The leaves take their time, swirling to the ground with a dance. It rains red and yellow and orange until the trees are bare and frosted with a layer of snow. Maddie pouts as Sirius wraps another scarf around her neck.
"I look like a marshmallow."
"Well, you're the cutest marshmallow I've ever seen."
"Don't you think four jackets are a bit much?"
"I don't want you getting sick."
"Can't you just enchant a jacket to keep me warm?"
"But you look so cute!"
"I can't move my arms."
"Fine. You can take off two jackets and one scarf."
"Are you coming to the Christmas party today?"
Sirius helps her out of the jackets. "No, I have work, but your mommy will be there."
"Okay. But Mr. Lupin is going to be singing Christmas carols with us."
He laughs. "And I hate that I have to miss it, but work is work."
"I'm gunna miss you this Christmas."
His smile turns sour. "Well, it's your mom's turn, and she wants to go to Tennessee with Joseph's family."
"But I don't wanna! I wanna be with you!" Tears pool in her eyes. "It's not fair! Your going to be all alone on Christmas! James and Peter and mommy and Mr. Lupin have a family and you don't!"
"Please, we're not doing this right now, Maddie."
"But it's not-!"
"Madeline! What did I say?"
She falls silent and sulks to the car.
Normally, he sees her every Christmas, even if it's just a quick visit to Marlene's place, but apparently Joseph thought it would be a good idea for everyone in his family to vacation on Tennessee for two weeks. And, because Sirius isn't exactly on speaking terms with his family, he's forced to solitude in his house until New Years.
-
"Please reconsider," Sirius begs over the phone. He's already aware that it's a hopeless battle, but he want to plee once more. "I'll... I'll drive up myself and bring her there Christmas Day!"
"You got her on Thanksgiving! You always do this shit! You make me look like the bad parent when all I want to do is spend time with my daughter!"
"Our."
"What?"
"She's our daughter. Not just yours, and if I'm not mistaken, you have another on the way. She's my only family, Mar, and all I ask is that you let her be with me so I'm not all by my fucking self another Christmas."
"Don't you have a fuck-buddy?"
"Real mature. We're actually dating-"
"Great so your dating with our daughter's teacher."
"Okay, what's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong? You always try and play this pity card with me when I deserve to be with my daughter just as much as you! I could take her you know!"
"You get more time with her than I do! It use to be every other week and now all I get are weekends and Mondays?"
"I'm her mother!"
"And I'm her father!"
"Her fag father!"
Marlene curses. "Sirius I didn't..."
"Right. So because I'm a faggot I don't deserve to be with her? That seems fair. Bye. Have fun in Tennessee with our daughter."
-
Peter whistles. "That's heavy. I can't believe she called you that."
Sirius groans from his face-down spot on the ground.
"You know you can't stay like that forever," James remarks.
"I can stay like this all of winter break. Not like I'll have anything better to do."
"You should do some charity work for the needy," Peter suggests.
"I'm needy. I needy my daughter."
"Well, I needy to leavey," James sighs as he checks his watch. "I have a flight to catch."
Peter pulls himself off the sofa with a sigh. "Me too."
"I needy new friends."
With another pitiful groan, Sirius pulls himself up and hugs his friends goodbye.
He's already lonely.
"I guess I could make some cupcakes for orphans."
Sirius spends the next five days preparing dozens and dozens of cupcakes to donate to children at hospitals and shelters and orphanages, but after one delivery, he finds himself driving through heavy snow. He can barely make out the road in front of him. That's when he spots it.
On the side of the road, there's a box that says free kittens. He lets out a shriek for the poor felines before pulling over and rushing to the box. Inside there are six mewing kittens all huddled in a ball on top of another kitten. Quickly, he rushes them to the safety of his car.
"What kind of an asshole leaves animals in the snow? I mean I hate cats, but..." He pouts down at the box of kittens. "They're so cute and small and- oh shit they're probably freezing!"
He scoops them out of the box and wraps them in the jacket with him. He notices the kitten they were huddled on is dead, and he immediately starts sobbing. There's a dead kitten in his car, all these kittens don't have a family either, and one of the cats just peed on him.
-
"Wait, you did what?" James asks.
Sirius grips the phone between his head and shoulder. "I just spent five hundred dollars on kitten stuff."
"How could you have possibly...?"
"Food, toys, treats, a kitty castle, collars, tiny stockings, catnip, and cute Christmas Sweaters."
"I think you've lost it."
"What was I suppose to do? Let them die?"
"No? You bring them to a shelter like a normal person?"
"Then they'd be locked up in a sad cold room on Christmas."
"Are these cats suppose to be a metaphor for you?"
"I just want some pals."
"Okay, you need human interaction. When I get back we're going to give them away."
"But I love Katty Purry, Meowly Cyrus, Oprah Whisker, Lucifurr, Picatso, and William Shakespaw."
"Dude."
"What?"
~
What is this ??
YOU ARE READING
Bad Idea • Wolfstar
Fanfiction"This is a bad idea," Remus breaths. "That's what makes it so good," Sirius replies huskily.
