Chapter Eight
James didn't eat anything through the entire meal. How could he, my best friend. He knew how much I like her. How could he do this to me? Me! I am his best friend, the one who took him in after he ran away. Of all people, he chose to screw me over. I'll just stay here for Winter Break, maybe the teachers will let me stay even though I didn't sign up.
When the feast was over, James waited for the Hall to clear, telling Remus that he had to talk to Dumbledore about someone who was misbehaving. When the teachers began to leave he said, "Professor Dumbledore, may I speak to you for a moment?"
"Of course James, what can I do for you?"
"I know I didn't sign up to stay for Winter Break, but I was wondering if you might allow me to stay for the holiday."
"Of course, it would be no problem. I'll simply put your name on the list."
"Thank you."
"It's no trouble James, no trouble at all," Dumbledore checked his watch, "you had better get to that little party, I'll see you there I just need to check on a student."
James nodded numbly and plodded slowly to the teachers lounge.
"Oh, James it's beautiful!" cried Lily when she opened his gift. He felt slightly more up beat than he had before, grinning goofily at her blushing, animated face.
James had decided to save Mademoiselle's gift for Christmas. He sat back unwrapping his gifts slowly, they were mostly candy, and he gave a polite thank you to all the teachers as he unwrapped their gifts.
The high point of the evening was when Dumbledore opened the socks Lily had given him; he began to laugh so hard that it was nearly impossible for him to stop. Professor McGonagall asked Lily why she had gotten a pair of socks, and she explained, that she had noticed that his were out of style, and that he was always getting books or candy, so she had decided to break the mold and get Professor Dumbledore something that he seemed to need.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Where's James?" asked Sirius panting, he had been running up and down the corridors on the train looking for his fellow Marauder.
Remus thought for a moment, after a moment he looked up at Sirius, "I just remembered, he said he's going to stay for the holiday."
"Why? We always go home, why should this year be any different?"
"He told me that he had some Head Boy duties that he had to take care of."
"That doesn't make sense. He told me this morning that he would meet us on the train, that he had to get something from the dorm that he had left under his bed."
"I'm just the messenger."
Sirius plopped down on the seat across from Remus just as Peter came out of the restroom. Peter sat down and began to read, mumbling the words as he read them. He seemed to be having trouble with any words longer than five letters.
"Hey Pete?" asked Sirius, interrupting the ceaseless mumbling.
"Yeah?" replied Peter looking up from his novel.
"Do you know why James is still at school?"
"No, I thought he was going to meet us on the train."
James was sitting on his bed, staring at a tree by the gamekeeper's hut. It was swaying slightly, as were all the other trees. It seemed like the wind had suddenly picked up, blowing everything outdoors to and fro.
Remus knew. Sirius would have told him. How could he keep this from me? I thought they were my friends. It was the fiftieth time he had gone over these thoughts in the past two hours. To him it was inconceivable that one of his best friends could go so far as to betray him, and go out with the girl he liked. He and Sirius had shared girls before, though never one where there was any emotional attachment, it was an unspoken pact, one of many.
There was nothing left to do, so James lay down and went back to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Christmas Eve came and everyone in the Evan's household was running around, cooking dinner. It was their year to host the feast, and they were in the process of cooking about thirty different dishes at the same time.
"Lily?" called Lily's sister Petunia
(A/N: I have decided that Lily's being a witch was Petunia's excuse for hating Lily, there was something else behind the anger.)
"Yes?"
"Where did you get that necklace, I just noticed that you had it. Did one of those French boys send it to you?"
"No, they all sent me clothes, and trinkets, actually James Potter gave it to me."
"Isn't he the one you hated way back when?"
"Yes, I think he is," said Lily starting to giggle.
Petunia gave her little sister a knowing look, and raised her eyebrows in a gesture of mock-"oo-la-la", "Well, isn't this nice, a change of heart."
"Petty!"
"Well, it is, you really seemed to hate him four years ago."
"Well, he isn't as much of a pig as he used to be."
"Or he's just trying to get in your pants," Petunia gave her a sidelong glance.
"I can't believe this! You don't believe me!" Lily pretended to look horrified.
