Chapter Seven: Magic in the Mundane, Pt. 2
"We will be having James and his wife over for Christmas dinner tomorrow, family."
Emma looked incredibly pleased with her announcement to her family.
Silence met her words, but not unpleasant. Helen said nothing, a grin playing at her mouth; she seemed very much interested in swaddling her daughter in the fresh blanket she and her mother-in-law had gone to fetch from across the street.
Daniel met his wife's satisfied look with one of his own, a wary look that was a bit narrow-eyed.
"Emmy," said Daniel in a knowing tone that came from decades of marriage, "did you go and bother those nice young people, after we told you not to?"
Emma sniffed, very haughtily declaring: "No one tells me what to do, Daniel Herman Granger."
Daniel scoffed at the familiar turn of phrase, practically her proverb since they'd been teenagers.
Penelope Jean shushed Jason, Hector, and Rupert as they began to jeer, just like they were children; Helen had the good grace to hide her giggles in a snuggle against a dozing Hermione's sweet, newborn face. Hugh was the only one who seemed to be acting his age, not impressed at all, as his parents eyed each other with that prickly look that might mean a row.
Troy was the one to clear his throat, looking at his close friends, witheringly.
"Don't ever ask where Rupert gets it from, because the answer is both of you." Troy smirked only for a moment, as everyone laughed, the could-have-been moment of tension passing before it ever really came. He peered at Emma over the rim of his glasses. "Now, as my good brother was trying to say: I thought we all agreed that we'd leave them alone and let introductions happen naturally. We don't want to seem like pushy neighbors, after all."
"You said it might be best to leave them alone, but we didn't agree, necessarily," said Emma, briskly. "Besides, you all met them earlier today. The young man, James, said himself that he knew both you and Daniel and all of your sons. Seems like a whole conversation was had –"
"We did not!" Daniel interrupted, rolling his eyes. "We spoke to the boy, made sure he knew we weren't a group of madmen loitering on his property unannounced – that's all. That is completely different from going over there, knocking on their door, and demanding they come share Christmas with us!"
"I did not demand – did I, Helen?"
Helen found everyone's eyes on her, and she snorted.
"I have nothing to do with this," said Helen, plain and simple. "I went to get my daughter's blanket. I don't know anything. Nor was any part of my mother-in-law following me out of the house and happening to come across the neighbors while on my side of the street."
Emma beamed at her daughter-in-law. "Well said, darling girl."
Daniel glared at his daughter-in-law; there was no real feeling behind the stony look. "Well, aren't you a lovely little legal secretary for Emmy, daughter." Daniel began smiling as Helen giggled, receiving more jeers from her brothers-in-law and brother as she refused to help keep the bickering going.
Penelope Jean shushed them yet again, before grabbing everyone's attention by very decidedly announcing: "No matter how it came about, I believe Emmy did the right thing."
"Of course I did," Emma agreed, smoothly cutting across Penelope Jean. "I really was only trying to say hello, be neighborly. Then, the boy told me himself – the two of them are alone. They don't have any plans, which implies they don't have any relatives that are nearby or they're close with. It's only the two of them. That isn't how anyone should be spending Christmas, of all holidays! Come, now. We should be happy to share our good fortune of mostly being together with those who don't seem as fortunate, don't you think, family?"
Emma's words seemed to resonate with everyone.
The only one of their number that was missing was Penelope Jane and her sons, Ralph and Michael. What or how would they feel if they didn't have each other?
Emma H. Granger might be meddling and a bit heavy-handed with her helping hand, but she always meant well. Her heart was in the right place and pushy she might have been, they couldn't deny that perhaps she had made a better Christmas for their new neighbors than they might have had otherwise.
Daniel smiled at his wife, all traces of irritation or disapproval gone.
"Well, I suppose there will have to be two more places to be made at our table, tomorrow – for James and Lily, come to us just before Christmas Day."
Early the following morning, well before dawn, Lily Potter came awake suddenly, sitting up from where she'd fallen asleep on the couch in the living room.
