Chapter Two

You might need somebody

Lily Evans was sitting impatiently in front of the mirror in her room while her twin sister Petunia carefully brushed her hair from tangled frizz into sleek waves. Really, she had always wanted to look pretty but never had the time. Petunia, on the other hand, took great care with her appearance. It was probably psychological, she reflected duly. Petunia had always been more open-minded and idealistic, whereas Lily was steadfast and realistic.

When somebody
Reaches for your heart
Open up and let them through
'Cause everybody
Needs someone around
Things can tumble down on you

"So I guess James is gonna be your date tonight?" asked Petunia teasingly.

"Oh GOD no! No way! He can't be my date! It's just- just- ohhhhh..." groaned Lily, sinking back in her chair and closing her eyes.

"Stop it, Lils! You're spoiling your hair!" cried Petunia, yanking Lily straight.

"How do you know he'll be my date?" asked Lily desperately, grasping at straws. "He might be... uh... your date. Yeah, that's right, he'll be your date. I just have to put up with Sirius- he's not that bad- and, yes, you can just keep James away for a few hours, and then-"

"Don't be stupid," said Petunia briskly, snapping the bristles through a particularly unruly tangle, "he's mad about about you. Everyone can see it. You know everyone, even Mother and Daddy are thinking, Will you two just get it on already? And James-"

"Shut up, Petunia. Just shut up. If you say another word about it, I swear I will grab your neck and-"

"Ah ah ah, no fighting for you, Lily- James would prefer a more docile housewife." scolded Petunia, knowing she was putting her life at risk.

"Why, you little-" CRASH went the chair as Lily dived for her twin, and soon her red hair was as frizzy as it had ever been as the two sisters furiously tickled each other to the death.

You'll discover
When you look around
You don't have to be alone
Just one lover
Is all you need to know
When you're feeling all alone

"Girls, please!" cried Charlotte Evans from downstairs. "Why are you making such a racket?"

"She started it!" yelled Lily.

"No I didn't! She's refusing to accept her destiny!"

"What destiny?"

"You destiny... Luke, it is your destiiiiiiiny... to be united in holy matrimony... with James Potter-"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up!" And for another five minutes, screaming, tickling and yelping ruled the house.

Charlotte sighed, and pushed a pair of earplugs into her ears. It was going to be a very long day.

You might need somebody
You might need somebody too,
You might need somebody
You might need somebody too,

When Charlotte finally managed to calm the girls down and force them to get dressed, she had to admit she was indebted forever to Great-Aunt Hepzibah, who had sent two pretty dresses over from Manchester, "in case something came up". At the time, Charlotte had been more than a little offended, as there was no need to rub in the fact that while the Evanses were a normal domestic Seventies family, they just simply could not afford to buy new outfits from the local dressmakers' for the girls every time "something came up". But then something did come up, namely the Potters' dinner party, and while the girls would have been more than willing to wear their old poplins, from what Lily had said about the Potters' manor, and their status in Britain as an upper-class family, Charlotte could not bear to have Lily and Petunia dressed in gowns that were practically falling apart, though they had just been mended for the sixth time. So Charlotte had resignedly swept out the dresses from her wardrobe- good thing she had not told the girls about them before- and wondered if she should credit the rumours and mounting evidence that Hepzibah was clairvoyant. Or psychic. Or whatever it was.

If there's a fire
Stirring in your heart
And you're sure it's strong and right
Keep it burning
Through the cold and dark
It can warm the lonely nights,

Anyway, it just went to show that everyone could be wrong- Lily and Petunia were stunning. Petunia twirled in the mirror, resplendent in a pink silk dress with a flower-spangled gauze over it. Elbow-length gloves really rocked. With a strapless bodice and matching flower in her hair, Petunia felt ready for anything. She adjusted her choker and flashed a smile at her reflection.

Lily, on the other hand, was feeling distinctly uncomfortable in her sensible black dress with crimson lining. She felt naked with her broad shoulders bared over the folded hem-top-thingy. Lily had never been big on fashion-talk. At least her feet were safe in sensible black shoes and roll-top socks... she just hated the fact that she had to carry her little white clutch around with her. At that moment, the only word to describe her expression was a scowl.

"You could at least cheer up, Lils." advised Petunia, fastening the black-and-white beaded necklace on to her twin's slender neck. "What will Mr and Mrs Potter say if they find out their son's crush is a grumpy old madam?"

"Grumpy yourself."

"Oooooh, someone's a sourpuss today!"

Lily was saved from having to answer by their father, Simon Evans, poking his head in to see how they were getting on.

"Come on, girls, the motor-car's waiting!"

It was noticeably strange- both Simon and Charlotte were blonde, sunny-tempered and fair, so it was hard to see where Lily's stormy disposition and reddish brown hair came from. She had inherited her father's green eyes and logical intellect, but as far as a normal observer could see, she was nothing like her mother.

Petunia was sometimes puzzled by Simon and Lily's frequent philosophical outbursts, which invariably extended into long debates, which as much as Petunia heard of them, were over absolutely nothing at all.

Petunia was the calm, Lily was the storm. It was curious that each suited the other's name- Petunia meant anger, rage, frustration, bottled-up feelings, whereas Lily symbolised purity, innocence, and the like. But in spite of everything, the two were as thick as theives.

You might need somebody
You might need somebody too,
You might need somebody
You might need somebody too,

The twins piled into the motor-car and watched the house disappear from sight, one moodily, one cheerfully, with different thoughts lingering in each head.

This is going to be so much fun. I heard Mother asking Mrs Potter to get James's brother to look after me. If Lily knew, she'd call me a baby, but I think it really is delightful. I wonder what this boy will be like. I hope he'll be handsome, and chivalrous. It's just like a fairy-tale, and I'm the princess at the masquerade ball.

And so the blonde girl wove a beautiful web of fantasies around her. Not everyone, however, felt the same way.

I really don't see why James had to get this dinner party in progress. He must know I hate stuff like this. I'll be all hot, and uncomfortable, and everyone will be looking at me oddly, because I've said something strange-sounding that's perfectly normal to me. No doubt Petunia will enjoy this. She'll think of it as a romantic fairy-tale. Typical.

As the motor-car trundled along the road, to very different girls expected very different outcomes. Whatever happened, this would not be a party to forget.

Boy, you might need somebody too
Oh, you're gonna need somebody too,
You might need somebody too, baby
I know I do
I know I do, need somebody too

Author's notes-

Petunia in her dress-

http/s59. in her dress-

http/s59.