A/N – I was kind of bummed, I have to admit, for only getting 3 reviews for that last chapter. Is anyone reading this anymore? Anyway, thank you to Hyperly Mad, Rena Lupin, and Potterfan18. I really, really, really appreciate you guys taking time to review my story. I love you guys!!! : ) Anyway, on to the story…
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The Christmas holidays were just a few days away, and it seemed, to the four boys, that time had slowed down, and the days had become longer. History of Magic was almost unbearable for the boys. Professor Binns, the ghost of a professor who taught the class, took no notice of the fact that he was almost torturing his class. Peter had fallen asleep and was leaving a big puddle of drool on the desk. James stared out of the window, his mind on the presents he was going to receive. Sirius kept checking his watch every other minute, and Remus, who was getting annoyed with Sirius, just buried his head in his arms, giving up on trying to pay attention.
"My watch is broken!" Sirius whined quietly as he flicked the face of the watch. "I checked it fifteen minutes ago, but it says it's only been two!" Remus gave Sirius a muffled 'shut up' before falling asleep.
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The four boys got up from the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall after finishing their lunch. As they were walking through the door, they ran into a first year Slytherin, who sneered down on them.
"Why, hello Snape! Haven't had a chance to talk with you lately, how have you been?" Sirius exclaimed, and the others grinned.
"I was much better just a moment ago, if you must know." Severus replied, and he shoved pass James and Sirius, making sure to 'bump' James in a rough fashion as he passed. James turned around and scowled at Snape's back and he yelled after the Slytherin.
"You know, Snape, there are showers at Hogwarts, did you know?" The other three boys started to laugh, and Snape turned around sharply and glared at them.
"I think you two should get more acquainted." James added with a small grin on his face.
"Or maybe, horror of horrors, actually USE one!" Sirius said dramatically, and the four boys started laughing harder. Snape glared at them, his face reddening, and his hands balled into fists, but he said nothing.
"Just some friendly advice!" James said with a smile and a wave before the group left.
Once they reached the common room, the boys started laughing again, remembering the look on the Slytherin's face.
"That was a good way to go before Christmas break, don't you think?" James said to Sirius, who could only nod in response, as he was still laughing.
"Oh no, what have you all done now?" A voice asked from behind. The boys turned to see Lily walk up with a feigned look of fear on her face.
"Whatever do you mean?" Sirius asked with a big grin stuck on his face.
"Well, when you all are laughing like this, that means you must have done something. A prank?" She asked as she sat down across from them.
"Nope, just a little run-in with our favorite Slytherin." James said brightly. Lily narrowed her eyes while trying to think of who they were talking about.
"Severus?" She asked.
"No, Snape." Sirius corrected her, and she raised a curious eyebrow in response. They then proceeded to tell her what happened, but, instead of laughing, like they figured she would, she only shook her head.
"James, Sirius that was mean." She said, serious. The boys exchanged shocked looks, before looking back at Lily, who still hadn't laughed yet.
"What? That wasn't mean! We were provoked!" Sirius exclaimed, and the others nodded their heads. Lily continued to look skeptical at them, causing James to put his hands up and ask her why she was looking at them that way.
"Why are you all so mean to him?" Lily asked.
"Because he's a git, and he deserves it." Sirius said.
"And he smells bad." James added.
"And he's better than you in Potions." Lily stated, giving James a very pointed look.
"Well, not for long." James replied with a frown. Lily just sighed and slumped back in her chair.
"Fine, fine, I'll let you all hate whomever you want, I guess." She said, and Sirius smiled at her.
"Thank you, Ever-Accepting-Lily." Sirius said, giving her a small bow. Lily shook her head and turned to Remus, who had watched this small argument with an amused look on his face.
"Want to play chess, Remus?" Lily asked.
"Sure." He said with a smile. James watched the two as they got up from the table and walked over to where Remus's chessboard was still set up, and he shook his head.
"I can't believe she just defended Snape." He muttered, and Sirius snorted.
