Chapter Fourteen

Compromise

It was the run up to Christmas, the Great Hall had been decorated with several trees that Hagrid had helped drag in, Professor Flitwick could be seen charming baubles to decorate them and even the suits of armour had Christmas hats on. They didn't seem happy about it, but they had them on.

I was in a very festive spirit, helping a few first years with their homework as I sat in the common room. "Lily, how do you say this word?" One of them asked me, a shy first year girl with long brown hair and glasses, she held a book towards me and I settled down next to her to help her with her Potions work. James had come over to help me about an hour ago and was helped a first year boy with his transfiguration spellwork, they were turning beetles into buttons with limited success.

All in all it was a very nice atmosphere we had going on. Remus had managed to persuade Hagrid to let us have a tree in our common room and was currently decorating it with Sirius, Peter, Alice and Marlene. The other students were watching them while catching up with one another.

"And then you stir the cauldron three time anti-clockwise." I said to Jenny, watching as she scribbled down the notes frantically. "What colour is it supposed to be?" I asked.

She bit her lip nervously, blushing as she didn't seem to do well under pressure but I waited for her to gather herself. "Green?"

"Well done!" I told her, smiling gently. I was such a good tutor, I thought to myself as she glowed with pride, turning to talk to her friend next to her, Vanessa, excitedly.

"Okay, I think we're done here." I said, standing up and stretching my back, feeling much better after having been sat down for so long. James looked up from Alfie as I moved. He hurriedly finished up what he was doing and came to stand over with me.

"Hey, Lily." He started, running a hand through his hair. "I got a letter from my parents this morning and they said if you wanted to join us for Christmas, you're more than welcome."

I blinked, surprised. We hadn't mentioned meeting each other's parents yet and I felt the nervousness begin to brew in my stomach.

James continued nervously. "I had asked them just in case we wanted to spend some time together over Christmas break, I understand if you don't want to but I would really love it even if you didn't stay over, if we could still meet up?"

I swallowed thickly. "Um, I'm gonna have to get back to you on the staying over." He shuffled sadly and nodded. "But-" I continued frantically, not liking the way he deflated. "We could definitely still meet up."

He lit back up and nodded. "Okay, that still sounds good. Let me know about the staying over though, my parents are really keen to meet you. And, you know, I would like to meet yours as well."

He obviously was not counting the times he had tried to speak to my parents on Platform Nine and Three Quarters at the start of every year since Fifth Year.

I nervously tapped my fingers against my legs. "Oh." I said. "Yeah, that would, that would be good." I finished.

"Excellent." He smiled and pecked me on the lips. "Now I got to go, me and the boys have plans." I nodded and watched as he went over to where his friends were just finishing up decorating the tree and started joking around, pulling Sirius in a headlock and ruffling his hair. They exchanged a few words with Alice and Marlene before scampering off into their dormitory.

I walked over to Alice and Marlene, numbly. "Lily?" Alice asked, putting the star on top of the tree and looking down at me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I said, unconvincingly.

Marlene hummed and looked at me suspiciously. "Are you sure?"

"James wants me to go to his house for Christmas." I blurted, wringing my hands together and looking at them sheepishly as they squealed in excitement.

"What?" Alice continued to squeal. "That's amazing, you said yes right?"

I gave a sheepish smile. "I said I'd have to think about it."

Marlene scowled and hit me lightly in the side. "What?" She shouted. "Why?"

"Because-" I started, moving away slightly out of arm reach. "Isn't it a bit soon to meet his parents?"

Alice snorted. "No Lily, it depends on the person doesn't it? I met Frank's mum the weekend after we started dating and it was..." She turned away and mumbled. "It was lovely."

"Alice." I deadpanned. "You hate that woman."

"I don't hate her!" She said shrilly. "She hates me!"

I chuckled at her, reaching forward to twist the tree branch in my hands, causing some of the bristles to fall off. Marlene reached over and slapped my hands, giving me a stern look. "Listen, Lily." She put her hands on my shoulders and steered me over to the sofas where she sat me down. "You have to be comfortable, so you should really figure out if you're ready for this."

I found this very difficult. I didn't want to hurt his feelings but I just didn't know if I wanted to spend Christmas at his house. My parents would be so upset if I didn't go home for it and missed out on seeing them. An idea hit me hard.

"Marlene!" I jumped up. "Alice!" The girls looked at me amused and bewildered. "I can go to his for a few days and then he can come to mine! That way we both have to suffer the awkwardness of meeting the parents!"

"Lily, you just said you weren't ready to meet his and now you want him to meet yours?" Alice asked, looking at me incredulously.

I waved a hand to ward off her negativity. "Don't be silly Alice, this is the perfect solution."

Marlene laughed, dropping onto the sofa next to me and throwing her feet up onto the table in front of us. "Whatever makes you happy Lily." James and company walked through the portrait hole at the moment and I jumped up to greet him.

"Hi James." He grinned at me, arms full of treats that he put on the table in front of us.

"My lady." He swooped in and kissed me, eyes twinkling with mischief. "I have your favourites for you." He picked up some chocolate eclairs and brought it to my mouth. "Can I tempt you?"

Marlene fake gagged next to us. "Can you guys please not do this in front of us?" I blushed at her words, James was not affected as he winked at me and took a bite of the sweet treat.

"James can I talk to you for a second?"

"Want some alone time Evans?" Sirius hooted, falling into one of the armchairs with a laugh.

I scoffed at him. "Yeah we're gonna go have sex right now, so if you'll excuse us." I took a stunned James by the arm and dragged him up the stairs into the boys dormitory. It was a lot cleaner than I was anticipating and I was incredibly thankful for that. I could tell which bed was which by the neatness of them and the decorations the boys had in front and around their bunks.

James had his broomstick on his trunk with his Quidditch jersey strewn on top, he had school books scattered on the floor with the odd sock he hadn't picked up. On his dresser had a photo, which as I let go on his hand and walked towards his bed I saw it was a photo of the two of us, he was watching me as I smiled at the camera brightly. The look in his eyes made me melt and I smiled down at the photo before putting it back.

He also had a photo of the Marauder's, they were goofing around, Remus was looking on fondly as James and Sirius were wrestling one another on the slopes of the grounds outside. Peter was laughing along in the background. He also had a photo of his parents and it reminded me what I came here to do.

James was awfully quiet behind me and I turned around to see him watching me, as we made eye contact he coughed and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

"What you said downstairs-" He started, blushing.

I narrowed my eyes in jest. "Was just an excuse to talk to you in private."

His blush deepened and then he straightened up to compose himself. "Okay, so what did you want to talk about?" He asked, coming over to sit on his bed while I sat on the one opposite. Judging by the open drawer filled with chocolate and how tidy it was, I guessed it was Remus'.

"I'll go to yours for Christmas." His eyes lit up but I continued. "But you have to come to mine on Christmas eve so I can celebrate with my family and then we can go to yours the next day."

He nodded and grinned, standing up and pulling me up with him. "I was so worried you were going to say no." He confessed before leaning down to kiss me on the lips. They were soft and he tasted slightly like chocolate.

I smiled up at him before wrapping my arms around his neck to bring him back down into another kiss.

AN: So there we go!

I hope you guys liked this chapter, I have the rest of the story mapped out where I want it to go so hopefully next Saturday the next chapter will be up. I've started a new job which is taking a bit of time (majority of my time) away from my stories again, but I promise I won't be going off radar for years like before!

Love you guys and lemme know what you think!