✧MERRY CHRISTMAS✧

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Surprisingly enough, Aurora had woken up at the cutting time of 8:30. And by the low mumbles she heard that the boys were up, probably planning a little prank on her...So that's how they want to play it eh?

So be it.

In making a record of this did she go to her shopping bag from last night and following the instructions to get the actual camera ready itself.

As the time came closer to nine, she put on the shower in the bathroom connected to her room in hopes that it would distract them for a moment or two.

Okay so perhaps she charmed herself to go undetected by the ministry, but it was such a good investment from an elder year that what was the harm. So transfiguring a bucket and summoning some snow from outside did she plant it infant of the door so when they do come in they'd be drenched in snow.

With her own countdown she smirked as she heard their light footsteps coming towards her room. Enacting her ears was easier than one would admit now, to be honest it was harder to keep them away than just have them in.

Course none of them wanted to knock, and so when the door swooshed opened Aurora had given the bucket a few seconds so that they were all under it and then— 

"AURORA?!" Sirius yelled, and she came out of the corner and flashed her camera.

Her laughter had warmed Remus' heart, even if his body was freezing from the cold. Granted they were going to wake her up in a smiler way and she pointed to their own hands.

"Hm, and what were you going to do Siri?" He had been caught unprepared and red-handed. 

"M-merry Christmas?" He offered, and she giggled and tackled him with a hug.

"Conniving little devil you bunch are, I need to get the gifts and get dressed!" She cheered, and the entire lot of them left mumbling under their breath on how hard it was to prank Aurora Black.

Course she had her own map and peeked at it more times than not, so on an effort they tried. But it didn't prove to be that helpful.

However, the young girl was lugging down a very large bag down the stairs and smiled to her brother who aided her the second he saw her struggling. 

"Can throw a bloody quaffle, but someone's got to help you carry this down the stairs." Although it confused the adults on why Aurora flicking her brother in the nose was so hilarious in their eyes...They continued to settle gently through and through. The parents were on the far end, and although they hadn't expected anything from the children. Both Sirius and his sister had teamed up in hopes of getting something that they would like.

A thank you more or less.

As they returned to the kiddo side of the gift wrapping, James had been slightly confused as to why his parents would've gotten him a ring with the word 'P' on it. It didn't rightly look like a family heirloom, rather it was newer.

But before he could get up and ask his parents where it had come from, it glistened the smallest bit to see a Stag shine in the background. And instantly his eyes connected to Aurora's as he soon tackled her with a hug.

"HELP! HELP JAMESIE OFF!" She giggled, and Sirius himself had been confused on his mate's behavior towards his sister, but Prongs had been too busy admiring the ring that there was no way he could be talked to.

So when he finally got to his sister's gift, he started smallest then largest. Ripping off the package and then groaning that it was probably the necklace that he had seen Rabastan wear religiously.

But the boy had been dead wrong.

Much like James', it held the 'P' lettering and it oddly confused him...Looking to her in question did she simply wink, and so he returned back to it. And just like James' did a sort of mutt appear in the background, the added bonus of his star out in the background.

"...Do...Do you like it Siri?" She mumbled, and over the clatter and ripping had the rest not seen the interaction except perhaps for James who was still confused.

"You...You bloody made this?!" He hissed, and she nodded and smiled along. "I made everyone one, but I did buy them something too...I just thought that you guys should have something as a group you know, other than the map and the—" So it had been the second tackle. Confusing the adults once again, but Aurora had leaned into it so they assumed that she had adored the gift.

"How did you—" She turned to him and jazzed her hands as she simply replied: "Alchemy" to the boy.

So when Peter had managed to get to Aurora's gift as well, he was excited to see that his indeed was personalized as well as the rest. But otherwise he had been nervous to say anything more than a thankyou.

"What'd you put on his?" Sirius whispered, and she simply smiled and winked once again as she tapped the wrapping. "Come on, I had to go through a lot of people to get this." It peeked his interest and so he continued further, but the second he had felt the leather he instantly grew excited. Yanking it out and putting it on to see how it fits.

"So it does match your aesthetic of muggle rock bands. Brilliant!" She cheered, and had it not been for Hope's laughter to see Sirius in the jacket, the parents wouldn't have found it until later at breakfast.

So while James and the two siblings had been teasing each other, Remus had finally gotten to Aurora's gift. Course he was excited to see the best of the best of Honeydukes, but like the rest to come across the small little box that housed his own ring.

Course his held a very neat penmanship of 'M' that he instantly took for Moony. Not that he hated the name, but it was an unneeded to wear a constant reminder from his mates and now a ring?

However, the second his ring enacted the moon phase in the background his face paled. "You aight mate?" James offered, but his face was directed to Aurora. And since it had been the fourth time she pouted looking a bit nervous.

"I didn't rightly want to put an arse on the ring, so I thought that Moony went with me and you studying for Astronomy so...I dunno...But the Marauders need a little bling." She pointed off to the sides of the rings and the boys all took a look. That was the only similarity that they had to each other.

