Christmas was fast approaching. I'd bought all of my gifts for everyone, and I was super excited to spend my first Christmas with Remus as his girlfriend.

The days passed by quickly, with talk of the Yule Ball capturing everyone's thoughts and conversations. Remus asked if I'd go with him, and I obviously said yes. James was taking Lily, and Sirius had asked Marlene to go with him. She'd said yes, but only after he beat her at chess. Peter was taking Mary McDonald, and Alice was going with Frank Longbottom, who was a seventh year.

Christmas Eve arrived, and the Marauders, Lily and I all sat next to the fire, talking about the Yule Ball.

"Alright, whoever gets Minnie to dance with them wins a galleon from everyone," Sirius said.

I chuckled and Lily shook her head.

"I accept," James said.

Sirius laughed again and we had a game of exploding snap (that Lily won, obviously).

We stayed up later than we should have, and it was eleven when Sirius came up with one of his 'amazing' ideas.

"We should bake tarts."

"Now? At eleven at night?"

"No, I saw we wait a few hours. Yes, Evans. Now."

I snorted and shook my head.

"We're not supposed to be out of bed," Lily said sternly.

"Well, you technically are already out of bed," I said. "And I want tarts."

Lily couldn't persuade us out of tarts, so we all decided to go and make some. Lily knew about the map and the cloak, seeing as we all trusted her. We made our way down the stairs and through corridors to the kitchens. James tickled the pear and the door swung open, revealing Hogwarts's kitchens.

"C'mon," Sirius said. "These tarts won't make themselves."

We all helped with the ingredients and the mixing. James and Lily flirted enough that Sirius threw a spoon at James and yelled at him to be helpful.

That may or may not have resulted in a food war, one of which Lily and I had to stop, in order to keep the tarts safe.

While the tarts were in the oven, we played truth or dare, and James had to impersonate Professor Dumbledore for three rounds. It was hilarious.

Once the tarts where finished, we ate them pretty much immediately. We all huffed like dragons because they were too hot to eat, but, as Sirius and James liked to put it, 'Haffufuffuefue-ing' was the best way to eat food.

We were all laughing as we left the kitchens, and we only made it three corridors from the kitchens before we were caught.

"What are you all doing out of bed?!"

We all froze and slowly turned around to face Professor McGonagall.

"Miss Evans, Mr Lupin! You're both prefects! I expected better from the both of you!"

Both of them looked to the floor awkwardly.

"Why are you all out of bed?" McGonagall asked angrily.

We were all silent for a moment before Sirius spoke.

"I needed to ask you something," he said.

Professor McGonagall blinked, the only indication of her surprise.

"If you needed to ask me something, Mr Black, you could have waited until tomorrow morning," she said. "And there is no need for the rest of you lot to be out of bed."

"But, Professor," Sirius said pleadingly. "It's urgent. And they're here for moral support!"

Professor McGonagall seemed to be having an internal battle. She eventually sighed sharply.

"What is it, Mr Black?"

"Well, Minnie, I just had to ask," he said. "I know I've left it late, but will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"

There was a moment of silence before James exploded in outrage.

"PADFOOT! HOW COULD YOU! YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL!"

"SHUT UP PRONGS! YOU HAVE EVANS!"

I tried to hide my laugh with a cough, and Professor McGonagall was trying hard not to smile.

"That would be highly inappropriate, Mr Black," McGonagall said. "Now off to bed, all of you."

We all grinned, glad we weren't being punished.

"Merry Christmas, Minnie," Sirius said, gliding gracefully past her.

McGonagall rolled her eyes.

"If I catch you all out of bed again, you'll have a week's worth of detentions, understood?" she asked.

"Yes, Professor!" we chorused, hurrying back to the Gryffindor common room.

As soon as we were out of earshot, we all began laughing.

"That was genius, Padfoot!" James laughed. "Asking Minnie to the Yule Ball! That would have made sure you won the bet!"

Sirius laughed again and nodded.

"Wouldn't that be classified as cheating, though?" Remus asked.

"Shut up, Moony," Sirius said. "I would have won. That's all that matters."

We all laughed again, making sure we made no detours on our way back to the Gryffindor Tower.