Shades of Gray: Year Two

Chapter Twelve

Christmas "Cheer"

by PotterScar

"Sirius, get your filthy feet off of my work!"

"Aw, Remmy, my feet aren't filthy."

James, Sirius, and Remus were all grouped around a table in the common room (Peter was getting extra help with McGonagall), and their schoolwork was spread about. Sirius currently had his feet propped up on Remus' half-finished Charms essay.

"Remus, how do you spell 'mononucleosis'?" James asked, looking up from his essay.

"Why in the world do you need to know how to spell 'mononucleosis'?" Remus asked, looking up from his essay. "You're writing a Charms essay."

"Oh, I know. I just want to know how to spell it."

Remus sighed and spelled it for him.

"Thanks, buddy," James said, scrawling the word down.

"YES!" Sirius suddenly hollered, removing his feet from the table and kicking Remus' schoolwork all over the place. Remus let out a loud, angry snarl, glaring at Sirius. However, the other boy did not notice, as he had jumped from his chair so fast he tipped it backwards. He darted over to a window.

"What the hell, Sirius?" James asked, raising his eyebrows. Remus rearranged his schoolwork on the table.

"It's snowing!"

James quickly joined Sirius at the window, bumping the table as he jumped to his feet. Remus' schoolwork went flying again, and he growled again.

"Excellent!" James said, as he shoved Sirius out of the way of the window. "Two whole weeks before Christmas, and we have snow!"

"Will you two be quiet?" one of the sixth years said good-naturedly.

-

"So, Sirius, are you coming for Christmas?" James asked, frowning at his friend.

The two sat at breakfast the next morning. Remus was in the library with Peter, trying to get him ready for an upcoming Defense exam on dueling. The Great Hall was decked with Christmas decorations, and the result was truly magical.

There were large trees lining the walls and decorated with baubles. Garland was strung from the ceiling, and fake snowdrifts donned the corners. The Marauders had charmed the ceiling to look like it was constantly snowing, and McGonagall hadn't even minded.

"I don't think so," Sirius said sadly. "Mother and Father want me home."

James frowned. "Have you even asked?" Sirius merely shot him a sharp look that clearly told him to back off, but James wouldn't.

"Do you even want to come?"

"Shut up, James," Sirius snarled, glaring at the other boy. James scowled, but finally complied.

"Fine," James muttered. "You'll write though, right?"

"'Course I will," Sirius said, taking a big bite of egg.

James stared at him, frowning. "Are you sure you want to go home? I mean, last Christmas…"

"I'll be fine James. It won't be like last Christmas," Sirius reassured him. A bell went off. "Look, we have to go to Defense, so can we stop talking about this and just enjoy the rest of the semester?"

James sighed. "Alright, alright," he said, standing up and slinging his bag over his shoulder.

Wilson, nearly a hundred feet away, stood up as well and left the hall, robes billowing behind him.

-

EARLIER THAT MORNING…

Wilson stepped into Dumbledore's office. It was ten past six – unbearably early to Tom Wilson, but an ordinary time to be awake for Dumbledore.

"I've confirmed that Orion received Optimo Kilpin in his home last night. From what I've been told, Kilpin's an extraordinary Potions Master."

"Was he there of his own free will?" Dumbledore asked.

"I've heard varying stories, but one thing that seems to ring true is that Kilpin was under Imperius.

Dumbledore's fingers formed a steeple. "Well, well, well. This is very interesting."

-

"I failed!"

"I'm sure you didn't fail, Peter," Remus said patiently.

"I failed!" he moaned again. The two approached James and Sirius, who appeared deep in conversation.

"I failed!" he told James and Sirius.

"Yup," James said absently. He and Sirius appeared to be discussing the upcoming Quidditch game that Saturday, the last before winter break.

"James," Remus scolded, when Peter let out a soft wail.

"What? Oh, sorry, Pete," James said, looking up. "We were talking about Quidditch. I'm sure you didn't fail the exam."

"I failed," was all Peter replied, and James shrugged, turning back to Remus. "We're playing Slytherin," he explained.

"Ah," Remus said. "So this is the last game before we go home next Tuesday?"

"Yeah," Sirius confirmed miserably.

"You don't sound too happy," the werewolf said, leaning against the stone wall. "Aren't you staying with James?"

