It came out a bit different than I wished but enjoy...

and please review!

4. Christmas.

"Remus went to visit his mom again." James asked as he fell into a chair.

"Yeah, must be going worse, it's shortly before Christmas, just two weeks and he would see her again. McGonagall got him early, immediately after class." Sirius answered as he looked up from a book he was reading. James nodded sadly, they both thought the same, every time Remus went to visit his very sick mom he came back in a bad shape, sick with worry. They both worried for their friend, it would be hard when it was going to be the last visit.

"Peter still not back?" James asked

"Nope, Slughorn is keeping him long today."

Peter had gotten his first detention, a week ago he had, accidently, added some powdered roots to Snivellus's cauldron, which exploded and created chaos in class. It also resulted in Snivellus and Lily Evans spending two days in the hospital wing. Slughorn had seen it go wrong but hadn't been able to stop Peter.

With his two best students injured Slughorn was quite upset and gave Peter detention twice a week until Christmas. Peter had to help Slughorn with all sorts of boring tasks, in the hope he would learn to pay attention to what he was doing.

Sirius considered it one of the best things Peter had done, although he regretted that Evans got injured, he thought it was a pretty good joke. James on the other hand worried about Lily, but when James learned that Lily would be alright he laughed about it as well.

"What are you reading? It's so not you to be reading on a Sunday." James asked as he pointed to the book Sirius was holding.

"It's pretty good actually. I found it in the library."

"You've been to the library? Again?" James asked shocked.

"Yeah, besides staring at Evans you should do it as well. I have a Christmas prank to plan, I'm searching for something good to use."

"Found anything."

"Yeah, look at this." Sirius handed James the book and pointed to the right section. "I'm just not sure if any of the Slytherins are staying to try that on, petrify them completely and shove them in a cupboard for a while, or just leave them laying around."

"You'll get into trouble for that, Dumbledore won't let you get away with that." James said seriously.

"Not if they don't see me doing it. I have to learn to do it as quietly as possible. It's not the only thing I found. I've been reading up on Transfiguration as well."

"What, you are starting to be a book worm." James teased. Sirius just smiled and ignored his friend.

"I was thinking that if we could transform things properly, we could have some fun. Like when a Slytherin picks up a fork and we quickly change it into a straw. Or that if somebody picks up a book that it turns into something that scares them."

James nodded.

"That could be fun. You know maybe we should try and invent some jinxes ourselves. That should be possible. Or dig up old ones that are long forgotten. I'll ask my dad when I'm home, I'm sure he got some ideas."

"Don't you think your mom will kill the both of you when she finds out?" Sirius asked.

"Nah, she loves us and there is nothing she can do about it."

"Yeah, love." Sirius muttered darkly, being remembered of the Christmas he was spending alone this year was still stinging.

"Oh, I'm sorry, mate. I'll ask mom and dad if you can come to our place next year. I can't do anything about it this year. If I had known that it bothered you I would have asked my parents if you could join us in France."

"I know." Sirius muttered. "It isn't that completely, it's just that my mom has been writing me again."

"Oh, you haven't told me before. What does she wants?"

"Dunno, haven't opened the letters. They are there." Sirius pointed to the fire place. The last remnants of parchment still visible.

"Why haven't you read them?" James asked.

"Two reasons. One it can be that she's demanding that I come home for Christmas and I'm not going, period. Second, I'm just not interested in what she got to say otherwise." Sirius shrugged.

"She is still you mother, at some point she must have loved you." James mused.

"Ha!" Sirius laughed harshly. "My mom only got pregnant to reproduce, to create a continuance of the pure blood line. She never loved either of us, not even the perfect Regulus."

James stared at his friend for a while, but shook his head after a few seconds and continued to discus Sirius's new ideas on Transfigurations.

"Sirius!" Somebody hissed.

Sirius turned around to look at the source of the hiss.

"Sirius, here." He heard again. Looking in the general direction he finally saw it. His older cousin.

