Ginny could see Harry visably tense as the car turned into Magnolia Crescent and then to Privet Drive. Dudley lived around the corner, but he was looking after the house while his parents were away on a cruise. Harry didn't know why he head been convinced to return to this house. Ginny lent over from the passenger seat and stroked his arm, trying to calm him down, but it wasn't going to work this time. He drove the car up the drive of number four and switched the engine off. The house looked exactly the same from the outside.
"Ready ?" she said
moving her hand over his, which was still on the steering wheel. He turned to look at her, distracted by staring at the house.
"I suppose it's now or never" he said. Ginny was sure he muttered " I'd prefer never" to himself but choose to ignore it.
He got out of the car and picked a sleeping Teddy out of the child's seat in the back of the car. It didn't wake him, but he moved his hands and grabbed around Harry's neck. Harry held him with both hands. Ginny joined him and they walked up to the door silently. He could see lots of curtains twitching. If Dudley wasn't going to tell them he was sure they'd hear from other sources. Harry's mind flashed with images of Vernon's face turning purple and accusing Dudley of letting those freaks into his house.
Harry was tempted to look at Mrs Figg's house but he knew it couldn't be seen from where he was standing. Ginny rang the bell. They saw Dudley approaching through the warped glass in the front door. Harry was silently pleased to see that he had not changed, he was still roughly the size of a small killer whale, he had been scared that he somehow changed and turned over a new leaf. He opened the door with a smile "Harry" he said looking at then and placing his hand out for a handshake, Harry made a vain attempt of moving his hands from holding Teddy to shake his, but gave up far to quickly that it was obvious he didn't want to. Dudley looked at Ginny
"You must be Ginevra"
he said smiling and putting his hand out again. Ginny smiled and shook his hand back.
"Come in"
he said standing back. Harry followed Ginny into the house and as they passed though the hallway leading to the living room they passed the cupboard under the stairs. Ginny was looking around, trying to take everything in. He nudged her and motioned with his head towards the cupboard under the stairs. She was aware of the significance of the place, but didn't say anything.
"Sit down, sit down" motioned Dudley towards the sofa. They hadn't noticed they had reached the living room. There was a serving trolley stocked with cakes and tea next to the sofa. Harry sat down and Teddy's grip moved to around his waist and he snuggled into Harry's chest. The stuffed Hippograph he carried around with him (He had been jokingly been called Buckbeak, but Teddy had now christened him buck) fell onto the floor and Ginny bent down and picked it up
"and who's this?" said Dudley, ruffling Teddy's hair.
" This is Teddy, he's Harry's godson" said Ginny quickly. Teddy had decided to be a miniature copy of Harry this morning and he had obviously thought that teddy was theirs. Harry snapped back
"I'd be careful, his dad was a werewolf"
He knew he shouldn't of said it, but Dudley touching Teddy had upset him. Dudley's hand snapped back and he immediately looked at Harry as if he was scared Teddy would attack them at any moment.
"It' o.k. He's not a werewolf" Ginny said slapping Harry on the arm. Teddy's toy was now on the armrest of the chair. He knew Ginny would shout at him later for trying to scare his cousin, but he didn't care at this point.
"Oh" said Dudley, but he didn't look convinced, his eyes still stuck on Teddy. The conversation had come to an abrupt halt.
"Tea?" Dudley questioned. Ginny and Harry both took some tea.
"What happened? We were told that it was safe to go home but no details about what happened" It was something Harry wasn't keen to discuss. He hadn't discussed it some of his closest friends, he certainly wasn't going to discuss this with Dudley. Ginny explained
"It's not something we like to talk about" said Ginny.
You could tell Dudley knew that he wasn't doing that well but was keen to give a good impression. It was quite sweet actually, Harry decided that he still deserved everything he got though.
" Suffice to say you won" Dudley said looking excited
" With a lot of casualties" said Ginny. Dudley knew then to change the conversation.
" What do you do now, what's your job?" Dudley asked Harry, obviously looking for a word out of him.
"I'am an auror, a kind of policemen, looking for dark wizards and Ginny is a Quidditch star, which is wizard game. It's kinda hard to describe."
The room went silent again and the ticking of the clock echoed throughout the room, Dudley was possibly waiting for them to ask him and as nothing was forthcoming ( Ginny was thinking of something to say) he said
" I work with my dad now. Its quite exciting. The drill business has really taken off in the last few years" he said.
