Petunia crept stealthily across the lounge room past the snoring Vernon. She pulled back the curtain slowly and just enough to see the tortoise-shell cat perched on the front fence. It might have been looking straight at her, she pulled the curtain closed and stood up quickly.
The sudden movement roused Vernon who let out a loud snort. Petunia took three large, gliding steps back to her seat, taking up her crossword. Vernon opened his eyes and licked his lips dozily.
"Ah, I think it's time I turned in" he made a loud grunt as he got unceremoniously out of his armchair. Petunia smiled and nodded vaguely, still pretending to be completely engrossed in the paper, but he shuffled towards the door not noticing anyway. At the foot of the stairs he called, "Petunia?"
"Yes, yes, coming, dear. Just as soon as I finish tidying up down here, I'll be right up." Petunia made more noise than was necessary collecting the cups and saucers as Vernon struggled up the staircase to bed.
She rinsed the cups quickly and turned off the lights in the lounge before returning to the window once more. The cat seemed not to have moved and inch. There was no question that its presence was something to do with Harry – it was clear that the cat knew more than a cat should know. But as soon as she began to get flustered at the thought of magic being somehow involved, she was again gripped by the steady and, she had to admit, comforting presence of the animal.
It was certainly an appealing looking cat. Petunia might have said "handsome" if she didn't have the feeling the cat was female. Studying it she settled on "elegant" in her mind. The streetlights of Privet Drive fell on her back in such a way as to make her fur look like rippling water, shining almost blue under moonlight. Her eyes sparkled silver and she sat so very still, with her tail curled neatly around her paws.
"Petunia?!"
"AH!...Vernon!...Oh!.." she continued breathlessly and walked toward his great round outline in the semi-darkness, "you scared me half to death!"
"What were you looking at out there?" Vernon asked suspiciously as she tried to usher him out of the room.
"Nothing, nothing…" she searched desperately for an appropriate excuse, "well, just thought I might catch Mrs. Ferguson letting her dog out on everyone's lawns again." Vernon grumbled indistinctly, but she knew she was safe as she followed him up the stairs.
Laying in bed that night, Vernon snoring loudly beside her, petunia looked up at the light from the window where it hit the roof and thought about the cat. She fell asleep thinking of its piercing eyes…and how its fur would feel on her skin.