"Meda!" he said surprised.

"Ssssh, come here." She hissed. A bit confused Sirius looked around him and followed her into a empty unused classroom. When he turned around he saw his cousin putting spells on the door. When she saw him looking at her she smiled wryly.

"You can never be too careful." She said sadly.

"What's up?" Sirius asked as he pulled himself on a desk. Andromeda sat down next to him, she looked tired and sad. Sirius felt a pang of sympathy for her, he liked Meda a lot and he knew she was having a hard time being a Slytherin as well at home.

"I heard you are staying here with Christmas."

"Yes, the howlers made it clear I wasn't welcome."

Meda nodded, staring in front of her for a while.

"I wish I could stay here as well." She finally said.

"Why don't you?" Sirius asked.

"Mom would personally come and get me. She would kill me if I missed the family dinner. Besides Cissy needs me, she doesn't deserve being stuck with Bella all Christmas."

"That bad?" Sirius asked surprised. Meda nodded sadly.

"Bella, is…is even worse than mother, or your mother. Her obsession with the dark arts and the pure-blood madness is unmeasured. She'll try to get Cissy into it as well."

"Cissy doesn't think the same?" he asked, he had seen Narcissa around school but she kept mostly to herself and a select group of friends, spending most of her time in the library.

"I don't know, I know Malfoy is feeding her the same ideas, he's a lot older than he and she believes him but I don't want Bella's ideas getting to her, not now."

Sirius knew that arrangements had been made for Narcissa to be married to Lucius Malfoy, although he was older than her, their mother had immediately agreed when the proposal had been made by old Malfoy. His cousin hadn't been particular happy about is but she was trying to get to know Lucius. Sirius also knew that Andromeda strongly disapproved of these arranged marriage.

"What do you mean, not now?" Sirius asked.

Meda looked at him, suddenly she looked much older than she was. She was only sixteen, shortly turning seventeen but at the moment she looked many years older.

"I don't think I'll be a Black for much longer." She said with a heavy sigh.

"What! Are they marrying you off before you finish school?" Sirius sounded as shaken as he felt.

Meda smiled at him, "No, but once word gets out about my personal life, mother would either kill me or disown me."

"What happened?" Sirius whispered.

"I fell in love."

"With whom?"

"A muggle-born from Ravenclaw."

"Ted Tonks." Sirius whispered. He had seen them together, walking around the lake at nightfall on the warm days. They had walked hand in hand talking, Sirius hadn't immediately thought his cousin was dating the Ravenclaw.

Meda nodded, "You knew?"

"No, I just saw you two walking around the lake hand in hand."

"Yeah, well you know how the family is going to react to that. Cissy knows, she almost cursed me to bits for it herself but in the end she promised to keep quiet. I'm just not sure that it could stay a secret over Christmas."

Sirius understood her problem, if Bella knew, or some other pure-blood maniac found out and told someone within the family Meda would be in real problems.

"When are you going to tell them?" Sirius asked softly.

"I wasn't planning on it. I'll be seventeen in two weeks time, I'm packing my most important things over Christmas and once I'm here I'll never return to that house. Ted's parents already agreed I could stay with them when things turned ugly."

"They know about all this?"

"Ted explained. They understand what they need to understand."

They sat a while in companionable silence, both lost in thoughts. Sirius suddenly felt older as well, like he felt in moments when he had to deal with his mother. He felt sorry for Meda, and angry at his family for being so obnoxious. He turned to look at Meda again, she looked miserable, sad and confused at the same time. Not knowing what to do to help her, he wrapped one arm around her.

"Meda, I know I'm so much younger than you, but I'll support you no matter what. Two Blacks fighting for freedom. If anything happens come to me, if anything happens during Christmas, flee to Ted or go to James's parents, the Potters will help you, I'll make sure James knows."

Meda hugged him.

"Thanks Sirius. You don't seem so young when you are like this."

