Dear JK Rowling: I wish I was you. But… I'm not.'
Lily M, this chapter is for you. Read the end author's note, please!
December had arrived, as had the snippy Scottish winter. The holiday season was also upon them and Hogwarts had been decorated beautifully for occasion. Trees were covered in tinsel, enchanted flameless candles, silver bells, and ornaments. Wreaths hung on the inside door of each common, and small candles that had been enchanted to always burn floated near the ceiling, casting each room in a warm, yellow glow.
Lily sat on a couch in her common room, reading and rereading the letter Petunia had sent. When the letter had arrived at breakfast the day before, Lily had been over the moon. She had sent Petunia letters for the first few months of first year, but Petunia had sent only one response, telling Lily that she thought Lily's world was disgusting and getting letter by owl was for her kind, not people like Petunia. They had stopped corresponding after then.
Lily glanced back at the letter, letting her eyes drift over the words.
Dear Lily,
I was thinking of bringing Vernon to meet Mum and Dad over Christmas. I then remembered that you'd be home for the holidays, back from that school you go to. I also remembered that you had brought that awful girl home with you last Christmas and she'd done your horrible, ungodly witchcraft IN OUR GUESTROOM.
I don't really want Vernon to ever know about you, so could you please stay at school rather than coming home? I don't want him to walk in and see you making a potion to turn him into a toad. I know you would, too, just to upset me and make Vernon run out on me. Write mum and tell her you need to stay and you're so sorry you can't make it and all that shit.
I hope to not see you soon,
Petunia
Lily sighed. When Aira had seen the letter, she told Lily she should go home and change Vernon into a toad, just to spite Petunia. Lily had laughed along with her friends, though she dismissed the idea. Petunia may have hated Lily now, but they were sisters. Petunia seemed to really love him, and Lily didn't want to ruin it,
She grabbed a clean sheet of parchment and penned a quick letter to her mother, explaining that as head girl, she had been asked to stay at the school for the holidays and was unable to get out the duty. She felt a pang in her chest, but she shook it off. She was lying for Petunia, in a last resort to reconcile with her sister. She then balled up Petunia's letter, tossed it into the flickering flames and watched with satisfaction as the paper blackened and curled in the heat. She gave a solemn nod, as if thanking the fire for a job well done and headed up toward her room.
She opened the truck at the end of her bed and rummaged past the leftover ink and quills that littered the bottom until she found a group of wrapped gifts. She'd planned to give them to her family on Christmas, but she wouldn't be heading home.
She gathered up the presents and her letter and started for the Owlery.
She was exiting the common when she ran directly into James.
"Good afternoon, Flower!" James said, readjusting his glasses, which had slipped off his face from where her forehead had hit them. "Where are you rushing off to on this fine December evening?"
"Owlery." She rubbed her nose, which had hit his jaw. "I got a letter and some things to send out."
"I've got some gifts to send out. We can go together. Wait here!" James instructed before disappearing behind the door.
He reappeared moments later, carrying a dozen or more packages under his arm.
"Ready!" He said, giving her a smile as he attempted to push the tapestry aside with his free hand. Lily laughed as his stack of packages collapsed all over the floor and bent down to help her pick them up. She then pulled the tapestry aside and followed James as she walked out.
They walked along talking idly, oblivious to the students who were staring at them. It seldom occurred that Lily and James would have a civil conversation, and it was an event for Hogwarts history when they did.
When the entered the Owlery, James hurried over to a large barn owl.
"Cinnamon." He cooed, stroking the owl. "take these to Mum by next week and I'll sneak you some kippers when you return." James attached the a few small packages to owl's leg and released him. The owl expertly flew out the windows.
"You named that owl Cinnamon?" Lily teased, attaching her letter and gifts to leg of a school bird and releasing it from the window.
"I was eleven. I thought it was greatest name in the world." He sent a few more packages out with different owls. "Who are those for? People you're not going to see? "
"No, I'm not heading home this year. Petunia asked me not to come." She watched the bird fly off over the lake. "She wants to introduce her disgusting boyfriend to my parents and she doesn't want him to see me doing magic."
"You're not seventeen, you couldn't even do magic outside of school." James said, selecting another bird.
