Disclaimer: Of course, I am not the wonderful J. K. Rowling, etc etc. Enjoy!
P.S. If all goes according to plan, there will be at least a new chapter every week.
Christmas is approaching. I can tell by the way the air smells of pine and the way everyone is always smiling and, of course, the telltale snow on the ground. I grin at Alice, who's sitting next to me. It's going to be a white Christmas, as far as I can tell. I hop out of the armchair by the fire and out of my warm cozy cocoon to peer over her shoulder at what she's reading.
"A History of Magic," I say aloud. "Alice, you've literally read that ten times."
"So?" She looks up at me. "Anyway, I can't really concentrate on it right now."
"Why? Oh." She's staring at Frank. Of course. I let out a little laugh and ruffle her hair. "Good luck! I need to pop down to Professor Slughorn's office to ask him something. Wanna come with?"
"I'm okay," she says dreamily. "See you at dinner!"
"Hogsmeade tomorrow, yeah?"
"Yup!" She confirms, turning back to her book. I head out of the common room and down the steps to the dungeons. My black flats clicking on the stone floor, echoing in the silence, I arrive at Slughorn's classroom. The light is set dimly, and I peek around the edge of the door, hoping he'll be inside.
A figure is leaning on his desk, but he's not there. Wondering who it could be, I walk inside. "Lumos," I whisper.
"Merlin, Evans, you scared me!" James Potter straightens up as soon as he catches a glimpse of my face. "Er, Slughorn's just getting some extra boomslang skin from the cupboard. He'll be back soon," he explains hastily.
"Okay," I shrug, heading into the room. "I just had to ask him a question about the potion we did in class today."
"Amortentia?" He smirks.
"Shut up," I mutter. Potter catches my look and immediately backs off.
"Sorry," he says, slightly ashamed. We stand there in an awkward silence for a few minutes before Proffessor Slughorn bumbles in.
"Sorry, m' dear boy, sorry," he says, fumbling with a parcel in his hands. "Ah, Lily!"
"Hi," I greet him. "I just had a question about the lesson, but if now is not a good time I can come back…"
"No, no," he insists. "Ask away!"
"I was just confused about the way we made Amortentia," I reply. "Why would we stir it six times clockwise? Wouldn't seven times counterclockwise make more sense?"
He shakes his head. "That's a very good question, Lily, and I'm afraid I don't have the time to answer it right now. Why don't you go to the library and pick out a book? I'm sure that would help you." Slughorn turns his back on me to attend to Potter. I sigh, exasperated. Okay. I guess I would have to take a trip to the library after all.
I head out of the classroom and back to the Gryffindor common room. I don't feel like dealing with Madam Pince right now. On my way, I catch Marlene disappearing around a corner.
"Mar!" I call to her back.
"What?" she stops and turns around. "I'm starving. Seriously, they need to move dinner an hour earlier."
"A whole hour?" I ask wryly.
She nods vehemently. "Maybe an hour and a half." We trek back to the dormitories, gather up Alice, and head back downstairs for dinner.
As I shove mashed potatoes and green beans into my mouth, a thought catches my attention.
"Today was the last day of lessons!" I say cheerfully, around my food.
"Ew, Lils, that's disgusting." Marlene makes a face and puts her hand over my mouth. I smile guiltily, swallow, and repeat myself.
"Today was the last day of lessons before the holidays!"
"Yeah, that's what I've been saying all day!" She nudges my shoulder. "Hello, earth to Lily Evans! Ooh, dessert!"
But I haven't even finished my dinner," I whine, taking another massive bite. We talk aimlessly throughout dinner, and with Dumbledore's adieus, head back to the common room.
"I've seriously walked the school a million times today," Alice complains as we walk.
"Me too," I agree, saying the password to the Fat Lady and climbing through the hole. I pick up my books that have been strewn across the floor, shovel them into my bag, and am about to settle down on the couch when I notice the Marauders saunter inside. They laugh loudly, and Sirius winks at Marlene. James Potter takes a seat across from me, smiling foolishly. Rolling my eyes, I grumble to my friends of a nonexistent headache, claiming that I need to go to sleep early.
"Feel better Lils," Marly tells me. "Hogsmeade tomorrow! Ciao."
Lugging my books up the stairs and into bed, I draw the curtains around me and read until my eyes refuse to stay open a second longer, and then I curl up and fall asleep.