"Hi mum, dad I'm home," came Lily's voice as she entered through the front door.
Petunia Dursley groaned. She'd hoped that maybe this year Lily wouldn't come home especially as she hadn't been married to James Potter all that long. She'd hoped maybe they'd want to spend their first Christmas as a married couple in private, but how wrong had she'd been.
"I thought THEY weren't coming," grumbled Vernon.
"I'm sorry Vernon I didn't think they would," said Petunia apologetically.
"Now, now no need for that you two," said Mark Evans sharply as he walked past the sofa.
Both Petunia and Vernon looked at each other and wrinkled their noses, they knew that Lily was the special girl who could do no wrong.
Petunia heard her parents exuberant greeting and felt a strong pang of jealousy towards her little sister. After the greetings Lily wondered into the living room with James, only to be faced with Petunia and Vernon.
"Oh Tuney, hello how are you?" asked Lily politely.
But Petunia refused to answer her sister.
"Excuse me Petunia, but your sister asked you a question," said James bridling.
Again Petunia refused to answer. She grabbed Vernon by the hand and they walked out the room. This action caused Lily to sigh and James' jaw to work as he bit his tongue.
"I'm sorry Vernon, maybe we should go home," said Petunia once they were inside the kitchen and out of earshot of her parents.
"No Petunia, this is your home as much as it is those two freaks, you deserve to be here just as much if not more," said Vernon taking the glass of whiskey Petunia handed him.
"Thank you Vernon."
Later at bed time James bumped into Petunia on his way back to Lily's bedroom.
"Petunia," said James curtly with a small nod.
Petunia pretended that she hadn't heard James. This in itself ticked James off and he gently grabbed Petunia by the arm and made her look at him.
"Petunia I was talking to you, didn't your parents teach you not to be so rude," asked James crossly.
"Get. Your. Hand. off. Me. Freak," Petunia said in a low cold voice.
"Not until you tell me what your problem is," said James calmly, though his voice was edged with annoyance.
"Let go of me Potter," Petunia snarled.
"Well what's your problem?" asked James again.
"I'm not talking to a freak like you! Now let go of me before I create an almighty scene and accuse you of molesting me," Petunia whimpered, due to the fact that James' grip had become painfully tight on her arm.
"You're an evil bitch do you know that?" Said James as he forcefully let go and shoved her back, turned and walked away.
Petunia stood stunned for a moment. No one had ever spoken to her like that. She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes but she refused to shed them. She turned and went back into her room, grateful Vernon had already gone off and was snoring loudly.
The next day was an uncomfortable one for all concerned, so much so that it reduced Susan Evans to tears. Which in turn caused Mark Evans to have a go at both of his daughters and their spouses. Lily and James spent the rest of the day in town Christmas shopping, whilst Petunia helped her mother make Christmas puddings and Vernon sat watching the television and attempting polite, civilized conversation with his father-in-law.
Later Susan and Mark pointed their daughters towards the kitchen to do dinner. They had the idea that if they had to work together it would force them to talk to each other; but it didn't work as well as they'd hoped. If Lily asked Petunia for anything it was handed to her in silence. If Lily tried polite conversation, Petunia just effected ignorance. Eventually Lily burst into a torrent of emotion.
"Tuney, are you never going to speak to me again?" asked Lily sadly tears coursing their way down her face.
Petunia looked at her sister, still refusing to answer she turned her back on her. Leaving Lily to sink into a chair and sob her heart out.
Over the next few days, Christmas came and went and the tension was so thick that you could have cut it with a knife. Petunia and Vernon decided to be the first to leave to go home, as she kissed her parents goodbye, Petunia stole one last glance at her sister. Her baby sister. Her former best friend. Her young playmate. There Lily was all grown up, aged 19. Petunia committed everything to memory because she knew this would be the last time she would see her little sister. She loved her Lily, but at the same time she despised her for finding out that she magical and joining a whole new world, leaving her behind.
It was the last time that Lily ever saw Petunia. For Lily was in hiding when her parents died, and was under strict instructions that herself and James were not to leave the house. Petunia was furious that she was left alone to bury her parents; the flu epidemic that swept the country had killed them both. The day Petunia committed her parents bodies to the ground was the day she declared to have no other family, as far as Petunia was concerned they were all dead.
Then the morning of November 1st when she found her baby nephew asleep on the doorstep. A letter from Dumbledore explaining about Lily's death, and the fact that Lily's blood, her blood would keep Harry safe till he was seventeen. Petunia was inwardly totally heartbroken that her baby sister had been so cruelly murdered. Outwardly though she put on a furious act, yes she took Harry unwillingly, but quietly she hoped that maybe if she took Harry, it would repay some of the nastiness she'd caused and when her time came she'd be able to die peacefully and guilt free.