A/N My beta edited this for me and then I read it through and decided it wasn't good enough. I've since made a lot of changes and added an extra 300 words. So any mistakes you find are totally my fault and nothing to do with my beta, who is utterly amazing.

Friday, 17th December 1971, 6:00 pm

Two hours after James left the note for Dumbledore, Remus and the other Marauders took their seats in the Great Hall. James was still pouting about his pink robes, but the anticipation of the event to come seemed to take the edge off his bad mood. Though, he kept scowling at Sirius, which was entertaining. James refused to believe that Remus had anything to do with it.

The noise level was deafening, the students were in high spirits with the end of term and the excitement of presents to come, but it had been two weeks since the full moon, so his ears weren't as sensitive as they had been at Halloween. He might actually be able to enjoy himself. Hagrid had outdone himself with the decorations. Twelve enormous Christmas trees adorned the Great Hall—thankfully there was still plenty of room for their ice sculptures—and mistletoe and holly were spread throughout the castle. Professor Flitwick had enchanted the suits of armour to sing Christmas carols. James and Sirius had asked him if he could work out how to change the words, but he hadn't tried very hard at that assignment before informing them he couldn't do it. He'd been concerned about what words they might choose instead.

When Dumbledore entered and took his seat, they all watched him closely. He raised an eyebrow when he spotted the note, and they saw him pick it up and open it. A few moments passed as he read before he smiled and glanced out at the students, giving a very tiny nod.

He would do it.

As the Feast wore on his friends became more and more jittery. By the time dessert appeared, they were balls of nervous energy.

'Will you three calm down, you're going to give us away,' Remus whispered, leaning across the table.

'What if we messed something up?' Peter said.

Remus shook his head. 'We didn't. Everything will go according to plan. You know how much we practised. Stop worrying.'

When everyone was finished with dessert and the tables were cleaned of dishes, Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat. Throughout the hall, heads turned to look at him and silence fell.

'Now that we are all fed and watered, I have a few end-of-term notices. The train will leave Hogsmeade station at eleven o'clock. Everyone who is going home for the holidays, and those that wish to see them off, must be ready in the Entrance Hall at ten. The return train will leave Kings Cross at eleven o'clock on Saturday, the first.' He paused and picked up the Marauders note from the table. 'I have also received a mysterious note. It's from the people who call themselves the Hogwarts Marauders—-'

Dumbledore was interrupted by cheering, foot-stamping and hooting. He calmly waited for the students to settle down before he continued.

'I will read it to you: Dear Professor Dumbledore. We have prepared an evening of revelry as a Christmas gift to the school. We did not wish to interrupt the delicious feast, so lovingly crafted by our beloved house-elves, and so we ask if you would kindly begin the evening's festivities at the appropriate time. Before you say the phrase at the bottom of this note, please ask all the students to gather in the middle of the room. We assure you that we have accounted for every safety precaution.' Professor Dumbledore looked up from the note. 'And then they've signed it, lots of love and a Happy Christmas from The Hogwarts Marauders. Isn't that sweet?'

The hall erupted with laughter.

James looked at him and Sirius, aghast. 'We didn't write "lots of love," did we?'

'No,' Sirius said, laughing. 'He's trying to embarrass us.'

Remus chuckled. 'Sneaky. He'll have to try harder than that to figure out who we are.'

'So, if you could all follow the instructions and gather in the middle of the room,' Dumbledore said when the noise had died down.

When everyone was in position, Dumbledore clapped his hands together and said in a booming voice, 'Let's get this party started, my dudes!'

The Marauders—along with most of the students—burst out laughing. They had only written, "let's get this party started." Dumbledore was such a good sport.

The first thing to happen was three enormous bowls of water and four crystal balls appearing on each of the House tables. The students all glanced at each other, confused. The bowls, ever so slowly, floated into the air and to the edges of the room, landing gently and not spilling a single drop of water. The crystal balls soared up high until they were near the ceiling. They began to spin fast and coloured lights blazed to life inside them, sending moving, multi-coloured rays spinning and darting around the room.

