Chapter Thirty Two: Other Conversations

"I need to speak to you..."

"So you said," she looked at him, concerned, as she sat on the edge of the leather sofa. "Harry...?"

"Aunt Petunia, there are some things that you should know."

"Things?"

"I... About the past... about the twenty years that you've lost."

"Oh," she sat back, glancing away.

"Aunt Petunia?"

"I don't think I want to," she said softly, not meeting his eyes.

"Don't want to... what?"

"Know," she looked up at him. "I don't think I'm going to like what you have to say."

Harry winced, then sat down on the sofa next to her. "Whatever I have to say, I want you to know that... you'll always have a place here. You... you will always be welcome here. Do you understand that?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"And I understand," he sighed. "I understand... I think everything, now. There is nothing that you should feel..."

"Harry?"

He looked at her.

"I think I know."

"You do?"

"Yes. I have these... feelings... when I'm around you."

"Feelings?" Harry looked surprised.

"I... I feel ashamed," she whispered. "I feel terribly, terribly ashamed... but I don't know why. Have I...?"

Harry watched as she turned tear-filled, sad eyes up to him.

"Have I hurt you?"

He took a deep breath, and looked up at the portrait of his parents. They watched, silent, as he took her hand.

"Yes, at times... yes, you did. Then... then I suppose I got used to it," he shook his head. "Aunt Petunia, my parents were killed when I was fifteen months old. I was brought to live with you."

"Here?"

"No... this isn't... wasn't your home. This is Potter Manor... my father's family home. You lived in Surrey..."

"Surrey?" her brow knitted. "Why would I move to Surrey? My family lives in Oxford..."

"No... you married, Aunt Petunia... you and your husband moved to Surrey when you were twenty years old."

"Married?" Confusion was written all over her face. "But... but where is my husband... who is my... Remus?"

Her eyes were hopeful yet pained.

"No," Harry shook his head. "Not Remus."

"But..."

"You married a man named Vernon Dursley," Harry said softly. "A muggle... one who wanted nothing to do with the magical world."

"No..." Petunia clutched her forehead, leaning down over her lap, hiding her face.

"Aunt...?"

"Oh, dear God, no..." she wailed.

"Aunt Petunia..." Harry put an arm around her and she curled into him, sobbing.

"Oh, Harry... Oh... oh my God!" she wailed. "I..."

"You remember," he stated softly, holding her tightly.

"Vernon... oh God... Vernon!"

Harry held her close, rocking her a bit as the memories washed back over her. Apparently, mention of Vernon Dursley's name had opened the floodgates.

It was minutes later when she sobbed, and pulled away, straightening herself from him and wiping her eyes self-consciously.

"Harry..." she looked at him. "Oh, Harry... how can you...?"

"I'm sorry, Aunt Petunia," he looked at her sadly. "I'm so sorry... I didn't want to... but you needed to know."

"You have nothing to apologise for... Harry... I... where is Dudley...?" Fresh tears invaded her eyes, her face began to crumple with grief, but she controlled herself. "Is he...?"

"He's safe, Aunt Petunia... but he knows nothing of this world, and I couldn't bring him here... he's safe. Uninjured."

"Marge?"

"He was with her for a while, but..."

"But?"

"He... he got into some trouble... Professor Dumbledore decided it was best to remove him from that environment."

"Marge and her bloody dogs..." Petunia said shortly. "No doubt he got no supervision whatsoever..."

With this, she flushed. "Not that he ever had much to begin with."

"Aunt Petunia," Harry looked closely at her. "Have you ever heard the term 'abiciludum'?"

"Yes," she replied, looking down at her lap. "It's what I am."

"Yes," Harry nodded. "Do you know... do you know what happens to Luds... when they go without treatment?"

"Treatment?"

"They are normally... obliviated... then are given the choice of ignoring the world they come from... or living as Squibs."

"I..."

"Aunt Petunia, you've been caught between two worlds for twenty years... the stresses... there is help, to help you... to help Dudley."

"Dudley has no magic," she murmured.

"I know."

"I watched so carefully for it... so very carefully. I squashed any creativity... anything that... I just wanted him to reach twelve without getting one of those damned letters... I thought..."

"Aunt Petunia, Dudley doesn't have magic. But that doesn't make him a muggle," Harry said softly, gently.

Her eyes turned up to him. "I know... he's a Squib... I know... but... it's not that bad, Harry... if you don't know what you've lost."

"You always have a home here... Dudley... Dudley, too," Harry said.

Petunia smiled sadly. "I don't think you really mean that."

"I do," Harry shook his head, as though wondering himself. "I never thought I'd say it, but I do. If... if you don't want to live here... well, there are two other homes on the grounds..."

"Harry?"

He looked up at her, into her pale blue eyes, and saw something there that stopped him.

"We'll be fine, Harry... really... we..." she swallowed. "It was difficult at times, with Vernon... but he left us well provided for. We... Dudley and I... we'll be fine."

Harry nodded. "You're leaving then?"

"I think... I think I have to. The house? It's gone?"

"Half the street is gone," Harry confirmed.

"Well, I suppose it would have held... memories... in any case. I... I'll have to find a home."

"You're welcome to..."

"I know, Harry... but... I need to do this."

"I understand."

"You know, before I married Vernon, I was a pretty good secretary. I wonder..."

"Where did you work?" Harry was intrigued. He'd never known that his aunt had worked.

"Grunnings," she smiled. "That's where I met Vernon. It was run by a lovely man... a friend of my father's... from his school days. "

Harry thought for a moment. David Evans had been a Squib... he'd attended a Squib school...

Realization was apparent on his face as he looked at his aunt, who had a rather odd sparkle in her eye.

