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theprodigypenguin · 5 years

Text

Moon Sick

Ao3 Link

Pairings: Teddy Lupin/James Sirius Potter

Summary: James is in his final year at Hogwarts, seventeen and thriving, but no matter how long he'd spent in Slughorn's class over the past few years, he still didn't much see the point of potions, and he was running out of time to finally get motivated about it. His seventeenth Christmas at The Burrow, however, proves a better teacher and motivator than Slughorn or his father ever were, as a dear friend becomes ill, where the only method of healing and relief is through the brewing of a special tonic. Though James has little to no interest in such things, if it's to help relieve the pain of someone he truly cares for, he would do just about anything.

Words: 9511

Warnings: fluff!

Notes: MY VERY FIRST JEDDY FIC! Quick background: in this fic Teddy and James 100% like each other but 100% don't realize it. Teddy and Victoire DID date for a bit, but broke up mutually and are still extremely close friends, because I don't believe in adding toxic exes where toxic exes don't need to be. Victoire is an amazing character and deserves respect, so I hope I don't see any hate on the fact she dated Teddy in this fic. Featuring the entire spectrum of Weasley cousins, because I got two requests in the comments of "Thicker Than Water" to add more of the family! I AGREE THEY ALL NEED TO BE LOVED! I had to take some creative liberties about their personalities, but I hope everyone likes how I characterized them! I've grown especially fond of Fred Junior! Also featuring one of my favorite personal Teddy Lupin headcanons, where he gets sick during the full moon! He's not a werewolf, but surely being a hybrid would have some unforeseen effects.I think that's it, so please read and enjoy!

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James never really cared for his Potions class, from his first year at Hogwarts and onward. The Professor was interesting, and so were the tonics and potions that they read and created while in class, but James never saw much point in it. Charms and Transfiguration, now those were two skills he wanted to know more about and perfect, because using magic was what they were at school to learn after all. They were wizards, not druids.

What was the point of something physical like Potions when it would be better in the end to perfect spell casting and magical wand defense? Of course, James would never say that aloud, especially in front of his teacher or father. He mentioned only once that he wasn't entirely fond of the class, and Harry had just smiled at him.

"I didn't care for it in the beginning either, I was never very good at making potions, and the Professor I had most of my time there was... difficult. When Slughorn took over the position, though, I really started to have fun."

James tried to accept that without bugging his father about his first Potions Professor being difficult ("Didn't you name Albus after him?"), but it was certainly a trial. Harry said potion making had come in handy many times during his life, both as a student and as an Auror, and James had smiled and agreed, but it still wasn't very interesting to him.

He was good enough at it, he read the text and did his homework, fine, but he just never felt much excitement or passion for the class. What was he supposed to do about that? Fake it? For six years of school he just didn't care about Potions. He excelled because he had too, but every class, every exam, just made him sigh in boredom.

It was over Christmas break in his seventh year that he started to gain some form of interest towards potion making. He was hanging tinsel and garlands around The Burrow with Lily, throwing bits of the metallic silver shavings into Albus' hair whenever they crossed paths and giggling until his brother had realized it and started cursing from behind him.

James and his family had arrived at The Burrow just that morning, though Christmas was still a day away, so they were fixing up some last minute details in and out of the house before the rest of the family arrived. Throughout the day, Hermione, Ron, Hugo, and Rose had come home, greeting Arthur and Molly with a kiss on the cheek and excited hugs. Around noon, Percy and his family came alongside George and his. Charlie had been there for days already. The family was slowly filling into the old Weasley home, helping with decorations and cooking, some of the younger kids running through the house with bags and rolls of wrapping paper yelling at the adults not to look as they finished last minute present wrapping.

It was James' favorite holiday, because though he got to see his cousins all the time at Hogwarts, this was one of the only times that all of those from the Potter-Weasley clan got together under one roof in one area. Even Charlie had made it a new promise, that even if he couldn't get away from work during the rest of the year, he would always be there for Christmas to see all his nieces and nephews (and absolutely spoil them rotten because, according to him, since he had no children of his own, that gave him the divine right to hype the children up with snacks and cackle madly as they shot through the house in a sugar rush).

So far the only ones who hadn't arrived were Bill and his family, and Andromeda with Teddy. They always came for Christmas, always. Ever since James could remember, Andromeda Tonks would be sitting in that hastily patched armchair next to the fireplace, while her grandson, sporting a blend of ginger and black hair, would bounce around the house enjoying every Weasley and Potter that would let him hug them (and the ones that wouldn't; they really didn't have a choice).

James was hoping they wouldn't be too late. It was already getting dark out, he could smell the scent of dinner wafting through the entire house, Lily was starting to fidget and pace, bounce on her heels as her stomach growled and she whined under her breath, trying to concentrate on the ornaments she was adding to the tree. Albus had a broken stick of peppermint hanging out of his lips as he set out hand knitted doilies on the coffee tables and took presents from Fred to tuck safely under the tree, their cousin sneaking small cubes of toffee from the candy dish on the table whenever Albus turned his back. Everyone was starving, but they wouldn't start before the others arrived.

James was hanging stockings at the mantle when Bill's family finally arrived, bustling through the door covered in a dusting of snow. Louis went right for Fred, who was closest, and pounced on him in a hug, while his older sisters opted to remove their coats and cloaks so they wouldn't get the floors wet. He overheard Victoire asking if Teddy had arrived yet, frowning at his Uncle George's old stocking at the taste the question put in his mouth (dusty, sour), and hanging it before pulling the next from the box under his arm.

It was Teddy's, made special by Molly with knitting of a dozen colors, something to represent his uniqueness and the way his hair changed according to his emotions. There was a T right in the middle, stitched there in gold. His Uncle Ron used to joke about it, saying Molly had spent days lamenting over what name to use for Teddy's stocking and sweaters. His name was Edward, but he went by Teddy? E or T? In the end she settled on using the T, because it just looked right.

James was about to hang it up next to his own when the fireplace started to make a sputtering noise, shaking a bit, and it only occurred to him that someone was using the floo before they appeared in a spit of green flame, so close to James that all he saw was a flash of pale blue and gray before they had collided against him, sending them both crashing onto the floor, the box of stockings falling from his arm and skidding across the floor spilling socks.

James could only grunt as he hit the ground, his head smacking against it, a heavy body landing none too gently on top of him, practically dead weight that groaned in pain and muttered curses as Harry and Molly hurried into the room and the floo roared to life again. Andromeda Tonks was the one to step out of the fireplace, dusting a few specks of ash from her shoulder and carrying a bag, pausing and staring down at her grandson, who, James was finally realizing, had been the one to fly out of the floo and knock him to the ground.

"Teddy, honestly," she chided him, but she looked incredibly worried.

James lifted a hand in greeting, "'Ello, GrAndy!"

"Owe," Teddy's voice was muffled against the floor, finally shifting to push himself up and shuffle away from James, who felt winded and somewhat flushed as he sat up grinning, hoping he didn't look as exhilarated as he felt.

"Quite the entrance, Ted!" he said, rubbing the back of his head as Teddy pushed himself, somewhat heavily, to his feet, laughing like he hadn't caught his breath yet.

