Chapter 5
Lily stood just outside the kitchen, her nose inches from the kitchen door, waiting for Petunia to finish talking on the phone just on the other side of the door. The redhead had been having a number of thoughts running through her head within the last few days, and now she was mentally practicing her apology to Petunia. 'Hey, Petunia,' Lily would say casually, beginning to take a glass from one of the kitchen cabinets, 'do you remember a couple of days ago when you said you wanted to be a ballerina?' 'Yeah,' Petunia would respond, probably examining her nail polish. 'What about it?' Then Lily would answer, maintaining her casual manner, 'Well, when I called you fat, I didn't quite—'
Lily's thoughts were cut off by something Petunia was saying on the other end of the phone. "Val, my sister is just such a freak. I mean, all she ever does is wander around like a ghost with a couple of books or something. I mean, she uses quills instead of pens!" The voice on the other side of the line was probably speaking, because Petunia paused before continuing. "How am I supposed to know where she gets them? All I know his she's the biggest freak alive.
Anger flooded through Lily, and she'd been just about to turn around when Petunia swung open the kitchen door, the telephone pressed snugly between Petunia's ear and shoulder. "Her hair is like a clown's—" Petunia immediately stopped speaking when she saw Lily standing just behind the door. For a moment, the two sisters stood there, staring at each other in silent understanding, but then a voice spoke on the other end of the phone.
"Petty? Petty, are you there? Hullo? Huuuuuuuullllllllloooooooooo?" Petunia kept her eyes locked with Lily for a second longer before squeezing past the redhead.
"Yeah, Val. I'm still here." Petunia paused, glancing back over her shoulder at Lily, who was still staring at the kitchen door in pure fury. "Like I was saying, her hair belongs in the circus.
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"Pass the bread, please, Delbert," James's mother said coldly at dinner a few hours later. Mr. and Mrs. Potter were thoroughly avoiding eye contact, and even though James was mentally recording his parents' every movement, Sirius seemed perfectly oblivious to the new stiffness resident at their dinner table.
"It's good bread," Sirius said in between mouthfuls of pasta, garlic bread, and salad.
"Thank you, Sirius," Mrs. Potter responded, flashing a smile.
"I mean really, Mr. Potter, you must be so lucky to live with this cooking all year round. The food at Hogwarts, it's like cement," Sirius continued, waving his fork around for emphasis.
"Call me Delbert," Mr. Potter said, trying not to react to Sirius's last words, seeing as he and Valene had been discussing a divorce only a few hours before.
"Sorry, Delbert," Sirius apologized casually, pointing his fork at Mr. Potter as if to make perfectly clear he wasn't talking to James or Valene.
"It's fine, Sirius."
There was a moment of silence filled only with Sirius's silverware clinking against his plate as he struggled to get the spaghetti onto his fork. Finally, Mrs. Potter spoke. "Sirius and James, Delbert and I have something to tell you both." Valene smiled, turning her head towards Sirius. "Sirius, we've decided that it's only fair you know as well, seeing as you're practically our second son." She paused, taking in a breath as if to prepare herself for the next thing she was about to say. "Recently, Delbert and I have been thinking, and we've realized that we're not the same people we married nineteen years ago, and are perhaps more suitable for different people."
"I don't understand," Sirius announced, furrowing his brow.
"Mr. Potter and I are getting a divorce."
There was another long moment in silence, Sirius slowly shaking his head in shock while looking from Delbert to Valene. James, on the other hand, was trying to figure out why he felt so shocked when he'd known this conversation had been coming for the past few weeks.
"Y-you can't," Sirius suddenly broke out, his gray eyes still darting from Mr. to Mrs. Potter. "This… I… No."
"Sirius, Delbert and I are just not in love anymore. It wouldn't be right if—"
"No," Sirius cut Mrs. Potter off. "You've always been married; this is how it's supposed to be. G-d wouldn't have brought you two together if you were meant to be apart."
Delbert suddenly spoke. "We're not Catholics, Sirius. Divorce isn't forbidden."
"But—"
"James, how do you feel?" Valene suddenly asked, looking over to her silent son.
James hesitated before answering, slowly looking around the table. His parents were both smiling the most unnatural smiles that had ever touched their faces, and his best friend was looking around in utter shock, as if everyone had suddenly gone crazy except for him. "Sort of shocked."
Before anyone could say anything, James got up, not bothering to put his plate away or push in his chair, and walked right out the front door.
"James, get back here!" Valene called after her son, putting her napkin down on the table and getting up, but Delbert silenced her.
"He'll be fine," he said quietly.
a/n: sorry it took me a full day to get this chapter out; i didn't have much time to proofread. please review!
