Forgive Me?
Summary: Petunia realizes what she had done to Harry and writes him a letter. Will Harry forgive her? Will he even listen to her?
This story takes place Post-Hogwarts.
Dear Harry,
I know you must hate me and you have the right to. Dudley got married last week, and I looked back upon his childhood, and then I thought about you. You were always in the background. I have done you wrong, Harry, and I feel the need to apologise. I was horrible to you and I hade no right to be.
I know I can't make any excuses, but I have been trying to think of the reason I did it and, well, I have realized it was because of your mother. I hated her. I didn't at first, but when she got accepted into that school I was deathly jealous. She was too perfect. She was a witch. I was just a plain old person. Then she met your father, James, and our mother thought he was as perfect as her. She talked about him all the time and kept asking me, 'Why can't you get a man as great as James?' When I took Vernon over to my parents…. Well…. Let's just say they didn't approve. You see, Vernon didn't make the best first impression. He, being used to his parents spoiling him, ate more then his fill, and then told my mother how it was not even close to as good as his mum's cooking. Then Vernon and my dad got into a sports conversation and he started insulting all of my father's favorite teams.
Harry, when I first looked at you, you were an exact replica of your parents, so I wanted nothing to do with you. I immediately hated you, but you had done nothing wrong. I realise how much you never experienced and how horrible I was to take it out on you. I neglected you. I abused you. You never had a childhood.
Now I am left with the guilt. I wish I could redo everything. Be there for you. I wish I could've connected with you. What if I had loved you? What if I had been there guiding you? What if you had support from us? I never sent you a single letter at your school. I never asked how you were or anything like that.
Harry, I would like to apologize to you and talk with you. I really am sorry Harry. Can you help me set up some way for me to meet with you? (Although I fully understand if you don't want to.) Please consider my apology.
Yours truly,
Petunia Dursley
When Harry received this letter he was shocked. He re-read it over and over again. He apparently looked as shocked as he felt because Ginny saw him and immediately became worried.
'Are you all right love? What's that?'
'A letter.'
'Really? I thought it was a dragon. From whom?'
'My aunt.'
'What does that wretched woman want? How did she send it? What does it say?'
'She wants me to… to…. To forgive her.'
'WHAT?'
'She…. She said she wants to apologise personally.'
'Again, how did she send this?'
'Her neighbour is a squib.'
'Well, are you going to meet her?'
'Should I?'
'I don't see any harm in that. The real question is whether you want to.'
'I…I…I don't know.' Harry was still flabbergasted by the letter. He wasn't that sure of anything at the moment.
'I say you sleep on it and then reply in the morning, all right sweetie?'
'All right… I guess…'
'I love you and I know that you will do the right thing. But it's late right now and you should probably sleep.'
'I'll be up in a sec.'
'All right Harry. Are you sure your good?'
'Yeah…. I'm fine. I'm just shocked.'
"Mhmm… Well I'll go check on Lily and James and then I'll go to bed.'
'Oh… All right…'
Harry sat there for about five more minutes before going to bed. He lay down, but he wasn't tired.
He still had a million questions going through his head. Why now? Is she serious? Why is she telling me about my uncle's impression on my grandparents? Should I meet with her? Will this really do anything? When did she start caring about me?
He kept asking himself questions until he finally fell asleep.
The next morning he woke up early. No one else was awake so he decided to make himself a cup of coffee.
He then got out a piece of parchment and a quill to write his response to his Aunt.
Petunia,
I will come in one day, June 6, and meet you at your house at 2:00. Please do not tell Vernon that I am coming. I will be over by the bushes outside the living room window. There we will go somewhere else and talk.
Harry
When the owl came to Petunia's kitchen window she quickly opened it, got the letter, and shooed it away.
After reading the letter she tried to decide what to tell Vernon.
That night will they were in bed she told Vernon that she would be going to Mrs. Figgs house the next day at 2:00. When he asked when she would be coming back she replied, truthfully, 'I have absolutely no idea. Good night.'
Now Petunia started thinking about what to tell her nephew the next day.
Harry left promptly at 1:55 and waited in the bushes for his aunt to step out. A few minutes later Petunia stepped out and walked down the path motioning for Harry to follow. He did and they walked till they were at the side of Mrs. Figg's house.
'Where are we going?' Petunia asked.
'Just hold my arm.'
Warily, she did as she was told and closed her eyes, scared of what would happen next. When she opened them she found herself in a garden.
'Where are we?' she asked while she took in the beauty of it all.
'We are in my backyard. Now I think you have some talking to do.'
'Yes, I guess I do. Harry, as I looked back at the years that Dudley was growing up I realised that nobody had ever cared about you. I then realised how horrible I was… uh, we were… to you and now I feel dreadful. You never deserved that. We neglected you. We abused you. All I wanted to do was get back at my sister because I was jealous. And to do that, I took it out at you, when in reality, you had done nothing wrong. I feel horrible and am now living in guilt. I look back and realized that you weren't a horrible burden. I had just made myself believe you were one. I treated you horribly. I deprived you of your childhood. I am now living a world of guilt. Harry, I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I am truly sorry. Please know that and remember that.'
Harry sat there for a while, not saying anything. He took in everything she had said. His eyes were becoming misty from the memories he had there. Horrible memories.
'I…I…. I can't fully forgive you, but I want to. It'll take some time. I need to know you want to be there. I need to know you are truly sorry. Can we just take it little by little? Maybe after you learn what has happened to me during my years at Hogwarts and now.'
'I completely understand Harry. And yes, I would love to know a little bit about my nephew.'
'Would you like to come in and meet my family? I'm married now and have two kids. My wife is pregnant with another boy.'
'I would like that Harry. I really would.'