Disclaimer: I do not own Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Malfoy, Snape, any of the Professors except the ones I made up, Hogwarts, England, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, flutes, the color purple, lava lamps, the Hogwarts Express, Kings Cross Station, Peyton, Taryn, or Carolina. Or owls. Or Christmas. I think that's it though…

Chapter Eight: Of Christmas Vacation

"I've been thinking," said James.

"No way!" gasped Carolina.

"You, Potter?" scorned Lily.

"Did it hurt?" asked Sirius.

"Shut it, you lot!" said James, whacking them each on the head with his beginning transfiguration book. It was the day before everyone went home for Christmas vacation, and the four friends were getting and early start on their holiday homework, or at least trying to. "As I was trying to say, I've had an idea. NO COMMENTS! Well, we all know that Remie is a-"he glanced around the library, making sure that no one was within earshot, "werewolf. Well, I think I've got a way to help him." Everyone was suddenly interested.

"Explain," demanded Lily, leaning forward.

"Well, werewolves are only a danger to humans, right?" They all nodded slowly.

"We are humans, Potter. Well, Carolina and I are. I'm not too sure about you or Sirius, though." Lily pointed out dryly. James glared at her, and Sirius snorted.

"Shut up, Evans. What I meant was, what it we could become animagus? Remus wouldn't be able to hurt us, and at least one of us should be big enough to keep a werewolf in check, right?" Carolina and Sirius nodded, but Lily was confused.

"Animag-what?" she asked.

"Animagus, Lil. It's where you can temporarily transform into an animal. Supposedly you transform into an animal that reflects your inner self or something like that," explained Sirius.

"There's just one teensy-weensy problem wit your plan, James-the-Wise," said Carolina. "It's illegal. You have to be registered, and it's not like they'll let first years become animagus. You have to be powerful. You have to be smart. You have to be able to perform complex spells."

"Well, that rules James out then," muttered Lily.

"Shut up, Evans. Just shut up." James got up and stormed out of the room, tipping over his chair. Sirius glanced at Lily's stunned face.

"James is a pretty calm person, but when you get to him, he explodes. Just stay out of his way until we come back from holidays. He'll forget all about it," Sirius explained, getting up from the table. "See you on the train tonight?" Lily and Carolina nodded mutely as he got up from the table.

"You and James haven't talked nicely to each other since your detention together," observed Carolina.

"Yes, well, I'd rather not talk to him at all, but there you are," answered Lily, flipping the pages in her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook. "What's the answer to number four?" she asked.

"Gillyweed, but that's not the point," said Carolina.

"You had a point?" wondered Lily.

"Yes! Now let me finish! What happened in your detention?"

"I discovered that James is a selfish prig with a big head and no life whatsoever." Carolina looked at her. "Fine, in a nutshell, he insulted me and I insulted him and it went on like that for awhile, until I slipped on the soapy water and fell on my arse and he laughed. I got really mad and threw my soapy water on him and left. Can you tell me the answer to number six as well?"

"Goblins," answered Carolina. "So that's the whole reason behind your feud? He laughed and you threw water on him?"

"I think the word 'feud' is a little extreme," said Lily.

"I don't. You've played so many tricks on each other I can't even begin to list them. You've given him blue hair, jelly legs, a day with his finger stuck up his nose, a failing grade on a potions test, a hexed chair, and a broken nose. He's given you a detention, green hair, a day with 'kick me' written on your robes, a day in the hospital wing with a biting teacup clamped on your nose, a day with a lisp, a day where you smelled awful, and a day where you were magnetically charged so anything metal within five feet of you suddenly had an urge to cling to your robes. I think feud is just the right word for it." Carolina gasped for breath as she finished her little speech.

"Blue skin," said a voice from around the book shelf.

"What?" the girls cried in alarm. Remus came around the corner.

"You forgot the time when Lily gave James blue skin for a day. And Lily, Carolina's right, feud is the perfect word for you and James' relationship."

"You've been eavesdropping!" accused Lily.

"I haven't been dropping any eaves, honest!" Remus said, mockingly. Lily sighed, and looked at her meticulous homework. Carolina grinned up at Remus and glanced at her watch.

"Hey, we had better be getting to the Great Hall; the carriages 'll be leaving in two minutes!" The two girls crammed their parchment into their bags and burst from the Library calling a hasty "Happy Christmas!" over their shoulders to Remus. They made it down the stairs, just in time to catch the last carriage to the train station. Only when the girls stepped out of the carriage and looked around for the train did they realize that there was no horse pulling the carriage, nor were there horses pulling the other carriages, who were wandering around the open area outside of the station. Lily and Carolina looked at each other, puzzled, until they realized that the scarlet steam engine was leaving them. The girls had to sprint to the train, and fling themselves into the first compartment they saw.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. A Spaniard and a mudblood. How nice of you to join us," hissed a silky voice above the girls, who were lying flat on the floor, panting.

