Title Take me by the hand

Author: philote_auctor

Characters: Lily Luna Potter/Teddy Lupin

Word Count: approx. 6,650

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: A bit of blood, nothing too graphic.

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of Harry Potter do not belong to me. I make no money from this story.

Author's Notes: Written for Interhouse Fest 2013.

Summary: Five times Lily Luna Potter had a crush on Teddy Lupin.

oOo

1.

Dinnertime in the Potter household is a controlled sort of chaos. When James has been cooped up all day, he is a bundle of energy. Albus trails along behind him, destruction often left in their wake. Ginny has given up on clean hands and is happy when they merely sit still long enough to eat. Harry's typical hours have him home past the limit of the kids' empty stomachs, so she corals them on her own.

She is usually more strict when they have guests, but tonight's visitor is essentially family. Teddy grins at the boys' antics and encourages Al to catch his brother as they skitter out of the kitchen. There's still plenty of childishness in him, but he's matured rather a lot in his first few months at Hogwarts. He'd offered to help, so Ginny had given him a spoon and a jar of mashed pumpkin and set him to it.

Still in the toddler stage, Lily Luna is confined to her high chair. She's usually squirming and fussy, wanting down with her brothers where the action is. Not tonight, though. Ginny can't help but smile as she watches Lily watch Teddy. The little girl's attention is rapt. Teddy has established some high drama with the spoon, enacting a Quidditch match in which the pumpkin is the Snitch and Lily the Seeker. She opens her mouth obediently to receive her dinner, never once taking her eyes off Teddy.

They are about halfway through the jar when Ginny hears the door open and the sounds of pounding footsteps as the boys welcome their Dad home. He arrives in the kitchen several minutes later, James and Al right behind him. He embraces Ginny before turning to the other children.

"Teddy," Harry greets with a warm smile. The boy jumps up to give his godfather a hug.

Lily squawks unhappily until attention is returned to her, Harry stooping to kiss her cheek as Teddy settles and takes up the spoon again. James makes a face at her, and Ginny could swear her baby girl actually looks smug.

"Bear," she demands.

Teddy obediently spoons more of her dinner into her mouth. James rolls his eyes. "He's not a bear."

"Teddy bear," she insists, mashed pumpkin spraying everywhere.

"Gross. Mum!" James complains. But Teddy's laughing as he wipes it off his face, and Lily giggles.

Ginny swoops in with a damp cloth as James and Al take off again. She smiles as Lily squirms away from her ministrations and reaches for Teddy, grasping his fingers. "Harry, I'm fairly certain your daughter has her first crush."

Harry kneels beside Teddy and makes a show of looking between him and Lily. Lily eyes her father, but does not release her grip. "All right. But she's not allowed to date until she's twenty-five."

"Harry!" Ginny laughs.

"Okay, okay. Twenty."

It didn't make much difference to Teddy, who makes a face at the word 'date.' Perhaps he is still in the 'girls are icky' phase. But Lily's not a girl, not in his eyes; she's just the baby. They're family, even if he isn't blood. He allows her to hold his hand, sticky fingers and all.

oOo

2.

Lily Luna does not like Diagon Alley. In fact, she doesn't much care for any public place populated by wizards. But as James' Hogwarts supplies certainly cannot be bought in a Muggle store, the family weekend outing has brought her here.

She much prefers shopping in Muggle London. People in the Muggle world don't stare; don't come up and ask to shake her Dad's hand or fall all over themselves to seem impressive to the great Harry Potter. And they don't want to goggle at his children, speculating about what great things they'll get up to as they grow.

She can only take so much of feeling like she's in a fishbowl. She doesn't even have to be with Dad to be recognized; her Mum is well-known as well, Albus too closely resembles Dad, and James too is clearly a Potter. On her own, with her long red hair, Lily is often identified as a Weasley. But there are so many of them that she gets far less attention.

