Like Magic

Chapter 8

October 1975

The girl smiled to herself in satisfaction. The groundwork she had laid in assisting the Dark Lord was proving a success. It had taken months of careful strategy and study - nothing to a Ravenclaw accustomed to diligent and exacting thought.

Despite her Master's resistance to recruiting a student from Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, the girl nonetheless kept her eye on possible Death Eaters in all houses. Hufflepuffs were loyal and true, but entirely too honest for most of the work they would need to do for their Master to be effective Death Eaters. Ravenclaws were intelligent and wise, but too many of them enjoyed the scholarly aspect of life, whereas Death Eaters needed to be actually doing things, rather than researching them.

Gryffindors had the reputation of great bravery and nobility. Members of that house gave the impression of decency, but were more likely to find someone else to be the bad guy and do their dirty work for them. So the girl spent the first few months of term observing the various Gryffindors, trying to determine her prey.

It seemed to her that the Gryffindor students (most particularly Sirius Black, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin) had free license on the Slytherin house members. In particular their favourite target was Severus Snape. She herself was not overly fond of Snape; however, the blatant harassment meted out to him by the small clique was difficult to ignore. The girl was often impressed that Snape managed to keep tight control of himself the majority of the time, and simply suffer his trials in silence; when he did lash out in defense of himself, his rewards included detentions and points taken. The Headmaster could not always ignore the mistreatment when the four boys were particularly cruel and was forced, reluctantly, to intervene upon occasion.

Having eliminated the bulk of the Gryffindor house members from her plans, her eye fell on the Marauders. This close-knit group of friends happened to be Dumbledore's prize students: brave, intelligent, and some with immense amounts of talent. The girl knew that success in convincing one of them to turn to her Master would result in not only her promised reward but other pleasures she could only imagine. And so her focus fell upon the small group of James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin and Lily Evans.

She set about her plan, befriending Lily Evans under the guise of scholarship, and managed to arrange weekly study sessions for their upcoming NEWTS. Quickly, the girl eliminated Lily as a potential Death Eater. Her mixed blood would have been enough to condemn her if not for her self-righteous sense of duty. Her fear of broomsticks made for a poor acolyte, and she was stubborn to a fault.

Nonetheless, the girl found her to be rather useful in gaining access to the Gryffindors themselves. Where Lily went, one of the Marauders was sure to follow, and soon the girl had met all of them. They were quite welcoming to her, a result of her efforts to remain in the good graces of the school despite her romantic relationship with a Slytherin.

Remus Lupin was the next to be crossed off her list. He was often "ill" or "called

home" to assist his ill mother. The girl wasn't in Ravenclaw for nothing; she had been one of the first students at Hogwarts to discover Remus' secret. Which is not to say that she did not find him completely useless - the girl knew that werewolves, being traditionally dark creatures, would prove instrumental in her Master's final push to control the wizarding world, and knowing that a werewolf fought on the opposite side was important. Remus' own self-loathing was interesting as well, and she kept that, too, filed away for future use.

James Potter was one of those Gryffindors who was loyal to his friends and hesitant to betray their trust. The girl liked that James was devoted to his girlfriend Lily, and though she couldn't understand how a pureblood could fall in love with a Mudblood, she did enjoy watching them together, often reminded of her own absent lover. James was the most intelligent of the Marauders, often planning out exactly how to execute their complicated stunts. However, he was tightly wrapped around both Lily's and Sirius' fingers, and far too loyal to his house members, friends, and the Headmaster to ever betray them.

Sirius Black was a relatively intelligent lad. He was a moderately good wizard, though his penchant for playing practical jokes on his fellow classmates often got him an interview with the Headmaster. Sirius had a clever wit that saved him from receiving the detentions and demerits he deserved. He was vain, possessing an ego larger than all of Scotland and considered himself irresistible to every female he met. The girl had never actually fallen under his spell (a brief liaison in a broom closet their second year did not count, she told herself firmly), and turning her back on him had bruised his ego mightily.

Then there was Peter Pettigrew.

Peter was perfect, and the decision didn't take her long. Peter was from a pureblooded wizard family. Peter's father was very highly placed in the Ministry of Magic, dealing with the Muggle government as a liaison. A great deal of information could be gleaned from the most casual comment. True, Peter was a not particularly strong wizard; his best skill was levitation and that had little practical use. But here, the girl found her hook - promising Peter unlimited power would very well prove to be most effective.

There was one distinct disadvantage to Peter. He not only liked Muggles, as a general rule, but he had harboured a crush on Lily Evans' younger sister, a Muggle, since before the girl had ever known him. The girl knew that helping Peter to overcome this sad affliction would be her greatest challenge.

One blustery October day as she waited in the library for Lily to appear, her chance came. She had been taking notes from one of the Restricted Textbooks ("Black Holes and Pithy Goreans: When Arithmancy Goes Wrong"), when out of the corner of her eye she noticed someone standing at the end of the table. Looking up, she saw Peter Pettigrew standing nervously next to her.

"Lily sent me," said the boy. "She said to tell you that she's a bit occupied right now, and would you mind terribly if she moved your study session another hour and a half?"

The girl made a face. "Oh. I suppose that's all right, if it's important."

"It is," said Peter. "Well - I'll just leave you to your studying, then - "

"Oh, no, please stay," said the girl. "I could use a bit of a break anyway."

Peter smiled and sat down opposite her. "I should probably start studying soon, too," he said. "It took all I had to pass the OWLs; I don't know how I'm going to make it through the NEWTs."

"I could help you, if you'd like," said the girl, marveling at how easy this was turning out. "I always thought it might be nice to teach one day - you could be my test subject!"

Peter laughed, less nervous. "All right, if you don't mind. What do you want to help me with?"

"What kind of help do you need?"

"All of it!"

"Then we'll start with Transfiguration," said the girl, and picked up her wand. "Can you transfigure this book into a toad for me?"

