Hi friends! You have no idea how excited I am to 'speak' with you!

First of all, I'm still on semi-hiatus because I had a bit of an catastrophic moving event (long story) BUT I'm in a hotel for the next two nights..which means...WIFI. I've written a lot of short one shots in my time away and I wanted to thank you guys for being so patient with me disappearing off the face of the earth by giving you an early christmas gift in the form of a New Girl AU.

Merry Happy Holidays my friends and I look forward to updating Enchanted for you all verrrry soon.

xxx

Petals

"I can't believe Lily got me a lightsaber for Christmas!" James said happily, skating across the floor easily in his socks as he pretended to fight an invisible Darth Vader with his green colored saber.

Remus and Sirius ignored him, focused instead at the table laden with Christmas pies. They were both drooling, having been told they weren't allowed to touch a single pie without permission. James had watched their roommate Lily bake all day and all night, she was Hell bent on delivering them all to their neighbors on Christmas Day. Remus and Sirius, whose personalities often reflected the lovable golden retriever, also had the stomachs of a golden retriever.

"You're lucky." Sirius said bitterly as he fell into a seat by the pies, "Lily only got me socks."

"She got you socks because you always wear the same pair." Remus' eyes dropped to Sirius' feet at the same time as James.

Sirius flexed his toes inside the worn down red socks he'd had for as long as James had known him. The boys laughed and Sirius leaned into the table to grab a pink card resting in-between the pies. James danced around the table two or three times, practicing his sparring while watching Sirius write something down on a pink flowery card. Sirius had a box next to his paper with a set of tacks. Remus leaned over to grab the card from Sirius, ignoring Sirius' annoyed grunt as he did so.

Remus read the card out loud to the loft loudly as James came skidding to a halt next to Sirius' chair, "Let's see this. 'Merry Christmas, Lily. Love, Sirius' You got Lily tacks for Christmas after she bought you those nice socks?"

Remus turned a doubtful glare on Sirius who immediately got defensive, "She'll use them to hang up her motivational posters. She's gonna love them."

Remus and James shared a look as James snatched the box of tacks from in front of Sirius who immediately complained. Sirius wrestled the tacks from James and shoved them in his pocket so that neither James nor Remus could get to them unless they tried really hard. Sirius leaned back in his chair, kicking up his feet to show off the gross socks attached to his feet.

"Listen mates, I don't have any reason why someone would think I need another pair of socks when these babies were there for every milestone in my life." Sirius said, "I want to wear them on my wedding day."

"The next milestone would be to throw them out." James complained, placing his fingers on his nose to insinuate the smell.

"I'll throw my socks out out when you throw out that disgusting football jersey." Sirius shot back.

"Not my lucky jersey!" James scoffed, "That actually means something!"

"Oi, stop fighting." Remus said, "Or I'll make sure to burn all your gifts this year, you ungrateful gits."

"I hate Christmas." Sirius grumbled aloud.

"That's a lie." James ruffled Sirius' perfectly combed hair obnoxiously, "You love Christmas, and you told Lily so yesterday when she was making all those pies."

Sirius took the light saber from James' fingers and played with the end before irritably poking James in the side with the pointy end, "I only said that because I love pie." His grey eyes glanced at the table once more, "And I can't even have one. Slice."

"You know I was thinking about this." Remus said suddenly from the other of the table where he was counting the pies, "Lily made a pie for each resident in our building right?"

Sirius perked up, noting the same fluctuation in Remus' tone that James did, "Where are you going with this, Remus? It'd better end with me eating a damn pie."

Remus grinned wolfishly, "Well," he reasoned, "She made twenty pies but I distinctly remember Felicity Fawcett moving out last Saturday."

James' eyebrows knitted together, "How do you remember that but you can't remember where you put the TV remote three hours ago?"

Remus ignored him and continued speaking to Sirius, "If Fawcett left that means…"

"There's one extra pie." Sirius looked rather like Christmas had come early.

Even James was awed by Remus' solving, "So we can have a pie?" James confirmed.

"Fawcett is gone." Remus nodded, "We get pie."

The boys didn't question it any longer. James slid into the kitchen to grab three forks and Remus picked one of the larger pies. Sirius sat staring at the pie Remus had picked, obviously debating if he should share or not. None of them considered that Lily would totally murder them without explanation…but they were boys and they were hungry and Lily's pie was to die for.

"I hate it when you boys leave and go home for Christmas." Sirius said affectionately as he ate pie off his fork, "When are you leaving and why can't I come with you?"

James squinted at the only clock in the house, as if that held all the answers, "I think 4 a.m.?"

Remus sneakily tried to reach into Sirius pocket as he said, "3 p.m." but Sirius was too quick and swatted Remus' hand away before crossing his arms dramatically and glaring at James.