CRAP! thought Lily, as she quickly pushed herself to her feet. She had no intention of repeating her last encounter with Malfoy. The boys in the cabin smirked as the girls tried to straighten their robes.

"Well, how about that. All the seats in this compartment are taken. Let's go find somewhere else to sit, Lily," said Carolina, grabbing hold of Lily's skinny wrist and pulling her towards the compartment door. Snape got up from his seat to block her.

"No…I think there's plenty of room here for you. Sit down. NOW!" He pushed the girls into seats none to gently.

"No, Carolina's got the right of it," amended Lily, hastily. "We really must be going. Get your filthy hands off me, greaseball!" She was struggling against Snape's hold on her shoulder as Malfoy strode across the compartment.

"Now Severus, are you really going to let her talk to you like that?" Lucius asked, tauntingly. "These mudbloods are getting ahead of themselves. Acting like they're worthy to be in the same five feet as pure bloods. We must teach them their place. Call it, civic duty." He reached into his robes for his wand, but Carolina was quicker.

"IMPEDIUNT!" she cried. Malfoy froze in mid-sneer. Lily turned and did the same to Snape. The girls left quickly, as the spell wore off quickly, but first giving each boy a good knee where the sun don't shine. They ran off down the hall, giggling and giving each other a high-five. After awhile, the girls began looking around for someone to sit with. Taryn's parents were visiting her elder sister at a boarding school in America for Christmas, and Taryn didn't want to go (she was scared of flying), so she was staying at the school for the holidays. They tried sitting with Peyton and Bertha for a little bit, but they grew tired of the endless gossip, and left, saying that they needed to find Sirius.

"Well, we might as well," said Lily. "D'you think they'll be in the same compartment as before?" Carolina shrugged and they walked down to the other end of the train. Indeed, they found Sirius and James sitting in the compartment the girls had occupied on the train ride there.

"Hey guys!" said Carolina, cordially, as she entered the compartment, with Lily right behind her. The four sat in half silence for ten minutes, with James and Lily not speaking to one another. With Sirius and Carolina conspiring together in a corner, this made conversation short. Suddenly, Carolina and Sirius bolted from the room, and placed a locking charm on the door. Neither Lily, nor James could undo it, so they were stuck. Suddenly, Sirius ran up to the door, grinning like a maniac, and slid a piece of parchment under the door. Lily snatched it up and read allowed.

"Dear Bestest Friends-that's you, Lily and James-

            In case you haven't noticed, neither of you are on speaking terms with the other, and have caused serious (SIRIUS!) amounts of damage to one another in your little feud. We are all sick of it (this includes Peter and Remus and the rest of the world, we're sure) and want you two to lay off each other. You're not coming out of this room until we see you shake hands like civilized people, and sign this slip of parchment at the bottom where it says your names. (You're lucky to get away this easy. The mad dog was voting for you had to hug, and sit next to each other the whole ride.) BE NICE, STAY ALIVE, CALL US WHEN YOU'RE READY!

Sincerely-

            Carolina and Sirius

PS GOOD LUCK!" James shook his head.

"What did they mean, sign the piece of parchment?" he asked.

"There's a little blurb at the bottom, hang on. It says: We the undersigned, Lily Evans and James Potter, pledge to be friends (grudgingly) and no longer enemies, and civil to each other, and not make life for their friends a living hell. Forever. And ever. No crosses count or anything stupid." Lily grinned. "They seem rather serious about all this."

"Let's just sign and pretend to be nice to each other. We all know you hate me, so it'll probably be harder for you," he said. Lily was outraged.

"Me hate you? You're the one who dumped water balloons on our heads on the first day of term!" she cried.

"Yeah, but I didn't pour slime over you twice!" said James.

"You're the one who went all nuclear about a little bit of slime! I don't see why it's such a big deal. I mean you got the slime off in about ten seconds. And Remus and Sirius didn't hold it against us like you did!" Lily retorted.

"Just a bit of slime? We were covered!" said James.

"Why does that matter so much to you? Covered in slime for three seconds and you immediately brand us enemies for life? Aren't you a little judgmental? I mean we even said 'sorry' for Christ's sake!" James was taken aback. Lily was really shouting at him now. Her cheeks had an angry pink tinge to them and her hands were balled up into fists.

"Fine Evans," he shouted. "Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe I was nervous about having to start a new school where my father was the head boy, my mother was a prefect, and all my uncles and aunts have graduated first in their years. Maybe I was a little bit nervous about having all of them judge me on how well I did. Maybe I just wanted to be perfect. So maybe I overreacted. I'm sorry. Can we sign the goddamn piece of parchment and get out of here?" Lily was gaping at him, open mouthed. "What Evans?" James asked impatiently.

