James and Peter were already in the common room. Sirius was still asleep in
his bed, snoring slightly. And Remus . . . Remus was standing over the
sleeping boy, going over the possible ideas to wake him up. No matter how
many times he prodded or shook Sirius, he would just mumble some illogical
phrase and roll over. The only thing Remus hadn't done yet was yell in his
ear.
And it seemed like that was what he would have to do next. Trying not to laugh, he leaned over the bed and lowered his lips to Sirius' ear.
"WAKE UP, YOU LAZY GIT!! IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!" Remus shouted unceremoniously.
Not a second later, Sirius bolted up to a sitting position with a yelp, eyes wide and a panicked expression on his face. He glanced around dumbly until his eyes found Remus, who was doubled over, laughing insanely. "Why you . . ." he grumbled moodily. In an instant, he had jumped out of his bed and moved toward Remus.
Still laughing, Remus caught the devilish gleam in his friend's eyes and darted out the door, Sirius, who was still in his pajamas, right on his tail. He leaped down three stairs at a time in a mad rush while laughing and gasping for breath. When he made it to the bottom of the staircase, he ducked to the side, narrowly missing a grab from Sirius.
Sirius was fast, though, and pivoted on his heel to find Remus again. In mock terror, Remus stumbled away. Then he noticed James. James was leaning his shoulder against the wall, talking casually to Peter about . . . well, who knows what. He hid behind him, hands clutching his shoulders to turn him as a shield.
James brushed his hands off and chuckled. "You're on your own, Remmie. I'm in the middle of an important conversation with our dear Peter here."
"Fine, be that way." Remus cuffed the back of James' head gently. Seeing that Sirius was nearly on him, he ran for an armchair, hiding behind it. In no time at all, Sirius was on the other side of the armchair, grabbing at Remus, although missing each time.
They circled around the chair, Remus laughing and Sirius growling threats. Remus avoided each dive of Sirius' hands. He was now behind the chair again and grinned wolfishly at Sirius. "Face it, Seer, you can't catch me," he taunted playfully.
"Just watch me . . ." He flashed a wicked grin and jumped on the chair, scrambling over the back and leaping at Remus. The chair tipped over backwards. And so did Remus, who didn't have enough time to escape.
He was sprawled on the ground with Sirius sitting on top of him, straddling his sides and pinning down his arms. "Hah! Told you! Not so fast now, are you, wolf-boy."
Remus grimaced at the nickname, although he was partially used to it. They had been calling him that for the past month or so, since they found out that he was a werewolf - strangely, they didn't abandon him for it, like most people would. They only meant it as a friendly joke, though, and Remus knew that, so he didn't take it personally. He managed a small laugh.
"Okay, okay, I get the picture. You can get off of me now, Sirius."
"No, you don't get the picture," he shot back sweetly. "I'll have to teach you a lesson for waking me up at this bloody early hour." With that, he began to tickle the young werewolf's sides, chuckling softly to himself.
Remus broke into a yelp of helpless laughter and struggled against Sirius' strong grip. "STOP - STOP IT!! Ha, ha, ha, ha . . . Gasp . . . Ha, ha, ahh . . ." He wrenched an arm free and tried to twist over and scramble away, although to no avail. "Help! James, Peter! Ha, ha - HELP!"
He couldn't say anything else, he was laughing too hard. Tears of mirth were streaming down his red cheeks. In between laughs, he was gasping for breath, "Ha, ha . . . Can't . . . Breathe . . . Ha, ha, ha . . . Air! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha . . ."
James chuckled and walked over, Peter following suit. "Hey, Seer, I think Remus has had enough." He was confirmed when Remus' laughs started to mix with violent coughs.
Noticing the coughs, as well, Sirius stopped tickling him and moved off of him to sit by his side. Remus quickly sat up and bent over, placing a hand over his mouth to stifle the coughs.
Slowly, the coughs died down and Remus found himself breathless and gulped down mouthfuls of air. He gave a final cough and wiped the tears off his cheeks. James offered his hand and helped him up to his feet. A little shaky, Remus let out a deep breath and shuddered. "Are you okay, Remus?" James asked.
"Y - yeah, I think." He gave a feeble chuckle.
Sirius rose up next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry, mate. I guess I got caught up in the moment," he said sheepishly.
Remus gave a more convincing chuckle. "It's alright."
"Hey, all in the holiday spirit, right?"
The young werewolf blushed. "Oh, yeah. I, uh, kind of forgot that today was Christmas after all that . . ." He smiled with embarrassment.
Peter finally piped up. "Speaking of Christmas, we still have presents to open!" he exclaimed eagerly. He jumped up and down a few times before loping over to the Christmas tree.
They laughed softly and followed him, settling in a group on the floor. Remus grinned and pushed a present toward Sirius. "Open it. Just promise not to kill me."
He gave him a suspicious look. "It must be something bad, then." He muttered softly about sweet revenge and slowly opened it.
James burst out laughing. "Nice, Remus, very nice. 'Potions for Dummies.' That was a good idea."
Sirius snorted and set the book to the side, shooting Remus a glare. Everyone knew that he wasn't very keen in Potions class. After a moment, he flung a present at Remus, who caught it neatly. "Your turn, git."
"Alright." Remus ripped the wrapping paper off and gave a small growl. "Funny, Seer. A dog collar. Remind me to choke you with it one day."
Sirius smirked. "I think it's very appropriate for you since you are a werewolf."
