Theodore Lupin remembered the bump in the carpeting a moment too late, and the large pile of parchment he was carrying went scattering throughout the ministry corridor as he tripped. Unfortunately for him, he had inherited his mother’s sense of balance.

He scurried to gather everything up before someone saw his latest blunder. He was picking up the last of the parchment, when he heard the slightest of chuckles from behind him. He turned around and stood up struggling to keeps the sheets in his grasp.

“Wotcher Harry,” he said, the tips of his ears and his sideburns turning a little red.

Harry’s eyes twinkled with repressed humor as he tried not to laugh at the young man. After all, it was Ted’s first day of work since his promotion into the Magical Law Enforcement office. And Harry knew that, just as any young man beginning his career, Ted wished greatly to be taken seriously. It was usually easy for people to do so; Teddy had been told on more than one occasion that he was made up of the best parts of both his parents. He had gained the studious gentle nature of his father, and the cheery (boarding on boisterous) side of his mother. He was extraordinarily bright and always dressed very neatly. He even kept his features natural while he was at work, strengthening his uncanny resemblance to his father. Yes, it was usually very easy to take Teddy Lupin seriously. That is until he displayed his total lack of poise. However, his mother had managed to overcome that obstacle and Harry had little doubt Ted would too.

“You doing anything important Teddy,” Harry said, now remembering why he had sought out his godson.

“I was actually just going to take these up to the Auror Department,” said Teddy, motioning to the pile of parchment in his arms, “Midgen said they were needed right away.”

“Excellent,” said Harry grabbing the stack of documents. He turned Teddy around back toward the door in which he had just come, “Then I’ll take these, and you can humor my curiosity for a moment.”

They entered Teddy’s office and Harry couldn’t help but be reminded of the cupboard in which he’d spent the early portion of his childhood. The tiny room was barely wide enough to fit a single desk and chair and its lack of windows resulted in rather poor lighting. Nonetheless Harry was impressed that at 20 Teddy had an office at all.

Harry sat on the edge of the desk and feigned a stern look at Teddy. “Well, I was just wondering why I had to hear from Draco Malfoy that you just got your animagus license.”

“Oh well…you know I’ve only told Gram so far and umm…you know how she likes to brag about me. She probably sent Remmington to Great Aunt Cissy straight away. I’m surprised that old owl hasn't pelted you and Ron in the head yet,” Teddy explained. He grew nervous very quickly. Like his parents he was great at keeping secrets, but quite terrible at lying. “I was going to bring it up Friday at dinner,” he finished quickly.

Harry smirked slightly, having a hard time keeping up the pretense of being cross. “Well I just wanted to congratulate you. Did you know that you are the first person to register as an animagus this century?”

“They er- the testers did mention that when I was down there,” Teddy said. Harry noticed that the young man hadn’t quite met his eye.

“Well that’s quite a feat. Especially when the department records show you only registered that you were practicing three weeks ago,” Harry raised a skeptical eyebrow, and Teddy suddenly became profoundly interested in his shoe laces. “Did you know it took Minerva McGonagall the better part of two years to learn?”

“Yes well, they did say I was a natural. You know, being a metamorphamagus and all,” he glanced up to see that his godfather clearly wasn’t buying it.

“Teddy?” Harry’s voice hung somewhere between reproach and delight.

Teddy winced slightly and continued his investigation of his shoes.

“How long Ted?” Harry prodded further, hoping he sounded stern

Ted sighed deeply and his cheeks and hair went scarlet. “Oh alright…I had the majority of it figured out by the end of fifth year. But you can’t tell Gram.”

Harry said nothing but continued to stare firmly.

“Oh fine! Tell her then, but you’ll just be making more work for yourself," he slumped in his desk chair and continued, "You’re the one who’s gonna have to drag her off the Azkaban after she kills me.”

Harry could not longer suppress his amusement. He let out a hearty laugh and Teddy’s eyes filled with realization. Ted crumpled a piece of parchment and whipped it at Harry’s head.

“Well that was a dirty trick,” announced Teddy, “making me squirm like that.”

Harry regained his composure after a moment and smiled. “I’m sorry, it was just too easy. Besides you should know me better than that. Who am I to discourage that sort of mischief?”