"My humblest apologies, James," he said, holding his hand down for James to take and hoisting him up to his feet before turning to meet his grandmother, who was patting away the specks of ash caught on Teddy's shirt and muttering about him being unsafe while he grinned.

Harry went directly to hug his godson as Molly picked up the box of stockings, which James took from her so she could hug Teddy next, pulling back and squeezing his cheeks between her hands.

"Looking peaky, aren't you Teddy? Staying over at the office?"

"Course not, ma'am," Teddy said through a grin, but even Harry looked a little concerned, waiting until Molly had moved away to greet Andromeda before he reached out to Teddy's face, "I'm fine, Harry, really."

Harry didn't look very convinced, and frankly, James didn't feel convinced either. Teddy did look washed out. His hair, while blue, looked very dull and almost pasty, and his face was pale and somewhat flushed, but not from the cold. His eyes were currently a steely blue and glazed. Maybe he was feeling unwell? Had he gotten sick in the weather? Or maybe he was overworking himself like Molly had hinted?

"What are you doing standing, James?!" Molly asked, and James stared at her in puzzlement.

"Well gran, I was putting stockings up like you told me too before Teddy came crashing in."

"Oh!" Molly exclaimed and looked at the mantle before walking over and sifting through the box, "Just need Percy's now, Percy and Lily, where's hers; there we go," she pulled out two before patting James' cheek, "Now take the rest upstairs and find your brother to help."

"What's he need help with now?"

"It's Albus, he's probably done something," Molly said, and James heard Albus yell from the other room.

"I BLOODY HEARD THAT!"

"I'll help with that," Teddy offered, taking the box from James, "I did knock him down. You hit your head?"

"Teddy I hit my head daily. It's a problem. Al says it's why I'm so dumb."

"You're not dumb, James," Harry said, then turned to Teddy, "Don't worry about helping with boxes or decorations, have a seat. Mum, can you get some tea?"

Molly had her hands at her chest, "Course I can, dear. Andy, would you like to help?"

"I'd love to."

"And you sit," Harry pointed at Teddy as the older women went from the room.

"Harry I'm fine," Teddy said on another laugh, "I think I can carry a box, see? Besides, James is the one who hit his head."

He started for the stairs and James gave his father a puzzled look, but Harry was still watching after Teddy with a severe light of worry in his eyes. Figuring he'd get no answers from him, James just followed Teddy, hiking up the steps two at a time before reaching Teddy and slowing down. He looked over his shoulder to watch Harry leave the room before turning to Teddy.

"You okay? What's riled everyone up? Did something happen?"

"Don't think so," Teddy said, but he looked distinctly uncomfortable with the question, which made James a bit more uneasy.

"Your gran seemed worried too."

"She worries over everything, James, don't you know?" Teddy laughed, but it sounded wrong.

Forced, airy. James narrowed his eyes and watched Teddy as they continued up the steps. There was definitely something wrong. Teddy's laughs sounded wrong, he was moving slower than he usually did, he was pale and seemed unfocused, continually looking down at his feet and once or twice almost tripping on the steps.

It wasn't until they were at the top and Teddy had stowed the box into a broom closet that James said something, standing in the narrow hall with his arms out and hands against either side of the wall, blocking Teddy from moving. Teddy just set a hand on his hip.

"James you know I can just apparate around you, right?"

"Something's wrong," James said, staring directly into Teddy's eyes, "You're gonna tell me what."

"C'mon, Jamie."

"Are you sick? Is the ministry overworking you? Have you been sleeping enough? Or eating?"

"James," Teddy rolled his head from one side to the other, "My gran's been getting on me all day with this, not you too, I am fine."

"Teddy your hair is turning gray!" James snapped, and Teddy looked at him blankly before lifting a hand to his hair, as if touching it would make it easier to see.

He sighed after a minute of James glaring at him, burying a hand into his hair, which had indeed paled from a frosty blue to a dull blue tinged gray.

"Look, it's just a bit of a headache. I get them all the time. Way more than you probably think."

"Headache?"

"Yea, I get them sometimes."

"Like, recently enough for everyone to worry over you?" Teddy nodded and shrugged, "Wait, why don't I know about this? How long have you been getting them?"

"I don't know... they started when I was five or six maybe?" Teddy was rubbing his neck, and James just gaped at him.

"I've never heard you complain over a headache..."

"Well they're not all bad. Sometimes they're easy to ignore, you know?"

"And when they are bad?" James asked, and Teddy stared at him again before forcing a smile onto his lips.

"Hey don't worry so much, Jamie. It'll go away in a bit."

"You sure? You don't need anything?"

"I'm sure," Teddy paced over to him and turned him around, putting an arm around his shoulders and leading him down the hall, "I appreciate that you're worried, James, really. Just... don't mention it to Lily? Or Victoire? I don't want any of them to worry."

"Vic doesn't know?" James asked in surprise.

"Well, I didn't think it was something she needed to know..."

James felt a swell of pride at that, at the fact Teddy didn't take much prodding before he told James what was wrong, while he hadn't told Victoire. The entire family seemed to think she and Teddy were soul mates, meant for each other, so they would probably be stunned that Teddy hadn't told her anything of his chronic headaches. It wasn't like they were dating, though. They didn't need to tell each other everything, and they wouldn't have needed to even if they had still been dating. Come to think of it, it was likely no one else in the family knew about their breakup either. Teddy had been blasé about it, still smiling with Victoire beside him.

"It was mutual," he said, an arm propped against Victoire's shoulder, "Snogging her is very fun, but-."

"But I want to date someone more available," Victoire had interrupted, arms folded, while Teddy's face darkened and the tips of his hair got pink, "He's just going to get busier now that he's an Auror, and I have my own ambitions. Not to mention, I think both our eyes have been turned towards other people."

"Merlin, what?!" Dominique had gaped, standing beside James and Fred, who were both just as dumbstruck.

"Teddy likes someone else?" Fred asked, pointing at the older man.

"So do you?" Dominique pointed at her sister, who rolled her eyes.

"So you're breaking up?" James asked, and Victoire shrugged.

"Well, yes. I'll still snog him if I'm bored though."

Teddy just laughed, the pink in his hair disappearing, and James tried to ignore the excitement he felt at their breakup while also wondering why he'd be happy at all.

Teddy leaned against him as they descended the stairs, and James got the sense it wasn't to be funny. He could feel Teddy shaking a bit, trying to hide it, or thinking he could from the way they swayed while walking, but even his voice held a tremor as he talked about his work and prodded James into talking about school, his steps faltering more on the way down than they had on the way up. The last few steps, James put an arm around Teddy to help him down, then helped him back into the currently vacant living room, where he sank down onto one of the couches.

"Pretty bright in here, isn't it?" Teddy asked, and James glanced around.

The Christmas lights in the tree were on, but the rest of the room was rather dark, there wasn't even a fire in the fireplace. He looked back at Teddy, who was squinting at the tree, a clear wince on his face.

"Maybe you should lie down," James offered, and Teddy blinked at him before shaking his head.