So she's gone wandering. She's going to be in trouble, she knows. But she couldn't take it anymore, and they won't miss her for a bit. Dad thinks she's with Mum and Al, Mum thinks she's with Dad and James. Where she wants to be is with Teddy. He's here somewhere; he'd flued in with them, then gone off to handle his own supplies.

Teddy sees her as a baby sister, she knows. But what she feels for him is not like James and Albus. She doesn't spend any time at all thinking about the color of their eyes or their cute noses. Even when he's doing his metamorphmagus thing and sporting a beak or snout, she thinks he's adorable.

She stops for a moment to watch a teenaged couple snogging in the shadows of a side street. It's not Teddy, this boy is dark-skinned. Still, it kicks off her imagination as she moves on. She has no interest in kissing in dark alleys; in her daydreams, she's always wearing white out in bright sunshine in front of all her extended family. Of course, the groom's face in these dreams always belongs to Teddy.

"You're the Potter girl, aren't you?"

Lily sighs, unhappy at the address and also to be shaken from her happier thoughts. She pastes a smile on her face as she turns. It fades quickly when she catches sight of the speaker.

She couldn't say what it is that makes her immediately wary. The witch looks normal enough with her long dark hair, pale skin and piercing eyes. Perhaps it is something in the look in those eyes. Whatever the case, Lily's hackles go up.

"Bit young to be on your own, aren't you darling?" Her voice is like honey, sweet but sticky.

Lily takes a step backwards. "My Dad's right around the corner."

"Is he now? We don't often get Potters in these parts."

These parts? Lily takes stock of her surroundings, senses sharpened by uneasiness. There are few people milling about here. No one else is paying them any mind; in fact they all seem to be intent on keeping their heads down and moving quickly.

Lily swallows and takes another step away. "I should see what's keeping him…"

The witch closes the space between them in an instant and takes hold of her arm before she can even blink. "Now, now. No need to rush off. We'll get you situated, don't you worry."

Lily shakes her head and tugs on her arm. "No, that's all right, he'll be looking for me…" She's babbling now, distracted by the fingernails that are digging into her skin. The witch's smile is starting to look a bit feral.

"Lily!"

She's never heard a more welcome voice. "Teddy," she breathes, watching as he comes rushing forward, cloak billowing behind him like a superhero straight out of one of cousin Hugo's comic books. She's so relieved to see him that she fails to notice he's drawn his wand.

The witch, however, notices. Lily finds herself released so abruptly she nearly falls over. Teddy steadies her as he steps close. "What's going on?" he demands.

The witch steps back, eyes wide in feigned innocence and oozing concern. "The little girl has lost her way. I thought it best to help her back to her family."

Teddy is clearly unconvinced. "Right. Well, that's me." He bends down, eyes still warily on her, and addresses Lily softly. "Are you all right?"

She just nods, words beyond her at the moment. Teddy eyes her for a few seconds before apparently accepting her answer. He straightens, taking her by the hand as he turns back to the witch. "Thank you for your concern. I've got her now."

She inclines her dark head. "Of course, lad."

Still, Lily can sense her watching them until they turn the corner several minutes later. Teddy's grip is a little tighter than is comfortable and he's walking a bit too fast for her, but she doesn't complain.

It isn't until they've rounded two more corners that he finally slows down and seems to breathe easier. "What were you doing down here by yourself?"

She squirms, not willing to admit she got lost looking for him, but there's nothing for it. She settles for, "I got lost, I guess."

"You guess? Lily, you can't just go wandering around Knockturn Alley!"

"Knockturn…" Of course. She should have realized. But she'd never been there before; she'd only heard stories. She takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

He stops walking altogether at that and looks at her, then kneels down. "Lil, I wasn't after an apology. I want you to be safe." He sighs and looks away, then back to her. "There are a lot of people who love your Dad. But there are also plenty who don't care for him so much. And most of them aren't the nicest people."

She swallows, and sounds very small when she speaks. "I know." And she does. Her parents have explained to all three of them more than once. Still, as far as she knows, she's never encountered anyone in that second category before. "I'll be more careful," she promises.

