This is my first story originally posted on Death-Curse.

A/N: I'm trying to post up to chapter 15 which is the end of the first year.

Rated: R for language and mature themes to come.

Both Sides of Life

Chapter Eleven: Christmas for All

The next three weeks proved to not go as Medea predicted, instead of being fine they went by in a haze of blood, mud, screaming and violence. The five friends, Titania, Ursula, Undine, Isobel and Medea were left deeply shaken by the events but had proven to be some of the best warriors out there and were highly decorated military heroes in the end. Many other of their friends at Hogwarts had fought along side them but no deaths among them to everyone's relief. Now with only a day to go before returning to school the teenagers regrouped and attempted to recollect themselves, because they of course could tell no one of what happened and couldn't be seen acting strange. This all proved harder than they would have liked.

Titania and Isobel stood, back in Titania's home, facing the large mirror in the forth floor hall. They looked at each others reflection. Titania wore a long blue gown with gold trim and her hair pinned up loosely. Isobel wore a light yellow, velvet gown with an olive green underdress with her hair pulled up at the top. "Well don't we look lovely?" She said sarcastically looking
at their faces. Titania had a long row of stitches running along her brow, a swollen lip and an ugly black bruise on her left cheek. "You know I think my mother is more abusive with the war on. People can't tell what's from the battles... and what's from her." She said wryly looking at her friend's reflection.

Isobel turned her head and the mirror reflected a new section of her face, one eye was ringed in a black eye, it went all the way from her eyebrow down to her cheekbone. Her jaw was slightly swollen from where her jaw was recently mended. Isobel's hands bore countless lash marks and small cuts. "You know you might be right about that." She looked back into the mirror "So how are we going to hide all this?"
Titania smiled at her friend "How else, like we always do, with a little magic and a whole lot of glamour." She said waving her hand across her face, when she pulled away it was if the wounds had never been there. "So did you spend any time with your sisters?"
Isobel nodded "Yeah, it was nice. Made sure they weren't being hurt. Oh and I finally got my present from Remus!" she thrust out her hand to show off a little gold ring. It was nothing extravagant, she had plenty more jewelry that was hundreds times more expensive but Remus gave it to her so therefore it was...priceless.
"Well it wouldn't've been silver now would it, but it's pretty." Titania commented looking at the pinky ring. It had a small stone in it.
"I'm a little worried about seeing Remus again. Come on he didn't spend his winter holidays trying to stay alive. He didn't have to kill. He spent a nice quiet Christmas at Hogwarts. I guess I'm worried that I'll be different, that he won't love me anymore." Isobel sobbed.
Titania placed a comforting arm on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Remus loves you for you, no matter what you've seen or done in the last three weeks." She insisted "Come on we'll go home, I'm to Hogwarts, and everything will be the same."

Back at Hogwarts Remus had spent a long and boring Christmas. The full moon was becoming more and more fun now that his friends could transform. They had wandered around Hogsmeade during the full moon and Hogwarts during the day. Not too many other students stayed this year so the common room was virtually empty. They discovered, to James and Sirius' delight that Snivellus had stayed for the holidays. Remus had to come up with new and different ways to keep the boys from fighting. Much to James' happiness and the other Marauders chagrin, Lily was also still at Hogwarts. James spent every night in the common room asking Lily to go out with him.
"Maybe he'll ask her so much that she'll say yes just to shut him up." Peter whispered to the others as they watched James primp in front of Lily and her friends. He ran his fingers through his hair making it stand on end. Lily gave a loud snort.
"Well Moony, happy that Isobel will be back tomorrow?" Sirius asked slyly.
"Yeah of course! Well... except for my Christmas present she hasn't written or anything." Remus sighed.
"Don't worry I'm sure she was busy with her family. She'll be back tomorrow and then you'll see that she still likes you." Sirius told him shaking his head. "Besides we really should be worried about how nosy Snivellus is getting. I don't like it. He really is trying to figure out your secret Remus. He's going to find out you're a werewolf, Moony." Sirius continued.
Remus gestured for him to keep it down. "Quiet Padfoot, do you want everyone to find out? Snape is not going to find out. He'd have to follow me to the Shrieking shack, but that's not going to happen because no one's allowed near the Womping Willow since that Davy kid nearly lost an eye last year, see I'm save. Come on my own girlfriend doesn't know. Only you three do. That's it." With that Remus gave a final shake of his head and headed up to bed.
Dawn glowed brightly through the drapes of Remus' bed "Uhgh!" he groaned rolling over but his eyes snapped open the moment he remembered "Isobel's coming back!" he yelled waking the others in the room.
"Who? What?" mumbled James.
"I don't wanna wake up mummy..." Peter muttered sleepily
"Go back to bed Moony." called Sirius rolling over in his bed.
Remus didn't though, he clamoured out of bed and hurriedly threw on his clothes. He was too jittery to stay in bed. He wandered around the grounds for an hour waiting for breakfast. All through breakfast he kept telling the other Marauders how much time was left 'til Isobel returned "4 hours, 23 minutes and 40 seconds....39 seconds...38 seconds...."
"Oh shut up!" James said tossing his crust at Remus.
"I'm sorry but I really, really, really miss her."
The other boys grinned. "You really do like her. And for some unknown reason she likes you back. I mean man if you told me that you, Remus Lupin, had snagged one of the hottest girls in the school I would have laughed in your face. But wow she's like into you." Sirius commented not noticing Remus' face go red.
"Come on guys, cut it out. Now help me plan the next 4 hours, 22 minutes and 32 seconds...31 seconds...30seconds."
The Marauders just rolled their eyes and returned to their
food. James dragged Remus and the others down to the Quidditch pitch for some practice "Come on Moony. This will burn off some of that time 'til your girlfriend comes back." He insisted.
Remus begrudgingly agreed. The four boys played a game of keep away for the rest of the morning. Remus stopped, perched high above the pitch watching out over the lake.
"Hey Moony! Are you asleep up there?" Sirius asked after the Quffle almost unseated him.
"No." he yelled back as he zoomed back down the pitch. "Their back! She's back!" he laughed coming down beside them "Isobel's back!" Remus brought his broomstick back to the ground jumping off of it three feet above the ground. He began running down towards the road up to the school.
The horseless carriages were rolling up the path in front of him. Once they had stopped at the doors to the school, Isobel jumped out of one of them and ran towards Remus. He swung her around lifting her off the ground.
Isobel kissed allover her face while she held on to him. "Oh I missed you, I missed you." She said between kisses.
"So did I ." he whispered back.
By this time the carriages had emptied and a large crowd had gathered round. "It's good to see at least someone missed us!" cried out Ursula, laughing. The other Ravens were doubled over trying to hide their laughter.
"Shut up." Isobel called back. Remus followed Isobel back into the castle , helping her take her trunk up to the Ravenclaw Tower "OK now you can't come in here or hear the password so scoot, vamoose. I'll be back down in the Great Hall for Lunch. Meet me there." She said standing outside the secret entrance.
"OK." Remus agreed dejectedly giving her a quick peck on the cheek.