Wrote this while taking a break from my other story, In That First Year (read it!). I was feeling melancholy over a fight with my sister, so I vented my feelings here. Some elements may be AU, so deal with it. Angsty, sad, fluffiness ahead, be forewarned.
Please read and review. Reviews earn you pie, and possibly punch.
Disclaimer: Not mine, never has been, never will be.
The Labor of Love
Lily smoothed the wrinkles on the front of her simple white gown. She hadn't yet gathered the courage to actually put the dress on.
'This is it', she thought to herself. 'No turning back now.'
Lily looked out the window of the summer cottage to the crowd gathered in the garden down below. Lily recognized various members of James' family. His uncle Harold, already red in the face, had no doubt started into the champagne without an invitation. He now seemed to be deep into conversation with a tall candlestick. His great-aunt Beulah was sitting to the side looking confused. At eighty-eight, Beulah was not exactly aware of her surroundings.
Lily searched the yard for other familiar faces. She saw her friends Dannica Herman and Irene Lambert in matching bridesmaids' dresses. Lily, knowing the horrors of wearing a hideous dress, had chosen simple light blue sundresses for her friends. No sense in burying women she supposedly loved in yards of fuchsia-colored lace, like the last wedding Lily had attended.
Across the garden, Sirius Black sauntered in with his infamous grin plastered on his face. His attention was immediately turned to Lily's bridesmaids. Sirius knew Irene from school, but Dannica was a childhood friend of Lily's. Before Hogwarts, the two were inseparable, and they tried to keep their friendship strong after Lily left for Hogwarts. By Lily's seventh year, they had drifted apart, but Lily kept the promise the girls had made in third grade that they would be each other's maids-of-honor.
Sirius took an immediate interest in Dannica, as he did all women. Lily smiled privately, knowing that Dannica would be forced to fend off Sirius' advances all day long. Unfortunately, Lily didn't think any girl could resist his charms for very long.
Lily took another sweep of the yard, looking for someone else she knew. She caught sight of her father, dressed in a simple suit and tie. He looked old. Not that he was particularly old, but since Rose Evans had passed, he had looked increasingly older. His once youthful appearance had given way to grey hair and wrinkles. His once prevalent smile had been replaced with a look of sheer gloom. Lily's heart went out to him. Her father had always said that his reason for living was to make his wife happy. But with her gone, Lucas Evans no longer felt he had reason to live. Lily looked all over for her sister, but Lily knew she wasn't there. It had been a year since Lily's mother had died. It had also been a year since Lily last spoke to Petunia.
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"Cancer," the doctor said, "too advanced for any sort of treatment." It was only three weeks after her diagnosis that the family was called to gather. Her doctors were amazed she lived this long. "We can only make her comfortable."
"I want to die at home," Rose Evans had insisted.
"Mom," Petunia had pleaded, "this is the best hospital in England. The doctors and nurses here can offer you the best care in the country. We won't be able to help you at home."
But Rose was persistent. "This hospital is cold and white and unloving. I refuse to spend my last few days on Earth in this dreadful place."
Against Petunia's and the doctors' wishes, Rose came home. She was told to get a nurse to administer her painkillers. "No," Rose insisted, "I won't go without feeling. I'll die the way God intended."
"She's being ridiculous" Petunia complained loudly. "The hospital is for sick people and she is sick."
"For God's sake Petunia, think of someone other than yourself for ten minutes. She is not just another sick person, she is our mother," Lily snapped at her sister.
"Can't you wave your little wand and fix her?" Petunia asked sarcastically.
"You know full well I cannot," Lily shot back.
"Then what are you good for?" Petunia said coldly.
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Back in the master bedroom of the cottage, Lily put the finishing touches on her hair. Everyone insisted that she wear it up, except for James.
"I love your hair when you let it go all natural," he had said a few weeks before the wedding. "Beautiful, just as you are," placing a kiss on her nose.
'Well,' though Lily, 'almost natural.' Lily had let her hair down, but she had added soft curly waves throughout. She smiled at herself in the mirror, finally feeling as beautiful as James had insisted she was. Again, Lily made her way to the window to see the rest of the wedding guests. When Lily caught sight of James, her heart gave a little flutter. And so did the sprites that she was sure had set up camp in her stomach. Lily was surprised at her nervousness. She had only been sure of two things in her life: marrying James and deciding to go to Hogwarts.
