A/N: Maybe I should clarify something that, in retrospect, wasn't quite clear. These are the winter Holidays. Sorry that wasn't totally clear. I'm just a complete sucker for James/Reg Christmas fics.

"You two can stay in my room," James said once they'd reached the landing. "We have a guest room, but I wouldn't wish those beds on anyone. Even a Slytherin."

Regulus opened his mouth instantly to retort, but Sirius shot him a silencing look. Instead he settled on glowering at the back of James's head.

"You only have a bunk bed, though," Sirius pointed out.

"There's a trundle bed under the lower bunk."

"Why the extra beds? You're an only child!"

"So that when friends show up randomly, like you, they'll have a place to sleep."

"Oh."

"Why didn't you at least send a owl, anyway?"

"It was kind of a spontaneous decision. I didn't intend to leave until this summer, but last night was too much. I mean, you had to have been there, James. I couldn't take the screaming anymore. How I was never good enough. How they think they can get away with dragging me down. Even Reggie didn't escape last night. He got screamed at and then sent to bed without anything to eat at all yesterday- and he's the good child!"

"Still here," Regulus shot back. He was incredibly hungry now that Sirius had brought up that the last time he'd eaten was a day and a half ago. His stomach started to hurt just thinking about it.

"Well," James smiled over his shoulder at Regulus, it's a good thing you're hungry. My Mum makes the best fry ups you've ever tasted."

Regulus offered him a weak smile as James turned around and opened a door. The room they walked in was plastered with posters of people in blue robes, diving in and out of the posters on broomsticks. There was a bunk bed made of some kind of dark wood, with a desk, dresser, and matching chair. An empty owl cage sat on the windowsill next to a half set up chess set. Every other flat surface was covered in either clothing or other random items.

"Welcome to my room! Please enjoy your stay," James laughed, waving his wand to clear up the mess. "You can just dump your backpacks, unless you want to change your pants. The ones you have on look soaked."

Regulus noticed for the first time just how cold his legs were, and opened his bag as soon as he put it down. There wasn't much in there. A few changes of clothing, his cat, a blanket, and his favorite book.

"I didn't bring any of my school books," Regulus said to Sirius, "didn't have room."

"It's okay, neither did I. We'll write to Flourish and Blotts and get new ones."

"Mean time, you can use mine," James said, gesturing to a shelf on the wall behind the two brothers. "Most of them should be the same. Except the Defense Against the Dark Arts ones, but those are never the same two years running, are they?"

"Definitely cursed," Sirius said, pulling some try pants from his backpack. Regulus looked down to grab some too, and was shocked when he looked back up to find James now in nothing but his boxers.

"Can't be cursed," James said. Regulus was trying not to stare, but he'd never seen anyone built quite like that. James's seemed to be perfectly proportioned, a perfect balance between boy and man.

"Why not?" Sirius had dropped his pants now too, and was quickly putting on new ones.

"Well," James said, still rummaging through his dresser, "if it were cursed, Dumbledore could just fix it."

"Not if he doesn't know how it's cursed. I still say it has to be."

"And I'm still telling you it can't be." James turned around, and Regulus quickly looked down. He wasn't sure why he did. He hadn't been doing anything really wrong, and besides James was the one strutting around in nothing but his underwear.

"You gonna' change, Reg?" Sirius asked.

"No." He answered automatically.

"You're gonna' freeze." James said, and Regulus looked up again. He had pants on now, at least.

"I'm alright."

James shrugged as he slid the shirt over his head, "suit yourself."

"You really should change, Reggie," Sirius said, frowning at him in a puzzled sort of way.

"Well, come on then," James said simply, adjusting his glasses from where they'd been knocked askew by his shirt. The three of them trooped out of the room, and James led the way back downstairs and to the right, into the kitchen.

"You should give us a grand tour after breakfast, Jamie," Sirius grinned, running a hand through his hair.

"Don't call me Jamie. And yes, I probably should, so I don't have to lead you everywhere. I already have a shadow. I don't need two."

"Three."

"Right, sorry."

Regulus scowled at James once again forgetting him. Was he invisible or something?

"Anything we can do to help, Mum?" James asked, hoping up to sit on the counter.

"No, thank you, James. I can manage. You're father should be down in a minute. Why don't you go sit down and I'll be right out with breakfast."

