A/N;He does it, yes he finally does it!
James,all conquering(sort off) James
finally asks Lily out....
With Christmas fast approaching, only days left to go, the Great Hall was
being decorated, people leaving to spend the holidays with their families and
that usual Christmas mist and chatter was spreading thick and fast through
Hogwarts. It wasn't hysteria, but it was getting out of hand; people not
concentrating during class, even Etropsuns, he was devastatingly austere and
gave big punishments, but it looked as though the Voldemort controlled
professor wasn't able to grip his class as people mingled around the greenhouse,
chattering and commenting on what they requested for Christmas. The corridors
looked magnificent with streams of ivy, holly and mistletoe running down them,
gold baubles dotted here and there. The Suits of Armour were singing echoed
Christmas carols in loud, deep voices. Christmas was in the air, you could
even smell it, the house elves making endless preparations, with rich Christmas
food aromas waffling through the air lazily. Sirius groaned every time he
went anywhere near the kitchens.
'Smell that! Oh, oh, oooh get me away from here,' and so on for about forty
feet within the kitchens. James, Peter, Remus and Lily often laughed at his
antics around food.
*
'Dolpur, can you fetch Frangipani for me, and Xenia? Said Voldemort, looking
at the darkened, dirty tile hearth of the purple blue flames or the fire.
'Yes Lord,' he said, whipping out of the room and searching on his map of the mansion.
Within seconds, Dolpur returned to the room, two women by his side. A
Frangipani Malfoy was there, a tall, sleek and proud woman with a very delicate
frame. She had blond, greying hair, which was hidden because of the whiteness
of it. She had stormy, grey eyes that were highlighted, shaded with blue.
She wore a crimson red cloak, that reached way past her feet, billowing out
and leaving a trail on the floor as she walked. Beside her, a tall, willowy
woman, with dark shiny, askew ringlets that bobbed neatly down her back. She
was wearing a gold cloak, that seemed to co-ordinate with everything about her
down to her nasal hair. Her rosy cheeks were slightly paler against the harsh
light, and her pale skin had nearly no colour about it.
'You summoned us master?' said the woman next to Frangipani, Xenia.
'Yes, I need you to go back to the muggle world and play your part there,
spread the word on your way. You mustn't let on that you are one of my followers
unless you are enlisting someone.-'
Xenia tuned out, she would get the details from Frangipani later. She thought
about her husband, and her son.
'Serevus, I'm only doing this for you…' she thought back to the argument they had.
'Yeah! Supporting the evil guy mum, the evil guy.' He retorted back, spitting
moodily at his mother.
'He will not come after us…it's a good thing.'
She pleaded with him to believe what she was doing was right, but it still wasn't
working, he was absolutely scared to come near her if her wand was near by, he
wouldn't talk to her unless he was asking her something and he stayed shut up
in his room, fiddling or reading, or played with his father, who too felt very betrayed.
'You may go.' A voice spoke louder than before. Xenia pulled herself away from
her thoughts and followed Frangipani out of the room, they apparated out of sight.
*
'You know, pretending to be with you isn't so bad…' said James as he kicked
lazily at the icy water of the lake.
'Pretending again are we?' drawled Lily, there was a hint of a blush on her face.
'No!' he said as he kicked freezing water at her.
'Good.' She nodded, looking at him with a strange expression on her face, a
mix between melancholy and self-satisfaction. She looked at James, who was
trying to reach the giant squids tenticle without getting his robes entirely
wet. 'Come back on the land, you are going to catch a cold,' Lily warned,
her fine eyebrows arching over her emerald-green eyes.
'Yes mother' giving Lily a mock exasperated look. James grinned, walking
slowly in the warmer shallows, towards Lily. He put on his cloak, which was
sitting next to Lily, and fastened it up tightly. Lily slipped her hand into
his, and they walked across the grounds.
'I can't wait until tomorrows feast, just Sirius, Remus, you and I there, as
well as the teachers. I can't believe Serevus changed his mind about staying,
what luck!' commentated Lily as they walked, with a dreamy look in her eyes.
'Yes, that was fortunate…' agreed James, looking at her, head tilted as though
he was thinking.
Something lurked in the shadows, a rustling noise turned James's head.
'Did you hear something?' he asked Lily.
'No, why?' she looked at him curiously.
'I thought I heard something in those bushes,' he said, pointing towards the
bushes when Sirius and Remus were currently hiding.
'You go towards them to the left, I'll go right.' James instructed.
'Okay' Lily crept off, noiselessly, slowly pulling out her wand. She hardly
dared to breathe. Lily arrived at the bush, a few seconds ahead of James.
She nodded at him, and they went down the small, prickly lane in between the
school wall and the bush.
James growled as he lifted up the hood on Sirius's cloak. Sirius looked
displeased about getting caught.
'We were just coming down to get you for lunch, and you looked -er- busy, so
I,' Sirius lied in a rush to explain. Remus nudged him and he corrected himself
'We, I mean, gave you, both some privacy.'
'How thoughtful, I would have thought it would be safer to stand where Peter
is…' he drawled, not amused, pointing up to where Peter was looking down at
them. James gestured Peter to come and join them
'Why were you spying on us?' Lily demanded.
Sirius screwed up his face. 'I wouldn't call it spying…'
'We weren't intending to' Remus assured cooler under pressure.
'Then what, were you intending to do?' She sounded un-impressed, her eyebrows
were arched in an expression of disgust and her chin was sitting neatly at her chest.
'We, as Sirius has already explained to you, were coming to collect you for
lunch, and you looked like you didn't want company.'
Lily thought about this, then seemed to come up with another point worth
voicing. 'Why not just return to the castle then?'
