Dog Days

Instead of a sister, Petunia got a puppy. There was a reason for this, she would understand with time, but right now as she clutched her new, squirming, nippy pet she couldn't help but ask, "Why can't I have a sister and a puppy, Daddy?"

Her father looked at her and Petunia's stomach began to twist at the sight of his quivering mouth. Her daddy never cried. As she dipped her face into the fur of her new puppy, he turned away from Petunia and laid his head down on the kitchen table. Petunia sucked on her lower lip, uncertain. Finally, she decided she would try and ask one more time why she couldn't have a sister and a puppy. Juggling her new puppy to the crook of one her knobby elbows, Petunia shuffled to her father's side and gave his wrinkled shirt a tug.

"Daddy?" she whispered. "Why can't I have both?"

Lifting his head, her father didn't even look at her as he called out, "Gladys!"

A moment later as Petunia half-listened for an answer while trying to stop her puppy from nibbling on her fingers, her grandma came in. Putting guiding hands on Petunia's shoulders, Grandma began to push her toward the doorway. "Why don't you take your new puppy out to play in the yard, hmm?" she suggested with the same sugary voice that Mummy used when something was wrong.

Petunia was too little to say no. She was too little to demand the answers that were being kept from her. But she was too old to throw a tantrum as well, so, despite her dislike of the idea, she went. Out in the yard, she sat down in the late December snow and watched as her puppy frolicked.

Feeling a little smile tug at her lips when the pup brought her a twig to play catch with, she pet his white and black head and declared, "You're Pudgy. I think you look like a Pudgy."

Yapping his pleasure, Pudgy ran after the stick when Petunia threw it across the yard. They would spend much of the rest of the winter like this. Playing in the yard as Petunia's parents drifted from room to room inside their home as the light slowly left their eyes.

Ten years old and very much an only child, Petunia went to her mother who was in the kitchen and said, "It's time for Pudgy's walk, Mum."

Red hair coiffed for a dinner later in the evening, Petunia's mother did not turn away from the food she was cooking. "I'm making dinner for you, where's your father?"

She shrugged. Her daddy worked late most days and she had yet to see him pull up in their drive. "He's not home yet."

Scowling, Petunia's mother wiped her hands on her apron and growled, "So help me if he makes us late!"

"What about Pudgy? He expects his walk, you know."

Making an irritated noise in the back of her throat, her mother turned on Petunia and raged, "It's always that damn dog with you! If he needs a walk, just take him! You're ten years old for God's sake! You don't need help!"

Glaring back at her mother with clenched fists and grinding teeth, Petunia turned heel without saying a word and found Pudgy waiting for her with his lead in his mouth.

Laughing softly, Petunia got down on her knees and hugged him around his neck. "Attaboy."

In response to her praise, Pudgy licked her cheek and Petunia put on her rain galoshes before they went out for their evening stroll. As they walked the perpetually grim streets of Cokeworth, Petunia decided to veer from the usual footpath she took with her mother and father. Pudgy noticed this and barked his approval before he went to work smelling the ground and rubbish all around them on their new path.

As they traveled, Petunia's eyes began to dart everywhere as she realized how much dirtier everything was the farther down the walk they traveled. The streets, to the houses, to the (few) cars sagging by the curb all seemed to have a fine coat of grime that she knew wasn't there on her own street.

"Pudgy…" Petunia mumbled fearfully. This was more than a bit not good, she didn't know where they were!

The black and white dog cocked his head at her. A moment later, Pudgy abandoned his sniffing and returned to her side. He then licked the back of her hand then, causing Petunia to giggle and feel a little better. At least she wasn't alone

Her dog wasn't big and strong like a Mastiff, but he wasn't tiny as a Scottish terrier either. Pudgy would protect her if it came down to it. He would. She didn't call him her best friend for nothing, after all.

Continuing their walk at a quick trot, Petunia spied the park her parents used to take her to when she was very small. Stopping, she wondered if she could find a way home from here, then, among the swings she spied a little boy who couldn't be older than five or six. Petunia frowned. What was he doing out here alone? A lad his age should have gone home to his mum hours ago.

