A/N: Hey, look at that! It's been almost exactly one week since the last update! Sorry, it's a bit later than I wanted... I had most of it written a few days ago, but I had final exams... And then I got my laptop taken away... Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to guineapiggie, who asked for this song!
"I can't believe Minnie's giving us all of this homework!" Sirius said as they left Transfiguration on the next to last day before winter holidays.
"We are O.W.L. students now," Remus pointed out, shifting his canvas bag from his left shoulder to his right.
"But it's almost the holidays!" Sirius moaned. "It's not right!"
"Life's not right, Paddy. I mean, if it was, Lily'd just say yes to me already," James said, catching up to his friends. He had been speaking with McGonagall, who'd wanted his help with a small tutoring group for struggling students.
"Yes, that's exactly what's holding her back, Prongs," Remus said, shaking his head. "Honestly..."
"What'd Minnie want, Prongs?" Sirius asked. They were still on shaky terms, and he figured an argument about Lily should be avoided at all costs.
"She wanted me to tutor a few of the students in her fifth year class that need help. I said I would... Maybe Lily'll find out, and think better of me for it," James said with a shrug. "It also gives me something to do..."
"Not like we don't already have Quidditch, captain," Sirius muttered.
"Well, I meant something to better society," James said.
"Because helping poor fifth years with Transfiguration definitely betters society," Remus said, rolling his eyes.
"It'll help them later! They're our future!" James protested.
"Whatever," Sirius said as they walked into the common rooms to drop off their bags.
"So we're all staying this year?" James asked at dinner that night.
"No, how many times do I have to tell you that my parents actually like me and want me to be home for the holidays?" Remus said as he cut his (rare) steak.
"That's no fun, Moony!" Sirius said, pouring something from a flask into his goblet.
"Sirius, what the hell did you add to your cup?" Remus asked, suddenly worried.
"Just a little firewhiskey," Sirius said with a lopsided smirk.
"Did you just say you added firewhiskey to your drink?" Lily said, flouncing down on the bench next James.
"Er..." Sirius said. He didn't want to share the truth with innocent Evans.
"Yes, he did," Remus said. "Feel free to scold as you see fit."
"It's not actually firewhiskey!" James said. "It's just butterbeer."
"And how do you know, Potter?" Lily said, turning to him.
"Er..."
"We drank all of what we got last time," Sirius said. "It really is just butterbeer... I can share if you want me to prove it..." He smirked.
"No thanks," Lily said, wrinkling her nose.
"I'll try," Mary said, sitting next to Sirius. She took the goblet and drank a swig.
"And?" Lily asked after a few seconds.
"Just butterbeer," Mary confirmed.
"Now that that crisis has been averted..." James said, trying to get Lily's attention back on himself.
"Yes, Potter?" Lily asked, a bemused look on her face.
"Are you going to be staying for the holidays?" James asked.
"Actually, I am. Mum and Dad are spending the entire break with Petunia, who decided that if I attended I would 'ruin the entire thing.' So Mum sent me a letter last week asking if I minded staying here..." Lily said, biting back both tears and a rant.
"Good news! You, Padfoot, and me are the only students in our year staying!" James said, way to excited.
"What?!" Lily asked, her face dropping. She looked at Mary, who had told her just last week that she was going to stay over break.
"I'm sorry, Lil, but last minute Mum owled... They need me," Mary said, looking like a child who was getting scolded.
"Remus?" Lily asked. He was her last hope.
"With my, er..." Remus started.
"With his time of the month, his parents always love seeing him during the holidays," Sirius said, taking over. Peter chuckled into his porridge.
"Sirius!" Remus whined. "You make it sound like I'm a girl!"
"Whatever do you mean, Remmie?" Mary asked. Remus blushed.
"Er, you know... Like I have..." Remus stuttered.
"A period?" Lily asked, the corners of her mouth twitching.
"A menstrual cycle?" James asked, smirking.
"Now, now, Moony... I think we all know that you're a little boy, not a little girl," Sirius said. Lily couldn't hold it in any longer. She burst out in fits of giggles, which triggered James, which triggered Peter... Soon, the entire table was full of contagious laughter.
"Thank Merlin Sluggy didn't give us any homework," James said as he flopped onto the couch after his last class the day before break.
"I still have the homework from Minnie," Sirius grumbled.
