It was the Sundays that mom and dad left the house that became a regular as Dudley grew up. They would go to church and be gone for four or five hours and Dudley would go out with his friends. He and his friends either hung out on the playground or went to the gym. Every now and then there was a Sunday that stuck out from the rest. It was the Sundays that he would see his cousin sneak upstairs instead of outside after breakfast and Dudley’s friends were busy.
Dudley could remember the first Sunday it had happened. He was 14 and got up to make a sandwich for lunch. He had stood looking at an empty bread bin thinking about the possible leftovers in the fridge. It was after he finally made food and left for the TV did he see him. Out of the corner of Dudley’s eye he could see his cousin standing in the doorway. Earlier that month the kid he would normally pick on at school didn’t show. The next day there was a bruise that took up half his face and he was silent. That day struck a chord of fear through Dudley as he remembered the days of his father’s fist against his cousin.
He never picked on the kid again. If Dudley left extra food on the counter that was gone later that day, no one would know except them.
It was two years later and it was one of those Sundays. He watched as his parents pulled out onto the street; he knew it would be one of those days because Harry went upstairs instead of out. Dudley pulled out a chess board he had hidden in the closet under the stairs. He stared at the door for a second longer feeling guilt seep in. Dudley swallowed as he quickly made his way over to the couch. He had learned chess a year ago when his dad had confiscated the board from his cousin. Dudley hid the game after catching the pieces moving by itself. He would admit that magic had scared him when he was younger, but curiosity won over the years, plus the events of last summer. He played chess until he heard a creek on the stairs signaling lunch. Dudley and Harry never spoke of the Sundays or the lunch they would eat together, so the tradition continued.
Today was different as Harry followed Dudley back to the TV room after lunch. Dudley fidgeted for a second before turning on the TV like normal. He could see the moment that his cousin caught sight of the chess board that was on the coffee table. Harry looked over at him and Dudley shrugged. Nothing was said.
It was an hour later that Harry spoke. It was the first time either of them spoke on these irregular Sundays. “I’m going to be gone for a while.” Dudley turned and saw the blank tired face of his cousin.
“Will you be back?” Dudley watched as Harry looked away for a second and there was his answer. No
Harry swallowed, “Will you accept me if I do?” Dudley could see the confidence in the green eyes that he knew so well.
“Yeah.”
Nothing else was said and later Harry would leave as Dudley’s parents pulled up.
Later that year Dudley would find himself moving from the only home he has known. He would end up saying three words to his cousin for the last time in a decade.
“See you, Harry.”