"Sirius, don't worry." James commended his best mate, "We'll hang at your office party."

Sirius only seemed pacified for a moment before his head dropped into his arms on the table like a child who had been told he couldn't have the last piece of candy in the candy jar. He shoved another mouthful of pie into his mouth and chewed in a depressing manner. Remus and James exchanged a glance, knowing Sirius' self-deprecating whine all too well.

Remus slid down in his chair as he stated firmly, "Sirius, Please tell me you're not dressing up like Santa this year."

Sirius lifted his head out of his arms to say, "I'm the only man in the office, so of course I will." Sirius sighed as if defeated, "Look, I like it. I get all this dirt on my coworkers. They get drunk and whisper what they want for Christmas and I use that information to undermine them and control them for the rest of the year."

James snorted as he skated towards their fridge in determination to get another beer to go with the remainder of the pie, "Ah, true spirit of Christmas."

"While we're talking about the spirit of Christmas why can't I go to Mum and dad Potter's for Christmas this year?" Sirius asked hastily.

"Because you have to come back the day after Christmas." James said pointedly, "And I am not driving your ass all the way home when we'd just have to turn around and come back."

"Why not fly?" Remus suggested.

"Because Sirius is a pussy and hates flying in planes." James said.

Sirius stood up from the table and grabbed James' light saber, "Potter, you'd better watch it because I will take you down."

James turned dramatically on his heels, using the island in the middle of the kitchen for support as he repeated, "You're a pussy, Sirius Black."

"You wanna go?" Sirius skated towards the island dramatically and James maneuvered away while grabbing the rolling pin left over from pie baking, "I fenced until I was 13 then my mom sobered up and realized it was the twenty-first century. Let's do this."

James only laughed as Sirius chased him around the kitchen. Remus barely filched when a set of spoons fell from the counter after James did a dramatic backslide across the counter to avoid Sirius' skills with the saber.

"Do not fight." Remus demanded, "You're going to break something!"

Sirius and James wrestled, both wobbling as Remus tried to come between them.

"Both of you. Nothing's smart about what you guys are doing. Why don't you both act like grown-ups?"

Suddenly all three boys tumbled to the ground. James felt someone knock the table and all three boys screamed in terror as some pies fell off the table with them. Three pies landed on the floor. Two on Sirius' head and one right by James' left hand. Purple jelly filling splattered about the boys and piecrust covered the floor.

"We're so fucked."

They were in a tangled heap and that's how Lily Evans, their fourth and final roommate found them, when she burst through the door wearing a green sweater and black leggings. She had a look of panic on her pretty face as she quickly shouted directions into the room.

She demanded, "Get in my car and come to the mall because I need to figure out what to buy Petunia for Christma—"

Lily paused, taking in the sight of all three boys struggling to get off the ground thanks to the slippery surface of the floor. Her jaw dropped and her fingers dropped the keys she was holding in her hand. The echo of the keys falling echoed through their loft.

"Great pie Lily." Sirius cracked weakly.

"You'd all better have a fucking good reason for ruining Christmas." Lily's green eyes flashed to James, the one person in the loft who she knew would tell her the truth.

"It was Sirius."

"What!" Sirius backhanded James who yelped as he stood up.

Lily reached inside her purse for her phone, "I need to take a picture."

Sirius put his hand up, "don't take a photo now."

Lily ignored him as she opened the camera app on her phone, "So cute, guys, ruining my Christmas pies, revenge will be set soon."

James managed to rip off one of his jelly-covered socks and chucked it at Lily. Lily jumped out of the way, her sweater slipping off her right shoulder. James became distracted and ended up getting kicked in the face by Sirius' arm as Sirius tried to stand up. James roared in retaliation as Remus pushed himself back to his feet to escape the scuffle on the floor.

"Stop fighting, clean up, and come with me." Lily demanded once more, "This is a Code 12 Roommate discourse and you all fucking owe me now that I have to bake three extra pies."

"Four." James corrected.

"Four pies?!" Lily's eyes lost all playfulness, "Buggering shite boys, I said don't touch them!"

"I can't go shopping with you Lily," Remus interrupted Lily's rant, "I have to pack."

"And we all have to get ready for my office party." Sirius said.

"Do we have to go to this office party tonight?" Lily frowned, putting her phone in her bag, "It's the last night before you guys go home to your families."

"Yes we have to go." Sirius motioned at Lily, "You especially. It'll be a good opportunity for you to do networking. Help with the job search. Everybody's hitting the nog, having a good time, letting loose. You swoop in there and then boom, new job."

Lily snorted and fell onto the edge of the sofa with a roll of her eyes, "Yeah, that's how things work."

