knock anything else over.

Though he was never the first to arrive, James liked to give himself time to socialize before the team meeting each morning. James, the social butterfly that he was, loved messing around and talking with his teammates before the workday started which meant he arrived at the Arsenal Training Ground at eight o’clock sharp.

Pulling up to the facility, he made his way inside to change and do some stretches. As he walked down the corridor to the first team dressing room, James was struck again with a feeling of disbelief. He was hardly the youngest player to ever make first team, but just the fact that he had done it at all... sometimes James still had trouble believing it.

He went through his morning routine and caught up with the other early risers, before everyone filed into the conference room. Aaron Morgan was the last to arrive, making his way inside just seconds before the start of the meeting. Morgan was the wild one on the team. Always in the tabloids for something or other. Usually at least tangentially related to whatever party or club he had been at the night before. James and Morgan were friendly but they weren’t friends. They had two different lifestyles and didn’t have much occasion to interact outside of work.

The meeting was simple, they mostly just went over the plan for the day’s training session, along with some strategies for the team’s upcoming game and highlights from their previous one. The day was a fairly normal one, two hours on the training field then a cool down. After a short break for lunch, James hit the gym for circuit training. By the time one-thirty rolled around, he was done for the day. Since it was easier to just go straight to his parents’ place in Hampstead, James chose to shower on site. He wasn’t alone as a few of his other teammates also stayed behind to shower and stretch. 

“Hey, Potter!” Clarkson turned towards him. “Great job today on the field. If you play like that in our next game we’re sure to score.”

“Score? In our game against Tottenham, I’m going for a hat trick.”

His teammates laughed.

“Did you guys see the article in The Sun today?” Hammond asked.

“Didn’t know you read the tabloids?” May responded.

“I don’t,” Hammond waved May off, “but there was an anonymous letter, supposedly from someone in the league. Said they’re gay.”

James turned his head at that. “What?”

“Yeah, they wrote this whole thing ‘bout how they don’t think Premier is ready for anyone to come out and that not even their team knows.”

“Who do you think it is?” May asked.

James’ heart was pounding in his chest.

“No clue, but Deeny figures every team’s got at least one queer.” 

“So which of us is it then?”

“Probably Callahan. Always figured he might be a bit bent,” said Clarkson.

May and Hammond agreed and James finally let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

“Well I’m off,” James spoke, making an effort to keep his voice steady. “Family dinner night.”

“See you tomorrow, Potter.”

James grabbed his stuff and made a beeline for the parking lot. Ever since Beattie had come out last month there had been a lot of talk within the league whether or not one of the active players would follow his example. An anonymous letter? James thought even that was brave. 

He knew a couple of guys were out to their teams but James wasn’t even out to his family. Though he was sure they all knew. He was nineteen-years-old and he had never had a girlfriend. His dad had dropped a few hints a couple of times but they had never discussed it.

It was just another one of the unspoken secrets of the Potter family. They didn’t talk about James’ preferences, they didn’t talk about the magic thing, and they didn’t talk about Mum and Dad’s past. 

A therapist would probably call it unhealthy but it worked for them, or at least it had until James decided he wanted to play pro. He knew his father’s disapproval stemmed from whatever past he was running from, but if he wasn’t willing to tell James what that was… Well, James could only act on the information he had, and the information he had was that he wanted to play football and his dad was being a mysterious arsehole. He had been playing for a while now and the mob hadn’t come to kill him nor had any shadowy figures from the past shown up on the Potter’s doorstep, so James could only conclude that whatever it was it’s his dad’s problem, not his.

James sighed as he got into his car, he hoped that his dad got over whatever it was that he was going through soon because he missed him.

Traffic wasn’t too bad and James made great time, he pulled up to the Potter house and let himself in.

“Mum! I’m home!”

He walked into the living room to find Al with his nose in a book.

“She’s out in the garden, Lily’s out with friends, and Dad’s still at the school.”

James flopped down on the couch next to his brother. “Whatcha reading?”

Al held the book up so James could read the title. “The Catcher in the Rye… Really Albus?”

Al shrugged and continued reading, “It is a classic for a reason.”

“Why do I even bother coming home if no one’s even here?”

“So that Mum can keep doing your laundry?”

“That was one time,” James pouted, “I do my own laundry.”

Al rolled his eyes.

“How about some Super Smash Bros for old times sake?”

Al looked at him out the corner of his eye, “Yeah okay.”

Smash Bros had been one of their favourite games to play as kids. Each of them had their favourite characters. James was always Mario or Link while Al favoured Lucario and Sonic. Whenever Lily played she had to be Kirby, no one else would do. It had been a long time since they had played, but James was feeling nostalgic. He missed his siblings since moving out, not that he would tell either of them that. 

James and Al were on their fifth match when Lily got home. The score was three-to-two, James, both of them being pretty evenly matched. That changed when Lily picked up a controller.

“When did you get so good at this Lil?”

“Yeah, you used to just float around and try to eat us.”

“I was always this good.” Lily smiled. “It was just more fun to watch you two fight it out while I messed around.”

Lily continued to annihilate them for another hour before Mum came in to start on supper. She was smiling brightly and didn’t even ask them to help cook, James did anyway. He knew she was just glad to have him home even though he lived less than ten kilometres away. Just another part of being the oldest, and the first one out of the nest.

Dad arrived just as they were all sitting down at the table. James still had no idea how his mum was always able to time it so perfectly.

“Did you guys see the article about James today?” Lily asked as everyone began to eat.

James choked and reached for his glass of water. For a split second, he thought she was talking about the article in The Sun.

“What article?” Al said curiously.

“They’re calling him Rookie of the Year. Just came out this morning.”

James forgot that they were announcing that today. He had meant to tell Dad beforehand, now it was too late. James chanced a glance over at his dad. The frown was so intense it might even classify as a scowl, and wasn’t that just great— Dad couldn’t even pretend to be happy for him for a second. God, James was so sick of having this same fight over and over. He put down his fork and pushed his plate away.

“James?” Mum looked at him, concerned.

“Sorry, I can’t do this again. Not tonight.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Dad spoke up.

James shook his head. “You didn’t have to. Your face said it all.”

“I am sorry James, but you know how I feel about that stuff.”

“Yes,” James hissed. “You have made that point abundantly clear. You think that the fame is going to go to my head. That I will become vain and egotistical and stop coming around. Well, you should know it is not the fame that’s driving me away.” With that statement, James got up to leave. “Thanks for the dinner Mum, but I don’t think I’ll be staying.”

As he walked out the door, James inhaled the twilight air. Today had been a terrible day and he really didn’t want to go back to an empty apartment. He pulled out his phone.

“Morgan? It’s Potter. What are you doing tonight?”

Chapter Text

A sharp light fell on Teddy’s face. He groaned and turned away from the sun, but the damage was already done. Teddy was awake. He opened his eyes and took stock of his surroundings. The walls were a standard off-white, as were the rumpled bed clothes that surrounded him. The fake wood floor was littered with discarded clothes from the night before. Tight pants, his own two-tone blue and pink jacket, and a pink lace bra were strewn across the room.

He cast a quick Tempus Charm, twelve-thirteen. Shit . He should probably check in with Vic. The woman next to him in bed, Carla if Teddy remembered correctly, started to wake up.

“Hey,” she said groggily. 

“Mornin,” Teddy responded. “I can’t stay long but if you want some coffee?”

“No, that's alright.” She paused. “But maybe I could get your autograph?” 

Teddy smiled. “Of course.”

Fifteen minutes later, Teddy was making his way across Diagon Alley. He sent his patronus, a wolf, ahead to let Vic know he was on his way home. He made a quick detour to Selkie’s, Diagon’s premier bakery, knowing that Vic would expect him to bring home some pastries— it was a tradition they had started years ago anytime either of them had a one night stand and it was one Teddy was happy to indulge.

When he got back to the flat, he dropped the bag of food onto the kitchen counter and headed straight to the shower to wash off the night. When he got out of the bathroom, he found Vic lying on his bed and perusing a copy of Witch Weekly.

“Sooo, seems like you had fun last night,” Vic said, turning the page of her magazine.

Teddy shrugged and grabbed some clothes out of the wardrobe.

“She was nice enough— had a killer collection of Queen records.” Teddy tugged on a shirt and went to lay down next to Vic. “Be honest with me Vic, are we getting old?”

Victoire gave Teddy her full attention now. “You shut your trap! I am not old and I won’t have you suggesting otherwise.”

“Fine, not old then. Predictable?”

“Where is this coming from Ted?”

“It just feels like every night is more of the same. It’s boring.”

Vic gave him an incredulous look. “You are the wizarding world’s number one musician. You could do anything, be anyone, and everyone would love you.”

“But that’s just it! I’m at the top of the charts and have been for over a year now, I sell out every show, my last single was number one for five months in a row. I’m at the top and there’s nowhere left for me to go.” Teddy let out an exasperated sigh before continuing on. “Vic, there’s nothing left to challenge me.”

“So then you just have to keep challenging yourself.”

Teddy frowned. “I guess I’m just nostalgic for the early days when it was just you and me against the world. We had that terrible flat off of Knockturn Alley with that pipe that was always breaking.”

“And the heater never worked, that winter it was so cold that we had to pile about a thousand blankets on the bed and I cast warming charms while you wrote your first album.”

They let the silence linger for a moment as they sat in the memory.

“Vic.”

“Hmmm.”

“What do you think about me performing in the muggle world?”

Vic gave him a strange look. “Why would you do that?”

Teddy sat up crossing his legs and Vic mirrored him. “It was so much fun in the beginning. Making a name for myself, carving out a space on the charts, connecting with new fans. I was free to be myself, without judgement. The kind of independence we had dreamed about as kids. But…” Teddy trailed off for a moment, “but nothing’s really changed has it?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. We just had all these idealist dreams of making our mark on the world, and at some point we lost that. It feels like it doesn't matter what I write or what I say because no one’s really listening, and I just have to wonder what’s the point?”

“Are you— Do you want to quit?” Vic spoke very quietly as if afraid of the answer.

“No,” Teddy sighed. “I don’t think I could stop even if I wanted to, music is as important to me as breathing. I just, I need a change.”

“And performing for muggles would be so much different than performing for wizards?”

“Yes, no, I don’t know. I’m not talking about restarting my career or anything, I don’t think I have the energy for that anymore,” a sad smile flashed across Vic’s face, “just a couple of performances in muggle London. I could sing without any expectations, nobody would know who I was so it would just be all about the music again.”

“You could do that here,” Vic pointed out. “You could change your face, change your voice. No one would have to know.”

“Sure I could do that, but it would still be the same people, the same clubs, the same night. It’s just... it’s just something to think about is all. I know you don’t understand all the muggle stuff but I grew up with it, at least partially. Gran spent so many years in the muggle world… I just can’t help but feel like I am limiting myself.”

“Well, I’ll think about it,” Vic responded. “But you are not performing for muggles tonight, tonight, you are headlining at Mallard’s.”

Teddy let the topic drop and they spent the rest of the afternoon together as was their routine. Teddy painted Vic’s nails while she read the best articles from Witch Weekly outloud. Then they spent some time cleaning up the apartment and listening to music. Teddy had instituted a ban on his own music in the apartment but anything else was free game and they danced to “Tainted Love” while casting cleaning charms around the flat.

They headed out at six o’clock to grab a bite to eat before the show. The Rising Sun, a small pub that had become a regular haunt of theirs, had a fantastic bangers and mash. 

When they got to Mallard’s there was a line that wrapped around the block. Vic and Teddy snuck through the back, completely unseen, and got to work. While Vic went off to do her manager thing, Teddy stopped to greet the band. He scribbled out the setlist for the night while they warmed up and handed it off to Vic on his way to the green room.

Once alone, Teddy began to change and prep for the show. He wore a short-sleeve button-up shirt, two sizes too big, decorated with colourful geometric patterns and a pair of perfectly tailored black trousers that hugged him in all the right places. Looking at himself in the mirror, Teddy made a few minor alterations. The dark circles under his eyes vanished and his skin tone evened out. Picking up a black eyeliner pencil he applied the dark kohl liberally. He sat back and studied his reflection, satisfied with the overall effect he moved on to his favourite part, Teddy watched as his hair flicked through an entire crayon box of colours, red, blue, orange, purple, before he settled on a soft pink for tonight's set.

With the superficial stuff done, Teddy moved on to the real work. Being a metamorphmagus, Teddy could shift his vocal cords to allow him to hit impossibly low notes as well as impossibly high ones. Tonight’s set had a range of G2-G6 and he adjusted his vocal cords accordingly. 

At ten o’four Teddy took to the stage. The place was packed and the fans were crowded up at the front waiting for the main event to start. As he walked out, the mob got impossibly closer until they were practically pressing up against the stage. Up on the balcony wizards and witches hung over the bannister calling out. The moment he began to sing the place went wild, fans screamed recognizing the song as Teddy’s voice filled the venue. 

I learned to let go when I was younger
Scared of growing old
I would swim far into the ocean
And try to stay afloat
Until my lungs would cough up water
And sand would coat my bones, and I hope, now
That someday I'll open up the floodgates
And let the lyrics flow
Someday I'll understand the dry taste
When the words are trapped below
Some days I wonder if my airway
Is clogged with all the quotes, that I wrote, now

Once he finished the opening number, Teddy spoke to the audience. “Mallard’s, how are we feeling tonight?”

He received a deafening scream in reply.

“Glad to hear it.” Teddy smiled. “You know I’m feeling a little nostalgic tonight, how do you guys feel about some songs off my first album, Cursed.”

There was a roar of agreement.

It was well past eleven when Teddy finally ended the set on a slow, bittersweet tune. And though the crowd cheered and screamed for more, there wasn't any time left for an encore. Afterwards, Teddy found Vic backstage. And though after a show they would normally, at the very least, go out for drinks Teddy just wasn't in the mood tonight.

“Hey Vic, I think I am just going to head home tonight.”

“Are you sure?” Vic looked at Teddy, a bit of concern in her face.

“Yeah, I could probably do with an early bed.”

“Ok then. I probably won’t stay out too much later myself.” They both knew that was a lie.

“Just don’t do anything I wouldn’t.” Teddy smiled.

Vic rolled her eyes but gave him a good-natured smile in return. 

Teddy thanked the band, made his round of goodbyes, and slipped out the back door tugging on a jacket over his stage clothes. 

As he walked off into the night he morphed his face and changed his hair to a more generic brown colour. He didn’t always hide in public, but tonight he just wanted to be alone for a bit.

Instead of apparating straight home, Teddy decided to walk the streets for a bit. A few concert-goers had stuck around but most had disappeared by now. Teddy saw a couple making out beneath a lamppost and quickly looked away, uncomfortable with the public display of affection. He moved on.

By the time he made it home it was midnight, too exhausted to do much else Teddy flopped down onto his bed and went straight to sleep.

Chapter Text

It was close to one in the morning when James found himself stumbling down the hallway to his apartment. He’d had a good night, bar hopping through Soho with Morgan and his friends, avoiding the press. At some point, James had lost count of how many fancy liquor concoctions he had drunk, but he figured it was somewhere in the ballpark of half a dozen.

And everyone had been so nice! James had felt like one of the boys. Just hanging out, getting drunk, and having fun. Fun. It had been fun, pretending he was normal, and carefree, and didn’t have any secrets to weigh him down.

And what his dad didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

James fumbled his keys as he tried to unlock the door. Shit. Giving up he mumbled a quick Alohomora and waved his hand at the door, the moment he heard the lock click open James shoved his way inside.

Time seemed to be jumping around and the next thing he knew James was sitting on the edge of his bed. He sat there for a moment just… existing, before bending over to yank off his trainers. As he sat back up a wave of dizziness hit him. Oh fuck, he didn’t feel so good.

He made it to the toilet just in time and as James puked his guts out, he took a moment to re-evaluate his choices from the night, promising himself that next time he wouldn’t drink so much on an empty stomach.  

He rested his head on the cool porcelain. This was a really nice toilet— very cool, very manly. Albus had helped him pick out his apartment and had insisted on brand-new appliances. James was glad because that meant no strangers had put their butt where his face now rested. Nope. It was still gross. 

James peeled himself off the seat and managed to stand up. Once he was sure that he was stable, he headed for the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. The taste of vomit lingered in James’ mouth and he winced with every sip. Eventually he gave up and stumbled back to the bedroom with the water glass clutched tightly to his chest, he would drink the rest of it later. He set the glass down carefully on his bedside table and grinned at the small accomplishment of not spilling anything.

