The Marauders: Year Seven Part One

Definitely a Keeper, Too

"OH MY GODDDSSSSS, OH MY GODDDDDSSSSS!" Lily was shrieking, jumping up and down, clutching Remus's hands in her own, her hair bouncing over her shoulders as she dragged him about in a little dance.

Remus laughed, and the paper crown Sirius had plopped upon his head tipped and fell off onto the floor.

"I can't believe it! But I can - I mean, I expected it, even, but I can't believe it also!" Lily was sobbing officially now, and she tugged Remus quite suddenly into a bone-crushing hug that quite literally took his breath away.

"Lil - can't - breathe," he gasped, and she hurriedly let him free and dusted off his cardigan, her eyes glowing the brightest colour of green they could possibly be. "Breathing is good... I would like to live long enough to attend the training," he joked.

Lily stared at him. "Professor Lupin. It has a wonderful ring to it."

"DOESN'T IT THOUGH?" Sirius practically shouted, and he shot yet another confetti burst from his wand with a pop and the little bits of paper fell over Remus's shoulders, dusting him like colorful snow. "Bloody excellent ring if you ask me."

James smiled from his bed, where he was lounging, chewing on a licorice wand. "What subjects do you reckon you'll be teaching, Professor?"

"Dunno, maybe Charms or something," Remus answered, shrugging, "I don't particularly mind what I teach, only that I get to."

"You'll be brilliant no matter what you teach," Lily said, putting the paper crown back on Remus's head. She put one hand on his cheek and smiled, looking deeply into his eyes for a long moment. "I'm so proud."

Remus flushed, "Thanks Lily," he murmured.

Peter nodded from his bed, "We're all proud, Remus."

"Thanks, Pete."

"And I'm glad you'll be staying for holidays, now I won't be all by myself all the time," Peter smiled warmly. "We can play games and drink cocoa with marshmallows, and --"

"Remus actually prefers Ovaltine," Sirius spoke up. Then, "I'm staying, too."

"Oh." Peter struggled to keep his face from looking a little disappointed. He'd sort of been excited to spend sometime with Remus alone. Remus was usually pretty kind to him, and Peter appreciated that, even if Remus was a werewolf and scared the daylights out of him once a month during the full moon. "Well, it'll still be lovely to all be together for Christmas!" Peter grinned. "It's too bad you guys aren't staying," he added, looking at James and Lily, hoping they'd say that they were changing their minds and would stay... 

Instead, Sirius said. "Dunno if any of you lot looked at the calendar but the December moon is on Christmas this year."

"Is it?" James sat up and looked at his revision schedule book. "Bloody hell. I'm sorry, Moony, what a way to spend Christmas."

Peter looked crestfallen. "ON Christmas?"

"Yeah," Sirius nodded.

"So you won't even get to celebrate Christmas?" he asked, offended for Remus.

"It'll be a howling good Christmas," Sirius quipped.

James rolled his eyes.

"But at least we'll have the rest of the month," Peter said, excited. "Zimmerman said that one of the teachers said they might schedule a couple Hogsmeade weekends!" 

"We can go to Hogsmeade anytime we want, Peter," Sirius reminded him. "We have the secret passageways."

"Oh. True, yeah. I forgot." Peter was quiet.