"Did you four come back just to wrap my office? How did you even get on the castle grounds?" she asked, hands covering her face and sitting back in her brightly wrapped office chair. She was supposed to be done with this ridiculousness.
Minerva looked over the top of folded hands as she watched the four students that had graduated the year before. They hadn't even bothered to leave her office. They had all four just sat there and waited for her to come back from teaching, the little arses. Bright red and green paper was all over her office, and it was going to take a lot to get it all down later. On the plus side, she could still at least use everything that they had wrapped except her pens.
"We had to wish you a Happy Christmas, Minnie!" Sirius said happily, his brightness making up for the sheepish amusement that covered Remus' face next to him.
Which meant that he had to speak up next. "We brought you a present to go with it, though, Professor. To thank you for putting up with us throughout the years," Remus said with a slight smile, pulling a small wrapped box out from behind his back and holding it out for her.
"It's from all of us!" Peter piper up with a smile. "I wrapped it…" The second bit was with some quiet pride, glancing at his old professor happily.
James smiled and shook his head. "As well as we wanted to thank you for putting up with us for seven years. And not expelling us," he said simply. "We couldn't do that while we in school and-"
"You were a gift to us, so we wrapped your office too!" Sirius finished up brightly.
Those four had always managed to talk in circles, but the fact that they brought her a present and a sweet sentiment behind the prank made her want to hug all of them. Though she still wanted to yell at them out of old habit. She hadn't realized they had cared so much about her yelled at them and trying to get them on the right path for once in their lives.
"Boys…" she said quietly, getting up to take the present from the three of them, smiling. They were just so sweet. She hadn't realized that she meant so much to them, and it was touching.
She carefully unwrapped the present, extremely proud of the boys that had caused her so many headaches during school. They were still very much brats, but she loved them all dearly and made sure to keep an eye on the trouble makers. And inside the little box they had wrapped up was a snow globe with a cat surrounded by four animals that she assumed stood for the boys. The wolf was obviously Remus. She would figure the others out later. She sighed softly and pulled all four of them into a hug.
"Thank you boys," she murmured, smiling as she held all four of them tightly. "I couldn't be more proud if you were my own children. All of you." She pulled back and pecked them all on the forehead with the snow glove in the other hand. She turned to set it on her desk, before glancing at them fondly and shaking her head.
James smiled and glanced at Peter as the other elbowed him in the ribs, raising an eyebrow. "I suppose you should tell her now, Prongs," he murmured quietly earning a curious look from Minerva.
"Please tell me you didn't leave a present in the halls for me to find later as well," Minerva commented, folding her arms across her chest as she tapped her foot. She could only put up with so much, and she doubted they had a sweet explanation for whatever mess they made elsewhere. They could only sweet talk so far.
Remus and Sirius snorted in amusement as they waited for James to tell her. "We didn't, Minnie dear. Don't worry," Sirius promised, earning a dirty look from Minerva.
James flushed slightly. "Well, there's an announcement I wanted to share with you as well. I haven't told any other people besides these three, but I wanted to let you know since I just figured it out last night," he commented, shuffling his feet a little bit. "Proposed last night might be a better word, actually. Lily and I will be getting married soon. I wanted to be sure to invite you since you accidentally helped me get together with her."
Minerva paused in surprised as she listened to the two of them, watching for a long moment and covering her mouth just slightly. "Well look who's decided to be all grown up, James Potter. And I'm assuming these three buffoons will be in the wedding?" she asked quietly, watching them.
All three chimed in affirmatives, grinning at her goofly. "We get to throw him a bachelor party," Peter added with a smile and the other two laughed. Peter would be the one to mention something like that to their former professor.
Minerva tutted as she folded her arms across her chest. "Boys… You can't go overboard with that. Lily won't approve," she warned, shaking her head slightly. "But I hope all of you will behave a little bit better than you did in school. You don't want to upset the bride to be."
"We won't. I wouldn't let them upset Lily, Professor," Remus promised with a smile. "Partially because I would be the one to clean up the mess if James can't figure it out. I'll keep them under control."
Minerva sighed quietly and shook her head, ruffling his hair. "I trust you, Remus. I think," she commented in amusement. "Why don't you boys sit down for some tea and biscuits? I'm sure I can unwrap enough for us to all have some."
This ended in all of them curling up in their chairs with warm cups of tea and a biscuit in their other hand. Of course, all four of them had their own chairs after spending so many hours in this office getting in trouble with their favorite professor. They sat and chatted for a few hours before they all gave her a hug and went back to James' to celebrate his new engagement.
Minerva didn't know it, but one day, that snow globe would be on her desk in the Headmistress's office and those boys would have died for people they loved. That would be the last conversation she had with all of them without all of them around. She would still be proud, and sometimes sad, when she looked at it. There would be people that carried on their legacy in a way they couldn't have imagined, and she would be like a mother to them too.
Those boys were some of most troublesome children, but she had always loved them.
(I wrote this for capitainependgraon on Tumblr for a secret santa, and I hope they like it! I'm sharing it here so others may enjoy it as well.)