Juniper heard a knock on the door, and glanced up from wrapping her present. She cocked her head, calling, "Lupin?" Again, "Teddy did you hear that? Is that you?" Her and Teddy had arrived early in the morning, minus James of course. It was nightfall now, and they hadn't heard form him yet, which Juniper assumed meant he'd made it fine and everything. She had managed to keep Harry in the dark, and all they'd had to do was tell Evelyn and Sirius straight up. They were easy. Sirius had winked and said, "Ah young love." While Evelyn put a finger to her lips and said, "Not a word."

"Teddy?" she tried one last time, but there was no response. Ugh. Figured. She had to do everything herself. He could probably hear her too, the motherfucker. And to think, she'd been wrapping his Christmas present. "You suck, Lupin!" Juniper groaned, rising to see who was at the door. She didn't know who it could possibly be. Maybe her dad? Or Leo and Charlie?

She sauntered down the long hallway, avoiding eye contact with that freaky portrait of Sirius's mum. That thing was scary as hell. Juniper opened the door. "Who is—Rory!" She exclaimed, tackling her best friend with a hug.

"Hey, Junie," Rory smiled, hugging her back. James hung their coats on the rack.

"I'm here too y'know," her brother reminded her.

Juniper brushed him off, "Yeah, yeah whatever. I saw you less than twenty four hours ago Jamesie." She ignored James and sprung on Rory, peppering her with questions, "What are you doing here? I thought James was going to yours for Christmas? Were you surprised?"

James and Rory shared a look. "I just missed you too much," Rory said, blowing her a kiss.

"I knew it," Juniper tossed her hair, then stuck her tongue out at James, "take that."

"Erm— I think you mean you missed me too much," Teddy ducked into the hall, clapping James on the back.

"Oh now you can hear?" Juniper raised an eyebrow, huffing.

Teddy grinned, tugging on her ponytail, "It comes and goes." He stepped forward to hug Rory, "Hey, Wood."

"Lupin," Rory said, "you look the same."

Teddy chuckled, "Why thank you, Ror."

"Oh- I didn't mean it as a compliment, but okay," Rory lifted a careless shoulder, eyes sparkling. Her and Juniper giggled, and even James bit back a smile, coughing to conceal his amusement when Teddy gave him a dirty look.

"To think, I considered the possibility of missing you," Teddy sighed to himself, scowling.

"I'm touched, Lupin." Rory was already feeling more like herself. Spirit rising steadily as she fell right back into her old routines with Teddy and Junie. Just being around her best friends was making everything better.

"Well, I missed you," Juniper said, linking her arm with Rory's. "I've been all by myself."

"Am I invisible?" Teddy stage whispered to James, mouth curving up mischievously.

Juniper shooed him away, "Oh, you don't count."

"I don't count? Well that's loads better. Thank you for clearing that up, trouble." Teddy smirked.

"Was there someone at the door, Bug?" Evelyn came into view, graying hair secured in a braid that swung behind her. "Oh! James, I didn't think we were expecting you!" There was a sneaking smile on her face when she spotted Rory, "This the girl, Jamie?"

"He brought the girlfriend round?" Sirius bellowed, joining them. He secured his own silver mane of hair in a top knot, before embracing James. Jovially greeting him, "Good to see you, mate. Merlin, you're taller than I am now."

"Hey Padfoot," James took Rory's hand. "And, yes— this is Rory."

Rory waved, "Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot."

"You've heard a lot?" Evelyn threw her head back and laughed, ushering the two new arrivals into the parlor. "Hon, we've heard a lot."

"A lot," Sirius emphasized. "You're pretty famous around here, let me tell you."

James shook his head back and forth vehemently, "No, no. Do not let them tell you anything." He glared daggers at Evelyn and Sirius.

Sirius jabbed a thumb at James, "This one talks nonstop about you. Can't get him to shut up about it, really."

"I'm kind of in awe that I'm in the presence of the Rory Wood," Evelyn added her own two cents. "It's like meeting a celebrity."

"EVELYN!" James cried, burying his face in his hands.

Rory was positively tickled at the revelations, meanwhile Juniper and Teddy were practically rolling on the floor in hysterics. "Is that so?" Rory nudged James.

"Tell you the truth, I was worried there for a while," Sirius said solemnly, playing up the dramatics. Because what is Sirius Black if not dramatic? "It was getting pretty obsessive and stalkery."

"I was not obsessive and stalkery!" James protested.

Evelyn and Sirius payed no mind to him, "Oh remember that summer where him and Teddy wrote all that poetry that was supposed to win her over?"

