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Another Christmas


Evans,
Happy Christmas!
Mum gave me your card before but I couldn’t get an owl out to you ‘til now. Just been released from St. Mungo’s at last and get to be home for Christmas, which is brilliant because there’s a Doctor Who special on the muggle telly and because I’ve been ill mum’s not even going to make me turn it off this year! I reckon you know all about Doctor Who as you’re a muggle and all the muggles like The Doctor. My favorite is K-9 and even though they’re evil I like the Daleks as well. They’re quite funny sounding. Remind me to do my best impression of one for you sometime. I think you’ll find it really funny. If you like Doctor Who that is, otherwise disregard all this rambling I’ve done. Only notice it if it makes you think I’m cool for knowing about it (most wizards don’t, you know, Sirius thought I was mad when I did my Dalek impression for him).
Anyway, I wanted to write you and tell you I think going to a cinema with you would be brilliant. As friends. (Please note, I’ve underlined that equally hard just to show you that message was received loud and clear.) I haven’t seen a cinema before, though, so you’ll have to tell me how it works once we get there. I think the one about King Arthur sounded pretty funny and we can go to it during holiday before we go back to Hogwarts! I’ll find a way to talk my mum and dad into letting me go. Thank you for inviting me, I’m really looking forward to seeing you. As friends. (Please note, I’ve underlined it a second time but I’m allowed to think my friend is pretty, aren’t I? I mean that’s not a sin is it? Because you are quite pretty and I really can’t help but think that. Maybe if you don’t want people thinking you’re pretty you should put an ugly charm on yourself. But please don’t really do that, Evans. There’s enough ugliness in this world without taking away one of the few beautiful things we’ve got left.)
Tell me what day to meet you by return owl and I’ll make it work.
Can’t wait to see -- well, you and the film both, really.
Happy Christmas again.
Potter


James read over the letter again and nodded before rolling it up and tying it with bit of Christmas ribbon and attaching it to Bubo’s leg. “Here you are,” he said to the owl, giving her an owl treat, “Now off you go.” He opened up the window and watched the owl soar off over the snow.

It was Christmas morning and he could smell Dora’s cooking all the way up in his room, could hear Charlus singing loudly - though he couldn’t quite make out the words and tune, he knew it was some Christmas carol. James scratched at his shoulder at the edge of the bandage that covered his chest. It was itchy as could be now that it was healing and he would have loved to rip the bandage right off and scratch away like a madman. He wondered how Remus dealt with new scars every month - how horrible it must always itch to be Remus! He shuddered at the thought of how awful that scar on his nose must’ve been.

James took up the yellow envelope from his desk, where he’d sat to write Lily’s letter, and tucked it into the pocket of his pyjamas. That poor yellow envelope and notecard were looking quite worn by now, the creases where his hands had clasped it the whole time he’d been in the hospital was quite obvious, and it was getting dirty ‘round the edges (how was a mystery, seeing as St. Mungo’s was completely pristine). But James refused to put it down for even a moment, still feeling a bit of shock that the card existed at all.

The Potters’ living room was splendid with Christmas. Charlus had been interrupted in putting up the things in preparation for James’s expected arrival via King’s Cross when they’d gotten Dumbledore’s patronus, telling them what had happened. Then Charlus had put off finishing up on account of all the time they’d spent at St. Mungo’s, and they’d honestly expected to spend the day itself there, without any Christmas decorations at all, but at the very last moment - that very morning, in fact - the healers had said that if James was very, very careful he could go home for the holiday.

So Charlus had set to work the moment they’d arrived, making Christmas.

James smiled about. “Wow, dad, this is knocker!”

Charlus smiled, “Good enough, for short notice.”

“Warm butterbeer and toast!” called Mrs. Potter, carrying a try into the living room. “James, honey, lay down on the couch, we don’t need you pulling anything.” He nodded and settled down on the couch, shoving throw pillows his mum had set up behind his back so he still felt a part of the celebrations.




