Chapter 11

(Thanks to my reviewers, HermioneGirl03, badmoony, TJ515, emily, DimTwilight and Quistis Black, you guys RULE!)

In the few days since Christmas, the castle and grounds of Hogwarts had been completely covered in several feet of sparkling white snow, much to the delight of the students. Classes had been going on for almost a week after Christmas when the Gryffindor students started planning their New Year's Eve Party. New Year's Eve was a Saturday, which meant they would have plenty of time to decorate the common room and stock up on supplies.

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"Stop it! Sirius, stoppit, no!" Roseline squealed as she toppled backwards into a massive snowdrift. Panting, Sirius threw himself down next to her. He reached over and brushed a strand of hair off her face. Roseline swatted him away.

"No, come on, Sirius, its freezing," she protested. He grinned and pulled her closer.

"Then let's see if I can warm you up again, shall we?" He wrapped his arms around her and started to massage her shoulders. Despite herself, Roseline gave in and relaxed, snuggling into him. She laid her head against his chest, and listened to his heartbeat through his shirt. Five minutes later, however, Roseline decided that enough was enough. She rolled over and kissed him lightly on the lips, then clambered to her feet, brushing the snow off her robes, and shivering.

"Let's go back inside, Sirius, I'm frozen."

Recognising defeat, Sirius nodded and stood up, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they headed back up towards the castle.

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"Midnight!" James screeched, as the first chime rang out over the grounds. The whole common room set down their butterbeer and stood up, joining hands in a circle in the middle of the room.

"Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind!....." James led the singing, while Sirius used his wand as a conductor's baton, the words pouring from his wandtip as formations of multi-coloured stars that hovered above their heads.

"For the sake of Auld Lang Syne!"

As the last words dissolved the common room was filled with the sounds of clapping and whooping, as everyone ran around hugging and kissing each other. As Roseline extricated herself from a group hug with the other fifth- year girls, Sirius sidled up to her.

"Can I get a New Year's kiss?" He asked, grinning.

Roseline gave him a playful shove. "Always the shy retiring one, eh?" Sirius pouted and Roseline relented.

"Oh, all right." She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. As she drew back, though, Sirius grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the ground. He spun her around once then walked over to the couch and sat down, setting her down on his lap. She giggled, and put her arm around his neck.

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Half an hour later Sirius and Roseline's make-out session was rudely interrupted by a large cushion whacking Sirius on the head.

"Oi! You two! Get a room!" yelled a voice nearby.

Roseline looked up. James was standing across the room, grinning. He had a butterbeer in one hand and another cushion ready to throw in the other. Lily was sitting on the couch opposite them, looking up from the book she was reading with an expression of mixed amusement and disgust. Remus was curled up in an armchair, asleep, and Peter was nowhere to be seen. Most people had gone up to bed by now, and the common room was littered with sweet wrappers and empty butterbeer bottles. Several sleeping third-years were sprawled over one of the other sofas, and a solitary yawning seventh- year was examining what seemed to be a diagram of the Quidditch pitch.

Lily stretched and got to her feet. "I'm going to bed," she announced to the room in general.

"Me too," said James. Lily scowled at him, but didn't say anything, and disappeared upstairs. James set down his butterbeer bottle and departed for the dormitory, closely followed by the seventh-year.

Roseline yawned sleepily and snuggled up to Sirius, who draped an arm around her shoulders as she closed her eyes. Within minutes they were both asleep.

(Author's Note: Sorry the chapter's so short, there's more coming.)