Hello again everyone! Sorry this chapter is a little late. I have no excuse except that I'm lazy. ;) Enjoy guys! (The dream at the end of the story will be in italics)
I'm sorry for spelling and grammar errors everyone. I'm slowly working on that elusive English degree!
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Embre. Hmm…..YAY!
Ch 9: Gifts of the season
Embre walked into the Great Hall to get breakfast before classes started for the day. She smiled despite it being a Monday since it was the last week of school before the students were let out for holiday. She took a few minutes to admire the beautiful decorations and massive evergreen from the Dark Forest that was filling a good portion of the room up before going over to the Marauders.
"Good morning everyone," Embre said happily as she took a seat next to Peter.
"Morning," Lily said with a similar tone from where she sat beside James.
The Marauders greeted her with nods as there mouths were full of food , making speech impossible.
"Only five more days till the holidays! I can't wait," Embre said excitedly.
"Yes it's nice," Lily said quietly, then added in a more festive tone. "I'm actually looking forward to History of Magic today. We're learning about Santa Claus's life."
"So?" all the Marauders said simultaneously.
"Well I think it's interesting. Especially after I stopped believing in Father Christmas when I was twelve." Lily shrugged.
"I remember that I asked my mum about Father Christmas one time when I was little and she told me he was a red monster just because he takes presents to Muggles," Sirius chuckled. "I was so scared in first year when people mentioned him around the holidays at school that I asked if we would be learning how to defend ourselves against him in DADA class."
Everyone else laughed at that.
"I suppose it didn't help when you heard in the song that he sees you when you're sleeping and knows when you're awake?" Embre said jokingly.
"Thank gods I never heard that song until I knew better," Sirius barked with laughter. "I would have been so bloody paranoid."
"It's a good thing Moony cured you of your Santy fear before it was too late," James said humorously.
"How did you do that with such a hopeless patient Remus?" Lily inquired innocently earning a mocking eye narrowing from Sirius.
"I simply made our mixed up mate read the entire biography of St. Nicholas from the library," Remus said with a grin. "I remember Madam Pince was so shocked to see Sirius checking out a book she wanted a Professor to look at the text to make sure we weren't checking something else out with a glamour on it."
"I'll have to check the book out over break then," Lily remarked.
"You're not going home?" Embre asked her sadly.
"I'm used to it," Lily replied.
"But what about your family?" Peter said earning a glare from James.
"What?" Peter said.
"It's okay," Lily told them as James put his arm around her shoulder.
"Lily?" Embre said from across the table.
"It's nothing. My parents died a few years ago so I don't leave Hogwarts for holidays usually," Lily explained quietly as she looked down at her breakfast.
"Evans, I'm sorry" Sirius said feeling at a loss as to what to say.
"It's okay guys really," Lily insisted not meeting any of their pitying gazes.
"I told you my dad would have no problem if you stayed with us in a guest room," James said rubbing his girlfriend's back comfortingly.
"We just started going out James," Lily said looking at him sadly. "I'm sorry, it wouldn't feel right to me."
"Doesn't stop me from wanting to spend Christmas with you," James told her.
"Next year we will," Lily said with a small smile that didn't do much to placate her boyfriend.
"Lily, why don't you come stay with us?" Embre said suddenly.
"Really?" Lily responded hopefully before remembering herself. "I mean, I can't do that to you. I'd be interrupting your holiday."
"Lily, my father has been worrying over me for not having any girl friends since I started school. Trust me he won't mind. We could make it like a sleepover fest. Besides then you could see James," Embre assured her friend.
"What do you say Lil?" James said eagerly beside her.
"Well…" Lily said hesitantly.
"I can owl my dad today. I know he won't mind," Embre said with an encouraging smile. "The only downside is that you have to share a tiny room with me for two weeks."
Lily couldn't help conceding with a sigh, even though there was a smile on her face. "Thank you."
