I would like to dedicate this story to my sister, Kels.
Thanks for being so supportive of my stories and everything you have done for me this year.
Merry Christmas
Disclaimer: Do I look like J.K? I only own everyone new in the story.
The Magic of Christmas
I, Lily Evans, love Christmas.
Smells of cookies baking and pine trees flow through the halls of Hogwarts; the sounds of people laughing and singing everywhere; and the soft touch of snow on my skin; the feeling of pure bliss.
This is what the holidays are all about.
It is two days before Christmas Eve and instead of going home as usual, I decided to stay here and enjoy my last Christmas as a student at Hogwarts. My two best friends, Lacey Leevi and Rachael Stetzer, are going to stay with me. Unfortunately, the Marauders have also decided to stay.
So I am trying my best to avoided them so that I can enjoy the holiday. However, it never seems to work.
Even now, as I walk down the hall towards Potions with Lacey and Rachael, that bloody James Potter is calling at me.
"Hey, Evans!" Great… here he comes. "EVANS!! Wait up! I need to talk to you!"
I really don't want to stop moving. But next to me, Rachael gives me a firm look.
Crap.
Why did she have to be Sirius's girlfriend?
He is just bad as Potter. A womanizer!
I am fearful that he is going to break Ray's heart any day now. Though, there relationship does amaze me. It's been about two months now. That is the longest relationship I've seen Sirius in.
"Lily," Rachael says, "just see what the hell he wants."
I stop and the three of us turn around to see Potter and Sirius jogging towards us. Potter looks to be a bit out of breath trying to catch us. I thought he was supposed to be an almighty Quidditch player. He shouldn't be out of breath now.
"Hey, Lily. Thanks for stopping," he says, his hand moving up to his hair so it can ruffle it up.
God.
I hate that.
I always get a funny feeling in my stomach when he does that.
"What do you want, Potter?" I ask, saying 'Potter' as if it is some vile word. I bet he is going to ask me out.
Potter ruffles up his hair… again! Does he ever stop doing that? It's driving me insane!
Next to me, Ray, Sirius, and Lacey are whispering to one another about something. It's probably nothing. I will ask about it later.
"Well, I just wanted to tell you about the… um… Prefect meeting. It's going to be later today. We have to talk about the New Years Eve ball."
I was about to yell a big 'No!' in his face, but what he said surprises me. All he wanted to do was tell me about the Prefect meeting (we are both Heads).
Well, well, well. I am impressed, Potter. It took you this long to actually have something intelligent to say to me. Wow, very impressing.
"Oh," I say calming down a bit. "Well, alright. See you later then." I am about to turn around when he grabs my arm.
"Hold up, Evans. You forgot something."
I turn around again only to find him having the biggest smirk on his face. He is also holding one arm high into the air. I look up to see what it is.
Oh my god.
Hanging above my head are little red berries with rough looking, pointed green leaves.
Mistletoe.
I looked back at Potter with wide eyes. His lips are puckered out and eyes are closed.
He cannot be serious…
That arrogant prat! How dare he think I would kiss him!
Instead, I kicked him hard in the shin.
Not expecting it, he kneels over.
"Try that again," I hiss into his ear, "and I will kick you where the sun doesn't shine."
I turn my heal, fuming, and I walk quickly down the corridor. Behind me I hear Sirius say, "Tough Luck, Prongs," and the quick, soft footsteps of Lacey and Rachael.
I get to Professor Slughorn's class and slam my books on my desk. My friends sit beside me.
"What happened, Lily?" asked Lacey, playing with her dirty blonde hair as if she was nervous.
"Yeah! We heard you kick Potter and then you stormed off!" Rachael added, her brown eyes looking concern.
"He tried to kiss me… AGAIN!"
Ray and Lacey looked at each other. I hate when they do that. It feels as if they are having a secret conversation without words.
The door to the class opened and slowly walked in Potter. His head was down and didn't even try to make eye contact with me. He just sat down at his seat with Sirius. The next moment, Remus entered with a armful of books and sat down on Potter's other side.
