From The Beginning Till The End

~ Chapter 10: First Christmas Together ~

"I miss home," Lily said. She had just sent out another letter to her parents using her snow-white owl, Twinklebell. She turned and sat down in one of the large armchairs in the common room. It was a sunny afternoon but none of the girls had the mood to spend their time outside.

"Well, I don't have much of a home to miss, I suppose. I don't think I want to go back to the orphanage, not that I don't miss my friends there or what. It's just that, well, I don't know if I still fit into the Muggle life. What if they ask me about school or something like that? How or what am I going to answer them? 'I'm a witch studying in a school that you never heard of before'?" Arabella sighed as she settled on the comfortable armchair in front of the fireplace.

"Come and stay with me then. I'd love some company," Stefanie suggested excitedly. She jumped up from her armchair and ran towards Arabella. The common room was rarely empty. Today was a rare exception because most of the students were out playing in the snow.

Just then, James, Sirius and Remus walked into the common room, damp from their snowball fight. They settled themselves at the comfy armchairs in front of the warm fireplace.

"Who said that you guys are allowed to sit here?" Arabella asked pointedly at Sirius with a tinge of annoyance.

"There's no rule saying that we can't sit here. After all, this is our common room as well, for your information," Sirius replied with a grin. His long, center-parted hair was in a cute mess.

"You guys are not welcomed to join our conversation. Besides we got here first," Stefanie said, staring dangerously at her twin before settling herself in another armchair since Remus sat on the one she was sitting previously.

"We do not want to join your conversation. We just wanted to sit on these comfy armchairs," Remus replied, grinning at Sirius and both guys started laughing at Stefanie.

"All right, let's not argue. How about we continue our conversation in our dorm?" Lily suggested, trying to be the peacemaker. Arabella and Sirius seldom remain in the same room for more than five minutes without breaking into an argument, or sometimes it could turn more serious; a physical fight. Lily and Stefanie had spent most of the time pulling Arabella off Sirius because he had managed to annoy her so much in just two months.

"We had gotten here first. These armchairs are usually taken. How can we let them get it?" Stefanie emphasized and stayed put in the big armchair. She had no intention of moving. Lily sighed at her friend's stubbornness.

"Well, since neither of us want to budge, how about we just have some nice and civil conversation here?" James said diplomatically with a smile before continuing. "So what are your Christmas plans?" he asked the girls as he sat on the mat in the middle of the circle of armchairs.

They finally started talking in a civilized manner now. Arabella and Stefanie still glared at Sirius for intruding. Remus was grinning at Stefanie. Lily and James were having a civil-sounding conversation, trying to get the rest to join in. After a while, they relaxed and were talking amiably for the first time in three months.

"I believe my parents are going to have some boring Christmas party at home on Christmas. How about all of you coming and join me? Sirius, Stefanie, Remus and I have to make an appearance in that party. After that, we can have a mini-party in one of the rooms without disturbing the adults. Fion mentioned that she misses Sirius and Remus in the last letter and suggested that I invite some friends over for Christmas," James announced, sounding quite serious.

"I know I'm so irresistible that even a lady of twenty-one misses me after my three months of absence," Sirius said cheekily as he dodged a huge cushion from James, which subsequently hit Lily on her face.

"Ouch." James grinned and Lily smiled, and let the matter drop. She was not the petty sort of girl.

"I think that's a great idea. We can all have a gathering at the Potter's Manor. If possible, we can stay together till the end of the break and we can head back to Hogwarts together," Remus suggested, feeling a little excited over the idea.

"What makes you guys think that we girls want to join you?" Lily commented wittily.

"Lily, you need to. I can't imagine being stuck with the three of them for the entire break! I need a break! Besides, Arabella is going to stay with me at my place. You will come, won't you?" Stefanie asked, looking at Lily with puppy dog eyes, which Lily found irresistible.

"Well, I gotta ask my parents first. I want to spend my Christmas with them. Then I'll come and join you guys on Christmas afternoon onwards then, if possible," Lily said thoughtfully.

"Yes! Three cheers to Christmas!" All the six jumped up in joy. They went up to their respective dormitories. The girls were planning on pranks to deal with the guys during the break and so were the guys.

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"Merry Christmas Mum! Merry Christmas Dad!" Lily kissed her parents on Christmas morning.

"It is okay that I go and join my friends from afternoon onwards right?" Lily confirmed again with her parents.

