Late December in London was a magical time, Remus thought, but it was ever so cold. The frost glittered on his windowpane and he shuddered as a cold draft of air whistled into the flat, making its way through the hairline cracks in the window. It was a few days before Christmas and Remus was staring down the barrel of several double shifts at The Hag and Beggar, a dingy pub tucked away in the back end of Diagon Alley. Not his first choice of employment, but the months since graduation had been scarce in terms of opportunities. He'd already been fired from several nicer jobs after a month or two, and he was well aware that the latest moon had caused his current boss to raise eyebrows at the missed shifts. The pattern would become apparent soon, Remus thought miserably, and then it would be back to the drawing board.
Sighing to himself, he dragged his still weary body out from under the covers to start his day. James and Lily had recently left town to spend Christmas with the Evans family, and Remus hadn't seen or heard from Peter in a couple weeks now. The only friend he'd seen lately was Sirius, who had taken to swanning around the bar while Remus was working. Still, Remus wasn't about to complain. He'd been feeling those fluttery "I want to be more than friends" feelings around Sirius for many years now, and he always enjoyed spending time alone with Sirius, even if it was on shift. But sometimes it was hard not to be jealous at the end of the night. After all, Sirius had a nice warm flat to return to in a ritzy part of town, courtesy of his uncle Alphard, and Remus had—well.
It was a roof over his head, and so he supposed he shouldn't complain.
Remus reluctantly left the little warmth his flat offered as he set off for work, turning up the collar of his threadbare winter coat to the damp. The streets of the city were twinkling with Muggle string lights strung up across the trees. He made his way to the nearest hidden Apparition point, and with a soft pop disappeared from his rundown Muggle neighbourhood into the heart of wizarding London. Diagon Alley was especially vibrant at this time of year, with all sorts of vendors advertising their merchandise for the holiday season. Remus stared longingly at a pair of russet brown leather gloves, enchanted to keep the wearer's hands warm. They would make a nice gift for Sirius, he thought, and then he realized he was about to be late for work if he didn't make a run for it.
A couple moments later he was hurtling through the back door of The Hag and Beggar, praying that his boss wouldn't notice.
"Lupin! That you?" came an annoyed voice from the front of the pub.
No such luck there, Remus thought. "Yes, I'm here! Sorry, got caught up in the—"
"I don't bloody care what took you so long," grumbled his boss. "Get your arse in here, some bloke last night got sick all over the loo. Made a right mess. Got to clean it up before we open."
Remus sighed, hung up his coat, and rolled up his sleeves. It was going to be a long shift.
. . .
Several hours later, Remus had been excused from cleaning duties and was now gathering up tankards and plates, helping with the dinner rush. He was just bringing a round to the back when he felt a cold blast of air as the pub doors swung open. He heard a loud "Moony, my old chap!" and felt himself smile, turning around to see a rather windblown Sirius Black.
"Pads, come on, you know I'm on the clock," he said, unable to contain his grin.
"Aw Moony, I know you love me. I see that smile. C'mon, be a mate and fix me something warm."
"Alright, just hold on a minute while I deal with this lot," he replied, quickly heading to the back and cramming the tankards into the washbasin. Then he headed behind the bar, trying not to get in the way of the other bartender on shift, and poured Sirius a finger of Old Ogden's. Sirius took it and knocked it back in one.
"Cheers, Moons. Just what I needed. Merlin it's cold out, isn't it?"
"To be expected seeing as it is late December, I think. But yeah, it was freezing last night," Remus replied, turning to wash a couple of leftover glasses.
"No need to get smart with me, Moony," Sirius said, propping his elbows up on the bar and resting his head in his hands. A position Remus knew all too well, and a look…
"Pads, I know that face. Spit it out, what do you want?"
"Why Moony," Sirius said, in a faux shocked voice. "What if I had just come here to spend time with one of my dearest friends? I don't always want something, you know."
"Sure. But you're giving me the puppy dog eyes."
Sirius laughed at that, a warm laugh that always made Remus feel unreasonably happy, especially because he was the cause of that laugh. "Alright, you got me. What are you doing Christmas Eve?"
"Christmas Eve...well, I have a day shift here until late afternoon, then it's early close, and I guess I'm just going back to the flat."
"That's no good. Come back to mine afterwards."
"Pads…"
"What? Have you got somewhere else to be?" Sirius asked, scowling.
