Petunia and the Little Monster

August 1972

He found her book.

The book Eugene had gifted her, the book she used to write down everything new she learned about Aspen. 
The wretched boy had gone through her stuff and found her notes.

It's over.

They stared at each other in silence, him standing next to the open window and Petunia frozen in the doorway of her room. A summer breeze rustled the blue curtains, smelling like freshly cut grass and sunshine. But its warmth didn't reach Petunia - she felt as if she had been dunked into a frozen lake.

She should be thinking of ways to get out of the situation, some way to convince the wretched boy not to tell anyone, but instead only two words echoed in her head, again and again.

It's over.

Her time with Aspen, flying through the night, feeling the wet air on her skin when she touched the clouds and Aspen's heart beating against his ribs, against her legs. Cooling him down in the brook, playing with the glittering drops and enjoying the symphony of the gurgling water and singing birds. Finding little offerings on her windowsill in the morning, going into town after school to stop by the butchery, walking the familiar path through the fields with Aspen by her side ...

It's over.

The first words out of the wretched boy's mouth shouldn't have surprised her, but she still marvelled that he was thinking about her in any situation.

"That's not Lily's handwriting."

No, it's mine. Petunia somehow found her voice, though it was hoarse and thin. "What are you doing in our room?"

He ignored her question. "So this is what you've been hiding? Some kind of invisible creature?"

I could just push him ...

The thought only flashing through her mind for a bare second, but it was enough to make Petunia flinch in fright. No she wouldn't, she couldn't, push him out the window. No matter what, she wasn't a murderer.

"Classified as XXXX, that means it's dangerous. Do you even - "

"Don't tell them!"

The shout tore out of her before Petunia even registered the words. Her chest was heaving and aching as if the words had scraped it raw from the inside.

Severus blinked once. His face, gaunt and sickly pale as always, didn't look as vicious anymore. "Tell whom? Lily?"

Petunia's nails bit into the soft flesh of her palms, the slight pain the only thing anchoring her enough to collect her thoughts and reply. "Them - the magical police, the Ministry!"

"I - Why would I tell them?"

Because he was the wretched boy. Because he had a way of hurting her and he would use it. Because he hated her.

The silence settling between them was suffocating like a heavy blanket. All her thoughts and accusations seemed to smoother the air right out of the small room.

"I won't tell them."

Petunia didn't believe him. Why would he keep her secret? Why would he even be sneaking around here if not to find something he could use against her?

"If you're not gonna tell, why do you even care?"

He flushed slightly, the red making his face appear even more unhealthy. "I thought you were doing some dark rituals, with animal sacrifices and everything."

Petunia took a deep breath while her mind tried to catch up. The jump from magical prison to animal sacrifices was a bit far and it took her a few seconds to realize - the stupid chicken!