Chapter 21: Christmas Cheer is Here

"You did what?" Mum shrieked. I was just glad it wasn't directed at me or even Sirius. Taliha was never shouted at and it was nice to see it happen for once.

"It put too much strain on my relationship with Antonio and we were both unspeakable's. I don't want that to happen between me and Gideon." Taliha explained shortly trying to get in before mum started up again.

"But I just don't understand that's seven years of work that you're throwing away." Mum said even I was confused, I didn't even know Taliha and Antonio stopped dating they were nearly engaged.

"I didn't even know you were dating Gideon." I stated breaking up the small argument.

"Yeah we've been dating for a while. I didn't want it to come out until everyone was here but." Taliha said holding up her left hand showing of the glistening diamond ring.

Mum screamed with delight and instantly changed her attitude. "When's the wedding." Was the first question she asked?

"Next summer, of course you're all invited I was hoping Drew would want to walk me down the aisle?"

"Of course he'd be delighted. We have so much to do. As soon as Christmas is over we have a wedding to prepare. I can't believe Gideon; I thought that you were taking time off from dating after the shamble with Antonio. I've been working with both Gideon and Fabian for the last year and neither one said anything."

"We wanted to keep it quiet, we're both targets in the war, Gideon's an excellent dueller and my work has become an interest to You Know Who and his Death Eaters but when I told him I was considering resigning we decided that we'd make the engagement public once our families knew. I think only Fabian was the one who knew." Taliha explained.

Sirius and I held back as Mum and Lily fawned over the ring. Danni tried to fit in with the girls and I'm sure she thought it was a pretty ring but five year olds don't really care for expensive jewellery they like the colourful beads on elastic type of jewellery.

"Will you ever buy me a ring like this James?" Lily asked catching me off guard. She wasn't asking to marry me was she? Sure I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. I couldn't not want to have her in my life but I hadn't even considered marriage.

Lily and Taliha laughed at my spluttered response. I'm sure I turned red. Mum had a bit of sympathy but Sirius was worse than the girls. His bark for a laugh was so loud it echoed off the walls.

"You should have seen your face, classic Lily." Sirius said still laughing.

"Well it seems like you've all had a good day. Does anyone want to tell me why the glass elephant from the vanity is missing?" Dad said speaking from behind us all.

I glanced at Sirius who tried to look away but Lily and Taliha were both looking at him.

"Never mind it's Christmas but Sirius you owe me an explanation later on. Taliha it's so good to see you but I didn't think you were coming till tomorrow." Dad said giving Taliha a hug.

"I wanted to surprise you all and for once I wanted to beat the others." Taliha grinned.

"Alright everyone dinner's ready." Mum shouted from the dining room.

I didn't even know she had left the room but we all filed out and sat down eying of the food mum had laid down on the table with Surly's help.

I really liked Taliha she was like how Petunia used to be before we found out I was a witch. She joked around and seemed like a carefree person that respected the rules even if she didn't exactly follow them. Timothy was a lot quieter and always seemed to be the one sitting slightly away from the bigger group of people. I don't think he's much of a talker either all he said to me was hi, so your Lily and walked off. Michaela was super sweet and really outgoing; she could easily outshine both James and Sirius within three seconds. It could have been because she was five months pregnant and just starting to show but her personality was really bubbly, she was the type who was liked by anyone I bet the Slytherin's liked her Michaela's husband Randy was just like her and really easy to get on with even Timothy seemed to like him. I was so jealous James had an amazing family that all enjoyed each other's company and all I had was Petunia who wanted nothing to do with me and blamed me for everything.

"It's a lot to take in isn't it?" Timothy said taking me by surprise as he sat down on the couch next to me.

Meeting James' family made me wish for my family, my parents especially but I wanted to see my uncles and aunties again and know them like James knows his cousins.

"I like it I wish my family was like this, all I have now is my older sister." I told him holding back the tears.

