Lucky Christmases and Long Gone Animosities.

A/N: Hello :) The second chapter is here! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it. And here's a big Thank you to lightningscarpotter, AnonymouslyWrittenn, alicenotinwonderland and .Mars.x for your wonderful reviews! :) And alicenotinwonderland, I hope I've done a better job here! :) Oh I also thank lightningscarpotter for being my beta.


Chapter 2 – Snowfalls, Memories and Blackmail.

Lily was up early even though it was a Saturday. She was a morning person. She quickly showered and picked out an old blue jeans, a purple sweater and a black scarf her grandmother had given her for her sixteenth birthday. She brushed her red hair and looked in the mirror. Liking what she saw, she headed out for a walk.

It was almost Christmas and they had two weeks left for vacation. The castle looked lovely at this time of the year and Lily loved walking through its corridors. She loved the little fairies that danced around the Christmas trees, with their golden hair and silver wings. At a glance, one might mistake a fairy for a snitch.

"Deck the halls-" began a suit of armor as Lily passed it. She jumped out of her skin and nearly bumped into another suit.

"Drat!" She cursed and looked around frantically to make sure no one had seen her little "mishap". She then made her way to the castle doors quietly humming "Deck the halls".

A cold breeze blew past her as she stepped out of the castle. She took in a deep breath before proceeding. The fresh air burned her throat. A thick blanket of fresh snow-covered the castle grounds. Lily liked the way the snow crunched under her boots. As she walked, she realized this would be her last Christmas at Hogwarts. No more coming back. No more walking down the stone hallways of the castle with its many secrets and age-old wisdom. No more going to Diagon Alley to buy robes and books. No more rushing to platform nine and three Quarters eagerly to meet Alice, Mary and Erica. No more riding the scarlet Hogwarts Express and discussing about the year to come. No more Sorting ceremonies to watch. No more doing homeworks by the warm fire, sipping the butterbeer the Marauders sneak in. No more Halloween feasts. Lily was almost near tears now. She still remembered the days at Hogwarts before her first year Christmas vacation like it was yesterday.

"Tell me more about Hogsmeade, Erica! What else did your brother tell you?" A first year Lily asked, very excitedly. She and Erica were on the castle grounds building their snowman on a cold Saturday afternoon. Alice was in the hospital wing as she was sick and Mary had a charms essay to finish.

"He told me there's a joke shop called Zonko's where they sell wonderful jokes and treats that fulfill every student's wildest dreams. He also told me about a tea shop. Madam Puddifoot's, I reckon. He said he never goes there if he can avoid it. The place has lacy napkins and China sugar bowls. And on Valentine's day, Cherubs hover above the people and occasionally throw pink confetti all over them," Erica said, just as excited. Their snowman was almost done now. Lily bent down to scoop up some more snow.
"Oh that sounds lovely, Erica! I can't wait to be in third ye-AAH!" Lily screamed as her snowman collapsed on her. She brushed the snow off her face and scowled when she saw James and Sirius laughing at her. Lily was seething with anger.
"That's your Christmas present, Evans," James said, as he and Sirius walked back to the castle laughing all the way.

Now, there was no more of that obnoxious Potter either. She smiled as her stomach did a familiar lurch, the way it always did nowadays whenever she thought of him. Well, to be fair, obnoxious Potter was not to be seen since the end their sixth year.

They even had had a fifteen minutes civil conversation in the train on the way back. But Lily didn't think it would last through the summer. She had silently hoped it would because the new James was a lot less of a toe-rag and actually a nice person to talk to.

At the start of the year, Lily had walked into the prefects compartments fully excepting Remus to be the Head Boy. She was shocked out of her mind when she found James wearing the Head Boy badge. And all he did when he saw her was smile and say hi. No gloating. No obnoxious behavior. Not even a Will-You-Go-Out-With-Me. Lily was shocked out of her mind. Again.

She still couldn't help wondering what had come over him. Whatever it was, Lily was very glad. As days turned into weeks into months, Lily couldn't help fall for him. She fancied him. She fancied James Potter. If the fifth year Lily caught her saying this – Whoa! She didn't want to know. She quietly laughed to herself.

She was pulled back into present by a broom stick that zoomed past her, avoiding her just in time. She stumbled and with arms flailing, she fell on her back.

"Hey! Are you alright?" She heard someone say. Too shocked to reply she just nodded. She had been so lost in thoughts; she didn't realize she had entered the Quidditch pitch. She looked up and met a pair of concerned grey ones hovering above.

"What are you doing here?" a wild haired Sirius asked as he helped her to her feet.

"It's seven in the morning! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I couldn't sleep. So I just came out to get some air."

"And knocked it out of me!"

Sirius laughed his bark-like laugh as they made their way to the castle. "Well, it was your fault. You should have seen where you were going."

Lily's eyebrows knit and her mouth was a perfect 'O'. "You were the one in mid-air. You should have seen me coming and moved out of the way!"

"Whoa! Calm down will ya? No one's hurt and that's what matters." Yeah if you don't consider the increasing pain in my butt! Lily thought. But she wasn't going to tell Sirius that.

"So what are you doing here?"

"I told you. I couldn't sleep."

Lily snorted."Yeah right. Something's bothering you isn't it?"

"What? No. I honestly co-"

"Sirius, I see you sleep like a log throughout all the classes, except maybe McGonagall's, and go to bed early and still be late the next day because you overslept."

"So you notice me eh? I didn't know you had secret desires for me Evans," Sirius said with his signature smirk.

"Oh grow up!" Lily rolled her eyes but found the corners of her mouth twitching ever so slightly.

"So…" Lily began after a couple of minutes. "What is it? Bothering you, I mean."

Sirius sighed. She looked up at him. For a brief second she thought she saw sorrow in his eyes but it disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"Nothing that would really interest you, Evans."

"Why don't you try me? I could be of some help."

He suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned to look at her and shook her shoulders, rather violently. "You are a genius, Evans," He was grinning like a maniac. If Lily thought she saw any sorrow in his eyes earlier, she might have as well imagined it as there were absolutely no traces of it now. "This is brilliant!"

"What...what is brilliant exactly?" Lily asked, trying and failing to understand.

"Remember that Felix Felicis of yours? Give it to me!"

"WHY would I even dream of giving that to you?" Lily asked, appalled.

As Sirius started to speak, the expression in his eyes spelling "mischief managed", Lily could only gape at him in horror.


A/N: If reviewing tickles your fancy, please do so! I would love to know what you think. :)