Dudley - Festivities and Visitors
Soon, it was Christmas. Dudley had insisted that his parents take him to the Burrow, and they had reluctantly obliged.
"Hey, Big D. Aunt Petunia. Uncle Vernon." Harry greeted them as they made their way inside.
Molly and Arthur sat on the couch sadly. Molly's head lay on Arthur's shoulder as her own shoulders shook silently. Arthur hid his face away from sight as he absently cuddled Molly for comfort. Festival times were the hardest for them.
The cooking, cleaning, household related work, financial matters, etc., were actually being handled by Fleur and Bill Weasley. Today was no exception. They were the first ones to greet the Dursleys and lead them to the living room. That's when Molly and Arthur looked up and greeted them.
"Oh, no, it's quite all right. Mrs. Weasley." Petunia said, as Molly came forward to help. "Don't take the trouble, Mr. Weasley. We're sorry for your loss."
Vernon grunted to show his condolence.
It wasn't the magical Christmas that Dudley had envisioned after spending the previous year listening to Hestia and Dedalus go on about Christmas at Hogwarts and the general Wizarding World. Instead, he was witness to the ghost of a party, with tearful eyes and dull faces replacing bright, cheery looks in an exuberant party. It really seemed like anything was held, if at all, to welcome the Dursleys and try to bring back some order and happiness into their dull lives.
Thankfully for everyone, Dudley and his parents knew and understood why, and refrained from asking anything that might hurt their hosts.
"Soon, it will be my birthday. I want to hide before that comes!" George muttered dully. Percy cleared his throat and patted his brother on the back. The ladies bit their lips as their eyes filled up.
Dudley understood that there had been a devastating war, but he also wished for something cheerful. His prayers were answered when Neville and Luna joined them.
"Harry! Ron! Hermione! Ginny!" They exclaimed.
"Neville! Luna!" The reply was equally enthusiastic.
When introduced to the Dursleys, Luna and Neville did not look too pleased. Dudley supposed they knew about Harry's awful relatives and couldn't blame them for hating him.
To his surprise, Luna reminded him of the same brunette he had seen in George's shop. That calm girl who gave him a card and encouraged him not to lose hope. Dudley still had that card, albeit back home. Back in September, he had decided he had forgotten that girl. But now, Luna reminded him in every way of that girl. Luna exhibited the same calmness and possessed the same charm. Once again, butterflies danced in Dudley's stomach and visions of that brunette swam in his mind.
Coming to reality, he saw Luna staring at him with disgust.
"Would you mind not ogling at me like that?"
"Yeah, really. It gets annoying when someone keeps ogling at you." Neville supplied.
"My poor Dudders would do no such thing! He is a baby!" Petunia purred.
"You all hate him, so you're accusing him of all bad things." Vernon said.
"Even if we hate you, we hate you because of your behavior towards Harry. The way you always treated Harry! Even when he always thought of your safety." Ginny snapped.
"And don't you deny that Harry's cousin was staring at Luna!" Hermione bossily demanded.
Petunia was ready with a retort but Dudley interrupted, "Look, I am sorry if I gave off a bad impression but let me assure you. Nothing of that sort happened now. Your friend reminded me of someone I met recently. That is all!"
"Dessert eez ready!" Fleur called out just then, as though to erase the tension. "Eat before it gets empty."
"You haven't met... Let me introduce you." The blonde girl - Luna - seemed to be telling something to Neville, Harry, and Ron. Hermione and Ginny were excitedly asking Luna to share more details but she kept shaking her head, "Tomorrow, guys."
While everybody enjoyed the cakes and sweets, the Dursleys sat in thought. Vernon was fuming about how they were treated without respect. Petunia was sniffling about how they were bullying her baby, and wondered what her baby had to endure when he lived all alone and worked at the shop.
Dudley couldn't eat. Images of that brunette girl came into his mind like undigested food. Soon, Luna's image joined her as well. When he noticed Harry and some others looking at him, he absently ate a few spoons and left to the room arranged for him and his parents. His fathers snores filled the room, his mother seemed to sleep contently, but Dudley was restless with all those images.
"Diddydums!" His mothers voice called him. "Wake up, dear. Molly and Fleur have gone to Fleur's house. Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Percy, George, and Ron are preparing to play Quidditch with Harry. Why don't you join them?"
Not that Petunia knew all their names, but she gave descriptions such as their appearance or where they sat the previous evening, and Dudley guessed who she was speaking about.
"Oh? You and Dad?" Dudley asked.
"We will take a walk around the place." Vernon supplied.
"There were two visitors yesterday." Dudley couldn't recollect the names.
"They stayed until late in the night and left." Petunia said. "Come downstairs now."
Dudley found out his mother was partially right. Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley weren't home. But Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Percy, and George were in the kitchen. They seemed to be discussing the new developments in the wizarding world.
"Dad, you'd be interested. Why don't you go and join them?" Dudley prodded his reluctant father to join the gang, who simply made way for him to sit and continued as though they had never stopped.
Petunia was looking at some pictures on the wall, but Dudley located his cousin who was with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny in the lawn. He saw three people join them. Two of them were the same visitors from the previous day. The third one made Dudley's jaw drop open as Luna said her name aloud, "Chloe, so you know Neville. This is the famous Harry Potter. This is Ginny, Hermione, and Ron. Guys, this is Clodagh Gabbers!"