As the holiday season approached, the Potter household took on a festive air. Lily hung holly and pine up as decoration, while James insisted on a special addition of his own. Above the doorway to the master bedroom, he hung a piece of mistletoe, charmed to summon his wife to him, or him to her -while avoiding collision with any obstacles -each time one of them passed under it, provided he or she was in the house, of course. He proclaimed it as the only way he could ensure he got as many kisses from his lovely wife, as the holiday season mandated. The fact that he made this argument after summoning her, covered in soap, from the shower, didn't help his case any, though what came next might have. She stopped objecting, at any rate.
One day, midway through December, with James at work and the boys safely delivered next-door for the afternoon, Lily got out her address book and settled down to the yearly task of sending out holiday greetings to family and friends, though mostly to the latter.
She made two piles. The cards in the first pile, to be delivered by owl post, contained cards with moving pictures, addressed mostly to Hogwarts friends, as well as to friends she had made since graduation. The second pile was smaller, addressed almost entirely to those Muggle friends from her pre-Hogwarts days that she still remained in touch with.
As she reached the last of the Muggle cards, she faltered momentarily before finally signing it and slipping it into the last of the little red envelopes that she'd taken out. Sealing the envelope, she addressed it and affixed a postage stamp, before adding it reluctantly to the smaller pile, to be delivered by Muggle post.
Lily wasn't really surprised when, three days later, the Muggle postman handed her a little red envelope addressed to one Petunia Dursley, of Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, the words "Return to Sender" written clearly in black marker across the front. She'd been expecting it, really. Every piece of correspondence that she'd sent her sister, in the past six years, had been returned similarly. Somehow, it wasn't enough for her to ignore the missives; she insisted on throwing them back in Lily's face, so that there was no doubt of the rejection.
Expected though it was, the rejection still hurt. She'd yet to plaster a smile back on her face when she ran into the boys in the hallway. Rather, they ran into her, literally. They had the good sense to look contrite about it, as they stared down at their toes, awaiting the expected lecture about the dangers of running in the halls.
When it didn't come, Neville chanced a look up, and noticed that the expression on Lily's face was not that of exasperation that typically presented itself when she caught them doing something they knew they weren't supposed to do. "Why are you sad, Lily?"
Now, Harry looked up too, "Are you hurt, Mum?"
She tried unsuccessfully to smile. "No, I'm not hurt. Though you know you shouldn't be running in the halls."
She would have preferred to leave it at that but Neville was persistent. "So, why are you sad?
"It's nothing for you to worry yourself about. Now go on back to your games before I change my mind about not punishing you for running in the house."
They made no move to leave. "But, Mum, you said that if we're sad or angry about something we should talk about it cause if we keep it inside we'll explode. I don't want you to explode."
"I'm quite sure I never told you that you'd explode, for any reason."
"James did," offered Neville. "And you said that when we're sad we should talk about it, cause it'll make us feel better. You did."
"You're right, I did, didn't I? You're not going to leave till I tell you, are you?" When both boys proceeded to shake their head rather energetically, she suggested, "Why don't we go sit down and I'll tell you all about it?"
One they'd settled down, she continued, "I suppose the reason I'm sad I because someone I care about very much doesn't care about me the same way. My sister sent back a card I sent her, without opening it."
"Well, she's a big meanie!" exclaimed, Neville, "I'll always answer Harry's letters, and he isn't even my real brother."
He had the right idea, so, Lily felt it wise to ignore the glare that Harry sent Neville's way in response to the latter part of his comment. "I know Neville, and that's part of what makes you so special. But, you mustn't be too harsh on Petunia. She has her reasons for acting as she does; she misses our Mum and Dad -Harry's grandparents- very much, and she blames me for their being gone, because I'm a witch."
"But it's not your fault, is it?" asked Neville
"You didn't make them go away, did you?" added Harry.
"No, of course not. We were never very close as children, not like you and Harry. She's hurting and needs someone to blame; she picked me."
For a long while, the boys appeared to be contemplating that statement and the idea that grown-ups could make mistakes too. Finally, Neville asked, "Are they gone to the same place as my Mum and Dad?"
"Yes, Neville, they are."
"Then there's no reason to be sad, cause Gran says everyone's happy there, and one day we'll all be together again, right?"
She graced him with a small smile, "That's right, Neville. That's right. Don't ever forget that… Now, that's enough of this sad talk. I'll be fine, boys. Why don't you go back to your game?" When they once again made no move to leave she suggested, "Or, if you like, we could bake some gingerbread cookies. I might even let you eat a few before James gets home and they disappear…"
A.N: And thus ends 1984. Let me know what you think (hint: review) … I'd like to thank my beta Arnel, and all my faithful reviewers.