Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
Beta'd by the Lovely Michy :)
Written for;
The Pick a Card Challenge - Six of Spades, Ginny Weasley.
The Greek Mythology Challenge - Hebe - Petunia Dursley
The Hunger Games Competition - Peeta Mellark - Ginny Weasley
The Disney Competition - Cobra Bubbles - Vernon Dursley
The As Many As You Want Competition - HarryGinny, Please, Love, Childhood, Muggle, Movie Theatre, PetuniaVernon, Carpet, OC.
Family Reunion
"Are you ready?" Harry asked, a small smile on his lips as he watched Ginny roll her eyes at him.
"Yes, I'm ready, but really Harry, you can't rush getting ready. It takes effort to look this good!" she told him, the twinkle in her eye assuring him she was joking. Not that she didn't look good, of course, but to Harry, she always looked beautiful.
Telling her so earned him a kiss to the cheek, and taking her hand, he led her out of the door. They had decided to go Muggle London for the night, tired of being interrupted by fans while out in the Wizarding World.
After a small argument deciding whether to go to the movie theatre or a stage show, they had decided on the show. Harry, shortly after they got back together following the War, had gifted Ginny with a box in her favourite West End Theatre when she told him she had always wanted to see a stage show. It had become a regular haunt for the couple.
They Apparated together, appearing a few blocks away from their destination, and proceeded to walk, hand in hand, at a leisurely pace. Harry loved being in Muggle London with Ginny. She often pointed things out that he wouldn't have even noticed, and she always seemed fascinated with the most mundane things. Harry supposed that was the effect of growing up with Arthur as a father.
As they entered the building, Harry showing his card to allow them entry, Ginny dragged Harry to the bar. She adored the cocktails they served, and Harry was almost positive she must have tried them all by now, but every time she seemed to get a different one.
Harry gazed over the crowd as Ginny perused the menu, and his heart almost jumped into his throat. Across the room, glaring daggers in his direction, stood his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. He turned away from them and glanced at Ginny. She had never met them, and he hoped with all his might that he would be able to keep it that way.
"Are you going to order?" he asked her impatiently. "We should go and get seats."
"Harry, we have a box that's all ours, and forty five minutes until curtains open. We have plenty of time."
"I want to go and sit down," he insisted, but something in his face must have alerted her to his discomfort.
"What's wrong, honey?" she asked slowly, taking his hand in her own.
He shook his head, unable to lie to her, but unwilling to tell her the truth.
"Harry?" she pleaded, looking around the room for some indication to his sudden change in mood.
"My Aunt and Uncle are here," he mumbled, half hoping she hadn't heard him.
"Where?" she demanded, her eyes turning cold. She had been spitting feathers when Harry had told her about some of his childhood, and he really didn't want her to storm over to them, pitching a fit over something that had happened years ago.
"Gin, leave it, please?" he asked, pulling her closer to him so he could wrap his arms around her.
"You don't want to introduce me to your family," she suddenly asked, biting her lip as she peered up at him from under her lashes.
He frowned. "Not really," he replied. "They're not the kind of people I want you near at all."
She raised her eyebrow at him. "You don't think I can handle myself?"
He stared at her for a moment, before he noticed the amused look in her eyes. "Ginny," he reprimanded slightly, shaking his head at her. "You really are trying to give my brain a heart attack tonight, aren't you?"
"Run that by me one more time," she replied after a moment, her brow furrowed slightly.
He laughed and she grinned, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Ignore them, Harry. Don't let them ruin our night. If they decide to talk to us, then so be it."
He nodded, feeling a little bit better. As Ginny ordered them drinks, Harry's eyes moved back to his relatives, this time catching sight of Dudley, and a girl Harry had never seen holding his arm. He watched as his Aunt gestured in their direction, and looked away quickly. Ginny was right, he shouldn't let them ruin his night.
xxx
Petunia had never felt so good as she did walking into the Theatre with Vernon holding her arm. She had been looking forward to this night for weeks, if only for the bragging rights it would afford her when she next met with her friends for coffee. Vernon was looking very dapper in his suit, and she had spent most of the day preparing for the night. Her dress alone had cost twice as much money as any other item of clothing in her wardrobe.
