He didn't know what to think. There was simply so much going on in his head that every single thought in his brain was tangling together into knots that would never come loose- or at least not for a very long time. Yes, Dudley had been contemplating looking for a way to get in contact with his cousin he hadn't seen in three years again but he definitely didn't expect Harry to be the first to get in touch. How did Harry even know his new address? They hadn't spoken since Dudley simply stated as they packed up to leave the home they grew up in that he didn't think he was a waste of space.
He smiled gently as he remembered his cousin's shocked but pleased look that crossed his face. He knew he was a long way off any kind of forgiveness that he is sure he will likely never get. The cousin that he had slowly convinced himself that he hated every single gut in his body had reached out first after three years. So, Dudley stared down at the strange paper in his hands, not knowing what to do. One part of him wanted to tear it to shreds and never want to get into contact with Harry again. The other side of him wanted to rip open the silver/blue seal and savour every part of the letter.
Dudley Vernon Dursley.
Harry's name might not have been on the yellowish stained material, but he could recognise that messy yet very cursive handwriting from a mile away if he was asked to identify it. Felicity was still standing a couple of metres from him, wanting to know exactly what was going through her fiancé's head. She knew this was a lot for him to take in so she stood awkwardly with the wild bird seed in her palm whilst she tried to ignore the painful pecking as the owl's beak nipped at her milky white skin. She had never seen an owl up close before so for her to know there was one not only in her kitchen, but one that was eating out of her outstretched hand was a strange thing for the petite blonde girl.
After a few minutes of agonising silence, Dudley had made up his mind. He sat the letter down on the table and left the room in search for his letter opener- hoping it could break through the stiff wax seal. He had tried to open it with his fingers but it just wasn't happening. The couple had to open a fair few letters this morning anyway because as a successful businessman and a trainee dentist, they got a lot of the white paper envelopes through their letterbox.
He picked up the silver item and walked back into the kitchen and frowned at seeing the owl had flown away. Felicity walked over and shut the window once more. Dudley walked up behind her and pulled her in for a gentle hug but she got the hidden meaning behind the gesture. She had never lost contact with a family member before (at least, not a direct one), never mind lost contact for three years so she couldn't lie by saying that she knew what he was thinking. All Felicity knew was that her husband-to-be needed her support as this was a very big thing for him.
She sat down with him at the large table in their even larger kitchen whist Dudley worked at breaking the seal. Eventually it snapped in half and the weird paper revealed its contents. With shaky hands he pulled out the large letter. Parchment. He suddenly remembered the type of paper they used in Harry's world. He had only ever seen it once and that was when he saw Harry writing a practise essay for one of his lessons. Dudley might not have said it out loud but he was genuinely intrigued to know what a wizarding school was like. Felicity placed her small hand over his trembling larger hand as an act of reassurance as Dudley finally opened the letter to read what was written inside.
You are probably wondering why I am writing to you, big D. It has been three years now but it is only now after a lot of encouraging from friends to try and get back in touch with you. I'm sure you've already heard about the outcome of the war- and yes, I did win. Still, many people died but because of that many people lived. I'm not going to get into all the details with you through a letter as there is far too much to explain.
I know you never hated me cousin. I hated the way you were- but I never actually hated you as a person. I know you were brainwashed into believing anything involving magic was unnatural and was odd. I can't blame you for that. I genuinely thought that you didn't like me though but what you said to me that day in the garden as you were all preparing to be moved away for months on end to a tiny village still runs through my mind to this day. I might not have said anything to you afterwards but I did give you a very small smile.
I'm only writing now though because people in my world are finally beginning to no longer talk about the war. It's because of me that the first wizarding war ended, and it's because of me that the second wizarding war ended as well. That kind of thing is unheard of in my world Dudley, much less a seventeen-year-old being in the centre of everything. I've never really had a private life as you may already know from the little conversations you may have overheard. We have only as of last week- rounded up all of Voldemort's followers and they are all now in Azkaban (that's our prison).
