-DING DONG MERRILY ON HIGH-
24th December 1977
DING DONG.
"James will you get that?"
He had just climbed out of the shower, what was going through his sister's mind to make her think that it was possible for him to even reach the door right now?
DING DONG.
"JAMES!" Rose shouted. "I'm doing my hair!"
"Sirius can get it." James opened the bathroom door a crack so that she could hear him.
The door to the spare bedroom opposite was open. Inside the room, Evan's was getting changed. He paused.
"Potter!"
Oh dear. After pulling her jumper off she had caught him staring at her. Lily slammed the door and James gulped. If she didn't kill him later, then Rose sure as hell would.
"No can do mate," Sirius called from somewhere down the hall, near to where Rose's room was. James heard giggling.
DING DONG.
"Fine," James grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. He shook his head in annoyance and scattered water droplets everywhere. "I'll get it then."
He passed the spare room and thanked Merlin that Lily was staying for the Christmas holidays, while her older sister and her fiancé took her parents skiing in France. To save tension later he thought about opening the door to apologize, and then realized that the sight of him standing in her bedroom doorway dripping wet and half naked might be enough for her to finally apply for a restraining order; whatever one of those was.
DING DONG.
Who were these people? And why were they attacking their doorbell?
Before running downstairs, James knocked on the door to his sisters' room, "Rose if you haven't kicked Sirius out of there by the time I reach the front door-"
Surprisingly she listened to him. The door opened and Sirius was thrown out with his hair in a mess and a dazed expression on his face. He tried to re-enter the room but Rose had shut the door.
DING DONG.
"Come to the door with me, and I won't kill you for not having any trousers on right now," James tried to remain calm but Sirius's boxers were literally making him see red. "Your choice."
He started down the stairs and wasn't too surprised when he heard Sirius's footsteps following.
"Good choice," James muttered when Sirius had joined him at the bottom of the stairs.
Sirius shrugged.
DING DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG.
Who the hell were these people?
James yanked open the door with such a force that all ten of the muggles who were standing on his doorstep jumped back in surprise. He half-hid himself behind the door and envied Sirius of his ability to not be embarrassed when standing in front of strangers, while wearing only red boxers with Santa and his reindeer racing across his "areas".
Oh and he also wanted to kill Sirius for coming out of his little sister's bedroom wearing only his underwear. Rest assured blood would be spilt that night.
"Good Evening young… Sirs."
James did not appreciate the tone of voice the man who was speaking had, after he had taken in the two seventeen year olds general lack of clothes.
"We are sorry to interrupt you but we thought that we might bring you a bit of Christmas cheer on this cold Eve's night." The man who had spoken appeared to be leading the group of muggles. He held a sheet of parchment in one gloved hand, and he was wearing white earmuffs, a floppy white hat and a smile which seemed to be wider than his plump red face. The sight of so many perfectly whitened teeth was scary.
"Thank you but we-" Sirius started to speak but Mr toothy the muggle didn't let him finish.
"You are quite welcome Sir. Quite welcome. It is Christmas after all." Mr Toothy turned to his group, "and what do we do at Christmas?"
"Deck the halls with boughs of holly…" at the horribly cringe cue the other nine muggles started singing, their leader joined in with a surprisingly powerful voice, leaving James and Sirius to stand and wonder what on earth was going on.
"This is the worst spell I've ever heard," Sirius whispered. James nodded reluctantly; worried the muggles would think that he was encouraging them to continue.
"Don we now our gay apparel," the muggles sang joyfully. Sirius and James exchanged glances.
"What on earth is an apparel?" James whispered whilst the muggles were busy fa-la-laing.
"I don't know but I bet you anything that Flitwick has one." Sirius shielded his eyes from glitter as the few children in the group started to throw some at the boys.
"Strike the harp and join the chorus." The muggles seemed to be encouraging them to join in.
Sirius waved them off, "no thanks I'm good."
James nodded, "we're fine. We'd rather stand here in the cold. Letting all of the heat inside our house disappear outside, while we watch crazy people sing."
The muggles did not take this as a hint to leave but kept on singing.
"Heedless of the wind and weather…"
"I am freezing my butt butt butt," Sirius chimed in with the last of the fa-la-la's but only James heard him.
"Wow." Was all that James could say when the muggles had finished their song. The group stood and stared at them expectantly. Sirius and James exchanged glances. For some reason the muggles were holding out empty metal tins…
"Amazing. Now I guess you must be tired, this night is a col-" James wasn't allowed to finish either because for some reason the muggles took this a cue.
"Silent Night. Holy Night…" they had started up again and this song was more confusing than the last one had been. James deeply regretted coming out of the shower.
"Round yon Virgin Mother and Child…"
"I don't think these people understand what a virgin is," Sirius whispered.
James punched him in the arm.
"Ow, what was that for?"
"You're in your boxers, before that you were in my sister's room," James hissed.
Sirius looked awkward and said nothing for a while.
"Sleep in heavenly peace…" the muggles kept singing.
"Sleep sounds good right now."
James punched Sirius in the arm for speaking again.
"I meant in my own room!" Sirius protested. James shushed him.
The muggles were singing quietly for this song and he was trying to understand their lyrics.
When the song had finished, Sirius spoke: "now that was lovely. Really nice now-"
"Dashing through the snow, on a one horse open sleigh-" the carollers sang with more gusto this time but James, who was freezing and only wearing a white towel, had had enough.
"Whoa…whoa…whoa!" he held his hands up and they stopped singing. They stared at him in contempt for being interrupted during one of their - it was often said - best songs.
"Your singing is very nice but if you can't tell," he moved from behind the front door and revealed more of himself, "I'm freezing my arse off here, so why don't you all go home and – SIRIUS!"
His "best friend" had pulled the towel down and James was now exposed to both the elements and the shocked stares of ten pairs of wide eyes.
A freezing and silent second followed, during which the muggles stared from James Potter to his mini-me in horror - though one lady didn't appear to look horrified enough.
Then the screaming began and adults picked up their traumatized children, covered their tiny little eyes and pegged it as fast as their wellington boots would allow.
"You should be ashamed of yourself," one lady said, but only after James had had the sense to cover up his "ding dong merrily on high".
"Yep I am. Thanks for that. Have a nice night." James could only nod to indicate that she should leave; the woman did so without taking her eyes off of the place his hands were covering. James closed the door with his elbow and turned to Sirius, "when I find some clothes, I am going to kill you."
Sirius shrugged and laughed, "what are you complaining about? It got them to leave didn't it?"
"Potter?"
Both boys turned to see Rose and Lily standing wide eyed on the stairs, "why are you naked?"