a/n: wishing you all a merry Christmas :3

disclaimer: surprisingly, I own none of the songs mentioned.

twenty – silence is golden

Madame Pince scurries back to her seat, glasses on the chain bouncing as she moves, and Lily thinks she might burst at the look on James' face.

"She didn't like my singing?" he asks, looking mortally offended, the tinsel tie he has around his neck drooping with his expression.

Lily breaks down, burying her head in her arms in attempt to stop the sound of her giggles. When she's resumed control of herself and wiped the tears from her eyes she realises what James had been humming.

"You listen to Muggle music?" she asks, surprised.

The boy, who had watched her laughing with amusement but dutifully returned to his Arithmancy essay, looks up. "Genius doesn't differentiate," is all he supplies, shrugging.

Lily looks at her work, now a little scrumpled, then back at him, a smile tugging at her lips. "Clearly. Ten Os, wasn't it?"

"Five," he laughs, "three Es and an A. Mustn't grumble. You?"

"Me? Oh. I got - I got six Os and four Es," she says, somewhat sheepishly, and he pokes his tongue out at her.

Lily raises an eyebrow in response and tries to hide her grin. She wants to ask him something more and can feel the words running about her mouth, on the tip of her tongue, begging to be spoken, and the pause has got just a little bit too long when she blurts out, "Don't your parents mind?"

(This time it's Lily who earns a glare from the librarian.)

James looks confused. "About my O.W.L. results?"

"No," she whispers. "About the music, I mean. Muggle music."

"Oh." He puts his quill down. "Not really. I mean, my Mum doesn't much mind. She even invited herself over to one of our Muggle neighbour's houses once so she could watch that thing – you know, the singing show with all the countries."

"Eurovision," Lily supplies, and he nods.

"She wouldn't stop humming Save Your Kisses For Me for weeks after that. And Dad? Well, he does I suppose, but it's not because it's Muggle music. He just doesn't like anything from the sixties onwards." James glances at his hands, a little embarrassed. "He's quite old fashioned like that, I suppose."

He expects her to laugh or scoff but she doesn't. She's looking at him: her eyes are bright and her face alight with fascination.

"I can't believe I've lived with you for over five years and I'm only just finding out you listen to Muggle music," she murmurs.

He shrugs. "I'll listen to anything, really. Besides, Muggles have the best Christmas music."

Lily hums in agreement. "Which is your favourite?"

After a pause, James says, "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday."

Lily fakes a gasp. "What a surprise," she says wryly. "The wizard picks Wizzard. Sure I can't tempt you with a bit of Slade? The Jackson 5? Good old Elton?"

"Ha ha," he intones. "It's a good song. Why?" He pokes her. "What's yours, then?"

She deliberates, chewing the end of her Christmas Candy Quill thoughtfully. "Gaudete."

James scoffs. "That's not a proper Christmas song, Evans."

"Is too. My Dad used to love it." James' face sobers at her words but he remains unconvinced. "Alright. Happy Christmas, War Is Over. John and Yoko."

"You have a bit of a thing about him, don't you?" remarks James.

"You have a bit of a thing for Debbie Harry," Lily shoots back. "Or Santa Baby, James."

"Very sultry," he comments, trying to hide the flush racing along his throat. The thought of Lily singing along to –

He bends his head, returning to his Arithmancy essay. "I think," he says after a pause, "the most annoying Christmas song is that Twelve Days rubbish. It's very irritating."

Had James looked up he would have seen the mischievous glint in Lily's eye, but he doesn't, and she smirks. After sitting in silence for a while, she gets up to retrieve a Potions tome from a bookshelf. As she puts it down on the table they're sharing she leans close to James and whispers, "On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me –"

He looks up quickly, amusement in his hazel eyes, and puts a finger to her lips. "Don't," he warns. "It'll be in my head for days."

Lily ignores the rush of his skin touching hers and blinks innocently, sitting down.

"A partridge in a pear tree! On the second day of Christmas my true love sent two me, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree!" She laughs at his expression, struggling to continue. "On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree! On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree!"

James glares at her and across the room, the beady-eyed librarian's head jerks up.

"On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me –" and she waits a moment longer before clearing her throat and -

"Fiiive gold rings –!"

"Thisis a library!" Madame Pince hisses, materialising at the side of their desk looking waspish. "Silence is golden here! If the two of you wish to start a choir, I suggest you go and talk to Professor Flitwick." Lily bites her lip to contain her giggles and one glance at James tells her he's about to burst too. "Now shush!"