Dudley picked up the telephone, already dreading making this call. It had been almost three years since he'd spoken with his cousin, Harry, and now he had to invite him to their second cousin's wedding reception.

The previous week, Dudley had received a gilded invitation in the post along with one for Harry, saying they were allowed to come to Diana and Josh's reception. The postman had delivered Harry's as well because Josh and Diana didn't know where he lived.

Luckily, Dudley had Harry's address and sent the invitation off. But four days later it had been returned, saying that Number 12 Grimmauld Place simply did not exist. Furious that Harry had sent him a fake address, Dudley hoped that the phone number he had been given was real.

Dudley dialled in Harry's number, and it rang three times before someone who definitely wasn't his cousin picked up.

'Hello? Hello? Is this on?' they yelled into the phone.

In the background Dudley could hear other voices chipping in.

'Who is it, George?'

'If that's his git cousin-'

'Ron, that's not nice!'

'He was just telling it like it is.'

'Is this felly tone on?' the first voice hollered.

'Y-yes,' stammered Dudley, holding the phone at arm's length.

'Who are you?'

'Dudley Dursley,' Dudley replied, briefly wondering if these people were crazy.

'It is him!' A new female voice could be heard, more pleasant that the others.

'I'm here about Harry Potter,' Dudley continued. 'He's been invited to a wedding reception, on 6th June at the Birchwood Town Hall. He can bring a plus one-'

'He better choose me...'

'Ron!'

'Merlin, Hermione, didn't know you were here.'

'Thank you and goodbye,' finished Dudley and hung up gladly, hoping that Harry wouldn't show up and then feeling guilty for wishing that.

Four months later, Dudley stood at the edge of a large hall, sipping on some champagne and watching couples dance.

He'd been eyeing a beautiful redheaded girl for some time now. Dudley reckoned she was about his age. She had brown eyes and was dressed in a tight, revealing cocktail dress of pale gold.

After some time, when Dudley had figured that she was definitely alone, he walked up to her, feeling he had a chance. Ever since he had lost most of his fat and replaced it with muscle, girls loved him.

'Hello,' Dudley said, sliding into the seat next to her. 'I'm Dudley.'

He stick out his hand and the girl gingerly shook it. 'Sorry, but I'm not looking for a man to date-'

'Oh, I know,' Dudley interrupted, though his heart sank. 'I was just thinking that you looked a little lonely.'

'Just waiting for my boyfriend to arrive,' she answered a little uncomfortably.

'Bye, then.' Dudley waved and left, going back to his original place.

He talked to a few relatives and friends, all the while keeping an eye on the girl. Several other young men approached her, but she turned them all down quickly.

'Dudley!' A voice behind him made Dudley turn to see a tall, handsome man with glasses, messy black hair and green eyes.

'Harry!' he cried, embracing his cousin. 'How are you?'

'Good, good. You?'

'Fine and dandy,' Dudley joked, but he noticed Harry was distracted. He followed his gaze to the redheaded girl.

'I wouldn't try,' Dudley warned him.

Harry only smiled and walked over, sitting next to the girl.

'Hey, beautiful,' he flirted. 'How are you?'

'Been waiting for my boyfriend to get his ass over here,' she shot back.

'I'm sorry,' Harry said.

'Yeah, you will be,' the girl replied. 'I've been waiting for over an hour! Do you know how many guys have hit on me?'

Dudley silently prayed that Harry would back off, seeing as the redhead seemed about to yell.

'What if your boyfriend had been at Azkaban, finally sorting out the Dementors?' Harry asked; it sounded like mumbo-jumbo to Dudley. 'What if he had brought them back over to our side now that Voldemort's dead? What then?'

The girl's mouth fell open. 'You did it?'

Harry grinned. 'Yes, I did.'

The girl squealed and kissed him. Dudley's jaw hit the floor. Harry kissed her back, and eventually they pulled apart. Dudley noticed a group of girls that had been eyeing up Harry now scowling.

'I love you, Ginny,' Harry said.

'Aw, I love you too,' she -Ginny- replied.

Dudley walked over to them. 'Hi, I'm Dudley, Harry's cousin,' he said, slightly awkwardly.

He couldn't believe that he had been hitting on Harry's super-hot girlfriend!

'This is Ginny, my soon-to-be wife,' Harry introduced, arm around her.

Make that super-hot fiancée, Dudley thought bitterly, glaring at the ring that adorned Ginny's finger.

'Pleased to meet you,' Dudley said pleasantly. 'Excuse me,' he added, standing and going into the bathroom.

Stupid, stupid! he cursed. Just go home and smile at their wedding. She was never yours anyway.

Indeed, Dudley was so caught up with silently chastising himself about having a crush on Harry's girlfriend, the man in question walked in, smiling, before standing at the urinal.

'Isn't she perfect?' Harry said dreamily, and Dudley jumped, looked down, then immediately wished he hadn't.

'Er... Yes,' Dudley said. 'How did you two meet?'

'At Hog- school,' Harry corrected. 'She was in the year below me. She's Ron's sister.'

'Ron, the one who kidnapped you in a flying car that one time?' Dudley asked, grinning at the memory; and Harry laughed.

'The very same,' he replied. 'Now, Ginny and I are going to go talk to everyone.'

Harry zipped up his trousers, washed his hands and exited. Dudley smiled wryly, and walked out too. Not just the bathroom, but the building.

As Dudley put his key in the ignition and reversed out, he wondered what it would be like to be a wizard. To have magic do everything for you.

Indeed, if all female wizards were as good-looking as Ginny, then Dudley wished he had gone to Hogwarts.

Back on the motorway, Dudley began to regret his decisions at the reunion party. Still, next he saw Harry, he'd make more of an effort to not stare at his fiancée.

And with that in mind, Dudley put his foot on the accelerator.