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Harry Potter and the Quiet Life	By : marrjisback Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Neville Views: 15576 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: i do NOT own Harry potter nor am I making any profit from this story

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
December 23

Christmas shopping for Teddy had become one of Harry’s favourite things. Every single toy he saw seemed positively perfect. Hermione warned him time and time again that he would spoil Teddy rotten and Harry would nod understandingly, thinking about a mound of presents that were already wrapped at home. Harry had taken Neville shopping in Muggle London. Harry sometimes forgot how lucky he was to be so balanced. He knew both worlds so well. But he enjoyed watching Neville’s childlike wonder at the underground, at the stores with glowing light bulbs, flashing cell phones and laptops. Harry waited patiently while Neville played a game on a display phone that flung rather upset animated birds into piles of green pigs. Neville rode the escalator three times before Harry could finally drag him into a perfume store.

“Which one does she wear?” Neville asked, leaning close to peer over Harry’s shoulder.

“This one.” Harry said, raising the white round bottle. Neville’s breath was warm on his cheek. Neville lifted the hand holding the bottle up towards his face and sniffed.

“Woah. It does smell like Hermione!” Neville looked a tad surprised. Hermione had been wearing this scent for five years ever since Harry gifted her a bottle randomly. He had merely liked the scent and thought it reminded him of her. She positively adored it. It was sweet and light, like vanilla and pear and laundry. But it also reminded Harry of old libraries and bookstores and fresh grass and reading by the dim candles on the Weasley porch. It suited Hermione very well. And every year he bought her a bottle and a book. A Muggle book. It was like their own little world when Harry bought her muggle things. Ron was simply confused by it, but they both understood their origins and the wonderful things that had come from their good fortunate change. It used to be that Harry thought of Ginny when he thought of his good fortunate. Now, staring at the pear shaped bottle he thought how lucky he was to have met Neville. He sprayed the tester and hit Neville square in the chest.

“Hey!” Neville exclaimed. He scooped up a ridiculous pink bottle and drenched Harry in “Sex on The Beach”

Harry was not, of course, amused. He sprayed Neville with “Cotton Candy Delight” who returned the favour with a raunchy men’s cologne which smelt heavily of some unnameable ‘manly’ thing which clashed unpleasantly with the beach-sex. Fanning away a cloud of perfume, and protesting grumpily as Neville laughed, Harry approached the counter with a box of Hermione’s perfume.

“Idiot.” Harry muttered. Neville stared blankly as Harry handed over a debit card. Harry punched some numbers into a weird flat machine, waited a few moments and then took the bag of perfume and ushered Neville out.

“Are…are we stealing?” Neville whispered, glancing back at the store. Harry chuckled.

“No, it’s a debit card. It’s connected to my muggle bank account. Instead of carrying money with me, the bank will transfer the money to the store for me.”

“So they-like-owl them the gold?” Neville flapped his hands in case ‘owl’ wasn’t clear.

“There is no owling or gold.” Harry said, muffling a laugh as Neville’s hand-wings seemed to deflate. “It’s just numbers on a machine to represent what I have.”

“Weird!” Neville said, scratching his chin. Harry nodded, shrugged and brought them back out onto the street.

“Well, the only other thing is the cakes and the wine.” Harry swallowed thickly. He did not want to go into the alcohol place. He knew it would smell too strongly. He didn’t think he was addicted to alcohol, he had only just started to drink, but it had become something he considered dangerous. “Shall we get lunch?”

“Sounds wonderful.” Neville said, pretending not to have noticed the nervous waver in Harry’s voice when he said wine.

They followed their noses, as Londoners often do, to a place that smelled delicious in the dirty streets. The hot smell of warm bread wafted mundanely into the street and curled around ankles, pulling passerbyers sideways into the open doors. They ordered tea and crumpets and the daily soup.

Neville thought he would never tire of watching Harry drink tea.

“We see your cousin tonight.” He said, but it was more of a question than anything.

