Chapter 4

Victoria quietly shut the book, tucked the coverlet around a soundly sleeping Isabelle, and stood to leave the room. She paused at the door, smiled, and closed the door soundlessly. When she got to the foot of the staircase, Lily was letting herself in the front door.

"Good evening, my dear. How's my son holding up?"

"He's nervous."

"I can imagine. He'll be fine tomorrow, though."

"I hope so. How is Isabelle?"

"Sound asleep. She's a delightful child."

"I wouldn't know," Lily said, dejected.

"Why not?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"Because I can't even talk to my own sister! I don't know her, and she doesn't know me. The only person she knows is Sirius. Not that I'm not grateful, but he's the only person she'll give the time of day. I wish that I could take her around sightseeing, just the two of us. Or read her a bedtime story. She hates me."

"She doesn't hate you," Victoria began, leading Lily to the drawing room. "She worships the ground you walk on. Isabelle is afraid to make you angry, so she avoids you. She thought you were going to send her back to Petunia because she disobeyed Sirius today. Give her time to become self-confident in your love for her. She'll come around, I promise."

"But, what do I do in the meantime?" Lily sniffled.

"What you've been doing. She's learning English rapidly, just so that she can talk to you. As for Sirius, they need each other, and always will. Their relationship will change over time, of course," she mused, allowing herself a small smile. "Everything will work out. You'll see."

"Thanks for listening," she said gratefully.

"Anytime."

Feeling much better, Lily headed to bed, hoping that James would get some rest tonight. The Quidditch team had a strict curfew, thank goodness. At least he wouldn't be tempted to be out all night with Sirius and Remus, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~


Across town, Sirius walked into a large, noisy house completely filled with people, stepping over large piles of bottles and other assorted litter. Dominic really outdid himself this time, he thought, looking around at the ongoing party for someone he knew. He spotted Remus in a corner, surrounded by at least five girls, all foreign by the looks of them.

"Hey, man. How'd you get sprung from babysitting?" Remus tossed him a drink.

"Mummy P's an amazing woman," Sirius replied, twisting the top off and tossing it on the floor.

"I'll drink to that," he said, holding up his bottle in a toast.

"Remus, you'll drink to anything."

"So true, so true. Hey," he said pointing to the girls. "This is Heidi, Samantha, Maria, Jocelyn, and Narcissa. Ladies, this is my best mate Sirius Black."

"Nice to finally meet you, Sirius. I've heard so much about you," Narcissa said, looking him up and down.

I bet, he thought, without changing facial expression. Yet another fortune hunter. And she thinks she can outgame me. Nice try, dear. Your flattery doesn't impress me, and neither does the rest of you.

"I'm sure. Please excuse me, I need to talk to Dominic." With a quick nod to Remus, he went into the kitchen. Several people were perched on stools around an island, involved in an intense game of high-stakes Exploding Snap.

"Well, it's about time the high roller showed up," Dominic shouted over the crowd while dealing a hand. Sirius sat down in an empty stool, looking over his cards thoughtfully.

"Not on munchkin duty tonight?" Xavier asked snidely.

"Nope."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the game is five card stud. Since Mr. Black has decided to grace us with his presence, the ante is five galleons," Dominic said with a wicked grin. The entire group murmured and complained, but anted up. "As usual, if your cards explode before you register your hand with the dealer, yours truly, your ante goes into the pot automatically. Good luck."

The players quickly analyzed their hands, discarded and drew cards. A master at card games, Sirius was the first to register his hand, a full five seconds before his cards exploded. Three others managed to beat the explosion, but Sirius won that hand and the next five. After winning a thousand galleons, he left the table, bored.

He walked outside and sat on the back porch, brooding. The only thought in his head was that Regina wasn't coming tomorrow. She had been distant since moving to New York, he admitted. In two months, he had received five short letters from her. Lily got a letter every other day; even James got a card once a week wishing him luck in the World Cup. Dejected, he downed the rest of his bottle in one gulp.

