Title: Tradions, Old and New

Characters/Pairings: Lily/Snape, Remus, Petunia

Genre: Romance

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, sadly, doesn't belong to me. If it did, Luna/Neville would be canon, and Remus and Fred would still be alive. =)

Author's Notes: Yes, I am aware that it is Spring, and I'm posting a Christmas fic. I was cleaning up my fic journal, and realized that I never posted this. I figured it was time to do just that!

This fic was originally a challenge and gift fic for a friend who ships Lily/Snape with her whole heart. I hope you like it too! =D

Lily's palmed itched inside her coat pocket. It was Christmas Eve, and she was home for the holidays from Hogwarts.

Lily Evans was a firm believer in traditions. Every year she would come home, she would wrap gifts, and send the ones for her friends off, via owl, so they would make it in time for Christmas Day. Following a tradition she had since she was a little girl, she would bake Ginger cakes with her Mum and Petunia, and go caroling, whether the weather was nice, or it were a blizzard. Christmas was Lily's favorite holiday, and worked really hard to make it Merry and bright for everyone she cared about.

This Christmas wasn't going to be different. It would have been.

This Christmas was going to be the year that her Christmases changed, where traditions were broken, and even with the brightest of holiday lights, her Christmas would be dreary and dim. You see, Lily Evans always wrapped her presents for her friends and sent them, via owl, except for one, which she would personally deliver. Following a tradition she had since she was a little girl, she would bake Ginger cakes with her Mum and Petunia, and sneak a few away, because they were his favorite. She would then drag her best friend into the dreaded caroling, sharing the ginger cakes, and working really hard to make him smile.

This would have been the year that Lily would be without Severus Snape. She had planned it all. She would be strong, and she would continue doing her traditions, only going it alone. She was still very mad over what Severus had done, and while he begged and pleaded for her forgiveness, she feared that her aching heart would break into a million pieces, and she would loose all of her well developed pride.

She almost followed through with her plan, almost completely cutting him out of every piece of her life...if it weren't for Remus Lupin.

After being cornered and sat down in the library, Remus asked his friend if she was alright. For months, she looked fine, laughed, and carried on with life, but for those who really knew Lily, like Remus did, her broken spirit was easy to see in her eyes, in the quick glances over to the Slytherin table during meal times, or in Potions Class.

She tried to deny it, but in the end, she ended up crying on Remus's shoulder. She missed him. She was still angry, still hurt, but she miss her Severus so, so much.

That's when Remus asked her a question she had not really thought of.

"Why not try forgiving him Lily?"

In truth, Lily was a rather giving soul. She was very open and understanding. When she found out that Remus was a werewolf, it didn't bother her in the slightest. All she wanted to do, in fact, was see if he needed any help, and kept his secret. Yes, she was giving, and yes, she was understanding, but Lily Evans also had a quick, hot temper, and while giving and understanding, she had never been quick to forgive. Forget, yes, forgive, not so much.

She tried to talk her way around it, find some other solution, keep her fractured heart intact. When it finally came down to it, she pointed out to Remus that Severus wasn't exactly his favorite person. He was quick to point out:

"Yes, I know. But Lily, he was one of yours."

This was what brought her to Christmas Eve, with a box of Ginger cakes, and sheet music for caroling. It was Christmas, after all, and he was her best friend, and Christmas was a very best time for forgiveness. She could only hope that he felt the same way, and forgave her for taking so long. She had to get him back, if for only following her traditions, (which is the reason she would tell him she was there, when they both knew that wasn't the reason at all), and to see him smile at her again.

Drawing up her Gryffindor courage, box under arm, she trudged through the snow.

In her pocket, she kept a sprig of mistletoe, because, maybe, just maybe, if things went right, they could start a new tradition together.

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