The Wolf and The Raven, Bk 2

Ch 28 - Rudolph Pays a Visit

A bit of Christmas fluff for your hot summer days

True to Remus' word, the other Marauders pitched in eagerly to help their youngest member. James brought her homework, often arriving with her essays already written. Sirius sat up by her bed at night, ensuring that she was actually getting some sleep. Peter, however, was her most constant companion. He was willing to sit with her in silence and not ask uncomfortable or guilt-inducing questions. Sometimes they played wizard-chess or Gobstones. Sometimes they shared cocoa and Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. Sometimes they just sat and watched the flames dancing in the common room fireplace.

As December's full moon passed and Branwen's health continued to improve, the Christmas spirit overtook the Marauders. Inspired by a song they learned in their Muggle Studies class, James and Sirius led their gang in a re-enactment of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." According to the carol, the gifts were supposed to begin subtly – but subtleness was not a concept the Marauders were familiar with.

As students filed into the Great Hall for breakfast, twelve days before the start of the holiday, they found an enormous pear tree sprouting behind the professors' table. It's sprawling branches were weighted with a flock of rasping partridges. By the final day of the term, the Hall was a noisy circus of birds, musicians, dancers, and gold rings falling from the ceiling. Despite the mess the birds tended to make (especially over the Slytherin table), most of the students found it an entertaining distraction from their end-of-term exams.

Filch, however, did not find it amusing. He raved at the professors to expel the culprits responsible for such "criminal behaviour." Though it was generally accepted knowledge that the infamous Marauders were behind the Christmas chaos, no one could catch them in the act. Even when Filch decided to spend the night in the Great Hall, he caught no sign of the troublemakers (though there was a close call when James stepped on Sirius' foot under the crowded Invisibility Cloak).

The excitement of the final day's spectacle carried over into the Gryffindor common room as the students stayed up late into the night, celebrating their temporary reprieve from lessons and homework. Secret stashes of butterbeer and hoards of Honeydukes candy were being passed around the room while the Lunar Novas sang "Have Yourself a Merry Little Quidditch" on the Wizarding Wireless Network.

The Marauders sat in their usual alcove – all of them except Sirius, who had last been seen escorting the nine dancing ladies from the castle. James and Peter were adding to the din of the room with their game of Exploding Snaps, while Branwen sat on Remus' lap, her head resting on his shoulder. His lips were moving against her ear, his words too quiet for anyone but her. Nearby, Lily, Mary, and Marlene were passing around a bottle of Firewhisky and discussing the holiday prank.

"My favourite part was the swans," Mary smiled. "They were so lovely."

"Except the bastard that shat on my head," Marlene tugged at her dark hair as though still feeling the wet guano running down her scalp.

Lily shook her head. "My ears are still ringing from the pipers. To be honest, I wish they had chosen a quieter song – like Rudolph or something."

James was listening intently now, leaning away from his game with Peter to catch Lily's conversation.

"Rudolph?" Mary asked.

"Yeah, you remember the song....," Lily blushed, unintentionally glancing toward the small group of Marauders as she cleared her throat. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer / Had a very shiny nose / And if you ever saw it / You would even say it glows."

She was a little hoarse and very off-key, but to James, she was a heavenly choir. He learned toward Peter. "Do you know anything about this Rudolph fellow?"