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Okay everyone, sorry for the wait. My computer decided to hate me and broke-thank God it didn't crash, also I was having issues with our internet, but now that its all said and done please enjoy chapter ten.
Thank you to all of you who reviewed and added the story to favorites and story alerts, and special thanks to my BETA LilacGrace444.
Chapter Ten
Christmas Part Two
LPOV
Petunia arrived with her lard of a boyfriend just after eight. Merlin, I can't stand that man. He's rude, uncouth, and has the manners of a Neanderthal-no actually that would be giving him too much credit.
There's also the fact that he bosses my sister around likes she's a house elf. Honestly, I don't know what she sees in the oaf. Probably his checkbook. She is so materialistic. Mum's been trying to convince her to go back to University, she quit after moving in with Vernon. I really hope Sam gets here soon. I don't think I can take much more of Dursley's golfing jokes.
I was thinking about when I should give him my gift, at the beginning or the end of the present openings. I suppose it doesn't matter. I hope he likes it. As for my family, I purchased a day at the spa for my mum, I also took her and my dad's wedding album and had it restored since they were starting to yellow a bit around the edges. For Petunia and her fat attachment I got them a gift card to department store I know Petunia shops at, if I'm lucky she might even say thank you.
Finally, a few minutes before nine the door bell rang.
No later than a second after I opened the door Sam wrapped his arms around me. "Happy Christmas, love." His silky voice whispered in my ear just before his lips found their way to mine.
"Happy Christmas, Sam."
He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and we headed into the sitting room. He placed the three small gifts he had under the tree before sitting in the smaller sofa next to me. The large sofa that normally fits four was mostly taken up by Vernon.
"So, Sam." My mother smiled softly up at my boyfriend. "When exactly will you be moving to the neighborhood officially?"
"Probably the beginning of July sometime. I have a couple of nearby places in mind."
"So you'll be renting a flat?" Petunia asked, emphasizing the word rent. Her nose seems to be stuck in the air at the moment. What a snob! Merlin, he'll only be seventeen when he moves in the summer, she can't possibly expect him to buy one!
"Actually." Sam turned toward my sister, a smirk suddenly formed on his lips. A smirk I had seen him give only once before. The same smirk that made me thinks of a certain ex-best friend. "I may consider purchasing a place. My grandmother left me an inheritance and I believe a home would be a wise investment."
And then it happened. Petunia smiled. It wasn't a snobbish curl of the lip, or one of her 'fake' polite smiles, but an honest to God smile. I don't think I have seen her give one of those since she was five.
"So you have family money?" It was the whale-oh sorry- Vernon who asked this.
"I do, though please don't think I plan live off my grandmothers fortune. That would not at all be respectable." He said this all rather mater-of-factly. If I didn't know any better I would say he was trying to impress them. But why?
Vernon and Petunia gave what looked to be an approving nod to each other. In all honesty I could care less about my sister's 'approval' of Sam or any of my friends for that matter. Deep down I know it's only because he's a muggle. If I had brought home another boy, who was an exact copy of Sam, but a wizard, she would see him as nothing more than the freak she sees me.
SPOV
I'm pretty sure I impressed the pants off Petunia and Vernon, not that I would normally care to, but it was Christmas and as such it should be a pleasant affair. I didn't want to cause a brawl under the evergreen tree after all. Besides I know how much Petunia's dislike of Lily's magic has hurt her and if she can have at least one pleasant day with her sister then it was worth kissing butt for a couple of hours.
After a few more moments of idle chit chat then it was announced to be time to open gifts. Rose played Santa and passed out gifts. I received a very nice leather wallet from Mrs. Evans, a guest pass to some golf club Vernon was a member, of which I have no intention of using, and from Lily…if I had not been practice at controlling my emotions…I may have cried.
I gently unfolded the gold paper careful not to tear it. I saw Lily roll her eyes at my gentle treatment of the wrapping, but when you grow up with very little you learn to save and use things as long as possible, including simple things like wrapping paper. When I first laid eyes on the book I had to blink a couple times to make sure I was actually seeing what I thought I was seeing.
The question that ran through my mind, besides how I planned to thank her later in private, was how she got her hands on a first edition copy of The Hobbit by Tolkien. Few people knew Tolkien was a wizard, I wondered if Lily knew, too bad I can't ask her. At this point I was looking at the book in complete and utter awe, as if I was holding an ancient text thousands of years old which was exhumed from the tomb of a revered Pharaoh. It was beyond priceless and not just because of the value of the book itself but because my sweet Lily put such thought behind the gift.
As much as I loved the book however, part of the guilt that I have been trying to repress began to resurge. She got this book for Sam. Sam, her, cute, sweet muggle boyfriend. Not Severus Snape. Not the
greasy Slytherin boy from Spinner's End who loves dark arts and called her a mudblood. A small frown turned on my mouth as I gently stroked the front cover. I didn't deserve it. I didn't deserve her.
"Sam." I raise my heard from the book and up to Lily's bright emerald green eyes. "Do you not like it?" Her face was written with worry.
"Oh Lily I-I love it. I was just surprised." I quickly turned my frown to a smile. "How-how did you get this?"