As she was noticing him, the lad began to notice her too (if the way he stopped in his swinging was any indication). Wistfully, Petunia thought of the sister she lost. She would be about his age now. It truly was a shame that she had to get tangled in her umbilical cord while in Mum's stomach. The familiar sadness that always came with thinking of her dead sister overcoming Petunia, she had to force herself to focus once more on the little boy in front of her. She noticed he was staring at Pudgy. Putting on a friendly smile, she made her expression as pleasant as possible so he knew he could come and pet her dog.

Understanding what her smile meant immediately, he eagerly jumped from the swing he'd been playing on and approached. He held out his hand for Pudgy to smell. Not even bothering to sniff it, her dog put his paw in the little hand causing the child to gasp.

"Shake it," Petunia told him.

The boy did.

Pudgy took his paw back and gave one of his patent doggy smiles. Grinning herself, Petunia gave the child's oversized clothes, dirty hair and bruised face a once over before deciding he was the least likely sort her parents would want her to associate with.

Not that she cared.

"This is Pudgy and I'm Petunia," she offered to the boy.

Blinking lightless eyes, the child mumbled back, "Severus."

"A pleasure," she replied as she crouched down beside Pudgy. "So, do you play here a lot?"

The boy's face went to a carefully neutral expression as he gave a mute nod. Petunia didn't believe him then, but she hoped he might know how to get to Florist Terrace.

"Do you know the direction I'd have to go to get back to Florist Terrace?"

He bobbed his little head and said, "You take a right at the end of the street, and turn on to Weaver Lane and then Florist is off there somewhere."

"Thank you." Petunia smiled as she gave Pudgy a nudge to lick the little boy.

Her dog did as told, earning a gaped-tooth smile from Severus. Petunia remembered that time. When her baby teeth were falling out left and right. From pictures, she knew she had looked absolutely ridiculous, but that didn't stop the faint feeling of nostalgic pride that swelled in her chest. There was nothing like feeling you were one step closer to adulthood.

"I see Pudgy likes you," she commented.

Dark eyes sparking with something a bit like hope, the boy patted her dog's head. "D'you walk him this way a lot?"

"I can," she agreed for him. "Every day."

The grin that split his tiny face told her she had said the right thing and Petunia was relieved. How long had she gone without another child for a friend? Too long, she mused. At this point, it didn't matter if he was a little dirty and a might poorer. Nor did she care that he could possibly be the dark-half of the sister she lost because he needed a bit of joy and Petunia and Pudgy needed a new friend.

As they made their daily walk to the Park off Spinner's End, Petunia took in the fact that Pudgy was walking much slower than he had just the month past - not to mention the year past. She hated to admit it, but her dear friend was getting old. Reaching down, she pet his head which made him glance up with his baleful green eyes. She was going to miss him when he died. Hopefully, they could stave it off for a couple more years at least...

Coming up to the park, she waved her free arm when she saw Severus atop the climbing structure. The boy raised a hand before jumping down to approach.

"Hi," he greeted.

Reaching under her arm, she pulled out a newspaper-wrapped package decorated with a pretty green ribbon. "I didn't have money for wrapping paper," Petunia admitted. "Babysitting isn't as profitable as one would think."

Taking it gingerly, the boy shrugged. "I don't mind," he told her. "Mum doesn't even bother to buy presents anymore."

"I hate when you say things like that..." Petunia muttered as her friend was distracted in his endeavors to save the ribbon and paper as he undid the tape. Once revealed, he smiled.

"A scarf and hat," he remarked with true appreciation. "I haven't had a hat in years."

Petunia blushed as Pudgy wormed his way between the two. "I know," she replied.

Dark eyes gentle, Severus whispered, "Thanks, Petunia."

"You're welcome."

Reaching down, the boy pet Pudgy and told the animal, "Look what your owner got me. Isn't it nice? It's a perfect green too. I can definitely wear these for Hogwarts next year."

"So you're going?" Petunia inquired as her heart gave a pang.

He nodded as he reached into his pocket to pull out a very official looking letter. "I got my acceptance letter," he admitted. "I'm just hoping I'll get to see my new sibling before I leave."

"Oh," Petunia mumbled sadly.

Severus wasn't good at touching, but he gave her a hug despite this, as he declared, "This doesn't change the fact that you're my best friend."

