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small_giftsTitle: Home
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
brighty18
Recipient:wopt70
Rating: PG-13
Prompts: Holidays at the Potters’, hurt/comfort (emotionally), strong Sirius, strong Remus, snuggling,
Summary: Sirius’ New Year’s Holiday at the Potter’s makes him consider the concept of home.
Warnings: Swearing, boy kissing, pointless crossover cameos.
Disclaimer: These characters are very much NOT MINE!! They are Rowling's now and forever.
“Sirius, love, welcome home!” cried Ruby Potter, hugging her son’s best friend tightly. “We missed you on Christmas day.” She paused and winked at Remus who blushed a violent red.
“But we completely understand! We’re just glad to have you back!”
Sirius said nothing, but merely hugged back and planted a wet, smacking kiss on the pudgy woman’s cheek. “Thank you, Mrs. Potter,” he whispered, savoring the welcome.
“Oh, for Merlin’s sake, Sirius, how many times must I tell you? Call me Mum.”
Home. Mum. Love. The words felt almost foreign to him. For a moment, he stood motionless, clinging numbly to Mrs. Potter while his boyfriend stood shuffling in the snow behind him.
With a sharp crack, James suddenly appeared in the entryway. “Padfoot, if I didn’t know better, I’d be jealous.”
“There’s plenty of me to go around, Jamers!” laughed Mrs. Potter.
“Indeed,” said her husband, bounding through the door and playfully swatting his wife’s generous backside, “and welcome home, Sirius.
The group moved into the velvet-draped drawing room as the Potters greeted Remus and the House Elves scurried in to remove the luggage. James, still enthralled at his newly acquired (although still technically illegal) ability to Apparate, disappeared and reappeared randomly throughout the room until his father put an end to it all with a well-placed Tickling Charm.
“Daaaaad,” whined James in mock irritation, “not in front of my friends and, for the love of all that is sacred, not in front of Lily on Friday!!!” He pretended to stomp his foot petulantly, but no one, even for a moment, fell for such protestations, especially when such an enormous pronouncement hung in the air.
“Lily’s actually coming to the party?” asked Remus in disbelief. Less than two weeks ago, she’d been planning to prank James something awful.
“You do realize, “ drawled Sirius, in his best impression of Slughorn, ”that the Imperius Curse is illegal, not to mention Unforgivable?”
Everyone laughed and Sirius grinned. He was relaxed now, in his element and utterly at ease. Here at the Potters' house he felt none of the niggling discomfort he sometimes experienced at the Lupins'. The Potters laughed at his jokes and understood his stories; they treated him as one of the family, taking him in without question when he’d left his own home, bloodied and bruised and fearing for his future. Orville and Rhea Lupin were wonderful people, but, no matter what he did, they seemed slightly ill at ease with his Pureblood ancestry. More importantly, he was, in all fairness, engaged in a clandestine sexual relationship with their only son. Sirius could fully understand the Lupins’ hesitancy, but it never failed to make him feel slightly inadequate on some, secret level. “Still,” he thought, “that Orville, is pretty righteous bloke.” Sirius smiled at his boyfriend, who shot him a warm grin in return.
Oblivious to Sirius’ musings, Mrs. Potter tidied her already-orderly grey bun and signaled to the House Elves to bring in Christmas biscuits and a giant pot of Earl Grey.
“Miss Evans sent us a very nice note accepting the invitation to our annual New Year’s Party,” she said primly, passing around a plate of homemade brownies. Looking thoughtful, she added, “although, from what I’ve been told, I have no earthly idea why!
Again, everyone laughed. The fire roared in the hearth as the group settled down to their impromptu tea. Remus looked around the room, smiling at the warmth and subtle grandeur. After a single disastrous visit the Blacks, he’d come to fear the upper echelons of Wizarding society, but the Potters were different: kinder, more open-hearted, and infinitely less judgmental. They had wealth beyond anything Remus could ever imagine owning, but seemed to regard it as utterly no bid deal.
“That’s a lovely tree,” commented Remus, admiring the twelve-foot tall fir tree glistening with what appeared to be live iridescent birds and silver and gold pine cones.
“Go poke one of the Bluebirds,” suggested Mr. Potter with a sly grin.
“Harold!” scolded Ruby Potter. “Remus, don’t you dare!”
James grinned broadly. “Oh, come on, Moony, touch a bird! Do it! Do it!”
Sirius rolled his eyes and exchanged a glance with Mrs. Potter. “Moony,” he began, “I really wouldn’t recommend…”
But Remus was already walking gamely over to the tree. Upon closer inspection, the birds appeared to be formed of a silvery, spun-crystal, substance that gleamed in the amber light of the hearth-fire. He knew it was foolish, but he wanted to prove himself just as brave and manly as his friends, so he gently poked a softly tweeting Bluebird. The unfortunate animal exploded with a thunderous pop and a shower of glittering confetti. To his great chagrin, Remus jumped about a foot in the air, uttering what he suspected to be an unmanly squeak of surprise.
“…touching anything either of this two fools suggest because, frankly, thanks to James and Harold, the majority of objects in this household have a tendency to explode,” continued Sirius, undaunted by the fact that said explosion had already occurred.
Ruby Potter sighed audibly and waved her wand to Sourgify the mess. “I’m sorry, Remus, darling,” she apologized, “my husband and son were obviously raised by philistine Doxies and have no manners whatsoever. I officially apologize for their behaviour and lack of conscious thought.” She laughed as her husband blew her a kiss.
** * ** * ** * ** *
Later that night, after a delicious, yet pleasantly raucous dinner, the boys retired to James’ room where Sirius and Remus spent the next several hours watching James try on endless sets of dress robes and fret about Lily’s impending arrival.
“You have nearly five days to make your decision, mate,” suggested a restless Sirius, after enduring a thirty-five minutes debate about whether or not the bottle green dress robes “looked too Slytherin despite being Lily’s favorite color.”
“And please don’t hold the entirety of the color green responsible for the prattishness of a few random Snakes,” added Remus with a laugh.
But James just sighed and shook his head. “And what shall I do with my hair?” he wailed.
Sirius grunted and jumped on his friend, wrestling him to the ground and charming his hair an even brighter green than the dress robes. James countered with toe-reversal jinx rendering Sirius unable to take more than three steps without crashing to the floor. Alerted by the noise, Ruby Potter appeared in the doorway.
“Attractive as you may be, my dearest Jamerson, I prefer your hair its natural color,” she said before performing a Finite Incantatem on both boys.
