DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, or anything associated with it, and I am making no profit.
Sirius woke up on the first morning, or afternoon technically, of Christmas holidays. He wondered where James was, but wondered down into the kitchen where Mrs. Potter was cooking lunch.
"Good morning, afternoon, sleepy. Lunch will be as soon as James gets back from Diagon Alley; he said that he needed to get 'things' for Christmas. Don't eat that, in the jar on the counter you can eat three cookies from it," Mrs. Potter said.
"Thanks, Mum Potter," Sirius said, biting into a homemade chocolate chip cookie. "Super cookies, too, you'll have to teach me how to cook, if you don't mind too much."
"Thank you, Sirius."
"Hey Mum, Padfoot," James said as he stepped out of the fireplace holding three shopping bags.
"Lunch is ready as soon as you put your bags in your room, James," Mrs. Potter said to James's back as he hurried up the stairs.
The three sat down to a delicious meal. They talked about Hogwarts and soon the talk turned to what they would do after their schooling.
"The only job I would consider would be an auror. The system is pretty messed up right now, but there's hardly any competition. I guess professional Quidditch would be fun, but I want to do something useful. I want to be remembered for my battle against Voldemort and his Death Eaters," James said.
"James! You said his name!" Mrs. Potter scolded.
"Yes, Mum, not even his name, if I say 'Tom Riddle' people don't flinch. I had a talk with Dumbledore and he called him 'Voldemort' so I will too," James said.
"Whatever you like, James. What about you, Sirius?" Mrs. Potter asked.
"I'm not sure. My uncle left me with some gold when he died this week. Speaking of which, Mrs. Potter, as much as I appreciate your hospitality, this summer I will rent a house of my own," Sirius said.
"Lovely, dear, you're always welcome here if you need anything. It would be wonderful if you came for Sunday tea, or more often than that. James needs to get out his teenage energies, somehow," Mrs. Potter said.
"James isn't that hyper, Mrs. Potter, unless you feed him raspberry cheesecake. The solution is to send me the cheesecake and then he won't get his hyper sugar high, I will. The advantage of this way is that I'm going to be in a different house so you won't have to deal with me," Sirius said.
"You never know, now that you boys are turning seventeen at the end of this year, you'll come apparate to see James the instant you eat the cheesecake," Mrs. Potter said.
"Or, more likely, I'll apparate to tell him that I just ate the last of the cheesecake. Then I'll go hide with Remus or Peter," James said.
"Speaking of your friend, dear, did you invite them and their families for Christmas dinner? And the New Years Party?" Mrs. Potter asked.
"Remus and his family are coming to both, and Peter will be here for both, but his family only for Christmas," James replied. "But until then, up for some Quidditch, James?" Sirius asked.
Their holidays continued in this fashion, waking up in the late morning, eating lunch with Mrs. Potter and often Mr. Potter, lazing the afternoon away, eating dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Potter, and trying to fool the other into accepting any enchanted object.
On Christmas morning James bumped into Sirius in the hall at ten o'clock. Both of them were half-asleep, but after a mumbled happy Christmas the pair went down to the living room.
"Happy Christmas, James, Sirius!" James's parents chorused.
"How about presents now?" Mr. Potter asked.
"Sure," was the unanimous decision.
James appointed himself the present distributor. He handed his mom a copy of 'Cooking for Teenage Boys in Minutes' from Sirius and himself and a shawl (keeps you warm or cold!) from Mr. Potter.
Sirius got a rather sarcastic letter from his fam--the Blacks asking why they have the same last name and requesting that he change his, a large raspberry cheese from the Potters, and a fluffy dog alarm clock.
"There's a story behind that clock, Sirius. I went into the clock shop and asked for alarm clocks, then I asked for ones to wake up rather stubborn sleepers. I thought you wouldn't appreciate the bludger one, it tries to knock you out of bed. This one licks your face, tickles you, and barks until you wake up. It's also spelled to be indestructible and increase its personal gravitational pull if you try and hit it. And only the shopkeeper and I can change the time it is set at, so no tricks, Sirius," James explained.
James then handed his dad a new wristwatch from his mother and three quills that answer your summons (no summoning charm required to get this quill to fly into your hand!) from Sirius and himself. His dad not only had managed to misplace his last fourteen quills, but he also managed to always be without one when he needed it.
James opened a raspberry cheesecake of his own from his parents and a copy of 'Advanced Prank Charms' from Sirius. Quickly flipping through the book he laughed, the ideas were ridiculously simple and the spells ridiculously difficult.
"The author really makes life hard on himself, doesn't he, Prongs?" Sirius remarked.
"I think we'll play around with the spells, though, perhaps for our current missions?" James replied.
"No more, boys, I don't want to have to forbid you doing something. Remember the rule: no harming anyone. Other than that," Mr. Potter lowered his voice to a stage whisper, "the easier the spell, the easier to brake it."
James' parents cooking, while James and Sirius figured out what to send to Snape passed the time until the guests arrived.