“Yes.” Harry said and took a spoonful of the soup into his mouth. It was very hot but very good. He wondered if he should try making soup sometime. Or maybe just buy some alphagetties. Teddy would like that, he thought absently.

“What was it like growing up with them?”

“Awful.” Harry said honestly before he could stop himself. “Well-not all muggles are awful. There’s lots of great muggles. I think.” Harry tried to remember anyone particular but no one jumped to mind except James, the only muggle friend he had ever made. “The point is the worlds are not that different.”

Neville looked at him incredulously over a bun he was gnawing on. Harry rolled his eyes.

“Excluding the magic and technology.”

“That’s like saying ‘Bellatrix was a great person, excluding all the crazy awful things she did.” Neville said pointedly.

“Don’t be so dramatic.” Harry said, playfully hitting his arm. “I just meant we had awful people too. People like Voldemort or Bellatrix. We had bullies like Malfoy but there were good people as well. There were Dumbledores and Kingsleys. Fudges to fudge up our politics and Scrimagours to try and fix it. It’s a complicated world, just like the Wizarding one. I think the benefit people like Hermione and I get is that we both know that magic doesn’t fix everything and neither does technology.” Harry took a bite out of the warm, moist bun. Neville brushed his foot along Harry’s leg.

“When did you get so smart?” he said.

“I’ve always been this smart.” Harry replied pointedly and kept his face rather serious. He swung his other foot up to cover Neville’s. They played that way for awhile, each trying to get their foot on top of the others.

“But specifically,” Neville said a bit later when they were each eating a warm pastry for dessert. “the Dursleys were awful?”

“Yeah,” said Harry. “I slept in a cupboard.”

Neville dropped his pastry. “What?”

“A cupboard. Under the stairs, you know?” Harry said, feeling a little strange. He stared at Neville who seemed shocked and upset. It occurred slowly to Harry that this was how people were supposed to react when they heard this.

“That’s terrible!” Neville exclaimed loudly. Several patrons looked over at them uncertainly. Harry flapped his hand to shush him. He stared at Neville’s wide eyes and something knocked at him on the inside, as though it was trying to push open closed doors from the inside out. He wanted to tell Neville every damn thing they had ever made him suffer.

“It locked on the outside, right? And if I messed up or said something wrong or if magic accidently happened they locked me in it-” he made a whistling sound like a lock sliding shut and made the motion with his hands. “No food for a week!” he impersonated Uncle Vernon. “But I snuck out at night to eat obviously, can’t go hungry. When I got my letter they let me move upstairs and started just blatantly ignoring me from that point on and they put this cat flap in to pass me food and put bars over the window. And trust me, being ignored is better than getting beat up by Uncle Vernon. I got my hands bleached once by Aunt Petunia as well; she was a real piece of work if you got her upset. Burned them raw!” Harry looked at his hands. “They healed fast though; looking back I guess that was magic.”

“Harry.” Neville looked positively ill. He reached over and grabbed both of Harry’s hands and squeezed them tightly. “Harry.” Harry was startled to see tears in Neville’s eyes. Everyone had always been sympathetic, but never particularly tearful over it. Sometimes those who painted him a hero were shocked and angry…but Neville…For the first time Harry thought that maybe he shouldn’t have been treated that way. He had never wanted to be treated that way, but now he absently thought I deserved better, and it was like some great weight had finally been removed, a lock undone and the insides turned free. Harry stared at Neville and blinked his own wetness away quickly. He waited until the waiter came by before he pulled his hands away. He looked at the floor as he asked for the bill.

“Together or separate?” the waiter asked.

“Together.” Harry said thickly. “Shit.” Harry muttered when the waiter left. He rubbed his eyes. “This feels more like a real relationship everyday.”

“It is a real relationship.” Neville said. He did not say anything about what Harry had told him. He didn’t know what to say. It was in the past and Neville was sure the last thing Harry wanted was for him to pity Harry. But it ached him deeply that this had happened to someone as-as special as Harry. No one deserved that but it seemed an especially deep cruelty that it had been inflicted on something as good as Harry.

