Chapter 6: Ramble On

Weeks passed, and Michael still hadn't woken. James was glad he was 'alive' but he still wasn't around. Sure, Gryffindor won, and when James came back to the common room that night, everyone was celebrating. No one seemed to even care about the two seekers who never emerged from the box. So, as soon as he entered the common room he went straight to his room and fell asleep.

James' friends didn't know about Michael's where beings until James got post from his mother, one week before Christmas Break.

Dear James,

Michael woke last night, he still very weak though. When you come for break, you can see him. He will return to school after break. He has to stay up so he doesn't fall back asleep, that is annoying him quite a bit, since he is extremely tired.

Keep out of trouble,

Mom

James was relieved. He showed the letter to Sirius, and he left to get his bag and get ready for class.

"So he was in a coma?" asked Sirius, who caught up to him on the Monday morning, during History of Magic.

"Yeah," said James.

"That's good, sleep?" asked Sirius.

James grinned and went into a dreamless sleep.

Friday

Going Home

Lily was packing the last of her stuff for the train ride home. She was happy to go home, and to finally see her parents again. She missed them, but barely had time to think about missing the, because of all that she'd learnt at Hogwarts.

But then a thought hit her, as she was climbing down the stairs of the girl's dormitory, Petunia. Petunia had ignored her last summer. She didn't want Petunia to feel scared, because she was a witch.

"I'll settle it when I get home," Lily said to herself.

"Talking to yourself now are we?" asked Sirius.

Lily turned to see Sirius stretched out on the couch in the common room. "Aren't you going home?" asked Lily.

Sirius shook his head. "I'm defiantly not going home, its hell."

"Well, if you don't mind me asking, why is it hell?"

"Your family is probably perfect, right? Accepts you for who you are, loves you?" asked Sirius.

Lily was a little taken aback by this question, she nodded.

"Well, my family doesn't," he said this like it didn't faze him the slightest. "When I was eight, and my dad took me to work to speak to one of the auror's, James' father, he didn't expect me to find a friend."

"Well it's just a friend – "Lily began.

"No, you see James' family isn't what my family calls 'pure', sure they have pure-blood for generations and generations, but they like muggles, people like you."

"I don't understand," said Lily frowning.

"My family, and many other pure-blooded family's, believe that the magical world, should only be kept between pure-bloods, I didn't agree with that, and neither does James' family.

"There are many other families like James' who believe that, more than my family's beliefs. There have been some of my family members who have left because they don't agree. For instance, my cousin Andromeda got married to a muggle born last summer, like your self. She is now nowhere to be seen on our family tree. She's my favorite cousin of course." Sirius smiled. "If I go back home, my parents will nag me, not only for not believing for what they believe, but for being a Gryffindor. My family has been Slytherin for so long, like my cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa. Andromeda was a Gryffindor, and I support her 100%, there's only a matter of time before I leave."

Lily was quiet. Sirius, a boy she barely knew told her his dilemma, Lily smiled weakly not knowing what to say.

"James' family has always invited me over, which infuriates my parents. But they let me go. James' parents know I'm nothing like my parents." Sirius frowned. "That's why I'm staying here, besides, I'm not alone, and Pete is here!" Lily smiled.

"Well, bye then, Sirius, see you after break." said Lily, with a weak smile.

"Bye Lily," said Sirius.

On the Train

Lily, Britney, Tess, Daisy and Alice were all in a compartment.

"So, who's going to the Potter Ball?" asked Tess.

"Me," chorused Daisy and Alice at the same time. Lily looked up.

"Potter Ball?" asked Lily

"Oh, it's nothing special . . ." began Britney boringly.

"Nothing special?" repeated Tess. "I'm finally invited, my parents have been going for years, it's suppose to be exquisite!" said Tess dreamily.

"'It's suppose to be exquisite,'" repeated Britney in Tess' dreamy voice, making Lily and Alice laugh.

Tess glared at Britney. "Well, show's who's talking, you're not even invited!" Tess sniggered.

"Not invited? I've been invited for 11 years! It's boring as hell!" exclaimed Britney, not looking up from her book.

"My brother said it was nothing, good food though," said Alice smiling.

