Christmas Surprises: Part One of the Lily and James Trilogy
It was not long until Christmas. Godric Hollow was covered in a thin, crunchy layer of snow, and the house of the Potters looked like a fairytale gingerbread house - good enough to eat. All was peaceful as a fresh, light flurry of more snow silently fluttered to the white, blanketed ground. All except the mind of Lily Potter, of course.
"What will I tell him?" she thought out loud. "No, how shall I tell him? Oh, I can't go through with this!" She plopped down onto the crimson red sofa. Running her fingers through the red curls on the top of her head, she closed her eyes, leaned back, and exhaled. "Lily, you're a grown woman. You are quite capable of communicating with your own husband." But how could she talk about this? This was different. Becoming restless, she stood up and resumed pacing the gleaming wood floors of the living room.
The Potters had now been married for two years. Only by the insistence of their parents did they delay the wedding by three years, out of Hogwarts. They had had their hearts set out for each other since their seventh year at Hogwarts (for several reasons rightfully untold in this story).
Lily hadn't had the flu for the past week. She had been retching in any bathroom she could find for an entirely different reason. She began to recall the night she held responsible for her stress and suffering.
Sirius Black, the best friend of the Potters, was holding a Halloween party in his home not too far from the Potters' on the night of the named holiday. Lily wore a thin-strapped, black dress with an asymmetrical cut, and the longest length came to just above her right ankle. Over the glittering dress, she wore her best black dress robes, and strappy heels matched her dainty feet. Red lipstick accented her hair in just a way that her vampiress getup had her looking like the real thing. James wore a regular black suit and tie underneath his dress robes, but had carefully used a charm to lengthen and sharpen his canine teeth.
Lots of wine was served, and as the party drew near its end, even Remus Lupin was pleasantly, though not excessively, drunk. Guests trickled out the door, and eventually James had to bid his friend farewell to lift his sleeping (not passed out) wife into his strong arms.
They apparated home. He laid Lily down on the sofa and walked into the kitchen to pour two glasses of water. Then he walked back into the living room and sat down beside the sleeping redhead. He stroked her hair away from her face, and her eyes flickered. "Hey, sleepy," he said. She smiled, "Hey, Drac," she replied laughing. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then her nose, and finally arrived at his intended destination. The in-depth kiss lasted for several seconds before Lily pulled away and sat up. Poor James looked like a dog being denied its bone. A wide grin played onto her face. "Let's go upstairs." James' grin rivaled Lily's. And so, up they went and closed went the door, water glasses forgotten.
Thinking about this, she had to smile. That was a great night. But quickly she tossed the smile into the cold wind, and cursed her husband for doing this to her. "I'll kill him," she said to herself out loud. No, my child needs a father, even if it is James. She sat down into the black velvet armchair by the warm, crackling fireplace, and returned to her dilemma of how to tell him. Her brilliant green eyes were hard with concentration. She had been the top of her year at school, but telling her James that she was pregnant with their first child proved to be more challenging than casting a Silencing Charm on Sirius. She looked up and around the room. Then the obvious hit her hard in the face.
Christmas.
She had already bought James a few gifts - a very nice Quidditch ball set, a new set of navy dress robes, and a book: Quidditch - When You Think You Know Everything About It, Here's More! - SEEKER EDITION. She only had one present left to buy.
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James Potter walked into his home, and was warmly welcomed by spices to the dozens. "Oi, Lil, that smells fantastic!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the foyer. "Is it nearly done?"
That's my James, she thought, smiling to herself. "Almost, dear," she called back. "Dear?" he whispered in her ear. She jumped. "Oh James you know I don't like it when you do that!" she said angrily at him; though her tone didn't match her giggling as James tickled her. "Okay, James," was all she managed to say as she laughed her way to a small pot, a wooden spoon rhythmically stirring by itself in it. Using her wand, she carefully poured the gravy into its proper dish. "Could you get that?" she asked. Not waiting for an answer, she walked over to the table and heavily sat down.