“Exactly! I blame you for instilling that in me,” but he was smiling. "You, and Uncle Ron and Uncle George...Blimey I never had a chance, not with you lot as role models." They shared another chuckle.

“But seriously Ted, what ever possessed you to do that?” Harry asked out of plain curiosity.

“Again I blame you,” Teddy said pointedly. Harry raised an eyebrow again. “Do you remember the conversation we had before I went to Hogwarts?”

And suddenly Harry understood.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“Teddy you ready to go?” Harry called up Andromeda Tonks’ stairs. After a few minutes of no response Harry went up to see what was taking so long.

He pushed open the bedroom door in time to see Teddy jump off the corner of his bed. Harry saw him wiping his eyes with his sleeves as he turned away and made a mad dash to throw several more things into his trunk.

“I’m almost done,” Teddy said miserably trying to hide a sniffle.

Harry just sat on the edge of the bed and watched quietly. After Teddy seemed satisfied with his packing, he forced the trunk closed, stared at it for a moment, then trudged back over to the bed. He sat rather heavily next to Harry.

“You ready to tell me what’s wrong?” Harry asked the eleven year old.

Teddy just stared at the wall. His normally turquoise hair a flat brown.

Harry sighed lightly and put his arm around the boy. He knew what this was about, but he really hadn’t expected it. Unlike Harry’s childhood, Teddy had grown up being regaled with stories of his parents, with both pleasant and unpleasant details. The boy had a pretty firm grasp on who his parents had been and was fiercely proud of them. It had been awkward for him at times, because he knew his family was different, but the fact that he had a large (if somewhat unconventional) family was clear. He was so well adjusted that Harry tended to forget that at the end of the day Teddy Lupin was still just a little boy who had lost his parents.

“It’s ok to miss them you know,” Harry said softly. Teddy just turned and looked at him, a fresh batch of tears in his eyes. “It’s ok to wish they were here.”

The little boy nodded and wiped his eyes then looked very intently at Harry. Harry could see the confusion pouring off of him. “Why does this feel so bloody awful?”

Harry gave Teddy a solemn look. “Days like today are always hard. Days when it really feels like they should be here. You’ll never stop missing them, but I promise you the older you get, the more it stops hurting to miss them.”

Teddy just nodded and stared at the floor for a while. He wiped his eyes again and was decidedly more composed than before. He looked contemplative for a moment before asking, “Do you think I’ll make them proud?”

Harry was once again taken off guard by the question, he thought it profound coming from an eleven year old, but didn’t need to think about his response. “I know you already have.”

“But what if I’m no good at anything? What if I’m a terrible wizard?”

If Teddy hadn’t sounded so utterly terrified, Harry might have laughed. “You know, I asked Hagrid that same thing before I went to Hogwarts.”

“Really?” Teddy’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“Yes, really. I was certain I would be the dumbest git to ever enter the wizarding world. But I think I turned out alright, don’t you.” Teddy nodded furiously in agreement, still looking a little shocked. “And just between you and me, you know loads more than I did before I went to school.”

“No way!”

“I’m serious. You know how I was raised by muggles? Well they never told me anything about our world. When I left for Hogwarts I couldn’t have told you the difference between Cornish- pixy and a hippogriff.”

Teddy giggled at that. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

Harry held up his hand to swear, “I am not.”

“Wow. So you think I’ll be alright then?” Teddy said factually. He looked relieved, but there still seemed to be something else bothering him.

“You’ll be fine as long as you work hard and stay out of too much trouble.”

That seemed to be the exact thing that Teddy did not want to hear. He, already had mischief in his blood, and had spent far too much time at the Wizard Wheezes shop to not already be rather fond of complex pranks. Andromeda had little patience for it, but Harry supposed he was a bit of an enabler.

“That’s going to be difficult isn’t it,” Teddy said rather woefully. “I’m going to have to try though aren’t I? I mean Dad was a prefect and mum was an Auror. I can’t go around getting detentions all the time. They’d be right ashamed of me.” He finished by sitting up straighter and looking determined, but still incredibly depressed at the prospect of behaving himself.

“Oh, I don’t know about that.”

