What You Don't Know

By: Rose Tyler.

Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter; all the credit & praise is to be given only to JK Rowling! The mastermind herself! I own only the plot

"Harry?" the sixteen-year-old boy with untidy, jet black hair & round spectacles looked up from the trunk he was packing. Surprise reflected in the depths of his brilliant green eyes to find Aunt Petunia standing there. At a loss for words he simply nodded, and made room on his bed for her to sit. Sitting down she placed a brightly wrapped package on the lap of her jeans. Neither said anything and the room was quickly filled with awkward silence.

"Almost packed?" she asked gesturing to his open trunk, and slightly smiling at the mess on his bed. "yeah" he answered " almost there". Again the room lasped into silence, this time ending with his Aunt handing him the package. She watched was he opened it, a picture frame fell out. Turning it over he felt his heart tighten as a young girl, most likely eighteen, with waist length golden-red hair & brilliant green eyes. She was smiling & waving at him, and he could see Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry in the background. He tried to hold back his tears, but one slipped through.

"Harry, I'm sorry. I know it must be hard for you, what with Lord Voldermort being powerful and all again, to think of what happened that night. I just hope the picture can give you as much comfort as it has me for the last eighteen years" for the second time in two years Harry was glad Petunia was his mother's sister.

"I did – I DO love her you know. Lily I mean. I know, I know what I said six years ago, I know I yelled she was a freak. That's the furthest thing from the truth. Lily was my little sister, I used to be her hero until she got that letter" she sighed when Harry sent her a glare. "Please don't look at me like that, Harry. You have to understand when we were kids we were close; she was my best friend, my only friend at times. Encouraged me at all times, my support and I was hers. She was so beautiful, inside & out. She had this knack for seeing the beauty in a person even when they couldn't see it themselves" she said & Harry smiled at her words. "Yea" he said softly " Lupin told me the same thing a couple of years ago" a far away look covered his aunts face "Out of all her friends, I'd always like Remus best. He's a good man" she sighed as though lost in a memory. "I was proud of her, she always said she was different & she proved it too, I was just upset. Upset at Hogwarts for only getting to see her for two months out of the year, upset at Potter for taking her even more away and angry at Voldermort for killing her & taking any chance of reconnection away from me" Harry was completely shocked at the tears that had started to run down Petunia's face, and for once in his life he actually felt a connection with her. She missed his mother as much as he did, if not more. She hated Voldermort for the same reason that he did, and a few more. In that moment he forgot all the hatred & contempt he'd held inside for his Aunt and reached out to hug her.

"I will bring him down, with the help of the Order Voldermort will get what he has coming to him" he saw her smile again – it was such a rare occasion that every time it happened it took him by surprise.

"You sound like her, you know" she said getting up & hugging him again. " you look & act like James, but you have Lily's heart. Good Luck, Harry. Don't be a stranger, drop a line, and send by owl if you must. Don't worry about Vernon, he'll deal. He'll have to, take care of yourself" she walked across the room & turned around at the door.

"Harry I apologize for how we treated you" she said, then walked out of the room. Leaving him with the picture of his mother, a half packed trunk & a lot to think about.