Chapter Thirteen

It was Christmas Eve and I'd been home for less than a week. But I was really, really bored. Chris spent most of the day in the office and took Lucy out to dinner almost every night so I didn't see much of him. I was also still a bit annoyed with him so I think he was staying out of my way on purpose – only coming home to pack up more boxes and go to sleep. But tonight was Christmas Eve and he had promised to spend the evening with me alone while we would split time between here and Lucy's family's place tomorrow. We were trimming the tree and I was bossily telling Chris where things had to go.

"I can't believe you left this until the last minute – surely Lucy would've told you to get a move on!" I said as he put the star on the top of the tree and I threw tinsel at it.

He laughed. "Well we don't spend much time here, we decorated the tree in Lucy's flat, though."

"So what's the plan tomorrow then?" I asked as we settled down on sofa by the fire.

"Well, Lucy will come over for Lunch and then we'll go to her parents' place for Christmas dinner," he said. "Her mum's a great cook – you'll have fun."

"Are you sure they won't mind having me?"

"Of course not Bridge – you're my family," he said, rolling his eyes and opening up a book. "Remember when Dad used to read us Rowena's Tales every Christmas Eve? Do you want to do that tonight?"

I broke in to a huge grin. "Really?"

"Of course – just because I'm not a Wizard it doesn't mean I don't enjoy Wizard Christmas stories," he said. "I'm sorry that you feel like I'm shunning my heritage."

I shook my head. "I was just being cruel."

"No, you're right. I just don't think you understand though Bridge – I've pretty much been a Muggle since I turned eleven and didn't get a Hogwarts letter. Of course you and Dad were Magic but I was so jealous I started to kind of hate it," he said with a sigh. "And you know I don't hate Dad – I just hate the way he died. If we'd all been Muggles maybe we'd still have both of our parents."

I shook my head. "Chris..."

"And now you're studying to be an Auror just like him and I'm going to lose you as soon as you leave Hogwarts anyway – I just couldn't bear it if anything happened to you too!" he said, his face pale. I got up and went over to hug my brother, feeling strange that I had to comfort him for once.

"I might not be an Auror," I whispered to him, although it felt like a lie.

"Just promise you'll be careful," he said in a gruff voice as we separated.

I grinned at him. "Well, I think I smell the biscuits starting to burn – I promise to use oven mitts!"

He laughed with me and we looked up when the doorbell rang.

"Carolers?" I asked making a face.

"Blimey I hope not! I hate that one about the Hippogriffs," He said, standing up. "I'll get it, you go save our biscuits!"

Chuckling, I headed to the kitchen and pulled out the slightly over-done biscuits with a sigh. Oh well, I always burnt the first batch because they were Ginger and Chris liked them more than me. I smiled as I put the chocolate chip ones in, knowing I'd get a better result the second time around. I left the kitchen, pulling my curls on to my head (with just Chris there I didn't feel the need to straighten it) when I heard voices in the foyer. They weren't singing.

"Who are you?"

"Look is Bridget Willoughby here or not? I've knocked on practically every door on Circe Street and I'm bloody cold," a vaguely familiar voice drawled.

"I'm going to ask you again – who the hell are you?" Chris said, sharply although I could tell he was worried.

I swung around the corner with my wand drawn, entering the foyer to see a practically frozen Sirius Black standing there with about an inch of snow on his hair and shoulders.

"Sirius?" I asked in confusion, lowering my wand and stepping towards the door.

His angry, grey eyes lightened when he saw me and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank Merlin, I thought I was going to be turned in to a bloody snowman before I found you."

"What are you doing here?" I asked, patting my brother on the back and gesturing for Sirius to come inside. He shook his snow-covered hair off his eyes and glanced at my brother.

"Sorry I was so rude mate, I just can't really feel my bollocks."

Chris couldn't stop the chuckle that left his lips but I smacked Sirius' shoulder.

"Yuck!"

He grinned at me impishly, though he looked tired. "Sorry Bridge but it's the truth, I honestly can't feel a thing!"

"Come in by the fire, you nut!" I sighed, grabbing his arm and towing him in to the living room to stand in front of the fire to warm up. "You're of age, why didn't you use an imperturbable charm?" I asked, throwing a blanket from the sofa over his shoulders as he rubbed his hands together.

