Fic: A Cup of Kindness
Title: A Cup of Kindness
Author: onehundredmoons
Written for: lupinslittlesis
Rating: PG
Prompt: Late New Year's Eve night at 12 GP, with Molly and Arthur (there can never be enough good friendship fics with these two pairs)
A/N: Thanks and Christmas cookies to my betas, nyxfixx and profcricket. Lissa, I hope this is to your liking! Happy Holidays!
Sirius' mood had gone from festive to taciturn as soon as the sun had come up on Boxing Day. Five days later, he was still in a funk.
"Are you going to mope on New Year's Eve, then?" Remus asked as they dried off from their morning showers.
"I'm not moping. Good grief, does it look like I’m moping? No one wants a mopey godfather, do they?"
Remus smiled. "Perhaps it's the retreating into your mother's room to ruminate on matters with Buckbeak that's making me say that. Or the skulking about the dark hallways."
"Well, this house was made for skulking. Excellent dark hallways. But seriously, it's just that there's so little time, Moony. Harry's going back to school and I'm trying not to think about that while he's here, but I'm doing a pants job of it. There I go, getting somber again. Poke me if I mope today, will you?"
"I shall," Remus intoned with mock solemnity. He wrapped his arms around Sirius, and said, "He misses you too, when he's at school, I'm sure of it. Try to enjoy yourself today, and tonight we'll all ring in the New Year. Though I think the kids might want to have their own celebration upstairs while we old folks with the hearing trumpets croon to 'Auld Lang Syne'."
“Hearing trumpets? How hard can it be to hear a trumpet?”
* * *
It was an enjoyable day, and Sirius didn't need much poking after all, but as Remus had predicted, it certainly wasn't the most raucous New Year's Eve celebration known to the wizarding world. Lately, members of the Order took uneventful as a blessing. A few of the regulars had gathered for the meal, but Bill, Tonks, and Kingsley had left shortly after dinner, and Moody, in the spirit of the architecture, had skulked off to who knows where. The children did indeed sequester themselves upstairs; Remus was fairly certain he'd heard the twins mention something involving the word "Whiz-Bang," but he hadn't cared to eavesdrop any further than he'd already managed, if only for his own sanity.
After dinner in the evening, Molly and Arthur were seated on one side of the drawing room; Arthur had his legs propped up in Molly’s lap, and a multi-colored afghan over his knees. He was looking better each day, but was still recovering from the snake-attack at the Ministry. Molly had her reading glasses on and was supervising the knitting needles that were clicking gently in front of her as she tapped one foot in time with the antiquated dance song playing over the wireless. The music was loud enough that Sirius and Remus, on the opposite side of the room, could speak to one another quietly and not be overheard.
"Padfoot, I think we need to do something about that wireless."
"Driving you spare, is it? Who's moping now, mate?"
"I thought I was exaggerating this morning when I said we were the old folks. We're not that old, are we?"
Sirius laughed. "Oh, but you're asking the wrong bloke: Sirius Black, whose life was suspended in time at age twenty-two, only after aging prematurely fighting a bloody war, whose body now looks like that of a seventy-year old? But he's living in his parents' house, in case he wasn't confused enough."
"Seventy's a bit harsh. Two years of steady meals have done wonders for your frame. Fifty at the outside."
"Flatterer," Sirius snorted. "But yes, I agree about that bloody wireless - it’s got to be turned off. Diversionary tactics?"
"I think Fred and George have fireworks upstairs. No, scratch that - I’m sure they do."
"Subtle. But we are adults, you know, as much as Molly makes us feel like teenagers sometimes. I think we can arrange a foray into the liquor cabinet, and perhaps make her forget that she could be listening to this drivel?"
Sirius rose from the couch, unlocked the ornate cabinet, which had been purged of all dark items several months prior, and summoned a bottle of elf-made wine. Just then, Celestina Warbeck's voice broke through the soppy string instrumental, inspiring a strangled sort of noise from the couch where Remus sat.
"Well Molly, Arthur, care for a glass of the good stuff?" Sirius asked quickly, pointing his wand at the wireless, turning the volume very low. Molly looked towards the wireless immediately, but Sirius was faster in pouring the glasses of wine. "Excellent vintage, and it's been aging all these years at good old Number 12." There was a stemmed glass in each of their hands before Molly could protest the silencing of Celestina.
Arthur, who - if Remus wasn't mistaken - looked as though a great weight had been lifted, straightened up a bit. "I think a toast is in order. Sirius?"
Sirius, sensing that Arthur was a tacit partner in their plot as well, gave them all a broad smile, and said in the charming voice Remus remembered Sirius using on professors in their youth, "To good music, but better friends."