Harry was better in the liquor store than he thought he’d be. Though Harry didn’t know it, he had overestimated his own addiction. It wasn’t nearly an addiction to alcohol. It was just an addiction to the relief it brought him in times of sorrow. He would be subjected to its cold temptation again but not in a liquor store. The wine was, in fact, for Dudley. As was the cake. It never hurt, he thought, to bring cake. It made him feel ready.

Yet, standing outside Dudley’s apartment with Teddy clutching his hand, he felt much more unready.

“Alright there, Harry?” Neville said, brushing a bit of snow off Harry’s shoulder. Harry gave him a look that clearly said No.

“Mhm.” Harry said conversely, adjusting his grip on the wine bottle. Teddy lifted his hands up to reach for Harry.

“Up.’ He said importantly on his tippy toes. Neville took the wine bottle, smiling encouragingly as Harry scooped him up. All three of them stared at the unremarkable apartment complex.

“Now, listen Teddy, we can’t talk about magic, alright?” Harry stated tentatively forewarning Teddy. “And, just, Dudley is your uncle but he may not want us around, do you understand Teddy?”

Teddy nodded. Than shook his head. He pat Harry’s head firmly.

“Don’t be scared, Daddy.” He said, sucking his own lips. “We- we have Christmas presents.” He pointed at the cake and wine Neville was balancing.

“Yes, we do.” Harry smiled at him. It was odd how aware of Harry’s emotions Teddy was. Harry climbed the stairs, following behind Neville and shifting Teddy’s weight to his hip.

“Maybe I should have come alone first.” Harry said uncertainly.

“Too late now.” Neville shrugged. Then, at a frustrated sound Harry made, “It’s going to be fine Harry, just relax.” He nudged Harry a bit in a comforting way.

And there it was. 64. Dudley Dursley.

What would he be like? Harry wondered. Vernon? An arrogant, cruel drunk? Petunia? Stuck up, petty, jealous and hypocritical? Or had he miraculously turned out somewhat human?

Teddy reached out, impatient with Harry’s pause, and pressed the doorbell. Harry was not prepared when the door swung open. He was especially unprepared for a rather pretty girl with a small delicate build and long willowy hair staring up at him curiously.

“Can I help you?” she said in a friendly enough voice. She was wearing a white jumper and jeans over freckled skin. Her hair was a dark red and her eyes a light, Irish green.

“Oh, um, sorry!” Harry said, craning to look at the numbers in plastic under the doorbell. 64. “I’m looking for Dudley Dursley, he was supposed to be living here…” Harry shuffled as Teddy nervously clutched his shoulder. Neville was at a complete loss and hung awkwardly behind them. The pretty girl raised her eyebrows.

“You’ve the right one.” Her accent was Welsh, almost. It was faded somewhat. “He’s just stepped into the shower. Can I do something for you?”

“Oh, we should have, um, called or something.” Harry swallowed. He didn’t own a phone. “Thought I’d surprise him. I’m his cousin, Harry.” He stuck his hand out, comforted an ounce that he didn’t have to face Dudley right away. The girl slowly reached for his hand but froze midway and then both hands shot to her mouth.

“No way! You’re Harry? His cousin? The one who saved his life?” she squealed in delight and yanked him in the doorway by his offered hand. “We didn’t even know if you were alive! Come, come in! Step lively, it’s a bit nippy out, musn’t led the cold in.” she sounded bright, cheerful and intelligent. She shut the door behind Neville. Harry slowly put Teddy down. “Oh, he’ll just be tickled pink when he sees you!”

Harry blanched at the thought of Dudley being tickled into any colour, much less pink.

“I don’t mean to be rude but-er- who are you?” Harry said awkwardly as Teddy clutched his thigh. Harry rested a hand on Teddy’s hat covered head.

