Disclaimer: J.K Rowling is far too busy in her mansion with her family and doing god knows what else, then to write pathetic fanfiction such as the one you are about to read. :)

Aunt Petunia fixed Lily with a look over her book as the red haired girl entered the room, dressed in her school uniform. She had just gotten back it seemed. They had not spoken for three days. Three whole days, it was made quite clear from Lily herself that she didn't want anything to do with Petunia at the moment.

Once upon a time Petunia would have jumped up in the air with joy over this, but for some reason, unknown even to her she felt hurt. Yes, hurt.

Hurt that Lily didn't want to talk to her.

Heavens forbid, was she that lonely?

No... Of course not, she had her friends, Val, Glenda, Mary, she had her son, her daughter in law Charlotte, her grandchildren, Ellie, Alex and Andrew, she had her husband, no Petunia Dursley was not lonely at all. And if all else failed then she had the neighbors to spy on to keep her entertained/company.

So why had it hurt so much when Lily in all her fury had stamped her foot on the ground and told her that she was never going to talk to Petunia again? By all rights Petunia should have been happy, but as previously stated, she wasn't.

And it drove her nuts as to why...

She remembered that day, the day she dropped Lily of to school, she had been feeling quite euphoric that morning knowing that the girl would be off to school and Petunia would have the house to herself for the first time in three weeks (at least until little Andy came).

It had surprised her, surprised her beyond anything on how frightened Lily looked when Petunia had left her at the gate, how scared she sounded.

"Do I have to go in?"

Petunia kept repeating the question over and over again in the head; she was unable to rid herself of Lily's terrified brown eyes. Lily had seemed, for that moment like a real frightened girl. Of course Petunia knew that the child was anything but normal, but it had really hit home just how young Lily really was. And a feeling inside Petunia had stirred within her soul as she looked at the girl, a feeling that she hadn't felt for a long time, it was a need. A need to protect this child from harm, her maternal instincts kicked in, or so Petunia presumed. That, or her sister instincts. Because at that moment, when young Lily had asked her aunt that question, her eyes afraid pleading with her silently to take her home, to not make her go in there, Petunia was reminded of another red headed girl. Another child, who looked up at her with the same shaped eyes, except not a brown but an emerald green that looked up with the same fear.

She could still remember that day, clearer then ever, inside her head. The day she took Lily, her sister, her Lily, to school...

"Is this it?" Lily asked Petunia.

Petunia nodded her blonde head. "This is it Lily," Petunia whispered.

"I don't want to go!" Lily said frightened, her eyes wide. "I don't want to start a new school; I don't want to be away from my friends, oh Tuney!" She wailed suddenly throwing herself around her sister's middle hugging her tightly. "Please don't make me go! Please!"

Tears ran down Lily's face, and Petunia was at loss what to do. Lily had to start a new school because at the old one, they teased her because Lily was... Different. Things happened around her, things no one could explain.

The kids they picked on Lily calling her a freak, and other mean words. Petunia had spent half her childhood fighting other children just to get them to leave Lily alone. Once Petunia had started secondary school, it had gotten worse for Lily, to the point that she came home with a black eye. Their mother had been of course furious and had withdrawn Lily from school at once and had enrolled her in this one.

Trouble was Lily didn't want to change schools. She had sobbed for half an hour when their parents told her that she was moving.

"B-but wha-what about my fr-friends?" She had wailed.

Petunia had been very tempted to ask, 'what friends?' Though assuming that this would hurt her sister she had said instead "You can make new ones Lily. Trust me you will."

"Do you think so?" Lily had asked.

Petunia nodded smiling. "I know so."

In the end Lily agreed that it was the best choice to switch schools, but only if Petunia took her.

And so here they were, that fateful day in November, with Lily sobbing her heart out attracting much unwanted attention.

"It's OK Lily," Petunia said a pink blush going over her cheeks, as she tried to ignore the people that stared. She rubbed the back of the small girl. "Honest it'll be OK; just you wait and see..."

"Please Tuney don't make me go, they won't like me, they won't..."

"What makes you say that?" Petunia asked surprised. Her sister usually wasn't the self conscious type.

Lily shrugged sullenly wiping her tears. "Kids our age just don't... They- they think I'm odd."

The hurt was evident on her face as she said this.

Petunia hugged her sister once more, and looked Lily straight in the eyes, "They're idiots if they can't see how awesome you are Lily," Petunia said with an encouraging smile. "They aren't worth your time. You're better then they remember that. You are, you can do this. It's just a school, you can do anything."

A determined expression went over her sister's face. "I'll see you after school?" She asked uncertain.

"I'll be here," Petunia confirmed it was lucky she didn't go to one of those boarding schools.

Lily smiled at Petunia brilliantly. "Thank you Tuney."

It had been because of this very memory that Petunia was in such a hurry to get away from her great niece. She probably, Petunia realized later, should have offered more words of support, perhaps even walk with her into the school, but why should she?

It wasn't as though Petunia cared for the girl, right?

