December 1977

The common room had never looked so beautiful. At least in all of Nykai's memory.. Of course it was a biased thought. To her memory, that Christmas eve had been the most beautiful and memorable of all.

"Boo."Nykai would have jumped if she wasn't too entirely used to such a word being uttered behind her before being followed by a pair of arms around her shoulders with the weight of someone taller leaning playfully on her.

Nykai smirked a bit and glanced up towards the ceiling. It was a habit all had developed around the castle this Christmas season. Apparently traveling mistletoe had been the novelity of the season.. and would proceed to a yoweling alarm if a pair of people under it didn't kiss immediately. Nykai had spent most of her free time inventing new ways to avoid the bothersome things.. so why was it now she was disappointed it wasn't around?

"Remind me again why you and James are still here, bothering me on what should be a peaceful holiday's vacation?" Nykai asked, turning her gaze from the ceiling to the face looming above her. She stuck her tongue out at Sirius' goofy grin.

"Not only bothering you, Nyx." Sirius corrected, his tone injured.. if only for the grin that stayed in place. "Moony too. He was looking forward to actual peace. Unlike you who just wanted to steal the glory of trouble for herself while we were away." Oops. Caught there. Nykai grinned and squirmed out of his arms.

They stared at eachother a moment in perfect silence. For the moment, both of their grins had faded and it was only broken with James' shouting about some new jinx Sirius just had to see. Nykai sighed a bit to herself and turned back to table solemly. Bloody hell, was she happy James and Sirius were staying or not? She couldn't make up her mind.

Even as she pondered this the yoweling alarm of charmed mistletoe filled the common room. Nykai turned towards the noise and happened to be one of the few blessed enough to see Sirius and James' quick snog.

Present

Nykai had had no warning before the strong arms wrapped around her. She gasped and reacted on instinct, forgetting the tapestry she had been so close to actually making out. The anthame still in hand slashed back behind her blindly and properly came in contact with nothing. But the arms did release her.

Nykai spun and came face to face with what was surely a mirage. Dark hair, swept handsomely over a more sunken face then she remembered. Haunted eyes and a few more lines.. but it was Sirius, she knew. Just as she had known her own brother. "You."

Sirius looked down at the clean cut in his shirt.. a clean cut that was eating away the rest of the shirt slowly. He didn't want to know what would happen if the blade had made contact with his skin. "Whoa! Yes, me! I thought Lupin had told you! You could have killed me!" He exclaimed, taking half a step back. "Put down the dagger Nyx.. you don't know what it's cursed with.."

"Then I'm sorry I missed!" She snarled before flying after him again.

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Author's Notes: Aww Sirius. We miss you! See? Even Nykai missed you, hehe. Anyways, sorry it's been so long but.. Yeah. I'm back and writting. Hope you all enjoyed it.. leave a review and there'll be more! --sneaky!