This chapter dedication goes to Bree despite the fact I have no idea if she reads this book lmao! She's a beautiful friend regardless! Love you!
breesiena_914 ♥️♥️♥️

(21st December 1977)

It was mid afternoon and winter sun was bleeding into the windows of the Hogwarts Express and heating the compartment to a lazy tepidness, which was unusual for the time of year.
Snow had returned over the rolling hills, bidding farewell to the drab slush that had coated the landscape like a grey cancer, following the rain that had fallen last week. Now, everything was encased in glittering white, reflecting off the beaming sun and creating an affect that resembled what one might imagine commercial heaven would look like.

"Is he asleep?" Marlene pointed her cigarette at Sirius who was resting soundly on his boyfriend's shoulder, looking angelic and almost comically juxtaposed to his usual self.

"It would appear so," Remus replied, glancing down at him, while careful not to cause him to stir.

"I think I like him better when he's asleep." Esme-Leigh said from the other side of James. "Less likely to blow something up when he's asleep," she added, shifting in her seat to lie her head lazily on James' lap.

James chuckled softly, taking a drag from his own cigarette with the sort of cavalier attitude that one must spend years perfecting, "what is it they say? No rest for the wicked."

Marlene hummed in agreement, a languorous smile on her red painted lips.
"You two are a good match, Moony. Don't blow it."

Remus locked eyes with her, his expression turbulent, but Marlene only smiled wider. "I mean it. You just work. And the two of you have been wanting this for longer than necessary."

"She's right, mate."

Remus glanced at James and then back down to his shoulder. Sirius had his eyes shut, long dark, eyelashes fanning over his high cheekbones. His breath was steady and soothing. There was something grounding about dating Sirius this past few week or so. Everything was new but it felt like they'd been this way for years, not many people are in love before the first date, but Sirius was never the type of person to appreciate 'normal people'; in fact, he'd rather see opposing the phrase as a challenge.

"I never suggested she wasn't wrong."

At this, Marlene sat back in her seat, leaning into James and looking rather glib, "told you I'm right about everything. I'm like the fucking oracle!"

"That's a new extreme, Mar." James rolled his eyes, glancing over at Esme in attempt to share his exasperation with her, only to find that her and Peter had joined Sirius in sleep; Peter's head lolled backwards and Esme-Leigh's breaths had become shallow and steady. James ran his fingers through her hair and watched as it changed colour but she didn't stir.

"Shame," James said, "I wish Ez would have heard you say that bullshit so she could clip you round the ear for trying to outgrow my ego."

"Why can't you do it?"

"Don't start me, McKinnon! You'd grass me up to my father the second you saw him and we all know who he would believe. Bonus points if Felicity is there too!"

"Hush! My mother bloody loves you!"

"That doesn't mean she's forgotten what I'm like."

Marlene did not reply, she merely eyed James with a supercilious gaze until he was forced to look away. It should have been about this time in their petty squabble that Remus would have stepped in with a one-liner to end the conversation faster than a missile but he had nothing to offer. This was largely because -they were now realising- he had fallen asleep too.

"We seem to be the last ones standing, Prongs."

James glanced around the room and nodded, "it would appear so."

Marlene tapped out her cigarette just as James did the same, indicating she had something to say.

"Marls?"

"James."

"What criticisms of wisdom are you offering me today?"

Marlene studied him for a second, glancing benignly at his fingers running deftly through Esme-Leigh's silky locks.
"None. But whatever game you're playing is going to bite you in the arse. That's all I'm saying."

For a moment their eyes locked more intensely than before, when she really looked into him, and James could tell she knew more about him that he knew himself.

Esme-Leigh's hair was a dark pink one moment and then a dazzling orange the next—and all of a sudden James felt himself pull away, not sure why until he noticed what particular sunset he could see in her hair. Thinking of Lily wasn't helping anyone...

"You think you know more than me. One day Marlene McKinnon, you are going to need advice and when you do I shall be there– not to help, no sir, but to gloat. And boy am I the gloating type."

Marlene let out a breath, laughing, not unkindly, "I know, James. I saw you get quidditch captain."

James winked at her but didn't take his eyes off Esme's hair a beat longer. It was still the colour of that first sunset that he'd watched with Lily– on the night of his mother's funeral. Seeing it so close to Esme-Leigh unnerved him in a way he couldn't quite put into words.

The train rolled on; innocuously, dragging a snow covered landscape with it until they pulled into Kings Cross station.

♣ ♣ ♣

(21st December 1977 continued)

Kings Cross station was extremely difficult to navigate during rush hour in the run up to Christmas. The place was full of last minute shoppers and office workers on their final push before the holidays.
James, Sirius and Marlene navigated the station together, bidding goodbye to their friends one by one as they disappeared with their own parents to one place or another (Marlene and James spent a good ten minutes making fun of Sirius while he moped at the loss of Remus' company, even if it was only a few days).

They let their owls fly to Potter House alone before they boarded the train to Cokeworth just incase Dorcas or the others decided to make an appearance at the platform, but it was likely they wouldn't have been too out of place on a train like this.

Marlene had managed to pick them the most peculiar carriage on the train judging by the three vibrantly dressed elves in one corner and the melancholy reindeer in the other (Sirius had commented that if he were a reindeer, he'd struggle to have things worth feeling downcast about) and James nearly fell off his seat when Sirius asked if he thought Lily would be at the platform.

By the time the trio reached Cokeworth station, it was late evening but it looked as though it were midnight by the inky blue of the winter sky. Christmas lights decorated the platform when they disembarked from the peculiar carriage but it wasn't until they rounded the corner and made their way out into the Main Street that they noticed the full extent to which the small town took Christmas to be some sort of sport. Fairy lights hung from post to post; bells and holly adorned nearly every shop window and wreaths every front door.

