The Mini Marauder.

Chapter 9

"Emerald, Sirius wake up it's Christmas." James called pulling the blanket off them. Emerald groaned and reached out for the blanket. Sirius on the other hand leapt out of the bed as quick as he could. 

"Emerald come on." James begged dragging her out of the bed. 

"Five more minutes."

"Don't you want to open your presents." 

"Presents?" She asked. 

"Yes presents." 

"Well what are we waiting for." She ran out the door. 

James chased her and Sirius chased him. Emerald flew down the stairs and James ran after her. Sirius fell down the stairs. 

"Come on Prongs." Sirius yelled getting up. 

"Yeah come on James." Emerald called already at the living room door. 

"God I was the first one up." James grouched. 

"Look look there's a present from Peter and Remus and Antonin and other people I don't know." 

"They're your friends from when you were older." Sirius explained picking one up cautiously. 

"I had friends?" 

"Yeah you did." 

"Wow." She knelt and pulled out Remus's present. 

She carefully unwrapped it and pulled out a big bar of honeydukes chocolate and a book of muggle fairytales. 

She had sent Remus a friendship bracelet and a book he had been looking at in the bookshop when he thought she was talking to someone else. 

Peter's present was a friendship bracelet making kit. She smiled and put it carefully beside Remus's present. 

She had sent Peter a box of sugar quill because she knew he loved them more than any other sweet. 

James had gotten her a big fluffy Christmas jumper which she instantly put on. 

She had gotten him a book called Quidditch Through The Ages and made him a friendship bracelet. 

"How on earth did you get this? It came out last week." James gasped pulling the book out of the paper. "Actually more importantly how did you get anything at all you were with us all the time." She shrugged and smiled innocently.

Her present from Sirius was really big and she had to drag it out from under the tree. She opened the wrapping paper and there was a toy castle with loads of knights, princes, princesses kings and queens. She gasped her eyes going round with excitement. 

"You just had to outshine the rest of us, didn't you Pads?" James whispered playfully. 

"It's what I do." He replied. 

He opened his gift from Emerald and pulled out a box. He opened it and saw a bracelet. He glanced up at Emerald who was too immersed in her new toy to pay attention to anything around her. He lifted it up and saw an engraving on the inside. 

Sirius Black. The coolest Marauder.

He grinned and slipped it onto his wrist along with the friendship bracelet which also came in the package. Then he picked up the five year old and gave her a bear hug. 

"Thanks Pup you're the best." 

"If I'm the best will you play with me. You too James." They nodded and sat down next to the castle. "Sirius you be the princess, because you're pretty and dramatic. Then James you be King, because even though you can be a bit bossy your really nice and handsome as well. Then I'll be the knight because I'm awesome." 

Sirius smirked at the pretty bit but he wasn't sure about the dramatic bit. James was offended that he was bossy but she made up for it with the nice and handsome part. 

James played with them for about an hour before wandering off. 

Sirius was having the time of his life playing with Emerald. He never knew how fun toy castles were. 

After Emerald slayed the dragon, battled the evil queen and saved Sirius from the wicked sorcerer Euphemia called them both in for Christmas dinner. 

Emerald held Sirius's hand and they both swaggered into the room. 

"I was saved by the gallant knight from the evil queen, fearsome dragon and wicked sorcerer how was your afternoon Prongs?" Sirius asked sitting down. 

"I helped Mum with dinner." He shrugged. 

"Boring." He pulled a face. 

"Okay all of you go wash your hands before eating." Euphemia called. 

"Mum we're not five anymore." 

"I'm five!" Emerald grinned. 

"Exactly. So you have to wash your hands." The three of them walked off sullenly. 

They all sat around the table talking and eating. 

Sirius and James were chatting and playing with Emerald while Euphemia and Fleamont watched happily. 

"You have to eat vegetables." James lectured putting carrots and parsnip on her plate.

"But James they're not nice. Unless you cooked them Mrs Potter then they're amazing." 

Euphemia laughed. "No James made them sweetheart." 

"Three carrots and three parsnips and you can have dessert." James bargained. Emerald considered his offer before nodding. "Good girl." 

It was the night of the ball and they were having the same argument with Emerald all over again. 

"No dresses." She yelled from under the bed. 

"Fine no dresses. What do you want to wear?" 

"Pyjamas and I want to go to sleep." 

"Why do you want to go to sleep?" Sirius asked. 

"So I can go to Neverland. I read about it in Remus's book and then I started going there in my dreams. It's really cool."

"Well you can go to Neverland later you little monkey." James laughed dragging her out from under the bed. 

"But Jamesssss." 

"A few hours then we can leave." 

"Maybe we should let her go in pyjamas Prongsie. Imagine the looks on all of their faces when the pureblood princess turns up in pyjamas." 

"Who's the pureblood princess?" Emerald asked as she grabbed her pyjamas from the wardrobe. 

"Well that's you." 

"Oh. Can I really wear pyjamas?" 

"Of course you can Pup. Your clothes your choice." 

She put on her snitched onesie and yawned. 

"Already tired and we haven't even gone to the party yet." James chuckled and picked her up. "What are we gonna do with you?" 

"Let me sleep." She mumbled lying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. 

They walked into the ballroom. Sirius was wearing his signature leather jacket with a muggle band t-shirt. James was wearing a hoodie that said 'sorry I'm late I didn't want to come' written on it. Emerald was in her onesie and was dead asleep on James's shoulder. Overall not what you would expect at a ball.

"Well this is going to be hell." Sirius groaned as he spotted his 'family.'