Going to the Movies with Sirius

Summary: Sirius decides to take Harry to the movies while James and Lily prepare for Christmas at the Potters.

AN: The plot bunny for this fic began after watching Dumb and Dumber To. Enjoy!

Set Christmas in GOF after the Yule Ball.

Lily stood in front of her kitchen window, looking out at the wintery landscape their garden had become. It had snowed overnight. The garden looked like a picture she had seen in a magazine many years ago. It was nothing like the snowfall they got in Scotland. But it was still beautiful. She cradled the cup of tea in her hands as she sighed happily.

Today, they would be having their make-up Christmas with Remus and Sirius.

The Yule Ball was last night. Since Harry was one of the Tri-Wizard Tournament champions, he had to open the ball with the other three champions. Because they had to stay at Hogwarts for the Yule Ball, Lily and James decided to move their family Christmas to Boxing Day. The last time they had to postpone their family Christmas was when Harry was ten and sick with the flu.

After the Yule Ball was over, Harry met her in her quarters. They flooed home to spend the remainder of the holiday with James.

Due to their extended stay at Hogwarts, Lily had pushed most of the Christmas prep to James. She made him a to-do list of what he needed to get done and a shopping list of what he needed to buy at the shop.

She would go to the shop again while Sirius took Harry out for the day and picked up what James had forgotten. Luckily, it was a short list.

Not only was Lily planning on cooking for their holiday meal, but she was also going to make all the treats and sweets she always made during the Christmas holiday. It wouldn't be Christmas without them.

She was broken out of her thoughts when the front door opened and closed.

A familiar voice called out, "Is anyone home?"

Sirius was the only person who opened the door and walked in, regardless of which door it was, front or back, or what time of day it was.

His timing today, however, was perfect.

"Hello, Padfoot!" James greeted his brother in everything but blood as he came down the stairs. James led him into the kitchen, quickly catching up with each other as they walked into the kitchen.

"Hello, Evans!"

"It's Potter, Black." Lily was never a fan of being called by her last name, especially her maiden name.

"What time did you and Harry get home last night?" Sirius asked as he made himself a cup of tea.

"One in the morning,"

Lily answered as she began scrambling eggs and fry bacon and sausage.

"It's nearly noon. Is Prongslet still asleep?" Sirius asked.

"Yes," James answered.

Without prompting, Sirius headed to the stairs, transforming into Padfoot as he went upstairs. Once on the landing, he went into Harry's room. Sirius approached the bed, jumping up on the bed. He laid down on top of Harry. The teenager never budged. Judging by the snores, he heard that Harry was still asleep.

Sirius moved up to lick Harry's cheek, jolting him awake. Harry woke up, opening his eyes slowly. His vision cleared, and he saw the black dog.

Harry wiped his cheek. "Ew, Padfoot! That's nasty!"

Sirius transferred back into his human form.

"It's time to get up!" Sirius shouted, shaking the bed.

Harry groaned, turning over onto his stomach and burying his head under the pillow.

"Let me sleep for a few more minutes," Harry mumbled.

In response, Sirius pulled off the comforter, the blankets, and the sheets, leaving Harry uncovered with only his pajamas on.

"Do I have to tickle you to get you up?" Sirius asked with a mischievous smile.

Harry threw the pillow at him as he got up, admitting defeat. "Okay, you win," he mumbled.

He headed to the bathroom to shower and get dressed for the day.

"Harry, wear something nice. You and I are going to the movies," Sirius called from the other side of the door.

The door to the bathroom swung open. Harry poked his head out. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am Sirius."

He and Harry looked at each other for a moment before they burst out laughing at the pun.

"Okay," Sirius chuckled. "Get a shower and get dressed. Your Mum will have something for you to eat before we leave."

Harry shut the door to get into the shower. Sirius walked downstairs to the kitchen to join James and Lily.

"I'll take the kid. You lot get everything ready, right?" Sirius clarified. Lily had repeated the plan for this day multiple times. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to keep her from going off on Sirius. She wasn't about to repeat herself.

"Right," James replied.

"What movie are you going to see, Sirius?" Lily asked.

"I thought about that Dumb and Dumber movie. James and I saw a preview on the television."

"You mean the movie trailer," Lily corrected him. "I think he would like it."

"I think he will too, which is why I told Sirius to take him to see it," James explained.

"Can I leave the presents I have here?" Sirius asked.

"Of course," Lily said, pulling out her roasting pan for the turkey she would pull out of the cold box in the scullery when Harry and Sirius left. She took it into the scullery to put the turkey in the pan.

