Chapter Thirty-Seven
Sirius was jarred awake by a loud noise that preceded the rather violent shaking of the bed. It took him a few blurry moments for him to recognize them as Harry's own version of a wake-up call.
"It's Christmas! It's Christmas!" shrieked Harry at a volume and pitch that had both Marauders wincing.
Sirius turned over and mumbled, "Co…..fee?" in a half-pleading tone.
Remus snickered at his husband as Dee popped in with the longed-for coffee, and a cup of tea she handed to Remus with a smile.
Sirius took the cup from the elf and chugged half of it before screeching in pain as he felt is mouth blister from the heat of the coffee.
Dee looked shocked as she snapped her fingers and a vial appeared in her hand, "Mister Siiris should not bes drinking the coffee so fast. Coffee bes very hot."
Sirius chuckled as he downed the potion, "I had noticed that," he said wryly.
Harry was still bouncing happily between Remus and Sirius, "can we go now?" he asked, "It's Christmas!"
"We know," groaned Sirius playfully, "why don't you wake everyone else up while me and Moony get dressed?"
Harry half-bounced and half-scrambled out of te bed, "OK!" he exclaimed excitedly before dashing out of the room.
Sirius heard the unmistakable sounds of Harry waking Neville, then winced slightly as he heard the two boys running up and down the hallway shrieking "it's Christmas!" through their laughter. The sounds of groaning as everyone woke up made Sirius jump slightly and chug the rest of his now cooled coffee, before he rushed toward the closet to get dressed.
Remus was already half dressed, but paused to listen and smile as the boys continued to go crazy, and the laughter in the other adults' voices as they playfully scolded them.
"What?" asked Sirius still half asleep.
Remus smiled, "I love the sounds of a happy family," he said, grinning wider as a loud double shriek and a thump was followed quickly by a shout of surprise in Minerva's voice.
Sirius grinned as they quickly finished dressing and hurried toward the noise.
They found the two boys in the backyard, trying not to laugh at a still shocked Minerva, who was covered head to toe in snow.
Both Sirius and Remus chuckled slightly before Remus cleared his throat, "what happened?"
Minerva smiled slightly as she drew her wand and vanished the snow that covered her, "I heard these two shrieking, so I decided to come out and have my morning walk while they were busy," she said, "but they had different ideas. One of them-" here she gave Harry a swift look both Sirius and Remus knew all to well, "had the brilliant idea to try sledding from the shed roof into a giant pile of snow right next to me. I didn't even know they were out here so when I heard the shriek and they landed…."
"You gave a shriek of your own," Sirius said, grinning widely.
Minerva humphed, but everyone could see the sarkle in her eye, and the small smile on her lips. Now this is family, she thought happily.
And everyone could agree with that.
…..
Albus smiled as the students trickled into the Great Hall for breakfast, excitedly talking to each other and showing off their Christmas gifts. Inwardly he sighed, Black and Lupin had yet to contact him about a Christmas visit with Harry. Maybe they finally decided to give up. The thought was a pleasant one, but he knew it would never happen. Black was too stubborn. Besides, he thought, even if Black was willing to give up, the damn wolf would never let him. So what could they be planning? He continued to ponder the mystery as breakfast finished and the students wandered off. He started when he realized the professors were also gone. He'd been so deep in thought he hadn't even noticed. He headed off to his own quarters, once again deep in thought.
…..
Torn wrapping paper was flying through the air as the boys excitedly attacked the presents. They'd waited until after breakfast, nearly bouncing with excitement through the entire meal. Once the adults dismissed them, Hary and Neville had both almost flown to the large tree and even larger pile of presents.
"Thank you!" squealed Neville as he opened a practice broom like the one Harry had gotten last year.
Augusta gave Sirius a look of trepidation, "don't worry," Sirius told her, "it's a practice broom. You can set it to different heights as he gets older, til he's ready for a real one."
She gave him a small smile in thanks as she turned back to watch the boys tear open the rest of their presents.
Both boys received many books and games, both magical and muggle, Harry added a generous amount to his ever-growing Lego collection, and Neville started his own with an equally generous amount. Harry received a small solicitor's pensive , along with many vials of memories of his parents, and some with him as a baby.
"You shouldn't use that unless an adult is with you," said Remus, "until we're sure you know how to use it."
Harry smiled, "OK," he said, and quickly turned back to the rest of his shrinking pile of wrapped presents.
Once they were done, a house elf popped in and began to vanish the discarded wrapping paper and packaging.
"Dee bes making the Christmas dinner," said the little elf, "my name is being Toby."
"Thank you Toby," said Remus.
Harry smiled looking up from the floor where he'd been deep in conversation with Neville, "can we go flying? Neville wants to try his new broom."
Sirius smiled, "OK. I'll come watch you. Anyone else?" he asked, turning to the rest of the group.
There were murmurs of assent as they all trooped out after the running boys.
…..
After flying for a couple hours, the adults called them in for lunch. Before they could head in, Harry somehow managed to convince them all into a snowball fight. Minerva, Augusta, and Arabella were quite agile despite their ages, but by the end of it they were all (except Harry and Neville) were huffing and puffing as they went in.
Minerva gave a satisfied sigh as she sat down, "I'm too old for this," she said smiling, "but it was fun."
Augusta and Arabella smiled and agreed with her on both counts.
Sirius grinned as he snuck up on Minerva, trying to put a snowball in her hood, so that when she put it up, she'd get a faceful of snow. Not bothering to stop her conversation with Arabella and Augusta, she quickly backhanded the raised snowball in Sirius' hand, causing it to explode in his face instead. Everyone laughed, including Sirius, at the backfiring of his prank. He smiled as the boys kept laughing and rolling in the snow.
Now this is family, he thought with a grin.
