~*Chapter 9*~

Lily slowly woke up. She opened her eyes and blinked them a couple times then looked to her window. She could see the sun just beginning to rise over the hills behind her house. She got out of her bed and walked to the bathroom across from her room. She started brushing her teeth and tried to remember what the day was. Then she paused mid-brush and her eyes widened. She finally remembered that today was Christmas day. She hurriedly finished brushing her teeth then ran out of the bathroom only to bump into James and send them both sprawling on the floor.

James still couldn't comprehend what happened when Lily offered him a hand up and started apologizing excitedly. He stared at his overactive sister. "Why are you so peppy this morning?" James slurred sleepily trying to wipe the remaining sleep from his eyes.

"James don't you remember what today is?"

James looked at her like she was crazy. "Uhm, Friday?"

Lily sighed exasperatedly. "No, you goof. It's Christmas day, which means presents!" Lily was jumping by the time she finished.

James' eyes got wide and he grinned. "Let's go wake up mom, dad and Rose!"

"Okay, I'll go wake up Rose, and you go wake up mom and dad!" Lily said not realizing she'd called Harold and Melony mom and dad in front of James. She ran off before James could comment on the sudden change.

James was in shock. He'd never heard Lily call his mom and dad anything other than aunt and uncle. He grinned again and figured that Lily finally trusted that Melony and Harold wouldn't leave her like her parents did. He ran off too, and woke up his parents for Christmas.

James, Lily, and Rose were all sitting around the tree surrounded in the remnants of wrapping paper. Lily and Rose were glowing over the necklaces Harold and Melony and James had bought her.

Rose's was white gold with a ruby rose in the middle of the locket. On the back, it said "To our tallest daughter and sister, we love you and we're glad you're up to share this Christmas. Mom, Dad, and James." On the inside of the locket was the family picture Harold and Mel had insisted on taking.

Lily's was silver with an emerald lily in the middle of the locket. On the back of it, it said "To our smallest daughter and sister, we love you and wish you well. Mom, Dad, and James." Rose hadn't gotten anything from James' and Lily's friends because they hadn't known what to get her. She was okay with that though because she hoped that she'd be able to get to know them.

Melony and Harold figured that Lily and Rose wouldn't mind if they put mom and dad instead Mel and Harold and were surprised when Lily and Rose told them that it was perfect. Lily still hadn't called them mom and dad to their faces. She was going to wait until James and Rose had gone to bed. The same picture that was in Rose's locket was in Lily's. Lily had gotten chocolate from Remus, a prank set from Sirius, and a mystery novel from Blair.

James got a family heirloom from his mom and dad. He got an invisibility cloak. He was shocked and thrilled. He knew that the marauders and marauderettes could use it for pranks. He was beyond happy. His other three friends had gotten together and bought him a quidditch set.

All three kids were excited with their gifts. James and Lily insisted on showing Rose the fun side of magic. They told her about all the pranks that they'd pulled throughout the first half of the year. They also told her that their friends from Hogwarts were planning to spend the rest of the holidays with them and were eager to get to know Rose. Rose was slightly nervous to meet Lily and James' friends but wanted to meet some people that she'd be going to the same school with.

For the rest of Christmas day the small family sat around drinking hot chocolate and singing carols. It was just before nine that James, Lily, and Rose had fallen asleep on the living room couch. Melony and Harold started to carry the three kids up to their rooms. They were smiling when they tucked Rose in last. They closed the door quietly behind them and turned and headed down the stairs to start clean up.

"I think this has been one of the best Christmases we've had in a long time Harold."

"I'm going to have to agree with you on that one, Mel. I think having Lily and Rose just made it more fun. I think that the children would agree with us too." Harold threw away the plastic cup away then turned and pulled Mel into his arms. "I think we found something special with those two little girls."

"We did Harold, we did. I don't know what I'd do without them now. They're like a permanent fixture in our lives now. We have to listen to Albus' advice and keep an extra eye on them from now on. We can't let deatheaters take those beautiful little girls." Mel buried her head in Harold's shoulder.

"They won't get those girls Mel. I won't let them." Harold gazed over Mel's head with a determined look on his face. He made a silent vow that neither deatheaters nor Voldemort would touch those two girls.

A/N: Hey! So this was just a filler chapter with a little foreshadowing at the end. I had a little trouble with this chap when I wrote it but it came out alright or so I think. Well I'm going to warn you about the next chapter. We're going to be jumping ahead a few years and it's going to get a bit dark. Well now that you know that read and review.