“But you just said-“

“I said stay out of too much trouble, as in don’t do anything that will get anyone hurt or expelled. You know, don’t go flying a Ford Anglia into the Whomping Willow or anything like that.” Teddy looked baffled and Harry waved his hand dismissively. “I’ll tell you when you’re older. Anyway, I think your parents would probably be pretty disappointed if you didn’t get yourself into a little trouble now and then,” Harry had a twinkle in his eye as he realized he’d prepared better for the day than he thought.

“What do you mean?”

“Well the first time I met your mum she told me the reason she was never a prefect at school was that she had a complete inability to stay out of trouble.”

“NO,” Teddy gasped astonished, but looking incredibly pleased.

“Oh indeed. You should ask Bill next time we see him. I’m sure he has stories. And as for your dad…well he was a Marauder wasn’t he?”

“A Ma-what-er?

Harry laughed, “A Marauder. You know all about how our dads were friends at Hogwarts and about your dad’s condition, but well…it was a bit more complicated then that.”

“Huh?”

For the next ten minutes Harry explained everything he knew about the birth of the Marauders and what a horrible influence James and Sirius were on Remus.

Teddy sat wide eyed, gaping at Harry, but otherwise looking ecstatic.

“Wow,” was all Teddy could manage, and then after a moment, “How come you never told me that before?”

Harry smiled rather wickedly at this, and pulled a particularly battered piece of parchment from his cloak. He was a little sad to be parting with this unusual heirloom, but he also knew it would be selfish to hang onto it at his age. “Because I wanted to wait until I gave you this.”

He handed the parchment to his godson, noting that Teddy very clearly found the gift odd.

“Umm, what is it?”

“Why don’t you ask it? Tap your wand to it and introduce yourself, let it know you’re a Marauder.”

“Alright,” Teddy looked even more confused. He pulled out his wand and tapped it to the paper. “I Teddy Lupin…” he looked at Harry who nodded in encouragement, “son of Remus Lupin and godson of Harry Potter..uumm..humbly ask what you are.”

Green ink began to swirl across the paper from nowhere. Harry’s smile grew even wider.

In the years since Hogwarts that he had it, Harry had discovered the Marauder’s Map had quite a few secrets to it. It was so much more than a map. Similar to the castle
portraits, the map was a magical imprint of those who’d created it. It could remember and process what it was told, and would respond appropriately to its owner’s inquiries.

' Mr. Wormtail would like to welcome Mr. Lupin and once again apologize on behalf of his future self, who was apparently a traitorous arse.'

'Mr. Padfoot sends his greetings to Mr. Lupin as well as his sympathies for Mr. Lupin having the blood of an incurable bookworm.'

'Mr. Prongs also sends his regards and would like to add his hopes that Mr. Lupin has not inherited his father’s furry little problem.'

'Mr. Moony conveys his warmest salutations and would like to remind everyone that he apparently out lived the three previous gits. '

Teddy looked up at Harry, his features frozen in amazement. Harry nodded his head back toward the map which had not finished.

'Mr. Padfoot acknowledges that Mr. Moony has a good point.'

'Mr. Wormtail apologizes again for his future self and suggests that Mr. Lupin solemly swear that he is up to no good if he wants to know more.

Mr. Prongs bids Mr. Lupin and Mr. Potter a good day.

Mr. Moony salutes the last marauders .

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

“The last marauders,” Harry stated understandingly, "The map helped you, didn't it?"

Teddy nodded. "It was during fourth year when we were learning the patronus charm. No one really knew what shape theirs took; everyone would just get silver mist. Professer Bottswell had told us that he didn't reckon any of us would be able to conjure a complete patronus until fifth or sixth year. But you'd already taught me the basics, so by the time I was done with the class I had a full bodied patronus."

"I remember that," Harry nodded, "You were really excited."

Teddy shook his head, "That's what I told you and Gram. I was devastated."

"Why would that upset you?" Harry asked.

"Because my patronus was a grizzly, like Granddad’s. I had been so sure it that it would be a wolf, take my dad's shape like yours did. I wanted so bad to have that connection to him. I thought that as the last two Marauders we should both have that little piece of them."

"So you became an animagus for him," realization dawned on Harry, "like his best mates." Harry’s smile widened with pride. "Alright then don't keep me waiting. Let's see it. What do you turn in to?"

