The Marauders: Year Seven Part One

Sort it Out

Lily was asleep on the sofa next to the phone, hugging one of the toss pillows her mum had stitched over the Spring. A fire burned in the hearth. It was the second night she'd slept there, waiting for the phone to ring. Thus far, there had been a plethora of calls for Petunia from the likes of Vernon Dursley and her other rubbish friends from her muggle school, but nothing for Lily. Lily couldn't help but worry that James had tried calling while Petunia had drawn her ridiculous conversations about nail polish and hair rollers on and on and on -- there was no convincing her that the phone call Lily was waiting for was more important than those things, either. Mrs. Evans's only answer was that the girls learn to share.

"She's the one not sharing," Lily had said pointedly.

"You're adults, the both of you," Mrs. Evans said tiredly, "You should be able to sort it out!"

Now, here it was, nearly 7:00 and Lily could hear Petunia upstairs, stomping about in her bedroom. Lily rolled onto her back, glancing at the window as the sun streamed through the curtains, let down once again by another sunrise, wondering what time it was in Costa Rica and whether that ruddy owl had figured out where it was even going... She pictured it being blown off course, or else flying laps about Central America, unable to figure out where James was...

Petunia came down the stairs, fretting because one of her curlers had set crooked and her hair was "an absolute mess" and Vernon would be there to pick her up within the hour... They had some little day trip into the city planned... Lily sat up and peeked over the back of the couch to see how terribly Petunia's hair had fared and she covered her mouth to hold back a giggle at the lop-sided fit of hair that flounced past the doorway to the living room.

"It isn't FUNNY!" Petunia scolded her as she shouted for Mrs. Evans.

She closed her eyes, smirking to herself. What was funny was that if Petunia wasn't such a horrid person, Lily could fix it with a flick of her wand... but Petunia would sooner go out with her hair lopsided or even burned off before she would allow Lily to help her with magic.

Suddenly - the phone rang.

"OH! GOOD HEAVENS, IT'S VERNON!" Petunia cried, running for the phone, her hair bouncing even worse than before.

Lily sat up and leaped for it, too, "It could be for me!" she argued.

Both their hands landed on the phone at once and they both gripped it, fighting back and forth. "LET GO!" Petunia shrieked, "Who on earth would be calling for you?!"

"I've told you about eighteen times that I'm expecting a call!" Lily snapped.

They shrieked and tugged and finally Petunia played the trick that had always worked when they were kids - letting up on her tug so that Lily lost her balance and went flying backwards into the couch cushions. The sole holder of the phone, Petunia snuffed and turned, putting it to her ear, and her voice was suddenly honey-sweet and pasty. "Good morning - Evans residence."

There was a pause as Lily sat up and righted her pyjama top that had ridden up, and glowered at Petunia's back. 

Petunia turned about - slowly. She glared at Lily with absolute hatred, then thrust the phone out to her without speaking another word into the mouthpiece. "It's for you," she sneered. Then she paused and snapped, "Don't be taking all day on that thing! I need to be available if Vernon calls!"

"So you can warn him about your bushy head?" Lily asked meanly.

Petunia looked alarmed, then rushed out of the room.

Lily waited 'til she'd gone, then raised the phone to her ear, nervous excitement coursing through her... in a moment, she realized, she would hear James's voice for the first time since they'd left King's Cross. "Hullo?" she asked, trying to keep steady.