A Potter Christmas

Once upon a time, I wrote Harry Potter fanfiction and posted it online. I didn't have the guts to write about Harry and his friends, so I made up stories about his parents and the Weasleys instead. Just for fun, today I want to post one of the Christmas stories. It's a little sentimental, but hopefully y'all don't mind!

A Christmas Post

CRASH!!

The Christmas tree lay in a heap on top of James's lanky frame. Lily nearly choked with laughter as her husband pushed it off and muttered a few choice words.

"It's not funny," he growled.

The redhead grabbed the tall tree and helped James stand it up again. She reached over to comb the stray needles out of James's hair, but he playfully slapped her hand away. "I'm sorry, James." Lily tried to keep her face straight. "But why didn't you just levitate the star up there?"

"Because I put it on myself last year. It's tradition."

"Yes, but last year the tree was about three feet tall."

James smiled that dopey half-grin he knew Lily found irresistible and replied, "I know."

Lily rolled her eyes. "It's your neck, not mine. By the way, weren't Sirius and Remus going to help you with this?"

"Nah, they're coming over later to put up the lights."

"Thank goodness. I really don't want you getting hurt—especially if you insist on not letting me help."

"Why thank you, Mrs. Potter. So what are you giving me for Christmas?" He asked matter-of-factly. He'd been doing it for days. Apparently he figured if he asked often enough, and at odd times during the conversation, Lily would slip up and actually tell him.

"You'll find out next week," was the standard answer.

James put on a pouty face. "Please?"

How could she resist those big hazel eyes? "James, if I give it to you now, what will you open Christmas day?"

"You could rewrap it and I could open it twice!" he replied quickly. "I can pretend to be surprised again. Look!" He gasped dramatically and affected a surprised expression.

Again, Lily rolled her eyes. "Fine. If you're sure…"

The sound of James's joyful "Whoop!" could be heard through the house as Lily ran to fish the gift out of her hiding place.

James tore through the paper like a little boy, but his face dropped as he saw the box.

"An easy-bake oven?" The disappointment in his voice was clear. Then he brightened. "Is this one of those things where you use an old box to throw me off?"

But when he pulled the old, battered toy out of the box, the sadness was back full-force. "Gee, Lily. It's great, thanks."

Lily saw that he was about to cry, and felt terrible. "That's not all, James. Look inside."

Now dubious, the wild-haired boy put his hand in the oven. He looked seriously confused when he found a sticky bun inside. "Erm. It's a bun."

"Yep. In the oven." Lily was bursting with nerves and excitement. She watched his face closely because she never wanted to forget the look on it when James realized what it meant.

"In the—?" His eyes and mouth popped open wider then Lily had ever seen them. He looked into his wife's glowing green eyes, then down at her stomach, then back into her eyes. "You're...?"

Lily nodded.

"Really?"

"Yep."

There was a pause as James continued to look at the freckled woman in front of him.

Then "WAHHHHHHHH-HOOOOOOOO!" He bellowed. He grabbed Lily around the waist and swung her around in a circle. "I'm going to be a fa-ther! I'm going to be a fa-ther!" Suddenly realizing that Lily looked a little green and dizzy, he quickly placed her on the sofa and apologized profusely for the next two minutes. "How—when?"

"Well, the 'how' I think you know," she replied cheekily. "And the when...I think after the Halloween party..."

"Oh yeah." James blushed bright pink. "So when are you... when is he...?"

Lily giggled. "It's a 'he' is it?" James blushed again. "The baby will be here in July."

James crowed again and proceeded to dance about the room by himself, again chanting "I'm going to be a fa-ther!" When he'd gotten it out of his system, he knelt in front of Lily and kissed her softly.

"Thank you, Lily. This is the best Christmas gift ever."

Lily wrapped her arms around the darling man and kissed him back. "It isn't Christmas, yet, James."

"It is to me."