James stared at Lily, "Listen you might've quit that chemistry place because your boss was an git but you gotta get a new job or old Minerva's going to kick you off the lease."

"Yeah," Sirius said, "Because you got to pay rent and utilities and find me a better gift alternative to socks."

"You don't like the socks I bought?" Lily asked, hurt.

"Not when you got James a light saber." Sirius rolled his eyes, "It's favoritism."

"Jealous she loves me more?" James winked at Sirius.

James puffed out his chest proudly as Lily rolled her eyes, "You're all making me want to stay broke." Lily mumbled, crossing her arms and staring at their (pathetic) Christmas tree in the corner, " Lily fell back into the cushions and watched as James searched through the candy jar for a peppermint, "What are you all wearing tonight?"

"Shoes?" Remus suggested.

"A shirt." James said with his mouth full with peppermints.

Sirius, who always had to be different pronounced, "I thought we were going naked."

Lily looked down at the floor where Sirius was sprawled out, still surrounded by broken pies.

"Are you going to clean up this mess before your party?"

"Are you going to get a job at my party?"

She rolled her eyes and kicked out at Sirius stretched like a dog on the floor, "Please tell me you aren't being Santa this year."

"He is." James called from the kitchen.

"Ugh," Lily stared at Sirius, "Look, just cause you're the only bloke in the entire Press Office doesn't mean you have to be Santa."

"Oh but I do," Sirius said, getting up so he was skating around their loft again, "You can always make it more fun though Evans and dress up as my little elf."

"I'd pay to see that." Remus said, "The first bloke to hit on her would get slapped."

"I'd pay to see that." James joked.

"James what time do you have to be at the airport?" Lily asked.

"Dunno." James shouted to her.

"I was hoping we'd get to spend time together before you boys left." Lily called through the loft as the boys busied themselves cleaning up pie off the floor.

"Doing what?" Remus asked her.

"Candy Cane Lane."

Lily said the words optimistically and all three of the boy's moans could be heard resonating through their four-bedroom loft. Lily ignored their seemingly rude reactions to her ideas.

"Oh come on, you'll love it. At night, the whole block lights up with Christmas decorations. It's so beautiful."

"Oh, my God, it's so beautiful." Sirius' mocking voice probably made Lily turn a shade of red James didn't want to see.

"What fun, what wonderful fun." James also mocked, earning a high five from Sirius.

"Okay, whatever." Lily huffed, picking at the red nail polish on her fingers as she spoke by her doorway, "We have to go after the office party. You'll see what I'm talking about."

Remus' head shook melodramatically, "Oh, no, we have to go straight from the party to the airport."

Lily quirked her eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Yes, James has missed his flight four years in a row."

"That's not my fault."

"Technically," James interrupted, "Two years ago you gave me that cookie with the walnuts and I had to go to the Hospital."

Lily coughed, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that."

"If I miss getting him there this year, his mum will kill us both." Remus shook his finger at Lily; "We have got to get him to the airport on time."

Lily rolled off the wall to her bedroom, the conversation between the four roommates halted while she changed for the party. Lily had moved into the loft after the boys lost their other roommate to jail for selling drugs a few years back. Of course, the boys hadn't all been open to having a girl move in, especially Lily, since she hadn't gotten along with them all the time at school together. It was James (Lily's ex boyfriend) who was the one who convinced Sirius and Remus to agree to it.

Now, they couldn't imagine living without her. Lily was fully integrated into living with the four boys and they loved her dearly James loved her a little more than an ex should after a mutual breakup but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He got dressed in a black pants and a white shirt quickly. When he was done he entered Lily's room without knocking. She had found a red dress at the back of her closet that had a neckline perfect for her favorite Christmas charm. James stood in her doorway admiring her as she put on makeup until Sirius pushed past James to fall face first onto Lily's queen bed.

"Evans, no amount of makeup will make you as devilishly handsome as me," Sirius snuggled onto Lily's unmade bed as she put mascara on in the mirror.

Lily glared through the mirror to the boy on her bed, "I will kill you."

"Empty threats." Sirius grinned a white smile at her, "I'm the one keeping your name out of the gossip magazines."

As annoying as it was to admit, Sirius was useful to Lily. No sooner had she moved in with the boys, The Outlook wondered if she was dating James Potter (again). James was a pro football player and he was one of Outlook Weekender's most eligible bachelors.

"How is he the most eligible?" Lily would complain over dinner, "he listens to sixties synthetic rock more than anyone could stand and he has a horrible comb over with a crooked left tooth."

James always never failed to remind Lily that she found him attractive at some point in their long and weird history. She'd scoff at him but he knew she still had feelings for him. She'd admitted it one night when they were all drunk.