“Sirius, I changed the sheets in your room and, Remus, you are in the Blue Room across the hall from Sirius.” She paused smiling and lowered her voice. “Harold and I retire promptly at 11:00PM and won’t rise again until after 8:00AM,” she added with another distressing wink.
Again, Remus blushed furiously and Sirius turned a grey-eyed glare on James.
When she left, James shrugged apologetically. “Erm... yeah, I may have accidentally said something to her about you two in the dormitory and she does know about Sirius’ nightmares but, Merlin, I can’t believe she all but gave you two permission to…”
“So,” a still-red Remus interrupted loudly, “about those dress robes…”
** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** **
And so they passed the better part of a week laughing and stuffing their faces and playing endless games of two-on-two Quidditch with Mr. Potter. Harold, although clearly past his sporting prime, remained a very strong player, and he and Sirius easily held their own against James and Remus, even to the point of winning nearly half the matches. Victory celebrations usually included exploding some nearby shrubbery, but, even when they lost, Harold would pull Sirius into a quick hug and tell him he’d done a smashing job and that, were it not for the obvious cheating of the opposing side, they’d clearly have been the winners. Sirius never failed to smile at this, for such unrepentant enthusiasm was far from anything he’d experienced at home. In the House of Black, one never played Quidditch with one’s father. One’s father merely sat on the sidelines and critiqued every detail of the game, chastising the losing side for every error. But the Harold Potter was all about sport.
Peter arrived late Thursday night and the four Marauders sat up late into the evening, plotting pranks for the party and helping James decide (for the fourteen-millionth time), which dress robes best brought out his eyes. Finally, after hours of agony, James went with the deep burgundy with gold trim. Sirius was amazed at the changes in his friend. For the first time, James was legitimately nervous and eager to please. Remus said that it was to be expected, adding that, not everyone has as easy a love life as Sirius Black.
“Are you calling yourself easy?” asked a wide-eyed Sirius. And Remus had punched him hard in the arm.
Sirius was looking forward to the New Year’s bash. Potter parties were famously entertaining affairs with heaps of sumptuous food and free-flowing alcohol. They had Firewhiskey, too, so far removed from the well-aged wines and French pixie-made champagne of the Black parties, that the adults drinking part might actually become interesting. Plus, the Potters had fascinating friends – some of whom were coming all the way from America! And Sirius would never be expected to merely stand quietly and greet guests. Instead, he’d be able to mingle freely as he pleased.
“This is going to be so much fun, Moony!” he cried, picking up his boyfriend and whirling him around.
“Not if I puke on you first, Pads,” replied Remus. ”Please put me down.”
“But it will be fun! And it’s almost 1977!” insisted Sirius as if the year somehow held magical significance.
Remus just smiled. Truthfully, he had his doubts. Parties made him nervous, large gatherings especially, and the prospect of James’ almost manic attentions to Lily made him feel a bit queasy. Still, he managed to smile brightly at his boyfriend and hide his misgivings. This would be Sirius’ time to shine.
Remus knew of his boyfriend’s childhood, of the high expectations, stern warnings, and not-so secret beatings. Orion Black was a cold and distant man whose only affection was the occasional approving nod and whose critical eye missed nothing. Wallburga, on the other hand, was predictably unstable. Remus had read enough Muggle psychology books to know that Sigmund Freud would have a field day with that woman. How Sirius had emerged from that household relatively unscathed, never failed to amaze Remus, yet he remained fiercely protective of his friend. So, for the sake of Sirius, he steeled himself for the party ahead.
** *** ** *** ** ***
Christmas in the House of Black had always been a formal and subdued affair, bringing Sirius a myriad of unwanted relatives with whom he had little in common and nothing to say. Only Andromeda and Alphard (and Oscar, too rarely invited) were any fun and all three had been essentially excommunicated from the family. New Year's Eve was no different, usually spent at the home of some boring relative or another. Until last year, Sirius had never even received a New Year’s kiss – although once his cousin Bellatrix had tossed him a Biting Snuffbox at the stroke of midnight. That night, he’d lost the tip of his index finger, but this year would be different. This year he had Remus and the Potters and Peter…and a home. This year he would feel loved.
“Mmmm, you look gorgeous,” smiled Remus, taking in the slate-grey dress robes and sleek ponytail. Innately handsome, Sirius also possessed the ability to wear clothes well. Seriously, the boy could wear suit of rusty armor and still somehow manage to show off his muscular shoulders or emphasize his pale eyes. Remus doubted his own such ability, but Sirius seemed quite satisfied with what he saw.
“I like you in brown, you look like…”
“An enormous, walking turd?” suggested Remus.
“No, like chocolate, sexy and utterly edible!” Sirius purred. He pulled Remus close and began playfully nibbling on his ear
Remus just rolled his eyes and returned the favor.
Several hours into the party, they were actually enjoying themselves immensely. Lily, as it turned out, was delightful when she was not furious at James. She looked rather dashing in a form-fitting, moss-green gown and James could not keep his eyes off her. To Sirius’ great pleasure, she actually made jokes! She laughed! And, best of all, she drank! James, of course, was falling all over himself in an attempt keep her attention, but for once she seemed to take it in stride. She was even kind to James’ distant cousin, Tabitha, who was visiting from America and seemed to be the only child her age at the party.
“So,” Lily asked the tiny, blonde eleven-year-old, “how are exactly do you have the misfortune of being related to Potter?”
Tabitha looked confused but pulled herself together and said haughtily, “My grand-mamma, Endora, is Ruby's second cousin once removed.”
“Which makes you…?” began Sirius.
“Lucky enough not to actually be related by blood,” broke in Peter and everyone but Tabitha laughed. For her part, the girl spent the entire evening following Peter around asking a myriad of questions about Hogwarts and British magic education. Peter, naturally, was fascinated by the idea of life in America.
“Are you parents Purebloods?” he asked her.
“Are they what about blood?” responded the perplexed American.
“Are they, you know, Magic?”
“Oh,” said Tabitha, “My mother is a witch and my father is a mortal. Well, both of them were mortals.”
“You have two fathers?” asked Remus curiously, his mind filled with images of a happily-paired couple like Sirius’ uncles.
“Yeah, sort-of,” sighed Tabitha. “It’s really hard to explain. One day when I was very little, my father just disappeared and was replaced by this other guy who looked almost the same, but not quite and I was expected to behave as if nothing had happened. They were both named Darrin, though, which made it slightly easier.”
