Muggles for Christmas
I know people, I know. I haven't uploaded for a while, but I am working
on it. school just takes up a lot of
time and I've had other stories to work
on as well. But I am working on it, I promise. This is just something I've
had for a while. I know it's not Christmas, but hey, it's hot.
I just wanna say hey to
stephie. Long time no talk. E-mail me. And
also look out for new stories by my best friends, SaraBeth and Carlie. And one big
one from us all.
Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, and many others don't belong to me, but some
others do.
Sorry, but I have to go before Sara Beth falls over the balcony on the stairs.
And Carlie makes her cry.
"It has to be perfect." Lily announced to her audience. "If you want to
make a good impression." A snort interrupted her. She gazed out at the small group in the living room. Of the seven people in the room, only three
including her were currently awake.
Peter, the source of the snoring, was curled up on the rug beside her
chair, snoozing away. Remus's head hung
on Addi's shoulder and she gave Lily a sorry look. Sirius's head was in Mari's lap, where she was gently tapping on
his face to wake him up. It wasn't working. And James had drifted off in his
armchair. Lily grabbed a pillow and
threw it at him. It hit him square in the face.
"Ow!" he
cried, startling everyone out of their dozing, all but Sirius.
"People, this
is serious." Lily groaned.
"We know who
Sirius is. We've known him since we were eleven, Lil." Remus said with a sleepy
grin.
"What?"
Sirius raised his head and looked around.
"Nothing
dear. Go back to sleep." Mari told him. He mumbled something and returned to his
previous position.
"No way, you
have got to get up, Sirius. I mean it!"
Sirius groaned, but pulled himself into a sitting position.
"Look,
people. Do you want this night to be a total disaster? Sirius, do you want
Mari's parents to like you? James do you want my parents to like you?"
"They already
love me."
"People we
need to be." She stopped herself. "I mean this is important. It's Christmas
dinner. And I promise you, muggles love their Christmas dinner more than
anything.'
"Amen." Addi
said, receiving a pillow in the face from her still sleepy non-muggle brother.
Lily groaned
and threw her hands in the air. James sighed, got out of his chair, and walked
over to her, running his hands through his permanently messy hair.
"I know,
Lily. We all do. And we're sorry. It's
just been so busy lately, and two days ago was the full moon and last night we
had an attack on a muggle family. And we just haven't gotten that much sleep
lately."
"I know." She
said eyeing his latest wounds, a deep cut on his arm. Sirius, Remus, and Peter
hadn't come out unharmed either. Remus
had a nasty bang on the head; he really shouldn't have been out there only one
day after the full moon. Peter had broken his arms falling down the stairs on
the way home, she couldn't see how. And Sirius had been on the receiving end of
the Cruciatus Curse; he shouldn't even really be out of bed. But they were all
so stubborn, insisting that they were fine.
"Look. I just
want this to be perfect." She sighed. James smiled at her and pulled her into his
arms. Mari smiled up at Sirius and he
grinned sleepily back.
"It will be.
Don't you worry, Lil. The marauders are on the job." Sirius said. Lily smiled at her friend from the comfort
of her husband's embrace.
Slowly the
remaining members of the group began to wake up, and Lily sent them off to do
their jobs. Mari and Sirius, she sent to get the tree as that would be the
safest job and keep Sirius away from the food. Addi and Remus were sent for the
food and Peter was sent to mail the invitations to Dumbledore, Mari's parents,
the Lupins, and her own parents, unfortunately her sister Petunia and her
family too. James was forced to help
unpack the decorations from the attic.
There were about seven boxes or so of heavy fragile ornaments.
"I don't see
why the guys couldn't have stayed and helped." He said after maybe the fifth or
sixth box.
"Because we
have one day to get this place as perfect as we can. I want to make a good
impression especially on Mari's
parents."
"Yeah, Sirius
told me. They still aren't very happy with the result of their last visit."
"Well, it
would be a big surprise if you came to visit your daughter and found her
married."
