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Dirigible Plums


It was the day of the Yule Ball and all the upper year students were running about in a frenzy. The girls were shrieking and running from dorm to dorm upstairs, magicking their hair into tall updos and fancy braids with bits of tinsel wound throughout. Lily and Annalee had snuck Marlene and Pandora into their rooms so they could help Pandora and Ali prepare for the ball. Sirius meanwhile had taken to a roost on the back of the couch, watching everyone scramble about and snickering at how nervous they all looked. Frank Longbottom, for example, was pacing left and right, wringing his hands.

“Do I look alright?” he asked Andy Woodhouse for about the hundredth time.

“Spiffing,” Andy answered. He reached out and straightened the bow tie at Frank’s neck, “Positively spiffing.”

Frank wiped his hands across his dress robes to rid himself of the sweat.

It was nearly time - the sun was setting and the last of the rays were coming in through the high windows, and all the boys had gathered about in the common room near the portrait hole, nervous and shuffling and doing last minute touch-ups to their styles. Then the clock chimed on the wall and there came the first of the girls - it was Carly Shaw and she was wearing a short pink dress with flowers across the skirt. She smiled, her hair in a bun. She came down the stairs and Andy Woodhouse grinned widely as she approached. One by one, the girls descended the stairs - Pandora Jenkins came down, wearing a purple gown with stars on it, followed by Ali Prewitt in a mustard yellow dress with a maroon bow that wrapped round her waist. Frank’s eyes widened at the way she looked and he stumbled over his own two feet as he ran forward to offer her his hand.

James turned from where he was sitting behind Sirius’s roost, kneeling beside Peter on the couch. Lily came down and sat on the arm of the chair where Remus sat reading his Astronomy book. They all watched as the older students (and Ali) climbed out of the portrait hole, careful for their lovely dresses and hair. Marlene waved to Lily as she helped Pandora through and Lily waved back. When the portrait hole had closed, Lily sighed, “Oh I hope Pandora’s nice to Xenophilius!”

Sirius looked ‘round at her. “What’s that?”

“Xeno’s just put so much of his hopes into this! He’s been asking Pandora out since their first year,” Lily said pointedly, “And here they are in their fifth and she’s only just now agreed to go with him!”

James’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

“I just really hope it goes well. He’s put so much hope in this and she really likes him, deep down, I’m sure of it… She’s just scared to like him because, well, he’s not exactly popular, is he? Oh, I just hope that she sees fireworks.”

“Sees fireworks?” Sirius repeated. He’d tuned out somewhere in the middle of Lily’s little explanation, but he tuned back in with a peaked interest at the word fireworks.

Lily nodded, “Sure. You’ve heard the saying, haven’t you?”

Sirius shook his head.

Lily looked quite surprised. “Well, I suppose it’s a muggle saying.. They say the first time you kiss somebody you really like… if the kiss is really good… you see fireworks.”

“Why would you see fireworks?” asked Peter, looking up.

“Because it’s magical!” Lily said, “And fireworks look magical to a muggle.”

“Well that’s stupid,” James said. “Fireworks don’t have a bloody thing to do with kisses!”

Lily rolled her eyes, “It’s metaphorical, you unromantic swine.”

“I’m an unromantic swine because I don’t think explosions have anything to do with kisses?” James asked, “Blimey, sorry about that, I better get to the library and relearn everything I’ve ever known about love, then.”

“Perhaps you should!” Lily said hotly.

“I’m sure they’ll do just fine,” said Remus without taking his eyes off his book, tired of them arguing. “If Pandora really likes Xeno, she’ll realize it and there’s bound to be loads of fireworks.”

“Yeah,” Sirius grinned. “Loads.”

“Metaphorical fireworks,” Remus said, glancing nervously at the look on Sirius’s face.

Lily sighed again, then she got up from the arm of the chair, petting Remus’s hair with her fingers as she left, “I’ve got to go clean up the stuff we’ve left all over my room.” She ran up the stairs.

James looked up at Sirius, who was grinning at the portrait hole.

“What’re you thinking?” James asked, though he had a feeling he knew quite well what Sirius was thinking -- and was, indeed, thinking very nearly the same thing himself. He grinned.

Sirius looked down at James. “I’m thinking it’s been awhile since the Marauders have wrecked havoc… and really, Xenophilius has earned a helping hand, don’t you think?”