Feeling much more settled, James dug out his cell phone and frowned at the low battery symbol on the screen. It took him a few tries to plug it in, but as soon as he saw the little charging sign he burrowed himself under the covers ready to fall asleep. Damn it, he forgot to brush his teeth. James debated just going to bed and worrying about it in the morning but the vomit taste hadn’t gone away and the bedroom lights were still on, so reluctantly he drug himself out of bed and into the bathroom.

Time still wasn’t flowing like it was supposed to, it kept dragging behind and skipping around, but James was pretty sure he had managed to accomplish everything he needed to before crawling into bed a second time. He forced himself to take one last drink of water, knowing that his future-self would appreciate it, before finally drifting off to sleep.

James groaned in protest at the terrible noise his phone was making, six am was too early for any human being to wake up. He sat up slowly and dismissed the alarm sparing a moment to finish the rest of the water. Despite his reluctance to vacate his bed James wasn’t really too hungover, he had his good genes to thank for that, but he was sweaty, sticky, and gross so he wasted no time before hopping in the shower.

The moment he turned off the tap, he heard the buzz of his phone. Wrapping a towel around his waist, James checked his messages.

Albus: You’re so screwed

Albus: Dad is absolutely going to kill you

Albus:

Fuck! When had someone even taken that? James’ phone started to ring. Dad.

Albus: Can I have your playstation when you’re dead?

James weighed his options. He could ignore the call, but that would only anger his dad further and ran the risk of his dad showing up at training. He answered the call.

“Hello?”

“James, what the hell were you thinking? You are all over the tabloids! Is this because— Are you trying to make some kind of point, because you know you can just talk to me. I get it, ok—”

“You get it?” James was livid. “Dad, this isn’t about you. I had a bad day yesterday, and I went out with some friends to blow off some steam. That's it. It’s not a big deal. In fact it’s normal. Normal nineteen-year-olds go out to clubs all the time and I doubt their parents call them the next morning, trying to figure out where they went wrong.”

“You’re not normal though, Jamie. When you decided that you wanted to step into the public life you took on a responsibility. The public’s opinion of you matters, not just your career but your personal life too. You’re a role model.”

“Oh come off it! We both know the real reason you’re pissed off is because you hate it whenever I draw attention to myself.”

“I thought you said this wasn’t about that.”

“Well, I guess I was wrong because you always find a way to make it about yourself don’t you.”

“James I am just trying to protect you.”

“Protect me from what, Dad? In case you didn’t notice I am an adult now. I can make my own decisions and my own mistakes. You can’t keep me locked away forever. I need to live my life.” James took a breath. “I’m going out again tonight because I had fun. Tell Mum I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll make it to dinner next week or the week after that— not until you can accept the fact that I am my own person and stop projecting whatever issues you have onto me.”

James hung up and tossed the phone onto his bed. He hadn’t planned on going out again so soon, but he sure as hell was now.

Chapter Text

Teddy had the rare Friday night off and Vic had plans with some old girlfriends, so for the first time in a long while Teddy found himself well and truly alone. After soaking in a warm bath and playing a couple of cords on his favourite guitar, Teddy was quite bored.

He thought back to his conversation from yesterday. It was still early, not yet nine. What if he headed out to muggle London? He wouldn’t be able to play tonight— it was impossible to book a gig in such a short time— but he could walk around and maybe see a couple of bands play. With a vague plan forming in his head, Teddy got dressed and headed out the door.

He emerged from the Leaky Caldron somewhere in central London, picked a direction, and started walking. It took him a while to find his way out of the more commercial part of town, filled with shops and offices, but eventually, he stumbled across an area filled with nightlife.

There were several clubs and bars with DJs and dance music. Teddy kept going until he heard the telltale sounds of a live band.

It was a decent sized bar with a Friday night crowd, mostly young professionals, and a midsized stage at the back where the band was playing. Teddy made his way over to the bar and ordered himself a beer.

The band was pretty good and Teddy found himself taping his finger in time with the beat, but after only one song they left the stage and another group took their place.

Teddy waved over the bartender once there was a bit of a lull.

“What’s a man gotta do to get up there?” Teddy pointed at the stage.

“You’re a musician?” the bartender asked.

“Singer, songwriter.”

“There are a couple spots left for the open mic tonight if you want one.”

“Oh! I didn’t think I would play tonight.”

The bartender shrugged. “Well, if you change your mind, sign-up sheet is on the wall over there.”

Teddy thought about it for a minute or two but he couldn’t come up with a reason not to, so he made his way over to the sign-up and put his name down for the last slot. Then he found a spot to enjoy the show and did his best to blend in with the crowd.

Chapter Text

Throughout the day, James endured teasing from his teammates, but honestly it wasn't too bad. The tabloids hadn't got their hands on anything really embarrassing, and a night of drinking was hardly an unusual activity among his peers.

After practice, James tracked down Morgan to ask if he had any plans for the night.

"Last night wasn't enough for you?" Morgan laughed.

James rolled his eyes. "Just been feeling a bit restless lately."

"Relax, Potter. Take the night off. If you still want to go out after Sunday's game I'll take you to a real party."

So that was a wash, but James wasn't going to give up just like that. If he stayed in tonight he would go insane. He thought about calling Albus for a sleepover, but he didn't think he could deal with his brother in this mood.

After the sun had set, James found himself wandering around Shoreditch. He snuck out the back of his apartment building and cast a disillusionment charm, it wouldn't make him invisible but strangers would find their eyes pass right over him several times before they could focus. The charm might make it difficult to order drinks at the bar but it was worth it.

For the moment James was content to just stroll down the street and people watch. He saw a pub with bright rainbow flags and a couple of drag queens smoking out front. He hurried past as if someone would realize he was gay just from walking by.

It was ridiculous. James knew it was ridiculous. He wished for a day when he was brave enough to walk in there covered in glitter and wearing a pink feather boa. Today was not that day.

Eventually James wanted a drink, so he popped into a bar at random.

It seemed nice enough, there was a band playing and the place felt full without being packed. James headed over to the bar and ordered himself a beer. He didn't want a repeat of last night, so he made the decision to stay away from hard liquor and pace himself.

Finding a spot on the periphery, James could practically see the whole bar. He blinked when a spot of blue caught his attention, drawing his eyes to an attractive guy close to the stage. His hair was bright turquoise and he looked to be absolutely absorbed in the music.

James didn't even notice when the band stopped playing. He gave a belated applause along with everyone else, but when he looked back for the turquoise hair the man was gone. It took James a second to find him again.

The man was making his way up to the stage. He picked up an acoustic guitar and positioned himself on a stool. After readjusting the mic, he played a few simple chords tuning the instrument.

"Seems like this is the last song of the night. I'm Teddy and I would like to play something new that I am working on for you guys."

Ghost
I see you standing there
Don't turn away
I want you to stay

His voice was breathtaking. James didn't think he could look away even if he wanted to.

Teddy's eyes scanned the crowd as he sang— they slid past James like water on glass, the disillusionment at work, but they immediately sprung back. James might have actually let out a soft gasp at that, because Teddy was looking right at him as he sang.

Ghost, what's your name?
Why so surprised? I'm interested
You're just a soul that blends into the crowd
I hear you so loud no one else hears a sound
You reach out your hand no one else feels a thing
And I'm just a stranger who could be a friend

Teddy finally looked away, but somehow it still felt like he was singing directly to James.

Ghost
Where you from?
I can take you away, so far away
Ghost, I'll make sure they all see
The kind of man, that you can be

When the song ended James had goosebumps along both of his arms. He had never felt so seen. Not even when he had entire stadiums of people watching him. James stared as Teddy left the stage and headed right for him.

"That was amazing."

Teddy smiled and it was brilliant. "Thanks. Does my fan have a name?"

"James. James Potter."

Chapter Text

Teddy froze. James Potter. Surely it couldn’t be, but everything fit. He was the right age. He was clearly magical, the disillusionment charm proved that. He certainly looked like he could be Harry Potter’s son. Teddy had actually met James before just after he had been born. Not many people knew he even existed but when he was six Gran took him to visit “Uncle Harry” one last time. He remembers being extremely unimpressed with the wiggly pink baby. He had even cried because he was upset that Harry was abandoning him for another child. Harry had sat him down and given a long speech about how Harry loved Teddy as much as he ever had but leaving was best for everyone. Teddy hadn’t been quite satisfied with Harry’s reasoning but he had stopped crying anyway. And now right in front of him stood James Fucking Potter once more.

“Fuck.”

“Sorry?” The poor bloke looked extremely confused.

Teddy shook his head. “Sorry, it's just you’re James Potter.”

“Oh.” James seemed to deflate a little. “I was kind of hoping I wouldn’t be recognized tonight.”

This was too surreal. 

“Right ‘course not. Shit sorry. I’m fucking this all up. I’m Teddy Lupin, your dad’s my godfather.”

James' eyes grew wide. Teddy shifted uncomfortably. 

“You know my dad?” James asked as if he had just made a brilliant discovery. “Harry?”

“I mean I haven’t seen him since I was a kid, but yeah. He used to read me bedtime stories. He knew this spell that would animate the illustrations in my muggle books too and he would always do the voices.”

James’ eyes grew even wider and he whispered conspiratorially, “You know about magic then?”

“Of course I— Shit. You have no idea, do you? Fuck.”

Teddy slumped down into the seat next to James, who was looking at him expectantly.

“Look, you should really ask your dad about all this.”

James laughed in clear disbelief. “You think I haven’t. You think I haven’t asked him a million questions about his past and why we can do magic when no one else can and what we’re even supposed to be hiding from in the first place. He used to say he would tell me when I was older but I’m an adult now and he won’t tell me shit.” Teddy could tell James was getting angry, he watched as the man next to him paused and took a deep calming breath. “So are you— You can do magic too?”

Teddy took out his wand and subtly strengthened James’ disillusionment charm, expanding it to the whole table, before casting Orchideous and handing James a pink lupine blossom.

James took the flower delicately and examined it in his hand.

“Am I the first wizard you’ve met?”

James looked right into Teddy’s eyes and nodded. “I mean, I knew there had to be others. It wouldn’t make sense if my family were the only ones with magic, would it? But I didn’t think— I didn’t know how to find them.” James scrunched up his nose. “Wizards? Really? That’s what they call us?”

Teddy laughed. “Witch and wizard work well enough. What else would we call ourselves?”

James screwed up his face even more. “I don’t know. Just seems a little antiquated if you ask me.”

“Yes, well, the wizarding world has always been pretty big on tradition.” Teddy realized his slip as soon as it was out.

“The wizarding world? How many… how many of us are there?”

“In the UK? A couple thousand.”

“A couple thousand,” James repeated quietly. “That means… The wizarding world? Shit.” The confusion in James’ eyes morphed into understanding and then anger. “You mean to tell me there is an entire society of peop— witches and wizards that my parents actively hid from me.”

Teddy winced. This was… This was not going well, was it?

“I need something stronger than beer,” James spoke definitively before getting up and making his way to the bar. He ordered a shot and downed it before Teddy could even catch up. As Teddy settled at his side, James motioned for the bartender to get him two more.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Teddy noticed James eyeing him warily. He couldn't help but feel that the younger man was sizing him up, but it would seem he passed whatever test it was when James finally looked away again and said, “It’s a terrible idea, but I feel like I am entitled to some poor decisions right now.”

He downed the second and third shot in quick succession.

“I mean who fucking does that? There is an entire world, an entire piece of me, that my dad deliberately kept hidden from me.”

“I think he was just trying to protect you.”

James snorted. “From what, Teddy? What reason did my dad have for exiling himself? For cutting himself off from a world of magic? For cutting himself off from you? You’re supposed to be his godson, yeah?”

Another shot. Teddy wasn’t even sure where it had come from.

“It’s complicated.”

“Complicated. Ha! I’m just so sick of the lies! That’s all my family ever does is lie. Dad lies about his past. Mum lies about not missing whatever life they left behind. I lie about being straight.” James laughed. “Imagine that. Imagine if I could be straight with my father and have an honest conversation for once. Fuck, I think I’m drunk.”

James polished off one last shot before moving away from the bar. He stumbled a bit but Teddy caught him before he could fall.

“Thanks.”

“We should probably get you home, huh?”

James nodded his head. 

“Right, okay. Where do you live?”

“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m close.”

“I’d still feel better if I knew you got home safe. I feel kind of guilty.”

“You’re not the one who should feel guilty,” James bit. “But if you want to, you can walk with me.”

Teddy let James lead them out of the bar and down the street. He hoped James knew where he was going because Teddy had lost all sense of direction. 

They walked a few blocks before James pulled them into a nice looking apartment building. The elevator took them up to the top floor and Teddy helped James with his keys.

The apartment was really nice. James was clearly doing well for himself, or maybe that was Harry.

“Watch out for the table there.” Teddy manoeuvred James so that he wouldn’t bump anything. He sat James down on the couch and handed him a glass of water. “Drink this.” James listened obediently and started taking small sips. Seeing that James was safe, Teddy began to move away.

“Wait! Are you leaving?”

“Yeah. I was going to apparate home.”

“Oh? I was hoping— Can I call you?”

Teddy thought for a moment, he didn’t have a cell phone— not much use for one.

“Not— I just meant if I have any more questions about you know wizards and shit.”

That made Teddy smile.

“I don’t have a phone, but I’ll owl you.”

James nodded.

“Good night, James.” And with that Teddy apparated away.

Chapter Text

James let himself sleep in on Saturday. He had the day off to rest before tomorrow’s game and he planned to take full advantage, letting consciousness slowly wake him. Then the events of the night before returned. Holy shit!

He was a wizard, one of many. What the fuck Dad? 

He still had no idea why his parents had left the wizarding world behind, but it seemed as though Teddy knew more than he would say. Teddy…

Before he’d even known Teddy was magical, James had felt a connection. He wanted to see him again as soon as possible. He could listen to that voice for hours. And Teddy said he would call him! No. That wasn’t right. He had said he’d owl him. What did that even mean? James guessed he would find out soon enough as long as Teddy didn’t ghost him.

Please god don’t let Teddy ghost him. Not only was he super cool and attractive but he was also James’ only connection to the wizarding world. He had no idea how he would even go about finding another wizard.

James continued thinking about Teddy and the wizarding world as he made himself a breakfast of eggs and bacon. As he was nibbling on the last pieces of meat he heard a knock at the door. But it wasn’t the front door, rather it was the one that led to his private balcony. 

He looked out the glass and sure enough there sat a fluffy looking owl carrying a letter in its beak. James opened the door and the owl looked at him expectantly. Cautiously, he reached down and took the envelope. James startled for a moment when the owl flew away landing on the rail and stared at him. It seemed to be waiting, for what James didn't know. 

He tore open the letter. It had a genuine wax seal and was made up of a thick parchment paper— is this what Teddy had been talking about when he said the wizarding world was traditionalist?

Dear James,

I hope this letter finds you well. Toulouse is an excellent owl and I hope his appearance didn’t frighten you too much. I realize that you probably aren’t used to receiving mail in this way.

I am sure you have a million questions after last night, but I still think that you would be better off talking to your dad first. After he explains some things to you, I would be more than willing to answer any other questions you have about the wizarding world in general. 

I have instructed Toulouse to wait for your reply before returning, so write out as many questions as you want and I will do my best to answer them. Of course I will leave the more sensitive topics for your dad.

Sincerely,

Your Wizarding Wikipedia (Yes I know some muggle stuff)

Teddy Lupin

Teddy wanted James to talk to his dad? Fuck that. His dad had kept him in the dark for nineteen years it was only fair that James returned the favor. He thought briefly about Albus and Lily but first things first, James had to figure out what he was talking about so he could explain it to them intelligently. Right now he had no idea what was going on. 

He dug around his flat for a pen and paper and started writing out his questions. He left off the stuff about his mum and dad for now.

Why owls?

What’s muggle?

Did you use a wand at the bar last night? Do other wizards/witches use wands or staffs?

If there are so many of us how come the whole world doesn’t know magic exists?

How much of pop culture is a stereotype and how much is true? i.e. pointy hats, cauldrons, the whole cat thing, etc.

How did you learn to do magic, did your parents teach you or is there some kind of after school program?

The list went on and on till James filled the whole page. He signed his name at the bottom and added a post script.

Clearly I have way more questions than can fit on an A4 sheet. I understand if you are busy, but I have the day off and I would love to buy you a coffee if you’re game. I am sure you have a million better things to do with your Saturday afternoon than explain how the world works to some clueless guy but I would appreciate it nonetheless. Name a time and place and I will be there.

James cleaned up the kitchen and took a quick shower while he waited for a response. As he was getting dressed he heard the now familiar sound of Toulouse at the door. The owl only carried a small note that read,

Meet me at Costa Coffee outside King’s Cross Station at 2:00.

