A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to update…wow…way too long. Yeah, while I am in a creative and productive mood ( I cleaned…a lot) I will update with a new chapter. Can't promise how good it will be, but it's better than nothing.

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. All the credit goes to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 18- Have A Holly Jolly Christmas

"Finally! No more stupid drama! I'm only 13! I can't take it," Lily cried dramatically after we entered the muggle world from Platform 9 ¾.

I laughed and pushed her, "Come on, we have a long walk to the Leaky Cauldron."

She gave an over exaggerated sigh and pushed her trolley towards London.

"Well come on Karina!"

"I'm coming."

The past month at Hogwarts had been nothing BUT drama. With the quidditch win to Gryffindor, the Slytherins had been even more nasty than usual. Lily and I were getting less insults thrown at us due to the quidditch players, but even though we got to see Potter and Black get insulted in the halls, we did not feel any better.

Then, the Hogsmeade visit came. What a disaster! Michael and Jason hardly talked to us at all.

Flashback

"So Michael, what are you doing for the holidays?" Lily asked her boyfriend, taking a sip of her butterbeer.

"Nothing."

"Are you going home?"

"Yeah."

Lily eyed him for a while, worried.

"Michael, what's wrong?"

He didn't answer.

I looked at Jason, "Do you know what's wrong with Michael?"

"The same thing that's wrong with me."

"What?"

Michael and Jason just looked at each other for a second.

Then Jason answered, "The Prewett brothers."

I just looked at him, while Lily glared at Michael.

"WHAT! Are you CRAZY!"

Then I got mad, we had not done anything.

"We are just friends. Let me spell that for you f-r-i-e-n-d-s!"

"Sure," Michael answered.

They walked out, not even looking back.

Lily and I just looked at each other for a few minutes. Seething, we left the Three Broomsticks, intent on getting some chocolate from Honeydukes and finding our friends. Sarah was especially nice to have around when you felt bad. Being a Hufflepuff, she was naturally sweet. We had no such luck finding our friends, but as soon as we reached Honeydukes, the Marauders came out.

"Evans? Where's your boyfriend?" Potter asked sneering.

Lily did her best to ignore him. Her very best, but when her temper gets up, she will not go back down. She might have not said something if it was anyone other than Potter, but no, it had to be Potter.

"Sod. Off. Potter."

She was trying not to blow up.

"Karr, same question. Where's Mr. Charming?" Black decided to join in.

Bad idea.

I started clenching and unclenching my fists. Most people take that as a hint not to say anything, but no. Not Potter and Black. For being the two brightest boys in our year, they sure are stupid.

"Did you break up?"

"IT IS NONE OF YOUR BUISNESS ANYWAYS! GO ABOUT YOUR OWN WAY AND LEAVE US ALONE YOU STUPID PRICKS!" I screamed…loud.

"Kari, Lils, come one, lets go back to the castle. We have chocolate, come on." Sarah had found us, and her Liz and Callie were leading us away from the Marauders.

End Flashback

"Finally, we're here. I never thought we'd make it," Lily groaned.

The Leaky Cauldron loomed ahead of us, and slowly, we entered with our trunks in tow. Entering the Leaky Cauldron is one of the few experiences that truly surprises me every time. There is always some type of magical person sitting there, not always a wizard.

"Hello ladies. How may I help you this chilly afternoon? How about a nice cup of tea?" Tom, the innkeeper, asked us, grinning his toothless grin.

"Two shots of firewhiskey will do just fine," Lily replied cheekily.

"If only you were older."

"Well darn Tom. Anyways, I just need some floo powder and I'm off. Lily, are your parents picking you up here?" I asked, making sure Lily would not be left for too long.

"My dad is meeting me at the record shop down the way soon. Actually," she glanced at her watch, "he should be there now. Have a good holiday. Happy Christmas. I'll try and floo that way around New Year's."

Lily and I quickly hugged that best friend hug. Smiling, she left through the swinging door and down muggle London to her waiting father. I, on the other hand, set off towards the fireplace. I grabbed a handful of floo powder, threw it in the fire, and stepped in.

"5013 Seabreeze Way!" I nervously yelled into the fireplace.

The swirling, dizzy feeling was taking over me as I was swept past many fireplaces. One hundred, one fifty, two hundred. Then, I was slowing down and thrown into a room.

