Been stewing on this one for over 9 months, this is my Dudley Reconciliation fic, Lady Lily Anne added quite a bit of the elements to it yet...this is definitely something I've wanted to do for awhile longer then being friends with her. She loves the idea though and while she wanted it to be a one shot I'm thinking a trilogy would work better. If the grammars off don't worry I'll fix it soon, please REVIEW

"Hey Big D, beat up another ten year old?"

The words had left Harry's mouth before he could stop himself, bloody Gryffindor mentality. Hermione would have likely cuffed him on the back of the head for offering up such an open invitation for confrontation.

Oh well, in for a pence, in for a pound.

"This one had it coming to him," the older boy responded with a sneering glare, as if daring Harry to reply.

Who, since he'd already gotten himself into this unwanted position, decided hey, why not see it to the end?

"Five against one, all of you at the minimum four years older than him. Very brave, I'm sure your mum is proud."

He had tried to sound sarcastic, but it had come out as a dry monotone, which, if you took Dudley's gang members hesitant glances into context, had actually sounded rather scathing.

Brilliant, he really needed to hang out with Dean more often, the bloke really was good at actor impersonations, and his Professor Snape was simply amazing.

Dudley just sneered in return, "Well you're one to talk, moaning in your sleep every night? At least I ain't afraid of my pillow."

Harry's eyes narrowed at that as he glanced to the surrounding playground in consternation, and decided to take a page out of Hermione's book on this one.

"The contraction 'Ain't' isn't actually a word Big D, sorry to say. Although the entirety of the English language is an act of making words up and running with them so I suppose my point is slightly invalidated. Regardless nice attempt."

The look of utter confusion on all the boy's faces had made taking that barb worthwhile, suffer in grammatical purgatory you linguistic heathens! Suffer under the brut-

"Don't kill Cedric!" Dudley spat out with a mocking laugh, and any humor Harry found in this situation had now dissolved to ashes that quickly blew away on the wind.

As the other boys laughed Dudley grinned cruelly, in a manner much like his worthless father, "Who's Cedric, your boyfriend?"

As the boys laughed Harry closed his eyes and tried to contain he rage, which Dudley was making incredibly difficult at the moment.

"He's going to kill me mum! Heh...Where is your mum, Potter?"

Oh no you fucking didn't.

Dudley continued on oblivious to the minefield he was now skipping through, "Is she dead, is she dead Potter?"

Harry seethed and felt his magic roiling about him as he glared at his cousin, every iota of willpow-

"Did she even ever love you?"

Yup

Fuck it, he had enough.

This shit was on.

"For your information 'Big D' I happen to have nightmares due to the fact that I remember the night my mother was brutally murdered by a terrorist right in front of me when I wasn't even quite two years old. Who, by luck and my mum's own ingenuity more than anything, only managed to give me this bloody scar rather then off me with my parents!"

Pointing to his scarred forehead as he felt the fire in his belly build up Harry stood to his full, and unimpressive height, thankfully the faint glow of his emerald gaze seemed to mesmerize the gang into stunned silence.

"As an aside, my dad was a bobby, by the ranking system you go by, a Detective Inspector at the age of twenty-one. My mum had multiple doctorates and was a high level researcher operating directly under the Crown. They were never 'worthless drunkards' like 'Aunt' Petunia has told the entire neighborhood since you lot bloody moved in here. Your shrew mother was just jealous her sister didn't settle for a fat miser walrus and instead married into bloody nobility."

Harry laughed at that, its pitch was off and his entire demeanor shifted to something slightly manic as he shook his head in disgust, "Did you know? When I turn seventeen I'm to be a bloody Earl!? Me, the worthless FREAK who even his own family cannot love is supposed to take his father's mantle, and the only one who bothered to tell me is my prison escapee godfather!"

Throwing his hands in the air he began pacing while glaring at the ground, the surrounding boys too dumbstruck to say anything before he spun and faced them while screaming out, "AND HE IS INNOCENT!"

At the last word, every window, glass, piece of pottery and ceramic shingle in a half kilometer radius shattered, this was of course noticed by no one but Dudley who simply gulped silently.

"They never even tried him! The bloody morons just sent him off to the worst prison in the world on nothing but hearsay and because of that I had to grow up hated and alone with YOU!"

Dudley lifted his eyes at the rumbling sky with a twitch of fear, yup, bit of a thunder with that one.

His cronies rather glanced away obviously remembering all the times they tormented the boy, but young Harry wasn't done, not by a long shot.

"So thanks to the lovely isolationist world I was forced to be a part of having nothing resembling common sense, I had to live with you...people. I was forced to sleep in the cupboard under the stairs until I was eleven, and if I ever asked why I didn't have a room of my own your father whipped me with his belt! I was forced to cook your meals from the time I could reach the stove on a chair, and if I dared ask for a bit of what I'd made you all?"

