The life and Death of Lily Evens

Chapter 5

May 14th 1970

The soft hum of an old pop song played in the background as Lily Evans sat on the floor of her bedroom, legs crossed, while her older sister, Petunia, carefully brushed through her vibrant red hair. It was a rare moment of closeness these days, the kind they used to have all the time before Petunia started secondary school. Now, it felt like Petunia lived in a different world, one where Lily didn't belong.

Lily stared at the floor, her fingers picking at the fraying edge of the rug. She could hear Petunia chatting away behind her, talking about school and the new friends she'd made.

"So, Caroline's having a birthday party next week," Petunia said, her voice light and airy. "She invited all of us, and it's going to be at her house. Her parents are loaded, you know. Huge house. Massive garden."

"That sounds fun," Lily said, forcing her voice to sound cheerful even though her stomach twisted with jealousy. She had never been invited to any parties. Her classmates always found her strange-too blunt, too fiery, too different. And now it felt like Petunia was slipping away into that same world of normalcy, where Lily couldn't follow.

Petunia twisted Lily's hair into a braid, her fingers quick and practiced. "I've met so many people this year, Lil. You'd love it at secondary school. Well, maybe not the homework, but the people are so much fun." She paused, glancing at Lily's reflection in the mirror. "You'll make friends, though. You'll see when you get there."

Lily nodded, but inside she felt that familiar, gnawing loneliness creeping in. Petunia had always been her best friend, her only friend, really. Now, every time Petunia talked about her new life, it felt like Lily was being left behind. She tried to mask it, to hide the sinking feeling and act like she was happy for Petunia, but it was hard.

As Petunia finished the braid, she glanced at her sister, hesitating for a moment. "Speaking of friends... what about that boy you've been hanging around with? I've seen you with him."

Lily stiffened, already sensing where the conversation was heading. "Severus?"

"Yeah, him. The one who looks like he never washes his hair," Petunia said with a small, judgmental snort. "Why are you hanging around with him, Lily? He's... weird."

Lily's face hardened, her blunt nature surfacing as she turned to face Petunia. "He's not weird. He's just... different."

Petunia raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a doubtful smile. "Different? Lil, he's a freak. People talk about him at school, you know? They say he's creepy. You should stay away from him."

Lily's heart pounded in her chest, but she tried to keep her voice steady. "Severus is the only person who's ever been kind to me, Tuny. He's my friend. My first real friend."

"What am I then?" Petunia asked, her voice sharp, but there was a flicker of hurt beneath her words. "I've always been there for you."

"You're different," Lily said quickly, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "You're my sister. But you've got all your new friends now, haven't you? You're not always around."

Petunia pulled back, her eyes narrowing as she crossed her arms. "That's not fair, Lily. You could have friends too, but you spend all your time with him"

"Because he understands me!" Lily blurted out, standing up now, unable to contain her anger any longer. "He's the only one who doesn't think I'm strange or annoying. He doesn't care if I say the wrong thing or if I don't fit in. He's just... kind."

Petunia's expression hardened. "You're wrong, Lil. He's not kind. He's just as much of a freak as you are."

Lily flinched as the word hit her. Freak. It echoed in her head, sharp and cruel. "He's not a freak!" she snapped, her voice rising. "And neither am I!"

"Yes, you are!" Petunia shot back, standing up to face her sister. "You and him, always sneaking off to the park, doing... whatever it is you do. It's not normal, Lily. People talk."

Lily's face flushed with anger, but before she could reply, the bedroom door swung open with a bang, slamming against the wall. Their father, tall and looming, filled the doorway, his face twisted in a familiar drunken rage.

"What the bloody hell is all this noise?!" he bellowed, his voice thick with the stench of alcohol. He staggered into the room, glaring at the two of them. "Can't you two shut up for five minutes?"

The room fell into a tense silence, the air thick with fear. Lily took a step back, her heart pounding in her chest. Normally, Petunia would have said something to defend her, to make their father turn his anger somewhere else. But this time, Petunia's face twisted into something cold and ugly.

"She's the one who won't shut up," Petunia muttered, casting a bitter glance at Lily. "Always talking about that boy."

Their father's eyes narrowed, locking onto Lily with a furious intensity. "You causing trouble again, girl?" he growled, taking a step toward her. "Always making noise, always thinking you're something special."

Lily didn't move, her whole body stiffening as she braced for whatever was coming next. Her father's voice was like a knife, cutting into her, and Petunia's silence felt like a betrayal she hadn't expected.

Before their father could say anything more, their mother appeared in the doorway, her face pale and drawn. "Frank," she said quietly, her voice tired. "Leave the girls alone."

He glared at her for a moment, his eyes bloodshot and wild, but after a tense second, he turned and staggered out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

The silence that followed was suffocating. Lily felt the sting of tears in her eyes, but she refused to cry in front of Petunia. She wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

Petunia turned away, her voice cold and distant. "I'm just trying to protect you, Lil. But if you want to ruin your life with that boy, go ahead."

Lily stood there, staring at her sister, her chest tight with a mixture of hurt and anger. "I don't need your protection," she said quietly, her voice trembling with the effort of holding back her emotions. "I just need you to be my sister."

But Petunia didn't respond. She just walked out of the room, leaving Lily alone, standing by the window, the familiar ache of loneliness settling in once again.