“Sorry! How rude of me! I’m Abby! Dudley’s fiancée!” She shook Harry’s free hand, her red curls bouncing jovially.

“Fiancée…” Harry trailed, startled. “But you’re so-” he caught himself before he said good. “Pretty!” She laughed a thank you.

“Aunty Abby!” Teddy exclaimed, freeing himself from Harry and clapping his hands merrily. “I’ve two now!” he giggled brightly then held his mitten covered hands up for Harry to take them off for him. Abby gave him a pleasant but bewildered look.

“This is my son, Teddy.” Harry said as he ruffled Ted’s hat and hair with one firm rub.

“And I’m Neville.” Neville added, saving Harry the uncertainty of introducing him. He held the gifts aloft. “We brought cake and wine.”

“Oh, yes, cake.” Harry said with an air of befuddlement. “Happy Christmas!”

“Thank you!” she blossomed, taking the cake with one curious look at Neville. Harry helped Teddy separate himself from his extensive winter gear and hung their coats as Abby ushered them into a spacious sitting room. She immediately brought in tea and biscuits and a glass of milk for Teddy who set about dipping his biscuits into it messily.

“Careful!” Harry scolded lightly.

“Well, I just can’t believe it! Harry Potter, the cousin! Alive! Dudley will be thrilled! Oh, but where have you been? Don’t tell me yet! Best wait for Dudley!” She rambled.

“Um.” Harry responded, feeling overwhelmed. He wasn’t sure at all what to say. He hadn’t been prepared for questions. He had assumed that Dudley would be living alone and that Dudley wouldn’t be interested in hearing the nitty gritty’s of Harry’s last few years. He had been expecting an awkward social call followed by some hasty exchanges about his Uncle and Aunt and a farewell with an open invitation for another visit next Christmas and that was it. He glanced at Neville who seemed to find Abby very amusing. Harry gave him a desperate look.

“Well, Abby, how did you meet Dudley?” Neville provided, smiling.

“Oh, it’s a very regular story, I’d been drinking coffee at this little café by my university and everyday this big, handsome man would be there too.” Harry thought that the handsome man could certainly not be any version of the Dudley Dursley he knew. “And as the days passed, he sat closer and closer to my table till finally I thought this is taking forever! So I just got up and sat with him! He said my eyes drew him in, reminded him of something nostalgic. I think maybe it was you,” she winked at Harry. “But you’ll never get him to admit it.” Suddenly it clicked, the small frame, pretty face, brilliant red hair and green eyes were so familiar.

“Actually,” Harry said, sipping his tea. “You look quiet a pinch like my mum. I reckon it’s her he spotted in you. I had a picture of her in my room when I was younger.” Abby flushed, clearly pleased.

“Really?” Her small hands fluttered by her pink face as Harry nodded. Harry was, to be honest, a tad surprised. Although Dudley had proven he was not a complete arse, he had been a burley, brutish and stupid young man, last Harry had seen. He tried not to imagine this soap bubble of a girl meeting his Uncle and Aunt. She would be crushed, or perhaps eaten. A small dog, a fluffy ball really, ran into the room. Teddy quickly vacated his seat.

“Puppy!” he shouted.

“Careful!” Harry yelled as Teddy ran after the dog. “Play nicely, please!” He began to get up but Abby waved him back into his seat.

“Oh, it’s fine. She’s a very gentle creature, hasn’t any bite to her.”

“It’s not Teddy I’m worried about. The poor dog, honestly.” Harry said and Neville grinned.

“He’s a lovely boy, Teddy, right?” She said, not waiting for an answer. “I was hardly expecting you to have a son. You’re so young!”

“Well, it’s a bit…complicated.” He glanced at Neville who in turn looked at Teddy.

Abby seemed to sense this was a tender topic. “What about you two? What do you do? How do you know each other?”

“Oh, well-”

“That’s-” they both started and looked at each other. Neville gestured for Harry to go ahead.

