AN: No.
Vernon and Petunia Dursley were a civil and modest couple to those they were friendly too, friendly to those they desired to impress, and rather less than friendly to those who were less than impressive. Vernon was quite proud of his new position within a drill company. He was ambitiously looking to acquire a more senior position when the time was appropriate, and Petunia couldn't have expressed more pride, except in her son. Dudley Dursley was the apple of her eye and the centre of her world. She was quite happy to boast his toddling exploits. If he happened to be developing more slowly than the other children he was on play dates with, then he was simply a more carefree and retrospective child. After all, the best leaders were introverts.
Marge Dursley couldn't agree with Petunia more, although, that didn't stop her giving suggestions about encouraging him to learn the alphabet or numbers now that he was five. However, she was visiting for his fifth birthday and he deserved the world. That other boy though, need a stern lesson. He had malicious eyes and a mischievous nature for one so young, but if Petunia was firm, then she would have a model nephew. After all, if a firm hand helped her train her prize winning bulldogs, then it would do so with that disturbing child of Petunia's sister. Not Petunia's fault of course, there was always a bad one in the litter.
Harry Potter, Petunia nephew by her sister, couldn't be more thrilled, bored and despondent than he was right now. He was ecstatic that he got to escape his family today, but his aunt and uncle had left him with the most boring old lady. Her name was Mrs. Figg and she was really nice. She let him eat whatever he wanted whenever he wanted, but she smelled of cabbages and had way too many cats. She finally finished her third lesson on how to take special care of her fifteen cats and had settled down with a cup of tea for her afternoon show. Within minutes she was dozing and Harry quickly left the house to walk to the park. She said she didn't mind if he went to the park when he visited her.
Harry was really upset over the news his aunt and uncle relayed to him. In school, they were going over family trees, like who their parents and grandparents were. That was when Harry realized he had an aunt and uncle, not a mum and dad.
He knew his family was different, because everyone's parents were nicer than his aunt and uncle, but he didn't understand why. So when he tried to ask about his parents and grandparents for his project, the conversation turned to Harry asking where his parents were and if they were going to come for him. Uncle Vernon quickly told him no and why.
What was he supposed to do? He didn't have a Mummy or Daddy, and his Aunt and Uncle weren't really happy with his parents it sounded like. They weren't really happy with him either, really.
Harry continued to wander down the road to the local park and continued thinking about his project. Those thoughts soon turned to daydreams about what a good family looked like. A lot of his classmates had really nice and fun parents. They gave hugs, went shopping for clothes, and went to the amusement park that Dudley was going to for his birthday. Maybe he can ask someone at school to take him home? Someone that would want him, unlike Uncle Vernon. Harry didn't know how he was going to ask anyone though. No one liked him, and Dudley made that difficult. He would hit or cry and get the other kids in trouble if they tried to play with Harry. Uncle Vernon didn't think Harry should have friends, so Dudley made sure Harry didn't to make his dad happy.
Sighing, Harry kept staring at the pavement until he bumped into a pair of legs. Falling backwards, Harry sniffled to keep himself from crying, and looked up to see who he bumped into. It was a lady that he had never seen in the neighbourhood before. She had curly auburn hair and eyes the same colour as his! She was dressed like those women Uncle Vernon worked with, a black skirt and blazer with black heels.
The lady peered curiously at the small boy that bumped into her. She was thankful he hadn't cried yet, but she hoped she didn't scare him either. "Hey, you okay?" Harry nodded to her. Intrigued with his meek attitude, she asked, "Do you need help getting up?" Harry shook his head and quickly stood up on his own. Something was different about her to Harry.
"I haven't seen you before," he told her.
Smiling softly, the lady replied, "I'm looking for a flat to share, but I think I may be in the wrong neighbourhood."
"Why?"
"Because I was told to go to Derby Row to look for a place."
Harry couldn't believe this lady was actually speaking kindly to him and about her grown up concerns. He couldn't stop himself from asking her questions. "Why would you want to live there? It's very loud on Saturday nights and my uncle says hooligans live on that road. You don't look like a hooligan."
