Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns all rights to Harry Potter and everything related to it. However, I own the original characters (Ava and Grace).

~Chapter 6*

"So come on let me see
I say baby you are amazing
I want to let you see
that you are everything and more to me
I will let you be I will I will
Cause I saw you walking down the hall
and I had a lot to tell you
but I didn't think you could say it better oh baby"

-"Amazing"

  Josh Kelly

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"Let's go gentlemen, the game starts in ten minutes," said an annoyed and (even though he would never admit it) quite nervous Ayden. He was a firm believer in "staying strong for the team" which in his eyes certainly didn't leave room for being nervous. The Gryffindor Quidditch team had a match that morning against Ravenclaw, who appeared to be doing quite well this season. The last thing Gryffindor needed was to lose this game and be out of the running for the Quidditch Cup, putting a lot of pressure on the team.

"Well good luck," said Lily, giving James a quick kiss before pushing him in an attempt to make him leave the Great Hall.

"Oh believe me, Lily, we don't need it," smirked James, dripping with confidence.

"Well putting into consideration the fact that it will be extremely easy for you to fly due to the amount of hot air filling your head at the moment, I don't think you're going to need any luck either."

"I knew you would understand," said James draping an arm around Lily's shoulders.

"Hey! Don't I get a good luck kiss?" questioned Sirius, his question was up for anyone, but obviously directed towards Ava.

"I think I'll pass on that one actually," said Ava.

"Oh that hurts, it really does," said Sirius, putting a hand over his heart as James began to pull him away at the simultaneous call of, "EIGHT MINUTES!" from Ayden.

"Until then my fair, Ava," shouted Sirius as the doors of the Great Hall closed. Lily raised an eyebrow to Ava who just shrugged.

~ * ~ *

"Well here's to another Gryffindor victory!" called out Sirius as the team entered the locker room.

"There's no way we can lose the Cup. No way," said James from behind him, broom perched on top of his shoulder. James and Sirius made their way to the back of the locker room.

"You remembered about tonight right?" asked James under his breath and he fiddled with his Quidditch robes.

"Wouldn't miss it for all the butterbeer in the world," answered Sirius.

"Ha, right."

~ * ~

A few hours later James, Sirius and Peter found themselves crowded under James's invisibility cloak, cautiously stalking through the empty Hogwarts halls. As they reached one of the windows Sirius paused to take a quick glance at the Marauder's Map, illuminated by the full moon outside. They made their way out of the castle, through the gardens, past the gamekeeper's hut and the greenhouses, finally coming to a halt in front of the Whomping Willow.

"I reckon Remus has transformed by now," James thought out loud. "Peter, you should go ahead."

Peter nodded and briefly closed his eyes. He began a metamorphosis, his body cowering down, his ears enlarging, a long tail protruding from his bottom. The rat dodged through the swinging branches of the willow and hit a knob on its trunk. Instantly the tree froze. Making sure that no one was in sight, James and Sirius took this as a signal to transform themselves. Sirius took to the form of a shaggy, black dog, while James's body distorted into that of a stag. The two animals followed the rat through a door hidden in the tree and darted through the tunnel beneath it. They came to a clearing, revealing the inside of a destroyed house and their first look of Remus in his werewolf form of the night.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Well Sirius, we better go and take care of those… uh… errands," said James as he drained his mug of butterbeer. The Marauders (excluding Remus who was in the hospital wing and Peter who was Merlin knows where these days) and Ava, Lily, and Grace were all sitting in a booth in the festively decorated Three Broomsticks. The multiple tankards of butterbeer seemed to be the only thing keeping the boys awake after last night's rendezvous.

"Errands?" asked Sirius looking genuinely baffled. James widened his eyes and stared at Sirius as if trying to get him to catch his hint. "Oooooh, errands. Right you are," Sirius said as he stood up and tossed a few sickles onto the table.

"We'll catch up with you later," said James as he and Sirius began to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?" questioned Grace.

"Errands," replied James simply.

"Errands?"

"Yes, we're looking into a mail order bride for our Jamsie here, the paperwork is almost complete," said Sirius.

"I love you too," Lily said sarcastically. James winked at her with a grin.

