My Favourite Things
By the Drunk Elves
-----
Dobby: We watched The Sound of Music yesterday…
Winky: And were bitten by evil plotbunnies who wouldn't rest until we had written this…
Dobby: Read and review… please, do it for…
Winky: Lily and James!
-----
"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,
Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens;
Brown paper packages tied up with strings,
These are a few of my favourite things…"
"What are you singing, Lily?" asked James softly, leaning against the wall of their nursery. He watched his wife rock their son's cradle, singing him to sleep. He watched as Lily stroked Harry's fringe off his face and heard Harry's soft sigh of contentment. Moments like these were so precious to him in this time. It was a rare thing to spend time with his family with all the work to be done for the Order as well as their being in hiding.
Lily smiled at him. "Oh, it's a song I heard in a Muggle movie when I was little. This one was one of my favourites."
James moved closer to Harry's cradle. "What was the movie about?" he asked, not really caring much about the answer. Nowadays, he and Lily just needed to keep their minds off the fact that Voldemort could come bursting in at any moment. Now that Harry was asleep, James feared that the dark fear that caused him to toss and turn at night would come straight back with a vengeance.
James had not wanted a son; he knew that if he had a child, especially a son, they would be in more danger. He had warned Lily, told her to stay away from him because of who he was, but she had just laughed and replied that she would rather die with him than live without him.
Then Harry had come. Though James was against the idea of a son in the first place, Lily had insisted. But once Harry had arrived, James could not squelch the feeling of warmth and happiness he felt every time he looked at his son. Now they were in more danger than ever, and rumours told that Voldemort was specially after Harry.
"It was based on a true story," Lily replied, answering his question about the movie. "It's about a family who had to flee the German Nazis during World War II." Seeing his blank look, she added, "When Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald."
James looked up from Harry and looked at his wife's face, committing her features to memory. The soft red hair, the brilliant green eyes, the few freckles around the nose…
"Did they escape?" he asked suddenly.
Lily met his eyes. "Yes," she said softly. She knew that they weren't talking about the movie anymore, but added, "They went into hiding, then crossed the Alps on foot to get to Switzerland."
James tried to smile. "Sounds kind of familiar, but I wasn't thinking of Switzerland." He put his arm around Lily. "So while these Muggles were fleeing the Darkness, they had time to stop and sing about nettles?"
Lily laughed. "Kettles, actually. And this movie was a musical; it had lots of songs in it that helped to tell the story." She glanced up at him and smirked a little. "I'm sure the real family didn't burst into song during their escape."
"Sing some more."
Lily smiled, then gazed at Harry. Softly, she began to sing.
"Cream coloured ponies and crisp apple strudels,
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles;
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings,
These are a few of my favourite things…"
"Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings – that sounds pretty. What part of the story did this song help tell?" asked James absently, stroking Lily's hair.
"Oh – the children are afraid during a thunderstorm and their governess – who marries their father later in the movie – is trying to tell them that everything is all right. So she has them think about their favourite things to make them forget their fears."
"Does it work?" asked James, looking at Lily with a searching gaze.
She looked back at him, her eyes full of love and sadness. "In the movie it does," she whispered finally.
"Sing some more." James rested his forehead against hers.
"Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, "When the dog bites,
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes;
Silver white winters that melt into springs,
These are a few of my favourite things…
When the bee stings,
When I'm feeling sad;
I simply remember my favourite things,
And then I don't feel so bad…"
They stayed that way for a long time in silence, before James' irrepressible good humour resurfaced. "OK, let me get this straight." He cleared his throat, "Girls in green dresses with long dark red tresses…" He tugged playfully on a lock of her long red hair.
Lily burst out laughing, then hurriedly quieted so as not to wake Harry. "Wizards with black hair and wire-framed glasses…" She stroked his cheek and smiled.
James thought for a minute. "Wild dogs and werewolves with the moon on their…um…tails?" he finished hopefully.
Lily grinned. "Well, not quite a rhyme, but definitely some of my favourite things," she sang.
James looked at her tenderly, then sang,
"When I'm feeling sad;
I simply remember my favourite things,
And then I don't feel so bad…"
-----
Winky: I actually really like this one.
Dobby: Yeah, me too. I'm quite proud of the lyrics I invented.
Winky: -----coughstoopidcough----- Erm…yeah, sure.
Dobby: I'm on a roll today…how's this?
Inkdrops on paper and house elves in kitchens,
Evil plotbunnies and fluff-covered mittens;
LJ and HG all tied up with string,
These are a few of my favourite things…
Winky: Um…okay then. Readers, it's up to you: if you like Dobby's singing – -----coughawfulcough----- – review and tell us!
-----