Teddy reaches to gently brush her hair out of her face. "Good. I'm rather attached to you. I'd hate to see you wind up as an ingredient in some evil brew."

The familiar teasing makes something untwist inside her, and she relaxes enough to smile.

He takes her hand again as he stands. As they move on, she starts to dread the reunion with her parents. "I don't suppose we can keep this between us?" she ventures.

Teddy just gives her a look. The worry still present in his eyes makes her wilt, and she grips his hand tighter. They walk back into the more populated area of Diagon Alley. People seem to be staring even more than normal. It takes a bit for Lily to realize that they're looking less at her and more at Teddy's side, where he still has his wand out in a white-knuckled grip.

She tugs on his hand and nods at the wand. "You could have gotten into trouble." He's not of age, yet.

Teddy seems surprised that he still has it out. He slips the wand back inside his cloak with a sigh, then lets go of her hand to wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her close to his side. "Yeah, well. Wouldn't be the first time. When you list Harry Potter as your greatest personal influence, people kind of expect you to do heroically crazy things. Especially for people you love."

She glows at the 'love' part, but also considers what he's saying. She'd never realized that he would face similar expectations due to his closeness with her Dad. He truly is family.

That's how she knows that he will tattle on her to her parents—to keep her safe. She snuggles close to his side. Somehow, she dreads the coming punishment a little less.

oOo

3.

It is unseasonably cool. Lily shivers and wraps an arm around her knees, drawing them to her chest. She should get back to Gryffindor tower; sneak into her third-year dorm before someone gets worried enough to start looking for her. She can't see a lot through the cracks in the boarded up window, but she can tell the sun is starting to go down.

Still, she doesn't move. She's not going back as long as the tears are still sliding down her cheeks, until she has regained control.

This whole mess is her fault, she knows. Dad still likes to joke about her not dating until she's twenty, but apparently she really isn't ready yet. That seemed to be Stephen's opinion, anyway.

A sudden sound on the stairs brings her to her feet, wand out in an instant. She lowers it a moment later when she recognizes the face that pops up over the landing. Teddy lifts his hands in mock surrender and she scowls. "You scared me."

"Sneakiness is a good trait in an Auror. It's part of the training."

"Aren't you done training yet?" she says crossly. She's actually been quite impressed with his determination to follow in his mother's footsteps and rather envious of the opportunity, but right now she's all out-of-sorts.

He doesn't seem to take offense. "Your Dad says the training is never really done." She can tell the second he spots the tears. His humor fades and concern clouds the relief at finding her. "You weren't at the match," he says, softer.

The Quidditch match. She never misses them, and Teddy and her parents rarely do either, coming in specially for those afternoons. She usually sits with them. She'd totally forgotten there was even a match. At least James isn't playing today; she'd never hear the end of it.

She wipes at her face. "How did you find me?"

He comes closer, a gentle smile curving his lips. "Where do you think I used to come to be alone?"

Of course he had. The Shrieking Shack holds even more history for him than it does for her. She takes a deep breath and forces herself to calm down. "Sorry. Hope you don't mind sharing."

He reaches her side and sits down, prompting her to settle on the floor again beside him. "With the sweetest girl I know? Of course not."

He's going for a smile, and she gives him a wan grin. Still, it touches a sore subject. "Maybe you could share that with Stephen."

"Who's Stephen?"

"My boyfriend."

"You have a boyfriend?"

He seems truly surprised. She's too embarrassed to be insulted. "Not anymore," she mumbles.

He reaches out to gently brush a knuckle across her cheek. "Lily, talk to me. What's with the tears, huh?"

She ducks her head, hoping the increasing shadows will hide her reddening cheeks. "I think we broke up."

"You had a fight?"

"Oh, there was definitely a fight." She sighs. She's sure Teddy's had arguments with girls before, but she's never heard about it. When he and Victoire broke up it seemed to be a mutual, amicable thing. "I just wasn't ready, I guess."

"Ready for what?"

Lily winces, not sure she's really ready to talk about this, especially with Teddy.

