A/N Yay, this has some of every character in it, all but poor Pettigrew who is not very loved. It's kinda sad, but good at the same time. The next chapter is what happens over vacation, so keep reading after this chapter. READ AND REVIEW (not just hope and leandra and sam but the rest of you too) Samantha and/or Brock, please do not kill me after this chapter.

My Last Breath

Chapter 7: Letters, Dresses, and Cookies

By Black Monkey Pirate

Sirius bounded into the room a smile plastered on his face. His smile disappeared when he saw Kayla sitting on the couch with a tear running down her face and a letter in her hand.

"Kay, what's the matter?" he asked with a concerned face. Since when had he been this concerned about someone before? Was he actually acting serious for once instead of acting Sirius? Kayla looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and gave him the letter. Sirius read it over in horror.

Dear Miss Kayla Davis,

We from the ministry are sorry to say that your sister and her husband was killed by Voldemort yesterday at December 5, 5:37 P.M. When we arrived, both were dead and the Dark Mark lingered above your family's house. Your friends the Potters have volunteered to take you in, but it is your choice.

-Minister of Magic

"Kayla, I'm so sorry," Sirius whispered. "I swear if I ever see that no good Voldemort that I will fight until he or I is dead." Kayla shook her head and grabbed his arm.

"No, no fighting him. If he kills you, that would be one more person I would have lost, and I can't stand that," she ordered firmly. Sirius sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulders, letting her lean against him and cry.

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"That no good son of a-" James started but Lily put a hand over his mouth.

"James, as Head Boy you shouldn't talk like that around the prefects like Samantha," she scoffed. James pouted but anger seemed to leak out of him like a broken faucet as he trembled in fury.

"He killed her sister! After her parents died, she had to live with her sister and brother-in-law! Now she doesn't have anybody!She didn't make a difference to him, she was just a Mudblood, but he killed her family anyway!" he shouted, clenching his fists.

"James, we know. That no good Voldemort idd it just because they know your parents, and it was wrong. But at least your parents suggested that she go to live with you," Lily reminded him. His shoulders relaxed and he smiled slightly.

"Of course, they have six sons, and Kayla is like a daughter to them and a sister to me. They've known her since our mothers were in the hospital together and we've grown up together. So she's practically their daughter." He laughed at a sudden memory.

"What?" Lily asked with an amused expression, she loved hearing about James as a little boy.

"Well once, since Sirius practically lives with us as well, him, Kayla, and I went to Christmas dinner together at my house. We were only three so the adults were saying how cute we looked in our little tuxedos and dress. My mom came upstairs and said that we were going to wear our nice outfits even if we didn't like them. She said, 'Boys wear tuxedos to Christmas dinner and girls wear pretty dresses'. So when she left, guess who dressed in what?" he asked Lily with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Um, the boys wore tuxedos and the girls wore dresses?" she guessed, wondering what was so funny. She loved these little talks with James, and he did too. It made them feel closer together more in-tune with each other.

"Yup, you're right!" James exclaimed. "Kayla and I went down the stairs in tuxedos and Sirius came down in a dress!" He and Lily both laughed until Sirius walked into the room with a grave expression.

"Okay, a second ago James was ready to kill someone, now you two are laughing?"he asked incredulously.

"Oi, Sirius, leave us be for a moment! We're having boyfriend-girlfriend time!" James shouted and Sirius left the room pouting.

"At least Kayla won't be lonely at my house, Sirius lives there too since his parents are bloody gits!" James pointed out, earning a laugh from Lily.

"Plus," she added. "I'll be over there alot to see you, so I can say hi to Kayla while I'm there!" James looked pleased with this as he snuggled closer to her.

"Of course." The door burst open again, and in came Sirius, again! James was about to tell him to go the heck away when Sirius started prancing around the room.

"Oi, prat, what are you doing?" Lily asked.

"It's snowing!" Sirius sang, "Snowball fight!" He skipped out of the room, spreading the news to the rest of the girls and the Marauders. James groaned.

"What?" Lily asked. "As far as I know, you love those fights."

"Well, I used to whenever Sirius had to defend himself, by himself. But now Kayla will be on his side, and she'll most likely cream me," James whined. Lily laughed and put her arm around him.

"Yes, but now you have me," she pointed out.

"Yup, I guess you're right. Come on, let's head outside and start gathering up our ammunition," James joked, leading Lily out the door.

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Five minutes later, the Marauders, Lily, and Kayla stood outside, the snow falling gently falling on their heads and snowballs colliding with them. Kayla was about to throw one at James when one hit the side of her head.

"Ahh, man down, man down!" she cried, feigning death. Lily laughed, trying to hide the evidence that she had been the perpetrator, but someone had been a witness.

"Oi, I saw you throw that at my girlfriend!" he shouted, throwing one back at her. She snickered and dodged it easily, Sirius had good aim, but she had better reflexes. Remus and James were on her team, and Kayla and Sirius were the members of the other team. Peter claimed he had better things to do then get involved in 'childlike games' but they didn't really care.

"Ow!" Sirius exclaimed as four snowballs came pelting at his head. "Who threw two of them?" James, Lily, and Remus looked confused.

"Uh, actually, each of us only threw one," James admitted.

"Then who threw the extra one?" Sirius asked and Kayla looked away in mock innocence.