Sirius made sure James knew about his cousin's problems, James, like a true friend, promised to inform his parents of the possibility that Andromeda might show up on their doorstep. Although they wouldn't be there themselves the house-elf would be ordered to take care of her if she showed up.

Secretly Sirius hoped that Meda would be able to keep up the pretences just for two weeks, half January she would come off age and be free.

The week leading up to Christmas Sirius spend most of his time thinking what to do with two weeks alone. As he was sitting in front of the fire staring at the flames, he wondered how he would enjoy those days alone.

"What are you thinking?" Remus asked.

"Christmas." Sirius grumbled.

"You should have told us earlier that you were staying behind, we would have stayed as well." Remus said seriously.

"Nah, you have to go home to your mom, James is going to France, and Peter has to endure days with his grandma, I won't press myself onto you guys."

Remus didn't argue with him, he had done that too many times. They sat next to each other for a while.

"Where's James?" Remus asked suddenly.

"Detention."

"Did I miss something?"

"Apparently, James was caught jinxing Dolohov."

"How long is his sentence?"

"Slughorn caught him, so I expect him back soon. Slughorn wants him in his club not give him detention."

Remus nodded. "Peter still doing detention as well?"

"No, he's asleep. Don't know why but that guy sleeps more than the death." Sirius laughed.

Remus picked up the book Sirius had been reading before.

"Found any good?"

"No, not until we locate the Slytherin common room."

"Curses?"

"Yep."

Soon after that James walking into the room. He looked angry.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked.

"Slughorn and Snivellus, that what's wrong." He grumbled.

"Start with the last one, that should be more interesting." Sirius smiled.

"Snivellus needs a new bag, again." James chuckled.

"Why did you ripped his bag apart?" Remus asked.

"Dunno." James shrugged, "Just felt like it when he was walking by. He was talking to Evans."

"Yes, talking to Evans would be a crime." Remus chuckled.

"What's up with Slughorn?"

"He been literally begging me to come to his Christmas party. He said I was to do detention until I agreed come."

"That's mean." Sirius said seriously.

"Yeah, I just don't want to be hanging around with those snobs." James muttered angrily.

"What did you do?" Remus asked.

"I said I would be coming. I didn't want to waist time in detention. I'll just show up, maybe hex the food and go away."

"I can't believe you said yes." Sirius shook his head.

"What else could I do?"

"Dunno, say that you have to go home early."

"Can't, he knows my parents. He knows about our plans."

"Tough deal mate, doing detention or going to a party." Remus laughed.

"We'll just have to think of a way to jinx or hex the food." James muttered seriously

Slughorns party was much anticipated, it was the evening before the kids would go home for the holidays. Besides James non of the Gryffindor first years had been invited. He had been allowed to take someone with him but as non of the three other boys wanted to go, James left the common room alone that night.

"Why hasn't he asked Evans?" Remus asked Sirius.

"He has, but she just glared at him and walked away." Sirius laughed.

When Remus and Peter finished packing their trunks for the trip home, they sat down on the bed next to Sirius.

"Do know what you are going to do during the holidays?" Remus asked Sirius.

"Locating the Slytherin common room." Sirius muttered as he was looking with great concentration at a page in his massive book he was reading.

"Why?"

Sirius didn't answer right away, his finger ran along a few lines as he muttered the words out loud.

"What are you doing?" Peter asked, finally drawing Sirius's attention.

"Learning something useful." Sirius smiled.

"Like what? Found a new curse?" Peter asked excited.

"Oh many, but I found away that they could never trace it back to me." Sirius smiled. He turned the book to Peter and Remus and pointed out the part he was reading. "It's a way to erase spells from your wand. If you use it they can't see what spell you have used last because it's just deleted. I thought it would be wise to learn how to cover my tracks."

Remus nodded.

"But you didn't answer my question. Any particular reason why you want to find the Slytherin common room?"

"Always, but I like to know where our enemy is hiding. I might accidentally find a good curse I can put on the entrance."

