Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Come on, Petty!” Lily grinned, pulling her sister by the wrist.

Petunia groaned, “We have all day. No need to rush.” Lily just smiled at her as if she knew how excited Petunia really was despite all the griping. She probably did. She just knew her sibling like that.

Diagon Alley was busy. The cobblestone roads were much too thin for the sheer amount of people. Parents followed their children, gaggles of older teens moved in clumps, adults caught up with friends over coffee (at least, Petunia assumed it was coffee), and there were so many robes. Seriously, did wizards have no other clothes? She knew Hogwarts had a dress code, but surely they’ll have off days where she can show everyone what true fashion is. And if they don’t? A shiver racked her soul. She can’t even think of it!

Lily went out of the crowd’s path and dug into her skirt pockets—they had been handsewn on by their mom after many complaints. She pulled out a crumpled piece of paper with a flourish. Petunia looked over her shoulder. “How are we going to carry all of that?” she asked.

Lily hummed in thought. “Aha!” she exclaimed after a beat. “Items can be enchanted, so who’s to say there’s not an infinite storage enchantment! Well, maybe not infinite, but bigger at the very least.”

“That’s smart.”

“You don’t have to sound so surprised!” Lily playfully shoved her twin. “Now what store should we try first?”

Shopping had always been Petunia’s thing, and magic didn’t change that. She made sure they got the best items they could while still leaving ample room in their funds. The new wizarding currency was a bit hard to get used to, but luckily the bank had provided a conversion chart. They had just finished obtaining everything on the shopping list (minus the familiar) and were now browsing the stores they hadn’t seen.

“Oooh, look at that shiny gold thing!” Lily pointed at an ornate gold necklace. Upon closer inspection headed by Petunia, it was a whopping 200 Galleons.

“Nope.”

“But Pettyyyy!! Look at it!” She whined, giving her stingy sister her best pout.

Petunia wouldn’t deny it, the necklace was pretty, but it wasn’t 200 Galleons pretty. And even if it was that beautiful, the Evans sisters didn’t have that kind of money. Unless they won the lottery—or the magical equivalent—there wasn’t a world where they bought it. Still, Lily knew just how to manipulate her into feeling sorry. Look at that face! She was so sad. Petunia sighed, “We’re still not getting that trinket, but how about we go to that café we saw earlier?”

Lily pumped her fists. “YESS!! I want ice cream!” She skipped out of the jewelry shop.

The other Evans rolled her eyes and mumbled under breath, “And we’re supposed to be the same age.”

The building was cute. A pastel rainbow of shades dripped down the caramel brown bricks like melting ice cream. The colors shone in the sea of muddy browns and reds that was every other store. There was an outdoor patio with a few wooden chairs and tables. It was relatively busy, but the line moved quickly.

“What flavor are you thinking of getting?” Petunia asked.

“I have to see the menu first! Who knows what new magic-enhanced flavors there are?” Lily said matter-of-factly.

Petunia shrugged. “I suppose you’re right. I’ll probably get butter pecan.”

“That’s what you always get. Live a little!”

She chose to ignore her sister. The line moved, and they inched closer. “If you want to look at the menu, I’ll save your spot.”

Before she could blink, Lily was already halfway to the front. “You'rethebestsistereverthankyou!!” she stage-whispered over her shoulder.

By the time Lily had puzzled out what she wanted, there was only one person in front of Petunia. She smiled sheepishly when she realized how long her indecisiveness cost her. ‘Sorry,’ she mouthed. Petunia shrugged. ‘It’s fine,’ she mouthed back. Anyways, she had already picked out what she wanted: Earl Grey & Lavender.

Finally, they reached the front of the line. “Hello!” the middle-aged worker chirped, somehow still energetic after all her customers. “What can I get for you today?”

Petunia voiced her order first. Lily followed closely after. “I want the Flutter Beer ice cream.” The employee—whose name was Helga according to the tag pinned to her uniform—nodded and repeated the names, careful to enunciate each syllable.

An ice cream scoop levitated and rolled a ball of Flutter Beer. It plopped the dessert into a waffle cone held by Helga before repeating the process with Earl Grey & Lavender.

“Uh, hello? Your ice cream is ready.” Helga held out the cones.

Petunia laughed awkwardly. She’d been transfixed by the display of magic and had forgotten to take the cold sweets. She dug into her pouch and gave the worker a Galleon. “Thanks.”

Lily was still open-mouthed but quickly came to after a sharp elbow jab. “Yeah thanks,” she agreed and grabbed the ice cream.

“Have a nice day!” Helga called after them as they left the café to sit at the patio.

Lily licked her ice cream. “Mmm, so good. We have to come back some time to try their pastries.” Petunia cautiously tried hers. Oh, that’s good. Lily noticed her sister’s happiness and asked, “If I let you have my Flutter Beer, can I have some of yours?”

Petunia mulled it over for a few quick seconds, still eating her treat. “Yeah, okay. But only a few licks, I don’t want you eating half of my ice cream in one bite.”

“That was one time! One!” Lily cried.

“And you’ll never do it again, huh?”

She shuddered as she remembered her sister’s wrath. “Never ever.” Pleased with her promise, Petunia offered her the lavender-flavored ice cream. “That’s pretty good for having tea in it.”

“I don’t understand what you have against tea. It comes in so many flavors.”

“Coffee is supreme.”

Petunia sighed, but didn’t press any further. She was not going down this road again, at least not now. “Whatever. Let me try yours.” She tasted the soft yellow-brown ice cream. It fizzed in her mouth. She would say like Pop Rocks, but not so forceful. More like bubbles. The flavor itself was akin to cream soda, with a nice aftertaste that left her chest warm despite the cold temperature. “It’s weird.”

“But not in a bad way?” Lily pressed.

Petunia shook her head. “Not in a bad in way.”

“Awesome. Here’s your tea back.”

When they finished eating, they wandered around a bit longer. It wasn’t until it was nearing the time their parents had agreed to pick them up did they stop to get their familiars. It was something both the Evans twins had been excited about all day—however they also didn’t want to carry an animal around while they were shopping.

They entered the pet shop at the same time, Lily rambling about which pet she should get and Petunia smiling ear to ear. It was loud: owls hooting, cats meowing, toads croaking.

Lily gravitated to the owls while Petunia went to the cats. Some looked at her pitifully, others shirked away. However, one in particular caught her eye: a particularly long dark grey cat with faint black markings and striking yellow-red eyes. It yawned, revealing a white mouth.

“Lulu caught your eye?” She yelped, surprised by the sudden appearance of an older man. His face was worn leather, dark and wrinkled. Obsidian eyes shone with barely concealed cheekiness. “I’m told I’m quiet as the cats I house. I’m Muril, the owner. If you’re actually thinking of adopting her, I must be forward; she can be a grumpster. Especially when she’s tired, hungry, or annoyed, which is most of the time. But once she warms up to you, she’s quite sweet.”

Petunia nodded in response. Adopting a cat was a big commitment, and it was vital she chose the right one for her. Maybe she should spend more time looking at the other animals, but her heart knew what it wanted. Lulu meowed at her as if to say, ‘Adopt me, Petunia. You know you want to.’  And really, whose Petunia to deny this gorgeous cat what she wants?

Once Muril had finished briefing her on everything she needed to know about her new pet, Petunia waited by the door for Lily to finish. It shouldn’t be too long—she seemed to already have picked out her owl—and it allowed Petunia to talk to Lulu.

“Lulu doesn’t really fit you,” she began, “so I’m gonna have to rename you. Is that alright?” The cat didn’t respond, so she took it as a sign to continue. “Your white mouth is pretty cool… What about Cottonmouth, like the snake? I can call you Cotton for short.” Again, no response. “Sounds like you don’t care either way. Welcome to the Evans’ family, Cotton!”

It was around this time Lily walked over, owl cage floating behind her. “PETTYY, look at Bartholemew! He’s a great grey owl. I already love him so much.” Bartholemew chirped happily. Wow, he was big. Much larger than any of the other birds available. He had small yellow eyes, an equally small orange beak, and mottled brown feathers. Truly, a sight to behold. “The worker said we can leave our pets here while we get some supplies.”

“Oh,” said Petunia, “then why didn’t we get our pets first?”

“I dunno,” replied Lily.

Petunia sucked in a shaky deep breath. It was the day they went to Hogwarts at last! The letter said the train was on Platform 9 ¾. She didn’t get it (how could it be a fraction??), but Lily had told her not to worry—she had a friend on the inside. Confusing? Yes. Cryptic? Yes.  Abnormal? No, that’s just how her sister was.

Lily swerved her head, looking for the special person. Petunia didn’t know how she’d ever find anyone in this crowd, but her sister did it. She gasped and ran over to a corner that had slightly less bustle. “Severus!” she called out, waving her free hand wildly. Bartholemew happily shrieked along with her.

A dark-eyed boy looked up. His onyx eyes contrasted with his pale skin. Thin lips contorted from a frown to a soft smile as he said, “Lily, over here!”

Lily ran over and enveloped him in a tight. Bartholemew squawked indignantly at being tossed around so carelessly, and she muttered out a quick but sincere apology. Petunia took longer to get to the two friends since she was pulling a metal trolley full of their luggage. “So heavy, if only there was someone who could’ve helped.” she snarked.

