It was early, about 6 or 7 o´clock in the morning. Petunia Dursly, a thin red headed woman with a long neck and an equally long and pointy face was getting breakfast ready for her husband and son who would be up in another hour or two.
She had been cooking for an hour when her four year old son Dudley came down the stairs. She couldn´t help but feel sad at the sight of her overweight son. She knew that it was more than likely that since the death of her daughter, Rose, she'd been mothering him too much and very likely was over feeding him.
"MUMMY! FOOD!" Petunia looked into the blue eyes of her son and sighed.
"Yes Dudly-kins, right after I fetch the milk."
She passed the stairs and could see her son was on the verge of a tantrum. She hurried to the front door and opened it.
What she saw most certainly wasn't milk. There, on the door step, tightly bundled, lying fast asleep with a thumb in its mouth, was a small baby, barely a year old. Petunia bent down and gently picked the baby up, carefully cradling it to her chest.
She couldn´t believe how much the infant resembled her Rose. She had the same creamy white skin, red rosy cheeks, little button nose, cupids bow mouth, and silky black curls. Her daughter had looked so much like her grandfather. Petunia could still picture him, standing tall 'till the end. She didn't know how much time passed as she stared at the sleeping infant, but then she noticed the child was beginning to stir. She watched as those little eyes opened up to reveal bright emerald green orbs. Petunia gasped. Those where Lily's eyes!
Petunia decided to see if there was a note, and sure enough, after searching through the blankets, she found what she was looking for. She automatically recognized the curly hand writing that could only belong to her sister. She carefully opened it and read.
To Petunia,
This is Lillian Rose Potter. She and her brother were born on July 31st of the previous year. Because of certain events we can't take care of her and hope you can take her in.
Lily.
She stared at the short letter, this was Lily's child. The child Lily abandoned. She never thought that Lily, of all people, would abandon a child so simply,not to mention on such a cold December night. She knew she had to talk to Vernon. But Petunia already knew she would keep Lillian, her new Rose.
Vernon wouldn't be up for another hour or so, so she went into the kitchen and prepared a bottle for Lillian and gave Dudley his breakfast.
She was sitting in the rocking chair in the living room feeding Lillian when Vernon came lumbering down the stairs. He froze when he saw what Petunia had in her arms. For a second, he thought it was Rose, but relinquished the thought when he saw the child's eyes. He looked at his wife and began to speak.
"Who´s…"
"She's my sister's," said Petunia.
"Lily's?" asked Vernon.
"She left her on the doorstep, wants us to take her in."
"But…" He was about to protest, but he noticed that the sparkle had returned to his wife's eyes, and he knew she needed this. "Fine," he submitted.
Petunia only smiled and continued looking into Lillian's eyes. She knew that God was giving her another chance at having a daughter. And though she knew that the world she was from was likely in a bit of a crisis at the moment, she also knew it wasn't her problem. She'd raise Lillian without all that nonsense, and if, when the time came, she was one of them, she would deal with it then. Instead, she planned to enjoy the little bundle of joy in her arms that she had been given instead of the milk.