this is the thing | teddy

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

summer, 2022

ALBUS HAD NEVER MORE LOOKED LIKE AN adolescent Harry Potter than at a fresh 16, on the summer break before his sixth year at Hogwarts. With a head full of unruly hair and glasses he never wore any more. Lily had taken to poking fun at him, calling him 'dad' to simply irk him. And he was a hive of pubescent anxiety. Holing away in his bedroom, creating potions that made his nose sting and eyes water. He was selling them too, tenfold on the holidays. Not that his parent's knew. That was asking for trouble.

When Albus wasn't fighting with Lily, or glaring at his brother, he was pouring over fat diaries filled with odd ingredient combinations. The tip of his tongue stained blue with ink as he scribbled and scratched his way through bindings of parchment and flyaway paper. He'd even taken to writing on his arms sometimes. It was busy-work mostly. He didn't speak to Rosie much on the holidays, and unless he was confusing himself about the Bainbridges across the road, he was often alone. 'Too alone', his parent's would say, that crease of concern making him look at himself funny. Like he had ink on his cheeks again.

It was hunched over a notebook that Teddy Lupin would find him that summer. The back of his neck burnt red and bright against his curly dark hair. The crooked, stringy feather of an old quill tickling his brow and cheeks as he wrote furiously. He was working on a new pepper-up combination. A mixture of muggle and magical ingredients for an extra kick to blow the head off of whichever lazy student needed a boost. The door creaked open, and when Al heard it, he reached blindly for a battered textbook on his desk.

Not looking, simply assuming it was his needling sister, Albus fired the textbook over his head, blindly aiming for her head. Instead, he heard a masculine oof of air and his head snapped up, quill pressing a glob of ink on to the paper. Definitely not his sister. "Te-Edward..." He gasped, his eyes going from his bent middle to the textbook upended on the floor at his feet. There was a bag over his shoulder, and a travelled, handsome look to his familiar face and Albus's own pale, pimpled face screwed up as if it hurt. "I... I thought you were Lily." He explained dumbly, voice cracking down the middle. 

@edward

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Albus Severus Potter

summer of 2022

teddy had long given up knocking at the potter house. he'd known since the day he was born he'd always be welcome and honestly it wasted too much time to knock, only to have someone come to the door and tell him he could have just come right on in. it had been too long since he'd hung out with any of the potter kids but they were all at school and teddy had just finished training with the ministry. he was a fully fledged hit wizard now, it still surprised him just a little that he'd gotten where he'd wanted but he had and it was a lot different than what he'd imagined but so much more. he had a bang slung over his shoulder, he'd picked up a few things on his travels with work that he thought al, james and lily might like. call if gifts from towns a few hours away.

he'd greeted ginny on the way through, waving at her as he headed up the stairs to her telling him that albus was in his room. he lifted his hand to knock at the door and he pushed it open, possibly a little too quickly. he felt the breath leave him as the book hit him in the stomach, the air rushing from his mouth with an "oomf." he kept his hand around the doorhandle as he drew in a breath, lifting his head to smile a crooked grin at albus. "t-teward. that's a new one." he said as he forced himself straight and he stepped into the room. "clearly." he said as he got his breath back. he stepped over the book, leaving albus to pick it up, after all he'd been the one who'd thrown it. "after i brought you a present and all." he said as he dropped onto the foot of albus's bed and he pulled an old book on potions out of his bag. he didn't know it albus had this one already but he'd seen it and it had pretty much screamed middle potter to him.

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

summer, 2022

THE LOOK OF PAIN AND LAUGHTER ON TEDDY'S face was so typical that it made Al feel comforted. Even though he had been the one to hurt him. He snickered, shifting in his chair as he leaned forward and picked up the discarded book. Getting rid of the evidence, should Teddy decide to exact some retribution. It was hard to tell when it was time to run from Teddy, he was always smiling. It could fool anyone in to a false sense of security, or so Al had learned over time.

"Just thought of it," He said in a rush, flashing a shaky grin as he tucked the textbook away and closed his notebook, hiding that as well. He wrote some pretty crazy concoctions in those moleskins, the kind that could get him in to a lot of trouble. Just wait until Teddy found out he was selling his creations. That might just be the killer. The thud of a book on Albus's bed caught his attention and he leapt from his chair eagerly.

"What do you want...?" He asked with narrowed suspicion, scooping the book from its place and examining it with great interest. "You're not getting the bed." He declared distractedly, already cracking the cover and filling his nose with that familiar, dusty scent of old pages soaked in magic and potion backsplash. He gnawed on his thumb, leg jiggling excitedly as he smiled up at Teddy, boyish and thankful. "Where'd you get this?!" He said with quiet wonder, noting the annotations in the margins, he could use this - would use this. 

@edward

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Albus Severus Potter

summer of 2022

"ever suspicious." he said with a grin as he dropped onto the bed and pulled the book out. no matter how much time he spent away from this place it was always easy enough for him to slip back in, for it to feel like nothing had changed. he hoped it wouldn't. he watched as al scooped the book of the bed and he grinned a little. he'd known when he'd flicked through it first that it would be a hit with the middle potter. anything to do with potions or books for that matter went down better than anything else.

