A/N: Here you go. This chapter is dedicated to Carrot Top, the annoying AT&T guy that drove me nuts. I'm sure he's an asshole. Anyways, please read and review.

Chapter Twenty Four: The Holidays Begin

It was the night before the train left Hogwarts for holidays, and Lily, Ellie, and Allison were sitting in the library, the only place they knew James wouldn't be if he was hanging out with Sirius. They were diligently working before the library closed, and having a good time looking at the many pictures of James.

"I can't believe that many people had photos." stated Lily, still amazed that Ellie's plan had actually worked.

Ellie giggled. "Well, I can't really believe it either. Help me find one bad enough that we don't put it in the album but good enough so we can actually say it won a contest."

Allison held up a photograph of James eating his breakfast, rather sloppily. It looked like it was from second or third year.

"It's called James, Absorbed, Consumed.," laughed Allison. "I think it's perfect."

"Good." replied Ellie. "We'll announce the winner once holidays are over."

"Alright, I think I've organized them all into years, but someone will have to come back behind me and check." stated Lily, as she picked up another photo. "Who kept getting the pictures of me and James together? There's like twenty of me turning red and trying to curse him. Then there's another ten of him being slapped by me, and another fifteen of him explaining himself to me."

"Well it happened a lot. Many photo opportunities. And plus, I think Sirius submitted some, and he would have taken pictures of that." answered Ellie as she went behind Lily and checked her, moving a few pictures into different piles occasionally.

"Sirius entered the contest?" asked Allison, baffled, she didn't think Sirius was that thick.

"Oh he tried to, but I explained it to him, swore him to secrecy…and he thought it was a pretty good idea." replied Ellie, reviewing the seventh year pile. "Done."

Lily yawned. "Let's get out of here, Madam Merrick is looking at us strangely."

The Hogwarts Express pulled into platform nine and three-quarters at a little before six, and the group of Muggle-clad wizards and witches, excited about the upcoming holidays jumped off the train in a hurry.

Lily said good-bye to her friends, promising to see them on Christmas Eve and making them promise to write her.

She spotted her parents, Beverly and Patrick Evans, standing somewhat uncomfortably by Platform ten.

Her mother was a few inches taller than Lily, she was slender, like Lily, and you could tell Lily got her curvaceous figure from her mother. Beverly Evans, however had dark brown hair, hazel eyes, but her fine features resembled that of her younger daughter's. Patrick Evans, on the other hand, was a tall, thickly built man with graying brown hair. He too had hazel eyes, his jaw was sharp, and a stranger could view him as a very threatening man.

"Mum! Dad!" greeted Lily, throwing her arms around her father; crumpling the intimidating impression anyone might have had of him.

"Lily!" her mother greeted, pulling Lily in a hug as well. "You look great."

Lily laughed. "You do too, Mum."

She looked around, ready to hand her father her luggage to put in the trolley he had brought for her, when she noticed the smaller of her two trunks was missing.

"Oh, I've left my trunk on the train." stated Lily, somewhat startled. "Let me go get it real quick."

As she turned around, however, she ran straight into James, who was standing behind her holding her trunk.

He caught her before she fell, with his quick reflexes from Quidditch.

"Sorry to scare you like that." apologized James. "I just noticed your trunk on the train when I went back to get my owl."

"Thank-you." replied Lily, flushed from the events of the last few seconds. She remembered her parents were standing right beside her, and probably looking at her and James oddly.

"Mum, Dad, this is James Potter, he's Head Boy." she introduced. James smiled and shook Mr. and Mrs. Evans hands.

"Nice to meet you." he greeted. The Evans's nodded and smiled politely.

After standing in an awkward silence for a moment, James finally nodded. "We'll I better go, my Mum and Dad are probably wondering what I've gotten myself into. See you, Lily."

Lily smiled and waved. "See you."

She turned to face her parents, bracing herself for any questions.

"He seems nice." stated Mrs. Evans. "Do you have everything, now?"

Lily nodded as her mother guided the way to where they had parked. Her father pushed the trolley and walked alongside her.

"Potter, eh? That name sounds familiar." he conversed.

Lily nodded. "Well, he is the Head Boy." she explained. "I've probably talked about him some in letters."

Her father raised an eyebrow. "No, I think he's the one that sent all those obnoxious owls that one summer."

Lily blushed. Yes, the summer before sixth year, James had sent an owl to Lily almost every day, almost always asking her out.

"Yes…he used to be quite a prat." she explained. "But he's grown up."

"That's good to know." her father replied as they reached their car, a Volkswagen bug.

