Since everyone had arrived a bit early, dinner wasn’t quite ready. The next few minutes passed in a blur of activity as the Potters took care of all the little chores that no one had thought about until the guests arrived.
“Everything will be ready in a few minutes “ I promise,” Lily said as she rushed into the kitchen. “James, can you set out the dip and nibbles so that no one will starve?”
“Of course, dear,” he said, rolling his eyes and winking over his shoulder at everyone else.
Delicious smells floated through the house as Lily finished cooking, and Harry was hard-pressed to keep himself out of the kitchen, though the nibbles Lily had made helped slightly. James, however, didn’t even try.
“James Charlus Potter, how many times do I have to tell you to stay out of the kitchen until I’m finished? You’re only getting in the way now!” Lily shrieked, chasing James out for what seemed like the tenth time. She stopped at the threshold, waving a spoon menacingly at him.
“But Lily, darling, I can’t help it!” James whined, trying to edge past her and back into the kitchen. “It’s not my fault you’re such a fantastic cook! It’s more than a man can bear!”
“It really does take heroic effort, Lily,” Sirius pointed out, grabbing a roll while she was distracted.
“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Lily said, raising her spoon threateningly at both of them. A large glob of gravy dripped off of it and landed on the carpet. Lily turned to the mess on the floor.
“James! Sirius! Look what you made me “ ” she began, but James used her momentary distraction to catch her around her waist and pin her arms to her sides.
“Ah ha! Victory is mine!” he shouted triumphantly. “You are my prisoner, and must agree to whatever I say,” he told her as he peppered her neck and shoulder with kisses.
Lily rolled her eyes, although a smile tugged at the corners of your mouth. “Oh I must, must I? And what do you command, oh master?”
“That you let me taste everything, and give me lots of kisses, even though we haven’t hung the mistletoe yet.” He turned wide, pitiful eyes on her, and she laughed in spite of herself.
“Oh, all right,” she agreed, and he smiled smugly as he bent forward to claim his prizes.
“Nice one, James,” Sirius tossed over his shoulder as he darted into the kitchen while they were distracted.
This might have gone on for a while, but James and Lily were interrupted by the sound of a throat clearing.
“Oh! Erm, hello, Ginny,” Lily said breathlessly as she broke away from James. “Do you need anything?”
“A glass of water, if you don’t mind. It’s a little warm in here, don’t you think?” Ginny said archly, grinning at them.
“You do look a little flushed, dear,” James said to Lily, pretending to be concerned. “Maybe you should lie down upstairs for a bit. With me.”
Lily laughed and propelled him back into the sitting room as Ginny slipped into the kitchen for her water. “Out! It’s almost ready! Ginny, would you mind helping me set the table?”
Ginny grinned and nodded. Hermione appeared and was conscripted moments later, and soon Lily was calling everyone to dinner. After the usual fumbling for seats, James stood and banged his carving knife and fork at them.
“Oi! Pipe down you lot, I’m about to carve this bloody bird! And I’d appreciate it if you’d all give the occasion the solemnity it deserves!” There was dead silence for about a minute until Ginny let out a snort of laughter. It was like a signal to everyone else, and soon they were all practically rolling around the table while James ignored them, painstakingly slicing the turkey.
It was a scene of fairly organized chaos after that as everyone reached over everyone else and plates were handed up and down the table. James reminisced with Sirius and Remus about Hogwarts Christmases past and the pranks they’d pulled on the professors.
“Remember that time we enchanted a piece of mistletoe to float over Professor McGonagall’s head? Took her all day to figure out why people kept avoiding her!” Sirius said with a grin.
“Except for Derek Jones,” Remus added. “He had the biggest crush on her “ actually tried to kiss her!”
“Yeah, and she gave him such a scolding! Then she set the mistletoe on fire and banned it from the castle. Best Christmas prank ever!” Sirius chortled.
“But what about that time we charmed the turkey to dance a jig just before Professor Dumbledore started slicing it? Priceless!” James laughed.
Lily rolled her eyes in their direction as she turned to talk to the other girls. Harry and Ron listened to the Marauders with frank admiration, though they chimed in with their own stories every now and again.
Dinner continued like that until the food disappeared and people started pushing away from the table, rubbing their bellies satisfactorily.
“Fantastic meal, Lily, really,” James said, kissing his wife on the cheek. She smiled, her cheeks heating up, as the others added their praise.
“Thanks, I’m glad you all liked everything so much. But you know how you can really show your appreciation, James?” she asked, batting her eyelashes.
James grinned as if he knew the answer and took her hand. “What, my darling Lily? Would it involve a fun, physical activity later?”
She smiled flirtatiously at him before withdrawing her hand and replacing it with an empty plate. “Certainly, if you consider cleaning up a fun, physical activity, though I personally rather dislike it. I’ve got to go tend to the baby.”
Sirius hooted with laughter and clapped James on the back as his face fell.
“She’s got you there, mate! Do your duty like a man!”
James sighed and started collecting plates, though the actual cleaning up didn’t take long once everyone pitched in.
Lily came downstairs with the baby shortly after the dishes had been finished and everyone was gathering in the sitting room.
