I'm extremely sorry for not updating. My school runs my life. I just needed to get past the first couple of weeks. Now, I can manage my time better since I know when I have free time and when I don't.
I still have to warn you, updates will NOT be as frequent as they were. I'm working on far too many things. Please try to understand.
BentReeds
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Anything other than plot and my character belongs to JK Rowling.
Chapter 4 Fighting
Lily and Ally ran down the stairs as the doorbell to the Evan's house opened. They quickly dodged Lily's mother and stood in the doorway to the living room. Lily smoothed down her simple dress and glanced nervously at Ally. Ally wasn't paying attention, though, as her interest was directed toward Petunia and her mother.
Petunia was coming, racing down the stairs in blur, trying to reach the door before her mother. Her hair was in a painfully tight bun that made Lily wince and touch her hair. She threw herself in front of the door just as Mrs. Evans' hand was reaching for the doorknob. "Petunia! What in the world--?"
Lily followed Ally's gaze and watched Petunia take her mother's arm and drag her aside. Lily could see Ally from the corner of her eye. Ally looked at her and they both nodded in understanding as they slowly crept to the hallway door to listen to the private conversation. Lily grabbed a small glass from the coffee table and dunked the water out of into a plant nearby. She flicked it once to get rid of remaining water and pressed it against the door. Leaning in, she put her ear on the glasses end and could distantly hear the conversation going on. She motioned for Ally to do the same.
"Petunia, what is wrong with you?" her mother exclaimed. "I have to answer the door, it's Vernon! Surely you wouldn't want to keep him at the entrance for all dinner."
"Mother!" Petunia whispered imperatively. Lily and Ally had to strain their ears to hear what she was saying. "I think I should answer the door today."
Ally and Lily looked at each other. What was Petunia going on about now?
"I need to talk to him about something before dinner," she whispered, "if I don't it'll ruin the entire evening for me."
"Why would it ruin the evening for you?" her mother asked half worried, half suspicious. "Is something going on between the two of you? Did he do anything? What's happened?"
DING-DONG
"Well I don't know exactly what's happened..." Petunia admitted. "I'm not even sure anything at all has happened. That's why I need to talk to him. To find out if my notions are true."
"What notions? You still haven't told me what's going on..."
"Well...It's just..." Lily could here no more as Ally bent down to look through the keyhole.
"She's whispering something into her ear." Ally said quietly to Lily. Lily nodded and almost jumped at the shriek of laughter coming from the other side of the door. Ally stood and went back to listening.
"Y-you can't possibly be thinking..." her mother trailed off into laughter. Petunia huffed and you could almost hear her put her hands on her hips
"The other girls say that they think he's not really working overtime because of his new promotion. Even Yvonne, I was talking to her just yesterday."
'Oh, honey," Mrs. Evans chuckled. "I don't think that there's a chance in the world."
DING-DONG
"But Lally—I mean Lily and Ally... They were making fun of me. Maybe he is doing... that and I'm just too stupid to notice. How am I supposed to know? I don't want to be another one of those dumb wives!"
Unbeknownst to the other two women in the household, Ally and Lily had doubled up in laughter on the other side of the door. Their glasses had clattered to the floor as they tried to hold back their amusement, but failed. The conversation was still going on the other side of the door.
"Oh no, hon, trust me, don't put any stock into what Lily and Ally say, they simply don't like Vernon because he's so—so—so muggle to them."
"Muggle? They should be lucky to be allowed anywhere near him. I really don't want them to mess this up."
"Oh, Petunia you're letting them mess this up by listening to their jibes at him and you. Don't pay attention to their taunts; all they want is rise out of you. And for goodness sake, forget everything that they said to you, he's not cheating!"
Petunia huffed and stomped across the hallway. "I'm answering the door!" she shouted over her back as she stormed away.
DING-DO—
The doorbell was cut short as Petunia flung open the front door. The conversation that followed the opening of the door was unknown to Lily and Ally for all time. For currently, they were still rolling around on the floor, laughing. As soon as they regained enough self control they pressed their ears back alongside the door, only to be knocked back to the ground as Lily's mother opened the door.
"Ow!" Lily exclaimed as she was pushed to the floor. Her mother looked down, surprised as she surveyed the two girls below her.
Seeing Mrs. Evans surprised and confused face was enough to make Lily and Ally burst out laughing all over again. Mrs. Evans rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her fists. "I was just about to go looking for you two, you know. Vernon is here, at this very moment, and you've got to look presentable."
Lily and Ally almost stopped laughing... almost as her mother dragged the both of them up. She pursed her lips and their giggling slowly died away at the look they were both looking. Lily winced under her mother's angry gaze.
