"Wow." Was the only thing Lily could say. The place looked cool.
"Yeah, I know. It's better than seven sisters and my mum, so I come here instead." Sirius muttered, throwing his bag over his shoulder. "My brother said he wouldn't be home for the weeks while we're here- He and his wife Jenny play Quidditch."
The neighborhood was richly decorated with all sorts of Christmas ornaments, and underneath the snow and evergreens, you could see elegant red brick and iron fences. There were carolers dressed up like it was the turn of the century and the snow was falling delicately.
Christmas was going to be sweet.
"Lily, do you think we can have a holiday dinner the day after Christmas?" Sirius called down the staircase. Lily put her last ornament in place and thought about it a moment.
"Certainly!" She replied loudly. She stepped back to admire the Christmas tree. "It's beautiful."
"What's beautiful?" Sirius asked, entering the room with a grin.
"The tree. Just look at it. Looks like something in a tiny snow globe." Lily murmured with starry eyes. She cocked her head to one side and leaned it on Sirius's shoulder. "Reminds me of Christmas with my mum."
"I'm sorry, Lily." Sirius whispered, playing with a lock of her hair. "Was it Volde--.."
"No, not him." Lily said with a bitter laugh. A conversation just over a year before sounded awfully familiar to the one being played out now. "I would be one big Scrooge if it was, huh?"
Sirius nodded. Lily clutched the sleeves of her deep blue chenille sweater, as if to warm herself. Sirius went to poke at the fire, resulting in a tiny little burn. Lily smiled. Here was a home.
"Have you finished your shopping, Lily?" Sirius asked, grabbing his jacket.
"Not at all. Shall we go to Diagon Alley?" Lily replied, grabbing her own jacket.
"Yeah, why don't we? We can buy invitations and send them out for the party, buy presents and more decorations... Oh the possibilities!" Sirius had that familiar glint in his eye that spelled mischief.
Lily simply shook her head and ran upstairs to get her money.
"He'll absolutely adore it!" Lily squealed when Sirius pulled up a fluffy white angora sweater- For Peter. "But let's be serious."
"I am!" Sirius protested.
Lily groaned. "You know what I mean. I'm going to Flourish and Blotts for my Ravenclaw shopping."
Browsing through the titles, Lily bumped into someone around the Potions section.
"Ah, Lily." The someone said in his dark green chenille coat. "Did I not tell you you'd go through two?"
Lily looked up at Severus Snape with big eyes. "Shouldn't you be at the bottom of a gutter somewhere?"
"If you're going to be like that, shouldn't you be out Frenching some Hufflepuff to make your variety of Hogwarts' exs complete?" He asked her semi-calmly.
They both laughed uncomfortably. "So.. How's Potter?"
"Same as your beloved Narcissa. An ex."
"Figured."
"Why?"
"Oh, come on. You couldn't stand him until you were somebody else's girlfriend or he had a girlfriend of his own. You don't want him if he's in your league- Which nobody seems to be but him."
"You're pushing this whole jealous ex thing a little far."
"So, what are you doing on Valentine's Day?"
"Shut up."
"That's what I thought."
Lily's jaw still graced the floor as Severus Snape sort of chuckled and left.
However, she composed herself long enough to find VERY interesting books for all her Ravenclaw friends. She headed to the owl office to send Arabella a packet of pictures, and each of the Quidditch players were to receive a charm for the chain that each of them wore around their necks- The charm was the ball that they came in contact with the most. This very year, Ronan and James had decided to change positions. It was rather amusing, the first practice. James was rather used to playing with a larger ball...
Lily stopped musing over what James did, and thought about why she had dumped him in the first place. What, they had been going out for five weeks?
Oddly enough, James Potter seemed to sense when Lily was alone and deep in thought, because, as she was walking absentmindedly through Diagon Alley, he was doing the same thing. They, in a classic, Marx Brothers sort of way, bumped into one another.
Lily's packages were thrown askew onto the fairly empty street (it may have been close to Christmas, but the only ones not working were probably Hogwarts students), being mixed up with James's.
The two scattered on the stone pavement, on their hands and knees, picking up their own packages. One was left, and in their haste, the both of them grabbed it and knocked foreheads.
"Oh, sorry." They both muttered at the same time, looking up for the first.
"Oh.. H-h-h-hi." Lily stammered. Why can't I be cool around this guy? I've dated him, I've hated him, I've been his friend.. Have you noticed, dearie, all those were in the past tense? What is it with subconscious's and interrupting?
"Hi." He muttered.
"Well, thanks for helping me.. I'll be go--.."
Sirius bounced over to his best friends. "Let's go grab an ice cream!"
Lily looked at the bottom of her bowl as if it was the most interesting thing in the world as James and Sirius chattered about the Quidditch match two days after Christmas that James had three tickets to.
