The Marauders: Year Four

Another Christmas

Another Christmas

Evans,
Happy Christmas!
Mum gave me your card before but I couldn't get an owl out to you 'til now. Just been released from St. Mungo's at last and get to be home for Christmas, which is brilliant because there's a Doctor Who special on the muggle telly and because I've been ill mum's not even going to make me turn it off this year! I reckon you know all about Doctor Who as you're a muggle and all the muggles like The Doctor. My favorite is K-9 and even though they're evil I like the Daleks as well. They're quite funny sounding. Remind me to do my best impression of one for you sometime. I think you'll find it really funny. If you like Doctor Who that is, otherwise disregard all this rambling I've done. Only notice it if it makes you think I'm cool for knowing about it (most wizards don't, you know, Sirius thought I was mad when I did my Dalek impression for him).
Anyway, I wanted to write you and tell you I think going to a cinema with you would be brilliant. As friends. (Please note, I've underlined that equally hard just to show you that message was received loud and clear.) I haven't seen a cinema before, though, so you'll have to tell me how it works once we get there. I think the one about King Arthur sounded pretty funny and we can go to it during holiday before we go back to Hogwarts! I'll find a way to talk my mum and dad into letting me go. Thank you for inviting me, I'm really looking forward to seeing you. As friends. (Please note, I've underlined it a second time but I'm allowed to think my friend is pretty, aren't I? I mean that's not a sin is it? Because you are quite pretty and I really can't help but think that. Maybe if you don't want people thinking you're pretty you should put an ugly charm on yourself. But please don't really do that, Evans. There's enough ugliness in this world without taking away one of the few beautiful things we've got left.)
Tell me what day to meet you by return owl and I'll make it work.
Can't wait to see -- well, you and the film both, really.
Happy Christmas again.
Potter

James read over the letter again and nodded before rolling it up and tying it with bit of Christmas ribbon and attaching it to Bubo's leg. "Here you are," he said to the owl, giving her an owl treat, "Now off you go." He opened up the window and watched the owl soar off over the snow.

It was Christmas morning and he could smell Dora's cooking all the way up in his room, could hear Charlus singing loudly - though he couldn't quite make out the words and tune, he knew it was some Christmas carol. James scratched at his shoulder at the edge of the bandage that covered his chest. It was itchy as could be now that it was healing and he would have loved to rip the bandage right off and scratch away like a madman. He wondered how Remus dealt with new scars every month - how horrible it must always itch to be Remus! He shuddered at the thought of how awful that scar on his nose must've been.

James took up the yellow envelope from his desk, where he'd sat to write Lily's letter, and tucked it into the pocket of his pyjamas. That poor yellow envelope and notecard were looking quite worn by now, the creases where his hands had clasped it the whole time he'd been in the hospital was quite obvious, and it was getting dirty 'round the edges (how was a mystery, seeing as St. Mungo's was completely pristine). But James refused to put it down for even a moment, still feeling a bit of shock that the card existed at all.

The Potters' living room was splendid with Christmas. Charlus had been interrupted in putting up the things in preparation for James's expected arrival via King's Cross when they'd gotten Dumbledore's patronus, telling them what had happened. Then Charlus had put off finishing up on account of all the time they'd spent at St. Mungo's, and they'd honestly expected to spend the day itself there, without any Christmas decorations at all, but at the very last moment - that very morning, in fact - the healers had said that if James was very, very careful he could go home for the holiday.