James’s eyes sparkled.

“Guys…” Remus said as James and Sirius both leaped up from the couch, “Guys…?” They were running up the stairs. “You guys? Where are you going?” Remus closed his book and leaned forward nervously.

“To get supplies, of course!” Sirius replied, and they disappeared into the dormitory.

Remus looked at Peter.

“This isn’t going to end well, is it?” Peter asked.

“Probably not,” Remus replied, getting up with a sigh, “Let’s go see what they’re getting into…”




In the Great Hall, the house tables had all been magicked away. The long banners that usually hung down with the Eagle, Badger, Lion and Snake had all been rolled up and long strings of holly berries and popcorn and spruce had been hung in their places. Candles and magic snowflakes that only fell so far before disappearing shivered overhead, the fire from the candles sparkling like diamonds off the snowflakes. The faculty table had been taken off too and the entire front stage area of the room was filled with dozens of Christmas trees, decorated in every style of the world, in a variety of colours. A choir of suits of armor had been assembled in the back of the room and they sang festive songs in chorus (none were the objectionable lyrics Sirius had taught them, McGonagall had been sure of that). One table along the far left wall was covered with treats including peppermint sticks and a warm toddy made from a butterbeer base.

“Oh it’s beautiful, isn’t it Frank?” Ali asked, starry-eyed, looking around the room as they entered it.

He was staring at her, “Gorgeous,” he answered, clutching onto her hand. She spun in a circle excitedly and he held his hand up over her head so she could twirl about at his arm, and her brown hair ruffled in the air as she moved. Frank was certain he’d never seen anything as beautiful as that.

In the doorway, Xenophilius waited, wearing a hideous dress frock with thick lace at the neck and wrists. It was bright cranberry-coloured crushed velvet. His hair was carefully pulled back into a low tail that trailed down his back. He looked up at the stairs that led away into the castle, waiting for Pandora, and when she came - her purple star-spangled gown sparkling in the moonlight that streamed into the entrance hall - he looked at her as though she were a real star, burning bright as the universe. He held out his hand to her as she reached the bottom of the stairs and bowed low to her and kissed the top of her knuckles gently. “Ravishing,” he whispered, and he withdrew a small box from his pocket and held it up to her. It was wrapped in golden paper with a little green bow. “For you.”

Pandora paused, “Remember, we’re only friends, Xeno,” she said thickly.

He nodded, “I know we are only friends. But friends get each other Christmas gifts, too, don’t they?”

“I didn’t get you anything,” Pandora replied guiltily.

“On the contrary,” Xeno looked up at her with the sincerest eyes. “You’ve given me everything I’ve ever wanted... a chance.”

Pandora felt her throat tighten and to distract herself from the emotion that his words had made her feel, she turned to the box and carefully unwrapped the golden paper. Inside was a small white box and when she opened the box… there lay a pair of curious earrings shaped like the funny turnip looking plant he’d given her before. She looked up at him.

“They’re dirigible plums,” he explained. “They’re very, very magical. They help you to have an open heart and an open mind and to believe in the extraordinary.”

Pandora smiled at the earrings, then, in the name of good faith, she removed the dirigible plum earrings from the box and slid them into her ears. They hung from her ears and Xenophilius smiled brightly up at her, “They look lovely. And now you’ll be much more perceptive of the incredible things all around you.”

Pandora felt very much as though her eyes were already being opened to something incredible… and she leaned forward to give Xenophilius a thank you hug……




Moments before, from behind Pandora, though unseen, had come creeping Sirius, James, Peter, and Remus beneath the invisibility cloak. They moved slowly as they were all hunched low to stay under the cloak unseen. They were all getting taller and Peter was getting rounder and, top it off, Sirius was clutching a lime green Zonko’s bag to his chest as they maneuvered past Pandora and Xeno on the stairs.

“Looks like he’s doing just fine without our help, maybe we should go back,” Remus whispered.

“Oh please,” Sirius said, “There’s always room for fireworks.”

“We’re going to get a detention,” whimpered Peter.

“Only if we’re caught as the ones that’ve set them off!” Sirius said.

James nodded, “Yeah, we’ll be alright, nobody knows we’re here. That’s why we wore the cloak, remember?”

