Hope of the Phoenix (3/?)
Rating: PG 13
Pairing: eventually, Remus/Petunia; for now, none
Disclaimer: It all belongs to J.K. Rowling; I claim nothing!
Chapter 3: "I Won't Go Back!"
"...We'll just have to obliviate her and send her back, she can probably stay with her sister-in-law..."
"No" Petunia had finally become aware of her surroundings. She was sitting at a table in the kitchen of some strange house she'd never seen before. Outside the window, the street-lamps had been lit, and were lighting the darkened street- it must be fairly late. People, some of whom she'd seen before at King's Cross, surrounded her. That fat woman with the load of red- haired kids was there, she seemed to be hovering around Harry, constantly refilling his plate, even though he wasn't really eating anything. The young girl with the pink hair was there, as was the man with the weird glass eye. And ... Mrs. Figg? Why would she be here, of all places? They were all staring at her, startled by her sudden speech. But Petunia focused her attention on him, the man who held her memory and her life in his hands ... Dumbledore.
She looked at him, gazing earnestly into his blue eyes. "No," she said again, more strongly this time. "I won't go back there. I don't want to go back. I am not running away this time."
Harry looked at his Aunt in amazement. From the moment he'd dragged her from Dudley's body, she'd been catatonic, trapped by her grief. After they had arrived at Grimmauld Place, she'd just sat at the table, seemingly unaware of what was going on around her.
Not long after Mrs. Weasley had taken them inside, she'd told them that Mrs. Figg had Flooed in earlier that afternoon, after she had seen what the Death Eaters had done, and that she and Dumbledore had left immediately to try and find Harry. When they couldn't find him, just the car, with the groceries still in the boot, Dumbledore had gathered some of the members of the Order, and had gone out to search the area surrounding Privet Drive. Snape had been sent to try and find out if the Death Eaters had captured Harry and his aunt. She'd made Harry eat a sandwich, watching over him, carefully observing that he ate every bit of it. Aunt Petunia had just sat there, deep in shock. When Harry had finally choked out about how they had discovered Uncle Vernon and Dudley, Mrs. Weasley had hugged him, and, to Harry's surprise, had hugged Aunt Petunia as well. It was lucky, Harry thought, that Aunt Petunia was so out of it, as she would normally have been horrified at the idea of being touched by a witch.
Teatime had passed, and even the summer light was beginning to fade, as the Order members returned from their search. They had been relieved to discover that Harry was there safe and sound, and Harry let Mrs. Weasley tell the story. Aunt Petunia was still sitting, silent, at the table. She hadn't moved at all since they had arrived. Mrs. Weasley had put food on the table for the hungry searchers, and then the talk had begun.
They had examined the situation from different angles: how had the Death Eaters been able to find the house, and kill the Dursleys; why hadn't the protections worked, and what were they to do with Aunt Petunia?
It was their attempt to answer that last question that had seemingly sparked Aunt Petunia's interest, jolted her back to life. They had all been startled when she had suddenly joined the conversation; refusing to return to her old life.
She was still looking at Dumbledore, with the same intensity on her face that Harry had only seen twice before: when she had been ranting about her sister, the night that Harry was given his Hogwarts letter; and last summer, when she had vetoed Uncle Vernon's plans to throw him out of the house. But both the previous times she had been angry, while this time while this time she sounded both sad and fierce. There was something in her eyes that Harry had never seen before though, a pleading, and a strength.
Seeing that Dumbledore had not yet answered her pleas to stay, Petunia tried again. She softened her tone, but the strength was still clear in her voice. "Voldemort has destroyed everything that was important in my life again. And this time, I will not run away. He killed my husband, and he killed my son, and I will be involved in tracking him down. This man must be stopped."
"Very well."
"Dumbledore, she can't stay, she's a Muggle" protested Snape's silky voice.
"Severus, I am aware of that. However, defeated Voldemort will require the cooperation of all who are willing to fight. Mrs. Dursley has just as much reason to hate Voldemort as any of us, and I see no reason not to allow her to do so. Molly, if you will be so kind to prepare a room for Mrs. Dursley, I think she needs to rest she has had a very difficult day."
Petunia allowed the fat woman, Molly, she corrected herself, to lead her out of the kitchen and towards the stairs. As they passed through the hallway, her arm brushed against a curtain on the wall, and a horrendous woman's voice began screaming about Muggles, and filth and blood traitors in her home. She saw leering, small heads, with large ears and bulging eyes glaring at her from the wall, and, perhaps it was her grief and fear, but the figures in the paintings seemed to be following her.
Finally, Molly showed her into a dark room. Petunia choked out her thanks, received a kindly "sleep well, dear" in return, and then she was alone.
She crawled into bed, briefly wondering what she had got herself into, but the awareness that the bed was lacking Vernon's bulk, and the quiet of the room, without her Duddykins snoring from the next room, hardened her resolve, and she passed into fitful dreams.
