Anger rose in Mr. Dursley's chest as he stared at the family he was now harboring in his once lovely home. "What are they doing here?" He cried staring at Petunia.
"They showed up while you called! They just…appeared! I couldn't tell you because I was on the verge of fainting!" She yelled, throwing up her arms in frustration.
"Umm, we are standing right here!" James pointed out, raising his eyebrows in annoyance.
Vernon gritted his teeth. Sitting on the table were two small bags around the size of knapsacks and, worst of all, a cage where a large tawny owl sat hooting quietly. He clenched his fist and looked over at Petunia. "Can I have a word with you Petunia?" She nodded and walked with him into the other room. As a muffled argument rose from the living room while Lily sat at a kitchen chair by her husband.
"I told you we wouldn't be welcome here," James said, rolling his eyes.
"It was only place I could think of!" Lily cried, rocking Harry in her arms. "It was your idea to apparate! If we had just flown here on brooms or even taken muggle transportation we would've have scared poor Tuney to death!"
"You're the one who apparated us into the middle of her kitchen!" James retorted. "And if your sister wasn't such a…" but with a look from his wife he quickly shut his mouth.
"Besides," she continued, tickling Harry's stomach causing him to giggle. "It's better to end up in their kitchen then in the next door neighbors."
James nodded in agreement.
As this conversation was being spoken, the Dursley's were having their own argument in the living room. "What are they doing here?" Vernon repeated, his face growing redder by the minute.
"I told you! I don't know! They just appeared!" She shrieked from her spot on the couch.
"What did they say once they did?" Vernon cried, his shoulders hunched in anger.
"Lilly told me they were…on the run or something," Petunia exclaimed but didn't sound too sure about it herself.
"On the run…from whom?" He asked.
"How should I know?" Petunia cried standing and pacing the room. "She just told me she was on the run and this was the only place they, especially Harry, would be safe."
"I take it Harry's the boy? Ugly little bugger, he is." Mr. Dursley said, crossing his arms.
"Vernon!" Petunia cried. They looked over to the kitchen. "We need to get back in there." She hissed and motioned for him to walk with her.
They walked back through the door and joined the Potter's in her pristine kitchen. "Hello," James said. They didn't respond. "Look," he said, standing up. "I'm sorry we came into your house without a proper invitation."
"We would never have given you one!" Vernon grumbled, shaking his head.
"Then I'm glad we took the initiative." James said smiling.
Lily rolled her eyes and pushed him back down into a chair. "James, please!" She scolded. "I'm sorry Tuney, Mr. Dursley. There's a dark wizard-"
"We don't speak words like that in this house!" Vernon shouted.
"I'm sorry," Lily cried, pushing James back into the chair a second time. "There's a man…out there. He's looking for us and he's tried to get to us many times before. It'll be easier for him to find us if we stayed at our home in Godric's Hollow he'd find us eventually. Someone could tell him where we were. This is the only place we're safe. The only place." Lily looked scared. James stood for the third time and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Well, I'm sorry, but we're having a relative come over for a few days," Vernon said thinking quickly. "No room for all of you." He said shrugging.
"Oh yes," James exclaimed, striding over to the window and peeking through the shades. "I saw that automobile, isn't that what you call it, out there by the curb. Ugly big thing that is. Who in their right mind would own something like that?"
"James," his wife hissed.
"What?" He asked. She shook her head and smiled apologetically at her sister. "They're lying anyway."
The Dursley's exchanged glances. "How did you know?" Vernon cried her hands on her hips.
"I have a knack for that sort of thing," he said shrugging. Lily rolled her eyes and propped Harry back up on her hip.
She turned to Petunia and pleaded with her eyes. "Please Tuney! Please! We have no other place!"
Her sister stared at her and bit her lip. She crossed her bony elbows and leaned against the counter. She placed a nonexistent loose strand of hair behind her ear and rolled her eyes up to stare at them. Finally, she stomped her foot in frustration. "You can take the extra bedroom," she huffed, pointing to the stairs.
"What? Petunia no! You can't!" Vernon cried, banging his meaty fist on the table. "Not in my house!"
"It's my house too!" Petunia exclaimed. "Come on Lily!" And with that, she took her sisters hand and led the family upstairs to the extra bedroom next to the one Dudley now had. James flung the bags over his shoulders and took the owl in his hand. Once they were in the room, Petunia closed the door and looked over her sister, brother in law and nephew.
"I'm sorry," Lily said, putting little Harry on the bed. "He must be furious."
"I-I'll talk to him," her sister said, still looking them over. Then all of a sudden, Lily and Petunia ran at each other and embraced each other tightly.
"I've missed you Tuney," Lily said.
"I've missed you too. I'm sorry we had our rows when we were kids."
They smiled at each other and turned to James and Harry, who were both sitting on the bed. Petunia smiled at Harry, who was staring around the room with his big green eyes. James held his small hand with his own and stared at the sisters.
Awkward silence passed between the three adults as they stared at each other, without meeting each other's eyes. Finally Petunia nodded and walked back to the door. "I-I guess I'll start making dinner. Do you want or need anything special?"
Lily laughed. The bell like sound caused Harry to smile and wave his arms the ways young babies did when they got excited. "Tuney," she said, "We're wizards, not aliens."
Her sister flinched at the word. "Please Lily. Don't use those words around Vernon."
The mood turned from humorous to uncomfortable in a second. "Well, no, we don't need anything," Lily told her, her tone hard. Petunia nodded and exited the room without another look.
Once she was gone, James stood and wrapped Lily around in his arms. "You okay?" He asked, kissing her head gently. Lily nodded.
"James, do you think he'll come looking? Do you think he'll find us?" She asked, fear in her eyes.
"I don't know Lils. I don't know," he said looking over at his son.
"I could never live with myself if we led him here." She said, sighing.
"I know, I know," he cooed.
They stood there for a few minutes until James broke the connection. I should send an owl to Dumbledore. He'll want to know what's going on." Lily nodded and sat next to Harry.
Once James had composed a short letter in code to his friend, he attached it to their owl, Jean, and sent her off to where his friend was stationed. Once it was out of sight he sat down next to Lily to comfort her some more.
As the owl flew to her location she couldn't see the falcon flying miles ahead of her. She only saw it when its talons where on top of her and she was sent flying miles through the air. She finally righted herself and once realizing she only had minor cuts she continued flying to Hogwarts. She didn't realize until hours later that her letter had been plucked from her leg by the falcon that had attacked her.
The falcon flapped his wings, screeching through the cool night. He eventually arrived at the large house. He flew through the open window to find the hooded figure sitting in a chair beside a large fire. "Taren, my friend, what have you found?" Voldemort rasped, taking the letter from the falcon's outstretched claw. After flitting his beady eyes over the paper a thin smile grew over the white face.
"W-What is it…my lord?" Pettigrew stuttered, standing over to the side.
"I've found them," Voldemort cried, stroking Taren's head.
"W-Who, my lord?" Pettigrew inquired.
"Who do you think?" Voldemort swung out his hand and sent his servant falling to the floor cowering. "The Potters! The Potters and their son. Harry Potter!"
"Yes my lord! Of course my lord!" The rat like man cried, covering his head with his small hands. "But…how can you read the letter, my lord. They aren't so naive not to put it in a code of some sort?"
"Oh, Wormtail. Yes, at first it was hard to read the letters we infiltrated but after some…choice torturing we have figured out the code. And I've found them Wormtail! I've found them. They shall not escape me for a fourth time. I will get to them and I will kill them!"