'Sirius, help me…' Remus muttered. Lily and James looked at him and couldn't
help but laugh. He looked panic stricken, and they were all laughing as Peter
joined them, who exploded into paroxysms of laughter. When it had finally died
down, he asked them what was so funny.
*
Voldemort apparated. He was now standing at his fathers' grave. Father, oh
father. Once so proud of me, the drawstring of your heart, the pinnacle of
pride, the specimen of your believing. And Orphelia too. What have I done?
I have no sense of guilt. You were a fool father, a fool. Leaving me, fool.
'Come, we must go…' murmured Dolpur.
'Yes,' he nodded and allowed himself to be guided away. He was shaking with
rage directed at his father.
'He may be useful, given you something, knowledge, strength perhaps…'
'We are going to the Ministry of Magic, Dolpur, now'
'I shall follow.' Dolpur said, wondering what they were going to do when they
got there.
'Very well. Shall we go?' Voldemort chided icily.
'Lord! Wait for me!' a voice called. Voldemort snapped his head around from
where the crying, female voice came. Looking around scathingly, his eyes
finally stopped circling. He settled on Xenia, who had evidently apparated
to the wrong place and had run from there, instead of dissaparating.
'Lord…please pardon my lateness, I apparated…six or seven miles from here, I
ran…' she panted.
'Very well, we shall meet you at the Ministry, if you manage to apparate
correctly. If not, we shall rendezvous in Kleppe Belingsaugen, Switzerland
tomorrow, at the statue, former statue.' Voldemort arranged.
*
'Ask her out' Sirius insisted, now rolling up his clean socks.
'You should you know…' said Remus, now lost under his robes.
'Yeah!' piped up Peter, his pink, chubby head poking out from between the
curtains of his bed as he was organising his trunk, figuring out what he could
leave here and what he would need.
'What would you know Peter?' growled Sirius, now barely managing with his long robes.
'Don't get irritated at me, just because I can fold my clothes…' he sniped.
'You didn't even fold them!' exclaimed an exasperated James, pointing at the
several coat hangers which hung everything from cloaks to socks.
'Yeah, well…' Peter mumbled, turning red as the curtains surrounding him.
'Mmm mmi ymf mf pf Pfetf' some incoherent and incomprehensible words flew out
of Remus's covered mouth.
'Now, back to Lily and James' Sirius said, in crisp business-like tones.
'Not now Sirius…' said James, rolling over onto his side, pretending to try
and sleep.
'Yes, now James, you and I and Lily have waited long enough to get your cowardice
approach to emotions sorted out. It's Christmas, her first Christmas without
her family, give her something special' he said, trying the guilt card.
'Nah uh, the guilt card ain't going to work for me, if you want to give her
some hope so much, maybe you should ask her out yourself.' James said,
completely seeing through Sirius's little scheme.
'I would, but she doesn't like me.' He said, looking rather disgruntled.
'How do you know that?' he demanded, one eyebrow raised.
'Have you seen the way she looks at you when you're not looking? No I guess
not, but she likes you. She goes all misty eyed and laughs at your pathetic
excuses for jokes…' he ranted on and on. 'It's still only eight O'clock, you're
not in your pajamas yet, chuck on a robe and go see if she's in the common
room…I'll wear the invisibility cloak for moral support…' Sirius said hopefully.
'It's Christmas eve…She'll like that.' Said Remus. James was getting more and
more convinced every time Sirius opened his mouth. He merely sat on his bed
and became a dead weight when Sirius tried to drag him up.
Sirius was shoving a cloak over his head and mumbling, like a mother; 'It'll
be good for you…and Lily, she needs you James, needs you…' James stood up so
abruptly that Sirius almost fell over.
'Okay, fine, I'll do it…' he said defeated.
'Can I come?' asked Sirius excitedly.
'Yes, but not with the invisibility cloak, she'll think I'm setting her up.'
He said conditionally.
'Yeah…okay. Let's go, are you coming Remus?' Sirius asked.
'I'll be there in a sec, just let me get this ruddy robe twisted in the right
direction' he said, satirically.
'Okay, I'll fill you in.' assured Sirius, his face twisted into a wicked,
mischievously perilous grin. They paced their way to the common room, walking
so briskly down the stairs it was almost a run. They made it there just as
Lily was opening the door to come out. She had obviously been bored with her
dorm tenants. She lifted her face to see who was blocking the doorway of
auburn stained wood. Her eyes lit up and so did her face as she pulled it
into a delighted smile.
'James, Sirius, I was wondering if you were ever going to come down!' She
raised her eyebrows, and gestured them towards the elaborately decorated
fireplace, in season for Christmas. They sat down in chairs and Sirius became
extremely interested in some people near the Fat Lady. Sirius departed, his
gait joyful but stiff, he looked as though he had a slight limp on the right leg.
'I wanted to ask you something Lily.' James rumbled, looking nervous as a
little boy (though he is still one).
'What?' she asked gently, thoroughly curious, though tried desperately not to
look to keen.
'Well, I was wondering, well…' he faded off as his blush became deeper.
'Well?' she demanded, looking keenly at James.
'I was wondering if you would go out with me,' he mumbled in extremely illegible,
deep and embarrassed tones.
'James' she said, her head bowed as so he couldn't see her facial features.
'James, I'm flattered.' She mumbled under hair veil of wavy, cascading, red hair.
'I would love to go out with you,' she whispered, so quiet that you wouldn't
have noticed that she whispered at all if he wasn't listening so hard for any
sort of response. Lily looked up, her face pale with very rosy cheeks. She
pulled her hair behind her ears and James quickly noticed that they were bright
red too.
'Okay' James looked relieved, almost flattered. James looked at her, apprehensive.
