"If someone does not want me, it is not the end of the world. But if I do not want me, the world is nothing but endings." -Unknown.
"Good luck, Rosalie Dorea Potter." Said Albus Dumbledore with a somber expression on his face as he vanished.
The next morning, Mrs Dursley, a bony, long necked woman, came to get the milk.
"Eek!" she screamed loudly, effectively waking up her husband.
Mr Dursley, an obese man tottled down the stairs as he heard his wife scream.
"Pet, what's wrong?" he said looking quite confused when he saw her purple face.
"Those- Those Freaks!" screatched Mrs Dursley, holding a letter in her hand. "Lily- you remember my sister, don't you Vernon dear?- got herself and her freak of her husband blown up, so now those people have given their brat to us!"
Vernon frowned deeply, "Don't worry, Pet. We can just drop that brat off at the orphanage. All will be well."
Petunia sighed and shook her head, "Its not that easy, Vernon. These- freaks, they say that as long as the brat is with us, we will be safe from any one of their kind."
Vernons ears turned red. "Well tell them that just because we are responsible, cultured people doesn't mean we will let any of their freakishness around Dudley. He might be your nephew, Pet, but this is our son we are talking about!"
Petunia nodded. "You are absolutely right, Vernon. I haven't read the letter yet. The address must be written on it. We'll tell those freaks."
Vernon nodded in agreement as Petunia opened the letter.
A few minutes after reading it, however, Petunia got teary eyed.
"Pet, what's wrong?" Vernon asked with concern.
"It's a girl." She said, her voice low.
"I'm sorry dear, could you repeat that?" asked Vernon.
"Lily. She had a girl. A daughter." Petunia repeated, louder.
Vernon would be lying if he himself didn't go so still.
A girl.
A daughter.
A little baby delicate girl.
It was their dream.
There had been complications during Dudley's birth which rendered Petunia sterile. No matter how much Petunia loved Dudley, Petunia would have also wanted a daughter. Vernon knew how much Petunia wanted a girl- someone to give fashion advice to, teach her how to garden, cook, accessorise and so much more.
Vernon wanted a daughter just as much as Petunia. Oh how he would love a daughter! He knew he would have completely spoilt her. And god forbid a boy tried to woo his baby girl.
"What's her name?" asked Vernon, trying to be calm.
Petunia scanned the letter once again and her face lit up with a soft smile.
"Rosalie." She replied. "Rosalie Dorea Potter."
Vernon smiled as well.
The freaks had done one thing right- they had given her a beautiful name.
Rosalie. Vernon knew Petunia's family had a tradition of naming the girls after flowers. Petunia's own mother was named Daisy.
Rosalie was perfect. It rolled well off your tongue and sounded elegant, delicate and beautiful- the three most important qualities that every girl should have.
Dorea. That one was a bit unusual, then again so was Dudley. But it sounded nice. Pretty and sophisticated.
As if thinking the same thought, both Dursleys went to the basket where Rosalie Dorea Potter laid and tried hard not to gasp.
She was absolutely breath takingly beautiful.
Fair skin flushed red, button nose, visible dimples, long lashes and silky dark hair.
As if sensing she was being watched, the babe opened her eyes to reveal emeralds that Lily was known for.
The babe seemed to observe both of them with fascination as they did the same to her.
Then, as if passing some unknown test, the babe giggled releasing melodic musical giggles.
Along with that, her once dark hair changed into a sunflower yellow color.
Vernon gasped. "Did she- did she just use magic?"
But Petunia didn't answer. Instead, she went to pick up the baby girl who was currently making graby hands at her.
"Don't you get it, Vernon? This is perfect!" said Petunia with a crazed gleam in her eyes. "She's got blonde hair now-just like you, me and Dudley! She can easily pass off as a Dursley! Well, except her eyes but we can say its from my side of the family. Anyway, the letter said she was 15 months old. That's too young to remember anything and she was born around the same time as Dudley. We haven't been outside of the house properly ever since Dudley was born... So, why don't we just say that Rosalie is his twin sister? It's perfect!"