"Don't be ridiculous, Jamie, we haven't even had supper!"

"Yea, but-."

"Don't worry about me, James," Teddy insisted, "Really, I'll be fine."

James wanted to believe him, and he did admit Teddy hid his pain way better than James expected when Molly called for dinner. Teddy sat across the table from James, smiling and laughing with everyone else, he seemed to be having a great time. When he caught James watching him, he just smiled, and James smiled back, but he still felt worried.

If Teddy having a headache made Harry as worried as he was acting, then James got the feeling it was a lot more serious than Teddy made it out to be. Of course, that just made James more uneasy, eating only because it was an automatic response, eyes down as he scooped casserole onto his fork and pushed it into his mouth while going through a long list of both muggle and magical possibilities for Teddy's headache.

Sleep deprivation, fumes from potions he was making (because Teddy made potions quite often as it was a huge part of his job; and because he had a habit of making Wolfsbane potion just for kicks. He called it a hobby, for some reason, and always carried at least seven bottles with him "just in case"). Maybe the headaches were from overwork, or not eating enough, dehydration, casting a spell too advanced for him and leaving him with physical side effects, maybe he got cursed on his last mission. Honestly, it could be anything.

"You're being unusually quiet this evening," Albus noted from beside him, working on his dessert, which James hadn't realized had been set out.

His slice of pie was already almost entirely gone and he was feeling pleasantly full from food.

"Got a lot on my mind, that's all," James tried to counter, finishing that last bit of pie as Albus stared at him.

"How much could you even fit in that head? Isn't 80% of your brain Quidditch wired?"

"Al don't be ridiculous, Quidditch takes up no more than 50%."

James heard Teddy snicker, and met his bemused eyes as the Auror continued to laugh at him, but James just grinned back. Albus looked between them before something seemed to dawn on him and he turned away, nose wrinkled.

"Ugh."

Dinner finished and half of the family moved to help Molly clean up, Percy and Ginny worked to get the youngest kids to bed, Lucy was the only one who went without a fuss, Fred and Roxanne complained with Louis about wanting to stay up later to wait for Santa to come, Dominique muttered about Santa not being real and there was a short uproar of adults scolding her and Hugo shrieking that she was a liar. James, still seated at the table enjoying a cup of tea, saw Teddy wince at the noise, his face paling a few more shades. James was tempted to leap up and tell everyone to just shut up already, his fingers biting into the porcelain of his mug and eyes glaring until the youngest of his cousins had finally left the kitchen.

Molly brought Teddy a new cup of tea before his first had even been finished, simply because she decided he'd let it get too cold and that was unacceptable. Andromeda left with a promise of returning the next morning, and tried to get Teddy to come with her, but he insisted he stay.

"I'm still drinking my tea, gran."

"Don't worry, Andy, we'll take care of him," Molly assured, and Andromeda nodded, squeezing her hands before kissing Teddy's cheek and leaving through the floo.

"Bedtime, James," Ginny called, and James gaped at her.

"What for? I'm not a kid, can't I stay up?"

"No, James," Ginny chided, and Teddy grinned as he groaned and pushed himself up.

"I'm seventeen, this is dumb."

"Nighty night, Jamie," Teddy sang, and James stuck out his tongue defiantly.

He passed Ginny in the doorway, accepting the kiss she placed to his forehead, "Sleep well, darling."

But he didn't go straight to bed, and hovered just around the corner as Ginny joined Harry, who was talking in a low voice. James inched closer to hear better.

"Did you take something?"

"Yes, just before I came," Teddy was the one to answer, "I really am fine."

"You should sleep," Harry said to him, clearly not caring for his words, "Tonight will probably be the worst for you."

"I just didn't want to disappoint Lily or the others by not coming," Teddy admitted, sounding tired, "I'll be okay."

"Do you want a bed, darling?" Molly asked.

"That's okay, gran, I can take the couch. I think that would be best."

James scrambled up the stairs before they walked out of the kitchen and ducked into the first bedroom he came to. All the boys had been set up in one bedroom, the girls were in another, Christmas was always set up like that, and James normally loved it. Accept, Teddy usually took the room with the rest of them, but now he would be downstairs. Because he was sick with a bad headache and didn't want to worry any of the younger kids.

James would be sharing the room with Fred, Louis, Albus, and Hugo. Victoire, Dominique, Rose, Roxanne, Lily, Lucy, and Molly were all in the room just next door. Fred was bugging Albus when James walked into the room and shut the door, all of them curled up in sleeping bags on the floor, or the little bed that Louis and Hugo had commandeered as theirs. Albus was curled up on the couch trying to ignore Fred, holding a pillow over his head.

"Come on, Al, one game."

"Sod off, I'm tired."

"Why are you so moody all the time?" Louis asked, smiling at James but frowning immediately, "Where'd Ted go?"

"Uh, he's staying downstairs tonight."

"Too good for us small kids?" Fred asked, abandoning his quest to get Albus to play wizards chess in favor of sitting on his sleeping bag.

James just laughed and made sure the door was shut before walking over and taking the sleeping bag next to Fred, between he and the couch where Albus was laying.

"It's nothing like that. He's just, you know, talking with the adults right now, and doesn't want to wake us up later by sneaking in to sleep, so decided to just take the couch."

"That's a lie!" Hugo said, then leaned down to whisper, "He's in the living room. He's trying to catch Santa. I know Dom was lying, he is real, and Teddy's gonna catch him tonight!"

Louis rolled his eyes and flopped onto his back as Fred grinned, biting back a joke as James nodded fervently.

"You got that right, Hugo, but we better be quiet, otherwise Santa won't ever come."

"You're thirteen, Hu," Louis noted, "How has Uncle Ron kept you believing this nonsense?"

"I've seen him Lou, with my own eyes!" Hugo argued, and there was a knock on the door.

"Sleep well, boys," Harry's voice came through, and the five boys waited and listened for his footsteps to lead away before James pointed his wand at the lamps on the table to flick them off without having to get up.

"Let's go to sleep now."

"I'm not sleeping," Hugo said wisely, "I'm staying up all night to help Teddy catch Santa."

James laid down with a sigh, "Hugo, you're the light of my life, but if you bother Teddy tonight, I'll hang you out the attic window by your ankles and bind you there with spelotape until you apologize."

"And I, will help," Fred added, and Hugo mumbled something before the sound of rustling sheets and comforters filled the room.

James stayed on his back, staring up at the pitch ceiling with his wand in his hand as he waited for the sounds of his cousin's finally sleeping. It seemed to take forever before Hugo's soft snores began to rise from the bed, Fred's slightly louder snorts coming from beside James, and the occasional mumble in Louis' sleep, in French (an absolute phenomenon, because while awake, Louis had trouble speaking more than a few basic words, but while sleeping he appeared fluent in his mother's language).

James almost jumped when Albus spoke in a whisper under his breath, "Is Teddy okay?"

"Merlin- I thought you were asleep."

"I'm not."

"I noticed."

"He didn't look too good today."

"He's just overworked," James lied, "He needs sleep, that's what dad said."

"... fine," Albus decided, blankets shifting as he turned, "Try not to worry too much."

