Chapter 4
In the few weeks after our dates James and I grew accustomed to doing our Head's duties together talking the whole time. We walked together by the lake under the moon and sat under the oak tree with Caitlyn and the Marauders in our spare time. Caitlyn and I ate our meals with the Marauders, sometimes including Peter if he decided to show up. He was getting even more distant as the year went on. To the human eye we were always together. Rumors were spread that we were dating and I guess that we kind of were. I mean unofficially really but you know. I guess that I did kind of like him but no matter what anyone said I could never like him more than a really great friend, right? So Caitlyn's prediction hasn't and won't come to pass ever. You know time really flies when you are in love-err I mean having fun. Soon enough it was Christmas Eve and I was again panicking. I had no idea what to give James as a Christmas present. I couldn't think of anything-what? Special enough? I really didn't know. So like I always do I just decided not to dwell on it, stupid I know. So the next morning I still had no idea what to give him and I guess I was out of luck because it was Christmas and I had no more time. So I decided to play it by ear I guess. So when I awoke I sprinted down to the common room where I found Caitlyn and the Marauders with the exception of Peter of course. He had gone home to whatever family he has a surprising change from the norm. Me, I never went home for the holidays. I mean why should I go home to Petunia's nagging when I had just gotten away from it? We were the only ones in Gryffindor who stayed for the holidays.
So then the gift exchanging began. Sirius went first because just like a little child he couldn't wait. I got him an everlasting collection of candy from Honeydukes, a holiday special. Caitlyn gave him a book on pranks; James gave him a bunch of dog toys as a joke for his animagi transformations and Remus gave him a bunch of stuff from Zonko's joke shop.
Remus went next. I gave him an eagle feather quill and gold ink so that he could give any essay, or letter a finishing touch. Caitlyn got him a book of poems, yeah really sentimental but again that's her, and a book called, and I am not kidding, Lycanthropy Diaries, it is about werewolves who share their life experiences. Yeah, whatever. From Sirius he got animated figurines of him as a werewolf, Sirius as a dog, Peter as a rat, and then me, Caitlyn and James. The figurines reenacted the whole "incident" with Caitlyn added to the background staring on in shock. Unfortunately for Sirius the joke didn't go down well with Remus, Caitlyn and I. James just looked a bit shocked that Sirius would try to relive the "incident". But in the end we all laughed at it thinking the situation kind of funny now and Remus laughingly vowed he would keep them forever. Then James gave Remus a series of photographs of all the Marauders, besides Peter again, throughout the ages. I looked at it shocked I didn't know how James got all those pictures. In fact I didn't know how he would even think of that as a gift.
So then there was Caitlyn. I got her a set of heart wrenching romance novels, currently her favorite. Although I hated her enjoyment of them because it was normally me comforting her when she was sobbing uncontrollably mumbling about how this or that should have happened. "They should have been together!" or "Why did he have to die, she loved her!" AHG! I also gave her a book on philosophy and divination though that probably meant she was going to be a lot more philosophical and making a lot more predictions. AHG! Sirius gave her a copy of "Hogwarts a History". His comments were, "I got this for you because I thought that maybe you would like it and I didn't think you had read it yet." He was so serious when he said that, so that about shows how observant Sirius is. James gave her a book on controlling her anger. He had heard all about how she had yelled at Remus and I about the "incident". After receiving the book she just looked steadily at him her brown eyes flashing gold, frankly a little angry. Remus was the only one who didn't get her a book. He gave her a smooth silver locket, shaped in a heart. On one side engraved into the metal were the letters C + R. On the other side she found the inscription of an open book. Inside the heart was a wizard picture of her and him laughing and smiling and the other was a frozen picture with them simply staring into each others eyes. Caitlyn looked up at him her anger instantly replaced with tears glistening in her eyes, while he carefully fastened the delicate chain on her neck.
Then it was my turn, James had insisted that he should go last. Caitlyn got me a music box with lilies carved into the oak. It has a little brass key that I could turn and it would play my favorite song from Swan Lake. From Sirius, who never knew how to give a gift as you saw before, I got a box of replenishing raspberry truffles, my favorite, and an everlasting red rose. He really came through this time although I couldn't understand the rose. I guess he wanted to give me something that I could look at or something. I have no idea. But from James I got a long box covered in emerald green silk. When I opened it lying gracefully on the soft green velvet was a delicate silver chain with tiny diamonds and emeralds set into it. As James fumbled with the clasp when he put the bracelet on he mumbled something about it being his grandmother's. Even though I wasn't in the least observant I knew that this gift meant something. With the box, he had handed me a small piece of ivory parchment, folded and then tied with a dark green ribbon. As I slowly opened the note I could feel four pairs of eyes boring into my forehead. Neat, meticulous letters in green ink were written across the page. The letters together formed the lamest poem ever written to me. Three quarters of the poem was copied from an old, popular muggle rhyme that I knew.
Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
Sugar is Sweet
And I Love You
How such a ridiculous poem could make me so misty-eyed was beyond me. But maybe it was what the poem meant was what really got to me. I found myself drawing the only obvious conclusion, he really loved me. And I loved him. It's amazing how black and white love can be. I thought that I couldn't love him but all that was changed now. All of a sudden I knew the perfect present, something that would mean the world to James and last forever, something from my heart. Maybe even a piece of my heart for all I knew. I was head over heels in love with Potter, yes James Potter, my Potter and I am finally admitting it. It's amazing how guys can fall in love at first sight and know that that girl is the one for them. But us women, we need to learn to love. We can find love in the most unexpected places but we need the boy to help us learn and that's what James did for me. I took the chance to venture and I found love finally. AHG! Okay so I was reading Caitlyn's philosophy book again but you know the things that you do when you are terribly bored.
James then got his gifts. From Caitlyn he got a book called The Life of an Animagi. Okay again I am not kidding about the title. Caitlyn knew that James was interested in transfiguration and animagi and stuff so I guess she thought it might be interesting. Sirius got him a snitch and a new broomstick. Remus gave James a framed picture that he had taken of James and me leaning against the oak tree deep in conversation. I then fully realized that everyone was looking at me waiting for me to give him his gift. Throughout the whole time he was opening gifts I was deep in thought about my gift to him. I crept over to him and whispered into his ear.
"Meet me out by the oak tree after dinner."