The room was silent again and Ginny was visibly searching for any subject she could think of to talk about. Dudley started again looking at Harry
" Well i can see you don't want to be here, so whats your reason for this visit" Perhaps he had run out of things to say, perhaps he decided to be as direct as him, perhaps he didn't want to waste any more time. Ginny was pleased to get it out in the open.
Ginny grinned. "well, me and Harry are going to be married and we'd like to invite you" Dudley suspiciously eyed Harry. He could possibly tell that Harry was not happy about this.
"Congratulations" he said smiling, standing up and shaking Harry's hand (Harry didn't stand up, excusing himself because of Teddy)and giving Ginny a hug after she had stood up to meet them.
" When's the special day?" he grinned
"December 7th" she said, obviously waiting for him to accept.
He eyed Harry again and he said that he couldn't possibly make it as his parents were renewing their vows on that day as it was their 25th anniversary. They stayed for about another hour, awkwardly talking in short sentences and thinking of random questions to ask each other, just filling in time really, but Harry seemed to warm slightly towards Dudley.
XXXX
"Have you seen my black jumper" said Harry, rummaging through his drawers later that night. Teddy had just fallen asleep and Andromodea was going to pick him up tomorrow morning.
"What" said Ginny, who was already in bed and reading her book. He glanced over at her, sitting up wearing his jumper.
" Hey, thats mine" he said moving over to the bed.
" Yeah but it looks better on me" she said
" Couldn't agree more" he said " but you have to earn it you know" he said.
"oh yeah, how exactly" she asked, eyebrows raised and smug expression like she knew what he was going to say.
" ummm" he said pretending to be debating all the options.
"Well, too late your time is up. Plus you don't know what else I'm wearing of yours" she said. He pulled back he duvet to see her wearing a pair of his boxer shorts as well as jumper.
"Thats a slightly odd combination" he said
"My arms are outside the duvet and cold and my legs are warm and snug enough under the duvet" she said smiling back at him, as it it made perfect sense and pulled the duvet back over herself, looking down her nose at him. He sat on the edge of the bed, she pulled her book back up to her face.
"One secret you never told me" he said.
"what" she said, putting the book back down frustrated at the interruption but knowing where this may be leading.
"thats the rent for the clothes " he said gesturing towards the top she was wearing.
"I'm sure that i can think of a better way to pay you back, or possibly take away certain privileges if you don't let me" she said
" That won't work, you never could resist me" he grinned.
"Mr Potter certainly thinks a lot of himself, doesn't he?" she grinned " Sure you're head can fit through the door?" she said " Besides you know everything, i have no secrets"
" I don't believe a word of it" he said to her.
"OK" she said thinking of something to say, she remembered and started to slightly blush and looked down at the floor. Harry moved the hair out of her face and touched her chin to bring her eyes up to meet his. " It was me that sent the valentine in my first year" she said
"I knew that" he said
"so whats your secret?" she said looking back at him. He kissed the top of her nose.
"I'm not wearing any of your clothes, i don't have to " he said
"what about for fun" she said. She was annoyed that he had gotten her to admit to a secret so she was trying to get her own back by coercing him into admitting one of his secrets.
"I don't have a Hungarian horntail tattoo"
"I know that" she said.
"Even's then" he said. Getting up and pulling another jumper out of the drawers.
"Harry" she said.
"Ginny" he said back imitating her
"My new shoes cost twice as much as i told you, Happy" she said. This was the time to tell her, he wasn't going to thinking that she would convince him to go back and see Dudley again.
"My Aunts and Uncles anniversary is in July. I should know, i spent the day locked in my room or cupboard whilst they had a party" Ginny's face showed she understood. " He was trying to be nice. Possibly for the first time in his life. Let him be nice ,just this once, and not ask him again"
Ginny knew she couldn't win, usually it was something she'd of pushed but this seemed to be really important to him. This way at least it put him back in Harry's good books, for now.
Thanks to every body for such great reviews I've received.
Apologies for this chapter, Harry went all serious on me at Dudleys house so i needed to add the fluff at the end. I've written this in 20 mins, so hopefully it's ok.
It seems that the voting seems to be unanimous for the wedding to be from Ron's POV, so i'll get cracking writing that then. Thanks to everyone.