Accio Evans

Chapter 24: Home

"Do you want to spend Christmas at mine?" James asked after a few moments of silence. He'd been working up the nerve to ask Lily to stay with him over Christmas for the whole of their patrol. Feeling a smile tug at her mouth Lily couldn't help but grin.

"I'd love to James." Lily replied, kissing his cheek. Feeling blush creep across his cheeks, James beamed.

"Good, because my parents really want to meet you!" James added, seeing Lily's face drop at the prospect of meeting the Potter's, he looked amused. "You want to meet them right?" James asked, his face still smiling.

"Yes... but I just hadn't thought about that..." Lily trailed off, then she had an idea to wipe James' unfurling smirk off his face. "But you have to spend some time at my house with my parents... over New Year." Lily added and she laughed loudly as James' face dropped and he suddenly looked violently sick.

"But your dad will want to kill me..." James moaned, covering his face with his hands and shaking his head.

"He won't! Why would he want to do that?" Lily protested, not quite seeing James' point, but being amused all the same. Trying valiantly to pry James' hands from his face she had no avail.

"Well because you're the youngest so you're his baby, and he's going to think I've taken away your innocence or something..." James muttered in reply, his hands still covering his face.

"But James we haven't..." Lily trailed off, her face blushing slightly. Luckily the corridor was empty so no-one, not even James whose hands were still covering his face, could see her blush.

"Yes, but your dad doesn't know that! For all he knows I've unflowered his Lily flower." James replied his face dead pan, hands slung lazily by his sides; Lily on the other hand couldn't help but laugh loudly.

"He won't though, he's not like that." Lily added once she'd regained her composure. Standing on her tip toes she kissed James on his cheek and smiled reassuringly.

"Come on, I'm bored of patrol now, there's no-one here so let's go back to the common room."

"Hey James, I owled your mum and she said Hestia can stay at ours for Christmas!" Sirius exclaimed excitedly, through mouthfuls of food which he was shovelling into his face. Honestly how could someone eat so early in the morning! Lily felt quite sick watching Sirius fill his mouth with breakfast treats.

"Lily's staying too." James replied, buttering a slice of toast, his second to be exact, Lily who was sat next to him had stolen his first slice. She was smirking and eyeing up the second piece but decided against it when she saw the protective look James had as he scraped the knife across the slice of cooked bread spreading butter like a tidal wave. Feeling slightly disappointed, she began to butter her own, although she wasn't really hungry, it was just fun to steal James' food.

"Me too." Remus added, slipping down into the spare seat next to Sirius and opposite James at the breakfast table. "You mum sent me an owl this morning and asked me to stay, of which I graciously accepted." Remus grinned, stealing James' slice of toast. Throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation, James sighed loudly, he was never going to eat any toast!

"Here darling." Lily said, handing her slice of buttered toast, she'd taken a bite out of one of the corner, but he accepted, it was the best he was going to get. Lily was thankful that she'd given James the toast, if not she would have had to leave it on her plate, a prospect which thoroughly offended Sirius. 'HOW CAN YOU LEAVE FOOD!' he would scream, and Lily could not be doing with that at this time of the morning.

"So Marauders Christmas at Chez Potter!" Sirius shouted throwing his arms up in the air in excitement, several students from the other tables, turned round to stare, some laughed, most realised it Sirius' voice and dismissed this as normal behaviour.