Christmas Day came and that left Lily and Sirius alone as Clare had decided to go home at the last minute. They had enjoyed a week and a half away from the others but they did miss the noise, Lily had said it was because they were used to the noise they all made and Sirius had just laughed at the fact it was so quite and out of the ordinary he thought he was going to go crazy. But he was however enjoying the fact that he could kiss Lily anytime he wanted without getting interrupted.

Lily was the first to wake up and at first she was confused because she couldn't remember where she was or why there was someone lying next to her but then she remembered. She nudged Sirius slightly but all she got was a grunt so she shook him and he turned to her, not looking happy at being woken up but then he realised that it was Christmas and he smiled at her.

"Merry Christmas." He whispered

"Merry Christmas to you too." She replied and kissed him

"Do we have to get up?" He murmured against her lips

She nodded slightly

"I wanna open my presents."

"But they're in your dorm." He whined

She laughed at this comment

"Silly mutt, can't live without me for more than five minutes can you?"

He shook his head and gave her the puppy dog eyes, even though he knew they didn't work.

"They don't work on me, you know that. I don't give in easily like your sister does."

Sirius pouted and Lily laughed and had a little flashback in the process.

"You have no idea how much you and Hannah look alike when you pout." Lily said, "Now let me go, I want my presents."

Sirius reluctantly let her go and she got dressed and quickly ran to the girl's dormitory and put a charm on her presents so that she didn't have to carry them. She made her way back to the boy's dormitory and saw Sirius sitting by the window next to a pile of presents. She walked over and put her presents down and sat next ot him on the windowsill.

"You have to open my present last." He said to her

"Okay." She said, slightly confused, "And likewise for you then."

Sirius picked up a present and said

"Betcha this is from Remus."

"What makes you say that?"

"It's a book."

He unwrapped it and it was a book and had a note attached to it.

You were wrong! Ha ha cause I know you were thinking Remus sent you it but it's from me your loving sister (Laugh at that comment and I'll poison you). I found it over the summer underneath my bed, of all the places I could have found it, it had to be there. And before you say anything I know it's yours anyway but I added to it and don't even criticise my drawing because I know I can't draw but I tried my best. I added to it after we came back.

Love you always

Hannah

Sirius opened the book and looked at his drawings, they were just random drawings apart from a few near the end. There was drawings of Hannah, Lily, there was even one of his mother but almost abstract which made him laugh as he looked at it. He flipped to the last page and saw drawings of The Marauders, the girls and one of them altogether. For someone who couldn't draw it was pretty spectacular.

"Did you draw all of these?" Lily asked, flicking through it, "These are amazing."

Sirius nodded.

"Now you have to open a present."

Lily picked up the nearest present, which was from Clare. She had received chocolate frogs, a book to curse and hex pranksters for payback, this made Lily giggle. So did the card that came with it.

In case Sirius annoys you too much. That and so we can all use it.

Sirius took one look at it and was scared she was going to use it on him, but she wouldn't let on whether or not she would.

"Can I borrow it sometime?" Sirius asked

"If it involves cursing or hexing people then no!" Lily answered, knowing exactly who the intended target would be "I will not have Carolyn trying to kill you."

Sirius pouted again and Lily hit him playfully. He picked up a rather large present from Remus and James. Joint presents usually meant one thing. One of them hadn't bought a present. He opened it and it contained a Quidditch book on the Tornados, Honeydukes Chocolate, a few Sugar Quills and a pot of invisible ink.

"What am I supposed to do with invisible ink?" Sirius asked

"Use it to write notes!" Lily pointed out

"Oh yeah."

Next Lily opened a present from Carolyn. It was a photo album of the last seven years and it contained pictures of them from each year - including a reel of passport photos from their fourth summer. Lily laughed at the memory in which four of them had tried to squeeze in a booth and have pictures taken, they had done it eventually but the expressions said how squashed it was.

We've all got one

Lily smiled, it was something that all of them would treasure.

"You lot look like freaks in that." Sirius commented

"Don't make me use the book on you." Lily responded

Carolyn and Clare also gave Sirius a joint present. A compact mirror and a coupon for free dog treatment. Lily burst out laughing but Sirius looked offended.

