Number Two: Dudley/Pansy! Hehe, I actually don't mind these two together. They could fit :)
My prompt for this was 'sleepless at midnight.'
"We're not friends..." Harry had told him all those years ago when Dudley had asked. It was an answer that answered nothing, and Dudley had always wondered:
1. Why didn't he like her?
And 2. Was there something inherently wrong with Pansy Parkinson that no one had told him?
She seemed perfectly normal to him - except that one thing, of course. But no one ever need know about that. Certainly not his mother.
But Harry knew, and wasn't there some sort of weird bond/love/relationship/union that made all of them best friends or something?
"So what was wrong with her?" he wondered aloud on a Tuesday, alone in his office in a building that sold drills, and his assistant did not hear him because she was flirting with the pizza delivery man. He pushed the intercom and shouted at her to "bring in my lunch already!", all thoughts of stupid Harry Potter and his stupid options gone.
But then, when he lay staring at the ceiling 12 hours later, he remembered. And why didn't Harry like his girlfriend?!
Pansy had told him all about the war - Harry pretended it never happened - and, sure, that was a bit disturbing, but that was 8 years ago, surely everyone had moved on?
Dudley had the ring all picked out, his speech written - and neatly shoved into a drawer at his office. He was going to propose on Valentine's Day, because Dad told him women liked sentimental things like that.
He could picture the two of them: he would come home and ask her about her day and she'd tell him, and he'd always be impressed, because even Receptionist at the Ministry of Magic sounded intimidating. She would ask about his day and he'd tell her, and she'd be confused but proud because he made good money, even if she didn't know what anyone would need drills for.
They would be dealing with the culture shock well into old age - Dudley had insisted she disguise him when she dragged him to some sort of wizard Olympics that looked like football on brooms, for fear that someone ordinary would recognize him amongst the freaks; and she had blown up the microwave at his office Christmas party, claiming it was trying to assassinate her - but Dudley didn't mind. He'd never admit it, but he had grown fond of certain wizard habits.
And having a wizard wife would get him out of mowing the lawn.
Dudley loved Pansy, and Pansy loved Dudley. That should be all that matters. That was all that mattered. So why did Harry's dislike matter so much?
It didn't, and that was that.
Perhaps he should ring Harry...
Perhaps he would.
Perhaps in the morning.
Anyone like them as much as I do?
