Snape couldn't sleep. He knew he should be exhausted, but regardless of how he twisted and turned on the sofa he couldn't fall to sleep. This really wasn't surprising seeing as how a miracle had just occurred. His best friend, the person he loved more than anyone else in the world, was upstairs asleep. He had a strange desire to run around the house jumping up and down and dancing down the hall to express his happiness and excitement. He felt like a kid on Christmas morning.

With a sigh, though, he sat up on the couch waving a free hand towards the lights. He couldn't lay still any longer… he had to do something. Looking around, he noticed the sparse Christmas decorations. Kreacher had brought boxes of decorations down the day before Christmas Eve, but no one had felt like decorating. Arthur and Molly had put a few of the decorations up, but the lack of enthusiasm (even from the kids) had taken all the fun out of the process.

Severus's feet sunk deeply into the carpet as he moved from the couch to the boxes piled in a corner. Sinking to his knees, he opened the first box and discovered strings of magical anti-tangle Christmas lights. They greatly resembled their Muggle counterparts, but ran on a charm instead of electricity. Each bulb had a liquid of some kind in it of different colors that caused the lights to shimmer as if twinkling when lit. Not even bothering to use his wand or magic, Snape began hanging up some of these lights. He tacked them up around the doorways and down the stairs. He hung a white string around the fireplace mantle. Once the lights were up, he moved on to the next box, which contained garland, bows, and even a strand of mistletoe.

He had no idea how long he worked on decorating the house, but by the time he was finished he was physically exhausted. The living room was beginning to fill with sunlight, but he figured he had a couple of hours before anyone woke up. Lying back down on the couch, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

~POL~

Harry hadn't been able to sleep much. After settling down in bed next to his mother, he had curled up against her with one arm lying across her stomach. Her arm was trapped between his neck and the mattress being used as a pillow. She had tried to get him to sleep by talking softly to him and telling stories about her and his father even a couple about her and Snape. After an hour or so, though, she had been unable to fight off her exhaustion any longer and drifted off to sleep, leaving poor Harry terrified to close his eyes.

Harry was so afraid that she would just disappear or wake up and find out it was all a strange dream. However, he must have dosed off for a few minutes. Because the next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes to look into beautiful yet familiar pair of green ones.

"Morning, Harry," Lily said softly.

"Mum." It hadn't been a dream. His mum was still with him.

"Merry Christmas, son," she said with a smile.

"Merry Christmas, Mum," Harry replied with a matching smile. Without warning, he launched himself at her nearly shoving them both off the bed.

Lily laughed with a musical quality that made Harry never want to stop smiling.

"Love you too, Harry," Lily said when she finished laughing not releasing Harry from the hug. After a moment, however, she nudged him away. "What do you say we go downstairs? I'd wager we're the first up, so we can try to peek into all the gifts downstairs."

Harry nodded his head eagerly. That soft smile was still on his lips. He would have agreed to anything if it meant staying with his mother.

After going to the restroom, Harry tiptoed into the room he shared with Ron and changed. She was still there. His mother was still there. It hadn't been a terrible nightmare. His mother was back. She was back.

Meanwhile, his mother transfigured two mothballs into a dark green jumper and another two for a pair of jeans for herself using Harry's wand. While she could have easily just changed into some of Snape's old clothes, she had to admit that she wanted to feel her magic coursing through her once again. There was just something about casting magic that made her feel amazing.

Once Harry had rejoined her, they both headed downstairs towards the sitting room. Once they reached it, they both stopped in amazement. The dark and dreary living room was alight with color and decorations. It was as if they had stepped into Saint Nicholas's sitting room. The transformation was nothing short of amazing. Though, tons of decorations had been used and many small ornaments and what-knots caught the eye, the decorations were far from tacky or gaudy. It was nothing short of astonishing.

Lying in the middle of the room and stretched out on the couch was Severus Snape. Holding Harry's hand, Lily approached the sleeping man. With a smile, she knelt down beside Snape's head so their faces were only inches apart.

"Thank you, Sev," Lily whispered quietly while gently pulling a stray piece of silver tinsel from his hair.

The gentle movement caused Snape to stir and open his eyes. He stared into Lily's green eyes for a moment before easily smiling. Reaching up with his right hand, he brushed her hair back from her face slightly.

"I've missed you, Lil."

Lily smiled taking his hand in hers. "I've missed you too, Sev."

"Forgive me?"