"Have I mentioned you look awesome tonight Sirius?" Lily said with sugar laced into her voice.

"Of course I do." Sirius exhaled, "I've got to look extraordinary if I want to get those stupid Outlook writers to spill all their secrets to me."

"You play a hard game, Sirius." Lily murmured, putting on her red lipstick, "What are you going to do when those suckers find out you're not interested in having sex with any of them?"

"I have sex with them so that they never find out."

"You've got fucked up logic."

"I had a pretty fucked up childhood."

"Christmas' were rough for you?"

"Still are." Sirius grinned, motioning to his outfit and Lily laughed.

Lily adjusted her dress and then sighed, patting her red hair down before considering Sirius again, "And you're sure we have to go?"

James finally spoke up, "We got to show you off to all the party-goers in hopes that you can get a job."

Lily's head whipped around to her doorway, where James was still leaning casually against the doorframe with a smile. Her red hair was gathered in a festive half ponytail and she looked adorable. Her owns eyes did some traveling of their own, taking in his favorite set of black suit. He hated the way they made eyes for each other and never did anything about it anymore. Lily said she didn't want to ruin their friendship. James didn't want to ruin anything with her.

"You done?" James asked them both, making Lily shift her eyes to his kind face, "I've got plans to be at this party ten minutes early so I can leave two hours early."

"James if I have to be there the whole time then you're doubly obligated to be there longer." Sirius sat up from the chair, "Mainly because you'll have to drive me home as I'll be totally trashed by six."

"No one is getting wasted," Remus appeared dressed in his best slacks, "I have to be at the airport by midnight to make sure James catches his flight."

"All dressed up." James said as they all walked to the main living room, "We look like we're in The Temptations tonight. We look hot."

Sirius tugged a Santa hat onto his head, "Except me."

"No," James agreed, "You just look like a hot mess."

Lily and Remus laughed as Sirius shot daggers in James' direction. James snubbed Sirius and opened the door to their loft.

"I hope you break your neck in your next game and you turn out as homeless as Evans."

"Hey!" Lily said defensively.

"Sorry Evans." Sirius showed Lily his pearly white teeth, "No offense."

"Evans is walking out of this party with a job." James said firmly, confidently.

"What aspirations he has for you." Sirius slug an arm around Lily, "But it's just going to be an office full of important people who will likely be drunk off eggnog by the time we get there."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Sirius." Lily shared a look with Remus who pompously pinched Sirius' bare skin as they all walked down the stairs to the main floor of their complex.

The Christmas party itself was at Sirius' office in downtown London. The room itself had been decorated with fake Christmas trees and garland. Hot cocoa was flowing from consistently refilled goblets. Christmas trees lined the walls. Girls flounced about in short dresses that left little to the imagination. Lily felt underdressed in her comely red dress, Just could tell by the way she tugged at the ends of the lace as the walked into the room together.

"You look great." James told Lily kindly.

Lily stuck to Remus and James' side most of the night. There was no chance to do job shopping, as no one seemed interested to speak with Lily since she wasn't dressed as daringly as the other girls. Lily had half an idea to rip off her dress and stand there naked to try and grasp attention but instead she sipped eggnog beside James irritably as James spoke to his adoring fans.

"You look great James." A woman practically drooled on his shoulder and Lily practically gagged into James' arm.

"Thank you." James muttered charmingly, "Lily picked out my clothes."

"Oh." The girl walked away as quickly as she'd come.

"Hey, what's wrong, Lily?" James asked as he watched her drown herself in eggnog.

"I'm going to be jobless forever." She muttered into her cup.

"Is that all?"

"I don't know what to do because I've had this ten year plan and it's falling apart." She admitted, "And it doesn't feel like Christmas at all."

"Don't be negative." James warned Lily, "That's Remus' thing."

Lily made sure to pout at James more and he laughed, knocking her with a finger under her chin sympathetically, "Evans, everything will work out, you know I just like giving you a hard time. You're amazing and will most definitely not be jobless forever."

Lily smiled at James and warmed up. She leaned on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his cheek before walking towards the table to fill up her cup again. James wished she'd just realize how much he'd always love her. At the table laden with drinks a boy in a red scarf started speaking to her and James watched with jealous eyes as she offered a friendly laugh. Remus sidled up next to James, taking one of the cookies in his hand.

"James?"

"Remus?"

"You're staring at Lily again."

"Fuck me."

"She'd love too."

James glared at Remus before blurting out, "How am I supposed to tell her that I still love her too?" she asked, "I can't do that to her, I'm leaving tomorrow morning for home and that's a hell of a bomb to drop."

"If you have feelings for Lily, you tell her."

"I can't do that on Christmas."

