It had been a good year since Dudley protected Harry from you know who. Her name was still on the mouths of many wizards and witches alike. It was unheard of for a muggle to survive an attack from any wizard. So she had almost a royalty status amongst the wizarding world. Of course her parents weren't as pleased with things at all. They seemed to almost shun her.
Dudley had went from having a bedroom fit for a queen, to a tiny cupboard space with hardly any room for her to even sit. She had to either hunch over or lay flat on her back. There was no room for her to bend her knees if she laid on her side.
Dudley also was given a rather lengthy chore list now , that was hard to even get done on her best days. All in all her life had been turned almost upside down all ,because she protected her cousin.
"Wake up!" Dudley hears her mother scream pounding on the small door of her room. Dudley groans some opening the door and stepping out of it. Dudley back cracks back into place, and she has black rings under her eyes, thanks to the lack of sleep from rather uncomfortable sleeping position she'd been forced to sleep in.
"Good now get to cleaning. Now." Her mother snaps shoving a broom into Dudley's hands. Dudley yawns softly almost falling asleep while standing up. She catches herself on the wall and shakes her head some.
Her mother rolls her eyes and clacks off ,no doubt to start cooking some breakfast for her and her husband. Dudley sighs softly getting to work. If she can get the sweeping done before to long, she might be able to get a snack to munch on. That was doubtful though. It seemed every time she finished one chore, her mother shoved another one at her. So even when Dudley thought she was finished, she wasn't.
"Hello! Does this look clean to you!" Dudley hears her mother snapping at her.
"Sorry. I'll get to it now." Dudley says sweeping the dirt into a pile and dumping it into the trash. Her mother looks over Dudley's work and nods her head approvingly. It's the best thing Dudley can get from her own mother now.
Before her mother can say a word to her, their phone rings and her mother clacks off to it. Dudley can't hear her mother say a word , she only sees how her mother reacts to whomever is on the other line. Given her mother's body language it had to be either her aunt lily or her uncle James. Either way it had to be good news for Dudley at least. Dudley's mother glares her way and motions her on over. She forced the phone in Dudley's hand and storms off.
"Uh hi?" Dudley asked into the phone unsure of whom was on the other end.
"Hey sweetheart. We know it's last minute but how do you feel about staying with us this weekend? It's been a while since we've seen each other." Lily says Into the phone.
Truth be told lily had been trying over a year to be able to talk to Dudley over the phone. Lily had a hunch something wasn't right with her niece , just from the sound of her voice.
"Oh no. That's more than fine. Just one issue we've been having car trouble, any chance you can come get me?" Dudley asks her aunt softly.
"Of course we can." Lily says happily before hanging the phone up. Dudley hangs the phone up on her side and rushing outside to start in on her chores out there. Her mother and father think nothing of it and smile amused as Dudley struggles a bit to pluck the weeds. She's weak and honestly is in need of a good meal. Dudley just hopes her aunt and uncle don't notice how bad off she really is.
After a good twenty minutes Dudley hears a car horn in the driveway and is more than happy to see her aunt walking up the drive ,with her now two year old harry in her arms.
"Dudley. " Lily says worriedly seeing her niece look so worn. Dudley follows her aunt back to the car and sits back almost instantly falling asleep.
"She looks horrible Lil." James says glancing back at his niece , shaking his head some.
"I know James. We can't let her go back there. I mean she is good with Harry." Lily says suggestively to her husband who gives her a look.
"You know how the wizarding world views us getting custody of a muggle. Even if she is a relative of ours." James says to his wife softly.
"Honey I know that, but I can't let her go back there. Besides since when did you abide by wizarding laws? I recall a reckless boy in his youth breaking every school rule he possibly could." Lily says smirking at her husband some.
"Fine. Fine. She can stay with us ,but only if she wants to. I won't force her to do something she doesn't want to do. And no putting any charms on her Lily." James says seeing his wife grab for her wand. Lily grumbles lowly and places her wand back away in the glove box.
Dudley doesn't stir once and is almost softly snoring in their back seat. Lily looks back at her sadly. "We can't let her go back there James. I mean it. Look at her. She's as weak as when you know who attacked her and Harry." Lily says sadly.
"Again I'm not going to force her to do something she doesn't want to do."
Lily sighed softly looking back at her niece once more. She looked so horrible. The duo pulled into their driveway and James gently cared Dudley inside. She was so light , too light for his liking. You can feel her ribs through her jacket and that terrified him. He gently set her on the couch as his wife headed inside.
"How is she?" Lily asks softly as to not wake her.
