Letters

Lily licked the stamp, making a face at the bitter taste of the glue on the back. She pulled her jacket on, and left the small flat she and James shared since leaving school. Her destination was the postbox on the corner. She stood in front of the box for a moment, letter clutched in her hand, deciding whether or not to send the invitation to her sister. 'Are you goin' to stand there all day or drop that in there?' A stranger's brusque voice intruded into Lily's internal debate.

'Oh! Sorry.' Lily stepped aside, and the stranger dropped his mail into the box and left. She looked at the address her mother had given her. Tuney had married last year and moved to Surrey. Lily had not gone to the wedding. Tuney had had the wedding while Lily was in school purposely, so it would have been difficult for her to attend. James had found her at the top of the Astronomy Tower, weeping. She had hoped before that Tuney would find some way to forgive her. She said as much to James, as she wept into the shoulder of his cloak. James, with the certainty of one who knew he was magical his entire life, told her she needed to stop apologizing for being something her sister wasn't.

Lily gave the envelope one last look, and dropped it into the post before she could change her mind. Written on the inside of the invitation was a plea to her estranged sister.

-Tuney,

I would really love it if you would come to the wedding.

I hope you and I can be close again, like we were before I went to school. I never wanted you to be hurt. Please, you're all the family I have left.

Lily

*****

Petunia bent to pick up the post that landed on the doormat. She rifled through the envelopes, and found the one addressed in Lily's flowing hand. Swallow hard, past the lump in her throat, Petunia opened the envelope. Her eyes narrowed as she read the note, but nothing else on her face betrayed the clash of conflicting emotions inside. She took the invitation to the kitchen, filled out the RSVP card, and set it aside. She would put it in the post. After lunch. The invitation hovered over the rubbish bin.

Petunia took the ivory-hued envelope and found a hatbox in a cupboard upstairs. She furtively opened the box a crack, and shoved the invitation through, shutting the box quickly.

I regret we will not be able to attend.

*****

Lily carefully settled the baby in his cot. She still couldn't get over how small he was. That he had James' face. How his eyes were changing color from the cloudy blue they had been at birth to the bright vivid green of hers. He had James' messy hair. Even as a baby.

Satisfied Harry was asleep; Lily crept out of the room and stole downstairs. 'James? I need to step out for a bit. Harry's sleeping.'

James looked at Lily over the rims of his glasses. 'Where are you going?' he asked curiously.

Lily shifted guiltily. 'Muggle post.'

'Lily...' James put down the plans he was creating for an Order mission.

'She's my sister,' Lily argued. 'You have Padfoot, and if something came between the two of you, you'd move heaven and earth to try and fix it, wouldn't you?'

'I suppose.' James put his arms around Lily. 'But Lily, it's been nine years. You keep writing when something happens, no matter how big or small, and you wait for her to write back, and she never does. Fixing it does not mean that you continually apologize for being born a witch. She has to meet you somewhere in the middle.'

'I know that.' Lily jerked away irritably.

'Lily, please.' Entreaty colored James' voice. 'I don't want you to get hurt.'

Lily stood on the rug, head bowed, face hidden by the flaming wings of hair that slipped over her shoulder. She reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out a letter. Lily cradled it in her hands, running her thumbs over the name on the front. 'This is the last one. I promise,' she said softly.

Petunia,

I have a son. He's so adorable. He looks like he might resemble James later. He already does quite a bit. But he does look like he'll get my eyes.

His name is Harry James. He was born on July thirty-first.

Petunia, I will always be your sister.

And I will always love you.

Love,

Lily

*****

It was a chilly morning on November second. Petunia pulled her warm dressing gown over her nightdress and went downstairs to get the milk. When she opened the door, Petunia's mouth dropped open in shock. A baby, no more than eighteen months old, lay in a basket on her doorstep.

A letter bearing her name in a narrow, slanted hand, lay tucked in the basket.

Shaking, Petunia picked up the letter. She had seen that particular handwriting once before.

She broke open the green wax seal in trepidation.

Mrs. Dursley,

I regret to inform you your sister and her husband were killed on October thirty-first...

The letter fell from Petunia's nerveless fingers.

The anguished scream woke the baby, who began to wail, somehow sensing his life was going to change.