Chapter 13 - Christmas Day

Christmas morning dawned cold and quiet. Although Remus had been spending a lot of time with Lily, it just didn't feel like Christmas without Sirius waking him up by chucking a snowball at him. Through the common room window he could see a scene that looked like it belonged on a Christmas card, with the frozen lake stretching out beneath him and snow painting the grass white; he hadn't touched the presents on the table in front of him because they would probably just make him miss everyone more. (And, of course, there was a distinct possibility that at least one of them would explode when he opened it.)

He was brought out of his musings when the portrait hole swung open and Lily stepped inside with a stack of toast in one hand and a tray of coffee and mince pies floating in front of her. She beamed at him and gently set the breakfast down on the table, moving his presents aside to make room. "Hey," Remus said. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry eh?" Lily replied, eyeing him curiously. "I thought you were going more for brooding." She shook her head and stepped back from the table, gesturing vaguely toward herself she said "do you like? Mum and dad sent me the dress with some perfume and a hand carved jewellery box!"

Remus laughed as she spun once on the spot, causing the dark blue, woolen dress to flare out slightly around her knees and sat down beside him.

"It's pretty," he smiled, "and I'm not brooding, I was going for mysteriously tragic."

"Missed the mark and shot straight to doom and gloom I'm afraid; are you going to open them or not?" she prompted, reaching for a mince pie and handing Remus the nearest present as she did so. "It's Christmas, and I'll be damned if you're going to sit by the fire all day looking like a dog someone abandoned in the rain on boxing day."

"Well, if you insist," Remus said, taking the present. It was very neatly wrapped and rectangular, which made it pretty obvious who it was from. "The Standard Book of Spells Grade 7," he read aloud as he tore off the wrapping paper and saw the title. "Peter always gets me text books and expects me to be thrilled."

"Don't let McGonagall hear that you're not absolutely ecstatic to get an early start on seventh year transfiguration," Lily replied, laughing. "But hey, he got you a bar of Honeydukes too."

"Marshmallow flavour – my favourite." Remus tore the wrapper open and offered her a piece. "Maybe Pete isn't so bad at giving presents after all."

"But it's still not the most exciting of presents," she said matter-of-factly, even though she was happy to eat it. "I hope your others aren't so boring or it'll be a very dull Christmas."

He raised an eyebrow and reached for a piece of toast. "Trust me, they won't be. James and Sirius give presents that are usually magical and often dangerous, but they're definitely never boring."

"As long as it's nothing that is an imminent fire hazard I think we'll be alright," Lily smiled, taking the spell book from Remus and putting it to one side. "You're one of those people who opens presents neatly aren't you? This is very frustrating."

"Is this better?" he asked, ripping open the present with some difficulty, as nearly every inch of the wrapping paper was covered in spellotape. It was a small box and Remus was somewhat wary about what was inside, but it turned but to just be a thin envelope. He took it out of the box suspiciously. "This is unexpected. It doesn't look big enough to explode."

"Open it then," Lily encouraged.

He did so, and inside was a glossy card that read:

Your present will arrive promptly at 10.30am.

His name is Sir Lancelot.

Happy Holidays.

Remus and Lily exchanged a look.

"That's in twenty minutes," he said, glancing at the clock.

"Have they sent you an actual Knight of the Round Table?" Lily asked. "Because that would be impressive."

"I'm kind of hoping so. Mum used to tell me stories about King Arthur and Camelot and everything all the time."

"I learnt about that in primary school," Lily said. "I liked Percival the best."

While they were waiting for the mysterious present to arrive, he pulled another closer to him. Beneath the paper was a cake tin, sealed so tightly that he had to pry it open with the flat end of the teaspoon Lily had brought up with the coffee. When he finally managed it, he found an enormous Christmas cake with a thick layer of icing, decorated with a lumpy snowman and a reindeer that looked suspiciously like Prongs. Written on the inside of the lid was a message wishing him Merry Christmas from Mr. and Mrs. Potter, with a P.S. that read 'James and Sirius helped with the decorating'.