"I told you last night that I had."

"Just checking," Snape replied with a ghost of a smile.

Lily rolled her eyes and stood up still holding Snape and Harry's hands, but stated honestly, "The sitting room looks beautiful."

Snape shrugged and rolled his shoulders. "I couldn't sleep."

Lily raised an eyebrow, "I see." She then snorted. "Well, neither could Harry," she added offhandedly.

Harry felt himself blush embarrassed that his mother had revealed that piece of information to his Potions professor. Out of the corner of his glasses, he noticed that Snape had rolled his eyes.

"Honestly, Lily, could you not embarrass the boy any more than you have?"

Lily huffed affronted, "I didn't!"

"In that case, I suggest you take the boy to a doctor immediately because that shade of red cannot possibly be healthy."

"Forgive me, Sev, if I still see him as a baby. I have missed the last thirteen years of his life." Lily's voice dripped with sarcasm. She ignored the feeling of her heart constricting at her words. It wasn't out of callousness that she was joking. It wasn't. She didn't exactly know what it was, but she knew it wasn't out of heartlessness either. There just was something about Sev that was masking her pain, even if it was just for a little while until she was alone again.

Snape's eyebrow rose to meet his hairline. "Let me think about it."

Lily jerked his arm rather roughly.

Snape chuckled, but stood up. Leaning in, he kissed Lily on the cheek and said, "Merry Christmas, Lil."

"Merry Christmas, Sev." Lily smiled warmly. What was it about Sev that made her grief over losing James lessen? She loved her husband. She had. However, other than when she sobbed into Sev's shoulder, she hadn't cried again yet. She then inhaled, forcing a smile to her face. It was Christmas, a time of joyful reunions, not a time of sadness. "Come on. Let's make Christmas breakfast for everyone."

"You know Molly will be very upset if we deny her the right to shovel tons of food down our helpless throats."

Lily rolled her eyes and tugged on his hand. "Please, Sev. I don't exactly have gifts for anyone so the least I can do on Christmas morning is to make everyone breakfast." Her eyes then glistened with amusement. "But I don't want to cook by myself so I need you and Harry to help me."

Harry saw the slight grimace that crossed Snape's face immediately. He thought better than to comment on the reaction. After all, he had learned in the past twenty-four hours that his mother was best friends with Snape. How odd was that? Well, he had also found out that his mum had returned thanks to Snape and her little secret. Maybe Snape could—nah.

"Lily," Snape sounded pained as he spoke, "you can't cook."

"What's your point?" Lily asked unconcerned.

"You can't boil water, Lily," Severus stated evenly, but with a raised eyebrow.

"For Merlin's sake, Severus, how was I supposed to know the water would evaporate that fast? Now, are you going to help Harry and me or not?"

"I suppose," he answered hesitantly still sounding unsure.

~POL~

Sitting innocently at the kitchen table forty minutes later, Lily watched Snape and Harry as they prepared breakfast. Well, her boys seemed to be working together just fine. But she knew why that was. With a soft sigh, Lily asked, "Are you sure there's nothing I can do?"

"Yes!" they answered in unison.

Had it been any other time, Harry would have been concerned that he was helping his Potions professor cook while making sure his mother didn't go near the food. However, not long after his mother had dragged the professor and him to 'help' cook, he realized why his professor had been reluctant. He thought Snape had been exaggerating when he said his mother couldn't boil water. It was now apparent that Snape was being kind when he said that. It hadn't taken Harry long to realize that his mum was helpless as far as cooking went. Granted, she did try so that had to count for something. After Snape had to put out a grease fire, though, it was evident that Harry and Snape would have to do all the cooking.

"It was just a little fire. I don't see what the big deal is," Lily said crossing her arms.

Snape spun around to face her still holding the wooden spoon he had been using to mix the pancake batter. Harry cringed in preparation of the professor's rant, but continued to stir the scrambled eggs. But Snape didn't yell or scream. Granted, he looked like he was about to spit fire. Even as some of the pancake batter slid off the spoon adding to the eggshells, flour, and crushed blueberries that Lily had spread over the floor.

"Lily, I swear," he hissed between clenched teeth. "If my suspicions are ever confirmed and I find out you planned this….massacre in some sort of bonding attempt between boy and me or any other reason, I swear, I will use this spoon to flay your backside. And no I don't care that you are a grown woman."