Next, the water in the bowls rose into the air, twisting itself into different shapes as it changed colour, and hardened to ice. There were three crimson and gold lions, three blue and bronze eagles, three yellow and black badgers and three green and silver snakes, all in different poses. With their burdens lifted, the House tables moved themselves to the edges of the room. Once in place, they filled with an array of finger foods and large bowls of fruit punch.

The floor changed, beginning in the corners of the room and sweeping towards the centre to meet in the middle, under the feet of the watching students. The bare stone became a shining wooden dance floor.

As warm, dry, enchanted snow started falling from the ceiling—appearing multi-coloured as the individual flakes were caught in the strobe lights from the spinning crystal balls—loud, thrumming music echoed from the surrounding walls.

Everyone waited a moment to make sure the changes were finished, before breaking out in a round of applause and spreading out to explore.

Remus looked around. Everyone was smiling, some were already dancing to the music, others were admiring the ice sculptures. Still more were helping themselves to fruit punch. The teachers were milling about, keeping an eye on everyone. Dumbledore had sat back down in his throne chair. When Remus met his eye, he beckoned.

He walked over, a little nervous to speak to the headmaster.

'Mister Lupin. It's good to see you joining us in the Great Hall for meals. Have you overcome your fear?'

Remus shook his head. 'No, sir, but I have very good friends who help me.'

'That's wonderful news,' Dumbledore said with a smile. 'Friends are what make life worth living, I find.'

'Yes, sir,' Remus said.

Professor Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and gave him a meaningful look. 'Have you told them?'

Remus' eyebrows shot up as his eyes widened. 'No! Of course not.'

'Don't be so quick to judge your friends unworthy of your trust, Mister Lupin. Mister Potter comes from quite a liberal family. He may surprise you. And Mister Black, well, he does not, but he seems determined to be the complete opposite of his ancestors.'

Remus frowned. 'But, you said I mustn't tell.'

Dumbledore inclined his head. 'I did. But if the time comes when you feel your friends can be trusted, then it is not up to me to stop you. It's your secret to keep or to share, not mine. However, I do ask that you let me know in advance. It may be necessary for me to… Intervene.'

Remus nodded. 'Yes, sir,' he said. Though he had no intention of telling his friends anything. It just wasn't worth the risk.

'The reason I called you over here, though,'—Professor Dumbledore leant forward and spoke quietly—'was that I was hoping you would give me the incantation for this rather delightful snow. I want to make it a permanent part of the Christmas decorations.'

'Sir?' Remus asked, hoping he could bluff his way out.

'Oh, don't look so worried, Mister Lupin. Yes, I know you and your friends are the Marauders. You'll find very little gets past me. No, I won't tell anyone as long as you continue to be responsible with your mischief. I quite enjoy your displays. They show a lot of skill for ones so young.'

Remus didn't know what to say. It was so unexpected. 'Thank you, sir?' he said at last, but it came out sounding like a question.

'You can thank me by giving me the spell,' Dumbledore said with a wink, his eyes twinkling.

Remus gave him the incantation for the spell and returned to his friends to tell them what happened, minus the part about his lycanthropy. They moved to a secluded corner of the Hall to speak privately.

'So, he knows, but he's okay with it? We're not in trouble, and we don't have to stop?' James asked.

'Basically. Yes,' Remus said.

James grinned. 'Brilliant.'

'What are you four doing whispering behind the Christmas tree?' Lily asked, appearing before them as if she'd learnt to apparate. 'I hope you're not planning to ruin this dance The Marauders organised. Why can't you be more like them? They don't hurt people.'

James opened his mouth, but Sirius jumped in front of him and Peter grabbed the back of James' robes and tugged him away.

'Hello, Evans, we were just discussing the best way to get a Christmas gift to Snivellus. You wouldn't know his address, would you? We bought him a bottle of shampoo that's designed for extra-greasy hair.'

'Oh, you are horrid.' She turned away but glanced back over her shoulder at James. 'Nice robes, Potter,' she said sarcastically, looking him up and down. 'They suit you.' She tossed her hair over her shoulder before disappearing into the throng of dancing students.

'What did you do that for?' James asked after she left.

'You were about to tell her,' Sirius said.

