When Lily awoke, a howler was informing Harry that he was being expelled from Hogwarts. Slightly dazed, she sat up from the couch groggily and looked around the room. Petunia and Vernon were staring at Harry like he had grown an extra head. Harry was staring in shock at the floor where the ripped pieces of the letter now lay, and Dudley was sitting on a couch nearby, staring out into space.
The couch Lily lay on creaked as she sat up, alerting others of her consciousness.
"Lil!" Harry exclaimed, rushing to her side, "You okay?"
Lily shivered a bit as the memory of what happened replayed in her mind. The concern of Harry's face grew.
"Do you have chocolate?" Harry asked, turning to his uncle.
Vernon frowned at Harry.
"Ch- why?!" He demanded.
"Lily and Dudley need it." Harry explained irritably, "It helps."
Reluctantly, Vernon went and grabbed chocolate bars from the kitchen. Meanwhile Harry turned back to Lily.
"You're not hurt, right?" He worried, "Do you need anything?"
She shook her head. Vernon returned and Harry handed a chocolate bar to Lily. She ate it and felt the slightest bit better. Just as she was moving to swing her legs off the side of the couch, another letter came flying into the living room, this time from Arthur Weasley. She jumped at its sudden arrival.
"Harry, don't worry about the Ministry, they haven't expelled you just yet. There's going to be a trial. I'll come to pick you and Lily up tomorrow morning. Just don't use anymore magic!" The letter spoke before ripping itself up and falling to the carpet.
"What now?" Vernon demanded.
"There's still a chance I can go back to Hogwarts." Harry said.
Vernon rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything back, which Lily was grateful for. She really didn't want her uncle to give Harry a harder time than usual.
"Why don't we all get ready for bed?" Petunia shakily suggested.
"But it's only-" Vernon began to protest.
"Early night." Petunia said, more firmly this time, sending her husband a look.
Petunia left the room, avoiding eye contact with her niece and nephew. Dudley looked up from where he had finished his chocolate bar.
"Go on then, upstairs." Vernon said, waving his hands at the teens.
The three made their way up the stairs and got ready for bed without saying a word. It wasn't until Harry and Lily were about to turn off the lights in their room that Dudley walked by and paused in the doorway. It was Harry's turn to sleep on the bed, and he happened to be the one standing by the light switch. When Dudley just stood there in the doorway, staring at the twins, Harry spoke up.
"Dudley." He acknowledged.
Dudley jumped a bit, as if spooked.
"You." He said, looking at Harry this time, "You saved me. Not just Lily."
"Yeah..." Harry confirmed.
"Why?" Dudley asked.
"Why wouldn't I?" Harry asked.
"Oh." Dudley said in a quiet voice before turning and walking back to his own bedroom without another word.
Harry looked back at Lily as if wondering if she just witnessed the same strange phenomenon he did. She merely shrugged, so he flicked off the light switch anyways.
The next morning, Lily was eating her breakfast of waffles outside in the backyard when Dudley came out and stood over her.
"Hi." She greeted.
"Does Harry hate me?" Dudley asked bluntly, not bothering to sit down.
"Well, you'd have to ask him yourself, but no, I don't think he hates you at all." Lily said.
"He saved me." Dudley said.
"He's Harry." Lily explained, "He saves everyone, it's kinda his thing. Plus, you're our cousin."
"But we don't get along." Dudley said unsurely.
"It doesn't matter." Lily said, "Harry's a really good person. He saved you because it was the right thing to do."
Dudley stood there dumbfounded for a moment while Lily finished her waffles. She stood up and looked at her cousin.
"You don't have to be what you were. It's not to late for you to try and do the right thing." She said before going back inside the house and cleaning off her plate.
Just as she finished drying her hands, there was a noise from the fireplace in the living room and Arthur stepped out of the chimney.
"Lily!" He greeted enthusiastically.
"Hello Mr. Weasley." Lily smiled, I'll go get Harry, we already packed up our trunks."
Vernon grumbled in the hallway as Lily walked past, not pleased with the magic nor the man in his living room. Lily hurried past him and up the stairs and opened the door to her and Harry's bedroom.
"Mr Weasley is here." Lily said.
"Finally!" Harry exclaimed, hopping up and grabbing his trunk with glee, "You need any help with your trunk?"
"I've got it, you worry about Hedwig." Lily dismissed.
Harry nodded and took Hedwig's cage off the top of the dresser. The snowy owl would always have an affinity for Harry, but she also had warmed up to Lily quick enough to make Harry slightly jealous for a few weeks in the beginning.
When the Potter twins made their way back into the living room, Dudley was standing inside by the door to the backyard, looking extremely awkward and very scared as Arthur questioned him on the function of planes.
"Muggles are just ingenious, aren't they?" Arthur asked the twins as they entered the room, "Planes! Wow! Well, have you two got all your stuff?"
"Yep!" Harry said.
"Then let's be off!" Arthur beamed, "It was good to see you again, Dudley."
Dudley didn't reply, but watched Arthur head back towards the chimney with wide eyes.
"Bye Dudley." Lily said.
"Yeah, bye." Harry said, to be polite, not expecting a response back.
"...bye." Dudley said quietly.
Harry looked confused that his cousin had spoken up, but Lily just smiled.
"See you next summer!" She said, before taking Floo powder from Arthur and disappearing into the flames.