Author's note. Fair warning, a certain character's reaction may come as a surprise but I hope it works.

Thank you to everyone who has faved, followed or reviewed this story, it really helps get more chapters done. I am really enjoying this story and even though real life might sometimes delay chapters, I have no intention of giving up on this story.

On the subject of twelve Owls, it's clear that several characters achieved them but Hermione getting a time turner seemed to be a really big deal. So I can't help but think that some students just took ten subjects like Hermione ended up doing and just studied for the other two in their spare time. I think Muggle studies wouldn't be difficult to just take an exam, especially if you're Muggle born or raised. And something like divination isn't that difficult to pass. That's just my theory of how getting 12 owls works, I think Hermione didn't manage it because she put too much into every single subject so couldn't handle the workload.

Enjoy and please review.

Dinner had gone much better than Harry had expected. Ginny couldn't help but blush whenever he spoke to her but with Sirius's support; she had still actually managed to talk to him. Not like she had in his previous life but it was nonetheless a vast improvement over the first time he'd met her. Harry was interested to see how well she got on with Sirius, any time he spoke to her, she answered him normally.

The only one not present was Mr Weasley who had to work late but Mrs Weasley had assured them he had some time off around Christmas. Sirius could tell the children were very excited about this and he had to admit, it would be nice to see Arthur get a bit of a rest. He certainly deserved it, working so hard to provide for his family.

"Percy, tell Sirius about your Prefect duties," Mrs Weasley was now saying, adding. "We hope that Percy might be the second Head Boy in the family, the first being Bill."

"You must be very committed," complimented Sirius as the twins made gagging motions. Sirius couldn't help but smile at their antics, however, he wasn't going to offend Molly by joining in.

"I like to think so," Percy said modestly. "Its hard work at times but it'll be worth it. You weren't a Perfect, were you?"

"No," laughed Sirius. "I was too much of a trouble maker, both me and Harry's dad. But he was made Head Boy which I would say was the making of James."

Harry smiled at this, it must have come as a surprise to his dad.

"Are you aiming for twelve Owls?" Sirius now asked, Molly's third boy seemed the type to aim for that.

"Oh yes," Percy said, helping himself to some mash. "I haven't taken on all twelve subjects but as I'm sure you know, you can take the exams for certain ones if you pass tests throughout the year."

"Ah yes, Divination and Muggle Studies," Sirius said with a wry smile. "They say anyone can pass Divination and for those with Muggle family, the latter is a piece of cake."

"Don't tell Hermione that," Ron mumbled before taking a large bite of his brisket beef.

"What's that?" Sirius asked.

"Our friend, Hermione," Harry explained. "She goes all out on all our subjects, so even though she's Muggleborn, she'd be trying to get an O."

"Sounds like she'll be made a Prefect," Sirius said with a chuckle. "But she's got a couple of years to manage her studies, perhaps Percy could help her with that."

"I'd love to," the young boy said earnestly. "She is a very good student, very disciplined."

He paused before glancing at Ron.

"Ron and Harry have also been gaining high marks in their subjects."

"Yeah, we're so ashamed," Fred sighed dramatically.

"Fred," Molly scolded instantly. "Your father and I are very proud of Percy, Ron's and Harry's achievements. If the two you showed a little more dedication…."

"Our grades are fine mum," George stated airily with a wave of his hand. "There's more to life than studying."

"There is more to life than messing around," she said hotly. "How do you expect to support yourselves when you leave school?"

"I dunno, marry someone rich?" Fred suggested and the others were sure they could see fire coming out of Mrs Weasley's mouth at this suggestion.

"There's plenty of time to think of a career," Sirius now said hurriedly. "In fifth year, we discuss our options with our Head of House."

"Yes, I'm looking forward to speaking to Professor McGonagall," Percy stated pompously. "I'm planning to get a job in the Ministry but I'm not sure which one I should aim for at the moment. I mean, Magical Law Enforcement….."

Sirius caught his Godson's eye and they both smiled. Both of them were enjoying the normal, happy family dynamic and were content to just enjoy it. Molly had agreed to a day out in Diagon Alley so that everyone could enjoy themselves and start thinking about getting Christmas shopping. With Sirius's financial help, the Burrow's budget was a lot more stable and secure. Sirius had discussed with the two Weasley adults what sort of pocket money he should give Harry, he didn't want his godson using his own savings when that was needed for more important things. They'd given him good advice and he felt confident about the amount he could give Harry the next day.