Harry smirked as he turned and glared at his cousin, "Your mother would beat me over the skull with a frying pan, and when I wouldn't just die she'd curse at me and throw me back into my cupboard."

His friends stared at Dudley in horror and even the boy in question felt his eyes bulge at this revelation, how could that be true?

After a moments reflection, he couldn't understand how it wasn't true. His parents blamed Harry for everything after all.

"When I finally, finally find out there are people who actually want me in their lives, who want to take me to a wonderful 'magical' world, EVERY BLOODY THING IN IT TRIES TO KILL ME AND MY FRIENDS!"

Wheezing in heavy breaths Harry eventually let out a bitter laugh as he met Dudley's gaze evenly, "First year at that rudding school, a wild animal nearly kills a girl I now call my dearest friend. I was forced to kill a professor who was working for the man who murdered my parents as he tried to off me in his stead.

"Thing that terrified me the most was I didn't even feel bad about it all.

"Second year, another wild animal is let lose in the school, several students are hurt, including Hermione, again. I killed the animal, less for heroic reasons and more because it went after my friend and other friends sister... I'm...loyal like that, rarely works in my benefit.

"Third year, my godfather escapes hell on earth to protect me from the man who actually betrayed my parents and got them killed, and even though he's a bit batty, he's brilliant. He wanted me to move in with him you know? Been in prison for a decade, barely know him, and I was willing to do it, to take the chance. To get away from you people." The entire group of boys winced at that as Harry stared at the sky forlornly, "Sadly, and expectantly, any chance I had to finally be free of you and your freak parents was stolen away by a man I despise via his petty grudges.

"Really, fuck you Snape, seriously... Heh...you don't get it...whatever."

Grinning widely regardless Harry snapped his head back towards Dudley and quickly walked up to the teen, eyes afire with near madness, his nose almost touching his cousin's, and he continued on.

"Fourth year, last year? I had to get my best friend away from a terrorist attack at a sporting event led by people who would love nothing more then to torture, rape, and murder Hermione in front of me. Because they don't view her as a human being due to her birth class, and especially because it would hurt me deeply.

"After surviving that, I had to go back to that school, again, and was forced to compete in a blood sport I wanted no part in, and the only person who believed I hadn't entered was once again, Hermione. I was mauled by a dangerous animal, near drowned saving my friends from the bottom of a lake, and then forced to see CEDRIC summarily executed by the same man who betrayed my parents, all while he arranged the return of the THING that murdered them."

Harry smirked as he crossed his arms and shook his head slowly, "Big D, I'm not the scrawny little slip of a kid you used to 'Harry Hunt.'

"I've seen some shit, and you don't even rate on the scale anymore."

Dudley stared at Harry for several moments, glanced to his stunned friends, then turned back to Harry while evaluating his entire past with his cousin, and that thought caught him off guard.

His cousin, outside of his parents and Aunt Marge, Harry Potter was literally the only family he had in the world. Mulling that over a bit, taking in what Harry had just spent five minutes ranting about, and deciding he really didn't mind if it pissed off mum and dad, Dudley Dursley came to a decision that would change things for a great long while.

"Bloody Hell Harry if shite really was that bad why didn't you say anything about it!? Mum and dad have the neighborhood thinking you're going off to a delinquent school while they had me believing you were living in a magical castle! Christ..."

Throwing a heavy arm around an incredibly shocked Harry's thin shoulders Dudley began leading him towards his gangs hideout, "You need a drink...or six, and then you can tell us more about this crazy murder school of yours. Oh and that bird of yours, Hemminy?"

"Hermione, and we're not together, she's like a sister to me really..." Harry corrected looking completely baffled.

Dudley eyed him a moment before shaking his head slowly, "Harry, you don't even know what it's like to have parents that care about you, and that ain't an insult. If ya don't know what an actual basic nuclear family is suppose to feel like, what the bloody hell do you know about a bird that dedicated to you being nothing more than a sister figure?"

Well...that...right...well...huh...

What the hell was going on? Dudley was being kind, and commiserating with him, giving...relationship advice? The rest of the gang was eyeing him with respect, and he was soon inside of an abandoned shed where he was pushed onto a moldering couch.

A moment later a glass of something clear was shoved into his hands, Dudley had a similar one and downed it in a gulp smacking his lips in appreciation, Harry shrugged and mirrored the boys actions.

The liquid burned, it seared, it roiled down his throat and landed in his stomach with such a lurch he felt like he was about to vomit it all back up, while coughing Piers handed him a cracked open can of a Coke that Harry readily downed.

"Yeah, we shoulda warned you, this is Tim's Da's moonshine, nurse that pop, you'll be needing it in a bit. So tell us about this bird of yours, is she a looker?"