Lily groaned. “I’m sorrryyyy, but at least I held Bartholemew.” The owl, for some unknown reason, enjoyed being carried by her, even when she accidentally jostled his cage when she got excited (which was a lot). Cotton would never stand for such treatment. “Petunia, do you remember Severus?”

“A bit.” He was Lily’s friend, and they hung out a lot. Petunia really only knew him by osmosis.

“Well, he’s the one who first taught me that magic was real!”

Petunia gasped dramatically. “You knew magic was real and didn’t tell me??”

Lily rolled her eyes. “I tried. You wouldn’t believe me.”

Petunia grinned and said, “Well, you can’t blame me. I thought that was the stuff of fairy tales.”

Severus fidgeted awkwardly, not sure how to incorporate himself into the seamless back and forth of sisters. With just Lily, it was easy. He didn’t have to sweat over every word, every syllable. But now there was a new person. Ugh. At least Petunia wasn’t brand new, that’d be much worse. Lily noticed his discomfort and, ever his savior, asked, “Why don’t we get on the train? Don’t wanna miss it, haha! Can you show us how to get there, Sev?”

Finally, something he was confident in. He nodded and replied, “You just have to walk through the wall here.” He pointed to what seemed to be a perfectly inconspicuous and solid wall.

“Oooh, fun!”

“What??” The two sisters said at the same time.

Petunia sat next to Lily and across from Severus on the train. It was so cool. And big. They had put their luggage up with some struggle and were now taking a breather. Petunia stroked Cotton, who was slumbering peacefully on her lap. This was what true happiness was. Forget being rich, give her a purring cat. Severus mumbled something. “Huh?” she asked.

He flushed red from embarrassment. “Your cat is cute, what’s her name?” he quickly mumbled out.

She smiled. “Thanks, I call her Cotton, short for Cottonmouth. Her mouth is white, just like the snake.” As if to highlight her statement, Cotton yawned.

“Wow. A cat is a pretty interesting choice. Most kids get an owl because of the mail feature. As you can see, I followed the crowd.” He nodded slightly to the smallish black owl resting on his shoulder. “His name’s Aconite.”

Lily gasped. “Pretty! I like the white lines. What type is he? Bartholemew is a great grey owl because he’s so great.”

“Funny. Mine’s a black-banded owl. I don’t have a joke planned.”

Petunia laughed. Severus was funny in his own weird way. A fact that was only exemplified as the three continued talking. He told them (but mostly Petunia) about the different houses, what the courses will be like, Quidditch, and all sorts of other stuff. “I’m probably going to be in either Slytherin or Ravenclaw. Definitely not Gryffindor,” Severus concluded.

“I’m okay with anything, but Hufflepuff seems cool,” Lily said.

Petunia poked her in the arm playfully. “Of course you’d like Hufflepuff.”

Lily squawked, and Bartholemew followed suit. “What’s that supposed to mean??” Severus laughed at her plight, and she turned to him, hand on her heart like she’d just been stabbed. “Not you too! One bully is enough. Oh, how betrayal stings…” She shook her head sadly.

Petunia ignored her sister’s dramatics and started talking to her new friend. “As much as I like talking to you, I don’t want to exhaust all of our topics when the train hasn’t even started moving. Do you have any games or something? I would offer, but all of my fun stuff is in the back of my suitcase, and I’d really rather not dig through my personal belongings.”

“Fair,” Severus nodded. “I have a pack of cards in my pocket. But nothing else, sorry.”

“That’s okay!” Lily beamed. “There’s lots of games we can play with just a pack of cards. Like Solitaire!”

“That’s a single player game,” Petunia told her.

“Oh. What about Poker?”

“Do you know the rules?”

“No… Blackjack?”

“That’s gambling. Do you really want to gamble?”

“We don’t have to gamble! Stop being such a spoil sport, Petty. But fine, we can play something else if it matters that much. Go Fish?”

Petunia thought for a moment. “Sounds okay. How do you feel, Severus?”

“I don’t care. You’ll have to remind me of the rules, though; it’s been a while since I’ve played.”

Lily clapped her hands together happily. “Don’t worry, you’ll pick it up quickly. Bring the deck out, I explain better with physical cards.”

“It’s literally just mmph—” Petunia was cut off by her sister’s hand.

“Hush,” Lily chastised her, “I’ve got this.” Petunia licked her hand. “Hey! How dare you lick me!” she yelped and cradled her hand. Petunia snickered in response. “Sigh, the pain of having a sister. Sev, you’re so lucky that you’re an only child. What I wouldn’t give to be in your shoes.”

Severus rolled his good-naturedly and placed the box into her outstretched hand (which—to his relief—was not the one that had been licked). “At least you were born with a friend. You don’t see me wishing you away even with your constant teasing.”

“Nuh uh, near constant. A small difference, but a difference nonetheless,” Lily corrected.

Petunia sighed comically. “I swear on all that is holy, if you don’t shut up so we can play Go Fish, I’m going to scream.”

“But I have to talk to explain the rules to Sev!” Lily whined.

Petunia opened her mouth.

“Fine, fine, I’ll get started.” She opened the box and took out the pack of cards. She looked at it, opened her mouth, then paused and looked at the cards again, this time more intently. “Did the drawing just… move?” she asked.

Severus cocked his head. “Yeah, so?”

Petunia looked over her shoulder. The king cheerily waved at her. “That’s crazy. Drawings aren’t supposed to move.”

“Didn’t you see the newspapers and stuff while at Diagon Alley?”

The siblings locked eyes and shook their heads no.

“Huh. Well, pictures move. These cards are too cheap to talk, but the paintings at Hogwarts will.”

“Woah…” Lily gasped, watching the king of hearts some more.

The door slammed open. “Hello!” a thin boy with unruly black hair greeted. “I’m James Potter, but call me James. This is my friend, Sirius Black. We were wondering if there was any room left in your car.”

“James, you need to knock before entering,” Sirius told him off. He looked at the other kids with apologetic grey eyes.

Severus bristled, but Lily grinned happily. “It’s okay! We weren’t doing anything important.”

James smiled breezily, “I’m sure anything you do is important.” Lily giggled, her ear tips turning pink. “I don’t think I caught your names?”

“I’m Lily! And this is my sister Petunia.” She looked at Severus expectantly, urging him to introduce himself.

He groaned, but gave in. “I’m Snape,” he bit out. “Hate to break it to you Potter, but there’s no more room for you or Black.”

James frowned slightly. “I see how it is, Snape.” He turned to Lily. “I’ll be waiting for you at the Gryffindor table tonight.” And with a wink he was off.

Sirius closed the door behind them, but Petunia could still hear his muffled words trailing off, “Not even left the station yet and you’re already flirting…”

Once the boys were suitably out of earshot, she grinned at Lily like a cartoon villain. “I saw how you looked at James~” she sang.

Lily buried her face in her hands. “Sh-shut up!” she half-heartedly retaliated.

Petunia smirked, but didn’t push any further. This’ll definitely be teasing material for later.

Severus crossed his arms and grunted. “I don’t know what you see in him. He’s just some smug, flirty airhead like a million others. Probably will forget you in two seconds flat once he sees his next plaything.” He flinched at Petunia’s sharp glare. “Not that you aren’t smart, you just deserve someone who’ll treat you right.”

Ohhh. And suddenly it all clicked together. Severus Snape had a crush on her sister, Lily! It made so much sense, how had she not noticed before? Poor Lily will probably never realize. As much of a hopeless romantic as she was, she could be so oblivious. One Valentine’s Day a classmate had given her a beautiful red rose and she just smiled and told him what a wonderful friend he was. Petunia had burst out laughing and had to quickly lie that there was a particularly funny scene in the story she was reading. (To this day she doesn’t know how Lily bought it, there wasn’t even a book in her hands.)  Perhaps if the awkwardness gets too bad, she’ll butt in. For now, she’ll just enjoy the show. And schedule a shovel talk for Severus.

The train had finally begun its journey a few minutes ago and Lily was looking out the window. “So pretty,” she gasped.

Cotton was cleaning herself on the small table situated in the middle of the car. She’d been startled awake by the sudden jolt of the train starting and was not pleased. Petunia missed her warmth, but she knew no coaxing would get the cat to do something she didn’t want. The pack of cards was lying near her paws, quickly forgotten after just a few rounds. Severus was surprisingly good at Go Fish—he racked up almost double the pairs of the sisters combined! It was infuriating, and he was accused of cheating many times.

A large yawn escaped Petunia’s mouth. “I should’ve brought a book.”

“What about all the ones we had to get for school?” Lily asked without looking away from the window.

“I don’t want to be productive!” she whined. Before she could wallow in self-pity any longer, a few sharp raps on the door caused her head to spring up.

“Trolley Witch here! Would you children like some candies?” A kind, elderly voice greeted.

Lily slowly turned around, eyes widening, her mouth formed into a perfect ‘O’. “Candy…” she whispered.

