PETUNIA:CHAPTER 4: TURN AWAY

It was the middle of the day and Petunia Evans was lying motionless on her bed. She was battling inside; forcing herself to believe something ugly so she would feel angry instead of sad.

I'll be home for Easter Lily's voice mocked in her head. Petunia felt overwhelmed with betrayal. Lily had not come home for Easter. She had decided to spend it with her friends at school. But she promised. She buried her head beneath her pillow.

She'd rather be with them than you. She'd rather be with her own kind than with her own kin. As her anger rose the pain ebbed. She continued to think ugly thoughts, it was better than facing the truth. It was easier.

She heard the door open down stairs. Lily was home for the summer. Petunia didn't budge. She could hear her sister calling to her, but she did not respond. She heard her pounding up the stairs and heard the creak of her door as it opened. She pretended she was asleep. She felt the pillow being pulled away from her head and heard Lily whisper in her ear. "Wake up!"

She would have to face her sometime, why not now? She rolled over and fixed her sister with her eyes. "Leave me alone" she said softly.

Lily's face fell. "Ar-aren't you glad to see me?"

"No, now go away."

"I'm glad to see you…"

"That's nice, leave me be."

Lily quickly turned away and left her sister's room doggedly. Petunia was convinced that she had turned away to hide tears, and she had the urge to call her back. But she bit her tongue and clutched her pillow to herself and let her leave.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Petunia talked civilly to Lily for the sake of her parents but their sisterly connection had been severed. Neither of them brought up what had been said her first night back but it was not forgotten.

Sometimes Lily would cast doleful glances at her sister and open her mouth to say something. But Petunia would glare at her and Lily's mouth would clamp shut and she would avert her eyes.

Lily was getting a stream of mail from her friends. Owls zoomed in and out everyday. Petunia worried what the neighbors thought about them. Did they now think the Evans family was abnormal? That they were freaks? She shuddered at the thought. People already disliked her enough; she didn't need them to think she was a total weirdo.

She also didn't understand why they talked so much; didn't they see enough of each other during the year? Perhaps they saw too much of each other. Of course! They were a bad influence on her! That's why she was changing! A thought seized Petunia and she bounded up the stairs to Lily's room.

"Stay with me!" panted Petunia as she banged open the door.

Lily was getting dressed to go to Diagon alley to get supplies and do her early Christmas shopping. Lily glanced at her sister. "You can come along you know, and I won't be gone shopping for too long."

"No, you don't understand. Don't go back…there."

"Why on Earth not, it's not like you actually want me here anyway." She avoided her sister's eyes.

"If you don't go you won't change. They're changing you! We can change together!" It all came out in a rush and Petunia kneeled down as if begging.

Lily stared at her sister as if she was afraid for her sanity. "How's that?"

Petunia took a deep breath and went on. "Your friends at your school…that place… are changing you! I don't know you any more! If you stay things can go back to the way they were! Please stay!"

"You've changed too." Lily said reproachfully.

"But if you stay we can change together! Don't go back! Back to those…those freaks!"

"If they're freaks I guess I'm one too!" Said Lily as she turned away.

"No! Not yet! Save yourself!" Petunia latched on to her leg and sobbed into it. "Don't leave me!"

Lily removed her leg from her grasp and edged out of the room leaving her sister sobbing on the floor.

thanks to mashimaromadness. untill you replied I had completely forgotten about this. I had had more written I had just never added it. so I guess my philosophy now is add it before I forget again. lol.