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small_giftsTitle: A Sickle For Your Thoughts
Author/Artist:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
flaminia_x
Recipient:shutupeccles
Rating: PG-13 for language
Contents or warnings (highlight to view): *none?*
Word count:~2600
Summary: The Marauders gather at James and Lily’s house to celebrate Harry’s first Christmas. But little did Remus and Sirius know that there were matchmakers afoot.
Notes: Hopped into this one a bit late, I did, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless, shutupeccles!
Lily bounced a gurgling Harry on one hip, humming Muggle Christmas carols under her breath as she stirred the gravy with her free hand.
“It’d be so much nicer if we could just use magic, isn’t that right, Harry?” she cooed, popping open the oven door to check the Christmas goose. The house smelled delicious. Harry cooed back, pointing at the browning bird.
“That’s right, love, that’s a goose, a proper Christmas goose for baby Harry’s first Christmas,” Lily said in a sing-song voice. “And if we’re lucky, your uncles will pull their heads out of their arses and –”
Just then, the back door burst open, snow flurrying in onto the kitchen floor.
“Moony! That’s my foot –”
“Come on, just push a bit harder, that’s it –”
“No, Peter, you have to wiggle it ‘round the other way –”
Lily sighed, pushing her hair back from her face with the back of her free hand. “It’s a good thing your father’s cute, dear,” she said to Harry as James fell onto the kitchen floor, the trunk of a gigantic Christmas tree landing right between his legs.
“Oi!” James gasped, reflexively cupping his hands over his bollocks. “That’s personal, that is!”
“Oh, come on, Prongs, you already have one sprog,” Sirius said mischievously, sticking his face inside the door.
“I still need them!” James cried. “Unlike you, you giant poof–”
“Prongs!” Sirius yelped, looking askance at Remus, who was stuck on the other side of the tree.
“Um, guys, can we maybe get the tree inside?” Peter’s muffled voice piped up. “It’s bloody cold out here.”
“Oh. Right!” Sirius said. “Come on, Moony, give it a good shove.”
“Yeah, Moony, give ‘im a good shove,” James needled, winking at Remus.
Remus narrowed his eyes at James and shook his head surreptitiously.
“Alright, you lot,” Lily laughed. “The baby’s getting cold. Tree in or tree out, but do it now.”
“Yes, mum,” James teased, beaming up at her and Harry. “Come on, boys! Time for Christmas!”
The four of them managed to shove the overly large tree in through the back door and into the living room, leaving only a small trail of detritus in their wake.
“I don’t care who it is,” Lily called after them, “but one of you is cleaning that up.”
“Yes, mum!” a chorus of voices rang out from the next room.
“Just think, Harry,” Lily whispered down at her son, “that lot are all considered adults!”
Harry babbled agreeably up at her, and she laughed, leaning down to kiss him on the forehead.
Remus poked his head into the kitchen. “Need any help in here?”
“A bit too much to handle, eh?” Lily laughed.
“Oh, no, they’re fine,” Remus smiled. “James and Pads are decorating.”
“You left Sirius and my husband to decorate the tree? Alone?” Lily gasped in mock fear. “Merlin, Remus, they’ll burn the house down.”
“Well, they’ve got Peter to help them,” Remus said.
“Is that supposed to be reassuring?” Lily said in a droll voice.
Remus rolled his eyes. “Good point,” he muttered. “Well, if you’re sure you don’t need any help, maybe I should check on him. Them. I mean them.”
“Remus, why don’t you just tell him?” Lily said softly.
The sandy-haired man stiffened. “Tell who … what, exactly?” he asked awkwardly.
She sighed. “Never mind. Go on, off with you, go make sure they haven’t broken the house.”
Remus exhaled and smiled. “Alright. Give a yell if you need anything!”
Lily stirred the gravy once more, looking down at Harry. “Your uncle Remus must be utterly daft if he thinks we don’t know –”
“Know what, Lils?” Sirius said, popping into the kitchen to waggle his fingers at Harry.
“Know … know that the Christmas pudding needs baking,” Lily stammered.
“Ah! A proper Christmas feast for my godson,” Sirius crowed. “There are some presents under the tree for you, my sweet,” he said, grinning down at Harry. “I’m sure you’ll love them!”
“Let me guess,” Lily said. “They make noise. Lots and lots of noise.”
