Collide
Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the stars refuse to shine
Out of the back you fall in time
We somehow find
That you and I collide.
Collide~~Howie Day
Ron stopped in his tracks as he saw his best mate and his baby sister snogging in the doorway to her bedroom. Inside he was jumping for joy; he had wanted them to get together ever since Ginny started having bad taste in men. He knew that Harry was perfect for his sister; he also knew that Harry would never hurt her. Those other guys could not be trusted.
On the exterior however, Ron had to look a bit put out, and very wary. He would not keep the charade going long. Just long enough to not look too suspicious. This could be fun.
“Potter, would you mind removing your hands and especially your lips from my little sister please,” Ron said, trying to look like he was building up a steam of anger.
Harry and Ginny both whipped their heads around to look dumbfounded at Ron.
“R…R….Ron…wait mate, I swear I can explain,” Harry stuttered, slowly pushing Ginny behind him.
Ron could no longer keep the act going and promptly dissolved in laughter and slipped to the floor. Dudley took in the entire scene and just said, “I guess he knows now.”
Ginny blushed. Harry looked at Dudley in a very confused manner. Ron could not stop laughing long enough to even hear what Dudley said until Dudley spoke up again. “Mother and Mrs. Weasley sent us to get you two, it is tea time. Best not to dawdle. They are getting along, but I don’t want to leave them alone too long.”
Harry looked at his cousin with a new bit of respect and said, “Dudley, you’re not so bad after all.”
Dudley looked at the floor and said, “I was given a second chance at life by my cousin. You might say he even saved my soul.” Dudley looked up on the last line and looked Harry straight in the eye.
Harry blushed, picked up his best friend off the floor, looked at Ginny and blushed again.
I’d better get past this blushing thing or Mrs. Weasley and Aunt Petunia are going to want to know what is going on. How the heck would I explain my way out of this one?
Dudley was trying to help Ron to calm down by explaining to Ron that hysterical laughter might frighten both of their mothers. Ron tried to catch his breath as he went down the stairs followed by Dudley. Ginny and Harry brought up the rear, hands barely touching, pinky fingers entwined.
Walking into the kitchen, the children found the two women actually getting along. To their surprise, the women were actually talking of going to get some of Petunia and Dudley’s things from Privet Drive.
“Do you think Vernon will be there Petunia? We’ll be taking a few members of the order just as a precaution. With the wards down, it’s not exactly a safe location,” Molly was exclaiming as the kids walked in.
“I would like to go Mum, to make sure you are safe,” Dudley inserted into the conversation. Harry was once again amazed at his cousin and the change in him.
“That’s sweet of you Dudders, but this is something that I really must do on my own…er…well maybe with a few adults with me,” Petunia said after Molly gave her a don’t-argue-about-this look. “I’ll get everything we need. Yes, Vernon will probably be there. He was talking about taking a week or two off of work. Probably to make sure that nothing he wanted to keep was taken from the house. He can keep the majority of it for all I care. I just want my clothes and Dudley’s things. If we are starting over in a new life, I may as well make a clean break, right?” Petunia looked at Molly for confirmation.
She glanced around the room after seeing a nod from Molly, and noticed Harry and Ginny’s hands. Her eyebrows went up for a second, and then she winked at Harry.
Wait; did she just wink at me? Harry’s brain was trying to process this as well as everything else that had happened so fat that day. He had a feeling that his brain was heading for overload.
Molly, oblivious to what Petunia was winking at, just smiled as she thought a private moment was passing between aunt and nephew. She was a bit worried about the trip to Privet Drive. What if Vernon demanded his son, or demanded that his wife was taking nothing with her. She knew what she would like to do, but that didn’t mean she COULD do it.
The talk of Privet Drive was put aside in favor of tea. Ron had to not look at Harry at all for fear that he would dissolve into laughter again. He still could not believe the look of shock on his best mate’s face when he caught the two of them together, and the look of amazement when he could not hold in his laughter anymore. Hermione was going to get such a kick out of all of this. He couldn’t wait to see her the next day. He just wished it were under happier circumstances. Ron was getting nervous about the reading of the will and how everyone was going to take it. He was especially worried about Harry and Remus. At least Harry now had Ginny to lean on, at least privately. Remus had no one.
Harry was thinking along the same lines as Ron about Remus. He remembered what the letter from Sirius said about letting Remus in and leaning on each other. Maybe he would have a chance to talk to Remus tonight or tomorrow before the reading of the will.
As if conjured by the thoughts of him, Remus stepped out of the fireplace and into the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. He felt for his wand, grabbed it, and cast a cleaning spell on himself. He then looked up and smiled at everyone. Harry, Ginny, and Ron all noticed that the smile did not reach his eyes.
“I hope I am not interrupting,” said Remus said with a grin.
“Come and Join us Remus. I must say, you are too skinny these days. Tea will do you some good,” Molly replied. She had a thing about feeding people, especially if they were any thinner than she thought they should be.
“Are you busy after lunch Remus? Petunia and I have an errand to run, and are in need of an escort,” Molly said very innocently to Remus, her brown eyes shining.