But one thing completed the picture and they saw it nearly as soon as they got out the station and into the open air. Lily Simpson, Dorcas Meadowes, Alice Fortescue, and Frank Longbottom all stood in a huddle, clinging to each other to keep warm and sporting an array of colourful knitwear.

Marlene reacted first, barrelling her way towards Dorcas and wrapping her in her arms. Nobody could quite make out what they were whispering in each other's ears but when Marlene caught James' eye over her girlfriend's shoulder it was clear that any tensions between them surrounding his rendezvous with Lily had turned into thin air upon seeing Dorcas.

Sirius went to Frank and Alice first, wrapping his arms round both of them and offering his congratulations on their engagement whilst trying not to laugh at the fact Marlene was hastily wiping tears of excitement from her rosy cheeks.

That left James to greet Lily. For some reason he felt rooted to the spot. He'd seen her many times, greeted her many different ways: the first was a bellicose exchange; the second an explosive argument; the next was a moment that would stay with him forever, shaping him; and time and time again they would greet each other. Sometimes she would roll her eyes, others she'd throw herself into his arms.

It hadn't taken him long to see she was magic. The second he saw the flowers under her feet it hadn't felt like an epiphany– more like a confirmation of something he'd already known. Lily Evans had been an enigma to him for most his life– he might have spent years dreaming of the witch she might have been, of the person she might have been, to him, to the school, the wizarding world. And then, all of a sudden, she appears out the blue, beautiful, gallant and truculent. His first thought was 'what took you so long?' The second was 'I wondered where you'd been.'

Lily Evans stood in front of him now, disguised as Lily Simpson but he'd known better for a while. Even underneath all her layers he could see the necklace she wore, the golden snitch, rested on her heart.

Lily looked at him for a moment, seeming to smile with her whole body, nearly bringing the sun back into the night sky. James looked right back, her eyes were scintillating underneath the Christmas lights, reflecting in the blacks of her pupils.

Lily took a few steps towards him, away from the group, and stopped just in touching distance.
"Hey," she whispered, suddenly looking timid.

"Hey."

Looking at her now was strange. There was so much to say, so many things she should know, so much he wanted to tell her. But all of a sudden, he was faced with just her and she was wearing the most flooring smile and everything melted away.
If Sirius hasn't called them both over, then it was possible he might never have stopped staring.

♣ ♣ ♣

(21st December 1977)

It was possible Marlene had put off going back to London to see her mother and step-father and it wasn't because she disliked either of them –actually quite the opposite– but if she set foot in Felicity McKinnon's home during the Christmas holidays then she would find a way to guilt-trip her only daughter into visiting her father in Hertfordshire.

Once again, she didn't dislike her father, but that wasn't to say she adored him either. Gregor Fawley was the sort of man that was a decent man but a crappy father; and Marlene supposed that was okay now that she had Steven, her mother's husband, but five years ago, when she needed a father, the closest thing she got was Monty– James' father. With Gregor one got comradeship as not parental advice. One got stories of triumphs at work instead of help with homework; and they got offered leftover food instead of a meal prepared. That was just what he was like.

Even when Felicity McKinnon was still married to Gregor, she had always referred to him as 'your father'– the sort of dissociative term that made Marlene wonder why she hadn't seen their divorce coming sooner. And now, if she was to venture into the McKinnon household, Marlene didn't find it strenuous to picture exactly how the transaction would go: Darren McKinnon would be home for Christmas, if Lucas could make it then he'd be home too, and her eldest brother, Zachary, would have sent a letter from Canada where he worked for the ministry department. It was rare to see him home but Felicity always held out hope.

Upon entry, Steven would greet her first from the kitchen where he'd be making hot chocolate (unless Lucas was over in which case he'd be waiting in the kitchen in order to be the first to see her). The house elves would be made scarce as Steven, being a Muggle, wholeheartedly treated Christmas as a ritualistic event and so did all the necessary cooking while Felicity went to work. Marlene could already picture him in his favourite red apron, most likely with a cigar in one hand as he stirred the chocolate.

Darren would hear her coming in the door and sense the commotion down the stairs and so he would greet her next, inquiring about quidditch (a question which she will already have answered to Lucas ten seconds earlier) and her mother would be the last down.

Felicity would still be in her work suit, she'd be soothing her skirt as she bustled down the stairs and envelop her daughter in the sort of way that only mothers can.

And then they would be a family for twenty minutes before Felicity inquired about 'your father' and Marlene would roll her eyes.
This is how most greetings went these days but she'd put it off long enough.

With a deep breath, Marlene pushed the door wide open and entered the kitchen. Lucas was already drinking a cup of hot chocolate stirred by a red apron and cigar clad Steven.

"There she is!" Lucas grinned, pulling his sister into a bear hug which brought her nearly off the ground.

When he pulled away she couldn't help but laugh. The scene even smelt like she imagined it would: an enchanting mixture of tobacco and dark chocolate.

"What's got you giggling, Marly?" Lucas asked, frowning as his dirty blonde hair flopped over his raised eyebrows.

"Nothing. I just know you all inside out, that's all."

Lucas grinned and ruffled her hair.
"Always the observant one. That's why you're our seeker!" He winked when the rumble of the staircase indicated the arrival of Felicity and Darren.
She really did know her family and their greetings far too well...

♣ ♣ ♣

(21st December 1977 continued)

Marlene found time to sneak out the front door just before midnight. Lucas was in the kitchen as she made her way out but he just offered her a wink behind his circular glasses, which she took to mean he wouldn't tell...

