The Perfect Christmas
Summary: A Sirius/Crookshanks I wrote for a Fanfic comp. Purely friendship fluff, nothing else.
It was the week before Christmas break, and Harry had finally received the letter he had been waiting for.
Dear Harry,
I have spoken to Dumbledore about the thing you asked, and he has agreed. There seems to be no immediate danger, so I'll be seeing you soon. Talk to you at 10 with more details.
Love, Snuffles.
P.S. R and H to come with you. It's already sorted.
It was only short, and didn't contain much information, but to Harry it was like Christmas had come a few weeks early. He ran to the Gryffindor common room and shoved the note under Ron and Hermione's noses. They both read it quickly and looked up at Harry, clearly as excited as he was.
"Oh my Merlin, we'll all going to be spending Christmas together? And with Si- I mean Snuffles?" Hermione caught herself before Sirius' name slipped out, then gave Harry and Ron one last excited look before rushing up to the girls dormitory, to pack presumably.
Harry followed up to their dorm and watched him pack, as he had done it weeks ago. The only things Harry had to pack were Hedwig's cage and the mirror Sirius had given him last Christmas.
Harry, Ron and Hermione spent all of dinner in the common room, having gotten Dobby to bring them some food from the Great Hall, and talked excitedly about what they would do that Christmas. The mood, however, was ruined every five minutes by Hermione, who was constantly reminding them Buckbeak had given birth to five little Hippogriffs the summer before and Sirius would need help caring for them. All through their conversation Crookshanks sat purring on Hermione's lap, glad that he was finally going to get to see his best friend after so long.
The trio decided to meet back in the common room at ten to ten so they could talk to Sirius together. A couple of hours later the three huddled in front of the blazing fire, Ron and Hermione either side of Harry, who held the mirror tight in his sweaty hands.
At ten o'clock sharp Sirius' face appeared in the mirror, and it was sporting a huge smile.
"Harry! Ron! Hermione! Good to see you all! Now Ron and Hermione, you both know that you're both coming to stay with me this Christmas?"
"Yes Sirius" Hermione replied sarcastically, and Ron just laughed and nodded.
"Hermione, even though I assume you three are alone I would still rather you not use my name. I don't want to get you three in trouble"
Hermione blushed. "Sorry, Snuffles"
"Thats better. Now, have you three got everything packed?" Sirius waited for Harry to nod before continuing. "Ok, good. Now I have arranged for a couple of Order members, and don't worry Harry it won't be Snape" said Sirius hurriedly, seeing the look on Harry's face. "To pick you up from the station and you will travel by Side-long Apparation here. Now, Hedwig and Crookshanks will be travelling separately from you three. Lupin will make an impromptu visit to the school the on Friday morning, so on Thursday night I would like all three of you to take Hedwig and Crookshanks and up to the Headmasters office. Now I'm sorry Harry but that's all I have time for, I'll see the three of you on Saturday!" Sirius' head disappeared and the mirror went blank.
On Thursday night the trio said goodbye to their animals and took them up to the Headmasters office.
Friday morning was a day of anticipation for everyone. At Hogwarts Harry, Ron and Hermione were getting ready to get on the Hogwarts Express the next day. At Grimmauld Place, Sirius paced back and forth, waiting for Lupin to come back with his childhood friend.
The reason he had wanted to take the animals, well just Crookshanks really but he couldn't take just one without them getting suspicious, was so that he and Crookshanks could have some time alone. Before Hermione had owned Crookshanks he used to hang around the kids at a nearby muggle park, as did Sirius (in his animagus form of course). They had ended up in a fight over a sausage roll one of the kids had thrown to them, and had somehow bonded. Sirius could understand animals in his animagus form, so he and Crookshanks spent many nights roaming the streets of London together.
When Lupin finally arrived Sirius shifted to his animagus form, and Crookshanks ran over eagerly to greet him. Lupin looked at them strangely before shaking his head and carrying Hedwig upstairs.
Sirius shifted back to his human for just long enough to yell out that he was 'going out' before bounding out the back door in the form of a huge black, shaggy dog, chasing after a Crookshanks, who had taken off so fast he was now a ginger streak, standing out against the stark white snow.
The pair ran for an hour before stopping at their old meeting spot - some unused horse stables that used to be owned by a family of muggles.
"Had fun at Hogwarts?" Sirius barked.
"What do you think?" came back Crookshanks' annoyed meow.
"Hey C, I was just being nice, no need to bite my head off!" Sirius laughed, pawing playfully at Crookshanks' head. He hissed and swatted the massive paw away.
"Don't push me Paddy, I will claw that smug smile right off your face you know?"
"Oh settle down C, I was only joking! I haven't seen you for ages! And besides, its nearly Christmas, lighten up!"
Sirius pawed Crookshanks playfully again, and this time he took the bait, swiping back and narrowly missing Sirius' nose.
"Oh come on Crooky, play with me? Its one night we'll get to ourselves, come on, for old times sake?"
"Don't call me Crooky, Sirius, or I will hurt you"
"How is that any different from you calling me Paddy?" Sirius barked, bounding over Crookshanks playfully. "Look C I don't care what you call me, ok? Can we go for anther run or something?"
"Holy Merlin Paddy, do you ever get out of the house?" Crookshanks swiped at him again, hissing as Sirius tried to bite his swishing tail.
"Unfortunately, no. I never get out of the house, so will you please just get rid of you spoilt attitude and come and have some fun? Seriously, C, you've been around Hermione too long, you need to lighten up!"
"Ok, ok fine you pestering little mutt, lets go then" Crookshanks hissed, unwillingly getting up and walking over to Sirius, who was now standing at the entrance to the barn, sniffing at the air.
"I think I smell a rabbit C, wanna chase it?" Sirius barked hopefully.
"Go on Paddy, have some fun," Crookshanks sighed.
"Thanks C, I owe you one!" Sirius barked before bounding down the slope after the rabbits scent. Crookshanks followed slowly, watching his best friend bound happily after the unsuspecting rabbits, a smile twitching his whiskers.
The two friends played happily until it got dark, and they heard their call to come home; A long, low whistle, that sounded like Lupins howl at the full moon. Obviously it wasn't, in fact it was actually only Tonks wolf-whistling, but it still sent chills down both furry bodies. Sirius gave three short, high yelps in return and then he and Crookshanks bounded back to number 12 Grimmauld Place, where they fell asleep together, curled up in front of the blazing fire.
Harry, Ron and Hermione turned up the next afternoon, escorted from he train station by Tonks and Mad-eye, to find Hedwig flying happily around the house and Crookshanks asleep on Sirius' lap, purring as Sirius hands made long strokes down his back. When the three entered the kitchen Harry ran over to Sirius and gave him a hug, and Crookshanks bounded unwillingly from his enjoyable slumber and into Hermione's waiting arms.
Christmas was a joyous affair, with quite a few guests turning up on Christmas eve. Tonks, her hair electric blue instead of its usual bubblegum pink, Lupin, Mad-eye Moody, Fred, George, Ginny, Bill and Fleur, Arthur and Molly, along with Harry, Ron, Hermione and Sirius, managed to fit into the crowded kitchen for a delicious Christmas dinner.
On the trio's last night at Grimmauld place, Sirius and Crookshanks went for a midnight run, and said goodbye. The next morning they all left, clueless as to the previous nights happenings, and oblivious to the unusual friendship between the cranky Keazle cat and the siriusly playful dog.