Chapter ten: winter holiday

December came in with a flurry of snow and excitement. For the Marauders the next few weeks were pretty uneventful. Sirius and James ended up getting detention (some how dragging Peter down with them) and were unable to go with Remus to the shack for the full moon.

They had visited Remus in the hospital wing the next day, bearing gifts. He looked horrible and they all felt terrible. Remus took the opportunity to chide them about their 'extracurricular activities'.

But now it was the start of the winter holiday and all four Marauders have sighed up to stay. Remus's parents were of to France to visit his grandmother. They knew that there was a full moon during the break and his grandmother didn't very well like Remus anyway due to his Lycanopathy. So he was staying.

Peter's parents were going to visit a relative in America and since he didn't know how to Apparate on his own and hated side-long Apparation he chose to stay. And it was obvious why James and Sirius were staying. James's parents understood for him wanting to stay with his friends. He told Remus and Peter that his parents were also going on vacation. And Sirius obviously didn't give one wit whether his parents wanted him home or not and the others didn't question him cause who would want to spend Christmas with the Blacks?

"Hey Prongs, you wanna do something?" Sirius asked. He was hanging upside down on the couch. His legs were over the back of the couch and his head was hanging off the edge. His cheeks were tinted pink as the blood began to rush to his head.

"I guess," James said from the floor where he was laying staring up at the ceiling. He was a little depressed about Lily leaving. She said that she had to go but she would come back early. There was no way she was missing the big event. "Where's Moony?'

Sirius swung his legs around and sat upright on the couch.

"Library or something with Wormtail," he muttered once the dizzy spell stopped.

"Hmm, nice keeping tabs on the target…" James smirked from the floor. Sirius shot him a mock glare which only caused James's smirk to widen.

"When should we put phase one into action?" he asked pulling himself into a sitting position with a sigh.

"Well I think we should do the first mission on Friday. The day before Christmas Eve. He should notice on Monday that its missing and we will go from there." Sirius said. James nodded.

"You nervous?" he asked looking up at his best mate. Sirius thought about it for a moment.

"Yeah, but I'm kind of excited also." He said. Sirius had been going over in over in his head what he would say and do when the time comes. Sometimes he just wanted to throw up. Other times he wanted to just grab Remus and snog him to death.

But whether he was feeling nervous or…well anyway he had a knot in the pit of his stomach all the time. The apprehension and waiting were killing him. The more he thought about it the more and more the knot would tighten. He had to get out.

"Let's go flying," Sirius suggested quickly and James readily agreed.

Remus was indeed in the Library attempting to finish his homework as soon as possible. He wanted to have free time later to goof off and enjoy his Christmas without worry. Peter had seemed to share Remus's view, but now it didn't look that way. Seeing as he was fast asleep, drooling on his Transfiguration textbook.

He rolled his eyes in annoyance when Peter emitted a rather loud snore. He put a silencing charm on his friend and turned back to his Defense Against the Dark Arts essay.

Describe how to identify a Werewolf in both human and wolf form; when the essay subject had been given Remus was very close to taking a swing at the professor.

Professor Trenton was a sadistic bastard. He was one of the few members of the staff who did not approve of Dumbledore's admittance of Remus into the school. He expressed his thoughts that Remus was dangerous and should not be trusted quite often. The man was tall and gangly. His stringy black hair could rival Snape's in grease content, his eyes were a dull and sickly green that poured out hate and loathing, and his pale and ugly face was even more contorted with a venomous sneer. All in all he just wasn't a good-looking man.

Nor was he very appealing on the inside. Trenton was vile, spiteful and an all around prat. He was a pureblood supremacist and hated Remus. He was nothing but a dirty half-blood to him. Trenton has shown his disdain for the boy since his first year and it has just worsened. But Remus had long ago told himself that he wouldn't let the bitter old man get to him.

Though the essay was a blatant attack on Remus and his lycanthropy, there wasn't a whole lot he could do. And none of the other Marauders, save Sirius who was as irate as Remus about it, saw it for what it was. So Remus was going to do the essay and though it would be perfect he, of course, would not receive full marks for some lame reason and would have plenty of sardonically induced responses in the margins.