Harry turned his head to look aghast at his professor. How dare he threaten his mother like that!

Lily looked completely nonplused and continued smiling. "Sev, I'm not capable of manipulating you into doing something you don't want to like making breakfast for a house full of people. After all, I'm just a simple Muggleborn Gryffindor, not a cunning and intelligent Slytherin like you."

"That's it!" Severus yelled with a snarl and leapt towards her. She must have been expecting this, however. With a shriek, she jumped out of her seat and ran around the table from Snape.

After getting over his initial shock and realizing that his mother and Snape were laughing, Harry began to laugh as well. They both seemed to be in good spirits. And had he not had the twenty-four hours he had, he would have defended his mother from the nasty greasy bat to the death. However, they were laughing as if it was an old joke between friends.

Just as Snape finally caught a laughing and shrieking Lily and bent her over the table, the kitchen door opened only to reveal Molly Weasley. The batter-covered spoon raised high in the air looked at the ready.

"What on earth…" Molly said with wide eyes as she surveyed the scene.

Snape froze instantly. His arm was still high in the air, and his smile vanished within a second, while Lily, still bent over the table, continued to laugh hysterically.

~POL~

After Lily had finally stopped laughing and had wiggled out of Snape's grasp, she explained the entire situation to Molly over tea as Snape and Harry finished cooking. Of course, Lily couldn't just laugh it off with Mrs. Weasley. No, she had to repeat the entire sordid story to everyone as they entered the kitchen. Coupled with the fact he was cooking and had decorated the sitting room, that story had led to the complete and total obliteration of his reputation. Well, there was at least a sizeable dent in it anyway. He'd have to make few seventh years cry when school started up again.

When Lily grabbed his hand and led him into the sitting room with everyone else, he lifted his head to glance at her. He couldn't be mad at the witch, not when he had just found her again. So with a tarnished reputation, he offered her a small smile. In return, he received Lily's beaming trademark smile that spoke of kindness and mischief. Staring at the witch, he realized with a start that it was the same smile he had seen on her son's face from time to time. How could he have not noticed it before?

When they were all settled in the sitting room, the children immediately started handing out the various presents under the Christmas tree. They of course were rather respectful to one another, smiling and laughing as they did this. However, this rare peace was interrupted by the plump Muggle child.

"Mummy," whined Dudley loudly, "why don't I have any presents? It's not fair! I want my presents!"

Noticing the flared outrage in the freaks' faces, Petunia immediately pulled Dudley to her. She was not going to have those abominations hurt her son because of what her nasty nephew had spewed to them over the years. She attempted to shush her son, while giving Vernon a pointed look. Her sweet Dudders deserved his presents, all fifty of them. Thanks to the freaks, though, her son didn't get to have his usual merry Christmas. In fact, in her opinion, they treated her son as if he was a naughty boy, which was so far from the truth in her eyes.

"Now, see here," Vernon spoke indignantly to the room in general. Everyone stopped and glanced towards the reddening Muggle man. It wasn't because they cared what he or his wife had to say. No, they stopped because they hadn't heard him speak all morning, which had been a saving grace in some of their opinions.

"My nephew is right," Lily said addressing the room. Her eyes were full of kindness again. "It isn't fair that Dudley should be the only one without presents this morning." Green eyes glanced at each of the witches and wizards. "They were taken away without warning from their Christmas to a place they had never seen or heard of before. Don't you all agree that the least we can do is save the gifts until this evening?" Her head rose a bit higher when a few of them nodded. "I mean, we can spend the rest of the day doing other things together now as how Christmas was intended to be celebrated."

The confused and shocked expressions that everyone wore would serve to amuse Snape for years. Apparently, the others didn't understand the true meaning of Christmas. Then again, they likely hadn't grown up in a household like Snape's where buying presents meant there would be no food on the table. Lily knew about that, though, so she knew the true meaning. This Christmas he couldn't have asked for a better present than to have his best friend back, alive and well.

"Like what?" Ginny asked, breaking the silence. She protectively held a large purple-wrapped box with a pink bow on it as though it were about to be snatched.

Lily tilted her head to the side for a moment to think. "Like, well, like making cookies."

"Absolutely not," Snape stated firmly. He was not going to have another fiasco in the kitchen with her again. "There is no way in—"

"I didn't mean me, Sev. You and the kids could make the cookies, while the rest of us watched and had tea," Lily answered. Oddly enough, she seemed to emulate the way Snape addressed a room full of dunderheaded students that were about to blow up his classroom.