When Lily Evans appeared in the library nearly two hours later, she was greeted by hushed laughter as Peter and her friend were scrambling to catch several dozen toads from hopping off the table. "Oh my," Lily said, laughing herself. "Peter, what are you doing?"

"Transfiguration, Lil," said Peter, quite pleased. "I changed an entire shelf of books into toads."

"That's marvelous, Peter," said Lily. "And the toads are even green! Wait until Professor McGonagall sees you!"

Peter grinned, and turned to the girl. "Thanks," he said. "That trick you showed me really helped."

"I'm glad," said the girl, smiling. Peter felt a peculiar warmth in his chest, as though she smiled for him and him alone. His grin became a bit crooked, and he walked backwards out of the study area, leaving the library.

Lily surveyed the toads on the table. "Just like Peter, to leave someone else to clean up his mess," she sighed. "How on earth did you manage to teach him that? I've been struggling with Peter and Transfiguration for years!"

"Oh, it wasn't terribly hard. I had trouble with Transfiguration myself for years, until my uncle showed me a very clever little trick that I taught to Peter today," said the girl with a smile.

"What trick?" asked Lily.

"Oh, it's a family secret, you understand I can't tell just anyone. You're so terribly good with Transfiguration, Lily, you'll never need the trick yourself," said the girl, managing to put such charm into her voice that Lily wasn't hurt at all. Instead, she found herself nodding in agreement.

"I'll just have to admire your teaching abilities," said Lily. "Peter should study with you more often!"

The girl smiled. "Yes," she said. "He should."

* * *

December 1975

Winter descended upon Surrey in late November and coated the ground with a blanket of snow. The trains continued to run, however, and so Petunia continued her daily trip into London for her schooling, spending the majority of the ride composing letters to Lily or studying for her upcoming O levels. She was always very glad to be on the train every morning, where she could try to forget her home life. Life was a bit easier with Lily away, although recently her mother had been feeling less and less energetic. As a result, Violet Evans had left far more of the general housekeeping to her younger daughter than she would have liked, and Petunia felt the pinch of it. There never seemed to be enough time in the day, and so her train ride felt like her special alone time.

"Petunia," said Mr Evans one evening upon picking his daughter up from the station, "you know the Grunnings Banquet is to be held next Friday night."

"Yes, Papa," said Petunia. "Will Mum be all right by then?"

"I doubt it," said Mr Evans, "but no matter. I was thinking that you would accompany me instead."

"Me?" she asked stunned. "You want me to go with you, Papa?"

"Yes. If you would like to, that is?" Her father looked at her from the corner of his eye, and he smiled to see Petunia's shining eyes. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

"Oh, Papa!"

"It would be jolly to have an evening with you," continued Mr Evans. "Lots of young lads at Grunnings who I'm sure would like to dance, and your Mum makes them feel like she's their teacher or aunt ... Lads can't have fun when the boss's wife is there."

Petunia's eyes were shining still, but her voice was hesitant. "If you're certain Mum wouldn't mind," she said.

"Petunia," said Mr Evans firmly, "I want you to be there."

* * *

Petunia took great care in what she would wear to the occasion. She dug into some of the savings from her pocket money and purchased a tube of pink lipstick and a small tin of powder for her nose. The day of the banquet she washed her hair and carefully styled it to match a picture she had seen in a magazine.

For her dress, Petunia returned to her magazines. Pouring over the pictures of the gorgeous models had not helped her self-confidence at all, but they had firmly convinced Petunia that the only colour she could possibly think of wearing was green. She found a bottle-green velvet and silk dress in the very back of her mother's wardrobe, long forgotten. It was by far the prettiest dress Petunia had ever seen, and after trying it on Petunia's mind had been set.

Petunia rather liked how the dress changed her appearance. The green dress had a boat neckline that made her neck seem even longer. The sleeves were long and tight to the wrist. The skirt was pleated and narrow and cut to the knee. The previous summer Petunia and Lily had combined their efforts to convince their mother that Petunia should have a pair of black courts. Now Petunia slipped them on and looked into the mirror.

"One more thing," she said to herself softly, and added the charm necklace Papa had given her three Christmases ago. She fingered the charm for a moment, looking at the inscription with her sister's name, and squeezed it between her fingers.

"Petunia," called her father from below. "It's time to go now."

"Coming, Papa," replied Petunia, and turned out the light.

* * *

The banquet hall had been decorated in a wintry theme, with paper snowflakes and bit of silvery glitter sprinkled on the tables. Silver and blue streamers criss-crossed above everyone's heads, and the lights were turned low. Mr Evans escorted Petunia inside on his arm, and soon was introducing her to the various young men who greeted their employer. Each of them complimented her dress, her hair, her necklace, her hands ... soon, Petunia was beginning to feel a bit like a show dog on parade. Finally the parade of young men slowed to a trickle, and an older gentleman approached her father.

"Geoffrey! Who's the young vixen with you tonight?" Petunia smiled as she recognized one of her father's longtime clients.

"My daughter, Petunia," said Mr Evans. "How are you, Simon?"

"Excellent, excellent, couldn't be better, now about those drills you sent last week ... " The man looked as if he wanted to engage in a very spirited discussion of various points of his recent purchase, and Mr Evans turned to Petunia with a weary smile.

"Dear, would you mind if I just went over to join the gentlemen for a moment?" Petunia shook her head shyly and suddenly found herself very much alone. She tried to look nonchalant and comfortable, but really she looked around for a dark corner to hide in. Looking around, she spied a young man watching her with a very intent expression. Petunia turned to look at the table, but she could still feel the man's gaze.

Petunia decided that it was a bit warm, and was just shrugging off her coat when she felt it being taken from her. A quick glance told her it was the same man who had been staring at her before. Up close, he had a rather round face and light thin hair, and the beginnings of a moustache.