"True and to
Sirius no less."
James
grinned. He leaned over to kiss his wife.
Just then a baby's cry flew down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"I was
wondering how long he was going to sleep." Lily sighed. She went into the bedroom. James followed her.
Their baby, little Harry sat wailing in his crib. Lily picked him up and slowly rocked him. He quieted and lay, content, in his mothers
arms. James watched with a smile.
"How much
food do you people need?" Remus groaned as he lifted the huge turkey into the
shopping cart.
"Well,
there's you, me, Sirius, James, Lily, Mari, Peter, Dumbledore, Mari's parents,
your parents, Lily's parents, Lily's sister, her husband and son. That's eighteen."
"You forgot
Harry."
"Oh my, I
did. How could I forget that sweet innocent baby?"
"He won't be
so innocent if he turned out anything like his father." Remus grinned.
"Well,
neither will our children, if we ever get around to getting married." Remus
noticed a slight bitter tone in her voice.
"Hey," he
said wrapping his arms around her. "We promised we would. You know that things are just very
complicated now. Very dangerous."
"But Lily and
James got married. So did Sirius and Mari."
"I know. "
Remus said. "Look it doesn't mean I love you any less. I've loved you since the
first time I saw you."
"Remus, you
were twelve."
"So?"
"You put a snake in my bed."
"That was
Sirius's idea, not mine."
"Everything
is either Sirius or James's idea."
"Yeah, well,
it is."
"Look, Addi.
We will get married. Someday soon."
"But when
Remus? Someday I want to have a family. And we Blacks don't have a reputation
for living very long. I can't wait for
you forever."
Remus stared
at her, his eyes hurt. "Fine." He said, quietly. He turned away from her and
pushed the cart up the aisle. Addi
mentally smacked herself. That didn't
help so she did it physically.
How could she
be so cruel? Remus was her life, he meant everything to her. Without him, there
was almost nothing. Nothing but Sirius.
He was the last family she had, and his friends had accepted her into
their lives as a friend, no questions asked.
But Remus had gone a step farther. He had pulled her into his heart, he
had confessed to her his secret. His
deepest darkest secret. And she loved
him all the more for it.
"Remus." She
called. He turned and reached out for the bread that was on the shelf.
"I'm sorry. "
she said, running up to him. " I know you love me and I love you. More than
anything." He smiled, his tired gray eyes drinking her in. she pulled him close
and they stood there for a long time. Just holding each other. Then finally they pulled apart.
"We should
get this stuff home before the ice cream melts and Lily has a fit." Remus said.
Addi nodded and took his arms. They shared secret smiles as they pushed the
cart to the check out line.
"How about
this one?" Sirius asked for the fiftieth time.
"Too small."
Mari said. She absentmindedly rubbed
her growing belly.
"You
alright?" Sirius asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Yes, I'm
fine. Just a little sore."
"You sure?"
"Yes!" She
said exasperatedly at her husband. Then she softened as he turned away, hurt.
"I'm sorry."
She said softly, he smiled down at her.
And arm and arm they continued through the forest.
"So how about that one over there?" Sirius
asked, pointing to what he thought was a perfectly good tree.
"Not enough
branches at the bottom." Sirius groaned. His head ached and he felt slightly
shaky. The after-effects of last night. But he pushed them aside. No need to
worry his perfect little wife over nothing.
He pulled his coat tighter around himself to block out the cold.
Mari, on the
other hand, was not blind. She could see very well, through her husband's charade of being perfectly fine. She saw how he was shivering and
shaking. But once his mind was made up,
there was no stopping him. She shook
her head. She should be the one asking
if he was okay.
"So when are
your parents coming?" he asked, breaking through her thoughts.
"Tonight."
She said. "We have to pick them up from the train station. They're coming in
from Shannon. "
"Planes. " he
made a face. "Insane, I say."
"I thought
you were raised a muggle." She said.
"I was. Makes
me appreciate being magic all the more." She pushed him and he grinned down at
her. But then they were silent again.
