Disclaimer: No. At least most of this chapter was actually written by me, not Hepsa. Well, fine, she did write quite a bit, but hey. This is my fic! Mine! ALL MINE!

Chapter 21: New Year

Previously: 'If you come up with any better ideas beforehand, use them. But if you don't, a New Year's kiss it shall be!'

Lily gave her an anguished look. Caroline simply stared back until Lily sighed, and said,

'I will think of something better.'

'I doubt it. It's been two months and you haven't thought of anything.'

'Hey!'

A pillow fight ensued.

It was silent in the girls' dorm, except for the normal sleeping sounds of snoring, snuffling and at least one case of muttering. It was the morning of 31st of December and Lily, Caroline, Sarah and Suzie were all asleep. They were trying to see the New Year in, and wanted enough energy for a long day.
It was later that day and all of the seventh-year Gryffindors were sitting around the common room fire, toasting anything that would fit on the toasting fork (crumpets were a favourite, as were marshmallows, though Caroline had notably tried to toast chocolate) and discussing what they usually did on New Year's Eve.

'My parents usually have a dinner party,' groaned Sirius, 'inviting any "respectable" pureblood family around. We usually end up with the Malfoys, the Notts, the Lestranges and the other Blacks – my cousins. Andy and I usually go off somewhere by ourselves and talk – she's just about the only other sane one there.' He sighed, and then caught a sight of Sarah's face. 'No, she's not going this year, so don't look at me like that. I wouldn't leave her all on her own with that lot.' Seeing her disapproving look hadn't disappeared, he hastily added, 'Anyone want a crumpet?'

Sarah sighed and took one. 'What does everyone else do then?'

'We usually have a friends-and-family gathering round at mine,' said Suzie. 'Champagne all round – the parents are always pretty sloshed at the end of it. Leads to some pretty embarrassing New Year's Kisses.'

'New Year's Kisses?' asked Caroline excitedly, waving a piece of toast in the air and smacking herself in the head with it. 'Ouch… Just got butter in my eye. Anyway, we do those too. They're fun. Embarrassing, though.' Lily was shocked – something embarrassed Caroline? 'I mean for the others – I must have kissed and told so many times!' She laughed, and Lily laughed with her. That was the Caroline she knew. Once she'd stopped laughing, she offered,

'We usually don't do much. We keep the leftover people from Christmas and re-heat the party spirit.' She paused. 'Usually make more of an effort than that on the food, though. We don't do New Year's Kisses.' She hoped Caroline would understand. 'Ooh, toast is done. Anyone want it?'

'Me, thanks,' grinned James. He took it and all heads turned to him. 'I do the same as Suzie; I think I was even at her house once or twice… So no new story here, I'm afraid. Who's left to go?'

'Me!' pointed out Peter, after swallowing a marshmallow. 'For us it's usually a sit-down dinner for the adults and crisps for the children. We stay up till midnight; sing Auld Lang Syne, and then have absolutely nothing to do, so we go to bed. That's about it. No New Year's Kisses here. They do sound like fun though.'

'The adults never let me join in the New Year's Kisses. I always wanted to,' said Suzie wistfully.

'Well now you have an opportunity!' said Caroline, grinning. 'We're doing them this year!'

'We are?' said everyone, their tones ranging from the almost pleading (Lily) to the excited and happy (Sirius).

'Of course we are, kiddies! What's New Year without a little kiss?'

'Less mortifying,' muttered Lily, but no one heard her.

'That'll be fun,' giggled Sarah. 'Never done that before. Same sort of New Year as Lily, me.'

'But –' protested Lily, but Caroline grinned and interrupted her.

'All in favour, hands up!'

Everyone's hand shot excitedly into the air except for Lily's.

'Li-ly!' everyone moaned.

'Caroline…' pleaded Lily.

'The masses have spoken, Lily,' said Caroline fairly. 'And it's not going to kill you.'

Lily sighed but didn't protest any more. She just wished she'd squashed the idea when it had first come up.

