Ugh… I feel like shit. I'm sick, again. And as happy as I am to have time to write, this fever is taking its toll on my brain. I apologize for how bad this turned out and hope that the writing gods forgive my shitty work. Don't electrocute me! –hides- Enjoy as much as you can.

Warnings: Mild angst and minor slash.

"Harry, stop it!" Sirius grumbled as he tried to tie the bowtie around his godson's neck. The little boy was proving rather difficult to handle, as the man had made the mistake of riling him up with the mention of Draco. He had made a near tidal wave in the bathtub, ran downstairs naked to get at the door, and now wouldn't sit still long enough to be dressed properly. Who knew such a tiny little thing could be such a handful? Sirius was about to give up when Severus made an entrance.

"What is all this noise about? I'm trying to get ready."

Sirius grimaced. "The little cub won't settle down!"

Severus sighed and went over to Harry. He gently took hold of the boy's shoulders and made eye contact. "Stop."

Immediately the boy calmed down, allowing the man to straighten up the mess of a bow Sirius had made. Said animagus merely gaped at his housemate. "How did you do that?"

Severus straightened, picking Harry up in his arms. "You need to be firm. Otherwise he'll walk all over you." He handed his son over to the other man and, with that, promptly made his exit.

Sirius sighed. "Damned snake…"

After finishing up with Harry and placing him in the care of the house elves, Sirius readied himself for the evening. He had grudgingly, after many hours of persuasion by both other occupants, agreed to attend Christmas Eve dinner with the Malfoys. He knew how much this would mean to Harry, to spend Christmas with his friend, and so he sucked it up for him; another mature move on his part. That and he couldn't bare the cries of "I 'anna see 'Aco…" said in that sad little voice. It was too much for his sensitive heart. And so, here he stood, in the sitting room, waiting for the floo to be ready for transport.

Harry, who looked adorable in his brightly colored Christmas robes, was bouncing in Severus' arms excitedly. He wanted to leave now. " 'Aco waiting!"

As soon as they all settled in the hearth, he grabbed the floo powder and threw it at their feet, stating, "Malfoy Manor," quite clearly. Within seconds they were stepping out into the luxurious parlor of the Malfoys' home. All three nobles were standing to greet them in their best outfits, smiles gracing their soft features. Harry, spotting Draco, wiggled like jelly, asking as politely as he could manage to be put down. Severus complied, smiling as Harry ran across the room and straight into the other little boy's arms. The two friends giggled and laughed happily as though they hadn't seen each other in weeks, while the adults looked on and cooed.

Lucius led the group through many hallways, into the sitting room where they sat and chatted, drinking pre-dinner tea. At around quarter to seven, they went into the large dining room. The room-length table was elegantly decorated and supported a vast array of holiday foods. Turkey, ham, potatoes, yams, green beans, carrots, rolls, and many other items wafted delicious scents towards their noses. The children were placed in elegantly carved wooden highchairs next to each other. Their parents and guardians sat on either side and served them small amounts of the softer foods, taking care to cut and mush them. After everyone was served, they began to eat their meal. It didn't take long for Sirius to go for seconds; the man was like a black hole, and yet he ate with pureblood class. It was an interesting sight. Lucius, who had been discussing quidditch teams with the Black heir, soon noticed Severus staring at the man. He decided to bring it up at a later time.

After dinner, and a quick face wipe for the kids, the house elves cleared the table and prepared it for desert. Soon another feast was splayed before them. Puddings, sugar cookies, crème brulee, and other sweets filled the table. The adults hand-fed the boys their choice of pudding before helping themselves. When they could eat no more, they were led back to the sitting boys sat down on the carpet and played and babbled while the adults spoke of fond memories from Christmases past.

"Do you remember fifth year?" Narcissa asked.

Her husband smiled and replied, "You gave me your first gift."

"I was so nervous, I was shaking!" she exclaimed. "And I had reason to, you were the handsomest boy in our year. It took me ages to think of a proper gift. Finally, I gathered my courage and walked up to you, mistletoe in hand." The Malfoy matriarch blushed, smiling shyly.

Lucius pulled her close to his side, chuckling lightly. "Best gift I've ever recieved," he grinned. "Well…" he looked over at his son, "almost."

Narcissa beamed proudly, nuzzling her head into her husband's shoulder affectionately. Lucius blushed, but turned back to his guests. "What about seventh year? You two were just first years then, tiny little thing you were, Severus."

"Gee, thanks," Snape glowered.

"Well you were," Sirius defended. "You were small and skinny. You looked as though you were drowning in your robes. And when winter came it looked as though you were a penguin! Layers upon layers of clothes!" The scruffy man laughed at the glare he received. Even Lucius had a hard time containing his deep chuckles.

"Yes, well I was cold," Severus huffed, turning up his nose. "Not everyone had the money to buy thick coats and wool scarves."

