As long as there's Chrismas [Potters, Friends]

It had been break finally. Only difference was she wasn't heading home to spend this Christmas with both her parents. There would only be one this year and she doubted the holiday would be merry. Lily looked out her window at the tiny snowflakes that fell from the sky. The night was so beautiful but she felt so horrible inside. Lily tried to fall asleep hours ago, she just ended up tossing and turning and eventually got distracted with her thoughts. A tear drop fell down her freckled cheek and she quickly wiped it. Lily was always the happy one, James had confidence covered and Albus was smart she was just the odd one with a smile that never faded. Lily was troubled, she felt like her family was falling apart. First her father died, then her mother had a break down, then the boys went and dealt with things on their own. This leaving her feeling alone and cold when she was always sheltered and protected.

A soft sigh escaped her pink lips and she walked into the hallway looking at the moving pictures on the wall. My have the Potter kids all grown. Lily looked to a picture and giggled tracing her fingers over it. Memories flooded her mind and she wasn't as sad as she was before. A faint smile crossed her lips as she walked down stairs looking around her empty house. Everyone else had been sleeping or doing who knows what but she figured a midnight snack might send her to bed. Lily entered the kitchen and looked through the fridge grabbing a yogurt. She sat at the table and looked to the draw and whispered. "Accio spoon." her voice faint but the spoon came to her. Lily happily ate her snack looking to her kitten that roamed under the table. The small kitty curled up by her feet and she pet him accordingly. When she was done she tossed her container in the trash and went back up stairs cuddling with Ashes and soon she was fast asleep.

The next morning Lily crawled out of bed and walked to James' room opening the window letting the cold air fill the room. "Wake up James!" She said her voice exuberant and loud as she ripped the blanket off her big brother. Then she walked to Albus' room and opened the window and pulled the blanket off of him. "Alby come now up up up!" Lily said walking into the hallway as she crossed her small arms over her chest awaiting her brothers amused. "It's Christmas Eve and we are spending the day making a positive memory and I am going to take load of pictures!" Lily claimed if those boys knew what was best for them they'd join her. She could smell the breakfast her mother was cooking down stairs. "Don't make me get the water or the pot and wooden spoon." Lily urged with a smile. Lily knew a couple of the boy's friends would probably join them today, as far as she was concerned the more the merrier.

The previous night Albus had stayed up all night just glancing over the ceiling. Nothing productive, nothing educational it was sort of pathetic. He could hear his mother roaming the halls, checking on James and his girlfriend. The sound of slight snores and tossing but he himself couldn't sleep. It was Christmas eve and Albus wanted nothing to do with the holiday. He was naturally moody like most boys his age but with everything in prospective had him take moody to a whole new level. It was finally dawning on him he wasn't as strong as he thought he was, he had been avoiding thinking too much on his father's death but it was setting in. This was the first set of holidays he wouldn't spend with his father. As if they would be merry without Harry. Albus closed his eyes rolling on to his side. He wouldn't think more, if he did he'd leave the house and there would be another Potter missing this holiday. Soon asleep he found himself dreaming about memories he didn't want to remember. Albus knew he was close to his father and the two were inseparable his whole child hood. It was just sad to say the least.

Hearing Lily shouting in the hall he opened one of his blue-green eyes skimming the room. The day light burned slightly so he pulled the pillow out his head bickering with himself. At least she was waking up James, Albus snickered to himself rolling back over and before he knew it the blankets were being pulled off him and the cold wind entered his room "LILYYY." He complained in a whiny tone. Soon he was pulling the pillow off his face and let his vision focus. Albus got the chills due to the window being open and he scowled pushing himself from his bed crawling down closing the bloody portkey to the cold. Albus ruffled his hair and walked to his door frame wiping his eyes. "You have a dark gift Lily Potter, it's call disturbing the peace." Albus muttered reentering his room.

