Hello! I know this is unusual, but I was just... inspired. Hahaha. I looove those fanfic emails I get when you review, so please do. They make me smile manically.
As she smiled smugly into the mirror, pushing back her yellow alice band with two slim fingers, the light seemed to glint off her pale eyes, through her blonde lashes and into the glass. She tucked a stray hair behind her right ear and nodded to herself. She looked presentable and... finished. The golden girl of the family.
Padding along the thickly carpeted corridor she allowed herself time to think, and ponder her future. It was clear from the beginning that she was going to be the sister who was married to the right person, the sister who settled in a nice hose, with a company car and a chubby toddler by the time she was thirty. Just the way it should be, she confirmed mentally. Normal. Still, she couldn't help but yearn, for one day, something exciting to happen. Her parents tried not to show it but it was obvious she was the favorite daughter. She shook her head gently, as though she was trying to rid a bee that was buzzing around her ears. Looking down at her feet as she trod lightly down the staircase she noticed that the polish on her right big toe was chipped. It was ugly, right in the middle, a jagged circle that was a juxtaposition to the rest of her. Mentally she reminded herself to repaint her nails as soon as she got the chance.
Her flip flops slapped and flapped against the glossy wooden floor, creating all too much noise. She frowned gently, biting her lip and chewing off a scrap of skin that had appeared there overnight, and took care to walk more carefully and more gently. She stepped along the long floorboards, her skinny feet just fitting into the slats. She couldn't let herself touch a crack or the game would be over. It was never confirmed in her mind what exactly would happen if se touched a crack. She just knew it would be bad. Something caught her eye, just at the edge of her peripheral vision through the open window. She stopped suddenly, taking care not to lose her balance, and peered out the window. There it was again, just a skim of feathers. She peered carefully, trying to find it in the muggy, summer sky. Ah, there it was, just a dot now, getting bigger as it neared the house. It wasn't stopping, just an owl getting bigger as it flew straight for -
There was a bang as the bird soared straight through the ope window into Petunia's waiting arms. It had a surprising amount of force for something that was barely bigger than her forearm. She stumbled, losing her place on the floorboards and let out a squeak of dismay. Even thinking back now she can't remember whether it was the shock of an owl slamming into her, or the annoyance that she had stepped over the cracks.
And there it was. It gave her a nip on the finger and took off from her arms, dropping it's cargo onto the floor in front of her. A letter. She crouched down and plucked it from the floor. The owl gave a quick cry and took off again, out of the window. The seal on the back was of purple wax. That was funny, she knew that even then. No one used wax anymore. What was stranger was the seal, or crest even, that was embossed into it. She squinted to identify the four animals. A snake, that was clear, a bird of some sort, a lion and, a cat. She looked again. No - it was a badger. A lion, snake badger and bird. They surrounded a letter - 'H'. She raised her eyebrows and pulled a confused face, but no one was there to see it.
She flipped it over. There it was. Written in poisonous-looking green ink. Her sister's name, in cursive script, her bedroom and their address. She raised a single eyebrow this time. Flip flopping through to the kitchen she made especially sure - feeling rather sick about her earlier discrepancy - that her feet remained well within the lines of the floorboards.
She flipped the letter in front of her sister and walked through into the pantry to get a crumpet, and some raspberry jam. She shoved the crumpet into the toaster and, bring the jam with her, went to the cupboard to get a plate, a knife, and a glass. She filled the glass to one of the ridges with grapefruit juice. Accidentally she filled it above, so went to the sink to tip a little out. It had to be exactly on the line. Just like the floorboards. She couldn't explain it, but something awful would happen if she didn't make it perfect. Suddenly her sister was calling, screaming almost for her parents. They both ran in, comically almost. Her father skidding on a an abandoned cat toy, still with little scraps of shaving foam dotting his face. He wasn't even wearing shoes, just socks, one still half off. Her mother was worse, still wrapped in a tatty, rough dressing gown. Even when she offered to buy her mother a new one she refused.
