Remus Lupin woke to the dull sound of crying coming from the room next door. He felt his wife beside him stir, but she hadn't woken. He smiled and slipped from the bed.

Come stop your crying, it will be all rightJust take my hand, hold it tightI will protect you from all around youI will be here don't you cry

He pushed the door gently open and couldn't suppress a grin when the sobs abruptly ended in a curious gurgle as his baby son saw him enter. A pair of chubby fists waved from the cot.

For one so small, you seem so strongMy arms will hold you keep you safe and warmThis bond between us can't be brokenI will be here don't you cry

"Hello kiddo," Remus whispered, dipping his fingers over the bars and chuckling as Teddy tried to grab them in his vice-like grip.

"Ba, ba, ba," he was burbling as he tried to bat at them, hair changing the turquoise blue it reverted to when he was contented.

And you'll be in my heartYes; you'll be in my heartFrom this day onNow and forever more

Remus slipped his hands beneath his son and lifted him up in the air above his head. Excited, Teddy let out a shriek, but his father shushed him, laughing.

"Shhh, Teds, you'll wake up mummy!"

Immediately Teddy hushed, a gummy grin lighting up his face as he burbled happily, waving his arms, fingers brushing Remus's hair.

You'll be in my heartNo matter what they sayYou'll be here in my heartAlways

"I guess you've got your mum's fashion sense," Remus murmured, cradling Teddy in the crook of his arm and tousling the boy's tuft of sapphire hair which stuck up like duck fluff, "Can you do my hair?"

Teddy stared up at him for a few seconds, before his hair turned entirely charcoal grey. Remus's jaw dropped and eyebrows rose in mock horror.

"Cheeky! Less than a year old and already a marauder!"

Don't listen to them, cause what do they knowWe need each other, to have and to holdThey'll see in time, I know

Teddy giggled and clapped his hands together. Sandy brown cascaded down his head until he looked like a miniature of his father. He grinned and gazed up at him, blinking his large amber-gold eyes innocently.

"That's better," Remus murmured, smirking, and then tickled the baby until he shrieked again.

When destiny calls you, you must be strongI may not be with you, but you gotta hold onThey'll see in time, I knowWe'll show them together cuz

Remus raised his eyebrows at his son, who was curled up in the crook of his elbow, cheeks flushed with laughter.

"Here I am exciting you at three in the morning...you're supposed to be asleep, young man..."

Teddy smiled, then his gaze drifted to the open window in the corner of his room. The curtains were flapping in the night breeze.

You'll be in my heartI believe, you'll be in my heartI'll be here from this day onNow and forever more

Remus ventured over to the window and gazed out at the night sky. Stars littered the black expanse, and in the middle, there was the moon. Three quarters, he thought grimly, the full moon couldn't be more than a week away.

He looked down at Teddy, whose tiny fingers were gripping the windowsill. The baby had been born a few days after the April full moon, so he was yet to experience the horrors of lycanthropy. This next week would influence the rest of the boy's life. Was Teddy a werewolf? They would find out soon.

Remus sighed and closed the curtains.

You'll be in my heartNo matter what they sayYou'll be here in my heart always

After a few seconds' morbid dwelling on what the poor child's life would be like if he had inherited his father's curse and pacing round the room, Remus glanced down at his son.

Teddy was fast asleep, fists gripping Remus's pyjama top, curled up in his father's arms. Remus beamed proudly.

"Night-night Teddy," he whispered, lowering the baby into his cot and bending over the bars to kiss him on the forehead, "I love you."

Always...I'll be with youI'll be there for you alwaysAlways and always

Remus stroked the baby's hair, smiling fondly, before tucking his star-sprinkled blanket around him. As he walked out of the room, he allowed himself one last glance over his shoulder at the sleeping child, and thanked God and Merlin and everything above him that he had been blessed with such a son.

Just look over your shoulderJust look over your shoulderJust look over your shoulder

Fourteen year-old Teddy Lupin stood beside his classmates in Defence Against the Dark Arts class, wand gripped in his clammy hand.

"Now, kids, you know what to do, on the count of three. One,"

Teddy raised his wand, gulping.

"Two,"

He closed his eyes, conjuring up the cherished memory,

"Three!"

"Night-night Teddy, I love you."

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Thirty voices rang out at the same time, owners holding their wands aloft.

Teddy gasped in delight as silver substance flowed from the tip of his wand. It swirled in the air for a few seconds, before swooping down and creating the form of a large wolf.

The animal bounded around him, then stopped and nuzzled his leg, a friendly wolf-grin on his face.

Teddy felt his heart swell as he remembered the words of his teacher earlier:

"'Patronum' is a Latin word, meaning guardian or protector, stem originating from 'patron' which means 'father'. So translated, 'expecto patronum' literally means 'I expect my father'."

Ted Lupin was an orphan. For years he had believe that his father had abandoned he and his mother to fight, but now he knew different.

His father was right here beside him.

I'll be there always