A petite brunette sat a couple of feet away from him, cupping her chin in her hands. She looked familiar to Sirius, but he couldn't quite place her. Suddenly aware that she wasn't alone, she looked at him, startled.

"Sorry, I didn't know anyone else was out here." She stood up to leave, and Sirius finally recognized her.

"Hey, you're Rosemary Jamison, right?"

"Yeah. Anyway, I'll see you around."

"Wait. You don't have to leave. I don't really want to be alone, anyway."

She smiled slowly and sat back down, knowing exactly what was on his mind. There's no time like the present to forget my problems, Sirius decided. If Regina can act like I don't exist, then I can pretend that she doesn't mean anything to me, either.

~~~~~


Sunlight flooded Lily's bedroom as Regina threw open the tightly drawn curtains. To her body, it was early afternoon, and she was ready to have some fun. Well, as soon as Lily woke up, that is.

"Rise and shine," she said perkily, jumping on the bed.

"Who gave you a happy pill?" Lily grumbled, covering her head with a pillow.

"Come on, already. Let's go out and shop before the match."

"I'd rather sleep."

"Please?"

"Fine. Meet you downstairs in half an hour."

Gina hummed as she bounded down the staircase towards the kitchen. Two groggy, dazed voices floated out into the hallway, making her cover a giggle behind her mouth. It became even harder not to laugh out loud when she walked into the kitchen. Remus and Sirius were draped across the kitchen table, clearly feeling the effects of a night on the town.

"It's not that big of a deal," Sirius mumbled.

"Not that big of a deal? From what I heard, you had a very intense snog session with Rosemary Jamison, walked her home, and then came back and snogged Melissa Adams and Daphne King."

"So?"

"Glad to hear nothing changes," Gina interrupted.

Sirius looked up at the doorway, stunned. "I th-thought you weren't coming."

"What? And miss my brother become a national hero? Never. I wanted to surprise you, that's all." She grinned broadly. "Sounds like I missed a good party, though. Stupid time change."

"Good party? What an understatement." Remus proceeded to fill her in on all the details from the previous night.

Sirius leaned his head into his hands, still in shock. If he had known that she was coming, he wouldn't have bothered with those other girls. Why would she miss the match? He felt incredibly stupid.

"Alright," Lily huffed from the doorway. "Ready to go, sunshine?"

"Excuse me. Can I go, too? I want to buy a broomstick, but Sirius looks too sick to shop," Isabelle asked with pleading eyes.

"Of course," Gina said cheerfully, taking her by the hand and leading her into the street.

~~~~~


James felt sick to his stomach, and he knew that no matter what he tried, the knot would only grow bigger and bigger the closer the match came. He paced up and down the locker room, trying to quell his nerves. This was the biggest match of his life, a defining moment, as the coach put it. Somehow, he passed the time, and marched onto the pitch with the rest of his team. Swallowing hard, he jumped on his broom and kicked off.

Looking over his shoulder, he caught a glimpse of the box seats high above the pitch where his family and friends were seated. He turned around and gave them a quick wave, which made the English stands go wild. James Potter was their local hero. Deciding to showboat a little, he grinned broadly and blew Lily a kiss. The response was deafening, mostly due to female fans that wished that he was blowing them a kiss, instead.

Lily turned bright red, but waved as the referees released the balls and the match began. She grabbed Isabelle's hand nervously as her heart raced. This match was important to James, and she wanted him to do well.

"James flies really well," Isabelle said, trying to reassure her sister. Lily smiled.

"He's the best. You'll never see a better game of Quidditch, so pay close attention, ok?" The little girl nodded seriously, and focused on the game.

"English chaser John Newcomb takes possession of the Quaffle. He passes to teammate David O'Brien. O'Brien races down the pitch – shoots – scores! Ten-zero to England," the announcer projected throughout the stands.

