Marlene was grinning wickedly as me and James opened our presents that she'd given us. She'd insisted we open them at the same time although she'd refused to tell us why, claiming it would all become clear once we saw what it was.

Inside the wrapping paper was an awful pair of Christmas socks with reindeers and Christmas trees all over them. I looked over to see James holding up an identical pair. I faked a grin but it was highly unconvincing. Marlene let out a loud laugh as she looked at our faces.

"You two, you look so horrified!" She laughed, "Me and Sirius saw them in Hogsmeade and couldn't resist. See, they have reindeers on them because you know you guys are the Deer couple."

"What?" I asked, a little confused. Did she know about James?

"I know about James being an animagi form and patronus being a stag," Well, that answered my question, "Sirius told me but also your patronus, Lily. It's a Doe."

"Your patronus is a Doe?" James asked looked at me in amazement, "How did I not know this?!"

It's not that I hadn't wanted to tell him but when I'd first discovered it was a doe in fourth year, I hadn't exactly been thrilled that it was the counterpart of James's. Over the years, I'd just forgotten, I hadn't had to cast it luckily. I hadn't forgotten that our patronuses matched though, in fact my present to him was sort of based on it.

"I'd just forgotten to tell you... thanks for the gifts though, Marlene." I said through a grimace. She laughed again.

"Don't look so horrified, the real gifts are coming later, this is just a warm up." She said, "Anyway, I have to go and find Sirius, he said he wanted to meet by the lake, enjoy your socks and mistletoe!"

With that, she darted out of the painting before I could say anything back.

"Well, I personally love the socks. I think they'll really bring out the red in your hair." He said, holding them up against my ponytail, "They bring out your eyes too, they're perfect."

"Maybe they'll grow on me..." I sighed examining them. I hated them just as much as before, if anything they were getting worse as I noticed even more annoying little patterns. It looked the dancing elves were wearing Christmas socks too which I found oddly unnerving.

"Marlene did say enjoy the socks and the mistletoe, we've admired the socks..." James hinted. 

"I'd say we should start on the second one then..." I said pulling him closer to me with his tie, a move which I had perfected since we'd come back to Hogwarts.

By the time Marlene and Sirius returned, me and James had finished with out mistletoe appreciation and I had forced him into doing Transfiguration revision so that he didn't actually fail his NEWTs.

"Damn, Lily you're having a good influence on him." Sirius said astonished, "He might actually do better this year... not that he ever does bad, he's a smart boy. He just plays it down so that people think he's a bad boy."

"Shut up, Padfoot." James said as Sirius ruffled his hair, in a slightly patronising yet affectionate way.

"Hate to interrupt your revision though, but Alice has insisted that we have a gift giving thing in the Great Hall. She would do it here but I don't think we can sneak Dorcas into the dorms." Marlene said.

"Well, she COULD if you let me and the Marauders help but she's a good Ravenclaw so it's more a case of won't than can't." Sirius corrected and Marlene rolled her eyes. She looked a little tense and I made a mental note to ask her about it later.

"Okay, we can finish the revision later." I said closing the books. James, surprisingly, looked almost a little disappointed which was a good sign.

When we came to the Great Hall, Alice looked bursting with joy whilst everyone else looked a little bored. Alice loved Christmas more than anything else in the world. It was sweet although sometimes it got a little too much sometimes like the time she made us all wear matching scarfs with moving Santas.

"Okay, has everybody got everybody gifts?" Alice said clapping her hands.

"Lily, I haven't got everybody gifts. I mean I got a few people gifts but I don't have one for Dorcas or Mary, I don't know them that well." James hissed at me but luckily I was prepared.

"Luckily I've dealt with Alice's gift giving meals for years, I just bought some nice things and I'll just address them from us both sneakily." I whispered back. Alice shot us a look for talking and we both shut up, looking down sheepishly, "If nobody else wants to start I'll - "

"I'd like to go first if that's okay, I have a great gift for Peter." Sirius interjected. Alice looked a little disappointed but agreed a little half heartedly.