"So what do
you think they'll say when they see you?" he asked.
"I dunno. I
wrote and told them when I found out.
And mum wrote back saying she was very glad, but I never heard anything
from da. I think he's still mad at me for what happened last time."
Sirius
nodded, for once living up to his name.
"It wasn't my
fault the death eaters decided to pick that night of all nights to attack." He
grumbled.
"I know."
"I get the
feeling your father doesn't like me very much."
Mari
hesitated. It was true, he had told her as much when she dropped them off at
the airport four month's ago.
"Well, it's
too late for him to do anything. We're married and I love you, so there."
Sirius was
quiet. He flopped down on the
snow-covered ground and leaned against a tree. At the moment a million things
ran through his head. Everything that he had ever wanted, he had. A wife, a child, his friends. But it was
always around this time of year that his feelings of loneliness and fear
grew. It was two days after new years
that his mother had died, Christmas eve when his father was killed, and
Christmas morning when Erin had been murdered. True nothing had happened last
year and he prayed nothing would happen this year, but there was a deep nagging feeling in his gut.
"Sirius,
what's wrong?" Mari asked, clumsily sitting down next to him.
He said
nothing, but sat, his face in his hands.
Mari reached up to smooth his long black hair out of his face when she
felt a sharp jolt in her stomach.
"Sirius." She
whispered. He glanced up at her.
Gently, she took his hand and placed it over her stomach where the baby was
kicking. A look of pure amazement spread over his face as he felt the life
within.
"The baby's
kicking." He whispered. She smiled up
at him and nodded.
" she's
saying hello to her da."
"She?" Sirius
asked. "How do you know it'll be a girl?"
"I just
know." She said smiling at him. Sirius grinned back and leaned back against the
tree. Mari curled up next to him. Just then he
frowned and got up.
"What is it?" she asked. He looked down
at her.
"What do you
think of this one?" he said, pointing at the tree that they had been sitting against. She grinned.
"I think its
perfect." Sirius smiled back and pulled out the ax he had brought. He proceeded
to cut the tree down and placed it on the sled he conjured.
Mari took his
arms and they walked slowly back to the house, pulling the tree behind them.
Peter sighed
as he watched his friends return. James and Lily were putting up the decorations. Peter had been charged with watching
Harry, who, at almost five months, was quite feisty.
First Addi
and Remus returned, making several trips before they managed to carry
everything in. then Sirius and Mari returned sporting a huge and beautiful
tree. They all looked so happy. Peter
frowned as a burning flickered in him as he watched Sirius and Mari
place mistletoe up in every doorway and Sirius decided that every few seconds he would pull his lovely
wife under the little planet for no
reason. The others thought this was quite hilarious, all but Peter. Not for the first time, he wondered how his
friends could be so blind. They so nothing but themselves. They never once
stopped to think about him.
Never. But he'd show them. Now it was him that had the power. But they
didn't know that. No one did.
"Sirius, that
is the sixth time in fifteen minutes you've pulled Mari under that stupid
plant. Let her catch her breath!" Addi
protested.
"I didn't see
you complaining when Remus did the same thing." Sirius shouted from the kitchen
where he had been recruited to help
Lily, Addi, and Mari with the cooking. Remus
was helping with the pies. If
anything, Remus was the best cook out of the four boys. Sirius on the other hand had been know to
burn soup.(a.n. and yes this is possible. Trust me. I've done it.) James was
making some last minute decorations and Peter was watching Harry since there
was not much more he could do. Just
then Mari glanced at her watch.
"It's four.
We better go if we're going to pick everyone up on time."
"Oh, yeah,
Dumbledore owled. He's getting here on his own." James called.
"Then that
only leaves the Evens, the Lupins and the O' Connell's. "said Peter.
"You forgot
the Durslys." Lily said, rather grudgingly
"Don't worry.
Remus's van can fit everyone. We've been working on it."
The girls shook their heads. There wasn't
much more they could do with Sirius's motorcycle and the boys had moved on to
James's station wagon and Remus's van.
