DISCLAIMER: You think that if I owned this, I'd waste time writing FF?
AN: I haven't read the seventh book in like a year, so I have no idea about specifics, just bear with me here, because the book's all the way back in Singapore.
Efflorescence
Petunia shivered. It was cold in this side of the house, her window wouldn't shut and an icy draft ran around the room, leaving her teeth chattering and toes trembling. It didn't help that she had her face to the cold. The open window brought occasional flurries of snow that landed on the floor around her. The thick wool blanket was wrapped around her, chin down. She was not going to let the winter air go to her. She was going to stay firm and put; wrapped under layers of wool and cotton, her nightgown reached down to her ankles and she had put her purple fluffy slippers on for more protection. Until she slept, she would not budge. The cold would lose and she would stay there, wrapped up in a bundle, not moving one bit.
"Petunia!" A soft, albeit rushed whisper was heard.
Petunia jumped out of the covers and darted her head around quickly.
"Tuney, it's only me!" Her sister's voice rang out. Lily was crouched, propped up against the front leg of her bed, green eyes wide with shock. She too had a blanket wrapped around her to protect her from outside.
"Lily, what is it?" Petunia asked annoyed. She pulled up her blankets and gritted her teeth, trying to warm her body. "And why do you have dirt in your hands?"
"Watch," Lily patted the dirt in her hands and showed Petunia, with pure pleasure, a small bud of a flower rising out from it.
"How did you do that?" Petunia asked amazed.
"I don't know," Lily replied, "It's like it's magic or something!"
"Have you told Mom and Dad?" Petunia asked
"No," Lily said in a hushed whisper. She wrapped the blanket around her even tighter and dropped the dirt on Petunia's beside table to try and close the curtain.
"Here Tuney," Lily scooped up the dirt patted it down to make a near-perfect circle. "You can keep this for now." Petunia smiled and rolled her fingers through the many petals of the flower.
"Are you ever going to tell Mom and Dad?" Petunia asked, her expression one of delight and surprise with a mix of concern.
"Maybe," Lily said with a secretive smile on her face.
Petunia woke up the next morning her hair covered in snow to her mother's scream. Worried, she rushed down the stairs to the kitchen.
In the middle, Mrs. Evans stood surrounded by an assortment of lilies and petunias.
"Why, Lily!" Mrs. Evans hugged her youngest daughter who was standing behind her. "It's beautiful!" She turned to Petunia, "Isn't your sister wonderful?" Petunia managed a weak smile. Lily grinned innocently. "Now dear," Mrs. Evans said, "You must tell me how all of this happened?"
Petunia didn't know it then, but that was when the jealousy started. Down in her heart, the fact that troublesome, lively Lily had managed to please her mother more than obedient Petunia, sparked a feeling of envy. One that would curl and twirl her way through life. Through all those years, from childhood to Hogwarts to that strange boy down the road to that horrible boy Lily ended up marrying to that boy she had, the boy who she had died to protect.
This was the bloom of the jealousy.
Petunia thumped the vase down onto the counter. No one was around at all, she was just expected to stay home and do housework and pretend that she lived a normal, ordinary life.
It was never fair for her. Her reckless little sister was the one who got accepted into that horrible school. Then her little nephew got sent over here expecting her to take care of him.
Petunia sighed and fell to the floor, tears she had kept in for thirty long years came spilling out. All because of her wretched sister and bundles and bundles of flowers. She fingered the flowers she bought carefully, yellow and white lilies, freshly picked. They smelled wonderful. Petunia buried her face in her hands.
It. Wasn't. Fair.
Petunia stood up and arranged the flowers carefully into the vase and left in a hurry to sweep the floors. And while all of the hatred and jealousy was let out, in that particular vase, the spring lilies were blooming.