- Teddy

James showed up to the coffee shop half an hour early so by the time Teddy arrived he was already working on his second cup of caffeine. James waved Teddy over and as the other man sat down he pulled out the same stick he had used last night.

“Is that your wand?” James asked while Teddy cast some kind of privacy spell. “Can I see?”

Teddy looked a bit apprehensive but handed James the wand gingerly. 

It was dark black in color and James was surprised to find the entire thing was made out of wood. It had been smoothed and polished with a simple but decorative grip carved into one end.

“Ebony with a phoenix feather core, eleven inches, slightly springy,” Teddy said.

“How does it work?” James asked.

“You don’t— Don’t you have a wand?”

James shook his head. He could feel a strange sensation flowing between him and the wand but he couldn’t quite name the feeling.

“But last night… Are you telling me you cast a wandless disillusionment charm as strong as that?” Teddy was looking at James with a sense of wonder in his eyes. 

“I never knew there was any other way to do it. Mum and Dad don’t use wands, or if they do I’ve never seen them.”

“I just assumed… well I guess it doesn’t matter.” Teddy reached out and James handed him back his wand. “Did you want me to start with the questions you wrote down and then we could go from there?”

“Sure, sounds good.”

The hours passed quickly as they talked. James hung on Teddy’s every word. Eventually they reached a natural lull in the conversation and James knew he had to ask.

“Look, I know that you want to stay out of my family drama and I get that.” Teddy very clearly wanted to voice a protest but James continued on. “But you clearly know why my parents left and if I confronted my dad right now… I don’t know what I would say… or do, but it wouldn’t be good. I just… I really need to know why. Please, Teddy.”

James must have looked very desperate because suddenly Teddy’s face softened and he let out an exasperated sigh. Teddy shook his head for a moment and bit his lower lip.

“Back in the seventies there was a dark wizard who called himself Voldemort.”

James sat up and listened attentively.

“Half the population at the time firmly believed that blood purity was directly tied to magical ability even though there was plenty of evidence to show that wasn’t the case. Obviously it was a lot more complicated than that, there were traditions and politics involved, but that’s essentially what it boiled down to. It was civil war and a lot of people died.

“There was a prophecy about someone who would have the power to defeat Voldemort and well, basically it described your dad.” Teddy looked at James before continuing on. “Voldemort found out and tried to kill him when he was just a baby. His mum’s sacrifice protected him and the Killing Curse rebounded.”

Teddy continued to tell James about fractured souls, stones that granted immortality, giant snakes, traitorous rats, and loyal canines. He talked about death and sacrifice. And how his father had ended a war. Teddy told James how his father became the most famous wizard in the United Kingdom, and how he had left it all behind so that James could live a normal life— one outside of Harry Potter’s shadow.

James waited until Teddy was done speaking. “I’m sorry. I am having a really hard time wrapping my brain around this. My dad, some kind of teenage war hero? You realize my dad is a secondary school teacher. He doesn’t fight dragons.” James couldn’t keep the incredulity out of his voice. “I mean, you have no reason to lie to me so I can only assume you’re telling the truth, still that is a hard image to reconcile.” James paused. “My dad? Really?”

“It’s a lot I know. But you can see why he wouldn’t want you to grow up with all that.”

“Sure, but did he have to cut us off completely? I don’t know… If what you are telling me is true, there is this entire piece of my dad’s identity that he has been hiding from me. And my mum, how is any of this fair to her? I have a whole set of aunts and uncles and cousins that I’ve never met. I have never met my grandparents! Tell me that's not fucked up.”

“He was a kid who had the entire weight of the world placed on his shoulders… How could he not end up just a little fucked up.”

Teddy stared into James’ eyes letting his words sink in, eventually James caved and looked away.

“I’m still not sure I can forgive him. At least not yet.”

“I’m not asking you to. Obviously none of this is any of my business, but I still think you should talk to him about it.”

James shrugged and shifted uncomfortably. “I’ll think about it,” he said before changing the topic. “So… you think you could take me to this Diagon Alley sometime?” James really wanted to see this wizarding world for himself and he also wanted to get to know Teddy better.

“I assumed you would ask that.” Teddy seemed to be resigned to the idea. “I don’t know what your schedule is like but my work day starts pretty late so I can do pretty much any afternoon.”

“Great! I’m done with training by two most days.”

“Training?”

“Oh yeah! I’m a football player. When you recognized me at the pub last night I assumed you were a fan. How about Monday at three?”

“Sure, you can meet me at the north entrance to Leadenhall Market. Oh I almost forgot! I brought you my old history book, it’s extremely boring but if you want to know more about the wizarding world…”

Teddy seemed to pull a large book from out of nowhere and set it on the table.

“Thanks.” James flipped through the pages knowing he was never going to read the thing, he preferred to gain practical knowledge rather than stuff from the pages of a book. Still it was nice of Teddy to think of it.

After the two parted ways, James decided to take the bus home. He spent the rest of the evening imagining what Diagon Alley would be like and pointedly not dwelling on what Teddy had told him about his father.

Chapter Text

What am I doing? Teddy asked himself for the tenth time that day. He was on his way to Diagon Alley with James Potter— to what? Show him around? Be his wizarding world tour guide? And Harry, Harry had no idea. How had he ended up here ?

It was those eyes. When James looked at him with those hopeful, pleading eyes there was no way Teddy could say no. He was a weak man. 

He and James were currently crowded into the back room of the Leaky Cauldron. James was wearing the extra set of robes that Teddy had brought along— muggle wear was common enough in Diagon Alley these days but best not to draw any extra attention if they could help it.

Teddy paused before opening up the passage. “If anyone asks, what is your name?”

“We already covered this Teddy.”

“Please James,” Teddy pleaded.

James rolled his eyes but acquiesced to the request. “James Weasley nice to meet you.” He shook Teddy’s hand. “Son of Atticus and Beatrice Weasly. You wouldn’t remember me from Hogwarts because my parents decided to homeschool me and my siblings.” He smiled. “Relax Teddy, I look enough like my mom. No one is going to know.”

“Your dad is going to kill me if he finds out.”

James gave him a pointed look.

“Okay, alright. Let’s go.” Teddy tapped out the pattern to get into Diagon Alley and stepped back as the bricks began to peel away. He looked at James and when he saw the expression of awe and wonder on his face, Teddy couldn’t help but smile. James stepped through the opening and Teddy trailed along behind. 

As soon as he was through, he anxiously scanned the street. It was a weekday afternoon so it wasn’t too busy, just a few witches and wizards running their errands. James glanced back at him and the expression of pure joy on the other man’s face made Teddy’s heart melt. James raced across to the first shop along the street, Slug and Jigger’s Apothecary. Wide-eyed, he entered the shop. 

“Is all this for potions?” He asked once Teddy caught up.

“Pretty much, yeah. Of course, you’re not going to find some of the rarer or morally questionable ingredients here.”

James perused the shelves, randomly picking up bottles and ingredients off the shelves and reading the labels. Occasionally he would turn to Teddy and ask him about something or another, and Teddy did his best to answer. 

As they walked around the shop, he couldn’t help but get caught up in James’ excitement and his previous nerves faded to the background. No one even knew Harry had a son and the resemblance wasn’t obvious. There was only one other customer in the shop at the moment and they were much more concerned about checking off the items on their shopping lists than questioning why some young wizard didn’t know what a bezoar was. 

After James had finished in the apothecary they moved on, stopping at each window display so that James could point out different things that he found cool or odd and ask more questions. Everything felt more magical through James’ eyes. As they approached Quality Quidditch Supplies, Teddy knew James would want to go inside. He watched closely for his reaction and was not disappointed by the way James’ face lit up when he saw the brooms on display. 

“You actually ride on broomsticks! That is amazing. I always wondered what it would be like to fly.”

“Your dad never taught you quidditch?” Teddy asked.

“No.” There was a hint of bitterness in James’ tone.

“He played on the house team back in school. Supposedly he was a pretty good seeker.” Teddy trailed off. “Come on, let’s go inside.”

James took his time browsing the shelves. He picked up a children's book that explained the basic rules of quidditch and seemed to be hypnotised by the moving pictures. They spent an hour in the shop and Teddy was only able to get James to leave by promising to take him flying some time.

After that their walk went a little faster. James didn’t seem too interested in the Flourish & Blott’s or Madam Malkin’s. They did stop by Florean’s for some ice cream. Teddy got his favourite flavour, Sunshine on a Cloudy Day, and James ended up with Cosmic Energy. As they ate their ice cream they watched the people walking by and tried to guess where they were going... 

Teddy knew exactly where to take James next, once they had both had their fill. 

He had planned on avoiding Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes, on account of the fact that they were guaranteed to run into at least one Weasley, but after seeing James’ reactions at all the other shops he knew he couldn’t deprive James of the experience.

As they entered the shop, James’ eyes grew wide. Giant pink bubbles floated around the store exploding into multitudes of smaller bubbles which in turn would explode into even smaller bubbles and so on. The back wall was taken up entirely by a large contraption with many moving parts, gears and conveyer belts whorled around as it produced several different colourful candies and sweets. A miniature dragon flew overhead and as the door shut behind them, it swooped down forcing them to duck for cover.

“Teddy Lupin, as I live and breathe. What brings you to my humble establishment?” George Weasley stepped out from behind the counter. Shit, this was exactly what Teddy had been hoping to avoid. At least it wasn’t Ron, Ron probably knew more about James than anyone else.

“I have a friend visiting from out of town. Actually, he’s a cousin of yours. James this is George Weasley. George, this is James.”

James stepped up to shake George’s hand.

“A cousin of mine, huh? You're not Regina’s kid are you?”

James flashed a disarming smile. “Nope. Atticus is my dad. I think that makes me what? Your first cousin once removed or some such. Your shop is amazing by the way.”

“Thanks much. You know what they say, flattery will get you everywhere in life. Now, don’t tell me, James. Let me see if I can guess the right Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes’ product for you.” 

George walked around James inspecting him up and down. Once he had made a complete loop, George reached out and plucked a hair from James’ head. James jumped and rubbed the spot on his head but didn’t protest. He seemed to be enjoying George’s theatrics. George took another moment to think after inspecting the hair follicle. 

“I’ve got just the thing!” George stumbled into the back storeroom. James and Teddy could hear several concerning noises but before they could go and check on him, he reappeared. “Here we are. It’s still only a prototype but tests have shown positive results.” He handed James a small circular object...

“It’s a… what is it?” James asked as he examined the thing.

“It’s a compass of course.”

James found the latch and the compass opened up. Teddy looked over his shoulder and saw that the needle was spinning crazily. 

“I think it's broken.”

George took the compass from James and immediately the needle straightened out. “Not broken, see. The needle points to your heart’s deepest desire.”

“Oh.” George handed it back to James and the needle began spinning again. “Then why is it going crazy like that?”

“No clue. Your guess is as good as mine.” 

“Hmmm, well thanks. How much is it?”

“You get the friends and family discount. It’s free. Just let me know if you ever figure out why it’s spinning like that.”

James slid the compass into his pocket. “Okay, thanks.”

When they left Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes it was starting to get late. Teddy turned to James. “The shops will be closing soon, but there is one last place I wanted to stop before we go.”

“Lead the way,” James said.

Olivander’s didn’t have much to see in comparison to the other shops they had stopped at, but Teddy hoped it would be James’ favourite just the same. 

The bell chimed as they walked in, though the shop seemed to be empty. They waited for a bit before Teddy tried ringing the bell on the counter. Still, nothing happened.

“Hello?” James called out.

“I’m coming. I’m coming. Calm your tits,” a feminine voice came from the back.

Ava Fairchilds emerged from the stacks. Teddy recognized her immediately, she had been a few years above him in school and had been his very first crush when he was twelve. Teddy had forgotten that she had become Olivander’s apprentice. 

“If you need a wand repair, I’ll get you a ticket and we’ll run a diagnostic before we give you a quote.” Ava was chewing a wad of bubble gum.

“Actually, James here needs a new wand. His last one burned up in a Fiendfyre.” 

James turned to Teddy then. “I can’t let you buy me a wand. That seems expensive.”

Teddy shrugged. “It’s no big deal, James. I promise. I have no idea how you have gotten this far along without a wand anyway, and I would be honoured to buy your— a new one.”

“Okay,” James smiled, “but I’m paying you back later.”

Ava looked extremely bored by their exchange. She blew a bubble and let it pop. “What kind of wand did you have before?” She addressed her question to James but Teddy answered for him.

“It was a twelve-inch elm, unicorn hair. But it was a hand-me-down so he’ll need to be rematched.”

Ava eyed James a bit. “What’s your speciality?”

“Oh, charms work mostly, a bit of transfiguration... But, um, I’m mostly wandless.

She nodded before disappearing back into the stacks and returning with several boxes.

“I pulled some pine, cedar, oak, and poplar wands. They should all be pretty reliable, even if you aren’t using them every day.”

James unboxed the first wand and looked expectantly at Teddy.

“Give it a flick.”

“Right.”

He turned to the corner of the room and did just that. A shower of sparks shot out of the end.

“How did that feel?” Teddy asked.

James turned to him and smiled. “I could feel my magic flowing through it.”

“Well, that's a start.” Ava stood up from where she had been slumped over the counter. “Try this one,” she said as she picked a box out of the stack.

James took it and unpacked the wand. He repeated the motion from before. This time the sparks danced about before they faded. 

“Hmm.” Ava set a few of the boxes aside until she had narrowed the selection down to three. “Just pick each one of these up and tell me if you feel anything.”

James put the second wand away and began inspecting Ava’s choices. He switched between them a few times, but he kept coming back to the first in the lineup.

“This one I think,” James finally spoke. “This one feels… strong? Dependable?”

“Eleven-inch cedar with a dragon heartstring,” Ava informed them. “Go ahead, test it out.”

James turned to the corner once more and gave it a flick. The sparks emerged again brighter than before, their dance lasted almost a full minute before they finally flickered out.

The smile on James’ face was even brighter than the magic he produced.

“We’ll take it,” Teddy said. “That is, if that’s the one you want.”

“Yeah, it feels… It feels right, easier than my normal spells. Like it is just an extension of me.”

As they left the shop James was still holding his new wand, gazing at it happily. “Thank you, Teddy. Not just for the wand but for everything, really. Today was amazing.”

“Don’t worry about it. I actually had a lot of fun too. It is easy to forget how… magical it all is when you live it every day.”

James laughed. “It’s hard to imagine but I am sure you’re right.”

“You should come to my show tomorrow night, if you’re free.”

“Really? I’d love to.”

“Great, I’ll owl you the tickets.” Teddy stopped walking. “Ah, this is the apparition point. Think you are alright getting home?” 

“Oh?” James turned to look as a witch disappeared into a side alley. “Yeah, no problem. Thanks again, Teddy. I’ll see you tomorrow I guess.”

James gave him a quick hug before apparating away. Teddy waited a moment and then turned around heading in the direction of his flat. He picked up some takeout on the way, another tradition of his and Vic’s. Monday nights they stayed in and ate Chinese food while watching their favourite show, Schitt’s Creek. No gigs, no hookups, just a healthy dose of sodium and a ridiculous muggle family out in small-town Canada. 

When he got home Vic was already on the couch getting the show ready. 

“Give me my crab rangoons. I’m starving— skipped lunch today.”

“Oh? Yeah, here you go.” Teddy handed Vic her rangoons and began unpacking the rest of the food.

“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Vic asked as he plopped down next to her on the couch.

“What makes you say that?”

“You’re smiling like a loon,” she replied as she dipped her fried crab into some sauce.

Teddy shrugged it off, “I had a good day, I guess. Made a new friend.”

“Uh-huh, right, 'a new friend'. Just as long as you don’t go replacing me.”

“I could never.” Teddy paused. “Actually, he’s a cousin of yours.”

 “Great, just what we need around here, another Weasley.”

“I invited him to tomorrow’s show.”

Vic put her food down. “Oh? And does Weasly number twenty-four have a name?”

“James… he’s, uh, he’s one of Atticus’ kids.”

“Hmmm, is he cute?”

“He’s nineteen and he’s your cousin.”

“Nineteen is old enough, and I wasn’t asking for me.” Vic smiled smugly and started the show.

Chapter Text

James spent the entire day thinking about his trip to Diagon with Teddy and looking forward to the show. He had texted his mom that morning to tell her he wouldn’t make it to dinner. It was the first family dinner he had missed since moving out but even if he wasn’t going to see Teddy’s show he didn’t think he could face his dad just yet. He knew he couldn’t stay away forever though. 