"Why do you assume that?" Sirius muttered, crossing his arms.

"Well… I mean, after last year…"

"Just because last year's Christmas was terrible doesn't mean this year's will be!" Sirius suddenly exploded. He stormed off, leaving his bewildered friends in his wake.

-

Merely days later, they were kicking off their brooms on the pitch.

Sirius had been cool for the remainder of the week, determinedly ignoring the subject of Christmas and changing the subject if it ever came up. The others soon stopped mentioning it, talking about other things and treading carefully around the other boy.

The pitch was covered in a thin, fresh layer of snow, and the air had a sharp bite in it. Sirius shivered in his Gryffindor robes, moving his club from one hand to the next as he darted off down the pitch to attack a Bludger.

Gryffindor was up 60 to 10 when it began to snow again, and that was when their troubles began.

"And Potter misses by a mile," the Gryffindor commenter, Jeffery Adams, said miserably, as James tried and failed to throw the Quaffle in one of the hoops.

Sirius was having trouble determining where the Bludgers were, as was Lucas. The two weaved about the field, noticing Bludgers too late. This resulted in Alex Holstein being hit in the back of the head and taken off of the pitch.

Still, James and Adrien managed to regain control of the game, and the Gryffindor Quidditch team won. They had gotten lucky, as Brandon Wheeler had managed to close his hand around the Snitch, edging out the Slytherin Seeker by a few inches.

-

Alex Holstein had to spend the night in the Hospital Wing, and Jack Thames, one of Alex's fellow fourth-years and Gryffindor's Keeper, kept a sharp eye on him until Madam Pomfrey shooed him from the Wing.

"How is he?" Adrien asked Jack upon his return to the common room. James and Sirius sat nearby by the fire, and turned to listen.

"Unconscious," Jack said. "That Bludger hit him hard." Lucas and Sirius looked down guiltily. Both had been barely fifteen feet away on either side when the Bludger had hit Alex.

"Sirius Black?"

The six Quidditch players all looked up at the same time. A seventh year stood before them – the Head Boy, Frank Longbottom. He was holding a small envelope.

"Owl delivered this to you at the window," he said, tossing Sirius the letter.

"Thanks," Sirius said, ripping open the envelope and extracting the letter.

Sirius.

You are to come home for Christmas.

However, you may leave the day after Christmas and go to the Potters if you so wish.

-Father

"Your parents?" James questioned.

"Yeah," Sirius said, handing the letter to James. James read it.

"Sirius, this is excellent! You can come to my house afterwards!"

Sirius grinned at his excitement. "Yeah, I can," Sirius said, suddenly feeling a warm sensation in the pit of his stomach.

-

It was a week later, and that warmth had disappeared completely.

Sirius stood in his dark room and stared at his black eye in the mirror, remembering that past week.

His mother had picked him up, none too happily, at Kings Cross and had very nearly dragged him off of the platform. After that, things just got worse.

He was an idiot, Sirius would admit that. He never should have said what he said to his father. And Sirius' words had caused his father to strike him, causing his bruised eye. So, really, Sirius concluded, it was his own fault.

In his hands, he held a book, tossing it from hand to hand. He'd stolen it from the library while doing some reading over the past few days. A page had interested him so much that he'd decided to share it with James.

Who says Remus has to transform on his own? Sirius had thought as he swiped the book, looking at the page that interested him most.

Sirius drifted quietly over to his bed, putting his robes in his bag. He was Flooing to the Potters in twenty minutes. He wondered what he would tell the Potters to explain the black eye.

Next Christmas, Sirius decided resolutely, I'm not coming back.

But he'd still have to be there during the summer, he remembered. With a frustrated groan, he zipped up his bag. There wasn't a present in sight. Christmas had not even been acknowledged. His mother took Regulus God-knew-where, and Orion locked himself in the basement. Sirius remained in his room, unresponsive to James', Remus', and Peter's letters.

He put the strap of the bag over his shoulder, and turned back to the mirror. His eye wasn't that bad, he reasoned. James would surely notice it, however, he realized sullenly.

Hoisting up the bag, he stared at himself for a second longer. His hair was tidy and clean, his robes fresh and unwrinkled. Other than his eye, he looked like a well-groomed young man.

Sirius turned away from his sad reflection, and left the room, going downstairs. As he went, he decided that he wouldn't insult his father again, at least not in front of his face. He didn't want to be hit again.

