Regulus was waiting in the meeting room for the Order of the Phoenix for James and Lily, on a stool that sat in the corner. He'd picked up a book from the shelf at random - Defenses Against Death by Hermanuspo Gigas Inclussus - and begun flipping through, his eyes roving over random entries in the text while he waited. His mind was much more on what he would tell James and Lily about what he'd done - giving Kreacher the locket to guard - than it was on the entries on necromantic talismans, the illustrations of which looked rather gruesome... He turned the book over, thinking it ought to be in the Restricted Section of the library, rather than a shelf in the Order's meeting room... 

James and Lily came through the door and Regulus put the book down on the shelf. "Hi," he said, standing up, his nerves returning at the sight of them.

"Hey Regulus," James greeted him and, in a complete surprise to Regulus Black, James crossed the room and hugged him. Pulling back, he asked, "How are you?"

Regulus was stunned for a moment - he couldn't recall the last time he'd been hugged, and he was thrown off by the gesture, so much like something he'd seen James do to his brother. He nodded in response to James's question because the words to speak had escaped him.

"You're alright, even with the locket?" Lily asked, worried. She put a hand on Regulus's shoulder gently and Regulus looked at the spot where her palm touched his arm and then back to her, and he had to swallow back the feeling of tears that might threaten his eyes if he wasn't careful.

"Yeah, I'm alright," he answered, his voice thick. "I really am, I told you lot I would be, and I am, just as I promised."

James studied Regulus. "Are you sure?"

Regulus nodded, "I am."

James looked to Lily. "Well, I s'pose we're okay then." He turned back to Regulus. "I felt awful when I realized that I'd forgotten to take the locket before holiday. I was worried it might be making you a bit mad like it had done to everyone else that touched the bloody thing."

"I'm not mad," Regulus answered. But he wondered if he ought not to check on Kreacher a bit more often now that the old House Elf had the locket. Would whatever it was that made it hiss and shriek have an affect on the elf? No sense taking chances. He would check Kreacher the moment he got back to his dormitory, he decided, or, if someone was there, the next possible time he could sneak away to do it.

James's voice was very serious. "If it starts to bother you, you owl me if I'm away or come and get me if I'm here, alright? And I'll take it back from you and I'll deal with it myself, whatever it takes. I don't want you suffering for it, you've got enough rubbish to contend with."

Regulus nodded.

"Promise me."

"I promise," Regulus said, and he felt guilty because he'd broken it before he'd made it, and James Potter was being so kind to him, kinder than anyone had ever been, and he wondered if that made him, Regulus, an evil person for not telling James right away, right then. But he couldn't stand to disappoint James, not now, not ever. James was one of the only people on his side - right beside Maryrose Jenkins, of course. Telling James what he'd done might cause him to stop being kind to Regulus, might make him despise him the way Sirius did.

And that was the last thing in the entire world that Regulus wanted.

James looked all over the castle for Peter. Lily had said she had something to do really quickly and would catch James and Peter up, but Peter must have really gone to Hogsmeade, James decided, and wasn't anywhere to be found in the castle. He went down to the entrance hall to wait for Lily there so they could return to the Shrieking Shack in time for their miniature Christmas celebration with Sirius and Remus and, hopefully, Peter, too, once he arrived from his day at the Hogsmeade Christmas festival. 

Lily managed to sneak up on James, who was expecting her to come from the top of the entry stairs. She covered his eyes with her hands and whispered, "Guess who?" in his ear and James laughed and turned around, kissing her softly in response. "You were supposed to guess," Lily accused.

James smiled, "Every guess is you." He kissed her again, then asked, "What were you doing in the dungeons?"

"I was trying to visit Professor Slughorn," Lily answered, "But he wasn't there. I guess he went to the festival as well."

"Probably come home drunk as dragon hide," James laughed.

"Probably," Lily giggled. "Oh well. He can find his Christmas present tomorrow, then."

"You actually got him something?" James asked.

"Everyone deserves a Christmas present," Lily answered, "And I get the feeling that he doesn't have anyone else that would give him one."

James frowned, "Well that's actually very sad."

"Isn't it?" Lily asked, "That's why I go to visit him so often. I think he's lonely."

"Could be a lot less so if he'd stop being a braggart as well," James said with a shrug, thinking that he, for one, would certainly like the professor a good deal more if he wouldn't constantly talk about the benefits he received from his collection of influential students and connections.

