Disclaimer: I still own nothing…
A/N: Thank you guys for the reviews! I hope y'all had a great holiday! Hope you love this chapter…
Before I knew it, the days before New Year's Eve had come and gone and it was now the day before New Year's Eve. The party was tomorrow, but all of our friends were coming over today. Gwen was taking a taxi here, she does not live very far away. She told us to expect her around noon. Eden, Remus, Anne Marie, and Peter were traveling here by floo powder sometime this afternoon.
I looked at the clock to find that it was half past ten.
"Oh well, might as well get up," I said aloud to myself.
Then, something odd happened. A bark was the response. I looked, confused for the source of the bark. I expected to find Maggie lying on the floor beside my bed, but instead I found a very large black dog barking at me.
"Where did you come from?" I asked him.
He then shook his head towards the door, as though answering my question.
"James didn't tell me he had another dog," I told the dog.
The dog then did something that looked remarkably like a person shrugging his shoulders.
"Let's go find James so I can ask him where you came from," I told the dog as I got out of bed.
I was surprised to find that when I left the room, the dog followed me without my having to tell it to. There was something odd about this dog, he had almost human qualities and seemed to understand everything I was saying.
"James," I said, walking into James' room, "Where did this dog come from?"
James looked up from the book he was reading and looked at the dog. For a second, James looked like he was about to scream at the dog.
"This is… um… just another of our dogs," James said.
The dog then barked loudly, as though he did not appreciate being called just another dog.
"What's his name?" I asked, bending down and petting him under the chin.
"His name is… um… Sirius," James said, standing up squatting down to pet the dog.
"You named your dog after your best friend?" I asked, confused.
"He… um… has Sirius-like qualities," James said.
At this, almost as though to prove what James had just said true, the Sirius the dog jumped up and knocked James over.
"See?" James asked, trying to stand up.
When James was almost standing, the Sirius the dog knocked James over again and this time sat on James.
"Yeah," I agreed with James, "Has Sirius the dog ever met Sirius the… um… person?" I asked, laughing at the sight before me, for Sirius the dog was still sitting on James as though daring him to try to get up.
"I… I don't really know," James said.
"Ok, well, I guess I'm going to go get dressed," I told James as I walked out of the room.
I walked into my room to find Maggie there.
"You know, that Sirius the dog is a bit suspicious. Don't you think so?" I told Maggie as I picked her up and she curled up in my arms.
I got dressed in a green knit sweater, blue jeans, and brown high heel boots. I fixed my hair in waves cascading half-way down my back.
"Hey, did y'all hear from Gwen yet?" I asked Sirius and James when I walked into the dining room to find them eating. Big shock that was.
"Yeah, she'll be here in about an hour and a half," Sirius said, excitedly.
"Do you wanna go play quidditch?" James asked us. The two of them had taught me to play quidditch.
"No, I don't wanna mess up my hair," Sirius said just as I opened my mouth to say yes.
"Mess up your hair?" I asked Sirius.
"Well, you see—" Sirius began.
"You see, Gwen's coming and little Sirius here wants to look his very best," James said.
"Hey, Sirius," I began, "Were you aware that James had a dog named after you?"
"Really James?" Sirius said.
"I… well… So you're completely whipped, huh?" James said, attempting to change the topic.
"Is anyone else hungry?" Sirius said, his face growing red.
"You're already eating," James told him.
"When is everyone else getting here?" I asked, trying to save Sirius.
"Whenever they decide to get here," James said.
"Who all is coming? Remus, Anne Marie, and Eden, right?" I asked
"James, dear!" Mrs. Audrey's voice called, "Can you and Sirius come help me with something?"
"Ok, mum, we'll be right there," James called to her.
We made our way upstairs and into the formal living room and dining room where the party was being thrown the next night.
"James, Sirius, can the two of you move furniture for me?" Mrs. Audrey asked them.
"I don't know can we?" Sirius asked, cockily.
"You can and you will now hop to it," Mrs. Audrey said knowingly.
"Where do we move everything?" James asked her.
"Same place as last year," Mrs. Audrey said, looking down at her checklist. Apparently, making lists ran in the family.
"What can I do to help?" I asked Mrs. Audrey.