Remus resisted the urge to write that Trenton was a huge git all over his essay and turn it in. he also resisted the urge to just turn in a picture of himself or something equally sarcastic just to knock the arsehole off his high horse. He repressed his Marauder side and let the prefect side talk him into taking the assignment seriously.

After completing the essay Remus woke Peter and the pair headed out of the library and through the deserted halls to the Gryffindor Tower.

By the end of the first week of break the other boys had taken the path that Remus had. They, though it took a lot of persuasion and whining, all their homework were done three days before Christmas. Sirius, unlike Remus had not felt it necessary to keep the sarcasm out of his essay for D.A.D.A class. He had told Trenton that a werewolf in human form was and incredibly kind and smart person who was adorably shy and handsome to boot.

Upon reading this Remus blushed and a balloon rose in his chest. (Though he knew Sirius only meant it in a platonic way, or so he thought)

"Aw, Paddy, and I thought you were only in it for the sex," he joked with his friend. Sirius gave a bark-laugh.

"Well if that prick can't see what a sexy beast you are than I should have to show him," he said then he added thoughtfully, "Though I don't know if I want that kind of competition. Maybe you like that sort of thing?"

Remus laughed at the ridiculous accusation and made a face at his dark haired friend.

"Well, that does explain why Snape's Euphoria potion smelt like me. But what can I say? I have an incredible appetite." He said grinning wolfishly at Sirius who cringed with the mental image his comment provided him with.

"Thank-you for the image of you and Snivillus having a threesome with Trenton," he said looking like he might be ill. Remus laughed loudly. "I hate you," Sirius groaned.

"Now I need to go wipe my mind clear," he whined and went up to the boys' dorm for a shower. A few minutes later Peter and James entered the Common Room.

"Hey Moon." James said sitting down in an armchair by the fire. Peter also greeted the werewolf and flopped on to the floor. The three Marauders entertained themselves with mindless conversation that continued when Sirius re-joined them.

"WAKE UP!" Sirius shouted to his roommates. "It's Christmas!" He ran over to the bed across form his and jumped on the occupant. This emitted a pained scream.

"Oh Moony, I'm sorry. I forgot." Sirius cried jumping off the figure that was still withering in pain.

"'s ok, Padfoot," Remus grunted. The last full moon had been really intense on Remus, though the other Marauders had been there. Remus could not separate his own lonely and depressed feelings from that of the wolf's. Therefore he had ignored his friends and proceeded to rip apart his own flesh.

He sat up and looked up into the dark eyes of his friend. They were now a stormy grey full of concern and worry. Remus tried to smile reassuringly but it only came out as a pained grimaced. Sirius moved to sit at the edge of Remus's bed.

"Are you ok?" he asked his voice heavy with fear. Remus's heart soared at the love and caring his friend was showing.

"Of course! How could I not with a pile of presents at the end of my bed. Now go away so I can see what you lot got me." He said managing a genuine smile this time. Sirius still looked skeptical but did as he was told.

James who had watched the whole thing shrugged and pounced on his pile. Following their eager friend the other two Marauders did the same. No one noticed that one Marauder had not moved and was look intensely at the werewolf and dog as they affectionately interacted.

"Wow! Thanks Peter!" James exclaimed unwrapping a whole box of biting tea cups.

"Hey cool!" Peter shouted as he pulled the sneak-o-scope that Remus had given him.

"Wicked!" came a cry from Sirius referring to the jumper that was embroidered in gold thread with his name, number and position on the Quidditch team.

"My mum made it for me," James told him through the two chocolate frogs he had stuffed into his mouth. Sirius smiled and thanked his friend. He then turned toward Remus.

"Hey Remmie, your present hasn't arrived yet. I am having it delivered." Sirius told the honey-haired boy. Remus smiled.

"No problem, Padfoot," he told his friend and ripped open his gifts from his parents.