I don't own anything, please don't sue me
Petunia was upstairs, getting ready to go to the park with little Dudley. While taking nappies and feeding bottles, she brushed her hair and put on some makeup. Being the mother of a one-year old wasn't easy everyday, and with November coming up, Petunia was getting more stressed out. The death of her parents took a toll on her every year. She knew it was going to happen and was prepared for it (she had asked Vernon to come home from work early in the following weeks) but for the fourth time, Petunia was getting insomnias and nightmares at night. During the day, she was keeping busy and, with Dudley, that was easy.
Petunia took a deep, short breath, took the stroller and all she had gathered, and managed to go down the stairs. She saw Dudley, sitting on his baby-chair and smiled fondly. He was trying to throw every object within his reach on the ground. He was such a cute baby, with his big cheeks and belly. He sure took from his father. She picked him up and forced him into the stroller as he began to wail and wiggle.
"Shush, it's going to be ok", cooed Petunia.
She took her coat and forced the stroller outside her house. She began to walk on the pavement. It was a cold, grey day and Petunia did not like those. At least it went with her mood. November remembered her of her parents and family apart from Vernon. She had broken all bridges with her sister after their death, blaming her for everything. She knew it wasn't fair : Lily hadn't done anything wrong, except from being a witch. She couldn't help it but that was not the point, right? She could have chosen not to go to that school. She had left them and everything had been different. Well, it didn't matter anymore. Mum and Dad were dead and Lily gone with that stupid husband of hers. In fact, Petunia should blame everything on him : he had been the one to take her away, to show her a job that was not only dangerous but ridiculous. Lily didn't want to become a policeman or whatever they called it in their world, since after she met him. Anyway, it was over and she couldn't do nothing about it.
Petunia arrived to the little park. The trees had almost lost all their leaves and there were large piles of half decomposed garbage on both sides oft he trail. What a sad season, autumn.
Petunia released Dudley from the stroller and took his hand while pushing the stroller with her other hand. He was just learning how to walk and he was stumbling every ten meters or so. She guided him to a sandbox in a playground and let him play, searching for a bench nearby. She sat down and took out a book. She began to read, while watching her son play. But soon enough, her mind swirled on its own.
Lily hadn't give up yet with their sisterhood. Petunia had received for every New Year a card : she knew Lily had married that boy and they had a baby that was around Dudley' age.
Suddenly, she was taken away from her reveries : a small group of people were approaching rather loudly the playground, shouting and singing. Petunia stood up, took Dudley in her arms and began to walk away rapidly. As she passed the group to go home, she noticed that the people were dressed rather bizarrely : they were all wearing capes of different colours. It resembled the cape that Lily had to wear to that school of hers... Ah, enough of Lily! She heard someone from the group shout something like : "Do you know who is dead?", but it didn't resemble a question and he wasn't talking to someone in particular. That was weird. It didn't seem like someone was dead, with all the gleeful people. She couldn't think of someone that multiple people would hate to the point of being happy if they died. It couldn't be someone important, she would have heard it on the radio, as she was listening all morning. Well, some people were just strange.
Petunia walked fast until she was on her block. She couldn't hear the group anymore so she relaxed a little. She decided the walk was over for now. Dudley had played enough outside to sleep a little so she put him down for a nap. Petunia went to her bedroom and laid down, closing her eyes, thinking over was had just happened.
She was drifting to sleep when she heard a small knock. Vernon couldn't be home yet. She assumed it was from another house. Then, she heard it again. She opened her eyes and sat up. The door was open, and nobody was there. No one she knew would joke like that. She began to panic. That's when she saw the bird on her window. It was a grey-brownish owl with sullen eyes and a yellow beak. Petunia shooed it away but it did not move. She opened the window to chase it out, and she saw the paper attached to the owl. This reminded her of her sister, who had an owl to carry out mail. Lily had never sent her anything by owl, assuming (rightly) that Petunia would never get as close to a bird as to open the letter. But considering the event of the day, and the fact that it was so close to their parents' death, Petunia stretched to grab a bit of paper and take the letter. She opened it and began to read.
Dear Tuney,
I am proud of you for getting the letter from the owl, and glad that you did because this is important. I know I never sent you anything by owl and I promise this is the last time. I couldn't do it any other way, it was my last chance for goodbye.
I should explain : if you receive this letter, it means I'm dead. I knew I was in grave danger and took precautions to make sure you received this if I die. I am sorry for you and for me. I won't go into details but I think you know I have a son, Harry. He's four months old now. I hope you have a child too, because it's wonderful. I love him so much it breaks my heart to know that if you read this, I'm dead. It means he's either an orphan or dead too...
Anyway, the mean guy of our world wants to kill him. I don't know why. Don't worry, we have protections against him but it might fail. That's why I write to you. If I die, you must help him. He has no family but you. Please Tuney, for me, your sister.
I know it wasn't always sunshine between us but I always loved you. You always will be my big sister, my Tuney. You have to know that. I never forgot you and I missed you like crazy when I went away for school. I know I didn't always show you that, but how was I supposed to do. You would never talk to me when I got home. And yes, I hated Vernon because he was taking you away from me. When I was home, you were to his house. He stole the little I had of my sister. How could I not hate him?
Well, I wish I could explain why I am a witch and not you. But I can't. And I can do nothing about it. You can't blame me for something I can't control. I couldn't not go to Hogwarts. Even at ten, things happened when I was angry, or happy. You remember the flower, right? How would it had turned out I didn't learn to control my magic? It would not have been good.
I'm sorry that Severus made fun of you for that. Please know that he turned out to be a bad guy and it's been years I'm not friends with him anymore.
Finally, it's time I say goodbye to you, my big sister. It doesn't feel like I'm going to die, but you know me, I think of everything.
I love you and always have.
Lily
Petunia sat on her bed, too stunned to stand. She stared at her wallpaper for a long time. Each breath she took was hurting her from inside, like a knife tearing her organs. A sob formed in her stomach but she let out a crisp breath to stop it. Another one formed. And another one. They escaped her mouth and she let go. She couldn't stop. She cried for her lost sister, her now dead sister, her little sister, she cried for her feelings, for herself, for Lily. Her head went against her knees and she cried. How was it possible to lose again the thing you thought you had lost a long time ago? Petunia was hyperventilating. Then, she stopped abruptly. She had had hope. She had had hope that she was going to forgive her sister and they were going to be sisters again. But now this hope was gone. It was now hopeless. Petunia stayed with her hands around her knees and her head slumped together until Vernon came back from work.
A/N :
A sad little oneshot about Petunia and Lily. I love their relationship and I was interested on how Petunia reacted when she found out Lily was killed.
Please review, even to tell me this completely sucks :)
Thanks,
P.