Chapter 10-Awkward Moments

"Lily! Lily, WAKE UP! It's Christmas!"

I opened my eyes and Sirius started jumping on my bed! I do NOT like to be woken up in the mornings. Especially by Sirius Black jumping on me in my bed! As if jumping on me wasn't irritating enough, he stuck his finger in his mouth before quickly leaning down and sticking the same wet finger in my ear! That was the last straw for me.

"Sirius!" I screamed.

Sirius jumped off of my bed and ran out of the room laughing. I grabbed my pillow and ran out after him as fast as I could. I followed him down the stairs where he ran into a room and over to the couch. I finally caught him and started to hit him with my pillow.

"Never-do-that-again!" I screamed in between blows.

I stopped hitting him when I thought he was crying, and then I realized he was laughing at me!

"What is so funny?" I asked.

Sirius wouldn't stop laughing and I was really getting frustrated. He pointed at something and when I turned around James, Remus, Peter and Charlie were all staring at me with shocked faces.

"What?" I asked.

They were all gaping at me.

"Er, Lily, your, uh, knickers, um." Remus stuttered.

What? I looked down and then, to my horror, I realized that I was wearing nothing but my bra and panties. Or as Remus said, my knickers. I blushed profusely as Charlie rushed forward using his body to cover me. Then he pulled his shirt off and put it on me. I felt so embarrassed!

"I'm going to hex the life out of you Sirius!" I screamed as Charlie pushed me out of the room and led me back up stairs.

"That was awkward." He said once we had made it back into my bedroom.

"Why did you feel awkward; they were starring at me!" I said.

I pulled on some pants and looked back to Charlie.

"Calm down Lily, humiliation only makes you stronger." Charlie said.

"Oh shut up. Have you ever been humiliated before?" I asked.

Charlie walked over and sat on my messy bed.

"Well, one time I courted this girl that mum set me up with. Well, you know how they're like. Batting their eyelashes and giggling so much that it makes you want to jump in a lake. Anyways, I couldn't wait to get away from her. When I was telling her goodbye, she threw herself at me! I didn't know what to do. She had been coming on strong but then, she just pushed me against a wall and started kissing me! Next thing you know there are cameras flashing, they caught the scene and made it out that we were lovers or something. The boys never let me live that one down." Charlie said.

I laughed.

"Nice try, but you're lying." I said.

"Yeah, I'm perfect, but it got you to laugh." Charlie said.

"Uh, I wish it did happen to you though. Then you could tell me how I'm supposed to face everyone now." I said.

"Just walk back downstairs, except wearing clothes this time. It was a good thing the Potters weren't in there yet. Then it would have been embarrassing." Charlie said standing up and looking out the window.

Just like Charlie to be positive about things. I almost wish James' parents were there to witness it. That way they would understand why I'm not going back down. I need to think of an excuse so I don't have to face everyone.

There was a knock at the door.

"Lily? Are you in there?" James said.

I quickly looked to Charlie. He was about to say something when I jumped on his back and covered his mouth with my hands causing him to fall over onto the bed.

"Say I'm sick." I said telepathically.

Charlie gave me a look like he didn't think it was a good idea.

"Please Charlie? Please Charlie, will you tell them I'm sick?" I begged him telepathically.

He rolled his eyes and pushed me off of him as he stood up and walked to the door.

"The things I do for you. You owe me now." Charlie said telepathically.

"Oh, and don't let the others say anything!" I said telepathically.

Charlie nodded before walking out the door. I could hear him telling James that I wasn't coming down. They walked back down stairs as I threw myself onto the bed.

Just wonderful. I'm stuck in my room on Christmas. I knew that I should just go downstairs and face everyone, but I couldn't. The Marauders all just saw me half naked. Nobody's seen me like that since; well I didn't want to think about that. Every time I think of Drumstrang I always get depressed.

I decided to go back to sleep so that I didn't have to think about it. Besides, it was still dark outside.

"Lily, wake up."

I opened my eyes and Leah was sitting on the edge of my bed.

"Leah? What are you doing here?" I asked hugging her.

