Remus sat nervously, plucking at the loose threads on the hem of his trouser leg. The couch was humble and comfortable, but its soft embrace did little to relieve his unease. Sirius came back into the room and shoved a mug of something quite definitely intoxicating at him, and he took it without thought. He just wanted his dreadful night to be over.

"So," the honey-smooth voice of Andromeda Tonks seemed to precede her into the parlor of her home, "I do hope you boys enjoyed dinner. We've no elf, but Ted does his best." She came to stand by Sirius.

"If Hogwarts had a cook like Ted around the house elves could all frolic in their altogether around the lake and I'd be happy."

"Sirius," Ted was now entering the parlor from the kitchen with his own mug of steaming draught, "why does everything with you come back to being in the altogether."

Sirius shrugged, a mischievous grin on his face. "Can't help that I like what Merlin gave me."

Ted sighed in faux exasperation and turned to Remus. Remus saw Ted's lips press together and a soft smile come out. "We aren't going to bite, you know," Ted laughed, then added, "There's no werewolves in this house, you're safe!"

It was the utterly wrong thing to say, but of course Ted had no way of knowing that. The couple of sips of what seemed to be some sort of brandy toddy that Remus had already taken started to fight their way up from Remus's stomach.

Andromeda then incorrectly interpreted the expression of sickness that must have been clear on Remus's face. "Oh, Ted dear, don't tell frightening stories. That's not polite conversation and it's Christmas." Then, in a tight whisper to her husband she added, "Look, you've made him afraid."

Remus took the moment of her distraction to meet Sirius's eyes with what he hoped was enough pathetic neediness that Sirius might come to his rescue. It did work, as Sirius pouted a bit and mouthed back silently "prats". Remus couldn't help but smile at that, and likely that had been Sirius's intent, as Sirius smiled back.

"Dunno," Sirius said jovially, "I don't think Remus is afraid of much of anything. He's a Gryffindor," Sirius said as if it explained all of it. "He just knows a werewolf is all and he doesn't like it when people talk about them like they're a bunch of madmen."

Remus groaned and covered his eyes.

"Oh dear, is that true?" Andromeda asked Remus.

Remus just nodded.

"Oh, so sorry," Ted added, flustered. "I don't know any myself so- I guess I shouldn't speak of them."

"Don't be so sure," Remus added softly.

"What's that?" Ted asked.

"Just that," Remus shrugged, "You wouldn't really know if someone you knew was a werewolf, would you?"

"I would hope they'd tell me, contagious disease like that," Ted said, nodding.

Remus shrugged and gulped some more brandy. He was pleased when it seemed that Sirius had lost interest in the topic as well, because they were headed down a road that could have lead to a full-on fight if Sirius had latched onto it with any of his usual vigor. Remus was sure that he had the still full mug of brandy in Sirius's hand to blame for Sirius's good sense. Or maybe it was the Tonks' sleeping daughter upstairs? Or the fact that they were Sirius's only remaining family and if he offended them...

Sirius shoved Remus over a bit and sat down next to him, and Ted and Andromeda sat as well. There was a round of contemplative silence until at last, Sirius smiled, raised his glass, and said, "To family."

Cheers rang around the circle: "Merry Christmas" "To family"

Oddly, the tension of a few minutes ago had banished Remus's overall nervousness, though, reminding him that Sirius was still on his side even among family. He leaned over and kissed Sirius's ear, blushing when he realized what he had done. When he sneaked a glance at Sirius's cousin and husband, though, they were snickering at the teenagers. Until Ted leaned over and kissed Andromeda's ear. Her own blush took the term to new levels.

Remus laughed.