Smirking and loving the bluntness of innocence, the woman responded, "I think your uncle doesn't have a good opinion of university students and I don't blame him, but unfortunately, that's what I can afford." Or what my boss tells me to afford. Keep an eye on the eccentric brother, lovely sir.
"Why would you want to afford to live there?"
"I don't think anyone wants to live anywhere they can only afford, kid, but that's life," Maybe that was too serious and bitter. I am so not good at this. "What's your name? I think I must be keeping you from doing something important if you didn't see me when you were walking."
Harry blushed before he mumbled, "My name is Harry and I was just going to the park to the swings."
The lady with the same colour eyes as his smiled adoringly at him and held out her hand to shake. "Hello Harry. My name is Marina and visiting the swings in the park is very important business. In fact, I am tired from looking around for Derby Row and would love to go to the park with you. Will that be okay that I swing with you? Are you parents or friends waiting for you at the park?"
Harry looked up brightly and thusly told her no, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her with him the next three meters to the park entrance. Giggling, Marina had to hold him back so she could take off her heels before he continued to drag her to the swings in the playground. Harry could only hope to swing with this nice lady for an hour before he had to go back to Mrs. Figg's place.
When they got to the swings, Marina insisted he get on the swing first so she could push him. She actually wanted to help him see if he could fly! Harry was very happy with this prospect and laughed loudly with exuberance as he got higher and higher. He could almost fly with how high his swing was going! In fact, Harry wanted to fly so badly, that he let go of the swings much to Marina's fright then surprise. She was surprised, because instead of falling with gravity quite quickly to the ground for a little five year old, he floated a few feet before gradually descending, laughing with pure delight. "That was so much fun! Let's do it again!"
They kept playing on swings like that for a while, then Harry pulled her to the sandbox to build a big castle. He wanted to build a big pretty castle with a roof the same colour as their eyes and when he touched the sand, it turned emerald green! He was so amazed by it and happy that he was able to build the castle he wanted for Marina. He turned to Marina and gladly displayed his artwork, much to her delight and shock.
Marina knew Harry had magic when she sensed it as he bumped into her. She also knew, children had a hard time controlling magic. Magic and the very fairy tales that mortals read to their children were real, but hidden. Persecution and jealousy is a dangerous attitude, so many races and societies went underground and formed their own secret conclaves around the world to get away from such prejudices. In secrecy, they grew strong and those that didn't adhere to their respective societal laws, suffered for it. Whether their magic was taken or if the perpetrator was a supernatural race, imprisonment or death. However, what was known as accidental magic, magic caused by strong emotions, were usually excused. Especially among children, because they were learning control over their emotions. So Marina let the gliding in the air when he jumped from the swing go, because the boy looked like he needed to smile more and that can be easily explained to the mortals. Green sand in the shape of an elaborate castle that he moulded with his hands and no tools, was a bit harder to explain. Trying to demonstrate how happy she was with his work quickly, while grateful that no one was in this area of the park at the time to witness this phenomenon, Marina gave Harry a big hug. Unfortunately, he immediately stopped laughing.
"Harry, what's wrong," Marina asked as she sat him down. She turned him to face her and noticed his eyes were shocked but he was smiling brilliantly. Why was a kid shocked with a hug?
"Nothing, I'm glad you like it so much! Come on! Let's see what else we can do."
Still surprised with his surprise for a hug, Marina had to pull back and tell him it was best if they left. "It's almost time for dinner and I'm sure your family must be worried. Why don't we head back to your place?"
Still happy that Marina was happy with him, but sad that she was right that it was probably time to leave, Harry agreed and pulled her away from the sandbox. When Harry turned the corner, Marina waved her hand in the direction of the sandbox to disperse the sand and turn it back to its original colour without Harry seeing. As they walked towards Mrs. Figg's house, Harry became more subdued and gentle, while answering Marina's questions about what he was learning at school. Noticing this, Marina knocked on the door of the house without a word to Harry.