"And then it's gonna be New Year's." Remus rolled his eyes, "Then it's gonna be Valentine's Day. Just tell her."

~~Merry Christmas Darling~~

Lily couldn't believe it. She'd been standing under mistletoe and James had made a joke about kissing her. He'd joked about it as if the thought of snogging him didn't turn her to immediate mush.

The party music had only gotten louder and a few old ladies were doing the conga as Lily raced to the loo. James had approached her and she knew the dumb, stupid, adorable look on his face. She knew the reason his eyes traveled from the tips of her painted toes to the hair atop her head. She knew why his fingers kept reaching up to mess up his hair even more than it already was.

He wanted to confront her about the words she'd spoken while drinking with him and his mates. He wanted to tell her what she already knew, that he was over her, that they were just friends, that she had broken his god-damned heart when they were nineteen and didn't deserve a spot in his life as anything other than a roommate.

Lily shivered and opened the door to the loo only to find her saving grace, "Sirius!"

Sirius looked up from where he sat on the child changing station, a pile of cookies at his side. Sirius grinned at her, his teeth covered in gingerbread.

"What are you doing in here?" Lily laughed, lifting herself so that she sat next to him, the changing station groaning under their weight.

"Hiding from Meredith Blake." Sirius said from atop the sink, "What are you doing in here?"

Lily waved the gingerbread in the air, "Eating cookies and avoiding confrontation."

"My hero." Sirius grinned.

Lily leaned her head on Sirius' shoulder and ate her cookie dejectedly. Somewhere outside the safety of the loo door, James was looking for her to tell her he felt the same way. What would she do when he did say the words she'd been so desperate to hear? What would she say?

"Sorry I broke up with you when we were kids…I was an idiot and didn't know what I had when I had it."

Lily wrinkled her nose. That sounded awful. It made it sound like James was second best and he was more than that, he was her first pick for everything. He was her match in everything. He was another half of her soul.

"Remember when Christmas was fun and all I had to worry about was my drunk mum?" Sirius muttered to Lily as they both wallowed in self-pity.

"Can we just stay in this loo?" Lily complained back, "Where real life can't get us and we can eat as many cookies as we want."

"Whose idea was it to come to this party anyways?"

Lily sent Sirius a scowl, "definitely yours."

"We had fun last year."

"Last year James got trashed and sang Feliz Navidad until we got kicked out."

"Exactly. Fun."

Suddenly a woman entered the loo and Lily and Sirius looked up in surprise. The woman was hiccupping, barely registering Lily and Sirius on the counter. She twittered when she finally connected eyes with Lily. Her eyes glazed over Sirius as well but she apparently didn't recognize him.

"Whew, that eggnog is deadly."

Lily and Sirius shot each other a look as the woman disappeared behind one of the stalls.

"We gotta get out of here." Sirius chuckled, sliding off the counter.

Lily sighed unhappily as Sirius offered Lily his arm, "Yeah, we do."

They found a secluded Christmas tree in the hallway to sit down by.

"What does Meredith want?" Lily whispered to Sirius as they watched everyone in the main office laughing over a gift-wrapping competition.

"She tries to snog me every chance she gets." Sirius hissed, "She took one look at me in this outfit and I'm afraid she won't let me leave once she gets me in her grasp."

"We can both just hide here until it's time to go."

"Who are you avoiding?"

"Who d'you think?"

Sirius saw her guilty look and Sirius flicked her nose, "Evans, no."

Lily sighed and placed her face in her hands, "I know," she bemoaned, "But he's just so—"

"Charming?"

"Hell yes." Lily peered through her fingers at Sirius, "Help me."

"I've tried." Sirius rolled his eyes, "Nothing short of locking the pair of you in the loo together at home."

"I need to fix this." She determined, "But I should just put it off till later, after the holidays."

"Ugh," Sirius bemoaned, "Living with the sexual tension between the two of you is the worst."

Lily curled her knees up to her chest, "Yeah, I know."

Sirius nudged Lily kindly, "Did James even get you a gift?"

Lily shook her head, "No."

"Well, he can't be perfect."

Lily turned her head to glance at James' best friend worriedly, "Breaking up with him all those years ago was the stupidest thing I ever did."

Sirius smiled softly and nodded knowingly, throwing a comforting arm around her shoulder. They finally bucked up the courage to find James and Remus, who had since been missing from their lives. Lily spotted the boys near the drinks table where she'd ran from. James' back was to Lily and Sirius. Remus was talking to James sincerely.

"Yeah, it's hard, you know, it's really tricky." Remus was saying to James, "It's like she didn't love you then James but she did fall in love later, you always were just a step head and now she loves you...shite did I just say that out loud?"

