Santa

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

A/N: Happy Holidays everyone! Read and review!

Sirius didn't care for gaudy or flashy things like gold necklaces and sterling silver cuff links. Sirius wasn't his mother who adored anything that sparkled or his father that insisted on everything being the best. He wasn't like his parents at all. Those "Black" characteristics just didn't fit him.

That's why, instead of gushing over Aunt Druella's manor, her decorations, or her furniture (and hinting that they had wonderful heirlooms Sirius's aunt didn't), Sirius was sitting on the windowsill watching the snow fall over the vast lawn. Sirius had also wanted to go outside and had attempted to several times, but he was finally resigned to his place by the window. Sirius loved snow. That was worth getting excited about – not tinsel and gold.

With snow, every snowflake was unique and different – never the same pattern. There were no expectations and loud yelling if the snowflake did anything wrong. Snowflakes could be anything and do anything. It also helped that snow was fun and could be thrown at Regulus's head. Stupid git….

Sirius felt a yawn bubble through his body and escape his lips as he cuddled his small body by the window. Sirius didn't want to be at this "party" (more like an excuse to torture Sirius) anymore. He wanted to play in the snow and then go home and see Santa.

Sirius was going to stay up all night and then sneak up on Santa. Those tourist kids (from the United States) had told him all about Santa when he snuck away from his parents in Diagon Alley to Muggle London. Santa hadn't visited Sirius but that was just because Sirius didn't know about his existence. Sirius couldn't remember much from his past being five years old so it didn't matter. Santa could start anew this year. Santa was kind and magical – in a good way. He wasn't harsh and mean and used magic to torture house elves but he used it to give toys to kids all over the world and now, Sirius too.

"Sirius, why are you out there?" Narcissa – the "saint" of the cousins (at least to Sirius's mother and Aunt Druella) – chimed up and Sirius cursed her. Now his mother was going to give him her undivided, scornful attention.

"Sirius, what are you doing now? You better not be misbehaving!" His mother screeched and Sirius flinched at her tone.

"I am simply sitting by the window, Mother." Sirius answered her with not a single emotion on his tongue. He didn't want her to think he was mocking her or something. Then she would never leave.

"Oh really? Don't lie to me." Walburga walked back into the foyer from the dining room where all the Blacks had gathered besides Sirius. His aunt, father, mother, Regulus, and Narcissa were now in the foyer with him.

"I'm not," Sirius motioned at his spot in the window seat that he stayed in almost all the night.

"Sirius is a liar!" Regulus accused.

"How would you know, you little brat?" Sirius sneered.

"Don't speak to your brother like that!" Walburga snapped and Sirius snapped as well. He was tired of his mother always coddling her precious other son. Not only that but it was unfair that he was faced with this mob of vultures.

"Why are we even here at Aunt Druella's? I could be playing in the snow or seeing Santa – not sitting by a cold window completely bored!" He fought back. He wouldn't let his mother just beat him verbally like a whipping boy. He was five – a child - not spineless.

"Pay respect to your mother, young man." His father, Orion, seemed to believe he was losing masculinity and had to interject with something.

"I am not a man. I'm a boy."

"Who's Santa?" Regulus wondered verbally and Sirius turned to his little brother with a smile on his face.

"An amazing magical man that delivers presents to all the kids in the world and I'm getting them tomorrow morning because I know about him now. Mum and Dad hid him from me. You're getting nothing, Regulus. No, you'll get coal." Sirius stuck his tongue out at his brother and Regulus seemed on the verge of crying. He was weak – not Sirius.

"No, I'm not!" Regulus's eyes were filled with childish tears and all because of the idea that he wasn't getting presents. He didn't even know about Santa, the reindeers, or the naughty and nice lists – he was just greedy and jealous.

"You're right Regulus. You won't because Sirius is wrong. Who told you that - a muggle born? Don't you even say a Muggle did. Santa is not coming. Santa doesn't exist. He is just a Muggle myth and nothing more. Don't you dare believe in him!" Walburga grabbed Sirius by the shoulders and pulled his face close to hers. Her normally ugly face was even more grotesque with contortions due to anger, disgust, and shock. Walburga scared Sirius slightly but he didn't give out at the knees or fight back against her.

"I won't stop believing." Sirius held out and all Walburga did was smirk.

"You listen here, you ungrateful little boy. Santa is not real and you will never get a present from him. Ever." She whispered these words into his ears and they sent thousands of doubts coursing through him but…there had to be something more than this – there had to be something like Santa.

"I will. You won't stop him." Sirius wouldn't give up. There had to be a Santa and he would make sure Sirius got a present. Sirius believed.

"I don't have to. He's just a legend. You're a Black – start acting like one and get this Muggle trash out of your head." Walburga cruelly filled his head with doubts and lead the others away.

Sirius knew she was wrong. He just knew it. Santa would come. Santa had to be real.

(Sirius didn't see the lingering Andromeda and her sympathetic face hatching her plan in the dark hallway.)

Sirius woke up Christmas morning with a naïve hope swelling in his chest. He had put a small ink drawing of a Christmas tree in the corner of his bedroom (to keep his mother away from the presents) and he wanted to see if Santa had come.

He whipped his head to the left side of his room, in the small corner, and his eyes widen. There wrapped in red and green wrapping paper was a small present. Sirius nearly cried. Santa had come, Walburga was wrong, and Sirius was finally favored over someone else. No "Regulus is the best." Sirius got a present and he was pretty sure his brother got nothing. After all, he believed.

Sirius didn't even care about the present but he couldn't help unwrapping it to reveal a new Quidditch set. It was child size and perfect with Sirius's name engraved on it.

Sirius hid the set under his bed and walked into the front of the house – faking the best sorrowful face he had ever made with the happiest smile beneath his sad mask.