"Mum, I don't want to see Lily off..." Petunia knew she sounded whiny,
but frankly, she didn't care.
"Petunia, you may not see your sister for several months. You are going to see Lily off."
"I am not! Mum, I hate Lily!" Alright, she was immature, but so what?
"That's an awful thing to say, Petunia. Please, come, Lily wants you to..."
"I don't give a damn about what Lily wants!" Ah, that felt good.
"Petunia, I don't understand you. You used to be so loving..."
"Used to be, Mum. Not anymore. I hate Lily."
"You're coming, Petunia. And that's that." Mrs. Evans exited the room.
Petunia slammed the door shut. So everyone thought she was a little brat who had a heart of stone. Fine. Maybe she did. Maybe she just hated Lily with a passion. Petunia didn't know anymore.
A knock on the door. "Who is it?" Petunia asked crossly.
"It's Lily. Can I come in?"
"What do you think?"
"Please, Petunia, I want to get this sorted out."
A twinge of what a normal sister might feel rose in Petunia. She forced it back down. She was not going to forgive Lily. And yet...
"Fine. Come in. But be quick."
Lily opened the door and cautiously walked in, as though afraid Petunia might turn into an elephant and trample her. She took a seat on Petunia's bed.
"Petunia, I heard your conversation with Mum, and I was hurt," Lily told her sister.
"Okay. Do I care?" Petunia asked cruelly.
"Petunia, remember when we were little girls? We would run around and chase squirrels? And you took in that one squirrel, what did you name it?"
"Daisy." The power of that memory, that love rose into Petunia. Again she forced it down. I hate Lily, she reminded herself. I'll never forgive Lily.
"Daisy, yeah, that was it. And she was so tame..."
"Lily, I don't want to talk about it. That's over. We're not little girls anymore. We're..."
"What are we, Petunia?" Lily asked softly.
"I don't know," Petunia said, and the urge to make up with her sister was so strong...but then her sensible self took over. No, she was going to hate Lily until Lily was dead.
"We're still sisters, Petunia. We can make up, make Mum and Dad happy, or we can not make up."
The former sounded so tempting, to forgive and forget...but Petunia couldn't. "I can't, Lily."
A tear rolled down Lily's cheek. "I know you hate me, Petunia."
"I know you hate me, Lily."
"But I don't. Petunia, I just want to be friends again."
The little-girl instinct was overwhelming Petunia. But she was older now, she couldn't forgive that easily. No. She refused to allow Lily to hurt her again and again.
"We can't be friends anymore, Lily," Petunia said.
"Yes, we can. I'm sure of it."
"You were sure you could fly." Damn it, why was she bringing up these memories when they were two loving sisters?
"I still am."
"I hate you, Lily. I hate your sense and magic. I never want to see you again. Drop dead."
Slowly, Lily trudged out of the room. Petunia felt no regret.
"And I'm not going with you to King's Cross, either!"
Lily's head jerked up. She stormed into her sister's room.
"You're right, Petunia. I know I'm better than you. I know I'll always be. I was mad, thinking you were actually a person. I don't want you to see me off."
Ah, that was the outburst Petunia was looking for. "Good!" she cried. "Because I'm not going to!"
"I don't care!" Lily shot back. "You're going to hell, Petunia."
"Lily!" Their mother called. "Time to leave! Is Petunia coming with you?"
"No," said Lily defiantly. "Mum, Dad, let's go."
As she watched the car pull out of the driveway, Petunia had the oddest feeling that someone was outside. She peered out the window, and heard a voice:
"THE DARK LORD SHALL SEEK TO DESTROY JAMES POTTER AND HIS SON WHICH WILL BE BORN THE SAME YEAR AS YOUR OWN. ANY WHO GET IN HIS WAY SHALL BE DESTROYED. THE ONE WHO LIVES SHALL LIVE WITH YOU. THE ONE WHO LIVES SHALL BE JAMES POTTER'S SON. THE ONE WHO DIES SHALL BE JAMES POTTER AND YOUR SISTER."
What was that? Petunia muttered. It must have been her imagination. Who in the hell was James Potter? And his son, to live with Petunia? The idea was ridiculous. And yet something told her it wasn't a joke.
