"Morning my Lily-flower." James Potter rolled over in his bed and planted a kiss on his wife's lips.
"Merry Christmas Jamie." She smiled at his expression, sweeping a lock of her curly red hair from in front of her emerald eyes.
He pouted, "That's not a good nickname."
"Try and stop me using it Jamie." Suddenly without warning he rolled over pinning her too the bed with his Quidditch strengthened arms.
"Oh I could," he bent down and breathed into her ear, "but Harry's calling and everyone will soon arrive." And with that, just as suddenly as he pinned her, he was standing and pulling a shirt on over his messy black hair.
Lily Potter, formally Evans, loved James so much at that moment she wanted to pull him back into bed but unfortunately he was right, she could hear Harry from their room, so instead she returned his goofy wave, slipped out of bed and started to dress for the day.
James took long strides down the hallway of their house at Godric's Hollow and opened a door into a baby blue room and in a crib in one corner was his mini replica. "Shhh Harry it's all right," he said swooping the baby up in his arms making its crying stop at once, "you can't be sad because today is Christmas, even if you are too young to realise what's going on." Little Harry just gurgled with delight at the sound of his fathers voice. James gazed into the eyes of his son, so thankful that he had his wife's perfect bright green eyes, and ruffled his messy black hair, "Come on sport lets get you dressed and breakfasted."
He put Harry in a "Gryffindor in the making" baby grow and took him, and the soft toy snitch Harry hardly ever put down, down stairs into the kitchen for breakfast.
"There are my boys," Lily said from the doorway to their clean kitchen kissing first Harry then James on the forehead, "breakfast Harry" she smiled giving him a feed then a burp.
"Don't I get a feed too?" James waggled his eyebrows and smiled a cocky grin.
Lily hit him round the back of the head playfully.
"Its beat up James day? Damn I didn't bring my beaters bat just brightly wrapped presents, I thought it was Christmas." A teasing voice came from the window and the Potters looked up to see the grinning face of Sirius Black half hidden under a pile of gifts.
"PADFOOT!" James ran into the hall as Sirius walked in, trudging snow onto the carpet, and encasing him in a brotherly hug.
"Good to see ya Prongsy." The man smiled shaking the snow out his hair like a dog would.
"Ewww leave it too your animagus form." Lily wiped some snow from her cheek.
"Hey Lily, Hello Pronglet long time no see." Sirius took his godson up into his arms and gave him a hug, "Am I the first here?" he directed the question at Lily but James answered.
"You expect Remus to be up early on the day after the cycle? Please Paddy have more sense."
"Well tell Moony to get off his lardy, scar-y arss and get here immediately because I want presents!"
"Calm down you grown up two year old, I'm here." A man with a scared face and a flop of blond hair said as he came through the Potter's door with an equally huge pile of presents.
"MOONY!" the other two men shouted crashing into Remus Lupin and knocking him to the floor.
"Be careful of Harry!" Lily scolded but Remus just laughed.
"He's laughing don't worry he isn't afraid of the big bad wolf."
"I should hope not his first word being Moo-y closely followed by Pa-foo." James chuckled picking up presents and ferrying them to the tree. Soon all the presents and people were under a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, Harry in Remus's hands, in the cosy front room painted to resemble the Gryffindor common room.
"Let Sirius open his presents first or he will burst, here you are you big kid." Lily threw him a green present which he tore the wrapping off quickly and found a brand new beaters bat and gloves set.
"Wow! Thank you Lily-kins" he gave her a kiss on the cheek and handed a present to her. She found a photo album filled with picture of Sirius and James flying in different Quidditch games throughout their years at Hogwarts and Remus shouting out the commentary.
"Awww Black you shouldn't have."
"Now you can remember how amazing I am, right Evans?" He nudged her playfully.
"Its Potter now Black."
"You will always be Evans to me, Evans." She shook her head in mock disappointment but had a huge grin on face.
"Here you go Pronglet" Remus gave Harry a big, squishy present then helped him unwrap it. Inside were four soft toys; a wolf, a dog, a stag and a rat.
