Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter related. We know the drill by now.

Chapter 4 The Potter Christmas Party

James was a bit shocked. Why didn't Remus tell him when the full moon was..? Was it because he didn't want James trying to make a bigger deal out of it then needed..?

Probably, James thought, But . . . no one deserves to spend Christmas locked up and alone.

James caught himself. He was over reacting like Remus said but . . . who cares. Sirius was going to have hell for Christmas, and Remus had to spend it alone, in the woods, in the cold as a werewolf.

He felt as if a hole was burning through his stomach. Swallowing hard James bent down to pick up his paper. Sirius beat him to it.

"You feeling okay..?" Sirius asked handing James back the Moon Chart. Obviously Sirius hadn't looked at it and didn't know that Remus's Christmas would be in the woods as a werewolf.

"Ummm . . ." James blurred out, "Yea. Yea I'm okay. Headache . . . you know..?"

"Yea that scented firewood could give anyone a headache."

"Yea the firewood."

The bell saved James from having to come up with a detailed answer. He stuffed his things in his bag quickly and stood up rather fast. He was feeling guilty. To think earlier today he was calling Remus heartless almost for saying that Sirius had his own problems to worry about, but the truth was Remus knew how Sirius felt and wanted to deal with it on his own.

James hated that feeling. Maybe it was because he had never really experienced that feeling before. Well he had but to the extent that Remus and Sirius had to deal with it. Sirius had his family. Remus was a werewolf. James . . . he never had anything like that. His family certainly didn't bother him the way Sirius's bothered him. I mean the Potter family had a row like any other family but never like the Black family. And James, he was certainly not a werewolf or other creature shunned form the human world. Remus's future wouldn't be a bright as James' would be.

"You coming..?" Peter asked James bringing him back to the real world.

"Oh yea," James said walking with the Marauders, "Coming."

Sirius was first to leave through the trapdoor and as soon as his feet hit the floor he began to make fun of the class, "Emotions and moons affect the future..! The moon..! Beware the moon..!"

Remus looked up nervously again and James took notice, "Cut it out Sirius," James said quietly.

Sirius looked at him, "What..?"

"I said cut it out," James repeated feeling like Sirius was a thousand times larger than him, "Just—"

"Just what..?"

"Never mind."

Sirius raised an eyebrow, "I think that scented fire went to your head."

"No it didn't..!" James said loudly, "Listen I—"

"You what..?"

James started to walk off, "NEVERMIND..!" he shouted as he turned left as the others stood dumbfounded at the spot.

James hadn't have meant to go off on Sirius like this. But the fact was his temper was short and Christmas was coming up fast. Sirius was trapped with his family. Remus would be a werewolf, while he, James, would be enjoying a feast with his family while they were left alone in the dark.

"I need to do something . . ." James heard himself mutter.

He made his way back up to the Common Room not caring about whatever class he was going to miss. He was about to settle in the squashy armchair when a redheaded girl walked in holding a pink slip.

"Potter," she said softly but firmly, her green emerald eyes looking right at James, "Professor McCoy wants you to join the rest of the class in Defense Against the Dark Arts."

James turned and smiled, "Ahhh, Evans . . . came all this way to see me..?"

"You wish," she said coldly.

"I did," James smiled, "Last night upon a shooting star. And my wish came true."

"Drop the comedy," Lily said coldly.

"I will go back to class if you escort me . . ."

"In your dreams," Lily Evans said folding her arms.

"How did you know I think of you in my dreams Evans..?" James said smirking.

Lily frowned, "I was sent to get you not escort you. You're a big boy Potter, you can walk there yourself."

James kept smiling, "Alright. Tell the hag I'm coming."

Lily scowled him, "She's not a hag," Lily said handing James the pink slip, "I think you've seen enough of these to know what this is."

James laughed, "What my hall pass..?"

"No," Lily said shortly, "Detention for skipping."

James tossed it aside, "Ahhh well. Not the first time eh..?"

Lily turned her heel and left the room swiftly, her red hair flowing behind her. James smiled and stood up. He better get to class, even though he despised Defense the Dark Arts, he would go. He needed to apologize to his friends for going off on them.

So leaving the Common Room, he began his trip to the Defense Against the Dark Arts room.

"Thank you for joining us Mr. Potter," Professor McCoy said swiftly, her dark, black purple highlighted hair covering her deep dark eyes against her pale skin, "Class wouldn't be the same with out you."

James smiled and sat down next to Sirius, "I know. Who would make all those comments..?"

"I'm sure Mr. Black could have filled in for you but. . . one instead of two just isn't the same . . ." Professor McCoy said darkly, her black cloak wrapped around her like a thread tightly woven in a blanket, "Well, as I was saying . . . today we will be studying . . ."

"Where were you..?" Sirius whispered to James.

"In the Common Room," James said looking at his blank parchment.

"You're not mad at me are you..?" Sirius asked.

"No," James said, "Course not. You're my best mate. How could I..?"

"Well . . ." Sirius said leaning closer to James, "After Divination you seemed a little . . ."

"A little what..?"

Sirius shrugged, "A bit angry with me."

"I wasn't," James lied. He had been angry with Sirius for the whole Moon chart thing. He thought Sirius would have noticed by now that the full moon was on Christmas, "I just wasn't feeling well. Like you said earlier, that scented fire can do a person in."

"Yea . . ." Sirius said a bit sadly knowing James was lying to him, "It can."

"And I'm sorry . . ." James said tapping Remus and Peter so they could hear, "Sorry I've been going off on you guys."

Sirius smiled, "Yea well . . . you need to learn to keep that temper bottled up a while before you let it go."

"Oh, you're one to talk," James laughed quietly.

