Author's Note: Big thank you/shout out to scrumptiousinternetllama for suggesting this one!

I still don't own Harry Potter.

The Man in The Moon

Teddy Lupin-Potter had always known he wasn't normal.

It wasn't that, as a child, he had always wondered why his natural hair was blonde and his eyes were grey, when the rest of his family had red or black hair and green or brown eyes.

It wasn't that, once he had gotten older, he had been told that he was born from a different set of parents than his brothers and sisters.

It wasn't even that he was a wizard, or a Metamorphmagus.

It was that, one night a month, Teddy was forced to lie around in pain. It was that, one night a month, Teddy's limbs felt older than his Mum's Great-Aunt Muriel. It was that, once a month, his Mum rubbed his shoulders, handed him a big mug of hot chocolate, and let him stay up as late as he wanted. It was that, as a kid, once a month he had thought that he wasnormal. Even with his blonde hair and his grey eyes, his ability to look just like the old man down the street, and his tenancy to turn all of the weeds in the yard into flowers when his sisters were sad, he was normal. Because his best friend Victoire, she was just like him.

That one night each month, Victoire would complain about aches and pains too. She got hot chocolate, her shoulders rubbed, and they were both allowed to stay up late, giggling and watching movies until dawn broke across the sky the next day. They were two peas in the pod, both suffering from something that was somehow less horrid than it should have been simply because they had it in common.

But then Vic started to complain less and less. While Teddy was keeping busy all night to take his mind off of the soreness in his bones, she was yawning and dozing off in peace. Finally, on her 7th birthday, Victoire didn't complain at all. In fact, she declared that she was just fine, and she didn't want to stay up with Teddy that night. Instead, she wanted to have all of her friends over for a sleepover, to celebrate her birthday.

All of her female friends, that is. Teddy was not invited.

After that night, Victoire and Teddy tried to go back to their normal routine, but things were…off.

Vic was still his best friend, but they both knew that they were no longer the same. Still, they struggled on, trying to pretend that they still had everything possible in common and not acknowledging the fact that they both knew it wasn't true.

Then one night, while sneaking down to the kitchen to steal sweets to take to their fort the next day, Teddy and Vic overheard some of the parents talking. They were talking about how Victoire was incredibly lucky, because now she was "normal". They were talking about how she was now able to live a "normal life". They were celebrating.

Then they started talking about Teddy. They didn't think that Teddy would ever "not be afflicted". They didn't think he would ever live a "normal life". They did not think that Ted was "normal", nor did they think he would ever become "normal".

The words stung, but not as much as the fact that Victoire, who would once have broken down the door at the first ill word they spoke about Teddy, now simply ducked her head when he glanced her way.

Ted couldn't meet Vic's eyes after that. They didn't talk about it, instead they went back upstairs, and Victoire went to bed while Teddy went and cried in the shower.

After that, Teddy knew that there was something wrong with him. He began paying attention to that one night each month. And he began to learn things.

Like the fact that he was only affected on full moons. And the fact that, while he was definitely not a werewolf, he wasn't, from what he could tell, anything else that the Wizarding World knew of either.

Vic no longer stayed up with him. If the parents wondered about it they kept their questions to themselves. Ted tried not to show how much it affected him, but he was utterly crushed. Vic had been his best friend for as long as he could remember, but now she was treating him like he was diseased.

He had to find out what was wrong with him. He knew that finding that out could get Vic back on his side. She used to be like him, something had tied them together at one point, and Teddy was going to find out what.

He waited until everyone had gone to bed but his parents. Vic and her family were at their home that night, so he didn't have to worry about them.

His parents kissed him on each cheek, getting ready to go to bed themselves. Teddy knew it was time, so just before his parents disappeared up the stairs he whispered, "Dad?"

His Dad stopped, then kissed his Mum on her cheek before waving her the rest of the way up the stairs. He walked back down the stairs and moved to sit next to Teddy on the couch.

"What's wrong Ted?" His Dad asked.

Teddy had a whole speech planned out. He had an entire argument for why his Dad should just tell him why he was different. He had planned to be mature and collected; he hadn't planned for the words that just spilled out of his mouth.

"Dad, what's wrong with me?"

His Dad's expression turned very upset, and he quickly leaned forward, placing his hands on Teddy's shoulders. "Teddy, there is nothing "wrong" with you. You are kind, brave young man, and all of your cousins and siblings look up to you. And for a very long list of good reasons too, I might add. Why on Earth would you even consider there being something wrong with you?"

And just like that, Ted was angry. He always found that he was quick to anger on those nights, but having Vic around had always helped him keep his temper. But now he was done.

