Chapter 36: The Potter Party

December 23, 1993

"Hey, Harry, can you add the sugar?" Lily asked, stirring at a chocolate and raspberry custard.

"Sure," Harry replied.

The two of them were busy baking desserts for their Christmas Party, which Harry and Liana called the Potter Party. On the counter lay a rather scrumptious looking black forest chocolate cake, along with a red velvet cake to be glazed. Liana had insisted on a candy cane and chocolate peppermint cake, and James had insisted on a pineapple upside down cake, so currently, four cakes, seven sheets of cookies, and two custards were in preparation.

"Okay, Mum, I'm putting this one in the oven," Harry told her, gesturing to the pineapple upside down.

"Thanks, Harry," Lily sighed, shifting her attention to the red velvet cake, trying to decide what garnish it needed. Hmm, frosting, for sure. What about chocolate shavings? Or maybe cherries? Or…

"Lily!" exclaimed James, bursting into the house and giving his wife a kiss. Lily laughed and patted his back.

"I'm taking a break," muttered Harry. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Hey, Lily," James whispered, pushing back a lock of her hair that was in her face. "Delicious."

Lily blushed. "I hope you're talking about the cakes, for your own sake."

James wiggled his eyebrows. "I don't think you'd particularly mind if I was talking about something else."

Lily gave a very uncharacteristic giggle. "Stop, James. People are going to be here in like, twenty minutes."

"Ah, plenty of time, then."

"James!" She gestured to the unfinished desserts. "We have to finish these! People like Remus only come to these parties because of the desserts!"

James laughed. "You make him sound so cheap when you put it that way. Come on, Lily. The desserts can wait."

"It's going to burn," she whispered weakly, pointing to the cake Harry had put in the oven.

James snorted. "Okay. Finish up your cakes. You are going to change into something nice, right?"

"Of course. I just didn't want my dress to get covered in flour while we bake."

"Okay," James said approvingly. "What do you have in mind?"

"Something very nice," she said teasingly. "I think you'll like it."

He lowered his face to hers. "I think I will too."

"Your friends are coming, right?" Harry whispered.

"Yeah," Liana whispered back. "Yours too, right?"

"Yep. Ron and Hermione."

"Yeah. Candice and Kylie are coming."

"Oh, okay. Let's try not to kill each other this time."

"Yeah. Or Mum will kill us."

"Mum's too busy snogging Dad."

Liana groaned. "That is true."

They were waiting on the doorstep, waiting for the first people to arrive. Harry was wearing, to his disappointment, dress robes, while Liana was wearing a long, white dress that Lily had picked out for her. Every year, the two of them had a bet to see who would arrive first. Harry had placed his money on Lupin, while Liana had opted for the Webers.

"Come on, let's not be late!"

It was Molly Weasley, leading the rest of the Weasley clan like a group of ducks. "Harry, Liana! How wonderful to see you, dears!"

"Thanks," they mumbled, stepping to the side to allow the Weasleys to file in. The entire family seemed to have come, spare Charlie; Molly was in the lead, closely followed by Percy, his nose turned up, and then Ginny slinking behind him, followed by Ron, and then Bill, and then the twins wearing uniform grins, and Arthur rearing up the flank.

"Hey, Molly!" Lily greeted her with great enthusiasm, as the two women hugged.

"Arthur," greeted James, grinning at the older man. "How are you?"

"Doing well, James, thank you."

Within a few minutes, a new family had arrived; one that seemed unfamiliar to Harry. "Who's this?" Harry asked Liana.

"Kylie," Liana hissed. "Hey, Kylie!"

"Liana!" Kylie exclaimed loudly, running up to hug her friend. "How are you?"

"Good," replied Liana. "My parents have been bugging me with all the cleaning and cooking and agh. I'm so glad we're finally here so we can just be done with this party."

"It's going to be so much fun!" Kylie squealed, coming face to face with Harry. "Oh, hello."

"Hi," Harry mumbled.

"Is it true Moaning Myrtle's your girlfriend?" asked Kylie with piqued curiosity.

