A/N: This one is long overdue, guys! Thanks for sticking with me!
Chapter Twenty: Silent Night
When Lily and Sirius arrived at Gringotts, she wasn't quite sure she was making the right choice. It was a lot of money, after all— a lot of money that her family could use. She found Mr. Potter's offer to be an insult to her integrity…yet here she was. But here she was not without a plan.
Lily marched straight up to the counter and chatted quietly with one of the Goblins, handing him the key. Sirius waited patiently, and when Lily returned to where he stood, looking accomplished, he questioned her. "What was that all about, anyway?"
She sighed and shoved her hands into the pockets of her cloak, which clashed horribly with the blue cocktail dress she was still wearing. "I just needed to transfer a bit of gold."
"Ah," he said breezily, money being a matter which he cared little for. They wandered back out to the silent street of Diagon Alley, mildly lit by the glimmering stars above. "So you aren't still angry with me, are you?"
Lily sighed again, this time more exhaustively. "No…" she trailed off, coming to a sudden halt. "But I do need a favor."
Sirius put on a dramatically stern face. "Anything."
"Seriously."
He nodded his head. "All right. I do owe you. Though I should warn you, my going rate is not cheap, and I'm afraid that favor is only worth so many Galleons."
Lily ignored his joke and peered up at the stars. "Tell me the real reason you and James are fighting."
Sirius actually guffawed. It echoed through the dark streets, and made Lily angry.
"It's not bloody funny, Sirius. I don't like being lied to."
He fell silent, but something flickered in his eyes. "Why do you think I'm lying?"
"There's only one reason men fight as adamantly as you two," she glared. "It's always over a woman."
Sirius raised an eyebrow, and his gray eyes flashed again.
"And I know it's not me," she smiled contritely. Then, biting her lip hesitantly, she whispered, "You're in love with her, aren't you?"
Silence. Sirius' head was turned slightly, and his shaggy locks blocked his face so Lily couldn't see his expression. But after a few minutes, he turned to her and smirked. "Am I?"
A cool evening breeze picked up suddenly and tickled their cheeks as it whisked by. There were neither birds nor bugs out, the absence of which only made the moment that much more disquieting.
Sirius turned away and ground his heel into the cobblestones unconsciously. "It's not like you think."
"Then how is it?" Lily prodded gently.
He sighed and tilted his head up to the stars. "I think, by now, you've figured out what sort of family she's from. The same sort as mine…" he smiled at her ruefully. "She'd be my fiancée, you know. If I hadn't turned my back on my family…"
"…Does she know?"
He nodded. "She does."
Well that explained why she laughed when Lily said Sirius had brought her as his date. "Does she feel the same? I mean she was forced to be with James, right? She can't be happy about it…"
"Oh no," Sirius laughed again, but this time his tone was tinged with sourness, "Edith would never turn down a good…game. And her parents would never let her turn down the power and prestige of the Potter family."
"And what about the Black family?"
"Ah…" Sirius chuckled, "the Most Noble House…No. We didn't offer quite the benefits at the time."
"She sounds selfish, Sirius," Lily said bluntly.
Sirius flicked a small pebble out into the darkness. "She's not all bad," was all he said.
--
Ah, Christmas cheer.
It was what Lily had none of at the moment.
"Bugger!" She had just spilled half a bottle of someone's perfume all over her suitcase. "Bloody hell…all my things will smell like…" she read the bottle bitterly, "Petite Clématite. Charming."
Charlotte shrieked. "That's my favorite scent! Look what you've done!" She tore the bottle from Lily's grasp and cradled it mournfully. "Do you know how much a bottle of this costs?"
"No," Lily went back to packing.
Charlotte huffed and glared at her. "What is wrong with you this morning? It's Christmas Eve. Have some bloody cheer. And stay away from my things."
"You're right…I'm sorry…" Lily flopped down on her bed as Charlotte stomped off to salvage the rest of her perfume.