He thought about what it would be like to confront his dad. He would probably get defensive immediately, they would fight, and it would be a whole thing. But James wasn’t afraid of fighting with his dad, he had done enough of that this past year, he was afraid that his dad would try and stop him from spending time in the wizarding world even now.

He had only spent a few hours in the world his father had been self-exiled from, but he couldn’t wait to go back. Not to mention how much he wanted to see Teddy again. 

Teddy was amazing. He was cool and confident and so patient with James, who must have been so annoying yesterday. 

At the moment, James was sitting on his couch bouncing his leg, he kept checking the clock on his phone. He had been ready to go six minutes ago but he didn’t want to show up too early and look like an overeager idiot. He started scrolling through tik-tok to distract himself and gave it another ten minutes before finally caving and apperating straight to the venue.

Teddy had sent him a backstage pass which he used to get in. There was still a while to go before the show started but already people were gathering in front of the stage. It was no football stadium but it wasn’t some small time gig either. James got the distinct impression that in the wizarding world Teddy Lupin was a big deal. That would explain some of the looks they 'd gotten yesterday anyway.

The man who'd let James in told him to wait over in the corner and someone would come to take him backstage so that is exactly what he did. He was just about to ask someone who exactly was he waiting for when he saw an attractive blond woman headed his way. She was dressed in all black and had a smattering of freckles just dark enough to make out in the dim light.

“James?” she asked as she approached.

“Yep,” James responded.

“I’m Vic, Bill’s daughter.”

She said this as though it was supposed to mean something to him so James supposed she was another Weasley.

“Nice to meet you.” James shook her hand.

“Hmmm, you are cute," she said, appraising him.

James laughed sheepishly. “Thanks.”

“Come on then. Follow me.”

James did as he was told. “So what’s your role in all this?”

“I’m Teddy’s manager, roommate, best friend, and adopted family member,” Vic replied matter-of-factly. “He asked me to keep you company tonight since he is going to be pretty busy.”

“How often does he perform?”

“Since his most recent album came out he’s been doing weekly shows in London and Scotland along with some international shows. He's got about two and a half weeks left on this tour.” 

Wow, that was a lot.

James kept asking Vic questions, deliberately keeping the attention off of him. He didn’t want her prying into his own life with questions he couldn’t answer or asking about family members he had never met.

James didn’t get a chance to talk to Teddy before the show so the first time he saw him was when he stepped out on stage and the crowd went wild. 

He looked like a rockstar.

Well he kind of was one, apparently. 

James enjoyed the concert. Teddy was brilliant. The set was a lot different from the acoustic performance in the bar the night they met but it was no less amazing. Teddy’s stage presence was magnetic and he had the entire crowd worshiping him.

James had no idea how Teddy managed to hit some of the notes he did. He was no expert but the technical skill Teddy demonstrated was astounding. James was especially surprised when Teddy seemingly shapeshifted right there in front of everyone.

James wondered if that was something every wizard could do or if Teddy was just special somehow— James wouldn’t put it past Teddy for that to be true. He almost asked Vic but caught himself in time. He would ask Teddy about it later. For now he would just enjoy the rest of the show.

Chapter Text

The show went by fast. From the glimpses Teddy caught of James in the wings, he seemed to be enjoying himself. In fact, Teddy didn’t think James took his eyes off of him for a single second. There was something about James’ gaze that made him feel seen, just as he had that night at the bar. With a single look, Teddy knew, James understood him better than anyone else in the room.

After a short encore, he slipped behind the curtains to join James and Vic backstage. James greeted him eagerly, “That was amazing! I had no idea you were such a big deal.”

Vic eyed James suspiciously. “How did the two of you meet again?”

“James just moved to the city, so Uncle Atticus and Aunt Bea asked me to look after him.” Teddy made sure that his face wouldn’t give him away but he couldn’t do anything about the beating of his heart.

“How come they didn’t ask me?” 

Teddy had done his best to prepare for Vic’s questions. “Aunt Bea and Gran always have tea together when they’re both in town. She’s the one that made the introduction.” The truth was Beatrice Weasley and Andromeda Tonks had never met, but Vic didn’t know that.

Even still, Teddy wasn’t sure if Vic was buying it completely. If he offered up a good enough distraction she might back off, for now . Luckily, he knew just the one. “Hey, why don’t we go to the beach tonight? It’s been a while since we’ve had a proper bonfire.”

“Fuck yes! That’s a great idea,” Vic said with a wicked grin. 

“Fantastic,” he smiled back matching her energy. “Would you tell the rest of the band? I’m gonna give James a backstage tour and we can meet you there.”

“Sure thing,” she said waving him off. “I’ll take care of it.”

Once Vic was gone, Teddy pulled James into the green room giving them some privacy. Before Teddy had a chance to utter a word, James was already talking animatedly.

“So you’re a proper rockstar then. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Teddy shrugged, “Probably the same reason you weren’t too happy to be recognized that night we met. That, and it’s kind of a weird thing to brag about.”

“Fair enough.”

“Listen, Vic isn’t going to be fooled by your backstory for long and I assume that you want to spend more time here…”

James nodded.

“...and that you still don’t want to talk to your dad?”

Another nod.

Teddy sighed. “Then I think we should just tell her the truth. Not tonight, but soon. The band and I are leaving for the Americas on Thursday, so that will buy you a couple of weeks. It might freak her out a bit but she won’t rat you out or anything.”

James stilled for a moment, thinking. He bit his bottom lip as if he were trying to stop all the thoughts in his brain from spilling out. After a moment his eyes turned to Teddy, and his face took on a determined look. “Alright,” he agreed, “I trust you.”

Butterflies fluttered to life in Teddy’s stomach at those words but he waved them off. He’d said what he’d wanted to say, now, it was time to have some fun. 

Making good on his promise, Teddy showed James the rest of the set-up backstage before apparating them both to a stretch of beach near the Seven Sisters. It was a spot he and Vic had thrown many a party, and the word must have gotten out because there were already a couple dozen people scattered across the sand. A large bonfire burned bright and hot, and several charmed chests were scattered across the beach keeping the beer inside ice cold. Music drifted through the air as people danced and mingled.

Teddy grabbed a couple of beers and handed one to James. Vic was easy to spot, lounging on a conjured sofa with some guy he didn’t recognize and a few members of the band. They made their way over. 

“Cheers Vic! I have no idea how you set this up so fast.”

“Well it just so happens I,” she gestured to herself with the beer bottle dangling loosely from her hand, “am an expert at parties. Oh, and I used this little thing called magic.” She wiggled her fingers dramatically and they all laughed. “James, Teddy, this is Drew. He’s one of Callum’s friends from Australia.”

Callum was Teddy’s drummer and he had grown up attending Tallygarunga, not Hogwarts.

“Nice to meet you.” Teddy shook his hand. “How long you here for?”

“I actually moved last week, so indefinitely. Or as long as I can keep my job.” He huffed a laugh at his own joke and took a swig of his drink.

“What do you do?” James asked, a bit quieter than normal. 

“I work for a marketing firm.” He grinned and leaned closer to James. “It’s not as glamorous as the music industry, of course, but it pays the bills.”

“Nice.”

“What about you?” Drew focused all his attention on James, cutting Teddy out of the conversation.

Teddy bit his tongue, fighting the urge to answer for James. The anxiety ate at him, the fear that they would get caught in their lie. He wasn’t sure if James knew enough about the wizarding world to keep up the charade. Relax, James’ doesn’t need you holding his hand all night.

“Oh? I’m taking a gap year right now. I’m not really sure what I want to do,” James responded taking the seat next to Drew.

See, James has got this. Still, Teddy hovered next to the two men and sipped his beer. If James needed him to step in he would be there, but he could give James the space he clearly wanted.

Drew was all over James, ‘accidentally’ brushing up against his thigh or resting his hand on James’ arm. Teddy quickly turned it into a drinking game, taking a sip of his beer every time Drew found an excuse to touch James. At the rate things were going, it wouldn’t be too long before he was properly pissed.

“Teddy!”

Turning at the sound of his name, Teddy barely registered blond hair and muscled arms before warm lips were on his, Dawson. They had met back on Teddy’s first European tour— he was a good lay so they’d kept in touch over the years, hooking up whenever they found themselves in the same city. Teddy smiled into the kiss and returned it enthusiastically before gently breaking away.

“I thought you were in Mexico for another month.”

Dawson smiled. “I go back at the end of the week but I was in town for my sister’s wedding. I would’ve let you know, but I was supposed to head back yesterday and I didn’t think there would be enough time.”

“Yeah, well I am glad you came to say hello.”

“Of course, I know what kind of trouble you get up to when I’m gone.” Dawson raised his eyebrows suggestively. 

“Hmmm,” Teddy agreed. After a beat, he realized Dawson still had his arms wrapped around him and everyone was staring. He noticed James was giving him an especially strange look and it suddenly occurred to him that he’d never told James he was pansexual. He hoped that wasn’t something that bothered him. James seemed cool, but you never know. Teddy shook himself from his thoughts and Dawson loosened his grip, though he still kept one arm draped around Teddy’s side.

“Sorry, Dawson you remember Vic?” He motioned towards her with the bottle still held in his hand.

“Of course. How you doing, love?” Dawson said as he flashed a winning smile.

“And this is James and, uh, Drew.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Dawson greeted them politely but quickly dismissed them, leaning in close to Teddy’s ear. “I know we didn’t have anything planned for tonight but if you wanna go back to your place, I promise I’ll make it worthwhile.”

Teddy smiled. “A tempting offer, but I’m looking after James tonight and I can’t ditch him.”

Dawson glanced over at James and frowned for a moment. “He seems perfectly capable of looking after himself.”

“Sorry Dawson, not tonight.”

Dawson let his arm drop. “Alright then, I won’t beg. But, I’m in town for the rest of the week and you know where to find me.”

Dawson left as quickly as he’d come, wasting no time before flirting with a younger man a little ways down the beach. Teddy watched the two apparate away before returning his attention to the group.

James and Drew had resumed their discussion and Vic had found her own conversation. Teddy eavesdropped for a moment listening to her debate with Fiona, the lead bass, about which bar made the best whiskey sour. James seemed more than fine on his own with Drew, and Teddy felt the sudden need to get away so he decided to take a walk up to the cliffs by himself.

The view over the ocean was gorgeous as Teddy stood on the edge. He welcomed the cold, crisp breeze across his face and let his mind drift. He was only alone for a second before he heard someone coming up the path behind him, James. Teddy couldn’t help but smile.

“I was wondering where you’d gone off too.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to ditch you,” Teddy replied. “You and Drew looked like you were getting along, and I didn’t think you needed me to stick around.”

James smiled. “Yeah, he’s really cool.”

He came up beside Teddy and looked out over the cliff. “Wow,” he gasped taking in the view.

The wind blew at James’ curls and with the backdrop of the ocean and the light of the moon, it made for a beautiful picture.

Teddy took a step closer to the edge and James followed. Suddenly he reached down and gripped Teddy’s hand. “Shit. Teddy.”

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of heights?” he teased.

“Of course not. But I am afraid of gravity.”

Teddy laughed and James smiled. “Don’t worry I won’t let you fall. Worst comes to worst I’ll cast Wingardium Leviosa and tie you down like a balloon.”

James was laughing now. He let go of Teddy’s hand opting to wrap his arm around Teddy’s shoulder instead. There was a light in his eyes, a look of pure joy. Teddy drank in the moment.

“Thank you.”

Teddy didn’t need to ask what it was for. “You already thanked me yesterday, remember.”

“I know. And I’ll probably keep thanking you for a long time to come.”

Teddy looked up to the sky, automatically searching for the Lupus constellation. His well-trained eyes found it immediately. “See those three stars in a triangle over there.” Teddy pointed to where they hung in the sky.

James looked at the spot where Teddy was pointing. “I don’t see ‘em.”

“Come here.” Teddy laid down on the grass and patted the spot next to him. A warmth settled inside him as James sprawled down and scooted in close. He manoeuvred himself so that their heads were touching and their sights were aligned. “Okay,” Teddy continued, “see that bright star over there.”

He felt James nod.

“That’s Menkent, it’s part of Centaurus. See the arms there,” Teddy pointed as he talked, “and there’s a little kink that forms the back flank.”

“I think I see it.”

“Okay then look to the left, underneath the arms. Three little stars.”

“I see them.”

“That’s the head of Lupus. The wolf is on its back.”

“Oh, I see it! That’s Lupus?”

“Yep.” Teddy took a breath. “When I was little I would get sad because I didn’t have a mum or dad like everyone else. Gran showed me how to find Lupus and told me the stars have a special power. She said some muggles believe the stars contain the heavens and that’s where people’s spirits go after their death. She said anytime I wanted to talk to my parents all I had to do was look up and they would hear me. But, Lupus is the wolf constellation, it’s where I get my name, my father’s name, and I can strengthen my connection to my parents through Lupus.”

James tilted his head so that it rested on Teddy’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Teddy. I didn’t know you lost your parents.”

“It’s okay,” Teddy choked out. “I never really knew them so it’s more like I miss the idea of them rather than them, themselves.”

It was true. His parents had died when he was a baby, but that didn’t make it any easier. Or maybe it did, Teddy wasn’t sure. Gran had done her best to tell Teddy about his parents and would point out the things he did that reminded her of his mother, but she hadn’t really known his father very well which is one of the reasons Lupus had become so important to him.

They lay comfortably in the silence for a while before James spoke again.

“You know, last night I was thinking about how lucky it was that the two of us met. I mean, out of all the bars in London and well… I’m not sure if I believe in fate or anything, but the moment I saw you I felt an instant connection. I felt seen for the first time in my life.”

Chapter Text

“Sorry, that sounded gay. It’s not— I’m not— Well, I am but that’s not how I meant it.” James’ eyes grew wide and he sat up. Did he really just say that? Shit, shit, shit. This was not how he wanted to come out. 

“It’s alright, James. I get it.” Teddy sat up too. 

James laughed nervously. “Yeah, I don’t think you do. That was the first time I came out, to anyone.”

Teddy took a moment to process. “So your dad...”

“Doesn’t know, or if he does he pretends not to. I haven’t even told Albus or Lily…”

Teddy looked at James confused. 

“Right, Albus and Lily are my brother and sister.”

“You have a brother and sister?”

“I— yeah, sorry.” James rubbed his elbow awkwardly. “I didn’t mean to keep them from you, they just… never came up.”

“You’re full of secrets aren’t you, James Potter.” Teddy’s tone was teasing but James thought he detected a hint of bitterness.

“It’s not like that.”

“Have you told them about me, about the wizarding world?”

“No. Not yet. I didn’t want to tell them about it before I fully understood it myself.”

Teddy raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, fine. Maybe I want to have it all to myself for a while, to have you to myself for a while.” James blushed once he realized what he had said. “Shit. Fuck. Not like that. I just meant once they know, it’s going to be a whole thing and they’ll want to ask you a million questions and see Diagon Alley and then my dad will find out.”

“Wow,” Teddy interrupted, “so you’re a liar and a hypocrite?”

James could tell he was definitely teasing now. “Shit, yeah, okay. So, I’ll admit to hypocrite but I think ‘liar’ is taking it a bit far, no? I’m more of a… a secret keeper. I keep secrets. And no the irony is not lost on me, we’ve established that I am in fact a hypocrite. Can you really blame me, when my entire life has been built around secrets? Don’t answer that.”

James took a breath and ran his fingers through his hair. “Sorry. You’re right.” He shook his head. “You’re right. They deserve to know, I just… I don’t think I can tell them. At least not yet.”

Teddy sighed.

“Are you disappointed in me?” 

The look Teddy gave him took his breath away. He had never felt so desperate for… validation, acceptance? “No James, I’m not disappointed. Honestly, it’s none of my business anyway. They’re not my family.”

“They could have been. They should have been.”

“You may be right, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re not. It’s none of my business and you can choose whatever information you want to share with them or not.”

“Thanks, I— Thanks.”

Teddy nodded.

After a moment of silence James spoke, “That’s not really how I pictured coming out would go.”

Teddy laughed, “Really? You don’t say?”

“Is it— Are wizards—” James gestured vaguely hoping Teddy would understand.

“You want to know if it is acceptable to be gay in the wizarding world?”

He nodded his head, afraid to speak.

“It’s like the muggle world I suppose, depends on who you ask. Not many people in our generation would give you a hard time about it but there’s still plenty of collective judgment. I’ve been out since school and the Prophet has run some sort of speculative piece on my sexuality or sex life practically every month since.”

James felt a flash of anger. “It’s not fair.”

“No. It’s not.”

