"Dursley."
Petunia Dursley's face turned pale as she encountered a face of the past, someone she knew who was close to her sister, someone she had assumed was dead.
"Potter, what are you doing here?"
Rubina Black had never seen her mother behave in a manner such as this. Fiona Black née Potter wore a cold look on her face while conversing with Petunia Dursley. She held herself with an attitude that showed what she could do.
"I'm here to meet my nephew, of course."
"We are not allowing more freaks such as yourself into our house!" A voice hollered and from behind came Vernon Dursley. "It's more than enough that we took him into our house, we will not allow others like him to be visiting our house! It's not our fault his parents got themselves blown up-"
Petunia gasped as Vernon Dursley's face turned white as chalk with horror. Rubi watched the scene in amusement. Fiona had her wand directly at Vernon's throat, her face displaying anger.
"Don't you dare insult my brother and my best friend in front of me! And if I get even one more complaint of Harry not being treated properly, I won't hesitate to use this!"
The Dursleys' backed away in fear.
"Rubi!"
Harry had come down hearing the commotion only to find one of his friends and a woman whom he did not know, along with his frightened aunt and uncle.
"Harry!" The said girl exclaimed before brushing past her mother and embracing her cousin.
"How're you doing, Harold?"
Harry made a face. "Can you please stop calling me that?"
"Nope!" Rubi replied with a grin.
"Harry."
The atmosphere turned quiet and tense. As soon as Fiona's eyes had landed on her nephew, she felt her breath catch in her throat. It was as if she was seeing her twin again, as if he was truly there with her. She mistook Harry for her brother, James. Although when the two locked eyes, the eyes that stared back into Fiona's chocolate ones were emerald green. She knew those eyes, they were the ones that had belonged to her best friend, one of the five girls that had formed a bond unlike any other many years ago at Hogwarts. It felt as if Lily Potter was staring back at her. Fiona shook her head and blinked back her tears.
Rubi jerked her head pointing to the outside to which Fiona understood and gestured for Harry to follow, who didn't move until he received a push from Rubina who shooed him away. Harry walked out and shut the front door, an uncomfortable silence washed over. Fiona was anxious and scared. She wouldn't be surprised if Harry yelled at her for not taking him in, for not having contacted him for years, for not having even revealed that he had another aunt apart from his mother's sister.
"Happy birthday, Harry."
And as she said that, Fiona's mind replayed the scenes from the day when the young Potter had been born, and how happy Lily and James were. How Sirius kept saying he would spoil his godson. How Remus was afraid of holding the baby, which had made the husband and wife come to a decision for their own child that would be born shortly after.
"Why are you back now?" Harry asked. He didn't say it in anger, more to ask why he wasn't allowed to even know the existence of the family on his dad's side.
Fiona took a breath and let her eyes wander around the neighbourhood, "Because since you already know, there is no point in hiding. Dumbledore said I couldn't take you in, and we were forbidden to visit you due to the Dursleys' conditions and the fact you want to stay with us." She paused. "But since the truth is out in the open, and you're not a young child to whine about things, it would be ideal to see you every now and then, at least you won't feel like all of your family is bad." She said referring to the Dursleys and their treatment of Harry.
"Why can't I live with you? Sirius said I could."
Fiona turned so fast she may have cracked a bone in her neck, "Sirius? When did you speak with him? And how? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
Harry stared dumbfounded at his aunt before he realized she may not know the truth.
"No, he er - said in a letter, must have been a lie to lure me to him." At that Fiona visibly relaxed but a small suspicion and uncertainty had lit up in her mind.
"Well to answer your question, Harry, Dumbledore's orders. I couldn't disobey him, he helped me out after..." She choked back her emotion, but Harry had understood. "He said that it would be the safest for you, away from everything about why you're famous, Voldemort and your parents..." Although Fiona wasn't being completely truthful, she knew the real reason but Fiona wasn't permitted to reveal it.
"So," She smiled, "how does it feel to be the youngest seeker of the century? James would be very proud. I can guarantee you that."
"What were they like, my parents?"
"Well, I know Remus has told you a bit but I can tell you how it was to live with your dad. Complete chaos." Harry's lips turned up at that, and the two spent the next while talking about many topics.
