Mischief Managed Year Two Part One: The Poisoned Truth

Chapter Sixty-Three- A Christmas Miracle

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"Merry Christmas!" Sirius screamed, jumping up and down on the mattress wildly. For once, James was up as quickly as him, throwing back the curtains around his bed with a broad smile before launching himself at the massive pile of presents at the foot of his bed.

Peter wasn't far behind, his own large pile of presents attracting the yawning boy to it quickly. Sirius hopped off the bed and started towards Remus' bed, feeling quite pleased with his friend's own decent pile of presents. The mound was quite bigger than last year, and included multiple presents Sirius could quickly identify as not coming from the three of them. In fact, Sirius' own pile might have been the smallest out of all of them. That was if he didn't count the multiple presents wrapped in silk black wrappings with fancy tags that made it painfully obvious from whence they had come.

"Leave him, Sirius. I'm sure he just wants to sleep. You wore us all out yesterday, you madman," James laughed, apparently in a good enough mood to lose the edge of annoyance that had appeared after Sirius' bruise had begun to form on his face. Whatever James had said to Remus yesterday had resulted in their friend stumbling back into the dorm late and collapsing onto his bed, immediately asleep. Sirius had watched in confusion as James went over and took off their friend's trainers and tucked him in, coupled with a look of fondness that suggested the two of them made up over whatever bullshit Lily had caused between them.

It should have been a relief but it left Sirius feeling scared, a sort of frightened he figured if he thought about enough, he could determine the origin of. Instead he ignored it. Because it had been Christmas Eve and now it was Christmas. Neither of those was the time to toy with the idea that Remus' secret may be more horrible than he had previously considered. And James might already know...?

He'd lose his mind if James already knew. So instead, Sirius threw himself into the holidays with such abandon that he dragged his friends along with him.

And Christmas Eve had been a treasure, possibly the best Sirius had ever had. That is, if he ignored the looks James and Remus exchanged and the underlying current of tension that ran through them, hinting that something big and unpleasant was about to take place soon. Still, it hadn't been all that hard to ignore. If James and Remus seemed more down than could ever be allowed on Christmas Eve, it hadn't lasted long. Sirius had come up with many shenanigans to entertain...and distract them.

They had conducted an epic snowball fight that lasted hours, and almost ended up including all of the Gryffindors. Even some seventh years partook in the 'kiddy antics' since it was Christmas Eve 'so what the hell.' Of course Patricia dominated the game, her practised spells for tricks providing her with a deadly arsenal. Even more unfair was her quick enough reflexes that allowed only the Prewett twins able to hit her with snowballs. But of course the Prewett's harassing Patricia hadn't lasted long, as she had somehow convinced them to join her cause. The chaos that had ensued was a treasure Sirius would reflect upon often and fondly. Mostly though, he had been ecstatic about how the Great Gryffindor Snowball Fight of '72 effectively pulled Remus and James out of their funk over a stupid girl, and into the appropriate attitude to experience Christmas Eve in.

The Marauders had of course teamed up, only to be unfairly targeted by the second-year girls. Sirius swore Lily had enchanted the snowballs to pelt him with a painful speed, though he knew he could never prove it. The first years had dissolved into giggling in the snow, far too nervous to go toe to toe with the other students. Even Sirius had to admit he had scurried away from the seventh and sixth years. But it had been such a blast, even if he hadn't been able to wipe the smug look off Patricia's face as he had originally hoped.