The truth was she'd been distracted all morning. Ever since last night she'd been thinking about what Sirius had confessed. He wouldn't talk about it anymore, and she couldn't help but wonder why on earth anyone would fall in love with Edith Baldric. Sure she was beautiful, but she wasn't exactly sunshine and roses behind all that. She and Sirius just seemed so different…
Still, it was fairly clear now why Sirius and James were so bitter toward each other. Yet one thing still remained nagging at the pit of her stomach: why was James so eager to fight back? Lily had tried desperately to push an incriminating piece of evidence, but it was resurfacing now to haunt her. James had kissed Edith, and passionately at that. It burned Lily to think about, but there was no avoiding the truth.
Lily flopped down on her bed. "Charlotte…?"
Charlotte was shuffling around her bed, reorganizing some of her trinkets. "What?" She didn't bother turning around. A few bottles of nail polish clinked as she lined them up by color on her nightstand.
Lily could feel herself flushing, and was thankful Charlotte wasn't watching her. "What do you know about James and Edith?"
"What do you want to know?" Lily could practically see her smirk, despite her turned back.
"…Everything."
Charlotte set down a nail polish bottle and turned around on the floor, curling her legs beneath her. "Well…" She shook the blonde curls from her face. "Other than the engagement, I know they've been seeing each other off and on. Pretty much when Edith feels like it."
Lily raised her eyebrows. "When Edith feels like it?"
Charlotte shrugged. "She's a seventh year, gorgeous, rich, and she plays Quidditch. 100 enviable material. Would you say no to that?"
Unfortunately, she couldn't disagree.
Charlotte's eyes softened momentarily and she sighed at the look on Lily's face. "Look, Evans…you have to face the reality at some point. Regardless of what he feels for you, in James' world things are different. You would have to be a part of it to understand it. There are rules to follow. Certain things are acceptable and certain things aren't."
"Certain things like me."
Charlotte shrugged. "You aren't the only one who falls in that category now." She turned back to her little project.
Lily flushed. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to—"
"Please, Lily. It's old news. What's new, however, is you and Sirius Black." Charlotte stood up, admiring the finished product of her organizing and turned to Lily, smirking.
"Believe me…there's nothing there. New or otherwise." Frowning, Lily folded and refolded the shirt in her hands.
"Right. Because he's in love with Edith."
Lily dropped her shirt and glared at Charlotte. "How did you know that?"
She scoffed. "Please, Evans. Everyone knows that Sirius Black and Edith Baldric were to be married. James and Edith dating openly last year was the biggest scandal. And then when the new engagement was announced this year, no one could shut up about it. Besides that, the Blacks basically disowned Sirius."
Bloody hell. Lily blanched.
"God, Lily." Charlotte simply looked disgusted. "Are you aware of anything that goes on at this school? You are a prefect."
"It's not exactly the most social post…" Lily mumbled, stuffing another cloak into her overflowing suitcase. She flicked her wand and sealed the bag shut, whisking it off the bed and over to the door so that she could flop down face-first on her bed.
"Well now I know why you've been so damned moody lately," Charlotte sneered down at her. "You're caught in the middle of two boys fighting over a girl."
Lily snorted into her pillow.
Charlotte narrowed her eyes. "Your knickers are all twisted because that girl isn't you."
Lily was silent.
Charlotte pursed her lacquered lips. "Bit self-centered, isn't it?"
--
The trip to her parent's house was long and quiet. Not peaceful, however, because she couldn't shake what Charlotte had said. She wasn't being egotistical, was she? Was she really angry because James and Sirius weren't fighting over her?
Fog billowed eerily past her window as the train zoomed along the tracks. It finally came to a creaking halt at the station, and she grabbed her bag from the overhead rack. Now that she was home, she had other things to worry about— like her father's unemployment. It was something she wasn't looking forward to confronting her parents about.
"Msh—sntsnd—" the conductor's voice crackled over the intercom, indistinguishable as usual. Lily was the only passenger who seemed to need this stop. She didn't want to risk anyone seeing Rue, so she sent him to her parents on his own. The long flight would do him some good.
Lily wasn't keen on walking in this part of town, but she also didn't have the change for a taxi. Cabbies in Spinner's End weren't likely to accept Wizard Money, although they accepted almost everything else. She hobbled down the busted pavement in the dark past several shattered lampposts. It was silent— no one fooling around on Christmas Eve.