"Hear, hear!" Remus and Arthur chorused. Molly's skepticism softened a bit, and she too raised her glass.
"To good friends becoming ad hoc families," Arthur replied, standing.
"I haven't toasted to families in some time. Come to that, it was Harry's first family, last time I did, but I'll happily drink to it tonight." Sirius, wincing slightly, put his lips to the glass once more; Molly gave the wine a tentative sip, but she must have found it to her liking, because she took a second, more enthusiastic gulp before the next toast could be made.
"To Arthur's full and speedy recovery," Remus said, inclining his head towards the Weasleys. He rose and stood with Sirius and Arthur in the center of the room.
"To a full house at the holidays," Molly chimed in, joining the group. "I do appreciate your hospitality, Sirius. And I know how much it means to Harry to be near his godfather."
Remus peered at Sirius out of the corner of his eyes. A slight flush had crept into his cheeks at Molly's words, that Remus was quite certain hadn't come from the wine.
"Thank you, Molly. It means so much to me that he's here, and with his good friends. It just seems right, doesn't it? I was just telling Remus this morning how much I'll miss him when he's at school."
The mood had been tense between Molly and Sirius during the children's first stay at headquarters, but the tincture of time had worked its wonders on them both. Of course, Arthur's recovery and the elf-made wine hadn't hurt matters of diplomacy.
"We really just have his best interests at heart, don't we, Sirius?" Molly said. "I know we don't always see eye to eye on how he should be raised, but we both mean well, I think." She took another drink from her glass. Sirius sent the bottle over to her, topping off her drink.
"Maybe if you weren't both so utterly bull-headed and passionate, you'd coexist more harmoniously," Remus offered.
Arthur snorted a bit of wine. "Not that we'd have you any other way, of course."
"Oh, of course not," Remus continued genially. "All part of your charm." The lines between Molly's brows had deepened at this turn of conversation, but Sirius looked at Remus and winked rather dashingly. Remus raised his glass once more.
"Both loyal, loving, stubborn, impatient, unafraid to voice your opinions, giving of yourself. And let's not forget, both make a fine pot of stew…" Remus looked at each of them in turn as he recited the attributes.
"Sirius cooks?" Arthur asked, surprised.
"He does. Fine cook, Sirius Black. Picked up a thing or two all those times we stole into the kitchens at Hogwarts, I reckon."
Molly laughed, this time. "You know, you aren't the only ones who snuck about that castle in your day. You don't think Fred and George got it all from their old dad, do you?"
The conversation continued happily, with the wine bottle charmed not to let their glasses empty. They'd retired to their sides of the room, chatting for a while before Molly implored Sirius to turn the wireless back on for the countdown.
"Come on now, we don't want to miss the stroke of midnight! Turn the volume up then, there's a good chap." With only the slightest roll of his eyeballs, Sirius returned the wireless to full volume, just in time to hear the host of the broadcast announcing "Ten, nine…"
At "one", the wireless sent magical fireworks several feet into the air, which fizzled into confetti and ribbons on the floor. While "Auld Lang Syne" did indeed play, Remus was happy to note that there was no singing along, as Arthur had gathered his wife into his lap for a gentle New Year's snog. He looked at Sirius, brows raised.
"What?" Sirius asked, his eyes too bright to feign innocence properly. "Don't tell me you're not going to kiss me on New Year's in my own bloody drawing room?"
Remus pulled Sirius into an embrace, whispering in his ear, "It'd be a bit like kissing in front of my mum and dad. But if you don't mind?"
Sirius showed Remus just how much he didn't mind with a soft kiss on the lips, tracing his fingers over Remus' ears and down to his shoulders. For a moment, it was easy to forget that they weren't alone in the darkened room, with the music muffling any noise being made by Molly and Arthur. They parted, smiling, and embraced once more, Remus' head turned to face the Weasleys. He opened his eyes to see Molly's flushed face, smiling as she caught Remus' eye. Arthur tapped her on the thigh, saying "Time for us to be going upstairs, don't you think, Molly?" Hearing that, Sirius released his hold around Remus' body, his hands settling on Remus' own.
"We'll check on the children on our way up. You enjoy the rest of the evening, then," Molly said, heading for the door. Arthur nodded in their direction, giving them a wink and a small thumbs-up.
"Randy bastard, that Arthur. Do you suppose the thumbs-up was for him, or for us?" Sirius asked, drawing Remus close to his chest as he rested back on the couch.
Remus laughed. "Oh, either way, really. I won't complain that they're checking on the kids. Shall we turn off the wireless and call it a night?"
"Definitely turn off the wireless," Sirius chuckled, "But I'm not ready to call it a night just yet." It was Remus who reached for his wand to silence the wireless, charming the doors shut with another flick.