“At least you get to live your life openly, you know. If the press ever got a hold of the fact that I like dick it would be the end of my career.”

“You don’t think your team would support you?”

“Maybe, but why risk it? The fans would be divided for sure, if I didn’t face outright hostility in the locker room I would on the pitch.” James had given it a lot of consideration. “Most of the team would probably be ok, but it only takes one.”

“So you’ve never thought about coming out? Not even to your family?”

“No,” James shook his head lamely. “When I was in sixth form, my dad would tease me about when I was going to get a girlfriend and stuff like that but I mostly got a pass because of football. Not a lot of time for dating when you’re trying to make Premier at seventeen, not that Dad approved of that either.” James let out a large sigh and hunched his shoulders. “It’s not that I think he wouldn’t support me or anything I just…”

When James took too long to finish his thought, Teddy spoke up, “You don’t have to explain it to me. Coming out is something you should do on your own terms. Or you don’t even have to come out at all.” He paused. “But James, all those secrets you keep locked up inside— that’s not an easy burden.”

“It didn’t use to be like this. When I was a kid I told my dad everything. I guess one day I realized he couldn’t say the same about me and I stopped. Had I known this was the secret he was keeping,” James gestured down to the beach to the witches and wizards below, “I don’t know what I would’ve done.

“Anyway, I didn’t figure out my sexuality until much later— the whole premier thing might have been an excuse but it was true enough. I tried the whole secret dating thing but that was doomed from the start and I'm too paranoid for casual sex. What if someone sold me out to the tabloids? So, I’ve pretty much resigned myself to being alone and single for the rest of my life, or at least until I retire.”

Teddy frowned and James could read the disappointment on his face. Teddy might be too polite to say it but it was clear he thought James should just come out of the closet and be done with it. Easy enough for him to say -er think, but he didn’t have to worry about losing his dream. He got to live his life on his terms and he didn’t even have to do it in obscurity. He got to live it open and proud but James, James had to keep it locked away. He could never let anyone know that he was gay or had magic, except here of course. Here he got to be just another wizard, another Weasley and…

“Teddy?”

“Yeah?”

“I know that I should tell Albus and Lily about you and about all this, but I’d like to keep it to myself for a little bit longer.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, in the— muggle world I can’t let anyone know I’m gay but here no one even knows who I am. James Potter can’t be gay but James Weasley can. It’s perfect… but I don’t think I could do it if my siblings were here. They don’t need another secret to carry. I’ll come out to them eventually, and I’ll tell them all about the wizarding world when I confront my dad, but right now, right now I need this.”

“I’m not so sure that’s a great idea, James. What are they going to think when they find out you’ve been keeping all that from them?”

“Sure they might get angry at first, but they’ll understand.”

“Like you did with your dad?”

James winced. Graciously Teddy didn’t press it any further. Instead, he sighed in the particular way that signified James was about to get his way.

“You should get Drew’s number.”

“What?”

“Drew, the guy that’s been flirting with you all night.”

“Oh! That was— that wasn’t anything. I didn’t think anyone noticed.”

Teddy smiled. “Don’t worry, you were subtle enough, but he’s definitely into you. You’re not interested?”

“I am. I mean, he’s nice and he’s certainly fit… I— this is all happening so fast. I wasn’t planning on coming out tonight and now I’ve got a boyfriend.”

Teddy laughed, “How ‘bout you get his number first before you start putting any labels on it.”

James felt his face grow red. “Right. Right! I’ll get his number. I can totally get another boy’s number. No big deal. I’ve got plenty of numbers in my phone, many of them male. I’ve got my dad, and my brother, and the guys from the team and…”

James ended his rambling monologue and stood up. “I’ll just go back down there and get it then, shall I?” He reached out and pulled Teddy up from the ground.

“If that’s what you want.”

“It is,” James replied with a nod.

“Alright then.”

“Alright.”

Teddy wished James luck and he made his way back down to the beach. His nerves turned him into a jittery mess but he’d made up his mind and was determined to ask Drew out. And at the end of the night, James returned home with a new contact saved in his phone.

Chapter Text

Before the last leg of his tour, Teddy asked James to meet up one more time. Leaving him alone in the wizarding world made Teddy nervous, especially now that James was dating. So they went out for coffee at the same shop outside of King’s Cross. And though James assured him many times over that he would stay out of trouble, Teddy didn’t quite believe him. Even in the short time since they had met, Teddy knew with complete confidence that James Potter would always find trouble.

That’s why he ended up picking up a cell phone before leaving, or at least that’s the excuse he gave himself. He needed to be available for James so that he could make sure everything wouldn’t blow up in both of their faces. Teddy had to admit though, there was a part of him that would miss James while he was gone. Besides, cell phones were much more practical than a fire call.

The tour schedule was relentless. There were two and a half weeks of shows jumping from city to city. It was exhausting travelling from New York and Brooklyn to Montreal and Quebec City, then all the way to San Francisco and Los Angeles before moving onto Mexico City and rounding off the trip in São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Santiago. It was a lot, but Teddy didn’t mind the gruelling schedule so much. It was the monotony of it all that was killing him. Every night was more of the same. The same songs, same dances, same faceless crowd. He didn’t even get to see the cities he performed in just hotels and venues. Vic told him this was the cost of success. Every city was sold out and they’d needed to pack the tour as much as possible so that he could reach the maximum number of fans. The only respite for all the tedium was James. 

Texts from James had become a daily occurrence and each one made Teddy smile. Sometimes they were about mundane things like a new hoodie James had bought or something interesting he found on a walk. Other times they would be esoteric questions like, what age would be the best time to become a vampire? Teddy was extremely grateful for each one especially since James had to be just as busy as he was, if not more, with the football season ramping up and all the time he was spending with Drew. Apparently, the two had made it official and if Teddy was being honest he thought they were going a little fast, which had nothing to do with his jealously. Was he bitter that Drew got to be there for so many of James’ wizarding firsts? Yes. But that was neither here nor there.

It surprised Teddy, how quickly James had inserted himself into his life. It was as if they’d known each other for years. Teddy had many fierce, loyal friends, he was a Hufflepuff after all, but James was already as important to him as Vic was, and Teddy didn’t know what to think about that. He’d grown addicted to James’ sweet smile and puppy-dog-like excitement. The fact that James was sharing those moments with Drew ate at him, but he took solace in the knowledge that Drew didn’t fully understand their significance and that James always called him afterwards to rant about his new experiences. As much as keeping such a big secret triggered his anxiety, a part of him enjoyed the fact that he was the only one who got to see James in his entirety. 

The tour ended with little fanfare. Vic was only at the flat long enough to drop off her stuff before she was out the door again. She’d gone to her parent’s house leaving Teddy alone. He knew it wasn’t personal, they’d just spent two and a half weeks together, but he felt a kind of loss all the same. Five years ago Vic would have dragged Teddy along with her. She would have insisted that they were his family as much as they were hers. Then again, five years ago Teddy wouldn’t have been able to keep James’ secret from her as long as he had. The two of them had begun to drift apart, which sounded more dramatic than it actually was. After all, they worked together, they lived together, and they were always hanging out. But they were no longer attached at the hip as they had been for so many years. At some point, Teddy and Vic had become Teddy and Vic. They both had their own things going on now, and while they would always have that special bond Vic couldn’t read his mind like she’d used to. Which made it easier to keep James’ secret but also dredged up a whole lot of other emotions Teddy wasn’t ready to deal with. 

A stab of loneliness shot through Teddy’s heart when he remembered she’d be gone soon. Come the end of the week she would be off to France with her family for a whole month. It would be the longest the two of them had been apart in ages and Teddy wasn’t sure how he would handle it. 

But he still had a week until then, and the loneliness Teddy felt at Vic’s absence in this moment was short-lived. He hadn’t even been home for an hour before a silvery lion came bounding up to him. He knew exactly whose patronus it was before he even heard the voice.

“Teddy! I’m coming over now so you can tell me all about the tour. Oh! I should probably grab some jasmine tea for you, I’m sure you’re tired. Do portkeys give you jet lag? Stupid question. Okay, I’ll be there in twenty.” 

When did James learn his drink order? They had only been out for coffee twice, and Teddy had his drink before James got there the first time. Thinking about it, he realized James was always picking up on small details like that. To most people, James came off as scatterbrained but the truth was he was always paying attention.

Teddy took the time before James arrived to unpack, and it wasn’t too long after he had finished that he heard someone barging through the front door. 

“Hello?” James’ voice asked.

Teddy smiled to himself. He liked that James already knew he and Vic kept the door unlocked (wards were enough to keep out unwanted guests) and that he felt comfortable letting himself in.

“In here!” Teddy called from his room.

James appeared almost immediately and wrapped Teddy in an unexpected hug.

“I missed you,” he mumbled into Teddy’s shoulder. His grip was tight and needy.

Teddy laughed squeezing back just as tight. “I missed you too.”

James pulled away and handed him a coffee cup. “Here, drink your tea and tell me all about your trip.”

There wasn’t much to tell, just lots of hotel rooms and stages, but he knew James would want to hear it all anyway. They settled onto the bed, sitting cross-legged opposite each other. “Alright, what do you want to know?”

“What was your favourite city? Did the concerts go well? Was the food good?”

Teddy interrupted him then before he could keep going. “How ‘bout I start at the beginning and you can ask questions along the way?”

James nodded eagerly and Teddy took a sip of his tea. “Okay, so, New York…”

Teddy was sure to include all the details, even some of the parts James already knew, because he liked to see how excited James got when he recognized something Teddy had told him about before. They were so caught up talking Teddy didn’t even notice the light fading outside until he finished his story. 

“Is it ten o’clock already? Vic should be getting back from her parents’ soon.” Teddy shifted his weight on the bed. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.”

“About telling Vic?”

“Yeah. I know you want to keep your lives separate right now, but I promise you she can keep a secret. And I—”

“Teddy, it's fine.” James rested a hand on his knee.

“You’re sure.”

James nodded. “Vic’s your family right?”

This time it was Teddy’s turn to nod.

“I shouldn’t have made you lie to her, to begin with.”

“You didn’t. It was my idea for you to use the Weasley name and I could have told her the truth that first night but I didn’t.”

“I bullied you into bringing me into the wizarding world and you were just trying to protect me.”

Teddy opened his mouth to protest but closed it again. James was hard to argue with.

James smiled and Teddy recognized the smug look that told him James knew he had won. That look was becoming way too familiar.

“I would like it stated for the record that you didn’t bully me into anything.” Teddy held up a finger for emphasis. “I am your elder and I make my own decisions.”

James laughed. “Sure you do.”

Teddy stuck out his tongue and they both laughed.

He knew what the next natural topic of conversation should be, so he asked. “Tell me about Drew. You two have been spending a lot of time together, huh?”

“Yeah, he’s great!” James started to go off on a rant about Drew’s finer qualities, but Teddy kind of tuned him out. It wasn’t that he thought Drew was a bad guy, he just seemed really boring. Teddy was able to catch the tail-end of it all though. “He’s actually taking me to the magizoology exhibit tomorrow. I’m super excited.”

Teddy couldn’t keep the flash of disappointment off his face. “Oh? I thought that since I was back we were going to hang out tomorrow.”

James frowned. “Sorry Teddy, Drew and I made these plans last week. That’s why I came over today. But, we can hang out after my match against Liverpool if you want?”

“Yeah sure,” Teddy sighed. He didn’t know why he felt so disappointed. James was just being a good boyfriend.

“Are you serious about Drew?” The words tumbled before he knew what he was asking.

“Yeeees,” James said cautiously, there was an implied question there about what Teddy was getting at.

He knew this was dangerous territory but for some reason, he couldn’t seem to keep his mouth shut.

“It’s just, he’s the first guy you’ve dated in years, right? I mean, do you really expect it to last.”

You wanna try shoving that foot deeper into your mouth, Teddy?

“What’s that supposed to mean?” James pulled back. “You don’t think I’m capable of sustaining a healthy relationship?”

The words were on the tip of his tongue and Teddy didn’t even try to hold them back. “How healthy can it be? He doesn’t even know your real last name.”

What the fuck was wrong with him?

“Fuck you.” The words were calm and delivered matter of factly.

Teddy expected James to go off on him then, but he didn’t. Instead, he got up from the bed and walked straight out the door. Teddy wasn’t sure what the hell had just happened, but he knew it was his fault.

The sound of the door opening again snapped him out of his stunned stupor. Had James come back? He rushed to the front door but it was only Vic.

“Was that James?” she asked gesturing down the hall.

Teddy’s shoulders sagged. “Yeah.”

“Did the two of you just have a fight?” Confusion was evident in her voice.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and gave her a look that said obviously.

“You want to talk about it?”

“James was telling me about Drew and I… I don’t know what happened. I was an arsehole. I think I got jealous because I wanted to spend more time with him.” 

“Okay, sooooo, are you going to fix it or just stand here and complain about it, because I don’t want to deal with a mopey Teddy all week.”

Teddy ran a hand across his face, “Fuuuuuuuck, yeah okay. I’m going.”

Teddy grabbed his wand and a jacket and gave Vic a kiss on the temple. “Don’t wait up.”

James probably used the apparition point at Liverpool Street Station, Teddy wouldn’t be able to catch up to him now. He apparated straight to the Old Street Station instead and started walking. A simple Notice-Me-Not spell helped him slip past the doorman and up to James’ flat. He knocked on the door and was surprised when James rounded the hall corner instead. Teddy had beaten him home.

“What are you doing here?” James’ stance was guarded but not completely closed off. It gave Teddy just a little bit of hope.

“I need to apologize. I was a real arse and I’m sorry.” He hung his head completely embarrassed by his earlier outburst. “What I said was totally out of line. I was upset that we couldn’t spend the day together and I got jealous. I’m sorry, Jamie.”

James' look of contempt melted into a smile and Teddy felt like he was flying. “I forgive you,” he said pulling Teddy into a hug. After a beat he stepped back, “Did you just call me Jamie?” 

“Did I?” Teddy hadn’t realized it in the moment. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s alright.” James shook his head. “It’s just normally only my family calls me that and well, it’s been a while since I heard it.”

Teddy nodded his understanding. “At the risk of stepping into another pile of shit, you’re still not talking to your dad?”

“No.” James fiddled with his keys and unlocked the flat door. Teddy followed him in. 

“I used to go home all the time and it’s been almost a month. I talked to my mum yesterday and she tried to convince me to come this week, but I know that if I see him right now I’m going to explode.” As James spoke they made their way into the living room and sat down. “She’s trying to convince Dad to talk to me but they both still think this is because of that stupid tabloid photo and it’s… well it’s a big fucking mess, is what it is.”

“The longer you wait the messier it’s going to get,” Teddy said sympathetically.

“I know. I know. Can we… can we not talk about this now?”

“Alright.” Teddy dropped the subject immediately. He’d already pushed his luck tonight.

“Thanks.” James relaxed before perking back up. “Hey! You grew up with muggle stuff right?”

“Yeah, some.” 

“Does that mean you’ve seen Jurassic Park?”

“No, what’s that?” Teddy was pretty sure he’d watched it as a kid, there were dinosaurs and… an amusement park? Still, he liked watching Jamie’s ridiculous reactions and was more than happy to play dumb. 

“Oh my god Teddy! It’s only the greatest movie ever made! We have to watch it.”

Teddy smiled and tucked his legs up beneath him on the sofa, “If you say so.” 

“I most definitely do,” he declared snatching the remote off the coffee table. The spark was back in Jamie’s eyes and that was all Teddy cared about. James cast a wandless spell dimming the lights before settling in beside Teddy.

As the movie began to play, Teddy basked in the feeling of happiness and contentment. As long as he got to have more of this, Teddy realized, he didn’t care so much about what the future might bring.

Chapter Text

James headed over to Teddy’s place the day after the Liverpool match. Arsenal had won, of course. But that wasn’t important. James had made up his mind to come clean to Vic today and he was a bundle of nerves.

He’d been telling the truth when he told Teddy he trusted him, but he wasn’t sure how Vic would react and that’s what made him uneasy. He hoped Vic knowing wouldn’t change anything. He at least knew she wasn’t going to be starstruck about his football career or bother him about being in the closet. He didn’t even think she would be bothered over the fact that his dad was Harry Potter. It was just that Vic would be the first one to know everything, well except for Teddy, and that prospect made him equal parts anxious and excited. 

Who knows? If things went well, maybe he and Vic could become closer. He had only spent time with her in the context of Teddy, but he thought they had the potential to be friends in their own right. Telling her his secret could be a good start.

He let himself into Teddy and Vic’s flat making sure to knock first and let them know he was there. Vic was the first person he saw as he came through the door.