Thankfully, the Evans' home wasn't too far from the train stop, and Lily arrived promptly on her doorstep, dropping her bag with a thud. She may have been a prefect, but unfortunately that didn't give her the ability to use magic outside of school— yet.
There was a soft pattering behind the painted red door. The porch light switched on and the scraggly looking wreath quivered, bits of snow littering the steps. And then the door flew open.
"Lily! My Lily!" her mother cried, squeezing her tight. She was in her Mrs. Claus apron and a cloud of flour and cinnamon filled the air.
"Mum!" She buried her face in her shoulder, not caring that she probably looked like a powdery ghost now. "Dad!" she exclaimed, running to greet her father who'd just shuffled around the corner.
"Darling!" Her father embraced her. Lily frowned. He felt much thinner. She pulled away and examined his kind face. Many more grays had sprouted. "How is school?"
"Eh…same old…"
"Lily?" Petunia rounded the corner. She'd sprouted again and had grown even taller. "What did you bring me?"
Lily frowned. "Nice to see you too."
"Come on now!" Their mum scurried back into the kitchen. "I need to finish before everyone gets here."
Lily furrowed her brow. "Mum, you are losing it." She dropped her bag on the couch and headed to the sink to wash the flour off. "Everyone is here—"
The doorbell rang.
Lily turned on her heel. "Who else did you invite?" she frowned and wandered back into the living room, flinging the front door open.
"Evening." James Potter tipped an invisible hat and grinned.
Lily slammed the door and spun around.
"Who is it, dear?" her mother called from the depths of the kitchen.
"Er…a…solicitor!" She could hear James' muffled protests.
"Really?" her father walked past the kitchen doorway and grabbed the eggnog from the fridge. "Odd. It's Christmas Eve…"
"Yes…er…heh heh. Strange." Lily cracked the door open and glared at James. "What are you doing here?" She hissed.
"It's not polite to go slamming doors on people's faces, you know," he chided. He was carrying a giant gaudy bouquet of flowers.
"You…you brought me flowers?" Lily glared incredulously.
"They aren't for you," he said haughtily. "They're for your mum." He grinned again. He looked quite…normal in Muggle clothes.
"You look pale."
"It's flour." Lily narrowed her eyes. "You need to leave."
"I don't think so. I was invited." He made to push his way in, but Lily blocked him.
"No! You need to leave now. This isn't a game, James. This is my family."
"I'm aware of that," he frowned, equally irritated with her accusation. "I made a promise."
"Yes. You did. To Edith Baldric."
"I don't want to think about Edith." He brushed the thought away with a hand. "My parents aren't even here. They're in France. Can't I just have a normal bloody holiday for once?"
"No!" Lily tried to slam the door again, but just then her mother appeared.
"Jamie!" she burst past Lily with open arms. "You made it! Lily, don't be rude. Don't leave him standing out in the cold."
"Oh, thank you Mrs. Evans," James flashed his best smile.
"Now, James, we've been through this. Call me Annabelle. Oh! Are these for me? What a darling!"
Lily gaped as her mother ushered him off towards to the kitchen table. Grumbling to herself, she trailed into the kitchen and flopped down in her seat.
"Lovely place, Mr. Potter," James said amiably, sitting right next to Lily.
"Please, call me Henry," her father beamed, eyes darting between James and his daughter. He chuckled to himself. "I'm just so happy to see our little girl finally bring someone home."
"Dad," Lily hissed. "I didn't bring him home," she grumbled, fluffing her napkin bitterly.
"Now, you're from Hogwarts too, I presume?"
Years of mingling with socialites had done James wonders. He could say or do no wrong. Only Petunia was wary of him and the subtle winks he kept throwing in her direction. "I am."
"He flies a broomstick." Annabelle pointed out, proud as if he were her own son. Lily's stomach did a somersault.
"Er…it's called Quidditch, actually," James grinned, taking a bite of mashed potato. "I'm the captain of the team."
"Oh, really now?" Henry marveled through a mouthful of turkey. He was an avid sports fan himself. "Anything like football?"
"Sort of…" And at that point, James and her father became lost in a deep conversation about the history and inner workings of Quidditch.
