"Mummy!"
Lily looked up from the frying pan, hearing the pitter-patter of feet coming towards the kitchen before her four year old son came bounding into the room.
"Harry, what did Daddy tell you about running in the house?" she said, giving him an admonishing look.
"That it's dangerous and I could fall and crack my head open," Harry recited, skidding to a halt beside her. He looked up at her, bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet. "Can we go look at Christmas trees now?"
"After you eat your breakfast," Lily told him, taking three plates from the cabinet and scooping some eggs and bacon onto each. Then, with a flick of her wand, the plates and two mugs of coffee floated towards the table and landed gently upon it with a soft clink.
"I want a big tree!" Harry said, indicating the size with his hands as Lily gave him a gentle push towards the table. "As big as my room!"
Lily chuckled, taking a seat beside him. "We'll see what they have available," she said, reaching over and brushing his fringe out of his eyes.
Harry grinned at her, then began eagerly tucking into his breakfast. Lily sipped her coffee as she listened to her son's enthusiastic chattering about the day's activities. It was a day her son had been looking forward to for a few weeks now, ever since Lily mentioned that this year, they would be able to go out and bring back their own Christmas tree. If she was honest with herself, Lily was rather looking forward to this day as well, remembering the excitement she'd felt as a child spending a day out looking at all the Christmas trees, sipping on hot cocoa, and deciding which special tree to take home and decorate. It had been one of her treasured family traditions and now that the war was finally over, Lily couldn't wait to finally share that joy with her son for the first time.
"What's all this excitement about?"
Severus walked into the room, raising an eyebrow at the both of them as he took a seat at the table.
"Did you forget, Daddy?" Harry said, sounding offended, and Lily couldn't help but laugh at the sudden seriousness on his face. "We're getting a Christmas tree today!"
"Oh, right," Severus said, taking a sip of his coffee. He glared mildly at Harry. "How could I forget when someone has been constantly reminding me for the past week?"
Harry swallowed his mouthful of eggs, then grinned at him. "I wanted to make sure you didn't forget!"
Severus rolled his eyes at that, responding with a small shake of his head, though there was a slight upwards curl to the corner of his lips as he turned his attention to the morning edition of the Daily Prophet. The paper was no longer a source of stress for Lily, ever since the war had been won nearly a year ago. She had wasted no time finding Severus and returning his memories, thanking every deity who listened to her prayers that Severus had survived it mostly unscathed. Her family was whole and together again and this year, they were finally celebrating a Christmas free from a war looming outside their door.
Once breakfast was finished, Lily had Harry assist her in cleaning up, telling him to gather up the dishes. By the time they were done, Harry could no longer contain his excitement.
"All right, Harry," Lily relented with a small chuckle, placing the last of the dishes back in the cabinet. "Go ask Daddy if he's ready to go."
Harry hurried to do so, and Lily watched him from the doorway as he ran into the sitting room where Severus was seated in an armchair, perusing a potions journal.
"Daddy, can we go now?"
"In a moment," Severus replied, not glancing up from the book.
Harry waited a second, then climbed onto Severus' lap, intentionally squeezing himself between Severus' arms, blocking his view of the journal, and asked again, "Can we go now?"
Lily couldn't help laughing at their son's antics.
Severus sighed, sending Harry a mildly irritated glare. "You need to learn something called patience, my child."
"Daddy!" Harry rolled his eyes. "You promised we could go after breakfast!"
"I never make promises."
Harry pouted, giving him his best puppy dog eyes, and Lily knew Severus couldn't resist them; he had a soft spot for those eyes that Harry had long ago realized he could use to his advantage.
"Very well," Severus said with a small huff, setting his journal aside and standing with Harry in his arms.
Harry instantly cheered, and when he was set him down, he tried dashing for the front door, but was stopped by Severus before he could reach it.
"Not so quick, young man," Severus said sternly, summoning Harry's scarf and mittens. "You are not stepping one foot outside this house until you have the proper winter attire."
Harry didn't fuss as much about it, and allowed Severus to properly bundle him up.
"How many more days until Christmas now, Mummy?" Harry asked as Severus buttoned up the rest of his coat.
Lily glanced toward the calendar on the mantelpiece. "Seven more days."
"That's so long!" Harry groaned, as if she'd told him Christmas was a year from now.
Lily laughed at Harry's dramatics. "It will be here before you know it."