The boy stood there stretching for a moment before he yawned looking for something to wear. He grabbed a pair of black dress pants along with white dress shirt and his Navy blue jumper. The whole mother made jumper thing, was only a tradition he followed since the beginning of time. Albus tossed his clothes on the bed walked back to the hallway awaiting James to get out of bed. "Memories huh, that sounds exquisite Lily." Albus admitted. His sister had a great eye for capturing photos he watched her get better and better through the years. "James might need the water, go douse him I'm going to shower." Albus said hoping James would spare himself from the plot of his little sister. Albus cleared his throat and pushed himself from bed heading for the bathroom. There he took a quick shower and brushed his teeth, partaking in his normal morning routine. Wrapping a towel around his waist he walked the hall way to his bed room. There he quickly got dressed and headed down stairs. The smell of yummy food filling his nose. s mother was always the best cook, second to none. If he could have his mother's cooking the rest of his life and be seen as normal he would, yet that was impossible with how independent he was. Albus walked over to the coffee pot making himself a cup then he sat down and waited for the rest of his family to join.

man o' man you're my best friend



i scream it to the nothingness

James liked holidays. In all fairness, most people like holidays, but the eldest Potter in particular was fond of them. Though he hated to admit it, his sentimental side was rather attached to the routine family time spent together over Christmas and Easter break. There was something about the way no matter how old they got, good ol' Mum made them ugly sweaters, Gran baked more candy-cane shaped cookies than you could ever hope to eat, and Lily woke her brothers up at the crack of dawn to enjoy opening presents. Unlike some other traditions, they Potters, like many other children, never really grew out of Christmas. Even at seventeen, James would grudgingly admit that snowfall on December 24th caused him to crack a smile of true holiday spirit.

This year, however, things were a little different. James wasn't coming home to his two parents eagerly awaiting the return of their children. A tearful mother would meet them at King's Cross and she would drive them home to an empty house where the hole in the wall still hadn't been fixed by their father. The hole in the wall would never be fixed unless James did it himself. This year, James wasn't thinking about going home to Gran's cookies and Mum's knitting, he was thinking about the two packs of cigarettes stashed in his sock drawer that he was positive he would get good use of over the course of, what he was sure would be, a tear-filled holiday.

Despite his apprehension about this year's holiday, he was pleased to be home in his own bed. It wasn't that the four-posters at Hogwarts were all that bad, it's just that they were nothing to brag about either. It seemed like the beds at school were always harder and always colder than his own bed at home. The bed at school was also in a perpetual state of unmade due to the fact that his Mum wasn't there to follow him around and clean up after him. He had a good sleep and honestly could have slept forever if given the opportunity. Once, his parents had left him alone for a couple of days when he was fifteen and he'd slept for thirty-two hours. His parents had failed to punish him in face of their awe at his ability to remain in bed and for such a substantial period of time. Anyway, he'd been thoroughly enjoying his sleep when the familiarly irritating voice had pulled him from the reverie of slumber. "Damn it Lily, I swear I will hex your legs off" though he was certain she'd find a way to be irritating without her legs. On second thought, he'd be better off getting rid of her vocal chords. If she weren't able to talk she'd likely be much better.

That was all in jest. The Potter siblings, despite all being different enough to get on each other's nerves regularly, were quite close and cared about one another a lot. Lily, who was talkative and, for lack of a better word, sunshiny, contrasted James' sarcastic manner but complimented his joking nature. This morning, however, he was frankly not in the mood to get out of bed. It wasn't that he'd awoken in a melancholic state or anything, it was more just that the open window reminded him of how unpleasantly chilly it was outside and how little he wanted to leave the warmth of his bed. He groaned and rolled over, knowing that his siblings were far from fans of letting him sleep in. Regardless of this knowledge, he would steal as much shut-eye as possible before they forced him to go downstairs.

words !

