I'm not scared of the dark
I'm not running, running, running
No, I'm not afraid of the fall
I'm not scared, not at all
Why would a star, a star ever be afraid of the dark?
Remus Lupin looked up from his notes and sighed.
He stood up, stretching his legs, and walked over to look out the window of the Gryffindor common room.
Snow flurried outside, blanketing the grounds with sparkling white, and students milled about, laughing and throwing snowballs.
It was nearly Christmas break. Students had already started heading home for the holidays, Peter Pettigrew had left that morning.
Remus felt like the only student in Hogwarts studying.
"Still studying Moony?" echoing his thoughts, a grinning Sirius Black emerged from the staircase leading up to the boys dormitory, and gracefully sank into the striped armchair next to the one Remus had just abandoned.
"I don't know why I'm the only one studying," Remus raised an eyebrow at Sirius and smiled, walking over and settling back into his own chair, the floor around it covered in pages of neatly written, slightly crumpled notes and meticulously bookmarked textbooks, "I seem to recall one of us failing the last charms exam."
"And I forgive you for it Remus," Sirius said with a generous smile, "we can't all be as good at charms as I am."
Remus chucked his textbook at Sirius, but Sirius sent it spinning away with a lazy flick of his wand.
"You know Flitwick's loved me ever since I stopped a cat from eating his owl in third year.
"Wasn't that the same year McGonagall described you in your end of year report as 'shockingly lazy?'"
"She began that sentence with the words 'gifted but,'!" Sirius objected, "So if you think about it it was overall complimentary."
Remus rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth still curled up in a smile.
"Why aren't you outside with the other Gryffindors?" Remus asked, picking up his Charms notes and quill.
"Maybe there's only one Gryffindor I want to spend time with right now." Sirius winked.
"Flattering," Remus was gazing fixedly at his notes, but a slight blush spread across his cheeks, "but maybe you should go bother James instead. I can't imagine that he's worried about the exams next month."
"All too true. But I've been avoiding him today because he won't shut up about what to get Lily Evans for Christmas to finally convince her to go out with him."
"Perfume?"
"He said it was cliche."
"A necklace."
"Unoriginal."
"New potion vials to replace the ones he knocked off her table in class last week?"
"That's better than what I came up with," Sirius chuckled, "I told him he should buy her spell-o-tape and write 'to repair my broken heart' on it."
"My God, that's awful."
"I know," Sirius smiled gleefully, "and the best part is that I think he might just be desperate enough to try it!"
Remus pointedly shuffled his notes, scratching in a few more lines with his quill.
"I really do need to study Padfoot. Professor McGonagall always says Sixth year marks lay the groundwork for N.E.W.T level work."
"Fine, I'll be quiet, but it's rather comfortable here so don't think I'm moving."
A companionable silence settled between the two of them, interrupted only by the scratching of Remus's quill and the crackling of the fire.
After a quarter of an hour had passed, Remus glanced up. Sirius was sprawled out, somehow elegantly, in the armchair, eyes closed.
"Are you sleeping?" Remus whispered curiously.
"No," Sirius replied instantly, eyes still shut, "just waiting for my stupid friend to finish his entirely unnecessary studying, seeing as he already knows the textbook cold."
"I do not!" Remus objected.
"Fine then, what wizard invented the cheering charm?"
"Oswald Herrington in 1847." Remus replied instantly, then blushed.
"My mistake, you obviously know nothing." Sirius said, grinning mischievously, as he opened his eyes and sat up, "Are you finished then?"
"Probably never." Remus said moodily.
"Even though you know everything."
"I know nothing."
"God, you're really insufferable when it comes to studying. You know that, don't you?"
"I told you you'd have more fun with James."
"Maybe I'm not looking to have fun with James."
Remus felt his face flush.
"I like bringing home good marks for my parents," he said finally, "you know that."
"They really care that much?" Sirius looked skeptical.