The game continued for two hours, with fierce competition from both sides. The score was 90-80 in favor of Portugal, when both seekers caught a glimpse of the Snitch. Mark Lane, the English seeker, raced neck and neck with Portuguese seeker Miguel Tomas. Just as the English chaser extended his hand for the Snitch, a Bludger smacked him squarely in the face, knocking him to the ground, unconscious.

"What's going to happen now?" Isabelle whispered.

"I don't know. The game can't end without catching the Snitch, and how are we going to win without a Seeker?" Lily wondered.

English officials hurried from the sidelines and removed Lane from the pitch while play continued overhead. In the confusion, the Snitch disappeared from sight and Portugal scored two goals, bringing their lead to thirty points.

"What an unfortunate stroke of luck for England," the announcer said. "During finals play, no substitutions are allowed. Therefore, they must play without a Seeker for the remainder of the game. This effectively ends all hopes of an English win."

The game went on. England managed to score another goal, but they were simply overrun by the Portuguese team. Only the lack of Snitch sightings gave English fans hope. Suddenly, the Portuguese seeker went into a tight dive towards the ground.

"Is that the Snitch? Seeker Tomas pursues the snitch, quickly followed by Chaser James Potter. Is Potter going after the Snitch?" The English fans erupted into cheers. "Potter is right on Tomas' heels – ducks a Bludger – and pulls out of the dive. Tomas is still chasing the Snitch – why is no one stopping him? Potter stops – opens his hand – it's the Snitch! English Chaser James Potter catches the Snitch for the win!"

Everyone in the box seats stood up, cheering and hugging. Lily had a huge grin on her face as she ran down to the pitch. James spotted her immediately, and engulfed her in a wild hug and passionate kiss as the news cameras clicked away.

~~~~~


Later that evening, the entire English Quidditch team threw a gigantic party to celebrate their win. Having trained so hard, for so long, being able to relax for a bit was heaven. Every few minutes, someone came up to congratulate James on catching the Snitch. Although he didn't mind the attention, he would've rather been somewhere alone with Lily celebrating.

"Hey, I'll be right back, ok?" Lily disappeared into the crowd, probably to talk to a friend, James thought to himself. She was so isolated in Dover – it worried him sometimes.

"That was some game of Quidditch you played," Remus whistled through his teeth. He and Sirius flopped down on the ground beside him, drinks in hand.

"Saved the best for last, I suppose," he replied evenly.

"What are you talking about? Puddlemere United and the Wimbourne Wasps have already offered you contracts. You can take your pick of teams after today," Sirius reminded him.

"Yeah, but there are more important things in life than Quidditch."

"Since when?" Sirius asked, shocked. Ever since they were kids, James had wanted to play professional Quidditch. What could possibly change his mind?

"Since I've been on the road for months, away from my friends and family. And Lily. I really miss her," his voice trailed off. "The National team's season ends in November. After that, I guess I'll come back home and find a job."

"I think you're crazy."

"Thanks, Remus. Knew I could count on you for support," James joked.

~~~~~


The cool fall breeze whipped around the apartment building as Regina walked up the stairs, reading Lily's latest letter. Humming, she waited for the elevator to arrive. It was very slow and didn't always work. Most of the people in the building took the stairs instead, but when the elevator broke down, she and Severus simply charmed it. She walked into the apartment, closing the door with her foot.

"How's Lily?" Severus asked with a forced smile. He tried to keep his personal feelings towards her family and friends to himself.

"Oh, fine. She and Sirius are taking Isabelle to a Halloween party tonight." She read further. "Surprise, surprise. My Quidditch hero brother is quitting the National team and getting a job with Sirius at the Ministry. Two Aurors in the family and two Unspeakables. Am I the only person around who doesn't think chasing bad guys is a fun thing to do? Must be too daft for the Ministry – they didn't even bother trying to hire me."

"Daft? If the rumors are true, you are anything but daft."

"What rumors?" she said innocently.

