Chapter 1: Halloween or Christmas

Lily

Halloween wasn't really my favorite holiday back home, but ever since I came to Hogwarts, every other holiday paled in comparison. There was something so beautiful, so out of the ordinary, about a holiday celebrating witches and wizards and goblins and ghouls, especially now that it all had become real. Slughorn had thrown a feast, Nearly Headless Nick had thrown a party, the Gryffindors had all thrown a celebration. Halloween at Hogwarts was a spectacle, and I was invited.

At the Gryffindor party, it was madness. I was dancing in the common room with Marlene and Keiko, feeling slightly looser since I had had those butterbeers splashed with a bit of firewhisky. There was a loud band playing in the back, but it wasn't anything I recognized. Sirius must've picked it out. He was a music fiend, even if he was obnoxious as hell.

"Oh my lord," Keiko says, her eyes widening. "Look at Remus!" She points across the room, to where a clump of 6th year boys were, all dressed as newsboys. Except one. Remus, my fellow prefect, was dressed in his usual clothes, although he had a particularly nasty red gash, running all the way across his forehead. It wasn't bleeding, but just the sight of it made me a little nauseous.

"You know, it kinda makes him look hot," Marlene points out, giving me a nudge.

"Marlene, it must hurt really bad," Keiko says, rubbing her own face.

"I'm just saying, it makes him look interesting. Dangerous. I wouldn't usually go for him, but maaybe today."

"You need to get your priorities straight."

"What's wrong with my priorities?"

"Well, for one thing-" I was no longer listening to their argument, but rather looking at Remus. He looked so pale, as if the very life had been sucked out of him. I walked over there, inserting myself into his and Peter's conversation.

"Hey Peter, Remus. Remus, I need to talk to you."

Remus shifts on his feet, tossing a glance at Peter. "Sure. Outside the common room?"

"Um yeah. Don't worry Peter, I won't steal him for too long." Peter looks at me, nodding uneasily.

I take Remus by the arm, guiding him through the crowd, until we are outside, a ways away from the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Remus, were you out yesterday? At the full moon?" I ask, worriedly, craning my neck so I could look at the wound.

He brushed me off. "Lily, I'm fine. I've been worse."

"Worse? You've been worse than this? Oh Remus."

"You know, I'm starting to regret telling you my secret," he says, attempting to wink at me.

This, of all things, brings a smile to my face. "Who else knows?"

"James. Sirius. Peter," he pauses, searching my face. "No one else." I feel my heart sink at the name James, but I guess I should've known. He's one of Remus's best friends, even if he's unsufferable.

"Oh." I can feel the reproach creeping into my voice. "James, Sirius, Peter and I." I force out the word James. It feels uncomfortable on my tongue, almost like a bad word.

"Lily, I know you don't like my friends that much, but that's not something you can hold against me. I was close with them, James especially, long before we were prefects together." As always, there is a ringing of truth in Remus's words. "James is really sorry for what happened last year, he was just trying to help. He's a great guy, just-misguided at times. He really cares about you."

"Okay, okay, okay. I get it. James Potter is a great guy and I'm a fool for not liking him." I hold up my hands in surrender, and then shove Remus. We both erupt into laughter, cackling at the sheer ridicule of it all.

James

"NEWT Transfigurations is whack, man. I mean, it's Monday, November 1st, I have a slight hangover, Wormtail and Padfoot aren't here, and I suddenly have to deal with McGonagall talking at lightspeed? No thanks," I tell Moony as we walk into the classroom and plop ourselves down in the back.

"I mean, at least it's McGonagall, right?" Moony replies sensibly.

"Yeah. I guess." I say, taking a pause.

"Also, Evans is in this class." I add, not being able to help myself.

Remus looks at me, rolling his eyes. Suddenly, I regret everything. So obvious. I should've never mentioned it. I run my hand through my hair, trying to shake the thoughts of her.

As if on cue, Lily walks into the room, laughing with Keiko. They're both doubled over, Keiko's long black hair a mess, and Lily's own red hair has a twig sticking out of it. Her green eyes are shiny with tears, like the prefect badge on her robes. A sense of longing fills me up, because oh God, she's so pretty. Cut it out, I tell myself. She doesn't want to date you. She told you so. I rip my eyes from her, lest she notices, and then thinks I'm creepy. To be fair, she probably thinks worse things about me already.

Before I know it, class has started, and McGonagall is already in full form with a lecture about class performance. "And that is why we are getting a seating chart," she finishes. "To improve performance so that you aren't distracted by your peers."

An audible groan comes out from the class, and I'm with them. We're not first years! What the hell do we need a seating chart for? But it's too late, she has already begun seating people according to who has the highest marks. "Oi, Moony, I think we might get placed together!" I say.

"Mr. Potter, do you really think I am foolish enough to seat the two of you together?" McGonagall asks, pointing at the me. Her eyes are looking at me, and me alone. Moony is trying not to snigger, clamping his hand to his mouth.

"Hopefully Mrs. Evans is a suitable replacement," she says, directing Lily over to replace Moony. "Mr. Lupin can sit with Mr. Aubrey. I presume that that is acceptable by your standards Mr. Potter?"

I'm too stunned to respond with anything witty. Instead, I'm focusing on the fact that Lily is seated right next to me, running her fingers through her hair. That pretty hair, so long and shiny. Shit. I don't know about Moony, but it feels like Christmas has come early.