“What child would have it any other way?” Sirius asked innocently.
“Then they’re staying at your house for when we visit,” Lily said sternly. “If we can ever leave this place, that is.”
“Oh, come, now,” Sirius said, suddenly serious. “Let’s not think about that today, alright? Today is a day for joy, and family. And pudding! So hop to it, woman!”
Lily swatted him with a dish towel, making Harry giggle in delight. “Would you please make sure my husband gets that mess on the floor cleaned up?”
“Yeah, sure, I’ll go see if Moony needs any help,” Sirius said.
“And … James, and Peter, too, right?” Lily asked pointedly.
“What? Oh,” Sirius responded absentmindedly. “Yeah, them too.”
“Sirius, why don’t you just tell him?” Lily asked.
“Tell who what?” he said, staring out of the door toward the group in the other room.
Lily sighed. “Never mind. Would you send James in here, please?”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure thing, Lily,” he said. “Prooooongs!” he yelled, bounding out of the room.
As he left, Lily shook her head and sighed. “Harrykins, your uncles need a swift kick in their respective arses, and if you ever repeat that word, you didn’t hear it from me, right, love?”
“Love? You’re talking about me, aren’t you?” James said, walking over to Lily and sweeping her up into a huge hug.
“James Potter, our friends –”
“Are clueless, yes,” he finished her sentence for her.
“The question is, what do we do about it?” Lily asked.
“Should we do anything?” James asked doubtfully. “Maybe they need to just figure it out on their own …” He and Lily looked at each other, then shook their heads.
“Right. No, they definitely need some holiday assistance,” Lily said with determination. “Leave it to me.”
James kissed her on the cheek. “That’s the witch I know and love,” he said.
“Got a Sickle?” she asked.
“Is that all I’m worth to you these days?” James joked, looking at her with puppy-dog eyes.
“If you don’t give me a Sickle, yes,” she laughed, patting down his pockets.
“Ooh, a little to the left,” he teased, grabbing her hand and putting it on his crotch.
Lily pinched him. “That’s for later, dear. Sickle. Now.”
“Yes, marm!” he said, pulling a Sickle from behind Harry’s ear with a flourish. “Do I want to know what you’re going to do with it?”
“It’s for the Christmas pudding,” Lily said innocently. “Now go, check on the boys before they do something horrible to the tree.”
“Fair point,” James said, racing out of the room.
Turning the Christmas pudding out into a bowl, Lily slid the Sickle into the topmost piece and marked it with a piece of holly with a smirk. Looking down at Harry, she whispered, “This is our little secret, Harry, alright? Maybe one day soon, your uncles will thank us …”
Raising her voice, she called, “Okay, boys. Your Christmas feast awaits! Come help me set the table.”
The four raced into the kitchen, grabbing bowls and plates and utensils and bottles of wine. The goose flew out on a serving tray, gravy sloshing along beside it. In under three minutes flat, the entire feast had been laid to table.
James sat at the head of the table, Remus and Sirius on either side of him and Peter to Remus’s left. Lily came in with Harry and spied the seating arrangement. Oh, no, she thought to herself. This will never do. “Remus, would you mind terribly sitting over there next to Sirius so that James can help me with Harry?”
“Oh, of course,” Remus said, getting up and moving to the other side of the table. “Padfoot,” he greeted Sirius as he sat down, jumping a bit when their legs accidentally brushed.
“Moony,” Sirius said just a bit breathlessly, the smallest of blushes creeping across his cheeks. Covering for his embarrassment, he said, “Lily, you’ve really outdone yourself. This meal looks fantastic.”
“Three cheers for Lily!” Peter exclaimed, raising his glass.
“Hear, hear!” they all said, toasting her and laughing when Harry imitated them, raising his chubby fists and babbling.
The feast that had taken hours to prepare seemingly took only minutes to devour. The goose was carved, potatoes and vegetables and dinner rolls flew across the table and into mouths. James and Lily took turns giving Harry tidbits of food, glancing knowingly at each other with tiny smirks as they watched Remus and Sirius steadfastly avoid looking at or touching each other.
Eventually, the menfolk were all stuffed to the gills. Lily stood up and announced, “Clear your plates, gentlemen, because it’s time for the Christmas pudding!”