Despite very likely being very old, the witch seemed to hear Lily’s word and take it as an invitation to come in. She was plump with a grandmotherly sort of face and sported a warm, knitted red cardigan. “I have quite a selection. Would you like me to list off some of my treats?” Lily nodded intensely. “I have Chocolate Frogs, Cauldron Cakes, Jelly Slugs, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, Drooble’s Blowing Gum, Pumpkin Pasties, Popping Pixie Wing Dust, Honeyduke Potato Crisps, Licorice Wands, Golden Snitch Truffles, Shrieking Sherbet, and Fizzing Wizzbees. Of course, those are just some of my more popular items. If there’s something else you’d like, I probably have it as long as it’s magical.”

That was a lot of information all at once. Petunia had to take a moment to process it all. (Lily was still getting over the fact there was someone selling candy on the train. She would be a bit.) “Um,” she eloquently began, “do you have any drinks?”

The Trolley Witch clapped her weathered hands together. “Yes dear, I have many! What are you in the mood for? Ah, by the way, water is free, so feel free to get as much as you’d like.”

The choice is easy. “Something sweet please. And since you mentioned it, water would be nice, too.”

“I’ll take a glass as well,” Severus chimed in.

The witch nodded sagely and grabbed a pitcher of water and two glasses from… somewhere. It’s probably best not to worry.  She started talking while pouring their drinks, “Wise choice, dear. When in doubt, always choose sweet. It’s universal.” She finished pouring and gave Severus and Petunia their respective waters. Petunia took a sip. It was just how she liked it: freezing cold with crushed ice she could safely munch on afterwards. How the Trolley Witch knew, she had no clue. No point in worrying over something she’ll never know, so she’ll just chalk it up to magic. It was turning out to be the perfect excuse for any situation.

The Trolley Witch began again,  “I have hot cocoa, Exploda Soda, Bubble Brew, Butterbeer, Pumpkin Juice, Fishy Green Ale, Tongue Tying Lemon Squash, Peachtree Fizzing Tea, and various flavorings for your water—but those do cost money, mind you. And just to make sure, none of you are of drinking age, correct? Age can be quite deceiving.”

Petunia giggled. “We’re all eleven; no alcohol for us.”

“Well maybe some of us would like to try,” Severus humphed, though there was no real bite to his voice.

“Fizzing Whizzbees!” Lily near-shouted, finally having gained her bearings. “I want Fizzing Whizzbees, those jellybeans, the truffles, Chocolate Frogs, the pixie thing, and Butterbeer.” With each item listed, she counted it off on her fingers. She spoke quickly, voice filled with excitement and wonder like, well, a kid in a candy shop.

The Trolley Witch shook her head and looked off into the distance as if she was reliving her youth. “Always keep that enthusiasm for the little things, dear. It’s what keeps you going even when you’re as old as me.” Her voice was thick with nostalgia.

“You don’t look that old. What are you, like 60?” Lily asked. Truthfully, the witch looked more like she was 70, so Lily most likely went lower just in the rare case that the witch wasn’t 70 plus. As much as Petunia appreciated the minor forethought, she still elbowed her sister. Lily should know to never ask anyone—especially a woman!—their age. It was rude. Luckily, the Trolley Witch took it in stride.

“I wish!” she snorted. There was a brief pause of silent nostalgia before she put thoughts to words. “I was so spry… I could sprint across the train in ten seconds flat, I could! And golly, I was beautiful. My skin was as soft as a baby’s bottom.” She shook her head. “I doubt you want to hear an old crone reminiscence. Here’s your treats, dear.”

“Thank you!!” Lily grinned and watched the Trolley Witch with rapt attention as she placed the candies on the table. Before Petunia could blink, they were all snatched up. The box of jellybeans was torn open.

“Lily, wait!” Severus yelled, but Lily had already popped a bean into her mouth.

“Mmm, I don’t think I’ve ever had that flavor before!” She licked her lips. She started reaching for another but finally processed Severus’s warning and stopped. He looked relieved. “Why would I stop, Sev?”

“Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans are every flavor, even the gross ones like sweat or mushrooms,” he explained.

“Oh, okay,” she chirped, promptly grabbing another jellybean. Severus sighed. She never listened.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” the Trolley Witch asked. Severus shook his head, but Petunia nodded and relayed her order. With candy in hand and a few coins lighter, the sisters waved goodbye.

“I don’t know what you were on about, Sev. I’ve gotten nothing but deliciousness.” Lily proved her point by shoving a handful of jellybeans into her mouth. “Why don’t you have just one? I promise it won’t be as bad as you think. Here, Petunia, you eat a bean to show him”

Said girl groaned and rolled her eyes. There was no point in arguing, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t gripe. An inconspicuous bean was placed into her cupped hand. Upon eating it, she was met with a… weird taste. It wasn’t exactly unpleasant, but she couldn’t quite place her finger on the flavor. It was sort of bland and quickly became mush. She’s definitely had it before… “Paper!” Petunia cried out. Severus looked at her incredulously. “It tastes like paper.”

“In a good way or a bad way?” Lily was asking the important questions.

“Good.”

Lily smirks at Severus as if to say ‘see? It’s not that bad.’

He raises an eyebrow: ‘why risk it?’

They continued this silent back-and-forth for a good while. Petunia chewed on her magic popcorn that tasted like salty clouds and could apparently make you jump higher. (She hadn’t tested it out yet; the car wasn’t big enough whatsoever). Lily was always going to win. She was as stubborn as a bull. Severus should know, being best friends with her and all. It was simply a matter of when—not if—he would break. Seems that time was now.

“Ugh, has anyone ever told you you’re annoying?” Severus groaned.

“Yes, many times!” Lily chirped, offering him a jellybean.

Severus shook his head. “I’d rather get my own, I don’t want you somehow feeding me something bad.” Lily rolled her eyes but gave him the box.

He examined it closely, shook it, sifted, all to find the perfect one. Petunia snorted and Lily elbowed her. How the turns have tabled; she’s never the jabbed, only the jabber. It’s weird. Was the universe collapsing??

“Aha!” Severus’s exclamation broke her out of her existential crisis. “Look, this jellybean is longer than all the others by a millimeter. And see this reddish tint?” Petunia squinted. She saw nothing. It looked exactly like all the other beans. “This has led me to believe it is licorice flavored. I shall now enjoy the prize of my hard work.”

.

.

.

“Soooo, I guess it wasn’t licorice?” Lily asked.

“No, it was licorice, because of course I’d spit licorice into a napkin,” Severus retorted, tone dripping with the toxic ooze of sarcasm.

“Geez, forgive me for wondering.”  She threw her hands in the air exasperatedly. “What even was it?”

Severus shivered. His black hair hung over his eyes like a curtain. “It was…” he started before doing a dramatic pause. If he waited a second longer, Lily looked like she would explode from suspense. “It was… worm flavor.”

Severus seemed disappointed when they didn’t gasp. “Is that all? From the way you were acting I thought it would be, I don’t know, puke,” said Lily.

“But worms are so mushy and disgusting. Like mashed potatoes.” Severus gagged. “How is not a big deal to you?

Petunia shrugged. “I’ve had escargot before; it wasn’t bad. Worms are basically shell-less, pink snails.”

“And exCUSE ME, what the heck is wrong with mashed potatoes?? Next thing you’ll say is you don’t like mushrooms!” Lily chimed in.

“I don’t.”

“AGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!”

Lily pulled on Petunia’s sleeve. “We’re so close, Petty! Aren’t you excited? What house do you think we’ll be in? Maybe Gryffindor? Wouldn’t it be nice to be in the same house as James? Well, maybe he won’t be in Gryffindor, but he seemed pretty confident that he would be. And not that it matters that we’re in the same house, cuz it’s not like I like him or anything. I sure hope Sev and you and I get placed in the same house. OH NO, what happens if we have different houses? I can’t bear to be separated from you! It would be really scary doing all this new stuff alone.”

Petunia placed a reassuring hand on her sister’s shoulder. They had been instructed to line themselves alphabetically to be sorted. A bit more than a quarter of the first years were already seated at their tables. Each time a student was sorted, said house would cheer loudly. (The loudest houses were Gryffindor and, somewhat surprisingly, Hufflepuff.) “Stop worrying. Even if we do get separated, we can meet up at a neutral place. I’m sure Hogwarts has a library.”

Lily smiled softly. “Thanks. You’re a really good sister.” Petunia almost replied with a “I know”, but the snark was cut off when her sister pulled her into a tight hug. “I love you,” Lily murmured.

“…Love you, too,” Petunia replied, her words barely above a whisper. The embrace was tight and warm. However, all good things must come to an end. Over the shoulder of Lily, she saw the only person remaining ahead of them being called. Petunia softly pushed away from her sister and gave her a big grin. With a quick ruffle of hair and a soft “You’ve got this,” Lily was off.

Lily was actually one of the quicker ones so far. She only took a few seconds before the hat called out “GRYFFINDOR!” and the entire table cheered for her. She flushed red, shy under all the attention, however brief it may be. As she walks to the table, someone Petunia can’t quite make out waves their hand to beckon her over.

“Evans, Petunia,” spoke the Sorting Hat (and Petunia still hasn’t really gotten over how a hat of all things can talk).

