For the first time, James elected to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays. The others were surprised, but learned not to question after James flipped on Peter. Peter had to go home as usual, but the other two elected to stay with James. Eventually, James decided on the story that the full was during the holidays and he would stay to support Remus, but Remus knew this wasn't in the least bit true. James had barely talked to Remus for a month and a half, since the Quidditch match. Remus knew full well why and he deserved it. Sirius kept pressuring him to make a move on Lily, but Remus stood steadfast at no. Being friends was bad enough to his position within the Marauders.
"You'll always be my friend," Sirius said. "Even if you put the moves on Marlene."
"Thank you? James is a little more insane than you, though, you big loveable puppy." Sirius was once again in his animagus form. "Fetch?" Sirius wagged his tail happily and barked. Remus smiled and conjured a ball for Sirius to fetch. He loved to run around in the snow. "So you and Marlene are going to Slughorn's Christmas Party together, then." Sirius barked and nodded in the affirmative. Sirius was always issued an invitation to the meeting of the Slug Club, pureblood family and whatnot, though he rarely attended. "Lily asked me to go with her." A sound came from Sirius as though he was trying to laugh. "I said yes." He sat down at the base of a tree on the edge of the forest and threw Sirius's ball again for him. "I guess James will be going stag. Figuratively, I hope he doesn't show up as an actual stag. Unless he brings Peter." Sirius tripped over his own feet dashing back to Remus with his ball and started emitting strange noises that turned into laughter as he became human once more, rolling in the snow.
"Oh, Merlin, I needed that," Sirius said, still laughing as he walked over to sit next to Remus. Peter was the only Marauder not in the Slug Club, and no one blamed Slughorn for this at all. Remus lazily erased all Sirius's pawprints with a flick of his wand.
"What are you gonna do after school?" Remus asked Sirius. Sirius shrugged.
"Join the Order, you know that," Sirius replied.
"After that. Suppose we actually do it, suppose we defeat Voldemort," Remus said. "Suppose it's 10 years from now, and we actually do it. Then what?"
"I don't know," Sirius admitted. "I haven't thought about it. I guess if Voldemort's gone then we wouldn't need an Order."
"If I go to Slughorn's Party with Lily, James will never speak to me again," Remus said, changing the subject drastically, as he was prone to do.
"Good for him," Sirius said.
"He'll kick me out and won't let me be a Marauder anymore," Remus said, voicing his fears.
"Don't be stupid," Sirius said. "Prongs isn't our leader, mate, and you'll always be a marauder."
"He might kill me," Remus mused, putting a finger up thoughtfully. "I could be a marauder if I was dead, right?"
"What part of 'Always' aren't you getting?" Sirius asked, using his wand to create a little fire between them in the snow. Physics be damned.
"I guess I'm still not used to having as good a friend as you," Remus said. "And Lils. Even if James doesn't marry her, she's definitely going to be part of our group."
"Well, if you're going to give Lily to James, you'll need someone else," Sirius said, sinking back into the tree they were leaning against thoughtfully. "How about Marlene's little sister?"
"No way," Remus said.
"What's wrong with her? I mean, she's a Ravenclaw, but other than that!"
"There's nothing wrong with her being a Ravenclaw," Remus said. "I just don't see myself with anyone in the future."
"You're just going to get old, play third wheel, and sing ABBA songs to my cousins?" Sirius asked.
"Yep," Remus replied. He looked into the sky. The moon was visible over the lake, though it was only late afternoon. It was getting fuller again. "I'm not safe anyway."
"Your choice, mate," Sirius conceded, knowing at this point that it was futile to argue.
Lily looked amazing in her dress. It was a Christmas-y red, in just the right shade so it didn't clash too horribly with her hair.
"Ohh, I'm regretting my decision not to go…." James seethed to Peter. Peter's brow was furrowed in concentration on the chess game they were playing. Remus and Lily disappeared out the portrait hole, followed by Sirius and Marlene. A tap on his shoulder as Peter declared "Bishop to G7". James looked around before spotting Emmeline, she looked stunning.
"Last chance," she said. James looked at her, then back to Peter, and then out the window. Immediately, James jumped up and started sprinting to his dormitory to change into his dress robes. 5 minutes later, James was back. He absently shouted, "Queen to G7, checkmate," to Peter as a goodbye and then he and Emmeline were gone.
"Damn it," Peter exclaimed.
The party itself was uneventful. Lily and Remus ended up leaving early because James was so annoying. At one point he had stolen the microphone from the band and begun singing the only song he knew – Lily's song.
"Excuse me. I'd just like to sing this song I wrong about this girl I love. She's here tonight. Evans, this is for you." Lily had turned bright red to match her hair and dress. "You're tall and fun and pretty, you're really, really skinny… Lily! I'm the Mickey to your Minnie, the Tigger to your Winnie… Lily! Wanna take you to the city, wanna take you out to dinny… Lily! You're cuter than a guinea pig… I wanna take you up to Winnipeg, THAT'S IN CANADA! –" At this point Sirius had pulled him off the stage. In the back corner of the room, Severus Snape muttered something about how there would Always be guys like Potter to Lucius Malfoy, now an important figure in the Ministry, personal guest of Slughorn. But don't worry, this story isn't about them. Shortly after this, Lily and Remus slipped out to a deserted corridor in the far East wing of the castle that had a picturesque window with a bench in it. They sat, looking out at the snow falling on the grounds.
"He's vile," Lily was saying. "I know he's your friend and all, but I still wonder why?" Remus mulled his answer carefully.
"He, and Sirius, and Peter, but mostly James and Sirius, well and also Peter… the four of us share something… unique. We call ourselves the Marauders. And… they were my best friends. My only friends," he said, his eyes darting to the three quarter moon overhead.
"Were?" Lily asked, curiously, also watching the moon.
"Until you came along," Remus said, tearing his eyes from the moon to look at Lily. She turned slightly pink and smiled.
"You're my best friend too," she said to him. "I don't know what I'd have done with myself this year without you."
"Me neither," Remus said. "I'd be failing Potions if you hadn't helped me."
"I really don't know why they let that book be published," Lily said, "with so many errors in it."
"I really thought James would have murdered me before now. He'd do anything to be with you."
"Start with a hairbrush," Lily said, wrinkling her nose in distaste.
"We have discussed the state of his hair at length," Remus said. "He's very attached to it."
"I'll miss you during the holidays," Lily said, with a poor attempt at changing the subject.
"Yeah… I'll miss you too, Lils," Remus said.
A/N: Tell me whatchu think? 3
Love, Samantha