Teddy looked amused at this. "Were you listening at all?" He stood up and took a step back, and Harry watched as his godson changed into a large gray wolf.

"Of course," he laughed and reached over and rubbed the wolf behind his ears.

Teddy barked happily but then padded back a few steps. The show wasn't over. He tilted his snout down in concentration and Harry looked on as the wolf's thick fur went pink then turquoise.

Harry laughed even more heartily at this. Teddy changed back also laughing. When they finally subsided the two shared a moment of comfortable silence, each giving a moment of appreciation to the past. Harry spoke first after a minute.

"Hey lets just keep this between us Marauders then," he said jovially. "If Andromeda finds out about that map you won't be the only one seeing a flash of green. Of the ways I've seen myself going, none of them have involved your Gram." He clapped Teddy on the back pleasantly.

Teddy laughed and nodded in agreement, "And with Azkaban's record of holding onto Blacks, we better not risk it."

"Tell you what, you and Victoire should stop by for dinner tonight. What do you want to eat? I'll owl Ginny and tell her we're celebrating.”

Teddy blushed a little again, "I wouldn't be adverse to some of her meatloaf."

"You got it,” Harry paused and looked down at his watch. “Alright, we have to get back to work. I'll see you at seven. He was almost completely out the door when he paused and turned around. "Oh and Teddy..."

Teddy looked up from where he was about to sit down at his desk, "Hmm."

"He'd be real proud of you. You know that right?"

Teddy wore a genuine, but slightly sad smile on his face. He responded quietly, "I always hoped. I figured he'd love that fact that I could control it...that I made something good from the memory of that part of him."

"He would. They both would," Harry confirmed. He left.

--------
As he finished up his work for the day Teddy surveyed his new office once more. He was rather pleased with what he had done with the drab little room. His new tweed jacket hung on a hook on the wall on the side of his desk. Under it was a battered briefcase, very clearly being held together magically, a faded R.J. the only thing still readable on its worn name plate. Among the stacks of quills and parchment on his desk sat a series of three photos, the only photo he had of he and his parents, a picture of him and Andromeda after his Hogwarts graduation, and his favorite picture of he and Victoire that she had given him. She had signed the bottom of it: So you don’t forget me while I’m at school. I love you Teddy Bear. He loved that picture and it was worth every bit torment he received from his uncle George for it.

On the back wall hung a very large family photo that had been taken on his seventeenth birthday. The Potters, the entire Weasley clan, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy, Andromeda Tonks and his own image all waved back at him happily.

A warm feeling rose up in his chest as he looked at the photos. He really was a lucky young man. Granted there were still times when he wished his parents could be there, when he really missed them, but Harry had been right. It didn’t hurt anymore. He had a loving family, a good job, and a beautiful girlfriend (who didn’t know that he had a diamond ring burning a hole in his desk drawer for her birthday next month). Yes, it was often hard to feel bad over the past when tomorrow always looked so good. It was when he was looking at this photo several weeks ago that Teddy finally understood what his parents had fought for. His current happiness, his bright future is why they gave their lives, and he new it would be disrespectful of their memory not to enjoy it.

It was right after he got his animagus license he knew it was time to move on. So as the first day of his new job came to a close, Teddy opened up his desk drawer and withdrew the infamous battered piece of parchment. The map that had helped him bridge the gap between past and present. He was thinking if he left it on Harry’s desk at home, with the proper clues, a certain young Gryffindor would most likely nick it. His time with the map was over and he just couldn’t let the tradition die. He nodded in confirmation to himself and chuckled slightly at how hazardous this parchment might be in the hands of another James Potter.

He felt a little odd as he tucked the map into the inside pocket of his jacket. He was closing off a chapter of his life. Even though he was 20 and had been working at the ministry for over two years, it felt like he was officially of age today.

He strode to the door, his chest light, feeling like his smile was permanently stamped on his face. He paused as he was about to turn out the light. He gave a meaningful glance to the ceiling and stared up at those he never got the chance to meet. He knew that they were watching, that they always had been.

As he closed the door he uttered the only two words that were appropriate for the moment. A salute and a goodbye to the Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Not the war heroes and traitor they had become, but rather the four mischievous young men frozen in time. The four that had helped him heal.

“Mischief managed.”


The End
_