Shoutout to Shaklebolt-k for dragging this from the depths of the internet where I thought it'd been lost forever after my tumblr was deleted. I'm also working on getting back 'Happy New Year' and a few others I lost.
An anonymous person requested a If They Lived! AU where the Potters are at a family outing in the muggle world and they meet the Dursleys (and friends). This is the result.
"What are they doing here?"
Petunia Dursley should've known who it was walking up the drive from the moment her husband Vernon questioned their arrival with such disparagement.
"I thought you said they were poor, Vernon."
Vernon's question almost didn't register in Petunia's brain but Shannon Dursley's suspicious inquiry made Petunia blink out from her reverie over the boil eggs. Petunia looked over at her sister-in-law and saw that Shannon's beady blue eyes were fixated on someone behind Petunia. Petunia placed her cup of lemonade down on the park picnic table and turned to see what Vernon and Shannon were looking at with such disdain.
Petunia's heart dropped when she saw the familiar flash of auburn hair and the perfect white smile.
"That's your sister Lily, right?" Shannon shot curiously to Petunia, "And her er, her husband?"
Petunia's eyes flashed dangerously.
It was indeed Petunia's younger sister Lily Potter walking up the long drive towards the family reunion. Her husband James was holding her hand and the hand of his child doppelgänger. Lily knew the kid was their oldest son Harry, she'd thrown out his birth announcement. Harry and James wore matching jeans and pressed white shirts. Walking directly behind Lily were two twins holding hands, dressed in short and polka dotted pink dresses. Lily was dressed in a long flowery dress that looked straight out of European Housewife magazine.
Petunia's husband Vernon stumbled closer to Petunia hastily, "Petunia, why'd you invite them?"
"I didn't." Petunia muttered, looking down at her own picnic outfit she'd planned meticulously.
"They look posh." Petunia and Vernon shot the youngest Dursley family member a glare that made Shannon snap her mouth shut and look at her shoes.
Vernon insisted as Petunia brushed out her own dress, "We don't want anything freaky happening—"
Petunia didn't need Vernon reminding her that the Potter's were a family of freaks with wands. Petunia's little sister Lily was a witch and Petunia had grown up with freaky magic happening all over Cokeworths thanks to her little sisters knack for trouble. Petunia had the bad luck of growing up with Lily and knew Lily loved causing a scene, always the center of attention. Petunia was certain that Lily's little magical family was no different.
"Lily! James! You made it!" a new voice called excitedly once everyone at the party had stopped to stare at the family walking up the rocky drive.
Great-Aunt Martha Evans walked with her cane down to meet the Potter's in the middle of the drive. Petunia looked on, aghast as Aunt Martha hugged each of the Potter's earnestly. Petunia didn't even know that Aunt Martha kept in touch with Lily after all these years. Not even Petunia got letters from her sister very often anymore, just a card on Christmas.
Petunia threw them all away, not wanting Vernon to see the lovely script that glittered magically in gold and not wanting Dudley to wonder at the pictures that moved out of the corner of the eye. She'd been forced to live with magic until she moved out of her childhood home. Petunia would not force her husband and son to deal with magic like she'd had too.
"What do we do?" Vernon whispered urgently in Petunia's ear.
"I'll deal with it." Petunia assured her husband, sending an apologetic look to a confused Shannon before heading down the drive.
Lily finished hugging Aunt Martha just as Petunia bore down on the family. Lily's pretty face lit up at the sight of her sister and Petunia felt sick. Despite their bad blood, Lily had always been nauseatingly sympathetic towards Petunia. as if Lily knew how much Petunia resented her for being born. Petunia didn't want Lily's sympathy.
Petunia didn't want anything from her little sister.
"Petunia." Lily opened her arms to her sister.
Petunia did not reciprocate the warmth. Lily's arms dropped slowly and her face fell. Petunia crossed her arms and stood her ground. Two little faces peered out from behind Lily's skirts. Petunia wondered if wizards had any concept of contraceptives. Petunia didn't know how Lily was so young and already had three kids with another on the way. It was obvious Lily was pregnant again, her little stomach protruded through her dress.
How big of a family did the Potter's need?
"What are you doing here?" Petunia's voice was unfriendly and caught in her throat.
But before Lily could answer, Aunt Martha spoke up, "I invited them Petunia." Aunt Martha gave Petunia a pointed stare, "They are family after all."
Petunia shot a glare at Aunt Martha. Lily's husband stepped forward and appeared to be trying to clear the air. He ran his fingers through his black unruly hair before reaching out a hand to Petunia.
"Pleasure to see you again, Petunia."
Petunia didn't shake James' hand. He let his hand fall and shot Lily a look as if to tell her 'God, I hate this' to Petunia's sister. Petunia could see the apologetic nature on Lily's face. Petunia's blood boiled that Lily felt the need to even look at her husband like he was really hurt by Petunia's cold shoulder. Petunia had never been a fan of Lily's crackpot husband and she'd made that very clear. She'd ripped up the marriage RSVP in Lily's face when Lily hand delivered all those years ago.
"Petunia," Lily pulled the two twins out from behind her skirts, "You haven't met the twins yet Petunia." Petunia let her eyes flutter two the two cherub cheeked twins, "the shorter one is Daisy and Sam has the—"
Petunia cut in, "Keep your little freaks away from Dudley if you insist on staying."
"I thought they might like meeting their cousin." Lily's face was bright red, a sign she was mad.
"Dudley doesn't know he has any cousins."