Chapter 3: "I Won't Go Back!"
"...We'll just have to obliviate her and send her back, she can probably stay with her sister-in-law..."
"No" Petunia had finally become aware of her surroundings. She was sitting at a table in the kitchen of some strange house she'd never seen before. Outside the window, the street-lamps had been lit, and were lighting the darkened street- it must be fairly late. People, some of whom she'd seen before at King's Cross, surrounded her. That fat woman with the load of red- haired kids was there, she seemed to be hovering around Harry, constantly refilling his plate, even though he wasn't really eating anything. The young girl with the pink hair was there, as was the man with the weird glass eye. And ... Mrs. Figg? Why would she be here, of all places? They were all staring at her, startled by her sudden speech. But Petunia focused her attention on him, the man who held her memory and her life in his hands ... Dumbledore.
She looked at him, gazing earnestly into his blue eyes. "No," she said again, more strongly this time. "I won't go back there. I don't want to go back. I am not running away this time."
Harry looked at his Aunt in amazement. From the moment he'd dragged her from Dudley's body, she'd been catatonic, trapped by her grief. After they had arrived at Grimmauld Place, she'd just sat at the table, seemingly unaware of what was going on around her.
Not long after Mrs. Weasley had taken them inside, she'd told them that Mrs. Figg had Flooed in earlier that afternoon, after she had seen what the Death Eaters had done, and that she and Dumbledore had left immediately to try and find Harry. When they couldn't find him, just the car, with the groceries still in the boot, Dumbledore had gathered some of the members of the Order, and had gone out to search the area surrounding Privet Drive. Snape had been sent to try and find out if the Death Eaters had captured Harry and his aunt. She'd made Harry eat a sandwich, watching over him, carefully observing that he ate every bit of it. Aunt Petunia had just sat there, deep in shock. When Harry had finally choked out about how they had discovered Uncle Vernon and Dudley, Mrs. Weasley had hugged him, and, to Harry's surprise, had hugged Aunt Petunia as well. It was lucky, Harry thought, that Aunt Petunia was so out of it, as she would normally have been horrified at the idea of being touched by a witch.
Teatime had passed, and even the summer light was beginning to fade, as the Order members returned from their search. They had been relieved to discover that Harry was there safe and sound, and Harry let Mrs. Weasley tell the story. Aunt Petunia was still sitting, silent, at the table. She hadn't moved at all since they had arrived. Mrs. Weasley had put food on the table for the hungry searchers, and then the talk had begun.
They had examined the situation from different angles: how had the Death Eaters been able to find the house, and kill the Dursleys; why hadn't the protections worked, and what were they to do with Aunt Petunia?
It was their attempt to answer that last question that had seemingly sparked Aunt Petunia's interest, jolted her back to life. They had all been startled when she had suddenly joined the conversation; refusing to return to her old life.
She was still looking at Dumbledore, with the same intensity on her face that Harry had only seen twice before: when she had been ranting about her sister, the night that Harry was given his Hogwarts letter; and last summer, when she had vetoed Uncle Vernon's plans to throw him out of the house. But both the previous times she had been angry, while this time while this time she sounded both sad and fierce. There was something in her eyes that Harry had never seen before though, a pleading, and a strength.
Seeing that Dumbledore had not yet answered her pleas to stay, Petunia tried again. She softened her tone, but the strength was still clear in her voice. "Voldemort has destroyed everything that was important in my life again. And this time, I will not run away. He killed my husband, and he killed my son, and I will be involved in tracking him down. This man must be stopped."
"Very well."
"Dumbledore, she can't stay, she's a Muggle" protested Snape's silky voice.
"Severus, I am aware of that. However, defeated Voldemort will require the cooperation of all who are willing to fight. Mrs. Dursley has just as much reason to hate Voldemort as any of us, and I see no reason not to allow her to do so. Molly, if you will be so kind to prepare a room for Mrs. Dursley, I think she needs to rest she has had a very difficult day."
Petunia allowed the fat woman, Molly, she corrected herself, to lead her out of the kitchen and towards the stairs. As they passed through the hallway, her arm brushed against a curtain on the wall, and a horrendous woman's voice began screaming about Muggles, and filth and blood traitors in her home. She saw leering, small heads, with large ears and bulging eyes glaring at her from the wall, and, perhaps it was her grief and fear, but the figures in the paintings seemed to be following her.
Finally, Molly showed her into a dark room. Petunia choked out her thanks, received a kindly "sleep well, dear" in return, and then she was alone.
She crawled into bed, briefly wondering what she had got herself into, but the awareness that the bed was lacking Vernon's bulk, and the quiet of the room, without her Duddykins snoring from the next room, hardened her resolve, and she passed into fitful dreams.