Lily woke Christmas morning to the smell of toast and kippers, eggs and
french toast. She dressed quickly and hurried down the stairs. Seamus and
Caroline were sitting in the front room in front of the tree, Draco, Harry
and Ron were in the kitchen, cooking and Will sat on the floor with Lily's
cat, Keetan.
"Hey Lils. We were just about to go wake you."
"Where's Anna?"
"Still sleeping. You know Anna."
They ate breakfast when Anna woke up and then went into the sitting room to open gifts. They tore open packages, finding books, robes and small animals that exploded in clouds of pink smoke. From Seamus she got a pair of levitating shoes. Anna got her robes of emerald green, the same colour of her eyes. From Caroline she got a diary, with thick parchment sheets and a leather bound cover. Will got her a locket, inside, a picture of the two of them, and on the other side, her initials. Ron got her "Flying With The Cannons" ("Let's Just Cross Our Fingers And Hope For The Best") and from Draco a new broomstick (IceLantern3160). She opened a gift from Hermione, hoping she was being inconspicuous, but everyone was watching her as she opened a beautifully illustrated book of Fairy Tales. And from her father, perhaps the best gift of all. "Two weeks in Sweden, you can go see the broom races, go to Stolkholm, see everything."
"Thank you daddy!" She said, tossing her arms around his neck.
"Two more." Seamus said, pulling a thick parcel out from under the tree. "For Lily, from Petunia. And for Harry from Petunia."
"Big package for a sewing needle." Harry said.
"Maybe it's a knitting needle." Ron said, shrugging.
"No. It's probably a whole box of tissues."
"Lifetime supply."
"Dad shut up." Lily said, tearing the wrapping off. She opened the small card and read the inscription.
"Lily. May you grow to be as graceful and beautiful as your grandmother, as powerful and as wise as your grandfather. May you become as proud and courageous as your father and as gentle and sweet as your mother. Petunia."
She looked at the gift in her hands and blinked in surprise. Pictures of her grandmother. Standing on the bow of a boat, her hair swirling around her face, smiling wide. There were pictures of her as an infant, and as a young girl. Swimming in a lake and beaming into the lens, against a backdrop of Ben Nevis. The pictures ended abruptly with a last picture of Lily herself, sitting on a stone, holding her knees to her chest, her hair loose and flowing. But on closer inspection Lily discovered it was not her, but her grandmother. She looked at her father, who was opening his gift.
He opened the wrapping cautiously and looked at the gift inside.
He too found a photo album in it. He opened it and looked at the photo's, gasping. In it, there were photo's of him as a small boy. Pictures of him staring glumly out the window, running down the street, head hanging out the window. There were pictures of him lying asleep, pictures of him as a teenager, staring out across the horizon, unaware that someone was there, making momentos. He looked up, as though he knew Petunia would be there, waiting to explain herself.
"I couldn't bear to know that you would have nothing to remember yourself by, even when you lived with me. Your mother was my sister, and I loved her, despite everything that happened between us."
"I know Aunt Petunia."
"I'm going to leave now."
"Where are you going?"
"I've found a place in Manchester, a nice little house. I have some school friends who live in the area. I just wanted to make sure you got those pictures. Wanted to do it before I die. You're a good boy Harry. A good father, a good son." And with a little magic of her own, Petunia left their lives forever.
"Hey Lils. We were just about to go wake you."
"Where's Anna?"
"Still sleeping. You know Anna."
They ate breakfast when Anna woke up and then went into the sitting room to open gifts. They tore open packages, finding books, robes and small animals that exploded in clouds of pink smoke. From Seamus she got a pair of levitating shoes. Anna got her robes of emerald green, the same colour of her eyes. From Caroline she got a diary, with thick parchment sheets and a leather bound cover. Will got her a locket, inside, a picture of the two of them, and on the other side, her initials. Ron got her "Flying With The Cannons" ("Let's Just Cross Our Fingers And Hope For The Best") and from Draco a new broomstick (IceLantern3160). She opened a gift from Hermione, hoping she was being inconspicuous, but everyone was watching her as she opened a beautifully illustrated book of Fairy Tales. And from her father, perhaps the best gift of all. "Two weeks in Sweden, you can go see the broom races, go to Stolkholm, see everything."
"Thank you daddy!" She said, tossing her arms around his neck.
"Two more." Seamus said, pulling a thick parcel out from under the tree. "For Lily, from Petunia. And for Harry from Petunia."
"Big package for a sewing needle." Harry said.
"Maybe it's a knitting needle." Ron said, shrugging.
"No. It's probably a whole box of tissues."
"Lifetime supply."
"Dad shut up." Lily said, tearing the wrapping off. She opened the small card and read the inscription.
"Lily. May you grow to be as graceful and beautiful as your grandmother, as powerful and as wise as your grandfather. May you become as proud and courageous as your father and as gentle and sweet as your mother. Petunia."
She looked at the gift in her hands and blinked in surprise. Pictures of her grandmother. Standing on the bow of a boat, her hair swirling around her face, smiling wide. There were pictures of her as an infant, and as a young girl. Swimming in a lake and beaming into the lens, against a backdrop of Ben Nevis. The pictures ended abruptly with a last picture of Lily herself, sitting on a stone, holding her knees to her chest, her hair loose and flowing. But on closer inspection Lily discovered it was not her, but her grandmother. She looked at her father, who was opening his gift.
He opened the wrapping cautiously and looked at the gift inside.
He too found a photo album in it. He opened it and looked at the photo's, gasping. In it, there were photo's of him as a small boy. Pictures of him staring glumly out the window, running down the street, head hanging out the window. There were pictures of him lying asleep, pictures of him as a teenager, staring out across the horizon, unaware that someone was there, making momentos. He looked up, as though he knew Petunia would be there, waiting to explain herself.
"I couldn't bear to know that you would have nothing to remember yourself by, even when you lived with me. Your mother was my sister, and I loved her, despite everything that happened between us."
"I know Aunt Petunia."
"I'm going to leave now."
"Where are you going?"
"I've found a place in Manchester, a nice little house. I have some school friends who live in the area. I just wanted to make sure you got those pictures. Wanted to do it before I die. You're a good boy Harry. A good father, a good son." And with a little magic of her own, Petunia left their lives forever.