Title: The Invitation
Team: Caerphilly Catapults
Position: Chaser 1
Round: Daily Prophet Time Turner competition
Prompt: Set in 1979
Additional Prompts used: NA
A Comedy Marathon: number 20 Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
Prompt: [relationship] estranged family
April Madness: number 12
Prompt: [colour] gold
Bejewelled II: Rhodochrosite
Prompt: [item] invitation
Break a Leg: number 25 Joseph's coat
Prompt: [emotion] envy
Gotta Catch Em All: Ice number 7, Cetoddle
Prompt: [weather] sunshine
Gather Your Party: Blood Hunter number 4
Prompt: [dialogue] "You shouldn't say things like that!"
Scamander's Case: Diricawl, female
Prompt: [setting] Privet Drive
Easter Special: colour me Spring number 6; egg hunt number 2 owlery
Prompt: [colour] pebble grey; [action] sending a letter
Writing Club: Days of the month number 10; Nifty & Swiftie number 10; Founder says- Salazar number 5; Literary Legends number 4
Prompt: write about siblings; [dialogue] "Don't call me that" bonus prompt:grey/greying; [dialogue] "I don't know why I thought you were capable of change. I was clearly wrong."; [setting] a family home
Word count: 1301
Betas: Lily
A/N: It's 1979 and James and Lily are looking forward to their upcoming wedding. All Lily wants is for her sister to be there as her Maid of Honour.
Warnings: some mentions of fat shaming
"I really don't know why you're bothering, Lils," James said, flicking his wand to seal all the wedding invitations they had been writing and stacking them into a neat pile on the table before them. The ink on the topmost envelope had yet to dry and the golden letters written there glimmered in the sunlight coming in through the window of the Potters' home.
Mr & Mrs Vernon Dursley
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey
"Because she's my sister, James," Lily told James patiently.
"I know that but she didn't ask you to be bridesmaid at her wedding, she asked Fatso's sister," James began before Lily admonished him.
"James, don't call him that!"
"Alright, Vernon's sister, and you were so upset. I was upset– she looked like a beached whale in that awful grey dress. Sorry Pebble grey dress."
"James!"
"Well, she did!" James protested. "I just don't want you getting your hopes up only to be let down again."
"Well, I'm choosing to turn the other cheek and at least try because she's my sister. And no more smart remarks about Vernon's size!" Lily cut across James who had opened his mouth to reply.
"Fine!" James conceded, throwing his hands into the air. "I won't say anything else about him and the fact we'll need a whole extra table just for him if they do attend the wedding."
"James!" Lily admonished with a giggle.
"I'm sorry but that man's so extremely irritating and he just gets my Chupacabra, Lils. Probably ate it too, given the size of him."
"James!" James grinned at Lily, who shook her head disapprovingly at him. "Pass me their invitation. I'm taking this to them in person and I'm asking Petunia to be my Maid of Honour."
"I do hope she wants to be your Maid of Honour," James said in all sincerity. Lily raised a sceptical eyebrow at him. "Really, I do. I can't wait to see her have to join us for the first dance with Sirius!"
"You are awful, James Potter."
"Hey, you knew what you were getting into with me, Lils."
Lily took Vernon and Petunia's invitation from James with a withering look.
Lily rang the doorbell of number four Privet Drive and nervously waited for an answer, fidgeting with a lock of her hair. She shivered, despite it being a warm sunny day, in anticipation of facing her sister for the first time since Petunia's wedding. The distorted, slim figure of her sister could be seen behind the mottled glass pane as she came down the hall. The door was opened and a beaming Petunia stood there for a brief second as she took in the sight of her sister before her; her expression changed from a cheerful countenance to one of fury faster than a Golden Snitch could change direction.
"What do you want?" Petunia snapped, poking her head out the door, and glancing up and down the street, lest someone should notice Lily standing there. "Get in before the neighbours see!" she hissed vehemently.