"I think not," Severus growled, crossing his arms and glaring at the redhead. Not many people got away with talking to him like that. But for his lovely Lily, she could kill someone and he'd forgive her. He drew the line, however, at trying to burn down the house.

Lily rolled her eyes. "As I was saying, we could tell stories or sing carols or whatever else the kids would like to do instead of opening presents."

"But I want presents!" Dudley shouted at his aunt.

Lily's eyes narrowed on her nephew. With a few quick and graceful movements, she was standing in front of him. Despite that fact she was a head taller than him and definitely weighed less, he shrank back from her glare. Dudley obviously was not used to adults that didn't give in to his demands.

"Dudley Dursley," Lily said through clenched teeth, "I'm trying to make this holiday as enjoyable for everyone as possible. Now, you can either stop complaining or you can stay in your room all day sulking. The choice is yours."

"How dare you! You've no right to tell my son what to do or how to behave," Petunia shouted at her perfect sister. Coming to stand in front of her son, her fists clenched at her sides as her eyes flashed murderously. Oh, how she wished the witch was still dead. Things were easier that way.

Lily's patience obviously had run thin because she uncrossed her arms to copy her older sister, clenching her fists against her sides. "Well, if you behaved like a proper mother, Tuney, and taught your son some manners, then I wouldn't have to."

Leaning in towards her sister until their noses almost touched, Petunia glared and snarled, "I always knew you and the rest of your freak friends would make me miserable! Why can't you just leave my family alone? We want nothing to do with you!"

"Honestly, Petunia—" Whatever Lily was going to tell her older sister, however, was lost as she suddenly went silent.

Petunia smirked victoriously. However, when she tried to speak, she discovered that her own voice was gone as well. Grasping her hands around her neck, she tried to scream without making so much as a peep.

With his wand still leveled at the two Evans' sisters, Severus stood, not trusting either of them not to attack him for casting a silencing charm on them. However, it was necessary if he wanted to speak without either of them interrupting with their childish bickering.

"Now that I have your attention," Snape began speaking firmly, "I may have a solution to this problem. If the two of you and Vernon would be so kind as to step into the kitchen, I'll remove the silencing spell. Perhaps we can come to some sort of agreement that won't make everyone miserable."

Harry watched stunned as his mum and aunt walked into the kitchen before Snape with Vernon following obediently behind. As the kitchen door closed, he wondered just what kind of solution Snape could have that he required that much secrecy. While Snape had brought his mother back, he wasn't quite sure if he trusted the man fully yet. Snape was still Snape after all.

~POL~

Once in the kitchen, Snape placed a privacy charm around the room. He didn't need the others to hear his idea. They wouldn't understand and likely would only gape at him as if he had grown a second head. One encounter of that ridiculousness was more than enough for him this Holiday break.

Within seconds, Petunia began to screech at him. He ignored her, though, and focused on the look from Lily. It pained him to see that look, but it was necessary. Her emerald eyes were narrowed on him. If possible, he swore she would have obliterated him into something less than dust with that look. Still ignoring Petunia, he spoke directly to Lily.

"Don't look at me like that, Lil. You and Petunia arguing would not have been very much in the Christmas Spirit. Now, would it?"

"So you just spelled me silent." While some of the anger had left the beautiful green eyes, she was still displeased at what had taken place.

Snape only inclined his head. "Perhaps it wasn't the most…satisfactory solution. However, it was the quickest." He then sighed. "And if we're going to accomplish this feat, we will need to move quickly."

"What are you talking about?" Vernon began. His eyes slowly narrowed on the tall, sinister-looking man. While he did have prior experience with the man, he wasn't quite sure if he believed that the man's bark was worse than his bite yet or not.

"As you are aware, the recent threats against your family have made your home off limits. London, however, isn't." He nearly grimaced when he heard his words. It sounded as if he was willing to take two Muggles and Lily shopping. However, that was so far from the truth. Even if that hadn't been horribly foolish with the recent Death Eater attacks everywhere in Britain, he would have never agreed to be anyone's personal chauffeur and personal shopper much less these Muggles.

"What are you suggesting, Sev?" Lily asked softly.

"Clearly, we can't go waltzing into Muggle London for Christmas presents since the danger has not passed for the Dursleys yet." Drawing in a steadying breath, he glanced towards Lily. "Therefore, we have two possible solutions. We can either have another pick up gifts from Muggle London to deliver them here or I could transfigure simple gifts for your son."