"M-Moaning Myrtle?" Harry spluttered.

"Yeah. You know, the ghost in the girls' bathroom. Is it true you're dating her?"

"Me?" asked Harry weakly. "Dating Moaning Myrtle?!"

"Mm. How do you date a ghost, anyway?" Kylie asked.

"Are you mad? Of course I'm not dating Moaning Myrtle!"

Kylie laughed. "The typical excuse. Myrtle said so herself, there's no point in lying."

What on earth?!

"Oooh, look, he's turning red!" Kylie exclaimed, grabbing Liana's arm and giggling. "It's true!"

"I wouldn't have believed it," Liana gasped. "Harry likes Myrtle!"

Harry groaned. Where on earth had this rumor started?

By the time Emmeline Vance arrived, there were plenty of people there, and there was this odd, metal Muggle box outside the house that was sitting on four wheels.

She was welcomed into the house warmly, and in no time, she was dancing to the loud beats of the music that James had set up under the constantly flashing lights of the disco ball.

"Come on, Lily!" she yelled, noticing her friend standing rather reticently in the corner of the room, watching the rest of the party progress.

"Oh, no, Emmeline, I'm fine," she said with a smile. "I've got to… serve some stuff."

"Come on, Lily, don't be shy," Emmeline coaxed, walking over to her friend. "It'll be fun! What's there to be nervous of?"

Lily laughed. "I'm not scared of dancing. Merlin knows I do it with James enough. But, not at my own party. You know?"

"Fine," sighed Emmeline. "I'll grab Anita."

Lily smiled. "Yeah. Do that."

Anita, it turned out, was already dancing, so the two of them swayed to a particularly jazzy number before heading over to the counter to grab a drink.

"Come now, Lily, it's such a good song!" Molly was persisting nearby.

"Molly, I'm sure it is, but, er, we can't really change the songs right now," Lily said.

"Oh, that's okay, Lily. But promise me you'll add some Warbeck to the playlist next year," Molly said.

"Of course, Molly," Lily said, with a weak smile.

"So, how've you been?" Emmeline asked Anita, raising her voice to be heard over the music.

"Pretty good," Anita shouted back. "Bradley got promoted last month, so he's suddenly been doing so much more work. Like, we don't even have time to sit and talk anymore. It's just work, work, work."

"That sucks, mate," Emmeline called.

Just then, there was a large burst of cheer as a new, rather popular song hit the floor, and several people (including a very tipsy Molly) started dancing along.

"Where's the fire?" James asked, dashing over with a hose in his hands.

"Over there," Anita giggled, pointing to the dance floor. "Wait, James, are you really going to spray that hose here? Like, right now? In the middle of your…"

James paid her no attention, and pulled the handle, resulting in an eruption of confetti flakes across the room, getting tangled in people's hair and littering the floor. Emmeline saw Harry toss his father a Galleon, which James pocketed with a wink.

"So, found any good blokes yet?" Anita asked Emmeline loudly, messing up her hair.

"Not yet," Emmeline replied. "Nobody's good at St. Mungo's. They're all rich and snobby and stuck up."

"That's what you get for being a Healer!" cried Anita, laughing. "I'm sure you'll find someone soon. Like, random. It doesn't have to be at your work. Bradley works at the Prophet, but I still found him anyway."

"Hey!" exclaimed a voice from behind them. Emmeline and Anita whipped around to see Mary MacDonald grinning and rushing towards them. They both swept her up into an awkward three-way hug.

"Hey, Mary!" greeted Anita. "It's been so long, dude! Come on, have a drink!"

"Dude, Lily's so different," Mary said, accepting a drink. "Like, James has seriously gotten to her! Fifteen years ago she would've, like, cut the music right there if James had blown confetti across the room and she would've blown a fuse. But now, she blew James a kiss when he did that! Like, seriously!"

"She's changed," Emmeline remarked. "She's learned to settle and not be so uptight, you know? I like that. She's a lot better this way."

"Yeah," Anita commented. "Now, who's ready for another dance?"

