snow
Snow as far as the eye can see. White, sticky, cold snow.
Grumbling, I pulled the scarf tighter around my neck and half buried my face in it. I knew my hands would freeze to death, as would my ears.
Tired, I trudged on through the winter landscape of Godric's Hollow. It was already dark, but the light that shone from the windows of the houses made everything around me glitter. Even the hated snow ...
Soon there would be- yes there it is.
Potter Manor. My goal.
Unconsciously, my steps became faster. The thought of finally getting into the warmth was more wonderful than I would have ever thought. And I have to admit, the memory of Lily Potter's pot roast also worked.
Through the garden gate to the front door.
Before I could ring the doorbell, the front door was thrown open and confetti rained down on me.
"Sirius ..." I groaned, rolling my eyes.
But my friend across from me ignored that, just pulled me inside and spread his arms.
"Moony! That they'll see you again! Could Evans persuade you!"
His supernatural grin and eyes smoldering with glee made this moment a whole lot worse. His voice boomed in my head like I had too much to drink last night.
“She seems to have a talent for it.” I mumbled and slipped out of my worn coat, as well as the gloves and the scarf.
"Don't be a curmudgeon! This is one of the festivals you celebrate with friends!" Sirius laughed and pulled my wrist into the living room.
You could also say that the room had fallen into a pot of paint. Thousands of streamers hung from the ceiling, pungent yellow or poison green. Balloons fought with confetti about the brightness of sky blue, piggy pink or neon orange. A flashing poster hung on one wall:
NEW YEAR PARTY !!!
In all the chaos, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew sat on the floor. Both roaring laughing. The reason for this was the hat that James had just pulled out of a cracker.
"HEY! You said you'd wait for it!" Sirius called and dived for the last cracker that was still on the floor. Peter laughed even more, fell back and rolled back and forth on his back. And James was now wrestling with Sirius over the last candy.
"Krone, THAT-IS-MINE!"
"Pad, get down now, this is my house!"
I stood in the doorway and shook my head like I used to at school.
"BLACK!" from the next room to the living room swept a woman with red hair. She set up the wooden spoon in hand in front of the three grown children.
"Black! Get off my husband! And you James, see that you take care of the tablecloths!"
The ball from the two soul siblings untied itself. Albeit grumbling.
"AH! Remus! You came after all!" Lily beamed at me now and gave me a short hug, "You see, James hasn't changed since the three weeks you weren't there! Just like his house dog."
"Oh, I don't know if Pad can be called house-trained, Lily."I grinned, whereupon Sirius looked at me offended.
"You are all mean to me!" Sirius began to pout and then ripped the cracker out of James's hand.
"Hi Moony. Nice that you are fit enough." James greeted me now. Peter gave me a quick nod before he hunkered down in an armchair and indulged in a handful of James licorice beetles.

I felt pretty out of place.
Some invisible wall stood between me and the others.
I only saw everything through a misty veil. As if I wasn't even there.
It wasn't until Lily appeared in front of my face and waved her hand in front of my eyes that I was startled.
"Rem, come on there is food!"
Yes. I could already hear the noise from the kitchen, which suggested that there was food. Hammering wild things on the table and screeching.
"PAD! If Lily-"
"But she won't crown it!"
"What am I not going to do?" the red-haired witch asked as she directed me into the kitchen.
Immediately everything was calm.
All three sat on their chairs like little angels and grinned.
She pushed me into a place between Sirius and Peter, both still surprisingly calm.
But when the pot roast flew down from the ceiling and landed on the table, the silence was over. Peter giggled, Sirius tried not to fall off the chair and Lily stamped her feet angrily. James made himself look serious and innocent.
The scene conjured a quiet crooked grin on my face.
It was like before ...

We managed to get through the New Year's Eve dinner without murders, even if Sirius had actually died four times.
Afterwards we lolled in the armchairs in front of the fireplace in Potter Manor, satisfied and satisfied. James had taken Lily on his lap and kept whispering something in her ear, whereupon she broke out into a low giggle, so that she dampened his shirt as quickly as possible. Sirius sat all four stretched out in his chair and smacked his lips with relish. And Peter had crossed his arms behind his head and crossed his legs.
I looked at them one by one. The happy couple, the carefree honest friend and the chubby little friend.
A forgotten warmth spread inside me. That feeling of security and friendship. Everything that was lost when we left school and started leading our lives.
Evenings where you sat together, made plans or ate sweets were over. There were few happy moments like this.
But now I leaned back, trapped in this cloud of security, and closed my eyes for a moment.
The last few days had just been too much. The full moon, the patrols and orders. Too much stress, too much death and murder.
Even at Christmas the dark processes did not stop.
But now, right now, time stood still. It passed slowly. And I didn't want this to pass.

At 11:50 p.m., Lily and James shooed us outside.
Out in the garden at Potter Manor, there was, oh how can it be, snow ...And there were some missiles in the snow. New Year's rockets, of course. All of them bear the Marauder's trademark.
So special missiles.
When Peter finally managed to put on his shoes and move outside, it was 11:58 p.m.
I felt a hand force into mine and turned around.
Lily smiled.
"Why weren't you there for Christmas?"
A sigh escaped me.
"I didn't mean to disturb ... Besides, you don't have to worry about me all the time."
"But Remus! You will never disturb! Even Sirius is always welcome here!" she said and squeezed my hand again tightly, "Do you hear? We are always there for you!"
"LILY! Come on, let's go!" called James. Lily released my hand and stood by James.
I nodded briefly.
She was right ...

"Ten!"
"Nine!"
"EIGHT!" Sirius slurred, whereupon Lily hastily took the fire whiskey from his hand.
"Seven!"
"Six!"
“Five!” Peter started jumping on the spot.
"Four!"
“Three!” James pulled Lily towards him by the waist.
"Two!"
"One!" I closed my eyes.
How could I think she'd leave me?

"ZERO!" we called.
Even I fell into Sirius' arms and we turned one or two laps in a circle. Peter hopped around us. While Lily and James were deep in a kiss.
The fireworks went off above us. Red, green and more and more colors rose into the sky.
Sirius hurried over to his homemade missiles. Pulled out the wand.
"READY?"
Lily and James broke up. James nodded wildly.
"Oh yes paw!" clapped Peter.
"No! Stop!" Lily called in between, "I want to announce something!"
Our eyes were all on her. And now the familiar Marauder's grin appeared on her face.

"James! What do you think of a little James Junior?"
James' eyes widened.
"You- you are-"
"I'm pregnant!"

But the joy was interrupted by a loud crash.
A cloud of gray steam billowed over the Potter Manor garden.
A charred Sirius came out of the steam.
Staggered and fell into the snow.
Peter gritted his teeth.
And James guiltily scratched his head.
"Wrong mix ..."