Christmas morning arrived faster than the Knight Bus and Vidalia still hadn't managed to find anything for her friends. This made her feel even lousier as she entered the living room only to find presents for herself sent by each one of the boys.

"Oh, Merlin. I'm a terrible friend," Vidalia groaned as she picked up a very flat parcel sent by Peter.

"I'm sure they'll understand," Cosima said as she strolled in, holding two cups of hot tea. A plate of Christmas biscuits floated along just behind her and they landed gently on the table.

"Yes, but it's important to me that they know I care about them."

"They do," Cosima said. "I know they do. You let everyone know you care."

Vidalia didn't answer. She just hoped her mother was right and that they wouldn't mind. She was going to make up for it, most definitely, but for the time being, they would just have to accept that she only wanted to get them something perfect.

"We can take a trip to Hogsmeade tomorrow if you'd like," said Cosima. "I still need to get Floo Powder so we can get you back to school."

Vidalia nodded, pleased with this plan. Hogsmeade was huge. Surely she would find something there.

Vidalia opened presents. From her mother, she'd received another new jumper. A bright scarlet red with the Gryffindor crest on the front and a tiny little breast pocket at the top just for Spur.

"Oh this looks so cozy," Vidalia said as she tugged the jumper on over her pajama top. Spur, who was sitting comfortably in his human's curls, spotted the pocket at once and climbed right down to make himself at home. "Thanks, Mum, we love it."

The flat parcel from Peter, she found, was a homemade lunar calendar where he had drawn every single phase of the moon throughout each month of the year. He had even included all the boys' birthdays. Peter, ever the follower, apparently was very good at paying attention to details when it came to his friends.

From James, she received a book all about Quidditch and how to better understand it. He'd even included a tiny bookmark with the Puddlemere United Quidditch team.

From Remus, she'd received a book called Cassandra, and it detailed great prophecies this priestess had told but were never believed. Another book he had sent included several moon gods and goddesses. Perhaps this was Remus trying to help aid in her journal to figuring herself out.

Finally, from Sirius, she opened up a tiny box with a ring inside. Inside the ring was a pretty, pearlescent stone. Alongside the ring was a very folded up piece of paper written by Sirius.

Don't worry. This isn't anything romantic. This stone is called Moonstone. It's supposed to help with inner growth and strength and is also supposed to aid in intuition and clairvoyance. Wear it to help enhance your unique magic. -S

"You've got some great friends," Cosima said, stunned at all the well thought out gifts she'd received. She realized, she'd never in her life gotten so many presents at once that actually made her proud of her gift. It was just something she always had that she got a lot of flack for. She couldn't help the way she was born. But these boys seemed to make it so much easier to accept that the abilities she had were that of utter magic. She was an extraordinary witch.

•

Early on Boxing Day, Cosima and Vidalia took the Knight Bus all the way to London so they could do some shopping. Vidalia proudly showed off her new jumper under her coat and wore her new ring from Sirius on her right pointer finger.

"So what do these boys like?" Cosima asked as they left a shop after finally buying some Floo Powder.

"Well, James is a Quidditch fanatic. Remus loves magical creatures. Sirius is a bit weird. He likes Muggle things, like music and motorbikes. And Peter likes to read, I guess."

"Well, then we shall find something that suits them. Let's try the Quidditch shop for James first. It's just there," Cosima pointed to Quality Quidditch Supplies to see if they could find anything for James.

First year students weren't allowed to play Quidditch or bring broomsticks to school, so there wasn't much sense in buying any sort of broomstick kit. There was a small section with miniature brooms and there was a cool looking table-top Quidditch set that was almost similar to Wizard's Chess.

"James would love this," said Vidalia excitedly. She handed the box to the clerk and Cosima paid.

"This is coming from your school fund," said Cosima with a slighting twinge of a smirk.

"So worth it," said Vidali with a huge grin. The wizard behind the counter wrapped it up in a nice parcel and handed it over to Vidalia, who clung onto it tightly as if she were afraid to lose it.

The two witches left the shop.

As it was nearing eleven, Diagonal Alley started to pick up with more magic folk coming to spend their after-holidays shopping. Witches and wizards of all ages and sizes bustled about, smiling merrily to each other and waving in greeting to other friends and family they passed.

Cosima sent a bright smile to the tea shop witch, who pointed to a sign saying they got new flavors of tea in, some specifically for reading dregs.

"You going to go, Mum?" Vidalia asked. Cosima turned away from the tea shop and looked up at her daughter. She smiled faintly before looking away again.

Cosima sighed, her mind now off in some faraway place. "Not today, dear."

Vidalia didn't argue. She wasn't interested in trying to persuade her mother to keep reading dregs. Cosima did what Cosima wanted and she never let others persuade her into doing something different.

Vidalia, who was now holding a wrapped parcel for Remus— a new Wizards Chess set with red and gold painted pieces— and a smaller parcel for Peter— a Rememberall— was seriously struggling on finding something for Sirius. She knew he didn't really care for a lot of these cool magical things, despite him being a pureblood wizard.

Sirius had expressed an interest in Muggle music, something he heard other kids their age singing and playing out in the streets. Vidalia wasn't even sure how Muggles listened to music. From what Sirius said, their music came on large black plates that you had to scratch to get the music to play.

"Maybe there's a shop in London somewhere," said Cosima. "Don't think we'll find Muggle music around here, love."

"How do we pay for it? We don't have any Muggle money."

"I'm sure we can get an exchange at Gringott's."

After a very confusing thirty minutes at the bank, Vidalia followed Cosima through the Leaky Cauldron and out into Muggle London, where people were walking by each other hurriedly, none of them looking as happy as the magic folk back in Diagonal Alley.