Lily slouched deeper into her seat, pushing the peas and potato together around the plate with her fork. Her parents grinned and chuckled at every quip that slipped expertly from James' smiling lips. If only they knew. How could he just show up here, after everything that had happened, and act so nonchalant? If anything, this only confirmed her worst suspicions about James Potter.
"—Right, Lily?"
Her fork stopped scraping at the plate. She lifted her head. "Er…right. Yeah."
"Oh, how marvelous!" Annabelle screeched. "What a sweet thing to do, Lily!"
"Er…what?" Lily paled. What had she just agreed to?
James grinned and continued. "And that's not even the best part. After she made that beautiful candlelight dinner and confessed her feelings for me, she released the fairies."
"The fairies?" Lily choked on her eggnog.
"Oh, the fairies!" Annabelle clasped her hands excitedly.
"Yes," James winked at Lily. "She spent weeks training them to spell out 'I love thee, James, with all my heart' in the night sky." He swept the air before him distantly with a hand, a glazed look in his eyes.
Her mother burst into tears.
"Oh, God, Mum," Petunia rolled her eyes.
"I'm sorry-" she sniffled, "that was just so beautiful! I didn't know you had such a romantic streak, Lily!"
Lily cleared her throat. "Yes, well," she said through gritted teeth, shooting James the darkest look she could conjure, "What can I say? I just love this bloke." With that, she dug her heel into James' foot and stabbed his thigh with her fork.
James groaned and buckled forward, but saved himself by making it look like he was reaching for the punch.
Henry smiled. "Well, dear, I must say I approve! James, you're a lovely young man!"
"Er…Thank you, Henry," he croaked, catching Lily's eye. He grinned mischievously.
"I suppose we'd better clear the table!" Annabelle stood, but James immediately leapt up.
"No, no! Please, let me." He began stacking the dishes expertly in his arms.
"James, you're a guest!" Henry protested.
"It's the least I can do."
"Well, thank you!" Annabelle shot Lily and approving look.
"I'll help," Lily said quickly, ushering her parents and Petunia out into the living room. Once they were settled on the couch, she whirled around and stomped back into the kitchen. "Just what are you playing at, James?"
James' back was turned and he was already scrubbing the dishes in the sink. "I'm just having a bit of fun, Lils."
"FUN?" she slammed the glasses onto the counter. "You call humiliating me fun?"
"Lily," he turned to her. "You were the one who asked me to play your boyfriend. I'm staying in character."
"In-charac-" she stammered. "That was ages ago! Why are you here?"
James was silent, flipping on the water. "Just…wanted to see you for Christmas."
"Please," Lily crossed her arms and leaned her back against the counter next to James. "You saw me at your little engagement party. Congratulations, by the way." Feeling fidgety, she snatched the dishtowel and began drying.
James grunted.
"Do you love her?" Lily asked suddenly, violently chafing a plate.
The plates James was holding clattered in the sink. "What sort of bloody question is that?"
"A valid one," she grumbled, heat rising in her stomach.
He shook his head. "I don't want to talk about Edith."
"Well then what do you want to talk about?"
"How long have your parents been married?"
She scoffed. "Don't change the subject, James."
"I told you I don't want to talk about Edith. Now answer my question." He glared sideways at her. "Please. Lily, it's Christmas."
Lily eyed him a moment then sighed. "About twenty years I think."
"That's good. Really good."
The water trickled slowly from the faucet head. Lily dried another plate and stacked it on the counter, her anger ebbing. "How about yours?"
He shrugged. "Sixty-three years and two months."
"Wow." She frowned. "You remember that?"
He shrugged again. "It's important, don't you think? How long you spend your life with someone."
Lily stared at the water spots on the glass in her hand. "I suppose…" She glanced up to find him staring at her. "Although, it seems like it's more important to focus on how you spend those years. Does time really matter?"
James smirked. "If you don't have much of it, yeah." He went back to scrubbing.
"You know," she changed the subject and turned around to face the counter. "I don't think I've ever seen James Potter raise a finger to do work."
He grimaced and splashed her with soapy water.
"James!" she shrieked, throwing the towel at him. "You prat!"
He stared at her blankly and splashed her again.
Lily gasped and leapt at him, reaching into the water herself, but James was too quick; he snatched her around the waist and lifted her off the ground.