Petunia ignored the flash of discomfort across Lily's face as Petunia turned and walked back up the drive. Petunia ignored her sister as much as she could. Just as she'd done every day since they were kids.
"She's just upset I didn't tell her you were coming."
Petunia tensed at Aunt Martha's monotonous voice. Of course Petunia was angry that the Potter's had dared show up to the family reunion. Petunia hadn't seen her sister in seven years and for good reason. The Potter's were magical, wand-bearing freaks and as far as Petunia was concerned, anything from the world Lily disappeared into at eleven was threatening.
Petunia didn't want her son coming into contact with any of the Potter's children.
Petunia checked to make sure Dudley was still stationed by the sweets table with Aunt Marge before rushing back over to Vernon and Shannon. Vernon's face turned red as a tomato with frustration as Petunia got closer with thinned lips. If anyone hated the Potter's more than Petunia, it was Vernon. Petunia remembered the first time Vernon had met Lily's husband. The dinner had ended with Lily and Petunia in tears and both men arguing about the ability of broomsticks to fly.
"I thought you said you'd handle it?" Vernon hissed.
"My Aunt Martha invited them." Petunia said pointedly and Vernon clasped his mouth shut.
Aunt Martha may have been eighty-six years old but no one dared cross her. Shannon Dursley let her eyes flutter back to the Potter family walking up the drive together. Their oldest son was chatting with Martha eagerly. The twins were giggling and pulling on each others auburn braids. Petunia watched with great loathing as James Potter wrapped his arm around Lily's waist before kissing her frivolously on the temple.
"How could she do this to me?"
"I like her dress." Shannon remarked unconscientiously, "I saw one like it on a magazine last week."
"Probably used food stamps to get it." Vernon was not amused by his little sister's opinions, "They don't even have jobs."
Petunia said spitefully, "I bet those kids aren't even all his."
Shannon clucked her tongue and sipped her lemonade with wide blue eyes. Aunt Martha was talking Lily's head off, her old hands covering Lily's stomach. Lily was a blushing beauty and her stupid husband couldn't keep his eyes off her.
"How'd they meet?" Shannon asked suddenly.
"In the pub." Petunia lied, "He knocked her up, sad really, and she had to marry him."
"I wonder what she's having." Shannon said of the baby bump.
"It doesn't matter." Vernon grumbled, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, those children won't do anything productive for this world."
"Shame." Shannon said, "But I guess not everyone can get as lucky as you two did with Dudley."
Vernon puffed his chest out proudly and they all looked over at the sweets table where Aunt Marge was fixing up nine-year-old Dudley with his fifth piece of cake. Petunia's hands caught up in her dress and she bit her lip, glancing at the Potters. She didn't want any of the kids coming into contact with Dudley. She'd seen what magical kids could do when she grew up with Lily and Petunia didn't want anything happening to her son.
"Dudley!" Petunia called to her son, "Come here please!"
Dudley grabbed another handful of peanuts to stuff in his mouth before waddling over to Petunia. Petunia reached down to brush Dudley's hair from his watery eyes and she smiled widely at her son.
"Why don't you stay by mummy and daddy for a while?" she said, catching his hand in her own.
"But mummy," Dudley complained, "I want to play with my video game."
"Not right now duddykins," Petunia shot Lily a glare as Dudley whimpered and started sniffling.
"But mummy I'm on level 26!"
If Lily had never shown up, Petunia wouldn't have to keep Dudley away from what he wanted to do. Dudley wailed and Vernon hushed him but that only made Dudley whine louder. Petunia gripped Dudley's hand tightly, pursing her lips in Lily's direction. Dudley tried yanking from his mother's firm grasp and Petunia sighed.
"Duddykins," Petunia knelt down next to her son and brushed his tears away, "If you stop crying, mummy will buy you a new video game, okay? Just stay by mummy for a bit."
Dudley shut right up and stuffed his fingers into his pockets to pull out a licorice strip to eat while he stood by his mum. Vernon patted Dudley's head kindly as he and Petunia shared a look. They both didn't want the Potter's around their family. No one else at the party knew that the Potter's weren't normal.
It was a secret they'd been hoping to take to their graves.
Petunia turned her beady eyes back over to the Potter family. Petunia's brown eyes suddenly met green eyes and for a moment, Petunia's mother Rose was at the family reunion. Her mother was smiling at her from afar until Petunia blinked again and Rose was replaced by Lily. Lily, who had cherub children clinging to her skirts. Lily, who had an over-doting husband kissing her cheek for the fifth time in ten minutes. Lily, who had all eyes on her, pulling the attention from Petunia just like she'd done when they were kids.
Petunia's hands dropped to her sides with disappointment sinking into her every pore as Lily smiled at Petunia like they were still little girls playing on the swing sets together. Petunia can remember when they would drink tea on the banks of the river. Petunia can remember Lily turning those teacups into rats when she came back from freak school. She can remember her parents praising Lily's magic and forgetting their eldest daughter in the process. Petunia can remember Lily's green eyes glowing in the spotlight while Petunia's dimmed in the shadows.
Suddenly, Lily's attention was drawn away from Petunia as her oldest boy wrapped his arms around her waist. Petunia watched as Lily looked down at the boy like he was her whole world. It was the same way Rose Evans used to look at Lily.
Envy surged through Petunia's blood.
Petunia got nothing from their mother.
Not the auburn hair.
Not the green eyes.
Not the enchanting charisma.
Not even the smile.
As usual, Lily got everything.