Petunia Dursley had never been much impressed with Halloween as a holiday. It was always nice as a child to receive sweets, but she did not like getting the grime of slimy squash innards all over her hands, and the traditional festival in Cokeworth was creepy, in her opinion. She did not like the young men's painted faces, and she hated their ill-conceived pranks. She did not like the costumed spirits, with their wispy veils and their animal-bone heads and their dramatic threats to abscond with children. She did not like the huge, too-powerful bonfire in the square threatening to kindle the nearby homes.
Lily had loved it and used to scamper through the festival with Severus, she remembered, before they both left for Hogwarts.
Petunia preferred Guy Fawkes Day, as did Vernon. Much more civilized.
Dudley and Harry, being four and at pre-school and thus highly aware of any and all holidays for the first time in their young lives, were absolutely enamored of the concept of Halloween. It seemed they had watched a movie called It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and thus gained a very Americanized impression of the day. Dudley was very interested in the idea of trick-or-treating. Harry wanted to make costumes and jack-o-lanterns. They were so vocal about it, Petunia relented and bought a bag of mixed chocolate candies and two medium pumpkins. She could always cook the pumpkins once the boys got tired of their artwork.
In the afternoon, Petunia chopped off the tops of the two pumpkins and set the boys to scooping out the seeds and drawing their carving designs. Dudley immediately despised the cold, slimy texture just as she did and was ready to give up after just a few seconds, until Harry just levitated the innards out of both pumpkins. "There! We all stay clean!"
"How you do dat?" Dudley asked, even as he started drawing wobbly eyes and teeth on his own pumpkin.
Harry shrugged.
Petunia sighed inwardly. She appreciated the help in this case, but Harry was getting a little too obvious and comfortable with his accidental magic. "This is our family secret, boys. Never tell anyone else but Daddy and Uncle Sev. Okay?"
"Okay," they chorused agreeably. She wondered if they actually understood what they were supposed to keep secret.
"And you can't show your friends at school, Harry. If you want to help out anyone at school, you have to use your hands. Don't just wish things to happen."
"Okay. But what if it dirty?"
"Even then."
His face scrunched up. "But you hate dirty."
She nodded. "I know, I'm always trying to keep things clean. But Harry, keeping the secret is more important. I'd hate the secret getting out even more than I'd hate mud on the carpet."
"Whadabou poo on carpet?" Dudley exclaimed, and they both collapsed in giggles.
She winced at the thought. "Still not as bad as the secret getting out," she grumbled reluctantly.
"Whadabou dog poo?"
"Or cat pee!"
"Or-"
"Drop it and finish your pumpkins."
"Yes, Mum."
They didn't drop it. They continued with potty humor all day. Dudley even brought it up at dinner, proclaiming the gravy looked like "poo water," which led Harry to call Dudley a pig since he clearly enjoyed eating feces. Rather than arguing or throwing a tantrum at that, Dudley plunged his face into the food on his plate and snorted loudly, blowing splatters of gravy all over his placemat. Fed up with their antics, Petunia had barely restrained herself from yelling at her son. She merely fumed silently as she got up to retrieve a damp cloth to clean up the disgusting mess.
Thankfully, Vernon picked up on her mood. He told Dudley off for making more work for her and wiped their son's face. After the meal, he took charge of both boys for the rest of the evening and set them to making Halloween masks out of some old paper plates and string. This was something new and interesting to them, so it kept them distracted quite well.
Disgruntled with her children's mischief and enthusiasm for a mediocre holiday, Petunia wrote a quick note to Severus about the boys' activities and asked what wizards did for the day. Then she set to cleaning. There was nothing on earth that could right all wrongs like a good scrub could. She was much calmer by the time she had finally purged the table of its gravy and the kitchen counters and cabinets of all the little smears of pumpkin sludge that had propagated throughout the afternoon.
She checked the journal again after she was finished... and had to sit down quickly.
Are you asking in general or with regards to you sister? -S
Oh, God. How had it slipped her mind? Halloween wasn't just some holiday any more. It was the anniversary of Lily's murder, anniversary of the night Harry came to them. Three years. How could she just forget like that, and be thinking about such trivialities as- as pumpkin carving and candy? She bit her lip. Harry didn't know, obviously. She wouldn't ruin his silly Halloween this year, but eventually, she would need to tell him. A feeling of dread washed over her as she imagined some not-distant-enough-future where she held Harry's hand at Lily's and James' graves...
Both, I guess -P Petunia chewed on her lip as she waited for Severus to respond. God, she didn't even know where Lily was buried. She'd never been to their house, couldn't remember what town it was in, if she ever knew. It wasn't in that letter from Albus Dumbledore, and Mother had told her not to come to the funeral, for safety. She would have to find out. Surely, Severus would know. Or it might be in some of Mother's old things up in the attic...