"No! It's just...don't you?"
Sirius was quiet for a moment, and then said "No. Because they didn't bloody invite me, did they."
Remus felt a rush of sympathy for his friend. "Oh, Padfoot. I think the Potters just didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable, what with Prongs visiting Lily's family this year. They just didn't want you to feel awkward among the whole extended family."
"Yeah, well. Still hurts a bit. So, are you free? I haven't heard squat from Wormtail and I really don't fancy spending Christmas alone," Sirius admitted, his finger circling the rim of the empty whiskey glass.
"Yeah, I'm free," Remus said, catching Sirius' hand and taking the glass from him. "And one's enough, especially if you're Apparating home."
Sirius gave him a small smile. "Yes, Mum. It's the bike though, not Apparition."
"Even better," Remus scoffed. "I really would like to spend Christmas with you, Pads. And that means you need to make it to Christmas."
"Ta, Moony. Well, I'll let you finish up. That boss of yours is giving me the evil eye," Sirius said, shuddering as Remus whipped around to see his boss staring at them, glaring quite fiercely. Then with a friendly slap on the back Sirius was gone, out into the cold London air.
Remus let out a small sigh, lost in thought, until another pub patron pulled him back into the real world with a demand for more Firewhiskey.
Too many hours later Remus was on his way home, humming to himself as he passed by sweet stores and toy stores, all decorated cheerfully for the holidays. If he was going to spend Christmas alone with Sirius, he was going to need to find the perfect gift. It wouldn't do to show up at Sirius' flat with nothing in hand, but unfortunately Remus' budget was going to be quite limited. Almost all his gold went straight to Gringotts to be exchanged for Muggle money in order to pay his bills, and what little was left over had to go towards pricey potions and supplies for the full moon. He had been spoiled at Hogwarts with the numerous free potions he'd been given, and even though James had quietly pulled him aside before to tell Remus he would always be there to help, Remus kept insisting he could take care of himself. It was part pride, part shame, and a very difficult habit to break out of.
Mulling over all this, Remus climbed the stairs to his flat and opened the creaky door, only to be hit with a blast of freezing cold air.
"What in Merlin's name—!" he exclaimed. He sighed heavily as he located the source: the repairing charms he had cast on his cracked window had finally melted away, and the whole window had caved in. Shards of glass covered his floor and his bed, reflecting the sparkles of the snow that had drifted into the flat. Remus dragged one hand down his face as he surveyed the damage. The window was irreparable at this point, that much was clear. He'd have to replace it somehow, but his Muggle landlord was incredibly unresponsive, and Merlin knows how much new glass windows cost these days…
Pulling out his wand, he quickly banished the snow and the glass. The wind howled as he cast drying charms on the blankets and the sad patch of rug that covered his bare floors. Finally, he tugged off his boots and flopped onto the mattress, which groaned as he let his full weight settle on top.
"I'm too fucking tired to deal with this right now," Remus mumbled and the wind whistled in return, sending gusts of cold air swirling around the flat. He used the last of his energy to cast a warming charm on his still slightly soggy blankets, then curled up and tried to fall asleep. He could already feel his fingers stiffening from the cold.
. . .
Christmas Eve had arrived, and Remus still hadn't found a gift for Sirius. In his defence, he'd been rather low on energy these past few days. He hadn't had time to fix the window yet, and it felt like the cold nights had sunk right into the very marrow of his bones. Still, Remus dragged himself out of bed, hastily put on a fresh pair of clothes, and headed out for his last shift at the pub, desperately trying to get some warmth into his hands.
The streets of Diagon Alley were almost completely abandoned by now, seeing as it was early on Christmas Eve. Still Remus spied a couple of vendors out and about, hoping to grab some of the last minute holiday shoppers. And then he saw it, the perfect gift.
"Interested?" the vendor asked with a toothy smile.
"Oh! Oh no, I'm just looking…"
"Would make a nice present for a special someone. A little bit of extra to go on top, hmm?" she prompted, gesturing for Remus to step closer.
"Yes...yes it's very nice. How much?" Remus asked, daring to hope he could afford it.
"For a young lad like you? Three Galleons, nineteen Knuts."
"Ah...well..."
"For simplicity we could round to three Galleons even. How does that sound?"