The laughter stopped and Sirius looked confused. "What? I thought you just had poor dress sense."

Severus growled and Lucius returned to trying to contain his laughter. With gritted teeth, the pale man replied as politely as possible. "Not every one has their needs given to them. Some people have to work for it."

"Hey! I had a hard life too!"

"Oh yes, running away from your rich home because mummy and daddy didn't understand you, must have been so hard. Especially with your friends taking you in. Such a hard last year before legal freedom," he said sarcastically.

"Well at least I had friends! The only friend you had, you couldn't keep. And why? Because of your sick, twisted ideals! Lily was better off without you!"

Sirius breathed hard as he finished his rant. Finally calming down, he realized he was standing and that the whole room was silent. Even the children had stopped playing. Looking down he started as he saw something he never thought he would again; tears in Snape's eyes. The other man didn't even bother to stop them as they flowed down his pale cheeks. What was he supposed to do? Sirius could handle Lupin's tears, the man cried enough for it to be a normal occurrence, he could have even take James', but how could he deal with the tears of his once-nemisis? He was so deep in confusion, he barely noticed little Harry grabbing onto Severus' legs. The boy had an obvious look of concern on his sweet face and looked as though he wished he could ask what was wrong. Severus leaned down and picked up his son. Hugging the child tight, he stood and left for his room, Harry in tow.

Not knowing what to do, Sirius just stood there. He knew the other occupants of the room where staring at him, and probably with looks of hatred or disdain. Not wanting to face them, he went to follow Severus; his room was next to the other man's, so there was little choice. And did he really want to leave things so terrible between them? He shook his head roughly. What was he thinking? Since when did he care about Snape's feeling? But the image of those dark eyes, normally so strong and sure, now broken and pained, somehow tugged at his chest. No, he couldn't leave it like that.

Snape sat in the room that he and Harry had stayed in before returning to Spinners End. He kept the child close, trying as hard as he could to stop the ache in his chest. Those memories… His biggest mistake. He would have given anything to undo that day, to have stayed by her side. He loved her and he threw their friendship away with the use of one word. He tried so hard not to remember, but even looking at Harry gave him proof of his folly. Harry could have been his. They could have been a proper family, linked by blood and love. How…had it ended up like this?

A soft tapping on his door. Lucius. "Come in," he said as strongly as he could manage. The door creaked lightly as it opened, revealing the last person he wanted to see. "Get out of here, Black," he growled. The other man looked down.

"Snape, I…" What could he say? The man looked broken, putting on an angry face to defend himself.

Severus stood, placing Harry gently in his crib. "I said, get out," he all but snarled.

Sirius began to panic. What could he say? What would make this better? Snape was coming closer, most likely to push him out the door. But he had to do something. Then a thought occurred to him. What made him feel better? Without a second thought, he stepped to meet the other man and wrapped his arms around him.

Severus stiffened. "What are you..?!" Get off me!"

He struggled to wiggle out of the hold, but Sirius held tight. Deciding that fighting it was getting him nowhere, he stopped moving; the other man would give up soon. But he didn't, he just kept holding him. "What are you doing?"

"This always helps me, I thought it might help you."

"I don't need your help, Black. Now release me," he replied in a strained voice.

"No. Not when I know you feel bad." Sirius tightened his hold.

"I don't feel bad." Lies.

"Yes you do, and it's my fault. I'm sorry."

Severus stared at the man and knew from his eyes that he meant his words. Sirius was sorry, and it showed. Before he could stop them, the tears began again. He tried to pull away to wipe them, but Sirius got to them before he could, wiping them with the sleeve of his shirt. Severus broke down. The tears flowed nonstop and his slight frame shook with the effort of keeping them in. Sirius walked them both over to the bed and sat them down. Soon after he felt thin fingers gripping at the back of his shirt. Remembering what his mother used to do, he rocked the smaller man, allowing him to cling to him. This was something all people needed, if only once in a while, and he would let Snape cling as tight as he wanted.

Not long after, Severus' tears stopped and his breathing slowed. Looking down, Sirius noticed the man had fallen asleep. Not wanting to disturb him, he laid them both down, making sure he was comfortable, and pulled the covers over them. He could stand to stay, if just for one night.

XxXxX

Light streamed through the large windows, falling upon the two figures curled up in the thick sheets of the large, comfortable bed. Neither man stirred as the other inhabitant of the room rubbed lightly at his eyes, yawning sleepily. Now fully awake, Harry stood in his crib and looked over to his guardians. Both were dead asleep and it didn't look like they would be moving any time soon, so the little boy sat down and waited patiently for attention. It wasn't long before the door to the room was opened and Lucius looked in on them.

What a shocking scene for the man. He had gotten worried when he noticed no one in Black's room and so came to check on Severus and Harry. He never expected his old friend to be snuggled up to the missing man, looking incredibly peaceful. Seeing Harry peeking over his crib at him, the man walked over and picked him up. "Time for breakfast, little one." He closed the door behind them.