"Yes dear, you may go. Enjoy yourself and we'll see you during summer. You had asked that so many times already." Dawn Evans hugged her daughter affectionately.

"Thanks Mum! Thanks Dad!" Lily jumped and headed towards the Christmas tree and started to unwrap her presents.

Lily had gotten a silver bracelet with little silver lilies dangling on it from Arabella and Stefanie. And she had gotten a book Quidditch for All Ages from the guys. Her parents had bought her a broom from Diagon Alley, Nimbus 1500. I can't believe mum and dad would spend so much on me. This broomstick is really expensive. Petunia had given her a packet of tissue, which was normal for her. In addition, she had gotten some other simple presents from her grandparents, relatives and old schoolmates as well.

After clearing away her presents, Lily got up to pack her stuff and get ready to head for the Potter Manor. She had a quick lunch with her parents and kissed them goodbye before approaching the fireplace with her backpack and her new broom. The bracelet jingled as she grabbed the Floo powder that James had sent her via his owl and dropped in the fireplace. This was the first time that Lily used Floo powder. James had made sure that Lily's fireplace was connected to the Floo Network.

"Potter Manor," she said clearly. The next thing she could feel was that she was being spun.

"Lily!!!" A slightly dizzy Lily was suddenly embraced by her enthusiastic friends, Stefanie and Arabella. Each of the boys gave Lily a bear hug as well.

"Wow!!! You've gotten a Nimbus 1500 as well. Now all of us own the same broom. Let's aim to join the Quidditch team next year!" Arabella said excitedly. She had gotten Nimbus 1500 from the boys. It was an expensive present, but well, the guys were multimillionaires. Arabella had been surprised to receive it from the guys. I can't believe someone like Sirius could actually suggest something like that. Maybe he isn't so bad after all, she thought but pushed it away.

All of them grabbed their Nimbus 1500 and headed towards the Potter's Quidditch stadium. Lily barely had time to digest the huge mansion that was James's home. It looks like a castle. Wow. James is not only rich. He is very rich! Oh my god! There are like a hundred rooms in here.

"Mount your brooms," James instructed. One by one, they took to the air. It was a game of girls versus boys. They played for the whole afternoon until evening.

"Hey kids!!!" a female voice boomed across the entire Quidditch stadium.

"I'm not a kid!!!" James yelled indignantly and landed in front of the lady. The rest of them follow suit.

"Hi, my lovely lady, it had been a long time," Sirius greeted as he grabbed her hand and gave it a kiss.

"Haha, thank you, my lovely little Sireesy," the lady responded with a smile. Sirius blushed rather furiously from the way she addressed him. This was rather rare because Sirius seldom blush at anything.

She's gorgeous,

Lily thought. The lady had long raven black hair that reached down to her hip. The long hair had streaks of golden highlights and was nicely curled. She was quite fair with a radiant pink glow on her flawless face. Although she was wearing just plain white spaghetti top and blue hot shorts with a pair of black slippers, she looked stunningly pretty in such a simple outfit.

"This is Lily Evans, Arabella Figg and that's Remus. He's been here only once. And guys, she's Fion, my older sister by ten years," James introduced his sister to his friends.

"Hello! Nice to meet you all." Fion smiled at all of them, showing a row of white and straight teeth.

"Hi, Fion. You are really gorgeous," Lily complimented sincerely.

"Thanks Lily. You have beautiful red hair yourself." Lily blushed while the rest of them giggled.

"Can't we play a little longer?" James asked, pouting.

"No, Jamesie darling. All of you've got to be nice and clean by dinner. The party is starting at half past six and it's already five now. The girls need to get ready. Look at you! You three better go and wash up. Come on girls, let's go dress up together," Fion suggested.

"Don't call me that!!!" James grated and Fion chuckled at her brother's indignant expression.

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"I feel weird! This is the first time I'm wearing something like this." Lily proclaimed as she stared at herself in front of the 3-sided full-length mirror in Fion's humongous bedroom. Wow. This room area is bigger than my entire house. Her hair was let down in big waves with some butterfly clips on the top for the cris-crossed strands. She was wearing a simple spaghetti emerald green colored dress that reached her ankles. The dress flattered her eyes and her creamy skin tone. It would flatter her curves on the waistline and chest if she had been older and more developed. However, I must admit that I look pretty in this.