Someone was crying.
Soft, pained sobs were coming from somewhere near.
Lily grabbed for her wand, her reflexive habit after nearly ten years – and, with raw clarity, she remembered.
She was in the Muggle World. She could not use magic. She could reach for her wand, all she wanted.
She would never have her willow wand in her hand again, especially not to protect or defend herself.
Lily rubbed the heels of her hands into her too-tired eyes, lurching to her feet. She followed the piteous sounds that seemed to be coming from the kitchen.
James was the one who was crying, of course.
He must have gone into the other room, so as not to wake her –
His grief was too much, it seemed.
"Oh, James…"
Lily felt her heart break right down the middle as she found her husband sitting on the floor by himself.
James was leaning back against the oven, as he wept bitterly.
She didn't even have to ask what was wrong. There were no words that James could give her if she had tried.
This was the first Christmas that he would spend without his parents.
Lily settled down on the chilly kitchen floor beside her husband, pulling him towards her gently. James seemed to collapse into her lap, almost on the edge of wailing – and Lily knew his pain, because it was her own. The loss of her in-laws was too sudden, too recent to leave a deep mark upon her. The loss of her own parents was still recent enough, only two years past, that she knew the raw hurt and grief that had her husband devastated beyond words.
Lily remembered well the Christmas holidays, right after her mother and father had been killed in that violent car crash the summer before her final year at Hogwarts.
For the first time in all her years at Hogwarts, Lily had signed the list of students staying for the winter break. There hadn't been any other choice. She was forced to stay at Hogwarts and what could have been a beautiful, magical experience was instead one of her worst memories.
Her parents were dead. Her sister was pretending as if she were dead, as well, after the funeral; Petunia had gotten married, sold their childhood home for a tidy profit, then went to live life without either her dead parents or her living sister. Her close friends were all older, finished with Hogwarts and married or off in Europe for prestigious, advanced training in magical arts like Charms. She didn't even have any of the faint hope that her former best friend would someday be able to reconcile with her, by that point; Severus Snape had become a Death Eater by then, more lost to her than he was when their friendship had brutally ended at sixteen.
On that Christmas morning, Lily had very few gifts but very many tears, as she realized that at seventeen – she was alone.
Christmas 1977 had been one of the darkest moments in her life, a time when she'd thought that there would only ever be pain and nothing else.
Lily didn't know how she would have gotten through that awful, agonizing time, if it hadn't been for James Potter.
Two years later, married to James, carrying his child, and knowing so very deeply the pain he was overcome with, Lily was determined that she would be what James had been for her.
A source of strength, someone to literally lean on when the pain of losing everything became too much to bear.
"Well, are we or aren't we, Evans?"
"Are we or aren't we what, Potter?"
"The Muggles that came by yesterday. They invited us to dinner. Today is Christmas. They want us to come to Christmas dinner. What do we do in this instance, Mrs. Potter, native of the Muggle World?"
James seemed to be in better spirits after the grievous morning they'd had. He was a bit pale, the red rimming of his eyes more noticeably without his glasses. But he seemed to be better, for the moment. The sun was shining brightly, as late morning approached – and, with a smirk, James had asked the question she'd been hoping to avoid.
Christmas dinner with the Muggles across the street sounded more stressful than it seemed at first glance.
Lily looked at her husband, owlishly. Her green eyes were serious, troubled.
"I don't know that going for dinner would be the best idea, honestly. We'd be sitting down to dinner with Muggles, after only a day or two of leaving our world. Muggles love conversation over a meal, especially with strangers. We'd have to answer all sorts of questions. Things we have no idea about, like what we think about the Prime Minister –"
"He's a greedy bureaucrat, out to line his own pockets and make a good name for himself, just like any other politician these days –"
"That is exactly what I'm talking about, right there." Lily cut across him, sharp and anxious. "James, the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is a woman – Margaret Thatcher."
James looked startled.
