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ficsbydeenasTitle: Dudley Dursley and the Magical Enchantress
Story Summary: Dudley wasn't expecting to find her. He fought it every step of the way and yet, once he fell under her spell and there was no going back. No matter what.
Chapter 9/9
Chapter Summary: Fifteen years later...
Pairing: Dudley/Katie
Rating: R
Beta:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
queenb23more
--Epilogue--
“Why can't you go through, Daddy?” asked Tabitha Dursley, eleven years old, who was heading to Hogwarts for the first time.
Dudley knelt down to his daughter's eye level. “Sorry honey, but Muggles can't go through.”
“Then why does Chester get to go in?” Tabitha asked with a pout. Chester, her older brother by two years, was a Squib, yet had enough magical blood in him to get through to Platform 9 ¾.
Katie came over and knelt beside her husband. “Honey, we've told you this already. Daddy can't go see the train. But when you come home for Christmas, he'll be standing right there waiting for you.”
“Promise?” asked Tabitha, her eyes brimming with tears.
“I promise, Tabby Kat.”
“Oh puh-lease, Dad. Let the little rugrat go, for Christ's sake,” chimed in Chester, who had been checking out the girls as they walked by. “Hey! There's Uncle Harry” He ran off to welcome the Potters. Katie and Dudley were soon joined by Harry and his family. Tabitha and Lily squealed when they saw each other and then began crying when they realized that Lily would have to wait another year before starting Hogwarts. Chester and James began taunting some good looking girls and quickly ran through the barrier with Albus on their heels.
“Hey there, Dudley,” Harry said as he stepped beside his cousin. “She ready?” Harry nodded, indicating Tabitha.
“She doesn't understand why I can't go through,” Dudley said softly, his hurt evident in her voice. “Katie tried to tell her but...”
“I know.” Harry patted him on the back. “You want me to wait with you?”
“I'd like that.”
When it was ten minutes to eleven, they needed to say goodbye. Tabitha almost needed to be peeled off Dudley. Just before she went through the barrier, she shouted, “I love you, Daddy!”
Once all the commotion had settled down and it was just the two of them, they sat down on a bench, watching the clock tick.
“How's your mum doing?” Harry asked.
At the end of May, Dudley's father had passed away. Unfortunately, Dudley and his parents hadn't spoken since they walked out of his house. They never showed up for his wedding. His children were never acknowledged as their grandchildren. Each Christmas and birthday over the last fourteen years broke his heart a little but whenever he looked at Chester and Tabitha, he knew he'd made the right decision.
“Dunno. The last time I saw her was the funeral. Wouldn't let Katie or the kids come. Can you believe it?” A few years ago, his voice would have been laced with bitterness but as the years passed, it was just a matter of fact and he dealt with it as best he could.
“Actually, I can't believe it, Dudley. Holding onto all that bitterness has to take its toll on her,” Harry said sadly. “She's held onto it since she was twelve.”
Dudley nodded his head. Harry had told him a long time ago about his Aunt Lily and what went on between her and his mother. “You aren't tailing her again, are you?” he joked as he remembered how Harry had followed his parents for a few months after their confrontation.
“Nope. Minister shot me down on that one. Apparently, being the Minister's brother-in-law and the Chosen One didn't help me at all.” Percy Weasley was in his tenth year as Britain's Minister for Magic.
As the hands on the clock inched their way to eleven o'clock, Dudley felt his heart sink and the dam broke. Harry looked nervously around and put an arm around Dudley.
“This isn't just about Tabitha, is it?” Dudley shook his head. “Is it your mum?”
“They're just kids, Harry. Why is she doing this to them? They had nothing to do with what went on back then, and she doesn't even acknowledge that they exist.” He wiped his nose with his hand and continued, “I know I could have handled things better, done or said something to change their mind, but I didn't, Harry. I just let them leave my life.”
“Look at me, Dudley.” Dudley lifted his tear-stained face. “You were the one who reached out and told them what was going on in your life. The Quaffle was in their possession the whole time and they never chose to pass it on. It's not your fault. They chose their life and so did you.”
“Thanks,” Dudley said, drying the remainder of his tears. The clock struck eleven and Dudley took a deep breath, knowing that his little girl was off to discover a new world without him.
“You're welcome. Besides, I think your life is walking toward you right now.”
Dudley looked up and saw Katie with Ginny, Lily, and Chester. Ron and Hermione followed with Hugo in tow. He had a new family now, one of his own choosing, one that he was proud of and loved.
That was the real magic of life.
