Happy Thanksgiving, pilgrims XD If you live in the US that is. :D

Sorry for being late again but hey, I'm in the right week this time! I don't really have much to say except, I'm looking forward to having more time now that the school play is over. It was taking up a lot of my free time, even though I was trying to do work while I was at the rehearsals. Now I can just come home from work and relax and maybe finally get some writing done.

Once I finish Pokemon Moon XD

Kam, welcome officially to the website! :D Don't be mad at Remus, he doesn't realize what's really going on. He'll wake up someday...

lojosmom, I don't know if you've caught up yet, but you make me blush ^^

Tvdtami, haha welcome :D I'm so glad you're enjoying the story so far. Don't worry about your English, it's perfectly fine :)

Well, my peeps, that's it til next time. Love ya!

~SXS

FOR WARNINGS AND DISCLAIMER, SEE FIRST CHAPTER AN.


For Remus and Mary, the first date turned into a second, and then a third, continuing on until they were officially a couple by December. This meant that Mary's presence had become an assumed constant for the Marauders. It was a slight inconvenience in that they couldn't openly talk about things like their Animagus plans, the map, or anything having to do with the full moon until they found some alone time. But otherwise Mary was a rather nice fit into their group.

This bothered Sirius to no end.

His anger at Remus and Mary's relationship had melted into melancholy as he watched them become closer. It stung his heart every time he saw them holding hands, hugging, or just looking at each other (he did his very best to avoid seeing them kiss). What made things worse was the fact that he couldn't even hate Mary. She was nice, and she made an effort to actually be friends with him, James, and Peter instead of just someone hanging onto Remus's arm. At least if she had been a terrible person, or really annoying, he might have felt better about how much he wished that she and Remus would break up.

Sirius found that the best way not to be in a perpetual state of jealous pining was to remove himself from the situation. But since Remus would be displeased if he thought he was in a strop about Mary 'getting in the way', and James thought he was having 'hormonal mood swings', he attributed his disappearances to meditation time. Which wasn't a lie so much as a convenient excuse.

Unfortunately, there weren't always moments when escape was possible, a perfect example being walks between classes. Remus and Mary's arms were linked as they walked down the hall, James and Peter to the werewolf's left and Sirius trailing slightly, the hall not wide enough for five across.

"How do you all think you did on the test?" Mary asked, referring to the Charms exam they'd just taken.

"It wasn't so bad. Although I think my Summoning Charm was a little weak," Peter said.

"But your Banishing Charm was on point," Remus commented. "No one else made their books fly across the room like that." The pudgy boy beamed at the praise.

Suddenly James had thrust an arm out in front of Peter, who crashed into it with an 'oof'. The group stopped and James pointed ahead of them. "There she is, Wormy. In perfect position." Following his gaze, they could see Marlene McKinnon with Alice Fawley, chatting lightly and approaching one of the many sprigs of mistletoe which had been hung as part of the Christmas decorations. The Marauders had been trying to think of ways that Peter might be able to make a connection with Marlene, and the kiss-demanding plant was certainly a direct method.

Peter flushed, hands fidgeting at his sides. "M-Maybe that isn't such a good idea."

Sirius clapped the blonde boy on the shoulder. Helping with Peter's romance was a good way to get his mind off of his own broken heart. "Come on, Pete. If you keep putting it off, it'll never happen."

"Sirius is right, Peter," Mary said, releasing Remus's arm to swap places with him. She met the dark-haired boy's gaze for a second with a small smile, but Sirius didn't return it and her face fell momentarily. "If I know Marlene at all, then she wants someone who's going to be bold and surprise her."

Peter looked at each of his friends in turn, all giving him encouraging nods. He swallowed thickly and then looked down the hall at the curly-haired Gryffindor who was currently laughing with her head tossed back. She was almost to the mistletoe, so if he was going to act, it had to be quick. The shortest Marauder took a deep breath, steeled himself, and then jogged forward to catch up with the pair of girls.

"C'mon, he's gonna need our help," James said, dragging Sirius forward, and causing Remus and Mary to follow. He made sure that they lingered back enough, however, so that Peter had space to 'work'.

