Rose's bed dipped wildly around her, jostled by repetitive bouncing. Her ears were assaulted with cheerful, loud screaming. Like any Marauder, Rose muttered an obscenity and pulled her pillow over her head, hoping that the irritant would go the Salazar away. Her pillow was savagely ripped from her arms, Lily beaming down at her.
"Up! Uppity, uppity up! It's Christmas!"
"Sod off," Rose grumbled, eyes shutting again. "S'too early."
Lily bounced up and down again eagerly. "It's never too early, Rosie. It's Christmas!"
Rose opened bleary eyes, glaring up at her unconscionably cheerful twin sister. Her dressing gown hit her in the face, Lily grinning unrepentantly at her. Having a morning person for a twin really wasn't as much fun as it might get cracked up to be.
"Good morning, Lily," Rose smiled sweetly, Lily bouncing up and down again. It was a pity that the Marauders never pranked on Christmas day, because her sister was looking like a prime target from where Rose was sitting.
Slade's Merry Christmas Everybody blasted suddenly through the silence, laughter bubbling out of Rose's mouth.
"PADFOOT!"
"Lighten up, Prongs, it's Christmas!"
"Merlin's beard," Remus groaned, standing in the doorway with his dressing gown on over his pyjamas. "Happy Christmas, Rosie, Lily."
"Merry Christmas, Remus," Lily beamed, eyes twinkling like gems.
Rose smothered a yawn and pulled her own dressing gown on. "Merry Christmas, Remmy," Rose smiled, kissing him on the cheek. "Let's go see if the others have left us any presents to open."
"Oi!" James growled, standing at the top of the stairs with his untamable hair even messier than usual. "I resent that slanderous and unfestive implication."
"Means it's true, mate," Sirius' voice smirked, coming from his guest room. He emerged in black pyjama pants and a fading Queen tee, smirk morphing into a smile at the sight of Rose. "Good morning, Rosebud. Merry Christmas."
The words, delivered in the same tone as last night, brought heat into Rose's cheeks, and she resisted the urge to duck her head from sight. "Is it? And Merry Christmas, Siri."
Lily made a noise of disgust in her throat, neither of them paying attention as Sirius kissed her much more chastely than last night. Rose ran her hands down his chest as they pulled away, Peter levelling them with an impatient look.
"Christmas, reindeer, presents?" Peter prompted, tapping his foot. "Any of them ring a silver bell?"
"Ooh, seasonal," Remus approved, muffling a yawn with his hand.
"C'mon, stop lollygagging," James clapped his hands. "I can hear presents calling to me."
"You're a Marauder, you haven't been good this year at all," Lily smirked, James fixing her with a mock wounded pout.
"Well, I'm a Marauder, and I've been very good," Sirius grinned, ignoring the way Remus' jaw dropped open. "Shut up, Moony."
"Marauders prerogative," the werewolf winked, acting the little shit so very few people knew him to be.
"Oh, it's Christmas," Rose sighed joyously, shuffling backwards towards her room. Lily wrapped her arm around Rose's, tugging her downstairs like they were five years old again. Remus detoured into the kitchen, returning almost instantly with mugs of tea and hot chocolate. "You're a genius, Rem."
"Modesty forbids," Remus replied teasingly, James almost lunging for his mug of tea. "You're welcome, Prongs."
"Yeah, yeah. Ta, Moons."
YOU ARE READING
I Solemnly Swear
FanfictionSirius Black/OC! Rose Evans was a perfectly abnormal girl, thank you very much. A freak, a prankster, a twin, David Bowie's greatest fan. And, on the summer of her eleventh year, she received a letter unlike any other. She was a witch. Oh, but she w...