Story Summary: Dudley wasn't expecting to find her. He fought it every step of the way and yet, once he fell under her spell and there was no going back. No matter what.
Chapter 9/9
Chapter Summary: Fifteen years later...
Pairing: Dudley/Katie
Rating: R
Beta:
queenb23moreDudley Dursley
and
the
Magical Enchantress
and
the
Magical Enchantress
“Why can't you go through, Daddy?” asked Tabitha Dursley, eleven years old, who was heading to Hogwarts for the first time.
Dudley knelt down to his daughter's eye level. “Sorry honey, but Muggles can't go through.”
“Then why does Chester get to go in?” Tabitha asked with a pout. Chester, her older brother by two years, was a Squib, yet had enough magical blood in him to get through to Platform 9 ¾.
Katie came over and knelt beside her husband. “Honey, we've told you this already. Daddy can't go see the train. But when you come home for Christmas, he'll be standing right there waiting for you.”
“Promise?” asked Tabitha, her eyes brimming with tears.
“I promise, Tabby Kat.”
“Oh puh-lease, Dad. Let the little rugrat go, for Christ's sake,” chimed in Chester, who had been checking out the girls as they walked by. “Hey! There's Uncle Harry” He ran off to welcome the Potters. Katie and Dudley were soon joined by Harry and his family. Tabitha and Lily squealed when they saw each other and then began crying when they realized that Lily would have to wait another year before starting Hogwarts. Chester and James began taunting some good looking girls and quickly ran through the barrier with Albus on their heels.
“Hey there, Dudley,” Harry said as he stepped beside his cousin. “She ready?” Harry nodded, indicating Tabitha.
“She doesn't understand why I can't go through,” Dudley said softly, his hurt evident in her voice. “Katie tried to tell her but...”
“I know.” Harry patted him on the back. “You want me to wait with you?”
“I'd like that.”
When it was ten minutes to eleven, they needed to say goodbye. Tabitha almost needed to be peeled off Dudley. Just before she went through the barrier, she shouted, “I love you, Daddy!”
Once all the commotion had settled down and it was just the two of them, they sat down on a bench, watching the clock tick.
“How's your mum doing?” Harry asked.
At the end of May, Dudley's father had passed away. Unfortunately, Dudley and his parents hadn't spoken since they walked out of his house. They never showed up for his wedding. His children were never acknowledged as their grandchildren. Each Christmas and birthday over the last fourteen years broke his heart a little but whenever he looked at Chester and Tabitha, he knew he'd made the right decision.
“Dunno. The last time I saw her was the funeral. Wouldn't let Katie or the kids come. Can you believe it?” A few years ago, his voice would have been laced with bitterness but as the years passed, it was just a matter of fact and he dealt with it as best he could.
“Actually, I can't believe it, Dudley. Holding onto all that bitterness has to take its toll on her,” Harry said sadly. “She's held onto it since she was twelve.”
Dudley nodded his head. Harry had told him a long time ago about his Aunt Lily and what went on between her and his mother. “You aren't tailing her again, are you?” he joked as he remembered how Harry had followed his parents for a few months after their confrontation.
“Nope. Minister shot me down on that one. Apparently, being the Minister's brother-in-law and the Chosen One didn't help me at all.” Percy Weasley was in his tenth year as Britain's Minister for Magic.
As the hands on the clock inched their way to eleven o'clock, Dudley felt his heart sink and the dam broke. Harry looked nervously around and put an arm around Dudley.
“This isn't just about Tabitha, is it?” Dudley shook his head. “Is it your mum?”
“They're just kids, Harry. Why is she doing this to them? They had nothing to do with what went on back then, and she doesn't even acknowledge that they exist.” He wiped his nose with his hand and continued, “I know I could have handled things better, done or said something to change their mind, but I didn't, Harry. I just let them leave my life.”
“Look at me, Dudley.” Dudley lifted his tear-stained face. “You were the one who reached out and told them what was going on in your life. The Quaffle was in their possession the whole time and they never chose to pass it on. It's not your fault. They chose their life and so did you.”
“Thanks,” Dudley said, drying the remainder of his tears. The clock struck eleven and Dudley took a deep breath, knowing that his little girl was off to discover a new world without him.
“You're welcome. Besides, I think your life is walking toward you right now.”
Dudley looked up and saw Katie with Ginny, Lily, and Chester. Ron and Hermione followed with Hugo in tow. He had a new family now, one of his own choosing, one that he was proud of and loved.
That was the real magic of life.
