/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝟔.𝟞.𝟦

"I desire the things that will destroy me in the end." ~ Sylvia Plath

~december 1976~ ((continued))

Artemis spent Christmas at the Potter's, satisfied in the knowledge that Sirius wouldn't be there. He'd been dragged back to his family's house, and Art was conflicted on how to feel at this, but the guilt faded when she thought about all of her reasons for hating him. It was the logical direction to take. He'd been a jerk to her, so of course she should hate him.

On Christmas morning, James pounced on her in bed like a little kid excited that Santa had visited the night before. "Art! Art!" he said, shaking her awake. "Come on, let's open presents!"

"What are you, five?" she mumbled, pushing him off of her and rolling over.

He tumbled off of the bed with a crash and laid on his back, groaning. "Artemis... come on... I'm dying..."

"You're not."

He ignored her. "My only last wish is that you tell my mother I love her... and also come downstairs and open presents with me..."

Her head peered over the side of the bed, her hair wild and all over the place. "You're the most annoying person I know." But she swung her legs down and stood up, stepping on James on her way to her dresser to grab a sweater.

"Ouch!" he curled into a ball. "You've done it! You've killed me! Tell the Marauders to keep going without me! Build an arcade in Hogwarts in my memory!"

She looked back at him with raised eyebrows, unable to keep a smile off her face. "Are you coming or not?"

"Oh- yeah-" He sprang from the floor and followed her down the stairs to the living room, where Mr. and Mrs. Potter were already sitting with mugs of coffee in front of the fireplace.

Mr. Potter looked up serenely when James and Artemis entered. "I told him not to wake you, Art. There's coffee in the kitchen."

"Thanks," said Artemis, heading to the kitchen to pour herself an enormous mug of coffee.

When she got back to the living room, James was already sorting through the gifts under the tree. It felt like Christmas when Artemis was a kid, when she and Percy would eagerly wake their parents and divide the presents under the tree before tearing through them with enlivened anticipation.

She hadn't been expecting any presents, but James dumped a pile of parcels marked "Artemis" next to her on the couch before sitting on the floor in front of her with his own pile.

It was one of the best mornings Artemis had ever had. She opened all of her gifts- makeup and books from Lily, Marlene, and Mary; books and chocolate from Remus; a new necklace from the Potters; and a subscription to Vogue from her mother.