Author's Note: GAH!! Sorry it took me so long to update. I wrote this chapter TWO DAYS ago, but couldn't find a floppy disk to transfer it from my laptop. XDD
Anyway, I would like to announce that on LiveJournal, I have opened a community!! Check it out… the community name is slash_writer.
My regular user name is vegetaztwin.
So if you have a LJ, add me as a friend or whatever!~ XDD
Thanks To:
Stigmatized – Hahaha, That was a great review. XD
Moony-Black – lame jokeThe Black's are going to do what they try to do every night… Try and take over the world!! /lame joke
Louis- That's right! I am the Queen of Mean Cliffies!~ And don't you forget it. ^.~
Spirit3
Dark Peppermint – O_______O ::washes your mouth out with soap::
Emiko Merodi – Wanna send me a plushie? ;_;
Vixen-Ra - Of course I'll write more. ^_^
Pigwedgion
Peegchica
Claire
Arctic
Chloe-Wagner – Hahaha, I'm glad you liked the presents. XD I kinda ripped them off of another story of mine. ^^;;
Ginerva – You know I spent like half an hour trying to figure out how Malfoy got into the Gryffindor Common Room, and then never wrote it? XDD Basically the only thing I could think of was that he slipped in before it closed after James left, but waited long enough so that James didn't see him. He was lurking in the shadows, waiting…
Rena Lupin – Okay!! Okay!! I'm writing more!! BREATH!
Nobody spoke at all, as Regulus, Mr. Black and Mrs. Black stood in the doorway letting snow into the house.
Finally Mr. Potter got off the couch.
"Come in, come in. James, honestly, where are your manners? Can I take your coat, Angelica?"
Mrs. Black walked in, smiling like a tiger, and handed her coat to Mr. Potter.
"Thank you Benjamin. Merry Christmas."
Regulus walked in with a superior smirk as he saw Sirius.
"Merry Christmas, brother dear." he said, crossing his arms.
Sirius stood about to make a rude remark, but Remus caught his arm. Sirius took his meaning... He was to behave...
"Merry Christmas, Regulus. Did you get the present I sent you?" Sirius replied, a strained smile on his face.
Before Regulus could reply, Angelica Black swept down on her oldest son.
"Sirius, how are you dear? You're looking pale, have you been getting enough to eat?"
Sirius was feeling disgusted at this point. Did his parents rehearse this before coming?
"I'm fine Mum. Are you having a good Christmas?" Sirius answered, playing his part in the charade.
"Very lovely, dear. Though it would be much nicer if you had come home." her eyes flashed a dangerous color, warning him that he would pay for it.
"Ahh, well, Mum I couldn't be rude, and break my plans with the Potters now, could I?" Sirius spoke, his eyes answering that he wanted to see her try.
Angelica was about to reply when her eyes caught Remus who was standing behind Sirius.
"Ahh.. And who is this Sirius?" Mrs. Black questioned, knowing fully well what her answer was going to be.
"Mum, this is Remus Lupin, my soul mate." Sirius replied, with a taunting grin.
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance ma'am." Remus replied in a small voice, his eyes not daring to meet Angelica Black's.
"Pleasure's all mine." Angelica replied in a silky voice.
"Angelica!" a voice suddenly broke through the tense moment. "Great to see you dear!"
Mrs. Potter came walking into the room, and hugged Mrs. Black.
"How are you? It's been forever since we've seen each other, but it's been lovely to have Sirius here. I hope we didn't snatch him away from you, he was saying how he was a little upset that he wasn't getting to see you over holiday break...."
Lisa Potter continued to talk on, as she led the Black into the kitchen.
James walked over flopping onto the couch, as his Dad led Sirius's dad away.
"Your mother is some actress, Jamie." Remus whispered as he sat down by James's feet.
"You have no idea." James replied with a laugh.
Sirius was still standing, his entire body tense, his face still etched into a mask of hatred.
"Siri, love..." Remus said in a quiet undertone, tugging on his hand.
Sirius looked down at him and then smiled sadly. He gathered Remus up in his arms for a brief moment, before sitting down, taking Remus into his lap.
The werewolf leaned back into Sirius, playing with his long hair.
