Note: Here we are at the final curtain...

I'd just like to say thank you very much to everybody who has read and reviewed this fic! I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. A sequel to this fic is already in the works. It is called Without a Trace and you can find the first few chapters up already. I will also be posting a one shot called Anonymous, which, for once, is not AU! Yes, it's shocking! If you get round to reading them, I hope you like them too. =)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, J K Rowling does.

35: Hearing It

"I told you Daddy would be here! Didn't I tell you? Yes, I did! And he can see just how perfect you are, yes he can!"

Teddy Lupin simply stared at the scene before him.

This was weird, a voice somewhere in the back of his head observed. The boy considered taking a step forward to get a closer look at...himself, but his shock stopped this idea in it's tracks.

Teddy was stood in a familiar looking bedroom that did not seem any different from when, many years later, he had sat upon that very bed and read books whilst his grandmother pottered around in her kitchen downstairs. Younger Tonks was sat up in the bed, Younger Remus sat next to her, one foot upon the ground to stop himself falling from his narrow perch. They were both staring down at a squirming bundle of blankets nestled carefully in her arms.

"I also told Daddy that wandering off with Kingsley without telling me where he was going was a stupid idea." Younger Tonks was telling the baby meaningfully as she grinned down at him happily.

Teddy watched himself stare back at her with wide, mismatched eyes – one green and one brown. As Younger Tonks spoke the green shifted to blue.

"I told him to stick around in case you decided to make an appearance. Did he listen to Mummy? No, no he didn't!"

When Younger Remus made absolutely no response to her light jibe, she finally glanced up at him. "You could have missed everything!" she complained to her glass-eyed husband. "My Mum's gonna kill you, I completely flipped when she said she didn't know where you were."

"I got here in time." Younger Remus reminded her, his voice little more than a mumble.

"Barely! You said you'd be here the whole time, too, you promised..."

"I'm sorry."

"See, Mummy's right and Daddy's wrong. Again!" she teased, eyed back upon the baby whose eyes had drifted closed with a tiny sigh.

"Mummy's always right." Younger Remus told the baby softly, still staring at the little bundle.

"Actually Daddy was right this time." Younger Tonks told him, eyes on his face again, her face suddenly quite serious. At last he looked up to meet her gaze.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You were right. Remus Junior would get confusing."

Younger Remus smiled and he leaned closer to the pair beside him.

"What are we going to call him, then?" he asked as Younger Tonks' head came to rest upon his shoulder with a small yawn. Now that he thought about it, Teddy had to admit that she looked somewhat drained. He didn't like to think about why, though. He was so very glad that his father had chosen to skip that particular episode.

"Well I...I had an idea..." Younger Tonks informed her husband slowly, shyly even, her lip caught between her teeth.

"Let's hear it then." Younger Remus suggested, arm shifting to wrap around her shoulders encouragingly.

Younger Tonks was silent for a good few minutes. Younger Remus gave her shoulder a squeeze, prompting her to ask:

"What if you don't like it?"

"Why wouldn't I like it?"

"I don't know."

"Well I'm sure I'll like it very much."

"How'd you know?"

Younger Remus paused before answering in order to watch the baby's thin whisps of hair shift from brown to a violent shade of green.

"Because you like your own name about as much as nifflers like chocolate galleons. You wouldn't dream of choosing a bad name."

Younger Tonks gave tired snigger.

"What if I want to name him after one of the Weird Sisters?" she tested, amused by his visible grimace.

"You can name him after all of the Weird Sisters if that's what you want." he graciously promised through clenched teeth.

"And you'd like that, would you?"

"Of course I would. After all there are six of them..."

"Eight, actually."

"...eight of them. I'm bound to like at least one of their names."

Younger Tonks shook with quiet laughter, careful not to disturb the now sleeping baby in her arms. There was silence for a long minute as both parents returned to staring in wonder at the child, before she said:

"I don't want to name him after the Weird Sisters."

"Thank Merlin." Younger Remus breathed, taking a turn to chuckle, but Younger Tonks did not join in. Her expression was suddenly very serious. Younger Remus' laughter halted abruptly.

"What would you like to call him, then?" he asked, mimicking her serious expression.

There was a sizable pause before she answered and when she did so her voice was little more than a strained whisper.

"I...I want to name him after Dad. And then I want to name him after you."

Younger Remus' hold upon her tightened considerably and she pursed her lips together against the tears that had suddenly gathered in her eyes.

"Then that is what we shall do." he told her, other hand reaching to smooth her hair soothingly.

"You like it...?"

"Absolutely. It's a wonderful idea."

"Dad would've liked it."

"I'm sure he would have loved it."

The happy atmosphere had faltered somewhat and Teddy felt a lump in his throat as he recalled that his grandfather had not been dead long before he was born.

The two new parents were silent for a long few minutes as she allowed him to hold her tightly to him, silent comfort for her pain, before she managed to compose herself again and asked:

"What are you thinking?"

Teddy finally took a few steps forward in order to study Younger Remus' face. The werewolf's eyes were focused entirely upon the sleeping baby, once again somewhat glazed as if he were in awe of what he saw, as if it were difficult to take everything in. Teddy wondered if there were any doubts lingering in those eyes, any regrets, but quite slowly a broad smile spread across Younger Remus' face and he drew in a deep excited breath.

"He's really here." he breathed, causing Younger Tonks to smile again, her eyes drifting shut as she fought to stay awake. "He's really here, he's ours...oh Dora, just wait until I tell the others! Wait until they see how perfect he is! He's absolutely wonderful!"

"Teddy Remus Lupin." Younger Tonks said slowly, as if testing the name out. "Yep, definitely perfect..." she trailed off with another yawn and as Younger Remus continued to beam down at his newborn son, she drifted off to sleep.

"Just you wait, Teddy," Younger Remus whispered a few minutes later, reaching to brush a gentle finger against the baby's rosy cheek. "You're going to grow up and be the best little boy anyone could ever wish for. You're going to make us so proud." he carefully caressed the whisps of turquoise hair. "I'll never stop fighting this war for you two." he declared in a fervent whisper. "And I am going to love you until the ends of the Earth."

And there it was, Teddy suddenly realised. There was the proof. The thing he'd been so desperate to hear. As the memory dissolved and he felt the hard floor of the Defense office materialize underneath his feet, Teddy Remus Lupin let out a relieved breath. He blinked several times, taking in his new surroundings, his gaze coming to rest upon his parents stood just in front of him.

Teddy beamed at his father, and his father smiled back.

Finish.