"What did you say to him? He looked like that after you left," said Lacey who was eyeing Potter.
As I even looked at him, I kind of felt bad for what I said. James can be a pretty nice guy and—wait...did I just put 'James' and 'nice' in the same sentence? GET IT OUT OF MY BRAIN! OUT OF MY BRAIN!!
"Lily?"
I can't believe I just thought that! How can I feel bad for him!
"Lily?"
HE IS POTTER FOR GODDNESS SAKES! He has been torturing me from day one with his pranks and teases. How can I even feel anything for him!
"LILY!"
I look around wildly and saw that not only Rachael and Lacey were looking at me, but the whole class!
"Uh… hello," saying shyly.
"Hello, Miss Evans. Are you alright today?" Professor Slughorn asked, looking worried.
I looked to Rachael to explain.
"You were making random faces for the past five minutes. It was actually pretty funny to watch," she smiles at me and turns away.
I look up at Slughorn, embarrassed.
"S— sor—sorry, Professor," I mumbled. "I was… was just thinking."
"That is perfectly alright, Miss Evans. I was just checking." He then began the lesson. All I wanted to do was put my head in a hole. Wow, I feel really warm. My checks must be blushing furiously!
I cannot wait until this day is over.
At least break starts today. Maybe I will have a better chance at hiding from Potter.
OoOoO
I wake up on Christmas morning feeling really good for some reason. You know how sometimes when you wake up all feels right with the world. Well, that is what it feels like right now.
I turn to my side and see the dark brown hair of Rachael all bunched up in knots on her pillow. I watch her for a second more before sitting up on my bed and rubbing the remaining sleep from my eyes.
Yawning, I look around the room. My roommates Julia Anderson and her twin Jane are already awake and opening up the presents laying at the foot of their four-poster beds. They notice me watching them and give a small wave and say, "Happy Christmas!" I do the same back.
Alice Martin is not in her bed. She must already be with her boyfriend Frank Longbottom.
I turn to my other side to see if Lacey is awaking.
She is.
Lacey opens her eyes and see me looking at her.
"Morn," she says, giving a huge yawn showed all her teeth while pushing herself up into a sitting position. "Is Ray-Ray wake yet?"
I shake my head no.
"Do you want to wake her?" she asks with a mischief look in her hazel eyes.
I roll my eyes, but agree.
"What do you think we should do?"
Lacey smiles an evil, all-knowing grin. "I have the perfect idea."
Grabbing hold of her wand she walks over to her bed.
Lacey conjure a bucket of water and dumps it over her head.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" Rachael screams, jumping five feet out of bed. She sees Lacey standing there with a smirk on her face. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" she demands. "That water was freezing!"
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS!" Lacey says cheerfully. "Come on, let's open presents!"
"But I am soaked!" cried Rachael.
"Then you will like my present. Come on, let's sit on Lily's bed."
Rachael and Lacey come over to my bed with their gifts and sat down (Rachael conjures up a towel to sit on). We then begin to open up presents. From Lacey I got a 'instant dry' towel (Ray got one too and used it right away). Ray got me Muggle book called 'The Eight' (she was saying it was one of her favorites) and some chocolate frogs and other Wizarding candy. From my parents I got spending money. Remus also got me a book. But what really surprised me was that I didn't get the usual gift from James, but one from Sirius. And he even included a note.
Dear Lilikins,
I am dearly sorry— he is? — by the way Prongise has been behaving. —That's a shocker— So I bought you, Rachael and Lacey a little something to remember us all by.
Yours truly,
Sirius Black
(Aka: the Sexiest man alive!)
He just can't help himself, can he by adding that last little bit. I haven't seen the Marauders, especially Potter, in a few days since I kicked James in the hall. I think he finally got the sense to let me be. Although, I feel as if I missed something. I wonder if they are going to pull a prank on me soon. Not wanting to think about it, I push it aside and look at the green box I'm holding.
