Disclaimer: I don't own this wonderful world :(
The sun rose on a gloriously sunny, though cold, winter's morning. Dudley Dursley ripped back the curtains, allowing the shining sun to mottle onto the clean white sheets of the hotel room. Dudley's girlfriend, Ella, was sitting by the mirror, applying bright red lipstick, and squinting her blue eyes as the light hit her.
"Dudley, close the curtains! You've ruined the lighting" she cried, spinning around on the balls of her feet, and glaring at Dudley.
"Oh, sorry. Sunny day, just thought…" he mumbled, turning back around, and closing the curtains a bit. She exhaled a breath and continue to layer on her makeup. In the meantime, Dudley started to pull on his trainers; suitable footwear for todays promised activities. Ella's primary school friends had desperately arranged a meet up, right in the middle of South Yorkshire. He had agreed to come, as to get away from his ever-boring parents. The journey from Surrey took a lengthy 3 ½ hours, but seeing as the pair was intending to stay here for a week, not much was lost.
10 later, Ella announced that her makeup was complete, causing Dudley to hop up from his lounging place on the bed, and proceeding to follow her out the door. A sudden screech from the hallway, made Dudley stop in his attempt at opening the door. The sound of tiny feet padded from the other side of the door and faded as they went further down the corridor. Dudley assumed it was a small child, beating his parents as they tried to go to the exit.
He turned to look at Ella, who shrugged, and reached over his shoulder, unlocking the door, and stepping outside. No small child, or anyone for that matter, was in sight. Dudley's big hand found Ella's, and he pushed open the door to walk down the stairs.
No one he knew lived in South Yorkshire, he knew that much, but he hadn't intended to bump into a man with shockingly familiar hair, at the exact same hotel that he had booked in a last-minute panic. Harry Potter wasn't looking in Dudley's direction. He was leaning on the counter, obviously awaiting the receptionist. Dudley stared, shocked, as his seemingly lost cousin leant casually on his elbow, looking happy and content.
"Look at him, Dud" Ella said quietly, her eyes shining, and her lips pouting in a flirty way. Dudley scowled, before looking back at Harry, unsure of what to do. He supposed that the best thing to do was to approach, and say hi, but the new look of his cousin intimidated him, and he was nervous at the outcome of a meeting. However, the amount of shame burdened on Dudley during 1997 summer, was slowly weighing him down, and this might be the chance to release it, making Dudley free form torment. He took a deep breath, and walked over to his cousin. Harry didn't turn around, for he was tapping his fingers and humming a tune quietly. Dudley cleared his throat.
"Harry? I mean, you are Harry, aren't you?" Dudley stammered, making Harry jump, and twist around. His mouth opened, as his green eyes widened as recognition hit him like a tidal wave.
"Yes, I am," he started, "And I suppose you're Dudley?"
Dudley nodded tentatively, before withdrawing a shaking hand. Harry smiled slightly, and shook it.
"How's it going, big D?" Harry asked, quiet sadness flooding his eyes.
"Great, I guess" Dudley replied, giving a small smile, that wouldn't be nearly enough sorry's to counteract what his past-self had done, "What about you?"
Harry smiled, this time the smile reaching his eyes. "Extraordinarily good, thanks" He looked extremely happy and Dudley wondered what had happened in the time they had last met. Dudley grinned back, and glanced at Ella, who was smiling broadly at Harry.
"This is my girlfriend, Ella" Dudley announced, rather protectively. Ella shot him a dirty look, and offered Harry her hand to shake.
"Pleasure" Harry said, shaking back, and nodding. Dudley searched Harry's eyes for any sign of love or admiration, but he found none. Ella's mine Dudley thought firmly. Ella must have noticed it too, because she looked slightly rejected. Her hand fell limp against her side.
The echo of a previous shriek, returned back to his ears, this time clearer. He looked down, and saw a wave of black hair collide into Harry, only just reaching his knees.
"Leafies! Lots and lots of leafies!" the black blob cried, waving countless leaflets and pamphlets from the display board a couple of metres off. Dudley looked stunned as Harry reached down and plucked the small boy with black hair off the floor, and kiss his forehead.
"Is…have…are…" Dudley stuttered, bewildered. Harry grinned, and moved the little boy so he was facing Dudley. He gave an adorable lop-sided grin, and his brown eyes crinkled in delight.
"This is my son, James" Harry explained, taking the leaflets from James' flying wrist, "I'm sorry, he's so full of energy" he laughed, as James bounced up and down in his Father's arms. Dudley's eyes widened in utter amazement, as Harry placed his son back on the floor, letting him run back to the display board.
