Chapter 7: Young Love
For Petunia, school had always been quite important, as she had always realized she would need good grades to get somewhere in life. Neither looks nor charisma nor connections would be helping her in the least. Therefore, she had always viewed her fifth year with worsening anxiety due to exams. Fifth year for her had never meant anything but O.W.L.s and therefore lots of work. Now, however, in her fifth year, she felt happier and more at ease than ever before.
She felt so happy, not because of her upcoming exams, or course, but because of James. At the end of her fourth year, Petunia had found friends, the first real friends she had ever had, and thought that it could not get any better than that. How wrong she had been.
Petunia now had a real boyfriend. Of course she had always loved James, from the time she first set eyes on him, but now he was returning her love with vigor. Of course, from time to time, Petunia wondered what he saw in a homely, incredulous girl like her. But those thoughts were swept from her mind whenever James reached out to hold her hand under the table.
And, best of all, although Petunia and James still usually hung out with Sirius, Remus, and Peter, the two did find time to be alone.
Whenever they met in the corridors they held hands, enjoying the whispering and pointing. Most students knew James; the Marauders were very popular, and though most girls favored Sirius, James had his own group of admirers. They were all extremely upset about this strange, gangly, little-known girl who had stolen "their" man.
Another thing was very different, too. Now, when Lily walked around the school there was no James following her, asking her to go out, and being annoying. Lily seemed extremely glad, as did a number of boys who had mad crushes on the pretty girl. In fact, Petunia wondered if Lily didn’t miss the protection James had given her. After all, she had had to put up with James, but, because of this, was bothered by no one else.
Really though, Petunia, couldn't have cared less about Lily. She was just overjoyed that the one she loved cared for her, too.
Sirius and Peter had been very surprised at first, when they heard that Petunia and James were going out. Remus had, apparently, seen it coming and was very supportive, as was Sirius once he got used to the idea. Peter seemed to feel slightly betrayed, perhaps because the only thing he really had in life was his friends. Though a part of her begrudged Peter this lack of enthusiasm, Petunia could understand it. He wanted the Marauders to himself, just as she hated to share anything with Lily, because she knew Lily would outshine her. Still, knowing that anyone thought she, Petunia could outshine someone else (even if it was only Peter) was a bit flattering.
This lack of enthusiasm was only one of Peter's peculiarities, though. Petunia, who believed herself to be a very astute judge of character, had found Peter to be a bit strange from the beginning, and these feelings had only intensified since, no matter what sympathy she felt for him.
But she spent as little time musing about Peter as about Lily, especially since by Christmas break she had so much homework that she barely had time to eat and sleep.
The time not spent with homework and studying for the pre-O.W.L. tests, Petunia spent with her new friends, or alone with James.
Her relationship with James remained very innocent, never going beyond holding hands and a bit of snogging in a secluded broom closet, but Petunia found it to be enough. She never even stopped to wonder if James felt the same. Or if he, perhaps, was the reason their relationship didn't progress. She loved him enough, she told herself, to rule both of those ideas out entirely.
And that was certainly how it seemed. Hogsmeade weekends were spent together, and the two enjoyed moonlit walks by the lake, after escaping the school under James' invisibility cloak.
All in all the relationship was a blossoming teenage romance, Petunia thought to herself, as, on Christmas Eve, the two teens were sitting on the bank of the lake. Side-by-side, holding hands, staring into each other's eyes, the two were the perfect image of young lovers.
"James?" Petunia tore her eyes off of her boyfriend to stare off over the lake, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Mmmh?" he mumbled into Petunia's hair. She moved away a bit.
"Do you really love me? I mean really." She looked at him.
James was quiet for a second, then: "I reckon I do."
Petunia scooted back closer to James, snuggling up to him as he laid his arm around her bony shoulders.
"You know, I think I love you, too."
If that wasn’t the understatement of the year. But she had been brought up well and didn't want to sound too clingy.
"Good."
"James?"
"Yeah?"
"What is love?"
"What do you mean? Love is a feeling, a deep feeling. You can love someone. Many people. Parents, siblings, lovers... Why?" James said, sounding a bit nervous, and chuckling weakly to hide said nervousness.
"It's not funny. You know I don't mean love in families. I mean... Well, before I came here, I went to a Muggle school, 'cause my parents didn't know I was a witch. We had science classes - biology."
James looked puzzled, so Petunia added: "Oh, right, you never went to Muggle school. Well, you learn about animals and plants and stuff. It's basically the study of the living. You know?"
James nodded, still looking slightly confused, and Petunia continued.
"Animals just mate to have babies. People don't. We have this "love". Why should people have love? Why don't... Hippogriffs get married? Why don't fire salamanders only mate with one lover?"
Blushing slightly, James giggled. At Petunia's glare, he tried to turn it into a cough, failing dismally. Petunia broke down and laughed at his attempts. James laughed with her and they sat there laughing for a while. Then Petunia regained her composure and began talking once more.
"But seriously, is love just made up? Is it real?"
"YES! Don't say stuff like that. Love is real, and it's important!" James said indignantly, "You just said yourself that you loved me!"
"Okay, okay. I was just, you know, wondering. Thinking about life." Petunia hugged James, and so they stayed for a while. Just holding each other, and thinking.
"But you do love me, right?" James finally asked, his voice sounding almost strained.
"As I said, I guess I do. Yeah. Think so."
"And you would love me, whatever I did?"
Petunia eyed him sceptically. Was this a test? Timidly, she nodded.
"I... I suppose I would, James. Why?"
"Just... just wondering," he responded, then added, rather too enthusiastically, "Great, 'Tunia!"
Deciding to ignore any odd feelings this conversation had given her, Petunia joked: "You're so uncertain!"
"Uncertain? The great Marauder, Prongs? Never!"
"Oh, James. You are so cute. That's what I like most about you,” she cooed, only half kidding.
"Love," James corrected, sounding oddly serious, "that's what you love about me."
"Whatever."
"Hey, what time is it?" James asked suddenly.
"1:30, why?" Petunia answered, glancing at her wristwatch.
"Happy Christmas!" James picked Petunia up and swung her around a few times, Petunia yelping in surprise and excitement.
"I forgot it was Christmas."
"I bet the others did, too. Let's go wake everyone with some fireworks!"
Petunia shook her head in mock disapproval, and then followed the running figure of James up to the castle.
He was waiting for her in the doorway, holding the invisibility cloak.
"I love you," he mouthed.