Golden Boy

Monday actually manages to be a pretty productive day. He gets up not outrageously late and spends enough time chosing an outfit that he's going to be late anyway - but, and god Sirius really hates winter - it's hard to look cool while not also being fucking cold and even harder to find the right balance of layers that actually keep him at least somewhat warm when he doesn't really own very many warm clothes. Putting on three shirts just looks silly, right? Why doesn't he own any jumpers? 

Still, he manages to get his paintings in on time and even get actually complimented on them, no vague remarks about what he could have done better which he takes to mean that Minny has either really gotten into holiday cheer or got a good fuck last night. Or maybe he's just an artistic genius. Hard to tell. 

He chats with some of his classmates before heading back home through the Bailey, which is what everyone calls the island in the middle of the river cutting through the town where all of the shops, bars, restaurants and clubs of Hogwarts are crammed along two intersecting streets loomed over by the watchful cathedral on the hill above, it's twin bell towers coming majestically out of the trees visible from everywhere in the town. The university itself is spread out through several buildings around the town but most magical classes - unbeknownst to the muggles of course - are held in the cathedral itself, including the majority of Sirius's own classes. Minnie's class is one of the rare few held in a building on the Bailey because of how small her class sizes are. Sirius is genuinely beyond honoured to have been allowed to move into her class, owes a lot to her that he was able to switch his course at all. 

He enjoys the time he has to go down into the town itself too, wandering up the narrow cobbled stoned streets and stopping at the shops on his way back. He's trying to decide which jar of cheap tomato sauce is cheaper when he gets a message from James, balancing both jars in one hand to wriggle his phone out of his pocket. 

Gil gonna in 20. 

Party 2nite? Wit girls 

Bing bear

James is the shitist speller Sirius has ever met in his entire life (it's not dyslexia - he was tested) and, combined with typos and the fact that he never pays any attention while texting, every text he sends is a bit of a decoding puzzle. He chews on his lips for a moment before sighing and making his way to the alcohol section. Honestly, 20 years old and unable to spell beer - that's just disappointing. He gets snacks and 7up too and makes a point of dramatically taking them out of the bag when he gets home. 

“Oh perfect,” says James happily, and Sirius counts a total of four jumpers peeking out from beneath each other at his neck, “But hide it all till Gils’ gone.” Sirius sniggers but does as asked. 

“Is the mysterious Romulus coming tonight?” he asks and James squints at him for a long moment before his face clears and he shakes his head, laughing. 

“No, he's at work - but he's moving in tomorrow.” 

Sirius hums and nods, slightly disappointed - he would have liked a chance to meet the lad before he moved in, but oh well. 

There's a loud crash from the hallway and Peter's familiar slow drawl saying “oops” that has him and James exchanging a look before hurrying to investigate. 

“You pushed it,” Gildroy is saying angrily from the bottom of the stairs where his suitcase does, in fact, look like it's been pushed and tumbled down the stairs to his feet. Peter, standing at the top of the stairs in his pyjamas with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, blinks at him slowly before shrugging.

“Doesn't look like it's been pushed mate,” Sirius says because he can and he always has Peter's back from where he's hanging out of the living room doorway. James gives him a slightly pained look. 

“Was there anything breakable in it?” he asks Gildroy who sniffs, fixing his blond hair in the hallway mirror. Sirius had voted to get rid of the hallway mirror because there isn't really enough space in the hallway for a mirror and a person but it was the only thing Gildroy had argued about in regards to the house so they'd left it. Shallow dick. 

“No,” he says petulantly.

“Well that's good,” says James with genuine relief in his tone. Sirius sticks his chin into his shoulder from behind just to be a dick and he flinches. “At least this way you didn't have to carry it down the stairs.” Gildroy looks mildly amused.

“Do you know how much that suitcase costs?” he asks.

“Don't think any of us want to,” James replies honestly and gets a laugh and a clap on the shoulder for it. Even though Sirius thinks he's a bit of a self centered prick he's pretty sure anyone else would have moved out by now. Gildroy is a surprisingly good sport, doesn't let their (and by that he means his and Peter because James is an angel) antics phase him. James says he's remarkably well adjusted, Peter says he wouldn't go that far. 

“Well,” says Gildroy, previous irritation seemingly gone, “I'll be off, don't miss me too much and don't use any of my spare hair products.” At that he gives Sirius a pointed look but, listen, he might be a pain but that man knows hair and he's got the nicest and most expensive products Sirius has ever seen and he's seen a lot. So what if he's stolen some in the past? He gives him his best innocent smile. 

“Merry Christmas Gil,” he sing-songs.

“Merry Christmas,” replies Gildroy with the air of someone long suffering of Sirius even though they only met a couple of months ago. Sirius smirks. He's pretty sure Gildroy is just upset that Sirius is prettier than him. 