"Your lucky Remus," Peter commented with a blush. "You'll be spending Christmas with two nice girls."
"Feel free to stop by to see me at the Leaky Cauldron you two," Sirius winked with a kind smile.
"You'll be going over to your cousins on Christmas day won't you?" Embre said with worry in her voice.
"Yeah," Sirius pretended to gripe. "Another Christmas at Andy's while she tells me I should get my hair trimmed and that I need to get a girlfriend and warning me not to fill up on goose so I can have some of that horrid fruitcake she buys."
Embre laughed secretly relieved that Sirius would still have the little family he got along with to spend Christmas with.
The hall filled up with owls as the mail was delivered to the students. A letter for James from the Ministry regarding his decision to become an auror fell in front of him on the table while Embre got a letter on her buttered toast.
"Lovely," she said picking up the sealed envelope. She looked at the seal and knew who it was from by the red wax on the signature Durmstrung academy. She ripped open the envelope and which fell onto the table to give Sirius a view of the seal.
He looked up sharply at Embre's face. He felt sick when she smiled at something she had read.
He stared at his porridge desolately. Despite making up with Embre, he still wished they weren't limited to friendship. He wanted so badly to enjoy her smiles and sweet presence not only as a friend, but as so much more.
"What I'd give to have her for my own," Sirius thought broodingly. "I'm so close to her, and still she feels so far out of my reach."
"Are you alright Em?" Remus inquired in a voice of concern.
Sirius looked up to see Embre's face was set in a kind of thoughtful frown.
"Jean-Luc won't be able to make it for Christmas," she said in an odd voice. "He said he asked for leave and they wouldn't give it to him."
"But I thought he told you that he was coming?" Lily said in confusion.
"That's what he said," Embre said in disbelief.
"Oh that's 'his' name is it?" James said realizing who it was they were talking about.
"Bastard," Sirius thought as he seethed with anger.
"He says he can come for New Year's though. And we'll exchange presents then," Embre said without much enthusiasm. "I'll see you guys later."
She stood and left the Great Hall feeling like all of her Christmas spirit had been replaced by melancholy. It wasn't just what Jean-Luc had lied about coming. It was the fact that she realized she was disappointed more by the lie than by the fact that her own boyfriend wouldn't be there to see her at Christmas.
She knew she wanted Jean-Luc to come for a visit. She somehow knew that it was all because she knew she had forgotten those feelings she had felt for Jean-Luc in France and she desperately wanted to rekindle the affection they had shared.
She sighed sadly to as she walked blindly through the halls. She had known that a long distance relationship would be hard, but she had thought it would work out alright as long as both of them were committed enough. Things were shaping up to be much more difficult in her relationship then she had ever anticipated. Having no way to rid herself of her ever strong feelings towards a certain Marauder she had relinquished her heart to long ago.
--
"Hi guys," Embre said happily as she plopped down beside her brother, James and Peter at lunch later that day.
"You look like you're having a good day. Did you have a class with Professor Kettleburn?" Remus inquired.
"Yes," Embre replied with a contented sigh making her brother smile. After a mundane start with her discouraging letter, the day had progressed much better thanks to attending her favorite class. "Professor Kettleburn was actually able to have reindeer brought in from a reserve in Greenland for us to see. They were beautiful."
Remus and James exchanged amused looks. Lily joined them looking put out with a frown marring her face.
"Ugh," she groaned taking a seat next to James. "What a horrid day it's been! Some Slytherin's potion went bad in Slughorn's class. I just had to ask him for help with one teensy detail of what I was brewing and the next thing I know he's giving me a private lecture for twenty minutes after class has let out! If I had just figured it out for myself I could've just safely made my way to Charms and avoided a world of trouble!
But no, I had to stay to have green goop explode on me!"
She looked around to see the others looking at her with dumbfounded expressions.
"Okay I'm good now," she said sheepishly. "Er, how was everyone else's day so far?"
