"So where are you going again?" Alex's mother asked.

"My boyfriends."

"For the rest of break?"

"Yes."

"Is he going to make sure you get back on that train? Cause I swear Alexandria, you better not miss that train."

"He has to get on it too, mother" Alex sighed.

"So he goes to Hogwarts?" Alex's mother questioned. "I don't know if you should be spending the night at a boy's house. I mean, are his parents going to be home? Probably not, huh? Oh, you're so grown up!"

"Stop interrogating the girl. She's seventeen; a legal wizard. She can do whatever she wants" Alex's step-father interrupted through his newspaper. He may not have been her biological dad, but he was her father all the same.

"Thanks, Daddy." Alex said, with a kiss to his cheek. She grabbed her purse off the counter placing it with the rest of the bags she had in her hand and stated, "I'll write, I promise."

"Be careful!" Alex's mom called after her, but Alex had already apparated out of the room.

Landing in a grassy null layered in winter ice, Alex stood and brushed her jeans off, but it was pointless as grass stains had already occurred around the knees of her pants.

"Oh great." She whispered to herself.

In the distance, she could see a small cottage. As she approached the cottage after minutes of walking, she could see that the door was sprung open and a man was leaning against the threshold holding a cup of coffee.

"I seriously need to work on my apparating skills!" Alex yelled towards him.

"Obviously" he laughed, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Greetings Mr. Lupin" Alex said as she approached her boyfriend, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Greetings to you too." He said with a smile, taking one hand off his cup and rubbing the back of her head as he led her inside.

As the thick wooden door came to a close and Remus set his mug down on the table beside the door, Alexandria peered around at the room. She was in what looked like the dining/kitchen area. There was a quaint, circular table made of wood just to the right of her with four small chairs around it. In front of her was an island bar in a small but fitting kitchen setting.

Remus approached her placing his hand on the small of her back.

"Shall I show you around?" he whispered.

She agreed with a simple nod accompanied with a smile. He led her into the next room which was the living room in which one arm chair and one couch occupied, along with two side tables filled with pictures, a coffee table, and a fireplace. The next room was the library, filled with books from top to bottom. Alex thirsted to stay in there all day, yet instead reluctantly followed Remus to the next rooms. There was an empty room with only a cot in the next room, and bathroom beside that one. At the end of the hall there was one more door, which led to the Master Bedroom. Upon opening the doors Alex become overwhelmed with a homey feeling. There was yet another fireplace, with a four poster bed and many more books across the room. A bathroom and closet followed the wall around the right of the room.

"Well, this is where you'll be staying, unless you want the spare room with the cot?" Remus joked.

"Actually, it looked pretty snazzy in there." Alex smiled, "but I think I'd rather sleep with you."

Alex placed her luggage on the ground where she stood. Remus then approached her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Remus winked, "Not that we'll be doing much sleeping"

"So you think." Alex scoffed, "I take my sleep very serious."

"Oh I bet." He wryly smiled, raising an eyebrow as well.

Alex scrunched her nose as she spoke: "I love you"

"I love you too." He responded, kissing her forehead. Alex stepped out of his grasp and looked around the room. She then put her hand on her stomach and frowned.

"I'm hungry."

Remus chuckled, "Well, I make a mean omelet."

"I hate eggs"

"WHAT!" Remus said flabbergasted.

Alex scrunched her nosed again, "yeah"

"Well, how about some pancakes?" he asked with a grin.

"Sounds delicious!"

Remus walked to the door, "Alright then, my lady. I shall make your breakfast right away."

Alex laughed before stretching out the bottom of her shirt and curtseying, "Thank you my lord."

Remus chuckled once more before exiting the room.

Later that afternoon, Remus found Alex sitting on the floor of the library with books scattered all around her, but more importantly with one in her hand. Just as she turned the page, Remus knocked on the open door with one hand as the other was wrapped around his back. Alex looked up from her book and smiled.

"Hey you," greeted Remus softly.

"Hey" she smiled up at him.

He walked over and took a seat on the floor next to her as she quickly marked her page, closed the book, and set it down next her. She then looked back towards him, her eyes glistening with love. Once he knew he had her attention again, he revealed what was hiding behind his back.

