A LITTLE PICNIC
Mr. and Mrs. Evans, his grandparents, or were they his parents? Just trying to figure that one out gave him a headache.
Thankfully the headache was nothing like what he suffered due to Voldemort.
"Calla? Hey Calla!"
He blinked as that voice dragged him from out of his thoughts.
Turning his head; he didn't care if he were in a woman's body, he was still male - usually. Awkward and frightening as that was. Not that he cared what body he was in.
"M... Lily?" He had to refrain from saying mom or mother and it wasn't all that easy.
"You were staring into space forever. Are you okay?"
Petunia who sat to his left grumbled, "Calla is fine Lily. You know she gets spacey sometimes. Its nothing new."
Harry frowned at Petunias' words, but reassured his mother, err, sister, with a smile. "Don't worry Lily. I'm fine. I was just thinking about what the Wizarding World might be like."
Lily clapped her hands together. "Me too! When do you think you'll see your new friend again? Severus?"
"I don't know," and he didn't at that. "But I'm sure he'll be at the park next time we go."
Petunia turned her head to frown at them, her face pinched. "Neither of you should be meeting up with that freak."
Lily gasped. "He's not a freak!"
Harry shook his head. So he wasn't the only one his aunt liked to pick on by calling him a freak. Thus far she hadn't called him in Calla's body or Lily a freak.
"Petunia, Severus is not a freak. He knows magic. Lily and I have magic. Are we freaks?" He asked knowing Mr. and Mrs. Evans were up front listening in.
He was surprised to see Petnunia's jaw drops and her eyes grow wide.
"I would never call either of you that. You're not freaks."
"Then why call my new friend a freak?"
"Because... because... b-b-because!" She crossed her arms and stared stonily ahead.
Mr. Evans spoke from the drivers seat without turning, "No one should call anyone a freak my dear girls."
Lily shook her head and whispered, "I think Petunia is jealous, because she's never been able to do magic like we can."
That in itself was sad. But he wasn't sure that his aunt would have been all that different if she had been a Witch. Although, just maybe, she wouldn't have married Uncle Vernon and he wouldn't have Dudley Dursley for a cousin.
That was one thing he wouldn't be able to change. For he could not gift someone with magic
It took a moment for the three of them to realize the car had come to a stop.
Mrs. Evans turned her head to look in the rear view mirror. "We're here. Petunia you get out the cutlery and dishes. Calla get the small picnic basket. Lily get the picnic blanket. Your dad and I will get the larger picnic baskets."
Harry didn't mind getting the cutlery and dishes. And secretly wished he'd really been able to do something like this that he could remember with both his Mom and Dad. However their lives had been snuffed out much too early by a mad man while they were trying to protect him.
Once everything was set the family of five sat down to enjoy their picnic.
Petunia asked, "Calla Lily when we're done we could get the jump rope out and we can take turns."
Harry blinked.
Lily grinned, "That will be fun!" She took a dainty bite of her chicken salad sandwich.
Maybe Aunt Petunia could be nice. At least to her sisters and parents. Odd.
Harry had to admit that jumping rope had been fun on the way back to the Evans home. More so when he was the one jumping rather than turning one end of the jump rope.
Lily clasped her hands together. "Calla."
"What?"
"We should take the jump rope to the park tomorrow."
Petunia glanced at them. "Why? We can always play at home."
Lily nodded. "I know, but maybe Calla's new friend..."
Harry got the hint and grinned, "Would like to play." But was Severus the type to play with jump ropes?
'What am I doing? I have to figure out what's going on.' He couldn't stay there. Not when he had to make sure a certain vile maniac was no longer on the loose. But there wasn't anyone he couldask.
Petunia's face twisted into a hideous scowl. "Why would you want to play with that filthy little boy?"
Harry sighed. "Just because he doesn't look right to you doesn't mean he can't be fun to play with. Or a friend."
And there was just something familiar about Severus that he couldn't quite place his finger on. Yet. But so far he was the only one he'd come into contact with that had some knowledge about magic, of witches and wizards. Probably even of Hogwarts or other magic schools.
He couldn't wait to meet up with him again. In the meantime at least he got to spend time with his mother. The mother he never got to know. Even if it was as her sister rather than as her son.
Having reached the Evans home he got out behind Lily.
Petunia looked down at them as she opened the trunk. "I'll get the heavy stuff and you two can get the rest."
Lily smiled and Harry had to wonder what had happened between these two that had made his Aunt tell all manner of horrible things about his Mother.
Petunia picked up the largest picnic basket. Well it was half empty or so. "I'll do the dishes this evening."
Lily, "But it's Calla's turn."
"I don't think she's finished all her home work. Why don't you help her? I'm just giving her more time."
Lily nodded.
Harry blinked. Ugh homework. But since he was in a seven year old's body, or something like that, he supposed it wouldn't be too difficult.
Lily grabbed his hand once everything was in its proper place and Petunia got started on the dishes.
"Let's go finish that homework."
"Right." He gave her hand a small squeeze.
AUTHOR NOTE: I know it doesn't have Severus in it, but I hope you liked it nonetheless. But as you can see something is beginning to dawn. And while I'm not a Petunia fan I imagine that before certain events, the sisters were best-friends even if there is that sibling rivalry to contend with.
Will Severus play along with the jump rope... or not? Find out next time!