Lost Passions and Regrets

Petunia saw her yard and professore Dumbledore disappear from sight to become the outside of her dormitory at Weirdsister College. She felt her face pressed against another; it was her boyfriend Bruce Vale.

She and Bruce had been going out together for three months now. If she remembered correctly, he was going to pop the question. What would she say to him this time? She felt very strongly for him, but would it be one of those in love and right back out situations? Or would it be the kind of passion that lasted and grew more with time? Petunia recalled that this was the reason that she married Vernon. He was predictable, but maybe she would take the chance this time, and do it all differently.

Bruce took her hand gently and knelt before her.

" Petunia Evans, will you have me?"

"Yes, Bruce. I will." There! She leapt over her first hurdle.

" All right, fellas! It's time!" he signaled to all of his fraternity brothers. They all sprang out of the bushes carrying flowers, and serenaded her. They ripped the petals from the blossoms and tossed them into the air, and they turned into magical dust as they descended.

She cried. Never had anyone ever done anything so wonderful for her in her life. She leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and spun about ecstatically.

" Oh, Bruce! I love you," she said. At that moment, she didn't care if they broke up next week. She felt like a woman on top of the world.

He picked her up and carried her down the sidewalk in his arms. The others watched them kiss, and then took their cue to disapparate.

If this was what real love felt like, then Petunia didn't want to let it slip away. When they finished roaming and clowning about, she returned to her dorm room to find her room mate Sylivie sitting in her chair with tears in her eyes.

" I never dreamt that you'd say, yes," she said.

" Yes to what?"

"To Bruce! I thought that you'd turn him down, and- and,"

"And that you and he could get back together?"

" Yes!" She yelled flailing her arms frustratedly.

" Listen, Sylvie. You and Bruce are not a couple anymore. You were the one who had inststed that we go out together. If we have become this close, then it's because we were meant to be together."

" Damn it! Don't you think that I know that?" Sylvie spat loudly.

" Yes, I do, but take my advice, Sylvie. Don't live your life being bitter, or your pain will only kill you."

" Yeah, right!" Sylvie snapped again before storming outside the room.

Normally, Petunia would have felt very ashamed for having been so candid with Sylvie, but she knew for a fact that Sylvie and Bruce would've broken up again six days later. Sylvie was going to sneak around behind Bruce's back with his best friend Caledon Graybury, and he was going to catch them making out by the lake. She was probably on her way to see Caledon at this very minute. She and Caledon were going to get married a year later and have three kids.

Petunia saw a glider bat fly toward her window, and she opened it. The bat perched itself on a railing and dropped Petunia's mail into her ready hand. It was Lily's engagement announcement, no doubt. Well, she and James were going to be in good company this summer.

Petunia wrote Lily back to announce her own engagement. She wrapped her parcel and, slipped it into the bat's mouth. She showered, and then went to bed.

The next morning, she woke to find Sylvie passed out on the floor. Drunk, no doubt. She picked Sylvie up, and laid her on her bed. She got a washcloth, and washed her room- mate's sloppy face. The carrier bat returned with her and Sylvie's exam results.

She felt the urge to open Sylvie's results and compare them to her own, but she decided not to. Oh, but then again. She did a warming spell to moisten the glue on the envelope. She read the contents, and jumped for joy. She'd beaten Sylvie. She closed the glue seal and placed the envelope neatly beside Sylvie. This was all going so well.

By next time this year, she and Bruce would be married, working as professors at some magic school or other, and living in a two-story house in Bristol or Leeds, whichever. Alberta and Ontario were okay too.

Petunia skipped over to the courtyard where Bruce stood, and placed her arms around him from behind.

"Hi, there."

"Hello, yourself. I take I that you exam results were gratifying, to say the least?"

" Yep. Yours?"

" Nice, but I was expecting better."

" Oh, all that matters is that we've got what we need. You thought about where you want to teach?"

" Yeah. I'm going to teach at Hogwarts."

" What?" Petunia asked looking shocked.

" Hogwarts. They've got a teaching position ready for me. I'll be teaching 'Defense Against the Dark Arts.'"

Petunia couldn't believe what she was hearing. As he prattled on, she wanted to scream; but had she tried, would anything have come out?

" You okay, Petunia?" he asked looking at her with great concern.

" I think that I'm going to be sick." She felt her head go light, and saw everything around her go blurry.

" Well, let me take you to the infirmary."

" Oh, no. It's perfectly all right."

" But shouldn't I help you or something?"

" Uh, no. I'll be fine, darling."

She sat down and breathed in some fresh air. What was he thinking? The last thing that she wanted to do was see that balmy old man again, but she also wanted to be with Bruce. What could she do?

" Petunia, is there something wrong?"

" Well, yes and no, Bruce. Um, did anyone else offer you a position?"

" Yes, but none of them paid as much."

" I see."

" Well, have 'you' decided on a place?"

" Well, it was going to be Pentangles Academy in Quebec, but since you'd like to go to England, then I'll have to teach at Grenhilda's Academy for Gifted Girls."

" Great, then it's all settled. We're going to have such a wonderful life together. I promise you, that there'll never be a dull moment ever when we're married."

" I know," Petunia whispered under her breath with resignation. She hoped that she knew what she was getting into. She felt Bruce give her a kiss that was supposed to be reassuring. Vernon gave her the exact same kiss the evening the Masons had come to dinner. She had had a bad feeling then, and she really had a bad feeling now. The old man had given her fair warning, but never in a million years, had she ever thought that it would come to this. She'd be even closer to Lily's freakishness than she was in the timeline before. But whom was she kidding? She was a freak too.

" Sweets to the sweet," she mumbled to herself, and then leaned her head against Bruce, as he continued to talk of his plans for themboth.