When everyone was ready, Severus lifted Harry into his arms again, then they headed out.
Once they had Apparated to their destination, Lily looked around, taking in the familiar setting with a burst of nostalgia. Rows of Christmas trees of all shapes and sizes stretched out endlessly across the wintry landscape around them, their green pines lightly dusted with specks of snow. Lily drew in a breath of the crisp winter air, filled with hints of that sweet piney scent. It was just as she remembered.
It had been years since she last visited this place with her parents and Petunia. Ever since the accident that took her parent's lives during her last year at Hogwarts, Lily couldn't bring herself to return, but now that she had a family of her own, she decided to continue the tradition her parents had started. She had nothing but fond memories of strolling through the rows of Christmas trees and debating which one to take home. Her father would always chuck a snowball at her back when she wasn't looking, and Lily could never resist forming her own and chasing after him. The snowball fight continued on until one of them reluctantly surrendered, winded and out of breath. She still remembered it as if it happened yesterday...
Snow drifted gently down around them, and Harry lifted his head from Severus' shoulder and stuck his tongue out, trying to catch the snowflakes, his breath coming out in puffs of white smoke. Severus drew his cloak tighter around himself and Harry as a gust of cold wind rushed past them, ruffling their hair and stinging their faces.
"How about some hot cocoa?" Lily said, clasping her hands briefly to her mouth to warm them.
"Yes!" Harry nodded eagerly, and Severus set him down beside him, then swiftly grabbed his hand before Harry had a chance to take off.
They went to the stand, paid for their hot cocoa with Muggle money that Lily brought, and enjoyed them at the picnic tables. Harry particularly enjoyed the cream on the top, giggling at the white mustache it gave him after every sip.
Once they finished, they set off down the endless rows of trees. Lily brought her Muggle camera and snapped some photos of Harry as they walked along. If it weren't for all the Muggles around, she would have spelled the camera to follow them around.
"It's been a while since I've been here," Lily said as she walked arm in arm with Severus, keeping an eye on Harry in front of them. "Not since the accident..."
Severus nodded, and pressed a quick kiss to her temple before returning his gaze back to their surroundings. "It is a beautiful place."
Lily smiled. "You should have come with us one year, Sev," she said. "You would have loved it."
Severus shook his head. "I wouldn't have wanted to intrude..."
"Not at all," Lily assured him. "Mum and Dad always loved having you over."
A gentle smile appeared on Severus' face at that.
"Mummy! I like this tree!" Harry said, drawing their attention to a particularly large tree that was perhaps fifty feet in height from the base.
"We are not getting a tree that tall," said Severus, looking up at it.
"We could always shrink it," said Lily.
"It will look ridiculous."
They moved on after convincing Harry to look for a less tall one and turned down a path with rows of shorter trees. Harry ran along ahead of them, running his mitten covered fingers along the green pine needles.
"I hope to do this every year, now that the war is finally over," Lily said, watching with amusement as Harry scooped up a handful of snow and threw it up into the air, sticking his tongue out as it dusted back down around him. "Harry seems to enjoy it."
"So we shall," Severus replied, turning to gaze at a tree with some droopy branches.
They continued strolling along, stopping every so often to consider the trees that Harry pointed out.
"James is coming over for Christmas dinner," Lily said, watching Severus for his reaction. "He said he's bringing a surprise for Harry."
Severus made a face. "It better not be another bloody broom," he muttered.
Lily couldn't help but laugh at that. Harry had absolutely loved the toy broom that James had given him for his first birthday. It had caused several near heart attacks for Severus, so much so that he had banned Harry from using it. That didn't last long however, before Severus finally gave in to Harry's begging. When Harry had outgrown the broom meant for babies and toddlers, Severus was relieved, but Harry had been asking for a new broom ever since.
"Daddy, I found a good one! Come look!" Harry bounded up to them and grabbed Severus' hand, pulling him along.
He led them to a modest tree, one that wasn't nearly as tall as the first, but was still a fairly sizable one nonetheless. Other than the scraggly bit near the top, the tree looked well filled out and balanced. There was something red among the branches that caught Lily's eye, and she squinted at it, realizing a moment later that it was a bird when it gave a small chirp and took off.
"This is your final choice, Harry?" Severus asked as he circled the tree, examining its branches and pine needles.