"Are you still feeling sick?" James asked as he sat down with the gravy, next to her. He seemed concerned.
"A - a little," she replied, yawning mid-sentence. "Wow, I do believe I have outdone myself today. She looked around at all of the food she had prepared. "I'm starved. Let's eat." James looked around and replied, "Alright. I'll get us a bottle of wine."
"No, I won't have wine," she said a little too quickly. James stopped walking and turned around with two wine glasses in his hands. "Why not? It's Christmas Eve, Lil! We need to celebrate!"
Still, she shook her head. "No, I'll just have water, thanks." He looked at her in confusion and curiosity for a few moments longer, then shook his head as though clearing it and turned around. After a minute or so of his absence, James returned with two water-filled wine glasses. "Oh, James, you could have had some wine."
"Nah, why open a bottle if I'm not going to share it with you?" He smiled. Lily loved James' smile.
After they finished their filling dinner, and James was cleaning up, Lily walked into the living room to admire the live, glittering Christmas tree in the corner by the fireplace. It had smallish, white glass balls hung in a peculiar pattern, and gold tinsel wrapping it all the way down like a soft, warm scarf. The dancing flames of the fire reflected upon the white ornaments, giving half of them the appearance of being the color orange. This light being the only source in the room, she sat in the red sofa angled toward it. Just as the unpredictable movements of the fiery dancers were hypnotizing her, James entered the room.
"It's a bit dim in here, isn't it?" Just as she was about to say she didn't mind the semi-darkness, James removed his wand from his robes and whispered a few words she didn't catch.
The ceiling lit up the way stars light up the sky. Tiny fairies, every square foot or so, were fluttering their tiny, translucent wings. Lily was under the impression the roof had left it's house. "James," she whispered, "they're beautiful." James sat down next to her, absently placing his arm around her, and nodded at his work. "I know you are." She looked down at him and started laughing. "So," he began, "what do you want to do now? We could-"
"Let's open presents," Lily interrupted. James looked hurt. "Presents? Well Lil, it's not Christmas yet. We should wait until morning."
"Don't be silly. We can open them now," she persisted. "C'mon." She leaned down and picked up two presents. She handed him the one addressed to him and looked at him. "Well, aren't you going to open it?"
"Nah, you can open yours first," he said, holding his soft, flimsy package in his lap.
"Alright," she said, and she carefully untied the ribbons and peeled back the wrapping off of the little box. She pulled up the black velvet top and it snapped open. Inside, the box was lined with satin of a rosy-red color, and on the cushioned bottom rested a gold band. Two tubings of the precious substance entwined themselves around each other until they met ends. Though it looked and felt like gold, it seemed to feel of more value; very magic.
"It's lovely, James," she said as she slipped it perfectly onto her finger.
"It was my mother's," he said. "They've been passed down in my family for generations... not that it matters." Lily smiled, but then realized what he had said.
"They?" James smiled, and held out his own hand. On it was the exact same ring Lily had placed on her own finger just moments ago; it's twin.
She stared into those deep, hazel eyes. "Thank-you," was all she could manage to say before wrapping her arms around him. "Lil, I can't breathe," he struggled t say, and Lily loosened her hold. Then she remembered her gift to him, so she gave him a short peck on the cheek and said excitedly and nervously, "Okay, open yours now." She brought her legs up under her to sit Indian-style, and she failed terribly at trying to contain her excitement. "Go on." Obviously James picked up on the excitement, and began untying the thin cord holding the present together extremely slowly. She slapped him lightly on the head and he started laughing, holding a pretend stitch in his side. "OK, Lil, I'll open it normally."
He finished untying the cord and tore open the wrapping paper. His smile faded instantly at the sight of his gift. "Am I to take this as a personal insult?" He unfolded the flannel blanket to examine it. The material was white with golden trim around it, and in one corner was a decorative letter "P".
