A/N: Technically Remus is supposed to be 'sick' on Christmas, but I didn't want to split up Ari and him, so here he is, well and 100% human.

Today's Quote: You don't have to be crazy to hang out with me - I'll train you!

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Ariana carefully looked over the letter.

'Dear Mr. Hagrid,

Further to our inquiry into the attack by a Hippogriff on a student in your class, we have accepted the assurances of Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident.

However, we must register our concern about the Hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mr. Lucius Malfoy, and this matter will therefore be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to present yourself and your Hippogriff at the Committee's offices in London on that date. In the meantime, the Hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated. Yours in fellowship…

There followed a list of the school governors, including the Malfoys, Parkinsons, and several other pureblood family heads.

"Hagrid, that's awful," she said. He paid her no attention though, bawling his eyes into Fang the bearhound's fur coat. Ariana read the letter again, checking for anything that might help Buckbeak's case.

"Hagrid, listen to this. Hagrid!"

"There's no point!" he sobbed. "All they're gonna do is take 'im in an' then kill 'im!"

Ariana sat down on one of the chairs, her feet dangling above the ground due to the size of the seat. "They legally have to give you the chance to defend Buckbeak," Ariana said. Hagrid looked up at her with a tear stained face.

"But there's no point!" he repeated again.

"Of course there is. I'll help you come up with arguments that they can't refuse, and they'll have to listen."

"Arguments like what?" Hagrid asked bitterly. "They're never gonna listen!"

"Well, for one, you heard Madam Pomfrey at the staff meeting - Draco's been lying about his injury, and if we can prove that, then that immediately reduces the danger Buckbeak presents."

Hagrid stared at her. "They'll still kill 'im for biting in the first place, though."

He burst into another round of tears, and Ariana rubbed circles into his back. "Its okay, Hagrid, it's okay," she said in a soothing voice. "Another point, the Ministry is full of very lazy workers, and it's likely there are some old laws that never got dissolved."

"How will they help?"

"Well," Ariana said slowly, thinking of past hearings, "and this is a fairly new law too, Magical Creatures posses more human-like trains than non-magical, so it's important that they are treated as such."

"So?"

"So, when Draco insulted Buckbeak, he wasn't respecting his right as a hippogriff to be treated as a Magical Creature."

Someone knocked at the door, and Hagrid began crying all over again. "They've come to take 'im away early!" he sobbed.

Ariana patted Hagrid's shoulder. "I'm sure they haven't," she said reassuringly. "I'll go see who it is."

She hopped off the chair and opened the door slightly, peering out the opening. "Oh," she said, surprised, "it's you lot."

Harry, Ron and Hermione stood in front of the door, all in their pyjamas. Hermione gave her a little wave, and Harry straight up hugged her, which was nice.

"What're you doing here?" Ron asked, giving her a weird look, as if she was the strange one for visiting Hagrid.

"I could ask the same thing," she said, opening the door for them. "Aren't you supposed to be at home, Ron? I saw Ginny and Percy get on the train this morning."

"Yeah," Ron said. He walked into the hut and sat on the sofa with the other two. "But I didn't feel like spending two weeks straight with Percy."

Ariana bit down on her tongue to stop herself from laughing. "Of course not," she said pleasantly instead.

"Hagrid, Ron, Hermione and Harry are here," she said. Hagrid stood up quickly, with his eyes red and swollen, and tears splashing down the front of his leather vest.

"You've heard?" he bellowed, and he flung himself onto Harry's neck. Hagrid being at least twice the size of a normal man, this was no laughing matter. Harry, about to collapse under Hagrid's weight, was rescued by Ron and Hermione, who each seized Hagrid under an arm and steered him into a chair. Hagrid slumped down and began sobbing uncontrollably again.

"Hagrid, what is it?" said Hermione, aghast.

Hagrid didn't speak, instead waving at Ariana to explain the situation. "Buckbeak has a hearing with the Ministry over biting Draco, and they seem to want to execute Buckbeak," Ariana said bluntly. "But we've got time to prepare for the hearing and get ready to debate it."