"Miss?" the man asked. "Would you like some refreshment? Shall I check your wrap?"

Wrap? she thought. I just wish he would go away. "Yes, please," she said stiffly. "That would be kind of you." She smiled a very tight smile at him, and watched him take her coat to the coat check. Petunia took the opportunity to stroll over to the opposite side of the room and hide behind a group of women talking about holiday bonuses.

Vernon Dursley was thinking very quickly. This girl was certainly one of Mr Evans' daughters - judging from the necklace, it was the elder one, Lily. She wasn't quite as pretty as he had been given to understand, but all the same it was in his best interest to be charming to her. Having picked up the punch he turned and could not see the girl where he had left her. Damn, he thought. Lost her already. Well, this is going well.

Vernon began to circle the room, looking for the girl, and was so intent on staring at the faces of women in green dresses that he failed to see where he was going, and bumped into another man. "Watch it," he said sharply.

"Dursley," said Mr Evans evenly.

Vernon opened his mouth and closed it again. "I'm sorry, sir, Mr Evans - I was just getting your lovely daughter some punch. But I seem to have lost her in the crush."

Mr Evans smiled at him and said, "Well, Dursley, Petunia is just across the room." He motioned towards the opposite side of the room, where Petunia tried to look as though she belonged with the three women twice her age. Vernon smiled.

"Lovely girl, your daughter. Very poised," Vernon said smoothly.

"Yes, thank you," said Mr Evans. "She has great intellect too. Petunia attends Sunbury Manor."

"I thought this was your daughter Lily?"

"Lily? No, she's away at school," said Mr Evans. "Petunia is my younger daughter, fifteen only last month."

Petunia glanced over towards her father and saw him talking to the man who took her coat. She sighed to herself, thinking that he was a right pushy fellow. He looked at her as though she were a sweetmeat he wanted to gobble. Her father signaled her to join him, and she slowly crossed the room.

"Petunia dear, I'd like to introduce Vernon Dursley," said Mr Evans when Petunia reached them. "He is my new salesman here and has quite a promising future at Grunnings."

"Ah, now, that's a tad premature I'm sure," said Vernon, preening at the praise. If I just play this right, he thought.

Petunia put out her hand to shake and Vernon once again did the unexpected. He bent over her hand and bowed. Petunia, surprised to be the recipient of a gesture only read about in romance novels, blushed scarlet.

Vernon smirked to himself. This might be easier than he thought. If I just sweet talk this girl, Evans will be sure to notice and remember me. He began to calculate. I could own this company someday.

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Petunia withdrew her hand as the crowd began to applaud. Mr Evans turned to Petunia and smiled sheepishly. "I'm afraid I must make a bit of a speech, Petunia," he apologized. "And then it's time for dinner. Vernon, be a chap and escort Petunia to the banquet table for me?"

Perfect. This is an open invitation from Mr Evans himself.

All through Mr Evans' short end-of-year pat-yourselves-on-the-back congratulatory speech, Petunia tried very hard to keep her attention focused on her father and not the man standing next to her. He was rather distracting, particularly since every time Petunia did find her gaze wandering, he was looking at her, with a very odd glint in his eye.

And when he knew that Petunia was looking at him, he'd smile slyly at her, as if the two of them shared a secret.

Petunia tried very hard not to look at him. Very, very hard. But still...

The speech over, Vernon turned to the girl. "Petunia?" he offered his arm to her.

Petunia managed to give him the coldest look she could.

"Miss Evans?" he tried again.

Petunia took his arm without looking at him, and Vernon Dursley proudly took Petunia across the room. He pulled out the chair for her and slid her in to the table. Carefully, he eased himself into the seat beside her.

He had to impress this girl, and so far he wasn't doing terribly well. How could he manage to keep her attention?

The waiters had placed the plates before them and there were lobster tails on them. Vernon was thrilled. Lobster! He could never afford such a luxury himself. The lobsters were still in their shells. He paused. Glancing over he saw Petunia puzzling over the shell. She was tapping on the shell with her fork. She didn't know how to eat it either. Lucky for me they ate lobster last night on Upstairs Downstairs, thought Vernon, pleased.

Picking up his knife and fork he opened the seafood and gallantly turned to a still puzzled Petunia.

"May I offer you my plate? Just dip the meat into the butter. It's delicious."

She looked over at him and was thankful he had saved her the embarrassment. "Thank you ... Mr Dursley."

"Lobster can be rather messy, I know," said Vernon smoothly. "It would be a shame to soil your lovely green frock." Personally, he thought green made Petunia look slightly jaundiced. "I should hate to see such a beautiful lady in such a situation."

Petunia smiled at him, and Vernon knew he had her. He kept pouring attention on her for the rest of dinner. Whenever she chanced a glance he was staring at her. Whenever she looked for something on the table he offered it to her before she had the opportunity to ask. He even offered to shell her lobster for her. Petunia soon lost her uneasiness regarding the man, and felt as though she were a princess, what with all the attention he lavished on her. He may eat a bit like a pig, she thought, watching as he devoured a third helping of rice, but he is polite, and normal. I rather like him, I think. At least he pays attention to me, not like Peter - And she shuddered, thinking of how Peter had spent the summer ignoring her.

Vernon saw her shudder and quickly removed his tuxedo jacket, draping it over her shoulders. She started, and lifted her hand to her shoulders, accidentally brushing his fingers with her own. She quickly pulled her hand away.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Evans," said Vernon. "I thought you were chilled and that you might like - "

"Oh, thank you, Mr Dursley," said Petunia, blushing. "That is very kind of you. I - call me Petunia, please."

"Thank you, I will," said Vernon, smiling, "and you must call me Vernon."

"Vernon," said Petunia, and smiled.

"I've always liked petunias," continued Vernon. "They are such delicate flowers. They need the most careful attention and concern, but then you are rewarded with such a lovely bloom."