He leaned in to whisper to her. He whispered nonsense and loudly whispered
Sirius, who he was sure was hanging on to every word, clinging onto Lily's
phrases of emotion etched talk.
Lily left from where she was sitting, waving good-bye to James. He was still
sitting there, elbows on his knees, his hands clasped. Thinking about what
he just did, why he just did it and so on…until; Sirius came over and chuckled
and the very nervous look on James's face.
'Sirius' he moaned. 'What have I done?'
'You just got yourself married with children and a house, and you'll never be
single again.' James thought Sirius was being serious, but when he looked at
his long-time friend, he saw he was grinning widely and was chuckling. At
this moment Remus walked in, his robes still twisted, creased and disorganised.
He had a snappy, disheartened look on his pensive, gentle face. He looked
sobered and bitter, but when he saw James' worried look, Sirius' comforting,
but laughing face, Remus couldn't help but smile.
'He did it' said Sirius, with mock graveness on his face, Remus looked mournfully
at his friend, with mock despair.
'Oh James, I'm so, happy…' he said, James looked at him, a sneer on his face.
Remus quickly spotted this and opened his mouth to add; 'For you I mean, for
you…' James' face quickly turned back to blissfully happy and bitterly miserable.
'Let's go. It's getting late.'
'It's eight thirty!' an exasperated Sirius said. 'I know, let's start a
tradition, we'll stay in the common room, with our blankets and stuff and
sleep in here every Christmas eve, when we are all together. Let's go and
visit the kitchen James.' Sirius suggested. James nodded, still dumbstruck,
eyes distant with no application.
*
Lily looked at herself in the toilet mirror. Was she different? Was she the
same old Lily? A girl stared back at her, High, rosy cheeks, resting on cheekbones.
Emerald green eyes under fine arched eyebrows. Flaming red hair, long and
thick and soft, reaching to her elbows when her arms were straight. Her hair
combed neatly and pushed behind her ears. Lily took a small hand to her face
and touched her cheek. Her pale skin tingled, quickly warming up. The tip of
her small nose was slightly rosy and very cold and detached. Lily lifted her
other hand to it and pinched the tip of it, and felt it slowly warm up.
'Will I be different?' she wondered silently in her complex mind. 'Will I
still like him? Will he still like me? Is this just Remus' love potion finally
taking effect, or is it just me?'
'Lily!' squealed a voice from the doorway. Lily slowly turned around, and
stared at her co-dormitory bunker, Grace. 'What happened with you and James?
You looked pretty cosy…are you going out?' Grace had her eyelids slitted, they
looked tiny. Grace's black, large eyes were covered by her eyelids, her pale,
chubby face was peering at her, curiously, as if Lily had a smear of food across
it. Her eyelashes, curly and short, were batting gently, and she was walking
slowly towards her, still looking at her. Lily felt her cheeks go red.
'Yeah' she managed to gulp. 'He asked me out tonight.' Lily flushed, her
face going red and her pulse ran haywire even at the thought of James.
'I always knew it…remember those talks Lily, of us, in our Dormitory?' she asked,
now standing behind Lily. 'If James asked you out, shouldn't you be with him?'
'I said I was tired.' Lily commentated dully.
'So! This guys totally infatuated with you, as you are him and you're standing
here, looking at yourself in a mirror?' she erupted.
'Yeah, I guess you're right.' Lily agreed.
'Well, get going!' she batted her arms towards the door, and when Lily didn't
move, she pushed her in the small of the back out of the door and shut it
firmly behind her. She looked back towards the dorm door, feeling a little
sad, and then made her way up the stairs, looking up towards the common room.
'Lily!' a male voice called, sounding like James. 'I came down to see you,
but you weren't in your dorm, I wasn't looking in the toilets, so I just asked,
er-Greta? Where you were.' He rushed out.
'Grace' she corrected 'I was in the toilets, washing my hands.' She lied.
'Okay, I was going to invite you up to the common room. Sirius is insisting
that we sleep in the common room until at least midnight and look for Santa
Claus.' James looked at her, grinning at the thought that Sirius still
insisted on believing in Santa Claus. 'You might want to bring a blanket,'
he pointed out.
Lily smiled at him, and vaguely motioned in the direction of her dorm; 'Come
in, I've been in yours.'
She led the way, James heeling behind her. When they got to the door, James
stopped her and pointed at the top of the doorframe.
'Mistletoe' he said, with a slow, exclusive smile. Lily walked back towards
him, allowing him to take her hands. Slowly they embraced, for a few seconds,
then James pulled away. Lily still stood there, her eyes shut and her lips
quivering, trembling in a graceful, dignified way. James waited politely
outside in the corridor as Lily checked to see if anyone had decided on
changing. The door opened and Lily emerged with her winter cloak and her
blankets. James took them and disappeared under the pile and Lily wrestled
with the pile of bed Linen to pull her cloak free. She finally managed with
much assistance from James, and gratefully put it over her thin, shivering back.
They arrived at the Gryffindor Common room door, looking at each other, Lily
looking at James, biting her bottom lip, in un-hid anxiety, James, peering
down at her, curiously. James opened the door and waved her in, she went in,
glancing at James and he followed, closing the door behind him.
'Ooh, the lovebirds have arrived.' Sirius teased. He looked at Lily and
winked who replied with a bland and satirical smile. Sirius whimpered,
looking injured with a mock sob. Remus played along, easing and soothing him
as a mother would to a bawling child.
'I hope you are happy now?' Remus demanded at Lily, in a high cackle, he was
broadly grinning, and his gentle smile followed.
'What have you been up to since we have been gone?' asked James.
'Since you were gone such a long time…' added Sirius.