"I know, and she knows that, too. But I represent everything Petunia doesn't like: out of the ordinary, headstrong, demanding."
"That's what makes you… you. Without it, I don't think I'd love you as much." James said, stringing up a few more gifts.
She smiled at him. "You and Petunia wouldn't get along at all. Petunia and I are sisters, and we barely get along."
"I don't think we should invite her to our wedding, since she's going to hate me." James said, releasing his last bird. "I suppose I can wait to give you your Christmas present, since you're staying. I'm not heading home, either. Padfoot's not leaving, since he doesn't want to intrude on my family's holiday and he can't visit his own. Moony and I are staying to keep him company."
Lily looked at him. "James, you didn't have to get me anything."
"I know. We were on Hogsmeade weekend and I saw it. I wanted too." James said.
"I didn't buy you anything. I'm sorry." She shook her head.
"It's alright. We've got two weeks before Christmas. You'll find something." James said, nodding at her.
"What makes you think I'll buy you something?" Lily said, raising her eyebrows. "I don't love you, James."
"I know you, Lily. It's the season, and you love buying gifts for people." James gently wrapped his arms around her. She started to squirm, but James just held her tighter. "I'm sorry to hear about your sister. I'm sure you parents would have loved to see you."
"Oh, they'll see me at Easter." Lily said. "Now please let go of me."
"Why?" James asked, playing with her hair. "I've seen you girls. You hug all the time."
"That's because we are girls. We hug to show affection. You don't hug your males mates the way you hug girl mates." She explained.
"So, we're mates, then?"
"Civil, James. Not mates, but civil." Lily said, laughing. "I'm heading off to find Aira. She said she would stay if I did."
James released her. "Fine. I'm sure the other girls will stay with you."
"Ellie can't. Her family is pretty large, and she doesn't get to see her brothers altogether much." Lily wrapped a scarf around her neck.
"Charlotte will stay, I'm sure." James reassured her, smiling. "Go find your friends. I'll see you later."
"Good bye, James."
Lily made her way across the school toward the library, where she had agreed to meet them. She attempted to banish the sinking feeling in her stomach, but couldn't. Aira may not have minded staying, but she didn't want to keep her friends from their families.
She pondered this as she made her way to library. When she arrived, however, Charlotte informed that she wouldn't mind staying at all. She had already planned on staying with Aira.
As Lily finished her potions essay, she looked at her friends and smiled. She didn't know why she deserved such wonderful people, but she didn't question it.
On Christmas Eve, Lily, Charlotte, Remus, Aira and Sirius sat at breakfast. They talked quietly about Christmas and what they'd gotten people. As she watched Remus and Sirius talk, she worried.
"Sirius?" She called to him.
"Yes, Miss Head Girl?" He replied, picking at his eggs.
"A few days ago, James mentioned he'd gotten me a gift. He didn't, did he?" Lily's forehead crinkled in distress.
"Oh, he did. It's the most spectacular thing I've ever seen." Sirius said, nodding.
"Oh, no! Sirius, I don't have a present for him." Lily moaned, placing her head on the table. "I can't believe he got me a gift. I thought he was joking."
"Get him new Quidditch gloves. He needs some, his have a rip down the side."
She opened her mouth to thank him when James ran into the Great Hall.
"Lily! Padfoot! Moony!" James said, running up to them. "Aira, Charlotte! It's snowing outside!"
The five all glanced at the ceiling. The enchanted roof showed the flakes that blew around. Wind carried the white snow, which seemed to fall onto the students.
"Yes, it is." Lily stated.
"We should have a snowball fight!" James said, pulling a pair of wool mittens from his pocket. "With magic, of course." He gave his wand a small flick.
"Let's! It'd be brilliant!" Sirius said, jumping up. He wrapped his scarf around Aira's neck. "Come on! It'll be fun!"
"Aye, I'm game." Aira said, slipping into her Scottish accent, as she often did around the holidays. "I'll get my wuklie."
Everyone gave her curious glances. "What you Brits call a coat." Aira rolled her eyes, as if it was obvious. "Come on Charlotte, Lily."
"We'll meet you in the Entrance Hall!" James called.