Remus was silent for a moment. "Maybe it's not so much that they care, as much as that I care." he said slowly, "I haven't turned out to be the son they were hoping for in a lot of ways…" he looked away from Sirius who was watching him intently, and instead glanced out the window, his gaze fixed on the gently falling snow outside the ice frosted pane, glinting in the late afternoon sun, "I guess...I guess I just want to make them proud in ways I still can."
There was another moment of silence.
"You know that's ridiculous don't you?" Sirius said, sounding annoyed.
Remus still refused to meet his eyes.
"Honestly, I'm being serious," he said hotly, "and look at me!" He reached out and gently tilted Remus's face back up towards his until their eyes met.
"It's impossible for them not to be proud of you. You're funny, and smart, and hard working, and kind. Deeply kind. You're the best of us all and I can't stand it when you refuse to see that in yourself!" He let go of Remus's face, but they remained staring at each other.
After a minute, a blushing Remus shook his head, as though waking up from a dream, and got to his feet, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
"We'd better get to dinner if we want to get any shepherd's pie."
"You're impossible," Sirius growled, "I need to give you lessons in how to take a compliment, because you're supposed to say 'thank you,' or at the very least acknowledge them. Trust me, I'm a highly complimented individual so I know."
The two boys set off down the corridor, the flickering light of torches illuminating the rapidly darkening castle.
Garlands of holly and mistletoe twined around the banisters of the stairs, and the suits of armor shouted out verses of Christmas carols as they passed. If there was one thing Hogwarts excelled at, it was celebrating Christmas in style.
They turned a corner to see Peeves throwing baubles at unsuspecting first years and cackling madly.
"This way," Sirius pushed aside a swinging tapestry to their left as a bauble smashed near their feet, and they dodged inside, avoiding the chaotic corridor.
They entered the Great Hall to the loud clamor of dinner, the smells of heaping platters of food filling the air.
"Over here!" a voice called out from the Gryffindor table, they turned to see James Potter beckoning them over.
"Find a present for Lily then?" Remus inquired, sliding into the seat next to James.
"I suppose Sirius has filled you in on my quest then," James said, glumly heaping mashed potatoes onto his fork, "I honestly think I'm going with the spell-o-tape at this point."
"Hmm," Remus spooned some shepherd's pie onto Sirius's plate first, and then his own, "I think you could do a bit better than tape."
"Got any ideas for me then?"
"Well...isn't the next trip Hogsmeade tomorrow? Maybe we can find something then."
"Yeah, that's right," James brightened, "good idea."
"You won't be too busy studying to come with us?" Sirius turned to Remus, one eyebrow raised.
"Maybe I've studied enough for now." Remus offered a small smile.
"Remus? Done studying?" a laughing voice cut in from behind them.
Remus turned to find himself staring into the striking green eyes of Lily Evans, fellow prefect and James's longtime crush.
"Does that mean you're finally conceding top of the class to me?" she put a hand on her hip and tilted her head to the side, her vivid red hair brushing her shoulder.
"If I conceded what fun would your victory be?" Remus grinned, "you know we'll be tied until the bitter end, at which point Dumbledore will have to cut the Bathilda Bagshot academic excellence award in half and give it to both of us."
"Well I suppose that wouldn't be too bad." Lily winked, "I guess this means you remember the banishing charm?"
"Depulso." Remus shot back.
"Ah well, I'll get the best of you soon." laughing, she walked back to the other end of the table where her friends sat.
"Why didn't you ask her to stay?" James hissed, looking anguished.
"Her friends are sitting over there," Remus calmly continued eating, well used to James's infatuation at this point.
"I thought the two of you being prefects together would be an 'in' for me, but it's been more than a year and still nothing." James said grumpily.
"Ah lay off it James," Sirius poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice, "at least she's civil with you this year. Last year she outright hated you."
James slumped over resting his head on the table, the image of defeat.
"We'd better find something good in Hogsmeade tomorrow."