“Sorry that took so long,” she apologized cheerfully. “Somebody had a bit of an accident, and had to take a bath all over again.”
“Made a mess, did you, Harry?” James said, raising his eyebrows at the baby, who laughed and waved his arms at his father.
The older Harry’s face turned bright red as James laughed back and took little Harry from his mother to bounce him up and down. He was glad of the distraction when Ginny pulled him into the kitchen to help her prepare tea for everyone.
“You know, it’s wicked awesome to see my parents with me as a baby, but it’s bloody awkward sometimes, too,” he complained, tugging at his hair. Ginny smiled as she filled the kettle with water.
“I’d expect it would be,” she replied calmly, wrapping an arm around his waist. “I mean, it’s bad enough when Mum gets out my baby pictures and shows them to everyone “ I can just imagine how bad it’d be if my baby self was physically in the room. At least there aren’t any pictures of me spitting up on anyone!”
Harry grinned and squeezed her hand briefly before starting to dig in the cupboard for cups.
“Oy! Look what I just found!” Ginny turned just as he picked a large sprig of mistletoe off of the counter. “Didn’t Dad say that they hadn’t hung it yet? They must’ve forgotten.”
He grinned and held it above his head. “Look, Ginny, I’m under the mistletoe. Guess you have to kiss me.”
She sighed in pretend annoyance as she walked over to him. “Well, I guess I have to, since it’s tradition and all,” she said as she raised her face to his. They only got to kiss for a moment before the kettle started whistling, however.
“Where should we hang this?” Harry asked Ginny as they gathered up the tea things. She was thoughtful for a moment.
“Not the coat closet “ pointless there. Maybe one in the kitchen somewhere…” She grinned as an idea struck her. “I’ll be if we put it above the entrance to the kitchen Ron’ll end up under it with Hermoine. That would be fantastic!”
Harry felt an answering grin spread across his face. “Perfect! And maybe above the stairs? People are always running into each other there.” Ginny nodded in agreement.
“Right, then, I’ll help you get all this out in the sitting room, and then I’ll see about hanging it. We’ll see how many people we can catch,” he said.
Once they’d brought everything out, Harry snuck back in the kitchen and broke a piece off the sprig mistletoe.
“Hm…” he mused, thinking out loud. “Have to do this by magic, or everyone’ll hear…Wingardium Leviosa!” As he swished and flicked his wand, the mistletoe floated to the doorway between the kitchen and the sitting room. He’d just cast a Sticking Charm when Ginny poked her head through the door.
“Hey! You done yet?” she whispered. “You’ve been gone a while.”
He grinned as he stuck his wand back in his pocket. “All done,” he announced as he took a step forward. “And now,” he continued, tilting her chin so that she had to look up, “We’re under the mistletoe again.”
Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she raised her face to his. “Why, so we are, Mr. Potter,” she murmured. “But that doesn’t mean it has to be easy.”
Fast as lightning, she moved her lips to his cheek before darting back into the sitting room. He stood there for a moment with his mouth open, then shook his head slowly and followed her. As he left the doorway to enter the sitting room proper, Ron passed him, followed closely by Hermione.
“Hermione, all I want is a glass of pumpkin juice. I promise, I won’t go raiding the Potter’s kitchen! What do you take me for? It’s not like it’s Hogwarts!” he snapped as he grabbed a glass and filled it from the pitcher that was sitting out. “You never believe me.”
“Well, what do you expect, Ron?” Hermione shot back, stopping in the doorway with her hands on her hips. “It’s not like you’ve really given me any reason to!” Ron rolled his eyes and nudged her aside to leave the kitchen.
Harry chose that moment to clear his throat, and they both turned to look at him, expressions stormy. He grinned at them and simply said, “Look up.”
They complied, though it took them a moment to realize what was hanging above their heads. Hermione’s hands flew to her mouth, and she automatically jumped back as Ron’s jaw dropped. Before she could retreat further, however, he shook off his confusion and stepped forward.
“It’s tradition, Hermoine,” he said quietly, wrapping her in his arms. “Besides, Harry knows we’re under it. We’d have to hear about it all evening otherwise.”
Hermione smiled, the frozen look leaving her face. “Well, we can’t have that, can we?” she murmured as he lowered his face to hers.
Harry smiled as he crept away to give his best friends some privacy. He had no doubt that they’d make up for lost time.
He smiled conspiratorially with Ginny as he strode across the room to sit next to her on the sofa.
“Mischief managed,” he whispered in her ear, and she giggled. “And about time, too,” she whispered back. “They’ve been dancing around each other for ages.”
Harry jumped a little as his mother sat down next to him. “What’re you two whispering about over here?” She smiled slightly. “People might think you’re up to something.”
Ginny grinned cheekily back at her. “That’s because we are up to something. We’ll tell, but only if you promise to help!”
Lily looked around first, then leaned forward. “All right. What are you doing?”
Ginny proceeded to explain the plan to hang the mistletoe around the house, and the smile grew until it had spread across Lily’s face. “Brilliant! Where else were you thinking of hanging it?”
“We’d thought above the stairs, since people will be going up and down them all night,” Ginny answered.