"Muggles are always in such a hurry," Cosima explained, as Vidalia hadn't had too many interactions this side of the city. "Excuse me." Cosima tapped on the shoulder of a man who was smoking a cigar on the corner of the street, waiting for the traffic light to indicate that he could cross safely.

"Hullo, ma'am," he greeted, taking one last puff on the cigar. "What can I do for you today?"

"I was just wondering if you knew were the closest music shop is?"

"Just down the street," he said, pointing across the way. A giant clef note poked out between buildings, indicating it was indeed a store just for music.

"Thank you."

Cosima led the way down the street, Vidalia's grip clinging tighter to her packages.

Upon entering the music shop, Vidalia looked around in awe. She was shocked at seeing so many instruments and things.

"What are you looking for?" Cosima asked the young girl.

"Sirius said they're like plates. But I don't see anything of that sort around here."

A young woman, maybe in her twenties, walked over to the two unknowing witches. The girl had big circle glasses and long dangly earrings. Her pants were flared and she was wearing a heavy coat made of some sort of soft leather. Vidalia figured she and her mum must have looked pretty odd in their long cloaks.

"Looking for anything in particular?" the girl asked, snapping a bit of chewing gum.

"Um, I'm looking for, uh, music plates?" Vidalia said, feeling very unsure.

"Plates?" the girl asked. "Like for eating off of?"

Cosima glanced at Vidalia.

"Er, no, the kind you play music on."

"Oh, you mean records!" she said. "They're right over here." The girl led them over to a rack that was lined with hundreds of large, flat squares with pictures on them.

"And these play music?"

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, the record is inside the sleeve." She picked up a record at random and opened it up, then pulled a large black record from between the cardboard pieces.

"Oh," said Vidalia.

"Act like ya've never seen a vinyl before." Vidalia didn't know what to say. "Right, well is there a band you're looking for?"

"Uh, I don't... I don't listen to music. What do you recommend?"

"Don't listen to music!" The girl seemed utterly flabbergasted. "Listen, this one right here—" she picked up a record with the name Fleetwood Mac on the front. "—this one is a good one. Future Games. You're going to love it."

"We'll take it," said Cosima, who was feeling very overwhelmed.

"Great! Anything else for you today?"

"No. That will do is just fine."

Cosima used the Muggle money to pay for the record, which confused Cosima and then confused the girl checking them out.

"Have a great day, I guess," said the girl, seemingly dismissing the two weirdos who had shown up in her shop. Vidalia and Cosima couldn't hardly wait to leave.

Back in the sanctity of Diagonal Alley, back with their own kind, Vidalia and Cosima made their way back to the fireplaces at the end of the alley to get back to their home.

•

Vidalia decided not to send the packages off via owl. Instead, she opted to cram her friends' presents into her trunk to take to school. She was dead set on being there to see their faces upon opening them.

On the train from London, Vidalia found Remus and Peter and sat with them, excited to watch them open their gifts.

Peter opened his and immediately laughed. "I've received three Rememberalls already," he said and Vidalia blushed with embarrassment. "That's okay. Now I'll have four and I surely won't forget anything."

Remus opened his next and was very pleased to see the scarlet and gold chess pieces awaiting him. "Very nicely made," he said. "My old set was getting so damaged. Thank you, 'Dalia!"

The three of them sat and chatted until Peter inevitably fell asleep.

"How did things go with your mum?" Remus asked and Vidalia was grateful that he waited until it was just the two of them.

"Okay," said Vidalia. "I'm still unsure why she was protecting me, but we're okay now and I guess that's all that matters."

Remus nodded. "That's good that your relationship with her could be mended. It would have been awful to lose your only parent."

"Yes, it would have. I have always looked up to her in so many ways. She's very important to me."

Remus watched as Vidalia's eyes got that same glazed-over look, like her mind was now on its own way into the stars.

"H-how do you do it?" Remus asked, pulling Vidalia away from her wanders and back to reality, albeit briefly.

"Do what?" she said, her eyes not quite focusing on him, but seemingly looking straight through him; it was as if she were looking right into his soul.

"Rely on the moon?"

In a faded sort of voice, Vidalia said, "you live by the moon, too."

Remus' heart stopped in his chest.

Vidalia shook her head, quickly rubbing her temples and groaning from a mild headache.

"Do you know?" Remus asked, his heart rate now going at a million kilometers a minute.

"Know what?" she groaned. Her eyes looked up at him, the bright yellow owl-like irises now clear and string at him normally.

"A-about me?"

"What about you?" Vidalia looked at him weirdly; she had no recollection of the last five or so minutes.

"What we're we talking about?"

"I dunno, something about my mum?" Remus breathed a sigh of relief. "What's up with you?"

The brown-haired boy shook his head. As Vidalia studied him— Remus refused to meet her piercing gaze— the young girl noticed his collection of scars. He had a few on his face that weren't terribly noticeable and she could see some poking out of his shirt collar.

"Remus, are you fighting someone?" Vidalia asked softly. The more she watched her friend, the more she noticed how worn-out he looked. On top of that, Remus Lupin looked plain terrified.

"No," he said briskly, as if that would shake Vidalia's suspicions.

"Rem, you're hurt. Who is hurting you?"

For the first time in several painstakingly long moments, he met the young witch's gaze. "Vidalia," he said sternly— yet somehow his voice was still soft like it always was— with eyes almost as hypnotic as hers, "I'm fine. I promise you."

"Don't promise me if it's a lie," said Vidalia swiftly. "You know I will find out if you're lying to me."

Remus sighed, but still not budging. "I know."

Vidalia didn't stop her staring, but Remus was done with the conversation. He brought his feet up to the seat and curled sideways so he could ignore his friend and stare out the window instead. Snow blanketed the Scottish landscape, creating its own sort of wintery magic.

The rest of the train ride to Hogwarts was silent.