Comments: Three things. One, from the last chapter, when I referred to soccer, I was referring to the American version of soccer…sorry for any confusion. Two, I noticed that I've been spelling Jeffrey a few different ways…from now on, it will be spelled "Jeffrey". Three, thank you guys for the reviews!!! You're awesome!!! Here's a little token of my thanks to a randomly selected few.
Elwood Penscottie: I wish I had a James too! Thanks, I'm glad you like my work.
Dana Whelks: Sorry if my twist in chapter five tricked you into thinking Lily was going to the ball with James…I know, I'm mean!
Carmel March: Sorry it's taken me so long to update…I've been busy with summer reading. But thanks for all your wonderful comments!
Soccergirl2044: Thanks for all your reviews! You'll find out who kisses Lily…scroll down and read!
Nabooru the Tempest of Fate: Check inside of the milk carton. And a small tip…stop running into walls!
To all my reviewers: Thank you so much! This story wouldn't be what it is now if it weren't for you! Love ya!
Lily awoke at exactly six in the morning, the same time she stirred every Christmas morning. Eyes heavy with sleep, she yawned and turned over in her four-poster bed, not wanting to rouse just yet. But she suddenly remembered what day it was and all recognition of her tiredness was quickly erased and replaced with a feeling of anxiousness. She had never spent a Christmas away from home before, and now with all the magic of Hogwarts, she could only imagine how much more exciting Christmas would be here. True, she was not with her parents for the first time ever during the holiday season, but on the bright side, she was away from Petunia. And that, was a small miracle in itself.
Excitement surging through her veins, Lily tore open the curtain on her bed, and leapt across the room, where a small Christmas tree that hadn't been there when she went to bed and a small mountain of presents waited for her. Lily opened each present quickly, reading each letter with careful precision.
Dear Lily,
Happy Christmas! We're so sorry we can't be together this year, but it is seldom that your father and I get away, and well, when the opportunity arose we quickly snatched it. Besides, you and Petunia are practically grown, and I'm sure being on your own for Christmas, as sad as it sounds, is actually a good experience for the both of you. I'm only sorry you two couldn't settle your differences, at least for one day, so that you could spend Christmas together.
Our trip is proving to be nice so far. You should see your father on skis! Such a spectacle he makes of himself! But we're having fun all the same, although I'm now beginning to have some doubts about not seeing my girls on Christmas. But, I'm sure you're having fun at Hogwarts, bringing some joy to that large, empty castle. It's a gift of yours to bring happiness and hope wherever you are.
Please owl me and tell me all about your holiday. I look forward to seeing you this summer. It seems so far away, but then again, I've never could handle having you away for more than a week. Don't worry about us, we're fine as always.
Love,
Mom and Dad
P.S. I hope you like your present…I met a witch here in the Alps and she said that no young witch or wizard should be without one, even if they don't partake in the sport.
Sport? Lily's heart leapt. Had her mother really gotten her a… No! She couldn't have! They were so expensive and…
But there it was, shining brightly, as Lily unwrapped the package carefully. She grinned. Her very own broomstick! And not just any broomstick…a Nimbus 1000! She didn't know much in the way of Quidditch except for the bit Jeffrey had taught her, but she knew enough to know that this was one of the best broomsticks money could by. James often bragged about his Nimbus to anyone within earshot.
Still beaming from this unexpected present, Lily tore open her next letter from Alice.
Dear Lily,
As I write this, I'm on board a train that will take us to my grandmother's. We traveled to Germany by portkey, but this train will take us to my grandmother's home in Berlin. I know it sounds silly not to have just taken a portkey to my grandmother's house, but mother insists upon taking the train, because it's one of the few Muggle devices that fascinate her.
I feel so bad about leaving you at Hogwarts all alone, and on Christmas no less! So, I've sent you a present that I'm certain you'll enjoy. The instructions are on a note fastened to the present. Happy Christmas!
All the best,
Ally
Lily's brow furrowed as she pondered over the endless possibilities of Alice's present. Finally, unable to resist waiting any longer, she ripped open the parcel, confused to see a small pocket-sized notebook with a shimmering silver pen attached to its rings. She opened to the first page of the notebook and saw another note from Alice.
Lil,
I best explain what this is before you go insane trying to find out on your own. (I know you too well, don't I?) It's a book we can use to communicate through. See, whatever you write will be transported to the book I have, and what I write to you. Isn't it wonderful? So you see, even though we're apart on Christmas, we can still keep in touch. Plus, it's much faster than owl!
