No Man's Land
A/N: Hello everybody! I just want to say that anyone who reads this fic has impeccable taste, and should R&R because it would be much appreciated.
Disclaimer: All characters, settings and events that you recognise are the sole property of J.K.Rowling, and anything else is mine… All mine!
Rating: This fic is probably just a G, but may go up to PG-13 later, depending on where the story goes.
Summary: Lily has been at Hogwarts for four years now and is going to start her fifth in September. Her sister, Petunia, looks up to her in every way, and her boyfriend, James Potter, is the sweetest guy in school. Nothing lasts forever, so everyone says. Lily is about to find out, first-hand.
Chapter 1: Cuts Both Ways
"Happy birthday, Petty!" Lily cried as she bounded into her sister's bedroom to wake her up. "Your presents are downstairs waiting for you, sleepy-head!" She ran back out of the room and the distant thud of her landing after jumping the last five steps resounded in Petunia Evans' ears.
For a few groggy seconds, Petunia tried to gain her bearings. Today was the day she would become a witch, just like her sister, Lily. Having heard so much about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, there was no present that could replace the letter she knew she was about to receive. After all, Lily was a witch, and she had gotten the letter on her eleventh birthday too. Of course that was several years ago, but still…
Throwing on her best dress, Petunia ran down the stairs after her sister and joined her in the kitchen. Upon arriving, she did not give a single glance in the direction of her parents, more her presents. She rushed over and began searching through the pile for the envelope.
"Where is it, Lils?" she asked.
"It's got to be here somewhere, Petty. Maybe mum wrapped it as a joke?"
At that, Petunia began ripping open all of the packages. Instead of the elusive letter, she found a Malibu Barbie, a make-up kit, and various other similar items.
"It's not here." Petunia accused
"Come on girls, come and get your breakfast." Mrs Evans called. Both girls complied, and sat around the kitchen table. Despite the pleasant conversation, Lily was unable to avoid the depressed looks being sent her way by Petunia.
"Petunia, are you ok, honey?" Mrs Evans asked worriedly.
"I'm feeling a bit sicky. Can I go to my room?"
"Sure, but take your presents too, so you don't get bored."
Some time later, Lily was released from the kitchen and made her way up the stairs to her sister's bedroom for the second time that day.
"Petty?" Lily called softly as she tapped on the door. She heard no reply. "Petty? Are you there?"
"Go away." Came the muffled reply.
"Come on, Petty, its your birthday. Don't be so sad. You're going to go off to wizard school, after all!" she called jovially as she slowly opened the door, wincing as it creaked. She saw Petunia Evans lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, and the only discernible movement was the steady rise-fall of her chest. Lily crossed the room and kneeled by her sister's bed, resting her head on her hands, and her hands on the mattress. "Hey."
"Leave me alone."
"Look, Petty, I know you were looking forward to getting the letter today, but maybe the owl got lost." Petunia snorted. "Do you remember that letter I sent you in second year that got here all bedraggled and looking as if it had been across a No Man's Land? Well that does happen sometimes. The letter was supposed to get to you two days before, but the owl got lost in a storm."
"What's a No Man's Land?"
"During a war, when the two sides battle, there is a gap between the lines, where some men rush forward to try and get an advantage over the other side. That gap is called No Man's Land because any man that tries to get across is almost always unsuccessful." Lily poked her sister in the side. "So, what say we go and eat cake - Mum's ready with the knife downstairs. She wants you to cut the first slice."
"She wants me to cut the first slice?" Petunia was incredulous. All her life, she was not allowed to go anywhere near the cutlery draw, much less actually hold a knife!
"Yeah. She says you're old enough to be able to use it properly, now."
Petunia left her sister trailing as she sprang out of bed and downstairs to the kitchen. Lily's face harboured a smile as she followed the eleven-year-old at a much slower pace.
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"Come on, Lils. We've been waiting for you so Petty can cut the cake!" Mrs Evans beamed.
Lily sat at the table, happily watching the birthday-girl fumbling with the knife. She remembered when she had first received the letter from Hogwarts on her eleventh birthday, and how excited she was at the prospect of studying magic. Even so, she had been almost ready to give up that chance to make her sister love her again after Petunia had found out. Petunia had always been one that hated anything out of the ordinary, even when she was only seven years old. She was a very, very clever child, always top of her class in every subject, including physical education. She had always been much cleverer than her older sister, taking after her mother more than her father. Perhaps it was this that made Petunia hate her so much during those first few days. Her mother was not overly enthusiastic about Lily's going to boarding school to study magic of all subjects, as she had so kindly put it. It had taken Lily convincing Petunia that she would also be a witch some day, and one of the best to ever attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Ever since then, Petunia had nearly idolised Lily in almost every way - from the way she dressed, to the food she ate (she just loved those Fizzing Whizzbees!), to even reading the books and notes that Lily brought home during the holidays. She needed help with the longer words, like 'transfiguration' and some of the concepts, though. She enjoyed trying to write with a quill, and sending letters back and forth by owl as often as she could. She even tried to follow Lily onto platform nine-and-three-quarters once, but was held back by her father.
Lily wanted for nothing more than to be able to show Petunia around the castle, to see her younger sister going though the same turmoil that she did before the sorting ceremony at the beginning of term. She wanted to hear about her sister's first flying lesson, her opinion of the teachers, and, most of all, know what house she would be sorted into. It would be grand for her to be sorted into Gryffindor, but I doubt she belongs there - Ravenclaw is more fitting, she thought.
Still, there was something nagging at the back of her mind. It was strange that the letter hadn't already arrived - had the owl been lost in a storm of sorts? It had been known to happen - poor little Peter Pettigrew hadn't been able to attend the beginning of term feast in his first year because his letter had only arrived on the fifteenth of August and the reply was supposed to be sent by the thirty-first of July, so preparations for his dormitory had been delayed. But such events had been near enough wiped out in the past year - the post office had become more efficient in weather forecasting, and the owls had become sturdier…
Lily berated herself for thinking these thoughts. Her sister was a witch. She would get her letter, and she would go to Diagon Alley to pick up her books and robes for the first year. She would!
"Lily! Hey, wake up!" Petunia literally screamed in her ear.
"Petty, are you trying to deafen me, or something?" Lily replied irritably.
"Here's your cake." Petunia's smile had vanished, and was looking very upset.
"It's all right. I was just lost in my own little world, as I always am." Lily smiled reassuringly back at her sister, who returned the gesture.