"Would you believe I forgot the incantation?" he said, looking at me sheepishly out of the corner of his eye while his teeth chattered.

"You could have used Impervius!" I said, shaking my head. "I'd cast a drying spell for you but I'm not seventeen yet."

He nodded and pulled out his wand, waving it at his clothes and muttering the spell. Instantly he looked much drier and he sighed with relief.

"That's better, thanks. Sorry to barge in on you," he said to Chris who was standing in the doorway watching the two of us. "But I really needed to see Bridget. I'm Sirius Black."

Chris raised an eyebrow as they shook hands. "Chris Willoughby. Right...well I'll just go make you two some hot chocolate before I start dinner. Um, Bridget – can I have a word?" he said, eying me meaningfully and nodding his head at the kitchen.

"I'll be back in a minute Sirius, sit down," I said offering him the armchair by the fire.

"Thanks, listen I really didn't mean to bother you – I just..."

"Give me just a minute," I said, cutting him off and heading to the kitchen where I knew Chris was waiting to interrogate me.

"Bridget, did you invite your boyfriend over for Christmas Eve and forget to tell me?" Chris asked in a teasing tone while he put the kettle on.

I rolled my eyes and emptied some hot chocolate sachets in to our biggest mugs. "He's not my boyfriend. My boyfriend is in Spain. Sirius is just a friend."

Chris waggled his eyebrows. "You two don't act like friends – you act like an old married couple!"

I shoved my brother and opened the oven to pull out the perfectly baked chocolate chip cookies. He made a face.

"You never burn those ones!"

"Oh I barely burnt the ginger ones this year," I laughed as I put a selection of the two kinds of biscuits on a plate. The kettle whistled and Chris poured the water in with the hot chocolate powderas I added cream and little marshmallows.

"Okay, well find out what Sirius wants because he looks a bit depressed," Chris said as he began chopping up some vegetables. "And let me know if he's staying for dinner because otherwise I might not make enough."

"Okay," I agreed, putting the plate of biscuits and mugs of hot chocolate on a tray. Balancing it precariously, I pushed open the kitchen door and headed to the living room where Sirius was staring in to the fire with a rather glum expression.

"Here we are!" I said cheerfully to bring him out of his thoughts and he looked up with a half smile.

"Thanks, you didn't have to go to so much trouble!" he said, looking at the marshmallows, hot chocolate and biscuits in surprise.

"It's mine and Chris' favorite holiday – we already had everything," I said, waving him off and watching him carefully as he took a big bite out of a biscuit. I didn't say anything as he chewed and stared at the fire.

"Sirius," I finally said after five minutes of silence. "What's going on?"

He shook his head but didn't look away from the fire.

"What happened?"

He sighed. "I really don't want to talk about it right now. I just had nowhere else to go. I didn't have any money for the Leaky Cauldron after I took the Knight Bus all the way from Hogsmeade."

I studied his sad expression very critically before I spoke again. "Well, as nice as it is to see you, why did you come here? Don't you usually stay at James' house? And weren't you all planning on staying at Hogwarts anyway?"

He shook his head. "Look...I promise I'll tell you about it. But for now, can I just ask you...please, can I just stay here until we have to go back to Hogwarts?"

I stared at him in shock, taking in his pleading eyes and stiff lip but I couldn't refuse. Something had gone horribly wrong and Sirius was stranded. I couldn't let him go off on his own – not on Christmas.

"I have to ask Chris."

"Course," he said weakly. "Thanks Bridget."

I nodded and got up to go to the kitchen.

"He wants to stay here? Bridget – I don't even know the guy. I mean I've never even heard you talk about him before. What house is he in?"

"Gryffindor."

"I thought you said they were all brawny Quidditch-obsessed idiots?" he said, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Well sometimes they are – but Sirius is my friend. One of the best friends I've had this year, actually – next to Nicola."

He groaned. "But he's a boy..."

"A boy who's just my friend!"

Chris sighed. "Well...we do have a guest room – it's dusty but not as bad as Dad's room. So, he wants to stay until the 3rd when you go back? Isn't that ages?"

"Chris, please – he needs me right now," I begged.

