:A Little Kindness:
Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me. At least, not legally... or anything.
Author's Note: Yeah... I just wondered how it would be if Petunia decided to love her nephew, instead of shun him. After all, he's part of her flesh and blood, so he must obviously be something speacial, right?
It was the sound of a small whimper that first slipped into Petunia's consciousness, drawing a sigh from the sleeping young woman. Only a moment later was she fully roused from her sleep, even if she didn't quite want to get up.
What time is it now? Petunia thought groggily, opening reluctant eyes to peer at the bedside clock. The clock ticked softly, and under the faint sliver of silver moonlight creeping in through the window, the woman could just read the clock's face- 3:19 am.
Another whimper, followed by a hollow cry, finally made Petunia sit up in bed. The covers pooled at her waist, and and she shivered from the cold. She'd had to get the apartment at the last minute, and with her current lack of funds, could not entirely afford abundant heating.
Not that it matters right now, Petunia thinks, slipping out of bed and out the room. Five steps is all it took for her to make it to the only other bedroom of the apartment, and when she stepped inside her eyes went to the opposite wall, where a set of twin cribs were set up underneath the bedroom window.
The crib on the far left was silent, its inhabitant deeply asleep, and Petunia felt a smile creep onto her lips as she looked at her son's crib.
That was her Dudley, alright. He'd sooner sleep through an earthquake than wake to his roomate's soundly antics.
The small sniffle on the right, however, soon drew her eye.
Clicking her teeth softly, Petunia moved over to the crib and peered down. A small, wriggling toddler peered up at her, distress clear on his face.
Petunia's face melted into one of fond amusement, despite her sleep deprivation.
Even in the faint lighting from outside, the little boy's unsettling emerald eyes- so like her sister's had been -rested on her face. The boy let out a little gurgle, and lifted his chubby hands toward her.
"Toonya," he said, his way of saying her name.
A universal "pick me up, please" sign, if there ever was one.
"Come here, loud one," Petunia muttered softly. "Don't need you waking up your cousin."
The toddler, Harry, let out another gurgle, as if he understood what his aunt was saying and was responding to her.
Reaching into the crib, Petunia picked up the toddler, and then lifted him until she could cradle him properly against her chest. Almost immediately, Harry curled his body towards her chest and gripped the fabric of her shirt tightly in his hand. He sighed in contentment, and Petunia rolled her eyes. He was always the tactile one, wanting the soothing touch of another person to calm him.
Not that she had any quelms with indulging him, or Dudley, for that matter.
The young woman lifted her hand to his free one, and almost automatically Harry griped her finger into a tight hold within his chubby hand.
"Can't sleep, baby?" Petunia cooed.
Harry hummed softly, his eyes still closed.
"No," he muttered, almost indecipherable. "Lonellleeee..."
His long, black lashes fanned out over his ivory cheeks, and when Petunia pulled her hand away to push back Harry's already wild, black hair from his forehead, she could see the small lightning scar standing out with sharp relief.
When Dumbledore had brought him to her more than seven months ago, with the plea of her taking care of him, she hadn't hesitated in opening her home- and her heart- to her own flesh and blood.
It was the least she could do for her sister's memory.
But Vernon hadn't wanted anything to do with Harry- especially knowing her family's backstory and the boy's mother being magical -and had given her an ultimatum.
Which was why she was in the situation she was in now.
But she knew, as she stared down at the now silent, sleeping boy, that she would never regret it. Harry was her nephew, her sister's son. How could she turn him away?
"I love you, Harry," Petunia cooed softly, after a few minutes of gently rocking the boy. When he was deeply asleep, she lowered her head to press a gently kiss to his forehead, right on his scar. "You're something special, you know that?"
Harry merely let out another contented sigh, and Petunia lowered him into his crib.
Though she was tired, and would have to be up in a few hours anyway for work, she didn't move away from Harry's crib just yet.
She tucked the sides of his blanket around him gently, before going over to glance in at her son. She tried to stifle a giggle at the way Dudley lay sprawled out on his back, his blankets lying askew at his feet, with his mouth half open and the softest sound of snoring coming from him.
Already so much like his father; it was scary and a little sad.
Goodness help me when they are both older, Petunia thought, biting her lower lip. But, even that thought didn't deter her from her determination to give her boys the best lives she could, with what she had.
She tucked Dudley back in as well, and hadn't even straightened up before he was kicking the blanket off of him again, in his sleep. With a shake of her head, Petunia rubbed at her face with the palm of her hand before deciding to let her son just be as he was.
As she walked out of the room and glanced back for one more look, she could only pray that what she could give them both- even if all it was turned out to be a little kindness -would be enough for the years to come.
Hmm. What do ya think? I just had a weird thought running through my mind of Petunia being a kind, caring woman (gasp!), and this scene of her and Harry wouldn't leave me alone.
Do you like?