Alice
Lily smiled and scribbled a short message to Alice.
Thanks for the gift! It's wonderful! You must tell me all about Berlin! I'm so jealous! Germany! You're so lucky! Oh, and don't worry so much about me being alone this Christmas. Jeffrey Hayes is here, too. And stop thinking into his staying…it's nothing like that, we're just friends. I don't know why I'm bothering to write this since I know you won't believe me, but it's true. Happy Christmas!
Setting the notebook down carefully on her bed, Lily opened the third present with a short note attached. It was from her grandmother. She felt a pang of guilt in her stomach. Her father rejected the idea of telling her grandmother about Lily being a witch. They didn't think she would understand, just as Petunia didn't. Lily desperately wanted to tell her, because she felt her grandmother, of all people, would understand. Year after year she argued with her father about it, and year after year, it was decided that it would remain a secret. Lily hoped that one day she would be able to tell her secret to her grandmother.
The parcel contained a beautiful cardigan of deep green made form the softest wool found in Ireland, her grandmother's home nation. Her grandmother refused stubbornly to leave Ireland, for it was the nation where she had met Lily's now deceased grandfather, and it was her home. Lily had visited once when she was a baby, but she couldn't remember anything of the trip. She hoped to go back there again, now that she could fully understand and appreciate the experience of Ireland.
Jarring herself from her thoughts, Lily turned to the last parcel, quickly reading the letter, her jaw dropping wide.
Dear Lily,
I hadn't planned on getting you anything for Christmas, since you've made your feelings quite clear to me time and time again, and I didn't want you to take my getting you a gift the wrong way. However, when I saw these, I knew I had to get them for you. They were perfect. I'm not asking for anything in return, in fact, I refuse to take anything from you. This is simply a token of our newfound friendship. I hope we can remain good friends. Have a happy Christmas.
Love,
James
If James's letter startled Lily, then what was inside his parcel stunned her. She opened the paper to find a small silver box. Upon opening the lid she found two small and dainty emerald earrings, shining as bright as the sun. Lily was taken aback by James's kindness. Surely she didn't mean this much to him!
Whatever emotion she was feeling about James was soon ended by a voice yelling loudly, "Hey, Lil! Lil!"
Lily recognized the voice immediately, and in the rush of her excitement, she forgot all about the exquisite earrings. She dashed to her mirror, sticking her tongue out at her reflection. The girl staring back at her both disgusted and disappointed her. She wore a loose nightgown that reached down to her knees, a pattern of forget-me-knots dotting the fabric. Her hair was as vibrant and wild as ever, sticking out of the messy bun she had placed it in the night before. She then became aware of how dreadfully pale her skin was, nothing compared to the multitude of girls with caramel complexions. She even cursed her green eyes for not being blue or brown as normal girls' eyes were.
Sighing and deciding that nothing was to be done about her many faults, she scrunched up her nose in dismay, then hurried out of her room and down the stairs, finding Jeffrey waiting for her.
"Happy Christmas!" he called, grinning.
"Happy Christmas," Lily recalled, smiling upon seeing him. She couldn't help but notice how adorable he looked in his wrinkled blue and white pinstriped pajamas, his toffee colored hair messy from sleep, and his eyes dancing with the joy of Christmas.
"Come on," he urged her, taking her hand. "You have to see the Great Hall. It looks amazing!"
"In my pajamas?" Lily protested.
Jeffrey rolled his eyes. "There's hardly anyone here. Trust me, no one will notice. Besides, the few people who are here are still in their pajamas. Why, even Dumbledore had his nightshirt on, and no one treated him any different. I only ran back here to fetch you."
"You came back for me?" Lily asked, surprised.
"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Jeffrey asked, incredulously.
Lily beamed, not making any more fuss on him coming back for her. She accepted his hand, and allowed him to lead her out of the portrait hall, through the bright corridors of Hogwarts. All around the castle was decorated with deep reds and greens, holly berries strung all over the place, mistletoe everywhere imaginable, lights and candles shining brightly. Lily wondered if magic was to be credited for the bright glow of the candles, for she couldn't remember ever seeing a candle quite so vibrant.
