A/N: Please don't drink and drive. This includes driving while tipsy. It isn't worth it.

Chapter 31: Bad decisions

Petunia was definitely at least tipsy when she parked her bike at the bottom of the building. Jean drew her in and Petunia melted into the moment, just a moment, before picking Jean and twirling her around. She had sent an owl to Damocles, letting him know that she wouldn't be back until the next night.

It had been, what felt like, forever since Jean looked like this. Full of light and happiness. There was going to be a wedding tomorrow and then Jean and Darren would go off for the weekend before Darren's Monday show.

Petunia couldn't have been more excited. Darren loved Jean and Petunia felt that between them, love would be enough. She could imagine them, two people who had interests as varied as they did, they made it work.

That night felt like she had never moved out. Jean lead Petunia dancing lazy circles as the music and alcohol ran freely. Petunia hadn't gotten out of her uniform completely and looked sloppy next to Jean's slacks and jersey.

"I wish I could do this forever," Petunia said, cuddling further on Jean's bed.

Jean hummed in agreement, as she turned the page of the book she was reading. Petunia opened her eyes and wondered if this was a good time to show them the rings she had chosen for them.

"And what would your parents say, the scandal of their dear Petunia sleeping with a Black girl," Jean said.

Petunia thought for a minute. "Screw them and Cokesworth, one day I'm going to have the world at my palms and you, Mrs Granger are going to rule it."

"Dream on, Evans, if anyone is going to give Jean the world it's me," Darren said. He flopped on the bed, right on top of Petunia. "How was the exam?"

Jean groaned. "Can we not talk about the exam? I don't even want to think about it."

Petunia pushed Darren off and he immediately pulled the covers over him. "I showered at the Theater. Also, both of you owe me a night, what good are season tickets when the people in your life barely show up?"

"I told you to give mine to Ross and Clara, she loves that stuff," Jean said.

Darren pouted and Jean kissed him. Sometimes Petunia wanted to see into the future, just to make sure that those she cared about were happy, just like in the moments where she saw them at their happiest.

"Same, besides we all know you're a good dancer," Petunia added.

There was a beat of silence. "What if I can't sustain it and my body gives up before I'm ready to let it go?"

Petunia knew what he meant by that. This was the Darren who showed her the importance of earnestly running after wants even when the rest of the world considered it frivolous. Darren loved himself, most days, and on the days that he didn't, it was up to the rest of the world to make him feel loved.

"Then your body gives up and we put your A-levels to good use," Jean said.

Petunia turned to face them. In a world that moved so fast, the few constants were Jean's practicality and Darren's determination. That was more than enough to build a home. A home with the two of them and something more, should they ever decide.

They were supposed to sleep before going to the marriage registration place. The morning found them as messy as ever. Ross looked nervously at his watch as no one in the flat had gotten dressed yet.

Jean was having Darren do her lipstick and Petunia was nursing a cup of tomato soup in hopes to cure her hangover.

"I asked you if I needed to stay the night and you told me you had everything under control," Ross said, polishing Darren's shoes. "Please tell me you have rings, otherwise I'm going to scream… children, actual children, getting married."

"Hey, you were going out with Clara before she left jailbait territory," Petunia defended. "Also, I have the rings."

Ross glared at Petunia and she stuck her tongue out at him. Clara was with Jean's dad and uncle at the registry already.

Petunia looked over her shoulder and leaned in. "Have the Granger's still not said their coming?"

"The church or nothing. You know they don't want that and I'm not going to force Darren into it."

Of all the complaints Darren's family could have had about this marriage, the biggest one was that there would be no wedding at a church. Darren and Jean didn't want that. Darren wanted something out of the way and Jean agreed not wanting to spend the cash on some wedding. Ross had tried to talk them both into it and Jean had refused, then burst into tears whenever it was brought up.

When Jean cried, you learned that it was for things, big things that no one should ever need to go through. Jean cried, but the tears she cried that night were out of fear and Ross stopped asking or pressuring. When Petunia had brought it up; he was the one who put his foot down and to a certain extent, Ross' word was still the law.

"Also, we need more hands in the summer, on your days off, could you come by to the factory?" Ross asked.

Petunia could only deduce that Tobias was drinking again and to add on top of the million other issues that seemed to come up when Tobias' name was brought up. It hadn't even been a year since Eileen had left and the vacuum that had been created from her lack of presence peppered every bit of Petunia's existence.