“Two Darrins?” muttered Sirius, “That’s even stranger than anything my family can come up with!”
Again, Tabitha fixed them all with a strange stare and returned her attentions to Peter.
And so the party continued. As the night drew on, the guests grew louder and more rowdy. Spontaneous singing could be heard, dishes were broken, and the ominous sounds of exploding casseroles sounded from the kitchen. To calm things down and focus the guests, Ruby Potter suggested taking pictures. The four Marauders posed in front of the tree, arms around one another and Sirius and Remus posed for a shot alone. To everyone’s great surprise, Lily agreed to pose with an idiotically grinning James, taking not one, not two but three frames of photos.
“Family shot!” cried Harold’s intoxicated brother, Frank, “Potters first.”
James and his parents positioned themselves in front of the tree. Without thinking, Sirius moved to join them.
“Wait!” said Frank, looking directly at Sirius, “this is a family shot, young man. Family only. You can be in a later frame, I suppose, if you really think you need to.” Frank stared for a moment, clearly trying to discern who exactly Sirius was and why he thought he had the right to intrude upon a family photo.
Sirius stiffened, embarrassed goose-pimples rising on his back. “Oh,” he whispered, “sorry.” He flushed red, hoping that no one had seen, but James and his parents were too busy mugging for the camera to even notice. He’d made a fool of himself, overstepping his bounds under the mistaken belief that he really was family.
Suddenly, Remus’ warm hand appeared on the small of his back, steadying, reassuring. A voice in the pit of his belly told Sirius to run, to flee to the balcony and breathe in the cold night air. He wanted to hide away from the glittering crowd of laughing friends and relations, but, instead, he drew a breath and composed himself.
“Group shot! Full family!” bellowed Frank and dozens of extremely distant relations grouped together in front of the tree.
“Pardon, me, young man,” grumbled Endora as she elbowed Sirius of the way, dragging Tabitha behind her. She grimaced as she vainly tried to position her grand-daughter in the front of the throng of jostling people.
Peter appeared at his side, swaying drunkenly from a sordid combination of slightly too much Firewhiskey and far too many canapes. “Shouldn’t you be in the picture, Padfoot? I mean, James is your brother, right?” This short, heartfelt speech was immediately followed by a thunderous belch, reeking of alcohol and marinated mushrooms.
Grateful for any distraction, Sirius simply shrugged and handed his a friend a Professor Blotto’s Anti-Vomit Tablet from his pocket. Peter accepted the gift gratefully, wolfing it down with another shot of Firewhiskey. “Still think you’re ‘spossed to be in there,” he grumbled and Sirius fought the urge to agree.
He’d always been treated as family.
“Hey, kid,” burbled Frank drunkenly, handing Sirius the camera, “would you mind taking a picture of the whole Potter clan? And what the hell was your name again?”
The whole Potter clan. Not including Sirius. He was not family. Who was he? He was obviously nobody.
Sirius reached numbly for the camera with a bright, false smile plastered on his lips. If there was one thing that he’d learned, growing-up in the Black family, it was how to fake a smile.
“No,” came Remus’ calm voice, surprising them all, “Sirius, let’s go outside. I need some air.”
“I’ll take the picture,” Peter volunteered, obviously glad to be non-nauseated and free of Tabitha’s childish attentions.
“Thanks, Pete, you’re the best,” whispered Sirius, as the pair headed for the door.
Outside, the air was cold and sharp and crescent moon hung bright in starry sky. Wisps of clouds drifted across the moon’s face as Sirius stood shivering and looking up at heavens.
“Oh, gods, Moony, I’m such a fucking fool,” he muttered, angrily kicking at the dirt.
“No, Pads, absolutely not!” Remus moved in closer, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s waist and hugging him tightly. “You mean everything to me, you know,” he murmured. He felt embarrassingly defensive of Sirius, and yet it felt absolutely right. Sirius was far more fragile than he ever let on, and behind that confidant façade of playful enthusiasm laid a very hurt little boy. Remus pressed closer, wishing desperately that there was such a spell as could reverse that last ten minutes, wiping it clean from the face of the earth. Sirius had done nothing wrong; he’d acted naturally, with his usual bumbling, innocent kindness. So what if some drunk-ass relative had said something stupid? Remus placed a gentle kiss on Sirius’ neck, whispering nonsense endearments and hoping for the best.
Sirius said nothing, but simply buried his face in Remus’ silk-fine hair, nuzzling into the citrus-scented warmth. His chest was tight as he fought against the welling of emotion from within. He was furious at himself for losing composure, but even more so for believing a lie. There were facts to be faced: no matter how lovingly the Potters welcomed him in, he would never truly be one of them. He had no home. He had no family.
But suddenly, Remus was kissing him, hands tangling his hair, breath hot and scented with Firewhiskey.
“I love you, Padfoot. You’re my home.”
And Sirius kissed back, fiercely and with passion, desperately seeking solace in the other boy’s kiss. He felt the anger slowly seeping from his body.
Remus raised head, a smile slowly forming as he gazed off into the distance. “Hey, would you look at that?" he said, nodding toward the lake that shimmered in the moonlight. "Let’s sneak off into the boathouse. I’m becoming quite adept at Warming Charms!” he whispered, tugging at Sirius’ arm.
And the two ran off, hand in hand, to the Potter’s winter-abandoned boathouse where they found comfort in one another’s bodies and respite in the act of love. The sweat and the strain were somehow cleansing, leaving Sirius warm and refreshed and oddly rejuvenated. After, as nestled against one another, they furtively whispered their plans for the future, speaking of cottages in the country and posh city flats.
Remus smiled. “We can make our own home, Padfoot. Have our own holidays!”
“We’ll have an enormous tree, filled with exploding eagles… no lions… no hippogriffs!” laughed Sirius.
“Erm, yeah, but not everything will explode, I hope?” Even Remus had his limits.
Sirius shook his head. “Oh, of course not, we’ll have star and moon-shaped ornaments and vats of spiked eggnog and throw huge, non-exploding feasts for all of our friends.”
A shiver ran through Remus, reminding him that, indeed, this could be the future. He could not help but continue, “And James and Peter and Lily and Mr. and Mrs. Potter – hell, even my parents, can all come and be part of it!”
“Not my bloody parents, though,” Sirius muttered, suppressing a grin.
“No… oh, for the love of Merlin, no! I'd rather spend the evening with a cranky she-dragon, than with your mother,” laughed Remus.
"Oh, there's very little difference there, I'm sure," shot back Sirius before pulling Remus close for another kiss.
