Author's Note: Whoa, it's been ages since I last updated! Sorry guys! I'll try to update more regularly, but life has just been kinda crazy soooo...

Also, anyone know why it won't let me do line breaks anymore? Help!

Review please!

Disclaimer: Don't own it. What more can I say?

HP-

Sara's robes appeared in the dormitory the next day. She in turn summoned a house-elf to return Lupin's cloak, but couldn't bring herself to give back the shirt. Callie had raised a meticulously styled eyebrow, but for once was silent, the next night when Sara slipped into it and climbed underneath her covers. The shirt smelled like him and it made her feel oddly safe at night. Finally, the nagging worries about Sirius Black, which had taken up residence in the back of her mind, disappeared as she curled up in bed at night, his shirt around her. Lupin made no mention of the missing garment, but Sara caught him watching her intently during her next class.

Sara was hesitant to bring up Christmas with Lupin again, especially after the 'issue' with Snape, but during the next Hogsmeade visit, she booked a room at the Three Broomsticks for the duration of break.

"Are you sure you don't wanna come?" Callie asked as she packed, the night before the last day classes. Clothes were strewn across the room, spilling out of Callie's wardrobe and cascading off her and Callie's beds.

"Positive. You and…" 'Damn, what's his name?' she thought 'improvise, Sara' "errr…you and your man need some alone time." Sara told her friend from where she sat amongst a pile of Callie's clothes. 'Really need to learn his name' she kicked herself.

"I feel horrible…leaving you alone at Christmas!" Callie said, turning to her, a serious expression on her face.

"I'm fine Cal…" switching the subject, Sara held up a sequined black tank top from the pile on the bed. "How much stuff are you taking? Break is only a few weeks…and it's freezing outside! When are you going to wear this?"

"You sound like my mother…" she scoffed.

"No, I do not!" Sara argued, "Your mother dresses like this as well!" Callie burst into giggles, flopping beside Sara on the bed.

"She does." Callie laughed. "Ohhh Merlin, sometimes I wonder what the hell I'm thinking." Sara rolled her eyes, amused. Callie lay there a bit before sitting up and turning to her friend. "I'm really happy though. I have never felt this way about a guy before! Derek is just so…so amazing!"

'DEREK!' Sara thought in triumph. 'That's his name!'

"I….well you know how many guys I've gone out with. I really think he's the 'one', you know?"

"I'm happy for you, Cal. Really." Sara told her, giving her a hug.

"I just really wish you could be this happy too." Callie told her seriously.

"I'm perfectly fine without that kinda drama, thank you very much." Sara replied. "Plus, you know how busy I am shadowing Madam Pomfrey." Callie let out a long sigh.

"Yeah…I know." Callie admitted. Smiling at her friend, she picked up a sundress that Callie at flung at her suitcase minutes before.

"Cal, really?" she laughed. The two girls burst into laughter.

HP-

The bell rang, excusing the students from their last class before break and Lupin had to raise his voice to be heard over the excited chatter.

"Hang on, hang on! You're assignment over break is…" a groan echoed throughout the room and Lupin held up a hand to silence them and smiled. "wait, hold on, guys. You're assignment over break is to have fun and be safe! I don't want any of you coming back with any disfigurements or missing limbs." The class sighed with relief and smiled, wishing Lupin a 'Happy Christmas' as they filtered out of the room. "Sara, would you remain a moment?" Sara froze. Callie gave her a 'ooooh, what did you do?" look and left with a smirk. Hesitantly, she approached Lupin's desk.

"Yes, sir?" she questioned, stopping before him. He leaned against the front of his desk and watched her. Shifting her weight awkwardly, she waited.

"Listen, I realize that with what happened with Professor Snape…" Lupin began.

"Don't worry about that." She cut him off. Glancing at the door, watching as straggling students wished each other farewell, she hesitantly turned back to him. "Have a good holiday, professor." Sara bit her lip slightly. "Hmmm" she hummed slightly. "I wonder what Hogsmeade will look like on Christmas Eve?"

Lupin chuckled slightly at her hint as she turned to leave, catching the small smile that appeared on her face. "Happy holidays to you as well, Miss Roberts." He called after her, a trace of amusement in his tone. She glanced back as she reached the door, only for a moment, before turning and disappearing from sight.

