Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing that you would recognize as the fantastic work of J.K. Rowling. I only take credit for those OC characters that appear here.
Christmas break came to Hogwarts with great anticipation as well as two feet of snow. The lake was frozen and the grounds looked like they had popped off a Christmas post card. The Gryffindor common room was warm, cozy and relatively empty except for James, Sirius, Remus and Lily. Remus and Lily were chatting over a game of wizard's chess while James and Sirius sat next to the fire drinking butterbeer and feeling light and happy.
'Hard to believe eh?' said James, watching Lily and grinning hugely.
Sirius shook his head but grinned back at James. 'I'm happy for you Prongs.' He said also looking at Lily.
'I keep thinking I must be dreaming, that's she is really dating me after all this time.'
'Nope not dreaming mate.' Said Sirius, taking a swig of butterbeer.
'I'm going to marry her you know.' Said James seriously, turning back to look at Sirius.
'I don't doubt it.'
'What're you two talking about?' said Lily. Having been beat badly by Remus she slumped into the chair next to James as Remus sat next to Sirius.
'How lovely Remus's hair looks tonight.' Said Sirius, moving over to tousle Remus's hair but missing as he ducked out of the way.
Lily laughed and yawned. 'I'm glad I stayed for Christmas this year, it's our last and it just felt right you know?'
James and Remus nodded. 'Don't lie Lily you couldn't stay away from our good looks and charm.' Said Sirius smirking.
Remus rolled his eyes 'I'm sure that's exactly why she stayed Sirius. I agree with Lily though, it is rather hard to believe that we won't be here next year.' Remus looked sullenly at them.
'Don't worry Moony,' said James, leaning forward. 'We don't plan on getting rid of you after we leave here. Grown rather found of you myself, what about you Padfoot?'
Sirius shrugged, 'I could do without him…ouch!' as Remus aimed a kick at his shin. 'Just kidding!' he laughed, rubbing his leg.
'Well I'm going to bed.' Announced Lily, yawning hugely and standing up. James gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and the colour rose in her face.
'Careful Prongs, you've got her excited now.' Laughed Sirius, standing himself and heading towards the dorm stairs. James grunted as Sirius and Remus left the room, leaving them to have some privacy before bed.
'Thank goodness for Lily Evans.' Said Remus, sitting on his bed and taking off his shoes and socks.
'Yea, I agree.' Sirius pulled his shirt up over his head and threw it behind him. 'It's nice having her around now, especially since Wormtail abandoned us for Christmas.' He pulled his pants off and leaned back into his pillows sighing as Remus did the same.
James came up the stairs slightly flushed but looking happy a few minutes later. 'Happy Christmas Padfoot, Moony!' he said brightly, pulling off his own clothes and getting into bed.
Remus raised his eyebrows from the next bed but smiled all the same. 'You're lost mate.'
'You've only just figured that Moony?' said James happily.
'No, we've known but now you can act on it.' Said Sirius as Remus and James laughed.
Sirius rolled over and groaned. The three of them couldn't sleep much last night so they ended up back in the common room and had stayed up until the early hours. Somehow two bottles of firewhiskey had made their way to the party. It might have been him that had gone to get them, he couldn't remember.
'Get up Sirius,' said Remus from the bed next to him. 'You have gifts!'
'You always sound surprised Moony.' He groaned, sitting up and clutching his head.
'Well I am, after all the rules you break in a year. It's surprising your gifts aren't somehow held back and replaced by coal on your bed instead.'
James stifled laughter came from behind the curtains of the bed next to Remus's and Sirius got up and pulled the curtains back.
'Hey!' Shouted James, pulling the covers back over his head.
'Merry Christmas boys!' shouted Lily, swinging the door open and walking in.
'Morning Lily.' Said Sirius, holding his head again. She was looking chipper and held an armful of her own gifts.
'Come on, I brought my gifts over so we can open them together! There aren't any girls left over there." She dropped her pile on James's bed and plunked herself down next to him.
Sirius crawled back on to his bed and picked up the largest package. 'Who is this from?'
