Lyra was starting to prepare dinner when the door opened and a man's voice called out "hello!" Dudley watched as his cousin immediately lit up with a bright smile and left the oven in Kreacher's capable hands as she turned towards the door, where a ginger man that Dudley recognised soon entered.
He watched as Charlie opened his arms and Lyra darted into them, relaxing in his embrace. They soon turned back to the table however, and Dudley noticed that even while separated they kept their hands interlocked. Charlie greeted Dudley warmly, having seen Lyra and Dudley's relationship grow over the past few years, and Dudley shook hands with the man soon to be married to his cousin.
When they were eating, talk around the table soon turned to Lyra's birthday the following day, and in between mouthfuls Lyra, Sirius and Charlie explained to Dudley what was going to happen.
"We're going to the Burrow tomorrow" Lyra told him, adding "Charlie's parents home" when she noticed his confused look. She explained that although they would have held the party at Sirius' house, they thought that as they were to wed at Lyra's parents house, live temporarily at Sirius' house and Charlie was to take her name, it seemed a small thing to give Molly Weasley, who was delighted to plan and host the party. Sirius rolled his eyes at this last remark, but smiled fondly when she was mentioned.
"Will I know anyone?" Dudley asked. Lyra and Charlie looked at each other, before nodding.
"You've met my dad I think" Charlie replied, "and you'll know a few of my brothers. Hermione as well, you'll probably have seen her at some point.. There will be a few other people that you may have seen around but I don't think you'll know anyone other than us. My mum will welcome you though"
"And I'll introduce you to everyone else" Lyra added, "oh, and my Teddy will be there as well! And Uncle Remus and Dora." She smiled at the mention of the last members of her family, and Dudley nodded. He knew who Teddy was, as Lyra always wrote at least a paragraph on her godson in every letter she sent to him.
Finally, the evening became night and Dudley watched as Lyra and Charlie bade each other farewell and Charlie headed home.
"Doesn't he sleep here?" He asked in surprise, but Lyra shook her head, leading him to the room that would be his as she explained,
"No, he doesn't. He has his own flat and he won't be sleeping here 'til we're married" Lyra blushed, "and he's gone to the Burrow anyway so he can be there early tomorrow. Sirius'll probably Floo but you and I will have to apparate." Dudley nodded. Even though he was used to their terminology now through Lyra's letters, it still occasionally threw him.
Lyra indicated Dudley's suitcase by the bed, pointing him in the direction of the bathroom before she wished him goodnight with a kiss upon his cheek and headed upstairs to her own bedroom. Dudley was soon in bed, dreams bewitching his mind until morning came.
Sunlight lit the house when Lyra awoke, the morning of her nineteenth birthday. She lay in her bed for a short while, before finally sliding out and heading downstairs, wrapping her dressing gown around her. Dudley met her on the stairs, looking slightly lost.
"Happy birthday Lyra!" He exclaimed, grinning at her as he held a present carefully in front of him. Lyra looked shocked as she gazed at the gift in front of her. In her entire life, she had never had a present from the Dursleys. Nothing that was wrapped with a ribbon round it, nothing that showed love had gone into buying the gift. They had given her 'presents', Dudley was aware of that just as much as she was, but the largest was a top that she had seen in a charity shop window for 75p, and it hadn't fit, either.
Lyra and Dudley made their way downstairs to the kitchen where walking in, they were surprised by the presence of not only Sirius, but another man and a young woman. Dudley's confusion was immediately cleared by Lyra's cry of "Uncle Remus!" As she left his side to hug him.
Remus returned her hug, wishing her a happy birthday as he kissed her hair, eventually relinquishing her to his wife, who also hugged her.
"Happy birthday Lyra!" Tonks said, before passing her over to her disgruntled godfather. Upon seeing his slightly grumpy face Lyra threw herself into his arms and Dudley watched as Sirius immediately grinned.
"Happy birthday Ly" he said quietly, kissing her head as Remus had done, "I love you" and upon seeing the sweet smile that graced Lyra's face at those words bitter regret twisted in Dudley's gut for refusing her that luxury and then mocking the absence of love in her life.
Suddenly, a cry of "Lyly!" Pulled Lyra away from Sirius and towards a small boy with vibrant blue hair, who toddled towards Dudley's cousin and held his arms up. Once Lyra had picked him up and kissed his cheek, he wrapped his arms around her neck and proclaimed "wuv oo!" Loudly, giggling as Lyra then kissed him once more and tickled him. Once he was placed in a highchair that Lyra and Sirius had specifically bought for Teddy, breakfast was served.
