A/N: haha, wow, it has really been a while. This chapter's longer than the other ones (thankfully), so hopefully you'll like it...

oh, I can't forget--a huuge thank you to all my readers and especially my REVIEWERS!

b4dawn101--I can't remember what song I was humming? Help me out lol. Keep reviewing, silly! xx

Basic Mione--thanks soo much for the reviews, encouragement and the information...it's been very helpful!

cubann--thanks so much for reviewing--I was about ready to give up, but every time someone reviews I get inspired again haha, thanks again!

the muddy worm--haha, sorry for the short chapters! the one after this one is VERY long...im not done writing it yet and its more than 1500 words...eep!

Lily's POV.

Ugh. Where was that light coming from? And why wasn't anyone shutting it off? I opened one eye and groaned. The sun was blinding me. I looked around at the other bunks to see if the other girls were up yet. Their beds were empty—panic fluttered in my chest for half of a second. Of course, how could have I forgotten? It was the first day of the holidays.

I suddenly realised that it was late—not very late, but late enough—and that if I wasn't in the Great Hall soon, breakfast would disappear…literally. I got dressed as quickly as possible, smirking to myself that Black probably would be asleep for another good couple hours or so.

I left the Fat Lady's portrait and descended the revolving stairs to the Great Hall. I passed only a handful of students in the corridors and felt a pang of rejection. Nearly everyone else was at home with their family. Mine had deserted me. I sighed, opening the giant door and entering the Great Hall. My feeling of loneliness was accentuated by the fact that I would most likely be the only student at the Gryffindor table. I closed the door and turned towards the long table. Of course, it would be just my luck that he would be sitting there, sketching something intently while he ate. I huffed. So much for avoiding Sirius Black.

I carefully chose a seat that wasn't so far that I couldn't keep watch on him and whatever he was doing, yet not too close—I didn't want it to appear as if we were friends. As soon as I sat down, a full breakfast appeared in front of me. Sirius looked up at me and immediately folded the piece of parchment on which he had been drawing and placed it in his pocket.

"What was that?" I nodded towards his pocket, trying to sound more interested than interrogating.

"Good morning to you, too," he grinned impishly at me. I was about to pull out the "I'm a prefect" card on him, but decided that doing so would most likely result in a bad start for roommate relations. I changed the subject.

"Why are you up so early?"

"My mum sent me a Howler just before dawn, straight to my room." He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, obviously proud that he had received a Howler.

"Whatever did she send you a Howler for?" I asked, thoroughly confused. I would positively die of mortification if my mother ever sent me one—that is, if she even knew what a Howler was or how to use it.

"I didn't come home." He made a face. "You see, they're Slytherins. Every last one of them. And besides, I like making my mother angry. She's so bloody annoying, with all this Toujours pur rubbish. If she knew that I was talking to you right now…" He smiled to himself, the look in his eyes showing his twisted motivation to talk to me.

"But anyways," he suddenly snapped out of his dreaming and refocused his eyes on me, "why are you here?" I sighed and poked the egg on my plate with a fork.

"They went to America for Christmas without me, to see my cousins, I suppose." I said, trying not to sound bitter. The strangest sound escaped his lips; it took me a moment to realise that he was laughing. It vaguely reminded me of a dog's bark.

"You're envious of your family for going to America?" he asked, looking at me as if I was joking. "Come on now, it's so much worse there—and colder."

"Besides the, er, lack of company." I reminded him, not in the mood to tell him that I would be happier if I were in the presence of different people.

"You mean the quality of company," he grinned. "Don't look at me like that—we're supposed to dislike each other, if you'd forgotten."

"I don't like you," I clarified, "and I never claimed to. You're arrogant and mean." I stuffed some of the now-cold egg in my mouth.

"If you say so." Sirius shrugged, the playfulness gone from his eyes, and began shovelling the last of his pudding into his mouth. We ate in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, the happy chatter of the several other students and the discussions of the teachers made me feel even more alone. I wished that he would speak again…it was better than nothing at all.

Almost immediately, as if responding to my thoughts, the lean figure rose from the table and walked away, most likely headed back to Gryffindor Tower. His dishes evaporated. Now I really was alone. I sighed. Regina Hooper, surrounded by five other Ravenclaws, was giggling incessantly about what she was going to get for Christmas. I tried to drown her out with my thoughts, making a mental list of everything that I could do over the holidays—which was disappointingly short. I gave up on trying to ignore Regina and abandoned my long table to complete the most profitable task on my mental list—my homework.

A/N: Okay, so possibly not the ending that I would've hoped for...but ah well. Reviews are, as always, lovely. xx