Surprisingly, the Cokeworth festival is somewhat similar to the older wizarding traditions, though the significance is different. Adults in traditional families like my mother's celebrate Samhain rather than Halloween. The bonfire serves for ritual magic, however, and the spirits are real, either conjured or ritually summoned ones. All manner of ritual magic is more powerful on Samhain. -S
Petunia felt sick. Is that why they were murdered that day? -P
Possible, but I don't think so. So far as I or anyone could determine, it was a crime of opportunity more than anything else. The Potters' house was warded with the Fidelius charm, meaning no one could find it without admission directly from the individual appointed as secret-keeper. I am quite confident that the location remained hidden until mere days before the attack. When she did not write anything back, he continued, The Ministry held a memorial at the site of their house in Godric's Hollow in the morning on Halloween last year. I believe they plan to do it annually. -S
Hard to imagine a government-run service for Lily. Did you go? -P
No. I was working... and it would have been painful, I think. There's a lot of wizards celebrating that day, for the end of the war you know, rather than grieving. They're not wrong exactly, so I'd rather just avoid them -S
They don't celebrate that at the school do they? -P It would be horrible for Harry to have to focus on his parents' death at a party.
No, Halloween at Hogwarts is pretty informal. There's a feast for supper, but that's about it. Children aren't deemed mature enough to participate in ritual magic, so Samhain traditions are out. I am doing the pumpkin-head potions competition this year, as you suggested -S
Petunia grinned. She had almost forgotten about that. You'll have to get a picture of the winners and show me. -P
I'll see what I can do. I am looking forward to tomorrow. The preliminary formula submissions the students handed in last week were quite entertaining. Some just changed the color or size of the pumpkin heads, but some ambitious and creative students are aiming for more impressive magical effects -S
Petunia considered for a moment before writing, Are you alright? -P
Why would I not be? -S
I know how much you miss her. I was just thinking earlier- She scratched that out. This was a delicate thing to talk about, even moreso with someone like Severus who was so...touchy. It was obvious he hadn't forgotten that Lily had died on Halloween. She had to be very precise with how she talked to him. It feels weird to celebrate with Harry, when I'm thinking about Lily. I wondered if you felt the same way -P
There was a long pause, and then, I felt like that for at least the first year or more after she died, as if I didn't have the right to move on and be happy. -S
Petunia's eyes widened as she read. Severus was unfailingly honest, but rarely so frank with her. He excelled at the art of speaking without saying. I remember. You were so on-edge every time I saw you. You don't feel that way any more, though? -P
Sometimes, yes. But I think knowing you and Harry has helped a lot. It's just... nevermind -S
Oh no, Severus Snape, there will be no clamming up now. She decided to guess what he was thinking to keep the conversation going. Better for Harry if his 'uncle' isn't wallowing in grief all the time? -P
Pretty much. Whatever. Anyway, you shouldn't feel guilty for living your life. Lily wouldn't have wanted that for you, or for Harry. -S
Damnit, the clam was shut! She would try prodding again, just once. Such empathy, Sev. I'm so impressed and proud of you! -P
Shut it -S
Just lightening the mood before you decide to close yourself back up for daring to display human emotion. I am proud of you, and glad you like me enough to write so freely when I know it isn't easy for you. -P
Because I plan to blacken this page with ink blots when the conversation is concluded -S
You wouldn't -P
I would -S
I'd better take a picture of it quick then. I don't want to lose the evidence -P
I hate you -S
No, you don't. But she decided to back off. He would probably get more defensive and snippy the more she pushed. She had learned that last year. And thank you, Sev. For the advice. I won't let painful memories ruin the present. -P And he shouldn't either.
Good. By the way, I have a gift for you I would like to personally deliver sometime next month, if you are willing. -S
Sure. What's the occasion? -P
Opportunity and convenience -S
Hmph. You can come over the weekend after next, if you like -P
That will work -S
See you then. Good night -P
The conversation at an end, Petunia set the journal aside and went to the bathroom to retrieve her other purchase from this morning. Sev was right. It may be Halloween and the anniversary of her sister's murder tomorrow, but Petunia was a practical woman with a family. Her family was more important than her vague feelings of guilt and grief. She followed the instructions on the packet, then set it aside while she brushed her teeth and set her hair in curlers for the night.
Then she looked back at the pregnancy test and saw two lines. Pure joy and excitement bubbled up within her. She squealed and danced a little in place. "Vernon!" she called happily. Actually, it was more like an undignified screech, but she didn't care. Vernon jogged down the hall from Dudley's room immediately, heavy footfalls slightly shaking the floor.
"Pet?"
She thrust the positive test under his nose, grinning fiercely. His eyes bugged out a little, and his face turned pink. He quickly closed the distance between them and swept her into a strong hug before planting a firm kiss on her lips. "We're pregnant?" he asked in a low voice when they broke apart.
"We're pregnant," she confirmed.
His mustache rippled as his smile widened to match hers. "How far along?"
"Six weeks."
"We'll call to schedule your first appointment tomorrow. I'll ask Arabella to watch the boys. I can't wait to tell my parents..."
"After the doctors' appointment," Petunia said firmly. The pregnancy with Dudley had been uneventful, but Petunia was well aware that things could go wrong, especially early on. They would tell people only once they knew the fetus was healthy.
"Of course, Pet. Whatever you say. You are queen of this house from now until... May?"
"June," she corrected, counting the months in her head. "And I'm always queen of this house."
Vernon chuckled and kissed her again.
Author's note: yay, babies! I really enjoyed writing the "potty humor" lol. Thank you for the reviews, and I'll update next Friday.