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"This is some sort of joke, Lily," Petunia said sourly when the letter had come to the house. "There is no such thing as witchcraft. This is Dannica having a laugh or something."
"It is too real, look at the seal. And a real live owl delivered it," Lily was determined to show up her older sister.
Petunia was quieted, for she too had seen the brown-spotted owl soar gracefully into their backyard and drop the letter right on Lily's lap.
Lucas and Rose were skeptical at first, but upon reviewing Lily's history of supposedly magical abilities, they soon believe that the letter was for real. When Lily was just six, Petunia had cut off all over her hair while Lily slept. When Lily discovered the culprit, Petunia's dollhouse burst into blood-red flames and burnt to ashes, while the rest of the house remained untouched by the raging fire. A few years later, Petunia teased Lily that she had been adopted. That night Petunia's generally clear complexion was ravaged with a horrible case of acne.
Lily was excited to learn that she was magic. "Wanna see my wand?" she asked Petunia upon returning from her first shopping trip to Diagon Alley.
"No," Petunia responded.
Lily ignored her, "It's made of genuine cherry and has a unicorn hair core!" she gushed to her sister.
"See, that's how I know this is a joke," Petunia shot at her sister, "unicorns don't exist."
"Do too, there is a picture in one of my textbooks," Lily ran to get the book, but Petunia refused to look at it.
The day Lily was due to get on the train, Petunia refused to talk to her. Petunia was headed to her second year at Pepton's School for Girls.
"Okay, Petunia, you're at platform seven, and where do you need to go Lily?" Lucas asked his daughter.
"Nine and three-quarters," Lily said reading her school letter.
"Oh, of all the ridiculous things," Petunia said. "Listen, while the rest of this family wanders around looking for a platform that doesn't exist, I'll be taking the train back the real world on platform seven. The family said their goodbyes to Petunia at the car, she then went off to find her train by herself.
"Good luck!" Lily called to her sister.
Petunia just ignored her.
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There was a slight knock at the door. "Lily?" Dannica called from the other side.
"Come in," Lily called back.
Dannica walked in the room and stared at her best friend. "Oh Lily, you look beautiful," she said with tears in her eyes.
Lily fought back her own tears, she didn't want to start crying and ruin her makeup. "You mean it?" she asked Dannica.
"Of course," Dannica answered reaching for a tissue. "How are you feeling?"
"Like some one let a cage of sprites loose in my stomach," Lily responded.
"I think I almost understood that," Dannica laughed.
"Sorry, I forget you're not a witch sometimes," Lily laughed with her friend. Dannica made her way over to the window over-looking the garden. Lily followed.
"You've got yourself a good one there, Lily," Dannica gestured to James.
"He is, isn't he?" Lily stared at her soon-to-be husband, laughing heartily with Sirius. "What do you think of the best man?" Lily asked her friend.
"Charming, confidence, and devilishly handsome. Everything that I inevitably fall for in a man who eventually breaks my heart. I will not go for it with this one," Dannica insisted.
"Okay," Lily rolled her eyes; she had heard this speech before. Lily gave Dannica until eight tonight before she was tucked behind a bush snogging an inebriated Sirius. Lily looked back out at the crowd. She swept the crowd methodically.
"Who are you looking for?" Dannica asked.
Lily didn't want to admit that she wanted to see her sister among the wedding guests. "My mom, I guess," Lily said sadly. It was partly the truth. "I still forget she's gone sometimes."
Dannica pulled her friend in for a hug. "Wherever she is right now, I know she is happy for you."
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"Take care of my girls," Rose told her husband. The end was soon, Rose knew it.
"I will," Lucas said, biting back tears. He thought it was weak of him to cry, Rose thought it was weak of him not to. "I will do everything for them that you're not able to do."
"Lily, I have never told you how proud I am of you. I've never quite understood all of that magic, but I know that my daughter must be the best witch in all of Britain."
"Thank you, Mom," Lily said. Unlike her father, she hadn't stopped crying for days.
"I also wanted to say that I like that James boy you've been seeing. Hang on to him, he'll treat you the way you deserve to be treated." Tears spilled down Rose face as she hugged her youngest daughter for the last time.
"Where is Petunia?" Rose asked looking around the room.
"She is on the phone with her fiancé," Lucas answered. "I'll go get her."
Petunia entered the room looking a little perturbed. "Mom, I was talking to Vernon, what is it?"
"Petunia," Rose started, her tears having dried. "I love you."
"Thanks, Mom," Petunia answered without emotion.