"Nothing, dear, you're a guest," Mrs. Audrey said as she looked back down at her list.
"But—" I started, but was cut off by the ringing of the doorbell.
"You can go get the door, dear," Mrs. Audrey told me.
I walked downstairs to get the door.
"Lily!" Gwen screamed when I opened the door. She then dropped her bags and flung her arms around me.
"Gwen! You're finally here! How long are you staying? How was Christmas?" I asked quickly.
"Wow, one question at a time," Gwen said, laughing.
"How about I ask them on the way upstairs. James and Sirius are doing—get this—actual, physical labor," I said, nodding my head for emphasis.
"Wow, do you have a camera?" Gwen asked as we made our way upstairs.
"No, sorry. Thank goodness you finally got here, Sirius has been sweating bullets, waiting for you," I told her, "I think he really likes you."
"No, he doesn't. Sirius is about as likely to spend more than a week dating me than James is to break up with someone after a week," Gwen said.
Sirius was known for dating a different girl every week, while James was known for not dating many girls at all.
"If you think so. So, anyway, how long are you supposed to stay?" I asked her.
"I'm staying until we go back to school next Monday," Gwen told me.
"Wow, today's only Tuesday! That's almost a week!" I said, stating the obvious, "Well, here they are," I said when we walked into the formal living room and dining room to find James and Sirius moving a couch.
"Do you think we should?" I asked, nodding to the couch.
"I think we would regret it forever if we didn't. This is, after all, a once in a lifetime opportunity," Gwen said.
Gwen and I then hopped on the same couch that James and Sirius were currently attempting to move.
"Gwen, Lily, do the two of you mind?" James asked, annoyed.
"No, not at all," I said, staying on the couch and beginning to inspect my nails.
"Gwennie!" Sirius shouted, having just realized that his petite, brown haired, brown eyed, round faced, tanned girlfriend was the person on the couch with me.
"Sirius-y!" Gwen said, almost mockingly.
"While this reunion is quite beautiful," James started, "I would appreciate it if you two put it off until I wasn't attempting to move furniture."
"Oh, James, you pessimist," I said, sitting up on the couch and wrapping my arms around his neck.
"James! Sirius! I ask you two to do one thing!" Mrs. Audrey shouted when she walked into the room to find my arms around James' neck.
"It's all their fault," James said, attempting to point to Gwen and I. This did not have the desired effect, as he was currently holding half a couch up.
"Lily, Lily's friend, for the love of Pete, get off the couch," Mrs. Audrey said, exasperated.
Gwen and I looked at each other, shrugged, and hopped off the couch.
"Mrs. Audrey, this is Gwen. My best friend," I said, gesturing towards Gwen.
Sirius cleared his throat, loudly.
"Oh, yeah, and she's Sirius' girlfriend, but that's not important," I said.
"Nice to meet you, Gwen. How long have you and Sirius been dating?" Mrs. Audrey asked.
The room fell silent, seeing as how Sirius had been jerking Gwen and our other best friend, Eden around since the beginning of the school year and had just gotten around to dating Gwen about a month ago.
"About a month," Gwen told her.
"Well, that's nice dear. You go to Hogwarts as well?" Mrs. Audrey asked.
"Yes ma'am," Gwen answered.
"How lovely. Now, are you and Lily going to share a room or do you want your own room?" Mrs. Audrey asked.
"I wouldn't mind sharing with her," Sirius said.
"I'm sure you wouldn't, but you won't," Mrs. Audrey told him.
"We'll share," I said, throwing my arm around Gwen's shoulder, "Wanna go now?" I asked Gwen.
"Sure," Gwen said.
"So, how are things with you and James going?" Gwen asked later as she threw herself onto my bed.
"Great, but I've been wondering, what are you doing with Sirius?" I asked.
"Just watching my own back," Gwen said, "I don't trust him."
"Well of course you don't, but should you really be with him if you don't trust him?" I asked.
"I probably shouldn't, but for some odd reason, he keeps insisting that we stay together," Gwen said.
"Maybe he does actually want to be with you," I suggested, quietly.
"No, he doesn't, he's just waiting for someone better to come around," Gwen said with a sigh.
"I really don't think so, but—" I was cut off by the opening of the door.
"Remus!" I squealed when he, James, and Sirius walked in.
