"enjoy the little things, because one day you will look back and realize that they were the big things."

*

"Eva?"

"Door's open!"

Despite fatigue, Eva cheerfully pulled a wool beanie over her curls and checked her appearance in the mirror. John Denver's Rocky Mountain Christmas album spun in the record player, filling her office with bright music. Even though she wouldn't be spending Christmas at Hogwarts that year, she still had spent a fun afternoon with Hagrid and Professor Sprout chopping down a little tree from the Forbidden Forest. Ringo, clad in a little Father Christmas hat, absolutely loved the tiny evergreen and had already knocked it over at least twelve times.

"Oh, hi Professor! Happy almost Christmas!"

Professor McGonagall's thin lips stretched into a smile as she eyed her ex-pupil over her spectacles. "Eva, how many times will I have to ask you to call me Minerva?"

"Um, one more?" Eva grinned and flicked her wand with precision. A few books slid off of their places on her shelves and packed themselves neatly into her trunk. "What can I do for you?"

"It's actually a matter of what I can do for you," the deputy headmistress said crisply. She slid a scroll of parchment across the table. Her fingers tapped the tabletop for a few moments, weighing her curiosity like objects on a scale. "Why did you ask me for a list of all of the students staying at Hogwarts for the holidays?"

Eva opened her mouth to respond, but a tapping at the window interrupted her train of thought. She hurried over, letting both Ringo and a frigid gust of wind into the office. The miniature owl tumbled onto the desk, caked in snow and trembling violently. She gasped.

"Ringo! What are you doing here, you silly thing? You should have stayed in Dorset, I specifically told Remus it was too cold to send you back! He's going to get it. Come here."

She scooped Ringo up and gently placed him on a recently-vacated shelf. Then, wrapping him in a tiny blanket Hagrid had knitted for his Christmas present, she levitated a crumpled up piece of paper about a foot away from the owl and set it on fire to keep him warm. Only after he stopped shivering did she turn back to Professor McGonagall, whose fond smile caused her to blush.

"Anyway, what were you asking about?"

"The list," McGonagall reminded, tilting her head to the side.

"Right, the list." Eva returned to her packing, yawning as she did so. There were many papers she'd promised students to proofread over the break. The older years were already beginning to experience exam stress, and she wanted to keep them as relaxed as possible until nerves were inevitable. "I wanted to make sure that everyone had a good Christmas, so I thought I'd bake cookies and send them to all of the students staying in the castle instead of going home. I mean, I always loved baking with my mum around the holidays. Not everyone can do that, but they can still enjoy cookies, right?"

A slow but steady smile was spreading across McGonagall's face. Eva noticed for the first time that she'd gotten older. The old witch was indeed old. She never seemed that way back in school, but war exhausted all that fought it. Even so, there were still so many reasons to be happy, and she intended to chase them.

"This suits you," McGonagall said simply, reaching across the desk to place her hand on top of Eva's. "I know the decision wasn't easy for you, but I'm glad you decided to come back."

"I am, too." She glanced at the clock. "I'd better get going. They're expecting me back home."

"Ah, yes. Give Mr. Lupin my best, will you? Is his diction still as foul as it used to be?"

Eva giggled. "He's all grown up now."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Loud laughter tumbled from her lips at that. "Depends on the day."

"Good," McGonagall replied, surprising them both. But it was good. It was good that some things never changed, that these kids weren't nothing like she remembered. She stood, straightening her witch hat as she did. "I'm meeting Albus for tea, but I hope you have a lovely holiday."

"You too, Profe- Minerva."

Eva raised her hand to wave, but McGonagall wrapped her arms around the young woman and held her close for a moment. To both of them, this mother-daughter embrace felt so foreign and yet so comforting.

"Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas."

*

Eva materialized on a snowy hilltop, the wind whipping curls around her face. She laughed at her situation, just a young witch standing in the middle of a blizzard with a caged owl and a trunk. There was something so freeing about it all.

After taking a few tentative steps, she began to run at top speed down the hill, snow flying up around her boots. A Victorian era house, nestled cozily in the valley, came into view. Its frosty windows were lit with candles. Light practically poured from the place, and her heart swelled just looking at it.

Eva hopped up the icy steps, slipping on one but catching herself with the railing, the smile never leaving her face. She knocked a few times, then took a step back.

The door swung open to reveal an old woman whose wrinkled face immediately lit up as she wrapped her arms around the young professor.

"Evie honey, you're home!"

"Hi, Queenie!" Eva replied, her heart practically bursting with joy. Oliver, a kneazle, scurried out onto the porch and hopped around their ankles, slipping on a patch of ice. She laughed and scooped the little creature up. "It's so good to see you, wow! Happy almost Christmas!"