I'm not even sure if this letter will get to you and I only got the courage to send this out because I was begged by my best friends because they are adamant that I need closure for everything that has happened. I didn't want to waste time so I wrote to you as quickly as I could in amongst my work schedule. Basically, if you do get this letter and want to meet up again, just attach your response to this letter. I assume Archimedes (the owl) will likely be away sleeping in a tree until night comes. Wait until then and attach your reply to his leg, he will know where to go.
Sincerely,
Harry James Potter.
Dudley placed the parchment down on the table and covered his face with his large hands as he thought on what to do. Of course he wanted to get back in touch with Harry, start beginning to possibly have a normal family relationship which they have never had before. It may have been almost exactly twenty years ago that Harry was left in a basket outside the Dursley's front door but that was a long time. What was Harry doing right now? Did he have a proper job? Did he have a girlfriend? Was he engaged- married even? He might even have kids and Dudley was disgusted in himself for not keeping contact with Harry. Especially when he knew that he might never see him alive ever again three years ago.
Yes, Harry was alive but he never knew his cousin well. They were always arguing, fighting and hitting each other. They never got along and when one of them is brainwashed into believing the other is a freak, everything just escalates from there on out. Dudley might not have said anything to Felicity but she seemed to be able to read his mind at times. He knew that if he did heal his relationship with his abnormal cousin, his own parents would instantly disown him and wouldn't speak to him again. Although, now that he thought of it, only Vernon would do that. Petunia, he wasn't so sure.
Harry was the last remaining thing she had of her sister- Dudley's Aunt Lily whom he had never gotten the chance to meet. He didn't even know what she looked like, only that she shared Harry's blazing emerald eyes. He was always told that Harry looked like a miniature version of his dad- his Uncle James. What were they like? What might have happened if the tables were turned and it was Dudley who was orphaned at a year old and was left on the Potter's doorstep? He knew deep down that it would have been a lot different. He knew that both boys would have been treated completely the same and one never would have been favoured more.
It was only now that Dudley realised that his fiancé was still seated beside him, waiting on his reaction. Eventually, he nodded. He walked out into the hallway, where their printer was and removed a piece of the blinding white paper as well as a pen. He wasn't sure what to write but he eventually wrote something down and folded the paper. He had to wait until night when the owl came back. Did the owl belong to Harry? If it did, what happened to his snowy owl that was called Hedwig? Behind Harry's back, Dudley had snuck into his childhood bedroom often to just look at the beautiful animal. He never did say anything to Vernon and Petunia but he secretly really wanted a pet owl after seeing Harry come home with that giant of a man named Hagrid with the white owl in her cage. Dudley chuckled at the memory of seeing Vernon's furious face at having a wild animal being kept as a pet.
Things must really be different in Harry world, Dudley mused. They probably had spells that could do absolutely everything and he wasn't entirely sure whether that fascinated him, or terrified him. He wasn't even sure where the terror stimulated from but he did have a vague idea. Dudley has never liked the idea of change despite being rather open minded for the last few years. Was he ready to accept that nothing might ever be the same again?
Yes. He was ready for it.
It may have taken him almost twenty years to realise this, but he hated the fact that his childhood was moulded in such a way that everything was close-minded. What if his dad was never so hateful of abnormalities as the very overweight man put it? Would he and Harry have gotten along with one another? The twenty-one-year-old man shook his head a little before he thought up any more possible outcomes if something was different in the equation. What's been done has been done and that cannot be changed. The only thing that can be changed is his possible relationship with Harry.
So Dudley had taken Harry's advice and waited until the pale blue blanket with white littering it in patches had faded into a deep black with tiny white speckles dotting around. Felicity sat beside him on their grey leather couch with her head leaning gently into her fiancé's neck. He never did say it out loud, but Dudley loved it when she would do this as he could smell the strong scent of her blueberry shampoo. He was never fond of the fruit- far too sweet for his liking but Felicity loved them. Dudley's mind drifted to the very first time he had ever laid eyes on the girl that he would be marrying in only a few months' time.
