Chapter 102

Christmas Day

Note from J.M. Jackson: Sorry for the lack of update last week. It was a long week, and had a bit of a struggle, but here's the next chapter.

Christmas morning had finally arrived, with the Burrow decorated brightly, so much so that Sirius said he wouldn't be surprised if it could be seen from space. Lily had been sleeping in the same room as Hermione, Pansy, Ginny, Fleur, Nicolette, Gabrielle, and Lavender, and though it was crowded, they moved around easily without causing hassle.

Of course, the boys were struggling, but that didn't surprise any of the girls. "They're boys, what do you expect?" Pansy had asked, laughing at the same time.

When everyone was ready and down from their rooms into the large hall, which had been decorated as both a living room and a dining room, it had been time for presents.

"Before we open presents," Sirius said, looking at everyone. He had made sure everyone had soft drinks, including juice, fizzy drinks, or flavoured water, because he had wanted to make sure the moment was memorable. "I want to say a few words."

"This Christmas is… special, in many ways. We have so many of us here, we might have been better off using Hogwarts to host it," Sirius began, prompting a round of laughter.

Of course, he was right. Those of the large group who hadn't been staying at night, including the families of Lavender, Padma, Parvati, Luna, and the others, had arrived early that morning, ready to enjoy the full day's festivities.

After what had happened, Scrimgeour had made sure security was tightened for the Burrow, and no one who wasn't permitted could get anywhere near the place.

"We began this holiday in darkness, with the attack. It hadn't been expected, and yet it felt like something Mouldy Shorts would do, so maybe we should have expected something. Still, it's a testament to all of you, your courage and your bravery, that we're all here, enjoying this day together, with these presents, including those from your admirers and well-wishers. What you all did at the Great Market was… incredible, and for that, you are rightly being honoured," Sirius continued.

He took a deep breath. "But the attack, and what has been happening, has been done with the intent to keep us all apart. Instead, it's done the opposite. It's brought us all together. Draco, Pansy, you were once enemies and rivals of Lily and of most of the people here, and now you're as close as family. You fought with us, and you've become a part of our extended family," Sirius complimented, causing Draco and Pansy to blush.

"And so, I wanted to take this time to raise my glass and honour all of you, for all you have done. You've come together, every one of you, and shown that you are the best of us all; brave, kind, loving, and caring. You represent the best our world has, and you give us all hope for a better future. To all of you, and to the future," Sirius concluded, raising his glass.

Everyone raised their glasses, taking a sip, before letting out a group cheer at his words. Draco then stood up, holding up his hands.

"Safe to say I've been a pain in the butt to you, Lily, since we first met. I never understood why people thought you were special, or why so many people followed you. Now, I get it. I see why you are special, and why you'll always win; because you're an amazing person, and a wonderful young woman," Draco complimented. "If not for you, we wouldn't all be here, enjoying this day, with all these presents, so I think the first one opened today should be yours," Draco said, grabbing a small box and handing it to Lily.

Everyone clapped their hands as Lily opened the gift, seeing a locket inside, one that was open, with small pictures of Lily's mum and dad inside. "Merry Christmas, Lily," Draco said.

For the first time ever, Lily did something that she knew one time would have been impossible; she embraced Draco in a hug.

"Thank you, Draco," she said softly, as Draco smiled, returning the hug.

"Anytime, Lily," he replied kindly. Lily felt happy knowing that the rivalry between them really was over, and now she had a new friend, and family member.

Opening the presents had taken the better part of an hour, with everyone loving what they had gotten. Lily had loved the dresses, and the books, from Ginny. Somehow, Ginny always knew what to get Lily. Draco had loved his presents; Lily had brought him a book on Quidditch tips and techniques, as well as some wizarding games, and a large selection of sweets, along with items from Fred and George's shop.

Dinner had also gone down a treat, and by the time sunset had arrived, most of the people at the Burrow had fallen asleep, all exhausted from the games and the fun of the day.