James crossed his arms. 'Do you have no faith in me?'

Sirius shook his head with a smirk. 'Not when it comes to Evans, no.'

James scowled at him and then glanced down at his robes. 'Do these robes really suit me?'

'No, mate. She was taking the piss,' Sirius said, laughing.

James turned to Remus. 'What do you think?'

James really could be dense at times. Did he really not recognise sarcasm? 'She was making fun of you.'

'Are you sure?'

'Yes!' all three of them said at the same time.

'Alright, no need to shout,' James said.

The next morning, the dorm was a wasteland of clothes as James and Peter frantically packed for the Christmas holiday, having left the job until the very last minute. Sirius lounged on his bed, feeling quite smug as he watched them race around the room, searching for their belongings. He glanced over at Remus, who was lying on his own bed reading a book and ignoring the commotion in the room entirely. Sirius envied him that ability.

'Sirius! Have you seen my robes? You know, the ones with the nice stitching?' James asked, searching through the mess of clothes on the floor.

'Nope,' Sirius said.

'We really need to get you two some muggle clothes,' Remus said without looking up from his book.

James looked up and frowned. 'Why? What's wrong with robes?'

Remus lowered his book and eyed James. 'Nothing is wrong with them. Muggle clothes just have so much more variety.'

James' eyebrows knit together for a moment before his expression brightened. 'We can go shopping in the summer when you guys come to my house,' he said. 'You and Peter can teach me and Sirius how to dress like muggles.'

Sirius pictured his mother's face if she saw him dressed like a muggle. She'd be furious. 'I'm in,' he said, grinning.

Once James and Peter had finished packing, Sirius and Remus helped them carry their trunks down to the Entrance Hall and waited for the teachers to arrive. It was crowded. Around three-quarters of the school seemed to be going home, which was perfect for their plans. The quieter the castle was, the easier it would be to sneak around.

The Heads of Houses arrived to escort the students to Hogsmeade station, and there was a lot of noise and commotion as they all boarded the carriages, which were being pulled by the creepiest-looking horses he had ever seen in his life. They were skeletal and had soulless white eyes that seemed to look right through him.

'What the hell are they?' Sirius asked with a shudder.

James frowned at him. 'Carriages…'

'No, the things pulling the carriages.'

'There's nothing pulling them, Sirius. Are you feeling okay?' James looked at him with concern.

James couldn't see them? He looked at Remus, but he just shrugged. Could nobody else see them? What if he was going mad? Was this the start of the famous Black insanity? Sirius decided just to ignore the things for now and worry about it later.

'Yeah, must have been a trick of the light or something. It's gone now,' he said.

They boarded a carriage and trundled down to Hogsmeade station. Sirius hugged James and Peter goodbye, and Remus just waved. They both promised to uphold the good name of the Marauders over the holidays and waved the train off as it left.

Remus waited until they were once again alone in the carriage before he broached the subject. Sirius was grateful for that, but he wished he wouldn't ask at all.

'What's pulling the carriages?'

Sirius refused to meet Remus' eyes. 'I told you, it was nothing. I was seeing things.'

Remus sat forward in his seat. 'Don't give me that rubbish. What's pulling the carriages, and why can't the rest of us see them?'

He looked eager and excited, like they had discovered some great mystery that needed solving. Remus was such a nerd.

'You believe there's something pulling them then?'

Remus shrugged. 'Of course. If you say you see something, I believe you.'

Sirius got a funny feeling in his chest, which he chose to ignore.

'So what do they look like?' Remus asked.

'Like horses with wings, but skeletal. And they have big white eyes.' Sirius shuddered again when he remembered the eyes.

'Interesting.' Remus sat back in his seat and rubbed his chin. 'I'll have to do some research, see if I can find anything about them. I wonder why you can see them and the rest of us can't.'

Sirius sat up straight. 'Oh no, you don't. You're not spending all holiday in the library. We have plans.'

Remus waved his hand. 'I'll just check out some books and read them while you're painting. Or did you think I was just going to sit there and admire you?'

