A Miracle For Christmas by Hypatia
Story Notes:
First off, I’d like to thank Sapphire At Dawn for helping to coax my plot bunny out of its plot hole.
Also, special thanks to TheCursedQuill for some magical song titles!
And thanks to iwannabeanauror for betaing the song in Chapter 4!
–Congratulations, Sirius, you’ve truly outdone yourself this time: it’s the most barmpot idea you’ve ever had!†Remus announced. He felt this was saying something as Sirius had come up with some fairly terrible schemes over the years. The fiasco with the mutated tarantulas and the Hufflepuff Quidditch team wouldn’t even compare to this new brainstorm Sirius had just shared. When Padfoot had asked Moony and Wormtail to meet him in the privacy of their dormitory while Prongs was away at Quidditch practice, Moony had worried, and apparently his worrying was fully justified.
–You just don’t see it for the stroke of genius that it is,†Sirius replied confidently, leaning back on his bed with his arms crossed behind his head. –Besides, what would you suggest we get Prongs for Christmas this year? A book?â€
Remus took the opportunity to throw a copy of Hogwarts: A History at Sirius who managed to duck it without difficulty. Remus then resumed his protest of this new and moronic scheme. –First off, even if we did agree to this… for lack of a better word… plan of yours, it will never, in a million years, work.â€
–Nonsense,†Sirius replied, airily waving away Remus’s protests with his hand. –Even Wormtail can see that this plan is pure gold, right?â€
Peter hadn’t wanted to get involved in the argument and didn’t like to be put on the spot. He diplomatically replied, –Well, I don’t see how it could hurt to have a Christmas party.â€
–Have you read the Daily Prophet lately?†Remus replied, waving an old copy that he’d left on his nightstand. –Things are getting worse by the day.â€
–All the more reason to cheer people up a bit,†Sirius countered, –And what better way to do that than by throwing a party?â€
–It’s not safe to just invite people we barely know into our homes,†Remus reminded his friend.
–Which is why I only invited twenty or thirty of our most intimate acquaintances,†Sirius answered grinning widely.
Remus narrowed his eyes. –What do you mean ‘invited’?â€
–I believe it’s the past tense of courteously requesting the presence of an individual or individuals to an event,†Sirius replied coolly. He then winked at Peter. –Looks like we should get Moony a dictionary for his gift.â€
Peter snickered in reply, but Remus ignored him, instead focusing on his pillock of a friend. –Do you mean to tell me that you’ve already invited people to this party?â€
Sirius nodded with an infuriating smile on his face. –I expect your invitation will arrive any day now.â€
–I already got mine,†Peter added brightly, pulling a festive piece of parchment out of his school bag.
–I assume you cleared your schedule,†Sirius added pleasantly.
Peter nodded in reply. Remus decided to abandon his argument that Sirius had recently inherited a one bedroom house with unreliable plumbing in the middle of nowhere which by no stretch of the imagination could hold twenty to thirty people. –Even if you do host this party, Evans won’t agree to go. It’s even more dangerous for Muggleborns than the rest of us these days.â€
–Maybe it would make her feel a bit better to be invited to a party,†Peter suggested quietly while looking at the floor. He remembered his early school days, before Hogwarts, and how it felt to be the only one not invited to a party. He would never admit to anyone, especially his friends, how small it made him feel to see everyone else receive one of the little invitations. This year he’d received invitations to three Christmas parties, but had noted that the usually popular Head Girl had only received Sirius’s thus far. His cheeks slightly pink, Peter continued, –She might be feeling a bit lonely right now.â€
Remus considered this point. He knew that while many of Lily’s friends remained loyal to her, their families likely wouldn’t want to welcome Lily into their midst while Lord Voldemort was clearly targeting Muggleborns.
–No one should feel lonely at Christmas,†Sirius added rather gruffly.
It then dawned on Remus that since Sirius had moved out of the Potters and into his own house, he too would be missing his friends over Christmas. Only then did it occur to him that this party might not be solely for James’s benefit. –Fine. I will help you throw a Christmas party, but under no circumstances are we going to play matchmaker. You’ll only get James’s hopes up and annoy Evans. It would take a miracle to get those two together.â€
–Excellent!†Sirius replied, rubbing his hands together. –We’ll have a huge all out Christmas party. We’ll have a goose, mince meat pies, a tree, stockings, the works. Remus, you’ll be in charge of the music. Peter, you can take care of the cooking and James can look after the decorating.â€
–And what will that leave you to do?†Remus asked, temporarily ignoring the fact that he wasn’t aware of Peter ever having cooked anything and James was partially colour-blind.
–Well, I’ve already sent out the invitations, so I’ll spend the rest of my time orchestrating the required miracle to get our two turtledoves together.â€
–Your selective hearing is uncanny,†Remus replied dryly. –You are not going to ruin this party with some childish attempt to get James and Lily together.â€
–Oh don’t get your knickers in a twist,†Sirius replied airily. –Besides, I can hardly make a worse job of it than Prongs already has.â€