The Twelve Days of Christmas
Lily Evans woke up early on the 25th of December. Her almond shaped eyes wearily opened, revealing her startling emerald eyes. Groaning, she turned over to the other side of the bed, snuggled in the warmth of the blankets. Just as she was about to drift back off to sleep, she heard a loud, disturbing shriek from the dormitory door.
"Lily! Guess what?" she heard, although she held her pillow over her ears.
"Go away, Alicia," the red-head mumbled, groaning into the pillow.
"IT'S CHRISTMAS! Come on, Lily! Let's go open presents, you know I have to do it with you!" she bubbled, the chestnut colored bun that rested at the top of her head bouncing.
"Five more minutes," she pleaded while pulling herself under the covers.
"No, now!" Alicia exclaimed, literally dragging her out of bed.
As Lily felt her legs walk down the stairs, she rubbed her eyes. When she saw the Christmas tree, they widened in awe.
The tree was decorated with tiny lightbulbs all lit up, with sparkling red and gold circular ornaments hanging from the ceiling-high tree. Little toy soldiers were wishing the little first years "happy Christmas," and the angels that hung on the branches sang Christmas carols. Nutcrackers were cracking nuts into a bowl right next to the illuminated tree, and colored pinecones were placed carefully around it. At the top rested a shining star, made of Swarovski crystal with a ruby in the middle of the star, representing Gryffindor. The sight was breathtaking. She didn't know how she hadn't appreciated it before.
"Wow…" she breathed. Lily watched as Alicia dived for the presents. Alicia was extremely wealthy, she always got the best presents.
"Mum sent me Madame Malkin's best robes with Jacob the Jeweler's famous diamond earrings!" she shrieked, her face flushing with excitement. Psh. She was so materialistic sometimes.
Lily headed towards the present stuffed Christmas tree. Opening the first present she saw addressed to her, she found that it was a gorgeous emerald necklace from her father.
Merry Christmas, honey. I love you. I'm very upset you can't come for the holidays .
-Father
"Oh Merlin… this is so beautiful," she whispered, admiring the glistening emeralds. The next present she opened was from her mother.
"That's so traditional. A journal and my book." She said with a smile, remembering that each Christmas her mother would give her that. Each time it was a different journal and a different book, of course. But something else was wrapped within her letter.
Dear Lily,
Happy Christmas! I hope it's a happy one. For your last Christmas as my little girl (though you'll always be my little girl) here is the tiara I promised you… from when you were three years old.
I love you so much, I wish you were here for the holidays.
-Mum
P.S. Petunia sends her best wishes.
She scoffed at the thought of Petunia even wishing her a good morning, but waved it off. Out from the letter rolled out a carefully wrapped, fragile object. As she ripped the paper open, she gasped. I remember! The crystal covered tiara glimmered brilliantly and was lined with silver. Placing it at the top of her head, she felt tears well up in her eyes. She was much too lucky to have the best parents in the world. Cheesy, it seemed, but it was true.
She opened several other presents – Majik Jeans, a book, and a picture of a cow inside joke with Alicia from Alicia, a wand polisher from Remus Lupin, a tote bag from a fellow Gryffindor named Patsy whom she tutored, fuzzy slippers from Tippit which he gave everybody, an enchanted whoopee cushion it would never break, would turn invisible the second it's placed on a chair, and was extra loud from Sirius Black, and perfume from an anonymous person.
Satisfied with the load she received this year, she watched the presents under the tree quickly disappear as struggling hands kept grabbing and grabbing. Once the tree was emptied, she decided to go upstairs to put her presents away in a safe place.
"Merry Christmas, Lily!" exclaimed Remus Lupin from the couch on her right. Lily turned to him and gave him a warm smile.
"You too, Remus. Thank you for that wand polisher, I really needed one," she thanked. Remus smiled back.
"No problem. Nice sweater you gave me." He replied.
"You like it? I didn't know if you would. Well, I have to go put these upstairs – talk to you later." She answered. "By the way, tell Sirius I loved his present," Remus laughed out loud.
As she walked up the stairs with a handful of gifts, she thought about Remus. He was a very nice boy, and very smart too. He was the only "marauder" that was decent. She wasn't interested in him, of course, because she knew that Alicia loved him. She needed someone like him. Though she doesn't admit it, Lily could tell. The tiny glances in the library, offering him homework help though he didn't need it, and the "secret" gift she bought him for Christmas it was the most expensive quills and parchment, was enough evidence.