"See! What happens when they start talking about perfectly ordinary and mundane things like politics or the new episode of their favorite show on the telly? We're going to immediately seem strange and dubious, if we don't know things like – well, I don't know, something completely random –" Lily paused and then, exclaimed, seeming hesitant and amused: "Which of the Beatles is your favorite?"
"Er, well – definitely not the beetle eyes, can't talk about that because that's a Potions ingredient –"
Lily began cackling with laughter, drowning out whatever else he was trying to say. James appeared to want to laugh, too, but he didn't know what she found to be so ridiculously funny. When she finally caught her breath a few moments later, she was beaming at him.
"The Beatles are a music group – a rock band, specifically. They are the most famous band in the world, even though they haven't performed together in about ten years. If you are British and you don't know the Beatles, you're not from this world."
James seemed fascinated and very interested in knowing what music and beetles had to do with one another, but Lily didn't give him the space to indulge his curiosity.
She didn't seem as serious as before, despite continuing on proving the risks involved in having dinner with their Muggle neighbors, so soon.
Lily was very concerned as she thought aloud. "That's exactly the problem, though. We are from another world. A world we can't tell them about. We'll seem as if we're unsafe or dodgy, if we don't know how to talk about everyday life like other ordinary, regular British people. These Grangers, they seem very posh – I can tell they'll be the type to want to talk about education, careers, politics, the economy. A lot of what I know is bits and pieces, but not the whole picture."
James was thoughtful.
"You know, Evans – that's just it, I think. What if we don't say where we're from, exactly? Would that cover any oddities enough to not make the Grangers suspicious?"
Lily eyed her husband. "James, you're still thinking like a wizard. There aren't any potions or charms that we could use to disguise our voices or make us sound like we're anything other than the very British people we are. Besides, we've already talked to them. They'll find it very odd if we try to – well, be not British."
"I am not thinking like a wizard – you're still thinking like a witch." James looked a bit smug, as he eyed her right back. "Use your imagination, Evans. What reason would there be for two British people to have our accents but not be from around here, as we'll try and make it seem? What could have them be out of touch or behind on the times, despite being very much British?"
Lily huffed, irritably – but she considered it. A knot of anxiety unraveled rather swiftly when she did as her husband suggested and used her imagination.
There were countless reasons why they could be British without having grown up in Britain for most of their lives. Purely non-magical reasons, such as immigration to another country, their parents' career having taken them abroad, schooling, traveling…
"There we are. I knew that if you took a moment to think, that big brain of yours would slow down long enough to understand," teased James, as he saw the relief began to unwind the tension in his wife's shoulders. "So, I ask again. Are we or aren't we going to have Christmas with the Muggles?"
Lily was still worried about exactly what the experience would be like. The biggest hurdle, however, seemed to have been cleared.
"Well, I suppose that we are."
As if confirming that she was going to follow through with what he seemed to feel was a daring adventure in their new world, James declared:
"That settles it, then. We'll go across to the road and share Christmas Day with the Granger family."
Once decided, the Potters began practicing being the selves that they weren't.
Before leaving the Wizarding World, Burgock had collaborated with them to create pseudo-identities that they would use throughout their entire exile in the Muggle World.
Henry Potter had sparked the first pseudo-identity, roughly a century previously. Coupled with the fact that Potter was an incredibly common surname amongst non-magical people, it was rather easy to come up with a cover story that wasn't too complicated. Or, too far removed from the truth.
James could still be himself, but not James Potter. He would become James Evans, instantly blending in with Muggles; there were hundreds of men in Britain alone that likely had his exact name, both old and young. James Charles Evans was nobody of note and wouldn't immediately connect back to the young, missing Lord Potter, James Charlus Potter.
The one who would be the Potter was Lily.
Burgock had been amused at their confusion but insisted upon it.
Jessica Potter could be anyone and was likely already several somebodies, just as James Evans was. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of Muggles all across Britain named Jessica Potter by either birth or marriage. Lily had thought it to be a good omen that Jessica was similar enough to her own true middle name, Jessamine. If she could pretend as if Lily was her middle name, then Jessica Lily Potter would be as ordinary and unremarkable as intended.