Petunia gulped. She may have given her sister many platitudes, but to be in the situation herself? She was a deer in headlights. Someway, somehow, she managed to robotically move to the seat and plop down. What if she really doesn’t get into Gryffindor? What if she’s in Hufflepuff and can never see Lily ever again because she’ll be too busy baking cookies or whatever. The only way they’ll be able to communicate is for Lily to give a letter to Severus who’ll give it to Aconite who’ll give it to Bartholemew who’ll give it to Cotton who'll give it to her.

My, my child. What an overthinker you are. And I’d advise you not to underestimate Hufflepuffs. I’ve sorted enough of them.

Petunia yelped. Or… silently yelped? It was weird. She could hear herself trying to speak—she even heard sounds!—but nothing was coming from her mouth. ‘What’s happening?’ she asked the old, almost musty voice. It had an air of knowledge, and a bit of cheekiness. Assuming she was talking to the hat—

You are.

Well, okay then. That answered her question. She must’ve not noticed the hat hopping on her head. ‘Since I’m here, what house am I going to be in?’ she thought-spoke.

Still deciding. You’re smart enough to be Ravenclaw—most students are—but you lack that drive to learn. Stubborn enough for Hufflepuff… no, you’re not fit. Perhaps Slytherin or Gryffindor?

‘I want Gryffindor.’

Ah yes. Your sister. She was easy, unlike you.

‘W-what? How do you know about that?’ Petunia’s mind reeled. Could the Sorting Hat see her memories and thoughts even when she wasn’t bringing them forth?

The hat seemed to… laugh? It was breathy, but by golly it was laughter! A hat was laughing at her. How low could you get? You were rambling about her during the beginning of our interaction.

Petunia did the mind realm equivalent of a sigh.

I’ve come to a conclusion. You shall be in—

“—GRYFFINDOR!”

Suddenly all Petunia’s senses went on overload. She hadn’t realized how dark it was until she was back. Also, everything was strangely loud.

Oh, it was cheering. Most of the Hufflepuffs, a couple of the younger Ravenclaws, and all of Gryffindor. It was nice being applauded like that.

She made her way to where she knew Lily was and saw her sister grinning and clapping and yelling louder than everyone else combined. Lily was sitting next to a black-haired boy. He looked familiar. It took a few moments for it to click that he was the boy next to James. White something?

“PETUNIA!!” Lily yelled. She hopped off her seat, grabbed Petunia’s wrists, and shook her like a ragdoll. “We’re both in Gryffindor! YESSS, I’m so happy.”

Secretly, Petunia was bouncing up and down, but outwardly she schooled her expression. “Let’s sit back down.” Her sister nodded eagerly.

She looked around. Most of the kids had red and gold accents. The only ones without it were the few first years. Slytherin had green, Ravenclaw blue, and Hufflepuff yellow.

“Hello, I’m Black, though I suppose since we’re in the same house, you can call me Sirius. We met on the train. You’re Petunia, right?” Sirius asked.

“Yeah. Are you, uh… muggleborn like us?” Severus taught the Evans sisters the terms that designated the ancestry of witches and wizards. Muggles were non-magical humans, but they weren’t the same as Squibs, who were equally non-magical but wizardborn. Muggleborns were wizards that had two muggle parents (pretty self-explanatory). Severus had whispered the derogatory synonym of “mudblood” to them and told the sisters if anyone ever called them that, he would deal with them. Halfbloods had pureblood and muggle lineage. Purebloods had a non-halfblood wizard ancestry. Wizardborn was a more general term to designate a child who had at least one magical parent.
It was a bit of an infodump and Petunia struggled to remember everything.

“No, I’m a pureblood.” Sirius seemed ashamed to admit it. “I promise I’m not a muggle hater, though!”

Lily put a finger on her chin and tilted her head. “Huh? Why would being pureblood mean you hate us?”

The boy laughed awkwardly. “We tend to be a bit uh,” his brows furrowed as he searched for the right word, “traditional.”

“Oh, okay. Do you know how to get food? Everyone else is eating and I’m sooo hungry.” Sirius visibly relaxed at Lily’s change of subject.

“Yeah! Just speak your order out loud and it’ll come. Double chocolate raspberry ganache cake.” It took a few seconds for the cake to appear, but when it did it looked delicious. Sirius saw Lily watching the plate with extreme interest and pushed it to her. “I can get another one if I want,” he explained.

She took the offered dessert with a smile and happily ate it up. “Mmm,” she groaned, “so good. I wish Mom could make food half as good as this.”

Petunia laughed sharply. “She’s messed up spaghetti before. How can you mess up spaghetti? Just put the noodles in boiling water, drain the water once they’re soft enough, and add the sauce!” The duty of cooking fell to Petunia since her mother was so bad in the kitchen. Lily was good enough, but she preferred baking and almost always ended up getting distracted. Goosebumps prickled her skin as she remembered the last time Lily had made popcorn. Never again. …Actually, she was kind of craving popcorn now. “Popcorn,” spoke Petunia.

Even though she knew it would work, she was still a bit surprised when a healthy bowl of buttery popcorn (movie style) popped into existence in front of her. Seriously, what was with magic knowing exactly how she liked food? It was kind of creepy. Maybe if she was more like a Ravenclaw, she would’ve researched and experimented, but she wasn’t and she didn’t. At least the popcorn was good.

Lily snaked her hand into the bowl and stole a handful of popcorn. “Hey!” Petunia said indignantly and slapped her hand away, “Get your own.”

“Please?” Lily’s eyes grew bigger and shined, using her dreaded secret weapon: puppy dog eyes.

“Ughhh,” groaned Petunia, “fine. Whatever. Leech off of me, you frightful mosquito.” Lily ignored the insult, too happy with the popcorn to be bothered by such flimsy things like words. Sirius chuckled silently. He wished his family relationships could be so… relaxed. He wasn’t excited for their reactions to him being in Gryffindor.

James plopped into a seat across from Lily and next to Remus. So far, Petunia and Lily had already managed to accrue a friend group of three others: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and now James Potter. Apparently, the three boys had sat in the same car on the train to Hogwarts. Sirius was turning out to be quite mischievous and fun-loving; Remus was a nervous wreck but had a stubborn side; and James was loud and confident. He was like a jock you’d read about in high school stories. The five talked and laughed until finally it was Severus’s turn.

The black-haired boy cooly walked to the hat. In less than 10 seconds, it called out, “Slytherin!” Severus nodded, not at all surprised. Lily and Petunia cheered, but the former seemed disappointed that he wasn’t in the same house.

“It’s okay, you can still talk,” Petunia reassured.

“I know.” Lily sighed. “But it won’t be the same.”

“Have some popcorn,” Petunia offered.

Lily gave her a soft smile. “Thanks, but there’s only a few pieces left.”

“Oh.” She hadn’t realized. “Popcorn, please.” The bowl was instantly refilled. She took a piece and threw it into her mouth. This time it was way too salty, how Lily prefers it. Lily grabbed it with sudden ferocity and shoved the snack into her mouth.

“Delicious,” she growled happily. Lily was weird like that. One moment she was upset, the next she was fixated on something else. Petunia could tell she wasn’t completely over being separated from her best friend, but at least she wasn’t as unhappy as before.

Petunia, Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus sat around the fireplace in the Gryffindor commons. The girls lounged on a plush red couch, Sirius and James sat on leather chairs, and Remus was leaning against the wall, rolling some smooth, spherical stones between his fingers. “I sure do hope I don’t forget the password,” Lily said, referring to the password students had to use to get into the Gryffindor rooms.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help ya out.” James grinned, his voice oozing with charm. Petunia couldn’t help but roll her eyes, but Lily giggled, a dusting of blush adorning the tips of her ears.

Sirius was splayed on belly across his chair. His head lolled off one armrest and legs off the other. “Remus?” He got the attention of the brown-haired boy.

“Yeah?” Remus asked.

“What’s that?” the other boy asked, pointing to the stones in Remus’s hands.

“They’re magic stones.” Remus grinned. “Look at what they can do!” He set the rocks a few inches away from each other and they rolled to meet each other in the middle. “They’re attracted to each other.”

Petunia gave Lily a questioning look. “That’s literally just a magnet.”

“No, it’s a Wonderful Attractive Stone,” Remus argued.

“Yeah, what I said. Magnet. It’s a muggle thing,” Petunia said a bit more forcefully.

“I know what a magnet is. But the packaging said it was magical,” Remus whimpered.

Lily sighed sympathetically. “Was it expensive?”

He shook his head. “Not really, but I’m still disappointed. I guess it doesn’t really matter, it doesn’t change the fact I like them.”

James nodded emphatically. “That’s the spirit!” He paused for a few moments in thought. Petunia hadn’t realized he could do that. She thought he had to narrate his stream of consciousness or else he’d implode. Of course, the silence didn’t last long. “I quite like all of you! Let’s be friends!”

Sirius quirked an eyebrow. “I thought we already were?”

“Well, yes, but now it’s official and stuff. We’ll have to think of a name since we’re going to be such close friends…” he trailed off.

“The Fun Time Happy Squad!” Sirius exclaimed with a laugh.

Lily giggled. “Lil’ Sunshine Puppy Babies?” she offered.

Remus shook his head. “Puppies are already babies. No need to repeat stuff. How ‘bout Cute Tiny Sweet Lil’ Small Miniscule Puppy Dogs instead?”