Lily was still sitting up, outside where it was a decent temperature, despite the snow, thanks to some magic by Molly, Sirius, and Remus. She was smiling as she was leaning back in a chair, with Ginny sitting on her lap.

"Hell of a Christmas, wasn't it?" Ginny asked.

"No kidding," Lily agreed, with a small chuckle. "I love sitting out here, looking up at the stars. It's… it's just beautiful, seeing all of them."

"I know what you mean. Just being here, looking up; for a brief moment, it feels like everything's at peace with the world, as if nothing could go wrong," Ginny rested her head on Lily's shoulder as she spoke. "I'm glad I'm here with you, Lily."

"Likewise," Lily agreed. She kissed Ginny's neck softly. "I'm always glad to be anywhere with you. I'm just… worried, about so much."

"Why don't you talk to me about some of it?" Ginny suggested, twisting slightly so she was facing Lily.

"To begin with, I keep thinking about the people who died at the Market," Lily admitted. Ginny nodded in understanding.

"So do I. We tried to save everyone, but we couldn't," Ginny said sadly.

"And at Christmas… I don't know much about the people who died, and yet the paper's showed us as heroes. Do heroes fail like that?" Lily asked, looking at the floor.

"Did we fail?" Ginny asked. "We did the best we could, didn't we?"

"I keep thinking about it, and wondering if there was more we could have done, and I don't know if we could have, or if we did everything we were able to. Then there's next year. I mean, we know what Mr. Crouch thinks, and we both share his concern about Professor Dumbledore. If he… if he does…" Lily began but couldn't bring herself to say the words.

"You don't have to say the words, Lily. It's harder to say them than it was to say Voldemort's name," Ginny spoke softly. Lily nodded.

"If it does happen… I don't think I'll be at Hogwarts next year," Lily said. "If Barty is right, then I'll need to track down the Horcruxes, whatever they are."

"If that's the case, I'll be going with you," Ginny told her. "I don't… I don't think it'll be safe without Dumbledore, and I don't want anyone using either of us to hurt the other."

"It's not exactly a secret that we're together," Lily agreed. "But it could be dangerous."

"It'll be very dangerous, but whatever happens, we're going to be there together," Ginny insisted.

"I don't know what's going to happen, or what path we'll be taking," Lily pointed out.

"Ron and Hermione won't leave your side, Lily, and neither will I," Ginny insisted, as she stared into Lily's eyes, showing determination and courage. It was in those moments that Lily knew why she fell in love with Ginny to begin with. "Besides, remember who wears the pants in our relationship."

Lily laughed at the good-natured tease. It was true, Ginny was stubborn, and Lily couldn't refuse her anything. She also knew she was stronger when Ginny was with her.

"More importantly, I'm stronger and better with you," Lily said. "I wouldn't ever be able to be apart from you."

"Then it's settled. Whatever happens, we do it together," Ginny smiled, before leaning in and pressing her lips to Lily's.

Lily could smell the scent of strawberries, and she could hear her own heart beating rapidly as the kiss lingered. It was these moments that Lily never wanted to end. She loved every kiss, every hand hold, every cuddle, every moment spent together. It was, for Lily, perfection, and she knew Ginny felt the same way.

"I never get tired of kissing you," Ginny said after the kiss, smiling happily.

"You beat me by, like, two seconds," Lily told her, returning the smile. "I've been doing a lot of thinking, about us, and the future."

"Oh? What have you thought about?" Ginny asked. "Any part of our future in specific?"

"Everything. I mean, you said you want to travel after Hogwarts, assuming we've won the war against Voldemort, so I was thinking of going on what a muggle cruise. Basically, we get away from everything magic related, and travel around the world, visiting all kinds of places," Lily said.

"That sounds like a fun idea," Ginny nodded, a thoughtful look on her face. "No magic, no responsibilities, nothing to worry about, and plenty of time to relax."

