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in
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FIC: Tea and History (Dudley, Gen)
Title: Tea and History
Author: shiiki
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Dudley Dursley, Petunia Dursley, Gen
Fandom: Harry Potter
Word Count: 688
Summary: Dudley learns what his mother never told him before. Set during DH.
Notes: Written for st_dl's request for Dudley hiding during the war with the prompt, 'tea'. Happy birthday, dear!
The 'safe house' was surprisingly normal. Dudley wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but it wasn't a place that could have fit right into Privet Drive if not for the spacious, slightly weedy lawns and the strange salty smell in the air.
Dad snorted at the expanse of field surrounding the house and grumbled about the lack of civilisation but Dudley found he rather liked the idea of having all the space to themselves. The witch and wizard who had brought them here -- such a horrible experience, that was, like having every member of the Smeltings boxing team sit on him at once -- had explained that the house's location and their presence here was protected by something called a Fidolus -- Fidelis? -- Charm. The Dursleys were free to wander about the area, but were advised not to roam too far.
Inside, the house was as normal-looking as the outside. There were all the expected rooms -- kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms -- and there was even a television and computer, which the talkative wizard -- Diggle -- explained had been specially installed for their convenience.
'We aren't sure if they work, of course, magic tends to make Muggle appliances go haywire. Arthur Weasley's the expert, really, and he said these -- ah, veetees and compugers are things you'd probably want.'
This made Dudley wonder if the house only appeared normal because the 'Order' Diggle talked about constantly had made it so.
Even though he was starting to come to terms with the fact that there was good magic (it was still hard to get his head around that idea), it made him quite wary of everything. The first night, he hadn't been able to erase the fear that the sheets might strangle him or something. He ended up wandering downstairs to the kitchen, where he found his mother scrubbing at the counter.
'Diddy?' Mum looked up when he came in. 'Is something wrong?'
He shook his head. 'Couldn't sleep,' he muttered. 'Is there any food?'
Mum frowned. 'That -- lady said she'd bring something in the morning. There seem to be tea leaves in the cupboards, though. Shall I make us some tea, darling?'
Dudley shrugged and pulled a chair at the table. He rested his chin on his hands and watched her bustle around with the kettle.
'Mum?' he asked after a while.
'What is it, darling?'
'Who's Lily?'
There was a clink as Mum fumbled with the china. She managed not to drop the teacups, but her hands were shaking when she set them down on the table.
'Wh-why do you ask?' she said faintly.
'You said she was supposed to be protected like us, when Hestia was explaining things.'
Mum stared at the empty teacups. She was quiet for a such a long time that Dudley thought she wasn't going to answer. He was to shrug it off when she replied, 'Lily's -- she was my sister.'
Dudley considered this. 'Was she -- Harry's mum?'
'Yes.'
'Was she like -- like he is? M-' he forced the word out '-magic and all?'
'Yes.'
'And she died.'
Mum nodded.
Dudley frowned. 'Why didn't you tell me before?'
'Oh, Diddy, I never wanted things to be this way. She wasn't supposed to die. Harry wasn't supposed to be stuck with us. I didn't want anything to do with that world but it wouldn't let me go.' Mum looked as though she was going to cry. 'I didn't want you to grow up like I did, with a magical child in the family. I didn't want you to be dragged into it as well.'
'I reckon ... I reckon I'd've liked to've known anyway.'
'I'm sorry.' Her mouth wobbled. She turned away and picked up the kettle; she seemed to be concentrating very hard on pouring the tea. Dudley took his cup and sipped at it.
'Is the guy who killed her after Harry now?' he asked in a moment.
'Her people seem to think so.'
The tea seemed to twist as it went down his throat. 'Is he going to die?'
There was a long silence.
'I don't know,' Mum said at last. 'I don't know.'
Author: shiiki
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Dudley Dursley, Petunia Dursley, Gen
Fandom: Harry Potter
Word Count: 688
Summary: Dudley learns what his mother never told him before. Set during DH.
Notes: Written for st_dl's request for Dudley hiding during the war with the prompt, 'tea'. Happy birthday, dear!
The 'safe house' was surprisingly normal. Dudley wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but it wasn't a place that could have fit right into Privet Drive if not for the spacious, slightly weedy lawns and the strange salty smell in the air.
Dad snorted at the expanse of field surrounding the house and grumbled about the lack of civilisation but Dudley found he rather liked the idea of having all the space to themselves. The witch and wizard who had brought them here -- such a horrible experience, that was, like having every member of the Smeltings boxing team sit on him at once -- had explained that the house's location and their presence here was protected by something called a Fidolus -- Fidelis? -- Charm. The Dursleys were free to wander about the area, but were advised not to roam too far.
Inside, the house was as normal-looking as the outside. There were all the expected rooms -- kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms -- and there was even a television and computer, which the talkative wizard -- Diggle -- explained had been specially installed for their convenience.
'We aren't sure if they work, of course, magic tends to make Muggle appliances go haywire. Arthur Weasley's the expert, really, and he said these -- ah, veetees and compugers are things you'd probably want.'
This made Dudley wonder if the house only appeared normal because the 'Order' Diggle talked about constantly had made it so.
Even though he was starting to come to terms with the fact that there was good magic (it was still hard to get his head around that idea), it made him quite wary of everything. The first night, he hadn't been able to erase the fear that the sheets might strangle him or something. He ended up wandering downstairs to the kitchen, where he found his mother scrubbing at the counter.
'Diddy?' Mum looked up when he came in. 'Is something wrong?'
He shook his head. 'Couldn't sleep,' he muttered. 'Is there any food?'
Mum frowned. 'That -- lady said she'd bring something in the morning. There seem to be tea leaves in the cupboards, though. Shall I make us some tea, darling?'
Dudley shrugged and pulled a chair at the table. He rested his chin on his hands and watched her bustle around with the kettle.
'Mum?' he asked after a while.
'What is it, darling?'
'Who's Lily?'
There was a clink as Mum fumbled with the china. She managed not to drop the teacups, but her hands were shaking when she set them down on the table.
'Wh-why do you ask?' she said faintly.
'You said she was supposed to be protected like us, when Hestia was explaining things.'
Mum stared at the empty teacups. She was quiet for a such a long time that Dudley thought she wasn't going to answer. He was to shrug it off when she replied, 'Lily's -- she was my sister.'
Dudley considered this. 'Was she -- Harry's mum?'
'Yes.'
'Was she like -- like he is? M-' he forced the word out '-magic and all?'
'Yes.'
'And she died.'
Mum nodded.
Dudley frowned. 'Why didn't you tell me before?'
'Oh, Diddy, I never wanted things to be this way. She wasn't supposed to die. Harry wasn't supposed to be stuck with us. I didn't want anything to do with that world but it wouldn't let me go.' Mum looked as though she was going to cry. 'I didn't want you to grow up like I did, with a magical child in the family. I didn't want you to be dragged into it as well.'
'I reckon ... I reckon I'd've liked to've known anyway.'
'I'm sorry.' Her mouth wobbled. She turned away and picked up the kettle; she seemed to be concentrating very hard on pouring the tea. Dudley took his cup and sipped at it.
'Is the guy who killed her after Harry now?' he asked in a moment.
'Her people seem to think so.'
The tea seemed to twist as it went down his throat. 'Is he going to die?'
There was a long silence.
'I don't know,' Mum said at last. 'I don't know.'