Lily grinned as she scooted closer to me. "A friend of my father's has a rare and antique book store. He had planned to leave the book to my father in his will, but since he already passed…well, I asked him, and he said I could have it".
Placing the book gently in my lap I reached my arms around the woman I loved, she buried her head into my neck. "I will treasure it forever." I whispered before placing a small kiss on her cheek.
"Now, I believe it's your turn to open the gift I have gotten you."
LPOV
The look on his face completely freaked me out. For a moment he looked almost saddened by the gift. Thankfully, it was simply an expression of unexpected shock, which was exactly what I was shooting for, shock and amazement. He then handed me his gift which was wrapped in crimson paper with a gold bow. Fitting colors for a Gryffindor, though he wouldn't know about that but it's a nice coincidence.
Pulling off the paper there was small square box just about the size of my hand. On the lid were written the words: To my beautiful Lily flower. I love it when he called me his flower.
Opening the lip I let out a small gasp as I laid my eyes on a beautiful silver bracelet, tiny lilies engraved all around it.
"Oh Sam, it-it's beautiful." I quickly kissed him on the mouth, not caring I was in front of my mother and sister.
"Look on the inside." He said softly. Tilting the bracelet I read the words inscribed inside. I love you my
precious flower, now and forever.
"This is amazing Sam, thank you so much." I gave him a tight hug and another kiss, this time on the cheek.
"You're welcome, love. Though compared to the gift you gave me it doesn't seem to compare." He said with a slight frown, his beautiful blue eyes suddenly dimming. It was a look I had seen before, just never on him.
"You silly boy. Why on earth would you think that? Your gift is absolutely wonderful." I quickly reassured him while slipping the bracelet onto my right wrist.
"Well now." My mother said as she stood from the couch. "It's almost eleven, I better start cooking if I want to have that turkey ready by dinner.
Of course, I quickly offered to help as did Sam leaving Petunia and Vernon to clean up the wrappings. Once most of the major preparation for the dinner was complete, Sam and I decided to go for a walk out to the woods, in other words, to go have a snog session. We stayed there for a near hour and a half
kissing and touching each other. However, even with our hands and mouths warming each other, it was soon too cold for us to bear and we headed home.
Opening the front door, my eyes were met with a sight that nearly caused me to forget the Secrecy Law's and pull out my wand. A large, intimidating muggle stood over a cowering Petunia who lay huddled in a ball just under the Christmas tree. Vernon's hand rose above his head, his large beefy fingers curling into a fist.
"Get away from her!" I yelled, causing Vernon to turn in my direction. His face was purple with fury, a large vain popping out of his neck.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Sam demanded marching over to the much larger man.
"Putting her in her place, and if you know what's good for you you'll stay out of it."
Sam didn't take to kindly to being threatened and swiftly pulled back his own fist and punched the fat man on his nose. The whale of a man screamed in a rather high pitched girly fashion before clutching his nose and stumbling backwards, tripping over the arm chair and falling flat on his triple chinned face.
"Get your fat, ugly arse out of this house before I call the police." Vernon Dursley slowly staggered to his feet, clutching his bleeding nose.
The beefy man gave a menacing glare towards Severus before turning to his girlfriend. "We will finish this later."
"The hell you will, you disgusting wanker. If I ever see you around my sister again I will call the police." I quickly threatened the ogre. My sister and I may not have the best relationship, but I would defend her with my life if need be. I then quickly went over to my sister as Sam followed Vernon out of the house making sure he left the property completely.
"L-Lily." My sister sobbed into my shoulder as I cradled her in my arms.
"Are you okay?" She said nothing but nodded. "Did he hurt you?"
"N-no, he just pushed me and I fell." She admitted softly, tears still running down her pale cheeks.
I didn't know what caused Vernon to react the way he did or if he had ever struck my sister before, but I was certainly going to find out. But later.
"Where's mum?" I was surprised she hadn't intervened already. She was always very protective of us girls, if she had seen what I just had, I was pretty sure Vernon would have left with more than a simple bloody nose.
"She-she said she was going to give a friend down the street a Christmas gift."
"Lily." I looked up from my sister toward the voice of my boyfriend.
"He's gone."
"Thank you, Sam".
It was at that moment my mother entered the house. She looked at Sam, and then Petunia and I, my sister still sniffling into my shoulder. "Vernon?" She asked. The look in her eyes showed she already knew the answer.
My mother was always rather intuitive. She had told me from the beginning of Petunia's relationship with him that she had a bad feeling about him and had tried, several times in fact, to talk her daughter out of the relationship.
"Yes." I said softly with a nod. "Unfortunately."
My mum shook her head for a moment before taking a deep breath. "So I am assuming he is gone now?"
"Yes, Sam made sure of that."
"Good. Now, let's have some tea and cookies while we wait for the turkey."
So we all headed into the kitchen, sat around the kitchen table and trying to pretend as if Vernon Dursley had never even darkened our doorstep that day, we all enjoyed a nice cup of peppermint tea.
A/N: Okay so there is chapter ten. Here we see that Vernon Dursley truly is a bastard, but we already knew that didn't we. Anyway. Next chapter will involve a conversation between Lily and Severus-not Sam-but Severus, and then a return to school. Also Petunia will find out a little more about her sisters relationship with Vernon.
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