'We played exploding snap and Peter just Floo Powdered out with his parents
and his trunk. I have also been trying to explain, in the most comprehendible
fashion, the rules of Monopoly and Cluedo to Sirius.' Remus informed.
'Which I totally don't get…' trailed Sirius, looking perplexed at the mere
thought of why muggles would play such games.
'We were also betting on who would win the Quidditch world cup…It's in Ireland
this year isn't it?'
'Quidditch,' murmured Lily. 'Can someone explain to me,' she looked up at
the three faces surrounding her, Lily felt a strange claustrophobia slide
over her, 'the rules of Quidditch.'
'Okay!' all three volunteered. James started explaining, with additions every
second sentence by Sirius and Remus, what the principles of Quidditch were in
great, graphical detail from how exhilarating diving was to the bludgers, who
zoomed around ruthlessly and tirelessly aiming to knock players off their
broomsticks. Just as Sirius opened his mouth to explain what sort of broomsticks
were best suited to what positions, Lily rolled over and mock snored, indicating
she had, basically had enough.
'Are we boring you Lily?' Sirius said, almost coldly, looking at her as she
rolled over and smoothed down her shiny, tousled hair.
'It's nearly midnight' said Remus, anxious to keep the peace. James rolled
over onto his side, accordingly adjusting his thick, woolen blanket. He moved
over to the fire, beginning to ember and glow brilliant, light red. They counted
down to Christmas, judging by the fastest watch. They all grinned, now suddenly
feeling hungry, not at all tired, with new found energy.
'I'm hungry!' Remus said suddenly, breaking the tense silence.
'I know, we'll all get our Christmas presents and open them together, down here!'
said Sirius, obviously wondering what he got and not wanting to wait until a
decent hour of the morning.
'Okay, back here alright' James agreed, looking around the group. They all
shuffled out of the room, blankets wrapped firmly around them, yawning James,
Remus and Sirius looked out of the window into the night. It was snowing.
*
'Oh, how I loathe Christmas, so much…cheer.' Voldemort sneered from his hide
out in Switzerland. 'I am glad that you are here with me, all of you, to let
sanity prevail, at least in my world…'
'Sir, we must attack the Ministry tomorrow, if we are to have any chance…It
will not be crowded tomorrow, only with burly, half-drunk members who think
they are sobered, yet still display the temperamental attitude of a man who
is full. It would be best.' Dolpur said, looking at his master.
'Yes, very well' Voldemort sighed. 'It is nothing for me to celebrate…'
'Lord, let them celebrate. They will have precious little to celebrate over
your reign…' Xenia said smoothly.
'Yes…' agreed Voldemort, his hands clasped behind his back, his knuckles
turning white quickly.
*
The boys had arrived at their dormitory both pleased and excited. They
spotted large piles of gifts and presents, all wrapped up in festive paper
and foil. They dived onto them, making bags with their pillowcases and
blankets and pulling them in, occasionally stopping to shake a present that
looked promising. Once they had finished, they trudged back down the cold,
marble stairs and arrived at the common room, where Lily was sitting, stoking
the fire, her presents in a neat stack, near the wall where they were previously
sitting. They decided to grab armchairs and magic couches near the fire.
'Have you opened any Lily?' asked Sirius, holding out a small, wrapped gift.
It looked to be wrapped in toilet paper. Lily took it and offered him a gift.
It instantly won Sirius' heart and stomach. He lifted the lid to the large,
heavy box and Sirius' face lit up with delight.
'Would you like a piece?' he offered as Lily handed out the rest of her presents,
consisting of Christmas cake, Mince and treacle tarts, turkey and ham sandwiches
and toffees and chocolates. James blushed as her handed her, her present.
It was in a box, made of fine silk, well covered in silk of royal blue. She
opened it and her face lit up in surprise. She moved her stack to the couch
where James was sitting and slapped his feet over, making room for herself at
the end. She took his hand and thanked him.
'What is it?' asked Sirius, eyes full of curiosity. 'Ooh, I bet it's jewelry,
no it could be something el-' Sirius was cut off by a dirty look from Lily.
'No it wasn't something else' she glared.
'Then what was it?' Lily opened the silk box, with great care. She showed
it to Sirius who opened and shut his mouth. Remus peered in the box and looked
at James who was blushing ferociously.
'James! I bet I didn't get something that good!' gaped Remus, his eyes wide
in fake hurting. James laughed and looked at his friend, feeling slightly
guilty because Remus had hit the nail sharply on the head. James had got
them about two Galleons of chocolate frogs and sweets, where as Lily's cost
about twelve galleons. Lily looked adoringly at her necklace, silver studded
with fine beads of emerald, matching her eyes. She took it out of its box and
fiddled with the clasp, not figuring out how to work it. James leaned over
and said open. It obeyed, opening with a slight springing noise. He fastened
it around her neck, pulling her hair over it, it matched her eyes, perfectly.
No wonder, since his mother had chosen it.
'Here,' James mumbled, thrusting a package at Sirius and Remus, who exchanged
presents. They all grinned evilly, looking at each other and laughing.
'What?' asked Lily, baffled. 'What's so funny?'
'We…all…gave..each other…the same…present.' Sirius managed to pant through
his laughter. Lily peered into the identical boxes, two each, and laughed
with them. Inside was about 2 galleons worth of chocolate frogs, Every-Flavour beans,
sours, sherbets and other assorted sweets. Lily helped herself to Sirius'
box, who waved his hand at her, shooing her away from it, and nursed it, like
it had suffered a great loss. They sat and smiled, occasionally talking,
occasionally eating(though always eating in Sirius' case) and joking, laughing
and smiling. Like family, a family of young, twelve year old children.
