Snow drifted lazily onto the grounds, blanketing the grass with glittering white droplets. They crunched under Sirius's hands as he stooped, collecting a handful of snow.
"You're going to need way more than that!" James hollered, and Sirius rolled his eyes. His boyfriend could be a little...impatient sometimes.
He marched back to him, scowling. "I'm aware, arsehole."
"Why couldn't we have done this with magic?" Remus asked, pursing his lips.
"Oh, my darling," Sirius said, planting a kiss on his cheek, "it's more fun this way. This is how the Muggles do it."
"I'm all for Muggle traditions, but this is just...ridiculous!" James burst out. "They don't have the luxury of magic, that's why they do it...but we do and we can do this in under five seconds."
Remus looked as though he agreed with James's logic. Sirius released a frustrated sigh. His boyfriends could be quite frustrating.
"Look, you love me, right?" Sirius adopted his best puppy eyes. "Can we...I have had enough magic to last a lifetime. Besides, what's the fun of doing it in just a few seconds? We can prolong the amount of time we spend together, right?" He saw them soften, persuaded by his words and reveled in this victory. "C'mon. Let's build this snowman."
"It looks a little...lopsided to me," said Remus, his hands clasped behind his back and his expression critical. "We could've shaped the base a bit better."
"And his carrot nose looks all droopy," James added. "It's a bit sad-looking."
"Oh, c'mon, it's not terrible! Not bad for a first try."
"...I'll agree with that," Remus acknowledged.
"Good." Sirius pressed his lips together. "See, this tradition wasn't so bad, was it? It's a nice way to spend time together every year."
"Never pegged you as a sentimental bloke," James murmured, lacing their fingers together in an unexpected (but not unwelcome) display of affection, "but I'll take it."
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Shipmas, Day 12 - Do you want to build a snowman?