Quick B/A/N- I was looking in this Birthday book my family has that tells you all aspects of a person’s personality that’s born on a certain day.  Since Lily’s based after me, she has my birthday, but I chose James’ randomly as December 16.   I looked in that book, and apparently, he’s PERFECT for December 16.  It was really creepy. Okay…that’s all.

 

And, FINALLY, Bloody Chapter 29- Back to Hogwarts!

 

            Lily and James finally stopped their tickling war when the annoying Ravenclaw prefect, Leticia Hawthorne, screamed at them to leave. “If you don’t get out of this compartment right NOW, you’ll go

 

all the way back to King’s Cross!” she screamed with her usual huffy air.  “Leticia…get a life,” said James, half-heartedly.  He looked like he was willing to say a LITTLE more than that, but Lily was monitoring his words very carefully.  Once Lily had left, however, James lowered his voice to the prefect and said, “You know, Sirius isn’t single anymore…you’re not going to get anywhere with him by hanging around me anymore.”

The girl sighed, and said, “Yeah, I know. Stupid bitch that got him…I’m worth like twice of her.”

James’ eyes flashed with fury, and he retorted, “You’re worth twice her ego, twice her weight, but about an eighth Emia’s personality.” And with that, James angrily swooped out of the compartment.

Lily was waiting in the corridor with concern.  “James, honey…what happened?”

James just growled, and said in a lower, more compassionate voice, “She insulted Emia.”

Lily just nodded, and that said that she hoped James had got her good.  “Which carriage do you want, dear?” Lily asked, trying to be as nice to James as possible.  She knew James was acting withdrawn again, and she just took it in stride, like she always did.  “This one,” James said, finally smiling at Lily. “Alright,” was her reply.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The ride back to Hogwarts was rather awkward and silent.  James didn’t really want to talk, and Lily didn’t want to talk and end up annoying James.  Eventually, both parties were a bit relieved when James absentmindedly took her hand in his.  Okay, we’re getting somewhere, said the little voice in Lily’s brain.

“So, Lily…what do you really wanna see when we get back? I mean, what have you missed the most?”

“Well, I’m dying to see how Emia and Sirius are getting along!” she said with a laugh.  James smiled as well, “Me too! He’s probably annoyed the hell out of her by now!!”

Lily laughed, “Sirius is probably dancing about, and leaving Emie alone and annoyed!”

The duo laughed together while the horseless carriage bumped the remainder of the journey back to the castle.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

James had gotten fully out of the carriage, and was helping Lily out when Sirius bombarded the duo with hugs.  “I’ve missed you both!” he screamed in his best sappy teary-eyed voice.

“Oh, shut up, Sirius,” Lily groaned from the ground. (Sirius had knocked James onto Lily, who was knocked completely to the ground.)

“Oh, Lily-kins, I’m sorry,” said Sirius with the puppy-dog eyes, “let me help you.”

Sirius offered his hand, and Lily grudgingly took it. “Where’s Emia?” Lily asked.

“Oh, she and Avia went to Hogsmeade,” Sirius said with an indifferent air. 

“Don’t give me that tone, Sirius Oligoppo Black!” James said, trying to sound fierce, but ended up laughing hysterically at Sirius’ middle name. Once James recovered from his laughter, he added, “You totally care where Emia is. You’re probably JEALOUS that she’s with her bloody SISTER instead of YOU!!” (James continued laughing hysterically)

“Oh, fine, think my name’s funny?” Sirius said with a laugh. “I’ll get you for that!! Fuco Ferrugo!!” Sirius said, his wand coming down with a swish.  James’ hair was instantly turned an iron rust color.

“Not too attractive on you, honey,” said Lily with a giggle.

“Oh, shush, Lil,” James said with a laugh.  He was only laughing because Sirius never really knew the countercurses to half of the charms that he used, and James just happened to know the countercurse to Fuco Ferrugo. Or any color changing charm, for that matter…it was just common sense. James pointed his wand at his head and said, “Finite Fuco!” rather loudly.  His jet-black hair was back to normal.

“Much better,” said Lily approvingly.  Sirius sulked a bit, but brightened when Lily asked, “So, how are you and Emia doing?”

“Great!” Sirius started excitedly.  Lily had never seen Sirius this excited, it was really adorable…but it made him look about five years old. “She’s so sweet and understanding (Sirius’ eyes got all glazed over), I don’t know how I’ve gotten along without her!!”

“That’s great, Siri,” said James with a grin.  He was very glad to see his best friend so happy.  “Why didn’t you go to Hogsmeade with Emie and Avie?”

Sirius laughed and said, “I wanted to welcome two of my best friends back to our wonderful school, of course!”

