CHRISTMAS DINNER.

I pleaded Mr. Weasley not to tell anyone about what happened in Diagon Alley and about Snape and he quietly agreed, not telling a soul. Christmas Eve had rolled around and Tonks had finally arrived a little bit after the twins.

Fred, George, Lupin and I were sitting in the living room. I had also asked them not to tell anyone about Snape, but because the twins knew about Lupin's hatred of him, I don't think they would have told anyone in the first place, knowing Lupin would get mad.

Tonks walked into the living room to greet the four of us, still wrapping up in her large coat, Hufflepuff colored scarf, and a black hat pulled down to her eyes. Mittens covered her hands and she began to peel those off her as the roaring fire in the fireplace warmed us all. Celestina Warbeck played on the radio, as it did every Christmas, and Mrs. Weasley was singing in the kitchen, preparing ham.

"Hey," she said breathlessly. "Just got here."

"It's great to see you," I smiled at her. It was weird – I was still upset at her, so I didn't want to get up and hug her and kiss her cheek like everything was okay. Fred and George waved; Lupin smiled weakly at her and looked away quickly. "I didn't think you were coming."

"Oh, yeah, I had stuff to do for Hogwarts – Dumbledore asked me…" she sounded awkward and then she backed up. "I should probably help Molly with dinner. She's doing it all by herself… not using magic or anything."

When she left the room, Fred and George seemed to sense the tension and they got up and ran up the stairs, talking about sales at their joke shop. That left Lupin and me by ourselves. "I don't want to feel sorry for her, but I kind of do," I sighed quietly so no one would hear us. "I mean, it just seems like she hasn't got any other friends besides us. You know, Harry, Ron, Hermione, me, you –"

Lupin was staring at the fire, completely silent. I leaned back my head on his chest and looked up at him.

"Hello? Remus? Are you listening to me?"

"Yes, I am."

"Then what did I say?"

He didn't answer. I sat up and took his hands, standing up and pulling him to his feet. "Come on, let's go get something to drink. Dinner will be ready soon." I pecked his cheek and, lacing our fingers together, pulled him into the kitchen. Tonks wasn't in there. "Mrs. Weasley, where did Tonks go?"

"Hm? Oh, I believe she's out in the shed with Arthur, dear," Mrs. Weasley responded, wiping beads of sweat off her forehead with her sleeve. "Darcy, could you call everyone down for dinner? I think they're all in their rooms. I'll go get Tonks and Arthur. Remus, could you put the food on the table, please…?"

I smiled at her appreciatively and Lupin let go of my hand. He grabbed the ham first and put it in the center of the small table and I walked up the first flight of stairs. "Dinner's ready!"

Ginny walked out of her room on the first floor and raced down the stairs with Arnold the Pygmy Puff on her shoulder ("No, Ginny, put that away at dinner time, please!). Fred and George came bounding out of their second floor bedroom, chuckling and giving me a wink while passing me on the stairs. Finally, Ron, Hermione, and Harry came slowly out of Ron's fifth floor room with serious faces.

The dinner table was small and cramped and crowded. There seemed to be too much food, but Mrs. Weasley was always trying to feed us until we wanted to explode. She looked nervously around from her spot at the table and bit down on her bottom lip. Tonks was beside her and sitting at the end of the table was her husband. Chairs were packed around the table.

"Oh no, I'll go eat in the living room – there isn't enough room here for everyone," Mrs. Weasley said, close to tears. Everyone knew how much she worked making family dinners for Christmas. Her children began to protest and as she stood up, Mr. Weasley took her hand and prevented her from leaving the kitchen with her plate, which was hardly full. She wouldn't take any food until everyone had enough on their own.

"There's plenty of room!" Lupin reassured her, looking around the table. We all sat down, Lupin taking the empty seat beside Mrs. Weasley, and I sat beside Lupin and George. Our elbows were touching and it was a bit difficult to move around to get food, but I didn't complain. I put on a smile and looked at Mrs. Weasley. "We'll all be fine sitting here. Dinner looks lovely, Molly, thank you."

Mrs. Weasley closed her eyes and dry sobbed, throwing her arms around Lupin's neck and he patted her back, grinning at me awkwardly. Mr. Weasley nodded and winked, grabbing some ham for himself. Part of me believed that Mr. Weasley chose not to sit next to his wife because he knew how emotional she became during times like those. Mrs. Weasley let go of Lupin and wiped her teary eyes.