"Wow... Now who would have thought that would happen?" James said, as he sat up, watching Sirius and Remus.
"Not me." Regulus said, smirking as he re-entered the room.
"Go away Regulus." Sirius snapped from where he was sitting.
"Where else am I going to go?" Regulus pointed out as he took a seat in an armchair across the room.
"We could go play Quid-" James started.
"Don't even finish that sentence James Benjamin Potter! We're eating dinner in fifteen minutes." his mother's voice called from the kitchen.
"Besides, it's around negative twenty degrees outside." Remus added with a grin. "You'd freeze to your broom, master Seeker."
James beamed for a brief moment, and then remembered that Regulus was still watching them.
They were all silent for a few uneasy moments. James stared at a spot on the ceiling from when he had lost control of his broomstick and it had gone through the roof.
Remus toyed absentmindedly with the ring Sirius had gotten him, wishing that the younger Black boy would stop staring at him with that smug look on his face.
Sirius was examining Remus's hand, trying to forgot that his brother was in the room... and trying to ignore the impulse to jump up and kill him...
"Have you heard from your friend, Pettigrew lately?" Regulus suddenly asked.
James looked over at Regulus sharply. Peter hadn't been answering any of their owls... Their holiday break was three weeks long, and already a week and half were gone, and no reply from the fourth Marauder.
"Why do you care Regulus?" Sirius answered in a bored tone, not looking up.
"Because I've seen him here and there..." Regulus answered with a shrug.
The three Marauders stared at the other boy for a little bit, and Sirius was about to speak when he was stopped.
"Dinner is ready boys!" Mrs. Potter called.
They walked into the dining room, smells of the delicious food that Lisa had prepared, tempting their senses.
Regulus took a seat next to his father, while James, Sirius, and Remus took up the other side of the table.
Mr. Potter sat at the top of the table where he gave a happy smile.
"I'd like to thank everyone for coming tonight... They are always welcome at our table..."
He murmured a quick grace during which Sirius and Regulus kicked each other in the shins, before they dug into their dinner.
It was an extremely tense affair. Sirius and Regulus was sitting across from each other, and were doing the best they possibly could to get on the other's nerves. Remus was sitting across from Mrs. Black, and kept feeling as though she was trying to bore holes in his head from staring at him so long... The only thing that saved him was the fact that Mrs. Potter was also sitting by the two of them. She was seated at the end of the table, and was able to keep Mrs. Black engaged in a pleasant conversation for the majority of the meal.
James, his father, and Sirius's father talked about Quidditch for most of the meal.
It wasn't until dessert that the real problem arose.
Mr. Potter and Mr. Black had just finished their discussion of if Gobstones were suitable replacements for the Snitch to practice with when Mrs. Black turned to Mrs. Potter and asked what Sirius had feared.
"What do you think of this whole You-Know-Who business, Lisa?"
The whole table grew dead silent.
"Oh my... I think it's an awful thing to bring up on Christmas." Mrs. Potter replied, serving Remus a slice of apple pie.
"So I'm taking it you're against what he is doing?" Angelica questioned.
"Of course. Innocent people shouldn't have to die if the belief is innocent. I'm sure everyone is entitled to his or her opinion... But honestly, this is ridiculous. I think that You-Know-Who is just someone who likes killing, rather then doing what they believe is right." Lisa replied firmly.
"I agree." Sirius spoke up from the other end of the table, sounding much braver then he felt. "The only thing this will accomplish is blood spill... Muggles are part of our world, we can't exist without them. We'd die out. Hence it's not right to snub the offspring that our made from the people that help us survive. Besides You-Know-Who will be brought down eventually. It's rather stupid to join up with him. Someone will destroy him soon enough."
Mrs. Black turned a cold eye from her oldest son.
"So you're not going to try and find a pureblood marriage for James?" Mrs. Black asked.
"Oh dear me, of course not. I'm not going to force James to be with somebody he might be miserable with for the rest of his life. I mean, Jamie's happiness is more important then what blood may flow through his children's veins. I'm sure that they will still be good wizards or witches even if their blood has a tad bit of Muggle in it."
"I see..." Angelica said.