He saw her blush. Got you, he thought smugly.

He's really not pompous at all, Petunia thought, and tried to concentrate on her remaining dinner, but couldn't help but continue to glance at Vernon.

The meal ended and Mr Evans came over to Petunia.

"Pardon my interruption," he said, "but Petunia, would you mind terribly much if I stole you away to begin the dancing?"

"Of course not," said Petunia, and took her father's hand. She glanced back at the table to see Vernon watch her step onto the dance floor and her heart fairly sang. Mr Evans saw the smile in her eyes and noted it, but said nothing. In a moment, the music had begun, and Petunia was caught up in the new sensation of being the centre of attention. It was a novel experience for her, and she loved it.

"Enjoying yourself, dear?" asked Mr Evans.

"Oh, Papa, I'm having a marvelous time," said Petunia.

She had danced two dances with her father when she saw Vernon walk up to them. He touched Mr Evans' elbow gently.

"Might I cut in, sir?" he asked, looking at Petunia.

Petunia smiled to herself. He wants to dance with me!

"Petunia?" asked Mr Evans, and Petunia nodded her approval of the switch. He moved to the side of the dance floor to watch his daughter dance with his newest assistant. They fit well together, he thought to himself as he sipped a whiskey.

Petunia continued to dance for the rest of the evening; first with Vernon, who she promptly decided was a very determined dancer, leading her around the floor quite firmly. Then, five other young Grunnings men asked her to dance before Vernon asked her again. Petunia felt rather overwhelmed. Men were asking her to dance with them, and she could reject them if she wished. It was a heady feeling, and Petunia rather liked it.

"Petunia," said her father near midnight, "it's time we were going on home."

"Yes, Papa," said Petunia dreamily, still twirling on the dance floor in her mind. As her father went to retrieve her coat, Vernon Dursley appeared at her elbow again.

"I was hoping to call on you sometime?" he whispered to her. Petunia looked up at him with shining eyes.

"I would like that," she said, "If my father agrees."

"Of course," said Vernon, and his chest swelled. "I shall ask him first thing Monday morning."

As Vernon watched her leave with her father, he bounced excitedly on his heels, filled with an exuberance he couldn't contain. Petunia Evans may not be the prettiest girl, he thought to himself. But she is young, and mouldable. She would do what she was told - see how she defers to her father! She's the one who can help me get ahead.

* * * *

To Mr Evans' pleasure, he noticed in the week that followed the Grunnings party that Petunia appeared happier. He himself had been pleased that Dursley had appeared to charm his daughter. Vernon Dursley seemed by all appearances to be the right sort of man. He was timely, neat, and polite to his superiors. His only fault was he tended to be overbearing to his staff, and had a bit of a temper. However, he was always polite to Mr Evans, and he seemed to like Petunia and had mentioned her several times during the following week.

Mr Evans wasn't certain if Dursley might be too mature for his daughter. She was, after all, only fifteen and Dursley was twenty-one (Mr Evans had looked into his personnel files to be certain). Mr Evans did not want his daughter to be manipulated. Nor did he want someone toying with his daughter, thinking they could go further at Grunnings by being attached to the employer's daughter. Hard work was what mattered to him, and perhaps it was not altogether by accident that Vernon Dursley found his workload increasing substantially after the Christmas holidays.

Mr Evans was not far from wrong regarding his daughter's emotions concerning Vernon Dursley. Indeed, Petunia was not a girl to have her head turned often, but then she also wasn't a girl who had much opportunity for head turning to begin with. Petunia had been thrilled that Mr Dursley had been so polite and gallant to her, and having danced with several men at the ball (most notably Vernon Dursley) she was beginning to feel independent and even desirable.

For perhaps the first time, Petunia was thinking of boys other than Peter Pettigrew. And with this new world view, she was feeling much more confidant herself. Maybe now she had some power to control her destiny when a week earlier she felt she hadn't.

Thus, when it came time to fetch Lily at Kings Cross for the Christmas holiday, Petunia surprised both her parents when she offered to accompany them to the station.

"Are you certain?" asked her father. "I dare say no one would mind terribly if you did not appear."

"No, I'd like the trip into London," said Petunia firmly. "I want to see the station all decorated; I remember it being so pretty before."

Her father shrugged and smiled, and decided that it had something to do with Petunia's new-found confidence. The three Evans' drove into London together, quiet but still full of holiday cheer.

The station was crowded, and more so between platforms nine and ten, where they waited for Lily to arrive. Soon, crowds of children began appearing, pushing carts full of trunks and cat cages. Petunia stood up on her toes, trying to get a better look, and soon saw a familiar figure. "Papa, I see her!" she cried, and Mr Evans smiled.

"Then go greet her, my girl," he said, and Petunia dashed down the stairs to the platform to greet her sister. She practically leapt into Lily's arms.

Lily's eyes widened in pleasure and amazement at the greeting Petunia gave her. "Pets! Whatever are you doing here?"

"I came to greet you, silly, what did you think?" laughed Petunia. "Papa's just above us, he'll be glad you were one of the first off the train."

"I brought you some of the Honeydukes chocolate you like so much," Lily said, "but it's all packed away. I would have had it out and ready for you had I known you would be at the station."

"That's all right," said Petunia. "You can give it to me at home. Oh, but Lily, I have the most wonderful thing to tell you - I went to the Grunnings Banquet last week and I met the nicest gentleman there - "

At that moment, the girls were interrupted by a second cart running into theirs. Petunia held her breath as she recognized Peter Pettigrew, who stared at her in shock.

"Pets," he said, and his voice was deeper than Petunia remembered. "I thought you didn't come to Kings Cross anymore?"

Petunia lifted her chin. "What does it matter to you?"

The hurt was instantly visible on Peter's face, and Lily stiffened with surprise at her sister's obvious slur towards Peter. But undeterred, Peter began to dig in one of his bags.