“Oh yeah, that’s way better!”

James buried his head in his hands. “Guyyysssss,” he groaned, “can’t you take this seriously?” His response was a chorus of nos. He put up his hands in defeat. “Fine. We’ll come back to the name thing later. What do we talk about now?”

Petunia hummed. “Maybe what class we’re most excited for? I think Transfiguration sounds pretty fun.”

“Definitely Care of Magical Creatures! I hope we see unicorns,” Lily squealed.

James grinned. “Mine is Defense Against the Dark Arts. I’m gonna defeat so many Dark wizards! They won’t know what’s coming.” He mimed casting spells with a wand.

“Me too,” said Sirius.

Remus blew out a puff of air. “I think DADA, Herbology, and Potions all sound equally cool.”

“Oooh, Severus really likes potions, too,” said Lily. At his confused look, she rubbed the back of her head and explained, “he’s my friend in Slytherin.”

Before any responses could be said, their attention was drawn to a knock on wood. “Alright, first years,” an older female Gryffindor drawled in a distinctly Southern accent, “it’s curfew. Y’all have to go to bed.” She was met with groans. “I know, I know, but it’s time for bed. Don’tcha wanna be ready for all the magical fun tomorrow?” The young children mulled it over and collectively decided going to bed was the best option.

“Bye!!”, “See you tomorrow”, “G’night”, “Bye”, “Night!”, and a yawn from Remus.

Petunia wrapped herself in her thick blanket. Not even a day through Hogwarts and she already had friends. It felt weird. Back in normal school, she hadn’t exactly been unpopular, but she wasn’t as ‘cool’ as Lily. It made sense, Lily was charismatic and sweet. She was pretty and kind, and everyone wanted her to like them. And she did! A good half of the school Lily deemed friends. Of course, none of them were as close to her as Severus and Petunia. Now it was a blank slate. Petunia could make a name for herself!

…Yet at the same time, Petunia didn’t want to pretend to be someone else. She already has friends who liked her as is! No need to befriend all of Hogwarts. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

“UGGGHHHHH,” whisper-screamed Lily, “why does McGonagall have to give us such hard homework?” The librarian shot her a sharp look and shushed her. Lily continued quieter, “I mean, this is still the first week.”

Petunia chuckled. “It’s only two pages. Just write a bit bigger, add some filler and you’ll get it done quickly.”

“But that feels like cheatingggg,” Lily complained, slamming her quill down.

Her sister simply shrugged. “If you’re not willing to use my advice, don’t ask.”

“But I didn’t ask.”

“Whatever. You know, I don’t have to be here. I could be eating food, hanging out with Remus and Sirius, or reading some actually fun books, but noooo, I’m here with my sister, listening to her whine.” Petunia waved her hands erratically throughout her speech. Of course, she didn’t mean any of her words rudely. Mostly.

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks for staying with me.” Lily rolled her eyes. They sat in silence for a while, only broken when Lily asked a question.

Out of the corner of her eye, Petunia saw Severus approaching. She arched an eyebrow. He put a finger to his lips then pointed to Lily. She nodded knowingly and smirked.

“D’you know when Sev is getting here? I need him to help me with my handwriting, quill and ink is so hard compared to penaAAAHHH!” Lily shrieked as Severus put a cold hand on her shoulder and, in his creepiest voice, said “Hello.”

“Omigosh, thank god it’s just you.” She put a hand to her chest and slowly calmed down. She then promptly slapped Severus. “Severus Snape, how dare you scare me when you know I can barely handle Scooby Doo without getting the heeby jeebies!”

Petunia cackled, “You should’ve seen the look on your face!”

Lily wagged a finger at her. “Don’t think I don’t realize that you saw him approaching and didn’t tell me. Some sister you are,” she huffed.

Petunia patted her hand consolingly. “Not my fault I had to see your reaction.”

Severus ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry, I thought you were exaggerating.” A pause. “…That was pretty funny, though.”

“Help! Help! I’m being attacked on two fronts.” She put the back of her hand to her forehead like a damsel in distress. Then, a small smirk. “Maybe I’ll forgive you, Sev… Maybe if you teach me the way of the quill.”

Severus sat down at the table. ‘I thought we were already doing that?’ his eyes asked Petunia. She shrugged.

The Gryffindors were in Charms class. Professor Flitwick had given them some free time to practice some spells. It could be from class or from the textbook as long as it wasn’t too dangerous.

Lily held her wand loosely. She’d come a long way in her form from the beginning of the year. She was going to try and perform a knockback jinx. She’d never done one before, only having read it in her books, but she wanted to do it on her first try. Petunia had no doubt that there was a possibility. Lily had been practicing a lot in this class (which turned out to be her favorite instead of Care of Magical Creatures), and it showed in her work. She wasn’t the best, but she was far from the worst.

“Flipendo!” Lily announced, pointing her wand at a heavy stack of books. A crackle of yellow energy shot out from the tip and toppled the books backwards. She gasped; her hands flew to her mouth. “F-first try…” Maybe for some Ravenclaws, this would be the norm. They could do it with their eyes closed. But not Lily. And that made it all the more special.

“Great job!” James grinned, having to shout over all the students crying out spells.

Petunia pulled her sister into a quick but tight hug. “Good job, Lily.”

Lily smiled brightly. “Thanks.”

Petunia wasn’t sure how it was already Christmas. Or as the Wizarding community called it, Yule. As fun as it would be to stay at Hogwarts for the holiday, she knew her parents would want them home. It’s been so long since they’ve been face to face—Mom and Dad were going to ask a million questions.

Lily sipped a glass of eggnog, then retched. “How can anyone like this stuff?”

Petunia ignored her question. “Is anyone staying here?”

Sirius shook his head sadly. “I wish. My family won’t let me.”

There were similar negative responses from everyone else. Petunia hummed. “Dang, I wanted to know what Hogwarts was like during the holidays.”

“I be’ ih pre’y cool,” Remus said through a mouthful of chicken.

Sirius poked him in the ribs. “Don’t talk while you’re eating.”

Remus swallowed then repeated himself, “I bet it’s pretty cool.”

Lily nodded rapidly in agreement. “Yeah. Like, magical snowflakes in the building or a play adaptation of Rudolph, or…” she proceeded to go on a very long tangent (with some additions being added by her friends) about possible events and activities. Petunia listened, however half-heartedly, to the entire thing. It was kind of fun to hear all the random ideas her sister could come up with.

“Guys, before we leave, we should do Secret Santa! A week is enough time to get presents for each other, right?”

“Uhm, what’s a Secret Santa?” Sirius asked.

“It’s where you randomly get assigned to another person and get them a gift,” Remus explained.

“Sounds fun, let’s do it!” James exclaimed.

Petunia had gotten Remus, Lily to Petunia, James to Lily, Remus to Sirius, Sirius to Severus (who they had somehow managed to drag into the whole thing), and Severus to James.

Petunia gave Remus a small metallic, magnetic wolf that had a small enchantment on it to make it move. He gave her a big hug after he received it.

Lily gave Petunia the latest installment in a fantasy series she was currently in love with.

James gave Lily a cute cat-unicorn plush. It was cute and very soft.

Remus gave Sirius a box of chocolates and a heartfelt letter. Petunia didn’t know what it said, but Sirius was smiling like a loon after he read it.

Sirius didn’t know Severus very well, but he did remember the Slytherin boy liked potions. So, he gave him a very antique, expensive potion ingredients book. Severus cracked a small smile at Sirius, a very rare occurrence for someone who’s basically a stranger.

Severus didn’t care for James. That much was clear. It didn’t change the fact that James was Lily’s (sigh) friend, and she’d be disappointed if he didn’t do his best. So, James received a promise that Severus would make him any potion (within his skill level), regardless if it was for school or not.

After the gift exchange, there was only limited time before the kids went their separate ways.

The rest of the first year passed by quickly. Before Petunia fully realized it, it was already the last day. Sure, she won’t miss all the homework and nights spent cramming for an exam. It was stressful at times, but there was still so much wonder. She loved seeing all the different creatures in Care of Magical Creatures (even if Kettleburn was…slightly unhinged). Professor McGonagall was a stern yet caring teacher, with only the best of intentions for her students.  Professor Slughorn absolutely adored Lily. Under Severus’s tutelage, she had flowered and got top marks in his class. She was also smart and charming in a way that drew everyone in. Enough so that even the professor invited her into his Slug Club despite her muggle lineage.

Slughorn’s opinion on Petunia, however? Not nearly as positive. Despite both Lily and Severus helping her, she still didn’t get it. Not that it mattered whether she was in some popularity club. She had enough friends as is. Besides, Transfiguration was her forte.

The friends waved goodbye with promises of writing. Some of the more emotional ones had tears in their eyes (coughLilycoughRemuscoughcough). Next time they would see each other, they’d be in second year.

Petunia, Lily, and Severus went to the Hogwarts train together. Lily kept her eyes peeled for James, Remus, and Sirius while Petunia and Severus quietly conversed. Finally, Lily let out a loud, “Aha!” and pointed to a scared looking Remus. She waved her arm wildly, trying to get his attention. When he saw her at last, his shoulders visibly relaxed.

