In which Lily is freaking out about not having a present to give to James for Christmas and Sirius and Remus are no help at all ‘Blimey, Evans.’ Sirius shook his head slowly as he watched Lily with wide eyes, her face turning the same shade as the fire they were sitting across. It was two nights before Christmas, and Remus, Sirius and Lily were huddled around the Gryffindor common room fire, each holding mugs filled to the brim with hot chocolate. ‘Keep it down.’ Lily hissed, looking around the crowded room in suspicion, her fingers gripping her mug tightly. Remus shook his head in unison with Sirius. ‘You’ve no idea how hard he worked to make sure he got you something you’d love.’ Lily widened her eyes at him in disbelief. ‘I know, Re!’ She sighed, taking a sip of her drink, and sunk lower into her slouch. ‘It’s just so hard to shop for him – ’ ‘Ahh, excuses, excuses.’ Sirius stretched out, throwing an arm around Remus as the drink in his cup swirled dangerously close to the edges. With the hand not occupied by a mug, Remus reached up absent-mindedly to play with Sirius’ fingers hanging off his shoulder. ‘Just cause you’ve already got everyone a present – ’ Lily started, but Remus cut her off. ‘Don’t start him, you know how he gets with Christmas . . .’ But Sirius’ voice had drowned him out. ‘Remus John Lupin. I demand to know what you mean by that.’ Lily’s face split into a grin and she perked her head up slightly to watch them. Remus rolled his eyes. ‘I mean you get ridiculous whenever it’s anywhere near holiday season. We thought you were bad at Halloween, but bloody hell, come November, no-one can talk to you unless they’re singing their words in the tune of a carol or wearing bells in their hair.’ ‘’Cept you, moons.’ Sirius didn’t even bother to argue, draping an arm around a grinning Remus and nuzzling his head into Remus’ neck. ‘Can we please concentrate here?’ Lily asked, her fond smile betraying the urgent tone in her voice. Sirius grinned against Remus’ neck, nipping his skin lightly with bared teeth from his smile. Remus shifted closer to Sirius, a grin playing across his face. ‘Normally I would be all for you biting out Remus’ jugular in the middle of a packed common room filled with people who can all be witnesses to the murder, but –’ ‘Who’s getting murdered?’ Sirius titled his head to look at her, catching her last words. ‘You two, if you don’t concentrate!’ Lily answered furiously and Remus sat up a little straighter, taking a sip of his drink, and turned to Sirius. ‘She’s right, this is an absolute catastrophe.’ Lily groaned softly and put her mug down, throwing her head into her hands. ‘You’re almost as stagy as your boyfriend.’ Sirius observed with a grin, then his eyes widened as he sat up straighter and waited for the precise moment of silence to say, ‘one might even call him staggy –’ ‘Stop.’ Lily wailed and Remus had the decency to hide his laugh behind a badly faked cough. A few second years looked to the three of them with interest after hearing Lily’s wailing and Remus’ coughing, but Sirius waved a hand at them dismissively and they turned back to their chess match. Lily looked up, her red hair falling into her eyes. ‘Me? Stagy?’ Her voice was incredulous. She looked to Remus. ‘Does your boyfriend know he’s the most dramatic person to ever exist on this planet?’ ‘Now that statement is a little dramatic, don’t you think?’ Sirius grinned as Lily wailed again, her head sinking lower into her hands. ‘Blimey, this is bad.’ Remus commented. Lily retorted something, but it came out muffled. Remus pulled out a chocolate bar from his pocket and threw it to Lily. It landed on her lap, and she parted her hair to peer at it, before ripping it open and ravaging it. Sirius and Remus watched her eat the bar in a silent sort of awe, eyes widening at the way she managed to lecture them in between mouthfuls. Finally, when she had finished the chocolate and had gone through every reason as to why they were no help at all, she slumped down, laying on the floor, her hair splayed around her messily. ‘You wouldn’t care so much about the present if you didn’t care so much about James.’ Remus offered, but Lily just groaned and rolled over so she was talking into the carpet. Just as Remus hastily opened his mouth to offer words of comfort, the portrait swung open and James strolled through into the common room, ready to lounge in one of the armchairs just vacated, when he spotted them over by the fire and grinned. He sat down next to Lily, picking her mug up and taking a drink of the hot chocolate. ‘Padfoot, why is it whenever I chose to relax next to the fire you and Moony are always practically on top of each other and –’ he paused, looking to the mass of red hair on the floor, his face taking on an amused yet slightly concerned expression, ‘why is my girlfriend seemingly unconscious?’ Sirius tilted his head, eyebrows raised as he watched Lily look up, her hair in front of her face, and grin at James. Sirius looked to Remus, who exchanged a knowing expression with him, as James leaned in and kissed Lily, gently brushing her hair away from her face with the hand that had just placed the mug back down. ‘So . . . everyone sorted for Christmas?’ Sirius asked brightly as James and Lily broke away. Lily sat up, crossing her legs and allowing James to lay down in her lap while she played with his hair, her eyes shooting daggers at Sirius. ‘All sorted.’ James didn’t miss a beat, the corner of his mouth twitching into a half-smile. ‘You?’ Sirius nodded as Remus answered, ‘sorted.’ The Christmas tree to their right sparkled, white lights dancing across their faces, illuminating Lily’s slightly concerned expression. James looked up to her when her fingers in his hair stilled as she became lost in thought. ‘Y’alright?’ His voice had lost its light quality, slightly more concerned. Lily nodded, but her eyes were unfocussed and James sat up slightly. ‘Lils.’ She looked down to meet his eyes. ‘If there’s one thing I pride myself on, it’s being able to tell when you’re –’ ‘Don’t say upset.’ Sirius warned James, his eyebrows raised, and Lily breathed out slightly, throwing Sirius a grateful look. Remus laughed at James’ mouth dropping open at Sirius’ words. ‘The other day when you got paired up with Lily in charms, Lily wasn’t coming to me and Remus because she had to discuss your super-secret Christmas present with us –’ Lily averted her eyes from James to Sirius, who continued talking – ‘it was because your incompetence was driving her mad.’ ‘No,’ James started, the insult bouncing off him completely, ‘it’s cause you guys had super-secret Christmas presents to discuss.’ ‘No, it’s cause you’re rubbish at charms.’ James rolled his eyes, sighing as if they had just asked him what his middle name was again. ‘I’m average at charms. Just cause I excel at everything else –’ ‘Bloody hell, here we go.’ Sirius grinned at James, who threw a half-hearted insult at him before saying, ‘I can so tell when my girlfriend’s upset.’ Grinning, he settled back down into Lily’s lap, watching her for a few seconds before saying, ‘Lils. What’s wrong?’ ‘Nothing.’ She gave a light laugh, but James saw through it. Reaching up, he stroked a hand up her leg and above his head, to her stomach where she realised, too late, that James was about to start tickling her. As he did, her laughter burst through the common room as he smirked at her attempts to move his hand away, doubling over in a fit of giggles, her long hair draping itself over James’ face, so only their giggling could be heard through it. When Lily finally sat up straight, her eyes watery from laughter, James was able to roll off her, his face still electric from his grin. ‘Evans, you know I’ll get it out of you eventually.’ Lily’s grin faltered ever so slightly, remembering the problem at hand. ‘I’d like to see you try, Potter.’ Sirius and Remus exchanged a look filled with raised eyebrows and knowing smirks, which only got wider when Lily and James stood up, announcing they were going to bed. They watched the pair walk away, James following Lily up the stairs to the boy’s dormitories. There was a moment’s silence, before Sirius spoke, still watching the stairs they walked up. ‘When do you reckon we should tell her James hasn’t got her anything?’ Remus didn’t miss a beat. ‘I think she’ll figure it out on Christmas morning.’ Sirius let out a bark of laughter, turning to look at Remus, and watching the way the light from the Christmas tree made his scars seem blurry on his face, seeing the way his eyes seemed to glow as he grinned, and taking in the way he slouched towards the fire a few seconds later, fingering the frayed sleeves of his jumper before turning to smile at Sirius softly. Sirius felt a grin cross his face, letting his head lean down to rest on Remus’ shoulder, and allowed his heavy eyes to close as he inhaled the scent of parchment and chocolate, and they stayed in front of the fire like that until the early hours of the morning.