One thing Sirius hoped to do was help Harry and Ron meet up with their friend Hermione, probably in the Muggle part of London. Harry had told him earlier that he really wanted to show his best friend the things muggles did for fun and Sirius agreed it was a good idea. After all, he and James had certainly enjoyed themselves, gallivanting around muggle towns.

"Looking forward tomorrow, Harry?" Sirius asked quietly as Molly argued with her twin sons about studying and responsibility.

"Yeah," Harry agreed just as quietly, grinning. "I can't wait to look around the shops again."

"Don't worry, we'll have plenty of fun," his godfather assured him. "People might stare at me a bit though."

"Only if they're not staring at me," Harry stated ruefully, blowing a bit of his fringe out of the way, revealing his scar.

"Maybe they won't know who to stare at then," Sirius said encouragingly and they both laughed.

Things were definitely looking up.

…..

"Yes Percy, you may go…Ginny, stay with me, don't wander off…Fred, George, don't you dare go down Knock-Turn Alley….now don't all go off like that, we need to work out where we're going to meet up….."

"How about at the Leaky Culderon at twelve?" Sirius suggested. "We can all get some lunch and discuss what we're doing next."

"Good idea," Molly said, looking decidedly flustered as she tried to prevent her brood from going off in all directions. "Ron, Harry, why don't you show Sirius the Quidditch shop or something….Ginny, stay with me."

"Let's go," Sirius advised the two boys, as Ginny complained about being forced to stay with her mother while the others got to go alone. Poor girl but that was the price of being the baby of the family, especially one who hadn't gone to Hogwarts yet.

"I wanna go to the sweet shop," Ron instantly declared once they were out of earshot of his mother.

"Me too," Harry said with a grin and Sirius's heart swelled with pleasure. It was impossible to say just how much he was enjoying seeing these two boys like this, it reminded him so much of him and James at that age.

"Here Ron," Sirius said, giving Ron some Galleons. "This'll help buy some Crhistmas presents and a few sweets."

He'd already given Harry some pocket money and some to Molly so she could allow Ginny to buy some things. He would have given the money directly to Ginny but knew the young girl would never be allowed out of her mother's sight. Later, he would give the other Weasley boys some after they'd browsed a bit.

"Thanks," Ron exclaimed, his ears a bright red colour.

"Remember," Sirius said, mock stern. "I want to see the worst possible sweet you could buy for yourself, anything less and you'll be eating sprouts for a week."

This really made the boys laugh and Sirius found himself grinning, able to ignore the stares of most of the passers-by. He accompanied the boys along the street, just listening to them chat and feeling quite relaxed.

"Sirius?"

He stopped dead at the sound of that familiar voice. Slowly he turned and looked across the bustling street and met the brown eyes belonging to a rather haggard man. He felt his breath catch in his throat and his mouth go dry. Memories and the accompanying feelings seemed to flood his very being as he stared.

The object of his focus glanced to one side of him before locking eyes with Sirius again. He gave him a look before walking pointedly in the direction of the Leaky Cauldron. Sirius stared after him, not moving until he sensed a presence by his side.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked, glancing in the direction of the Leaky Cauldron.

"Harry," he said quietly. "Could I meet up with you later?"

"Sure," Harry thankfully said softly.

He gave his Godson's shoulder a grateful pat before heading to the pub.

….

"So," Sirius said, gripping his glass tightly. "How have you been?"

Not the most original question but he was feeling rather awkward with his one remaining best friend. Remus took a delicate sip from his glass before answering.

"I suppose alright," he said, his throat sounding dry. "I've just returned from South America, I've been there for eighteen months."

"South America," whistled Sirius. "What's that like?"

"Hot, sweaty," Remus replied mildly. "A lot of things that like to bite."

"What in Merlin's name drew you there?" questioned Sirius, remembering that hot summer in their fourth year which had at times been too much with the constant heat and flies.

"It has some interesting artefacts," his friend stated. "And things are much cheaper over there."

This caused a twinge of guilt in Sirius's chest, the former Marauder was thin and his extremely old and worn robes were hanging off him. His colouring was good but that was only because of the country he'd been in.

"They've….they've got a lot of old tombs and things, don't they?" he said, drudging up his limited knowledge of what was actually in South America.

"They do," Remus agreed. "I've collected some very interesting things, including a few cursed skulls."

