The thirty minutes it took to get from the Potters' home to Lily's passed much faster than they had previously. They talked about anything that came to mind, poking fun at each other and teasing good-naturedly. James was a little smug about how he could make her laugh, enjoying the sound. He was especially proud when he got her laughing to the point where it was with her whole body and he was forced to slow the broom down as she wrapped her arms tighter around him to keep herself seated safely.

He could tell she didn't want to dwell on the possibilities of what would happen when they finally arrived at their destination. So he just kept talking, so long as she wasn't, and entertaining her endlessly.

Eventually they were flying over her neighbourhood once again and James saw the familiar playground just ahead. "Where shall I land?" he asked.

He came to hover above the playground, waiting for further instruction.

The playground wasn't an option. It had a thin layer of snow coating the equipment, no children were playing on it, but there were a few children running about on their front lawns and close enough to the park to notice if two people appeared out of thin air. She didn't particularly feel like obliviating anyone more than the already unfortunate Vernon Dursley.

"Left," she said quietly, "that first street, sixth house."

James took the directions and came to a house that looked near identical to all the other houses on the street. He brought them around in a slow and wide spiral downwards and hovered just above the ground beside the brick of her house. Lily thought it ironic that he chose the exact spot that she had been whisked away from. In fact, she could see the wrapping paper that had covered the decoy present, soaked and peeking out from under the dusting of snow.

Her feet returned to the ground a little wobbly. James placed a hand at the small of her back while she regained her footing, tossing his broom up in his other hand and catching it to carry it comfortably. "Do I have to insist on walking you to the door?" James asked.

Lily removed the charms from them. "No," she said.

James grinned. "Thank Merlin, I'm really not in the mood," he said, propping his broom up against the side of the house and taking her hand. He began to walk with her around the house.

"I thought you weren't walking me," Lily said.

James gave her a funny look. "Of course I'm walking you to the door. I'm just not insisting on walking you to the door."

"Oh."

They stood in front of the door. Lily was quiet.

"Should I ring the bell?" James asked.

"Just a moment," she said. She thought for a second, her tongue darting out to lick her bottom lip nervously. "I have my last question."

"Oh?" he asked. "What's that?"

Lily told herself that it was perfectly okay to ask. She made up her mind and started talking before she lost the nerve. "Why didn't you give up on me?" she rushed out.

James' brow furrowed. "Give up on you?"

"Why in the world did you continue to...pursue me? Why not move on to someone else?" She knew for a fact that there were at least a dozen of girls back at school that would have snatched him up without question if they were given the chance.

He beamed. "And here I thought it was going to be another impossible enquiry about my annoyances."

Lily looked confused. "Answer the question?" she prompted carefully.

James shook his head at her. "Because you're the only one who wanted me at my best," he said. "You're the only one who makes me want to be my best. To be better."

She smiled, flattered as she blushed.

"You know, I spent a good amount of time trying not to like you last year," he confessed.

"A good amount of time?" she asked. "And how'd that go?"

He laughed. "Not so well. Lasted about four months though, a record, mind you. But you," he poked her side and she squirmed, "were such a nagging and constant thought in my head that I gave up."

"Should be I glad? Complimented even?"

James shrugged. "Couldn't get you out of my head." He winked and she shook her head at him.

She lifted herself to her toes and brushed her lips against his, then took his hand and rang the bell.

She could hear it chime inside the house and then footsteps approach as James squeezed her hand reassuringly and laced his fingers through hers.

The door opened and a man stood in front of them, average height with thick brown hair and rectangular glasses perched low on his nose. A book was held in his left hand, his finger marking his page.

His face pulled up in a smile as his eyes came to rest on his daughter.

Lily slipped her hand from James' and hugged her father tightly.

"Happy Christmas," she said quietly.

Her father laughed and pulled her closer. "Happy Christmas, sweetheart."

Lily let go of her dad and turned. "This is James," she presented. "James, this is my dad."

James held out a hand to her father and the older man shook it firmly.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir," James said. Lily was impressed.