"I'm not worried."

"Sure, James."

James didn't know if he or Albus fell asleep first, but the next thing he knew he was waking up sometime during the night, tangled up in his sleeping bag with Fred partway on top of him, having rolled closer in his sleep and deciding James would make a nice cushion. It was pitch black, but he was pretty confident that what had woken him was his brother's hand dangling in his face, which he pushed back onto the couch before grumbling and sitting up, rubbing his hands into his eyes before squinting around the room.

There was no way to know what time it was without leaving the room, so he slipped away from Fred's grasp and slowly rose to his feet, picking up his wand and shuffling over to the door before cracking it open and slipping out, shutting it and whispering "lumos" to dimly light the tip of his wand.

The clock hanging on the wall just in front of him ticked with a dozen hands, but the two largest were at 2:23 a.m., so James turned to return to bed, but paused when he noticed a dim orange glow from the stairs. His thoughts on Teddy, he crept to the steps and began descending them, shaking the light in his wand dark and stopping halfway to the first floor, crouching to peer between the bars of the staircase railing into the living room.

Teddy was sitting up on the couch, clearly awake, the blankets still folded beside him with an untouched pillow sitting on top. Sitting on the coffee table in front of him, for some reason, was a case that held, from what James could see at the distance he crouched, potion ingredients and other oddities. The fireplace was crackling with orange light that send oddly colored shadows across the room, the lit up Christmas tree adding to the coloration, and Teddy was slumped forward, his face in his hands, his hair a color of pitch and tar that seemed even blacker than normal black hair.

James stowed his wand in the pocket of his sweatpants and snuck the rest of the way down the stairs, rounding the wall to reach the living area and slowly coming up to Teddy from the side, not wanting to startle him so calling out softly.

"Teddy? Pst! Hey, you okay?"

Teddy moved sluggishly, pulling his hands away from his face and cringing, pushing them back up and grinding the heels of his palms into his eyes.

"Jame... Jamie, yea, I'm... what are you doing awake?"

"Fred rolled on top of me, I was suffocating and needed to check the time. It's almost 2:30."

"Is it?"

"Have you slept?" Teddy just laughed and James drew his brow as he stepped closer, lowering himself to sit next to Teddy, as close as he could, "Is it your head?"

"I just... need a minute."

He sounded breathless and in pain, and James felt something like panic spark through him as he put a hand in Teddy's shoulder, rubbing small circles into his back as Teddy continued to cling to his face, fingers digging into his hairline and his body trembling.

"I'm okay."

"You're not okay, Teddy, Merlin. Let me help, how do I help?" Teddy shook his head, "I'll get my dad, he'll know what to do."

"Don't wake him up for this, James, I just need a minute," he winced, "Owe..."

James had his hand on the back of Teddy's head now, stroking his unusually dark hair and turned towards him, his other hand curled around Teddy's wrist.

"Teddy I can't help you unless you let me. You're used to these headaches, right? So tell me what to do to help."

Teddy was still for a moment, shadows from the Christmas lights and the fireplace casting across him, and James rubbed his back as he started to pull his hands from his eyes.

His face seemed even whiter than before, if that was possible. The flush in his cheeks had gone green, and the white had tinged gray, he almost looked seasick, or like a ghost, his black eyes blank and glassy like he couldn't see straight. What really made James panic, though, was the blood.

A single fine line of scarlet that dripped from Teddy's nose, across his lips and down his chin, stark against the pale white of the rest of his face. James felt himself choke and reach out, instinctively pressing the sleeve of his shirt under Teddy's nose, the light gray staining quickly as Teddy tried to pry him away.

"Stop, you'll make a mess."

"Teddy you're bleeding!"

"Shhh!" Teddy cringed, pulling James' hand away, the blood smeared and dry edges if the line flaked across his lips and chin, nodding to the table.

James was reluctant to look away, but did so anyway, to see that Teddy had set up a few potion ingredients, a small cauldron sitting next to them, but he seemed to have stopped in the middle of weighing strands of hair-thin willow bark.

"What's that?"

"Tonic... for my head. Kingsley Shacklelbolt developed it with a bit of help from Slughorn when I first started getting my migraines. It... it helps. The first potion I learned how to make, because I needed it. I ran out, though, too embarrassed to tell Harry. I've been so busy I didn't have time to make more before coming, so I figured I'd just whip up a small bit while I was here. But my... my head got really bad... it's pounding, it hurts so bad, my hands are shaking too much."

"I'll do it!" James offered immediately, snatching the paper sitting on the table that held the directions for the potion, "Just lie down, okay? Close your eyes."

He scrambled around, pushing the pillow against the arm of the couch on the other side of Teddy, then taking his shoulder and urging him to slowly lie down, wincing as he went and rolling onto his side, taking the handkerchief James gave him with shaking fingers and holding it against his nose to keep the blood from getting on Molly's furniture.

"Just lie there, okay?" James said, rounding the table and kneeling down, going down the list and repeating everything at least eight times in his head, "I'll take care of it."

It was, unfortunately, a very complicated potion. After lighting a small magical fire under the cauldron that wouldn't smolder the wood of the coffee table, he began weighing ingredients and adding them; willow bark and heavily diluted dittany, an eighth of an ounce of powdered silver, exactly two drops of Salamander tears, and a handful of other ingredients that made the tonic bubble a strange orange.

James was absolutely silent the entire time, concentrating harder than he'd ever done before for any potion or tonic, even during an exam. He just wanted to get this right, so Teddy could stop hurting. After adding in another few ingredients, he stared in awe as the potion turned an odd silvery color that took the appearance of mercury, added Flobberworm slime to thicken it, mixed it exactly sixteen times counterclockwise, and nudged Teddy.

"Teds, I'm done. Did I do it right?"

Teddy opened his unfocused eyes and sat up, shaking worse than before, James noticed the ring of white in the middle of either iris, and he stared at the tonic, nodding slowly.

"Yea... yea, it has the right consistency, the right color."

"Right, good," James carefully ladled the tonic into a cup that had been waiting nearby, sitting on the couch next to Teddy and waiting for the Auror to wrap his hands around it.

Still shaking, so James kept a hold on the cup as well, helping to lift it so Teddy could drink it, his face twisting in dislike but drinking all of it and turning away to cough into his arm.

"Did it taste right? Did I do it right? Are you okay?"

"You did fine, James, I trust you," Teddy promised, but James felt wary as he set the cup back down, taking the handkerchief from Teddy's weakly clenched fist and cleaning away the blood on his chin.

"I thought from the silver... does this have to do with your dad?"

Teddy winced at that, "I'm not a werewolf."

"Yea I know, but-."

"I get migraines when the moon is full," Teddy mumbled, "No one picked up on it immediately, took a few years for my grandma to realize the headaches came so frequently around the same cycle of the moon filling out. There's never been a case of a werewolf having a child before, not like me, so no one really knew what would happen. I guess... even if I'm not a full werewolf, even if I don't transform, something in me still reacts to the full moon. My head feels like it's shrinking in on my brain, like my skull is shattering open. It's horrible. It can get so bad that I black out, I get nauseous, have nightmares."

