“My eyes! My virgin eyes!” Sirius shouted from the door dramatically.
“Your eyes are definitely not virgin.” Peter snorted.
Kate quickly shoved James off and looked up in a hurry and scrambled off to the door, embarrassed.
“We were wondering when we we’re going to finally find you in here.” Remus said as they walked in.
“I’m going to leave now, bye guys have a good break. Bye James.”
Kate kissed him once more and bent down to the present she hadn’t even realised that she had dropped in the heat of the moment.
“So I’ll see you tomorrow before we leave?” James said hopefully.
“Yes. But don’t open your gifts till Christmas ok.”
“Ok fine.” James said reluctantly.
Kate hasn’t felt that turned on him a long while, not since summer.
Why were they doing that? It was fake. Just teen hormones from kissing often, standing close and acting like a real couple. Well that’s what Kate had convinced herself anyway.
James had seemed unbothered by his friends interrupting them.
“Did you guys really have to come in right then?” James groaned.
“I think you might need to have another shower mate.” Sirius said chuckling.
“Shut up.” He said as he grabbed his clothes and slammed the door to the bathroom.
“Oooo Kate.”
“Touch me Kate.”
“Kateeee.”
“You we’re gone a while.” Alice said with a smirk as Kate walked through the door.
“We we’re just talking.” Kate shrugged and flopped down on her bed.
She could still feel James’s lips on hers, the feeling of the pressure not leaving.
“Just talking with your pyjama set all ruffled and your lips all swollen, hair all messed up.” Dorcas said swiped her finger along Kate’s lips. “So if I went and asked Sirius, Remus and Peter if they saw you two snogging they’d say no?”
“Oh fuck off.” Kate rolled her eyes. “You have a train to get tomorrow, go to sleep.”
“Goodnight.” Marlene said teasingly.
Kate responded by shoving her middle finger up in the air.
–
day one
Kate knew she was going to miss her friends and their sleep talking, showering when she needed to, always wanting her to cook and bake as she waved them goodbye from the station. She had two weeks of sweet serenity, a dorm to herself and cooking and baking all she wanted.
The castle was eerily quiet, only 6 Hufflepuffs, 8 Ravenclaws and 4 Gryffindors had stayed at the castle in the holidays. Kate being one of them.
There was a week until the day of Christmas finally would come, James’s present sitting on her bed table was ever so tempting. Just wanting to rip off the paper and see what was inside of the box.
day two
Kate quite enjoyed her own company, her thoughts keeping her occupied. On todays schedule was reading through the cookbook and deciding something to cook or bake. Treacle tarts, Pumpkin pasties, Cauldron cakes, Strudel, and other cooking recipes.
Kate decided to attempt a batch of pumpkin pasties.
She made the pastry from scratch, and deciding to make some savoury and sweet ones. Adding cinnamon and honey to the sweeter ones, and garlic and paprika to the savoury ones. Wrapping the filling inside of the pastry and folded it into the iconic pastie shape and placed them into the oven.
In Kates opinion, they weren’t the best pumpkin pasties she’d ever had and needed some adjusting.
day four
The cauldron baking dish had come into excellent use. Kate had made an exemplary lava chocolate cake that even surprised her. The middle just the right amount of runny and the cake not dry.
Pride and prejudice was one of Kate’s favourite books, Mr Darcy being one of the most romantic men in literature. Kate loaned it out of the library and spent the next couple days consuming the romantic words of Jane Austen.
day six
Christmas eve. The great hall was decorated to the absolute max. A giant tree resides in the middle of the hall, the tables moved to circle around it. Christmas lights draped around it delicately and a collection of mid matched ball balls thrown on haphazardly. Gold, silver, red, green, yellow and blue tinsel framed the ceiling, weaving in and out and around pillars.
Kate had now perfected the pumpkin pasties, each having the perfect balance of flavour, not to strong but not to plain. She had decided that she would give some to the professors knowing that she wasn’t going to eat all of them by herself.
All of the younger year Gryffindors had already fallen asleep in excitement for the day to come so the night was spent in the burgundy common room sat by the fire and writing back to Alice, Lily, Dorcas and James?
When had he sent her a letter.
Kate
I hope you’re having a good time at school and enjoy my present. What have you been doing? Have you been baking and cooking?
I know we said we weren’t going to get our parents involved but Sirius couldn’t keep his big mouth shut and told my parents I have a girlfriend and now they’re begging to meet you.
If you have any pictures of yourself that you wouldn’t mind putting in the letter (I’ll give it back) so I could show them what you look like as description doesn’t give you justice.
Merry Christmas love
James x
She was going to strangle Sirius Black when this thing was over. Kate thought as she stomped up to her dorm to find a picture of her to include in the letter. Finding one she moved back to the common room to write him back, she reread the letter.
