A few months ago, everything had been normal, well as normal as they could be with Lily around performing impossible things at times. But they had simply been who Lily was and now there was this strange boy with greasy hair telling her sister that she was a witch and teaching her all about the wonderful magical world. Petunia hated it. Except she didn't.
Petunia and Lily, the two daughters in the Evans' household were very close growing up and had played many an imaginary game where they had magic powers. Now it seemed that Lily actually did have magic whereas Petunia was stuck with her imaginary ones. She eleven currently, which was apparently when magical people got a letter to invite them to school, and had not seen any sign of a letter. But that was okay because Lily hadn't gotten one yet either and maybe wouldn't.
Of course, the greasy haired boy, Severus, was sure that Lily would get a letter but Petunia had learned to ignore him. He was often rude to her, looking down his long and crooked nose at her when Lily wasn't looking. Even though she had tried to be nice to him at the start, and still tried because it was what her sister wanted, Petunia and Severus had an unfriendly rivalry over Lily and who she liked more.
Lily was now ten years old and still hung out with Severus Snape. Petunia contented herself with late night adventures under a blanket tepee in their shared room and all the family time she could manage. She was polite but distant to Severus when she had to interact with him and he treated her much the same way.
When Lily wasn't at school or doing something with Petunia, she was with Severus, learning all she could about the world she would possibly be joining in another year. When she came back she repeated everything she had heard to her older sister who still sometimes tried to move a glass with the power of her mind.
Together they would giggle under their blanket tepee and imagine what it would be like. Petunia was determined that she would join her sister in the magical world, even if she herself didn't have any magic. Nothing could separate the two sisters and they were determined to stick together.
"What do you think your favourite subject will be?" Petunia asked Lily one night.
Lily thought about it for a while and then replied, "Maybe Charms, that seems to be a really useful subject and one that I could use throughout my whole life. I would never have to do the dishes again! I could just wave my wand and they'd do themselves!"
"I am definitely living with you!" Petunia declared and the two dissolved into hushed giggles.
The day had come, Lily was eleven now and a jolly-looking man had arrived bearing a thick envelope had arrived bearing the seal of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Petunia eagerly leaned over her sister's shoulder to read the letter while their mother and father looked on, both a little nervous and excited for their youngest daughter. The two girls read in silence for a few minutes, examining each piece of parchment, parchment, until they knew every piece of information that could be gathered from them.
After they were done they passed the pages over to their parents and waited eagerly for the final decision. The two adults perused the information and noted the items they would need to get if they agreed to let Lily go. Mrs Evans went to make tea for herself, her husband and their guest, one Professor Slughorn who was just as jolly as he looked. Mr Evans guided the professor into the living room and the four of them sat while they waited for the tea to be ready. The two girls could barely contain their excitement, practically vibrating off the couch they had sat in while their father and the professor made small talk.
Mrs Evans came in and served the tea which the three adults all took an appreciative sip of before delving into conversation about Hogwarts and the magical world. Lily and Petunia already knew some of it and, truth be told, they didn't really care about it at that moment. They just wanted to know if Lily would be allowed to go!
After an hour of questions and answers Mr and Mrs Evans had decided, Lily would be going to Hogwarts in September. As soon as they heard the confirmation, Lily and Petunia leapt off the couch and bounced around like mad. Grabbing each other's hands, they twirled around on the spot for a bit before rushing over to their parents and giving them a quick hug after which they returned to their celebrations.
The adults watched in amusement at the twirling, hopping and loudly exclaiming children before Slughorn checked the pocket watch and gave a start. "Oh my, is that the time? I'm terribly sorry but I've got to go, other families to see."
Lily and Petunia stopped their movements and conferred silently while Mr and Mrs Evans started ushering the professor out. Lily nodded at her sister and Petunia took a deep breath before bursting out, "Can I go too?"
Professor Slughorn halted and looked at Petunia in astonishment, "To Hogwarts?" At the girl's nod he chuckled, "My dear girl, Hogwarts is a place for magical people. You are a muggle, you can't go to Hogwarts."
"Is there another school I can go to?" Petunia pleaded desperately.
"No, muggles have no place in our world. You only know of it because of your sister and will never be able to join it. Get that out of your head now and live your normal, muggle, life."
The harsh words struck home and Petunia raced up the stairs to hers and Lily's bedroom fighting back tears. Lily glared at Professor Slughorn before running after her sister while Mr and Mrs Evans turned distinctly colder than they had been before and quickly evicted the man from their home.