Lily gave a little giggle, then said, “What’s the real reason?”

Sirius sulked, and said, “They didn’t want me to come.”

Lily laughed and said, “That’s their code for SHOPPING. Trust me; you wouldn’t have wanted to go anyway! They would have made you carry their shopping bags the whole time, and Emia would just complain that she looked fat in everything she tried on even if she looked AMAZING…as you can tell, Hogsmeade shopping doesn’t exactly rate first on my list of favorite things to do.”

“And THAT is why I love you!” exclaimed James, throwing his arm over her shoulders.

Lily decided to pretend to be angry, and said with false fury, “And so you wouldn’t love me if I liked to shop?! How rude!”  She stormed up to the Gryffindor dorm, laughing hysterically to herself the whole way.  She could already picture James’ stunned face, and him trying to approach her in the common room to apologize.  This would just be too much fun.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Yuletide spirit,” Lily said listlessly to the Fat Lady. 

 

“Nope, sorry, try again,” said the corpulent woman in the portrait. 

“WHAT? That was the password before I left!”

“Well, it obviously isn’t now!” argued the Fat Lady.

“Need some help?” asked a timid first year Gryffindor girl Lily recognized as Filia Alabaster.

“Yes, Filia, that would be wonderful! When did the password change?”

“Oh…the day after you left.  Some fifth year prefect on a power trip changed it.”

“What’s the new one, then?”

“I don’t know if I should tell you…it might offend you.”

“Well, I can’t bloody stay out in the corridor all day!”

“Fine, put your hands over your ears and I’ll let you in.”

“Are you serious?!”

“Yes. Now just do it!” Filia said with a tone of finality, and Lily, grumbling, put her hands over her ears and faced the wall.

Filia whispered the password to the Fat Lady, and the portrait swung open. Lily followed Filia into the common room, now VERY curious as to what this offensive password may be.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lily burst into the Fourth Year Girls’ Dorm to find a very welcome surprise- Avia and Emia, sitting on her bed, babbling about something or other.

“Oh my god, you guys, I’ve missed you so much!!!” Lily screamed, running to hug her two best friends.

“We’ve missed you!!” They sang in unison, collapsing on Lily’s bed in a rather unladylike (but who cares?!) dog pile.  Avia and Emia brought out the bags of candy that James kept sending Lily and Lily didn’t have the heart to refuse nor the appetite to eat, and they decided it was time for a little girl talk.

Lily grinned and asked, “What are you two doing here, anyway? Sirius thinks you’re in Hogsmeade shopping!”

Avia and Emia got the familiar glint in their eyes, and Avia said, “We told him that because we wanted plenty of girl bonding time! If we were shopping, he wouldn’t have gone, and it’ll give us a decent alibi for a couple hours!”

Emia smiled and said, “I love him to death, but sometimes…you just have to GET AWAY!!!”

Lily laughed hysterically, and said, “Yeah, James and I had plenty of those types of moments over break!”

Lily told the twins all about her adventures, or rather misadventures, at the Evans’ house, including great detail with Petunia and her stupid boyfriend, and then great detail of the time at Potter Manor.  She omitted the dream until the very end.  Emia and Avia, as they lived in the same dorm with her, knew that she had had a recurring nightmare for the past couple months.  They weren’t stupid, they knew it had SOMETHING to do with James…it had been occurring for the exact amount of time she had been dating James.  Lily mentally resolved not to tell them unless they asked.  She did not want to worry them excessively, but she knew that there was simply no way she could lie to her best friends.

Avia was happily babbling about how wonderfully she and Remus were doing, when Emia interrupted her.  “Did you have any of your nightmares over vacay?”

Lily looked conflicted, she wanted to tell them so much…but she didn’t want to worry them.  “Yes…no. I mean, yes.  Uh, one. No big deal.”

Avia looked calculating, sizing up Lily, seeing if her friend was telling the truth.  “What happens in the dreams, Lil?” she asked quietly.

“Um…I die-”

“Well, that’s no biggie, we all die in our dreams at one point or another,” said Emia with relief.

“You…kinda interrupted me-”

“Sorry,” said Emia quickly.

“You just interrupted me again….it’s okay. But I’m not the only one that dies anyway, James does too.  James’ mother talked to me over vacay, she reckons it’s a real premonition,” Lily said.  She could feel hot tears stinging her cheeks.  How would her friends react? Would they believe her?

Emia and Avia just stared back in somber silence.  Finally, Avia spoke.  “I’m so sorry, honey.”

Avia and Emia hugged their friend, rocking her back and forth, until the tears stopped.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Okay. Slightly depressing, but at least its there.  And we’re back at Hogwarts! Thank GOD!