Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to J.K. Rowling.

'Til Death Do Us Part

Abuse takes many forms and can affect people in many ways. The most prevalent forms of abuse are sexual, physical and verbal. If you look back at the etymology of the word, it is derived from various languages and means misused, consuming, or improper use. In ordinary terms it is the taking advantage of another through controlling that person's thoughts, words and/or actions. In our lives that abuse can creep up on a person so slowly that they are unaware that they are being controlled. This is how Petunia Evans Dursley fell into that trap.

Petunia Evens grew up in a middle class neighborhood. She had a younger sister, Lily, and they were best friends until ... until Lily became a freak. Petunia really didn't think that Lily was a freak. Petunia was jealous of Lily's special talents. When Lily became friends with that Snape boy who lived in the "bad" part of town, that's when Petunia decided Lily was a freak. That poor boy had no clothes that fit and he was often dirty and bruised when they would see him in the park by the river. Since Lily could do the same things he did, she had to be a freak too.

Lily went off to the boarding school in Scotland whereas Petunia had to remain home and attend a local Public School in Manchester as a day student. It was the city nearest Spinner's End where the Evanses and Snapes grew up. After she finished school, Petunia went to a Business and Enterprise College. After two years she had earned a certificate and applied for a position in the secretarial pool at Grunnings in Little Whinging, Surrey. She enjoyed her position and was a very good worker. As such Petunia was often requested to take stenography and perform other tasks for the junior officers. One of these junior officers was Vernon Dursley. More and more frequently he requested her services.

When Vernon was promoted to a senior officer in the firm, he asked his favorite stenographer out to celebrate. At this time he also informed her that he wished to take her out again, but she would have to find a position in another firm because fraternizing with the stenographers was against company policy. Petunia was flattered by the attention and immediately resigned her position and walked across the street and applied for a position in the bakery.

Being a large man who never met a doughnut that he didn't like, Vernon had breakfast every day at the bakery where Petunia could wait on him. Petunia was flattered by the attention of Vernon Dursley and ignored the fact that he was a stingy tipper.

When he deemed it a suitable period of "courting" he asked Petunia to marry him. Petunia had already fallen in love with Vernon Dursley because he was normal. He was attentive and caring. He was also aware that her sister was not normal, but he still wanted to marry her. He told her that she would not have to have anything to do with her sister. In the spring of 1978 they were married. They bought a tract home on Privet Drive in Little Whinging where they planned to live their perfectly normal life.

Petunia was thrilled with the new home and was very careful to never over spend the household budget. Overspending was a sin in Vernon's book. He bought things for show—the downstairs furniture where guests were received, the latest automobile, his clothing. When it came to the personal areas of the house, it was furnished from the second-hand shops and jumble sales in the next town over because it would never do to be seen in such a place in Little Whinging. Vernon bought Petunia clothing to wear when entertaining clients in the home or to wear out, but she was to wear thrift shop finds the rest of the time.

When they were courting Vernon never failed to tell Petunia how attractive she looked or how nice her hair was. After they married he slowly changed the style of clothing she wore and shamed her into changing her hair to suit his tastes. Petunia wanted to please him so she did everything he told her to do. Petunia was not allowed to renew her driver's license because "she didn't need to go to the stores without him". In fact, a year into the marriage Petunia was a cookie cutter of Vernon's ideal that he took everywhere she needed to go and left at home when he didn't want to be bothered.

Petunia and Vernon were invited to Petunia's sister's wedding to James Potter. Vernon decided that because Lily was a freak and marrying another freak that had no job they would not attend the wedding, nor would they send a gift. "Tossers like that only want my money," Vernon told her. (Neither of them knew that James was wealthy and worked as an Auror.) When she tried to argue that they really should go, Vernon slapped her across the face.

This was the first time he hit her, and Petunia was so surprised that she just stood there in shock. Because she made no noise, he didn't think he had hit her hard enough, so Vernon hit her again. "YOU WILL NOT ARGUE WITH ME. I AM THE MAN AND I WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU WILL DO," he shouted.

Petunia was already afraid of making Vernon mad at her, but this was terrifying. Petunia's mother was never treated that way and Petunia had no idea how to react. She apologized for being out of line and he pulled her to him. As he wiped her tears he said, "Petunia, you know you shouldn't make me punish you. You know that when you talk back, I have to reprimand you. I don't want to do that, but I have to."

When Dudley was born, it was Petunia's job to keep him quiet so that he wouldn't bother his father. This was easy when he was little, but as he grew Dudley soon discovered that by making noise, he could get what he wanted.

The worst day of Dudley's little life was even worse for Petunia. That was the day that they found Harry Potter on their doorstep. Dudley didn't want to share anything with anyone, most of all with his orphaned cousin. Vernon was going to take the child to the orphanage and leave him on their doorstep until they read the letter from Dumbledore. Grudgingly they took the child in, but Vernon vowed that he would not be "talented" like his parents. This was the day they turned the cupboard under the stairs into a nursery for Harry. This way they could lock the unwanted child away and forget that he was there. Luckily for Harry, he was a quiet child who did not demand anything.

Petunia understood that accidental magic was just a part of the freakishness that came from a magical child. Vernon, however, was going to beat it out of that child if it was the last thing he did. Vernon was also bent on Petunia for allowing Harry to be a freak in the first place. Petunia kept telling herself that she loved Vernon and would do whatever he said. Vernon was always right and knew exactly how to raise the boy.

Petunia wanted to please Vernon. Her job as homemaker was to have the house clean, the food cooked, the children quiet and out of the way, and to be ready for intimate relations when Vernon wanted them. Vernon's job was to work at Grunnings and provide a roof over their head. If she could do everything perfectly, Vernon would not have to punish her. "I only punished you because I loved you and want you to be perfect," Vernon often told her.

As time went by Vernon was promoted to a director in sales. Dudley grew into the spitting image of his father, not only looks, but in actions. Harry was taught that he should work around the house in order to pay for his upkeep, get good grades in school and not cross Dudley. Dudley was taught to have tantrums and be a bully and he would get his own way.

Petunia was the perfect wife for a director. She knew how make the perfect meals for the business associates invited into their home and kowtow to Vernon's rude sister, Marge. After years of abuse she no longer loved Vernon, but she had married him and would never think of divorce. She had vowed to remain with him "until death do us part". Petunia's greatest fear now was it would be her death.

Hogwarts School DADA Assignment #4

Task: Write about a controlling, one-sided love. The other person may be scared of the controlling force, or even controlled by another source, such as the Imperius Curse or a strong love potions. So long as the love is prominently one sided, that is the task.