Christmas 1994

Lyra was tired, she had just come back from the Yule Ball where she had danced with George, and now she was once again hiding from Hermione and Ron, who had had an argument. She was lying on her bed thinking over the past couple of months, from being picked by the Goblet of Fire, to racing a dragon. She remembered the letter she had sent to Sirius after the First Task.. Sirius!

She had completely forgotten about him in the build up to the Second Task and the Yule Ball. Lyra got a piece of parchment and a quill, and sat down in the corner of the common room to write him a letter.

Satisfied, she went and wrapped up the new cloak she had ordered a few weeks ago for him, as well as one of the two lockets that Remus had given her at the end of her third year as she was leaving. The locket she was sending to Sirius was the one he had had made when she was only a small baby, with a photo of him and her newborn self, and a photo of them on her first Christmas. He had never taken it off, until he went after the rat, and Remus had taken it and the rest of the photos from his flat once Sirius had been arrested.

With her two gifts and the letter, Lyra went down to the kitchen to ask for some spare food. The house elves willingly loaded her arms, full of spare meat, some vegetables, and a few mince pies. Lyra thanked them all gratefully, wished them a merry Christmas and headed up to the owlery to send it before curfew.

Calling down Hedwig, she loaded her with the letter and the gifts, but asked one of the school owls to take the food. Hedwig's slight glare had confirmed her belief that her beloved owl wouldn't be able to carry all of it.

Sighing, as she longed to go with them and wish Sirius a merry christmas herself, she watched them swoop over the forest and into the mountains beyond.


Sirius was sitting huddled in his cave, a small fire burning and his thoughts on the castle and the Yule ball within. He knew Lyra was going with George Weasley, she had written and told him so as soon as she was asked. Sirius' imagination was running wild, he couldn't help but think of it a female James and a male Lily dancing around the Great Hall. He watched the sun disappear beyond the horizon, and thought about all the Christmases he had ever had. The ones with his mother, father, and Regulus; the ones with James and his parents; then the ones after Hogwarts where Lily was present too; and finally the two he had with Lyra, the first when he found out about her, and the second; her first Christmas.

Suddenly, Sirius saw out of the corner of his eye a shadow swooping towards his little cave. Going on the alert, he transformed and moved to sit in the shadows by the entrance. Realising it was in fact Hedwig, he relaxed, transformed, and stood to greet her.

She swooped in, gripping a letter and package within her talons. A second owl followed, a Hogwarts owl, he noted. This one was carrying a larger package. Hedwig was settling down, so he turned to the Hogwarts owl first. He pulled off the package and thanked the owl, who quickly took off to return to the castle. Ripping off the paper, he pulled out some turkey, vegetables and mince pies, all still warm.

"Thank you, Ly" he whispered, his eyes transfixed on the food. Checking on Hedwig quickly, he decided to eat the food first, and enjoyed his Christmas meal while all the time thankful that he had a god daughter who cared about him. Once he had polished off the food, he turned to Lyra's snowy owl, whose yellow eyes blinked at him as she held out her leg.

He removed the letter first, and pulling it open, read:

Dear Snuffles

Merry Christmas!

Thank you so much for staying near by, I still can't believe you are living in a cave just for me.

I wish I could see you today but instead only Hedwig can come.

The Yule Ball was amazing! George and I danced several dances, and thanks to Mcgonagall, we both can dance! The food was delicious as always.. I'll see if there is any spare to send to you. George and I, Viktor and Hermione, Cedric and Cho, and Fleur and Roger, all sat on the table with Professor Dumbledore and the others.

I hope you like the presents, I ordered one weeks ago, but the smaller thing.. Uncle Remus gave it to me at the end of last year. I have the other.

I really really miss you Sirius,

I love you

Your Lyra

Xx

Sirius' eyes shined as he read the last few lines. "I love you too, Ly."

His eyes feasted upon the letter as if it were nourishment, taking in every word penned by Lyra's quill. Reading it through once more, he remembered the presents that Hedwig still held. Turning, he apologised to the owl.

Sirius took the package reverently, knowing that his god daughters hands had lovingly wrapped it in the last few hours. He gently prised it open and pulled out a warm, soft, winter cloak, with 'Sirius' embroidered on the inner lining by Lyra's slightly shaky hand. His hands stroked the cloak, knowing that once he put it on the cold would find it harder to attack him. He tied it around his neck, drawing the edges around him, and settled down once more to open the remainder of the package. His hands touched something cold, something very familiar, and shaking, he drew it out. The locket that he had worn everywhere, that resembled his love for Lyra, that he had thought lost forever or destroyed by the Ministry. Remus had given it to her, he noted from the letter. Had Remus taken everything else? All the photos? Sirius presumed he had, and thanked Merlin that even when heart broken, his sentimental friend had let his heart rule his head.

'I have the other'. The locket? She had the locket he had lovingly given her? She hadn't been wearing it when he had handed her over to Hagrid, so again, Remus must have rescued it and given it to her.

He could never repay Remus, then, for what he had done.

Hedwig was asleep, so he wrote a reply on some old parchment he had taken from somebody's house to send in the morning.

Dear Lyra

Merry Christmas darling

Thank you so much for your letter, the presents, and the food. I am now wrapped up warm, warmer than I have been for years. I now have a full stomach, and as for the locket.. I am so pleased Remus retrieved them both, and gave you them. Each locket symbolises my love for you. One for you, and one for me.

And why wouldn't I be near by! As if I could be anywhere else this year!

I love you Ly, and I miss you too.

Snuffles

Xx

Smiling, he wrapped up the letter and put it to one side to give to Hedwig in the morning. The letter she had sent him, however, he folded up and placed within the locket, around his neck once more.

"Good night Ly" he whispered, little knowing that at the same time a few miles away, Lyra was whispering "good night Sirius".