Life After Graduation

“Thank God,” Lily said as she pushed open the door to their flat. Today had been the last day of training, so her James and six other people were officially Aurors for the ministry. With a sigh she collapsed onto the couch watching James disappear into the bathroom. Training had taken six months, and now their skills were honed. Lily could sense someone behind her, she could hear the quietest things, and her reactions were lightening fast.

The sun was beginning to get low in the sky, and the wind whipped around their flat giving off an eerie sound. It was December 20th, and they still had yet to get a tree or decorate, Lily still had not even gotten James’ gift yet.

“When are we going to get a tree?” Lily asked leaning her head back on the edge of the couch to look at James who was still busy trying to buckle his belt.

“Um,” he said looking back up at her finally getting it, and adjusting his glasses on his face. Squinting he could see snow falling outside, but it was either now or never because they both had work and Order duty until Christmas. “Now?”

Stretching Lily pushed herself up off of the couch, it was freezing outside, but James was right. They still needed to buy decorations while they were out and decorate the tree, she loved Christmas but right now she as dreading it, there was so much to do.

They both slipped into their bedroom to get some warmer clothes. Lily pulled on a pair of thick pants and socks, as well as her boots. She changed her shirt to a long sleeved one with a sweater as well, grabbed her gloves, scarf, and ear muffs before turning around to James.

“We aren’t going to the tundra,” James said with a smirk as he pulled on his own gloves.

“I get cold easily, you know that,” Lily remarked pulling on her cloak and adjusting the scarf around her neck. She probably looked ridiculous but she would be the one laughing next when James was freezing his arse off as they picked a tree.

They went to a local place, there were not many trees left to pick from, but they found the perfect one, well as perfect as it was going to get since James was starting to get aggravated from it being so cold. “I’ll meet you at home,” Lily offered. With that she apparated to a store in their neighborhood and bought the last of the Christmas decorations and returned home to see James sitting on the couch covered in needles and sap.

“Tree’s up,” he mumbled as he flipped through the Daily prophet.

Opting not to push him any further, Lily decided to decorate the tree herself. Once she was done it had red and green enchanted lights, white Christmas balls, and a brilliant white star on the top. “How about you go shower,” Lily suggested taking a seat next to him on the couch picking up a piece of the paper he discarded onto the coffee table.

James decided to take her up on her suggestion his grumpy mood starting to subside, though he was still aggravated he was sticky with sap. Once Lily heard the shower run she rose from the couch and went to the kitchen to open the back door. There, like every night for the past month, was a small kitten waiting for his nightly dinner. She still had not told James about it yet since she was unsure if he wanted animals, going over to the fridge Lily put some milk in a bowl, and some chicken left over from dinner the night before on the floor for it before crouching down next to it to pet it.

Once he finished with his shower James stepped out of the bathroom noticing Lily was not in the living room, or in their bedroom. Quietly he slipped into the kitchen and saw just what she was up to. He had a feeling that she had something to do with the black kitten that had been hanging around the area. “What’s his name?” James asked and smirked when he saw her jump.

“I didn’t even hear you come in,” Lily said rising from the floor. She had been caught red handed. “I’m not sure,” she replied glancing down at the kitten again.

“You mean after a month of feeding it you still haven’t named it?” James asked her smiling.

“How did you know?” Lily asked him quietly as the kitten pawed at her shoe lace.

“It has been around for about a month now, and it is always hanging by our back door, how could I not know? I am surprised you haven’t asked me yet,” he remarked pulling out the dining room chair to take a seat.

Lily smiled at him as she picked up the small cat, at most it was three months old and brought it over to the kitchen table. “Can we?” She asked him holding the cat out to him at it batted at his glasses.

“Yes,” James said laughing taking the small cat from her to look at it. “Have you thought of any names for him or her?” he said lifting the cat to see if it was boy or a girl. “Him,” he finished lowering the cat again to look at Lily.

“A few,” she remarked. “But the one I think that fits him the most is Figaro; I got it from an old animated muggle movie, the cat in that had the same name.”

“Figaro, that works,” James said lowering the squirming cat onto the floor, which promptly scampered about the kitchen exploring. He checked his watch, it was eight in the evening and he was hungry, plus they needed to go out and get supplies for the kitten. “Let’s go get dinner, and this little guy some real food.”

They left and went to the pet store first since it would close sooner than a restaurant and they almost came home with another kitten that had caught Lily’s eyes. Then they went to dinner before returning home to find the kitten had found the toilet paper and had dragged it around the whole house.

“Lets clean up then go to bed,” James said as he grabbed the mewing tike off the floor and unraveling it from the tangled mess he had made.

Lily agreed and showed the kitten where his new food bowls were, as well as his litter box, which she placed in the bathroom. Finally around eleven Lily and James were able to lay down in bed in peace since the kitten had chosen James sock draw as his bed for the night.