A/N: Attempted unblocking writer's block; uimhir a haon
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"Happy Christmas," Lily called cheerily as she hugged the four of them goodbye.
"See you when I get back," She waved as the train lurched forward.
Tap, tap; Lily sat up in her bed and looked around, slightly confounded.
There was a third quiet tap on the window; Lily slid out of bed and padded over to it.
The cold air from outside contrasting with her warm room made the window fog, rendering her unable to see out of it.
She slid it open and peered out immediately laying eyes on Severus, as she had expected; she gasped, he was covered in snow and shivering, his pale skin giving off a purple tinge.
"Sev," She gaped quietly, "Come inside this instance!"
He climbed through the window as quickly as his blue fingers would let him.
Once he toppled over into Lily's room she slide the window shut and walked to him.
"Merlin's beard, Sev, you're freezing." She pulled his wet coat off of his shoulders and rubbed his arms attempting to warm him.
"Did you know all the restaurants in London close at ten? And the Night Bus doesn't run during the holidays?" Severus said, his tone was light but Lily looked at him concerned.
He was still shaking severely so she sat him on her bed and tugged his boots off. Then she laid down pulling him beside her, bringing the blanket up tight around them.
She covered his hands in hers, again attempting to warm him.
"So you didn't even try to go home?" Lily asked quietly.
Severus shook his head and Lily didn't say anything, understanding.
"I thought you were staying at Hogwarts."
Severus shook his head, "I thought about it but…I changed my mind: seems like that would've been the smarter thing to do now though."
Lily knew he was hiding something but, like so many times before, she couldn't bring herself to ask.
Then it was early morning, the sun just barely peeking through her window when she slid out of bed and helped Severus on with his coat.
"You're welcome to come round the front door later in the morning…if you like."
Severus nodded but Lily knew if he were to come back, it'd be dark and near frozen outside.
"Lovely," Lily said smiling politely at Vernon Dursley: He had asked her how she was doing.
He was a strict man, his clothes spotless; Right on the straight and narrow.
Petunia desperately wanted her family to like her boyfriend, Lily could tell, but he just wasn't pleasant in the slightest.
"Tell me, Vernon," Lily's father said now, "What is it you're going to school for?"
They started in a boring conversation which Lily easily tuned out, her mind drifting away, her head on her mother's shoulders.
She thought of James; wondered what he was doing right now.
Running around the grounds as a stag, no doubt; she had to smile to herself.
Her fingers tingled as his face appeared in her mind: freckles, messy brown hair, glasses. She could almost hear his laugh, and see him push his glasses up his nose with his index and middle finger. She could see his grin and the way his eyes sparkled a little bit every time he succeeded in making her laugh.
She wondered what it'd be like to run around as an animal with them; she imagined herself as some kind of cat, or a doe. She liked the idea of being a doe.
"Lily, darling," she heard her mother say softly to her. Lily's eyes fluttered open: It was morning and she was in her bed; her father must've carried her there as he'd done many times before in her childhood. She smiled as her mother stroked her hair.
"It's time to go, love; you'll miss the train."
Lily took a deep breath as the carriage she shared with two Hufflepuff girls and, none other than, Regulus Black pulled off from the scarlet steam engine she grew so accustomed too.
Regulus snarled at her and she laughed out loud, "You should make that face more often; it suits you."
He rolled his eyes, "Mouthy; Just like my brother."
Lily laughed humorlessly, "That's funny: I've never heard Sirius refer to you as his brother."
His face turned cold and he turned away from her. Lily crossed her arms over her chest, "He's better than you."
He turned to her, his eyes were stark, lit with green fire, "You don't know anything about me."
"I know enough," She replied, just as fiery.
Regulus crossed his arms over his chest, "You know, you always listen to what other people say, instead of figuring a person out for them. I've noticed that from everything Severus has told me about you…you're no kinder than Sirius and his followers."
Lily's brow furrowed, though he was right; she spat, "Like you're an angel."
He laughed, Lily noticed how it sounded keenly like Sirius' humorless chuckle, "Never said that, did I?"
"Git," she mumbled, unable to come up with a witty retort.
He laughed, she studied him, his profile was exactly like Sirius' though his skin was paler (typical Slytherin) his lips were thinner; and he looked better cared for, which Lily already assumed from his snarky attitude.
By now they were pulling up to Hogwarts, the two Hufflepuff girls jumped out of the carriage as quickly as possible, obviously frightened by Regulus and Lily's tiff.
Lily turned to leave the carriage when Regulus grabbed her by the wrist, "Hey! Let go-"
He slapped his hand over her mouth, "Would you calm down?" He whispered angrily, "I'm not going to hurt you."
