Disclaimer... these characters belong to JKR


18th of December


James leant against the kitchen doorframe, watching Lily. She was busy baking mince pies – lifting heaps of the filling with her wand and letting them drop into the pies with one hand and eating a spoonful of the mince with the other.

"Morning" she said without looking up, and James grinned to himself. The first time it had happened he had bounded across the kitchen to kiss her, laughing to himself as she sputtered away. He'd thought that Lily had just learned to anticipate his every move; she'd had to explain that there was a loose floorboard right by the kitchen door that creaked when you stepped on it.

"Where's Camilla?" he asked.

Lily shrugged, facing away from him, hands busy with the pies. "Dunno. She has a lot of people to catch up with"

"I was in town today, getting those potions ingredients you wanted-"

"Nice, did you manage to find the salamander eyeballs? There's been a shortage and no one's been able to get a hold of any for love or money"

James sighed at her. "Yes, but that's not the point. The point is I got pickpocketed in Muggle London and I had to Confund a cabbie to get a lift home"

He had to stop talking again, because Lily was cackling. She dropped her wand in the bowl of mince, causing a few sparks that smelt like cinnamon, still laughing helplessly.

"You" she started, clutching her stomach. "Got pickpocketed"

"Yes"

"You absolute idiot"

"Thank you dear"

"Sorry" she straightened up and retrieved her wand. "That's truly dreadful James, I'm deeply sorry"

He raised an eyebrow and Lily blinked at him innocently, stepping across the kitchen to wind her arms around his neck and tug him down until their mouths met.

"Mm. You're forgiven" he told her, threading his fingers through her long hair. It smelt like cinnamon and cloves and sugar.

"Good" Lily smiled against his lips.

"And the getting-pickpocketed wasn't the point either" James informed her, still holding her gently around the waist.

"What was the point?"

"The point is that there's going to be a Christmas parade – a Muggle one, obviously – tonight, and I thought we could go"

A soft smile curled her lips and James itched to trace it with his fingers, making her smile harder and blush a bit.

"That sounds lovely. My parents used to take me to Christmas parades, before Hogwarts"

"Wonderful" James smiled, taking advantage of her distraction to reach round her and grab one of the hot mince pies just out of the oven.


Snow was falling lightly when they stepped out of their cottage that evening, and they had dug out their old red-and-gold Gryffindor scarves, thinking that they'd be appropriately festive. James was wearing a truly awful Christmas jumper that Mrs Prewett had made for him two or three Christmases ago, and Lily had found a bright green knit hat that clashed terribly with her red hair. Camilla had come back from wherever she was, in time to come with them, and had found a long toque with a bobble that bounced against the small of her back.

"We look horrendous" James said with some satisfaction as he tossed the Invisibility Cloak over them.

"Jolly with a vengeance" Camilla agreed, gripping Lily's arm tightly. She'd always been better at Disapperation than both Camilla and James, so when they used the Cloak, she normally Side-Alonged them.

There was a crack, on that cold winter night, but it was muffled by the snow and no one noticed.

They reappeared in a dark alleyway, the sound of Christmas carols drifting through the foggy air. There was laughing and the sound of jingle bells and the three of them smiled at each other, still invisible.

With a tug, the Cloak slid off them and they stepped out of the alley arm in arm, Lily in the middle.


The reindeer that someone had found to pull 'Santa's' sleigh looked despondent. Their coats were patchy and they seemed to stumble, rather than walk. Their antlers were tangled in coloured Christmas lights and seemed too heavy for their heads.

"I should free them" James whispered at the red and gilt sleigh passed by.

"No" Lily said firmly, keeping a tight grip on his arm.

"But they look so sad. And I'm one of them, it would be like be leaving Remus, Peter and Sirius locked up"

"James darling, you're not a reindeer. Your Animagus form just happens to be a normal deer. Now quit pouting in solidarity for your fallen brethren. Also, Camilla doesn't know about your – furry – gang – so shhh"

As they were having their whispered conversation, there was a scream. It sounded like a child – high pitched and fearful, and for a second it sounded strangely familiar to Lily. Her throat felt like it was closing. She shook her head, dispelling whatever strange moment of déjà vu had just occurred.

James, Lily and Camilla's hands automatically jumped to their wand pockets as they whipped their heads around, searching for the source.

"There" Camilla whispered, pointing. Lily saw it right away, and her fingers dug into her friend's arm. James squinted for a moment, before realizing that she was pointing at the stars. An emerald skull, etched in the stars hung beside a sickle moon and beside it - a small shape hovered fifty feet above them, almost invisible but for the bright red coat that the child wore. As they stared, the child started to fall.

She didn't speak, and she'd never been good at nonverbal spells, but Lily's charm shot briskly from her wand, landing in a shimmering mass below the falling child. As Muggles around them started to scream in horror, some rushing forwards, others away, the child fell – and was gently let down to the ground. It was a little girl, and Lily threaded through the crowd as her Cushioning Charm faded and pulled the child to her feet.

"Thank you" the little girl whimpered, too terrified for tears. Lily smiled, squeezed her hand and quickly darted away as she saw a pair of people that could only be the child's parents shoving their way through the crowd.

Camilla pulled her out of the crowd, hugging her quickly.