Remus bit his lip, calculating what he could spare. Three Galleons wasn't horrid, and this close to Christmas Day he doubted he'd be able to find anything cheaper. Besides, Sirius would love it so much. He pictured the smile on Sirius' face as he opened it. All throughout his Hogwarts years Remus had made handmade gifts for his friends, and it would be so nice to give Sirius something besides baked goods for once…
But there was the window to consider. If he reallocated these Galleons for a gift, there was no way he'd be able to replace it before his next payday, which wasn't until the New Year. A week in the cold, in exchange for cheering up Sirius when he was clearly feeling so miserable about the holidays…
Screw it, Remus thought. It's worth it. He's worth it. And I can cast a pretty decent warming charm.
"I'll take it," he said. The witch smiled even wider, and soon Remus' coin pouch felt much lighter.
"You have a Happy Christmas now!" she called as Remus made his way down the cobbled streets, before realizing he should Apparate quickly into the flat to drop off the gift. The Hag and Beggar didn't exactly attract the most trustworthy clientele, and he didn't want any harm to come to the gift.
Bracing himself for more cold, he Apparated back into the flat and spun around trying to find something to wrap it in. His eyes found the rubbish bin: yesterday's Daily Prophet (purchased mainly to skim the employment opportunities) should work just fine even if it wasn't anything shiny. Remus wrapped the gift in the newspaper, sealed it with Spellotape, and then carefully placed it on the far side of the flat as far away from the open window as possible. Glancing at his watch, he swore under his breath at the time. Two minutes past opening and he was going to have to do a stellar job at the pub these next few shifts, because now he needed all the tips he could get.
. . .
One rather long shift later (a surprising amount of lonely people visited pubs on Christmas, it seemed) Remus was ready to get off his feet and relax in Sirius' nice warm flat. As if on cue, the pub doors opened and there was Sirius, windswept and looking dashing in that leather jacket that looked so good on him.
"Moony, Moony, Moony! Ready to go? Let's get out of here, I've got the pudding in the oven and everything," Sirius called out, a huge grin on his face. Remus shot him a smile, and replied "Yeah, let me just get my coat!" He turned to head to the back room, but stopped at the sight of his boss in the doorway, glaring.
"Sir, if I could get through…" Remus tried, but his boss didn't budge.
"I don't think so. Herbert's made a right mess in the kitchen, and I need you to clean it up," he said scowling.
Remus looked over at the kitchen and saw a humongous pile of dishes and dirty glasses. It was going to take a long time to set it right. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder, and there was Sirius beside him.
"Is there a problem here? I know Remus' shift ends at 6, and it's gone 6:15. It's just, we've got a pudding that wants eating," Sirius said, the haughty pureblood tone seeping into his voice.
"Then you can eat your pudding once my kitchen's clean. Get to it, boy," his boss ordered.
Remus turned to Sirius, trying to talk him down. "Pads it's alright, I'll just meet you when I'm done—"
"No, it's not alright. You're done your shift and more. You should be on your way home."
His boss rolled his eyes and sneered "Well, with the amount of time off this one demands, I say I'm owed a little overtime. Get to it."
Sirius bristled at that, and Remus knew this was going to end very badly, very quickly, if he didn't put a stop to it soon.
"It's not Remus' fault that he needs time off once in a while! Have a little bit of compassion, for crying out—"
Remus tugged on Sirius' sleeve at full force, pulling him into a corner and shooting an apologetic look at his boss. "Sirius, please. This won't take long, just wait for me outside. I really, really need this job, ok? I can't piss him off."
Sirius glared at his boss, and then softened at Remus' pleading look. "Fine. I'll be right outside." Remus let out a sigh of relief and Sirius swept out of the bar, slamming the doors with rather more force than was necessary. Remus quickly set to his task, not wanting Sirius to stand out in the cold for longer than required. A good fifteen minutes later the kitchen was finally spotless and he hurried to gather his coat, mumbling a half-hearted "Happy Christmas" to his boss on the way out.
Sirius was lounging against the pub wall, idly playing with his hair as Remus approached him. "Hey, so sorry about that, I really didn't want to keep you waiting—"
"It's fine. He seems like a right dick though. That was practically half an hour of free labour he scored off you."
"I know, and I know I shouldn't just take it—"
"So why do you then?" Sirius asked angrily. "It's not right. Merlin, with your qualifications you shouldn't have to put up with this shite."