"Hey, Tonks," James said cheerfully, approaching his friend who was at the counter, sipping a Butterbeer. She was wearing a silver sleeveless dress, and her hair was black and put up in a bun. "How are you? Enjoying it so far?"

"Yeah, a lot," she replied, smiling. "Do you Potters always party like this, or is this an annual occasion?"

"Well, Lily says we can't overdo it, or else it'll get boring. But we do try to get people around for birthdays too. Those are always fun."

She grinned. "Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks for inviting me, by the way."

"Of course," he replied, patting her on the back. "You're my friend. Lily likes you too. And, not to mention, Remus acts like you're the only thing that exists when he's around you."

"Oh, stop that," she replied, blushing. "I'm so sorry for falling asleep that day. Ugh. I feel so embarrassed."

He laughed. "Why are you embarrassed? It wasn't nearly as bad as the time I fell asleep during my O.W.L."

"You what?!"

"Yep. It was only History of Magic, though. Binns didn't even notice I was asleep on my desk. I got a T since I didn't get to answer anything by the time Sirius woke me up, but hey. I got a nice nap in."

Tonks laughed. "Oh my goodness. That's crazy. And you still managed to become an Auror?"

"Well, thankfully, nobody cares what you got in History of Magic," James said, grinning. "Have you talked to Remus recently?"

"No. I saw him talking to Lily earlier, though."

James nodded. "Thanks. See you."

He turned to leave, but then he turned right back to her. "Hey, should we go on a double date one day?"

"Huh?"

"Like, you and Remus, and me and Lily. We can go out together one day. It'll be so much fun."

Her eyes lit up at this. "Oh my god, yes! That would be so much fun! Maybe some time in January?"

"Yeah!" replied James enthusiastically. "And we can talk and embarrass each other and have a blast!"

Tonks grinned. "Yeah!"

James grinned back and waved. "Let's plan that for January."

"I love it. See you, James."

"Bye, Tonks."

Ron headed towards the kitchen in hopes of getting another slice of black forest cake. He had already had two. But in his defense, Harry's mother was one of the best cooks. Ever.

"Going somewhere?"

He turned around to see Liana leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, smirking at him.

"Er, no, why do you ask?" he queried, feeling his face go warm.

"Harry's already practically devoured the black forest. But I think there's still chocolate peppermint and candy cane cake left," she informed him.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"Yeah, no problem," she replied conversationally. Before Liana had been Sorted into Slytherin and things had started going downhill, Ron and Liana had managed to have a decent rapport, almost to the point where they were friends. Well, maybe acquaintances.

"Thanks," he repeated.

"Oh, and also, there's custard. Mum hasn't set it out yet. But it's in the fridge. Wait a few minutes and you can have that too."

"Thanks," he repeated a third time. "Also, Candice is looking for you."

She nodded. "Cool. Thanks."

"Yeah."

"Hey," Remus whispered.

Tonks whipped around, relaxing when she saw him. "Oh, hi. How's everything?"

"Good," he replied, smiling. "What about you?"

"Fine," she sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder. "The Potters sure know how to throw parties, apparently."

He stroked her hair, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Yeah, they're a lot of fun. They do this every year. By the way, I never got a chance to tell you. You look gorgeous."

"Thank you," she whispered, smiling. "I always try to tone down my hair when it's fancy. You know. I'd look downright weird if my hair was pink right now."

"No, you wouldn't." He tightened his grip on her waist protectively. "Your bright colors define you. I love you no matter what you look like, but I love you even more when you look how you want to."

A rich shade of magenta crept into the ends of her hair at his words. "Really?"

"Absolutely."

She smiled that intoxicating smile of hers, making Remus want to drink her in, drink in that smile, and everything else about her. He ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"You're so cute when you do that," she whispered.

"Do what?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"You go all deep into thought," she whispered seductively, chewing on her lip. "And you look all Professor-y. And you mess up your hair. Remus, you drive me crazy."

Her lips hovered dangerously close to his. "Also, what's this I hear about Harry and Moaning Myrtle?" He could feel her breath on his lips as she spoke.

"Harry and Moaning Myrtle?" he asked incredulously. "Wh… As a romantic pairing, you mean?"