"Let me go!" she yelled, giggling and beating him with a wooden spoon. "Jaaames!"
"Liiily!" he mocked, swinging her around.
"Everything alright in here?" Annabelle's voice came from the doorway. Her eyes sparkled, as if she'd seen something warm and all too familiar.
James dropped Lily who was still giggling, thick red locks in a tangled mess. "Erm…yes, Mum," she replied, blushing.
Annabelle examined her kitchen; all of the clean dishes were covered in soapy water again. "You two are making more work for me," she scolded with a smirk.
"Sorry, Annabelle," James cleared his throat. "Ow!"
Lily had whapped him with the spoon when her mother wasn't looking. "We'll clean it up, Mum."
"No, no," she ushered them toward the living room. "Presents!"
The family piled onto the couch, James and Lily on either arm of the sofa. Petunia began rifling through the gifts. "Crackers first!"
"Um…I'm full, no thanks," James held up a hand when Petunia shoved a wrapped purple tube at him.
"No, silly," she rolled her eyes. "It's like a gift. You pick a partner and rip it open. You know 'Crack!'" Petunia threw her arms apart to simulate the explosion.
"It's a lowly Muggle tradition," Lily said sternly. "Can you indulge us a moment?"
James grinned. "Only if you do it with me."
Lily stood up and took the other end of the cracker.
"1…2…3!" Petunia cried delightedly.
The tube exploded everywhere, candy and toys scattering across the floor. Petunia snatched them up in a heartbeat. Lily leaned down and picked up the purple paper crown and fixed it atop James' mussed dark head. "There," she smiled. "Perfect."
"Oh, pictures!" Annabelle leapt up, scrambling for her camera. "Against the mantle. Scoot!" She brushed them together against the fireplace.
James and Lily stood stiffly beside the gnarled Christmas tree, James' purple crown askew.
"Closer! I can't get you both in the shot," Annabelle complained.
"James and Liiily sitting in a tree…" Petunia danced around singing
"Come on now, Annabelle," Henry said gruffly, trying to snatch the camera from her. "Don't embarrass them."
"Henry, stop it. This is a beautiful moment. Relax."
"K-I-S-S-I-" Petunia circled the tree, throwing candy.
Lily sighed, flushing with embarrassment. "Mum, please—" The commotion grew in the cramped little living room, her parents arguing voices colliding with the cheesy Christmas music coming from the record player. Petunia continued to tease them, skipping by and plopping a crumpled yellow crown on Lily's head. "I'm sorry…God this is embarrassing," she mumbled to James
He just smirked.
"I am calm, Annabelle," Henry folded his arms and grumbled. "I just want to make sure the lighting is proper."
"Closer! Act like you like each other now!" Annabelle sang, peering through the viewfinder.
Lily flushed suddenly as she felt James' arm slip comfortably around her waist. He pulled her gently against his side. Lily looked up at him, but his eyes were on the camera. Flustered, she turned just in time for the flash.
"Lovely!" Annabelle cried.
"I'm not sure that will turn out. You didn't have enough backlight."
"Backlight! Oh please, Henry…"
James didn't let go of her. Instead, he tipped his head and caught her gaze. Lily stared back, her green eyes wide. James leaned in, making her heart leap into her throat. But he didn't try to kiss her. He just smiled, a genuine kind smile, and whispered, "This is nice."
It took a minute for Lily to find her voice, so she just nodded in response.
"Desert! Let's eat before it crawls away," Henry joked, stomach focused on the kitchen.
James let go of Lily and turned to the family. "I'd better go. I've got a long trip home. Broomstick, you know."
"You flew your broom all the way here?" Lily frowned.
"Long flights clear my head." His gaze lingered on Lily a moment.
"Oh," Annabelle raised her eyebrows. "Well, thank you for coming!" She scooped James up in a hug.
"Thank you for having me," he said. He turned and shook Henry's hand. "And you, sir."
"Lovely chat. Interesting sport that Quidditch. Perhaps I'll see you in that World Cup one of these days," he gripped James' hand firmly.
"One can only dream," James sighed.
"I'll…walk you out, James," Lily said softly.
