#retunia

She considered not answering her sister's call. Fuck Petunia, she thought. Ignoring her for four years meant she did not deserve the light of day. However, she secretly missed her sister too much to not let her phone call intrigue her. She decided to answer. 

“Hello?” 

All she could hear was Petunia’s breathing at first; she could hear Petunia's breath hitch right after she spoke her first word. It was like she was shocked to hear Lily’s voice at all.

“Lily,” Petunia started, no greeting, no nothing. Lily shouldn’t have been surprised, “Aunt Penelope is dead. There was a robbery at her work and she-” 

Lily listened for Petunia’s despair, but there wasn’t any. She just stopped talking. The silence was deafening. Lily realized Petunia was now legally an adult; this meant that it was all her responsibility. 

“I suppose you’re calling to tell me about a funeral then?” Lily questioned. She didn’t want to go, but a part of her was drawn to go. She would secretly do anything to see her sister once more.

“Yes,” Petunia replied, “It’s in a week. I have already made arrangements with Headmistress McGonagall for you.” 

Lily glanced over to Alice sleeping on the bed across from her. She was jealous that she didn’t have to deal with this constant loss that seemed to be Lily’s constant companion. She was never close with her Aunt Penelope; she blamed Petunia for that, too. It was easier to blame Petunia than think about the fact that her Aunt maybe never wanted to give her a chance to be her family, too. 

“I suppose I’ll see you then. You don’t need to pick me up, I’ll take the bus.”

Lily did not hear what Petunia was going to say next, because she hung up the phone to cry, not for the loss of her Aunt, but for the loss of her sister once again. 

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A week had passed and Lily got off the bus down the street from the funeral home. She watched as members of the community filed in for her Aunt’s funeral. She didn’t recognize any of them, she realized. I guess that happened when you never visited home. 

Her black combat boots squeaked across the floor as she entered the building. Older individuals turned to look at her with annoyance, but it didn’t seem to matter when she saw her sister. Petunia’s hair was now past her shoulders; she had always kept it short like Lily’s when she was younger. Lily realized she hadn’t changed much, and she self-consciously tucked a short strand of her red hair behind her ear.

Her sister was beautiful as always; Lily always thought she was the beautiful one. She tried to bury her jealousy down along with her bitterness. It did not work well.

When Petunia caught her eye, she slowly walked towards her. She gave her sister a very awkward hug. Lily did not return it.

“It’s so good to see you,” Petunia told her, “It has been way too long.”

Because of your own choice, Lily thought, but she didn’t say anything. She just crossed her arms and looked anywhere but at her sister so she wouldn’t cry. 

“The ceremony is about to start,” Petunia told her, “I-I would like if you would sit with me.”

Lily wanted to lash out; she wanted to scream no. She wanted to tell her that her and Aunt Penelope were no longer her family, but then she saw that a lot of guests were watching their conversation. Lily already stuck out like a sore thumb as it was, so she swallowed down her anger and just nodded. She pulled her father’s cap out of her book bag for strength. Petunia didn’t comment on it as they sat down.

The ceremony was long, and Petunia gave a very robotic speech. Lily wondered what happened to her sister’s passion. The only thing that was the same about her sister was her blonde hair pulled back into a braid that was now longer and her fiddling with the bottoms of her shirt sleeves like she always had done when she was nervous.

The burial was quiet as well. Petunia did not shed a tear and neither did Lily. Lily wondered when her sister had become so cold; she would think she would cry over her Aunt who had become her constant companion. 

Their Aunt’s friends were the only ones that cried. They came and comforted Petunia as they ignored Lily. It was like she had never existed.

Once Petunia was wrapped up in conversation with one of Aunt Penelope’s old friends, Lily took that as her opportunity to walk away. 

As Lily rounded the corner of the cemetery towards the willow tree where she saw her parents graves, she lit a cigarette that was in her book bag. 

As she took a puff, she was startled when she heard footsteps behind her. It was Petunia. It appeared that all the rest of the funeral guests had left to mourn privately. 

“When did you start smoking?” Petunia asked her. For once, her tone wasn’t filled with judgment, just curiosity.

Lily grunted, “Why does it matter?” If you only saw me, you’d know, Lily thought, but she didn’t say anything.

Petunia didn’t answer her but held her hand out. Lily knew she wanted one too, so she pulled one out of her book bag and handed it to her along with her lighter. She watched as her sister lit the cigarette. She coughed like it was her first time smoking one, and this made Lily smirk. 

