Catching A Flower

*Disclaimer*- Messrs. Fuzzbutt and Fantail do not now, nor will they ever, claim to be J.K. Rowling. They own none of the characters or situations presented by Ms. Rowling in any of her brilliantly written books.

Chapter Fourteen- Christmas at the McKinnon’s

As the year entered its last month, Lily, with much support from her friends, seemed to be approaching recovery from her grief and loss. She was getting back into her normal self, although she still remained quiet, preferring thinking to speaking.

Her return to normalcy was disturbed, however, by the delivery of a not-so-kind letter from Petunia a week or so before the school was to be let out for the holidays.

Freak,

With the holidays coming up, I’d like to let you know that you aren’t welcome here. Don't you dare think of coming home, I'm having a special friend spend the holidays with me, and I won't have you and your freakishness disturbing me! Remember, I can call the police, and I’ll have you taken away. Find some other place to spend the holidays. I hope you spend them unhappy. And anyway, Mum and Dad wouldn't want their murderer over for Christmas dinner, so stay away.

-The Loving Daughter,

Petunia

Lily stared at the letter and tried not to cry. It's not my fault, she thought, trying to re-convince herself.

"Lily, what's wrong?" James asked, catching the upset look on her face.

Lily wordlessly handed the letter to James, who read it. Emmeline and Marlene read over his shoulder.

"Oh, Lily," Marlene said, coming around to hug her, "don't listen to what she says. She's speaking nonsense. She just needs someone to blame, and her jealousy of you caused her to blame you."

Lily began to cry. She often did that. She'd work on not crying, and as soon as someone showed caring she wouldn't be able to hold the tears back any longer.

James took her hand in his and held it, not saying anything. Lily correctly suspected that it was because whatever James had to say was not particularly nice and was referring to Petunia.

He gave her hand a light squeeze and she leaned over on the couch they were both sitting on to place her head on his shoulder. Emmeline and Marlene stood by, and Remus and Sirius were not far off.

Lily sniffled and wiped her eyes with her free hand. "I suppose I'll stay here for the holidays," she said.

"Of course you won't," Marlene said. "You'll come home with me and spend Christmas at my house. Mum won't mind. Emmeline's coming, too, since her Mum and Dad are going to America for business."

Lily looked down at her feet. "I don't want to be a burden," she said.

"Lily, you could never be a burden. We love you and you're going to spend Christmas with us," Emmeline said.

Lily smiled weakly. "Thanks," she said.

"That's what we're here for," Marlene pointed out.

"I'll be back later, Lil," James suddenly said, feeling as if he was intruding. "I have to finish an essay." He gently kissed her temple and stood to walk away. "I'll talk to you later?"

Lily nodded and James left.

Emmeline and Marlene took the seats on the couch that James had vacated.

"He's been so wonderful," Lily said when he was out of ear shot. “You all have been.”

"We really care about you, Lily," Marlene said. James cares more than I think he even knows.

"I don't know what I would've done these past few weeks without you," Lily admitted. "Floundered about in hopeless depression, possibly."

Neither Emmeline nor Marlene knew what to respond to this, and so Lily continued. "Thank you, so much, for just being here to let me know there's someone to turn to."

Emmeline smiled. "That's what we're here for, Lily," she said softly.

----------

"I hope Lily's alright," James said. It wasn't the first time, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. He, Sirius, and Remus were sitting in James's room on Christmas Eve.

"I'm sure she's fine," Remus said. "She's got Marlene and Emmeline and they wouldn't let her have an unhappy holiday."

"I know," James said, sighing in frustration. "I just... I don't know, I'm so... she's all I can think about! Her parents died, and it almost sent her into depression, and I just… it scared me."

"James, she's fine," Sirius said. “Stop worrying so much.”

James looked down and blushed. "I can't help it," he said in his defense. I love her. He was almost startled by this thought. After becoming friends with Lily, he'd managed to shove such thoughts to the back of his mind. She was his friend, and he felt all would work out better if he was to think of her as only that. She wouldn't feel pressured, and he wouldn't feel that empty hole that could only be filled by their becoming more than friends.

"Do you want to see her tomorrow?" Remus asked.

"What?" James said, startled from his thoughts.

"Do you want to see her tomorrow? Marlene invited us to her house for Christmas evening, and we can go and see the girls if you'd like."

"Moony, why didn't you tell me this sooner?" James exclaimed.

"He enjoys seeing you squirm and worry," Sirius teased. "Although I can't imagine why," he muttered.

James shot a glare and a roll of the eyes in Sirius's direction. "We'll go, right?" he asked.

Remus nodded. "I told Marlene we would already."

James grinned.

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"Remus, James, and Sirius are coming tomorrow," Marlene remarked as she, Lily, and Emmeline sat in Marlene's room wrapping gifts.

