Heroes Assemble!

The 'H' Word

Harry sat back on the couch with his arm around his wife, simply enjoying the chance to relax. It didn't hurt that they had their own special show to enjoy at the same time.

"How long are you going to keep this up?" Daisy whispered into his ear sending shivers down his spine.

"A lot less time than I could if you're going to do that," Harry replied, emphasising his intentions by allowing his fingers to lightly trace up her side.

"Later, Magic Man, when we don't have an audience," Daisy replied, again in that same seductive whisper.

Deciding that, while having fun at his godson's expense was one thing, there were other, better things that he could be doing, Harry cleared his throat and leaned forward slightly.

"Teddy!" he called.

Unfortunately for him, the chameleon currently sitting amongst the basket of bright orange balls of wool that he'd conjured as part of this 'exercise', didn't even flinch let alone turn back into a teen boy. The professor in Harry nodded in approval; Teddy wasn't allowing anything to distract him to give himself away.

And really, it would take a jerk of movement for someone who didn't know that he was there to spot him. The chameleon's skin had changed colour to match the wool perfectly. Just as it had in each of the other half dozen coloured 'environments' that he'd had Teddy hiding in. No matter the colour, it seemed that Teddy's chameleon ability was perfectly suited for blending in.

Not that that had been the only tests that Harry had been putting his godson through that afternoon. He'd had Teddy proving how quickly he could transform to and from his Animagus form at random intervals as well.

Really, there was no need for all of this; Harry knew that Teddy was ready, that he'd now proven that he was fully and completely an Animagus. But really, what sort of Marauder would he be if he gave in too early, without some sort of 'initiation' test before giving Teddy his very own Marauder name? Especially when Teddy had been longing for it for so long.

"Teddy! Time to change back," Harry instructed.

This time, the chameleon moved, crawling out of the balls of wool in his slow, careful steps before shifting back to his human form.

"That's amazing, Ted!" Daisy exclaimed. "I think you've really got it down. If I didn't know that you were there, there's no way that I'd have seen you."

"Thanks, Aunt Daisy," Teddy beamed. "I'm ready, aren't I, Uncle Harry? I've shown you that I've mastered my form and changing back and forwards as quickly as you."

"Well, not quite as quick as me," Harry replied, "but yes, you've passed every test that I've asked of you."

"So, I can have my Marauder name now?"

For a brief second, Harry contemplated teasing Teddy some more, suggesting one or two of the strangest Marauder names that he'd come up with for just this situation. But then Daisy's fingers began playing with his hair and the back of his neck, sending even more light shivers down his back and across his shoulders and he decided that no, Teddy really should get his proper name now so that he could go and tell his friends about his achievement.

"Theodore Remus Lupin," Harry began officially, in as pompous a voice as he could – much like he remembered his own godfather once using with him, although sadly not for the same reason, "as you have now successfully demonstrated that you have achieved Animagus-status, like most Marauders before you, I dub thee: Camo ."

"Camo?" Teddy repeated sounding less than impressed.

"Hmm, you don't like that one?" Harry asked. "Fair enough. In that case, we'll go with my alternate idea. Since a chameleon is a type of lizard, I dub thee: Liz."