Author: onehundredmoons
Written for: lupinslittlesis
Rating: PG
Prompt: Late New Year's Eve night at 12 GP, with Molly and Arthur (there can never be enough good friendship fics with these two pairs)
A/N: Thanks and Christmas cookies to my betas, nyxfixx and profcricket. Lissa, I hope this is to your liking! Happy Holidays!
Sirius' mood had gone from festive to taciturn as soon as the sun had come up on Boxing Day. Five days later, he was still in a funk.
"Are you going to mope on New Year's Eve, then?" Remus asked as they dried off from their morning showers.
"I'm not moping. Good grief, does it look like I’m moping? No one wants a mopey godfather, do they?"
Remus smiled. "Perhaps it's the retreating into your mother's room to ruminate on matters with Buckbeak that's making me say that. Or the skulking about the dark hallways."
"Well, this house was made for skulking. Excellent dark hallways. But seriously, it's just that there's so little time, Moony. Harry's going back to school and I'm trying not to think about that while he's here, but I'm doing a pants job of it. There I go, getting somber again. Poke me if I mope today, will you?"
"I shall," Remus intoned with mock solemnity. He wrapped his arms around Sirius, and said, "He misses you too, when he's at school, I'm sure of it. Try to enjoy yourself today, and tonight we'll all ring in the New Year. Though I think the kids might want to have their own celebration upstairs while we old folks with the hearing trumpets croon to 'Auld Lang Syne'."
“Hearing trumpets? How hard can it be to hear a trumpet?”
* * *
It was an enjoyable day, and Sirius didn't need much poking after all, but as Remus had predicted, it certainly wasn't the most raucous New Year's Eve celebration known to the wizarding world. Lately, members of the Order took uneventful as a blessing. A few of the regulars had gathered for the meal, but Bill, Tonks, and Kingsley had left shortly after dinner, and Moody, in the spirit of the architecture, had skulked off to who knows where. The children did indeed sequester themselves upstairs; Remus was fairly certain he'd heard the twins mention something involving the word "Whiz-Bang," but he hadn't cared to eavesdrop any further than he'd already managed, if only for his own sanity.
After dinner in the evening, Molly and Arthur were seated on one side of the drawing room; Arthur had his legs propped up in Molly’s lap, and a multi-colored afghan over his knees. He was looking better each day, but was still recovering from the snake-attack at the Ministry. Molly had her reading glasses on and was supervising the knitting needles that were clicking gently in front of her as she tapped one foot in time with the antiquated dance song playing over the wireless. The music was loud enough that Sirius and Remus, on the opposite side of the room, could speak to one another quietly and not be overheard.
"Padfoot, I think we need to do something about that wireless."
"Driving you spare, is it? Who's moping now, mate?"
"I thought I was exaggerating this morning when I said we were the old folks. We're not that old, are we?"
Sirius laughed. "Oh, but you're asking the wrong bloke: Sirius Black, whose life was suspended in time at age twenty-two, only after aging prematurely fighting a bloody war, whose body now looks like that of a seventy-year old? But he's living in his parents' house, in case he wasn't confused enough."
"Seventy's a bit harsh. Two years of steady meals have done wonders for your frame. Fifty at the outside."
"Flatterer," Sirius snorted. "But yes, I agree about that bloody wireless - it’s got to be turned off. Diversionary tactics?"
"I think Fred and George have fireworks upstairs. No, scratch that - I’m sure they do."
"Subtle. But we are adults, you know, as much as Molly makes us feel like teenagers sometimes. I think we can arrange a foray into the liquor cabinet, and perhaps make her forget that she could be listening to this drivel?"
Sirius rose from the couch, unlocked the ornate cabinet, which had been purged of all dark items several months prior, and summoned a bottle of elf-made wine. Just then, Celestina Warbeck's voice broke through the soppy string instrumental, inspiring a strangled sort of noise from the couch where Remus sat.
"Well Molly, Arthur, care for a glass of the good stuff?" Sirius asked quickly, pointing his wand at the wireless, turning the volume very low. Molly looked towards the wireless immediately, but Sirius was faster in pouring the glasses of wine. "Excellent vintage, and it's been aging all these years at good old Number 12." There was a stemmed glass in each of their hands before Molly could protest the silencing of Celestina.
Arthur, who - if Remus wasn't mistaken - looked as though a great weight had been lifted, straightened up a bit. "I think a toast is in order. Sirius?"
Sirius, sensing that Arthur was a tacit partner in their plot as well, gave them all a broad smile, and said in the charming voice Remus remembered Sirius using on professors in their youth, "To good music, but better friends."
