CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
MERRY CHRISTMAS FOR NOW
I'm awakened at 6 in the morning to the sound of Molly jumping out of bed and running into the bathroom, like most mornings. I walk into the bathroom and hold her hair back from her face as she throws up. It's mostly bile, but I try not to look so that I don't get sick too. When she's finished I rub soothing circles on her back as she trys to blink back tears. It's like this everyday, we sit in silence on the cold bathroom tiles until one of us - usually me - suggests going back to bed. But today's different. Today is Christmas.
"Molly, we better go pretend to be asleep. They'll be coming in to wake us soon." I whisper. She looks confused, "It's Christmas." Understanding falls over her face and then she looks sad and frustrated.
"How have the days gone by so quickly? I was supposed to tell them. I thought I had ages." She groans. I know what she means. I keep putting off telling everyone about Caleb and now I'm running out of time. I'm just lucky the subject doesn't come up that often. Except by Caleb. I've been borrowing Posy from Rose to write to him. He keeps asking if I've done it yet, and I can tell he wants me to.
"Maybe it's better this way." I tell her, "You can have a normal Christmas, before things ... change. Tell them tomorrow." We get off the floor and back into bed. There is a long silence followed by the sound of footsteps walking up and down the hall, waking everyone up.
"Merry Christmas, Lily. Thank you for ... being there." Molly whispers. I barely have time to whisper it back before the door bursts open, light from the hallway flooding the room and making me shut my eyes. I blink a few times while my eyes adjust.
"Oh good you're awake." Says Lucy, practically jumping up and down with excitement. I grin at her and jump out of bed, pulling on my dressing gown, "C'mon, hurry up. Go wait downstairs, nearly everyone's already down there, I just have to wake Dom up." The second she's sure that Molly is up, she runs out of our room and up the hall to Dom's room. We walk downstairs to the sitting room and sure enough everyone except Lucy and Dom is already sitting around the tree, waiting for us.
"Merry Christmas!" Says everyone when they see us and we all hug and kiss quickly before settling down. I sit inbetween my Mother and Molly. Roxie is practically falling asleep on Aunt Angelina's shoulder and my Mum keeps taking long swigs of Coffee from her "World's Best Mum" mug and sighing. We wait a whole five minutes for Dom and Lucy ... Dom isn't exactly a morning person. Finally Lucy skips down the stairs, looking a little less cheery than a while ago - probably because Dom has been biting her head off, and Dom trudges along behind her. We laugh at Dom's zombie-like expression and she shoots us all a death glare. If looks could kill ...
"Present time!" Says Aunt Hermione in a sing-song voice. She is the only adult who is properly awake and smiley right now. But they'll brighten up in a few minutes, "Who's first."
She grabs the first (supposedly) random present and reads the tag out loud. It's quite flat and rectangular.
"It's for ... Albus. Here you go, Al." She hands him it with a smile, "It's from Me and your Uncle Ron." He tears it open. Inside is an enchanted scarf that works as a shield from snowballs, meaning when we all have a snowball fight later Al will be invinsible, and a signed Chudley Cannons calender.
"Uncle Ron - I don't like the Chudley Cannons!" He says, grinning and everyone laughs as Uncle Ron pouts, "Thanks for the scarf though. This'll come in useful."
The next present is for Dom from Rose. It's a small home-made coupon book filled with things like "Help you study for one hour" and "Help you clean out your wardrobe" and "Go shopping with you". In fact everyone gets coupon books from Rose, with varying topics. I got one that says "Distract James from moaning at you". I get to open a present next. It's from Dom.
I rip apart the sparkly purple paper and pull out a book. "101 Ways To Keep Your Wizard Happy".
"Dominique!" I shriek and blush while she laughs hysterically at my reaction. Everyone else looks confused.
"What is it?" My Mum asks and looks over my shoulder. A smile creeps onto her face.
"Now, now, Dom. Don't be giving her any ideas." She says fake sternly while biting back a laugh. I sit on the book to hide it, but Dom tells everyone what it is anyway. They all laugh at me while I bury my face in my hands. My Dad looks torn between laughing at it or confiscating the book. The next present is to Uncle George from my Mum. Then to Roxie from Aunt Fleur and Uncle Bill and so and so on.
