Chapter Ten

October and November came and went and soon winter was beginning to settle in onto Hogwarts grounds. Lily, Erica, and John soon started to get more and more homework. Lily also had quidditch practice to fit in with classes and homework.

The list of who would be staying came around to their table a couple of weeks before Christmas. Lily looked at Erica and John.

"I think I might stay back. I would like to visit with Hagrid some. Plus I have a mountain of homework to get and I have to practice for quidditch." Lily sighed loudly as she wrote her name down onto the list. She passed the list to Erica.

Erica took it and signed her name. "My mum and dad are going to go see my Uncle in Romania. He had some kind of accident and got a really bad burn, so their going to take care of him for a while." Lily smiled.

"What does he do out there?" Erica handed the list to John.

"He's studying dragons." She then turned to John on her left. "So are you staying back?" John passed the list down the table without signing it.

"No, I'm going home with my sister to visit with my mum. She's all alone at home." Lily nodded.

"Well that's good. She will be happy to see you and your sister. What year is your sister in?" She started looking around the Gryffindor table.

John sighed. "Chelsea's in her fourth year. But she's not at this table." Lily turned back to him.

"Then where is she?" Erica looked at John too.

"She's at the Slytherin table." Lily and Erica's eyes widened.

"You mean she's in Slytherin?" Erica looked across the hall to the Slytherin table.

"No Erica, she's just sitting over there because she wants to." Lily said sarcastically.

John looked over the table too. "She's the one with dark hair and is sitting next to Lucius and his friends." Lily now turned around.

"So how does she feel about you being in Gryffindor?" John shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't talked to her much since the beginning of term."

Chelsea laughed at a joke Lucius had just told. She looked up and she and Lily's eyes met. Chelsea's eyes darkened slightly and she looked away.

"John?" Lily said as she continued to glare over at the Slytherin table.

"Huh?" John looked up from his plate. Lily turned back around.

"Does she know who I am?" John's slight smile faded.

"Yes. And well…she doesn't like you too well." Lily began to get angry.

"Why? What'd I ever do to her?" Erica watched as Lily's anger slowly rose.

John gulped and continued. "Well because of your father and what he did to our father." Lily stood. "I have nothing to do with what happened back then!" She stormed away without another word. John and Erica sat silently at the table for the rest of the lunch period.

On Christmas day, Erica and Lily woke up to find a nice size pile of presents at the end of their beds. They started ripping the paper off of them as they went.

At the bottom of each of their present piles, was a letter from John. Lily sat on her bed and opened it as Erica ignored it and continued to open a large box of chocolate frogs from her father.

The letter was short and a bit ripped. Lily read it over twice.

Dear Lily,

Happy Christmas! That is if you get this in time. Sorry it's a bit ripped. Chelsea tried to take it away. She doesn't want me talking to you. But I don't care. I don't care what any of them think. You're my friend no matter what, even if our fathers were enemies. Well, time for Christmas Eve dinner. See you when I get back.

John

Lily set it aside carefully onto her bedside stand. She looked over at Erica. She was now opening a package from her mother. It was a giant, leather book. Erica seemed quite happy as she started flipping through it.

Lily asked if Erica would like to go with her to Hagrid's. Erica moved her back to the side slightly as she turned the page. Lily smiled and got dressed.

The walk was a cold one but worth it when she saw that Hagrid had made hot tea inside.

"So how's your holiday been like?" Lily asked as she sat down into one of the large chairs next to the table. Hagrid poured two cups then sat down.

"Great. Really great. You?" Lily took a sip of tea. "Great." She smiled and sat the cup down.

"So how's Erica and John? They gettin' along alright?" Lily looked up at him.

"They're good. Erica's going through a book her mum got her and John's at home with his mum and sister." Harid nodded. "That's good."

Lily stopped for a moment. "Hagrid, where's puffy?" She looked around her but there was no sign of the three headed puppy. It was, by now, impossible not to spot Puffy as he was now the size of a full grown adult dog.

Hagrid's smile fell and he froze as Lily faced him. "Where is he?"

Happy? Long chapter. Yay! Ok well more to come soon. Bye!