Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and events from J.K. Rowling's wonderful Harry Potter books. I am writing this for my own enjoyment and hopefully for the enjoyment of readers. Anything you recognize belongs to JKR. The rest belongs to me.
Chapter 66: Sibling Rivalry
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
Lily almost fell out of her chair at the screech that came from downstairs. She had been sitting in her room trying to finish her Potions essay so that she could enjoy the rest of the day shopping with Petunia. They had just gotten back from a trip to Austria, and Lily had not had time to start any of her homework until just then. As she heard whining and whimpering floating to her room from downstairs, Lily muttered, "Oh no…"
Steeling her resolve, Lily opened her door and marched downstairs. When she stepped into the kitchen, she saw Petunia trying in vain to hide behind the refrigerator. "What are you doing, 'Tunia?"
Petunia gave Lily a venomous look as she pointed at the kitchen table, where a barred owl was perched. Petunia hissed, "I thought you weren't supposed to have those…things…flying in here like that." The owl looked from Petunia to Lily, and Lily could swear it had an expression of bewilderment on its face.
Lily walked over to the owl and took the letter, saying, "My friends' owls know to fly directly to my window. This must be from the school." The owl, relieved to be free of its load, left through the kitchen window causing the curtains to flutter. Looking back at her sister, Lily said, "It's okay now, 'Tunia, he's gone."
Petunia cautiously peered around the side of the refrigerator toward the window, as if afraid the owl would change its mind and come swooping back into the kitchen.
"What's all the commotion?" asked Harold as he entered the kitchen. "Petunia, why are you crammed by the fridge?"
"I just got a delivery from Hogwarts," said Lily. "By owl," she added.
Harold nodded, remembering Petunia's lack of fondness for the winged postal system. "Your start of term letter arrived, then?" he asked.
"I assume so," she replied, opening the letter. She gasped as something shiny fell out of the envelope onto the kitchen table. Opening her letter eagerly, she ignored her father's questioning look as she quickly scanned the parchment.
"What is it?" her father asked.
Lily looked up at her father, shocked but smiling. "I'm a prefect!"
Harold's face lit up as he drew Lily into a fierce hug. "Way to go, sweetie! I knew you could do it!"
Anne Evans walked into the kitchen and when she saw Lily's smile and Harold's face beaming in paternal pride, she asked, "What happened?"
"Lily was made prefect!" exclaimed Harold, giving his youngest daughter another squeeze.
"Prefect?!" exclaimed Anne. She let out a cry of joy and rushed over to give Lily a congratulatory hug. "I can't believe it, our daughter a prefect!" Looking down at Lily's blushing face she said, "Oh, what am I saying? I shouldn't be surprised. My daughter is brilliant and hard-working and deserves the honor. Oh, Lily! I'm so proud of you!"
"We have to celebrate," said Harold. "We'll go out for supper tonight, someplace nice." He looked at Lily and said, "You and Petunia are going shopping, right?" Lily nodded and he added, "Buy something nice to wear, my treat."
Petunia's jaw dropped. Yet again her little sister had stolen her spotlight. The shopping trip was supposed to be for Petunia's school supplies and wardrobe. It was to be her final year at school and her parents had told her she could get some new clothes since she had achieved good marks the previous year. Now she watched as Lily soaked up the pride and affection of their parents.
Lily gave her father a kiss on the cheek and said, "Thanks, Daddy. I'd better owl the school and let them know I accept the prefect position." She rushed upstairs to find Lancelot so she could send her reply.
Harold and Anne continued to grin as they turned and saw Petunia still standing to the side of the kitchen. Anne said, "Petunia, your sister's a prefect! Isn't that wonderful news?"
Petunia gave a small shrug and in a small voice said, "Right."
Anne, not noticing Petunia's lack of enthusiasm, turned back to Harold and said, "I'd like to do something more than just a nice dinner and a new outfit. After all, she works so hard and we hardly get to see her."
"What do you suggest?" asked Harold.
"Something special," said Anne. After a moment her eyes lit up and she said, "I know just the thing!" She rushed out of the room leaving Harold and Petunia to wonder what she was up to.
Harold turned to his eldest daughter and with a wink said, "You should finish getting ready. The shopping centers are waiting for you."
Upstairs Anne entered Lily's room just as she was releasing Lancelot out of the window with her letter to the school. Anne smiled at how at ease Lily was with Lancelot and her magic. It was quite a change from a few years earlier. Anne was thrilled and proud that Lily seemed to have overcome her fears about Hogwarts after the attack and had flourished in her studies. Now she was awarded with a prefect position!
Lily smiled as she saw her mum standing in the doorway. "I added a note to my letter asking that all school owls come to my window," said Lily. "I don't want 'Tunia to have a heart attack next time."
Anne smiled back and sat down on the bed. "Good thinking." She patted the space beside her and Lily soon joined her. "I was going to save this for your eighteenth birthday," she started, pulling out a velvet box, "but I don't think I can wait that long. I wanted to give you something special for your accomplishments, and I know you're away from home most of the year. I want to give this to you hoping you'll remember your Muggle family every so often."