As they reached the village of Surrey and started to make their way down Lily's suburban neighborhood, where each house looked the same with their green yards and matching mailboxes, Lily remembered her sister.

"Is Petunia still living at home?" she asked, hopefully, although knowing the answer.

"Petunia is living at home until she's married in June." replied her mother while Patrick Evans steered them into the Evans' driveway.

"Oh." was all Lily could say. "What does she want for Christmas?"

"I imagine things to put in her house, although she's having a shower for that sort of thing." answered her mother.

"Can I borrow the car sometime to go shopping?" she tried, asking her father.

"Sure, but not this evening. We're having Vernon over for dinner." replied her father.

Lily immediately became depressed. Vernon Dursley was one of the most outrageous people she had ever met. Outrageous in the most normal way possible, with his job at a company, his company car, his normal, conservative views. Needless to say, they never saw quite eye to eye.

Lily got out of the car, her father carrying her trunks behind her up the stairs to her room, which she felt that she had never left, seeing as Hogwarts had an exact replica of it.

Except for the record player, thought Lily. It was going to be a hard three days until Christmas Eve, when she could embrace the magical world again.

Before she had even finished unpacking, she heard a tapping on her window.

She reached her window to see James Potter's owl trying to get in. She opened the window and it flew in, dropping a letter in her hands and making itself comfortable on Lily's chair to her desk, sitting on it like a perch.

Lily curiously broke the Potter seal and read the contents.

Lily,

How are you getting settled? I just finished unpacking, presents and such for Christmas. (Still haven't gotten yours so don't ask, ha) and it dawned on me that you don't have my address to apparate to my house.

It's number 17, Chevalier Hill.

See you at seven!

Write back if you feel the urge.

--James

Lily smiled and tore out a piece of parchment and took out a quill and a bottle of ink, and wrote in her feminine, loopy hand,

James,

I'm almost done unpacking. Thanks for the address, and I'll see you at seven.

I haven't gotten your present yet either, so ha.

--Lily

She tied the letter to the owl's leg and brought it a dish of water. She didn't have any owl treats to offer, but she could provide water.

Dreading that evening, she pulled out the pictures Ellie and Allison had collected of James and his years at Hogwarts, special colorful parchment she had bought for the occasion, colorful ink and quills and a special book to place it all in when she was done.

Just as she was getting started, a knock came to her door.

"Come in." she answered, absorbed in her work.

To her surprise, Petunia stood at her doorway, looking severe and serious.

"Lily, Vernon is coming to dinner tonight."

"So I've been told." replied Lily, carelessly.

Petunia ignored her sister and walked in to her room. "He's coming over. So don't forget, you attend St. Mary's in London."

Lily nodded. "As always."

Before she could turn to leave, Lily stood up and faced her sister.

"I thought marriage was about honesty. Shouldn't Vernon know about me if he's going to be apart of our family?"

Lily had touched a nerve. Petunia pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. "You and your…abnormalness can wait."

"Whatever." replied Lily nonplussed, "It's your marriage…your life."

"That's right!" snapped Petunia. "And you are going to be as far from it as possible!"

"Well after I graduate we we'll be living in complete different worlds, you'll have your wish." she replied, coldly.

"Thank God!" breathed Petunia before stomping out of Lily's room.

Lily shook her head and continued to work on James's present before dinner.

"Lily, could you please pass the potatoes." requested Petunia, in an overly polite voice she liked to use after snapping at Lily.

Lily smiled sweetly. "Of course."

She looked at Vernon, who was talking animatedly with her father about his promotion at work and looked desperately at her mother for conversation, but saw that she and Petunia were wrapped up in wedding details.

Taking a long swallow of her milk, she decided to eavesdrop on Mr. Dursley.

"Yes, of course it comes with a great parking spot. I wouldn't have taken it if it hadn't." he laughed heartily, and Lily's father joined in, though less hearty.

Lily decided to act interested. "Where is it that you work, Vernon?"

Vernon Dursley turned his attention to Lily, who he seemed to have just noticed.

"Grunnings. They make drills." he explained.

"But of course." replied Lily. "That sounds very interesting."

"It is." replied Vernon, taking a sip of his wine and focusing on Petunia.

"Petunia and I have picked out a house, right here in Surrey."

Lily speared a pea with her fork. Great. They'll be coming over for Sunday dinner. At least now I know where not to move. She took another sip of milk as Petunia explained about the special curtains she picked out for the house.

It was going to be a very long three days.

Thanks for the reviews, Theresa-Thou-I-Love, bananaslugg, IAMSOAP, CarbonMonoxide, chikichiki, and Zippy-Wings!

Everyone please review, and please continue to read.