On the third day of Christmas, my best friends gave to me

three broomsticks

two phoenixes,

and a box of Bertie Bott's Beans

"Feeling better this morning?" Lily asked the three cheerfully at breakfast the next morning.

"Too loud." Sirius moaned, dropping his head onto the table.

"Its your own fault for drinking so much." Remus pointed out.

"Head hurting." James mumbled.  His face was hidden in his elbow as he snoozed on the table.

"Come on James, up and at 'em." Lily smiled, sitting him up.

"Nnng." he moaned. "I'm conscious and dressed, what more do you want?"

"You three certainly are entertaining when you're drunk." Remus grinned.

"Particularly the Cow Christmas carols and dancing the Hokey Pokey." Lily added. "We'll have to show you the pictures later."

"I'm glad I don't remember any of this." Peter spoke up.

"Stop talking.  I'm out of aspirin." Sirius moaned.

"Maybe next time you'll know not to drink so much." Lily told him.

"Hey, Butterbeer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." Sirius replied.

"All it takes is a little common sense to know when to stop drinking.  You brought it on yourselves." Remus said.

"I have plenty of common sense." James protested. "I just choose to ignore it."

"Its still your own fault." Lily replied.

"If we admit its our fault, will you stop talking?" Sirius whined.

"You three are awfully cranky when you have hangovers, you know that?"

"Try being on the receiving end." Peter replied.

**********

"You sure you don't want to play Lily?" Peter asked as he, James, Sirius, and Remus prepared to play Exploding Snap.  They had slept for a few more hours and were much more pleasant now.

"I'm sure.  I'm not any good at that game anyway." she replied. "I think I'll just go wrap presents."

"Ooh, can I help?" James asked.

"Nice try James.  You'll just have to wait until Christmas like everyone else."

"Can't blame a guy for trying." James grinned as she retreated upstairs.

"James, you've been trying to get your presents from her early since first year and you have yet to succeed.  You may as well give up." Sirius told him.  Lily came bounding down the stairs and headed for the portrait hole. "Hey, where are you going?"

"Library.  I just remembered a Charm I wanted to try, but the book is in the library." she said.  James was halfway out of his seat.  He was going to try and sneak a peek at his present up in her dorm. "Oh, and James, I wouldn't recommend sneaking a look at your presents.  I put a charm on them, so unless you want rabbit ears until New Year's, I suggest you stay put."

"That's cheating." he pouted, sitting back down. 

"Its not cheating.  Its creative problem solving." Lily smiled.  James was about to reply, but she was already gone, so he didn't bother.

**************

"Finally found it." Lily thought, pulling a very old book from the shelf.  "Christmas Charms for Holiday Fun."

            Lily had found this book at the beginning of the year.  It was filled with different holiday charms, from enchanting Christmas trees, to making it snow indoors, to making everlasting candy canes.  But the one she was looking for was much more complicated.  The Merry Christmas Charm.  She wanted to use it on the Marauders.  It was perfect.  The Charm, when cast right, guaranteed a Merry Christmas.  It had to be cast on more than one person, and she was planning to cast it on herself too.  Anyone who had the charm on them would feel especially happy on Christmas Day.  But, if they were all brought together as the moon rose on Christmas Day, they would experience a feeling of incredible peace and joy.  If she could get them all together, they would have the perfect Christmas, something they would remember all their lives.  All she had to do was figure out how to cast the spell correctly.  She was deeply immersed in studying when she heard a familiar, and unwelcome, voice yell out from the other side of the bookshelf.

"Damn it!  You stupid quill!" Snape hissed.  He'd just broken the point of his quill.  He threw it down in frustration, spilling what little ink he had left all over the parchment he had been writing on. "Damn it!"

"You may want to keep your voice down, Snape." Lily said, leaning against the bookshelf, looking at him.  "It may be Christmas, but I doubt Madame Pince will go easy on you for disturbing the peace of the library."

"Whoopdeedoo.  Its Christmas.  Big deal.  What do you want Evans?" he snarled.

"Well, for starters, I'd like you to stop cursing.  I'm trying to study over here.  What's your problem anyway?"

"Not that you care, but my quill just broke, and I've spilled ink all over the letter I was writing to my step-father."

"So, exactly how does cursing at your quill solve your problem?"

"Shove off, Mudblood."

"Reparo." she said, aiming her wand at his quill.  It instantly repaired itself. "Markis Reverso.  Liquidio Bottlis."

            The ink that had spilled over the parchment instantly disappeared, leaving it as it had been before.  His inkbottle also righted itself and refilled with ink.  Snape stared in wonder.

"You're welcome." Lily smirked as she walked away.  I can finish studying in peace up in my dorm, she thought.  At least I don't have to deal with Snape there.

**********

"So, have fun in the library today?" James asked lily at dinner.

"Oh yes.  Apart from the time Snape spent insulting me."

"He probably doesn't have anything better to do than hide in the library." Sirius spoke up. "You'd think he'd be more careful about who he pisses off, considering none of his little Slytherin friends are here to protect him."

"I can protect myself, Black.  Unlike some people, I don't need to hang out with people bigger than me and depend on them to keep me safe." Snape spoke up.  He directed this comment at Peter.

"Shove off Snape." Remus told him. "Go back to whatever swamp you crawled out of."

"Brilliant comeback Lupin." Snape said, rolling his eyes.

"Don't you have something better to do?  Like researching a degreasing potion or something?" James spoke up.

"If I were going to research something, it would be a cure for annoying gits like you five." Snape retorted. "At least I spend my time doing something useful, like learning, unlike you and your childish pranks.  Though I must say, you are far less entertaining now that you're sober."

"As if you've never gotten drunk." Peter snapped.

"At least I know enough not to blame others for my hangovers Pettigrew, like you three were yesterday.  You only had yourselves to blame for them.  Cause and effect.  Or is that too complicated for you?" Snape sneered.

"Cause and effect huh?  Here's a cause and effect for you Snape." Sirius said angrily. "Slytherin provokes Gryffindor.  Gryffindor breaks Slytherin's nose."

"Ooh, brilliant Black.  How long did it take you to think that one up?" Snape sneered, stalking off.

"One of these days, I'm really going to kill him." Sirius growled.

"I doubt anyone will miss him if you do." James added.