Harry laughed and mashed his hands into a bit of potato.
James smiled down at his son and ruffled his thick black hair. “Need any help, Lils?”
“No, thanks, this one I can handle,” she said, winking at James.
He smiled inwardly, wondering what she was up to.
In a flash, she was back, bearing a giant, flaming Christmas pudding. “Happy Christmas to all, and to all, a good night,” she said cheerfully, setting the fiery dessert down far away from Harry, who was staring at it openmouthed. “Remus, do you mind serving out?”
“Don’t mind at all,” he said amiably, waiting for the flames to die out. He sliced the pudding into equally large portions and served out, handing the first slice to Sirius and then passing plates around to everyone else.
Lily covered her smile with her hand as Sirius blushed yet again.
“Dig in, everyone!” she said, raising her glass.
Everyone tucked in to the pudding, the only sounds the clinking of silverware on plates and the occasional quiet belch from Peter. Suddenly, Sirius started coughing. Standing up, he braced himself with one hand on the table, the other hand clawing at his throat.
“He’s – he’s choking!” James exclaimed, standing up.
Frightened, Harry began to cry.
Peter whipped out his wand, Lily hastily clamping her hand down on it and reminding him that they couldn’t use magic in the house.
Remus leapt to his feet and raced around to the back of Sirius’s chair, pounding the choking man on the back. When that didn’t work, Remus stood behind him, looping his arms around Sirius’s midsection and thrusting upward. A minute later, Sirius coughed a wet, pudding-covered Sickle out onto the dining room table. Harry laughed and clapped his hands.
“Merlin!” Peter cried. “You alright, Pads?”
“Here,” James said, handing Remus a glass. “Take some water, eh?” Looking over at Lily, he arched an eyebrow.
She nodded back and motioned toward them with a small smile.
Remus was rubbing Sirius’s back, whispering, “Breathe, Sirius, nice and calmly.” His other hand had made its way down to the table, where it covered Sirius’s own hand. Tentatively, Sirius turned his hand over. He looked back at Remus, a tiny flicker of hope in his eyes. Remus glanced down at him, at first in concern, and then in surprise. His eyes widened, and he slowly laced his fingers between Sirius’s.
Lily coughed. “Well, that was quite enough excitement for one evening, I dare say. James, can I trust you to oversee cleanup while I put the baby down?”
“Got it, love,” James said, nodding appreciatively at his wife as she and Harry left to go upstairs. “Pads, why don’t you sit still a moment, catch your breath? Moony, watch him, eh? Old Wormy and I can handle this mess, at least til you two are ready to help dry.” Nudging Peter with his elbow, the two of them started collecting dishes and carting them into the kitchen, leaving Remus and Sirius to stare bashfully at their joint hands.
Lily came back down quietly. Peeking into the dining room, she saw Sirius and Remus whispering quietly to one another. Clearing her throat loudly so as not to burst in on them, she called, “Do you need some help?”
“No!” Sirius and Remus called back in tandem, then laughed awkwardly.
“Lily, you’ve done more than enough today,” Remus responded. “Go have a sit-down in the other room – we’ll be right in.”
Lily smiled. “Alright, you lot. Just don’t break anything!” Going into the other room, she stopped for a minute to admire the tree. She had to admit it – the four of them had done a lovely job, and there were only two or three gouges in the hardwood floor. Chuckling softly, she looked up and realized what was missing. Quickly, before the boys could finish up, she fastened a sprig of mistletoe above the doorway and then leapt onto the couch in a half-hearted attempt to look relaxed.
“Alright, Lils, your kitchen is spotless,” James said triumphantly, walking into the sitting room and sprawling out on top of her. Peter flopped down in an easy chair and immediately fell asleep. Remus and Sirius followed each other into the room, blushing as they accidentally bumped into one another in the doorway, hands touching.
“Would you two just get a room already,” James groaned, burrowing his head into Lily’s side.
“Shhh,” Lily said, rubbing his head. “They’ll hear you!”
Remus and Sirius looked awkwardly at each other and then at James and Lily.
“Uh, guys, there’s something we want to talk to you about,” Sirius said tentatively, looking at Remus for support.
“Let me guess,” James said, his voice muffled by Lily’s stomach. “You are together. Dating. A couple. About to shag like Christmas rabbits.”
