Lily Potter sat in her bedroom looking at the snow falling softly outside. Everyone had gathered at the Potter's large estate for the family's Christmas. It was the only house large enough to accommodate everyone now. Lily looked at the yard and watched her brothers and cousins have a nighttime snowball fight. The fairylights lit the yard just right making it look like a glittering winter wonderland. Lily didn't feel like partying this year though. This year she wanted to be a Scrooge and hide in her room. Who wants to be jolly and merry when the only man you've ever loved accused you of being a whore? She couldn't blame him really. He had walked in on her and her ex doing the dirty, but said ex was using a polyjuice potion. But would he listen to her? No, he called her names and stormed out taking her heart with him. Lily pulled her knees to her chest putting her cheek on her knee. She wanted nothing to do with this holiday. She wanted nothing to do with the happy couples below and the happy children that came along with those happy couples.
"Lily?" she heard a soft knock on her door.
Turning she saw her grandmother standing in the doorway "Nana what are you doing up here? You know mum doesn't like you climbing those stairs." Lily lightly scolded her grandmother.
Molly waved her hand as if clearing the words before they reached her ears "Oh posh dear, I gave birth to your mother she cannot tell me what to do."
Lily laughed a little "I guess you're right."
Molly walked into the room slowly until she reached Lily placing her hand under her chin "There's that smile I love. It lights up your whole face. I wish we got to see it more."
Lily sighed "I don't have a reason to smile."
"Isn't your family enough?" Molly asked.
Lily hung her and shook her head "Nana, sometimes I think you forget what it was like to be young and in love." She said walking from her room.
Take back the holly and mistletoe
Silver bells on a string
If I wrote a letter to Santa Claus
I would ask for just one thing
Walking downstairs she tried to avoid her brothers, cousins, uncles, aunts, nephews, her parents and her grandfather. She just wanted to be alone. Looking at the tree she glared. The tree represented everything she wanted, everything she desired, and everything that used to be her. Now it was just a memory, or a dream, she couldn't tell which.
"Lils come play chess with us!" Albus smiled.
"No thanks."
"Lily come taste these cookies. I think they need a little something extra." Taylor said thrusting a sugar cookie at her.
"Maybe later Tay, I'm not in the mood for sweets."
She walked out into the snow and looked up at the heavens closing her eyes she pictured her life just months before. Happily engaged to the perfect man, happily planning her wedding, and happily, joyously, and head over heels in love with the man of her dreams. Now she was alone on Christmas, her ring finger empty, and her heart shattered.
I don't need sleigh rides in the snow
I don't want a Christmas that's blue
Take back the tinsel, stockings and bows
'Cuz all I want for Christmas is you
Standing in the snow she just wanted to curl up in a ball and die. Right there, in the snow. "You know they say that if you wish upon the Christmas snow, your dream just might come true." Lily heard a voice behind her say.
Turning just slightly she saw Teddy "What loony person told you that?" Lily asked.
"This smart girl I used to know. She believed in dreams, and love." Teddy said.
Lily knew who he was talking about and it made her face turn hard "That was before she knew what men were really like. Before she found out that they don't listen to the truth. Dreams are for children! They aren't for adults, they are for children Teddy."
"Is that what you're going to tell Cody? That dreams are for children and he best learn that now?" Teddy asked looking at her.
Lily narrowed her eyes "I'm not that cruel Theodore. I would never hurt Cody like that."
"Lily, I know what he did hurt you deeply, but sweetheart you are going to have to start living again. Eating, bathing, taking care of yourself, you haven't left your room in weeks."
"I'm standing in the snow aren't I?"
"Yes and in a rare form. Do you realize you aren't wearing a coat?"
"Yes."
"Aren't you cold?"
"Not at all." Lily said walking back towards the house rubbing her arms. She walked inside just as James and Amanda came in the front door.
"Merry Christmas everyone!" James called out.
"Merry Christmas James!" the family responded.
Amanda caught Lily's eyes with her own and offered her a small smile. Lily didn't return the smile only walked away. "She hates me." Amanda sighed.
"No, she hates your brother. You're just getting the short end of the stick." James chuckled "Don't worry so much. Lily will come around."
I don't need expensive things
They don't matter to me
What I want can't be found
Underneath the Christmas tree
Lily walked into the kitchen and sat on the counter looking at all the Christmas cookies. She could remember chasing him around the kitchen with the batter covered spoon as he threw flour at her. They would chase each other for hours fighting with the cookie dough. When it was all over the kitchen would look like a bomb had gone off in it, but they didn't care. Then they would clean up, laugh, kiss, and sometimes that kissing would lead to other things. She just wanted that back. She wanted her love back, her heart to be fixed, and her smile to be back.
"Lily dear, could you bring that tray of cookies once your done staring at it?" her mother asked with a knowing look.
"Sure mum." Lily said hopping off the counter and carrying the tray out.
You are the angel that tops my tree
You are my dream come true
Santa can't bring me what I need
'Cuz all I want for Christmas is you
"Aunty Lily!" Cody ran up and hugged her leg happily.
Lily sat the tray down and picked the little boy up "Hey Cody."
"Aunty Lily, why aren't you happy?" Cody asked placing his little hand on her cheek.
"I miss someone very much."
"Oh, he'll be here."
"I don't think so buddy."
"Daddy said so. He said it would make you smile again." Cody said smiling.
