Disclaimer: See Prologue

A/N: Christmas is truly in the air. The Cocacola ad is on TV!

"What's he doing?"

Harry stared disconcertedly at the photograph of his father surrounded by several small children wearing towels.

"Ah, he came to visit me at work," said Lupin, smiling fondly.

"Well, what were you doing?" asked Harry, appalled.

Lupin laughed. "I was teaching drama if you must know. We were rehearsing for the St. Braithwaite's Annual Nativity."

"St. Braithwaite's?" Harry repeated. He was fairly sure it was a school that had been mentioned before Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon settled on Smelting's for their portly little cherub. "Isn't that a private school in London?"

Lupin nodded. "I had a contact who got me the job in with the infants. I wouldn't have been allowed anywhere near the secondary education end of the spectrum where what you teach actually matters. I ended up teaching drama to seven year olds."

"And my Dad, evidently."

Sirius snorted. "He looks like a right pervert."

And Harry, though loathe to do so, had to agree.

December 1978

"Thus spake the Seraph and forthwith appeared a shining throng, Of angels praising God who thus-"

James peered around the door. "Am I disturbing you? You said to come at three."

Lupin glanced at his watch. "James, did you remember to put your watch back the hour?"

James Potter frowned. "No. When should I have done that?"

Lupin raised an eyebrow. "At the end of October. It's four now and I'm working."

James closed the door behind him. "It looks cool. Was that you singing?"

Lupin blushed. "Shut up."

"What are you working on?"

"The school play."

James' face lit up. "Really? That's amazing. What is it?"

Lupin glanced around the stable set at the choir of angels, at the several young boys draped in towels and carrying toy lambs, at the three kings who clutched their gifts nervously as though their teacher's visitor was about to steal them, at the little girl dressed all in blue peering into a manger at a surprisingly life-like doll. "It's Guys and Dolls, James."

"Sarcastic dick."

Lupin glared. "Language. If these kids go home and start calling things 'dicks', I will be personally executed by the Queen. These children grow up to be Prime Ministers."

James frowned. "All of them?"

"Shut up." He cleared his throat and turned back to his class. "Children, this is Mr. Potter. He is the…um…he's a talent scout."

At once the little girl playing Mary sat up straight and batted her eyelashes.

"Can I help at all?" asked James. "I love acting."

Lupin, though dubious, nodded. "Here's the script. You can read in for the Inn Keeper. He's got chicken pox."

James began to scratch at his face and Lupin sighed, world-weary.

"The child, not the character."

"Oh…right. Sorry. Okay, um…"

Lupin began to direct twenty small children exceptionally well. Ever organised, he had assigned them all positions and they busily began to shift the set.

Lupin smirked. "Twenty innocent, sweetly stupid people to do my every bidding and you wondered why I wanted to be a teacher?" He clapped his hands together. "Well done. Okay, Mary and Joseph, positions please."

James grimaced. They were all taking this very seriously. "Right…where am I?"

"Page four," said Mary.

"Okay…So…" He licked his dry lips. "Hello, young sir and madam."

"Have you any room?"

"No." He stared down at the page. "Do I have to sing this solo or not?"

Lupin grinned and shook his head. "I won't subject the children to that. Just carry on."

Joseph, downhearted, sighed sadly. "But my fiancée is heavy with child."

"I have a stable. It's not much, but it's warm."

Mary and Joseph plodded off to the stable and James made a face. "It's not really working, is it?"

Lupin smiled. "Can we do that again? Would you mind?"

"Have you any room?"

James leant on the little wooden door and Lupin winced as it creaked, but it held.

"Sure. Here are the keys for 109. Don't mind the noise. I've got some Shepherds in. They keep ordering pie on room service. Shall I park your donkey for you, sir?"

Lupin and three of the angels were in hysterics. Mary looked as though she had never been so outraged in her life.

CLICK!

"Sir," said one of the Shepherds, "can we keep him?"

Lupin rolled his eyes. "Jacob will be wanting his part back."

"But, Sir, Jacob's a dick."