The Houses Competition

Ravenclaw

Charms

Drabble

(Dialogue) "I didn't know you could do that! That's so cool!"

WC: 997

AN Slight AU per JK (Dudley has a witch child)

"I didn't know you could do that! That's so cool! Show me how to do it! Daddy, come see what Daisy did!" Dudley's daughter, Dahlia, demanded from outside.

"Probably some gymnastics move," Dudley chuckled as he got up from the table. "Daisy's really taken to it since you signed her up, Mum."

"Daaaaaaddy!"

"Duty calls. Coming, Sweetheart!" Dudley called out the window.

As expected, Daisy, his green-eyed princess, was performing a picture-perfect cartwheel as her blue-eyed twin watched on in awe. There was just one problem, and as Dudley ran towards his children, he tried not to panic.

Innocent laughter reminded him that, in their eyes at least, nothing was wrong at all. Weakly, he called out, "That's awesome! Honey, can you come down for Daddy?" With a pout, Daisy, who had been practicing her entire gymnastics routine while floating a few inches above the ground, walked off an invisible platform as if climbing down steps.

"But Daddy!"

Dudley tuned out her whine as he tried to figure out what to do. Obviously, they couldn't stay for tea. Hazy memories of how his cousin had been treated a lifetime ago came to mind; staying was out of the question, but he couldn't let the girls know anything was wrong. A plan came to mind.

"Dahlia, Daisy," he started, interrupting Daisy mid-complaint, "Daddy has a few errands to run. You could stay here," he paused for suspense while internally he knew there was no way in hell he'd allow it. "OR you could come with me, and we'll have Big Bailey's burgers and cake for dinner!"

The favoured restaurant did the trick.

"BAILEY'S!" two high-pitched voices screamed before rushing towards the house for their jackets. Mercifully, Daisy's feet remained on the ground.

"Sorry, Mum! Work called; we're gonna have to head out."

"But Dudley, dear–"

Dudley ignored her. He couldn't give in. His precious Daisy wouldn't know their hate. Hate you would have agreed with just yesterday? His brain opined not-so-helpfully. That was then. This was now. Daisy was his daughter. There was no contest.

"Daddy, look what Daisy's doing!"

When did they get to the car? Both girls were already buckled in, and he was behind the wheel, sitting in his parents' driveway. Dudley could feel his mum's gaze as she watched from the window. Quickly throwing a glance at the girls, he saw Sammy the Bear had learned to dance.

"Th-that's great," he mumbled before grabbing his phone. Thankfully, his wife was out of town. Before Flora returned, he needed to reconnect with somebody.

Ding-Dong!

Dudley opened the door to see his cousin grinning at him and thankfully wearing normal clothing.

"Well now, Dudley Dursley really must be desperate if he's reaching out. Do I want to know what you went through to contact lil ol' me?"

"You'll be happy to know it involved far too many hours searching for owls in the woods before one of your lot showed up and set me straight." Dudley frowned. That had not been pleasant. The girls had enjoyed it though.

"Come in, Potter. I, we need to talk. Tea?" he offered gruffly.

As they made themselves comfortable, Dudley fiddled with his mug. A squeal from the girls playing upstairs offered him a place to start. "You'll be shocked to know I'm married with kids. Dahlia and Daisy are upstairs. Daisy's why you're here, or maybe it's both of them. I don't know. Is there a way to detect it? Magicness?"

Potter, who had seemed to find enjoyment at his discomfiture initially, became serious as a heart attack. "May I ask what it will mean if they are? Right now, I'm here as your cousin, but I'm the magic version of a policeman, and I refuse to leave a child in a home where they'll be abused."

Dudley recoiled in denial. The very idea that he could harm one of his princesses made him nauseous. The thought that Potter could take them away terrified him.

"Th-that's not it at all! No, I just… right now, Dahlia is happy watching her sister, but she's asking about how to do it too. They're twins. I don't want their closeness to disappear just because one can do things the other can't." He tried to explain. "I called you because I need some help getting a handle around all of this before I explain things to my wife, and because I'm scared. I never imagined being pulled back into your world and need your help to navigate it for my family's sake. I look back on our childhood and don't want that for either of them." He turned to wave the girls into the room, having heard their footsteps on the stairs while he spoke.

"Well, Dud, I can safely say that you've surprised me. Who knew you could make such darling little girls?" Potter commented before turning to the children in the room. "Hello dears. You remind me of my daughter, Lily. I'm–"

"-This is your Uncle Harry. What do you say to showing him your special gymnastics trick, Daisy?"

Daisy looked at Dahlia, uncharacteristically shy. "I'll show him mine if you show your trick?"

Dudley readied himself in preparation for more feats of magic.

Like before, Daisy 'climbed' a staircase into the air before showing off a perfect cartwheel.

Beside her, Dahlia went into a handstand and walked around her sister. Unlike her twin, however, Dahlia remained on solid ground.

Dudley was confused, but Daisy refused to let her sister's accomplishment go unacknowledged.

"Isn't that great Daddy? Dahlia learned to walk on her hands! I can't do it yet, but we're sure I'll get it soon," she exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Dahlia cheered.

"It looks like you have some pretty talented young ladies, Dudley. We'll have to arrange a playdate one of these days."

Nothing was resolved, not really. But seeing his daughters cheering each other on as the adults watched, Dudley felt like maybe the coming hurdles weren't that impossible after all.