“Hey, James! Glad to see you decided to forgive Teddy. As much as I love that boy, he can be kind of an idiot sometimes.”

“A lovable idiot,” Teddy said walking into the living room. He was carrying a bag and wearing his trainers. “Hey Jamie, I’ve got some errands to run and I was hoping you’d come with?”

James thought about taking the out, but he’d made up his mind and needed to get through this now. “Actually, I thought now might be a good time to talk to Vic.”

“Oh?” Teddy stalled. “I mean yeah, if you’re sure.” He slid his bag off his shoulder.

Vic sat up. “What’s going on guys? This feels like an intervention.” She eyed both of them wearily. “If this is about my scrunchie addiction, I have things perfectly under control thank you very much.”

“Actually, it’s about me,” James said.

“Okaaaaaay?” She brought and hand up to her chin and rested it there. “Colour me intrigued.”

James sat down on the couch next to her. He figured the best way to do this was to just go ahead and say it. “So here’s the thing, I’m not really your cousin, or well I am. But I’m not a Weasley.”

Vic looked extremely confused. “Are you about to tell me Tatie had a secret teenage pregnancy?”

“Tatie?”

“Her Aunt Gabrielle,” Teddy offered helpfully.

“No. Perhaps I should just reintroduce myself.” He held out a hand. “Hi, I’m James Potter.”

Vic stared for a moment. “Shut up.” She looked at Teddy and back at James then back to Teddy. “Shut up! He’s not kidding.” She turned back to James. “You’re not kidding.”

“Nope. My mum is Ginny Weasley and my dad...”

“Harry Potter.”

“Right.”

“I have so many questions.”

James laughed. “I can assure you, not as many as I did.” He glanced at Teddy before turning back to Vic. “Go ahead, I'll answer your questions as best I can.”

James told Vic about growing up in the muggle world, not knowing other wizards were out there, and not having any idea about the role his father played in world history.

“I also have a younger brother, Albus, and a younger sister, Lily. Albus is seventeen and Lily’s fifteen. I haven’t told them about the wizarding world yet though.”

“Why not?” Vic asked inquisitively.

“I well… They don’t know I’m gay, or at least I haven’t come out to them yet and I need some time to figure things out.” James knew he was pushing it. It had been a month. He should tell Albus and Lily everything. He should talk to his dad. But he just, couldn’t. James knew if he had gone to Hogwarts there was no way he would have been in Gryffindor because he was the world’s biggest coward. At least Vic had the whole story now and she seemed excited to unlock a new branch of her family tree. 

James hoped that Teddy’s errands hadn’t been super important because the three of them spent the rest of the day together just talking.

The week sped by quickly. James had his FA semi-final on the same day Vic was leaving for France so they meet up the day before to enjoy charcuterie and wine. Vic made him promise to look after Teddy while she was away, but honestly James didn’t know what she expected. Out of the two of them, Teddy was clearly the more responsible one even if he did have his moments.

Still James did his best, splitting his week between Teddy and Drew. There had even been an attempt to hang out with both of them at the same time but it had been the most awkward hour and a half of James’ life, so that Wednesday it was just him and Teddy.

They were at James’ place not doing much of anything. Teddy was laying on the living room floor staring up at the ceiling and playing with his wand, while James watched on from the couch. Teddy threw it up in the air over and over, occasionally casting a lazy spell to change the colour of James’ couch from pink to red to green to any else he could think of.

After a few minutes of this Teddy scrunched up his face and sat up. “Have you used your wand yet?”

“Oh! I totally forgot to tell you, didn't I.”

“Tell me what?” Teddy folded his legs and gave James his full attention.

“It happened when you were in Montreal, I think? Anyway, I was at Drew’s place for dinner, right? And he doesn’t have any lights or anything because it is a wizard flat. So I grab my wand and cast a simple lumos, you know. Only, I’m not used to the wand or anything and next thing I know his curtains are on fire.” James talked animately with his hands. “What kind of twenty-year-old owns curtains? Anyway, I cast argumenti to put it out and I ended up flooding his flat. It was so embarrassing. I told him it was a new wand and I wasn’t quite used to it. And it’s been sitting in my closet ever since.”

Teddy shook his head lovingly. “You’re ridiculous. You know that?”

“Hold on.” He held out a finger, preparing Teddy for his genius idea. “I’ll go get it and you can teach me.”

James rushed to his bedroom and searched through his closet until he was able to find the cedar wand. He should have thought of this ages ago. When he got back to the living room Teddy was already waiting for him on the couch.

Teddy shifted his weight as James sat down and held up his own wand. “Okay, so, a wizard’s wand is more than just a tool, it is an extension of one’s self. At least that’s the bullshit they tell us in school. Basically, a wand has its own personality and forms a bond with its wizard. The more you use it the more familiar it becomes to your magic and will adapt.”

“I practiced with the wand a few times after you bought it for me, but doing magic with it always felt weird. The wand concentrates my power so when I try pushing my magic out like I normally do it ends up being way stronger than I intend and disasterous results occur.” 

“So you need to work on power and control? That’s easy. I know a couple of exercises that should help. A wand is much more precise than using your hands. You’re used to pushing large quantities of magic out to do even simple spells but a wand is a much narrower channel, you don’t need to let out so much. Imagine a faucet, you want to turn the knob only a little so that you don’t let out more than a trickle. Cast lumos.”

James did as Teddy asked. The spell shot out of his wand, the light bright and burning.

“Shit.”

“No, it’s fine. Now, see if you can dial it back from there. Feel the magic flowing between you and the wand and try to call it back little by little.”

James closed his eyes and tried pulling back his magic a little bit at a time. It was easier than trying to release a limited amount and behind his eyelids, the glowing light grew softer and softer.

“Good.”

James opened his eyes and continued to soften the spell. Teddy was sitting across from him and the warm light illuminated his smile.

Before the light went out Teddy spoke again. “Okay, now do it in reverse.”

James nodded and released a bit more of his magic. For a second it worked, the light began to slowly grow brighter once more, but after a moment he felt his magic slip and the lumos became blinding.

“Damn it.”

“It’s okay. Just do it again. It will take some practice before you get it. I used to run this drill with Roxanne all the time. It took her a month before she had complete control. You’re older and have much more experience so I’m sure you’ll have it down within a week.”

James did the exercise a few more times. There was one time where he had gotten really close, but then he’d got excited and the wand illuminated even brighter than before. It was progress though.

Chapter Text

While James continued to practise, Teddy poked around the flat. He’d come over a few times now, but hadn’t taken the opportunity to look around. He picked up a few knick-knacks from the shelf and looked them over before putting them back as he found them. He even managed to find one of the few books in the apartment and flipped through it for a bit. 

A couple of boxes caught his eye. They were shoved into the corner of the room gathering dust and he couldn’t help but ask, “What are these?”

Jamie looked up to see what Teddy was talking about. “Oh? Mum packed those up for me when I moved out. I’ve been meaning to put them away. They’re just some childhood keepsakes— old drawings, school reports, photo albums— that sort of thing.”

“You’re telling me there are pictures of little Jamie in here?” Teddy asked eagerly.

James rolled his eyes. “I mean, I guess.”

“May I?” 

“Yeah,” James shrugged, “go right ahead.”

Teddy was very happy that James trusted him with this stuff and he carefully opened the first box. There were some scribbled out drawings and birthday cards. A whole collection of plastic trophies and awards, mostly from football but some other stuff too. There were art projects and pictures and random trinkets. Teddy smiled as he read a poem James had written in Year 5. 

He paused for a moment when he came across a picture of Harry and Ginny. They looked just like he remembered, only older, which made sense. He also saw photos of Albus and Lily and wondered when he would get to meet them. If he would get to meet them. 

He reached for another photo album. It looked just like the others so when he opened it he was surprised to see photos of the Weaslys staring back at him. The photos weren’t moving, but it seemed as if they had been spelled that way. These were photos from… well from before the war. Teddy flipped through some of the pages. He noticed that none of the pictures showed anything overtly magical but there were hints of it if you knew where to look, a box of Berties on a table or someone wearing a peculiar cloak.

The album must have gotten put in Teddy’s box by mistake and was probably some of the only memories Harry and Ginny had kept of their previous life. As he turned to the next page of the book he stilled. There was a photograph of a large group of people, he recognized all of them but two in the centre stood out. The first was wearing a long leather coat and Doc Martens. The second was dressed in a jacket and tie and covered in scars. Teddy couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

“Teddy, what’s wrong.” Jamie was at his side in an instant. 

“It’s my parents,” he managed to say.

“What?” 

“There in the middle,” Teddy tilted the photo album so Jamie could get a better look, “that’s my mum with the pink hair… and my dad.”

“Oh. Oh, Teddy!”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t—” Teddy rubbed his eyes. “There aren’t many photos of my father and even fewer of them together. This must have been… This must have been before they were even a couple.”

James reached out to Teddy offering him support and Teddy let himself come undone. If it had been anyone else he might’ve been able to force the emotions down, but it was Jamie and there was no reason to hide his grief from him. What he had told Jamie that night at the cliffs was true, he missed his parents but he missed the idea of them even more. Especially his dad. Everyone that had ever known his dad was in that photo, and the ones that had known him best… they were dead. Teddy would never know what kinds of things made him happy, or sad, or upset. He would never know his father and there wasn’t anything he could do to change that. He would never have that chance… but James did.

He looked into Jamie’s soft brown eyes. “James,” his voice was raw and cracked, “James, you have to talk to your father.”

“What?” James pulled back. “No, I’m not ready.”

“You’re never going to be ready.” Teddy took a deep breath and steadied his shaking hands. “I know you want to reconcile with your dad. I can see how much you miss him. It’s tearing you apart inside.” James was shaking his head. “I don’t have a dad. He was dead before I even spoke my first words. But you do. You have a dad that loves you so much he was willing to sacrifice his entire world for you.”

Teddy could see the fear in Jamie’s eyes but he had to keep going. “I know he’s made mistakes. He hurt you. But you’re never going to get past it if you don’t talk to him. Your dad hid so much of himself from you, don't you want that chance to truly know him.” He paused. “For him to truly know you.”

“I can’t.” The words were barely more than a whisper, and in that moment Teddy realised—

“Then, I can’t keep doing this.” He turned to leave. 

“Wait! Please.” Teddy stopped but he didn’t look back. “I can’t face my father. I’m not strong enough. I’ve replayed that conversation in my head a million times and every time it ends the same. He gives me that look— that look that says ‘I’ve failed you’. That look will destroy me.”

“But what if it doesn’t.” Teddy turned back around to face James, and waited for him to process the words. He needed him to hear what he was going to say next. “I can’t be around you right now, and until you deal with your father I don’t know that I can be. I’m sorry.”

James let Teddy go after that.

Chapter Text

James strode down the cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley, Teddy’s words echoing in his head. His dad was the one who had screwed everything up, so why did James have to be the one to fix it? It wasn’t right. He hadn't heard from his father in weeks, not since he stopped going to family dinners. Mum still called all the time and he got the occasional text from Al or Lil, but from his dad— nothing. 

Teddy wasn’t being fair. James was trying, he was. That just wasn’t the dynamic his family had. They didn’t do confrontation. And James was still figuring out to be more open with his emotions. He thought he’d been doing a decent job of it, at least with Teddy. But clearly it hadn’t been enough.

As he approached the quaint cafe where he was meeting Drew, he paused to take a deep breath and compose himself. He didn't want to ruin their lunch date. Drew was already seated at a table outside and greeted James with a warm smile. James forced a smile in return and sat across from him. They placed their orders and Drew launched into a tirade about work, but James couldn't focus, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of Teddy and his father.

As lunch drew to a close, Drew finished his complaining and there was a moment of silence. Drew might not be the best person to talk to about Teddy and his dad, but James didn’t have many other options— or any options really— and Drew was right there. 

"Teddy and I got into a fight last night," James said, picking at his food.

Drew looked up in surprise. "Really?"

“Mmmm, basically I’m not talking to my dad right now and Teddy keeps pushing me to make up with him. Do you think he's right?” James asked, making eye contact.

Drew frowned. “James, we’ve been dating for over a month now and this is the first time you've mentioned your dad to me, at all. I have no idea if Teddy's right or not."

“Why are you mad at me now?” 

Drew pressed his lips together, clearly upset. “I’m not mad, I just thought that maybe we could make it through one conversation without you bringing up Teddy. I should’ve known better.”

"He's my best friend," James protested.

"You're in love with him," Drew retorted, his tone bitter.

"That's not fair," James said, his voice barely audible.

"Oh?" Drew sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“I’m not— We’re not— He’s just—”

“Your friend.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve seen the way you look at him. You want him, and for some reason you’ve convinced yourself you can’t have him.”

“That not—” James hung his head. “But I’m with you.”

Drew let out a sigh, his tone softening. “Are you? I’m not dumb James, I know you have your secrets. I just thought— hoped, that one day you’d be able to share them with me. But you’d have me waiting forever.”

“I’m sorry Drew.”

James felt a lump form in his throat as Drew stood up and gathered his things. "I hope that you're able to find what you're looking for," Drew said, before disappearing with a pop.

James sat alone, his mind reeling. He couldn't deny the feelings he had for Teddy, but he knew he would— could never act on them. He had Drew, and Teddy had never expressed any interest in him. He’d been satisfied with their relationship the way it was, even if his mind came up with other possibilities. 

For a moment, he considered going to Teddy's flat and confessing his feelings, but Teddy’s words from last night popped into his head. ‘I can’t be around you right now, and until you deal with your father I don’t know that I can be.’ If James had ever had a chance with Teddy it was gone now. And the worst part of it all was that Teddy was right. 

Of course he was right, that’s why James had gotten so upset. The current state of his life was a fucked up mess, and it was time he straightened his shit out. The FA Cup Final was in a week, but after that he’d have a month off work. James could use that time to deal with his mess. He’d talk to Albus and Lily. He’d talk to his dad. And then… then he’d talk to Teddy. He wouldn't push it off any longer, no matter how painful it was. With a newfound determination, James stood up and made his way out of the café, ready to face his future head-on.

James stayed away from the wizarding world the rest of the week. He focused all his energy on work. He realised he had been neglecting his duties to the team, spending all his free time with Teddy and Drew. The last League game was two days away and the final against Chelsea was coming up. He needed to be at his best if he wanted to remain a starter next season.

So for the next couple of days, he let football consume him. He built a new routine, one that didn’t leave time for anything outside of eating, sleeping, and work. Everything else could wait until after the final. 

The game against Chelsea fell on a Saturday. It was his second time in Wembley Stadium but the experience was no less awe-inspiring. As James looked out into the stands of thousands upon thousands of fans, he felt a pang of sadness knowing his family wasn’t among them. He wondered if they were watching the match at home.

The match was brutal. Both teams wanted the cup desperately. James scored a tie-breaking goal in the second half and in the end it was enough to secure them a 2-1 victory, and Arsenal’s 14th FA Cup.

James celebrated with his team, but at the end of the night he came home to an empty flat. He had shut off his phone before going out and powered it up now. He didn’t even bother to check social media but there were several congratulatory texts. He scrolled through the notifications— none from his dad. There was, of course, one from Mum and he responded to her before opening up a group chat with his siblings.

James: Sleepover at my place tomorrow?

The reply from Albus came a few minutes later.

Albus: Are you sure that us lowly plebeians are fit for your company?

Lily: Shove off Al

Lily: Of course we’ll be there

Lily: But you’d better be ready to make it up to us

Lily: I’m talking sundaes from Chin Chin at the minimum

James breathed a sigh of relief. Of course he knew his brother was joking, but he also knew Al always hid a hint of truth in his words. James was a shit brother, and he only hoped that his siblings didn’t end up hating him once they knew the full extent of what he’d been keeping from them.

When Albus and Lilly showed up on James’ doorstep he immediately wrapped them both in a warm hug. Merlin, he’d missed their stupid faces. They both endured James’ hug for a bit before Al finally pushed him away. They settled in the living room and James quizzed them for a few minutes about what they’d been up to. Al had been invited to join the debate team at school and Lily was working on a new sculpture. Before the conversation could turn back to him, James pulled out three Wii remotes and they spent hours playing video games, eating pizza, and building a blanket fort. James couldn’t remember the last time he’d spent time with his siblings like this. Even before everything happened they’d started to drift apart, a symptom of growing up he supposed.

The three of them lay in the blanket fort now, and James knew the time had come. “Listen, there’s something I wanted to talk to you guys about.” James sat up cross-legged and put on a serious face.

Albus and Lily shared a look.

