(Author's note at the bottom)

Chapter 21

The end of the year arrived and as Harry limped onto the Hogwarts Express, it felt strange to actually be happy about going back to Privet Drive. Sitting in his compartment and waiting for Luna and his friends, Harry looked at his reflection in the window. Anna had assured him that his hair would start growing back within a month or so and Harry couldn't wait. Every time Harry saw his reflection and the absence of his unruly black hair it was another reminder of how his body had turned against him.

"There you are, Harry," Hermione said, cheerfully as she entered the compartment with Ron, Ginny, Draco, and Luna. "We were wondering where you'd got to."

Sitting down and taking Harry's hand, Luna said, "You're not hiding or anything, are you?"

"Just thinking," Harry said, giving his friends and girlfriend a smile.

"Your hair will grow back soon, Harry," Luna said, knowingly, as she touched Harry's head.

"You don't understand," Harry muttered, shaking his head. "It's… my hair was one of the few things that connected me to my dad. His hair stuck up in the back the same as mine…" After a moment he added, "And because of losing both legs I can't play Quidditch anymore…"

"Harry, I'm sure there's more that connects you and your dad than hair and Quidditch," Ginny said, encouragingly.

"Is there?" Harry asked. "I don't really know anything about my parents… other than I look like my dad and I have my mum's eyes."

Driving to King's Cross station, Petunia was trying not to let her worries be noticed by Dudley but she was sure her son knew something was going on. The past two weeks, Vernon had been driving slowly past #4 Privet Drive and while Petunia didn't think he'd be so stupid as to attack them, one never knew. A few days ago, she'd gotten a restraining order and while it had stopped Vernon's drive-bys he was now calling then hanging up the phone.

Dudley knew something was bothering his mother and it didn't take a genius to guess what it was. "What's Dad done now?" he asked, looking out the window.

"Nothing… yet," Petunia replied, stoically.

"I never thought I'd see the day when Dad scared me," Dudley muttered. "Even when he yelled at Harry." Looking at his mother he asked, "What if Dad tries to… do something? Attack us?"

"I don't know," Petunia said, shaking her head. "I'm scared that he'll… Vernon is dangerous when he's angry. And right now he's very angry with me for divorcing him and getting a restraining order."

"Does he know about Grimmauld Place?" Dudley asked, curious.

"I don't think so," Petunia replied, glancing at her son. "Why?"

"Maybe we should go there instead of home," Dudley explained. "If we lay low for a while…"

"I refuse to go into hiding," Petunia said, stubbornly. "Vernon is not going to scare me away with a few drive-bys or threatening phone calls."

--

Walking through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, Harry gave Luna a long kiss good-bye before he followed Hermione, Ron, and Ginny to where the rest of the Weasleys were waiting with Hermione's parents and Petunia and Dudley.

"Ready to go home and weed the garden?" Petunia said, smiling.

Harry let out a laugh. "Can I go home and sleep instead?"

"All weekend if you want," Petunia said, brightly as she took Harry's bag and Dudley took the trunk. As they headed for the car, Petunia asked, "How was the train ride?"

"Quiet," Harry said, shrugging.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Dudley asked, hearing the depressed tone in Harry's voice.

"Nothing," Harry said, trying to convey that he didn't want to talk about it.

This however might have worked if it hadn't been for Harry's history of cutting himself. "You're not… hurting yourself again, are you?" Petunia asked, putting a hand on Harry's arm to make him stop. "Because you promised me you were stopping."

Harry sighed. "I'm not cutting. I just… Let's talk about it when we get in the car, okay?"

"Okay," Petunia agreed, leading the way.

Once they were on the way back to Privet Drive—Harry in the front seat and Dudley sitting in back—Petunia again asked Harry what was wrong.

"It's stupid…" Harry muttered, as he looked at his reflection in the side window. Seeing that Petunia wasn't going to let the issue Harry sighed. It's… my hair. Or… lack of… My hair just… made me look that much more like my dad, you know? Now that it's gone…"

"It'll grow back, though, won't it?" Dudley asked, looking at his cousin's bald head.

"In another month or two," Harry replied, still looking out the window.

"Your hair isn't all that connects you to your father," Petunia said, trying to cheer her nephew up. "You have his talent for getting into trouble. You have a fierce loyalty to your friends… just like your father. And according to Sirius you love that girl, Luna, as much as your father loved Lily."

Turning onto Privet Drive, Harry sat up straighter and even gave his aunt a smile when the #4 house suddenly blew up.

Turning sharply away from the blast and heading back the way they came a bit, Petunia parked in the middle of the street and got out, shocked at what she'd just seen.

"What the HELL was that?!" Dudley said, getting out of the car along with Harry. "Mum? You okay?"

"I… am going… TO KILL HIM!" Petunia roared.

"You think Dad did this?" Dudley said, shocked. "But… he doesn't know anything about explosives or…"

"Something you guys haven't told me?" Harry asked, looking curiously at his aunt and cousin.

"Vernon was driving past the house a lot… making phone calls…" Petunia looked at what had been her home for the past 20 years and the anger inside her threatened to overflow. "I never imagined he'd do something like this."

"And I bet you never imagined he'd drive drunk and nearly kill us all," Harry said, looking at the burning house.

--

Sirius was surprised when the doorbell rang at almost midnight that night. Voldemort was dead so there was no real reason for anyone to be coming to headquarters.

Looking through the peephole, Sirius was even more confused when he saw Harry, Petunia, and Dudley standing on the front step. Opening the door, he asked, "What's going on?"

"Vernon blew up the house," Petunia said in as calm a voice as she could, though Sirius could tell that her rage was dangerously close to the surface. "Do you mind if we stay with you?"

"Not at all," Sirius replied, stepping aside. "Are you all okay?"

"Yeah," Harry said, nodding. "Well… I guess."

"Harry, why don't you and Dudley go upstairs and get some sleep?" Petunia said, cutting Harry off. Once the two teenagers were out of earshot, she said, "I wanted to kill Vernon for blowing up the house. I'm just so angry!"

Sirius nodded and pulled Petunia into a friendly hug. "I know. When I saw James and Lily's home after… I wanted to kill Pettigrew for what he'd done. I tried to do just that and I spent 12 years in Azkaban." Looking at Petunia, he added, "I know you're angry and right now finding Vernon and beating the shit out of him seems like a good idea but trust me…" Looking in the direction of the stairs, he said, "You've got more important things to worry about right now."

Wrapping her arms around Sirius, Petunia couldn't help but like the way the two of them fit together. Without meaning to or knowing why… she looked up at Harry's godfather and kissed him.

A/N: No, I won't actually be pairing Petunia with Sirius. She's just kind of lonely and in need of companionship right now