He leans closer, dropping his voice. "Lily, did he hurt you?"

For a moment she's sorely tempted to say yes, just to see what would happen. His protectiveness is fierce. It never fails to give her a feeling she can't quite describe; a fluttery, near-ache in her stomach that she can't seem to get enough of.

Still, she can't lie about this. "No. Not really."

"What does that mean?" He's truly worried now, concern shortening his temper. She's going to have to explain.

"He tried to kiss me," she finally admits. "And I may have broken his nose."

"With your lips?"

She can't help her snort of laughter. "No, silly. With my fist."

He looks perversely proud, if still confused. "You broke his nose because he tried to kiss you, and you didn't want to be kissed."

"I may have broken his nose. He was off to the hospital wing when I left, swearing at me and telling me to grow up. There was rather a lot of blood, though."

"To grow up? Lily, you're thirteen. How old is this jerk?"

"He's in my year."

"A fellow Gryffindor, I suppose?"

She hesitates a moment. "No. He's a Ravenclaw, actually." Like Teddy. Only so very inot/i like Teddy.

He frowns. "The standards are clearly slipping."

She shrugs uncomfortably. "I am old enough, though. All my friends have been kissed."

"There's something to be said here about jumping off a bridge, but I'll spare you."

"Thanks, I think."

"Seriously though. You don't need to be in a hurry. It's okay if you don't want to kiss, yet."

"Oh, that's not the problem. I wanted to be kissed, I just…well, he didn't really even know me yet. He wouldn't let me talk, didn't listen whenever I tried. He didn't care about me."

Teddy studies her for a long moment. "Did you even like him?"

"Sure. Kind of. Sometimes."

"You wanted to be kissed, but you didn't want him to kiss you."

"Yeah, that pretty much covers it." She pauses. "It's good though, right? Kissing?"

"With the right person, yes."

She gives him a look. "Are you just telling me what you think Dad would want you to tell me?"

He smiles, but shakes his head. "No. Believe me, there is such thing as totally unenjoyable kissing. But if you wait for the right time with someone you care for, who returns that feeling, it can be great."

She goes quiet for a bit, thinking about things. Finally, she softly voices her concern. "What if he tells everyone?"

"That you rejected him? No; trust me on this one, Lil. He's not going to want that spread around."

She hadn't really looked at it that way. She somehow feels as if she's the rejected one. "What if he twists it; makes up his own version?"

"Then maybe he'll need some…advice from an older and wiser Ravenclaw."

He totally would. She can't help but grin.

His face lights up with a smile too in response. "See? There's my girl."

He tugs her into a hug and she lets him, leaning into his chest. "Teddy bear," she mumbles, and feels the rumble of a fond chuckle that runs through him.

"I'm going to choose not to take that as a commentary on my soft, flabby middle."

"Nope. A bit too firm, actually." She pokes at him, relishing that she knows exactly where to do so to make him squirm and choke on a giggle. He releases her, and she makes a show of looking him up and down. "Is there physical training for becoming an Auror?"

"Yes. But I'll be sure to tell them they have to lighten up on it, that my Lily needs me to be a bit softer and more cushiony."

"I'd appreciate that."

He stands and reaches out a hand to her. She accepts it and keeps the grip once she's up, letting him lead her towards the passageway back to school.

A crazy idea occurs to her. Not that it's the first time she's entertained it, but she's never seriously considered it an option. Now she's here, alone with Teddy after this conversation, and in a fit of nuttiness she thinks she might as well go for it.

"You know…there is something you might could do. If you wanted. If you didn't mind…" she trails off and nearly loses her nerve. But he's looking at her expectantly now, so she has to go through with it. She swallows hard and then blurts, "You could give me my first kiss. You know, so I wouldn't have to worry about it; so it would be from someone who cares for me." She realizes she's babbling and shuts her mouth.

Teddy is looking at her affectionately. He lets go of her hand to grasp her shoulder and steps closer, and she very nearly stops breathing. Then he leans down and presses his lips to her forehead.