"So.. Lily.. You going?" Sirius asked her after a moment. "Lily?"
"Huh?"
"Are you going to the game with us? I certainly can't leave you alone, you might just stare at the bottom of a bowl if there was to be a fire!" Sirius said this with a laugh.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever.." Lily muttered distractedly, moving her spoon to scoop up some of her melted ice cream mush, but she didn't put any in her mouth.
"What is WRONG with you, Lils?" Sirius asked her, nudging her to be conscious of the world around her.
"Ran into Snapey-poo today."
"What did the stupid git say?" James groaned.
"So, what are you doing on Valentine's Day?"
"Shut up."
"That's what I thought."
"Something rather motivating." Lily managed to say, getting up. "Well, Sirius, I have to go buy decorations for the party. I really think it would be a waste of paper to invite your friend through an owl, so why don't you ask him yourself?"
Lily sort of smirked in spite of her aching heart and went off to buy decorations.
"Suppose you were married, Lily dearest. What kind of wife do you think you would be?" Charity asked as she arrived. "Christmas is such a horrid holiday. I get stuck in a foreign country every time I try to go home. I thought I'd look you up and here you are!"
"I would be such a horrible wife. I can't cook, I hate to clean- I'm meant for high society, I suppose." Lily said, before popping a chocolate into her mouth. "Come in, come in. You can keep me company. Sirius and his little friend are just so annoying."
"You speak of him like he is a little brother." Charity said with a laugh. "His little friend? I certainly thought he was more than that--.."
"Oh, Charity!" Lily threw up her hands in disgust, sending some chocolates flying into the other room.
"Lily, do warn us the next time you plan on starting a food fight!" Sirius snapped irritably.
Charity's eyes glanced at the grumpy Sirius, then she looked back at Lily. "Is it just me or is Sirius really living up to his name?"
"They're talking Quidditch and something else." Lily mumbled with a shrug. "Let's go. Boys are such spoilsports."
"Whenever you're ready, Lily." Charity replied.
"We have to do make-up the Muggle way."
"Oh poo."
"My American friend, please do not even try your hand at British slang."
"Why not, Lily dearest?"
"You're simply horrid at it."
"Someone's feeling prim and proper tonight."
"Oh shut up, Charity."
"You're such a spoilsport."
"Charity!"
"Where on earth do you girls think you are going?" Sirius asked as Lily and Charity made their way to the door. "Without us?"
Lily broke into a grin.
"Oysher.. Lilsh.. I finks I lef my scafy-wafy in ze oder comparmen.." Sirius slurred.
"Who knew one fake i.d. could get one so far?" Charity chirped. "And Sirius is the only one who gets drunk. Classic. I'm going with him so he doesn't help the economy or anything."
Lily laughed at her friend's implying remark that Sirius would pick up a hooker or get arrested or something. But then she realized she was all alone in a compartment of a Muggle underground with a little girl dressed in holiday party clothing and furs and James Potter.
The underground stopped with a jolt at the next stop and Lily flew easily into James's arms. Her velvety black coat over her light blue dress sort of accented her contrasting personality at that exact moment and the little girl giggled as James helped Lily onto her feet.
"What is so funny?" Lily asked sweetly, sitting down next to the little girl and clutching her hand bag in her lap.
"You two look so romantical." She said in a babyish American accent. "My mommy and daddy watch movies all the time when the girl falls in love with the boy and he catches her somehow when she's falling."
Lily sort of blushed. "My name's Lily. What's yours?"
"I'm Samantha. I'm six. How old are you?" She settled herself closer to Lily while James still held onto the bar he had been clutching to, one of his hands shoved in his coat pocket.
"I'm sixteen. Almost seventeen." Lily loved children, and she smiled at Samantha. "You're wise for such a little—For a girl your age."
"Thank you." Samantha chirped. Samantha's parents came in, apologizing for the inconvenience.
"No trouble at all. Your little girl is really sweet." Lily replied, sort of standing up next to James, as if for protection.
"You two look adorable. Like George and I used to look when we were young. How long have you been seeing one another?" The lady asked as she took Samantha's small hand in her own.
"Me and James? N-n-n-no.. I'm sorry, I think you've got the wrong impress--.." Lily looked to James, her long red hair sort of swishing, as if to accent her worried face. She was pleading with her eyes.
"Lily and I only share mutual friends, who, at the moment, are in another compartment." James told them flatly.
"Young love these days." 'George' snorted. "Come Samantha, Roberta. Lovely meeting you."
Lily began to laugh insanely once they left. She was laughing so hard that she nearly collapsed, bringing James down with her.
"We're not dating anymore." James told her as he helped her up.
"I know."
"You ought to."
Lily sat down. James stood up. The rest of the ride was silent.