"Really why isn't she here, I would have thought that Anne and Drew would invite her to stay as well. They love having guests and when Michaela started dating Randy they invited his parents and sister over few a few days." Timothy asked not knowing about my family.

While all my friends and the Potter's knew about my parents and my sister wanting nothing to do with me James' cousins didn't really know much about me.

"Well I'm a muggle born and my sisters a muggle." I explained. "When I got accepted to go to Hogwarts Petunia wanted nothing to do with me and thought I was a freak. When my parents were murdered she blamed me because they were murdered by Death Eaters and now she wants nothing to do with me." I let the tears fall embarrassed that I was crying in front of someone I don't really know.

"I'm so sorry I didn't know." Timothy said awkwardly and sympathetically.

"It's fine really I didn't expect you to know. So why aren't you with everyone else?" I asked.

"Well I never really grew up with them. My mum, Anne's sister died in child birth not with me but with my little brother who also didn't make it. I was three at the time and didn't get to know her. Dad became unstable and really depressed so Anne offered to look after me while dad got back on his feet but Dad refused and fled the country with me before a custody battle could begin. I didn't even know that Taliha was my cousin when I meet her on the way to Hogwarts. It wasn't until my dad got sick that I found out I had a bigger family and when he passed away during my seventh year Drew and Anne finally introduced themselves to me." Timothy finished.

"I am so sorry" I gasped. I had no idea he had such a miserable past. "I really should stop wanting to know people's pasts."

"It's only fair that you should know a bit about me, after all with the way that you and James look at each other you will become part of the family." He stated standing up to go and greet Mr Potter who had just come back from work.

"Drew you look flustered what happened at work." Mrs Potter fussed when she saw her husband.

"Not here, this is important and private." Mr Potter told Mrs Potter dragging her upstairs.

"What do you thinks going on?" I found myself asking Michaela who was standing next to me.

"I don't know but I'm going to find out." Michaela smirked.

"I don't think that's a good idea Kayla," Randy warned, "too much strain will be put on the baby if you have to run away if you get caught."

"Fine." Michaela groaned before adding to me that he was such a worry wart under her breath.

"I'll find out," Taliha said pushing her way through and up the stairs.

"I don't believe it, are you sure that's what you heard?" I asked I'm sure I was as white as Sirius and Lily.

"Yes, this Deran kid has somehow managed to escape and it sounds like he had outside help." Taliha said once again.

"They better find him quick, what he did to those girls was fucking disgusting, there is no way he can walk free." Sirius spat.

"Calm down Sirius I'm sure Anne and the Auror's will start searching immediately." Michaela sympathised patting his shoulder to calm him down.

"No they won't its Christmas tomorrow and Anne promised that she wouldn't go into work for any reason after missing last years." Sirius stated outraged.

"Calm down mate, it will work out. Deran's an idiot and no one is going to want to protect him. I'm sure he will be found in no time." I said with a lot of hope that what I was saying was true.

"They need to put a big price on his head; he could molest any girl he wants now that he's out." Lily shuddered.

"Shhh, they're coming down now act normal." Randy said making more noise then he should have.

"So I'm guessing you already know. Yes Deran is out and yes we will find him so don't you worry but we both have to go into work tonight to sort this out." Mum said grabbing a coat for herself and dad before walking out.

"When you guys go to bed please make sure that you don't wake up Danni." Dad said and shut the door behind him.

"Shit." I swore a few minutes after both dad and mum left.

"James." Lily scowled glaring at me.

"Sorry but every year mum and dad decorate the house and put the presents under the tree for Danni. They hate leaving it up to Surly." I explained. "But considering what happened they aren't going to be home in time to do it or they'll be exhausted when they get home."

"Well come on then, let's get started I think I remember how everything goes." Michaela said drawing her wand.

"Just wait it's not late enough, someone needs to check on Danni to make sure she really is asleep and then we can start." Sirius said wanting to make this perfect for Danni as well.

Lily went to check on Danni while Randy, Timothy and Sirius went to go get the presents from mum and dad's room waiting for my okay through Sirius' mirror while Michaela, Taliha and I worked out what decorations needed to go up and where.