Sirius laughed. 'Well, obviously. I'm so pretty,' he said, tossing his head to flip his hair around. 'Why wouldn't you want to sit and admire me for hours on end?'

Remus chuckled. 'Oh, I don't know. Boredom?'

'Boredom? How could you be bored with me around?'

He never got to hear Remus' response because at that moment the carriage rattled to a stop outside Hogwarts. The Christmas holiday had officially begun.

Remus immediately disappeared off to the library to look for books about selectively invisible magical horses but promised he wouldn't be long. So he headed to the common room to wait for him and take advantage of the lack of students by grabbing the best seat in the room. Right in front of the fire. He sat down at one end of the squishy crimson sofa and swung his legs up, lying back with his head on the arm.

Sirius was looking forward to having some decent time alone with Remus to properly get to know him. He had been such an important fixture in his mind for most of his life, and he more than lived up to expectations. Remus was brilliant, kind, brave and strong. Maybe in a different way to how he'd imagined, but that was irrelevant. The lycanthropy didn't matter to him. What mattered was how Remus handled it. And he handled it with a quiet strength that left him in awe. He only wished he could do more to help.

When Remus returned from the library carrying a great stack of thick, heavy books which Sirius hastened to assist him with, they decided to go out in search of the Hufflepuff common room. James had left the invisibility cloak for them to use and they took it with them in case they found something. They had noticed the Hufflepuffs heading for the dungeons at the end of the day, so they wandered down to the lower levels.

They searched for two hours with no luck before stopping by the kitchen for a bite to eat. The house-elves were happy to see them and plied them with sandwiches and cake until they could eat no more. They thanked the elves and left, continuing their search for a couple more hours before deciding to call it a day. They returned to Gryffindor tower disheartened but not defeated. They were sure they would find it soon.

After dinner, Sirius collected his art set from the dorm and Remus grabbed his books before they walked the short distance to the beach-room and settled down on the sand. He set up his easel and removed one of the tiny enchanted canvases from the packet. Holding his palm out flat with the canvas in the middle, he tapped it with his wand and watched as it expanded to full-size, before placing it on the easel, ready to begin.

Sirius worked steadily for an hour, transferring the scene before him to the canvas. He used his motion paint to bring the gently lapping waves to life and the colour changing paints to match the ever-changing colours of the sunset. He was just putting the finishing touches on the likeness of Remus—sitting on the sand with a pile of books beside him, his back to the viewer, his head bent over a thick volume, ignoring the beauty of the sight before him—when Remus glanced up.

'I think I've found something.'

'One minute, I just need to…' Sirius said, the tip of his tongue poking out from between his lips as he concentrated on getting the curls of Remus' tawny hair just right. 'There.' He stood back and admired the effect. It was magnificent, even if he said so himself.

Remus stood and brushed the sand off his ass. 'Is it finished? Can I see?'

Sirius nodded, and Remus walked over and gasped.

'It's beautiful,' he said, before cocking his head to the side. 'Did you have to put me in it, though?'

'Yes,' he said with a firm nod. 'Yes, I did. You make the picture complete.' He turned to face Remus. 'I want to do one with each of us. And then one with all four of us together.'

'That's a nice idea,' Remus said.

He grinned. 'Anyway, what did you find?'

Remus opened the book he was holding and showed him a sketch of the skeletal horses he'd seen pulling the carriages that morning.

'That's it,' Sirius said, staring at the page. 'That's what I saw. So I'm not crazy then?'

Remus sat down on the sand, and he sat down next to him.

'No, you're not crazy,' Remus said. 'They're called thestrals, and they can only be seen by those that have seen death and accepted it.'

He frowned. 'What does that mean?'

'Basically, it means you have to have seen someone die, have been deeply affected by the death and then come to terms with it.'

'I don't remember seeing anyone die,' he said.

Remus stared out at the ocean for a few moments, apparently thinking. 'It could have been an animal,' he said eventually. 'One that you really loved?'

'Snuffles,' he whispered, staring at his hands.

Remus turned to look at him. 'Pardon?'

Oh, gods, that story would really bring down the mood. Best to say it as simply as possible. 'I used to have a dog, Snuffles. My mother killed him to punish me. I watched him die.'

