Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Summary: Teddy Lupin learns of his father's 'condition.'

My Dad's a Werewolf

8 year old Teddy Remus Lupin was scared stiff. He had just ran away from his grandmother while they were out shopping and couldn't think of where to go.

The reason Teddy had ran, was his super hearing had caught a couple of kids his age talking behind his back calling him a 'freak'.

This was no news to Teddy as he had been called that during his first year at primary school. That had caused his godfather, the famous Harry Potter, to come over after overhearing the problem during a visit, and convince Andromeda Tonks, Teddy's grandmother, to homeschool him (until either he was old enough to attend Hogwarts or until Teddy got his metamorphic powers under control)

Teddy knew that being a metamorphmagus was rare in the wizarding world, but it wasn't something to label someone a 'freak' like a parselmouth or a seer.

But it was something one of the adults had called him when he wasn't thinking Teddy was listening

'The monster's brat'

Teddy knew next to nothing about his father. Andromeda only knew tidbits and not enough to give Teddy the picture he wanted. She had told him if he wanted more details to ask Harry, but Teddy didn't want to burden his godfather who had his hands full with James Sirius and Albus Severus. Not to mention the whole 'being famous' deal plus being a top auror and Minister's Shaklebolt advisor and a Defense Against the Dark Arts speaker at Hogwarts.

Teddy ran to the Leaky Cauldron and grabbed some Floo muttering the first location that came to mind.

Hogwarts.

The place of his parents' deaths

Since it was summer, nobody was there and Teddy tumbled out.

He had been to the school once before: for a memorial service back when he was a tiny baby.

He walked into the Great Hall and looked at the room he would eat meals at for seven years of his life.

He wasn't sure he could as this had been the room his parents died in.

Suddenly, a strong hand was placed on his shoulder causing the boy to tense

"Teddy?" a familiar voice asked

Teddy winced. Of ALL the people to catch him…

Teddy turned and saw the confused, yet concerned caring piercing green eyes of his godfather.

"What are you doing here?" Harry Potter asked

"I was about to ask you the same thing" Teddy said

"Whenever I get to missing everyone, I come here. Where it all went down" Harry answered "You?"

"I was shopping with Grandma and I overheard some people talking about me behind my back"

"That super good hearing of yours?" Harry guessed

"A full grown wizard called me 'the Monster's Brat'" Teddy said

"You didn't catch who it was, did you?" Harry asked dangerously

"Sorry" Teddy said shaking his head

"Rats" Harry pouted having been ready to curse that wizard into the next century.

"Why did he call me that?" Teddy asked "I mean…I know he couldn't have been talking about Mum. She may have had a rare talent but, that's no excuse to call her a monster. But…I realized…I know NOTHING about my Dad"

"You know some things" Harry argued

"Yeah. His name was Remus, he was a good friend of your Dad and Grandma's cousin Sirius and the three of them and the traitor Peter Pettigrew made up the Marauders, and he died fighting against Voldemort" Teddy listed

"You're forgetting that he loved you dearly" Harry said moving himself and Teddy to the Gryffindor table and they sat down together. "Have I told you the story of when he told me of your arrival?"

"Yeah, but I never get tired of hearing it" Teddy said

Realizing that Teddy wanted the story again, Harry smiled.

"It was April of 1998" Harry said fondly. "I was at Shell Cottage with Bill, Fleur, Ron, Hermione, Ollivanders, and Griphook. Ollivanders and Griphook were resting and the rest of us were in the living room. Then there was a knock. We all prepared in case it was an enemy. Bill asked who it was and your father answered and went on with the security questions. Bill opened the door and your father stepped out. He looked around to see who was there and simply said: 'It's a boy! We've named him Ted, after Dora's father.' When he said this, it had been the happiest I had ever seen him. Hermione shrieked and asked if your mother had the baby and your father basically shouted the news with joy. Hermione and Fleur offered their congratulations and Ron acted as if he had never even HEARD of the concept of babies before. Then, after confirming again that you were a boy, he walked over to me and hugged me and asked me 'You'll be the godfather?' I agreed completely stunned as the last time I had seen him, we had an argument about his part in the war. We then drank to your health and your Dad left to go be with you and your Mum. I didn't meet you in person until after your parents died"

"Dad seemed like a really interesting guy. Why would people call him a monster? Was he an ex-death eater?"

Harry looked over his godson as if trying to determine if Teddy was old enough to know the truth.

"Because he had a medical condition." Harry said deciding that Teddy was old enough, but he wanted to ease the boy into the news. "And others that had the same condition were death eaters. But your father was different"

"What condition? Do I have it?" Teddy asked nervously wondering if the battle that had killed his father just made the inevitable come sooner

"You don't have it because your metamorphmagus gene cancels it out." Harry said. "But, we have noticed that you have some of the traits…like how once a month your hair gets a few grey spots…your monthly fondness for rare meat…not to mention you get as cranky as Ginny does during that time of the month."