"What?" Lily asked, surprised. Also surprised, Emmeline dropped the spellotape she'd been holding.

"Marlene, why didn't you tell us?" Emmeline grumbled.

"I thought it would be a nice surprise," Marlene said, grinning mischievously.

Emmeline playfully shoved Marlene in retaliation.

----------

Lily could hardly sleep that night. She couldn't wait to see James. Although it hadn’t quite been a week since they'd been home from school, (Marlene's family was wonderful), she missed him terribly. That thought alone startled and scared her. She'd never before realized how much she enjoyed his presence, his silly hair, and his caring nature.

She rolled over, thanking her lucky stars that she'd gotten James a Christmas present, and not knowing that James was doing much the same.

----------

Despite her lack of sleep, Lily awoke quite early on Christmas day. She found herself anxious for the arrival of the boys, and bored at just lying in bed. She threw pillows at Marlene and Emmeline. "Happy Christmas," she said cheerily as they awoke.

"Happy Christmas my arse," Emmeline grumbled. "Lily it's only six in the morning..."

"I know," Lily said.

"Isn't that a bit too early?" Marlene asked.

"Yes... but I couldn't sleep."

"So that means we can't, either?"

"Nope," Lily said, grinning.

"Why are you up this early, anyway?" Marlene questioned.

"Um, I don't know," Lily lied. Of course she knew. She was very nervous for James's arrival. Having not seen him for a week, (a full week!), she was unsure how she would act around him when she next saw him. He'd been helpful, caring, loving, and a wonderful friend to her, and she felt that it was time for her to return the favor somehow.

"Well, let's see," Emmeline said, grinning like the Cheshire cat, "Lily's slept like the dead every night until now, which, coincidently, is the same time that the boys are arriving. What do you think of that, Marlene?"

"Hmm, it is awfully odd, isn't it?"

"Yes, quite."

Lily was blushing. "I suppose I was anxious for Christmas to arrive."

"Lily, every other Christmas we've known you you've slept in late. Why is this one different?"

"Okay, okay!" Lily finally said. "I'm nervous because James is coming and I don't know how to act around him! He's been perfect lately, and last I saw him, I was a wreck, and now, well, it's Christmas, and you guys have... well, I reckon you're all I've got, so I need to be... well, I need to live, because who knows when I won't be and-"

"Lily," Emmeline interrupted, not liking the way she was talking.

"No, don't interrupt me," Lily said. "I'm going to be happier. Mum and Dad would want me to be, you two have helped me figure that out. But James is coming, and he's been as wonderful as you two for me, being there and everything, and I need to thank him, but I don't know how," Lily rambled.

"I don't think he's expecting thanks, Lily," Marlene said, “and you should act as you always act around him.”

"No friend expects thanks when they help their friends, because that's what friends are for- helping each other through hard times, and laughing with each other through easy times."

Lily smiled. "I suppose you're right, but... well, I feel like I owe him something."

"You got him a Christmas gift, right?"

Lily nodded.

"Good. That's already more than he's expecting, I bet, so that'll do."

"But I need to thank him," Lily said, close to whining.

Marlene was silent for a moment. Then she said, "Write him a letter and put it with his gift."

Lily grinned and hugged Marlene. "Perfect!" she said.

----------

James, having awoken quite early in the morning, was ready to go ahead of time. He paced, he fidgeted, and his anxiety was evident on his face. "Sirius, hurry up!" he called. "We're going to be late."

"We still have a half an hour, Prongs," Sirius called back, stuffing his face with the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans that Remus had gotten him.

"And you've yet to get dressed! Or comb your hair! Or.… Or... I don't know! Hurry!"

"Merlin, James, you're a nutcase," Sirius muttered, going off to get ready.

"Finally," James said to himself, relieved that Sirius had listened to him.

"James, I think you need to calm down," Remus said after a moment.

"But we're going to see Lily!"

"And Marlene and Emmeline, as well," Remus pointed out.

"Yes, them too," James said with an air of uncaring. He couldn't stop thinking of Lily. His present for her lay on a nearby table, wrapped perfectly, due to several hours of painstaking attempts on James's part.

He picked it up gingerly and for the next twenty-five minutes sat tapping his heel and waiting impatiently for their time to leave.

----------

Lily sighed. "When are they coming?" she asked, glancing at the letter and present she'd wrapped, (expertly, and in under five minutes), and wishing that James were there to accept it.

"They should be here in just a few-"

A series of pops interrupted Marlene as James, Remus, and finally Sirius apparated into the room.

Lily blushed. What is wrong with me? she thought, wondering at the redness of her face. She shook her thoughts, stood up, and hugged James in a friendly manner.

James grinned and hugged her with the arm not holding her present. "Hey, Lil," he said.

"Hi," Lily replied. Then she felt utterly stupid. Hi was all that she could come up with?

