Chapter 9: A Monopoly

"So what's this about Cane Hill Asylum?" Remus asked as they sat on the couches to chat.

"My sister decided to tell her muggle friends, and more particularly boyfriend, that during the year I am a resident at Cane Hill Asylum and that I get to come home for the Holidays when my treatments are going well." Lily rolled her eyes, nursing her glass of eggnog. "Honestly, it was kind of fun walking around the house pretending to talk to nonexistent people. I even got to brag about the soft white room with the cushions that I get to spend alone time in."

Everyone was laughing by the end of Lily's story. They had to admit, they would do the same exact thing.

"How did Padfoot know about the Asylum thing?" Peter asked curiously.

"We've sent a few owls back and forth," Lily waved it off. "I think my sister should be the one in Cane Hill."

"That bad huh?" Sirius took a sip of his drink.

"She's two years older than me and somehow thinks she owns me."

"Does she look like anything like you?"

"Don't think so, she's blonde, brown eyes, and kind of resembles a horse. I suppose that works since her boyfriend is something like a seal."

"A seal?" Marlene looked at her skeptically.

"He's humongous." She mimed his size with his arms. "You know, it'd be kind of fun to bring home a future boyfriend to my house and tell them we met at Cane Hill."

Sirius laughed. "There you go. Future prospects."

"Your birthday is next, isn't it?" Peter looked at Lily.

"I suppose so," she nodded. "I almost don't want to know after I've seen what's happened to other people."

"Agreed," Marlene raised her glass in a fake toast.

"Really?" James asked at the same time Sirius said:

"Don't blame you." The two looked at each other, choosing not to say anything.

"It'll come and we'll take it as it happens." Marlene told them definitively. "What game did your mum give you Lils?"

"It's a silly muggle game." Lily tried to pass off, pushing it under the table.

"We want to play," Sirius told her. He took a seat on the floor. "Come on. Don't hide the muggle games from us. We love muggle stuff."

"Padfoot has a motorbike he's working on fixing up." James told them.

"Really?" Lily lit up at the idea. "Those are so cool; I don't think I could ever drive one."

"I'll have to show you two later. Now show us the muggle game." Lily sighed, resigning herself to playing Monopoly with five people from the magical community.

"It's called Monopoly," she placed the box on the coffee table.

"I know that game, mum used to play it with me when I was a kid." Remus commented.

"Oh good, one person who knows the game."

"Used to, I don't remember how to play."

"And you were supposed to be of help." Lily teased him with a glare.

"Sorry Lils."

"For you wizards, you're going to kind of have to learn a slightly different monetary system." She apologized, starting to unload the pieces. "I'll be the banker for the game since I know what I'm doing."

"But goblins are bankers?" Peter was obviously confused.

"Not in the muggle world," she sighed. "If you are going to question the muggle game, we're not going to play."

"Okay, so Lily can be a banker and we don't question muggle logic. Got it." Sirius grinned at her.

-oOo-

After playing the game for a good couple of hours, James had to declare bankruptcy to Lily who had bought his properties out from under him. Peter was holding onto Park Place and Boardwalk, he was barely managing to stay alive around the board. Remus controlled the railroads and utility services currently. Sirius wasn't too far behind James as he had been bought out by Lily. Marlene had saved up her money and was now paying rent at a steady rate to the other players.

"I get why this is called Monopoly." Marlene sighed. She forked over eight-hundred pounds in rent to Lily for landing on one of her properties that she had in a set of three, with hotels.

"Sorry, I should've gone easier on you." Lily cringed.

"Don't apologize, we can open presents next." Peter stood and collected several packages from under the tree, leaving behind his fake money.

Lily picked up the game, reorganizing the pieces. Marlene grabbed their boxes and placed them around the two girls so they could pass them out individually. The other three boys quickly gathered their small packages and set them out on the table.

"Who wants to open gifts first?" Marlene asked.

"Padfoot, you go first since you're the oldest." Remus offered.

Sirius tore open the packaging on the first present, finding a large collection of various small motorcycle parts.

"Thanks Prongs," the two nodded at each other. He opened a package of colorful socks from Remus, a set of Zonko's joke boxes from Peter, a few new shirts from Marlene, and finally a collection of small muggle toys from Lily.

"These are brilliant!" He was playing with the wooden clackers.

Peter opened his presents next, finding a collection of sweets from Marlene.

"Sorry, I struggled to think of good presents for you."

"I love it Marls, don't worry." Peter reassured her.

