*Disclaimer: Obviously, Harry Potter and any characters from it are not mine. *
A/N: This is my Jily Secret Santa piece for Zelda/feminist-teen. I hope you enjoy it, and Merry Christmas!
James Potter was sitting on the counter in Lily Evans' kitchen while she rolled out the gingerbread cookie dough she had just mixed up and began cutting out shapes. They were currently on Christmas break from Hogwarts, and Lily had persuaded her boyfriend to come stay at her house for a few days at the prompting of her parents. James had met Lily's parents twice, and each time only for a brief moment: once when he and Lily were still merely friends and again when she quickly introduced him to her parents as her boyfriend before heading home for Christmas. Mr. and Mrs. Evans had then suggested James come stay for a while during break, which, after some convincing from Lily, led to his current situation.
He had arrived at her house a few minutes earlier and was greet at the door by a grinning Lily donned in a red apron and covered in flour who had proceeded to give him a quick kiss before dragging him inside towards the kitchen and explaining that her parents were out finishing their Christmas shopping but would be back soon and Petunia was out with her fiancé Vernon Dursley for the afternoon. James had never spent any significant length of time in a muggle house, and everything he saw whether it was photos that didn't move or the stove fascinated and overwhelmed him a bit. A record player currently sat on the kitchen table playing Christmas music while James watched Lily make cookies without magic, something that baffled him since they were of age.
"Lils," he asked as he pinched a bit of the cookie dough between his fingers and promptly ate it with a grin, "why don't you just make them with magic?"
"First off, I never said you could have any of my cookie dough," she told him with a playful grin, "and second, it's a tradition. Every year for as long as I can remember I have either helped Mum make gingerbread cookies or made them myself over Christmas holidays," she explained.
"So, you make these cookies, which by the way are delicious if the dough is any indication, which makes a giant mess, and then you have to wait while they cook? Seems like more hassle than it's worth, but if you enjoy it…" he trailed off, still sitting on the counter next to where Lily continued to cut out shapes in the dough.
"Well, I never said I didn't use any magic," Lily said with a shrug. "After all, cleanup takes forever and as long as Petunia isn't around to oppose it then I much prefer to use a spell to speed up the actual baking process. After all, the faster the cookies are done, the faster they can be eaten."
"Ah, now there's the clever witch I know and love," James said, hopping off the counter and giving Lily a kiss on her flour smudged cheek.
"Bribing the chef won't get you cookies any faster or access to the cookie dough," Lily giggled.
"Are you sure?" James whispered as he stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Yes! Now stop distracting me, I need to finish these before Petunia and her whale of a fiancé get home so I can use magic rather than having to do it all the muggle way," she instructed with a smile.
"Okay, okay. Wait, Petunia's fiancé is coming over? You mean that awful Dursley you told me about?"
"Yes, I'm sorry but Mum had already invited him when you said you could come today, and he doesn't know about magic, so you'll need to be careful while he's over. He's just staying for dinner though, so at least we only have to put up with him for a bit," Lily rushed to explain.
"No problem Lils. I can be a perfectly convincing muggle! He'll never know the difference between me and a normal muggle guy, well except for my clearly superior awesomeness," he announced with a smile.
"Of course he won't," she replied, humoring her boyfriend.
So what are these little red things?" James asked, picking up a cinnamon imperial from a bowl on the counter.
"Cinnamon candies for the cookies," Lily explained before resuming her off and on humming to the Christmas carols playing.
"Hmm," James mused before popping a few into his mouth. "So, what do you want to do once you finish up with the cookies?" he asked.
"We could watch a movie or something," she suggested absentmindedly as she finished placing the cookies on the cookie sheet.
"Ooh, I've always wanted to watch something on a telly!" James exclaimed.
"I have the perfect movie! I watch it every Christmas, and I think you'll enjoy it," Lily told him as she placed the cinnamon candies on the cookies.
"Perfect," James said with a smile and began helping her stick candies on all the cookies.
"Almost done," Lily announced, before pulling her wand out of her back pocket and silently vanishing the mess around them. She then hit the cookies with another spell that caused them to be ready in seconds before finally removing her apron and dusting the flour off her cheeks and hands. "There we go!" she announced with a smile.