"I brought you something for Christmas, Pets," he said. "Perhaps you'd like it now?"

Petunia stiffened, and began to push on Lily's luggage cart, as if she hadn't heard what Peter said. Her voice raised so she could be sure that Peter heard her, she continued talking to Lily. "Anyway, Lily, I was telling you about Vernon - he was so gentlemanly, and we spent the entire evening dancing away!"

Peter's mouth dropped open. My Pets? Dancing with another man? He ran after them, leaving his cart in the middle of the lane, and tried to hand the box to Petunia.

"I know how much you like Sugar Quills, Pets," he said, "and I wanted you to have them before Christmas."

Petunia turned to look at him, a cool look in her eye. "I don't care for those anymore," she said haughtily, and even though the sight made her stomach turn, she was pleased to see Peter's face fall as he slunk away.

"Pets," said Lily, clearly disapproving, "why did you say that to Peter? He only wanted to make you smile!"

But Petunia was no longer listening to Lily; her attention was caught by the scene unfolding on the opposite side of the platform. Two teenagers were occupied in what had to be the single longest recording snogging session known to man. The pale youth paused in kissing his girlfriend to see an unknown Muggle girl staring, quite transfixed, at the two of them, and his girlfriend whimpered a bit, miffed at being ignored. The young man moved his hand slightly and Petunia blinked slowly and turned away from the couple.

The pale youth leaned and whispered into the girl's ear, "Was that boy the one?"

"Yes." The girl realized she had secured her boy's attention once more and pulled his head down for more kisses.

"Is he really the only one?"

"Yes," she snapped in reply.

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Lily tugged on Petunia's arm. "Pets, aren't you listening?"

"Lily?" Petunia said somewhat dazed.

"I ... oh, never mind," said Lily with a sigh. "I forgot what I was thinking."

Lily looked above Petunia's shoulder and saw a young blonde man snogging with a girl. Inwardly, she shrugged. Amazing how she can breathe with his tongue so far down her throat. I'd hoped that once he graduated she'd find someone else.

It was a very dejected Peter, Sugar Quills still in his hand, who met Mr and Mrs Evans on the stair, carefully making their way to their daughters below. Peter held out the box of sweets to Mrs Evans and said "Happy Christmas." He continued his walk up the stairs to meet his parents.

Why did Pets say that to me? Why did it make my stomach hurt so much when she did? It's not my fault! he thought to himself, miserable.

"Lily-bud," said Mrs Evans somewhat weakly. "It's so good to have you back home again. The house is so empty when you're not here and I have no one to talk to all day. I miss you so much."

"Mum, you have Petunia and Papa," Lily answered, kissing her mother's cheek. It felt paper-thin beneath her lips, and Lily looked at her mother closely. "You look so tired. Were you baking all week for Christmas?"

"Your father and sister made all the arrangements. I just cannot seem to shake off this cold. I have not felt up to my usual self this year."

"Have you been to see Dr Mueller again, Mum?"

"You know what doctors are like, Lily. But now that you're home, I feel so much better." Mrs Evans leaned in towards her eldest daughter, clutching Lily's hand protectively. "I am so proud of you, my Lily-bud. A witch in the family!"

Lily felt Petunia's arm tense at her waist and then slowly withdraw. Inwardly she cursed her mother's words. It had almost, not quite, felt like the old Petunia that greeted her at the station. Why had Mum spoilt it? Thank God her parents never knew about the journey to Hogwarts and Petunia's humiliation. Her mother seemed oblivious to Petunia's obvious pain.

At least, she mused to herself, Severus seemed contrite after literally stumbling across Pets. Thank God he did or who knows what might have befallen her. Well, maybe he wasn't contrite but I saw something in his eye that day.

Odd, now that I think on it. That was the first time Dumbledore ever really stepped into the school rivalries, telling Sirius to let Snape be. Otherwise Sirius might have pummeled poor Severus into a pulp, all because he made me cry. And odd too, how Sirius did leave Severus alone, except for time in fifth year when Remus was in the Infirmary for a week straight. I know Peter wasn't telling me the truth when he said that Severus had attacked Remus behind the Quidditch Pitch. Severus wouldn't do such a thing; he's far too gentle. And ever since, he's never said a word to me - I wonder ...

Mrs Evans continued to babble as the family drove home after leaving the station. She managed to continue the dialogue for another two days excluding both Mr Evans and Petunia. It was left to Lily to work the rest of the family back into the rather one-sided conversation. Lily thought that her mother and Petunia had at long last come to a truce in their relationship. Truth be told, it's probably all Pets' effort to keep out of mum's line of sight.

Petunia floated around Mrs Evans and Lily like a satellite orbiting the sun in an endless circle pulled to and fro by the gravity exerted by the other bodies. Mrs Evans would call Petunia from wherever she was in the house to fetch her this or that even if Lily were next to her. Petunia quietly complied with each request and rarely was given thanks. It seemed to suit Petunia to just do as she was told.

Well, at least she isn't belittling Pets anymore, thought Lily, never realizing that this was just a less visible form of punishment.

On her first evening back, Petunia told Lily about the dazzling experience she had at the Grunnings Banquet. Lily listened with great interest to all Petunia told her and even greater interest when the talk turned to the man Petunia met at the party. Vernon Dursley. Lily thought hard about who that man was. She hoped that this Dursley man was decent. Well, Father wouldn't have hired him unless he were. I hope.

Still, Lily hoped that Peter and Petunia would discover a solution to the problem that only age and time could solve. Lily was a bit concerned after she did Arithmancy calculations of Petunia and Peter. Petunia was a three; Peter was a six, which could be construed as twice whatever Petunia was. Strong together, but separated it was trouble. If this Vernon Dursley chap were to stay around, she'd have to run numbers on him too.

Lily just didn't know enough about the shadier edges of Arithmancy to know that for all the numbers dictated, human nature and the heart can override everything.