"Oh," said Ron. "But you said Buckbeak isn't a bad Hippogriff, Hagrid. I bet he'll get off."

"Yeh don' know them gargoyles at the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures!" choked Hagrid, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "They've got it in fer interestin' creatures!"

A sudden sound from the corner of Hagrid's cabin made Ariana jump. Buckbeak the Hippogriff was lying in the corner, chomping on something that was oozing blood all over the floor.

She walked over to him and looked him in the eye while crouching. "Easy," she said, as the hippogriff snorted. Buckbeak stared at her for a moment, before going back to chewing what looked like a large chicken.

She patted his feathered head, humming quietly.

"I couldn' leave him tied up out there in the snow!" choked Hagrid. "All on his own! At Christmas."

Ariana had never seen eye to eye with Hagrid about what he called 'interesting creatures', and other people called 'terrifying monsters.' On the other hand, there didn't seem to be any particular harm in Buckbeak. In fact, by Hagrid's usual standards, he was positively cute.

"You'll have to put up a good strong defence, Hagrid," said Hermione, sitting down and laying a hand on Hagrid's massive forearm. "I'm sure you can prove Buckbeak is safe."

"Won' make no diff'rence!" sobbed Hagrid. "Them Disposal devils, they're all in Lucius Malfoy's pocket! Scared o' him! Ad if I lose the case, Buckbeak —"

Hagrid drew his finger swiftly across his throat, then gave a great wail and lurched forward, his face in his arms.

"What about Dumbledore, Hagrid?" said Harry.

"He's done more'n enough fer me already," groaned Hagrid. "Got enough on his plate what with keepin' them Dementors outta the castle, an' Sirius Black lurkin' around."

Harry looked at Ariana. "He's been running around the Ministry all term, trying to stop them from interfering at Hogwarts," she explained. "He's spread pretty thin right now."

"Listen, Hagrid," Harry said, "you can't give up. Hermione's right, you just need a good defence. You can call us as witnesses —"

"I'm sure I've read about a case of Hippogriff-baiting," said Hermione thoughtfully, "where the Hippogriff got off. I'll look it up for you, Hagrid, and see exactly what happened."

Ariana stood up. "There are dozens of books on Magical Creature hearings, Hagrid," she said. "And I don't have anything on these holidays, I'm sure I'll be able to comb through them and find something."

Hagrid howled louder. Harry and Hermione looked at Ron to help them.

"Er — shall I make a cup of tea?" said Ron. Ariana stared at him. "It's what my mum does whenever someone's upset," Ron muttered, shrugging.

At last, after many more assurances of help, with a steaming mug of tea in front of him, Hagrid blew his nose on a handkerchief the size of a tablecloth and said, "Yer right. I can' afford to go ter pieces. Gotta pull meself together…"

Fang the boarhound came timidly out from under the table and laid his head on Hagrid's knee. "I've not bin meself lately," said Hagrid, stroking Fang with one hand and mopping his face with the other. "Worried abou' Buckbeak, an' no one likin' me classes —"

"We like them!" Hermione said at once.

"Yeah, they're great!" said Ron. "Er — how are the flobberworms?"

"Dead," said Hagrid gloomily. "Too much lettuce."

"Oh no!" said Ron, his lip twitching.

"An' them Dementors make me feel ruddy terrible an' all," said Hagrid, with a sudden shudder. "Gotta walk past 'em ev'ry time I want a drink in the Three Broomsticks. 'S'like bein' back in Azkaban —"

He fell silent, gulping his tea. As horrible as it sounded, Ariana had nearly forgotten that Hagrid had been sent to Azkaban after the Basilisk incident. She didn't know much about it, but apparently a servant of Voldemort had opened the Chamber of Secrets.

She hadn't been interested in the now, rather interested in the then, such as why Slytherin had put in a basilisk and hidden it when he helped found the school.

After a pause, Hermione said timidly, "Is it awful there, Hagrid?"

