Turquoise: Chapter 1
Title: Turquoise
Rating: PG14
Main character: Teddy Remus Lupin
Pairings: Teddy/Victoire, possible others
Summary: Teddy Lupin thought he knew what awaited him at Hogwarts, but nothing could prepare him for the friendship of an illegitimate child of Oliver Wood, the prejudices of other students against werewolves, and a certain silvery-red haired Veela girl... punkrocker!Victoire, half-werewolf!Teddy
Notes: centerpoint of the Turquoise-'verse
Part 2 of the Turquoise_verse
Chapter 1: Teddy is His Parent’s Son
Andromeda held the infant close, his crooning snore in her ear as the tears dried on her cheeks.
“Looks like it’s just us, little one.” She kissed Teddy’s sleeping head.
---
Andromeda tugged sharply on Teddy’s ear. “I will not stand for any more of your tricks and teasings, mister. This is your first time on the platform, at least try to look simply excited, instead of so eager to set the first poor child you meet on fire.”
Teddy scowled at his grandmother, “I’m not going to set anyone on fire,” Although that is an interesting idea, ‘Drom… “I’m looking eager ‘cause I can’t wait to meet my fellow classmates and make loads of friends.” And all that goody-goody crap that you always adore hearing… I wish Harry was here. Stupid James.
Andromeda muttered something under her breath and let go of his ear, causing him to rub at it as well as change his hair change a few shades redder. She frowned and dragged her long fingers through his cropped short hair, “Do try to fit in. Those fancy colors won’t do. Remember what I told you before?” She spoke more pleasantly then before but still with a scolding tone behind it all.
Teddy frowned and forced his hair back to a mousy brown color - the same he’d seen on his father in all the photos that his Godfather had showed him. He knew that it annoyed ‘Drom that he had chosen to look like his father today, but she was always scolding him for changing his features to things too ‘inhuman’ she called it.
“Well go on. The train is all set to leave soon anyway, better get on before it does.” ‘Drom straightened but kept a hand twisted in his hair. Her face was lined with the strain of being a former Black, of raising a daughter, marrying her off, only to see that daughter murdered, and finally the newest lines were from her little grandson who she had been raising, in place of his two dead parents, since he was very small. Teddy’s eyes (golden today) trailed over her briefly, wondering at her hard strength born from raising two generations of metamorphmagi.
Finally he grabbed the handle of his trunk and rolled it along behind him, not looking back at his grandmother until he heard her voice, strangely broken-sounding, “Have a good year, Ted. You will try to be good, won’t you?”
Turning his head watching her for a moment, he gave her his typical grin along with a wave, “O’course, Grannie Andie!” A scowl grew across her lips as her face turned red. She did always hate him calling her that. “Love ya! Later!” He slipped onto the train before she could start yelling and strode down the hallways, eying the various compartments for some space to sit.
Maybe he should have gotten on the train earlier… now most of the compartments were fill to the brim of students, mostly older and larger then him.
Larger… taller too… and lass baby fat on them… Ted noted to himself, as the beginnings of an idea came to him. Surely he could sit with the older years as long as they didn’t know he was only a first year. But… ‘Drom did say no pranks on the train or I’ll get thrown off… He frowned, brushing his currently mousy brown hair to the side as he turned the idea over in his mind.
“What she doesn’t know won’t kill her, heh.” Ted muttered to himself with a smirk. He was the son of the famous wizard and witch, Lupin and Tonks. As he planned, he spied along the compartments, looking for a good number of older years to trick.
This was around the time he ran face first into another trunk.
“Bloody fucking hell!” Ted gripped his brow, wincing at the pain and probable bruising his clumsiness had caused yet again. And no ‘Drom to make the pain go away… He froze for a moment, suddenly missing his grandmother intensely.
“Hey, kid! You a’right, there? That’s sure a mouth ya’ve got.” Ted snapped his head up, staring at a boy with jet black hair and bright blue eyes. The boy’s frame was void of the baby fat most first years had, but his height could allow for no other age assumption.
“…Yea, fine.” He removed his hand and blinked to make sure his right eye still worked. Damn, I’m going to have a shiner by the end of this, aren’t I? Ted pondered, I can’t do much with injuries. Two boys with identical black eyes would be too noticeable and ‘Drom would know it was me then if I was caught.
Ted straightened and reached for his trunk, but found that the black-haired boy was poking at it. “You don’t need to do that, I’ve got it, thanks.” Ted frowned.
The boy whipped his head around, “Ah, sorry. My name’s Renald Wood, but call me Rennie. I’d bet you are prolly a first year same as me.” He paused for a moment then pointed at Ted’s head, “Your hair stopped changin’ color. I suppose whatever hex was on it, has passed now.”
Ted snorted, “M’name’s Ted Lupin, but call me Teddy, if you please, and yea this is my first time on the train.” After a moment, he added, “And my hair’s not under a hex. I can look however I want to.” He shrugged his shoulders, changing the color from grey to turquoise. It only occurred then to remember what ‘Drom had said earlier about people not always liking metamorphmagi and that it might be best to stay looking ‘normal’ at least until he was sorted.