“What?” Sirius exclaimed, eyes the size of saucers.
“How – how long have you known?” Remus asked incredulously.
“Only since we were all fourteen,” James said. “That’s about the last time I can remember when you two weren’t mooning over each other from afar.”
“Lily? You knew too?” Sirius asked.
“Of course, dear,” Lily murmured sleepily. “Everyone knows. Except maybe Peter, but … well, he’s Peter.”
“So all this time,” Remus said, flabbergasted. “Everyone knew. Did you know, Pads?”
“I knew about me, I didn’t know about you,” Sirius said. “Did you know?”
“Well, of course I knew about me, but you, no, I thought for sure –” Remus answered excitedly.
“So we –” Sirius started.
“We’re –” Remus paused.
“We’re arses,” Sirius said. “All this time!”
“Stop wasting even more time and kiss already!” James said, mock glaring at them. “Wait, wait a second.” He hid his face in Lily’s stomach again. “Okay,” he said in a muffled voice. “Now you can kiss already!”
“Go on, you two,” Lily said gently. “You’re in the perfect spot, after all.”
Looking up, the two realized that there was mistletoe hanging right above them. Laughing, Remus cupped Sirius’s face in his hands. Sirius grinned giddily back at him. Then he leaned in and pressed his lips gently to Remus’s, the two of them sighing softly at the long-anticipated contact.
“How’d you know that Sirius would get the piece that had the Sickle in it?” James asked Lily quietly.
She laughed softly and snuggled down next to James. “Because he’s twitterpated and I knew if he served out, he’d make sure Sirius got the first piece. It had the holly on it, so it was the prettiest, and I figured he’d want Sirius to have it.”
“Tricky witch,” James chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. “It’s why I love you, you know.”
Lily sighed happily, watching Remus and Sirius share a second kiss under the mistletoe. “I know, dear. I know.”
FIN
Author/Artist:
flaminia_xRecipient:
shutupecclesRating: PG-13 for language
Contents or warnings (highlight to view): *none?*
Word count:~2600
Summary: The Marauders gather at James and Lily’s house to celebrate Harry’s first Christmas. But little did Remus and Sirius know that there were matchmakers afoot.
Notes: Hopped into this one a bit late, I did, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless, shutupeccles!
Lily bounced a gurgling Harry on one hip, humming Muggle Christmas carols under her breath as she stirred the gravy with her free hand.
“It’d be so much nicer if we could just use magic, isn’t that right, Harry?” she cooed, popping open the oven door to check the Christmas goose. The house smelled delicious. Harry cooed back, pointing at the browning bird.
“That’s right, love, that’s a goose, a proper Christmas goose for baby Harry’s first Christmas,” Lily said in a sing-song voice. “And if we’re lucky, your uncles will pull their heads out of their arses and –”
Just then, the back door burst open, snow flurrying in onto the kitchen floor.
“Moony! That’s my foot –”
“Come on, just push a bit harder, that’s it –”
“No, Peter, you have to wiggle it ‘round the other way –”
Lily sighed, pushing her hair back from her face with the back of her free hand. “It’s a good thing your father’s cute, dear,” she said to Harry as James fell onto the kitchen floor, the trunk of a gigantic Christmas tree landing right between his legs.
“Oi!” James gasped, reflexively cupping his hands over his bollocks. “That’s personal, that is!”
“Oh, come on, Prongs, you already have one sprog,” Sirius said mischievously, sticking his face inside the door.
“I still need them!” James cried. “Unlike you, you giant poof–”
“Prongs!” Sirius yelped, looking askance at Remus, who was stuck on the other side of the tree.
“Um, guys, can we maybe get the tree inside?” Peter’s muffled voice piped up. “It’s bloody cold out here.”
“Oh. Right!” Sirius said. “Come on, Moony, give it a good shove.”
“Yeah, Moony, give ‘im a good shove,” James needled, winking at Remus.
Remus narrowed his eyes at James and shook his head surreptitiously.
“Alright, you lot,” Lily laughed. “The baby’s getting cold. Tree in or tree out, but do it now.”
“Yes, mum,” James teased, beaming up at her and Harry. “Come on, boys! Time for Christmas!”
The four of them managed to shove the overly large tree in through the back door and into the living room, leaving only a small trail of detritus in their wake.