Juniper and Rory gasped delightedly, "You were a part of this too?"

"Death," Teddy growled at his godparents. "Death to both of you crones."

"Elle he called us old," Sirius pouted, pooching out his lower lip. "I'll have you know I use my eye cream every night so I don't get wrinkles."

"I think that means we can only do one thing," Evelyn said, shrugging. "You asked for it, Teddy." Her and Sirius cleared their throats and began to recite a poem that Juniper too had heard a million times, "O Rory, O Rory, how I love thee. Thy beauty and wisdom is—"

"OKAY!" James shouted hurriedly, cutting them off before they could say anything more. "Let's remember I was thirteen."

"Didn't you write the song at fifteen, though?" Juniper could recall that summer more clearly than anything. He parents had made the mistake of getting James a guitar for their birthday. He was absolute shit at it, and she had to listen to him butcher chords and croon on and on about unrequited love for hours every day. "Which you completely ripped off of Brown Eyed Girl, by the way."

"Was that when we wanted to start the band?" Teddy tapped his chin, lost in thought. "Thank god I talked you out of that Justin Bieber haircut."

James crossed his arms, "I think the trip down memory lane is finished now." He hoisted both his and Rory's trunks up, "Where should I put these?"

"Pads and I can take those," Evelyn reassured, shoving one at Sirius. "You alright sharing with Junebug?" Evelyn asked Rory, and Rory nodded. "Perfect. Bear and Bug were just about to start a batch of cookies if the two of you'd like to help."

"Bear?" Rory mouthed in confusion.

Teddy raised his hand dejectedly, "Me. Elle likes nicknames."

"Likes is an understatement," Juniper scoffed. "She nicknames names that have already been nicknamed. I think that's where James gets it."

"I'm Jamie," James told her. That one was pretty self explanatory.

"I'm Bug," Juniper was next to enlighten her. "Short for Junebug." Rory had deduced that one herself.

Rory grinned evilly at Teddy as she followed the rest of them to the kitchen, "And you're Bear?"

"Shuddup," he mumbled sullenly. "You'll have one soon enough, Wood. Just you wait."

The four of them began to gather everything for the cookies. Having an argument over wha kind of cookies to make first, of course. Teddy and Junie were lobbying for gingerbread while Rory was fighting for sugar cookies. Eventually, Rory won out, since Evelyn and Sirius had a variety of cookie cutters and sprinkles they could use. James had been the deciding factor, and he was the baker of the group.

It had been quite a hassle finding all the ingredients, as the pantry was heinously disorganized. James's words, not Juniper's. Juniper would never describe anything as "heinously disorganized". But after a couple minutes, they were working away. Well— James was working away.

Juniper and Teddy had been delegated to creaming butter and sugar, but had since abandoned their post. Resolving instead to throw flour at one another, until they both looked as though they had horrible dandruff.

"And to think," James said, pouring out a teaspoon of vanilla extract with intense focus, "the two of you were going to attempt baking on your own." He stirred the liquid in, "The house would've been burned down in two seconds."

Juniper scooped a handful of red sprinkles into her mouth, "Hopefully it would have taken that horrendous apron with it." She indicated James's Christmas apron, covered in a print of reindeer ands sleighs. She reached for another helping of sprinkles, but James batted her away.

"Ah ah!" James chastised, whisking the container away, "Are your hands even clean?"

Teddy, with a daring glint in his eye, brought Juniper's hands up to his mouth. He kissed her fingertips delicately, and Juniper felt tiny goosebumps prick her skin. Teddy grinned, winking, "Now they are."

James looked downright disgusted. He made a face, "I'm going to pretend I didn't see that."

"Same here." Rory gagged, "Barf, Lupin."

"And I happen to think my apron is very fetching, Juniper," James huffed, rolling out the newly completed dough. He floured a piece of parchment paper, dusting his hands off, "Can you whack up the oven temperature a little bit, Wood?"

"On it, baby," Rory obliged, then snuck a taste of the remaining cookie dough. "Mmmm."

"Wood!" James opened his mouth to reprimand her, but Rory only let out a small laugh.

She threw him a teasing smile, dotting his nose with a swipe of powdered sugar, "Oh lighten up, Potter." She drew a tiny heart on his wrist with it, and stood on her tiptoes to press her lips to his. "You're cute." Then she ate more cookie dough off the spoon. And James was far too enamored with her to say a word.

"How come Rory gets cookie dough?" Juniper and Teddy whined.

James chuckled, wrapping his arms around Rory's waist and fitting his chin in the crook of her shoulder. "She kisses me."

Juniper glanced at Teddy meaningfully, nudging him with her elbow.