They stood there in silence as they looked at their parent’s graves. Neither of them cried; maybe they were both numb to the pain now. Or maybe Petunia was as emotionless as she now appeared. Lily just knew she had cried herself dry throughout all the years of loneliness she endured.

The willow tree covering their parent’s grave was thriving; it made her think of the walks she used to take with Petunia and her mother through the cemetery when their father was at work. It would seem like a morbid way to spend time with your mother to most, but it was some of Lily’s fondest memories of her mum. It was when they let their imaginations run wild as they honored the dead.

“Willows are still my favorite trees,” Petunia told her as she broke the silence, “I wish mum and dad would have named me Willow instead of Petunia. If I had a daughter of my own, I would name her Willow.”

Petunia had never told Lily that before; maybe it was a new development with age. Maybe she came to this spot often while Lily never got the chance.

Lily chanced a glance at her sister; she hoped she would not be looking back at her, but she was. Petunia always had a knack for knowing what Lily was thinking even when she didn’t want her to. It was endearing as a child, but now after years without talking, it was unnerving. 

“I want you to stay at home with me,” Petunia confessed, “If you want to, I mean. I know I haven’t been there, but there is so much you don’t know. If only you will let me explain-”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Lily silenced her, “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” Petunia insisted.

Lily took a deep breath as she put her cigarette out. She put it in a plastic bag in her book bag in order to preserve her parent’s gravesite. 

“Why do you want me home? You wanted nothing to do with me for years.”

Petunia didn’t respond at first. She just flicked her cigarette. 

“Because we can start over.”

Lily should have argued more; she should have refused after all her sister had put her through, but she didn’t. Instead, all she answered with was, “Okay.” 

Present Day 

As Lily now ran through the forest, she thought about the day her sister promised they could start over. She lied then, too. Her sister was as absent as ever as Lily finished high school at home. Petunia was constantly working to support them, but she didn’t even try to explain why she had abandoned her years before, and Lily didn’t push for answers. Lily’s constant high school rebellion was begging for her sister to talk to her, yet she wasn’t there and didn't seem to care. She just worked diligently all hours of the day and provided Lily with cash when she needed it. Lily moved out when she was eighteen and hadn’t seen her sister since until a few weeks ago. The thought annoyed Lily that Petunia only seemed to show up when the world was turning to shit for her, one way or another. 

Lily finally stopped to catch her breath under the cover of a tree. The rain was still falling, and her red hair was stringy and sticking to her cheeks. Her father’s cap wasn’t protecting her face from the storm. She didn’t expect it would, anyway. 

She was suddenly startled when she heard a branch snap behind her. She turned around and grabbed her father’s pocket knife out of her pocket. It was one of the only weapons the whole group had now, she realized.

Sirius walked out from behind a tree a few feet behind her with his hands up. Lily rolled her eyes at the sight of him. 

“Why did you follow me?” She asked him. She was annoyed, she wanted to be alone. Hence, walking off and then running through the trees.

“I was pissed too,” he told her, “And I wanted to see if you were okay.”

“How noble of you.”

For once, he approached her hesitantly, “Look, I’m pissed at my brother and your sister as well, but I don’t think you should be so hard on Petunia. I think she-”

“Like you aren’t that harsh towards Regulus?” Lily argued back, “I don’t need a hypocritical lecture.”

“I do sound like a hypocrite, and I will admit my tactics with Regulus are… intense, but I have my reasons.”

“So do I,” Lily said, “Don’t assume otherwise.”

She crossed her arms from the cold, and Sirius noticed, “Do you want my jacket?”

Yes, Lily thought, but she replied, “No, I’m fine.”

She watched as Sirius took a deep breath and now sat in the rain with his back against a tree. Lily followed suit.

They were silent for a while and just listened to the rainfall until Sirius spoke up, “Do you want to know why I hate my brother so much?”

Lily shrugged. She was ridiculously curious, but she wouldn’t push. She didn’t want to seem eager to know anything about him. Letting people in was not something Lily practiced proactively. 

Sirius took that as a yes, and he began his story, “My brother was a prodigy as we grew up. He was younger, he was looked at as better looking, and my mother was obsessed with him. She hated me and wanted me to live up to my brother’s expectations. Naturally, I rebelled,” he smirked at the comment, “But that did not get her off my back, and my scars are there to prove it.”