"That you found out you were going to be Head Girl and purposely failed every exam sixth year."

"Oh, that. I had a reputation as a slacker to uphold, you know. Didn't want to be teased by Sirius for the rest of my life for being on the Plaque of Shame."

Severus' temper flared. "Who cares what he thinks? You shouldn't be embarrassed because he's a stupid git who has nothing better to do than make fun of other people."

"He's not stupid," she countered. "Sirius is absolutely brilliant. When we were little kids, we had to take these intelligence tests for school. His IQ is off the scales."

"Why do you always defend him?"

"Because I know things about him that you don't, ok? Anyway, what did you do today?"

She opened the refrigerator and peered inside. Payday was in three days, so options for dinner were extremely limited. Remembering that some pasta was deep in the recesses of the fridge, she leaned in, shuffling items around.

"Oh, the usual. Fixed the elevator, made stuff blow up at work, told Jocelyn that I'd go to the party tonight."

Surprised, Regina smacked her head on the freezer door. "You, party?" she said, clutching the back of her head. "I've been trying to get you to go out for ages. What does she have that I don't?"

"Persistence," he grumbled, looking at the bloody gash. "Hold still. I think I have something to fix that."

He grabbed a jar out of the cabinet, and rubbed a glob of the yellow paste into her scalp. After a minute, the cut healed.

"Thanks." She looked up at Severus, and smiled. "So, who are you going with to the party? What's-her-face?"

"Sabrina? No, we went to a coffee bar last night, and I swear three double cappuccinos barely kept me awake. Dullest girl I've ever met," he laughed.

"Oh. So, you're single now?" she asked innocently.

"Unfortunately."

"Maybe I can change that, then." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Stunned, he stepped back. "What's the matter?"

"Uh, nothing," he stuttered.

"Good. Because I fancy you, Severus Snape, exploding cauldrons and all." She kissed him again.

"My exploding cauldrons are nothing compared to your art supplies covering every square inch of this place," he managed to mutter.

"Do you think we'll make it to the party?" she teased.

"Probably not. Do you mind?"

"Obviously not."

~~~~~


... and after that, we went ice skating until our lips turned blue. Oh, New York's so pretty at Christmastime, Sirius. You wouldn't believe all the decorations. I've been walking up and down the streets, just looking at the scenery, ever since Thanksgiving.

Speaking of Christmas, I'm afraid I won't be coming home this year. Work doesn't seem to understand the concept of a holiday. Besides, I have a secret for you – promise not to tell anyone? I hope you nodded yes, because I'm going to tell you anyway.

I've met someone in New York, and I don't know if I can stand to be without him over the holidays. I think Mum's Seen what's going on, because she's been a little snippy with me lately – wasn't too thrilled that I'm not coming home. Having a Seer for a mother is such a pain…

Anyway, have a Merry Christmas! Give my love to everyone, Regina

She's met someone in New York, Sirius thought over and over. She's not coming home.

"Damn it!" he screamed, punching a large hole into the wall. He turned around, and a pair of enormous green eyes stared at him.

"What's wrong?" Isabelle asked quietly, but unafraid. Unlike most people, his temper didn't bother her.

"Just got some bad news, that's all," he replied, quickly fixing the wall. He wouldn't have done that if he realized she was home. She and Lily weren't supposed to be back until later.

"I'm sorry." She walked over and gave him a hug.

"It's not your fault," he said, mostly to himself. If only Isabelle could appreciate what he sacrificed for her. Life just isn't fair, he thought miserably.

~~~~~


"I don't like that outfit," Isabelle said, wrinkling her nose.

"What's wrong with it?" Sirius asked indignantly.

"It's ugly. I'm glad you're not my date tonight."

"Oh, you have a date, huh?"

"Yes," she said seriously. "James is taking me Christmas shopping, then to dinner, and then we're going to see a play. Bet my date is better looking and more fun than yours."