No, it was just because at times, not all the time mind you, at times the girl looked so much and acted so much like her namesake that it made Petunia ache. Ache and feel angry. For many years Petunia didn't think of her sister, even when Harry Potter lived under her roof she avoided the topic, save a few times over those horrible years.

And yet now she was thinking of Lily Evans constantly.

Wondering about things, stupid things...

Like how Lily would have reacted if she had seen how Petunia and Vernon had treated Harry and her granddaughter. Like how Lily would have celebrated certain birthdays, how she would have looked had she aged...

Petunia also wondered if Lily had ever missed her... If Lily had ever wondered how Petunia was during those times they didn't talk at all...

She would rather die then admit it, but Petunia did. Petunia still missed her baby sister. Petunia watched as the girl walked across the room before giving a sigh. The girl couldn't ignore her forever, that much Petunia was sure enough. Lily would have to talk to her eventually...

Petunia knew this, but still it didn't help that strange feeling of hurt that was still over Petunia at that very moment as she pretended to be absorbed in her book. She could still remember the conversation between her and Lily that had happened clear as day...

"If I hear you speak to Val, I mean Ms. Kayson like that again, you will answer to me, do you understand?"

Lily looked at Petunia, silently fuming.

"It's not my fault!" She suddenly stormed throwing her arms in the air angrily. "Ms. Kayson asked me to leave the classroom, so I did! How was I supposed to know I wasn't allowed to go out on to the grounds? Mr. Hall didn't seem to mind! And I told you already, the paint wasn't my fault at all, or the shoes. It was Jacinta Morris' and her gang. If you want to know what really happened why don't you ask your precious little granddaughter?"

They both turned to stare at Ellie, who stood in front of the mirror that had been brought out into the living room, admiring the white sparkling dress in the mirror with a look of smug satisfaction on her face. Upon hearing her name she looked up startled.

"Ellie dear," Petunia began in a gentle tone. "What happened today at school, poppet?"

Little Andy could be heard in the background playing with his blocks.

"Whoosh!" He said clapping his hands in delight over the fact his tower fell down.

Ellie's blue colorless eyes (so much like her nanas) went wide. "Oh, oh..." She said looking flustered; it was now Lily's turn to smile in satisfaction. "Oh nana!"

Suddenly out of nowhere, Ellie ran to her nana, sobbing clutching around Aunt Petunia's bony waist.

"Darling! What's wrong? Tell nana sweetums..."

"Lily was- was so mean to-today!" She sobbed. Petunia looked up to glare at Lily.

"What did you do?" Aunt Petunia demanded. Lily's mouth fell open.

"I didn't do anything, honest! She's the one-"

"She put paint in her hair and told the teacher it was me and my friend Jacinta, and Jacinta did put hot water on her shoes but that's only because Lily did it to her first!"

"I did not!"

"And she was so so mean to Jacinta nana, she called Jacinta dirt and scum... And she said that she'd rather be sick a thousand times then sits with us at lunch!"

Lily gasped.

Petunia stared at Lily in disgust. "How dare you!" She screeched pointing a bony finger in Lily's direction, she looked quite crazy. Ellie stepped away from her nana and looked at Lily with a small smug smile. Lily felt her brown eyes narrow.

"How dare you judge someone, when you don't even know them?"

Lily gaped at her aunt, hypocritical much?

"Aunt Petunia you can't honestly believe-"

"Quiet!"

Little Andy paused in his scene of destruction to look at his nana, sister and cousin in interest.

"Lily, come play?" Andrew asked walking over to his cousin who he had taken a fancy too, gripping her hand tightly. "Play... Please."

"Not now Andrew," Lily snapped, Andrew looked up at her with wide brown eyes and Lily felt her heart break a little. "Later," She said more gently. Andrew's eyes narrowed.

"No, now."

"Andrew Dursley!" Petunia snapped. "Go back to your games like a good little boy, Ellie dear could you-?"

Ellie looked at her nana in shock, all traces of her distress gone.

"Oh no nana, I couldn't! His grubby hands all over my pretty dress? Could you imagine..."

Lily gave a loud huff and picked up little Andrew who gave a giggle.

"Come on Andy," She muttered. "Let's go up to my room."

"Yay!" He said in delight.

"Oh no you don't young lady; I'm not done talking to you... Just you wait until your uncle comes!"

Oooh. I'm scared.

Not.

Lily turned to glare her aunt gave a little stomp of her foot and said with so much force that would have made her mother proud, "I hope you know I'm never talking to you again!"

"Excuse me? Young lady I'm not done talking to you!"

"Nana... The dress ripped a bit... Nana, nana? Are you listening?"

"Be quiet Ellie, Girl! Girl! Come back here!"

"Do you want me to tell you a story Andy?" Lily asked softly as they walked up the stairs. "The one about Hogwarts?"

"Yes!"

The toddler's enthusiasm made Lily smile.

That night, Petunia had tossed all night in bed because she was worrying over it, in the end Vernon got up waddled out of the room without so much a second glance towards his wife. In the morning Petunia found out that her husband spent the night in Dudley's room, just to "get a decent nights sleep".

"Aunt Petunia?"