"No!" Teddy protested. "I am not kissing your brother for cookie dough."

"Well I certainly can't kiss him," Juniper pointed out matter of factly. "Come on," she wheedled, "just one smooch, princess. Do it for me." Juniper made big puppy dog eyes at Teddy, fluttering her lashes innocently.

Teddy shook his head, bending to kiss her, "You are the strangest girlfriend in all the world."

Girlfriend. Even months later, Juniper still got a little thrill when Teddy called her his girlfriend. It made her feel special, loved.

They laughed and talked like that for a while longer while the cookies baked, taking turns dumping sprinkles on James and dancing around the kitchen. Floury footprints were tracked all across the floors, the smell of butter and sugar and warmth wafted from the oven. Juniper had two dusty white hand imprints on the waist of her maroon jumper, courtesy of Teddy. And in that moment everything was perfect.

Evelyn and Sirius stood in the doorway, watching as Teddy burned his tongue on a star shaped cookie that was fresh out of oven. Rory and Juniper making fun of him, and James defending him. Sirius smiled, "You know who they remind me of?"

"Takes you back, huh?" Evelyn seconded. She jerked her head at the photo albums and shoeboxes in his arms, "That why you brought those out? Feeling sentimental, Pads?"

"Maybe a bit," Sirius replied, walking into the kitchen. "Come on, Elle. It's Christmas."

"Hey Sirius," Juniper waved. She brandished a golden brown tree shaped cookie, "Want one?"

"Obviously," he answered, practically swallowing it whole. "Nice one, James."

"Thanks," James managed through a mouthful of crumbs. Him and Teddy had wolfed down at least four each. At this rate, there weren't going to be any left for Christmas.

"What's that?" Juniper questioned. Her brow furrowing when she spotted the objects laden in the man's arms.

Sirius's grey eyes lit up at the inquiry. He set the shoeboxes down on the counter, methodically unpacking them. Ten, twenty, thirty photographs, yellowed with age. Slips of thin, wrinkled parchment, scrawled with inked messages. Red and gold hangings, Gryffindor memorabilia.

Juniper's was drawn in immediately by the pictures, searching for faces she recognized. She couldn't pick out anyone offhand besides Evelyn and Sirius.

"There we all are. Look, Elle." Sirius tapped a photo on the far left, eight people's faces beaming and laughing, constant motion. He ticked off on his fingers, "James, Lily, Remus, Peter, Mary, Marlene, you, and me."

Juniper saw a teenager who looked remarkably like her dad, same hair as James too. That must be her grandfather. Evelyn was sandwiched between a blonde girl who was sticking her tongue out, and a redhead with eyes identical to Juniper's. Lily, that was then. Her grandmother. The third girl in the photo was gorgeous, smiling with a row of perfect teeth. A shorter, stockier boy off to the side a little. And there was a much younger Sirius, hair just as long as it was today, mugging for the camera, an arm slung around a tall, fair haired boy. He was a mirror image of the boy beside her, though albeit a bit ganglier. A little more awkward, as though he didn't like his picture taken.

"Oh my god," Juniper pointed at the one on the end, "he looks just like you, Teddy." A strange sort of expression passed over Teddy's face when she said it, but it was gone too quickly for Juniper to decipher what it could mean.

"Ah, Remus," Sirius sifted through the rest of the pictures, looking for more of Teddy's father. "Proper stunner, eh?"

"Heartbreaker, Remmy was," Evelyn was somewhere far away. Both her and Sirius taken back to their days of youth, wistful. They were the only two left, after all. The only survivors. They hadn't heard from Mary in years, had no idea where she was. "It's always the quiet ones."

"Remus was far from quiet," Sirius snorted. "That's just what he liked people to think. He was all brooding and mysterious."

"Which made him all the more desirable," Evelyn snickered. "Had quite the temper too." She sighed, "You're so much alike, Bear."

"Really?" Teddy asked, surprised. "I always thought— people always describe him as like— this shy nerd. They always say I'm more like you, Padfoot."

"Well," Sirius conceded, explaining, "you do have Black blood running through your veins. And in a lot of ways you're like you're mum. I raised you too, after all. But—." He paused, putting a hand on his godson's shoulder, "Couldn't beat the Moony outta you if I tried." Sirius turned to Juniper then, "And of course, you're exactly like Elle was back then."

"No way." Evelyn argued, hands on her hips. "She's totally you. Or Marls."

"Me?" Sirius and Evelyn continued to bicker about which one of them Juniper was more like.

"And of course, she's Lily," Evelyn gestured at Rory.

