The Girl With The Emerald Eyes

Merry Christmas Everybody

It wasn't until she got home that Lily realised just how exhausting the semester had been. She had barely processed her own feelings about the train attack as she was too caught up worrying about Aria and Charlotte. It felt almost as if the term had been non stop drama and essays. She spent most of the days leading up to Christmas catching up on her rest, rereading her old favourites and helping her mother with the Christmas preparation. By Christmas Eve she had already received two separate owls from Sapphire ranting about her grandmother, if it kept up the neighbours would start thinking she was some sort of mad bird whisperer. Petunia of course detetested the things and was want to storm out of the room when they arrived.

Even Petunia couldn't be huffy on Christmas though. Lily woke up with the usual thrill of childish excitement that accompanied Christmas morning. She wrapped herself in a fluffy dressing gown, grabbed her full stocking from the door handle and crept across the hall to Petunia's room. When they'd been younger it had always been a race to see who would be up first and get to wake the other. Mindful of the fact they weren't so young anymore she knocked on her sisters door before entering. She could tell Petunia had already been awake , nobody woke up with hair that straight, but she pretended she didn't notice. Together they went across the hall to their parents room. Her mum and Dad put on a great show of annoyance at being woken up but Lily knew they loved all their silly little Christmas traditions. The sisters sat cross legged at the end of the bed while they pulled the various knick-knacks and the obligatory orange from their stockings.

Once the stockings were emptied the four of them trudged downstairs to open presents. Her mum put the kettle on for tea while Petunia sorted the presents, Lily turned all the Christmas lights back on and her dad found the perfect Christmas record. They all knew their roles well. Lily sat down on the couch and cupped her hands around the steaming mug of tea. She wanted a moment to take it all in - the twinkling tree with its red and gold baubles, the greenery on the fireplace, the perfectly wrapped presents and most of all the smiling faces of her family.

" Here you go Lily this ones from Mum and Dad." Said Petunia handing her a package wrapped in Christmas paper.

Lily carefully unwrapped it to find a cosy pair of tartan pyjamas.

" We figured it gets cold in Scotland!" Chuckled her Dad from his armchair.

Petunia went next opening a set of lipglosses from her friend Marie. Lily felt excited as she watched Petunia hand her Mum the gift she had picked out carefully in Hogsmeade.

" A bookmark? Thanks Lil! " Smiled her mother as she opened the small box.

" It's not just a regular bookmark it turns the pages for you!" Explained Lily and watched her mums amazement. She immediately grabbed a nearby book to test out her gift and watched it incredulously. Her parents had always been fascinated by anything magical although she had to be careful what she bought them.

" You better put all of that freak stuff away before Vernon gets here." Sniped Petunia spoiling the mood.

" Petunia." Warned their mother.

" What? It's true. I'm not going to have him finding out I have a freak for a sister and dumping me." Petunia shrugged coldly.

" Let's continue with the presents shall we? I'm excited to see what jumper your mother has got me this year." Said her Dad trying to revive the jovial mood.

Despite her dads best efforts Petunias comments had soured the rest of the present opening for her. She was reminded that even if Petunia didn't like her there was people who did when she opened Aria's gift. Every year the girls did secret Santa instead of buying for everyone - Lily suspected this was mainly for her and Aria's benefit as the other three could probably afford Christmas gifts for their entire year. Aria had gotten hold of a picture of the whole group laughing at the Halloween party and placed it in a lovely wooden frame. Moreover she had somehow managed to charm it so that it moved when Lily looked at it but when a muggle like her Mum did it appeared perfectly still. Lily loved it.