By the end of unwrapping I have a huge stack of presents; My coupons from Rose; My book from Dom; A framed photo of Me and Rikki and Mel laughing from Louis, which I hadn't even seen him take; Vouchers for WWW and a cute top from Uncle George and Aunt Angelina; A silk nighty and fluffy slippers from Albus (though Mum probably bought it); A jumper with the letter "L" on it from my Grandparents; A bottle of ink that changes colour and a fancy, sparkly quill from Hugo; A beautiful light blue dress and silver high heels from Aunt Fleur and Uncle Bill, for the New Years Eve Party; A full-length mirror that tells you what you should wear from Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron, eg "If you wear that t-shirt then you should wear your blue jeans and red shoes" and "Oh no, pink is not your colour"; A book called "Fun Charms To Charm Your Friends" from Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey; A make-up kit from Teddy and Vic that apparently doesn't wear off unless you want it to; A pretty cardigan and a thick golden hairband from Roxie; A promise from Freddie that he will buy me a Butterbeer or two on the next Hogsmeade visit; And from James, a necklace, which is actually very pretty. It look black to start off with but is all different colours when it catches the light. Beside it, inside the box, is a hand-written note from James, apologising for writing to the parents and, quote "...only trying to be a good brother but evidently annoying you". It almost brings me to tears because it's the only time I've ever heard James admit fault to anything.
The last present I get is from my parents. Obviously I get a whole load of clothes and books and stuff but then my Dad leaves the room for a minute. When he comes back in he is carrying a cage and inside it is a beautiful big, chocolate-brown owl with bits of white sprinkled around her wings and eyes.
"Oh my Merlin." I gasp and then I throw my arms around my Mother.
"Do you like her darling? We thought if you had your own owl then you could write home more often and-"
"I love her. This is awesome. Thank you!" I tell her and she laughs. Then I run over to my Dad, take the cage out of his hands, sit it on the ground and hug him too. I pick up the cage and look in at my owl. Everyone starts going about their business - getting dressed and looking at their presents and making breakfast - while I just stare at her.
"What are you going to call her?" Asks Molly, sitting down next to me.
"I don't know. I was thinking about Erela. I read somewhere it means messenger. I didn't want to name her something common like Chocolate or something, but if it's too weird ..."
"No. It's just weird enough." Smiles Molly, and taps me on the nose. Then I remember something.
"Molly, can you come up to our room a minute?" Her brow furrows in confusion but she nods. I start to walk up the stares, carrying some of my clothes that I got and Erela with me, and Molly follows close behind. When we get to the room I lay my clothes neatly on the bed, sit Erela on the dressing table and shut the door tightly so that nobody can hear our conversation.
"What is it, Lily?" She asks me, looking genuinely worried.
"Oh it's nothing bad, honest" I say quickly and her expression is noticably more relaxed, "It's just, well I don't know if you noticed but I haven't given you your present yet. I couldn't. So ... here." I pull a bag out from it's safe place under my bed and hand it to her. She opens it and gasps.
"Lily, there must be ..." She trails off.
"30 Galleons. I know it's not much-"
"Lily, It's far too much! How can you even afford to give me this...? I can't - can't take this." She says her eyes welling up.
"No, you have to. I always save money up to but Christmas presents for everyone. This year I spent less than usual because Dom's skirt was on sale and I got my book for Rose free when I bought that book I got for Fred for his birthday. And I know how much you'll need it ... for-for when the baby comes. Please, take it."
"Oh, oh ... Lily, I-" She cuts herself and walks over to me and pulls me into a massive hug. This is a big thing because usually I just hug her, she never initiates it. She's not really a hugging person. But this is a proper, long, meaningful hug. She pulls away, teary-eyed, "Thank you. Thank you so much."
"It's the least I could do." I smile. She looks at me and sighs.
"I didn't get you anything. I was saving up for the baby, I didn't think." She says, absent-mindedly resting her hand on her stomach. I think she's becoming a lot more comfortable with the idea of a baby - she's over 4 months along now - it's just telling her parents that scares her. Suddenly her face changes. I can't describe the emotion - Panic? Surprise? Happiness? - it could be anything.
"What? What is it?" I ask her, worried.
"I- I think the baby just ... just kicked or moved or something. Woah." She slowly starts to smile.
"Can- can I feel it?" I wonder aloud, feeling stupid. She nods and grabs my hand, placing it on her stomach. I stand really still for a few moments and then I feel it. It's small - barely there - but I can feel it. Molly looks down at her tummy then up at my smiling face and grins through the tears that have started sliding down her face.
"I know what I'm going to give you for Christmas." She informs me with a watery smile, "Would you like to be the Godmother, Lily." I stand with my mouth hanging open and I start to cry. Molly looks surprised, "Oh ok. Don't cry, Lily, please. You don't have to, I ju-"
"No, I want to. I'm just so-so-so touched." I half-sob, half-laugh at my silliness and she joins me.
"You've been so great, Lily. I wouldn't want anybody else to be Godmother. I love you, little cousin." She smiles.
"I love you too, Mols. And I think you'll make a great Mother." And then I hug her tightly, feeling my godchild press against my own stomach.