A/N: JKR owns everything. Not going to lie, I cried a wee bit when I wrote this. Hopefully, you all enjoy!
Written for: Proverbs Challenge w/ a problem shared is a problem halved and the Greenhouses Comp w/ option petunia.
Marissa Evans watched as Lily curled up on the sofa, her legs tucked under her body. Lily tucked a red strand of hair behind her ear, watching out the window.
"Lily, what's wrong?" Marissa asked, coming to sit down next to her youngest daughter.
Lily turned to face her mother, silent tears falling down her face. "It's nothing, Mum," she said, quickly wiping the wetness off her face.
"Lil, you can tell me. I know I may not understand everything in the Wizarding World, but you can tell me and I'll try to understand."
Lily smiled shakily at her mother.
"A problem shared is a problem halved," Marissa said, rubbing her daughter's shoulder.
"Okay," Lily said with a sniffle. "It's about Tunie."
"Petunia? Why, what's going on?" Marissa wasn't aware that there were any problems between her daughters.
"She hates me, Mum!" Lily cried, on the verge of hysterics. "I don't know if it's because she's jealous that I'm a witch and she's not… but she's treated me differently ever since I found out."
"Lily, Petunia could never hate you sweetie, she's your sister and she loves you very much," Marissa said, pressing a kiss to Lily's temple.
"No, she doesn't! She thinks I'm a freak…one that shouldn't be a part of this family. I don't know what to do! I always write her letters but she never responds. And when I'm home for the summer, she ignores me. I don't want to lose her."
"Lily, you aren't going to lose her. I'll talk to Petunia tonight and see what's going on."
"She's just jealous that I'm different. She thinks you love me more than her."
Marissa was horrified. "That's not true!" she immediately protested. She and Jeffrey did coddle Lily a bit more, but that was just because she was their baby. She had no idea Petunia had felt so bad.
"The rift between us is killing me," Lily said softly, before burying her face in her hands.
Marissa stood, determined to find Petunia. She had no idea this rivalry had been going on between her daughters. But now, she was determined to put it to an end. Hopefully, she'd be able to… for the sake of her family.