7th year - August 20th
"LOOK!" yelled Lily, standing in the kitchen with her open letter on the table, and held up the bright silver 'HG' badge, "Mum, Dad, Tuney! I'm head girl!" her parents were quick to crowd around and give Lily hugs and praise, however, Lily merely looked past them to the figure that was sitting stock-still in the arm chair with her gaze resolutely fixed on the screen of the television.
"Tuney?" Enquired Lily, cautiously as her parent's affection subsided. Petunia rose from her chair and stalked out of the room.
Lily knocked tentatively on her sister's door with some camomile tea firm in her grasp. She couldn't deny the offering of tea! Not after all the times they had spent cross-legged on their beds chatting away into the small hours of the morning. There was no answer, but Lily just nudged the door open and wafted the smell inside.
"That's right," Lily goaded, "it's camomile… you know you want it…" Lily sighed in frustration. "I know you're not asleep Tuney, come on, please?" There was a pause;
"Alright then," Petunia grumbled, "if you must." Lily grinned and pushed the door in. Petunia's mouth twitched as she observed her sister hobbling in with two teacups and saucers, tripping over her still too-long dressing gown given to her by her batty old godmother four Christmases ago. Lily sat on the floor by her sister's bed and looked up at her face, which was still so much colder than the lively one of her youth.
"So." Said Petunia briskly. The word didn't encourage conversation, it merely invited something of an explanation, speech or apology.
"So." Responded Lily. She was not going to play this power game.
"Well?" Demanded Petunia after a more than awkward pause.
"Well what?" Lily inquired innocently.
"Well, it was you that came in here, so what do you want?" spat Petunia, angry at her sister's contented face.
"For you to drink some tea, that's all," Lily nodded towards the untouched cup. Petunia took a sip of the scalding tea and was soothed the way only camomile could accomplish. After another long pause where Petunia took a few more swigs, she said,
"I don't know what you want from me… It's great and whatever that you got that thing from your place, but I don't know what it's to do with me."
"You're my sister Tuney, I want you to be proud of me, or happy for me, the way I am for you"
"Yes, well…" Tuney acknowledged reluctantly.
"Besides, Mum tells me you have a boyfriend" Lily probed, "That's exciting huh?" Petunia couldn't help but smile. She had net a boy in the year above her in school about 3 months ago,
"Justin," she admitted. She couldn't help but feel a little proud.
"Is he cute?" Lily continued to probe, shuffling closer to her sister.
"Well his father is a banker, and he's got a huge house – you should see it –" suddenly Petunia had a horrible sense that something wasn't right "and … and" she knew that she was angry with Lily, but for some reason she couldn't feel it right now – it was as if Lily had tricked her into a happy mood, she slowed her speech to a stand still. Suddenly she knew. "Lily, what is in this tea," she said in a level, slow voice.
"Ummm," staggered Lily, her face was giving everything way – she never was a good liar.
"You drugged me!" Shrieked Petunia, "no, worse – you cursed me!"
"Tuney no! I only–"
"Get OUT! Get out of my room you rodent, you weasel!"
Her enraged sibling was pushing Lily forcefully out of the door, her enraged sibling shrieking about betrayal, but as soon as the latch clicked, there was silence except for choking and gagging coming from the other side of the door. Lily ran sobbing across the landing and back to her room.