"Okay...I'll have to give Lucy a call to see if her parents can fit another person tomorrow," he said, biting his lip doubtfully as he tossed something in a pan.

"No, don't do that. Sirius and I can just stay here. I'll cook for us," feeling bad that my friend's dilemma might ruin my brother's Christmas. Besides, the look on Sirius' face told me that he wouldn't really be in the mood for a party.

"On Christmas?" Chris asked giving me a doubtful look.

"Chris, you should spend time with Lucy's family anyway – they don't know me, it'll be strange for them."

Chris cleared his throat. "Fine. But if I so much as see him near your bedroom door after midnight, I don't care if he has a wand, I'll castrate him."

I laughed. "You're good at playing grown-up, Chris," I said, giving him a hug and a whisper of thanks before I left the room.

"Don't eat too many biscuits – dinner will be done soon!" he called after me.

Sirius was quiet over dinner but thanked Chris multiple times for letting him stay. He complimented his cooking and acted as un-Sirius-like as I'd ever seen him. He looked to be in deep thought as we ate and Chris threw me a few looks of confusion.

"Thanks again for taking me in. I know I ruined your Christmas Eve," Sirius said quietly as the three of us returned to the fire in the Living Room.

Chris glanced at me but shrugged. "That's okay mate. Bridget's friends are welcome anytime."

Sirius nodded but simply took a seat quietly after Chris and I sat in our usual armchairs.

"Bridget was going to read Rowena's Tales before bed. Did you hear them growing up?" Chris asked as he handed me the book. Sirius shook his head and shrugged.

"My family would've read Salazar's Tales if there were such a thing but we usually spent Christmas listening to my mother point out famous family figures and watching my father chug Firewhisky," Sirius replied dully. Chris shot me another look of confusion and this, time slight fear.

"I thought Bridget said you were in Gryffindor," he said accusingly.

Sirius shrugged again. "First in my family."

"Sirius isn't like the rest of his family," I put in quickly; worried that Sirius would be furious. When I saw him however, his eyes were still that dull grey lacking their usual mischievousness and signature glint.

"Right. Well, Rowena's Tales are good – much better than Helga and Godric's," Chris said and Sirius chuckled half-heartedly.

"Were your whole family Ravenclaws?" he asked, his eyes on me.

"No, a mixture really," I explained.

"Yeah, I was a Cuckoo," Chris joked making me laugh and Sirius raise an eyebrow.

"His Muggle school had houses too: Starling, Merlin, Falcon and Cuckoo," I explained and Sirius looked quite interested.

"Merlin?"

Chris nodded. "Yeah but they meant the bird not the wizard."

"Was it strange growing up a Squib?" Sirius asked, his head cocking to the side curiously.

Chris frowned but looked thoughtful. "It was...disappointing. I wasn't what everyone expected me to be and I'd just assumed I'd be Magic. But, to be honest – I like being a Muggle. It's simpler, somehow," Chris explained with a shrug. Sirius was staring at him.

"You could've been describing my feelings about being a Gryffindor just now," he said seriously. "Except the simpler part."

"Umm...shall we get on with the story then?" I asked and the two of them broke their staring match to look my way with nods.

Though Chris followed along while I read, laughing at the appropriate parts, Sirius only managed a weak grin when he noticed us smiling. I could tell he was in deep thought about something but I still wanted to have my family tradition with Chris and decided to question Sirius later on.

"Well, I think I'm going to hit the hay," Chris said stretching and yawning. "I have to be up early to pick up Lucy. She's going to come over and make us lunch. She's a much better cook than I am, Sirius," he said with a smile as he stood up. He ruffled my hair.

"Night Bridge – Merry Christmas," he said to me before nodding the same to Sirius and leaving the room. He turned at the doorway and gave Sirius a strict look.

"If you go near my sister's bedroom in the middle of the night, you'll be out of here before you can say Hogwarts – got it?"

I laughed but Sirius merely nodded solemnly. He did not look intimidated but he wasn't smiling either.

"I was joking - sort of – but still, don't try anything," Chris continued with a grin before throwing me a curious look and heading upstairs to bed.

Sirius looked up at our grandfather clock and sighed.

"Christmas already," he murmured.

"Yeah, I'm glad it's snowing – we can make a snowman in the morning," I said brightly.