Hopefully, it would also be so simple, so obvious that someone would completely overlook the possibility because they were expecting something more complex.
James Evans and Jessica Potter were recently married, expecting their first child, and had purchased their home on Cardea Circle after the death of her wealthy parents, who'd left her enough of an inheritance that they didn't have to work for a living.
A simple, ordinary story that they could fill in the details of as they became adapted, making it more authentic as they acclimated instead of rehearsing a script that might sound dodgy.
By confusing which one of them was the true Potter, already it became uncertain to anyone who had come looking if they were on the right trail.
There was no doubt in either of their minds that if someone had gotten on their trail closely enough to suspect that James Evans and Jessica Potter were actually warped version of the real James and Lily Potter –
They'd have far more danger to focus on than the little story they'd crafted to not arouse the suspicion of Muggles, as they hid in their world.
Christmas 1979 was the happiest morning that any of them, Granger or Puckle, could remember having in a while.
Hermione Jean was the star of the day, as her family celebrated her very first Christmas. Everyone took their turns holding and snuggling the newest and most precious addition to their family, as gifts were opened; wrapping paper, good cheer, and thoughtful gift choices that were emotional and enthused over were all in abundance.
A late breakfast had found everyone agreeing to split up for a couple of hours, so they could be prepared to have a lovely dinner in the afternoon.
Just a few minutes ago, everyone had returned to Daniel and Emma's home.
They had all been in the middle of cooing at the absolutely precious dark-green dress and headband that Helen had chosen for Hermione, when –
Near half-past two o'clock, the doorbell of 11 Cardea Circle chimed pleasantly through the house.
The Grangers and Puckles briefly quieted in surprise, expecting but not truly believing that their new neighbors would take them up on the invitation to Christmas dinner.
"Well, that will be our neighbors, I expect," said Emma, rising to her feet eagerly. "I'm so glad they made the right decision and came to share dinner with us. We'll have a lovely time; I just know it! Come, Daniel – let's not leave our guests waiting in the cold."
The Potters waited nervously on the front step of 11 Cardea Drive, after ringing the bell.
This would be the first time they would be associating with Muggles, directly. After living so naturally and openly in the Wizarding World as magical people, this would be a true test of whether they could pass undetected among Muggles. The Granger family had no idea they were a witch and wizard, living in hiding. If they were able to enjoy a holiday dinner, where the Muggles would be at their most curious and engaged, without revealing the truth – the Potters would feel a lot better about their new lives.
The white door with the elegant wreath opened suddenly, bringing them face to face with Daniel and Emma Granger.
Their new neighbors looked lovely and merry.
The holly-green dress that Emma wore was a lovely complement to her perfectly styled dark-blonde hair, the glitter of emeralds and diamonds at her neck and ears and wrist denoting that Daniel must have expensive and exquisite tastes, for his wife to be adorned so. Beside her, Daniel was looking between them with a bright smile. His dark green suit was a compliment to the shade of green that his wife wore; his eyes seemed very blue, compared to the green theme of their finery, but all there was in his gaze was cheery curiosity.
"Happy Christmas to you, James and Lily!" caroled Emma, seeming genuinely pleased to see them on her front step. "Oh, I'm so happy to have you over. Please, come in, come out of the cold. Let's take your coats…"
Daniel was beaming, amusement dancing in his eyes as his wife seemed to sweep the Potters neatly into her determined, caring orbit. "Happy Christmas to you both and welcome!"
James and Lily both felt a rush of emotion, although they smiled. With all they had lost over the past three months, they thought it would be a very long time until they again heard someone welcome and greet them so warmly and sincerely.
Lily allowed Daniel to take her coat, as Emma gave her a light, polite embrace, complimenting her on the lovely shade of her soft gold dress.
"Happy Christmas to you as well, Mr. and Mrs. Granger! Thank you for inviting us to share today with you all," she said, James nodding agreeably beside her. "We don't know anyone here, except each other. Your kindness means very much to us."