James,all conquering(sort off) James
finally asks Lily out....
With Christmas fast approaching, only days left to go, the Great Hall was
being decorated, people leaving to spend the holidays with their families and
that usual Christmas mist and chatter was spreading thick and fast through
Hogwarts. It wasn't hysteria, but it was getting out of hand; people not
concentrating during class, even Etropsuns, he was devastatingly austere and
gave big punishments, but it looked as though the Voldemort controlled
professor wasn't able to grip his class as people mingled around the greenhouse,
chattering and commenting on what they requested for Christmas. The corridors
looked magnificent with streams of ivy, holly and mistletoe running down them,
gold baubles dotted here and there. The Suits of Armour were singing echoed
Christmas carols in loud, deep voices. Christmas was in the air, you could
even smell it, the house elves making endless preparations, with rich Christmas
food aromas waffling through the air lazily. Sirius groaned every time he
went anywhere near the kitchens.
'Smell that! Oh, oh, oooh get me away from here,' and so on for about forty
feet within the kitchens. James, Peter, Remus and Lily often laughed at his
antics around food.
*
'Dolpur, can you fetch Frangipani for me, and Xenia? Said Voldemort, looking
at the darkened, dirty tile hearth of the purple blue flames or the fire.
'Yes Lord,' he said, whipping out of the room and searching on his map of the mansion.
Within seconds, Dolpur returned to the room, two women by his side. A
Frangipani Malfoy was there, a tall, sleek and proud woman with a very delicate
frame. She had blond, greying hair, which was hidden because of the whiteness
of it. She had stormy, grey eyes that were highlighted, shaded with blue.
She wore a crimson red cloak, that reached way past her feet, billowing out
and leaving a trail on the floor as she walked. Beside her, a tall, willowy
woman, with dark shiny, askew ringlets that bobbed neatly down her back. She
was wearing a gold cloak, that seemed to co-ordinate with everything about her
down to her nasal hair. Her rosy cheeks were slightly paler against the harsh
light, and her pale skin had nearly no colour about it.
'You summoned us master?' said the woman next to Frangipani, Xenia.
'Yes, I need you to go back to the muggle world and play your part there,
spread the word on your way. You mustn't let on that you are one of my followers
unless you are enlisting someone.-'
Xenia tuned out, she would get the details from Frangipani later. She thought
about her husband, and her son.
'Serevus, I'm only doing this for you…' she thought back to the argument they had.
'Yeah! Supporting the evil guy mum, the evil guy.' He retorted back, spitting
moodily at his mother.
'He will not come after us…it's a good thing.'
She pleaded with him to believe what she was doing was right, but it still wasn't
working, he was absolutely scared to come near her if her wand was near by, he
wouldn't talk to her unless he was asking her something and he stayed shut up
in his room, fiddling or reading, or played with his father, who too felt very betrayed.
'You may go.' A voice spoke louder than before. Xenia pulled herself away from
her thoughts and followed Frangipani out of the room, they apparated out of sight.
*
'You know, pretending to be with you isn't so bad…' said James as he kicked
lazily at the icy water of the lake.
'Pretending again are we?' drawled Lily, there was a hint of a blush on her face.
'No!' he said as he kicked freezing water at her.
'Good.' She nodded, looking at him with a strange expression on her face, a
mix between melancholy and self-satisfaction. She looked at James, who was
trying to reach the giant squids tenticle without getting his robes entirely
wet. 'Come back on the land, you are going to catch a cold,' Lily warned,
her fine eyebrows arching over her emerald-green eyes.
'Yes mother' giving Lily a mock exasperated look. James grinned, walking
slowly in the warmer shallows, towards Lily. He put on his cloak, which was
sitting next to Lily, and fastened it up tightly. Lily slipped her hand into
his, and they walked across the grounds.
'I can't wait until tomorrows feast, just Sirius, Remus, you and I there, as
well as the teachers. I can't believe Serevus changed his mind about staying,
what luck!' commentated Lily as they walked, with a dreamy look in her eyes.
'Yes, that was fortunate…' agreed James, looking at her, head tilted as though
he was thinking.
Something lurked in the shadows, a rustling noise turned James's head.
'Did you hear something?' he asked Lily.
'No, why?' she looked at him curiously.
'I thought I heard something in those bushes,' he said, pointing towards the
bushes when Sirius and Remus were currently hiding.
'You go towards them to the left, I'll go right.' James instructed.
'Okay' Lily crept off, noiselessly, slowly pulling out her wand. She hardly
dared to breathe. Lily arrived at the bush, a few seconds ahead of James.
She nodded at him, and they went down the small, prickly lane in between the
school wall and the bush.
James growled as he lifted up the hood on Sirius's cloak. Sirius looked
displeased about getting caught.
'We were just coming down to get you for lunch, and you looked -er- busy, so
I,' Sirius lied in a rush to explain. Remus nudged him and he corrected himself
'We, I mean, gave you, both some privacy.'
'How thoughtful, I would have thought it would be safer to stand where Peter
is…' he drawled, not amused, pointing up to where Peter was looking down at
them. James gestured Peter to come and join them
'Why were you spying on us?' Lily demanded.
Sirius screwed up his face. 'I wouldn't call it spying…'
'We weren't intending to' Remus assured cooler under pressure.
'Then what, were you intending to do?' She sounded un-impressed, her eyebrows
were arched in an expression of disgust and her chin was sitting neatly at her chest.
'We, as Sirius has already explained to you, were coming to collect you for
lunch, and you looked like you didn't want company.'
Lily thought about this, then seemed to come up with another point worth
voicing. 'Why not just return to the castle then?'
