Therapy - starting to turn

Petunia had gone into the house; the worry of the letter that was to be sent had dissipated slightly with the shopping she had stopped off and done on her way home. She'd bought the boys pizza, a treat she rarely gave them these days. Her worry about Dudley's weight and ever increasing appetite had got the better of her over the last couple of months. She had cajoled both of the boys onto a new diet, Harry was actually eating three good meals a day and the difference in him had been as effective as that in Dudley. Both boys were getting more active, Harry using Dudley's old bike and the other boy had been riding the one his aunt had brought him when Vernon died.

She had let herself in, relaxing more to hear laughter and took the box of chocolates from the shopping bag as a small token for Mrs Figg. She really had been a god-send since…. "I know, but I am told it's true…." more laughter. A voice, she didn't recognise, was coming from her kitchen. Hurriedly she headed in that direction and pushed the door open to see Mrs Figg, both boys and the back of a head. Looking to what they were doing she had been shocked to see the Dud's sniggering at pictures, Harry had a sad look but smiled at whatever Dud's finger was pointing at. She coughed, startling the woman whose back was to her and Mrs Figg who had jumped up and taken the shopping from Petunia and without question or comment started to put it away.

Petunia looked from her to the boys who quietly got up from the table, Dudley offering to show Harry his new reading book and Harry had actually followed him, his head slightly down as he passed his aunt. The woman stood and turned to Petunia, her hand out. "I am sorry to just turn up like this and to talk to the boys, show them the pictures, tell them stories….Sorry I am rambling on aren't I….." Petunia smiled at the sheepish look on the woman in front of her. Her eyes drifted to the pictures on the table and widened. Picking one up she touched the smiling faces that looked up to her, feeling her eyes slightly water she put it back down.

"I don't believe we know each other which is quite strange when you have a photo of me and Lily as children…." The woman, still looking rather embarrassed picked the picture back up "This is one of my favourites, so natural. I recall that it was a picnic at the start of the summer holidays." Petunia nodded, a picture forming in her mind as thoughts from that day flooded back. "We, it was a family tradition. The first day of the holidays we always went out, the four of us, had a picnic, played about, and usually swam…..This was the last time we….."

Mrs Figg had finished putting the shopping away and watched her neighbour, fast being a friend carefully. She had been concerned when she realised that Petunia didn't know the woman, so she had decided to stay she had listened carefully to Petunia and the story she had started, wondering what else was missing from it. That day seemed to be quite a prominent one if old Bella was right. Quickly she filled the kettle and took the teapot from the table, rinsing it and putting fresh teabags in allowing Petunia to compose herself. She had sat down in the chair Dudley had been in, next to the lady and looked at her. "Please allow me to introduce myself, I am sorry for the way this is, well, anyway I am sure you will have lots of questions and I will answer them….here I go rambling on again…." She had laughed lightly with the woman as had Petunia. It had taken her nearly five minutes to get the woman to come in with all the talk, stop and talk that happened when she had knocked.

Petunia nodded and thanked Mrs Figg who had opened the box of chocolates and put them on the table. "Oh, they were for you – thanks for your help watching the boys and an apology for being later today than I had planned…." Bella had thanked Petunia and offered them around "They are my weakness – chocolates!" she had said as she thanked Petunia again and left to offer the boys "just the one I don't want to spoil them before dinner now…." Petunia nodded absently and poured herself a cup of tea, offering her guest who had thanked her and added sugar to her own cup. "I am sorry if I don't remember you but…."

"Oh, you wouldn't my dear." The lady had smiled back at her. "We haven't met before Petunia." Petunia looked up at the lady and realised she wasn't as young as she had looked at a first glance, maybe late fifties rather than in her forties as Petunia had first suspected. The lady was fiddling with her wedding ring and as the women looked to each other she felt a warm hand on her arm "I probably shouldn't have just turned up like this, but, well I felt I had to once I read the letter."

The boys had been reluctantly sent to bed, "you can both read for twenty minutes" had been the consolation for the slightly early time. They did have school she had thought to herself, wondering what she would do in a couple of weeks when the holidays arrived. Heading back to the kitchen she was ready to tidy up only to find her neighbour and guest were already washing and drying and that the table was clear. Dinner had been quite a success, pizza ordered in to feed them all, the boys had been allowed ice-cream as well as a second chocolate each and they had all sat around talking; the pictures were back out and Petunia had added to all that they had been told before. Harry had seemed much happier going to bed, caressing the picture of his mother at ten years old he had been given.

