Christmas at the Potters'

Sirius Black and Remus Lupin Apparated together outside of Godric's Hollow. It was December 25, 1980, Christmas Day. It was snowing heavily outside, but the walk leading up to the Potters' front door was clear thanks to a snow repelling charm. 'Must be Lily's handiwork,' thought Sirius to himself. 'Good thing too, I wouldn't fancy having to lug all these presents around in three feet of snow.'

This being young Harry's first Christmas, Sirius thought, as Harry's godfather he was obliged to spend galleons on the little tyke. All the gifts for his godson, plus his four best friends added up to quite the load.

"Need some help with those?" came a familar voice as Lily Potter opened the front door, Harry in one arm, and the other outstretched for the gifts.

"I told him to put a lightening charm on them..."

"No you didn't Remus!" cut in Sirius.

"Oh, didn't I?" asked Remus, his eyebrows raised. "I did as a matter of fact, but you were in too much of a rush to get here you didn't hear me."

"Humph!"

"That sounds like our Sirius," laughed Lily her green eyes twinkling. "Now, let's get inside, it's freezing out here!"

*

"Okay. Happy Christmas!"

"You too, bye James."

Inside the little cottage James Potter was sitting on the floor in front of the fire, having just talked to Peter.

"That was Wormtail," explained James as the others came in the room. "He can't make it. He says he has to go to his parents' place. Apparently Mr. and Mrs. Pettigrew have a special announcement to make and want everyone in the family to be there."

"Awww that's too bad," groaned Sirius and Remus in unison.

*

The four friends soon started decorating the tree. It looked absolutely marvelous with all the presents arranged around the base, enchanted fairies hidden in the branches, various Muggle ornaments, and a twinkling star at the top.

"Hey! Pass me the star, I get to put it on the top. After all, it is what I'm named after," said Sirius as he used the Wingardium Leviosa charm to place the star atop the Christmas tree. "Well, that's that, we're done!"

"It's beautiful!" exclaimed Lily as she took a step back to admire the tree. "It seems like it gets better every year, and this one just seems so...special! It must be the presence of this wonderful child here!" Harry giggled as his mother tickled him under the chin.

Everyone then sat down and the men started discussing the upcoming Quidditch World Cup, when a growling stomach was heard.

"Oh hold on, I'll be right back!" Lily said and she rushed into the kitchen.

Within a few minutes, Lily was back in the living room with a tray of cookies.

"Yum! I thought I smelt gingerbread!" exclaimed Sirius. "Mmm still warm too!" he finished, picking up a cookie, and shoving it in his mouth.

"Ah, the only way to keep him quiet, stuff his face with food," smiled Lily. She then sat down on the floor beside her husband. James put an arm around her, planted a kiss on her cheek, and proceeded to stuff a cookie into her mouth.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! I can't eat any of those! I still haven't lost the weight from when I was pregnant with Harry!" declared Lily through a mouth full of cookie which, reluclently, she swallowed, but not after playfully swatting James.

"What weight?" teased James. "If anything you lost weight while carrying Harry. Look at you! There's nothing to you! C'mon, eat up!"

"Ha ha, very funny," she replied dryly. "Ok, you two can stop laughing now," she directed toward Remus and Sirus who were trying to contain their laughter, but were failing miserably.

Once the chuckling subsided Lily said, "Well, I think its about time for presents. What do you think Harry, sweetie?"

Harry just squelled his cute little baby laugh as Remus handed him to Lily and ruffled the boy's jet black hair. "I take that as a 'yes,'" smiled Remus.

"Well," exclaimed Sirius as he jumped up from the couch, wiped the cookie crumbs off onto his forest green robes, and took a seat beside the tree that matched his robes perfectly, "I guess it's my turn to be Santa this year since Peter's not here." The four Marauders took turns handing out the gifts each year, and as it was Peter's turn this year, and he wasn't present, Sirius was next in line.

"Yeah, that's right. Oi, James could you throw that hat over to Padfoot?" asked Remus.

Sirius caught the red and white Santa hat his best friend had thrown to him and crammed it on top of his mop of dark brown hair. 'I love Christmas!' he thought.

Lily picked up a small rectangular package with shimmering paper that changed colour every few seconds and handed it to James. "I want to give this one to you guys, so Sirius you can sit back, relax and help open this one, considering it is for all three of you, and Peter of course. Merry Christmas."

James looked down at the box his wife had handed him and together, he and his two best friends ripped open their first gift of the afternoon. Inside were four tickets to..."THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP!! LILY! I thought they were sold out months ago! How did you...when...what?! Oh, Lily I love you!" Lily just smiled and blushed as James gave her a quick kiss.

"Same here!" shouted Siris. He embraced Lily in a bone-crushing hug, which only made her blush even harder. No matter how long she had known Sirius, she still felt odd getting hugs and kisses on the cheek from the most handsome and most popular boy in all her years at Hogwarts. As a young teenager (before James of course, whom she had loathed because of his constant torment of Snape, not that Sirius was much better), she was like most girls at Hogwarts, and had a little thing for the eldest Black child.