"This is your friend?" Mr. Evans asked as he stepped aside and allowed them in.

Lily nodded.

"I see." Mr. Evans eyed James critically. "Violet!" he called.

The reply came from the second floor. "What is it? Did you get the door?"

"It's Lily," Mr. Evans replied loudly. "She's home."

Lily could hear the sound of music playing loudly upstairs as James came to stand beside her. He looked upstairs towards the music as well. She couldn't make out the song but it was no doubt coming from Petunia's room. This did not bode well.

"Lily!" Her mother came rushing down the stairs, sweeping Lily up in a hug. "Darling, don't you ever leave here like that ever again! You have no idea how we worried about you!"

Lily closed her eyes and sighed guiltily. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Goodness. I'm just glad you're back," she said. She spun around to see James. For a second she looked rather startled but she recovered quite quickly.

"Violet Evans," she introduced, holding out a hand.

"James Potter," he returned. Lily was right, her mother was beautiful. Her daughter's features didn't much resemble hers but they both had the same sweet look to them.

"Potter," Mrs. Evans repeated. "I believe you've sent post here, haven't you? By owl?"

James looked sheepish. "That would be me."

"Well, this is surprising then." She looked at her daughter. "You're alright?"

"Perfectly fine, Mum," Lily assured.

"She was staying at James' home," her dad chipped in. There was a tone to his voice that Lily registered as negative.

"Oh," her mum said. "Oh!" she exclaimed. Her eyes went wide and her expression changed. "Lily," she began, her voice disappointed and stern.

"Why? Because I stayed at a boys house?" Lily sighed. "His parent were home and I stayed in a guest room," she told them, offering the information quickly before they could ask for it.

Her dad merely hummed, or growled depending on how you interpreted it, in response.

"Can we get you something to eat?" Mrs. Evans offered. "Drink, perhaps?"

"A glass of pump-"

"Orange juice," Lily corrected.

James looked at her in confusion before it clicked. "Right," he said. "A glass of orange juice, if you have any, please."

Lily beat her mother in getting to the kitchen to retrieve it.

James faced her father. "How have the holidays been?" he asked conversationally.

"Fine," he replied. "Better now that Lily's back."

Mrs. Evans smiled, seeing her daughter home and turned to James. "Do you know why she left?" she asked quietly.

James hesitated. "I don't really know," he said.

"Is she really alright?" Mrs. Evans questioned worriedly. "I would never have known Lily to disappear like that. Especially on Christmas. It doesn't seem like her, not at all."

James scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I suppose she just felt overwhelmed," he offered.

"By what?" Violet asked.

James felt bad. Clearly, this woman felt slightly at fault, and she meant well in asking him to find out more, to find out what she could do to make things better. James didn't feel right in explaining the situation to Lily's parents though; it wasn't his place.

"I don't know," he told them, managing to meet her mother's eyes but not chancing a glance in her father's direction. "She wanted to come home though, so whatever it was, she's quite okay now I'm sure."

"Here you go," Lily sang. She handed him the glass of juice, her gaze swinging back and forth between the three people in front of her. "Something wrong?" she asked.

"No." Her dad told her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and squeezing her gently.

Violet smiled at her. "Oh," she said. "Your sister's been waiting for you as well. Petunia!" she called. "Petunia!" There was no response. Obviously the girl couldn't hear over the blaringly loud music.

Mrs. Evans threw her husband a look and he sighed, letting Lily go and stepping over to the bottom of the stairs. "Petunia!" he bellowed. "Downstairs please!"

The sound stopped abruptly. "What is it?" she called back.

"Come downstairs please," her mother repeated. "Lily's home."

"What?" There was a sigh before Petunia appeared at the top of the stairs.

If Lily had blinked a second too soon or too late she would have missed it. But it was there, she saw it as her sister's eyes met hers for the briefest of moments. Relief. It flickered over Petunia's face for a split second before being replaced by cold indifference. She'd seen it though and she swallowed thickly and held back a watery smile.

Her sister had been worried for her.

"If she's back, can I go Vernon's now?" Petunia asked. "I told Rita and Lisa that we'd have lunch."