"Doesn't it, though? I can't go with you, you know. I'm just a plain old Muggle."

"Don't say that! Never say that!" Severus barked. "You're way more than some 'plain old Muggle'." He sneered. "You're the nicest person I know, you talk to me like I'm an equal, and you know how to knit wicked scarfs and hats and sweaters and blankets and - and best of all, dogs like you."

She raised an eyebrow at the last praise.

Smirking, the dark-haired boy told Petunia, "I read somewhere dogs are a good judge of character."

Looking to Pudgy as he chewed his leg, the two laughed at how strange that seemed. What good a judge was a dog? They chased leaves, licked their private bits and ate rabbit turds. They definitely weren't smart creatures.

"I'm going to miss you, Petunia," Severus sniffed suddenly.

Resting her head on top of the boy's, Petunia took his hand and squeezed it. "I will too."

Walking the narrow halls of her daughter's school, Petunia's mother's heels clicked against the tile as they strode out of the building at a quick pace. Coming to the family car, where her father was in the driver's seat, her mum stopped her before she could open the door to the backseat.

"What on earth got into you, Petunia?"

Not looking her mother in the eyes, she ground out, "Nothing!"

Grabbing her chin with pink-painted nails, her mother's lined eyes studied her face. "Love, what happened?"

Yanking the door to the backseat open, she screamed. "He slapped my bum, okay? I was walking down the hall and he slapped my bum like I'm some sort of - of cow!" Furious tears leaking down her cheeks, she looked past her mother's shocked face and climbed into the car.

She refused to speak all the way home and once at home, she went straight to her room where Pudgy was dozing on her bed. Going to her dog, she kicked off her Mary Jane's and hugged him around the middle.

Waking, Pudgy licked her face and Petunia sobbed. They'd suspended her for kneeing him in the nads and the teacher was threatening expulsion if she didn't write a letter of apology for it. She couldn't do this. Not any longer. She hated school and would rather just drop out over going back again.

Once finished with her crying, she went to her desk and opened the letter from Severus she received last night. Shaking her head, she felt her heart shatter again as he admitted to boys from another house hexing him to have bats fly from his nose. Neither of them was meant for people, she realized then. They were both too strange with their own hang-ups and didn't belong with the regular populous.

A knock came from her door. Turning her head, she saw it was her mother.

"Yes?" she demanded in a voice far too sullen and rebellious for her tear-stained countenance.

Arms crossed, the woman said, "I called the school, they said you didn't tell them he-he-"

"Slapped my bum?"

Swallowing back distaste, her mother nodded and Petunia watched with wary eyes as the woman came in and took a seat on her bed beside Pudgy. "They don't expect you to write an apology and the suspension has been lifted after today."

"Goody," Petunia sneered.

Red hair flopping as her head snapped up from her lap, her mum hissed, "What's that supposed to mean, missy? I went to all that trouble to get your name cleared and you aren't grateful?"

Standing up then, Petunia yelled, "I didn't want to go back! I hate it there!"

"If you joined pep squad or the glee club-"

"No, Mum," the teenager growled. "I don't want part of stupid, vapid things! I want to be part of something important!" Spinning around, Petunia howled, "The only reason I go to school at all is so I can go to university to be a veterinarian afterwards!"

"A vet? I thought we agreed you'd take a typing course in London and work as a secretary if you didn't meet a nice boy." Her mother frowned as Petunia's chest still heaved with her anger.

"That was your plan for me!" Petunia snapped. "I hate typing! I don't care about doing it right or about being fast at it! I just want to help others! Help animals!"

Her mother looked to Pudgy who'd gone to hide under the bed. "Your father should never have bought you that dog. Dogs are for little boys."

Petunia slapped her mother. "Don't you ever say that again, he's the best friend I have besides Severus, and I won't listen to you say that he should never have happened!"

Hand on her cheek; Petunia's mum stared at her as if she was seeing her daughter for the first time in years. "What happened to my little girl? You used to be so sweet. You used to like no better than to be my little helper and pick flowers for your father and me."

"I haven't been her since Lily died," Petunia snarled.