"Happy almost Christmas, dear girl. Come in, it's nearly nightfall and it's definitely freezing! The boys haven't stumbled on in yet, but we needn't wait for them." She ushered Eva inside, sending her trunk upstairs with a simple flick of her wand and freeing Ringo to smack into random objects throughout the house.

The house looked even cheerier than usual with its holiday decor. A massive tree took up a corner in the living room, silver and gold ornaments bedecking each branch. Flames merrily leapt in the fireplace, where stockings hung.

It was home.

Eva slid off her purple pea coat and hung it on the rack by the door before following Queenie into the kitchen. She set Oliver down and scratched him between the ears, causing him to purr loudly. Two more kneazles, Clyde and Delia, scrambled across the hardwood to get attention as well, and a giggle escaped her lips.

"You seem happy," Queenie commented with a wink. Dinner was obviously in progress, but when Eva tried to help, Queenie shook her head and forced her into a chair, placing a cup of black coffee in her hands for good measure. "Happier than you were. That school's been treating you well?"

Eva sighed as she blew the rising steam away from her mug. "Yes," she answered. "It's been... it's been wonderful. I didn't know how much I missed that place."

"I'm glad it's a good fit, honey. We do miss you around here, though. It's much quieter."

"I'll bet." The blonde laughed, then yawned widely. She tried to hide it behind her hand, but while Queenie may have been getting on in years, her eyesight was as keen as ever.

"You tired?"

"Mhm," Eva said truthfully. Over the last decade, she'd learned how pointless lying to a Legilimens was. "A bit."

Something flickered in Queenie's eyes, but she decided not to push the subject. Instead, she patted Eva's cheek and started tutting about how Hogwarts was working her to death, and how Illvermorny never would dare to do such a thing to their professors. Eva found herself getting lost in the mindless chatter, endlessly grateful for it. Newt joined them at one point, and soon the three of them were playfully debating wizarding schools.

"...Massachusetts is quite lovely this time of year. Not as lovely as Vermont, of course, but pretty in its own way-"

"And Scotland isn't? Have you ever seen our castle all covered in snow?"

"Well, our houses are better-"

"Yes, because someone wants to be a Pukwudgie," Newt retorted in his shy yet sarcastic way, daring his sister-in-law to object.

She arched a single eyebrow and leaned on the countertop. "Better than a Hufflepuff."

Eva smiled, looking back and forth between the two of them. She sipped her coffee, content to be a member of the audience, not the star of the show. After everything she'd been through, all she wanted was peace and quiet.

The front door swung open and a gust of icy wind blew into the entryway. A figure covered head to foot in snow struggled to shut the blizzard out, eventually succeeding.

Remus barely had time to set his briefcase down before Eva threw her arms around him.

"Rem!" She cried happily, hugging him tightly.

"You're all snowy now," he said, chuckling as he grinned down at her.

"I don't care. I missed you so much!"

Remus buried his head in her shoulder, beyond grateful to have his best friend back. "I missed you too, Eve."

They separated, still smiling like fools. Remus shook the snow out of his sandy brown hair and hung his snow-caked coat on the rack, shaking his head with a rueful smile.

Newt, who was leaning on a wall as he watched their reunion, waved to them. "You kids catch up. We'll call you when dinner's ready."

"McGonagall sends her love," Eva teased as she yanked Remus over to a couch in front of the fire. Reaching across the cushions, she pulled a sweater that most likely belonged to the old magizoologist over her head. "So does Snape."

"Well, I'd reckon only one of those is true, but I do appreciate it all the same." He stretched out, his long legs taking up far more than his fair share on the couch. "Tell me everything! How's Hogwarts? How is McGonagall? Who're you hanging out with?"

Eva giggled at his curiosity. "Everything's amazing," she confessed, pulling her hair into a messy bun as she talked. "It's been so good to catch up with McGonagall. We've spent a lot of nights in the staff room, talking or reading, stuff like that. Other than her, I usually hang out with Ponoma, Rolanda, or Hagrid. I've been getting him into Muggle music, actually. Sometimes we take Fang for walks through the Highly Disc- the Forbidden Forest."

"Ponoma? Rolanda? Whew!" He wolf-whistled with a sarcastic, disbelieving shake of his head. "First name basis now. You must be all grown up, Evie."

"Don't make fun of me! McGonagall's been making me call her 'Minerva' and it's the absolute weirdest thing, hers is the only name I have an issue with!"

"I'll bet." Remus took a sip of his hot chocolate, which had just floated in from the kitchen. "How're your students? Mine miss you dearly, you know. I told them all that you up and left me. Makes me quite the sympathetic hero. Just a tall, scarred, lovesick fool."

"Who did I leave you for?"

"A traveling harmonica player named Bert," he replied idly. "Handlebar mustache, obsession with household objects shaped like grizzly bears, not even half as good looking as me."