"And besides that, any plans in particular?"

"Nope, just take my time to sleep long and explore the castle."

"What about homework?" Peter ask.

"What about it?"

"Well, they have given us so much to do over the holidays, aren't you going to do it?"

"Nah, I'll do it the last day. I want to enjoy the freedom."

They waited for James to return from the party, it took him longer than they expected. It was well past ten when a disgruntled looking James arrived back in the common room.

"So what's the news?" Sirius said with a smile.

"Can you believe that guy actually has connections. He had invited Quidditch players, ministry employees, writers, successful people. I mean every big name in the world was there."

"How boring." Sirius commented.

"You know the freaky thing was, it wasn't. It was a really nice party."

"Than why are you back here already?" Remus asked.

"It's a party for snobs, I'm not going there again. I can't even imagine why he invited me." James shook his head.

"Who else was there?" Sirius asked.

"A few students from six and seventh year, head boy, head girl, prefects, some talented people. Two from third year Ravenclaw. And one Slytherin."

"Did you hex him?"

"No, I didn't get the chance. Slughorn saw me walk in and took me around introducing me to a lot of people. I knew a lot of them already, from dad's work. Still I'm not going back there, too much sucking up."

They spend the last evening before the Christmas holidays together, talking about Quidditch, bullying Snape and girls. Specially the girl-subject was a favorite since the boys found out the James had a weak spot for miss Evans. Sirius pestered him endlessly about it.

Next day Sirius waved his friends goodbye and turned back to the great hall for some lunch. Tomorrow would be Christmas eve, he would be alone the only first year Gryffindor that was staying behind. As much as it bothered him, it also felt as a relieve, he didn't have any obligations, dinners or family gatherings to attend to.

"Mister Black!" a stern voice called from behind. As he turned he saw professor McGonagall walking towards him.

"Yes, professor."

"Will you please take this upstairs, it's the invitation to the Christmas dinner tomorrow night and for the lunch on Christmas. It's normal that we are all together in the great hall. Will you please put it up on the information board?"

"Yes, professor." Sirius nodded. McGonagall was already turning away when he thought of something.

"Professor? I have a question."

"Yes."

"During the holidays are there any rules about exploring the castle and it's grounds?" Sirius tried to pull up his innocent face hoping she would answer him.

"You can explore the castle and it's grounds, the other common room, offices, dark forest and restricted areas are of course out of bounds." She said with a smile.

"Thank you professor."

"Oh, and mister Black, I know you are alone this holiday but it doesn't mean that you can do what ever you want, there is still a curfew."

"Yes, professor."

Sirius turned around to take up the invitation to the Gryffindor common room, and decided to have lunch after that. It felt quite liberating to be walking around just doing nothing and not having to worry about a professor showing up telling him to move. Whistling a Christmas carol Sirius found himself happy.

Lunch was a quiet affair, only a handful of students stayed for the holiday. The teachers as well, it looked like only madam Hooch, professor Sprout, professor McGonagall and professor Dumbledore stayed for Christmas. Later Hagrid showed up but Sirius didn't expect him to leave for a holiday anyway.

There were two Slytherins, a second year and a seventh year, there was only one Huffelpuf, like Sirius a first year who looked completely lonely, and three Ravenclaws, a group of friend from the seventh year.

Besides Sirius there were two other Gryffindor's staying. A boy named Alan Gurf, a sixth year and a girl named Jean Lorne, a second year. Sirius sat down next to them trying to start a little conversation but both were reading so Sirius took his time to eat enough and headed back out for a walk through the grounds.

When he walked through the doors his eyes fell on the Quidditch pitch. Of course this week it would be empty, suddenly Sirius turned around and raced up back to the Gryffindor common room, digging from under his bed he found his broom. Flying!

Pulling on an extra sweater as quickly as he could Sirius hurried to make it outside. Once in the Quidditch pitch he looked around in awe, it would be great if he would ever made it on the Quidditch team, it would be worth all the hours training just to experience the stadium full of excited people.