Lily shrugged, "Insecure people are like that. You above all should know that, Potter," she eyed him meaningfully, remembering when they were younger, what a braggart James had been.

James flushed and replied, "Okay true. I'll try to keep that in mind next time I see ol' Sluggy."

"Thank you," Lily said, smiling.

They'd walked out of the castle and across the grounds while they were talking and now arrived to the Whomping Willow, where James chucked a rock to hit the knot, since Peter wasn't there to press it for them, and they slid into the tunnel and started on their way to the Shrieking Shack.

Peter never did show up at the Shrieking Shack, which really upset James, but he tried not to let it ruin the celebration - though he did wonder what it was that Peter was doing, all by himself back at the castle. They had so little time or else James might've gone back again to the dormitory, but really it would take a couple hours to do and it was already past eight when they realized Peter wasn't coming and Remus, bless him, was already wilting...

James promised himself he would make some time to spend with Peter when they returned from holiday - only another week, he told himself, and really, he wasn't meant to have been back now. Peter hadn't known James and Lily were coming, so really it was no different than if he hadn't come if he waited to see Peter.

They decorated the Shrieking Shack to make it a bit more like Christmas in the upstairs clubhouse, and they propped Remus up so that he could enjoy the festivities without using too much of his energy. He was subdued, the pain in his back, knees, and head rather more intense than usual, but he laughed when James turned into a stag and Sirius charmed his nose to glow red and Lily sang Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer a bit off key. Sirius made a big show of doing impressions of the teachers - a greatest hits of sorts, as they'd seen all the impressions a hundred times before and they were calling out their very favorites. 

Dora had packed James a little feast to bring along to the Shack that night, when he told her they were planning on having Christmas with Remus and Sirius. James had snuck in an extra raw steak just for Remus, and while the others ate a roast and fixings, Remus happily ate his bloodied meat.

They fell asleep singing carols - Sirius's God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs among them.

Next morning was Christmas proper and the night of the full moon was mere hours away. Sirius got up early and made breakfast, bringing it upstairs to surprise everyone. James and Lily handed out their gifts to Sirius and Remus, who flushed because he hadn't any money to buy reciprocal gifts for his friends. "It's too much," Remus insisted, "You shouldn't have got me anything."

"You're our best mate," Lily answered, "Of course we got you something. Besides, it isn't just for Christmas," she added, anxiously handing him the package. "It's from me and James both."

Remus took the big rectangle onto his lap and ran his fingers over the pretty paper that Lily had wrapped it up in, covered with little red and green birds. He smiled and undid the ribbons (which Sirius promptly took and tied around his head). Remus slid his finger beneath the tape she'd used - wrapping the muggle way, imagine that, it must've been a truly special present...

He pulled the paper away to reveal a white cardboard box which lifted open... and he pulled out a beautiful leather briefcase, with fine detailed buttons and closures, a wide pocket on the front and a sturdy handle that locked. His eyes were wide, and his nose tingled with the smell of the fine, soft leather. "Blimey," he breathed, opening it up to reveal a beautiful red velvet lining with pockets to stow things in, a clip to hold papers organized, and in the pockets some fine, fresh parchment, three brand new quills, and a little bottle of ink. "Oh wow, you lot..."

"Look at the side," James pointed.

Remus tilted the briefcase and tears filled his eyes.

Professor R. J. Lupin.

"I love it. I love it so much. Thank you so much."

"You can take it to University with you and when you've graduated you can bring it to work!" Lily exclaimed, her voice squealing with happiness at the gift.

Remus was running his hands all over the case, feeling the leather and the velvety insides, shaking as he did, overflowed with appreciation for the fine quality of the case. He'd never owned anything so nice in his entire life. "I'll use it everyday," he promised, truly grateful.

Sirius got a handful of records he'd wanted - including the new Queen album - and a bottle of leather ointment to keep his boots looking nice, which he was thankful for, too, though Remus's briefcase was very much the most wonderful of the gifts. Sirius wished he could have afforded to get Remus something as nice as that, too, but he didn't have that sort of thing to give.

James and Lily hugged Sirius and Remus and Remus thanked them over and over for the briefcase. Sirius walked them out to the end of the path that led to Hogsmeade and waved as they walked off, through the village that was much quieter in the early morning hours than it had been the day before, the festivities over and a soft snowfall laying a blanket of white over all the buildings and the now emptied fountain.

Sirius walked back to the Shrieking Shack with his hands deep in his pockets.