"Of course I do dear."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
James walked listlessly down to the Great Hall. He wasn't really hungry, but Dumbledore "encouraged" everyone who stayed to attend the dinner.
"James! Sit down, sit down; take some turkey, and mashed potatoes." For some reason Dumbledore was unusually hyper. He was also loading up a plate for James, chatting all the while.
James picked absently at the food in front of him. He seemed to have lost his appetite.
Dinner ended and James went up to his dorm to wait for Christmas morning.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Lily, you should really get James something other than a bar of chocolate. I mean he seems to have put a lot of thought into that necklace. It has a lily on it and everything."
"But I wouldn't know what to get him, besides I bet he just picked this up at some shop in the village."
"Lily, that is a quality necklace, I'm willing to bet fifty pounds that it is a one of a kind."
"Well okay, but where will I get him anything? Everything's closed."
"Oh, that's fine; I always buy a bunch of extra presents in case something like this happens." Petunia dragged Lily up to her room and pulled out five heaping shopping bags.
"Petty, what do you do when you don't use all this?"
"Oh, I just use them for birthday gifts."
"Okay, so for men, age fifteen to thirty." Petunia sorted though two of the bags before finding the one she was looking for. "So, which one will you give him, a watch or a scarf?"
"What's the difference?"
"Lily, Lily, Lily, you poor dear, you really have a lot to learn. A watch represents time, 'I want to spend time with you,' that kind of thing. While a scarf shows that you really care about him, like, 'keep warm it's cold outside, I wouldn't want you to catch a cold'."
"Well, in that case I'll give him the watch."
Petunia wrapped the gold watch in paper and handed it to Lily. "Now, you have to write an appropriate note."
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? Petunia I don't know anything about this."
"Fine, I'll tell you what to write."
Lily pulled out a piece of paper and Petunia dictated:
"Dear James,
I just wanted to make sure you didn't open this present early. I wanted to make sure you waited until Christmas to get this. I hope you like it.
Mademoiselle"
She gave the present and letter to her owl, and sent it off into the night.
James didn't eat anything through the entire meal. How could he, my best friend. He knew how much I like her. How could he do this to me? Me! I am his best friend, the one who took him in after he ran away. Of all people, he chose to screw me over. I'll just stay here for Winter Break, maybe the teachers will let me stay even though I didn't sign up.
When the feast was over, James waited for the Hall to clear, telling Remus that he had to talk to Dumbledore about someone who was misbehaving. When the teachers began to leave he said, "Professor Dumbledore, may I speak to you for a moment?"
"Of course James, what can I do for you?"
"I know I didn't sign up to stay for Winter Break, but I was wondering if you might allow me to stay for the holiday."
"Of course, it would be no problem. I'll simply put your name on the list."
"Thank you."
"It's no trouble James, no trouble at all," Dumbledore checked his watch, "you had better get to that little party, I'll see you there I just need to check on a student."
James nodded numbly and plodded slowly to the teachers lounge.
"Oh, James it's beautiful!" cried Lily when she opened his gift. He felt slightly more up beat than he had before, grinning goofily at her blushing, animated face.
James had decided to save Mademoiselle's gift for Christmas. He sat back unwrapping his gifts slowly, they were mostly candy, and he gave a polite thank you to all the teachers as he unwrapped their gifts.
The high point of the evening was when Dumbledore opened the socks Lily had given him; he began to laugh so hard that it was nearly impossible for him to stop. Professor McGonagall asked Lily why she had gotten a pair of socks, and she explained, that she had noticed that his were out of style, and that he was always getting books or candy, so she had decided to break the mold and get Professor Dumbledore something that he seemed to need.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Where's James?" asked Sirius panting, he had been running up and down the corridors on the train looking for his fellow Marauder.
Remus thought for a moment, after a moment he looked up at Sirius, "I just remembered, he said he's going to stay for the holiday."
"Why? We always go home, why should this year be any different?"
"He told me that he had some Head Boy duties that he had to take care of."
"That doesn't make sense. He told me this morning that he would meet us on the train, that he had to get something from the dorm that he had left under his bed."
