by the time dusk had come. they were scrambling to get everything in order. Lupin was doublechecking that everything possible was at ready for Snape. and that Sirius understood that he was not allowed to cast any spells on him. no matter what. only give him the premade potions.

then. somewhat hesitant to leave Snape in Sirius' care. he'd headed upstairs to the master bedroom to spend the rest of the night transfiguring into and out of a werewolf.

a halfhour later Sirius was wincing at thescreams that were coming through the dusty ceiling. he'd heard Lupin's monthly transformations for six years now. but it still upset him to hear Remus suffering the extreme pain.

Black was sitting in the chair downstairs. having turned it to face the fire and occasionally jumped when he heard the crashing and thrashing of a body upstairs. wishing with a fight that he could turn into his animagous black dog form and help his friend out. but Lupin had strictly forbid him. saying that Snape was more important right now.

"Snivelly." Black scoffed towards the fire. "the most important he'll ever be to me is at the receiving end of an Unforgivable Curse…"

there was an ominous crack from upstairs. and Sirius looked to the ceiling just in time to catch some dust in his eye. "ah!" he rubbed at the pain menacingly.

then he heard a soft unbidden cough from behind him. and though not turning. pricked up his ears to listen more closely. he heard a soft shuffling. a clamped groan. and then more shuffling.

and when he turned. craning his neck around the back of the chair. he saw Snape standing hunched over beside the couch. he was clutching at his stomach with one skinny arm. and without the heaps of blankets piled on top of him. looked portentously small. his pale skin seemed rather like he'd been painted. as there were numerous unprovoked bruises blossoming down his neck and thinning out across his chest. if one squinted. it may have looked as though Snape were wearing an overly embellished purple collarpiece.

the new dressing around his eyes put into relief the oldcheese colour of his skin. tiny black stubble appearing just on the bottom of his chin. and the hair that Lupin had pulled back into a loose ponytail was falling out in shiny streaks beside his sharp face.

his smoothflesh was stretched taut over his highlynoticeable bones. he was so skinny that his plum-blotched chest was concave. and his pasty sticklegs seemed feeble as they bent out of his grubbygray boxershorts. his feet were wrapped in black socks and looked so large it was as though he'd never grow into his own toes.

he held an equally large gangly hand out in front of him as he stumbled feebly about. trying to figure out where he was. with everystep he seemed unsuccessful to hide a grimace.

he hadn't heard Black get up to face him over the screams and crashes from upstairs. or hear him mutter "bloody good sleeping potion Lupin…" but Snape had definitely heard him say in a cool even tone "easy there Severus."

Snape's head swiveled frantically about as he tried to find the person that'd just talked to him. he looked on the verge of collapsing at any moment. though he took another step forward and wheeled about with his arm outstretched. feeling the air.

"who are you?" he hissed. taking a fumbling step to the right and nearly tripping on the blankets. "what's going on?"

"just sit down." Black stepped in a bit closer. his hands out in front of him should Snape either fallforward or lunge at him. he was ready for both.

"where's my wand?" his words were vicious and sleek like they'd always been. "who are you! why can't I see?"

Black – becoming annoyed at the questions – put his hands on Snape's bony shoulders. pushing him down onto the couch. "don't touch me!" Severus tore his shoulders from his hands but remained seated. great swelling throbs trumpeting though his head and down into the top of his chest.

"look." Black said reproachfully. "you're not gettin' your wand back. and you're not gonna know who I am. so just shutup."

but Snape didn't. "who's screaming? where am I? what's happened?" he was bent low now though. with his head between his knees. gasping. the throbbing had turned into one giant press of weight against his skull and he looked like he was ready to be sick all over the floor.

"you're here." he said vaguely. crossing his arms over his chest. skipping Snape's first and last question. "now lie down and go back to sleep before i knock you out."

a calm hateful look filled Snape's face as he brought his head back up in the general direction of Black. he'd finally recognized the voice. Snape's words were menacingly cold as he said "…Sirius…" in realization.

Black said nothing.

"what happened?" he hissed venomously.

"I don't know." Black lied. "we found you in the forest so we brought you here…"

"we?" Snape said coolly. swiveling his pointed head about the room again. as if he meant to catch the other person's scent. Black could've kicked himself for having said that. but then surrendered. "yeah. that's right. me and Lupin."

