Their summer days passed slowly and sweetly. Never had she felt so happy about following a mundane routine. She found new joy in everything. From cooking to shopping to cleaning, her mind could always make up something positive about it. She divided her time between maintaining the house and spending time with Severus. Though the two of them would often spend long hours brewing or discussing various Potion theories, they also had some time which they used to simply relax, or go on leisurely walks in the park where there lonely souls had first found their match. Petunia felt like she was fighting in her own way, against everything dark that grew in the world.
In truth, she had made up her mind. A brief correspondence with Regulus – who she had found to be a perfect gentleman – had informed of her of the near impossibility of maintaining a relationship with Severus in the future. She knew the young man was thinking about it too. He got this dark look on his face at times when he thought she was not looking, which told her that his thoughts had turned forward. She had banished all illusions about the future. Call her pessimistic, she called herself realistic.
Her conclusion was that she would make the most of her time with Severus now, in order to regret nothing later. She had gotten a hint of something in Severus' attitude recently. Something that made her stomach twist in worry. She had a suspicion her Slytherin of a lover was starting to plan something – something which she would in all likeliness disapprove of. But the realization that their couple was doomed had made her adopt a new frame of mind, one in which she did not mind giving Severus the lee way he needed.
She was determined to be happy while she could and nothing would get in the way of that.
As it happened, the summer brought other surprises which concerned Severus very little. Indeed, Lily who had somehow warmed to James Potter in the course of the previous year, had decided to invite him and his little gang of friends – minus one as a certain Peter Pettigrew was abroad with his parents – to spend the day in Surrey.
In the name of their recent burying of the hatchet, Petunia had been cordially invited to meet them. She had not refused feeling that it might offend Lily if she did but she did not walk in the meeting with any particular joy.
Ironically enough, it had been decided that they would meet in the park which had become quite familiar to Petunia over the years. Though she went there without apprehension as she had no doubt she would dislike the boys Lily was introducing her to, Petunia had a moment of hesitation when she saw the trio.
Though two of them – one of whom she expected would prove to be James Potter – looked every bit the popular boys that Petunia ordinarily could not abide, the third appeared more approachable. His hair had this air of attempted neatness which had quite failed, a few strands of tawny brown sticking out at odd angles. Despite the impressive scar marring his face, the boy looked friendly and gave an impression of quiet gentleness about him. Instantly, Petunia felt that she wouldn't dislike him as much as the others. If at all.
She diverted her gaze to the brown haired boy wearing round glasses who was introduced to her as James Potter by her sister. The blond girl immediately disapproved of the general scruffiness of the character. His hair was untidy, his glasses were crooked and his clothes looked like they had been left lying on the floor for weeks before he had put them on. They probably had.
"And this is Sirius Black." continued Lily oblivious to the dubiousness in her sister's gaze as she scrutinized the Potter boy.
This caught Petunia's attention and she turned to the second popular boy, frowning slightly. So there had indeed been another Black, aside from Regulus. Taking in the dark hair and finely chiselled features she had to wonder if they were brothers. Though her first impression of Sirius Black was reluctantly favourable – he was much better kept than Potter – her opinion of the youth went down drastically when he opened his mouth. In a matter of seconds, she grew convinced that he and Potter had one thing in common: they were in dire need of growing up.
In the course of the conversation that followed it became clear that Potter looked down on her. He did not say anything in particular to that effect but it was in the way he looked at her. The flash of disdain and at times pity when he looked her over in an impossibly rude manner. Black no so much. She suspected the boy simply did not care much for her and thus did not truly pay her attention.
The only one who seemed to have at least a slight interest in her person was Remus Lupin, who if she doubted he liked her by the end of their brief encounter, at least made an effort to ask her about herself and include her in the conversation. They had a moment of true understanding when Remus mentioned Potions, before turning self-consciously and apologizing for bringing up something she might not be familiar with, but she waved away his doubts and with a smile as faint as it was genuine, encouraged him to pursue the subject, as indeed she explained to him she had read on Potions before.
In the end, it appeared that the both of them had been abandoned to their own conversation by the three others which was probably for the best as Sirius' inane commentary irked her more than she showed. When it was time to part ways, Petunia was glad to say that if she had not made any new friends, the day had not been a complete waste of her time. And when Lily asked her uncertainly what she thought about the boys, Petunia was glad to tell her that she thought Remus Lupin was a charming young man. The way Lily's face fell slightly before becoming resigned confirmed Petunia's suspicions that her sister had wanted her opinion on James Potter, but as it was clear to her that Lily fancied him, Petunia had deemed it more diplomatic to remain silent on the subject as she nothing nice to say about him.
The day after, she found herself asking Severus if Potter was one of those Pureblood extremist thinkers, to which Severus chuckled. According to severus it was quite the opposite, as the Potters were considered very open-minded in matters of Muggles and Muggle-borns. For her part Petunia remained unconvinced and was in future times to always associate James Potter to that disdainful look he had made generous use during their meeting.