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Choosing a Gift [Harry Potter]
Title: Choosing a Gift
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: G
Character: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Hermione Granger
Summary: How they chose Harry's Christmas present.
Word Count: 549
Author's Notes: For caitriona_3.
Choosing a Gift
“Well, I’m out of ideas,” Sirius said, sighing and leaning backwards in the chair.
“The ones you offered were pretty terrible, to be fair,” Remus answered. “Dungbombs?”
“Well, it’s what I wanted for Christmas when I was Harry’s age.”
“Perhaps, but Harry is not you, and you were not fighting a war.”
Sirius frowned, but his furrowed brow did not betray his thoughts.
Just then, Hermione poked into the room for a second, stammered an apology, and turned around.
“Wait, please,” Remus called.
Hermione turned, open curiosity in her face.
“Hermione, you know Harry as well as anyone. What does he want for Christmas?”
“Um.” She pursed her lips. “Well, with Harry it’s a bit difficult to say. I think he really just appreciates having friends… and family.” Her eyes darted towards Sirius and away again nearly as quickly. “I got him… well, nevermind what I got him, but there are a few things I thought of getting him, but I… oh!” Her eyes brightened and she pinned Remus with an excited stare. “I wanted to get him a book on Defensive Magic, I mean a really good book. But I don’t have any idea what a good book would be. Something practical and thorough…”
“That’s an excellent idea,” Remus said nodding. “I can think of just the one.”
“A book?” Sirius pouted. “That sounds a bit dull, yeah?”
Hermione, Remus saw, looked instantaneously hurt and then went back to her cheerful self.
“He’s fighting a war,” Remus gently reminded Sirius. “And he’s teaching others to fight a war. He’s doing it with relatively little training in Defensive magic.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that Professor,” Hermione offered. “The year you taught Defense we all learned quite a lot.”
“I hope you did, but third-year Defensive Magic will do little against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.”
This did seem to awaken something in Sirius. “You’re right,” he added. “Harry deserves the right to fight Voldemort himself after all Voldemort has done to him, and he needs the tools to do that, to… be successful.”
“I know the perfect book. Thank you Hermione.”
Hermione nodded and left the room.
“I just wish…” Sirius sighed. “I just wish I could get him something… I mean, I’ve got the money but if what he needs is a book.”
“Sirius, there will be many more Christmases in which you can buy him many more extravagant gifts. Getting him a book this once doesn’t diminish that.”
Sirius smiled, a rare sight these days. “You’re right, I ought to begin planning for next Christmas now!”
“Meanwhile,” Remus hummed, “I need to figure out what I am going to get him.”
“Why don’t you go in on the book with me?”
Remus grimaced. “I haven’t really the money for the book I am thinking will work for him…”
“Nonsense,” Sirius answered. “I’ll pay.”
“Then I’m not really ‘going in on it’ with you, am I?”
“You are,” Sirius answered. “I can’t leave this bloody house so you’ve already picked out the book, you also need to pick up the book. I feel like it’s your gift more than mine already. All I can do is pay.”
“Okay,” Remus agreed. “That sounds almost fair.”
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: G
Character: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Hermione Granger
Summary: How they chose Harry's Christmas present.
Word Count: 549
Author's Notes: For caitriona_3.
Choosing a Gift
“Well, I’m out of ideas,” Sirius said, sighing and leaning backwards in the chair.
“The ones you offered were pretty terrible, to be fair,” Remus answered. “Dungbombs?”
“Well, it’s what I wanted for Christmas when I was Harry’s age.”
“Perhaps, but Harry is not you, and you were not fighting a war.”
Sirius frowned, but his furrowed brow did not betray his thoughts.
Just then, Hermione poked into the room for a second, stammered an apology, and turned around.
“Wait, please,” Remus called.
Hermione turned, open curiosity in her face.
“Hermione, you know Harry as well as anyone. What does he want for Christmas?”
“Um.” She pursed her lips. “Well, with Harry it’s a bit difficult to say. I think he really just appreciates having friends… and family.” Her eyes darted towards Sirius and away again nearly as quickly. “I got him… well, nevermind what I got him, but there are a few things I thought of getting him, but I… oh!” Her eyes brightened and she pinned Remus with an excited stare. “I wanted to get him a book on Defensive Magic, I mean a really good book. But I don’t have any idea what a good book would be. Something practical and thorough…”
“That’s an excellent idea,” Remus said nodding. “I can think of just the one.”
“A book?” Sirius pouted. “That sounds a bit dull, yeah?”
Hermione, Remus saw, looked instantaneously hurt and then went back to her cheerful self.
“He’s fighting a war,” Remus gently reminded Sirius. “And he’s teaching others to fight a war. He’s doing it with relatively little training in Defensive magic.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that Professor,” Hermione offered. “The year you taught Defense we all learned quite a lot.”
“I hope you did, but third-year Defensive Magic will do little against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.”
This did seem to awaken something in Sirius. “You’re right,” he added. “Harry deserves the right to fight Voldemort himself after all Voldemort has done to him, and he needs the tools to do that, to… be successful.”
“I know the perfect book. Thank you Hermione.”
Hermione nodded and left the room.
“I just wish…” Sirius sighed. “I just wish I could get him something… I mean, I’ve got the money but if what he needs is a book.”
“Sirius, there will be many more Christmases in which you can buy him many more extravagant gifts. Getting him a book this once doesn’t diminish that.”
Sirius smiled, a rare sight these days. “You’re right, I ought to begin planning for next Christmas now!”
“Meanwhile,” Remus hummed, “I need to figure out what I am going to get him.”
“Why don’t you go in on the book with me?”
Remus grimaced. “I haven’t really the money for the book I am thinking will work for him…”
“Nonsense,” Sirius answered. “I’ll pay.”
“Then I’m not really ‘going in on it’ with you, am I?”
“You are,” Sirius answered. “I can’t leave this bloody house so you’ve already picked out the book, you also need to pick up the book. I feel like it’s your gift more than mine already. All I can do is pay.”
“Okay,” Remus agreed. “That sounds almost fair.”