James automatically went to reach for a cookie before Lily knocked his hand away and reprimanded him with a single look causing James to sheepishly grin and withdraw his hand.
"I thought you wanted to watch that movie?" Lily asked.
"Yeah, but can't we have cookies while we watch the movie? Please?" James suggested, with a pout forming on his face and his hand inching towards the cookies again.
"Oh fine, you know I can't keep anything from you when you do that," Lily acquiesced with a sigh.
"I love you Lilly," James said before biting the head off a gingerbread man. "Mmm this is fantastic!" he proclaimed.
"Thanks," she replied, smiling at her boyfriend's enthusiasm for a simple cookie. "Now come on. Let's watch that movie," she said as she put a few cookies on a plate, grabbed James's hand and drug him into the living room. "Now sit while I get the movie," she commanded, leaving him by the couch as she went to scour the shelves for the particular tape she was looking for.
James assumed she found what she was looking for since a satisfied grin spread across her face as she shoved a black box thing into another larger black box. His face, on he other hand, was dominated by a perplexed look at Lily's actions.
"Er, Lils, what exactly are you doing?" he asked, extremely confused.
"James, that's the movie. I just put the tape into the VCR, so that we can watch it on the telly," Lily explained as she sat next to him on the couch, picked up a black thing with lots of buttons on it and pressed one, causing the TV to come to life. "And didn't you take muggle studies?" she added as she leaned back and snuggled into his side.
"Well, technically yes, but er, Sirius and I used it as more of a planning period per say," James explained sheepishly.
"So, the two of you planned your pranks rather than paying attention," Lily stated, not as a question and not even with a condescending tone. She stated it as if it were merely a fact of life. James was the way he was, and she had come to accept and love him for it rather than pester him about it every chance she got.
"That about sums it up," James agreed with a shrug, smiling at his girlfriend and wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
"Well," Lily said, turning to look up at her boyfriend rather than at the telly, "you might want to pay attention now, cause I think you'll find that in real life, movies are much more interesting than they may seem in class."
"I suppose you may be right," James replied with a smile before focusing his attention on the television screen where the words "It's a Wonderful Life" were being displayed on the screen.
When Mr. and Mrs. Evans arrived home later that afternoon, they were greeted by the sight of their daughter asleep on the couch, snuggled up next to her boyfriend whose arm was wrapped around her shoulders while he watched the end of the movie with undisguised enthrallment. Mrs. Evans smiled at the sight, glad to see her daughter allow herself to get close to this boy who she suspected might be the one for her rather than pushing him away as she had for years. Mr. Evans on the other hand was a bit startled to see, just from her relaxed position and his protective arm around her, how close the two actually were. They seemed closer than even Petunia and her fiancé, which scared him a little. He knew that he would have to lose his little girl someday, but now it seemed like it might be far sooner than he expected, especially as he witnessed Lily wake up and the soft kiss the two shared. He then decided that they ought to make their presence known and cleared his throat.
"Dad, Mum, you're home!" Lily said, surprise coloring her tone and a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.
"Yes dear, we are. It's nice to see you again James," Mrs. Evans said with a smile.
"You as well Mr. and Mrs. Evans," James said politely, standing up from the couch and offering Lily his hand to help her up which she took and smiled her thanks.
"James, why don't you and I unload the bags from the car," Mr. Evans suggested.
"Of course sir. I'm happy to help. I'll be right back, Lils," he said turning to Lily and giving her hand a quick squeeze before he headed outside with her father.
"So, James, you seem to care a great deal for my Lily," Mr. Evans said as they removed the bags from the boot of the car.
"Yes sir I do. I love her. I have for a long time now, and I'm so thankful that she has finally given me a chance this year," James told him.
"I see," Mr. Evans said and paused for a moment. "This is more than some infatuation or crush isn't it?"
"I love her," James explained to him, pushing aside any embarrassment he felt at talking to Lily's father about their relationship. "Lily is beautiful, smart, funny, amazing, and oh just everything. She puts up with my friends and my ridiculous antics, and puts us in our place when need be. She's fiery and passionate for any cause she believes strongly in, and she's protective of her friends. How could I not love her?"