Remus woke up first, and smiled when he felt how close Sirius was to him. Impossibly close. Sirius was pressed right to Remus - the only thing between them the thin layer of pyjama cloth. Remus was the little spoon, despite being the taller of the two, and Sirius curled tightly to him, his face buried into the back of Remus’s hair at the name of his neck, nuzzled right in there. Sirius’s arm bent ‘round Remus, his palm splayed across his narrow little bicep (or that part of the arm where a bicep ought to be, rather). He lay there, staring at the window, relishing the feeling, thinking that this was the greatest Christmas gift he could possibly receive - being held in the arms of Sirius Black, a willing captive. He could feel the warmth of Sirius’s breath through the strands of hair his nose was nestled amongst, breathing down his neck - but in a good way...

After a short time, Sirius started stirring, and he groaned as he moved.

“Happy Christmas, Padfoot,” Remus said quietly.

“Blimey, my whole body’s stiff as bloody hell,” murmured Sirius, shifting away from Remus a bit.

Remus turned around. “You alright, then?”

“How are you not stiff?” Sirius demanded, “You fell down a hundred times - I only fell the once when you knocked me down…”

“I’m always stiff - full moon’s two days out,” Remus reminded him. “I’ve learned to ignore it.”

“I can’t imagine feeling like this every month,” Sirius murmured.

Sirius, who had slept with only his pyjama bottoms on, was curling and and bending himself in various ways, trying to stretch out his spine. Remus leaned over and pressed a kiss to the space directly in the center of Sirius’s back, right on his spine. Sirius froze, surprised by Remus’s boldness. He looked over his shoulder, but was too stiff to look far enough to see. Remus slowly kissed his way up the vertebrae that lined Sirius’s back, all the way up to his shoulders and Sirius’s body naturally curled along with the affectionate touch of Remus’s kisses until he’d reached Sirius’s neck and he gently swept aside the thick black hair to one side and kissed his way along to Sirius’s face, ending the trail at his jaw.

Sirius shivered. “Bloody hell,” he whispered.

It was still so weird and new and raw, Sirius thought, Remus’s affection like that. He felt dizzy with it. Remus’s touch was so bloody gentle - Sirius had never been touched as softly as Remus did it, and he’d never felt a thing like the way Remus’s fingertips felt, the way each brush of them set fire to his senses was so intense… He felt no need to flinch away, like he’d done with Marlene or even when Lily Evans had tried hugging him before. Quite the opposite. He couldn’t get enough of Remus’s touch - he craved it, like he’d been starving for it, like a man in a desert without water suddenly finding himself in an oasis of clear, cold water. Remus’s touch seemed to erase every horrible touch that Sirius had received in all of his life. All the effects of his mum’s cruciatus curses seemed to lift away. Remus Lupin had magic hands and Sirius wanted them all over him.

He rolled onto his side and grabbed a thick handful of Remus’s flannel pyjama top and pulled him closer, pressing their mouths together a moment, then he released him and whispered, “Happy Christmas, Moony.”

Remus smiled.

Sirius sat up then, and looked around. To his surprise, he found there were two stacks of presents by the foot of his bed and Remus’s (he wondered for a moment what the house elf that had put them there had thought of the two boys sharing one of the dormroom beds). “Blimey - we’ve got presents,” he announced.

“What?” Remus sat up, excited, and saw the presents at the foot of the beds.

The boys climbed out of bed - neither having expected there to be anything there for presents, neither able to afford anything for the other and not having families that could or would give them anything… They sprang at the gifts feverishly and started unwrapping.

The first one Sirius opened was from James. It was in a flat box with golden snitch paper and contained the red leash and collar with the Snuffles tag on it and a note that contained a bunch of dog puns. Sirius laughed at the joke gift.

The second one was also from James - the real present - and contained a handful of 8-track cartridges for his stereo in the Shrieking Shack, including a couple new albums that Sirius had never heard before.

