Disclaimer: I still own nothing…
A/N: Thank you guys for all the reviews!! They totally brighten my day! Hope you like this chapter and please try and read my new fic, "Love is for the Weak"…
I woke up and let out a loud groan. Why was I groaning? Because I had slept terribly and it was going to be a very long day. Today was New Year's Eve. Tonight was the annual Potter's New Year's Eve party. James, Sirius, and Gwen were all sure to be in horrible moods; James because he had to spend the night in the same room as his father, Sirius because his parents were going to be there, and Gwen because she still was in the process of convincing herself that she did not adore Sirius.
"I understand that when you wake up, there will be some noise, but do you really have to groan loudly enough to wake up everyone within a five mile radius?" Gwen asked, tiredly, from her bed.
"Yes," I said, giggling.
"How about you shut up and let me go back to sleep," Gwen whined.
"How about we get up 'cause it's almost noon," I suggested.
"Suit yourself," Gwen said, her voice muffled underneath the covers.
"Ok, I think I just might," I said, hopping out of bed.
After looking through my clothes, I found a pair of jeans and a long sleeve, fitted, white shirt that would be perfect. After pulling on a pair of spike heel brown boots, I was ready.
"I'm going eat breakfa—I mean lunch," I said, leaving the room.
Maggie followed me.
"Hey Sirius, Remus, and James," I said cheerfully as I walked into the dining room, "What's for breakfast?" I may have been tired enough to sleep for the next week, but I might as well pretend to be cheery.
"It's noon," Remus said with a smile.
"Time for lunch. Where's Gwen?" Sirius asked, anxiously.
"She decided to sleep late," I said, looking at James who was sitting at the table, staring at his hands. Brooding again.
"Where's Eden?" I asked.
"Late, as always," Remus told me as he was the only one in the room who was currently listening. James was still brooding and now that I had told Sirius that Gwen wanted to sleep rather than spend time with him, Sirius was brooding as well.
"What are y'all eating?" I asked, plopping myself down into a chair beside James.
"Sandwiches," Remus said, gesturing towards the plate full of sandwiches in the center of the table.
"Yummy," I said, picking one up and plopping it onto my plate.
"I roll at of bed at this un-Godly hour and floo all the way here and no one even bothers to greet me?" Eden said, loudly, as she walked into the room, pretending to be annoyed.
"Good to see you up before sunset," James said sullenly.
"Good afternoon, Eden," Remus said, his usual cheerful self.
"Eden!" I shouted, standing up and giving her a hug.
"Lily!" Eden said with a laugh.
Sirius just sat there silently avoiding Eden's eyes.
"Where's Gwen?" Eden asked, looking around the room.
"Sleeping," I told her.
"Our little Gwennie? Asleep after sunrise? Is she ill?" Eden said, looking horrorstruck.
"Yeah, we're worried too," I said with a laugh.
"Oh, Eden, dear, I didn't realize you had gotten her," Mrs. Audrey said, walking into the room and giving Eden a hug.
"You two know each other?" I asked, surprised.
"Of course we do," Mrs. Audrey said, "Her mother and I are the best of friends. James and Eden spent their entire childhood together. Her mother and I used to hope James and Eden would date, but, oh well," Mrs. Audrey said, leaving me feeling like an idiot. Of course, all pureblood families know each other.
"Wow, mum, as nice as it is for you to say that to my girlfriend, I'm going to have to ask you to refrain from coming right out and saying you don't want her here," James said sharply, at this my face grew red.
"Don't be silly, James. Lily knows that I want her here. And I absolutely adore you dear," Mrs. Audrey said, turning to me.
"What on earth is Gwen doing up there?" Sirius asked, annoyed.
"Well, seeing as how she said she wanted to get more sleep, I'm going to guess she's asleep," I said.
"Oh, smarty, aren't we now?" Sirius said.
I glared at him.
"Lily, dear, would you show Eden to your room?" Mrs. Audrey asked.
"Of course," I said, gesturing towards Eden to follow me as I walked out of the room.
"What's wrong with everyone?" Eden asked as we walked up the stairs.
"James is brooding because he's annoyed at the thought of having to spend the entire night in the same room as his father," I began.
"Yeah, the two of them haven't ever gotten along," Eden stated to my annoyance.
"And Sirius is annoyed with Gwen because Gwen is more or less ignoring him because she wants to 'give him a taste of his own medicine'. Remus is kind of sad because Anne Marie broke up with him," I told her as we walked down the hall.
"Tonight's going to be a hopping party," Eden said with a giggle.
"Just think, you haven't seen the worst yet. Gwen's in a horrible mood. She's still trying to convince herself that Sirius is just another guy and that he doesn't really like her," I whispered, "I think she's slowly driving herself crazy."
"Probably so," Eden said with a sigh, stopping the conversation as we were now in our bedroom with Gwen in bed.
"Look, Gwen," I said slowly, "Eden's finally here."
"Oh, I didn't notice you two walked in. Good to see you Eden," Gwen said absentmindedly.
"You too. Did you have a good Christmas," Eden asked, patiently.
"Charming," Gwen said, rolling over.
"Gwen, Sirius keeps asking about you," I told her.
"Well, he's just going to get over himself and wait," Gwen said, crossly.
"Look who turned up," Sirius said when Eden and I walked into the dining room.
"Good to see you, Peter," Eden said, not to convincingly.
I, on the other hand, just ignored him and sat in my chair. I never liked him very much.
"Where's Gwen?" Sirius asked for the third time that morning.
"SLEEPING," I snapped, "If you want to see her so badly, go wake her up!"
"Maybe I will," Sirius said, getting up from the table.
"Are you going to say a word to me today?" I snapped at James.
