I don't own Harry Potter.

"My life has a superb cast but I can't figure out the plot."

(∩'-')⊃━*.*.*.*

Petunia Dursley née Evans is 45 years old and she is dying.

Petunia Dursley is 45 years old and she wonders how she even ended up in this particular situation to begin with.

Dying alone, her husband off with another woman (And what woman would want him? a voice in the back of her mind whispers), a son who is most likely in jail again.

She is pathetic she realizes. Pathetic, stupid, useless. How could she have let herself go like this?

Petunia remembers a little blond girl who had ambitions, plans. A little girl who wanted to be a doctor, an explorer, an archeologist.

She lets out a dry laugh, alarming a passing by nurse. Doctor? Explorer? Hah!

She'd ended up as a gossiping housewife whose only desire was to stay at home and nitpick at other people and a husband who made obvious her faults and flaws.

Of course Vernon wasn't always like that. She did have good taste no matter what her current situation indicated.

No, Vernon had once been a gentlemen. Too polite, she recalled. Much too polite.

She should have been wary then but Lily had always been the pretty one. Lily was the one who people liked.

Oh, Petunia had a way with words. She could manipulate a crowd with a few honeyed words here and there. A well-placed comment had people warming up to her instantly. A born politician her father had called her.

Petunia could shine like a star when she wanted to. But Lily glowed like a sun in the a dark, shadowed world.

When Lily entered a room, Petunia was forgotten. Lily who never had to try hard to succeed. Lily who had mother''s perfect face and hair. Lily who people loved.

So when rich, well-off Vernon took notice of her. Her of all people! she'd been thrilled.

And when she'd brought him home and he'd met her entire family and he hadn't even looked Lily's way, 19 year old Petunia knew he was the one.

They'd married despite her parents protests. 'You're too young, Petunia!' 'At least wait a few years!'

Despite Lily's concerns. 'Are you sure, Petunia? You're a little young, you know.'

Hmph. As if she could judge. Getting married to that Potter boy so soon after her.

No, Petunia had decided and that was that.

Vernon wasn't a violent man.

In all the years of their marriage he'd never once raised a hand against her even when intoxicated but violent could mean many things other than physical abuse.

No, Vernon wasn't violent but he was controlling.

It started with little things. He didn't like how she looked and she'd go change not wanting a fight so early in their marriage.

He didn't like the way she cut her hair. She grew it out long.

He didn't like how when they ate out she'd order dessert. 'Petunia, darling. Perhaps you shouldn't overindulge.'

She began to diet. He wanted her to stop going to University. She dropped her classes despite the protests of her professors and parents.

Before long they fell into a habit, a bad habit so deeply ingrained she didn't even notice.

She remembered the one time she disagreed with him. She had been pregnant with Dudley and had wanted to paint the nursery yellow. Vernon had wanted blue.

The rage on his face when she'd gone ahead and painted it yellow the next day was so disconcerting that she had actually taken a step back.

'Ve- Vernon? It's just a color...' He'd looked at her with such angry eyes then.'If you like, I'll change it-' 'You stupid woman! I said blue!' Petunia's eyes had widened as Vernon began to rant and rave, gesticulated wildly, spittle flying as his face began to turn red.

Petunia supposed she should have left him then but by that time she'd become so dependent on him. Where would she have gone? She had no job. Her sister was out of the question and she could just imagine the I-told-you look her mother would have given her. Being pregnant didn't help matters at all.

She stayed and she fell even further.

(∩'-')⊃━*.*.*.*

So... A Petunia time-travel fic.

This idea has been going around in my head for a while and I finally managed to get it somewhat written out.

Petunia as a character is odd because she's often portrayed as an evil bitch or a bit OOC. Most the time its evil Petunia, which I don't agree with.

She's really a character that could be fleshed out more. I mean people see her as the evil bitch who distanced herself from her sister for ridiculous reasons. But really if my little sister had turned out to be magic and had access to a magical and wondrous world that I didn't, I'd be really jealous and bitter. I don't think I 'd abandon my sister but you can see where Petunia is coming from.

Anyway I'm talking too much now so...

Read and Review!

Thanks!

ShaSha