"I'm sorry," James said it softly, still trying the wipe away the blood from Teddy's nose, "Do you... get nose bleeds a lot?"

Teddy nodded, "If my nose starts bleeding it's a pretty clear sign my headache is getting too severe. Normally I'm supposed to take that tonic before it happens. After it bleeds, then I start feeling nauseous, and by then it's too late to take my tonic, and I usually black out."

"Did you take it too late now?"

"No, I think I got it in time...," he managed to smile at James, taking the handkerchief from him, "Thank you. I don't think I would've been able to finish preparing it had you not come along to help. I'm sorry, though, that you have to see me like this."

"I don't care about that, Ted," James assured, keeping a hand on his shoulder, "You don't have to hide anything from me just to keep me from worrying. If you need help with this again in the future, let me know, okay?" he waited eagerly for Teddy to nod, then pulled away his hand, "Good then. Lie down again since you've taken the tonic. I'll put all this away."

"You go back to sleep too," Teddy insisted, watching James put all the potion supplies back into the small case.

"I will, I promise, just let me do this much more for you."

Teddy didn't complain, either he was too exhausted to or was genuinely fine with James doing more. He sat quietly on the couch and finished cleaning up his face as James finished putting everything away, filling a few vials with what was left of the tonic and stowing them in the box as well, shutting and securing it before sitting back on the couch next to Teddy.

"Aren't you going to bed?" he asked, James was pleased to see his eyes were lightening from the pitch black.

"Um, duh?" James pulled at the blanket that was hanging over the back of the couch, "I'm getting settled now."

"You should go back upstairs."

"Fred and Hugo keep snoring, Louis talks too much in his sleep, and I woke up with Al's hand in my face. I'd probably sleep better down here anyway," James decided, wrapping the blanket around himself, throwing the other side around Teddy, who seemed like he wanted to protest.

James didn't give him time to, just took the second blanket that Molly had left there for Teddy and wrapped that one around them both before curling up, feeling the weight of his worry mix with the early morning hour and yawning through the crackle of the fire.

"You can use me as a pillow," he said to Teddy, but he didn't really expect him to take the offer, so when he did, slumping and lying his head on James' shoulder, he tensed up in surprise, wide eyes staring at the mantle.

"Thank you," Teddy mumbled, he sounded truly exhausted, and James looked down at him, eyes closed and face still too pale.

His hair, luckily, had changed from that tar black, and the shade it had taken made James blink a few times in surprise. Pale, powdery pink, like crushed peppermint.

Teddy fell asleep within moments, and James curled closer to him, ensuring the blanket was securely around them and shutting his eyes, lying his cheek in Teddy's hair. He smelt like peppermint, too...

It didn't take James long to fall asleep either, and by the time he woke up, it was already nine in the morning, which was much later than he'd expected. Though he did stay awake with Teddy for pretty long, at least an hour. At first he didn't understand what had woken him, peeling his eyes open a crack just to stare at the fireplace, the stockings all stuffed and the fire newly stoked.

Then he heard it, the condescending sound of someone sipping tea, and blinked his eyes open, rolling his head to see both Albus and Lily sitting in armchairs across from the couch against the wall, holding cups and wearing matching red and green rimmed Christmas themed sunglasses that twinkled at the edges, the lenses a flashing gold and silver; gifts from Ron no doubt. The two of them were watching him with simple expressions, their eyes hidden by the glasses, but when they seemed to catch him looking at them in bewilderment, they lifted their tea cups from their saucers and brought them to their lips in a ridiculously well rehearsed and simultaneous movement, taking slow, very loud, very condescending sips.

"What... the devil... are you two doing?" James managed to ask through his tumble of confused emotions, and Lily slowly lowered her teacup back into the saucer held in her other hand.

"That, Mister Potter, is what we should be asking."

"How long have you been sitting there?" James asked, shifting, pausing when he felt Teddy's weight still rested against him, head against his shoulder.

"What time is it, Miss Potter?" Albus asked, and Lily answered without looking away from James.

"It's 9:23, Mister Potter."

"Then we've been sitting here for thirty minutes maybe."

"Why do you sound so proud of that?" James asked, still so entirely confused, "You two are freaking me out."

"When did you come downstairs last night?" Lily asked, and James gaped at her.

"I don't know, two o'clock I think?"

"And why did you come down so early, Mister Potter?" Albus asked, "Surely you don't believe in Santa, do you?"

"What? Don't be ridiculous."

Both of them stood up at the same time, setting their saucers and teacups on the table as Lily whipped out a muggle flashlight and flipped it on, shining it into James' face.

"So you admit you came down here to see Teddy?"

"What? I mean, yea? Where did you get that?"

"And what were you doing?" Albus asked, and James squinted against the light to see him.

"I was sleeping, what the bloody else would I be doing?"

His younger siblings crowded closer, "I don't know, James, what would you be doing at 2 a.m. Christmas Eve, sneaking downstairs to visit Teddy?"

"Sleeping, I just told you!"

"Kids, I said not to wake them up," James looked to the side where their father was standing, arms folded and one eyebrow raised, still in his sleepwear and his hair tangled in a bedhead.

Albus and Lily backed away, and Lily shut off her flashlight before picking up her teacup, "He woke up on his own, we didn't do anything, right Al?"

"Yea, dad."

Harry looked at James, who just blanked at him, "I don't even know what's going on, dad."

"Oh both of you!" Ginny snapped as she walked up beside Harry, and Lily and Albus scrambled to grab their cups and leave the room with their mother following, scolding them about bothering their brother, let Teddy rest, blah blah.

"How's he doing?" Harry asked, stepping further into the room and glancing at the closed potion kit before looking at Teddy, whose hair had changed to it's natural tawny brown color in sleep.

It was the best way to know he was really sleeping and not faking. Teddy always kept his hair blue, or other wild colors, only allowing it to change back to the shade he was born with, his father's hair, when he was truly relaxed, not paying attention. Usually when he was sleeping. James loved how fun Teddy's hair could be, but he loved it when he showed his true colors even more. He just wished he could see Teddy's blue-green eyes more often.

"I dunno... he wasn't doing too good last night," James said, looking at his father, "Why did you never tell me about his migraines?"

Harry paused beside the couch, one corner of his lips twitching in a controlled smile before looking down at Teddy, "Well, it wasn't entirely relevant, and would have just worried you."

"His nose was bleeding, too," James said, looking down at where the stained handkerchief was clutched in Teddy's loose fist, "He was hurting pretty bad."

"So he didn't take his medicine after all," Harry looked again to the potion kit, and James shook his head.

"He said he ran out and didn't have time to make more because he's been so busy with work."

"He knows I would have helped," Harry said, looking both guilty and indignant, like he was upset he hadn't realized Teddy was lying and mad that Teddy had lied in the first place, "Honestly."

"I made it up for him," James assured, "Last night. He was starting it but couldn't finish, so I did it for him and made sure he drank it."

"He still looks pretty ill," Harry sighed, "I'm going to let your grandmother know, she and I will make something to put color back in his face," he paused while turning, smiling at James, "Good job looking after him. You must have fixed the potion quickly if he slept so easily."