There was no immediate response, and when Lily looked around, her blood ran cold in her veins.
Harry was nowhere in sight.
"Harry?" Lily called, hoping to hear a familiar response in return somewhere among the trees. She could have sworn he had been right behind them just a moment ago, playing with a few fallen pine needles on the ground.
There was no answer.
"Harry!" Severus shouted, frantically looking in every direction. "He was just here!"
If only there weren't so many Muggles around, Lily wouldn't have hesitated to draw her wand and use a Point Me Spell.
"I'll check in this direction," Severus told her before he hurried off.
Lily took off in the opposite direction, shouting Harry's name every few steps. She weaved through the many trees, past the many Muggle families, hoping to catch a glimpse of their son amongst them. Every time she passed a young child, Lily had to check to be sure it wasn't Harry.
Several minutes passed by as Lily searched, her heart racing as many scenarios flashed through her mind, each one as terrifying as the next.
What if someone had taken him? What if–
Lily cut those thoughts off, not allowing them to take hold, not even wanting to consider them.
Then, something caught Lily's eye; a glimpse of the Slytherin scarf that Severus had given Harry amongst a small group of children.
Lily's heart skipped a beat.
"Harry?" she called, rushing to get a closer look.
"Mummy?" a small, frightened voice said.
Harry's wide green eyes met hers, and he ran towards her. Lily swept her son into her arms, breathing a sigh of relief as Harry wrapped his arms tightly around her neck. She felt as if she could breathe properly again, willing her heart to slow its frantic beating.
One of the Muggle women of the group wearing a colorful scarf came up to them then. "The poor lad said he had gotten lost. I was just about to walk him back to the canteen if you hadn't shown up," she said with a warm smile.
Lily thanked her before turning away and refocusing her attention on Harry.
"Never scare me like that again, Harry," Lily said, holding him close and pressing a kiss to his hair. After a few moments, she drew back and looked into Harry's green eyes, identical to her own. "What did I tell you about wandering off?"
Harry sniffed, his eyes welling up with tears. "I'm sorry! I only wanted to follow the bunny rabbit but then I got lost and I- I couldn't find you or Daddy."
"That was very naughty; someone could have taken you."
A tear slid down Harry's cheek, and Lily's chest tightened at that. She hated scolding her son, but he had nearly given her a heart attack and he needed to learn not to run off like that.
Lily sighed and cupped the back of Harry's head to lay back on her shoulder, deciding that Harry had learned his lesson. He seemed just as frightened as Lily was.
"Come on, let's go find Daddy," Lily said, heading back in the direction she came from. "I'm sure he's worried sick."
It wasn't long before Severus found them.
"Thank, Merlin," Severus whispered as soon as he reached them. Lily put Harry down and watched as Harry hurried towards him.
Severus knelt down as Harry reach him, and held him at arms length, looking Harry up and down. "He's not hurt?" he asked Lily, not taking his eyes off Harry.
"I'm okay, Daddy," Harry whispered, wrapping his arms around Severus' neck and burying his face in his robes.
"What in Merlin's name possessed you to run off like that?" Severus asked, his tone harsh, though he gathered Harry into his arms and held him close.
"He was trying to follow a rabbit," Lily told him.
Severus began heading in the direction of the entrance. "Let's get the tree and leave," he said shortly.
When they arrived home, Severus stalked down to his lab without a word, and Lily didn't see him for the rest of the day. The tree they had chosen stood undecorated in the sitting room.
Severus was still down in his lab when Lily had gone to bed that night, and he wasn't there when she woke up the next morning either. When she went to start breakfast, she found him in his armchair, focused on the morning's edition of the Daily Prophet, a cup of coffee beside him.
Breakfast was a quiet affair. Harry in particular, was rather subdued, and Lily couldn't help noticing how he kept glancing over at Severus in the sitting room.
"Is Daddy still angry with me?" Harry asked softly.
Lily sighed, smoothing a hand over his hair. "You really gave him a fright yesterday."
"But I didn't mean to!" Harry said, his green eyes bright, "Honest!"
"I know you didn't, sweetheart," Lily said, swiping away the tear that rolled down his cheek, "but Daddy might need a bit more convincing."
Harry gave a small nod, and ate a few more bites of his toast before pushing his plate away.
"I'm not hungry anymore," he said, and Lily let him leave the table, not having the heart to make him stay and try to finish his plate.