"Exactly. There's something I've been reading about in the news," Lily said. "You know all about Disney, right? Aladdin, Duck Tales, Beauty and the Beast?"

"Yeah, I love those films," Ginny replied. "I really love Beauty and the Beast, it's so beautiful."

"You're not wrong," Lily agreed. "Anyway, I read that they've already begun planning a cruise line, which is going to launch a day before my birthday in 1998. Hopefully, we'll be able to go on that cruise."

"Honestly, I love that idea," Ginny grinned.

"Good, because I've told Uncle Sirius that as soon as the tickets are available, I want to get them. I think he wants to come as well, mostly because he wants to see us on our first holiday, but only if you don't mind," Lily said.

"I don't mind at all," Ginny agreed. "I don't want to take Fred and George, mind you, given how they'll likely risk the statute of secrecy."

"Risk it? They'll demolish it!" Lily joked, laughing. "Honestly, we can go alone, or just Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus, and your Mum as well if you want, she definitely deserves it."

"Alright, we'll make it a family thing," Ginny agreed. "We'll need to explain it to Mum. I just wish that…" her voice began to trail off, but Lily knew what she was thinking.

"Your dad would have loved it," Lily agreed. "He'd have spent the whole trip in the engine room, studying everything about it."

"Oh, definitely," Ginny chuckled, smiling. "He always wanted to learn how planes stayed up."

"I'm only sorry he didn't find out," Lily said, holding onto Ginny, wiping away the tears that were forming. "But he's always here with us."

"Thank you," Ginny said softly. Lily looked into her eyes.

"I think he's always with us. On the day of… well, at his funeral, I saw him," Lily said, sharing something she hadn't shared yet. "I thought it was my imagination, but after Professor Dumbledore spoke, I swore I saw him. He stood there, and smiled, before waving and walking off. I put it down to me wanting him to be there, but after everything we've seen… I wouldn't be surprised if he really was there."

Ginny looked at Lily in amazement, and with a sense of wonder. "I… I always wanted him to show himself to me. Mum used to say that when we lost people, they were always with us. I wanted it to be true, but I never saw him. Now… maybe he is here with us."

"He'll always be proud of you, I know that much," Lily said. "Who wouldn't be? Look at how brave you are, and how strong and brilliant you are. You've faced more than most people, and you still want to keep fighting."

"I promise you, Lily, that no matter what, I'll always be here, and I'll fight with you to the end, whatever the cost," Ginny said firmly. Lily smiled as they kissed, knowing Ginny was always going to be with her, forever.

As Draco settled into his bed, he sighed, and looked out of the window. "Are you okay?" Ron asked.

"For the most part, I guess," Draco replied, looking over at him. They were in Ron's room, sharing, which Draco was surprised to find didn't actually bother him. "I don't think I ever apologised for everything I did against you, or the times I was rude to you."

"You don't have to; it's in the past," Ron replied. "Lily forgave you for everything; I can't exactly do any less. Besides, I know what it's like to lose family, and honestly, you've been through more than most."

"I just wish I'd seen things differently sooner. I still can't believe I'm here, and we're… well…" Draco started. Ron chuckled softly.

"Friends? Yeah, it's not exactly something I expected either," Ron sat up as he looked at Draco. "Let's face it, we have Lily to thank for it. She has a way of bringing people together."

"Yeah, I've seen that. Rita Skeeter, Barty Crouch Junior, me, Pansy, McLaggen who said himself he hated her, and others as well. Hell, I thought she was Slytherin's heir in our second year," Draco admitted. "I hated her for that, because I wondered how someone so good could be the heir of Slytherin, but now, I see what happened as… well, disgusting. What kind of wizard tries to take over a kid?"

"One who doesn't care, at all. He can't feel or understand love," Ron replied. "We've been learning about him a bit, in order to beat him, and I feel like I can trust you. Lily won't object to me telling you this either."