[/b][/i][/color] 612
tagged ![/b][/i][/color] lily potter, albus potter, open
lyrics ![/b][/i][/color] home - edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros
notes ![/b][/i][/color] sorry, this is not all that good
credits ![/b][/i][/color] to miss Lacey[/blockquote]

Lily was excited to get all bundled up and roam around Godric's Hollow with her brothers and whom ever joined them. Jumping around in the snow, tossing snowballs and making memories always seemed perfect to her. In Lily's many year it was her duty to get the boys up and going, as she did it well. Lily could remember Harry helping her while Mum was down stairs cooking up the best breakfast in the world. It wasn't just Christmas yet but both days were always for the children. Normally in the past they would take their saved earning and pitch in to get Mum and Dad a present on Christmas eve. The Potter kids had money, they were just simply raised not to be spoiled. Lily watched Albus poke out of his doorway and she grinned. Catching his words she crossed her arms over her chest. "The peace deserves to be disturbed when they are my lazy, over sleeping brothers." Lily stated. That Albus always had something smart to say. James was just sarcastic, but Albus was a know-it-all. Though she couldn't deny if she didn't have either of them she'd be lost down a rapid creak without a paddle.

After Albus left for the shower she listened to James' threat and smirked lightly, running and jumping into bed with him. "You will do no such thing James Potter, if you hexed my legs off you wouldn't have your loyal little follower. You couldn't bare such a thought no denying it Mister!" She said shifting to her side watching him in his half slumbered state. "James it's time to get up, Lily wants you to play." She pouted her tone saddened even if she was only being melodramatic. The red head was getting flustered with his lazy arse and she got up and stormed into the bathroom grabbing a wash cloth wetting it down really nice. She rang it out just enough running out the bathroom right into James' room. "You asked for it James." Lily whispered walking over to him holding the cloth above his head as she rang it out watching the water trickle from the fabric. The small girl took off like a bat out of hell into the hall way laughing all the way down stairs hiding behind Albus. It was not smart of her to do that but she asked him nicely and being stubborn was never an option with the overly defiant Lily Potter.

The Daily Prophet was delivered to the Potters when they were at home, Al was always the first to sit down and read it. In his mind he wondered if anyone else in the house had the patients to sit down and read. It was odd he could sit down and patiently read but the second someone was naive or ignorant on a topic Albus would tell them off. He could keep his cool for a long time until stupidity was placed in front of him, from there on there was no stopping his sarcasm train. Albus read the head lines and muttered to himself. "Lame journalism." It was never a profession he understood. Why would someone want to write stories about gossip and nonsense? That was beyond his comprehension but girls certainly did fancy this type of thing. Maybe some things were just better off not explained.

The sound of scattered footsteps caused him to look up from his reading. He picked up his coffee mug and took a sip. The hot liquid filled his mouth as he tried to adjust to the burning sensation. Lily running into the room caught him off guard and he chewed the inside of his cheek. "Lily you didn't.." Albus said a little shocked, when the girl wanted something she usually had her way. Albus awaited an angry James to come rushing after her so he got up and stood out of the way. "Your on your own Lilz." Al said walking over to the cabinet grabbing four plates. He started to set up the table and help his mother out. The woman did enough, trying to act like she wasn't effected with the whole no dad home for the holidays. It was simply Ginny being strong for her kids. Albus did always admire his mother's selflessness.

After he set up the plates he moved on to cups and silver where. He took the fresh break out of the over and placed it on the counter cutting it up. The smell was amazing, he loved the smell of fresh baked anything his mother cooked. It was like heaven in a bite. Albus set the basket on the table and walked to the fridge getting out the butter. Soon he took his seat reading over the paper more about the rumors that were set about Hogwarts and inside dark wizards. This was an interesting story. His blue-green eyes skimmed the page for a bit taking in the tale. Albus was unsure if it was true but it was Hogwarts therefore anything was possible. Foot steps caused him to divert his attention and he smirked. "Morning James, you look like hell." Albus admitted chuckling about the whole thing. In all honesty he knew Lily was going to douse him with water if he was being stubborn, yet all the Potters were stubborn when it same to something down the line.