Petunia's newfound confidence showed, particularly in her talks with Lily, when they discussed subjects that neither girl had dared to broach before: specifically, boys. Both girls spent a long while talking over the merits of various boys. Who was handsomer, who was a better athlete, who was smarter, who was sweeter.

"I'm in love, I think," whispered Lily to her sister late one night.

"Who with?" asked Petunia, her eyes shining.

"James Potter."

"Oh, I knew that!" said Petunia. "You've been infatuated with him since you were thirteen."

"Pets!"

"Oh, Lil, when he came for a week last summer you couldn't stop staring at him for two minutes. A blind man could see you're in love with him, and he with you!"

And they laughed so hard they fell off of Lily's bed.

The talk turned serious when Lily asked about Violet Evans' health. "I can see her wincing with pain when she thinks no one's looking," Lily confided to Petunia. "What's wrong, Pets?"

Petunia was quiet. "I don't know, exactly," she answered soberly. "Papa won't tell me much of anything. I think she has a bad chest, she's always coughing. Papa said not to worry though. She just needs a bit of rest."

"I wonder if there is anything I could do that Dr Mueller couldn't?" mused Lily, and Petunia looked a bit more hopeful.

"Do you really think so?"

"I could ask," said Lily. "I'm going to learn about being a medi-witch after Hogwarts, anyway - Madam Pomfrey will tell me if there's something I could do for her."

Petunia squeezed her sister's arm. "I'm so glad you're home, Lily," she whispered. "You make everything all right."

****

Two days prior to Christmas, Mr Evans took Lily and Petunia in to London while he concluded some business so they could finish holiday shopping. They agreed to meet at the little tea shop they had visited that Christmas years before, after the pantomime. This left Petunia and Lily a long day to shop, talk and giggle as they had before Petunia's ill-fated trip to Hogwarts.

Together, the girls visited nearly every shop in London. Petunia convinced Lily to stand in line to talk to Father Christmas. She towered over all the small children trying to avoid the puzzled and slightly annoyed looks the mothers sent her way. When her turn came Lily hopped onto his lap, and spent a long while talking to him.

"Whatever did you ask him for, Lily?" asked Petunia once Lily returned to her.

"Oh, a nice pair of red wool socks," said Lily airly.

"Socks? You asked for a pair of socks?"

"Yes, I hear they make a lovely gift," said Lily. "Now, we should start looking for that dress for you. It's not often that Papa gives you fifty quid to buy something. In fact, are we even certain that was Papa? He might be an imposter in disguise!"

Petunia laughed. "Who would ever want to imitate Papa and spend their days with drills?"

"Vernon Dursley, I expect," said Lily scathingly, and both girls fell into gales of laughter again. They poked their heads into shop after shop, finding nothing but little-old-lady or little-girl dresses. Finally Lily dragged Petunia into a suitable shop near Knightsbridge, where they headed straight for the saleslady near the rear of the shop.

"We're looking for a dress for my sister," Lily announced.

The saleslady eyed Petunia from top to toe, and Petunia tried not to squirm under her scrutinizing gaze. "Hmm," said the lady thoughtfully, tapping her chin, and without another word Petunia was hustled into a dressing room, and pressed into trying dress after dress. None of them really appeared to be appropriate to her youth or slenderness, however, and Petunia was despairing of ever finding a suitable garment when she spied a rack in the rear of the shop that had been all but forgotten.

"Lily," said Petunia, pointing. "What about that green dress? I haven't tried something like that on at all."

"Mademoiselle," said the saleslady in a ridiculously fake French accent, "that is last year's fashion. You certainly would not wish to wear that."

"All the same," said Petunia. "I want to try it on."

When Petunia emerged from the dressing room again, she spun in front of the mirror. "Oh, Lily, isn't it pretty? I love the green, and Mr Dursley liked me in the green dress I wore to the Christmas party."

"I don't know Pets, the neckline looks rather low."

"I don't think so," answered Petunia. "Don't you like the colour?"

"Well, the green is pretty - "

"Good," said Petunia decisively. "I'll take it!"

After the saleslady had carefully wrapped the dress in pink tissue paper and placed it in a large box with the shop's name prominently displayed, they continued to wander street after street, looking in windows and talking. When they ran across the used bookshop, Petunia knew that Lily would be unable to resist, and resigned herself to at least an hour spent wandering the shelves.

It was a fascinating store. They left their packages at the front desk, and wandered separately through the store. Petunia found a section of musty mystery books, and found a first edition of Agatha Christie's Murder at the Vicarage to read on the train ride home. Turning to another shelf, she saw a copy of The Compleat Angler, and smiled to herself, remembering her own copy, a gift from Lily's Headmaster. She couldn't imagine why he'd given it to her - or why she'd kept it, for that matter.

Petunia jumped when Lily tapped her on the shoulder. "Oh, good, you've found something. Are you ready?"

The girls paid for the books and retrieved their packages before stepping out onto the street. They had just begun walking when Lily stopped short and Petunia walked right into her.

"Lily!"

"Oh," said Lily, her voice stretched thin. "Pets ... do you know where we are?"

Petunia looked up. Though the sign above her head was covered with dirt and barely readable, she recognized it instantly.

"Oh," she said quietly, her voice oddly calm. "We're at the Leaky Cauldron."

"I'm sorry, Pets, I wasn't paying attention to where we were walking. Only - I need to buy some new quills for school. If I go now we won't have to come back here after Christmas and we can just spend time together at home." Lily realized she was talking very rapidly. "Do you mind if I just dash in to Parchemin and Quill? I won't be a moment, and you don't have to come with me - "

"I'll go with you Lily - its fine," Petunia said slowly.

"Really?" Lily was incredulous - her sister had never wanted to return to Diagon Alley after that disastrous summer.

Petunia nodded her head.