"You ok?" she asked quietly.

Lily nodded, glad that her friend was there.

"Lily!" James reached her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"M'fine – James, you're squishing me"

"Sorry, sorry. Lily, it's the Dark Mark"

There were more screams coming from farther down the parade, which had stopped in confusion, and the three of them traded glances before heading towards the disturbance.

"Fuck" Lily whispered, spotting a black cloak. "D'you think they've killed anyone? This is bold, even for them"

"How many?" James asked briskly, stowing the Clock up his sleeve.

"One, two, three – I see four. Four at least" Camilla said.

"We can do four"

"Not in a crowd full of Muggles, we can't" Lily argued. "We'll get done for breaking the Statue of Secrecy"

"We'll be fine with the Ministry" Camilla told her. "I saw 'Lena today, her mum's been promoted. She'll take care of it"

"Gorillas" James said slowly.

"Gorillas? James, what the fuck, are you drunk?"

"No" he told her indignantly. "Gorilla warfare – we sneak in and hex them quickly without any one seeing. No sportsmanlike duels"

Lily started to laugh helplessly, muffling her snorts in her scarf. "Guerrilla warfare, James, guerrilla"

Camilla cackled, her hat flapping in the chill breeze. "Nice try James"

"Oh"

"Ok" Lily said, palming her wand, all business again. "This'll work. Cami and I'll lure one into an alley and dispose of him before coming to help you"

"How're you gonna-?" he started to ask, but she let out a panicked squeak and gave him a shove before pulling at Camilla and ducking away into the crowd. Camilla waved back at him.

James hid behind a rather fat man before reaching round him to aim his wand at one of the oblivious Death Eaters.

"Impedimenta" James whispered, and closed his eyes. He hoped that the flash of red light would just be put down to Christmas lights. When he looked up, the Death Eater was frozen in his tracks.

James hurried forwards, wrapping an arm around the large, cloaked figure and tucking a hand in the Death Eater's pocket to pull out their wand. He pressed his wand to the Death Eater's back and muttered a Jelly-Legs Jinx, grinning in satisfaction as they went limp. They only struggled a bit, leaning on James. They were very heavy.

"Sorry" he said loudly to a passing woman. "My cousin's had a few too many, don't mind him"

The woman in question looked up at him, and nodded and smiled as James steered the Death Eater away. He spotted Lily and Camilla leaning against a wall, a Stunned Death Eater at their feet, but Lily broke into a grin when she spotted James.

"Good job dear! You've got a Death Eater on a leash. Mine was too easy, he let me disarm him"

James pulled back his hood to reveal a pale, sickly looking man who snarled at Lily, and Lily sneered right back before levelling her wand and Stunning him quickly.

"Two down" James said, shoving the Death Eater over and pocketing his wand.

"Two to go" Camilla said seriously, before grinning brightly at the two of them. "This is great, I feel like a T.V. cop"

James rolled his eyes at the two beaming girls and they headed into the crowd again. It had thinned considerably, people streaming off in droves towards the side streets and their parked cars, and the parade floats had disappeared. Perhaps children falling from the sky had quelled their festive urges.

Only a few Muggles remained, and the two Death Eaters, looking around for their fellows.

"Evening!" Lily said brightly, detaching herself from James. "I was wondering if you gentlemen would like to donate to St James's fund for disadvantaged children? We're having a Christmas fund raiser and I can offer you a whole table for six at a very reasonable rate"

Camilla snorted but managed to turn it into a cough.

"Shove off" one of the Death Eaters said in a growly voice, and Lily blinked, crossing her arms.

"That's not in keeping with the Christmas spirit, you know" she said sternly, before sending a silvery spell at the closest Death Eater in a whip-like movement of her arm. A deep gash opened across his chest, spilling blood down his black robes and into the slowly melting snow.

"Silencio" she hissed, as he opened his mouth to shout, or curse her.

Camilla quickly disarmed the bleeding Death Eater as James Stunned the other one that was stumbling back in shock.

"I'll send a Patronus to the Order" Lily said, glancing around carefully. James and Camilla levitated both of the Death Eaters and they ducked back into the alley.

"I hope Gideon's on clean up duty" James said.

"Gideon Prewett isn't officially in the Order, and anyways, he's at Hogwarts studying for exams. Also his mother would kill you if you dragged him out into Muggle London at ten thirty"

"Right"

Lily's doe stepped out of her wand as graceful as ever, and blinked at James slowly. Watching Lily do magic – it was beautiful and wonderful. Even the simplest household charm looked like complex witchcraft when she did it, and watching her cast a Patronus was mesmerizing. First her elbow lifted slowly and her wrist extended, and then she closed her eyes and whispered something to herself, smiling, and then the sliver smoke tripped out of her wand and coalesced into the doe.

Lily whispered her message to the doe and sent her on her way before turning to James and Camilla and smiling at them.

"Excellent work Mr Potter and Camilla" she smiled, tucking her arm in the crook of James's elbow.

Camilla bowed gracefully. "You have an excellent wife" she told James. He smiled at her. "I know Cami". He turned to Lily.

"Excellent work Mrs Potter"

"Thanks James"

"Merry Christmas guys"


A.N. Thanks for reading! Please review, and Merry Christmas!