Disclaimer: I own Adam Mumps and April (mentioned only). I own nothing else.
Also, scaredofobots, find the reference(s) to your last review.
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Looking back at her boyfriend's peppermint bark obsession, Lily did not know whether she should thank Sirius Black or whether it would have been better to throw him into a lake at sunset for the squids to have.
–
It all started on December first, otherwise known as the day you distinguish between those who abnormally need a month to celebrate the season and those who begin celebrating about a week before Christmas. Unfortunately for Lily, her boyfriend fell into the former category, whereas she fell into the latter.
'James,' Lily sighed upon seeing his outfit. 'It is December first, Christmas is more than three weeks away.'
James examined his reindeer jumper along with his stocking covered pants. He had the audacity to grin at her. 'Love,' he said, walking behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. He placed a kiss on her shoulder. 'Why do you hate Christmas? 'Tis the season to be jolly and all that.'
'I repeat. It is December first. Christmas is on the twenty-fifth, therefore it is not Christmas.' She shrugged him off of her, although a grin graced her face.
'Are you Christmas shaming me, Evans?' His lopsided grin had her holding back a very well-earned sigh.
'Yes, I am, Potter.' She came closer to him, letting her lips teasingly lingering a centimeter away from his.
'Hmm...I'll have to fix that, yeah?' He closed the remaining space between them. His lips muffling her giggles.
She pushed him away as their cat brushed against his leg. 'Good luck, reindeer boy.'
–
'Hello, love ,' James announced as his girlfriend arrived home from work. 'How was your day?'
She walked into his awaiting arms. 'A patient flirted with me.' Her mumbled words were still heard against his chest. 'Oh,' he said. He planted a small kiss to her head and asked, 'Should I be worried?'
'He was gross and vomited on me, and I told him where he could stick his hands.'
Lily felt James' laugh vibrating against her. 'I'm sure you did, my love.'
'And everything was decorated in Christmas,' she said, snuggling closer into him.
'You poor thing,' he sighed dramatically. 'How will you ever recover?'
Lily looked up to glare at him. 'I blame you, you Christmas addict.'
James chuckled. 'I'm afraid you can't blame me for Christmas. No matter how good I look in a Santa suit.'
'Kinky,' she said before letting go of him. 'Why can't everyone celebrate Christmas at a normal time of year.'
'That would be a depressing December.' He took her hand in his, leading her to the the kitchen. 'Padfoot sent us something in the post, wanna open it?'
Mr and Mrs Prongs, it read along with their address.
'Does Sirius really need to write that every single time?' Lily asked as she took it in her hands. 'And does it really need to be wrapped in Christmas paper?' If there was one person Lily knew to love Christmas more than her boyfriend, it was Sirius Black.
'Just open it, Mrs Prongs,' he teased her with a small nip to the ear.
'Prat. I would never marry a prat, you know?' She said as she slowly began unwrapping the small box.
'Hmm...good thing I'm not a prat.' She shivered slightly as she felt his breath on her neck, his hands wrapping around her once more.
'You'll always be a prat.' A grin spread on her face. 'Although a bearable one.' She tossed the paper aside to see a box full of sweets.
'He sent us American sweets,' Lily told him.
'That's nice of him, better than his last present to us.'
Her lips quirked up. 'I am rather fond of not opening intimate presents from our friends, especially not in front of my parents.' James snorted at reminder of her last present from their eccentric friend.
He grabbed one of the sweets that were wrapped in white and red. 'Peppermint bark,' he read.
And 'tis how it began.
–
As the days to Christmas went by so did James' obsession with the treat.
It was everywhere, and, quite frankly, it was driving Lily absolutely mad.
'James, dear,' she pinched the bridge of her nose slightly. As much as she loved him, he could be quite the pain in the arse. 'This isn't healthy, you can't keep eating that ridiculous sweet.'
He popped another in his mouth. 'Yes, I can,' he argued back rather childishly.
'Your going to become ill. You ate half a bar yesterday.' She said recalling the gigantic bar she witness arrive in the post. She really needed to have a talk with Sirius about his dietary needs.
'I'm still fit, love.' He poked his stomach as proof of his statement.
'Fine,' Lily pouted at not getting her way.
An idea suddenly struck her. 'Go ahead and eat as much of your precious chocolate as you want.'
'Thank you.' He got up ready to embrace her.
'But I won't be snogging you until you're done with this obsession.' Her words shocked him.
'No snogging?' He was gaping at her like fish. It was rather funny to her.
'No snogging.' The glint in her eyes was proof to James that she was indeed being serious.
'But–but it's Christmas.' He managed to get out.
'It's not Christmas,' Lily said in a singsong voice.