"I just need to dash in for some new quills," said Lily, now leading Petunia closer to the entrance. "I stupidly lent my spare quill to Sirius and he destroyed it. It'll only take ten minutes and you can wait in the bookstore or the Leaky Cauldron if you want."

"Lily, I said I wanted to go with you."

"Well - if you're certain?" Lily smiled, hoping that perhaps her sister was healing after all.

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As they entered the Leaky Cauldron, Tom the barkeep looked up and wished them a "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas, Tom," said Lily, and she sounded truly cheerful.

Petunia breathed in deeply, taking in the spicy odours. Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, butter, pumpkin juice and biscuits freshly baked. The overriding scent of evergreen and bayberry lingered in the air. Evergreens were strung around the bar, and in the corner was a large, shimmering Christmas tree. Looped around the tree were strings of beads and hanging from the branches were many balls, all faceted and reflecting the warm yellow glow of the candles and lanterns in the room. Tom smiled at Petunia and she smiled back shyly.

Petunia followed Lily to the door at the rear of the pub. Lily opened the door and they stepped into the alley, where she tapped the bricks in the correct order with practiced ease and the wall opened to reveal Diagon Alley.

Lily walked forward and into the street but sensed that Petunia wasn't following. She touched Petunia's arm and looked questioningly into her sister's eyes.

"All these people, Lily," whispered Petunia, and Lily noticed how Petunia's eyes were strangely hollow, and her hands were shaking. "All like - you. I wish ... " Her voice was very soft and dangerously near cracking.

"What do you wish, Pets?" asked Lily gently.

"That things were like they used to be. That Peter didn't hate me. That I was with you at school."

"Peter doesn't hate you, Pets."

Petunia felt tears welling up in her eyes and blinked rapidly. Lily put her arm around her sister's thin shoulders, hugging her close. "He does love you. He just - he's just confused, Pets."

"And I'm not, Lily?"

They slowly began to walk into Diagon Alley. "Peter is three years older than you and - oh, bloody hell. You've had 'the talk' at school, haven't you?"

'"The talk?"'

"You know - birds and bees and all that?"

"Oh, that."

"Yes, that. So, you know boys get really crazy now. They have all sorts of things going on and to be honest boys really do some stupid things and - "

"Does he talk to girls at your school?"

Lily's mind was racing. What do I say? I can't tell her about Sirius' leftovers. It would break her heart.

Lily answered as truthfully as she dared. "Yes, Pets, he does talk to girls at school just like you talk to boys at Sunbury."

Petunia exhaled loudly.

"But he does really love you, Pets. I am certain of that." Lily pushed open the door to Parchemin and Quill, and the two girls entered and walked to the quills counter. Lily's mind quickly turned to the case of quills.

A beautiful girl had been watching their progress down the street. Smiling to herself she entered the shop and casually bumped into Lily with a "Sorry. Oh, Lily, I didn't know you would be here."

"I hadn't planned on it, but opportunity came and so - "

The girl spied Petunia, who was standing just behind Lily. "Oh, hello. Are you the sister I've heard so much about?"

Lily nodded and Petunia shifted uncomfortably. How did this unknown girl know about her? Was she aware that Petunia had slipped into Hogwarts and unceremoniously been sent back home?

The girl turned her radiant smile onto Petunia, and instantly Petunia felt this girl meant her no harm. Wow, she thought to herself, I wish I looked like her. She's the prettiest girl I've ever seen!

"Yes, this is my sister, Petunia," said Lily, not noticing anything between her sister and the girl. "Pets, this is Narcissa de Winter, one of my schoolmates."

"It is so nice to meet you at long last, Petunia," said Narcissa, smiling warmly at Petunia. "Lily has told me all the fun things you do together."

"Hullo," was all Petunia could say. Even Narcissa's voice was beautiful! As Petunia looked into Narcissa's eyes, she suddenly felt compelled to follow her every word, no matter the consequence. I would do anything for her, if only she likes me!

Lily turned back to the counter to concentrate on the quills, but much to Petunia's surprise and delight, Narcissa continued to talk with her.

"Lily talks of no one else but you during our study sessions together," said Narcissa. "Don't you go to school around here somewhere? I mean, in London."

Petunia noted that all the men in the shop were looking at the girl and some were dropping their packages and staring up at her with their mouths gaping open. The witches were less impressed but also seemed to find the girl mesmerizing.

Realizing that Narcissa had asked her a question, Petunia struggled to find her voice. "Yes, I do," she said, hoping the answer was correct, as she couldn't remember the question. "Are you in Gryffindor with Lily?"

"No, I'm in Ravenclaw," said Narcissa, smiling. "Lily, James, and Peter have been ever so kind to me since my boyfriend left school last year, even though I am not in their house." Narcissa saw that Petunia's eyes widened slightly when she mentioned Peter's name. "Do you have a special boy, too?"

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"Well - there is a boy I like but - I don't think he - "

Narcissa nodded in understanding. "He must be blind."

"He's not, he's not," said Petunia, still loyal to Peter, "it's only that - he - well, we don't go to the same school. So I don't see him every day, or even every week."

"Oh, but I bet you get asked to a lot of dances by the boys at your school," said Narcissa, still sympathetic. "Sunbury, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is Sunbury," said Petunia, pleased that Narcissa knew. She instantly lost her reserve and found herself more than willing to spill her heart. "It's too far away to go to the dances. It takes me an hour and a half to get there every day. But my father took me to a fancy party before Christmas and I danced there with an older man - twice! He was very nice and he said I was pretty." Petunia blushed and smiled at the memory.

"Well, you are pretty, in an unconventional way," said Narcissa smoothly. "You have such slimness. I think you could be one of those Muggle fashion models. They are tall and slender like you are. Do you dance that ballad? Your neck is so swan like - so graceful."

"Do you mean ballet? Really? Do you really think so?" Petunia's eyes were bright and she couldn't hide the excitement in her voice.