James and Sirius walked through the pub and pushed open the Christmas wreath adorned door leading out to the snow covered streets of Hogsmead.

"Annnyways," said Ava as the door closed with a gust of chilly wind, "Where are you two going for Christmas holidays?"

"I'm going home to Liverpool, my parents have this thing about 'being together on the holidays as a family'," Grace imitated in a nasal voice.

"What about you?" asked Ava, facing Lily.

"Actually, I was thinking of staying at Hogwarts for the holidays. I REALLY don't want to spend three weeks with Petunia and her new pet Vernon." She shuddered at the thought of spending every waking moment listening to those two whisper nauseating sweet nothings into each other's ears. "If I went home I'd be spending most of my time plotting ways to jump off the balcony unnoticed. Where will you be?"

"Hogwarts too, my parents are going to Switzerland for the holidays. Tagging along on their latest journey of 'finding themselves' doesn't really appeal to me," Ava answered honestly. Lily laughed at the thought of Ava's parents. They had been trying to 'find themselves' ever since Lily met Ava when she was six. They seemed to her like the kind of people to first try out a fad diet or go backpacking through Europe because its, "Youthful and upbeat, sweetheart."

"Well it won't be that bad. You and I are both staying and so is James. And I'm almost positive Sirius will be staying too, he likes to spend as much time as possible away from the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black," Lily said.

"Sirius?"

"I knew it!" said Lily triumphantly.

"Knew what exactly?"

"You fancy Sirius!"

"Pssh. Me? Sirius? Defiantly not."

"Right Ava, and I suppose that's why you had a sudden interest when I said his name?"

"I'm just not keen on the fact of spending two weeks with that prat constantly boasting about one thing or another or following me around saying, 'You know what they say about a guy with a nice broomstick'. He's positively hopeless."

"MmmHmm," mumbled Lily as she took a big gulp of her drink.

~ * ~

The bell on the door softly tinkled, announcing Sirius and James' entrance to Madame Moreno's Fine Jewelry.

"Welcome, welcome! I'm Madame Moreno, what can I help you fine gentlemen with this afternoon?" cooed Madame Moreno. She was a plump middle-aged woman with wispy blonde hair and a beaming smile. Her cheeks flushed as she waved heavily decorated hands in enthusiasm. Sirius looked over to James who suddenly seemed to come to his senses and say,

"Oh, um. I'm looking for a gift. A Christmas gift actually."

"For whom exactly?" questioned Madame Moreno flirtatiously.

"My girlfriend."

"I think I know just what you're looking for," Madame Moreno beamed. "Something simple, yet elegant. Not to showy, but thoughtful at the same time. Am I correct?" she asked as she waltzed over to a nearby display counter, her rose coloured robes billowing behind her.

"Your good." Said James impressed.

"Well it is my job," she giggled. Sirius turned to James and raised an eyebrow. James stifled a laugh and followed the lady to the other side of the store. He glanced down into the display when his attention was caught on a small bracelet. It was silver and thin with a single charm of a lily encrusted with diamonds dangling off of it.

"This is the one," he said pointing to the bracelet. Sirius leaned to get a better view and nodded his head in agreement.

"I'll wrap this up for you," Madame Moreno smiled.

~*~

James and Sirius walked out of the store and back towards the entrance of Three Broomsticks were they had agreed to meet the girls.

"That Madame Moreno was nutters! I think she fancied you Prongs," said Sirius.

"Well I do attract the ladies."

"You wish." Sirius sighed as James laughed.

"I'm surprised you didn't buy anything for Ava while we were in there."

"Ava? She wouldn't fall for something like that she's too… classy. Jewelry wouldn't bribe her into going out with me. She isn't like any of the other girls I've known in the past."

"That's an understatement."

"Ha. Yea."

~*~

Lily saw James walking up the street with Sirius just as he was tucking a green bag under his coat. Errands.

"Hey," she said as James approached, put an arm around her waist and lightly kissed the top of her snow-dusted head.

"So do you want to just head back? I can't think of anything else to do," said Ava looking round for an answer.

"I can think of plen-" began Sirius.

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence Black," interrupted Ava.

