Chapter 10: First Christmas Together
"I miss home." Lily said as she finished sending out another letter to her parents using her snow-white owl, Twinklebell. She turned and sat down in one of the large armchairs in the common room. It was a sunny afternoon outside but none of the girls felt like being outdoors today.
"Well, I don't have much of a home to miss, I supposed. I don't think I want to go back to the orphanage not that I don't miss my friends there or what. But it's just that, well, I don't know if I still fit into the muggle life. What if they ask me about school and sorts? How am I going to answer them? 'I'm a witch studying in a school that you have never heard of before.'?" Arabella sighed as she settled on the comfy armchair in front of the fireplace.
"Come and stay with me then. I would love some company though." Stefanie suggested excitedly. She jumped up from her armchair and ran towards the Arabella. The common room was rarely empty. Today was a rare exception because most of the students were out playing in the snow.
Just then James, Sirius and Remus walked into the common room, damp from their snowball fight. They went to settle themselves at the comfy armchairs in front of the warm fireplace.
"Who said that you guys are allowed to sit here?" Arabella said pointedly at Sirius with a tinge of annoyance.
"There is no rule saying that we can't sit here. Afterall, this is our common room as well, just for your information." Sirius replied with a grin. His longish center parting hair was in a cute mess after the snowball fight.
"You guys are not welcomed to join our conversation. Besides we got here first." Stefanie added, settling herself in another armchair since Remus sat on the one she was sitting previously.
"We did not want to join your conversation. We just wanted to sit on these comfy armchairs." Remus replied, grinning at Sirius, both guys laughing at Stefanie.
"Alright, let's not argue. How about we continue our conversation in our dorm?" Lily suggested, trying to be the peacemaker. Arabella and Sirius seldom remain in the same room for more than five minutes without breaking into an argument, or sometimes, more serious, a physical fight. Lily and Stefanie had spent most of the time pulling Arabella off Sirius because he annoyed her so much in just two months.
"We've gotten here first. These armchairs are usually taken. How can we let them get it??" Stefanie emphasized and stayed put in a big armchair, no intention of moving.
"Well, since neither of us want to budge. How about we just have some nice and civil conversation here? So what are your Christmas plans?" James asked the girls casually as he sat on the mat in the middle of the circle of armchairs.
They finally started talking in a civilized manner now. Arabella and Stefanie still glared at Sirius for intruding. Remus was grinning at Stefanie. Lily and James were having a civil-sounding conversation, trying to get the rest to join in. After awhile, they relaxed and were talking amiably for the first time in three months.
"I believe my parents are going to have some boring Christmas party at home on Christmas Day this year. How about all of you come and join me? Sirius, Stefanie, Remus and I had to make an appearance in that party. After that we can have a mini party in one of the rooms without disturbing the adults. Fion said that she misses Sirius and Remus in the last letter and suggested that I can invite some friends over for Christmas." James announced, sounding more serious than usual.
"I know I'm so irresistible that even a lady of twenty-one misses me after my three months of absence." Sirius said cheekily as he dodged a huge cushion from James, which subsequently hit Lily straight on her face.
"Ouch." James grinned and Lily smiled, she was not the petty sort of girl.
"I think that's a great idea. We can all have a gathering at the Potter's Manor. If possible, we can stay together till the end of the break and we can head back to Hogwarts together." Remus suggested, getting a little excited.
"What makes you guys think that we girls want to join you?" Lily commented wittily.
"Lily, you need to. I can't imagine being stuck with the three of them for the entire break! I need a break! Besides Arabella is going to stay with me at my place. So that left you." Stefanie said, looking at Lily with puppy dog eyes, which Lily seldom said no to that.
"Well, I gotta ask my parents first. I want to spend my Christmas with them. Then I'll come and join you guys on Christmas afternoon onwards then, if possible." Lily said thoughtfully.
"Yes!! Three cheers to Christmas!!" All the six jumped up in joy. They went up to their respective dormitories. The girls were planning on pranks to deal with the guys during the break, so were the guys.
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
"Merry Christmas Mum! Merry Christmas Dad!" Lily kissed her parents on Christmas morning. She had bounced down the stairs excitedly in her pyjamas.
"It is okay that I can go and join my friends from afternoon onwards right??" Lily reconfirmed with her parents.
"Yes dear, you may go. Enjoy yourself and we'll see you during summer. You've asked so many times already." Dawn Evans hugged her daughter.