Once they house started filling up with friends James and Sirius felt obligated to not hide in James' room. They talked with Peter and Remus off on the side of the larger group of adults instead.
They were just finishing plans for later that evening when a familiar, and unwelcome, blonde head walked in the door accompanied by a young couple, in their mid twenties at the oldest. James groaned, slipping into the kitchen to talk with his mom.
"Mum! You invited the most irritating girl I have ever met in my entire life. Including you, my aunts, and that terrible lady who was our neighbor when I was four. I will now be stalked for the rest of Christmas, if you invited her to New Years, well... I'll go spent it with someone else. Please, tell me I'm hallucinating," James said.
"Don't be silly, dear, I didn't invite anyone your age, except Remus and Peter. I thought you four would be enough teenagers for the party. But I'll go find out why she's here. If you're really scared of her, you are very welcome to hide in the pantry until I come back," Mrs. Potter said, turned, and walked into the living room.
She spotted the girl at once, a thin, blonde girl eyeing Sirius from across the room. She decided to play overly social hostess and walked up to her.
"Hello, miss, I don't recall being introduced to you before. I'm James's mum Lisa," Mrs. Potter said.
"I'm Mandy. I came with my aunt and uncle," Mandy said pointing to them. "My parents went on some business thing last week, so I got left with them over Christmas. They're tons of fun, though, more like being with people my age than with relatives."
"James was sure happy when Sirius turned up this summer. The two have become almost twin-like. They actually finish each other's sentences now. Sirius is staying with us over break, too," Mrs. Potter said.
"Why isn't he with his family?" Mandy asked.
"He says James is a better brother than Regulus," Mrs. Potter said, mentally cursing herself for bringing up the topic. "I better get back to cooking, nice meeting you Mandy."
Mrs. Potter smiled and wished those she walked past a very happy Christmas, but she was wondering what James had against Mandy.
Deciding to confront James with it then instead of later, she walked into the pantry. "James, what do you have against Mandy? She seemed a little too trying to please everyone, but she doesn't seem all bad," Mrs. Potter said.
"Let me see... The first time I ever talked to her she gave me a brainless monologue. She hates Lily Evans, who I know personally to be a sweet, intelligent, caring, loyal, and absolutely gorgeous witch," James said in a bored voice.
"Why didn't you invite Lily, then?" Mrs. Potter asked.
"She's well... sort of ignoring me currently. That's no the point, though, Mandy is being so much like a stalker, I can't stand her," James said.
"Perhaps that's how Lily feels about you?" Mrs. Potter said.
James started to yell something back, but stopped, seeing truth in his mom's innocent statement and left to go hide in his room for the remainder of the evening. James sat on his bed, regretting having sent Lily a Christmas present that morning, regretting having spoken to her and followed her.
Hitting his head on the wall, James wondered why he asked her out so many times after she said very plainly the answer was, and will remain, 'no'. James then vowed that he would no longer be the conceited fool he had been all through Hogwarts, from this day on James Potter would only speak to Lily Evans when he was worthy – more worthy, he corrected himself, he would never be truly worthy – of her attention.
Meanwhile, in another house, equally alone, sat Lily Evans on her bed on Christmas night. She had received James' present of a red hawk feather quill, and she remembered that night in the forbidden forest when he had opened up himself to her. Now she was feeling like she was definitely not worthy of James' attention. She decided that she would talk to him again, at least. Perhaps Snape had been wrong about him and Sirius after all.
The holidays didn't go anywhere as well for another sixth year Hogwarts student. On Snape's seventeenth birthday, which fell on the second day of the holidays, he received a letter.
'Severus Snape,
Congratulations on now being of age. Our good wishes go with you on
your apparation test, as you will be required to apparate, legally or
otherwise, at your initiation ceremony, taking place on Christmas
night. Your presence will be required at eleven that night. The
coordinates of the location will be owled to you separately to avoid
any uninvited guests.
-D.E.s'
Snape did indeed pass his apparation test the next day. He was torn between excitement and terror at the thought of Christmas. He hardly remembered anything, but somehow found himself standing in his room in plain black robes, ready to apparate to join the Death Eaters.
At eleven exactly, he apparated to coordinates, which had indeed been sent with a separate owl. It was a musty house, with dreary candles far too widespread in the hall where he stood to shed useful light. It appeared completely deserted, but still Snape imaged that he heard swishing cloaks and saw movement in the corner of his eye.
He was in the middle of convincing himself that it was just his imagination when a voice really spoke from shadows that really moved.
"Precise, are you?" it said.
"N-I mean y-yes, sir, I like being precise," Snape stuttered back.
"The Dark Lord will love it, another perfectionist to break."
"W-what, sir?" Snape said, now really afraid.
"W-what? Y-you mean we m-might h-h-h-hurt you?" the Death Eater mocked. "The Death Eaters forgive no more than our master."
"I am not afraid," Snape said, feeling just the opposite.