Sirius and
James were the ones who had to pick everyone up. They left and made their way to their first stop. The train station. It turned out the Lupins train had been early so they were waiting
for them when they arrived. Mr. And
Mrs. Lupin greeted Sirius and James warmly like their own sons.
It was just
then when the Evens's arrived. They
too, loved the wizarding world, and welcomed by the rest. The O'Connell's' were
later as they had the farthest to go. Mrs. O'Connell smiled warmly at Sirius
and the others, but Mr. O'Connell didn't. He frowned at Sirius and James and
the other families. But the worst was yet to come. The Durslys.
Petunia
sauntered off the train. Vernon
left the baggage to Sirius and James to carry to the van. Both glared but didn't complain.
The van,
which was magically expanded to hold
both the amount of people and luggage
was greatly frowned upon by the
Durslys. And most of the way, the other
passengers had to suffer through Petunia's complaining, and Vernon's growling. Sirius, who was
driving felt the urge many times to drive off a cliff, just to make them shut
up. But he figured it would not hold very well with his in-laws, so he
resisted.
It was about
an hour, but seemed like days when they pulled up in front of the small Tudor
house that was James and Lily's. Sirius
and James piled everyone out of the car and burst in, grinning. The house smelled wonderful, a mix of chicken and cookies and pie. Sirius breathed a long breath before he was
attacked by a small child who instantly attached himself to his godfathers'
leg. Sirius laughed and scooped up Harry who hid his face in his shirt, hiding
from the large amount of people. He came out of his hiding place, however, when
he spotted both his grandparents and
the Lupins. Both had visited before and spoiled the boy to death. He saw
the Durslys and hid again.
Sirius
laughed and handed the little boy to his mother who greeted her guests with
enthusiasm, as she did until she got to Petunia and Vernon.
"Petunia."
"Lily. Next
time you send someone to pick us up, could you be so kind as to make sure he
knows how to drive?" she said, glaring at Sirius. Sirius glared right back,
until Mari took him by the hand and shoved
him in the direction of the kitchen. Then, her
moody husband out of the way, she turned to her parents. She watched out of the corner of her eye,
Remus and Addi, being embraced by his parents. She pulled on her "happy face"
as Sirius called it and smiled at her
parents. Her mother smiled back at her and pulled her into a hug.
"Hello,
Marianna. How are you?"
"We're fine,
mum. Just fine. Very happy."
"That's good.
So tell me, how are you doing?" she said looking down at Mari's belly.
Mari grinned.
"Six months. Sirius couldn't be happier, or more worried. I'm not allowed to do
anything too dangerous." She grinned.
"True, but
neither was I until Harry was born and James has yet to say I can go back to work. Even if I wanted
to." Lily said grinned at Mari. Their mothers laughed.
"Your father
was the same way, so nervous about being a father. "
"I can tell,
Sirius tries to be all macho and protecting, but I can see he's scared to
death." Mari said.
It was then
she turned her attention to her father.
"Da."
"Marianna."
He said, stiffly. He had never really forgiven her or Sirius for marrying.
"How have you
been?" she asked. He shrugged.
"I suppose
you haven't' realized your mistake yet. "
Mari sighed.
Please da, she begged silently, don't do this now. James and Remus will pound you before you insult their friend.
Even if you are my father.
"Look da, I
asked you to come because I want you to be a part of my life. Our lives. We want our children to at least know one
set of grandparents. "
he said nothing, but glared at Sirius who was
reentering with a plate of steaming
drinks for the new comers.
"Tea, your
majesties" he called as he set it on the coffee table. James, Remus, Lily,
Addi, and Peter appeared behind him. They grinned. Everyone took cup, all but the Durlsys and Mr. O' Connell, who
looked dubiously at the steaming mugs.
They sat around, trading stories, until
suddenly a blazing fire roared up in the fireplace.