Remus covered his mouth with his hands. 'Merlin, Sirius. That's horrible. I'm so sorry,' he said. He lowered his hands. 'I wish I'd been there to help you.'

Sirius smiled sadly at him. 'You were there. In my head, kicking the bitch in the shin. You did help.'

Remus nodded. 'I'm glad,' he said.

They sat in silence for a while, staring out at the waves breaking on the shore. He had no idea how long it had been when Remus checked his watch and jumped to his feet. 'We better go, it's almost curfew.'

They gathered everything up and returned to the dorm. Sirius hung his painting on the wall between his and Remus's beds and stood back to admire it.

'It looks fantastic,' Remus said, coming to stand beside him.

'Thanks.' Sirius grinned at Remus before walking to his bed and lying down with his arms behind his head.

Remus followed him. 'Scoot over.'

Sirius shuffled over to make room, and Remus laid down next to him on his side.

They were quiet for a minute before Remus broke the silence. 'It sounds like you had a pretty shitty childhood.'

Sirius snorted. 'That's an understatement.'

'I can relate,' Remus said. 'I didn't have that great a time before coming to Hogwarts either.'

Sirius turned onto his side to face him. Was he going to tell him? 'No? How come?'

'I don't think it was as bad as yours. I at least have my mum, and I know she loves me. But I'm pretty sure my dad hates me. He never speaks to me unless I ask him a question, and then he answers with as few words as possible.'

'I know how that feels,' Sirius said.

'I never went anywhere either. I didn't know anyone except my family. You guys are my first friends. That's probably why I'm a little weird.'

'You're mine too. Except for Reggie. And you're not weird. You're perfect.'

Remus reddened and ducked his head, much to Sirius' satisfaction. It was getting harder to make him blush. Remus was getting used to him.

Remus was quiet for a minute. 'I'm not perfect. But it's nice that you think so.'

He was thinking about his lycanthropy again, Sirius was sure of it. Maybe a little nudge…

'What's wrong with you then?'

Remus rolled onto his back and stared up at the canopy. He could almost see him thinking, and he held his breath. Not even daring to hope.

'I can't tell you,' Remus said after a few minutes had passed in silence.

'You don't trust me enough,' Sirius said quietly. Remus opened his mouth, but he didn't give him the chance to argue. 'It's fine. I get it. We've not been friends for long.' He paused. 'But I want you to know that, whatever it is, nothing could be bad enough to make me stop being your friend.'

Remus turned back onto his side and searched his face. Sirius did his best to look as sincere as possible.

'You really believe that, don't you?' Remus asked, sounding surprised.

'Right down to my soul,' he said, placing a hand on his heart. Please tell me, please tell me, please tell me he chanted mentally, begging with his eyes.

Remus rolled back onto his back. 'Maybe I'll tell you one day,' he said, at last, his voice quiet. Then he added in an even quieter voice as if speaking to himself, 'Maybe you'll even be right.'

He tried not to be too disappointed. But if Remus didn't tell him soon, he might get fed up with waiting.

It took them another two days of searching before they found the Hufflepuff's common room, under a pile of barrels in a shadowy recess near the kitchens. They were first suspicious when he tapped one of the barrels with his wand as they passed by and got soaked with a shower of vinegar. After both of them had received multiple vinegar showers courtesy of the barrels, they decided to lurk there under the cloak and wait to see if anyone turned up.

They were waiting for nearly an hour and on the verge of giving up when a third-year Hufflepuff arrived and tapped one of the barrels in a distinct pattern: tap, tap, rat-a-tap. Sirius and Remus grinned at each other in triumph. They crept away to return later that night, while everyone was sleeping.

Letters sent during the first week of the Christmas holidays

Saturday, 18th December

Sirius and Remus,

I hope you're having fun at Hogwarts. I asked Mum about having you all over in the summer and she said yes! We need to pick a date; I was thinking around half-way through the holiday? I asked about the shopping trip too, and she said she would drop us in Diagon Alley and we could explore muggle London! I'm so excited! You can probably tell.

It's nice to be home, but I miss you guys. Write back and tell me all your news!

