time to leave
Dudley Dursley was taught since he could remember to hate his cousin. He was taught that she was freakish and normal kids like him shouldn’t play with her instead he was to torment her. He remembered the day she returned from her freakish school and while dumb he was, even he could notice that there was something different with her, and that difference kept growing each summer she returned.
Dudley tried to remember when she stopped looking at his father with fear or polite indifference and instead started looking at the entire family with a sense of apathy and disgust. Her expressions changed over the years. And perhaps, that was why he was so shocked upon finding out that she wanted to offer them protection.
He remembered that morning clear as the sky, for the first time she was dressed differently, not in his mother’s clothes anymore but instead, she wore very expensive-looking black robes with wide sleeves outlined with golden designs held together by a pin of some constellation over a maroon dress that reached her knees and black boots. Her hair was done in an old-fashioned half up half down hairdo, held together with what looked like pearls but surely not? She had light makeup on and light jewelry. What caught Dudley’s attention however was the silver ring that looked like a snake with tiny rubies for eyes on her left ring finger.
Apparently despite everything else that she was wearing, at which Vernon Dursley was staring greedily at, it was the ring that had caught Petunia’s attention as well.
“Are you engaged? Aren’t you too young to be engaged? Besides, what sort of a ring is that?", Petunia sniffed in displeasure.
Adelheide elegantly raised an eyebrow at her aunt, “Yes, I am, why does it matter to you? And it's personal”.
“Who would want to marry you?", Vernon decided to speak up.
“A lot of people actually”, Came a silky voice from behind Adelheide causing her to spin around in shock just as Petunia gave a dramatic gasp and Dudley stood still with fear while Vernon tumbled and fell on the sofa.
Adelheide rushed towards the intruder who was dressed just as royal. “Draconis! What are you doing here? Did it cross your mind what would happen to you if he or one of them found out?”
“This might be the last time I see you in a while, I came with information.”
“Information?”
“Well… greet me properly and then if I feel like it I will tell”, the boy smiled teasingly at the girl who lived.
Apparently used to his antics, the black-haired girl wrapped her arms around him just as he did the same with her, holding her with care and kissing the top of her head. “I missed you too, my princess.”
Dudley had matured since the attack two years ago and recognized a lot of signs now that he might hav once missed or not bothered to see. As the newcomer hugged his cousin, Dudley noticed his appearance. He recognized him from one of the moving photos he found in Adelheide’s room when he was guiltily snooping. He had platinum blond hair that was free and styled unlike the gelled back hair in the picture, his blue had dark circles now and he looked paler than healthy but still held himself with a sense of dignity that commanded respect but there was nothing but love in the way he held Potter. Dudley wondered if this was the guy she was engaged to and apparently his mother wondered the same, “are you two engaged?”
The blond- Draconis? That’s what Adelheide called him- face turned into one of disgust as he held the girl tighter and glared at his mother as if wondering how dare she speak to him, “no.”
“Just like the girl to walk into another man’s arms while she had someone else for a fiance”, Vernon muttered.
“She’s my ex-girlfriend and her fiancé is…a close relative of mine. He won’t mind her being close to me or one of us, so you are no one to speak of it either, muggle”, the blond dismissed Vernon, causing him to turn purple in anger.
However, thankfully before Vernon could yell, Adelheide changed the topic, still in the boy’s arms. “Information Malfoy, you shouldn't risk being here for too long.”
Malfoy sighed, “They know the Order plans to shift you today, are Theo, Reg, and you…”
“Reg won’t be there obviously, the Order wants me to go and stay for the wedding at The Burrow, but after Bill’s marriage, the three of us will rendezvous and start the mission”.
“Just take care”.
Adelheide laughed, “I should be asking that of you, my dragon. You have the enemy in your house”.
“I am a part of the enemy, don’t forget that”, Draconis teased.
“Exactly why you should leave now”, Adelheide reminded. “I will be leaving tonight and in a few, Hestia will transfer them to the safe house offered by Susie, by the way, she is going to Hogwarts too.”
“Well, I'll at least have one of us…”
Just as such they heard a pop outside and the two teenagers exchanged words with their eyes before Adelheide took his hand in her own and gently kissed in the front his arm before nodding at him and with another pop the blond was gone.
“Well… c'mon, you need to get moving and no Vernon, this is the best you get, Hestia will explain everything to you”, Adelheide cut off Vernon before he could even speak and led the Dursleys outside.
A woman in her thirties and an older man dressed weirdly to Dudley anyway stood outside their house.
Dudley watched from the sidelines as both gave his cousin a slight bow/courtesy which she returned with a nod, and they started discussing something Dudley did not understand” ... muggles… you know who… understand…we hope…Susan…Take care…We believe in you…”
And just like that the man- Daedalus Diggle and the woman- Hestia Jones got in the car along with Dursleys and drove away to who knows whereas Dudley sat in the back seat along with his mother and Hestia while his father drove with Daedalus in the front seat, wondering if he will ever know his cousin after giving her the best apology he could muster.
Dudley swore would spend the time off learning all he can about his cousin as he thought with regret for not having done so earlier but better late than never, right?