When James awoke the next morning, it was to an empty dormitory. The five other fifth years had all gone home for Christmas—Peter, Remus, Sirius, and the Bradburg twins. Silence stretched through the dormitory, and James revelled in it. This was the sound of his freedom from pretense. Of course he would miss his friends, but nothing could dampen his spirits when he remembered that Malia was staying for the holidays.

Humming softly to himself, James pulled on his clothing, combing his hair in a futile attempt to make it lay flat. He ducked out of view of the mirror before it could make some snide comment about his hair, which it enjoyed doing on a daily basis. He ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up a bit more. Maybe he would go out and practice with a Snitch. His Cleansweep 3 was in his trunk, waiting to be used. The thought of the biting cold and blowing snow, however, deterred him from going outdoors. Instead he made his way to the Great Hall for a bite of breakfast.

"James!"

James paused with his foot in midair, swiveling his head about to see who had spoken his name. He thought for just a heartbeat that it was Lily Evans, for he spotted a head of red hair. As he looked longer he realized that it was Professor Merika, divested of her normal blue robes, wearing black instead, just like a student. James put his foot down on the ground and waited, slightly puzzled.

"Oh, thank goodness I've caught up with you!" she said, smiling at him. James was struck again about how strange it was that she was a professor, and a Head of House. She had been Head Girl when James was a second year, and he had played on the Gryffindor Quidditch team with her. She had been their Keeper.

"What is it, Professor?" he asked.

"James! You can call me Nylene, it's not like we're strangers or anything. Anyway, I just wanted to talk to you about your friend Sirius."

"Sirius?" James frowned. As far as he knew, Sirius hadn't been in any sort of trouble lately. "What about Sirius?"

"Well," Nylene looked slightly awkward. "His Potions work has dropped significantly in the past week. A week ago, he was one of the better students in the class. Now, his potions never turn out right, he always forgets crucial steps, and his attention wanders freely."

"I hadn't noticed," James lied, remembering that Sirius was attempting to get into Remedial Potions. "He's never been too brilliant at Potions. Remus and I have always helped him."

"That's a lie, James, and you know it! I'm not stupid, I know what Sirius is up to. I'm very young—I daresay you remember me as Head Girl. You were what, only a second year then? Yes, I remember, I was surprised that you were picked for the Seeker. Anyway, I would just like you to inform Sirius that if his Potions work does not pick up, I will be forced to give him a partner who is very apt in the art of Potions, a Slytherin boy named Severus Snape. Could you just pass that along, James?"

"You'll partner him with Snape?" James roared. Sirius and Snape loathed each other with intense passion—it was the same loathing that Snape and James had for each other. To partner them would be certain murder. "You can't do that!"

"I can and will, James. Please inform Mr. Black."

"Sure," James agreed weakly. "I'll tell him, Nylene."

She nodded and swept off into the Great Hall, leaving James staring at her in shock. Sirius would not give up, James knew, and neither could he abide to be partnered with Snivellus. It was a matter that would require planning on Sirius's part, and James turned abruptly from the entrance to the Great Hall and started off towards the Owlery. He would send Sirius an owl about it, and then he would be able to think of something in time for the new term.

"James!"

James scowled at the floor, thinking that it was Professor Merika back to add something to her warning. With a sign he turned about to face her, an angry retort ready on his lips. To his surprise, it was not his Potions Professor. It was Malia.

"Where are you going?" Malia asked, catching up to James.

"To the Owlery," James replied, smiling at her.

"Who are you sending an owl to?"

"My friend Sirius. You may have seen him around. He's got black hair and he's the bane of every teacher's existence."

"Sirius Black? He's rather good-looking isn't he?" Malia asked.

"Not really." James scowled. "Doesn't have enough brains to fill an eggcup."

James was startled to see a slow smile spreading across Malia's face. He was rather at a loss to what she was finding so amusing, and he had to resist the temptation to storm off. This was Malia, she was practically at a higher plane of existence. If she found things amusing when James was filled with anger, well, that was his fault, not hers.

"Oh, James!" Malia said, looking delighted. "I can't believe it!"

"Believe what?" James asked, completely confused.

"You're jealous, aren't you?"

This was not at all what James had been expecting, and he was momentarily at a loss for words. He stared at Malia, blinking.

"Jealous?" James spluttered. "Me? Jealous? Of Sirius? Not a chance."

Malia didn't say anything, just laughed. Her laugh reminded James of silver bells, pealing across the countryside. Normally he was not given to such poetic nonsense, but there was really no other way to describe the perfectness of Malia. He was jealous, he admitted to himself. Jealous that she would say Sirius was good-looking. It was true, of course. Sirius had long been sought after by the Hogwarts female population, and it had never bothered James before. But Malia was his, she had no business talking about how good-looking Sirius was.

"I'll go with you to the Owlery," Malia said, still looking amused. "I've got to send an owl to my mother."

"Where is your family staying?" James asked.

"Oh, they're still back in Canada." Malia waved a hand. "That's why I'm staying here for the holidays. I'll be going back for summer, of course."

"Why'd you come to Hogwarts? It seems like an awfully long ways to come for school. Surely there are plenty of schools in America?"

"Plenty," Malia agreed. "I attended the Wendelin Academy of Magical Arts, founded by Wendelin the Weird. It was a very large school, however, and my mother didn't think that it was a good place to learn magic. I went to the Brazil National School of Magic for my third year, but it was an awful place."

James remembered that Malia had not liked the climate there, and he nodded in understanding. She smiled back at him and fell silent, and James was content to simply watch her as they climbed stairs together towards the Owlery. It was not an awkward silence, but a comfortable familiarity with one another. James felt like he had known her for years.

"Do you have an owl?" Malia asked when they reached the Owlery.

"Yes, I've got a barn owl, Winger. He's one of the fastest owls." James whistled a low note and a handsome owl flew down and landed on his arm.

"Really?" Malia sounded impressed. "Nora is an eagle owl, I've had her for years."

"Just a moment, I've got to scribble this out." James wiped a patch of floor clean from straw, owl droppings, and mouse skeletons, and set a scrap of parchment down. He fished around in his pocket until he came up with a bent quill and a small bottle of ink.

Sirius, he wrote, Professor Merika has talked to me. She knows what you are up to and she says if your Potion work doesn't improve, she'll partner you with Snivellus because he's good at Potions. Hope you're well, and my parents. James.

"Here you go, Winger." James attached the message to the barn owl's leg. "Take this to Sirius. He should be at home."

Winger nipped affectionately at James's finger and then soared out of a window, quickly disappearing from sight. Malia had produced a rather long letter from her pocket, tied with a yellow ribbon. Her eagle owl, Nora, was waiting impatiently with her leg stuck out as Malia fumbled to attach the letter.

"Allow me," James said, smoothly taking the ribbon from her hands. In a matter of seconds it was done, and Malia smiled gratefully.

"Thank you, James. Off you go, Nora. Take this to mother. I know it's a long ways but I'll give you a treat when you come back."

Nora clucked and took off through the same window that Winger had exited through. Malia and James watched them go together, and James was vastly pleased to discover that Malia's hand had somehow found its way into his.

"James, you shouldn't be jealous of Sirius," Malia said quietly. "You're the one I like."

She's a Slytherin! James reminded himself sternly, but he could not muster up the will to care. Malia Lessknot, the most beautiful and perfect girl in the whole world, liked him! Liked him more than Sirius, which was an amazing thing.