So when Sirius pulled her into a hug once again, James joined in humming along as she was being squeezed by bothering her brother's cheek to her's and James' to her opposite one.

"Merry Christmas you crazy boys." She spoke, patting their cheek with her free hands. And since they were humming some Christmas tunes, Remus offered a smile to Aurora.

After putting the ring onto his finger he surprisingly felt a relief wash over him and while the two 'brother's' were distracted she came over closer to him.

"I put a calmness charm over it, I guess you enacted it by accident. The little m's on the side, all you have to do is rub it." He nodded and turned off the charm, but that is when he to brought her into a hug. 

"Thanks Rory, must've been tough to get through this aye?"

"I made Lily, Mery and my roommate's ones too. Same with Reg and my parents. You four were the hardest to be honest." He smiled as it was a very important practice, but when she tapped his nose she stated: "Now I don't want to hear another bloody word about Alchemy or else I'm going to take them back." Sirius instantly held it to his heart and screamed his protests like the princess he truly was.

And with that given title did Aurora offer to braid his hair, although he disagreed. It wasn't truly a fight as his k9 senses had kicked into overdrive as her hands massaged his head.

Course nobody voiced it again, and the parents assumed to see siblings commit to one another. Or they'd catch the two laying on one another as if it were normal.

Since Sirius had put on the leather jacket, he had kept it on. Stating that it was going to be worn all over Hogsmeade. 

"Hey! I don't want you to snog some poor girl in it Siri!" She pouted, and he danced around the idea that it would be the perfect eye catcher for some more muggle-born witches who favor the leather.

"Yeah well, what did Lestrange get you for Christmas Rory." He spoke, drifting off the topic and she shrugged and mentioned that it was still upstairs. However, in that instant did her head shoot off towards the window. And although the rest assumed that she was going to go and open said gift from her bloke, instead she found herself looking out the window.

"It's going to snow..." She whispered, but it was loud enough for the rest of the boys to hear a bit. 

"Can we go outside! Please oh please!" The young girl cheered, and although Remus wasn't up to the cold, the given look of pure glee on Rory's face said it all.

Time and time again would Sirius say that they weren't allowed much time outdoors, seeing as their house didn't have a yard and the only time would be at other estates if they were lucky.

"It's not snowing Rory what the hell are you going on about?" And like the world wanted to prove her brother wrong, she smiled and nodded as it was just beginning to snow.

Sirius thought long ago that his sister could have the workings of a seer, why of course...Why not just add it to the list of things she's blessed and excel it one step closer. Remus oh so cuttingly patted his back and claimed his faulty ways as the rest of the boys were off to get dressed for their winter excursions.

Course Aurora, who was more than excited and pumped with energy was the first out. Twirling around in the snow with her camera sticky on her chest as she looked to the rest of the boys. "Merlin Rory not even five minutes outside and your nose is red!" To retaliate, she brought her camera up towards her eyes. Remus knowing quite well what it is smiled brightly to it, only for the rest of the pureblood to look mighty appalled.

"It's a muggle camera, Remmy helped me pick it out. Isn't it neat! It prints out the pictures right on the spot!" She shared, but stared in confusion as it was only a black picture. "Maybe I did it wrong?" 

"Have to wave it Rory, it's developing." She looked in confusion but did what he instructed, yet the smile widen on her face when she saw the picture actually come to.

"You guys look so cute!" For Sirius was the best comment he could take considering it'd be strange for his sister to call him handsome or anything in the realm of what other gals her age or older would call him.

On the other side however, James was completely in denial of this 'cute' standing. "We're not cute!" He shouted, and she attempted to hide her giggles as she came over to the tall boy and squeezed his cheeks.
 "Fine, how about adorable." 

"That's even worse!" He argued, she simply shrugged before finding interest elsewhere.

Among the rest of the rest of the houses, it was known that Ravenclaw's could ether hold interest in something or lose it within a moment's notice, and this was just a normal case of it.

So while she off taking pictures of the snow and giggling to herself, the boys all looked off to her brother in question of the rings. "Oi, I don't even want to know when she had time to bloody mass produce rings...Look they're all different!" He offered, showing his own ring.

Course Remus was meant to be different because he himself wasn't an animal like the rest. But since Rory had been cooking up the reasoning in the back of her mind for him to see reason.

And he indeed bought it.

In terms of how much it was actually snowing, enough and blanketed the yard so that the entire lot of them started to throw their share of snowballs and in Remus' and Aurora's case, make a snowman.

"I think you'd like frosty the snowman." 

"What's that about?" And the entire mounting of each rolled up ball had the half-blood explained the magical story of a snowman who was brought to life for one entire day...

After dinner, Lyall had returned for a few moments and asked Aurora she had wanted to see the farm iits's entirety. She looked so unbelievably happy with that as well as it gave the Potter's a moment to breath and have their house to themselves for a change.