"Yeh've no idea," said Hagrid quietly. "Never bin anywhere like it. Thought I was goin' mad. Kep' goin' over horrible stuff in me mind… the day I got expelled from Hogwarts… day me dad died… day I had ter let Norbert go… Yeh can' really remember who yeh are after a while. An' yeh can' really see the point o' livin' at all. I used ter hope I'd jus' die in me sleep. When they let me out, it was like bein' born again, ev'rythin' came floodin' back, it was the bes' feelin' in the world. Mind, the Dementors weren't keen on lettin' me go."

Ariana felt her stomach twist uncomfortably. Was this what Sirius had experienced, only his sentence worse?

"But you were innocent!" said Hermione.

Hagrid snorted. "Think that matters to them? They don' care. Long as they've got a couple o' hundred humans stuck there with 'em, so they can leech all the happiness out of 'em, they don' give a damn who's guilty an' who's not."

Hagrid went quiet for a moment, staring into his tea. Then he said quietly, "Thought o' jus' letting Buckbeak go… tryin' ter make him fly away… but how d'yeh explain ter a Hippogriff it's gotta go inter hidin'? An' — an' I'm scared o' breakin' the law…" He looked up at them, tears leaking down his face again. "I don' ever want ter go back ter Azkaban."

After her trip to Hagrid's, Ariana found herself being pulled along to the library by the trio.

Ariana had never seen Hermione research before, and quite frankly, it kinda scared her. Hermione had marched right into the library and collected a dozen and a half books in the first minute, and stacking them all on a table before heading off again.

"Does she do that all the time?" Ariana asked, watching as Hermione climbed up a ladder to reach a book several shelves up. She was clearly in her element.

"Research like a maniac?" Ron asked. "All the time."

Ariana laughed, before calling Hermione. The girl ran over, and set down a book only slightly smaller than her head.

"Yeah, Professor?"

"While I appreciate the effort you're going to," Ariana said, "you're never going to find out what you need by using the normal library. Boys!"

Ron and Harry made their way over, and Ariana walked them to the Restricted Section. Hermione bounced on her heels excitedly, and Ariana had to hide a small smile.

"Before we go in, know that no one can know I let you in," she said.

"Have they changed the rules?" Ron asked. "Last year we got in after Lockhart signed a piece of paper."

"Oh no, you can still go in," she said, "but now there's a heap of paperwork to fill out, and it's far too much effort to do during the holidays."

The children laughed, and Ariana tapped her wand against the door and it glowed blue before swinging open, revealing a table surrounded by hundreds of books.

"I'm so glad I'm a teacher and I don't have to sneak in anymore," Ariana sighed, trailing her finger down the spine of a book to stop it from screeching.

"Did you used to sneak in?" Harry asked.

"All the time," Ariana laughed. "You do know that I wasn't exactly the perfect student at school, right?"

"Really?" Hermione asked, peering over a stack of books that she held.

"Oh yeah. I used to get in trouble all the time! It wasn't just James who did all the pranking."

"Did Mum ever prank?" Harry asked quietly.

"Not until the very end of school," Ariana said. "But when James started rubbing off on her, she, Peter and Remus used to war against James, Sirius and I."

"That's cool," Harry said. He opened up a book titled 'The Creation of Beasts', and quickly slammed it shut when it began pouring out what appeared to be purple blood.

The next couple of days passed with Ariana and the children pouring over law books and past cases.

"Here's something… there was a case in 1722… but the Hippogriff was convicted — ugh, look what they did to it, that's disgusting —"

"This might help, look — a Manticore savaged someone in 1296, and they let the Manticore off — oh — no, that was only because everyone was too scared to go near it…"

Meanwhile, in the rest of the castle, the usual magnificent Christmas decorations had been put up, despite the fact that hardly any of the students remained to enjoy them.

Thick streamers of holly and mistletoe were strung along the corridors, mysterious lights shone from inside every suit of armor, and the Great Hall was filled with its usual twelve Christmas trees, glittering with golden stars. A powerful and delicious smell of cooking pervaded the corridors, and by Christmas Eve, Ariana had pestered the elves about it no less than 27 times.

On Christmas morning, Ariana woke up to Remus straddling her, and peppering her face with kisses.

