Remus Lupin wasn't wealthy, not in the least, but he always felt it at this time of year. How could he not? Surrounded by his three friends, sitting laughing in the Gryffindor common room next to a roaring fire. Remus knew there were things he'd like to change, or things he needed, 'a new cloak perhaps.' He couldn't quite help thinking wistfully to himself as he fiddled with one of the patches on the cloak in his lap. Still all things considered, as he sipped the hot chocolate Peter had nicked from the kitchens and eyed Sirius fondly as the latter pounced, laughing, on James, Remus felt nothing but incredibly lucky, wealthy even.

"You're staying for Christmas right moony?" Sirius questioned suddenly. His grey eyes landed pleadingly on the werewolf.

"Can't leave you lot here alone," Remus responded with a soft smile.

"Too right you can't," James agreed as he attempted to fix his hair, although Remus couldn't really tell any difference once he was finished. "Like I want to be stuck here with this wanker," he continued motioning towards Sirius who responded by sticking out his tongue.

"What about you Pete? Staying for Christmas?"

The round faced boy looked up from where he'd been doodling, "uh, dunno really, might be back early. Mum wants me home though..."

"Ah come on Wormtail, won't be the same without you to sneak the best sweets." Sirius insisted with a grin.

Pete pulled a face and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "only like me for my treats," and pulled his notebook closer. "I'll try to come back early, mum needs me though. I'm sorry fellas."

James elbowed Sirius before the black haired teen could respond, "eh it's alright Pete. Want us to send your presents or wait till you get back."

Peter had always insisted they only open the gifts together. It had taken a very exasperated Remus to explain to James and Sirius why. Peter wanted to see their faces, sort of experience the joy he may have brought with his gifts. "You lads can open yours I guess, just wait for mine yeah?"

"We'll all wait Pete," Remus insisted, despite Sirius' whine.

"Moony my love, presents!" The black haired teen pouted dramatically.

Remus glanced hesitantly between James and Sirius, wanting to stand up for Peter but unwilling to cross his friends. "Remus is right," James finally put in much to his bookish friend's great relief, "we can wait till we're all together for our presents between us.

So with that settled Remus headed off for, "a book on potions, Lily said it might help."

Peter pushed aside a pile of laundry he was meant to be packing in favor of another run to the kitchens. "Might have leftover pasties from dinner."

"We don't have to stay here for Christmas ya know," James began quietly as he shifted his most recent missive from home in his hands.

"It's our last Christmas at Hogwarts prongs, you really wanna miss it?"

James shrugged running a hand through his messy locks. "Might be our last Christmas period, what with the war and all. Voldemort."

Both boys scowled, their once merry thoughts going dark. Sirius sighed, "I don't wanna leave Remus alone for Christmas."

"Why would you think I would? He's not going home, what with..." James trailed off shrugging helplessly.

"His mum," Sirius finished for him, his tone almost defiant.

"Yeah well, he hasn't gone home since her funeral. Mum wants to see him, all of us. She worries ya know."

Sirius sat with a huff ruffling James' hair and leaning into his shoulder. "I'm willing to go home for Christmas if you can pry moony out of the library."

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Three boys tumbled from the potter manor and into the fresh powdery snow on Christmas morning. Sirius let out a whoop of joy, so typical of him, as he raced forward flinging fistfuls of the white powder as he went. "Come on you pair of ninnys get out here!"

James, sporting bloke that he was, didn't require much convincing before he too was frolicking in the snow. Remus on the other hand, hours away from a full moon, walked more slowly. He huddled in on himself shivering in the stiff breeze. "Do we really have to be out here?" He whined, his voice hoarse with exhaustion and cold.

"Ah come now moony," James laughed tossing a lightly packed snowball in the teens general direction, " a bit of fresh air never hurt."

"This is hurting me," Remus grumbled crankily. Despite all his grousing, once returned to the vicinity of the fireplace with a warm mug of hot chocolate pressed into his hands by mrs Potter, Remus' mood vastly improved.

"We could open them," Sirius suggested while eyeing the small pile of presents leftover from that morning's chaos. "He said just to save the ones from him..."

"We promised we'd wait," Remus responded pointedly.

James joined in the, slightly desperate, appraisal of the unopened gifts. "He did say we could..."

"You're a pair of seventeen year old wizards, you can wait a few more days for a couple of presents!" Remus snapped, the full moon's nearness shortening his patience.

"...you could just open one?" Sirius suggested quietly.

"We're waiting for wormtail. We said we would." Remus tone brooked no further argument and, not wishing to upset the soon to transform werewolf further, the boys said no more on the matter.

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It was a good thing, in the end, that the boys had elected to wait to exchange gifts. Remus had been in no mood or condition on Christmas Day for festivities. Days later he was still exhausted as was made clear, despite his best efforts to hide it, by Sirius' fussing.

"Sooooo presents then?" James questioned quietly.

"James you daft wanker how could you even suggest that?! Remmy is in no condition to be frolicking around all festive!" Sirius scolded, fluffing up the throw pillow Remus had been leaning against on the sofa. He reached to adjust the blanket, for the dozenth time, but was quelled by a dark warning look from the short tempered werewolf.

"Honestly Sirius I'm fine." Remus argued. a part of him appreciated his friend's fussing but mostly he was tired of it. "Go ahead James, grab the gifts will you?"

James only hesitated a moment before rushing off to distribute the parcels. Sirius collapsed on the floor near Remus' sofa with a pout. "Don't see why we couldn't wait a few more days," he muttered under his breath.

Remus rolled his eyes, running a hand soothingly through the black head of hair still grumbling near his elbow. "You have presents too you know."

Sirius ever so slightly began to perk up.

"I spent about four months hunting down your gift actually..." Remus continued absently.

Sirius scrambled to his feet dashing up the stairs after James. "Potter you lazy git what's taking you so long!? If we're going to do this let's start already!!" He shouted as he raced away.

Remus laughed quietly at Sirius' predictability. "You have a good Christmas with your mum wormtail?" He asked the quiet boy lounging near the fire.

"No complaints, mum's still not doing well but it was comfortable. Yours? I'm sorry I couldn't be there for the moon"

"Eh, it's alright Pete," Remus smiled gently at the timid boy, "Sirius and James were there, we managed."

The pair quieted at the sound of pounding feet. James and Sirius tumbled back into the room, arms laden with packages. "Moony first!" Sirius shouted instantly.

"We'll each take a gift and open together as always Sirius." Remus responded.

Sirius sighed, "Fine, the ones from me first then."

James, Peter, and Remus were each happily presented with a, poorly wrapped, present. Peter instantly tore into his gift of sweets, filling his mouth as full as it could go. Remus made a disgusted face but focused on his own gift, he fiddled for a time with the wrappings searching in vain for a seem.

"Just tear it moony its only paper," Sirius finally sighed in fond amusement.

The teen very nearly cringed as he ripped through the tape and paper to reveal a thick black cloak.

"You got moony a cloak?" James snickered. "How sweet of you mummy padfoot."

"Oh shut it," Sirius barked and threw a ball of wadded gift wrap at his friend. "What'd you get him?"

"Something far more amusing," Potter snickered and handed over a box. It was wrapped more neatly, likely with help from lily or Mrs Potter.

Remus chuckled as he opened the case, "professor R. J. Lupin is it?"

"Of course it is, cuz you drone on and on and—" James was cut off with an oomph as throw pillows seemed to fly at him from every direction.

"See if I go on at all next time you need help," Remus laughed fondly and placed the monogrammed case beside him.

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And that my friends is how Remus' luggage came to bare the inscription 😄😄