(no subject)
Title: Bonding
Rating: PG-13 for swears
Fandom: HP
Characters: Harry, Teddy
Warnings: Cavities from fluff; DH, which you should have read by now.
Summary: It was ridiculous, really, fearing an innocent child for no particular reason.
Teddy was a sweet baby. He only cried when he was hungry or needed his nappies changed. He smiled whenever anyone paid him any attention. His hair changed colours at random intervals, making him the center of attention any time he left the house, something he didn't mind at all. He loved to be fussed over, always happy, smiling, gurgling.
And he scared Harry half to death.
It was ridiculous, really, fearing an innocent child for no particular reason. But Harry feared him none-the-less. He'd never been around babies before. He didn't know what to do with them at all. They were small and helpless and Harry was afraid.
Though he was lawfully Teddy's godfather, he obviously couldn't care for a child on his own. He was only eighteen, after all. So Teddy lived with his grandmother, Andromeda, and Harry visited every weekend. It was stressful, but Teddy was his godson. Family. And his only remaining link to Remus. He couldn't just not see the boy because he didn't know what to do with him.
Andromeda was tolerant of Harry's fear in the beginning, never leaving the boys alone together, only making Harry hold Teddy as long as he could stand. She never approved, though. He could see her press her lips together every time Harry placed Teddy back into her arms or onto the floor to play. She grumbled every time Harry fled at the slightest hint of a whimper from Teddy. It wasn't right, a grown man fearing a babe. And after nearly six months of putting up with Harry's flighty behavior, she decided that there needed to be a change.
Harry's weekly visit came and Andromeda thrust Teddy into his arms the second he walked through the door. Harry squeaked, clutching Teddy reflexively, and stared at Andromeda with big eyes.
"Something's happened. I will return in two hours. You know where the nappies are. The food is in the cupboard beside the sink," Andromeda said breezily, gathering her things. Harry whimpered pitifully. "You'll be fine," she assured him, patting his cheek tenderly. She kissed his forehead, then the top of Teddy's head, and swept out the door before Harry could move.
He could only stare for a moment, blinking at the child in his arms. Teddy gazed back calmly.
...Bugger.
*****
It wasn't so bad, Harry supposed. Teddy played happily with his toys on the floor while Harry sat on the sofa and fretted. They lasted nearly twenty minutes before Teddy turned to look at Harry and whimpered plaintively, holding up his arms. Harry froze. Oh hell. This was it. Harry slowly stood and lifted Teddy into his arms, cradling him carefully against his chest. So far, so good. He brought Teddy into the kitchen and settled him into his seat. Teddy whined.
"Bugger," Harry mumbled, digging a jar of mashed carrots from the cupboard and a spoon from the drawer. "Alright," he said, sitting in front of Teddy and opening the jar. "We can do this, mate."
Teddy disagreed. As soon as Harry had a bit of the mush on a spoon, Teddy screwed up his face and shook his head. Harry tried again. Teddy pushed his hand away and let out a wail.
"Shit," Harry muttered, putting the mush aside and scooping Teddy into his arms. "Nappy, then?" he asked, heading for the nursery. But Teddy was dry. Harry changed him anyway, bringing him back into the sitting room. The second he tried to place Teddy back on the floor with his toys, the boy burst into tears and clung desperately to him. Harry stared at the boy in his arms. The boy that never cried unless he was hungry or wet. The boy that was neither of those things at the moment.
"Shit," Harry said again, holding Teddy close and stroking his back soothingly. It worked when Hermione or Ginny cried, perhaps it would work for Teddy. "...Your grandmother put you up to this, didn't she?" he asked Teddy as the boy sniffled pathetically and pressed his face into Harry's neck. "And I expect I'll be holding you until she comes home?" Teddy fisted his tiny hands into Harry's shirt. Harry sighed quietly and sat on the sofa, gently brushing his fingers through Teddy's hair. "I suppose this won't be so bad."
As it turned out, it wasn't so bad. Whatever was bothering Teddy didn't bother him nearly so much with Harry holding him. So Harry sat. And held. After thirty minutes, Harry stretched out on the sofa, Teddy curled up on his chest. After forty-five minutes, Teddy's eyes were closed and his breathing was steady. After fifty minutes, Harry's eyelids were feeling heavy. After fifty-four minutes and nineteen seconds, both boys were sound asleep.
That was the sight Andromeda returned to. Harry and Teddy were curled up together on her sofa and looking for all the world like father and son. Or perhaps brothers, she told herself. Not father and son. But they made such a handsome pair that Andromeda regretted having to disturb them.
She touched Harry's arm gently, smiling when he blinked sleepily at her. "I see things went well," she murmured. Harry smiled back at her and nodded for a moment, then shook his head.
"Something's wrong," he mumbled, stroking Teddy's hair tenderly. "He was crying. Tried to feed him, changed his nappy, didn't work. Wouldn't let me put him down."
Andromeda touched Teddy's forehead and cooed softly. "Probably getting a tooth in, the poor dear. He doesn't seem to have a fever." Harry nodded, closing his eyes again.
"M'kay," he whispered. "M'gonna sleep a bit longer. Don't want to wake 'im." Andromeda's smile grew and she kissed Harry's forehead.
"Sweet dreams, dear boy."
Harry never really wanted to put Teddy down again, after that.