"Mmm, good morning," she said, her voice thick with sleep.

"Good morning indeed."

Remus kissed Ariana, and she returned it with twice the force.

"Is this my first present?" she asked coyly.

"It can be."

They spent the next hour together, and only when Ariana's stomach began to grumble loudly did she decided to be proactive.

Ariana quite literally rolled off the bed, landing on the carpet with a groan. She waved off Remus's help, instead poking around under the bed until she found-

"Aha!"

She brought out a large box wrapped in silver wrapping paper and pushed herself off the ground, sitting on the bed. "Here," she said, passing it to Remus. She bit her lip - she might've been married to him for over a decade, and known him for double that, but she still worried that she might've gotten him the wrong thing.

First to come out of the box were two new sets of robes, one black and one grey. Then there was a murder mystery series box set, and then a book on attack and defence magic, covering everything from hexes to shield charms to runes.

Finally was the picture taken by Colin Creevey, however this time it was in a gold photo frame with the words 'Remus and Ariana Lupin - Always and Forever' engraved at the bottom.

"Ri," Remus said, his voice catching.

"It's not that great," Ariana said, blushing.

"Yes it is," Remus said. He took her hands and held them in his. "A year ago we were both at a loss for where to go, and then you had this brilliant idea to go ask Dumbledore for help. And now we're here, and we get to give each other actual presents at Christmas, and I love you so, so much."

Ariana smiled, and twisted her ring around. It felt good to have sparked such a response from him.

"Now yours," Remus said. He tapped the wall behind the bed twice, and it revealed a small hidey hole from which Remus took out two small presents. "Merry Christmas."

Ariana tore off the red and gold wrapping paper off the first present (Gryffindor all the way!) and held up a purple bottle of Ever-Changing perfume. Everyday the scent changed to something completely different, but always just as sweet smelling. It was her absolute favourite.

"Yes!" she squealed. She had barely any left in her old bottle, and Remus must have noticed. "Thank you!"

"Don't thank me yet," Remus said. He pushed forward her other present. "But I'm glad you like it."

Ariana quickly removed the paper, scrunching it up in a ball and staring at her present in shock. In a black case was a simple silver chain necklace, but with a small love heart locket. Inside the locket was a picture of her and Remus having their first married kiss in front of Dumbledore, their officiator.

"Remus," she said, watching the picture as it repeated itself over and over, "it's perfect."

"I know."

Ariana laughed, and spun around. Remus gently clipped the necklace around her neck, pulling her hair out from under the chain.

Remus turned Ariana's head back so she was facing him again, and he kissed her softly on the lips.

"Breakfast can wait," Ariana said, half-straddling Remus.

"Definitely."

"You look very Christmassy, Ariana," McGonagall said, opening the door to her office.

Ariana shrugged - she liked Christmas, and she was going to let it show.. Just because Christmas sweaters were considered ugly didn't mean Ariana wasn't going to wear her reindeer sweater that matched her leggings with red and green pom-poms.

"Just a little bit. Merry Christmas, Minnie," Ariana said. She surprised the older woman by hugging her tightly.
"What was that for?" McGonagall asked once Ariana released her.

"Because you're pretty cool," Ariana said. "And I don't think I've told you that before."

"I beg to differ," McGonagall said. She sat down on her couch with Ariana, cups of tea already floating around their heads. "I believe it was in your seventh year, near your graduation, that you and your friends celebrated another Quidditch match win, got drunk, and woke me up at three in the morning to tell me I was, and I quote, 'The goddamn most bloody awesome professor anyone could have, and anyone that says otherwise deserves to made to clean out bedpans forever!'."

Ariana flushed bright red. "I don't even remember that!"

"Well, I suppose you wouldn't. You all passed out immediately after, and I never brought it up."

"It was true though," Ariana said. " You were the best teacher. Still are. I doubt any other teacher cares as much about their students as you do."

"Well, I doubt I've ever had a group of students who-"

Frantic knocking on the door caused McGonagall to stop, rising up from her position on the couch to open it. "Hermione?"