Lily sighed, a white smile still glued to her face, "No." She laughed out loud at the look of utter confusion on her supposedly brilliant husband's face. "Actually, it's not really for you." His hardened eyes on the blanket widened when she finished the sentence. "Lily..."
"Yes?" she asked innocently.
"You... you're... you mean... we...?" were the only words that escaped his gaping mouth. He still didn't meet her eyes. Lily couldn't stand the silence, so she started, "Yes, well, I was thinking about it all, and... you remember Halloween, after-"
Apparently, James preferred the silence. He sealed her lips with a kiss of pure love, not a kiss provoked by sexual feelings. The love was going crazy, flowing in and out of each other's body like forked lightning. Reluctantly, he pulled away and said, "Come here." He patted his knees, and Lily gave him a funny look, raising her eyebrows, clearly saying without words, "Yeah. Right."
"Well," he said, noticing her hesitance, "you won't be able to soon, will you? You'd crush me." He laughed playfully as her facial expression changed to a smirk: "Ha ha, very funny," and she stood up then plopped down into his lap. After she adjusted into her new seat and snuggled up to his shoulder, James wrapped his arms around her stomach. Lily closed her eyes.
Then, breaking the comfortable silence, excepting the crackle of the fire, he said, "She'll look just like you."
"Or he like you," she added not yet opening her eyes.
"Me? Do you think anyone we know would be able to handle another me?" At this comment Lily smiled and opened her eyes. "Perhaps not."
Outside it stopped snowing. The many snowdrifts reflected the light of the moon. The stars shone brightly and winked at the millions of tiny little houses on the planet. Only one light still shone in Godric Hollow. Inside the window of the gingerbread house laughed a couple so very in love, for they were to have a child. The child.
A/N: Okay, this isn't my first fanfic, but it is my first time finishing one and first time posting it. I would really appreciate constructive criticism, not just things like "hey great story; keep writing". I see that stuff a lot and I doubt it does anything for the writer.
Also, I do plan to write two more parts to this, but you'll have to be really patient with me... I tend to be a perfectionist! Thank you all!
It was not long until Christmas. Godric Hollow was covered in a thin, crunchy layer of snow, and the house of the Potters looked like a fairytale gingerbread house - good enough to eat. All was peaceful as a fresh, light flurry of more snow silently fluttered to the white, blanketed ground. All except the mind of Lily Potter, of course.
"What will I tell him?" she thought out loud. "No, how shall I tell him? Oh, I can't go through with this!" She plopped down onto the crimson red sofa. Running her fingers through the red curls on the top of her head, she closed her eyes, leaned back, and exhaled. "Lily, you're a grown woman. You are quite capable of communicating with your own husband." But how could she talk about this? This was different. Becoming restless, she stood up and resumed pacing the gleaming wood floors of the living room.
The Potters had now been married for two years. Only by the insistence of their parents did they delay the wedding by three years, out of Hogwarts. They had had their hearts set out for each other since their seventh year at Hogwarts (for several reasons rightfully untold in this story).
Lily hadn't had the flu for the past week. She had been retching in any bathroom she could find for an entirely different reason. She began to recall the night she held responsible for her stress and suffering.
Sirius Black, the best friend of the Potters, was holding a Halloween party in his home not too far from the Potters' on the night of the named holiday. Lily wore a thin-strapped, black dress with an asymmetrical cut, and the longest length came to just above her right ankle. Over the glittering dress, she wore her best black dress robes, and strappy heels matched her dainty feet. Red lipstick accented her hair in just a way that her vampiress getup had her looking like the real thing. James wore a regular black suit and tie underneath his dress robes, but had carefully used a charm to lengthen and sharpen his canine teeth.
Lots of wine was served, and as the party drew near its end, even Remus Lupin was pleasantly, though not excessively, drunk. Guests trickled out the door, and eventually James had to bid his friend farewell to lift his sleeping (not passed out) wife into his strong arms.