"Mm."

"I did not know that," he confessed. "Where'd you hear that?"

"Oh, one of the kids was screaming it."

He tilted his face towards hers. "I'll be sure to convey my condolences to the poor boy."

She laughed.

"Hey, Hermione," Ginny said, walking over to her friend and pushing a plate of red velvet cake towards her. "Have you tried the red-icing sugar cookies? They're so good."

"I'm not hungry," snapped Hermione.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "What happened to you? Why're you acting so… snarky?"

Hermione took a deep breath and let it out. "Sorry. I'm fine." She smiled. "And yeah, I'll take that cake." She pulled the cake towards her and took a bite, though Ginny noticed her friend's eyes constantly darting to the other side of the room and back.

Ginny turned around to see what was going on. Candice's mother and her mom were talking, and Ron and Liana were eating cake together and laughing.

"What's…"

Hermione looked dully at Ginny. "Nothing."

"Is it… Ron?"

"What about Ron?" Hermione asked guardedly.

"Are you jealous?"

"No," Hermione replied, a little too quickly.

"Yes, you are," Ginny said slyly.

Hermione shook her head, pursing her lips.

"Oh, come on. I told you that I like H… Oh, hi Harry!"

Hermione sniggered as Harry walked towards them. "Hi, Ginny," he replied, and Ginny felt a bust of pride that she attributed to being able to talk in front of Harry. "Er, Hermione, what's this about me dating Moaning Myrtle?"

Hermione burst out laughing. "I wonder where that came from."

Ginny wanted to hide under a table.

"Right," Harry replied, looking utterly bemused. "Okay. See you guys."

"Bye," Hermione responded cheerfully, as Ginny managed a smile.

"See, you did it!" Hermione said encouragingly.

"Hermione, I know you like him."

Hermione turned beet red. "No. I don't. Really, I don't. By the way, have you tried the chocolate raspberry custard?"

Ginny raised an eyebrow at this distraction, but let it go. "Oh, yeah. It's really good. A little sweet, though."

"Right. Right. Yeah, I'll try that."

Ginny smirked. Her friend fancying her brother?

But who on earth could fancy Ron?

Several, several hours later, after the last people (the Weasleys) had left, James flopped onto the couch with a defeated sigh. "I'm so tired."

"Me too," groaned Liana, who was on the floor, her arms outstretched.

"Me too," mumbled Harry from his perch on the counter.

"Come on, guys, we have a ton of cleaning to do!" Lily called.

"Can't it wait until morning, darling?" James called back exhaustedly.

"But…"

"Mum, please?" pleaded Liana.

Lily sighed. "Fine. We'll clean tomorrow. Now, let's go to bed."

"I'm sleeping here," Liana stated.

"On the floor?" asked Lily, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, I'm sleeping here too," Harry added, trying to find a comfortable position on the countertop.

"And I'll take the couch," James stated.

"But… But… guys!" Lily spluttered.

"Actually, Liana, can I come sleep there with you?" Harry asked, hopping off the counter. "There's food all over here. I don't want to wake up decked in cake."

"Yeah, sure," Liana said, scooting over. "But there's confetti all over here."

"That's okay," yawned Harry, flopping onto the ground next to his sister. "I'm good."

"Well, Lily, aren't you going to join us?" asked James.

"Well…"

"Mum, please, just do what he says," Liana grumbled.

"Fine," Lily sighed, walking over to the other couch.

"Lily, come here," James instructed. "You're sleeping with me."

Harry and Liana groaned.

"Okay," Lily said with a small smile, walking over to her husband. James pulled her up and onto him, holding onto her chest with his arms.

"Comfy?" he asked.

"Very," she sighed, snuggling into his arms. "Good night, you guys."

"Good night, Lily."

"Good night, Mum."

The moon set on the Potter household that night, its light seeping through the windows like chalky streaks of white, illuminating the content, sleeping family that was there.

A/N: And this brings us to the end of P1, which covers first semester! PART TWO WILL CONTINUE WITH THE NEXT CHAPTER.