Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the Harry Potter characters and whatnot. I just wanted to use them in a story that I'll get no compensation for.
Summary: Harry and Dudley go play in the park when they are about 4 ½ years old. One-shot. No ships.
A/N: Harry and Dudley are about four and a half. Sorry if they talk too well or do things four-year-olds wouldn't, I haven't talked to a four-year-old in a while. I know that Petunia and Vernon knew of Harry's magic when they got him, but I needed some way to have him and Dudley get along enough to play with each other. I got this idea while listening to the Comedian Demetri Martin (Quote below). Hope you enjoy. I apologize for any mistakes (spelling, grammar, technical, etc) I have made, I'm not perfect nor will I claim to be. Thanks to Katie for the advice, you know who you are. Please review and let me know what you think.
"When you have fat friends,
there are no seesaws…
only catapults."
Demetri Martin, Comedian
Catapults
by Wild KS Phoenix
We showed affection towards him at the beginning. I mean, how on earth could we say that a little toddler is a miscreant? Nobody would believe us. It would not be normal. In the beginning, Potter was a part of the family, no matter how we loathed it. Although, it did give our handsome, sweet, precious ickle Diddykins someone to play with and maybe he was not all that abysmal, in the beginning.
We were tolerant up until that day. The day he first used his freakiness in front of us…
The first beautiful spring day had arrived. Harry Potter had been living with the Dursley's for about three and a half years. He had adjusted fairly well and got along all right with his spoiled cousin. Harry and Dudley would play games Dudley dreamed up while Petunia Dursley took care of the house, keeping one eye on the two boys.
"Mummy, Mummy!"
"Yes, Duddy?"
"Mummy, I wanna go outside and pway."
"Very well, Duddy. Let me grab your coat and we will go out in the yard."
"No, I don't wanna go pway in the yard! I wanna pway in the park!"
Petunia sighed, she had quite a bit to do today and the park was not in her plans. However, for her ickle Dudleykins she could move some things around, "Very well, Duddy. We will go to the park if you want to."
A wide grin split across the blonde boy's face, "YEA! Harry, we're going to da park!" Petunia had temporarily forgotten about the boy and thanks to Dudley realized he, too, would have to go.
"Dudley, go get your jumper."
"Yes, Mummy." Petunia smiled, such a polite boy.
She then rounded on Harry, "You, I want you to be on your best behavior. No funny business. Understood?"
"Yes, Aunt Petunia." She eyed him for a few seconds for effect.
"Good, now get your jumper."
"Yes, Aunt Petunia."
Soon they were one their way to the park. Petunia, carrying a basket with snacks for Dudley and things to occupy her time while watching the boys in one hand and Dudley's hand in the other, hurried them along to the park on Magnolia Road.
"Mummy, are we dere yet?"
"Just about sweetheart."
"How soon we get dere?"
"Soon enough, dear."
Harry trailed along listening to this conversation as he hurried to keep up with the brisk pace of Petunia Dursley. It went on the entire way to the park.
When they finally arrived Petunia had them sit for a drink from the basket. Harry was given a small box of apple juice while Dudley was given a bottle of Gatorade. With their thirsts quenched Harry and Dudley ran off to the playground equipment.
"Mummy! Look at me! Look how high I swing! Weeee!"
"That's wonderful, Dudley." Petunia answered before returning to her magazine.
"Harry, let's pway pirate on da slide." The two boys hurried over to the metal slide. "I'm Cappen so I drive da ship, you be da first mate." Harry nodded knowing that he didn't have much of a choice.
"Arrrr, dar be a island wit buried tweasure. Let's dig it up." Dudley slid down the slide and hurried over to the sand pit to commandeer a shovel, followed by Harry, whom 'Captain' Dudley made dig with his hands. They dug for a while but became bored when they didn't find anything interesting in the sand.
"Hey Dudley, let's play on da seesaw."
"Oooo! I like dose." The two boys hurried over to the seesaws.
"You sit dere on dat side, okay Harry. I'm bigger, I can pull dis side down." Harry sat on one end while Dudley tried to get to the other side down. He stood under the other seat and jumped up to grab it.
Petunia looked up just in time to see her son jump up and grab the end of the seesaw which caused him to swing just enough so his feet went out from under him. Still hanging to the board Dudley fell, his weight bringing his end of the seesaw with him and sent Harry, who had not been prepare for it, flying. Petunia's eyes were huge as she watched her nephew get thrown from his seat, in an arc over the seesaw, and head to the ground on the Dudley's end. However, the impact with the ground never came. Harry had stopped and was hovering about a foot off the ground with his eyes screwed shut in anticipation for a crash landing (think Mission Impossible).
When there was no impact Harry peeked one eye open to find himself still in the air. With his revelation, the force dropped him and he fell the last foot to the ground landing on his front uninjured. A loud scream pierced the air from the under the seesaw, drawing the park patrons' attention as Dudley realized he had fallen down so he was automatically hurt. Petunia had been shaken out of her shock when Harry had finally landed (luckily before anyone noticed) and was now running over to help her Duddy to his feet. With all the noise Dudley was making no one noticed a popping sound from the windbreaker on the north side of the playground as an old man disappeared.
"Oh Duddy, are you alright. That nasty boy will be punished when we get home for hurting you. Let's get you cleaned up." She then turned to Harry, "Look at what you did to my son, come on, we're leaving." With that she picked up Dudley and headed over to the bench she had been sitting at to grab her belongings. Harry was marched home by Petunia, who was, amazingly, still carrying Dudley, and put into the cupboard under the stairs for punishment.
After the incident at the park I knew Vernon and I would have our work cut out for us to stamp that…unnaturalness out of the boy. We began to spread the rumors that the boy was a miscreant and a bully. We discouraged our Duddy's interest in him as a friend. I would send Dudley to play with other boys his age or invite them over to play here while the Freak did chores. Vernon and I did what we could but when the boy turned eleven those blasted letters came and we knew we had failed. One day he'll see how truly abnormal he is and accept it.