Dumbeldore
stepped out of the flames and was instantly greeted warmly by those still on
the floor. Namely everyone but, the
Evens, the o' Connell's, and the Durslys. After thing cooled down a bit Lily
announced that dinner was ready.
The
company settled around the table, which had been magically expanded to
fit such a large crowd.
After a quick
prayer, they dove in. Mari, Addi, and
Lily always wondered how their boys
could fit so much food into their stomachs without exploding. And Addi asked this as she watched Sirius
pile food onto his plate. Sirius,
Remus, and James grinned.
"Oh, WE won't
explode tonight." Sirius said laughing mysteriously. Mari groaned.
"Oh god, what
have you done now?" she received innocent, who us? Look from all four
marauders, which only managed to convince all the girls that they had indeed
done something.
"No one touch
anything!" Lily ordered. Everyone
stopped eating, much to the marauders disappointment. They all looked at Lily.
"Now we are
not going to start again until you say what you did." None of the boys said
anything. Lily sighed.
"Peter, I'll
give you an extra cookie if you tell me."
"Hey that's
not fair!" Sirius cried.
"What kind?"
Peter asked.
"I do not
believe this. It's a cookie for
Christ's sake!" James said.
"Chocolate
chip." Addi said.
"Don't touch
the pudding." Peter said, grabbing the offered cookie.
"Listen well
people, here is a man who would betray his friends for a cookie." Remus said,
shaking his head.
"I'm hungry!
And Mari makes great cookies!" Peter protested.
"Thank you,
Peter." She said, glaring pointedly at Sirius.
"Mwha?"
Sirius said, his mouth full of food.
They laughed and resumed eating. Everyone was careful to stay far away
from the pudding, much to the disappointment of the marauders and they spent
the rest of the meal shooting evil glares at Peter who shrugged back.
Soon the meal
was finished and they sat around, making small chit chat as no one wanted to do
the dishes. Finally Mari, Addi, and
Lily commissioned Sirius, Remus, James, and Peter to do the dishes. The boys
complied, grumbling.
The rest of the party moved to the living
room where they listened to the shouts and splashing coming from the kitchen.
When the boys returned they were all either soaked or covered in soapsuds.
"I like the
new look, Sirius." Mari said.
"Shut up." He
grumbled, sitting down next to her. " Thank you ever so much, Prongs!" he said,
waving his wand and getting rid of the bubbles in his hair. Mari smiled at him and leaned against him.
"Welcome,
Padfoot." James replied who was also covered in foam and took his place next to Lily. Remus grinned up from his new
spot by the fire and next to Addi.
Peter looks
lonely. Mari thought. But her thoughts were interrupted by her husband.
"You
alright?" he asked softly.
"yes. Just
thinking." She whispered back. He smiled at her.
"I love you."
"I love you
too." She whispered. He grinned and turned to look at the fire.
Sirius gazed
at the fire. Maybe this Christmas would be okay. Maybe nothing would happen.
Christmas's were not lucky for him. Even last year they had been called
away in the middle of dinner. That had
resulted in three dead aurors and two dead muggles. But maybe this time it would be different. Maybe he could be safe and sound just this
one year. Please he prayed silently, just this one year, let me spend it with
my family. It seemed his prayers would
be answered as a feeling of calm and serenity floated over him. He dozed a bit.
Flash!
A scream! Lily's voice! James's voice
shouting a warning!
Flash!
A baby
crying! Harry!
Flash!
Betrayal! James and Lily lying on the ground, dead!
Flash!
An explosion
and a high-pitched laugh! A green light filled his vision, blocking out
everything else.
Sirius jerked
up gasping. He opened his eyes to see everyone staring at him. He leaned back, his hand over his heart. He
stared around taking in both James and Lily's face and Harry's to make sure
they were still there.
"Sirius? Are
you alright?" James asked.
'Yeah, sure.
I'm fine, Prongs."
"What
happened?" Mari asked.
"I drifted
off. It's nothing." He whispered. Mari frowned and gave him a worried look,
while James and Remus exchanged glances.
