The Debutante Ball
Chapter Six
Grace Potter grumbled in annoyance. It was 6am on Christmas Eve. It was one of the few mornings of the year that she was allowed to sleep in. In fact, she was supposed to sleep in.
Despite tradition and her desire to return to her slumber she could not. Another crash and more hollering came from the boys' part of the house.
What are they up to now? She thought.
She looked over to her husband and found him still sleeping. He usually dealt with their constant childish behaviour. She hated being the strict parent, but she loved the idea of being able to return to sleep after the boys were silenced. She decided she'd be the one to tell them off, for once.
"You can sleep through anything Edward." She said fondly, before throwing off the covers and putting on her robe and slippers.
She walked groggily down the hallway and stopped outside of Sirius' door. The door was left wide open, revealing an empty bed and an empty room. She shook her head and continued further down to James' room. They were no longer making a lot of noise, but she heard whispering from the other side of the door.
Grace knocked gently before turning the handle and letting herself in.
She almost laughed at the sight of her sons. They were both wearing the same blue and white pajama set she had bought each of them before they left for their seventh year. They could have passed for cousins or even brothers. They both shared the same jet black hair, were about the same height and they were both similarly built.
Her sons both looked towards her.
"Good morning." She said pleasantly, raising an eyebrow.
They looked towards each other, and then back at her, each with startled looks on their faces.
Sirius walked over to her and embraced her tightly. She laughed at his greeting.
He let her go and handed her the piece of paper he had been holding in his hand.
She shot him a confused look.
"Read it." He said softly, as if he himself was confused as well.
For what seemed like an eternity James watched as his mother's eyes scanned through the lines he had just read and as his best friend shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another.
Finally his mother's head shot up and she handed the letter back to Sirius.
She looks how I feel. He thought. Happy but sad.
"Were you close to your Uncle Alphard?" She questioned Sirius delicately.
He shook his head. "But I'm glad he left me that gold." He replied, forcing himself to sound assured and confident. "I don't need to live off you and Mr Potter anymore."
James looked at his best friend. Sirius wasn't as tough as he seemed. James knew the fortune Sirius' Uncle left him scared him just as much as it pleased him. He no longer had to depend on the Potter's financially. The gold his Uncle left him was enough to get him through school and set him up after graduation. It was enough for him to leave them now.
Despite the relief of having the inheritance, James wondered if Sirius wondered if he would still be part of their family.
The thing about Sirius is he underestimates my parents' feelings for him. James thought sadly. He thinks the gold will leave him without us as family. Deep down he wonders if the only reason they let him stay is because he's got nowhere else to stay. He believes it sometimes too.
James watched as him mother embraced Sirius. Holding onto him tightly, tears on the verge of spilling down her cheek.
"You can live off us as long as you want." She told him, conviction in her voice.
Sirius laughed shakily as she reluctantly let him go.
James walked up to them and clamped his hand on Sirius' shoulder. He smiled reassuringly to his mother.
"I think I'll go wake up Dad."
-
"I wish I was seventeen." Lily mumbled miserably. "Then I would be able to use magic out of school. Then I wouldn't have to wrap up these terrible presents by hand."
"At least you're not forced to help mum cook." Petunia said deadpan, from the entrance of the living room.
Lily's head shot up in surprise at the voice of her sister. "What are you doing here?" She asked, startled at the sight of her sister.
"I'm spending Christmas Eve with my family." Petunia replied evenly. "I may be twenty, but I still know who my family is."
Lily looked at her sister. Her tone was not malicious and hurtful as she had become use to. Although her words implied that Lily had forgotten about her family because she had missed three or four Christmas' while attending Hogwart's, they were not attacking her with the purpose to destroy as had become the norm.
"I… That's good. I mean… Where's Vernon?"
Petunia pursed her lips and straightened her long neck. "It's none of your business."
Lily sighed as Petunia stormed back into the kitchen. "That went well."
It always goes well, doesn't it? She thought.
Lily continued to wrap the presents.
Paper. Ribbon. Card. Paper. Ribbon. Card.
The cycle continued until all of the presents were wrapped. She was annoyed that her mother always left half the shopping for the day before Christmas Eve, meaning that Lily would be the one spending the whole of Christmas Eve day wrapping the presents while her mother cooked.
She stretched and arranged the presents around the tree. The left side was reserved for her father's family, the right side for her mother's family and the middle for their friends. The families' presents were in the stockings hanging on the wall and some were beneath it in decorated boxes because the stockings weren't big enough.
"Lily the presents look beautiful." Her father said proudly. "Now go upstairs and get ready for dinner. Your mother and Petty's cooking smells just delicious."
Lily smiled fondly. "Alright Daddy."
The sun had long since set and dinner had past quickly. It was ten minutes to midnight and the Evans' sat in the couches of their living room. The Christmas carols played softly as the family sat, drinking tea and awaiting midnight.
The perpetual child in Lily burst out. "Can I open one now? Please."
Her parents chuckled while Petunia sat quietly.
"Ten minutes." Mr Evans replied.
Lily frowned and impatiently tapped her foot. Her eyes focused on the Christmas tree.
