1 September, 1972

Hello again. Oh, summer was so wonderful, mum and dad just kept going, we went to so many places. I almost think they missed me more than I missed them last year. I promised to write more often and that seems to have appeased my mum. I also think my dad will feel better hearing from me more often as well. He didn't say anything, but I can tell he's worried. The stories have been getting worse lately, this group who is trying to take over calling themselves Death Eaters, they've been causing so much trouble for him, and it's only getting worse.

Today though, today I'm not going to worry. I'm going to sit in my quiet compartment, and tonight at the welcome feast I'll sit with my friends and we'll catch each other up on everything that's happened over the past two months. Tomorrow I'll worry about things again.

Annicka Llewellyn

15 September, 1972

Two weeks into the New Year, and he's landed me in detention again! Why does Black always have to pick on me? Today he got me on Professor Flitwick's bad side again. Thankfully it's only two days of detention this time. Honestly, when is he going to stop blaming me for the things he does, because this will force me to retaliate, and he is not going to like it.

Annicka Llewellyn

25 September, 1972

It took me a while, but today I managed it, I got my revenge. Today in Charms we were practicing fire charms and I singed off his eyebrows from across the room. So now he's the laughingstock of the class because he was the only one to lose his eyebrows. He doesn't know it was me, of course, and I'm not going to boast about it. I just hope he gets the karmic clue.

Annicka Llewellyn

"You don't care much for Severus do you?" Lily asked as she and Annicka crossed the grounds. They had just left a chance encounter with the boy in question.

"No more than he cares for me," Annicka answered.

"He doesn't know you," Lily argued.

"Lily, no matter how much you want us all to be friends the only Gryffindor Snape will ever like is you," Annicka informed her friend.

"Why?" Lily asked finding the thought funny.

"Because he's prejudiced," Annicka explained, "just like Potter and Black are prejudiced against Slytherins."

"Isn't Black's brother a Slytherin?" Lily asked as they ascended the steps to the castle.

"Yeah, but they hate each other," Annicka stated. "Just yesterday I heard the two of them screaming at each other."

"What was it about?" Lily sounded anxious.

"I don't know, it was behind closed doors, but they sounded really angry. I doubt they'll make up soon."

Lily was silent for several moments before speaking again, "That almost sounds like me and my sister."

"I'm sorry," Ann apologized. "How is it going with your sister?"

"I tried to make up with her this summer," Lily sighed, "but everything I did just seemed to make it worse."

"If there's anything I can do –" Annicka offered. Lilly smiled and linked arms with her as they finished their journey to Gryffindor tower.

5 October, 1972

October is here, and with it comes all the minor pranks from the Gryffindor boys gearing up to the grand Halloween prank. Remus is going along with all of it, though he tries to keep them in check. Since they found out he's a werewolf and accepted him Remus has been willing to do almost anything Potter and Black think up. It's odd, I've seen Potter and Black in the library a lot lately looking at transfiguration books, they've got to be up to something.

Annicka Llewellyn

30 October, 1972

I haven't written in a while because I've been dodging Black and trying to get all of my school work done. Tomorrow is Halloween, and if he ruins it for me I may scream.

Annicka Llewellyn

1 November, 1972

Well, thankfully they only pulled a prank on the Slytherins last night, but on the other hand if the Professor's hadn't been there, and the boys weren't so good at magic it could have been a real disaster. They exploded the pumpkins above the Slytherin table, showering it in sparks, luckily nothing caught fire. Sometimes I have to wonder if Remus actually knows Black's and Potter's plans, or if they take him by surprise because they know he would try to stop them. The teacher's are gearing up for the pre-Christmas exams so we'll all be swamped. Hopefully that means Black will leave me alone for a while.

Annicka Llewellyn

Annicka and Remus were sitting together, studying in relative silence when he suddenly asked her, "What do you want for Christmas?"

"I don't know –why?" she asked in return.

"Well, I just thought I would send you a present on Christmas this year, instead of waiting till after," Remus explained, sounding embarrassed.

"Okay," Annicka shrugged, "Then, is there something you want?"

