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Sirius frowned at the Star Wars Lego set on the top shelf. The Death Star. There was no way he could reach that high. He cursed being 5’7 on a good day. Compact, is what James called it. Bloody annoying, is what Sirius preferred.
He debated climbing the lower shelves, testing the strength with one of his black Doc Martens. It bent slightly. Maybe if he was quick. He paused, taking in how much stock he could bring crashing to the floor if this went wrong. Maybe he should just find a member of staff, he looked up and down the aisle. There was a small boy with vibrant blue hair at the other end, but he obviously wouldn’t be able to reach either. He stood on his tiptoes and his fingers didn’t even brush the shelf that the set was on. He swore quietly.
“Need a hand?” A warm voice asked from behind him. Sirius spun around. The voice came from a man who towered over him, who must have been at least 6’4. His brown hair fell softly across his forehead and his eyes creased as he smiled. “I couldn’t help but notice that you couldn’t quite reach.”
“Perhaps not, but I’m the best at hide and seek.” Sirius stuck his jaw out, defensively.
“I don’t doubt that for a second.” The stranger arched one eyebrow before leaning over Sirius to pluck the Lego Death Star off the shelf. “Your kid’s going to have a great Christmas.”
“Not my kid. Godson.” Sirius muttered. “He’s mad on Lego and I’ve been watching the films with him recently.”
“My Ted’s mad on Star Wars. He’s always wanted one of those but the price…” He trailed off. “Your godson will be thrilled.”
“Thanks.” Sirius said, “And thanks for helping me.”
“No problem.” The two men stared at each other for a moment.
“I’m Sirius.”
“About what?”
“No, I- My name. My name is Sirius. Like the-”
“Like the star?” He nodded, “I’m Remus.”
“Raised by wolves?” Sirius smiled.
“They make surprisingly good parents.” Remus chuckled.
“Better than mine, I bet.” Sirius’ smile dropped, “Sorry, that was heavy for a toy shop a week before Christmas.”
“My dad’s no saint either, Mum made up for it though.” Remus said, to make Sirius feel less like he was spilling his heart one-sidedly.
“Dad, do you think that it would be alright if I asked Santa for a Barbie for Christmas?” The blue haired boy was tugging on Remus’ sleeve.
“Of course it would. Which one do you like, so we can let him know?” Remus nodded to Sirius, “It was nice meeting you. Have a good Christmas, Sirius.”
“You too.” Sirius watched them move towards the pink section of the shop. He debated taking the Lego set to the till but for some reason, found himself following them.
“I like this one, and this one too.” Teddy pointed at a doll with glittering hair and another with a mermaid’s tail.
“When we get home, you should write another letter to Santa. I’m sure he’ll see what he can do.” Remus crouched down next to his son. “Santa doesn’t always have enough elf power to make you big presents, but I’m sure that the elves would be more than happy to work a bit harder this week so that you can get a doll.”
“I know, and that’s fine. Santa knows that’s fine, I told him in my letter. It’s just… a boy in my class said that dolls are for girls.” Teddy mumbled.
“That boy sounds super rude.” Sirius made them both jump. “You see this t-shirt. This is from the ladies section. I paint my nails, which is a supposedly girly thing to do. I’m still a man, though. You get your doll, and you tell that boy to f-”
“Find some common sense.” Remus finished with a pointed look at Sirius who had the decency to blush a little.
“I wouldn’t want to play with him anyway. All he wants to play is guns and thats boring and I don’t like it.” Teddy frowned, “He’s boring and I don’t like him.”
“That’s my boy.” Remus laughed. “If he says something to you about it, you tell him it’s none of his business.”
“Or to bugger off.”
“What’s a ‘bugger off’?” Teddy asked, innocently.
“Oh bol- bug- sh- Oh... no.” Sirius caught himself.
“That’s something that grown ups say sometimes, but you can’t say it at school, because you’ll get into trouble.” Remus looked at his son.
“Like how I can say bum and bloody hell at home but not at school?” He asked, tilting his head to one side.
“Just like that, Teddy.”
