Among the Stars

Christmas break was finally here and that meant that Lily and Wisteria finally got to go back home to their parents. They had been sending owls to their parents weekly, but now they got to see them in person after nearly four months of being away.

       The girls sat in a train car on the Hogwarts Express with Severus Snape, Jane, and Shannon. Many kids were choosing to stay at the school over the break. Sirius didn't want to go home, so James, Peter, and Remus all opted to stay as well. Christine and Penelope had decided to stay and Christine has momentarily moved into their room. Michael stayed behind at the school as well.

       "This is so nice!" Lily says, sitting between Severus and Wisteria. "We don't have to deal with the boys constantly hovering around, we get to go home and see mum and dad-" she cuts off with an excited gasp, "Do you think Petunia has calmed down yet? Maybe she's back to her normal self! Oh we get to make our christmas cookies and hopefully they haven't decorated the tree yet, that's always my favorite part, and Sev, you can help us with all of that! I'm sure our parents would be delighted to have you around! Then on Christmas day we can open presents and, Wisty, you are just going to love the gift I got you! What did you get Petunia? I wasn't sure what I should get her, so I haven't gotten anything yet. Maybe we could go Christmas shopping together? And of course Sev, Jane, and Shay are invited to come with us when we do-"

       "Lily!" Wisteria butts in, ending her sisters excited rant. "We get it, you love christmas and you are elated to be back home, but calm down."

       "You're right. I need to breath. It's just... this year has been so amazing so far, you know? I want its end to be perfect."

       "And it will be, but you needn't talk all of our ears off about it." Jane says.

       Lily smiles and laughs. "I suppose you're right. Okay, I'm calm now, see? Perfectly calm. So, what are you all doing for the holidays?"

       "My family always gets together and has a big feast on Christmas eve and then on Christmas we have a nice lazy day and the days after and before we usually just find some snow and play in it." Shannon tells them.

       "My mother was a muggle born and she grew up extremely religious so we spend most of Christmas day in the church and don't get many presents. It's still nice though. Everything is calm... sort of. My little siblings are still a little crazy, but oh well." Jane explains.

       "And we don't usually do anything special, so anything worth while will probably the time I spend with you." Severus says, obvious to all except Lily that he was only talking to her and not her and her sister when he said this. The way that Severus looked at her also went noticed by all except Lily. Jane opened her mouth to say something, but Shannon noticed and kicked her leg to stop her.

       "Oh please Severus. Stop being dramatic." Lily said, completely oblivious to the way his face fell slightly when she said that.

       An awkward silence filled the air for a moment before the door opened to reveal the trolley lady.

       "Anything from the trolley dears?"

       They all bought a few things and the lady moved on, leaving the kids to sit and have fun with their candy.

       A few days later it's Christmas morning. Lily and Wisty quickly realized upon their arrival home that their dear sister was not back to normal. Petunia was avoiding them at all costs, ignoring their attempts at conversation, refusing to go shopping with them, decorate the tree with them, or make cookies with them and had even taken to calling them "wretched wizards" when she talked to them at all. The girls were devastated, but their parents made the trip home worth it. They rarely stopped talking to their parents, telling them everything about their classes and their friends and magic that they could think of. A few days Severus was able to come over as well as Jane and Shannon, so their parents got to meet some other wizards. Now they were all sat in the living room around the Christmas tree, sorting the presents into piles based on whose they were.

       "Oh look!" Wisteria exclaimed. "This big one's for me."

       "I wonder what it could be." Her dad says, winking at her.

       "Maybe it's a love potion." Lily teased. "You'd certainly need that much if you ever wanted any boy to fall for you."

       "Oh really?" Wisteria says, raising her eyebrows. "Well I suppose you wouldn't understand what it's like not having boys following you around like lost puppies all the time."

       "What are you talking about! I don't-"

       "Have you told mum about James yet?"

       "James?" Their mother questions.

       "Who is James? He isn't your boyfriend is he?" Their father asks.

       Lily's cheeks turn bright red. "Dad! No! James is just... He's just this annoying boy at school is all."

       "Yeah, an annoying, cute, boy in the same house as her who watches her every move with fascination and drools over her every time she walks in the room and professes his love for her at least twice a day." Wisteria elaborates.

       Lily rolls her eyes. "That's an exaggeration."

       "Not by much." Wisteria mutters.

       "This James boy isn't a problem, is he?" Their father asks.

       "No dad. He's just an idiot. Don't worry."

       "He's got a whole group of friends that are idiots with him. A nice boy named Peter Pettigrew, a smart boy named Remus Lupin, and, mum, you wont believe what the last one's name is, Sirius Orion Black. Like the star and the constellation. Apparently his family has a thing with stars, just like you have that thing with flowers."

       "Alright," Interrupted their dad. "That's enough boy talk from now, it's time to open presents."

       Wisteria looks at the big one first, but decides to save that one for last. Instead she reaches for the one nearest to her, which is a small box that says its from Severus. Inside is a pair of earrings that she had been admiring the other day at the mall. A small smile comes to her lips as she sets them to the side and decides to put them on later.

       The next few presents she grabs are all from he mother and are basic essentials like clothes and a few books. Then came presents from Shay and Jane. Jane got her all sorts of candy that she had never seen before and remembered when Jane was horrified that she had never had certain candies that wizards have, but muggles don't. These must be the candies she was talking about, Wisteria realizes. Shay wrote her a heartfelt letter and after it was read it folded itself into an origami Ferret.

       Wisteria laughs at these gifts and sets them off to the side to grab Lily's present. It's a thin square package and Wisteria can't imagine what would be inside of it. When she opens it she finds what appears to be a vinyl record for one of her favorite bands.

       "Lily, I love it, but I don't have anything that can play this-"

       "Don't speak so fast darling. You haven't opened my present yet." Her dad speaks up.

       "No..." Wisteria said breathlessly as she reached for the big box. She had wanted a record player for so long now! Could her dad have actually gotten her one. When she finally gets the box ripped open she discovers that her dad had, in fact, gotten her a record player. "Dad... I... I'm speechless... Thank you!" She throws herself across the room and wraps her arms around him.

       He laughs. "No problem. I figured you would need to educate those wizards on how we party." He says smiling down at his daughter.

       She laughs as well. "There haven't been many parties so far. Only one big one I think and that was only in the Gryffindor house since they won the first game of the season."

       "Oh!" Lily gasps. "Wisty, have you opened your present from Sev yet?"

       "Yes, why?"

       "Because he got me what is possibly the most lovely necklace I have ever seen."

       "And he got me some earrings. I wonder how much this cost?"

       "Oh I feel awful. All I got for him was a letter and a picture of the two of us together."

       Wisteria smiled at her sister. "I think he will love that."