Wincing in remembrance, he turned slowly to see Rennie’s face, worried it would one of disgust, but the blue-eyed boy was staring in an awestruck way. When Ted met his eyes, the boy grinned widely. “That’s bloody awesome! I wish I could do something like that!” He said, face falling slightly.
Ted blinked and shrugged, changing his hair back to his father’s shade of brown. “Do you know where a free compartment is? Dragging this thing around is awful annoying.”
“Sure. Next car over. C’mon, Teddy Lupin.” Rennie lifted up his own trunk and Ted was shocked to see it was larger then his, yet the short but lean boy could hold it up with one arm.
“Do you play Quidditch?” Ted blurted out before he could stop himself.
“Yep! My dad’s real famous and whatnot. Mum’s always saying he was the best thing since sliced bread!”
“He ‘was’?”
“Well, see, mum and him never did get married and he left before I was born. So see, he doesn’t really know ‘bout me and mum said that’s fine, ‘cause she raised me just great anyway!” Rennie lugged his trunk, single-handedly, into the compartment that had been mentioned before.
Ted followed, dragging along his own trunk, wondering what sort of god of fate had decided to introduce him to this disturbingly odd boy.
Rennie’s head popped back out of the compartment, calling for his new friend. “C’mon Teddy! I wanna see you do the hair thing again!”
Ted let the smile spread across his face. Maybe things would be alright. No. Of course things were going to be alright, he was Teddy Lupin, son of a professional Auror and a werewolf! “Hey Rennie, want to hear a cool story?”
---
“Teddy Remus Lupin!”
Ted gulped. This was it, his moment of glory or horror.
So far it seemed to be of glory, as his name had stirred up some whispers and stares.
Apparently people had actually read the new edition of The Dark Ages: The-Boy-Who-Lived Vs. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named which had managed to mention his parents and him when talking about that battle against old Voldy and again in the Order of the Phoenix section.
He steeled himself and straightened his shoulders, checking his appearance in his mind so he continued to look like his father’s son. He wanted to look like the son his parents would be proud of, the godson that his Godfather would be proud of, the grandson that his Gram ‘Drom would be proud of.
He wanted them all to be proud of him.
…Even if he didn’t feel like something to be proud of on the inside.
It was harder then he thought to control his hair, which had an awful habit of changing colors rapidly when he was nervous or upset. He hoped it wasn’t too obvious that his hair was morphing through various shades of brown and barely managing to not be pink or turquoise.
The old ratty hat was lifted up by an incredibly old woman with half-mooned spectacles, a stern face, and deep green robes. “Mr. Lupin, take a seat, please.” She smiled at him, “There’s no reason to be nervous, your father was such a lovely student of mine.” She added in a quieter tone, so the rest of the room wouldn’t hear.
Ted felt his face burn red and he barely managed not to do the same with his hair. He plopped down on the wooden stool, feeling a little silly as the kindly steel-like crone of a woman placed the patched and worn hat upon his head.
Everything went quiet around him.
Didn’t Harry say something about the hat talking to him? He pondered.
“Well that was rude of him to give away all my secrets, now wasn’t it?”
Ted nearly jumped out of his skin, but steeled himself to not move as the hat whispered into his ear. Unfortunately he’d lost control of his hair, which was now going through all the colors of the rainbow, but fortunately the hat blocked it from view.
“Sneaky little thing, aren’t you? Ah, cunning too.”
Remembering the song the hat had finished before the sorting had begun, Ted panicked. I can’t be in with the snakes! I’m the son of a Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff! They’ll tear me apart!
“Oh but hm, you would do so well, my boy. Did you not listen to the rest of my wonderful song? Typical arrogance.”
Ted winced, Harry’d kill me.
“Your grandmother would be proud.”
She… would?
“She was in Slytherin herself, you know.”
Ted’s mind blanched on that idea. Then the well-worn photo he kept in his pocket of his parents pressed against his fingers. I’m not a Slytherin. He thought with sudden defiance. I’m my parent’s son. Not just ‘Drom’s.
The hat seemed to ponder this for a moment. “If you say so. I suppose you’ll be fine in GRYFFINDOR.” The last word being yelled out to the masses, cheers went up at the table with red and gold banners.
Ted silently thanked the hat. The old woman tugged the hat off his head to flop on the next kid in line, but Ted was striding over to the table at where his father had sat, where his Godfather had sat, where his grandmother would have sat had she had the same courage he did.
When Rennie was sorted into Gryffindor as well, Ted patted the chair next to him.
The lean boy’s grin looked like it could take over his face by now. “Guess we’re partners in House, right?” Rennie grinned and hopped into the chair.
Ted gave him a small smile, “Guess so.” Then they both dug into the feast.
He would make them all proud. He promised.
---
Dear Harry,
Too bad you missed me at the platform, ‘Drom was nearly impossible. How is James doing with his arm? I hope that cousin of mine thinks hard before downing any more strange potions within grabbing range. Oh and give my best wishes to Gin and the tiny bundle of love that is Lily.
Hogwarts is bloody awesome, just like you said. I got sorted in to Gryffindor (That stupid hat did the same thing to me that it did to you, but instead of old Voldy’s influence, it’s dear Grannie ‘Drom’s). I do still wish you’d’ve let me have my father’s awesome map, but I’m sure I can get into enough trouble without it. Just kidding (maybe). I’ve been trying to make you guys proud.
