My Sister My Enemy
Petunia was five when Lilly was born. Her parents had always praised her for her beauty that was already beginning to shine through. At first it stayed this way. Her parents would tell her how much they loved her and they would read her bedtime stories while Lilly sat at the foot of the bed in silence. Petunia liked it this way. It was familiar.
On Lilly's first day of school she went into class with a shy look on her face. Everything changed when she was picked up at the end of the day. Petunia stood in the corner while her parents were told that Lilly was at a second grade level and should be promoted at once. Her parents now praised Lilly beyond all else even Petunia.
Her sister's symmetrical features and spotless skin now shadowed petunia's outstanding beauty. By the time Petunia was in the fifth grade she had acquired a sour expression that made her pretty features vanish. Then when Lilly turned eleven she got a letter to a place called Hogwarts. Her parents were thrilled and not for the last time Petunia was left to stand in the corner and watch.
Petunia hoped that after Lilly was gone at that freak school her parents would once again turn to praise their oldest daughter, and for a while they did. They would hug her and kiss her and buy her presents. When Lilly came home again for the summer holidays it all changed back again. It went on like this for seven years. During the school year Petunia was praised and adored but when the summer holidays rolled around the spotlight went back to Lilly.
Oh that was so long ago. Petunia didn't even go to her sisters wedding. Only a week later her parents died. Only a few hours apart they died. Petunia went to their funeral and cried. They didn't know how much they had hurt her. She only wanted them to love her as much as they had loved Lilly. From that day forward she blamed Lilly, and when Lilly died a year later, Petunia let the blame fall to Harry, Lilly's orphaned son.
Petunia only wanted to be loved as much as Lilly was, just to know how that felt again.
Petunia was five when Lilly was born. Her parents had always praised her for her beauty that was already beginning to shine through. At first it stayed this way. Her parents would tell her how much they loved her and they would read her bedtime stories while Lilly sat at the foot of the bed in silence. Petunia liked it this way. It was familiar.
On Lilly's first day of school she went into class with a shy look on her face. Everything changed when she was picked up at the end of the day. Petunia stood in the corner while her parents were told that Lilly was at a second grade level and should be promoted at once. Her parents now praised Lilly beyond all else even Petunia.
Her sister's symmetrical features and spotless skin now shadowed petunia's outstanding beauty. By the time Petunia was in the fifth grade she had acquired a sour expression that made her pretty features vanish. Then when Lilly turned eleven she got a letter to a place called Hogwarts. Her parents were thrilled and not for the last time Petunia was left to stand in the corner and watch.
Petunia hoped that after Lilly was gone at that freak school her parents would once again turn to praise their oldest daughter, and for a while they did. They would hug her and kiss her and buy her presents. When Lilly came home again for the summer holidays it all changed back again. It went on like this for seven years. During the school year Petunia was praised and adored but when the summer holidays rolled around the spotlight went back to Lilly.
Oh that was so long ago. Petunia didn't even go to her sisters wedding. Only a week later her parents died. Only a few hours apart they died. Petunia went to their funeral and cried. They didn't know how much they had hurt her. She only wanted them to love her as much as they had loved Lilly. From that day forward she blamed Lilly, and when Lilly died a year later, Petunia let the blame fall to Harry, Lilly's orphaned son.
Petunia only wanted to be loved as much as Lilly was, just to know how that felt again.