Sirius lifted up the side of his shirt and jacket to show scars of lashes. Without thinking, Lily leaned forward to brush them lightly with her fingers. She watched as Sirius’ skin rose up into goosebumps. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed and watched her. Gently, she pulled her hand back.

“I’m sorry,” she told him, “I-I can’t imagine.”

Sirius continued on, “My brother never did anything to stop her, he just-he just continued to be the perfect son. I’m just bitter I guess, and then when James died..”

His voice trailed off. 

“Who is James?” Lily asked him.

She watched as a tear trailed down Sirius’ face. 

“He was my best friend, along with Remus and Peter. Peter is gone now too, but James.. he-he died in a car crash. I was driving to pick up Regulus from his violin lessons to try and gain approval from my mother. I-I have truly hated my brother more ever since. The other driver was drunk. It-it wasn’t my fault but I can’t help but blame myself.”

“It was not your fault,” Lily told him fiercely, “Life is unfair and there are circumstances you can’t control. I understand completely.”

The rain had settled down now to a gentle sprinkle. Sirius pushed back his long hair from dangling in his face. Lily noticed how beautiful his eyes were, and she could not look away.

“How do you understand?” He asked her quietly. She could barely hear him. It was like the wind had been knocked out of him. 

“Petunia and I lost our parents in a car crash as well, so unexpectedly. Petunia promised she would always be there for me, and she had been, until I needed her most. She sent me away to an academy and kept my Aunt Penelope all to herself. I only came home once my Aunt died, and even then… Petunia was no longer there. She tries to play a protector now that the world has gone to shit, but she has never protected me. I have only fended for myself and I-”

But Lily did not finish. Her words trailed off, and she just looked into Sirius’ eyes once again. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Lily had forgotten everything; what her bitterness was and why it was there. All that mattered in that moment was Sirius looking back at her and understanding. He was the first person that ever did, and for once, she didn’t feel alone. She knew she had only known him for a short time, but it felt like a lifetime. Lily was not sure what came over her next; she had always been impulsive, but never quite this brave.

She leaned forward and kissed his lips. Her hand cupped his face. He didn’t respond at first, until suddenly his hand was tangled in her hair and her father's hat fell into her lap. She pushed her father’s hat to the side as she now straddled Sirius’ lap. Everything was happening so fast, but it was natural, it was right. The warmth of Sirius’ body pressed against her allowed her heart to beat faster. She had never felt this alive since she had lost her parents. 

He didn’t need to say anything more; he laid down on his back into the dirt as Lily peeled her wet shirt off of her body. His calloused hands rubbed her hips as she unbuttoned his pants and thrusted her hips into his. She watched his lips form a moan and call out for her. Pleasure rushed through her body as she gripped his shoulders for support. It was passionate; it happened quickly. She wanted to replay it over and over again, but now she laid down in his arms and closed her eyes. He gently ran his fingers through her hair. This was the safest she had ever felt.

“That was.. You are.. Incredible,” he whispered into her ear.

She smiled against his chest in a way so he couldn't see her face, “Don’t make me regret it, bastard,” she teased. 

They laid like that for a while until the moon rose and the clouds disappeared. The stars were bright that night after the storm they had endured earlier in the day. 

Lily put her father’s cap back on as they walked back to camp. She kept her distance from Sirius now, and he didn’t ask. She knew he understood. 

When they arrived back to where they left Regulus, Remus, and Petunia all they saw was Regulus pacing frantically and Petunia trying to talk him down.

“What is happening?” Sirius asked.

It was then that Lily noticed Remus was nowhere in sight.

“Where is Remus?” She asked.

But maybe that was a good thing, for Lily would not have to share the same physical scars Petunia now had hidden underneath her shirt. She knew she was giving Lily different kinds of scars; the internal kind that would constantly be bleeding, but at least she was protecting her from feeling even more pain, even if she didn’t know it.

Petunia pulled herself together and wiped away her tears, she sat up slowly in her chair to not feel the bruises on her back rub up against the back of her desk chair.

“Lily,” Petunia wrote, “You cannot come home for break. Aunt Penelope and I won’t be here; we are taking a trip. You need to stay at the Academy for the summer holidays. We have already set up arrangements with Headmistress McGonagall.” 

More tears fell as she mustered up the courage to continue. She could feel Lily’s future and indefinite pain as she traced her letters against the page. 