Remus scoffed at that. "You think I don't know that? I don't want to work here just as much as you don't want to see me working here! But it's a job, and it pays the bills, and I am so lucky to have even that. You don't understand, Pads. I need the money."
"Well you wouldn't need the money if you just moved in with me."
"Bloody hell, not this again. I like having my own space."
"A space I've never even seen. That none of us have ever seen, because you refuse to allow anyone to visit," Sirius retorted.
"Yes. But it's mine. I've worked for it."
Sirius stopped glaring and rolled his shoulders back with a sigh. "It's Christmas, Moony. I don't want to argue with you. Let's just go warm up and shelve this for another time."
"Or we could shelve it for never," Remus suggested. Sirius grinned and flung an arm around Remus' shoulders. "Stubborn bastard. That's why I love you, you know that?"
Well, that set off a swarm of happy butterflies in Remus' stomach. "I know. Let's go—oh! I'm sorry, I'll have to make a pit stop at my flat, I've left my gift there…"
"Aw Moons, you didn't have to!" Sirius said with a cheeky smile. "Sure, but I'm coming with."
"We literally just talked about this, Pads."
"I'll stay outside!"
Remus sighed and nodded. The evening was starting to get even more chilly, and at this point all he could think about was the welcoming warmth of Sirius' flat awaiting them. Taking Sirius' arm, he Apparated them both to a secluded corner by his building. Sirius took in the neighbourhood and let out a low whistle.
"Pads, don't."
"I wasn't gonna say anything. Just...think of my place, yeah?"
Remus let out a hum of acknowledgment, but then the wind picked up something fierce. It cut right through Remus' coat, and he could see Sirius shiver in his jacket, which, while gorgeous on him, really wasn't the most practical for the dead of winter.
"Moony," Sirius said, turning to face him, and there were those big puppy eyes again. "Moony, it's ever so cold. Come on, let me in. I promise I won't say a single word."
Remus tried to glare, but against Padfoot's pleading gaze he was powerless. It was awfully cold, he thought, and it would only be for a second, and Sirius would likely forget about it over dinner…and those eyes. Those puppy dog eyes were really criminal.
"...fine. It'll only be for a moment anyways, and you can stand out in the corridor."
"Good enough for me! Let's go, I'm freezing!" Sirius exclaimed.
Together they dashed into the building and up the couple flights of stairs to Remus' flat. Remus tried not to think about what Sirius saw in the creaky stairs and the peeling wallpaper, and he jammed his key into the lock as quickly as possible.
"Stay here, I'll just be a mo—" Remus' words got lost in the shock of icy air that swept through the corridor.
Blast it. He'd forgotten all about the damn window.
Sirius craned his head over Remus' shoulder. "Moony, what on earth—oh. Oh Moony…"
The amount of sheer pity in Sirius' voice was more than Remus could handle. He felt a cold rush of intense shame. The shame that reared its head whenever James tried to press money into his hands, whenever Lily insisted on sending him home with days worth of leftovers, whenever Peter picked up a tab for him when it was definitely Remus' turn, and all the times Sirius had offered up a room in his flat. He felt it curl up in his stomach and settle there, rooting out the bits of joy he had managed to find this evening.
Sirius stepped around his frozen frame into the flat. He stood there silently for a moment, taking in the wet blankets and the small drifts of snow on the floor.
Remus hung his head. "It's—it's...fucking hell, I can't even say it's not as bad as it looks. It's bad. I know it's bad. I was going to fix the window—"
"Were you? Or did you buy me a gift instead?" Sirius asked. His tone was flat, but his hands had curled into fists at his sides.
"I..."
"Damn it, Remus! You're more important than a bloody gift! How long has it been like this?"
"Only a couple days, I swear! I was just waiting until I got paid—"
"Well, why didn't you tell me?" Sirius demanded. "I could have fixed it for you the day it happened! Merlin, is this really where you've been living all this time?" He spun around, looking at every inch of the rundown flat. It stung. It stung so much to see Sirius look at the fruits of his hard-earned labour with a wrinkled brow, with so much pity in his eyes. "Moony, it's really not alright—"
"Oh, well I'm sorry if this is all a werewolf can afford in this fucking city! I am trying my best here!" Remus snapped, not even bothering to keep his voice down. He could feel himself shaking from the freezing wind, but his whole body also felt hot with embarrassment. He had tried so hard to keep up the illusion that he could support himself, and now it had shattered just like that bloody window. "You—you don't understand what this means to me! This is why I put up with so much shite from my boss, and this is why I can never see you lot on the weekends, but it's proof that someone—that someone like me can actually make it here. And it's crap, I know it's not much, but it's mine! And you can't take that away from me!"