"Oh yes, the food is good," said none other than James Potter who had entered the compartment with Remus behind him. "But I have to admit, it is quite boring, and that is why Sirius and I have been pulling pranks for the past few years, and all the other boring parties my parents throw."

"Very boring indeed," said Britney.

"I thought no children were allowed who are not in school," said Daisy looking confused.

Britney answered not looking up from her picture book, "Well, Sirius' father brought Sirius anyway, just to infuriate our fathers. Though our parents like Sirius, and after the first time, it wasn't a problem. But, I, James, Michael, and Haylie grew up into it. Our mother's organize it for the Ministry so, we're just there."

"Yeah," said James. "This is the first year without Sirius," he put his head down like he was grieving but his head shot up soon. "Though, I have Remus here!"

Lily couldn't help but feel left out.

Britney seemed to have noticed this so she immediately took action to cheer her best friend up. "Lily, I'll ask my mom if you can come, she won't mind I believe, as long as you're not doing anything on Christmas Eve?" Lily shook her head. "Great! Now all my friends will be there!"

James and Remus stayed with the girls till the end of the train ride when it was time to depart.

Lily hopped off the train, with her stuff on a trolley. Her parents told her they'd meet her at the front desk in the entrance of Kings Cross.

"Bye Lily! I'll ask my mom about you coming to the party on Christmas Eve. It shouldn't be a problem!" Britney and Lily hugged each other, Lily watched Britney skip over to, whom she guessed was her parents, a woman and man about thirty-three were standing with Haylie, as Britney walked to them. Mrs. Turner had long blond hair like her daughters, with blue eyes like Haylie, she looked extremely beautiful. Mr. Turner had short brown hair that was quite handsome. Lily thought they could have been famous celebrities from Hollywood. Lily quickly got back her senses and went out of platform nine and three quarters.

She found her parents right where they said they'd be.

"Lils!" exclaimed Lily's father, with open arms for his eleven year old daughter. Lily ran to his open arms and was engrossed into a hug.

"Daddy, Hogwarts is the best! There are ghosts, there's moving portraits, there's moving staircases, talking portraits and so much more! I have a lot to tell you!"

"And we'll hear every second of it," said Mr. Evans happily as Mrs. Evans grabbed Lily into a hug. Lily saw her sister, Petunia, standing against the wall looking very miserable.

"Hey Petunia," Lily said as she moved in to hug her sister. Petunia moved away and muttered something about going to the car. Lily suddenly became very disappointed.

"Don't mind her sweetie," said Mrs. Evans, as she took her daughters hand. Lily couldn't help feeling guilty, 'but guilty for what?' Lily thought furiously to herself. 'If Petunia has a problem with me, then I don't care, she's just jealous.'

Jealousy . . .

James

"James, I'm over here!" James turned to see his mother waving at them. James smiled and ran to his mother.

"Hey mom, where's dad?" asked James looking around for a sign of his father.

"Where's your father? Is that it? Don't you want to tell me how your first term was? How exciting Hogwarts is, how magical it is, but instead you ask for your father?" asked Mrs. Potter looking highly amused with raised eyebrows.

James smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, er, it was great! Loved it, can't wait till we start again on January 3rd, now, where's dad?" James said quickly looking for his dad again.

Mrs. Potter chuckled. "You father is at work, only one of us could take time off to pick you up. So, your father suggested me, but I can see you would have preferred your father," Mrs. Potter said with a smile.

"No mom, I, just wanted to talk to him, but," James looked around and hugged his mother, who gladly hugged him back. "There we go, now, I have to get you home quickly, Veronica is there and I have to get back to work."

James frowned and followed his mom off the platform, and out to the wintery grounds of Muggle London. Right out front, was one of the ministry cars, which was a dark green. James hopped in with his mother closely behind and the driver drove them to the Leaky Cauldron, since it was only twenty minutes away from King's Cross station.

James and his mother left the ministry car and entered the Leaky Cauldron.

The pub was its usual loud, smoky and flushed with Christmas spirit, James and his mother went over to the lit fireplace at the other side of the room. Mrs. Potter handed her son some floo powder and James stepped into the fireplace, threw down the floo powder and said loudly and clearly, "Potter Mansion!" James closed his eyes and was being sucked into the flames and the noise was pounding at his head when he finally landed on his butt on his living room carpet. James' mother arrived moments later on her feet gracefully. She got out her wand, muttered a spell and the soot on James and his mother cleaned itself away.