As the walked down the stairway toward the Great Hall, Lily noticed Peeves pestering a few first years who had also stayed behind for the holidays. She heard the ghost's obnoxious laughter and banter even as he stalked away, towards the Ravenclaw Tower, perhaps in pursuit of his next victim. Lily vividly recalled the only time she had a run in with Peeves. She was in her first year and Peeves was waiting outside of the girls bathroom, trying to peek inside, for some walls were even forbidden to ghosts, when Lily and Alice skipped out, on their way to lunch in the Great Hall. Peeves called them names and floated through them, simply bothering them by his mere presence. Luckily enough, a Hufflepuff prefect, who Lily didn't know, came wandering by and scolded Peeves, threatening to find the Bloody Baron. Peeves left reluctantly, all the while singing a mean song about girls with red hair and freckles. Lily had pretended his song hadn't bothered her, but later that night, in the privacy of her own bed, she cried herself to sleep. She never quite forgave Peeves for his hurtful words, but now she more or less pitied the ghost, wondering if he was only this way because he had been cursed into a life of immortality.
"Here we are," Jeffrey said, leading Lily into the Great Hall.
The Great Hall was quite a sight on any ordinary day, but the way it was decorated today was almost too much for Lily. The same banners and colors of red and green were streamed everywhere, candles and bright Christmas lights glowing proudly. The four house tables were now gone and replaced with one large table, at which both students and faculty alike were sitting. Snow fell from the enchanted ceiling, actually reaching the ground, then disappearing. Lily grinned broadly as she journeyed up to the large table, her spirits high.
"Morning, Miss Evans!" Professor Flitwick remarked. Lily noticed that he was especially cheery today. Charms was Lily's favorite subject, and she had a soft spot for Professor Flitwick.
"Good morning," Lily returned happily, smiling at Professor Flitwick and then Professor McGonagall as she sat. And was it her imagination, or did McGonagall just smile back at her?
"Try some bacon," Dumbledore urged Lily, thrusting the plate into her hands.
Lily, upon being addressed by the headmaster, was too shocked to speak, but managed a smile as she took the platter of bacon, her favorite breakfast dish. She wondered if Dumbledore was blessed with some sort of power that allowed him to know that bacon was her favorite breakfast food. Then she quickly rejected the idea, thinking of how silly it was to believe someone would have, or even want, the power to know of someone's favorite meal dish! But as she took a heaping portion of bacon, her eye met Dumbledore's, and the twinkling of his blue eyes made her second guess her theory. He seemed to know what she was thinking and laughed heartily, then turned his attention to a firework Professor Flitwick shot off. The firework managed to burst open right in front of Professor Fudge, who seemed to be the only one at the table who wasn't enjoying the Christmas festivities. Lily laughed at the _expression on Fudge's face, causing the others around her to laugh as well. Fudge didn't seem to find their laughter funny.
Just as the table quieted down, a door to the Great Hall opened, and a small figure emerged, black hair a tangled mess, eyes red with tears. Lily gasped upon realizing who it was.
"Chase!" she remarked, getting up and rushing over to her. All eyes from the table followed her as she wrapped her arms around Chase. "What happened?" she asked, concerned.
Chase bit down on her lower lip, trying to ease her pain.
Lily led Chase from the Great Hall to the dormitory upstairs. There she allowed Chase to continue crying, until all her tears were gone. Lily stroked her hair tenderly, trying to calm her down. "Shh…" she whispered, pacifying her. "Now what happened?" she asked, once Chase was calm enough to speak.
"My aunt," Chase began, forcing herself not to burst out in tears again. "She…she's horrible…my mother…. This is the first Christmas I ever spent without her and…and she…"
"Oh, you poor thing," Lily remarked, kissing her on the forehead. "Are you all right?"
Chase nodded. "I think I'm just going to lie down for a while."
Lily nodded. "All right. Get some rest and call for me if you need anything, okay?"
Chase smiled. "Thanks Lily. And can you…well…can you not tell anyone about this? I mean, Sirius and Alice, and everyone. I just…I don't want them to know. Especially Sirius. If he knew, he'd probably kill my aunt. And, as appealing as that sounds right now, a life sentence in Azkaban is not what I want for him."
"I promise," Lily said. "I'll be just downstairs."
"Okay," Chase said, sitting down on her bed. "Happy Christmas, Lil."
"Happy Chrismas," Lily said, shutting the door to the dormitory.
XXX
"You all right?" Jeffrey asked Lily later that day. The two were walking outside in the snow, completely isolated.