"Lily!" Remus said with a laugh, giving me a hug.
The five of us hung around for a while, catching up on what we had been doing over break so far.
"So, Remus, you never told us, where's Anne Marie?" I asked.
A tense silence fell over the room. Apparently, Gwen and I were the only ones who did not know where Anne Marie was.
"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, trying to make up for my mistake.
"It's all right," Remus said, understandingly, "You have every right to wonder. She broke up with me about a week ago."
"Oh, I'm so sorry. What happened?" I asked, sympathetically.
"It's… she—" Remus stuttered, looking like a deer caught in headlights.
"Lily, have you seen Maggie lately?" James asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah, she was in my room this morning. Why?" I asked.
"I haven't seen her in a couple of days," James told me.
"I thought she slept in your bed," I said.
"She did," James said, looking confused.
"Is Maggie the little, white furball?" Sirius asked.
"Yes," James said, threateningly.
"She's been sleeping on my pillow for the last couple of nights," Sirius said.
"Oh," James said sadly.
James apparently took it as a personal insult that Sirius' pillow was a more desirable place to sleep.
"Dinner!" Mrs. Audrey's voice screamed from downstairs.
"Where's Eden?" I asked as we made our way downstairs.
"She's coming early tomorrow morning and Peter's coming mid-morning tomorrow," James said.
We all sat down to eat in the dining room. James on one side of me and Remus on the other side of me. Gwen was across from me with Sirius on one side and Mrs. Audrey on the other.
"So, um, where's Mr. Potter?" I asked, nodding to the head of the table where he usually sat.
"He's working late tonight," Mrs. Audrey said.
"Shocker," I heard James mutter from the side of me.
Across the table, I saw Sirius repeatedly attempting to engage Gwen in conversation, but she did not seem to want to talk to him. Mrs. Audrey tried to keep the conversation going by asking Remus and I questions. No one attempted to talk to James, who had been brooding since the mention of his father.
"So, what's up?" I asked James cheerfully that night.
He was sitting in his bed and I was lying down with my head in his lap.
"Nothing," He said laughing.
We fell silent for a few seconds. He was gently rubbing my hair with his hand and I was, well, brooding.
"Hey, James, can I ask you a question?" I said cautiously.
"Go ahead," James answered calmly.
"Why do you get all..." I trailed off looking for the right word, "Hissy when your dad's mentioned?"
James stopping rubbing my head and I could feel his muscles slightly tighten up.
"Because he finds it easier to not be around and then pretend like he's been here and like he knows me," James said tensely.
"Well, my dad's not around very often either, but I'm not bitter towards him for it," I reasoned.
"Well, your dad kind of doesn't live with you," James said coldly as though I could not understand.
I snapped my head off of his lap and sat up to look at him.
"I mean…" James started.
"Oh, I know what you mean," I snapped, "You mean that it's easier to assume that no one else can fathom what you're feeling and that I couldn't possibly understand because everyone else's life is so much simpler than yours. Well, James Xavier Potter, listen to me--" I started to say.
James winced at being called by his full name.
"Wow, Lily, relax. I didn't mean that at all. I didn't mean to offend you either. I'm sorry, I just…" James trailed off and sighed.
"Well, maybe next time you should choose your words a bit more careful," I snapped.
"I'm sorry," James said.
"Well, you should be," I said, cockily.
The two of us sat in silence for a while.
"James?" I questioned.
"Yes?" James asked.
"I'm sorry, too," I said.
"You didn't do anything," James said.
"Yeah, I should've been more understanding," I said.
"It's alright," James said.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Wanna snog?" James asked with a smile.
"If you think you can just fix everything by--" I started to say, but James cut me off by catching my lips and snogging me.
"What was that?" James asked as he pulled away, smiling.
"Nothing," I said, leaning in to snog some more.
Later that night, I was lying in my bed thinking. The room was completely silent except for the quiet breathing coming from Gwen in the next bed. When I was talking James, Mrs. Audrey had come in and conjured up another bed to match mine.
I was tossing and turning, trying to think. After quite a while of trying to thing, something small jumped onto my bed.
"Maggie," I whispered, petting the tiny puppy.
After another half an hour of petting Maggie, I fell asleep.
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