Title: Petunia's Letter

Summary: Lily Evans just wanted to have breakfast in peace, but that all goes downhill when she receives a letter from her beloved older sister. She just wants to cry in peace after that, but a certain bespectacled boy decides that he won't let that happen.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters that are associated with the series, that all belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Lily

Lily Evans was absolutely and utterly exhausted. She had been flipping through six years of notes from her Transfiguration class. Sure it was early November and N.E.W.T.'s were seven months away, but it was never too early to start preparing ones-self for the examination, at least that was Lily's reasoning.

Just as the clock chimed six o'clock, the red-head startled. She suddenly sat up and her signature green eyes darted around the room to examine her surroundings. The Gryffindor common room was completely deserted, it was much too early for anyone to be awake on a cold Saturday morning. A small flicker of light was coming from the fireplace, looking as though it had just started reforming. At the table that Lily was sitting, a scatter of parchments that held many notes and textbooks from previous years. Carefully, she stacked all the parchment into a neat pile and shut the book that was open in front of her.

Her stomach suddenly growled viciously. It occurred to her that she hadn't eaten since breakfast yesterday –and that was only due to Alice and Marlene forcing her out of the common room. She sighed and decided that a half-hour break wouldn't be very harmful to her studying time. Anyway, she reminded herself, she had to meet with James and Dumbledore about some ideas that herself and James had thought up to help relieve the stressful tension that the school has due to what's happening in the outside world.

Stretching, she stood up and yawned. Breakfast was just starting, so she figured that not many people would be up (perhaps save a few teachers). She made her way out of the portrait hole and headed to the Great Hall, taking a few shortcuts that she had learned from her past six years. Sure enough, when she entered she was greeted by two Ravenclaw girls (both of whom were Seventh years) along with Hagrid –the Gamekeeper- ,Professor McGonagall, and Professor Kettleburn.

Professor McGonagall and Kettleburn both nodded at the red-head and Hagrid gave a very enthusiastic wave, a bit too enthusiastically, as he ended up knocking over the goblet that he was drinking out of. The other two Professors looked at him as he called out sorrys and cleaned up. Lily gave a slight smile at her friend as she sat down at the Gryffindor table and set a few items on her plate.

A group of Hufflepuff's all came in together in Quidditch Robes, the team captain following, attempting to get his members to eat, Lily took it as they had a practice this morning. A few more students started to stream in, but no one really acknowledged the others in the Great Hall beside a slight wave to other their fellow peers already eating.

Halfway through Lily's meal, McGonagall made her way over to her. She was holding an envelope in her hand and –without thinking much- Lily thought that it was a message from Dumbledore, but she quickly realized that it wasn't written in ink and parchment, it was written in Muggle pen and paper.

"Miss Evans." McGonagall said in greetings to Lily, she held out the letter and Lily took it, "Professor Dumbledore wanted me to inform you that you got this letter through the Muggle postal service yesterday evening."

Lily tilted her head to the side as she looked at the letter, it was from her mother and father. "Thank you Professor." Lily said, looking back up at her Transfiguration teacher. "I thought that Hogwarts wasn't attached to a Muggle postal service?"

"There are wizards who work in the postal service on their own will and do occasionally find letters addressed to Hogwarts. They take out the letters and send them to Professor Dumbledore through owl." McGonagall explained, Lily nodded to her Professor, "Well, I must go Miss Evans. I look forward to seeing you in my class on Monday."

"Have a good day Professor." Lily said then turned back to the table when McGonagall walked to the exit. For a moment, Lily just stared at the letter, then she moved her food away and opened up the letter.

Two pieces of paper fell out. One from her parents and one from Petunia. The latter shocked her as they hadn't exclusively written in a long time. She decided to hold off reading her sisters letter and read her parents first.

Lily,

I hope things are all well at Hogwarts. So sorry that this letter is coming through our postage. Snowy was out hunting and we just couldn't wait to send out this amazing information to you.

Petunia would like to be the one to tell you the information (in the assumption that you are reading this letter first) so you will find out that news in a moment. We didn't want to miss an opportunity to write you, though.

We hope you are having a wonderful time in your last year of Hogwarts. How's everything going? Are you working hard? Will you be coming home for Christmas? (A bit early to ask, we know, but we would just like to know prior to.)

Everything is swell at home. We miss you, Lily. Write back soon.

Lots of love,

Mum and Dad

Lily smiled at the letter, already thinking up what she was going to write back to them. She was suddenly curious as to what Petunia wanted to tell her, so she folded back up her parents letter and pulled out her sisters. As she unfolded that letter, a smaller (but slightly more posh) envelope fell out, Lily decided that reading the letter first would be the best.

Hello Lily,

I writing to you today to give you the absolutely wonderful information on Vernon and myself.

As you are already aware, Vernon and I are engaged. We have begun planning our wedding. The invitation is enclosed.

It would be nice to have you in the audience watching. We are planning on holding it towards the end of this year. If you are too busy with school then I would understand, but just so we would know the seating arrangements (so that anything can be adjusted depending on your attendance).

Sincerely,

Petunia

Lily lost her smile as she read Petunia's letter. It wasn't created with care, it was created more as a rub in Lily's face. She wasn't going to be allowed to be a part of the wedding. She was only going to be a guest. There was no bother to open up the invitation. Of course she would go, but she just couldn't believe that she wasn't going to be a part of it.