“I don’t care who it is,” Lily called after them, “but one of you is cleaning that up.”
“Yes, mum!” a chorus of voices rang out from the next room.
“Just think, Harry,” Lily whispered down at her son, “that lot are all considered adults!”
Harry babbled agreeably up at her, and she laughed, leaning down to kiss him on the forehead.
Remus poked his head into the kitchen. “Need any help in here?”
“A bit too much to handle, eh?” Lily laughed.
“Oh, no, they’re fine,” Remus smiled. “James and Pads are decorating.”
“You left Sirius and my husband to decorate the tree? Alone?” Lily gasped in mock fear. “Merlin, Remus, they’ll burn the house down.”
“Well, they’ve got Peter to help them,” Remus said.
“Is that supposed to be reassuring?” Lily said in a droll voice.
Remus rolled his eyes. “Good point,” he muttered. “Well, if you’re sure you don’t need any help, maybe I should check on him. Them. I mean them.”
“Remus, why don’t you just tell him?” Lily said softly.
The sandy-haired man stiffened. “Tell who … what, exactly?” he asked awkwardly.
She sighed. “Never mind. Go on, off with you, go make sure they haven’t broken the house.”
Remus exhaled and smiled. “Alright. Give a yell if you need anything!”
Lily stirred the gravy once more, looking down at Harry. “Your uncle Remus must be utterly daft if he thinks we don’t know –”
“Know what, Lils?” Sirius said, popping into the kitchen to waggle his fingers at Harry.
“Know … know that the Christmas pudding needs baking,” Lily stammered.
“Ah! A proper Christmas feast for my godson,” Sirius crowed. “There are some presents under the tree for you, my sweet,” he said, grinning down at Harry. “I’m sure you’ll love them!”
“Let me guess,” Lily said. “They make noise. Lots and lots of noise.”
“What child would have it any other way?” Sirius asked innocently.
“Then they’re staying at your house for when we visit,” Lily said sternly. “If we can ever leave this place, that is.”
“Oh, come, now,” Sirius said, suddenly serious. “Let’s not think about that today, alright? Today is a day for joy, and family. And pudding! So hop to it, woman!”
Lily swatted him with a dish towel, making Harry giggle in delight. “Would you please make sure my husband gets that mess on the floor cleaned up?”
“Yeah, sure, I’ll go see if Moony needs any help,” Sirius said.
“And … James, and Peter, too, right?” Lily asked pointedly.
“What? Oh,” Sirius responded absentmindedly. “Yeah, them too.”
“Sirius, why don’t you just tell him?” Lily asked.
“Tell who what?” he said, staring out of the door toward the group in the other room.
Lily sighed. “Never mind. Would you send James in here, please?”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure thing, Lily,” he said. “Prooooongs!” he yelled, bounding out of the room.
As he left, Lily shook her head and sighed. “Harrykins, your uncles need a swift kick in their respective arses, and if you ever repeat that word, you didn’t hear it from me, right, love?”
“Love? You’re talking about me, aren’t you?” James said, walking over to Lily and sweeping her up into a huge hug.
“James Potter, our friends –”
“Are clueless, yes,” he finished her sentence for her.
“The question is, what do we do about it?” Lily asked.
“Should we do anything?” James asked doubtfully. “Maybe they need to just figure it out on their own …” He and Lily looked at each other, then shook their heads.
“Right. No, they definitely need some holiday assistance,” Lily said with determination. “Leave it to me.”
James kissed her on the cheek. “That’s the witch I know and love,” he said.
“Got a Sickle?” she asked.
“Is that all I’m worth to you these days?” James joked, looking at her with puppy-dog eyes.
“If you don’t give me a Sickle, yes,” she laughed, patting down his pockets.
“Ooh, a little to the left,” he teased, grabbing her hand and putting it on his crotch.
Lily pinched him. “That’s for later, dear. Sickle. Now.”
“Yes, marm!” he said, pulling a Sickle from behind Harry’s ear with a flourish. “Do I want to know what you’re going to do with it?”
“It’s for the Christmas pudding,” Lily said innocently. “Now go, check on the boys before they do something horrible to the tree.”
“Fair point,” James said, racing out of the room.
