"Lil! Wake up Lily!"
Sarah's voice awoke Lily from sleep. She opened her eyes to see a smiling Sarah standing there.
"Its Christmas! Happy Christmas Lil!"
That woke Lily up. She immediately began to jump on her bed, shouting,
"Chirstmas! Its Christmas! It's finally here!"
Sarah joined her. They began jumping and dancing atop the bed, as was the girls tradition.
Lily could hear some first years join both of them several floors below. That was how the tradition got passed on from generation to generation.
Falling into a giggling heap, Sarah and Lilly eyed each of their pile of presents. Soon wrapping paper was floating in the air, and Christmas cards were starting to line up bureau tops.
"-Look, Mum and Dad got me Belgium chocolates-"
"-Oh thanks Sarah, did you make it yourself?"
"-I can't believe my brother got that for me-"
"-Wha? Oh!"
Lily's voice had interrupted Sarah's examining of a Subscription Card to the Daily Prophet.
Lilly had just ripped the brown packaging paper off an oddly shaped gift. Inside was a beautiful bottle of colored perfume, complete with spray handle. Illegible french words were carved into the glass, bordered in by a rose stem perimeter. Lily test sprayed a bit into the air - it smelled wonderful.
"Wow Lil! Who gave you that gift?" Sarah exclaimed, picking up the perfume.
"Amazing, Lils, look! Notice the bottom? 'Made in Paris' - Ooh!"
Sarah had almost dropped the perfume, but Lily quickly grabbed it back.
"Wonder who sent it." She muttered.
"Well, it's obvious isn't it? James Potter sent that to you Lily - and it must of cost him some galleons, too."
Lily stared in awe at the delicate french words frosted onto the glass.
Lily devoured another chocolate. She and Sarah had cleaned off the Belgium chocolates already up in the common room, and now the girls were enjoying more at Christmas Dinner in the Great Hall.
The perfume bottle lay on Lily's dresser, hidden away by a stack of cards, forgotten for now. Sarah had already assured her that it was James who sent it to her, but Lily believed that that couldn't be possible if the last time she saw him he had ended up with a red face.
After the Christmas feast, Lily marched back upstairs. She only remembered about the perfume when she opened the dormitory door to get her schoolbag.
Lily sprayed some more again. It had a flowery, yet bold scent. Had James really sent it? Did this mean he really liked her? Lily twirled around, feeling quite fluttery.
Lily's light headedness lasted all throughout out the Holiday break. When the rest of the school arrived on Monday, Lily couldn't wait to see James.
After last period, Lily was walking up to Griffindor Tower, James right in front of her. Lily knew this trick; she'd seen other girls play it before.
Hurrying up the stairs, Lily passed James, then tripped on the last step.
"Oops!" Lily cried. She dropped her books, then went toppling back into James. He actually caught her.
For the first time, Lily was in James' arms. He felt warm and comfy. She could hear him inhale.
"Hey, watch yourself there, Lily. If I hadn't caught you, who knows where'd you'd have landed?" James asked, pushing her back to the top step.
Suddenly, it all came back to Lily. She was reminded of James, of the real James, the stupid, head-in-the-cloud James. The boy who would show off by playing with a snitch, ruffling his hair. The boy who would always smile and look at the seventh - year girls. THAT was James.
Lily sniffed. She couldn't believe how fool she had been. For once in her life, she had actually believed-........
Lily started to sniff. She ran down the corridor, sniffing, wiping her eyes continually. She could hear James calling after her, but she didn't care. Lily couldn't believe that only a few seconds before, she had been in James' arms, and perfectly content.
James was having a hard time believing that he had just held Lily Evans. Ever since first year, he had had a crush on her, one that couldn't be taken away by another girl......and yet when she stumbled down the stairs, who was there to help her? Him. It could only be fate. Fate that they were meant to be together. But yet, she never appreciated him. No matter how much he tried to amuse her it never worked. He knew other girls enjoyed his silly antics, his ability to make them laugh. Yet Lily didn't. She was always tucked up in a corner of the common room, studying furiously, or talking with her friend. No matter how hard he tried, James just couldn't seem to get to Lily. Not even when he sent her that anonymous perfume, which James thought was entirely romantic but a bit out of line, even for him. How could she have gone for all these years but not have gotten the slightest clue?
These thoughts were all running through his head as James entered the Library, a rare place in which to spot the messy haired boy.
Sirius, Peter, and Remus were all at a table in the middle of the library. Remus had three essays in front of him; he appeared to be re-writing all of them. Sirius was sitting atop the table, Peter looking excitedly over his shoulder.
"Hey, James. Saw your little run-in with the lady." Sirius said, pointing to moving, magical map with his wand.
"Yeah." Replied James gruffly, adding his own essay to the pile in front of Remus.
"Well, how did it go?" asked Peter.
Even Remus stopped writing as James told his tale. In the end, he showed them all the books he had collected from the foot of the stairs - all labelled neatly with the name Lily Evans on them.
"Excellent." Sirius said, grinning as he flipped through the page of one. All the Marauders were grinning rather evilly by now, even Remus. When Siruis had a plan, they knew it was going to be good.