"I'm just the messenger."
Sirius plopped down on the seat across from Remus just as Peter came out of the restroom. Peter sat down and began to read, mumbling the words as he read them. He seemed to be having trouble with any words longer than five letters.
"Hey Pete?" asked Sirius, interrupting the ceaseless mumbling.
"Yeah?" replied Peter looking up from his novel.
"Do you know why James is still at school?"
"No, I thought he was going to meet us on the train."
James was sitting on his bed, staring at a tree by the gamekeeper's hut. It was swaying slightly, as were all the other trees. It seemed like the wind had suddenly picked up, blowing everything outdoors to and fro.
Remus knew. Sirius would have told him. How could he keep this from me? I thought they were my friends. It was the fiftieth time he had gone over these thoughts in the past two hours. To him it was inconceivable that one of his best friends could go so far as to betray him, and go out with the girl he liked. He and Sirius had shared girls before, though never one where there was any emotional attachment, it was an unspoken pact, one of many.
There was nothing left to do, so James lay down and went back to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Christmas Eve came and everyone in the Evan's household was running around, cooking dinner. It was their year to host the feast, and they were in the process of cooking about thirty different dishes at the same time.
"Lily?" called Lily's sister Petunia
(A/N: I have decided that Lily's being a witch was Petunia's excuse for hating Lily, there was something else behind the anger.)
"Yes?"
"Where did you get that necklace, I just noticed that you had it. Did one of those French boys send it to you?"
"No, they all sent me clothes, and trinkets, actually James Potter gave it to me."
"Isn't he the one you hated way back when?"
"Yes, I think he is," said Lily starting to giggle.
Petunia gave her little sister a knowing look, and raised her eyebrows in a gesture of mock-"oo-la-la", "Well, isn't this nice, a change of heart."
"Petty!"
"Well, it is, you really seemed to hate him four years ago."
"Well, he isn't as much of a pig as he used to be."
"Or he's just trying to get in your pants," Petunia gave her a sidelong glance.
"I can't believe this! You don't believe me!" Lily pretended to look horrified.
"Of course I do dear."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
James walked listlessly down to the Great Hall. He wasn't really hungry, but Dumbledore "encouraged" everyone who stayed to attend the dinner.
"James! Sit down, sit down; take some turkey, and mashed potatoes." For some reason Dumbledore was unusually hyper. He was also loading up a plate for James, chatting all the while.
James picked absently at the food in front of him. He seemed to have lost his appetite.
Dinner ended and James went up to his dorm to wait for Christmas morning.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Lily, you should really get James something other than a bar of chocolate. I mean he seems to have put a lot of thought into that necklace. It has a lily on it and everything."
"But I wouldn't know what to get him, besides I bet he just picked this up at some shop in the village."
"Lily, that is a quality necklace, I'm willing to bet fifty pounds that it is a one of a kind."
"Well okay, but where will I get him anything? Everything's closed."
"Oh, that's fine; I always buy a bunch of extra presents in case something like this happens." Petunia dragged Lily up to her room and pulled out five heaping shopping bags.
"Petty, what do you do when you don't use all this?"
"Oh, I just use them for birthday gifts."
"Okay, so for men, age fifteen to thirty." Petunia sorted though two of the bags before finding the one she was looking for. "So, which one will you give him, a watch or a scarf?"
"What's the difference?"
"Lily, Lily, Lily, you poor dear, you really have a lot to learn. A watch represents time, 'I want to spend time with you,' that kind of thing. While a scarf shows that you really care about him, like, 'keep warm it's cold outside, I wouldn't want you to catch a cold'."
"Well, in that case I'll give him the watch."
Petunia wrapped the gold watch in paper and handed it to Lily. "Now, you have to write an appropriate note."
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? Petunia I don't know anything about this."
"Fine, I'll tell you what to write."
Lily pulled out a piece of paper and Petunia dictated:
"Dear James,
I just wanted to make sure you didn't open this present early. I wanted to make sure you waited until Christmas to get this. I hope you like it.
Mademoiselle"
She gave the present and letter to her owl, and sent it off into the night.