"She's sound asleep. What do you need me to do?" Lily asked quietly.

"You can help us with the decorations where just deciding on what to use, I think they're all down in the basement." I said getting up and leading the way down.

"James aren't you forgetting something?" Taliha asked.

"What no?"

"Sirius and the other two." Taliha sniggered.

"Oh yeah." I said pulling out my mirror. "Sirius it's all safe you can come out."

There were a lot of decorations in the basement, some I hadn't seen before, actually a lot I hadn't seen before.

"Ok grab the stuff that needs to be hung up." I directed grabbing a box of what looked like tinsel and stumbled up the stairs.

I hated the basement, when I was little I thought it was cool finding all mum and dads old junk there was even stuff that had been passed down in the generations but now it was a reminder that in the pureblood families nothing ever changed. Plus no one had turned on the lights so it was dark and everything made tall looming shapes that reminded me of the dark things happening outside the house.

"You have a lot of stuff down there how many generations do you think it's gone through?" Lily asked me carrying red, green and gold streamers.

"Dunno maybe four or five but we hardly ever look through it." I replied.

"It's Christmas, It's Christmas. Wake up everyone its Christmas." Danni screamed excitedly waking me up from my pleasant dream.

It was a recurring dream where James I got married. Sirius was his best man, Alice was my maid of honour and Sammie, Mary and Silvia my bridesmaids. Remus, Peter and some guy I don't know were James' groomsmen. James looked extremely handsome in his jet black suit and I wore the most amazing dress.

"Come on everyone it's Christmas, wake up James, wake up Sirius." Danni shouted pounding on their bedroom doors.

Worried that she was about to knock down my door I grabbed a gown and opened the door revealing the already dressed five year old.

"Danni, it's six in the morning, it's the holidays can't you stay in bed for I don't know another three hours." James groaned flinging open his bedroom door revealing his toned chest and a maroon pair of boxers.

He looked really sexy with bed hair that is actually messier than his normal everyday hairstyle and his glasses askew. His voice was a lot deeper and huskier as well adding to the sexiness.

"Well now that your awake hurry up and get dressed there are presents to open." Danni grinned excitedly practically bouncing off the walls.

"Alright but you're the one waking Sirius up." He mumbled as he went back into his room to get changed shutting the door behind him.

Wanting to see what Sirius' reaction to being woken up was I followed Danni to the room Sirius was staying in.

"You might want to watch out; he normally throws something at the first person he sees." Danni warned me.

I had heard that Sirius was a pain to wake up and I remember one of the boys saying that the only way to get him up was to pour water over him.

"How exactly are you going to wake him up?" I asked worried that he was going to hurt her, but then again Sirius loved Danni as if she was his own sister.

"I'll tickle him." Danni grinned wickedly.

Danni launched herself onto Sirius' bed and crawled on top of him where she started to tickle him. It must be only Danni who wakes him up like that because Sirius' eyes snapped open and he pulled her into a tight bear hug only to tickle her instead.

"I'll be going then, I have to get changed." I said more to them but I was sure they didn't hear me over Danni's high pitched squeals as she pleaded for mercy.

"Shh if we're lucky Danni will still be asleep and we can get a few minutes sleep before her wake-up call." Dad whispered to mum as they silently crept through the front door and the hallway.

Michaela coughed and startled them both that they jumped two feet into the air. They made their way into the living room to find that we were all sitting patiently waiting for them to come home. Only Danni was wide awake while the rest of us were wishing we were back in bed asleep.

"Or maybe not." Mum replied.

"Present Time." Danni shouted picking up the biggest one addressed to her.

It didn't take long for the room to be filled with wrapping paper flying everywhere from Danni constantly ripping it off her presents and throwing it into the air. The rest of us took a slower approach mainly because we couldn't get to the tree but unlike Danni we weren't throwing wrapping paper everywhere when we got to unwrap our presents.

