They stamped their feet before they entered the castle and despite the fact that they knocked most of the snow from their boots Mr. Filch still scowled at them as he went to fetch a mop. “Sorry, Argus,” Remus called to his retreating back.

The caretaker gave a haughty “harrumph,” and stomped away. Harry and Remus shared an amused look and loosened their cloaks and scarves and peeled the mittens from their hands.

“There’s got to be a way to make warming charms stick to clothing,” Harry mused as they walked toward the first set of stairs leading up to Gryffindor Tower.

“Oh there is,” Remus assured him.

“But then why didn’t you just apply warming charms to your old scarf?” Harry asked in surprise. “Why were you so happy to get a new scarf?”

“Well, it isn’t everyday I get gifts, you know,” Remus smiled down at Harry. “Besides, the charms stick better to new fabric than to worn cloth. And my old scarf was decidedly worn out.”

“Oh.”

Remus smiled at him again, but he frowned when Harry’s face suddenly twisted into a scowl. “What, oh” he exclaimed softly when he saw Severus on the receiving end of Harry’s glare. The potions professor was giving the impression that he hadn’t noticed the youth’s expression but Remus thought he could detect a certain stiffness to the Slytherin’s gait that wasn’t usually there.

“Lupin,” the dark wizard, greeted him. “Since you’re here, why don’t you come down to my office and pick up some of your potion. It will save the effort of sending it to you later.”

“Certainly, Severus. You don’t mind, Harry?”

Harry shook his head, “Go ahead. I’ll be up in the Tower.”

“Will you think about what I said?”

Harry, who had been trying to present a pleasant countenance to his former professor had to work even harder not to scowl at that question, and he was not entirely successful, though he succeeded in keeping his tone even when he said, “Yeah, sure.”

Remus nodded. “I’ll be up in a bit, I expect.”

Harry just nodded shortly and turned away. Remus watched him for a moment before turning to Severus. “Well, shall we?” he asked.

Snape nodded and led the way to his dungeon lab. As soon as they entered the room Severus raised the wards. They would prevent anyone from eavesdropping, which was an important consideration in this delicate situation. He was quite sure that Lupin would start talking any second now. All he had to do was walk over and start packing bottles. Severus conjured a box and placed it on the clear spot on a table.

“I talked to Harry,” Remus commented watching him closely.

Severus didn’t reply. He walked over to the shelves that ran along the wall behind him and picked up a handful of bottles.

“He’s quite upset, you know.”

Severus grunted. He’d really hoped that Lupin would be more forthcoming, perhaps even tell him how to fix the situation without ever having to say a word himself.

Remus frowned. “If you’re not going to take this seriously, Severus, I’ll just take my potion and be on my way.”

Severus glanced up at him sharply. “I haven’t brewed your potion, Lupin. It wouldn’t be anywhere near as effective at this time of the moon.”

Remus raised an eyebrow. “Well then, what are you doing?”

“Packaging some potions to go to the infirmary.”

Remus nodded. “Then you don’t really need me here, do you? I’ll see you at dinner I expect.” He turned to leave.

Severus glared. The werewolf was not being at all helpful. And, unfortunately he was about to walk out the door. “What did Harry say,” Severus asked just as Remus’s hand rested on the door handle.

“He’s furious with you,” Remus said without turning.

Remus looked back at Snape when he didn’t hear a reply. Severus was looking down at the table with a bereft expression. It was in the slight pinch around his mouth and the careful attempt to hide the bleakness in his eyes. Which was exactly what Remus needed to know. He smiled a little as he turned and leaned back on the door, crossing his arms across his chest. “He doesn’t want to see you. He doesn’t want to talk to you. If he didn’t want to be an auror so badly he would probably drop your class at this point.”

Severus snapped out of his funk. The werewolf had just confirmed his fears. “There’s no need to rub it in,” he snarled.

Remus grinned. “I don’t know. I’m pretty upset with you myself.” There were more teeth in that grin than Severus felt entirely comfortable with. He was reminded rather forcefully of Lupin’s alter ego, something that wasn’t often brought to mind when dealing with the mild-mannered Gryffindor.