"Hear, hear!" Remus and Arthur chorused. Molly's skepticism softened a bit, and she too raised her glass.
"To good friends becoming ad hoc families," Arthur replied, standing.
"I haven't toasted to families in some time. Come to that, it was Harry's first family, last time I did, but I'll happily drink to it tonight." Sirius, wincing slightly, put his lips to the glass once more; Molly gave the wine a tentative sip, but she must have found it to her liking, because she took a second, more enthusiastic gulp before the next toast could be made.
"To Arthur's full and speedy recovery," Remus said, inclining his head towards the Weasleys. He rose and stood with Sirius and Arthur in the center of the room.
"To a full house at the holidays," Molly chimed in, joining the group. "I do appreciate your hospitality, Sirius. And I know how much it means to Harry to be near his godfather."
Remus peered at Sirius out of the corner of his eyes. A slight flush had crept into his cheeks at Molly's words, that Remus was quite certain hadn't come from the wine.
"Thank you, Molly. It means so much to me that he's here, and with his good friends. It just seems right, doesn't it? I was just telling Remus this morning how much I'll miss him when he's at school."
The mood had been tense between Molly and Sirius during the children's first stay at headquarters, but the tincture of time had worked its wonders on them both. Of course, Arthur's recovery and the elf-made wine hadn't hurt matters of diplomacy.
"We really just have his best interests at heart, don't we, Sirius?" Molly said. "I know we don't always see eye to eye on how he should be raised, but we both mean well, I think." She took another drink from her glass. Sirius sent the bottle over to her, topping off her drink.
"Maybe if you weren't both so utterly bull-headed and passionate, you'd coexist more harmoniously," Remus offered.
Arthur snorted a bit of wine. "Not that we'd have you any other way, of course."
"Oh, of course not," Remus continued genially. "All part of your charm." The lines between Molly's brows had deepened at this turn of conversation, but Sirius looked at Remus and winked rather dashingly. Remus raised his glass once more.
"Both loyal, loving, stubborn, impatient, unafraid to voice your opinions, giving of yourself. And let's not forget, both make a fine pot of stew…" Remus looked at each of them in turn as he recited the attributes.
"Sirius cooks?" Arthur asked, surprised.
"He does. Fine cook, Sirius Black. Picked up a thing or two all those times we stole into the kitchens at Hogwarts, I reckon."
Molly laughed, this time. "You know, you aren't the only ones who snuck about that castle in your day. You don't think Fred and George got it all from their old dad, do you?"
The conversation continued happily, with the wine bottle charmed not to let their glasses empty. They'd retired to their sides of the room, chatting for a while before Molly implored Sirius to turn the wireless back on for the countdown.
"Come on now, we don't want to miss the stroke of midnight! Turn the volume up then, there's a good chap." With only the slightest roll of his eyeballs, Sirius returned the wireless to full volume, just in time to hear the host of the broadcast announcing "Ten, nine…"
At "one", the wireless sent magical fireworks several feet into the air, which fizzled into confetti and ribbons on the floor. While "Auld Lang Syne" did indeed play, Remus was happy to note that there was no singing along, as Arthur had gathered his wife into his lap for a gentle New Year's snog. He looked at Sirius, brows raised.
"What?" Sirius asked, his eyes too bright to feign innocence properly. "Don't tell me you're not going to kiss me on New Year's in my own bloody drawing room?"
Remus pulled Sirius into an embrace, whispering in his ear, "It'd be a bit like kissing in front of my mum and dad. But if you don't mind?"
Sirius showed Remus just how much he didn't mind with a soft kiss on the lips, tracing his fingers over Remus' ears and down to his shoulders. For a moment, it was easy to forget that they weren't alone in the darkened room, with the music muffling any noise being made by Molly and Arthur. They parted, smiling, and embraced once more, Remus' head turned to face the Weasleys. He opened his eyes to see Molly's flushed face, smiling as she caught Remus' eye. Arthur tapped her on the thigh, saying "Time for us to be going upstairs, don't you think, Molly?" Hearing that, Sirius released his hold around Remus' body, his hands settling on Remus' own.
"We'll check on the children on our way up. You enjoy the rest of the evening, then," Molly said, heading for the door. Arthur nodded in their direction, giving them a wink and a small thumbs-up.
"Randy bastard, that Arthur. Do you suppose the thumbs-up was for him, or for us?" Sirius asked, drawing Remus close to his chest as he rested back on the couch.
Remus laughed. "Oh, either way, really. I won't complain that they're checking on the kids. Shall we turn off the wireless and call it a night?"
"Definitely turn off the wireless," Sirius chuckled, "But I'm not ready to call it a night just yet." It was Remus who reached for his wand to silence the wireless, charming the doors shut with another flick.