"Great," he said without enthusiasm.

"Sirius..." I said, pausing to watch his face. He looked at me blankly waiting for me to speak. "Are you ready to talk?"

He sighed heavily and stared at the dwindling fire.

"Shall I put another log on?" I asked.

Sirius shook his head, waving his wand and making the fire grow once more.

"I was hoping you wouldn't ask," he said, leaning back against his chair and looking at me. His eyes looked sadder than I'd ever seen them. Sadder even than the time he told me about his father's drunken aggressiveness.

"Sirius, I'm happy to let you stay here but I can't handle seeing you mope when I don't know why," I explained gently.

He sighed again and put his head in his hands.

"I had a fight with the lads," he said, his voice muffled.

"What?" I asked, wondering if I'd heard him right. As far as I knew the Gryffindor boys were always inseparable. In all the years they'd been at Hogwarts – never once had there been a story about any of them fighting with one another. Sure, there had been rumors about girls and pranks and fights with Slytherins but the four boys stood as one unit that never wavered.

"We had a fight," he repeated.

"Why?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Because I did something really, really stupid," he said, moving his hands and staring back at the fire. His eyes were glassy and I felt a lump in my throat. If Sirius Black was about to cry I wasn't quite sure this was real.

"What did you do?" I pressed gently.

"You'll hate me...and besides, I couldn't tell you if I wanted to," he said, his mouth in a fierce line as his eyes continued to glisten.

"Why not?"

"Because...I just can't. It's a secret that isn't mine," he said, covering his face once more. I watched him, his shoulders lifting and falling with deep breaths and I felt paralyzed. I was confused about what I was supposed to do. Normally, when Sirius and I were spilling our troubles to each other we'd ensure that we didn't ask the dreaded question: "Are you okay?" But this time seemed different – usually if we just gave each other time, we'd speak. This time, Sirius wasn't budging and he looked absolutely miserable. After another few moments of silence, I approached his chair and sat on the arm, putting a hand on his back. His shoulders stopped shaking abruptly and I saw him rubbing his face.

"I wanted to talk to you – you were the only person I could talk to," he muttered in to his hands.

"So talk," I replied, softly. I didn't look at his face as I heard him take another few deep breaths. Finally he cleared his throat and began in a hard, determined voice, his eyes stony.

"I'm trying to think of a way to explain this to you without betraying someone's secret," he said. "Can you sit across from me, I feel like I need to see your reactions," he said, tilting his head up and behind him to see my face. I nodded and moved to the chair beside the fire so that I was facing him. He took a deep breath.

"Okay...so Remus is sort of involved in something dangerous. It's something he can't help or stop but it is very dangerous. It doesn't happen very often but when it does, he's a danger to himself and people around him."

I nodded, biting my lip before I opened my mouth to ask what that something was.

"Please," Sirius stopped me. "Don't ask me any questions – even if you think you've figured something out – just keep it to yourself for a minute."

I nodded and waited for him to go on. He studied my expression for a while before continuing.

"It was killing us seeing Remus in all of this danger, so James, Peter and I figured out a way that we could be with him so that he wasn't a danger to himself or us. But the situation would still be dangerous for anyone else. Are you with me?"

I quirked an eyebrow feeling completely confused. How could the situation not be dangerous to them but to other people? Even so, I nodded hesitantly and Sirius continued.

"So...this as you can imagine, involved a lot of sneaking around and obviously, secret keeping. But we've been good at that – we've managed to do it for years. But Snivellus..." he mouth turned in to a sneer as he said the name. "Snivellus has been desperate to figure it out for years – he was following us around, trying to get us expelled – trying to expose Remus...Remus' situation."

"Did he?" I asked in a small voice.

Sirius shook his head. "No...no, thank Merlin. Anyway, I was particularly furious that Snape was being a nosy git so I met him in the corridor one night and told him how to find Remus after it got dark. It was just a little joke; I didn't think it through – obviously. I just thought, this will scare the hell out of him and he'll leave us alone. Anyway, he's a nasty Death-Eater wannabe, so who cares?" Sirius eyes looked angry now and although I wasn't entirely sure he was in his right mind, I nodded him on.