Sirius had stopped looking around the flat during Remus' outburst, and was now staring at him in shocked silence. Slowly, he approached Remus, and then held out his arms. Remus sighed and let Sirius hug him close. "You can't take that away from me," he repeated, quieter this time.
"Moony, I know you're mad, but I'm not having you freeze to death," Sirius said, holding him tightly. "I can't in good conscience let you stay here when I have a perfectly good spare bedroom that no one's using."
"I—you don't understand—"
"Hey," Sirius said softly. "Let's seal up this window for now and get you someplace warm, ok? We'll deal with this afterwards, once we've both calmed down a bit."
With a heavy sigh Remus nodded and moved away from Sirius' embrace, scooping up the Christmas gift while Sirius put up a magical barrier on the window to stop any more snow from drifting in. They Apparated together straight into Sirius' flat and immediately there was warmth. Sirius had the fireplace blazing, the warm oven was adding more heat to the flat, and he'd even set the table with candles that he lit with a flick of his wand.
"What—Padfoot, what are you doing? Aren't we having dinner?" Remus exclaimed as he was pushed onto Sirius' plush couch and promptly had a big fluffy blanket thrown over his lap.
"That can come later. First we need to warm you up."
"Pads, I'm fine!"
"You're shaking, Moony. Besides, I'm cold too. Dinner can wait a little longer," Sirius replied as he fussed with the blanket, pulling it over Remus' shoulders. "I know what we need! Hot cocoa!"
Remus laughed a bit at that. "Padfoot really, you've already made us a whole feast…"
"No protesting! You just sit there and look pretty. This'll warm us up real quick, and besides it's cocoa. I know it's one of your favourites."
Remus blushed as Sirius jumped up from the couch, scrambling to fix them some cocoa. It was deliciously warm in the blankets, Remus mused. Perhaps Sirius was on to something here. He let his eyes close as he sank further into the plush softness, finally letting his stiff muscles relax. Soon Sirius was pushing a steaming cup of hot cocoa into his hands, and then he joined Remus on the couch, wrapping the blankets snugly across them both. Remus was swaddled in the warmth and the cocoa was divine. He let his head drop onto Sirius' shoulder, and they just sat there together for a while, drawing heat from each other.
"Moony," Sirius whispered.
"Mhm…"
"I know it's hard for you to ask for help. But it's hard for me to stand by and do nothing. Not when I know I can make it better."
"...I understand that. But if I really needed help, I would have asked you."
"Would you have, though?" Sirius said, clearly frustrated. "Moony, you've been pulling away from us ever since school ended. I just—I just want to know that you're safe, and you've made it extremely difficult to know that." Sirius sighed and tugged the blankets tighter around them.
"I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize Moons. Merlin, it was so much easier when we were all at school together, huh?"
"Yeah. So much easier…" Remus replied softly. Sirius somehow shuffled even closer to him, pressing their legs together. Remus was starting to feel drowsy from the warmth of the blankets and the cocoa. It felt just like a cozy evening in the Gryffindor common room in the dead of winter, where the Marauders (and Lily, eventually) would cuddle up together in front of the fire, not caring what anyone else thought of them, just enjoying their time together. Remus hadn't realized how much he'd missed those times until the memory was brought back to surface. But oh, how he missed those times! When all there was to worry about was what prank they would pull next, and who was going out with who, when grown-up things like money were never on his mind…
"Moony?" Sirius asked again. They were close enough together that Remus could feel Sirius' heartbeat speed up.
"Yes?"
"It's...I want to see you safe and happy, right?"
"You've said as much, yes. And I'm very grateful for it. It's all I want for you too," Remus replied. Suddenly, he felt Sirius' hand under the blankets take his own.
"I don't really get those feelings around Prongs and Wormtail. Well, I do, but not as strongly as I do around you," Sirius said. Remus' eyes blinked open to stare at Sirius, who was looking at Remus like he was something precious. "You're special to me, Moony."