"You've been traveling a lot?" Sirius asked, feeling rather foolish. This felt like a blind date where he attempted to ask interesting questions that could lead to proper conversations.

"I have," Remus said, lifting his glass up to examine the contents. "It's difficult to hold down a steady job here."

The twinge of guilt grew into something with claws in his chest. He knew Remus wouldn't want pity but it was hard when his friends must have suffered a lot during the past decade.

"There's….there's always the Defence Against the Dark Arts job," he finally managed. "They need a new teacher every single year and right now, they've only got a substitute."

"Mm, is that so?" Remus mused. "We did go through a lot, didn't we?"

Sirius nodded before saying. "You could always apply for next year."

"And what would the parents say Sirius?" demanded Remus a little harshly. "A monster teaching their children?"

"You're not a monster Remus," Sirius automatically abolished.

"Am I not, Sirius?" Remus asked, his eyes narrowing, his hand clenching on his glass.

"No," Sirius said, his own eyes narrowing. "We both know it."

"Do we?" Remus said in a mock idle voice, taking a gulp of his drink before looking away.

"Of course," Sirius exclaimed. "What is with you, Remus?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," the man replied, giving off a distinctly annoyed aura.

In frustration, Sirius shoved his drink aside and resisting the urge to raise his voice, asked.

"What is it? I know you want to get something off your chest Remus, I know you."

"Oh you do?" Remus almost snapped but controlled himself enough so as to not attract attention. "You know me after spending a decade in Azkaban?"

Sirius flinched backwards but Remus didn't apologise for the comment. His expression was rather hard as he said. "Apparently, being best friends for more than seven years meant we didn't know each other very well at all."

He stared at the former Hogwarts Prefect, he obviously knew Remus was angry but somehow, his brain wasn't working out the answer. Or if it was, wasn't supplying him with said answer and he knew this would only get worse. So he did the only thing he could and that was provoke Remus but asking the obvious.

"So what did I do wrong?" he questioned. "Come on, it's obvious you want to tell me."

Remus glared at him before saying very coldly.

"I would like to know," he hissed in a low voice. "What I did to earn your distrust."

"Oh," Sirius said softly, understanding was beginning to dawn on him.

"So what was it?" his old school friend demanded. "Because I didn't always agree with you? Because I'm a werewolf…or because I'm a Half Blood?"

"NO!" he exclaimed so loudly that a few people turned to stare. "I would never think that!"

"Then you'd better tell me what I did wrong then," Remus said furiously. "Because I am having a hard time comprehending your reasoning…."

"Because I was scared!" snapped Sirius, silencing the other man who simply stared at him.

In a slightly quieter tone, Sirius continued once he was sure he had Remus's attention.

"I was scared Remus. Of….well, everything. Obviously, I never for a moment worried about Lily or James's loyalty but I feared just about everything else about them. What if something happened to one or both of them? What if they were horribly injured, what if they were captured…."

He paused, stopping himself from going on a long rant of the 'what ifs'. Remus had surely had similar fears back then, there was no real need to go into them.

"You remember how they defied him, several times," he continued a little more calmly. "And then Lily got pregnant, things in general were getting worse, I was starting to really get caught up in all the gloom that was overtaking this country. And then Voldemort started to target them personally….because of that damn prophecy."

There were times he wished he could learn the name of the Death Eater that had taken that information to Voldemort, oh yes.

"When Harry was born, it wasn't so bad at first but as they got closer and closer calls, I really….feared for them. And Dumbledore mentioned that some of those close calls could not have occurred unless someone was feeding the Death Eaters information."

"And you thought it might be me," Remus stated, speaking for the first time.

"It wasn't that simple," Sirius said gravely. "The only people I trusted absolutely where Lily and James…..Harry was completely innocent of course. And I also trusted Dumbledore, I had no real concerns about him but…."

He took a deep breath, hoping he could explain himself properly.

"It just so….uncertain. In school, we'd know who we could and could not trust, we didn't even think about it. But out there….in the wide world, everything was different. Do you remember what it was like, walking through streets and wondering who could be working for the Death Eaters….or if they were actual Death Eaters?"

"I do," conceded Remus slowly.

"Well," Sirius said in a quiet tone. "It was hard not to look twice at people, even if you knew them very well. It just felt like anyone could be working for Voldemort, especially when several people we never thought would have turned out to be doing just that."

Remus nodded in agreement, that was true.