"Merry Christmas" he told, handing over a box wrapped in a silver bow.

Smiling, yet not saying anything, Alex took the small box and slowly removed the bow. She then lifted the top of the box to reveal her gift.

"It-it's beautiful" she sputtered out, running her fingers along the edging of the gift.

In the box laid a thin silver necklace, simply laced with a small diamond pendant at the end. To Remus it wasn't much, but to Alex it was just enough.

"You like it?" he asked.

"I love it" Alex said as she leaned on her knees and embraced him in a hug and then finishing it with a kiss, "it's wonderful."

She took it out of the box: "Would you mind?"

"Not at all" he obliged.

Taking the necklace in his hands he unclasped the top and elegantly surrounded it around Alex's neckline as she held up her hair for him. Once it was on, he lightly kissed her shoulder just as she let her hair go and turned to face him.

"You're so beautiful" he gapped with a smile.

She joined him with her own smile. Suddenly her eyes grew big.

"Wait right here!" she yelled before swiftly getting up and running out of the room.

Returning moments later to a patiently waiting Remus who had moved from the floor to one of the arm chairs during her disappearance, she nearly ran across the room to only stop in front of him with a wrapped box much bigger than the one he gave her.

"You shouldn't have." He said, shaking his head.

"But I did," She smiled then pointed to her necklace, "and you really shouldn't have either."

"You deserve it." Remus truthfully spoke.

"And you deserve this," she contested, "now just open it!"

Reluctantly, he took the box and began to unwrap it. She waited, in front of him, twiddling her thumbs. Once the paper was off, he could clearly see a brown box which opened from the side.

"You really shouldn't have" he appeased, as he took his brand new pair of shoes out of the box.

"You needed them" she evoked with a grin.

"I don't need anything" he told, "except you of course."

Remus set the box next to the chair and reached his arms out towards Alex, who took them in her own and proceeded to sit in his lap. Moving her legs across the side of chair and wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed his cheek.

"Thank you" he whispered, placing his forehead against hers.

Looking into his eyes she replied, "No baby, thank you."

He simply smiled.

She slowly began to kiss his neck, which sent goosebumps across his body. She then adjusted her legs to straddle him and moved her arms up and down his chest. He swooped in on her face, kissing her passionately. Just then, Alex moved down to the buckle of his pants, slowly unbuttoning it. This action made him moan against her lips. In what seemed like only moments both of their clothes were on the ground. Still in the arm chair, Remus reached up and grabbed Alex by the hair as he pumped into her furiously. Alex, matching his rhythm, continued to ride up and down on his lap. Moans and groans scattered across the room and made their way throughout the empty house. Finishing together was loud screams and hard thrusts, the ecstasy of their sexual adventure drowned the chair and each other. As they both Panted, they snuggled into one another, closing their eyes in happiness.

"How was your Christmas with your family?" Remus mumbled through the grope of toothpaste filling his mouth as he brushed his teeth in the bathroom.

"What?" Alex yelled, from the bed.

"HOW WAS YOUR CHRISTMAS WITH YOUR FAMILY?" He yelled back.

The day had come to a close and Remus and Alex were finding themselves getting ready for bed: together.

"It was good!" Alex yelled back, "Although my mom was a bit concerned that I was leaving the day after Christmas. She wanted more time with me."

"Understandable." Remus said, moving his way into the bedroom and over to the dresser.

"Eh, my mom's just very overprotective. My dad didn't care though." Alexandria shrugged. "I'm an adult now. At least in his eyes, not so much my mother's"

Remus changed into some more comfortable clothes and got into bed, unfolding the blanket so he could slither in beside her.

"This is crazy huh?" Alex asked, as she snuggled to his chest. "This whole going to bed like a real couple thing, I mean."

"We are a real couple." He smiled, wrapping is left arm around her. Placing his right hand behind his head in relaxation, he rubbed his left hand, in comfort, across Alex's arm.

"I know that, silly. It's just surreal right now."

"I understand." He condoned.

"How did you get this place anyway?" she asked.

"I inherited it" Remus addressed.

"From who?" she pushed.

"My friend James"

"James…." Alex thought, "James Potter?"