"What'd Lupin want?" Callie asked an hour later as she dragged her over packed suitcase down the dormitory steps. Sara, in the process of sliding on her cloak and hat, looked over at her friend with a shrug. "Planning more hookups in your top secret affair?" A mitten flew at Callie's head, which she caught deftly.

"Shut up Cal!" Callie smirked and tossed the mitten back.

"Just saying…" the dirty look she received was enough to shut her up.

Slipping on her scarf and mittens, Sara grabbed her duffel bag and glanced at her friend. "Ready?" Glancing around a last time, Callie nodded.

"Yep. I can NOT believe that's all you're bringing!" She said, looking at the small duffel that hung from Sara's shoulder. Sara smirked.

"Let's go." They walked in silence down to the Entrance Hall, students yelling and running around them. Derek was waiting for Callie when they reached the main doors.

"You sure you won't come with us?" Callie asked, turning to face Sara.

"Positive, Cal. Have good Christmas!" They embraced for a long moment.

"You too!" Callie smiled and then turned, taking a running leap at her boyfriend, ending up in his arms. Sara smiled slightly as they started snogging, and walked past them out into the snow-covered grounds.

Inhaling the crisp, cold air deeply, she headed in the direction of the small, magical town. No one was around making it was a good time to think. She was glad her friend was so happy but it didn't stop her from feeling any less left out. She remembered when she and Callie where so close, and wished that they could get that back. Sure, they were close, but not as much as they once were.

The crunch of snow from behind her jolted Sara back to reality and she spun wildly, wand at the ready. Fears of Sirius Black being on the loose flashed through her mind, her heart beating furiously. There was no one there but a large, black dog watching her warily from the side of the path.

"Where did you come from? You scared me half to death." She told him softly, letting out a short laugh and bent down, holding out her hand. "Here I was thinking Sirius Black was gonna jump out and kill me." The dog whined softly, causing her to smile. "Crazy, right? Well come here and say hello." The black mass of fur inched forward to smell her hand. A pink tongue shot out, licking her fingers, nose nuzzling into her palm. "Where are your owners?" she asked, fingers gliding over his head to scratch him behind the ears. "I bet you live in Hogesmeade, huh? Well that just happens to be where I'm headed, so you're in luck."

Sara started forward again, glancing over her shoulder. "Well come on." She called and the dog let out a soft bark and bounded toward her. It was good to have someone to talk to, even if they had no clue what she was saying and couldn't answer back. The dog matched her pace and stayed by her side as she told him all about her situation with her parents, with Callie, her shadowing of Madam Pomfrey, her crazy schedule overload as a seventh year. It was like the dog listened, cocking his head from time to time, large eyes meeting hers, almost with a look of understanding.

"And then there's this teacher." She told him. "Professor Lupin…." The dog's ears shot up and she laughed at his alert expression. "He's really amazing. We haven't had a DADA teacher this good since…well, ever. He just seems to understand everything I'm going though, ya know? I can talk to him about anything." She looked down at the dog, who was staring up at her. "Ok, ok, not anything. Maybe Cal's right… but it can't be anything more than a stupid school-girl crush, right? Like the one all the other girls had on Lockhart." She ran her fingers over the dog's head again and sighed. "He did ask me to spend the holidays with him…. Kinda weird, right? It's a kind gesture though."

Glancing up ahead, she swore lightly. "Dementor time." She told her companion, looking down at the soft whine she heard. "Yeah, I know. They're creepy." Passing by made her feel faint and she waited until she was a good way away before she spoke again, releasing a breath she hadn't known she was holding. "You ok?" she asked the dog as they entered Hogesmeade "Where do you live anyhow?" A soft bark answered her. "It's like you can understand what I'm saying." She told him, crouching down to look into the dog's face and scratch his ears gently. His tongue shot out again, smothering her face in kisses and causing her to over balance and fall backwards into the snow. She laughed and the dog let out a happy bark, sounding almost like a laugh as well. With a last sloppy kiss to the face, the dog barked happily again and bounded down the street, around the corner and out of sight.

"Hey!" she called after him, then smirked. "Nice talking to you too!" She called out, somewhat sarcastically, lifting herself up from the snowdrift she had landed in and laughing to herself as she made her way to the Three Broomsticks.