Didn’t you tell me once that Oliver Wood was the captain of your Quidditch team when you first were chosen for Seeker on the team? Well, apparently he has a son named Renald Wood, whom is now my best friend. If you ever write to Mr. Oliver Wood, do try to get me an autograph, and tell him his son would like to meet him one day.
Anyway, Rennie and I have been in a ton of our classes together. He’s in Gryffindor too and is on the Quidditch team (same as you!) as a keeper (I blame his non-existent father). Rennie’s really strong and has been helping me get some muscle too! Next time you see me, I bet I’ll have gotten just as strong as him.
Rennie also loves when I do impressions. So far I’ve got Headmistress McGonagall down pat (didn’t my dad and your father have her as a teacher? She must be bloody ANCIENT) along with Filch and a few of the others. I’ve been trying to keep my looks pretty much the same day-to-day so people recognize me, but everyone knows I’m a metamorphmagus now, so I’ve gone with my favorite-the turquoise hair and a blend of my dad and mum’s faces. I haven’t stuck with an eye color though, I’m thinking maybe gold-brown like dad’s, or pink like mum’s usual hair. The professors hate it though, McGoggles constantly has her eyes on me, making sure I’m not morphing in class, which I find odd, since she used to be the Transfiguration professor and all. Prof. Longbottom thinks it’s funny, and lets me do impressions for him.
Tell ‘Drom I miss her steaks. Maybe she can send me one - the way I like it - bloody, because the House Elves (all freed of course, that’ll make Auntie Herm happy, right?) don’t really understand why I don’t like the meat they cook. I don’t really want to explain the whole ‘son of a werewolf’ thing to anyone though. That sort of talk always makes people think that I’ll go crazy-beast on the full-moon too. A lot of people think that anyway, because it’s apparently very common knowledge now that my dad was Remus Lupin, the Werewolf of the Order. I have to constantly remind people that it’s been proven that the werewolf-transformation isn’t genetic. It’s kind of a hassle, and even more so when my own werewolf-ness sparks up and I get all wolfy in the head and craving meat. Don’t worry, I’ve been taking my potions.
At least Rennie understands and he helps me out on full moons. Though, once he tried to put a leash on me… which definitely miffed me. I’m not a bloody pet dog. I bet nobody ever tried to do that to Moony or Padfoot. I told him off for it once the moon was down, and he didn’t try it again. Rennie does love to play fetch with my wolfy-minded self, which is mildly annoying. I miss running around with James and little Al when I’m all wolfy like that. There’re no little cousins around to pat my head or give me tummy rubs on full moons.
I miss you guys. Badly.
-Teddy R. Lupin
P.S.- Remember to tell ‘Drom to send me some steaks, and make sure she spells them to keep during the flight. Maybe have Gin send me some of her cookies, that is, if James and Al don’t eat them all. I’m starving here.
---
Ted frowned at the lowering sun. “You know, I’ve never seen a full moon in my right mind.” He muttered, mainly to himself, but Rennie heard and patted his head.
“I bet they’ll find a potion soon enough so you can.”
“Maybe,” He smiled thinly, “They’re more concerned with the real werewolves though, not little half-werewolf kids.”
Rennie leaned back in his chair, putting his arms behind his head. They were in the Room of Requirement which Ted’s Godfather had told him all about and told him it would be good for these sorts of days. “Shouldn’t they worry ‘bout all the werewolf-affected? It’s not fair.”
Ted shook his head, glancing again at the nearly set sun, “I suppose it’s better that they cure all the real werewolves… so no one has to get bitten or anything.”
They were silent until the moon was peeking over the horizon.
Ted felt the edges of his mind pulling back, something dark pushing its way to the front of his brain. A bubbling fizzle overcame him for a moment as the potions he took before full moons kicked in; it shoved at the darkness in his mind, taming it to a manageable degree.
Even tamed, the darkness made him wince as it tore its way to the front and began to settle across his body.
Rennie was watching him carefully, as the boy always did, but now Ted was only watching too. His body, while still human on the outside, was being taken over by a very wolfy mind. Anything human about his thoughts was roughly shoved into the back of his mind. He was little more then a barely tamed wolf now.
His tongue rolled out, eyes growing less focused, even his muscles seemed to pull and shape themselves in a different way then when they were being controlled by his human mind.
Rennie grinned, “Are you going to be a good wolfy today, Ted?”
Wolf-Ted tilted his head to the side, tongue panting and body twitching oddly. “Yep yep yep yepyepyepyep!” He chanted with a pant. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the human part was disturbed at the wolf being able to take some of his words. “Ball? Ballballball!”
The black-haired boy leaned forward in his chair, producing a bright red rubber ball from his pocket. “You want it?”
“YESYESYES!” was Wolf-Ted’s answer, knocking over his chair and prancing about on his hands and knees. His metamorphmagus powers caught up with him at this moment and his turquoise hair grew shaggy, his frame leaner, and his eyes turned a brilliant gold.
“Well then,” Rennie tossed the ball in his hand teasingly before launching it down the long hallway created by the Room, “Go FETCH!”