"Remus John Lupin, whatever made me leave such a well-read catch for a mustached harmonica player?"

"He's in denial about his future, but he's the heir to the most successful plastic utensil factory in Europe. You're in it for the money."

Eva grabbed a pillow and whacked him over the head. He cowered back, groaning dramatically. "You're the absolute worst."

"So I've been told. By you. Many, many times." He shoved her off and wrapped an arm around her. "I'm really glad you're home."

"Me too."

She rested her head on his shoulder, staring at the crackling fire for a few minutes in silence as Remus comfortingly rubbed her hand with his thumb. Yawning widely, she asked, "can you help me go through the storage boxes in the basement at our place this weekend?"

"I guess. Why?"

"I've got James' Quidditch hoodie down there somewhere. I want to send it to Harry for Christmas. It's going to be really big on him, but he'll grow into it."

Remus' grip on her hand tightened for a moment. "How's Harry?" He asked softly.

"He's..." Eva exhaled, closing her eyes as she recalled the last few months. "It's so odd, Rem. It hurts sometimes. I'm his godmother and he doesn't know who I am."

"I'm sorry. Maybe it'll be different someday." Remus rested his head on top of hers, sighing deeply. "At least you get to see him."

His mind wandered somewhere far away from Dorset. It landed in a quaint little village, the only place on earth that he was Uncle Moony. His heart clenched as he remembered the little stuffed wolf.

"Someday, Rem," Eva reminded him with a gentle smile. "Someday."

It was rather funny. The war was long over, but things were far from the paradise the world had promised them. Someday.

"I have a picture, wait!"

Eva jumped up from the couch and immediately tripped on a side table, but Remus grabbed her arm before she could go crashing to the floor. She shot him a look that said don't you dare and retrieved a photograph from the pocket of her jacket, passing it to him as she sat back down. He pulled out his glasses to look more closely at it, something Eva almost teased him for.

"It's this year's Gryffindor Quidditch team. They found out that I used to play, so I've been giving them some tips. It might be hard to see some of them, George Weasley signed it and slipped it under my office door last week..."

Remus laughed. "So it's you versus the Prewetts 2.0, hm?"

"Nah, we're at a truce. We keep track on a chalkboard in the staff room. I'm the only teacher who hasn't given them detention yet this year."

"I'm impressed, but not surprised." Remus smiled down at the seven scarlet-clad students. "Merlin, he looks just like James."

"Lily's eyes, though. He's small like her, too." Eva snuggled under a big blanket and craned her neck to see the photo. "He's so sweet, too. He noticed I was down on Halloween, so he brought me flowers."

"Sounds like a very Prongs thing to do," Remus said. He handed the photo back to Eva, who tucked it carefully in his pocket.

"It was." Eva paused for a minute. "I'm worried about him."

Remus' eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

"He's really small."

"Eva, he's eleven."

"I know, I know! It's just that something feels off. I know Lily was small, but he looks better than he did when he first arrived at Hogwarts. What if his aunt and uncle don't treat him well? What if they aren't giving him enough to eat? What if he looks better because he's finally eating full meals? What if that's why-?"

"Breathe, Eva. Don't jump to conclusions. Even if Lily's family didn't like him, they still wouldn't starve their nephew. Family doesn't do that. They take care of their own."

Eva nodded absentmindedly, but she remembered the beginning of their fifth year, and how Sirius came back to Hogwarts skinnier than ever because his so-called guardians tried to stamp the spirit out of him. She remembered how Harry flinched the first time she hugged him, and how Sirius used to flinch at sudden movements. Her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away.

"Hey, don't cry. Come here." He wrapped her in a tight hug and rubbed circles on her back. "Listen, think about it this way. Dumbledore wouldn't let Harry stay with them if he thought that he was in danger of any kind." While Remus firmly believed and trusted in the Headmaster, her concerns did perturb him.

"You're right," she whispered. "I just have this inexplicable need to protect him."

"I get that. I haven't seen the kid in ten years, but I'd still do anything to keep him safe. He's Lily and James' son."

Eva smiled. "Yeah, he is."

"You know, I had a few ideas about messing with my students that I need your help with. Suppose you were seen sneaking out of my classroom, that could cause quite a stir..."

After sharing a few more schemes and memories, both fell asleep on the couch before Queenie could call them for dinner.

HELLO!!!

I'm so sorry for this update taking so long! I've been prewriting an original work, so that's taken a lot of my time and attention. I hope you liked this chapter. My BROTP is finally back together!!!

QOTD: If you could bring one character who has died in this series back to life and back into the storyline, who would you choose?

AOTD: James and Lily would mess up the storyline, and I don't really want one to live without the other, so Reg ;)