"Daddy?" a small voice said beside him.
Severus peered up from the Daily Prophet to see his son standing beside his armchair.
"I'm really sorry, Daddy," Harry said, sniffling, looking the image of dejected. "I won't be bad ever again, I promise."
Severus suppressed a snort, knowing Harry might interpret it wrongly. Though he still raised a sardonic eyebrow. There was no chance that Harry could keep that promise for the rest of the day, let alone forever.
"Don't make promises you can't keep, Harry," Severus said, folding the newspaper and setting it aside. Harry frowned, his eyes pleading with him, and Severus sighed, reaching over and lifting Harry up onto his lap.
His son immediately latched his arms around Severus' neck and snuggled against him.
"Are you still angry with me?" Harry asked in a small voice, his face buried in the crook of Severus' neck.
It was fear like Severus had never felt before, surging through him and twisting his insides. Those long agonizing minutes where they couldn't locate Harry seemed to stretch for eternity, and the relief that came over him when he finally saw Lily coming towards him with their son was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. Severus had thought he'd become accustomed to the many aspects of parenthood, but often enough, it still managed to catch him off guard.
Severus shook his head. "I was worried," he said, rubbing a hand up and down Harry's back. "When Mummy and I couldn't find you... I was afraid someone had taken you."
"Was your heart beating really fast?" Harry asked softly, small hands clutching at Severus' robes.
"Yes," Severus replied.
"Mine too," Harry murmured.
"I daresay, you've taken a few years off my life this time, and I'm sure it won't be the last," Severus said dryly. They stayed there for a few more moments, both of them drawing comfort from each other, before Severus stood with Harry in his arms.
"Now, how about we decorate that blasted tree before the holiday is over?"
Harry gave a small cough, before he smiled and nodded eagerly.
They spend the day covering the tree with a ridiculous amount of lights, tinsels, and shiny ornaments. The tree's branches were slightly drooping with the weight of it all. Lily was taking photos– way too many in Severus' opinion– of it all with her old Muggle camera much to Severus' annoyance.
"The finishing touch," Lily said as she carefully pulled out an antique looking angel figurine from the bottom of a box.
"It's pretty," Harry said, running a finger over the angel's wings. "Can I put it at the top of the tree?"
"All right, be very careful with it," Lily said, gently handing it to Harry, who took it delicately. "It was your grandmother's and it was passed down to her from her parents as well."
"I'll be extra careful," Harry said, and Severus lifted him up, watching as Harry carefully set the angel at the top of the tree. With a flick of her wand, Lily secured it in place with a sticking charm.
Then with another swish of her wand, the tree lit up with many different colors. They all settled down on the sofa together, gazing up at the tree as they sipped on cups of hot cocoa that Lily brought out.
Severus had never really cared much for these festivities; the holiday had never meant much to him growing up, but the innocent joy and wonder on Harry's face as they decorated the tree and the amazement and sparkle in his green eyes as he watched the tree light up for the first time was worth all the hassle and more.
"Is Father Christmas going to leave presents under the tree?" Harry asked, still mesmerized by the tree.
"Possibly," Severus answered, "if you behave."
"Of course I will, Daddy!" Harry replied, finally pulling his gaze away from the tree and giving Severus a smile, before it was cut off with a string of coughs.
Severus frowned in concern, patting Harry's back until the coughs dissipated.
The next day, Harry's cough didn't go away, instead, it seemed to have gotten worse.
"Mummy?" Harry said in a soft, tired voice the next morning.
Lily turned her attention to him in concern. "What's wrong, Harry?"
His answer was interrupted by a hacking cough.
"My tummy hurts and I feel icky," Harry said as he came up, leaning his forehead against her arm.
Lily wrapped an arm around him and placed a hand on his forehead. He did feel a bit warm. She led him back to bed after checking his temperature, confirming that he indeed had a fever.
Apparently there was a Dragon Flu outbreak, and Harry had caught a bad case of it. For the next few days, Harry had a raging fever that wouldn't let him sleep or stay comfortable for more than a few minutes, and he wasn't eating, unable to hold anything down except water. All Harry did was cry, purely out of exhaustion, and Severus had been on a frenzy trying to brew something that would ease his suffering. He had also insisted on carrying Harry up and down the hallway to help soothe him, as per routine whenever Harry had trouble sleeping, but it took longer than usual, considering Harry had been so sick. This was turning out to be a very eventful holiday season, just not in the way Lily had anticipated.