Ted’s human mind settled itself in for the night as the Wolf-mind caused him to scramble after the bright red blur.
---
Wolf-Ted was finally exhausted out from chasing balls up and down the hallway. Rennie stroked the shaggy blue-green hair that littered the boy’s head as he sprawled out half on Ren’s lap. The wolfy boy panted slowly, his tongue rolling in and out of his mouth.
The human part of Ted’s mind felt sedated under the pressure of the wolf’s cheerful exhaustion.
Rennie tugged on one of Ted’s ears that had decided to grow slightly floppy under the control of the wolf. “You know, if ya ever do get a cure for this, I’ll sure miss it.” He scritched just behind Ted’s ear and Wolf-Ted grinned in a silly fashion, leaning into the careless.
Wolf-Ted didn’t respond to the words, but Rennie hadn’t thought he was going to:
Ted always lost his ability to speak after the first hour of the full moon.
---
Rennie eyed the room as it grew silent. Ted frowned next to him. Ever that bloody Slytherin, Justine Hornby, had walked in on Ted during one of his moonlight, wolf-mind shift, people had avoided him like the plague.
People had managed to get over that he was a metamorphmagus, especially after he had managed to make a huge joke about it. Rennie had been the one to suggest wearing the huge name tag when he walked around. At the Great Hall he had staged a play featuring only himself as he acted out all the characters, changing to fit each one. Everyone had loved the kissing scene where he took turns being the boy and the girl as he pretended to make out with himself.
That had taken much planning and in the end, people had accepted his changing and his humor. For this though… he had no plan. There was little to joke about when he was up against hundreds of years of fear and prejudice against the “evil monster” werewolves.
Rennie put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it, reminding his friend that at least he wasn’t going to leave just because of his parents’ genes.
Ted sighed. He had no plan this time. He wasn’t any good at improvisation.
The two boys walked down the aisle between the four tables, each table made up of mostly one house but now littered with a few people from each other house as well. The houses had begun to weave together more in the years since the Battle, but this was only the start.
Regardless of the fact Ted had never sat at any of the other tables, people still moved to block him from sitting next to them. Even the Hufflepuff table, known for their kindness and approval for the mixing of houses, was a flying mass of elbows as they blocked him from their seats. Even Harriet Diggory, younger sister of the late Cedric Diggory, named after his Godfather Harry, glared at him.
The Gryffindor table watched in end silence as he neared them.
Ted paused in front of the table, as they eyed him, some glaring, some hiding their faces in fear of the monster that wasn’t in him. Only a girl in their own year Alberta Cresswell’s eyes held any kindness in them, but even that was nearly eclipsed by the fear in her.
Rennie didn’t catch that Ted had stopped and was a few feet away before he paused and turned to wait, eyes bright with confusion and loyalty. Ted couldn’t look into those blue eyes, which he knew would never stop being friends with him out of loyalty, but still couldn’t help catching the fear that spread through the Hall like wildfire.
The Gryffindor table watched Ted curl his hands into fists and stomp off.
Ted’s hair had turned a deep oceanic blue and he hugged his knees to his chest as he sat alone in the corner of the bathroom. This bathroom had been closed off to students because it belonged to that Myrtle ghost. Rita Skeeter had interviewed Moaning Myrtle to get the scoop on Harry’s life after the Battle, but Myrtle had proven such a source for gossip that Rita still interviewed the ghost girl now and then for a column she called “Hogwarts Hobbies” in the Daily Prophet. Only Rita’s daughter, Miranda Skeeter, had ever braved into the bathroom to talk to Myrtle, and had found out even she wasn’t safe from her mother’s love of gossip. Everyone had been terrified to use the bathroom from then on, knowing that Myrtle could swoop in at any moment.
Ted didn’t care. Myrtle barely spent her time in the bathroom anymore, too busy catching random gossip from all the teens of Hogwarts. Best of all, no one would think to find him here.
He sunk into himself, jamming his knees into his eye sockets and gripping his legs so hard hew knew would have little finger-shaped bruises later.
No one would find him here.
Not for the first time, Ted wished he had someone like Albus Dumbledore to help him like the late Headmaster had helped his father. McGonagall made a good Headmistress, but she was being overwhelmed more and more as people turned to Hogwarts to heal the damage done by the War.
He heard the door creak open, “Teddy? You in here?” Rennie’s voice echoed slightly on the tiled walls.
---
Frank Ogden wanted to exterminate every inch of Teddy’s existence from the dorm room they shared with Olive Lark and Rennie.
Rennie rarely yelled, but even he nearly exploded when he heard.
Olive Lark’s eyes were still fearful of the part-werewolf, but he refused to kick anyone out of the room. He finally managed to calm Frank with his agreement to switch beds with the other boy, so Ted and Frank would be on opposite sides of the room.
Now Rennie slept in the bed next to Teddy’s and Olive’s was next to Frank’s.
Ted later thanked Olive later with a note he attached to a novel on the other boy’s bed. The book was one he had seen his dormmate reading in the library when he had finished all his classwork, so Ted had figured it would make a decent gift for the boy.
Olive managed a guarded smile for the book and a polite “You’re welcome” to the part-werewolf, but Ted knew he had done well with the gift when he saw that his dormmate barely ever put the novel down for the next few weeks.