"Everyone eat up, eat up! Especially you, Harry! And you, Darcy! Every year I see you, you just get skinnier and skinnier – don't you eat at Hogwarts?" Mrs. Weasley watched as everyone piled meat and vegetables onto their plates and glasses were being filled with pumpkin juice and eggnog. "But save some room, I made a delicious treacle tart and there are lots of cookies and pies for everyone!"

George and I smiled at each other, chuckling a little bit while Mrs. Weasley wasn't watching. George, Lupin, and I kept bumping elbows as we tried to cut our food and eat it and even though I was beginning to feel slightly claustrophobic, I didn't let Mrs. Weasley know. I think everyone felt the same way, perhaps even Mrs. Weasley herself.

"Now, after dinner and dessert," Mrs. Weasley continued, trumping everyone else's conversation and making her family go quiet. "We'll have the gifts placed under the tree – I think there will be a lot of gifts this year, especially since Fred and George have their own shop!

"And then, tomorrow, we'll all wake up in the morning and when everyone is downstairs, we'll open gifts together!" She smiled proudly, watching us all eat while barely eating herself. Ron was already treating himself to his second helping of cranberry sauce. "Is everyone enjoying themselves? How is the food?"

"It's delicious, Molly," Mr. Weasley said, saving everyone else from answering. "Just like every year."

"You're too sweet, Arthur."

"Thank you, dear."

After Mrs. Weasley's short outbursts, we all began to have different conversations and a small murmur filled the kitchen, complete with Celestina Warbeck singing in the background. I had to admit, the whole atmosphere made me happier than I had been in weeks. I spoke softly to Lupin, still bumping elbows with him every time I brought my fork up to my mouth to eat.

"Are you excited for Christmas?" I asked him and he smiled.

"Oh yes," he teased. "I know that with you as my girlfriend, you'll take care of me." We both laughed quietly.

"Anything for you," I replied with a smile and raised eyebrows.

"Ah," he licked his lips and looked away from me, picking at his ham while smiling. "You don't have to worry, love. I've definitely taken care of you this year."

"Is that so?"

"Well, as the male in this relationship," he began and I stifled a giggle. "I feel that it is my duty to make you feel like the happiest and luckiest girl in the entire world. That's my goal for this Christmas." I shook my head and laughed as our elbows collided once more. Lupin somewhat maneuvered his body so he was closer to me. He whispered in my ear, "Don't worry about that elbow, Darcy, I'll kiss it better later – and anywhere else that hurts."

I felt my cheeks go hot as he continued to eat as if he had said nothing and I avoided eye contact with everyone else for a little.

"Did I embarrass you?" joked Lupin and I looked up at him, rolling my eyes.

"Don't say that stuff in the middle of dinner!" I scolded him quietly.

"Why? Scared someone is going to hear us?" He had this big, stupid, cocky grin on his face and it didn't fail to make me smile bigger. "What's the big deal?"

"Because that's private!" I argued.

Lupin just laughed. No one glanced our way because they were all having their own conversations. "Come on, darling," he answered. "Live a little, would you?"

I frowned as he continued to chortle under his breath. Clearing my throat, I sat up a little straighter and looked around quickly. I brought my right hand underneath the table as Mrs. Weasley began chatting with Lupin. He was smiling and talking about how Hogwarts was treating him when I suddenly squeezed his upper thigh and he sucked in a sharp breath. Mrs. Weasley looked at him weirdly and when he continued, his voice seemed constricted and his words seemed forced from his mouth. His body tensed and he covered my hand with his left.

Mrs. Weasley then turned to Tonks to talk and when Lupin looked at me, I saw that his face was a bit red. "Darcy," he whispered, drawing in another deep breath as I squeezed his thigh again. "What are you doing?"

I shrugged innocently and smiled sweetly at him. "You okay?" I asked so George could probably hear us. "You seem a little tense."

"Darcy," he breathed.

"What's wrong?" I asked him in a quiet tone. I moved my hand higher up his thigh a little. His whole thigh tensed up and he grasped my hand tightly. "Live a little, Remus."

"Not –" he said, fidgeting as my hand moved slightly higher. "Here –"

I smirked, moving my hand up to his groin and when he shook his head and tensed and fidgeted and looked a little uncomfortable sitting, I pulled my hand away and continued to eat my dinner as if nothing had just happened.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When dinner and dessert was over, the table was cleared off, and all the gifts had been placed under the tree, everyone except Lupin and I retreated to their bedrooms. After eating so much food, we were all tired.

