Hello pretty people!

I am so terribly sorry that it has taken me over a month to publish, but my routine suddenly changed and I barely have any time for writing! I hope you forgive me if from now on I post less often (pleeassse!)

Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

N.B.: All characters and place belong to J.K. Rowling!

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Chapter 9: The one with mushy talks

Lily had been back home for just two days, and she was already thinking of ways in which to hide herself from Vernon and Petunia. If she had expected her sister's attitude towards her to soften, she had never been more wrong. Because it wasn't just Petunia the one snapping at her and finding wrong with anything she did. It seemed that Vernon had very similar feelings towards her. Not that he would snap directly at her. No, especially not in front of her parents. But he made a point of not letting her talk. He would interrupt whatever she was saying and if she dared ask him something, she would count herself lucky if the answer was more than a grunt or a nod.

Her parents however, seemed oblivious to the whole thing. Her mum was ecstatic to meet her daughter's boyfriend, and assaulted him with questions at all times. Which meant that most dinners were dominated by Vernon talking about the company he had just started working at. A boring job having something to do with the manufacturing of drills. Who would have thought that there was so much to be said about drills?

Lily missed her friends, feeling completely cut out of the magical world. She had left Weldon (her snowy owl) at Hogwarts, for it would have been weird to see a muggle with a pet owl. And of course, she had asked her friends, much to her regret, not to write to her, so Vernon would not suspect a thing.

Which meant that she spent most of her time alone in her room thinking of the times her family had felt… like a family. It wasn't only her friends she missed. She hadn't had a chance to talk things out with Christopher since their Hogsmeade date.

This particular morning, however, was looking up better. Vernon and Petunia had gone out to do some last-minute Christmas shopping, which meant she could enjoy her parent's company without her sister's sneers. That meant that mum and she were cooped up in the kitchen with a nice cup of tea. Lily was catching her up on all the Hogwarts gossip she dared. She made a point of avoiding topics about muggle-born being persecuted all over the wizarding world, preferring to keep to cheerier topics like Marlene's shameless flirting and Frank accidentally charming professor Flitwick, making him bounce all around the classroom.

"Oh Lilykins" she said laughing " I have missed you so much!" Her mum looked at her lovingly, one hand playing with her hair "I wish we could see you more often, see you grow, better know this wonderfully strange world of yours" She pulled her in an unexpectedly tight hug. " I can only imagine how difficult it must be for you, having grown-up without magic and being in a school full of kids that have always been surrounded by it. Then coming home, and not being able to share with your family because your sister is …well… opposed to that world" she whispered sadly in Lily's ear, stroking her back tenderly "I hope at least the kids at school don't give you such a hard time as your sister does. Surely they can see how special you are."

"Mum…" Lily began.

"Oh, I know at least Marlene and Emmeline are good friends to you. But what happened with those boys that were annoying you? Are they still giving you and Severus a hard time?"

Lily tensed at the mention of Severus' name.

"No, they are not mum. Actually… well, things have changed quiet a lot, between Severus and me."

"How do you mean sweetheart?"

Lily bit her lip and untangled herself from her mum. She didn't know how to explain that Severus spent his time now inventing new ways of hurting people. Not the kind of jinxes James and Sirius had bullied him with in their previous years, those seemed silly and harmless (and the Lily of the past would have never called those jinxes harmless) in comparison to the things Severus was inventing lately. She wouldn't even call them hexes. They were proper curses, capable of seriously and perhaps permanently injuring people. She didn't know how to tell her mum that her once friend, the one that had told her that being muggle-born wouldn't mind in the slightest now referred to her as a filthy mudblood and kept the company of people that spent their days tormenting those who did not come from wizarding families and were eager to join the ranks of the blood-purity movement that was creeping over the magic world. She really didn't want to worry her mum with any of that. Her parents already worried enough about their daughter being part of a world they knew nothing about, to now let them know that people like her were being murdered all around the country and that the person that used to be her best friend was eager to join them.

"You know mum, people just grow apart sometimes. And Severus and I …well, seem to have done just that. It's not the same as when we were kids, you know?"

Her mum nodded as if understanding completely. "Well dear, don't be too harsh on him. He has always fancied you, it will take him some time to get over your rejection" Anne took her daughters face in her hands "we Evans women have that effect on men" she said with a wink to Lily's confused and horrified face. "but he will come around eventually, don't you worry"

The door of the living room opened before Lily could wrap her head around her mother's words and tell her how wrong her assumptions were. Petunia and Vernon walked in, their hands full of different sized packages wrapped in colourful paper.

"Here" she said pushing a small brown parcel in Lily's hands "The postman left it outside. Who on Earth is writing to you like this?"