"You're probably right. Alright, what's wrong with the outfit?"

"It clashes with your eyes. Try blue. Normally I would say green, but that would make you look like a Christmas tree."

"I can't believe I'm taking fashion advice from an eight and a half year old," he grumbled, heading upstairs to change, passing James on the staircase.

"Ready?" he asked Isabelle, throwing Floo powder into the fireplace. She grabbed his hand tightly as they traveled to the Leaky Cauldron in London. No matter how many times she traveled through the Floo network, it still frightened her. They walked into Diagon Alley, which was covered in holiday decorations.

Isabelle had never seen anything so beautiful in all her life. She happily followed James around, concentrating on understanding what he was telling her about the decorations. They went from store to store, picking up last-minute Christmas purchases.

"Wow," she breathed, pointing to a large fire burning in the market square. "What's that?"

"Remember what I told you about the Winter Solstice?" She nodded. "That's a Yule Log Ceremony to celebrate the Winter Solstice. Would you like to go see it?"

"Yes, please," she said eagerly. They watched the fire flicker and listened to the ceremony for a few minutes. He looked down at his watch.

"Hey, we have to go now if we're going to make our dinner reservations. Besides, I need to pick up something for Lily."

"What?"

"I'll only tell you if you can keep a secret." He paused. She stared at him in anticipation with her big green eyes. "I'm going to ask your sister to marry me, and I need to pick up the ring before the store closes."

"Then we better hurry then."

She pulled him in the direction of the jewelry store. He laughed, opening the door to the tiny shop. Isabelle was immediately fascinated; she loved anything pretty and shiny. James had to practically carry her out the store for dinner.

"What play are we going to see?"

"Annie. It's about an orphan girl who gets a new family for Christmas."

"Just like me," she said in awe.

"Yeah, just like you."

James could not believe how much she had changed over the past six months; she was a completely different little girl. One million pounds was a small price to pay for the privilege of raising her, he decided, giving her change to put in the ticket machine for the Tube.

~~~~~


"The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown," Regina sang to herself, hanging holiday decorations throughout the apartment. She managed to find a street vendor selling live garland and wreaths for a very reasonable price. This in New York City was nothing short of a miracle.

"Wow. What happened in here?"

"For we need a little Christmas, right this very minute," she sang, teasing him.

"Somebody's in a good mood," Severus said, walking over and kissing her deeply. "Any particular reason?"

"Other than spending the holidays with the man I love? Nope."

"Thought you won the New York State lottery or something." He gestured to the decorations.

"Oh," she laughed. "No, just found a vendor selling stuff dirt cheap."

"Well, it looks great. Except," his brow furrowed, "there's no mistletoe. Trying to tell me something?"

"Uh-huh. We don't need it."

"Is that a fact?"

"'Fraid so."

"I see," he said, beginning what turned into an incredibly intense snog session.

"Severus?"

"Hmm?"

"You know what our relationship reminds me of?"

"What's that?" he asked with a crooked grin, wondering what on earth she was thinking.

"The Winter Solstice," she mused. "An in between time. We're neither casually dating nor truly committed."

"And which do you prefer? I love you, so I'm not sure I could just date you casually. But," he looked into her deep blue eyes, swallowing nervously, "I'm ready to take our relationship to whatever level you're ready for."

"How far are you willing to go?" Her intensity caught Severus off guard.

"I'd marry you, Regina."

"Is that a proposal?" she asked, surprised.

"I guess it is." No backing down now, he decided. At least he would still have his pride when she turned him down.

"Well, I always said that I would never love a man that much." He braced for what was next. "I was wrong. Yes, I'll marry you, Severus."

"What? Are you sure?"

"Positive. The sooner, the better."


Like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, they spent the next week and a half planning a secret wedding. On New Year's Day, in a tiny chapel, Regina Potter married Severus Snape in a simple ceremony attended only by the minister.

~~~~

Y'all know the drill...hee hee hee...*grins*