Hey all.
This fic is a response to a prompt I got on Tumblr.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything associated with it. All rights to Harry Potter and affiliated products belong to Ms J.K. Rowling and the other proper entities.
Summary: Even with Lily's best friend and Sirius between them, he could still see the pleasant flush on her pale cheeks as she smiled and sang sleepily along. She was the only good thing his life this year.
Rating: K
Genre: Romance
Warnings: None.
Prompt: "Lily and James' first Christmas together."
Written for: DarleneMonroe (here) / ohmygodnighttroll (on Tumblr)
Predilection
Christmas Eve at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry dawned to a fierce blizzard raging outside the castle walls—the outside world was nothing but a blur of white and grey as far as the eye could see. Admittedly, it wasn't far.
Any other day, the blizzard would have been greeted with frowns and grumbling. But, the day before Christmas, people left behind in Hogwarts Castle welcomed it—it was like their own protective bubble, encapsulating them and containing the joy of the holidays within the walls of the castle. All the bad news that was pouring in from the outside world felt like nothing but a bad dream as the remaining seventh-year Gryffindors, bundled up in scarves and cardigans, trooped down the stairs from Gryffindor Tower.
The group of five were laughing happily as they came to the landing on the third floor and trooped past the trophy room towards the Grand Staircase. During the term, they simply would have bypassed the Grand Staircase altogether in favour of the shorter and more direct spiral steps that descended all the way down to the ground floor—but during the holidays it was a sight to see, covered in wreathes and tinsel, with everlasting icicles hanging from the banisters and shining in the torchlight. Not fearing being late to classes or missing breakfast (which was extended until eleven during the holidays), they took the extra time to meander down the hallways and trip the charms that made the suits of armour sing old Christmas carols.
Only one of the five wasn't in the holiday spirit; he kept his head down as his friends smiled and sang carols on either side of him, frowning at the floor. His glasses occasionally fogged up for a few moments as a result of his breathing in the absolutely freezing temperatures. Stray thoughts passed through his mind—he really should have charmed his glasses to repel condensation that morning, he should have charmed his scarf to stay warm around his neck, he should have charmed his gloves to do the same. He shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning.
His friends sang along with the suits of armour, off key and at the top of their lungs, their voices thick with sleep and punctured by yawns. The rendition was far from stellar, and likely scared a few of the fairies that were lounging in the wreathes—particularly with the enthusiastic way that Sirius was bellowing. James could hear the metal of the suits of armour ringing as the sound waves hit them and bounced back.
This would be his first Christmas James would have to endure without any living family. He'd thought fourth year had been painful, after his father's passing—he'd stupidly thought that he'd at least have decades before he had to endure the loss of another parent. He thought that, when his mother eventually went, he'd be older, fatter, in worse shape, married (hopefully to Lily Evans) with three or four kids to keep him company and distract him from missing his Mum.
He hadn't counted on his Mum getting sick, too.
"Buck up, mate." Remus nudged him gently. "You'll be okay."
James merely grimaced as they hit the second floor and continued their descent. He just couldn't be happy. Not when his home life was in such abysmal shambles.
He snuck a glance at the redheaded young woman on Alice Prewitt's other side. Even with Lily's best friend and Sirius between them, he could still see the pleasant flush on her pale, freckled cheeks as she smiled and sang sleepily along, trying to teach Sirius the Muggle version of Jingle Bells. Every few seconds she would bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing as Sirius made a mistake, gently stopping and correcting him.
"No, Sirius," she said gently, "it's 'bobtail', not 'bombtail'."
She was the only good thing his life this year. He couldn't help a tiny smile as he tucked his hands under his arms to keep his fingers from aching from the cold. They'd been dating for nine weeks now, and he could honestly say that he'd never have been able to imagine quite what it would be like, being with her.
She had a mask. Much like Remus, she only played the part of the upstanding student—and she played it well. It had shocked him, the first time she'd been sitting in his dorm with him and his mates, and she'd let it fall. He'd caught Sirius and Peter staring at her in shock and Remus (who'd obviously known about this side of her, if his smirk was any indication) was nodding along enthusiastically. Her face was animated, her eyes shining with what he instantly recognised (having seen it a thousand times in his friends' faces) as mischief as she splayed her hands wide and started explaining what she'd meant.