Opening up the box and find a pretty, think, silver bracelet in it. I look up and notice that Lacey and Rachael both have one two, only slightly thinner.
I stare at it in awe, but I am also questioning why he did it. When I ask the girls about it, Lacey says, "Well, I do believe Ray-Ray is having a good influence on him."
That must be the case. Besides, it's really pretty and simple. I put it on and stand up to put on my robe.
"Come on. Lets go to the common," I say. They agree and also adorn robes before heading down the stairs.
OoOoO
"Prong's! Look there is a gift from Lilikins!" Sirius says, holding out a neatly wrapped gift to James.
James tilts his head at it.
"Seriously? She has never gave me anything before." He questions, taking it.
"I am Sirius!" He chuckles at his not so clever pun. "Look at the signature." Sure enough, there was a neat signature saying 'to James, from Lily Evans.'
James was ecstatic. Lily actually got him a gift! He felt as if he had finally reached Lily by avoiding her. It pained him to do it, but it seemed as if it paid off. 'I bet she realized her undying love for me!'
He tore open the present and opened a small green box. Inside he found a think, silver bracelet. James didn't care if it looked girly. It was from Lily and that was all that mattered.
"Who's the gift from, Prongs?" Remus asks walking over.
"Lily. Isn't it great!" James exclaimed holding it up.
Remus caught Sirius's eye and smiled at his 'Lily obsessed' friend.
"Oh, yes. It's excellent. Why don't you put it on?"
"I think I will," said James snapping it around his wrist.
Sirius moved off his bed and got dressed. Remus did the same.
"Prongs get dressed. I think I hear Lily and the girls down stairs. Besides, I think Padfoot is wanting his extra Christmas gift from Rachael."
OoOoO
Not long after we arrive down stairs, Potter and his crew does. And guess what! Potter is actually looking and smiling at me! What is making him so peachy today?
"Hey, Evans!" Looks like I am going to get my answer. Rachael, Lacey and the other Marauders that are awake (Peter always sleeps until noon so they don't bother waking him up anymore) all go and sit in the corner. "Thanks for the gift!"
I stare at him dumbfounded.
What gift? I didn't get him a gift…
"What are you talking about?" I ask him.
"The bracelet you gave me for Christmas. Look!"
I walk over and sure enough on his lift wrist is a thick, silver bracelet.
It looked exactly like mine!
Before I can even reacted, a strong magnetic pull begins to pull me towards Potter! I couldn't move. I was helpless. And as I look up, Potter looked helpless too.
What the bloody hell is going on?
When we get about foot away from each other, a think chain appears between the two bracelets.
Wait…
They aren't bracelets…
THEY'RE HANDCUFFS!
I've been handcuffed to James Bloody Potter!
"POTTER! What the hell did you do?!" I yelled. I am sooooo going to kill him. I have enough with his attempts to get me to go out with him.
"I didn't do anything!"
In the corner our friends are laughing uncontrollably. Then it hits me.
"You! You four did this to us!"
"That's right!" Lacey says happily. Why did she have to get so bubbly in a time like this?
"Why?" James asked looking angry and also a bit happy... wait… he looks happy? Oh that can't be good.
"'Cause we are tired of you two arguing all the time. Time to work out your differences. And what better day to do that on then Christmas. Then again," Black (I decided to call him Black from now on) said looking deep in thought, "It could take hours, days, weeks, months, years for the spell to wear off."
Oh good a spell! I can just take it off myself. I am not Head Girl and top of my class for nothing.
I chose a special type of unlocking spell and performed it.
It didn't work and it only made everyone (but me and Potter) laugh harder.
Then the unthinkable happens.
The chain begins to shorten and I am drawing closer to him!
"I won't try that again, if I were you," says Rachael. "The chain is jinxed to shirk two inches when a spell is preformed on it."
I see James reach into his robes for his wand.
Oh no, no, no! He is going to make it shorter!
"Don't even think about it!" I bellow.
Too late.