Petunia headed to the kettle and thought twice about more tea – they had had quite a few before dinner. Heading to the utility room she took a chilled bottle of wine from the spare fridge and getting glasses from the cupboard asked the ladies if they wanted to join her in the living room. Both looked at Petunia and the bottle of wine before nodding and Bella took the glasses and the remaining chocolates following the others. Sitting down, Mary had thanked Petunia for the glass and commented that she could only have the one as she had to drive home. They talked about inconsequential things, how the weather had been, the house, the soaps, and the bottle of wine for about an hour before Mary said she should be off.

Petunia had been slightly disappointed, she had hoped to learn more and get to know the woman better. "If it's okay with you I would love to come back before…." "Yes I would like that, maybe you could leave the pictures and I can get some copies done?" Mary happily accepted the invite for Sunday lunch, promising to hunt out more pictures and stories. The woman embraced slightly at the door and Mary left a smile on her face as Petunia closed the door also pleased with the way it had turned out.

Arabella had waited quietly in the comfy chair she had taken allowing the women to sit together on the settee, she had observed well; the awkwardness that had followed the explanation, the discomfort with talk from the past and the present and then the ease that had begun to settle between the two women. She had slowly sipped at her wine with the intention of hanging back, she had wanted to give Petunia the chance to talk, if she had wanted and had been pleasantly surprised when she had been offered a 'top-up' and comments of 'there's no rush to get off is there' had followed.

The two had talked a great deal, about an ever great deal more. Petunia had opened up somewhat and Bella was sure that it was the therapy that had put her at ease. She had been horrified when she had heard how Harry had been treated and that Petunia had allowed it – she had sensed the guilt and disgust practically pour from the woman and had moved closer. Without hesitation she had pulled the woman close and the tears had come quickly. Offering soothing words; "You are sorry, making up for it, he'll be fine, you will all be fine" she had found herself saying over and over as Petunia's tears subsided and sniffles stopped.

They had talked some more – the shock that Mary, her new 'step-mother' had arrived within minutes of receiving the letter. How she had grabbed the box of photos, her car keys and rushed to Surrey. Petunia had wondered out loud about the speed of the letter to which Bella had been informative. "It was probably sent by owl and would have found the addressee very quickly" Petunia had nodded, gently slapping her forehead "Of course, Lily was always getting owls in the holidays…..I stopped for a tea after leaving Daemon and then went to the supermarket. Thinking about the letter being sent, talking to the boys about it and how I was feeling, I really dawdled didn't I!" Bella had smiled "Look how it's turning out though….the boys seem fine, although you should probably talk to them in more detail tomorrow and Mary is lovely!"

"Yes she does seem nice…..and you are right, as usual I will talk to the boys after school tomorrow" both women smiled. "Why don't you let them have the day off – it's a Friday, take them somewhere, do something and tell them, all that you can….well for now" Petunia had nodded musing the thought over in her head - maybe we could take a picnic, the weathers been good. Fighting a yawn she looked to her companion and saw her yawn as well… "Wine always makes me feel tired; I like it, but…." They had both laughed and got up and leaving the washing up for the morning Petunia had let Bella out and headed to bed.

The following morning the boys were surprised to see their aunt dressed in shorts and t-shirt when she awoke them, she looked refreshed and 'younger'. They were told to come for breakfast before washing which they did, more shocked to learn they were getting the day off to go out. She had called the school, a slight lie that the boys had appointments she'd forgotten about, called Daemon's office and spoke to Sierena who confirmed she had appointments for both boys the following day and that she would pass on the news about them knowing some family history.

Petunia had thanked the women and arranged a 'shopping date' finally giving in to the request from Sierena and smiling headed back to the kitchen. She told the boys they would need swimwear and that it was due to be a nice day indicating shorts and t-shirts for them as well. Dudley had 'whooped' and rushed to dress but Harry had looked slightly concerned at this before she realised he had never been swimming.

Guilt hit her as she remembered Vernon saying they didn't have to waste money on him with swimming lessons with the school or otherwise. He didn't have anything to wear either, gently she told him she would buy him some trunks and help Dudley teach him to swim. Dudley who was back, dressed already had nodded "It's easy Harry…." was all he heard as he was gently pushed towards the stairs. He washed and dressed in the shorts he had been bought when the weather had changed and grabbed a t-shirt heading back downstairs to hear his aunt and cousin happily planning the day.

He stood and watched from the doorway unsure of how he should feel. Things had certainly been different in the last few months, first his aunt and now his cousin were being nice, more than nice. He had new clothes, he got proper meals - three times a day and his own room. On top of all that he was being taken out; swimming, after getting new trunks and they had both promised to teach him to swim. As young as he was even he figured that maybe, just maybe his life was starting to turn around, for the better. Smiling he entered the room and for the first time in his life he initiated a conversation with Dudley as his aunt watched on from the corner of her eye happily.