Severus swallowed but spoke anyway. “Why don’t you go celebrate somewhere, then? Go with Harry and leave me in peace.” He turned back to the shelves behind him.

Remus rolled his eyes. “I swear, Severus, you are such a drama queen.”

Snape whirled around, wand drawn. “Get out of here,” he growled.

Remus raised an eyebrow. “I thought you wanted my help.”

Severus’s eyebrows narrowed further. “Go gloat elsewhere,” he snarled.

Remus heaved a sigh, “I’m not gloating, Severus. It isn’t even a temptation. Please put your wand down.” He waited a beat. “Or not. You’re being extremely provoking, you know. I told you I wasn’t particularly happy with you. It’s tempting to pull my own out.”

Severus glared and lowered his wand. “What do you want? What are you going on about? You’ve won, why should you not be happy?”

Remus rolled his eyes again. “Once again, you miss the point completely, Severus. Relationships are not competitions; I haven’t ‘won’ anything.” He drew a breath. “I’m not sure you realize exactly what you’ve done.”

“How could I not? Harry refuses to speak to me. He can’t look at me. He skipped meals to avoid me. You said yourself that if he could drop my class he would. Believe me werewolf; I know precisely what I’ve done. I’ve made him hate me as virulently as I possibly could have.”

“That’s true. But you’ve also hurt him badly. He’s convinced that anything that happened between the two of you was a lie. He’s lost his paternal figure twice now, Severus.”

Severus was quiet for a long time. “It wasn’t a lie,” he said at last. “What was I to have done? Told him everything despite direct orders from Dumbledore and the Dark Lord? I didn’t enjoy lying to him. I know he trusted me. I don’t blame him for hating me.”

“Ah, but you see, Severus, I’m not entirely sure he does hate you. He thinks he does, and he’s doing a very creditable imitation, but I’m just not sure the feeling is really there.”

“What?”

“Let’s put it this way, if I thought Harry actually hated you, I wouldn’t be here talking to you now. I’d have hexed your ears off and left.”

Severus nodded once.

“As it is,” Remus continued, “I just want to beat some sense into you so that I can go back to enjoying my holiday. I haven’t seen Harry since this summer, you know, and I care about him, too.”

Severus sighed and pocketed his wand. “What shall I do?” he asked.

Remus shrugged. “Just be there for him. If he needs to talk, listen. Don’t try to pester him, just let him be. If you can find some way of letting him know you still support him, that would be good.”

“Like a gift?” Severus asked.

“That would work. A little belated, but still. It’s the thought that counts, I suppose.”

Severus rolled his eyes. “I have already given him his Christmas gift.”

“That’s good, then. This may take a while, you know. This is probably your last chance to cut and run.”

Severus growled and reached into his pocket.

Remus held up a hand. “Just saying.”

“Well, don’t. I am not giving up.”

“Good.”

Severus blinked again. “Would you make up your mind? Are you going to help me make it up to Harry or not?”

“No. I’ll discuss it with you, Severus, but this is up to you.”

Severus took a deep breath and nodded. He wasn’t sure whether to be encouraged or to acknowledge that all was lost right there.

---

“Harry?” Remus had expected the youth to be in the lounge at the bottom of Gryffindor tower, but Harry was nowhere in sight. Remus stepped further into the tower and called again. “Harry?”

He appeared on the stairs. “You know, for someone who isn’t here to fix everything, you were certainly eager to run off with Snape. I notice you aren’t carrying any potion, either.”

“Surely you,” Remus began sharply and then shut his mouth with a snap. He had been going to say, ‘surely you can recognize a subterfuge when you see one, Harry,’ but that could be taken in a way that Remus didn’t mean at all. He was just frustrated with the whole situation. That wasn’t Harry’s fault, however, and Remus forced himself to take a breath and calm down. “Severus has been very anxious about you,” he said. “In fact,” Remus watched Harry closely. “In fact, he was the one who wrote me about this mess.”