The fire was already set up for him to Floo to the Potters. His parents and brother were nowhere in sight.

Sirius moved his hair a bit, in an effort to hide his bruise, and stepped into the green flames.

"Potter Manor," Sirius said clearly, and he spun about in the flames, tucking in his elbows. Despite this, he ended up bumping his elbows in the fireplace. Finally, he reached his destination, and staggered from the fire, rubbing the soot from his robes.

"Sirius!" James came into the living room, beaming. Sirius remembered the room well; it was the same room James was abducted in.

"Hey," Sirius said, smiling weakly and waiting for James to comment on his black eye. He didn't. That was when Sirius realized that his face was covered in soot, so his eye blended in.

"Nice look," James said, trying not to snigger. Sirius shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"Jerk."

"Prat."

"Sirius, how nice to see you!" Michelle Potter entered the room, smiling at the boy standing by her fireplace. "Daniel would be here to greet you, but he's off at the Ministry. Oh, dear, let's get you cleaned up."

Sirius' heart sank, and Michelle's voice seemed to be coming through fog when she uttered, "Scourgify."

His robes cleaned themselves, as did his skin. His face turned back to flesh color, clean.

Except for the bruised ring around his eye.

"Merlin!" James said, noticing the blackened eye. "Sirius…"

"Oh my," Michelle frowned. She pointed her wand at Sirius, and he felt a strange tingling in his eye. He realized that Michelle must have healed it. "Sirius… who did that to you?" Her voice took on a strange, almost detached tone as she scrutinized Sirius' face.

Sirius put on his most convincing, innocent face, and he said, "My brother clipped me when I tried to steal his book."

"Huh," Michelle said, not sure whether to believe the boy or not. She stared a few more seconds, before finally accepting the story. "Well, let me make you two a snack."

James beamed. Both his mother and father had become much more attentive since he was abducted that summer. He remembered last year, when he'd felt neglected by his parents. Not anymore.

Michelle left the room, and James turned to Sirius. "Alright, Sirius, spill."

"What are you talking about?" Sirius asked, refusing to look at his best friend.

"The eye. I know Regulus didn't do it."

"You do, do you?" Sirius challenged. "You calling me a liar?"

"Yeah, I guess I am." The two boys stared determinedly at each other for several seconds, before Michelle called, "It's ready!"

Sirius broke the staring contest and went to the kitchen. James hesitated, then followed, not sure what to think.

-

"You gotta tell me the truth."

James and Sirius sat in the living room that night. Michelle and Daniel were in the kitchen, preparing dinner.

"I don't 'gotta' tell you anything," Sirius retorted, irritated. James had been annoying him since he'd arrived. "I told you the truth. Regulus hit me."

James glared at him. "Your dad did it. Or mum."

"No, they didn't," Sirius replied sharply. "Drop it. Now."

"Sirius - "

"I said drop it!" Sirius snarled, and James was so taken aback with his hostility that he complied. "I found something," Sirius said after a minute or two.

"What's that?"

Sirius reached down to his bag, which he had not taken up to his room yet, and pulled out a thick book. He opened it to a dog-eared page, and held it out to James.

James scanned the page, his eyes landing on the paragraph that Sirius was pointing to.

Humans, when exposed to a werewolf, are in certain danger. However, animals, while holding a risk of being attacked, are not infected if bitten/scratched. The werewolf sometimes finds calm when around members of the canine species. These two facts hold true to Animagi as well. An Animagus holds no risk of being infected if bitten if they are in their animal form.

James looked up and frowned at Sirius. "You don't want to…"

Sirius grinned, his eyes lighting up and his prior hostility forgotten. "I do, James."

"Merlin, Sirius, do you have any clue how hard that will be? Hell, it'll be impossible!"

"Oh, no it won't," Sirius said, waving away James' concern.

"Are you daft? And even if we do succeed, it's illegal. We'd be expelled."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Only if we're caught."

The two stared at each other for the second time that day, before a smile began to spread across James' face.

"I can't wait to see Remus' face when we tell him this."

-

I feel bad having Sirius beat up, and I know that makes you guys sad too. But it is necessary to the story. Have no fear, he does run away in four years.

Hmm… are James and Sirius on to something?

I guess you'll have to read the next chapter to find out!

-PotterScar