There was a quiet street near Lily's house where it was safe to apparate. James had told her this earlier and so she found herself in this street as the church clock struck midnight. Perhaps it would have been ominous if it weren't for the silvery snow, smiling at her underneath the moonlight, bathing in the metallic luminescence.

She passed Lily's street on her way to see Dorcas. It was utterly vacant, not a soul passed her on the way down the street. Pools of amber light flooded the snowy ground in circles, cast by the dwindling life of the lampposts. All in all, Marlene did not expect to see a figure round the corner...

The figure was shrouded in shadows, obscured by a black hood, all but the ghost of a smile painted on a faceless man. She could not make out his eyes, or much else about him except that smile.

He walked leisurely, like he had all the time in the world for a midnight stroll and his boots cut the silence in the street like a knife to tender skin.

He didn't acknowledge her as she past him but she turned back to watch him go. He did not.

Marlene McKinnon may have only been seventeen, but she'd lived long enough to know the devil took on many forms. And she'd lived in a war for long enough to know that Lucifer lurked round every corner...

♣ ♣ ♣

(23rd December 1977)

"Are you kidding?"

Esme-Leigh frowned over her wire glasses.
"Non, maman told me yesterday that she's got affairs to sort in Paris– something about my mamé selling her house."

"And you're not going?" Marlene inquired, her own frown being returned. They sat in Marlene's bedroom together, the house was empty so they'd raided the pantry for the cookie supply and were presently sitting on a mountain of pillows on her bedroom floor.

"And face my grandmother in a time of stress?Absolutely bloody not!"

Marlene's laugh seemed forced. It wasn't an onerous reach to see that something was bothering her. But Marlene McKinnon wasnt the type of person to be probed– if there was something perturbing her, no-one would know until she was ready.

"Well you can come with me to see my dad at new year. Aside from that I'll be liaising between James' and my mums. My brothers are all home for Christmas –even Zach– so it'll be nice to see them."

"Lucas is home?!"

Marlene caught the devious expression on Esme's face and began violently protesting. Esme-Leigh had sported a minor crush on the youngest McKinnon brother while he was still at school. The former brazen Gryffindor had caused all sorts of havoc with the Prewett twins Fabian and Gideon, running riot like first generation marauders and so whenever he was around, Esme made it her mission to flirt with him on front of Marlene and it didn't fall short of driving her to lunacy.

"Bisset, you are not to flirt with my brother!"

"Why?" She pouted, ducking when Marlene swung a slap round her ear.

"Because he's my brother!"

"Yeah but he's your cute brother! You don't see me trying to hit it off with Darren or Zachary– do you?"

Marlene's oceanic blue eyes found the ceiling in a melodramatic eye roll.
"Heres me thinking that it was because Zach is gay and Darren has a fiancée with a kid on the way."

Esme-Leigh hummed sarcastically, "no, that's not it. Can't say it would stop me."

This time Marlene really did pounce on her and the two of them were engaged in a tickle fight with absolutely no rules (and more below-the-belt foul plays that humanly possible).

Esme-Leigh didn't need to tell her best friend that the real reason her parents were going to Paris was to go house hunting. She didn't need to know that Beauxbatons had sent her a letter last week. She didn't need to know any of it. Not if Esme could find a reason...

(21st December 1977)

Lily looked at herself in the mirror. Her reflection looked right back. Green eyes, auburn braids round either side of her face, pale cheeks sprinkled with freckles and uneven white eyeliner.

"Shit." Dorcas had told her that it was easy when she gave Lily the eyeliner, but evidently she seemed to be having some trouble.

She'd just come off her shift at Indulge and was getting ready to meet her friends at Alice's house; all of them, together, for the first time since summer.

"Knock knock." Faith Evans appeared in the doorway. Drunk or sober, Lily's mother had always been the type of person to physically say 'knock knock' when entering a new room and it drove Lily to insanity.

"Mum, you don't need to—"

"—I know! I don't need to say it when I'm coming into your room. I got it, darling."

Lily nodded, turning back to face the mirror as her mother sat on the bed behind her, where they could both watch her reflection stare right back at them.

"So, your boyfriend is coming for dinner tomorrow."

Lily felt her heart drop into the floor. Christian had been really understanding about the 'boyfriend situation.' He'd taken everything in his stride and they'd even practised quizzing each other on trivia about themselves while working the same shift. They'd gotten along amicably well and so it was slightly disheartening that she should be overcome by such horror at the idea of bringing Christian over for dinner disguised as her first serious boyfriend.

"Yep."

"Lily, love?"

"Yes?"

Faith chuckled, sitting up and turning Lily's chin to face her. Lily felt her mother's hand on her jaw– tender, steady. She hadn't caught her mother drunk in weeks, it might have been the longest time she'd been on top of herself since Lily was eleven.

Her heart dropped further when she realised who'd given her the strength to finally snap at her mother; who she owes this to. And it wasn't Christian...

Faith held Lily's chin in her hand, inspecting her daughter's face for a moment.
"Your eyeliner is squint. Let me fix it."

"Mum!—"

"—let me fix it, sweetheart, that's what mums are for. I haven't been much of one for a while and so if I can't fix your eyeliner then you don't need me at all." There was vulnerability in Faith Evan's voice.
"Please just humour me?"
Lily handed her the liner pencil...

When her mother left the bedroom, Lily's reflection smiled back at her in the mirror as the tail end of a Carpenters album was playing on her record player across the room.

"To battle," she whispered but her reflection didn't speak, it just continued to smile.

The reflection toyed with the golden necklace James had given her that sat on her collar bone, sparking innocently while Lily stared open mouthed. It took her an embarrassing amount of time to realise it was her magic.

