Chapter Text
An hour later, and Dudley still couldn’t believe his cousin was sitting in his living room, having a cup of tea and complimenting his wife on her homemade biscuits. He looked good, Dudley had to admit. His hair was still all over the place, but it was longer, and his face had grown into it. He was still small and skinny, but more filled out, and with a healthy glow. He held himself with an air of confidence and authority that Dudley was having a hard time matching in his head with the scrawny 16 year old who had been constantly haunted by nightmares. Harry had greeted them as “Professor Potter” (“He’s actually my cousin. We grew up together”, Dudley explained. Harry just stared at him a moment, before schooling his expression and pushing forward with the conversation). He explained that Daisy was being offered a position at Hogwarts, the same school of magic he had attended as a kid.
Although still a little shocked at having this all thrown in his face, Dudley would be lying if he said he was completely surprised. There had been moments, as Daisy was growing up. Moments that couldn’t be explained, like when she was 5 and somehow turned all the bathwater pink, or when she wanted dessert as a kid, and Dudley could have sworn he saw it float towards her. Abigail had always done a good enough job explaining away the oddness (“She was painting today! She must have had pink paint in her hair and we didn’t notice!”) that Dudley could tell himself that he was just imagining it, but deep inside he always knew there was something different about his kid. Something, well, special. Not freaky, like his mom and dad had called it at all.
Abigail had taken the news better than he had expected. She thought he was crazy at first, but after Harry had taken out his wand (and Dudley had to fight all his instincts not to duck under the table at the sight of it) and turned his teacup into a rabbit, she went from skeptical to full of questions at the speed of light. Dudley knew he would have a lot of explaining to do as to why he didn’t tell her magic was real when Harry left again.
Daisy, on the other hand, was beyond thrilled. Dudley had hoped to sit her down and have a conversation with her about her options, but he could already tell that she had made up her mind. She was practically vibrating with excitement at the revelation that she was a witch and that she would be able to learn magic. “Real magic, Daddy! Can you believe it?”. She insisted on Harry leaving the teacup as a rabbit. “I'm going to name him Peter!” She announced.
While Dudley wasn’t in love with the idea of sending his child away to learn magic, he knew that once she had made her mind up there would be no way to keep her from going. Plus, she would have Harry. Harry would keep his daughter safe, wouldn’t he? He had protected Dudley from magic once, a long time ago.
“What about all the things she’s going to need?” Dudley asked, looking down at the list. A cauldron? A Wand? Where was he supposed to find things like this?
“Not to worry” Harry chuckled. “There’s a place in London. I’d be more than happy to take Daisy myself” He assured Dudley.
“We’ll certainly be coming as well!” Abby interjected, and Dudley felt a surge of pride for his fearsome wife. Of course they wouldn’t be letting Daisy go alone, if they decided that this was what they were going to do. She was only 11! At that thought he once again felt that familiar twinge of hurt for Harry. Why didn’t he have any memories of taking Harry shopping for these things when he was 11? He had just been a kid, sent alone with some stranger in London without anybody wondering about his safety. Dudley tucked that thought away for later. Now wasn’t the time or the place.
“Of course, you’re more than welcome to come. My friend Hermione’s parents didn’t know anything about magic either, and they thought Diagon Alley was very interesting when they visited. I can teach you about our currency, we have this bank called Gringotts...”
As Harry continued to droned on, Dudley couldn’t help feeling a sudden flash of resentment towards him. Ever since Daisy came into his world, everything he’s done has been for her, and now he feels completely out of his depth. How is he supposed to be there for his daughter when he knows absolutely nothing about this world she supposedly has a place in? A Knut? That can’t be a real unit of currency! Not for the first time, he feels as though Harry has something that he doesn't.
Finally, all the questions asked and answered, Harry stood up to leave. Dudley jumped up as well. This was his chance.
“Let me walk you out”
“As complicated as it looks, I think I can find my own way out, thanks” Harry said, gesturing at the door. Dudley refrained from rolling his eyes. It seemed Harry hadn’t lost that signature snark that had been the start of so many fights when they were kids. He followed Harry out the door anyway. Slippery as he had been back then, he wasn’t going to let him get away so easily this time.
“Listen, Harry” Dudley grabbed him by the elbow to keep him from marching down the driveway, as he seemed so determined to do. “I know it’s been a long time, and that you aren’t the same person you were back then, but I’m not either.”
“Astute as ever, Big D” Harry muttered, pushing his hands in his pockets and looking vaguely uncomfortable at the topic of the past was dragged up.
“Oh shut up for one second, would you?” Dudley scowled, before remembering he was trying to be apologetic and schooling his features back into a smile. Being quick to anger was still something he was working on with his therapist. “I….. listen, this isn’t easy for me either. But, the things that happened in the past. To both of us. They weren’t right. And, I’m…. I’m sorry for my part in them.” It was quiet for a moment, as both men just stared at each other, neither knowing what to say. Harry kicked a pebble around with his foot for a second, before responding.
“Well. I have to say, I wasn’t expecting that”
“Yeah well, everything about today has been a little unexpected, wouldn’t you say?”
“Listen Dudley” Harry started again after another moment of silence, “The things that happened… The way we grew up on Privet Drive. It’s all in the past. We don’t have to talk about this. I know it makes us both uncomfortable. Why don’t we just forget this, and I can just be Professor Potter to your daughter.”
“No”
“Im sorry, no?”
“No.” Dudley repeated. “That… that doesn’t work for me”
“What do you mean?” Harry asked
“Here's the thing Harry. I don’t know a lot about your life, and you don’t know a lot about mine, but my daughter is a witch. And she’s going to be part of both of our worlds, which, like it or not, ties us together now. And you know what? I’m grateful for this. I’m grateful because I’m finally getting the chance to look you in the eyes and say I’m sorry. Let me try to start to fix this. But you don't want that, do you? you’re too much of a coward to try, aren't you?”
“I am not a coward.” Harry growled.
“Then prove it!"
Another moment passed, both boys silently glaring at each other, daring the other to be the one to say something first. Another second, another. Just as it seemed like the two would be locked into a staring contest for the rest of their lives, the door swung open and Daisy stepped outside.
“Oh good! You haven’t left yet! Mom wanted me to give you these, since you liked them so much” Daisy smiled as she handed Harry a tupperware of the biscuits from inside.
“Err… thanks Daisy”, Harry said, reaching out and taking the tupperware.
“No problem, Uncle Harry!” Daisy said as she wrapped Harry into a big goodbye hug. “I’ll see you again before school starts, right?”
Harry and Dudley made eye contact above Daisy’s head as she was hugging Harry, and he swore he saw something soften in those bright green eyes at being called uncle.
“Yeah… yeah I suppose you will” He responded to Daisy as she ran back in the house.
Left alone to just the two of them again, Harry pulled a feather quill and a piece of parchment out from seemingly nowhere and scribbled down a note.
“Here. We have a home phone. Give us a ring sometime. Maybe we could have you over for tea sometime. I can answer any other questions you might have.”
“I’d like that a lot…. Uncle Harry.” Dudley said with a laugh
“Oh shut up” Harry responded, but there was a slight smile on his face at Dudley’s prodding.
Tea at Harry’s… Dudley could do that.