Hello again! Don't worry; this blurb will be much shorter. So I am actually starting this chapter before I even put up the prologue, but if there are any inconsistencies, I will change them before uploading. Although It still took a while to write, sorry! I don't think this will be happening too much, as it is more because of procrastination than time constraints. Either way, enjoy chapter 1!

Dreamkinen

Ladeedaadeedoodeeday


I have no part in the ownership in anything in the Harry Potter universe. All of this belongs to JK Rowling.

Ladeedaadeedoodeeday


Chapter 1

It was to a clear summer morning that, in the center of London, a girl was interrupted from motorcycle filled dreams by a boy with short, blonde hair jumping on her bed. "Heather! Get up now! You have to get into the kitchen!" He yelled in her ear. Sometimes it really sucked to share a room with that pudgy ball of energy. Truly, Dudley Evans was not fat; he could barely be called pudgy even. His blonde hair had been shaved after an incident with lice at their school, and he stood with a layer of baby fat that softened his edges, although he was nowhere near as skinny as the girl who was now finally dragging herself out of bed to stop her cousin's very loud demands.

"All right, just give me five minutes to get dressed." Heather mumbled, her eyes still closed, dragging a hand through her short, messy black hair. Heather did not have to cut her hair along with Dudley, it seemed that her lice had all mysteriously disappeared before she could be treated. But Dudley grabbed her hand and started dragging her out of the room. Being quite a bit taller than the scrawny girl, with the extra weight, meant that this was not a hard task. "You can get dressed later, but you have to come to the kitchen now!" He told her. So the tired, and not totally aware Heather let herself be led through the flat to their kitchen, where one Petunia Evans was waiting.

"You are going to have to open your eyes, dearest." Petunia said. Her voice was naturally high pitched, but she had been working on keeping her volume down, sounding downright gentle right now.

Hearing the voice of her favorite, and possibly only aunt, Heather forced her sleep-filled eyes to open. In front of her was a full breakfast spread, with pancakes and bacon, and even whipped cream. The room had been decorated with paper chains and what looked like Dudley's attempts at drawing balloons. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEATHER!" Dudley and Petunia screamed, while Dudley enveloped his surprised cousin in a large hug. Heather had known her birthday was coming up, but she never expected anything special. But then, she had helped her aunt in setting up Dudley's birthday only a few months ago. They had not been able to afford both balloons and a cake at that point either.

"I know what you are thinking with the balloons." Petunia said, keeping aside while Dudley still clung to Heather. Petunia still had trouble hugging Heather, although it was more from an odd fear of breaking her. Heather was clearly able to handle her own, but Petunia held back anyway. Both girls had their own way of showing their love. "But I decided eleven warranted a better present then usual. It also meant I had to be a little more inventive with the cake." For Petunia, who liked to bake almost as much as she loved to clean, this could mean quite a difference. "But cake and presents come later. So come on, dig in, we have a lot to do today." She said cheerfully. At the mention of food, Dudley regretfully untangled himself from Heather, and all three sat at the kitchen table to eat Heather's birthday breakfast.

It was a rule in the Evans/Potter house that cake and presents came last in the day. This started early on, when Petunia and the children were still living off temp jobs and government welfare, and couldn't afford every piece of a traditional birthday party. Now Petunia had a stable secretarial position at a law firm, and was able to afford night classes for herself, which she had started in the previous year, along with the ability to splurge a bit for two days out of the year. The children were usually able to do something for her birthday as well.

After breakfast, which Heather found as delicious as the previous year, she was finally allowed to return to her room and get dressed. It was regretful that some of Heather's clothes were handed down from Dudley, but luckily one of Heather's friends' moms could sew, and hemmed them down so they could fit Heather. She also took the liberty of making some of the more boring pieces a bit more feminine. It was one of these shirts she put on, along with a pair of thankfully new and correctly sized jeans. Petunia's new job meant that Heather had fewer hand-me-downs and more new clothes in the past two years.

After she finished getting dressed and tugging a comb through her hair, Heather looked in the mirror in the room, analyzing her new, eleven-year-old self. She could still fit in clothes from two years ago, although both her aunt and her friend's mom said soon she would have other problems than just her height to worry about when choosing clothes. Her black hair was cut to just below her chin, in fear of having it any longer and the tangles that would ensue. It wasn't that her hair was curly, just that no matter what she did, it would not sit straight. This gave it a constantly messy look, although keeping it short controlled the problem fairly well. But Heather never had any problems with her eyes. Bright green and curiously almond shaped, Aunt Petunia always said it gave her face an exotic feel that would have boys swooning when she was older. It was an odd thing to say to a child, but then Aunt Petunia said some pretty odd things sometimes. But all in all, Heather couldn't find very much different between herself now and herself only a day ago.