"Thanks Mum! Thanks Dad!" Lily jumped and head towards the Christmas tree and start unwrapping her presents.
Lily had gotten a silver bracelet with little silver lilies dangling on it from Arabella and Stefanie. And she had gotten a book Quidditch for All Ages from the guys. Her parents had brought her a broom from Diagon Alley, Nimbus 1500. I can't believe mum and dad would spend so much on me. This broomstick is really expensive. Petunia had given her a packet of tissue, which was normal for her. And she had gotten some other simple presents from her grandparents, relatives and old schoolmates as well.
After clearing away her presents, Lily got up to pack her stuffs and get ready to head towards the Potter Manor. She had a quick lunch with her parents and kissed them goodbye before heading towards the fireplace with her backpack and her new broom. The bracelet jingles as she grabbed the Floo powder that James had sent her via his owl and dropped in the fireplace. This was the first time that Lily used Floo powder. James had even made sure that Lily's fireplace was connected to the Floo Network for today.
"Potter's Manor" she said clearly. The next thing she could feel was being spun.
"Lily!" Stefanie and Arabella rushed over to the fireplace and hug the slightly dizzy Lily. Then each of the guys gave Lily a bear hug as well.
"Wow! You've gotten a Nimbus 1500 as well. Now all of us own the same broom. Let's aim to join the quidditch team next year!" Arabella said excitedly. She had gotten Nimbus 1500 from the guys. It was an expensive present, but well, the guys belonged to affluent families. Honestly, Arabella had been surprised to receive it from the guys. I can't believe someone like Sirius can actually suggest something like that. Maybe he isn't so bad after all.
All of them grab their Nimbus 1500 and headed towards the Potter's quidditch stadium. Lily barely had time to digest the huge mansion that James stayed in. It looked like a castle. Wow. James is not only rich. He is very rich! Oh my god! There are like a hundred rooms here.
"Mount your brooms." James instructed and they started flying in the air. It was a game of girls versus boys. They played for the whole afternoon and until evening.
"Hey kids!" a female voice boomed across the entire quidditch stadium.
"I'm not a kid!" James yelled and landed in front of the lady. The rest of them follow suit.
"Hi, my lovely lady, it had been a long time." Sirius said as he grabbed her hand and give her a kiss.
"Haha, thank you, my lovely little Sireesy." The lady responded with a smile. Sirius blushed rather furiously from the way she addressed him. This was rather rare because Sirius seldom blush at anything.
She's gorgeous. Lily thought. The lady had a long raven black hair that reaches up to her hips. The long hair had streaks of golden highlights and was nicely curled. She was quite fair with a radiant pink glow on her flawless face. Although she was wearing just a plain white spaghetti top and blue hot shorts with a pair of black slippers, she looked stunningly pretty in a simple outfit.
"This is Lily Evans, Arabella Figg and that's Remus. He's been here only once. And she's Fion, my older sister by ten years." James introduced.
"Harlow. Nice to meet you all." Fion smiled at all of them, showing a row of white and straight teeth.
"Hi, Fion. You are really gorgeous." Lily complimented sincerely.
"Thanks Lily. You have beautiful red hair yourself." Lily blushed while the rest of them giggled.
"Can't we play for awhile more?" James asked, pouting.
"No, Jamesie darling, all of you gotta be nice and clean by dinner. The party is starting at 6.30 and it's already 5 now. The girls need to get ready. Look at you! You three better go and wash up. Come on girls, let's go dress up together." Fion suggested.
"Don't ever call me that!"
pPpPpPpPpPpPpPpPpPpPp
"I feel weird! This is the first time I'm very something like this." Lily proclaimed as she stared at herself in front of the 3-sided full-length mirror in Fion's humongous bedroom. Wow. This room area is bigger than my entire house. Her hair was let down in big waves with some butterfly clips on the top for the criss-crossed strands. She was wearing a simple spaghetti emerald green colored dress that reaches her ankles. The dress flattered her eyes and her creamy skin tone. It would flatter her curves on the waistline and chest if she was older and more developed. But I must admit that I look pretty in this.
"So do I." Arabella came out of the bathroom and stood beside Lily to have a proper view of her. She had a silver colored hairband on her brownish-blonde hair, which was in slight waves as it flowed all the way down to her waist. Her hairstyle and dress made her looked at least fifteen because of her height. Arabella, standing 1.5m, was the tallest among the three. Her purple toga dress had a slanted skirt-line with the long end reaching her ankle while the short end was slightly below her knee. I never thought I would look like this. So princessy!