“Draco deserves to be told to do a bugger off, though.” Ted grumbled. “He’s gross.”
“Draco? Is his last name Malfoy?” Sirius frowned.
“Draco Malfoy, yes.” Teddy nodded. “How did you know?”
“That’s my cousin’s kid.” He wrinkled his nose. “Her and her husband are vile, so I can’t imagine what her kid’s like.”
“He’s gross, I told you.” Teddy rolled his eyes, exaggeratedly.
“Well, if he says anything about you, you just ignore him. He’s not worth getting into trouble over, ok?”
“Ok.” Teddy looked confused at the advice being given to him by a stranger.
“Wait, if you know Draco, do you also know Harry Potter?”
“Yes, he’s my friend. We play in the sandpit together.” Teddy smiled, “He likes Star Wars and I like Star Wars. He’s fun and nice.”
“He’s my Godson.” Sirius explained to Remus. “I’m glad you think he’s nice. I’m friends with his mum and dad.”
“Who are you?” Teddy looked somewhat unimpressed, despite the man claiming to know Harry.
“My name is Sirius. I’m named after one of the stars in the sky.” Sirius held out his hand, which Teddy shook solemnly.
“My mum is a star in the sky, do you know her?”
“Ted, it doesn’t work like that.” Remus looked suddenly morose. “Sirius is just named after a star, he’s never actually been in the sky.”
“Sorry to hear about your mum, Ted.” Sirius sat down on the floor. “I’m sure she makes an excellent star, though.”
“She’s so bright, I can always see her in the sky.” Teddy smiled sadly. “It’s ok. I don’t really remember her. She is an excellent star, though.”
“Of course she is.” Remus closed his eyes. “I keep telling you stories about her, don’t I?”
“Yes. She had pink hair!” Teddy smiled, “That’s why dad lets me have blue hair.”
“Your hair is fabulous. You’d never get lost in a crowd.” Sirius grinned at the small boy. “Another one of my cousin’s kids had pink hair before she… y’know.”
“Sorry.” Remus said.
“We weren’t close. I keep as far away from that part of the family as I can.”
“That’s what she’d say more or less. I still see her mum occasionally, for Ted, but that’s it. Her mum’s great with him.”
“Grandy.” Teddy said smugly.
“Right, we should get going so we can get you fed, bathed and in bed for 8.” Remus stood up, offering a hand to Sirius who took it and scrambled to his feet. “It really was good to meet you. Thanks for listening to our morbidity.”
“The pleasure was all mine. I hope you have a great Christmas Teddy, and you too, Remus.” Sirius mock saluted before walking towards the till.
“Let’s get you home then, monkey.”
***
“Sirius, I’ve been trying to call you for the last hour!” James said, as Sirius arrived at the Potters’ house.
“Oh, my phone’s on silent. Everything ok?” Sirius pulled his brother into a hug.
“Yes, but I don’t need you to pick up the Lego thing anymore. Lily managed to get one on the way home from work.” Sirius frowned slightly, thinking of the £350 lego set sitting on his kitchen worktop.
“Oh, ok.” Sirius suddenly perked up, “I was planning to go later, you’ve saved me a trip.”
“Pads!” Harry came screeching into the kitchen.
“Prongslet!” Sirius swooped him up into his arms and span him around. “I met a friend of yours today.”
“Who?” Harry asked, slightly unsteady on his feet as he was set back on the ground.
“Teddy, with the blue hair.”
“Oh he is my friend, Pads. He started in September and he has blue hair and we play together at playtime and in the afternoons. He sits by me sometimes, too.” Harry was so animated that Sirius grinned at James. “Draco called him Loopy Lupin, but I told him to go away.”
“Loopy Lupin?” Sirius asked.
“His last name is Lupin.” James explained. “Harry’s gone over there a few times after school, and we’ve had Teddy occasionally. He’s a good kid.”
“Yeah, he seemed it. His dad was nice too.”
“Nice?” James saw right through him.
“You know what I mean.” Sirius grunted, “If I wanted to take them a Christmas card, would you give me their address?”