Oh this is too easy, thought Narcissa. Muggles will succumb to the slightest bit of flattery. The Master was so right in that. This girl Petunia was so desperate for attention and affection it would take little effort to win her over.

"I do," said Narcissa. "You remind me of my sister. She's several years older than I, but my mother is always telling me how I should be more like her."

"Mine too," said Petunia quietly.

"It's horrid sometimes, being a younger sister, isn't it?" said Narcissa, lowering her voice as if she were confiding secrets with Petunia. "We should form a secret society, just the two of us, and help support each other. We could write letters back and forth - through the Royal Mail even, if you'd like - it would be tremendous fun."

Petunia's eyes shone. "I would like that."

"You could tell me all about that older man of yours," said Narcissa with a sly smile.

"Vernon?"

"He sounds so romantic. You waltzed with him all night?"

"Almost," said Petunia, blushing.

Lily turned back to the two other girls, holding a new package tied with twine. "Pets, it's time we were going. Papa will be waiting."

"Oh, I'm sorry if I've kept you," said Narcissa. "Are you going back through the Leaky Cauldron? If you are would you mind if I walked with you?"

"Of course," said Lily cheerfully. "Tell me, Narcissa, what have you been doing since you got off the Hogwarts Express?"

They slowly made their way down Diagon Alley towards the Leaky Cauldron, talking all the way. While Lily talked to Naricissa about Transfiguration and Arithmancy, Narcissa could feel resentment building in Petunia at her exclusion from the conversation. Narcissa linked her arm through Petunia's to draw her into her company.

A startled Petunia looked at the girl and saw only a smiling face looking at her innocently. Narcissa winked at Petunia and whispered, "Younger sisters unite!" Petunia giggled softly.

As the trio passed the Quidditch shop, Petunia noticed a pale young man staring at them. The man looked her in the eye coldly. He seemed somehow familiar to her. When he saw that Petunia was staring at him, he moved his hand subtly. Petunia turned back and blinked hard in confusion, wondering what she had just been staring at.

The man continued to watch the three girls walk down the street, anger rising in his chest. It grated on him that his girlfriend was walking arm in arm with a Muggle. Smiling as though it were perfectly normal. It was bad enough that Mudbloods were infiltrating the wizarding world. But to bring Muggles into Diagon Alley was sacrilege. Wizards should not mix with these blights on the magic world. The Master is right - Muggles and Mudbloods are a plague. Mudbloods are the worst. They infect the purity of the wizard stock. At least Muggles don't presume to play with wands and such; they know their place as lesser creatures. And those idiotic fools at the Ministry, and that ancient Headmaster encouraging idiotic ideas about Muggles being equal.

It was becoming too much for him to bear. He understood the Master wanted his girlfriend to mingle with Gryffindors. She wouldn't raise suspicion. She was a Ravenclaw, intelligent and subtle. He had to admit that Narcissa was perfect for the assignment. He craved her like he had never craved anything else - other than doing his Master's bidding.

When he learned that he was to meet her at Platform 9 3/4, he had been overjoyed. Her kiss had been wonderful. His blood raced as he thought of her, and unconciously his thoughts took him to far more intimate settings. Mine, he thought, she's mine, not that young whelp's to toy with.

That Narcissa was allowing her young protégé to ... handle her in that manner only increased his irritation with her project. But the bargain she made was too good to pass up. A child ... if the Master was able to cure her barrenness caused by those stupid Muggles, it would be well worth it. He wanted an heir. To wait for Narcissa to graduate and be of age was torture enough. To have to marry another - unthinkable.

So Lucius Malfoy watched Narcissa walk with the Mudblood and the Muggle, arm in arm into the Leaky Cauldron, every moment resenting what his beloved had to do.

* * * *

Lily, Petunia and Narcissa walked into the Leaky Cauldron, laughing over a private joke. Petunia was shivering slightly, but only Narcissa noticed.

"Petunia," she said, shocked, "you are chilled. Don't go just yet, you should have something warm to drink."

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"Oh, that would be nice," said Petunia.

"Here, Pets, sit here with the packages, I'll go find us all some butterbeers," said Lily, pulling a chair out from a table, but Narcissa pushed her into the chair instead.

"I'll go, you sit with your sister," said Narcissa. "I won't be a moment."

Petunia sat next to Lily, who opened her new package and was admiring the new quill she had selected.

"Narcissa seems very sweet," said Petunia.

"She is," said Lily absently. "We've been studying together all semester."

"How well does she know Peter?" asked Petunia thoughtfully.

"Oh, by name I'm sure," said Lily, and looked up at her sister. "Narcissa is going with some other boy, Pets; he left Hogwarts two years ago. You needn't worry that she'll steal him away from you."

"I wasn't," said Petunia, surprisingly loyal to the girl she'd only just met. Lily turned back to her quill, and Petunia scanned the bar, hoping to see if Narcissa needed assistance with the drinks.

Just as she spotted Narcissa, Petunia realized that the girl was in a deep conversation with another figure at the bar. He had his arm around her waist in a very familiar way, and Petunia smiled to think this must be Narcissa's older boyfriend. Narcissa turned her head to the young man and smiled at him. He lifted a sprig of mistletoe over Narcissa's head and leaned in to give her a kiss.

Oh, how terribly sweet, thought Petunia. I wish I could see his face!

The boy moved his hand down her back lower and lower. Petunia felt curious interest watching his hand stealing down Narcissa's back. There was something familiar about him. A quick glance at Lily showed her sister still focused on the quill.

Then the boy turned just a bit in her direction, and Petunia felt her stomach plummet to her shoes. No. Not him! It couldn't be. He hasn't left school yet!

Petunia turned away from the bar, her head spinning and her face red. A trick of the light, that's all it was, she told herself, but didn't believe it. Only - why would Peter be kissing another boy's girl in the middle of the Leaky Cauldron?