Kicking off from the ground Sirius heart soared in happiness, the feeling of freedom when flying a broom was so special that he could have spend his entire life on a broom. The whole afternoon he flew, trying to get his broom under extreme control. Lapping the pitch a few time before diving down and pulling up just before the ground. His smile grew wider and wider, until he saw the figure of madam Hooch walking onto the pitch.

"Mister Black, get down here!" she yelled.

He quickly landed besides her.

"Yes, madam Hooch."

"Now, I don't know if anyone told you but it is forbidden for first years to fly unsupervised. I believe it's even forbidden for first years to have their own broom."

"No, madam, I didn't know."

"Well now you do."

"Does that mean that I can't fly again? At all this year or this holiday?" Sirius asked completely in shock.

"Well, normally no." madam Hooch said thoughtfully. "But I have been watching you just now and you seem to know what you are doing. Have you flown much before?"

"Not so much, only during the summer holidays for the last four years."

"Your parents agreed?" She asked surprised.

"No not really, but my uncle did, it was at his place."

"Hmmm…" madam Hooch seem to think the whole thigh through. Sirius nervously waited for what she had to say. "Well, can you keep yourself from getting harmed?"

"Yes, madam Hooch."

"Okay, just because it is Christmas, you have my approval to use the Quidditch pitch to fly. Only for this holiday." She said with a smile.

"Thank you so much."

"Besides I was watching you for a while, you are not with out talent. I'm sure Gryffindor could use some new talent next year."

With that she turned around and walked off the pitch. It was getting dark and Sirius decided that it must be time to get ready for dinner. Walking back to the castle he thought about his plans for this holiday, flying made him feel so good, that he decided to spend every morning flying. Pranks and other useful things could wait.

The next morning his plans fell apart, it was snowing heavily and the wind was blowing like crazy. He was sure madam Hooch wouldn't agree with him flying in that weather. Grumbling and muttering plan one was back on the menu. Walking through the corridors Sirius wondered if he had ever been there, everything looked so different when the castle was this empty.

"Urgh, this castle is nuts, they should give us a map so we can actually see if we have been there before." Sirius muttered as he walked to a window. Seating himself on the still he watched out over the grounds. Being locked up inside was something Sirius didn't do well, he had too much of that at home.

Looking down the corridor he wondered where exactly in the castle he was. It had to be somewhere on the outer side of the castle and at the west side as the window in which he sat looked out over the dark forest.

Pulling out a small piece of parchment and a small self-inking quill Sirius drew a rough sketch of the corridor and it's out look on the dark forest. When he finished that part he walked on to the next turn of the corridor, looking out the window he noticed the corridor actually curved slightly.

"No wonder we still get lost in this place." Sirius muttered. He quickly sketched the curve in the corridor. Muttering and cursing for a while Sirius made his way down to the great hall, sketching every corridor he walked through, using a new piece of parchment when he reached a new level. When he finally reached ground floor he could label all the levels he had passed.

"That looks like a start of a map." A voice said behind him. As he turned he saw the white figure of Nick the Gryffindor house ghost.

"Oh hey, Nick. Yeah the castle look so different empty like this."

"Yes, it has always been like this with the holidays." Nick said sadly. "don't you have to go for lunch?"

"Yeah, I was on my way." Sirius sad with a smile. They went to the great hall together, it was almost empty. Sirius took a glance up to the ceiling, it didn't seem like the weather wouldn't calm down soon. Flying would be a no-go for today.

Lunch was only a bit of bread and toast, probably in preparation to the Christmas dinner they would have that night. Thinking furiously about what to do with the rest of his day Sirius took his time for lunch.

Deciding on taking his map further and trying to locate the Slytherin common room. That would be a great mark on his little map.

The day flew by drawing the map actually. Sirius enjoyed roaming the castle, making small notes when he found something he didn't knew before. He had only one problem, with so few students around it was hard to locate the Slytherin common room.

