CW: Christmas, New Year's, food, manipulation, confrontation, grief, prejudice
:TWENTY-SEVEN:
The holiday break came, and with it came a very rambunctious Harry. Sirius was an enormous help to Remus, as he had no idea how he could've finished his work without Sirius taking Harry off to the park or to play in Harry's room otherwise. Sirius' energy was almost at level with Harry's, meaning that they played hard, but napped even harder. And it was in these quiet stretches of time that Remus was able to get some much needed introversion time.
They had also met again with Hagrid and McGonagall at the park, where Harry received a toy broomstick and a roughly carved wooden dragon. Harry loved both, but it was the toy broomstick that he went ballistic over once he realized how to work it. Though it only went a few inches off the ground, Harry absolutely loved the feeling it gave him as he soared over the snow.
It had meant that every single morning since, Sirius had to bundle up with the boy, place notice-me-not charms over the entire area, and watch as Harry practiced flying.
Remus had taken over the planning and shopping for Christmas gifts, though Sirius was more than happy to pile on his suggestions. He was ecstatic about celebrating this Christmas with Remus and Harry, so much so that he decorated the entire flat in reds and golds the second it was 'appropriate' to do so. He'd also taught Harry all of the wizarding carols, which they sang together at full volume.
Dudley and Petunia were over more often than not as well. The illusion of magic being kept away from him fell to pieces when Harry, in a fit of excitement, had shown Dudley the toy broomstick. To Petunia's shock, Dudley had been completely unfazed.
"Honestly, mum." He'd said in a condescending sort of way. "I've known for ages that they can do magic. But I can still wallop Harry at sword-fighting, so it's okay."
And, with that child-logic, the last thing stopping this misfit family from coming together was broken down. Petunia wasn't perfect, but her counseling sessions and new environment had helped her almost completely stop burning her hands and her compulsions were slowly decreasing. It was obvious that she was trying to do better.
The Weasley's weren't able to get together with Remus and Sirius before Christmas came, but Remus sent off the owl he'd promised for Percy along with some small gifts and a "Harry Potter original" for each child. It came back Christmas morning with sweets for them all, which Harry promptly shared with Dudley. Harry's sweet tooth was minimal, but Dudley's knew absolutely no bounds.
Overall, it had been a quiet and happy Christmas.
Until evening came, along with an owl carrying a small bundle. Remus, yawning into his hand, was the one to take the parcel and note off the owl. It hooted importantly at him, then took flight back out of the window.
"Who's it from?" Sirius yawned, coming out of Harry's bedroom, where he'd just put Harry to bed.
"I dunno," Remus shrugged. "It's not addressed."
He handed Sirius the bundle, opening up the letter to read while Sirius opened the package.
"Sirius…" Remus looked over to see Sirius shaking with anger, holding James' invisibility cloak.
"Give me a moment." Sirius growled, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths.
Remus used the time to re-read the letter, trying to think of the best way to word it to Sirius without him blowing up further. But the opportunity was taken from him when Sirius took the paper out of his hands and read it for himself.
"Sirius!" Remus tried to take the letter back. "I don't want to ruin our Christmas - let's not bother with it tonight."
Incredulous laughter burst out of Sirius as he read, skimming quickly through the letter several times.
"That...meddling, selfish…" He muttered hysterically, pacing around the flat with Remus right behind him.
"Please calm down, Sirius." Remus pleaded, knocking into Sirius' back as he abruptly stopped.
Whirling around, Sirius held the paper up to Remus' face. "Calm down?! Remus, he's still trying to use us!"
He threw down the letter, taking a seat on the couch and fuming.
"I can't believe...he didn't even ask how we were doing...just wanted to know about what people were talking about in Azkaban...what does he bloody think people talk about in there!"
Sirius looked over to the cloak, lying on the floor where Sirius had dropped it in favor of pacing.
"And that...that bloody cloak…" Sirius half-sobbed.
"I know." Remus murmured, sitting down next to Sirius. "I know, love."
"I'd almost forgotten...I just wanted one day where I didn't have to remember all of this!"
Sirius held his head in his hands, as if that would stop all the horrible memories now flooding his mind. The only thing that stopped him from falling down the rabbit-hole of his own mind was the muffled sounds coming from Remus. He immediately lifted his head, to find Remus trying valiantly not to cry.
"I'm sorry," He apologized immediately. "I know how much harder all of this is for you than it is for me…"
"Don't be daft!" Sirius cried, reaching out and holding Remus close. "We're in this together. Have you been feeling this way this whole time?"
Remus nodded, still trying to stop crying. "Well yeah. You were the one in Azkaban, Sirius."
"But you were the one alone, Remus. And you had to help Harry, Petunia, and Dudley all by yourself. I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for you. Have you even been able to talk to anyone?"
"Well, it's not like many people counsel werewolves." Remus joked weakly.
But Sirius continued looking solemn. "Remus, you've been taking care of everyone. Let me take care of you now."
So they put away the cloak and the letter, refusing to let it bother the rest of their night. Sirius made Remus a cup of his favorite tea, along with a nice hot bath. After that, they curled up in bed together, where Sirius read aloud to Remus until he fell asleep. Sirius had to admit, it actually felt really nice to take care of someone else. Harry was one thing, but he hadn't realized how much Remus needed him until now.
