All right. Expect more chapters a little more frequently as university has finally released me from it's clutches for the summer! as for this chapter, be warned: there is a touch of cursing and a sexual innuendo. Enjoy!

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Throughout the month of November, Remus secured a job as store clerk at a bookshop near their flat in Muggle London. Sirius was sent away for a week with his Auror department, and though they did not fall apart again, their relationship was not progressing. Held at a stand-still, it was hard for Remus to plan anything for Christmas. It would be the first – at least, until this point – without a tragedy on their shoulders. It would not be the first holiday he would miss his parents, but there was a heaviness in the air, and he knew that had they been alive, he would have visited for the holidays.

Sirius, on the other hand, waist deep in work, could not start to think about the holidays, and in his opinion, the Order would probably keep it that way. He became sullen, pretending everything was okay when Remus asked him, but still depressed that a holiday for him was no where in sight.

Lily and James were no help on the holiday front. They had decided to take the holiday week off as their honeymoon. They would be headed to Australia for a warm Christmas on the winter solstice, and only be back in time for a day of rest before a New Year's celebration. That left Remus and Sirius alone to fend for themselves.

By mid-December, Remus would come home dusty and bored, while Sirius would hobble in – late, as was the norm – bruised and sore. Remus knew that it was in no way his fault, but he still felt guilty, especially as he neared the full moon. He knew Sirius would stop at nothing to accompany him, but he did not want to cause him pain if the wolf became excited. There would be no Prongs at the next transformation to substitute if Padfoot became too tired to keep the wolf in check.

Sirius never saw the struggle that Remus endured. All he saw was the amazing partner who, when Sirius came through the door, would brew a cup of tea for him, warm up dinner, and help slather the medicated lotions on his sore joints and bruises so that he could get up in the morning and "save the day" all over again. Too often he would see the sadness that filled his Moony's eyes when the bruises were tinged with yellow and green, or there had already been medical help with broken limbs or things just as serious, and just as unspoken as the rest of it. Long gone were Remus' questions of "where did this one come from?", and more were there whispers of "brace yourself".

Five days before Christmas, Sirius, Remus, and Peter found themselves at Godric's Hollow, wishing James and Lily a safe trip to Down Under. Their visit was short, as Sirius had an evening mission with the Order and James still needed to pack. Peter turned down Remus' offer of a night cap at his flat, and he went home alone.

Remus was forced by his condition to take the next day, the winter solstice, the day of his transformation, off. Unfortunately, the book store he worked for was in need of extra workers, and his failure to go to work would lead to his firing. Of course, Remus would not tell Sirius this, because Sirius had limped in at three in the morning and crawled into bed with Remus, who was still awake and was up in seconds to get a cup of tea and everything he needed to fix up Sirius for the next morning. When Sirius had told him he didn't have to, Remus said that it was the least he could do, and that was the end of it.

So when Remus left early that morning to tell them he would have to take the day off, and they fired him on the spot, he went Christmas shopping.

He had no idea what he could get Sirius that would be enough, but wouldn't put him in too much more debt than he already was, but he knew anything would be accepted. So he thought. In the middle of the street, in the middle of the wet snow, he thought of what Sirius could possibly want or need for Christmas. And when he decided he couldn't think of what Sirius would want, he thought of what Padfoot might like.

By the time Remus got home, he was soaked to the bone with his arms full of bags. Sirius was sat at the kitchen table, sipping a cup of tea and reading the Prophet. When he stood up to offer his help, Remus said only one word that spoke volumes, and Sirius obeyed.

"Stay."

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"You bought a turkey?" Sirius asked later that evening as Remus locked up the flat and set silencing spells all around. "A turkey and … cranberries? Potatoes?" He gasped as he opened the fridge. "Pudding! You bought Christmas pudding! Remus, what –?"

"Oh, shut up about it," Remus sighed. "It's Christmas, I'm hungry, and you went all of last Christmas without your pudding. But don't expect me to go back to the store for you. There are no house elves here to clean up after you when you over dose on pudding like fifth year."

"No encore?"

Remus shot him a look, and Sirius grinned widely.

"Okay, okay. Moderation this year. How much do I owe you for all this?"

"You don't," Remus replied shortly.

"Oh, come on, I can give you some –"

"You're already paying for the flat. I can buy the groceries – that's not a problem."

"Oh, Mr Employed, pardon me," Sirius cheeked, turning back to the kitchen where he opened more cupboards to find what else Remus could have bought. He didn't see the fallen look cross Remus' face, hidden just as quickly as it appeared.

"So we'll actually have a Christmas this year, even if Lily and Prongs aren't here?"

"Yeah," Remus recovered, joining Sirius in the kitchen. "I mean, might as well. They'll be doing their own celebrating in any case. And they'll be back for New Year's, so we'll all be able to get together or whatever."

"For a change," Sirius frowned. "Do you realize we've all barely spent time together? I mean, sure I see James at work, but … I miss the closeness."

"We'll invite Peter for Christmas dinner, or lunch or whatever if he has plans with that girl or whoever he spends all his time with."

Sirius sat back with a laugh, the frown on his face completely disappeared. "I can't believe he's got a girl to be honest, but good for him. Knew he had it in him."

"Too bad he won't come around anymore, though."

"Well, what do you expect? Besides, we've never gone round to his place."

"That's because he never told us where he lives," Remus said, and silence fell around them.

"He probably knew we'd egg his house or something anyway," Sirius rebounded, and Remus only nodded in response. "So, what do you want for Christmas?"

"Nothing, I don't need anything."

"Seriously. What do you want?"

"Nothing. Don't buy me anything."

"Do you want me to do something instead?"

"No."

"Because I know you bought me something, and we both know I'm the one who should be showering you with gifts."

"I don't want anything."

"Name it."

"Nothing."

"Do you have your eye on a book? What's the title? Come on, let me get you something!"

"Sirius! That's enough! I don't want anything."

Sirius fell silent, and they both looked at each other.

"Don't even try the legimens: you know you can't get in."

Sirius pouted. Remus stood his ground.

"But –"

"Don't test my patience, Sirius," Remus said softly. "Not tonight, or you'll pay for it later, and I don't want to hurt you, so shut up about it."

"Fine."

"You know you shouldn't pout, it's unbecoming."

"Would you like to 'becoming'?" Sirius asked with a wink.

"I am going to kick your ass."

"Please," Sirius grinned, and together they got up from the table as the sun went down.