Thx to everone who reviewed! I really appreciate it!

I promise this chapters gonna be longer lol....


Lily leaned on the wall for a few minutes after the owl flew away, enjoying the peace and quiet of the morning. She left when she heard her stomach growl, and walked down to the great hall. When she entered she saw Ruth, looking as if she would fall asleep over her toast, at the Gryffindor table. Lily frowned and sat down next to her friend, loading eggs onto her plate.

"Why are you so tired?" Ruth looked up and shrugged, clumsily grinding sleep out of her eyes.

"couldn't... (she yawned)... falsleep....last night,"

"Why not?"

"Oh... er.... I dunno" Ruth said slowly, starting at her bacon, "prob'ly because I was so excited bout Christmas" she added, still staring at her bacon, not looking Lily in the eye.

"Are you talking to your bacon, or me?" Lily said chuckling. She looked curiously at Ruth, but took her excuse anyway," Yeah, I'm excited about Christmas too."

Both of them ate in silence until Remus Lupin showed up, and him and Lily started chatting about the N.E.W.T.S, Ruth half asleep next to them.

"It's coming up close you know, just next year. I'm not really worried about the transfiguration test though, just potions." Lupin said taking a swip of his pumpkin juice.

"Oh, don't worry about it Lupin, you'll do fine. You always ace the end of year exams" Lily said, and then added in a polite tone, eyeing his pale skin," But are you sure you're ok? you look a little off-color"

He shook his head and stated that he was fine. Then he said a hasty goodbye and got up and left.

"Hm... I wonder whats up with him," Lily pondered to Ruth. Then Lily looked over at her and laughed, Ruth had fallen asleep on her plate. Trying to shake her awake, she didn't notice two new arrivals at the table.

"Hey Lil.Whoa, don't think we should eat the food Wormtail, looks like it knocked Ruth here out." Lily turned around and saw Sirius and Wormtail sitting across from her, both looking at Ruth. Lily replied coldly,

"She's asleep, but by all means, don't eat the food. I don't think theres enough for you and your ego here anyway Black." She was just about to leave, when she remembered that Ruth was still asleep, and she couldn't leave her. So Lily had to stay.

"Why's she asleep?" Wormtail questoned, his watery eyes darting over Ruth's face and the eggs spilled around her. Lily looked at him and raised an eyebrow, then she said slowly as if talking to someone who was very stupid,

"Because she's tired, you sleep when you're tired." Sirius gave a bark-like laugh, and Ruth woke up in a start.

"Whers da fire...?" She asked thickly, brushing the eggs off her face. Then looking in front of her, she snorted.

"Should've known" Ruth said looking at Sirius, then turned to Lily, who was trying to supress a smile, "How long have I benalseep?

"Um... not long" Lily answered, "We should probabley go back up to the common room, you need sleep." Ruth nodded and got up, brushing off the eggs all over her front. Sirius chuckled,

"Nice look for you" Ruth gave him a disgusted look and replied,

"So, is today your day to babysit Wormtail ?"

Sirius eyes twinkled as he said, "No, it's James turn, I'm just filling in for a while," Peter gave a confused squeak and turned his watery eyes to Sirius, but Sirius didn't notice.

"Oh, and speaking of James, he was talking an awful lot about you last night," Sirius lazily grinned, and turned to Lily, watching her face for a reaction. But Lily didn't show any signs of interest. She stood up quickly, the only thing that would ruin her morning was to talk about that person.

"As if I care, Com' on Ruth," With that, both girls walked out of the great hall and up to the common room (fiddlededums). As soon as they entered, Ruth colapsed in Lily's regular chair and fell fast asleep. Lily went up to the girl's dormatory and grabbed one of her favorite muggle books, 'The Giver', and read for the rest of the morning near the windowsill.

She took a break for lunch (Ruth had woke up and was braiding a second year girl's hair), then went for a walk with Ruth around the castle. They enjoyed trying to find secret passage ways, and shortcuts, and singing Christmas carols with the suits of armor. Then they had a small snow fight with some other Gryffindors and Ravenclaws that were outside, and went in when it was dark, drying off for dinner.

After dinner (they had avoided Sirius, James and Wormtail....Lupin wasn't there) they both climbed into their beds, and made an agreement that the first person to wake up was to wake up the other. But they were so excited for the next day that they couldn't sleep, so Lily told Ruth a few stories about the muggle's Santa Clause and elfs (sort of like house-elves... hm...). Ruth fell off her bed laughing when Lily told her about Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, and sung her the song.

After about a half an hour of story telling, both of them bade eachother good night, and snuggled into their fluffly beds.


That took me a while, wrote it all at once....kinda makes you think though, bout house elves, did JK did her idea from Santa's elves? just an idea... hope you liked the new chapter! remember to review!