"Well, earlier I got this owl from James. He told me what happened and he said you needed someone to talk to because you were embarrassed and he didn't think you wanted to talk to him right now." Leah said.

"Really? But why did you come, its Christmas." I said.

"Exactly! So you shouldn't be held up in your room feigning sick." Leah said.

"Leah, it was so embarrassing." I said.

"Yeah, but so what if they seen you half naked? It was probably the best Christmas they've ever had." Leah said.

I laughed a bit.

"Well, all except Charlie maybe." I said smiling.

"Yeah. When they told me what happened, Sirius said you looked hott and James and Charlie hit him. It was quite the spectacle. They all said that they wanted to show you something though. So hurry up and get dressed, it's time to enjoy Christmas. It's still very early you know." Leah said.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"7:30" Leah said.

7:30 in the morning! It must have been around five when Sirius woke me up. What the heck were they all doing up at five in the morning? I've heard of an early start, but they're just insane.

"Come on Lily, get dressed and come see the boys." Leah said pulling me out of bed.

"Leah, I don't think I can." I said.

"Oh you can, and you'll regret it if you don't. Come on, you have to see what they've done now." Leah said.

I changed and followed Leah downstairs. We walked into the library and when I walked in, I saw all of the boys standing around in their boxer shorts drinking Butterbeers. I burst out laughing.

"We thought it would only be fair." Sirius said.

Leah started laughing and made her goodbyes.

"I'm sorry to say I have to go, but my parents don't know I'm gone and they'll be getting up soon." Leah said.

I hugged her bye. Charlie made a point to shake her hand and James hugged her too.

"So…" James said as he stood next to me.

"Thanks." I said smiling.

The rest of Christmas day was spent wonderfully. We opened presents with all of the Marauders, but they went home afterwards to spend the rest of the day with their own family. James had given me a necklace with a diamond lily on it and the initials J.P. & L.E. engraved on the back. It was beautiful! Sirius got his payback from waking me up this morning. With James' help, I pranked him pretty good. We were all eating breakfast and when Sirius went to touch reach for the syrup for his pancakes, it flew straight to his head and poured out all over him! He had to take a shower to get the sticky substance out of his hair because we had taken his wand when he wasn't looking and nobody would clean the syrup off of him.

Charlie and a syrup-free Sirius were now playing a game of wizard chess in front of the fire in the library. James and I sat on the couch watching.

"Lils, what's wrong? You seem a little sad." James said.

Charlie looked over at me after taking Sirius' castle with his bishop.

"I guess I miss Harry, my brother." I said.

"It's our first Christmas without him." Charlie said.

"Every year we have this tradition when everyone is asleep on Christmas, we all stay awake and sit in front of the fire and talk about our futures. I guess we do it on Christmas because we don't get to see each other much during the year with school and everything. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but…" I said.

"Lily, you don't have to explain. There are just some things that are special to all of us. Sirius and I have a tradition on every July 4. It's this American holiday and they celebrate it with fireworks! So Sirius and I decided to pick up the tradition as well. You should see this place, it's crazy at night." James said.

I couldn't help but laugh. James and Sirius can always surprise you, like celebrating an American holiday. I wonder if they know anything about the holiday except that Americans celebrate it with fireworks. But they probably don't, fireworks is enough for them.

Charlie rode the train with us back to Hogwarts. He was going to finish with the rest of us now that he was at the magical level of most seventh year students. We met up with Tiffany, Ashley, Sarah, Leah, Remus, and Peter and squeezed into the Heads compartment on the train.

"So, Charlie, you're Lily's twin brother?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah, I am." Charlie said.

"So when are your birthdays?" Remus asked.

"January 7th." Charlie said.

James choked on a Bertie Botts every flavor bean while Sirius spat out Butterbeer on Tiffany.

"That's in four days!" Leah said.

"Is it?" I asked carelessly as I flipped a page in the poetry book I had borrowed from Remus.

"What do you mean 'is it'? Why didn't you tell us it was coming up?" James asked.