“Well, we kind of figured,” Albus said, sitting back. “You’ve only had us over once since you moved out.”

“That can’t be true.” James thought about it for a second. “Fuck. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. You’re an adult now, I’m pretty sure it’s normal not to have your younger siblings around all the time. Besides, we’ve all been busy,” Lily tried to reassure him.

“No,” James shook his head, “I’ve been avoiding you guys on purpose.”

“No shit,” Al said sarcastically.

James ignored him. “I didn’t want to talk to you guys about… well, what I’m going to talk about. And I knew you’d be able to tell something was up so… okay, don’t be mad, please.”

“Why would we be mad?” Albus narrowed his eyes.

“I just wanted to keep it to myself for a little while because… shit. I’m doing this backwards. I’m gay.” 

There was a moment where James couldn’t read their expressions and then Albus burst out incredulously, “That’s what this is all about!”

Lily shoved him. “Albus!” she hissed.

“What?” He looked at James, “I don’t think it’s as big of a secret as you thought it was. I mean what straight guy is into Yuri on Ice ?”

“You love that show,” James pointed out.

“We’re not talking about me right now,” Albus said.

Lily interjected, “Thank you for trusting us and of course we love you, right Al?”

“Huh? Yeah ‘course. I mean if I was going to stop loving you it certainly wouldn’t be because you're gay.”

James smiled. He loved his brother and sister so much, but the hard part was yet to come. “There’s actually something else.”

Albus and Lily looked at him expectantly.

“I met someone— someone with magic.”

This time, Albus and Lily were properly shocked. Lil was the first to speak. “Where?”

“At a pub but that isn’t even the craziest part. And again please don’t hate me forever. It turns out Dad has been keeping a lot more from us than we thought. There is an entire community of wizards in the UK, thousands of them. They even have their own school.”

“Thousands?” Lily wondered out loud. “But why? Why wouldn’t dad tell us? He’s not that overprotective. Is he?”

"Apparently, he's famous," James said, going on to explain what he knew about the great wizarding war, Voldemort, and Harry Potter. 

Lily's questions came fast and James did his best to answer them, but Albus remained silent. James was about to ask if he was okay when he finally spoke up.

“When did you find out about all this?”

James braced himself for their reaction. "June."

“June!” Lily exclaimed.

Albus only asked, “Why?”

James hesitated, feeling guilty. “I— in the wizarding world I didn’t have to be James Potter, Rookie of the Year. I could just be me, and it didn’t matter if I was gay or straight or anything in between. I—” Fuck, he really wasn’t any better than their dad, was he? At least it hadn’t taken him decades to come clean. “It was selfish, and stupid, and you guys have every right to hate me. I’m sorry.”

Lily forgave him easily, but Albus had more to say. 

“You should have told us as soon as you found out.” James winced. “But— I get it.”

The relief was overwhelming. 

“Just know that I will be seeking retaliation, and you should probably sleep with one eye open.”

James’ thought of all the times Albus had “retaliated” before and winced again. “Fair enough.”

As they settled in for the night, Lily asked about the wizarding world and James eagerly recounted his experiences in Diagon Alley, and his time with Teddy and Drew, and everything else he could think of. They talked late into the night until they were too tired to keep their eyes open. As they drifted off to sleep, Albus whispered to him so that Lily couldn’t hear. “You need to talk to Dad.”

James frowned but nodded against his pillow. Al accepted the acknowledgement and all three Potters drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Loneliness settled deep in Teddy's heart as he walked home from James' flat. His mind raced with thoughts of James and Vic and Harry and his parents, all of it a jumbled mess. He needed to talk to someone, but Vic was gone and now James was too. Teddy was alone.

The tears came again as he crawled into bed, wet and heavy. He couldn't sleep, his thoughts keeping him up late into the night. He honestly hadn’t understood why James’ rift with his father had bothered him so much until he’d held that photograph in his hands. Seeing it had triggered emotions in Teddy that he’d thought he’d gotten over long ago. 

The Weaslys were wonderful and they had welcomed Teddy into their family with open arms but Teddy had never felt like he belonged, not truly. Except with Vic. Vic was Teddy’s sister in every way that counted. They’d been inseparable since they were kids. Only they weren’t kids anymore, they were full-grown adults, with their own wants and needs and interests. And while Vic would always be his sister, Teddy was beginning to realise they would never be as close as they’d once been. And that felt like a loss all on its own. 

Teddy didn't leave his flat for three days. He watched Doctor Who, ate takeout, and slept. He slept so much and yet every day he still felt exhausted. There were several times where he caught himself reaching for his phone. The urge to text James was strong, he didn’t even have anything to say— he just missed him. But he knew reaching out to James right now would end up hurting him in the long run, and after the first day Teddy let the phone die and stashed it away.

As the days past, the feeling of restlessness mixed with exhaustion in a confusing blend of emotions. His guitar mocked him from the corner of the room, he knew he was supposed to be working on his next album, and yet he couldn’t produce a single note. He needed to get out, so he walked around the block for an hour or so and when he got home, he took an extra long shower but it didn't help as much as he hoped.

Teddy was trapped in a loop, his mind cycling through the same thoughts over and over. After a week of this, he received the lifeline he’d been hoping for. Toulouse swooped gracefully into Teddy’s lap carrying a letter with a familiar seal, his grandmother. Andromeda Tonks had always been a free spirit, and once Teddy had left for Hogwarts she’d begun travelling in earnest. Gran had been to six continents and forty-three countries in the past decade. Right now she was supposed to be backpacking across China, so a letter was unexpected. Teddy tore into the envelope right away.

Dear Teddy,

I hope you aren’t getting into too much trouble without Vic. I heard that your tour was a great success! And I can’t wait to hear all about it. I am sure you were surprised to receive this letter, but I’m back in London! 

I know it’s a couple of weeks early, I had to cut my trip short after twisting my ankle in Beijing. An episkey doesn’t work quite the way it once did on these old bones, but not to worry. I’m fine. A few weeks rest and I’ll be back at it.

I’m actually quite excited to spend some quality time back home and I hope to see your beautiful face plenty while I’m here. Come over this Sunday for brunch. Knowing you, you probably haven’t left the house in days with Vic gone.

All my love,

Gran

Teddy smiled as he read the letter. He always missed Gran while she was away and loved listening to the tales of her adventures. Plus, he’d finally have a sounding board for all the nebulous thoughts he couldn’t seem to shake.

For the first time in days, Teddy had something to look forward to. He arrived at his grandmother's in good spirits, floo’ed directly to the kitchen where he was welcomed with the smell of toasted egg sandwiches. Gran greeted him with open arms, and he melted into her hug for almost a full minute before finally detangling himself.

“Oh Teddy,” she spoke softly, concern filling her voice. “What’s wrong?”

Teddy told her everything that had happened in the last few months. Starting with how aimless his music had begun to feel, how Vic suddenly seemed so far away, and James. He told her all about James.

 “Gran, I just don’t know what to do… My friends, my family have always been my anchor but somehow I’ve drifted away and I don’t know how to get back.”

“What if it is not about getting back?” She responded thoughtfully.

Teddy furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you’re trying to recapture an experience, a feeling you had years ago. But life doesn’t work like that. People change, they grow. You’re not the same person you were back then, and neither are the people in your life.” She leaned forward. “I know how important Vic is to you and it seems like James is too, but neither Vic nor James are going to fit into your life the same way they would’ve five years ago or even last year or perhaps even last week.”

Teddy thought back to his conversation with Vic, months ago now, the day before he’d met James. He’d told her he wanted to go back to a simpler time but he realised now that was wrong. He didn’t want to go back, he needed to move forward. He just had no idea where to go. He had achieved his dream and he wasn’t sure what came next. But what if it wasn’t about that? The music had never been about reaching number one, it was about creating, about connecting to people. That's what he wanted— a life full of music, friends, and love. And he wanted James and Vic to be a part of that.

“But what if I want them to play a stronger role in my life?”

Gran smiled sadly, “All you can do is ask.”

Teddy chewed on his lip, thoughtful. He needed to talk to Vic, James was… well James was more complicated. His feelings on the matter of James and Harry hadn’t changed. If James was unwilling to even try to reconcile with his father Teddy wasn’t sure he could handle it, but it was worth a conversation at least. That is if James was willing.

“Thank you, Gran.”

“Anytime Teddy. Now, why don’t I make a set of fresh sandwiches and regale you with tales from my trip to Huangshan.”

When Teddy went home that night he picked up his guitar for the first time in weeks and began to play. He wasn’t ready to start writing yet, but it was a relief all the same. He had a few days to get his thoughts in order before Vic returned, and looking around the flat he should probably use that time to clean up the apartment.

When Vic came home, she greeted Teddy with a warm embrace and exclaimed how much she had missed him. Teddy hugged her back tightly before telling her, “We need to talk.”

Vic furrowed her brow. “Yeah okay, what’s up?”

"I've been sorting through a lot of emotions lately and I think I've finally figured it out. One of the things that's been bothering me is how we've grown apart. I can't remember the last time we had a proper heart-to-heart."

“I’ve been a shit friend, haven’t I?”

"No, not at all. It's just life. We've both been busy and preoccupied and our relationship went on autopilot.”

“We’ve been coasting.”

"Exactly. I think part of the problem was that I was holding on to how things used to be, but that dynamic doesn't work for us anymore."

“Okay, so then we just need to evolve. Achieve a higher form!”

Teddy laughed. “Yeah.”

"Teddy, I want you to know that you are very important to me. And I realise I get caught up in my own life and forget to check in with you, so I'll make an effort to do better." 

“Thanks, but we both know I need to do the same. I’ve been in my own little bubble lately and that has nothing to do with you.”

“Speaking of which… How is James?” Vic asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Wouldn’t know, I haven’t talked to him in weeks.”

“What! Why? I heard he and Drew broke up.”

“They did? When? Wait, what does that have to do with anything?”

“I thought— don’t you like James?”

Of course Teddy liked James what was Vic talking about— Suddenly everything clicked, she thought he liked liked James.

“No, Jamie is…” What was James to him? The thought of what it would be like to kiss Jamie popped into his head, and it wasn’t as unwelcome as he thought it would be. In fact, it wasn’t unwelcome at all. Fuuuuuuuck . Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“Earth to Teddy,” Vic waved her hand in front of Teddy’s face. “Did I just trigger a gay panic?”

“What am I going to tell Jamie?” Teddy groaned.

Chapter Text

As James stood at the doorstep of his childhood home, he felt a strange mix of emotions. James had told Albus and Lily he’d come to the next family dinner, Lily had even made sure he’d have a chance to talk to their dad alone, there were no excuses left. The key felt heavy in his hand, and James hesitated a moment before finally letting himself in. The familiar scent of ras el hanout greeted him, comfortingly reminding him of simpler times, yet doing little to ease his nerves.

He made his way through the foyer and living room, stopping at the threshold of the kitchen. “Hey, Dad," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

His father's head shot up, a look of surprise and apprehension crossing his face. "James," he said, the name coming out as a whisper as if he were afraid of scaring James away.

This was it. The moment James had been dreading. He opened his mouth to speak, ready to unleash all of the pent-up emotions of the past weeks, but the only words that came out were, “Do you need some help?”

Dad nodded uneasily, his voice still soft. “I haven’t started on the khobz yet, if you want to make that.”

James went to the pantry and gathered the ingredients he needed: flour, salt, sugar, yeast. He quickly mixed them together with his hands, working in silence next to his father. James jumped when his father finally spoke.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice filled with remorse.

James’ heart raced as he stared at the dough in front of him. He hadn't expected his father to apologise outright like that. James could hear the remorse in his father’s voice, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of anger building up inside of him. His father continued, “The last thing I want to do is push you away. I didn't have a conventional childhood, and I wanted to make sure you, and Albus, and Lily had the chance to be kids— only you're not kids anymore.” He sighed and turned towards James. “If your dream is to be a footballer I should support you in every way I can and I haven't been doing that. I'm sorry Jamie.”

James swallowed. It had been a long time since the night he'd stormed out, his football career had been the furthest thing from his mind coming here today. But, he still felt a flutter of joy hearing his father say those words. It gave him the courage he needed to say what he said next. He set the dough aside and faced his dad.

“I appreciate you saying that, but that's not what kept me away for nearly two months.” James chewed on his lip. “I love you Dad, but what you did to this family… it’s not right. I’m gay. You know it, I know it, and it is about goddamn time someone acknowledges it."

His father stared at him for a moment, as if trying to process his words. "James, I am so sorry. I didn’t— I had no idea that you felt that way. I thought I was being a good father by not pressuring you to talk about something you were not ready for. I love you, James. I love all of you. All this time you thought that we were ignoring it? Ignoring you?”

The scoff came out unbidden. “Can you blame me? This family has more secrets than MI6. Why would I think my sexuality would be any different?”

"You're right," his father said, a pained expression crossing his face.

"But?" James prompted, sensing there was more to come.

"No buts. You’re right. I wanted to protect this family. Give you the safety and security I never had growing up, but I created an environment where no one ever talks. How could I expect you, your brother and sister, to share your life with me when I never shared mine with you?” Dad took a deep breath before continuing. “James, there's something your mother and I have kept from you, something you deserve to know. “There are others out there with magic. A lot of others.”

“I know, Dad.”

“There’s this school and— You know?”

“Hogwarts, quidditch, Voldemort— I know it all.”

“How? When?”

“Teddy. Last June. We ran into each other at a pub, and he assumed I knew the basics. I coerced him into telling me the rest."

His father's face softened at the mention of Teddy. “How is he? The last time I saw him he was barely taller than my knee.”

James couldn’t help but smile. “You’d like him, Dad. He is smart, and kind, and full of life. He’s a musician, a good one."

The dopey grin on his father’s face only made his own grow. But as he thought about the question that had been plaguing him for weeks, his smile faded. "Why didn't you tell us?" he asked.

His father sobered just as quickly. “As you know, I didn’t get to have much of a childhood, my aunt and uncle abused me. But then I discovered a world full of magic and more importantly, I found friends. But the magic didn’t last. I wasn’t even seventeen and I was leading a war. My friends kept dying and I was the only one who could stop it. And then, after it was all over, I went from being ‘Undesirable Number One’ to the ‘Hero of the Wizarding World’. There wasn’t a single day of peace. I wanted a fresh start. I wanted a normal family, and I knew the only way to do it would be to make a clean break. So I did, and I never looked back. We planned to tell you, all of you, when Lily turned seventeen. I thought I was doing the right thing, giving you a chance to have the happy, normal childhood that I was denied. I should’ve known that you’d pick up on the fact that we were keeping things from you. Children are always more perceptive than adults give them credit for.” He hung his head. “I should have told you sooner.”

“Yes, you should have," James said firmly, but the anger had faded. His relationship with his father couldn’t be repaired with one conversation, but it was a start. 

“I assume Albus and Lily know as well?" his father asked.

James nodded.

Dad sighed, “Maybe it’s time to reach out to some old friends.”

James broke into another grin. “I’ve already met a couple of cousins. It's impossible not to run into a Weasley if you hang around Diagon Alley for more than a couple minutes. Don’t worry though, none of them knew who I was. I pretended to be just another long-lost Weasley.”

“So you’ve been to Diagon Alley then?" his father asked, surprised.

“I’ve, uh, been to quite a few wizarding places actually," James replied, as he and his father continued to cook together. He shared with his father all that had happened since he’d last been home— from the closeness he and Teddy had developed, to the acquisition of his wand and the friends he had made along the way. He spoke of his meetings with Uncle George and Vic, and his excitement at the prospect of getting to know the rest of their extended family. He even talked about Drew and his fight with Teddy.

As the night drew on, and Mom, Albus and Lily returned home, they sat down for supper and Dad shared with them his own tales of his years at Hogwarts and the defeat of Voldemort. His mother added her own stories of their grandparents and uncles, and the conversation flowed easily with James and Lily asking millions of questions. 

After dinner, as they cleared the dishes, Dad broached the idea of reintegrating into the wizarding world. He wanted to take it slow, start with writing to Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron and seeing where things went from there.

As the night grew late his mother insisted that James stay over, and he found himself back in his old room with Albus. His bed was gone but he had no trouble transfiguring an extra pillow into a mattress. Yet, as comfortable as he was James couldn’t get his brain to shut off.

“Al, you still up?” he asked in a hushed tone.

“Mmmm,” came his muffled response, “trying not to be.”

"Sorry," James apologised, flipping over to try and find sleep once more.

“Well, you might as well say whatever it is now," Albus said, his voice tired but resigned. “I can hear you thinking over there.”

James turned back to face his brother. "What do you think about me coming out publicly?"