"ah." Severus said in an unnervingly sly voice. "he would be the one screaming just now. wouldn't he?"

again. Black said nothing, and Snape took that to mean that he was correct in his assumption. an evil thin smile revealed the slightlycrooked yellow teeth in his skull. if he hadn't of made a promise to Lupin. Black would've cracked Snape in the jaw. there was nothing he hated more than Severus' smile.

"it's a full moon tonight. isn't it?" he said in a tone that was meant feebly to be offhand. "i've always had the inkling that Remus had a little monthly problem…" the arrogant vindication dripped off his words as he spoke.

"shutup Snape." was all Black could manage. pulling his wand from his backpocket and fighting hard not to flick it at the pale. sickly. blackahaired boy. and send him flying through the wall.

the cries and crashes ceased slowly upstairs. and they heard a murmured whimpering before that too died away. silence filled the small. ramshackle house for a long heavy moment.

"what were you doing in the woods anyway?" Sirius asked.

"what business is it of yours?" Snape hissed.

"that's it." Black's pathetically short patience had just failed him. he walked over the fire and pulled up Snape's clothes from the hook beside it. throwing them at the boy. he started as they landed with a heavy thwump in his lap. but sat still. "why don't you just leave? say I couldn't stop you."

"fine." Snape said vehemently. rummaging through the mess of clothes to find his pants by feel. once he was sure he found them. and standing gingerly with a slight sway he pulled them on. then his shirt when he found it. his socks and shoes. and finally his heavy black overcloak. he buttoned it up around his purple-blotched neck satisfactorily. his mended legs shot spasms of pain up the base of his spine but he ignored them.

"my bag." he said coldly. standing with his hand out.

Black stomped into the kitchen and shoved the loose papers into the bag. followed by the books Remus had left on the tabletop – which was not all of them. and they smashed his homework at the bottom with a crumple. then returned to the livingroom and pushed it hard into Snape's stomach.

he staggard and fell back into the couch. but immediately pushed himself up again. slinging the bag over his shoulder (which almost knocked him offbalance again) and breathed. "the door."

"to your right." was all Black said. spinning the chair around in front of the fire again with a flip of his hand and taking a heavy seat in it. not watching him go.

Snape did his best not to stumble as he turned and walked gingerly to the right. a hand held out in front of him until he reached the wall. then he felt around for the nob and pulled the door open. inviting a slide of the fourfoot snow to come toppling into the livingroom.

with a hesitant crunch and a falling step. he stepped out across the threshold of the house and began his journey out across the snowy frontlawn. leaving the door open. intent on making it at least to Hogsmeade. guessing to its general direction from here.

when suddenly something firm collided with the back of his head and he fell over. facefirst into the bittercold snow. the bandaging around his eyes became wet at once. stinging his crusted lids.

there was the vicious laugh from behind him as he rose up. shaking the remnants of the enchanted snowball from his hair. "I hope you run into a tree Snivellus!"Sirius was yelling from the frontdoor. "nobody's going to miss you when you die…" and with that. another large snowball hit him in the shoulder. knocking him sideways. his bag dropping from his shoulder. though he forced himself to remain standing through sheer will. and he heard the door slam behind him. he cursed menacingly beneath his breath and pulled feebly at his bookbag. which only came up midarm ashe tromped on. shivering with each step. the icy numbness of the night crawled quickly up his appendages. masking the feel of his bookbag sliding slowly off his arm.

"fucking prat." Sirius cursed as he forced the door back closed. leaving some snow on the rug dismissively as he went back to the fire which was dying a bit.

he looked about. seeing no wood. but isntead havinghis eyes fall upon Snape's 'Magic Moste Evile' book sitting on the floor where Remus had put it. he hastilygrabbed it up andchucked it gleefully into the fire. it landed with an explosion of ash and took a longmoment before the pages started to turn brown and curl in the conflagration.

then decisively.Sirius pulled his blanket from the pile on the couch and wrapped it around him. claiming ownership once more as he sat down in the chair. watching with a dark happiness as Snape's book crackled away to ash. page by page.

he was partwaythrough enjoying watching Severus' beloved property being destroyed. when there was a knock at the door.