"Oh! You're so very welcome, dears," Emma said, charmed as James's courteously kissed the back of her hand, before shaking Daniel's hand, strongly and warmly.
"Happy Christmas to you both, as well." James offered a bottle of liquor to Daniel and Emma, kindly. Lily was pleased that apparently, they had made the right choice from the collection of alcohol that had been stocked in their cellar; Daniel's eyes widened appreciably at the gift they had brought. "A bottle of vintage cognac, Rémy Martin VSOP, specifically. A small token of our gratitude for allowing us to share your holiday with you."
Daniel accepted the bottle, as Emma smiled, amused.
"This is a very lovely gift, son," said Daniel to James, impressed. He was turning the bottle of cognac in his hands, delicately, as if marveling a small treasure. "Thank you, very much."
Madame Granger beckoned them to follow her, eagerly. "Please, come in and join the rest of the family!"
11 Cardea Circle was every bit as lovely as the outside suggested, similar to their own expertly and expensively furnished house across the road.
This house, however, was clearly a home. The Grangers had obviously lived here for quite a long time. From the handful of photographs that the Potters glimpsed as they were led from the foyer and down a short corridor, the Grangers had three dark-haired sons that they had raised from children into adults in this very home. As they entered the sitting room, Emma clapping her hands together cheerily, James and Lily could see that those three sons weren't the only family Emma and Daniel had.
"Family! Our guests have arrived to join us!" Emma announced, quieting the sitting room.
A group of people were gathered, expectantly as promised.
The tall, bright, and beautiful Christmas tree – the same that had captivated Lily on the night they arrived – seemed to be the anchor of their gathering. Lily was a bit overwhelmed at how so many different pairs of eyes turned to look at her and her husband, all at once. James, though, was the complete opposite. He had seemed to feel this was an adventure of sorts, but Lily understood now why he had been so eager.
James missed being around people. He was far friendlier and more social than she was; the isolation of hiding was not going to be easy for him, if he were required to stay only in their own home, not speaking to anyone who wasn't Lily, indefinitely.
He was as eager to know the Muggle neighbors as they were to know him, if for no other reason than to know someone besides his wife, in this new and strange life of theirs.
"Happy Christmas to everyone," said James, gracefully, a winning smile being offered around the room. "I'm James Evans and this is my wife, Jessica."
As if on cue but more because they had practiced what would come next, Lily waved her hand, airily. "Please, call me Lily. Jessica is my first name, but I don't think anyone has every called me anything besides my middle name."
Troy stood up, reaching out to shake their hands warmly. "Very nice to see you both, again," he said, sincerely. He turned to the woman seated beside him, dressed beautifully in the matching shade of red as Troy's festive suit. "James, Lily, may I introduce my wife, Penelope Jean Puckle. I believe she is the only of us you haven't quite met, yet."
Penelope Jean was a stunningly beautiful woman. It was easy to tell that her daughter was Helen Granger, for they looked very much alike; their doe-like dark brown eyes were the same shape, set into the same face with high-cheekbones and full lips. The only clear difference between mother and daughter was that Helen's light-honey brown skin was several shades lighter than Penelope Jean's dark, earthen-brown complexion.
Penelope Jean stepped forward and offered the same light, polite embrace that Emma had at the front door.
"Happy Christmas!" Penelope Jean said, smiling beatifically. "I'm happy that you could come to join us. We'll have a lovely time, I'm sure of it."
Emma made a noise. "Of course we'll have an excellent time, Penny Jean!" Briskly, she caught the Potters' attention again, motioning to the couple by the Christmas tree, then the two mean standing up on either side of the fireplace. "James, Lily, please meet our sons. As I mentioned before, Helen is married to my oldest boy, Hugh, and these are our two younger sons. Rupert is there in the green suit, while Jason is in the green jumper. Boys, say hello to our neighbors."
