"Merry Christmas!" Marceline yells, forcing my eyes open and sleep to quickly fade. I stare up at Marceline, who was once leaning over me whilst I slept, run over to James and shake him awake, laughing. She was wearing a dark green shirt that ended just below her hips, her black tight-fitting leggings and old black boots she refused to bin, and wore all the time. Her hair was down for a change, and it was curled into fine ringlets, something which was never seen of for Marcie. Her hair was naturally straight and always tied back one way or another, and might I say, her hair down and flowing freely about her chest made her even more beautiful. I slung my legs out of my bed, rubbing at my eyes to try and force myself properly awake.
"It's not even seven in the morning, Marcie!" I yell, lunging forwards towards James' bed and grabbing her wrist tightly, throwing her onto the bed to lie down next to James. She laughs and clutches at her stomach, with the free hand that I wasn't tightly holding, and stares up at me with her innocent emerald eyes.
"But it's Christmas!" She grins, fighting me off of her.
"It's a morning! It's bad enough when you come into our dorm and wake us up!" James rolls from the bed, and shakes his head at us, grinning and crossing his arms across his chest, silently watching us. Remus had already left the room to go to the bathroom, leaving us three alone in James' huge spare room which we always stayed in.
"Maybe I should stop then, and let you two get as many detentions as possible. Ooh, you should have a competition! Like who gets-"
"I should make Lily my girlfriend as quickly as possible then, shouldn't I?" James interrupts, making both of our heads snap up to look at him. "I mean, you're both perfect for each other." He shrugs and winks at me, making me narrow my eyes and watch him leave the room. "Oh, and I have your present downstairs, Tails. Don't take to long kissing Padfoot." I smile inwardly at him when he says Tails. It was her name us Marauders had given her, as her Animagus form is a fox because after learning me, James and Peter were all Animagus, she was so stubborn and set on the idea of joining us. We gave her the name Tails because of her amazing and beautiful ginger tail she had, which put all of our forms to shame, quite frankly. Only Peter called her by Tails, and sometimes James did, depending on what he was saying to her. I'm not really sure why none of us call her by it, but Marcie and Lynch is what naturally falls off the tongue for me.
I let go of Marcie's wrist, and cast a quick look at her and smirk when I see a small blush on her cheeks, as she picks up James' pillow and throws it at the door he just left running out of. She catches me staring and makes a dismissive noise, brushing past me as she heads for the door.
"I was slightly red in the face because I stood up too quickly. Don't get your hopes up, Black." I frown slightly at her, and she pauses in the doorway, casting me a look with an un-readable emotion flicking across her face.
"Whatever, Lynch. I believe it is you who shouldn't be getting their hopes up. Now, if I remember correctly, you never got your clothes back from me when I -"
"You'll give me them back one day. I don't doubt that for a second, Black," She winks and turns around, then pauses for a second and turns back to face me. "Oh, and you have no shirt on." She then slides out from the doorway, and I hear her running down the stairs, yelling something to James and him yelling in response. I smirk and pull on a shirt, and see an old sweatshirt of mine I hadn't worn since last year on the floor by my bed. I grab it as I leave the room, hearing the bathroom door click signalling Remus' exit. I run down the stairs, pulling the jumper over my head as I do so, and run straight into someone. Smelling strongly of roses and pine cones I know instantly it's Marcie. I remember smelling that exact mixture of scents when I smelt Amortentia for the first time in Slughorn's class. When he rudely asked me what I smelt, I lied and said I didn't smell anything, earning an eye roll from Marcie and then a quick flash of a smile when she realised I was looking at her. "Black," I expected her voice to be filled with anger and impatience, as it usually was with me, but instead she laughed and her voice sounded soft when it met my ears. I feel her hands on my shoulders, and I realise the second I ran into her and realised who it was, I froze and stopped pulling my jumper on. She tugs at it and my vision returns to see Marcie's face lit up in amusement, and her hands still on my shoulders from pulling it free from my face. We stare at each other for a moment, and she slowly drops her hands from my shoulders and steps back away from me. "You suit that colour, Sirius." She says quietly, still staring intently at me.
"I suit every colour."
"You slimy little dog!"
"Cranky little ginger fox!"
"Hey! There's nothing wrong with gingers!" James called, making me and Marcie share a glance and burst out laughing.
"It's freezing, Sirius. Why are you making me stand out here?" I look over at her and smile as she ties her hair back into a messy bun, letting it lay on her shoulder.
"I told you a million times. I like the cold, it's a very starry night and I'm giving you your Christmas present. Save the best 'til last, right?" She walks over to me and smiles weakly, leaning forwards and peering down over the edge of the balcony, down towards the forest. I see the goosebumps all over her arms and sigh, taking my jumper off and thrusting it at her. She spins around with a raised eyebrow, eyeing the jumper.
"Have you put itching powd-"
"Just wear the bloody thing, Marce." She takes it and pulls it on over her head, giving me a quick side-ways glance as she realises the jumper was safe from pranks. "Here," I say softly, stepping closer to her and pulling it down at the back, covering up her pale skin that was showing. I look up at her slowly, to see her eyebrows knitted together in confusion and pink tinting her cheeks.
"Are you sick?" She asks suddenly, raising her hand to my forehead and pressing the back of her hand against it, as if checking my temperature.
"Can't you just accept my kindness?" I snap, making her hand fall from my forehead quickly. "I'm sorry," I murmur, making her piercing gaze soften and her lips to tug up a little.
"It's just weird for you to be so nice, Black."
"Can you tell me about your nightmare?" I whisper, moving even closer to her, so our arms were touching as she turned to face the forest once more.
"Some other time." She murmurs, tugging at the bottom of my jumper (which gave me a satisfying feeling and butterflies in my stomach at the sight of her wearing my clothing,) through her memory of the dream.
"Sorry," I say, taking her hand and making her spin to look at me. My breath hitches slightly as I entwine her fingers and she smiles warmly at me, making me finally put my free hand in my pocket and pull out her present. I turn her around, dropping her hand, flexing it at the sudden loss of her hand against mine. I unclasp the hook and place the necklace around her neck, and fasten it as she moves her curly locks out of the way. "Just so you know we'll always be with you in your heart, even when we're not there in person." I whisper, a lump forming in my throat as I will away tears threatening to spill. Just the mere thought of us not being able to be near her makes me want to scream, cry or murder someone. I had placed charms of each of our forms on a leather necklace; a small black stone dog, a crystal stag, and a stone wolf, representing me, James and Remus. I hear her gasp as she bows her head, looking at what I had just given her. I give her a lopsided smirk as she spins around to face me, her eyes alight with happiness, a tear even spilling over and down her cheek, and a huge grin on her face. In the space of a second, she's in my arms and murmuring 'thank you' over and over again against my shoulder, wrapping her arms around me tightly. My heart speeds up and I hold her as close as possible to me, scared that this moment will fade like a dream or she'll back away and hex me, just as I expected her to at simply getting her alone out here with me. Christmas must really affect her, because all day she's been acting this way. Overly happy. She even wondered if she should send an owl to Peter, whom she barely spoke to, for a conversation and to send him a present. She over reacted when Lily sent her an owl containing a long letter (which she refused to let us all read, and refused to let us read what she responded with,) and present, and she hadn't even insulted me and actually meant it. I smile down at the girl I held so closely in my arms, and rested my chin on the top of her head, looking up at the stars. And to think, I only liked Christmas because it was time off school.
I can't be the only one who desperately wants her necklace, can I?