Chapter 22 – Harry's First Christmas at Windy Corner

"Wake up you lot! Presents are downstairs!" Cassius pounded on Harry's door then on the guest room's door before clomping noisily down the stairs. For once, Tabby didn't shout at him. Harry jumped out of bed and rushed down the stairs into the sitting room. Cassius had put up a huge Christmas tree near the piano and there were all sorts of presents underneath.

"I'm so excited – this is the biggest Christmas we've had here. Normally it's just me and Remus and we don't get out of bed until noon." Cassius was sitting cross-legged near the tree shaking a present near his ear.

"I think that's over-sharing, Dad." Harry laughed as he walked over to Cassius.

"Harry, get your mind out of the gutter, I meant we slept in." Cassius arched an eyebrow at Harry, continuing to shake the present around trying to figure out what was inside.

"Uh huh." Harry replied, causing Cassius' cheeks to turn pink. "I wasn't born yesterday."

"Cass, put that present down before you break it – yes, I know what it is. Put it down." Remus was sitting in his chair near the fire. "So – whose presents should we open first – do we want to open all together or take turns?"

They ended up taking turns. Harry had only seen so many presents at the Dursley's but they had all always been for Dudley. Now he was the spoiled son. He smiled. After opening presents, they watched a video of "It's a Wonderful Life." Tabby cried at the end. According to Remus, she cried at the end every time she saw the movie. The TV, which Harry had discovered over the summer, was hidden in a small cabinet that Harry had never really taken much notice of when he had first come to Windy Corner.

"Dad?" Harry walked into the library. Remus was in the sitting room playing piano and Ron was visiting Fred and George for the afternoon.

"Hm?" Cassius didn't look up from the scroll he was writing on.

"Could I ask you something?" Harry's voice sounded nervous.

"Is there another question coming? Or was that it?" Cassius looked over at Harry, feeling a surge of affection for his foster son.

"No, I have another question." Harry face got red. "Um – could I ask you for advice? About something?"

"Are you certain you don't want to ask Papa?" Cassius felt sure that Remus would be better at giving advice.

"No, no, I want to ask you."

"Ok….what is it?"

"Could you tell me how to kiss?"

"What?" Cassius was surprised, he didn't really know what he had expected, but it wasn't that.

"Papa thinks you're a good kisser and I was wondering if you could – give me some pointers." Harry was addressing the floor.

"Oh." Cassius put down the quill he was holding. "Well, um. Aren't you a little young to be kissing anyone?"

"I'm 16…and a half! I had my first kiss a year ago."

"Is that all you've done?" Cassius asked after a moment's thought, when he'd been 16, he'd done much more than that.

"Yes."

"Well…I don't know if I can explain it….you just kiss…I mean…you focus really hard on the person you're kissing. And don't try to choke them with your tongue. Kind of vary how hard you kiss, kiss soft then hard, and don't always use your tongue." Cassius felt his face getting hot, he never expected to have to talk about kissing with a child. "Does that help?"

"A bit." Harry thought about it.

"I have a book somewhere in the attic…Lucius gave it to me on my 14th birthday." Cassius congratulated himself on remembering the book. That would hopefully answer all of Harry's questions.

"I think Papa found it – his face went all red and he said I couldn't look at it."

"I'll ask Papa to give the book to you." Cassius smiled.

"So – how old were you when you had your first kiss?"

"13."

"What was it like?" Harry remembered his first kiss with Cho, she'd been crying. At that moment, Remus walked into the library.

"What are you talking about?" Remus looked back and forth curiously between Harry and Cassius who both were blushing.

"Kissing." Harry answered. "I just asked Dad about his first kiss."

"Oh? Who was it?" Remus looked over at Cassius.

"Owen."

"That friend of yours from school, the one in the picture on your desk?" Harry asked.

"Yes. We were talking one night about how he liked this girl in Hufflepuff…and I said I didn't think I liked girls and he asked me how I knew when I hadn't kissed anyone. So he said he'd kiss me if I promised to kiss a girl the next day to make sure I knew which one I preferred. So we kissed…"

"And did you kiss a girl the next day?"

"Yes."

"And you liked Owen better?" Harry asked. Cassius nodded. "Did you start dating then?"

Cassius shook his head. "No...not then." His voice was hoarse. "We were friends…and then we fell in love four years later…and then he was killed."

"I'm sorry I..."

"It's all right."

"When did you have sex the first time? Was it with Owen?" Harry asked, changing the subject slightly.

"Oh…no...um….well…I was 15. And definitely, you should wait, Harry. Until you're older."

"I'm older than that now." Harry pointed out.

"Much older!" Cassius said emphatically. "I had sex with a lot of people, when I was young – too young, it didn't mean anything to me until… Wait to have sex with someone you truly love, Harry – it's better then." Cassius paused. "Harry – you're straight, right?" Cassius leaned forward, tapping Harry on the knee to get his attention. Harry turned and was met with an intense green gaze. He nodded. "You need to know about birth control then, if you're thinking about sex. Not that I'm saying you should have sex, you just need to be prepared. Men can't get pregnant, so I could – um – well, I didn't have to worry about getting someone pregnant, but you will."

"Ok. I don't think I'll be having sex real soon, so you don't have to worry."

"Who did you want the kissing advice for?" Cassius asked.

Harry felt his face get hot. "No one in particular." He mumbled, he'd just thought it would be good to know in case something happened in the months to come.

"It's not for Hermione?" Remus asked.

"No, she and Ron are seeing each other."

"Ah…so there's no one you're seeing?" Remus asked.

"No."

"Harry…" Cassius started to look very stern.

"Please, in the name of Merlin, do not make a guideline about Harry and sex." Remus pleaded with Cassius.

"I wasn't thinking of a guideline." Cassius flushed a bit. "Harry, there's no guideline, you just need to wait a while to have sex, like until you've graduated."

"Boys," Remus walked into the library where Harry and Ron were sitting doing some homework after supper a couple days later. He was pulling on his coat.

"Yes, Papa?" Harry looked up, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"Dad and I are leaving to go to the Order meeting now. Tabby is downstairs. We'll be back in a few hours." Remus walked over to Harry and leaned down to kiss him on his forehead. "Don't stay up, all right?"

"But…you'll wake me up when you get home?" Harry felt a surge of panic. There had been a few Order meetings since he'd been home for the holidays. He was always worried that something might happen to his parents when they were gone. He needed to know that they got home safely. "Please?"

Remus sighed but smiled. "All right, Harry. But honestly, I don't want you staying up. You need your sleep." Remus smoothed a hand over Harry's hair.

"Ok." Harry smiled up at his Papa.

"Isn't this a little late for an Order meeting?" Ron asked curiously.

"Snape called this meeting. It's something to do with Lucius." Remus spoke lightly when he mentioned Cassius's brother.

Harry nodded. He couldn't believe that his Dad and Lucius Malfoy really were related. They were so different. It amazed Harry that even though Cassius had grown up at Malfoy Manor, he completely rejected what the rest of the Malfoys believed. Like Sirius, he went against everything his family stood for. Harry didn't know what made some people turn out like Sirius and Cassius and some turn out like Regulus and Lucius when they had the same home environment.

"Remus, we've got to get going." Cassius appeared in the doorway, pulling on his coat.

"All right." Remus turned to Cassius and then made a small gesture towards Harry. Harry barely caught it. Cassius crossed the room swiftly and leaned down to kiss Harry's forehead.

"We'll be back soon. I love you."