A Merry Potter Christmas
Chapter 1 – A Merry Potter Meeting
The little snowflakes were piling up just outside the Hogwarts Express train, hypnotizing a very anxious Lily Evans, who had given up on the conversation happening around her a while ago. She was glad that, for once, all of her friends were on the same compartment. Alice, the kind one, Marlene, the loud one, Peter, the sweet one, Remus, the smart one, Sirius, the funny one, but a close second to Marlene's loud one title, and, finally, James, her newest friend and also her boyfriend.
She felt guilty for not paying attention to her friends' conversation, but she had absolutely no idea about what on God's green Earth was an Amata, an Asha and an Altheda, or why they sounded way too much like the characters from The Wizard of Oz. She really couldn't care less if Altheda cured Asha and got rich, when in only a few minutes she would be meeting James' mum and dad and she had no idea of what she would say to them. Lily tried her best to refocus on the conversation.
"Listen, all I'm saying is that I don't think Altheda really got rich with that potion if Asha was the only one with that disease. I mean, with some magic herbs from the side of an enchanted font, even I could cure someone in the brink of death."
"Sirius, you couldn't cure someone in the brink of a cold, let alone someone dying," scoffed Marlene.
"Just because I don't like potions, it doesn't mean that I'm no good at them, Ms. McKinnon," he retorted with a raised eyebrow imitating his very favourite teacher, Minerva McGonagall.
"I'll give you that one. Only because I've seen your grades, and they really are astonishing for someone with your behaviour."
"Good looks only won't get you anywhere, my dear. You also need them brains," said Sirius tapping a finger at his temple and winking at her. "And, in my case, I need them candies, so I'm off to find the trolley lady. Excuse my gorgeous self."
"So, Ali," started Marlene, as Sirius closed the door behind him, "what are your plans for this Christmas?"
"Frank's coming over this year. Since my parents won't be in the country for New Year's, we're going to accompany his parents to the Potter's. Where are you going?"
"Got it. Christmas with your family and New Year's with his. Smart. For Christmas, I guess we'll be staying at home, but we'll all see each other at the Potter's for New Year's," she gave them all a big and bright smile.
"Not all of us, though," said James with a little frown, "Wormy here will be all the way in New Zealand, won't you, bud?"
Peter nodded conflictedly. He wanted to be with his friends, but the idea of running away from the cold English December was too good to pass up.
Before he could add anything else to the conversation, the train stopped at King's Cross Station. Lily felt her hands grow even colder and her heart started pounding in her chest. James helped her get her trunk down, took his own, held her hand and, waving his friends goodbye, led her to where his parents were standing. It was pretty obvious who his parents were. He looked exactly like his dad, but his mom had the same playful smile on her face.
His mum hugged him tight, and smiled warmly at Lily, while James did an intricate handshake with his dad.
"You must be Lily, I take. You're every bit as beautiful as my James said you were." Lily blushed at Mrs. Potter comment, while James beamed with pride back by her side.
"It is really nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Potter." Under the Potter's kind eyes, Lily felt her nerves calming and her anxiety subsiding. "Thank you very much for letting me spend Christmas with you"
"Of course, dear. We would not let James' girlfriend spend Christmas at Hogwarts now, would we? He told us that your parents were staying with your sister's boyfriend, is that right?"
"Well, it's her fiancé now, so they thought it would be a good idea to get to know each other as a soon to be big happy family," Lily's tone was bitter, but Mrs. Potter did not extend the subject any longer. James had told her about Lily's family situation and she did not intend to pry. She knew exactly what it was like to not get along with a family member.
"Mum, I'm starving. Can we go now?"
"Yes, we can. But aren't you forgetting something, young man?" James looked genuinely confused at his mother's question.
"Like what?"
"Oh, I don't know." She raised her eyebrows mockingly. "Like the other unruly teenager that lives in our house."
"Shit!" James dashed out as realization dawned on him. He shouted over his shoulder, "I'll be right back!"
"You'd think that he would remember his own brother," Mrs. Potter shook her head in mock disapproval.
"I'm sorry about his language, Mrs. Potter," said Lily, watching her boyfriend moving along with his best friend in tow.
"Don't be," replied Mr. Potter, quickly, "he got it all from her." Mrs. Potter punched his arm lightly, shooting him a dirty look. "Ouch, woman. Control your temper, why don't you? I didn't say any lies. The boy may look like me, but his everything else is undoubtedly yours."
"Honey," Mrs. Potter started in a sweet, yet dangerous tone, "do you want to sleep in our bed tonight or do you want to keep talking?"
Mr. Potter took his time to answer the question, pretending to be thinking really hard about it. "I'll stick with the bed, thank you very much."
"Good choice, Monty. Good choice."
"I found the little rascal annoying the living daylights out of the Shacklebolts," said James helping Sirius carry his second trunk full of clothes he never wore, but was sure he would need in case 'something special happened at Hogwarts'.
"Okay. First of all, 'little rascal'? What are you? An eighty-five-year-old woman? Second of all, I was not annoying them, I was simply asking them where I could get a cool Nigerian robe like the one Kingsley has. I would look stunning on one of those things, you know?" Sirius explained himself, as he leaned forward to kiss Mrs. Potter on the cheek and give Mr. Potter a quick hug.
"While I agree that you would indeed look very handsome in those colours, you shouldn't be striking up conversation when people are so eager to go home for the holidays, love. And by people, I mean myself." Mrs. Potter affectionately ran a hand through Sirius' hair, who, surprisingly, didn't complain. "Chop chop, you three. Off we go."
Mr. Potter took one of Sirius' trunks in one hand and held Mrs. Potter's hand with the other. Sirius, carrying his other trunk, had Mrs. Potter's free hand placed protectively around his shoulders when they passed directly in front of Walburga Black, waiting for her son Regulus. Right behind them, James saw Sirius' shoulder tensing and his mum rubbing her hands on his back to relax him, and then whispering something that made him laugh.
Lily noticed her boyfriend's face light up at the scene, and realized just how silly she had been for worrying. That family was not what she had expected at all. They were so much better. And she couldn't wait to spend the holidays with them.