"Oh, you bastard," she muttered and the reflection winked before turning back into herself. Really her.
Lily frowned and, thankfully, her refraction frowned back.
"I gotta get my shit together."

♥ ♥ ♥

(21st December 1977 continued)

It didn't take Lily long to realise that James Potter and Sirius Black had a way of filling a room like no other. Everything they did together seemed to be a spectacle that nearly everyone in a sizeable radius wanted to watch.

Presently, the two of them were clutching one of Alice's hairbrushes each and serenading their audience along with the record player. Dean Martin's rendition of White Christmas was gliding through the room like a fine whiskey while the two of them sang along.

Lily hated to admit that they were both rather gifted. Coming to think of it, they were mostly good at everything. They put the phrase 'jack of all trades, master of none' to shame as they managed to be the Jack and the master of most things they did. This included carrying a tune while half cut drunk.

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas!" James twirled under Sirius' arm and dropped to his knees in one fluid motion in front of Frank and began to sing directly into his eyes.
"With every Christmas card it write!"

Alice and Marlene were both huddled over each other on the floor laughing and Dorcas nearly knocked over the wedding planning board as she stumbled into Remus, trying to grip something solid to control her fits of giggles at watching Frank desperately try to fight off James', seemingly, extremely tender tone.

"May your days, may your days be merry and bright!"

Sirius had begun twirling off his own accord and Remus had to grip his shoulders to make him stop before property got damaged.

"And may all your Christmases be white!"

With that, the record came to a close and everyone in the group cheered. James and Sirius took several bows to their adoring fans.
Remus whistled and Dorcas called for an encore.

Esme-Leigh arrived then, poking her head into the door and surveying the scene. Marlene spotted her first.
"Esme! You just missed James and Sirius perform a fantastic dance routine to your favourite Christmas song!

"Ah, c'est dommage! I'll have to call for an encore later once I've had a drink."

Sirius seemed to be the only person that seemed offended by her comment.
"Whatever Bisset. My singing skills are beyond that of a professional."

"Alors!"

"Wait?... is that everyone here now?" Peter asked, glancing around the room.

"Looks like it."

Sirius was grinning boisterously, displaying his drink high above his head.
"Well then: Merry Christmas everyone! Let's party like hangovers don't exist!"

Lily laughed as she watched him put on another Christmas record and this time he dragged her up to dance with him while James offered his hand to Alice.

♥ ♥ ♥

(23rd December 1977 continued)

The night wore on and most of them had danced until they couldn't anymore and then stayed for a few more songs. Everyone was at least a little bit drunk and it was perhaps the best night Lily had experienced in a very long while. Even if it was just a night spent in Alice's bedroom while her grandmother was out for the night in London. Even if there were only ten people there and it was a very small room, everything still seemed to glow with her delight.

"You alright, ma cherie?"

Lily turned to see Esme-Leigh surveying her with a delicate smile on her glossy lips. Her hair was dyed half moss-green, half postbox-red which everyone had found hilarious but had made Lily feel slightly sick that she still managed to be beautiful with such ridiculous hair.

Still, she smiled, "yeah, I love this time during a party."

Esme raised an eyebrow, "oh yeah?"

"Yeah. This is the time when the incoherent people drop off to sleep and the music becomes background noise to deep, emotional, piss-drunk conversations."

Esme-Leigh hummed, nodding off into the cosmos, looking vacant but despite her bizarre behaviour, she must have been listening because she smiled and said, "you seem a lil' bit too sober, ma belle femme."

Lily wasn't quite sure what she'd just been called but it felt like a compliment. She was about to inquire what it meant when Esme began stringing erratic French together at a rapid pace.

Without giving it much thought, Lily shushed the other girl and patted her shoulder.
"You're not making sense, sweetie."

"Oh? Désolé! I might be a little drunker than I'd..." she hiccuped (which was an annoyingly sweet sound), "anticipated."

"Right well, I'll go and get you a blanket– you can sleep next to Remus. The poor bastard is canvased over there," Lily motioned to where Remus was curled into a deep sleep and helped Esme-Leigh up out the chair she'd draped herself over in order to talk to Lily.

Once she'd sat her down, Lily was about to go and find someone else to talk to when Esme clasped onto her hand.

"Lily?"

"Yeah?"

"Why aren't we better friends?"

Lily stared for a moment, frozen. Images of James came instantly to mind. She thought of the time they'd spent together over the term, the time he must have spent with Esme. The nauseous feeling she got thinking about the latter...
But in reality it was none of those things. Why should that affect a friendship?

"I'm not sure. Why don't we try and be better friends?"

Esme-Leigh nodded like a child.
"I'd like that. Bonne nuit, Lily."

"Night, Esme-Leigh."

Before she could blink, Lily felt herself being enveloped in a warm hug and hating how quickly her mind sprang to the amount of times that this girl must have hugged James. But the hug was nice all the same, it was comforting, intoxicating, even.

When they pulled away Esme gave her a childlike grin before snuggling into Remus and falling asleep in record time.

♥ ♥ ♥

(24th December 1977)

When James came to sit next to her the clock told her it was after one on the morning of Christmas Eve. Snow fell outside Alice's bedroom window almost playfully, tumbling down like gleaming, white butterflies.

"I thought everyone was asleep," Lily said quietly to him, putting down the book in her hand.

"So did I, then I saw you."

"Oh."

James studied her like she were a particularly trifling essay he had to write.
"What's the matter?"

"What?"

"There's something the matter with you– I'm asking what?"

Lily wondered if everyone found her this easy to decipher, or if it was just James that seemed to be able to read her every emotion like it was the Sunday newspaper.