"Because I heard Uncle Bill, Aunt Fleur, Uncle Percy, and Aunt Penny talking about it!" Teddy yelled. His Dad closed his eyes, as though that would make his words disappear. "They were saying that Vic was "normal" now, but that I wouldn't ever be! Why aren't I normal Dad? I do all my chores, I help Mum take care of the itty-bitties, I clean up after myself, I'm nice to everyone, I don't whine and complain…I'm a good kid, Dad! Or I try to be, at least. So why am I different when all the others are the same?"

When Teddy's Dad opened his eyes again, Ted was stunned to see tears shining there. "Can you wait here for a moment?" His Dad asked him. Teddy was so stunned to see his Dad fighting off tears that he simply nodded, numbly.

His Dad stood, walking into his study at the end of the hall. Teddy absentmindedly rubbed his aching knee, utterly confused and upset. When his Dad returned he was holding a piece of paper in his hands. He held it out to Teddy, who took it without question.

It was a photograph. In the picture stood a woman that Teddy recognized to be his mother. His real mother, not his Mum. And next to her was…his father.

Teddy had photos of his parents. He had a few of them together, and many, many more of them separate. But this picture was so different. In this picture, his parents were standing before an altar. His mother was wearing a white dress, a beautiful veil falling down the back of her head. Her hair was bubble-gum pink, and her head was tipped upward to give a 100-watt smile to his father.

And his father…

Teddy had many pictures of his father. He knew about the scars that lined his face, and the grey hairs that prematurely peppered his head. But in the picture before him, his father's face looked as though it had lines carved into his face. His whole face was slightly tinged grey, and he looked utterly exhausted.

Ted had hardly glanced at the photo before his gaze was snapping back up to meet his Dad's.

"Dad. Why does he look like that?" He demanded.

His Dad sighed. "Tonks insisted…said it proved her love for him. Remus claimed to think it ridiculous, but I think really it pleased him…" He muttered.

"Tonks? You mean my mother? Insisted on what?" Ted questioned.

His Dad shook his head, as though he were clearing cobwebs from his brain. "I'm sorry Teddy. Yes, Tonks as in your mother. She preferred to go by her surname, and let me tell you, it was weird to hear people referring to her as Dora after she married your father. I was referring to the fact that your mother insisted on marrying your father right after a full moon."

Teddy's mind was racing. "So, you mean…my father…he was like me? He got sick on full moons too? So I'm not the only one like me; I'm not different. I mean, if he was like me, then you must know why I'm like this!" He rambled. "Is there a cure? Of course there isn't, if there were you would have bought it for me by now. So what…why are you looking at me like that?"

His Dad was looking at Ted like he had to tell him their owl had just died. "Teddy…you father…he…I mean…"

Teddy was impatient. "I know, he was like me!" His Dad shook his head. "What then?"

His Dad took a deep breath. "Teddy, your father was a werewolf."

What?

Ted was numb.

"…what?" He croaked.

"Your father was a werewolf," His Dad repeated, gently.

"But then-he…he was a monster!" Teddy gasped.

"Ted, no-" His Dad tried to protest, but he was having none of it.

"No, he was. He wanted to hurt people, to turn them! And my mother, she loved him anyways, she had a kid with him! And me, I'm part werewolf! I'm a monster too, that's why they said they I couldn't ever be normal" Teddy's Dad was trying desperately to interrupt him, but Ted had a bad habit of rambling when he was completely overwhelmed with one emotion, and it was hard to get him to stop once he had started. "I'm horrible, why would you take me in? You should have left me on the streets, not let me around your children! What if I just turn into one one day? What if I hurt someone? Oh Merlin. I'm a freak!"

It was that word that seemed to make something snap in his Dad. He leapt to his feet, taking Ted's shoulders in his hands and looking him in the eye. "Teddy Remus Lupin-Potter, you are the furthest thing possible from a freak. You are not "part werewolf", there's no such thing. You just get tired on full moons because your father was afflicted. And werewolves are not monsters. They're human beings, who don't always have control over themselves. Sometimes the human that is a werewolf is a monster, like Greyback was, but being a werewolf doesn't make someone a monster. And I don't ever want to hear you say a bad word against either of your parents. Your parents were some of the kindest, bravest, and most amazing people I ever met. And they loved and cared about each other, and about you so much."

Teddy sniffed. "But…"

His Dad shook his head, moving back to sit on the sofa. "No buts. Teddy, I know we've told you about your parents some, but you've always been so reluctant to hear about them because you think Ginny and I are your only "real parents". Which is incredibly flattering, don't get me wrong, but it's not true in the slightest. Remus and To-Dora, they loved you so much. I remember just after you were born, Remus all but broke down the door in Shell Cottage, hollering about his new son and telling anyone who would listen about how you were so beautiful, perfect, and normal. There was no one who was more concerned about you than your father, Ted. The very thought of you having to grow up with the knowledge that you had a werewolf for a father or-worse-knowing that your father had made you a werewolf, if that were to be how you turned out, made him want to cry. But he loved you so much. They both did."

