The Year of the Revolution II. The Discovery of Friendship

15. Surprises

On Christmas day, Lily received several surprises. Her parents gave her shoes and other basic clothes, nothing expensive or whimsical, and she thanked them for that attitude. She also received three packages, one from Remus, via Muggle post, containing the fourth year Arithmancy textbook for her.

I know you can get it in the Library, but better if it's already yours.

And another, voluminous, modern and very complete on protective spells.

This one, for your guardian.

Lily thought that the same could be said of the little wolf.

The second package was from Cecile. They had corresponded with her owl and Lily had told her that they were going to meet at night with Remus' help. In the package came a magical alarm clock.

I know you already have one, but your Romeo doesn't even wear a watch and it would be suspicious if yours disappeared from your nightstand every time you go to the Infirmary.

Lily thought of sending it to Sev right away, since he was beginning to experiment with sleep potions and it could do very well, so she sent it to him with the castle owl that morning.

In Cecile's package there was also a book, 'Romeo and Juliet', the tragedy with which Lily felt identified on that trip on the Express. That explained the name Cecile had given Sev. She told her:

Don't be scared, take it as a little warning, I don't want you to end up like them. And of course, don't say anything to him. As paranoid as he is, he is capable of scaring to the point of leaving it with you.

What Lily didn't know and Cecile did, because she had been told by a good friend badger with whom the Slytherins shared DCAO class, was that, in third year, when they studied boggarts and it was Sev's turn, the dark entity transformed on Lily's corpse.

He, of course, wasn't able to cast the Riddiculous to defeat the boggart, he froze in the middle of the class. 'What funny idea can you get out of this?' It was the professor who stepped in to make it his own and remove it.

I will be your Nurse whenever you need it and I will not betray you like she did Juliet.

The third package was from Sev. He had reused the wrapping parchment she had sent him with the ingredients and envelopes. 'So he says me not to send him gifts, and he does to me.' It was bulky but weighed very little. Lily took it to her room to open it, when she saw what was, tears came to her eyes.

Every time I pass under one in the Forest, I imagine that I kiss you.

It was a mistletoe plant, its slender pale green twigs covered in snow crystals, full with small white berries, the same size as the red berries, and spelled to remain intact. 'My green-silver Prince.'

Hang it in your room and think the same when you are below. We'll have another one at the Haven when you get back.

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Sev received a single package at the Christmas tree in the dungeons, but inside were two bundles. 'One from my mother with underwear... new! And a very sweet letter in which she doesn't mention the conversation she had with Lily, only that she took my letter to her house and she gave her some clothes and money, and not a word about Tobias. Well, luckily I've made up my mind to stay in the castle.

'I am very surprised that my mother had already bought all this for me the very day I arrived, and also in such quantity, a complete change of clothes for each day of the week, and in colors.'