Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine!
Chapter 1; Introduction
"Oh my GOSH" exclaimed Eruntale Linde as she came through the common room door to meet the usual 5. Every one looked her way.
"What NOW Tale?" said Daniella Nolatarie, Tale's best friend, as she leant on her boyfriend Sirius Black.
"OK, you know Queeny Jennings and Tailor Park?" Tale asked exitedly.
"Who doesn't? They're the Hogwart's dream couple" said tiny and mousey looking Peter Pettigrew who was sitting on the couch opposite where the rest were sitting.
"They've broken off!"
"Your kidding" Daniella exclaimed.
"Really!"
"Your joking it can't be true"
"I'm SERIOUS"
"No I'M Sirius" Sirius interrupted the argument between Daniella and Eruntale, laughing at his own joke. Every one groaned. Even if he was the most popular guy in the school, he still could crack a bad joke.
"What? I thought it was funny" he said innocently. Daniella rolled her eyes and kept talking to Eruntale, or Tale as they called her.
"Well, they'll surely get back together. Their like, made for each other" she said confidently. Eruntale mimicked Daniella and rolled her eyes also.
"With the fight they just had, it would take a miracle" she said as though that was obvious. All of a sudden Lily Evans came into the dorm. As usual whenever he saw his new girlfriend, James Potter started fumbling with his hair.
"You know the fight Queeny and Tailor had?" she said hurrying over to them, her thick, long and bright red hair flowing out behind her. James's hand started combing his hair faster and faster but stopped when Sirius raised an eyebrow at him. They didn't have to use words to communicate, which was how tight they were. How tight all of them were...well maybe not Lily, but she had her own group of friends.
"We heard their not getting back together" Remus Lupin said in a quiet worried tone. He was very gentle and considerate, always had been even if he was what he was.
"Well they just have" said Lily confidently. Daniella laughed at Eruntale's shocked expression and looked at her watch
"A whole 10 minutes, they must have been mad. How do you figure their back together?" she said.
"Just saw their snog-a-thon outside, you can go look for yourselves, but its not a pretty site" Lily said wrinkling her nose in disgust, then joining a group of girls who were quietly chattering by the fireplace.
"Thought your hair would fall off James?" teased Daniella when Lily was out of earshot.
"Oh shut up"
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Daniella woke up early because of something pecking at her ear. And it wasn't in an affectionate way like some people's owls. It was Memo's way. He wasn't an affectionate bird. She swatted at him as he hooted in annoyance. Finally, apparently giving up he dropped the letter on her head and flew to the owlry. She smirked as she sat up in bed, she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of seeing he woke her up. She ripped the envelope off the letter, still smirking. But what she read wiped the smirk off her face completely. She was to come home for Christmas break. She hated home. Home wasn't home but more of a hell. ESPECIALLY at Christmas. She threw the letter down in irritation and stepped out of her warm bed into the cold wind. The windows open, stupid bird must have done it she said and slammed it shut in a rage, waking up her dorm mates.
"What's the deal with the slamming?!" Tale asked furiously. Anytime she could sleep in she was sure to do so, and it was only 9. Daniella didn't answer but got dressed into black jeans and sleeveless red top, storming down the stairs she ran into James and Remus playing chess. They looked up as she stomped down.
"Problem?" James asked curiously, moving his piece.
"Only if you count going home for Christmas as a problem!" she screeched.
"Oh no" Remus said sympathetically. Everyone knew how much she hated going home. She hated going home basically because her parents were evil, and always tried to bring her up to be like them. But there was something in her that made her strong and resistant.
"Oh yes" she said still furious. How could her parents do this to her?
"You don't have to go you know, you could just not board the train" James suggested, then looked back at the game to see Remus make a "check mate" move.
"They would come and get her" Remus argued, but grinning at the same time as James tried to decide how to get out of the position he was in. He couldn't, he was stuck. Remus had always been a whiz at chess. Daniella slumped down on a saggy red velvet love seat sighing in defeat.
"I'll just have to go" she said sadly "I only wish someone could come with me..." she hinted.
"Oh no-no-no" James said turning from the game to focus on her problem "you KNOW how much your parents hate my family".
"I know" Daniella sighed, switching her smoky grey eyes from James to Remus.
"You know I would Dan, but I have to stay here remember?" he said, sadly looking out a near-by window and staring at the sky. She sighed again. She knew Tale wouldn't be able to come, her parents could tell who was muggle and who wasn't. If a muggle entered their house, she would be as good as dead. Peter and Lily always go home for Christmas. That only left Sirius. She wouldn't know how her parents would react to Sirius if they ever caught them snogging, which they were sure to do. It WAS Christmas after all. But they had to take the chance; she was NOT going to be alone with her family over Christmas.
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The day came all too soon, the train whistled loudly outside Hogwarts. Daniella sighed miserably as she and Sirius looked out the window and waved to James and Remus. A whole week back home. Cheers, just what she always wanted.
