It was finally December 24th. Everyone in Gryffindor were helping decorate the common room for the party that night. Lily, Laura, Remus and James were sat by the fire making decorations to hang. Sirius had run down to the kitchens to ask the elves to provide them with food.

"So Lily-"

"-No."

James sighed and carried on making decorations; Laura and Remus smirked at each other.

"Come on James, you're not giving up now are you? Twenty-seventh time lucky?" Remus asked smirking. James glared.

"Don't encourage him Remus!" Lily sighed.

"I'll stop encouraging him when you stop trying to set us up," he replied, thumbing to Laura. Laura looked down at her lap, trying to hide her red face.

"But you two are made for each other! Just, realise it!"

Laura covered her face and whimpered quietly, she'd never been so embarrassed. She glanced up and saw James laughing.

"This isn't funny!" she snapped. James laughed more.

"It's hilarious! You're mortified and Remus doesn't give one."

"Hey! I do care!" Remus argued. Laura jumped up.

"I'm going on a walk."

Before anyone could tell her to stop she ran out of the common room. The corridors were empty and freezing. She wandered slowly down the corridor, thinking about what to do. Whether to forget about Sirius and go and be happy with Remus. Or wait and see where Sirius stands. There were too many options and someone would feel bad no matter what she chose. She dragged her feet along the stone floor, staring at them as she shuffled slowly down the corridor. She quickly became accustomed to the cold, ignoring the shivering and bluing hands. There was a loud creaking behind her followed by running footsteps.

"Laura wait! I thought you'd like your coat or something."

Laura turned round, Remus was jogging towards her holding her coat. He stopped in front of her and draped it round her shoulders.

"Wow, you're freezing already!"

Laura smiled weakly; "well, it is cold out here."

Remus wrapped an arm round her and led her off down the corridor. Neither said anything and walked with shy smiles on their faces.

"So... How're things?" Remus finally asked. Laura laughed, shaking head.

"Really Remus? That's all you have to say?"

"Well, uh..."

"Ask me what you really want to ask."

Laura hoped if Remus asked honestly, and without coercion from his friends, she'd know what to answer. If she wasn't feeling it, she'd say no, if she felt butterflies she knew to say yes. Remus turned to face her and took her hands, looking deep into her eyes.

"Run away with me?"

Laura laughed nervously. She didn't know how to respond, he wasn't sticking to the script; "what?"

"Just me and you, we have the world at our feet, we can go wherever we want, do whatever we want!"

"Remus, we're only fifteen."

"So? Just think, one day we can be in France, the next we could be in Italy, no boundaries, no school, no stupid boys."

Laura laughed again; "you're not a boy?"

Remus smirked; "more man than boy, and I'm certainly not stupid!"

"You're not stupid at all... I just don't know... I'm fifteen Remus! I have trouble doing some of the simplest spells, I have no chance out in the real world. Besides, no one got anywhere without finishing school."

"So... It's a no?"

"No for now, when we graduate, to France?"

Remus' face broke out into the biggest grin she'd ever seen on anyone; "we don't have to go to France, where would you like to go?"

Laura laughed and let go of one of his hands, pulling him down the corridor; "I don't know... Russia?"

"Russia? Really?"

"Well, maybe not..."

Remus smiled and squeezed her hand gently. They walked down the corridor talking about the future when they heard Sirius and Raven further down the corridor.

"Quick," Remus whispered, pulling Laura into a dark alcove, behind a pillar. They waited to see Sirius trudging down the corridor, Raven clung to his arm describing what they would do if they got a moment alone. Sirius nodded along uncomfortably, trying to get away.

In the common room, Lily and James were standing each others' company for once.

"What do you think they're up to?" James asked. Lily shrugged.

"No idea, but I honestly hope he's asking her out or something."

"Laura likes him right? I mean, we're not just setting Remus up to get shot down are we?"

"No, not at all, she won't admit it, but it's one of those things, she obviously does. Everytime I mention how much Remus likes her or how they'd make a lovely couple she does this smile, and I don't even think she realises. And she mentioned she would make an advance herself, but she's still a little damaged over what Sirius did."

James nodded; "fair enough... So uh... Are you bringing anyone tonight?"

"You mean have I invited Severus?"

"You haven't have you?"

Lily shook her head; "he wouldn't come even if I had asked."

James nodded and tried to hide his smile; "good."

Lily looked at him sceptically, waiting for him to ask her out; "...Is that it? Good?"

James shrugged; "yeah? Why?"

"Nothing..."

James grinned to himself and continued with what he was doing.

Outside the common room, Raven had Sirius pinned to the wall next to the portrait.

"So what time shall I come?" She asked, smirking seductively. Sirius shook his head.

"Um, any time after seven I think."

"You going to meet me?"

"Where?"

Raven closed the gap between Sirius and herself, pushing her body up against his; "outside the Great Hall?"

"Sure."

"Good..."