"It's just, for a second there you sounded almost human!" Lily explained, ducking the seat cushion he threw at her. "All right then. Friends?" she asked holding out her hand.

"Friends," he agreed, shaking her hand. They signed the parchment and shoved it out from under the door. Carolina and Sirius poked their heads in.

"Oh my God," said Carolina.

"They're both alive!" gasped Sirius.

"Yes, but you wont be once we're through with you," proclaimed James, pulling out his wand. Carolina and Sirius hurriedly pulled their heads out of the compartment, just in time. Two bolts of green light hit the wall, exactly where their heads had been. Lily and James collapsed against each other, laughing.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at Kings Cross train station. After gathering their things, the four friends walked out of the barrier and into their parents' arms. Lily was picked up and swung around by her father, and smothered in her mother's kisses. Carolina began talking in rapid Spanish with a man and a woman, who had to be her parents. James solemnly shook his father's hand, and then hugged his mother, laughing. Sirius threw his arms around a man and a woman, kissing the woman on the cheek.. His father (at least, that's who Lily thought it was) had the same black hair, and his mother had Sirius's mischievous grin. Lily smiled.

"How was your term dear?" asked her mother, as her father picked up Lily's trunk.

"It was wonderful! We learned how to levitate things, and ward of poltergeists, and brew a sleeping potion," Lily said. Her father laughed.

"We've got a witch in the family!" he said, happily.

"Did you make many friends?" asked her mother.

"Yup!" said Lily. "And they're wonderful! Carolina," she said, pointing to where her friend was getting into a green bug (A/N I LOVE those cars!), "is my best friend in the whole world! Sirius is great too! He's great at pranks. And then there's James, and Taryn, who had to stay at school over holidays, and there's Remus, who's great at chess, and…no, that's it!" Lily's father laughed again as he loaded her heavy trunk into the station wagon.

"That's our little Lily-flower! Popular to the end! What say we go out for ice-cream to celebrate your coming home?" Lily nodded excitedly and climbed into the car.

"Where's Petunia?" she asked, glancing around.

"Oh, your sister has a large term paper due after break, so she's sitting at home starting on it," explained her father, pulling up to the ice-cream shop. "Mint Chocolate Chip?"
            "Of course!" said Lily. "What other kind of ice-cream is there?" Her mother smiled at her.

"That's my girl!" she said, handing Lily a large double cone of green ice-cream. Lily grinned at her mother.

"It sure is good to be home," she said, getting into the car.

When they reached the Evans' white two-story house, Lily jumped out excitedly, pulling her trunk up the front stairs. After her father unlocked the door, she bolted upstairs, her trunk bouncing along behind her. Her wheeled trunk rattled down the hall behind her, until Lily reached the door at the end of the hallway and flung it open. She flopped down onto her colorful bed and glanced about her room. Each wall was painted a different shade of purple, Lily's favorite color. The rug on her floor was shag, with lavender and dark blue stripes running up and down it. The frame of her bed was blue, and the sheets were violet. A flute stand was propped against the medium purple wall, leaning against a bookcase. The bookcase was crammed with loads of books, in no particular order. Her closet door was open, showing a full length mirror attached to the inside. Her clothes were strewn about the closet floor, not one sock had been moved since she had left. The entire collection of the Lord of the Rings was resting on her bed side table, along with a green and blue lava lamp. Lily sighed with joy. It sure was great to be home.

"There you are," said a sharp voice from her door. Lily glanced up to find Petunia glaring into her room.

"Hello Petunia! How was your term?" asked Lily carefully. Petunia had been edgy to her ever since Lily had gotten her acceptance letter.

"It was alright. Listen, squirt, I have an enormous term paper due after the holidays, so no loud noises, and keep out of my room. I have real work to do," Lily's older sister said briskly, closing the door loudly behind her. Suddenly, and owl flew into Lily's bedroom window. Not into as in entered the room, into as in crashed into a pane of glass and fell into the bushes below. Lily gasped and ran down stairs, to find Carolina's owl Midnight shaking his head dazedly in the bushes. Lily carried the animal up to her room and took the letter from his leg.

Hey Lily- (the letter went)

            How's it going? Christmas vacation is so boring. Can you imagine? No Slytherins to torment, no magic, and no flying. Well, I can fly in this big field behind my house, but never mind. I just got back home, and discovered my sister, Marina, won't be back for Christmas. She has some big important business thing, but I guess that's okay. I've still got Midnight to keep me company.

Carolina

Lily shook her head, smiling, and wrote back.