“Please don’t be a D-I-C-K to him, he’s one of the only sane parents we know, and Teddy’s so good compared to some of the others.”
“Dick?” Harry said. “Don’t be a dick?”
“I liked it more when he couldn’t spell.” James muttered. “Harry why don’t you go and get into your Pyjamas?” Harry skipped off, content.
“Look, I’m giving you this in good faith. I don’t even know if he’s into guys, but it can’t hurt to ask, I guess.” James paused, “He lost his wife four years ago and he never talks about her.”
“Did his wife happen to be called Dora?” Sirius asked, his eyes narrowing.
“How did you- No! Not your Dora?” James blinked at him.
“He said that she had pink hair, and they died around the same time and Teddy calls his Grandma ‘Grandy’, which could be Grandma Andy?” Sirius had gone pale. “It could just be a coincidence.”
“Maybe. There’s only one way to find out, I suppose.” James pulled up Remus’ address in his phone and sent it to Sirius. “If it all goes tits up, I never gave you this.”
“Understood.” Sirius hugged his brother again. “I’m going to go.”
“Pads, you’re going? What about my bedtime story?” Harry scowled in the doorway.
“You’re gonna have to put up with Dad’s story tonight, poppet. But I will be here tomorrow night and I’ll read you two stories, deal?” Sirius looked down at the stony faced child.
“Three.”
“Ok, three. But I get to choose one of them.” Sirius drove a hard bargain.
“Fine.” Harry shrugged. “See you tomorrow Pads.”
***
Remus had just got Teddy into bed and was settled in front of the TV with a cup of tea when there was a knock at the front door. He wasn’t expecting anyone but got up nonetheless. When he opened the door, a shivering Sirius greeted him with a grin.
“Alright?” He said, trying to stop his teeth chattering.
“Sirius?” Remus was taken aback. “What are you- How did you- What- Why?”
“I got your address off James, Harry’s dad. I’m sorry if that’s a bit weird. I just… Was Teddy’s mum called Nymphadora Tonks?” Remus blanched, “I’m sorry, I just… Andy… Andromeda’s my cousin.”
“You’re that Sirius?” Remus finally spoke.
“There aren’t many of us.”
“You should probably come in. You look freezing.” Remus turned and Sirius followed him inside. “Tea?”
“Please.”
As Remus set about making tea in the cramped kitchen, Sirius took in the paintings on the fridge and the smiling picture of Teddy on his first day at school. “How did you know?”
“James told me when your wife had… passed, and I suddenly put the pieces together. The pink hair and Grandy and everything.”
“Teddy was almost three. She had an aneurysm in her brain and didn’t catch it before it…” Remus sighed, “It was very sudden.”
“I’m so sorry.” Sirius didn’t realise that he’d taken Remus’ hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze before releasing it so that Remus could continue making the tea.
“She lives on through Ted. He’s so very much like her.” He smiled, “Andy tells him lots of stories about her, ones that I don’t even know and then he comes home and tells them to me. I tell him about her too, though Andy’s stories are probably more child friendly.”
“Remus, I actually wanted to ask you something, if it’s not a huge overstep.” Sirius pressed his lips together and took a deep breath. “So it turns out that Lily already picked up a death star for Harry, so, seeing as he’s family, would it be alright if Teddy had the one that I bought? You can say it’s from you, if that’s easier or-”
“Sirius, that death star cost £350.” Remus’ face was void of emotion. “That’s insane. Take it back and get a refund.”
“I don’t want a refund. Money isn’t an issue for me, I had a wonderful gay uncle who left me everything when he found out that my parents had kicked me out for being gay.” Sirius looked Remus in the eye, and saw his face soften slightly. “I don’t need the money and I’d much rather a great kid like Teddy had it.”
“It’s too much, I can’t possibly-”
“Say it’s from Santa or from both of us. What would make this easier?”
“From both of us?” Remus raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly.
“If you like?” Sirius mirrored the smirk.
“I think I would like that.” Remus laughed, as he handed Sirius his cup, his fingers brushing Sirius’ just a second longer than necessary. “I think I would like that a lot.”