Rating: PG-13 for swears
Fandom: HP
Characters: Harry, Teddy
Warnings: Cavities from fluff; DH, which you should have read by now.
Summary: It was ridiculous, really, fearing an innocent child for no particular reason.
Teddy was a sweet baby. He only cried when he was hungry or needed his nappies changed. He smiled whenever anyone paid him any attention. His hair changed colours at random intervals, making him the center of attention any time he left the house, something he didn't mind at all. He loved to be fussed over, always happy, smiling, gurgling.
And he scared Harry half to death.
It was ridiculous, really, fearing an innocent child for no particular reason. But Harry feared him none-the-less. He'd never been around babies before. He didn't know what to do with them at all. They were small and helpless and Harry was afraid.
Though he was lawfully Teddy's godfather, he obviously couldn't care for a child on his own. He was only eighteen, after all. So Teddy lived with his grandmother, Andromeda, and Harry visited every weekend. It was stressful, but Teddy was his godson. Family. And his only remaining link to Remus. He couldn't just not see the boy because he didn't know what to do with him.
Andromeda was tolerant of Harry's fear in the beginning, never leaving the boys alone together, only making Harry hold Teddy as long as he could stand. She never approved, though. He could see her press her lips together every time Harry placed Teddy back into her arms or onto the floor to play. She grumbled every time Harry fled at the slightest hint of a whimper from Teddy. It wasn't right, a grown man fearing a babe. And after nearly six months of putting up with Harry's flighty behavior, she decided that there needed to be a change.
Harry's weekly visit came and Andromeda thrust Teddy into his arms the second he walked through the door. Harry squeaked, clutching Teddy reflexively, and stared at Andromeda with big eyes.
"Something's happened. I will return in two hours. You know where the nappies are. The food is in the cupboard beside the sink," Andromeda said breezily, gathering her things. Harry whimpered pitifully. "You'll be fine," she assured him, patting his cheek tenderly. She kissed his forehead, then the top of Teddy's head, and swept out the door before Harry could move.
He could only stare for a moment, blinking at the child in his arms. Teddy gazed back calmly.
...Bugger.
*****
It wasn't so bad, Harry supposed. Teddy played happily with his toys on the floor while Harry sat on the sofa and fretted. They lasted nearly twenty minutes before Teddy turned to look at Harry and whimpered plaintively, holding up his arms. Harry froze. Oh hell. This was it. Harry slowly stood and lifted Teddy into his arms, cradling him carefully against his chest. So far, so good. He brought Teddy into the kitchen and settled him into his seat. Teddy whined.
"Bugger," Harry mumbled, digging a jar of mashed carrots from the cupboard and a spoon from the drawer. "Alright," he said, sitting in front of Teddy and opening the jar. "We can do this, mate."
Teddy disagreed. As soon as Harry had a bit of the mush on a spoon, Teddy screwed up his face and shook his head. Harry tried again. Teddy pushed his hand away and let out a wail.
"Shit," Harry muttered, putting the mush aside and scooping Teddy into his arms. "Nappy, then?" he asked, heading for the nursery. But Teddy was dry. Harry changed him anyway, bringing him back into the sitting room. The second he tried to place Teddy back on the floor with his toys, the boy burst into tears and clung desperately to him. Harry stared at the boy in his arms. The boy that never cried unless he was hungry or wet. The boy that was neither of those things at the moment.
"Shit," Harry said again, holding Teddy close and stroking his back soothingly. It worked when Hermione or Ginny cried, perhaps it would work for Teddy. "...Your grandmother put you up to this, didn't she?" he asked Teddy as the boy sniffled pathetically and pressed his face into Harry's neck. "And I expect I'll be holding you until she comes home?" Teddy fisted his tiny hands into Harry's shirt. Harry sighed quietly and sat on the sofa, gently brushing his fingers through Teddy's hair. "I suppose this won't be so bad."
As it turned out, it wasn't so bad. Whatever was bothering Teddy didn't bother him nearly so much with Harry holding him. So Harry sat. And held. After thirty minutes, Harry stretched out on the sofa, Teddy curled up on his chest. After forty-five minutes, Teddy's eyes were closed and his breathing was steady. After fifty minutes, Harry's eyelids were feeling heavy. After fifty-four minutes and nineteen seconds, both boys were sound asleep.
That was the sight Andromeda returned to. Harry and Teddy were curled up together on her sofa and looking for all the world like father and son. Or perhaps brothers, she told herself. Not father and son. But they made such a handsome pair that Andromeda regretted having to disturb them.
She touched Harry's arm gently, smiling when he blinked sleepily at her. "I see things went well," she murmured. Harry smiled back at her and nodded for a moment, then shook his head.
"Something's wrong," he mumbled, stroking Teddy's hair tenderly. "He was crying. Tried to feed him, changed his nappy, didn't work. Wouldn't let me put him down."
Andromeda touched Teddy's forehead and cooed softly. "Probably getting a tooth in, the poor dear. He doesn't seem to have a fever." Harry nodded, closing his eyes again.
"M'kay," he whispered. "M'gonna sleep a bit longer. Don't want to wake 'im." Andromeda's smile grew and she kissed Harry's forehead.
"Sweet dreams, dear boy."
Harry never really wanted to put Teddy down again, after that.