"Petunia, your sister just-" Mrs. Evans began.

James couldn't see her from his place near the kitchen doorway, the wall was in the way. He was having a bit of fun conjuring up his own ideas of what the hag looked like however, so he didn't move quite yet. Besides, he was afraid the girl's demeanour would change once she realized she had an unfamiliar audience and he was too curious for his own good.

He drank the last of his orange juice quietly as he listened.

"Yeah," Petunia cut in, "and she just left, too, didn't she?"

Lily could hardly believe her ears. She wouldn't have really, but she knew Petunia. This was becoming oh so typical of her.

James was close to shouting and getting angry on Lily's behalf. In his opinion, she was being much too quiet. Not at all the fiery Lily Evans he knew and loved.

"Can I go?" Petunia asked again. She turned around and went back upstairs, returning with her bag slung on her shoulder and her eyebrows raised in question.

"Don't feel any obligation to stay because of me," Lily said. "Honest."

Petunia smiled insincerely. "Thanks."

"Petunia," Mrs. Evans said. She looked at Lily and James.

"What?" Petunia asked, and she really did sound casual about it. "Lily just said it's okay. Besides, if she has no obligation to stay, why should I?"

Lily shook her head. "It's really fine," she told her parents. "Tell Vernon I wish him a happy Christmas."

Her sister nodded stiffly and then made her way down the rest of the stairs. She was moving to put her shoes on when she noticed the stranger by the kitchen.

Her eyebrows rose considerably. "I don't believe we've met," she said, extending a hand. "Petunia Evans."

James took the hand and gave her a smile. "James Potter."

"Potter?" Petunia asked, extracting her hand. "Pot-ah. You're one of them."

"Them?" James asked innocently.

Petunia smiled thinly. "Magical folks," she said, "from that school, isn't it?"

James nodded, pushing the sleeves of his button down up. He watched as Petunia's eyes followed his hands and lingered on his forearms.

Lily's voice snapped her attention back. "Problem, Tuny?" she asked.

"Don't call me Tuny," her sister said. She brushed by her as she went into the kitchen and pocketed some money from the jar on the table. As she came back around to the door, she muttered, "Doesn't matter anyway. You're both freaks."

Lily gritted her teeth together. James touched Lily's fist, enclosing it in his larger hand and gently tightening his grip until he felt the muscles in her hand relax within his. He paid no attention to the noticing looks he got from her parents.

"Have fun," Lily said. "Happy Christmas."

Petunia gave her a look that was quite close to amused. "Happy Christmas," she replied. She shoved her feet into her shoes and then pulled the door open, calling a brief goodbye over her shoulder before she left.

Lily's mum looked crestfallen, her dad merely tired.

James could feel Mr. Evans' eyes slide over to him as he watched Lily. He ran the hand that wasn't holding Lily's through his hair. "Well, I'll just be heading home then," he said.

Lily nodded. "Right," she said, "I suppose Sirius and Remus will be waiting, won't they?"

"Yeah," James agreed. I don't have to go, he wanted to say. He was there for as long as she needed him and he hoped she realized that as he waited for some sort of sign from her. Something telling him she was okay.

She smiled at him.

James smiled back and then turned the expression to her parents. "Pleasure meeting you," he said.

"You won't stay for lunch?" Mrs. Evans asked politely.

He shook his head. "No," he said, "we've got company at home I should get back to."

"You have a way home?" Mr. Evans asked.

James nodded. "Yes, sir, thank you."

"Alright then."

Lily moved to the door with James as her parents nodded at him, told him to take care and then disappeared to the living room.

Lily opened the door and stepped outside with James, pulling it nearly entirely closed and moving them to the side and away from the living room's view. "Thank-"

His grinning lips swooped to hers before she could finish. "I'd tell you to stop doing that," he said, "but I do think I'm enjoying it."

"Likewise," she returned. "However, I do appreciate you bringing me home. And everything else."

He smiled. "You're welcome."

"So, I'll see you back at school, then," she said. "And happy new year."