The evening became the night, and as the hours and minutes ticked away, Lily felt more and more nervous. She had hoped Caroline had forgotten about the kisses as she hadn't mentioned them again, but her hopes were dashed when Caroline stood up and announced, 'OK, people, time for some kissies!'

'What?' asked Suzie, confused.

'New Year's kisses. Remember, we were going to do them? Yes? Good. Sirius and I, Peter and Suzie, obviously, James and Lily, Remus and Sarah.'

'What? No!' squealed both Sarah and Remus. Lily looked like she wanted to go back on the plan, or throw up, or both, while James just had a strange look on his face.

'Oh, relax!' said Caroline, 'It doesn't have to be a proper kiss! And you've done it before anyway. But, if you'd rather switch partners…'

'No, it's OK,' they both said, blushing. Caroline smirked, and cast a spell to put a timer in the air.

'We've got 10 minutes, and counting,' she announced, before swooping over to Sarah and Remus, and saying, more quietly, 'we need to talk.'

Over the next few minutes, Lily was feeling sicker by the second. She had considered hiding in her dorm and not coming out for about a year or ten, but she knew that wouldn't quite work. Caroline and Sirius were chatting to Peter and Suzie, while Sarah and Remus were sitting next to each other, looking embarrassed. James was just staring into space, still with a strange look on his face.

At last the counter reached a minute. Caroline grinned.

'Places everybody!' she yelled, and she and Sirius wrapped their arms around each other, ready for the kiss. Suzie and Peter did the same, while Remus and Sarah were grinning sheepishly at each other. James stood up and came over to Lily, who was also on her feet. The ten second chant started, and Lily felt her insides squirm.

'Ten…'

Oh God…

'Nine…'

Why did I agree to this?

'Eight…'

I'm going to regret this…

'Seven…'

I hate Caroline.

'Six…'

It's too late now.

'Five…'

You've got to do it.

'Four…'

It's only a little kiss.

'Three…'

It's not important.

'Two…'

Except for deciding whether you'll be with James or not.

'One…'

Shut up, brain.

As she thought this, there was a bang as the timer exploded into fireworks. Lily closed her eyes and leaned forward to James. Her lips met his, and although they only kissed for a second, Lily felt the happiest she'd felt since… well… since their previous kiss. She was going to say something to him, when she realised that everyone was watching them. No one else was kissing. It was all a ruse to get them to kiss! Vile, evil, treacherous friends! She whipped around to look at who she just knew was the perpetrator.

'Caroline!' she yelled. Caroline grinned and winked at her, and began kissing Sirius. Peter and Suzie did the same, and Remus gave Sarah a kiss on her cheek. However, these events all went unnoticed to Lily. She turned to James.

'You know, um,' she said, blushing, 'It wasn't… just a New Year's kiss?'

Dear lord, I actually used Caroline's line. How sad is that?

'I should hope not,' replied James, and he kissed her again, and Lily knew that now they were definitely dating.

Hepsa: I wrote the last scene, by the way.

Larka: Ok. I will start writing my own stuff soon.

Lamia: Larka has a habit of picking our brains then not acknowledging us, so we're doing it for her.

Larka: Possibly true, but unfair. Fine, it's true. But I wouldn't do it if they didn't have such good ideas!

Review replies:

moony0350 – thank you very much for the virtual cookies, they were virtually delicious. I told Suzie, she said thanks. And blushed.

mrspadfoot4eva – I've updated now, so please don't kill me. It might be painful. And plus, I wouldn't be able to update, would I?

werewolvesrule282 – thanks. I knew it was a cliché but I did try to make it work – I'm glad it did. Remus is possibly my favourite character too, he's just so nice, but I like them all. They're all my little fanfiction children! (Calm down, Larka, calm down, calm…) Actually, Sarah and Remus aren't together quite yet – they're just in serious Denial (note the capital) about the whole thing between them.

Review topic: Notebooks. I love them. If someone took away my notebooks I might actually die. Well, not ACTUALLY die, but I would be in severe distress for a long time. What is your opinion?

Larka :)