Lily took the box and opened it, gasping as she saw the pearl earrings she had seen adorn her mum's earlobes on many special occasions. "Mum! I can't believe it…"
"They were my grandmother's earrings. It only seems fitting that I should give them to my daughter," said Anne.
"B-but, what about 'Tunia? She's the oldest - she should get them," protested Lily.
"Petunia will get the china," replied Anne. "Besides, it'll be much easier for you to lug a pair of earrings to school rather than a crate of dishes," she added with a smile.
Lily gazed at the pearls for a moment before throwing her arms around her mother in gratitude.
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"Do you need anything else, 'Tunia?" asked Lily after they walked out of a boutique.
Petunia looked down at her bags to do a quick inventory. "I'd like another pair of shoes."
"You just bought three pairs!" whined Lily. While she loved to shop, her feet were starting to hurt and she wanted to find a place to sit down.
"Oh my God!" exclaimed Petunia. She poked Lily in the side with her elbow nodded toward a sporting goods store about twenty feet away where a small group of boys Petunia's age were congregated. "It's him!" she said in a forced whisper.
"Who are you talking about?" asked Lily.
Petunia sighed and said, "Jonathan."
Lily nodded, remembering Petunia's long time crush. "Which one is he?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"He's the tall one with the blond hair and…oh! He's coming this way!" shrieked Petunia. In a panic she turned to Lily and asked, "How do I look?"
Lily smiled at Petunia and said, "Don't worry, you look fine." She glanced back at Jonathan, who was a rather large boy at over six feet, and stocky as well. He had dark blond hair and gray-blue eyes, and appeared to be walking straight at them.
As Jonathan approached he gave Petunia a half-smile and said, "Hi, Patricia. Alright?"
Petunia let out a nervous giggle and said, "Hi Jonathan! Actually, it's Petunia."
Jonathan smirked and said, "Right." He turned and gave an appraising look at Lily. He smiled, but Lily sensed insincerity emanating from his eyes. Forgetting Petunia, he addressed Lily, "Hello. I don't think we've met. I'm Jonathan Ashe-Hall. And you are…?"
Lily tried not to chuckle. As he said his hyphenated last name, she initially thought it sounded like he had said something else, something not nice at all. Gathering her senses, she replied, "I'm Petunia's sister, Lily," emphasizing Petunia's name.
Jonathan continued to stare at Lily in a way that made her feel like he was mentally undressing her. Keeping his gaze he said, "Patty, you never told me you had a sister."
Lily started to seethe. "It's Petunia, not Patty."
"It's okay, Lily," Petunia said with a nervous laugh. "Jonathan can call me Patty." She smiled at him and said, "Lily goes to boarding school. She's only home for a short time."
Lily couldn't believe her sister. Petunia was practically in love with this guy, someone who was superficial and didn't even know her name.
Jonathan stepped a little closer to Lily and said, "If you're only here for a little longer, then we should make the most of it. I've got an extra ticket to a concert this Saturday. I'll pick you up at six."
Lily grit her teeth in annoyance. Was he suggesting they date? He didn't even ask. Lily wanted to deflate his head a bit but could sense Petunia's heart breaking next to her. Even though Lily detested Jonathan she tried to help out her sister. "Sorry, Jonathan. I can't go." Glancing sideways at Petunia, Lily added, "My…erm…boyfriend, wouldn't appreciate it. But I'm pretty sure Petunia is available." Lily didn't have a boyfriend, but she hoped that the lie would be enough to get Jonathan to back off.
Jonathan glanced at a hopeful Petunia and smirked. He shook his head and said, "I just remembered, I already gave the other ticket to a friend. My mistake. See you later, Patrice."
As he walked away, Lily's anger finally bubbled over and she shouted after him, "It's PETUNIA, you prat!" When Lily turned back to Petunia, she found her sister on the verge of tears, her face flushed. "'Tunia? Don't get upset over him. He is a jerk and doesn't deserve you."
Petunia's head snapped up and shot Lily with a spiteful glare. "How could you?" she spat. "How could you yell at him like that and embarrass me? Now he'll never speak to me again!"
Lily was flabbergasted. How could Petunia still like that creep? "He deserved it with the way he treated us. Jonathan Ashe-Hall is an Ashe-Hole!"
Petunia didn't back off. "Of course YOU can speak to him like that. You are sweet, darling Lily, whom everyone adores. He'll remember you as the pretty one but he'll remember me as the girl whose pretty sister caused a scene."
"'Tunia, he didn't even get your name right. He treats you like dirt. You shouldn't get so upset over a guy like that," Lily retorted.
"That's easy for you to say," spat Petunia. "Everyone adores you - your friends, guys, even Mum and Dad prefer you!"
"What?!" exclaimed Lily. "That's preposterous!"
"No, it's the truth," said Petunia, her face becoming sad. She glanced over at the group of boys as Jonathan glanced back, leaning over to tell his friends something that sent them into hysterics. A few pointed toward Petunia and whispered something back to Jonathan, which sent him into malicious laughter.