"The one and only" He announced, "How did you make that connection?"

"Harry told me you knew his parents."

"Ahhh" he caroled, "that's right you know Harry Potter."

"I do, I do." She said, "Anyway, I didn't know he left you a piece of property; I just mean you never mentioned it."

"It hurts to talk about him." He frowned. Alex became silent.

Breaking the ice, Remus decided to tell her his story, "His family was quite well off and after my affliction became known to him, he was the most sympathetic and supportive. After we left Hogwarts it was difficult for me to hold down a job with my lycanthropy as it is illegal to withhold that information from an employer. So James let me stay here, free of charge, as he had no need for it when his parents passed away."

"I was unaware of this, but when he and Lily went into hiding, days before, he had the deed to this cottage moved over into my name." He added, "I only found out after his passing. In my opinion, it was a hard price to pay just to have a place of my own."

Alex looked up at him sympathetically then rubbed his chest and kissed it. She was making an attempt to comfort him and that was enough for Remus.

"I never knew James was such a nice guy. My father said he was quite the bully back in the day."

"Your father?" He inquired.

"Well, my step father technically. He went to school with Harry's parents and I guess you too" Alex played out in her mind and out loud.

"Who's your father?" Remus asked, intrigued.

"Joshua Haze"

"Your dad is The Haze?" He ogled.

"The Haze?" Alex laughed, "I just call him dad."

"He was a couple years before me and in Gryffindor, but everyone knew who he was. All star Quidditch Captain, best grades, got all the girls."

"So, like a Cedric Diggory?" Alex compared.

"Yes, exactly like Cedric Diggory." He confirmed.

"Yeah, he's pretty cool still, I guess." She shrugged.

"What did he tell you about James?"

"That he used to bully Snape" Alex stated calmly.

"Unfortunately, that's true." Remus proclaimed.

"It is?" Alex beseeched. "Weren't you friends with him? Did you bully Snape too?"

"No!" he defended, "but I didn't exactly stop it either, which is just as bad, if not worse."

"It's okay" Alex comforted.

"It's not. It wasn't then and it isn't now." Remus attested.

"You're right." She said, "But there is nothing you can do about now. You've changed, obviously; into this wonderful man, who I am overly smitten with. If Snape wants to hold an old grudge—"

"Trust me, he does." interrupted Remus.

"Well, then that's his own problem." Alexandria smiled, kissing his forehead.

Changing the subject, Remus said, "So your step dad really is Josh Haze?"

"Yup!"

"I feel old." He sighed, depressingly.

"Don't" she jested, "I love you; no matter what age you are! You could be Dumbledore's age for all I care!"

"There you go, wanting me to be like Dumbledore again." Remus joked.

"It's a fantasy, what can I say?" Alex played along. "I love old, saggy men."

"SAGGY!" Remus roared with laughter, making Alex laugh along too.

Once the laughter died down, Remus approached Alex with some news: "Hey Alex"

"Mmmhm?" she mumbled in his chest.

"I think you should know something else."

"What's that?" she looked up in interest.

"I wasn't just friends with James," he started.

"I'm sure you didn't have just one friend, Remus." She smarted

"I didn't. I had three." He confirmed.

"Don't live too crazy now!" Alex cheered.

"In all seriousness, my friends were James Potter, Peter Pettigrew—"

"The man that was killed and all they found of him was a toe?" She interrupted.

"Yes." He answered.

"Oh" she looked sad.

He continued, "And Sirius Black."

"THE MASS MURDERER!" she yelled, stunned, sitting up in one motion too.

"Well, he wasn't a murderer when I knew him, but yes." He drawled, looking into her eyes.

Alex took this all in. And in one breath she said the unthinkable, "Are—are you still in contact with him?"

"No" he stated, holding his breath.

She pondered for a moment, and then finally spoke, "I believe you."

"Thank you" he whispered, as she lay back down in his arms.

"I'm always going to believe you Remus." Alex claimed.

Smiling he spoke, "Just as I'm always going to believe you too."

Alex rubbed her face deeper into him.

Remus added just before they fell asleep, "whether your tears are fake or not."

Alex couldn't help but smile.