"go away Snivelly!" Black yelled. not quite certain that it was Snape. but dismissive all the same.

the knock came again.

"bloody…" he began. rising from the chair and stomping towards the door. he flung it open.

Lily Evans was looking up at him.

strands of her elbowlength auburn hair had come untucked from her thick Gryffindor scarf that was coiled numerous times about the shoulders of her long brown shouldercape. a plaid darkred skirt hung down to midshin. and from there on were darkgray leggings and a pair of ordinary brown boots.

"sorry to be stopping by so late." she confessed.

"it's no problem." Sirius said. though still a bit surprised.

shesmiled broadlyand pounced at him. wrapping her arms around his shoulders. having to stand on her tiptoes to get a proper grip on his tall frame. "happy christmas!" she said elatedly into his hair.

"…h-happy christmas…" he stuttered back.

when she pulled back from him. she found him staring out over her shoulder into the darkness.

"everything alright?" she asked. looking over her own shoulder. but only seeing the empty dark yard.

"yeah." he finally came to himself and shook his head. "yeah everything's fine."

"oh here." and from beside her foot she produced a dark messengerbag. "is this yours?" she asked. holding it up. "it was in the yard when I apparated."

Black faltered for a moment. realizing that it was Snape's. "uh. yeah. thanks." and he took the bag from her. setting it by the side of the door inside. "must've dropped it." he mumbled.

"everything in it's probably pretty wet." she said. looking apologetic.

"it's alright." Black dismissed easily.

"and here's your present." she said. leaning down for the package that was at the side of her foot. it was a box about the size of a bludger. wrapped loosely in gauzy red and gold paper. there was an envelope fastened to the top. glittering silver letters shimmered TO SIRIUS AND LUPIN. and she handed it to him. "thought i'd drop this off. I know it's a bit odd to be giving you a present so late. but Mum took us out and we only just got done shopping. it's really cutthroat out there in those Muggle stores this time of the year… " she laughed.

"did you want to come inside?" Sirius asked. trying to fight the goosepimples that were erupting all down his arms and legs as he took the box.

"nah." she said sweetly. "i can't. I've got to be getting back soon. James'll be wondering where I am. is Lupin in?"

"he's a bit um…preoccupied." Black said awkwardly. and as though it had been timed. a wallshaking howl went bellowing through the house.

"ah." Lily said at once. knowing fullwell Lupin's current preoccupation. "well. I better go then. tell Lupin I stopped by if you would." she smiled. "and don't shake the box." she giggled. "but you can open it now. well. when you get back inside…yeah. I think that's it."

"alright." she announced after a silent moment of amiable smiling between them. "I'm off."

"thanks for the present." Sirius said. holding it up in the air as if she'd forgotten it. something slid inside of it and became heavy near his hand. "and the bag."

"of course." she said simply. but reached out and straightened the box.

"James has yours from us…" Black said. being careful to hold the present as horizontally as he could now.

"right. I think he's hiding it from me. afraid I'll open it or something." she said with a smirk. "have a good night Sirius. and a happy christmas!"

"you too Lily." Black said. and he watched her turn and walk down the snowy path a bit. before she stopped and disapparated with a pop.

feeling a shiver coming on from the cold. Black turned back inside and shut the door. walking over to the couch and sitting. contrary to what she had told him. he shook the box. something slid wildly inside of it and emitted a squeaky sound.

his eyebrows furrowed. he pulled off the envelope and opened it with a slide of his finger. producing a small card of parchment that in bright red ink read:

Hope you like this. I thought it'd be perfect for keeping you company. James thought that you wouldn't like it, but he doesn't know what he's talking about.

with love,

Lily (and James)

P.S. I bet him a new broomstick if you didn't like it. So you'd better or I'll hex you.

Sirius ripped at the paper. revealing a box and then upon opening that. a confused look dashed his slight smile. he blinked a couple of times to be certain that he was seeing what he thought. then reached down and scooped it out of the box.

he held up a tiny fourlegged bundle of black fur. and it swayed a moment before toppling over. barely larger than his palm. with its tail twitching. it mewed feebly at him. pawed itself back up to its feet. and flashed him a large pair of yellow eyes.

in his open hand. Black held a kitten.