Lily was pulled back to when they were little and the two young sisters would imagine getting married and having each other right on their sides. She bit back a sob as she stuffed the letters back into the envelope and got up. Being Head-Girl, she tried not to bring attention to herself for suddenly leaving the Great Hall in a rush, but thankfully, no one seemed to be paying her any attention.

Once she was out of the Great Hall, tears started to well up in her eyes and she did nothing to stop them. Her feet automatically brought Lily to a completely secluded corridor where she knew that no one would see her. Being completely hidden, Lily slid down the wall and tossed the letter down onto the ground next to her. She buried her face into her hands and pulled her legs up to her chest. She absolutely hated how much magic came in between her sister and herself and just how separated the once attached-at-the-hip two had become.

She started to cry harder just thinking about that and got lost into a sea of memories of the two of them when they were younger. Before magic became a problem in her life. Before she was a- a freak. It didn't even register in her mind that someone had come in, sat down next to her, and put their arm around her.

"Hey. It's okay, Lily." They said to her in a concerned whisper. The voice only half brought her back to reality, she knew that speaker was James Potter.

It wasn't until he started to rub her arm and asked, "What happened?" did she finally snap herself away from self-loathing.

Quickly, she forced herself to stop crying and shook her head, shrugging James away from her. She was thankful that he didn't fight her on giving her some space. "It's nothing." Lily said quietly, rubbing her eyes and looking at James, even though she knew her eyes were still slightly puffy. "Thank you, but I'm fine." She wasn't completely sure why she was flat out lying to James, though a piece of it might have been due to her newfound feelings for him that she wasn't ready to express exclusively to him just yet.

"Lily. Please." James begged. Lily was looking just off his shoulder, but James had suddenly managed to catch her eyes and she was shocked to see the amount of genuine concern and caring he was showing. "Please tell me." James said again when Lily was still off guard, not that he realized that.

Lily shook as she held back another sob, knowing that she wouldn't be able to keep this away from James, they were constantly together now due to their positions as Heads. "I-I'm a freak. I'm a freak and because of that I lost my only sister. Ever since I found out that I was a witch we lost everything that we had been building up as a sister-ship previously. Just poof. Gone. We just became strangers and she makes sure that I knew that it was all my fault." Lily dropped her head back into her hands and shook her head, "She just sent me her wedding invitation, to which I'm not allowed to be a part of it in anyway. Just a bystander in the audience."

James put his arm back around Lily, she didn't push his away this time. Quite the contrary, she moved slightly closer to him –that is, before she caught herself and stopped before she got too close to him. "I'm genuinely sorry for your sister and yourself falling out. That's terrible. But Lily, you aren't a freak. In any term of the word. You're a witch, yes. That does make you different, but not a freak."

"If I just hadn't accepted coming here. If I had just stayed at home and went on to Secondary school with Petunia. If I would have just stayed normal-"

"-then Hogwarts wouldn't have met the smartest witch of her age." James responded back, stopping Lily from more chances of pulling herself down, "You wouldn't have had any of these experiences that you have been able to have because of who you are. You would strip yourself of being you. You are an amazing witch, don't let anyone try to take away what you like about who you are. You deserve to be yourself and if your sister doesn't want to acknowledge that at the moment, then that is her own fault. She's missing out on knowing one of the most talented people around." He paused and Lily could hear a smile in what he said next, "And one of the most beautiful if I do say so myself."

A tiny smile played at Lily's lips and she allowed herself to lean more on James. His words didn't change the fact that Petunia still highly resented Lily, but it made her feel slightly better to think through everything that James said. On a slightly different note, he called her beautiful without being surrounded by his Marauders posse (or anyone other than just the two of them), which wasn't something that he had done before. The words had much more meaning to her.

"Thank you." Lily mumbled, moving her hands away from her face, at the same time moving off from leaning on James and looked up at him.

He smiled and nodded, "Anytime for you." His eyes searched hers for a moment, "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll try." Lily nodded, "I guess… I guess it's just a big shock for me right now. But yes, I will be."

"I'm always here if you need me." James said, standing up and offering her a hand.

Lily picked up the letter -knowing that she would have to write back sometime today, at least for her parents sake- and took James' hand gratefully. She went up on her tip-toes to peck James on the cheek as a show of her gratitude –he was a bit taller than herself- but, not realizing what she was doing, turned his head and their lips met.

They kissed much longer then would be appropriate had they not shared the mutual romantic feelings for one another. Both ended up smiling into the accidental, but highly meaningful, kiss. Lily was the first to pull away, "Thanks." She said again, a large smile plastered on her face.

"For the kiss?" James asked, slightly confused, but still smiling, nonetheless.

Lily shyly bit her lip and nodded, "Sure."

James' eyes suddenly lit up with what just happened, he took Lily's hands again –he had dropped it when they kissed- and grinned, "Lily. Would you go out with me?"

"That's the best idea I've heard all day." Lily nodded, not dropping James' hand. "Yes."

James suddenly looked as though Christmas had come a month early. "You just said yes." He breathed, "You just said yes- I'm going out with Lily Evans!" His whole face glowed in happiness as he cheered.

When they finally left the corridor Lily's spirits were much higher than they had previously been. Sure Petunia hated her enough to kick her out of having an important role –or any role at all- in her wedding, but in the back of her mind, Lily had known that was bound to happen after she found out she was a witch. On the bright side of everything, she finally didn't have to fight with her feelings of James Potter that had been boiling up since the second week of September. Plus, the duo was meeting with Dumbledore in a few hours to discuss their new ideas for events to happen at Hogwarts.

Today was a good day.