//
He was bored. Very bored. It had now been almost four months since they had to go into hiding. He was always brought up in towns so it was strange for him to get a grasp on the village life. He found it strange when he would walk down the street and strangers seemed to know him even though they had never met before then. Slowly though, he was beginning to get used to this life, but he knew he could never live in such a small village for a long time. It was a rather cold afternoon seen as autumn was beginning its transition into the annual harsh winters that came with England.
He was too lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear his mother calling him downstairs for his lunch. He groaned a little because he had eaten his breakfast two hours ago and he was definitely not hungry. It worried his parents that he wasn't eating as much as he used to but Dudley didn't mind. Three weeks prior he had signed up to a gym about a mile outside the village they were staying in that he couldn't pronounce as it was a Welsh name. It was directly on the border of Wales and England so the traditional language mixed with the more common language which did really confuse Dudley at times. He just didn't see the need for such things.
He walked downstairs and into the dining room where his parents sat down- both with incredibly sour looks on their faces. He had come to know these faces the past four months. Both of Dudley's parents hated the fact that they had to leave their beloved home of nineteen years to move here. The only thing that Vernon was happy about was that he was still getting paid his usual monthly wage despite not working. He was basically being paid to sit on a couch and watch television all day. Petunia absolutely hated it though as she could no longer spy on the pesky neighbours and she knew it was downright rude to spy on people she did not know.
Dudley pulled a chair out and took two sandwiches from the large plate in the middle. He tried, unsuccessfully, to hide his disgust at the grease which almost immediately covered his fingers. How did he eat stuff like this before? It really was no wonder that the first time Dudley had weighed himself he was a staggering twenty-five stone. Far too overweight for a boy of seventeen years old. He simply wanted to be healthier. He wanted to be able to kick a ball around a park with his friends without wheezing, he wanted to be able to walk up a flight of stairs without feeling as though he had just run a marathon.
He chewed on the extremely greasy bacon and sausage sarnie- trying to ignore the oily taste. After a few minutes he had finished one of them and pushed his chair back out which caused his parents to look at him with unreadable expressions. He needed to get out of here. He needed to get out of the tense and awkward atmosphere before he slowly suffocated.
"I'm going for a walk; I'll be back in a couple of hours."
Vernon made to protest by telling him to finish his extensive lunch but Petunia placed her hand on his very large arm and silently said a few words which Dudley did not hear. He pulled on a coat as well as his boots before leaving the house. Once outside he let out a small sigh, glad to be out of such a strange atmosphere. It has always been like this but he had never really noticed until a few months ago. He was always far too engrossed in his foot-high deep fried food that sat on his plate or was too busy watching the television that lay in the corner of his current bedroom. It wasn't as large as the one he had back in their actual house, but it was large enough.
The frosty air was really getting to him though and he made a silent agreement to himself that the next shop that sold anything hot, he would get something. He was glad that he kept the £10 he was given from Vernon a few days ago so he should have enough to get something sweet as well. Not something sweet like his mother often made, because all he could taste was sugar and more sugar whenever he had a cake that she had baked. No, he much preferred a more muted taste of the crystal like substance in his food.
Eventually he came to a small cafe that lay on the outskirts of the village, the only road which had access to the tiny community a couple of streets away. He wondered why they had to be so isolated but he really wasn't going to complain. He walked over to the only open cashier and ordered a simple chocolate mocha coffee along with a toffee donut. His total wasn't that high so he had enough to last him a few more days if he didn't buy anything ridiculous that he wouldn't ever need. His eyes scanned the busy shop until they landed on a small booth in the corner that no one was sitting at- perfect.
Eventually he took the steaming mug from the barista and carefully walked over, ignoring the stares that followed him from the locals. The family of three rarely left the house except to buy food- and even that was rare. It was only the last couple of weeks that Dudley had decided to get out and about, try and get used to this new way of life and not sulk at all costs like his parents were.