'Me.' Said James, coming out from under the blankets and tackling his own large pile.
Sirius un-wrapped the box and opened it to see the usual James gift. A box filled with an assortment of junk food, joke shop items, and the latest copy of the muggle playboy magazine.
Sirius grinned, 'I can always count on you for the essentials!'
'And I you.' Replied James, opening his own box of assorted "essentials."
'Unfortunately so can I.' said Remus dryly, looking at his own box from James.
'One can hope that our dear friend Moony will someday find the right lady.' Said James, mock seriously.
Remus rolled his eyes.
'Thank you for the book Sirius. Although, I'm confused as to why you thought it necessary to get me a book on Past Hogwarts Head Girls and What They Do Now?"
'What?' Sirius looked at the book in Remus's hands and laughed loudly. When he could speak again he chocked, 'For…Lily.'
'That makes more sense.' Said Remus handing Lily the book.
'Yes it does. This must be yours.' Said Lily, handing Remus the book she had just un-wrapped, titled Common Muggle Myths and Tales.
'Lily why did you buy me pajamas?' asked Sirius, holding up a pair of red pajama pants and frowning at them in disgust.
'Because I'm tired of coming in here and seeing you in your underwear.' She said, continuing to unwrap her own gifts.
'I like sleeping without pajamas.' Said Sirius sulking.
James and Remus both laughed.
'Lily open my gift.' Said James, handing Lily a small silver box.
Lily smiled and opened the box to reveal the locket inside. 'James! It's beautiful!' she launched herself into his arms and kissed him, making Sirius and Remus grin.
'Here let me put it on you.'
They continued opening their gifts and in the end Sirius had a box of "essentials", a pair of pajamas, a good quality sneak-a-scope, a large pack of chocolate frogs from Peter, and assorted homemade snacks from Mrs. Potter.
The day passed by quickly, as they had spent much of it on the Quidditch pitch watching James fly and launching snow balls at each other. Marching inside, frozen and ready for Christmas dinner they joined the cheerful energy of the great hall. Most of the students had gone home for Christmas this year so a single table was in the middle of the room with Professor Dumbledore in the middle sporting a hat from a cracker he had shared with Professor Slughorn. Even professor McGonagall had swapped her witches hat for a cracker hat.
They sat down at the table, admiring the decorations in the hall and saying merry Christmas to the professors. A few Hufflepuff seventh years were chatting amicably with Professor Flitwick while two Ravenclaw first years looked nervously around at the end of the table.
'Happy Christmas boys!' Said Lily, beaming at them all as they passed around a dish of cranberry sauce.
'Merry Christmas Red.' Smiled Sirius taking the bowl from her.
'To bad Peter couldn't be here.' Said Remus.
'His parents wanted him home.' Shrugged James, wrapping an arm around Lily.
'Ah! Miss Grey.' Said Dumbledore, making them all turn to look as a tall blond girl made her way to the table. Sinking into the remaining chair next to Sirius she smiled.
'Happy Christmas Professor.'
'Would you care for a cracker?' he said offering her the end and pulling. The cracker went off and two white mice skittered out of it and across the table towards the Ravenclaw first years. 'Ah, another hat, it suits you Eileen!' said Dumbledore happily as Grey placed the hat on her head laughing.
Sirius raised his eyebrows at James across from him but he merely shrugged lightly and went on eating.
'Hello Black.' Said Eileen lightly, loading her plate with turkey and practically drowning her potatoes in gravy.
'Uh, hi.' Said Sirius, not sure what else to say.
'How's your Christmas?'
'Fine.' He didn't look at her and turned away attempting to make conversation with Remus who had turned rather pale and was keeping his mouth stuffed with food. Luckily Slughorn drew her attention away from him and Sirius sighed in relief.
He wasn't sure what Grey was playing at or why she was acting so friendly towards him. He had remembered more about her since their last run in at Hogsmeade and was less inclined than ever to chat with her. She had, like Lily and James said, been in their classes since first year and he realized that he had once dropped a dungbomb into her potion in third year, splashing her and unfortunately enlarging her nose and eyes to such a size that Slughorn had to run her off to the hospital wing. He had been aiming for Snape's but missed by one cauldron. He also recalled that she was on the Slytherin house Quidditch team as a seeker.
