Story [Harry Potter] Lilies and Petunias [Petunia Dursley Vig]

Title: Lilies and Petunias
Author: Miana Kenobi
Characters: Petunia Dursley, Lily Potter, James Potter, Harry Potter, Vernon & Dudley Dursley, Evans family
Summary: Petunia never wanted to become involved in her sister or nephew's weirdness, yet Voldemort's war had other plans for her.
Notes: This vig has actually taken me over a year to complete. I kept working on it off and on, but finally had to buckle down and finish it. Petunia has always intrigued me as to what she always wanted to say, especially in Deathly Hallows, but couldn't.

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[i]Christmas Eve, 1979[/i]

The evening air was crisp and cold as snow fell to the ground, powdering the streets with snow. A light wind was blowing through the streets of London, causing those who ventured outdoors to pull their jackets tighter around them or snuggle closer to their loved one.

The coldness, however, fit Petunia Dursley's mood perfectly. She crossed her arms over her chest as she stared out the window at the street below. A group of carol singers hurried down the street, several crying out when a gust of wind blew the music from their arms. Petunia snickered; served them right, she reckoned, for thinking that everyone wanted to hear cheerful Christmas music. She hoped they would knock on the door, just so she could slam it in their faces.

But no, precious Lily would have none of it.

Petunia sneered, a visage that had donned her face most of the evening. She and Vernon were "enjoying" Christmas Eve with her parents and relatives. Her very wealthy great-uncle George and his new young wife had flown down from Scotland to see them. Her mother's friend Wendy and her husband and children had come in from Liverpool as well. And, of course, Perfect Lily was there, and her atrocious husband was coming.

She heard an exclamation followed by rich laughter come from the kitchen. From the sounds of it, it was Wendy. Petunia's sneer deepened; no doubt, she was doting on Lily.

Petunia's hand drifted down to her already swollen abdomen. She had received her ten minutes of fame when she arrived, her mother and friends doting upon her and inquiring about the child. But then, of course, Lily had arrived. Petunia did not know what the fuss with Lily was about; it merely looked like her sister had gained weight, not that she was two months pregnant.

From the parlor, she heard Vernon's rich laughter, accompanied with her uncle George. The two businessmen had hit it off smashingly; Petunia would not have been surprised if Uncle George was giving her husband his "5 Keys to Success" speech, which he only mentioned about once every twenty-nine minutes or so.

She heard Wendy's two young children run through the room, their childish voices squealing and echoing down the corridor. Petunia's jaw tightened as 6 year old Grace's squeals became louder as her older brother Peter pursued her. Her child would never be that rude and annoying, she resolved.

She heard her mother calling them all into the dining room, announcing that dinner was ready. Gritting her teeth and preparing for horrible conversations, Petunia turned away from her window and headed into the dining room. She could still hear Grace and Peter near the front door now, Peter teasing his sister. Suddenly, both children shrieked, a deeper, richer voice joining their own. The two children then began laughing, their loud footsteps telling them that they were running toward the dining room. Wendy emerged from the kitchen holding a basket of hot rolls. "No running!" she reprimanded.

"Sorry, Mum," the two chorused. Peter found his seat whilst Gracie ran towards her mother, pulling on her skirt. "Mummy! Father Christmas was just here!"

"Was he really, darling?" Wendy asked half-heartedly, eyeing the kitchen door as it opened and Rose Evans came out, a bowl of cranberry sauce in her hands.

"Yes, I saw him! But you were wrong! He doesn't have a sleigh with reindeer at all!"

"Oh really?" Wendy picked up a large serving spoon and handed it to Ros

 

That was so incredibly moving. It's wonderful to see Petunia's side of events, especially at the end. It actually makes me feel a bit bad for her.

Awesome vignette - it was worth the time you took. I love it

 

Wow, Miana! Just... wow. Okay, now that I've gotten rid of my current speechlessness, I adored this vignette. Some truly powerful work -- I never really sympathized too, too much with Petunia in the books (even though I did understand how her jealousy of Lily ended up shaping her life and her bitter rejection of the wizarding world), but this just made me feel so terrible for her. She's thrust into dealing with things that she can't quite deal with/shouldn't be dealing with, and it just makes me think of all those Muggles whose lives were ruined by the wizard war in events they couldn't quite understand. It was a terrible time for wizards, but it was an equally terrible time for their Muggle relatives, because they were completely incapable of doing anything but suffer through it.

I absolutely loved the opening scene there with the family reunion... you can just feel Petunia's embarrassment with her sister and brother-in-law, but then it turns very abruptly into something completely different, something absolutely horrible.

I am clearly descending into a speechless babbling rut right now, so --

Phenomenal job.

 

That was so well-written, Miana! You portrayed Petunia perfectly; it is hard to sympathize with someone who could mistreat a small child so, as she and Vernon did Harry...but Petunia had so much potential and you showed that. It is truly a shame that her jealousy ended up destroying the love she and Lily had for one another as children, and even more that she never could get past the mix of envy, resentment, fear to care for her nephew who was one of the few family members she had left.

 

So poignant. Life through Petunia's eyes. I guess you can understand her better after seeing how much she lost, in the form of parents, because her sister was a wanted witch.

 

Beautifully written, Miana. I really felt for Petunia, Lily and Harry.

 

Miana, this is amazing.

The turbulent and complex layers of feeling Petunia has in regards to her sister and Harry are evident, and so poigent in their detail.

And the end was just perfect for Petunia's state of mind. (I admit, I was so happy when Dudley made some attempt at reconciliation with Harry in DH.)

Beautiful work!

~Misha