"Alright," Remus remarked. "We seemed to have lost Sirius on our way to Charms and haven't seen him since."
"Oh gods do you think he's alright?" James said looking worried. "He never misses a meal. Well, except for that one time that he snogged Gina Rotello in the Transfiguration classroom and got an earful from McGonagall, but I'm almost sure he's matured enough since then to not do that any-"
"Merry Christmas to all," a deep misty voice filling the Great Hall suddenly said. Everyone looked around trying to figure out who had just said it but they were nowhere in sight.
"I am the ghost of You-get –what's-coming-to-you," said the voice that no one could find yet. Suddenly it sounded like it was coming from the Slytherin table as it asked in its strange tone, "Regulus Black, do you have any Christmas spirit?"
"No," Regulus answered immediately with a confused look on his face.
"Do you play on the Slytherin Quidditch team?"
"Yes."
"Are you a mama's boy Regulus Black?"
"Yes," the boy said in mortification as people started to snicker.
"What's your most embarrassing secret Regulus?" the voice said in a sing song way.
Regulus' face grew red with the effort to hold his tongue but finally he could hold back no longer, and admitted with the entire school staring at him, "My dick is extremely small."
The entire hall immediately filled with deafening laughter.
Embre felt tears streaming down her face as laughter bubbled out of her uncontrollably. Lily was clutching her sides as she tried to stop and James' body shook as his head rested on the table and his fist pounded on the surface. Remus was falling out of his seat as he roared with laughter, while Peter was braying like a donkey.
Regulus was visibly shaking with rage and embarrassment looking sickly pale. He ran straight out of the room. Even with him gone, it took Professor Dumbledore five minutes to settle the students down. But there was a twinkle in his blue eyes the entire time.
--
"Oh gods!" Remus said wiping his tears of laughter from his eyes later on that day. "I can't believe you did that Padfoot. It was bloody genius."
"Thank you good sir," Sirius said bowing at the waist as he smirked in the snow. "Oh and thanks for lending me your cloak Prongs."
"No problem Padfoot," James remarked cheerfully as he put the finishing touches on the snowman the four Marauders had taken part in constructing.
"I can't believe you managed to get veritisum and then slip it into his pumpkin juice," Remus said with a chuckle.
"How did you get the veritisum from Slughorn's store anyway?" Peter asked as he wound his red and gold Gryffindor scarf around the snowman's head.
Sirius' eyes took on a devilish glint and he smirked. "While you lot were in Arithmancy, I paid a visit to the dungeons with a cloak on to keep me warm. Then I stepped into our dear potions professor's classroom and I helped a Slytherin out with the brew in his cauldron by adding a few more drops of dragon's blood. It produced a lovely explosion that distracted Slughorn and the ickle third years long enough for me to sneak into the store room," Sirius said smugly at his cleverness. "And that prat of a brother of mine never saw it coming! But he knew it was only a matter of time before I unleashed a freaking brilliant pranking on the git!"
"What are you miscreants cackling about?" Lily called as she and Embre made their way over to the group of boys.
"Oh shite the Head Girl!" Sirius gasped in mock alarm.
"Hmm," James said deviantly. "I wonder if my girlfriend would be interested to hear about your escapades in the dungeons that landed her covered in foul potion?"
"Only if you want her to know about the time you locked Snivellous in the quidditch shed," Sirius shot back with a tight smile.
"Touché," James said dropping the subject as his girlfriend came upon them.
Embre gave Sirius a smile so warm, he was sure it felt stifling in his wool coat.
"You know," Embre said looking at the snowman in bemusement. "I think your snowman looks sort of familiar. He reminds me of Frank Longbottom."
"That's improbable," Remus said as he turned his head with the others to study their snowman.
"Huh," Sirius murmured tilting his head at the sculpture. "Would you look at that."
"That is so weird," Peter commented.
"Perhaps you guys should make a snowgirl that looks like Alice for him," Lily said in amusement.
