Severus was happily unproductive over the holidays. He wrote letters to Fortescue out of courtesy, Selwyn out of interest and to Albus because he'd been asked to, but otherwise lazed around playing games with Lily and Petunia.

"I'd like to apologise," Petunia commented to him one day as they helped out in the kitchen. Rose was speaking to Mark in the next room.

"Whatever for?" He replied, surprised.

"For last Christmas," she stated. "I was a brat and I ruined Christmas Day with my accusation."

She turned slightly red at the confession. Severus sighed.

"That's alright, Petunia. We all do things we regret."

"But I was beastly! What right did I have to be that cruel to you?"

Severus shrugged.

"I stole your best friend from you - you had every right to be angry and bitter."

"Lily isn't my_ I have other friends, you know!" She exclaimed, getting riled up.

"I know," Severus surrendered, raising his hands.

Petunia got on extremely well with the quieter members of lily's entourage - Emily Macmillan, Jane Court and Selena Shafiq. She was also friendly with Alice and Mary, but they were more Lily's friends than hers.

"Anyway, I accept your apology," Severus said. "Everyone does stupid things at times."

"Even you?"

"Even me," he sighed, gracing Petunia with a small smile.

"And you made my wish come true last Christmas," Petunia murmured.

"Why else do you think I randomly came up with the idea?" Severus questioned. 

"You heard!"

"Of course I did."

"You can't eavesdrop on other people!"

Severus raised an eyebrow at Petunia, who visibly shrunk back.

"Would you have wanted me to pretend that I didn't hear your wish?" He asked shrewdly.

"... No."

"There you go, then."

"Severus, Tuney - there you are!"

Lily entered the room.

"Don't call me Tuney, Lily," Petunia said, annoyed.

"Why not? I think it's a sweet nickname," commented Severus slyly.

"Don't you dare start," she threatened. "Otherwise I'll call you Sevvikins until the end of your days."

"Alright!" Conceded Severus.

"Loosen up, Tuney," Lily said, smiling. "Even Sev has, and we all know how he started off."

"Yeah, gloomy and cold-hearted," Petunia muttered.

Severus almost joked 'I wonder why that was' but Rose walked in at that moment and the subject was instantly dropped. She checked the dinner in the oven and proclaimed that it smelt mouthwatering.

"I might even let you cook Christmas dinner," she joked. "And no, I'm not letting you anywhere near a knife, Severus. Ever."

*

Christmas morning was a lot more peaceful than the previous year. Lily, either remembering last year's incident or being too tired to wake up as early, only knocked on Severus' door at around half ten, demanding he come to breakfast, as he had taken a Dreamless Sleep potion to ensure a good night's sleep in time for the big day.

"Sevvvvv," she called. "Mum's made breakfast!"

"I'll be there in five minutes," Severus mumbled back.

Dreamless Sleep always left him extremely dazed - well-rested but not completely with it for the first few hours. As such, he stumbled out of bed and spent the entire five minutes getting slowly into a shirt and trousers.

"Good morning," he said politely on entering the kitchen.

"Sleep well?" Rose asked, giving his dishevelled appearance a beady once-over.

"Yes, thank you," he replied, smiling, to try and convey the fact that he was, in fact, perfectly awake.

"Your hair looks like a crow's nest," Petunia stated kindly.

"Petunia!" Exclaimed Rose.

"He knows it's true," she shrugged.

Lily laughed. Severus gave Petunia a 'what can you do?' look.

"Anyway, enough bickering," announced Mark. "It's time for presents!"

*

Rose and Mark, true to their usual parental instincts, had given Severus a present.

"Oh, wow," gasped Severus, "you didn't have to."

They'd given him a rare book on Charms. Severus knew for a fact that it cost around twenty Galleons and was extremely grateful.

"Thank you so much!"

"Lily said you'd been eyeing up the library's copy for a while," Rose said fondly, laughing at the indignant look on his face.

"I had not!" He told Lily childishly.

"What were all the puppy dog looks for then?" Lily asked, laughing.

Severus gobbled.

"There weren't any puppy dog looks!" He protested. "But thank you very much Mr and Mrs Evans."

"It's Rose and Mark, dear," Rose corrected, amused.

"Now, my present!" Lily said excitedly.

"Have I looked wishfully at any other books?" Severus questioned Petunia seriously.

Petunia laughed and shook her head.

Severus opened Lily's gift and smiled genuinely when he saw what it was.

"Thank you, Lily - it's beautiful!"

Lily had gifted him with a beautiful phoenix feather quill.

"For if you ever write an autobiography about your amazing exploits," she beamed.

"It sounds like you could write a lot," commented Mark, "if you get up to half the things at school that you say you do."

"Trust me, Dad," said Petunia, "It's all true. Even the crazy stuff."

Out of consideration for their nerves, Severus hadn't mentioned his dealings with the Death Eaters and had trusted Lily and Petunia to do the same. They would find out eventually but he wasn't about to spoil their Christmas.

"What did Remus get you, Sev?" Asked Lily, interested.

Lily had been spoilt rotten by her parents, her friends and even Petunia. The two sisters' relationship had drastically improved since Petunia had found out she was a witch. It saddened Severus that their relationship would've been irreparable without magic as it had been the first time around. Rose and Mark had politely declined his offer of the magical core potion.

"Mr and Mrs Evans?" Severus questioned, extending another crystal vial.

The two Muggles looked at each other, then simultaneously shook their heads.

"No, thank you," Mrs Evans politely declined.

"We are happy living without the knowledge," Mr Evans explained. "We are far happier with two amazing, magical daughters!" 

His eyes shone with pleased tears. Petunia stifled a sob and then raced to her parents, who gladly embraced her. The older Evans child had been slightly put to the side as Lily's abilities were revealed. Lily had gone to the special school with magic. Despite this, things had been kept fair for Petunia: she had been taken out to dinner, to the movies whenever Lily left for school, but it hadn't been the same. Petunia could now finally be the same, and that was what she had always wanted.

"He got me a diary," Severus said. "A nice leather-bound diary."

"That's good of him," Lily replied.

"I know," he smiled.

Maybe, just maybe, Christmas wasn't so bad after all.

*****

A.N. A slightly weak ending, I'm sorry, but it is nearly one in the morning and I have been trying to write this since eleven so I guess it's the best you guys are going to get. xD

Thank you so much for reading and please comment, if only just to point out how I could change the ending of this chapter!!!