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Rating: PG14
Main character: Teddy Remus Lupin
Pairings: Teddy/Victoire, possible others
Summary: Teddy Lupin thought he knew what awaited him at Hogwarts, but nothing could prepare him for the friendship of an illegitimate child of Oliver Wood, the prejudices of other students against werewolves, and a certain silvery-red haired Veela girl... punkrocker!Victoire, half-werewolf!Teddy
Notes: centerpoint of the Turquoise-'verse
Part 2 of the Turquoise_verse
Chapter 1: Teddy is His Parent’s Son
Andromeda held the infant close, his crooning snore in her ear as the tears dried on her cheeks.
“Looks like it’s just us, little one.” She kissed Teddy’s sleeping head.
---
Andromeda tugged sharply on Teddy’s ear. “I will not stand for any more of your tricks and teasings, mister. This is your first time on the platform, at least try to look simply excited, instead of so eager to set the first poor child you meet on fire.”
Teddy scowled at his grandmother, “I’m not going to set anyone on fire,” Although that is an interesting idea, ‘Drom… “I’m looking eager ‘cause I can’t wait to meet my fellow classmates and make loads of friends.” And all that goody-goody crap that you always adore hearing… I wish Harry was here. Stupid James.
Andromeda muttered something under her breath and let go of his ear, causing him to rub at it as well as change his hair change a few shades redder. She frowned and dragged her long fingers through his cropped short hair, “Do try to fit in. Those fancy colors won’t do. Remember what I told you before?” She spoke more pleasantly then before but still with a scolding tone behind it all.
Teddy frowned and forced his hair back to a mousy brown color - the same he’d seen on his father in all the photos that his Godfather had showed him. He knew that it annoyed ‘Drom that he had chosen to look like his father today, but she was always scolding him for changing his features to things too ‘inhuman’ she called it.
“Well go on. The train is all set to leave soon anyway, better get on before it does.” ‘Drom straightened but kept a hand twisted in his hair. Her face was lined with the strain of being a former Black, of raising a daughter, marrying her off, only to see that daughter murdered, and finally the newest lines were from her little grandson who she had been raising, in place of his two dead parents, since he was very small. Teddy’s eyes (golden today) trailed over her briefly, wondering at her hard strength born from raising two generations of metamorphmagi.
Finally he grabbed the handle of his trunk and rolled it along behind him, not looking back at his grandmother until he heard her voice, strangely broken-sounding, “Have a good year, Ted. You will try to be good, won’t you?”
Turning his head watching her for a moment, he gave her his typical grin along with a wave, “O’course, Grannie Andie!” A scowl grew across her lips as her face turned red. She did always hate him calling her that. “Love ya! Later!” He slipped onto the train before she could start yelling and strode down the hallways, eying the various compartments for some space to sit.
Maybe he should have gotten on the train earlier… now most of the compartments were fill to the brim of students, mostly older and larger then him.
Larger… taller too… and lass baby fat on them… Ted noted to himself, as the beginnings of an idea came to him. Surely he could sit with the older years as long as they didn’t know he was only a first year. But… ‘Drom did say no pranks on the train or I’ll get thrown off… He frowned, brushing his currently mousy brown hair to the side as he turned the idea over in his mind.
“What she doesn’t know won’t kill her, heh.” Ted muttered to himself with a smirk. He was the son of the famous wizard and witch, Lupin and Tonks. As he planned, he spied along the compartments, looking for a good number of older years to trick.
This was around the time he ran face first into another trunk.
“Bloody fucking hell!” Ted gripped his brow, wincing at the pain and probable bruising his clumsiness had caused yet again. And no ‘Drom to make the pain go away… He froze for a moment, suddenly missing his grandmother intensely.
“Hey, kid! You a’right, there? That’s sure a mouth ya’ve got.” Ted snapped his head up, staring at a boy with jet black hair and bright blue eyes. The boy’s frame was void of the baby fat most first years had, but his height could allow for no other age assumption.
“…Yea, fine.” He removed his hand and blinked to make sure his right eye still worked. Damn, I’m going to have a shiner by the end of this, aren’t I? Ted pondered, I can’t do much with injuries. Two boys with identical black eyes would be too noticeable and ‘Drom would know it was me then if I was caught.
Ted straightened and reached for his trunk, but found that the black-haired boy was poking at it. “You don’t need to do that, I’ve got it, thanks.” Ted frowned.
The boy whipped his head around, “Ah, sorry. My name’s Renald Wood, but call me Rennie. I’d bet you are prolly a first year same as me.” He paused for a moment then pointed at Ted’s head, “Your hair stopped changin’ color. I suppose whatever hex was on it, has passed now.”
Ted snorted, “M’name’s Ted Lupin, but call me Teddy, if you please, and yea this is my first time on the train.” After a moment, he added, “And my hair’s not under a hex. I can look however I want to.” He shrugged his shoulders, changing the color from grey to turquoise. It only occurred then to remember what ‘Drom had said earlier about people not always liking metamorphmagi and that it might be best to stay looking ‘normal’ at least until he was sorted.
