fox - r.lupin

- c h a p t e r - f o r t y-s i x -

edited.

tw: vulgar name-calling/lots of slandering

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 Violet woke up to the sun streaming in her window and the gentle singing of birds.

She blinked a few times before curling up tighter on herself and burying her face into her many pillows and blankets, hoping to get a few more minutes of sleep–

But with the Marauders in her house–of course–that wasn't going to happen.

Her door burst open with a chorus of cheering, Christmas carolling, and just general screaming–making every girl in the room shriek and launch from their beds.

Well–Violet legitimately fell from her bed, just narrowly missing Alice, who shouted loudly at the noises.

"IT'S CHRISTMAS, LADIES!!!!" James shouted, sweeping Lily into his arms dramatically. "TIME FOR PREEEESSSEEENNNNTTTTSSSS!!!!!"

"JAMES POTTER, PUT ME DOWN!" Lily was shouting, but Violet could hear the laughter in her words.

"LAST PERSON DOWN HAS TO CLEAN UP AFTER BREAKFAST!!!!" Sirius crowed as his pounding footsteps disappeared.

That got Violet up.

Joy coursed through her veins as she launched up, grabbed her bathrobe, and then deftly jumped from the floor, slid between the boys, and sprinted down the spiral staircase.

Only to pull to a screeching stop when the very person who was supposed to be gone now stepped into her path.

"Happy Christmas, Vi!" Howard cried–any anger from the night before having vanished. "Look at all the presents!"

Violet's entire body was prickly with disgust and panic as she smelled the alcohol on his breath.

Remus flanked her side–along with the rest of her friends.

She had told them all that Howard would be leaving in the morning–but seeing him standing in the living room had put them all on their guard.

"Howard, I told you to leave," Violet said in an even voice.

He rolled his blue eyes, "Oh poppycock–it's Christmas! And besides, my parents aren't expecting me back until dinner–so why in the world would I leave?" He gave Violet a taunting face, "You wouldn't want to make them cry on Christmas, would you?"

Violet's stomach squirmed as she scowled at him, "You leave at three."

She could tell her friends wanted to argue with her–but instead, they just hovered subtly around her all morning.

Especially Remus, who looked like he wanted to tear Howard's head right from his body. And Violet would not put it past him to do that.

Lily wasn't any different. The redhead stared down the obviously intoxicated Stein boy anytime he spoke or came into the room. The boy just ignored her as he interacted with Frank–who had arrived for the morning before he and Alice would go to both of their families' get-togethers that evening.

Frank Longbottom was thoroughly confused by the rage on everyone's face until Alice pulled him aside and quietly told him the dilemma.

And from then on–he seemed to take it upon himself to distract Howard and keep him quiet.

Violet would forever be in debt to him–as that wasn't a problem he needed to bear, but he did.

The morning dragged–Violet struggled to focus on anything with Howard stumbling around.