Barking Mad (Sirius/OC)

Happy Christmas, your arse

This chapter is all about girlpower and Lily! 

Chapter 22

You cheap lousy ######, Happy Christmas, your arse, I pray God it's our last.

~ Fairytale of New York - ThePogues

Lily and I had a blissful break. I hadn't expected to have fun after all that had happened, but somehow Lily was able to get my mind off a certain person.

Not that she could stop the nightmares coming back at full strength though. I think the emotional stress of having Sirius Black leave my life brought them on. After all crying yourself to sleep had a way of making you regret every bad thing you ever did in life. It certainly wasn't the right state of mind to avoid nightmares, let me tell you that. I had them every night now and they were worse than ever before. I'd wake up screaming and kicking as tears streamed down my face.

I could tell that Lily was waiting for me to explain, but I didn't utter a word about it. She woke me up when I had them, held me when I cried and I felt bad for her. I really did. She looked as tired as I felt and that was all my fault. "Maybe I should ask to get a sleeping drought," I told Lily, staring at my feet as we walked back to the Great Hall.

It was the first Monday of school and Hogwarts was once more filled to the brim with students. Lily had her arm hooked in mine and walked with a cheerful smile on her face. Her smile didn't even dim when she answered. "If you don't like taking potions then you shouldn't. I would, however, sleep better if you'd consider it." Lily waved her fingers at Trey Sullivan, when we passed him.

I couldn't stop the giggle that escaped me. "You little minx," I teased.

Lily didn't even blush but winked. "Oh, he brings out the worst in me." She made her free hand in a claw and dragged it across my shoulder blade, as she stared after the Hufflepuff lustfully.

I howled with laughter. "Make sure Potter never sees you doing that, Lils," I giggled.

She waggled her eyebrows. "Potter never will, rest assured."

I laughed. "When are you going to talk to him?" I asked as we sat down at the Gryffindor table.

Lily sat down on my right and pushed me a bit aside, so she could see Trey better. Damn, she had it bad. "He's so fine," she sighed dreamily.

"What happened to you not having any crushes?" I grinned.

"Ah hush, absence makes the heart grow fonder."

I laughed again and shook my head when I had calmed down enough to manage such a feat. "And here I thought I was the only insane one."

Lily huffed at that and gave me a mock glare. "You are!"

I stuck out my tongue and she made a scissors kind of motion. We laughed again, but the laughter quickly died in my throat when I saw the Marauders pass us by. Sirius was studiously not looking my way, but James' eyes were focused on Lily's form.

Lily stopped laughing too, and stared at her empty plate. "Tell me when they're gone," she whispered.

I raised an eyebrow. "Am I not supposed to be the one allowed to hide?"

"You've never been one to hide, Nika," Lily said as she played with her knife.

I cringed at that. She had absolutely no idea. "They're gone," I finally said when they sat down a couple of seats away from us. "Anyway back to Trey, when are you going to ask him out?"