As breakfast was eaten, presents accumulated themselves by Lyra's plate. Once she had finished, she and Teddy started unwrapping them and a pile of wrapping paper soon formed on the floor. From Dudley, who couldn't give anything magical, Lyra got the entire set of 'The Chronicles of Narnia', books that she had never read as a child because she hadn't been allowed to read outside of her education. She'd only ever read 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe', but it had been old and tatty and had belonged to Little Whinging Library. But this was the entire set, brand new and just for her.
"Thank you" she said quietly to her cousin, but it wasn't necessary. The wonder in her gaze upon the books and in her voice, the awe, the smile upon her face, it was more than enough.
Soon, though, her attention was returned to the rest of the presents by an excitable voice chattering beside her. She and Teddy turned to the next gift, a piece of paper with a red heart outline drawn upon it, but with paint scribbled across it in bright blue and green. In the corner, in Remus' neat script, it said 'for Lyra, love Teddy'. Lyra beamed when she read it and lifted Teddy out of his seat and onto her lap, squeezing him as she thanked him. Another gift was from Remus, Tonks and Teddy together and Dudley was transfixed by the large Wizarding photo that Lyra and Teddy unwrapped.
It was a photo of her family. Within were Sirius, Remus and Tonks, Teddy, Lyra and Charlie. Teddy was held firmly in his fathers grip but was wriggling until finally he was passed to Lyra to hold. Tonks stood beside Remus, beaming at her son and then turning to look at Lyra before laughing at Sirius. Sirius stood behind Lyra, one hand on her shoulder and a proud smile on his face. The impression of being a good father was ruined by the fact that he was occasionally moving sideways to pull funny faces over Remus' shoulder. Lyra stood in front of Sirius, but one hand was linked to Charlie's. She let go of it to take Teddy, but once she started to amuse him she turned to glance up at Charlie and caught his eye, stared, caught by the intensity behind the gaze, and the image captured perfectly the utter adoration the two held for each other as neither could relinquish the others gaze, until finally the Lyra in the image blushed and turned to hand Teddy back, linking her hand with Charlie's again and smiling at the camera.
It was perfect, and Dudley wasn't the only one staring at the image. Lyra and Sirius were both staring at it too, Lyra with a faint blush upon her cheeks once more as she took in the heated look she and Charlie shared. She had tears in her eyes as she thanked Remus and Tonks, and squeezed Teddy once more until he squeaked slightly in protest.
It was the photo that made part of Sirius' gift all the more special. Lyra opened one of the small pile he placed in front of her to find another photo, one of her parents together before they had married - where turning, they had caught each other's eye and just stopped, paused in their lives as they became absorbed in reflecting their love for each other. It was startlingly similar to the look that Lyra and Charlie had shared in their family portrait, and Lyra could not stop turning back to it.
It was proof, irrevocable proof, that James and Lily Potter had loved one another just as passionately and deeply as their daughter and her fiancé did.
Sirius had also given her several other presents. Money to buy new clothes; a new, empty, photo album to fill with pictures of her new life; a new photo frame as well. Other, small trinkets that she would later use to furnish her house with Charlie once it was done. Small items that showed how much he loved his goddaughter. He knew her well, Lyra thought each one was perfect.
Soon breakfast was over, and it was time to start preparing for the party. Lyra vanished upstairs and returned wearing a white summery dress, her hair in a pony tail.
While everyone was gathering around the fireplace, Teddy saw Lyra and ran towards her. Lyra lifted him quickly and settled him on her hip, but the glance she sent at Dudley assured him that she hadn't forgotten she needed to take him to the Burrow through apparition. Far too soon for Teddy's liking, she handed him to his mother and kissed him farewell, before leading Dudley outside, keeping a wary glance around her for other Muggles.
He was better accustomed to it now, and didn't need asking twice when she held her arm out, placing his own hand upon it and feeling the sickening feeling before they emerged on a leafy lane. Lyra grinned at him and set off along it, leading Dudley until eventually she grasped his hand and led him through what looked like a hedge until he was through it - at which point it turned into a gate.
Noise bubbled up and suddenly he was in the middle of the preparations for a party. Several ginger people were milling about, accompanied by a few people that Dudley knew - Sirius, Remus, Tonks and Teddy had arrived before them, and a few people he didn't know.
The party hadn't started yet, but he was there. They had arrived at the Burrow.