Class was a basic jinx session. Professor McCoy was teaching the class simple defensive jinxes. She paired the class up her own way, meaning James and Sirius for the first time in a while were no longer partners. Sirius grumpily went with Peter. James went with Remus. Laughing silently, James watched Peter stun Sirius who looked livid. Sirius, as well as James, weren't known for the patience.

"I hate this class," groaned Peter. James felt the same way. James loved to do jinxes . . . just not in this class. Defense Against the Dark Arts was James' worst class. It wasn't that a curse or hex wasn't fascinating to him, it was just, and well he couldn't do it in a classroom. He got the best grades in the class but he simply disliked ("Try hate..!" shouted James.) Defense Against the Dark Arts. No one knew why really, not even James. The only time he used curses, jinxes and hexes were in the hallways, on Snape or for pranks. Remus however loved this class.

"How can you stand it..?" James asked.

"I find it fun," Remus said with ease as he did a curse, "Don't know why you don't enjoy it."

"Like were actually going to use these curses outside of school," James snorted.

"You never know," Remus said, "With this new Dark Lord threat we might need it."

"And why would I be a target of the Dark Lord, Voldemort..?" James asked, "What did I ever do to that freak..?"

"You're a pureblood."

"And so are you."

"Yes, but your family aren't against halfbloods and Muggleborns," Remus explained.

"Neither are yours," James pointed out.

"But my family isn't as well known as yours," Remus stated.

He had James there. The Potters' were known very widely in the Wizarding Community for donations, their social class and ect. And being well known, most people knew the Potters', even though pureblood, weren't pureblood maniacs like the Blacks.

"Yea well," James said trying to create a good come back, "Why are we worrying about some Dark Lord," James teased, "You have to stun me."

Remus smiled simply, "With pleasure."

And with the flick of his wand, James went crashing to the floor stunned.

"You could have at least remembered to put the cushions on the floor Wormtail..!" Sirius hissed on the way out of Professor McCoy's classroom, "My back is killing me..!"

"Well . . ." Peter trembled, "I didn't actually think I'd stun you . . . so I didn't place the cushions down."

Sirius snorted, "Yea well next time put them down..!"

"Calm down," Remus implied.

James however was ignoring this pointless argument. He was thinking about the holidays again when he felt a sharp piece of paper poke him hard in his robes. Grumpily James stopped and pulled out his mother's letter.

"Why'd ya stop..?" Sirius asked.

"Nothing," James implied shoving the letter back into his pocket. He'd read it eventually.

Down in the Great Hall, people were happily chatting away about the holidays. James was sitting at the Gryffindor table, and for once wasn't surrounded Sirius and the two weren't causing chaos. He was debating with himself and feeling a bit guilty for shouting at them before he stormed out to eat and early dinner.

After classes the Marauders had gone up to the Common Room to prepare for holidays. Sirius was grumpily packing for home and Peter was eating as many Chocolate Frogs as possible because, as he explained, his family didn't approve of sweets and he knew he wouldn't have any the whole holiday. Remus was nervously packing too, still thinking that his friends were oblivious to his condition on Christmas. Sirius had made some sort of comment that had sent James off the deep end. James couldn't even remember what it was but it had gotten him so mad that he stormed out declaring "I'm going down for an early dinner..!" as he slammed the dormitory door shut.

And now he was here, alone thinking to himself.

"Maybe if I stay here for the holidays . . ." James said to himself out loud, "I can keep Remus company. I can ask Peter if he'll stay too..! Yea . . . he doesn't want to go home. And neither does Sirius. I'm sure I'll convince him to stay with us..!" James said brightly.

He smiled and stood up and didn't care who was watching. He had just figured out how to solve everyone's problem. He'd stay here with Remus. Remus would have company. He'd ask Peter to join them. Peter could stuff as many sweets as he wanted in his face, and Remus would have more company. Then he could convince Sirius to stay here. Sirius would be Black Family Free, Peter would have all his sweets, and all of them could keep a happy Remus company on the full moon. It was perfect. A full-proof plan..!

"Ha ha..!" James shouted out loud scaring a second ear and knocking her over.

And he started out into a brisk run. He go to the fourth floor when he stopped to avoid Peeves by ducking into a supply closet when he felt a familiar poke in his side again. He looked down and pulled out, again, his mother's letter.

Looking around, James opened the closet and closed it silently. He walked over to a bench hear a moving bookcase, and took a seat opening the letter carefully.

James read the letter twice with wide-eyes and a ruined smile.

Dear James,


I hope you're doing well James. Staying out of trouble . . . Your father and I certainly miss you and we ask you come home for the holidays. I'm asking you now before you run off making plans with your friends. And don't write back begging to stay because our answer is no. The whole Potter family is getting together this year and I wish you to be present. You can always see your friends afterwards. Now, I hope to see you at Platform 9 and ¾. And I hope you've had an enjoyable school year.

Love,

Mum

James folded the letter.

"No . . ." he moaned, "I can't go home..! That contradicts with the whole plan..!" James said loudly to himself as he went up the stairs.

He soon was running and in no time was at the Fat Lady. She was brushing her hair as James ran up to her talking and shouting to himself.

"Feeling alright..?" she asked James.

"Riddikulus . . ." James said giving her the password.

The Fat Lady opened up, "You look a bit ill . . ."

"Yea well, erm . . . too many sweets."

"I'll say," said the Fat Lady, "Stuffing yourself silly with those beans..! Vomit, grass, earwax. No wonder you feel ill."

And with that James nodded to her and went scrambling into the Common Room to find the rest of the Marauders.

Author's Note: So, what'd ya think..? James seems to want to please everybody but doesn't look like its not working too well does it..? Well email me what you think. Next chapter out soon.