A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for visiting the tenth chapter of this story! Just wanted to let you know that I have decided upon a new updating schedule, in case some of you guys haven't figured it out yet. I will be posting new chapters every Tuesday and Friday, so keep your alerts on! Thank you to everybody who has been reading!
Chapter 10: Jingle Bells, Snivelly Smells
Mid-December, 1971
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
"I think I might hate Tuesdays more than Mondays," Peter whined. They were sitting in the Great Hall for dinner, the Great Hall now decorated with green, red, and gold tassle in the spirit of Christmas season.
"I think I hate them all," Sirius groaned in agreement. "What about you, Remus?"
"Oh, I don't really have a preference."
"How come your scratches never heal?" James inquired, leaning over the table to look at Remus' face. "They always seem to come close to healing, but then once you come back from home they're all fresh again."
"Oh...oh, really?" Remus asked, tenderly touching his scratches.
"Yeah, what do your parents do to you when you go home?" James lowered his voice and whispered, "Do they beat you? Because if they do, it's alright to tell us. We can tell Dumbledore!"
Remus paled. "What?! No! Not at all! I'm...I'm not really sure how I keep getting scratches. I probably just haven't been careful."
"Hey, did you hear about what the sixth years heard in Hogsmeade?" Sirius asked, unknowingly saving Remus from James' interrogation.
"Oh, yeah, that," James said in a bored voice.
"What?" Peter asked.
"Just some rumor the sixth years heard from the village. About some howling noises or something from the Shrieking Shack one night last week," James said. "They think the place is haunted," he scoffed.
"Is it?" Peter asked, his eyes wide with interest.
"Dunno," Sirius said. "Everyone's too scared to check. Said they've been hearing noises there ever since the school year began. That's why they call it the Shrieking shack. Cowards, they are. What's the worst it could be? What do you think, Remus? You're the smart one."
Remus had gone extremely pale. "Oh...I dunno, a...a ghost, perhaps?"
"S'the matter with you? You look all white. Are you scared?"
"No, I'm c-cold." Remus did a very fake, violent shiver.
"Yeah…" Sirius said, narrowing his eyes.
"Oh, blimey!" James said, checking his wrist watch. "We've got to get to Potions! Can't be late again, or we'll have to be partnered with Slytherins!"
The boys swung their bags over their shoulders and ran out into the corridor, skidding around corners and running down stairs until they reached the Potions classroom.
When they pushed the doors open, everybody in the class turned around in their seats.
"Ah...Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew! My boys!" Slughorn bellowed. "Just in time!"
"We're sorry, Professor! We lost track of time at breakfast!" Remus begged for mercy.
James elbowed him in the side. "We're not late, Remus."
"Oh." Remus' legs stopped wobbling like jelly.
"Take a seat, now, boys."
The boys scrambled over to where the other Gryffindors were.
"All right, Evans?" James asked as he sat down behind her.
Lily simply glared at him and turned around.
James moved his eyes over to Marlene, who was sitting in front of Lily and had a look of comical amusement on her face. Severus, who was sitting next to Lily, shot James a look of deepest dislike.
"Today, students we are brewing the Forgetfulness potion. Now, who can tell me the key ingredients?"
Lily's hands shot up in the air.
"How about you, Black?" Slughorn asked.
Sirius looked up suddenly. Slughorn almost never called on people at random. Sirius opened his mouth wide , moving his jaw left, and then uttered "I forget, Professor."
The class giggled.
"Well, that's quite all right. Do study though, Black. What about you, Evans? You seem to know the answer?"
"Yes, Professor! One key ingredient is Valerian Sprigs!"
"Excellent! Five points to Gryffindor House!"
"Hey, Snivelly!" James took out his quill and reached across his desk, poking Severus' back with the quill. "D'you take forgetfulness potions? I figure that must be the reason why you always forget to wash your hair!"
Sirius sniggered from next to James.
Severus flinched as the quill poked him, but he continued to stare at the front of the classroom, pretending as if he had not heard James.
Lily, however, turned around sharply, her green eyes flaring. "Shut up, Potter! If anything, you're the one who takes a Forgetfulness potion, always forgetting that you're not the most important person in the world!" Lily whisper-hissed.
"Ouch, Evans!"
