Obviously, I don't own the HP franchise- ergo, don't own characters in this story, and the like. either way, hope you enjoy it. more should be on the way soon.
Chapter One: At the Trainstation, Once More
Little boys love the sound of trains grinding across tracks. Maybe it took a Y-chromosome to enjoy train whistles and train rides, but even if that had been the case, Petunia didn't think she could have loathed the train station any less.
"We should just leave her there," she pouted meanly as her father pulled into a parking spot.
"You don't mean that, honey."
"I do. Why do we have to put up with a freak! Our lives are so... normal when she isn't here..." She kept up her rant for a good bit, knowing each arguement would fall on deaf ears. And she followed her parents out of the car, filing behind them sullenly as they made their way to Plaform 9 3/4. All sorts of people began to stand out from the normal mass of passer-by's, acknowledging Mr. and Mrs. Evans. Congratulating them even. Petunia felt rather sick at all of the attention- "Lilly this" and "Lilly that." After all, her parents hardly knew what their little genius was being praised for.
And then, the students started to appear- kids her age, though mostly younger, slipping through a wall, appreaing out of nothing at all... the worst part is that she couldn't help but gape at the grand, and almost intolerable, illusion.
Passing through, Lilly Evans made her way with much of the same admiration for the procession as her sister. Except Lilly wasn't distraught at the audacity of this public display of, well, magic- what she found intolerable was having to return for an entire summer and to (legally) renounce magic until returning back to school.
"Lilly!" Her father boomed, startling her out of her reverie. Looking at the outstretched arms of her parents, Lilly knew that coming home from school obviously did have its perks. She ran to them, leaving her older sister to stand crossly on the platform, looking down her nose at the procession of students making their way to their own families.
"Oh, what happened? Aren't we driving your little 'bosom buddy' home too?" she sneered as she recognized a slimy, thin boy slinking past them. "Oh, Severus!"
"Hush," Lilly reached for her sister.
"No, darling, she's right," corrected their father. "The poor boy can't afford to be picked up here. We could give him a ride- now, where the devil did he go? Severus!" Mr. Evans shouted after him as the boy blended into the crowds.
Only Lilly saw Severus Snape nod quickly at her family as he went on, to get home by his own means, no doubt. Cringing at the coldness from her oldest friend, she looked back to Petunia accusingly.
"Why do you have to be so rude to my friends?"
"Now, now- it's perfectly alright for her to do something like that when the 'friend' in question is Slytherin," a haughty boy appeared at Lilly's shoulder, giving her arm a tight squeeze. "Have a good summer, will you, Evans?" The boy winked at her as Lilly moved away from his touch.
Petunia almost smiled, seeing her sister's green eyes burn daggers into the back of the boy's head as he walked off to join some more guys.
"Lilly, put that away," their mom hissed. Obediently, Lilly concealed the wand she had procured for what would have been a well-deserved hex toward the retreating James Potter.
And then, soon enough, they were back in the car, making the trip back home. Petunia and Lilly found themselves finally relaxed, though for entirely different reasons.
"So, honey. You've only got one more year at this place, aren't you excited!" Mr. Evans tried to swivel his head toward the backseat- his fleshy face was pink from the heat and the excitement of the unusual family reunion.
"Enough with the 'Hogwash' already," Petunia droned on as her little sister shot her a hurt look.
"You know the name of the establishment by now."
"I wouldn't call it an 'establishment'" Petunia added snootily.
"Well then at least just call it 'Hogwarts.'"
"Honey, I'll call it 'Hogwarts,'" their mother interjected hoping to put an end to the sisterly squabble.
How pointless, Petunia thought. Of course people are bound to fight when they're so... different.
-a week of summer passed by-
"Could I come in, pet?"
"No. You. Cannot," groaned Petunia between brushstrokes. Of course, Lilly entered anyway- these days, it didn't even matter if Petunia used a lock. Lilly could get past that.
She could feel Lilly's small frame behind her, taking her hairbrush out of her hand, and finishing her work with even, gentle strokes through Petunia's knotted blonde hair.
"I can do it myself."
"I know, but I like to."
"What did you come in for?"
"Nothing." Petunia rolled her eyes. It was her little sister, and it was most usually always 'something.'
"I mean it. What do you want?"
"Do you go by Mrs. Croxey's, down the block, lately?"
"Yes, pretty often," Petunia replied, shocked at their normal conversation.
"When you go by there, what do you do?"
"Oh, I help out. I get her groceries and clean a little, I guess. It was lovely, today- you should have seen her! She got so excited over these tulips I got for her on a special-" Petunia lit up remembering the gratitude of the old woman.
"That's nice. But... did you notice, maybe, if Severus seemed to be at home?"
"Ah."
"What?" Lilly's arm froze mid-brush stroke as she sensed conflict in what had been an innocent conversation.
"Nothing," Petunia snapped, turning around in her chair to face her younger sister. "Of course you were only incquiring about him this whole time! Why would you bother with us, mere mortals, dear sister?"
"I didn't mean it like that!" Lilly exclaimed, reaching for Petunia's hands. "I'm sorry. Please. Just tell me more about Mrs. Croxey."
"I hate it when you come back."
"...How can you say that?"
Petunia looked down at their fingers entertwined. They were sisters. And yet, they had so very little in common.
"Hmm. I don't know. How can I say that, Lilly? It's just that I would really like to pretend my life is normal. AVERAGE. SIMPLE. Get it?"
"But why? When you know that out there is so much more?" Lilly's piercing eyes would not release her gaze. Lilly looked up at her sister, thinking that things weren't fair for her either, but that she was the bigger person and her sister just couldn't see...
And just when Lilly was about to let go of her sister's hands, Petunia hooked her arms around her neck and pulled her into a hug.
"I'm sorry, Lilly. I love you. But to be honest, it would just be easier," she breathed into her younger sister's red hair.
When Lilly finally pulled away, she had a genuine smile on her face as she pulled Petunia to the small bed by the window. Petunia folded her legs underneath her as she watched her sister's face, knowing that the visible excitement in her was a sign of something stupid or dangerous that she was about to suggest.
"Petunia, let's go on a road trip."
"What?"
"I want to show you more... of my... world," Lilly said, choosing her words carefully as she reached again for her sister's hands.
"No, I'm not going to that stupid Hogwarts place with you in the middle of summ-"
"Oh, no," Lilly cut her off. "Rather like a road trip to meet my friends!"
"What? Like that boy from the train station?" Petunia teased her, quickly realizing how red Lilly was getting. "Oh, it IS that boy, then?"
"Not just him, though, I mean. It's more boys, too!"
Petunia took back her hands and folded her arms crossly. "Is that supposed to impress me? I can find boys here. Normal ones, thank you very much."
"No, but you will love them, pet. They're really rather nice. Maybe a bit annoying. Besides, you're really pretty, you know? All these brilliant curls are being wasted on your babysitting job for old Mrs. Croxey," she laughed, playing lightly with her sister's hair.
"I don't know, Lilly. I can't just... do what you want."
"But it will be brilliant," Lilly assured her, pulling out a folded, dirty envelope from the pocket of her bath robe.
"What is that?"
"Relax, it's a letter."
"No, I mean is that bird poop?" Petunia began to shriek.
"No, stop. It's alright, pet. That happens."
"With postmen?"
"With owls," Lilly smiled mischeviously.