Lily was snapped back into reality, by the slighly tired, but still sweet and calm voice, of Remus Lupin. "Thanks Lil'. I'm sorry I'm not jumping up and down like those two," Remus nodded in the direction of the two other so-called-men in the room, who were bouncing up and down, shouting, and giving each other high fives, "but you know what time of month it is..." he finished with a small smile.

"Oh no, no don't worry about it Remus. I actually prefer the quiet thanks," Lily assured him. It was only a few days before the full moon a Remus was starting to get tired and a bit ill because of the approaching transformation.

"Now, to answer your questions James, the tickets are sold out, but I bought these ones awhile back, just after Harry was born. It is England vs. France for the title, and the game is next week. Now I think those are suitable answers, Sirius let's start handing out the rest."

"Ok," said Sirius whom was still smiling as he passed Remus a thin square gift, "this one is for you Remus, from Lily, James, and Harry."

Remus slowly tore open his gift, careful not to tear the paper. Once it was opened he looked up at Lily and James and smiled, but before he could thank them Sirius' confused voice sounded.

"'Little Red Riding Hood' and 'The Three Little Pigs?'" asked Sirius as he read the two books' titles over Remus' shoulder. "What are those? Hey! What's so funny?"

James, Lily, and Remus were rolling around on the floor clutching their stomachs in fits of laughter. "The look on your face!" gasped James as he pointed to the bewildered and utterly confused look on Sirius' face, "Priceless! Just priceless!'

"Ok, ok, guys calm down! Those are two Muggle children's books each with a 'bad guy' called 'The Big Bad Wolf'," explained Lily though she was still short of breath.

"Geez Padfoot, you would think you would pick up at least a few facts about Muggles during these 21 years of your life, especially being around a Muggle-born for the greater part of the last 5 years. I still say you should have taken Muggle Studies for at least one year. Did you learn nothing in that place you called home?" went on James.

"Ok, I get it. Let's not ruin the day by talking about my younger days in that hellhole."

*

In about two hours they had finished unwrapping all but one of the presents, a book shaped gift wrapped in..."silver and green?!? Slytherin colours?! Ok, not funny! Who's this from?!" demanded James as he looked around the room and then at the package in his hands with digust.

"What? You don't like it?" Lily asked in a fake sweet and concerned tone. James just scowled.

Inside was a big and fat, lengthy book called Household Charms for the Charming Husband. "I expect that book memorized and all the spells mastered by the time Harry's a year old. There are over 1,500 spells in there so you better get started," commented Lily as she tried to keep a straight face.

"What?! That only gives me like six months!"

"Shouldn't be hard for the top student in our graduating year, should it? And if it is, as I said before, you better get cracking."

James just picked up the heavy book and threw it aside, and instead picked up his son. He was about to seat baby Harry on the miniature broomstick Sirius had given Harry, when two hands came from the right and lifted the baby.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?! PUTTING HARRY ON A BROOM AT SIX MONTHS OLD AND TRYING TO TEACH HIM TO FLY!?! HE CAN'T EVEN WALK YET FOR GOD'S SAKE! AND YOU!" Lily pointed at Sirius, "GIVING A BABY A BROOM AT HIS AGE, WITH A FATHER YOU KNOW IS OBSESSIVE OVER QUIDDITCH! WHAT? ARE YOU TRYING TO GET YOUR GODSON KILLED?!"

"Whoa! Calm down woman!" pleaded Sirius, waving his wand, which had a small white flag he had conjured on the end. "We surrender, right Prongs?"

"Right," was the only reply and the two friends grinned at each other.

"We should have made Remus godfather you know! At least he knows responsibility," Lily said, continuing on with her tirade. She handed Harry to Remus, and James and Sirius started howling with laughter as Remus took Harry in his lap and began to read Little Red Riding Hood. There was only one reason why Remus and Sirius didn't share the godfatherly duties, and that was because of the laws referring to werewolves and guardianship over children.

*

Once the discussion about responsibility was done with, or rather Lily scolding Sirius and James for being irresponsible and saying how very disappointed she was with them both, especially the latter, it was time to go home. Before going upstairs to feed, and put Harry down for a nap, Lily gave Sirius and Remus a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Remus got a little longer, and tighter hug, "For the day after next," she whispered in his ear. Remus smiled gratefully and said goodbye as Lily disappeared up the stairs. 'No matter what the situation Lily just has a way of making everything feel better. It's a gift. That has got to be one of the things I love most about her,' thought Remus.

"Well, I'll be over on the twenty-seventh, so I guess I'll see you then. Have a nice Christmas," said James as he shook Sirius' and Remus' hand in turn and clapped them on the back.

"Yeah, see you then! Bye!" With that Sirius and Remus Disapparated back home to the flat they had shared for the past three years.