20 December, 1976
I'm back at the Lupin's for the break. Remus convinced me to spend Christmas with his family. He told me that he invited both of our groups of friends over for Christmas Eve so we'll see what happens when Lily and Potter spend the holiday together. Still it is wonderful to be with John, Amanda, and Remus – it makes the holiday feel a little more normal. Well . . . I'm off to supper.
Annicka Llewellyn
26 December, 1976
Well we all survived Christmas. I didn't cry as much yesterday as I did last year, so there weren't too many awkward moments, and Amanda is an amazing cook so that made up for a lot of it. Christmas Eve was a little trickier because Potter was walking around with a piece of mistletoe for a while trying to kiss Lily, but she avoided him and the boys finally convinced him to stop so world war 3 didn't happen, and that was a blessing. Black was on surprisingly good behavior and he actually managed not to get on my nerves for once. It was a relief to spend a nice quiet evening with my friends. We're going back to Hogwarts soon, and I can't imagine things will stay this quiet.
Annicka Llewellyn
5 January, 1977
Well the quiet and calm of the holiday is over now, Lily and Potter had another fight. Mary and Margo tried calming things down and Lily snapped at them so they haven't exactly been in the best mood. Then Black and I had another tiff after he teased me, so now Remus and I are avoiding the subject of his friends. Not to mention that Slytherin boy is still watching me. It's really starting to creep me out.
Annicka Llewellyn
20 January, 1977
Valentine's Day is in 3 weeks – the dread of all consciously single people. Potter is obviously gearing up to ask Lily out again. I really hope we don't have to deal with the fallout. Well I have to get to class and avoid any hopeful boys, thankfully there shouldn't be that many.
Annicka Llewellyn
Annicka weaved through the halls dodging teacher and students on her way to Gryffindor tower to meet with her friends. As she rounded the final corner on her path she bumped into someone, "Oh, sorry," she apologized and was about to continue when the person replied.
"What's okay, I was hoping for an excuse to speak with you privately." Annicka looked up to see the Slytherin by she had seen staring at her.
"Is that why you've been watching me?" she asked crossing her arms across her chest.
"I thought you had noticed," he commented dryly. When Annicka's posture didn't change he moved on, "My name is Marcus. I have wanted to ask you something since last year, despite our opposing houses – would you have dinner with me?"
Annicka was completely disarmed, of all the reasons for his behavior she had come up with this was not even on the list. "When?" she asked, forgetting, for the moment, all of the reasons it was a bad idea to accept.
"Next Hogsmeade weekend, Saturday if you can get away from your friends, meet me behind the greenhouses at 5," he instructed. Annicka nodded, clearly dazed, and continued down the hall. Lily, Mary and Margo were all waiting for her near the entrance. "Where's Alice?" Annicka asked momentarily distracted from what had just happened.
"Occupied," Margo replied, stepping aside so Annicka could see Alice sitting with Frank Longbottom, both of them grinning as they held hands.
"Frank made his move?" Annicka asked with a grin of her own.
"About 10 ten minutes ago," Lily answered. "They are going to Hogsmeade together and we'll be lucky if she ever extricates herself from him."
"Oh please, you know you're as happy for them as I am," Annicka led the girls over to a table where they talked well into the night.
14 February, 1977
Valentine's Day, and another Hogsmeade weekend, and somehow I have a date with a Slytherin. I have been trying to convince myself over the past 3 days that I dreamed it all. The Slytherin boy I had noticed watching me asked me to have dinner with him, and somehow I said yes. Well, we'll see what happens. If nothing good comes from my day at least we can pretty much assume Alice and Frank will enjoy themselves.
Annicka Llewellyn
Annicka and her friends spent a pleasant morning in Hogsmeade joking, laughing, shopping and talking. In the late afternoon they stopped in the Three Broomsticks for a Butterbeer to find the entire pub being entertained by a group of four boys giving an animated rendition of some of their exploits. Lily stepped up to the bar to order as the other girls found a table well removed from the Marauders.
"Annicka are you sure you're okay?" Alice asked for the third time that day.
"Yes Alice," she replied a little exasperated. "I'm just a little nervous I guess."
"Why?" Lily asked as she set down their drinks.
"I have a date tonight," Annicka answered honestly, taking a sip from her Butterbeer.
"What?" Mary gasped. "With who?" Margo demanded to know a split second later. Annicka was silent for almost a full minute under their careful scrutiny.
"I don't want to say," she finally answered. All of the girls groaned. "Look, it's entirely possible that he asked me out as a joke, and I would really rather not share that particular kind of humiliation with anyone."
"Come on Ann! We're you're friends," Margo reminded her.
"All the more reason not to say anything," Ann retorted. "Everything is 10 times worse when your friends laugh at you."
"Who is laughing at whom?" a male voice suddenly asked. The girls all looked up to find the Marauders standing at the end of their booth.
"No one yet, but give it a minute," Annicka retorted with a smirk. "Well, that's me off, I'll see you ladies later," she stood, pushed through the group of boys and left.
"Great, now we'll never know who she has a date with," Margo complained.
"She has a date?" Remus and Sirius asked in unison.
"Yes, but she won't tell us who with," Lily answered her tone annoyed.
That night Annicka met Marcus down by the greenhouses. He was waiting for her, and a smile lit up his face when he saw her approach, "I wasn't sure you'd come," he stated.
"I wasn't sure myself," Annicka replied with a smile of her own.
15 February, 1977
Alright I have to admit, last night was fun. Marcus was charming and certainly entertaining. I don't know if we'll see each other again, but either way I don't think I will be telling my friends about this. A Gryffindor and a Slytherin, it would be too much for them to handle. I shudder to think what they would say. Especially after all the trouble we gave Lily for just being friends with Snape. Well, like I said, I don't think anything will happen.
Annicka Llewellyn
Annicka giggled as the door fell open behind them, breaking the kiss for a moment. Marcus' lips found hers again as they hit a wall. Annicka smiled as he trailed kisses down her throat to her collar bone and back. Marcus wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her closer and Annicka ran her hands through his hair. Eventually they had to stop, to get some air. Annicka looked down at her watch, surprised at the time. "We have to be back in our common rooms in 5 minutes," she announced.
"See you for your birthday?" he asked his voice full of promises.
"Day after," she promised. "My friends missed my last birthday so they want to do something big for me."
"All right," Marcus agreed reluctantly. He kissed her once more. Annicka literally had to pull herself away to get back to Gryffindor tower on time.