Whimsical {James Potter}

Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Christmas

There are two parts to Christmas day at the Potter's house. In the earliest hours of the morning, all five of the residents are in the main living room where a heavily decorated tree takes up an entire corner. Despite the Potter's doting and spoilt treatment of their son, his presents are small but meaningful. Sirius and Cressida also each get something, which leaves her feeling guilty since she hadn't gotten anything for them. She had borrowed their owl, sending her mother her gift but she hadn't bothered with her father at all this year.

Christmas morning is one of the coldest yet of the winter, and as she, James and Sirius enjoy the second part of the Christmas day, she huddles under a thick blanket on the couch.

"To Cressida," Sirius reads off an invisible tag. He hands her a hard package that is surprisingly well wrapped.

Reaching underneath the blanket, she pulls out a similar size and shaped present. "To Sirius," she mimics. Not being able to carry the other, Cressida keeps the blanket tightly around her shoulders and waddles towards the tree, pulling out a large present. "James."

"Thank you," he smiles, handing her a present in exchange. This one is as neatly wrapped as Sirius' and she can't help but acknowledge their improved efforts from last year.

Sirius begins unwrapping her present first as he sits in the single chair that's been pulled closer to the lounge Cressida and James reside on. They watch him, simply waiting for the reveal. He notices their intense gaze, slowing his unwrapping. "What?"

"Enjoy," is all Cressida says.

Sirius cautiously unwraps the rest of the paper to reveal a large shoebox. With one last wavering glance at his onlookers, he lifts the lid. As soon as he spies what is inside, the lid slams shut once more. His eyes burn holes into his her as Cressida and James cackle violently. Sirius holds out a hand, making a 'give-me' gesture. "I want my present back. You don't deserve it after this." Shaking her head, Cressida holds the wrapped box close to her chest and under the blanket. With a long sigh, Sirius takes the lid off completely, staring down at the black boots. But his emotions betray him as he shakes his head with a warm laugh. His arms wrap around the box, holding it close to his lap. "You really want me skating with you?"

"I don't like you missing out," she confesses gently.

He looks back down at the skates, still smiling. "I suppose I better make sure they fit."

James sits up, throwing a soft package in Sirius' direction. "Suppose it's good timing to give you this then."

Sirius' concern grows once more but his hands work faster than before. Cressida waits eagerly, wondering if he'd take it well or not. "You've got the fucking kidding me." Sirius licks his lip slowly as he juts his jaw to the side. A lazy hand pulls up one of the knee pads which coincidentally match the black skates. "You both planned this, didn't you?"

James and Cressida shake their heads. "Lucky coincidence, actually."

Sirius tosses the package to the side in disbelief, but a tired, yet charming smile still never leaves. Cressida opens the package Sirius gave her, revealing an entire shoebox filled with different types of socks. "You actually got me socks?" she shrieks with a delighted tune. "I'm going to wear a different pair every day."

The next package she searches for is the one from James. It's small and a little soft but almost certainly some type of book with a leather cover. She tears it open carefully, noting her prediction is right when she spots the dark brown leather and the fresh-white pages. It looks empty, like a diary of some sort.

She smiles up at James, preparing to say thank you, but James is holding up a replica of the diary in front of her. "Two-way diary," he grins gently. "Remus and I spent time researching the two-way mirror and wanted to replicate it on something a little more subtle. You can write in it and the words will show up on the mine."