Should take James's cloak and follow a few Slytherins after dinner, when James is back.

Christmas dinner was really nice, much better than Sirius had ever had before. When he entered the great hall he stopped for a second wondering if he had taken the right turn. It didn't look like the great hall, more like a cozy dining room. A Christmas tree sat in the corner and a large table was placed in the middle. Christmas decoration hang from every wall and it looked so much smaller.

The only thing that indicated he was in the right room were the teacher and almost all the other students were seated around the table.

Dumbledore looked at him and winked.

"Magic." Sirius shrugged and walked over to sit between professor Dumbledore and the lonely Huffelpuf.

When all the other students arrived, including a couple of disgruntled looking Slytherins, Dumbledore officially opened the Christmas dinner and the most delicious food appeared.

"I'm happy, Mr. Black that our food isn't colored red and green today." Professor Dumbledore casually said. Sirius sputtered and looked up. Dumbledore's eyes were sparkling with fun. "Not been able to think up something good this time?"

Sirius took a second to recover.

"Dinner isn't over yet, sir." He smiled slyly. Dumbledore broke out in laughter and a few people who had listened to their conversation joined.

"You know, Mr. Black, I really enjoy when students aren't shy but you have to be careful not all teachers enjoy it."

"I know, professor." Sirius nodded.

It was surprising that conversation between students and teachers flowed so easily. Professor McGonagall who sat across from Sirius talked to Dumbledore and Sirius about the recent attacks on muggles. Sirius had never thought that they would discus that so openly in front of their youngest students, but it came clear why they didn't mind including them when McGonagall turned her complete attention to Sirius.

"Your family is, I believe, following Lord Voldemort's ideas very closely?" she asked him.

Sirius just nodded, he knew his mother and her family would support any wizard that advocates for a pure-blood only wizarding world.

"Is it likely that they will join him when he really claim the stake?"

He thought about it for a while, would they? Yes, of that he was sure, but in what way?

"They will support him but I don't think actively, in like fighting and killing people." He answered honestly, he just couldn't imagine his mother doing more work than needed, specially not battling.

McGonagall nodded and asked the same sort of question to the Huffelpuf kid next to him.

The whole evening was surprisingly pleasant, much better than he had expected.

The sun was annoyingly bright when Sirius woke up. He pulled the covers of his bed over his head just to block out the sun a bit. It took him the better part of ten minutes to realize that it was Christmas morning and that the sun was shining, that meant he could fly again.

Hurrying out his bed Sirius fell over a pile of packages.

"Presents?" he murmured in shock. He hadn't expected presents, although he had made sure his friends would get something from him, he hadn't expected them, with their busy plans for Christmas to think about him.

Sitting with his back again his bed he grabbed the first parcel. He recognized Peter's awful handwriting. Carefully he opened the present, inside he found a large box of sugar quills. His favorite flavor.

Remus had gotten his a box of chocolate frogs, and his uncle had send him a large box of Dr. Filibusters specialties.

The last package was rather large, and it was decorated with James's handwriting. It was heavy. Curiosity got the better of him and he ripped the parcel open. A large book fell onto his lap. A note fell along with it. Sirius picked it up and read it.

Mate,

I still feel awful that I didn't ask you along for the trip with my parents, I hope this will make it up a bit. Check out chapters seven until eighteen. They will be very useful.

See you soon.

James.

A useful book, that ought to be the first time James said a those words in that exact combination. The book was titled, 'Spells, jinxes, and hexes, a guide through what is known' It sounded interesting. Inside Sirius found the book was a extensive list of every spell, jinx or hex ever written down. It was useful because it contained a short explanation of how to do the incantation and what it would result to.

Quickly he skipped through the pages to chapter seven. Unsurprisingly it was the start of the jinxes list. Many he had heard of, but even more he had never been able to imagine. Yes, this book would be very useful, but later, first Christmas was going to be celebrated with a morning of flying.