Lily felt her heart drop into her stomach and she froze in her spot behind James. Remus spotted Lily behind James and paled considerably.

"Wait a minute." James faltered, "Because she loves—"

Remus threw his hands up to stop James from continuing to talk, "Yeah, I'm drunk."

"You can't drink on your pills." James didn't believe Remus and neither did Lily.

"I'm so drunk." Remus pleaded James.

"Did Lily tell you that she loves me?"

Lily took a step back when her eyes met Remus'. Remus immediately looked embarrassed.

"Sorry Lily, I thought you'd spoken to him…"

James turned and saw Lily standing there, holding her hands to her chest.

"Oh." He breathed when he saw the blush flutter across her cheeks.

"I regret it." Remus said, flushing.

"Oh, my God." Lily's eyes flashed back to James, "I think I just feel really overwhelmed right now—"

She tried to turn and run but James gripped her hand. Sirius, who thrived on drama, watched with wide grey eyes. Lily tried taking an effective step away from James but he pulled her into a closet just as she grabbed onto Remus—unintentionally dragging them all in the closet together. Lily tried to turn and run from the closet but she watched in mute horror as Sirius took matters into his own hands and locked them all in the closet together.

"Fuck." Remus hissed as James reached up to turn the closet light on.

The light illuminated James' stern face and Lily felt like they were back in school again, playing games.

"I don't want to fight." Lily warned quickly.

James cut her off, taking a solid step forward, "Yeah?" he said, "Well I don't either. Never have."

Remus cursed as he tried to door and it didn't work, "Damn it. Hey, guys, just pretend I'm not here."

Neither Lily nor James paid any attention to Remus.

Lily placed a hand on James' shoulder, "I got so hurt when we split the first time…"

"I felt a lot for you back then." James said, almost distantly, "So it felt like my heart split in two when you ended it."

"I feel like maybe you were feeling a little bit more than me back then." Lily said, "I just, I got really hurt and I'm trying really hard not to get hurt again."

"I'm not ever gonna hurt you."

The phone rang on the floor and Remus looked as if he wanted to die, "Oh," he looked at the caller ID, "I am so sorry. This is as rude as it gets. It is James' mum, though." Remus answered the phone and James and Lily stared at him incredulously, "Hey, Ma Potter. How you doing? I can't talk right now. I'm in a real weird situation. No, he's not high; he's done with that phase. I promise you he won't miss that flight. Okay. Bye."

"You done?" Lily asked Remus.

"Mm-hm." Remus scratched his neck, "Think I could leave before you both finish this argument?"

"I'm not opening this door again until they make up!" Sirius' voice came from the other side of the door.

Lily turned back to James, "Can we just forget this lapse in Sirius' judgment?"

"I don't know if I can do that." James said firmly.

"I need you to do that." Lily beseeched.

"Why?" James' nose touched hers and she was oddly turned on, something that always happened when they fought.

"Because." She managed to say.

His eyes were smothering her, "Because why Lily?"

She swallowed and said angrily, "Because I can't deal with the fact that I could lose you again when you wake up and realize what a horrible person I am!"

James blinked owlishly.

"What?"

"She's scared of losing you again because she's a horrible person." Remus reiterated from their feet.

Lily and James warned simultaneously, "Remus."

"Yeah," Remus raised his eyebrows, "My bad."

"I could never hate you." James told her next, "I didn't even hate you when you broke up with me!"

"You—you didn't?"

"Of course no—fucking Hell—mum!" James' phone rang and he picked it up angrily, "Mum, I told you, I will get to my flight on time."

"No worries." Remus mumbled from the floor, "We're just locked in a closet."

James ignored Remus and assured the high voice on the other end of the line, "I'm at Sirius' Christmas party. Yes, I packed my underwear. No. I'll call you back when I'm there mum, I'm arguing with Lily in the closet!"

James hung up the phone by slamming it back into his pocket and glaring at Lily once more, "Mum says hi."

"Gathered as much." Lily said glumly.

"I wasn't mad." James repeated, "I was brokenhearted."

"I was too." Lily pursed her lips, "I was just too stubborn to admit it."

Remus' phone rang and interrupted the heart-to-heart once more, "Hello mum Potter. Yeah they're arguing about getting back together or not—"

"Remus!" James snapped down at their friend.

Remus sourly glared up at them from the phone, "No mum Potter, they aren't being very nice to each other—or me!"

"You weren't invited."

"I gotta go Mrs. Potter." Remus said into he phone before lashing out at Lily, "You dragged me into this!"

James grabbed Lily hand, "I'm sorry, Lily, I just, I don't wanna pretend anymore." James said, "It's just not natural. So if you can't deal with me anymore then I don't think I can do this living with you situation."

