Chapter Twelve: Home for the Holidays
Lily sat in the corner of the compartment. A copy of The Fellowship of the Ring was in her lap and she was completely ignoring every person in the train compartment. Alice and Frank were cuddled up across from her, completely lost in their own world. Marlene was sitting next to Remus, who she wasn't talking to. She also wasn't talking to Lily. Peter had squished himself in the corner next to Remus. James was sitting across from Peter looking as sullen as ever with a Quidditch book open in his lap. Sirius was sitting next to him. A wizard's chess board was levitating between Remus and Sirius. The Hogwarts Express was unusually full this year. That, in combination with the two groups of students being exceptionally late to get to the Hogsmeade platform, earned the group of eight students a very tightly packed compartment.
James and Lily wouldn't even make eye contact. Both of them were furious with each other. Their kiss in the Transfiguration classroom last night should have spread like wild fire through the student body. Yet it was the one of the best kept secrets among Marlene, Remus, and Sirius. The three were shocked and excited that Lily had kissed James. Maybe they would finally get together. Or the world would implode. But it was definitely going to be one of those two.
Around noon, Remus leaned over Marlene and told Lily it was time for them to do their patrol. Lily closed her book with a snap. She put it down on her seat and followed Remus out of the compartment. They made their way up the train towards the Prefects car in an uncomfortable silence. At least it was uncomfortable for Remus, Lily seemed quite content to stay silent. She was ruthless in her patrol. She confiscated two fanged frisbees and a bottle of Ogden's firewhiskey. She left the frisbees in the Prefects car when they got to the front of the train but held on to the whiskey.
"Thinking about going for another round of blackout, Miss Evans," Remus murmured dryly. He grinned wolfishly when she glared at him. He pulled a small pouch out his pocket and handed it to her. "Your winnings."
"Lupin." Lily didn't shout. Her voice was flat and quiet.
"No? Alright, I'll keep it then. Maybe I'll buy you a nice book for Christmas, hmm? How does that sound?" Remus caught Lily's hand as she flailed it to the side. "Let's not resort to violence."
Lily scowled at him. They passed their compartment as they had to make sure they patrolled the entire train before returning to their compartment. Students that were in the passageway when they saw Lily coming ducked into compartments. They all knew what her warpath face looked like and knew to stay out of the way when they saw it. Remus followed her back to the compartment where Marlene had taken up their three seats and put her feet up on Pete's lap.
"This is yours." Lily thrust the firewhiskey at Marlene as she sat up to give Lily her spot back.
The blonde girl grinned. Apparently providing Marlene with firewhiskey was the type of apology she wanted. Lily was still quiet for the remainder of the train ride but she and Marlene had effectively resolved whatever had been the problem between them. Alice and Frank were getting a little frisky in their corner of the compartment. This seemed to peeve Marlene the most. She kicked out with one of her long legs. "If I don't get to snog, no one gets to snog."
Alice blushed to the roots of her hair and looked sheepishly at her two friends. She mumbled and apology. Frank avoided Marlene's eyes.
"Moony, are you unable to fulfil your responsibilities as McKinnon's boyfriend?" Sirius grinned. "Marlene, if he's not living up to his expectations I'd be more than happy to help you out."
Marlene scowled at him as he gave her a cheeky wink. Remus stretched one his long limbs out and kicked Sirius hard in the knee. Sirius let out a growl of pain and glared at Remus. The boy muttered something about not being able to take a joke. This earned him a second kick landing on his shin. "Alright! I get it! Stop kicking me, Merlin!"
The Hogwarts Express rolled into the station in London. Lily and Remus helped supervise the unloading. Alice and Frank disappeared, presumably to get a last minute snog before the holiday. James and Sirius walked over to the older Mr. and Mrs. Potter. Marlene trudged along behind them. She usually went home with the Potters and then flooed to her parents' home from there. Peter waved goodbye to his friends as his mother led him towards the barrier.
The Potters and their children, Marlene was like a daughter to Euphemia, turned and headed in the direction of muggle London where Fleamont had parked their car. Sirius stopped dead in his tracks, making Marlene and James bump into him from behind. Walburga Black was headed straight for him and there was murder in her eyes. She was a tall, beautiful, fierce looking woman that shared her son's black hair and grey eyes.