“You wouldn’t like this trip anyway,” she continued, “You would be bored. It isn’t for little girls.”

Petunia cringed at the words, but it was her Aunt’s orders in order to make it look convincing. She knew her Penelope would look over it and approve of it before she could send it anyway.

“Make sure to stay on top of your studies. It is what can guarantee you to get into a good college.”

And far away from here forever, Petunia thought, but she didn’t write it down. She wouldn’t dare.

“I love you,” she wrote, but she quickly erased it.

“Best,” she wrote, “Petunia.” 

She looked over it once more before she headed downstairs to the kitchen. Her Aunt smiled through her teeth as she approved of Petunia’s cold and harsh words. Petunia secretly hoped that Lily would see the erased “I love you” and maybe think something was wrong back home, but she knew she erased too hard for her to ever see.

Petunia waited days for a letter back, but she never received a letter. She only received an envelope holding Lily’s charm necklace that Petunia had given her all those years before. That’s when Petunia knew. Their relationship was over. 

After receiving that in the mail that night, Petunia stopped crying for good. 

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Present Day 

Petunia awoke with a start and the sensation of someone shaking her. She abruptly sat up and felt something tip ever so slightly. She was pulled back by a pair of firm hands instantly.

“Wha-what’s going on?” She asked to anyone that would listen. Then it all came flooding back. She had crashed her car.

Lily.

She snapped her head to her right to see her sister. Lily was passed out with blood smeared across her face. She panicked even more for a moment, but then she remembered it was there from when the infected tried to kill her sister only minutes, maybe hours before. She had no idea how long she had been passed out for.

“Petunia, are you with me?” Remus asked. 

She turned her head to the backseat to look at him. He also had a cut on his head, and that’s when she realized her’s was pounding, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was they got Lily out of this car before it went over the edge of the bridge.

“We need to get Lily out of the car,” she told him, “I don’t care about me. Get my sister out.”

“Now let’s think of a way to get you out as well, you’re pinned-”

Petunia looked down to see that her legs were pinned underneath the steering wheel to where she could not easily get out. She hadn’t even noticed; though she rarely ever noticed her own needs. Her childhood was good training for that.

“I don’t care about me!” Petunia snapped, “Just get my sister and yourselves out.”

“We’re not leaving you,” a voice spoke up. It was Regulus. It was the first time she had heard him speak in hours. 

She looked him in the eyes and blinked a few times. It was then she realized she was crying. She tried to swallow it down.

“Just, please-” she begged them, “Save Lily.” 

Regulus kept looking at her as Remus relented. He nodded his head and looked over at Sirius, who was holding onto Lily’s shoulder for dear life with concern.

“You move first-” Remus told him, “Get her out.”

His head motioned towards Lily, “And I’ll follow you, then Regulus. Hopefully the lack of weight will make the car more stable so we can figure out a way to get Petunia out.”

Petunia had no idea how physics worked, but she knew Remus was either spot-on or incredibly wrong. But she also knew they had no choice, they had to save Lily, even if it meant sacrificing her. 

Everyone held their breath as Sirius leaned forward to unbuckle Lily’s seatbelt. They all felt the car lurch forward and they froze. Petunia could hear Regulus’ breath hitch. 

As the seatbelt released itself from its buckle, Petunia watched Sirius take a deep breath. 

“I’m going to count to three and open the door,” he told them, “Are you ready?”

Remus nodded, and Petunia closed her eyes. She felt Regulus watching her every move. 

“One, two, three-”

Sirius opened the car door and dashed out. Remus scooted over to Sirius’ old seat to try and balance out the car as it rocked. Petunia grasped the steering wheel with her right hand. It was then she felt Regulus’ hand on her shoulder and his breath against her neck. She felt goosebumps rise against her skin. 

“You will be okay,” he promised, “I won’t leave you.”

Sirius carefully opened Lily’s door and picked her up out of the seat. He nodded for Remus to follow. Remus followed and looked at Regulus through the shattered car window.

“Are you coming to make a plan for Petunia, Regulus?” 

Petunia sighed a sigh of relief when she saw Lily was out of the car and on the roadside of the bridge. Sirius was tending to her as the rain started to fall.

“No, I’m not leaving her,” Regulus said fiercely, “I’ll find a way.” 

Remus didn’t fight Regulus’ words. Maybe he knew better; it was then Petunia realized she had no idea who these men really were and how well they knew each other. She had a feeling that Regulus was just as stubborn as his brother.