"Think so?" James asked, "I was worried I may have gotten something wrong. That probably would have made him sicker, I don't want that."

"James, you did fine," Harry chuckled, "Just keep doing what you're doing, okay?"

Still feeling worried, but grateful, James nodded, watching his father leave the room before settling back, looking over at the tree. There were still presents sitting there, so James had a feeling everyone had been waiting for he and Teddy to wake up before tearing into them. That was nice of them, though James felt a bit guilty about making the kids wait.

They wouldn't have to wait much longer, though, as Teddy shifted and lifted a hand to his face, rubbing his eyes and blinking them open, keeping a hand on his head as James reached over to him.

"Teds. You feeling better?"

"Yea," Teddy said blearily, sitting up and detaching himself from the blankets wrapped around him, stretching his arms up until his spine cracked a few times and rubbing his eyes again, "Wow, yea I feel much better. Headaches almost completely gone."

He smiled at James, who had to grin back, because his eyes were that shade of pale blue and icy green that he'd inherited from his father. He must not realize what he looked like yet, still sleepy and not paying attention. James rarely if ever got to see Teddy like this, with his guard completely down; he really did look like his father.

The shade of his eyes flashed to a darker green as blue rapidly colored in his hair and footsteps pounded on the floor, the back door opening and most of the Weasley kids crowding back into the house covered in snow, Lily prancing back into the living room and brightening when she saw Teddy awake.

"Happy Christmas, Teddy!"

Teddy laughed and caught her in a hug that she threw at him, "Happy Christmas, Lils. What time is it?"

"Like 9:30," Albus answered, his Christmas sunglasses pushed onto his head, nestled in his dark hair, "Dad said we weren't allowed to wake you up."

"You should've," Teddy said, eyes wide and looking guilty for some reason, "I don't want to make anyone wait to celebrate."

"It's not a celebration without you though!" Lily argued, pulling away from Teddy and bouncing on her feet, "Dad! Dad! Mummy! Everyone's awake! Daddy! Gran! C'mon! Auntie!" she darted from the room and Teddy laughed loudly.

He stood up and picked up his potions kit, stuffing it into the bag he'd brought along and stowing it back behind the couch before anyone realized what it was and started asking why he'd have it out in the first place. A few of the family were eating or drinking tea and coffee in the kitchen when James and Teddy walked in, but the kids were flitting about in excitement over the presents under the tree.

Molly had Teddy sit, despite his swears that he was fine, and set a plate of breakfast in front of him, ordering him to eat and not move a muscle until he'd finished. James sat with him to eat his own breakfast, not caring that it was a little different than Teddy's.

"Join us when you finish," Molly said, hurrying around the kitchen to tidy up a bit before leaving to join everyone else in the living room.

Teddy and James just laughed about it and finished their food. Like Harry had hoped, there was a lot more color to Teddy's face once he'd finished eating, balancing a mug of cider in his hand as he followed James back into the living room. Teddy seemed to be feeling better, but James kept one eye on him the rest of the morning, even when Andromeda came back, this time through the front door.

Wrapping paper was thrown everywhere, little Molly couldn't decide what she liked better, the bow that had been tied around her present or the thick sweater her grandmother had wrapped it around, everyone was wearing their new Weasley sweater, even Teddy, while eating the candy and looking through books or toys. The adults had gone into the kitchen to cook and talk, half the kids were outside playing in the snow. Teddy tried to join them, but Harry asked him to stay inside ("Just for now, rest."). James was silently pleased about it and stayed inside with him despite how Hugo and Lucy tried to get him outside for a snowball fight.

"The last thing I want to do is ruin your Christmas, James," Teddy muttered, and James just stared at him.

"Name one legitimate way you've ruined my Christmas at all," he dared, and Teddy frowned.

"You had to take care of me last night, I made you wake up late-."

"Teddy I said a legitimate way. Taking care of you didn't ruin anything," James said it with a smile, and after a moment it had the effect he wanted as Teddy smiled back, the ends of his hair paling into that same powder pink that it had been before he'd fallen asleep just the night before.

The pink changed back to blue after a moment, but through the rest of the day it kept popping back up at times. Sometimes just the tips, sometimes whole streaks would flow into existence before changing back to blue, and Victoire was becoming increasingly fascinated by it, looking far too amused and absolutely beaming whenever the pink would show up again.

The more Teddy noticed her grinning, the more frustrated he seemed to get with her, but that just seemed to amuse her even more, and the entire time James just smiled at their interaction, innocently oblivious to whatever silent conversation they were having.

"Stop smirking at me," he heard Teddy whisper at one point when he was focused on something else, and Victoire whispered back.

"You're being very conspicuous, you know?"

"Shut up."

"Do you want a hat?"

"I swear to Merlin..."

"Just be happy he's a complete idiot."

"What are you two whispering about?" Albus asked, from behind them, making them jump in their seats.

"Nothing, Al," Teddy assured quickly, "Grown up stuff."

"Sure," Albus said, reaching up to slide down the red and green sunglasses and lifting up a bottle of Butterbeer with a straw sticking out of it, "but keep in mind, Teds. I, am not a complete idiot," Teddy actually looked a little frightened at that, while Victoire just grinned more, and Albus lifted his drink, "Cheers," and walked away.

"Sometimes I love that boy," Victoire revealed, and Teddy sunk down in his armchair, taking hold of the neck of his sweater and lifting it over his face to hide in it.

By supper time, Teddy seemed to be back to normal, though a bit tired. Sections of his blue hair kept changing to pink, and he'd mutter under his breath in annoyance after realizing it, but he was in much higher spirits, and despite how worried James had been for him, he felt that Christmas had been a success, and was eager to get back to school. It was his last year after all, he wanted to make the most of his Potions class.

"I think I might want to look into being an Auror," James said nonchalantly to Teddy, having taken the seat beside him for dinner that night, and Teddy glanced at him in surprise.

"Really?" he asked for clarity, leaning closer so they could hear each other over the roar of voices passing around the long table, "What brought that up?"

James shrugged, one elbow against the table and his chin in his hand, "Dunno. Guess it seems like a good career."

"You shouldn't pick a job just because it sounds good. You've gotta be passionate about something or you might start slacking, and a Ministry job isn't something you can slack on."

"I know that already," James said in annoyance, "I just wanna learn more about Potions and Tonics, and Aurors use them a lot, don't they?"

Teddy stared at him for a moment, assessing his words, not realizing his blue hair was quickly changing back to that powdery peppermint pink color. Not just strands this time, but entirely.

"Yea, they do," Teddy agreed as James slid his fingertip around the edge of his glass, "You know, there are other careers where you can research Potions. You could go into medicine and work at St Mungos, that could be nice."

"Yea, but you're not at St Mungos, you're at the Ministry," James said, holding up his hand in a "blah" way as if he figured his reasoning was already obvious.

"I thought you weren't that interested in potions?" Teddy asked, dragging his water goblet closer and hiding his face in it as he tried to fix his hair back before more people noticed it.