She smiled to herself. She had already opened her first Christmas gift. The lovely music box Potter had given her. She stopped herself from thinking about him and averted her eyes. She hated thinking about the Potter's in general. She couldn't help but feel embarrassed and ashamed. She wished so much that she could go back in time, to that day Mrs Potter and she had gone to her dress fitting, and undo everything. She would have endured the strenuous dress fitting, instead of running out of the room like a crazy woman.
The clock hit midnight.
Her previous excitement had drained out of her, replaced by an unsettling and nervous feeling in her stomach.
Somewhere, James Potter might be opening my present. She thought, chewing unintentionally. He probably won't like it.
The present Lily had bought James wasn't as thoughtful as the one he gave her. She had bought it during a Hogsmeade visit after one of their Prefect meetings.
"Lily dear, you can open your presents now."
She forced herself to smile, nodded her head and opened a present from her Aunt and Uncle in Denmark.
"Merry Christmas." She whispered.
-
James Potter stared excitedly at the present from Lily. It was wrapped in shiny green and red wrapping paper, with a gold ribbon around it. He wondered how much time she spent choosing and wrapping his present. He had spent many sleepless nights on her present.
I hope she liked it. He thought anxiously.
His mother and father were sitting together on a couch, exchanging presents and talking quietly. Sirius was a few feet away from him, ripping through his seventh present.
James tentatively undid the ribbon and began to unwrap the present. It was his first, hopefully not last, present from Lily Evans.
"It's a book. 'Where are they now?'" He laughed. He poked Sirius' shoulder. "Lily got me a book."
Sirius smiled at him. "Your first gift from that girl and she gets you a book. Kind of lame. Why are you so happy?"
"It's about past Head Boys of Hogwart's." James smiled to himself, flipping through the pages and opening it up to the end page.
Lily had written him a message:
One day you'll be remembered in these pages. (Well, in a later edition I guess.) You have overcome your initial uncertainty and are now a great leader. I don't tell you often enough…actually I don't tell you at all, but I appreciate you always being there. (Yes, even when you and Remus start mucking around and when you occasionally doze off in meetings) I'm not very good at expressing or writing my gratitude, so please don't be let down by this insipid gift and just accept it as a token of our great partnership. Lily Evans.
"I think you'd be just as ecstatic if she got you a quill or a bottle of ink." Sirius chuckled and examined his presents.
James reread the message and smiled to himself.
She appreciates me. He thought happily. She appreciates me. That's crazy!
"James, you've only opened one present." His mother exclaimed. She got up from the couch and put a hand to his forehead. "No fever." She pulled back her hand and smiled at him. "What have you done to my son?"
He laughed and held up the book. "Lily gave me a book." He noticed his mother's face distorted a bit, he frowned. "What's wrong?"
Grace put on a smile and pushed aside the guilt and unsettling feelings she had been feeling since she last saw Lily. "I'm just a bit upset you haven't opened the present from your Grandmother."
He rolled his eyes and began ripping through his presents like he usually did.
Grace returned to the couch. Edward was sitting by Sirius and they were laughing at one of the gifts. She smiled as she watched James through Sirius some chocolate frogs. As the boys continued to chatter on the floor, her mind drifted back to Lily.
I hope she's okay. She thought.
Grace had spent hours upon hours worrying over the young witch. She was tempted to go visit her and her family, but the holiday season was busy for everyone and she didn't want to intrude. She would have written her a letter, but the weather had been horrible and their owls had been caught up in storms around the country while delivering letters and packages to relatives.
She could have done so many things to get in contact with Lily, but she didn't. In all honesty she was terrified that she was indeed that cause of Lily's out of character behaviour. She shook her head.
I'm a grown woman. She thought. I have to overcome this silly little thing. I will go and visit Lily and make sure she's okay.
"Mr and Mrs Potter." Sirius had stood up and was now addressing the family. "I don't know how I could possibly repay you for your hospitality and your reassuring presence. Thank you so much. You guys are real life savers." He paused and chuckled nervously. "I've kind of, well, I've decided to find my own place."
I'll go visit Lily after I convince Sirius to continue to stay with us. Grace thought decidedly.
She looked around the room and found Edward and James looking flabbergasted. Finally, she brought her eyes to meet Sirius', but found him looking nervously at James.
Sirius ran a hand through his hair and let go of a rather ragged breath. "Merry Christmas."
-
The remaining days of winter break passed quickly for both the Evans and Potter households.
The Evans' were busy hosting family from across the country and around Europe.
Lily was also studying hard in preparation for NEWT's and completing the assigned homework for the holidays. She kept herself busy and her mind preoccupied during the day.
It was only at night that she had nothing to think about but Potter. She had overcome her embarrassment with Mrs Potter. She decided that she would immediately apologize at the next debut meeting and explain to her that she was not feeling well that day.
The problem with James Potter was not as simple. She was confused and didn't know what she was feeling. She dreaded the moment where she'd have to see him. She would put her head in her hands at the thought of even speaking to him.
James, on the other hand, was facing a dilemma of his own. Sirius Black, his surrogate brother, was moving out. Despite his and his parents' constant pleas he continued to pursue the desire to live alone.
By the end of the holidays the Potter's had reluctantly joined Sirius in the search for the perfect abode.
'Tis the season to be jolly.