Fifteen minutes later, the group ambled out into the snow. James quickly explained that they break into two teams, Charlotte, Aira and Remus vs. Sirius, Lily and James. Any use of wands was acceptable.
The game began slowly, which a few simple throws and little tosses. Then, Sirius enchanted a snowball to follow Remus and Aira remembered she knew how to make snowballs.
Lily, Sirius and James scattered as Remus enchanted the snowballs Aira supplied to follow everyone. Lily attempted to deflect them, but the snowballs would simply fly around and hit her from behind.
Remus, Aira and Charlotte quickly overpowered the others, and Lily and James ducked behind trees while Sirius ran for some rocks.
"James, they're bleeding fantastic! Why'd we put them on a team together?" Lily said, rubbing her hands together.
"You didn't disagree!" James snapped. "I didn't Aira was any good."
"Well, you didn't ask me." Lily snapped back, breathing into her hands.
"Are you cold?" James asked, suddenly. He grabbed her hands, and held them in hers. "We can surrender and go in."
"I'm a little chilly, I suppose. But we've got hours off, what else are we going to do?"
"We could go in and sit by the fireplace."
Sirius had crawled over to them. His eyes were partially closed, he was soaking wet and he was shaking.
"Aira's an amazing shot." He mumbled. "We lost, I'm going inside."
James burst into laughter as Aira rounded the corner, followed closely by Charlotte and Remus.
"Aye, It's simply baltic out here! Let's go get ourselves toasty, eh, lass?"
The others just stared at her. "I feel like a dodder, as you'd say, asking, but what do you mean?" Sirius asked, rubbing his red cheeks. "I hope it was something about getting out of the chill."
Aira tucked her hair behind her ear and beamed at him. "I meant we should go and sit near a fire. You Brits really don't know much about Alba, which is Scotland, do you?"
"Aira, you lived in Scotland for a little over three year. You don't know much about Scotland, either." Lily scolded, standing. "Your just as British as the rest of us."
Aira smiled and ran toward the castle doors, the others close at her heels.
They were sitting in the Head's common room, warming themselves by the fire and drinking eggnogs that Remus and Sirius had gotten the house elves to make them. Lily had protested, but the Remus assured her that that the house elves wanted to do it.
"I simply love the holidays, don't you?" Charlotte asked, sipping her drink.
"I really do, Charlotte. It's so nice. The decorations, the feeling you get when you see someone love the gift you give them. It's wonderful."
"The school does decorate nicely." Aira commented.
"I don't think so." James said, looking around. "Why don't were decorate this room a little?"
"It's fine, James." Lily said, leaning against his leg. "Look at that tree. It's gorgeous."
Charlotte smiled at Lily. "I agree with James. It could be nicer. I think that the Gryffindor common room is more done up than this." She said looking around.
"I agree with both of them!" Sirius said. "It's warm in here, we just want to spruce the place up a little for Christmas. It is not going to break any rules."
Lily looked around at her friends' eager faces. "Alright." She said. "There's nothing wrong with making a place beautiful for Christmas."
"It's settled then!" James said, waving his wand. Boxes of tinsel, streamers, mistletoe, ornaments, candles, bells and all of the other holiday trimmings appeared.
"Everyone grab something!" James commanded, pulling some tinsel out of the box. "We're going to make this place beautiful."
For an hour, Lily, Aira, Charlotte and the Marauders set to work. Sirius and Aira set springs of mistletoe above the fireplace, door, and a few on the ceiling. Remus took care of the enchanted the candles to float, while Charlotte hung bells on the tree. Lily began to hang ornaments on the tree. James had finished hanging tinsel from the ceiling when he saw her.
"Flower, what are you doing?" James asked, staring at her.
"I'm decorating the tree." Lily said, hanging a ball that had the Gryffindor emblem on it from a branch. "Why?"
"But… you're wasting so much time, putting each colored ball, candle and ribbon by hand. You just wave your wand, and it's prefect. Who taught you this?" He ran his hand over the branches.
Lily laughed. "James, this is how you decorate a tree the muggle way."
"That's seems like a serious waste of time." James grimaced.
"It's not. Come on, help me." She said, handing him a box. James just stared at them, confused. "You put them on the tree, James."
He looked confused, then picked a small a turtledove out of the box and stuck it on the tree. He cocked his head, then placed another. They decorated the tree together when Sirius walked over.