"Ah, Potter! My boy! Have you got another key ingredient for us?"
James looked up, and like Sirius, his mouth went dry. "Er...water?"
He saw Lily bite her lip from the corner of his eyes, and several students giggled throughout the room.
"Ah, yes, indeed, my boy. What kind of water, you say?"
"Er...potion water?"
Slughorn chuckled. "Not quite! It is actually Lethe River Water!"
"Right...that's what I meant."
The class gathered their potions ingredients and returned to their cauldrons, dumping their contents in and mixing the ingredients together.
"So, Snivelly!" James chortled casually, stirring his potion. "You sure you didn't take a Forgetfulness potion? How come you ended up on the Gryffindor side of the classroom? Forgot you're a Slytherin, huh? Well, I hate to break it to you, but you're not good enough to be a Gryffindor. Better remember that next Potions class!"
"He's here with me, Potter," Lily snapped. "And there are no 'sides' in the classroom. Now shut up and mind your own business."
"OooOoo, Snivelly's got a girlfriend!" Sirius sang. "Evans and Snivelly sitting in a tree! K-i-s-s-I-N-G!"
Lily's face was bright red. "He is not my boyfriend! We're just friends! Unlike you, Black, I know the right kind to be friends with!"
Severus looked rather sour, considering Lily's statement should have been a compliment towards him.
"Hey, Snivelly, do you like Christmas songs? I'll bet your favorite is 'Jingle bells, Snivelly smells, greasy hair all day! Oh what fun it is to see my greasy hair all day! Hey!'"
James was laughing like a madman. "Great one, Sirius! Come on, everybody, all together!"
"Jingle bells, Snivelly smells, greasy hair all day! Oh what fun it is to see my greasy hair all day, hey!"
"Shut UP, Potter!"
"What is going on over here, eh?" Slughorn wobbled over.
"Professor, Potter and Black are making fun of Severus!"
"Ah, is that true, boys?"
"Of course not, Professor!"
"Ugh! Liars! Of course it's true, Professor! They're singing songs and making fun of Severus!"
"Ah, I hate to do this boys, but ten points from Gryffindor!"
"Wait, what?" Lily yelped. "You're taking points off? Why not a detention?"
"Ah, Evans!" James quipped. "Now you see what happens when you rat out your fellow Gryffindors!"
"No detention this time," Slughorn chuckled. "But this is your first warning, boys!" He merrily strode away, leaving a stunned Lily.
"You two got lucky!" Lily huffed angrily. "You should know that you cannot always get away with it!"
"Oh, we know, Evans!" James winked.
Lily's eyes popped in fury and she turned around back to her cauldron.
Sirius snickered, opened his mouth, but was cut off by Remus, who could see trouble. "So, er...any plans for the holidays?"
"Oh, yes!" James immediately responded. "Going home for the holidays! My mum always makes an amazing Christmas dinner! I'm most excited about my presents, though! Father said he's got something extra special for me this year! I really hope it's a Nimbus broom!"
"Wow, really?" Sirius asked in awe, and then his face dropped into worry. "I'm not so excited to be heading home, actually. Not really sure what my mum and dad are gonna think of me being in Gryffindor."
"Awe, c'mon, mate!" James chortled. "If they really love you, they shouldn't care! My parents wouldn't mind if I were in Slytherin! Of course, I would probably beat myself in the head about it, but not my mum and dad!"
"I think I'm going home as well," Peter said. "My mum has been desperate for me to come home."
"Are you sure it's not the other way around?" Sirius teased.
Peter's cheeks flamed. "N-no! She s-sent me a letter!"
"I was just joking, Pete! Take it easy!"
"What about you, Remus?" James asked as he poured his Lethe river water in.
"I think I'll be going home as well. I'm quite excited to see my parents."
"I suppose it won't be much different for you, right, considering that you visit your mum every month?"
"Wha—oh...right."
The boys continued chatting about their Christmas plans throughout Potions class, still trying to guess James' mystery present as they exited the classroom.
Still inside, Severus waited patiently as Lily scooped her belongings off the desk. "Awful, they are…" she muttered.
"I'll bet you wish you were in Slytherin now."
Lily looked at Severus, her eyes bright with questioning. Severus had said it in a joking manner, but Lily could tell his true feelings did not quite match what came out his mouth. "I better head off to Charms, now," Lily said flatly.
