A/N So, here is Vernon and Petunia for lunaly-lovely. I definitely based it off of canon, so I hope you like it. Oh, and Vernon does NOT know about magic at this point.
Vernon Dursley walked into the suit shop to get a brand-new, top-of-the-line suit. It had to be the best, and he let the shopkeeper know.
"I'll need it one week from today, and it had better be perfect!" he barked at the man.
"Of course, Sir. We can have it ready in three days."
"Even better. I'll see you then." Vernon stalked out of the shop and down the street to the jewelers. He spotted a pudgy man at the back counter and approached him.
"I need an engagement ring, and I need it to be perfect."
The pudgy man smiled and nodded. "May I offer my congratulations, Sir? Come this way, please. We have a large selection of rings for you to choose from. Now are you looking for something traditional, or something unique?"
"Traditional, of course. I don't want anything weird or freaky."
"Of course, Sir, forgive me. Now, you'll want to look at these two cases. Keep in mind that all of our rings have matching wedding bands."
"Good." Vernon's beady eyes roved over the rings in the cases. Finally, his eyes settled on a plain gold ring with a solitaire diamond. "How large is that one?" Vernon pointed to the ring he was eyeing.
"Ah, yes, part of our most traditional set. It is two carats."
"I'll take it."
"Excellent. What size do you need?"
"I've no idea. However, a ring she wears on the other hand fits to the second knuckle of my little finger. Can you measure from that?"
"Of course, Sir, just a moment." The finger was measure, the ring purchased and polished (it just happened to be the correct size), and placed in a very normal ring box.
Vernon left the shop very pleased. He now had just one more stop. He had requested an interview with Mr. Evans for this afternoon. He respected the man, as he was rather wealthy, and his family was relatively normal, despite his other daughter.
Vernon couldn't countenance weirdness, and that girl was just odd. She was rather plain, although, for some reason, many considered her pretty, and that flaming red hair called far too much attention to her. Her husband always faded into the background, which was not how it should be. A woman should complement her husband, not eclipse him. Even worse, her husband was always dressed oddly, and had the worst hairstyle Vernon had ever seen. The man had obviously never heard of a brush. The couple also displayed far too much affection publicly.
He and Petunia had graciously joined them for a double date once, but had been so disgusted by the overt affection displayed by the two that they quickly decided it was the last time they would ever do so.
Vernon's musings had taken him across town, and he snapped out of his thoughts as he pulled up in front of the Evans household. Luckily for Vernon, Mr. Evans was right outside, mowing the lawn. As he exited the car, Mr. Evans turned off the mower.
"Vernon! Is it three already?"
"Yes, Sir. It's good to see you again."
"Yes, well, let's go inside, we can talk in my office." Vernon hesitated for a moment, and Mr. Evans noticed. "Don't worry, my wife took the girls shopping. I've got to say, she's brave to take them together." Vernon grunted noncommittally, unwilling to say anything negative.
When they were comfortably seated on either side of the large desk dominating the office, Vernon cleared his throat to begin. However, he was interrupted by Mr. Evans raising his hand to stop him.
"I am fairly certain I know why you're here, Vernon. I will be honest with you. I have a few small reservations about this, but I know you make my daughter happy. As such, I will give you my permission on one condition."
Vernon felt his mouth go dry as he wondered what was coming. "What would that be, Sir?"
"I want you to swear to me that you will not exacerbate the problems in the relationship between Petunia and Lily. That includes inviting Lily and her husband to your wedding."
Vernon couldn't speak for a moment. How could he make that promise? Vernon was a man of his word, so if he agreed, he would keep to it. He suddenly had an idea. He would simply not talk about Petunia's sister. After he and Petunia were married, there would be no reason to ever see them again. And by being silent, he couldn't be accused of making things worse.
Sighing in relief, Vernon nodded. "I can do that, Sir, but I'm not sure that it will help.
Mr. Evans nodded his agreement to that statement. "I'm not sure where they went wrong. They were such good friends as children." Vernon followed his gaze and saw a picture of two happy little girls. Mr. Evans sighed. "Very well, Vernon, I give you my permission. As long as you make my daughter happy, and treat her well, we won't have any problems."
They shook hands as Vernon stood and before he took his leave. He started a mental tally of things to do before he'd be ready to propose.
***One Week Later***
Vernon hummed lightly as he drove to the Evans household to pick up Petunia for their date. Tonight was it, he was going to propose, and everything was perfect. He'd warned Petunia to dress nicely, as he had made a reservation at The Ivy, a posh restaurant in London specializing in British cuisine. Nothing odd, nothing weird, just wonderful normalcy, as both he and Petunia liked.
He held the bouquet of roses before him as he pressed the buzzer, fully expecting Mrs. Evans to answer the door. Unfortunately, it was her who answered. Her eyes narrowed as she saw him.
"I'm sure you're here for Petunia. She'll be ready in a moment." She forced the last words through clenched teeth. "Won't you come in?" Acknowledging her with a nod, Vernon stepped inside and walked over to the stairs. He knew that when Petunia's sister was present, her husband was as well. For reasons he would never know, the Evans quite liked the man. Waiting at the bottom of the stairs seemed the best option.
About five minutes later, during which time he heard light chatter coming from the drawing room, Petunia appeared at the top of the stairs. She looked beautiful in a tea-length cream gown. Nothing ostentatious, nothing bold, just muted elegance. She was perfection in his eyes.
He offered her the bouquet as she reached the final stair. "You look lovely, dearest."
"Thank you, Vernon, these are beautiful. Allow me to put them in a vase." She disappeared into the kitchen for a moment, and emerged empty handed. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, dear."
"No trouble at all, Petunia, we still have time. Shall we be off?"
"Of course, dear." They left without a good bye to the other inhabitants of the house, something rather common when the Potters were present. The chatted amicably in the car as they sped toward London. When they arrived, Vernon, of course, utilized the parking service. His only problem with it was that they did not allow a fellow to assist his lady out of the car. Someone else had that pleasure.
Such thoughts were forgotten, however, as he escorted Petunia inside. She was delighted with the muted atmosphere, although she went to great lengths to disguise her feelings, as was appropriate.
Dinner was pleasantly quiet, as Vernon had requested a secluded table. Finally, as dessert was cleared away, Vernon cleared his throat, stood, pulled out the box, and knelt before the woman he loved.
"Petunia, dear. We have been seeing each other for quite some time, perhaps longer than is customary. However, in that time, it has become increasingly obvious to me just how special you are, and how important you are to me. Would you make me the happiest man? Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Petunia stared down at him, speechless for a moment, before nodding her head emphatically. "Yes, yes, of course, Vernon." He slipped the ring on her finger and stood, pulling her with him so he might embrace her. It surprised them both, as it was far more affection than they usually displayed in public. They both attributed it to the power of the moment.
"I am quite pleased, dearest," said Vernon once they had resumed their seats. He briefly toyed with telling her about her father's condition of permission. However, seeing the joy on her face changed his mind. He would have plenty of time to let her know. "What do you think of a fall wedding?"