"Prongs, what are you doing?"
"I'm decorating a Christmas tree." He said, handing a few colored balls to Sirius. "Here, place a couple of these over there."
And Sirius did. Remus, Charlotte and Aira slowly came over and began to decorate the tree as well. Which a few minutes, the tree was covered in twinkling lights, colored balls, tinsel, candles, crystals teardrops, ribbon and ornaments.
Charlotte took in the room and smiled. "It look's absolutely beautiful, now."
Candles floated near the ceiling, casting the room in a warm glow. Bells, wreaths, ribbons, mistletoe, tinsel, and lights covered the room. Two stockings flanked the roaring fire and the room smelled like peppermint.
Lily collapsed onto the couch and James sat next to her.
"This is much better now. It really reminds me of Christmas at home." She said, looking around.
James smiled at her. "I'm glad we were able to bring an Evans Christmas to Hogwarts."
The other's laughed, but Lily's eyes shown brightly as she looked at him.
"Oh, my!" Aira said, staring at the space above the sofa. "Mistletoe." Her smile turned devious as she pointed.
Lily and James looked up simultaneously.
"Well, that's bloody fantastic." James said, his eyes bright. "We have to kiss."
She glared at him. "You set this up, I'm sure."
"Not at all!" He laughed. "How could I've? I didn't know you'd sit here."
"Oh, bugger off. I'm leaving." Lily stood up, and immediately fell back next to him.
Sirius smirked. "It's magic mistletoe, Lily. If you don't kiss, you're going to be attached to Prongs until you do."
She stared at him, mouth agape. "You're kidding. You must be bloody joking."
"Nope." Sirius took a sip of eggnog. "Have at it."
Lily stared at James. "I don't believe you did this." She growled at him.
"Oi! Prongs didn't do anything. That mistletoe was Aira and I's doing." Sirius defended his best friend. "Don't go blaming him."
Lily glared at Aira, who became very interested in the carpet. "Sorry." She mumbled. "But I find him more dishy than a Scot in a worn breacan."
"Dishy is attractive, and a breacan is a kilt." Charlotte clarified for the others. "And you're just going to have to kiss him, Lily."
"I don't want to." She pouted, crossing her arms.
"Come on, Lily. I'm dishy, as Aira would say. It could be worse." He said. "It won't mean anything."
Lily sighed and stared at everyone around her. They were all sitting there, waiting patiently.
"Fine." She said, finally. "But it doesn't mean anything." She clarified to James. She then reached over and gently kissed him on the cheek.
But when she tried to stand, something restrained her.
"Sirius, I kissed him. Why can't I get up?"
"It's magic, Lily. It knows that it wasn't a real snog. Try again." Sirius said.
Lily stared at James, who was smiling off into space. "Let's get this over with."
She turned so they were facing each other. She closed her eyes and slowly leaned foreword, bracing herself.
James's lips were soft like pillows, and he was an incredible kisser, unlike she had thought. He slightly turned his head and gently bit her lip, and she sighed. She felt herself begin to kiss him back, and her hand moved up to his hair when a cough brought her back to relatively.
She and James broke apart and looked at their friends, who all stared, wide mouthed.
"I think that I'm going back to the Gryffindor common room now." Charlotte said, slowly standing. "Happy Christmas, Lily."
"I'll come with you!" Remus jumped up and followed her. "Happy Christmas, you two."
Sirius broke into a wide grin. "That worked better than I thought it would. Aira and I will leave you to it, then. Happy Christmas and a dashing good year."
Aira laughed and nodded. "Good luck!" She mouthed to Lily.
When the door closed behind them, James's hazel eyes stared at her, bemused. "I think we should pick up where we left off."
"No. I'm going to sleep. Happy Christmas, James." Her eyes were glazed over and she moved without seeing where she was going.
When she got to her room, she fell face-first onto the bed. Thoughts bounced around in her head. She been prepared to kiss him back and had even begun to. She always assumed that if James ever really snogged her, she'd vomit over bloody everything.
She hadn't. She enjoyed every second, from the minute his lips touched hers.
"I don't understand." She said to her desk. A faint hoot responded.
