Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
Challenges at the bottom.
Word Count - 646
Change Isn't Always Bad
Winter was well and truly setting in. Dudley pulled an extra blanket over himself and wrapped himself up in them. He stared out of the window into the darkness, the light long gone despite the relative early hour.
He hated winter, even when they were home and he had all of his creature comforts around him. It was particularly depressing now that they were in a cabin in the woods, hiding away from a war that should never have been anything to do with them.
Not that it was all bad of course. It wasn't.
His mum in particular seemed to have flourished, and she seemed to be enjoying their time in the cabin. It had surprised Dudley, who'd never have thought to put his mum in such a setting when she was so at home with the shiny appliances and many cleaning products they had back in Surrey.
His dad, on the other hand, didn't seem to be enjoying their time away. He complained quite often about the minimalistic lifestyle.
Dudley thought he was handling it fairly well. The first few months had been horrible, and even now, there were days that just refused to end, but he thought he was handling it better now.
He still missed Piers, and the gym, and being… being himself, but he'd learned a lot too. Dedalus was a huge fan of his cousin, and, over the months, he'd told Dudley so many stories of Harry's life.
If nothing else, Dudley hoped they both lived long enough for him to tell Harry that he'd been wrong.
For so many years, he'd thought Harry beneath him. He'd thought him a waste, a wimp, and now he knew just how wrong he'd been. He wasn't sure how much of Dedalus' stories he believed, but he also remembered the Dementors in the alley and the way Harry had saved his life.
Even now, thinking about that night left him feeling nervous and shaky.
"Dudders?"
Dudley looked up to see his mum at the doorway. "What's up, Mum?"
"Are you hungry? I was thinking of making some cheese on toast?"
Dudley nodded. "Sounds great, Mum, thanks."
She smiled at him, and it was a new smile, one that she'd only started smiling in the last few weeks as she settled into the cabin.
Dudley thought he might have to thank Harry for that too.
…
A crack that Dudley recognised as wizard travel sounded, and he looked up, glancing around the area. Dedalus was due back, and Dudley was sure it was him, and yet… he felt… odd.
He waited for a few moments, and then he saw movement and his jaw dropped.
"What… what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to take you home," Harry replied quietly.
"I… are you… okay?"
The tired smile his cousin gave him was small but sincere. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good, Dud. We won."
"I… well done?" Dudley offered, not really sure if congratulations were the right reaction. Harry chuckled.
"Thanks. How's it been here?"
Dudley shrugged. "Okay. Mum seems to have enjoyed it. Dad… not so much."
"Shocker," Harry muttered, and Dudley surprised him by laughing.
"You should probably tell them I'm here, help them pack up. I'll wait out here."
Dudley nodded and turned back to the house. Looking over his shoulder, he said, "I really am glad that you're okay, Harry."
"Back at ya, Big D."
…
Back in his bedroom on Privet Drive, Dudley looked around at his bedroom. It was good to be home, but he couldn't say he hated the cabin either.
He'd been raised to see change and difference as a bad thing, but he didn't think of it like that anymore.
From his window, he saw Piers crossing the road and smiled to himself. Change wasn't always bad, but… there was something to be said for coming home, too.
Written for;
Advent Calendar; Dursley Family
Disney - S1. Someone admitting they're wrong about something
Showtime - 24. Nervous
Northern Fair - Igloo - Winter
Eastern Fair - Paper Snowflakes - 63. Darkness
Southern Fair - Big Dinner Bash - Pigs In A Blanket - Blanket