Peter immediately started packing more snow. The others just looked at one another with expressions that clearly said, "He has no clue." Peter looked up at the others and stared from face to face.
"What?"
"Not a thing," James said managing to keep a straight face.
"I don't know how you managed it Black," Lily said turning to Sirius. "But, that was a great prank you pulled earlier."
"Prank? What prank?" Sirius said innocently.
"Relax Black," Lily said rolling her eyes. "I'm not going to turn you in. At least not this time."
"That's a comfort," Sirius said dryly. "I put an insanely detailed amount of thought into that prank."
"Yes, we know," Remus muttered in a long suffering tone of voice.
"And it was brilliant! Didn't I tell you he would never see it coming," Sirius snickered. "But he knew it was only a matter of time! Only a matter of time before I pounced like a deadly-"
"Shut up!" James groaned.
"You shut up!"
"You-"
Splat! Splat!
James and Lily burst out laughing at the comical expressions on Remus and Sirius' faces caused by the snowballs that had been launched at the pair.
"Grr!" Remus growled wiping away the icy remains of a snowball from his ear.
Sirius wiped a layer of icy slush that covered his mouth and cheeks.
"Oh you are so dead," Sirius said bending to pack a snowball, while Remus had already tossed one with horrible aim. Sirius swung and hit James squarely in the glasses.
"Prat!" James shouted shaking his glasses off while Lily was pelted by a wet ball from Sirius and one from Remus that succeeded in grazing her side.
Lily shrieked as the two Marauders continued their assault. Embre came to her friend's aid, pitching as icy ball straight at the back of Sirius' head as he bent to pack more snow.
"Hey! No Slytherin playing tactics!" Sirius half-heartedly protested as a snowball from James sailed through the air to hit him on the nose.
"Okay truce!" Remus laughed as James landed a snowball in his ear once more.
"Fine by me," Lily said pushing her hair out of her red face.
"Give up yet Prongs?" Sirius said spitting out a mouthful of snow.
"You wish," James laughed ducking his friend's aim. He caught another one of Sirius's snowballs and tossed it right back at him.
"You two look like you're practicing for quidditch," Lily said as she patted snow from her hair.
"Excellent," James grinned at Sirius. "C'mon keeper," he said turning to Embre who had just made Peter retreat a few yards back. James aimed a throw at her which she quickly sidestepped making the others laugh.
"Nice block," Sirius remarked with a smirk.
Embre replied by packing a ball of her own and looking pointedly at the Gryffindor chaser.
"Fetch Sirius," she said throwing the icy sphere in his direction, but still out of his range.
"I've got it!" Sirius shouted confidently, diving and failing to catch the ice ball.
"Ouch," Lily winced.
"Bad one Sirius," James said cringing.
Embre sauntered over to Sirius and stood over him with her hand extended and her lips turned up at the corners.
"Nice catch. No wonder you're a chaser," Embre teased. "You're quite skilled."
"Oh I'll show you skill," Sirius said quirking a brow challengingly.
Embre's eyes went wide as she was tugged down by the hem of her coat and she found herself sprawled over the object of her affections. Sirius flipped them easily so he was on top of her.
Neither noticed how their breathing had turned to quick pants as Embre squirmed beneath Sirius. He took some snow in his hand and managed to slip some down her back, eliciting a high pitched scream. In retaliation, she cupped some snow in her own hand and brought it down over the top of his head.
"Now you've done it," Sirius told her with a glint in his eyes. Embre watched him curiously as he removed his gloves with his teeth. His intent became clear when he put his hands inside her coat and began tickling her up her sides.
"No! Oh….hee, ha, hahaha. Pl..haha, stop!" she gasped out between laughs.
Sirius stared down at her adoringly as Embre giggled under him. He loved how he could have fun with her this way. He liked talking to her, the way she got excited over animals, how fun she was to joke with. There were so many things about her that made him just love her.
