Writing Contest One Shots

1) A Childhood Memory- Petunia Dursley

Lily's green eyes stared back at her. Beautiful. Brilliant. Full of curiosity.

If Petunia squinted just right, blocked out everything else, she could pretend Lily was in her hands.

But Lily was dead. The letter, already crumpled in her fist, said so.

What was that feeling in her heart, that was making her breathe just a bit faster, muscles shake just a bit too much, even for this chilly November air? Why was her vision cloudy, though she'd blinked several times? And why...why couldn't she stop staring into those brilliant green eyes?

Lily's eyes.

But Lily was dead.

She crushed the letter with rejuvenated vigour.

Petunia had hated her. She drew in a shaky breath, her heart drumming against her chest despite how hard she willed it to slow down. Always had.

No, that was not quite true. There was a time, she remembered, when she'd truly enjoyed spending time with her sister. Back when she'd drag the little red-headed girl to the park, laugh at her jokes and help her pick which doll she wanted for Christmas.

Petunia had loved her.

One day, they'd gone off to the meadow by their school, to pick flowers from their namesakes. It was a little tradition of theirs, when the blossoms first bloomed in summer. Her sister would find her a petunia and she would give her a lily, the prettiest she could find. Every year back then, they'd run around the grassy field, making it a game of identifying as many flowers as they could, teasing each other and playing tag while they were at it. But this year had been different. This year, Petunia had been upset.

'What's wrong, Pet?' Lily had asked her, her big eyes wide with worry. Nothing had ever missed her, not the slightest tension in the air nor the smallest disagreement between strangers, not that Petunia had ever been good at hiding her mood swings.

'Nothing.' She had scowled, ripping apart the petals of one of the lilies she'd picked.

Lily had shoved her. 'You can tell me!' she'd said, her face set with a fiery resolution. Lily had always been stubborn beyond belief, never letting something go if she could fight for it.

Petunia had averted her gaze, fingers twisting the flowers into an unrecognisable mess. 'It's...' She'd breathed in. 'It's Benny Brown from my class. He...' Tears fell on her lap. 'He called me horse-face.'

She'd been ten and Benny Brown was her first crush. His comments stung to this day. But Karma had hit him, he'd dropped out of school before they were sixteen after an accident, and he still lived with his parents. Served him right.

Lily's cheeks had paled, her freckles standing out. 'Why that little...' she'd spat and risen up, her fists clenched. 'I'll show him what's what.'

'No!' She'd grabbed Lily's arm, pulling her back onto the grass where she sat. 'You'll get into trouble for fighting.'

Lily had glowered. 'Fine. But we're telling Mum and Dad.'

Petunia had glanced back at the squashed plants, the "okay" she knew she ought to say stuck in her throat. Mum and Dad had named them after the flowers. Lilies and petunias. Everyone knew which was prettier. 'Do...do you think Mum and Dad agree with him?'

'What?' Lily had asked, her ire now replaced with confusion.

'I...' Petunia's throat had tightened up and another tear fell on her hand. 'Do...do you think I'm ugly, Lily?'

Lily froze and Petunia's heart shriveled, thinking her worst fears had been confirmed. But then her little sister's arms were around her, pulling her tight into a hug. 'I'll never think that!' She'd pulled away, brows furrowed in the most serious expression her eight year old face could muster. 'You're the prettiest girl I know!'

'Even if Benny Brown says—'

'Who cares what Benny Brown says?' Lily had squeezed her hand, her lips pouting with determination. 'We're sisters! I'll always have your back.'

For the first time since that awful class a few hours ago, Petunia had smiled.

She shifted Lily's child in her arms as her eyes stung and tears rolled down her cheeks. I'll always have your back, she'd said. Petunia choked out a sob, her throat clenching painfully. But where was Lily now? When she needed her? When she needed her alive and smiling and with fire blazing in her beautiful green eyes?

No, the moment she'd found out she was a witch, she'd left her. Forgotten her.

Traitorous whispers sounded in Petunia's mind, saying that no, it was she who'd pushed Lily away, she who'd never learnt to be happy for her sister, she who was jealous of her magic even now. But she shoved those thoughts away. It wasn't her, it was Lily. Lily who'd left her for that dirty little rascal, Snape. Lily who'd hogged her parents' attention, making everything about her and pushing Petunia aside. Lily who'd married a wizard and gotten herself involved in a war.

It served her right, to be killed by the very world she'd abandoned Petunia for.

Through her blurry vision, she glared at the child in her arms, his black hair so much like that good-for-nothing husband of hers. His blood no doubt filled with despicable magic. But he blinked at her. Blinked with Lily's green eyes. Petunia still couldn't look away.

She'd loved her.

She'd hated her.

And she never got to say goodbye.

***

A/N- I hope you enjoyed the story! All the characters belong to J K Rowling and yada yada~ I'd used single quotes as it's the British punctuation style. Thank you for reading ^^!