Before leaving the room though, Heather pulled back her fringe, as she did every day, to examine the lightning bolt scar on her forehead. It was not something she showed off very often, and according to her Aunt she had it from the day she went into her care. This made Heather believe it had something to do with her once-uncle, with whom Dudley had spent a year with before the divorce had been settled. But Petunia quickly put that theory to rest. Vernon Dursley was a horrible man, Dudley still had nightmares from that experience, but he had never been allowed to touch her. But that was all Petunia would say about the subject of the scar, other than that it has something to do with her parent's murder, before Petunia would get misty eyed and say she would tell her when she was older. But maybe, Heather hoped, this year she would finally be old enough.

"Took you long enough to get down here." Dudley said half-jokingly once Heather had finally made it back to the kitchen. The young girl simply rolled her eyes at her cousin and sat back down at the table to wait for Petunia, who according to Dudley had gone t get the mail. They began to pass the time by Heather quizzing Dudley on various things they had learned the year before. This was a game they had started when Dudley had begun to fall behind in third grade. This quickly stopped when Petunia came back, stone-faced, with a letter made of some sort of thick parchment in her hand.

Neither child had ever seen Petunia that grave. Truly, she had never had a reason to since she began her therapy sessions that had been suggested by child-care after she filed for guardianship of Heather. It was Heather who spoke up first, after a few tense seconds where Petunia seemed at a loss for words.

"Who's that letter for? It looks like something a rich person would write on." She piped up, both out of curiosity and an attempt to break the tension. Suddenly, Petunia put the letter down on the table and moved to hug Heather, before faltering and simply putting a hand on her shoulder. This scared both Heather and Dudley, enough for Dudley to pick up the letter before his mother had a chance to snap out of herself and read out the address written on it: "Heather Potter, second bedroom, Apartment 304 Gardner Street, London. Who would be writing to Heather like this?" Dudley asked, before turning the letter over to examine the seal on the back. "And it has a crest too!" He added, gently fingering the wax "H". Petunia gently removed the letter from Dudley's pudgy hands with her own shaking ones and handed to Heather, who began to softly shake as well. "There's something I need to explain to you Heather, something I was foolishly hoping could wait just a little while longer." Petunia began, her voice uncharacteristically low and soft, "You aren't like Dudley and I, although some part of me always wished you would be." At this, Petunia seemed too choked up to speak, and simply motioned for Heather to open the letter. So, with shaking hands, the young girl broke the seal and began to read aloud: "Dear Miss Potter, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Heather paused here to look at her cousin, who was staring at her with his mouth open, and her Aunt, who had her face buried in her hands. " Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1st. Due to your upbringing, a representative will be by tomorrow to explain the proceedings and help you get ready for the term. You may give your answer at that time." Now it was Heather's turn to be silent. The entire kitchen seemed to be frozen in time, until Dudley, with an air of someone who just found out it had rained during a beach visit, said, " So, have you decided where we are going today, Heather?"

After a silent trip through the Underground, the Evanses and Potter finally seemed to have realized the day was being wasted quickly and were able to have fun at the amusement park, one of Heather's favorite places to be. Petunia bought both children ice pops before letting them off to have fun on the condition that they were to meet up for lunch. They went on as many rides as possible, although they held off on the ferris wheel, Heather's all-time favorite attraction, until later, when the entire family would ride it together. They had lunch at the food court in the park, where they enjoyed burgers and Petunia bought both a chocolate bar for dessert. The family didn't go out to eat very often, as it was cheaper, and sometimes tastier, for Petunia to simply cook at home, so the burgers were almost a delicacy for Heather and Dudley. Afterwards, they played a few games, where Dudley succeeded in winning a good-sized teddy bear from one of the shooting games, declaring it his birthday present to Heather. Soon enough it was time for the ferris wheel.

Heather always had a love for being up in the air, and the ferris wheel was the closest she could find to flying in her little world. They went on it every year for her birthday, but this year felt different for some reason. Maybe it was because her Aunt seemed to lose the will to talk as they neared the top, or that Dudley, who was a very dense person, knew not to talk for once. But Heather, for the first time, simply wanted the ride to be over so life could continue as normal. But there was no way of that happening, and it seemed that she was going to have to start the conversation.