And Lily dying? Well, Petunia would eagerly await that.
"Petunia, you may not see your sister for several months. You are going to see Lily off."
"I am not! Mum, I hate Lily!" Alright, she was immature, but so what?
"That's an awful thing to say, Petunia. Please, come, Lily wants you to..."
"I don't give a damn about what Lily wants!" Ah, that felt good.
"Petunia, I don't understand you. You used to be so loving..."
"Used to be, Mum. Not anymore. I hate Lily."
"You're coming, Petunia. And that's that." Mrs. Evans exited the room.
Petunia slammed the door shut. So everyone thought she was a little brat who had a heart of stone. Fine. Maybe she did. Maybe she just hated Lily with a passion. Petunia didn't know anymore.
A knock on the door. "Who is it?" Petunia asked crossly.
"It's Lily. Can I come in?"
"What do you think?"
"Please, Petunia, I want to get this sorted out."
A twinge of what a normal sister might feel rose in Petunia. She forced it back down. She was not going to forgive Lily. And yet...
"Fine. Come in. But be quick."
Lily opened the door and cautiously walked in, as though afraid Petunia might turn into an elephant and trample her. She took a seat on Petunia's bed.
"Petunia, I heard your conversation with Mum, and I was hurt," Lily told her sister.
"Okay. Do I care?" Petunia asked cruelly.
"Petunia, remember when we were little girls? We would run around and chase squirrels? And you took in that one squirrel, what did you name it?"
"Daisy." The power of that memory, that love rose into Petunia. Again she forced it down. I hate Lily, she reminded herself. I'll never forgive Lily.
"Daisy, yeah, that was it. And she was so tame..."
"Lily, I don't want to talk about it. That's over. We're not little girls anymore. We're..."
"What are we, Petunia?" Lily asked softly.
"I don't know," Petunia said, and the urge to make up with her sister was so strong...but then her sensible self took over. No, she was going to hate Lily until Lily was dead.
"We're still sisters, Petunia. We can make up, make Mum and Dad happy, or we can not make up."
The former sounded so tempting, to forgive and forget...but Petunia couldn't. "I can't, Lily."
A tear rolled down Lily's cheek. "I know you hate me, Petunia."
"I know you hate me, Lily."
"But I don't. Petunia, I just want to be friends again."
The little-girl instinct was overwhelming Petunia. But she was older now, she couldn't forgive that easily. No. She refused to allow Lily to hurt her again and again.
"We can't be friends anymore, Lily," Petunia said.
"Yes, we can. I'm sure of it."
"You were sure you could fly." Damn it, why was she bringing up these memories when they were two loving sisters?
"I still am."
"I hate you, Lily. I hate your sense and magic. I never want to see you again. Drop dead."
Slowly, Lily trudged out of the room. Petunia felt no regret.
"And I'm not going with you to King's Cross, either!"
Lily's head jerked up. She stormed into her sister's room.
"You're right, Petunia. I know I'm better than you. I know I'll always be. I was mad, thinking you were actually a person. I don't want you to see me off."
Ah, that was the outburst Petunia was looking for. "Good!" she cried. "Because I'm not going to!"
"I don't care!" Lily shot back. "You're going to hell, Petunia."
"Lily!" Their mother called. "Time to leave! Is Petunia coming with you?"
"No," said Lily defiantly. "Mum, Dad, let's go."
As she watched the car pull out of the driveway, Petunia had the oddest feeling that someone was outside. She peered out the window, and heard a voice:
"THE DARK LORD SHALL SEEK TO DESTROY JAMES POTTER AND HIS SON WHICH WILL BE BORN THE SAME YEAR AS YOUR OWN. ANY WHO GET IN HIS WAY SHALL BE DESTROYED. THE ONE WHO LIVES SHALL LIVE WITH YOU. THE ONE WHO LIVES SHALL BE JAMES POTTER'S SON. THE ONE WHO DIES SHALL BE JAMES POTTER AND YOUR SISTER."
What was that? Petunia muttered. It must have been her imagination. Who in the hell was James Potter? And his son, to live with Petunia? The idea was ridiculous. And yet something told her it wasn't a joke.
And Lily dying? Well, Petunia would eagerly await that.