Already Victoire was snickering again, Albus and Lily had slowly lowered their matching Christmas themed sunglasses over their eyes (where had they even gotten those?), and Harry was glancing between he and his oldest niece with a look of confusion. He could only take bits of comfort from the fact they couldn't hear his conversation with James over the table.

"Well, I wasn't really," James folded his arms over the edge of the table, "They seemed kind of pointless, you know? If I can cast Charms and Spells, why do I need something as physical as Potions? But... I think I get it now, after last night."

"Last night?"

"Well, yea," James gave Teddy an innocent look, one eyebrow raised, "I can't imagine there's a spell I could've cast to make your migraine go away, right?" Teddy choked on his water, "Potions have their uses, they're important; I get it now," James smiled at his plate as he went back to his food, not noticing the way Teddy tried to drown himself in his goblet.

"You're sure you can't stay?" Molly was asking Andromeda at the door later in the night.

The kids were back in the living room trying to clean up, but constantly distracted by the tinsel, toys, and wrapping bows. Harry, Molly, and Ginny were at the door seeing off Andromeda and Teddy, who'd finally managed to fix his hair right and was playing with the strap of his bag.

"We would, but you know how I like spending some alone time with him," Andromeda smiled over at Teddy, who was saying goodbye to Harry, "Besides, we still need to visit Cissy and Draco."

"Yes, of course," Molly looked towards Andromeda's bag, where she'd placed three more wrapped presents, sweaters Molly had made for the three Malfoy's.

While Molly Weasley had found common ground with Narcissa and Draco, and liked Scorpius, she'd conveniently forgotten about Lucius; but she was sure he wouldn't mind; and she didn't care even if he did.

"You'll be apparating there?"

"That's right."

"Well go quick, it's supposed to snow again soon," Molly hugged the other woman before hustling Teddy into her arms, then patting his cheeks and praising him for looking much healthier than he had before.

The two of them stepped into the snow beyond, and Molly shut the door to keep out the cold, moving to the window instead to wave them off. James was at the other window across the room, opened and leaning out to wave at Teddy.

"Happy Christmas! I'll see you soon!"

"Yea?" Teddy grinned and trudged through the snow to reach the window, "See you at the Ministry?"

"Absolutely! And you have to come meet me once I'm home from Hogwarts! Meet me at King's Cross and see me off! It's my last year remember!"

"I couldn't forget if I tried," Teddy promised, digging in his bag for a moment, "One thing, Jamie, but would you watch something for me?"

"Hm?" James frowned, watching Teddy pull out a glass vial of his tonic, and a familiar folded piece of paper, both of which he handed to James, who cradled the vial before unfolding the paper, "Your tonic?"

"Yea, keep it," Teddy said, "I've got it memorized already. Keep that bit just in case I forget again, and keep the recipe too, just in case."

James gaped at him, "Are you sure? This is your health you're giving me, it's no small gift."

"No, I know," Teddy smiled, cheeks flushed from cold, "It's a metaphor, Jamie."

"I'm not that great with those."

"I figured," Teddy started backing up, snow crunching under his boots, "If I trust anyone with my health, it's you," James felt his face warm, and Teddy laughed a little, like he'd made a funny joke, "Happy Christmas, James."

"Yea," James smiled again, lifting his empty hand in a wave, "Happy Christmas."

Teddy and Andromeda apparated seconds later, and snow started drifting down from the dark sky. James leaned back into the house and shut the window, reading over the recipe again before stowing it and the spare vial of tonic into the pocket of his jeans, turning around and jumping in place when he found himself face to face with Lily and Albus.

"Bloody fuck!" he gasped, grabbing his chest and leaning against the wall, "Why have you two started doing this? What pleasure do you gain from giving me these heart attacks?"

"What did Teddy give you?" Lily asked, and James frowned, folding his arms.

"A potion recipe, why?"

"Why'd he give you that?" Albus asked next.

"To practice. I'm going into the Ministry as an Auror after graduating."

Lily and Albus exchanged a look before slowly sliding their sunglasses onto their faces.

"Sure, James, we believe you."

"Where did you even get those?!"

Gleeful laughter and carols sung off key continued to lift from the Burrow into the night as the snow continued to fall and blanket the ground, the sky cloudy, but near midnight when the snow finally paused, there was a break in the clouds, letting a newly waxing moon shine light over the field of white.

#jeddy #je t'aime #tames #cursed child fanfiction #fanfiction #teddy lupin #James Sirius Potter #albus severus potter #lily luna potter #potter sibling triune #ao3 #first actual jeddy fic #moon sick #werewolf

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malibootie · 6 years

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19 Man Cave Ideas to Avoid

Now that you know everything you want to keep in your man cave, let’s check out things you want to keep out. Every man has their own preferences, but if you put one of these in your cave, then prepare yourself to hear your friends call it a ‘she-shed.’ Vanity mirrors, curvy furniture, zany craft decorations, and lacy curtains top the list of things to keep out of your cave. However, some things—like family photos—aren’t quite as obvious. These 19 man cave ideas to avoid serve as a warning to men everywhere! Keep reading for a list of things to keep out of your man cave and the reason you need to keep them out!

Vanity Mirrors

Large vanity mirrors highlight the arrogance of all who use them on a daily basis. Normal mirrors function just fine for reasonable people, so why take up a lot of space in your cave just to put in a mirror? Replacing a wall with a mirror doesn’t count—and actually adds a lot of space to the room! Plus, mirrors look great in garage or bar settings. A bathroom area also needs a mirror, at least for when you shave! When you see the fancy plastic, metal, or wooden border of a large mirror, that’s where you need to draw the line.

More Than Four Colors

A room usually uses two major colors and one minor color. In example, the typical home uses white or eggshell-colored paint on their walls and any color carpet to complement it. What you put in the home matches those colors. The same applies in a man cave. If you want your room to look coherent, then carefully limit the amount of colors you put in your main fixtures. Obviously decorations and art will bring you over the four color limit, but your permanent furniture should fit within the limitations. Beyond your first three colors, a fourth lets you squeeze in an odd design here and there, so long as it only colors small buttons or portions of the furniture.

Anything Abstract

Art looks great—especially paintings! Use art, posters, and unique designs to complement the theme of your man cave and populate the wall. Little statues or figurines also help the room feel cozy. However, not any art works for a man cave. Abstract art and figures use abnormal shapes, materials, colors, and subject material to draw all attention towards them. Standing in a museum, they look great. But standing in a man cave? Not so much. It takes some serious work to pull off an abstract design in a man cave, especially since the normally outlandish colors of abstract statues clashes with the normal color schemes of man caves. Avoid using these figures, if possible! For art that works great in man caves, read this page.

Cushions Galore

Women put cushions in their room to fill up space with something to look at. Little sayings like ‘home is where the heart is’ make them good conversation points and they knit the room together. However, they serve no other function and clutter up a conventional man cave. Anyone who uses your couch throws them on the ground anyways. If you need something to decorate unused chairs or couches, stick with practical things like body pillows, back pillows, or bean bags. That way, they actually serve a purpose and look like they fit the room at the same time.

