Shadows of Lily: Prologue
By, Elaina
Petunia Bloom was born a happy, loving baby. She was strikingly pretty, with her vibrant red hair, cool aqua eyes and fair peachy skin. From the moment she was born, her tiny red lips were perpetually arched in the most charming smile you ever saw. Petunia's parents were happy indeed, claiming that Petunia and her sister Lily (1 year old at the time) filled their lives with pride and joy.
Everywhere they went, the two girls were passed around from arm to arm their ears ringing with praise. As they grew older, Petunia and Lily became the best of friends. One was rarely seen without the other, and they were constant playmates, contented with whiling away the afternoons out in the backyard, playing imagination games like King Arthur's court, Princesses, and most of all, Witches. They would drape themselves in "robes" and carry around their "wands" which rather resembled sticks.
Eventually they grew up and started to attend the same school. Petunia, being younger, was a year behind Lily, but it didn't really matter to them. They both made the highest marks in their grades and were praised by all the teachers. Then, when Petunia was 10, something happened that would change the lives of the Bloom family members forever. Lily got a letter.
Even several decades later, Petunia could still remember every detail. The letter had arrived at about 11:00 am one sleepy summer morning. The unusual thing was the letter didn't arrive by postmaster; it arrived by owl. The whole family had flocked into the kitchen to see what this peculiar messenger had to say. The brown and white barn owl just dropped the letter on to the table and flew away in a rush of feathers.
"Well Lily-dear," Petunia's mum had said "the letter's for you, so you can open it."
Lily looked up hesitantly, then, hands trembling took the envelope of crinkly parchment and opened it, careful not to tear the contents inside. Everybody leaned over her shoulder to read. Petunia's mum gasped, and staggered backward, clutching her heart and clinging to the table for support. Lily let out a joyful squeak and began to bounce happily around the room. Petunia's dad just scratched his head in wonderment. Petunia jumped for joy Lily was a witch!!!
"Oh Petunia!" Lily cried, "It's just like our game-and just think, next year, you'll get your letter, too!"
"You think so?" Petunia breathed
"I know so."
"Promise," Petunia asked, as though Lily were the top authority on the matter
"I promise"
*~*~*
Petunia could hardly contain her excitement all school year. On the last day of school, she raced out of the building, not stopping to say goodbye. There were better things to come. Every day after her birthday was the same. Petunia would wake up and start off her day doing whatever. Around noontime she would start to watch the sky waiting for the same mysterious owl to swoop in and give her, her own summons to take up her wand and join her fellow students at Hogwarts. Naturally, Lily's tales of school only helped to fuel her anxious curiosity. After every letter-less day, Petunia would smile to herself curl up in bed and spend her night dreaming of the creamy parchment and lovely green ink, telling herself it would come tomorrow. It never did.
A/N: Right well, just hear me out before you review: Before you say that Petunia is out of character and all, just read the entire story (Part 1 will be out as soon as I can type it…) I know this takes a rather different view on the life of Aunt Petunia, just… It's been floating around in my head for a while now, and I needed to get it out so I would have more room for le vocabulaire Francais (where the heck is a cedille when you need one? Accent aigus, too.) any way…
The characters of Lily Potter, Petunia Dursley, ect do not belong to me. They were created by JK Rowling and belong to her (no duh). Rights are neither assumed nor implied, please don't sue me, yadda, yadda, yadda…