"... and James, he's been so distant since Christmas last year, and now we're all going home for the holidays and no pranks have been pulled since September, if you don't count that deal with the confused toads, but that was mostly an accident and not very funny. It's been all about James' flashy tricks to get that girl. Yet no one really gets why that Evans prude doesn't get together with him. I mean, he's the Gryffindor keeper, he's kind of pretty for a boy, he's rich, pure blood -"
"I thought we'd already had this conversation before, but sure, let's talk it through again. I think I understand the situation", Remus calmly stated and put aside his Herbology textbook, having carefully placed a quill as a bookmark, "but I understand why you wouldn't."
"No one gets why he's so obsessed with her anyways", Peter sulked, idly picking at his afternoon snack of pickled onions. "She's a mud- muggle born, and she isn't even that pretty. Like a plank. And those eyes are creepy. Don't tell him I said that."
"I'm going to ignore your derogatory words this time", Remus started, having cringed at the M-word, "but I think it all goes back to her resenting him so openly, and maybe on-"
Remus seemed to change his mind, and continued:
"Either way, he's got every right to like anyone he likes. You've heard his arguments in the case more times than Dumbledore has found uses for dragon blood."
"I just wish he wasn't so obsessed, Moony. It's been awfully quiet when it comes to the mischievous side lately, and I don't like this chatty side of James."
"And I who thought you'd be relieved", Remus chuckled, "but maybe you're not a scared little rat like that at all. As to the talking, maybe you need to let your gums rest. He's been sort of quiet these past few days, though."
"I haven't noticed anything. Hey, do you happen to have that Charms essay due tomorrow lying around here somewhere? Just a quick glance to get me going."
. . .
The Hogwarts castle was going through the annual yet ceaselessly amazing transformation to Christmas as the first snow descended over the highlands. The freshly appointed, over-excited Charms professor, Flitwick, had beaten his predecessor by miles; mistletoe had sprouted in every crack and nook of the walls; floating candles rained gold glitter over the students as they desperately tried to finish essays due before the holidays; even professor Binns had, probably unbeknownst to the extremely slow and old man, received a yuletide bow around his neck. Peeves, as expected, shouted obscene versions of the carols the rest of the ghosts solemnly took every opportunity to perform. It was far more festive than the students had seen it ever before, as to make up for the turn for the worse outside of Hogwarts' protective walls of spells. Rumour had it another family had disappeared, and it was not very surprising that an unpredecented number of students were going home for Christmas. Not all, however.
The redhead girl sunk into a dusty tome on the bench by the main doors shuddered as a gust of snowy air blew over her.
"Evans, ain't it? Ye figure ye could give me a hand with these?" came a roar from something that appeared to be a snow-sprinkled grizzly bear, but in fact was one frostbitten Hagrid, dragging a gigantic spruce through the doors.
"Oh, certainly", Lily replied uncertainly, forcing the book on wandlore into her already crammed bag.
"It's not far, but I didnae want ter bother the staff, they're having Slughorn's eggno- I mean, having a, a meeting about the-"
"I won't tell."
"So, you're going home to yer parents like always?"
"No, I-"
Lily bit her lip, sighed, and continued quietly:
"I don't have much of a home left, actually. My father died four years ago, and my sister, well, she- she never really- and I don't think my mother would-"
"Of course she'd like you to come over!"
"We agreed that it's Petunia's turn this year. She's bringing her fiancé over. It's easier if I stay. And I have to study for my NEWTs."
"Christmas at Hogwarts won't let you down, Evans," Hagrid said and gave her an encouraging tap on her back, almost tipping her off balance.
"Ah, Hagrid, here comes the tree," came the enthusiastic voice of professor Flitwick, already waving his wand in excitement.
. . .
There was indeed a lot of work to finish before the holidays, and seventh year students in especial had no rest. The over-crowded library lay in an almost spiritual silence and the usually loud common rooms were eerily quiet, save for the scraping of quills. One young man, however, who could not be found in either, was James Potter, as he currently sat on his bed mending his gear, mentally preparing for the game against Hufflepuff in February, but constantly getting distracted by a memory of a certain smell, a slither of red, or the anger in piercingly green eyes from years back. It felt so weird that he now, when he least expected, had received a small note with just one word in that charmingly disorderly handwriting. He hadn't even tried to change anything about himself, Merlin, he had not even spoken to her in private for over a month. And now, that one word reply to his countless tries, that simple word on a scrap of parchment, etched into his brain -
Maybe?
"James? You want anything from the kitchen?"
The scruffy hair of one dark young man appeared in the doorway to the dormitory.
"You know, it being the last evening here before the holidays; us about to finish our education, join the fight against You-Know-Who? One last time of pretending we've just learnt to pick locks and to use your father's old cloak?"
"Nah, Sirius, I - I think I'll stay. I need to, um, study, and, uh, tutor-"
"Stay here fondling your broom? No innuendo intended. I know where the kitchens are."
"No, I mean- stay over Christmas."
"And leave me with your mom's cooking?"
"I didn't think about that", James said, nervously fidgeting with his hands.
"You're hiding something, Jamie-bro".
"Am not."
"Oh yes you are. You wouldn't miss Christmas at the Potters for anything else than-"
"Fine, don't make a big deal and please don't tell Moony and Wormtail, I'm in enough trouble with them over her as it is; but yes, it is about Lily Evans."
"She's said yes, has she? What did you do this time, write a song? Impersonated those bugs she listens to?"
"No", James said, thinking about the muggle music he secretly had acquired to understand Lily's world better, "it's nothing like that. I did nothing. Absolutely nothing. You remember at Halloween, when I asked her to go to the Slug club with me? I mean we're still usually both there- Anyways, she now replied, by owl, just with a simple little maybe."
"Maybe, eh?"
"I have no idea what to make of it!"
James cast a glance at his best friend, who, very fleetingly looked angry - but as that realization struck James, Sirius already looked his half-excited laid back, sleek self, and absent-mindedly rolled the sorry excuse for a moustache that grew beneath his nose. James, on the other hand, had to shave every morning, and was already sporting a handsome stubble as the clock was nearing seven.
"Well, brother-o-mine, I think you should perhaps ask her what to make of it. I mean, you've been all about grand romantic gestures so far, to no end, and whilst I usually would tell anyone to just sweep a girl off her feet, I think- Well, Lily Evans seems like the kind of girl you want to marry, not just snog, James."
"I- I don't know, Sirius. I guess I've been sort of obsessively stalking her for so long that I- I don't think I actually know her that well."
"Couldn't have put it better myself - But you have feelings for her, right?"
"Yes, but they're different than before. You know."
Sirius gave a laugh that sounded more like a bark.
"James, I have no idea! I've never loved a girl like you!"
"Oh, so I'm a girl now? And who said I love her?I just said I barely even know her!"
"Well, then you just have to start to get to know her. It's that simple. She likes chocolate frogs."
"I know that", James sighed, tucking his broom under the bed, "I know a lot of things about her, it's just - I don't know her."
Author's note:
Hello! This is a sort of new story I'm working on. It was supposed to become some very adults-only-mature smut, but I decided to keep it inside the guidelines for the site, and to just work out where it goes from here. This chapter is arguably very short, but if you like it, I'll keep it going. Hope you like it!