"Tuney, Tuney, look at this!" Lily called excitedly, her fat little legs failing to bring her to her sister as fast as she wished. "A strawberry!" She pronounced it with careful articulation, and their father scooped her up and congratulated her on her quick intelligence with words.
Petunia looked down in with distaste at the little fruit in her sister's red hand. The juice was running all over her body, her mouth covered in pink splotches to match her hand. She'd found only the more common raspberries in the large field, and she was jealous of her sister's easy find.
"There are tons this way," Lily explained, grabbing her hand and hauling her back to the other side of the field. "Here!" She pointed triumphantly at the plump fruits suddenly growing on the very bush Petunia had already investigated five minutes ago. She scowled.
"How'd you do that?" Petunia asked, her brow furrowing. Lily shook her head.
"What d'you mean?" Lily said, in her small baby voice. Petunia looked down at the girl and couldn't help but grin at her plump little cherub's face.
"Never mind. I'm hallucinating." Petunia used the big-girl word proudly, but her father did not pick her up and congratulate her. He was too far away--he didn't notice, or maybe he didn't care.
Petunia sighed and hugged her little sister tightly. "Don't get hurt, 'kay? Promise?"
"Why would I get hurt?" Lily asked, giggling as she hugged her sister back.
"Promise?" Petunia insisted.
"I won't. I promise."
The little girl grinned and rushed away to make more strawberries appear. Petunia didn't know what to think--whether or not her sister really would be careful, and whether or not the strawberry thing was her problem, or her sister's.
She settled on picking the strawberries still hanging around there. She bit into the plumpest, reddest one, and savouredit. And then she bit into a skinnier, longer one. It was bitter. Petunia spit it onto the ground and shivered. A seven-year-old should not have to experience bitter.
"You may now kiss the bride."
Petunia clutched Vernon's hand as she watched her sister getting married to the horrible wizard.
"That man is…odd."
"They're all odd. They're all freaks," she murmured to him sharply, fingering the lace on the end of her expensive pink hat. He turned to her and raised his eyebrows, but nodded. She knew he disliked them too, though maybe for different reasons.
Potter and Lily had finally broken apart, to a few titters in the audience. They were grinning like maniacs, and Petunia shivered, feeling suddenly alone. She burrowed closer to Vernon, who put his arms around her, rather confused.
She watched as they headed inside--the wedding was in Potter's backyard, which sounded much too ordinary for Lily, but perhaps Petunia didn't know her anymore--never taking their eyes off one another. Mrs. Potter came out with a platter of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, apple slices, and dip, and set it on the table.
"They'll be right out," the wrinkling woman said proudly. "Lily doesn't want to stay in her wedding dress for the rest of the night!" She walked back into the house to get more appetizers, her face glowing with happiness.
Petunia looked wistfully after her, wondering what it would be like to have her mother love Vernon so much.
"Come, have a strawberry, darling," he said, handing her one. She eyed it carefully; she hadn't had a strawberry since she was seven; it had been the worst tasting thing she'd ever had.
It was long and thin, but she bit cautiously into it, half-expecting the horrible taste that filled her mouth. Why these horrible strawberries plagued her was beyond her imagination. But for some reason, she accepted the next, plumper, redder strawberry from her fiancé. She chewed it slowly, savouring the fantastic taste, and then it hit her.
Lily, the vibrant one, the proud one, the happy one, the special one…She was getting married to the adorable, though odd, bloke that their mum loved. She was the beautiful, talented one, who aced every test she took. She was the one who pleased everyone. She was the plumper, redder strawberry, and Petunia was the thin, bitter one. The thought made her shiver, causing Vernon (who was busy 'trying' everything put on the table) to turn and smile reassuringly.
"Good, aren't they?"
"Lovely," she mumbled. He turned away, but she added, "Just lovely."
A/N: This was for the Fruit Challenge. I hope you enjoyed! A million thanks to Gaby, who beta-ed this for me! Please review. It's only courteous.