A/N: I will not be able to update as quick as I have between the last couple of chapters soon. I will try though. Hopefully I might get another chapter up later. Also, this is the big 20! I really didn't think I'd get this far at all.
THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO: HPMBS888 FOR BEING THE 2NDPERSON TO REVIEW. THANK YOU; ALL REVIEWS/COMMENTS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
-CONVERSATION OF THE CHAPTER-
ME: Hello Mr Potter!
MR POTTER: Hello. Don't call me Mr Potter, call me Charlus.
ME: Oh okay, Charlus. Now Christmas is coming, I have to wonder what you're getting James for Christmas.
CHARLUS: Um… sweets?
ME: Are you sure about that? Because I heard-
CHARLUS: NO! Um… I mean, you won't tell Dorea?
ME: What's in it for me?
CHARLUS: 5 galleons?
ME: Through in some Honeydukes chocolates and I'll keep quiet.
CHARLUS: Alright, here you go.
ME: Thanks. I'm guessing you have to go and wrap James's… sweets up.
CHARLUS: Yeah. Bye.
*Charlus disappears*
ME: This chocolate tastes good… ON WITH THE STORY!
20
James went up to the sheet of paper hanging up on the notice board and scribbled his name under Sirius's.
'You're staying?' Sirius asked, staring at James then to the sheet he had just signed and back again.
'Yeah, I just wrote my name on the sheet you have to sign if you're staying over Christmas. Didn't I?' he said chuckling.
'Why though? Don't you want to go home and see your parents?' Sirius asked.
'They'll understand. Why are you staying? Don't you want to go and see your parents?'
'I certainly do not want to go home and visit my parents and Regulus. Really though, why are you staying?' Sirius stared at James sternly.
'To keep you company of course,' he said lightly. 'I wasn't going to leave you alone at Christmas was I? Plus, hardly anyone will be around. Which means…' James gave him a look to catch on.
'Ohh.' Sirius grinned.
'But Peter and,' Sirius looked over his shoulder and lowered his voice. 'Remmy won't be here.'
'I know… didn't they say they had to go home to go on holiday or something?' James asked.
'Yeah something like that.' Sirius nodded, agreeing.
'It's not like we all have to go anyway. It would just be good and easier to all be able to go together but we can't. Christmas is the best time to look for secret passages because no one's here.' James said quietly.
'You're right. I mean we have after holidays and another 6 or so years, right?'
'It's too early.' Sirius groaned as they got out of the carriage to the train station to say goodbye to Peter and Remus.
'You were the one that suggested we come and say good bye.' James said tiredly, Sirius had been complaining none stop for 10 minutes.
'You don't have to come if you don't want to.' Remus said.
'We want to come and say good bye.' Sirius said brightly.
How could Sirius mood just change from being grumpy to happy just like that? James mentally shook his head.
That's Sirius for you.
They climbed on to the platform with the other students.
Students boarded the train in a hurry wanting to get good seats.
'See you in a couple of weeks then.' James said, 'man/bro-hugging' both Remus and Peter, Sirius doing to same.
'Yeah. Don't wreck the castle while I'm not gone. And do your homework.' Remus said sternly.
'Yes mother.' James muttered.
He saw Sirius supressing his laughs.
'Bye. Make sure to bring your sweets, chocolates and pranking items back with you.' Sirius waggled his finger at Remus and Peter.
'Yes father.' Peter said.
Sirius's mouth fell open in shock. It seemed Peter had heard his own comment about Remus.
James started laughing while Sirius immediately began protesting.
'Me? Father? Merlin's yellow left sock-'
'It's okay Sirius,' Gracie said with a voice you would use when talking to a small child. She had snuck up on them all. 'We all know you're not the father in the group. Peter is.'
'Where did you come from?' Sirius asked, his hand held on his heart.
'I'm going home for Christmas,' she gave him an odd look. 'Anyway, Remus is the mother because he worries about everyone and is the most responsible. Peter the father. Because he likes to have fun but he knows when it goes too far. You two are just the annoying twin brothers.'
'Annoying?' Sirius and James asked both putting on fake hurt expressions.
Gracie shrugged.
'We should be getting on the train.' Peter said.
'Well, I'll go and leave your little family to hug, kiss and say good bye.' Gracie grinned and walked off, getting on the train.
'Bye, have a good Christmas.' James said.
The whistle blew and Peter and Remus hurriedly go on the train.
The train began moving, getting faster and faster and soon it was out of sight.
'Ready for the best Christmas ever mate?' James asked smirking as they left the platform.
Sirius smirked back.
