Till Forever Falls Apart

Third Year: A Very Potter Christmas

December 25, 1993

    Was there really any place better to celebrate Christmas than the home of James and Lily Potter?

    Val pondered this question as she awoke Christmas morning, reminding herself that the couple's turn had come once again to host the holiday celebration. She had been helping Lily the day before with preparing the food, cleaning the dining table, sorting the decorations. When Lily had an image in mind, it was bound to come to fruition through her sore determination to perfect every nook and cranny with Christmas cheer.

    "I bought this for Anthony when I was at the store yesterday," the mother held up a small box wrapped with gold paper. "Your dads told me he would be spending the holiday here. I had to get him something."

    "What's in it?"  Val let Lily place it in her hands, shaking it close to her ear so she could predict the contents of the box.

    The woman stepped forward, taking it from Val's hold. "Don't shake it! It's fragile."

    Val knew when not to add to her stress. "Alright then. It's awfully quiet here. Where's James?"

    "Out back," Lily vaguely gestured to the field behind her home. "Him and Harry have been sneaking off lately to discuss something he says is 'for growing men'. Whatever that means."

    Val let the previous day's Christmas preparations ruminate in her head as she brushed her teeth, smiling in the mirror to make sure she was nothing short of spotless. She ran a much needed bath as she hurried back to her room for new clothes, tiptoeing around Anthony's sleeping form as she snatched the outfit hurriedly and closed the door behind her. They had been up late ranking their favorites of just about everything.

    Once she was done making herself presentable, she tumbled down the stairs of her home and into the kitchen, finding a black-haired boy's head stuck in her refrigerator. "Hiya, Harry."

    "Merlin!" He jolted in place, hitting his head on a sharp edge when he heard her voice. "What are you doing?"

    "...It's my house?" Val gave him a perplexed look, reaching past Harry to find what she needed for breakfast. "I could ask the same of you."

    "Mum ran out of eggs and told me to ask you for some," he rubbed the back of his head, grumpy as he found the spot that had been hit.

    As if on cue, Remus entered with paper bags marked with the logo of the nearest store, setting them down on the counter. He began to unpack the items and place them in their correct locations as Harry snagged the egg carton, racing out the door. "I'll return them soon! Merry Christmas!"

    Stunned, Remus turned to Val for an explanation. "Don't ask me," she shut the refrigerator. "That boy is weird."

    Val left her puzzled father in the cooking area, entering the sitting room to find Sirius muttering to himself and counting something green. "Dad?"

    He turned to face her, putting his counted items away from view. "Morning, darling! Merry Christmas."

    "Merry Christmas," she responded, peering at him funnily. "What were you doing?"

    "Nothing," he exhaled, putting on an act of innocence. "I was making sure your present was ready."

    "That's not my present," Val countered, smiling slowly.

    Sirius' grin dimmed. "Of course it is!"

    "Dad took my presents over to James' yesterday so we could open them when everyone got there. You're not fooling me."