“Lily! Petunia!” he shouted with a grin. “Thank goodness you found me; it was way too loud.” Petunia nodded reassuringly. He looked like he had been on the verge of a panic attack. “Oh,” he looked past them. “There’s Sirius!” The girls turned their heads in time to watch Sirius and him hug. The boys were affectionate, to say the least.

James was the next, and final, one to appear. Two adults, presumably his parents, tailed behind him, giving him vicious amounts of kisses. He pushed away, face red with embarrassment. They pulled him into one last hug before he escaped to his friends. “Parents are so annoying,” he complains, but there’s a smile on his face.

“At least your parents cared enough to show up…” Severus muttered angrily, quiet enough that only Petunia heard him. She nudged him lightly with her elbow, a silent question whether he was okay. He hesitated for a few seconds then nodded.

“We should probably get on the train. If we don’t leave now, all the big carts will be taken up,” Remus said. The rest of the kids nodded. It would be a shame if they had to be separated. The bigger areas sat three to a side; just enough for everyone to have a spot. James ran ahead to reserve one since he was the fastest.

Lily sat in the middle, with Severus to her right by the window and her sister on her left. Across from her, Remus was by the window and Severus was beside him. James had clearly wanted to sit either by or across from Lily, however the layout hadn’t worked out in his favor. Lily wanted to be with her sister and best friend and Remus had to be close to Sirius.

The rest of the ride was uneventful. They went over the highlights of their summers, ate candies from the Trolley Witch, and just plain talked. Petunia had missed her magical friends over the summer. Back home, there was nobody who got her like they did. In fact, she would bet 10 Galleons they all would still be best friends in their last year.

The Sorting was less fun than last year. It dragged on forever. At least the food was as good as ever. Petunia ordered a triple patty cheeseburger (sue her, she was hungry) and flan. It was so nice not having to cook for once. If she wanted something fancy, she didn’t have to spend hours preparing, mixing, watching, waiting, and cleaning. Oh, cleaning was the worst part of it all. She hated it. But she didn’t have to do any of that at Hogwarts! It was amazing. One of the best parts. “Fresca please,” she said, and a goblet three-quarters full of sparkling, clear liquid popped in front of her.

“Can I sit here?” A chubby boy with a greasy mullet asked. His name was Peter Pettigrew if Petunia recalled correctly. He was in the same year as her but always hung back so she didn’t know him very well.

Lily looked at James for confirmation before saying, “Sure!”

Peter sat down by Petunia. “My name’s Peter—” so she’d been right “—thanks for letting me sit here.”

“No problem.” Sirius smiled. “I assume you already know us?”

“Sirius!” Remus playfully slapped him. “You sound full of yourself.”

Sirius frowned sheepishly. “Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way.”

“It’s okay,” Peter said. “And you’re correct, anyways. Most all the first—I mean second years know who you are. You guys are pretty popular.”

“We are?” Petunia found herself asking. She knew she certainly wasn’t at the bottom of the food chain, but popular? That came as a surprise.

James shrugged. “Well, we are all attractive, smart, and charming.” When he said ‘attractive’, he pointedly looked at Lily, who giggled and blushed. “It’s just the natural order of things.”

Petunia supposed that made sense. And she won’t lie, knowing others found her pretty was a huge confidence boost.

Lily looked at the boys in deep contemplation. “You know,” she began, “there is a huge gender imbalance. There’s one, two, three, four guys over two girls! I’m just glad my sister is here, or else I’d be in severe need of some gal pals.”

“Hey, personally I like guys way more than girls. No offense,” Sirius said.

“Isn’t that kind of gay?” Peter asked. All the other kids gaped at him in disbelief. Yeah, what he said wasn’t untrue, but you didn’t just go around saying it! Especially with someone you just met. They weren’t even actually friends yet, just friendly acquaintances.

“What’s wrong with being gay?” Remus asked, voice hard.

Peter examined each of their faces, realized his company, and quickly backpedaled. “I— uh, nothing! Homos are completely cool; there’s nothing wrong with them at all. I’d never even insinuate that.”

The established friend group nodded. ‘Sure’, screamed all their body language sarcastically. The mood was tense after that. They would always protect their gay friends, even if the two didn’t realize their homosexual tendencies.

Cotton was curled up on Petunia’s lap, purring like a train engine. “The year I can be on the Quidditch team and there’s no openings!” James complained.

“It’s okay, this is the Seeker’s last year,” Lily placated.

“I know.” He huffed and gave his owl a scritch under its beak. “But a year is so long!”

“Just spend it practicing. You can finally get your own broomstick, so you won’t have to wait for the scheduled classes,” Remus reasoned, still watching Petunia’s cat with longing. For some reason, Cotton disliked him more than usual. If she didn’t know better, she would say the grouchy cat was scared.

James clapped. “That’s a great idea. How did I not think of it before?”

“Well, you’re not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed,” Remus teased.

“Oh, shut it.”

Lily stuck her tongue out. “I don’t understand your obsession with sports. Like, ugh.” Petunia had to agree. There were so many rules and the Snitch was overpowered.

“Of course you’d say that.” James snickered. “Don’t worry, you’ll learn to appreciate it after I become the star player, and you have to come to all my games.”

“Who says I’ll do that?” Lily questioned, though her ears were almost certainly pink. James just smirked and flexed his arms. He was well built, a fact Petunia often forgot.

“EW,” said Sirius, “go flirt somewhere else!”

“Preach.” Petunia nodded

Petunia sputtered, “I-it’s not flirting. We’re just being fr-friendly.”

“Sure,” Remus drawled, giving the other two a look.

James remained oddly silent.

“What is a mudblood like you doing in the wizarding world? Don’t you know muggles aren’t allowed?” A Slytherin boy sneered at Petunia. She was currently cornered in the hallway by three Slytherins—two boys and one girl. Lily had run ahead to catch one of her outer group friends. Petunia didn’t mind being left behind normally, but it sure would be nice to have her sister by her side. If Lily was the one being bullied, she would’ve yelled in an instant. But now? All she could muster up was a lousy “Shut up.” How come it was so much harder to defend yourself?

“Aww, little mudblood thinks she’s got teeth. We’ll show you how much that bite works when we shut your mouth up,” the female Slytherin cooed and twirled her wand between her fingers. Petunia flinched almost imperceptibly at the use of the slur.

As advanced as her spellwork may be, she wasn’t a prodigy that could fend off three wizards who’d grown up with magic. Her salvation came when she saw a figure enter the hallway. If she was lucky, it would be a teacher or one of her friends. And it was Severus. She let out a sigh of relief.

“Huh? Why aren’t you quaking in your boots?” The first boy growled.

The girl looked over her shoulder. “Snape? Thank goodness you’re here. We were about to show the muggle what’s for.”

“No,” Petunia argued, “he would never do that.”

Severus looked like a deer caught in headlights. “Uh,” he eloquently spoke.

“Come on,” all four said at once.

“Don’t do this, Severus. You’re not a purist,” Petunia implored.

“She’s right,” he said awkwardly. “We don’t have to bully her. What’s the point? It’s not like she’s going to leave Hogwarts. You’re just going to get in trouble.”

“Tch,” the second guy sneered. “You’re such a wuss.”

The female Slytherin crossed her arms. “It’s not like we were going to do anything that bad.”

And then they left. Just like that. It ended so quickly it gave Petunia whiplash.

Severus watched his feet intently, fists shoved into robe pockets. The absolute epitome of awkwardness. “Thanks,” she said after she couldn’t bare the silence any longer.

He shrugged. “You’re welcome, I guess. It was the least I could do.”

She laughed softly, even though it wasn’t funny. “Let’s catch up to the others. There’s still a good amount of free time left.”

“You’re a werewolf!?” Lily screeched. They were by the Whomping Willow, and it was in the dark of night.

Remus rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He looked up at the sky. The full moon was hidden behind a shroud of clouds. “It never came up.”

“And how long did you guys know this?” She gestured at Sirius and James.

“The middle of first year?” Sirius offered.

“If it helps, Sirius discovered it before I did.”

She groaned. “I understand privacy and all that but come on! Remus, you know you can trust us, right?”

Remus scratched his chin. “Sirius and James found it out on their own just like you and Petunia did. They just happen to be in the same dorm as me, so they’re more likely to hear me get up.” He paused; worry laced into his expression. “I really need to go now. You don’t want to see me while I’m transformed.”

Petunia nodded and let him leave without further interruption.

“So,” Sirius started once Remus was out of earshot, “do you want to become an animagus with us?”

Turned out learning to be an animagus was a lot of reading. Basically, it was optional homework. Of course, that choice made it a lot more fun. It helped that they studied in groups. Sirius would crack jokes, but he threw himself in studying the most. James somehow always found the best books on accident. Lily was even able to obtain access to the forbidden section of the library. (Thank you, Slughorn!)

From what they found, the process would be long and hard. They would have to be masters in Potions and Transfiguration. Petunia could do the latter, but they would most likely have to enlist the help of Severus. The materials weren’t exactly easy to get. The soonest they could do it was fourth year, and that was if everything went right. But it would all be worth it to see the look of surprise on Remus’s face when he discovered all that they did for him.