So far, for James and Sirius the Christmas holidays had been fairly enjoyable. Snow had fallen nearly everyday of the holidays, meaning they could have plenty of snowball fights. The best parts in those fights they decided were when they teamed up and hit Snape (the only Slytherin student that stayed) with unexpected snowballs when he walked around the grounds. They once did it inside but sadly got caught by the caretaker, Filch and had to clean all of the melted snow up. They got especially angry about that as they were planning on exploring the castle that night. They had to spend it cleaning a corridor full of water and for extra punishment, polish the trophy's that resided in the trophy room until they could see their own reflections in them.
Christmas landed on a Saturday. James and Sirius's alarm clocks went off at 6 am, the time they agreed on waking up at.
'Happy Christmas Sirius.' James said, rubbing his eyes and sitting up, happily eyeing the pile of presents at the end of his bed.
'Merry Christmas James.' Sirius smiled.
'Shall we open them then?' James asked with raised eyebrows.
'Did you really need to ask?' Sirius said and grabbed a red wrapped up present from the top of his pile.
James grabbed a present and tore it open. A book from Remus.
Typical Remus.
He turned the book over and read the cover. '101 ways to prank: The Muggle Way Volume 1 by Caesar Bail.'
'Guess who got volume 2?' Sirius waved the book in the air. 'Should come in useful, aye mate?'
James nodded and opened the rest of the presents. He collected a large pile of different sweets and chocolates, also one of some Zonko products.
'Can you tell your mum and dad I said thank you?' Sirius asked him quietly. He was holding the Gryffindor scarf and the sweets James's parents had sent him carefully. His eyes watering a little.
'Sure mate.' James's lips curved up into a small smile.
He knew his parents had sent Sirius a present. He asked them to.
'I really loved it. All my parents sent me was a book on how important Pure-Blood is.' Sirius grimaced and picked up said book and threw it out the dormitory window.
He had two presents left. One was from his parents and another from Gracie.
'Did you get a present from Gracie as well James?' Sirius asked, picking up the parcel and turning it over in his fingers.
'Yeah.' He answered.
'Wait. There's a note.' Sirius said and opened the letter that was attached to the wrapping.
'Dear James and Sirius,
Merry Christmas! So to be honest, I wasn't sure what to get you so I asked Molly. She knitted you a sweater, along with everyone else in our house and year plus my brothers and Arthur (her boyfriend). I hope you like them, there's also some sweets in there. I did try baking some brownies but they didn't taste very nice. And I got you both (along with Peter and Remus) some… let's say it to me ages to sneak out and get them 'things' from Diagon Alley. You better used them properly. I need to see something funny happening to some Slytherins (preferably Snape and Trixie). Use them well!
See you soon,
Gracie x'
They opened both opened their presents from Gracie. A sweater fell from the wrapping, red with a large 'J' in yellow stitched on it. A selection of sweets fell out of the wrappings and a box with Zonko's across it. When James opened it, his mouth fell open. Inside was everything imaginable, nose-biting teacups, fanged Frisbees, dungbombs, goo, potions to make the drinker do a variety of different funny things and many other items.
'This is brilliant.' He said he looked up to see Sirius mirroring his expression with excitement.
Sirius was already wearing his jumper which was the exact same as his own apart from Sirius having an 'S' on it and not a 'J' like himself.
'These jumpers are dead warm and comfy.' Sirius muttered.
James smiled and pulled his own jumped which he just realised was Gryffindor themed over his head.
'Who is that off?' Sirius said, pointing to the last present on James's bed.
'It's from mum and dad.' James answered and began to rip the paper off. In the wrappings there was a note, a second one addressed to him in half an hour.
'Dear James,
This has been in our family for generations. It has been passed from father to son, mother to daughter for hundreds of years, it's a family heirloom. I have decided it was time that I gave it to you. Take good care of it and don't tell your mother. She wouldn't approve.
Use it well,
Dad.'
'Oh my…'
Sirius fell off the bed.
James was too busy staring in awe at it to notice.
Sirius scrambled up of the floor and ran over to James's bed to join in the staring.
'It can't be-'
'I don't believe it-'
'It is!'
'Try it on!' Sirius shouted, his eyes twinkling with joy and awe.
'Okay…' James whispered and stood up.
He picked up the cloak and after a nod from Sirius, he rapped it around himself.
'I can't see you!' Sirius said waving his arms around.
His right arm hit James hard in the face.
'Ow! Sirius, I'm still here!' James rubbed his face after he had taken the cloak of from around his face.
He laid it gently on the bed.
Sirius knelled on the floor next to the bed, gently touching the cloak.
James sat next to him, both looking at what was on the bed in disbelief.
'I can't believe it.' Sirius whispered.
'Neither can I.' James replied.
'James, your parents just sent you this for Christmas.'
'I know.'
'It's a Cloak of Invisibility.'
'I know.'
They exchanged looks of delight.
'Wicked.'