As she continued to writhe and laugh, Sirius couldn't help wanting more. He wanted to plant soft kisses on her face, or to take her inside and warm her up in his arms. How could her help wanting more when she was so wonderful?
"Thank goodness," Embre told Sirius when he had unconsciously ceased his touches.
"You okay?" Sirius asked her solemnly with a soft smile on his face as he got to his feet.
"I was about to use a Petrificus Totalus on you," Embre admitted as she caught her breath.
Sirius let out a bark of laughter and helped her to her feet.
"I'll only tickle you when ask me to," Sirius promised her in a voice so quiet only Embre could hear him.
Embre didn't know quite what to say, but felt very warm all of a sudden.
"Guys, let's go back!" Peter whined suddenly. "It's cold and almost time for dinner!"
"Uh-oh," Embre said looking down at her wristwatch. "I have to get to Hagrid's! I'm late."
"Don't stay out too late!" Remus called after her as she sprinted off into the snow.
"Well, that was fun," James said with a grin. "Eh Sirius?"
"Brill James," Sirius said with a crooked smile. "I say we visit our favorite house elves for some hot chocolate."
"Sounds good to me," Remus replied happily.
"What do you mean?" Lily said turning to them with a questioning look.
"Er, well…..damn."
--
After the snow fight Embre was having a fun time warming up with tea as a small gift exchange went on in Hagrid's hut.
She waited with anticipation from where she sat at the kitchen table as her half-giant friend sitting across from her unwrapped her gift to him. When Hagrid had pushed aside all the red paper from his gift, he found a book inside. It was not a typical book, but one filled with illustrations of dragons that were drawn from expensive eternal ink by quill. The drawings were enchanted so that the dragons could move about within their pages; performing various activities such as flapping their wings as if in flight or expelling fire out of their snouts.
"Is jus what I wanned. Thank you Embre," Hagrid said appreciatively as he flipped through the book. "Tha're beautiful."
"Your welcome," Embre said as she held Fluffy wearing a jingle bell collar in her lap. "I knew the second I saw it in Flourish and Blotts I had to get it for you." She was so happy to see that it looked as though Hagrid was having a hard time closing the cover of the thin book. It made her feel glad to have given her friend something he would truly value.
"I made something for you too. With a bit o help from Fluffy," Hagrid said proudly. He set his gift on the table and retrieved a package wrapped in gold tawny paper. He handed it to Embre who set Fluffy on the floor to chase a bit of ribbon that had fallen off the table.
Embre tore into the present with an eager sparkle in her eyes. When she ripped the paper aside from the gift she was touched by what she discovered. Sitting in her lap was a rectangular box covered by scarlet leather. The two square sides of the box had golden paw print stamped on them, while the front and back sides featured photos of Fluffy that were secured to the box with Permanent Sticking Charms. The photos showed Fluffy apparently examining the camera the camera that had taken the pictures, as the shots of the puppy showed him padding up closer until his three little heads were practically pressing their noses up against the picture as they sniffed what they were sniffing at.
The lid of the box was decorated by a still drawing painted in gold in the outline of a three headed dog.
"Is not much, but I thought ye'd like it," Hagrid said trying to sound dismissive.
"I love it Hagrid," Embre said in delight as she ran her fingers adoringly over the lid. "Thank you so much."
"Welcome…" Hagrid mumbled bashfully.
Embre looked over to the tiny evergreen tree on that was decorated that was decorated with tinsel and faerie lights. Fluffy was trying to get at the faeries and yipping around the tree. Hagrid said as he picked the pup up to settle Fluffy in his lap.
"I missed not coming here for our annual gift exchange last year," Embre said smiling as she set the box gently on the table.
"Well, yer back now an is great aving you back," Hagrid said. "I'm sure Fluffy agrees," the giant said looking to the small pile of presents .
They both laughed a little. Then Hagrid gave her a friendly pat on the head with his enormous hand.