Fifteen minutes later, Severus awoke, feeling much better than he had the previous night. He yawned and stretched his slightly aching limbs, soon coming in contact with something hard and warm. Blinking his eyes into focus, he blanked as he came face to face (quite literally) with a sleeping Black. Memories came flooding back to him and he blushed. He had cried in front of his old rival. How embarrassing. Thinking it was most definitely time to leave, the man began to wriggle out of the strong hold. Suddenly, the hold became tighter, nearly crushing the thin man. 'Shit.' There was nothing else for it. "Black. Black! Get off of me!"

Sirius's eyes opened blearily and he gave a wide mouthed yawn. "Nnm… Wha you wan?"

"Let go of your hold, Black, or you loose your arms."

Not fully understanding, Sirius loosened his grip. When Severus pushed at him, he woke a bit further and was bombarded by memories of the night previous. Before Snape was fully out of reach, he grabbed hold of the man and pulled him back to his chest. "I'm sorry…"

Severus sighed and gave the man's arm a reassuring squeeze before getting out of bed. "Harry's not here, it must be time for breakfast." Seeing as it was Chirstmas day and he had nowhere to go, the man chose a dressing gown over his dress robes and exited the room, Black close behind.

The scene downstairs was an amazing one. The huge living room looked as done up as Disneyland. Wreathes, holly, mistletoe, all perfectly placed and centering on the gigantic pine tree in the corner closest to the fireplace. The tree was decorated professionally for the most part, except for the bottom most leaves which the family had done themselves. Draco had helped too, placing his crayon-drawn ornaments at the highest branch he could reach. Severus scanned the room for the family and, when only a lone house elf could be seen, went to the dining room.

Harry and Draco were having their faces wiped by Narcissa, their breakfasts eaten and bowls carries off. Looking up at the two men, she smiled. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas, Narcissa. And to you too, little snakes." Severus smiled down at the boys, who both giggled in return.

"Are you feeling any better?" she asked, staring pointedly at Sirius, who had sense enough to look sorry.

"I am, thank you. Where is Lucius?"

"Oh he's getting things ready. It's about time, I think." She scooped up Draco while Severus got Harry. "Shall we convene in the living room?"

They all settled down on the sofa, the children squirming about as they tried to get down and run about the colorful room, and waited patiently for Lucius. The man walked in a minute later with a huge grin upon his face. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas," they all replied.

He looked down at the boys. "Now, little gingerbread men," he said while tickling them both and being rewarded by high-pitched giggles. "What day is it?"

"Kwismas!" they cheered.

"And who comes on Christmas?"

Before the two could reply, a light crackling noise came from the fireplace. Within seconds a black cloud of soot spread across the floor and a large red object exited the hearth.

"SANTA!!!!!"

The children ran through the cloud, dirtying their pajamas, and threw themselves at the red shape.

"Hohoho!" it replied and stood.

As the dust cleared, Severus' and Sirius' eyes widened in surprise. 'No…way.'

Standing proudly in a full Santa suit was Albus Dumbledore, and slung over his boney shoulder was the largest brown sack they had ever seen. "Santa" placed the sack near the tree and looked back at the ecstatic children, bouncing at his feet. He smiled sweetly down at them. "Hoho. Have you been good little boys this year?"

Both nodded fervently, knowing they would soon be rewarded for their good behaviour.

Dumbledore pulled two parcels out of the sack and handed them to the boys, who quickly unwrapped them. They squealed in delight at each other's shiny new toys; an airplane for Draco and a train engine for Harry.

Lucius frowned slightly. "Albus, what have a said about muggle things."

The old man smiled jovially. "Oh, Lucius, they're too young to even know the difference between the muggle world and their own. Let them enjoy their toys."

The Malfoy patriarch's brow furrowed, but he nodded in acceptance. Draco was young; he'd have plenty of time to teach him.

Albus turned towards his sack and sifted through it. "Ohhoho… What have we here? More presents?"

Harry and Draco looked up excitedly as they were handed more parcels and Albus continued handing out gifts to each person in the room. They all opened their gifts, each adorning a pleasant smile when they got something they wanted. Lucius received a new professional quill set, Narcissa, silk gloves with a matching handbag, Severus, a new supply of potions ingredients, and Sirius, new flight goggles. Lucius handed Albus a small box, which the man unwrapped quickly.

"Lemon drops!" he exclaimed. "How did you know they were my favorite?"

"Everyone who knows you knows that, Albus."

The old man chuckled. "I suppose I'm an open book."

The rest of the day was spent in comfort, the sound of laughter and the smell of delicious foods flowing through the air. Life was good.

Oh my god, this chapter sucks. I tried to make it a bit longer to help with the suckyness, but I don't think it did any good. I'll come back and redo it when I don't feel like so incapable.

Thanks for reading.