"After all Remus here, is not a complete pure blood. He has a very small amount of Muggle in him, yet he is top of the year, and even top of the fifth years also." Mrs. Potter gave Remus an appraising smile. "He's courteous and polite, neat and respectable, and not bad looking to boot! Now wouldn't it be silly that someone might object to Remus here learning magic just because his great-great grandfather was a Muggle? It would be such a loss for our community, because he has mastered spells so advanced for his age, that he's sure to do something great with his life when he grows up."
Remus looked down and felt his cheeks begin to burn red. Sirius slipped his hand under the table and grabbed Remus's, giving it a small squeeze. Remus looked up in appreciation and smiled.
*~~~~~~~~~~~*
After a few more hours of the ever-thickening tension, Angelica Black decided that it was time to leave.
"Come along Regulus, Sirius, it's time to go."
Sirius sat up surprised from where he had been leaning against Remus who was thumbing through the book that James had given him.
"But-" Sirius began to object.
"You don't wish to intrude upon the Potters any longer do you Sirius, now come along." Mrs. Black replied in a warning tone.
"Oh, it's no trouble at all to have him here, Angelica." Lisa objected. "He's a dear to have around the house."
"Lisa, I couldn't leave him here for another week and a half, no matter how much you say it would be fine to. I must insist upon bringing him home." Angelica replied.
Everyone knew this was a battle that Sirius could not win. He dragged his feet slowly up the stairs to where his things were, grumbling the entire way.
Remus followed after, feeling a little sad.
Sirius went as slowly as he possibly could, as Remus sat on his bed, watching the Black's every movement.
Finally Sirius was ready to leave, and he leaned down kissing Remus gently on the lips.
"I love you. I'll see you at Hogwarts soon... I hope."
Remus didn't say anything, but kissed Sirius again, deepening it this time.
"I love you too Siri... Be strong, okay?"
*~~~~~~~~~~*
Sirius already knew there was going to be hell to pay the instant they arrived home.
And he was right.
"How dare you embarrass us like that?" Angelica hissed at her son as soon as they walked through the door. "Who do you think you are, you nasty little brat?"
Sirius started for his room, but his mother stopped him.
"No you don't! You're going to sit down and listen to what your father and I have to tell you!"
Sirius sighed, running a hand through his long hair, wishing that he was back at the Potter's. He didn't argue with his mother though as he sank down onto the couch.
"Now, Sirius, you're going to answer me when I talk to you. I want to know what in the devil you're doing with a boy like that. He's not a pureblood, which is what you're going to be marrying!" Angelica spoke.
"I love him Mum! We've been through this a million times! I'm not breaking up with Remus! He's the person I'm meant to be with." Sirius replied in a steady voice, crossing his arms and looking away.
"Sirius, I'm inclined to agree with your mother here. You need to find a better match." her father instructed.
Sirius didn't reply.
"And embarrassing us with that little routine at the Potters! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" Angelica added.
Sirius didn't reply.
"Answer me when I speak to you!" the Black female yelled.
Sirius didn't reply.
In one swift movement, Angelica sprang forward, and slapped Sirius surprisingly hard across the face.
She stood over him, anger overwhelming her as a red mark began to spread across Sirius's cheek.
"Feel better?" he questioned in a low tone.
Angelica breathed out in a harsh way, and moved her body as though preparing to spring again, but she didn't.
"Go to your room NOW! Get out of my site! I don't want to see you ever again you nasty ungrateful brat!"
*~~~~~~~~~*
Remus rushed into Sirius's arms the instant he saw him. Christmas breaks seemed to have dragged on forever.
Remus drew back and gasped.
"Siri... Your eye..."
He brought his fingers gingerly up to the black eye that marred Sirius's features.
"It's not that bad, love." Sirius whispered.
"How did it happen?" Remus questioned.
"Dad wasn't too happy about yo-... About things. He tried to keep his patience, but lost it in the end..."
Remus's eyes gathered with tears, and he hugged Sirius again.
"Really.... I'm not worth all this..." Remus whispered.
"I love you..." Sirius answered.
Author's Note: Please, please, please, review or email at vegetaztwin@hotmail.com