"That explains why the snowman looks lopsided," Lily said, leaning closer to read the message. "Potter must have really nice parents."

"He does," Remus replied. "They have to be, to make up for ev - for Sirius' family," he corrected quickly.

Lily gave him a curious look. "What about your parents?" she asked. "You're an only child, right?"

"Yeah, it's just me and them. Mum's lovely, but she fusses over me a lot." He pointed towards his final present. "That'll be from her. I bet it's a jumper."

He opened it, and when he saw red wool he thought he was right, but when he tugged it free from its wrapping a scarf unraveled and a hat and gloves fell out onto the table. "Well, I wasn't far off," he said. "I reckon mum would knit all my clothes if she could."

"Did you stay at Hogwarts just to avoid being made to wear knitted trousers?" Lily asked, smiling.

Remus' smile faded. "If that were the worst problem, I'd go home. It's just...mum's been ill for the past few months, and it was bad enough stuck at home in the summer. It'd be worse at Christmas, with her having to stay in bed instead of cooking Christmas dinner and decorating the whole house with tinsel."

Lily squeezed his hand gently. "What about your dad? Is he taking care of her?"

He hesitated. "He's not exactly got the world's best bedside manner," he said carefully. "He gets...impatient. And he's kind of controlling. I tried to help look after her but I just seemed to be getting in his way... So all the more reason to stay here for Christmas."

"I'm sorry," Lily said, not really knowing what else to say.

"What about your family? Don't you normally go home for Christmas?" Remus asked.

It wasn't a subtle change of topic, but Lily took the hint that he didn't want to talk about his parents any more. "My mum and dad are alright, and they're surprisingly okay with me being a witch. I think they're actually proud of me for it, which is sweet. But my sister gets jealous, you know, because I'm off learning magic in a castle and she just had to learn maths and stuff. We were best friends when we were little, but we sort of grew apart when I came to Hogwarts, and now it's like I barely know her. She's dating this absolute pig who thinks he's better than everyone - one of the types who thinks anyone different is inferior. So I guess it's no wonder him and Petunia get on so well," she said bitterly. "But I'm rambling. Point is, my family are staying with Petunia's boyfriend over Christmas - and his parents and sister who're all exactly like him. I don't think I could've put up with them without hexing someone and getting expelled for breaking the statute of secrecy. So me being here is better off for everyone. You included, as I bet you'd just sit here feeling sorry for yourself the whole time if I weren't here."

He grinned. "You're right, I think I'm so used to people who won't leave me alone that I actually missed it until you turned up and interrupted my peace and quiet."

"Oi," Lily said, chucking a mince pie at him. "You know you like me really."

"Hmm, I suppose."

There was a sharp tap at the window and they both looked up to see an owl perching on the ledge. Remus got up to open it, letting the owl flying in and land on the table. He reached eagerly for the its' leg, expecting some sort of parcel, but there was only a small note.

I am Sir Lancelot.

"They got me an owl," Remus said, surprised.

"Called Sir Lancelot," Lily pointed out.

"Well, this is definitely an improvement on the book they got me last year – it was called The Monster Book of Monsters and it almost bit off my arm. It devoured three of my shoes before I finally caught it."

"Do you like to eat shoes, Sir Lancelot?" Lily cooed to the owl.

Sir Lancelot ruffled his feathers and looked at her disapprovingly before flying out of the window and up to the owlery.

