"Dad, will you come here, please?"
Remus heard Teddy calling from the first floor. He sighed happilly, because finally there was a reason to put the work down for a bit and take a break. He shut down the computer, having saved everything he needed, and stood up. He took a glance on the clock, and wow, he's been sitting there, staring at his computer screen for 6 hours. He didn't even notice when Teddy got back from his walk with friends. Remus scratched his back, and exited his office.
When he entered the living room, Remus saw his son. Teddy's eyes were shining from happiness, and Remus saw it straight away, because that didn't happen often.
"You called me?" Remus said, fighting a smile.
"Yes! Look what Dean bought me when he was in London!" Teddy answered just as enthusiastically.
Remus looked on the table, and his eyes widened.
Frankly, it wasn't inevitable. He knew that one day he had to face it. He knew that Teddy loved the same music, he should've expected that. Yet still, he was just standing there, speechless.
"Dad? Is everything okay? I thought you loved The Who?"
"Hm? Oh. Yes. I do. I do, I love them. It's just..."
"Yeah?"
And there he was. Not knowing how to explain his feelings to his own son. Sure discussing his feelings was always not his forte, but it was always easy with Sirius. Remus shook his head. He had enough to deal with, and the memory of Sirius had always made him tear up.
"I haven't seen this vinyl in what now? Three? Four decades?"
"Oh, don't make me feel sorry because you're so old"
They laughed. And then, Teddy approached his record player, and put the vynil in.
"Sorry Teddy, I need to get back to my work now. Could you turn the volume down a bit?"
"Nuh-uh. You're not going anywhere. C'mon, you've been working all day, and I know you haven't taken a break when I was out. So please, just listen to the music with me."
"Ugh, fine" Remus rolled his eyes kindly. "No dancing though!"
"You're so old and boring!" Teddy responded lightheartedly.
They listened to the first side for a bit, and then, Remus heard it. The taste of happiness, of the time when there was no war, no tears, no death. When everyone was so, so happy.
***
"I'm going to vomit now." Mary announced and ran quickly to her room.
"I think we should check on her. You're coming, Lils?" Marlene asked, standing up from the couch.
"Nah, I'll stay here for a bit. She'll be fine." Lily's voice was sounding distant even to her. "What have you guys added to the alcohol?" She turned her head to James, who was sitting right next to her.
"Nothing, Evans, you've just had a lot." Sirius said, sounding completely sober. Of course he has, Remus and him made a bet about who would be drunkly crawling to their room first, and since then, Sirius was sipping on his firewhiskey all party. "Moony, my dear, could you please put another vinyl? I'm sick of hearing the same album for the whole evening."
"Why don't you go and change it?" Remus said lazily.
"Ugh, fine. Why do I always have to do things?" Sirius stood up from the armchair and approached the player. And than, something in his head thought it would be a good idea to...
♪ I used to wake up in the morning
I always feel so glad ♪
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Pads, turn it off, right now." James was ready to get off the couch and turn the song off himself.
"Is it The Who?" Lily asked, and Remus nodded. He was very curious about how this would end.
♪ He said, "Son, now here's some little somethings"
And stuck them on my wall ♪
"Don't laugh, Padfoot. I'm deadly serious about this." James was so invested in shutting this thing down that he forgot to be careful with his words.
"Actually!" Sirius began as the pillow was thrown into his face. "Hey! Moony, I thought you were on my side!"
"Who said I was? Besides, if I hear that joke again, I'll kill you."
"Please do. I bet you'll look good with my blood all over you"
"Ew Sirius. Your blood kink is terrible."
"Shh. Here comes the best part"
♪ Pictures of Lily that make my life so wonderful
Pictures of Lily that let me sleep at night
Pictures of Lily that solved my childhood problem
Pictures of Lily, they make me feel alright ♪
"Uh.. right, I guess I should be going to my room now. You guys have fun." That was all Lily was capable of saying.
"No, Lily, look, I'm so sorry!" James was trying to make the situation better, but Sirius' loud barking/laughter was not helpful at all. "It's just a stupid song."
"So you're not actually getting off to my photos at night?"
"What? God no, ew. I mean, not that you're not beautiful and hot. Well, you are, but I mean-"
"James, shut up." And the next thing he knows, he was being kissed. By Lily Evans. His crush for the last 5 years. And in that second, Sirius stops laughing. Even Remus opens his eyes in disbelief.
Lily breaks the kiss, and starts going up the stairs.
"Are you just going to stand there or what?" She asks. James gets the hint at once, and they disapear from the sight.
"Get comfortable, Moony. We're not sleeping in our room tonight." Sirius' words would sound negative if not the widest smile in his face.
♪ 'Cause me and Lily are together in my dreams
And I was wonderin', mister, have you ever seen
Pictures of Lily? ♪
***
"Dad? Hello??"
"Hm? Oh. God, sorry, Teddy."
"Are you okay? You've been staring at one spot for half an hour. I thought you fell asleep at some point."
"No, I just spaced out. Nothing important."
"You always say that. But it's never true, is it?"
"I think we both know the answer to that."
"I just hope that someday, you'll be ready to tell me." Teddy smiled and put the vinyl on the shelf, to their collection. "I'm going to go play a game now, call me if there's something you need help with, alright?"
"Yes, sure." Remus watched his son stand up, turn around and approach the door. "Actually, Teddy."
The boy turned around too quickly, hitting his elbow on the bookshelf.
"Ouch. I meant, what is it?" Remus laughed under his breath.
"Do you know something about Harry's parents?"