A/N: My QLFC Team last season decided to continue on our own with fun bonus rounds we came up with. So here's round 4! The theme this time was Unpopular Characters We were each assigned an unpopular character, mine was Dudley Dursley. My optional prompts were: (profession) electrician; (setting) Privet Drive; (word) childish.

W/C: 1,799

No beta's this time around.

Summary: Dudley needed to call Harry. He was the only one who could offer an explanation.

Cousins

Dudley Dursley thumbed the holiday card. It was July, he wasn't even quite sure why he had saved it, but something had been niggling at the back of his mind. In truth, if he really allowed himself to think about it, that same something had been niggling at the back of his mind for more than a year now. That was why he had saved the card.

Serena either didn't notice or chalked it up to hallucinations. Dudley wouldn't put it past her, with the number of drugs she took on a semi-regular basis, hallucinations were probably fairly common for her. It's not like Serena would be able to explain it anyway. It was Dudley who had connections to the magical world. Serena was just like him. Ordinary. Mupple. Or something. He couldn't quite remember what Harry had called it.

He looked down at the card in his hands. It was one of those picture cards, a family of five, three kids, beaming at the camera. Harry with his arm around a smoking Asian woman. Another thing Harry did better than him. When they were kids, Dudley had been sure that he was the one who would excel in life. It was his parent's life ambition to make him excel. But it certainly wasn't Dudley's. He had been childish and failed out of three sixth form schools before dropping out altogether. It wasn't until his parents had cut him off permanently that he had finally cleaned up his act.

He was proud of the fact that his father hadn't helped him get his first job. He had done it all on his own and worked his arse off in his apprenticeship. The fact that Serena had gotten pregnant halfway through the apprenticeship had definitely kept him in the game when he otherwise might have quit. Now, seven years later, he was a full-blown electrician with his own company. It was just him, he didn't have anyone working for him, but he didn't mind. He didn't much like having a boss anyway. And working for himself freed up time to be there when Danny needed him.

Danny, the whole reason he was tapping this old holiday card on the dining room table of his parent's old house on Privet Drive. They had retired to Majorca with Aunt Marge five years ago, and given Dudley the house. It was a nice enough house, even better that he didn't owe anything on it. It meant he could turn down more work, in order to be available for when Serena fell off the grid. Which she did quite frequently.

Thankfully, Danny was at Serena's parent's house for the weekend. They at least could be trusted to keep him safe and healthy for a weekend. He was less sure about Serena's ability to do the same these days.

"Just do it," he muttered to himself as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. Every year, Harry hand wrote a phone number on the Christmas card. There was no note, just the phone number. The same one every year. Dudley wasn't sure if it was Harry's way of reaching out, or if Harry was just being friendly. Dudley was sure he was the only Mupple Harry would be sending a holiday card to.

Without thinking about it again, he punched in the number from the card and listened to it ring.

"It's Potter," Harry said. He sounded older and it made Dudley smile to hear his voice. They hadn't seen each other in close to fifteen years.

"Harry, it's Dudley," he said, holding his breath.

"Dudley! How are you?" his voice was warm and welcoming and some of the tension in Dudley's shoulders released.

"I'm good, listen. I was wondering if you'd like to get some tea sometime? I have something I need to talk to you about."

"Sure," Harry's voice sounded fainter as if he pulled away from the phone for a bit. "I'm out of town this week, can we do next Friday?"

"Perfect, the old tea shop?" Dudley suggested. There was an old shop that his mother had frequented that was just outside their neighborhood.

"Alright, haven't been there in years," Harry said with a bit of a laugh. "See you then, Dudley."

He felt better for having called him. They may not have spoken for a decade and a half, but it seemed Harry didn't hold that against him.

A week later, Dudley didn't have anyone to watch Danny. He probably could have found a babysitter, there were always some kids in the neighborhood looking to make a few extra quid, but he kind of wanted to show Danny off. Maybe if Harry saw him do something, he'd understand better.

"Who are we going to see again?" Danny asked as they stepped out of the front door. Dudley turned to lock it before grabbing Danny's hand and heading down the street.

"An old friend, well, actually he's kind of your uncle," Dudley said. "He's my cousin, Harry. We grew up together."

"Really? I have an uncle? Can I call him Uncle Harry?" Danny was all exuberance, his five-year-old body bouncing up and down as they made their way down the street.

"I'm sure he'd like that," Dudley replied, having no idea if Harry would like that or not. He seemed like a family man. And was kind enough on the phone.