Petunia was furiously writing a letter to the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Even if the nasty Professor Slughorn had said she couldn't get in she would go to the highest authority and ask him. Apparently, Headmaster Dumbledore was a big deal in the magical world and she was sure he would be able to help her. Plus, he was in charge of the school! Surely they could make an exception this one time and let Petunia go with her sister.
Lily sat on her bed watching Petunia scribble, tongue sticking out in concentration. Severus had told her that Petunia wouldn't be coming no matter she did but Lily couldn't bring herself to tell her sister that. So instead she sat quietly and stroked the owl that would take the completed letter to Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
There was a flourish and Petunia set down her pen with a sigh. "All done?" Lily asked.
"Yes, he has to let me go with you. He just has to."
"Well give the letter to Bernard here and then you can find out if he will."
The letter was attached to Bernard's leg and the owl took off through the open window leaving two girls behind. One was praying to every deity she had ever heard of that she would be allowed to go while the other was hoping that her sister wouldn't be too crushed when a negative reply came back.
Two days later Bernard swooped through the kitchen window and presented his leg to Petunia who abandoned her breakfast and took the letter with shaking fingers. Lily had also forgotten about the food in front of her, concentrating fully on her sister, one arm curling around Petunia's shoulders in silent support and comfort.
Taking a deep breath, Petunia cracked the seal and read the letter. It said pretty much the same thing Professor Slughorn had said when she had asked him, albeit in a much nicer way. She would not be going to Hogwarts, she would not be involved in the magical world in any way and would have to be separated from Lily for months at a time.
She wrenched herself away from Lily and ran out of the house, unable to stop the sobs that threatened to overtake her. She ran to the nearby park and hid herself away in the copse of trees that you would never know was there unless you already knew it existed. Once there, she collapsed on the ground and let the sobs free.
"Tuney! Tuney, where are you?" Lily's voice came from nearby and Petunia curled up into a tight ball. The branches rustled as Lily pushed her way into the small clearing and knelt beside her sister. She was silent for a while, shoulders brushing with Petunia's when she moved.
Eventually Petunia uncurled and Lily smiled gently at her, "I don't want you to leave me."
"I won't be gone forever, you know. I'll be back at Christmas and Easter and the Summer. It's only seven years and then we'll get a house where we never have to do the dishes. I'll just wave my wand and we can play a game while they wash themselves." Lily bumped into Petunia companionably and the other girl gave a week smile.
"I just… I wish I were a witch too."
"You don't have to be a witch, I'll be witchy enough for the both of us," that startled a laugh out of Petunia and they settled down in silence for about an hour. The matter was settled, Petunia would learn the normal world and Lily would learn the magical one. Once Lily had graduated they would move into a place together and continue their lives.
November saw a change come over Petunia, ever since September she had been quiet and withdrawn but now she refused to talk about Lily at all and sneered when Lily came up in conversation. Her parents were worried but there was nothing they could do, Petunia refused to talk to them. All she said was that she had discovered a new way to look at life.
When Lily came home for Christmas she was shocked and hurt at Petunia's attitude. A rift formed between the sisters, Lily not understanding what she had done and Petunia unwilling to explain it. Throughout the holiday when they were not within hearing distance of their parents, Petunia called Lily a freak and refused to listen to stories of Hogwarts.
And so it went, the sisters grew further and further apart until it was only the fact that Mr and Mrs Evans along with Lily tried their very hardest to get Tuney back that kept Petunia in the family at all. When she was eighteen Petunia moved out of her parent's house and went to live with her boyfriend of two years.
The other members of the Evans' family didn't approve of Vernon Dursley but there was nothing they could do. They still tried to break through the hard-shell Petunia had erected around herself but nothing worked, she didn't even attend Lily's wedding a few years after Lily had graduated. Petunia had completely cut her old family out of her life and was determined to be as normal as she could be with a 'freak' for a sister.
She had a perfectly normal house in a perfectly normal neighbourhood with a perfectly normal husband and child. She was perfectly normal in all the ways she could be and so was her life. Until a perfectly abnormal occurrence happened on the second of November 1981. A baby was left on her doorstep, the son of her perfectly abnormal sister, who was probably also perfectly abnormal, had been thrust upon her and she knew her days of normality were limited. Still, she would hold onto them for as long as she possibly could.
A/N: Written for the The Houses Competition practice round. Short story prompt- "I wish I were a witch too." House- Hufflepuff. Position- Head of House