Twas the night before Christmas...
A/NI wrote this at about 3am on Christmas Eve night because I couldn't sleep, thinking it would be rubbish but it was something to pass the time, but then I read it back on Boxing Day and realised that I actually love it and that I wanted to share it with you guys :') Some Jily fluff that I would love to come across myself. I hope you guys like it and a Very Merry Christmas to you all! I love you! ~MaryLouise1996
The Perfect Present
Sitting in a circle, the sixth year Gryffindor girls passed around the presents that had appeared in a jumbled up pile under the tree in the common room. That had been a special request. Lily, who knew of the kitchens through her friendship with Remus (and was ashamed to admit she visited them more than regularly), had asked her favourite house-elf if she would mind dearly changing from the usual routine of piling presents at the foot of the recipient's bed.
Along with the majority of students, Lily and her best friends Marlene, Alice and Hestia, had remained at Hogwarts over the Christmas period due to the increasing unrest outside of school walls.
"Lily, Marls, Lily, Alice, Marls, Marls, Me! Lily, Alice, Alice, Me! Lily, Me, Me, Marls, Alice."
Hestia tossed each gift to the girl who's name had been called. Lily laughed as she accidentally threw one at Marly that had been meant for her and Marly, who had been looking very excited at the prospect of the particular present, pouted good-humouredly.
After each person had a sizeable pile before them, they began to take turns opening a present and squealing over the contents.
"Do they really have to be that loud?" Peter Pettigrew wondered aloud from his seat along with the other Marauders at the other side of the common room.
"Of course they do!" Sirius Black exclaimed. "They're girls and it's Christmas! It's only natural."
Back by the tree, it was Lily's turn to open a gift.
"Oh, oh! Open this one!" Marlene had seized the small, boxed shaped present wrapped in a swirly paper that had accidentally ended up on her pile.
"Ok! Right, who's this one from?"
She turned over the gift.
"That's odd. It doesn't say."
"Are you sure Lil?"
"Yeah. It just says To Lily, Have a Very Merry Christmas, Lots of Love."
Lily didn't notice James Potter turn very slightly in his seat at the other side of the room.
Lily carefully tore off the wrappings to reveal a small, velvet box. As she prized the lid open, a sprinkling of real lilies, magically preserved and shrunk, fell to her lap.
Inside the box, nestled amongst the velvet wrappings, lay a small necklace. It was on a fine, twisted silver chain, and the pendant was a beautiful heart-shape. It looked like a hand-drawn shape rather than an ugly generic heart, and had a hole through the middle. The outside tracing of gems were beautiful, crystal clear diamonds, but the attention was drawn to the inside tracing made from tiny, glittering emeralds the most amazing dark green that Lily had ever seen.
She let out a small gasp of surprise. In a word, it was perfect.
"It's beautiful."
Alice took the box from her and looked herself, a perfect expression of wonder settling on her pixy-like face.
"Lil, this is gorgeous! Are you sure it doesn't say who it's from?"
Lily nodded, once again checking the paper the box had been wrapped in. Alice lifted the necklace from the box and looked beneath the velvet wrappings, but looked up shaking her head.
"Well then, you're just going to have to wear it every day so that whoever gave it to you can see how much you like it."
"Are you sure I should wear it? Wouldn't it be safer to keep it for special occasions?"
Marlene was inspecting the necklace now.
"Lily, this must have been really expensive."
She passed it to Hestia who's face lit up with appreciation.
"No, a necklace like this is made to last! It's the kind of thing you should wear every day; it's too lovely for people not to see it. Can you imagine if it just sat in a drawer all the time?"
Lily shook her head.
"No, you're right. It really is too lovely."
The necklace was passed back to Alice who moved behind Lily to fasten it behind her neck. It fell about an inch below her collar bone and looked perfect. Of course it looked perfect.
At the other side of the common room, James smiled to himself.