Finally, some sibling love!

Beta-ed by Ash-Caro-Lynn.

'Who are you and what have you done with my sister?' James hissed, sliding onto the bench next to her in the library. He glanced from side to side to make sure nobody was listening. The group of Ravenclaws at the nearly table continued to work peacefully.

Emma unstuck the side of her cheek from her hand, taking her eyes off of the fat potions book in front of her. 'What do you mean?'

'Come on Emma,' James said. 'I can't believe who you're hanging out with. Lestrange? Rosier? You wouldn't believe the rumours we hear about that group. And Sirius said his brother...'

'Regulus didn't do anything!' she protested.

'Even this book you're reading,' James continued as if he hadn't heard. 'The Draught of the Living Death? This is Dark magic, Emma.'

'Relax James,' his twin replied, yawning. 'It's our Potions essay.'

'Oh, right,' he was quiet for a second. 'But still, Lily says Snivellus -'

'Oh Lily says, does she?' Emma asked, her eyes flashing with hurt. She shut her book – there was no way she was going to be able to get back to work after this. 'Lily says Snape is doing Dark magic and so I automatically am too? Well news-flash for you James: I hate Snape as much as you do! Why don't you get mad at Lily, since she's the one who's actively hanging out with Snape? Or is it because I'm in Slytherin?'

'Don't bring that up again,' James said exasperatedly, glancing around. People were starting to murmur.

Emma took a deep breath and composed herself. 'Just because your friends have problems with my House doesn't mean I'm doing Dark magic. Anyway, stop trying to act as though you care.'

James opened his mouth and then closed it again. He had been distant lately.

'Tell you what,' he said. 'Let's go to Hogsmeade this weekend, just you and me.'

'But this weekend isn't a Hogsmeade one,' Emma said stupidly. Even so, her annoyance at him had vanished.

'Oh dear sister, you have missed me,' James winked and ruffled her now waist-length hair.

'Hey!' she said, combing it back down. 'Just because you like looking like you just woke up doesn't mean I have to too.'

'Do you prefer the red one or the blue?' Emma asked, holding the dresses up in front of the mirror. They were in the Slytherin dorm, and she was deciding on what to wear.

Lucinda sat down on the corner of Emma's bed and took a long look at each of them. 'What's it for?'

'Emma's going on a date,' replied Alecto, lazily flicking through a magazine. She was sprawled on her own bed, but occasionally lifted her eyes to see what was going on.

'A date?' Helen squealed, putting her makeup box down. She loved dressing up. She took a long look at Emma. 'So first things first: you don't nearly have enough lipstick on. A girl's got to look the part. It makes a boy want to kiss you, but he knows he's got to work for it, coz you ain't smudging your makeup on the first date.'

'Good thing I'm not planning on kissing him then,' Emma said, amused. 'I think I'll pick the red. It's warmer.'

'It's not as if you're going outside of Hogwarts,' Helen shook her head. 'The red one's nice, but the blue brings out your eyes and it's sexier!'

'She has a point,' Alecto said without looking up.

'Okay that settles it,' Emma laughed. 'Definitely the red. Besides, he loves his House colours.'

'I don't know why I give advice, you never seem to take it,' Helen pretended to huff dramatically. 'You're going on a date with a Gryffindor? How did you manage that one? I thought they all hated us.'

'Hey, I do take your advice!' Emma pulled on the red dress. 'I don't think James would really appreciate me looking sexy, thanks. But I'll keep the lipstick thing in mind.'

Helen's face went the same colour as her dress. 'I- I didn't realise,' she stammered, shooting an evil look towards Alecto, who laughed at her own joke.

'Have fun!' she waved. 'Bring me lots of juicy gossip when you come back.'

'And Honeydukes for me!' Lucinda chimed in.

Helen looked at her wordlessly.

'I have my ways,' Emma replied mysteriously to the unspoken question, dancing down into the common room.

'Where are you going all dolled up?' Rabastan asked, looking at her approvingly. He had been reading a book near the fireplace.

'On a date,' Emma smiled, repeating Alecto's words. Let them have fun with that while I'm away, she thought mischievously.

'What? Regulus, did you hear that?'

'Yeah, yeah,' Regulus murmured, not looking up from his game of wizard's chess with Narcissa.

.

It was cold in Hogsmeade, but the good kind of chill that made your cheeks flush pink. James insisted on escorting Emma everywhere arm in arm, and once they reached Honeydukes the twins were back to their old selves. Emma had a way of calming James down, making him less of a prat, and her brother made her as carefree and wild as he was for a while. They had snowball fights and dared each other to eat owl treats. Emma insisted on getting some sugar mice for Fluffy as well as Lucinda, and James told her all about his next prank idea.

'Just don't eat any fairy cakes at the Yule Ball,' he warned her as they warmed their hands over butterbeer. 'Speaking of, who are you going with?'

Dumbledore had caught wind of the tensions between the Houses, and had reinstated the Yule Ball: a Christmas fancy party where your date had to be somebody from a different House. Their parents obviously knew about it beforehand, because they were to be sent dresses and dress robes that weekend.

'Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that,' Emma said, putting on a hurt face. 'There's this boy I really want to ask me in Gryffindor, but I'm scared he never will.'

'Oh? Tell me more about this boy,' James said, leaning forwards with a serious air.

'Well, he's in our year, likes Transfiguration, and always seems to end up in detention. Everyone says he's a womaniser, but I think he's a real romantic at heart and I know for a fact that he's never kissed a girl before.'

'Sorry to break this to you Ems, but Sirius is already taken,' James laughed, though he went slightly red. No one but his sister knew that he was saving his first kiss for Lily Evans. 'Looks like our cousin Lou has tamed the wild lion.'

'Really?' Emma asked, surprised. She hadn't seen much of their cousin recently, though she knew that she had immediately fallen under Sirius's charm. 'Lucinda won't be happy about that.'

'Sirius would never live up to his parents expectations by dating a Slytherin,' James shook his head. 'I hear about some of the things they do, and… Ems, they're not very nice people. Present company excluded.'

'Regulus doesn't seem to have a problem with them,' Emma pointed out, slightly heatedly.

'Regulus wasn't sorted into Gryffindor,' James retorted. 'Do you know how lucky we are to have our parents? I mean seriously -'

'You were sorted into Gryffindor,' Emma repeated his words under her breath, but her twin heard all the same. He gave her a look filled with compassion, but she knew that deep down he didn't understand. He never had to see their dad force a smile every time he talked about a Quidditch win, or earning House points. It was fine as long as they didn't speak about their Houses... or their friends... or...

'Anyway, enough about that!' James said a bit too cheerfully. 'We were talking about the Yule Ball. Now let me see. I think Peter mentioned his crush on you…oh only forty times a day.'

'Peter?' Emma asked, shuddering. 'As in Pettigrew? I know he's your friend, but he's really creepy.'

Once she had forgotten her clothes in the Quidditch locker room, and had returned to find Peter sniffing her T-shirt with a dreamy expression. Of course, Alecto had burst out laughing, but Lucinda had looked suitably horrified.

'Fine, not Peter then,' James replied smiling. 'But we had better get back before we're missed. After all, it's not really a Hogsmeade weekend.' He called over to the barmaid. 'Hey Rosmerta. You'll keep our secret, won't you?' And the twins beamed their identical hopeful smiles.

'Ah, who could ever give away the two of you,' Rosmerta chuckled. 'Though I hope to see you one day when you're not breaking the rules, James.'

'I do believe she has a soft spot for you,' Emma said later, winking like Rosmerta, and the twins burst out laughing.