"I like this old thing", she would say, wrapping it around her, twisting the tie just so around her belly, tucking the ends in as she liked. "It's been with me through thick and thin."
That annoyed her immensely. There was nothing wrong with being neat and presentable.
Having fixed her juice she turned her attention to the commotion that was going on. Her parents, having scanned the letter were both pale, but hugging her sister like there was no tomorrow. A stab of jealousy came, they were meant to prefer here. Their golden girl. She snatched up the letter, scanning it quickly. It explained a lot. Why her sister's outbursts made funny things happen, like the light bulbs flickering on and off during an argument, or how she could make flowers curl in and out, blooming and wilting. It explained the Snape boy who hung around when they went the the park, having races to the swings. Despite being a year older, Petunia secretly liked being with her sister.
But that was all going to change. Lucky, vibrant, quirky, amazing Lily, with her incredible powers. Blessed Lily, who could make even dead flowers come to life. Born under a lucky star. Fiery, opinionated, passionate Lily, with her red hair that curled every which way, haphazard just like her sister. Impulsive, unequaled, and unsurpassable Lily. And now she was going away, for the next seven years, or even more, to learn how to do these amazing things. Magical Lily!
Petunia felt a deep, resonating desire to be magical like her sister. To be able to do these weird and wonderful things. She was green with envy, her hands clutched into fists, her knuckles whitening and teeth clenched. A burning smell permeated the room. Petunia walked into the pantry, as fast as she could without running. Her crumpet was burnt, to an absolute cinder, and smoking gently. That was it. Tears pricked her eyes, and her hands curled into smaller balls, if that was possible. She blinked angrily, but, unlike usual, the tears wouldn't go away. They kept coming. Lily was leaving without her. Lily would be the amazing child now. The favourite. She would be left behind. With no Lily life would feel empty. A void.
"Tuney, are you okay?" It was Lily.
"Yes. It's just. My crumpet burned."
"Oh no! Are there any more."
Petunia swallowed twice, the lump in her throat refusing to move. "No."
"Oh Tuney -" Lily moved forward, her arms open.
"For Christ's sake Lily, will you stop calling me that ridiculous nickname!" Petunia folded her arms. In satisfaction she could see the hurt make tears in Lily's eyes and could hear the painful thump of her own heart, pounding away at her chest.
"You don't need to say bad words, Petunia. I'm only -"
"I don't care what you're 'only doing'" Petunia's voice rose cruelly, in an imitation of her sister's. "Just leave me along. You stupid magical freak." She spat the words harshly, like gunshots, her heart breaking in spite of the tone. Hurt, and hate and jealousy mingled with shame and love. She spun crookedly, almost as though drunk and stumbled blindly through the kitchen, her parents rising to stop her, but not in time. She slammed the door of the kitchen behind her, rattling the glass in the window through which the owl had flown, glaring at it. But suddenly there was a downpour. Tears flew out like people scrambling to escape a burning building. She ran haphazardly down the corridor. For the first time she found she didn't care that her flip flops slapped brashly against the wood.
She didn't care that her feet were trampling all over the lines of the floorboards, and that with every step something wrong was going to happen.
She didn't care that the chip on her right big toe was bigger now, like a chasm through her toe, cracked, like an earthquake had rocked its foundations.
But, even now, even with her sister long gone, she still cannot convince herself of one thing.
She cannot convince herself that she didn't care that Lily was leaving.
Ack! What did you think? I apologise for any errors/ typos I made, I literally just typed it and uploaded it. And yes, I did make Petunia a bit OCD on purpose. And also, for any Americans who read this, I don't think you get crumpets. They like, circular disks, and inch or so thick that are doughy and quie chewy when coldl. They have loads of holes in them, but a solid bottom, so if you put honey and butter on them it just collects and they're REALLY nice.
Obsessed with them? Me? No.
Thankyou to Anna who made me write, and hello to Cara who is on hiatus but might see this. I love you guys xx