"Professor McGonagall!" she cried, bursting in. She held a sleek broom in her hands, which was odd as Ariana couldn't recall Hermione ever talking about riding. "Oh, Professor Lupin, you're here too!"

"So it appears I am," Ariana said dryly. She stood up and vanished the teacups. "I'll leave you to it, Minnie, it seems important."

"No!" Hermione half screamed. Ariana jolted. "You know all about curses, right?"

"Yeah," Ariana said slowly.

"Good. Professors, Harry received this anonymously and I think it's from Black."

Ariana walked up to the door and studied the broom. "Why on earth do you say that?" McGonagall asked.

"It's a firebolt," Hermione said, causing Ariana to gasp. They were the newest, fastest brooms to come out, and cost thousands of galleons. Sure enough, at the end of the broom was the firebolt name in cursive writing. "Harry doesn't know who it's from, and no one has owned up to it."

"Black would certainly have the money for it," McGonagall said.

"Even if he couldn't access the Black vault, he has his own private vaults," Ariana added. "Good job bringing it to McGonagall, Hermione."

"So you don't think it's ridiculous?"

"Of course not," McGonagall said. "He has the means and motive, and he's been spotted in Hogsmeade twice, and additionally is very good at transfiguration."

Besides being an animagus, Sirius had always been good at disguising spells, casting them silently most of the time.

"Diagnose," Ariana said, and the broom glowed bright purple. "No basic curses found."

"Not that I'd expect there to be," McGonagall said. "Black would be skilled in the darker side of things. Hermione," she said, now looking at the young student. "This could take a while. I suggest enjoying your Christmas, and I'll get back to you with the results. And 20 points to Gryffindor."

Hermione nodded and mumbled a goodbye, running off.

"Merlin," Ariana breathed. She fiddled with her necklace. "Won't Sirius give it a rest?"

"And nothing turned up?" Remus asked once Ariana had finished explaining about the firebolt. Her stomach growled, and it felt like it was gnawing on itself. She looked longingly at the food that sat temptingly in the middle of the table.

The House tables had been moved against the walls again, and only a single table, set for twelve, stood in the middle of the room. The only people there were: Dumbledore (who sat on Ariana's right), McGonagall, Snape and Sprout, were there, along with three other students, two extremely nervous-looking first years and a sullen-faced Slytherin fifth year.

"Nothing!" she groaned. "Either Sirius created his own curse, or it's not from him."

"I hate to say it-"

"It's from him," Ariana said with absolute certainty, correctly guessing what Remus was going to say. "Who else would it be from? The Dursleys?"

"Point taken. But you've run every discovery spell on it possible."

"We have to strip it down tomorrow. McGonagall says you have to help, so ha!"

"Oh no," Remus said sarcastically. "I get to spend the day with my gorgeous wife, all while showing off my knowledge in curses."

"Funny."

Ariana groaned again, and rested her head on Remus's shoulder. "I'm just going to ignore it for now, and enjoy lunch. You know, assuming Harry, Hermione and Ron ever turn up."

"They are taking an awfully long time, aren't they?" Remus agreed. He played with her brown hair, twisting it into little braids.

"Merry Christmas!" said Dumbledore as Harry, Ron, and Hermione approached the table. They sat down on one of the long sides of the table, facing Ariana. "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables… Sit down, sit down! Dig in!"

"Finally!" Ariana cheered. "I'm hungry," she explained unabashedly, causing most at the table to laugh.

She piled her plate high, enjoying the fact that for the first Christmas in many years she and Remus wouldn't be eating just chicken. Today there was much to choose from, everything from bread to meat to vegetables cooked in seven different ways to pudding.

"Crackers!" said Dumbledore enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witches hat topped with a stuffed vulture.

Ariana shared an amused look with Remus - from what she had heard, that hat looked somewhat like the hat from Neville's boggart. Snape's mouth thinned and he pushed the hat toward Dumbledore, who swapped it for his wizard's hat at once.

"Lovely hat, Dumbles," Ariana said.

"Isn't it?" Dumbledore held out a cracker, and he and Ariana wrestled over it. Not two moments later Ariana was wearing a blue one.

