Chapter 10

Aurelia and Lily trudged their way through the knee-deep snow outside the castle. "It's absolutely beautiful out here." Lily said, looking at the forest with its snow covered canopy.

"It's absolutely freezing out here." Aurelia replied, her teeth chattering as she rubbed her arms in an attempt to warm herself.

"We can go back if you like." Lily said with a smile "If you can't handle it…"

"You're cold to, aren't you?" Aurelia accused.

"-Yes."

"Okay, let's go back." Aurelia brushed the snow off her shoulders and the two girls began to make their way back towards the castle. At that moment a loud bark was heard from the nearby trees and Aurelia and Lily both spun to see a large black bear-like dog bounding towards them.

"Uh-" Lily uttered a half frightened sound and then took a few quick steps backward. Before either of them could do anything more, the dog had reached them and had jumped at Aurelia, its huge paws hit her on the shoulders and knocked her backwards off her feet and into the snow.

Lily let out a squeal, but Aurelia just laughed, she lay on her back in the snow with the dog standing over her. It's paws were on either side of her and she was glad it wasn't standing on her for it would almost certainly crush her. Aurelia reached her hand up and stroked its head, the dog's tail wagged furiously and it made a pleased sort of whining sound.

"Oh I knew it…" Lily sighed, and raising her head slightly, Aurelia saw James and Remus sprinting out of the trees towards them followed a few seconds later by Peter. The dog demanded Aurelia's attention by pawing at her gently. Aurelia smiled and returned to petting it on the head, it continued to make pleased little whining sounds, and by the time James and Remus reached them, Aurelia had managed to sit up. "Does this belong to you?" Lily asked them, gesturing at the dog.

"In a manner of speaking…yes." James replied with a small gasp, trying to catch his breath.

"What's his name?" Aurelia asked as she got to her feet.

"Snuffles." James replied, grinning.

"Well hello Snuffles." Aurelia said, scratching behind the dog's ears. She looked curiously at the three boys then noticed Remus' lip twitched as if he were holding back a smile, James was trying to hide his mouth behind his hand and Peter was turning pink from his effort of holding in laughter.

"Well…" Lily interjected "We were just on out way back to the castle…"

"Yes." Aurelia agreed "It's cold. Ah- Where's Sirius?"

"Uh. He had something to do...no idea what."

"Mmm, well, see you guys later then…" Aurelia told them, making to follow Lily, however Snuffles it seemed had other ideas, he jumped up in front of her, standing on his back legs, his front paws resting on Aurelia's shoulders. He then licked her cheek, before dropping back to the ground, his tail wagging furiously again.

"Quick Aurelia!" James said with a sly smirk "Run! He wants to have his way with you!"

"That's disgusting." Aurelia said to James before Snuffles turned and faced James, letting out a low growl. James just grinned at him and scruffed up the dog's hair.

"Right." Aurelia said slowly. "I'm going inside now."

"See you." James grinned at her and Aurelia turned, following Lily up to the castle and the warmth.

Aurelia made her way down towards the Great Hall for breakfast, the day before the holidays were due to begin, alone. Lily, Tara and River had all been gone when she had gotten back from her shower and she muttered about the quality of loyalty and friendship her friends had for her as she came down the marble staircase. The sight she saw before her in the entrance hall almost made her lose her footing. Colin and Lily were standing in the middle of the entrance hall in deep conversation.

"Oh boy." Aurelia breathed to herself, sure this had something to do with James and Tara. By the time Aurelia had reached the bottom of the staircase Colin had gone and Lily turned to face her with a smile on her lips.

"What's up?" Aurelia asked warily.

"Colin and I broke up." Lily replied.

"What?" Aurelia yelped, "Are you okay."

Lily shrugged. "Yeah, I'm fine. It wasn't really working anyway… we're at different places."

"So this doesn't have anything to do with James and Tara?"

"No. Of course not."

"Okay then." Aurelia said slowly then asked, "What've we got first?"

"Transfiguration."

"Oh…Tara and River in the hall? Do you know?"

"I think so."

Aurelia and Lily entered the hall together as a group of Slytherins were on their way out. "Look." Zane Swittle drawled. "It's the Gryffindor mudblood bitch and Blood traitor!" Lily made a dismissive noise and kept walking, but Aurelia spun around to face him. Zane stepped up to Aurelia until they were only inches apart and looked down at her.

"Got a problem? Blood traitor?" he asked nastily.

Aurelia looked up at him, wishing she were at least a few inches taller, however she didn't step back like he had expected her to.

"Yeah." She said, "as a matter of fact I do. Its that filth that keeps coming out of your mouth!"

"Yeah…?" he snarled. "I have a problem too. Its that filth you were just walking with!"

"Oh you do have a problem." Aurelia told him "But that's not it." Aurelia had just realised that Zane was reaching for his wand when Sirius appeared out of nowhere and said loudly.

"Can't you get a real fight, Swittle? You have to keep attacking girls?"

"Sod off Black!" he snarled, then put his wand away as Professor McGonagall entered the hall and told them all to

"Move it along!"