"Don't be so upset Dan, at least I'm coming" Sirius said with a smile. His gorgeous happy smile, the smile that could melt any girl's heart. She couldn't help smiling back; maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
They pulled into the train station. Daniella, full of dread, got out of the train first. She had written a letter that Sirius, a pureblood, was coming for Christmas. They had written back only one sentence: As long as he's pureblood. That shows you how bad they were. Her mother, dressed in black as usual hurried over to hug her. After a short hug, as short as Daniella could manage without looking disrespectful, she pushed away. Her mother had pale skin with plenty of black eyeliner. Sometimes when Daniella looked really closely, she thought she could see the innocent, beautiful young woman her mother had been a long time ago twinkling inside her black eyes. Daniella stepped back to Sirius, who was politely waiting to be introduced.
"Mother this is Sirius Black, my b-" she stopped suddenly, realizing her mistake. Her father was watching her intently.
"My friend" she finished, staring him straight in the eye, until it was he who looked away first. Her father stepped up to Sirius. He was a tall muscular man, and made tall muscular Sirius look like a skinny 11 year old. Even though he didn't show it, she knew Sirius was intimidated.
"Pleasure to meet you Sirius. Could I have a word?" her father said in his deep voice, and without waiting for an answer he directed Sirius out of earshot. Daniella shot her mother a horrified "help him!" look. But her mother just gave a sympathetic shrug and held Daniella back when she tried to follow. After about a minute they both came back, her father with a fake cheerfulness, Sirius just staring straight ahead. At first Daniella thought he was under some spell. But then Sirius glanced at her and offered a pathetic smile. She bit her bottom lip nervously as they all walked to the limo her parents had rented for the trip back home.
She and Sirius sat in the very back. As soon as her parents were discussing whatever she turned and stared at Sirius demanding
"What did he say?"
"Nothing bad"
"Ok, but what did he say?" she said anxious.
"Something along the lines of he was going to massacre me if he ever saw me touching you in any un-reasonable way" he said with a slight smile. A sharp pang of guilt swept over her. He was sure to hate her.
"Oh Sirius, I'm really, really sorry" she said, almost crying. Her only shot at love and her parents had blown it.
"Hey no problem. Come on, I can take it" he said with a reassuring even wider smile. Did this mean he didn't hate her? The limo stopped and the driver jumped out to carry their bags into the house. As everyone else got out Daniella noticed that her father kept glaring at Sirius. She guided him to the house stating a quick:
"I'm going to give him a tour" and they went inside. As she breathed in the musty air childhood memories came flooding back. She shook her head to clear her mind.
"You ok?" Sirius asked inquiringly looking at her with a quizzical expression.
"I-I'm fine" she said defiantly and pulled him into another room. They did the tour of the downstairs first. It took almost a full half an hour; the Nolatarie's lived in a huge mansion. Then they went upstairs, hearing Daniella's mother and father go outside, Daniella breathed a sigh of relief. They were safe for now and they could talk freely.
"I'm really sorry about all of this, it was a bad idea" she started, looking down, but shockingly Sirius seemed rather amused.
"I think I'm going to like it here Dan" he said, ignoring her last comment. She raised her eyes to his and saw the familiar twinkle in his eye that told her that as long as she was with him, everything was going to be all right. With a flick of his wand there was a familiar plant hanging above them. She grinned.
"Oh look, mistletoe" he said winking at her. He leant over and she gently pressed her lips to his. Suddenly the door opened and closed, he quickly stood up straight. Daniella pulled out her wand and in a shower of gold dust the mistletoe disappeared. She sighed; again her parents had ruined a moment.
"Supper kids" her mother's shrill voice called up the stairs.
A whole day and a half had gone by since they got there. As much as she disliked being home Daniella was excited for Christmas. However whenever family members asked she would say she was too mature to be excited, and didn't show any different. On the contrary though Sirius was more bubbly and pleasant, even when meeting her horrid family members. At dinner he was positively about to jump out of his seat. Even if he was 16, he wasn't afraid of admitting he was eager for the next day.
"It isn't very Christmasy around my house" she said apologetically, looking at the hardwood floor. He smiled
"You think it's a very merry time over at my place?" he asked chuckling.
"Well I guess not" she said embarrassed "but, thanks for coming is what I meen".
"Hey no problem" was his reply. She looked up to see his familiar mischief look.
"Uh-oh, what are you going to do now?" she asked laughing.
"What do you say about spicing this place up over night?" he said with a twinkle in his dazzling eye. Daniella flicked her raven black hair over her shoulder, thinking. But she wasn't thinking about whether or not to do it, she was planning how much havoc they could make over night.
"I don't mean destroying the house" he said quickly.
Oh...
"I meant Christmas decorating" he said laughing again.
"OK, OK" she said chuckling also.
Daniella was rudely awakened by the squack of Memo. Opening one eye she saw her cat, Bits, trying to attack him. She closed her eye again, that wasn't an emergency. But try as she might she couldn't go back to sleep. So she got out of bed, put on her fluffy white slippers and crept into Sirius's room. He was still sleeping, good, if she couldn't sleep then she wasn't giving him the satisfaction of doing so. She jumped onto the hard mattress with all her might. SPROINGGGG, CRACK, FFFFF. The sounds of Sirius bouncing up, the mattress cracking as he came down and feathers spreading all over.
"Merry Christmas!!" she yelled contently. He punched her teasingly, but soon looked to the foot of his bed. Presents galore, not as many as were on Daniella's bed, but still quite a lot were all over. Sirius began picking through them and opening them, as Daniella had a house elf bring her presents to his room also.