Peter found himself coming up on Marlene's right side just before they passed under the festive plant. She glanced at him out of the corner of her cobalt eyes, but paid him no mind.

Until, of course, James's shout rang through the hall. "Hey! Peter and Marlene are under the mistletoe!"

The blonde boy cringed inwardly, but he held back the physical contortion on the outside. Marlene and Alice had stopped walking, both girls and some bystanders looking up to see that the messy-haired Marauder was indeed correct. There were giggles and murmurs as all eyes centered on the pair, waiting to see what would happen. As Alice backed away Marlene turned towards Peter, who was desperately trying to channel his inner James, or Sirius, or even Remus to give him confidence. Said boys looked on with baited breath and high hopes.

Peter cleared his throat, smiling at Marlene. "I guess there's nothing to be done about it," he said with a sheepish shrug. But as he started to lean in, the dark-haired girl held up a hand in front of him.

"Sorry, Pettigrew. I don't hand out kisses to just anyone." She then looked back at the other Marauders, whose jaws had dropped at the flat out rejection (in fact Marlene was the only one in the vicinity whose mouth was not agape at the moment). Her eyes locked onto Sirius, who she offered a wink and smirk before sauntering away. Alice scurried off after her, but not before giving Peter an apologetic look.

James was quick to act. He walked towards Peter, making shooing motions towards the others around the hall. "Alright, okay, nothing to see here. Back to your business, you bunch of nosy nits." The onlookers took last fleeting glances before going back to what they had been doing before. He moved to Peter's side and put an arm around him. "I'm sorry, mate," he said more gently. "I never would have thought…"

The others had reached them at this point and Remus, who was steaming over the whole situation (especially Marlene's purposefully hurtful flirting), shook his head. "She doesn't know what she's missing out on," he said.

"And if it makes you feel better, I have absolutely zero interest in her," Sirius promised, moving onto Peter's other side and resting his arm over James's.

"As well you shouldn't," James said with a firm nod. "She's a stuck-up brat who thinks she's too good when she's not even worth a fraction of Snivellus. No offense, Mary," he added, knowing that she and Marlene were friends.

"None taken. I'm honestly appalled," she said.

Peter had been quiet throughout, the fresh wound still stinging. Ordinarily, something like this wouldn't have bothered him that much. He had been expecting the haphazard plan not to work out, and if Marlene had just said no and walked away, he would have accepted it (with some disappointment). It was the fact that she had blatantly flaunted her preference for Sirius over him that made it worse. He tried not to be sensitive about it, but he often felt mismatched when it came to his friends. They did their best to make him feel like he belonged, and even then there were moments that he felt like he was just a lemming. It was no wonder that people on the outside thought he was inferior.

He didn't let any of this show, however, instead breaking from James and Sirius and turning around to smile. "Thanks, everyone. I'll be fine." Peter's face hadn't fully returned, however, to the happy-go-lucky that it usually was by default. His male friends pursed their lips, glancing to one another for ideas on how to cheer him up, but Mary beat them to it.

"You'll find the right one someday, Peter. You're sweet and adorable and you deserve someone who sees that," she said, with a smile like a crackling fire.

Peter blinked up at her (did he have to be shorter than everyone, too?) and blushed. "Thank you, Mary." He felt a swell in his chest at the compliments. No one had ever called him adorable before.

"Aw, look at this one!" James didn't hesitate to sling an arm around Mary's shoulders, unexpectedly. It was the first time they'd ever made physical contact. "Moony, you've found yourself one fantastic lady. Now if she could just convince Evans to go on a date with me, she would be perfect!"

"I'm a witch, not a miracle worker," Mary teased causing James to pout. Remus smiled fondly at her. She not only treated the other Marauders as more than just people she had to spend time with when she was with Remus, but went out of her way to be friends. Nothing about her felt like what he'd expected a girlfriend to be like from what he'd seen with other students. She was more like a good friend that he sometimes kissed.

"Say what you want. I still think Evans will come around," James said. He then released Mary and pushed her towards Remus, who caught her with his arms around her waist. She looked up at him, letting her eyelids lower slightly, a smile spreading over her lips.