Turning the Christmas pudding out into a bowl, Lily slid the Sickle into the topmost piece and marked it with a piece of holly with a smirk. Looking down at Harry, she whispered, “This is our little secret, Harry, alright? Maybe one day soon, your uncles will thank us …”
Raising her voice, she called, “Okay, boys. Your Christmas feast awaits! Come help me set the table.”
The four raced into the kitchen, grabbing bowls and plates and utensils and bottles of wine. The goose flew out on a serving tray, gravy sloshing along beside it. In under three minutes flat, the entire feast had been laid to table.
James sat at the head of the table, Remus and Sirius on either side of him and Peter to Remus’s left. Lily came in with Harry and spied the seating arrangement. Oh, no, she thought to herself. This will never do. “Remus, would you mind terribly sitting over there next to Sirius so that James can help me with Harry?”
“Oh, of course,” Remus said, getting up and moving to the other side of the table. “Padfoot,” he greeted Sirius as he sat down, jumping a bit when their legs accidentally brushed.
“Moony,” Sirius said just a bit breathlessly, the smallest of blushes creeping across his cheeks. Covering for his embarrassment, he said, “Lily, you’ve really outdone yourself. This meal looks fantastic.”
“Three cheers for Lily!” Peter exclaimed, raising his glass.
“Hear, hear!” they all said, toasting her and laughing when Harry imitated them, raising his chubby fists and babbling.
The feast that had taken hours to prepare seemingly took only minutes to devour. The goose was carved, potatoes and vegetables and dinner rolls flew across the table and into mouths. James and Lily took turns giving Harry tidbits of food, glancing knowingly at each other with tiny smirks as they watched Remus and Sirius steadfastly avoid looking at or touching each other.
Eventually, the menfolk were all stuffed to the gills. Lily stood up and announced, “Clear your plates, gentlemen, because it’s time for the Christmas pudding!”
Harry laughed and mashed his hands into a bit of potato.
James smiled down at his son and ruffled his thick black hair. “Need any help, Lils?”
“No, thanks, this one I can handle,” she said, winking at James.
He smiled inwardly, wondering what she was up to.
In a flash, she was back, bearing a giant, flaming Christmas pudding. “Happy Christmas to all, and to all, a good night,” she said cheerfully, setting the fiery dessert down far away from Harry, who was staring at it openmouthed. “Remus, do you mind serving out?”
“Don’t mind at all,” he said amiably, waiting for the flames to die out. He sliced the pudding into equally large portions and served out, handing the first slice to Sirius and then passing plates around to everyone else.
Lily covered her smile with her hand as Sirius blushed yet again.
“Dig in, everyone!” she said, raising her glass.
Everyone tucked in to the pudding, the only sounds the clinking of silverware on plates and the occasional quiet belch from Peter. Suddenly, Sirius started coughing. Standing up, he braced himself with one hand on the table, the other hand clawing at his throat.
“He’s – he’s choking!” James exclaimed, standing up.
Frightened, Harry began to cry.
Peter whipped out his wand, Lily hastily clamping her hand down on it and reminding him that they couldn’t use magic in the house.
Remus leapt to his feet and raced around to the back of Sirius’s chair, pounding the choking man on the back. When that didn’t work, Remus stood behind him, looping his arms around Sirius’s midsection and thrusting upward. A minute later, Sirius coughed a wet, pudding-covered Sickle out onto the dining room table. Harry laughed and clapped his hands.
“Merlin!” Peter cried. “You alright, Pads?”
“Here,” James said, handing Remus a glass. “Take some water, eh?” Looking over at Lily, he arched an eyebrow.
She nodded back and motioned toward them with a small smile.
Remus was rubbing Sirius’s back, whispering, “Breathe, Sirius, nice and calmly.” His other hand had made its way down to the table, where it covered Sirius’s own hand. Tentatively, Sirius turned his hand over. He looked back at Remus, a tiny flicker of hope in his eyes. Remus glanced down at him, at first in concern, and then in surprise. His eyes widened, and he slowly laced his fingers between Sirius’s.
Lily coughed. “Well, that was quite enough excitement for one evening, I dare say. James, can I trust you to oversee cleanup while I put the baby down?”
“Got it, love,” James said, nodding appreciatively at his wife as she and Harry left to go upstairs. “Pads, why don’t you sit still a moment, catch your breath? Moony, watch him, eh? Old Wormy and I can handle this mess, at least til you two are ready to help dry.” Nudging Peter with his elbow, the two of them started collecting dishes and carting them into the kitchen, leaving Remus and Sirius to stare bashfully at their joint hands.
