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A Marauder’s Christmas Carol	By : Kimmimaru Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Remus/Sirius Views: 1234 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or setting of Harry Potter, I make no profit from the writing of this fic.

Chapter List
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AN: Hi! This is a seasonal short story based upon Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’. It is going to be extremely mild for this site but I wanted to put my readers into the festive 'spirit' (lol, puns...) with this classic-based ficlet. Please enjoy. This is my yuletide gift for my loyal readers, I hope you enjoy this wonderful time of year. :) Merry Christmas season and I hope the new year brings you much love, happiness and inspiration!

A Marauder’s Christmas Carol

“I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.

Their faithful Friend and Servant, C. D.

December, 1843.”

– Preface to ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens.

͠͠

James Potter was dead. He had been dead some seven years according to Remus Lupin’s calculations, after all it was the year nineteen eighty eight. It was December and bitterly cold outside, most were lucky in that they sat before warm fires surrounded by loved ones and smiles. Remus was unlucky, he had always assumed it was not his fault that he lived upon the outskirts of humanity, because he was a monster and had no right to walk amongst them as an equal. He kept himself apart from the rest of humanity to protect himself and others, ever since the death of two of his best friends he had thought he had no choice.

One snowy night Remus was sat in his little cottage on the outskirts of a small town, he knew it was Christmas Eve but he didn’t care. He hated Christmas, he thought it was a pointless celebration because what joy was there in celebrating it without his friends? On this Christmas eve he sat before his fire alone with a bottle of whiskey on the table, he clutched at the glass and gazed into the flames despondently. Just as he was falling into a doze sat in his arm chair he heard the distinctive sound of feet on the carpet, the soft sound of chains clinking together woke him and he jerked upright from his slump. His eyes scanned the room and he turned his eyes to the door where a beam of soft white light was streaming across the carpet, a frown creased his brow and he watched as a dark figure appeared silhouetted against the light. “H-Hello?” He asked, shielding his eyes and trying to see the figure in the door way. Somehow he never thought to go for his wand, some basic instinct told him he didn’t need it. “Hello? Who’s there?” The light faded and the figure revealed itself. Remus gasped, scrambling out of his seat and backing away rapidly. “No.” he gasped, brown eyes wide as he stared at the impossible. “This…this isn’t real…It can’t be…”

James Potter smiled slowly, his eyes glittering happily behind his rounded spectacles. “I’m as real as you are, Remus old friend.” He looked just as he had when Remus had seen his body sprawled at the foot of the stairs that terrible, heart breaking night. “I suppose you can’t really be expected to accept this but I don’t have much time…” James’ smile became sad, he gazed at Remus with longing. “You’ve changed.”

“I-I…It’s been eight y-years…eight long, horrible years…James…Prongs…I-Is it…is it really you?” Remus gazed at his long dead best friend in hope and pain and James nodded slowly. “How? How can you be…why are you…?”

“I’m on a mission, Moony. As for why…I suppose you’ll understand in time. I’m a messenger of sorts I suppose…” James sat down on the sofa seeming as solid and tangible as Remus himself, he picked up the whiskey and poured some into a glass. “Good Year.” He said and gave the drink a long sniff. “Shame I can’t actually drink.” He smirked and handed the glass out to his friend. “You need this, sit down.” Remus fell into his seat with a thump and gaped openly at the vision before him. James put the glass down before him and leaned back, running fingers through his hair as he sighed softly. “I come with a message like I said.” He began slowly. “Tonight you’ll be visited by three others…”

“Will they be…like you?” Remus whispered, more than a little fear in his voice.

James smiled. “Not quite. I’m dead, Moony. I can’t really come back…when I died I chose to go on…” He waved his hand vaguely. “I didn’t want to hang around for an eternity, but this is a special night full of magic and I have managed to get back to see you…but it’s only for tonight, as it will be for the others.” His smile fell slightly and pity entered his gaze. “Remus…You must go with them. When they come go with them as they can show you so much…promise me?”

Slowly, as if in a daze, Remus nodded and James’ grin sprang back into place. “B-But…who will they be? What will they show me?”

James shook his head and stood. “I don’t know. I have to go now.” Slowly he began moving back towards the light, but before he reached it he turned and looked back over his shoulder. “Remus?”

“Yes James?”

“Don’t blame yourself; it’s not your fault…let it go, please! I…I hate seeing you so unhappy. If you don’t let it go you’ll become more of a ghost than me and I…I couldn’t stand that.” With a small wave the light engulfed him and went out like a candle.

Remus blinked down into the amber liquid in his glass before downing it and standing up, perhaps it was high time he went to bed. When he was lying beneath his duvet his mind returned to James’ ghost, his words haunted him as he fell into a deep sleep.