Sarah's voice awoke Lily from sleep. She opened her eyes to see a smiling Sarah standing there.
"Its Christmas! Happy Christmas Lil!"
That woke Lily up. She immediately began to jump on her bed, shouting,
"Chirstmas! Its Christmas! It's finally here!"
Sarah joined her. They began jumping and dancing atop the bed, as was the girls tradition.
Lily could hear some first years join both of them several floors below. That was how the tradition got passed on from generation to generation.
Falling into a giggling heap, Sarah and Lilly eyed each of their pile of presents. Soon wrapping paper was floating in the air, and Christmas cards were starting to line up bureau tops.
"-Look, Mum and Dad got me Belgium chocolates-"
"-Oh thanks Sarah, did you make it yourself?"
"-I can't believe my brother got that for me-"
"-Wha? Oh!"
Lily's voice had interrupted Sarah's examining of a Subscription Card to the Daily Prophet.
Lilly had just ripped the brown packaging paper off an oddly shaped gift. Inside was a beautiful bottle of colored perfume, complete with spray handle. Illegible french words were carved into the glass, bordered in by a rose stem perimeter. Lily test sprayed a bit into the air - it smelled wonderful.
"Wow Lil! Who gave you that gift?" Sarah exclaimed, picking up the perfume.
"Amazing, Lils, look! Notice the bottom? 'Made in Paris' - Ooh!"
Sarah had almost dropped the perfume, but Lily quickly grabbed it back.
"Wonder who sent it." She muttered.
"Well, it's obvious isn't it? James Potter sent that to you Lily - and it must of cost him some galleons, too."
Lily stared in awe at the delicate french words frosted onto the glass.
Lily devoured another chocolate. She and Sarah had cleaned off the Belgium chocolates already up in the common room, and now the girls were enjoying more at Christmas Dinner in the Great Hall.
The perfume bottle lay on Lily's dresser, hidden away by a stack of cards, forgotten for now. Sarah had already assured her that it was James who sent it to her, but Lily believed that that couldn't be possible if the last time she saw him he had ended up with a red face.
After the Christmas feast, Lily marched back upstairs. She only remembered about the perfume when she opened the dormitory door to get her schoolbag.
Lily sprayed some more again. It had a flowery, yet bold scent. Had James really sent it? Did this mean he really liked her? Lily twirled around, feeling quite fluttery.
Lily's light headedness lasted all throughout out the Holiday break. When the rest of the school arrived on Monday, Lily couldn't wait to see James.
After last period, Lily was walking up to Griffindor Tower, James right in front of her. Lily knew this trick; she'd seen other girls play it before.
Hurrying up the stairs, Lily passed James, then tripped on the last step.
"Oops!" Lily cried. She dropped her books, then went toppling back into James. He actually caught her.
For the first time, Lily was in James' arms. He felt warm and comfy. She could hear him inhale.
"Hey, watch yourself there, Lily. If I hadn't caught you, who knows where'd you'd have landed?" James asked, pushing her back to the top step.
Suddenly, it all came back to Lily. She was reminded of James, of the real James, the stupid, head-in-the-cloud James. The boy who would show off by playing with a snitch, ruffling his hair. The boy who would always smile and look at the seventh - year girls. THAT was James.
Lily sniffed. She couldn't believe how fool she had been. For once in her life, she had actually believed-........
Lily started to sniff. She ran down the corridor, sniffing, wiping her eyes continually. She could hear James calling after her, but she didn't care. Lily couldn't believe that only a few seconds before, she had been in James' arms, and perfectly content.
James was having a hard time believing that he had just held Lily Evans. Ever since first year, he had had a crush on her, one that couldn't be taken away by another girl......and yet when she stumbled down the stairs, who was there to help her? Him. It could only be fate. Fate that they were meant to be together. But yet, she never appreciated him. No matter how much he tried to amuse her it never worked. He knew other girls enjoyed his silly antics, his ability to make them laugh. Yet Lily didn't. She was always tucked up in a corner of the common room, studying furiously, or talking with her friend. No matter how hard he tried, James just couldn't seem to get to Lily. Not even when he sent her that anonymous perfume, which James thought was entirely romantic but a bit out of line, even for him. How could she have gone for all these years but not have gotten the slightest clue?
These thoughts were all running through his head as James entered the Library, a rare place in which to spot the messy haired boy.
Sirius, Peter, and Remus were all at a table in the middle of the library. Remus had three essays in front of him; he appeared to be re-writing all of them. Sirius was sitting atop the table, Peter looking excitedly over his shoulder.
"Hey, James. Saw your little run-in with the lady." Sirius said, pointing to moving, magical map with his wand.
"Yeah." Replied James gruffly, adding his own essay to the pile in front of Remus.
"Well, how did it go?" asked Peter.
Even Remus stopped writing as James told his tale. In the end, he showed them all the books he had collected from the foot of the stairs - all labelled neatly with the name Lily Evans on them.
"Excellent." Sirius said, grinning as he flipped through the page of one. All the Marauders were grinning rather evilly by now, even Remus. When Siruis had a plan, they knew it was going to be good.