Teddy rubbed his eyes lightly. "Can you…can you tell me about them?"

His Dad grinned. "Of course! Let's see…we'll start with your mother. Merlin, she was something else. She was absolutely comfortable in her own skin, let me tell you. She wore her hair bright pink most of the time, and she could have had any face in the world, but she chose a simple, pretty appearance and stuck with it."

"Wait," Teddy interrupted. "So she didn't wear her own features? I thought you said she was comfortable in her own skin?"

His Dad groaned. "Okay, I guess I need to reword that. Your mother was comfortable in who she was, not in her own skin. You see, I never saw Dora's real look until after she had passed away, but she looked very similar to her aunt. And I mean very similar."

Teddy frowned. "Who, Narcissa Malfoy?"

His Dad let out a dark chuckle. "No, not Narcissa. Your mother looked quite a bit like Bellatrix Lestrange."

Teddy froze. He knew he was related to her, that she was his Grandmum's sister, but to hear that his mother looked just like her…

"Teddy?" His Dad said, sounding concerned. "Dora was nothing like Bellatrix. I promise you."

Ted knew that his Dad was telling the truth, so he sucked a breath and moved on. "So, when you said you never saw her real appearance until after she died, did you mean that she looked normal after death?"

His Dad looked sad. "No. She looked the same after death as she did in life. No, the reason I say that is because I only saw the picture in your hands shortly after we adopted you."

Teddy was confused. So…his Dad was saying that the picture he held in his hands was the only place he had ever seen his mother's real form?

What happened next happened so quickly that Teddy could hardly process it. His gaze snapped down to look at the photograph, then his Dad's hands were darting to cover it up.

"Ted-no! Wait one second!" His Dad yelled. Teddy could only stare at him in confusion. He had a picture of his mother's true appearance before him and his Dad wouldn't let him look? "Let me explain really quickly. It will make the picture that much more precious, I promise you. The reason your mother wore her real features in this picture because this picture is the exact moment your parents said 'I do'. Your mother married your father the night after a full moon because she wanted to show him that she would love him exactly as he was. Even after he had spent a night tearing at his own skin, without any bit of control over his own actions, she would love him. And he wanted to say 'I do' to her with her real features because he wanted to show her that he would love her as she was, but he wanted her to do the rest of the wedding with her chosen looks because he also wanted her to know that he would love her however she chose to be. It's kind of beautiful, isn't it Ted?"

Teddy could only nod, blinking hard to keep from crying. His Dad moved his hands away from the picture, and Ted let his gaze fall on the image.

His mother was grinning up at his father, just like before. But then, as Teddy watched, her features shifted, and suddenly she looked different.

And she was stunning. Teddy could hardly believe just how beautiful his mother was. Sure, she looked similar to her aunt, but she also looked younger, and not completely crazy like Bellatrix had. She looked a bit like Teddy's Grandmum, in all honesty, but there was no denying that her deep set, jet black curls matched her more closely to Bellatrix. Still, Teddy couldn't help but think that his mother was a bit more beautiful…

He barely tore his gaze away from his lovely mother to watch his father's image mouth 'I do'. He was more than a bit touched when his mother mouthed 'I do' in return, fading back to her chosen appearance somewhere between the two words.

Teddy looked at his Dad. "So she was pretty beautiful, huh?"

He smiled. "Dora was lovely, but not in the way you're thinking. You have to remember, I never knew her as that face. I knew the Nymphadora Tonks, and later Lupin, who changed her face to resemble animals at dinnertime just to hear people laugh. I knew the woman who greeted everyone with 'wotcher' and wore a leather jacket and combat boots because she felt like it. I knew the woman who treated Ginny Weasley, your Mum, as a little sister when she could, sometimes even wearing her hair ginger so they matched. I knew the woman who tripped over own feet like someone had hexed her. I knew the woman who worked her arse off to become a female Auror fresh out of Hogwarts, and who wasn't afraid to stand up to the most grizzled, gnarled, and fiercest Aurors for the littlest things, like calling her by her full name. The woman who loved your father so deeply she was depressed when he wouldn't accept that he was in love with someone significantly younger than him. The woman who loved her husband so much that she snuck into the final battle to be by his side, even though it broke her heart to leave her baby boy behind. She loved you and your father so much Teddy. And she was absolutely amazing."

Ted smiled a bit, a warm, fuzzy feeling humming in his chest. "She sounds amazing," He agreed. He was slightly scared of ruining the beautiful feeling inside him as he hesitantly asked, "What about my father?"