"Those came from Dad?" Teddy asked. "What WAS the condition?"

"Lycanthropy" Harry said knowing that Teddy already knew what the term meant (Thanks to having Hermione Granger-Weasley as a surrogate aunt)

Teddy gapped at his godfather.

"My Dad was a werewolf?" Teddy gasped

"Yes" Harry confirmed "He was bitten by Fenrir Greyback at a young age. Younger than you. His father, your grandfather, insulted Greyback and well…the werewolf got revenge by biting your father."

"So…Dad's nickname, 'Moony,' came from his condition?"

"Yes. And when my Dad, Sirius, and the traitor learned, they didn't abandon him. Instead, they did research and found that werewolves don't affect animagi so they illegally became animagi so they could help your father during the full moon. According to Remus, my dad used to call it his 'furry problem' making their classmates think your Dad just had a badly behaved pet rabbit"

"Did you ever see my Dad in werewolf form?" Teddy asked

"Once" Harry said. "It was the end of my third year and Ron, Hermione, and I were going to pay Hagrid a visit. We found Ron's pet rat which was believed to have been eaten and then on the way back to the school, Ron was attacked by a grim. Hermione and I followed Ron as he was being dragged by the dog and we found out that the Grim was really my godfather looking for Peter who was Ron's pet in disguise. Believing that Sirius had been responsible for my parents' deaths, I attacked but your father disarmed me. He then explained everything and once all the questions were answered, we went back to the castle. Sirius had been offering me a home with him when Hermione realized it was the full moon and your Dad had forgotten the wolfsbane"

"Was it scary?"

"Not as scary as the basilisk, but scarier than my first public Quidditch game" Harry said

"How come I was never told before?"

"We weren't sure how you'd take the news. We wanted to wait until you were old enough to know that yes, technically your father was a monster. But it was only once, maybe twice, a month. He was the best Defense Professor I EVER had and a really great friend. He was also one of the bravest people I knew and he loved you dearly"

"Then why'd he come here to fight?" Teddy asked looking at the floor

Harry knew the question all too well. Teddy wasn't asking what he had asked. He had asked Why did Remus have to die?

"I ask myself that every day Teddy" Harry said. "About your parents, Sirius, my parents, Fred…the best answer I can come up with was that they wanted to fight to help make the world safer for your generation and those after you. The less Death Eaters that got out alive, the less chance of a repeat of what happened after the third task. You know…your father brought a picture of you to the final battle with him."

"I wish he didn't have to die" Teddy said

"I do too" Harry said. "Did I ever tell you of when he told me your mother was pregnant?"

Teddy shook his head

"I was hanging out with Ron and Hermione at Grimmauld after Bill and Fleur's wedding. Remus suddenly showed up and offered his assistance. I was a little reluctant as I didn't even want Ron and Hermione to come with me, but they talked me into letting them tag along. Then your father told us that your mother was pregnant. Hermione was thrilled, but your father was so worried about what a werewolf having a child would do to your and your mother's reputations. I made it perfectly clear to your father that I didn't want him coming with me because he needed to be with your mother. But there was another reason"

"What?"

"It would be extremely dangerous and I did not want you growing up the way I did. Only knowing your parents through stories." Harry said with tears in his eyes. "Your father wasn't happy but it at least got him to go back to your mother. But all it took was ONE battle. I had hoped that your arrival would convince Remus and/or Tonks not to come."

"I'm sorry" Teddy said

"You have NOTHING to be sorry for" Harry told his godson. "The only reason your father tried to back out of his duties of being a father was that he was scared. It's PERFECTLY natural. And in the end, he ended up fighting FOR you. And there ARE some good things that came of your father's death"

"Like what?" Teddy asked, his hair flashing orange…the way his mother's had done all those years ago "Name ONE good thing that came of Dad's death"

"I'll name three." Harry responded knowing that his godson was a bit angry, but he couldn't help the small smile as Teddy was looking like a true mixture of Tonks and Remus "One: if your father hadn't died, someone else might have. It might have been Molly, Fleur, Bill, one of the other Weasleys, Hermione, or even Shaklebolt. Maybe even Ginny. Two: your father is now with his friends. The friends he lost and would have been constantly reminded that he lost. Three: he's no longer a werewolf"

The orange faded into a mousy brown.

"Was it worth loosing him?" Teddy asked "Having him cured?"

"I'm still trying to decide that Ted" Harry admitted "On one hand, as I said, your Dad's with his friends and he can no longer feel pain. On the other hand, the only things left of the Marauders are you, me, the cloak, and the map. That's the only legacy they left for us."

"I just wish I had more time with him" Teddy said

"I'll tell you what" Harry said putting his hands on Teddy's shoulders. "Next time you come over, I'll bring out Dumbledore's old Pensieve that I'm sure McGonagall will lend me, and I can show you some memories of your Dad and maybe even my godfather. I'll even show you some of your Mum"

"I'd like that" Teddy said

"Let's get you back to your grandmother"