"I for one and an probably a few others, are glad yer back."
"Thanks Hagrid. You were my first real friend here and that means a lot to me," Embre said feeling choked up in spite of herself.
"Yes well….This alright. Get on with you now, you should be getting at bed right now," Hagrid told her chastisingly with no real authority behind it.
"I'll come to see you before the time comes for us to leave," Embre said as she picked up her gift with care.
"You just enjoy yourself with your friends fore ya go than maybe come an ave some tea," Hagrid chuckled as Embre stroked Fluffy once before heading out the door.
"Whatever you say Hagrid," Embre said with a chuckle. "Good night."
"Pleasant dreams!"
--
That night was filled with pleasant dreams for Embre when she went to sleep in her bed. What she dreamt of caused her to wake with a smile on her face, she couldn't feel guilty for her nocturnal thoughts no matter how hard she tried.
Embre quickly made her way back into the castle through the cold until she was once again standing in the Gryffindor Common Room. She sighed contentedly as she put walked up to the hearth where the dying fire was burning out. She held out her hands to better heat the chilled skin. The small flames danced on her skin to give it a golden tint. She jumped as another hand came to lay on hers.
She looked up startled to see Sirius standing over her.
"You're back late," he commented with his face dark in the shadows where the light of the fire didn't reach his tall figure.
"I took a walk before I-oh!" she gasped as his hands rubbed hers and make the skin rosy from the cold become warmed.
"What are you doing up so late?" she murmured as the motion of his hands lulled her.
"I fell asleep on the couch," he said leading her to sit down on the soft maroon piece of furniture. He pulled a soft blanket from the back of the couch and laid it across their laps.
"Thank you," Embre said feeling heated from the close contact as well as the blanket.
"Better?" Sirius inquired softly as he lifted one hand to brush against her cheek.
"Mmm," she groaned leaning into his touch. It felt so good for him to touch her like that even if it was innocent enough.
Suddenly she stiffened and pulled away.
"I-should go to my dorm," Embre said in a higher voice than usual. She felt her face burn with shame as she realized she was cheating on her boyfriend again under the amazing affects of Sirius' knowing touch.
"Wait a sec," Sirius chuckled as he held her by the hand to restrain her from fleeing. "What's wrong?"
"It's just I need to go," Embre said weakly as she felt herself being drawn onto her knees before him on the floor.
"What is this?" he said mischieviously as he ran a hand through her hair. She took a shuddering breath as he pulled a bit of some kind of plant from her hair.
"What are you doing with mistletoe in your hair love?" Sirius said seeking her eyes with his dark blue ones.
"I don't know. Maybe Peeves was playing a prank," Embre said taking the plant from his hand and setting her hand on his thigh.
"Well, I think I should kiss you again don't you? It wouldn't show very good Christmas spirit if we didn't," Sirius said in a dark tone.
"Maybe you're right," Embre said in a voice that was nothing more than a whisper. Luckily their faces were so close Sirius heard her.
"Glad you think so," Sirius said with a gentle smile as he brushed his mouth over hers with passion.
He pulled back to look at her face. She was smiling like mad and leaned in to seek his mouth with hers. The kiss was soft enough at firs,t until Embre urged Sirius on by pressing her lips more insistently against his. She found herself lifted off the floor and sitting on Sirius' lap while his hands caressed her back in a way that was both possessive and tender.
Pulling back for some air Embre kissed Sirius' brow once and looked him in the eye lovingly.
"Happy Christmas Sirius," she whispered before claiming his mouth again as her head swam and her heart swelled.
Thank you to all my loyal reviewers who have been incredibly supportive through the simplest of words. I hope this was a good chapter. Expect Christmas for our Gryffindors next in the next Chapter! To any readers who are Jewish I would like to wish you a Happy Hannka and my apologies if my spelling is incorrect. Anyhooo, thanks again guys!