It was bright and cheerful, a light blue-green, with a huge window.

"Sam? Are you here?" I called into the seemingly empty house.

Worried, and alone, I wandered through the hall, wondering if I was in some strangers house, or if this was really the place I was supposed to be. It was just so big, and empty.

"Sam?" I cried, my voice shaking. I was getting scared now. Where was everyone?

"Kari?" a familiar voice called my name. Her familiar face came around a corner, and the next thing I know, I'm being engulfed in a famous Sam hug.

"It's so great to see you! How have you been? I missed you! What's going on with school?"

She always was a fast talker.

"You too. Fine. You too. Fine." I answered back, grinning because I knew she hated those answers.

She did not seem to care. She was ecstatic. Finally she got to show off her inn to me. Her kid, and her husband too.

"Come on, you have to meet my husband, Rollin, and my baby, Gerik," Sam grabbed my hand and pulled me through the halls talking at an alarming rate, even for her.

"Rollin's brother showed up a few minutes before you did, that's why it took so long for me to hear you, we were showing him around. He goes to Hogwarts with you, I think he's in the same year too. I could be mistaken though. They're with the baby right now, he started crying when he heard you calling, and I left Roll with him to take care of it. Come on, we're almost there."

She pulled me into a room that was a light blue and had all the toys and furniture you associate with babies.

"Here we are. Rollin, this is my little sister, Karina. Karina, this is my husband, Rollin. He's holding our beautiful baby boy, Gerik Eli Lupin."

I walked up to Rollin and Gerik and looked at my nephew.

"Hey baby. I'm your aunt Karina, but I don't want to be called that…what?" I asked looking up.

In front of me was a man around 21 who looked like he could be Remus Lupin's twin brother. Same light brown shaggy hair. Rollin's eyes were a little more brown than hazel. They both had the same facial structure and body build.

"What's wrong Karina?" he asked me concerned.

"Your surname is Lupin. That would me your brother, who is here is…"

Suddenly, I turned around, and there was Remus, looking just as surprised as I thought I looked.

"Hey Kari."

Silence from me.

"So you do know each other!" Sam exclaimed.

"Yeah. We're in the same house at school." Remus said quietly.

"Do you two not like each other?" Rollin asked while rocking Gerik.

"We used to be great friends." I practically spat.

"Oh, what happened?" Rollin asked, looking curiously at Remus.

"Nothing I want to talk about." Remus said quietly.

"Me either."

"Alright. Well, we have to get back to the desk. This can be a busy time, so try to get along," Sam said, still eyeing me, "Marcia, you can come back!"

"Marcia's our babysitter." Rollin whispered.

When Marcia came back in, Rollin and Sam left. Taking the hint, I left too. I went down to the room I flooed into to gather my belongings and find my room. I heard Remus follow me, and I guessed he was going to do the same.

I got to the room, and grabbed my trunk. As soon as I was leaving the room, Remus said something.

"Wait."

I stopped. He did not say anything.

"What do you want?"

"To tell you the truth," he said quietly.

"I'm listening."

"Could we sit down here, please."

"Sure."

I let go of my trunk and turned around. Remus' race was pale and his hands were shaking a little.

"Can this really be that bad?"

"We'll see."

I walked over to the couch and sat down. Remus sunk down next to me.

"Kari, you and Lily were… are two of my best friends. These past few months have been really hard for me, but I've been afraid to tell you. Now that we are related, and how much I've missed our late nights, I'm going to tell what very few people know."

He paused trying to gather his nerves.

"Kari…I'm a…werewolf."

There was a long pause.

"And…" I was expecting worse.

"What do you mean 'and'! Once a month I turn into a vicious killer!"

"Once a month, yeah, but for the other twenty some odd days you're Remus Lupin. Don't be such a prat. You thought Lily and I wouldn't be your friends anymore if you told us? We had a pretty good idea that being a werewolf was your secret you know. We would have stopped hanging around you if it bothered us so much." I explained as calmly as possible.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew!"

"We did. That morning! We asked you to just confess! But nooooo, Remus has to be a stupid stubborn little BOY!"

He paused, thinking for a second.

"Sorry."

"It's alright. You're forgiven."

"Well good."

AN: ARG! Getting behind….will post this today! NOW! I'm so sorry to anyone who actually reads this. Review and I'll go faster promise.