"Lily doesn't really like her birthday. It's a long story." Charlie said.

I sent a look at Charlie.

"One story they better not ever know about." I said telepathically.

Charlie rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, I don't have a reason to dread my birthday, so let's celebrate mine!" Charlie said happily.

Way to try and change the subject Charlie. Everyone was kind of quiet and glancing at me every once in a while.

"What?" I finally asked.

They were aggravating me with the not so subtle glances.

"Well, it's just… who dreads their birthday?" Sirius burst out that last part.

"I just don't like it, simple as that." I said.

"Why not?" Sirius pressed.

"Sirius just shut up will you?" Remus said.

I smiled at Remus. He knew why I didn't like my birthday. It was because I turned sixteen on my birthday, which meant that my mother's plan would be finalized. As soon as school is over, I'll get married.

It was nice to be back in Hogwarts, though I would always miss being at the Potters. Charlie got sorted into Gryffindor and was taking James' old spot in the seventh year boy's dorm. Sirius gave him the 'once 'round the castle'. I'm not sure if that was a good idea. Knowing Sirius, he probably showed him all the ways to leave the castle without getting caught or something.

Classes started again tomorrow and I spent the rest of the evening with James in the Heads common room going over notes and checking through my assignments that were due this week. Well, James was actually just watching me or occasionally catching a snitch that he'd gotten from somewhere. He would release it, and then catch it just before it got away. He had amazing reflexes, but I was supposed to be trying to concentrate on my school work and not on James' reflexes.

"James." I said nicely.

"Yes Lily?" He replied.

"Would you put the snitch away like a good boy?" I said.

James frowned as he held the snitch in his hand.

"No." He said before letting go of the snitch again.

"James you're being distracting." I said.

"That's the point." He said smiling.

"James!" I said.

"Lily!" He whined.

I gave him a weird look.

"It's the last night of holiday." James said.

"So that's why we're back here." I said sarcastically.

"Lily…I don't want to do homework." James said.

"You're not, you're whining. It's very annoying too." I said

"Lily! I am not whining." James said.

"Oh okay." I said sarcastically.

James glared at me so I shut my book.

"Fine. What do you want to do?" I asked.

"Kiss you." James said.

"That's romantic." I said sarcastically.

"Really Lily, you shouldn't be so sarcastic all of the time. It's not very becoming." James said.

I jumped out of my seat and chased him up to my room. Right when I ran in, James grabbed me from behind, spun me around and started kissing me. Of course I completely melted into him. He guided me to my bed and we started snogging. I don't even remember how long we had been at it when James whispered into my ear.

"You looked hott when you were beating Sirius with that pillow. I can't get that image out of my head." He said as he put his hand up the front of my shirt.

I froze as he rubbed my stomach and started to go up toward my chest as he kissed my neck.

"Stop." I whispered.

James immediately froze before he jerked away from me.

"What?" He said.

"I said stop." I said as I regained my voice.

"Lily, what's wrong?" He asked.

"I don't want you to do that." I said.

"Do what, touch you?" James asked.

"Not like you just did." My voice was a little shaky.

I was still lying down and James sat up and ran a hand through his hair. I could tell he was frustrated.

"Lily, we've been together for awhile now. I thought it would be okay." James said looking at the wall.

I could tell that his voice was controlled. I didn't say anything and when James looked at me I looked away. I felt the bed raise and I turned back to see James leaving. Five minutes after he left I could hear the shower going. Was he mad at me because I told him to stop?

The next morning I walked down to the Great Hall earlier than I usually do and without James. When I got down there, none of my friends were around so I sat at the table by myself. I started eating a little toast when someone sat down beside me. I looked up to see who it was.

"Hello Lily. No Potter this morning?" It was Michael Crawsden, a seventh year Ravenclaw.

He was a in my Transfiguration class.

"No." I said.

I was a little confused as to why he came all the way over to talk to me.

"It's a good look for you really." He said.

"Did you need something Crawsden?" I asked politely.

"No, just fancied a chat with the lovely Lily. Call me Michael, by the way." He said.

