Author's Note: For Holly, for the September Exchange. Enjoy!

Avoidance is the Key to Happiness

The first time Petunia laid eyes on Sirius Black, he was standing in his underwear in her bathroom at six in the morning. She had screamed bloody murder until her parents rushed in to remind her that a couple of Lily's friends were sleeping over for a week of relaxation before the three got caught up in their new careers.

She tried to keep her distance for the rest of the visit. It was bad enough having Lily home, showing off her newly legal abilities, but having the boys using magic for every little thing was even worse. Then there was the fact that she kept catching Lily snogging with her annoying boyfriend in the garden, and instead of amusing himself for a few minutes, James' equally annoying friend would take to pestering Petunia about the function of every appliance.

It was a hellish week made better by the decision that she would escape her sister's homecoming for a few months and head off to London for a typing course. A few months quickly turned into a year once Petunia got a taste of what an ordinary life was like, and it became harder and harder to pull herself away even when holidays rolled around.

"James and I are getting married!" Lily boasted the moment Petunia was through the door on their mother's birthday.

"Congratulations," she'd replied, trying to sound excited. She wasn't heartless, after all. They may have had their differences, but Petunia loved her sister dearly. She only wished her own love life was going as well. Such a shame Vernon had turned out to be a complete prat.

"I want you to be my maid of honor," Lily went on, unaware of her sister's romantic struggles. "But there's one little hitch."

"Don't tell me you've chosen peach for my dress color. You know I hate peach."

"Of course not, no. James chose Sirius for his best man, obviously. So that means you're going to have put up with him for a few weeks."

"No, Lily, please. You can't do this to me. You'll have to choose a new maid."

"But I want you," the redhead insisted. "And Sirius isn't so bad, once you get to know him. You ought to give him another chance."

Petunia scoffed. "He put mice in my bed!"

"He put ice mice on your pillow. They're sweets; he was trying to make up for breaking your hairdryer."

"What was he even trying to do with it?"

Lily shrugged. "I've learned it's not a good idea to ask questions like that. Look, just promise me that you won't start any trouble with Sirius, and I'll limit the amount of time you need to spend around him. Deal?"

It was a difficult choice, but ultimately Petunia's love for her sister won out over her annoyance and she conceded.

True to her word, Lily minimized the amount of engagements Petunia and Sirius had to attend, to the point where people seemed to notice the wizard's absence. She must've heard at least fifteen people ask where he was during the engagement party – to which James replied that he was working.

It was shocking then, after four months of wedding preparations, to arrive at the rehearsal and be reminded that Sirius Black still existed by his enormous black motorbike. Petunia remembered that bike well from the week it rode loudly up and down her street, and she took a moment to glare at it now, innocently parked outside the church, and wondered how much trouble she'd be in if she punctured a tire or two.

The bike remained unharmed, momentarily, when one of Lily's bridesmaids walked by and Petunia followed her inside.

When not by Lily's side, James was almost always with his two groomsmen. Petunia recognized their laughter the moment she stepped inside, and saw them huddled by the altar. She tried to keep her eyes off of the fourth figure, whose back was to her. She saw enough of him a few moments later, when they were walking arm in arm down the aisle and she had to pretend not to be annoyed by his cologne and the fact that he looked more well-put together than her.

Had she not known who he was, she might've suspected he was an older relative of Sirius' and not the man himself. Two years had passed since he almost burned her house down while trying to make popcorn, and he had changed. He seemed taller, certainly better groomed, and no longer sporting the Ballycastle Bats t-shirt that he never took off. If she didn't know any better, she might've even thought he was attractive.

Unfortunately the memories of adolescent Black flooded every second she dragged him down the aisle. The saving grace being that the music was too loud to promote talking, and when the rehearsal ended they were already on separate ends of the church, so Petunia felt no guilt in being the first to rush out.

:-:

The ceremony went just as well as the rehearsal. Petunia was far too busy helping Lily dress to converse with the lounging men, and then she was down the aisle and out of Sirius' reach.

'Just a few more hours,' she thought as she watched her father escorting Lily. 'I'll never have to see him again for the rest of my life if I can just make it through the reception.'

That proved an easy task. Sirius stayed dutifully close to the other groomsmen, drowning out the already loud music with their laughter in the corner of the room. And when not with Lily or her parents, Petunia sat by herself, feeling out of place when the guests took out their wands to shower the newlyweds with colorful sparks.

"I can't believe they invited a muggle," she suddenly heard someone say.

"Might be good for a laugh when they start up the games though," another guest replied.

"What a shame such prejudice is allowed seep into a happy day," said a man's voice. Petunia turned then to find Sirius towering over two pointy-nosed witches. "At least have the decency to look ashamed of yourselves and scurry off like the cockroaches you are," he spat.

The women turned scarlet as they scrambled up from the table, and Petunia couldn't help a giggle even as Sirius dropped into the chair beside her.

"Sorry about them. Some people just don't know how to not be idiots."

"I … appreciate what you did."

"I don't care for people like them. Been around too many of them already."

Petunia looked away, unsure of what to say. She knew all too much about the kind of people who were against her. She had enough stories from Lily's school days to get her blood boiling, though she hadn't thought much about how those kinds of people had effected anyone but her family.

"You've been avoiding me."

"Have I?" He was smiling, a common sight by now. It took her a moment to realize she was smiling as well, which led to the dumbfounding question of why? True, he was handsome, but she wasn't that easy to please.

"I suppose I should apologize," he said. "Lily has recently reminded me that I may of accidentally tormented you during those few days I spent at your house. So I'm sorry."

"I barely remember, it was so long ago."

"Well then, you must have a worse memory than I do."

The music was changing from a series of slow songs to something more upbeat, though still from an unrecognizable artist. Petunia took that as her cue to make her exit.

"I should be getting home."

"The party's just begun!"

"I'm not sure this is my kind of party." She glanced at the dance floor and could swear she saw a rat riding on someone's shoe. Definitely not her idea of a party.

"Give us a chance." Sirius stood and took her hand, gently pulling her in the direction of the music. "We're only getting started, and you may like it if you have a guide."

"And that would be you, would it?"

He shrugged. "I do have more experience with this environment than most. I assure you, you won't find anyone here more at home on the dance floor. So, what do you say, will you give me a second chance?"

She was already reaching for his outstretched hand when she realized it would probably mean spending the rest of the night by his side, but there was really no turning back from him now. And in the end, maybe the party wasn't as crazy as she'd expected.