After a pleasant dinner, Harry apparated the Dursleys back to their street and accompanied them to their front door. The two families arranged to meet at King's Cross Station on September 1st and walk onto the platform together. That evening the Potter and Dursley households were relatively quiet as their occupants got ready for bed, everyone lost in thought. Joseph and his siblings fell asleep relatively quickly, their dreams filled with magical creatures and places, but Dudley and Anna laid awake for several hours after climbing into bed.

"Dudley?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Did you really torment Harry when you were boys?" Dudley sighed.

"Yes. My parents treated Harry like a freak and so I got away with treating him poorly," Dudley admitted dejectedly. "It wasn't until he'd used his magic to save my life that I started to wonder if my parents had been wrong about magic and Harry all along. Too bad I never got a chance to apologize until now." Anna turned onto her side so she could face her husband in the dark.

"How did you manage to fall out of touch?" she asked curiously.

"Just before Harry came of age a group of wizards came to take me and my parents into hiding. We were told that once Harry came of age the wizard who'd killed his parents would be able to find him again and they didn't want the three of us to get caught in the crossfire. The night we went into hiding was the last time I saw or heard from Harry until now." Anna moved over so she could snuggle next to her husband and offer him some sort of comfort.

"You must've been so worried and frightened, having to leave your home and friends behind." Dudley put an arm around his wife and smiled in the darkness.

"It was rather disconcerting at first, especially when I realized that even though Harry was the one in danger he wouldn't be coming with us. We went our separate ways with nothing more than a handshake." Anna gave her husband a reassuring squeeze.

"It sounds like Harry's forgiven you dear. Maybe it's time you forgave yourself." Dudley chuckled.

"I'll work on that." He leaned over and kissed Anna's forehead. "Sweet dreams dear."

"Sweet dreams."

Vernon and Petunia were likewise in bed wide awake. Even though Vernon realized that accepting magic was going to take some getting used to, his biggest surprise of the day was finding out that Petunia hadn't always hated magic. He loved his wife very deeply and so he decided he'd simply have to find a way to come to terms with that revelation. Even though the bedroom was dark, Vernon knew Petunia was still awake.

"Petunia?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes?" she replied, equally nervous and unsure.

"Are you alright dear?"

"No." Petunia snuggled closer to her husband. The minutes slowly ticked by before Vernon heard his wife say very quietly, "I miss her."

"Your sister?" Petunia nodded.

"We were very close as children. Even though I hated her as we grew older, part of me still missed my sister's laughter and company. All these years I just told myself that the more normal I began the less I'd miss her until eventually I wouldn't miss her at all. It was all well and good until Harry showed up on our doorstep with my sister's eyes. He was a constant reminder of how hurt, embarrassed and angry I was and so I simply took out my anger towards my sister on her child." She paused to sniffle and Vernon rubbed her back to comfort her. "Does that make me a horrible person?" Vernon shook his head and chuckled.

"Ironically, I believe your attitude towards Harry was perfectly normal. Without your sister around for you to scorn, you scorned the next best thing: her son." Vernon sighed. "After everything you told me about your sister and magic my actions towards the boy were pretty normal too. How else were two people who believed magic was dangerous supposed to behave towards someone who could do that kind of magic?" Petunia chuckled as well.

"I suppose you're right. Unfortunately, we were wrong." She took a deep breath and then sighed. "Do you think it's too late to make amends, Vernon?"

"I don't know, Petunia. But if Harry's willing to tolerate our presence and call us family, perhaps there's still hope for us I reckon." Petunia nodded in agreement and smiled.

"I suppose we can start making our amends beginning tomorrow."

"Agreed." Vernon kissed his wife's forehead. "Goodnight dear."

"Goodnight."

Back at the Potter household, the Potter children went to bed with their heads full of stories of their father's adventures. They couldn't wait to tell their cousins about them and hoped that tomorrow they could begin pestering their father for more details about some of those adventures. Harry and Ginny, meanwhile got ready for bed silently. Ginny still seemed a little ruffled as she brushed out her hair before bed. Harry was under the covers reading the Evening Prophet and glancing at his wife every few moments.

"What is it, Gin?" he finally asked.

"It's nothing," she replied tartly. Harry chuckled, causing her to glare at his reflection in their bedroom vanity.

"What?"

"I know that tone dear. Now, what is it?" Ginny snorted in a rather unladylike manner and then stood to walk over to their bed and climb under the covers. She settled herself comfortably and then turned a reproachful look on her husband.

"I get that you're trying to be the bigger person and all but did you have to forgive your aunt and uncle so easily? You at least could've demanded they sincerely apologize for their actions. It wouldn't have fixed everything but it would've been a start," she stated rather heatedly. Harry smiled and kissed her.

"Gin, I meant what I said. After going through what I went through during the war, I realized that some things just aren't worth holding a grudge about. I showed you everything I went through with my Pensieve and you saw Snape's memories too." Ginny nodded in agreement but a scowl remained on her face. "Sweetheart, for the first ten years of my life I was on the outside looking in while I lived with my aunt and uncle and I hated feeling like I was different so I get how my aunt must've felt not being able to be a part of my mum's world, at least not entirely." Ginny opened her mouth to speak but Harry continued explaining himself before she could utter a word. "It doesn't excuse her attitude or actions towards me but I get it. It's the same reason I don't hate Draco and his mum or Percy." At this Ginny's eyes got wide and her eyes clouded with confusion, causing Harry to chuckle. "Remember how Percy said that once he realized he'd chosen the wrong side he had a devil of a time getting back onto the right one?" Ginny nodded. "Well Narcissa felt the same way. She and Draco were forced to do some of the things they did simply to avoid Voldemort's wrath. My aunt and uncle had the wrong impression of magic and they're only now reconsidering it because someone they dearly love turned out to be a wizard." Ginny sighed, giving into Harry's reasoning, but her eyes clearly said she wasn't happy about it. Harry put his arm around his wife and pulled her close to him and she put her arms around his waist.

"Why are you such a saint?"

"Would you want me to be any other way?" Ginny giggled.

"Of course not." She looked up at her husband and leaned in to give him a kiss; he met her halfway. "I love you, Harry, and because I do I'll try my best to forgive your aunt and uncle."

"Thank you."

"Just don't expect it to happen overnight," she informed him sharply. Harry smiled. Ginny's temper was just one of the many things he loved and feared about his wife.

"Of course not." They shared another kiss before Harry waved his wand and extinguished their bedside lamps. They lied down and got more comfortable before drifting off to sleep.