Lily stared at the package blankly. It definitely had been delivered by muggle post, for it had her full address written on it along with a series of stamps in the corner. For a second her lips curled in a smile thinking that maybe Christopher had sent her something the muggle way after all. But it could not be, she had never given him her address. In fact, the only people of the magic world that knew where she lived were Marlene and Emmeline; so, the package must be from one of them.

"Honey?" her mum said brushing her hair "won't you open it?"

Lily tore the brown paper with unsure fingers, part of her still hoping that by some miracle the package was a peace offering from Christopher, and their argument was a thing of the past.

Underneath the brown paper she discovered a letter and a second rectangular package, wrapped in a beautiful silvery blue paper with small snowflakes on it.

"Sooo pretty" her mother chimed from behind "Shall I put it under the tree with the other presents dear?"

Lily nodded numbly looking at the letter. By the time she had opened it, her mum was already back and looking from over her shoulder.

"Who is it from dear?"

Always so nosy. She though with affection, before reading:

Lily,

Merry Christmas!

I know you are laying low on the magic during these holidays because of your sister's boyfriend, but I hope you don't mind me reaching you by muggle post.

I wanted to write to you in case you found yourself missing your friends. My parents are hosting a small New Year's party and I thought of having my own as well ( don't feel like spending the night shaking hands with middle-aged wizards). Sirius, Remus, Peter, Marlene and Emmeline are gonna be here of course, along with half of Gryffindor, some Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Would you like to join?

Feel free to send your answer either by owl or muggle mail. My address is on the back of the envelope. Of course, I would gladly invite Christopher as well if you so wish.

Also, I thought to get you something to help you …unwind? In case you find the need to throughout the holidays (it is safe to go under the tree. I promise it looks completely unmagical).

Hope to see you soon,

James Potter

P.S.: If you decide to come for New Years, I will come to pick you up on the 30th and bring you back on the 1st (in a muggle friendly way, of course), so you can spend the last days of holidays with your family.

"Hmm…James Potter? The name sounds familiar Have you mentioned him before darling? He sounds like such a sweet and considerate boy"

"Potter?" Her father said looking from his paper "Wasn't that one of the boys you were complaining about last summer Lily-pops?"

Lily, still trying to shake off the surprise the letter had caused her took a minute before replying to her dad. "Yes, he was, but we are sort of friends now"

"Is that so? Curious how things change" her father mumbled to himself with a smirk.

"Well" she stopped to think "He caught me in a bad moment and actually, really helped me through. It wasn't what I expected from him…I guess since then on, we haven't been arguing that much and I have actually noticed that much of his behaviour that made me …uncomfortable before, has disappeared. And I guess we are both trying to be friendly to each other. At the end of the day we share many common friends. Marlene in fact is his cousin. So, it is better for everyone if we try to keep the peace I guess." She said, trying to not get into too much detail about her mental breakdown over Petunia's letter.

"That is very thoughtful of you two, darling. And he definitely seems to be making an effort; sending you a Christmas present, inviting you to his party, offering to pick you up in a normal way, and look, it even says that he will invite Christopher for you. Very thoughtful and sweet indeed. You have to go dear, and better bring him a late Christmas present too. Also, I will send something for his parents, after all you are staying at their house." Her mum patted her on the shoulder and continued on into the kitchen. " And this bring us to the one thing I have been just dying to ask you about" she said giving her one her signature all-knowing smiles.

"Oh dear" muttered her father and quickly hurried to burry his face in the paper once more, although Lily knew, that her father was at least as big a gossip as her mother. He just preferred to do his lovely wife direct the uncomfortable questions.

"How is Christopher? You haven't showed as much as a photo of you two. You have mentioned him a couple of times in your letters but, sweetheart, you do know that this cannot go much longer without him coming for dinner. I know, -I know, we don't get to see you much, but perhaps you could bring him home for Easter, yeah? It will be wonderful, won't it Richard? Petunia's boy home for Christmas, and Lily's for Easter. Then, in summer perhaps we could all go to a small holiday together! Oh, I know Petunia may take some convincing, but I am sure we will have a wonderful time! Common sweetie, why are you being so quiet, tell me about Christopher!"

"Jesus Annie, how do you expect the child to tell you anything if you don't let her speak!" Her father chimed annoyed from behind his newspaper, proving once again that he wasn't reading at all and that his attention was focused completely on the conversation at hand. Lily smiled. She had missed so much listening to her parents. There was something so warm and soothing about her mum's constant ramblings and merciless prying and her dad's faked indifference, always disguised behind a paper or a book.

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Phhhmp! A snowball hit James on the back of the head nearly knocking him down from his broom.