"Hello Tuney," Lily said cheerfully, as she stepped over the threshold and Petunia quickly closed the door behind her.
"Don't call me that! What do you want?"
"Tuney–"
"Don't call me that! My name is Petunia, not Tuney," snarled Petunia. "What do you want?"
"Did you get my letter?"
"Hmpff…"
"About James and I getting engaged last year?"
Petunia said nothing but her nose wrinkled as Lily mentioned James, so Lily took that as a yes.
"Well, we're getting married in a few months and I thought I would drop in your invitation personally." Lily held out the parchment envelope containing Petunia's invitation.
"There was no need for that! The postal service works just fine!"
"I didn't just want to bring your invitation. I wanted to ask you something. Something that needs to be done in person."
"Well, what is it?" Petunia snapped. "Get on with it. The quicker you ask, the quicker you can be on your way."
Lily looked hurt but said, "I wanted to ask you if you'd be my Maid of Honour at the wedding, Petunia?"
"Why would I want to be a Maid of honour at a wedding of a couple of freaks?" Petunia spat.
Lily blanched as though Petunia had slapped her and her voice faltered as she said, "You shouldn't say things like that!"
"Well, it's true. You're a couple of freaks. Go and have your wedding with all those other freaks from that world. I won't be there!"
"You shouldn't say things like that!" Blinking fast to hold back the tears that were welling up in her eyes.
"I'll say what I like. I wouldn't be seen dead in those ridiculous things your lot wear."
"You wouldn't have to, Petunia," Lily assured Petunia, hopeful this could be a chance to repair the estrangement between them. "We could go shopping for a dress together! You can pick what you'd like to wear."
"The answer is still no. I don't want anything to do with you or your freakish world. In fact, I hope I never have to lay eyes on you ever again after today!"
"You shouldn't say things like that!" Lily exclaimed, her bright green eyes watery as a single tear rolled down Lily's cheek. Petunia just sneered at her sister and stomped into the living room of Privet Drive. Lily followed her. "Petunia, you're my sister and I love you. Please, if you don't want to be Maid of Honour that's fine, but please say that you'll at least consider coming to the wedding. I want you there."
Lily held out the invitation to Petunia once more, her hand shaking slightly. Petunia looked at it for a moment before taking the heavy parchment envelope from Lily and looking at the gold lettering on the envelope, her eyes cold.
"Of course you would have your wedding invitations written in golden ink. Just another symbol of how you think you're better than me, more special than me, the favourite child."
"What? No!" Lily exclaimed. "It's nothing like that Tune... Petunia. I don't think I'm better or more special than you and mum and dad love us both equally. It's because James is a Seeker in Quidditch and the ball he plays with is golden!"
"Whatever! It doesn't matter. I don't want your invitation. Just take it and go!" Petunia thrust the envelope back at Lily, who took a step back.
"It's your invitation. You keep it and just think about it. Me and James would love for you and Vernon to attend."
"Do you have cloth for ears? I'm not coming," Petunia shrieked and she flung the envelope into the fire.
Lily watched, horrified, as the invitation landed on the coals of the fire, the golden lettering shimmering briefly in the light from the flames, before the fire took hold and it burned, curling up in the flames until there was nothing left of it but grey ashes sitting in the heart of the fire.
"Just go, freak. Never darken my door again. I don't want to see you ever again for as long as we both live!"
"I don't know why I thought you were capable of change. I was clearly wrong," Lily said in a quivering voice before she turned and stormed out of Privet Drive, slamming the door behind her. She stood for a moment on the doorstep of number four Privet Drive, the bright sunshine dancing in her flaming red hair. But there was no warmth in the sun for Lily, and no bright light. Her world was cold, dark, and as grey as the ashes of her wedding invitation in Petunia's fireplace because her last attempt to forge an adult relationship with her sister had shrivelled up and was gone.
Just like the invitation.