They apparated home. He laid Lily down on the sofa and walked into the kitchen to pour two glasses of water. Then he walked back into the living room and sat down beside the sleeping redhead. He stroked her hair away from her face, and her eyes flickered. "Hey, sleepy," he said. She smiled, "Hey, Drac," she replied laughing. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then her nose, and finally arrived at his intended destination. The in-depth kiss lasted for several seconds before Lily pulled away and sat up. Poor James looked like a dog being denied its bone. A wide grin played onto her face. "Let's go upstairs." James' grin rivaled Lily's. And so, up they went and closed went the door, water glasses forgotten.
Thinking about this, she had to smile. That was a great night. But quickly she tossed the smile into the cold wind, and cursed her husband for doing this to her. "I'll kill him," she said to herself out loud. No, my child needs a father, even if it is James. She sat down into the black velvet armchair by the warm, crackling fireplace, and returned to her dilemma of how to tell him. Her brilliant green eyes were hard with concentration. She had been the top of her year at school, but telling her James that she was pregnant with their first child proved to be more challenging than casting a Silencing Charm on Sirius. She looked up and around the room. Then the obvious hit her hard in the face.
Christmas.
She had already bought James a few gifts - a very nice Quidditch ball set, a new set of navy dress robes, and a book: Quidditch - When You Think You Know Everything About It, Here's More! - SEEKER EDITION. She only had one present left to buy.
-+-+-+-
James Potter walked into his home, and was warmly welcomed by spices to the dozens. "Oi, Lil, that smells fantastic!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the foyer. "Is it nearly done?"
That's my James, she thought, smiling to herself. "Almost, dear," she called back. "Dear?" he whispered in her ear. She jumped. "Oh James you know I don't like it when you do that!" she said angrily at him; though her tone didn't match her giggling as James tickled her. "Okay, James," was all she managed to say as she laughed her way to a small pot, a wooden spoon rhythmically stirring by itself in it. Using her wand, she carefully poured the gravy into its proper dish. "Could you get that?" she asked. Not waiting for an answer, she walked over to the table and heavily sat down.
"Are you still feeling sick?" James asked as he sat down with the gravy, next to her. He seemed concerned.
"A - a little," she replied, yawning mid-sentence. "Wow, I do believe I have outdone myself today. She looked around at all of the food she had prepared. "I'm starved. Let's eat." James looked around and replied, "Alright. I'll get us a bottle of wine."
"No, I won't have wine," she said a little too quickly. James stopped walking and turned around with two wine glasses in his hands. "Why not? It's Christmas Eve, Lil! We need to celebrate!"
Still, she shook her head. "No, I'll just have water, thanks." He looked at her in confusion and curiosity for a few moments longer, then shook his head as though clearing it and turned around. After a minute or so of his absence, James returned with two water-filled wine glasses. "Oh, James, you could have had some wine."
"Nah, why open a bottle if I'm not going to share it with you?" He smiled. Lily loved James' smile.
After they finished their filling dinner, and James was cleaning up, Lily walked into the living room to admire the live, glittering Christmas tree in the corner by the fireplace. It had smallish, white glass balls hung in a peculiar pattern, and gold tinsel wrapping it all the way down like a soft, warm scarf. The dancing flames of the fire reflected upon the white ornaments, giving half of them the appearance of being the color orange. This light being the only source in the room, she sat in the red sofa angled toward it. Just as the unpredictable movements of the fiery dancers were hypnotizing her, James entered the room.
"It's a bit dim in here, isn't it?" Just as she was about to say she didn't mind the semi-darkness, James removed his wand from his robes and whispered a few words she didn't catch.
The ceiling lit up the way stars light up the sky. Tiny fairies, every square foot or so, were fluttering their tiny, translucent wings. Lily was under the impression the roof had left it's house. "James," she whispered, "they're beautiful." James sat down next to her, absently placing his arm around her, and nodded at his work. "I know you are." She looked down at him and started laughing. "So," he began, "what do you want to do now? We could-"
"Let's open presents," Lily interrupted. James looked hurt. "Presents? Well Lil, it's not Christmas yet. We should wait until morning."