"When, what, who?" was all Dudley could get out, as Harry turned back to his cousin.
"He's two, three in May, my Wife's upstairs. She should be coming down any minute" Harry said, glancing towards the doors leading to he rooms.
"Congratulations" Dudley smiled, looking Harry right in the eye.
"Thank you" Harry replied. Ella looked dumbfounded at the small boy, as he continued to collect handfuls of plastic leaflets, standing on the very tips of his toes to reach them. Harry looked at him as well, and sighed, as he went to retrieve him.
"James, no more. Some people actually want to read them" Harry said, exasperatedly. James looked innocently at his Dad, before handing him a leaflet about a nearby zoo, and saying,
"An'mal leafie for Al?"
Harry took it, and put it back in its place. James looked heartbroken as Harry then proceeded to put every leaflet back in its correct holder. Harry looked back at James, and shook his head. Dudley wondered how Harry couldn't fall for those melting brown eyes. James' eyes filled with tears and he buried his head in his Dad's shoulder.
"Oh, James. Al has so many Leaflets upstairs!" Harry told him, rocking him from side to side.
"Not 'nough!" cried James, clutching his Dad's neck. Harry walked back to Dudley and Ella, who eyes were crumpling at the sight of the sobbing child. Harry grinned at their expressions.
"He's such a little actor. The amount of leaflets in our hotel room now probably exceeds the amount actually on display, he knows he can't take more, so he cries to try and soften me and Ginn – his Mum – up" he said, "Often works too" he added with a grin.
"Not true" said a small voice from Harry's shoulder. Harry laughed.
"Listens to everything I say too, still doesn't follow instructions"
James' head rose an inch off the shoulder, enough for Ella and Dudley too see a toothy grin on the boy's face. Harry glanced at his watch, and then looked at the doorway again.
"I better go and check on – " he started, before the doors flew open, and a woman in blue skinny jeans, and a white duffel coat, holding a baby car seat in one hand, and a bag in the other, stood there, looking as fiery as her ginger hair.
"Harry Potter, you better come and collect your son right now" she growled through gritted teeth, completely ignoring a shocked Dudley and Ella, and glaring at Harry. He gave a grimace to Dudley, before putting James on the floor and walking towards the woman. They weren't far off, so Dudley and Ella could hear what was happening.
"You chased James out the room and I thought you would at least come back and bring Al as well!" The woman exclaimed, gathering James into her arms.
"Sorry, I…I thought you had it sorted" Harry said, bending down, and reaching into the car seat.
"Leave your excuses for later Potter" The woman said, watching Harry. Harry looked up, and grinned, a cocky look on his face.
"There are 4 Potter's here, my love, to whom are you referring too?"
A hint of a grin ghosted on the woman's face, as she replied, "You, idiot"
James looked curiously at his parents, before exclaiming "'diot!" Ginny closed her eyes and opened them too see her husband silently laughing on the ground. She turned to look at her son in her arms.
"Don't say that, Jamie" she said, mock sternly. James cocked his brow in confusion.
"Mama say it?"
"Mummy can say it too Daddy" his Mum replied, before adding "And all your uncles" James giggled happily.
"Uncle Gorg?"
"Oh, especially Uncle George" she grinned, as Harry caught her eye, still laughing, as he moved a couple of blankets around in the car-seat.
"Is my apology accepted?" he asked.
"No" she said simply. Harry rolled his eyes, before straightening up, with a tiny baby in his arms. James waved happily at the baby in his Dad's arms.
"Hi Al!" He said. Al blinked in the change of lighting, and screwed up his eyes.
In all of the commotion, Dudley realised that he and Ella must have looked a bit stupid, standing there, like fish, looking on at the family. Harry looked over his shoulder, to see Dudley quickly closing his mouth, and smiling. He walked over again, this time beckoning Ginny to accompany him. She shot him a questioning look, but followed him.
"Sorry, minor issue," Harry began, as his wife scoffed, "This is my wife, Ginny, and my 2-week-old son, Albus" he said, ignoring Ginny's confused look. Dudley held out his hand for Ginny to shake. She did, so be it a little unsure.
"Nice to meet you. By the look of your face, I don't think you know who I am" Dudley said. Ginny shook her head.
"I'm Dudley Dursley, Harry's cousin, I don't…" As he spoke more and more, Ginny's face grew stonier and stonier, and Dudley stopped mid-sentence. She quickly bent down to put James on the floor.