"Hey,
Padfoot. Can we talk to you for a second?" Remus asked.
Sirius
groaned and got to his feet. The three of them slipped into the kitchen.
"You didn't
forget?" Remus said.
"Forget?"
Sirius asked, scratching his head.
"Padfoot! How
could you forget? Our Christmas prank?"
"Oh yeah! The
one that's supposed to make Lily flip." Sirius said, grinning.
"Guys? Can I
help?" Peter said, from the doorway.
"No, Peter.
You have to distract them and keep everyone in there, remember?"
"Yeah." Peter
said, turning away.
"Are we
ready?" Remus asked. His best friends
reached into their robes and pulled out their wands, grinning evil marauder
grins. Sirius quickly forgot his dream in the excitement of what was about to
happen. Lily, Addi, and Mari were going to flip.
"Ready as
ever, Moony." Sirius cackled.
" We go on my
count. One… two… three!" Three white
strands burst out of the ends of their wands.
They hung in the air and then faded. They smiled satisfied and returned
to the living room, carrying plates of cookies under pretense that this had
been their mission the whole time.
The others
helped themselves, all but the Durlsys who had refused to eat anything Sirius
offered them after the last Thanksgiving they had experienced with the four
marauders.
They sat around, satisfied and full.
"It's getting
late and we should probably get some sleep." Mr. Lupin said. The others nodded
in agreement.
"Alright.
We'll be along in a bit." Remus said.
Dumbledore, Mr. And Mrs. Lupin, Mr. and Mrs. Even's, and Mr. And Mrs. O
'Connell bid them good night. The Durlsys marched out without a word and Sirius
stuck his tongue out at their retreating backs.
He received a
smack from Mari.
Lily shivered
with cold as she waved. then the
remaining eight went back inside.
"No! No!"
Harry cried. (a/n this is how my little nephew said snow when he was about that
old.)
"What on
earth!"
"Snow!" Lily
cried. Sure enough big white flakes were falling in the living room, covering
everything with a thick white blanket.
Lily couldn't miss the delighted looks on the faces of her husband and
his friends.
"James!" she
shouted, but got little more than that out, since she was hit with a large
snowball about that time.
James in turn
was hit by Sirius, who was hit by Remus who was hit by Addi who was hit by Mari
who was hit by Lily, who was hit by Harry and the pattern continued until an
all out snowball fight had taken place in the Potter's living room. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Harry on one
side. Lily, Mari, and Addi on the other. Needless to say the boys were greatly
outnumbered and had to resort to trickery to win. Well, not really but they did
anyway.
"James,
that's not fair!"
"Why not?"
James shouted from behind the chair he was using for cover.
"You can't
enchant the snowballs to follow just one person around!" Lily shouted back as
she tossed one at her husband, missed and hit Sirius.
"Hey!"
"Alright!"
James agreed. He then, enchanted snowballs to follow everyone around. Soon they were too busy ducking to throw
anymore and James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were rolling on the ground in
hysterics.
They were
ambushed however, when Lily preformed the counter curse and the boys were
covered in snow. It was a much more tired crowd that relaxed in the
snow-covered armchairs an hour later.
Remus and Addi sat close to the fire on the floor. James and Lily sat snuggled on the couch, a
sleeping Harry cuddled in their arms. Sirius sat in the armchair with Mari on
his lap. He ran his hand over her growing belly and smiled down at her. She lay
her head on his shoulder.
He looks
perfectly happy. We all do. James thought.
He sighed. It was getting late.
"it's getting
late. And certain little ones don't want
some fat man with presents to pass them by, do they?" Lily said, meaning
Harry.
"Oh, I
wouldn't worry. Sirius will get over
it." James replied. He was then hit by a small cushion thrown by his best
friend.
"hey I was
using that." Remus said.
"For what?"
Sirius asked.
"I was
sleeping."
"That's what
my sister is for." He replied. Addi glared at him.
"James is
right. We should be getting home." Mari said.
"But I don't
wanna go." Sirius pouted.
