On the fourth day of Christmas my best friends gave to me
four butterbeers,
three broomsticks
two phoenixes
and a box of Bertie Bott's Beans.
"You realize you're too nice for your own good Lils?" Siirus asked her the next morning. Lily sat on the couch between him and James. Remus and Peter sat sleepily on the floor.
"I am not too nice. I just behave myself, unlike some people I could name."
"Hey, its more fun to misbehave." he protested.
"Perhaps, but do you have to try and get me to misbehave also?"
"Yes actually."
"Come on Lily, live dangerously." James teased.
"Dangerously? Such as?" she teased back.
"Well, for one thing, you can dump James and come with me to the Astronomy Tower." Sirius suggested, winking at her. This earned him a pillow to the face from Lily.
"Sirius, you're awful, you know that?"
"Come on Lily, be naughty." Sirius continued, grinning mischeviously. He put his arm around her, but she knew he was just playing around. "Save Santa the trip."
"I'm not sitting next to you anymore. You're insane." Lily said, moving to sit on the other side of James.
"What's wrong with being insane?"
"So many things." Remus grinned.
"You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me." Sirius said.
"That's it, I'm going for a walk." Lily said. "You all are just too crazy for me to be around."
"Fine, be that way." Sirius said, pretending to be hurt.
"I plan to. See you all at lunch." Lily smiled. She kissed James good-bye before heading out.
She really had no idea where she was going. She just wandered around aimlessly. Usually, when she wandered at random, she found some pretty interesting stuff. She usually forgot where she found it, but it made for some interesting stories. Maybe if she payed attention this time, she'd be able to find her way back later. Of course, that as assuming she found anything worth seeing again. Left, right, left, right again. It was funny how loudly her footsteps echoed in the empty corridor. It sounded almost as though it were filled with people.
Then, Lily heard a very strange sound, one that made her stop in her tracks and listen. Weeping. Curious as to who could possibly be crying when Christmas was so near, Lily followed the sounds. Down the corridor, past door after door. She was amazed at just how far the sound could carry, and wondered if anyone else heard. Finally, she came to a door at the end of the hall. It sounded as though the crying was coming from inside the room behind the door. She was just about to open the door when she heard a voice call her.
"Lily! There you are!" James called, running down the corridor to her. "Come on, Sirius is trying to beat Peter's record for stuffing the most Bertie Botts beans in his mouth."
"Oh, yeah, okay." she said. The crying had stopped. But even as James dragged her down the hall, she couldn't help wondering. Who had been crying?
***********
"Come on Padfoot, just a few more beans." James cheered him on. Sirius stuffed another bean into his mouth.
"Thirty four." Remus announced. "Almost there."
"He's going to beat me. Its not that hard to do." Peter said.
"At least he's quiet right now." Lily pointed out. Sirius would have made a face at her if possible. Instead, he stuffed another bean into his mouth.
"Thirty five." Remus continued counting. "Thirty six."
"Well, he's tied it at least." James said. "Just one more Padfoot."
Sirius shook his head. He was starting to look ill, like Peter had when he had set the record. Peter wasn't about the let him give up that easily.
"Oh no you don't. You aren't quitting after all this. I demand you break my record." Peter grinned. Sirius rolled his eyes. "What? I didn't sit here watching you for the past fifteen minutes to let you give up now."
"He has a point Sirius." James grinned.
"Yeah. Now put another bean in your mouth or I'll shove it in myself." Lily said. Sirius' eyes lit up, as if considering letting her do just that. "Dream on Sirius."
"Thirty seven." Remus announced as Sirius managed to fit another bean in his mouth. "New record."
Sirius began to gag. It was probably hard to breathe with his mouth full of jelly beans. He grabbed the nearest empty Bertie Bott's Beans box and held it over his mouth as he began coughing.
"You okay Padfoot?" James asked.
"Now that I've emptied my mouth, yes. I think I had a liver one right next to my tongue. I'm never eating these ever again." Sirius said, looking at the box. "Anyone want one?"
"Sirius, you're disgusting." Lily said.
"And he also has the new record, which I doubt anyone is dumb enough to try and break." Peter said.
"That's right. I have the biggest mouth of the Marauders." Sirius said proudly. "Hey, wait a minute."
"Absolutely brilliant Sirius." Remus laughed.
"Notice how no one is arguing with you." Lily added with a smile. She shrieked and began running as Sirius chased her playfully around the Common Room.