"That is if I can trust you, Prongs." Sirius eyed his best friend, even though he was just as bad at peeking at presents as James.

James nodded, trying to look convincingly innocent.

"You can trust me."

"Uh-huh. There are charms on them that will go off when we open presents. If you get into them before, your hands will turn green."

Lily hid a snort behind a cough.

They were sitting around the table catching up when Harry entered the kitchen, dressed and ready for the day.

"Your breakfast is on the counter, sweetheart," Lily told him.

"Thanks, Mum," Harry said as he brought his plate to the table. James poured him a glass of orange juice, bringing it to the table.

Lily began to clean up the kitchen, listening to James, Harry, and Sirius talk while Harry ate his breakfast.

"We'll head out after you've finished breakfast," Sirius said.

Harry swallowed the last of his eggs and sausage. "I'm done."

After Harry drank the rest of his orange juice, he took his plate and cup to the sink and headed upstairs to brush his teeth,

"Brush your hair while you are up there," Lily called.

"Yes, Mum," Harry called back.

Harry returned downstairs a minute later, his trainers and hooded jumper in hand. He tossed his jumper over the couch, flopping on the couch to put on his trainers. He put on his jumper as he walked back into the kitchen.

"Ready?" Harry asked Sirius, putting on his coat.

"Ready." Sirius got up to put on his coat. "We'll see you in about five hours."

After telling James and Lily bye, Harry followed Sirius out the back door to Sirius's Land Rover, parked behind Potter's Range Rover.

"Are we driving your car?" Harry asked.

"Yup," Sirius replied, popping the 'p' as he unlocked the SUV.

Harry opened the passenger door and climbed in. Closing the door, he buckled his seat belt as Sirius started the engine and buckled his seatbelt.

"Let's roll," he said before he backed out of the driveway and drove off to London.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"What kind of popcorn should we get? Buttery? Sweet and salty? Plain?" Sirius asked, studying the menu.

"I want sweet and salty," Harry said, making his selection.

They approached the counter to place the order. "Can I help you?" the girl at the counter asked.

Sirius ordered one large sweet and salty popcorn and a large buttery popcorn. He then ordered two large cokes and a pack of gummy bears. Harry got gummy worms. They moved down to the till to pay for their snacks and wait for the popcorn to be ready.

With their snacks in hand, they walked into the cinema and found seats in the middle of the rows.

"It's about two best friends. They go on an adventure," Sirius explained as he told Harry about the plot. "Something that I think you and Ron would do one day."

Harry laughed. "I could see us going on a road trip together. He'll be asking a dozen questions."

Sirius laughed, agreeing. During the summer, Hermione and Harry took Ron on a tour of Muggle London with Sirius as the chaperone. Ron was wide-eyed all day, asking Harry or Hermione questions. Sirius only drove them to their location and let the three teens explore without him.

Harry glanced over at Sirius.

"Thanks, Sirius, for doing this," Harry said suddenly.

Sirius smiled and ruffled his hair. "Not a problem, Kiddo."

The lights began to dim before the theater was dark and the movie started.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"What did you think of the movie?" Sirius asked as they were leaving the cinema.

"It was good. Ron and Neville will find it hilarious. I think I'll get it when it comes out on VHS," Harry decided.

Sirius smiled. Harry would need to explain everything about the movie to Ron and Neville. They had spent time together over the previous summer, including a rainy day watching the entire Back to the Future trilogy. As they had spent many afternoons watching television in the Potter family room when they were little, Harry didn't have to do much explaining now.

"Are we going to eat somewhere?" Harry asked.

"We are," Sirius confirmed. "Dirty Burger?"

Harry smiled. "Read my mind."

Sirius and Harry approached the car park, locating Sirius's SUV. They got in the SUV and buckled up.

"Ready?" Sirius asked.

Harry nodded. "Ready."

Sirius started the SUV and drove off to Dirty Burger.

Since they were alone, Sirius thought it would be the perfect time to ask Harry about the Yule Ball.

"So, how was the Yule Ball last night? Did you have a good time?" Sirius asked.

"It was fun. I had a good time," Harry replied, softly smiling as he remembered being with Ginny the night before.

Sirius didn't miss the smile on his godson's face. Ginny was a third-year and could only attend the ball if someone from an older class asked her.

Following Lily's advice to ask someone he knew, Harry asked her.

"Ron and Hermione got into a row. They were arguing when I walked Ginny back to Gryffindor Tower, and they were still arguing when I left to meet Mum last night. "

Sirius hummed before asking, "When will they just get it over with and snog already?"

"That will be." Harry trailed off for dramatics. "Never."