"Course I've heard of you, Dudley" she said coldly, straightening up, and looking begrudgingly at her husband. He blinked once, letting his wife get on with it. Dudley drew back a bit, not to ready to hear all the terrible things Harry had obviously repeated to her about his childhood.
"You've 'heard' of me?" Dudley stammered, falling down upon the gaze of Ginny Potter.
"Don't pretend" She hissed quietly. Dudley let his arms fall limp, as he looked at the floor. Ella was looking furious as this random woman pounded upon her boyfriend. She stepped forwards, crossing her arms over her large chest.
"And who are you?" she spat angrily. Harry stepped forwards slightly, so he was closer to his wife.
"Could ask you the same question" Ginny replied coolly. Ella scowled.
"I'm Ella Haynsworth, Dudley's boyfriend" she said.
"Pleasure, I assume you are aware of his past, are you not?" Ginny said, glaring at Dudley, who was looking terrified as a shocked Ella turned to look at him, and then back at Ginny.
"How'd you mean, honey?" she asked quickly.
"Harry, well, he…" Ginny started, before Harry interrupted.
"No, enough. Its in the past, he's changed, Gin." Harry said firmly, a hand brushing Ginny's cheek softly. Dudley looked up hopefully. Harry gave him a comforting look, that made him feel reassured that he would not be discriminated now, because of his 15-year-old self. Ella looked downhearted, as she turned back to Dudley.
"Where you close, as cousins" she whispered.
"He lived with us. Me and my Mum and Dad, in No. 4" Dudley said glumly.
"And why was that?" Ginny added, offhandedly. Harry rolled his eyes, and silenced her with a kiss. Ella glared at her, before turning back to Dudley, silently asking for the answer. Dudley looked at Harry for help, however he was still busy kissing Ginny. A second or two later, he pulled back, grinning down at her. He looked back at Dudley, who was looking pleadingly at him. He sighed, before looking Ella straight in the eye.
"Both my parents died when I was 15 months old. I was sent to live with my Mother's last known relative; Dudley's Mum" he said.
"I'm sorry –" Ella started, before again Harry interrupted,
"Don't be. I hardly remember them. I have photos and all, but all in all, nothing" he said, indicating that the subject should be changed. Dudley took the opportunity at once.
"So, 2-week-old baby, eh? More congratulations" He said, grinning at the baby in Harry's arm. Harry grinned back, and Ginny smiled happily.
"Thank you" Harry and Ginny said in unison. Dudley laughed, but Ella only smiled sadly. Harry noticed her small smile and said firmly,
"Look, Ella, you just have to believe me. We're cool. Nothing happened that was significant enough to change our relationship now. We should just get on as friends." He said, as she nodded, not altogether reassured.
"Trust him" Ginny added, laying a hand on her husband's arm. She nodded again, and copied Ginny, putting a hand on Dudley's shoulder. Dudley looked gratefully at the couple and patted Ella's hand clumsily. Both pairs shared a quiet moment before James' little feet were once again heard, and his high pitch screeches hit the air.
"LEAFIES!" he yelled, waving around yet more leaflets.
"James Potter, what is your obsession with leaflets?" Ginny asked, once again taking the shiny papers from his small hands.
"I like 'em!" he cried, rushing over to collect more.
"Sweet Merlin, what have we created?" muttered Ginny, as she went to go pick him up again. James squealed in protest as he was carried back to the small group.
"No! NO! Down! DOWN!" He yelled, wriggling ferociously against Ginny's chest. Little Al scrunched up his face in annoyance and opened his eyes, searching for the source of the sound.
"Shh, James!" pleaded Ginny, looking at Harry, and motioning that they should get going. He nodded, as Ginny left the room, 'shhing' James as she went.
"Sorry, told you he was dramatic" Harry grinned, turning back to Dudley and Ella, "But we really should be going anyway." Dudley nodded.
"Why did you come here anyway?" Harry asked, placing Albus back in his car-seat, and buckling him up.
"My friends wanted to meet" Ella answered, before Dudley could. Harry nodded, and picked up the bag as he walked over to the door, after his wife.
"It really was good to see you, Dudley" Harry said sincerely. Dudley nodded in agreement, and reached forwards to give Harry a slip of paper, with his mobile number on it. Harry smiled, before reaching inside his coat, and pulling out a pen and paper. He leant against the wall as he quickly scribbled an address on it, and handed it to Dudley.
"My home address. Feel free to write" he said, smiling, slipping the pen away.
"Sure. Thanks Harry" Dudley said, waving as his cousin turned heel and walked out the door. Ella tugged at his sleeve, and told him that they really should get going too. He nodded in agreement, and followed her out the entrance.