"Oh? Not afraid of us, are you?" the Death Eater now stepped from the shadows, with a half dozen more emerging from near him. They quickly surrounded Snape, occasionally appearing like they would curse him, but then pausing just as they were about to say the incantation.
"Lucius, my faithful follower, why are you tormenting our newest arrival? You might scare him," a sinister voice said from a side hall.
"I'm not scared," Snape said, once again feeling just the opposite.
"Liar. Don't speak unless you're spoken to, Snivellus. Lucius, answer my question," the voice said, somehow picking the nickname that brought a wave of shame of Snape.
"We were sent to greet him, Master, and I thought, what a better greeting than seeing how his nerves fare under a little show of taunting from his so called fellow followers, Master. You know I need a reason to hurt someone useful to you, Master," the first Death Eater, apparently Lucius, said, kneeling in front of the now visible outline of a wizard.
"I know you are ever loyal to me, Lucius. Your only fault, and greatest asset, is your pleasure at taunting those who have done nothing to you. You are wise, however, to stop at actually harming those I can use. One like Snape here is replaceable, so any lasting harm to him would easily be mended. If you were to damage one that is irreplaceable, then I'd let someone do the same damage to you," the Dark Lord said with an obvious liking to the idea of torture.
"Thank you, Master. Your wisdom is far greater than any I could possess. All my wisdom comes from your illustrious example, Master," Lucius said, groveling before Voldemort.
"You do not lie, how very complimentary you are, Lucius, with anyone else like you my ego would swell so big that the most egotistical student at Hogwarts... which happens to be...? Snape?" Voldemort said.
"J-J-Ja-James Po-Po-Potter, m-master," Snape said, rather awed at speaking to the Dark Lord.
"Well, compared to me J-J-Ja-James Po-Po-Potter will appear humble, modest, and unsure of himself," Voldemort said, mocking Snape once again. "Speaking of which, you must not let him and Lily get together. Not even a close friendship. If they do, you will suffer whatever I dream up to do to you. Off you go, want to do the honors, Lucius?"
"Of course, Master, I would be thrilled," Lucius replied.
"Welcome to my ranks, Severus Snape," Voldemort said before turning and vanishing down a dark hallway.
"Come here, Snivellus," Lucius said, noting Snape's flinch at the name. "I thought I saw a reaction from you when the Dark Lord extracted that from your mind. The Dark Lord is a master at Legilimency and Occulmency both, the art of opening the mind of others and closing your own mind. Give me your left arm, this will hurt less than the cruciatus curse. I'll perform that on your first, if you want the branding to hurt less."
"N-No, Sir, I will be happy to just have the... branding done," Snape replied.
"Only one stutter, good boy, your English is improving. Give me your arm."
Snape held out his left forearm bravely. Lucius hardly glanced at him, but just jabbed at his arm and laughed softly and Snape flinched at the sudden stinging pain.
"Hurts? Just wait until you get a dose of crucio; that hurts worse. For a Christmas present you won't get that experience tonight. When you feel the Dark Lord's call, your brand burning, while you are at Hogwarts you will remain at Hogwarts. That evening you will, however, send a detailed report on daily happenings since the last was sent. I'd recommend writing it up daily, that is happenings between James and Lily, plans you have and plans you have carried out, and finally, any student interest in joining the Dark Lord. One last thing, the mark on your arm will fade by tomorrow morning and will not be visible unless it is your will to let it be seen. It also becomes slightly darker when the Dark Lord is performing magic, the darkest when he calls us to his side. It's something about how much power he is using at the time, there's a certain amount he always needs, but that doesn't matter. You are dismissed." Lucius left him, sound of his soft laughter hanging in the air long after he had left.
With one more shudder Snape apparated back into his bedroom. He lay awake for much of the remainder of the night, his right hand subconsciously touching his left forearm where the mark of his new master was newly burned into his skin.
The remainder of the holidays passed happily for James and Sirius.
Mrs. Potter taught both of them magical cooking. She promised to send them at least one raspberry cheesecake, to share, before the end of the school year, and insisted over and over how much she would like having Sirius stay with them again anytime.
Mr. Potter insisted that pranks were below him, but several enchanted objects found their way into James or Sirius's room, with a note saying 'Give this to someone worthy of it.' James and Sirius, while reluctant to return to schoolwork, were pleased with the prospect of new pranks to play and hours of laughing instead of studying.
Snape worked relentlessly on Occulmency over the remainder of the break, he hated Voldemort seeing into his mind and soon could, as far as he knew, hide thoughts that contradicted what he said. He was unsure, however, because he did not know anyone skilled at Legilimency to test him. He hardly thought about his return to Hogwarts, which was good because he was frightened of James somehow finding out that he really is a Death Eater.
A/N: I will be gone from June 28 – July 14. This is going to be the last chapter posted until then, unless of course I feel very inspired very soon. THANK YOU REVIEWERS!! I LOVE YOU ALL!! How about sending lots of reviews as a going/getting back to/from vacation present? Please?