Sakura
By Frog-Princess
(ginny@darkcastle.com)
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me except the music box and the plot; people and places belong to J. K. Rowling. This is just one of Emily's attempts at fanfiction.
A/N: This chapter is predictable, sorry about that... ^_^;;; Hope it's good anyway.
The storm had been going on for days. Everything outside Hogwarts castle was now under a blanket of glistening, velvety white snow. The skies had cleared up considerably, and it looked like the worst of it was over. A few delicate snowflakes continued to swirl almost lazily down to earth from the heavens above.
It had been months since Lily told James about her mother's music box. She absent-mindedly sang "Sakura" under her breath every now and then, when she thought no one was listening. She believed that James had forgotten about the entire thing.
"You guys finished with your Christmas shopping yet?" asked Sirius as James chose a card. The two were playing Exploding Snap, a card game that had been around for ages. Lily sat watching comfortably from her armchair, and Peter and Remus were standing beside her, though they were a good three feet away. They thought it wise to keep their distance in case the deck decided to spontaneously combust.
James laughed. "Christmas isn't for another two weeks!" he said.
"No offense, James, but I'd choose a better spot," Remus advised as James began to put down his card. "The deck's about to blow up in your face."
"Thanks," said James. Sirius gave an impatient sigh.
"You know," said Peter, sitting down on a small couch with a book in his hands, "two weeks isn't as much time as you think. Maybe you better start sending out those owl orders, James." He settled down and opened the book to read, but kept nervously glancing back to the game.
"I still need to get something for my mum and dad," said Lily.
"Finally!" Sirius exclaimed. It was his turn. The next moment, he was setting down his card when there was a very loud noise that echoed through the quiet common room. BOOM.
The deck had blown up, leaving Sirius' face blackened and his eyebrows singed. Everyone else began to laugh hysterically as Sirius reached up to feel his face, now dirty and smudged.
"Come on," said Remus, trying not to laugh. He patted Sirius on the back. "Let's go get that cleaned up. Come and help me, Peter."
As they were leaving the room, Sirius mumbled something that sounded like, "I wanted to grow a beard!" Lily, chuckling, advised against it. She came up behind James, still laughing, and put her arms around him.
When their laughter subsided, James admitted to Lily the reason his Christmas shopping wasn't done yet. As it turned out, he'd been having a bit of trouble finding a certain item.
"But I finally managed to find the perfect gift," he said, grinning. "Wait here."
Lily stared after him curiously as he dashed up the staircase. After a few seconds, he returned with a small present in his hands, which he gave to Lily. It was wrapped in shiny gold paper and tied with scarlet ribbon. She giggled as she took it from him. In all truth, it hadn't been wrapped very well, but it was - there was no other word for it - cute.
"James," she said, "it's so sweet... but it's not even Christmas yet."
"So?" replied James.
"But I still have to give you your gift," Lily said.
"So?" James repeated, smiling. "Just open it, Lily!"
She started to tear at the wrapping. The edges were held together with a great deal of Spell-o-tape, but she finally got all of it off, and inside was a cardboard box. She looked up at James and lifted an eyebrow. "Open it," he prompted.
It was another box.
Not just any old box, but a gorgeous jewelry box - the smooth, chocolate brown wood was decorated with delicate pink blossoms. She opened it, and the inside was lined with deep red velvet.
"James," she gasped.
"Er... that's not all of it," said James nervously. James slowly took the box, tapped it with his wand, and whispered something so soft that Lily couldn't hear it. Her eyes misted over as James handed it back and told her to open it again... and this time, as if a tiny set of bells were sounding, "Sakura" began to play.
She also noticed something that had not been inside the box before. There was a note, reading simply "For my Lily." She took the other item out of the box and examined it. Hanging from a single silver chain was a tiny cluster of intricate flowers, made of glass. Lilies.
"James, how--"
"D'you like it?"
Lily tore her eyes from the necklace and stared up at James. "It's beautiful," she whispered. "Help me put it on." She turned so James could fasten it around her neck, gathering up her long, wavy auburn hair.
"There," said James softly.
Lily turned to face him, looking down at the floor. "James, no one has ever given me something like that," she said. "I thought you'd forgotten..."
"You can give the box to your mum, if you want," James suggested quietly. "You could tell her the truth about what really happened, and you could make the box your gift to her... I'm sure she'd like it... I mean you don't have to, 'cause I'd like you to keep it - well... that's why I got it for you, so obviously... but... er, hey, did you know the lilies are made of glass? I put an enchantment them so they'll never break..."
James had a habit of talking a lot when he was very nervous. Lily laughed through her tears, still looking at the floor. "I am going to tell her the truth someday... but I could never bear to give away something you've given me, James."
James gently lifted Lily's chin, and the two stared into each others' eyes for a moment. "Do you mean that?" James breathed.
"Well... unless you really want me to," she teased.
Lily threw her arms around James' neck, and James hugged her tightly around the waist. Their three friends had just entered the common room. Peter smiled; Sirius grinned, amused; Remus chuckled quietly. Exchanging knowing glances, they turned around and left the room without a word.
But the couple wasn't aware of any of this. At that moment, they knew nothing of the light snow falling outside, or the fire that was still blazing in the fireplace. All they knew was a feeling of contentment embedded deep within their souls... that they had found each other and together made a perfect match.
That there would never be "someone else."
Just Lily and James.
