Snowday

"Snowday"

Sirius stands at the kitchen table absentmindedly stirring sugar in his tea. Remus walks in the room behind him and says a sleepy good morning, but Sirius doesn't hear it, his mind is on the wintry scene playing outside the window. It was snowing, and if there was one thing in this life Sirius loved (besides one Remus J. Lupin) it was snow.

His whole body shivered at the sight, puffy white flakes dancing in a blue-gray sky. The green of the holly tree being slowly replaced by the purest of white. Something about the whole thing was magical to him, the kind of magic that didn't need wands or Latin. It makes him think of Remus. And perhaps that's why he loved snow so much.

He brought his cup to his lips and sips the warm liquid, enjoying the feel of it trailing down to his stomach. He loved how the tea could make his mouth warm while the rest of him froze in the chilly kitchen. His toes wiggled on the linoleum and his nose twitched; his mind was working on an absolutely wonderful idea.

"Remus," he says offhandedly, not taking his eyes off of the window.

Remus starts and looks up from the open cupboard. Sirius hardly ever used his given name, unless he wanted something. "Yes?"

"It's snowing."

Remus chuckles and looks to the window. "Yes, I see."

"What day is it?"

Remus sighs; Sirius thinks he's being clever but one look at his toes and Remus knows he's up to something. "Wednesday."

"No it's na-ot," Sirius says in a singsong voice as he spins on his heel to face him.

"Yes, it is. And we will both be going to our respective places of business today and not think of skiving off like a couple of teenagers."

"Noooo." Sirius grins, his toes wiggling dangerously. "Today is not Wednesday, therefore it is not a work day."

Remus covers his mouth with his hand trying to hide his amused smile. "What day is it then?"

"Today, my dear Mr. Lupin is Snowday!" Sirius announces his arms spread out in glorious fashion.

"I don't think I've ever heard of such a day."

"That's because we went to a boarding school and therefore never got such a treat," he grumbles before his face lights up again. "That is why today shall be Snowday. A day that no one can go anywhere due to the... you guessed it: SNOW!"

Remus shakes his head. "But, alas, we are Wizards and therefore we can get to work without any trouble from the snow."

Sirius places a hand to his temple and tuts. "Remus, Remus, Remus... what will I do with you? It's snowing! It's nearly half a meter deep!"

"Sirius...." Remus was trying, he was, but Sirius's gleeful gray eyes were boring into him and he couldn't think of a good enough reason to say no.

Sirius's fingers joined his toes in their wild dance, he knew Remus was faltering. He bit his tongue in an effort to stop himself from pushing too far. Instead he threw everything he had into trying to make his eyes as puppy dog like as humanly possible.

'Damn those eyes,' Remus thought, sighing.

"Oh, all right!" he says exasperated.

Sirius felt like cheering, and he did. "Snowday! Snowday!" he chanted while dancing idiotically.

Remus places his hands on Sirius's shoulders, stopping the dance. "You do know you're twenty years old, right?"

"Twenty years is young for most of us. Not all go gray at twelve." Sirius runs an affectionate hand through Remus's hair. "Now, let's go outside!"

Remus chuckles as he watches Sirius plunge out the door and into the snow. He pulls on his cloak and follows Sirius out, carrying Sirius's heavy winter cloak he forgot to put on.

"Put this on before you catch your death," Remus says looking around the small yard for Sirius, who was nowhere to be found. "Sirius!"

Remus searches the yard for footprints, but found none. "You bloody prat, no fair in vanishing your prints!" he calls to him.

Suddenly he felt two heavy paws on his back and then he tasted snow as he fell head first into it. The paws turned into two hands and the weight on his poor back grew heavier as Sirius transformed.

"I hate it when you do that," Remus mumbles into the snow.

Sirius laughs and places a kiss on Remus's cloaked shoulder. "Ah, you love it."

Remus turns suddenly and Sirius topples off of him landing on his back, and Remus pounces onto him.

"I like this much more." Remus kisses him. When he pulls away he takes in the sight of Sirius's black, wet hair against the whiteness of the snow, his pink face and slightly blue lips. It was a lovely sight, if not a frightening one. "Put this on," he commends as he slides off of Sirius and holds out his cloak.