Wincing in remembrance, he turned slowly to see Rennie’s face, worried it would one of disgust, but the blue-eyed boy was staring in an awestruck way. When Ted met his eyes, the boy grinned widely. “That’s bloody awesome! I wish I could do something like that!” He said, face falling slightly.
Ted blinked and shrugged, changing his hair back to his father’s shade of brown. “Do you know where a free compartment is? Dragging this thing around is awful annoying.”
“Sure. Next car over. C’mon, Teddy Lupin.” Rennie lifted up his own trunk and Ted was shocked to see it was larger then his, yet the short but lean boy could hold it up with one arm.
“Do you play Quidditch?” Ted blurted out before he could stop himself.
“Yep! My dad’s real famous and whatnot. Mum’s always saying he was the best thing since sliced bread!”
“He ‘was’?”
“Well, see, mum and him never did get married and he left before I was born. So see, he doesn’t really know ‘bout me and mum said that’s fine, ‘cause she raised me just great anyway!” Rennie lugged his trunk, single-handedly, into the compartment that had been mentioned before.
Ted followed, dragging along his own trunk, wondering what sort of god of fate had decided to introduce him to this disturbingly odd boy.
Rennie’s head popped back out of the compartment, calling for his new friend. “C’mon Teddy! I wanna see you do the hair thing again!”
Ted let the smile spread across his face. Maybe things would be alright. No. Of course things were going to be alright, he was Teddy Lupin, son of a professional Auror and a werewolf! “Hey Rennie, want to hear a cool story?”
---
“Teddy Remus Lupin!”
Ted gulped. This was it, his moment of glory or horror.
So far it seemed to be of glory, as his name had stirred up some whispers and stares.
Apparently people had actually read the new edition of The Dark Ages: The-Boy-Who-Lived Vs. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named which had managed to mention his parents and him when talking about that battle against old Voldy and again in the Order of the Phoenix section.
He steeled himself and straightened his shoulders, checking his appearance in his mind so he continued to look like his father’s son. He wanted to look like the son his parents would be proud of, the godson that his Godfather would be proud of, the grandson that his Gram ‘Drom would be proud of.
He wanted them all to be proud of him.
…Even if he didn’t feel like something to be proud of on the inside.
It was harder then he thought to control his hair, which had an awful habit of changing colors rapidly when he was nervous or upset. He hoped it wasn’t too obvious that his hair was morphing through various shades of brown and barely managing to not be pink or turquoise.
The old ratty hat was lifted up by an incredibly old woman with half-mooned spectacles, a stern face, and deep green robes. “Mr. Lupin, take a seat, please.” She smiled at him, “There’s no reason to be nervous, your father was such a lovely student of mine.” She added in a quieter tone, so the rest of the room wouldn’t hear.
Ted felt his face burn red and he barely managed not to do the same with his hair. He plopped down on the wooden stool, feeling a little silly as the kindly steel-like crone of a woman placed the patched and worn hat upon his head.
Everything went quiet around him.
Didn’t Harry say something about the hat talking to him? He pondered.
“Well that was rude of him to give away all my secrets, now wasn’t it?”
Ted nearly jumped out of his skin, but steeled himself to not move as the hat whispered into his ear. Unfortunately he’d lost control of his hair, which was now going through all the colors of the rainbow, but fortunately the hat blocked it from view.
“Sneaky little thing, aren’t you? Ah, cunning too.”
Remembering the song the hat had finished before the sorting had begun, Ted panicked. I can’t be in with the snakes! I’m the son of a Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff! They’ll tear me apart!
“Oh but hm, you would do so well, my boy. Did you not listen to the rest of my wonderful song? Typical arrogance.”
Ted winced, Harry’d kill me.
“Your grandmother would be proud.”
She… would?
“She was in Slytherin herself, you know.”
Ted’s mind blanched on that idea. Then the well-worn photo he kept in his pocket of his parents pressed against his fingers. I’m not a Slytherin. He thought with sudden defiance. I’m my parent’s son. Not just ‘Drom’s.
The hat seemed to ponder this for a moment. “If you say so. I suppose you’ll be fine in GRYFFINDOR.” The last word being yelled out to the masses, cheers went up at the table with red and gold banners.
Ted silently thanked the hat. The old woman tugged the hat off his head to flop on the next kid in line, but Ted was striding over to the table at where his father had sat, where his Godfather had sat, where his grandmother would have sat had she had the same courage he did.
When Rennie was sorted into Gryffindor as well, Ted patted the chair next to him.
The lean boy’s grin looked like it could take over his face by now. “Guess we’re partners in House, right?” Rennie grinned and hopped into the chair.
Ted gave him a small smile, “Guess so.” Then they both dug into the feast.
He would make them all proud. He promised.
---
Dear Harry,
Too bad you missed me at the platform, ‘Drom was nearly impossible. How is James doing with his arm? I hope that cousin of mine thinks hard before downing any more strange potions within grabbing range. Oh and give my best wishes to Gin and the tiny bundle of love that is Lily.
Hogwarts is bloody awesome, just like you said. I got sorted in to Gryffindor (That stupid hat did the same thing to me that it did to you, but instead of old Voldy’s influence, it’s dear Grannie ‘Drom’s). I do still wish you’d’ve let me have my father’s awesome map, but I’m sure I can get into enough trouble without it. Just kidding (maybe). I’ve been trying to make you guys proud.
