It had been years since Lily had not been able to sleep peacefully on Christmas Eve. Instead, she found herself tossing and turning all night. Not with child-like wonder of what Christmas morning would bring, but with anticipation all the same. For the first time in what felt like forever was she actually excited about Christmas?
She had spent the evening on Skype with her friend Marlene who had moved to Helsinki following university. It had been nice to have the chance to catch up and hear all about Marlene's and her girlfriend, how much she was enjoying her job and new promotion, and be given a virtual tour of the new apartment the pair had moved into together. But it was also a reminder of all the "proper things" Lily had so far failed to do, as her sister Petunia liked to put it.
While Petunia had graduated from typing school at nineteen, been engaged by twenty-one and married by twenty-two, Lily still had yet to even live with a serious boyfriend. Not that she hadn't had them. She'd dated Benjy Fenwick through her high school years and into university, but like a lot of high school sweetheart romances they had drifted apart with age. Then there had been Amos Diggory who she dated for about eight months in her third year of law school, until he moved to Germany to pursue a career at the Berlin Zoological Garden. After that she'd had a series of short flings leading up to and following graduation but none of them had stuck. Which suited Lily just fine, she didn't need the white picket fence dream her sister did to be considered happy.
Lily had a job which she enjoyed and allowed her the luxury of being able to afford to live alone. Her landlord Minerva McGonagall was a kind but stern woman who rarely checked in on the property, and when she did it was usually with a platter of homemade biscuits which they shared over tea. Career first, that had been Lily's focus. She still kept it touch and had the same friends from university, though they now all lived in different parts of the country or overseas like Marlene. But that was the beauty of social media, it was easy enough to maintain a relationship with each of them. If she ever did fine herself lonely anyone of them was only a phone call away.
Now as she lay awake in bed at about 7 o'clock Christmas morning, Lily replayed the conversation with Marlene over in her head. Her friend had expressed joy and excitement that Lily wouldn't be alone at Christmas and in fact had plans for once. Marlene had probed her for over an hour about James and his potential as a prospective partner for Lily.
"We're just colleagues Mar. He felt pity that I was going to be spending Christmas alone, that's all."
"You say that now Lils. I bet you twenty pounds and a chocolate croissant from that café you like that he had some big rouse planned. He's taking you to his parents for dinner for god's sake. Perfect stranger-colleagues don't do that." Marlene had insisted. "You watch, he'll drive you 40-odd minutes out of town and then spring on you that he told your folks you're his girlfriend or something"
"Mar this is real life not a Hallmark holiday movie. It's pity dinner. At which I will make polite conversation, enjoy my fill of mashed potatoes and then go home full and content" Lily had laughed.
Now it seemed 7am was the perfect time to question if Marlene had in fact been right. That she'd have to spend the car ride with Potter making sure they had their story straight. Wait what was she thinking? Going along with a fake-dating rouse? What was she, a teenager who needed someone's approval of her? No! How ridiculous a thought. If he sprung a fake-dating scenario on her she would shut it down right then and there. Potter could go right ahead and embarrass himself for all she cared, perhaps it would help him deflate his head a little.
Throwing off the covers Lily swung herself out of bed and opened her bedroom curtains. The snow was still falling outside but not where near as heavy as it had been the day previously. Oh god what if they got stuck on the side of the road in the middle of no where surrounded by snow? They be forced to huddle in the car until it ran out of petrol and the heating went out waiting for a tow. Would a tow truck even come out on Christmas? Of course, they would surely? It'd just be a case of price. Shrugging off the doom and gloom thoughts Lily busied her day with making sure her apartment was clean and presentable for Potter's arrival that afternoon on the off chance he actually came in.
She was hurriedly going through the contents of her wardrobe trying to find a matching pair of boots when the door bell rang. Giving up on the search Lily opened the door to James Potter and ushered him in off the doorstep.
"One sec. I'm almost ready I'm just finding a pair of shoes"
"Nice look Evans. Though you don't have to dress up for me." He smiled.
Lily was wearing the shin length, long sleeved green winter dress her mother had once purchased for her. It had sat hanging in the wardrobe for god knows how long now but seemed appropriate enough for a business-casual Christmas dinner. She took in James' appearance more intently for the first time. He was casually dressed in a pair of jeans, brown shoes and another Christmas sweater. Though she had to admit this one was far less garish than the one he had worn to the work function. Instead, this one was more toned done. Red with deer leaping snowflakes across the chest.
"Bold of you to assume I dressed up just for you Potter. I was promised a satisfying food coma. So, while you'll be popping trouser buttons post dinner, I will already be quite comfortable thank you very much." Lily teased, there was no point in being hostile or being offended by his blatant flirting. Not yet anyways.
"A woman who knows how to prepare properly for a festive food coma. I should marry you already. I approve." James chuckled happily casting his gaze around her apartment. A slight frown formed on his lips. "You don't have a tree. The only sign it's even Christmas is the snow globe on the coffee table" He commented.
"Oh… well I was going to be away so didn't see the point in a tree. The globe is actually a recent acquisition courtesy of my Secret Santa" Lily lied, she didn't even own a tree. "I'll just grab shoes and we can go. The Merlot is on the kitchen bench if you want to get it" She pointed in the general direction of the kitchen and disappeared into her bedroom to continue her search for the offending missing boot. The gentle tapping of James' shoes against the hardwood floor towards the kitchen echoed.
"Still the rest of December to enjoy it Evans. Mine's been up since the 1st. Where's your Christmas spirit? I'm beginning to think you don't have any." Lily heard the familiar scrape of glass against benchtop marble as James collected the wine bottle.
Finding her shoes and grabbing her coat Lily joined James back in the foyer. He was eyeing the golden sticky ribbon she had placed on the wine bottle. She had to admit, if only to herself, he did look rather handsome.
"Now I have to warm you Potter if this is some sort of rouse. You can walk out that door right now alone. I am more than happy to curl back up on my couch." Lily insisted.
"Rouse?" James barked with laugher "And what kind of rouse would I have up my sleeve exactly Evans?"
"For all I know you've been telling your parents you have a girlfriend this whole time and this is all just a plan to get them off your back about having never met her." Lily repeated Marlene's theory, though even as she said it, she realised the absurdity of it and flushed with embarrassment. Which was not helped as James laughed harder.
"Hate to break it to you Evans but life isn't a Hallmark movie." That's what I said! Lily thought, feeling slightly more foolish.
"Good. Just so we're clear" Lily confirmed, following James out of the front door and locking it securely behind them.
Though she couldn't really say what she thought Potter would drive if asked, a relatively new looking BMW was not it. James opened the passenger side door for her in a grand gesture.
"You will however find that I am a perfect gentleman" James flirted.
Lily rolled her eyes at him and took her seat. He closed the door gently after her and made his way to the drivers' side of the car. The interior was nice, but there was the distinct smell of wet dog wafting from a tartan blanket on the backseat.
"You have a dog?" Lily asked politely after James had started the engine.
"Yeah, his name is Toby. Sorry about the smell. I gave him a bath yesterday before I took him to Mum and Dads. He likes to roll in the duck poop down by the canal, an even worse smell trust me" He replied sheepishly pulling out into the street.
"Wait. You were already at your parents? I thought you said it was a bit of a drive? I could have driven myself over"
"Yeah, its tradition. I always spend Christmas Eve through to new year with my folks. It was honestly no trouble. You have to take a few back roads and I was worried you'd get lost. I don't mind the drive." James reassured her with a smile. "Besides I can now confirm we shouldn't end up in an embankment somewhere."