Rose wasn't sure what to say next. "I… have always wanted happiness for you. I hope you find it with Vernon."
"I will, Mom, don't worry. Is that it?"
Lily was struck by her sister's lack of emotion. Was Petunia really that cold and unfeeling? Lily was suddenly filled with rage.
"Is that it?" Lily mimicked. "She's dying, you worthless cow!" she was screaming now, "And all you can think about is getting back on the phone with that fat tub you call your fiancé! This is your mother. The woman who cared for you and loved you your entire life. Show some goddamn emotion, you heartless bitch!"
Lucas, Petunia, and Rose all stared at Lily open-mouthed. Lucas started to lead Lily out of the room, but Rose stopped him.
"Lucas, you go," Rose said, "I need to talk to my daughters. Alone." After Lucas left the room, Rose turned to her daughters. "You two are the luckiest girls in the world, do you know why?"
Both girls glared at each other and shook their heads at their mother.
"Because you have each other." Rose said quietly. "I never had any siblings. I was constantly alone. When I got married, I had no brothers or sisters to help me calm my nerves. When my mother died, I had no one to cry with, no one to help me grieve. I couldn't give my daughters any aunts or uncles, or cousins. It's one for the few things in life I regret."
Lily and Petunia had broken their glare, but were still not happy with one another.
"I realize that you don't get along, but be that as it may, you are still sisters. You always have been, and you always will be. It is the bond that ties you together, no matter how you try to escape it. And because of it, you two have a duty to love each other. You may never like one another, but you have to love. It is the labor of love"
No one spoke. Petunia and Lily just sat next to their mother. Soon, Rose fell asleep. She never woke. Her funeral was later that week. Afterwards, Petunia was headed off with Vernon. The two had had a small ceremony the day before the funeral. As Vernon struggled to get Petunia's luggage into the back of his car, Lily said her goodbyes.
"Good luck," Lily called to her sister.
Petunia just ignored her.
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The sprites in Lily's stomach were in full swing as she lowered the veil over her face. She walked downstairs where her father was waiting for her. Lily watched his face light up for the first time in a year. He even began to cry.
"You look just like your mother," he said through his tears.
"Thank you," Lily said quietly.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"I sure hope so," Lily said, taking her father's arm and heading out into the garden.
Lily's nerves jumped even more at the sight of James. She had a notion that the feeling was mutual. After her father walked her to the altar, he gave her a final kiss as she went to join hands with James. As soon as she touched his hands, all her nervousness melted away. She knew this was right. It had to be.
After their vows, the old wizard performing the ceremony asked if James did.
"Hell, yes!" he exclaimed. Lily giggled, his excitement was genuine.
Then the old wizard asked it Lily did. Out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw someone enter the garden. She turned her head and saw Petunia. She looked as though she had eaten a lemon as she took her seat, but she then met her sister's gaze. Petunia rolled her eyes, embarrassed to be seen at this atrocious wedding. But something in her changed, and she smiled and nodded at Lily.
Lily smiled back, then turned her attention to James, "I do."
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Years later, Petunia was getting ready to see her husband Vernon off to work. Her son Dudley sat in the kitchen banging a large wooden spoon on a copper pot. It was annoying, but it was the only thing that kept him from screaming his head off.
"Have a good, dear," she said, following her husband to the front door.
"I will, love, WHAT THE?" Vernon screamed.
Petunia looked down and saw the small basket carrying an even smaller child.
Vernon seized the note and read it quickly. "It's your sister's boy. She's dead," he said matter-of-factly.
Petunia was struck. She knew she should feel sad, but for some reason she didn't.
"Well, suppose I'll be stopping at the orphanage this morning," Vernon said, straining to lean over and pick up the basket.
Petunia grabbed the note from her husband and read it.
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley,
I regret to inform you that James and Lily Potter have passed away. They leave behind their son, Harry. There is no other family to take him in. I realize that it is quite an obligation to take him in, but this young child needs a home. Consider it a labor of love.
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Tears began to fall as Petunia read the letter. "We'll stay with us Vernon," she said quietly as she took the child from Vernon's arms.
"But, he's a freak, he'll be one of them wizards!" Vernon yelled. "I will not bring all that nonsense into my house."
"The boy stays," Petunia said with a defiance in her voice Vernon had never heard before. "Harry will live with us." She looked at the boy in her arms. She felt nothing for the boy, but she could not deny him a home and a family. It was the least she owed her sister.
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Hope you liked it!