Lily nodded. "Yes, why?"
"You just seem a bit distant," Jeffrey noted.
"Well…" Lily began. "It's just about Chase. I just feel so bad for her. And…I feel a little guilty leaving her alone."
"You want to go back inside?" Jeffrey offered. "We can hang out another time, if you'd prefer."
Lily shook her head. "No, no, it's fine. Chase is asleep, and besides, I like spending time with you."
Jeffrey grinned. "Really?"
Lily smiled and nodded. "Of course."
Jeffrey reached for Lily's hand, and she accepted, reveling inwardly. It became quiet for a while, the two just walking, neither speaking, due to nervousness and out of contentment.
"Oh, guess what," Lily began. "You'll never guess," she remarked before giving Jeffrey a chance to.
Jeffrey laughed, "Okay then, what?"
"I got a Nimbus 1000 for Christmas," she said excitedly.
"Really?" Jeffrey asked impressed. "That's one of the best brooms."
"I know," Lily said. "My parents bought it by accident though. Well, they weren't really sure what to get me, they always by me wacky things they'd think a witch would want. Well, someone told them to get me a broomstick, and they listened. Lucky for me, they got me something useful this year."
"You want to try it out?" Jeffrey asked.
"Yeah, but it's inside," Lily said. "I really don't feel like running all the way back up to the dormitory just to get my broomstick."
Jeffrey grinned, his eyes sparkling. "Accio Comet One Thirty,"
In a matter of seconds, Jeffrey's broom came soaring across the Hogwarts grounds, directly into his hands. Lily grinned in awe before trying the spell out herself.
"Accio Nimbus 1000," she ordered, and surely enough, her broom came flying into her hands.
"Wow!" Lily remarked, amazed.
Jeffrey laughed at her excitement. "Can't catch me!" he yelled, darting up into the sky.
"Can so!" Lily insisted, taking off in pursuit of him.
Lily spent the rest of the evening with Jeffrey, playing quidditch and then challenging him to a game of Wizard's Chess, which she won. All in all, she had a wonderful Christmas day, thanks to her new friend. She gave him a shy peck on the cheek before heading up to bed where Chase was still sleeping. She hadn't woken once since Lily put her to bed.
Climbing into her own four-poster, Lily snatched the notebook Alice had bought for her and opened it eagerly, happy to see a message from her friend.
Germany is wonderful! It's so beautiful…you could only imagine. Gran is pretty cool herself…she taught me some traditional German recipes, I'll have to make some of these dishes for you one time, they're amazing! I'm glad you're having a good Christmas…I won't say anything about Jeffrey just now, just that he is available if you are looking…
Lily laughed and scribbled her own message back to Alice.
I'm not looking, thank you very much, although he is rather nice. He showed me first hand how to play quidditch today…my parents bought me a Nimbus 1000, the same type James has! It's a really splendid broomstick…not that I have much basis for comparison. Hope to see you soon! Lots of love-Lil.
XXX
Days flew by and Lily found herself to be having one off the best Christmases of her life. Chase recovered quickly from her sadness, for it was hard to stay upset with all the cheer and joy Hogwarts brought at Christmastime. In fact, the time until the holidays ended flew by, and Lily found herself racing to catch up with her schoolwork. Finally on New Years Eve Day, the others returned from their holiday break, and the common room was as lively and noisy as ever.
"Lily, Chase!" Alice remarked, throwing her arms around them as she entered the portrait hole.
"Alice!" Lily grinned, squeezing her tight. "How was your trip?"
"It was great!" she exclaimed. "Really, you should have been there." She turned to Chase. "How was your aunt's?"
Chase shrugged. "You know…the same as always." Lily shot her a comforting smile, reassuring her that her secret was safe.
"Hey!" Sirius called, followed by James and Remus. He walked over to Chase, locking her in a tight embrace and kissing her softly on the lips. "How was your aunt's? Was it terrible?"
Chase shrugged. "You get used to it after a while."
Sirius frowned. "I told you to come stay at the Leaky Cauldron with us. I could have rented you a room."
Chase smiled. "Thanks anyway…but I survived."
"Okay, but next time, come stay with us," Sirius insisted. He turned to Lily and Alice. "How were your Christmases?"
"Amazing," they both cooed, then laughed at each other.
Sirius shook his head at the two, leading Chase away to a far corner of the Common Room.
