Chapter 3
After a week or so of constant meetings and talking with the Doctor did Harry feel comfortable in admitting his less than stellar home life to the crazy alien. That night, as soon as Harry was asleep, the Doctor left for Privet Drive.
Vernon, for all of his abusive words that he would call his nephew, now had each and every word marking his body for the whole world to see on how scarring words can actually be.
Dudley was sent to a far off place, a cold and desolated planet. His punishment, to nurse the sick and injured, the very people he had abused back in England.
Petunia's though was very different.
They were in the TARDIS, Petunia sitting across from the Doctor at the kitchen table.
"Why?" The Doctor started after a few minutes of absolute silence. He looked up, piercing blue eyes meeting Petunia's small, defensive and narrowed ones.
Petunia didn't answer for a long while, but when she did she tried to put on an indifferent face but the Doctor could still see the hurt. "You always liked Lily better than me."
The Doctor's eyes opened a little wider, his posture straightening. "What?"
"Oh don't act so surprised!" Petunia moved her hand across her dress to brush some invisible crumbs. "It was always, 'Lily you're so amazing! Lily you're brilliant! Lily you're special! Well what about me Doctor? Aren't I just as special as Lily, just as brilliant?" Her eyes were cold as she glared at the Doctor. "What was I to you?!"
The Doctor didn't respond for a long moment, feeling at a strange loss for words. He had never really realized that he had preferred Lily's company over her sister's.
"Exactly." Petunia looked away, staring instead at the kitchen in the TARDIS. "You've renovated. I liked the older version better."
"I'm still confused 'Tunia." The Doctor ignored the visible flinch Petunia did at the sound of his and Lily's old nickname for her. "Why did you let Vernon and Dudley abuse my son? Did you not know he was mine?"
"Oh I knew." Petunia admitted quietly and took a long drawl of her tea before speaking again. "Lily called me the very next day saying the Doctor had visited her and asked if I wanted to see the boy, your son. I said no."
Her eyes narrowed in distaste and hurt as she continued on, hurt and venom spitting from her lips. "You never told us you had a wife. As we jumped all over the universe you never made any suggestions saying you had a romantic interest in mind. I thought-" Petunia stopped abruptly, turning away from him.
"Thought what Petunia?" The Doctor asked as he placed his arms on the table, folding them.
The lone woman closed her eyes, she had never told anybody. "I… I… I thought… if… if I could impress you, that maybe you could be with me too. If I could get you to love me." Petunia trailed off softly and the Doctor's eyes softened.
"Petunia you were only twelve years old-"
"Don't you dare mock or put down my feelings Doctor! I might have been twelve at the time but I have had plenty of time to think about it."
"That still doesn't excuse your present behavior." The Doctor put mildly.
"I was hurt, Doctor." Petunia took a large breath through her nose before releasing it from her mouth. I was hurt that you always valued Lily more than me. I felt snubbed that you presented Harry to her and not me, and I was incredibly angry that I still get landed with him. You're son." Petunia spat softly, "Who was born from a woman other than me!"
"Oh Petunia." The Doctor muttered quietly and sighed, he had never felt so old before. "My little Petunia. Full of so much bitterness and hate."
"Trust me you would be too if you had the perfect little sister with unusual powers and when the only person who has ever made you feel different and specials just drops you and said little sister off at home without even a goodbye. You would." Her tone was cold, harsh-sounding, and absolutely right.
It was why he tried to avoid his past companions if he could help it. "Petunia," the Doctor got up and slowly moved to her side of the table, thinking. "I'm sorry that I hurt you, I never meant to. But living with this grudge against me is never going to help you in your life and clearly has harmed Harry.
"He was abused, Petunia. Physically and psychologically abused while you just stood there and let it all happen to him." His tone was darker than he meant too but he couldn't help but swell a little bit in pride as Petunia's eyes flashed for a brief moment. She was scared. "He is my son."
"Well then you shouldn't have abandoned him!" A hand was raised, but it never fell. Instead the Doctor curled it up in a fist and let it fall down to the table in aggravation.
"Thank you for pointing out the obvious Petunia. But what has been done has been done and, there is nothing you nor I can do to change that. Except one thing."
The Doctor brought Petunia to see Harry. Harry being the victim in all this was to choose her punishment.
And Harry stared at her, for a long minute, just staring with unblinking eyes before he asked in a soft voice. "Do you apologize?"
Petunia narrowed her eyes at him. "No. You're still a freak. Not even of the same blood as me. I have no reason to apologize to you."
Harry didn't say anything, just took a few steps closer and wrapped his arms around her legs, muttering so soft. "Well I forgive you. I didn't like and I don't approve of the way you treated me. You had no right to. So I forgive and thank you. Now I know how I must not act." Harry let her go then and moved to head out of his bedroom to go play with Neville some more before turning around sharply and saying, "Just know and remember this Petunia Evens Dursley, I am a much better person than you because I can forgive. I can't forget, I never will, but I can forgive." And with that Harry left the room and the Doctor swelled with pride.
Epilogue
For the rest of the summer Harry spent his time with Doctor traveling through time and space learning ore about his heritage as a Time Lord. Harry was even able to communicate with his Hermione and Neville back on Earth through a set of mirrors the Doctor programmed as Neville had no idea on how to work a telephone.
But then the question was asked if Harry was going to rejoin his friends in spending a second year in Hogwarts or if he was going to continue traveling with the eccentric alien? They came to an agreement.
Harry would go back to Hogwarts, with the Doctor occasionally checking up on the young wizard, and the holidays would be spent with the Doctor on the TARDIS as a family.
And thus started many more adventures for the Time Lord Harry James Potter.
A/N: Well that's our wrap folks. Thank you for reading and I hope you all enjoyed hearing this story and I'm sorry for the wait. Had mid-finals and tests to study for. XP
So please review and tell me what you think. And before anyone criticizes that Harry was too nice to Petunia, this is the same character who asked Voldermort to repent and the Doctor forgiving the Master. It's not that out of character.
But other than that, feel free to criticize, just so long as it's CONSTRUCTIVE criticism please. I want to become a better writer and that will help me in the long run.
I know there are some reviewers out there who want me to go more in detail about Harry and how he met Neville and such. Would anyone else like to hear more stories? Yes or no?
Once again thank you all for reading and the people who took the time to review, I love you guys the most. Thank you!
hpswst101