"Sure, I'm moving into one of the Grunnings hostels at the end of the summer, but I'll try come down more often."

Jean tapped Petunia on her shoulders as she finished speaking. Petunia had to physically hold herself back from tackling her best-friend. Heavens, all the heavens combined, was Jean beautiful. Soft, delicate and perfect, so bloody perfect.

Petunia held Jean's shoes as they walked down the stairs and then slipped them on. She took a step back to admire the yellow dress, the fabric and the person in it. Jean had taken the braids out of her hair when she had come home and spent the entire day after her exam preparing it for the crown of yellow flowers that Clara had made.

"Stop staring," Jean looked uncomfortable at the faces staring at her.

Petunia smiled, "If he ever does anything terrible, I'll help you dispose of him."

Jean punched Petunia's shoulder and then pulled her into a hug. They got married at the registry office, with very little pomp and show. The rings Petunia had sourced from Goblins themselves had every sliver of protective magic she had learnt over the last few years and she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in when the magic settled. They would be protected even when apart. She had done her bit and they were enclosed in bands of gold, the finest gold she could get her hands on.

Clara squeezed Petunia's hand gently when the wedding was complete. Petunia still cried on the car on the way to the flat. Whether out of relief or something else, Petunia couldn't have said. The magic that it required emotion took a lot out of her. Sometimes it simply shattered her and that wasn't fair.

But there were few things in life that were fair. The owl that dropped a note when Petunia went back to the flat wasn't fair at all.

Dementor acquired it read in a thin script

She could not believe he was serious about that potion. Petunia didn't even know if it worked. There were just a dozen running theories that had cobbled itself into a recipe for a potion that no one should ever have to drink.

"They need me at work. Give Jean and Darren my love, all of it." Petunia said as she packed quickly and found her helmet in Darren's bedroom."

"What do you do for work?" Clara asked as Petunia tore through the room gathering her life, the bits of it she had left there.

Her voice wasn't peppered with curiosity, Clara wanted answers and no man had ever had the strength to deny Clara Whitehead anything.

"It's nothing, just general housekeeping and stuff for room and its closer to Grunnings." The answer wasn't a lie, just not a complete truth either.

Clara grabbed Petunia's shoulders and turned her forcefully. "It's those Snape's. You are no longer beholden to Eileen, no matter what anyone says."

The sight should have been a comical one. But the strength that Clara exuded was one that meant she wasn't going to be trifled with. There was a reason why Ross hadn't had the guts to cheat on Clara and part of it was that she would get to him before she got to her.

"It's not her and in case you haven't noticed it, some of us don't like to be queens in gilded cages." Petunia spat, moving right into Clara's space.

Petunia was taller and while the height made her awkward at times; she could make it look intimidating.

"I'm not telling you to get married, but you have a terrible habit of leaving everyone out of the picture when you make a decision."

"It doesn't concern you." Petunia gritted out.

Clara's eyebrows shot up and she levelled Petunia down with a disapproving stare. "Who are these people that you drop everything, your best friend's wedding day, to be by their side? Your mother tells me you haven't spoken to her in weeks? And you ask why I'm concerned about you?"

While all those were truths, Petunia didn't have time to argue with Clara. "I'll make it up with everyone at the end of the summer. I promise." She stopped and kissed Clara on the cheek.

The argument should have been louder but Petunia didn't have time for that. She had to regroup herself and refuse to make the potion. Belby couldn't coerce her to do anything she didn't want to, not with spells or potions and definitely not by brute force. He would break an oath and because of it, he would die. That was part of the clause Petunia signed when she became his apprentice. A standard clause leftover from when Masters did do what they please to the Apprentices who worked under them.

Clara did ask relevant questions though. Out of all the people Petunia met in the last few years, Clara had that kind of power over her. The only person who demanded answers and then got them. That being said, Petunia didn't want to be the one to send a team of obliviators to their town just because Clara pushed with one question too many.

She owed it to the people around her to be good, to put their interests above what she willing to do. Petunia stopped by the post-office on the way back to collect post and send a letter off to Dumbledore. If Damocles insisted that she needed to be a part of the war then she needed to be prepared. Not that she knew how that looked.