Sirius stumbled his way dawn to the kitchen absentmindedly clutching an empty bottle, hitting and bumping into everything and anything in his path to more alcohol. Trying to hurry wasn't helping, he wanted to be safely back in his room before Dobby realised he had emerged. The elf had taken to keeping him alive and relatively well despite his many and varied arguments with a ferocious will, teaming up to everyone's surprise with Kreacher but no argument had swayed the little house elf in protecting his Great Harry Potters Sir's doggyfather.
As Sirius had blearily past the lounge, he caughtout the corner of his eye a flash of warm red, pausing in his drunken lurch he peered into the room. There laying down next to a three foot high pine tree was Fawkes. The phoenix was looking at him, just as Sirius was about to ignore the firebird and go back to pursuit of more Firewhisky Fawkes let out an almost mocking trill stocking to life his very smothered Marauders spirit 'no flaming turkey was going to mock him'. Never one to resist a challenge, Sirius shuffled into the room looking everywhere but the little tree, he had forbidden the mere mention of Christmas let alone any decorations or holiday cheer. So the little pine tree with bits of tinsel and scraps of colourful wrapping on it was a blow to his already fragile heart.
He came to a sway in front Fawkes and just stared at him, Fawkes only put up with his self misery for a few moments before he let out a few trill filled with his power. Soothing and healing Sirius from his destructive path of trying to drink the holiday away. Sirius was most put out, he had spent a lot of time and effort trying to keep his drunken haze from busybody house elves, goody two shoes werewolves and freckled redheads and to lose it to a stickybeak buzzard was just offensive.
Glaring at Fawkes wasn't getting him anywhere, the bird just looked smugger the harder he glared and reluctantly his gaze shifted towards the tree. It was three foot tall perfectly shaped pine tree resting in... a muggle plastic pot? "Did you rob a muggle nursery?" He crocked at the thieving phoenix.
Fare from repentant Fawkes let out a mischievous happy trill, as if laughing at his incredulity, Sirius just stared at him in shock, Fawkes was obviously entiarly unrepentant in his theft. He once again turned to the tree and its haphazard decorations; the phoenix had tried his best to decorate it and had made the small tree very colourful with collected scrapes of wrapping paper, small ribbons and bits of tinsel that where draped with care all over the tree. The thoughtfulness and the effort that the Firebird had gone to bring him a bit of Christmas was staggering and he didn't have the heart to deign Fawkes well wishes "thank you" Sirius whispered feeling choked up and tears once more gathering at his eyes and he was able to except for the first time since the Holiday started someone else's well wishes.
Fawkes let out a low but happy croon that filled Sirius with warmth, and pointed his head to a pile of scrap paper and a large red ribbon lying next to the tree. "Did you get me a present as well?" Sirius asked in surprise. The tree was more than enough and with a hesitant hand reached towards the pile and brushed off the ribbon he saw his Christmas present. There curled up in a small ball was a black kitten. Gently afraid to hurt it, he stroked one finger down its back waking it up, up popped its head and Sirius saw that the kitten wasn't solid black its left ear was white breaking up the solid black of the body. As the kitten stretched out its body Sirius noted with some worry it was a pure Kneazle kitten and shot Fawkes an incredulous glance "I really hope you got the mothers permission to take one of her kitten? Or we both will be in real trouble," Sirius demanded.
Fawkes gave Sirius and offended glare that said 'just how long do you think I've been alive theres no way I want to get on the bad side of a mother Kneazle' Sirius was able to breathe again and went back to admiring the kitten. Sirius's breathe was once again stolen as the Kneazle kitten lifted its head and Sirius saw its eyes, they where a pure deep emerald green, staring at him with a solemn assessing gaze and he was swept back to Harry's assessing gaze in the Shrieking Shack. Should he be trusted or not and once again he hoped desperately that he didn't disappoint and knowing that he fell well short of his potential. Sirius gulped as the Kitten seemed to reach a verdict and released Sirius from its penetrating assessment and let out a rumbling purr that shook its tiny body, Sirius had been excepted. Tears of happiness falling from his eyes as he gently lifted the kitten to cuddle against his chest Sirius whispered a broken "thank you" once again to Fawkes, and started thinking what on earth he was going to name his new pet, it needed to be good and also mess with people's heads at the same time. Sirius ambled back to the kitchen, all thoughts of alcohol long gone, he need food for himself and Blacky? Ears? Emeralds? Sirius Jr? Padds Jr? Harry Jr? Bimbi Jr? was it a girl or a boy, dang James was so much better at naming things than he was, he need Moony to bounce ideas off of.
"Dobby" he called loudly and with a pop the hyperactive house elf appeared "what does Sir Harry Potters doggy want? No more evil drinks for you! No no's no's," Dobby squeaked at Sirius shaking a finger with each no's.
"No no you blasted elf, I want breakfast for myself and this kitten" he said holding out the still rumbling kitten, Dobby's eyes widened and he let out a happy squeak snapped his fingers and food covered the kitchen table. Sirius was surrounded with thieves, he recognised the dishes now decorating his table they were from the Hogwarts kitchens but as they looked really good and he couldn't remember that last time he had eaten. He swept aside his very small conscience and dug in and so did Rumble? To his own plate of shredded fish. "Dobby can you go and get Moony I need his help with something important" Sirius asked distractedly trying to come up with a good name "oh and Fawkes is around somewhere he probably wants some food to" he added.
The next thing he knew Remus was hog tied on the floor of the kitchen still in his pajamas and Fawkes was resting on the back of a chair with a plate of fruit before him. Looking down at Remus he waved a hand at the kitten holding his fork with a piece of egg still attached "what do you think of the name Jinx for him?" He asked inquiring.
Remus sighed looked at the Kneazle kitten and said "that's a good name for a pure breed but you should check with it first they can be very destructive if angered and could I be untied? Those pancakes smell good" he asked plaintively happy to see so much life in Sirius he wasn't going to mention the indignity of the way he was brought to breakfast. Sirius nodded his head to Dobby to untie Remus and they both had a wonderful breakfast while coming up with more and more names, eventual bringing in more people for verity, each person bringing presents, food and lots of laughs with and many outlandish names were suggested.
Latter it was said to be one of the best Christmas's and they vowed to never listen to Sirius's arguments again and every Christmas since was spent as a family and each year Fawkes brought something to add to the tree, the same one that Fawkes had stolen for Sirius that first Christmas. Loki lived to be a very very old cat and fathering many new generations and bringing much joy and laughter and swearing to Sirius's life.
Happy Christmas to all who celebrate
I wrote this at Easter and had expected the time line to be much further along in the OP universe hanging head in shame "Sorry"
Lets chalk it up to a time lag between the two universes HP's moving faster than OP. This is the last I'll write of the HP universe the rest of this Fic will be centred on OP.
This is not abandoned I'm just having a little trouble with the next chapter but I will get it... eventually.