Chapter 44

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"Does your friend think that I don't feed you properly? Did you tell him I don't?" Diana Reid asked her son when he received another parcel of Christmas treats in the mail.

"No Mom, he knows that I can't cook myself, and he knows that you're not always well enough to make treats. He doesn't have the money to buy a nice gift and send it, so he sends things he's made. He's a good cook for a kid," Spencer tried to explain. "Try one?"

"Are you sure they're not from the government, trying to poison us?" Diana asked suspiciously.

"They're not from the government. They're from my friend in England. Why would he try to poison you? He doesn't know you. See the postage," Spencer said showing her the package wrappings. "They're a bit dry, would you like some tea or coffee with them?"

"They're different? I thought you said your friend was English? These aren't English," Diana said.

"No, they're Italian. He's friends with a family who own an Italian restaurant and because he's interested in cooking, sometimes he helps out there and they teach him things," Spencer tried to explain. He wondered if he should tell Harry not to send him food again while he was home with his Mom. He decided it was better not to say anything, he knew Harry would be upset if he thought his gift had caused his Mom to have a bad day and this wasn't really a bad reaction.

Saturday 29/12/90

Dear Spencer

One day when we're both grown up, I'm going to invite you to my home and cook you a proper British Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. I know how, I've done most of the work for Christmas dinner this year. And I've cooked I don't know how much shortbread and gingerbread and fruit mince pies and Christmas fruitcake. Vernon and Dudley keep getting into them and eating them all and then Petunia insist that I cook more so there's plenty for guests. She kept me home from school on Friday to bake for Christmas and prepare the ham and the puddings. I wouldn't mind it so much if I didn't have to cook the same things all the time, or if I ever was allowed to eat any of them, other than the little bits of leftover dough. Though as you know I manage to steal quite enough to make up for it. Making light is easy now and I think the light is as bright as it used to be, unlocking the cupboard is still a struggle but it is getting easier again so whatever they did to the house is wearing off thank goodness. I try to steal enough non-perishable things for at least a second night so I'm not trying to unlock the door every night. I have spent some of the money I earned in the restaurant on airtight containers so I can keep things better.

I'm sure there's other Christmas foods. In fact, I know there is because I've been helping bake Christmas biscotti at the restaurant. You'd probably call them cookies, made with almond meal and dusted with icing sugar. They're really good but I don't know if they'll keep well enough for you to appreciate them. Still I've sent you some since I was given more than I could eat and I didn't have enough money to buy you a present and pay postage and I didn't want to only send you stolen goods. I hope they're still good and that they arrive at your house before you go back to college. I thought about sending them straight there but they'd be too stale to eat for sure by the time you got back.

Christmas Day was pretty miserable with Marge there, every time she sees me she says something awful. Some of the time it's awful things about Mum and Dad and I can see Petunia getting angry when she insults Mum, but she never says anything so I just try not to listen to her. Luckily, she uses a different tone of voice when she's giving me orders so I can just try to ignore the words and listen for that change in tone to tell me when I need to hear what she's saying.

Marge has gone home. She left the day after Christmas and things have returned to normal, thank goodness. Even Petunia and Dudley were glad to see her go and I'm not sure that Vernon wasn't too. They don't squabble like the brother and sister next door at number six fight with each other, or like the man across the road fights with his sister-in-law and brother-in-law when they come to visit but I don't get the impression that they're fond of each other at all. I know Petunia is nice to her mostly to keep the peace with Vernon and she makes Dudley be nice to her because they're hoping that Marge will leave him all her money. She's twelve years older than Vernon and just as fat and unhealthy, at least while she's here she is. She drinks more too, but that doesn't mean she's going to die before Vernon. Not with the way he turns purple and the veins in his neck pulse when he loses his temper. Vernon's on blood pressure medication too. Quite a lot of it I think, and at least four different medications for his heart. From what I looked up in the library I'm sure his doctor would recommend a healthier diet too but he refuses to change it and I'm not going to try to sneak healthier cooking methods into Petunia's kitchen.

Anyway, Marge and her horrid dog Ripper are gone, we won't see them again at least until one of the Summer bank holidays, and at least then it isn't too cold to sit up in a tree if he chases me up one again. I'm going to look for a hideout again when the weather improves and hopefully I can talk Petunia into letting me stay out in it the whole time Marge is here. There's a couple of places that wouldn't be too bad to stay in for a day or two though they're not hidden enough from Dudley to be a proper hideout. Still Dudley's getting bigger much quicker than I am, maybe I can find a place that he won't fit into anymore.

Merry Christmas Spencer

Your friend

Harry

A/N: Thank you to all those who reviewed followed or favourited this story for your support.

White Christmas Recipe

2 cups mixed fruit (sultanas, currents, orange peel, glace cherries etc,)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup coconut

1 cup powdered milk

3 cups rice bubbles

250g copha

Mix dry ingredients, add melted copha, press into slice tray, refrigerate.