Afternoon Promise
Title: Afternoon Promise
Ships: None.
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Say it with me now ~ me ... don't ... own.
Spoilers: DH
Summary: Harry meets the newest member of his family.
Authors Notes: For kaytiemlee - who gave me the plot bunny. Enjoy everyone!
Afternoon Promise
Harry slowly pushed the door open. The room was bright, cheerful, various shades of blue throughout the four walls. The crib was at the opposite end of the room and Harry quietly crept forward, resting a hand lightly on the wooden crib and looking down into it, seeing his godson for the first time.
Teddy was asleep, wrapped up in a purple blanket, a similar shade to that which Teddy’s mother used to keep her hair. The colour, so familiar and yet so painful, made his stomach fall for a moment.
“Hey, Teddy,” Harry whispered with a small smile. “You don’t know me, but my name is Harry, and I knew your parents. They made me your Godfather, wanting to make sure you were okay should anything … should anything happen to them.”
Suddenly remembering the bag in his hand, he put it down and removed a gift from within. “I bought you something. Hermione, my best friend, who I’m sure you will meet soon, said I could not turn up empty-handed, so she took me to Baby Gap to get you something. Here,” he said, placing the soft toy in the corner of the crib. It was a puppy, ridiculously soft to the touch, with brown fur and the occasional white spot. “One day I’ll tell you what significance a dog had to your father and his friends,” he added with a small laugh.
He reached down once again into the bag, pulling out a brightly-covered book. “And this,” Harry continued, “is from Hermione and Ron. Dr Suess. I know you will absolutely love these stories. Not quite yet, obviously, but when you are a bit older I’ll teach you to read them.”
Harry looked around the room, spying a small bookshelf and moving across the room and setting the book down. When he came back to the crib, Teddy had awoken. His eyes were larger than Harry anticipated, their colour a deep chocolate brown. Teddy met his eyes, and did not seem disturbed by this stranger; on the contrary, he seemed enthralled by Harry.
Harry didn’t know how long they stared at each other. He felt an immediate kinship with this tiny person - he hadn’t had so immediate a connection since he met Ron on the Hogwarts express seven years earlier. He reached down into the crib and gently picked Teddy up, still wrapped in his blanket.
It was at this point it occurred to him that he had never before held a baby. He felt suddenly anxious about doing something wrong, but Teddy hadn’t screamed or cried, so he figured he must be doing okay. Holding him in his arms, Harry realised how truly small Teddy was. His arms unconsciously tightened.
He touched a fingertip to Teddy’s arm. The skin was so smooth, soft. Harry smiled, still amazed by this baby and everything he represented. Spotting a nearby rocking-chair, Harry settled comfortably in it. He gently rocked back and forth. Teddy kept looking at him. When Harry’s finger slid up to Teddy’s hand, Teddy gripped it, holding on tighter than Harry would have imagined he could.
Harry smiled at him. “You’re a strong one, Teddy. Just like your parents.”
Harry faltered at the memory of Remus and Tonks. They should be here, he thought angrily. They should be able to be here and watch their son grow up. It wasn’t fair. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm the inner turmoil that had suddenly welled within him.
“Your dad, he was a great man. He wasn’t perfect. Far from it. He made some mistakes, but he could admit when he was wrong, and that was what made him so good. He taught me so much. I trusted him, loved him. And I know he wanted to stay to be with you. But more than anything he wanted you to grow up in a world that was safe and free, and he gave his life for that cause.”
Harry paused, wiping away a tear that had stolen down his cheek. Truth be told, he still hadn’t grieved the loss of Remus yet; the man who was his teacher, his friend, his mentor, his last remaining link to his parents.
“I didn’t know your mum that well to be honest,” he continued a few minutes later when he had composed himself. “She loved your dad madly. She fought for him. She had an amazing spirit. She was strong, smart. And she would fall over or bump into something every other day,” Harry laughed, remembering all the times he had seen Tonks walk into the wall or trip over something.
Silence reigned for a few moments, Harry staring at nothing, barely aware of the fact that Teddy still had not let go of his finger.
“But I don’t want you to worry, okay, Teddy. You’re not alone. You have your grandma and you have me. I won’t let you grow up alone. I’ll come and visit all the time, and you can come and stay with me whenever you want. Your dad, I think he chose me to be your godfather because he knew that I would do everything in my power to make sure that, if he and your mum weren’t around to love you, you would not grow up alone and unloved. And you won’t. I promise you that.”
He absentmindedly scratched his leg for a moment.
“I don’t have a family, not really. No parents, no siblings. My only blood relations, well, let’s just leave that story for another time. But you know what? I made my own. Ron and Hermione, my best friends I told you about before, they are my family. And now you are my family too. You and me, we’re a team. We can look after each other. I can’t replace your parents, but I can be there for you, whenever you need me. Always.”
Harry finally looked back down at Teddy. Those big, brown eyes were still locked on him, as though he had been listening intently to every word Harry had said. As though he believed him. Harry dipped his head and placed a kiss on Teddy’s forehead.
The chair kept rocking, Harry holding Teddy until he fell back asleep. Harry’s arms began to tire from his weight but he could not yet bear to part with his godson. Harry closed his eyes.