Suddenly, laughter that was not their own echoed throughout the boathouse, high, light, and undeniably female.
“Erm… James, I don’t think we’re alone,” hissed a familiar voice. Lily. But with James? Could this be part of her famed, mythical prank?
Lumos.
A golden light filled the dusty boathouse and the Lily Evans found herself face to face with a half-naked Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. “Oh, gods, sorry!” she squeaked, perhaps more embarrassed to be caught with James than to have caught her friends in an intimate moment.
“Where’d you go, Padfoot?” cried James, “We looked all over for you. We were taking family pictures, but you'd suddenly disappeared!”
Sirius grinned, straight white teeth glowing in the dim light of the boathouse. “Home.”
James shot him a perplexed look, but before he could bring himself to speak the hem of his robes began to sizzle, sending off bright, golden sparks and eventually melting away to nothing.
"Shit!" cried Lily, as she futilely attempted to put out the fire with a small stream of water from her wand. She looked around in horror as the others laughed uproariously. "I set the hex to go off at midnight, but that was before I realized that..." she trailed off, blushing an un-Lily-like blush.
"Realized what?" asked James breathlessly.
Lily looked him straight in the eye. "Well, Potter, I hexed you before I realized that you really weren't the utter toe-rag I'd always considered you to be. In fact, you're not half..."
But she never finished her sentence, for James was on her like a Sticking Charm, pressing his lips to hers.
Sirius looked at his friends and grinned. Despite the freezing boathouse and the fact that his half-naked brother was currently making out with a red-headed pyromaniac, he felt truly surrounded by family.
He pulled Remus close. "Happy 1977, Moony," he whispered against the other boy's lips.
But any response was lost in the kiss.
Author:
brighty18Recipient:
wopt70Rating: PG-13
Prompts: Holidays at the Potters’, hurt/comfort (emotionally), strong Sirius, strong Remus, snuggling,
Summary: Sirius’ New Year’s Holiday at the Potter’s makes him consider the concept of home.
Warnings: Swearing, boy kissing, pointless crossover cameos.
Disclaimer: These characters are very much NOT MINE!! They are Rowling's now and forever.
“Sirius, love, welcome home!” cried Ruby Potter, hugging her son’s best friend tightly. “We missed you on Christmas day.” She paused and winked at Remus who blushed a violent red.
“But we completely understand! We’re just glad to have you back!”
Sirius said nothing, but merely hugged back and planted a wet, smacking kiss on the pudgy woman’s cheek. “Thank you, Mrs. Potter,” he whispered, savoring the welcome.
“Oh, for Merlin’s sake, Sirius, how many times must I tell you? Call me Mum.”
Home. Mum. Love. The words felt almost foreign to him. For a moment, he stood motionless, clinging numbly to Mrs. Potter while his boyfriend stood shuffling in the snow behind him.
With a sharp crack, James suddenly appeared in the entryway. “Padfoot, if I didn’t know better, I’d be jealous.”
“There’s plenty of me to go around, Jamers!” laughed Mrs. Potter.
“Indeed,” said her husband, bounding through the door and playfully swatting his wife’s generous backside, “and welcome home, Sirius.
The group moved into the velvet-draped drawing room as the Potters greeted Remus and the House Elves scurried in to remove the luggage. James, still enthralled at his newly acquired (although still technically illegal) ability to Apparate, disappeared and reappeared randomly throughout the room until his father put an end to it all with a well-placed Tickling Charm.
“Daaaaad,” whined James in mock irritation, “not in front of my friends and, for the love of all that is sacred, not in front of Lily on Friday!!!” He pretended to stomp his foot petulantly, but no one, even for a moment, fell for such protestations, especially when such an enormous pronouncement hung in the air.
“Lily’s actually coming to the party?” asked Remus in disbelief. Less than two weeks ago, she’d been planning to prank James something awful.
“You do realize, “ drawled Sirius, in his best impression of Slughorn, ”that the Imperius Curse is illegal, not to mention Unforgivable?”
Everyone laughed and Sirius grinned. He was relaxed now, in his element and utterly at ease. Here at the Potters' house he felt none of the niggling discomfort he sometimes experienced at the Lupins'. The Potters laughed at his jokes and understood his stories; they treated him as one of the family, taking him in without question when he’d left his own home, bloodied and bruised and fearing for his future. Orville and Rhea Lupin were wonderful people, but, no matter what he did, they seemed slightly ill at ease with his Pureblood ancestry. More importantly, he was, in all fairness, engaged in a clandestine sexual relationship with their only son. Sirius could fully understand the Lupins’ hesitancy, but it never failed to make him feel slightly inadequate on some, secret level. “Still,” he thought, “that Orville, is pretty righteous bloke.” Sirius smiled at his boyfriend, who shot him a warm grin in return.
Oblivious to Sirius’ musings, Mrs. Potter tidied her already-orderly grey bun and signaled to the House Elves to bring in Christmas biscuits and a giant pot of Earl Grey.
“Miss Evans sent us a very nice note accepting the invitation to our annual New Year’s Party,” she said primly, passing around a plate of homemade brownies. Looking thoughtful, she added, “although, from what I’ve been told, I have no earthly idea why!
Again, everyone laughed. The fire roared in the hearth as the group settled down to their impromptu tea. Remus looked around the room, smiling at the warmth and subtle grandeur. After a single disastrous visit the Blacks, he’d come to fear the upper echelons of Wizarding society, but the Potters were different: kinder, more open-hearted, and infinitely less judgmental. They had wealth beyond anything Remus could ever imagine owning, but seemed to regard it as utterly no bid deal.
“That’s a lovely tree,” commented Remus, admiring the twelve-foot tall fir tree glistening with what appeared to be live iridescent birds and silver and gold pine cones.
“Go poke one of the Bluebirds,” suggested Mr. Potter with a sly grin.
“Harold!” scolded Ruby Potter. “Remus, don’t you dare!”
James grinned broadly. “Oh, come on, Moony, touch a bird! Do it! Do it!”
Sirius rolled his eyes and exchanged a glance with Mrs. Potter. “Moony,” he began, “I really wouldn’t recommend…”
But Remus was already walking gamely over to the tree. Upon closer inspection, the birds appeared to be formed of a silvery, spun-crystal, substance that gleamed in the amber light of the hearth-fire. He knew it was foolish, but he wanted to prove himself just as brave and manly as his friends, so he gently poked a softly tweeting Bluebird. The unfortunate animal exploded with a thunderous pop and a shower of glittering confetti. To his great chagrin, Remus jumped about a foot in the air, uttering what he suspected to be an unmanly squeak of surprise.