Once the desserts appeared Sirius piled some treacle tart unto his plate and sighed with satisfaction. He leaned back in his chair looking around in a satisfied way at his friends until he caught Eileen Grey watching him out of the corner of his eye. He avoided her look by yawning and leaning in to talk to James until her voice was in his ear.
'How's your nose anyway Black?' He sat back up, James having turned to talk to Dumbledore and had no choice but to look at her.
'It's fine…thanks.' He said
She smiled at him, making her nose crunch a little in the middle. Sirius felt his stomach flip over and he frowned at her. 'You're in Slytherin.' He said blankly, trying to get rid of that nasty flipping feeling.
'I am?' she said in mock shock. 'I never knew. How horribly awful.'
Despite himself and quite unintended Sirius let out a laugh before remembering that he wasn't supposed to laugh with her.
'Your friend there looks like he's choking by the way.' She said casually, looking past Sirius at Remus.
'Oy!' Said Sirius turning and thumping Remus on the back. He coughed and breathed again, going rather red and mumbling thanks.
When he looked back at her she was standing and heading out of the hall behind the Ravenclaw first years.
Not really knowing why, Sirius got up and followed her out, saying he'd meet James and Remus back in the common room.
'Hey, Grey!' he called after her as she headed towards the dungeons.
She stopped and turned, rather surprised to see him standing there. 'Yes?' she asked walking back towards him.
'Um…ah…' He hadn't had a plan when he called her back and realizing it just stared blankly at her feeling both stupid and ridiculous, two things that were both uncommon for him.
Seeing his discomfort she stepped a little closer to him and tentatively reached out to touch his arm. 'Happy Christmas Black. See you in Potions on Monday?'
'Um, yea. Happy Christmas.' He replied. She took her hand off his arm, gave him that crinkle nosed smile again and walked off down the corridor towards the Slytherin dorm.
His stomach had done that stupid flipping thing again when she had touched him and he was left seriously confused until James, Remus and Lily came up behind him.
'Sirius mate?' Said James looking slightly concerned.
'Hey sorry, I just ran into Grey again.' He said pulling himself away and following them up the stairs.
'That girl is bad news.' Said Remus suddenly, making them all turn and look at him. He was still rather pale and now looking stony faced. 'Her parents are active at the ministry.'
'Oh. How?' asked Sirius remembering his conversation with James and Lily.
'They're very publicly and proudly against half-breeds.' Said Remus, disgust sounding in his voice on the last word. 'They're the type of people who advocate for at the least serious confinement of anything that isn't pure-blooded and pure-human.'
'Is that why you were choking at dinner?' asked Sirius.
'Well no, I heard you laugh at something she said.' Said Remus looking slightly apologetic for eavesdropping.
'Yeah, trust me I'm more than confused myself.' Said Sirius, scratching his head in thought. 'It's actually strange because she's oddly friendly.'
Lily laughed next to him, making them look at her. They had reached the portrait of the fat lady. 'Pickled Toads.' Said Lily hurrying into the common room with the boys behind her. 'Eileen Grey is strange.' She said as they sat down around the fire. 'She's never been rude to me ever, which is uncommon at best from anyone in that house. She was a prefect with us in fifth year and a good one too.' Lily frowned in thought. 'I know she spends a lot of time around Regulus, and Snape.' Said Lily, ending rather lamely as Sirius gave her a dark look.
James yawned looking rather bored of the conversation. 'Anyone for a game of chess?' he suggested looking at Lily, who he knew he could beat. Sighing she gave in and they pulled out the pieced and begin arranging them on the board.
Sirius sat watching them, his mind still on Eileen Grey and her wavy blond hair and her touch that he could still feel on his arm. Remus was looking at him in a peculiar way but turned to watch Lily and James play after a while.
Author's note:
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