"You know, Re…we're under the mistletoe now." Sirius's chest ached, even though Remus was pulling back.

"Maybe not right now," he said, tilting his head subtly towards Peter. But the pudgy boy shook his head.

"It's okay, Moony," he assured him, causing Mary to lean in again, reaching up to tug Remus's head down.

Sirius turned away quickly, only to catch sight of Anjanette coming in their direction. She snagged his arm as she walked by without stopping, having assessed the situation from afar. "I need you. Hello mates," she said, and dragged him away down the hall before Remus and Mary's lips could make contact.

Sirius waited until they were sufficiently far from the others before saying, "Thanks, AJ." He was grateful that he had at least one person who knew what was going on. If he couldn't confide in anyone, then he would have gone crazy by now.

"Running away won't work forever," she said.

"It doesn't have to work forever. Only until I find something better or until they break up, whichever comes first," Sirius said as they stopped near a courtyard. The look Anjanette gave him, however, expressed what neither voiced. Even if Remus and Mary did break up someday, it would only be temporary relief for Sirius until he found someone new. Was he ready to keep this up for the rest of his life?

.:~I~S~S~:.

On Christmas morning, Sirius was feeling optimistic for the first time in a while. His one solace in the last two months had been the promise of the holiday break, where he would have Remus to himself for a whole week. Besides the fact that he could pretend that Mary didn't exist, he was looking forward to just spending time with his friend. He'd missed him, and frankly James and Peter as well, being that he had been spending so much time alone. These next seven days were just what he needed to give him enough steam to press on, and he was going to make the most of every second. He squirmed out of his sleeping bag and peered over the side of Remus's bed.

"Moony," he murmured, gently shaking his shoulders. "Moony, wake up, it's Christmas!" Remus rolled over in the bed with a soft groan, eyes still closed.

"It'll still be Christmas in another hour. Wake me up later," the other boy muttered into his pillow.

"Oh, come on, Moons. I want to give you my present." Sirius had found the gift over the summer, had been saving it all this time, and was excited to see how Remus would like it. "Pleeeease!" He unleashed his puppy dog eyes, something that he hadn't done in a while or since he'd found out that he actually was a dog. Luckily Remus had chosen to open his eyes at that moment, and couldn't escape the heartstring-tugging look.

"Okay, fine." With a heavy sigh, Remus pushed himself to sit up. "Someday that look isn't going to work anymore." Although as he said this, he knew that it was an absolute lie.

"Today is not that day," Sirius said with a triumphant grin. He moved aside so Remus could get out of bed and they went down to the living room together.

The small pile of presents waiting for them mostly contained gifts for Remus, but Mr. and Mrs. Lupin had left a few for Sirius as well, as they'd been doing for the past few years. The boys sat down under the tree and took their packages, opening them and showing each other what they'd gotten. Remus came away with a new stock of chocolate (which he'd already broken open to munch on), some books, and a few cozy jumpers, while Sirius found a set of Quidditch balls and a Bludger-shaped pocket watch with Beater bats for hands.

"Your parents are too nice to me," Sirius said as he admired the watch. "It's enough that they let me come here for the holidays all the time, they don't have to get me gifts as well."

"Of course they do. You're part of the family," Remus said with a smile. Sirius felt a warmth in his heart at this statement, and the distinct urge to wag the tail he hadn't been able to produce yet. Remus then reached behind the tree and grabbed another package, giving it to his friend. "This one is from me."

"Oh, Moony, you shouldn't have," Sirius said with a faux-coy smile. He ripped off the paper, and underneath found a rectangular black leather case with his initials embroidered in gold. He unzipped it revealing a broom maintenance kit, complete with handle polish, a bristle straightener, and a guide for proper care and repair spells. "Moony…" he breathed. "This is fantastic."

Remus flushed and scratched at the back of his neck. "I know how much you love your broom, so I thought you might need it."