Hugh Granger was smiling as he nodded, courteously. In his arms was a small baby, dressed absolutely adorably in a green dress, white stockings, and the tiniest little black Mary Janes. "Hello, neighbors," he said, his voice very kind. "Happy to meet your more directly. As Mother said, Helen and I are married – and, this little angel is our daughter, Hermione."
James and Lily were slightly in awe of the baby Hugh was cradling confidently in his arms.
Neither of them had ever been around a baby before. Lily was now pregnant, although early enough that one still couldn't tell just by looking; in a few months, they would have a baby just like Hugh and Helen Granger. Their own child would be snuggled in their arms for their first Christmas, next year, just as Hermione was being lovingly cradled by her parents.
James and Lily found the realization of becoming parents seeming more real and fleshed out, in that moment, as Hermione made the cutest little noise in her sleep, burrowing deeper into Hugh's arms without waking up from her sleep.
"She's the most beautiful baby I have ever seen," said James, quietly, though he had never seen any other baby to compare Hermione with. "She seems very small, still. How old is she?"
Helen smiled proudly. "Three months, as of a few days ago. I just had her back in September."
"Congratulations to you both," Lily said, unable to stop staring at Hermione, a soft look on her face. "I'm sure this is a very happy Christmas, with it being her first Christmas."
"We all spoiled her silly, so yes, we're all very happy!" One of the men from beside the fireplace waved, merrily. "I'm Rupert, the middle boy of Daniel and Emma here. Happy Christmas, Evanses!"
James and Lily smiled, as the youngest Granger laughed.
"She has no idea what's going on, but she had more gifts than all of us. She's our first niece and my parents' first grandchild – we all went a bit mad about her, this Christmas." Hugh and Rupert's brother was much younger than either, closer in age to James or Lily – but, not quite their age, it seemed. "I'll be the baby of the bunch, Jason. Happy Christmas and welcome to our home, James, Lily."
Emma beamed at her sons, before gesturing to the other young man seated on the same couch as Troy and Penelope Jean had been before they'd stood to greet the Potters. His almond-brown skin was all that he got from Penelope Jean, unlike Helen; he looked like Troy strongly, although when he smiled at James and Lily, they could see a bit more of his mother.
"This lovely darling will be Troy and Penelope Jean's son, Hector – stand up, say hello properly, Hector."
Hector Puckle came over, as tall as James and with something mischievous about him. James seemed to like him instantly, very enthused about shaking his hand, while Lily could see his mother's grace in how he gave her a very brief embrace.
"Aunt Emmy raised me as much as Mum, so I can't much when she bosses me about," Hector said teasingly. "As Hugh said, it's good to meet you more directly. We're happy to have you both."
"Quite right you can't, Hector Troy," said Emma. "You're the most hardheaded of all six of you, so you need more bossing about than more, I should think!"
James glanced around, curiously. "The six of them?"
Troy looked a touch sad. "We have another daughter, Penelope Jane. She's the eldest of the three that Penelope Jean and I have. She recently immigrated to Canada; she and her children won't be joining us this Christmas, unfortunately."
"Oh, Daddy, don't do that – I'll be sad all over again." Helen said, waving her hand a bit fretfully. "We had our phone call with Penny Jane and the boys earlier today and that helped. Don't get to reminding me how much I miss her!"
The Potters shared a brief look.
This was a very close-knit and loving family, these Muggle neighbors of theirs.
The closeness and warmth of a family holiday was something that James nor Lily thought they wouldn't experience again for a very long time. The coming birth of their unborn child promised that they would not be entirely alone but for each other. However, their child was still several months away from arriving. Their family was growing but not yet fully formed. The few friends that they considered family were sacrificed to the exile from the Wizarding World that had brought them to this non-magical town, so suddenly and abruptly. The Potters had been prepared to face isolation and loneliness through the holiday and likely every day after that – but perhaps not anymore.
The Grangers and the Puckles were the first people they'd met in this new, mundane existence.
Thanks to their warm, welcoming inclusion, the Potters felt a little bit of the magic they might not ever have again, as they enjoyed their first holiday in the Muggle World with their new Muggle neighbors.