Secrets She Kept » Harry Potter

Part 49

"How are they?" Lily asked her sister as she was once again engrossed in the digital screen that clung to Petunia's hands. It was a window into life on earth that she had left behind, the only access she had to keep watch over her children. A tear fell from Petunia's eyes as she watched her youngest daughter Millie welcome a daughter into the world. She wished she was by her side, to support her. To hold her hand and be there for her while she gave birth to her first child. To have someone help her through this momentous occasion in her life.

But that wasn't going to happen. "They are perfect," Petunia commented as she wiped the tears away. She paused for a second before continuing with a grin. "And I am happy to say, there is another girl in the family."

Lily nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. There had been numerous boys born into the new generation of the family and both wish more daughters were born. "You know, I wished I had a daughter of my own," Lily admitted, sitting next to her sister. The pair enjoyed the sunshine in the perfect paradise that surrounded them. They could not have asked for anything else than to be reunited in the afterlife.

Petunia let out a laugh. "She would've kept Harry in line." Knowing how bossy her sister had been when she was a little girl.

Lily smiled. " You know, the day I was murdered I was overjoyed over finding out I was pregnant," Lily admitted into the silence that surrounded them. Petunia was shocked to hear that news, that wasn't something she had anticipated learning all these years later. "It's funny how a silly piece of news turned me into someone that would sacrifice my own life for the safety of my child."

Petunia was about to reply back but stopped herself. Instead, she just sat there and listened. She heard the sadness in Lily's voice. It was the same sadness she felt whenever she thought about her husband and their future together. "I don't think I deserved my fate, my final days were spent being locked in a house far from any family. I felt like a prisoner and learning Harry wouldn't be an only child brought a smile to the prison I was trapped in."

There were several moments when Petunia did not say anything. She waited for Lily to continue speaking, wanting to hear what she had to say. "Harry wasn't the only one that suffered. I became this shell of a person that didn't want anything to do with anyone. " She sighed. "I pushed James away once we were reunited in this place, he promised to protect us if Voldemort had targeted us."

"But you had already died, why would you be upset with him?" Petunia questioned. Severus had been quick to forgive her for the mistakes made on Earth. There wasn't anything that could be done to change the past, they just wanted to spend a peaceful existence on this plane of paradise.

"I was angry, I had been betrayed by someone I thought was a friend and it led to my son becoming an orphan." Lily shook her head. "And then, after all that, Dumbledore just left him on your doorstep like a parcel. Easily exchanged from one sister to another." She had seen how harsh that decision had been on Petunia, s he didn't have a chance to grieve her sister before being given her orphan son to raise while having her own newborn to care for.

Petunia was silent for a few seconds, trying to find words. "At the time, I couldn't understand it. How could Dumbledore just abandon him from the world he belonged to? There were others that had offered to care for him but he was given to a household that didn't want him in the beginning." Petunia felt upset, remembering the constant arguments Vernon had with his wife about Harry. There were many unanswered questions on both sides. But she had no choice but to accept the reality of the situation.

"I tried to talk to Dumbledore about it, but he only stated it was in Harry's best interest to remain in the family." Lily looked up at the sky, letting the sun warm her face. "I do think, once you finally left that terrible man you raised Harry into a fine young man. I'm so proud of him and everything he did to protect the wizarding world."

"He never asked for that fate," Petunia admitted. She had seen how much pain Harry had gone through. It pained her to see him suffer, knowing what was in store for him. He had lost his mother, and his father, and had been forced into a life where he constantly needed to fight the dark forces that threatened the very existence of the wizarding world. "I thank God every day for bringing you here, I would rather have had you in my life than not at all."

Lily laughed. "Yeah, I can admit that I missed you too," she said, getting a chuckle from her sister. "But I wonder what happened to the rest of our family. I'd love to know how they're doing now. "

Petunia shrugged. "I suspect they're at peace," she replied. She was still learning of her surroundings but had learned that this was a place of waiting for your loved ones before you cross over into peaceful bliss. It was a way to reconcile yourself with the world you will be leaving behind. "We'll all meet again soon enough, until then let's enjoy this place."

Lily nodded. " I still can't believe James apologised to you ." She looked at her sister with a smile. "I know how stubborn he is, I would never have expected such an act."

"James was always good at surprising people," Petunia replied. "Maybe, me raising his son for seventeen years had something to do with it ."

They both laughed. The scenery around them was beautiful. There were lush green fields, mountains covered in snow, and a large lake that stretched beyond the horizon. They could hear the birds singing as the sun shone down upon them. Petunia watched as Lily pointed at the birds and started to whistle. Instantly, the birds flew closer, surrounding Lily and making a circle around her.

Lily smiled. "It's nice to know you still remember how to do that, " Petunia mentioned the whistling ability that Lily possessed. It wasn't known where it came from or how it worked, but she had found it useful on Earth. She had used it to get away from troublemakers more than once.

"So how are things panning out between you and Sev?" Lily asked, changing the subject. "I hope you two aren't fighting again."

"No, we haven't fought!" Petunia exclaimed, surprised by the question. "I'm happy to say we've made up."

"That's great news," Lily admitted. She knew that Severus had been hurt by their argument, especially when Petunia had to leave him behind. But he had come back to her and they had mended their friendship quickly. Perhaps in this paradise, they would learn to become more than just friends. A little nudge from the universe perhaps?

"You don't have any issues with us being together?" Petunia asked. This was something she had been worried about, she knew how Severus had become an enemy of the Potters. There had been a lot of tension as James used to bully Severus until the moment of his death.

"Of course not! I am to respect any partner of your choice." Lily had always tried to remain polite when it came to any interaction with Vernon Dursley in the early stages of Petunia's relationship with him. Even with rude the Muggle man had been. "What matters most is that you are happy."

"Thank you," Petunia replied. She turned to watch her sister as she whistled some more. The birds landed around Lily, flying in tight circles above her head. She then took a deep breath, and immediately the birds flew away. Petunia's eyes widened. Lily was smiling at her. "Everything feels so right here like there's nothing else I need," Petunia said.

Lily nodded. "It's a nice feeling, isn't it?" There was a short pause. "However, our children haven't arrived yet."

"Not even close," Petunia admitted. "Do you think they'll be okay?"

"I know they will," Lily assured her. "Just give them time."

Petunia sighed. She hoped they would be reunited soon, but not too soon. She didn't want to learn of an untimely death before old age would transport their soul here. She walked across the grassy field towards Lily, who was looking out over the lake. "I suppose we should sit down for lunch. We still have a long way to go in this journey, and we have to be prepared." They spent time enjoying the different sights and sounds of the afterlife. There were fields full of flowers that bloomed during the springtime, forests filled with trees that glowed under the moonlight, and lakes that reflected the colours of the sky. They ate their lunch beside the lake, talking and laughing.