Dudley and his lovely girlfriend, Camille, would be meeting them here, and they had rather good seats to enjoy the show. Of course, she longed to be one of those people who had a private box, but Vernon's salary, while enough to keep them comfortable, would never stretch to such an extravagance. Looking around the room as Vernon ordered them drinks, Petunia could tell those who would be the types to own such privileges.
Diamonds dripped from the young women in their posh cocktail dresses, most of them hanging off the arm of much older men who wore expensive looking suits and real Rolex watches.
As they moved to the other side of the room, so they could see Dudley as he came in, her attention was attracted to a young couple entering through the double doors. The man had messy black hair, and the most easily recognisable green eyes she had ever seen. Her nephew. She hadn't seen him since he fetched them home after 'their' war was over. With him, a beautiful red head holding his hand and laughing. Whatever he had just said had obviously amused her.
She watched them move to the bar with disdain. Why would someone like him be here? Surely 'they' had their own entertainment to enjoy instead of forcing their presence on normal folk. Vernon must have followed her gaze, because when she looked at him to tell him who was here, he was already glaring in the direction of the couple.
"How dare people like them come here!?" He demanded, though she was grateful he kept his voice down.
"I don't know. Ignore them, Vernon, they're certainly not worth our time."
Vernon nodded, though she could tell it was reluctant. Luckily, Dudley and Camille chose that moment to make their appearance, and Vernon focused on greeting his son with a manly hug.
xxxx
"Come on love, let's go and sit down, shall we," Ginny said picking up her drink and jumping slightly to get off the stool she had seated herself on. Harry nodded, picking his own drink up and holding out a hand to her to guide her up the steps.
It was their bad luck that they found themselves queuing right in front of the Dursleys.
"Heya Harry," Dudley said when he saw Harry.
Harry turned around to find his relations all looking at him. Choosing to ignore his Aunt and Uncle, he took the offered hand of Dudley and shook it. Allowing himself a small smile, he nodded to his cousin.
"Hey Dudley," he replied quietly.
"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Dudley asked, nodding his head to the obviously curious Ginny.
"Ginny, this is my cousin, Dudley. Dudley, this is my fiancée, Ginny."
Ginny offered a tight smile to Dudley, though she didn't offer her hand to him.
"This is Camille," Dudley said, gesturing to the woman on his arm. "We've been dating for a little over a year. Camille, this is Harry, my cousin."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Harry said, a genuine smile on his face this time. Despite the years they shared thoroughly hating each other, Harry was glad to see that Dudley had settled down into a decent man.
"And you. Dudley has told me a little about you, though he did say I wasn't likely to meet you," she replied, a small smile gracing her face.
The queue moved up, and Harry moved with it. Despite the friendliness of his cousin, he really wanted to get away from his Aunt and Uncle. He was very glad that looks couldn't kill.
"Where are you sitting?" Dudley asked.
"Oh, we have a box," Ginny said before Harry could answer, a small smile on her face. Harry looked at her, and almost laughed when he saw the mischief in her eyes. This wasn't going to end well. He looked at his Aunt and Uncle, and couldn't stop the small amount of pleasure at the looks of disbelief on their faces.
"You have a box?" Petunia blurted out. "Just for the two of you?"
"Well, tonight, it's just for us, but sometimes our family uses it, or our friends will come with us," Ginny replied sweetly.
"Family, you say. Well, you won't mind if we join you then, will you boy?" Vernon barked, his gruff tone leaving no room for disagreement.
Harry frowned. "Actually, Vernon, -" Ginny cut him off, squeezing his hand.
"We'd be happy for you to join us, Dudley, and you Camille."
"That's settled then," Vernon asserted, a smug smile on his face.
Harry raised an eyebrow, Petunia looked unsure, Dudley was frowning and Camille didn't seem to know what to do or say for the best.
The Dursleys and Camille followed the two of them up to their box, where there was a waiter waiting for them.
"Ah, Harry, Ginny, it's very nice to see you again. You have new friends with you this time?"
"Hello, Stuart. I hope you're well," Harry greeted, shaking the proffered hand.
"Hello Stuart. This is Dudley and Camille, Harry's cousin and his partner," Ginny said, reaching up to kiss Stuart's cheek. She and Harry both had grown fond of the man in the time they had been acquainted.