"Oh no..." James muttered smirking slightly. Marlene sniggered slightly as Sirius prepared to speak and I could sense that this 'gift' was maybe going to be at Peter's expense.

He turned to Peter and placed his hand on his heart sincerely although he had a wicked gleam in his eyes, "Peter Pettigrew, although I don't have my gift here, my gift will be the best gift you ever receive. I, Sirius Black, promise to get a girl to shag you by the end of year. Some of you may be thinking, it's impossible, it will never happen. Turn back now, Sirius, you'll say but I believe that some girl, somewhere has such low standards and poor taste in guys that - "

"No, Sirius!" Alice snapped suddenly, "That is NOT the point of gift giving! Insults disguised as gifts is not a gift!"

"But Alice, look how happy he is - " Sirius began, gesturing over to Peter who looked like he wanted to turn into a rat and hide forever, "He's finally going to get a shag! He'll be so grateful that he'll probably do all my homework forever!"

"I won't!" Peter squeaked although I don't think anyone else heard.

"Outside!" Alice said her glare intensifying, standing up and pointing at the door, "You can come back in five minutes time when you've learnt to behave."

"I think it's a great gift, Sirius..." Marlene said, squeezing his hand before he huffed away. Alice always got very touchy when people ruined her Christmas and we looked around awkwardly.

"Marlene likes it..." Sirius said hopefully.

"She's biased, she's sleeping with you." Mary laughed. Sirius paused for a second, considering whether to carry on fighting before ultimately deciding to leave it and walk away.

"Okay, let's continue... I SAID OUTSIDE, BLACK!" Alice yelled causing everyone to look around.  Sirius quickly scurried outside and Marlene looked over at the door, desperate to join him. She saw us all starting at her in shock and laughed awkwardly, "I'm sorry, I just can't tolerate meanness especially on such a pure holiday as Christmas. I love Christmas and I get a little bit stressed out that's all."

"It's not pure anymore, it's been so taken over by businesses that now it's basically a holiday for consumers to - " Mary began.

"Careful, MacDonald, there's room for two outside." Alice said threateningly and Mary shrunk back into Remus's arms. Frank whispered something in Alice's ear and she spoke a lot more calmly "Okay, lets start again and I'll go first this time, that's non-negotiable. Mary, I'll start with you. You are one of my best friends - "

"Damn we have to say a speech?" James whispered and I nodded subtly to avoid invoking Alice's wrath.

" - you are one of the smartest and most talented witches I have ever met and we're all a lot better off because off you're blunt honesty. You have saved me from many fashion nightmares and I love you so much. That's why I have decided to get you you're favourite MUGGLE sweets, butterscotch and a new notebook for you to put all your brilliant ideas in - it even says 'ideas that will change the world' on the front because you truly can change the world."

"Oh my goodness, Al, that was so beautiful, I love you so much." Mary said, looking close to tears. She leaned over and hugged Alice whilst Frank and Remus sat awkwardly in the middle, "I'm not crying, I'm fine." She said wiping away her tears whilst Remus whispered something to her. Remus genuinely seemed to like her and I was glad, he deserve someone good after his unrequited crushes on Sirius and Alice.

"Okay, just give me a moment to recover," Alice said, laughing slightly through her happy tears, "I think... James should go. Maybe your present for Remus."

"Oh... right, yeah..." James looked a little awkward.

"Go on, make a  heartfelt speech." I whispered and James shot me a glare. At that moment, Sirius decided to make his entrance and snuck in, sitting next to Marlene.

"What did I miss?" He asked.

"James was about to give his gift to Remus. He's going to do a speech too." Marlene replied.

"Great." James whispered to himself, "Okay, so um... I've got a gift for Remus and it's a bit dumb because I didn't realise that we'd be giving it in a gift circle so it's sort of an in joke. Anyway, Remus you are one of my best friends and you're um... a really great guy..."

