[twenty-four]

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xxiv

sirius

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sirius

"Godric, I'm glad you're alive."

I try to push James' face away from mine, but miss completely – probably because my eyes are still closed – and end up falling to the floor with the shift in weight on the bed, not realising how close to the edge of the mattress I was. I let out a pained groan at the harsh contact with the carpeted floor.

"Oh Padfoot," James tuts, sounding very similar to his mother, "what time did you even arrive back at? Me and the boys tried to stay up for you we but were eventually sent to bed. Thought you'd been captured, almost escaped to go find you but dad just so happened to be getting some water. Didn't tell him about what you were up to of course, then we both would've been killed."

"Gee Prongs, you're a saint," I mutter sarcastically into the carpet.

"Oh come on, what's with the attitude? It's Christmas Day!"

A childish spark ignites within me, my eyes opening excitedly. I associate Christmas with the Potters, my true family. All my happy holiday memories are with them. I jump up from my position on the floor and push a bewildered James onto my bed and run out the door. He yells good natured profanities at me as we both hurtle ourselves down the stairs, trying to beat the other in an unspoken race.

I guess why I'm so excited is because I've never had a proper Christmas before. It was always formal and never about family. I've spent the last few Christmas' with the Potter's but with this one I feel like I'm not an intruder and that I actually belong.

"First one to Moony!" shouts the messy haired boy, hot on my tails.

I jump over the living room couch but my foot catches because of my misjudged calculations. Okay maybe those calculations were 'tall object, jump high' but I still misjudged it. I slam into the soft cushions at the front of the sofa, afraid that I've lost the race. I reach my arm out – frustrated at myself that I forgot to grab my wand – and grab onto James' passing leg. He lets out a curdled scream as he goes down. Laughter escapes my lips as I leave him in the dust and sprint into the kitchen and almost hurtle into Remus.

"Hey hey, watch the hot tea," scolds the tall wizard, protecting the mug in his hand as if his life depends on it.

I chuckle as we both return to the living room sofa that James is still splayed out in front of. Peter sits in the armchair closest to the fire, whisper-shouting echoed cheers as if we were in a stadium. I give a short bow in front of my corpse-like opponent. Remus steps over his head as he lets out an anguished cry.

"Mark my words Black," he points a vengeful finger at me, "I will retaliate, and when I do, you shall be destroyed!"

"If you don't quit the childish horseplay, you'll both end up destroyed," proclaims Remus, now happily sitting with his coffee in his hands.

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