James just glared at me in response.
"Well, um, you guys all seem to be in a cheery mood today," Eden said.
I just glared at her. I was through trying to be nice. If James wanted to be a jerk, then that was fine with me.
A few hours later, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Gwen, Eden, and I were all waiting in the formal living and dining room, dressed in our best dress robes. The guests were set to start arriving in a half hour.
"Why's everyone looking so glum?" Mr. Potter asked when he walked into the room.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't grill my friends," James snapped.
"And I'd appreciate it if you stopped being a little brat," Mr. Potter told him.
"I second that," I muttered.
James, who was on the side of me, looked at me, looked at his dad, and stood up and walked out the room. Mr. Potter left a couple of minutes later, off to finish the preparations.
"Well, you're a sweetie, aren't you, Lily?" Eden asked sarcastically.
"Hey, no need to be so mean to her. You haven't been here for the past week and putting up with James' constant moodiness," Sirius snapped.
"Well, maybe Mrs. Audrey was right and James and I would make a better couple than James and Lily," Eden snapped.
That was the end of the awkward silence. After Eden said that, we all started screaming at each other. Sirius and Gwen screaming at Eden for screaming at me, Gwen screaming at Sirius for not letting her talk, Remus screaming at everyone to stop screaming, Peter looking claustrophobic, and me just sitting there, annoyed.
"What's with all the fuss?" Mrs. Audrey asked, walking into the room.
All at once, everyone started telling Mrs. Audrey what they had been screaming about.
"Oh, dear, I think you guys need to perk up," Mrs. Audrey said, "And where is James? People are going to start getting here in the next five minutes and they'll wonder where he is?"
"Probably off, brooding," I said, bitterly.
"Well, Lily why don't you go find him and try to cheer him up," Mrs. Audrey suggested.
"I'm not talking to him," I told her angrily.
"Fine, then go find him, Sirius. Gwen, stop crying, you're getting puffy. Eden, apologize to Lily for whatever you told her to upset her. Peter, quit looking as though you've just been beat up. Remus, make sure they don't argue anymore," Mrs. Audrey ordered.
At once, her orders were obeyed. Sirius ran out the room to try and find James. Gwen stopped bawling. Peter tried to stop shaking. Remus comforted Gwen.
"Lily—I—" Eden started.
"Save it," I said, standing up and walking towards Gwen.
"Lily, I need to talk to you," James muttered out of the corner of his lips as he and I shook hands with whoever his father happened to be introducing us to at the moment.
"Later, maybe," I muttered.
Mr. and Mrs. Potter seemed to see fit the James and I greet guests with them. I had never in my life had a smile plastered on my face for so long.
"You two can go now. I think everyone's arrived here," Mrs. Audrey told us.
James grabbed me by the hand and led me out of the room.
"What do you want?" I asked, coldly.
"Lily, I, I'm sorry for being such a jerk," James apologized.
"You were sorry last night too," I said, rolling my eyes.
"I don't know what to tell you—I—I can't stand t-to lose y-ou," James stuttered.
"Who said I was going anywhere?" I asked.
"Well, you, I've been such a jerk," James said.
"Yeah, you have, but I expected that when I got into this relationship. Besides, no ones perfect," I told him.
"I'm really sorry. I promise, no more jerkiness from me," James said.
"You better keep your promise," I told him.
"Are we ok now?" James asked.
"I guess," I told him as he wrapped me up in a tight hug.
"I love you, Lily," James told me.
"You too," I told him as he let me go.
"Ready to join the party again?" James asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be," I said, taking his hand and walking towards the party.
Upon entering the room, I found Sirius, Gwen, and Remus (and quite possibly Peter) in one corner of the room, slightly cut off from the adults.
"Sirius, did you talk to your parents yet?" I asked him as James and I sat down.
"We have a deal," Sirius said, "They stay twenty feet away from me at all times and I don't tell their friends that I'm a Gryffindor dating a muggle born," Sirius said as though this were a normal way for families to behave.
"Interesting," I said.
"Lily, I'm sorry," Eden told me.
"I guess I—" I started.
"What are you sorry for?" James cut in.
"I told Lily something I shouldn't have told her," Eden said.
"What?" James questioned.
"I- I told her that maybe your mum was right and you and I would've made a better couple than you and her," Eden said, avoiding James' eyes.
"You what?" James asked.
"I—" Eden started.
"Oh, I heard you the first time. Don't ever tell her that again if you value us as friends," James threatened.
"I was just—" Eden started again.
"I don't care why you did it, just don't do it again. Ever," James told her.
"Fine," Eden said, standing up and leaving the group.
"Was it really necessary to be so cruel to her?" I asked James.
"Yes," James told me.
"Really, Lily, she had no right to say that," Remus told me.
"Fine," I said.
"Oo, food," Sirius said, jumping up and starting towards the food. He stopped halfway and looked at his parents as though trying to figure out if he would be breaking the deal by being at the food table, "Maybe later," He said, sitting back down beside Gwen.
"I'm sure you'll live," I teased.
"Lets hope so," Sirius said sadly.
Midnight came and went quickly. There was a countdown, there were fireworks (In the party room, quite odd), James and I snogged, Sirius and Gwen snogged (dragging it on a bit too far; she doesn't seem to mind him when they're snogging), Eden, not wanting to miss out on the fun, surprised us all and gave Remus a quick kiss on the lips and then turned to Peter, but seemed to think better of it and turned away from Peter.
The guests started filtering out at about one in the morning. By half past one, they were all gone. Peter, Remus, Gwen, Sirius, James, and I stayed up talking and joking for a while and then fell asleep on the floor of the formal living room.
~~Well, there it is. Hope you liked! Now, go review!!~~