She looked up and saw a tiny barn owl holding a package at least twice its size on the windowsill, tapping at her window.
She pulled the sash open and slid the window up, paid the owl and took the package. She slowly took off the brown paper and pulled out a box of Querian's Premium Quidditch Gloves.
She stared at the picture. She managed to sneak off and order them in the Owlery before they meet outside for the snowball fight.
She grabbed some foil from her closet and wrapped the gift, topping it with a bright, silver bow. She then placed it on her nightstand and flew into a deep, troubled sleep.
"Flower! Flower, its Christmas! Wake up!" James was kneeling beside her bed, whispering in her ear. "Evans, wake up, it's Christmas morning!
Instead of getting up, Lily rolled away from him. "Flower..." James said. Her face rolled towards his.
She mumbled something.
"Get up or I'm going to kiss you." James warned, a smile playing across his lips.
Lily didn't move.
"Fine." He said, pressing his lips against hers. Lily's snapped open, but instead of pushing him away, she grabbed his shirt and pulled his closer.
"Bloody hell." James said when she stopped. "It really is a happy Christmas."
Lily blushed. "I was dreaming about someone else." She stuttered. "That's why I kissed you."
James laughed. "Obviously. That's why I heard you mention my name in our sleep."
"I was dreaming that I was having a lovely time with another boy and yo came to interrupt it." Lily defended herself.
James eyes shone. "I don't care. You kissed me."
Lily turned away from him. "Go away, James."
"It's Christmas morning. There are presents." James said, looking into her eyes.
"You're like a child, James." She said, climbing out of her bed. She grabbed her robe and his gift off of nightstand. "Let's go."
They entered the common room, and Lily was surprised to see the pile of presents lying under the tree. She knew her family would send them over, along with Aira, Charlotte, and Ellie, but she didn't imagine what Christmas would have been like.
She sat by the tree and ran her hand along the colored paper. "It's just like home, James."
He sat beside her. "I know. I wrote your mum and asked how you did Christmas at your home, since you couldn't be there. She was happy to help."
She looked at him, and he gestured to the plate of oatcakes, bacon, eggs and juices on the coffee table.
"She told me that your family eats as you open gifts, so I woke up early and got some food for us."
She stared at James, and could feel tears forming. "Thank you. Thank you so much." She said, wiping her eyes.
He smiled as her. "Come on, let's open gifts."
She laughed the two of them dove into the pile. She found gifts from Sirius, Remus, Charlotte, Aira, Ellie, her parents and even one from Petunia. She laughed as she opened a box of rocks from Petunia's boyfriend, Vernon.
She and James laughed and ate, enjoying the holiday.
They were surrounded by colorful paper, and we're finishing breakfast when James slid a box across to her.
"I told you that I could wait to give you your gift, since you've stayed. Happy Christmas, Lily."
Lily smiled and reached into her robe pocket. "I've got something for you as well. Happy Christmas, James."
"On the count of three, then." He said, taking the box. She picked hers up and he gave a countdown.
When he hit three, she ripped the paper off and pulled out a thick, black box.
"Quidditch gloves! I needed a pair. How'd you know?" He asked, smiling at her. "Thank you." He noticed that she was staring at the case. "Go on, open it."
Lily stared at the box before raising the lid, which revealed beautiful, emerald and yellow diamond earrings.
"They represent you and me, Lily. The emeralds are you and the yellow stones are me." James said, staring at the earrings.
She looked at him. "Oh, James…" She said. She walked over and kissed his cheek. "They're beautiful."
"Did it suddenly get very cold to you?" Sirius asked Aira, Charlotte and Remus that day at lunch.
"Well, it's winter, so I suppose it's a little chilly. Why?" Aira said.
"Because I think hell just frozen over." Sirius said, pointed at the door, which Lily and James had walked through, talking civil, they're hands intertwined.
Lily M-
I think you're psychic. Or you're taping into my brain. Either way, it's time to get the tinfoil hat.
The mistletoe kiss idea was actually what drove this entire story. This story was going to be a Christmas-themed oneshot. This chapter, and some more, would have been the whole story.
Reviews are great! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter!
Thank you all so much! I didn't think this story would get that much traffic, and it's completely wonderful.
-BMTauthor