I poked my head into the sitting room where Lupin was, half asleep, and sitting on the couch. He had turned off the wireless so it was silent except for the crackling of the fire. I smiled and walked in front of him to sit in the armchair, but he grabbed my wrists and pulled me into his lap. He wrapped his arms around my waist.

"You really don't think you're going to get off that easy for your little stunt tonight, did you?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. I laughed. He pressed his lips to my neck, kissing me hungrily. I ran my fingers through his hair.

"Not here," I whispered with a small grin. "Not in the sitting room. Someone could walk down the stairs and see us."

"They're all sleeping," Lupin replied, his breath hot against my skin. I felt my spine tingle. "No one will see us."

"Remus, this isn't even our house," I gasped and then grabbed his face, forcing him to look at me. "Follow me – quietly."

He groaned and then agreed as I stood up and grabbed his hands, pulling him into the kitchen. I grabbed his coat off the coat rack and gave it to him while I slipped on my shoes and buttoned up my coat. I silently unlocked the door to outside and opened it for him. He followed me outside and closed it soundlessly behind him.

"Come on!" I whispered and I took his hand again. We ran outside of the Burrow's gardens and when we were a significant distance away from the Weasley home, I smiled at him. "Ready?" He gave me a confused look and I turned on the spot, disappearing into the cold night air.

We landed directly on the doorstep to Grimmauld Place and Lupin landed a bit off balance.

"All your limbs still connected to your body?" I asked, looking to see that he hadn't been splinched. Lupin nodded. I opened the door. We took our coats and shoes off in the hallway. "You see, now that Sirius is –" I stopped talking and licked my lips. "Well, 12 Grimmauld Place belongs to Harry and me now. We're safe here."

"What about Kreacher?"

I snapped my fingers. "Kreacher!"

The nasty house elf appeared before me, causing Lupin to jump. Kreacher fixed his bloodshot eyes on Lupin. "Oh," his chapped lips twisted into a malicious smile. "The werewolf – the Death Eaters will be coming –"

"Kreacher, enough!" I shouted and the house elf was reluctant to obey me, but he did so anyway. "I would like you to go up into Buckbeak's old room and I want you to stay up there until I call you again. Understand? You are not to leave this house and you are not allowed to tell anyone that Remus and I are here! No one can know that we were here, got it?"

"Yes, Mistress," Kreacher bowed low to the ground. "Kreacher will stay in the room and not tell a soul."

I nodded. "Yeah… well, that's the spirit…" Before Kreacher disappeared, I stopped him. "And you aren't to speak to Remus unless you've got something nice to say!"

Kreacher bowed again and then he was gone.

"You didn't have to tell him that," Lupin told me gently, touching my hand. "What he said wasn't mean, it was the truth."

"Well," I told him. "You know that you're a – a werewolf – you don't need Kreacher to remind you of it."

"And the Daily Prophet says things about you that you don't want to hear, but I can't do anything about it, even though I wish I could."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I was lost for words. My heart was racing. "Really?"

Lupin smiled. "Where were we again?"

I blushed and he looked around swiftly, took my hands and led me upstairs to the room he stayed in when he was with Sirius. I kicked the door shut behind me and he kissed my neck again, slowly leading me to the queen sized bed in the corner of the room. I was starting to breathe heavier by the minute. "We've got to be back before morning," I told him softly, letting him lay me down and climb on top of me.

"I know," he whispered, kissing my lips. "Don't worry."

He smiled down at me and I smiled back. I ran my hands up his shirt and lifted it over his head, throwing it away to the side. His lips met mine again and he trailed his fingers up my leg, making me squirm underneath him. Lupin worked quickly to remove my clothes and we soon were naked, our bodies pressed together, sweat forming on our foreheads.

For some reason, I was nervous. I had made love to Lupin before, plenty of times, but something about that night made me nervous. I think he knew, even though I didn't tell him, because he was very gentle with me and he didn't seem rushed. He took everything slow and kept looking into my eyes and kissing my lips softly, almost reassuring me that I was okay without speaking.

He placed a soft kiss on my forehead and then on my neck. "I'm in love with you," I blurted out.

Lupin stopped kissing me and looked at me. He searched my face and I blinked a few times, breathing in deeply. I touched his shoulders. A huge smile swept over his face and he kissed my lips again. I kept my eyes closed even as he pulled away and he dragged his fingertips down my stomach, stopping right at my waist. "You have to look at me, Darcy."

I opened my eyes and saw him looking right at me.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I replied quietly.

"Are you ready?"

I nodded and closed my eyes again as he lowered himself and I breathed in sharply, my toes curling.