Chapter 11

'Merry Christmas everyone!' Lily shouted as she woke up.

'Same to everyone except from me,' shouted Isy.

They all laughed.

'I second that,' Emma said.

'Third,' Hannah laughed.

They all looked at Chloe's bed, waiting for her to fourth it, but she was still not there.

'That guy must be really good,' Lily said. They all laughed and put on their dressing gowns, wanting to get their presents as fast as they could.

When they got downstairs the Marauders were all there playing with the wrapping paper from the presents they had already opened.

'Merry Christmas guys,' they all said.

'You too,' the Marauders said happily.

After everyone had opened their presents, they went down the breakfast.

Lily got tons of books; James gave her a box set of her favourite muggle books – the 'little Women' series. Isy gave her a book on the Goblin Revolution of 1543 and Hannah gave her a Charms book. She got a joint present from the rest of the Marauders of a seven part series of Defense Against the Dark Arts creatures like Red-caps and Hinkypunks. Emma got her some make-up like eyeliner and mascara to bring out her eyes.

James received a broom servicing kit from Emma; the Marauders got him a huge assortment of things from the joke shop and Hogsmeade, Lily gave him a kiss on the cheek and a subscription to a Quidditch magazine and Hannah and Isy gave him an assortment from 'Honey duke's lollies shop.'

Emma went off to wish all her family a Merry Christmas and give them all their presents. 'And to receive them,' she had laughed when she told them where she was going.

Isy went to say Merry Christmas to her brother and give him her present.

Sirius passed his brother on the way to the Great Hall but said nothing, neither did Regulus. Emma told him to forget about it. She was looking forward to his surprise and so was Hannah.

'Good haul this year,' she said when she sat down to breakfast.

They all laughed. 'What did you get?' they asked her.

Emma looked around, 'make-up, a book, make-up, clothes, make-up, a dungbomb from David and a magazine.'

'For you a good haul, but for me that would just freak me out,' said Peter.

Every stared at him.

'Really Peter? I thought you like make-up,' said Lily, a tone in her voice making it a joke.

'Good one, Lils,' said James.

'Thank you, god how long have I wanted to say that?'

'Since you first met him,' Emma answered. It was true, when Emma and Lily had first met Peter, they were together. He had succried off and wanted to go back to his compartment on the train in their first year and Lily had muttered something in her ear Emma couldn't hear.

'WHAT?' she had shouted after asking her for the fifth time what she had said.

'I said - I think that Peter is one of those guys who put make-up on and dress up like girls,' she laughed.

Emma laughed with her, turning around to see if he was still behind them. 'I was going to say that after I found out what you said.'

They all went outside and played in the snow, making snow men and having snow ball fights. Until it was time for lunch, Sirius, Emma, Remus and Hannah left the others behind and they headed toward Hogsmeade.

'Wonder what they are doing,' Lily whispered to Isy.

'Probably gone off to snog and then come back and say it was a nice romantic picnic,' she thought.

'Maybe,' said Lily, though she wasn't sure Remus would do something like that, but it did sound extremely like Sirius.

'It's beautiful,' said Hannah as they first came into sight of the picnic spot.

'When did you do all this?' Emma asked.

'You see these lines around my eyes?' Sirius questioned.

'No,' said Emma, looking closely.

'That's because I have good make-up for around my eyes, but underneath that is a lot of rings around my eyes,' he told her.

'Right . . . '

'We stayed up all night to do this is what he means,' said Remus, a little annoyed that he was taking so long to explain it.

'Yes, what Moony said.'

'Well that's so nice of you,' said Hannah.

'It's the nicest thing someone has done for me,' Emma said, wiping away a tear.

The picnic was set up on the snow, with four plates with sandwiches, éclairs, pastries, cold meat and bread on it. There was a centerpiece of wildflowers in the middle. They all sat down ans started to talk and eat the wonderful food.

'I bet you anything they're snogging each other right now,' said Isy.

'It does sound like Sirius, but do you think Remus would do something like that?'

'No, but he can be persuaded easily,' Isy told her.

James and Peter looked at each other, they might be snogging, but they would be eating and talking too. Peter and James had been in charge of getting the food off the house elves while they had set up the place.

'Some how I don't think that's what they're doing,' James told them.

'You know what they're doing, don't you?'

'What is it?'

'Come on James, tell me,' Lily pleaded.

'She'll snog you,' Isy said.

Lily turned around to face Isy. 'Don't,' she warned. This was not the time to kiss James, and she didn't think there would ever be a time to do it anyway.

'They're having a picnic,' he said, wanting that kiss so bad.

'Now I know they're snogging. I bet you that's what Remus and Sirius told them to say so it sounds like they did something nice,' said Isy.

'You don't have to believe us,' Peter said.

'But we know it's true.'

When they came back Hannah and Emma told them what the surprise was.

Lily and Isy couldn't stop laughing, Hannah and Emma looked at each other and watched as Lily and Isy tried to tell them what they though and why it was so funny through their giggles.

'Shut up, the both of you. I cannot understand a single word you are saying and I would like to know what you are laughing at!' Hannah shouted.

They both stopped abruptly and told them the story.

'And that's what was so funny?' questioned Emma.

'Well, yeah,' said Isy. 'We thought it was hilarious.'

'You have a strange sense of humor.'