"Not really," Remus answered.

Annicka smiled slightly amused, "So we'll just get each other something we think the other will like?" she summarized.

"Okay," Remus agreed.

"Okay," she echoed.

20 November, 1972

So Remus and I are going to send our Christmas present this year instead of waiting, and the girls have decided to exchange gifts, so mum and I will have some extra shopping. Dad just wrote yesterday and he says he has a big surprise planned for Christmas. It has me a little worried. He comes up with some pretty crazy schemes sometimes. We still have a month before all of that though, and that's a relief. Most of us are looking forward to the holiday, only Black and Lily seem to be dreading it, not that I can really blame any of them.

Lily and her sister are far from getting along, and as far as Black . . . well, his family seems to be worse than him. I haven't spoken to the younger brother yet, but he was sorted into Slytherin and he hangs out with the boys who love to torture me. So I can only imagine what he's like at home. This newfound pity will probably only last until Black manages to make me angry again.

Annicka Llewellyn

1 December, 1972

Potter just told me something truly disturbing, apparently the big surprise my dad has planned for Christmas is that we're spending it with the Potters. I don't think my father realizes just how miserable and humiliated I will be when this gets out at school. It's absolutely mortifying to even think about. Sometimes I really hate my life.

Annicka Llewellyn

10 December, 1972

Okay, my pity for Black is now gone, it lasted almost a whole month, but now I hate him again. Black just asked me about my Christmas plans with Potter in front of half the house. I, of course explained the point that I was only going because my family was. He of course dismissed it and the way everyone was staring at me was awful.

I left the common room a few minutes later, and practically ran into Regulus Black. He just gave me a haughty look and walked away. It was the same look Black gives me when he's really impressed with himself. They may have more in common than they think. I don't know if I should worry about him becoming as much of a problem as his brother is, or not.

Annicka Llewellyn

"Do I have to buy you a present?" James Potter asked Annicka a couple of days before Christmas Holiday, as she sat in a small corner of the common room.

"My parents are making me buy you one," Annicka replied without any sugar coating.

"Is there anything you would like, or should I guess?" he inquired, obviously at a loss as to what he should get a girl for Christmas.

"Why don't you ask Remus?" she suggested.

"Remus?" he asked skeptically.

"That's what I did," Annicka explained. "That way we can get something we want, and still be surprised."

"Okay," James shrugged, and walked away. A few days later it was time to leave for the Holiday. Annicka rode in a compartment with all of her friends talking about all the things they hadn't gotten to since the James Potter debacle. Lily was still saying, "Now you know what its like," to Annicka whenever she could. Annicka, of course, argued that James had no romantic interest in her and she already had to deal with Black so it was hardly fair of her to foist Potter off on her as well. Lily laughed and said, "At least you don't have to deal with both of them on Christmas."

21 December, 1972

Okay, four more days and them I'm in Potter's territory, I don't know if I'll be able to keep it together while I'm there. Potter may be to annoying for me to be calm. I let his parents are wonderful, but spoil him, because my dad keeps telling me about Mr. Potter, dad says he's wonderful. I just get annoyed with that group so easily, Remus is the only own whom I can ever speak to without turning it into an argument. I would be horrible to ruin everyone's Christmas just because I can't stop myself from yelling at him. This is going to be tough.

Annicka Llewellyn

The Llewellyns ascended the stairs to the Potter's home. "Dad I don't think I can do this," Annicka protested taking a step back.

"Ann, we've talked about this, it's just a few hours, you'll be fine," her mother assured her and gently laid an arm around her shoulder. She pulled her daughter forward as her husband knocked on the door.

James answered the door, "You must be Annicka's parents," he stated looking at the group on the step. "Please come in," he invited them in, stepping aside so they could enter. Annicka was impressed with the grandness of the house, but not really surprised. James led them through the wide entrance into the sitting room. His parents were waiting by the Christmas tree. "Matt, it's good to see you!" Mr. Potter exclaimed moving forward to shake Mr. Llewellyn's hand.

