Chapter 287 - Evans Family Ⅱ

While unpacking, Rowan heard an unpleasant voice from behind her say, "Hey freak."

Rowan turns around to face the sour-faced Petunia with light hair and pale eyes. Petunia widens her eyes at recognizing Rowan. "Sorry, that wasn't intended for you to hear."

"Even if that was for Lily that is still quite ill-mannered on your part, Petunia," Rowan chided as Petunia blushed in humiliation.

"Well, she deserves it," Petunia grumbled not feeling very repentant anymore.

Rowan merely raised an eyebrow and said, "Does she have tentacles?"

"What ick, no!"

"How about a tail?"

"No!"

"Turns into a man every third Wednesday of the month?"

".... No, and that is strangely specific."

"What about any other anomalies?"

"No."

"Then she's not a freak according to the dictionary because that particular word only applies to one who behaves or is behaving in a wild and irrational manner, typically due to extreme emotion, mental illness or drugs. Nor is she any way some sort of monster or strange outer-worldly being," Rowan confidently countered.

"As such, Lily might be a bit weird even strange, but most certainly not a freak. Might I suggest oddball might be the proper term you've looking for."

Petunia gapes like a fish for a moment, before saying, "You're still the same as I remember, Rowan, a know it all."

"Ah, but you forget, I also have a rather violent streak," Rowan said as she took a step towards Petunia, who instantly took a step back.

"You used to get into fights with the older boys," Petunia warily said as she folded her arms over her chest rather defensively.

"Yes, well, they used to try to mess with Severus," Rowan said with a shrug. "I couldn't very well allow them to harm, my precious younger brother."

Petunia snorts and says, "So, are you going to that fre-, that magical school too?"

"Yes, as is Severus."

"Oh, I knew that fre-, that terror would get in too."

"There's no reason to be jealous, Petunia," Rowan said causing Petunia to turn purple in anger and embarrassment.

"I'm not!" Petunia sputtered. "You couldn't pay me to go there!"

"Mm, that's not what you said to Dumbledore," Rowan said causing Petunia to pale.

"How, how do you now that?" Petunia stammered with fear and disbelief.

"I suppose a freaky talent of mine as you would so incorrect put it," Rowan mused out loud.

"However, that being the case, I don't understand why you care so much. It's not as though it is all cut out to be."

"Of course, you'd say that," Petunia snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Name one thing that goes wrong in your fairytale world."

"The wizarding world through progressive in some ways is very much antiquated in other ways," Rowan grumbled. "The wizards and witches still dress like it was still the Victorian era."

"Really? What else?" Petunia curiously asked with narrow eyes full of misgivings.

"A friend of mine in our second year was told that her parents had signed a marriage contract that would come into effect upon her graduating Hogwarts. How's that for being too young to be engaged?" Rowan drily said upon thinking of Tiffany's situation.

"Isn't that illegal!?" Petunia bellowed in utter horror.

"Not in the Victorian era of the wizarding world. Nor does magic solve everything," Rowan wryly muttered. "And besides I'd think that you'd be much more enthusiastic about the era you are living in, Petunia. I don't mean to sound a bit of a Feminist, but this is an era, where women can be anything, they want to be from a CEO to an airplane pilot, a doctor, etc. The question is what do you want to be?

Petunia flushes and glances away. "I'm not much good anything beyond becoming a housewife."

"There's nothing wrong with becoming a housewife, if that's what you truly want. But why not try to become a pastry chef? I've heard from Lily that your pudding is most excellent and that she envies your talent as she can't even make anything beyond scrambled eggs and toast," Rowan not so subtly suggested.

"Really?" Petunia seemed intrigued at the idea that Lily might be jealous of her for so something so trivial.

"Swear on Scouts honor," Rowan said as she held her hand up in the scout's pledge. Not that it would do Petunia any good as Rowan wasn't a scout, to begin with.

Before Petunia can say anything else the phone begins to ring. It is quickly answered, before Mrs. Evans shouts from downstairs, "Petunia, one of your friends on the phone."

"I'll see you later," Petunia said as she rushed over to her room and jumped on her bed. On her bed, there was a bright pink cord phone connected to the pink phone receiver. "Hello?"

Rowan didn't hear the rest of the conversation as she headed downstairs and only heard vague ramblings from the teenage girl. Mrs. Evans was the kitchen preparing a light meal when Rowan crossed the living room. "Feel free to have a seat dear, and watch some Telly if you would like," Mrs. Evans remarked as she battered some dough on the counter that would be used to cover the potpie, she'd be serving for dinner.

"I will watch a bit of Doctor-Who later," Rowan replied. "But thank you, Mrs. Evans, I think I'll read for a bit." On that note, the fourth Doctor should be on right now. The first three were alright, but the fourth Doctor was rather interesting to watch as he was the longest-running doctor until 1978.

Standing before the bookshelf Rowan skimmed through the titles before finding one of her favorite fantasy series. She had plenty of series she'd like to read but as half of them wouldn't be written for some time, she'd have to stick to the classics. Taking the hardback book, she scooted into an armchair and began to read.

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort-."

Soon Rowan was lost on Bilbo's journey until Mrs. Evans said, "Lunchtime!" The sound of a door slamming could clearly be heard from Petunia in response.

Glancing around Rowan asks, "Where's Lily and Severus?" Before taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"They went to play outside," Mrs. Evans said as she placed a neat plate of sandwiches before her with a bowl of crisps and cut up fruit. Grabbing the pitcher of ice-cold lemonade off the counter, she pours Rowan a cup, before placing the pitcher on the kitchen table.

"Aren't you going to have a bite, Mrs. Evans?" Rowan asked as she took a mouthful of her sandwich.

"I already ate one, dear," Mrs. Evans said as she wiped her hands on her apron. Heading out of the kitchen, Mrs. Evans opens the door and shouts, "Lily and Severus, lunch is ready!"

Mrs. Evans closes the door lest the cool air escape, but not long after the two flushing figures can be seen running inside. "Now have a bite to eat dears, or you won't be allowed outside until you do."

"Mum!" Lily said in embarrassment as she glanced at her mother.

Mrs. Evans ignored her daughter's embarrassed look and placed two kitchen plates on the table. "Now at least eat something and drink plenty of Lemonade! Or else, both of you might faint from this infernal heat."

"Yes, Mrs. Evans," Severus dutifully said as he sat down and grabbed a sandwich. Lily was too embarrassed to say anything as she sulkily grabbed a sandwich and began to slowly chew.

Mrs. Evans sure that all was right in the world opened the fridge to check on the Fruit Fool. It was a simple dessert made up of custard with whipped cream and fruit. It'd do quite nicely after a long day of work and not to be heavy on their stomachs after dinner. Just perfect for this ongoing hot weather, they were having. With a smile on her face, she went back to rolling the dough one last time, before placing it on the chicken pot pie and into the oven it went. It felt quite good to be a housewife at times like these. And that was something to be rightly proud of.