"You're looking better," James commented after pulling out of the hug and looking at her.

Lily gave him a warm smile. "Marlene and Emmeline are a big help," she said.

"I got you a present," James said suddenly, handing her the package.

"I got a present for you, too," Lily said. James seemed quite pleasantly surprised.

"Lily!" Sirius suddenly exclaimed, pulling her into a bear hug. Lily blushed. She'd forgotten there were others in the room when she was talking to James. She awkwardly patted Sirius on the back. "'Lo, Sirius," she said.

"Oooh, presents!" Sirius said happily. "Who're they for?" He was eyeing Lily's gift to James.

Lily blushed. "It's for James," she said.

Sirius pouted. "No presents for Sirius or Remus, but presents for Prongs. This is not fair."

Remus chuckled. "Actually, I got a present," he said. "From Marlene."

Emmeline shrugged. "Well, I got all three of you boys presents, because I'm the fair one."

Sirius hugged Emmeline in glee. "Hoorah!"

Emmeline grinned.

"The fair one? She only got James and Remus gifts because then she could get one for Sirius without being obvious," Lily muttered. James heard and laughed.

"Let's open presents!" Sirius said. He'd gotten all three girls something; each was badly wrapped, but he didn't mind, and he didn't think they would, either. Why wrap all fancy-like just to have it ripped open?

The rest of the group agreed to open presents, though none possessed the enthusiasm of Sirius. He tore through the paper on Emmeline's gift and found a tiny model of himself in a box, humming merrily to itself. Finding that he'd finally be let out, the little model, naught but three inches in height, jumped up and said in a high-pitched voice, "Hoorah!" Sirius laughed uproariously as mini-Sirius hopped out excitedly and sang a Christmas carol. "Emmeline, where did you get this?" Sirius asked.

Emmeline grinned, still working on opening her present. "The owner of a local Muggle toy shop is actually a wizard, and did them for me. All I needed to provide were pictures of you, and he did the rest. They weren't even that expensive."

James and Remus had gotten similar gifts. Mini-James kept glancing at Lily and Mini-Remus was rolling his eyes at Mini-Sirius's excited antics and Mini-James's watching of Lily.

Sirius had gotten Marlene, Emmeline, and Lily assorted candy from Honeyduke’s.

Marlene had given Remus a small scrapbook full of pictures of the two together and a load of chocolate bars, and Remus had given Marlene a stuffed bear that giggled when its tummy was poked, flowers, and a small gold charm in the shape of a wolf to go with the charm bracelet she had.

Lily opened her gift, which was a small bowl with ruins on it, filled with some sort of liquid, and obviously enchanted so that it would not spill. It was a pensieve. A card was attached.

Lily,

This is a pensieve for you to use to store the memories of your parents. This way, you can have crystal clear memories, while still being able to think of them. Happy Christmas.

-James

Lily looked up at James, teary-eyed, and hugged him. "Thanks, James," she said.

James smiled. "Thank you, too," he said. Lily had given him a small, (or at least she considered it small), book. The cover was blank, and on the inside cover was a note from Lily.

James,

Happy Christmas! This is a book of quotes I put together for you that I think you'll enjoy. (And perhaps it'll get you to read more.) They're wonderful. I’ve also left you some space at the end to fill in with your own quotes, when you find them.

-Lily

P.S. Read the note on the parchment later, away from prying eyes.

James had opened the book and gotten through one quote before Lily had hugged him. How rare and wonderful is that flash of a moment when we realize we have discovered a friend (1). James smiled. “It’s fantastic,” he said.

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The rest of the evening had flown by. They had chatted, eaten Christmas dinner with Mr. and Mrs. McKinnon, and decided upon all going back to Hogwarts to celebrate the New Year. James had had a wonderful Christmas. They had gotten back to his house and it was a while before they had gone to bed.

It was late, now, and James finally heard the slow and heavy breathing that indicated that Remus and Sirius were asleep. He pulled out the note from Lily that he was to read 'away from prying eyes'. "Lumos," he whispered, wand casting light upon the parchment.

Dear James,

I want to thank you, again, for helping me through some very rough times. You were there for me always and I can't be more grateful than I am now. It meant a lot to me, and still means a lot to me, that I know I can count on you.

I know that in the past I was quite awful to you. I want to apologize for that. I didn't give you a chance until recently, and my stubbornness prevented me from seeing your wonderful side, or even that you had a side other than what I had dubbed, (incorrectly, as it were), the 'ego-side'. I’m glad I eventually saw you, though, and not my silly interpretation of you.

Thank you so much, James.

Love from,

Lily

P.S. Happy Christmas.

James grinned, somehow feeling lighter than air, despite the fact that his heart told him that something was still missing.

Authors’ Notes: Another chapter down, this one longer than the rest, too. Please review!

(1)- Quote by William Rotsler.