"More fun if you're cold." Sirius stands but obligingly allows Remus to pull the cloak over his wet and freezing shoulders.

The day consisted of flying snowballs and kisses between chattering teeth. All in all it was one of Sirius's favorite days in his life.

But when Remus finally suggests they go inside and have some tea, Sirius doesn't complain. He follows willingly and stomps his boots like a good little boy before entering their kitchen that Remus liked to keep spotless.

Sirius shifts in his chair trying to get the feeling back in his frozen bum while watching Remus meticulously prepare the tea. He watches with silent fascination as Remus puts his frostbitten face in the steam path of the teapot. He watches as his love's face turns from pink to it's usual ivory. It's a rather intoxicating thing to watch.

Remus brings the tea to the table and sets it in front of Sirius. "Well," Remus says as he plops three sugars into Sirius's tea, "I think it was a splendid idea, Snowday."

"Told ya. Next time, don't argue so much." Sirius adds the cream himself, ignoring Remus's curled lip as his tea turns a very pale brown.

Remus sips his tea black and tries not to think of the sugary sweet mess Sirius has turned his perfect tea into. "I fear what our employers will say tomorrow when we do make it into work."

"Ah! Rule one of Snowday: No mentioning of employers or that dreaded thing called work." He shudders as he says this.

"Didn't know there were rules. You failed to mention them." Remus chuckles.

Sirius sips his tea, which was really just cream and sugar at this point. "Oh, yes, there's that one and also loads of fun and throwing of snow. That, we've already done. And then there's the drinking of the tea." He lifts up his cup as though demonstrating this. "And my favorite bit: the shagging."

Remus nearly chokes. "The shagging?" he says laughing.

"Oh, yes, in some parts of the world Snowday is also known as Shagday." His eyebrows wiggle devilishly.

"I suppose you learn something new everyday," Remus says casually as he drains his cup. "More tea, then?"

Sirius gives him an annoyed look.

"Oh!" Remus says placing a hand on the side of his face in a mock effort to look surprised. "The shagging happens now?"

Sirius nods sternly.

"Well, I suppose if one celebrates Snowday, one has to follow all the rules."

Sirius nods again. He stands, but abruptly sits back down.

"What's wrong?" Remus says as he stands.

"Maybe one more cup, Moony."

Remus's eyebrows furrow. "Why?"

"Because I still can't feel my bum. And one crude joke out of you and it's the end of Snowday," Sirius says as he pours two more cups.

Remus tries not to laugh. "I would never make a crude joke. You usually do that." He drinks his tea gingerly, trying once again to ignore Sirius ruining his tea.

"You can stop looking at me like that."

"Excuse me?"

Sirius places his spoon down and sips his tea. "You've known me for nearly ten years and every time we have tea you glare at me. So what if I enjoy a bit of cream and sugar?"

"A bit?" Remus sputters. "We're going to go broke from simply buying cream every other day."

Sirius shrugs. "I've always made my tea this way."

"Exactly, you still drink tea the way an eleven year old would." Remus chuckles.

"My tea is like me, sweet. Unlike bitter tea drinking Moonys."

Remus eyes him with an impassive glare. "If I'm so bitter, perhaps I should go find another bitter tea drinker to celebrate Snowday with. I wonder if I can find one with feeling in his posterior." Remus goes to stand again.

Sirius brings his teacup to his lips and says, "I never said I didn't like bitter. I actually enjoy many bitter things."

"I am not bitter." Remus stands directly in front of Sirius, looking down his nose at him.

Sirius looks up and grins. "Prove it."

"How's your bum?"

"Feelings back."

"Let's see if I can't change that."

"Crude!" Sirius says with a bark of laughter.

"I know." Remus kisses him, allowing his tongue to play against his lips. "Does this mean Snowday is over?" he nearly purrs, his breath hot against Sirius's mouth.

Sirius's hands take hold of Remus's and he stands, pulling him towards the bedroom. "Oh, no. I take back what I said. Snowday is just beginning."

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