Flowery Wallpaper

Your wall needs as many things as possible to keep the walls covered. Unless you want to show off some cool woodwork or brick patterns, any empty space becomes wasted. With that in mind, why would wallpaper matter? You still see the wall paper behind the decorations and furniture—especially furniture like drawers or fridges that may need a little more wall space than usual. If you choose wallpaper over paint or textured walls, then pick something basic, modern, or something to go with your theme. Please skip the flowers.

Family Photos

Pictures of your dear family and friends serve as immortal reminders of a good moment in our life. I would never downplay their importance or significance. However, a man cave is called a man cave for a reason. The mantuary exists to keep a single man separate from the rest of the world, and sometimes, that means keeping out family portraits. To incorporate your family into the cave, ask them personally how they would like to change your man cave wall decor. This provides the best way to bond with your family while keeping your space yours. Very rarely will they ask for photos of themselves in there. I give a lot more advice on man cave decor here.

Curly Furniture

Curvy objects represent femininity. I don’t care of you like hour glasses, pears, apples, or any other body shape—everyone knows that curves belong to women! Similarly, curves in architecture and design represent female characteristics. For a more manly aesthetic, stick to sharper corners on your furniture and avoid the curved metal flourishes that plague a lot of metal furniture. Large curves, such as a curved sofa that points towards the center of the room, make sense to put in a man cave. For anything else, leave it out!

Lacy Curtains

Anything that resembles a doily, lace, or ribbon belongs in a nursery, not in a man cave. Curtains perform worse than blinds aesthetically speaking, at least where mantuaries are concerned. I contemplated banning curtains outright, but some curtains actually manage to provide utility to mancaves. Blackout curtains keep out light and make projection-based entertainment systems easier to see. On top of that, some colored curtains fit right in with man cave themes, if you pick a simple design. Ultimately, stay away from anything translucent or lacy, and your curtains should look fine.

Persian Rugs

Rugs help bring together a room without taking away space. A room without a rug or other floor decoration looks empty and lacking, so obviously you need to consider rugs. However, keep Persian rugs out of your consideration. Their beautiful flowers, vines, and ornaments look great in a living room and sometimes in the lobby of a building…but not in a man cave. With so many other options for your man space, try to broaden your horizons and find something that fits better! Cow hides work great with rustic man caves, while custom galaxy designs suit Star Wars themed caves. For sports lovers, plenty of licensed carpets exist to fill the empty space.

Creamers, Sugar, or Drink Syrup

Okay, drinks taste great with added flavors. I’m not going to go on a rant about how men should drink bitter beer or black coffee or anything like that, but there is a limit to the amount of sweeteners a man cave should house. If you dislike bitter flavors in your drinks, go ahead and create mixes using fresh fruit or grab some pre-mixed drinks instead. For better tasting coffee, seek out a better brand than whatever you currently drink. I promise something out there matches your palate!

Anything ‘Chic’

This one’s a no-brainer. Anything marketed towards women or girls probably looks out of place in a man cave. On top of that, anything labeled specifically as a girly product probably has a gender neutral or even masculine counterpart. A chic object usually contains a lot of contrasting colors, curves, and extra textures that clash with the idea of a modern man cave. I realize none of you go looking for chic things when you plan your man cave, but if you feel yourself tempted by something in Ross or Hobby Lobby…resist!

Crystals, Sequins, or Glitter

Despite the phrase, not everything that glitters is gold. Flashy objects like crystals, jewels, glass chandeliers, and so on might look pretty in the light, but they hardly stand out as manly. The only things that should glisten in your cave are metal objects and maybe the fish in an aquarium. Glitter just gets everywhere, so skip that as well.

Craft Supplies…in Plain View

Look, some men like crafting. I get that. Even I own a collection of colorful markers that helps me distinguish things when I cut wood. However, putting them up on a wall for everyone to see, along with string, lace, and scissors to match…hardly gives the impression of a man cave. When you need to organize your tools in your man cave, go to home depot and find yourself a tool chest or tool shelves. Shelves in particular keep things organized.

String Lights

Yeah…no. String lights have their time and place, but it’s not in a man cave. For frat rooms, work parties, children sleepovers, baby rooms, and Christmas spectacles, string lights work spectacularly. But for a man cave? Stick to more conventional lighting that goes with your theme. The string part of the string lights looks cheap and gaudy, so if you want a similar effect, install permanent lights spaced evenly throughout the wall. Plus, putting in your own lighting allows you to easily fit the theme of your man cave!

Fabric on the Wall

I don’t necessarily mean curtains. We already covered those. Rather, some women absolutely love to use sheets as decorations for the ceiling or walls. What might look great for a classy living room or princess-style bedroom has no place in a man cave. If you want different textures for the wall or ceiling beyond what art can offer you, then use bricks, wood panels, textured paint, or wallpaper to pull off the effect.

Too Many Windows

The cave is called a cave for a reason. It isn’t a greenhouse or atrium. It serves as a secluded place meant for you to spend some alone time. Just like a regular cave, entrances and exits are sparse. Open windows help lift the mood and air out the cave, but they also break down the sense of a special space. Instead of feeling like a mantuary, it just feels like an open room. Stick to a normal amount of windows for your wall space and maybe one or two skylights, if possible. Nothing too dramatic, but also nothing too minimal.

Ban on Signs or Posters

Some ladies like to keep their she caves minimal. Instead of using posters or art, they use zany paint jobs, wall-mounted dishes, or fabric to decorate the walls. Sometimes they even convert walls into crafting stations! However—and this goes for people of both sexes, to be honest—forgoing signs takes away a lot of potential from your cave. Signs help distinguish your man cave from other space, something critical for a man cave. For more reasons on why you need signs, check the whole man cave signs info and recommendations page.

Pergolas

This mainly goes towards people with shed man caves. In case you don’t know what a pergola is, it provides the framework for vines and flowers to create a tunnel of leaves. Gardens look great and all, but pergolas take it a little far. Use vertical garden techniques or custom landscaping to achieve a similar effect without making the entrance to your man cave look like a dream wedding venue. Plus, custom watering systems help your plants grow and keep out pests. For more man cave shed ideas, browse my dedicated page on the matter.

Straw Anything

Look, I don’t care if your man cave is supposed to look rustic. Straw anything belongs in a barn, not in a man cave. Wooden chairs work better than straw chairs, cow skins work better than straw rugs, and anything works better than straw decorations! If you built your man shed with a thatch roof, then do yourself a favor and replace it with any other type of roofing. And if your wife gives you one of those rustic straw poofs? Just throw it outside where it belongs, for the love of all things holy!

At the end of the day, your man cave reflects your inner self. Sometimes, that means squeezing in a pergola at the entrance of your man shed or throwing in that weird abstract figure your great aunt sent you just to give it a place. However, if you want to achieve the idea of a modern man cave, this list helps you achieve that by telling you where you can go wrong. I also wrote a large list of things you do want to add in, so check that list to round out your man cave plans! Whether you listen to this advice or not, always do what you think is right for your man cave. After all, that space belongs to you and you alone!

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from True Man Cave https://www.truemancave.com/19-man-cave-ideas-avoid/

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