Sirius chuckled, then became serious, no pun intended, when Harry told him about a conversation he overheard between Snape and Karkaroff, Durmstrang's headmaster. Harry explained he and Ginny had gone on a walk through the corridors and had stumbled upon them when they reached the courtyard where the carriages were sitting. He and Ginny hid behind a wall to listen. They waited until they left before they headed back to Gryffindor Tower.

"What else happened on this walk?" Sirius asked, smiling. He had a feeling Harry was falling in love with the Weasley girl. She was sweet, caring, generous, and kind-hearted—just like Lily was when she was her age. And Ginny was a redhead, and Sirius knew that Potter men tended to fall for redheads.

"We just talked. About the tournament and how it was going, Ron and Hermione, and how long it would take them to admit they liked each other. She shared things about her life I didn't know about her. I told her about growing up as an only child. Ron and I have known each other for a long time. I've never paid much attention to Ginny before. She was just Ron's little sister to me. She's become a good friend to me over the last year."

Sirius smiled knowingly to himself. It would not surprise him if Harry and Ginny got together.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Dirty Burger was a burger restaurant Harry and Sirius discovered when they had ventured out into London for the day over a year ago. They had explored a few of the new attractions that had opened and decided to try out the new burger place. The burgers were good. The service was excellent.

Harry even commented that they needed to bring Ron and Neville here sometime.

They had brought James after attending a Puddlemere United and Tutshill Tornados quidditch match. It became one of their favorite burger restaurants.

"They are better than yours, Prongs," Sirius joked.

James threw a chip at him.

When they spent a family day in London, Harry and James talked Lily into eating there.

To James's surprise, Lily liked it.

"What are you going to get?" Sirius asked Harry as he looked over the menu.

Harry decided on a cheeseburger with crinkle-cut fries, a Coke, and a chocolate milkshake.

Sirius ordered their food: two cheeseburgers with fries, two Cokes, and a chocolate milkshake. While they waited for their food, Sirius and Harry talked about what they were hoping to get for Christmas, what Harry had gotten from Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, and what he had opened early from James and Lily.

"Dad and Mum got me a new quidditch book. Ron loved the Chudley Cannons hat I got him. Hermione is easier. I got her a book. I figured she would like to read a book for fun, so I asked Mum what she might like."

Harry paused as they brought their food to their table. "She suggested this book written by a Muggleborn. It's about her story of becoming a witch. Hermione loved it. She was reading it an hour later."

Sirius chuckled, "Leave it to your mother to suggest a book." He paused when the waitress brought their order. "So, what did you get, Ginny?"

"I got her a book on Holyhead Harpies. She once said she was a fan. I found it in the same shop where I got Ron's hat."

Harry then went on to tell Sirius that Ginny had given him a stuffed Hungarian Horntail. Ron had given him some chocolate frogs and a book of wizard jokes.

Sirius asked what Hermione's gift was to him when they were back in the car, as he had not mentioned it earlier.

"She got Ron and me a book on English and Irish Quidditch teams."

"I'm surprised. I figured Hermione would have gotten you and Ron a book about OWLs."

Harry cut his eyes at Sirius. "That's next year."

"I know."

"Hermione has been talking to some fifth years. About OWLS."

"Is she already worried about that?" Sirius asked, starting the engine and pulling out of the car park.

"Yes, between her and Mum, I don't think I'm going to make it, "Harry groaned.

Sirius reached over, gently squeezing Harry's shoulder. "You will."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"We're back!" Harry called when he opened the front door of Potter's Cottage.

"We're in the family room!" James called back.

Sirius moved to let Harry go first. He stopped when he stepped into the dining area.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"We're having our Christmas today," Lily explained, approaching her son. "We're going to open presents and have our Christmas dinner."

"Is this why you wanted me out of the house?" Harry gestured to the family room, decorated with the six-foot tree they had cut in early December.

"Yes," Lily replied, embracing him in a hug, which Harry returned. He felt her press a kiss to the top of his head.

"Well, let's get started. We've got presents to open and a dinner to eat," James said excitedly.

Harry smiled at the thought of presents. But at the thought of food, his stomach churned.

Harry was full of the popcorn, candy, burgers, fries, and milkshake he had eaten. Maybe by the time they got to dinner, he would feel hungry.

After exchanging and opening presents, Lily and James moved the food from the kitchen to the rarely used formal dining room. Remus, Sirius, and Harry stayed in the family room cleaning up from opening presents. As they cleaned up, Harry told Remus about the Yule Ball. Harry had returned from taking his Christmas presents to his room when James came to get the rubbish bag.

