AN: Hello all! Next chapter is up!

I love Christmas. The decorations, the atmosphere… just everything about it. I'm so wrapped up in the celebrations that I am surprised when a handsome tawny owl arrives three days after Christmas. It's odd because it's quite rare for me to receive owl post at home, even with my being a witch and all. I guess I never had any real need for it before because my best friend only lived around the corner.

I quickly open the kitchen window and the large owl hops in and drops the letter on the table. I hold open the window so that the bird can leave but it doesn't. It stays perched on the table and stares at me. I frown and then pick up the letter.

Lily, it begins. I recognise James' handwriting straight away. After seeing it in lesson every single day it's hard not to recognise it.

Lily,
Hope you had a nice Christmas and everything. Just wondering what day you want to come over to ours. Let me know and I'll come get you. See you soon.
James

Oh, so that's why the owl's still here. I frown. I'd completely forgotten that James had even asked me to go and I haven't actually told him I'd definitely be going. I'm not entirely sure whether or not I even want to go.

I think about it for a moment. I guess it'd be nice to go and see where James grew up, maybe meet his parents. Perhaps I'd be able to figure out what's made him so big headed and arrogant. I wouldn't mind seeing everyone either, as much as I hate to admit it. It is pretty lonely here at home; even Tuney is locking herself in her bedroom when she's not out with her new boyfriend – who, I might add, is rather rude.

I sigh, rolling my eyes at my defeat. I grab a biro from next to the phone and quickly scribble on the reverse side of James' note. I'm ready whenever you are. Merry Christmas and everything to you too.

I give the letter back to the owl and it gracefully swoops off out of the window and into the grey morning.

Around midday, the owl's back with a fresh piece of parchment.

Cokeworth train station at 3.30pm. Bring your stuff. We'll go straight from mine back to school.

Again, I frown. I'm not sure I want to be staying with James and his friends for three days. The remainder of the Christmas holiday might be the only bit of peace I get until summer.

My school trunk is already packed, but I throw together a small carry case with a few extra clothes and bits and bobs. At three-twenty, I drag my stuff down to the train station. Am I going to be catching a train? Where does James live, anyway? I decide to take a seat just outside the station, and I wait.

At three-thirty on the dot, a violently purple triple-decker bus pulls up in front of the station, almost knocking me off the little bench in shock. I stare around wildly, looking for muggles. Luckily, there's no one about.

A small, wrinkled creature, which I immediately recognise as a house-elf, appears at the bus door and hops down to greet me.

"Miss Lily?" it asks in a squeaky voice, and I nod cautiously. "I is Dotty, the Potters' house elf."

"H-hi," I stutter. I wasn't expecting this. I'm sure James said he'd come and get me himself.

"Master James has sent me to collect you, miss," she squeaks, and an elderly man in a matching purple uniform appears behind her. He takes my trunk and bag and pulls them onto the bus, and I follow. I take a seat, trying to ignore the strong scent of cats.

Ten minutes later, when I finally assume I'm not going to vomit, I turn to the house elf.

"Couldn't James come?" I ask.

"Ah, Master James is busy, miss," she squeaks.

"Doing what?" I say.

"He is cooking with Masters Sirius and Remus," Dotty replies. I actually laugh out loud. James? Cooking?

I rest my head against the window, having given up trying to look at the scenery, which is speeding past so quickly it's making me dizzy. So, James has got a house elf. I thought only the oldest and richest pure blooded families had elves.

I know James is pureblood of course, and wealthy, but… Just how high status is his family? Suddenly I feel very nervous.

I feel a tugging at my elbow.

"We is here, miss," Dotty tells me, and she slides down off of the seat. She pulls out a few coins out of the tatty apron she's wearing and hands them to the conductor, who heaves my stuff out behind us. I turn to thank him, but the bus is already out of sight.

"Right this way, miss."

Dotty leads me up a narrow country path, and then we approach the Potters' house. Well, I say house. Perhaps mansion or manor would be a better term to use. It's enormous. Stupidly, over the top, unnecessarily huge.

The house elf holds open an elegant iron gate and I walk in, heading up the driveway. The lawns are perfectly manicured and the hedges impeccably pruned.

"I shall take your belongings upstairs now, miss Lily," Dotty squeaks, and in a second she and my trunk have vanished with a faint crack.

I turn to the front door, which is also ridiculously big and somewhat threatening. Black and shiny, which a heavily polished doorknob and knocker. I still can't help feeling nervous. I take a deep breath and knock three times.

Suddenly, the door springs open and James, Sirius and Remus are all standing before me, grinning wildly and wearing paper hats. It's quite unnerving.

A chorus of "Lily! – Merry Christmas! – How are you?! – Come in!" blasts me in the face and I'm dragged inside.