Remus’s present from James was a jumper with a most outrageous striped pattern. One stripe was green with grey wolves knit upon it, the next was blue with yellow moons, then grey with green and brown trees. The three lines repeated over and over all over the sweater, which had long sleeves with holes for the thumbs to poke out. Remus tugged it on over his head and grinned at how long and thick it was. “Blimey this is excellent.”

“Hey look! It’s you! You’re on your sweater! Hello little wool Moonies,” Sirius said, reaching over to pet the little wolves on Remus’s sweater. “Jeez-haloo that’s thick. You’re going to turn to a puddle.”

“It’s perfect,” Remus corrected, “I’m always freezing cold.”

“But I keep you warm.”

“Yes you do and this jumper will make your job easier,” Remus laughed.

Sirius smiled.

Next were presents from Peter, which were three bars of chocolate each from Honeydukes. In Remus’s was also a picture frame, which folded with two separate photo slots and a note that said Peter had found it really comforting having a picture of his mum since he’d lost her and he saw this picture frame and thought Remus might like to keep a picture of his mum and one of his dad in it together. Sorry I don’t want to make you sad on Christmas, so I’ve put some funny pictures in the frames for now. Remus opened the frame up and inside were two pictures of Peter, making funny faces and he laughed, smiling and thankful for the thought that Peter had put into getting the frame for him.

They each had a gift from Lily Evans, too, who had gotten them each a brand new Gryffindor tie, a set of stationary, and fresh quills and ink - several colours of ink, including one labelled invisible. Sirius had to inspect this of course and he read the directions. It would write initially in blue, it said, and then fade off within minutes to be invisible. The only way to read it again was to cast a spell - and it gave the incantation there below. Perfect for secret messages and passing notes in class, boasted the label. “Brilliant,” he announced.

Remus turned the bottle over in his hand, the very start of an idea mulling about in his head - but not enough of one just yet to mention it to Sirius… but the beginnings stirring.

Lastly, Remus found a small box at the very bottom, wrapped in purple paper with a great silver ribbon of stars… there was a note on top.

These were found on your father’s person and have been returned to me since the investigation began. I thought it best if they went directly to you, rather than back to the house, for safekeeping. I expect you will want them one day, and when that day comes, you’ll have them. You are a very strong boy; perhaps a man already. May you always remember to see to be yourself, for you are a unique and mysterious collection of stardust - as we all are, our bodies made of the stuff. Never be ashamed of who you are, no matter who it is that has made you doubt. Happy Christmas, Dumbledore.

“What’s that one?” Sirius asked, looking over.

Remus held out the note for Sirius to look at and he read it outloud. As he read, Remus opened the box and inside he found Lyall and Hope’s wedding rings, situated together in an even smaller box, covered with black velvet.




James got an owl from Lily that night, just before bed.

Potter,
I look forward to the Dalek impression. I prefer the cybermen as far as bad guys go but I agree the Daleks are quite funny. I've heard Tom Baker is going to be brilliant. I was hoping you would choose the Holy Grail film - it looks terribly funny and I was going to ask Frank Longbottom and Ali Prewitt along to see it, too. Is that alright? I’ve saved money for popcorn and drink, so don’t worry about that. Meet me on 4 January about noon at the Leaky Cauldron and I’ll show you the way from there. The cinema is great, you’ll enjoy it quite a lot, I’m sure.
I am glad you got to be at home for the holiday. How is your chest? Is it going to leave a mark? I’m so very sorry for any (and all) parts that I have played in all of this. I really hate that Severus did this to you. I don’t know what to think. I never would have expected it of him, but lately there seems to be more and more about Severus that I never would have expected and it scares me because it’s not who he really is. If you knew him like I did once upon a time then you would understand what I mean. You’d really like him if you knew him like I once did… Well maybe you wouldn’t. There’s a lot of bad blood between you two that I don’t fully understand the reason for.
I’ve enclosed your Christmas present.
Happy Christmas, Potter. See you 4 January.
Evans.


Attached was a package with the same quill, inks, parchment, and Gryffindor scarf as Sirius and Remus had received.

James smiled and took the scarf and tied it ‘round his neck right over his pyjamas.