I’ll take care of him, Remus. I promise.
Ships: None.
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Say it with me now ~ me ... don't ... own.
Spoilers: DH
Summary: Harry meets the newest member of his family.
Authors Notes: For kaytiemlee - who gave me the plot bunny. Enjoy everyone!
Afternoon Promise
Harry slowly pushed the door open. The room was bright, cheerful, various shades of blue throughout the four walls. The crib was at the opposite end of the room and Harry quietly crept forward, resting a hand lightly on the wooden crib and looking down into it, seeing his godson for the first time.
Teddy was asleep, wrapped up in a purple blanket, a similar shade to that which Teddy’s mother used to keep her hair. The colour, so familiar and yet so painful, made his stomach fall for a moment.
“Hey, Teddy,” Harry whispered with a small smile. “You don’t know me, but my name is Harry, and I knew your parents. They made me your Godfather, wanting to make sure you were okay should anything … should anything happen to them.”
Suddenly remembering the bag in his hand, he put it down and removed a gift from within. “I bought you something. Hermione, my best friend, who I’m sure you will meet soon, said I could not turn up empty-handed, so she took me to Baby Gap to get you something. Here,” he said, placing the soft toy in the corner of the crib. It was a puppy, ridiculously soft to the touch, with brown fur and the occasional white spot. “One day I’ll tell you what significance a dog had to your father and his friends,” he added with a small laugh.
He reached down once again into the bag, pulling out a brightly-covered book. “And this,” Harry continued, “is from Hermione and Ron. Dr Suess. I know you will absolutely love these stories. Not quite yet, obviously, but when you are a bit older I’ll teach you to read them.”
Harry looked around the room, spying a small bookshelf and moving across the room and setting the book down. When he came back to the crib, Teddy had awoken. His eyes were larger than Harry anticipated, their colour a deep chocolate brown. Teddy met his eyes, and did not seem disturbed by this stranger; on the contrary, he seemed enthralled by Harry.
Harry didn’t know how long they stared at each other. He felt an immediate kinship with this tiny person - he hadn’t had so immediate a connection since he met Ron on the Hogwarts express seven years earlier. He reached down into the crib and gently picked Teddy up, still wrapped in his blanket.
It was at this point it occurred to him that he had never before held a baby. He felt suddenly anxious about doing something wrong, but Teddy hadn’t screamed or cried, so he figured he must be doing okay. Holding him in his arms, Harry realised how truly small Teddy was. His arms unconsciously tightened.
He touched a fingertip to Teddy’s arm. The skin was so smooth, soft. Harry smiled, still amazed by this baby and everything he represented. Spotting a nearby rocking-chair, Harry settled comfortably in it. He gently rocked back and forth. Teddy kept looking at him. When Harry’s finger slid up to Teddy’s hand, Teddy gripped it, holding on tighter than Harry would have imagined he could.
Harry smiled at him. “You’re a strong one, Teddy. Just like your parents.”
Harry faltered at the memory of Remus and Tonks. They should be here, he thought angrily. They should be able to be here and watch their son grow up. It wasn’t fair. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm the inner turmoil that had suddenly welled within him.
“Your dad, he was a great man. He wasn’t perfect. Far from it. He made some mistakes, but he could admit when he was wrong, and that was what made him so good. He taught me so much. I trusted him, loved him. And I know he wanted to stay to be with you. But more than anything he wanted you to grow up in a world that was safe and free, and he gave his life for that cause.”
Harry paused, wiping away a tear that had stolen down his cheek. Truth be told, he still hadn’t grieved the loss of Remus yet; the man who was his teacher, his friend, his mentor, his last remaining link to his parents.
“I didn’t know your mum that well to be honest,” he continued a few minutes later when he had composed himself. “She loved your dad madly. She fought for him. She had an amazing spirit. She was strong, smart. And she would fall over or bump into something every other day,” Harry laughed, remembering all the times he had seen Tonks walk into the wall or trip over something.
Silence reigned for a few moments, Harry staring at nothing, barely aware of the fact that Teddy still had not let go of his finger.
“But I don’t want you to worry, okay, Teddy. You’re not alone. You have your grandma and you have me. I won’t let you grow up alone. I’ll come and visit all the time, and you can come and stay with me whenever you want. Your dad, I think he chose me to be your godfather because he knew that I would do everything in my power to make sure that, if he and your mum weren’t around to love you, you would not grow up alone and unloved. And you won’t. I promise you that.”
He absentmindedly scratched his leg for a moment.
“I don’t have a family, not really. No parents, no siblings. My only blood relations, well, let’s just leave that story for another time. But you know what? I made my own. Ron and Hermione, my best friends I told you about before, they are my family. And now you are my family too. You and me, we’re a team. We can look after each other. I can’t replace your parents, but I can be there for you, whenever you need me. Always.”
Harry finally looked back down at Teddy. Those big, brown eyes were still locked on him, as though he had been listening intently to every word Harry had said. As though he believed him. Harry dipped his head and placed a kiss on Teddy’s forehead.
The chair kept rocking, Harry holding Teddy until he fell back asleep. Harry’s arms began to tire from his weight but he could not yet bear to part with his godson. Harry closed his eyes.
I’ll take care of him, Remus. I promise.