December 10th, 1977

"Come on, Vic, we're late!"

"Just a second, Pan," Victoria said as she held a brush through her hair. "Just fixing my hair. Besides, dinner isn't walking a- - hey!"

She shot an indignant glare at Lily, who had grabbed her brush out of her hands and put it away. "Your hair's fine. Now come on, or we'll miss Dumbledore's speech."

As they came hurrying down the staircase, they saw that the entire common room was already empty.

Victoria suddenly heard a tapping against the window and looked.

"What is it, Vic?" Pandora, who was already standing near the portrait hole with Lily, asked.

"It's Roger! I think he's got a letter from Dad!"

Lily sighed. "Oh, why now? Why can't that owl learn to deliver letters at breakfast, like all the other owls?"

"You two go," Victoria said. "I'll come down as soon as possible."

_________________________

"Bloody Regulus, bloody rotten Filch," Marcus Malfoy mumbled to himself as he began to climb the stairs from the dungeons. After three hours of cleaning suits of armour, Filch had finally let him go and when he'd arrived in the Slytherin Common Room, Regulus had already gone to dinner.

Looking at his feet as he was walking across the entrance hall he suddenly noticed that his shoelace was undone. Marcus sighed and bowed down to tie it.

__________________________

… really do not have to worry about us, dear. You just have fun at school, Aimée and I will be fine. We will see you at Christmas.

Love,

Your father

Victoria looked at her father's letter while she walked down the marble staircase. She wasn't buying it. She knew how well her father could keep up a façade, and that he was far from over her mother's - "Whoa!"

Victoria bumped against something on the floor - and fell over it. With a loud thump, she landed on the marble tiles of the entrance hall.

"Ouch! What kind of moron just fells over people?"

Victoria rubbed her head and looked up to see who had just called her a moron. A thin blond boy was on the floor rubbing the back of his head as well, looking annoyed. He raised his head and looked at her.

The look on his face changed from angry to slightly uncomfortable, as if he already regretted shouting at her, but that couldn't stop Victoria from shooting him a furious glare.

"Excuse me? I'm not the one sitting on the floor right under the staircase!"

"Usually people would see that. At least people who are not reading letters while walking down the stairs." Glancing at the letter in her hand, he stood up and reached out his hand to her. Victoria ignored the hand and got up on her own. He was quite tall, she saw now, which, in addition to the haughty look on his face, strongly gave her the feeling he was looking down on her.

He raised an eyebrow at her, as if defying her to come up with a witty response. She didn't have one, so instead, Victoria just made a little disgusted sound and stormed off into the Great Hall.

______________________________

All four of the tables in the Great Hall were filled with chatty students, eagerly discussing the Quidditch match that was due the next morning. At the Gryffindor table, Peter Pettigrew bowed his head towards Lily Evans, who was sitting across from him.

"Oi Lily! James mentioned something about Dumbledore giving an important speech. Do you know anything about it?"

Lily shrugged. "No more than he does. Dumbledore just mentioned it, but he didn't say what it was about. Has anyone seen Victoria, by the way?" She asked, looking around.

"There she is!" Lily's friend Pandora, a slightly rotund girl with curly blond hair and an ever-smiling face, which gave her the look of a mischievous cherub, pointed at the large doors, through which Victoria had just entered the room.

"Doesn't look too happy. Wonder what's up with her?"

Agitatedly, Victoria came hurrying towards them, bumping into a terrified first year as she did so, and sat down between Lily and Sirius Black, who was trying to hide his laughter.

"Are you all right, Vic?" Lily asked. "Is this about the letter?"

"What?" Victoria wiped a lock of hair out of her face. "Oh, no. My dad's fine. It's just…" She shot a glance at the entrance of the Great Hall. The blond boy came ambling in, looking completely relaxed, as if he hadn't just been fallen over and yelled at by some girl he'd never met.

"It's that guy. I bumped into him a minute ago and he was so rude, and arrogant and… Godric, what an arse."

Sirius looked to see who she was talking about and laughed. "That bloke? Of course he's an arse, that's Marcus Malfoy, my idiot brother's best friend."

"Marcus Malfoy." Victoria narrowed her eyes. "We're not done yet."

__________________________

"Lola, you're staring again."

Lola Lovegood jumped. "Oh! Sorry, Nolinda. I just… can't help it."

Nolinda shook her head. "Have you ever even talked to him?"

Lola sighed. "No. But he did smile at me once." Before her friend could open her mouth, she said: "You don't have to say it. I already know I'm pathetic."

Nolinda put her arm around the little blond girl. "You're not pathetic. You're just shy. Come on, girl, find some courage and talk to the bloke!"

Lola rested her face I her hands. "Courage. If only I had some of that."

__________________________

Regulus Black looked up as his mate sat down across from him. "Hey M. What took you so long?"

"Filch. Thanks for waiting, by the way. Oh, and some girl fell over me."

Regulus cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"I was just doing up my shoelaces and suddenly there she was, almost killing me." He made a face. "What idiot reads a letter while walking?"

Regulus looked around the Great Hall. "What girl?"

Marcus looked at the Gryffindor table. "See that dark-haired girl next to your brother?"