"Absolutely not," Vernon replied gruffly. "My son will not have any of that rubbish gifts. Lord only knows what sorts of diseases and cancers that rubbish gift would cause my son to develop because of that nonsense magic of yours." Without even so much as glancing at his wife who looked ready to murder her sister and Snape, Vernon decided. "I take it that freakishness in you can conjure up a few catalogs or something?"

"Indeed," Snape replied, ignoring Vernon's offensiveness. He then summoned a few catalogs from thin air and said nothing as the heavy items clattered onto the kitchen table. Turning his gaze from the Muggle man, he glanced towards his best friend. "While there is no doubt that you are the greatest Christmas present your son has ever received, Lily, I am certain he would appreciate a small trinket from you also."

"That's a good idea, Sev," Lily replied with a soft smile. "Now, why couldn't you tell us this plan of yours in front of the others, though?"

"I figured that my reputation had been damaged enough this morning. Therefore, there was no need to damage it further by allowing the others to watch me attempt to save Christmas. Merlin only knows how your son would react to that."

"Ah, I see," Lily said with a soft laugh. "I suppose we should be quick about this then, shouldn't we?"

He only inclined his head and motioned with his hand for the Dursleys to look through the various catalogs left on the table. The sooner this was finished, the sooner he could continue his Christmas undisturbed with Lily by his side. He paid no attention to the muttering Muggles as they softly discussed what they would get their whale of a son. Instead, he chose the far wall to stare at. However, when he felt someone link arms with him, he glanced away towards who he believed was Lily.

"You seem to know my son better than I do, Sev," she quietly spoke. "Maybe you could help me pick something out?"

"I only know him as my student, Lily." At the sight of her green eyes narrowing, he sighed. "I care very little about my students' personal lives unless it concerns a form of abuse, physical or otherwise," he admitted.

"You never spoke to him outside of the classroom?"

"Not civilly at least," he answered. "I regret that I have been rather standoffish and at times hostile with your son over the past three years."

"Because he looks so much like James?" she asked with a hard edge to her voice.

"That is partly the reason, yes," he confessed. He said nothing to her glare intensifying. "However, there is another explanation that for reasons I cannot divulge at the current time." When he noticed her lovely green eyes had darted instantly to his left forearm, he quickly quelled the urge to grab his Dark Mark.

"We'd like this for Dudley," Vernon's gruff voice interrupted.

Snape glanced away from his former best friend and walked towards the Muggles. He looked down at the item Vernon's fat finger was pressed against and did his very best to keep his lip from curly upwards in disgust. These Muggles clearly thought they could continue to spoil their son, even though they were in the presence of others who knew just how well they treated the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Choose another item."

"No. That's what our Dudley is going to get."

"That most certainly is not what your son is going to open in the presence of others. Not unless you wish to be killed that is." When he caught Petunia's instant glare, he had to suppress the urge to chuckle. As if that ugly woman scared him with her nasty glare.

"You cannot tell—"

"I can tell you whatever the hell I feel like, Tuney," he drawled, rocking back with his arms crossed. "I am after all the one wishing to ensure peace in this household for the Holidays, correct?"

"Just like your father did, right?" she snapped back with a vicious smirk.

Clenching his teeth, Snape did his best to withhold the murderous tendencies in himself. Had he met the vindictive bitch in an alley, though, he knew she certainly would be lying dead then. Releasing a controlled breath, he decided he'd leave another Order member to deal with the Muggles. After all, he didn't necessarily enjoy killing Muggles, but he knew he would with the Dursleys.

With a flick of his wand, he sent a quick message to the Order member who would likely do the least amount of damage. Exactly a minute later, he received his response as Kingsley Shacklebolt apparated directly into the kitchen. Ignoring the outrage from the Muggles who were going on about the Auror being one of those freaks, Snape walked towards the dark-skinned man.

"Something small would be the most prudent," Snape said in hushed tones to the man.

"Anything else?" replied Kingsley, eyeing Lily warily.

"At my flat in London, I have a silver frame on my mantelpiece. Bring it."

"I'll return shortly." Within seconds, Kingsley vanished from the room.

"We're not giving our son anything that has been sullied by your kind," Petunia nastily sneered.

