Lily was reading the newspaper, a grimace on her face. The headline was shocking. "KNOWN WEREWOLF FENRIR GREYBACK ATTACKS GROUP OF SCHOOL CHILDREN ON HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED'S ORDERS" Remus was staring at the newspaper too, the face of Greyback looming out at him, growling fiercely. Remus felt as if he knew the face, but he couldn't place him. He scowled into his tea, thoughtfully. Lily folded up the newspaper.
"What's wrong?" She asked kindly.
Remus shook his head. "Nothing," He muttered, draining the last of his tea.
Lily caught his glance towards the Daily Prophet. "I know," She said. "It's just horrible isn't it? I mean, who could attack a group of children? It's barbaric and beastly. And even worse what with it being so close to Christmas."
Remus said nothing.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Lily asked.
He smiled at her. "Yes, I'm fine." He said. "How are you?"
"Ah the mark of a true gentleman," Lily beamed. "I'm fine thank you. Although, I think I'm struggling with the homework Professor Binns set us."
"He never marks it anyway," Remus said. "He calls me Lurchin. And the goblin wars essay that I handed in got a poor mark because I didn't spell my name right."
Lily laughed. "Maybe you could help me?" She asked.
"Oh, Lily I... er..."
"Oh, if you're busy-"
"No, no, it's just... James really likes you and I..." Remus blushed.
"Remus," Lily said firmly. "I don't care about what Potter likes. Besides its homework. In the library. With Madame Prince looking over our shoulders."
Remus smiled. "Alright. After Herbology?"
"It's a date," Lily grinned.
"Mr Lupin?" Asked a timid voice. Remus turned to see another first year, from Ravenclaw with dark brown hair and a flushed face, holding a set of books.
"Yes?" Remus asked confused, never being called 'Mr Lupin' by an equal in his life. "Sarah, is it?"
The girl blushed even more, looking at her shoes. She held out the books she was carrying. "Professor Ferres wanted me to give you these. She said something about your prior commitments next week."
Remus' eyes widened and he took the books from her. "Ah, yes," he said. "Thanks Sarah. I appreciate it."
Sarah smiled shyly at Lily then turned and ran off. Lily raised an eyebrow.
"Prior commitments?" She asked. "Where are you going next week?"
"Oh, my aunt she's in hospital." Remus said casually. "Dumbledore is letting me have an extra week off so I can visit her."
"Oh, okay," Lily said as Remus tucked the books into his bag. "You know that she fancies you like mad."
"Who?"
"Sarah," Lily said. "She's mad about you."
"Nah," Remus shrugged. "Not possible."
"Why do you have the set idea that everyone hates you?" Lily asked.
"I don't,"
"Please,"
"What?"
"First few weeks, you kept out of everyone's way, even though Potter and Black were persistent that you stay around with them. You avoided talking in class, you didn't even talk to me for at least three months, even though I like you." Lily commented.
Remus pursed his lips remaining. Lily sighed. "Do you think we should head off to transfiguration now?"
Remus checked his watch, thankful that Lily's comments on his personal life were over. "Yes, I think we should," He said.
...
Peter was doodling something on a spare piece of parchment. Remus was listening intently to what McGonagall was telling them. James and Sirius sat behind the other two not really paying attention. They were learning something simple today because of the Christmas holidays looming around the corner.
"It's easy enough!" McGonagall said earnestly moving down the aisles. "Tap your wand thrice then point at your animal and say the words Jervesio. Mr Potter what on earth have you done to your newt?"
James stared at the newt to which he was supposed to change it into a purse, it had gone a sickly purple colour as bright yellow string was tightening itself around its throat. James looked at it bewildered.
McGonagall gave a sharp flick of her wand and it resumed to a normal newt. Sirius was stifling not to laugh. "Mr Pettigrew, will you please attempt it?"
Peter looked terrified and tapped his wand thrice, pointed it at the owl and muttered; "Jervesio."
Nothing happened.
McGonagall let out a sigh. "Miss Philips, what about you?"