"Dinner's ready!" Lily called.

Harry sat in his usual seat next to his dad and Sirius. Lily and James sat at the head of the table with Remus, across from Harry and Sirius.

To start a conversation, Lily asked Harry about the movie.

"The movie was great. I liked it."

"Oh, really," Lily commented, scooping some potatoes onto her plate. "Pass the rolls down, Sweetheart." She handed the basket to her son.

He passed the basket of rolls to Sirius before taking one for himself.

"Harry was telling me about the Yule Ball. It sounds like you and Ginny had a good time," Remus commented.

"I did." Harry had decided to wait until later to tell James about what he and Ginny had overhead when he could talk to his father alone.

"When are you going back to Hogwarts?" Remus asked, cutting into a piece of turkey.

"We're going back on Saturday before the first day of term," Lily added. This way, I could stock the supply room, and Harry could spend time with his friends before classes."

"So you'll be here for a week!" Sirius exclaimed excitedly.

"What are we going to do?" Harry asked.

"We'll think of something."

Even though the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the Yule Ball threw a wrench into their plans, Harry thought this was one of the best Christmases of his life. So far.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Harry sat on his bed, reading the book Sirius had given him. To no one's surprise, it was a Quidditch book about Puddlemere United. Harry started following the team after Oliver Wood had signed with them. He had gotten a Quidditch robe set from Puddlemere United and a poster to hang up in his room. It was the team poster. Harry had already hung it above his desk beside the small bulletin board.

He was looking forward to the little break he was getting from school. He didn't want to think about the tournament. He didn't want to think about what was going on at school. He wanted to spend this week with his family rather than think about the looming second task.

He had yet to figure out the egg.

It was still in his trunk in Lily's quarters. He had some time left before he needed to figure it out.

After Sirius and Remus left and Lily was in the shower, Harry approached James. He told him everything he had overheard as he helped James put away the clean dishes. James was already suspicious of Snape and Karkaroff.

What Harry had told him made him even more suspicious. He wanted to know more before he shared his suspicions with Lily.

"Not a word to your mother," James ordered.

"Yes, Sir."

Harry still hadn't told his parents about the dreams he had been having or about his scar hurting afterward. He knew he needed to tell James and Lily eventually.

He had just finished the first chapter when a knock at his bedroom door stopped him.

"Come in," he called.

Lily opened the door. Harry closed the book, setting it down on his nightstand.

"Did you have a good Christmas, Sweetheart?" She asked as she walked into the bedroom.

"Yes, Mum. Thanks for the presents again."

Lily smiled as she sat down on his bed. "Well, I decided to save some presents for you to open here. We've been planning this day since we learned you wouldn't be here for Christmas. A month ago, I talked to Professor Dumbledore about this. He said it was okay for us to come home after the Yule Ball and spend some time at home."

Lily noticed how much of the book Harry had already read. "How's the book?"

"It's good, so far."

"How did Ron like the hat you got him? I forgot to ask you earlier."

"He liked. He even tried it on."

Lily smiled. She reached up and pushed back hair away from Harry's face.

"I'm glad he liked it. And how did Hermione like hers?"

"She said she liked it and couldn't wait to read it," Harry replied. "I think Ginny liked what I gave her."

"The Holyhead book was a good choice."

"She kept thanking me for getting it."

James walked in, not bothering to knock.

"Did you have a good Christmas, Harry?" he asked.

"Mum has already asked me, Dad. It's been good. Even if it is the day after Christmas," Harry shrugged.

"Well, I'm glad we were able to do it. Even if it was the day after," James said.

Lily smiled at her husband. "I am, too."

She was happy to be home in Potter's Bar and looked forward to the week they would spend together. Lily didn't care what they did. She just wanted to spend time with her boys.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." Lily leaned over to kiss Harry's forehead. "Sleep well."

Once she left the room, James sat down where Lily had been earlier.

"I've got the next week off," James began. "I was thinking you and I could do something together. Maybe explore London without Mum."

"Okay," Harry agreed. "Sounds like fun."

James looked at the clock, noticing that it was eleven o'clock. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

"Dad, we extended it an hour when I turned thirteen, remember?" Harry reminded his father.

"I remember." James smiled, ruffling Harry's hair.

Harry moved to lie down in his bed. He fluffed his pillow and pulled the duvet up over his shoulder.

"Goodnight, son," James whispered.

"Goodnight, Dad."

Harry turned out the lights. James pulled the door halfway closed and headed to his bedroom. He lay there, looking at the ceiling without his glasses, thinking of what he and James could do next week. With those happy thoughts, Harry went to sleep.