"That wasn't quite what I meant."

Teddy's eyes sparkle with a warm laugh as he steps back. "I know. But I love you too much for that. You'll thank me some day."

She wrinkles her nose. "And now you sound like Dad again."

"Thank you," he says, as if she's given him a great compliment. "Now, may I have the honor of escorting you back to Gryffindor tower, Miss Lily?"

"Oh, I suppose." She eschews the arm though, and takes his hand again instead. She doesn't want to be treated like a princess, she just wants the feeling of security and affection and Teddy.

oOo

4.

Lily's final day at Hogwarts dawns bright and sunny. She is somewhat melancholic, knowing she will miss it. She's a bit nervous about her future, but she's excited, too.

It would be difficult to be unhappy with the celebration that's been planned. Her whole family is here, dozens of Weasleys and all, but someone is missing when they all get together amongst the other families in the Great Hall. She nominates herself to go searching for Teddy.

Dad mentioned that Teddy had had a rough week. She knows he means at work, so she can't even ask for details. Maybe someday, if she manages to fulfill her aspirations to become an Auror herself. Everyone always believed James or Albus would follow in their father's footsteps, but it is Lily who made the decision and buckled down to put in the work. She's been telling Teddy that is her goal for years, and she thinks he's finally starting to believe she's serious.

She spends a good half hour looking for him. It's a bit of a surprise when she finally finds him, still and alone, staring at the memorial wall.

It's a nice little setup, off the beaten trail out of respect for the visitors. There's a fountain and carefully maintained shrubbery and several benches around the stone monument. Mum says they'd wanted to put up a statue of Dad, an idea he'd apparently put an end to as quickly as possible. Lily's grateful, not certain she'd have wanted a great stone version of her father overlooking her all the time at school.

She wanders up next to Teddy and follows his line of sight. The panel is a list of those who died in the Battle of Hogwarts, names etched in stone. She's been here many times and knows the location of the familiar names by heart. She reaches out, fingers rubbing gently over the name of her uncle, Fred Weasley. She's heard so many stories; she so wishes she had gotten to know him.

Still, she knows it is not the same. Her eyes drift to the left where Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks Lupin are listed side by side.

She turns and offers Teddy a gentle smile. "Can I join you?"

He returns the smile, though it doesn't touch his eyes. "Sure."

She moves to sit beside him, leaving a bare couple of inches between them on the bench. She wants to reach for his hand, but she's not sure how the gesture will be received. She's always been very comfortable with Teddy, but this is unlike him. She sits quietly, offering silent support and waiting for him to speak first.

Eventually he addresses her. "Why aren't you at the party? You're one of the guests of honor, you know."

"Yeah, but something important was missing." She leans in to nudge his shoulder.

"I'm afraid I'm not very good company."

"Hey, I remember someone who very patiently dragged the story of my disastrous first kiss-attempt from me when I was very bad company. I'd like to return the favor. If he wants."

He's quiet for so long that she starts to doubt he will take her up on it. But finally he says, "They've been on my mind lately. Wondering about them, you know?"

She nods, empathetic, but she doesn't really know. She's never lost a parent.

Teddy continues, "I used to spend a lot of time here when I was in school. More than was probably healthy. This was where I felt closest to them; whenever I come back, I visit. I always preferred this to the cemetery."

"They were alive here. This is what they fought for," she offers softly.

He favors her with a sad smile. "But now, you're really my last reason to be here."

"For now. You'll probably have kids here someday." Not soon though; as far as she knows he's not seeing anyone right now. She's pretty sure he would tell her if he was. "And in the meantime, I doubt they'll kick you out."

"Probably not," he concedes. "It just got me to thinking."

When nothing else is forthcoming, she prods, "Dangerous, that."

It provokes a little grin. "Yeah, yeah." He goes quiet again. She waits him out. Finally, he asks, "Do you think they're proud of me?"