Lily nodded gleefully. “That’ll be perfect! Do you need help?”
Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance. “Well, it’ll probably be less suspicious if you do it, Lily,” Ginny said.
“Yeah, they’re less likely to suspect you,” Harry added.
Lily chuckled quietly. “Well, maybe. Remind me to tell you more about the time I stuck James’ tongue to the roof of his mouth in our fifth year. No one suspected me then, either.”
Harry grinned and handed her a sprig of mistletoe and whispered, “Go for it!”
She looked around furtively before getting up. James was playing with the baby, and Hermione and Ron were nowhere to be seen. She smiled when she saw that Sirius and Remus seemed to be engrossed in Tonks as she walked to the stairs to hang it.
“So, Lizzy, is it? Like Lizzy Bennet from Pride and Prejudice?” Sirius said to Tonks, who looked surprised.
“You’ve read Pride and Prejudice?” she asked. “I’m amazed! Not only is it a Muggle book “ it’s a love story! Boys tend to hate those.”
He pretended to look affronted and said, “Of course I’ve read it! It’s a classic! Even if it is really girly “ it’s got a great message.”
Remus, who was sitting across from them, snorted derisively. “You’ve only read it to impress girls,” he said dryly. “I, on the other hand, read it so that I’d know who those girls were talking about when they said they wished more guys were like Mr. Darcy.”
“And that’s better?” Sirius asked.
Remus nodded. “Of course. I read the book out of curiosity. You read it out of selfishness.”
“I personally think Mr. Darcy’s a little overrated, to be honest,” Tonks broke in. “Seems like a bit of a stuffed shirt.” She smiled as the two men stared at her. “What?”
“But, isn’t Darcy supposed to be the ideal man? Every girl I’ve known that’s read the book loves him!” Sirius said, floored, as Remus nodded in agreement. Tonks laughed.
“Well, that’s because most girls want a white knight to come sweep them away, don’t they? Darcy’s all right and everything, but I can save myself, thanks. I want someone who’ll stand with me, not in front of me,” she said. “Besides, Darcy’s too perfect. I want a real man, with flaws.” Her eyes flitted to Remus briefly.
Sirius looked stunned and sat back, speechless.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard it put quite like that before,” Remus said, looking at her thoughtfully. “Why wouldn’t you want someone perfect?”
She shrugged. “There’s no such thing as a perfect bloke “ the ones that seem to be are always too good to be true. Besides, I’m certainly not perfect, and I don’t want someone who’s going to make me feel bad about it!”
Remus smiled. “Well that’s…refreshing. Were you at Hogwarts, Lizzy? I don’t remember you at school, and you’re certainly not forgettable.”
Tonks smiled ruefully. “Remember, Remus, I’m from the future. I started at Hogwarts in ’84, a while after you and Sirius here.”
“Yeah, we graduated in ’78…I didn’t realize you were so young,” he said, looking a little disappointed.
“I am young,” she said quietly. “But we’re probably about the same age now. How old are you “ twenty-one? Twenty-two?”
“Twenty,” he replied, and she laughed.
“That makes me older than you right now, then. I’m twenty-three,” she teased.
“Oooo! An older woman!” This was from Sirius, who had apparently finally recovered from the idea that not all women want to be rescued. He shot her a roguish wink. “Sexy.”
She laughed. “You think that now “ just wait until I have wrinkles before you!”
Sirius thought about that for a minute, and then shrugged. “A few wrinkles wouldn’t bother me. With age comes knowledge, right?” He wagged his eyebrows and Tonks rolled her eyes at him.
“And on that note, I’m off to the loo. Remus, try not to let things degenerate any further while I’m gone, would you?” she asked, and he nodded solemnly and laid a hand over his heart.
“I give you my word that I will do my best to keep Sirius from being as puerile as possible, though with him, my best probably won’t do much good.”
“Hey!” Sirius yelped. “I’m not that bad!”
Tonks looked straight at him, her eyes sparking mischievously. “Then see how good you can be. Call it a challenge “ I don’t think you can be a ‘good little boy’ for more than an hour.”
She stood, passing Lily before heading upstairs. Sirius and Remus’ eyes followed her, Sirius frowning and Remus looking intrigued. “There’s something about her…” Remus murmured. “I don’t think I’ve ever met another girl like her.”
Sirius shrugged. “Well, you’re welcome to her, mate. She’s cute and all, but I like a girl that's normal, thanks.”
Remus raised his eyebrows. “One you can impress, you mean,” he said, and Sirius smirked at him. Remus shook his head and glanced up to see Tonks descending the stairs.
“I’ve got to go to the loo too “ try not to offend her, all right?” Remus demanded, and Sirius shrugged. “Can’t guarantee anything, mate, though something tells me she won’t offend easily. She reminds me a bit of my little cousin, as a matter of fact.”
Remus paused at the bottom of the stairs as Tonks approached, courteously waiting for her to finish descending. When she reached him, she stopped for a moment and smiled at him. They locked eyes for a long moment, and then they heard Lily’s voice say, “Lizzy! Remus! Look up.”
Of Christmas Past by Chaser921
Chapter Notes: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know this took forever, and I have no excuse.