'What about mistletoes?'
She shook her head at him and looked at her in fake innocence. 'Not even for mistletoes.'
A smirk graced her face. 'Good luck, peppermint bark boy.'
–
By the end of the first week without snogging his beautiful girlfriend, James had begun to exhibit the appearance of a puppy deprived of his favourite toy–not that his girlfriend was a toy, but James rather missed the way she would teasingly kiss him in the morning, when she got back from work, or when he got back from practising football with the team. His attitude wasn't helped by his love's adoration of teasing him at every opportunity. Whether it be in her just being her naturally adorable self or her very wonderful attempts at seducing him.
He rather loved her.
–
By the next week, it was only a few days before Christmas and neither individual had yet to cave.
'It's almost Christmas,' Lily announced that morning, wrapping her arms around James' waist.
'Oh, now you're in a Christmas mood.' He said rather amused.
It was the same thing every year since he had met Lily Evans. She would shy away from anything Christmas related until less than a week before when she would be in full Christmas mode.
'Ironic since you look like a walking Christmas tree,' he had once teased her.
She didn't speak to him until he apologised and agreed to getting a cat.
He would never forget the day they met. It was on the coldest October day five years ago when he had accidentally been pushed into her by Sirius. James had spilled his coffee on her and stuttered out an apology at seeing the beautiful redhead blushing. Sirius had offered to buy her a drink to make up for his clumsy mate. They ended up missing class to have a drink with her.
He had been her friend for a year–half of which she spent dating her jerk of an ex, Adam Mumps–before he asked her out on a date. Sirius always teased him about getting to be best man at their wedding because if it hadn't been for him pushing him into Lily they might have never met. James only half-heartedly agreed with his logic.
'Mmm...I love you,' she mumbled sleepily into his back.
His heart beat faster at her words. No matter how many times she's said them, the effect it had on him never lessened.
'You're not guilting me out of eating the sweet, Lil.'
He could feel her glare on his back as she gently hit his shoulder. 'I know that.' A roll of the eyes accompanied her statement. 'I just love you.'
'Enough to kiss me?' He turned around to meet her eyes teasingly.
'Perhaps not that much.' She did, however, give him a quick peck on the cheek. 'I'm going Christmas shopping with April today.'
'Can I request a kiss as a present?' His tone was playful as she walked past him.
'I'm afraid you're on Santa's naughty list.' Her laugh caused him to let out a schoolboy sigh.
He couldn't wait until Christmas.
–
Christmas day began at the Potter-Evans residence as it always did–with James stepping on their cat, resulting in him being scratched by the ferocious beast.
'Really, James? Again?' Lily asked as she saw James nursing the tiny (according to Lily) scratch.
'It's not my fault the creature gets in my way every Christmas.'
'He's a cat, love.'
'It's not a normal cat, Lil. That thing senses fear.' His girlfriend giggled at his serious expression.
'More like senses idiots.' She teased him as she took pity on him and handed him a bandage.
'You love the cat more than me,' he pouted.
'Of course I do. The cat has never spilled coffee on me.'
He grinned at her. 'Worked out in my favour though, didn't it?'
'Prat.' But she couldn't hide the fond smile that graced her lips.
–
The time was six in the evening when Lily and James decided to exchange presents before their friends arrived.
'Open yours first,' he told her as he handed her a medium sized box wrapped in reindeer paper.
'All right.' She pulled off the red bow before beginning to unwrap it. She glared playfully at him as she saw what it contained. 'Peppermint bark, really?' He saw an amused glint in her eyes.
'There's more.' He saw the confused look on her face as she emptied the contents on the floor and noticed a smaller black box. She grabbed the box carefully, stroking it lightly.
'This better not be a joke, James.' Her voice came out softly.
'Open it and find out.' His voice was a whisper.
She opened the box as he got down on one knee in front of her.
'James?' Her green eyes met his hazel ones. A smile meant for only him.
'I know you said you wouldn't marry a prat,' he began. 'But I was hoping you'd make an exception for me.'
'Are you really…?' She looked at him in shock.
'Marry me, Lily Evans?' His voice came out a tad bit hoarse as he stared up at his love.
She flung herself into his arms, kissing his lips as she mumbled her response onto them.
'I thought you weren't going to kiss me until I gave up the peppermint bark?' He sighed onto her lips.
'Shut up,' was her brilliant response as she pulled him closer to her. He was too content in her arms to argue.
Lily supposed she could get used to the taste of peppermint bark as long as she could keep kissing her idiot of a boyfriend (fiancé, she corrected herself).
–
Lily also later amended that she probably wouldn't have to feed Sirius Black to the squids at sunset after all.
–
AN: Thoughts?