To be honest though, Petunia wasn’t doing it entirely for selfless reasons. Being able to turn into an animal at will would be a very handy tool. Depending on her animal, she could swim really well, run fast, fly. The possibilities are endless!

“I’d like to be a cute animal,” Lily said. “Something like a hummingbird or tiger.”

“I want to be strong!” James grinned and flexed.

Sirius shrugs. “I just want to help Remus. …It would be cool to fly without needing a broom, though. I could spy on so many people. Get all that hot goss.” He was an absolute hound for drama.

They looked at Petunia to see what she wanted. “A cat?” she offered. “As long as it’s an animal I like, I think I’ll be okay. Every creature has it’s perks.”

Lily gasped. “OH. MY. GOD.”

“What?” her sister asked.

“It’s possible to have a mythical animagus! Could you imagine me prancing around as a unicorn? That would be so cool!!” She squealed and kicked her legs in delight.

Sirius read over her shoulder. “That says Komodo dragon, not dragon.”

“Oh.” She sighed. “Well, it was a nice thought while it lasted.”

Second year was a lot more boring than first year. There wasn’t much to do besides classwork, eating, and hanging out in the commons and library. Third year should prove to be a lot more fun. James could audition for the role of seeker, they were allowed to go to Hogsmeade, and electives began. Lily chose Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies because she wanted to “see muggles through a wizard’s eyes”. Petunia thought that was stupid and chose Arithmancy and Study of Ancient Runes. It was going to be weird not being in the same classes as Lily. It was bound to happen at some point.

Also, some independence would definitely be nice. She was starting to think others saw Lily and her as a set deal. One didn’t come without the other. While it grated on her nerves, she knew she was part of the problem.

The prefects herded the new third years to the side. “Okay,” chirped one of the males, “did everyone remember to bring their Hogsmeade passes? They have to be signed by a parent or guardian.”

Everyone eagerly chattered amongst themselves. The male repeatedely tried to get their attention, but nobody heard him. A female prefect named Kinna cast a silencing spell on the loud lot. She gave them a tired stare. “Get your slips out of your trunks so we can report back to Dumbledore,” she near deadpanned.

Not a single person didn’t get their paper signed. “I’m so excited,” Lily told Petunia.

“I know,” replied Petunia. “I am too.”

“I can’t wait to get a ton of candy.” Sirius pumped his arms.

“We haven’t got all day.” Kinna rolled her eyes and tapped her wrist.

“We’re going as fast as we can,” James whined. She raised an eyebrow.

Once the third years finished at last, the male prefect clapped his hands happily. “Thank you everyone!”

When Kinna didn’t say anything, he elbowed her. “Yeah, thanks I guess.” She didn’t say it very energetically.

It wasn’t long before the first trip to Hogsmeade. Professor McGonagall led them to the small town and, with one last lecture to be responsible, set them free.

“Where do we want to go first?” Remus asked.

“Honeydukes!!” Sirius answered immediately. “They’re the same place that stock the Trolley Witch.”

Lily bounced on the balls of her feet. “Then what are we waiting for? We gotta get some sweets.”

Sirius and Lily spent the most at Honeydukes, but everyone’s coin purse was a little bit lighter afterwards.

“Ugh, so delicious,” said Lily after popping a Fizzing Whizzbee into her mouth.

“You’re going to throw up if you have any more sugar,” Petunia pointed out. Her sister stuck her tongue out at that. “I’d like to go to Gladrags Wizardwear and Madam Puddifoot’s next.”

“Ew, tea and clothing? That’s just like you, Petunia. Sorry, but I have to pass.” Of course it was James who said that.

“Eh, it’s probably best we split up anyway. We have different interests. Meet up at the Hog’s Head before we leave?” Remus asked.

“Sounds good to me,” Lily replied, and the rest followed suit.

It wasn’t a surprise to anyone when James landed the roll of Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He was insanely agile and had enough money to buy a very decent broom. His parents fully supported (and financed) his hobby. The only reason he wouldn’t get on was if a freak accident happened and he lost a limb or two. Obviously, that didn’t happen.

James always exited his practices tired but happy. It was all leading up to his first big game. Gryffindor v. Hufflepuff. The bleachers were filled with excited students rooting for their respective team. The crowds were a sea of red, golds, yellow, and black. Some wizards lit the tip of their wand up and waved it around. The first games of the year were always the biggest.

“I’m so excited,” Lily giggled. “James always looks good when he’s sweaty.”

Why does Petunia’s sister have to be such a simp? While she was a hopeless romantic, Petunia didn’t see what was so fun about falling in love at first sight.

“I think Sirius would look pretty good sweaty. Chopping some logs like a muggle lumberjack…” Remus whispered. He promptly clasped his hands over his mouth once he realized what he said. Luckily, Sirius hadn’t heard him. “In a friend way of course!” he tried amending to no avail. The Evans sisters knew what he was. James and Lily may be down bad for each other, but at least they weren’t as bad as Remus and Sirius.

The two announcers—who Petunia didn’t recognize—declared that the match was beginning. Cheers all around.

…Petunia wasn’t sure how to describe Quidditch. It was fast-paced and she couldn’t keep track of what was happening. She knew the Golden Snitch was important, the Seeker had to catch it, and whoever did get it was basically guaranteed to win. Simple when she described it like that, but actually trying to comprehend it in real time was a whole other story. In the end, Gryffindor’s team won and was awarded a bunch of House Points. House Points weren’t useful unless you wanted to brag that you had the best team. Slytherin or Gryffindor normally won, but Ravenclaw and Huffflepuff weren’t to be underestimated.

“Congrats on winning!” Lily hugged James once he was allowed to leave. “You looked really handsome!”

“Thanks, Lil.” He returned the hug.

“Ugh, romance,” Petunia complained.

Petunia didn’t often hang out with Severus alone. It wasn’t that she disliked him, just that Lily was always with the two. But she’d left this time to be alone with James doing some “studying”. Yeah right.

Severus stared at her with his dark, brooding eyes from across the table in the library. It was starting to make her uncomfortable. “Fine, I’ll bite. What do you need?”

He blinked. “Oh. Uh, well, do you know if Lily and James are, you know, um…” he trailed off.

“Dating?”

“Yeah.”

She shrugged. “Not officially, but if James popped the question, she wouldn’t say no.” She watched him inquisitively. “If you want to ask her out, you’d better do it soon.”

“D-date her?” Severus sputtered. “I don’t a have a crush on her, so why would I ever ask her out?”

“Mmhm.” Petunia totally believed him. The rest of the study period was spent in awkward silence.

It was the last week of third year. “Hey, Lil?” James asked in front of their friend group.

She tilted her head. “Yeah?

“Would you be my girlfriend?”

She grinned, jumped up, and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Yes!”

“It’s that easy?” Sirius questioned under his breath, side-eyeing Remus.

(Petunia would later tell James that if he ever hurt Lily, she would perform an Unforgivable Curse on him.)

Fourth year wasn’t too exciting. Well, unless you counted that they finally had enough skill to perform the animagus spell. Severus had somewhat begrudgingly agreed to help them with the potions side of thing. Even a little bit of the ingredients gathering portion if he saw something they needed.

The spell to become an animagus was long and arduous. It made sense that it was so complex. Turning into an animal without aid from a wand is pretty freaking powerful. The steps were as followed: Each kid had to keep a Mandrake leaf in their mouth for a month. No removing, no swallowing. It was incredibly awkward, but all of them did it on their first attempt. Then during the next full moon, the leaf was spat into a crystal phial that was being bathed in the moon’s rays. Their hair, a silver teaspoon of dew that hadn’t been stepped on or touched by the sun, and a chrysalis of a Death’s-head Hawk Moth would also be added. The concoction had to wait in a dark and quiet space where it could not be touched or looked at until an electrical storm. Each sunrise and sunset that went by without a storm, they had to say “Amato Animo Animato Animagus” with their wand touching their heart.  Luckily, they didn’t have to wait too long before a storm approached.

They took out the phials, went to the Forbidden Forest, and made sure the potion was now a blood-red color. They pronounced the incantation one last time and drank their concoction.

When Petunia woke up, there was a sharp pain in her chest. Her senses were heightened and everything seemed off. It took her a few seconds to remember what happened. After four months of labor (a lot less then they’d been prepared for) she had gotten her animagus form. She tried standing but promptly failed. Instead of arms, she had… wings?

Yeah. Light blue-gray wings. Her legs were long, orange, and spindly. So, she was some sort of bird. But what type? After managing to right herself, she looked around. Maybe one of her friends could tell her.

There was an otter who was still out, a stag watching over it protectively, and a large black dog sitting down. She guessed the otter was probably her sister, the deer James, and the panting canine Sirius. “Hello?” she tried asking, but her beak made it hard to form words.

The two awake animals seemed to understand her though and greeted her back. Sirius was thumping his fluffy tail on the ground. “Isn’t this so cool?” He barked, but Lily understood him perfectly.

She nodded. “It is, but what am I?”

“A bird,” James helpfully supplied.

“I know that. What type?”

“A heron, I think,” said Sirius.

Lily stirred and her eyes blearily opened. “My body hurts,” she murmured. She then shot up. “OH GOD WHA—never mind I remember what happened.” She looked around the clearing. “Two question. One, which of you are which? And two, what the heck am I?”