"To a tee," Sirius agreed. Apparently that was a shared opinion. "No doubt about that one." He chuckled lightly, "Seeing them together, sometimes it's like I'm watching James and Lily all over again."

"Oh, Merlin— look!" Evelyn breathed excitedly. She held a photo aloft, "I'd forgotten all about this. Remember? Lil and Marls did your eyeliner."'

"Good times," Sirius murmured, thumbing the edge of a picture featuring him and Remus smoking out their dorm window. "Very good times."

They leafed through the rest of the snapshots late into the night. It was amazing, seeing all the fun times they's had. The clothing, the hairstyles. Juniper couldn't believe they'd called themselves the Marauders. It seemed so impossibly long ago. And she wondered if it ever hurt Sirius and Evelyn, to watch them grow up. To watch kids who reminded them so much of their lost friends live like James and Lily and Remus couldn't. It had to hurt, Juniper thought, at least a little bit.

The days passed quickly at Grimmauld Place, and before Juniper knew it, it was Christmas. Her dad had been there, briefly, when they opened presents. Harry was gone now, though. Juniper had gotten a brand new broom from him and her mum, top of the line. They were all seated around the fire now, playing with their present from Sirius and Evelyn.

They'd gotten them some sort of Muggle video game, and the four of them had just figured out how to work the controllers. It was extremely addicting, as they soon found. In fact, Juniper didn't think that Teddy and James had taken their eyes off the game once since they's all started playing.

Well— not all of them. Rory had staunchly refused to participate, deigning instead to curl up on the couch with one of her new books. Her gold band glinted in the firelight, glowing around her finger. Yes. James had gotten her a promise ring for Christmas. Of course he had. Juniper shouldn't have expected anything different. The two of them were the biggest saps she knew, and her and Teddy had obviously teased them both ruthlessly since he'd even it to her the morning.

Meanwhile, Juniper had gotten really into the game. Her and Teddy were already competitive, and this only brought it out more.

"Ha! I'm kicking your arse!" Juniper crowed, cheering in triumph.

Teddy's jaw dropped open in betrayal, "Did you just kill me?!"

"All's fair in love and war, princess," she responded with a cheeky smile, blowing him a kiss.

He set his hazel eyes on her, gazing at Juniper in a dark, dirty way that set her entire bod aflame. He dragged his teeth across his lower lip, then his tongue, leaning in close. His hand traced a path up her thigh, voice was barely a whisper, "Impossible girl."

Juniper swallowed hard, her toes curling. She kept her tone even. Focus, Juniper! "Are you trying to distract me?"

The corner of Teddy's mouth lifted into a smirk as he leaned in even closer. Their lips were a breadth away. "Is it working?" Teddy took his chance while Juniper's eyes were on him, and killed her in one swift motion.

"Cheating!" Juniper exclaimed, as James and Teddy high fived. "That is cheating! Rory!"

From the couch, Rory rolled her eyes, "The two of you are so obsessed with this game."

"Excuse me," Teddy harrumphed, affronted, "I believe your boyfriend is just as obsessed as we are."

"He is not," Rory disagreed, like she did with most things Teddy said.

"I'll prove it," Teddy declared. Knowing Rory would never back down from a challenge. "Bet you five galleons you cannot get him to stop playing."

Rory reached out her hand and shook Teddy's, determined, "You're on, Lupin." She rose from her seat, "Watch and learn." James was sitting to the right, in an armchair, fixated on the video game. Rory carefully climbed into his lap, straddling him. She buried her face in his chest, arms wrapped around his neck. "Hi baby." She kissed the line of his jaw.

James pecked the top of her head, "Hey sunshine, what's going on?"

"I'm just hugging you," Rory mumbled, kissing him some more.

"You're just hugging me?"

"Mmmhmmm," she snuggled deeper into him, then stood up to leave.

James frowned, not letting her go, "Where are you going?"

"I don't want to get in the way of your game, baby—"

"No- no, no. C'mere. Stay." James set his controller down, pulling her to him, "I don't have to play this right now."

Rory smiled smugly from her perch on James's lap. "And that's how you do it. Cough it up, Lupin."

"She's good," Juniper said, leaning her head on Teddy's shoulder.

"Apparently," Teddy forked over the coins, "Happy Christmas, Ror."

"Happy Christmas."

wholesome content :)
take it while you can trust me...

we're saying goodbye to christmas everyone
WE'RE GETTING SO CLOSE TO THE END
ITS LIKE ALMOST OVER
I CANT BELIEVE IT

anyways
love you all!!!

thoughts ————————->

MWAH!

-colleen