" She's a Redhead "

Plot: A missing moment during the Christmas holidays in HBP. Remus notices something's with Harry that is like Deja vu to the werewolf. Sirius had suggested it the year before, almost exactly a year before, but Remus had brushed it off. Now, though, the Marauder is wondering if Potter men do have a thing for redheads.

A/N: I read something like this years ago but now cannot find it or remember it too well. The idea struck me when I read it, but I never could write it a way I wanted to. If you know the story that this may resemble (again, I don't remember the story very well - just the general idea of it) feel free to comment with the title. I do hope, if any of you have read the story I am talking about, that I have a different take on it than that person did! Thank you for reading, please R&R

Believe it or not - I do not own Harry Potter.

Rolling over and on to my side, I groaned. Come on, Remus, I scolded myself. Go to sleep. I haven't slept well in several weeks now. I am exhausted, and my body has been telling me that it is exhausted all day.

Today was an enjoyable day - Christmas at the Burrow was never dull. I got to see Harry as well, which I obviously always like. I haven't spoken with him for a while now, and thankfully Harry accepted my apology. When I suggested Harry and I write, it was not only for his sake, but also mine. While Harry lost his godfather and father figure, I lost my best friend and my brother. We both needed someone to confine in and I'm thankful that Harry and I were able to exchange several letters before I left to join the other werewolves.

I hated being with the werewolves, hopefully I won't have to be there much longer. Dumbledore had asked me, though, and it's hard to say no to Albus Dumbledore. Plus, anything I can do for the Order, I will. The Order is Harry's back bone for when he comes of age, when he is on his own against Voldemort. I want to find out as much information as I can; to prepare Harry as much as possible.

In the letters we did exchange, Harry had asked me if I had known about the prophecy. I answered honestly, which I knew may hurt his feelings, but was the best way to go. I did know of the prophecy. I was told about it when James and Lily were expecting him. They had had to say something to us - they had to go into hiding once Harry was born. Finding out about my friend's unborn child's destiny horrified me - it horrified all of us. When Harry was born he wasn't even eight pounds, how would something so tiny and delicate end the war?

I was surprised, to say the least, by Harry's reply. He said he figured I had known, but he thought that I would have found out last year when the Order reformed. He admitted that he was shocked by the fact that I've known longer than he's been alive, and by the way he was writing it seemed that it was a little hurt by my confession. He went on to tell me that when Dumbledore told him, he did not react well.

I reassured him in multiple ways that he deserved to react unpleasantly. Harry recalled destroying the headmaster's office, and found humor in my response. "Most people are afraid to make the air hit Dumbledore's possessions wrong, so of course you threw them."

Eventually Harry resumed school and I withdrew from the world and joined my fellows. I had plenty of drama to leave behind, granted it was mostly drama surrounding Dora. While staying with her in St. Mungo's, she told me about her feelings for me. I'm flabbergasted by the fact that someone so perfect could love someone like me - someone who is so horribly broken. I'm over a decade older than her, and a poor werewolf. She has so much potential, and so much going for her. I can't drag her down, and because of my own stubbornness, I can't even look at her in the eye anymore.

I rubbed my hand over my face, mentally chastising myself again.

Well, now you have reawaken your brain, you dolt. I pushed myself into a sitting position and stretched. Molly had prepared Percy's old room for me to stay in. I cringed at the thought. Not only has Percy been avoiding his family for over a year now, now it is because of his own ego. Voldemort's back, even the Ministry has accepted it. He had also shown up earlier today - much to Molly's delight.

I, Arthur and the Weasley children had all seen through the act. But we allowed Molly to hug her son simply because we knew that it would not happen again anytime soon. (He stormed out after Ginny and the twins mashed parsnips at him.) Percy had only come because Rufus wanted an excuse to talk to Harry. I had offered to go with Harry, but Harry assured me that it was all right so instead I opted to watch through the window from my seat.

I stood up and slipped on my warm slippers along with my newly knitted Weasley jumper before silently making my way down stairs. I entered the kitchen, it only having little light in it from the half moon. I went around the kitchen and made hot chocolate, fully intending on drinking the entire batch myself before I saw something outside.

Harry was sitting on the stone retaining wall, facing away from the Burrow. I stared at him for a minute, a little worried. It's very cold outside, why is he out there? And in the middle of the night? Is he... Is he having nightmares again? I seriously hope he isn't.

I went to the front door and put on my shoes and cloak, then went back into the kitchen and split the hot chocolate between two large mugs.

Quietly, I made my way out of the creaky house. The snow crunched when I stepped on it, but the path had mostly been cleared. Only when I opened the kissing gate did Harry acknowledge me - he seemed to have been off in his own little world.

"Are you all right?" I asked him first.

Harry nodded. "Yeah," he said. He looked down at the mugs and gratefully took the one I offered him. "I couldn't sleep, is all. Thanks."

"No problem. I couldn't sleep either."

I sat down next to him on the wall after discreetly glancing to make sure he had multiple layers on - his Weasley jumper, a jacket, pajama pants and Ron's boots.

"Harry," I said slowly. "I don't know if you know this, but it's cold outside."

Harry snorted, sharing a grin with me.

"Oh, I know," he answered, chuckling. We were silent for a moment, admiring the view of the snowy orchard, and then, "What was keeping you up?"

I sighed, I should have known I would be asked this. "A lot of things," I answered casually, not wanting to say I was thinking about him but also not necessarily wanting to divulge him on my current situation with Nymphadora.

"What about you?" I questioned.

Harry gave me a look over his glasses, and then pushed them up the bridge of his nose before looking straight ahead. I smiled a little from the look. He acts so much like Lily, its like seeing a "proper" James Potter. His expressions, which are purely Lily, was on James's face and it was quite a unique experience for the people who knew the two deceased.