"Veronica?" Mrs. Potter yelled out, and a young woman came from the entrance hall of the house and into the living room, she smiled at James.

"Why, hello there James, did you absolutely love Hogwarts?" asked Veronica the nanny, now Michael was fifteen and James was eleven, they didn't really need a nanny anymore now that James started school again, but she was still there when needed. And since Michael got into the coma, and James' parents had to work, Veronica was there. She had been there since Michael was two, that was thirteen years.

"Loved it!" James exclaimed and hugged Veronica, who smiled.

"Veronica, I have to get back to work, you don't mind making James dinner? I have to go," she kissed James on the top of his head, "love you." She said, then quickly disapparated.

Britney

"Finally we're home," said Haylie as she entered the mansion with Britney, and her parents close behind.

"Yeah," Britney ran up the large stairs (in the foyer) and raced to her room. She opened the two doors, and went into her room. It was very large, pink walls, and her bed was huge with four posters, with many pillows all around. She dropped her bags off and plopped on her freshly made, sweet smelling bed. Then Britney sat up quickly.

She raced out of her room and leaned over the railing outside her room, which took you down a large staircase going down, (A/N: not curved like the Potter mansion.) "Mom!" she yelled. 'This house is too big, now where would mom be? The east wing or west wing?' Britney let out a frustrated sigh. She slowly made her way down the stairs, and started her search for her mom.

She checked the dining room, wasn't – oh wait! She was there. "Mom!" said Britney relieved.

"Yes!" said her mother in the same tone of exasperation.

Britney glared. "Can I invite a friend to the Christmas Eve ball?" asked Britney sweetly.

"Well, she should already be invited, shouldn't she?" asked her mother not looking up from her magazine.

"No . . . she's a muggle born and she's my best friend!" Britney exclaimed and got on her knees and pulled at the bottom of her mother's robes. "Pu-lease! Pretty please mommy!" she did the puppy dog look, and people often said she did the best one ever, not many people could resist the sweet and innocence of this small girl.

"I don't see why you're begging," said her mother looking at the small girl. "Yes, she can come, what's her name?"

"Lily Evans," said Britney proudly.

"Yes alright, pretty name. Go on, send your letter," said her mother smiling at Britney.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" yelled Britney, and she threw her arms around her mother and kissed her on the cheek, and was out of the room in a flash.

She raced into her room, grabbed some parchment and a quill and started to write:

Lily,

I asked my mother about the ball thingy and she said yes! So, uh, we'll come to pick you up on Christmas Eve morning! Can't wait! It'll be more fun this year with you and Alice and the others.

Oh well, I guess you have to ask your parents, but we'll come anyway!

See you soon,

Britney (the great)

"AHA!" she folded the letter and put it into an envelope. "Now I need an owl!" She leapt up and ran down the stairs to her father's office.

"Daddy," she did the puppy dog face, her father never let anyone use his owl, so she had to suck up all she could. Her dad was working on some paper work when Britney entered.

"Yes, pumpkin?" asked Mr. Turner sweetly.

"Can I, maybe, perhaps, use, I mean borrow your cute owl?" she smiled.

"Can I, maybe, perhaps, ask, you to leave and no you can't use my owl," said her father smiling the same way Britney did, she frowned.

"Oh please, daddy, I have to send this to my friend, it's an invitations, please?" Britney said this all too quickly.

"Then perhaps Haylie, can take you to get an owl tomorrow?" inquired her father.

"No it needs to go now!" she pouted.

"No! Final answer, sorry Brit," said her father. "Now can you please leave?"

Britney sighed and stomped out of the office, stomped up the stairs and slammed her door. She ran to her bed and as soon as her head hit the pillow she fell asleep.

A/N: I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a while. I went to camp. My leg is swollen from mosquito bites. It was hell. I was trying to finnish Chapter 5 in year 2. I finally finnished it! Yeah!

I'm really glad to be back, my computer seems really weird, I'm really surprised I even remembered to update. Well, I'll update again tomorrow, I promise! Thank you!