“Hmm…Escort. Where is it exactly that you ladies want to go and do we need more reinforcements?” Remus asked with a true Marauder grin.
“Privet Drive” was all Molly needed to say for Remus to lose his grin and understand the full weight of the situation.
“Is HE going to be there?”
“We suspect so, now you see the need for an escort,” Molly proclaimed with her lips pursed, getting a bit irritated.
“I have and idea of the perfect team to take along. Moody and Shackleford should do. Tonks if she is not busy. Does that sound good to you?” asked Remus before he turned to go back to the fireplace.
“That sounds like the perfect mixture of intimidation. Let me guess, Tonks is our comic relief?” Molly laughed.
“I’ll also get us cleared with the Improper use of Magic office just in case. I don’t know how well tempers are going to go,” Remus suggested very smartly. If Vernon tried anything, they didn’t need to get in trouble for protecting Petunia or themselves.
“We’ll want to leave here about 6pm Remus. Can you have everyone gathered by then?”
“I’m sure it will be no problem. Until then, Molly, Petunia,” He nodded his head in both their directions.
“Somehow I don’t think Uncle Vernon will ever be the same again,” said Harry, just loud enough for Ron, Dudley, and Ginny to hear.
The four teenagers finished their tea rather quickly and left the kitchen. As they headed to the library, Dudley asked, “They won’t hurt him too badly will they?”
“Not anymore than he deserves,” snickered Harry. “Seriously, they won’t do anything unless he starts something.”
“Oh, well then, he is in a right proper mess isn’t he? He couldn’t keep his mouth shut if his entire life depended on it. Oh well, payback for all the pain he caused you and Mum over the years,” Dudley said. Harry was having a hard time picking his jaw up off the ground from the shock in the change in Dudley.
The evening came early that night as the crew for the visit to Privet Drive met in the headquarters kitchen.
Remus had secured a portkey from Dumbledore with the explanation that the ministry need not know of the portkey’s existence. It was the quickest way in and out of Privet Drive at the moment.
“Everyone please touch the portkey, one finger will do,” Remus instructed. Everyone except Petunia had known how to use portkeys for a very long time, but he did not want Petunia to feel put out.
Everyone felt the familiar pull behind the naval as they left one kitchen and ended up in the one in Privet Drive. Petunia, of course, fell over as they landed causing a small ruckus and Vernon to come running.
“What is the meaning of this?” Vernon blustered when he saw his wife. He quieted down when he saw who was with her. He seemed to get really tense when he spotted Mad-eye Moody, remember the conversation from the train.
“The meaning of this, Vernon, is to get some of Dudley and my things. We will not take long and will let you get back to your evening as soon as we are done,” replied Petunia in a very matter of fact tone. Molly was quite proud of her.
“Well be quick about it. I want you and these freaks out of my house as soon as possible,” Vernon said, making his first mistake.
“I’d be careful if I were you Dursley. Some of the curses these days are most uncomfortable,” Moody replied to Vernon’s rudeness.
“You aren’t allowed to do that in front of non-magical people. I know that for a fact!” Vernon exclaimed, getting more nervous by the moment.
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that Dursley. You see, for you, we got special permission,” Remus interjected very calmly and with a smile on his face.
Vernon followed Petunia all over the house. He was frustrated that he could not get her alone even for a moment. She saw his frustration mounting and secretly smiled. When she had finished getting her clothes and a few things of Dudley’s together, she, Molly, and Tonks headed down the stairs to the kitchen. Petunia had accidentally fallen to the back of the group when Vernon grabbed her arm.
“I want to see my son Petunia, and you are not going anywhere until these people bring him to me,” said Vernon, turning purple with rage.
“He doesn’t want to see you Vernon. Why do you even want to see him, so you can try to brainwash him as you did me for so many years?” Petunia spit back out at Vernon.
“Brainwash? I did no such thing! I was the perfect husband to you. Now admit it to everyone right this moment!” Vernon screamed, his fingers bruising Petunia’s arm. He did not have a good enough hold on her arm, so he pulled her closer and put his arm across her neck.
Bright lights were everywhere as the curses came flying. Petunia was not worried about the witches and wizards hurting her, she was just very angry that the lout could not even keep his temper for 30 minutes.
When Vernon was laying on the floor, almost unconscious and in full body binds, Petunia reached down and slapped him.
“That was for my sister and the pain you made me cause her at the end of her short life,” She slapped him again. “That was for Harry, and the way you and your bullying made me treat him.
She backed up a step and kicked her foot directly into his groin, “And that is for hitting me and thinking you could ever keep a hold of me again. Goodbye Vernon. Never try to contact me again.”
All of the other men in the room were cringing and crouching to cover their private parts.
Petunia turned back to her escort, and let out the first full laugh that she had experienced in years. “Are we ready to go now?” she asked. Everyone nodded and reached for the portkey.
“Really dear, did you HAVE to kick him THERE?” Molly asked Petunia as they were reaching for the portkey.
“As a matter of fact, yes,” Petunia said with a giggle. “Yes I did.”
A/N Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing! I don't demand them for more chapters. But I do enjoy reading and responding to them! Thanks again guys!