This is for my best friend and little twin sister Jordi. Merry Christmas, Jay Pay! I hope you like it! Love you!
Everywhere she looked she saw flushed faces, running around and excitedly hugging their friends good bye. A bittersweet good bye. Bitter, for they would be separated for two whole weeks. Sweet, for they would see their families again.
Lily Evans smiled and wiped her hair out of her face. Her gaze moved around, examined the high walls and the floating ghosts of her second home. Bittersweet indeed.
"Lily!"
She turned at the familiar voice and smiled at her best friend, Severus Snape, running towards her. "Hey, Sev!" Severus came to stand in front of her, panting. "I was hoping to get you before you left!" He pulled something out of his pocket. "Here." He stuck out his hand. "Merry Christmas."
Lily tilted her head, grabbed the item in her best friend's hand. It was a small bottle, not much bigger than nail scissors. It was filled with golden liquid.
"Wow, Sev…it's beautiful, but…what is it?" "It's Felix Felicis!"
Severus fumbled with his coat, he seemed excited. "It's liquid luck. It makes you lucky!"
Lily stared at the bottle with wide eyes, then at Severus. In the back of her mind she wondered how on earth Sev got this precious potion but she brushed away the thought. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him.
"Sev, this is amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Merry Christmas!" Severus said nothing. When she let go of him, she saw that he had blushed. She smiled. "I'll miss you, Sev. Happy holidays." "I'll miss you, too, Lil. Merry Christmas!"
She smiled at Severus and then turned around. Leisurely she started walking, made her way to the portrait of the Fat Lady who was laughing crazily, a glass of wine in her hand. "Merry Christmas", Lily whispered to gather attention from the giggling portrait. The Fat Lady stopped laughing and smiled at the redhead, her eyes glassy.
"Merry Christmas to you, too, honey. Can I expect you to visit me the next two weeks?" "I'm afraid I'll be home during the holiday." Lily smiled apologetically. The Fat Lady pouted. "That's such a pity! It's always refreshing to have conversations with you, my dear! Now, do you know the password?" "Gagging Grinylow." "Correct!" The portrait swung open. "Have a good journey back home, honey."
Lily smiled and waved at the Fat lady as she entered. "Thank you. Merry Christmas!"
As she entered the Common Room she was greeted by hurried fifth and seventh years who were collecting their books so they could study during the holiday, and shy first years who were stuck together in groups of at least three and huddled together in corners far away from the older students. Lily chuckled. Her eyes danced over every corner of the Common Room, the snoring portraits, the crackling fire in the chimney. Her eyes stopped at the couch and she narrowed her eyes.
Potter and his lemmings.
Remus Lupin was sitting on the comfy chair, a book in his hand, as usual. Peter Pettigrew was watching Sirius Black, who used his wand to extinguish the fire and then make the charred wooden pieces burn again. And their self-styled king, James Potter, was sitting next to Black, his bored eyes watching him as well. When he noticed Lily's presence he lifted his gaze and looked at her. In an instant he ran his hand through his hair. Lily rolled her eyes and hurried to her room, ignoring the yelled "Evans!". That was something she for sure would not miss. Potter and his arrogance.
The room was empty when she entered. Everyone else was probably saying good bye to their friends. "At least I can pack in peace", Lily chuckled and made her way towards her bed. She froze in an instant.
A little robin was sitting on her bed, blinking at her. Lily did not move, to not scare the bird away. But at the same time she wondered, Merlin's Beard, why was there a bird on her bed?!
The robin hopped a round a little on her bed, revealed a little piece of parchment. Lily tilted her head. Slowly, she approached her bed, stretched out her hand. The robin just blinked at her curiously. She grabbed for the folded note and opened it.
Tell him your name.
Him? The bird?
Lily examined the little robin. It was still looking at her. Lily kept watching it, wondering if this was supposed to be a joke of some kind. Maybe the bird was going to explode as soon as she said her name?
She sat down on the bed. The robin was on her lap in an instant, looking at her with wide black eyes. Lily scratched her head. Then she lifted her hand, gently stroking the birds head with a finger. The bird closed its eyes, snuggling into the touch. She sighed. She was a witch for Merlin's sake! She would not be afraid of a cute little bird.
"My name is Lily Evans."
The robin pulled away from Lily's touch. It looked at her for a few moments. Then it opened its beak and began to sing.
It was the most wonderful sound Lily had ever heard. She had heard people talk about how wonderful the Phoenix sounds when it sings but right now she was sure that nothing could sound more wonderful than this little bird's song. A choir of angels met a choir of merpeople, mixing together into what she was listening to right now.
Suddenly the robin stopped. Lily opened her eyes, which she did not realize have been closed. The bird looked at her expectantly. Lily smiled.
"Beautiful." She stroked the bird's head once again. It closed its eyes for a few seconds, but then it pulled away. It hopped back onto the bed, grabbed the piece of parchment with his beak. It opened its little wings, landed on Lily's lap once again. Lily tilted her head in surprise, grabbing for the little note.
"But I've read that already." The robin blinked, poked his head against Lily's hand. She sighed. "Alright."
She opened the note once again. But to her surprise she did not see the demand to tell her name to the little robin. No, there was now an entire letter written on the piece of parchment.
Dear Lily Evans,
The robin's name is Harry. From now on, he will sing you a new song every day of the holidays. The only thing you will have to do is feed him, pet him and take care of him. He will also accompany you on the last day of the holidays until you stand in front of the Hogwarts Express. There, he will sing his last song for you, then he will leave and fly back to his home. Depending on how much he likes you, his songs will become more and more beautiful. He might even visit you one day. So take good care of him.
Merry Christmas. I'll miss you.
James Potter
Potter?
Lily's gaze wandered back to the little robin- …Harry.
"Harry", she whispered. The bird gave an approving sound and flew on her shoulder. She stroked his little neck. "You're really cute, aren't you?"
Lily smiled when Harry nuzzled her ear. It tickled. She looked back down.
"Thank you, Potter.", she whispered.
What she did not know was that, at this very moment Harry's former owner was watching her from behind the door. James would not be James if he did not know a way to avoid the trap for boys who tried to sneak into the girl's room.
James smiled as he watched his little robin nuzzle Lily's ear. Her hair had the same color as Harry's neck. James smiled even wider when he heard Lily's words. How much he loved her beautiful voice.
"You're welcome, Evans."