Chapter 2: Dinner Dates

Vernon pulled up at a quarter to eight and Petunia was already hurrying Lily out of the bathroom for a third "final touch". She waited patiently in the living room, trying not to pull at her pantyhose. Vernon tapped on his leg as if agitated to wait but as soon as Petunia appeared he stood with a smile as wide as his waistline.

"All set, dearest?" he asked, patting his pockets down and casting a glance in the red head's direction.

"I suppose," Petunia replied and moved her purse from one shoulder to another. There was a silence that lasted too long before she moved out the door leaving Vernon and Lily to follow.

The ride was silent and awkward. Lily wished someone would turn on the radio to fill the quiet but was not granted any blessings. She sat in the back of her sister's fiance's car, gripping the hem of her dress, and wished she had her wand. It was in her purse but she didn't dare pull it out. That would ruin everything.

She frowned, realizing she no longer had a potions partner. Next year would be the first year without him meeting her in the library or passing notes in the hallways. No more silent communications over the crowded tables in the Great Hall.

Those things had been declining anyway, she reasoned. He did not like spending time with her in the halls and had stopped meeting her eye after fourth year during meals. He only spoke to her when they were alone when his gruesome friends were far, far away.

The car door slammed and Lily jumped. She looked up to see Petunia had already gotten out of the car and was fixing her dress on the curb. Lily quickly followed.

"Marge!" Vernon greeted loudly as a broad woman appeared from the crowd in front of the building. "You look marvelous!"

"It's good to see you again," Petunia said politely with a tight smile.

Lily studied the woman who looked like Vernon with longer hair and a perm. The woman hugged him and barely nodded at Petunia before casting a cold glance towards Lily. Vernon cleared his throat.

"Margie," he said, straightening. "This is Petunia's sister."

"It's nice to meet you," Lily said, putting on a smile despite not actually having been introduced to whom she assumed was part of Vernon's family.

Marge gave a low "hmm" and turned back to her look-alike brother. "The reason you're late, I'd guess. Well, come along. I suspect John's already inside at our reservation." She pushed past the crowd effortlessly and the group was forced to follow. Lily stuck close to her sister, feeling more like a six-year-old than sixteen.

The restaurant was nice with tablecloths and suited waiters. Everyone dressed in some form of darker color that felt elegant and Lily suddenly felt entirely out of place. She'd taken her dress straight from the store display to be sure to be in fashion but it seemed too loud here with its colorful print and knee-high boots. She loved the idea of color. The magical world felt so drab and dull with their muted colors all the time. She'd been excited to dress up and finally feel muggle and bright. But these people looked regal and fashionable and everything Lily Evans was not.

Just be normal, she told herself as she made her way to the table and tried not to laugh at herself. She wasn't normal in the witching world and she obviously wasn't normal here. She should consider herself skilled.

Petunia cleared her throat when Lily reached for a chair and nodded to the left, indicating the seat next to a boy already seated at the table. He didn't stand to greet them but did look up at her with a smile that twisted at the end.

"Evening," he said in a voice that sounded smooth and rehearsed.

"Hullo," Lily greeted, sitting. She straightened herself and looked at the place settings. The glass of water in front of her. The empty wine glass she wished she could fill with a flick of a wrist. Stop being such a coward, she told herself. She wasn't usually such a coward. She turned back to the stranger. "I'm Lily."

"Beautiful," he said with the same voice and smile.

"Oh," Lily said. "I'm glad you like it. Some prefer tulips."

This earned her a bigger grin. He turned in his chair towards her and rested an arm on the table. "I meant you're beautiful."

She smiled back at him in politeness. "Thank you."

"Your week going well, John?" Vernon asked as he sat and pushed himself close to the table.

"Yeah, alright," John said, not taking his eyes off Lily. "A bit slow. The market down and all that."

"The job market?" Lily asked. "I thought it was picking up." That was what she heard, anyway. It was hard to keep track of both worlds at once sometimes.

"That's what they say," John said with a wave of the wrist. "For years now, innit?"

"Vernon got a great review this term," Petunia said in an overly cheerful tone that told Lily she was uncomfortable. She looked over at her sister, wondering why. If they were still going to talk about jobs, why change the subject to Vernon?

"Vernon's always had a good head on his shoulders," Marge said, flagging down a waiter with a harsh snapping. "Best marry him quick and pop out a little one to get a promotion out of the bosses."

Petunia's face went white while Lily coughed on the water she sipped. John didn't seem offended and laughed loudly, drawing looks from nearby tables.

"Sherry," Marge said when the waiter appeared. She returned to the conversation as if nothing had broken it or the shame of the guests. "They say kids are the key to promotions these days."

Who says, Lily wondered but she kept her eyes on Petunia. "But I thought you didn't want children," she said and two sets of eyes snapped to her so quickly she thought she ought not to have said anything. Vernon and Petunia both looked ready to maim. "So soon," she amended. "With your university classes still going on."

Petunia's color was back and her eyes were like daggers. Her smile was sharp. "That's between my fiance and I, isn't it?" she asked with a clipped tone.