"You barking bastard!" James shouted with laughter, made a sharp turn dodging several pine trees and looked for Sirius. He could swear that the ball had come from between those branches to the left "come here boy, come here!" he said whistling at him "I have a nice juuuiiiiceee bone for ya!" at the last moment he gave a sharp tug at his broom, making it turn right, running straight into Sirius.

Both boys tumbled down from their brooms and fell several meters, knocking heaps of snow from the branches of trees.

They continued struggling on the ground for several minutes, trying to lock the other in a position where their face was fully buried in the snow. Finally, with a muffled laughter, out of breath and completely drenched in sweaty snow they both lying on their backs looking at the two brooms, still floating in mid-air.

"Ahh, Prongs, I beat you to a pulp every single time" barked Sirius playfully

"What?!" You James hit Sirius with a fist from the chest without standing up "Ah, of course, you mean that you end up beaten up into a pulp every single time! I excuse your poor damaged, destroyed and undoubtedly defeated brain"

A heap of snow landed to James face as an answer.

"mate" Sirius said suddenly serious.

"Hmm?"

"So… just out of curiousity…what's up with you and Evans?"

"What? What do you mean what's up with me and Evans? Nothing. We are friends."

"Suuureeee, sureee, I mean I'm sure you also went to a muggle store to buy a present and then spent a week researching spells on how to make it magical and then went to a muggle office in the middle of no-where for your other muggle-born friends right?"

James wrinkled his brow. " What are you implying?"

"Prongs, you have been asking that girl out since second year…"

"It's nothing like that anymore. I told you, we are just friends. You know how much it took me to get here. Besides, she has a boyfriend, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, but she is coming to New Years' isn't she? So, you will have a chance then, eh?" Sirius said with a cheeky smile elbowing him in the ribs affectionately.

"What? No!"

"Why not? – I mean, Christopher is not gonna be there. I'm not saying that you have to throw yourself at her but-"

"Christopher is going to be there" Interrupted James

"What? Why would Christopher be there?"

"I told Lily that I would invite him if she wanted. She did. So he is coming" James said quietly, not looking at Sirius.

Sirius stayed quiet for a while, looking time to time at James, as if trying to make his mind about something. Finally, he said, slowly. "So, you invited a guy you know to be a jerk to our party. A guy that you hate. You invited the boyfriend of the girl you have fancied for the last five years to a party you are hosting…" he shook his head "why?"

James shrug. "They seemed to have had an argument before Christmas, maybe they can fix it during the party"

"Are you an idiot? So, they are not doing good. Lily may be about to break up with that idiot, becoming available to you. And you try to FIX them? What is wrong with you?"

At that point it seemed that both Sirius and James were loosing patience with each other.

"I told you! She is just my friend! And I just want her to be …happy. If that means inviting Christopher, I will invite Christopher, same as I would invite your girlfriend if you had one!"

Sirius looked at him, for a very long while before saying "Ok. But do me a favour would ya?"

"What?"

"If you are really Lily's friend, you may want to talk to her like one as well."

"How am I not talking to her like a friend?"

"Mate, look, I know you have been like at each other's throats for ages, and that now you are on good terms. You know, you trying to be a good friend, inviting that idiot, buying her presents, writing her the muggle way. You are going way and above. You say you just want to be her friend? You are welcome to believe that if you really really want- don't give me that look and just let me finish.- You are trying hard to be her friend or get closer or whatever, but the thing is, it's not gonna work. Not while you treat her like a piece of my aunt Strudies fine china."

"…What? I have no clue what you are talking about!"

Sirius scratched his head, struggling to say this kindly to his friend. At the end of the day he had just realised that James didn't like Lily. He was in love with her. His best friend was in love, he may just not really know it yet.

"Well mate, It's just that, well, you talk like…Please Lily, thank you Lily…If you get to be more polite, and I dunno, triple thinking how your next words will affect her."

"I don't. I don't talk to her polite"

Sirius raised an eyebrow "I'm just saying that Lily is a pretty cool girl, she is not gonna snap at you if you were more of your charming, jerky, funny self. I know…man, I understand that it can be a little bit freaky, you have been at each other's throats for years, and now you are trying to be friends and I know you really want to make it work, but Prongs, you will never really be friends if you are not yourself around Lily. Just trust that she is strong enough to handle who you are mate. I mean, if she can handle me, and be friends with me, you should have no problem, loosening up a bit, you know?"

At this point, both Sirius and James looked highly uncomfortable and were blankly staring to the front. So, Sirius threw a handful of snow at James.

"Enough with this touchy-feely stuff anyway, its weird mate. Get your shit together"

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I hope to be able to publish a Christmas special for Christmas

Thank you for reading and bearing with my ranting. Please review!