Lily stared at him, silently, her back against the wall of the carriage, his hand still covering her mouth.
"I just want to talk," he said looking her straight in the eyes.
She wasn't sure why but she believed him, something had softened in his cold eyes.
He took his hand off her mouth slowly and sat across from her, she slid down the wall until she was seated too.
Regulus pulled a small box out of his cloak and handed it to her, she eyed it curiously, "It's not for you." He said dully.
Lily laughed, "This is the first time I've ever said more than two words to you, I figured that much."
Regulus sighed, ignoring this, "It's for Sirius, but don't you dare tell him it was from me."
"…What is it?" She asked.
He shook his head, "It's nothing bad, I swear to Salazar."
Lily rolled her eyes at the so-Slytherin comment, "I'm not taking credit for your gift."
"Then don't, look- just…don't tell him it was from me."
Lily watched him carefully; he was obviously struggling with something, so she sighed, "Fine, I won't-"
"-Swear to it."
"Oi, I said I wouldn't and I won't. Take it or leave it."
He sighed, "I'll take it," He looked up at her earnestly, "Thank you."
At that he sledded from the carriage leaving Lily alone with his little box.
She took her time leaving the carriage and finding her way to the Great Hall.
She stuffed the box beneath her cloak before walking inside, she'd barely come through the doors when she saw them.
They'd seen her too and instantly there were grins all around.
Lily ran to them, throwing her arms around James' neck, hugging him tightly.
He smelled familiar; she took him in easily fitting to him.
She stepped back to hug the others and then they sat at the table to eat, Lily couldn't help but watch Sirius closely.
He seemed happy, well rested;
She glanced across to the Slytherin table where Regulus sat next to Severus, he kept glancing at her, and Lily narrowed her eyes, and then smiled looking down.
She wondered if Sirius knew his younger brother did actually care about him very much. Probably not.
"Let's go," Lily heard James say as Peter and Sirius quickly followed after them out the portrait hole.
Tonight was a full moon, which meant Remus was changing, which also meant that Lily was going to plant Regulus' present.
Once she heard the portrait hole swing shut she tip-toed to the boys' dormitory and into James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter's room.
She looked around and laughed; Remus and Peter's side of the room was tidy, not clean but everything was where it was supposed to be and the sheets on their bed were at least pulled up over the pillow; James and Sirius however, were a complete pig-sty.
Their school bags sat atop the desk, which was completely bare besides that, their dirty laundry thrown wherever, shoes littered the floor, their beds were unmade, and Sirius had sheets hung around his four-poster obviously having ripped down the curtains.
James however, must've been too lazy because his curtains were burnt all the way up to the top, but left that way; his comforter in a pile in the center of the bed, pillow on top.
She walked to Sirius bed and looked around; "Where can I put this…where it won't get lost or ruined…?" She asked herself aloud.
She looked up to the window seal above his bed and nodded before standing on the bed and looking out the window; she sat the box on the window seal and smiled; perfect.
She was about to get down when she saw something, several feet below, run past; she look out to see three animals, there was most likely four there, but one, being a rat, was too small to see from where she was.
She smiled watching her friends run around like complete gits.
The stag, James, the biggest; she laughed, they'd obviously picked their animals for themselves.
Once they were gone from view she stepped off Sirius' bed and walked back to her room.
"Morning," Lily said cheerily as the Marauder's, for the exception of Remus who always slept in the day after, sat down around her at the breakfast table.
They all looked exhausted, "How'd you sleep?" She smiled.
None of them answered obviously having gotten little to no sleep at all.
Sirius, who was the last to sit down across from Lily, pulled out a pocket knife with a wooden dog carved into its outside, and twirled it in his fingers.
"Where'd you get that?" Lily asked curious, it was beautifully made.
"Dunno," Sirius said staring down at it, "Someone left it above me bed."
Lily raised her eyebrows, so that was the gift, she smiled, "That was nice."
"Yea…it was…" Sirius said, obviously lost in thought.
"James," a seventh year Gryffindor called Craig, said behind Lily, she turned and looked up at him as he said, "Headmaster wants a word with you."
James looked at him, slightly scared, as he stood slowly and walked up to Professor Dumbledore.
Lily watched as the Headmaster placed his hand on James' shoulder and said something to him quietly, as James turned pale, his skin losing all the color it had in it, and as his hands start to shake uncontrollably.
She sat up straight as James' eyes met hers; he had tears in them; she'd never once seen him cry and the sight scared her. He turned and quickly walked out of the great hall, the headmaster walking quietly, slowly behind him.
Lily looked at Sirius and Peter; they looked just as bewildered as she felt.