"Really? I was done with it in about five minutes," James said, running his hand through his hair.
"Yeah, well sadly, we can't all be transfiguration whizzes like you," Sirius muttered.
"Thanks for the complement."
"At least it's not a detention. Honestly, you thought it'd be a good idea to charm the suits of armor to wank?" Remus said, entering the common room with his arms laden with books.
"What's all that?" Sirius asked, staring at the pile.
"I need to bring some resources home with me so that I can get everything ready. The next full moon is right when we get back from break, so I got all the work I'm likely to miss," Remus said. He walked passed his friends and headed up to the dorm.
"So Paddy..." James said, a small smirk forming.
"Yes, my dear Mr. Prongs?" Sirius said, looking lazily at the fireplace.
"Do you think we could sneak into Hogsmeade and get some firewhiskey or mead to celebrate the holiday?" James asked.
"Of course, Mr. Prongs!" Sirius said, looking at his friend. "Although, I daresay that Miss Evans might tell on us if she found out..."
"If I found out about what, Black?" Lily said, walking into the common room.
"James and I want to get wasted this holiday season," Sirius said plainly. He hoped she'd do the whole if-you-can't-beat-'em-join-'em thing, and let them do it.
"Wasted on what, exactly?" Lily asked, arching her eyebrow.
"Firewhiskey," James supplied.
"How do two underage wizards get firewhiskey?" Lily asked.
"Oh, my dear Lily-flower..." Sirius said, shaking his head.
"Sirius is seventeen now..." James said.
"Even then, we have friends..." Sirius said mysteriously.
"Do you want to get drunk out of your mind with us?" James asked.
Lily looked like she was actually considering it for a moment... "Maybe.. I need to think about it." Sirius and James looked shocked.
"No way. I don't believe 'Perfect Prefect Evans' is going to break the rules!" Sirius said, while James just looked at her gaping.
"Well, just wait and see," Lily said, and she left the room. Sirius, for once, was at a loss for words.
Christmas day had come, and the castle was beautiful, as always. There were giant ice statues in the Entrance Hall, and the normal 12 trees in the Great Hall. Fairies twinkled in the hallways, and coats of armor (besides the one that Sirius had yet again charmed to wank) sang Christmas carols.
Lily was trying to ignore James and Sirius as much as possible, and thus was spending most of her time in the library. She had decided, however, that she liked the idea of getting hopelessly drunk with the boys, especially after getting the latest letter from Petunia. Apparently, Lily's 'abnormality' had been the cause of all their childhood troubles, and Petunia wanted to make sure that if and when Lily married she kept her 'spawn' as far away from Petunia's as possible. This all had made Lily crazy-mad, but she was trying not to let Petunia get to her anymore.
"Dinner was great, don't you think?" Lily said, sitting on the couch across from Sirius and James.
"Yep," James said, looking around all the other students in the common room. There were not too many, but there were enough that James thought they shouldn't drink out in the open...
"So when are we gonna start..." Lily asked, looking around the semi-empty room.
"Well, James and I'll go up to our dorm... And then you can come up to 'yell' at us, or whatever you want," Sirius said.
"We're drinking in your dorm!" Lily said, flabbergasted.
"Yeah..." Sirius said.
"I'm not going in there!"
"Then you're not drinking with us. There's too many people here," Sirius said flatly.
"But.. .But...!" Lily said.
"Listen, Lil. We're not going to use you. We're just going to drink a bit..." James said. He really hoped she'd come.
"Fine... I'm just thinking.. What will people say when they see me going up with you?" Lily said, really not having much of a resolve.
"No one'll notice, and if they do, we can just say Remus made you promise to tutor us," James said.
"Oh, all right," Lily said, sighing.
"Why don't we go get started on that homework?" Sirius asked, waggling his eyebrows. James smiled and stood up, and Lily followed in suit.
"I don't think I've ever heard you two so excited about homework!" Lily said laughing as the thundered up the stairs.
"I'm! So! Drunk!" Lily said, laughing. It had been three hours and they had gone through two bottles of Firewhiskey.
"Yes, you are, Lil!" James said, wrapping his arm around her waist. Surprisingly (or maybe not since she wasn't in her right mind...), she didn't tell him to move it.
"So whadda you do when yous drunk?" Lily asked, slightly slurring her words.
