I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
The Family that Heals
Chapter 8 – Heavy Decision
Katie smiled as she heard a sound fill the air. It was a very warm cheep, one filled with love and affection, and it kept repeating, making the air feel warm. She summoned her small mirror and touched it eagerly. "Hello my baby!"
"Hi Mummy!" Dahlia smiled.
"Everything okay?" Katie asked, leaning back in her chair.
"Yes Mummy," Dahlia said after a very small moment of hesitation. "Are you at the Port?"
Katie nodded, looking around the small office she had at Portree Port, the Quidditch stadium for the Pride of Portree. "I am, just doing a bit of work before heading home. What's up?"
Dahlia nibbled her bottom lip a little. "Uhm, Daisy asked me to send you something."
"Oh?"
"Her mum sent it to her through the boxes and she wanted me to pass it along to you. She said she, her mum, didn't know how else to get in touch with you."
Katie frowned at that. "Hmm. Okay. And not to your father?"
Dahlia shook her head. "No, to you."
"Have you told your father?"
Dahlia shook her head again, looking slightly glum. "No, they asked not to and I didn't like that."
"Don't blame you," Katie sighed, also not looking too happy. "What is it?"
"A letter. Daisy didn't look at it."
"Hmm." She smiled. "Don't worry, I won't ask you to look at it either." Her smile grew at Dahlia's relief. "How has she been treating you?"
"Daisy? She's been good," Dahlia said honestly. "We chat a little more and I've helped her with classwork."
"That's my sweet girl," Katie said with a big smile. "Alright then. I'll take a look at it. Send it to me with Helena?"
"I'll send it out soon. Shouldn't take her long to bring it to you in Skye," Dahlia said gratefully.
"Not at all. She's so fast," Katie nodded. "Are you ready for this Saturday?"
"Yeah! We've been practicing a lot!" Dahlia said happily.
"Good! We're all coming to cheer for you," Katie said happily. "The team game is playing Friday night so we'll all be there the next day at Hogwarts."
"Yay! Who are you playing?"
"Ballycastle, so we're going to destroy them," Katie said with utter confidence.
"Too bad Daddy isn't there to plow their Seekers into the ground," Dahlia said wistfully.
"No but Shelia and Lizzie will do that for him," Katie said and she laughed when Dahlia nodded confidently. "You doing well in school otherwise?"
"Yes Mummy. I got full marks on my last Potions essay!"
"Good job!"
"Thank you! I better go though. Need to do some homework before practice. Tell Iris and Lucas hi for me please."
"Will do. See you soon, baby. Love you!"
"Love you Mummy!" Dahlia waved and the mirror shimmered, showing Katie's image once more. Feeling better after chatting with her daughter, as well as faintly annoyed and curious as to what Veronica wanted, Katie went back to her work. After some time, she looked up and waved her wand to open her window. Helena came swooping in, hooting hello and landing daintily on her desk.
"Hi Helena," Katie greeted warmly, smiling as Helena pulled on her hair gently and nuzzled her cheek. "Hungry?" She opened her cool box and pulled out some bacon and fed them to the owl who took them from her daintily before noisily enjoying them. As the owl munched, Katie opened the letter she brought and read it.
Katie put it down, frowning some more at it. After a few moments, she sighed and rubbed her eyes gently. She noticed Helena looking at her with concern and relaxed a little, petting the owl. "Don't mind me, just trying to make a difficult decision," she said. She felt better when Helena nibbled on her fingers lovingly.
With another sigh, she penned a quick reply and tucked it back into the envelope. "Take this back to the school and Dahlia please."
Helena barked affirmatively and after taking the letter, nuzzled Katie again and flapped off, flying swiftly. Katie watched her fly away until she was lost to sight and went back to work, slightly distracted.
-0-
The next day, Katie apparated to London. She used one of the stable and hidden spots at Diagon Alley and walked out through a side street into Muggle London, not wanting to walk through the Cauldron. She got her bearings and continued to walk. Her wand was tucked into a wrist strap, an updated version of the one she received for Christmas many years ago. She smiled at the memory of the gift exchange, grateful for a happy memory to take the edge off.
She eventually reached her destination, a small park that plenty of people were in despite the decidedly chill air. She looked around before she saw someone waving to her. With a small breath, she walked to them, plastering on a polite smile. "Hello Mrs. Dursley."