'Sirius, help me…' Remus muttered. Lily and James looked at him and couldn't
help but laugh. He looked panic stricken, and they were all laughing as Peter
joined them, who exploded into paroxysms of laughter. When it had finally died
down, he asked them what was so funny.
*
Voldemort apparated. He was now standing at his fathers' grave. Father, oh
father. Once so proud of me, the drawstring of your heart, the pinnacle of
pride, the specimen of your believing. And Orphelia too. What have I done?
I have no sense of guilt. You were a fool father, a fool. Leaving me, fool.
'Come, we must go…' murmured Dolpur.
'Yes,' he nodded and allowed himself to be guided away. He was shaking with
rage directed at his father.
'He may be useful, given you something, knowledge, strength perhaps…'
'We are going to the Ministry of Magic, Dolpur, now'
'I shall follow.' Dolpur said, wondering what they were going to do when they
got there.
'Very well. Shall we go?' Voldemort chided icily.
'Lord! Wait for me!' a voice called. Voldemort snapped his head around from
where the crying, female voice came. Looking around scathingly, his eyes
finally stopped circling. He settled on Xenia, who had evidently apparated
to the wrong place and had run from there, instead of dissaparating.
'Lord…please pardon my lateness, I apparated…six or seven miles from here, I
ran…' she panted.
'Very well, we shall meet you at the Ministry, if you manage to apparate
correctly. If not, we shall rendezvous in Kleppe Belingsaugen, Switzerland
tomorrow, at the statue, former statue.' Voldemort arranged.
*
'Ask her out' Sirius insisted, now rolling up his clean socks.
'You should you know…' said Remus, now lost under his robes.
'Yeah!' piped up Peter, his pink, chubby head poking out from between the
curtains of his bed as he was organising his trunk, figuring out what he could
leave here and what he would need.
'What would you know Peter?' growled Sirius, now barely managing with his long robes.
'Don't get irritated at me, just because I can fold my clothes…' he sniped.
'You didn't even fold them!' exclaimed an exasperated James, pointing at the
several coat hangers which hung everything from cloaks to socks.
'Yeah, well…' Peter mumbled, turning red as the curtains surrounding him.
'Mmm mmi ymf mf pf Pfetf' some incoherent and incomprehensible words flew out
of Remus's covered mouth.
'Now, back to Lily and James' Sirius said, in crisp business-like tones.
'Not now Sirius…' said James, rolling over onto his side, pretending to try
and sleep.
'Yes, now James, you and I and Lily have waited long enough to get your cowardice
approach to emotions sorted out. It's Christmas, her first Christmas without
her family, give her something special' he said, trying the guilt card.
'Nah uh, the guilt card ain't going to work for me, if you want to give her
some hope so much, maybe you should ask her out yourself.' James said,
completely seeing through Sirius's little scheme.
'I would, but she doesn't like me.' He said, looking rather disgruntled.
'How do you know that?' he demanded, one eyebrow raised.
'Have you seen the way she looks at you when you're not looking? No I guess
not, but she likes you. She goes all misty eyed and laughs at your pathetic
excuses for jokes…' he ranted on and on. 'It's still only eight O'clock, you're
not in your pajamas yet, chuck on a robe and go see if she's in the common
room…I'll wear the invisibility cloak for moral support…' Sirius said hopefully.
'It's Christmas eve…She'll like that.' Said Remus. James was getting more and
more convinced every time Sirius opened his mouth. He merely sat on his bed
and became a dead weight when Sirius tried to drag him up.
Sirius was shoving a cloak over his head and mumbling, like a mother; 'It'll
be good for you…and Lily, she needs you James, needs you…' James stood up so
abruptly that Sirius almost fell over.
'Okay, fine, I'll do it…' he said defeated.
'Can I come?' asked Sirius excitedly.
'Yes, but not with the invisibility cloak, she'll think I'm setting her up.'
He said conditionally.
'Yeah…okay. Let's go, are you coming Remus?' Sirius asked.
'I'll be there in a sec, just let me get this ruddy robe twisted in the right
direction' he said, satirically.
'Okay, I'll fill you in.' assured Sirius, his face twisted into a wicked,
mischievously perilous grin. They paced their way to the common room, walking
so briskly down the stairs it was almost a run. They made it there just as
Lily was opening the door to come out. She had obviously been bored with her
dorm tenants. She lifted her face to see who was blocking the doorway of
auburn stained wood. Her eyes lit up and so did her face as she pulled it
into a delighted smile.
'James, Sirius, I was wondering if you were ever going to come down!' She
raised her eyebrows, and gestured them towards the elaborately decorated
fireplace, in season for Christmas. They sat down in chairs and Sirius became
extremely interested in some people near the Fat Lady. Sirius departed, his
gait joyful but stiff, he looked as though he had a slight limp on the right leg.
'I wanted to ask you something Lily.' James rumbled, looking nervous as a
little boy (though he is still one).
'What?' she asked gently, thoroughly curious, though tried desperately not to
look to keen.
'Well, I was wondering, well…' he faded off as his blush became deeper.
'Well?' she demanded, looking keenly at James.
'I was wondering if you would go out with me,' he mumbled in extremely illegible,
deep and embarrassed tones.
'James' she said, her head bowed as so he couldn't see her facial features.
'James, I'm flattered.' She mumbled under hair veil of wavy, cascading, red hair.
'I would love to go out with you,' she whispered, so quiet that you wouldn't
have noticed that she whispered at all if he wasn't listening so hard for any
sort of response. Lily looked up, her face pale with very rosy cheeks. She
pulled her hair behind her ears and James quickly noticed that they were bright
red too.
'Okay' James looked relieved, almost flattered. James looked at her, apprehensive.