"Come on, James!" Sirius whined from the other side of the door, "It's Christmas. Don't kick Lily out, at least not until New Years."

"Hey!" Lily huffed.

James straightened his glasses, "I'm not kicking Lily out, I'll move out."

"Sirius would never allow that." Lily said before Sirius or Remus could protest.

"Sirius doesn't have a choice." James turned his eyes back to her, "But this whole thing can be fixed if you'd just—"

The phone rang again, this time, from outside the door; they heard Sirius, "Yep. What up, Mrs.

Potter? Yes. We're on our way right now so just go back to sleep, we're getting James to the airport."

The door opened and the three stooges were bathed in different colored Christmas lights from the party outside their closet. Remus looked relieved when the door opened and he crawled out of the small space thankfully. Lily and James remained in their fighting stance until Sirius grabbed James' arm and yanked him from the closet desperately.

"You're mum will kill us all and dig us up to kill us again if we don't leave right now."

"What airline has flights that leave at 4 a.m?" James complained, "I've got to finish talking to Lily."

"We don't need to talk." Lily implored, "We'll only argue."

"I don't want to argue anymore." James told her, "I don't want to make you mad. I want to make you happy."

"Why?" Lily asked, puzzled.

James shrugged, "Maybe because I still like you too? Ever consider that Evans?"

"I'll drive," James volunteered, grabbing the keys from Sirius' pocket, "Come on Lily."

"I don't think—"

"You heard the man." Sirius grabbed her hand; "We're all going to the airport."

"Drive fast." Remus told James as they all piled into Sirius' car, "I don't fancy what'll happen if you miss that plane."

"There's something we gotta do first." James turned left instead of right for the airport, "Sorry Remus."

Sirius shouted in mock horror, "What are you doing, man?!"

"You're going in the wrong direction!" Remus moaned from the backseat beside Lily.

James nagged, "Remus I'm late every year—this isn't exactly the year to break tradition."

"Where are we going?" Lily criticized quickly, not wanting to have to deal with Euphamia Potter if her son didn't arrive in time for Christmas; "It's two in the bloody morning James!"

James ingored them, instead cranking the radio to drown out their complaints. Soon James and Sirius were singing along horrible to Christmas music and Lily and Remus were laughing as they covered their ears. Quickly falling snow and long empty roads erased the arguments at the office party.

Suddenly the city streets became rural and they were passing a lot of small plots of land covered in quaint cottages. Lily's eyes had a hard time staying open as the radio played a slow Christmas song and James' deep voice sang along softly to the words. A little while later Lily was shook by Remus' hand and her eyes opened sleepily. The radio was still playing a slow Christmas song. White snow fell around the car as they drove up a dark lane. The snow looked like white sugar on a gingerbread house. Lily recognized the lane for it's familiar sweeping oaks and knew where James had brought them to make up for fighting.

"I think we're too late, James." Lily said faintly, "Let's get you to the airport."

"It's not too late," James argued snippily as they drove down a darkened lane.

Not one of the cottages was lit for the Christmas season. Lily thought she saw candles in the windows of one cottage but that was hardly anything to be excited about. Their fighting ruined everything. James parked on the side of the road and the four adults sat there in silence together.

"This was supposed to be your gift, Lily." James whispered softly, "I screwed it up. I'm sorry. Candy Cane Lane is shut down."

Sirius yawned from the passenger seat, "Told you that you should've just snogged her instead."

Lily tore her gaze away from Remus' pointed gaze and got out of the car, wrapping her jacket around her shoulders. The snow fell into her hair as her heels dug into the ankle deep snow. The car light lit up the street's dead Christmas lights.

"I have the worst timing." James appeared behind her. Lily turned and her feet drug through the snow. James stood in front of her, his hand brushing her red hair behind her ear and staring adoringly at her, "I'm always in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Lily turned her eyes back down the dead end street. Her parents used to take her to Candy Cane Lane when she was a kid. She can remember the way the lights sparkled like a million different colored jewels. She appreciated James trying to surprise her but a part of her was bitter she'd let her emotions get the best of her at the party.

He really was the best thing that had ever been hers.

Only he wasn't hers anymore.

Not really.

"I'm so sorry the lights are off." James apologized, one his hands sweeping through her red hair, "I really wanted to make your Christmas."

"Let's go." Lily muttered gloomily, "We should go."

"No, Lily, no." James begged, taking her hand in his, "I'm not leaving yet, not like this."

Lily froze like she was made out of the snow falling around them, "Like what?"

James lamented, "I know we fucked up as kids but we're older and more mature…"

A curve of a smile tipped Lily's frown, "You knocked over my pies this morning playing Star Wars."