Sirius zipped the case back up and looked at Remus, his chest swelling in affection. It was all he could do not to kiss him, but he did lean in and hug him tightly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Remus returned the embrace, arms winding around Sirius's torso. He was given a quick whiff of the dark-haired boy's scent, making his heart flutter as his mind was transported back to Slughorn's classroom nearly a year prior. This had been happening ever since that night in detention, and it was becoming troubling. He didn't know why his mind had connected the smell to that specific incident when there were other memorable moments in which he'd been exposed to the scent.

Even still, Remus enjoyed the closeness of that moment, and held onto Sirius longer than he should have. The other boy didn't pull away either, so they were both content to stay in the embrace. Remus had felt a distance slowly growing between them over the past two months, Sirius choosing more and more to spend time meditating than with him or the rest of their friends. While he knew that the other was dedicated to completing his Animagus transformation, he wasn't making any progress with almost daily meditation, and this had Remus concerned.

As they finally pulled apart with reluctance, Remus reached out to touch Sirius's shoulder. "Pads…Are you okay?"

Sirius tilted his head in confusion. "Why do you ask that?"

"Well…lately you've been keeping to yourself and I just thought…Has something happened that you're not telling me?"

Remus's amber eyes were warm with concern, and Sirius could feel a familiar emotional ache. He wished he could just come clean, but he had no plans of ruining his favorite holiday and his friendship all at once by doing that. "I guess I'm just stressed over the stupid Animagus thing," he half-lied. It had been bothering him that, especially since he'd been running off more and more to do so, his meditation hadn't resulted in much progress. "I thought we'd be done by now."

The werewolf smiled softly, thankfully believing that this was the cause of his odd behavior. "You're doing the best you can. You can't forget that this is incredibly advanced magic and you're doing it underage." He let his hand slide down Sirius's arm in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. "You've still got time before the year is up. Just be patient."

Sirius sighed, leaning back a little with his hands behind himself for support. "It's more than that. I hate thinking about you ripping yourself apart every month." Another true statement.

"I've been transforming for nine years now. I think I can handle a few more months if it means I could have relief for the rest of my life."

"You wouldn't have to wait as long if the book actually had decent information about meditating," Sirius grumbled. "I don't even know if I'm doing it right." Indeed, the section of the book dedicated to Animagi stopped abruptly after describing the barest details about the meditation requirement.
"Mum has some books on Eastern magic. Maybe they would help," Remus suggested.

"At this point, I'll take all the help I can get." Sirius shook his head and sat up straighter. "Let's talk about something else. I don't want to be bummed out on Christmas." He reached under the tree and pulled out his gift to Remus, handing it over. "Here. I hope you like it."

Remus took the package and Sirius watched with baited breath as he pulled off the wrapping. Underneath was a soft, midnight blue scarf with sparkling silver flecks of different size and brightness. Remus lifted the garment out to unfold it, finding it longer than his arm span. There were matching blue tassels at either end. "Sirius, this is gorgeous," he said as he caressed the cashmere. "This must have been really expensive."

"Yeah, kinda," Sirius admitted with a small laugh. "But once I saw it I had to get it. I can't help associating you with the night sky."

Remus's lips curled into a grim smile. "So nice to know that the night sky makes you think about how I change into a monster every month." At Sirius's horrified expression he chuckled and shook his head. "I'm joking. I know you don't mean it that way."

Sirius swatted playfully at him, glad that Remus wasn't offended. "It kind of works like the Great Hall ceiling," he said in reference to the scarf. "But I made sure that I got one with a part of the sky that the moon wouldn't ever pass through." He knew that the other boy wouldn't want something that was essentially a countdown clock to the days he dreaded the most.

Remus looked down at the scarf again, touched at Sirius's thoughtfulness. He wrapped it around his neck. "I love it." In fact, he felt a lot of love welling in his chest, and he leaned in for another hug, squeezing Sirius more tightly than before.

Sirius beamed, hugging him back, but this one was cut short when they heard a scratching sound. The boys pulled apart to see an owl that they didn't recognize waiting outside. Remus stood and opened the window to let it fly in. The bird perched on his shoulder, extending its leg which held a small package and a letter. He untied the string holding the items on and the owl flew back out into the cold December sky.

"Who's it from?" Sirius asked, standing up and walking towards Remus to peer over his shoulder. Although he had a sinking feeling that he already knew. Remus opened the note.

