Work Text:
December 24, 1978
“Hey Moony, what else are we gonna do tonight? What other muggle traditions do you have?” Sirius asked, munching on leftovers from their troublesome turkey a few days earlier. He had a tiny smudge of cranberry sauce on his left cheek, under his eye. Remus wasn’t sure how that got there, but it was endearing.
“Well, usually Mum would make Dad and I watch her favourite Christmas movie.”
“Really? We watched a bunch of cartoons yesterday, are we re-watching one?”
“Not quite, it’s an old classic movie, black and white.”
“Yeah? Put it on!” Sirius leapt onto the sofa, another plate of their slightly burnt Christmas dishes. “And bring the rest of the pie!”
Remus rolled his eyes, but brought out the two half eaten pies.
“Are you ever giving Lily back her quilt?”
“Not until she notices.”
“That’s a dangerous game you’re playing there, Pads.”
Sirius shrugged, happily stuffing his face with mashed potatoes.
With the tape in the video player, Remus set the remotes on the coffee table before running off in search of something vital for this movie.
“Oi, Moony! What’re you doing?”
“Getting a good supply of tissues.”
“Why?”
“Oh, you’ll see.”
“That’s rather vague, I bet I won’t need it.”
Remus returned with two boxes of tissue, a handkerchief, two glasses of water, and his wand.
“If you say so, Padfoot.”
“Oi! Where’s the colour?”
“I don’t you, it’s from the 1940s, there weren’t coloured movies back then.”
“You said no such thing.”
“Shut up and watch the movie.”
8:58 p.m.
Remus rubbed a handkerchief over his face. There were several parts where he’d always get misty-eyed, others where actual tear drops would be shed, but the waterworks always came full force for the end.
“That Clarence, eh Pads? Got his wings after all!” Remus tried to make light of it, and wasn’t too impressed when his voice came out so shaky. He still faced the television, he was quite certain he looked like an emotional wreck still, and couldn’t have that tarnish his record.
There was silence for a few minutes.
“Padfoot?”
Remus finally turned to Sirius, who had scooted to the opposite side of the couch half way through the movie. He did a double take.
“Sirius, you okay?”
“No. Yes. Maybe?” Sirius was curled into a ball, arms wrapped tightly around his knees, his face mostly crushed into one of their throw pillows. The pillow looked quite damp. His hair fell loosely around his face, but bloodshot eyes were perfectly visible.
“Not bad for black and white, eh?”
Sirius nodded into his pillow.
“Want me to get you anything?”
Sirius shook his head.
“Want a hug?”
Sirius nodded his head.
Remus shuffled over and wrapped his arm around his best friend. Sirius tipped over and leaned heavily on him, still curled into his little ball.
“I think that might have been easier if I’d been a dog for the second half of that.” Sirius choked out a laugh after a while.
“Yeah?”
“Yes, then I wouldn’t have been comparing my life to George the whole time. I mean, who commits suicide on Christmas Eve?”
Remus remained silent.
“And when his brother toasted him? Regulus would never do such a thing. Then when he lost his family? I can’t imagine losing you lot.” Sirius was crying again, Remus may or may not have joined him (or he may or may not have been crying since he started giving Sirius a hug, no one knew). “You lot mean more to me than my family ever did. I never want that taken away.”
“Well he gets it back in the end.” Remus wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his jumper, mentally cursing himself for leaving the tissues and his wand out of reach.
“Yeah, and then Clarence goes and gets his sodding wings, and everything sorts itself out into a happy ending.” Sirius sobbed. “Bloody hell, why can’t I stop crying?”
Remus was about to give a tearful answer himself, when their fireplace (which Sirius had lit himself, the muggle way) flared green.
“Hey Moony, I have a few more questions about appropriate muggle conversation topics for Lily’s family’s Christmas party tomorrow and—”
James stopped dead two steps into the living room.
“Evening, Prongs.” Remus said lightly.
“Erm—evening.” James shifted around, incredibly awkward.
“Think you could pass us the tissues?”
“Tissues? Tissues. Right. Sure thing. Tissues coming right up.” James fumbled with the box, handing it over.
Sirius blew his nose loudly.
James looked between them, torn between wanting to leave, and wanting his questions answered.
“So, what happened?” he finally decided upon.
“It’s a Wonderful Life happened.” Remus dabbed his eyes and nose with a wad of tissues.
James winced. “Oh mate, Lily made me watch that last night. I helped her go through a whole box of these.”
Sirius snorted.
“Care to join us for a bit?”
“Shove over.”
Remus and Sirius moved over on the sofa. James squeezed in next to Sirius.
“Ugh, why is Christmas so full of crying?” Sirius groaned, distributing his love between his two best friends. “Happy Christmas Eve, mates.”