"What exactly have you two been telling Petunia about Vernon staying overtime for his job?" she asked sharply.
"Er—"
"Well... you see..." Ally began, then she lost her words and her mouth hung open, attracting bugs.
"I don't want to hear excuses." Lily's mother replied sharply. "You've been telling lies to Petunia about Vernon. I want each of you to apologize to her and set her mind straight. I know you don't think it but she puts serious stock into what you say or what you think." Here, Lily rolled her eyes. "But she does. She possibly values what you think over what your father and I think."
Ally stifled a snort of disbelief. Lily smacked her on the arm to hide her own small laugh.
"Now, you're going to apologize to her and Vernon."
"Vernon!" Lily interjected angrily, nothing in the world would posses her to act earnestly toward Vernon. "Why do we have to say anything to Vernon? He doesn't really care about us. Don't you see the way he looks at us, the way he talks to us?"
"Lily Evans!" her mother said harshly. "You will not be disrespectful to your new brother."
"He isn't my brother yet!" Lily struck back, but instantly regretted it as her mother's face darkened. "I hope he's never my brother!"
"Don't you even think about it Lily! You will not break them apart. Haven't you seen how happy your only sister is lately? She's never been overjoyed about anything like this before. You're going to say you're sorry this instant, to both Petunia and Vernon! I won't hear another word about it."
Lily stood as the tension radiated off of her. Ally slowly took a step backward from her angry friend in fear. Mrs. Evans seemed completely oblivious to the anger seething off of her daughter and she continued on with her speech.
"You can make your apology at dinner tonight. You can stand up in front of the entire family, you too, Ally, I see you sneaking off around the corner, and maybe some humility will make you watch your mouth, Lily. It's time to change your attitude. Just because you think you're better than Petunia because you can do magic—" the terrifying aura around Lily doubled, "—doesn't mean that you can try to break up her and her fiancé. I honestly don't know what's gotten into you lately."
This is not going well... Ally thought morbidly as she saw Lily fuming soundlessly and Mrs. Evans ranting angrily. Ally slowly moved out of the way toward the door to the kitchen.
"You're gone the entire year at Hogwarts. I hardly even know you any more. You haven't come home for Christmas since your fourth year and you barely write. I know your exams are difficult and it's imperative that you study hard, but you don't even write on the holidays! Petunia needed you this year and you didn't bother trying to make some simple contact!"
It's the end of the woooorld as we know it... It's the end of the woooorld as we know it! Ally hummed to herself as she backed up against the wall of the living room.
"Contact? CONTACT! What are you crazy! I've made more than contact! I've written her everyday, she never replies to my mail. She treats me horribly and she treats all my friends just as bad also. She hates magic and she hates Hogwarts. All she cares about is her perfect little muggle life and—and her horrible boyfriend! You're just too wrapped up in marrying her off to realize anything important. She treats us horribly! She calls us freaks, she says we're unnatural, she thinks were abnormal just because she can't do magic. She's jealous of us. Jealous! She's always been jealous. It's been like this ever since I came home at the need of my first year and it's getting worse day by day! I'm not the problem! I don't think I'm better than her, she thinks she's better than me!"
Mrs. Evans stood in shock for a few minutes after Lily had spoken out. Lily was the silent one; she never spoke out against her mother. But then again, her mother had never screamed at her like she just had. At that moment, something happened that neither of them expected, not even Ally could have predicted what occurred next.
"WHAT! HOW DARE YOU INSULT ME IN SUCH A MANNER! I AM A RESPECTED MANAGER AT MY COMPANY AND JUST BECAUSE I WORK, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I'VE BEEN IMMORAL AND DEVIOUS BEHINDYOUR BACK! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD ACCUSE ME OF SUCH A HEINOUS THING! YOU'RE LUCKY THAT I EVEN BOTHER TO WASTE MY TIME ON YOU! I'M LEAVING YOU AND YOUR FREAKY SISTER, FOREVER!"
Ah, the fine etudes of Vernon Dursley...Ally thought. Wonderful, wonderful... I wonder if Smeltings offers voice classes.
"FINE! LEAVE THEN, SEE IF I CARE! I CAN DO FINE WITHOUT YOU! THE WEDDING IS OFF!"
SLAM!
Lily, Ally, and Mrs. Evans stood in shock, Mrs. Evans with a look of growing horror on her face. She inhaled sharply and marched through the door with determination in her stride. Lily's emotions were battling for dominance on her face. Between happiness and confusion, confusion seemed to win. Ally was standing against the wall, still humming to herself.
"What the—" Lily muttered to herself as the door once again swung open. Lily stumbled out of the way as her mother ushered a teary eyed Petunia into the room.