“…touching anything either of this two fools suggest because, frankly, thanks to James and Harold, the majority of objects in this household have a tendency to explode,” continued Sirius, undaunted by the fact that said explosion had already occurred.
Ruby Potter sighed audibly and waved her wand to Sourgify the mess. “I’m sorry, Remus, darling,” she apologized, “my husband and son were obviously raised by philistine Doxies and have no manners whatsoever. I officially apologize for their behaviour and lack of conscious thought.” She laughed as her husband blew her a kiss.
** * ** * ** * ** *
Later that night, after a delicious, yet pleasantly raucous dinner, the boys retired to James’ room where Sirius and Remus spent the next several hours watching James try on endless sets of dress robes and fret about Lily’s impending arrival.
“You have nearly five days to make your decision, mate,” suggested a restless Sirius, after enduring a thirty-five minutes debate about whether or not the bottle green dress robes “looked too Slytherin despite being Lily’s favorite color.”
“And please don’t hold the entirety of the color green responsible for the prattishness of a few random Snakes,” added Remus with a laugh.
But James just sighed and shook his head. “And what shall I do with my hair?” he wailed.
Sirius grunted and jumped on his friend, wrestling him to the ground and charming his hair an even brighter green than the dress robes. James countered with toe-reversal jinx rendering Sirius unable to take more than three steps without crashing to the floor. Alerted by the noise, Ruby Potter appeared in the doorway.
“Attractive as you may be, my dearest Jamerson, I prefer your hair its natural color,” she said before performing a Finite Incantatem on both boys.
“Sirius, I changed the sheets in your room and, Remus, you are in the Blue Room across the hall from Sirius.” She paused smiling and lowered her voice. “Harold and I retire promptly at 11:00PM and won’t rise again until after 8:00AM,” she added with another distressing wink.
Again, Remus blushed furiously and Sirius turned a grey-eyed glare on James.
When she left, James shrugged apologetically. “Erm... yeah, I may have accidentally said something to her about you two in the dormitory and she does know about Sirius’ nightmares but, Merlin, I can’t believe she all but gave you two permission to…”
“So,” a still-red Remus interrupted loudly, “about those dress robes…”
** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** **
And so they passed the better part of a week laughing and stuffing their faces and playing endless games of two-on-two Quidditch with Mr. Potter. Harold, although clearly past his sporting prime, remained a very strong player, and he and Sirius easily held their own against James and Remus, even to the point of winning nearly half the matches. Victory celebrations usually included exploding some nearby shrubbery, but, even when they lost, Harold would pull Sirius into a quick hug and tell him he’d done a smashing job and that, were it not for the obvious cheating of the opposing side, they’d clearly have been the winners. Sirius never failed to smile at this, for such unrepentant enthusiasm was far from anything he’d experienced at home. In the House of Black, one never played Quidditch with one’s father. One’s father merely sat on the sidelines and critiqued every detail of the game, chastising the losing side for every error. But the Harold Potter was all about sport.
Peter arrived late Thursday night and the four Marauders sat up late into the evening, plotting pranks for the party and helping James decide (for the fourteen-millionth time), which dress robes best brought out his eyes. Finally, after hours of agony, James went with the deep burgundy with gold trim. Sirius was amazed at the changes in his friend. For the first time, James was legitimately nervous and eager to please. Remus said that it was to be expected, adding that, not everyone has as easy a love life as Sirius Black.
“Are you calling yourself easy?” asked a wide-eyed Sirius. And Remus had punched him hard in the arm.
Sirius was looking forward to the New Year’s bash. Potter parties were famously entertaining affairs with heaps of sumptuous food and free-flowing alcohol. They had Firewhiskey, too, so far removed from the well-aged wines and French pixie-made champagne of the Black parties, that the adults drinking part might actually become interesting. Plus, the Potters had fascinating friends – some of whom were coming all the way from America! And Sirius would never be expected to merely stand quietly and greet guests. Instead, he’d be able to mingle freely as he pleased.
“This is going to be so much fun, Moony!” he cried, picking up his boyfriend and whirling him around.
“Not if I puke on you first, Pads,” replied Remus. ”Please put me down.”
“But it will be fun! And it’s almost 1977!” insisted Sirius as if the year somehow held magical significance.
Remus just smiled. Truthfully, he had his doubts. Parties made him nervous, large gatherings especially, and the prospect of James’ almost manic attentions to Lily made him feel a bit queasy. Still, he managed to smile brightly at his boyfriend and hide his misgivings. This would be Sirius’ time to shine.
Remus knew of his boyfriend’s childhood, of the high expectations, stern warnings, and not-so secret beatings. Orion Black was a cold and distant man whose only affection was the occasional approving nod and whose critical eye missed nothing. Wallburga, on the other hand, was predictably unstable. Remus had read enough Muggle psychology books to know that Sigmund Freud would have a field day with that woman. How Sirius had emerged from that household relatively unscathed, never failed to amaze Remus, yet he remained fiercely protective of his friend. So, for the sake of Sirius, he steeled himself for the party ahead.
** *** ** *** ** ***
Christmas in the House of Black had always been a formal and subdued affair, bringing Sirius a myriad of unwanted relatives with whom he had little in common and nothing to say. Only Andromeda and Alphard (and Oscar, too rarely invited) were any fun and all three had been essentially excommunicated from the family. New Year's Eve was no different, usually spent at the home of some boring relative or another. Until last year, Sirius had never even received a New Year’s kiss – although once his cousin Bellatrix had tossed him a Biting Snuffbox at the stroke of midnight. That night, he’d lost the tip of his index finger, but this year would be different. This year he had Remus and the Potters and Peter…and a home. This year he would feel loved.
“Mmmm, you look gorgeous,” smiled Remus, taking in the slate-grey dress robes and sleek ponytail. Innately handsome, Sirius also possessed the ability to wear clothes well. Seriously, the boy could wear suit of rusty armor and still somehow manage to show off his muscular shoulders or emphasize his pale eyes. Remus doubted his own such ability, but Sirius seemed quite satisfied with what he saw.
“I like you in brown, you look like…”
“An enormous, walking turd?” suggested Remus.
“No, like chocolate, sexy and utterly edible!” Sirius purred. He pulled Remus close and began playfully nibbling on his ear
Remus just rolled his eyes and returned the favor.
