A/N: HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALEX WATSON! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! I'm sorry it took me so long to upload this! I know it's not good at all, but I still hope you like it. I also wasn't able to use British words. I'm sorry. Happy birthday again!
So, without further ado, here's Charm!
Charm
By TheMaskedGirl
December 19, 1976
"Mum! There's a bloody owl in my room!"
Lily stopped writing and dropped her pen when she heard Petunia's scream. She barged in her sister's room without knocking and sent the older girl into a fit.
"Get out of my room, Lily!" Petunia screamed. She was standing atop her bed and holding a pillow, most likely to fend off the flying creature inside the room.
"In a minute, Tuney," Lily said. She neared the owl in the windowsill and said, "Come here." It flew to her and perched on her shoulder.
"You and your freaky friends!" Petunia screamed at her.
Lily left her sister's room and went back to her own. The owl flew to her table and held out its leg. A small package was attached to it. She took the package and opened it. Inside was a gold bracelet. It was a simple chain and a single charm, a witch hat, was hanging from it. Lily looked at it adoringly, clearly enamored by the simple gift.
There was a piece of parchment inside the bag that contained the bracelet.
Lily,
Happy Christmas!
I hope you like my gift.
Your Secret Santa
Lily smiled. She liked the gift. Before she left Hogwarts for the holidays, she introduced a gift-giving tradition Muggles did to the Gryffindors. She explained how it would work. Each of them would pick a name from a box with their names on it. Then for a whole week, starting on the nineteenth, they would send gifts to the one they picked. But there was a catch: they weren't allowed to tell anyone who they picked. One Gryffindor, a British-American Muggle-born, remarked that they used to call it Secret Santa in America. And so they called it that.
Lily asked those who wanted to join to write their names and addresses, if, like her, they would leave Hogwarts for Christmas, on a parchment and to give it to her after. Most Gryffindors were excited and so they joined. She collected the names and placed it in a box. James was the first one to pick and no one complained. He was James Potter, a sixth-year and extremely good-looking.
Lily grinned at the bracelet once again and grabbed a sheet of parchment and wrote a letter to the sender.
My Secret Santa,
Thank you for the gift. It's brilliant. But you sent it to the wrong window. My sister freaked out when she saw the owl. My room is situated in the middle of the house.
Happy Christmas!
Lily Evans
She rolled it and tied it to the leg of the barn owl. She opened her window and the owl flew out, stretching its great wings into the morning sky.
She clasped her new bracelet around her wrist and continued writing the letter that would accompany her gift for Sirius Black.
December 25, 1976
Lily had been receiving gifts from her Secret Santa. She was given charms that could be added to her bracelet. The second gift was a potion charm. The third was a wand and the next was a broomstick. The fifth was a doe, signifying her Patronus, and yesterday, she got a lily charm.
Earlier that day, she shipped her last gift to Sirius, a Muggle book about dogs. It was meant to be a jest.
All day, she had been awaiting the arrival of her last present. But it never came. By night time, the whole Evans family gathered around the Christmas tree to open the presents. The sisters got their gifts and opened them with glee. Finally, Mrs. Evans took something from her room and handed Lily a small gift.
"Why does she have another gift?" Petunia complained. "She's already got lots of gifts. This is unfair."
Mrs. Evans ignored her and told Lily, "This came in the mail yesterday. I was instructed to give it to you today. I was wondering who gave it, but the mailman said he was not supposed to tell."
Lily grinned at her. "Thanks, mum. It's from a friend in Hogwarts."
"The school for freaks," Petunia murmured.
Mr. Evans chuckled. "Such good friends you have there, Lily. They even bothered to send it the mundane way."
Lily's heart swelled with pride. "Thank you."
Mr. Evans stood up from the couch and said, "Alright, it's getting late. Go up to your rooms now."
Lily kissed her parents and sister good night, although the latter wiped her cheek after the kiss. She went to her room with a skip to her step. She thought her Secret Santa forgot, but apparently, he sent it in advance!
Once in the comforts of her room, she tore open the gift-wrap and opened the box. Sitting on a tiny velvet pillow was a heart. Lily's breath got caught in her throat when she saw the charm. It was a gorgeous little thing. There were small diamonds, she assumed they were, on the sides of the heart, both the front and back. She took it from the box and upon closer inspection, she saw that her name was engraved on it.
A letter, as expected was tucked inside the box. She laid the heart charm inside the box and read the letter.
Lily,
Happy Christmas!
I sent this the Muggle way! They weren't doing deliveries on the twenty-fifth so I had it shipped on the twenty-fourth. I told the owl man to tell you or whoever receives the package to not open it before Christmas. I want to surprise you.
Also, it was really hard to send this the Muggle way. I had a hard time understanding it, but I hope you receive it.
Again, have a very happy Christmas, Evans!
Your Secret Santa
Lily smiled. She knew her Santa was a boy, it was obvious from his letters, but she thought her Santa was also a Muggle-born, or at least knew the Muggle ways, but reading the letter, she knew he wasn't. She was very touched.
She took the last charm and attached it to the bracelet around her wrist.
January 3, 1977
There was chaos in the Gryffindor common room that night. Classes resumed that day and some still had vacation hangovers. Lily looked around the familiar room and smiled.
"Gryffindors! Gather 'round and take a seat!" the Head Boy shouted.
The noise eventually died down and everyone sat down. "Lily," the Head Boy said.
Lily stood up and went to the middle where everyone could see her. Her charm bracelet glistened under the light. She looked around and caught James Potter smiling at her. She cleared her throat and said, "First of all, a bountiful New Year to all."
Everyone cheered and greeted each other. When everyone had quieted down again, Lily continued speaking, "Now, the Secret Santas will reveal who they picked. I'll start." She smiled at Sirius and said, "I got Sirius Black."
Sirius chuckled. "I knew it was you. Who else would send me a book about dogs?" He stood up and said, "Well, I got Alice."
Lily took her seat and watched as they started saying who they got one by one. She waited anxiously for her name to be called. Finally, James stood up, looked at her, and said, "I got you, Lily." He flashed her a smile.
And for the first time in the six years she had known him, he called her Lily. And, most especially, her heart pounded when he smiled.
When it was over and most of them had retired to their rooms, Lily approached James shyly.
"Hey, Evans," James said and ran a hand through his already disheveled hair.
"I… Well, thank you for the bracelet. I like it," she said.
James grinned. "Yeah, your letters said so."
"It's really nice."
"Just like you," James said.
Lily looked at him, surprised. "What do you mean?"
"You're nice. Actually, you're brilliant, Lily," he explained, a tinge of pink covering his cheeks.
Second time. "Thank you," she said. Then she handed him a gift-wrapped box. "I know that's nothing compared to your gift, but I hope you like it."
"I will," James assured her. "It's from you, so I'm sure I'll like it." He sent her another smile. The awful smile that sent her heart pounding and the butterflies in her stomach aflutter.
She waved goodbye and trudged back to her bedroom, a sweet smile on her face. She betrayed one last glance and saw James' small dance of victory.
James, just like her, looked up to watch her, and he caught her green eyes. He blushed, which was so unlike him.
She entered her room and looked at her charm bracelet again. She gazed at the heart charm. It was like James' heart. He was obnoxious, but deep inside he was sweet and caring. And Lily found it charming.
A/N: Tada! I hope you like it, Alex! Happy birthday! Love you, mate!
Love lots,
TheMaskedGirl