This. This was why she hadn't wanted to come. How was anything Lily said worse than the rudeness Marge was showing? And far be it for Petunia to defend her own decisions. But of course, the little sister was in the wrong. As always.

Lily wished she could apparate back home. She'd rather face a nest of grindylow than be stuck for the rest of dinner and their waiter hadn't even taken orders yet. She focused on her menu and tuned out the conversation hoping to avoid any more confrontations with her sister.

Fortunately, it was easy to ignore the conversation when she didn't know what they were talking about the rest of dinner. She hated how stupid these people made her feel. She could recall the prominent names in the ministry, the new laws they wanted to pass, and what was being done about the rising terror but when it came to muggle politics, Lily felt like a toddler. All she could provide was a smile and nod, just like Petunia.

Maybe that's why John seemed so keen on her. He seemed to get closer the longer dinner took until she accidentally elbowed him just using her fork and sent the utensil to the floor.

"So Lily," John began after returning her fork, "what do you do?"

Petunia visibly tensed. "She's still in school," she answered quickly before Lily could.

"Where at?" John asked. "Somewhere around here?"

"No," Lily said. She contemplated using her spoon for the rest of the meal. "Up north. A boarding school." She met her sister's steely glare with her own and decided she was full.

"Like St. George's?" He took a bite of his food but kept his eyes on her. "I've a cousin there."

"No," she said. "But I've heard good things about St. George's. Does she like it?"

"Very much. So where do you go?"

"It's only a small school," Petunia said, her voice rising in pitch. "I doubt you've heard of it."

Lily forced a smile. "What about you, John? Are you in school?"

"I graduated two years ago," he said, leaning back into his chair.

Lily accommodated his opening to tell more. "No university?" She didn't miss the tutting from her sister.

"I don't see the point," he said. "They don't ever teach you anything useful." He rolled his eyes to emphasize his point.

"Oh," Lily said dutifully. She wondered where this fellow had come from and why he was with Vernon and Petunia. As far as Lily knew, both valued high education because it led to high-paying jobs. And as everyone who was anyone knew, money was the goal of all life.

"What do you study at school?" John asked.

"I need to powder my nose," Petunia announced as she got to her feet. She stood there at the table a few moments before glaring. "Lily!"

The redhead looked up from skewing her vegetables with her knife. "Oh! Right. Me, uhm, too." She got up quickly and followed her sister to the washroom.

Petunia pulled lipstick from her purse and began applying it in the mirror while Lily stood awkwardly back.

"How do you like John?" Petunia asked suddenly. Lily looked up from the fake flowers lining the sink.

"What?" she asked.

"Vernon is optimistic about getting him a position," she continued. "And his family is very well off."

Oh well, that explained what he was doing here, Lily thought.

"He's nice," Lily offered, pulling her hands behind her back and leaning against the wall. "Friendly."

"He seems to like you." When Lily looked up, her sister was studying her again like that morning. "It's a smart match."

Wait, what?

"Is this a hook-up?" Lily asked.

"Honestly," Petunia said as if dealing with a child. Lily worried for her sister's offspring with that little patience. "You have to start thinking of these things."

"What things?" Lily asked. "I'm sixteen and we're not in an Austen novel."

Petunia carefully put her lipstick back into her purse, closed it, and set it on the counter. She cast a glance behind Lily to make sure of the empty washroom before squaring her shoulders to deliver what Lily was sure to be a well-rehearsed speech.

"You have been going to that school for long enough," she said. "Why mum and dad have allowed it, I'll never understand but it's time for you to be realistic. You need to start thinking about the real world, Lily. I was eighteen when I met Vernon. And you'll never be able to meet a good one if you've no education. You'll never have a future beyond that if you've no prospects."

Lily's head spun with the number of counter-arguments.

"Where is this even coming from?" she asked, finding it the only thing capable of coming out of her mouth at the moment.

"You're growing up," her sister said, "you see how useless magic tricks are in the real world. You must or you wouldn't be ignoring your freakish friends or that awful boy that used to crawl around all summer long."

A shudder ran down Lily's spine as she realized exactly what was happening. Petunia was trying to connect with her but only because she thought Lily was growing out of magic. Worse, she believed magic was something Lily could grow out of. Petunia was setting up this… date? All a test to mold Lily into a good little muggle Petunia had always wanted.

"Petunia," Lily said, "I'm not giving up magic. I'm not leaving Hogwarts."

Her sister's face flushed red as she crossed her arms. "And what are you planning to do?" she asked, suddenly harsh. "Children's entertainment? Work on the street?"

"There are jobs and careers I can pursue." Lily didn't realize how loud her voice had risen until Petunia shushed her. "The people live just like you do and think you're the strange ones."

"You're being childish," she said. "And stupid. You need to wake up and move on to real things! A job or a family. A husband and child."

"I don't want your life, Petunia."

The moment stretched on between them as the sisters came to a sad understanding.

"Fine," Petunia said. She turned and left.