Veronica smiled back weakly. "Hello Mrs. Potter," she replied. She looked like she was about to offer her hand but thought twice about it, instead awkwardly patting the bench beside her. She waited for Katie to sit and the two women sat in even more awkward silence. "Thank you for meeting me," Veronica said at last. "You didn't have to."
"No, I didn't," Katie agreed. "A very large part of me wanted to refuse."
Veronica winced at that and looked away. "He told me," she said in a very small voice.
Katie turned her head to look at her. "Told you what?" she asked, mildly.
"That he knew what magic was for a long time," Veronica said. She looked upset as she spoke. Annoyed, angry, sad, a gamut of emotion. "That he was more familiar with magic than he let me believe. That he kept it hidden from me." She looked very uncomfortable. "That he and Harry, Mr. Potter, had not been in contact for many years and it is due to how his parents treated him."
Katie sat and looked at Veronica without speaking, waiting.
"How he treated him as well," Veronica continued after a long pause. "That they were…unkind to him." She colored at Katie's rich snort.
"That's one way of putting it," Katie said begrudgingly. "How do you explain them telling your daughter to try and lie about her last name and to avoid Potters?"
"I didn't know about that!" Veronica said heatedly. "I only knew of it from Daisy's letter and that was a major way for me to force Dudley to confess." She calmed down a little, seeing Katie look at her with a slightly different expression. "Durton is my maiden name so at least that wasn't the biggest stretch."
"Has he or his parents mistreated her?" Katie asked bluntly.
"Dudley loves his daughters," Veronica hissed. "That was never a question!"
"And yet I asked it," Katie said coolly.
Veronica glared at her before visibly deflating. "I don't suppose I blame you," she said bitterly. "From what Dudley told me." She rubbed her face with her hands. "I did notice Vernon and Petunia being different around Daisy when we found out that she is a witch. Colder in some ways, but not…mean."
"Thank Merlin for that," Katie said bitterly under her breath.
"And that my other daughter, Penelope, is a witch too," Veronica continued. "Miss Sprout tested her and said she would be one as well."
"That can happen," Katie nodded. They sat in silence while the world turned around them. "So why did you reach out, exactly?" Katie asked.
"For help," Veronica said. "To make a connection between our families."
"Uh huh." Katie looked at the other woman. "Clearly your husband didn't tell you what he and his parents did to my husband and let me tell you, I will not subject him to that ever again."
"Mrs. Potter-"
"You did not see him at his worst," Katie hissed angrily. "I did. I noticed the pain he was enduring. I saw what his poor excuse for a family did to him. His flesh and blood! You have no earthly idea on what they forced him to suffer from."
"No, I don't," Veronica said, her eyes wet and looking stricken. "And he did tell me plenty. How they abused him and for no good reason at all. Not that there is ever a reason for abuse."
"Did he now." Katie snorted and leaned back onto the bench, arms crossed.
"He did," Veronica said. "He's been wanting to apologize for years now."
"Good for him," Katie said coldly. "That's not up to him though. I made that very clear the last time I saw him."
"Yes, he told me that too," Veronica said weakly. "He's very afraid of you."
Katie smiled brightly at that. "And what does he say about this?"
"He wants it too. Like I said, he wants to apologize, to make up for things." She sighed at Katie's flat look. "Look, I get I don't know everything. Even with him telling me all he has since your visit, I know there has to be some things not said. But I'm desperate here. I don't really have any extended family of my own. I know nothing about magic and the Wizarding World or anything beyond what's in movies and shows and fiction. It's been absolutely terrifying to learn that there is this whole entire society that exists right alongside ours. And for ages now!"
"And all over the world," Katie said.
Veronica stared at her before shaking her head. "I love my daughters and it's my job as a parent to help them and prepare them for the future. But I can't help them if I don't know anything about it! And I want to be there for them. The material that Professor Sprout brought was helpful, but it doesn't replace actual experience. It doesn't answer the questions I have."
"Why us?" Katie asked. "You think you can trust us after what your husband and his family put him through? Especially since they warned your daughter not to trust anyone with the same name? That they're a danger to her?"
"Yes," Veronica said softly. "Because if, despite all of that, he still did something incredibly kind as to deliver a letter and provide a means for us to communicate, then he can be trusted. It shows he cares when he doesn't have a reason to."
"My husband is a wonderful man," Katie said proudly.