As Ariana was helping himself to roast potatoes (how did the elves make them so good?), the doors of the Great Hall opened again. It was Professor Trelawney, gliding toward them as though on wheels. She had put on a green sequined dress in honor of the occasion, making her look more than ever like a glittering, oversized dragonfly.

Maybe Ariana didn't dress amazingly on Christmas, but at least she didn't look like that.

"Sybill, this is a pleasant surprise!" said Dumbledore, standing up.

"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster," said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest, most faraway voice, "and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness…"

"Certainly, certainly," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "Let me draw you up a chair —"

And he did indeed draw a chair in midair with his wand, which revolved for a few seconds before falling with a thud between Professors Snape and McGonagall, neither of who looked impressed.

Professor Trelawney, however, did not sit down; her enormous eyes had been roving around the table, and she suddenly uttered a kind of soft scream. "I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!"

"We'll risk it, Sybill," said Professor McGonagall impatiently. "Do sit down, the turkey's getting stone cold."

Professor Trelawney hesitated, then lowered herself into the empty chair, eyes shut and mouth clenched tight, as though expecting a thunderbolt to hit the table. Professor McGonagall poked a large spoon into the nearest tureen. "Tripe, Sybill?"

"Derek, have you had any of the chipolatas? They're excellent."

The first-year boy went furiously red on being addressed directly by Dumbledore, and took the platter of sausages with trembling hands. Professor Trelawney behaved almost normally until the very end of Christmas dinner, two hours later. Full to bursting with Christmas dinner and still wearing their cracker hats, Harry and Ron got up first from the table and she shrieked loudly.

"My dears! Which of you left his seat first? Which?"

"Dunno," said Ron, looking uneasily at Harry.

"I doubt it will make much difference," said Professor McGonagall coldly, "unless a mad axeman is waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first into the Entrance Hall."

Ariana hid her smile by shoving her face into Remus's arm, shaking with silent laughter. It would do her no good to laugh in front of her co-worker, no matter how batty she was.

Professor Trelawney looked highly affronted.

"Coming?" Harry said to Hermione.

"No," Hermione muttered. "I want a quick word with Professor Lupin."

Hermione moved over to Ariana, standing behind her and bending a little. "Did you find anything?" she asked, biting her lip.

Ariana sighed. "Not yet. But we're looking into it, and all of us teachers are going to work on it tomorrow."

"How did Harry take it?" Remus asked, twisting in his chair so he could see the young girl properly.

"Er, he doesn't know yet."

Ariana blinked. "How'd he miss the fact that he no longer had a firebolt?"

Hermione shrugged. "I made a fake one for them to admire, gave them chocolate, dropped the real broom off with McGonagall, and had a snowball fight with them."

"You are a devious child," Ariana said, impressed. "Good luck for when they find out. Hopefully it'll only be a couple of weeks till he can get it back."

Hermione nodded, and with a 'Merry Christmas', was off chasing after the boys. Remus looked at Ariana carefully. "You've never used chocolate to distract me, have you?"

"Of course not," she lied, stuffing carrot in her mouth to avoid giving away her smile.

Reviews Make Me Happy!

Thank you for reading!

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Reviews (They really do mean the world to me):

Guest (Guest): Thank you, me too, and, um, er, nothing. Why are you talking about skinny dipping? Lily and James? Never. ;)

Ghostwriter71: Thanks, and yes, I think you're half right. Remus doesn't fully know about Sirius's innocence, but he doesn't know all the details. At some point in the 7 books, it's mentioned that Remus was the biggest suspect for being a spy, so when James and Lily switch Secret Keepers, they don't tell him. In my story that means they didn't fully trust Ariana either, so neither of them know. They know everything the Wizarding World knows, and not much more.

Remus and Ariana have known Sirius for years though, and are conflicted. I think it's been brought up a couple times in The Wolf's Wife that Ariana doesn't quite believe Sirius is guilty. As for the meeting in the Shrieking Shack, well, we'll see how it goes. It most likely won't help Sirius's case that he's so damn vague, but she'll (probably) believe in him soon enough. Did that help?