"A little more mature," James seemed more encouraged by her playful tone and nudged her chin up with a finger, "It's our Christmas." James whispered, "We came here to see the lights."

Lily asked sadly, "Well, what are we gonna do?" she motioned around them, "Everyone's sleeping."

Sirius threw open the door to the car, "Someone call for an alarm clock?"

Remus yawned as he stepped out of the car, white snowflakes falling into his sandy hair as he looked around the dark street. Sirius began running up the street without another word.

"What are you doing?" Lily called after Sirius with half a laugh.

Sirius waved for them to follow him up the lane, "Come on, it's time we get this party started!"

"You're always full of great ideas!" James said to Sirius before smiling at Lily, "Feel like a bit of mischief Evans?"

Remus looked annoyed, "James, we don't have time for this. Your mum. My funeral."

James ignored Remus and yanked Lily forward so that they were both running after Sirius. The snow kicked at their heels and Lily felt a bubble of a laugh escape her lips as her hair came lose from her half up-do. The snow was freezing but at the same time it woke Lily up as much as James' hand clasped in her own.

Sirius began shouting aloud through the snow-covered lane; "We got a girl out here who'd really like to see the lights! Sorry to wake you up but you need to make it the Candy Cane Lane or whatever! You spend all this time to show off and do it, so show off, you got an audience!"

James joined in on the shouting and was dancing Lily dramatically around the middle of the street, "Turn on the lights! Just go in the shed or whatever and turn your damn lights on, you show-offs! Turn on your lights!"

Sirius shouted in unison with James as Lily laughed happily in James' arms, "Turn on the lights! Flip the switch!"

Lily leaned back her head against the sky and screamed, "Turn on the lights, everybody!"

James gripped her harder as they both screamed together into the snowfall, "Turn on the lights!"

They ran down the lane shouting and Lily felt alive as she ran around like a madwomen with her best friends.

"That snowman is dead! Turn on the lights, everybody! You got too much time on your hands. Oh, my God!"

Suddenly before Lily's eyes the lights turned on, one by one. A man waved from the doorway and Lily and James screamed excitedly, pointing at the old man as he reentered his house. A woman in red robes came out of her cottage and shouted at them to shut up once the lights were on. James and Lily exchanged beaming grins, James' eyes sparkling at Lily brighter than any lights Lily had ever seen.

They all stood in the middle of the road, Remus included, staring at the twinkling lights in the snow. A giant inflatable frost waved in the breeze. James' embrace around Lily's shoulder was familiar and warm.

"Merry Christmas, boys." Lily hugged the three boys, cuddling in their warmth before yelling, "Merry Christmas, everyone! Merry Hanukkah! Merry Christmas!"

The woman in the red bathrobe reappeared on her doorstep, "Merry Christmas! Now stop yelling before I call the cops!"

Lily and the boys laughed loudly, breaking apart to dance under the lights. Remus and Sirius began a snowball fight, both of them rolling in the cold snow like dogs. Lily twirled until she was dizzy and James caught her in his arms again. She stared up through her lashes at him. His gasses were fogged from the snow so she reached up to take them off. Behind the fogged lenses his hazel eyes glowed only for her.

"This is the best Christmas present ever." Lily whispered.

"Candy Cane Lane is the crème de la crème of decorated streets." James agreed.

"And you're the crème de la crème of ex boyfriends." She whispered adoringly, "I'm sorry. I still like you. I still want you. I should've never broke up with you."

"Where's the damned mistletoe when a bloke needs it?"

James swooped down and kissed her firmly. His cold lips were pressing into her skin like ice but his kiss only made her feel warmer. She leaned on her tiptoes to kiss him back happily, her fingers reaching for the hair at the nape of his neck. When she pulled away to look at him, their hot breath steamed in the air in front of their faces. With the snow falling, everything felt so incredibly magical and Lily leaned into to kiss him again, never wanting to let go of James ever again.

Against her hip Lily felt a vibration that they both tried to ignore, until it happened again and then James moaned into her mouth. Lily cackled and pulled away as he reached in-between them to dig out his phone from his pocket. They both knew who was calling him.

"Hey, Ma! How are you? Yeah." He let his fingers trace Lily's cheek lovingly as he spoke to his mum, "I'm gonna miss my flight. Ma, stop yelling at me, please stop yelling. Stop yelling. I'm bringing Lily tomorrow. Yeah, we'll drive. Okay, love you too bye."

He hung up the phone before he pulled Lily back in for more kisses under the falling snow and Christmas lights.

Loved it? Hated it? In between?

xxx

Petals

P freaking S.

I love all of you so much and miss you more than you could know. Everyone keep your fingers crossed that I make it out of the housing market/new job/desert alive tomorrow and with good news!