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Title: This Year
Fandom: Hilary Tamar Mysteries (General Series)
Prompt: Christmas - #93.
For: fanfic100
Notes: Spoilers for Sibyl in her Grave.
Word Count: 364

Damn the holiday season, thought Julia Larwood.

This was the first Christmas since the ill-fated Christmas Eve mass in Parson's Haver. The first Christmas since the death of Maurice, and since the death of poor Daphne.

Since then, Julia had always been less fond of the holidays in the wintertime, and felt very awkward spending any of the time involved at her Aunt Reg's. This was something that the rest of the Nursery -- and even Basil Ptarmigan -- had come to quickly pick up on, when this year she had neglected to show her usual enthusiasm for preparing for the holidays.

And, Selena thought, it was a good thing that they had Terry Carver and his bookshelves both safe from Julia.

And, Timothy thought, it was a good thing that Julia wasn't being so enthusiastic that every single record ended up covered in shedded tinsel glitter.

And, Ragwort thought, it was a good thing that he wasn't going to get caught under mistletoe with some person or another every twenty minutes because Julia loved to target him especially.

And, Cantrip thought, it was a good thing that nobody would have to help get him home because Julia had bought him one too many bottles of wine in her obsession with bringing good cheer.

(Henry? He just hated Christmas.)

But the issue, really, was that something was very wrong with Julia. Not having Julia's enthusiasm may have been noted little good things, but Chambers just wasn't the same, this year. Although they were glad to have their little blessings without the trouble Julia usually made, nothing had its usual charisma.

Julia didn't have her usual charisma.

The fact of the matter, really, was that everything was going to have to go on, this year. Maybe they'd just do it for Julia, this year. Keep things going and bring her back to spirits, this year.

Maybe next year, Julia Larwood would stop damning the holiday season and come back to herself.

They could only hope, they all thought, as Christmas eve came and everyone was somewhere else.

Missing the party.

Becuase they didn't have Julia, this year.