It doesn't take much longer for him to leave, dragging two enormous suitcases out to a ridiculously luxurious sports car parked outside with a rather unattractively red face and huff until James offers to give him a hand. Sirius and Peter just watch from the doorway until he climbs into the car and then Sirius waves and yells obnoxiously after him as the car takes off. 

“Well,” says James as he comes back into the house, closing the door behind him with a shiver, rubbong his hands as though those two minutes outside have frozen them solid. “That wasn't so bad - I was worried that he had gotten us gifts, I completely forgot to get him anything.” Peter snorts rather loudly. 

“I wasn't worried.”

Sirius heartedly agrees. Such a feat would require Gildroy thinking farther than his bedroom mirror. Unlikely. James just shrugs, gazing off thoughtfully before snapping back to the present with a conspiratorial grin.

“Party time!”

Peter sighs but follows them into the kitchen where he sits at the table and refuses to help with their preparations. Not that there are much preparations to be made admittedly. They just put the beer in the fridge and pour chips into different bowls and put biscuits on plates after which Sirius starts googling easy cocktails that he’ll dream about making but probably won't, instead choosing the easier option of finishing their liquor with shots, while James put in a pizza order for later - but still, housemate solidarity or whatever. 

After James has sent a frankly embarrassing number of messages to Lily and they've put out all the chips and biscuits and non-refrigerated drinks, James gets to work on a simple mood lighting spell while Sirius and Peter argue about what music to play, both completely ignoring his suggestion of Christmas songs. They'll end the night with that, Sirius knows, but it's not late enough in December that he’ll consider playing them the whole evening. 

They eventually come to a compromise and make a playlist with both of their song choices that Peter has playing throughout their home evenly with an easy wave of his hand. Sirius has always been rather jealous of his ease around simple day-to-day magic, the kind he himself struggles with, though he knows Peter is disappointed that his talents don't lie in more powerful - and time consuming - things like him and James. Unless he's been given the proper time to plan and weave an enchantment, Sirius might as well be a muggle, bar the simplest of magics, and even those have an unfortunately high chance of going terribly wrong when he blasts far too much power at them. He's been banned from small magics in the house since early September. 

“Ok,” says James at last, rubbing his hands together gleefully, “Ok, that should be good.” It looks good, thousands of tiny golden lights lazily moving around the room, lighting it in a warm, comforting glow with the need of any lamps. Sirius pushes one with his pinky finger and it goes flying over to James, bouncing off his glasses. They disperse gently above them and into the kitchen, spreading out. 

He sighs contentedly and flops down onto the couch to wait for everyone to arrive, only grunting slightly when James flops down on top of him. They've told people to arrive whenever so really they could start coming anywhere between now and midnight but he thinks it'll probably be earlier. The shorter days and pitch black outside by 3:30 makes it feel later than it is and usually encourages people to turn up sooner than they would during the summer months. 

He ends up being right (naturally) and the girls - Lily and Mary and Marlene, who are all as codependent as he and James and Peter - turn up around five with matching grins and bottles of rosé. Lily comes right over to where he's still on the couch to give him their customary exaggerated cheek kisses in greeting. 

“Mwah! Mwha!” 

“Lils! Mwah! Mwah!” he says delightedly, “How are you darling?” 

“Oh you know,” she says, flopping down beside him, an extra tight grip on her bottle of wine. “Christmas is coming.” She says it with the same amount of dread one might announce a funeral. Sirius loves her dearly. Mary sends them a concerned look but follows Marlene - who stops on her way to ruffle Sirius’ hair and give him a friendly punch in greeting - into the kitchen to find a bottle opener. 

“You going home?” Sirius asks and Lily sighs.

“Yeah.” 

He hums sympathetically in answer but doesn't push her on it. 

“But not till the 19th,” she adds, “And those two are abandoning me way before so -”

“So you can hang out with me,” he finishes happily and she gives him an amused smile and nods. He can't be blamed for his enthusiasm, he doesn't get to hang out with Lily as much as he’d like, has barely seen her since the beginning of exams. Marlene comes back with a bottle opener and Lily lets him share her wine with her, both of them ignoring James’ offer of glasses to take swigs straight from the bottle, passing it back and forth between them. The conversation turns to exams and holiday plans and soon enough the rest of their guests start coming in. 

It's a small crowd really, one last proper goodbye before people start leaving back to their families for the holidays. First come Alice and Frank, a pair of masters students who James idolises, then Kingsley one of Peters’ good friends who Sirius has yet to crack most likely because he’s far too serious (ha) for him, then Ludo and Benjamin and then the wine starts to get to his head and he stops paying too much attention. 

They do end up playing Christmas songs and he convinces Peter and James to dance with him and he ends up taking one shot with Marlene but it doesn't get to wild and by midnight most of the crowd have wandered off, either to somewhere to continue their night or home to pack their bags, stopping on the way to hug Sirius goodbye until he’s sick of saying happy holidays. The night eventually ends how it began, with the three of them, James and Sirius on top of one another on the couch and Peter curled up on the armchair, tiredly talking shit until they wander up to bed.