By the third day, Lily was getting increasingly worried, not just for Harry, but for Severus as well. There was still no improvement in Harry's illness, and when Lily went down to the lab this morning, she'd found Severus brewing, his hands trembling with fatigue and still without a minute of sleep.
Lily sighed; Severus had an enormous capacity to love and would do anything for the ones he loved, no matter the cost. That was one of the traits Lily loved about him, but sometimes, Severus could take it a bit too far. This was one of those times, and Lily decided it was time to take matters into her own hands before she had two severely sick patients to take care of.
"Severus."
"What?" he snapped, not looking up from his cauldron. There was probably nothing more that irritated Severus than being interrupted while in the middle of an important brew.
"I made you some coffee," Lily said, setting the mug down on the worktop next to him. "Thought you might like something to keep you energized."
"Thank you," Severus responded, glancing briefly at her before returning his attention to his stack of potion notes and flicking through the pieces of parchment, his fingers struggling with the pages.
Lily waited until Severus took a sip of the coffee before heading back upstairs. She had slipped a sleeping draught and a mild sedative into it, knowing it would knock Severus out until at least the next morning.
Of course, Lily fully expected to face his wrath the following morning, and that was exactly what she got.
"You drugged me!"
"No, I didn't," Lily said, crossing her arms. "You haven't slept in two days, you needed the rest."
"I was perfectly fine," Severus hissed, drowsiness still evident around the edge of his voice.
"No you were not." Lily rolled her eyes. "If I didn't give you something to make you rest you were bound to get sick… or delirious, although I was afraid you've already gone past the point of no return."
Severus huffed, glaring down at the bedspread, and Lily could practically feel the air crackle with anger around him.
Lily sighed. "You really frighten me when you work yourself up like that," she went on, lowering herself down onto the bed beside him. "Even Harry noticed, and he asked if he'd gotten you sick as well."
Severus lifted his head to look at her, the lines on his face softening. "How is he?" he asked.
"His fever finally broke an hour ago," Lily said, giving him a tired smile. It had been terrifying, going on the fourth day with seemingly no reprieve from the fever. She thought it would never break. "He's been asking about you. Want me to bring him in?"
Severus frowned. "He's not sleeping?"
"He'd woken up hungry," Lily said. "Which is a good sign."
"I suppose," Severus said, leaning back against the headboard.
"I'll go get him then," Lily said, standing and making to leave. She paused before she reached the door, turning towards him again. "Stay put. I better not see you trying to get out of bed."
Severus raised a challenging eyebrow. "Or what?"
"Or I'll charm you to the bed until tomorrow morning."
Severus snorted, rolling his eyes.
Lily gave Severus one last meaningful look to not get out of bed before she turned and crossed the hall into Harry's room.
She found Harry crouched on the floor, clutching his plush doe in his arms as he watched his animated dragon figurines battle it out.
"Hi sweetheart," Lily said, scooping Harry into her arms. "Want to go see Daddy now?"
Harry's face lifted. "He's feeling better?"
Lily nodded, briefly raising a hand to feel his forehead. "He wants to make sure you're alright, and he might need a bit of cheering up as well."
"Why?" Harry asked, furrowing his brow. "Is he sad?"
"No, just a bit grumpy," Lily said, smiling. She brushed the fringe out of his eyes. "I made him go to bed."
"Oh, did you also give him potions to make him better?"
Lily couldn't help laughing. "Something like that."
She carried Harry into their bedroom, and Severus' eyes immediately landed on Harry as they crossed the threshold.
"Daddy!" Harry smiled, nearly leaping out of her arms as they reached the bed. He scrambled up onto the bed and settled in Severus' arms, leaning back against his sternum.
Severus lifted a hand to rest against Harry's forehead, a look of relief crossing his face. "I thought we'd have to bring him to St. Mungos," he murmured. "His fever was unmanageable."
Harry rolled his head up to look at Severus from underneath. "I'm all better now, Daddy."
"You better be, I believe I gave you enough potions to tranquilize a hippogriff," Severus said.
Lily laughed, but Harry's eyes widened.
"Did you use all your potions on me?"
"A fair amount," Severus replied dismissively. "I will require your assistance to replenish my supplies."