"You!" Sirius accused, bending over and chasing her. She laughed and ran away from him, dodging the snowballs thrown at her like she did on the Quidditch field. Sirius charged at her and caught her around the waist. Lily and James glanced at each other and smiled, gathering up the snow into one big snowball. When Sirius and Kayla were spinning around in the snow, Lily and James combined their wands as a projectile and flung the human-sized snowball at them.

"Look out-" Kayla started to warn Sirius but it hit both of them and knocked them over into the snow.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Kayla cried as she popped her head out of the four-foot deep snow. "No magic allowed in traditional snowball fights!" Sirius pulled himself up, snow sticking to his face and his eyelashes. Kayla giggled and pointed at him.

"Sirius, you look like an old man!"

"Hey, I don't like your tone!" he pouted, wiping the snow off his face gingerly. They all laughed and got ready to go inside.

"Warm butterbeer, here I come!" Remus called, shivering uncontrollably. The others agreed and followed him quickly inside.

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The days before Christmas vacation passed by as normal; Sirius was an idiot, Peter disappeared often, Lily and James cuddled on the commons room couch every night, Remus fretted over testing, Kayla wrote notes during detention to Sirius, and Samantha and Brock were found making out in nearby broom closets. On December 19, the day before everyone was scheduled to return home, a letter came for James.

Dear James, Kayla, and Sirius,

We're glad you want to come home this Christmas for the annual ball, and we'd like to make a few requests. James, you and Sirius have to wear tuxedos and Kayla (and Lily, if she wants to come too) need to wear dresses, nice ones. We've sent you some galleons and you should go shopping in Hogsmeade. Stay safe, okay? See you soon,

Mum and Dad Potter

"Yay! Shopping!" Kayla squealed, clapping her hands. "Lily, you have to come this year to James' house! They have a ball every year, and now we're finally allowed to attend!" Lily smiled.

"Of course I'm coming!" she exclaimed as Kayla squealed happily, jumping up and down. James laughed at her behavior and she stuck a tongue out immaturely.

"You just don't wanna go shopping!"

"Yeah, I do, because then I can look at the new broomsticks and beg my parents to get one for me for Christmas." Lily giggled and wound her arm through his pulling him out into the hallway.

"Well, we might as well go now, before we have to pack," she sighed. "Come on Kayla, come one Sirius!" The two followed them reluctantly, both wishing they didn't have to wear dress up clothes.

"Any chance you would wear the dress this time, Padfoot?" Kayla asked.

"Not a chance," he replied. "Last time, a experienced a very uncomfortable breeze." Kayla laughed and the four headed off to the secret tunnels.

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"Lily, should I get this one, or this one?" Kayla asked, holding up a light violet dress and a dark blue one. Lily sighed and put down the red sleeveless that she as looking at and glanced quickly at Kayla.

"I don't know!" she shouted. "Just try them on and then ask me." Kayla groaned and pulled herself into the dressing rooms. James and Sirius joined Lily, matching tuxedos in hand.

"Have either of you even picked something yet?" Sirius asked incredulously. Lily shook her head frustratedly.

"I can't find anything!" she exclaimed.

"Then just go in your underwear!" Sirius said sarcastically with a chuckle. Lily and James both glared at him and he disguised his laugh with a cough. James rolled his eyes and stuck his hand in the rack of dresses and pulled out a sleeveless black dress that went down to the floor, identical to Kayla's except for the color.

"How about this one?" he asked innocently and Lily smiled. It was actually what she had been looking for; a simple dress that went to the floor, and that wouldn't make her look like an idiot. She pulled it out of James' hands softly and trudged over to the dressing room, knocking on the door.

"Hurry up, Kayla!" she shouted.

"Okay, okay. I'm coming!" Kayla yelled back, erupting from the dressing rooms.

"Which one did you want to get?" Lily asked.

"The violet one, the blue one was way to short. If I wear a long dress, i can wear pants on underneath," Kayla answered, scrunching up her nose. Lily laughed and entered the dressing room, then came out a few minutes later.

"James' pick was just right," she said. They paid Madam Rosalie and left for the school, chatting the whole way. A boom sounded as someone slammed their door and Kayla nearly jumped a mile. She shook uncontrollably.

"Uh, Kay, are you cold or something?" Sirius asked. Kayla shook her head, jumping at every loud noise. Comprehension dawned on Lily's face and she put a hand on Kayla's shoulder.

"You're afraid of what happened last time aren't you?" she asked. Kayla nodded and tears filled her eyes.

"Can we please go back to the school now?" she whispered, and the others nodded. They entered the tunnel and exited into the hallway. Remus met them there, wondering what their parcels were.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing at the bag that they had shared.

"Dress up clothes for my family's ball," James replied. Remus stuck his tongue out.

"I always wanted to go to your family's ball, or at least hide upstairs with you guys, but my parents always want me home for the holidays," he pouted.

"So why aren't you upstairs doing your homework in the commons room?" Sirius asked.

"Because, Brock and Samantha were making out in the commons room very enthusiastically and it was disgusting!" Remus exclaimed, making a gagging noise. "It's a good thing Brock had that growth spurt back in third year, otherwise he wouldn't be able to reach Sam's lips and he'd be heartbroken." Kayla and Sirius burst out laughing, where as the others just stared at them.

"I thought it was funny," Sirius mumbled, taking Kayla by the hand and heading to the kitchens to get some butterbeer and cookies.

"Oi, Sirius!" James bellowed. "Make sure to get chocolate chip, they're Lily's favorite!"

"Yup yup yup!" Sirius yelled back, thinking he'd rather get chocolate M&M kinds.