Lily came back down quietly. Peeking into the dining room, she saw Sirius and Remus whispering quietly to one another. Clearing her throat loudly so as not to burst in on them, she called, “Do you need some help?”
“No!” Sirius and Remus called back in tandem, then laughed awkwardly.
“Lily, you’ve done more than enough today,” Remus responded. “Go have a sit-down in the other room – we’ll be right in.”
Lily smiled. “Alright, you lot. Just don’t break anything!” Going into the other room, she stopped for a minute to admire the tree. She had to admit it – the four of them had done a lovely job, and there were only two or three gouges in the hardwood floor. Chuckling softly, she looked up and realized what was missing. Quickly, before the boys could finish up, she fastened a sprig of mistletoe above the doorway and then leapt onto the couch in a half-hearted attempt to look relaxed.
“Alright, Lils, your kitchen is spotless,” James said triumphantly, walking into the sitting room and sprawling out on top of her. Peter flopped down in an easy chair and immediately fell asleep. Remus and Sirius followed each other into the room, blushing as they accidentally bumped into one another in the doorway, hands touching.
“Would you two just get a room already,” James groaned, burrowing his head into Lily’s side.
“Shhh,” Lily said, rubbing his head. “They’ll hear you!”
Remus and Sirius looked awkwardly at each other and then at James and Lily.
“Uh, guys, there’s something we want to talk to you about,” Sirius said tentatively, looking at Remus for support.
“Let me guess,” James said, his voice muffled by Lily’s stomach. “You are together. Dating. A couple. About to shag like Christmas rabbits.”
“What?” Sirius exclaimed, eyes the size of saucers.
“How – how long have you known?” Remus asked incredulously.
“Only since we were all fourteen,” James said. “That’s about the last time I can remember when you two weren’t mooning over each other from afar.”
“Lily? You knew too?” Sirius asked.
“Of course, dear,” Lily murmured sleepily. “Everyone knows. Except maybe Peter, but … well, he’s Peter.”
“So all this time,” Remus said, flabbergasted. “Everyone knew. Did you know, Pads?”
“I knew about me, I didn’t know about you,” Sirius said. “Did you know?”
“Well, of course I knew about me, but you, no, I thought for sure –” Remus answered excitedly.
“So we –” Sirius started.
“We’re –” Remus paused.
“We’re arses,” Sirius said. “All this time!”
“Stop wasting even more time and kiss already!” James said, mock glaring at them. “Wait, wait a second.” He hid his face in Lily’s stomach again. “Okay,” he said in a muffled voice. “Now you can kiss already!”
“Go on, you two,” Lily said gently. “You’re in the perfect spot, after all.”
Looking up, the two realized that there was mistletoe hanging right above them. Laughing, Remus cupped Sirius’s face in his hands. Sirius grinned giddily back at him. Then he leaned in and pressed his lips gently to Remus’s, the two of them sighing softly at the long-anticipated contact.
“How’d you know that Sirius would get the piece that had the Sickle in it?” James asked Lily quietly.
She laughed softly and snuggled down next to James. “Because he’s twitterpated and I knew if he served out, he’d make sure Sirius got the first piece. It had the holly on it, so it was the prettiest, and I figured he’d want Sirius to have it.”
“Tricky witch,” James chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. “It’s why I love you, you know.”
Lily sighed happily, watching Remus and Sirius share a second kiss under the mistletoe. “I know, dear. I know.”
FIN
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Date: 2012-12-31 12:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-01-16 03:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-31 01:10 am (UTC)I do so love when our boys are oblivious to the nth degree.
This felt so cozy and happy, I am resolutely not thinking about their canon-future. Nope. It's fluffy AU happily-ever-after bunnies from here on out.
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Date: 2013-01-16 03:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-31 01:35 am (UTC)Everyone was adorable. James made me laugh so much - their family atmosphere is perfect! The sprig of holly to mark the sickle was a lovely touch (Remus giving Sirius the first and prettiest piece made me swoon)
I love your 'no magic in the house' rule to explain why James and Lily didn't draw wands against Voldemort.
Thanks again
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