Several hours into the party, they were actually enjoying themselves immensely. Lily, as it turned out, was delightful when she was not furious at James. She looked rather dashing in a form-fitting, moss-green gown and James could not keep his eyes off her. To Sirius’ great pleasure, she actually made jokes! She laughed! And, best of all, she drank! James, of course, was falling all over himself in an attempt keep her attention, but for once she seemed to take it in stride. She was even kind to James’ distant cousin, Tabitha, who was visiting from America and seemed to be the only child her age at the party.
“So,” Lily asked the tiny, blonde eleven-year-old, “how are exactly do you have the misfortune of being related to Potter?”
Tabitha looked confused but pulled herself together and said haughtily, “My grand-mamma, Endora, is Ruby's second cousin once removed.”
“Which makes you…?” began Sirius.
“Lucky enough not to actually be related by blood,” broke in Peter and everyone but Tabitha laughed. For her part, the girl spent the entire evening following Peter around asking a myriad of questions about Hogwarts and British magic education. Peter, naturally, was fascinated by the idea of life in America.
“Are you parents Purebloods?” he asked her.
“Are they what about blood?” responded the perplexed American.
“Are they, you know, Magic?”
“Oh,” said Tabitha, “My mother is a witch and my father is a mortal. Well, both of them were mortals.”
“You have two fathers?” asked Remus curiously, his mind filled with images of a happily-paired couple like Sirius’ uncles.
“Yeah, sort-of,” sighed Tabitha. “It’s really hard to explain. One day when I was very little, my father just disappeared and was replaced by this other guy who looked almost the same, but not quite and I was expected to behave as if nothing had happened. They were both named Darrin, though, which made it slightly easier.”
“Two Darrins?” muttered Sirius, “That’s even stranger than anything my family can come up with!”
Again, Tabitha fixed them all with a strange stare and returned her attentions to Peter.
And so the party continued. As the night drew on, the guests grew louder and more rowdy. Spontaneous singing could be heard, dishes were broken, and the ominous sounds of exploding casseroles sounded from the kitchen. To calm things down and focus the guests, Ruby Potter suggested taking pictures. The four Marauders posed in front of the tree, arms around one another and Sirius and Remus posed for a shot alone. To everyone’s great surprise, Lily agreed to pose with an idiotically grinning James, taking not one, not two but three frames of photos.
“Family shot!” cried Harold’s intoxicated brother, Frank, “Potters first.”
James and his parents positioned themselves in front of the tree. Without thinking, Sirius moved to join them.
“Wait!” said Frank, looking directly at Sirius, “this is a family shot, young man. Family only. You can be in a later frame, I suppose, if you really think you need to.” Frank stared for a moment, clearly trying to discern who exactly Sirius was and why he thought he had the right to intrude upon a family photo.
Sirius stiffened, embarrassed goose-pimples rising on his back. “Oh,” he whispered, “sorry.” He flushed red, hoping that no one had seen, but James and his parents were too busy mugging for the camera to even notice. He’d made a fool of himself, overstepping his bounds under the mistaken belief that he really was family.
Suddenly, Remus’ warm hand appeared on the small of his back, steadying, reassuring. A voice in the pit of his belly told Sirius to run, to flee to the balcony and breathe in the cold night air. He wanted to hide away from the glittering crowd of laughing friends and relations, but, instead, he drew a breath and composed himself.
“Group shot! Full family!” bellowed Frank and dozens of extremely distant relations grouped together in front of the tree.
“Pardon, me, young man,” grumbled Endora as she elbowed Sirius of the way, dragging Tabitha behind her. She grimaced as she vainly tried to position her grand-daughter in the front of the throng of jostling people.
Peter appeared at his side, swaying drunkenly from a sordid combination of slightly too much Firewhiskey and far too many canapes. “Shouldn’t you be in the picture, Padfoot? I mean, James is your brother, right?” This short, heartfelt speech was immediately followed by a thunderous belch, reeking of alcohol and marinated mushrooms.
Grateful for any distraction, Sirius simply shrugged and handed his a friend a Professor Blotto’s Anti-Vomit Tablet from his pocket. Peter accepted the gift gratefully, wolfing it down with another shot of Firewhiskey. “Still think you’re ‘spossed to be in there,” he grumbled and Sirius fought the urge to agree.
He’d always been treated as family.
“Hey, kid,” burbled Frank drunkenly, handing Sirius the camera, “would you mind taking a picture of the whole Potter clan? And what the hell was your name again?”
The whole Potter clan. Not including Sirius. He was not family. Who was he? He was obviously nobody.
Sirius reached numbly for the camera with a bright, false smile plastered on his lips. If there was one thing that he’d learned, growing-up in the Black family, it was how to fake a smile.
“No,” came Remus’ calm voice, surprising them all, “Sirius, let’s go outside. I need some air.”
“I’ll take the picture,” Peter volunteered, obviously glad to be non-nauseated and free of Tabitha’s childish attentions.
“Thanks, Pete, you’re the best,” whispered Sirius, as the pair headed for the door.
Outside, the air was cold and sharp and crescent moon hung bright in starry sky. Wisps of clouds drifted across the moon’s face as Sirius stood shivering and looking up at heavens.
“Oh, gods, Moony, I’m such a fucking fool,” he muttered, angrily kicking at the dirt.
“No, Pads, absolutely not!” Remus moved in closer, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s waist and hugging him tightly. “You mean everything to me, you know,” he murmured. He felt embarrassingly defensive of Sirius, and yet it felt absolutely right. Sirius was far more fragile than he ever let on, and behind that confidant façade of playful enthusiasm laid a very hurt little boy. Remus pressed closer, wishing desperately that there was such a spell as could reverse that last ten minutes, wiping it clean from the face of the earth. Sirius had done nothing wrong; he’d acted naturally, with his usual bumbling, innocent kindness. So what if some drunk-ass relative had said something stupid? Remus placed a gentle kiss on Sirius’ neck, whispering nonsense endearments and hoping for the best.
Sirius said nothing, but simply buried his face in Remus’ silk-fine hair, nuzzling into the citrus-scented warmth. His chest was tight as he fought against the welling of emotion from within. He was furious at himself for losing composure, but even more so for believing a lie. There were facts to be faced: no matter how lovingly the Potters welcomed him in, he would never truly be one of them. He had no home. He had no family.
But suddenly, Remus was kissing him, hands tangling his hair, breath hot and scented with Firewhiskey.
“I love you, Padfoot. You’re my home.”