"Then your son won't receive a damn thing for Christmas," Snape replied with a growl. He hated that woman. He always had and always would. He caught the look Lily was giving him, but he said nothing in response. What was there to say anyway?

Two minutes later, Kingsley reappeared in the small kitchen with a small red-wrapped gift under his arm and the silver frame in hand. The Auror quickly walked to Snape and handed him the frame with a puzzled look. Neither of the men spoke, though. In fact, once he had glanced towards the Dursleys, Kingsley once more left the room, apparating away.

Whirling around, Snape walked over to Lily and set the frame down on the countertop in front of her. He caught her confusion that she quickly masked from him. He only sighed.

"Perhaps you could add a picture of you and Potter to it for the boy," he quietly suggested. The words tasted bitter in his mouth. How could he even suggest that to her, a picture of Potter and her? He then growled in his mind. He could suggest it because that was whom she had married in the end and had died beside. He had lost her to Potter. He had to remind himself of Lily not being his. She was Potter's. Likely, she always would be, too. He had lost his chance with her.

"Could I have your wand for a second then, Sev?"

Without another thought given, he handed it to her. Only for Lily would he do such a foolish thing. He remained quiet as he watched her alter the picture. Losing that picture of just Lily smiling was the very least he could do, considering how he had been one of the primary reasons for her and Potter's deaths. Grabbing his wand back from her when she was finished, he inclined his head respectfully and caught the picture. It was a family photo of the Potter family when Harry was seven months old. The family wore large smiles, but it was only Lily's smile he focused on. He had always loved her smile.

"Thank you, Sev," she said, magically wrapping Harry's present in green paper.

"Perhaps now would be a sensible time to return to the others?" It wasn't really a question, though. In fact, to make sure that they all followed with no issues, he banished the two wrapped presents to the sitting room. Without so much as another look at the Dursleys, Snape spun around and briskly walked out of the kitchen to head back. He could hear Lily following close behind him. No doubt, she understood his reaction. She always did after all, well, except for that one time.

"Is everything all right, Severus?" Molly asked with an uneasy look as soon as he had walked in.

"Yes," he curtly replied, taking a seat immediately. "We may now open presents."

"But I won't get anything," Dudley cried.

"Perhaps next time you won't be such a brat, Mr. Dursley," Snape drawled, mildly glaring at the plump child. When Dudley opened his mouth to retort, the older wizard instantly summoned the red gift from the back of the tree and tossed it to the whale child. "You were mistaken. Now, open your damn present and allow us to have some peace." Glancing towards Harry a moment later, he inaudibly sighed. He could see the surprise in the child's face as he tore open the wrapping paper to discover the family photo.

"But—"

"I'll admit that I had some help," Lily responded, motioning with her eyes towards Snape. Her warm smile threatened to overpower the room yet again. "Do you like it?" Her answer came in the form of a very emotional and powerful hug from her fourteen-year-old son. "I'll take that as a yes," she said, laughing and carding her fingers through her son's unruly hair. "Merry Christmas, son," she whispered before kissing his cheek. She said nothing more as she just held him against her.

"Ah, there is nothing else like the power of a mother's love," a kind voice spoke in the doorway.

"Albus," Snape said, standing immediately. There were only a handful of reasons why Dumbledore would come to Grimmauld on Christmas morning, and Snape was rather certain it wasn't to deliver presents. While Dumbledore may have shared a likeness to Santa, the old man was anything but good in Snape's mind.

"Good morning, my boy," the elderly wizard replied with a warm smile.

"Has something happened, Dumbledore?" asked Arthur Weasley.

"Nothing bad I assure you," he responded, laughing jollily. His twinkling blue eyes then glanced towards the Muggles who were glaring at him. "Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, just the people I am in the need of speaking with." The couple didn't respond, only glared. "The threat against your residence has been dealt with."

"Meaning what exactly?" gruffly asked Vernon.

"You and your family may return to Privet Drive at once. We will of course have Order members watching your residence again, but you need not remain here for the Holidays." As if just realizing something, the older wizard sighed. "Since your sister's arrival was on short notice, I have failed to find her a suitable place to remain. However, I believe you are in the Christmas spirit, are you not, Mrs. Dursley?" His blue eyes glanced over his half-moon spectacles at them.

"Fine," Petunia bit out with a nasty grimace. "She can stay with us." When Vernon started to protest, she sent him a fierce glare that instantly silenced him. "Let us leave this horrid place instantly. I have things to do."