“I run a bed and breakfast in north London. Neville and I were school mates. He’s living in one of my rooms at the mo.” Harry said half-heartedly.

“And I’m a teacher.” Neville added.

“Oh, me too!” She said happily. “I teach maths! Middle levels.”

“Oh, um-” Neville said, wondering if there was a Muggle equivalent to Herbology.

“Botany, right?” Harry rushed to interrupt. Neville nodded thankfully. Harry glanced about the room and noticed the stationary photos of Abby and the dog. The furniture was clean and nice but not fancy or meant to impress visitors. Nor was it obsessively clean and ordered. It looked very average, but not in the obsessively normal way the Dursley house had been. Harry suddenly noticed the absence of his son and the dog. He stood immediately.

“Teddy!” He started to call out when-

“Hey, Abs, what’s with the kid? He-” and in came, presumably, Dudley Dursley. Dudley was tall, much taller than Harry. He was strong and muscular looking, with a thinner face, defined with a rugged almost-handsome look. He wasn’t exactly handsome but he no longer resembled a pig/pit-bull crossbreed. There was a vague resemblance to Vernon, but he reminded Harry more of pictures he’d seen of their shared grandfather. Dudley had frozen mid sentence, almost comically, and was staring dumb founded at Harry.

“Hey, Bid D.” Harry said. He waggled his fingers at him. A terrified looking Teddy shot out from behind him and rushed to scramble onto Neville’s lap.

“Harry?” Dudley said at a loss for any real emotion besides shock. Harry nodded. A tense moment passed.

“Harry!” Dudley boomed and he crossed the room quickly and grabbed Harry in a bone crushing hug. It was like being smothered by a less hairy Hagrid. Harry pat Dudley’s back uncertainly, aiming more for being able to breathe than affection. The end-of-hug-pat had no affect on Dudley who just squeezed him tighter.

“Hey, um, Dudley.” Harry said applying one word per pat and finally extracted himself from the embrace.

“Harry!” Dudley repeated for a third time. “I’m just so glad to see you! Where have you been, mate?”

Mate? Harry puzzled absently, as he rubbed his neck.

“About. Busy, I guess. Nice to see you too, then, er-mate.” Harry’s hand twitched out in Neville’s direction, as though he wanted to hold Neville’s hand but he pulled it back and put it in his pocket instead. Neville watched the hand as he held a frightened Teddy in his lap.

“Oh,” Harry said after a prolonged pause. “This is my son, Teddy. Ted, come here.” Harry beckoned. Dudley stared wide eyed at Teddy.

“A nephew?” Dudley said. Harry and Dudley weren’t brothers, so this wasn’t true. But it warmed Harry to hear him say the words. Teddy didn’t get off Neville’s lap.

“And my good friend Neville Longbottom. Come here, guys.”

Neville stood as Teddy crawled off his lap and the two made their way over to Harry. Neville tousled Teddy’s hair with his fingers before shaking Dudley’s hand. Dudley had a firm grip, and the two shook almost ferociously. Neville eyed Dudley as Dudley seemed to size up Neville suspiciously.

But it lasted only a moment. Dudley seemed completely wrapped up in Teddy.

“Alright there, little man?” He asked squatting all the way down, his blonde hair wet and plastered to his forehead. Teddy ducked close to Harry, gripping around Harry’s leg he nodded into Harry’s thigh.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Uncle Dudley.” He said thickly, his slight lisp sticking each word together like peanut butter.

“Yeah! How old are you?” Harry nudged Teddy a little and Teddy pealed about a centimetre away, chubby fist clinging to the fabric of Harry’s jeans. He held up three slightly wet fingers.

“Thwee.” He said firmly.

“Wow!” Dudley said with his eye brows raised up. He cast Harry a look to say he really was kind of shocked. Harry was 20, after all. Harry shrugged absently in a way that said I’ll explain later.

Teddy pointed at the dog, smiling a little.

“Wazits name?”