He leaned in to whisper to her. He whispered nonsense and loudly whispered
Sirius, who he was sure was hanging on to every word, clinging onto Lily's
phrases of emotion etched talk.
Lily left from where she was sitting, waving good-bye to James. He was still
sitting there, elbows on his knees, his hands clasped. Thinking about what
he just did, why he just did it and so on…until; Sirius came over and chuckled
and the very nervous look on James's face.
'Sirius' he moaned. 'What have I done?'
'You just got yourself married with children and a house, and you'll never be
single again.' James thought Sirius was being serious, but when he looked at
his long-time friend, he saw he was grinning widely and was chuckling. At
this moment Remus walked in, his robes still twisted, creased and disorganised.
He had a snappy, disheartened look on his pensive, gentle face. He looked
sobered and bitter, but when he saw James' worried look, Sirius' comforting,
but laughing face, Remus couldn't help but smile.
'He did it' said Sirius, with mock graveness on his face, Remus looked mournfully
at his friend, with mock despair.
'Oh James, I'm so, happy…' he said, James looked at him, a sneer on his face.
Remus quickly spotted this and opened his mouth to add; 'For you I mean, for
you…' James' face quickly turned back to blissfully happy and bitterly miserable.
'Let's go. It's getting late.'
'It's eight thirty!' an exasperated Sirius said. 'I know, let's start a
tradition, we'll stay in the common room, with our blankets and stuff and
sleep in here every Christmas eve, when we are all together. Let's go and
visit the kitchen James.' Sirius suggested. James nodded, still dumbstruck,
eyes distant with no application.
*
Lily looked at herself in the toilet mirror. Was she different? Was she the
same old Lily? A girl stared back at her, High, rosy cheeks, resting on cheekbones.
Emerald green eyes under fine arched eyebrows. Flaming red hair, long and
thick and soft, reaching to her elbows when her arms were straight. Her hair
combed neatly and pushed behind her ears. Lily took a small hand to her face
and touched her cheek. Her pale skin tingled, quickly warming up. The tip of
her small nose was slightly rosy and very cold and detached. Lily lifted her
other hand to it and pinched the tip of it, and felt it slowly warm up.
'Will I be different?' she wondered silently in her complex mind. 'Will I
still like him? Will he still like me? Is this just Remus' love potion finally
taking effect, or is it just me?'
'Lily!' squealed a voice from the doorway. Lily slowly turned around, and
stared at her co-dormitory bunker, Grace. 'What happened with you and James?
You looked pretty cosy…are you going out?' Grace had her eyelids slitted, they
looked tiny. Grace's black, large eyes were covered by her eyelids, her pale,
chubby face was peering at her, curiously, as if Lily had a smear of food across
it. Her eyelashes, curly and short, were batting gently, and she was walking
slowly towards her, still looking at her. Lily felt her cheeks go red.
'Yeah' she managed to gulp. 'He asked me out tonight.' Lily flushed, her
face going red and her pulse ran haywire even at the thought of James.
'I always knew it…remember those talks Lily, of us, in our Dormitory?' she asked,
now standing behind Lily. 'If James asked you out, shouldn't you be with him?'
'I said I was tired.' Lily commentated dully.
'So! This guys totally infatuated with you, as you are him and you're standing
here, looking at yourself in a mirror?' she erupted.
'Yeah, I guess you're right.' Lily agreed.
'Well, get going!' she batted her arms towards the door, and when Lily didn't
move, she pushed her in the small of the back out of the door and shut it
firmly behind her. She looked back towards the dorm door, feeling a little
sad, and then made her way up the stairs, looking up towards the common room.
'Lily!' a male voice called, sounding like James. 'I came down to see you,
but you weren't in your dorm, I wasn't looking in the toilets, so I just asked,
er-Greta? Where you were.' He rushed out.
'Grace' she corrected 'I was in the toilets, washing my hands.' She lied.
'Okay, I was going to invite you up to the common room. Sirius is insisting
that we sleep in the common room until at least midnight and look for Santa
Claus.' James looked at her, grinning at the thought that Sirius still
insisted on believing in Santa Claus. 'You might want to bring a blanket,'
he pointed out.
Lily smiled at him, and vaguely motioned in the direction of her dorm; 'Come
in, I've been in yours.'
She led the way, James heeling behind her. When they got to the door, James
stopped her and pointed at the top of the doorframe.
'Mistletoe' he said, with a slow, exclusive smile. Lily walked back towards
him, allowing him to take her hands. Slowly they embraced, for a few seconds,
then James pulled away. Lily still stood there, her eyes shut and her lips
quivering, trembling in a graceful, dignified way. James waited politely
outside in the corridor as Lily checked to see if anyone had decided on
changing. The door opened and Lily emerged with her winter cloak and her
blankets. James took them and disappeared under the pile and Lily wrestled
with the pile of bed Linen to pull her cloak free. She finally managed with
much assistance from James, and gratefully put it over her thin, shivering back.
They arrived at the Gryffindor Common room door, looking at each other, Lily
looking at James, biting her bottom lip, in un-hid anxiety, James, peering
down at her, curiously. James opened the door and waved her in, she went in,
glancing at James and he followed, closing the door behind him.
'Ooh, the lovebirds have arrived.' Sirius teased. He looked at Lily and
winked who replied with a bland and satirical smile. Sirius whimpered,
looking injured with a mock sob. Remus played along, easing and soothing him
as a mother would to a bawling child.
'I hope you are happy now?' Remus demanded at Lily, in a high cackle, he was
broadly grinning, and his gentle smile followed.
'What have you been up to since we have been gone?' asked James.
'Since you were gone such a long time…' added Sirius.