"And I love my husband," Veronica said softly. "Despite all his faults. He is trying to fix things. He really is." She held up a hand. "He would be here too, right now, ready to accept the consequences of you being here too. I convinced him to stay home for now. I hoped you and I could talk, mother to mother, wife to wife."
She looked very sad yet grimly determined. "I'm just trying to do what's best for my family. Surely you can appreciate that."
"I can," Katie said begrudgingly.
"Please," Veronica begged. "I know I have no right to ask, but please. One chance."
Katie closed her eyes. "One of our best friends is Muggleborn," she said quietly.
"So you understand," Veronica said.
"I do," Katie said. She could remember how happy Hermione was after her family got into more contact with Sirius and her own parents and Ted and Andromeda. How Sirius became her magical guardian and they explained so many things to them. Since then, laws have changed and things are a little better for everyone, but it was still different. Almost foreign in tone and nature.
Katie opened her eyes and looked at Veronica. "I swore I would support Harry in everything and anything."
"I understand and admire that," Veronica said.
"First, the decision will be Harry's. I won't force him to do it and if anything, I'd do my best to prevent him from doing anything that will bring him harm. Physical or emotional," Katie said. She continued at Veronica's weak nod. "Second, Vernon and Petunia better not be anywhere near. And I mean that. I get a glimpse of them or hear that they're close, we're leaving. No negotiation."
"Understood," Veronica said, sounding hopeful. "No problem."
She looked Veronica in the eyes. "And if your husband says something I don't like, I will retaliate."
"I only ask you to give me a chance to defuse before you do," Veronica said.
"Fair enough." Katie turned away for a moment, looking at the families in the park. Watching them play and laugh and talk with one another as they lived their lives.
"I'll ask him," she said at last.
"Thank you," Veronica said with obvious relief. "Thank you so much, I truly appreciate it, from the bottom of my heart."
"Don't thank me yet," Katie said. "I haven't talked him into or out of it yet."
"I still thank you for even meeting with me," Veronica said sincerely. "I know I'm asking a lot."
"You are, but you're being a mother. I can't hold that against you." Katie got up to leave. "I don't know when we'll reply, but you'll get a reply for yes or for no through Daisy."
"Thank you." Veronica got up and hesitantly offered a hand. "Thank you, Mrs. Potter. This means so much."
Katie looked at her hand for a moment before shaking it. "You're welcome, Mrs. Dursley." She left the woman behind and walked with her mind in motion, chewing over what just happened.
-0-
Samantha Bell snorted deeply, a sound that was deep and remarkably similar to the kind that Katie made earlier. It was a rich sound, full of unspoken words that were all negative and rude.
"That's what I said," Katie said, "or snorted."
"And you didn't Curse her in the face?" Samantha asked. "That's some restraint right there."
"As Harry pointed out, she didn't do any of it," Katie sighed.
"I love him," Samantha sighed.
"Me too," Katie said with a soft smile.
The mother and daughter were sitting together in the Potter home. The afternoon sun was sinking behind the horizon but the gardens and the grounds were still well lit. The air just shy of being too cold to be outdoors without ample wraps. The children played on, unbothered by the cold. Their laughter rang sweetly, mingled pleasantly with the hooting and barking of snowy owls and the happy barking of a golden labrador that played with the children.
"You haven't spoken to him about it yet?" Samantha asked.
Katie shook her head. "Not yet. I don't want to ruin the anticipation of the bunnies' first Quidditch game tomorrow."
"Not to derail the animosity, but I'm so excited for tomorrow," Samantha said with a big smile.
"Oh no problem, me too," Katie laughed. "So many of us are going and we're going to have our own camping section like on alumni game days. Oh here, this is Bailey's jersey."
"I love it," Samanatha smiled, holding up the dog-sized Quidditch jersey with Dahlia's name and number on the back. "We'll be here bright and early and travel with everyone to the school."
"That'll be good," Katie nodded. She sipped her tea moodily. "It's not bad that I'm waiting, right?"
"Not at all," Samantha said. "I'm still astounded at the gall to be honest. Harry making and delivering the letter boxes is already more than they deserve."
"Part of me never wants to tell him," Katie said quietly. "And that's not right, but I'll admit it."
"I don't blame you, in either respect," Samantha said. "He should know, though. It's his right to know and to agree or refuse."