"Am I really that vain that I need a compact mirror?"

Lily stroked his hair and said

"Course you're not." She said, "But I think they might be telling you something with the coupon."

Sirius pouted again

"What is the need for all the pouting?" Lily asked curiously

"Feel like it."

"I don't care what you say, I'm opening your present now."

She did. She opened the box to reveal another box. This went on for about five boxes to finally reveal a jewellery box. She opened it and it played a tune and inside was a gold necklace with her name on.

"Oh my god!" She gasped, "Sirius, it's beautiful!"

She kissed him on the cheek but then Sirius pulled her in for a kiss.

Remus lay in bed with his eyes closed. He didn't want to get up, he was enjoying the warmth of his bed too much. He felt Hannah next to him, her head leant on his chest. He moved her hair out of her face and kissed her forehead.

"I love you." He whispered

She stirred and lifted her head slightly

"Love you too." And she smiled

He just looked at her for a few moments and without meaning to, said

"Why do you have to be so beautiful?"

"'Cause I am." Hannah said teasingly "Oh my god that sounded so vain."

"Which you're anything but."

"Thank you." She said, "I think."

Remus chuckled

"Promise me you'll never change." Hannah whispered to him. "That you'll still be the same loveable guy and still have the same sense of humour."

"I promise."

"Oh my god, I've only just realised that it's Christmas."

Remus chuckled, he'd forgotten it was Christmas as well but he really didn't want to get out of bed.

"Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas."

Hannah looked at the alarm clock and it read 11:30. Hannah got out of bed and threw on some clothes, and taking a bar of chocolate from the bedside table, waved it in front of Remus and slowly opened it. She lay flat on her stomach facing him and broke of the first piece and licked it and she knew it was driving him crazy. Hannah knew he wouldn't get up without reason but she knew what she was doing would do the trick. She could see the look on his face whilst she did this and she desperately wanted to laugh. She took a small bite and as she did this, melted chocolate dripped onto the bed. Remus looked horrified, she didn't know if it was because she had dripped chocolate on the bed covers or because she had wasted precious drops of his favourite chocolate.

"I can't take it anymore." He moaned, "Will you quit it if I get up?"

She threw the chocolate bar at him and grinned, she knew he'd give in to her and she knew he couldn't resist the chocolate.

"Sometimes I think you love chocolate more than me." She teased

Remus looked at her with a sly smile.

"How do you know I don't?"

"Because if you did, then you would have attacked me in 5th year."

The night Sirius and James had decided to play that prank on Snape, Hannah had been there, yelling at James to stop Snape, and it wasn't until she mentioned what would happen if it he didn't stop Snape that James came to his senses. She'd followed him to make sure he did stop Snape. It wasn't until they were running out of the tunnel and Snape had seen everything that it happened. Hannah had tripped and twisted her ankle. No one had noticed until they were clear of the Whomping Willow and someone realised Hannah wasn't with them. She couldn't move and out the corner of her eye saw the werewolf running towards her. Half expecting him to attack her, half expecting him to kill her. She hadn't expected him to stop and just stare at her, just looking into her eyes. It wasn't until afterwards that Dumbledore had said that Remus' love for her had saved her life. That even the most dangerous of creatures feel love, that if you love someone so much, the love for that person takes over. Even a usually dangerous creature like a werewolf can have that happen to them.

"Don't remind me." Remus muttered, "I keep having nightmares about that, changing all the time."

"Cry and you'll ruin my Christmas." Hannah said to him, "I hate seeing you cry."

She moved up the bed and kissed him.

"I'd still love you even if you had of attacked me, all I'd have is a share in your curse. Feelings don't just change when something like that happens. It's like Dumbledore said. Love is a powerful thing."

"I'd never have forgiven myself."

"But I would have." Hannah smiled shyly, "Now come on, it's Christmas and I have presents to open."

"Accio presents."

Presents flew and landed on the bed.

"Where's your present?" Hannah asked curiously, looking through the pile.

"In the cupboard."

She looked at him and went to open the cupboard and saw a broomstick.