"Aunt Petunia?" she began, warily, keeping her voice soft, as the woman sitting in front of her seemed ready to jump out of her skin at the slightest confrontation. "This morning, you said I'm not like you and Dudley, and that letter was talking about witches and wizards as if they were real. What is happening?" There was a thick silence in the cabin as both Heather and Dudley waited for Petunia to speak.

They had stopped at the top of the wheel by the time Petunia found her voice again. " I loved my sister. Loved her with all my heart. But she had something I didn't have, and I let my jealousy and pain affect our relationship. And when I met Vernon… it all seemed so clear… I didn't even go to their wedding." Both children started slightly at the name of Dudley's biological father. There was another pause as Petunia attempted to gather her thoughts again, "I found out about you from the Christmas card you mother insisted on sending, and let Vernon's opinion on your family affect my judgment. I threw out the card, even though that would be the last I heard of my dear sister."

Heather and Dudley exchanged glances. Neither child had ever heard this side of the story. They had known that Heather's parents were good people, and assumed that both sides of the family got along quite well before the murder. Petunia seemed to be ridding herself of some pent-up guilt, but she still hadn't answered Heather's question, and was truly worrying her more. Why did her once-Uncle hate her so much? Did she and her mother have some sort of genetic issue she should know about? But before she could ask, Petunia began to talk again.

"I always thought what my sister could do was wonderful. She was never a freak no matter what I said. She picked an amazing husband, and had a beautiful daughter. I just couldn't see it until I held you in my arms, and everything was already lost." Petunia looked at Heather with tear-filled eyes, and took her hand. " Please don't take my ramblings to heart, Heather. You aren't different because anything is wrong with you. You have something I have been wishing and praying for my entire life: You have magic."

Heather stared at her Aunt, open-mouthed in shock, until I slight thump and a bell told them that the ride was over, and it was another family's turn. Dudley took Heather's other hand and the small family stepped out of the cabin and into the still-bright afternoon. They would be able to get home just in time for a birthday dinner, presents, and cake.

The night wore on and the party went on as planned, but Heather barely noticed what was going on around her, even as Petunia revealed a cake made out of individual cupcakes (for easy storage later), and her cousin and aunt gave her a new sweater she had been eyeing. She almost didn't notice when her best friend Lindsay arrived with a hug and a new charm for the bracelet she had gotten the year before. Petunia seemed to be attempting to remain as busy as possible, so as to delay the conversation that was never finished. But soon the food was eaten and there was nothing left to clean, and Heather was waiting at the doorway of the kitchen, with Dudley seemingly attempting to hide behind her, unsuccessfully.

Seeing this odd site, which, albeit, happened fairly often in the household, either when one of the children wanted something, or Dudley was in trouble, Petunia smiled for the first time since that morning. They were still her children after all, and nothing would change that. There was also no way of keeping no-nonsense about it with Heather looking at her like that.

"I owe you an apology Heather. I let my own insecurities control me, and it led you to missing a key aspect of yourself for all this time." Petunia said, bending down to look Heather in the eye. The young girl looked like she was ready to run back to her room, but she kept eye contact. "I don't know much. So why not we both ask some questions for whoever is coming tomorrow." Heather didn't move for a moment, but finally gave a small nod. She was having trouble talking. It was a bit much to find out that for her entire life, a secret like this was being kept from her. But she couldn't not trust her aunt, who had raised her and Dudley away from Vernon, simply because she kept a secret. Heather almost wanted to believe it was all a joke, but something in Petunia's eyes said this was completely real. But if this was a dream come true, and she had magic, maybe life would become better for all of them.

Petunia smiled at her young niece, and her son, who seemed to think the tension had diffused enough to come out of hiding, and returned to her normal, slightly sharper tone. "Well then, off to bed. Just because it's summer doesn't mean you get to stay up all night. That means you too Dudley." Both children giggled a bit, and then ran down the hall to their bedroom, ready for tomorrow, and whatever awaited them there.

Ladeedaadedoodeeday


Well, that was Chapter 1! I attempted to make sure Petunia kept her normal, bossy demeanor, but she has had 10 years to look at her life and make a few changes. This includes the therapy. Child services would have seen how Dudley was when he was still spoiled rotten, then later on with his father, and wanted to make sure Petunia hadn't been affected by her ex-husband in any way, and might have found some of her own insecurities at the same time. So she will be a changed woman. But that doesn't mean she won't take some liberties she regrets later, such as letting her buried jealousy affect Heather knowing about her past. But it will all be sorted eventually ^_^

But anyways, see you all next time!

Dreamkinen