Petunia was always the worse sister - not as pretty, not as kind and especially not as magical as Lily. Jealousy and bitterness rule her life, until one fateful encounter changes her destiny ...
❀
Petunia was always the lesser out of the two Evaness...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The steam-engine was whistling as if it shared Petunia's good mood and for once the sight of the red-lacquered train didn't fill her with bitterness.
"I can levitate that, Tuney."
Petunia gripped her small trunk tighter. "I rather you didn't."
She didn't want all her belongings to float away and be forced to ask for help from someone with magic when she couldn't get them down by herself. She had packed lightly, clothes, her notebook, her edition of 'Fantastic Beasts', a few Quibblers, a pair of slippers and some Welsh Cakes if she got hungry during the ride, so it was no bother to carry it anyway.
"You sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure, Lily."
Her little sister shrugged. "Up to you. But why won't you sit with us, either?"
"My letter stated I should ride in the Prefect's compartment."
"That you could ride in the Prefect's compartment." Lily looked over her shoulder. "Sev, what about you?"
Severus, trailing behind them and already clothed in his Hogwarts robe, averted his eyes. "I'll stick to Avery."
Lily stopped so suddenly Petunia took two more steps before she even realised she had left her behind.
"Avery? You hate those guys!"
Petunia's surprise at Lily's tone arrested her feet.
Severus just shrugged.
"What possible reason could you have to hang out with those - those creeps!"
"Lily!" Petunia had never heard Lily insult anyone before.
Lily set her chin. "It's the truth."
"You won't understand," Severus muttered, scuffing his already worn shoes.
"You're right, I don't understand! How can you sit with them, Sev? They're ... they're evil! You know what they get up to, what they want - who they idolise!"
Severus took a step back as if the words had physically pushed him. Before he could answer a loud horn sounded, shaking Petunia loose from her stupor.
"Lily, what brought this on? Severus is ..." a wretch, a pest, an annoying brat who worships the ground you walk on ...
For a second Lily looked like she wanted to continue pestering him before rethinking her words. "I'm just worried about you, Sev. We're friends, right?"
"Yeah." He still didn't look up. "We should board before the train leaves."
"He's right, let's go."
Lily sighed. "Alright, just ... think about sitting with us, please, Sev?"
Petunia could see the strain of Lily's request in the set of Severus' thin shoulders, as if his body was buckling against invisible reins binding him. He didn't answer, just walked past them and shuffled into the train, his tattered soles clapping loudly on the steps.
"Don't look at me like that, Tuney. If you knew what was going on, how they act, you would be worried as well."
Petunia turned away to hide the way Lily's words stung her, a thorn hidden beneath silk-soft petals of concern.
"Let's go."
The train was narrow, plush green carpet running down the aisle as sliding doors lead to different compartments already filled with children, luggage and animals. Laughter, slamming doors, hooting owls and excited chatter filled the stuffy air and Petunia pulled a face at the noise.
"You're really going to the Prefect's department," Lily concluded.
"We'll see each other more than enough for the rest of the year."
And Petunia wasn't sure how she would fit in with Lily's friends. Being surrounded by people who admired her sister and were glued to Lily's words for the whole ride wasn't really the start she had envisioned for herself.
Somehow she feared it would sour this new beginning.
"But I'm a student and you'll be ... a groundskeeper."
Petunia frowned. "Apprentice groundskeeper."
"I'm just not sure when we'll find the time - don't misunderstand, Tuney, I'm really excited that you're here and ..."
"Lils!"
The sisters turned in the narrow corridor when Lily's friend, Mary Macdonald, almost barreled Lily over, enveloping her in an embrace of glossy brown waves and lavender-scented Hogwarts robes.
"Mary!"
"It's been too long, Lils! Oh, hi, Petunia. Err, how did your trial go?"
Petunia stuck her pointy chin in the air. "Very well, thank you. Your advice was appreciated."
Mary briefly glanced at Lily before shrugging. "I'm glad I could help. Honestly, that they actually put a muggle on trial without -"
"Yes, truly astonishing," Petunia interrupted. "I'm going to find my compartment. Lily, I'll see you."
Lily smiled thinly. "Bye, Tuney."
While she walked away, Petunia could clearly hear Mary ask: "What does she mean, her compartment? Come to think of it, why is your sister on our train?"
The Prefect compartment wasn't too hard to identify, as it was easily the biggest and most luxuriously furnished out of them all. Thick, red drapes were pulled away from actually clean windows, the upholstery was not stained or faded, but covered with vibrant paisley patterns in dark burgundy and gold and instead of normal seats they looked more like couches arranged around the room. The walls were panelled with polished wood and small wall sconces bathed everything in a cosy, orange glow.
It was also empty and Petunia guessed that the Prefect's were probably busy doing their duties, making sure that everyone had boarded the train, found a seat, put away their luggage and whatever magical things needed to be checked on top of that.
Surrounded by blessed silence, Petunia got 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them' before stowing her trunk away and choosing a window seat. The plush cushions supported her stiff back, her skin tingling with nerves. Stroking her fingers along the spine of the book, over the long familiar cracks, she tried to calm herself.
Instead of re-reading one of her favourite chapters, Petunia's eyes stayed glued to her window.
The station looked different from here. Normally she faced the backs of people, lost in a sea of shouted good-byes and waving hands, obstructed from view and forgotten.
Now those faces were turned towards her.
Petunia watched as a little crying girl hugged an older boy, she watched as a mother fussed with her daughter's scarf and then she watched as they all disappeared when the train started moving with a jerk and slowly gained speed, teary-eyed faces turning into small specks and then being replaced by houses flashing past in a blur of concrete and shingles.
The vibrations of the moving train travelled through her, turning into shivers of excitement. Petunia wasn't at the station, walking to Mum's car and getting ready for the hours-long drive back to Cokeworth. She wasn't passing through a fake-brick wall into the mundane world.
For once, she wasn't being left behind.
This time, Petunia was on-board the magical train, being carried off to a school that was even more magical, a place she had never dreamed she would ever be allowed to set foot.
Petunia didn't know what her future held, but as she watched London grow smaller in the distance, she didn't regret leaving it behind.