Outside it was cold and dark. The street was poorly lighted. In the distance, the cannery clunked and churned; steam billowed into the inky sky and hid the stars from view. No rest for the weary. At Spinners End, even Christmas Eve was a workday. Lily shifted on the snowy doorstep awkwardly.
There were no carolers' songs or dim candles at their neighbors' doorsteps. Lily felt somewhere at the back of her mind that she should be embarrassed, but she was tired of that, and she couldn't muster the energy to care. She was focused only on the boy at her doorstep, who in this dim light looked like a grown man. His angular features were emphasized by the shadows, and his hazel eyes blazed.
"Happy Christmas, James," Lily said tentatively.
"Happy Christmas," he smiled, taking a step closer.
She could smell cinnamon and apple wafting through the crack in the door. "I actually…had a really good time tonight."
"Me too," he grinned and ran a hand through his hair. "I really like your family."
Lily frowned. "Even Petunia?"
"Even Petunia," he laughed, taking another step closer. "But…"
Lily stood very still as he reached out and brushed a lock of auburn hair back behind her ear.
"I especially like you," his eyes sparkled.
Lily laughed. "You're a prat."
"I know. But I'm a marvelous, sexy prat." He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her body up against his own.
"Right," she peered up at him, suddenly very aware of his warmth.
James leaned in, tightening his grip on her. Lily kept her gaze steady on his, unaware of the icy cool air or the snow that had begun to fall around them. She reached up and tugged on the collar of his jacket, tightening the scarf around his neck, her fingers lingering on the warm wool.
"You should keep warm on your ride home. You could catch a cold…"
James didn't respond, he just watched her with those sparkling hazel eyes.
Lily blushed and stood on her tiptoes, giving James a small kiss on the cheek. He stared at her, amazed. "I'm sorry we've fought so much. Good luck…with everything," she said quickly.
"Lily…" James caught her hands in his as she was pulling them away. His eyes darkened with intent and he leaned in-
"SHE'S OUT HERE SNOGGING HER BOYFRIEND STILL! WANT ME TO GET HER?"
Lily thought she might die. Actually, she wished she could die. Damn Petunia!
James grinned. He had already taken a step back. He gave Lily a smirk. "I'd better get home."
"Right. Good night then." Lily hurried to through the door awkwardly.
"Night," James gave her one last glance before the door shut with a jingle.
Lily pressed her back to the cool wood and slammed her head against it three times. When she peered out the curtain, James was gone. She closed her eyes and sighed.
"What a sweet young man."
Lily opened her eyes to meet her mother's. "Mum…"
Her mother had stars in her eyes. "You know, you two would make lovely children."
"MUM!" Lily shrieked. She sighed and flopped down on the sofa, then looked back over her shoulder at her mother. "Mum…"
"Yes, darling?"
"Er…what happened with Dad?"
Her mother smiled, shooting a quick glance into the kitchen where Petunia and Henry were eating desert. "What do you mean?"
"His job, Mother. What happened?"
She shook her auburn locks, exactly like Lily's, and waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, don't worry about that. Things will be patched up in no time. I'm sure it was a misunderstanding. You know, sometimes these things happen around the holidays. It is a slow year, after a-"
"Mum," Lily pleaded.
Her mother stopped herself, heaving a sigh that made her eyes glisten ever so slightly. "I don't know…it was very sudden."
"So…" Lily stared at her open palms. "What does that mean?"
Her mother shrugged dejectedly. She plopped down uncharacteristically beside Lily. "I don't know." She looked her daughter in the eye.
They sat there for a while in silence, perhaps contemplating entirely different things. Lily, for one, felt a dawning sense of guilt. And as the night grew later and she crawled into her bed, she couldn't help but think that she'd brought this on somehow.
Had James' father really done something to interfere with her father's job, or was he simply a savvy businessman taking credit for circumstances beyond anyone's control? Lily feared that there was only one reason for his reaction, and that reaction could only come about if someone had tipped him off.
Which led Lily to her next, somewhat satisfying conclusion: Lily intimidated Edith. If Edith truly thought Lily was a threat and went to James' father about it, then Lily was in luck.
As she drifted off to sleep, Lily dwelled peacefully on one thought:
She had the upper hand.