"It's all right dear... it's all right..." Mrs. Evans cooed over Petunia. "Sit right here, yes, that's right, dry your tears, I'll set his right... Ally! Get some tea please," she ordered, of course, not realizing that Ally was paying absolutely not attention to what she said. She was more focused on Petunia. Petunia was sniffling to her self and glaring at everyone around her, like a wild animal trapped in a cage.
"I don't want anything that she gets me."
"Oh, you don't want any tea?" her mother asked. Lily smacked her forehead. "Are you sure?"
Petunia nodded vigorously and glared, once again, at both Lily and Ally. "It's their fault that Vernon canceled the wedding."
"Wait a second!" Lily burst out. "Don't blame this on us! You're the one who called—"
"LILY EVANS! Didn't we just finish speaking about your attitude? I cannot believe that at this time, right after Vernon and your sister had a fight, you would bring up what you told Petunia."
"She's always doing this, mother! She's just jealous that I've got a fiancé!"
"Well, you obviously don't anymore," Lily spat at her sister.
"I can't believe this, what's happened to you two? Where did the days go when you used to get along so well?"
"That was before she turned into a—a—a FREAK!" Petunia shrieked. Her voice was shaking with emotions. "No one normal can do the things she does. It's wrong and unnatural; I don't want to be a part of any of that. Like I said, you're jealous!"
"Now, Petunia, don't you think that's a bit harsh?" her mother said softly from behind her.
"Jealous! JEALOUS! Do you even hear what you're saying? I'm jealous that I haven't got three layers of make-up on my horse face and an evil boyfriend with a black hole for a heart? HA!"
"HORSE FACE! At least I don't hang around with freaky friends who don't even know what a television is! That's pathetic."
Ally snapped awake. "Who're we calling pathetic?"
"The freak..." Petunia said, with sick happiness in her voice.
"PETUNIA, LILY! STOP THIS INSTANT!"
That, perhaps, was Mrs. Evans worst mistake of the evening.
"STOP! Why? I'm finally giving theses freaks what they deserve!" Petunia yelled at Mrs. Evans. "Why can't they be normal? Go to normal schools! Have normal friends! Date normal guys! Shop at normal places! Dress normally! Not wave sticks about and appear out of fireplaces!"
"If you have a problem with our world, a world that is far more advanced than yours, so be it, but don't insult the robes!" Ally bellowed.
"I'll insult whoever... I... like!"
"I've had it with you Petunia! You're always giving me problems. I can never be good enough, can I?"
"GIRLS!"
"You're one to talk, mother. Don't you see how twisted their world is?" Petunia spun on her mother again. "It's right in front of your eyes! But it's always Lily did this, Lily did that, Lily can do magic, Lily is the top in her class, Lily can bloody fly!"
"Don't you go and attack me for anything! I'm your mother... Or does that mean anything to you anymore!"
"Oh, please, everyone is always talking about Petunia. Petunia wants to go there, Petunia wants to do this; Petunia will throw a fit if her eggs aren't made a specific way, Petunia's getting—oh, sorry, Petunia WAS getting married, but then she threw fit because he probably never liked her from the beginning! Mother, honestly, how could you have even approved of that fat tub of lard from the beginning!"
"Well at least PETUNIA told me when she was liked a boy! Not like you and this Potter boy!" Mrs. Evans finally snapped.
Petunia smirked triumphantly toward Lily. But that was when something snapped somewhere in the deep recesses of Lily's mind. Perhaps it was when her mother yelled at her, perhaps it was the mention of James, and perhaps it was because Petunia smirked. Lily was never entirely clear on how it happened; all she remembered was a fuzzy, angry cloud that took over her mind.
"How do you even know that name...?" Lily said through clenched teeth.
"I found it in your diary..." her mother drew out a black leather book with the letters L.E written in gold on the front. "I was worried... Now I think that I wasn't wrong in worrying..."
"IT WAS ONE BLOODY PHONE CALL! I DIDN'T EVEN TELL HIM MY PHONE NUMBER! I DON'T HAVE A CLUE HOW HE FOUND IT! THIS IS ALL PETUNIA'S FAULT! I BET SHE EVEN LED YOU STRAIGHT TO IT! AND WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH JAMES POTTER? HE'S BETTER OFF THAN VERNON DURSLEY WILL EVER BE! NOT TO MENTION THAT HE'S PROBABALY ALREADY BEEN OFFERED A MINISTRY JOB! HIS FATHER'S AN AUROR! HE'S FROM ONE OF THE OLDEST, RICHEST, AND MOST PRESTIGIOUS FAMILIES IN THE ENTIRE WIZARDING WORLD!"
Lily stopped to breath for a moment.
"AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST SELLING POINTS, PETUNIA... IS THAT HE'S... A... WIZARD! PERSONALLY, I WOULD BE INSULTED IF YOU LIKED HIM, WHICH WOULD MEAN I PICKED A GIT!"
"VERNON IS NOT A GIT! HE'S NORMAL!"
"GIRLS! STOP THIS INSTANT!"
"DEFINE NORMAL, YOU SNIVELING, GREEDY, SPOILED LITTLE BRAT! EVER SINCE I CAME HERE YOU'VE BEEN A THORN IN MY SIDE. YOU DIDN'T WELCOME ME OR TREAT ME WITH DECENCY!" Ally joined the argument.
"Hello, girls? I'm home! I thought I heard yell—"
WHAM!
Lily punched Petunia. Petunia screamed in rage and barreled into Lily. Mrs. Evans jumped to tear the girls apart when she got caught by a kick from Lily. Ally took the momentary hesitation from Petunia as a chance to throw a book at her. Mrs. Evans backhanded Lily on the cheek. Petunia screamed and ran after Ally. Lily actually threw another punch at her mother when Petunia and Ally rammed into the other two women. The four of them fell to the floor in a blur. They attacked relentlessly at each other. The only person who was not harmed was Mr. Evans, who was standing dumbly at the door.
He set down his briefcase silently. Casually, he threw his jacket onto the doorknob, loosening his tie as he walked into the living room and flopped onto the couch.
"Why thank you for asking girls... my day was fine. How was yours. Made me dinner? You didn't have to..."
Later in the evening...
Lily was sporting a shining black eye when the clock struck midnight. She was standing, facing the wall in one corner of the room. Her arms were crossed and her hair was frizzy, one side stuck up at an odd angle. Her shoe had fallen off at one point during the fight. She was breathing heavily and still glaring at her corner of the wall. If looks could do anything, the wall and half of Privet drive would have been destroyed by now. Lily tapped her foot impatiently as she said and did nothing.
The entire scene was humorous when looking from an outsider's point of view. Lily, Ally, Petunia, and even Mrs. Evans were all stationed at each corner of the living room. The three other women were all in about the same condition as Lily was. Mrs. Evans had a bruise on her arm that was growing and scratches from when Petunia had found that flowers were a good weapon. Petunia had a bloody nose when Ally and she had dished it out. Petunia's dress was completely ruined when Lily had found the empty vase that Petunia had stolen the flowers out of. Ally was standing in the last corner. She was also glaring, but better off than the others, halfway through the fight she had used the pillows on the couch as a shield. But one cut across her lip and her ruffled and ripped clothes made it evident that she had also joined the fray.
"Are you four ready yet?"
"Oh, honestly Mark... do I have to be included in this? I'm your wife." Mrs. Evans said, with her arms crossed and a disapproving look.
"You may be my wife but you were behaving just as badly as everyone else."
Mrs. Evans sighed and turned around, muttering to herself. Mr. Evans, who was sitting on the couch, reading his newspaper, leaned in to catch what she was grumbling. "Ridiculous..., getting too late..."
"If you think that it's time to go to bed than you should all turn around and apologize..."
No one in the corners of the room move at all. Mr. Evans sighed dramatically.
"I've been working all day... Well, all yesterday now... And what do I come home to find? The four of you wrestling in the living room... I had to bribe you to find out what had happened. Not only is Mr. Dursley gone, but our family is being torn apart. I had to pull you off of each other. That's why, if you want to get any sleep for the rest of your life, you're going to turn around this second!"
He spoke his last words harshly and set down his newspaper, banging his fist on the coffee table loudly. Petunia, Ally, Lily, and Mrs. Evans slowly turned around to face each other. Lily couldn't help but smirk as she saw Petunia's ruined dress. Petunia glared at all of them with a look that would kill a Dementor. None of them made any sign of starting the confessions.
"Well... are you going to do anything?"
The four of them turned their glares at each other, to glare at Mr. Evans. He shifted on the couch and nervously pulled at his collar. "Er—when you're ready."
Lily sniffled in dislike. She saw Petunia flare her nostrils. Ally hissed in annoyance and Mrs. Evans sighed exasperatedly.
"I'm sorry," they all said in unison. The apology was lacking in sincerity, it was full of disdain and if Professor Dumbledore was there he would have dropped dead in shock.
One by one, Mrs. Evans, Petunia, Lily and Ally all walked silently to the stairs. Mr. Evans could hear their feet stomping angrily on the steps. The three doors to their rooms all slammed in unison and he sighed. Pulling out a blanket he lay down on the couch. There was no chance that he was going to be sleeping in a bed tonight.
A/N This chapter reminds me of my three sisters when we were younger. We were so silly (cough) violent (cough). Good times. Review please!