Lily watched the exchange and felt a new well of anger trying to fight its way up. How dare that prat treat her sister like that?! Before she could help herself she felt her anger release, and a bunch of footballs came flying out of the sporting goods store and assaulted Jonathan, knocking him over. The group of boys watched, flabbergasted at the scene, while Jonathan lay on the floor trying in vain to block the balls that were pelting him. The shop owner rushed out and apologized, though he looked back and forth between Jonathan and the store as if to figure out why some of his merchandise had randomly attacked the boy.
It took Petunia a minute to figure out how exactly the situation had occurred and she confirmed her suspicions as she saw the sheepish look on Lily's face. "You…" she seethed.
Lily honestly had not planned on attacking Jonathan. It was one of those fluke random magical occurrences that hadn't really happened to her since before she had first left for Hogwarts. Apparently, her outrage at Jonathan had pushed the right buttons and set off the event. She hesitantly looked at Petunia before offering a small smile and saying, "Oops…" That was the best apology Lily could come up with, because if she was being honest, she had rather enjoyed seeing Jonathan getting knocked on his arse.
"Oops?!" exclaimed Petunia, her face flushing. "Oops is all you have to say?! You…You actually used that mag-….that freakish stuff to attack Jonathan!"
Lily took a step toward Petunia, saying, "'Tunia-"
Petunia could feel tears welling up in her eyes as she seethed in fury and frustration. "J-Just stay away from me! I don't want to be around you right now!" She pushed past Lily and ran away from her as fast as she could while toting a few handfuls of shopping bags. Eventually she reached a courtyard that had several small restaurants and cafes.
Not really paying attention, Petunia suddenly slipped and fell, her bags flying in all directions as a squeal escaped her lips. Seeing her purchases scattered around her and sensing the gazes of several passersby, Petunia finally lost it and sat on the ground sobbing.
She had tried to be supportive of her sister but the fact of the matter was that Lily was so different from the girl she was before Hogwarts, the girl who had been her best friend. Every time she came home to visit she brought more of that freakish voodoo that she was taught, and instead of repelling people she seemed to draw everyone's admiration. Petunia sat there realizing that no matter what grand accomplishments she achieved, her younger, prettier sister would always be there to outshine her, and even draw the attention of boys like Jonathan.
As Petunia's sobs started to slow down she realized with humiliation that she was still on the ground drawing attention. She reached over and started to gather her things when a voice from behind her said, "Alright there, miss?"
Petunia turned and looked up into the gray eyes of a beefy boy who looked to be a few years older than her. His eyes widened when she turned to him and for a moment he was speechless, something which had rarely happened during his lifetime. Petunia was still a bit flustered and with a shaky voice replied, "I'll be fine. I just lost my balance is all."
Seeing her reaching to grab a loose shoe that had escaped a shopping bag, he quickly leaned over to help her. He took several opportunities to glance at her as she hastily gathered her belongings. Petunia was oblivious to this, her mind still on the scene between Lily and Jonathan.
The boy gave her a hand to help her up, but was hesitant to drop it once she was standing. Petunia gave him an odd look as she sniffled. The boy suddenly reached into his pocket and withdrew a large handkerchief, offering it to her.
"Thank you," she said, weakly.
He puffed out his chest and gave her a tight smile, his attempt at charm. "A pretty lady such as yourself shouldn't be crying."
As Petunia dried her tears, his comment started to register. He said she was pretty. Did he really think that?
Before she could say anything she heard the insistent calls of Lily as she arrived in the courtyard. Seeing Petunia, Lily rushed up to her and said, "There you are, 'Tunia! I've been looking everywhere for you." Suddenly noticing the large boy standing next to Petunia, she turned to him and said, "Hello."
'Oh great,' thought Petunia. 'Two seconds after a guy tells me I'm pretty he meets my sister. And I must look hideous now after all that crying.' Remembering her manners, Petunia told the boy, "This is my sister, Lily."
The boy's beady eyes barely glanced at Lily before they bounced back to Petunia. "And you are?" he asked.
Petunia was taken aback. Normally when she introduced Lily to someone Petunia would subsequently feel invisible. This boy, for all intents and purposes, was interested in Petunia. She felt a blush creep up her face as she replied, "Petunia. Petunia Evans."
"Lovely name," he replied.
Petunia let out a small giggle and asked, "What about you? What shall I call you?"
Lily watched, amazed as the beefy boy's smile disappeared into his large cheeks. His chest puffed out again in pride as he replied, "Vernon Dursley."
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A/N: At last the hero of this epic has arrived - Vernon Dursley! Just kidding. (lol) So how did you like his introduction?
Thanks to the latest reviewers: The All Mighty Shipper, nanopy, Anu, Nyscat, delpheena, DreamAngel, PottersPrincess, Golden Phoenix, Alicia78, hpfreak, Remus'sweetie, AshleyM, Mani12191, Chayse, and Hermione G. Potter. As usual, replies are with the reviews, unless you specifically asked not to get a reply.
Next chapter: Vernon starts to court Petunia. Summer is coming to an end - you'll see the last part of Sirius' summer.