AN-First of, sorry for not loading thing much earlier, first there was school, now there is finals.  And then I just got accepted into UCLA, so I’m in a bit of a tizzy.  But I would like to thank Moey for being an awesome Beta, for Frankie Beeblebrox for cheering me on and fussing at me to get this thing on the web.  Lastly, thanks to Mom, who helps cheer me on, and dorks with me on all things Potter.  Thanks guys!

This is the sequel to “Blind Date” and “Dinner Talk”, in which Vernon and Petunia have one sleepless night wondering what to do about one another….

It just couldn’t be true, Vernon thought to himself. Really, this day and age, witches and wizards, who believed in such claptrap? Surely not his calm, sensible Petunia, she was always so reasonable, so sane. They wouldn’t let anyone like that be a teacher at a school if they thought they believed in such silly nonsense.

Toss…turn…grunt.

No, there had to be some sort of mistake. Perhaps Petunia meant her sister was just a mean person? No, she had quite clearly said that she could do things; she had ‘strange, abnormal powers’. What did she mean by that? Vernon shuddered to know.

Toss…fluff pillow…sigh.

He had been so nervous all evening, so worried she would say no. He had so wanted to marry her to, she was his ideal. Now what would he tell his mother? Sorry, Mum, but the woman of my dreams is stark, raving mad! Well…perhaps it would be an improvement over mother.

Sit up…look at clock…three AM, far too early to get up…groan.

Perhaps there was something good on the telly. Yes, perhaps one of those late night monster movies with Christopher Lee. Most channels were off the air. Ahhh, this one he flipped on had something particularly gory. Were American teenagers that idiotic back in the day? Really, they almost deserved to be eaten if they couldn’t do anything else but sit in the stupid car. He wondered how this monster was made, what turned it into a monster? It was usually radiation or something, as if nuclear was bad. Could be magic….DON’T THINK THAT, he commanded himself sternly. Still…what if it were true, he idyll wondered. What if her sister was…a witch? Now he was being silly, how could he believe it?

Maybe he should go speak to her sister. She said she was coming home from that school of hers this week. Yes, perhaps he would go speak to her. She might think he was some horrible lecher who was but to do awful things to her! But he wasn’t, just want to have a chat about her sister’s sanity. She might think he was awful for it. She might assume that he was out after her. How could he be, the child was barely 18! No, such preposterous nonsense, she would know better than that, she goes to a gifted school. Yes, that was it, not some MAGIC school.

That might be it, perhaps Petunia was jealous. He loved her and all, but Petunia was only as smart as everyone else. Perhaps she was just jealous of her sister. Well she shouldn’t be jealous. She was plenty talented in her own way. Perhaps that was the root of all of this. How silly, her calling her sister a witch. Still, it couldn’t hurt to go talk to the girl, could it?

He wondered if there were wizards, what sort of monsters they would make….STOP THAT!

It just wasn’t fair, Petunia thought to herself. Lily had everything, the looks, the magical talent, the boyfriend, and what did Petunia have? A thankless job at a school, one good friend who had gone and married and practically ignored Petunia now, and an empty shell of a relationship that was all over now. Four days had gone by and no word from Vernon. She had scarcely left the house for fear he might try to call.

Creak….toss…straighten blanket….sigh.

Lily and her infernal boyfriend were supposed to be home tomorrow. Petunia was supposed to meet her sister at Kings Cross Station, along with their parents. Why should she have to? Lily was of age now. It wasn’t as if she needed her family there. Besides, she has that blasted wand of hers, couldn’t she protect herself now? Wasn’t it bad enough she had ruined Petunia’s life, now she had to inconvenience her on top of it all.

She hated her life, she hated her sister, and she hated magic. Damn it all!

Oh dear, she had just thought of a rather bad word. Rather unladylike, Petunia, no matter how angry you are, she thought to herself severely.

Sit up…take drink of water…look at clock….three AM, much too early.

Perhaps a cup of tea would be soothing. The tea kettle went onto stove, and the window looks like an inviting place to go and have a think. She looked out, the husband from across the hall was just getting in. She made a note to ask his wife about that, perhaps there has been some family emergency. Hmm…

Life was just so empty without Vernon. He was something she could cling to in her rather humdrum existence. Yes, he was a rather simple man, but she enjoyed that, not having to worry that HE would be coming in at three in the morning from God-knows-where. He was reliable, dependable, ever so thoughtful, and very conscientious of his appearance and manner. Not like that Potter boy at all, with his unruly hair and devil-may-care attitude. What did Lily saw in him? All Petunia wanted was a man who could care for simple, no-nonsense her. Now that seemed to be slipping through her fingers as well.

The tea kettle whistled. She went to attend it.

She wondered if perhaps she spoke to Vernon, assured him that Lily would have no place in their life if he didn’t want it. She would be running off to join her strange friends anyway, as soon as she found a job at least, or married that scoundrel she brought home. She couldn’t believe the girl was even considering it. Still, she would be far away from Petunia, and from Vernon, and he would be happy, and they could live their happy, normal lives. Maybe he would be happy if she vowed to never let that magic ever touch their lives, so help her God.

Sleep was a long time coming to Petunia, but as she drifted, she promised herself that if she had to cut off all ties with her family she would. She was rather in love with Vernon Dursley.