"George," Mr. Llewellyn replied shaking his friend's hand. "This is my wife Josephine," he began the introductions.

She shook George's hand, "I go by Jo," she told him pleasantly, "this is our daughter Annicka."

"Well aren't you pretty," he commented with a gentle smile. "You've met my son James, and this is my wife Amelia."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Mrs. Potter greeted everyone. As everyone finished shaking hands Annicka placed the presents under the tree. "Shall we eat?" Amelia Potter suggested and led them to the dining room. The meal progressed pleasantly enough; the conversation was easy and polite. James was telling a story about him and his friends when a new thought came into his head.

"Oh, mum, Sirius might be coming over," he was about to explain but stopped when he heard a knife and fork clatter to a plate, everyone looked over to Annicka.

"Sorry, I just had a clumsy moment," she apologized and they all turned back to James who continued as though he didn't know the real reason her utensils had fallen from her fingers. "He's been having a rough time at home, so I told him to come over if he needs to escape for a while."

"All right dear, I hope everything works out for him," Mrs. Potter replied. Annicka was quiet for the rest of dinner, she seemed to regain her energy while they opened presents, but vanished soon after. James wandered into the garden as the adults settled down for a long talk. He found Annicka sitting on a bench, staring into the sky.

"Hey Ann, what are you doing out here?" James asked as he approached.

"That's bold," she joked, "since when do you call me Ann?" she asked in return looking over her shoulder at him.

"Sorry," he apologized, "I always hear Moony calling you that." He stepped closer so she wasn't turning so far to see him, "You didn't answer my question," he reminded her.

"I wanted to explore the gardens . . . and I'm hoping to avoid Black if he comes," she replied honestly scuffing her feet on the snowy ground.

"You really don't care for Sirius do you?" James took another step closer and she looked at him like he was crazy.

"Sirius Black is the bane of my existence. Not only does he manage to frame me for half of his pranks, but if he knew how long I've been over here he'd take the Mickey out of both of us," Annicka explained and looked back to the sky.

"Well, I don't think you have to worry about seeing him, here comes your mum," James informed her as he looked back at the house.

"Ann darling, your father and Mr. Potter have been called into work, he wants us to stay here until they're back," her mother informed them both. "James your mother also wanted me to tell you that your friend just arrived."

"Okay," James replied leaving the mother and daughter to their conversation.

"Dear, why don't you come back inside? It's freezing out here," Mrs. Llewellyn suggested.

"I'm okay, and I'm avoiding the boys," Annicka explained. "They get really annoying when they're together and I don't want to start any arguments."

"Alright," her mother replied skeptically, "but if you start loosing feeling come inside."

"I promise," Ann promise her mother and turned back to the stones. Sometime later Sirius Black joined her in the garden. "Happy Christmas," he said as he approached her.

"Happy Christmas," she replied blandly. "Is there something you wanted?" she asked when he didn't speak again.

"Why are you sitting out here?" he asked bluntly.

"Because I'm trying to avoid an argument with you," she answered honestly.

"Do you think that's likely to happen?" he inquired stepping closer.

"Black, we argue every time we see each other," she reminded him.

"That doesn't mean we will. I'm sure we could be civil for one evening," he objected.

"I don't really think it matters how civil we try to be, we'll end up arguing."

"No we won't."

"Yes we will."

"No – " he began again, but she interrupted.

"We're arguing right now," she pointed out. They both took a deep breath and sighed. "So – I'll stay out here, and you should go back inside and be with your friend." Sirius was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly and went back into the house.

26 December, 1972

Well, Christmas was almost an entire disaster! First Potter announces that Black would be joining us, then my dad and Mr. Potter got called away to deal with some dark wizards or something. The mums went off to talk leaving me with the boys. I just stayed in the garden. When dad came back I was so relieved for two reasons. I got to go home, and my entire body was starting to go numb.

Black gave me the oddest look when we left, almost like he was sad to see me go. I talked to Remus about it when I saw him and he didn't really have an explanation, but we had a wonderful time, exchanging gifts and talking about the silly things our families do. It really is nice to have a best friend.

Annicka Llewellyn