Lily turned and looked at Teddy horrified. Teddy looked everywhere, but at Lily. Abby sat next to her husband shaking her head "I see. Well if he does come then he and I will have to talk."
"I'll stay with you. That way you won't hurt each other." The four-year-old smiled.
Lily cracked a small smile "Oh Cody."
"I want my aunty happy." Cody said hugging her.
"I know buddy, I want me to be happy too."
Cody hugged her tighter "You know what I asked Santa for this year?"
Lily rubbed his back "What?"
"I asked for him to bring you your love back. I said my aunty needed her love back."
Lily's eyes filled with tears "You asked that?"
"Yes, I said I didn't need toys. I just wanted my aunty to smile again." Cody said looking at her "Aunty you're crying. Did I make you sad?" he asked worriedly.
Lily kissed his cheek "Oh my little Codster! Quite the opposite. You asked for something for someone else. It was selfless and I am so proud of you." She smiled a genuine smile.
"Aunty you smiled."
"I know, your wish came true." Lily smiled again ticking him. Cody's giggles turn to laughter causing Lily to smile even brighter.
"Looks like Cody was all she needed to feel better." Teddy smiled.
Abby glared at him "You know that smile will go away the moment you-know-who walks through that door."
Harry, who was sitting next to the couple, sighed "As long as they don't fight I don't care."
Abby shook her head "I'm afraid they will. It's no secret that Lily has lots of harbored anger towards him, poor Amanda has suffered a large portion of that anger."
Harry nodded watching his youngest play with his adopted grandson and his new toys.
I don't need expensive things
They don't matter to me
What I want can't be found
Underneath the Christmas tree
The knock on the large oak doors made everyone turn. Ginny came out of the kitchen and looked at Harry warily. He shrugged getting up and walking to the front door. Opening it he greeted the snow covered figure politely "Glad you could make it."
The man nodded "I'm glad to be here, sir." Lily's heart stopped at the voice. It was music to her ears, and at the same time it was a living nightmare. She looked at Cody and poked his nose turning his attention away from the man at the door "I brought a guest with me I hope that's alright."
Lily's heart stopped. He brought a friend? To her parents Christmas party? A party she would be at? Throwing a look at Teddy she saw Abby was giving him a similar look, only her look said "You are sleeping on the couch for the next month."
Harry quickly looked at Ginny who shrugged "Um of course that's alright. Come in out of the snow." He moved letting the two in.
Albus got up and walked over "Glad you could make it."
"Your dad already said that Al." the man laughed.
"Well it's going to be repetitive in here. So who's your friend?" Albus asked.
"Like you have to ask." A male voice came out of the hood of the other person. Everyone looked confused. The other man lowered his hood smiling.
Dominique was the first to react "FRANK!" she squealed running to her fiancé.
Frank caught her in a hug swinging her around "Hello love."
"What are you doing here? You weren't supposed to be here for another month."
Frank smiled and kissed her soundly "I was supposed to be, but I just kept talking about this wonderful woman I had back home and well the Captain got tired of me talking about you and sent me home."
Dominique laughed kissing him again. Lily got up from the floor unable to handle the sweet reunion with the man her heart belonged to feet away and wanting nothing to do with her. Walking past her mother she felt a gentle squeeze, turning she offered Ginny a small smile before continuing out the back door into the snow outside. Closing her eyes she let the cold snow touch her face and opened those chocolate hues to look at the clouds. They would occasionally break and show the stars. Stars that she had once wished on.
"Needed to get away huh?" a voice behind her asked.
You are the angel that tops my tree
You are my dream come true
Santa can't bring me what I need
Cuz all I want for Christmas is you
Lily sighed figuring she couldn't get away from him "Yes, actually I did."
"Figured as much, we can't even be in the same room anymore?"
"That's not something I want and you know it." Lily said looking at him.
"Come on Red, you would have done the same thing in my position."
"No actually I would have listened to you and the moment the other person changed back into themself I would have felt like an ass for even thinking that the person I love would do that to me. You were there when Randy was you, you saw him change back and yet you still accused me of being something that I am clearly not!" Lily exclaimed.
"I know Lily and I have kicked myself every day since then."
"Yet you didn't fight to get me back."
"It's not like I didn't want to! Albus told me I needed to let you calm down."
Lily was close to seething; her brother has known she was a wreck! How could he be so cruel? "Since when do you listen to Albus?" she asked trying to stay calm.
"Since I didn't want to fall prey to your bat-bogey-hex." He said.
Lily laughed, a really wonderfully genuine laugh "And you would have!"
"Oh really?" he scooped up some snow throwing it in her face "How about now?"
Lily gasped as the cold hit her face "OH!" she growled chasing him through the snow. It turned into an all-out snowball fight ending with Lily tripping and falling into him. The two fell to the ground Lily on top of her love. The two laughed looking into the others eyes. The next thing Lily knew they were kissing, and not just any kiss a where-have-you-been-all-my-life kind of kiss. The kind of kiss that made people blush just to talk about.
Braking apart moments later he smiled "That was some kiss."
Lily laughed "Yeah guess it was."
"Lily, I really am sorry about all of this."
"I know."
"Forgive me?"
Her heart soared at those two little words, he wanted forgiveness for breaking her heart. She did the only she could think of she kissed him full on the mouth "What do you think?" she asked her lips still against his.
"Merry Christmas love." He whispered.
"Merry Christmas Scorpius."
All I want for Christmas is you
Yeah all I want for Christmas is you