"You ungrateful little brat!" Walburga spat as she rounded on the group. Regulus was hovering behind her. Only Sirius saw the apology on his face. It was only a glimmer and it was gone as soon as Sirius had seen it but it had been there.
Euphemia Potter stepped in front of the three teens. "Walburga, how wonderful it is to see you again." Graciousness flowed through her voice with a twinge of something else that the children couldn't put their fingers on. "Is there something I can do for you?"
"Step outside and led me deal with my son." Mrs. Black glared at the stately woman standing before her.
"I don't think so, Walburga." Euphemia was gray-haired to Walburga's raven, laugh lines creased her face where the younger woman's face was harsh, smooth edges. "My sons have had a long train ride and have a long car ride now too."
A bubble swelled in Sirius's chest at Euphemia calling her his son. There was love and tenderness in the way she said it. Not at all like the way Walburga spat it. James put his arm around his mate's shoulder in support. The platform was clearing quickly and there were few stragglers left behind, mostly prefects and their families. Mrs. Potter waved her family forward and they marched right past Mrs. Black and Regulus.
Lily had managed to tuck herself away in her room the week leading up to Christmas. Petunia had been almost a complete nightmare that she was too much to handle. Lily would almost rather be stuck in a room with James Potter at this point. Almost. She had been home for all of two hours when she heard the terrible news. Petunia was engaged to Vernon Dursley. That walrus of a man she had met over the summer. Dinner that night was made even more intolerable when Mrs. Evans asked Lily about Colin. The smugness that stretched across Petunia's face when Lily explained that she and her boyfriend had broken up before the holidays made Lily wretch.
Petunia's engagement meant that plans for this year's Christmas changed. The Evans family went to midnight Mass on Christmas Eve as per usual but instead of the family spending their Christmas in Cokeworth just the four of them, they travelled to Surrey Christmas day to spend the day with the Vernon family. If Lily thought Vernon was bad his family was an absolute nightmare. The lot of them were overweight and Margaret, affectionately Marge, was downright nasty to Lily. The only way Lily got through the day was by calling Vernon's sister Marge the Barge in her head.
The amount of food and alcohol that the Dursleys ingested that day was horrifying. Lily was thankful that for the most part she was ignored by everyone at the table. The only happy thing that came out of Christmas was that Mr. Evans appeared to have had his appetite return. His chemotherapy had gone well and he seemed to be returning to his normal self. The talk at the table focused on Petunia and Vernon and their impending nuptials. They were planning a short engagement with the wedding date set for a weekend in May. Petunia gave Lily smirk, knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to attend the wedding if she was still away at school. Mrs. Evans piped in and asked wouldn't they rather have their wedding in the summer?
"No, mummy. I want a May wedding. Tulips won't be in season in the summer!" Petunia pouted like a child.
Lily smirked as she caught the flaw in Petunia's comment. "Tuney, isn't the peak of tulip season mid-April? Around Easter?" While Lily didn't want to attend Petunia's wedding she knew it would absolutely break her mother's heart if Lily wasn't there.
Petunia's jaw jutted out in annoyance at Lily. Before she could tell her sister off, Mrs. Dursley commented on how lovely an Easter wedding would be. So it was set that Vernon and Petunia would get married the Saturday of Easter weekend and a big white wedding it would be. The car ride home was nearly as unbearable as Christmas dinner had been. Suddenly Lily was hoping that the next week would fly by so she could get back to Hogwarts and away from her sister.
Sirius bounded into James's room and launched onto the bed. "It's Christmas, Prongs!" The boy bounced up and down on the bed, shaking James out of sleep.
"Geroff, Padfoot!" James tried to roll over but the violent bouncing was too much. "I'll get up!"
Sirius was not content until James was out of bed and pulling on his robe. The Potters' home was not quite a house but not quite a mansion. It fell somewhere in the middle. The large home had a library but was not filled with halls of endless rooms. It was unlike the magnificent estates that other prominent pureblood families boasted. Fleamont Potter had become a successful entrepreneur and had grown his family's wealth dramatically over the years. It was Christmas tradition to put the tree and decorations in the splendid library. The tree sat in front of the big bay window and a number of presents lay beneath the tree.