"Prongs, you should write poetry, this is beautiful." Sirius interjected and James gave him a wan smile

"...Anyway, you're a great guy... damn, I already said that and you're like a brother to me. You keep me and Sirius in check and without you, I'd probably have been beaten to death by the whomping willow or something... you deserve all the happiness in the world, you're a great guy - "

"You said that." Sirius said.

"Yes, Padfoot, I know, I'm repeating it!" James said looking a little flustered, "Anyway, to Remus... wait was this meant to be a toast?"

"Let's make it a toast!" I cut in, raising my half empty glass, "To Remus for being a great guy and also to Alice for arranging this gift giving... to all of us!"

"To all of us!" Everyone repeated raising their glasses.

"Yeah, so anyway... here's your gift." James said sitting down quickly, pushing Remus's present across the table. It was only small and clumsily wrapped in red shiny paper but Remus was beaming. He opened it and inside was a little model wolf, sitting on a chair reading a little book. It had been bewitched to look up occasionally and sip a tiny coffee glass.

"Thanks, Prongs, it's awesome." Remus said examining it, smiling.

"What does it mean?" Mary asked as Remus handed it to her to have a closer look.

"It's an... in joke." James said quickly and the four marauders laughed awkwardly at first but slowly it developed into the sort of laughter that makes you clutch at your sides and they didn't stop for a solid five minutes. It was sweet at first but it's get to the point where you're done being excluded from the joke and want them to stop.

"Okay, who wants to go next?" Alice asked, "Lily, how about you to James?"

"Oh... okay." I said, scrambling in my bag for the present which took ages and I think people were starting to think I hadn't actually bought a present at all and was stalling. Finally, I managed to grab my fingers around the small present in my bag. I  had only got a small gift as my many visits to Hogsmeade had run down my allowance but I'd enchanted them to make them more special and I was sure I could find other ways to make it up to him if I felt the gift wasn't enough.

"Does he open it first or do I speak first?" I asked Alice to avoid being sent out.

"Whichever way round fits." She replied.

"Oh okay... I'm feeling the pressure." I said laughing nervously. I looked up to face him and he looked on the verge of laughter.

"I want to be blown away by this speech, Lily, the pressure is real." He said grinning.

"I'm expecting to cry at this speech." Sirius added unhelpfully.

"Don't get your hopes up, I don't know what to say now!" I moaned, feeling my cheeks go red. Damn Alice and her public gift exchange.

"Just say whatever you want." Alice said as she lent against Frank.

"Okay... so I almost went home for the holidays but Tuney was there and to be honest, I wanted to spend it with you. I mean it is our first Christmas as a couple and I... I don't know what to say, everyone's staring at me!"

"Keep going, you're doing great!" Alice said.

"Okay... it's just weird for me I guess because last Christmas you were the last person I'd want to spend Christmas with - "

"Charming." James smirked.

" - but now I can't imagine it without you. You may still be an arrogant toe-rag but you're now my arrogant toe-rag and I love you for it because it makes you... well, you. I... I don't really know what I'm saying here, I'm not very good at big gestures and speeches like you... so anyway that's my speech. Happy?..." I trailed off blushing furiously at my train wreck of a speech, it was nothing compared to my swimming pool speech. James made it look easy but coming up with impromptu sweet things to say was really damn hard, "So here's your present."

I put the small parcel into his hand and watched his face carefully as he opened it, carefully untying the little bag that the bon bons were in. His face broke into a smile.

"Exploding bon bons..." He said fondly, pulling one out, "Wait, are they in the shape of little deer? Wait, this one had antlers... this one doesn't... they're little deer shaped bon bons!"

"I enchanted each one of them... I wanted to make them special and as a deer is sort of our animal... I thought why not." I said blushing slightly as he examined each one with a sort of wonder.

"We can have our rematch!" He said excitedly, "I love you, Lily."

"I love you too." I said, "Merry Christmas, James."