Hey Carolina-

            How's it going? I just saw you half an hour ago. Boring? Christmas vacation's barely even started. I agree that no magic is a bummer, but the flying thing is really no biggie. Marina won't be back for Christmas? That's too bad. Wish my older sister would go away. Have we learned any spells that can make unwanted siblings disappear? D'you want to come over sometime? I mean, if you've only got an owl for company, it can't be too much fun. You can't tell jokes to an owl. Well, you could, but it wouldn't laugh. You can play pranks on an owl. Well, you could, but it would run away. You can't make fun of an owl. Well, you could, but it wouldn't understand. You can't…wait; I really don't care what you can or can't do with an owl…hhhhmmm. Oh well. Write back, it's terribly dull over here.

Lily

Lily grabbed Midnight and tied the letter to his leg. She then settled back onto her bed and started reading The Hobbit for the sixtieth time.

A few hours later, her mother knocked on her door and told her that it was time for dinner.

"But Bilbo just found the entrance into Smaug's mountain!" whined Lily, but she put down her book and followed her mother to the table anyway. About midway through the steak and mashed potatoes, Midnight flew through the window and dropped a letter onto Lily's plate. Petunia shrieked and ran from the room, Ms. Evans clutched Lily's fathers arm, and Mr. Evans yelled, "What in the hell-?" Lily grinned.

"I'm so sorry. It's just, wizards send letters by owl, and it isn't dinner time yet where Carolina lives, so she didn't know she was interrupting anything," she explained. "May I be excused?" she asked, pushing back her chair. Her parents nodded, and Lily brought her plate to the sink and took Carolina's letter and owl back up to her room. In the hallway, Petunia poked her head out of her door.

"You'd better tell your freakish friends to never contact us here again. What if someone saw it?" she reprimanded, slamming her door behind her. Lily shook her head and walked into her room.

Hey again Lily-(said the letter)

            Did I send it at the right time? Did Midnight scare the crap out of your sister? Please tell me I did. I mean, if she's so bad that you want her to disappear, she ought to at least be scared of you, right? I remembered you mentioning something about how your sister Pelunia or whatever was afraid of birds…well, I tried to tell my owl a knock-knock joke, and you're right. He didn't laugh. I pulled that put hot sauce in his water trick, and he almost flew away. I made fun of him, and he just looked at me weird…I think I need to come over to your house…GET ME OUT OF HERE I THINK I'M GOING CRAZY! Just say when and I'll come. Erm…how's tomorrow? I could fly over and we could go to a movie or something. If I can't, write back. If I can, write back. (Hopefully) see you tomorrow!

Carolina

Lily smiled and yelled down the stairs, "Hey Mum! Can I have a friend from school come over tomorrow?"

"Sure, hun! Does she need a ride or will her parents drop her off?" her mother called back.

"Her parents'll drop her off. Thanks!" Lily yelled back.

Hey again Carolina-(she wrote)

            My parents said yes! Just fly over anytime tomorrow! Try not to be seen, we have the most god-awful nosy neighbors. You actually did that stuff to your poor owl? What kind of person are you? Christ! Maybe I should just keep Midnight, he'd be better off with me…well, see you tomorrow!

Lily

"Here you go," Lily said to Midnight. "This is the last letter, I promise!"             

A/N Okay y'all, is my story not good enough or something? I NEED REVIEWS! Only 20? I've seen a nine chapter story with like 200 something…now I'm all depressed! C'mon y'all! Please? Pretty pretty please with whipped cream and sprinkles and cherries and chocolate sauce on top? PLEASE!!!! *gets down on knees and begs* For some reason unbeknownst to me, I wrote a long(er) chapter for those of you who actually bother to read my story…Thanks to the few of you who reviewed: Musicizdbest-You liked the werewolf thing? Well, I know I'm doing something right…thanx for the corrections about that stuff. My mind goes blank and I can never find the books when I need a reference… Dani- Hey, when you're the only one that reviews, you're the only one that gets mentioned! Makes sense, right? :*D~ I'm smart enough to be like you? Flop flip that…wait…never mind. I think I got the updating hint. Sorry it took so long but I have two math projects due tomorrow, not to mention a reflection paper on Creation for Bible class, and then there's the fact that I have to read an entire book for English class! Chapter nine will be coming along as soon as I get a decent idea for it! Takeaguess- Gee, I wonder who you are…*coughENGLISHcough* Thank you for taking the time to read my story ol' buddy ol' pal! Yeah, I think Carolina/Sirius would be interesting too, but if you tell her I'll kill you. Can I have that green sparkily pen you used in Bible? It's mine…My own…MY PRECIOUS! LOL! Oh yeah, thanks once again for saving my @$$ 2ce today! Byes!

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