Teddy honestly had no idea how we was doing as a professor. It was already weird enough to share a classroom with his family, looking up to see Molly Weasley popping her gum at him or Clementine Lovegood staring through him, but they were hardly the strangest of the phenomenon of being a professor – and they certainly had worked hard for the title. No, the simple fact that he had at all been allowed into a position of authority, tasked with molding young minds and defending them if the need arose, was absolutely ludicrous. Didn’t his reputation precede him? Wasn’t the ruin of the Potters enough of a deterrent against ever trusting Teddy to take charge?
He was constantly reminding himself that he had actually volunteered for the opportunity. He had not been asked or coerced, the way others had. He had made a career change, in fact, to take up the role. It seemed natural. Counseling had been getting him absolutely nowhere, and the guilt of not being strong enough for his already vulnerable patients had slowly eaten away at him until he could barely even consider returning to the office, not even to collect his things. He had to stop acting like a hostage in the castle when he had made this decision all on his own.
And, in all honesty, it was better. Now that the one on one element was gone, he could trust that at least a few students left looking as though they had learned. He didn’t have to try so hard on one person, but could cast out his net and hope he caught a few. Most days, it seemed he did. He couldn’t be sure though. He wanted to talk to Maddie, ask her advice and see how he could improve on gauging the effectiveness of his teaching style beyond grades and examinations. They certainly acted bored enough to indicate some level of learning.
He made his way towards the staff lounge, which had become a safe haven for him. He often found Maddie here and they would either stroll down to the Greenhouses to check on the plants, or would make tea and chat about her kids and his classes. Yes, Hogwarts was shaping up to be quite a welcome home-
He froze in the doorway, having just entered the seemingly empty staff lounge. Only, it wasn’t empty. There was Lily Potter, his sister, the girl who had run away and out of his life despite his efforts to reach out to her and protect her from the cold, cold world. But she had insisted on stepping into the rain without an umbrella, and he couldn’t help but still see her as a scrawny, lost kid, soaked to the bone.
Somehow, they had gone this long without really interacting beyond hello’s. He had heard a rumor that Lily spent all of her time in the dungeons, ate outside of meal times if it could be helped, and only emerged for classes. He suspected it had to do with her colored past at Hogwarts, and she found it better to stay out of the way. But, if she didn’t want to face the people of Hogwarts, why had she even taken the job? He knew her well enough that she would not have been talked into taking the job against her will, not even by Keiran Hayes. No one knew her reason for taking the Potions professorship, and Teddy could hardly guess.
In all their months, though, this was his first time coming face to face with her, alone. She was straightening up, having been making a tally and submitting it into the box for the Headmaster when she caught sight of him. She, too, froze. For the first time in the past few years, her face was not completely blank, not fully devoid of emotion. The emotions that were there were certainly complicated and uncertain, but at least she felt something towards him. His throat was dry. He didn’t feel like he had any right to reach out to her but he couldn’t just say nothing.
Lily stared back and finally cleared her throat. “Hi.” She slipped her papers into the box and then reached down, picking up her bag and an armful of potions vials. So this had just been an errand, she had tasks calling her away. She glanced around and, with Teddy still staring at her silently, began to make her way for the door. He moved out of her way, circling around the side of the room, his gaze now averted as his mind desperately demanded he reach out to his sister. But he couldn’t. He knew he couldn’t.
He heard the door open but she was hesitating. Her voice was soft, barely there, but he heard her loud and clear. “We should talk sometime.”
And she was gone.
And he was supposed to be okay with that.
So there Teddy stood, shoulder pressed against the wall, satchel beginning to slide off his other arm, eyes studying the ground behind his glasses.
His safe haven had just been comprised.
by 