Becca, who sat a few seats from Sirius pulled out her wand and pointed it at the bat. It immediately squirmed and transfigured itself into a black leather purse which gave a little squeal. McGonagall turned looking satisfied with her.
"I want you all to practise the spells you have learned over the holidays, without choking your animals Mr Potter. And I would like a roll of parchment going over each spell you have learned, why it is used, and what animal is best for it." McGonagall said. "To be handed in on Monday after the holidays."
The class began to pack away their things and James stormed out looking annoyed. Sirius caught up with him. "I hate transfiguration." He said agitated.
"I know mate," Sirius shrugged as they waited outside class for Peter and Remus.
"What do we have next?" James asked.
"Defence against the dark arts," Sirius prompted. "Which isn't so bad."
"No, except that Professor Elgard is a prick and a half." James said as Peter caught up with them.
"If you don't like the class, then don't go." Sirius said.
"What will I do instead?" James asked.
"Your homework?" Remus replied, scratching his bandaged arm.
"Shut up," James pouted.
"What's wrong with Defence against the dark arts?" Remus asked.
"What's right with it?" Peter grumbled.
"Snap," Sirius said.
"I enjoy it." Remus shrugged, pulling his bag further up his shoulder. "Only, I wish we were learning more about dark creatures. Defence spells are all well and good, but how are we meant to use them if we never get to practice."
"Wanting to learn how to defend yourself if you come face to face with a vampire or a werewolf?" Sirius asked.
Remus' face drained.
"You shouldn't joke about that," He said quietly.
"Why not?" James asked.
"Did you not see the prophet this morning?" Remus asked.
"I never read the newspaper." James said. "It's filled to the brim with lies."
"I agree with that," Said a voice. James looked around to see Xenophilius Lovegood, a Ravenclaw boy with stringy white hair. "It's filled with liars. It's run by a creature known as Corconoro. It infests a human host with evil thoughts and cannot handle the idea of good and truth."
"Really?" Asked James, an amused look on his face. "I just thought it was humanity."
"Your cynical behaviour will not get you far in life," Lovegood said thoughtfully. "It limits your capacity to think imaginatively."
"Yes, but I'm either always right or pleasantly surprised," James said. "How could anyone hate that?"
...
Christmas was fast approaching and there was a buzz of excitement passing around the school. Sirius, James and Peter had all decided to stay behind at Hogwarts whilst most of the first years had opted to go home. Sirius did not want to go home only to be greeted by his spiteful mother and gloating brother and his indifferent father. Since James knew he was already staying, he was greatly overjoyed and excitedly talked of all the mischief they could perform during the holidays. Remus had left a week earlier than any other of the students despite Sirius and James' vehement insistence that he'd stay and conjure mischief with them, insisting that he had urgent family matters to attend to. So Peter stayed in his stead. The boys were sitting in a rather empty great hall, an unfinished game of Wizard Scrabble in front of them where the object was to create as many words as possible from the letters they used on the board by making sure the anagrams were correct. Every so often the pieces would change and rearrange themselves into the correct spelling. If not many anagrams were created from the words, the pieces would attack. Peter had already been thrown off his chair twice because of the pieces going after his persistently poor grammar. They were watching Hagrid the gamekeeper being directed by Professor Ferres as to where the countless Christmas trees should go.
Lily had gone home for the holidays, Snivellus had not, much to James' despair. Fabian and Gideon had opted to stay, so did the Ravenclaw prefect, Kingsley Shacklebolt. And much to Sirius' annoyance, his cousin Narcissa. This did not bode well for him knowing full well that if James wanted to sneak into the Slytherin common room, Narcissa would come looking for them. And he had warned James of her and her family's insanity.
"You keep saying she's insane, Sirius," James shook his head sadly. "I however really don't see it at all."
"How could you not?" Sirius asked, whilst passing the picture of Aristotle on the third floor. "She's mad, they're all mad, her, Bellatrix. The only one not mad is Andromeda."
"Who?"
"Bellatrix's and Narcissa's sister." Sirius grunted. "She's great, a little weird but brilliant fun."