She took a quick glance around the room to check everyone was asleep before locking eyes with him again.
"You really want to know? Come on then," she hauled him him by the hand and allowed him to follow her out the door and into the snow laden garden.

"S'snowing, you know, love?" James chuckled, as he climbed to followed her up the fence so they were level with the slanted tiles of the roof, the garden wall on the other side.

"I know. I've got a scarf." Lily turned around for a second and immediately caught his eye. His hazel irises seemed to sparkle with devilry whenever he looked at her doing something reckless, like he was somehow proud.

"Well that'll do you then. You won't catch a chill if you're wearing a scarf. It's a universally recognised fact."

Lily joined in, matching his impish grin.
"So said the scriptures."

"Indeed. Now move your arse onto this wall so I can follow you up."
She laughed and did just that, offering her hand to him once she was safely perched on the top of the wall. He took her hand but, judging by the weight he put on it, he didn't really need to.

"There. You really do have a thing for heights, don't you?"

"Just roofs and walls."

"My mistake."

In truth, part of the reason she liked talking to James in settings like these was because it was easier to say something vulnerable without having to be vulnerable because they were both facing the same way. It was highly plausible that if she'd had to tell him half of the things she did looking into his eyes then she'd never have confessed a word.

"So, what's it bothering you?" His voice was still trained to perfection, even when he was a little bit drunk, but admittedly the balefully cold air was sobering them both up.

Lily sighed, looking out onto the woods facing Alice's house. This time of night it would have been impossible to distinguish tree from tree if it weren't for the glitter of snow settling on each of the branches.
"It's stupid, really," she began.

"I assure you, Simpson, it's not."

She nearly flinched at the name she didn't suit, but said nothing in its defence. Instead she continued.
"I just feel like I've missed so much. When you guys go back to school it feels like there's a chunk of all your lives I'll never get to understand, that I'll never be a part of."

James turned round on the wall to face her, swinging one leg round the other side so he was straddling the bricks. It was difficult to read his expression but Lily might have guessed it was almost regretful.
"Lily, all of us feel the same way whenever we come back. Alice and Frank are engaged!"

"I know it's just... I'm not sure."

James took one of her hands in his, eyes falling to their intertwined fingers for a few beats before he looked back up and searched her face for something she didn't quite know. He must have found it because the next thing he said was with a smile.
"Want me to fill you in?"

"What?"

"Ask me anything and I'll tell you all about it."

Finally Lily smiled, blushing and turning to face him, mimicking his position on the wall.
"Okay. When did Sirius and Remus start dating?"

"Easy, less than two weeks ago."

James had to catch her before she went tumbling off the wall.
"What?! But they're so in love!"

"I know! You're proving my argument that it should have been years ago. I think they just got to the point where they were both about to burst with loving each other and not being able to say anything. Ever since then they've started everything at the middle to make up for it."

That was not the last question Lily asked by a country mile. By the time their limbs were numb and cheeks were rosy, she felt like she'd lived through the term with them.
Dawn was breaking when they climbed off the wall and back inside the warmth of the bungalow. Just as James was about to crack open the door where their friends slept, Lily help up a hand to stop him.
"Shh!"

"What?"

"Listen."

James listened, and sure enough he heard it. The record player was still spinning. Dream a Little Dream of Me by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong was playing softly, just loud enough for the two of them to hear. It sounded pacific, like they were being serenaded in secret.
"I love this song," Lily whispered, watching James step away a few steps from her and the door. She thought he was about to walk outside again before he extended his hand to her.

"Really?"

"Course. I'm a great dancer and it's not everyday you hear your favourite song by chance."

Lily had never slow danced with anyone before, but the sensation was something utterly indescribable. He held her close to his chest, wrapping her in his arms, making her feel safer than she ever had. The hypnotising aroma of smoke and winter air overpowered her senses. She could feel his chin on top of her head as they swayed in time to the music. Lily had never slow danced before but she thought that she might just die if she didn't get to again, especially with a boy like James Potter.

"You know, this might be the most romantic thing I've ever done." James murmured into her hair as the song reached its final chorus.

Lily was grateful James couldn't see her when she blushed. She held into his shoulders tightly, like she might fall through his fingers like quicksand, and she kept her face firmly buried in his chest.

"Sorry–" he emended, clearly misreading her reaction.

"No! No, it's okay. The songs not even finished." She held him more surely and brought them both back into a sway, still not fully trusting herself to look at him.

They danced well past the end of that song. They danced through the next one and the next until morning had risen fully and their friends began to stir. Then the two of them slipped back into Alice's bedroom and pretended they'd been there the whole time.
Later that day, when the group had settled into their new day, James peered over at her and winked as Frank was wishing her a merry Christmas Eve.

It was their secret. Their moment that no one else could touch.

♥ ♥ ♥

(24th December 1977 continued)

Admittedly, it was an odd choice for Lily's mother to invite Christian Stienfeld over for dinner on Christmas Eve, when everyone was rushed off their feet in preparations; and if Lily wasn't dreading the evening so much, then perhaps she might have found time to ponder this failing. Though, as it stands, she did not have such luxury.

Lily waited in the living room, eyes glued to the window for her fake boyfriend to arrive while Faith Evans clanged utensils around the kitchen like there was no tomorrow. Martin Evans smoked a cigar as he chuckled to himself as his wife's klutzy behaviour.

Petunia sat on an arm chair opposite Lily, watching her carefully and looking like she'd just bitten into a lemon.

"You look like someone's just offered you a drink of cat piss, Tuney."

Petunia did not rise to the jibe, she merely continued to look stoically in front of her. Petunia was the alarming sort of person to act with extreme calculation and terrifying accuracy. Everything had a meaning with her.
"I'd take the cat piss over dinner with this bloke," she muttered under her breath.