"Don't be silly. We can open them now," she persisted. "C'mon." She leaned down and picked up two presents. She handed him the one addressed to him and looked at him. "Well, aren't you going to open it?"
"Nah, you can open yours first," he said, holding his soft, flimsy package in his lap.
"Alright," she said, and she carefully untied the ribbons and peeled back the wrapping off of the little box. She pulled up the black velvet top and it snapped open. Inside, the box was lined with satin of a rosy-red color, and on the cushioned bottom rested a gold band. Two tubings of the precious substance entwined themselves around each other until they met ends. Though it looked and felt like gold, it seemed to feel of more value; very magic.
"It's lovely, James," she said as she slipped it perfectly onto her finger.
"It was my mother's," he said. "They've been passed down in my family for generations... not that it matters." Lily smiled, but then realized what he had said.
"They?" James smiled, and held out his own hand. On it was the exact same ring Lily had placed on her own finger just moments ago; it's twin.
She stared into those deep, hazel eyes. "Thank-you," was all she could manage to say before wrapping her arms around him. "Lil, I can't breathe," he struggled t say, and Lily loosened her hold. Then she remembered her gift to him, so she gave him a short peck on the cheek and said excitedly and nervously, "Okay, open yours now." She brought her legs up under her to sit Indian-style, and she failed terribly at trying to contain her excitement. "Go on." Obviously James picked up on the excitement, and began untying the thin cord holding the present together extremely slowly. She slapped him lightly on the head and he started laughing, holding a pretend stitch in his side. "OK, Lil, I'll open it normally."
He finished untying the cord and tore open the wrapping paper. His smile faded instantly at the sight of his gift. "Am I to take this as a personal insult?" He unfolded the flannel blanket to examine it. The material was white with golden trim around it, and in one corner was a decorative letter "P".
Lily sighed, a white smile still glued to her face, "No." She laughed out loud at the look of utter confusion on her supposedly brilliant husband's face. "Actually, it's not really for you." His hardened eyes on the blanket widened when she finished the sentence. "Lily..."
"Yes?" she asked innocently.
"You... you're... you mean... we...?" were the only words that escaped his gaping mouth. He still didn't meet her eyes. Lily couldn't stand the silence, so she started, "Yes, well, I was thinking about it all, and... you remember Halloween, after-"
Apparently, James preferred the silence. He sealed her lips with a kiss of pure love, not a kiss provoked by sexual feelings. The love was going crazy, flowing in and out of each other's body like forked lightning. Reluctantly, he pulled away and said, "Come here." He patted his knees, and Lily gave him a funny look, raising her eyebrows, clearly saying without words, "Yeah. Right."
"Well," he said, noticing her hesitance, "you won't be able to soon, will you? You'd crush me." He laughed playfully as her facial expression changed to a smirk: "Ha ha, very funny," and she stood up then plopped down into his lap. After she adjusted into her new seat and snuggled up to his shoulder, James wrapped his arms around her stomach. Lily closed her eyes.
Then, breaking the comfortable silence, excepting the crackle of the fire, he said, "She'll look just like you."
"Or he like you," she added not yet opening her eyes.
"Me? Do you think anyone we know would be able to handle another me?" At this comment Lily smiled and opened her eyes. "Perhaps not."
Outside it stopped snowing. The many snowdrifts reflected the light of the moon. The stars shone brightly and winked at the millions of tiny little houses on the planet. Only one light still shone in Godric Hollow. Inside the window of the gingerbread house laughed a couple so very in love, for they were to have a child. The child.
A/N: Okay, this isn't my first fanfic, but it is my first time finishing one and first time posting it. I would really appreciate constructive criticism, not just things like "hey great story; keep writing". I see that stuff a lot and I doubt it does anything for the writer.
Also, I do plan to write two more parts to this, but you'll have to be really patient with me... I tend to be a perfectionist! Thank you all!