James, Sirius, Lily, and Petunia had spent the last two weeks practicing transforming in and out of their animal forms. At first it required a lot of focus, now it requires a bit less focus. If they do it for long enough, the books said it would be like breathing. None of them were there yet. After the fortnight spent training, it was the night of the full moon. When Remus will change into a werewolf. Petunia could hardly focus at all that day. Just imagining her friend’s surprise made her all giddy inside.

“Ok, it’s time,” Sirius whispered to his friends once Remus left. “Operation Animal Friends is a go!”

They snuck out to the Whomping Willow and changed into their animal forms. Lily uses her otter agility to press the knot and stop the Willow from attacking further. From then on, it was just a matter of walking through the tunnel.

It wasn’t too long of a trek to get to the abandoned house. By the time they reached there, they could hear Remus whimpering. He was about to undergo his transformation. It felt oddly personal to watch him, so they waited in a hidden area.

Petunia remembered that night long ago when Sirius had asked her if she wanted to become an animagus. She’d had a lot of questions, one of them being “why wouldn’t he attack us as animals?” Turned out, werewolves were coded to only be aggressive towards humans. Any records of them attacking an animal were because of the human side.

After waiting a suitably long time for Remus to finish, Sirius gave them the signal to enter.

It was kind of hard to see Remus in this state. He was growling and howling. He paced the shack, aggressiveness laced into his every movement. His head snapped to see the entrance of the otter, heron, stag, and dog. His eyes, formerly filled with anger, were now simply confused.

“Hey, Remus.” Sirius wagged his tail slowly.

Keeping company with a friend turned werewolf was strange. He didn’t talk back, but sometimes there were growls and barks they could somewhat understand. He certainly wasn’t as apparently stressed as he had been before. Petunia still didn’t get too close. As much as she knew normal Remus would never intentionally hurt her, he wasn’t exactly in control right now.

It was only a few hours they had to wait. The true full moon didn’t last as long as Petunia thought it would. Soon enough, Remus was transforming back into a human. They looked away again, but didn’t leave the room.

“Guys,” his eyes shimmered, “did you turn into animagi for me?”

And, really, could anything ever top that for the rest of the year? Except, after a few of those nights spent with Remus, Sirius asked the girls and James to leave for a bit. James was confused, but Petunia and Lily immediately understood. When they walked back out of the tunnel, they were holding hands. Now that’s the perfect end to an exciting year.

“I’m a Prefect!” Lily told James.

“No way, me too! We’re just meant to be.” He kissed her.

Petunia groaned. “I hate being the only single person here.”

Lily giggled. “C’mon, you could have a date. There’s been people asking you out.”

The other girl sighed. “None of them are right. Some of those boys are just... ugh.”

“Why don’t you try having a girlfriend?” Remus offered.

“Yeah! Being gay is awesome,” said Sirius.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, not entirely sarcastic. She’d never really considered it before. Her, being a lesbian? Maybe it could work.

It did not work. She dated a Hufflepuff girl who was really nice, but in the end, she didn’t feel the way her friends described being in a relationship. It was nice being close to somebody, but she had no romantic attraction to them. She probably just hasn’t found the right person yet.

“I’m going to scream.” Lily buried her head in her hands. OWL’s were this year, and the teachers weren’t holding back on classwork. “I’m totally going to fail.”

Petunia rubbed her back. “It’s alright. All your friends basically specialize in an area. I’m good at Transfiguration, Severus can help you with Potions, Remus is great with Defense Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures, Sirius is surprisingly good at Herbology, James can distract you, and you’re amazing at Charms. Everyone would love to help you.”

Severus nodded. “As long as you help me with Charms and Transfigurations, I’ll help you in every way I can.”

“See! We all love you.”

“Aww, thanks.  I love you guys!”

What job did Petunia want? When she was younger, she would’ve said fashion designer, but that doesn’t feel right anymore. Perhaps a professor? She would love to get rid of Binns.  History of Magic was the most boring class and therefore the worst. However, if she wanted to be a professor, she’d have to be an expert at history. It’s worth it. Anything to get Binns out.

Remus either wanted to be a healer or teacher. James’ dream was to be a Pro Quidditch player or auror, and Sirius didn’t care what he was as long as he was free from his family and could be with Remus. Severus wanted anything to do with Potions.

During all that stressful test studying time, James and Lily broke up. It was just too much being a Quidditch player, aiming for high jobs, and having a girlfriend. It was very mutual, but that didn’t stop Lily from crying the first night and constantly lamenting to anyone who would listen.

The test days approached quickly. It certainly helped that basically all they did was study, study, study. Petunia had expected the History exam to be harder, but she had a feeling she aced it. Transfigurations, Charms, and Potions were all relatively easy. Defense Against the Dark Arts, however? While she wished she could blame it solely on having different professors each year, she knew it was mostly her. Petunia didn’t like offensive magic as much as it didn’t like her. (Charms were different, she could think of ways offensive spells could be used that didn’t involve hurting people.)

Lily collapsed on her bed. “I’m going to die.” Then she fell asleep. When she woke up the next morning, James would ask if she was ready to get back together again. Her response was an enthusiastic “yes!”

“Can you believe it’s already sixth year?” Sirius asked no one in particular.

Lily shook her head. “It feels like we began Hogwarts just yesterday. It’s gone by so quickly. Before we know it, we’ll have graduated.”

Remus nodded sagely. “We’re going to keep in touch, right?”

“Of course!” Lily shouted.  “I mean, you’re all my best friends. I couldn’t bear to lose you just because we’re not in the same school anymore. That’s stupid.”

The boys nodded, but Petunia frowned. “Even if we are still friends, we’re not going to see each other as much. I’m going to miss you.”

James smiled cheekily. “You’re probably going to see me a lot.” Lily blushed. Petunia cracked a small smile. He wasn’t the best with feelings, so when in doubt, he tried defusing the situation with humor. And James was in doubt a lot.

“As much as I like talking about the future, can somebody please help me with history? I keep falling asleep by accident in class and it’s starting to catch up to me.” Sirius yawned.

“Sure, by 'accident’,” Petunia quipped, already moving to help.

Not one single friend in their group didn’t learn how to apparate. Who wouldn’t want to learn how to teleport? It was Petunia’s favorite superpower as a kid. She couldn’t not take the chance!

There were a lot of rules to be able to apparate. Like, a lot a lot. The learning course took 3 months, and cost a galleon per week. It was totally worth it.

This year also passed quickly. What is there to talk about when all you do is study, sleep, eat? The only time they hung out was when they did a study group. Despite there still being a lot of work, neither James nor Lily wanted to break up again. It was too hard the first time.

Then, seventh year. The last year in Hogwarts. James and Lily became the Head Boy and Girl respectively. Their friends even made sure to get a cake from the House Elves as a  surprise.

The NEWTs hit like a punch in the gut. Each one required so much studying it wasn't funny. If Petunia was being honest, she ignored her electives in favor of her core classes. When was she ever going to use Arithmancy or Ancient Runes? Transfiguration and History were all she cared about, and the latter was fueled solely by spite. It was a very strong motivator. Lily often told her she shouldn't let other's opinions influence her actions so much. This came from Little Miss Has To Be Loved By Everyone.

With the little downtime she did get, she liked joining her friends in the Forbidden Forest. They would transform into their animagus forms and just have fun. Lily would ride on James' back and Petunia would fly. She didn't like brooms. It felt like she was going to fall off the little stick thing at any moment. But being a bird? It was freeing. She wished she could show the others, but even her sister's otter form was too heavy. At least Lily could swim under water, James could run quickly, and Sirius was just plain cute as a dog. On land, a heron was pretty weak. None of them were disappointed with their forms, and that's all that mattered in the end.

Petunia, Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, and Severus sat on the grass outside. It was the last day of Hogwarts and the seventh years were given a free day. Most people were spending the time with their friends. It was a beautiful day outside. Birds were singing, flowers were blooming, and these kids weren't feeling very happy at all. They wouldn't see each other much after this. They would have to get jobs. Real, adult life had finally caught up to them and it was jarring. Petunia could hardly remember a life before magic, but her time at Hogwarts seemed so short. Granted, the last three years were almost exclusively spent studying. She was going to miss McGonagall, Flitwick, even the eccentric Headmaster Dumbledore. She didn't see him much, but when he did appear he was always interesting.

Lily hugged her uni-cat plush she'd gotten from James all those years ago close to her chest. "It's so weird. I know, I know, we'll see each other again—we promised we would!—yet this feels like the end of an era."

"We'll constantly send letters. Petunia can rent an owl. After all this time we're not having a falling out," Remus stated. His voice was firm, but his lips quivered and his eyes were watery.

"I love you all. You mean everything to me. I don't know what I'd be without you," Severus added.

"This feels like a group hug moment." Not a single person disagreed with Lily's sentiment. Petunia went in first, followed by James, then Sirius, and Remus. "C'mon, Sev, don't think we forgot about you!" Said boy blinked. He had been removed from the rest of the group during the talk and hadn't tried adding anything. He wavered for only a second longer before joining the hug.

"I love you all." Petunia's voice was thick.

And if everyone's eyes started getting misty, who cared?