Remus rolled his eyes and snorted. "Come on, let's finish opening these presents . . ." He shook his head and smiled slightly. "By the way, happy Christmas everyone."
"Happy Christmas to you, too!" they said back in unison.
And it seemed like that was what he would have to do next. Trying not to laugh, he leaned over the bed and lowered his lips to Sirius' ear.
"WAKE UP, YOU LAZY GIT!! IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!" Remus shouted unceremoniously.
Not a second later, Sirius bolted up to a sitting position with a yelp, eyes wide and a panicked expression on his face. He glanced around dumbly until his eyes found Remus, who was doubled over, laughing insanely. "Why you . . ." he grumbled moodily. In an instant, he had jumped out of his bed and moved toward Remus.
Still laughing, Remus caught the devilish gleam in his friend's eyes and darted out the door, Sirius, who was still in his pajamas, right on his tail. He leaped down three stairs at a time in a mad rush while laughing and gasping for breath. When he made it to the bottom of the staircase, he ducked to the side, narrowly missing a grab from Sirius.
Sirius was fast, though, and pivoted on his heel to find Remus again. In mock terror, Remus stumbled away. Then he noticed James. James was leaning his shoulder against the wall, talking casually to Peter about . . . well, who knows what. He hid behind him, hands clutching his shoulders to turn him as a shield.
James brushed his hands off and chuckled. "You're on your own, Remmie. I'm in the middle of an important conversation with our dear Peter here."
"Fine, be that way." Remus cuffed the back of James' head gently. Seeing that Sirius was nearly on him, he ran for an armchair, hiding behind it. In no time at all, Sirius was on the other side of the armchair, grabbing at Remus, although missing each time.
They circled around the chair, Remus laughing and Sirius growling threats. Remus avoided each dive of Sirius' hands. He was now behind the chair again and grinned wolfishly at Sirius. "Face it, Seer, you can't catch me," he taunted playfully.
"Just watch me . . ." He flashed a wicked grin and jumped on the chair, scrambling over the back and leaping at Remus. The chair tipped over backwards. And so did Remus, who didn't have enough time to escape.
He was sprawled on the ground with Sirius sitting on top of him, straddling his sides and pinning down his arms. "Hah! Told you! Not so fast now, are you, wolf-boy."
Remus grimaced at the nickname, although he was partially used to it. They had been calling him that for the past month or so, since they found out that he was a werewolf - strangely, they didn't abandon him for it, like most people would. They only meant it as a friendly joke, though, and Remus knew that, so he didn't take it personally. He managed a small laugh.
"Okay, okay, I get the picture. You can get off of me now, Sirius."
"No, you don't get the picture," he shot back sweetly. "I'll have to teach you a lesson for waking me up at this bloody early hour." With that, he began to tickle the young werewolf's sides, chuckling softly to himself.
Remus broke into a yelp of helpless laughter and struggled against Sirius' strong grip. "STOP - STOP IT!! Ha, ha, ha, ha . . . Gasp . . . Ha, ha, ahh . . ." He wrenched an arm free and tried to twist over and scramble away, although to no avail. "Help! James, Peter! Ha, ha - HELP!"
He couldn't say anything else, he was laughing too hard. Tears of mirth were streaming down his red cheeks. In between laughs, he was gasping for breath, "Ha, ha . . . Can't . . . Breathe . . . Ha, ha, ha . . . Air! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha . . ."
James chuckled and walked over, Peter following suit. "Hey, Seer, I think Remus has had enough." He was confirmed when Remus' laughs started to mix with violent coughs.
Noticing the coughs, as well, Sirius stopped tickling him and moved off of him to sit by his side. Remus quickly sat up and bent over, placing a hand over his mouth to stifle the coughs.
Slowly, the coughs died down and Remus found himself breathless and gulped down mouthfuls of air. He gave a final cough and wiped the tears off his cheeks. James offered his hand and helped him up to his feet. A little shaky, Remus let out a deep breath and shuddered. "Are you okay, Remus?" James asked.
"Y - yeah, I think." He gave a feeble chuckle.
Sirius rose up next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry, mate. I guess I got caught up in the moment," he said sheepishly.
Remus gave a more convincing chuckle. "It's alright."
"Hey, all in the holiday spirit, right?"
The young werewolf blushed. "Oh, yeah. I, uh, kind of forgot that today was Christmas after all that . . ." He smiled with embarrassment.
Peter finally piped up. "Speaking of Christmas, we still have presents to open!" he exclaimed eagerly. He jumped up and down a few times before loping over to the Christmas tree.
They laughed softly and followed him, settling in a group on the floor. Remus grinned and pushed a present toward Sirius. "Open it. Just promise not to kill me."
He gave him a suspicious look. "It must be something bad, then." He muttered softly about sweet revenge and slowly opened it.
James burst out laughing. "Nice, Remus, very nice. 'Potions for Dummies.' That was a good idea."
Sirius snorted and set the book to the side, shooting Remus a glare. Everyone knew that he wasn't very keen in Potions class. After a moment, he flung a present at Remus, who caught it neatly. "Your turn, git."
"Alright." Remus ripped the wrapping paper off and gave a small growl. "Funny, Seer. A dog collar. Remind me to choke you with it one day."
Sirius smirked. "I think it's very appropriate for you since you are a werewolf."
Remus rolled his eyes and snorted. "Come on, let's finish opening these presents . . ." He shook his head and smiled slightly. "By the way, happy Christmas everyone."
"Happy Christmas to you, too!" they said back in unison.