"You're good?" James asked.

Lily shook her head at him. "I'm perfectly fine."

"You keep saying that," he noted.

"People keep asking," she said. "Besides, it's really starting to ring true."

James eyed Lily carefully. "Your sister is a real-"

Lily laughed. "Charming, isn't she?"

"My thoughts exactly."

She shrugged. "Petunia's...I suppose she just copes differently."

"Bitchily."

"James." Her tone may have been rebuking but her expression did nothing to hide her amusement. "She just doesn't understand," Lily said, thinking back to James' explanation.

He nodded.

"I should get back inside," Lily said. There was a pause and then Lily had wrapped her arms around his middle, her cheek pressed against his chest.

James' hand found the back of her head as he cradled her close. He kissed the top of her head and breathed in the scent of her hair.

Lily moved back and kissed him, long and lasting with every bit of her. His lips were soft against hers, moving warmly before his tongue swept out along her bottom lip. She granted him welcomed access and all but sighed as his mouth slid over hers. A strange feeling at first, it was nice; he certainly knew what he was doing.

"What was that for?" James asked.

"That was in place of a certain two words I'm apparently not allowed to say."

He smirked. "And with good reason."

Rolling her eyes, she steered him towards the side of the house. "Get yourself home in one piece," she instructed.

He grinned as he watched her pink tongue swipe along her now very red lip. "I'll try my best," he vowed.

She shook her head and kissed him once more, one last brief peck before sending him on his way, watching him with a smile as he rounded the house. A moment later a blur whipped around the brick wall, or at least Lily presumed so. It was hard to tell if she was just seeing it because she wanted to catch it so badly, or if she was seeing it because it was really there. Her quiet debate over this was short-lived as she felt a whoosh of air in front of her and then her hair tugged gently.

She laughed and swatted, her efforts rewarded with a mere pat on her head. She sighed huffily, annoyed that she couldn't see him.

James took pity on her and with a good reach he got her hand in his, though she jumped about ten metres high at his contact. She went to pull her hand away, probably to hit him, when he kissed her knuckles. She watched and complied as she allowed him to turn her hand over. He pressed a kiss to her palm.

"Alright, alright," she said. "Enough of that. My parents are going to wonder what we're up to out here."

She could feel the whisper run through her. "Bye, Lily."

"Bye, James."

A second later she was sure he was gone. She smiled and then turned and made her way back into the house.

"Lily?" her mum called from the living room.

"Yes, Mum?" Lily grinned.

"Darling, we thought we might watch a film, would you like to join us?"

"Definitely," Lily chirped. "Give me two minutes. I think I'll make some hot chocolate."

"We haven't opened our presents from you yet," her mother added. "And yours are here as well."

Lily hurried with the cocoa and then met her parents in the living room. She settled into the couch with her parents and handed them each a mug. Her father didn't make his usual comment on how he didn't want any; just accepted the mug with smile and took a sip along with his wife and daughter.

They opened presents. Lily thanked her parents for the scarf and stationary set they'd given her. Her mum was positively beaming at the poetry collection and her father, ever so practical, was very happy with his tool set.

They watched a film. Lily was utterly cosy as they sat together on the couch, a fleece blanket over their legs and her head on her father's shoulder. And when Petunia walked in and saw them, the opening scene of the second film they were watching lighting the screen and setting the room in a subdued glow, she didn't say a word. She set her bag down on floor and sat on the arm of the couch. After a minute or two of her watching with them, they all squished over and Petunia tucked herself onto the couch with them. She sat between the arm of the couch and her mother and Lily quietly thanked her for the mittens she'd received from her. Petunia acknowledged this was a nod, not even meeting her gaze but Lily couldn't even be bothered to care as she sat back and closed her eyes, her dad's arm around her shoulders.

And when credits rolled for a second time, her mum got up to fix a very late lunch and her father returned to his book. Petunia got a call from Lisa and announced that she was going to be sleeping over at the Fieldings. She packed an overnight bag and left.

And that was okay.