"honestly, I
don't know who is worse. You or this
little one.' She groaned pointing to her stomach.
"You're
lucky. He used to coming bouncing into dad's room at five AM." Addi said from
her position in Remus's lap.
"I do recall
a certain someone bouncing right along with me." Sirius said grinning.
"Only because
you made it impossible to sleep."
Sirius laughed and gave his twin a quick hug
that turned into a wrestling match.
"Sirius!"
Addi cried, from the headlock he had
her in.
"That's my
girlfriend, Padfoot!"
"I know,
Moony." Sirius said. He let go of Addi who
tried to glare at him but failed.
She began to laugh too.
Soon everyone
was laughing.
Mari,
Addi and Lily spoke softly. James
pulled Sirius aside. Remus followed them.
"Padfoot,
I've wanted to talk to you. Dumbledore said I should."
"About what,
Prongs?" Sirius asked, though he had a feeling it had something to do with what
had happened earlier that night.
"Padfoot,
what happened earlier? When you woke
up?"
"I just had a
weird dream, that's all Prongs. It's alright." James looked doubtful, but
Sirius's glare told him to drop it.
"We will never
be able to leave if we don't get going now, Remus." Addi said. Remus
nodded.
"merry
Christmas, guy. We'll see ya tomorrow."
With a quick hug, Remus and Addi headed home.
Peter followed them. Sirius and Mari
knew that they would have to follow soon.
'See ya
tomorrow, Prongs." Sirius said.
"Don't you
open any presents without us." Mari
warned.
"I don't know
about that," Lily answered. "after all, I do have two little boys."
"I know what
you mean. I hid ours." Mari said. "And Sirius alone is just as bad as both
James and Harry."
"Hey!" both
indignant husbands called.
The girls
laughed and gave each other quick hugs.
"hey, Padfoot
before you go, I wanna give you something." James said.
"What?"
Sirius said.
"I found this
last week. I think you may want it." He said, pulling out something small and
wrapped. Sirius took it and unwrapped
it. He held it out in front of him, his hands shaking. It was a small leather bound book. Inscribed
on the cover was the name Fiona
Dumbledore- Black.
"Where did
you find this?" Sirius said.
"It was in a
bunch of old junk my dad had. I was
pulling out a box of decorations when this fell out." Sirius smiled at his old
friend.
"Thanks man."
"hey no prob.
Just think of it as an early present."
"Sirius!"
Mari called from the bike.
"I gotta go,
but I'll see ya tomorrow."
"Bye!" James
called. Lily, and James stood in the doorway of their home. Lily made Harry
wave goodbye to his godfather.
Sirius,
slipped the book into his jacket carefully,
pulled on his helmet, handed Mari hers, and climbed on his bike, his
little wife getting on behind him.
Sirius revved up the motor. And then just at the last minute, something
made him turn. He watched his friend's smile and wave at him. For one moment he grasped a picture of a ruined home, a baby's cry and a flash of green light. He shook his
head. It's Christmas, Black. Get a hold of yourself. Divination was never
your strong point anyway.
"Sirius?"
Mari asked. He turned to look at her. Her face was full of worry.
He grinned
down at her.
"Hold on."
Then he sped off into the darkness.
James
shivered as he watched his best friend speed off. Something told him to hang on to his time. Deep inside him he knew that the peace
wouldn't last. Perhaps he even had an
idea of what was too happen all those months later. If he did he never showed
it.
But that night, all four marauders lay in
their respective beds, each with
thoughts on his mind. Each somehow
knowing that tomorrow was to be a day of celebration and that they
must spend this one together, they must
hang on to the memories they would share on that day forever, because perhaps
each one knew that it would the last Christmas
the marauders would ever have together. Perhaps they saw the tragedy
that would occur in their lives. Perhaps they simply knew something was going
to happen. And perhaps they were remembering all those who had gone before them
and all those who would go after. And maybe, just maybe, they were looking for some kind of peace that lay
just out of reach.