I'm the 'lovely Lily' am I? Wow, he was actually coming on to me.

"Er Michael, maybe I missed this, but don't people usually sit with their own house?" I asked.

"No. Look at your fellow Pettigrew, over with the Slytherins." He said.

I looked over and oddly enough, Peter was sitting with Severous Snape, Lucious Malfoy, and Bellatrix Black. They were huddled together like they were afraid of someone overhearing them. I looked on and it was like they knew I was watching them. All of a sudden Bellatrix looked up at me and smiled. Then she shoved Peter off of the bench saying 'Stupid Gryffindor'. Peter, who was in the floor, looked confused until Malfoy kicked him toward me. Peter looked over and seen me then looked back at the three Slytherins before walking over to me.

He sat down across from me while Michael was telling me asking me something about Transfiguration.

"Stupid Slytherins." Peter said.

"Why were you sitting with them?" I asked.

Michael stopped talking seeing as I was ignoring him. He gave me an indignant look.

"I came down early because Sirius' snores woke me up and then Malfoy waved me over." Peter said.

He looked a little twitchy.

"You'd think you'd be used to Black's snores by now, seeing as you've been sharing a dormitory with him for seven years." Crawsden said, aggravated that Peter was sitting with us.

I looked to Peter for his answer but he only shrugged.

"Crawsden." I heard a voice growling from behind.

Michael and I turned around at the same time to see James looking like he was going about to commit murder.

"Potter." Crawsden said.

Michael didn't act like he was going to get up any time soon and James looked like he was about two seconds away from making him.

"Bye Crawsden, thanks for the chat." I said forcefully.

Michael nodded at me before getting up. Peter jumped up as soon as Michael did and ran out of the Great Hall.

Michael walked back to the Ravenclaw table and James sat down in his seat.

"Why were you talking with Crawsden?" James asked angrily.

"What?" I asked disbelievingly.

Surely he wasn't going to try and tell me who I can and can't talk to.

"What did he want? Was he flirting with you?" James asked.

I shrugged.

"I didn't really pay much attention to what he was saying." I said.

"Well I don't like you talking to him." James said.

"Are you telling me I'm not allowed to talk to him?" I asked.

"No. I said I don't like you talking to him." James said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why do you think?" James said.

"He's scared you'll realize you're too good for him and run off." Tiffany said sitting down across from me.

"Thanks for that Tiffany, but this is a private conversation." James said.

"No it isn't, the entire hall is listening. Calm down Prongs my friend." Sirius said sitting next to Tiffany.

"Thanks." Tiffany said.

"Oy! Mind your own bloody business!" Sirius shouted.

"Thanks." I said.

James grunted before getting up.

"Prongs where are you going?" Sirius asked.

James rolled his eyes and walked out of the Great Hall passing Remus and Ashley without even acknowledging them.

"What's wrong with James?" Ashley said as she and Remus sat down.

I didn't say anything about it. I would talk to him later when he didn't look so, well, mad I guess.

"Where are Charlie, Sarah, and Leah?" I asked.

"Sarah went to DADA to ask professor Stigma something about our assignment or something." Ashley said.

"Charlie walked back to the tower with Leah so she could get the book she left behind." Remus said.

"Good Morning." Charlie said sitting down next to me.

"We were just talking about you." Tiffany said.

"I know." Charlie said sending me a wink.

"Does it seem louder in here all of a sudden?" Leah asked from the other side of Charlie.

"Yes actually." Remus said.

We all looked around the hall to see that everyone was staring at our table. Well, it was mainly all the girls that were staring at our table and batting their eyelashes. I became very protective when I realized they were eyeing my brother. I glared.

"That's attractive." Charlie thought to me.

"They're all staring at you! I don't like it." I thought to him.

Charlie smiled.

"Welcome to my world." He thought.

"What?" I thought to him.

"Aren't you being a bit protective?" Charlie asked.

"No, just don't want you to making a whore of yourself and slandering our name." I thought.

Charlie got a weird look before he started laughing. Our friends gave us confused looks and I started laughing as well.