Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.

A/n: Yay, I can update...I've been trying to update for a couple of days now!

Chapter 8: 'Tis the time of the Season

Elizabeth walked down from the girl's stairs into the holiday-decorated common with her trunk scurrying along behind her like a puppy.

"You know that it's Christmas not Halloween." Sirius joked, leaning his head on the back of the couch to look up at her; earning him the middle finger from Elizabeth, "Where are you going dressed like that?" Elizabeth looked down at her outfit; she had a black pencil skirt with a white cami and a red cardigan over it; a definite change from her usual attire.

"What's wrong with what I have on?" Elizabeth asked as she looked at herself, trying to sound offended but her disgust was evident in her face. Sirius cocked an eyebrow in disbelief, "Okay, I know, I know but I'm going to Travis's for Christmas, so I wanted to make a good impression and he wants me to, too; and my normal clothes wouldn't cut it." She was right, both she and Sirius knew that her grungy rock tees and ripped up jeans wouldn't aren't exactly the girl-to-bring-home-to-mom attire.

"You're going there for Christmas!" Sirius cried, turning to face her instead of looking up at her, "But what about us?"

"You'll be fine, you and the guys will have fun plus I'll be here for New Year's; I promise." She said.

"But since we started Hogwarts, we haven't spent a Holiday apart." Sirius pointed out.

"I know." Elizabeth said feeling guilty, "But I really like Travis and for once I want a relationship to last longer then a month; which this one has I might add."

"I still can't believe that you are going." Sirius pouted.

"Sirius, you're seventeen years old, stop pouting." Elizabeth said getting angrier, "I know a long term relationship is hard for you to grasp but try to understand." She kissed his forehead before hurrying out of the common to meet Travis in the Entrance Hall.

"But I spent Christmas here." Elizabeth said.

"I thought you were staying here the whole break." Travis said; he stood a head taller then her but it didn't intimidate her, she was use to James and Sirius towering over her, "You've only been here a week."

"I didn't spend Christmas with them." Elizabeth cried.

"It's our first New Years together; I want to kiss you at midnight." He snacked his arms around her waist and his blue eyes bore into hers before he lightly kissed her.

"I can't." She said against his lips, "I have to go back."

"Why do you always go rushing for them…for him?" Travis bitterly said and stepped away from her.

"I do not and you know it." Elizabeth said her voice rising, "I haven't spent the any time with them since we started going out."

"So are you saying that I'm controlling and taking you away from your friends." Travis's voice started to rise to match hers. Elizabeth threw her hands in the air, the diamond bracelet he gave her days earlier slid around her wrist.

"Why can't you understand?" She was yelling and didn't care whether his parents heard, "They are my only family. The only thing I've had in my life and no one is going to come between me and them." She grabbed her trunk and apparated to the Three Broomsticks.

"Hey watch it." Someone grumbled.

"Sorry." She sniffed, getting her trunk off his foot, "Rosemerta, can I use the fireplace?"

"Of course, honey. Is every thing all right?"

"Yeah. Thanks." She snuffled, dragging her trunk to the fireplace and flooing to the Gryffindor common room.

"You okay?" Someone asked as he helped her up from the ground when she tumbled out of the fireplace, "You haven't fallen out of a fireplace since you were four." Elizabeth looked up at him into his grey eyes with her eyes filling with tears, "What's wrong?" He asked holding her by her upper arms.

"Nothing" She said breaking free of his grip to wipe her eyes.

"Elizabeth." Sirius called to her when she started to walk away from him, "What's wrong?" He asked more forcibly.

"It's nothing; me and Travis had a fight." Elizabeth said, standing at the base of the stairs, "It's nothing really."

"Oh. It's okay." Sirius said walking over to her and pulling her into a hug, his hand rubbing her back, "Shhh…you'll be fine; everything will be fine." Sirius cooed, even though he had to force the words out; he hated seeing her so hurt but he hated seeing her with him even more. Sirius took a deep breath and continued to hold her until she was weak from crying. Sirius brushed back the hair in her face, looking into her eyes he was almost compelled to kiss her, to ravage her mouth with his but he sighed, gave her a forced smile and kissed her forehead.

"You should go take a nap. You'll feel better after that." Sirius said, bending down to hand her trunk to her, "Don't worry, I'll wake you up for the all the celebrations." Elizabeth gave him smile and kissed his cheek before heading up the girl's stairs.

"Three, Two, One!" The group in the Gryffindor common room yelled. They were all impeccably dressed as if they were at a New Year's Party in New York, "Happy New Year." They all cried in unison, hugging and kissing each other while confetti fell from the roof.

"Happy New Year, Sirius." Elizabeth told him, pulling him into a hug and he pulled away enough to kiss her, wrapping his arms around her small waist to pull her closer to him. He broke their kiss just as abruptly as he started it and disappeared into the crowd. Elizabeth stood there shocked until someone came up from behind her, spinning her around and planting a kiss on her lips, "Travis." Elizabeth gasped when she pulled away.

----

"Professor." Harry whined as McGonagall walked out with his new broom.

"Do you think he sent it?" Elizabeth asked standing in the portrait hole to the Gryffindor common room as McGonagall walked by her and Remus with the broom under her arm.

"Who else could have sent it to him?" Remus asked looking back at a pouting Harry and a very upset Ron.

"He would have had to been there to know that his broom was destroyed." Elizabeth pointed out, "Do you think McGonagall is making a bigger fuss then need be?"

"It's better safe then sorry, don't you think?" Remus asked, looking at her. She shrugged. They stood there together for a few more minutes watching Harry, Ron and Hermione before Remus left.

A/n: Sorry for the long wait…this is like the third draft of this chapter. I hope everyone here in the states had a good Thanksgiving. Don't forget to review!