"Well, Peter always falls asleep..." James said, "I moan about not having you and write really cheesy poetry... And Sirius sings."
"Cheesy poems?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Ode to My Flower," James said. "When I see her red hair waving in the wind/ It takes all my energy to hold back my grin/ Her eyes are green as an emerald/ How she rejects me leaves me baffled."
"Wow, talk abou' cheesy," Lily said, giggling. "It's sweet, though," she added thoughtfully.
"Yeah, yeah," Sirius said. He brought the bottle to his lips and took a swig.
"I ready to sing!" Sirius said about half an hour later. Lily giggled.
"What are we going to sing, Siri?" James asked. He was pretending to be more drunk than he actually was, for he wanted to remember this night with Lily... even if nothing happened.
"How 'bout Help! by-" Sirius started, but Lily cut him off.
"The Beatles?" Lily said. "They're only one of my most favorite bands.. EVER!"
"Really?" Sirius said, looking bemused.
"Well, yeah. My Mum really likes them, and so she was constantly playing them when we were growing up. My favorite song's always been 'Let It Be' even though it's kinda depressing..."
"So how 'bout it then?" Sirius asked, taking another large swig from the new (fourth) bottle.
"Alright!" Lily said, and she reached for the player on James's side-table.
"HELP! I need somebody!" Sirius sung.
"Help! Not just anybody," Lily sang. James was taken aback by her harmonious voice.
"Help, I need somebody," James sang.
"HELP!" they all sang.
"When I was younger, so much younger than to-da-ay..." Sirius sang.
"I never needed anybody's help in any way," James continued.
"But now these days are gone and I'm not so self assured," Sirius sang.
"Now I've found I've changed my mind and open up the doors..." James sang, finishing the first verse.
"Help me if you can, I'm feeling do-o-own..." Lily sang, taking off with the chorus.
"And I do appreciate you bein' 'round..." Sirius said.
"Help me get my feet back on the ground..." Lily continued.
"Won't you please, please help me!" all three sang.
"Now.." James sang backup.
"Now my life has changed in oh-so-many ways," Sirius sang. "My independence seems to vanish in the haze."
"But every now and then I feel so insecure... I know I need you like I've never needed you before," Lily sang. She looked straight at James, drunkenly hoping that he'd realize she meant that in real life. Well, sometimes she felt that way...
"I know I need you like I never had before!" James sang. His smile was broad, and his eyes were kind.
"Help me if you can, I'm feeling do-o-own," Sirius sang, standing up and collapsing onto his four-poster bed.
"And I do appreciate you being 'round..." James sang.
"SHIT!" Lily said suddenly, overtop of Sirius's off-key singing.
"What?" James asked, concerned.
"I had rounds tonight!"
"Very badass of you, Lily.." Sirius slurred. "I mean, skipping out on your duties.."
"I've got to go!" Lily said, standing up and making to leave.
"No you don't," James said. Lily turned to look at him.
"And why the hell not?"
"Because you're drunk as fuck, Lily. If someone were too see you..."
"You don't control me, Potter!" Lily said, turning back to the door. Her passionate speech didn't get her too far, however, when she had to cling to Remus's bedpost as to not fall. (Sirius leaned over and turned the record player off.)
James shook his head, but stood and walked over to her. "Maybe I don't most of the time. However, as your friend, it is my job to make sure you don't make a fool of yourself." James wrapped his arm around Lily's waist to steady her.
"But..."
"Lily, I'm not letting you leave this room. You can sleep on Remus's bed; it's cleaner than Pete's and I'm sure as hell you don't want to share with Pads or me. If you really can't sleep in here, then let me get one of the seventh year girls we're on good terms with, and she can help you to your dorm."
Lily flushed. "I don't want anyone else to know how irresponsible I was."
"Fine, then Remus's bed it is," James said. He quickly picked her up, and set her gently on Remus's bed. He kissed her hand, and then pulled the curtains around the bed shut.
Lily awoke early, thankfully. She quickly, carefully, and quietly ran from the boys' dorm to her own, glad that her dorm mates had all gone home for the holidays.
A/N: Me, again XD I don't like how this chapter turned out. It was great when the idea popped into my head... And then it went in a direction I wasn't expecting. Please review, they make me happy, and make me write quicker! It's almost New Years... hmm, anyone have any ideas for a song for me to do?