Prompt: Out of the Ordinary(s4)

Position: Seeker

Word Count: 1,188

Petunia is 3 years older than Lily

First Interactions

Looking back, Petunia always knew that her sister was weird. That she was out of the ordinary. The signs were there from a young age. Although she and her family always knew that Lily was not normal they just didn't —at that time— know what exactly made her different.

Petunia was eight when Lily first did it —whatever it was. It was a sunny spring day. The flowers were blooming and a nice gentle breeze was blowing. Their parents, Daisy and Daniel Evans, were in the house, while the girls played outside. Their mother was cooking meatloaf for dinner, while their father was in his office working.

Lily chased after her older sister, Petunia, giggling madly as they played a game of tag. Lily got close to tagging Petunia, only for her to speed up back out of her reach.

"Wait, Tuney! Tuney come back," Lily cried out as Petunia giggled softly.

"You have to catch me, Lily. That's the point of the game," Petunia reminded her as she turned right and continued to run.

A determined look appeared on Lily's face as she continued to chase after Petunia. Petunia looked ahead again. She ran for a bit, then looked back at Lily. Only to see that she was not behind her. Petunia frowned, only to bump into something, or someone. She stopped running and looked down to see that she ran into Lily. Her little sister shook her head and looked up at her with a smile. She then tagged Petunia and started to run away, laughing all the way.

"Tuney's it! Tuney's it!" Lily cheered out as she ran away from Petunia.

Petunia stood there baffled, trying to figure out how Lily could have gotten in front of her to tag her.

"Girls! Dinner time," their mother called out as she stood on their back porch.

Lily stopped running away from Petunia and the house. She turned around —a smile clear on her tiny face— as she cheered out. Lily then started to run towards the house to eat.

"Food!" Lily cheered, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Coming Mum," Petunia said as she started to walk towards the house.

Their mother headed back inside to finish the final preparations and to get their father for dinner.

She was ten years old when another weird…thing happened around Lily. It was Lily's seventh birthday party. All the children from their small neighborhood came —even the Snape boy— to celebrate.

Petunia stood away from the other kids. She didn't really want to participate with them around. Petunia's mother brought the cake out into the living room. Everyone started to sing happy birthday to Lily. Petunia joined in from where she was standing, knowing that her mother would glare at her if she didn't sing.

After everyone was done singing, Lily blew the candles out. People cheered as their mother walked over to grab the cake. She then headed towards the kitchen to cut up the cake. Suddenly, one of the kids stood up, pushing the chair back and right into their mother's path. Everyone cried out as she tripped over the chair, the cake went flying in the air. But lo and behold! Somehow, the cake floated to the ground safely.

Petunia's mouth opened in shock as she stared at the cake. She tried to think on how that was possible, but it was too complicated for her ten-year-old mind to handle. She shakes her head to clear the ridiculous idea that came to her mind. It can't be that. It doesn't exist. Yes, magic doesn't exist. It was all luck.

Petunia missed the pale look that the Snape kid had —granted, he's always been pale— because she was busy picking the cake up and bringing it to the kitchen. Her mother thanked her when she entered and ushered her out so that she could cut the cake without worrying about Petunia accidentally getting hurt.

Petunia returned to their living room. She went back to her little corner and watched as the kids talked excitedly about how lucky it was that the cake landed upright. Petunia shook her head again, trying to get the idea of magic out of her head.

Magic isn't real. It can't be. It's just made up.

Petunia was thirteen when Jared — the lovely, handsome neighbourhood boy she liked— ran away screaming his head off. He had called Lily a freak. Lily's face turned red as she clenched her hands in a fist.

She denied it. Saying that she wasn't a freak and not to call her that.

Jared called her a liar. He then continued to pick on the ten-year-old.

Petunia wanted to step in. To say something. But she didn't. Who would she stand for? The boy she liked? Or for her little sister that was far from ordinary? Petunia didn't like anything —or anyone— that wasn't normal.

Since she was young, she wanted a normal life. She wanted to marry a loving husband. To stay home, clean the house, cook the food, raise their children. To just live a normal life in a normal neighborhood and do normal things.

Petunia opens her mouth, to say something to get Jared's attention. If his attention was on her, then maybe the argument would stop. Lily would stomp away and hang out with the Snape kid. She's been hanging out with him more since the cake incident during her seventh birthday party.

That's when it happened.

There was a popping noise. Suddenly, Jared's curly brown locks had turned a bright —not so eye catching— orange color. His small upturned nose was now long and covered in bright red dots. Jared screamed, his voice sounded like a croaking frog. His face turned bright red as he quivered in front of Lily.

He left not too long after the event.

Lily had calmed down. She did not look angry or upset.

"What did you do to him?!" Petunia blurted out as she looked at her sister.

"Me? Why do you think I did that?" Lily asked as she tilted her head to the side.

"Because unexplainable things always happen around you. Like the cake incident, or the time you somehow got on top of the house. Don't forget the time when the paper bird you made started to flap its wings and fly. What are you? A freak?" Petunia spatted out.

"No! I'm not a freak! Severus says that it's a gift!"

"A gift? What kind of gift is it then? One to make you a freak?!"

"No!"

"Admit it, Lily! You're a freak!"

"No I'm not, Tuney!"

"I'm not talking to a freak like you," Petunia said, abruptly whirling around as she walked away from Lily.

A freak. Her sister is a freak. Just great! What's next? Magic exists?

Petunia scuffed at that thought. Of course not! Magic doesn't exist. And it never will.