"How weird are we talking?" James asked. "Is it Bellatrix weird (not that I can compare or anything) or Xeno weird?"
"Andromeda is more Xeno insane."
"Then what are you worrying about? Xeno's mad, but not dangerous."
James had decided that this was the time of the year that he, Sirius and Peter were going to discover everything about the castle – from portraits that opened to reveal hidden rooms, to secret passageways and even trying to stop the stairs from moving every time they tried to get back to the Gryffindor common room. It was getting annoying because the stairs liked to play tricks on the First Years and switched every so often leading them into the areas of the castle which were out of bounds usually leading to Filch giving them detention by cleaning out the trophy room. This was proving this annoying when Sirius was made to polish the Quidditch trophy for the fourteenth time.
"I'm getting sick of this," Sirius muttered.
"Then go and complain," James suggested.
"Well I can't," Sirius said. "Because he has every right to. It's the stairs I'm angry at."
"Then complain to the stairs." James suggested.
"Well that's just stupid."
"You're just stupid." Sirius shot back.
"Ooh. Your arguments are getting lamer by the day." James said.
Sirius woke late on Christmas morning to see James was already halfway through his mountain of presents, along with a huge slab of chocolate in his mouth. He had gotten quite a large quantity of books and some new cloaks. Sirius yawned pointedly and tugged the sack from the bottom of his bed. Peter was halfway through opening his small pile of treats from his parents.
"Happy Christmas," James said happily.
"Happy Christmas," Sirius replied sleepily.
"The present is awesome," James said, indicating to a pocket sneakoscope that sat on top of the cloaks.
"No problem," Sirius replied. He began to open his. He smiled as he pushed the sweets aside. He then picked up a particularly heavy present from his mother. He opened it.
"What's that?" James asked, tugging on a thick woolly jumper.
"'Dark Monstrosities, The Darkest Wizarding Families of all Time.'" Sirius read. "Mum says that it'll remind me of where I come from." Sirius took one look at the black bound book before throwing it to the floor without so much as a second glance.
"Why would she send you something like that?" James asked.
"Oh I don't know." Sirius shrugged, pulling out the new quill and ink set that Remus had given him. "They're probably swarming all over Regulus, how he's their perfect son. Honestly, if I punched them, they'd probably poop out the dark mark." Sirius pulled out a ivory handle from the package. "Er... Thanks..." He said. Staring at it perplexed slightly.
"It's a knife."
Sirius flicked the blade. "Just what every good wizard needs, a knife."
"It's for opening locks," James explained. "In case you find yourself in a sticky situation."
"That's very cool," Sirius said admiring the knife. "A lot better than the jar of spit that I got when I was ten."
James stared at him. "Jar of spit? I certainly hope it's better than a jar of spit. Who gave you a jar of spit?"
"My house-elf, Kreacher." Sirius said. "The same year he gave Regulus a ring that opened with poison. He thought that his younger master would use it during Christmas supper. I didn't give them the satisfaction. I didn't go to supper."
"Fight the power," James said, raising his fist. "What did you get, Peter?"
Peter looked up. "Sweets, a jumper, a new scarf, new parchment, books... Did you really get a jar of spit?"
"Unfortunately." Sirius replied. "That was all I got when I was eight. Come to think of it, I probably deserved it, I did almost kill Regulus."
"How?"
"It was an accident," Sirius shrugged. "He wanted to go into Borgin and Burkes. How was I supposed to know that it had a vanishing cabinet in it? He were lost for at least a month before he turned up again."
"Why were you in Knockturn Alley to begin with?" James asked.
"Dad was meeting with a business proprietor," Sirius shrugged. "I wasn't there by choice. I would have preferred going to Quality Quidditch Supplies."
"You like Quidditch?" James asked.
"Who doesn't?" Sirius asked. "It's total beeswax that they don't let the first years play."
"Beeswax?"
"I've been told that I have to substitute swear words for other words." Sirius said. "Which is total bollocks."
James laughed heartily. "You're not doing great at it are you?"
"Of course I am." Sirius said. "You spout some beeswax don't you?"