By the time 4.30 came around Lily and Remus had managed to build up their appetites again after the healthy stock of mince pies they'd consumes that morning. Although staying at Hogwarts over Christmas could get a little boring, the decorations around the castle were always a sight to behold, and of course, the great hall was no exception. Candles floated down the centre of a single long table which was decorated with alternate stripes of green and red paper, mistletoe hung conspicuously from the door and all 12 Christmas trees around the room were brightly lit and giving off a low, pleasant humming of popular Christmas carols. When Lily and Remus walked in, Dumbledore was seated at the head of the table, with a sprinkling of other students and staff occupying the other seats. Lily headed towards the nearest end, where a few fifth year Ravenclaws were sat close by Professors McGonagall, who was nursing a large class of mulled wine, and Slughorn, who had enchanted his party hat to spin on top of his head.

"Happy Christmas Professors," Lily said as she sat down, nodding pleasantly at everyone nearby. As soon as she looked down at her plate, a sparkly silver Christmas cracker appeared, and her glass nearby filled with the same dark red liquid as her professors'.

"Crackers!" She grinned and held one out to Remus, who grabbed the other end and pulled back, watching in amusement as strings of confetti and glitter flew into the air around them before gently falling down and forming the perfect shape of a Christmas crown around Lily's head.

As a couple of Hufflepuffs who looked like third or fourth years took the final seats at the table, several large dishes of food appeared in front of them. There were bowls of mashed and roast potato, pots of vegetables, tureens of stew, plates of several types of meat, boats of gravy, and jars of cranberry sauce.

"Merry Christmas! Feel free to eat until you're ready to pop." Dumbledore called, and everyone reached for one of the large serving spoons to start heaping their plates with food.

"Carrots, professor?" Remus offered to Slughorn.

"Ah, thank you Mr - er - Lockwood, is it?"

"Lupin, sir," Remus said, his cheeks turning red.

"He's in the same class as me, Sir," Lily reminded him. "The one who melted a cauldron the other day."

"Oh yes, of course!" Slughorn said, taking a large swig of wine. "Very sorry, Ludwig."

Lily shot Remus a grin. "Are you having a good Christmas, Professor?"

"Certainly, Miss Evans! I received your Christmas card this morning - very kind of you I must say." It was Lily's turn to blush. "And one of my favourite students from a few years ago sent me a box of chocolates and a bottle of elf-made wine. Fantastic chap, very ambitious - works at the ministry now but always remembers his old potions master!"

Regretting that she'd asked, Lily interrupted before he could continue. "We've had a great day too, eating mince pies and opening presents."

"Excellent, excellent. And I expect you're enjoying having the common room to yourselves, eh?" he said he a wink. "I think I spied some mistletoe on the way in - I'm sure you'll take advantage of it!"

"Oh, no," Lily said quickly.

"We're not, you know," Remus added.

"-dating, or anything."

"Definitely not."

"No way."

"Never."

Slughorn chuckled. "I see, my mistake. But an easy one to make, don't you think?"

They were spared having to answer this both by McGonagall's muffled laughter and an owl swooping down to land on the table in front of them. It shook the snow from its feathers and held out its leg so Remus could untie the letter it was carrying. "That's James' owl," he said. Lily politely looked away as he took the letter but he held it out so they could read it together as the owl started pecking at Remus' peas.

Moony,

HAPPY CHRISTMAS! Your present is my absolute favourite. Who knew that muggles could come up with such cool stuff? I've been watching the red blobs all morning but James' mum said I'd better stop before I went cross eyed or turned my brain to mush or something - she plied me with bacon and Christmas cake, but I assure you I will stare at it some more later!

I hope you liked your present, and his name. We will bring you a cage back after the hols – didn't want to ruin the surprise.

James' parents got me and James the second coolest present of the year (after yours of course) – two-way mirrors! We didn't have a clue what they were at first but once Mr. Potter explained they're actually really good. All I have to do is say James' name into the mirror and as long as he's got his, we'll be able to see and talk to each other in them! We're already planning on using them next time we get detention. (I know you're frowning at me Moony, but I promise we have no rule-breaking plans as of yet – it's just an inevitability.)

