Written for the Pairing One Hour-Challenge.
The young couple was standing in front of the Evans' house and kissed eagerly in the light of a street lamp. Petunia slowly pulled herself away from her boyfriend's lips even though it almost caused her physical pain. She didn't want to go inside now. But she knew she had to. Vernon had to go on a business trip tomorrow and she didn't want him to be all tired because of her.
Suddenly a sob escaped her lips. She was as surprised about it as Vernon. Petunia wasn't usually someone to cry. Especially not over something like her boyfriend being away for only a week. And especially not if she and this boyfriend had only been on their third date. She quickly pressed her lips together. Vernon stroked her hair softly, which made her press her lips together even harder.
"It's only one week. Time will fly and I'll invite you for dinner next Saturday."
"Call me as soon as you're back home, will you?" Petunia asked in a little voice.
Vernon simply nodded and bend down to kiss her again.
Of course time didn't fly while Vernon was away. Petunia thought of him every waking hour.
It had been love at first sight. Vernon was nine years Petunia's senior. She'd met him at work and liked him from the first instant. Vernon seemed all so sophisticated and so normal. Coming from a family where 'normal' wasn't a given, she liked him even more for it.
But now she missed him really badly. She dreamt of him every single one of the six nights they were separated and every time she woke up she felt like crying again because he wasn't there with her. To make her feel even more miserable, the weather this week was horrible and if it wasn't raining, the sky would at least be covered in thick grey clouds.
When she came back from work on Friday the first thing she asked her parents was if anybody had called for her. Mr and Mrs Evans exchanged knowing looks but told her that Vernon hadn't called.
Petunia was already half-way up the stairs, when she heard the front door booming from somebody knocking against hit. She ran the stairs back down and opened the door to see her one and only Vernon standing in front of her, still in his work-suit. It looked like he'd come straight to her house from his trip.
Petunia didn't hesitate a second and threw herself into his arms. Between two kisses, she told him how much she'd missed him.
Vernon told her that he'd just stopped by to tell her when he's pick her up tomorrow evening when he could tell her all about his business trip. Petunia was a bit disappointed that he didn't stay longer but she could also understand that he was tired from the trip and wanted to take a proper shower at home before he'd take her out.
The next day Vernon took Petunia to "The Golden Truffle", the most expensive restaurant in town, as she knew. And she was glad that she'd put on her new grey dress for this occasion, which matched Vernon's grey suit perfectly.
Vernon ordered today's special for both of them and while they were waiting for the ors d'oeuvre, plums and figs wrapped in bacon, he told Petunia every detail about his trip and that his firm made quite a few good deals. Petunia didn't understand much of what Vernon told her. But she was way too happy to hear voice and see his face again to be bothered. It was still pouring with rain and when Vernon pointed this out, Petunia simply smiled because the weather didn't matter anymore to her. Her sunshine was sitting right across the table.
When they'd finished their dinner and waited for the bill to come, Vernon suddenly reached over the table for Petunia's hand and said in a rather rough voice: "I love you, Petunia." Petunia felt like she was struck by lightning. Never before had a man told her that he loved her. And while she assured him that she loved him, too, she thought that Vernon Dursley was probably the best person in the world. It might be true that he wasn't as good in story-telling or as good-looking as the man she'd dreamed of when she was a teenager. But, as she'd once read somewhere, if you judged a fish by his ability to climb a tree, it would live its whole life believing that it was stupid. So she'd never tell Vernon about those dreams, as to her he was perfect just the way he was and she wouldn't want him any way different.
