Lily had woke up with a start. "Wake up, wake up, wake up..." She had thought that the earth was shaking. No, wait, someone was shaking her. She was more than surprised when Petunia had come up to wake her and told her to get ready.

When she was ready to go to the station and their mum asked Petunia to get in the car, she didn't even throw a tantrum. Lily petted her new white kitten, Leo, and got in the car absentmindedly as she fathomed upon the ulterior motives that her sister might have.

What could possibly be it? She wracked her brains. Could it be something related to the fun magic quills? No way Pet could want them, could she? Then maybe some quick pimple fix potion? No, why would petunia want something from her. Maybe she could want something from her parents. What was that she didn't have already?

Her mom brought her back from her musings with a sudden exclamation of "Oh, look! Breezers' garden is sloshed!"

Lily craned her neck to get a better look as the car turned around the corner. Every inch of Breezers' garden was logged with water. It was a swamp. The plants and flowers were completely crumpled.

"Good!" Petunia gave her unasked opinion. "I had never liked that yard anyway. Just weeds and grass."

Lily thought that was farfetched. Yes, true that the garden was a haphazard but it looked beautiful with the wildflowers with their bright colors. She remembered asking Mrs. Breezers once about the shrubs that she had never seen in her life.

"Yes you can plant roses Pet, but first you have to sort the beddings."

Great, now mom and Petunia were discussing their plans of gardening.

Her dad cast her a sympathetic look before turning the volume of stereo slightly up and soon Lily was lost in her own thoughts. She felt guilty that she had thought ill about Potter. Yes he was a pureblood but that was not the reason to hate him. His arrogance was enough.

Her dad pulled in the parking lot slightly away from the Kings cross station entrance. Petunia accompanied them without a word. Lily was becoming more and more suspicious. And they were confirmed when Petunia told their parents that she would like to have a word alone with lily. With the last hug from her dad and a slight peck on the cheeks of her mother Lily bed them her goodbyes.

She watched their parents walk towards the brick wall that would let them in the muggle world and once they were through it Lily turned to her sister.

"Your school offers stay for the Christmas." Said Petunia.

Whatever lily was expecting it was not that. Moreover, Petunia had actually mentioned Hogwarts as a school and not a freak warehouse.

"Yeah." said Lily unsurely. She was trading on thin ice now. She clarified just in case and cautiously. "They don't allow for others to stay though."

Petunia hissed at her. "I am not planning to spend my Christmas in some old damp building with the crack heads."

Lily took a step back away subconsciously. "Then why..." she had begun to ask when Petunia cut her through,

"Don't come home for the Christmas."

"What?!" said Lily unbelievingly. "Why?" she almost cried out. How can someone ask their sister not to come home for the Christmas? This was low, even for Petunia.

"Well, Vernon is coming and I don't want him to know that you are a freak." Stated Petunia.

"I am your family Tuney! You can't just ask me not to come home!" said Lily. So this was about her perfect Vernon.

"I am not asking you. I am telling you." Petunia shot back.

"And where am I supposed to go then? What are you going to tell mom and dad? What are you up to Petunia?" Lily had now had her fingers turn into fists. She could feel anger boiling inside her. How could Petunia tell her what to do and what not? She needed to stay calm. She controlled her breathing. Someone needed to be reasonable.

"Well I don't know about you, but I am going to marry Vernon and he doesn't need to know what filth..."

"Do not dare to complete that sentence."

"Well you could stay at your school or go to that Potter bloke that Snape boy mentioned. Just stay out of our lives." Suggested Petunia.

Wait. What? How did she knew about potter?

"… the porch when I heard that Snape boy. I know you are going to get us all killed!" Petunia was still rambling on and Lily couldn't make any sense out of it.

"How am I going to get us all killed? Care to explain?" said Lily now exasperated.

"I heard you arguing with that nosy boy. I heard that people are going to kill you."

So not only that she had heard her argument with Sev but now she was accusing her.

"If you want me to not tell mom and dad then don't come home for the Christmas." Said Petunia.

Lily wanted to scream at her. She didn't want her parents to know. But she could not put that into words. When she opened her mouth her voice was barely audible.

"That's blackmail!" Said Lily.

Petunia had not finished her saying.

"That soppy friend of yours, even he is not standing with you, is he?" asked Petunia.

She sure was not going to tell her that maybe he would be joining the murderers soon. Lily found nothing to defend to herself on that so Petunia continued.

"I saw all the newspaper cuttings you have been hiding. There is no one there to protect you, is there? How can you be part of the world that doesn't want you Lily?" Petunia sounded concerned.

"What do you want me to do?" Lily asked finding her voice.

"Leave it and come live with us, like a normal person. We are your family Lily."

"I am a normal person!"

"That's not the point Lily. Who is going to be there for you? You are getting more and more worried day by day. You are just waiting for something to happen." Petunia was pointing her finger at lily now. This was not good. "Lily, either come with us or don't come at all. I don't want you to ruin our Christamas. Think about it." Said Petunia and without waiting to hear what lily had to say she started walking towards the brick wall.

Lily just stared after her speechless. Then cursed under her breath kicking the air and turned to get towards the train but halted as she saw two people staring at her.

The day just got worse. It was an elderly women standing there with Potter at her side. Clearly they had heard the two sisters talk. The woman smiled at Lily. The smile was homely and brought warmth. Lily almost smiled back and when her smile reached her eyes she felt wetness around her eyes. She didn't know exactly when the teras had sprung, while the ordeal took place.

Leo purred and licked her hand clutching the handle of the trolley.