𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃 ☆彡 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫

𝟎𝟐. 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞

જ⁀➴ ❄️₊˚🦌⊹♡ 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐨, 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞

        — HOGSMEADE.
A strange name for a strange town.

Sirius rides into town at a quarter past noon and immediately wishes he had pushed his childhood best friend James to come to his place in the city for Christmas instead, but James probably would have just put on the doe eyes and get him here anyway. He sighed, driving his motorcycle down familiar streets.

Sirius grew up here, he knew the people, knew the streets, had a million stories for each old road and yet he never wanted to return.

Driving past the large manor that belongs to his family, a cold White House that towered over the rest with black accents made him remember why. He forces his eyes away before he can search the windows for any sign of someone peeking out — his baby brother, or his cousins, or — Merlin forbid — his parents.

The day he turned 18, Sirius had left them all behind. It had been years since then, he was 22 now, and yet merely driving into this town made him feel like a kid again — full of anger and fear and unable to contain any of it.

He focused on the road ahead, the wind whipping around him providing more comfort than his family ever did as he follows the directions to his friend's apartment.

James was his best friend since preschool, something his family never approved of which only made Sirius love James even more. They were brothers in every way that mattered, and James knew just how to convince him to come here again, with brown doe eyes and pleas of "but it's Christmas!" and promises that he wouldn't have to see anyone but their little group.

He's lost in thought for a while, parking out front without realizing. He's still lost in a way when he sees Remus Lupin.

He feels breathless and 15 again all of a sudden, and despite the differences in appearance Sirius still wonders if he's hallucinating as he sees the tall man with fair skin only a few shades tanner than Sirius's ghostly white skin, his skin dotted with freckles, and his dark brown hair as messy as ever despite looking perfect, and his brown eyes, like chocolate, Merlin, Sirius forgot what it's like to fall into those eyes.

Remus had been Sirius's first real crush, and his second friend, but they'd grown apart years ago for unknown reasons. Sirius missed him every day even without thinking.

He snapped out of it as a dog barreled into him, his eyes widened and before he could do anything about the large black dog climbing all over him, Remus rushed over with wide eyes and pulled the dog away.

"I'm so sorry, he's not normally like that I—" in his haste to grab his dog,Remus must not have realized who exactly his dog had jumped on because when he looked up, meeting Sirius's blue eyes, he paused.

"Sirius?" He asked after a moment, his words so quiet Sirius almost didn't hear him, wouldn't have if he hadn't been straining to hear anything that he may say.

"Remus." Sirius responded. Like an idiot.

"I haven't seen you in..." Remus paused as if thinking.

"Four years." Sirius stated, again, like an idiot.

"Four years." Remus nodded, and seemed to hesitate, wanting to say something but not. "Visiting family for holidays?" He asked after awhile.

Sirius snorted, "Merlin, no." He shook his head, "I'm visiting James for the holidays."

He nodded, "I ah— I'm really sorry about Padfoot."

Sirius paused, "Padfoot?" He blurted out unable to stop himself as he finally tore his eyes away from Remus to look at the dog.

Padfoot.

A stupid nickname that had come about when Sirius pranked some other students into thinking there was a wolf at the school by creating paw prints in the dirt. Nobody had called him that in years, he'd almost forgotten about it entirely but Remus —

Remus named his dog Padfoot.

Before Remus or Sirius could manage any more words, a cheery voice called out, "Sirius! You're here!" Sirius immediately recognized the voice as James and forced himself to turn from Remus just as his best friend barreled into him, nearly making him fall as he wrapped him into a tight hug. Sirius was rather short, while James was about average height (still too tall, in Sirius's opinion) while Remus was taller than them both. He'd always been like that, tall and lanky.

"Remus!" James greeted as he pulled away, "Sirius, did I tell you Remus moved in Nextdoor?"

Sirius's eyes widened and he shook his head, "No, no you didn't, Jamie."

"Well he did." James grinned in that way that could light up a room or a whole city, a familiar warmth that Sirius had missed more than he realized. "The invites still open you know." He continued, looking at Remus now.

"Invite?" Sirius asked confused with a frown.

"It's nothing," Remus said as James said, "To Christmas!" Remus huffed, and sent James a petulant look as Sirius realized with a start that the man must be alone for Christmas too. Sirius and Remus had been the two in their little group that never liked going home for their own reasons.

"You should come." Sirius blurted out without thinking, and blushed when Remus looked at him, "I would love it." He said unable to stop himself but he quickly backtracked, "I mean unless you already have other plans."

Sirius could scream. He'd always been put together, charming, flirty even. He wasn't this... this love sick puppy. But Remus always had a way of bringing that out in him. Even now.

"I don't." Remus admitted seeming a bit startled by his own words, "But I wouldn't want to intrude."

Now Sirius really wants to scream because Remus could never intrude. They'd been friends for years and despite the distance, despite the fact they hadn't spoken in years, Remus fit as though no time had passed.

James once joked that wherever Sirius was there was a space for Remus, they'd all laughed but Sirius found the statement to be true.

Before Sirius could find the words to verbalize all of this without seeming like a lovesick idiot, James spoke, "You wouldn't be intruding. We'd be happy to have you." The smile on his face was just as warm and kind as ever but there was something in his eyes — mischief, "Besides we need someone to make sure Sirius doesn't cause too much trouble or Lily might just kick his ass out."

Remus let out a little laugh that Sirius wanted to drown in and gave a nod, finally agreeing before walking off with his dog — Padfoot.

Sirius turned to James, "I could kiss you right now, Prongs." He said breathlessly, throwing his arm over his best friend's shoulder as the man laughed, "Why didn't you tell me our Moony moved in next door?" He questioned.

"Made for a good Christmas gift didn't it?" James grinned in response, and Sirius couldn't help but agree.

"Yeah it did." His gaze found Remus who was still smiling now as he walked his dog, the exhaustion he saw in the man's eyes before was lifted somehow.

It really did make for a good Christmas gift.

Now he just had to make sure he didn't lose it when Christmas was over.

1.224 words . . .

this was definitely posted on Dec. 2nd guys, I definitely didn't forget to post it...