Lily wondered if it was that her parents didn't catch the fact that Vernon's parents were out of town and Petunia was going to stay at a friend's house, supposedly, or if it was that they chose to ignore it to prevent another fight. Lily didn't dwell on it and didn't ask questions. Leave well enough alone, she decided.

She had always thought she and Petunia would grow up and share everything. She still remembered Petunia's first crush, when she came home giddy and talked Lily's ear off for hours before they went to sleep. Lily had listened to every word, sharing in her sister's excitement. She could still recite the boy's favourite colour, his smart aleck answers in class, the games he played on the playground; she remembered it all.

And she remembered the mess of tissues in her room the day Petunia came home bitter and sad because some giggling girl got the valentine she'd been hoping for. Young and unsure, they did what it seemed society suggested as the best remedy to a hurting heart- they ate ice cream and chocolate until their mother caught them and confiscated the sweets on account of their then aching stomachs. Despite the tears that had been shed and how awfully sick Liky had felt after, she still looked back on it as a fond memory. But, fond as it was, it was merely a memory.

Those days were years gone.

At any rate, when everyone else dispersed, Lily was left to fold up the blanket and turn off the telly. Then she wandered her way upstairs and lay on her bed, considering whether or not she'd like to take a short nap.

She changed out of her jumper and got out of her jeans and into flannel pyjamas. A nap seemed like a brilliant idea.

As she went to fold her jeans, she remembered the book. Pulling it from the pocket of her trousers, she enlarged it to its original size and smiled.

She sat down and began to turn through the pages and see just how many stories were in there. Halfway through Thumbelina, she found a piece of parchment tucked into the pages.

Dear Lily,

I hope I've managed to get this to you before Christmas. Although, if I have, that means that the brilliance of the portkey plan turned out well and for that I suppose I should apologize. Hopefully you aren't too mad. Or at least keep the hexing to a minimum. It'd be a shame if we couldn't have kids due to one little incident, don't you think?

If I haven't gotten this to you before Christmas, then I hope your holidays were good.

Don't think too much of the present. Honestly, it isn't much, but Remus, Sirius and Peter insisted it was the thought that counted. It did take me a while to think of this, so I'd say that balances out nicely.

Well, I'll see you around then.

Love,

James

Lily felt her heart swell just a bit. So there may have been a line or two that she'd hit him for, and she probably would soon enough, but right then it didn't matter in the slightest.

She set the book aside and went to place the letter on her desk. Two unopened envelopes sat on top of the wood surface, and Lily was fairly certain that one or two half read notes were hidden away in the drawers. She collected them, finding another under her chair, and got comfortable on her bed.

She read all of them. They got progresively longer. Shaking her head and scowling, making mental notes to address certain issues with him, laughing and mouthing the words over and over until they fully sank in and she really could believe someone would say something like that. Or rather, James Potter would say something like that anyway. She read them and she wished that she had a way to reply to them, but she didn't, so she just picked up her book and continued her reading until her eyes wouldn't stay open anymore and she fell softly against her pillows into sleep.

She hoped he'd write her again soon.

The rest of the day passed serenely, quiet but for the questioning she endured over dinner about whether or not she was dating the boy who had brought home. For the sake of her father's heart she was quick to say that she and James were only friends. Her mind went wild trying to decipher if her statement was a lie to her own ears.

She refused to drive herself mad over the idea. Everything was content the way it was, why over think it?

Of course, the elation she felt the next morning when an owl arrived with post, messy scrawl just barely legibly addressing a letter to her, was kind of a hint to where her feelings could potentially lie. She opened the letter with a small smile.

A day late, sure, but it felt like Christmas.

A/N: THE END. To all of you who thought the last chapter was the end, and for all of those who didn't as well for that matter, I hope this last chapter didn't fall short of any expectations.

Please review, lovely readers, it would make my week so immensely better.

Thank you all for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing! You are the people this is posted for and you really do make this entirely worthwhile to share.

Quick note to CaraLee: I'm not posting any sort of long response here so if you have an account it would be greatly appreciated if you signed in. I have many thanks to send your way.

Anyways,

Scarlett