"So you had a good time?" James asked Lily. "You weren't too miserable here by yourself?"
"Well, no actually," Lily said. "Jeffrey was here, so I had a friend to talk to."
James forced a smile, a bit disappointed at the mention of Jeffrey's name. "Did you like your present?"
"My…oh, yes! It was lovely," Lily insisted, giving James a hug. "Really, you didn't have to go out of your way for me.
James wanted to say, like hell he didn't, but he kept his comments to himself. He simply smiled and turned to greet Alice.
"Remus, did you have fun as well?" Lily asked politely.
"Oh, yes, I enjoyed myself a lot," Remus said. "Jerald just moved into a new house, a bigger one, so my stay was quite pleasant."
"That's good," Lily said, as Jeffrey walked over to greet everyone. James tried to be as polite as possible, but couldn't help shooting daggers at the boy. After all, quidditch player or not, anyone who fancied Lily was an enemy to James, and this was one enemy James wanted to get rid of for good.
Everyone lounged about the Common Room all day, talking and catching up with friends, only moving to go to meals. As tomorrow was the last day of break, the day when everyone would cram to complete all the homework assignments they should have done earlier in the holiday, today was the last real day left of the holiday. Around ten, most of the first and second years scooted off to bed, but everyone else remained, eager to witness the new year. Lily, Alice, Chase, Sirius, James, Jeffrey, Remus, Frank and even Peter were all plopped down on couches and cushions facing each other. Jeffrey sat next to Lily, who was sandwiched between him and Sirius, who held Chase on his lap. James sat on the couch across from them, Alice and Frank next to him. Both Remus and Peter sat on cushions between the couches, and everyone was chattering mindlessly about their holidays and the fun times they had.
"Wait, wait!" James interrupted, nearly keeling from laughter. "Tell them about the old hag at the Leaky Cauldron!"
Sirius laughed heartily, remembering all to well the old hag who had been hitting on me. "Well, she walked inside, right up to the counter where James and I were eating. Now there was one stool between him and I, and she plopped right down on it, staring at me. I finally asked her if she was all right and…"
"…and," James continued. "She says, 'Oh I am now, honey. Why don't we go upstairs and see if we can't find a way to entertain ourselves.'"
The nine erupted in fits of laughter, Chase finally breaking the silence.
"So you cheated on me with an old hag?" she teased, her arms laced around Sirius's neck. "
"I'm sorry babe," Sirius teased, trying to keep a straight face, "but she was just so tempting, really. I couldn't resist her."
Chase giggled and kissed Sirius playfully on the forehead. "I'm sure," she joked.
"Three minutes 'til midnight!" a loud voice called. Lily recognized the voice as belonging to Vincent Dillit, a seventh year.
The nine waited impatiently as one, then two minutes passed. Finally it was nearly time to celebrate the new year…
"Five, four, three, two, one!" everyone yelled. "Happy New Year!" The Common Room exploded in a fit of cheering and yelling. How the first and second years remained asleep was a mystery to everyone, for not even Times' Square itself could have been louder.
Then, every couple around starting kissing, as to bring them good luck in the New Year. First, Alice began kissing Frank, followed by another couple Lily didn't know, and ending with Chase and Sirius. As Chase kissed Sirius, she bumped into Lily, causing her to fall on top of Jeffrey. She blushed and apologized, but stopped speaking once she looked into his eyes. She never before noticed the specks of gold dotting his bright hazel eyes. Lily was feeling dizzy and confused, and she knew from looking into Jeffrey's eyes that he was feeling the same exact way. Suddenly, his lips were pressed softly against her, catching her by surprise. Her eyes closed instantly, and soon enough, she returned his kiss, slowly and gently.
Lily heard a chorus of Oooh's as she and Jeffrey pulled apart, and she felt her cheeks turned crimson, eventually laughing along with the others. She felt Jeffrey's hand slide across her back, and she smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. She felt safe in Jeffrey's arms. She didn't even worry about the millions of I told you so's she could expect from Alice the minute they were in the dormitory. All that mattered was that she was with Jeffrey, and he had kissed her.
"Happy New Year's," Jeffrey whispered softly, his mouth tickling her ear.
"Happy New Year," Lily returned, grinning.
XX
Please r/r!!!
Spoilers for the next chapter: Lily and Jeffrey go on their first date in Hogsmeade, and someone has a nasty breakup. Also, the girls find out a bit more about Remus.