Katie nodded. "I'm worried it's only going to hurt him," she confessed quietly. "Seeing him freeze up a little in front of the fat bastard, it was like seeing him all those years ago. Just like it, as far as I remember and I don't want to remember any of it."
Samantha growled slightly before shaking her head. "Some people deserve second chances," she said begrudgingly. "And the girl is blameless in this."
"That's the only reason I'm considering it," Katie said. "I remember how happy Hermione was when she and her family got more involved and communicated more with you and dad, with MumAndi, and Sirius. Same with Mirabelle's family as we got close to hers."
"Things are better for Muggleborns now, but still not great," Samantha said in agreement.
"Would doing it be the right decision? Or not doing it?" Katie mused.
"Both would be honestly," Samantha said. "There's no true right or wrong in this situation. Sadly. Sometimes the hardest decisions don't have a clear good answer and a clear bad one." She refilled their teacups. "Have you consulted with anyone else?"
"No, just you," Katie said, taking her cup. "I know what MumAndi's response would be."
"Which Curse and how healable," Samantha chuckled grimly.
"Which will be more or less everyone else's responses," Katie said, chuckling with her mother. "And a very large part of me wants to indulge in something like that." She shrugged limply. "But the alternative is what's keeping me considering it too, unfortunately."
"That's what I call the Healer's Curse," Samantha said. "Healers and medi-magicals know what it takes to heal something, we know how hard it is, and we know the consequences of the decisions to differing degrees. Discounting luck, fate, or divine intervention."
Katie nodded. "Healing in this case could help him."
"But it will cause a lot of pain," Samantha nodded. "And we won't know if the healing will be worth it until it's all over." She nibbled on a biscuit. "What's your prognosis?"
"That it could help and it could work," Katie said after some thought. "But it's going to cause a lot of pain. And I don't want Harry to feel any more than necessary. He's had too much."
"He has. He's strong though. He can make it through," Samantha said sadly and proudly. "Sometimes healing does require a lot of pain to work through though."
"What would you do, if you were in my position?" Katie asked.
"The same, probably," Samantha said. "Only with more threats and grumbling."
"I grumble more than you, so I thought," Katie smiled. "I recall you yelling that at me a lot growing up."
"Yelling? Noooo," Samantha demurred with a smile. "Pointing that observation out vigorously? Maybe that."
"Lyla was, and is, a lot worse than me," Katie protested.
"No, that's true," Samantha laughed. "How are my darling grandbabies about grumbling and muttering?"
"Dally barely does, she's very open with her grumbles," Katie smiled lovingly. "Rilly is a lot like her aunt though. She likes to mutter things. She's cheeky."
"Yes she is," Samantha smiled proudly.
"Lucky is the quietest of the three and the most reserved," Katie said. "I have to make sure he's voicing his concerns and whatnot and he promises he does. He's pretty easy going and is just quiet. Doesn't need a lot to be happy and likes to be there in his own way."
"That's good too," Samantha smiled. "A nice little break, comparatively."
"Yeah, the second group is a bit louder than the first," Katie laughed. "And so far with Lucas, Kayden, and Wendy being the third group, they're fairly quiet. Well Wendy can be pretty loud but that's a Weasley trait, I'm sure."
"I think so," Samantha said fondly, watching Alex and Abby and Wendy running around the Triangle and shouting at the top of their lungs.
Katie watched them too for a bit before sighing. "Yeah, I'll talk to Harry after the game and we can decide from there."
"That's for the best." Samantha shook her head. "He'll do what's best, like he does, even when it's not the best for him."
"And we'll be there to make sure he gets the best after," Katie said stoutly.
"Damn straight," Samantha said and clinked her teacup against Katie's.
-0-0-0-
61394 - Yup. Lots of couch time. And more little Weasleys.
TheSphynx - And still more to come.
odonnellzoo99 - Sometimes the imagination is more better than what I could come up with. I suppose they both would understand that the circumstances have changed, but ingrained behavior can really sink deep and it's hard to shake off. I still treat my older siblings like how I did when I was younger.
alix33 - Katie doesn't mince words.
poka - Nope, still a lot to come with hopefully plausible character development and growth and change.
HoneyBear84 - Dudley has many complicated feelings that he's been working through. He probably doesn't, didn't, have the same quality of care and help that Harry did, so he's a bit behind.
DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - Yup, lots of people learning things in different ways and trying to go from there.