She bites her lip to keep in the trite answer, the 'of course they are,' even though she absolutely believes it. Teddy clearly needs more if he's willing to confide in her like this. That's an honor she doesn't take lightly, a sign of the friendship she's tried hard to cultivate amidst all of his big brotherly feelings for her.

He continues, "I mean, your Dad tells me they would be. I kind of think he has to say that, though. Being godfather and all."

She thinks about it for a long moment and then just tells him what her heart tells her. "I think my Dad's uniquely qualified to answer that, actually…because I'm pretty sure he's asked the same question of himself a million times. Plus, your parents chose him as godfather. That means they respected his opinion; they thought his values would line up with theirs. And he is definitely proud of you." She pauses, then adds softly, "I personally can't imagine how anyone would not be."

He's silent for a long moment, eyes glassy with unshed tears. It discomfits her a bit; she's never really seen him cry. It makes something twist uncomfortably in her chest.

But the tears don't actually fall. He nods instead and wipes at his eyes before he turns to look at her. "Thank you."

She slips her hand into his, squeezes once, then just holds on.

He gives her another one of those sad smiles, though it's a bit more sweet than bitter this time. "When did you grow up, Lily Luna Potter?"

"Must have been right under your nose, Teddy Remus Lupin."

"Well, I suppose we might make an Auror of you, then."

She ducks her head to hide her smile. That means more to her than he could know, even if he is sort of joking. "You'll always be my bear, though."

He snorts out a surprised laugh. Then he shakes his head, sobering, but a tender smile remains on his lips. "That is my honor, Miss Lily."

After one last lingering look at the memorial, they stand and turn to go. She doesn't let go of his hand. And for the first time, it isn't like an adult leading a child. It is two adults sharing companionship, their joined hands merely an extension of their hearts.

In fact, he doesn't let go all the way back to the Great Hall.

oOo

5.

It is a dark night, clouds blocking out the moon and stars, and the ambient light from the surrounding buildings is hardly sufficient for searching. Still, Lily doesn't dare light the area with even a soft iLumos/i. She clutches her wand tightly and trails closely behind Anna, trusting that her TA knows what she is doing.

Anna doesn't care for the moniker, but 'TA'-short for 'Training Auror'-is far easier than her actual title—Instructive and Supportive Supervisory Agent of the Ministry of Magic Auror Office. Though she is two years into the program, it is still Lily's task to stick close to the older woman in the field. There are other teams out here with them somewhere, searching for the same target—a wizard suspected of using dark arts on a nearby Muggle place of business. There was a death, a young Muggle father with two little daughters. Everyone is on high alert.

They search for a good hour in the less than hospitable conditions before green sparks shoot up in the distance, an all-clear signal that the target has been contained. Lily dares to breathe a bit easier as they light the area with their wands and she turns to follow Anna toward the signal.

A moment later they both jump as a sudden crash sounds in the opposite direction. Lily meets Anna's eyes for a second before the older woman sighs and tells her to come on, turning back on their original course.

Lily hesitates. "But shouldn't we check that out?"

"It's probably a cat."

Lily wavers, but stands her ground. It's been drilled into her to follow orders in the field, but something doesn't feel right. "You've always told me to trust my instincts."

Before Anna can respond, a low groan sounds from the direction of the crash. "If it is a cat, it needs help," Lily quips, but they're both already moving towards it. It is clearly no cat; the sound is all too human.

They round a corner and find the source of the crash. Lily catches a brief glimpse: a body strewn amongst fallen crates, a pool of blood around it. It's nothing she hasn't seen in training (Auror training is not known for its injury-free record, after all), but for some reason this turns her stomach and unsettles her in a way she's never quite experienced.

Then a chunk of the wall behind them explodes over their heads and Lily dives away. She briefly loses track of Anna as she takes refuge behind a dumpster. There are a few more blasting curses and as she cranes her neck to see what is happening, she very nearly takes a hit. It's worth it though, for she spots the dark figure doing the firing.

She doesn't pause to think, she just rolls to her feet around the other side of the dumpster and comes out firing. It's hard to see whether she's made contact with her target or not. She's hit with something that knocks her backward into the dumpster, but as she stumbles she sees the dark figure go down and thinks she must have managed a lucky shot.

