Title: O'Holy Night
Author: Fr0st6yte (RoboTitaness)
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Lily Evans, Remus Lupin
Genre: Spiritual, Friendship
Summary: It was Harry's first Christmas, but Lily was feeling awfully down. Part 8 of 25 Days of Christmas.
Some Lily and Remus for you all. Not too long, but hopefully still enjoyable!
So, I am not Christian. But I am a devout Hindu, and understand the power, significance, and love for one's religion. Thus, I have written Remus and Lily based on that feeling. Also, while there's never been any specific evidence to show wizards to not be religious, there hasn't been any overly obvious proof either way. In that, I chose to believe that they tend not to be. All my stories in the same fandom could be taken to be in the same universe, so if you so wish James to be Hindu, as in Traditions, you may do so.
I also did not mean to exclude Peter, but he just didn't fit into the story. Last note - this isn't explicitly Wolfstar, but it isn't necessarily not. Whatever you prefer.
"Prongslet!" Lily barely managed to get out of the doorway before Sirius barreled through, heading straight for the baby lying in his crib. "You missed Uncle Padfoot, didn't you? Didn't you?" He picked the boy up and bounced him some.
"Hullo Lily," Remus greeted, smiling sheepishly. Lily smiled back and ushered him inside. "Sorry about Sirius. He's been a bit… overexcited."
"Just a bit," Lily snorted. "I'm not getting my baby back tonight, am I?"
Remus laughed. "It's his first Christmas and Sirius has big plans."
"As does James." Together, they watched as the messy-haired young man in question raced down the stairs and saw Sirius and Harry. With a cry of glee, he bounded over, clapping Sirius on the back and taking Harry from him. As the two men started arguing over the baby, Lily rolled her eyes at Remus and led him into the kitchen.
Like the rest of the house, the kitchen wasn't spared from Christmas decorations. Lights and streamers and small trinkets were everywhere. Near the sink stood a small sign, lit up in green and red, reading "YOU BEWITCHED ME". Remus inwardly groaned at James' humor.
"He never changes, does he?"
"They never do," Lily corrected. They shared a commiserating smile as gleeful shouts erupted from the sitting room once again.
"Not that we want them to," Remus finished. "Where do you want these?" He lifted the bags he held and Lily shook her head.
"There was no need -"
"Evans, it's Christmas." Remus was sure that sentence would bring a smile to Lily's face, but blinked when instead she frowned and turned away. "Lily?"
"Do they even understand?" she asked suddenly. She took Remus' silence as an answer, it seemed. "The two of them," she continued more softly. "They're brilliant, Rem, don't get me wrong. But neither of them understand Christmas." She turned back, and Remus sent his best friend an understanding look. "It's not their fault," she added. "Neither have grown up in Christian backgrounds, but…" she trailed off.
"Neither understand the love you have for it."
"We have," she corrected. "Don't think I don't know how much you love this holiday as well."
"My mum would always drag my da to church in the morning. He never did protest too badly. I think he would have done anything to see her content smile."
"Tuney wasn't overly religious, but the four of us would go every Sunday, and spend much of Christmas day there. Our youth group always had activities."
"Seems like a different world."
"It really does," Lily whispered. They stood in companionable silence for a bit, just listening to their family in the other room.
"You know," Remus started slowly. "There's a church not far from here. If we leave soon, we could get there before anything starts." Lily looked at him, and he added, "If you wish to."
Cross posted on AO3 (Fr0st6yte)
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