Petunia didn't really like talking to these women, but she tolerated them. Piers, one of Dudley's friends, was having a party at the local park, and Petunia had had to come. From the corner of her eye, she saw six year old Dudley playing.

Well, he wasn't exactly playing. More like bullying a child who had also been invited. Petunia shook her head. What had her son become?

She nodded politely to the ladies comments but she wasn't listening. Her eyes scanned the park and she saw a figure sitting alone on one of the benches, watching the party wistfully. She looked closer to see it was her nephew. What was that Freak doing here? He was going to ruin the party.

She excused herself from the other ladies and stomped over to where the brat sat. As soon as he was in earshot, Petunia said angrily, "What are you doing here boy?! How dare you try ruin Dudders party?"

Harry flinched and whimpered, "I swear Aunt Petunia I'm not trying to ruin the party!"

"Then why are you here and not at home with Vernon..." realisation dawned Petunia. The fear in Harry's eyes said it all. "What did Vernon do?"

"Nothing, I'm fine!" Harry said quickly. A little too quickly.

"Boy..." Petunia growled.

Harry cowered, "Please...please...I'll be good...I promise...please don't send me back there alone..."

Petunia sighed. Harry wasn't really doing anything bad. But why didn't he want to go back? "If you tell me why you don't want to go back, and if I think it's a good enough reason, you can stay,"

Harry gulped. His eyes first showed defiance, then uncertainty, and finally resignation. "He..." Harry's voice trembled, "He was hurting me. Punching and kicking. I had to escape,"

Petunia stared at him. Vernon wouldn't do that!

"But he did do it, I swear, I'm not lying," Harry said desperately.

Petunia realises she had said her thoughts out loud. How could Vernon have done that? How could she have married such a monster? How could he have hurt a child.

I'm no better. Petunia told herself. How many times had she turned a blind eye on the child's basic needs? How many time had she overworked the boy?

She looked down at the scrawny six year old. He was a freak and yet...he was Lily's child. She owed it to her little sister. She had pushed Lily away because of jealousy, she would not push away an innocent child, Lily's or not, for the same reason. Honestly, she was a grown woman now!

She saw that Harry was looking at her expectantly and fearfully. He expected the worst from her. Petunia supposed she had no excuse for herself. She had almost always been mean to him except for rare occasions.

"So can I stay?" Harry asked hopefully.

"It is a public park," Petunia said.

She looked over at where the other women were sitting. Lily would be ashamed right now. She hated gossips and so had Petunia at one point in her life. Lily and Petunia's favourite quote had been by one of their favourite authors. Dr Seuss said, "Why fit in when you're born to stand out?". She supposes that maybe Vernon and this simple, ordinary, boring neighbourhood was influencing her.

She looked at where Harry was sitting, his legs up, taking up the whole bench. "Scoot," Petunia said, waving her hands.

Harry looked surprised as Petunia sat next to him. He was even more shocked when Petunia said the next words, "I don't suppose I ever told you that you had your mothers eyes?"


This couldn't go on any longer. Harry was about to turn seven, and it would only get worse from there. Petunia couldn't believe that she had been so blinded by acceptance that she failed to see the monster she had married.

She had to take both the boys away from here. Dudley was safe even if he stayed with Vernon, but Harry was another story. Growing up with this much hate around him was not healthy for a child. Lily had had a kind heart and an open mind, always helping, always caring. She didn't deserve anything bad to happen to her, let along her child who was a lot like her.

She wouldn't let either of them down. Not again.


Petunia watched as the seven year old played around in the playground. She wondered how in the world she had actually managed to come so far on her own.

Granted, she didn't win custody over Dudley and she couldn't prove that Vernon had hurt Harry, but at least Harry was safe. Harry was safe and Lily was finally at peace...hopefully. And Petunia herself had not failed completely.

Petunia was constantly worried about Dudley. She wondered if Vernon could actually take care of him. However, she had no idea how to check. Vernon had made it clear that if she ever came near him or Dudley, she would have hell to pay.

After the divorce, Petunia was surprised at how Harry reacted. He had kept saying that he didn't mind going back if it made her happy again. That saying itself had kept Harry away from the Dursleys. Because Harry mattered, and Dudley was going to be raised like another Vernon, with or without her.

Petunia had packed up her bags and had moved away from Private Drive. She now lived in a town close to where she knew Diagon Alley was. She took Harry there sometimes.

Shortly after moving, Petunia had told Harry that he was a wizard. She had bought him books and shown him Diagon Alley. Petunia really did think that Harry would hate her for keeping something so big from him, but he had understood.

Petunia saw a man approach Harry. Something about his seemed familiar. Petunia remembered that Lily had once brought home four boys, one of them her boyfriends, none of them were Snape. The man with scars reminded her of a boy in that group.

Then, another man approached Harry. He was dressed on all black with long, greasy hair. He too seemed familiar. But what were the odds? It couldn't possibly be Snape.

They bent down to talk to Harry. Harry seemed frightened at first, then intrigued. For some reason she couldn't explain, Petunia knew she could trust them. Whether it was familiarity or something else, she couldn't be sure.

Yet, just in case her instincts were wrong, she made her was over to Harry.

"Something the matter gentlemen?" Petunia asked.

They both turned to face her, "Do I know you two from somewhere?" Petunia blurted out.

"I think you do," the man in the black clothes drawled.

"I'm Remus Lupin," the other man introduced himself, "And this is Severus Snape,"

A/N, so that was the end. How did you like it? Review and all that junk if you like it! (Please?)