And Sirius kissed back, fiercely and with passion, desperately seeking solace in the other boy’s kiss. He felt the anger slowly seeping from his body.
Remus raised head, a smile slowly forming as he gazed off into the distance. “Hey, would you look at that?" he said, nodding toward the lake that shimmered in the moonlight. "Let’s sneak off into the boathouse. I’m becoming quite adept at Warming Charms!” he whispered, tugging at Sirius’ arm.
And the two ran off, hand in hand, to the Potter’s winter-abandoned boathouse where they found comfort in one another’s bodies and respite in the act of love. The sweat and the strain were somehow cleansing, leaving Sirius warm and refreshed and oddly rejuvenated. After, as nestled against one another, they furtively whispered their plans for the future, speaking of cottages in the country and posh city flats.
Remus smiled. “We can make our own home, Padfoot. Have our own holidays!”
“We’ll have an enormous tree, filled with exploding eagles… no lions… no hippogriffs!” laughed Sirius.
“Erm, yeah, but not everything will explode, I hope?” Even Remus had his limits.
Sirius shook his head. “Oh, of course not, we’ll have star and moon-shaped ornaments and vats of spiked eggnog and throw huge, non-exploding feasts for all of our friends.”
A shiver ran through Remus, reminding him that, indeed, this could be the future. He could not help but continue, “And James and Peter and Lily and Mr. and Mrs. Potter – hell, even my parents, can all come and be part of it!”
“Not my bloody parents, though,” Sirius muttered, suppressing a grin.
“No… oh, for the love of Merlin, no! I'd rather spend the evening with a cranky she-dragon, than with your mother,” laughed Remus.
"Oh, there's very little difference there, I'm sure," shot back Sirius before pulling Remus close for another kiss.
Suddenly, laughter that was not their own echoed throughout the boathouse, high, light, and undeniably female.
“Erm… James, I don’t think we’re alone,” hissed a familiar voice. Lily. But with James? Could this be part of her famed, mythical prank?
Lumos.
A golden light filled the dusty boathouse and the Lily Evans found herself face to face with a half-naked Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. “Oh, gods, sorry!” she squeaked, perhaps more embarrassed to be caught with James than to have caught her friends in an intimate moment.
“Where’d you go, Padfoot?” cried James, “We looked all over for you. We were taking family pictures, but you'd suddenly disappeared!”
Sirius grinned, straight white teeth glowing in the dim light of the boathouse. “Home.”
James shot him a perplexed look, but before he could bring himself to speak the hem of his robes began to sizzle, sending off bright, golden sparks and eventually melting away to nothing.
"Shit!" cried Lily, as she futilely attempted to put out the fire with a small stream of water from her wand. She looked around in horror as the others laughed uproariously. "I set the hex to go off at midnight, but that was before I realized that..." she trailed off, blushing an un-Lily-like blush.
"Realized what?" asked James breathlessly.
Lily looked him straight in the eye. "Well, Potter, I hexed you before I realized that you really weren't the utter toe-rag I'd always considered you to be. In fact, you're not half..."
But she never finished her sentence, for James was on her like a Sticking Charm, pressing his lips to hers.
Sirius looked at his friends and grinned. Despite the freezing boathouse and the fact that his half-naked brother was currently making out with a red-headed pyromaniac, he felt truly surrounded by family.
He pulled Remus close. "Happy 1977, Moony," he whispered against the other boy's lips.
But any response was lost in the kiss.
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Date: 2008-12-31 03:37 pm (UTC)Lily! I love how she pranked James and then was so absorbed with him she completely forgot about it. I've always seen Lily as more fun-loving than many fics make her out to be. I also love how Sirius realized she wasn't that bad.
I'm assuming Tabitha is the pointless crossover cameo? I have no idea who she is, though.
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Date: 2009-01-01 02:38 am (UTC)And now I feel old! I almost never know the cultural references since I haven't watched TV in years but this one was from my early childhood. I'm sure that Brighty only knows this from Nick at Night or a DVD collection .......
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Date: 2009-01-01 02:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-02 08:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-03 10:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-04 04:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-04 04:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-31 03:41 pm (UTC)This made me feel so warm and happy inside! What a lovely Christmas, despite the photographing incident. And what lovely, exploding ornaments! X) What a lovely story to end the night with (:
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Date: 2009-01-02 08:19 pm (UTC)I see Sirius as a little fragile and VERY conscious of manners and behaviour. You know, the type who might just agonize over a little incident like that!
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Date: 2008-12-31 09:03 pm (UTC)The 'Bewitched' crossover was funny!
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Date: 2009-01-02 08:20 pm (UTC)And, yes, I think that Sirius was ALWAYS a little fragile - or at least very aware of social complexities. Poor, baby!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
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Date: 2008-12-31 10:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-02 08:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-01 02:42 am (UTC)Which also means that I can pretend this is AU and they live happily and successfully ever after together just like Sirius' uncles Alphard and Oscar!
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Date: 2009-01-04 05:07 pm (UTC)I feel bad for Sirius but everyone has some stupid, thoughtless experience during the holidays when expectations are so high and at least he had his Moony to make him see that soon they could make their own holiday traditions.
Yeah, that's the holidays. And it always seems to be something theoretically little that brings the mood down. Offhand, drunken remarks, forgotten gifts, etc. The holidays can be just made for heartbreak.
I can pretend this is AU and they live happily and successfully ever after together just like Sirius' uncles Alphard and Oscar!
They did... I swear...
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Date: 2009-01-01 05:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-04 05:14 pm (UTC)As to the drunk picture incident. That's what always seems to happen at the holidays, something fairly small, but on-so annoying. There's just so much hype, it's supposed to be SO fun and then someone drunk person makes an off-hand remark and ruins the party!
Thanks for reading and commenting.
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Date: 2009-01-01 06:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-04 05:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-01 04:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-02 08:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-02 08:55 pm (UTC)And then... the family photo was so overwhelming. Of course, Remus will have been here to solace the poor Sirius. And I adore the way you portrayed Lily with James. :D
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Date: 2009-01-04 05:22 pm (UTC)Yes, poor Sirius. But that's the holidays. It's rarely about huge, horrifying disasters, but things are usually ruined by the small, rude indiscretions of relatives. You know, some drunken comment or unwise remark, etc. Uhg! Well, at least many parties I've attended have been that way.
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Date: 2009-01-04 06:12 pm (UTC)Huh. I'm glad I've never been through that kind of experience...
