Petunia screamed when she saw the name on the envelope that Vernon handed her. This just couldn't be. I mean, how long had it been, ten years or so? If she were coming to Privet Drive, then all hell would break loose. Just when Petunia thought that Lily and that 'boy' were the deepest thorns in her side, her older cousin Zinnia was on her way with her husband and two kids.
For as long as she could remember, Zinnia was the most incorrigible wreck of a girl turned shameful state of a woman, she was Petunia's first cousin on her mother's side. Her Aunt Cynthia married an American missionary, and they both got killed in a plane crash, leaving her own parents to raise that awful Zinnia. Her husband would most probably be one to make that James Potter look like Winston Churchill and the pope both put together. Good Lord! The thought of this visit made Petunia swoon.
She thought over the time that Lily brought James home with his wreckless friend Sirius Black. The way that he and Zinnia hit it off immediately was, despite her efforts to keep an open mind about James and his friend being different, what told her that Sirius Black was a moth-eaten scoundrel.
Usually Zinnia and her friends wore loud make-up, dated thugs, and stayed out all hours of the night getting into trouble. She recalled how her parents got called down to the police station just about once every month to get her cousin for doing the most stupid of things, like brawling, knocking over mailboxes, and vandalism and destruction of public property.
Petunia's heart skipped to her stomach when she recalled her rehearsal dinner with
Vernon at her parents' house. They were sitting down eating dinner in Zinnia's absence(much to Petunia's relief; although, her mother insisted that she remember her cousin) when she crashed through the picture window riding a motorcycle with that 'no-account' Sirius Black. Granny Susan just about had a heart attack.
Petunia was never as embarrassed as she was then. She could only wonder what her future in-laws thought of them. Justice was served, however, when Mr. Evans kicked Zinnia out. The last she heard, Zinnia left the country, eluding the police, no doubt, but that wouldn't explain her desire to visit Petunia after all this time. Whatever the reason; it couldn't be good.
The sound of the doorbell ringing interrupted Petunia's distressful reverie. She went to the door to answer and screamed when she saw a woman with over-bleached and curly blond hair, a midget-sized man, a pudgy boy, and a small little girl with big, brown eyes.
"Hi, Petunia. How are you doing today? It's been so long, and I've missed my dear little cousin so much," she said smiling widely." I'd like for you to meet my family. This is my man, Harry, our boy, Mikey, and that's Matilda over there. Say hello to Petunia, everybody."
Oh bother! Zinnia was here, all would go to hell, and there was no use in prolonging the inevitable suspense, so Petunia permitted her cousin and her family to come into the house. Where this was headed, Petunia didn't know. She shook her head pitifully and thought it best not to ponder.