James sank into his preferred armchair near the fire as he watch Sirius practically push his mother into the room. Mr. Potter wasn't far behind. Christmas had always been a happy time for James to spend with his family. It had always been their happy little trio and then the big party in the evening. This year there was the happy edition of Sirius to the family. Even though it was the first time Sirius had joined them Christmas morning it felt completely normal, like this was how every Christmas had been spent for the past sixteen years. It felt like the Potters' had in fact always had two sons.
After the chance meeting with Mrs. Black on the platform at the beginning of the holidays Sirius had asked James to come with him to Diagon Alley to pick out a nice present for Mrs. Potter. They had flooed to the Leaky Cauldron and spent an entire day browsing the stores for the perfect gift for Euphemia. James hadn't gotten his Christmas shopping done on time like he had planned. Something that he always seemed to neglect.
"This is for you, mum!" Sirius presented a small package to Euphemia with a grin. When he realized what he'd said he blushed deeply.
Euphemia didn't even bat an eyelash. She smiled at her second son. "Thank you, Sirius. But you really shouldn't have gotten me anything."
Fleamont pointed to a large package under the tree. "James, give that one to your brother for me please." Sirius looked like he was on the verge of tears. This was one of the most lovely Christmases he could remember.
Marlene pulled on her deep purple, floor length gown. She stood in front of her mirror pleased with herself. The wonderfully light fabric swished around her as she twirled. A sheer layer of deep purple fabric overlaid the skirt and the sleeves were made of the fabric. A deep cut down to her between her breasts tastefully. Tonight was going to be wonderful. She made her way down to the sitting room where her father, brother, and gran were waiting for her. Her mother was still getting changed.
Max, Marlene's brother, scowled when she twirled into the room. He was not overly fond of his kid sister dressing so provocatively. "Max, I'm seventeen. Bugger off."
Mr. McKinnon gave Marlene a reproachful look for her language. The blonde girl apologized and kissed her father's cheek. Finally, Marlene's mother, joined them in the sitting room. Mrs. McKinnon could have been Marlene's sister. They shared the same silky, blonde hair and deep brown eyes. Both were long, lean, and slender. Mrs. McKinnon's dress was a little more mature than Marlene's, however, demonstrating their difference in age and fashion.
The family apparated to the Potters' home for the New Year's Eve party. Fairy lights lined the drive as the family joined the throngs of witches and wizards making their way up to the grand house. Marlene was ecstatic that this year she had been allowed to apparate-sidelong with her brother as opposed to flooing. Her hair and makeup didn't get mussed with soot this time. The family was greeted at the door by the Potters. Sirius was milling around near a table of drinks inside, not keen on being a member of the receiving line even though he had been accepted as a son by Fleamont and Euphemia.
"Winifred!" Euphemia exclaimed gleefully as Marlene's gran led the charge into the house. James grinned at Marlene. Both teens remembered the days when Mrs. Potter and Granny Winnie had tried to pair James and Marlene off at every turn. They had thought for sure when the two went off to Hogwarts they'd finally develop the relationship that both of the older women were hoping for. The summer after that first year their hopes were completely dashed. James had returned with stories of his love for the redheaded Lily Evans which Marlene had confirmed, being Lily Evans's new best friend.
"You look beautiful, Mar!" James kissed Marlene's cheek.
Sirius had wondered over to say hello to Marlene too. "McKinnon." Sirius looked her up and down like he was appraising a well maintained antique table.
James didn't miss the blush that creeped along Marlene's neck. She was wearing a pair of heels that set her an inch or so taller than Sirius. She really did look beautiful. The deep purple flattered her complexion and blonde hair. James noted that Sirius could barely lift his eyes from the hint of cleavage that the deep vee of the dress accentuated.
"Eyes up here, Black." Marlene murmured playfully. James caught Max McKinnon glaring at Sirius and nudged his best friend. Sirius coughed and commented about checking on the dessert table, asking if James would help him.