"Morning Sweetie." Sirius said to Aurelia "I see you are having a fairly eventful start to the day."

"Will you quit coming to my rescue?" she asked him in exasperation "I could have handled him just fine by myself!"

"Oh I don't doubt it." Sirius replied "But the moment you hurt him, the other six Slytherins around him would have killed you."

Aurelia had to admit the truth in that and just nodded, heading for the Gryffindor table and sitting beside Lily.

"Oh so you're still alive?" Lily asked her.

"Yeah." Aurelia replied. "Glad to see you had my back there…"

Lily smiled "I saw Sirius coming and decided that he could save you better than I could."

Aurelia raised an eyebrow. "What is it with you people? I don't need saving!"

"You needed saving from that Griffin." Sirius pointed out.

"Yes…" Aurelia admitted, looking at Sirius. "And thank you for saving me from it. But Gah, I can handle a measly Slytherin!"

"But not his six buddies all at one time…"

"Sirius!"

"Yes, Sweetie?"

"Shut up!"

Sirius grinned and turned his attention to his plate, not saying another word.

River and Tara were already in the classroom at their table when Aurelia and Lily arrived at transfiguration. "Hows it hanging?" asked River half-heartedly. Aurelia looked at her friend, she was clearly depressed about the fact that she was going home tomorrow.

"I almost got to beat the crap out of Zane Swittle." She replied. River raised an eyebrow.

"Almost?" she asked.

"Sirius turned up and destroyed my chance." Aurelia told her.

"Oh yes?"

"He thinks he 'saved' me." Aurelia sighed.

"He seems to have a thing for that…" River remarked.

"I don't need 'saving'!"

"You did from the griffin."

"Am I never going to live that down?" Aurelia groaned, throwing her book onto her table and opening it to Chapter Seven.

"Probably not."

"Brilliant."

"I think we will just have an easy lesson today." Professor McGonagall said as she strode into the room and addressed them all. Every single student in the classroom stared at her. The Professor was not known for giving easy lessons, seasonal or not. However, even though they had been given the task of trying to transfigure large furniture into animals nobody was really trying. People were far too interested in what their classmates were going to do for the holidays. There were only five people in the entire class staying at school for Christmas. Aurelia and Sirius, some Hufflepuff girl called Johanna Walker and also two Slytherins, Jonathan Frost and Severus Snape.

"Seems like a fun Christmas for us." Sirius muttered to Aurelia, from the table behind her while he glared at the Slytherins. Aurelia turned around.

"We can just stay in the tower for most of it then." She replied "We only have to see them at meals anyway."

"True," Sirius agreed "and we can always just go to the kitchens for that anyway…"

"What?" Aurelia asked, confused,

"Nothing." He replied with a quick grin as Lily turned around also.

That evening in the Hall there was a brilliant feast for all those who would be leaving on the Hogwarts express the next morning. The food was simply divine and there seemed to be rather more of it than usual. "I don't get it." River said, looking up and down the table. "Usually there is food left over anyway, this may be a feast, but there aren't more people, there will just be more left over and going to waste."

"Maybe" Tara began "They have more out so that people can eat as much as they can because they might not be able to afford food on the train home, or at home their family can't afford much."

"I never thought of that." River muttered, looking down at her plate.

"Neither did I." Aurelia said to her "Don't worry."

"Lets just enjoy the food, okay?" Lily suggested as she took a helping of beef stew.

"Yeah, well, you're going to be enjoying the food in Italy soon aren't you." Tara said to her with a smile. Lily grinned

"Oh yes…" she replied "I am also going to enjoy getting out of this snow for a while." She looked across at Aurelia and added "Too bad Aur won't be enjoying it with me …"

Aurelia looked at her "Did you have a point?" she asked mildly. Lily tilted her head slightly.

"Do you think I do?" she asked. Aurelia made a face at her and Lily laughed.

On their way up to Gryffindor tower the girls came across James Potter heading for the hall. "Lily!" he said catching sight of her.

"…James." She replied slowly.

"I have to talk to you." He said, looking down at the ground instead of at her. Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Okay." She agreed, looking at her friends who all shrugged. James looked up at her, a small smile upon his lips. Obviously he had been expecting her to tell him to go away and leave her alone.

"Um…really?" he said "Okay, um…in here?" he pointed to a nearby classroom and Lily walked ahead of him into the room. James closed the door and then looked at Lily.

"You going to say something?" she asked after a moment. James gave a nervous smile and nodded, running a hand through his hair.

He's always doing that…Lily noted. Actually, it makes him look kinda cute.

"It's about Colin." James began.

"Oh yes?" Lily asked.

"Now, I know I really don't have any right to say this, but I have to say it anyway… I want you to break up with him…"

Lily laughed. She couldn't help it. James stared at her.

"You want me to break up with Colin just because you say so?" she asked. James did a strange kind of pout thing and put a hand on his hip. Lily laughed again; he looked like a moody teenage girl who wasn't getting what she wanted.