"Remus that's so nice." Lily smiled and Harry picked each one up and, one by one, showed them to James. When he had finished he carefully put them with his snitch and looked expectantly at Sirius.
"Here you go mini Prongs" Sirius handed him a gift which was suspiciously broom shaped. It turned out to be a half size broom Sirius had attached a seat to and jinxed to follow round whoever put Harry in the seat without the broom hitting anything.
James got a present from Remus next which was a document saying The Potters garden had been put under the house's protective charms and enchantments, now he could play Quidditch outside up to 70 feet high. James practically yelped for joy as he had been confined to inside for almost 7 months.
James gave Lily some Lily earrings and he received back a real working snitch for him to practise with in their garden. Remus got a set of books from Sirius, which lily had helped him pick out, and a book called "12 failsafe ways to charm witches" from James.
From his father Harry got a couple of outfits and from his mother a book called "Tales of Beadle the Bard" and promise she would start reading them to him tonight.
Sirius was then given an official looking book from Remus which inside had the date, plan, who was involved, who it was too, reason for and whether it worked for every prank the marauders ever pulled through all 7 years at Hogwarts. James gave Padfoot two tiny vials of Liquid Luck, one of which he drank right that second saying this would be the best Christmas ever.
James then got a tiny kitten from Sirius, which he named Snitchs.
Remus gave Lily the book he had been reading that she had so desperately wanted and all 5 of them got a Weasley Jumper by post.
Soon James and Sirius were out in the snow in the back garden on brooms racing each other trying to catch the snitch. Harry was flying in his broom after Remus who was legging it around the house and lily was hard at work in the kitchen. Harry soon got bored and played with his new toys and Remus help Lily in the kitchen, just then the daily prophet arrived.
"It says the Mackinnon's have refused to go into hiding. They are suicidal." Remus told Lily as he scanned the newspaper, "and a few muggle deaths… and oh no."
"What?" she asked fearing the worst.
"it says, "Yesterday 11 death eaters arrived at the house of Fabian and Gideon Prewett, the battle lasted 7 hours and the twins killed or caught 6 death eaters. However in the early hours of the morning one killing curse killed both Gideon and Fabian. Their sister Molly Weasley has declined to comment but did get photos and Fabians' gold watch in the twins will. They were known members of the Order of the Phoenix and good honest men who always put a smile on your face. Fred and George, molly's twin sons, are now left Godfather-less and the entire Weasley family are left with a hole in their hearts. These men shall be missed." poor Molly."
"Oh my gosh and she still had time to make us jumpers. I will owl her, Remus tell James and Sirius they thought of the Prewett twins as their idols." Lily looked in the werewolf's eyes with a single tear streaming down her face.
"I will. Don't worry Lily the war will be over one day I know it." Remus returned her gaze his scratch marked face pulling into a small smile, "Lily your sprouts are on fire; how that possible there are boiling in water."
She gave a small laugh then set it right. She then picked up Harry and hugged him tight, "I will never let anything happen to you Harry Potter. I will always keep you safe."
Harry stretched out his podgy little hand and put it on his mother cheek.
By the time the 3 Marauders, Lily and the Marauder to be sat down to dinner the deaths of the Prewett's was put to the back of their minds. Sirius was entertaining everyone by transfigurating the silverware into various animals making everyone, Harry especially, laugh and grin. The food was amazing, James and Sirius practically inhaled their portions and had seconds, and thirds. Then everyone got bundled up in winter clothes and went into the garden. James put Harry in his new broom and got on his own. After that he took off with Harry following about a meter away. His baby laugh was so cute Sirius amplified it to be heard all around the little house in Godric's Hollow.
When the two Marauders had left, promising to be back soon, Lily and James took Harry up to their bed and with the baby in the middle started to read the tale of 3 brothers from Pronglet's new book. After a while Both Harry and James were asleep on each other. Lily looked over at them and grinned, "Merry Christmas." She whispered as she curled up and quickly fell into blissful slumber at then end of a perfect day.