The two boys skedaddled out of there before Max could hex their eyes out of their heads. Four years older than them, Max had been as bold a Gryffindor as they. Talented with quick reflexes, a temper that could rival Lily Evans, and fiercely protective of his baby sister. He had finished his seventh year at Hogwarts when Marlene, Sirius, and James had been in their third. He'd moved on to the Ministry in some section of Magical Law Enforcement. He'd only gotten more protective of Marlene as she developed into the strikingly beautiful young woman she was now.
"Did you see McKinnon?" Sirius shook his head as they turned down a hallway that led to the Potters' kitchen. "Merlin!"
James could only laugh. "Don't let Moony hear you talking about her. you know how possessive he can get."
Sirius barked out a laugh. "She's not a piece of meat, James. She can make her own mind up. I might just need to help her."
Speaking of the third Marauder, he was already in the kitchen sneaking treats from the platters of sweets. James laughed as they caught him with not one, not two, but three brownies crammed into his mouth. Like James and Sirius, Remus was dressed in a pair of elegant black dress robes. They had been a gift from James and Sirius that Christmas seeing as he had gone through another growth spurt over the summer and his old dress robes weren't quite long enough anymore. Remus had told them that they had spent far too much money but neither boy would hear it.
"Did you not get enough to eat at dinner, Moony?" James snatched a lemon tart off a tray. "You better stop stuffing your face and go say hello to your girlfriend before Padfoot whisks her away for the rest of the night."
Remus eyed Sirius suspiciously. The shorter boy gave his friend a cheeky grin and a wink. No one would put it past Sirius to seduce Marlene, especially with the way the relationship between Remus and Marlene was at present. They were still skating on thin ice. A house elf bustled in to the kitchen and saw the three teenage boys eating her desserts. She immediately asked them if they were needing something more substantial than the sweets. Were they wanting more roast beef?
"No, thank you, Tibby," James said kindly to her. He ushered his friends out of the kitchen and towards the library.
They cut through the grand foyer where the adults were mingling. Marlene broke away from her family as she saw the trio. Max told her to watch herself around the boys all the while glaring at them. The girl waved him off and followed them into the library. They sank down onto armchairs and couches.
"James, have Alice and Frank gotten here yet?" Marlene didn't mind that she was surrounded by boys but she missed her friends. Almost as if it were a cue, Alice led Frank into the library.
"No, Lily and Peter?" Frank asked the group. Sirius saw James tense a little at the mention of her name.
Sirius shrugged, "Peter's mum never lets him out. She's worried we'll corrupt him." He made no mention of Lily.
They sat and chatted for some time. Music lilted into the room through the open door. Remus pulled Marlene up off the couch and swept her up into a waltz. Well, a clumsy waltz. Having not grown up in the world of the upper class and esteemed magical community, Remus's waltzing skills weren't as perfected as Sirius or James's. Alice pulled Frank up to join them. Frank was a little more graceful than Remus but Alice couldn't get the timing right and was constantly stepping out of beat.
James didn't notice his mum pop her head into the library to check on the young adults. She smiled as she watched the boys pass around Alice and Marlene as dancing partners. Sirius, who was arguably the most skillful dancer in the room, was the only boy who could keep Alice on beat. However, James and Marlene were the most graceful pair having been practicing since they were deemed old enough to attend the Potters' holiday parties and soirées.
Marlene collapsed onto the couch in giggles after Sirius had spun her around the room so much that she had gotten dizzy. Remus and Alice were making a comical pair. She being nearly a foot shorter than the boy. The pair finally gave up on dancing properly. Remus lifted Alice up so she was standing on her feet and walked them around the room, evoking laughter from the other teens.
"Potter! Where's the whiskey at?" The blonde knew he had some stashed somewhere. It had been tradition since they'd turned fourteen that the pair would try to finish a bottle of Ogden's finest firewhiskey at every party the Potters threw. They had only been successful for the first time at Euphemia and Fleamont's fiftieth wedding anniversary over the summer.
James grinned and stood up. He motioned for the teenagers to follow him around the corner of the library. A spiral staircase led up to a mezzanine on the second floor of the house near James's bedroom. Four couches created a square around a round glass coffee table. Three bottles of Ogden's sat on the table. Sirius flopped down onto one of the plush couches and stretched out. Remus pulled Marlene down into his lap on the one across from Sirius. James shook his head at the two boys, it was clear there was going to be some challenging in the coming weeks.