"How would it feel to celebrate your birthday somewhere else for once?" And Fiona felt happy as a small amount of pity seeing Harry's eyes light up.
"Can I?" Fiona nodded and Harry rushed forward to hug her, taking the woman by surprise before she wrapped her arms around him.
However when the two went in, a shirek could be heard and in the sitting room, the Dursleys were cowering in a corner as Rubina had her wand out, teasingly twirling it around. Normally, Fiona would have reprimanded her but seeing as she knew the true nature of Petunia and Vernon Dursley she waited a few minutes before doing so. Once Harry had packed and loaded his belongings in the car, Fiona gave a warning to the Dursleys again before leaving. They blasted music, had the windows down and joyfully went about their day. The whole day they went to various locations such as restaurants, an amusement park, a movie theater before hitting home late at night.
Harry had immediately fallen in love with the house, mostly because it belonged to his aunt. There was a spare bedroom beside Rubi's, which Fiona had kept just for Harry, and he was allowed to customize the room however he wanted. Later, the three had gathered at the dining table, a cake Fiona had baked, lit up with candles.
"Make a wish, Harry." And he did. He wished to live with a proper family, away from the Dursleys. He wanted to live with a family that loved him, like how the Weasleys did. He knew it wasn't possible to live with his godsister, godfather and godmother, but that didn't mean he didn't wish for it.
Suddenly, the fireplace erupted into emerald flames and out stepped a face so familiar. Remus Lupin.
"Professor Lupin!"
He appeared very tired, "Am I late?"
Fiona immediately rushed over, not with joy but with a stern expression on her face, "I told you not to come if you weren't well, which you aren't. It's the full moon tomorrow!"
He waved a hand, "I am fine, besides I have survived worse at Hogwarts. I couldn't miss my best friend's son's birthday now that I have a chance to be there for it, now could I?"
Fiona berated him for a few minutes before calming down and allowing the cake to be cut, and eaten by everyone. They had a good time afterwards.
Fiona passed over a box wrapped in gift wrapper to Harry, who looked at it.
"Open it." She urged him. Everyone watched as Harry took off the paper from the box, opened the lid, and he put his hand in. He stared at what was in his hand along with everyone else. Fiona was smiling, Remus seemed to be remembering while Rubi looked as if she may burst out laughing.
It was a small, stuffed, stag.
Recognition flicked through Remus' face, "Isn't that...."
"The very same."
Remus smiled, "The ones Prongs, Padfoot and I bought?"
"One of the same."
Harry sat there with an unreadable expression on his face whilst Rubi was stifling giggles.
"I know Harry what you're thinking, not what you would have expected but this is actually from when you were young."
At this Harry's eyes were staring at the stuffed animal in his hand in awe, while Rubi was now watching and listening with interest.
"Where did you find it though, Fiona?"
Fiona gulped, "Potter Manor."
"Potter Manor?" The two cousins chorused.
"The Potter family used to live there." Remus said, "After your grandparents passed away, Harry and Rubi, no one really lived there. James and Fiona along with their families would visit and stay from time to time, but also with having bought new places to live in, the Manor wasn't used much anymore." He looked at his best friend, "But when did you go back, and how was the stuffed Stag there?"
"I went back recently actually, after sending Rubi back to school after the winter break. There, I found it in the nursery room. I'm assuming it got left there on our last visit before we all went into hiding."
"How was the war?" Rubi suddenly piped up and Harry also was eager to know.
"Enough. It's Harry's birthday, and we are not discussing the horrors of the war." And with that they quietened down.
"Thank you for the present, Aunt Fiona."
"Of course." Fiona felt elated every time she heard Harry address her as "Aunt" and it warmed her heart to know she still had her nephew.
Remus stayed for a bit before leaving. Fiona insisted on him staying the night but he denied and soon after cleaning up, the whole house had gone to sleep in peace. Although Fiona was unaware of the change that would occur for her in a very short time, one that would make her feel similar pain she felt many years ago.
Hey!
So we've officially entered GoF (YAY!) and hopefully I can write more for this one over the summer. Also, I began writing a new book called "Destiny's Game" which happens to be a prequel to this book, following the story of Fiona Potter and Sirius Black! It would mean a lot to me if you went to check that out! Have a wonderful day and see you in the next one!
-S.B.