She leant her face closer to his, not taking her eyes from his. Her nose rubbed against the tip of Sirius'.

"You're so hot."

Sirius hummed and tried to pull his face away from hers; Raven stroked his face before holding it still.

"Don't struggle, I'm not going to hurt you," she giggled, before forcing her lips to his. Her lip piercing stuck into Sirius' skin, making him groan in pain. Raven took the opportunity to stick her tongue into his mouth, accidentally hitting her teeth on his gums and making them bleed slightly. Raven pulled away and smirked.

"You taste like blood, I like it."

Sirius touched his teeth and looked at his fingers; "I am bleeding! You cut my gums!"

"I'm sorry, come here..."

Raven grabbed his face and pulled him into another deep kiss. During the kiss, she bit him several times, harder than she thought. Sirius finally managed to wrestle her off him.

"Um, save it for later yeah? Don't want to take it out of me? Right?"

Raven smirked; "yeah, sure. I'll see you later babe."

She kissed him once more before sauntering down the corridor. Sirius checked to see if his tongue was bleeding, which it was, before going into the common room. He was instantly greeted by James.

"Padfoot! Where've you been?"

Sirius groaned and sat next to him; "kill me, now."

Lily looked at him oddly; "are you bleeding?"

"Raven forced herself on me, she bit me! A lot! Worst snog I've ever had. Ever!"

James laughed; "why did you snog her?"

"I didn't! She forced herself on me! Please James, I can't do this, please save me."

"I don't know what I can do to help..."

Sirius whimpered and slumped in his seat; "I'm doomed. There's no way I can get out of this."

James patted him on the shoulder; "there there, I'm sure she'll move on to her next victim in no time."

"Yeah, once she's drained me of blood and drank it all."

James smirked; "well, yeah... Oh well."

"Your best friend is about to die and all you can say is oh well?"

"You're not going to die! Chill out!"

Sirius sighed loudly.

Remus and Laura were slowly making their way back to the common room, still holding hands, but in silence. Remus glanced over at Laura and smiled; Laura noticed and looked down at her feet, blushing.

"Are you ok?"

Laura nodded; "I'm fine... I'm not sure if I want to go to the party tonight."

"I know, me neither really..."

"...So why don't we just skip?"

"...Don't know."

They stopped walking and turned to face each other. Remus slid his arms round Laura's waist and pulled her closer, smiling awkwardly.

"You're so pretty you know."

Laura looked at the floor again; "I'm not."

Remus cupped her face and made her look at him; "but you are. I think we should go to the party, I really want to show you off to everyone."

Laura laughed; "show off what? Your bad taste in women?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, I'd be proud to be seen with you anywhere."

Laura nodded and looked up into his eyes. Their faces drew together, meeting in a soft kiss. Laura could feel her stomach doing flips and smiled into the kiss. Remus pulled away, they both looked anywhere but at each other.

"Shall we uh, get back to the common room and get ready?"

Laura nodded; "yeah."

They joined hands once more and continued on to the common room. The moment their friends saw them holding hands, they ran over. Lily dragged Laura upstairs to the girls dorms.

"What happened? Tell me everything! Are you going out now? Was I right? Tell me!"

Laura laughed and calmly sat on her bed; "well..."

Lily jumped down next to her and looked at her like an amazed small child; "go on!"

"Well, he didn't exactly ask me out, but, asked me something to that effect... Then we were just walking around for a while and..."

"...Yes?"

"We kissed."

Lily squealed and bounced about on the bed; "really? Merlin's beard! What was it like?"

Laura smiled awkwardly and shrugged; "it was nice? It gave me butterflies anyway."

Lily squealed and shook Laura; "told you you liked him! You over Sirius now?"

"I suppose."

"Suppose isn't good enough!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sure I will, it won't help that Raven's coming tonight."

"Oh, speaking of Raven... She snogged Sirius against his will before, and bit him a lot, he came into the common room bleeding!"

Laura couldn't help but laugh; "really? Wow."

"Yeah, bet he's regretting being a jerk to you now."

"Hmm..."

Lily jumped off the bed; "anyway, shall we go to dinner early so we can get you ready for the party?"

"Get me ready? What about you?"

"I'm not trying to impress anyone, come on."

The two of them ran down to the common room; Remus was being quizzed by Sirius and James by the fire. Lily grabbed Laura's arm and dragged her out of the common room and down the corridors.

"So what are you going to wear?"

Laura shrugged; "don't know."

"Wear a nice dress."

"I don't think I have one."

"Nonsense, and if not, you can borrow one of mine. I also know some spells to make your hair all nice and fancy, and do your make-up."

"...Is it all really necessary?"

"Yes! I want you to look absolutely stunning to make Remus AND Sirius want you!"

"...Why?"

"Because, Sirius needs to learn that he could have had a beauty like you, if he hadn't been such an arse."

"That's your plan?"

"It is."