"Oh?" Draco felt both surprised and, to his shock, honoured that he was being trusted with something secret.

"You remember Slughorn's first lesson? The potion you identified?" Ron asked.

"Amortentia?" Draco asked. Ron nodded. "What's that got to do with…" he froze mid-sentence, connecting the dots.

"And there you go," Ron complimented, noting that Draco's mouth had opened slightly.

"He was conceived… under the influence of Amortentia?" Draco asked. Ron nodded.

"Turns out his mum loved a muggle, and his grandfather was a bastard," Ron replied. "She had been beaten down mentally and emotionally by her grandfather and brother, who treated her like she couldn't do anything, and she became, I dunno, afraid of magic. She used Amortentia on his father, a muggle, but eventually stopped before Riddle was born, and he left her immediately. It's why she died; she stopped using magic and couldn't survive as a muggle," Ron explained.

"Damn… that's messed up, on so many levels," Draco said, his eyes still wide.

"You're telling me. I mean, I get wanting to be with someone, but making them obsessed with you… yeah, that's messed up on every level," Ron agreed. "I'm always counting myself lucky to have Lavender."

"Same with me and Pansy. She was the only one there for me after what happened at the Ministry," Draco said. "Her parents threw her out because she stayed with me and supported me."

"How the hell can any parent do that?" Ron asked angrily. "What kind of parent turns on their kid because they have a damned heart?"

"You should see some of the other Sacred 28. I know your family are part of it, but most of the Sacred 28 are dark wizards, or linked to them. Lily's Uncle's family, my family, Nott, Avery… quite a few. There's a lot of racism and bigotry within them, though that might change. Pansy's family are part of the Sacred 28, which is why her parents were happy when Pansy and I were friends, but the second my parents died, and I wanted nothing more to do with Voldemort… they turned their backs," Draco explained.

"I can't imagine what she's been going through. I mean, she's putting on a strong face, but she's gotta be hurting," Ron mused.

"She is. She thinks I haven't noticed, but I have. I suggested she talk to Hermione and Ginny, and even Lily. It's never going to be easy, but it's why I'm thankful all of you have been so kind and accepted us. I don't think we'd have done well without the support you've all shown," Draco admitted.

"No one should be alone, mate," Ron said, with a small smile. "You're one of us now, and You-Know-Who knows it as well. It probably pissed him off, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's angry with a certain cow."

"I doubt he'll be angry enough to kill her, but yeah, it's likely strained things, and I'm hoping to keep pushing that somehow. I know I want revenge, but I need to think more carefully, especially since I almost died. Without Lily, I probably would have died," Draco said.

"She mentioned that. I won't say it wasn't a dumb thing to do, going after Bellatrix, and a few people would have thanked you if you'd killed her, but going into battle angry is a quick way to die. You'll fight bravely and die quickly," Ron said. Draco looked at Ron, impressed.

"I really underestimated you since we met," Draco confessed. "I think everyone does."

"I've been told that," Ron agreed, chuckling.

"You're smarter than most people think," Draco complimented. "You're also a hell of a keeper at Quidditch."

"Thanks. Honestly, I started getting better thanks to Oliver Wood, he had me train with the Quidditch team in the third year, and I got a lot of skills through that," Ron admitted.

"I'd be happy to play Quidditch with you, if you want," Draco offered. "I know I stopped playing for the Slytherin team, so it'll be nice to play a bit more."

"You're on," Ron smiled. "Weather depending, let's have a match tomorrow."

"I'd like that," Draco agreed, fighting back a yawn.

"Let's get some sleep, and hey, if you ever need to talk, I'm always happy to listen," Ron told him.

"Thank you, Ron," Draco smiled as he and Ron laid down in their beds. Draco was genuinely thankful for Ron, and for the others. He felt something he hadn't felt before, and now, he was thankful for it.

He felt like he had friends.