"I heard that."

"Girls!" Martin snapped from the kitchen counter, he'd clearly been listening.

Lily never thought the doorbell would be a godsend that particular day. The arrival of Christian was never intended to be a saved-by-the-bell moment , instead it was a more a visit-from-hell situation.

"I'll get it!" She fell over herself to get to the door, flinging it open and being met with Christian.
"Hey."

"Hi, Lily. I got you these," he handed her a small bunch of flowers and Lily blushed and thanked him. No-one could see them and so he did not offer to kiss her cheek. Lily was almost grateful.

"Thank you," she exclaimed loudly, her tone dripping with honey and as little sarcasm as she could manage before mentally berating herself for having too much. (She vaguely recalled Sirius saying something last night about their sarcasm ban before noon. Lily wondered if she should implicate a similar rule on herself?)

Christian was looking at her like she'd just spoken fluent mandarin and she realised she'd been mumbling to herself.
"Oh! Sorry!" She whispered, leaning in and hoping to catch a few moments of privacy before Faith came barrelling into greet them.
"Listen, Christian. Hopefully we went over everything we needed to at work. If not, then let me do the talking– also don't woo my dad too much."

Christian nodded, "won't be a problem. I'm not a wooer."

I know someone who is. She thought, then wanted to smack herself on the head for thinking it.
"Great." Was the response she settled on.

They didn't have time to discuss anything else before Faith Evans came barrelling into the hallway, smiling from ear to ear. It was difficult not to wonder if she'd had anything to drink or if she was just extremely excited to meet Lily's boyfriend. If it was the latter then she was beginning to feel more guilty by every passing second

"Christian! Welcome in, sweetie! How are you?"

Christian wasn't an excessively tall person but Faith managed to pull him down at least a foot in order to embrace him.

"I'm alright, Mrs Evans."

"Good, good. Come on in."

Lily watched her mother carefully as the dinner progressed. She was watching Christian with a peculiar look in her eye that was near impossible to distinguish. Nevertheless, they made polite conversation about Christian's plans for Christmas and Hanukkah in his multi religious family (mainly consisting of heavily drinking and seeing his older sister over from Liverpool). Christian told them about his college course and what he planned to do with it while Lily pretended to be enthralled as Petunia overlooked the whole scene with a tight smile that seemed to have been slapped there.

"So how exactly did you and Lily get together?" Martin asked him, cigar between his fingers and the ashes occasionally floating down onto the carpet.

She didn't panic– this was a question they had rehearsed well and to be fully candid, Lily had expected it to arise sooner.

"Well we met in the cafe I used to work in. She was there with her best friend and ordered hot chocolate. I put extra marshmallows on hers."

Lily's mother cooed, seemingly delighted at the minute details of the story but whatever she was trying to convey did not reach her eyes; or at least not completely.

"When she got the job over at Indulge I couldn't not ask her out. She's fantastic."

Lily put a careful hand on Christian's arm and squeezed. It wasn't for her family to know that she was more relieved he'd remembered the story than touched he was telling it.

"Which of her friends was it?" Petunia's tone was innocent but when Lily caught her eye, it didn't take a detective to see the obvious malice hidden beneath. She knows.

Christian didn't answer. They hadn't gone over all her friends names, she didn't think they needed to, but here was Petunia, wearing a priggish little smirk that made Lily want to punch her teeth in.

"Oh calm down, Petunia! It's not a cross examination!" Martin waved a hand in the general direction of Christian (making it perfectly clear that it was a cross examination– just not to be conducted by Petunia). "I'm sure Christian's just mixed up who it was."

"They're not exactly hard for tell apart, dad. One of them is black and five-foot-nine, and the other is miniature and white? They're practically the opposite ends of the spectrum!"

"Petunia drop it!"

Lily's sister slouched in her chair, looking less glib for the moment.
"Fine."

"It was Dorcas."

Petunia stared at Christian, as did everyone else aside from Lily, who hadn't missed her opportunity to whisper it to him when her sister was being told off. She winked at him and turned back to her chocolate cake...

When Christian took his leave, the night was already upon them. Snow fell, but not furiously although Lily gave him one of her scarves just incase.
"Thank you for coming", Lily told him with a tight smile as her family bid him goodnight.

"Anytime, Lils."

He didn't waste much time in escaping the confinements for the Evans household and submerging himself back in the cold.

"He's not your boyfriend," Petunia whispered into her sisters ear as she passed. Christian wasn't even at the bottom of the gate yet, their parents were in the living room.

"What?"

"Don't lie to me, freakshow."

"I'm not!"
And to prove it she did something comically cliche but impressively damaging...

"Christian!" She called to him just as he was opening the garden gate (James would have jumped the fence). She chased him down the pat until she skidded to a stop in front of him.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for doing that. I know it was a bit awkward for you."

"It's not a problem, really."

Lily nodded, glancing at the window to see Petunia watching them.
"No it's not but I appreciate it." Impressively stupid. Then she kissed him.

There wasn't much to the kiss. His lips were cold and his cheeks were ice blocks but she kissed him anyway.
It didn't last long, but the millisecond their lips connected she knew it wasn't worth doing again– this was for Petunia's benefit and no one else's. Christian was a friend that did her a favour.

Lily hated more than anything to admit that Dorcas Meadowes had been right all long. It was one of her pet-hates in life and yet with every passing moment, Lily wanted to scream more and more. He was boring, he was safe, he wasn't spontaneous, he was Christian. He was nice but he was boring.

When Lily pulled away Christian was watching her with a perplexed expression but she did not meet his eye. Instead she watched the figure behind his shoulder...