But his Dad's smile grew so wide that, for a moment, Teddy thought his face would split in two.

"Your father was brilliant Ted. He was the best teacher I've ever had. He really made a difference in my life. You know he was the one to teach me how to cast a Patronus?"

Teddy shook his head, eyes wide with amazement. He knew that the Patronus charm had saved his Dad's life many times.

"Well he was. I was getting tormented for how badly the dementors affected me, so he taught me how to get rid of them. It was one of the kindest things anyone had ever done for me at that point in my life, and especially the one of the kindest things any adult had ever done. Oh, and you know how my dad was one of the Marauders?" He waited for Teddy to nod. "Well that's one of the many things you and I have in common."

Ted felt his jaw drop, and his Dad laughed.

"Yeah, your father was a Marauder too. Moony, in fact."

Teddy was awed. "Moony…so the Marauders knew?"

His Dad grinned. "Knew? Ted, the whole reason the Marauders became Animagus is because they wanted to be able to keep your father company on full moons."

Teddy was floored. "That's incredible! What else do you know about my father? Was he funny? Did he read a lot? What did he do? How long was he a part of the Order? That's where he met my mother, right?"

His Dad looked pleased at all of his questions, if not a bit overwhelmed. "Your father was pretty funny; he was apparently the mastermind behind most of the Marauder pranks. Yes he read a lot; Sirius always teased him about how well read he was. He took whatever work he could because in those days, back before your Aunt 'Mione passed laws against being prejudiced towards magical creatures, or humans with magical afflictions, werewolves had a very hard time finding jobs. But he was, as I said, a kick-arse teacher. And he joined the Order fresh out of Hogwarts, at the same time as my parents, and he was apart of it until the day he died, so I'd say about twenty or twenty-one years. And yes, that's how he met your mother."

Ted smiled. "They sound great. I wish I could have met them…but I'm glad I grew up with great parents like you and Mum."

His Dad gave him an affectionate look. "And we're glad to have a great kid like you. Now, speaking of your Mum, she's probably laying awake in bed right now, wondering what on Earth you and I are talking about down here."

Teddy snorted. "Or she's sitting on the stairs, listening in."

They both laughed.

"And to answer your question about Victoire, from earlier, we think that she's no longer affected because her father was scratched by a werewolf, but not turned. He's essentially got what you have, so she only had some of the symptoms for a little while," His Dad said suddenly.

Teddy took that in while his Dad let out a huge yawn.

"I'll let you get to bed," Teddy told him.

"Thanks Ted. You going to come up that way?"

He nodded. Lying in bed for a while sounded rather nice.

They ascended the stairs together. Once they reached the top they moved to go their separate ways, whispering good nights as they went.

"Oh wait, Teddy?" His Dad called softly. Teddy froze, letting his Dad walk over to him and grasp his shoulders. "I know you often wonder why we adopted you, rather then letting your Grandmum have you."

Ted nodded slowly.

"Well, you and I have a lot of things in common. But one big thing is that we're both orphans of war. And I know that Andromeda would have loved you and cared for you as if you were her own child, but I also know that she had been in a state of deep grief, with her only child and her husband having both just been killed. And the thing that she needed at that moment was solitude. See, Gin and I, we were grieving too. But having you gave us someone to dote on; someone to care for and love, and you helped us with our grief. Andromeda would never have told you that taking you in so soon after the end of the war burdened her, but there was always the chance that you would have found out anyways. And that's one thing I never wanted you and I to have in common-feeling like the people who took you in would have been happier without you. Your Mum and I have never, ever regretted making you ours. We love you so much, and not "like you're our own son". We love you because you are our son. And you make us so proud, every single day."

He ruffled Teddy's hair, pretending not to notice the tears Ted was trying desperately to blink away.

"Good night son," He whispered, turning and disappearing into his bedroom. Teddy remained frozen for a moment, before deciding he needed somewhere quiet to sit.

Teddy climbed up to sit cross-legged on the roof, tipping his head back to enjoy the breeze. He had to smile as the full moon shone down on his face.

And in that moment, sitting on the roof gazing at the Man in the Moon, with the aches and pains in his joints finally explained and the photograph of his parents smiling up at him from within his hands, Teddy thought that he had never held anything so precious.

But a few moments later, when Phoenix crawled right across the roof and into his lap, staring up at him with the innocent admiration of a little sister for her big brother, Teddy Lupin-Potter found that he was forced to reconsider.

The thing with Phoenix was put in at the end to show that, as much as Teddy loves Remus and Tonks, the family that he grew up with will always hold a very special spot in his heart.

scrumptiousinternetllama: I'm glad you liked last chap! Hopefully this one was everything you were hoping for! Thank you for your reviews and again for the suggestion!

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