"As you wish." (a/n: The Princess Bride!!!!)

"Sure, we can go," said Grace.

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The next few weeks seemed to slip by slowly. Every student seemed to be counting down the days until Christmas holidays. After what seemed like forever Sirius, James, Lily, and Ava were saying goodbye to the rest of their friends who would be going home for the holidays.

"Owl me and have a good time," Lily said as she hugged Grace.

"I will, no worries."

"No worries," Lily repeated with a smile.

"Do you want to go back to the common room?" James asked Lily as they saw Remus leave.

"Sure," said Lily. She turned to Ava and Sirius. "Are you guys coming?"

"Nah, Sirius is proving to me that he can get me into the kitchens," sighed Ava.

"I can!" prompted Sirius.

"And I never thought of thinking otherwise."

"Ha. Ok," said Lily as she walked off. "I'll see you two later."

"I wish those two would just get together and get it over with," sighed Lily as she and James rounded the corner towards the common room.

"I know what you mean," James replied.

"Ava is just so stubborn."

"It'll all happen eventually."

"I suppose you're right," Lily said. "But until then you could always give me my Christmas gift!"

James laughed and looked at his girlfriend lovingly. Ever since she saw the green bag at Hogsmeade she had been pestering James about it.

"You'll just have to wait."

"Pleeeeeeeease?" Lily asked as she batted her eyelashes innocently.

"Cute, but no," James laughed as he pulled Lily closer to him.

"Fine, fine. I see how it is."

"Oh really? And how is it?"

"Um. How bout I get back to you on that."

"That's what I thought," said James as he crawled through the portrait hole.

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"James! Wake up!" Sirius yelled into his roommate's ear.

"What?! What happened? What's wrong?" James woke up startled.

"IT'S CHRISTMAS!"

"Haha. Lets go Padfoot."

The two boys stumbled down the stairs to the sight of a glowing Christmas tree adorned with many colourful presents at the bottom. Sitting on one of the couches was Ava and Lily.

"Happy Christmas," Lily yawned as she saw Sirius and James coming downstairs.

"Happy Christmas," James echoed.

"You beat us!" Sirius said with an unbelieving tone.

"That's right Black, we beat you," smiled Ava as she reached for a present with her name neatly printed on the front.

An hour later the floor was littered with different coloured wrapping paper and bows. Lily and James were sitting on the couch together while Ava and Sirius were quarreling over a piece of peppermint stick.

"What's wrong?" James asked as a look of disappointment spread across Lily's face.

"Nothing," she said looking up to him and forcing a smile. What was really on her mind was the fact that James hadn't given her a gift. Which made her think whom the item in the green bag was for. Obviously not her.

"Oh that reminds me!" said James suddenly as he stood up. "I forgot something in my dorm. Can you come up and help me find it?"

"Sure," Lily said, not really listening to what he said, but grabbing his offered hand anyways. He led Lily up the boy's staircase and into his dorm. Lily sat on his bed and looked around. The floor was covered in school robes and broomstick catalogues and in the midst of it was James digging around.

"Ah ha!" he said triumphantly, holding a shiny red parcel in the air. The display caught Lily's attention and a broad smile filled up her face. James walked over to her and sat down on his bed.

"You didn't think I had forgotten did you?" he asked.

"The thought never crossed my mind," she said blushing slightly. James handed her the gift and she slowly unwrapped it. She revealed a velvet jewelry box and gently opened the top. Inside was the silver bracelet, Lily's face lit up when she saw it. "Oh, James," she gasped.

"Do you like it?"

"It's amazing. Thank you," he said as she gave him a kiss.

"Lily?"

"Yes?" Lily answered still admiring the bracelet.

"I have to tell you something, and I've been holding it off until now, but…."

"What is it?" Lily asked, now looking up questioningly.

"I love you." James said with a smile as if he had wanted to tell her that ever since he first laid eyes on her (which he had).

Lily smiled up at him. "I love you too, James."

A/n: Ta da! I hope you liked it. I had fun writing it. Now if only I had a James Potter…*sighs*. Hehe. Thank you everyone for all of the reviews! They're great! Special thanks to my betas, I love you guys!