"So…yeah," Sirius concluded heavily. "It's hard for me to fully explain it, I've gone over and over my thoughts and feelings those last few years and all I can really say was that I was choking in fear and uncertainty. There was someone watching our every movement and I couldn't work out who it was. I didn't for a single moment think it was that useless, cowardly rat and I couldn't help but….."

He gestured helplessly, he just didn't know how to explain it to his old friend. It just seemed so stupid in retrospect, to think that the quiet, kind boy who'd been his friend might have betrayed them all. That was something he'd berated himself over and over for while in Azkaban.

Remus stared him right in the face before suddenly sighing and as he did so, all his anger appeared to completely deflate away.

"I never suspected Peter either," he said quietly. "I mourned his brave sacrifice for so long and cursed your existence."

Sirius smiled in a rather bitter, wry way.

"I can imagine," he said as Remus said musingly.

"Things that happened in school and after….I took them as evidence of your….hmm."

What could he do but nod, he had not helped his case at all. There were unfortunately plenty of events that people would have taken the wrong way and declared that they were indications of his disturbed, dark mind.

"I understand," he said. "No one suspected him, no one."

"Poor James," Remus murmured. "When he realised….."

"I know," Sirius said and they sat in silence for a few minutes, brooding on the past.

"Sirius?"

"Harry," Sirius said, instantly lighting up at the sight of his godson.

"Hi," Harry said warmly, smiling at both men.

"Harry, this is my friend, Remus Lupin," Sirius introduced, gesturing at Remus who gave a small, tired smile. "Hello."

"Hello sir," Harry greeted back, offering a hand which Remus blinked at before accepting.

"It's great to meet you," Harry continued and this time, Remus gave him a genuine warm smile.

"It's great to meet you to, Harry," he said rather hoarsely. "Are you enjoying yourself at Hogwarts?"

"He's one of the top students," Sirius declared proudly. "And I think he's only gotten detention once, imagine that Remus?"

"Is that so?" Remus asked, looking amused.

"Yeah, I kinda missed a class," Harry said ruefully. "Bit of a long story but I'm not planning to make a habit of it."

"Knew Lily's genes could triumph over James's," Sirius joked and Remus did chuckle at that.

"Indeed, I believe James had at least three detentions by his first Christmas," he informed Harry.

"How did he manage that?" Harry asked with a grin.

"By being James," Sirius laughed before asking. "Where's Ron?"

"In the loo," Harry replied. "He'll be along shortly."

"I can leave and let you all enjoy yourselves," Remus suggested as Sirius exclaimed.

"Nonsense, you should meet the Weasleys, they're a great family."

"I'm sure they are," Remus began as Harry said. "You don't have to go."

"I know but….," Remus said with a sad smile, starting to get up as Sirius leaned over.

"Harry…..knows about your condition," Sirius said in a low tone. "That rat told him. The others know as well."

Remus froze in place before looking right at Harry.

"Does that make you uncomfortable Harry?" Remus said, his tone even but Harry could see the uneasy fear in his eyes.

"No," he said, completely honestly. He'd seen his old Professor as a fully grown werewolf completely under the influence of his transformation but had never felt afraid of the man. Not even when Lupin had blazed furiously that one time in Grimmuld Place. "Why should it?"

The haggard man let out a nervous laugh.

"I think that's exactly what James said when he found out my secret," he stated with a slight cough.

"I mean it," Harry said earnestly. "It doesn't change how you are as a person, it's just one night a month that you change."

"Very true," Sirius agreed with a firm nod.

"It probably helps I was brought up among Muggles," Harry mused thoughtfully. "I don't know if you've ever seen any werewolf movies…."

"I've seen a few," Remus said wryly. "They are….ah….amusing."

"I think I remember seeing one," Sirius said slowly. "I don't think it got anything right."

"They don't usually," Remus said casually, humour evident in his tired face.

"Hermione said there's now a potion to help werewolves," Harry now told him.

"Really?" Sirius said with interest.

"Yeah, I think it's a recent invention," his godson said as Sirius looked thoughtful.

"I'll need to look into that," he stated. "If it's any good, I'll try to get hold of it for you, Remus."

"I've heard it's really tricky to make," Harry warned. "Hermione said something about only a Potion's Master could do it."

Sirius nodded before his face clouded and he groaned.

"You alright?" Harry asked, half knowing why his godfather was reacting like that.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Sirius said gloomily as Remus laughed.

Author's note. What happens over Christmas at the Burrow? Find out next time, until then.