James

Saturday, 18th December

Peter,

I hope you're having fun at home. I asked Mum about having you all over in the summer and she said yes! We need to pick a date; I was thinking around half-way through the holiday? I asked about the shopping trip too, and she said she would drop us in Diagon Alley and we could explore muggle London! I'm so excited! You can probably tell.

It's nice to be home, but I miss you guys. Write back and tell me all your news!

James

Sunday, 19th December

James,

Not much news here yet. I painted a picture of the sunset for the dorm. It has Remus in it being a nerd—

I wasn't being a nerd!

Sorry, Remus snatched the quill. As I was saying, it has Remus in it being a nerd, and I want to do four more. One with each of us, and one with all four of us. Remus is trying to grab the quill ag—

Hi, James, I wasn't being a nerd; I was reading because watching Sirius paint is bor—-

Watching me paint is not BORING! I'm excited your mum said yes about the sleepover and the shopping trip. I can't wait to get some proper muggle clothes. Mother will have a fit.

Write again soon!

Sirius and Remus

Sunday, 19th December

To James, Sirius and Remus,

I'm just going to duplicate this, so I addressed it to all of you. I got home yesterday, and I'm already bored. Mum is making me help her clean the whole house to get ready for our relatives coming for Christmas. They're all muggles, so I can't talk about magic at all. I don't know what I'm going to say if they ask me about school.

My mum said I can come for the sleepover as long as it's not the day of my birthday. She wants me home for that.

Wish me luck with the muggle relatives,

Peter

Monday, 20th December

Peter,

That sucks! I can't imagine not being able to talk about magic. That must be so hard. I'm wishing you lots and lots of luck. I'm getting pretty bored too. I never realised before how quiet my house is. I don't have anything else interesting to say, so I'm going to sign off now.

From one bored guy to another,

James

Monday, 20th December

To The Marauders Chief Potioneer,

We found it! We found the Hufflepuff common room! Mission back-to-school-surprise begins tonight.

The Marauders Chief Artist and Chief Researcher & Safety Monitor

Monday, 20th December

To The Marauders Chief Imaginator,

We found it! We found the Hufflepuff common room! Mission-back-to-school-surprise begins tonight!

From,

The Marauders Chief Artist and Chief Researcher & Safety Monitor

Monday, 20th December

To James,

Remus and I have been very busy. We got soaked in vinegar, and we can't get rid of the smell no matter how hard we try. My hair is ruined! We've had two snowball fights, and I've painted another picture of the beach, the sunrise this time. Remus has been studying, he won't stop no matter how many times I tell him it's the holidays.

Missing you,

Sirius

Hi James,

I haven't been studying that much, only a little. Sirius forgot to tell you I won both of the snowball fights. He's insanely protective of his hair, and it puts him at a disadvantage. His paintings are lovely though. The new one has Sirius in it, staring out at the sea. It's very good.

Can't wait for you to come back and take this maniac off my hands.

Remus

Wednesday 22nd December

Sirius and Remus,

Sorry I couldn't write back yesterday. My parents threw a party, and I had to be present. I'm sure you know how that is, Sirius. I can't believe you found it! No. That's wrong, I can believe it because you're both amazing. How is the mission going?

ITS NEARLY CHRISTMAS!

That is all,

James

P.S. How did you get soaked in vinegar?

Wednesday, 22nd December

Peter,

Haven't heard back from you. Hope you haven't died from too much cleaning.

James

Thursday, 23rd December

James,

The mission is going well. We will complete the last phase tonight. You have my deepest sympathies on the parental party nightmare. I'm glad to hear you survived the ordeal. The vinegar soaking was related to the very secret discovery. We'll tell you all about it when you get back.

IT'S EVEN MORE NEARLY CHRISTMAS.

Sirius

Hi James,

Sirius is driving me crazy. Come back soon.

That is all,

Remus

A/N To the person who left an amazing review as a guest so I couldn't respond. Your review blew me away. Thank you so much. I screenshotted it and sent it to all my friends XD And I wasn't offended at all, so don't worry. Honestly, I was floating on cloud nine for days :D