"Er...right. Want to meet before dinner?"
"I suppose."
Severus watched as Lily scurried off, and then remembered he needed to rush to History of Magic himself.
After all of their classes were finished, the students' reorganized at the Great Hall for dinner.
Severus was leaning against the wall outside of the Great Hall, waiting for Lily. When he finally saw her auburn hair materialize from the crowd, he stood up straight.
"Hullo," Lily sighed. "How was your day?"
"Oh, fine."
"Good." Lily paused, and strained her ears towards the sound of singing in the Hall. "Oh, it seems as if people are singing Christmas songs now! Wanna go see?"
"Oh...sure," Severus said, his tone speaking otherwise. However, Lily did not pick up on it, and instead flounced off into the Great Hall.
As they entered, the song became more clear, with quite a roar of laughter in the background.
"Jingle Bells…."
Lily smiled excitedly. Was Christmas at Hogwarts always this festive? And then she heard the lyrics, and her face fell.
"Jingle Bells, Snivelly smells, greasy hair all day! Oh what fun it is to see my greasy hair all day, hey!"
Lily watched in horror as James and Sirius stood on the Gryffindor table, chanting away, the rest of the Great Hall laughing and some students singing along.
"Oi, look!" James hollered, so that all of the heads in the Great Hall followed the direction of his pointed finger towards Severus. "It's the star of our song! Come up, Snivellus! Sing it with us! Jingle Bells, Snivelly smells, greasy hair all day!"
Voices from the tables began to join James and Sirius.
"Shut up, Potter!" Lily tried to scream above all the noise.
Severus was cowering, looking extremely horrified with himself and completely defenseless.
"POTTER! BLACK!" A shrill voice sounded throughout the hall so that everybody stopped singing. "What in the name of Merlin do you think you are doing?"
"Just singing some Christmas songs, Professor," James said casually.
"Don't play games with me, Potter!" McGonagall fumed. "I heard perfectly well what you were singing! GET DOWN!"
James and Sirius lightheartedly hopped off the table.
"Detention! Both of you! And twenty points from Gryffindor!"
"From your own house, Professor?"
"Did I ask you to speak, Black?"
Sirius shook his head violently.
"I have had enough of you two's games! You will not treat any more students with disrespect, and you will not treat Hogwarts with disrespect! Once again, boys, you have shamed Gryffindor House."
McGonagall swiftly walked on towards the front of the Great Hall and promptly took a seat at a spot on the staff table.
The Great Hall was silent for a moment, and then chatter slowly began to erupt once again.
Lily turned her eyes from McGonagall to Severus, whose beady black eyes were so struck with hate and revenge Lily was struck with fear for a moment.
"Are you all right, Sev?"
Severus glared at her. "Just leave me alone, Lily." And he hurried outside of the Great Hall.
Lily watched after him, feeling horrible for him. How did he manage it? Being treated poorly both at home and at school. Lily could not imagine how horrible Severus must be feeling.
"Come on, Lils, just sit," Marlene chirped, patting the open spot next to her.
Lily slid into the seat reluctantly, and probed her food with her fork.
"Cheer up, Lily! There's no reason to be sad."
"I just feel so bad for Sev…"
"Yes, well, it's not your fault."
"I know, I just wish I could help him."
"Nobody can help Snivellus."
Lily's head jerked up, ready to fight. "Shut up, Potter!"
"I'm just saying!"
"Yes, well, nobody asked you to say anything! Just like nobody asked you to sing anything!"
"Calm down, Evans! I was just trying to get in the Christmas spirit!"
"And that was the only Christmas song you could think of?"
"OH-kay!" Marlene yelled. "I think that's enough. James, stop being a little prat. And Lily, stop being so easily triggered."
Both opened their mouths to protest, but immediately shut them at Marlene's glare.
"Now, keep quiet! I do not want to hear any more bickering. Eat!"
Confused, Lily and James picked up their forks and began shoveling food into their mouths.
Marlene began eating along with them, a satisfied expression on her face. "I promise you two. One day, you're going to end up married with kids, and live happily ever after."
Lily's eyebrows shot up in disgust, and James dropped his fork in amusement. They shared a horrified and amused glance at each other. Funny, how for once, they decided to not argue.