He was woken by the feeling that something was amiss, his eyes flickered open and he groaned heavily as he scrubbed sleep from his eyes with the heels of his hands. When he opened them his bedroom was filled with white light, he sat bolt upright and saw someone sat on the end of his bed. His jaw dropped as he found himself staring into the familiar face of Lily Potter. “Remus.” She said by way of greeting and gave him a wonderful smile, she was dressed in the clothes she had died in and there was a sadness to her eyes that made Remus’ heart clench. “You were told that you would receive three visitors, I’m the first.” Her smile brightened and she stood up, she lifted her hand invitingly. “Are you ready to go on a short journey with me?”

Remus stared at the hand for a long time, fear welled up within him and he balked. “I-I can’t! Y-You…you and James…you’re dead! It was the alcohol screwing with my mind…y-you can’t be real! It’s impossible!”

Lily rolled her eyes in such a familiar way that Remus was hit by an intense sense of nostalgia, the feeling took hold of him and before he was thinking about his actions he grabbed her hand in his own. Her smile brightened the room and she nodded. “Now then…I am the Ghost of Christmas Past…let’s go back and see what Christmas used to mean for you…”

The world around them both began to change, colours blurred and melted before rearranging themselves in a dizzying display of dancing, swirling ribbons. Finally they coalesced into familiar scenery. Remus blinked and realised he was stood in the snowy grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. “I know this place…” He whispered as he stepped forward into the watery sunlight, he could see children playing a few feet away, someone ran past him laughing brightly.

“Hogwarts.” Lily replied softly, her own smile lovely in her pale face.

Suddenly he heard voices behind him, he turned and spotted four very familiar boys all walking down the steps towards them. “Jingle bells, Slughorn smells, McGonagall flew away. Dumbledore likes to snore on a dreary Winter’s day, hey!!” one of the boys jumped down the last few steps and ran through the snow, kicking it into the air with a sharp bark of laughter. He bent and began scooping it together in his gloved hands, his hat sat askew on his head as he looked up and grinned at the others.

“That…That’s Sirius…a-and Peter…and…and James…” Remus smiled and turned to Lily who nodded. “We were all so young…First year, I think. We all decided that it would be far more exciting to remain at school over the holidays because it was all so new to us…I…I remember…”

“Siri, put that snow down right now!” James commanded with a grin. “I don’t trust you.”

“I’m hurt, James Potter!” Sirius replied dramatically. “That you would even entertain the idea that I would throw snow at you.”

“Well…you did put that snowball down Snivelly’s pants…How can I be sure you wouldn’t put it down mine?” James raised an eyebrow as he awaited Sirius’ reaction.

Sirius’ grin widened, his eyes glittering behind a fringe that had fallen into his bright silver eyes. Remus watched as another figure made their way down the steps, his arms full of books and he was panting. “Guys, wait for me…you ran off before I could collect all the books I would need over the holidays…who knows when the Library will re-open!”

“Remus Lupin!” James said with wide eyes. “It’s Christmas! What do you need all those books for?”

“To study.” Remus replied with dignity.

Sirius moved towards them, he was still clutching his snow ball. James eyed him warily as he drew closer. “You know Jamie, you can trust me.” He said with an almost evil grin.

“How do I know?” James replied warily.

“Because, Potter, this snow ball isn’t meant for you, dear chap.” Sirius’ smirk widened and he spun around to face Remus who was trying to keep hold of his books. “It’s for this little know-it-all…!” Sirius laughed as he grabbed the back of Remus’ trousers and shoved the handful of snow down them. Remus squealed, the noise piercing the air like a dying rabbit. Sirius fell to the floor in hysterics as Remus dropped all his books and began dancing and hopping in an attempt to dislodge the snow.

“Oh! Oh it’s cold! It’s so…so bloody cold!” Remus shouted and turned to see his dorm mates laughing at him, his eyes narrowed furiously. “Oh…so you think that’s funny do you?!” He growled menacingly. “I’ll show you funny!” He picked up a handful of snow and leapt at Sirius, they wrestled for a while before Remus pinned him down and pushed the cold snow beneath his jumper. Sirius shivered and wiggled.

“R-Remus…you git…!”

The older Remus smiled softly to himself as he watched the game unfold, he watched James push Peter into the snow and begin pelting him with snow balls. He watched himself and Sirius play fighting violently at the foot of the steps. “This was the first Christmas I actually enjoyed.” He breathed. “My friends they…they made it fun. We fought for quite a while before returning to the common room to dry off…Sirius somehow managed to sneak some Mulled Wine from the kitchens and we drank some before going to bed…I think it was the happiest moment of my life. I was accepted, I was finally a part of something…do you…do you understand?”

Lily nodded. “I do…come, there’s much more I must show you and we’re running out of time.” They clasped hands and once again the scene faded.
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A Marauder’s Christmas Carol