"You bought me the Comet?" She stared at him, open-mouthed. "Oh my God, I love you so much."

She jumped on the bed and kissed Remus, leaving the remaining presents forgotten about.

"Sev?" Carolyn said, "Ineed to talk to you about something."

She felt him tense up.

"What?"

"Last time you said that to me, you broke up with me." Snape answered quietly

"Trust me, I'm not breaking up with you. The opposite."

"Oh."

Carolyn took a breath

"I don't wanna do the secrets thing anymore, I can't do it." She said, "Someone will find out eventually anyway, especially when people notice that the Marauders haven't pranked you lately, they'll think something's up."

Snape laughed slightly

"They'll think I'm sleeping with Hannah." He responded, I swear, for a girl that was a virgin till this term she sure has slept with a lot of people over the years."

"I'm serious here." Carolyn snapped slightly, "I want everyone to know how much I love you and know that I do."

"That'd shut everyone up." He muttered

Carolyn looked at him curiously

"What do you mean?"

"You don't know?" He asked, "I thought I'd told ya. Every year I get people telling me to just die because I'm worthless and no-one cares about me. I've got no friends and my family don't give a damn and I have nothing to live for."

Carolyn looked at him open-mouthed, she didn't know what to say and now he was averting her eyes. She gently touched the side of his face and wiped away a tear that was trickling down the side of his face.

"I love you." She whispered, "And so does your mum and Alafair. Trust me, you do have something to live for, you're not worthless. I love you with all my heart and don't forget that. I'll always love you no matter what. I promise."

Snape smiled slightly

"I love you too." He whispered

"Come on." James said, taking hold of Rachel's hand

She looked at him curiously. Not sure where he was taking her. He led her out of the house and they walked for a bit up a hill. Rachel looked at him blankly.

"What we doing up here "

"Oh you'll see soon enough." James answered

She shook her head and laughed slightly. James was full of surprises and this was just as wierd as the rest.

Rachel shivered slightly in the cold and felt James slip his arms around her waist and tighten them, she felt his muscles tighten and flex, she let a sigh of delight slip from her lips. James elant in to kiss her but she put a finger to his lips.

"Not until you tell me why we're here." She said

"To watch the sunset." He answered simply

Satisfyed with his answer, she kissed him passionatly. When they broke apart she smiled at him and thety sat down on top of the hill andwatched the sunset, James put his arm around Rachel's shoulders.

"It looks beautiful." She whispered

"Yeah, it does. Doesn't it."

He leant in and kissed her.

Clare was wishing that she hadn't come home for Christmas. Not only was she cut off from her friends, she wasn't allowed to apparate or floo which she considered to be unfair considering all her friends were either at Hogwarts or at home, she was so desperate that she was even thinking about owling Dumbledore for permission to return but she wouldn't let her mother win.

She took out her Potions homework and mentally reminded herself to tell the other girls they had to go back to the way it used to be with homework. She found it so much easier just doing a few pieces of homework. Defence and Muggle Studies were so much easier, Arithmacy was okay but hard. She preferred itwhen she only had to do Defence, Muggle Studiesand Arithmacy. Since they hardly ever got Herbology homework, it had been easier then. Now it was just spiralling out of control.

"Damn Potions!" She screamed and threwher ink across the room, only for it to hit wrapping paper off the presents she had opened.

From Lily she had gotten a charm bracelet with a few charms on it. Hannah had gotten her CD of their favourite songs. Carolyn had bought her chocolate like always. The Marauders she guessed probably didn't have a clue what to get her so they gave her 12 galleons and 13 sickles. They would be going to be spent on new hair straighteners as no matter how much magic could do wonders for hair, it could never get her hair perfectly straight. Well, the money would be spent on them once it was converted to muggle money.

"Clare!" A voice called

She didn't answer. Christmas Day and she was stuck in the house with her parents and her sister. What was the point to spending her last Christmas at Hogwarts at home? Then it hit her, it was the last Christmas she would ever be at Hogwarts, after July she wouldn't be going back, somehow that thought just made her more depressed. At least after Hogwarts she'd have her friends but she didn't know that one of her friends would betray her with devastating consequences.