blue

There was a picture in her home of a small girl, no more than six, hanging on top of the mantle. The girl was smiling widely at the camera; her blue eyes were the ones that stood out the most.

Her eyes were so blue, like an ocean, you could drown in them.

The problem was the girl never grew up like her sister, seemingly frozen in time. It was the last picture of her before she was kidnapped.

Her name was Petunia, and she was a lovely girl who loved to smile and play with her sister, Lily.

If you asked Lily who was with her on that cursed day, she'd said everything she had told the police, her parents, and everyone who asked; her sister offered herself to a man with a kind face in exchange for Lily's.

Lily was four then; she always thought everyone would be like friendly aunties and uncles in the neighbourhood.

They did not.

The man who took her sister had a warm smile and a kind face. But he took little kids all over the country.
No bodies were found, nor ransoms were made.

Nothing.

The oldest case, the police had said, dated back sixteen years ago, and the first victim was nowhere to be seen. After a month, the police declared Petunia from a missing person to a dead one.

They held a funeral for her a year later. The casket was so small, but it was full of everything Petunia held dear. Her favourite dresses, her dolls, and the hair tie Lily gave her for her birthday.

Lily just managed to sneak out a small keychain in the shape of Petunia and Lily flowers they got in the market.

Sometimes, Lily wondered what could have been if Petunia had still been with her. Would she be happy when Lily got her Hogwarts letter? Would they still bake cookies when she got back for breaks?

If Petunia was still here, Lily was sure she would hug her when she had a bad dream and tell her everything was alright because her sister was there. Nothing bad would happen.

But Petunia did not.

Lily was here, and Petunia was nowhere to be found. The only remainders she ever existed at all were the photographs and a small grave down at the local cemetery.

"Both of you seem close," James commented while holding a frame, and Lily remembered that day all too well. Mum and Dad brought them to the zoo, and Lily had a blast.

Petunia would be the one who told her everything she knew about horses. Claiming she was older, so it was her job to teach Lily.

Lily smiled at the memories.

"We were," she said, smiling sadly. "She was my first defender, my first love and my first heartache."

James held her close, and she let him.

"Everything was going to be alright, Lils." he sat at the edge of the bed, holding Lily's hand close. "We will visit her whenever we can. It was only apparating away."

"I know," she said.

"Guys?" Peter's voice called from outside of her door.

Lily opened the door.

"What happened?"

"So there was a girl in the front door," he said. "She was wondering if she could look at the garden. She said she used to live here fourteen years ago. Sirius was entertaining her now,"

Lily furrowed her brows. "Fourteen years ago? My family has lived in this house for over twenty years."

"We better look at her then," James suggested, standing up and walking through the door.

So Lily was walking downstairs; Remus was busy making tea in the kitchen, and her legs took her to the living room.

There was a girl, no more than twenty, speaking with Sirius—who was obviously flirting with her—. The girl was tall and wore sunglasses; Lily was sure she had never seen that girl before.

"How may I help you?" she asked, looking at the girl.

The girl seemed shocked, standing still, her mouth agape.

"Hello?" Lily asked again.

"Lily?" the girl replied in a hushed tone, no more than whispers.

"Do I know you?"

The girl took off her sunglasses, and all Lily could see were her eyes.

Her eyes were so blue, like an ocean, you could drown in them.

Lily knew those eyes well, for she remembered how she had loved those eyes ever since she was little and how they would be her source of nightmares for years.

"Petunia?" she croaked.

The girl smiled sadly, her eyes glistening with tears. "Looking good, Lils. How are you?"The last thing Lily remembered was how fast she ran to hug the girl.