"Right then," James responded, hoping down and walking through another door toward the front of the house. The dining room was cozy, with a long antique table going most of it's length and the Christmas tree Regulus had seen from outside at the far end.

"What do you need such a big table for?" Regulus couldn't help but ask. James simply shrugged at him.

"It came with the house, far as I know. Dad's mental about keeping the house as much intact as possible. Can't move anything, except in my room, and we can only really add things to the library. Something about it being ancestral, or some such nonsense like that."

That was something Regulus could relate to. Unless it had been a birthday present, almost everything in Grimmauld Place was at least one hundred years old and most he and Sirius had never been allowed to touch.

As they took their seats toward the end of the table, an elderly gentleman walked into the room. There was no mistaking that he was James's father. He could have been James aged many years and eye turned brown.

"Good morning, lads."

"Morning, Dad," James responded.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter," Sirius and Regulus responded in unison. Regulus wasn't sure about his brother, but he was falling back on his breeding for this rather unfamiliar situation.

"Elizabeth told me you where here," he offered, seemingly as an explanation. "There are laws protecting under age wizards from things like that. We'll keep you here long as we can, though your underage."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Potter," Sirius responded, grinning. Regulus mumbled his thanks to the table. Already he could tell that the Potter's home was very different from Grimmauld Place. If a couple of runaways- no matter how pure blooded- had turned up on their doorstep, Regulus had no doubt that his parents would have sent them straight back where they came from.

Mrs. Potter came into the room then, a tray full of food being floated in front of her. It landed easily on the table. "There you go, boys, eat up. I can always make more."

"Don't you have a house elf to do that?" Regulus blurted, surprised that someone might actually have to stop eating to cook. Sirius kicked him in the shin as the Potter's started to laugh.

"We did, once," Mr. Potter explained, "but that was ages ago when I was younger than you are. She died, and we didn't bother to get a new one."

Regulus wondered how you would go about getting a new house elf, but decided it wisest not to ask as his shin was still smarting.

He waited patiently for the others to all serve themselves, and then took only the smallest portion of bacon, eggs, and toast. He was the youngest, after all, and that was his place.

Sirius looked at his plate and laughed, "Reg, this isn't Grimmauld Place! You can eat as much as you'd like!"

"You were limited how much you could eat?" James asked, staring at the two brothers.

"You aren't?" Regulus asked, staring right back.

"Why do you think I always eat so much at school? It goes by age, which is why Reg here is so scrawny."

"I'm not scrawny!"

"Blimey," was all James said, and he looked at his mother. She was frowning slightly, and Regulus shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want to do anything that would get Sirius and him in trouble, but it seemed he had already.

"Is that all you're allowed to eat at home, dear?" She asked him after a moment. Though her voice was kind, he instinctively flinched.

"It's okay, Reg," he heard Sirius whisper, "no one is going to hurt you here."

Seeing the somewhat hurt look on Mrs. Potter's face, Regulus felt guilty. It wasn't like she had done anything wrong, and she was being kind enough to let them stay. He nodded mutely, wishing he could say he was sorry but not being sure how.

Mr. Potter murmured something about starving children, and Mrs. Potter looked torn about something. Sirius shifted uncomfortably, but it was James who solved the problem. Reaching over, he dumped more of everything onto Regulus's plate.

"There you go, kid! Mum's determined to fatten you up, and you might as well start now!"

"Thanks," Regulus whispered, and his stomach let out an impatient growl. James grinned at him and started eating, Regulus following his cue. Sirius shook his head slightly, and began to eat as well. Regulus saw Mr. and Mrs. Potter exchange significant looks out of the corner of his eye, but he was much more focused on the food.

Never had anything tasted so good. He thought he could eat five more plates full, and was pleased with the fact that for once he would be able to eat as much as he wanted.

"After breakfast," James said after a moment, "I'm going to give them a grand tour of the house and the grounds. That okay?"

"It sounds like a marvelous idea," Mrs. Potter smiled. "Regulus, I think some of James's old things would probably fit you. You can try those on before you go outside. Sirius, dear, I'm not sure what we're going to do about you."

"I'll survive," Sirius laughed. "I know that some of Jamie's stuff will fit, even if it's a bit snug in some places."

"Don't call me Jamie!"

Regulus chose to say nothing, instead taking another bite of his breakfast.