The next weekend (a Hogsmeade weekend), there had been leprechaun gold raining from the ceiling in the Great Hall. It had been the kind of prank that had lasted all day, with people realising that their gold had disappeared at random points through the afternoon. The best part had been that they hadn't even gotten into trouble for it.
She was also all for skiving off class and sneaking out to Hogsmeade of a weekend (after all homework was completed, of course). James suspected that Dumbledore hadn't quite known exactly what kind of girl Lily was when he'd appointed her as Head Girl—or maybe he had, and had hoped that her morality would cause her to clam up and become the 'better' Head and inspire him to do the same. If so… well, he'd say it had rather backfired. He'd definitely corrupted her.
She caught his eye as he watched her and smiled bracingly, ducking behind their best mates and reappearing at his side. "You okay?" She asked in a low voice.
"I'll make it." He shrugged. She frowned, seeing through the act, and pulled a hand down from under his arms so she could entwine her fingers with his. He didn't mind the biting cold so much as her fingers gave his a gentle squeeze though their gloves.
They walked like that down to the Great Hall. If anyone else noticed, they didn't comment.
The day itself passed slowly, with much lazing around the Common Room. Remus and Lily didn't even bother whinging at them to finish a Transfiguration essay due immediately after break, figuring that they could bully them into finishing it after Boxing Day. The younger years were huddled together in the back of the common room, making a commotion with various games and activities that had been won from the crackers in the Great Hall at the feast.
Alice was stretched out on her stomach in front of the fire, pillowing her head on her arms as she chatted with Lily and the three boys. "It's strange for the castle to be so quiet." She commented.
"I wouldn't say it's all that quiet." Remus looked pointedly over his shoulder at a gaggle of second, third and fourth years playing Exploding Snap.
Alice rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."
"You mean without the regular explosions, incessant giggling and general mayhem caused on a regular basis?" Lily grinned from her place on the lounge. She and James were sharing the seat, both with their legs stretched out over the length of it and Lily settled between his legs. She was aware of him gradually nodding off into a doze behind her.
"See? She gets it." Alice grunted, sloppily pelting a chocolate frog at Remus's head. He caught it deftly, shrugging as he stuffed it greedily into his mouth.
"I think it's time for James to go to bed." Lily grinned, poking him in the thigh. She was aware of Sirius sniggering into a goblet of (contraband) Firewhiskey, but simply turned around and stuck her tongue out at him. "James? C'mon, wake up."
He sleepily muttered a negative, tightening his arms around her waist. She rolled her eyes.
"C'mon, Jimmy." She said dryly, prying his grip open and climbing off him. "If you fall asleep here you wont make it back to your dorm."
"M'name's not Jimmy." He grunted, half asleep but still quite annoyed. "Fine, fine. M'goin'." He heaved himself up and wobbled slightly.
Lily rolled her eyes and trotted of after him. "Someone has to make sure he doesn't fall arse over tits down the stairs." She told them, flashing the two-fingered salute when Sirius wolf whistled. Their friends' laughter followed them all the way up to the dorm, which James pushed open with one hand while shrugging out of his jumper with the other.
"Night, James." Lily leaned up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. As she went to step away, he reached for her.
"Stay." He breathed into her hair, yawning. She rolled her eyes, but nodded as she slid her feet out of her slippers, nicked Sirius's pillow (she was not taking Peter's—Sirius could bear it for one night) and, grateful that she'd thought to change into a tracksuit after dinner, crawled into the warm bed beside him. He settled around her, hugging her from behind; she tucked her feet up and rested her head on his arm, one hand entwining her fingers with the hand on her stomach.
She listened to him breathe for a while as he drifted off properly, feeling his breath on the nape of her neck. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying the feeling of lying with him like this, and quietly mused that she could get used to this as she fell into slumber.
Not real Christmassy, but it's not Christmas yet, lol. And I'm not really all that good at holiday pieces anyway. XD
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!
Thanks for reading,
Sparkly Faerie