"You..."

"Squibs can sometimes do quite well... in either world, Harry."

He nodded. "I know, Aunt Petunia. I know."


The remainder of the Easter weekend was spent with family, and holding Ginny close. By the Sunday evening, Harry knew he had to do one more thing before returning to school.

"Mr Weasley... could I speak with you?" he asked softly of the older wizard as they all sat around the family lounge talking that night. None of the others noticed them get up and leave.

Arthur looked oddly at Harry as he set privacy charms on the study.

"Harry? Everything okay?"

"Yes, sir... I just..."

"Harry," Arthur sat down. "What is it?"

"You know... you know what is coming," Harry said, sitting down opposite Ginny's father and looking down at the floor between his feet, his elbows perched on his knees, hands clasped.

"Yes, I know," Arthur agreed solemnly. "Harry..."

"Mr Weasley, you know what I have to do... you know that Ron is probably going to be at my side as I do it."

Arthur Weasley's face held a look of such pain for a moment... but then, he smiled, as though resigned, and nodded. "Yes, Harry. And Ginny, too... not to mention Hermione. And, depending on when and where it comes... the twins... and Bill and Charlie, even Percy. And Molly and I. The entire Weasley family, Harry, will stand with you. Your family will stand with you."

"I..." Harry held back tears with some effort. "I can't guarantee their safety. I want to... but I know..."

"Harry..."

"I know that my job is to get to Voldemort. I know... I know that I have to ignore everything else going on around me, or more people will die. This won't end until I end it, I know that."

"So do we, Harry. No one expects you to protect the others... you've done what you could, getting Molly and I to agree... well, Ron and Ginny are more capable of protecting themselves now than they were."

"Mr Weasley, if... if something should happen... if I don't..."

"You will," Arthur said firmly.

"If I don't make it through this..."

"You will."

"If... I'm leaving it all to Ginny... and to the rest of you. I wanted you to know that..."

"No, Harry."

"Denying the possibility doesn't make it go away, sir," Harry said softly. "I want... I want you to know that... that Ginny is..."

"I know, Harry," Arthur nodded, his own blue eyes showing moisture.

"I love her," Harry said. "I know that you and Mrs Weasley think we're too young to feel that way, but..."

"Harry, I was eighteen when I married Molly Prewitt. She was just seventeen. You're not too young to feel love."

Harry nodded. "If I, by some miracle, do manage to bring him down... and survive... I wanted you to know, I intend to ask Ginny to marry me."

Arthur was silent for so long that Harry thought he was angry. But he didn't back down. He needed to tell him this, he needed it understood where he stood.

"I'm surprised, Harry."

"Surprised?"

"Yes," Arthur nodded, smiling. "I'm surprised that you felt the need to speak to me about this."

"I... I don't want you to think that I..." Harry took a deep breath. "What I feel is real, sir."

"No, Harry. I'm not surprised that you feel this way. But that you felt the need to tell me what your intentions were."

"Sir?"

"Harry, Molly and I have known for years that, eventually, we'd be handing Ginny over to you. It's no secret in our family. It hasn't been for some time."

Harry swallowed. He'd been that obvious?

"And I, for one, couldn't be happier," Arthur stood and held out his hand to Harry.

"Sir?" Harry stood, as well, taking his hand.

"I'd be proud to call you son. Officially. I think we can both be honest and say that I've looked upon you that way for some time... and not just because of your relationship with my daughter."

"I..."

"Ginny loves you. And you love her. Nothing starts a marriage out better than that, Harry."


Okay, my minions... I am happy to say that I now have full use of my hand back. It's still a bit stiff, and I figure I've probably lost twenty words a minute or so off my typing speed, but it's better than typing one handed!

As an aside, knowing JKR is so fond of anagrams, I started playing with some of our canon character's names over the weekend. Did you know that "Nymphadora Tonks" is an anagram for "Random Phony Task"? Or that Colin Creevy is an anagram for "Cry Violence"? Interesting...

Now, a few notes to my reviewers:

Larna Mandrea: I'm very, very happy to have you back, my friend. You were missed.

IrishCharms: I really don't know where that story is going... we'll see. Maybe a oneshot later...

ThundersShadow: Only a few more left, actually.

Nightwing509: It seems like it's more and more Harry who has to come up with the solutions, doesn't it? But I kind of think that Harry will mature over the next two books. After all, when he leaves Hogwarts, he'll be considered and adult wizard...

Alli-Baby: I have to admit, I sail the R/Hr ship, myself... but they're not my favorite couple... I really enjoy writing H/G. Maybe I'll have to try a R/Hr fic... I've pretty much exhausted my ideas for Harry and Ginny.

Perenelle: Hey, it wouldn't be ANY fun if I didn't come up with a few new things now and then, would it?

LilyNicolePotter: I hope you mean that in a good way... I mean, "addicted to my writing" obsessed, rather than... well... STALKER obsessed... you know, that could be frightening, LOL!

SaintEmo: I LOVE the favorites list feature... thank you for putting me on yours!

Lourdes: Remus knows that Harry wasn't HAPPY with the Dursleys, but he never witnessed anything abusive or criminally neglectful – as he told Harry before, nothing would have kept him from getting him away from there if he had.

GiGiFanfic: I know. I have none either.

RinnaMarie: I'll have to check out that stuff on SIYE...

And to all the others who reviewed with kind comments, thank you: Mr Firenze, Kazziedal, Faceless One, Froboy, Heather, CharminglyHolly, StarNat, MeaghanPotter, Gee-Unit, IndiaInk, WolfsScream, shellsboy24, Akemi, Weselan