"Who gave me this perfume…?" wondered Lily as she set it into her trunk. It smelt of a morning in a tropical rainforest… not that she's ever been there…
The thoughts of the perfume were wiped away as soon as she closed the trunk and stuffed it under her bed. Grabbing the scarf hanging off her bed, she then skipped down the stairs back down into the Common Room.
It was weird – it seemed like everybody left in the matter of ten minutes. There was wrapping paper covering the floor; it seemed like chaos entered the room and then left.
She felt her stomach growl. Lily grew embarrassed – she hadn't realized how hungry she was until now. The red-head was about to leave, but a voice halted her.
"Are you Miss Lily Evans?" inquired a small voice.
She turned around. It was a tiny soldier talking from the tree.
"Yes, why do you ask?" she asked, quite confused that a toy soldier was talking to her.
"You know, you still have one present left." He responded, pointing his wooden arm to the back of the Christmas tree.
"What…" she whispered, kneeling in front of the tree. Sure enough, at the back of the tree was a tiny, green envelope with gold lining and a red, rose-printed wax seal. To Lily Evans, it read.
Lily was puzzled. Who would send this to her? It seemed like a very nice letter…
"Thank you," she answered automatically to the solider, who just grinned back at her with a knowing smile. As she walked out the portrait hole, she broke the seal and opened the letter. It read in fancy, black writing:
The gift for the girl of maddening beauty,
Lies not in the eyes of the viewer,
But in a place of the same hue.
I didn't think that a partridge in a pear tree,
Could express my love for you.
Lily stood at the top of staircase, bewildered. What kind of letter was this? Was this a prank? A trap? A puzzle? It was probably all three. None the less, she was intrigued.
"The gift for the girl of maddening beauty, lies not in the eyes of the viewer, but in a place of the same hue." Lily recited. "I apparently have maddening beauty, and the gift is in…"
She sat down on the staircase, as many younger kids glared at her for taking up space on it.
"It's not in my eyes… but somewhere of the same color?" She questioned herself. "Where is a place that is green?"
Pondering, she didn't even notice the stairs moving. "The Gryffindor tower isn't green… nor is the great hall… the Slytherin Common Room?" she thought. "No, can't be. I'm a Gryffindor, how would I get into the Slytherin Tower?"
This was starting to bother her immensely. She started to pace up and down the stairs, staring at her feet.
"Where, where could it be?" she couldn't believe she was taking so much time for a little gift.
Suddenly, she felt herself being knocked over by someone quite heavy. Feeling a terrible blow to her head, she groaned and shut her eyes in pain.
"Oh Lily, oh dear – I'm so sorry!" she heard a frightful voice say over her. She opened her eyes and saw the silhouette of Alice Longbottom.
"It's – it's fine, Alice, it was my fault, I kept pacing," she replied. Alice still wore an expression of horror.
"Are you okay? Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear… please don't tell me you're not alright… we're going to the Hospital Wing-" she cried, her voice going at an incredibly rapid speed.
"I'm fine, I think I'm just a little sore, that's all," she reassured, rubbing her bottom.
"I'm terribly sorry! I would help you over to wherever you're going right now, but I really have to deliver an important book to Professor Greenwood – you know, our Herbology professor-"
"I understand, Alice. You can go, I think I'll be fine." She responded with a smile. Alice smiled back and quickly sped off.
Wait.
That was it!
"The greenhouse! Why didn't I think of that before?" she questioned herself. "It's probably over there,"
Lily sped off in the same direction Alice went, her sore bum and her hunger forgotten.
&&&&&&
She quietly entered the greenhouse, afraid of knocking something over. It was frozen over on the outside, but on the inside, it was still humid and moist. The plants were thriving, especially the flowers, which seemed to be bursting with beauty.
"Where is it…" she muttered, looking behind several pots and under the tables. This puzzle was going to drive her insane.
Eliminating half of the greenhouse, she searched further for the gift. Finally, as she was about to give up, she spotted a pot with another green envelope attached to it. The pot contained the largest peony flower she had ever seen in her life. Its whiter-than-snow petals were glowing in contrast to the deep, emerald colored stem.
"Oh Merlin… this is gorgeous!" she whispered, hesitantly touching the petals, in fear of breaking them off. They felt like silk from the heavens.
Almost forgetting the green envelope, she opened it, breaking the red, rose-print wax seal.
For the first day of Christmas,
One White Peony.
It is not anything compared to your beauty,
But there is more to come.
"More to come?"
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