Petunia blinked exactly two times, to see Lily standing there. Shock went over her features, as she registered that the girl was talking, and talking to her. How long had Petunia been lost in her thoughts, judging by the look on Lily's face it must have been a while, the girl had seemed to be talking to Petunia for quite some time.

Slight happiness filled Petunia's heart, and she suddenly had the urge to smile. But she was Petunia Dursley not some crazed lunatic, she wasn't just about to smile for no reason!

Petunia put down the book that she had been reading and looked at Lily, she looked pale, and her hair was all messed up.

"What? What is it?" Petunia snapped.

"I hurt... I hurt my leg."

Petunia's eyes traveled to where Lily was pointing and gasped. There on her leg was a bloody gash. "What happened?" Petunia demanded standing up at once (probably too soon as her limbs groaned in protest).

Lily's brown eyes widened slightly. "It was raining... And I wanted to stay warm so I ran home... And there was a rock that I didn't see and I fell, and hurt my leg and my arm see..."

She showed her aunt her arm that was all scratched.

"Stupid girl!" Petunia snapped. "Quick get into the kitchen, quick, and make sure you don't drip blood on to the carpet!"

"I'll try not too," Lily said sarcastically as she hopped into the kitchen from the living room, throwing herself on to one of the chairs. Aunt Petunia went to one of the draws, with quickness that would not have been expected of her, and got out a wet face cloth and wet it hurriedly.

"Here," She said handing Lily the cloth. "Put that on your knee... I'll be right back."

Lily obeyed her aunt's instructions, and took an intake of breath as the wet cloth met with the stinging wound. "Ouch!" She whispered.

It was quite shocking; Lily thought vaguely that her aunt was acting this way, as though she was actually worried about Lily. Oh she didn't show it, but Aunt Petunia acted the exact same way her own mother had acted one time when Albus had fallen of his broom in their backyard after he and Teddy collided. Ginny had snapped at Albus for being so 'damn reckless' and 'didn't he realize that he was too young to be playing with Teddy, Fred and James?'

As Lily pondered this, she watched Aunt Petunia come back into the room, her white blonde hair slightly disheveled. She carried a small box that had 'First Aid' on it. Aunt Petunia put the strange box on the table and got out a big brown bottle.

"This will sting," She forewarned.

Lily nodded, Aunt Petunia poured the stuff on the cotton, and gently-carefully, dabbed it on Lily's sore.

"Ouch!" Lily cried out.

"Oh be quiet," Petunia said though Lily swore that the corner of her lips lifted up ever so slightly. "Give me your arm, quickly now!"

"No!" Lily said cradling her arm, moving away from her aunt as far as she could.

"Stop being silly," Aunt Petunia ordered, becoming instantly frustrated.

"It hurts!" Lily complained.

"It'll hurt more if you keep moving!"

Hesitantly Lily out stretched her arm, and winced as Aunt Petunia dabbed the ointment on.

"There," Aunt Petunia said victoriously. "That wasn't so bad was it?"

"Yes," Lily sulked, as Aunt Petunia got out two band aids.

"Oh be quiet," Aunt Petunia said putting the band aid on Lily's little knee. "Serves you right for running in the rain, honestly."

"Well I wasn't going to walk in the rain, slowly was I? I'd probably get pneumonia!"

Aunt Petunia went silent for a few moments. "Next time it rains, go to Dudley's car, he'll take you home," She eventually said.

Lily felt shocked. "Okay."

Aunt Petunia put the other band aid on Lily's arm. "There," She declared. "You're done!"

Lily grinned and stood up, flinching slightly as the pain shot up her leg.

"There are some cookies in the pantry," Aunt Petunia said in a would-be-offhand voice, as she began to pack the medical things away. "Chocolate chip... Your favorite."

Lily grinned and did something very much unexpected to both Aunt Petunia and to herself; she hugged Aunt Petunia around the middle. Petunia stiffened.

"Thank you Aunt Petunia," She whispered. "And sorry about the other day."

Aunt Petunia seemed a little dazed. She patted the girl awkwardly on the back. "That's alright..."

What else could Petunia say?

Lily smiled brilliantly before letting go of her aunt and moving towards the pantry in hopes to get a cookie, maybe staying with the Dursley's wasn't that bad all the time.

Kind of Different. I wrote it more in flashback sequences, just wanted to do something different. Hope you liked it, Petunia/Lily bonding because as one reviewer pointed out, there wasn't much interaction between these two, or for Vernon that matter (who will be seen soon) This chapter was meant to have Al and James and was meant to show what happened to Draco but I decided I'd save that for later. I hope you liked it, I kinda did. Please review!

By the way, PhoenixThatFlies, thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews I love how people review chapter by chapter. Vincent Hall is a made up character with some relevance to the plot but none to big. Thank you again for the awesome reviews, I hope you keep reading!

Macrabe Melody and Charity thank you as always for reviewing, you have no idea how much it means to me. All will be reviewed about Jugson/Harry's pass. And yes I am evil. And Mel, thank you for your input I'm sorry that this story is 'worse then a tv soap'.