The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix - Part Two

The City of Romance, Lights, and... French Stuff

Lily wore a paper crown and her eyes and cheeks sparkled with glitter she'd put on her face. Sirius sang loudly and obnoxiously as James's home-baked cake hovered before her, candles burning in a dark room, the faces of Lily's friends-turned-family caught in the glow of nineteen candles, each pushed through the top of a raspberry that acted as a holder, dotting the cake that she valiantly pretended she'd never seen before.

Lily got some brilliant gifts including a sparkly belt from Meg Johnson, and a beaded bag from Alice. Frank gave her a velvet coin purse to go inside the bag Alice had given, and Jasper brought along a pint each of the buttered popcorn and raspberry fizz ice creams that Lily and James both enjoyed from Fortescue's. Marlene gave her a pretty off-the-shoulder peasant-style top that she'd embroidered lily flowers around the neckline of that Lily gasped when she saw, and Emmaline had a little bottle of perfume that smelled like vanilla and almonds and rose petals and strawberries all at once, it had a pouf to spray with and came in a lovely tan bottle that Lily loved and knew she would save long after the scent was gone. Peter gave her a tin of candied strawberries that were so delicately cut they were like sweet paper that melted away in her mouth. 

 Remus had used magic to create some beautiful colored glass ornaments - one shaped like a star,  a moon, a heart, a tear drop, and a multifaceted little globe that was big enough it fit into the palm of Lily's hand. They all hung from beautiful lace ribbons. "If you put them up in the windows, they'll throw little pictures, like to how prisms throw rainbows... all over the room," Remus told her. "The ribbon's to hang it up in the windows."

"What are they pictures of?"

He smiled, "Bit of everything. You'll see." 

"I love them already, Rey," she said, clutching the ornaments to her heart. She reckoned her favorite part was that he'd made them himself. 

Sirius had gotten her a Joni Mitchell record which he admitted to having listened to before giving it to her, and a part of his gift was a rolled up parchment full of his personal commentary on the songs for her to consider while listening to them. "She did the funniest thing where there's a song inside of a song, sort of... Harry's House has a song called Centerpiece right in the, well in the center. Wait until you hear it, though, it's absolutely brilliant. If you didn't already love her, you'd fall in love with Joni Mitchell just for the song."

"I can't wait," Lily said, smiling and hugging the record. She reckoned that Sirius's notes would mean more to her than the music itself. 

"And here you are, Evans, from me," James said, handing her several gifts.

He had gotten Lily her very own Polaroid camera and several cartridges of film and a photobook to put them all in. She also found a beautiful silk scarf with a pattern of lovely little primroses, several new books from the mystery series they liked reading together, and - of all things - a red beret.

Lily put the hat on and grinned at him, "A beret, Potter?" she asked because it was just so incredibly unlike anything that he would ever purchase. 

"Yeah, the last one explains that one a bit," he said, handing her the last of the packages. It was a small rectangular box. "It's out port key. I sort of gave away that we're going away, but you don't know what I have planned once we arrive..." he explained as she tore away the wrapping, intrigued.

She opened it and inside was a tiny replica of the Eiffel Tower. Lily looked up, excitedly. "Paris? PARIS?!"

"OH I'M SO JEALOUS!" squealed Alice.

"Yes, the city of romance... and lights... and... French stuff," he said, grinning.

"French Fries," Meg said.