Dudley Dursley had been afraid of magic ever since he was eleven years old and a giant of a man had given him a pig's tail. His fear had only grown over the years as he watched his dreaded cousin Harry going to a magical school and becoming a stronger wizard. Even though he was one of the most feared boys at Smelting's Academy he had still returned home feeling defenseless against Harry's abilities every summer.
And now the woman he loved and whom he planned to marry was sitting across from him at the kitchen table with her wand in her hand. "So you see Dudley, there's this whole other magical world just below the surface of your society," said Violet nervously, "and before I can agree to marry you, this is something I need to know you're O.K. with." Dudley took a deep breath and tried to steady his nerves. He had definitely not expected this. He'd been raised his whole life to believe that witches and wizards were freaks of nature and dangerous to be around but Violet was so normal. He looked into her beautiful face which was framed by her dark hair and smiled. He knew just what he needed to say "Of course I'm O.K. with it darling. I think that is should just send a letter to my cousin."
A week later Dudley and Violet stood on an old London street. They passed by number eleven and looked on but number twelve was nowhere in sight. Perhaps Harry had given him a fake address? He wouldn't blame his cousin if he had, after all Dudley had spent the majority of his childhood beating his cousin up and generally being awful to Harry just like his parents had. They had encouraged him to do it as well, especially his father. While his mother's disdain for Harry was often passive-aggressive, his father had always encouraged violence, defending him when he bullied his classmates and all but cheering him on when he hit Harry. Dudley just wished his cousin would give him a chance, he had changed, or at least he thought he had. When those things had attacked him and Harry when they were fifteen he had seen how awful he was and felt the pain he had caused others he had vowed that he would change. Sure it hadn't been easy. He had to quit boxing hallway through his school year, much to his father's dismay, so he could start paying more attention to his studies. He stuck to the diet that the school nurse had given him and had eventually reached a more normal weight, although he did still have a heavyset build. Eventually he'd even gotten into a university business sciences program. That was how he'd met Violet. Her sister Karen was in his economics class and she had introduced the two of them to each other at a campus party. They had really hit it off with one another and were officially dating a few months later.
As he stood on the street looking distractedly about in case he had missed the house by mistake, he felt his fiancé grab onto his hand and begin to pull him towards the property line between number eleven and number thirteen Grimmauld Place. "What are you doing?" he said loudly. She turned and looked at him with her big, beautiful brown eyes, "Just close your eyes and trust me Dud." She said. So Dudley Dursley closed his eyes and let the woman he loved lead him forward. He grunted in pain as hit toe came into sudden contact with a stone step. "Oh sorry love, I should have warned you about the step. "said Violet ruefully. "Can I open my eyes yet?" muttered Dudley as he flexed his toes inside his shoe. "I think it should be alright now." said Violet. Dudley could hear the smile in her voice and couldn't help but grin himself in response as he opened his eyes. Directly in front of him was a green door with a shiny brass twelve on it just above the letter box. Harry hadn't lied to him after all.