The only pain she feels is from the impact with the metal, so she thinks she's all right. It isn't until she sees movement to her right and looks to find Anna standing by the crates, wand pointed toward the fallen figure, that Lily realizes all she really accomplished was to play the distraction. She's all right with that.

Anna hurries toward her. "You all right?"

Lily takes a breath and nods.

Anna returns the gesture and promptly changes course towards their prisoner. Lily gathers her wits and pulls herself up, intending to help Anna secure him. But the older woman glances back and shakes her head. "I've got him. Check on Lupin."

Lily freezes. She hadn't seen a face in the dark, just the blood, but somehow she had known. She whirls around and sprints back to the body…back to Teddy.

She skids to a stop and hesitates for a heartbeat a couple of feet from him. There's so much blood. She goes to her knees at his side, feeling her robes instantly soak through. She ignores it, training kicking in as she reaches to feel for a pulse. Still, her hand trembles against his neck. She gasps in air when she feels a weak but regular thrum; apparently she'd stopped breathing for a moment there.

"Teddy? Can you hear me?"

He stirs at her voice, but doesn't fully wake. Lily peers at the wound in the light from her wand. It is a slash, running from his right thigh across his belly towards the bottom of the left rib cage. She can't tell how deep it runs; she feels ill just looking at it. It would be dangerous to apparate with him in this condition. She can't afford to do that yet anyway, not knowing what enchantments might be placed on the area and whether there are any more surprises waiting for them.

She knows basic healing spells. The question is whether there was poison or something magical to the cut. It looks like a simple slash, but if some spell is still at work she could make things worse if she tries to close the wound.

But the amount of blood can't be ignored. She takes a calming breath and then trusts her instincts once more, steadying her hand as she brings the wand to bear and carefully performs a very basic skin-knitting. It's like putting on a band-aid; they'll have to open him up again at St. Mungo's if there's internal damage. At least she's keeping his blood in his body for the moment.

She hears Anna sending up more sparks behind them. Red, she knows without looking—a call for help.

Teddy starts to rouse when she's halfway through, moaning. She plants a hand on his chest to keep him still, grimacing but pressing on. "Hold on, Teddy," she pleads through gritted teeth. "Just hold on."

By the time she's finished he's fully awake and watching her, pain clouding his features. "Lily," he chokes out.

"I'm here. I've got you," she tries to comfort, feeling useless.

"I need…need to talk to you."

"Okay," she humors. "Let's just wait until we get you help, okay? You need your strength."

But he is insistent, pulling her forward into a surprisingly strong grip. She's practically lying on his chest. "No. Now." He coughs, hard. She's relieved not to see blood on his lips, so much so that she's distracted until he reaches a hand up, stroking her hair back out of her face. She feels the slickness of blood transfer to her cheek from his fingers, but she forgets it when she sees the look in his eyes.

She catches her breath. "Teddy?"

"Should have told you a while ago," he whispers painfully.

"Told me what?"

He strains up towards her and she leans in to make it easier for him, and suddenly their lips are mere inches apart. Her eyes are locked to his, pain-filled but surprisingly clear.

"Potter!"

She jerks back as Anna suddenly looms over them. "Move back so they can help him."

"Huh?" Lily asks intelligently. Then she spots the others behind her, other Aurors. Teddy's grip weakens, his eyes slipping closed as he passes out and she nearly panics. He is still breathing though, as Anna gets a grip on her arm and hauls her to her feet. She's numb as she steps back and watches them converge on him; hardly feels it as Anna steers her clear.

The numbness is wearing off a few hours later as she waits restlessly in a too-sterile hallway at St. Mungo's. She's been told by more than one healer that he will pull through, that in fact he is doing well, but she will not settle until she sees him for herself.

And when he truly is okay, they clearly have to talk.

When the primary healer finally comes to retrieve her, she nearly jumps from her seat. The woman is an older witch with a commanding air about her, but she gives Lily a compassionate look as she leads her into Teddy's room and updates her on his condition.