"Victoria Asperton-Howard?"

"Apparently. Interesting name. Muggle?"

Regulus snickered. "Well, apparently her father is the 'early of Carlisle' or something."

"The what?"

"I don't know. It's Muggle nobility."

"Muggles have nobility?" Marcus said astonished.

"I know. Isn't it hilarious? Muggles claiming their blood is noble. Anyway, I heard she's got quite a temper."

Marcus grinned. "Yeah, I noticed. I er, accidentally called her a moron and she was like," - he put a hand in his side and put on a girly voice - "Excuse me? I'm right and you're wrong!"

It was then that he realised that the Headmaster had risen from his chair, causing every single voice in the room to die down at once.

Every voice, except for Marcus's, so that the entire student body was looking at him, laughing at his imitation of a stuck-up girl.

Except for the girl herself, who was glaring furiously at him from the other side of the Great Hall.

"Oh, boy," Lily said. "Someone has gotten on Victoria's bad side."

Pandora studied Marcus with a wicked grin on her face. "He's dead meat."

__________________

Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I would like to make an announcement," he said softly.

"Some of you may know about the tradition of the Seventh Year of Christmas at Hogwarts. Every seventh year, we make Christmas just a little more special. The Christmas feast will be even more extraordinary than normal, as it will include…" he raised his eyebrows, "a ball."

Several girls' voices started whispering excitedly. Dumbledore smiled. "Also, there will be an ice rink in the Entrance Hall, snow in every corridor and the Quidditch pitch will be lit festively."

"No way!" it sounded from the Gryffindor table. "That's awesome!"

"Thank you for your approval, Mister Potter," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Furthermore, you will find some other little extras, such as the Flakes of Bet, an amusing little thing I made up myself. You will find a goblet filled with these in every common room. Flakes of Bet are edible little snowflakes that can make a bet official. The consequences of losing the bet will be" - he smiled mysteriously - "amusing."

Professor McGonagall, sitting next to him, had a sour expression on her face. Apparently, she didn't find these Flakes of Bet amusing at all.

"Everyone who wants to stay at school during the holidays can sign op with his or her Head of House," professor Dumbledore said. "That was all I wanted to say. Goodnight!"

_________________________

At the Ravenclaw table, Lola and Nolinda were getting up.

"Isn't it great, this Seventh Year of Christmas thing?" Lola said cheerfully.

"I know!" Nolinda said. "I am so staying at Hogwarts this year. Had you ever heard of it?"

"Yeah, I'd read about it," Lola replied. "It's said that it used to be part of the Triwizard Tournament, which was held every four years. When that was abolished, they kept the Christmas tradition."

Nolinda sighed. "You're a walking library, Lola."

_____________________________

On their way to the Gryffindor Common Room, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black were happily talking about the Seventh Year of Christmas.

"The Quidditch pitch lit festively!" James exclaimed. "Lily and I could go there on a date! It would be perfect. Quidditch and romantic stuff, can you think of anything better, Padfoot?"

Sirius grinned. "Yes, if she would actually go with you. But the Flakes of Bet! Do you imagine all the possibilities? Merlin, I just have to find out what those consequences are. Maybe we could try it on Snape…"

Peter laughed, but Remus shook his head in an amused way. "You never grow up, do you?"

______________________

Regulus yawned. "Can't he just finish already? I have a match to play tomorrow, I need sleep."

They were standing amid the rest of Slytherin, listening to their Head of House, who was giving a rather long speech.

"…absolutely splendid idea! And we wouldn't be the noble house of Slytherin if we didn't make it even better. That's why I thought it would be a nice idea to throw our own little Christmas party, in our Common Room!"

Several students, mostly girls, were making approving noises. Severus Snape, who was standing somewhere in the back with Evan Rosier and Joseph Wilkes, groaned. "Please tell me he's joking"

Evan shook his head. "I'm afraid he's dead serious."

Professor Slughorn went on: "Of course we will need someone to plan the party. Any volunteers?"

"Yeah right," Marcus whispered. "I'll do that once Peter Pettigrew becomes Minister of Magic."

Slughorn looked around hopefully, but when he realised that there wasn't going to be any reaction, he said, only a little bit disappointed: "Well, I suppose I will just pick two people then. Let's see…ah! Severus!" Severus looked like Lord Voldermort himself was pointing a wand at him. "Why don't you do it with… Mister Black!"

Marcus threw back his head and laughed. "Haha, good luck, Reg. Have fun." Regulus shot him a death glare. "Shut up," he said through gritted teeth.

Severus Snape was horror-struck. Not only did he have to go to a party, he had to plan it. With nobody less than Regulus Black, his worst enemy's younger brother. Severus hated parties. He hated everything you were supposed to do at parties. Dancing, chatting, socialising. Severus Snape did not socialise. Nor did he chat. And he would rather die than be seen dancing.

This was definitely going to be a great Christmas.

_________________________

"Victoria Asperton-Howard," Lily said sternly, pacing around the seventh year girls' dormitory. "You are not leaving Hogwarts at Christmas this year."

"Lily, are you insane?"Victoria asked. "I'm not leaving my dad alone at Christmas! He's pining away, all alone in that big house."