He opened a set of muggle playing cards from Lily; she'd also included a list of games and instructions for each so that he could try them out. He thought it was one of the best things he had seen, curious as to why there were so many different types of Poker. He received a new sweater from James, a new Fanged Frisbee from Sirius (to replace his broken one) as well as several small boxes of dung bombs. Remus had bought him a muggle model of a train which you could assemble yourself. He was fascinated by how it looked similar to the Hogwarts Express. Despite being a half-blood, Peter had been raised by his with mother and didn't know much about the muggle world. His father abandoned them shortly after he was born.

Lily started picking up gifts, finding a large box of Acid Pops from Peter and she smiled, realizing he had remembered from the train ride to school in September. Sirius had thoughtfully bought her a new kit for Potions, and she stared at the silver instruments in awe.

"I got a large inheritance from my uncle," Sirius waved it off; he could tell she was going to question the price. Lily smiled.

Remus had bought her a box of chocolates and a couple pairs of Gryffindor socks. She held one of the pairs up to her hair. "Now this is a clashing color."

They laughed, and Lily pulled a pair over her bare feet for fun. They were warm and soft. Marlene had bought Lily a new set of quills and a bottle of color changing ink, something she wanted to test immediately. It was James' gift left for her. She reached for it, admiring the Christmas décor of the bag.

Lily pulled open the little sack and removed the tissue paper. She gasped and dropped the present to the floor. She looked up at James.

"This is too much," she told him.

"It's a present Lily."

"But my present for you is nowhere near as valuable."

"I don't care, because it came from the heart. Money doesn't make the present Lily." James reached over and dumped the bracelet onto his hand. He gently took the clasps and gestured for her wrist. Marlene was watching them in anticipation, they'd never gotten along for this long before—or spent this much time together talking and playing games. Lily slowly put out her hand and James gently placed the jewelry around her right wrist. She stared at it for a long time.

"Thank you," Lily finally whispered.

"No problem." James waved it off and turned toward Marlene. She was next to open her Christmas presents.

She flipped through packages. She found a wand holster from Sirius, a jar of licorice leeches from Peter, an enchanted mirror that shouted compliments at the viewer from Remus, and a new journal from Lily. When she opened James' present, she wasn't surprised to find the jewelry, but she was shocked at how pretty it was. Marlene held it up to the light, admiring the diamonds.

"Do I get the same treatment as Lily?" She teased looking at James. He shook his head and helped her clasp it around her neck. Lily felt a swell of jealously as his hand brushed the nape of Marlene's neck, he backed away quickly, but she couldn't help the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Remus received a large collection of chocolate and books from the three boys, a new book bag from Marlene, and a snow globe from Lily. On the inside was a four wolves, howling at the top of the globe.

"It reminded me of you," Lily admitted quietly.

"Thanks, I like it." He shook the item, stirring up the white pellets of fake snow.

At last, it was James' turn and Lily was starting to wonder if she'd made a mistake with her gift. After seeing what he had bought her, she felt like she had something less grandeur. He had reassured her that money made no difference, but he was obviously rich enough to buy what she bought him without issue. She sunk down slightly, pushing herself farther under the coffee table. Sirius looked at her, confused by her movement. Lily shifted uncomfortably, trying not to show her saddened mood.

"Sometimes it hurts to be the youngest," James joked. "Too hard to wait to open gifts."

Sirius had bought him a new broomstick polishing kit, Peter a new book on Quidditch. Remus gave him a set of small lock picking tools, collected in a nice leather pouch. Marlene had settled on giving him a collection of various candies, one of them was a golden nugget snitch. James reached for Lily's gift and she wished she could dart across the table and snatch it from him. He was into the paper before she could do anything, and the new Quidditch gloves fell into his lap. James stared at them for a moment before grinning at Lily.

"Thanks, I've been meaning to get a new pair and I kept forgetting. These will come in handy."

"I'm glad you like them." Lily breathed easier, feeling like she had accomplished something.

"So I have a question for you," Marlene stood to get another glass of eggnog.

"What is it?" Peter asked curiously. His eyes narrowed and the rest of the Marauders looked at her.

"Why do you call yourselves by such weird names?" The four of them stiffened.

"Ooh, that's a good one." Lily grinned at them, tossing back her red hair with her jewelry-decked hand.

"It's kind of a personal thing, had to be there in the moment." Remus tried to pass it off.

"Don't believe you, but I'll take it." Marlene backed off. They immediately relaxed. Lily looked at them; it was obvious they were hiding something. She wanted to know what it was.