Looking around at all his glowing rocks, Sirius resolved to be more thoughtful around Remus. He'd forgotten how little Remus thought of himself and how easily he'd lower his own priorities over others. Sirius hadn't meant to be selfish, but he most definitely had been monopolizing all of the emotional labor. He shook his head exasperatedly, looking fondly at Remus while he slept.
The next few days, Sirius was the most thoughtful he could possibly be. He was already taking care of Harry, in his own playful sort of way, but he also commandeered the majority of the chores. The only thing he absolutely could not do was the cooking, but he made them all hot chocolate!
But the best surprise of all was when Remus came home on New Year's Eve to find Sirius all dressed up.
"What's this?" He asked, looking amused as he set down the groceries he'd brought home.
"We're going out!" Sirius cheered, helping Remus put everything away. "Petunia agreed to take Harry for a sleepover since she's not celebrating. So I made us reservations and I picked out an outfit for you - it's on the bed."
"You're incorrigible." Remus teased, walking off to get changed.
He gasped when he saw the suit laid out on the bed. It was obviously hand-crafted, and perfectly tailored for him in his favorite color. Remus put the material on, running his fingers over the material in wonder. It took a severe amount of restraint not to cry when he looked at his reflection in the mirror. Minus the faint scars on his face...he looked beautiful.
Remus shook himself - he didn't want to get emotional tonight. Tonight was going to be about celebration, not his insecurities. So, he waltzed out into the kitchen, twirling to Sirius' loud applause. He only stopped Sirius when he wolf-whistled, laughing all the while.
"It's beautiful, Sirius," Remus said sincerely, holding Sirius' hand. "Thank you."
Sirius grinned. "That's not the only surprise tonight. Shall we?"
Curiosity piqued, Remus allowed Sirius to help him put on his coat and apparate them to the restaurant Sirius had chosen. It was a fancy muggle place they had driven past on their way to pick up Harry that Remus had wondered about for weeks. When he looked questioningly at Sirius, he explained.
"I went to Gringotts and got some money exchanged. Come on, they'll have our table ready by now."
It was absolutely delicious - Sirius had selected the menu specifically to Remus' favorites. Rare steak, thick and creamy mashed potatoes, green beans, and a paired wine.
"This is…" Remus was at a loss for words. "You spoil me, Sirius."
But Sirius waved him off. "Wait until you see dessert."
It made Remus' mouth water just seeing the dessert when it was brought out. It was a cake that absolutely screamed chocolate, with raspberries artfully placed around it. They shared one slice as they were simply too full to each have one, savoring each bite together and taking the other slice home for later.
Remus left the restaurant feeling pleasantly tipsy and incredibly loved. He wrapped one arm around Sirius' waist, kissing him on the cheek.
"Thank you, Sirius. Tonight was absolutely amazing."
Sirius' mischievous grin hadn't left though, so Remus laughed incredulously.
"Come on," Sirius said, leading Remus over to a fountain square and sitting down. "I saved the best for last."
Remus sat down, looking at Sirius curiously as he pulled out an envelope from his inner jacket pocket. Sirius handed the envelope to Remus, practically shaking with excitement.
"What is this?" Remus asked, opening the envelope and looking inside.
"Read it." Sirius whispered, looking into Remus' face as he took in the information.
It was a receipt from St. Mungos...for the wolfsbane potion.
Remus covered his mouth with his hand to choke back his shocked cry. Tears immediately filled his eyes as he turned to look at Sirius.
"The potion expires, so they're having me pay monthly." Sirius spoke quickly. "Or rather, the Black family money will be paying."
Remus stopped Sirius' babbling by kissing him. It was the first time they'd really kissed each other since Sirius' release, and Sirius responded a bit...enthusiastically.
They fell into the fountain.
Instead of ruining the moment though, it only seemed to enhance it. They both burst into laughter, splashing each other and playing in the heated water like the teenagers they never really got to be. They kissed each other a fair amount as well, only stopping when they realized the muggles would probably notice two adult men playing in the fountain like children.
"We should head home." Remus gasped, shivering from the cold air.
"Yeah," Sirius grinned. "Good thing the cake and the letter didn't fall in with us, eh?"
Remus, who had completely forgotten about the cake, immediately rushed over to make sure he retrieved it before they left. Laughing like fools, they held onto each other.
"Let's go home." Sirius murmured, kissing Remus once more. "Happy New Year!"
Notes:
Hullo! What a roller-coaster of a chapter. I wanted to clarify something about Dumbledore here. Right now, he is considered one of the most powerful and well-loved wizards in the world. Remus is a werewolf, Sirius is a recently pardoned criminal, and Petunia is a muggle. Given how prejudiced the wizarding community is, how do you reckon it'd go over if they were to directly confront Dumbledore?
Pretty poorly, and that's with as much evidence as they can produce. I know it's not fair, I know it's wrong. But that's the truth.
There's another really important reason they can't isolate Dumbledore, though they don't know it yet. Besides Hogwarts being his school, Dumbledore is the only one clever enough to figure out Voldemort's horcruxes and where they are hidden. I hate him, I hate his manipulations and how awful he's making Remus and Sirius feel, but we need him if Harry is going to survive this. Trust the process.
We're going to time-jump now that we've got all the practical and sentimental stuff done. Let's go to Hogwarts!
Happy Reading!