"Bad. I know they hate people like us, but Dudley..she...she's a muggle like them. Why do this to her?" James says then asks frustratedly hitting the wall. It makes Dudley snap her eyes open and perk straight up.
Lily gives her husband a stirn look before she slaps the back of his head. James looks over at Dudley and sighs some. Yeah some parents she has. "Where's Harry?" Dudley asks looking around the room.
"In his room. How are you feeling sweetie and don't lie to me about it." Lily says firmly raising her wand. Dudley doesn't have to answer her, Lily could already tell by looking at her she was in bad shape.
"Horrible." Dudley says simple enough running her fingers through her hair.
"Why don't I get you something to eat." Lily suggests seeing her niece smile softly then the smile fade too soon.
Lily shakes her head some grabbing some a bit of pumpkin tart Mrs Weasley was kind enough to make for her. "Here. It's not much. But it should help." Lily says softly handing it over to Dudley. Dudley looks at the treat confused and take a bit. She takes her time eating it and that just worries her aunt and uncle more so.
"When's the last time you've eaten?" James asks her point blank arms folded over. Dudley shrugs and James mumbles a few curse words looking to the ground. He has his wand in a death grip and his wife has to calm him down some.
"You don't know? It's been that long." James says seriously his eyes wide with worry. Dudley nods her head making James rub at his temples some.
Lily taps her husband on the shoulder and motions for him to follow her. He does so and she gently shuts their bedroom behind her. "She's staying with us James. I don't care if she says she's fine or that she doesn't want to. She's staying put here." Lily says firmly to her husband.
"Lily you know I love her to death, but again I won't do something she doesn't want. If she wants to stay with her parents, that's her choice to make, not ours." James tells his wife gently. She looks frustrated as she sits on the bed, him before her. He gently pushes back some of her hair and tilts her chin up ,so she is looking him in the eyes.
"It's her choice love. If she doesn't wanna stay, we can't make her. That doesn't mean we can't have others check in on her. I'm sure moony and Padfoot won't mind doing so. They seem to like her having not even met her yet." James says softly seeing his wife smile softly.
"I just don't want her to go through what I went through James. If they treat her like this as a muggle , they could have dam well killed her if she turned out to be a witch." Lily says softly her voice shaking.
"I know. But again. It's not our choice." James says gently kissing his wife on the cheek.
"I'll ask her if she wants to stay." Lily says softly getting up. James follows her out to the living room, where Dudley is still on the couch.
"Dudley, I have something important to ask you. Okay." Lily says seriously looking at her niece. Dudley looks a bit concerned and looks over at her uncle hoping he'd know what was going on.
"Sweetheart how would you feel about living with us?" Lily asks her gently.
"Like permanently live with you? But won't you two get in trouble for this. I thought muggles aren't allowed to be adopted by wizards and witches." Dudley says softly rather confused.
"It's fine dear. Now what do you say?"
"But I...I want to. But I, won't they take Harry away from you?" Dudley asks softly.
"We'll cross that road when we cross it. Now what do you say?" James asks her and she slowly nods her head.
"Then it's settled just one thing we need to do." Lily says looking to James who nods his head. Dudley cocks and eyebrow as he goes over to the fireplace and shouts for poppy. There before her suddenly is the very nurse who'd helped save her life.
"Oh dear. What has become of you?" Poppy asks looking Dudley over.
"Don't worry I'll give her a quick exam here and that will be that." Poppy says raising her wand and drawing over Dudley's body.
"Malnutrition, and some minor bruising." Poppy says making lily sigh with relief. She'd expected it to be far worse than what it was.
"Here dear just take this once a day until there gone. It'll help you gain your weight back and help with the bruising too." Poppy says handing her a medicine bottle. She then walks over to the fireplace and disappears into a puff of smoke.
Dudley unscrews the cap and takes a dose of it making a face. It tasted down right terrible. But If poppy says it'll help her, than who is she to argue with a med witch.
"So does this make me a Potter now?" Dudley asks gently looking at Her aunt and uncle. The duo grin ear to ear.
"Why yes it does." Lily says sitting beside her on the couch. Dudley seemed a bit more at ease and the potion poppy gave her was already starting to look. Dudley had a lot more color to her face and she didn't have as much sunken in cheeks as before either.
"You're looking better. How are you feeling?" James asks Dudley grabbing himself a water from the fridge.
"A little better. " Dudley says softly making James nod his head firmly.
"Good to know. Just be sure to actually drink that like you should. " James tells Dudley ruffling her hair some. She snorts at him slapping away his hand. It makes James chuckle softly and lily giggle some at that.
Maybe being a potter wouldn't be that bad.