He took a small sip from the steaming beverage and had to hold in his tiny moan as the delicious liquid hit his tongue. He didn't say it out loud but he knew he would come back in here again eventually. He picked up a discarded newspaper and began scanning through the local news. There was hardly any though as this village was tiny, but somehow he found it very comforting. At first he didn't realise that there was someone else now sitting across from him, but he did when he turned the page and gave a short startled yelp of fright.
Once his heartbeat had returned to normal he took in the girl who now sat across from him. Her ashy blonde hair falling in loose waves down to her elbows, a black bandana tied around her hairline to keep it out of her face. Her face. Dudley was certain he had never seen such a perfectly sculpted face in his entire life. Her milky white skin held zero blemishes apart from a tiny scar on her cheek a little below her eye, jawline and cheekbones perfectly chiselled. Her pale grey eyes looking at Dudley in amusement as she was clearly trying not to laugh at his miniature freak out to her presence.
Eventually she let out a short laugh and Dudley swears it is music to his ears. It wasn't high pitched like most other girls laughs he had heard. It was a little bit deep and she tried but failed to hold in a short snort. At this, Dudley also chuckled. Eventually she held her hand out across the booth and he clasped her small hand in his large one, holding it a little longer than normal but she did not seem to mind in the slightest.
"Felicity Jones, you're new here aren't you?"
He could only nod despite his heartbeat quickening at her strong Welsh accent. She sounded like she was singing when she spoke and he was sure he hadn't heard anything like it before in his life. He was sure he hadn't seen someone as beautiful as her before- his subconscious thought in his mind.
"Dudley Dursley. Moved here about four months ago but still trying to get used to the atmosphere."
//
That was how their first meeting had gone, and now two and a half years later she was wearing a sparkling diamond and sapphire ring on her left hand. It may have been a bit corny how they met but Dudley wouldn't change that for the world. She had offered him a tour around the village that day and it wasn't long until they were spending numerous days together in their free time. On one of these occasions he had asked her out and she had said yes. She didn't hesitate and the pair had gotten a taxi to an Indian restaurant a couple of miles outside the tiny community.
Many jokes and many laughs were exchanged between the pair and neither of them could believe how lucky they were to have met each other. Dudley knew he had found the one person he was going to spend the rest of his life with that day but it took her a bit more convincing. After their fifth official date, Dudley had first told her he loved her. He had never seen her smile so large apart from when he got down on one knee two years later.
"What are you thinking of, love?"
Dudley came out of his weird thought process and looked down into her stormy grey eyes. They were unique, just like her. He had never met a girl like her before and she was not afraid to show it. He grinned a little and gently kissed her on the forehead which caused the petite girl to blush furiously.
"Just thinking of when we first met, happiest day of my life apart from when you said yes."
His fingertips tapped her large sparkling rock which only caused her to blush even more. The pair sat in the same position for a few seconds, both of their minds wandering to that single day.
"I'm glad there weren't any seats that day in that cafe, we wouldn't have spoken then."
Dudley could only nod in agreement. Not many people ever approached him before they had to go into hiding, scared of him because of his bullying reputation. This was another reason he hadn't decided to move back to Little Whinging with his parents once they could. He wanted to start completely anew, find his real self and not who his parents wanted him to be. Vernon still grumbled about the fact that he didn't decide to work in his drilling company, but he was still silently proud of him for becoming so successful so young. However, he did not like Felicity but Dudley didn't care. He loved her and nothing was going to change that.
A faint tapping noise broke the pair from their reminiscing. Dudley stood up and walked into the kitchen once more with Felicity trailing behind. He opened the latch on the window and the same tawny owl flew in and immediately rested on the table, holding its small leg out. Even though the bird couldn't talk, he knew that it was waiting on a reply. He picked up his answer and carefully tied it to the leg in a way that wouldn't accidentally hurt the stunning creature. Felicity gently moved her finger over and the owl- Archimedes- playfully nipped her fingertips before flying into the night.
Dudley watched as the brown owl disappeared into a tiny dot, before finally disappearing from sight. This was the first step. The first step in completely forgiving and redeeming himself.