Peter had gotten Sirius Lily and I a big box of Bertie Bolts every flavour beans, Remus and Sirius each got me a prank master's kit, while Mary, Alice and Sammie each got me an assortment of prank items and sweets. I was slightly disappointed with what Lily got me; she got me a book on how to treat your girlfriend right. A book that's all she got me. Plus it wasn't like I didn't treat her right. After all I got her expensive perfume that Sammie told me she liked and I got a cheap arsed book. Maybe she wanted to dump me. At least the presents from mum and dad were better. They had given me a professional broom cleaning kit, some new robes, sweets and tickets to the Puddlemere United match just before we went back to Hogwarts.

"Thank you for your present how did you know that it was my favourite perfume and how did you afford it. What did you think of your present?" Lily asked me brightly.

Not wanting to disappoint her I replied with, "It's great I can't wait to read it."

"Awesome I was hoping you would like it." She grinned before unwrapping the last of her presents.

"So what did Lily give you?" Sirius asked me.

"Oh I'm sure that's a great book." Sirius barked with laughter when I showed him.

Trying to forget about Lily's disappointing present I focused on what everyone else had gotten. Michaela and Randy got a collection of baby items, while Timothy and Taliha got an assortment of things.

Him thinking that the book was his actually present was too funny to think. I could see it in his eyes how disappointed he was even if he tried to sound over the moon when he said it was great. I could guarantee that he wouldn't even open the cover which is sad because the start of his real present was in there, but even if he didn't I was still going to go ahead with the plan and hope that Sirius would be able to suggest what was happening.

I didn't even know if James would like it. Sirius had told me that James liked gifts that meant something to him I wasn't sure if he would like this not after he spent a fortune on me. Sure I bought him a gift as well but it was nowhere near as much as he paid for mine I know how much perfume costs especially the brand he got me.

I didn't want to use up all my ideas tonight I was saving some for his birthday so his present was that I had managed to get his Puddlemere United robes signed by contacts through Slughorn and desert outside just behind his house. I had help from Alice who came over while the boys went to practise Quiditch and help set the place up. I was going to ask for Sammie's help but considering with everything that had happened I wasn't sure if we were still friends.

Thankfully Alice and Mary had given me a new jacket that was designed for weather like tonight's and I had a pair of stockings that went with my green dress. All I needed was for James to open that damn book and find the instructions for tonight.

I could always hint at it but I didn't want him to catch on. Sirius, Sirius could always help. I was half dressed and I didn't want James to see what I was wearing so I grabbed my dressing gown and went to Sirius' room.

"Hey James, that book Lily got you it doesn't say anything about getting the girl to go out with you does it." Sirius asked me.

"I don't know it's about treating your girlfriend right so I doubt it." I replied not wanting to talk about that book.

"Oh well do you think it has anything about what to say to your lying cheating ex's?" Sirius asked.

"Padfoot if it doesn't say anything about winning a girl over I don't think it's going to help you with your problem with Sammie." I said moodily throwing the book at him.

It bounced off his chest and landed on the floor opened up to the middle of the book.

"Well you don't have to be so bloody moody about it even Sammie gave me a better present and she isn't my girlfriend." Sirius said cheerfully obviously trying to bait me into starting something.

Well it worked. I picked the book up and slammed it over his head.

"Alright I see that this a sore point with you so I'll leave you to it but you may want to pick up that piece of parchment before Danni or someone else comes in and reads it." Sirius chuckled.

I had no idea what he was talking about but when I turned around I saw that something had fallen out of the book.

'James I hope you don't think that this is your Christmas Present. What kind of girlfriend would I be if I gave you this? Meet me outside in the little clearing behind your house at 8:30, dress smartly and come alone. Lily.'

Well I had approximately 15 minutes to get ready and meet Lily.

A/N

Ok so it's not a great chapter but I'm just trying to pass time there will be some boring chapters so sorry about that but I have plans to make it interesting again soon. Thanks for sticking with the story I know that I haven't updated for a while but for those that have been waiting for this chapter thank you.
SpringBabe.