Fragile Flower

"We'll see you in September, 'Mione! Have fun in Italy!" Ron called out to his friend. She smiled at him and waved good-bye one last time. Then he made his way back to where Harry, Ginny, and his mother waited for Harry's uncle, Vernon.

"It's not like him to be late," Harry said to Mrs Weasley as Ron rejoined them. "He usually wants to make sure I'm safely tucked away before the neighbours ask any questions."

"Do you think anything could have happened to him, dear?"

"No, Mrs Weasley. I'd have heard from Professor Figg if something had happened. I think that, for the first time in my life, he's forgotten me."

"Well, I don't want to leave you hear alone. Come back to the Burrow with us, and when Arthur gets home, he can take you over."

"I'd rather go over now, if you don't mind."

"By yourself, dear?"

"I am going to be seventeen this July."

"At least take Ron with you. I'd feel better if you didn't go alone. And promise me that if anything is wrong, you'll come straight to the Burrow. You too, Ron. I won't have you getting hurt."

"Yes, Mrs Weasley."

"Yes, Mum," they responded, and Harry handed Hedwig's cage over to Ginny.

"Just in case, I want her safe with you."

"I'll look after her until you come to the Burrow, Harry. I know it will be soon." Ginny and her mother then turned and melted into the crowd, before portkeying away.

"So, how do we get to your place from here?"

"Well, normally, we'd take a taxi, but I don't have any normal money. Say, I know there's a Knight Bus. Is there a daytime equivalent?"

"Yes, of course. The Day Tripper, I believe it's called. Are you sure you want to take it though? I'm sure there are faster ways than public transportation to get to your place."

"Yes, but I don't want to look too conspicuous. We summon it the same way, I suppose."

Ron sighed, not looking forward to this trip. He'd ridden the Day Tripper once when he was young and he'd begged his mother never to go on it again. "Hold out your wand arm, like so." They both raised their wand arms and soon there appeared before them a neon green bus. Off it stepped a young woman.

"Welcome to the Day Tripper. How can I help you?" she cheerfully asked.

"We need to get to my house in Little Surrey. It's on Privet Drive."

"Is it anywhere near Arabella Figg's house?"

"Yes, right down the block. Do you think it will take long to get there?"

"Not at all. I'll get you there in under five minutes, I will. Hop on; it'll be twelve Galleons for the both of you."

Harry placed a simple size and weight reduction charm on his trunk and they stepped on board. Harry handed the attendant the money, and they were off.

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The driver was right. She got them to Arabella Figg's house in three minutes, though both Ron and Harry were a little woozy after the wild ride they'd had. Thanking the driver, they stepped off the bus and Harry led the way to the place he'd called home for so many years.

As they walked up the paved path that led to the front door, Harry could hear muffled, angry shouts coming from inside. He looked at Ron and saw that he, too, heard the voice. Putting his finger to his lips, he motioned with his head at the door. Quietly, Harry took out his wand and whispered "Alohomora". The door softly swung open and the voice grew slightly louder, though still muffled.

Silently, Harry made his way into the house, followed by Ron, who shut the door behind them. First, they went into the kitchen, and on the calander, Harry read "Dudley at Smeltings through June for health reasons". It was as Harry read that, that they both heard the soft thawck come from somewhere upstairs, followed by a soft cry of pain.

They exchanged looks, and then Harry took off for the stairs, climbing them two at a time, following the angry voice to his aunt and uncle's room. He knelt by the door, and placed his ear on the keyhole. Through it, he heard Vernon screaming at his wife.

"Why did you tell that crackpot old fool we'd take him back this summer?!?"

"He's the only thing of Lily's that I have left, you wouldn't let me keep anything else of hers that they offered us! I gave her up to protect her, and now all I have left are her eyes - blazing with the same hate now as then," she tearfully responded.

Once more, Harry heard the sound of a hand striking soft flesh. "You stupid slag. I cannot believe I saddled myself with you. I should have just let the neighbourhood know what freaks your family was. Now, on your knees, my stupid, insufferable wife, and beg for the forgiveness you don't deserve."

"Vernon, stop! You're hurting me! Please, I won't bring it up again!" She then screamed in pain.

Harry could bear to hear no more. Ignoring Ron, he stood, drew his wand, and kicked open the door. Both Vernon and Petunia turned their heads to look up at the intruder. Ron came up behind him, his wand also drawn.