“Doesn’t give you justice.”
What did that mean? God he was sweet even when he didn’t need to be. Her face dropped in realisation catching herself smiling widely at the letter and quickly stopped herself.
James
I also hope you and your family are having a good break, I am receiving this on Christmas eve so I haven’t opened it yet but I’m sure i will like it.
I have perfected the art of lava cake and savoury and sweet pumpkin pasties and plan to give some to the Professors tomorrow.
I have included a picture of myself for your parents to look at. Marlene took it with her polaroid camera when I wasn’t looking a couple weeks ago.
I really hope you enjoy your gifts too.
Tell your parents and Sirius to have a great Christmas as-well.
Kate <3
Christmas day
Kate was extremely excited for today, especially to open James’s gift and give out pasties. However Kate had woken up later than intended therefore quickly got dressed and made her way to the precious kitchens to collect the pre made delicacies and wrapped them up in paper ready to give them out.
Professor Sprout took a savoury.
Professor Flitwick and Slughorn took sweet ones.
Professor Sinastra a savoury and Professor Babbling a sweet. Eventually, she had gone round to all of the Professors apart from Mcgonagall and Dumbledore. Finally finding Professor Dumbledore roaming the halls.
“Professor!” Kate shouted from the other end of the corridor and started to pick up the pace to meet him.
“Merry Christmas, Miss Taylor.”
“Merry Christmas sir, would you like a sweet or savoury pumpkin pastie? I made them.”
“A sweet one of you wouldn’t mind, I have a sweet tooth.” He said in his whispy voice that oozed wisdom. Kate handed him one.
“Would you happen to know where Professor Mcgonagall is?” Kate asked hopefully after not being able to locate her for a good while.
“No unfortunately not, but we could wander.” Kate took the hint and started to wander the corridors with him.
“How are you finding your Christmas Miss Taylor?” He asked with that twinkle in his eye.
“Great! I got so many good presents from my friends but I haven’t had time to open the rest of mine yet.” She said excitedly. “You?”
“Well I got a particularly peculiar pair of socks that scream when they get to dirty and a what I suspect is to be a delicious pastie.” He gave a smile and ran a hand through his long, silver beard. “Why don’t you give me one of those savoury pasties and I will find Minerva and give it to her on your behalf.” He looked like he knew something she didn’t.
“Really? Tell her I said Merry Christmas!” Kate said with a smile to the elderly man.
“Enjoy the rest of your Christmas Miss Taylor.”
“You too!” She shouted already walking away from him.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, his gift was taunting her. She was excited to revive a gift but nervous to see if hers lived up to his.
After a couple minutes of contemplating she had finally taken the box into her lap and stared at it once more.
“Oh fuck it.” Kate whispered to herself and quickly removed the wrapping and opened the box but squeezed her eyes shut.
Speechless. Speechless was the only way Kate could describe herself right now. This was absolutely stunning and god her gifts were so much less expensive. She knew James was ridiculously rich but not like this.
It was a dazzling necklace and earring set – which she suspected that was real diamond. The necklace pendant in the shape of a lavender plant, the small diamonds encrusted acting as the petals. The earrings were simple circle studs but still terrifically elegant. They reflected light every which way as Kate stared at them in awe, mouth slightly open. She had no idea how she could even thank him for such a grandiose gift, for a fake girlfriend at that.
–
Celebrations at the Potter household were in full swing. Carols were on the record player, the smell of turkey was wafting through the house as they all sat around the tree that was crowded with presents.
Him and Sirius had received what they would usually get for Christmas, body wash, after shave, razors, shampoo. James had gotten a new broom and some top end wax. While Sirius also got a new broom and beaters bat.
Then came Kate’s gifts, the last two being left under the tree. He could feel his families eyes stayed on him as he reached forward to pull them away. He observed them carefully looking at Kate’s well, interesting wrapping. One was a weird lumpy shape and was squishy, the other round and hard.
Opening up the squishy one first, he was met with a pair of bright yellow duck slippers. A huge smile was on his face as he quickly slipped them onto his feet.
“Duck slippers?” Sirius looked confused.
“She has a pair.” James explained. “Now we match.”
“How sweet.” His mum commented.
“Cmon now open the other one!” Sirius said impatiently.
It was one of the best gifts he had received. It was a brand new quaffle, top of the range, engraved in cursive. “James potter, quidditch captain.”
The dips of the carving being filled with gold ink making it stand out and shimmer slightly in the light. It was one of the most thoughtful gifts he had been given.
“What does it say?” His dad asked slightly worried because of the look on his sons face.
“James Potter, quidditch captain.”
He stated at the ball with a smile on his face, knowing he was going to put it on display in his room.
The sounds of praise and begging to meet Kate coming from his parents was drowned out by thoughts on wondering how he was to thank her.
Comment