"She wasn't defending him, she just doesn't like it when people are mean to each other." Sirius said, and Peter looked at him, puzzled.
"That sounded like she was defending him to me." Peter said.
"Nope, not Snape, she hates him." Sirius said simply, leaning back in his chair.
"Then why…?" James started, but Sirius waved him off.
"She told me the other day in Potions when we were paired up together. Snape was being arrogant like he always is, and she told me that she couldn't stand him." Sirius explained to the other two, who looked at each other, confused.
"She's just a nice person, that's it. She doesn't have to like everybody, but she doesn't like people being mean and everything." Sirius added, and James shrugged.
"I guess, after all, she knows about Remus and doesn't care." James said, but Sirius and Peter jumped at his words.
"What?!" Sirius yelled in shock.
"Sirius, keep it down!" Another first year called to him, and he slowly sat down in his chair, but he kept his eyes on James.
"Your turn to explain." Sirius said quietly.
"Lily was the one who ran after Remus that day in the Great Hall remember? That's when she found out." James said, calmly.
"Has she told anyone?" Sirius demanded, looking at James intently.
"No! Think about what you just told us. She accepts people rather well, and she keeps secrets." James said, and Sirius began to relax a little.
"She seems a little too accepting." Peter muttered to himself, but the others heard.
"Yeah," Sirius said, rather subdued, "but I don't think she gets it really. She's muggle born, so she probably doesn't understand why people are frightened of… those like Remus." They all sat in silence for a moment, thinking about that curious red headed girl who was so nice, and accepting, it was almost weird.
"Maybe there's more to her though, there has to be something that ruffles her feathers." James said, eyeing the first year girl laughing at Remus, who had just lost a knight.
"Yeah, or she wouldn't be human." Sirius said with a small grin.
"Let's find out what it is, she's intriguing." James said, the last part a bit quieter than the first.
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Sirius sighed in relief as he and his friends left the Potions classroom, free of school and work for a week. All four of the boys were going home for Christmas, and they were excited about the holidays and the presents, as well as seeing their families.
"It's Christmas time!" Sirius yelled happily, and the others followed suit. Laughing, they continued their celebrations as they walked to the Gryffindor common room. The boys were so caught up in what they were doing, they didn't notice that Snape walked right by them shortly after they had left the classroom. Even Peter didn't notice that the Slytherin had bumped into to him. Normally, James would tell Snape off for doing that, while Remus would keep Sirius from getting into a fight. Sirius, who had declared that he would no longer tolerate Snape's actions, began looking for a reason to start a fight with the Slytherin.
They reached the common room, and they happily sat themselves down at a table to play exploding snap, chess, and just joke around with each other until dinner time. While they were in the middle of a game, Peter reached down into his bag to pull out a quill to keep a score of the game with. James looked up in shock as a loud bang sounded through the common room. A small cloud, tinted with green, was rising up in the air. Peter, who had been hit full in the face with the gas, immediately fell on the floor, unconscious.
"Peter!" Remus shouted, jumping up from his chair. Sirius, too, bent over Peter, but both he and Remus began to stumble and trip over themselves before falling to the ground. James tore his eyes away from the cloud, which was now spreading throughout the room like a growing rain cloud, and he looked at his three friends lying on the ground.
'I've got to get out of here and get a teacher.' James thought, but his vision became blurred, and his thoughts jumbled. He tried to stand up and run for the portrait hole, but his legs seemed to forget how to work properly, and he, like his friends, stumbled and fell. This scene was happening all over the common room. Some students ran for their dorm, others to the portrait hole, but in both cases, few made it away. The cloud of gas grew until it was the size of the ceiling, and it settled there, turning to a dark black color. James fought to open his eyes and move his body, but it seemed as if he were tied down to that one spot.
'I've got to move… get help… get out of here…' But his thoughts were silenced as he drifted away into unconsciousness
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All right you guys, please, please, PLEASE review! They are very motivating, and they let me know if my story is even being read. So… pretty please?