Harry looked at his aunt, on her knees with a red welt on her face. She met his eyes briefly, before looking at the floor, tears streaming down her face. Vernon, on the other hand, stared at Harry in rage. Dropping Petunia's arm, he made a move towards Harry. Almost without thinking, Harry said, "Petrificus Totalus". Instantly, Vernon fell face down on the floor.

"Harry! You know you're not supposed to do magic outside of Hogwarts!"

"Ron, you saw what he was doing to her! Now, in my room, there's an empty trunk. Go and get it. My aunt's coming with us." Harry walked to where his aunt still knelt and offered his hand. Slowly her head rose until she was looking into his eyes.

"Why?" she softly asked as she took his hand.

Gently, Harry brought her to her feet. "He was hurting youm Aunt Petunia."

His words seemed to open a floodgate within her. She began to cry harder, and Harry awkwardly put his arm around her, supporting her. She buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed deep, heart-wrenching cries. Tenatively, she wrapped her arms around him, and then clung to him.

Ron walked in with the trunk a few moments later, and set it on the bed.

"We're getting ready to leave, Aunt Petunia. What do you want to bring with you?"

Petunia watched as Harry spoke in Latin at the trunk, "What are you talking about? My home is here."

"I'm not leaving the last blood link to my mother in the house of this sadist. You're coming with us."

"But what about Dudley? I can't leave him."

"Auntie, he's turning out exactly like Vernon. You can't control him or his actions any longer. Let Vernon have him, he deserves a son such as that. Now, no more protestations." Harry disentangled himself from her arms and opened her closet and began to take out her clothes, dropping them in the trunk haphazardly.

This spurred Petunia into action. Taking out the clothes, she neatly folded them. "Harry, if you're going to do this, at least fold the clothes so that everything will go in."

"We shouldn't have to worry about that. I've charmed the trunk so that it will hold everything you put in it."

"If I go with you, will you be able to keep me safe? Your Dumbledore's written about what's happening in your world."

"We'll be staying with my close friends. They'll protect us, even from Vernon. He'll never be able to lay another finger on you ever again. I swear that to you." Together, they packed the rest of her things in the bedroom, carefully stepping over Vernon when they needed to. Soon, the bedroom was packed, and Ron levitated the trunk out into thehall. Harry added some linens, while Petunia grabbed her toiletres from the bathroom.

"Harry, in the attic is a box marked 'Petunia's baby things'. Could you go get it please? I won't leave without it. While you're up there, I'll go through the downstairs with Ralph."

"It's Ron, ma'am."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm not too good with names. Come along, there's quite a bit of stuff down there I'd like take." She went down the steps, Ron following close behind with the trunk following him.

Harry made his way up the narrow steps into the attic. It was filled with boxes and bags and things that looked to belong to previous generations. Finally, after twenty minutes of searching, he found the box his aunt had requested. Opening it, he saw that it was a bunch of old baby clothes and toys. He closed the box and lifted it, surprised at its weight. Carefully, he made his way down both flights of stairs and into the living room.

Ron sat on the sofa, watching Petunia flip through her photo albums, taking out a few pictures and adding them to the trunk. Harry set the box on the floor in front of her. "Is there anything else, Auntie?"

"No, I don't believe so, Harry. Could you put the box in the trunk?"

"Sure, but what's in there? It's so heavy!"

"Some things that are very important to me, Harry. Can we go soon? I'm afraid I might lose my nerve if we stay much longer."

"Of course, we'll leave as soon as you close the lid on the trunk. We're going over to Professor Figg's place to see if she'll let us use her fireplace, okay Ron? I want to talk to your mother."

Taking one last look around her living room, Petunia grabbed an old clock that sat on the mantle, added it to the trunks contents, shut the lid, and opened the door, stepping out into the warm summer day. Harry shrank the trunk and placed it in his pocket, before following his aunt outside. Ron brought up the rear, shutting the door to the house on Privet Drive. Once they were safely at Professor Figg's front drive, only then did Harry end the petrifying curse on his uncle. Ron knocked on the door, and they waited.

It wasn't a long wait. Within two minutes of Ron's knock, the door was flung open. "Come inside, quick like. Ron, your mother will be here in less than an hour with a Ministry car to drive you all to the Burrow."

"Mrs Figg, you're a witch too? All these years, I never suspected," Petunia said as they walked into the house.