Tears welling in her eyes, her mother got up and left the teenager alone once more with only her dog and letters for company. Not caring one whit, Petunia went to her desk and calmed as Pudgy settled at her feet so she could pour out her troubles to the only other soul she felt was able to relate in the slightest.

Severus couldn't come to her graduation as he was still in school, but when he came back taller than when he left and dark hair cropped shorter than she'd ever seen it, she grinned and accepted the little gift he gave her in the front of her family's home.

"It's a cosmetic potion. It's basically a perfume that's scent will smell like whatever's most pleasing to the person who can smell you," he explained as she gazed at the blue-green bottle

Trying a little dab on her wrist, she offered it to the gangly young man. "What's it smell like to you?"

"Dianthus," he admitted.

Looking into dark eyes, Petunia pushed her lips onto his and sighed as he responded in kind. Pulling away from Severus a little later, she smiled at him and whispered, "I'll be at uni next year and you'll be at Hogwarts."

"Nothing new there - we'll be separated, as usual," Severus muttered against her shoulder.

Hugging him so they could sway together, Petunia told her friend, "I don't know what uni will be like, but I might meet a boy and..."

He pulled away. "Don't, please," Severus begged. "You're all I have."

Laughing softly, Petunia kissed his cheek and asked, "Do you know why I talked to you in the first place all those years ago?"

"I haven't really thought about it," the teenager admitted.

Meeting his dark gaze, Petunia brushed his bangs from his face and told him, "You were little. About the age my dead sister would have been and I felt like maybe if you were all alone like me and Pudgy, we could be friends or step-siblings or something."

"We're a bit more than that now, aren't we?" Severus murmured questioningly.

Kissing his cheek, she agreed, "We are, but..." She sighed. "You're fifteen. I'm eighteen. We have two years before we can be together all the time and I don't want you to feel bad if somehow this doesn't end up working over the next two years, okay? We're separate a lot and I might meet a boy, you might meet a girl. Who knows!"

Holding her close, Severus shook. "Please tell me you won't try and fall in love with someone else."

"I won't try," she said.

And with that, she took his hand and led him toward her home. "You should probably come see Pudgy. He's quite old now and he'll likely pass any day now..."

Pudgy died the next day and Severus helped her bury him in Petunia's backyard. As she cried over his grave, Severus rubbed a hand up and down her back and summed up their friend.

"He was one of the good ones."

Wiping at her tears, Petunia agreed around a sob. "That h-he was."

Standing in the children's park she spent much of her childhood at, Petunia kicked some pebbles and waited for Severus. About a half hour later, he showed up. He was skinnier than he was over holidays and sporting a busted lip. Darting forward, she put a handkerchief to it.

"Oh, darling! What happened?" she tittered.

His larger hand enveloping hers, Severus smiled softly. "My da didn't take my declaration of independence all that well."

Relieved to see that the wound was done bleeding, Petunia tucked away the sullied fabric and kissed her boyfriend. "He's quite upset you're going to become a potioneer and not a worker at the factory like him, isn't he?"

"I went to magical school, I don't know why he ever expected me to."

Petunia smiled and rested comfortably against the broad chest of her boyfriend. "He's just as unreasonable as my parents. They wanted me to take a typing course and settle down with a nice boy."

Wrapping his arm around her, Severus pouted. "I'm not nice?"

She kissed his chin. "They're idiots."

"So are mine." Her boyfriend sighed.

Walking away from the park hand in hand then, Petunia told him about the new flat she was planning to rent with a girlfriend and hopefully, him as well. The sun setting behind them, she finished her description with a smile and exciting note. "They allow dogs."

Raising an eyebrow, Severus suggested, "Pudgy II?"

"I was thinking I'd name it Tubby if it were a boy, and Nina, if it were a girl," Petunia explained.

Smiling at each other, the couple kissed again and thought only of what lay beyond Cokeworth.

(Absolution).

And yup. A very AU story where Petunia gets a puppy and falls in love with Severus Snape. Interesting, yes? No? Either way, I felt it was a fun idea and really enjoyed writing it. Sometimes I feel like I could have done with another scene or two, do you guys agree? Not agree?

Would a second half telling Severus's half be cool?

Thanks for reading, I appreciate it and please review :)