So Remus nodded and went to help Sirius with Lily and try to come up with a plan. 

The rain started pouring against the front of the car and made it lurch forward ever so slightly. Petunia held her breath, and she felt Regulus’ grasp on her shoulder tighten.

“I’ll-I’ll get you out,” he told her desperately.

Petunia wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince her of that fact or himself. 

He leaned forward then to try and pull her out from under the steering wheel, but it made the car move forward more into mid-air. Petunia saw Remus stand in the pouring rain and desperately run his hands through his soaking hair. He started to make his way towards the car once again. 

“The rain is going to be too much, you can’t get me out,” Petunia told Regulus, “Please save yourself and take care of my sister. I hope that’s not too much to ask.” 

His grey eyes were ice cold with determination, but she watched as a slight smile spread across his swollen lips, “I think your sister can take care of herself.”

Petunia was about to snort from a chuckle she tried to release from her throat, but the car moved forward again. She watched as the desperation built in Regulus’ eyes as he tried to look around for a solution. It was then he caught sight of Remus’ crowbar. 

Petunia watched as an idea struck Regulus, and that’s when she put his plan together. Without saying a word, he grabbed Remus’ crowbar and was prying the steering wheel off of Petunia’s legs from the backseat. The car lurched forward more, but just in time, Petunia’s legs were released from the steering wheel’s grasp.

“Can you move them?” Regulus asked hurriedly. He was preparing to get out of the car, but before he could answer, the car slid forward even more. Without hesitation, he quickly undid Petunia’s buckle and raced out of his seat, and before she knew it, she was in his arms and out of the car. 

The lack of their weight in the backseat and the sudden movements made the car nosedive off the bridge, and Petunia watched as it fell down to the racing waves of the river. The rain was pouring so loudly that you could barely hear the car’s crash on the surface. 

She was still in Regulus’ arms when Remus came over and examined her head.

“I worry she has a concussion. I don’t think Lily does, she’s up now and-”

Petunia’s head snapped towards her sister’s direction. She was sitting up next to Sirius who was trying to give her his jacket, but she kept refusing. 

“Lily?” Petunia breathed.

She wasn’t sure how Lily heard her over the pouring rain but not her crashing car moments before, but she looked up and met Petunia’s eyes. For a moment, Petunia recognized relief flash through her sister’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by resentment as soon as she stood up. Regulus still did not set Petunia down. He stayed where he was, and when Lily marched over with Sirius protesting that she sat down behind her, his grasp on her limp body tightened as though he was about to shield her from harm.

“I cannot BELIEVE you would completely disregard your own life for mine!” Lily yelled over the rain, “You have never cared about my life before, so don’t pretend you do now!” 

“Lily, you really shouldn’t be standing right now,” Petunia tried to tell her. She was exhausted, and she didn’t want to fight. If anything, she wanted to sleep, but she knew she couldn’t. Especially not if she had a concussion. 

“I’m not here now for you to get over your guilty conscience! If that is why you found me in the first place at the beginning of this fucking apocalypse, I swear to god-”

“Now is not the time to be yelling at your sister,” Regulus interrupted Lily harshly, “She almost died. For you, if I might add.”

Petunia watched as Lily glared at him, “Oh yes, Mr. Noble-” But she was interrupted by Sirius putting his hand gently on her shoulder. Petunia noted that she didn’t flinch away from his touch like she usually did.

“We can talk about this later,” he told her, “We need to find shelter.”

He offered her his jacket again, and Petunia watched as she reluctantly took it.

He was right, and Petunia heard Remus speak for the first time since she got out of the car, “Our best bet is to go in the woods for now. The trees will give us some coverage from the rain.”

The rain. Petunia had nearly forgotten. She was so tired and so focused on her sister that she didn’t even feel her wet clothes plastered to her skin or her hair sticking against her neck. Now that she was thinking of it, it was the loudest rainfall she had ever heard. She even felt Regulus shivering against her from the dampness of their clothing.

He was starting to follow after the others into the woods when Petunia told him, “I want to try and walk.”

He gave her a hesitant look, but then he nodded and agreed to let her try. It must of been a look in her expression that convinced him.

Thankfully, Petunia could feel her legs, but she had to walk slowly. She could not run after the others as they headed to the woods for coverage. Regulus stayed with her the whole way and had his arm around her shoulders. They didn’t say a word. She even watched as Regulus looked up at the sky as the rain fell. She wondered how his eyes could stand it, much like the fire from the night before.

