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“James!” Sirius shouted running into the Great Hall. “James! We’re staying for Christmas right? I checked with all the other lads and they’re definitely staying. Did you get the okay from your parents?”
James glanced up from his breakfast, “Yeah, we’re staying. No need to announce it to the whole school” he mumbled as Sirius plopped down next to him. “ Alright, who pissed in your cereal? Why are you so mopey? It’s almost Christmas! And we’re all staying, we’re gonna have a proper lads Christmas for our last year here! Are you pining?” Sirius asked “Stop it! I checked with all of my sources and Evans is going home for Christmas, so stop thinking about her and get ready for the best Christmas EVER!” Sirius ended with a flourish.
“Yeah” James sighed, he smiled at Sirius “Yeah, a proper Marauders Christmas. Us against the faculty.”
“That’s the spirit!” Sirius shouted “Now let’s go find the boys and start planning.”
-
Lily smiled, as she walked towards the Great Hall. She couldn’t wait to go home this afternoon and see her family. Petunia was with Vernon’s family this year so there wouldn’t be any fighting and she could just enjoy the time with her parents. The Great Hall was pretty empty as a lot of the students had caught the morning train home, including Lily’s friends, but her parents had told her they wouldn’t be able to get off work to pick her up until the afternoon. She didn’t mind.
“OI! Sirius watch where you’re going!” She looked up just in time to see Sirius crash right into her. Before she even registered what was happening Sirius had already pulled her back up and one about stuffing her bag back in her arms. “What-” “Sorry, Evans! Gotta dash” He shouted before running off again. She looked after him, bewildered.
“Alright, Evans?”She nodded, turning around to see James looking at her, concerned. “Sorry about him” he continued “He’s just really excited to find the boys and start making holiday plans.”
“It’s alright” she replied “I hope you boys have a Merry Christmas”. “Thanks! You too!” He said before jogging after Sirius.
-
James smiled as he jogged off. He was glad he and Lily had managed to move past the animosity that had plagued the early years of their relationship. This year they were, at least he hoped, friends or rather acquaintances. He slowed as he turned onto a deserted corridor reaching into his robes to pull out the map. Hopefully the boys hadn’t moved to the room of requirement to start planning yet.
-
Lily Watched James leave before continuing to the Gryffindor table for breakfast. Just as she was about to start eating she heard the hoot of an owl flying in. It was unusual for students to receive mail on the last day of term as most of them had already left to go home. A sense of dread filled Lily as the owl drew closer to her before depositing a letter at her side and taking off.
She opened the letter wearily, noting that it was from her mother:
Dearest Lily,We have been anxiously awaiting your arrival the past few weeks and had been looking forward to spending a wonderful Christmas with you. However, your father and I have both contracted bouts of the stomach flu and would hate for you to get sick. Were it no more than a simple cold we would not write but we worry that should you get ill while home you would not recover by the time you returned to school. We would ask that you stay at school this holiday, we love you so much and wish you all the best. Please write back soon.
Love you loads,
Mother and Father
Her heart sank. She had so looked forward to going home and now she would be stuck at school with none of her friends.She sighed before standing up to find Professor McGonagall to inform her of the change in plans, leaving her breakfast untouched on the table. She wasn’t that hungry anymore.
-
James woke up the next day feeling happier than he had in awhile. He and the boys had spent all day yesterday planning out their Christmas mischief, talked with Peeves, and Lily had gone home so he was doing his best not to pine over her. With a skip in his step he got dressed to head downstairs, stopping when he heard voices in the common room.
“-sorry to hear that. Are you here all by yourself, have the rest of the girls gone home?” That definitely sounded like Remus, but who was he talking too? James had thought all the seventh year girls had gone home.
“I’m afraid they have, I’ll just have to make the best of it” a voice replied….was that Lily? But she had gone home. James softly walked down the stairs peering around the corner to see who it was. Lily and Remus were sitting comfortably on the couch in front of the fire. Damn it Sirius. He would have to tell him to find some more reliable sources next time. James straightened up before walking into the common room.
“Morning Remus! Morning Lily! I thought you’d gone home for break?” He asked.
“Oh I was supposed to but my parents have fallen ill and they don’t want me to spend the break taking care of them or get sick.” She replied. “I think I’ll just head to library and leave you boys to your holiday jokes, bye Remus, bye James.” She said before walking off.
So much for not pining.
-
Break went by slowly for Lily as she found herself missing her family and friends more than ever. On Christmas Eve, trying to forget what she was missing, Lily spent the afternoon in the library working on all of the assignments they had been given over break. Before she knew it night had fallen and and she decided she had had enough work and had earned the right to go wallow in her room with a box of chocolates for the rest of the evening. Just as she was packing up, Madame Pince came to inform her the library was closing and she would need to leave immediately.
Lily blinked in shock “Is it eleven already?” She asked. “Yes. Now please pack up your things and return to your common room.” Madame Pince said sternly before turning on her heel and walking off. Lily shouldered her bag and started working her way back to the tower.
Break hadn’t been as disastrous as she feared. Yes, she was lonely and she missed her family but, she did speak to Remus every now and then. She hadn’t seen too much of Peter or Sirius, though she did see Sirius lugging around a bag labeled ‘EXPLOSIVE’ so perhaps it was best she hadn’t seen too much of him. James had taken to greeting her with a joke in the Great Hall every morning. Most of the jokes were awful but it was sweet of him to try and make her smile everyday.
Thinking of James, she noticed how sweet and calm he’d been most of the year. Their relationship had taken a turn for the better last year but now, she might even call them friends. She meandered slowly up the stairs, thinking more on her relationship with James and how it had changed.
Maybe...if he asked her out again...maybe she’d say yes and see where it goes. She thought with a smile.
She greeted the Fat Lady and climbed through the portrait hole, to an almost deserted common room.
-
The boys had been busy all day setting up their Christmas prank and making sure nothing went wrong (and that Sirius hadn’t added anything to dangerous or flammable without their permission; “No Sirius, you cannot send Professor Slughorn an explosive Christmas cracker!” “But REMUS!” “NO”). The rest of the lads went straight to bed but James, decided to sit in front of the couch for a while,contemplating whether or not to give up on Lily or try one last time. He failed to keep his eyes open though and soon fell asleep in front of the fire.
-
Lily smiled softly at James before moving to wake him up, knowing that couch could do horrible things to your back when slept on. Not wanting to startle him she ran her hand over his hair softly. “James” she whispered “James wake up” He stirred slightly before blinking his eyes open and looking around. Lily stepped back letting her hand fall to her side. “You should move upstairs, that couch is a nightmare to sleep on” She said quietly.
“Yeah it is” he smiled “Thanks for waking me up” “No problem James, Happy Christmas” She said turning towards the stairs.
“yeah...happy Christmas” he mumbled before making up his mind “Hey, Lily?” “Yes?” “Would you like to go with me to Hogsmeade tomorrow?”
“I would like that very much James.”
“Really?”
“Very much so. Merry Christmas” She made her way up to the Girl’s Dormitory shutting the door behind herself softly, looking forward to Christmas for the first time since she’d received that letter.
James stood in the common room dazed, before running up to the Boy’s Dormitory and pouncing on Sirius “Guess what?!?”
It would be a very Happy Christmas, indeed.