The inside of the Potters' house is much nicer and more muted. It's not as extravagant as I'd expected, and pretty much looks like any regular house with the addition of various paintings of medieval figures and the strong smell of wood and polish in the air.

"Hi," I manage to finally say, a little breathless. Everyone's beaming at me. I feel very much out of my depth.

The boys seem to realise this as James then clears his throat and says, "Er… Do you want me to take your coat?" and Remus leads me into the sitting room.

"Good Christmas?" Sirius asks me, and I nod.

"Pretty good, yeah. Yours?"

"Excellent," Sirius replies. "It's just been me, Remus and the Potters, all cozied up here."

"Don't your parents mind?" I ask. "I mean, wouldn't you rather spend time with your own families?"

The three exchange a look and then begin laughing. After a moment, James says, "Yes, I'm sure Sirius'd rather spend two weeks with his charming family."

At my puzzled expression, Sirius elaborates. "My parents hate me. They've practically disowned me so I've ran away. I've been staying here since summer – when we aren't at school, obviously."

Oh. I'd have never have thought. I know that Sirius comes from an old pure blood family too, but that was about the extent of my knowledge.

"They're dark wizards," he goes on. "All Slytherins. I suppose I'm the only one with a bit of good in me, and they don't like that. They don't like different."

"Oh," I say quietly. "What about your parents, Remus? Don't they mind?" Somehow I can't imagine Remus coming from a family of dark wizards.

"Travelling," he says. "They were going to come home for Christmas but… I told them not to bother, it's too much hassle. They're in Argentina or something. They knew I'd be alright here."

I nod, feeling a bit better that I finally know a little more about these guys than before. Sirius isn't just the cheeky ladies-man. Remus isn't neglected; he's just tired all the time... Or something.

James sniffs and then jumps up, heading out of the room. Again, reading my confused face, the others come to my aid.

"James has been baking," Remus tells me scathingly whilst Sirius chuckles.

"He's trying to impress you," Sirius adds as he too gets up and heads out of the room after James. I feel my face redden.

They're back a while later with an ornate plate piled high with cookies. They smell really good.

"Y-you made these?" I ask uneasily.

"Doesn't seem the type, does he?" Remus smiles.

"Excuse me," James says indignantly, "I'll have you know I'm very skilled with a whisk and flour."

This time, I laugh. "You?!" I scoff. He throws me a scathing smile before offering me the plate. They taste as good as they smell. If this is what James is willing to do to impress me, he can carry on, no problem. These cookies are amazing.

As night falls, James lights a fire and I fold up my legs on one of the large, velvet sofas. I listen to the others chat about various things and I realise I'm actually pretty comfortable like this. I don't mean on the sofa, but in this company, with these people. I guess they're all my friends now. It's odd to think at the start of term I resented James and was intimidated by the others. Well, James has yet to completely to win me over. He's still growing on me.

A sharp and flustered voice interrupts the low hum of chatter.

"James, have you seen Dotty? I can't find that blasted elf anywhere!"

A woman enters the room. Even in her advanced age, she's beautiful. I can only image what a beauty she was in her younger years. She shares James' jet black hair, although hers is mixed with sliver strands. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this is Mrs Potter – James' mother.

"Oh," Mrs Potter stops in her tracks and he eyes fall upon me. My nerves have returned. "You must be Miss Evans," she says, and I can't quite place my finger on her tone of voice.

"Lily," I correct her as I nod. I don't know what I'm meant to do. Should I get up and shake her hand? Curtsey? I've no idea how to act in front of her and I'm not sure how she's used to being treated by others.

Obviously I've done something wrong, because I can now recognise her tone as cold and she narrows her eyes. "You're the muggleborn."

At first I think it's a question, but then I realise it's a statement.

"Mother…" James begins, but Mrs Potter holds up her hand.

"Well, I do hope you enjoy your stay here," she says, and I feel less and less welcome by the second. "And I hope James will teach you about us proper magical people."

"Mother," James repeats firmly, glaring at her. Mrs Potter simply wrinkles her nose and casts me a look of disgust before leaving. I'm speechless.

"I'm sorry," James says to me, after a long bout of silence. "I didn't think she'd behave like this."

I say nothing and James moves over to sit beside me.

"I told you before… my parents – they're old fashioned. I mean, well, you know – they're just…"

"James mate," Sirius says quietly, "to be fair, you're mum can be a bit, well, you know what I mean…"

He nods. "Lily – don't listen to her. She's just – Well, wait until you meet my dad. He's much nicer. You'll like him."

I think back to our 'date' in the Three Broomsticks, when James had told me about his parents. 'Not big on muggleborns', I'd said. Well, I guess I was sort of right.

I force a smile. "Well, at least it's pretty clear why you're so rude."

James gives me a smile of relief as the others chuckle, but I still can't help feeling like I'm in deep water. This was meant to be a fun couple of days but now I think I'm going to feel constantly threatened.

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