“This is Frankie, she’s my special dog. Do you like her?” Teddy nodded ferociously. “You can play with her, but be careful! She’s old!”

“Old.” Teddy repeated, like this was an order to follow. “I be careful.” And Teddy ran back to the dog, his bum wiggling behind him excitedly. The dog and boy sat playing under the tree. The dog chewed on a ball which Teddy occasionally managed to throw, but mostly Teddy stuffed his round hands into the dog’s fur to feel its softness. Frankie wagged her tail pleasantly.

“He’s damn cute.” Dudley said, sitting on the edge of his chair and watching them.

“Yeah.”

“Old though.” Dudley pressed, glancing at Harry sideways. Harry scratched his neck and leaned back into the seat. Neville was glad when Harry shook his head uncertainly as Abby offered him a glass of wine. Harry swallowed tightly. He was surprised by how hard it was to say no.

Its only a drink. A small voice said. It’ll ease you up. This is so very awkward. Just one’s no harm

.

But he glanced first at Neville’s tight, worried eyes, then at the small boy putting his delicate features into the dog’s chest to test the fur to his cheeks. Saying no suddenly became easier.

“I’m his Godfather. His parents died.” Harry said quietly, the words still made Teddy howl and cover his ears. He hated when people tried to tell him that Harry wasn’t his real father. Harry had stopped trying to get him not to say Daddy. Dudley nodded thickly.

“Damn shame. In-in your people’s…” he trailed off. Harry nodded while Abby looked between the two, confused. “Well, I don’t think I want to know much about it.” Dudley said slowly. “I’m sorry.” He looked confused, and it made his features look boarish in the soft light. It was difficult; it went against the very nature of Dudley to want to know about the unnormal place. But he wanted to know Harry. But it was awkward. And confusing. And he had been the one to do terrible things. And Dudley didn’t know what to do. But Harry, who had always been rather good at balancing his two strange lives, did.

“I hear you’re an electrician?” Harry said smiling pleasantly. And that’s how it went, briskly passing on. It was, by all means, an awkward night, and each cousin more anxious than the other to get it out correctly and properly. Their two partners got on well, both the pleasant calming in the evening and when a quietness arose they pressed each other with questions about their teaching careers and sparked the evening alight again. Two hours later, all parties were exhausted and Harry stood up.

“I think it’s time I got Teddy home and to bed. Late night tomorrow.” Harry said, thankful for an excuse to leave. The other three adults stood as well. Teddy who had been sitting in Harry’s lap, starting to doze tried to argue, but his thoughts were too muffled. Harry adjusted him gently, turning his against his body so Teddy could sleep.

“Oh, poor thing.” Abby said softly, her small pale hands fluttering slightly. Neville put on Teddy’s hat and mittens and slowly pushed his little red snow boots on Ted’s feet. Abby kissed his round, sleepy cheek and helped them put his arms through his coat. Neville took Harry’s coat for him. He put Harry’s hat on Harry’s head. It was an intimate gesture than neither thought much about. He twined Harry’s scarf around Harry’s neck, the red and orange laying flat under his coat.

“Thank you so much for coming!” Abby whispered. “Come any time at all!”

Neville thanked her and shook her hand and Dudley’s. Abby kissed both their cheeks. Careful not to jostle Teddy, Dudley clapped Harry on his shoulder and leaned in a bit.

“I’m glad you came, cousin. I mean it.” He said with a voice much deeper than Harry remembered.

“Yeah. “ Harry smiled genuinely. “Me too.” And he was surprised, despite the awkward night, how much he meant it.

When the door was closed behind them Dudley turned to his fiancé.

“Hey, do you reckon they were…?”

“Oh, Dudley, you shouldn’t make assumptions! But yes, definitely gay! Properly domestic, even have a kid!”

“Oh, see, I thought so.” Dudley replied, only a little curious and confused. Abby was very good for Dudley after all, very good indeed.
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Harry Potter and the Quiet Life