"Is he coherent?" Lily asks as the woman reaches for the curtain.

"All too much so."

Before Lily can ask what that means, Teddy catches sight of her. "Ah, there's my hero!"

He looks awful, pale and bruised and propped up on about three pillows to keep him upright. But he's alive and no longer covered in blood, so it's a definite improvement. "Hi," she says, as no other words are forthcoming.

The healer bustles about, going to a potions cabinet in the corner and filling a cup with a foul-looking liquid. "Yes, here she is. Though it is technically 'heroine.' She is a woman, after all."

Teddy's look and tone are curiously tender. "Yes, she is."

Lily stares for a moment before shaking her head slightly, trying to shake herself from her stupor. "Yes, well. We got them, by the way. Our target had a partner, as you obviously found out the hard way."

The healer forces the full cup into his hand. "Bottoms up," she instructs pointedly.

Teddy grimaces, but does as he's told. He grins ruefully at Lily. "Blood replenishing potions. Every hour, on the hour. For the foreseeable future, apparently."

"Until your blood volume is back to normal. You very nearly bled out," the healer says severely, a warning note in her tone that suggests he's been a cantankerous patient. "At least you have a future to complain about, young man." But she pats Lily reassuringly on the arm as she heads out of the room. "But he's going to be fine now, dear. Thanks in good part to you."

Lily waits for her to leave before raising an eyebrow at him. "You should be nice to her, you know. She's taken good care of you."

"I was nice! I only wanted to get up."

"Up? Did you forget the part where you nearly died not three hours ago?"

"I keep trying to forget, but no one will let me," he says easily.

Lily shakes her head and comes to stand right beside the bed. "It's not funny."

"I know, I know. I only wanted to find you. Figured you were out there somewhere."

"Of course I was. I gave my statement. Got cleaned up." She pauses, remembering the blood, and has to clear her throat before going on, trying for levity. "Had nothing better to do, so I thought I'd hang out."

"I like hanging out with you."

There's a frank honesty to his statement that gives her courage. "Teddy, about what happened out there…"

"The part where you saved my life?"

"No, the other part."

"Oh, that bit."

"We can chalk it up to blood loss, if you want. Though, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed Anna interrupted us at that moment."

"I'm glad she did."

Lily feels her stomach drop. "Oh."

But Teddy's pushing himself more upright. "It's not exactly brave to do something when you don't think you'll be around to face the consequences. Think I'm going to live now, though."

Her stomach goes back to place, though it may be upside down now. Her heart beats faster. "That's what I've been told."

He takes a deep breath. His cheeks have more color now, but she feels no need to call the healer. "I care about you, Lily. Maybe more than I should."

She swallows against the lump in her throat. "I don't think that's possible."

The corners of his lips turn up. "Certainly in a different way than I did when you were little."

"My feelings have never really changed. They just…grew. Matured."

"I always just thought you had a crush; that it would wear off when you got old enough."

"I'm not a little girl anymore."

His voice is husky as he says, "I noticed."

"I still want to hold your hand," she says softly. She's hoping for a bit more actually. But Teddy reaches out and takes her hand, threading their fingers together, palm to palm. His eyes never leave hers. It's sweet and chaste and still somehow the most intimate gesture she's ever experienced.

It holds that title for a little less than a minute. Then Teddy's using their joined hands to pull her closer, his other hand gently sweeping her hair back again as he'd done in the alley. He leaves a hand behind her neck, gently nudging her down. She meets him halfway. Their lips meet gently, fitting easily as if they were made for each other. When he deepens the kiss, all thoughts flee her mind except one.

It was worth waiting twenty years.

And if Harry happens to walk in a bit later and spot his only daughter kissing his injured godson, they won't notice. He'll back out quietly. And when Ginny arrives and asks why he's wearing that ridiculous smile at a time like this, he'll just tell her that perhaps Teddy may become a full-fledged member of the family after all.

oOo