"I know I have no right to ask." He said slowly, as he dropped his hands to his sides. "But I had to ask. It hurts Lily." He gave her a meaningful look. "Seeing you with him, it hurts so bad."

This time it was Lily's turn to stare. James had feelings. Real emotional feelings. She had often wondered, but never had real evidence. She had assumed that his quest over the last few years to get her to go out with him was just that, a quest. Something to prove to his mates what a man he was. Now, here he was, spilling his guts to her, about being hurt because she was going out with someone else.

James shook his head and headed for the door. "Don't worry." He muttered, "I'm sorry I asked."

"James!" Lily said suddenly, forgetting that she only ever called him 'Potter' to his face. James half turned, as if scared of what she might say.

"Colin and I broke up." She told him gently. James just stared at her.

"When?" he asked eventually.

"This morning." She replied, tucking a strand of her red hair behind her ear. James' face slowly had a grin wash across it. He shook his head suddenly, realising that Lily might be upset about it, and said, "I'm sorry."

"No." Lily replied. "Don't be. It was mutual."

"Oh…" he looked at her almost shyly. "Does this mean that I have a chance…?"

Lily just smiled at him and headed for the door. As she drew level with James, she glanced sideways at him. "Maybe." She whispered before she strode past him and out the door. Outside the door, Lily took off into a run and dashed up the hall and around the corner before James could stop her. She had no idea that James was standing where she had left him, frozen in shock, a goofy smile plastered across his face, his hand running through his hair again.

Aurelia dragged Tara up to the astronomy tower, leaving River with Remus in the commonroom. Lily still had not returned from her talk with James, granted it had only been five minutes, but still! She had agreed to talk to him! It was amazing! "You said the shower won't be at it's best until Christmas night!" Tara protested as they made their way up the gazillion stairs to the tower.

"I just want to check on it." Aurelia replied "and to give River room to say her goodbyes to Remus." She looked over her shoulder at Tara. "She deserves her last chance for a few weeks to make him realise that she's head over heels for the guy." Tara nodded slowly

"I guess." She replied. "But I could have gone up to the dorm, you know how cold it is up here at night!"

"I do." Aurelia replied with a shrug "But I don't really notice it…and you know I feel the cold easily."

"Yeah, it might be the fact that you're wearing about fifty cloaks…" Tara mumbled.

"I told you to get another one." Aurelia said, pushing open the door to the top of the astronomy tower. "Sirius! What the?"

"Hey Sweetie." He said, turning around from a telescope to look at her, a cheeky smile upon his face.

"What are you doing up here?" she asked, walking forward.

"Checking on the shower…"

"…why?"

"What, you didn't think my brilliance at this subject just came from the fact that I am naturally brilliant at everything else, did you?" he grinned at her, then winked "I also have an interest in this."

"Oh…"

"See, something else you didn't know about me." He gave her a heart-melting smile and Aurelia shook her head.

"I'm sure there is a lot I don't know about you, Sirius," she said, "to know everything about you would take a lifetime."

"Are you willing to give that?" he asked with a sly smirk.

"Do I have to be here for this?" Tara asked from the doorway. "What is THAT!" she pointed to the sky and Aurelia and Sirius whirled just in time to see the trail of a meteor disappear into the night.

"Damnit!" Aurelia muttered and dove for a telescope.

"One fifteen degrees east, elevation of sixty three degrees" Sirius told her as he looked into his own telescope. "That's where I've seen the most tonight."

"Ta." Aurelia replied, adjusting her telescope to his instructions.

"That was the beginnings of the shower, wasn't it?" Tara's voice asked, actually interested.

"I'm assuming so." Aurelia replied.

"But it was really bright…aren't they usually dull at the very start?"

"Mmmm, I guess it was a big one." Aurelia muttered as she looked into the telescope.

"And there will be more on Christmas?" Tara asked

"Yeah, and you wont need anything but your eyes to see them either." Aurelia told her absently as she concentrated on what she was doing.

"You were right about these telescopes." Sirius suddenly said.

"Oh?" Aurelia asked.

"Yeah, they are awesome."

"I didn't think you heard anything I said that night." Aurelia said, looking over at Sirius. Sirius looked up from the telescope and over at Aurelia.

"I heard everything you said that night." He replied softly. They looked at each other for a few moments until Tara stepped forward, oblivious to what was happening in front of her.

"Can you actually see anything right now?" she asked, her eyes fully focused upon the sky. Aurelia shook herself and looked back into the telescope.

"Yeah." She said "Here, you look." She stepped back and let Tara take a look. She glanced at Sirius again, out of the corner of her eye and suppressed a smile. He was very obviously trying his best to make it clear that all of his attention was fully focused on his telescope. Aurelia bit her bottom lip and tried to banish the thought that kept invading her mind, that Sirius was infact extremely adorable especially when he's trying to control himself, like right now! Aurelia sighed in exasperation and looked up to the sky and the stars. "What have I done?" she breathed.

Disclaimer:

I am not, I repeat, not J.K. Rowling!

Note to all:

I pretty much love Brendon Urie's smile!

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