Lucifer was watching them, but this time he didn't wink when he caught her eye before disappearing into the night...

♥ ♥ ♥

(24th December 1977 continued)

Faith Evans knew her youngest daughter was full of shit the second that poor boy walked in the door. It was difficult not to notice their apprehension whenever a question was directed at him– like he was being tested.

It wasn't just that. There was nothing tangible between them, no dynamic. They were stif as floorboards, but Martin and Petunia seemed not to notice and so she played along.

And at the end of the night she watched from the window as Lily chased him down and placed a kiss on his lips. She didn't see the other figure though...

(24th December 1977)

"Sirius! Get off my stuff!"

Sirius, or Padfoot, growled. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence to see Sirius in animagus form, bounding around Potter House; but when said 'bounding' involved trampling all James' clothes, it was time to lay the fun to rest.

"I swear to Merlin, Padfoot! I will put you on a bloody lead!"

The large black dog's ragged ears perked up like a radar, his bushy tail ceased wagging. Padfoot fixed James with one more canine glare before morphing perfectly back into Sirius Black.

"Never –I repeat– never, Prongs, threaten me with a lead again. I will attack you. Plain and bloody simple. Attack. Big dog. Little man. Certain death."

James shoved him and he landed on his arse in the sheets of James' bed, which were dishevelled and covered in dog fur.

"Argh! Uncalled for, Prongs!"

"I'm merely asserting my physical dominance. Little man, my arse!"

Sirius barked with laughter, his glossy hair looking slightly bustled from the scuffle.
James ignored him and pushed forward to remake his bed.

"Merlin, prongs– what sort of crazy shagging got your bed in that state?"

"YOU!"

"Oh come now, mate. I know you fancy me but I'm positive I wasn't that drunk last night."

James lunged for him but he ducked out the way, holding up a fallen pillow as a rather pathetic shield.
"No, you inbred freak-show! You made this mess you bloody mutt!"

Sirius wiped a tear of laughter from his stormy grey eyes, still alight with the rapture of getting on his best mates nerves (a favourite pastime of his).
"Shut up and let me help then."

"Absolutely not. You'll make everything worse– go and find Marlene. She'll be raiding the pantry as we speak."

Sirius saluted him and flounced out the door without another word.

♣ ♣ ♣

(24th December 1977 continued)

Potter House was vastly different to Potter Manor is many ways, James realised as he stalked the halls from room to room, avoiding company and feeling a little bit like a ghost.

The retirement home in Cokeworth was sizeably smaller for a kick off– although they didn't struggle for space, it might have been hard to get lost in this house. Secondly, Christmas Eve in Potter Manor was always busy beyond reckoning. A miniature army of elves and various ministry officials roamed the halls at varying paces in preparation for the ball hosted at New Years. Christmas itself was more intimate, but even then, there was at least twenty-odd guests round at dinner, including the whole McKinnon and Prewett families.
But the thing that struck James the most as the titanic contrast Potter House had to Potter Manor was the absence of his mother.

Euphemia Potter wasn't a very large woman, in fact James guessed she must have been about the same height as Alice's grandmother, and yet she filled every inch Potter Manor with no trouble.

Here, she hadn't been around long enough to leave behind a ghost, but it was the absence of her ghost that haunted James. He stalked the halls aimlessly wishing he could teleport to this time two years ago; he'd spent the Christmas holidays in a prank war with Sirius and Marlene. He'd even recruited his then girlfriend, Aliona to help him pull off a particularly good prank on the other two; but she'd double crossed him, leaving James with purple hair and hovering two feet above the ground until Christmas morning (Sirius had called it a Christmas Miracle, James has nearly punched him in the teeth)...

The Daily Prophet lay abandoned on one of the tables that decorated the corners of the hallways. This one held a vase of flowers along with the newspaper which has been left folded over, exposing the headline: ANOTHER MISSING MUGGLEBORN RAISES MORE CONCERN FOR AUROR FLEAMONT POTTER

James felt his heart jolt, this time the pain was replaced with anger. Another child had gone missing just outside Cardiff and the article was very critical over what might have been able to stop it. Namely a new head of the snatcher task force. It was essentially a call for his father to step down.

He hadn't noticed the voices coming from his father's office until he'd finished the article, red with rage. One of the voices was, in fact, his father; the other belonged to Millard McQuade– Fleamont's second in command in the Snatcher Taskforce. The were arguing about the headline.

"This will only continue, sir!" McQuade cried frustratedly. Even through the closed door, James could decipher anyone's tone.

"And then I will continue to shut this down until I make a breakthrough! You know fine well why it's so important that I stay Head Auror on this taskforce!"

This James interested for a number of reasons. His father had never mentioned a specific importance to keeping his job other than the good he felt he was doing. Surely if McQuade took over it was still be just as good?

Treading on silent feet, James made his way closer to the door, skipping over the creaky floorboard and pressing his ear to the wall.

"You have to resign, Fleamont, sir, they won't stop until you do."

There was a pregnant pause.
"If I lose my job then people are in danger." Then Fleamont Potter's voice lowered considerably. Guilt sounded in his voice: "This place was supposed to keep them safe."

What place? James wondered, here? There were a thousand other questions that needed answering but there was nothing he could do. And so James decided to take a walk...

♣ ♣ ♣

(24th December 1977 continued)

It proved to be extremely hard to keep away from Lily's house on his wanders down the darkened streets of Cokeworth. Granted, he could have apparated anywhere he so desired, but something about the atmosphere in this town seemed permanently electric. The twinkling Christmas lights only added to its allure.

Cokeworth was made of layers, he'd realised. A fraction of its streets were cobbled, the lampposts decidedly an eerie amber while the other half was newly concreted with football-field bright illuminations.