"Okay, Daddy," Harry said in a still sleepy, stuffy voice. "Are you feeling better too? Mummy said you were sick."
"I wasn't really," Severus told him, then he glanced at Lily and smirked. "Mummy poisoned me."
Lily gave him a warning look. "Severus."
Harry looked towards Lily and giggled. "Mummy wouldn't do that!"
There was a slight upward twitch of Severus' lips at Harry's response. "Well, considering you seem so confident in that belief, I suppose I will have to agree," he said, smoothing a hand over Harry's disheveled hair. "How do you feel?"
"Just a bit tired," Harry replied, sniffling, "and stuffy. Mummy says I'm going to feel like that for a while, but that's better than feeling like my head was going to… blow up."
He made a noise that imitated an explosion, but before Severus could respond to that, Harry gave a loud sneeze and succumbed to a coughing fit.
Severus grimaced, rubbing his back in small circles, looking towards Lily. "You're certain he's all right?"
"The worst is over according to the Healer this morning," Lily said. "Although, she didn't say how long the symptoms may linger for afterwards…"
I'm okay, Daddy," Harry reassured him, once his coughing had subsided. He yawned, turning around and locking his arms around Severus' neck.
Severus curled his arms around him and tucked Harry's head beneath his chin as Harry's eyes were beginning to close. Then suddenly, Harry lifted his head and gasped, as if he'd just remembered something important.
"How many more days until Christmas, Mummy?" Harry asked urgently. "Did I miss it?"
Lily flicked her wand, checking the day. WIth all the commotion of the past few days, she'd nearly forgotten about the upcoming holiday.
"No, you're right on time, actually," Lily told him. "When you wake up in the morning, Father Christmas will have visited."
Harry looked relieved as he rested his head back against Severus' chest.
"Can't wait," he murmured with a tired smile.
Lily smiled and watched as Severus maneuvered both of them to lay down on the pillows, pulling the covers up over Harry and himself as he did. Severus curled his arms around him and closed his eyes as Harry's own drifted shut. Lily stayed and watched then for a few more moments before she closed the door softly on her way out. She made her way to the gifts she'd hidden, but hadn't had the chance to wrap yet.
The next morning came bright and early, as Harry woke everyone up at the crack of dawn, unable to contain his excitement. Harry seemed to be mostly back to his rambunctious self. Even though his cough would make its appearance now and then, that didn't stop him from running downstairs to get a look at the presents that Father Christmas left him under the tree.
"May I open my presents now?" Harry asked, as soon as Lily walked into the room.
"Wait until Daddy gets down here," Lily replied, wrapping her dressing gown tighter around herself and taking a seat in the armchair. She summoned her camera, preparing to capture every moment possible as she watched Harry go through the presents, inspecting each one gently.
"Daddy!" Harry called, as he picked up a present wrapped in green paper. "I found a present that has your name on it!"
He hurried out of the room, no doubt taking it to show Severus. Lily went to make some tea and a few minutes later, Harry had dragged a slightly exasperated looking Severus to the sitting room.
"Open your present, Daddy," Harry said, pushing the gift into Severus' hands.
Severus raised an eyebrow at Lily who was grinning at him, before tearing open the wrapping. Inside was a shining, pristine silver cauldron, one that Lily knew Severus had wanted to get since he saw it in the shop window.
"It's so shiny," Harry said, staring at his reflection in it.
"Go on, and open yours, Harry," Lily said.
Harry eagerly picked one that was wrapped in a similar green wrapping and tore away at it, his face brightening when he realized what was inside. He pulled out a beginners potions kit that Severus had got him.
"I can brew potions just like you now, Daddy!"
Severus nodded, looking pleased that Harry liked the gift, "And I expect nothing short of perfection."
Harry continued going through all his presents, wrapping paper strewn all over the room by the time he finished opening them. They spent the day together, just enjoying each other's company and relaxing in front of the fire. It was just how Lily had envisioned it; her family finally celebrating Christmas together, and she wanted to commit every moment of the day to memory.
Lily had just finished preparing dinner when she heard a knock at the door.
It was James, grinning and carrying some colorfully wrapped presents underneath his arm. "Happy Christmas!" he said, shaking some of the snow out of his hair.
"Happy Christmas. I'm glad you could make it, James," Lily said, as he handed the presents to her.