She was expecting to see someone with a strong personality that could change a child's manner so quickly, but instead she saw a lady answer the door with grey hair pulled back, hunched over with a cat in her arms and one around her shoulders. Gathering herself together, Marina greeted the lady before she could say anything, "Hello, my name is Marina and I met Harry here while I was trying to find Derby Row for a flat share I was told about. He was heading to the park and was kind enough to let me tag along. He's a really happy, excitable and kind young man. You have great grandson."
Flustered a bit by the forwardness of this young woman, Mrs. Figg tried to straighten herself a bit and put down one of the cats as she replied, "Well thank you for bringing Harry back, Miss Marina, but I am not his grandmother. I was looking after the lovely boy for the day, but I'm glad he got out of the house. I'll let his aunt and uncle know that you said such lovely things about him. Harry, come on in. I just finished the stew."
"Can she stay?" Harry hoped he didn't get into a lot trouble by asking that, it just popped out!
Blinking quickly and startled that Harry even asked for something for himself, even if that was a person, Mrs. Figg smiled brightly at the young woman the boy was so taken with and told her, "Sure! Please do come in and maybe I can talk you away from that awful street. Really, you look like a professional young lady and shouldn't need to live near university students again. Who were you going to visit about a flat?" Mrs. Figg kept pushing the girl inside so her cats wouldn't escape. Who was this woman that could pull the little boy just a little bit out of his shell that his aunt and uncle made him build?
Startled and slightly reluctant about the whole evening, Marina told her, "I was hoping to see Laoise about –"
"Oh you're her niece! That old crone has been talking up a storm about you and how excited she is you're moving back in with family. Have you really been all over the world and you're only 25 years old?" Laoise was a respectable non-magical woman with an equally respectable and hardworking non-magical family. Maybe Mrs. Figg didn't have to report about this young girl's involvement with Harry to Headmaster Dumbledore. He was an intelligent wizard from the British Wizarding Conclave that has taught for many years and knew Harry's parents personally, considering he taught and worked with them before. He has been concerned about Harry after little Harry's parents deaths, and concerned about who interacts with him. Shame he never comes see the boy himself, but Headmaster Dumbledore was a busy man.
"I'm actually 20," Marina mumbled, catching Harry's eye when Mrs. Figg turned her back on them to lead them to the kitchen for dinner. They smiled at the personality that was Mrs. Figg, while trying not to step on one of her cats. Mrs. Figg yammered to them about what a great thing youth was and how exciting things must be as she moved about her kitchen and ordered them to sit down. In between finishing the stew, Mrs. Figg and Marina fed the fifteen cats before finally sitting down to eat. As they took the first bites, Marina commented on how delicious the meal was, while Harry scrunched his nose at her before continuing to eat. The conversation was light, simple and mundane, but as they neared the end of their meal, Mrs. Figg said she wanted to hear a story.
"Tell me about all those places you've seen. Or tell me a wild romance young lady. Oh, please put the dishes in the sink, I'll get to them –"
"Don't worry, I'll clean them. Please, take care of your cats and go sit down comfortably. Then I shall tell a story, a fun story," Marina told her, but mostly to Harry as he handed her the last of the dishes. Agreeing, Mrs. Figg did as suggested and asked Harry to follow her to the couch.
"A good story is exactly what we need to end this evening before your aunt and uncle get home. She's such a lovely girl. This should be a treat!" Harry smiled indulgently as he helped Mrs. Figg, then waited to settle himself as Marina came in. When she sat down, Harry joined her, quite happy with how the day turned out.
"I must admit, I'm surprised you've entertained me for so long Mrs. Figg. I greatly appreciate the lovely dinner and hospitality you've shown me. Now you're letting me tell a story?"
"Oh dear. Stories are a good way to learn about a person. About their pasts, their hopes, dreams and desires. A story can give you a glimpse into a person's beliefs and attitudes. So yes, a good story is perfect for an evening like tonight and these old bones. Besides, I trust that aunt of yours, Miss Laoise. She hasn't steered me wrong yet and has only spoken well of the niece coming home. Seems young Mr. Potter has enjoyed your company too, so that's good enough for me. Now, what story are you going to share this evening?"