"What Scrimgeor said."

My interest was piqued at once. Harry hadn't said anything when he got back inside earlier. Sensing my new composure, Harry went on. He told me about the minister wanted Harry to be a 'poster boy.' Just recalling it, Harry was getting angry. He told Scrimgeor that he wasn't going to pretend to approve what they were doing and he wasn't going to help the ministry trick the public into thinking that they're doing something.

An odd sort of pride bubbled up inside of me when Harry was done telling me everything. He's standing up for himself, though this is not something new, and he is defending people he cares for. But worry also washed over me.

"It may not be wise to be a smartass to the Minister, Harry."

The boy shrugged. "I don't think it's wise for them to not do anything productive while we're at war. If they weren't stupid I wouldn't have to be a 'smartass', I'm not asking for their stupidity."

I laughed, unable to restrain it. Harry grinned at me, seeming pleased about making me laugh about a serious manner.

"So," I began, not wanting to get into politics with him. "How's school?"

Harry shrugged, "Eh," he said. I knew that he didn't care too much for it at this point. "It's fine so far. I've mostly been playing quidditch. I schedule all the practices to conflict with Slughorn's parties."

I snorted. "I wish I had been so fortunate to play quidditch. James always scheduled practice on those nights, to give him and Sirius something to do without me."

"What did you do to impress Slughorn?" Harry asked curiously.

"I turned into a werewolf once a month," I smiled warily. "He liked watching me for some reason... I was a normal teenager every other day of the month so I don't know why he kept inviting me. He thought it was just fascinating that I did so well in school while missing nearly a week a month."

"That is," Harry told me, and I shrugged albeit bashfully. "He said my mum was in the 'Slug Club,' as well?"

I smiled. "She was. That was because she was a genius, though, and a genius muggle-born astounded Horace."

Harry made a face. "He told me that back in the summer. I told him about Hermione."

"Ah - I do think Hermione may be a bit more book-smart than Lily ever was," I agreed. "That being said, though, Lily didn't rely on books as much to live day to day. She much rather do the work in class and then study the assignment while everyone else was working to finish it."

"I just write what I think it is and then Hermione goes through and redoes it."

Harry laughed at his own statement and I had to laugh as well. I had been the Hermione of the Marauders, and I told Harry this as well.

"Why didn't Hermione come here this holiday?"

Harry's shoulders slouched. "Lavender Brown - Ron's girlfriend. Hermione and Ron don't talk anymore, really. Ron and Lavender are disgusting," I laughed again, and Harry's seriousness made me laugh more. "I'm usually with Hermione, honestly. Ron's fine now - without Lavender glued to him."

"I figured you'd spend your time with Ginny."

Harry craned his neck to gape at me quickly, color rising to his cheeks at once. I smirked.

"Don't worry, it's not too obvious yet. I just know how to read the Potter body language."

Harry ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head.

"It's bad," he croaked, and I chuckled. "Ron's sister, no less."

"Ron will get over it," I promised. "I'm sure he'll be happy that it's a guy like you."

"I'm sure he won't be happy because it's a guy like me," Harry grumbled, and I wanted to counter him, but he cut me off.

"What d'you mean, 'Potter body language'?"

"James got goose bumps when Lily touched him, James laughed at everything remotely humorous that Lily said, and he always tried to make her laugh," I told him fondly. I don't know if James and Lily genuinely had the same sense of humor, or if James thought Lily was so perfect that she was funny no matter what. I chose the latter. "And," I said, looking directly at him. I had caught Harry's attention now. "James, his father, and his father's father, all fell for redheads. I'm sure other Potters did as well, but I never saw any pictures of them.

"Potter men have a thing for redheads."

Harry covered his face with his hand and his head was shaking back and forth. I laughed and patted him on the back.

"Ginny knows this too," I told him, just to add fuel to the fire.

Harry's hand dropped and he stared at me.

"Ginny know that -"

"That Potters go for redheads," I soothed, realizing that my generalization may not have been the best way to go.

"How does she know that?"

"Sirius."

Harry was still staring at me, his eyes focusing and unfocusing as he thought. "Sirius... Sirius told Ginny that Potters like redheads?"

I nodded an affirmative. "He told me that he told Ginny; Potter men go for redheads, and that she was a very possible contender considering that you know her already."

Harry's mouth had slackened a little bit. "Why the hell did he tell her that!?" He exclaimed.

I laughed again, but shrugged. "He surprised Ginny and I by saying that, too."

"Oh god."

Harry buried his face in his hands again smiled beside him. As many times as I've talked to Harry, it has never been this casual or lighthearted - nothing as personal like this. I like these kind of conversations.

"Well, let's go inside," I said, standing up and taking the final sip of my hot chocolate.

Harry sighed to himself and stood up. We made eye contact and he shook his head again. I couldn't help but grin at him once more. The two of us trudged back into the Burrow and washed our mugs clean before putting them away.

Harry walked with me up the stairs to Percy's door.

"Good night," he told me softly. "I hope you can get to sleep now."

I smiled at him. "Oh, I'm sure I'll be able to," I nodded. "I hope you can fall asleep now, too. Good night, Harry."

Harry said "Good night," once again and then began to silently make his way up the stairs, stepping on just the right spots to avoid squeaks. I watched him walk the couple of flights up to Ron's attic bedroom, listening to the door finally close. Only then did I go into Percy's old room and climb into bed.

I laid there, thinking for a while. I couldn't help but smile about the little break through Harry and mine relationship just had. And I was happy to see Harry all flustered over a girl, Sirius had told me he was waiting for that moment. I hope you say it, Padfoot. I thought to myself. And I hope you get to see them get together too - send down a couple wolf whistles.