"Sorry, Lily," James said sheepishly, nodding toward Remus and Sirius behind him, who Lily hadn't noticed until now. "Hope you don't mind, I brought along some more company."
"Oh, not at all," Lily smiled at them, standing aside to allow them entry. "The more the merrier as my mother always said."
"So sorry we're late; would have arrived sooner, but Sirius had to make a pit stop…"
"Oi, James, it was a rather important pit stop," Sirius said, giving James a look before he flashed a smile at Lily, "Thank you for having us over for Christmas dinner, Lily."
"Of course," said Lily.
"It's good to see you, Lily," Remus said.
"You as well, Remus," Lily said, giving him a hug.
"Nice of you to show up, Potter," Severus said, appearing from down the hall, a slight bit of sarcasm coming through in his tone.
James nodded at him. "Pleasant as always, Severus."
"Uncle James!"
Harry came bounding into the room and into James' arms. With a grunt at the impact, James lifted Harry, threw him into the air and caught him, then settled him on his hip as Harry giggled.
"Heard you came down with something nasty, kid," James said. "You feeling better now?"
Harry nodded. "Daddy gave me loads of potions to make me better."
"He did, did he?" James laughed, setting him down. He gestured towards Sirius and Remus. "Harry, I'd like you to meet my best friends, Sirius and Remus. Or as I call them, Padfoot and Moony."
"Hello," Harry said, waving at them a bit shyly. He looked at Sirius, "Why does Uncle James call you, Padfoot? That's a funny name."
"Because of this," Sirius replied simply, before he turned into a large black dog.
Harry gasped, his eyes widening, and he turned to Severus. "Daddy, look! He can turn into a dog!"
"I see." Severus rolled his eyes. "Quite an irritating ability if you ask me."
Harry slowly reached a hand out towards the dog, and smiled when the dog started licking his hand.
"Oh, before I forget; I got you something Harry," James said, pulling out a small box from the inside pocket of his cloak. With a flick of his wand, the parcel returned to its usual size, covered in blue wrapping paper with snitches constantly dashing across it. "Happy Christmas."
Lily noticed the suspicious look Severus gave it as James handed Harry the gift.
"It's a broom!" Harry said as he opened the box. He ran to give James a hug. "I love it! Thank you, Uncle James."
"You're welcome, kiddo." When James noticed Severus' look on his face, he said, "Don't worry, it's perfectly safe. Every safety charm in existence is imbued into that thing."
Severus didn't look convinced, his lips pressed into a thin line.
"Can I ride it outside now?" Harry asked, using his best puppy dog eyes.
"Absolutely not–"
"Perhaps after dinner, Harry," Lily told him, before Severus could finish his response. She gave him a look, which he returned with a glare of his own.
"I even got you something, Severus."
James handed Severus a small package, wrapped in brown paper. Severus took it warily as if he expected something to pop out at him once he unwrapped it.
Inside was a bottle of glittering blue liquid, and Lily had to lean in closer to read the label, squinting at the curly fine print.
"It's a hair degreaser," James said with a smirk.
Lily couldn't help laughing as Severus pursed his lips, looking as if he wanted to chuck the bottle at him.
"I found this special formula in my father's old trunk, and instantly thought of you," James continued. "He had perfected it before he passed, but he never had the chance to produce and properly distribute it."
"Well how very thoughtful of you, Potter," said Severus, setting it back in the box.
They all headed to the table then, where Lily had Christmas dinner prepared, and gathered around it. Lily couldn't resist getting out her camera and spelling it to take photos of the occasion throughout the dinner. It was such a significant difference to last year's much smaller gathering, and now that the war was finally over and she had Severus back, Lily looked forward to the many more that would come.
Their first Christmas together as a family, and it was certainly a Christmas to remember.
A/N: Hello everyone! Hope you guys enjoyed this little oneshot. I apologize for the long hiatus; I know it's been a long times since I've updated my main story. It's been an eventful almost two years and I'm now trying to get back into writing again. I had this little story drafted for a while and finally decided to finish it in time for Christmas. Hope this story brings you into the Christmas spirit because I think we all need a little Christmas cheer at a time like this. I hope everyone is doing well, despite all the craziness happening in the world right now. I wish you a happy holiday and a happy new year as well. Stay safe out there everyone. An update to my other story is on the way.
But in the meantime, let me know what you think of this story. Thanks for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting. :)
Until next time,
~Amy