The Marauders: Year One (female)

59. A Sorry Excuse For A Witch 15.12

It was a lot colder around the castle, and Christmas was definitely well on its way. Filch, McGonagall, and Flitwick had all been busy hanging up decorations, and Dumbledore had even been seen sporting long, red robes identical to the Muggle legend, Santa Claus, and a bright red hat with a white pom-pom on the end.

The students walked around Hogwarts wearing thick scarves, woolly hats, and a ridiculous number of layers. Sirius had even been given a detention for wearing her velvet bed-spread in Charms as a cape.

Lillian had sent his reply back to Remus, and the First Year girls had all written another group letter, on Sirius' suggestion after she had finally read her letter, instead of sending private, individual letters.

Sirius knew that if they all wrote one letter together, that Remus wouldn't be able to acknowledge the letter Sirius had sent her, or the reply. The whole ordeal was proving to be far too taxing, and Sirius honestly wished she'd either waited to ask her to her face, or never said anything at all. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realised that writing it in a letter was stupid, because anyone could intercept it and read it, particularly if they were trying to injure Remus.

That morning, when Professor McGonagall had come around at breakfast, asking for the names of people who would be staying over the up-coming break, none of the First Years had put down their names, and only a few of the older students had decided to stay. That surprised Lillian. With the amount of complaining Sirius did about her family, and from the rumours he'd heard about the Blacks from other students, he was astonished that Sirius wanted to go home at all.

Perhaps it was about Regula. Lillian could understand that. His own parents hadn't been replying to his own letters, and instead of accepting this cold dismissal, Lillian was determined to go home and find out what in the fresh hell was going on, even if he was unwanted.

As he walked down to Potions, Alex at his side, he tried to ignore Sirius and Jamie as they skipped down the corridor, arm in arm, singing re-vamped versions of Muggle and Wizard Christmas songs.

'Jingle bells,
Slughorn smells,
Slytherins are prats!

Snivella's born in a ditch
A sorry excuse for a witch
I wish a hippogriff would
Stamp her flat!'

Lillian groaned as they ended this in theatrical opera with a flourish.

Mason clapped his hands in applause, until Lillian glared at him.

'You're not funny, Potter!' Lillian called.

Jamie turned around to grin at him. 'Aren't I, love?'

'No, you're not. And don't call me that, you sick son of a Murtlap.'

'All right, love,' said Jamie, grinning all the wider, and skipped off with Sirius to sing in front of the angered Slytherins themselves.

'What. A. Toad.' Lillian stood still, his arms folded over his books, trying to kill Jamie with his eyes.

Alex shrugged. 'It was sorta funny, I guess. And I'm not sure why you're freaking out so much. Those Slytherins give you hell for -- you know,' he finished awkwardly.

Marius nodded in agreement. 'He's got a point, you know. And Snape doesn't seem to do much to defend you. Funny sort of friend, if you ask me.'

Lillian, who had been looking down at the floor, looked up suddenly. 'Well I didn't,' he snapped, and walked ahead of the others, leaving them bewildered.

He felt bad for lashing out at them, but he wished they'd stop talking about Severa. It wasn't like she let the Slytherins bully Lillain on purpose. The Gryffindors didn't understand what it was even like in Slytherin, and just how lucky they were.