They made it to the tea shop in record time. Harry hadn't arrived yet, so Dudley ordered a pot with three cups and a plate of biscuits. He tried to keep his knee from bouncing, he certainly didn't need Danny picking up on his nervousness, but it was a struggle. God, would Harry even recognize him? He'd lost over seven stone since he'd seen his cousin last. That's what being a man who worked with his hands did for you. The hard-scrabble life for a couple of years didn't hurt either.

"Dudley?" A well-dressed man, better dressed than Harry had ever been, with glasses and dark, messy hair stood next to their table.

"Harry," Dudley replied, smiling and standing to shake his hand.

"You look great," Harry said, taking a seat across from him. "And who is this?"

"I'm Danny! And you're my Uncle Harry!" Danny said before Dudley could say anything.

"Danny," Dudley admonished softly. "Sorry about that. We haven't really talked about you until this morning."

Harry grinned, making him look ten years younger. "That's right, Uncle Harry. I could always use another nephew." He sent a wink Dudley's way. Dudley smiled back, breathing out a sigh of relief.

"How many nephews do you have?" Danny asked.

"Oh, let's see, I have five nephews. You are lucky number six! It's nice to meet you, Danny," he held out his hand and Danny shook it happily.

"Have a biscuit, Danny," Dudley said, shoving the plate toward his son. He poured Harry a cup of tea, but he wasn't sure what to say to him.

"Is he…?" Harry trailed off, raising his eyebrows.

"I think so. Strange things seem to happen around him," Dudley replied. "You probably figured when you saw him, huh?"

Harry shrugged. "I didn't think you'd call me, otherwise, actually."

Dudley let out a small chuckle. "You're probably right. I was a right shit to you when we were younger. There's no excuse. I'm surprised you agreed to meet with me."

Harry smiled. "I wouldn't want another kid going through what I did. I didn't know for sure when you called, but I had a feeling."

He nodded. "Listen, my parents are in Majorca. I never even see them, actually. They've only ever seen Danny four or five times. I went through… a rebellious stage, you could say, and they've never quite forgiven me for it.

"I wouldn't let them do that to him anyway. I've learned from their mistakes in that regard," Dudley said. "I'm sorry for what they put you through. And I'm sorry I didn't help you."

"It's not your fault. You were a kid, put on a pedestal. I don't hold it against you. And I'm glad you called. I'm glad you want to do better for Danny than was done for you or me. So, spill the tea, what exactly has he done so far?"

"Little things, mostly. He can pull a stuffed animal to him from across the room. Or vanish a vegetable he doesn't like to eat. Once he even got the back door unlocked to go out in the garden after I told him not to."

Harry nodded. "Pretty typical first signs of magic."

"What do I do? Is there someone I should contact? Or?" Dudley was at a loss. He didn't want his son to be bullied when he began school next year.

"Would you consider sending him to a magical school? One opened up a few years ago, designed to integrate Muggleborn kids with the rest of the wizarding population."

"Muggleborn? I thought it was Mupple," Dudley muttered.

Harry laughed. "Actually, since it runs in the family, it's more likely that someone on our mum's side was a Squib, someone who was born into a magical family but doesn't have magic."

"But you think Danny is magical? A wizard?" Dudley asked, eyeing his son.

Harry nodded. "There are tests they can perform at school to test his ability before he receives his Hogwarts letter, but for the primary school, it's optional. How old is he?"

"Just turned five."

Harry nodded. "He will probably be getting a letter then, maybe in the next month or so. I think they send someone out like they do for Hogwarts, but I'm not sure. My youngest will be starting at the wizarding primary this fall, Lily."

"For your mum?" Dudley asked quietly. Harry nodded. "It would be nice to have them together."

Harry smiled then, leaning back in his chair. "It's settled. Perhaps you and Danny and your wife can come to dinner this weekend?"

"It's just me and Danny," Dudley replied. "His mum is… unstable. But we'd love to. I'm sure Danny would like to meet his cousins."

Danny perked up at this. "I have cousins too! I've always wanted cousins!"

Harry laughed. "Three of them! The youngest is your age, her name is Lily. There's John, two years older than you and Lily, and James who is three years older than John."

"Dad, please tell me we're going to see my cousins this weekend!" Danny said, his eyes bright and his face beaming with expectation.

"How can I say no?" Dudley said with a smile. He ruffled Danny's hair. "Thank you," he said to Harry. He still had no idea how he would explain this all to Serena, but at least now, he knew he wasn't alone.

~Fin~