Lionhearts | hp. ✓

Year 2 | The Burrow

"Aunt Petunia's different with you around." he said, "She's more tolerant."

"Maybe she's not as bad as you think. Maybe she just has to tough things out because she lives in a house of boys or something."

"No, that's not it." he shook his head, "Before, she ignored my existence. Now, she acknowledges you and I."

"Do you think that maybe I remind her of mum?" inquired Lily. "I mean, I've been told loads of times that I look like her...maybe she reminisces her childhood when she sees me."

"I don't think so." said Harry. "She never talks about her and the one time I recall that she did, she insulted her -- hated her, even."

"Have you ever considered the thought that maybe she was jealous of her? Mum, I mean." when Harry scoffed, she elaborated, "Think about it: maybe she hates magic so much because she didn't have any like mum did. Every child loves the idea of magic and fairytales. If I didn't have any magic but you did and I knew you were going off to a wondrous school of magic, I sure would be jealous."

He paused for a moment and slowly, he nodded. "I suppose."

"And maybe because you have magic and Dudley doesn't, she pampers Dudley -- into a spoiled brat, may I add -- so that he won't feel left out or mediocre compared to you."

"That would actually make sense."

There was a rapping at their bedroom door, tap tap tap, and Aunt Petunia opened it. She stood in the open doorway and stared at the carpeted floor. In her hands there was a dish towel and she wrung it tightly in her hands.

"Vernon and Duddykins just left. Dinner will be ready in an hour" she spoke in a whisper. Lily was surprised she was talking directly to them, but Harry was surprised by the fact that she was making dinner for the three of them. "In the meanwhile,...I wonder if you'd like to join me in the living room?"

Harry gaped at her and Lily, although just as surprised, nodded, "We would love to."

Those weren't the words that Harry would have gone with -- he had a worse reply for his aunt -- but his sister's response seemed to be a good one because a moment later, Aunt Petunia's shoulders relaxed, she nodded once and returned to the kitchen. Nevertheless, the Potters joined their aunt in the living room and for an uncomfortable but rather interesting hour, they watched television in silence. Harry didn't mind it. In fact, it was the first time he watched television without viewing it through the window outside.

So the Potters sat quietly in their room, daydreaming about their return to Hogwarts school as the heat caused them to form thin layers of sweat on their skin. Harry was caressing Hedwig's feathers through her cage; Caspian slumbered peacefully within his own. Lily laid across her bed, flipping through the photo album given to them from Hagrid for what seemed like the hundredth time. Within her cage, Hedwig squawked indignantly, yearning to be released from her confinement.

"I can't, Hedwig." sighed Harry, "I'm not allowed to use magic outside of school. Besides, if Uncle Vernon--"

"POTTERS!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the living room below.

"Now you've done it." Harry huffed passive aggressively at the bird.

Lily shut the album and shoved it under her pillow as Harry arose from his own bed. They made their way downstairs, making it a point to step on the creaky step, and passed by the kitchen as Aunt Petunia put the finishing touches to a pudding made of whipped cream and sugared violets. In the living room, Uncle Vernon was struggling to fasten Dudley's bow tie once again. Lily scoffed and did it instead as the man glowered at Harry.