Vernon thought about it for a while. Petunia was right, the plan was perfect. (Not to mention he would get a daughter)
"Are you sure, Pet?" he asked to confirm.
"More than I have ever been, Vernon." She said looking deep into Rosalie's eyes who was now cooing at her. She finally broke eye contact and turned to her husband. "Do you want this, Vernon?"
"More than I ever have, Petunia." He said with a soft smile on his face. He looked at his wife and the baby- no- his daughter. He worked his way over that and softly kissed her forehead as she giggled at the feeling of his moustache on her soft, sensitive skin.
The moment was broken by Dudley who started crying loudly, alerting the couple that he needed his nappies changed.
Vernon laughed heartily. "I'll go change him, Pet. You feed little Rosie some peaches."
And that's how, if you would enter the House, you would see pictures of a very beautiful young blonde baking next to a horse-like woman she called her mother. You would see pictures of a walrus-like man hosting the young girl on her shoulder, both of them caught mid-laugh. You would also see many pictures of a young lad, who greatly resembled his father wrapping a protective arm around the young girl, laughing with her and playing with her.
Rosalie grew up to be the perfect ideal girl. She grew up volunteering at orphanages and old age homes- and how proud was the expression on Petunia's face when she told everyone about her beautiful, kind daughter- she baked with her mum, had very good fashion sense, became Cheer Captain, excelled in ballet, piano and singing; –"Feminine, proper arts," Vernon always bragged to his colleagues- she graduated Head Girl with the highest marks and got accepted very quickly into Eaton. Vernon, who couldn't bear to let his little girl's efforts get wasted by becoming a teacher –"Maybe when she is retired,"- decided to extend his views and let her become what ever she wanted, (as long as it was not too masculine).
She chose Medicine. Not a nurse, a doctor. Vernon was not quite happy, but was still proud and commented positively about her ambition.
Dudley grew up with a little sister to protect. Any guy who wanted to date his sister had to go through both him and his father. Needless to say, Rosalie didn't date anyone.
Dudley got into wresling. His coach called him a prodigy. He did average in school, however, he was accepted into Eton due to his wreasling talents and a few calls made and a few thousands pounds. Vernon insisted as he wanted both his lovely children to be together.
Over the years, both Vernon and Petunia completely forgot that Rosie and Duddy weren't actually twins. They also forgot that they weren't Rose's parents.
So when Rose got a letter addressed to a Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Petunia was scared. Would little Rosie leave her just like Lily? She couldn't lose another one of her family to Them. She wouldn't be able to handle it.
She told Rose about it over dinner.
"You've been accepted to a private boarding school in Scotland." She had said.
Rose had calmly sipped her juice, "Oh? That's wonderful. However, unless it's better than Eton, mother, you can recycle the paper."
"Are you sure, Rose?" Petunia asked nervously. "You might find it magical." She said. The last word leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.
"I'm as sure as ever, mum. It's called Hogwarts? That doesn't sound like the right sort of people." Her daughter had replied.
Vernon had laughed heartily and wore a proud expression on his red face, "Right you are, Rose darling."
"It's better if we confirm it, though." She said as she took the some paper and wrote a 'No, thank you. I would rather go to Eton, Cambridge or Oxford, no offence,' and gave it to her mother. "Mum, please mail this tomorrow. I wouldn't want this sort to think I was thinking about it or that the letter got lost in the mail." She said crisply before returning to her mashed potatoes.
"We raised her well." Vernon would later comment to Petunia, who would just smile happily and say, "Of course we did. We are her parents. Our children would never associate themselves with freaks."
Petunia would pay her entire life savings to watch the oh so esteemed headmasters face when he opens the letter. He would finally know how it felt to be rejected.
Sweet, sweet revenge.