They snuck their way into the Great Hall, ducking around clusters of people. There were a great many people from each of the houses lining the walls - the singles that had never found a date, mostly the younger, more nervous looking boys. They passed Frank and Ali, dancing merrily on in the center of the room, as well as Andy and Carly, who were snogging beneath one of the Christmas trees near where the faculty tables usually stood. When they were hidden among the trees that Hagrid had brought in and Professor Flitwick had charmed for decoration, they ducked low and James slid the cloak off for the purposes of easier movability in setting up their plot.

Remus was designated the official watch-keeper while Peter was made to hold up the Zonko’s bag for easy access as James and Sirius lined up the crackers carefully and wound the flint from their ends together so that they only had to light it up once. They worked quickly and when they’d finished, Sirius grinned broadly and held up his wand, looking ‘round at the other three. James tossed the invisibility cloak over them and Sirius stuck his wand out from beneath the cloak. “Incendio,” he whispered.

In the hall, Pandora’s arms were just wrapping about Xenophilius’s neck.

On the floor, Ali Prewitt was just falling back into Frank Longbottom’s arms and he was twisting her ‘round, bringing her into a low dip in their dance.

Along one wall, Minerva McGonagall had just commented to Horace Slughorn that so far, the Yule Ball had gone off without a single hitch.

And then, with a whistling shriek that filled the room and echoed off the ceiling, there was a spark of light and smoke and a trail of glittering lime green light and then - BOOM! Neon colored sparks were hissing and whizzing all about the ceiling of the room, fluttering paper confetti falling over everyone on the dance floor.

Just as Xenophilius’s arms had closed ‘round Pandora’s slim body.

Just as Frank Longbottom pressed his lips to Ali Prewitt.

Just as McGonagall had thought that maybe they wouldn’t have any detentions to hand out this year.

Another whistling shriek followed… and another… and another… and colorful swirls of light - curliques and hissing zig zags and pops of flowers that sizzled and spun nearly all the way to the floor filled the ceiling. There was one which swept the room, sparkling and singing as it ran the perimeter. There was one that rained glitter and one that broke into several smaller jets of orange light. There were blue ones and green ones and purple ones and yellow and red and all sorts of shapes and sizes and types. Several students were clapping loudly, staring up at the beautiful sparkling lights and others were laughing and shouting and there was a general confusion of chaotic delight.

Pandora stared at Xenophilius… and something inside of her was swept up in the color and the way it reflected off his hair and how her own face shone in his eyes and the hissing and fizzing of the fireworks sang around them… and she turned her face and pressed her lips to his.

McGonagall tore to the front of the room, stepping quickly ‘round Frank and Ali, who had turned to face the sparkling lights showering from the sky. She hurried to get to the front, only to find the shells laying beneath one of the trees in the front of the room with no potential violators in sight. Sirius, James, Peter, and Remus were hurrying away beneath the cloak, already out in the entrance hall before McGonagall had gotten to the shells of the firecrackers.

The fireworks were still popping loudly as the boys scrambled up the stairs.

“They’ll be talking about that for ages!” Sirius laughed.

“Brilliant!” James agreed.

Even Remus had to admit the display had been something pretty neat and he wondered how many first kisses had been had beneath the sparkling lights.

They reached the common room, falling through the portrait hole and tumbling to the ground in delight. Lily was sitting in the chair that Remus had been in earlier, reading her own book now, and she slid a ribbon across the page as they’d poured in, a confused look on her face. “I thought you lot were in your dorms,” she said.

“We had some things to do,” Sirius replied with a wicked grin.

Lily’s eyes narrowed. “At this hour? But --” She paused, then sniffed the air. “You lot smell like smoke…. what have you done?”

Sirius grinned. “Let’s just say, we saw to it that Pandora saw fireworks.”

Lily’s confusion remained for a moment… then a dawning crossed her eyes and she looked from one to the next. “No… you didn’t. Did you? No…. Oh Merlin’s beard, you did, didn’t you?”

James grinned, “We have a couple crackers left, we could set one off and --” he puckered up his lips.

Lily raised one eyebrow and closed her book. “I’m going to bed, you lot are positively mad.”

“Night Love,” James answered, and he pressed his palm to his puckered lips, and blew the imaginary kiss to Lily.

Lily rolled her eyes. “Don’t call me that.”

Sirius grinned and patted James’s shoulder with his palm, “Good try, though, mate.”

Remus stared at Sirius’s hand touching James.

James grinned, “One of these days…”