'We played exploding snap and Peter just Floo Powdered out with his parents
and his trunk. I have also been trying to explain, in the most comprehendible
fashion, the rules of Monopoly and Cluedo to Sirius.' Remus informed.
'Which I totally don't get…' trailed Sirius, looking perplexed at the mere
thought of why muggles would play such games.
'We were also betting on who would win the Quidditch world cup…It's in Ireland
this year isn't it?'
'Quidditch,' murmured Lily. 'Can someone explain to me,' she looked up at
the three faces surrounding her, Lily felt a strange claustrophobia slide
over her, 'the rules of Quidditch.'
'Okay!' all three volunteered. James started explaining, with additions every
second sentence by Sirius and Remus, what the principles of Quidditch were in
great, graphical detail from how exhilarating diving was to the bludgers, who
zoomed around ruthlessly and tirelessly aiming to knock players off their
broomsticks. Just as Sirius opened his mouth to explain what sort of broomsticks
were best suited to what positions, Lily rolled over and mock snored, indicating
she had, basically had enough.
'Are we boring you Lily?' Sirius said, almost coldly, looking at her as she
rolled over and smoothed down her shiny, tousled hair.
'It's nearly midnight' said Remus, anxious to keep the peace. James rolled
over onto his side, accordingly adjusting his thick, woolen blanket. He moved
over to the fire, beginning to ember and glow brilliant, light red. They counted
down to Christmas, judging by the fastest watch. They all grinned, now suddenly
feeling hungry, not at all tired, with new found energy.
'I'm hungry!' Remus said suddenly, breaking the tense silence.
'I know, we'll all get our Christmas presents and open them together, down here!'
said Sirius, obviously wondering what he got and not wanting to wait until a
decent hour of the morning.
'Okay, back here alright' James agreed, looking around the group. They all
shuffled out of the room, blankets wrapped firmly around them, yawning James,
Remus and Sirius looked out of the window into the night. It was snowing.
*
'Oh, how I loathe Christmas, so much…cheer.' Voldemort sneered from his hide
out in Switzerland. 'I am glad that you are here with me, all of you, to let
sanity prevail, at least in my world…'
'Sir, we must attack the Ministry tomorrow, if we are to have any chance…It
will not be crowded tomorrow, only with burly, half-drunk members who think
they are sobered, yet still display the temperamental attitude of a man who
is full. It would be best.' Dolpur said, looking at his master.
'Yes, very well' Voldemort sighed. 'It is nothing for me to celebrate…'
'Lord, let them celebrate. They will have precious little to celebrate over
your reign…' Xenia said smoothly.
'Yes…' agreed Voldemort, his hands clasped behind his back, his knuckles
turning white quickly.
*
The boys had arrived at their dormitory both pleased and excited. They
spotted large piles of gifts and presents, all wrapped up in festive paper
and foil. They dived onto them, making bags with their pillowcases and
blankets and pulling them in, occasionally stopping to shake a present that
looked promising. Once they had finished, they trudged back down the cold,
marble stairs and arrived at the common room, where Lily was sitting, stoking
the fire, her presents in a neat stack, near the wall where they were previously
sitting. They decided to grab armchairs and magic couches near the fire.
'Have you opened any Lily?' asked Sirius, holding out a small, wrapped gift.
It looked to be wrapped in toilet paper. Lily took it and offered him a gift.
It instantly won Sirius' heart and stomach. He lifted the lid to the large,
heavy box and Sirius' face lit up with delight.
'Would you like a piece?' he offered as Lily handed out the rest of her presents,
consisting of Christmas cake, Mince and treacle tarts, turkey and ham sandwiches
and toffees and chocolates. James blushed as her handed her, her present.
It was in a box, made of fine silk, well covered in silk of royal blue. She
opened it and her face lit up in surprise. She moved her stack to the couch
where James was sitting and slapped his feet over, making room for herself at
the end. She took his hand and thanked him.
'What is it?' asked Sirius, eyes full of curiosity. 'Ooh, I bet it's jewelry,
no it could be something el-' Sirius was cut off by a dirty look from Lily.
'No it wasn't something else' she glared.
'Then what was it?' Lily opened the silk box, with great care. She showed
it to Sirius who opened and shut his mouth. Remus peered in the box and looked
at James who was blushing ferociously.
'James! I bet I didn't get something that good!' gaped Remus, his eyes wide
in fake hurting. James laughed and looked at his friend, feeling slightly
guilty because Remus had hit the nail sharply on the head. James had got
them about two Galleons of chocolate frogs and sweets, where as Lily's cost
about twelve galleons. Lily looked adoringly at her necklace, silver studded
with fine beads of emerald, matching her eyes. She took it out of its box and
fiddled with the clasp, not figuring out how to work it. James leaned over
and said open. It obeyed, opening with a slight springing noise. He fastened
it around her neck, pulling her hair over it, it matched her eyes, perfectly.
No wonder, since his mother had chosen it.
'Here,' James mumbled, thrusting a package at Sirius and Remus, who exchanged
presents. They all grinned evilly, looking at each other and laughing.
'What?' asked Lily, baffled. 'What's so funny?'
'We…all…gave..each other…the same…present.' Sirius managed to pant through
his laughter. Lily peered into the identical boxes, two each, and laughed
with them. Inside was about 2 galleons worth of chocolate frogs, Every-Flavour beans,
sours, sherbets and other assorted sweets. Lily helped herself to Sirius'
box, who waved his hand at her, shooing her away from it, and nursed it, like
it had suffered a great loss. They sat and smiled, occasionally talking,
occasionally eating(though always eating in Sirius' case) and joking, laughing
and smiling. Like family, a family of young, twelve year old children.