"Last time I checked, your sister was still living there, too," Lily pointed out.

"And the staff," Pandora, who was sitting on the bed, added.

"That's not the same! Ever since my mother died, he has been lonely. He needs me!"

"Victoria, we met your father," Pandora said. "He was perfectly happy and jolly." When Victoria opened her mouth, she said: "Come on, Vic! This is going to be so much fun! You have to be here."

"She's right, you know," Lily said. "Besides, don't you think your father would want you to be happy?"

"I suppose," Victoria said. "But -"

"No butting." Lily grabbed a piece of parchment. "I'm going to write to him, so that he can tell you himself."

____________________________

December 11th, 1977

"To Regulus Black, the most brilliant seeker in Hogwarts!"

"The country!"

"The world!"

Glasses were raised as the House of Slytherin was cheering for their winning team.

"Nice catch, Black," Steve Burke, a tall seventh year with an extremely low voice said. "Here, have a butterbeer."

"Cheers, mate." Marcus raised his glass at Regulus. "To victory."

Regulus grinned. "It was a pretty good game, wasn't it?"

"Understatement of the century. Hey, is that firewhisky?"

___________________________

"Come on, my name is the worst," Sirius said. He was sitting by the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room with Remus and Pandora.

"I mean, do you know how many times people have made that 'serious Sirius' joke? Every time I say something like 'are you serious?' it's: 'no, you are!' It was funny the fist eighty times, but every joke gets old at one point."

Pandora nodded in mock-sympathy. "Yes, tragic. But my name is worse. Every single time I introduce myself to someone, they say: 'Oh, I bet you're a curious little bird, aren't you?' Or: 'Don't open the box!' And then I Haven't even said the worst ones!"

Sirius snickered. "Those are actually kind of funny." Pandora kicked him from her side of the couch, pretending do be offended. "You filthy hypocrite."

"Well, at least you were named after some interesting mythical character," Remus said. "The most beautiful woman ever given to mankind. I, on the other hand, got my name from the loser of the two brothers, the one who couldn't win from Romulus. It's like I'm doomed to fail at life."

Pandora and Sirius were silent for a while. Then Sirius said: "You're right."

"You have the most rotten name," Pandora added. "But hey, you could have been called after the murderer."

"And trust me, Moony," Sirius said. "You don't fail at life."

_____________________________________

Most people had already gone to bed, but Marcus and Regulus were still sitting by the fireplace, an almost completely empty bottle of firewhisky next to them.

Regulus raised his glass. "To Puffelhuff! 'Cause they're so good at looosing!"

Marcus muttered something incomprehensible.

"To the noble house of… Black!" Regulus went on.

"And M…Malfoy," Marcus added.

"Except… except for my brother."

"Yeah, and my brother too."

Regulus seemed to think about this for a while, taking a gulp from his glass as he did so.

"Why your brother?"

Marcus shrugged, staring in his glass. Then, suddenly, he exclaimed: "To Victoria Appleson Something!"

Regulus giggled. "To the muggle girl! Who hates you."

"Nah." Marcus waved his hand in a 'don't be silly' gesture. "She loves me. Vic and me, we love each other."

Regulus started coughing insanely. "Yeah, right," he said after recovering. "Prove it."

"How?"

Regulus looked around the room. "See that goblet over there?"

Marcus grinned. "I see two of them."

"It's those Flakes. Flakes of…"

"Bet?"

Regulus nodded. "Yes, Bet. I bet that you can't get her to kiss you before Christmas."

Marcus snickered. "Deal."

______________________________

A week later, Dumbledore's promises had more than been fulfilled. Hogwarts had never looked so beautiful. There were not twelve, but twenty-four Christmas trees in the Great Hall and the candles hovering above the four tables were quietly singing Christmas songs in beautiful bright voices.

There was snow in every corridor, holly in every classroom and every hour of the day, there were happy students ice skating on the magnificent ice rink.

And there was something else. Something that turned normally cool and casual teenagers into giddy giggling creatures: mistletoe.

Girls elbowed each other below certain branches, under which they knew Sirius Black would soon be walking.

"There's another crowd waiting for you, Padfoot," Peter Pettigrew said. He, Sirius and Remus were walking towards Arithmancy. Sirius grinned.

"You know we could just take a secret passageway, right?" Remus whispered in his ear. Then he made sure he walked past the mistletoe in a very large curve.

"No need to, Moony, no need to," Sirius said casually. "We have Wormtail."

As he said this, Peter was walking towards the crowd, a hopeful look on his face.

"Hallway cleared."

A/N:

I wrote this for Unknowalbe Room's Scrivenshaft Challenge last year, but the challenge kind of disappeared, so now I'll just upload it myself. And since I no longer have to keep it under 4000 words, I'm expanding it a bit. Or a lot. Hope you like it.

I apologise for the insane amount of Marcus/Victoria and the total lack of Lily/James. Vic and Marcus simply need more "screen time" because no one knows them yet. I promise you will see more from other characters soon.

Reviews are divine (hint, hint)

p.s: anyone who hasn't seen Love Actually yet needs to do so RIGHT NOW.