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Date: 2009-01-03 07:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-04 05:57 pm (UTC)I realized that Tabitha would be about 6 years younger than the Marauders and it all spewed forth from that!
Thanks for reading and commenting.
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Date: 2009-01-03 10:28 pm (UTC)I really liked the Potters and the way there was such an easy acceptance of the boys. That made it just that more heartbreaking when Sirius was forgotten about when the photos were taken. I realise that James says later that he was missed, but it isn't the same as being included at the time.
Loved the way that Sirius and Remus are going to have their own home and traditions.
Also liked the brief appearance from Lily and her prank on James. Very funny.
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Date: 2009-01-04 06:08 pm (UTC)Thanks!! I've always loved the Potters, but extended families never really "get it" in the same way. My in-laws are a bit like that: huge, loving, but not really too "with it" in terms of the little things. (Like pictures.) It's also a family joke that, although there are eight siblings and five of them are partnered/married , they still take pictures without the in-laws. Unlike, poor Sirius, though, nobody minds.
Still, though, the worst part of the holidays is always the unwise (or flat-out rude/inappropriate) comments that some dumb-ass relative of friends has to day. It wouldn't be festive without it?
Thanks again for reading and commenting.
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Date: 2009-01-04 05:29 am (UTC)You shook a very familiar feeling in me about the Potters. I imagine them very posh, James quite the English public school type, so I like the inclusion of all their city-bred family and friends in this. They pay polite attention but just not quite enough to remember Sirius' name. And I bet for the witches and wizards who would know the Black name, Sirius was keeping purposely hush about his identity. Having left Grimmauld as recently as he has in this, his contemptuous feelings are still fresh. (And eager to not be explicitly singled out amongst the guests as a Black for either its rightness or wrongness.)
The description of Sirius' memories when he's dressing and preparing to experience love for the holidays was stated lovely. Just the right amount of background for us to feel deep empathetic pains for Sirius being miserably excluded from the family picture.
“No,” came Remus’ calm voice, surprising them all, “Sirius, let’s go outside. I need some air.”
I love this line because it's Remus' way of telling Sirius I'll look after you which gives Remus the same warm wet pleasure as I bet it gives Sirius. When Remus churns up protective thoughts for Sirius it coordinates so well with the idea you planted earlier that Remus' home is nice but a bit of a nervous place for them both. But as Remus points out later, they have each other to always return to. They both give each other such confidence and you showed that throughout the whole story.
Another funny, poignant submission from you! I liked it so very much.
EDIT: Spelling, it's late.
EDIT2: I returned a second time to tell you James is an idiot: James grinned broadly. “Oh, come on, Moony, touch a bird! lol
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Date: 2009-01-04 08:36 pm (UTC)If you worked in Donny and Marie New Years Special (it is the 70s) I'd be worried about you but the witch genre cross-pollination couldn't make more sense.
But isn't it "Puppy Love?" Just kidding. Yes, Donny and Marie are scary in and of themselves.
You realized precisely what I was going for with the Potters' extended family and friends. Yes, Harold and Ruby might love Sirius as a son, but that sort-of thing is likely "unusual" or simply "not done," in their circle. (Rather like Alan Hollinghurst's, The Line of Beauty, a novel that has haunted me for a long time.) But, no, Sirius would be just as happy if nobody ever knew his family origins - especially considering the fact that the Potters are quite obviously at the other end of the political spectrum from the Blacks. He would want neither scorn nor pity and both could easily be forthcoming in that situation.
James has a somewhat easy home life on all fronts, I believe. Obviously, he's wealthy and has all the privileges of wealth and class, but his parents also dote on him greatly and seem to think he can do no wrong. Neither Remus nor Sirius have that. Poor Sirius has wealth and station, but feels virtually unloved and is constantly pressured with high expectations. Remus, on the other hand, is well-loved (if not a bit over-protected), but has issues of poverty and need with which to deal. I also think that, although the love him, his parents don't quite know what to make of him and the way he conducts his life. And it's more than just being a werewolf or being gay, it's simply who he becomes when he goes to Hogwarts. So, yes, it could be awkward. I sort-of deal with that hear: http://community.livejournal.com/brightyfics/13078.html?#cutid1 and http://community.livejournal.com/remusxsirius/2730105.html.
But I DO think that is why they are both so protective of one another. They both understand pain and alienation, something James (luckily for him) has little to no experience with. Moreover, they both seek solace and comfort in the idea of protecting each other. I don't think that James would even have a clue about needing confidence or emotional protection.
And bless you for getting that silly bird joke...
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Date: 2009-01-05 05:31 am (UTC)You created such a wonderful portrait of James' family in this story. You get a real sense of what his parents are like with the warmth and kindness they exude, and you get an idea where James' fondness for pranks comes from. The Potters are so believable they could be canon.
This made me love your Mrs. Potter:
“I’m sorry, Remus, darling,” she apologized, “my husband and son were obviously raised by philistine Doxies and have no manners whatsoever. I officially apologize for their behaviour and lack of conscious thought.” She laughed as her husband blew her a kiss.
Oh, and this:
“Sirius, I changed the sheets in your room and, Remus, you are in the Blue Room across the hall from Sirius.” She paused smiling and lowered her voice. “Harold and I retire promptly at 11:00PM and won’t rise again until after 8:00AM,” she added with another distressing wink.
I especially liked James' reaction to the last bit:D
The juxtaposition of Sirius' memories about his family with the Potters actions makes it all the more heartbreaking when he's treated like a guest by the visiting relatives. I love that Remus immediately takes him out of the situation and comforts & reassures him (and not just the way he does the it - this is PG-13 after all;D). His actions are not just as a boyfriend but a great friend (because the two, unfortunately, don't always go hand-in-hand:()
I could go on and on, but I'll just say the rest of it was lovely as well. And can you believe it took me a while to figure out who Tabitha was? I told you - dolt! :D
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Date: 2009-01-07 04:19 pm (UTC)The juxtaposition of Sirius' memories about his family with the Potters actions makes it all the more heartbreaking when he's treated like a guest by the visiting relatives. I love that Remus immediately takes him out of the situation and comforts & reassures him (and not just the way he does the it - this is PG-13 after all;D). His actions are not just as a boyfriend but a great friend (because the two, unfortunately, don't always go hand-in-hand:()
I really think that the heart of their relationship is that they ARE such true friends to one another.
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Date: 2009-01-05 06:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-07 04:19 pm (UTC)I was amazed by the amount of people who had never seen Bewitched.
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Date: 2009-10-26 07:00 am (UTC)