James got me a box of dog treats, the git. I might mix them in with his Christmas dinner just for the hell of it. What do you think? He also got me a new beater's bat and a whole box of those sour toffees from Honeydukes, so I suppose I could let him off. On the topic of sweets, I can't stop eating! There's chocolate and fudge and cake and chestnuts and jelly and biscuits and cheese and an entire tray of cold meat in the kitchen - I'm not sure what half of it is but so far it has all been delicious. I need to stop before I burst though; I think by the time we've gotten round to the turkey I'll have the sweats and have to go to bed for the rest of the week.

How is Hogwarts? Terribly quiet and boring without me I'm sure but, are you alright? Still hanging about with Evans? Either way I hope you are having fun and not missing me too horribly. I'm sending some of this cake before James (and by James I mean me) takes the last slice - last time I saw him he was weighed down with mulled wine and a carving knife - wait what's all that screaming?

Haha, only kidding Moony. Well, about the screaming anyway, but I really should go and see what everyone's up too. James' family always seems like the sort that could descend into drunken food fights at any moment. Which I would of course discourage and not jump into the middle of with a hand full of cranberry sauce.

Have a good day!

Sirius (& James)

"I got him a lava lamp," Remus explained, smiling as he folded the letter.

"Pure bloods seem to be more fascinated by muggle technology than muggleborns are by magic," Lily laughed.

"Oh definitely," Remus agreed, "sometimes my dad is still blown away by simply gadgets and stuff mum shows him." He stopped for a minute, clearing his throat and pocketing the letter as James' owl stuck her head gratefully into the nearest beaker of water before taking off.

The rest of the dinner passed without incident, and by the time they were on the way back to the common room, Lily was feeling a pleasant glow from the small amount of alcohol, as well as fairly exhausted from the spectacular amount of turkey.

"I think McGonagall is going to have to carry Slughorn back to his room," Remus said dryly as he gratefully pushed open the portrait hole. The comfy sofas and warm fire looked more inviting than ever.

"Something tells me that tonight would not be the first time," Lily laughed, "I can't believe he suggested we," she held up her hands to put air quotes around the words, pulling a face as she did so, 'make use' of the empty common room - ew!"

"Oh god," Remus laughed. "You are lovely and everything, but no. Just... no."

"Wouldn't want to ruin our newly budding friendship with a rampant Christmas affair would we?" Lily grinned, "Though that would be quite the story to tell Potter."

"He would explode," Remus warned, just as a light tapping on the window indicated the arrival of yet another owl.

Lily jumped up to open the window, commenting with some amusement that they were particularly popular today.

Straining his neck to look back at her, Remus was about to reply but the look on Lily's face as she stared down at the letter stopped him from doing so. "Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Erm," Lily replied, shaking her head slightly before she looked up at him. "Yeah, I guess so." She scrunched the letter up into a ball and shoved it in to her pocket as she walked back around to join him.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Lily gave him a tight smile. "There's nothing to talk about. It's just Petunia... Well, at this point I'm surprised she even bothered to tell me."

Remus frowned, perplexed, and Lily added, "I'm going to head off to bed. I'm not really feeling the Christmas spirit anymore. Goodnight."

"Er - night," Remus replied as Lily hurried up the stairs to her dorm. As she shut the door behind her, he noticed that her eyes were red and full of tears. He was worried, and wondered what Lily's sister could have possibly said to upset her so much, but if she wanted to be alone there was nothing much he could do. But Lily had cheered him up that morning, and he wanted to do the same for her. With that in mind, he went up to his dorm and rummaged around in the trunk under his bed until he found his chocolate stash - hidden from Sirius, who would eat anything that wasn't nailed to the ground. He picked up a couple of chocolate frogs and attached a quick note:

'Chocolate always helps. If you want to talk, you know I'm here.'

Then he went back down to the common room for just long enough to levitate the frogs up the stairs to Lily's dorm. With any luck, she'd have heard them collide with the door to the dorm and would discover them soon. Maybe it would help - she'd been a good friend to him, after all, and he wanted to return the favour.