Didn’t you tell me once that Oliver Wood was the captain of your Quidditch team when you first were chosen for Seeker on the team? Well, apparently he has a son named Renald Wood, whom is now my best friend. If you ever write to Mr. Oliver Wood, do try to get me an autograph, and tell him his son would like to meet him one day.
Anyway, Rennie and I have been in a ton of our classes together. He’s in Gryffindor too and is on the Quidditch team (same as you!) as a keeper (I blame his non-existent father). Rennie’s really strong and has been helping me get some muscle too! Next time you see me, I bet I’ll have gotten just as strong as him.
Rennie also loves when I do impressions. So far I’ve got Headmistress McGonagall down pat (didn’t my dad and your father have her as a teacher? She must be bloody ANCIENT) along with Filch and a few of the others. I’ve been trying to keep my looks pretty much the same day-to-day so people recognize me, but everyone knows I’m a metamorphmagus now, so I’ve gone with my favorite-the turquoise hair and a blend of my dad and mum’s faces. I haven’t stuck with an eye color though, I’m thinking maybe gold-brown like dad’s, or pink like mum’s usual hair. The professors hate it though, McGoggles constantly has her eyes on me, making sure I’m not morphing in class, which I find odd, since she used to be the Transfiguration professor and all. Prof. Longbottom thinks it’s funny, and lets me do impressions for him.
Tell ‘Drom I miss her steaks. Maybe she can send me one - the way I like it - bloody, because the House Elves (all freed of course, that’ll make Auntie Herm happy, right?) don’t really understand why I don’t like the meat they cook. I don’t really want to explain the whole ‘son of a werewolf’ thing to anyone though. That sort of talk always makes people think that I’ll go crazy-beast on the full-moon too. A lot of people think that anyway, because it’s apparently very common knowledge now that my dad was Remus Lupin, the Werewolf of the Order. I have to constantly remind people that it’s been proven that the werewolf-transformation isn’t genetic. It’s kind of a hassle, and even more so when my own werewolf-ness sparks up and I get all wolfy in the head and craving meat. Don’t worry, I’ve been taking my potions.
At least Rennie understands and he helps me out on full moons. Though, once he tried to put a leash on me… which definitely miffed me. I’m not a bloody pet dog. I bet nobody ever tried to do that to Moony or Padfoot. I told him off for it once the moon was down, and he didn’t try it again. Rennie does love to play fetch with my wolfy-minded self, which is mildly annoying. I miss running around with James and little Al when I’m all wolfy like that. There’re no little cousins around to pat my head or give me tummy rubs on full moons.
I miss you guys. Badly.
-Teddy R. Lupin
P.S.- Remember to tell ‘Drom to send me some steaks, and make sure she spells them to keep during the flight. Maybe have Gin send me some of her cookies, that is, if James and Al don’t eat them all. I’m starving here.
---
Ted frowned at the lowering sun. “You know, I’ve never seen a full moon in my right mind.” He muttered, mainly to himself, but Rennie heard and patted his head.
“I bet they’ll find a potion soon enough so you can.”
“Maybe,” He smiled thinly, “They’re more concerned with the real werewolves though, not little half-werewolf kids.”
Rennie leaned back in his chair, putting his arms behind his head. They were in the Room of Requirement which Ted’s Godfather had told him all about and told him it would be good for these sorts of days. “Shouldn’t they worry ‘bout all the werewolf-affected? It’s not fair.”
Ted shook his head, glancing again at the nearly set sun, “I suppose it’s better that they cure all the real werewolves… so no one has to get bitten or anything.”
They were silent until the moon was peeking over the horizon.
Ted felt the edges of his mind pulling back, something dark pushing its way to the front of his brain. A bubbling fizzle overcame him for a moment as the potions he took before full moons kicked in; it shoved at the darkness in his mind, taming it to a manageable degree.
Even tamed, the darkness made him wince as it tore its way to the front and began to settle across his body.
Rennie was watching him carefully, as the boy always did, but now Ted was only watching too. His body, while still human on the outside, was being taken over by a very wolfy mind. Anything human about his thoughts was roughly shoved into the back of his mind. He was little more then a barely tamed wolf now.
His tongue rolled out, eyes growing less focused, even his muscles seemed to pull and shape themselves in a different way then when they were being controlled by his human mind.
Rennie grinned, “Are you going to be a good wolfy today, Ted?”
Wolf-Ted tilted his head to the side, tongue panting and body twitching oddly. “Yep yep yep yepyepyepyep!” He chanted with a pant. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the human part was disturbed at the wolf being able to take some of his words. “Ball? Ballballball!”
The black-haired boy leaned forward in his chair, producing a bright red rubber ball from his pocket. “You want it?”
“YESYESYES!” was Wolf-Ted’s answer, knocking over his chair and prancing about on his hands and knees. His metamorphmagus powers caught up with him at this moment and his turquoise hair grew shaggy, his frame leaner, and his eyes turned a brilliant gold.
“Well then,” Rennie tossed the ball in his hand teasingly before launching it down the long hallway created by the Room, “Go FETCH!”
Ted’s human mind settled itself in for the night as the Wolf-mind caused him to scramble after the bright red blur.