"I see. Well, it is a pleasure to meet you," Stuart said with a smile. He moved so the four of them could go into the box, stepping back deftly before Petunia and Vernon could enter behind them.
"Can I help you, Sir and Madam?" he asked politely.
"We're with them," Petunia squeaked, before Vernon could get angry.
Stuart raised an eyebrow.
"Mr Potter?" he called, causing Harry and Ginny to both turn around.
"Yes?" Harry answered.
"There are two people here requesting entrance. They inform me that they are with you?"
"Oh, mum and dad," Dudley said with a small laugh, though he seemed nervous.
Harry raised an eyebrow at Ginny. "Well?" he asked quietly.
"Allow them in, Stuart," Ginny said with a roll of her eyes. Waiting until the two were in earshot, Ginny added, "You know, because they are such loving relatives to their only nephew and all."
Vernon looked slightly ruffled as he took a seat beside Dudley, and Petunia had the decency to blush and look at the carpet as she sat down.
Ginny turned around to face the stage, and Harry put his arm around her, pulling her in close.
xxxx
Petunia walked down the steps, not paying attention to the conversations going on around her. Deep in thought, she relied on Vernon to lead her and make sure she didn't fall over.
Getting her wish of sitting in a box hadn't been as thrilling as she'd expected. She knew she would have to look the play up when she got home for when she saw her friends, because she hadn't been able to concentrate on the stage at all. The young couple, her nephew and his girl, had taken up centre stage in her mind instead.
They seemed like a normal young couple, not unlike Dudley and Camille, and if Petunia didn't know of... what they were, she knew she would probably enjoy their company. They had seemed to have fun during the break, engaging Dudley and Camille in conversation that had the four of them laughing and joking between them.
For a heart stopping moment before the show, she had believed she and Vernon would be forced to do a walk of shame back down the stairs to find their seats. She wondered, vaguely, what she and Vernon would have done to Harry had the roles been reversed. Truthfully, she knew she wouldn't have allowed them in. Vernon, she knew, would have taken great pleasure in telling them where to get off.
Tuning back into the conversation as they reached the bar area once more, she heard Dudley ask if Harry and Ginny had any plans for the rest of their evening.
"I think we're going to have a walk over to Covent Garden. There's an Italian called Orso that does incredible pasta dishes," Harry replied.
"Would you mind if, I mean," Dudley started, trailing off with a blush.
"Would you like to join us, Dudley?" Ginny asked kindly.
"We'd love too," Camille replied, already linking arms with Ginny. Apparently, during her musings, Petunia had missed the two girls firmly hitting it off.
"Dudley, I thought you were coming home with us?" Vernon said belligerently.
"Nah, I'm enjoying catching up with Harry. I'll come over and see you next weekend, alright," Dudley replied easily.
"Well why don't we come with you, and then we can go home together," Vernon said, even as Petunia squeezed his arm.
"Because you're not invited," Ginny replied before anyone else could answer. "I don't really understand why you would believe that we would want your company, to be perfectly honest."
"Now listen here girl, -" Vernon started, but Harry stopped him.
"Do not speak to my fiancé in that manner, Uncle. Dudley, Camille, you're certainly welcome to join us. Have a good evening, Aunt Petunia," He said, before turning around and heading to the door, Ginny, Camille and Dudley behind him. Dudley looked back for a second, but shrugged and turned his head, following his companions from the building.
"Little upstart thinks he can speak to me like that," Vernon growled. "Come on, Petunia. I want a word with my nephew."
"Leave it, Vernon. He's... He's right. We treated him terribly when he lived with us, why would he want to dine with us now?"
"But Petunia..."
"No. Come, let's go home. I'll make us some hot cocoa, and you can watch the football you recorded, alright."
Vernon stared at her for a moment, before he softened. "Alright, dear, if that's what you want. You're right, I don't want to eat with him anyway."
Petunia smiled as he took her arm in his once more and led her from the building. Vernon might be easily riled, but she had always been able to calm him when necessary.
Later that night, as she climbed into bed beside him, his arm automatically slipping around her waist, she sent a silent prayer to the gods.
No matter what her feeling about him was, she wished her nephew the best life possible.