Albus shifted in his bed. “Are you ready for that? You've only just come out to our family and now you want to take on the whole Premier League?”

“I don’t want to live with any more secrets," James replied, his voice tinged with determination.

“Okay, well…” Albus thought for a minute, “how about coming out to your team first. You have PR managers right? They can probably come up with some kind of strategy, help minimise the backlash. I mean, you’re still probably going to get death threats and a bunch of homophobic comments, but you could probably bury that. And—”

"Al, I don't need a five-step plan right now, just your support is enough," James replied, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders.

"Of course, you have that," Albus said, "but now I won't be able to sleep until I’ve come up with a decent outline."

"Hey Al," James grinned, "want to see my wand?”

“That better not be a euphemism," Albus quipped, and James couldn't help but laugh.

Chapter Text

Once Teddy realised his feelings for James things began to click into place. As he got ready for bed he began to think back. There had always been something there, since that first night, a sort of unspoken understanding, and that day at Diagon Alley, there had been a spark. Teddy hadn’t understood it then but it seemed obvious now. And then there was that night at the cliffs. Teddy had fallen in love with James that night. Merlin! He was such an idiot.

He needed to talk to James. He needed to tell him how he felt. He grabbed a quill and parchment and began writing. But as the words poured out, they began to take on a different form, and before he knew it he was composing a song. Music had always been his outlet, and now it seemed his writer’s block was finally gone.

As he finished the song, he decided to owl James in the morning and ask to meet with him. He would apologise and confess his feelings and… The fireplace in his room flared to life, his grandmother’s face appearing in the flames.

“Teddy? Are you there?" she asked.

"I'm here, Gran. What is it?" he replied, moving closer to the fire.

"I think you should come over," she said, her voice hesitant.

Teddy's heart sank. He had never gotten over his fear of losing his grandmother, and now worst-case scenarios began playing in his head. Gran must have sensed his distress because she quickly added, “I’m fine. Everything’s fine. There’s just, there’s a letter for you.” 

Curious, Teddy apparated to his grandmother's house. She was clutching the letter in her hand when he arrived. As Teddy took it from her he noticed it had already been opened and the letter was addressed to Andromeda herself, not Teddy. 

His eyes darted to the signature at the end— Harry.

After twenty years of silence, Harry had finally reached out.

“There’s one for you too," his grandmother said, walking over to the dining table and picking up another letter, this one with Teddy's name clearly written on the back.

Teddy's mind raced. Could this mean that James had finally spoken to his father? He must have. He reached for the other letter and broke the seal.

Dear Teddy,

I’m sorry. I know the words won’t be enough but I hope that they’re a start. Your parents trusted me to look after you and I failed them. I failed you. Whatever my reasons were, you deserved better.

James tells me that you have grown into a fine young man and I’ve no reason to doubt him. Thank you for looking after him. I have come to realise that I’ve failed him too. I hid from my past, which may be excusable, but I also hid from my family which is not.

My children know everything now and I think a reunion is long past due. I’m not quite ready yet to re-enter the wizarding world at large but I don’t think I can stay away from my family any longer — and I do consider you family.

Ginny and I have written to each of the Weasleys and there will be a dinner at the Burrow next Sunday. It is my sincere hope that you and your grandmother will attend. 

All my love,

Harry

Teddy had been filled with anger and betrayal when Harry had left, but over the years, he had come to terms with those feelings. He had grieved for his godfather and accepted the fact that he may never see him again. He had certainly never expected an apology. But he had one now, or at least the start of one.

"I want to go," Teddy said, looking up at his grandmother.

She nodded, her eyes filled with wisdom. "I thought you might. You don’t have to forgive him, you know," she said.

Teddy let out a sigh, his shoulders sagging. "I already have," he said.

"Come here, my sweet boy," Gran said, pulling him into a warm embrace. “Alright then, I’ll write to the Potters and let them know we’ll be coming.”

When the time came, Teddy and Vic apparated to the Burrow together. They were immediately assaulted by Fred, who collided into them while running away from Roxanne and little Molly.

“Sorry Vic! Sorry Teddy!” the boy shouted as he scrambled to his feet and fled around the corner. Roxanne and Molly were tight on his heels.

Teddy and Vic left them to their antics and entered the front garden where they found Uncles Charlie and Percy in a lively debate with Aunt Audrey and Uncle Bill. Uncle George and Aunt Angelina sat on the porch whispering conspiratorially. They stopped as Teddy and Vic approached.

“We the last ones here?" Vic asked after George and Angelina greeted them.

“Yep,” Angelina responded happily. "I think your mom and Rose are helping Grandma in the kitchen. Everyone else should be in the living room."

“Thanks,” Vic said with a smile. 

Teddy's heart raced as he realised that James was behind that door. He rubbed his sweaty hands on his trousers. Vic gave him an ‘are you ready’ look. He nodded and they both stepped inside.

Teddy's eyes scanned the room. Gran sat in a wooden chair in the corner with Hugo and a red-headed girl, who was so clearly a Weasley, laid out on the floor in front of her. The girl could only be James’ sister Lily. Around the corner, a woman who looked just like Lily, only older, stood talking to Grandpa Arthur—  Ginny. Then there was James. He was sitting on the couch beside a boy with dark brown hair, and he was staring right back at Teddy. Had his eyes always been that intense? Teddy had to look away, unable to continue to meet James’ gaze. As he did, he caught sight of the last occupants of the room, Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione and Harry.

Before he could do or say anything, Grandma Molly appeared in the doorway, wiping her hand on her apron. “Victoire! Teddy! You made it!” She shepherded them into the room while motioning the others over. “Come now, meet your Aunt, Uncle and cousins.”

Ginny approached Victoire first, greeting her with a hug, “The last time I saw you, you were just a toddler and your sister was still in diapers.” Teddy tensed for a second as she turned to him, the warm, nostalgic look on her face surprising him. “And look at you.” She pulled Teddy into a hug too, it was tight and strong and lovely. “You probably don’t remember but we used to play hide and seek together all the time.”

A fuzzy memory rose to the surface of Teddy’s brain. “I do remember that! I thought I was so clever changing my hair and skin to blend into my surroundings like a chameleon. I must have looked ridiculous.”

Ginny laughed. “You were obsessed with chameleons as a kid. What was the one book?”

“The Mixed-Up Chameleon,” Harry said, coming up beside his wife.

“That’s it! You loved that book. Harry must have read it to you a million times.”

Teddy smiled at Harry for a moment, before Ginny began introducing their children.

“Of course, you already know James. The moody one is Al, and the ball of energy would be Lily," she said, gesturing to her two youngest children. Teddy and Vic greeted each of them warmly, but as Teddy pulled away from an awkward hug with Lily, Harry spoke up again. 

“Teddy, I was hoping to talk to you before dinner. Would you mind?" He gestured towards the stairway.

"Oh? No, of course not," Teddy replied, a knot forming in his gut as he followed Harry up to Uncle Ron’s old room.

As soon as the door was closed Harry began to speak. “I wanted to apologise properly. And I’m just going to get straight to it. I’m so, so sorry, Teddy," he said, his voice filled with remorse.

"It's okay," Teddy began, but Harry interrupted him.

"It's not okay. I know what it is like to grow up without parents, how every family member means ten times more. I even know what it is like to lose a godfather. I don’t regret my decision to leave the wizarding world behind, it’s what was best for my family, but I do regret leaving you. I should have found a way. I failed you, and there is no excuse. All I can do is ask for forgiveness and beg for the chance to be a part of your life again," Harry said, tears welling up in his eyes.

A sad smile danced across Teddy’s face. “You hurt me when you left. I didn’t understand why you would pick some baby you hardly knew over me," he said, his voice tinged with pain. "At my lowest point, I told myself that I was unlovable. I knew that parents are supposed to be the ones who love you unconditionally but I didn’t have any, I had you. And then I didn’t. When you left, I felt so alone. But I wasn’t alone. I had Gran and the Weasleys, you can’t get a family much bigger than the Weasleys," Teddy said, a chuckle escaping his lips.

That got a chuckle out of Harry too, and the two of them smiled at each other. "I forgive you, Harry. I forgave you a long time ago. I’m not sure what our relationship might look like moving forward, but I’d like to have you in my life. I want to get to know Al and Lily and Ginny again. I want to spend time with Jamie. And you too," Teddy said, his voice filled with warmth.

Harry hugged Teddy then, tears still streaming down his face. 

“Thank you, Teddy. Maybe we can get together soon and I can tell you about your father? I know there aren’t many people in your life that knew him, and well, I always liked hearing stories about my parents,” he said, his voice filled with hope.

"I'd like that," Teddy replied, his heart feeling lighter as they made their way down the stairs for dinner.

The dinner at the Burrow was always a wild and chaotic affair. Plates and platters of delicious food floated out to the garden, as Dominique, Louis and Lucy scurried to set the table, elongating it with a flick of their wands to accommodate the whole family. As soon as the plates were set the race was on to snag the best seats. Teddy found himself somewhere in the middle wedged between Victoire and Albus, while James was relegated to the far end of the table, trying in vain to make conversation with Lucy, who was much more interested in her book than anything her new cousin had to say.

As the feast began, plates piled high with steaming mashed potatoes, succulent roast chicken, and an array of sweet and savoury pies, the diners descended upon the table like a pack of famished wolves. Teddy managed to snag a dinner roll and took a hearty bite, relishing the taste of home-cooked food. Perhaps he should make a point to visit the Burrow more often, he thought to himself.

But his thoughts were soon interrupted by Albus, who leaned in to speak. "So, Teddy," he began, "it seems you and James have grown quite close these past couple of months."

Teddy nearly choked on his roll. “We, um, yeah… your brother is a cool guy," he stammered.

Albus' piercing gaze seemed to see right through him and Teddy squirmed under the scrutiny. After a moment, he seemed to reach some sort of conclusion and sat back with a knowing smile on his face. "Want to hear the story about how he almost burned our school to the ground?"

Teddy remained cautious but eagerly nodded. "Please, tell me more."

As the rest of the dinner passed, Teddy found himself caught up in lively conversation with Albus, his nerves slowly easing. But just as he let his guard down, Grandma Molly called out from the end of the table, "Teddy! Andy here was telling me that you're working on a new album. I would love to hear it!”

Teddy cleared his throat. "Well, I've only got the one song at the moment." Teddy's gaze flickered to James, whose stare was just as intense as before. The song wasn't overtly obvious, and there was a chance James wouldn't pick up on the fact that it was about him. With a deep breath, Teddy made a split-second decision.

“Yeah okay, I can perform the demo for everyone after dinner.”

“Fantastic!”

Once dinner was done and the plates were washing themselves everyone gathered in the living room, waiting for Teddy's performance. He nervously tuned his guitar and risked another quick glance at Jamie. Merlin, please don’t let this be a mistake. Teddy began to sing.

I found love in a moment
I watched your breath as it touched the wind
As it painted the open air
And it came to rest on my skin
I don't know if you noticed
But I left my heart in that moment

Teddy took a deep breath not daring to look James’ way as he sang the next verse.

As we stood by the ocean
You reached for my hand and you said my name
Every word I heard poetry
I saw laughter upon your face
I don't know if you noticed
But I found my heart in that moment

He heard Jamie gasp and he couldn’t keep his eyes away any longer. His gaze found Jamie’s just like he had the first night they’d met.

With your arms on my shoulders
And that look in your eyes
I knew you and I were the same
There I danced in your aura
Where you led me inside
Guiding me into somewhere safe
I've found home
I've found hoooooome
I've found home

He poured everything he had into the last verse. If he was doing this, he wanted to be sure Jamie wouldn’t misunderstand. He needed James to know that Teddy loved him. He loved him with all his heart.

There we lay by the water
Almost asleep as I heard you say
"I don't know if we're meant to be
Though this certainly feels like fate"
I don't know if you noticed
But I fell in love in that moment

As the last notes of Teddy's song faded away, the Burrow burst into applause. Teddy set down his guitar, his eyes flicking nervously to James, who was staring back at him intently.

"That's all I have for now," Teddy said, breaking eye contact.

"It's beautiful, Teddy,” Grandma Molly said lovingly.

As the chatter in the Burrow resumed,  Teddy slipped out into the garden, catching James' eye before dipping out the back door. 

“Was that— the song, did you mean it?” Jamie asked as he approached.

Teddy hesitated for a moment before admitting, "Every word." He paused, searching for the right words. "James, I'm sorry. I didn’t realise it until Vic spelt it out for me, because I am the world’s biggest idiot, but I think it’s safe to say I have it really bad for you, James Potter."

James laughed, the sound of it ringing out through the garden. Teddy was afraid they’d hear it from the house, but he waited patiently until James finally caught his breath. "Merlin help me, but I love you too," he said, a huge smile spreading across his face.”

Teddy let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. "Really?" 

“You're surprised?”

Teddy nodded.

“So you just confessed your love for me in front of our combined family, after not speaking to me for weeks without knowing how it would go?”James said with a hint of amusement in his voice. 

Teddy could feel his face flush with embarrassment. “When you put it like that you make me sound crazy.”

“Not crazy, though you might in fact be a hopeless romantic," James replied, a twinkle in his eye. As he spoke, James drew closer to Teddy, their bodies now nearly pressed together.  

"I suppose I am a hopeless romantic, at heart," Teddy admitted, his words barely more than a whisper. 

“Who would’ve thought famous Teddy Lupin could be this cheesy?” James said with a chuckle.

Teddy wrapped his arms around James’ waist closing the rest of the distance between them. “The cheesiest.”

James smiled then lifted his head bringing their lips together. 

As their lips met, Teddy felt a spark of magic ignite within him. He had never felt so alive, and as James pulled away, he knew that this moment was one he would treasure forever. Their family’s voices drifted from the home. Burrow was alive with the sound of laughter and joy, and Teddy knew that this was just the beginning of their journey together. As they walked back into the house, hand in hand, he couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over him. For in that moment, everything felt right in the world. And with James by his side, he knew that he could face whatever challenges lay ahead.

The end.

Chapter Text

~One year later~

James rolled over as he opened his eyes. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his boyfriend and he snuggled in close, burying his face into Teddy’s side.

"Morning," Teddy said, his voice rough.

“Mmng," James mumbled and flipped over, draping Teddy’s arm over him as he went.

They lay like that for a few minutes, James absentmindedly rubbing circles in the palm of Teddy’s hand. He looked at Teddy's chipped nails and wondered if he'd let him paint them bright pink next. A phone vibrated on the bedside table interrupting him from his thoughts. 

James reached over and grabbed it, settling back into Teddy’s arms before looking to see what it was. The notification showed a new text from Vic. She had really taken to muggle technology as of late, diving head first into managing Teddy’s career in both the wizarding world and the muggle one. It was a link to a Sun article and James braced himself as he clicked on the link.

“Looks like the paparazzi caught us last night.” James handed Teddy the phone as he went to the bathroom to get ready for the day. After washing his face and brushing his teeth he came back to find Teddy still in bed. 

“Get up lazy bones, we’re going to be late.”

“We still have a few hours before we have to meet the movers at the new house.”

“Yeah, but I need your help packing.”

“I thought you said that you were done?”

“I am. Mostly. I just have my closet and my bathroom left. And some stuff in the kitchen.”

“Jaaames,” Teddy whined.

“Are you going to help me or complain?”

“I assure you, I can do both,” Teddy said and James kissed him.

“At least let me brush my teeth first,” Teddy protested.

“I would, but you’re taking too long.”

“Well someone wanted to stay in bed and cuddle this morning so whose fault is that?”

“Oh, it is absolutely and unequivocally mine. And I will not apologise.”

Teddy kissed him again. “I love you.”

“Love you.” James smiled.

Teddy went off to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

“If you get the kitchen, I’ll get the closet,” James called out. “You can use your wand, but don’t you dare break any of my china, Lupin.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

James stood in the doorway of his walk-in-closet and changed out of his PJs. He started packing by pulling everything off the rod and shoving it into the closest empty box, hangers and all. He tossed some shoes in as well before magicing it shut and shrinking it down. 

There was still some random stuff left in the back of the closest, some Halloween decorations, extra sheets for the bed, and miscellaneous trinkets. James started shoving them into their own box but stopped when he came across a compass.

“Kitchen is good to go! Is that the compass George gave you?”

“Uh… Yeah.”

“Did you ever get it to work? What was it supposed to do again?”

“Point to my heart’s deepest desire.” James started tearing up.

“James! Babe, what's wrong?”

Teddy looked down at the compass. It was no longer spinning uncontrollably, but now pointing definitively in one direction. “What is it pointing to?”

“Home. It’s pointing to our home.”