Re,

Happy Christmas! I hope you're having a wonderful holiday. I thought of you when I saw this because I always hear your friends calling you Moony. I really hope that you like it.

I'll be missing you this week,

Mary

Remus folded the letter up so he could open the gift. It was a small jewelry box, in which rested a gold chain with a crescent moon charm. He smiled warmly. "I hadn't expected her to send me a gift. That was nice of her," he said, taking it out to examine it more closely.

"Yeah, if you like necklaces," Sirius muttered, moving away. He'd hoped to escape all reminders of the relationship which was the bane of his existence. Unfortunately, being home for the holidays didn't equate to a temporary breakup.

"You wear a necklace," Remus reminded him, and Sirius tugged his shirt up a bit unconsciously to cover the chain of Regulus's locket.

"But the charm is the moon. You hate the moon," Sirius said.

"It's a crescent moon for one, which is totally harmless," Remus argued. "And she doesn't know, she just hears you, James, and Peter saying Moony all the time, so what else is she supposed to think but that I like it." He removed Sirius's scarf and clipped the necklace around his neck. Then as he replaced the scarf, something dawned on him. "You're not jealous, are you?"

Sirius's skin didn't know whether to pale or warm, and so he felt hot and sick at the same time. "J-Jealous? Jealous of what?" he asked.

Remus gave him a teasing grin. "You are." Sirius wanted to throw up. "Siri, I told you I love your gift. I don't like Mary's any more than yours just because she's my girlfriend. As far as I'm concerned, they match pretty well together."

Sirius thought he might faint, he was so relieved. "Right. My gift," he said, more than willing to take Remus's misunderstanding as a win. "For the record, I'm not jealous," he added, flipping back his hair. "I just think my gift is better because I picked it out." Remus rolled his eyes fondly. Crisis averted.

Just then there were footsteps on the stairs as Remus's parents joined them. "Happy Christmas, lads," John said. "I see you've wasted no time as usual."

"Did you like your gifts?" Frida asked.

"They're amazing," Sirius said, Remus's mouth hanging open as he was cut off. The dark-haired boy laughed. "Sorry, Moony. I can't help wanting to steal your parents for myself."

"They seem quite pleased to have you as a son," Remus said wryly. "Half the time they're asking about you in their letters to me. I don't know why I bother coming home anymore."

Frida giggled and kissed Remus's forehead, which wasn't too hard for her as she was only a few inches shorter than him. "Now, now, love. Be nice to your little brother," she teased. Then she noticed his new accessories. "Oh, these are lovely. Sirius, you went overboard."

Sirius's smile fell imperceptibly. "I only got the scarf. The necklace is from Mary."
John raised a brow. "Mary who?" Remus instantly flushed and he shot Sirius a glare just as his mother caught on.

"Oh, Remus, you have a girlfriend? That's wonderful!" She hugged him excitedly. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"It didn't come up," he said, still red in the face as he pulled away.

Frida was grinning proudly, however, so pleased to hear that her son was in a relationship. "I want to know everything about her."

"Mum…" Remus was so warm in the face he might have been able to cook the Christmas roast.

"Oh, alright. I'll just ask Sirius." She turned her gaze on the other boy. "What's she like? Is she pretty? Smart? Does she play Quidditch?"

Sirius's expression was becoming more and more crestfallen, even as he tried to maintain a façade of enjoyment at ribbing Remus for his relationship. "Oh yeah, she's lovely," he said on a sigh. Frida's eager smile faded at this, and then her green eyes widened marginally.

"Well…Maybe I should wait and form my own opinions if I get to meet her," she said. "John, why don't you start breakfast? Boys, you should change before the family gets here. I'm going to get to a little dusting." Frida pulled out her wand and waved it at a feather duster, directing it to the mantle, while the males of the house did as she said.

As Sirius walked up the stairs behind Remus, thankful to escape the conversation, he caught Mrs. Lupin looking at him in the corner of his eye. He paused and turned his head to meet her gaze. She gave him a gentle, understanding smile. He could feel a tightness in his chest, but he smiled back in appreciation, and then continued up the stairs.