"But then, later I told James and Peter, thinking they'd think it was funny and James looked horrified, he ran out to where Remus and Snape were, not even taking the usual precautions and saved Snape from going down there."

"James Potter?" I asked in surprise. James was, in my opinion, sometimes the least mature of their group. He was a bit of a clown and never seemed to take anything very seriously. But right now it seemed like he was a hero.

"I didn't even realize. I didn't think," Sirius was muttering. "That not only would Snape get hurt, because I won't lie – I didn't really care – but it would affect Remus. Remus might have gotten someone hurt and he'd never forgive himself."

I nodded. Remus did seem a bit self-deprecating. I wasn't surprised that he would've potentially blamed himself, not Sirius.

Sirius shuddered. "But the looks on their faces...my best mates in the whole world. The people I consider my family...they were so angry and disappointed at me. They were saying that I went too far and I never cared about anything but myself and that they couldn't stand to be in the same room as me. So, I left and I didn't know where to go, so I came here."

"Sirius…why didn't you go see Emmeline?"

"Because if she knew this – she'd kill me, break up with me. I've broken a million school rules and she just wouldn't understand. I felt like you were the only person who I could talk to," he said, staring at me. "And now you must think I'm pathetic too."

I shook my head but paused before I said anything. "You're not pathetic Sirius. You made a mistake; what sounds like a really terrible, reckless and dangerous mistake but your friends will forgive you. If they're like your family, they will – family always forgives."

"I'm not sure this time. I've pissed them off before, but this was something else," he muttered, covering his face.

"Try not to beat yourself up about it, deal with it when we go back."

"Will I still have you, at least?" he asked, looking through his fingers at me hopefully.

"You'll still have me," I promised before pulling him up to show him to his room.

The next morning I woke up with the same excitement I always did on Christmas mornings but soon was hit with a stab of strangeness. Sirius Black was staying at my house. He was probably asleep in the room next to mine, at this very moment. As I pushed the covers off, I realized that a year ago I probably would've thought that was crazy. I didn't even know him last year and I hadn't really cared to try to know him. And now, I was the one he came running to when he and his friends fought. I was his friend too. After taking a shower I let my curly hair down in a wet clump around my head, scowling at the nest and hating that I'd have to straighten it now that he was here. But Chris was yelling that I had presents downstairs and suddenly I didn't care that Sirius would see my curly mop, I wanted Christmas to start! Throwing my favorite hideous Christmas jumper over my head, I thundered down the stairs straight in to the kitchen where I could smell eggs and bacon frying.

"Presents!" I yelled happily. "Happy Christmas!"

Chris chuckled and I saw that Sirius was helping him with the toast. He was staring at the toaster in wonder.

"Merry Christmas," he said before pointing at it. "Have you seen this Bridge?"

I shook my head. It was a new addition and I normally didn't get up in time for breakfast during the holidays. Chris laughed and put some bread into the holes at the top of the toaster. Instead of waving a wand, he pushed a button and the slices disappeared. Sirius and I watched with bated breath as Chris put eggs and bacon on three plates and filled up mugs of coffee. Suddenly a loud bell like noise went off and toast popped 'magically' back out of the toaster. Sirius and I clapped our hands.

"That's brilliant!" I said, excitedly.

"Yeah I read about them in Muggle Studies last year but I didn't think it would be so cool!" Sirius added.

Chris rolled his eyes as he put the toast on a plate and handed it to me. "You magical people are ridiculous. It's way cooler to just wave your wand and turn it to toast."

"Yes, but this has the suspense!" I said as we all moved to the living room to eat before opening our presents.

"A bunch of owls showed up this morning, Sirius – I suppose people have found out you're staying here," Chris said and I smiled.

Sirius however, frowned. "Bridget – have you put any security charms up around your house? You were very easy to find, now that I think of it."

"Well no, I'm not of age, so I can't do that yet," I said, uncomfortably. "And I hadn't thought about it, to be honest."

Sirius turned to Chris who looked unworried.

"I'm practically a Muggle – no one's looking for me."

Sirius gave him a dark look. "That's precisely why you might be targeted. Squibs aren't always accepted in families as readily as yours have. My mother used to burn their names off the family tree. She got mine when I left home over the summer – blood traitor and all."