Their walk through the rain seemed to last forever, but they finally made it under the trees. Remus, Lily, and Sirius were all sitting against tree trunks with their heads down. Lily was wiping the blood off her face with Sirius’ jacket as Regulus helped Petunia sit down next to her.

“If you just let me be when we got into the car and away from the hoard,” Lily berated, “Then we wouldn’t be in this mess. You wouldn’t have crashed the car and-”

“You can’t blame this all on your sister,” Remus told Lily calmly, “Anything like this could have happened-”

“Yeah,” Sirius piped up, “But now we don’t have any supplies, and we have no way of finding shelter without walking through this hellstorm. Apparently there is something with siblings where they can’t just shut the fuck up when needed-”

“Shut up, Sirius,” Regulus said, “You don’t need to add fuel to the fire.”

“Oh yes,” Sirius replied sarcastically, “My bad, I forgot we have a pacifist here-”

“Guys-” Remus tried to intervene, but Lily shut all of them up.

“My sister and I were fine before any of you fuckers showed up, even if we were completely miserable.”

“Hey! You would be dead if it wasn’t for us!” Regulus argued back.

Lily gave Regulus a stone-cold glare once again, but rather than say anything else, she stood up and brushed off her soaking wet pants as best as she could. 

“I’m taking a walk.”

Regulus was about to protest but Petunia shook her head in defeat. Sirius looked at both of them like they were the sight of ultimate betrayal. His look of revulsion made Petunia’s stomach turn.

Without a word, he got up and followed after Lily. Petunia was sure Lily would love that. He was clearly a slow-learner. 

Remus, Regulus, and Petunia were quiet for a few minutes and could only hear the pouring rain hit the top of the trees above them. 

Remus could feel the need for Regulus and Petunia to talk alone, so he cleared his throat and informed them, “I’m going to make a feeble attempt to find some dry wood somewhere around here to use as firewood. Wish me luck.”

They watched as Remus walked away in the opposite direction that Sirius and Lily went minutes before.

Petunia tried to adjust how she was sitting against the tree behind her, and she grunted in pain as her head brushed up against the bark. Regulus was leaning forward to tend to her in an instant.

“What hurts?” He asked her.

My heart. Everything. She wanted to say, but she replied, “My head, mostly.” 

Petunia watched as his hand moved up to her forehead slowly. He lightly brushed her hair away from her open wound. Petunia shivered at his touch and noticed the dried blood on his hand as he pulled away.

“Where are you hurt?” She asked him.

He shrugged, “Nowhere seriously, I just have random cuts and bruises and the nasty inflammation from your sister punching me yesterday.”

“I’m sorry,” she told him, “I should have been paying more attention while I was driving-”

“It isn’t your fault,” he reassured her, “We were all frazzled trying to get away and your sister was yelling at you. I get what that is like. You try so hard to please them and then-”

Regulus’ voice trailed off. 

Petunia looked at his face and studied him. There was caked blood on his chin, and his lip and nose were still swollen from Lily’s punch the day before. She doubted the car accident helped his healing process. 

His eyes looked softer then she had seen them. He was looking at her tenderly and she wondered what had changed. Was it the brink of death? She had only known him for a day, but now it felt like a lifetime. He risked his life for her’s. Maybe that’s what happens at the end of the world; bonds grew faster and quicker in order for people to survive. If you have no one to sacrifice yourself for, what’s the point? 

She wasn’t sure where her question came from, but she couldn’t help herself from asking it. 

“Why did you stay with me? You hardly know me. You could have saved yourself and came back if it was possible-”

“I saved you because it has always been my job to keep people alive,” he told her.

Petunia’s thoughts from the day before were reaffirmed; they were similar. He was more akin to her than anyone she had ever met. She wondered what made him this way, the designated protector; the one that was so ridiculously misunderstood that he was hated by the person he clearly loved most in this world. She had the urge to ask him a million questions, but not the courage. She knew that it was the end of the world, and you should never be hesitant at this point when you could die at any moment, but hesitancy was Petunia’s nature. It was her greatest weakness.

He watched her struggle with her response, but he did not say anything. He just waited and closed his eyes. The rain from above was starting to find its way through the trees and was hitting them once again. She knew they should move out of the way of the rain, but Regulus seemed at peace. Petunia then decided that if he was at peace in this moment, she should be too.