Notes: CW - some unpleasant family stuff in here that could be construed as child abuse (Sirius & Walpurga obvs)
Remus had thought that nothing could be much better than Christmas at Hogwarts, which was (quite literally) magical. Christmas at the Potter's, however, was an entirely different experience that seemed only to get better.
First there was tobogganing down the snowy slopes in the back garden - though at over five hundred acres, no one could really call it a garden. Peter, who lived further down in the main village, came out to join them as soon as he heard they had arrived, and they had an extremely noisy and violent afternoon careering down the hillsides and playing complex wargames with snowball ammunition. Mr Potter even joined in; sprightly for his age and with the considerable advantage of being able to use magic.
Mrs Potter called them all in for lunch and made them all change out of their freezing wet clothes. They sat by the fireplace, warm and dry eating hot toasted teacakes smeared with rich yellow butter. In the afternoon they wanted to go out again, but Mr Potter had gone to lie down and Mrs Potter didn't want them to go out so close to nightfall. Instead they helped her decorate an enormous Christmas cake with white royal icing and tiny magical figurines, then to wrap presents for the neighbours and their house elves,
"We never got anything for the house elf," Sirius said matter-of-factly, his fingers hopelessly bound up in some spell-o-tape, "Mind you, Kreacher's a moody git; I doubt he wants anything."
"They'll take gifts as long as it's something edible, I find," Mrs Potter replied, smiling, "No clothes, of course, that only upsets them."
"Tell mum what your lot does to house elves, Sirius," James grinned, binding his friend's hands up even more. Sirius laughed, lightly,
"Mounts their heads." He said, "Once they're dead. At least, I think we wait until they're dead... Kreacher's the only house elf I remember."
"Goodness," said Mrs Potter, "I had rather thought that tradition had died out."
"Not with the Blacks," Sirius sighed. Remus could tell that he was thinking about the betrothal again.
"You're making a lovely job of that, Remus," Mrs Potter observed, glancing over at the book he was wrapping for Mrs Pettigrew. "Unlike some naughty boys I could mention..." she turned a stern gaze upon her son and his best friend, now attempting to tape their hands to the table top.
Remus smiled at her, politely, feeling the fresh cut on his face pull at his skin. He still hadn't really said anything to either of James's parents yet. He'd always been told to be seen and not heard around older people - and he had never been to a friend's house before. Sirius, by contrast, was completely at ease, Remus had never seen him happier. He doted on Mrs Potter as if she was his own mother - if he'd liked his own mother, of course.
Remus yawned, more widely than he meant to, trying to hide behind his hands, ducking his head embarrassed. He had only slept a few hours that morning following the moon, and an afternoon of snowball manoeuvres had left him exhausted.
"You'd better go up to bed, dear," Mrs Potter said, ignoring the fact that it was only three o'clock in the afternoon. Remus wondered if James had told his parents about him - they must know, McGonagall might not have let him come otherwise.
"Oh, you're all right, aren't you, Lupin?" Sirius cajoled, "Peter's coming back in a bit, we can go out again."
Remus blinked at him, then looked at James for help.
"Leave him alone, Sirius," Mrs Potter chided, "The poor boy's dead on his feet. Come on, dear, off you go."
Gratefully, Remus got up from the kitchen table and made his way up to bed. As he changed into his night things, he couldn't help but steal another glance at himself in the mirror, now that he was properly alone. Perhaps it was having been out in the cold, but the scar looked worse than it had that morning, the contrast harsher with his pale skin. Would his face always surprise him, now? Would be always catch a glimpse of himself in some mirror or shining surface and jump? Would other people be afraid of him?