Lily lived somewhere in between. (He swore he never meant to arrive in her street.) The Road of the cul de sac was neither new nor old, but the light shone in pools of deep amber that melted into the snow easier than the newer lights.

He had plenty of time to turn back, to go home, or to see Peter, or Remus, maybe Esme-Leigh, or he really should pay Felicity McKinnon and her prodigal sons a visit (had been a while since he'd seen Lucas and the two of them got on rather well).

He could have turned back, don't anything else, but instead he saw Lily out in the garden of her house with the boy from the cafe they'd visited together. His chest tightened. Everything felt small. Nothing seemed real except for the fact she was kissing him.

James rooted himself to the spot until Lily pulled away, trying his best not to alert her attention– he wasn't sure what he might do if Lily saw him.

Time stopped. Everything stopped. As far as James was concerned the stars had paused midair in the sky...

When Lily pulled away she caught a glimpse of him over the blonde boy's shoulder and for a second he thought she'd recognised him from the shadows. A split second passed by and she looked away, making an excuse to the boy to get back inside.

James made himself scarce before the boy left the garden, something told him it was the right call.

♣ ♣ ♣

(24th December 1977 continued)

Sirius Black was the type of bloke that got stupendously bored, incomprehensibly quickly without a never-ending stream of entertainment. So, when James was no where to be found that evening and Marlene was staying with Dorcas, Sirius decided to take matters of entertainment into his own hands.

With a sharp crack he found himself in the garden of the Lupin family, surrounded by the snow laden, scenes of Wales. Remus' window was the one directly above him, if he stood on the flower pot, Sirius was sure he'd be able to climb up there.

Thanking James for his gruelling quidditch training, Sirius used aforementioned flower pot to boost his elbows onto the windowsill where he knocked quietly.

It only took Remus Lupin a moment to appear at the other side of the window and shake his head with amusement.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" He hissed once the window was open and he could get a real look at him.

"Asking to get in, you tulip! My balls are freezing over!"

Remus suppressed a giggle and Sirius nearly fell of the windowsill at the sound.
"Get in, Padfoot you mental case."

"Merci, mon amour."
He pulled himself into Remus' bedroom and glanced around before deciding the best place to flop was his boyfriend's bed.

"Make yourself at home, Pads, no sweat."

"Well I'm not sweating, I know that for sure. Just let me defrost for a minute then we can do something fun, yeah? –that wasn't a euphemism, I swear!"

Remus sat on the edge of the bed and watched him curl himself up in the comfort of his bedsheets.
"Is that why you're here?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"It'd help."

Sirius turned round to look at Remus, meeting his honey coloured eyes with a smile.
"I fancied an adventure. I also fancy you, so would you care to join me in your own bed for ten minutes while I regain feeling in my limbs?"

Remus laughed, openly, walking across to his wardrobe and producing another blanket to wrap them both in. He joined Sirius on his bed and tucked them tightly under his blanket.

Instinctively, Sirius pulled himself closer to Remus, placing his head on his shoulder, nuzzling his neck and smiling with serenity.
"We can't fall asleep, you know?"

"Why would that be?"

"It's Christmas Eve, we should do something fun!"

Remus grumbled and Sirius felt the vibrations on the top of his head where Remus had his chin.
"Who said sleeping wasn't fun?"

"Everyone that's ever been asleep- unless they're talkers."

Remus shook his head, "just be quiet, I implore you."

"Okay but we won't fall asleep."

"You're the boss."

Sirius should have known that when those words left his boyfriend's lips that he was wrong. There was no way Remus would give up unless he was certain he'd be proved right.

And he was. They slept soundly all through the night, curled up together, both wondering what took them so long to get here...

♣ ♣ ♣

(25th December 1977)

Remus Lupin woke up on Christmas morning with the boy he loved wrapped up in his blanket, nestled under his arm with a soft smile on his face. It was odd how angelic Sirius looked while sleeping, the mischievous aura disappeared when his grey eyes were shut and the smirk that was permanently stuck to his china-doll lips was non existent. Remus never thought he'd see the day where Sirius Black was celestially peaceful.

The sun was still yet to properly rise, indicating it was early morning and only his mother was ever up at this time. Hope Lupin rose even before the sun did. Actually, Remus wondered why she hadn't woken him and Sirius up when she saw them. She must have seen?

Hope was a Muggle and Remus was yet to tell her about his new boyfriend so why hadn't she woken them up?
He smelt the answer before he saw it: on his bedside table was two cups of tea.

It was a small gesture, minuscule even, and the tea looked nearly cold because his mother didn't know how to perform a heating charm but a few wisps of steam still floated skywards.

It wasn't the tea Remus was concerned with though, it was they fact his mother ha brought them it. That was her way of saying she accepted him; it was her way of promising she understood and she loved him. The two cups of tea on his dresser meant more to him than any Christmas present anyone could give him this coming day.

"Merry Christmas, Padfoot." He whispered, kissing Sirius forehead and smiling to himself.

Despite having appeared to be asleep, Sirius grinned.
"Merry Christmas, Moony."

Sorry this took like a month but it's been hectic with Jilytober and school etc! Hopefully you liked this one and more of Christmas Day will be next chapter!

So, Marlene saw Lucifer and James saw Lily kiss Christian- thoughts?
Also for anyone confused: Lily thought she saw Lucifer but it turned out to be James. (She doesn't know that)

Finally, the keen eyed of you might notice the sticker on my cover- I won a competition a few weeks ago so thank you to The Nyctophiles Fanfic Awards!!

And thank you again for reading,

Lots of love,

Abbi♥️