This is my first multi-chapter fic so any criticism is welcome. This is just the prologue and hopefully I'll have the first chapter up in a few days.
Warnings: Female Harry Potter, nice Petunia
Disclaimer: I wished I owned Harry Potter but it all belongs to J.K. Rowling
All mistakes are my own ^_^
PROLOGUE
When Petunia Dursley (nee Evans) woke up to make breakfast to her husband she thought the morning to be beautiful and peaceful. Her baby boy was still asleep, so a few quiet hours were guaranteed, her husband would be going to work and later on the afternoon she had a little tea party with her friends. Petunia was excited since she had some juicy gossip about the couple in #3.
On she went through her morning routine, ignorant to the coming disruption to her blissful morning.
Because the moment she opened the door to find a beautiful basket instead of bottles of milk, she could almost hear everything crashing down. And the most horrifying thing about the whole situation was the sleeping baby that laid in the basket with only a blanket for protection against the cold. Only the sound of #5 opening her door brought her out of her shock.
What would the neighbors think if they saw the baby in the basket? No, better to bring it inside and then take it to the police or the orphanage. But the letter she found beside the baby got rid of any notions of leaving the child somewhere else.
Lily, her sweet baby sister, was dead. Murdered alongside her husband by some dark lord, dying protecting their daughter. Succeeding, but leaving their one year old daughter an orphan. She tried to read the rest but tears blurred her eyesight so she wiped them away, knowing it wouldn't matter since they wouldn't stop. She tried to continue reading it but the words still smudged together. Failing, she stopped trying and took a big breath before releasing it. It was able to calm her a little and she repeated the action until Petunia was composed enough to continue reading the letter.
As the closest living relative, Petunia was now the sole guardian of Alexandra Dorea Potter. Petunia looked up and really looked at the baby. She didn't know how she missed it but the girl, her niece if the letter was true, was a perfect mix of her parents. Absentmindedly she smiled sadly in remembrance of her sister and went back to reading. For the child's care and living expenses a bank account had been opened and it told that later in the day another letter would arrive with all the needed information. No signature or name of whoever wrote the letter.
Petunia finally let the tears and letter fall, shaking at the tragic news, unable to process the thought of her baby sister being dead.
Sobbing, she reached for the now awake one year old and held her while apologizing continously. Because as much as they had argued and come to dislike each other, they were - had been sisters and loved each other despite it all. The last time Petunia had talked to Lily they had their biggest argument in which many cruel and hurtful things had been said to each other. Crying harder she hoped her sister could forgive her for all that had been said and done.
Petunia then looked at the child and couldn't help but cry even harder. Alex looked so much like Lily with her emerald green eyes that it made everything so real and not the horrible nightmare she wanted everything to be. She held the baby tighter, holding her as an anchor so as not to get lost in her grief and sorrow.
Vernon Dursley woke up as usual, at the usual time but to an unusual heavy silence. Fearing the worst, he grabbed his pistol from its hiding place and went first to his son's room, happy to find him sleeping peacefully. But what worried him the most was his wife since at this time the aroma of breakfast would fill the house and right now not even the sound of her moving around could be heard. Cautiously, he climbed down the stairs but hurried when he heard the distinctive sound of Petunia crying. He entered the living room running, aiming at where whoever might be harming his wife might be only to to stare confused when he only found Petunia alone and crying while holding something closely.
"Pet, dear, what happened? Why are you crying?" he asked her, worried at what may have affected her. He sat down next to her and it was then that he was able to see what she was holding. A baby. His Pet was holding a baby and with how similar it looked to his wife's sister and freak husband it could be theirs.
"Vernon, oh Vernon. It's so horrible...my sister, my dear Lily is dead." Petunia cried harder, seeking and receiving comfort from her husband.
Vernon didn't respond, simply held his wife tenderly and tried to think of something to make her feel less devastated by the loss of her sister. He was the only one that knew how much Petunia loved her sister Lily despite all the differences between each other. Softly, he asked, "And the baby."
"Her daughter. We are her guardians now. Doesn't she look so much like Lily? I bet she will be just as beautiful as her when she grows up." By now Petunia stopped crying and was smiling sadly at her niece. This was her chance to reedem herself to her sister. Holding her niece tight, she made a promise. A promise to care and love her sisters daughter as her own, no matter what happened in the future.
Vernon winced and sat stiffly, not bothering to answer. His wife knew what he thought about her freak sister and her lot. "Lets adopt her. Make her our own."
He sat, shocked, unable to respond but knowing that he wouldnt be able to deny her. He would do anything for her, his lovely Petunia. With a jerky nod from Vernon she smiled at the sleeping baby and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
Silence descended unto the house, broken only by the tik-tok of the clock and their breathing. When a wail from the second floor rang through the house they couldnt stop from jumping in surprise and at the unexpected noice, Alex woke up and her cries joined her cousin's.
Before she could stand up Vernos stopped her and told her he would check on Dudley while she tended to the girl. With a thankful nod, she rocked the baby while trying her best to calm her crying. "There, there, everything's all right," Petunia whisper to the baby while wiping away the few tears from the rosy cheeks of the baby who had stopped crying at the top of her lungs and was know sniffling cutely. When the baby stopped crying all together and was now curiously watching her unknown sorroundings, Petunia heard as her baby boy stopped crying too. Knowing Vernon would be bringing their son down in a few minutes she checked the girl if she had soiled her diaper -it was clean- and carried her to the kitchen. She till had to prepare breakfast and feed the children. Petunia sat Alex in Dudley's high chair; Vernon would have to get the second one Marge, his sister, gave them from the garage for Dudley.
While Petunia prepared breakfast Vernon knew he wouldn't be going to work, so after changing his son he called his secretary and cancelled all his appointments for the day. After the call he carried Dudley downstairs.
Breakfast was quiet. Dudley had been curious about seeing another baby, as was Alexandra, but neither made a fuss, eating their mashed vegetables and fruit in peace. When they were finished a strange, tense silence descended between husband and wife.
Petunia knew that even though Vernon had previously agreed to keep the girl and and raise them as their own, he had enough time to think this through. It wouldn't surprise her much if he became against the idea given his dislike (borderline hatred) of Lily and her kind. If that was the case then she didn't know what she would do. She had made a promise to Lily, and to break it would be impossible to her. It didn't matter that she could loose her husband and son, she felt strongly compelled, almost forced, to always put Alexandra first and foremost no matter what or who.
It should've scare her, anger her, this feeling but all she felt was happiness and warmth at doing whatever possible to keep her oath.
Vernon watched as the babies played with each other in the playpen, thinking through the morning's events. He really didn't want the girl anywhere near his house and family, but he wasn't cold hearted enough to deny her a home and his wife was adamant to keep the girl, anyway.
"We will keep the girl but I refuse to adopt her. The guest room will be hers and I won't waste my money more than necessary. " The words barely came out. He just hoped, for the girl's wellbeing, that her freakishness didn't contaminate his son. Or else...
Petunia simply nodded, knowing how much it cost him to actually say the words. She kissed him and whispered her thanks. Vernon just grunted and went back to watching the children along with her. Watching them all together she smiled sadly, knowing she wouldn't have gotten the daughter she always wanted without Lily's tragic death. And even though Alex wasn't her own, she would care and love her as such and tell her all about her mother, Lily. Petunia couldn't and didn't want to replace her sister, but she promised this to herself: Alex wouldn't feel less loved and wanted.
Not as good as I wanted it but it will have to do ^_^