"You're special to me too," Remus whispered, finding Sirius' other hand under the blankets. "Sirius...you've been special to me for a long time now."
"Really? You never said anything!"
"Well neither did you!" Remus laughed. He felt almost lightheaded with happiness as he tightened his hold on Sirius' hands.
"We're so silly," Sirius grinned, pulling Remus closer, one hand spanning his back. "Moony...could I kiss you now?"
"Please do."
They leaned in together and it tasted just like hot cocoa, warm and inviting and so perfect.
"Happy Christmas, Moony," Sirius said once they'd parted, hugging him close.
"Happy Christmas, Pads," Remus sighed, safe and warm in Sirius' arms.
. . .
Christmas Day dawned clear and cold, and when Remus woke he couldn't quite place where he was because he was ever so warm. Then he realized he was in Sirius' bed, tangled in his heavy quilt, with Sirius' long legs wrapped around his own. Not a dream then, he thought to himself, smiling. He rolled over so he could face Sirius and gently shook him awake.
"Hmm...whazzat…" Sirius mumbled, blinking up at him.
"It's Christmas Day, Pads."
"Right...!" Sirius said, shaking himself awake and stretching. "And you're really here…" he said, then he grinned and tugged Remus into his arms. "This is already the best Christmas ever and I've only been awake for five seconds."
"It'll be tough to beat," Remus replied, settling into place. They spent a slow time waking up together with lazy kisses and cuddles, then Remus remembered the little newspaper wrapped box, still safe in his jacket pocket.
"As much as I'm loving this, I've got something to fetch for you in the sitting room," Remus said, sliding out from under the covers and giving Sirius a quick kiss on the forehead.
"Do you? Well wouldn't you know, I might have something for you too," Sirius replied, smiling at the kiss. Remus made quick work of fetching the box, and when he went back into the bedroom Sirius was sitting up in bed, trying to discreetly tuck a sizable box of his own under the covers.
"Here," Remus said nervously as he handed his gift to Sirius. "It's not much, but I saw it on the street and it made me think of you…"
"Aw, Moony. Anything you give to me I'm bound to love," Sirius said, tearing into the newspaper. He paused when he saw the box underneath: it was clearly a jewelry box. Slowly he opened the lid and there it was, a star-shaped pendant with a spray of silvery grey moonstones in the centre.
"I—I know you don't really wear jewelry and I'm pretty sure the stones are fake but—" Sirius cut Remus off with a finger to his lips. "I love it. Put it on me?" he asked. Remus smiled sheepishly and took the pendant out of the box, clasping it around Sirius' neck.
"It's gorgeous, Moons," Sirius said, punctuated with a peck of a kiss to Remus' lips. "Now c'mon, I want to see you open this one!" he said, whipping out his box with a flourish. Remus laughed and took it from him, giving it an experimental shake. Nothing seemed to rattle, but Sirius had a huge smile on his face. "Go on, tear into that paper!" he encouraged. Remus obeyed and tore at the shiny gold paper, revealing a box stamped with the emblem of a popular wizarding dress shop. He looked up at Sirius, who nodded encouragingly, and Remus opened the box. Inside was a beautiful new winter coat, made of splendidly warm wool and tailored in the latest fashion.
"Oh Padfoot, it's lovely...but it's too much!"
"Don't give me that, you needed one. Besides, now I get to spoil you all I like and you can't complain. Boyfriends can spoil each other without excuses," Sirius countered, encouraging Remus to lift the coat out of the box. While Remus was busy examining the depth of the pockets and feeling the silky lining, Sirius covertly slipped a handful of Galleons into his hand.
"What—Sirius…"
"No, Moony. You're going to take it, and you're going to use it for the window, ok?"
"Sirius…"
"No. It's important for you to have your own space, I get that. I want you to have your space, because that's what you want. But you're going to take my money, and you're going to fix the bloody window as soon as you can or I'll buy the glass and do it myself."
"You can be right stubborn," Remus said, but he pocketed the Galleons. Sirius grinned and replied "I think the honour of most stubborn goes to you, my Moony."
"Padfoot?"
"Yes?"
"...I don't think I'll be living in that flat forever."
Sirius just smiled and hugged Remus close, and Remus realized what should have been abundantly clear from the start: he could be proud of being able to live all on his own, but his real home would always be with the people he loved most of all.