I am drawn in another two inches. I reach into my night robe for my own wand. I point it at Potter and say, "Do that again and I will kill you!" He can be such a git! Fortunately for him, he does put his wand way. Then something dawns on him.
"Uh, guys?" he asks. "How are we suppose to go to the bathroom?"
They all stop laughing and look at him with wide eyes.
"We… we didn't think about that!" Remus says looking at James. I thought Remus was the smart one! Wow, I am realizing all sorts of things this holiday season.
"You will figure it out," Rachael says, running a hand through Blacks hair.
As mad as I am right now, I am also holding another feeling.
This feeling is one I can't identify, but it feels light.
Oh great, now it's going to bug me for the rest of the day!
"Oh, Lily!" says Lacey. "You might want to get dressed so we can all head down to breakfast."
I just decided I hate Christmas. I don't want the whole school to see me stuck to Potter. Then again, I don't want them to think I was alone with Potter when we don't show up. People around here have very sick minds.
"You two aren't dressed!" I retort.
"Oh yes we are," They say in union, flinging off their night robes, reveling day clothes underneath.
I stare at them with my mouth open, my blood boiling in my veins.
Then a thought hits me.
"How is Potter suppose to get up the stairs?"
Ha-ha! I got them now!
Wow, I am brilliant!
"Go to the Heads room."
Way to burst my bubble!
"But… all my stuff… here…."
"Don't you know all your stuff is immediately transported to whatever room you go to? Your stuff will be there when you touch the doorknob."
Why are they doing this to me! I am their friend!
And how on earth did she know that? I didn't know that!
"Fine!" I snap at them. "Come on, Potter." I stomp out of the room with Potter attached to my wrist.
OoOoO
We arrive at a painting of the Hogwarts animals, which is the entrance to the Heads Room.
Potter says the password, "James is sexy."
He has been here before.
Note the password.
The Painting swings open and we enter a furnished room that looks like the Gryffindor common room.
"Your room is over here," Potter says, acting like I haven't been here before.
Well… actually I haven't. But I am not telling him that! He pulls me over to the room and opens the door.
Wow.
All my stuff really is in there.
My Head bedroom is huge!
A humongo (like the word?) four-poster bed is facing out against the wall. Dark red drapes hang from them. On the bed is my moose stuff animal.
I really hope Potter doesn't notice it.
"Nice moose, Evans."
Oh great, he did.
I blush and walk over to the dresser. It looks similar to the one up in the dormitory, but slightly larger.
From the drawers I pull out jeans and a shirt.
Ok, I can get on the jeans easily. But how do I get on the shirt.
There is also the issue of dressing in front of the moral enemy.
He seemed to sense my anxiety as I stood their holding my clothes.
"I won't look. I promise," he says to me covering his eyes with his hand and turning away.
I undo my robe, except I can't get it completely off. That stupid chain is the cause of that. However, I just do the best I can and have the robe hanging on the chain.
I pull off my pajama pants and quickly pull on the jeans.
Not knowing what to do next, I ask James. If I am going to be stuck with him, he is going to be useful.
"Just rip your shirt on that one side and then fix it," he suggests.
Duh! Why didn't I think of that?
I can just use magic.
Doing a quick spell, I rip the right side. Pulling that off, I ripe the side of my new, clean shirt.
"Repairo!" I say and my shirt fixes itself.
"Done, Potter." He looks at me.
"Forgot something," he says pointing to my hanging robe.
I rip it of the chain and stuff it into the drawer.
"Lets go down to breakfast."
We begin to move towards the door. As we past my bed, my foot gets caught on a loose floorboard and sends me to the ground, pulling Potter with me.
I hit the floor with a thud, James landing on top of me.
He is staring into my eyes. Me into his.
Wow, he had really pretty hazel eyes.
And he is so… is so… muscular.
Wait!
Did I just think happy thoughts about Potter again?
I really need to stop doing that.
Though, he is kind of cute.
Who am I kidding? He's hot!
No not hot. SMOKING!