The girl had simply wanted to see the animals up close and in person and Merlin had she taken pictures of the whole lot of them.

Lyall himself was ecstatic to see her energy and babble on about random facts that she picked up in Magical Creatures. 

"Such a shame that Remmy isn't taking the class, but I guess after living with them the class wouldn't be much use." The father didn't want to mention the idea of her saying 'Remmy' as a nickname. But she seemed to do that with all the boys with an 'ie' perhaps it was a gal thing, he'd have to ask his wife after everything.

And it was even a blessing to bake some cookies with hope as she saw the muggle effort in finding her way around the kitchen, however the house itself wasn't big enough for everyone to sleep comfortable. So by the time it turned to almost ten at night, they returned to the Potter's manner and Aurora herself had fell asleep in the company of the boys.

"Circi, she's out cold." 

"Sure dad and her's conversation is what really tired her out...Wither liked her too." It was true, the given Hippogryiff had been rather amused by a new face and her very spunk attitude.

With that being said the boys simply kept quiet and talked around, planning a few things here and there. But the girl just needed a small nap before she peeked out of the blanket her brother had put over her.

"What time is it?" She mumbled, and Sirius all too readily pounced beside her shook her back and forth. "Come on Rory it's midnight! Wakey wakey! The best ideas always come at midnight!" She pouted and curled back up. "Who told you that?"

The devilish grin and chuckles around the room had her assumed that she herself had said it one time or another. "Okay, but that was last year. I'm older now and therefore wiser." Sirius ulitmently had gotten her when he used his puppy dog eyes on her.

Ever since she tied up his hair the other day, he asked her again to do the same. Yet she had to go upstairs and get a band.

When she did come upstairs she found that there were more than a few gifts that made their way to the Potter's house. Both Lily and Mary knew that she was coming here so she took the moment to open their gifts.

The fiery red head had gotten her these lovely earrings while Mary had gotten her a muggle dress that was surprisingly beautiful and Aurora found herself trying it on before returning downstairs.

It had been blue, loose on the shoulders meaning that it was a summer or spring design. Along with that, it left much to the imagination as the lace was very complimentary, perhaps she could wear it for her birthday this year.

When she returned back downstairs she was still reading Lily's note and she rolled her eyes at the poor girl having to listen to her older sister banter of being called a freak. But Aurora had confined with the same fear to Lily as she felt like the witches' version of a freak.

The girl was simply peculiar, while Lily was peculiar in the world of muggles.

"Is the one of a hundred of apologies from your little Lestrange?" Sirius offered and she shook her head. "No, Lils sent me a christmas gift and—" It was as if she unleashed a demon because James managed to take a jump over the couch and asked to read the letter.

"Absolutely blood not!" She spoke, stomping down her foot as a given rule of thumb. "And no, but another two letters came from him today..." The disgust on her face was propionate and it confused James.

"Really? Thought you'd be waiting by the window for a letter from Mr.Lestrange." 

"I do not...Besides he's a git for what he—nevermind." She shook her head, and when Sirius was about to say something she took his earlobe in hand and yanked it down.

"Not a word." She hissed, making James stand at attention for hearing something so similar to Salem. 

"What do you mean not a word, how can I not? The bastard asked her to shag."

Now Peter, as everyone could agree to, was always silent around his friends and mostly laughed at the rest of their jokes. So seeing him downright plan a forceful attack had the rest of them shocked to see him undergo this aggression.

"No, Harper and Izzy just said to give him the cold shoulder. And he knows it too considering his third letter said something along the lines of him knowing I'm ignoring him since we're suppose to be at Hogwarts...Besides, Rachel said she shagged him when she—" Her eyes sparked in the instant, and so Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Rory you're a shit liar, honestly, just tell me the truth." She shook her head. 

"Well she was angry for what you did to her and so she attacked me and said that she slept with Raba—Rabastan. Then the whole thing where he asked me and I just—I dunno." With her now growing visibly upset did James hug her from behind and plant his head onto her shoulder.

"You're better than that Rory, what did I say first year? You're soaring,the cold bastard is just prey on the ground." He grinned, and so she kissed his cheek and hummed. 

"That was a good analogy Jamesie, I'll have to remember that when I tell Lily how my holiday went." If it were possible then he grinned even wider, forcing her into a twirl yet returning her to the same position as once they started.

"How are you so collected with me, yet you talk out of your arse when Lils is around?" She question, and the grin suddenly turned into a frown. "That's not true!" 

"'Hey Evans! Hey! Evan's look at me!' Ring any bells?" The rest of the boys tried to reason with him, and the only hope they had in getting him to calm down was Aurora's promise to talk to Lily herself.

Course that wouldn't venture well, but it was the attempts that truly mattered.

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Date Posted: 03-14-19

Time: 3:18

Words: 3348

Spring break next week! Let me tell you I'm releieved. I NEED summer right now.