Harry stood very still. “Is that so?” the youth asked.

“Yes.” Harry did not move, he just glared at the stair in front of him.

Just then his stomach rumbled. The sound carried to Remus’s sensitive ears. The former professor smiled. “Why don’t we go find lunch, and then I challenge you to a snowball fight.”

Harry turned. “It’s not lunch time in the Great Hall,” he pointed out.

“Harry, do you hold the Marauders Map or don’t you?” Remus asked with a grin. “The kitchens are always serving.”

“That’s true,” Harry said slowly. He turned around and descended the stairs and pensively walked over to Remus.

Suddenly Remus smirked and tapped Harry’s arm and raced for the door. “Tag, you’re it!” he called as he stepped out of the portrait hole.

Harry was standing with a bewildered look on his face for a moment but then he shouted, “Hey!” and ran out after his friend, leaving the Pink Lady to swing herself shut and yell after them.

Remus laughed. “Can’t catch me!” He shouted back. Harry needed to play more.

“Watch me!” Harry cried, running faster than before.

---

They were both breathless with laughter when they collapsed against the painting of the fruit bowl that guarded the kitchens entrance and it was some minutes before either could reach up to tickle the pear. At last they did, however, and the pair entered only to be surrounded immediately by a ring of house elves eager to help.

While Moony calmed them and set about ordering lunch, Harry looked around for Dobby. After a moment he spotted the elf in a corner ironing someone’s socks. Harry blinked, but given Dobby’s obsession with socks he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised.

Harry walked casually over to Dobby. “Hey,” the greeted the house elf.

“Harry Potter sir!” the diminutive creature exclaimed.

Harry was oddly touched when he heard the awe still there. “I just wanted to say thanks again for delivering those gifts.”

“Harry Potter sir is most welcome!” Dobby squeaked ears wriggling delightedly.

Harry smiled but then frowned slightly. “There was one separate from the others,” he began.

“Dobby delivered that present too,” the house elf volunteered. His ears drooped slightly. “Was that one not to be delivered?”

“No, that’s fine, Dobby,” Harry said reassuringly. “I just didn’t see that one this morning and thought I’d ask.”

“Harry Potter sir is not angry with Dobby?”

“No, Dobby. I’m not angry.” Harry smiled despite an oddly hollow feeling in his stomach.

“Harry?” It was Remus.

“I’ll see you later, Dobby,” he said. Dobby nodded enthusiastically.

“All right, Harry?” Remus frowned slightly as Harry crossed to sit at the large kitchen table across from him.

“Fine,” Harry nodded. Remus raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. “Really,” Harry assured him with a crooked smile. Remus nodded and moved the conversation on to other things.

---

Harry fell asleep much more quickly than usual that night, though he still remembered to occlude. When he woke he felt no sudden urge to move and decided to give in to the impulse to lie abed for a while. Yesterday had been nice, he decided. It had been good to see Moony again and good to talk with him. Painful at times, but Moony had also told him stories about the time the Marauders were at school. He had told plenty of amusing tales and then taken him outside where they laughed and ran and played like children until it was practically too dark to see their mittens in front of their faces. It had been nice to talk of Sirius with someone who understood. Unlike Snape.

Snape.

Harry sighed and stretched rubbing his hands over his face. That same sinking feeling that had crept over him yesterday when Dobby said he had delivered Snape’s gift was back again. Harry wasn’t sure what it meant, but he didn’t like it. He was tired of thinking about it, though. With a weary nod Harry resolved to think of the man as little as possible. He was determined to enjoy the rest of the holiday.

Perhaps he would do a bit of flying today. Honest fatigue sounded good to him, as did another night of deep rest such as he had enjoyed last night. Perhaps Remus had been right when he said that Harry needed to have fun more.

Harry sat up abruptly and swung his legs out of bed and into his slippers. That settled it. He would get cleaned up, go down to the Great Hall and get breakfast, let McGonagall know where he was going, and get outside. Harry carefully did not think of whom else he might meet in the hall.

Nothing was going to ruin the rest of his break.