---
Wolf-Ted was finally exhausted out from chasing balls up and down the hallway. Rennie stroked the shaggy blue-green hair that littered the boy’s head as he sprawled out half on Ren’s lap. The wolfy boy panted slowly, his tongue rolling in and out of his mouth.
The human part of Ted’s mind felt sedated under the pressure of the wolf’s cheerful exhaustion.
Rennie tugged on one of Ted’s ears that had decided to grow slightly floppy under the control of the wolf. “You know, if ya ever do get a cure for this, I’ll sure miss it.” He scritched just behind Ted’s ear and Wolf-Ted grinned in a silly fashion, leaning into the careless.
Wolf-Ted didn’t respond to the words, but Rennie hadn’t thought he was going to:
Ted always lost his ability to speak after the first hour of the full moon.
---
Rennie eyed the room as it grew silent. Ted frowned next to him. Ever that bloody Slytherin, Justine Hornby, had walked in on Ted during one of his moonlight, wolf-mind shift, people had avoided him like the plague.
People had managed to get over that he was a metamorphmagus, especially after he had managed to make a huge joke about it. Rennie had been the one to suggest wearing the huge name tag when he walked around. At the Great Hall he had staged a play featuring only himself as he acted out all the characters, changing to fit each one. Everyone had loved the kissing scene where he took turns being the boy and the girl as he pretended to make out with himself.
That had taken much planning and in the end, people had accepted his changing and his humor. For this though… he had no plan. There was little to joke about when he was up against hundreds of years of fear and prejudice against the “evil monster” werewolves.
Rennie put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it, reminding his friend that at least he wasn’t going to leave just because of his parents’ genes.
Ted sighed. He had no plan this time. He wasn’t any good at improvisation.
The two boys walked down the aisle between the four tables, each table made up of mostly one house but now littered with a few people from each other house as well. The houses had begun to weave together more in the years since the Battle, but this was only the start.
Regardless of the fact Ted had never sat at any of the other tables, people still moved to block him from sitting next to them. Even the Hufflepuff table, known for their kindness and approval for the mixing of houses, was a flying mass of elbows as they blocked him from their seats. Even Harriet Diggory, younger sister of the late Cedric Diggory, named after his Godfather Harry, glared at him.
The Gryffindor table watched in end silence as he neared them.
Ted paused in front of the table, as they eyed him, some glaring, some hiding their faces in fear of the monster that wasn’t in him. Only a girl in their own year Alberta Cresswell’s eyes held any kindness in them, but even that was nearly eclipsed by the fear in her.
Rennie didn’t catch that Ted had stopped and was a few feet away before he paused and turned to wait, eyes bright with confusion and loyalty. Ted couldn’t look into those blue eyes, which he knew would never stop being friends with him out of loyalty, but still couldn’t help catching the fear that spread through the Hall like wildfire.
The Gryffindor table watched Ted curl his hands into fists and stomp off.
Ted’s hair had turned a deep oceanic blue and he hugged his knees to his chest as he sat alone in the corner of the bathroom. This bathroom had been closed off to students because it belonged to that Myrtle ghost. Rita Skeeter had interviewed Moaning Myrtle to get the scoop on Harry’s life after the Battle, but Myrtle had proven such a source for gossip that Rita still interviewed the ghost girl now and then for a column she called “Hogwarts Hobbies” in the Daily Prophet. Only Rita’s daughter, Miranda Skeeter, had ever braved into the bathroom to talk to Myrtle, and had found out even she wasn’t safe from her mother’s love of gossip. Everyone had been terrified to use the bathroom from then on, knowing that Myrtle could swoop in at any moment.
Ted didn’t care. Myrtle barely spent her time in the bathroom anymore, too busy catching random gossip from all the teens of Hogwarts. Best of all, no one would think to find him here.
He sunk into himself, jamming his knees into his eye sockets and gripping his legs so hard hew knew would have little finger-shaped bruises later.
No one would find him here.
Not for the first time, Ted wished he had someone like Albus Dumbledore to help him like the late Headmaster had helped his father. McGonagall made a good Headmistress, but she was being overwhelmed more and more as people turned to Hogwarts to heal the damage done by the War.
He heard the door creak open, “Teddy? You in here?” Rennie’s voice echoed slightly on the tiled walls.
---
Frank Ogden wanted to exterminate every inch of Teddy’s existence from the dorm room they shared with Olive Lark and Rennie.
Rennie rarely yelled, but even he nearly exploded when he heard.
Olive Lark’s eyes were still fearful of the part-werewolf, but he refused to kick anyone out of the room. He finally managed to calm Frank with his agreement to switch beds with the other boy, so Ted and Frank would be on opposite sides of the room.
Now Rennie slept in the bed next to Teddy’s and Olive’s was next to Frank’s.
Ted later thanked Olive later with a note he attached to a novel on the other boy’s bed. The book was one he had seen his dormmate reading in the library when he had finished all his classwork, so Ted had figured it would make a decent gift for the boy.
Olive managed a guarded smile for the book and a polite “You’re welcome” to the part-werewolf, but Ted knew he had done well with the gift when he saw that his dormmate barely ever put the novel down for the next few weeks.
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