AAAAAA!!! I am still thinking these thoughts!
"Lily?" James asks. "You are making weird faces at me."
"Oh," I come back from Lily-Land. Did he just call me 'Lily'? "Sorry about that."
Can this get any more awkward?
"Uh… James?" Why am I calling him James? "Can you get off of me?"
"Yeah, sure. Sorry." He rolls of and lays on the other side of me. As I lay there next to him on the floor, the unidentified feeling comes back. My stomach feels all fuzzy as if I am going to be sick and my head starts to get light.
"Lily, can I ask you something?"
I decided that we have already missed breakfast and I have no other plans for today besides hanging out, so I say yes.
"Why don't you like me?"
For some reason, his question makes my stomach flip. I do not know why it had that type of affect on me.
"What do you mean?" I ask, trying to move away from the question.
"I been asking you out since forth year and all you done is scream 'no' in my face. I have defended you against gits like Snape for calling you a you-know-what. But you still refuse.
"You know I will do anything for you and I have even given up pranking for the most part all for you! Why don't you just give me a chance?"
I look at his face; his eye's hold pain, wonder, and love in them.
I just can't help but feel guilty for turning him down.
Taking a deep breath, I look up at the ceiling before giving my answer.
"For years, I thought you were just an conceited, arrogant, prankster who only wanted to date me 'cause I kept refusing you. After you got me, you would dump me and I would end up being hurt. I think that I just don't know you that well, even though we've been basically living together for seven years. Nor have you let me see the real you. Maybe if you tell me, I would consider it."
I do not now why I said that. Maybe it was the look on his face.
As soon as those words left my mouth, a huge grin spread across his face.
James began to talk about his family, his friends and his hobbies.
I did like-wise.
This went on for hours.
Just the two of us, talking.
It was actually quite nice.
We eventually moved to sit on the bed since the floor was making our backs stiff.
"So, what do you want to do when we get out of Hogwarts?" he asks me.
"Well, I was thinking about becoming a healer. But I honestly don't know yet. What about you?"
"I am planning to become an Auror. I also want to settle down and have a family." He says, leaning back against the pillows.
I never thought that James would actually want to be a father and 'settle down'. The more I think about it, the more I can actually see him doing that.
"You know what first made me start liking you?" He asks suddenly.
"I really don't know."
"Your eyes. You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. They are such a odd green colour. So pure and clear. I can just can get lost in them."
As he lays there, he begins to play with my hair and I have the sudden impulse to kiss him.
He looks into my eyes again and the impulse is stronger.
There is a sudden movement and we are both drawing closer to one another.
Our lips touch.
When they do I feel a shock run through them, like I was always suppose to do this.
I suddenly know what the feeling is.
Love.
I just realized that I am in love with James Potter.
During the kiss he breaks away and looks into my eyes again.
"Lily, will you go out with me?" he asks.
"I will, James. I will."
We then begin to kiss again.
I do love Christmas.
OoOoO
"Do you think Lily killed James yet?" Sirius asked Rachael as they made their way to the Head Room.
"Not likely. But I do want to know what they have been doing all day."
They entered the Head common room and see Lily's bedroom door slightly ajar.
Peering in, they see the Heads engaged in a passionate kiss on the bed.
The handcuffs chain is gone.
The two were free, and yet, neither had noticed.
Looking away and heading back to the portrait hole, Sirius said, "Well, it does look as if our plan worked."
"I know! Did you see them? I never saw Lily looking so happy!"
Sirius laughed. "I can't believe it was only this morning Lily was still screaming bloody murder at James. Now, it seems so long ago."
"Well, I do believe that this is the magic of Christmas. It brings people together."
Sirius and Rachael run off to tell Lacey and Remus of their new discovery.
THE END
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed my 12-page story (HAHA REBECCA!! Didn't I say it was going to be 12 pages when I finished?? I think I did!)
Claire… recognize any of the last names???
Also, can you (the reader) review your thoughts on the story? I will appreciate it greatly.
I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