Chris and I exchanged looks. Dad had always taken care of things like security charms and the way Sirius was speaking, he was probably right – there was a chance we were in danger. Seeing the looks of alarm on our faces, he looked apologetic.

"But you are in a Wizarding area, so maybe someone thought about doing it for you. The Daily Prophet has been suggesting that people help others out. I'll take a look after breakfast and throw some enchantments up if you like," he said, looking at Chris.

"That would be helpful," Chris said. "The only people who come over here are me and Lucy but I'm sure we'd both feel safer. Though – are you quite sure you know what to do – aren't you just recently of age?"

Sirius shrugged and I saw a hint of his old smirk on his face.

"Sirius gets top marks for Defence Against the Dark Arts – and that's even when our Professor hates our guts," I explained.

Chris looked cheerful at this. "Well then, I'm glad you made friends with him! Shall we open our presents?"

I saw that Sirius' pile was significantly smaller than ours but didn't think much of it until after we'd finished unwrapping everything and his face fell.

"Okay mate?" I asked him casually.

"Yeah, thanks for the sweets," he said holding the Bertie Bott's package up. "The lads didn't send me anything," he said stiffly. The doorbell rang and Chris got up quietly to let Lucy in and I moved closer to Sirius.

"It's just a fight – I'm sure they have gifts that they'll give you later. It's awkward timing."

He nodded but he looked so dejected, I hugged him. He patted my back and sighed.

"What did Chamberlain the cling-on get you?" he asked in an indifferent voice.

I held up a locket in the shape of a heart and he barked a sudden laugh.

"Don't tell me it's got your pictures," he said, snatching it from me and opening it. "Oh Merlin, it does – that guy is such a spazz!"
I groaned. "He's romantic, give it a rest. What did Lover Girl send you – earrings to match that bracelet?" I asked and he scowled.

"No. And don't call her that, Bridge."

"Well, what was it?"

He sighed and held up a long chain with a lion pendant and I burst in to hysterical laughter.

"Oh Morgana, I was joking!" I spluttered as he made a face.

"I can't believe she thinks I'd wear this," he sighed. "She's a bit clueless for someone so smart." He then smiled brightly at me. "Thanks for that – it almost felt like James was here mocking me."

"I'm sure he'll have plenty to say on the matter once we get back to Hogwarts," I said, patting his back reassuringly. He looked up at me and suddenly his mouth twitched in to a surprised smile.

"Hey! Your hair is curly!" he said, staring.

Jumping, I reached up and covered my head with my hands. "I know...it looks like a bloody bird's nest – give it a rest, I'm a bit insecure about it," I muttered, my cheeks glowing red.

"No, Bridge – I think it looks really nice," he said, reaching to move my hands. He put a finger around a curl and twirled with his index finger, examining the strand. I felt my cheeks and ears getting redder and I was painfully aware of my stomach flipping over at his touch.

"You should leave it like this more often," he said, his eyes moving from the curl to my face.

I just swallowed and looked back in to his eyes that were reflecting the fire and my face.

"Ahem," came a cleared throat and I jumped back as Sirius dropped the strand of my hair. He looked undisturbed by Chris and Lucy's entrance but I stood up, feeling awkward and a little hot. Ollie. Ollie is my boyfriend, I tried to tell myself repeatedly as I brushed by a smirking Chris and rushed to the bathroom to splash my face with cool water.

Lunch was uneventful, except for when Lucy complimented me on having such a good-looking boyfriend and Sirius, Chris and I all explained that we were just friends at the same time. It broke the ice a little bit and by the time Lucy and Chris were getting ready to go to Christmas dinner at her parents' house, I had put the little incident from that morning to the back of my mind. Sirius and I were too lazy to cook so we simply ordered Chinese take-away (Sirius was better at using phones after taking the Muggle Studies OWL) and then tried to figure out how to make Chris' television work. It took us a lot of fiddling but eventually we settled in the dark watching a Christmas Special and laughing at the funny things the Muggles were doing without magic. When Chris woke me up on the couch, I realized that Sirius had already gone upstairs after covering me with a blanket, and again I felt a tiny blush at the fact that I'd fallen asleep while he was beside me.

A/N: Sorry, got busy and sort of forgot to update! Thanks for reading and reviewing the last chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed this one :)