Neighbours
Petunia sighs as she sees the familiar figure, the edges blurred by the patterned glass in the front door. Still she opens the door, a smile in place. It is what is expected of her.
Arabella Figg smiles at her. She holds her usual string bag filled with tins of cat food, her hat is crooked, and her coat is done up wrong. At least she is wearing shoes rather than her bedroom slippers.
"I bought Smarties for the boys, dear," she says, holding out two colourful tubes. "May I come in?"
Petunia sighs inwardly and steps back to let her in. She would much rather take the sweets from her to give to Dudley later and shut the door in her face, but people would talk.
"Of course," she says. "I'll put the kettle on."
They drink their tea as the boys play on the floor in front of them. Dudley eats his Smarties in two mouthfuls, and is eying the tube in Harry's hand, but Petunia cannot let him take them with Mrs Figg there. They make awkward stilted conversation, and she stays until Harry's sweets are gone.
She pats Petunia's arm as she gets up to leave.
"Good boys," she says. "Both of them. Don't forget, dear." Unexpectedly, she pecks the younger woman on the cheek.
Then she is gone. Petunia wonders how much she knows. Her cheek burns where Mrs Figg kissed her.