"So do I." Arabella came out of the bathroom and stood beside Lily to have a proper view of herself. She had a silver-colored hairband on her brownish-blonde hair, which was in slight waves as it flowed, all the way down to her waist. Her hairstyle and dress made her looked at least fifteen because of her height. Arabella, standing at 1.5m, was the tallest among the three. Her purple toga dress had a slanted skirt-line with the long end reaching her ankle while the short end was slightly below her knee. I never thought I would look like this. So princessy!

"Hmm... Do I look all right, Fion?" Stefanie asked dubiously as she paraded around in her short white halter-neck dress. Her smooth back could hardly be seen because her straight dark brown hair had covered it until her waist. Stefanie was definitely a little more developed with some minor curves. Her while halter-neck dress made her look like an angel, what she need now was only a halo and wings to complete the angelic look.

It was a coincidence that all three girls had long hair that reached down to their waist and they had no plans of cutting them in the near future. They quickly wore matching shoes and gave themselves one last glance in the mirror before they left Fion's bedroom.

"Thanks for your dress and your shoes and everything," Lily said and smiled at Fion sincerely.

Arabella thanked her as well.

Stefanie had brought and wore her own outfit.

"You can keep the dresses and shoes, I can't wear them anymore." Fion smiled at both girls. I really like Lily. She felt like the younger sister that I would like but never had. Fion excused herself from the girls and went to join the adults in the hall.

She is so wonderful. How I wished Petunia could be more like her. But Fion is a billion times better and prettier. Her black bareback dress fitted her so perfectly. Her long raven black hair with golden highlights is now piled up on her head using those pretty butterfly clips and exposing a smooth back. She sashayed down to the hall with grace and elegance that I never thought any woman could have.

Lily was looking at Fion until a sudden laughter broke her concentration.

James, Sirius and Remus were walking over from the opposite direction. James was wearing a white tuxedo; Sirius was wearing a black tuxedo while Remus was wearing a brown colored tuxedo. The three girls met the three guys just before the stairs.

Wow. Lily looked like an angel.

James got out of his little trance and walked towards Lily.

"May I?" James held out his right elbow for her to grab.

"Huh? Er... sure. Who taught you that?" Lily found it amusing for James the big prankster to do something so gentlemanly especially since he was only eleven.

"Since young. All these gentlemanly manners had to be observed in these sort of parties. I did this with Fion back then before she had a boyfriend," James replied and turned to look over at his sister standing next to a person, who was acting like a boyfriend.

"No wonder. I can't believe the infamous school prankster can be as gentlemanly as this." Lily giggled.

"Well, there are a lot of things you don't know about me. Anyway, I'm starving. Let's go and get some food," James said brightly as he led Lily to the dining hall.

Sirius followed James actions and took Arabella's hand while Remus took Stefanie's. All the three pairs headed towards the dining hall in silence.

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Before they knew it, it's time to head back to school the day after.

"We actually had fun without pranking the guys in the last week," Lily said suddenly.

"I don't remember ever having so much fun at these parties. Remus was so unlike his school-like self." Stefanie sighed as she lay on the bed.

"Well, we all had fun, didn't we? Sirius was like sooo chivalrous. I thought he was possessed!" Arabella commented and smiled at the thought.

"James was pretty interesting too. At least now I know that he had such a gallant and well-mannered side of him," Lily added and folded the dress that Fion had given her for the party.

That night the three girls had very long and sweet dreams about the party.

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"Hogwarts, here we come!!!" James shouted as he dashed towards their favorite compartment at the end of the train.

"Wait for us!!!" Lily shouted at him, tugging her heavy backpack behind her.

"Help me with my bag!" Stefanie pleaded as she tried to lift it onto the train. She was not joking when she said that it was heavy.

"Where are my Dungbombs? JAMES!!!" Sirius, upon realization on his loss, chased after his friend.

"SIRIUS EDWARD BLACK!!! Change my hair back to normal!!!" Arabella ran after him, with her wand in her hand and her lavender-colored hair flowing behind.

"Your hair matches your eyes!" Sirius shouted to her without slowing his run.

Remus was walking behind all of them, amused at their childlike behavior, which was in total irony compared to the day at the party. He had helped Stefanie with her bag. The three matured-looking ladylike girls a few days ago were running around chasing the guys, who were perfect gentlemen just days ago. These are my friends. But what would happen if they know that I'm a werewolf? His eyes darkened and he suppressed the sense of terror that slowly crept into his soul.

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