"Hmm.. I look okay right, Fion?" Stefanie asked as she paraded around in her short white halter-neck dress. Her smooth back can hardly be seen because her straight dark brown hair had covered it until her waist. Stefanie was a little more developed with some minor curves. Her while halter-neck dress made her look like an angel, what she needed now was only a halo and wings to complete the angelic look.
It was a coincidence that all three girls had long hair that reaches their waist and they had no plans of cutting them in the near future. They quickly wore matching shoes and gave themselves one last glance in the mirror before they left Fion's bedroom.
"Thank you very much for your dress and your shoes and everything." Lily said and smiled at Fion sincerely. Arabella followed up with her thanks and appreciation while Stefanie had brought and wore her own outfit.
"You can keep the dresses and shoes, I can't wear them anymore." Fion smiled at both girls. I really like Lily. She felt like the younger sister that I would like but never had. Fion excused herself from the girls and went to join the adults in the hall.
She is so wonderful. How I wish Petunia were like that. But Fion is a billion times better and prettier. Her black bareback dress fit her so perfectly. Her long raven black hair with golden highlights is now piled up on her head using those pretty silver clips and exposing a smooth back. She sashayed down to the hall with grace and elegance that I never thought any woman could have. Lily was looking at Fion until a sudden laughter broke her concentration.
James, Sirius and Remus were walking over from the opposite direction. James was wearing a white tuxedo; Sirius was wearing a black tuxedo while Remus was wearing a brown colored tux. What a transformation from the three boys who were playing quidditch earlier, to the three young gentlemen standing in front of them. They met up just before the steps that led towards the hall.
Wow. Lily looked like an angel. James got out of his little trance and walked towards Lily.
"May I?" James held out his right elbow for her to grab.
"Huh? Er.. sure. Who taught you that?" Lily found it amusing for James the big prankster to do something so gentlemanly especially since he was only eleven.
"Since young. All these gentlemanly manners had to be observed in these sorts of parties. I did this with Fion back then before she had a boyfriend." James replied and turned to look over at his sister standing next to a guy, who looked like her boyfriend.
"No wonder. I can't believe the infamous school prankster can be as gentlemanly as this." Lily giggled.
"Well, there are a lot of things you don't know about me. Anyway, I'm starving. Let's go and get some food." James said as he led Lily to the dining hall.
Sirius followed James suit and took Arabella's hand while Remus took Stefanie's. All the three pairs headed towards the dining hall.
pPpPpPpPpPpPpPpPpPpPp
Before they knew it, it was time to head back to school the day after.
"We actually had fun without pranking the guys in the last week." Lily commented suddenly while packing her stuffs into her backpack.
"I don't remember ever having so much fun at these parties. Remus was so unlike his school-like self." Stefanie sighed as she laid on the bed.
"Well, we all had fun, didn't we? Sirius was like sooo gentlemanly. I thought he was possessed!" Arabella commented and smiled at the thought.
"James was pretty interesting too. At least now I know that he had such a gentlemanly and well-mannered side of him." Lily added and folded the dress that Fion had given her for the party.
That night the three girls had very long and sweet dreams about the party.
pPpPpPpPpPpPpPpPpPpPp
"Hogwarts, here we come!" James shouted as he dashed towards their favorite compartment at the end of the train.
"Wait for us!" Lily shouted at him, tugging her heavy trunk behind her.
"Help me with my bag!" Stefanie pleaded as she tried to lift her bag onto the train. She was not joking when she said her bag was heavy.
"Where's my dungbombs? JAMES!!" Sirius, upon realization on his loss of dungbombs, chased after James.
"SIRIUS EDWARD BLACK! Change my hair back to normal!" Arabella ran after Sirius, with her wand in front and her lavender-coloured hair flowing behind.
"Your hair matches your eyes now." Sirius shouted back to her without stopping his run.
Remus was walking behind all of them, amused at their child-like behavior, which was in total irony when compared to the day at the party. He had helped Stefanie with her bag. The three matured looking lady-like girls a few days ago were running around chasing the guys, who were perfect gentlemen just days ago. These are my friends. But what would happen if they know that I'm a werewolf?