Can't Have It Both Ways

Chapter 14

Petunia looked at her bedside clock and couldn't believe the time displayed there. She never slept past first light but the way things had been going lately it was hardly surprising she didn't wake.

After suffering the indignity of having a pest control van parked in their driveway for five consecutive days, clearing out an infestation that just kept returning time and time again. They then had to suffer the humiliating pictures in the local press, featuring the boy and his friends distributing toys at that orphanage. The story that the boy was of disreputable character just didn't hold water any longer.

Petunia was now afraid to show her face anywhere in the street, due to the number of nosey neighbours who wanted to ask her questions she couldn't really answer. She also had to suffer Vernon's constant bitching that they didn't know the boy had money for all those years he was in their care.

A few of the schemes he had thought up for getting his hands on all of the boy's wealth were beginning to scare her. That he could even consider some of those things left her wondering who Vernon Dursley really was.

Something was tugging at the edge of her consciousness and Petunia realised what was bothering her, if that clock was correct there should be daylight inside the bedroom. Half in hope that this was something that could deflect attention away from the Dursleys, but more in terror that this was next on the list of catastrophes to befall her family, Petunia opened the bedroom curtains.

What she saw was nothing, or should that be there was nothing to see, the entire window was black. With shaking hands she opened the window to find a few neighbours already outside staring at their house, she also noticed that their entire front garden was black. Driveway, path, even the grass and shrubs were all jet black.

Petunia walked down the stairs, hoping she was still dreaming rather than being awake and in this nightmare. Through the kitchen and out the black French doors to find a patio, furniture, fence and all greenery had been changed to black. On turning around she could see that every inch of the house was the same, even the windows.

Her once lovely house now looked like a giant lump of coal, it was almost as dark inside as the cupboard under the stairs since all the glass was coloured black as well.

She was standing in her back garden, wearing only her nightgown, with her mouth hanging wide open in shock. A neighbour's voice came from the other side of the fence and confirmed she was awake. "Interesting colour scheme you have there Petunia, though I hate to think what the residents association will make of it."

Petunia Dursley ran back into number four Privet Drive screaming.

-oOoOo-

Gabrielle ran into Harry's dwelling like a mini-whirlwind, whizzing up to everyone for a quick two-kiss greeting, trying to catch up on events using no more than a sentence before whizzing on to the next person. She took longer with Colin though, "Oh I can't thank you enough for the beautiful photographs of our holiday you sent. Mama nearly had a fit at the one of me and Fleur underwater. She couldn't understand why we were smiling and is much happier now about tomorrow, for that alone I thank you."

Apolline was standing being greeted by her hosts while watching her youngest daughter almost glow with exuberance. "Thank you Harry for taking Gabrielle to Australia, she really hasn't stopped talking about it since she came back. Except to continually remind us how long it would be until we came here. She's been counting down the days and has hardly slept from too much excitement. Your group has really made a big impression on both my daughters."

"Thank you Apolline but I must point out that Fleur is a big part of that group and Gabrielle was a delight to have, she's so full of energy it's possible to get tired just watching her."