In All Fairness

    James and Sirius sat in the main hall now dwindling in population. "The insistence of decorations when no one will be here but us, and Moony, basically, is confusing me." Sirius's eyes were drifting over the overly festive hall.
    "Hagrid said it's to make it feel more homey for those of us not going home, besides I think there are a lot of students."
    "That's sappy." Sirius mumbled leaning back and looking towards the front doors of the room and the exit of the school. "Hey, hey look."
    James followed his gaze. "What?"
    "Snivellus, and Lily."
    "I am aware that they are in communications." James grumbled, his gaze shifting to a glare.
    Sirius sighed. "No I mean, they are saying goodbye, don't they live near each other?"
    "Uh..." James thought for a second. "Yea maybe?"
    "Come on." Sirius mumbled, standing, and leading the other off hurriedly down the narrow passage between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables towards the front hall.
    "Have good Christmas." Lily smiled at Severus in the charming beautiful way that made James want to punch Severus in the face just for receiving it. He didn't though, he was a spy now. "I'll write, and I expect you to write as well."
    Severus nodded, he looked grim. "Have a great Christmas, you should be going, the train will leave soon-"
    "Leaving Evans?" James stepped into her view with a half smile firmly on his lips. "Have a great Christmas, and all that."
    Lily scowled. "You too." She looked apologetically towards Severus before turning and leaving the school.
    James was gone again before Severus had the chance to turn and see him. "Well she didn't insalt me this time." James grinned as he and Sirius walked back to Gryffindor tower. "I am calling that encounter a success."
    Sirius grinned. "You also managed to break up their sap, that, in and of itself, is a success."
    James chuckled. "Also true."

    Hours passed slowly in the first day in the castle, it was strange and vaguely lonely looking when you could walk around for hours and not see a single other student. James, Sirius, and Remus walked the halls on days that gave them nothing to do.
    It felt as though you should whisper wherever you go, the atmosphere a library has. Sirius didn't seem to give it a second thought, his rampage of laughs and stories echoed over the hallways and eventually James was joined in the laughter. Neither seemed to care enough to lower their voices, and it got worse and worse as the hours ticked long.
    "It's so boring with no one here..." Sirius groaned, turning a corner so fast his robes were flicked up.
    "Hey." A grin stretched long over James's lips. "Let's go Snivellus hunting."
    Sirius grinned and chuckled. "Oh! Lets!"
    Remus sighed, shrugging. "Alright."
    "Yes!" Sirius smiled, theatrically strutting down the halls towards the library. "Marauders- minus Wormtail because he's a twat and went home- mission objective; hunt down Snivellus."
    James smiled, and with a skip in his step, caught up to Sirius and continued their excited march down to the library. They were right in their assumptions, walking into the library it was hard to miss the tall lanky greasy boy with jet black hair leaning over a book down a row of books directly in front of the counter the librarian was currently sitting behind, leaning back in her large padded chair with a dazed look of boredom on her face.
    Until she noticed the three Marauders walk into the room. She gave them a sharp look and put a finger over her lips muttering. "Better keep quiet."
    James and Sirius just walked past her, Remus gave her an apologetic look as he followed behind, giving her a small nod of assurance that he knew she didn't believe would help. James looped around one side of the books, out of Severus's view, Sirius was a step behind. Remus was staying out of view somewhere else but he had a clear view of where his friends target sat.
    "Rictusempra" James muttered under his breath, flicking his wand gently.
    Severus doubled over, gasping, letting out panicked stressed laughs. He couldn't even look around as James, Sirius, and Remus quickly hurried out of the room stifling their own laughter as they were followed out by the sound of the librarian calling. "Severus, if you cannot control your laughter-" The door was shut.
    "That worked so much better than I thought it would."  James laughed, leaning forward and clutching his sore stomach.
    Sirius had such a wide grin over his face that it looked like it might split in half horizontally. "Mission complete, so I am going to add a new objective, do this for the entire winter break."
    Remus chuckled. "Never gonna leave him alone huh?"
    "Never." James faked offense. "Snivellus personally offended me by being so snuggle snuggle with Lily."
    "Besides, he is so blatant with his greatness in our classes, showing us up in potions, he could use an ego check." Sirius's grin only grew wider.
    "He needs an ego check?" Remus looked up towards the painting of the fat lady, and muttered the password.
    "Don't give us that Moony, you love us." James grinned.
    Remus plopped down into a chair by the fireplace, and pulled out a blank folded piece of parchment. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."
    The blank parchment was replaced with black ink that moved randomly reading;