"Yes, I can see that now," Mr. Evans said with a chuckle. "She has you wrapped around her finger doesn't she? Well, take good care of my little girl. I don't want to regret liking you James."
"Yes sir. And actually sir, I have something I need to talk to you about," James said, reaching his hand into his pocket to retrieve the small box he had been carrying about all day.
"Is that…?" Mr. Evans gasped.
"Yes sir."
"But aren't you a little young? You're still in school. Why not wait a few years?"
"With all due respect sir, I don't think I can wait. I love Lily, and with the war going on, who knows how long we'll still be around, especially with us, well, I suppose Lily told you…" James trailed off.
"Yes she explained her notions about fighting in this war to her mother and me. I can see that she feels it is something she needs to do despite how much I would rather her stay out of danger," he replied with a sigh of acceptance.
"Well, sir, this war is dangerous, especially to people like Lily, and we both want to fight against that. And I love Lily, so much. I don't want to waste a second with her. And I really don't want to do this without talking to you first," James explained, "but I am going to ask her, regardless."
"Do you have means to support the two of you?" Mr. Evans asked.
"My parents have quite the fortune stowed away for me, and as soon as this war is over I plan to apply to the auror office," James explained nonchalantly, returning to his task of unloading the bags.
"I see, well, I can tell that you truly love my daughter and appreciate her for who she is, and although I'd really rather you wait, I can see that that isn't an option, so… go ahead with it. You have my blessing."
"Oh thank you so much sir!" James exclaimed, giving Mr. Evans a quick, unexpected hug.
"However, if you ever do anything to hurt my little girl, you will be answering to me. Is that clear?" he asked, his tone turning slightly menacing.
"Yes of course sir!" James assured him.
"Good, now why don't we take these bags inside? Surely the women must be wondering what is taking us so long."
"Good idea sir," James agreed, surreptitiously scanning for any neighbors around the house, and after finding none, pulled out his wand and cast a spell on the bags that caused them to levitate inside the house.
"Thank you son," Mr. Evans said with a chuckle.
"You're welcome," James replied before dashing back inside to go find Lily.
Christmas morning found James still at the Evans' house. He and Lily were going to his house for lunch, but James needed to be at Lily's that morning so that he could give Lily her present. He learned that Christmas morning traditions at the Evans' house were actually quite similar to those at his own. As soon as they were up, Lily drug her parents and Petunia into the living room to exchange gifts even before eating breakfast. Wrapping paper covered the floor, and everyone, even James, had received many exciting gifts. Once they were done opening all the presents, or so they thought, Mrs. Evans went to go fix pancakes, and Petunia carted all her gifts up to her room.
"Lils, want to go outside for a bit?" James asked, indicating the snowy scene out the window.
"Sure, just let me get my coat and some shoes," Lily said, smiling up at her loving boyfriend. He had yet to give her a gift, and she was dying to know what it was. Lily pulled out her wand and quickly summoned some boots and her coat. After pulling on the boots, James helped her into the coat, took her hand, and led her out to the back yard where she was greeted with an interesting sight.
Snowmen dressed in Hogwarts robes filled the yard—there was even one with a beard like Dumbledore—and in the center of it all, Sirius, Remus, and Peter stood grinning holding a huge banner that said, "Marry Me Evans?" in giant flashing letters.
Lily gasped and spun back around to find James kneeling in the snow and holding up a ring.
"So, what do you say Lils? You're wonderful and beautiful and amazing and I promise to love you till the day I die," James proclaimed. "So please, please say yes."
"Yes, James," Lily whispered, smiling hugely.
"Oi, what's that? Couldn't hear you Evans?" Sirius called.
"I said yes I'll marry you James Potter, and I don't care if the whole world or all of Hogwarts knows it!" Lily shouted for Sirius's benefit, causing the Marauders to laugh and Sirius to tell Peter that he owed him three sickles.
"I love you Lily, so much" James said, standing up and sliding the ring onto her finger before proceeding to kiss her quite thoroughly, eliciting cat calls from the other Marauders present.
Lily pulled away, smiling and replied, " I love you too James. Forever."
I hope you all enjoyed this as much as Zelda did! Merry Christmas! Reviews make great presents :)
Also, I should have some more stuff up (new story and chapter(s) of other stories) before Christmas break is over!