"i'll take the bed if i want the bed." he said as he used his foot to nudge al's knee lightly, leaning back on the bed and resting on his elbow. he didn't have any intention of staying the night like old times but he'd fight albus for the right to sleep in the bed if he wanted to. he'd never known al to back out of a good match with him. "i found it tucked under a shelf in some bookshop up north." he said as he glanced at the pages. he hadn't done much looking into it so he hoped there wasn't anything in there about ways to boil people from the inside or anything, he didn't want to have to explain to harry if albus did anything like that to james. "good book then?"

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

summer, 2022

WITH THE NEW BOOK IN HAND AL DIDN'T EVEN give Teddy's threat a second thought. He just cracked the spine and rolled his eyes, "Well I'll fight you for it." He remarked, barely looking up as he thumbed the edge of a worn page, the script handwritten and hard to read - just the kind he liked. The diagrams overly detailed and wordy. "Remember last time?" He asked with his eyebrows lifting to his hairline. "You broke the headboard and mum nearly went bald, she went that mental." He snickered, crossing the room to throw himself near the headboard.

Kicking his legs up on to the unmade duvet, he nudged Teddy's head with his socked foot, chin against his chest. Al busied his way through the pages, eating up snippets and thinking about all the ways he could apply this practically. Teddy always bought the best books. He had the best life, Al thought. Travelling and exploring and generally being independent. Al often thought he'd suffocate under the weight of his father's infamy. He selfishly thought, at least Teddy didn't have that to worry about and instantly felt guilty. "Great book." He said sincerely, hugging it to his chest. 

@edward

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Albus Severus Potter

summer of 2022

teddy rolled his eyes and leaned back against his hand, fully aware that he'd lost albus's attention until he'd examined the book thoroughly and had had the chance to mull it over a little. it was one of the things he liked about the middle potter. his love of books. teddy didnt' hate books but he was a hands on learner. he'd rather learn about spells by casting them than reading about them. he'd spent a lot of his schooling thinking about things other than what he has been reading and that hadn't helpd at all when it had come to the grades. "yeah i remember." he said with a fond grin. "i thought she was going to string us up by our toes outside." not that ginny would have ever done that to them but he was pretty sure she'd threatened that and much more when they'd broken it.

he grimmaced and used his hand to try and thump albus's foot away from his head when he dared bring it close enough to touch him. "don't you wash your feet? they stink." he said as he reached to nudge al's knee lightly. he smiled a little as he saw he was still scanning the pages, turning them with the vigour of a kid looking through candy at a store. he stood up from the bed and walked to where there was a pile of books sitting in the room and he grabbed the top one, flicking through it casually while he waited for albus to enter the real world again. "good. as soon as i saw it, it screamed, nerd and i thought of you." he said affectionaly as he put the book in his hands down before he dropped back onto the end of the bed, making himself comfortable.

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

summer, 2022

AL HAD A LOT OF GOOD MEMORIES WITH TEDDY. The unofficial, official Potter. As familiar as a piece of antique furniture. To have him sprawled across his bed, even as an older, scruffier version of himself, was a comfort. The look of disgust on his face as he batted away his foot breaking Al in to a raucous laugh. "Better than your pits, I bet, mate." He was still obsessively thumbing through the book, noting a page for an energiser potion, a pepper-up love child.

The jostle of Teddy clambering off his bed didn't even break Al's laser focus. He trusted him to snoop without the risk of getting in to trouble. Unlike Lily who needed a constant chaperone, as she only ever came in to Al's room to find dirt on him. Or, to pester the living daylights out of him. Teddy was different, they had often been partners in crime. He even thought about trusting Teddy with his most recent, terrible secret.

Rolling off the bed and setting the book carefully under his bed, safe from wandering hands. "Hey-" He half whispered, half giddy. Teddy had already landed safely back on the edge of his twin and Al took the opportunity to jump to his feet and lock him in a makeshift headlock, arm barely fitting around Teddy's thick neck. "Promise on Merlin and Dumbledore's sacred remains that you- you won't breathe a word!" He exclaimed, trying to keep a grip on Teddy but failing miserable. "Swear!"

@edward

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Albus Severus Potter

summer of 2022

teddy laughed just as enthusiastically as al had and he rolled his eyes a little. "i actually shower mate." he said as he nudged al's leg with his foot before making himself comfortable against the pillows that were chucked on the head of the bed. he didn't stay there though, his need to move got the better of him and he bounded off the bed about thirsty seconds later and peered through the things around al's room. most things were familiar but there were a few new things, indicators that al was growing and changing. it was bitter sweet. some days teddy was excited for the future but other days he wanted to go back, back to where he'd spend the night with the potters, when he'd stand over the sink and help his grandmother cook and when he could run wild with the numerous other kids he called family. there was a comfort to the old days and a scary unknown about the days that were coming.

when he had finished his peering he dropped back onto the bed, crossing his legs and leaning back on his hands as he waited for albus to finish with the book. he didn't have to wait long, it wasn't long before the book was carefully tossed aside. then there was all of three seconds between albus getting up from the bed and grabbing teddy in a headlock. he laughed instantly though his hands flew up to his neck to grip carefully onto albus's arm. as much as he trusted al, his training did it's job and kicked in, making him more than alert to the situation he was in. if he stood up, he'd break albus's hold pretty easily for the simple fact that he had a few inches on the young potter and more than a few pounds of muscle but he let it go for now. "i swear!" he said as he turned his head in al's hold to look at him. "now share, before i make you pay for this!" he said with a laugh.