"Yes, dear. I was sent here to watch over Harry and your family. Now, take a seat on the sofa, and I'll brew us some tea."

Following her instructions, they all took a seat. Harry and Ron exchanged a look while they waited. Finally, Harry broke the silence.

"Do you think we're in much trouble?" he asked.

"Let's see, breaking and entering, kidnapping, assault, using magic outside of Hogwarts while still in school. I don't know Harry, what do you think?"

"I went voluntarily, so you shouldn't get in trouble for that," Petunia drolly replied, and both young men looked at her in shock. Her face looked very serious, yet her eyes twinkled merrily. Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Professor Figg bustled in with the tea just then.

As she handed them cups of steaming Darjeeling tea, Ron asked, "How did you know we'd be coming here?"

"After the wards went off at Harry's house, the Ministry traced the latent magic trail to Harry and you, and had a pretty good idea what was happening. I also saw the Day Tripper stop outside my home, and watched you get off. Knowing there aren't many repeat riders of it, I informed your mother that you would need a ride home to the Burrow. I never anticipated you'd bring along a guest."

"Neither did we, Professor Figg," Harry replied. "Sometimes these things just happen."

After two cups of tea and a plate of biscuits had been consumed, they heard a car drive up. Seconds later, there was a soft rapping on the door. Arabella got up from her chair and opened the door, revealing an extremely worried-looking Mrs Weasley.

"Hi, Mum," Ron hesitantly began as he approached his mother.

"Hi, nothing, young man. Do you know how worried I was for you whenthe Ministry contacted me? I told you that if anything were to go wrong, you were to contact me! You're very lucky that Aurors didn't just break in on you there!"

"I know, Mum, but there wasn't time. We had to do something quickly, otherwise he might have hurt her worse than he did."

"Hurt who? What are you talking about, Ron?"

"Harry's aunt, Mum. His uncle was hitting her, hard." They talked lowly to each other, and Harry strained to hear some of the words passing between them. He saw Mrs Weasley glance at his aunt, and knew that Ron must have mentioned the fact that she would be coming with them.

"Come along, then. The driver doesn't like to be kept waiting," Molly briskly said, moving Ron out the door. Harry stood, thanked Professor Figg, and helped his aunt to her feet. Together they walked out the door, and Harry let her slide in next to Mrs Weasley. He took the seat next to Ron.

This ride was much smoother than, though just as fast as, the Day Tripper. In no time at all, the quartet was at the Burrow, and Harry was putting his trunk in Ron's room. While they were gone, Molly went about introducing herself.

"I'm Molly Weasley. Welcome to the Burrow. I know it's not much, but..."

"It's perfect."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"It's perfect, it feels like a home should. I seem to remember that you have more children, twins, I think?"

"Yes, Fred and George. They're in their lab at Hogsmeade. Ginny, our youngest, is outside somewhere. Percy's at the Ministry with my husband, Charlie's in Romania still, though there's been talk about him moving to Norway, and Bill's in Egypt, though he might be coming home soon for a visit."

"And you fit all of them in here? How amazing."

Molly blushed, and then said, "I suppose I'll put you in Bill and Charlie's old room, as it's not being used right now. Where's your trunk?"

"I believe Harry still has it. He put it in his pocket before we left my house."

"We'll just go upstairs then, and get it. Along the way, I'll give the grand tour." Slowly, they made their way upstairs. Petunia was amazed by the family clock. Catching a glimpse of Bill's hand, she blushed. It didn't help matters that Bill's picture winked at her.

"Excuse me, Molly, but did that picture just wink at me?" she hesitantly questioned.

"Aye, that's our Bill. He always was a charmer. I don't understand why he hasn't married yet."

"Maybe he hasn't found the right girl yet," Petunia absently replied as she weaved a bit on her feet. Molly took notice of this and steered her up the stairs, pointing out the different rooms. Then she opened the door to the room closest the stairs.

"You'll be staying here for the time being. Get some rest, I'll send Harry in with your trunk a bit later."

"Thank you for taking me in without notice. It's nice to have seen what I've dreamt of, such love and kindness, and when I wake I'll take comfort in it." Petunia made her way to the closest bed, missing Molly's look of sympathym and the quick tears that came to her eyes. Laying her head on the pillow, she breathed in the scent of sand, sweat, and a tangy-sweet smell she vaguely remembered as Lily's scent after she'd come home for the summer. It was the smell of magic, and it comforted her as she drifted off to sleep.