Lily,
I'm getting married. You should come. It's at Mum and Dad's house on May 15th, at 6 pm. I forgot to send you a real invitation, so don't expect one.
-Petunia
There. It wasn't friendly, but it was the best Petunia could manage. She was sure she would regret it if her sister didn't show up at her wedding. And, okay, she hadn't actually forgotten to send Lily an invitation, rather than torn it up and thrown it away, but still.
Lily had to come. That was the end of it.
"Petunia!" Vernon called.
"Coming dear!" Petunia called, setting the letter down to send later. Then she rushed from the room.
Two weeks later, Petunia stood, in her simple wedding dress, about to step onto the aisle, searching the crowd.
Her sister wasn't there.
No. No! How could Lily do this? She was always the "nice" one. She would have come! Where was she? Petunia knew she had sent lily an-
Oh no. Searching her memory, she could remember writing the letter, setting it down, and…
And what? What did she do with the letter!?
But she knew the answer. She hadn't done anything with it. She'd forgotten it.
Holding back her tears, Petunia stepped into the aisle. She knew she didn't love Vernon, but he could give her what she wanted. A simple life, normal and average, maybe children. She would be comfortable, and happy. She would be happy.
Right?
*****
You Are Cordially Invited To…
Petunia opened the mysterious invitation. It was awfully flowery.
Dear Tuney, the card read; I'm getting married. I hope you'll be there. No hard feelings, for anything. Please, please come. I really want you there. I mean it.
Love always, no matter what,
Lily
Underneath the note was the date and time, plus a little hand-drawn map to the location.
Petunia wiped the tears from her eyes. Lily wanted her wedding. After everything Petunia had done, Lily wanted her there.
"Vernon!" Petunia called. "Lily's getting married!"
"To someone of her kind, no doubt," Vernon sneered. A pit formed in Petunia's stomach. Vernon wouldn't want to go. But Petunia knew she had to.
*****
Lily looked frantically our into the crowd. Nope. She had checked and double checked, and Petunia was not there.
Lily knew she shouldn't have expected her to be. Petunia hadn't even invited Lily to her own wedding. But still, Lily had hoped.
She caught a glimpse of James looking around nervously, wondering where she was, and realized she should have walked down the aisle already. Her maid-of-honor (Alice Longbottom), was trying to make nonchalant hand gestures telling Lily to walk.
Her sister wasn't there, but the love of her life was. She loved James with all her heart and sole, and being with him could almost, but not quite, fill the gap Petunia left behind. She wanted to be with him.
And so, with one final tear shed for her sister, Lily stepped into the aisle.
*****
Petunia was driving like a madwoman to get to the wedding. She was already late, and she'd never even heard of the place the invitation said, even with the map Lily had drawn her.
Finally, by accident, Petunia turned down a side road and found a huge, open meadow, where a party appeared to be taking place. A party where a redhead in a billowy white dress was walking down the aisle.
Petunia sprinted from her car, breaking a heel, and was just about there when she stopped short.
She couldn't do it.
She wanted with all her heart to go to Lily's wedding. She knew it would make her happy, be some break from the dreary normality of her everyday life, but she just couldn't.
She didn't deserve that happiness. No doubt Lily had sent her a pity invite. She felt she had to invite Petunia, her only sister.
And why should she? Petunia hadn't even remembered to send her an invitation to her own wedding.
She wouldn't go. But she could sit there, far back, and watch her sister find the happiness she so longed for.
*****
AN: Hey! It's me, Poppy! Anyway, I love these little one-shots, and Petunia's a fun writing character. Sometimes I hate her, but sometimes I think there's more going on in that busybody little mind of hers. Anyway, I don't own Harry Potter, and therefore I do not own Lily Evans/Potter, Petunia Evans/Dursley, James Potter, or Vernon Dursley.