Shaking his head and trying not to sway too much Harry leaned into the chair as the surrounding boys leaned towards him. After a few minutes the burning pain in his stomach became a warm glow, that spread out to his limbs, and made him feel lighter. Despite the weird situation, despite his earlier rant, and despite whatever the hell he just drank, he figured it was ok to talk about his best friend.

"'Er names Hermione Granger, don't ever call her Hermy, and only I'm allowed to call her 'mione."

"Why?" One of the boys asked, which Harry only shrugged at while sipping his Coke before replying a moment later.

"Cause she said she's mine and I'm her's? Or something like that..."

Dudley groaned as he held his face in his palms while the other boys snickered, eventually Dudley turned to a confused Harry before shaking his head slowly in consternation.

"You poor blind fool... Go on?"

"Her hair used to be this gnarled mess of curls, but after last year it looks like...wavy brown silk?"

"Oh Christ he has it so hard and has no idea," Piers groaned while being ignored by all.

"Brown eyes, you know, when she knows yer lying... Shortish I suppose... The Y...Christmas ball though...she had a periwinkle gown, and...and I was so jealous of her date I wanted to...ugh..."

The boys let out a collected disappointed sigh before Dudley asked, "What is she to you? Really?"

Harry thought about it before nodding once, "I'd be dead sooooooo many times without her help. Like seriously Big D?" At the mention of his nickname Dudley grinned as he motioned Harry to continue on, "Like she is so smart. Super smart, but no one appreciates it, none of them. They ostrosized ...ostriched...ostro..."

"Ostracized?" Piers offered up helpfully, and Harry grinned in thanks as he continued on.

"Yeah that, they ostriched her to the point she wanted to just leave...then my best mate...well...ok...first friend insulted her and made her run and hide in a washroom. Girls and crying...always makes me uncomfortable..."

Every boy in the room mumbled in agreement as Harry took a sip from his glass of moonshine and a sip from his Coke before he smacked his lips and grinned, "Pretty good!"

Dudley let out a snicker as he patted Harry's shoulder before he continued on, "Anyway, someone let a wild animal into the school, and they ordered us back to the dorms with this...bear wandering the halls..."

"A bloody bear!?" One of the gang asked incredulously, and Harry only nodded in turn before sighing to the ceiling.

"Yeah, about that I guess, anyway, I forced Ron, my friend who hurt 'mione's feelings to help me and go fetch her since the prefects were bloody USELESS and wouldn't listen to us that there was a twelve year old girl alone and in danger.

"Bloody gits man, seriously the lot of them. Anyway, Ron and I get to the loo she's in and wouldn't you know it, she's being attacked by the bear."

The boys froze at that as Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose slowly before snorting in amusement, "I dunno what I was thinking at the time. Thing was about swipe 'mione, all I had was a stick, so I jumped on the rudding things back and jammed it right up its nose."

The surrounding boys leaned forward letting out various words of exclamation, Dudley's the loudest, "You didn't!"

Harry grinned sipping on more the clear liquid, "Oh I did, and my God did that piss it off. Anyway while it's runn'in around try'in to dislodge a chopstick from its nose Ron rolls this rudding huge piece of timber out from a higher ledge and *Bam!* the bear is clocked in the head. It goes out, we get in trouble, and become the best of friends..."

Harry sipped his liquor again before sighing while shaking his head, "Till Ron got..."

"Not talk'in about Ron, we're talk'in about yer girl, what was she like after the bear?" Harry blinked and glanced aside for a moment before shrugging lightly.

"Well...'mione's 'mione ya know? She's always there for me, always willing to protect me even when I don't rudding well need it...that damn broom... She...she was literally the only person that not only believed me but also stood beside me in that tournament. And...and when I brought Cedric's body back..."

He didn't mean to cry, he didn't, and he drank more of the magical clear happy liquid but it didn't make the pain go away, it just made him gag. Eventually Dudley took the glass from him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders before muttering out a simple question.

"What did she do when you brought your friends body back?"

Harry sat there, sulked then whispered, "She told me it wasn't my fault, and that I shouldn't blame myself."

Piers then spoke up for the group, "Do you care about her?"

Harry snorted, "Of course," Piers nodded once before speaking again.

"You care for her? Does she care the same for you?" Harry actually gave the boy a Snape level sneer which for some reason only had him grinning back as Harry snarled out his reply.

"Of course!"

Dudley then asked, "Why aren't you dating her then? Sounds like this school of yours is a load of rubbish and you look after each other. Why shouldn't you do it as a couple, together?"

Harry's eyes widened in horror as his stomach lurched, and soon he threw up on the floor. Eventually Dudley was able to get some water down his throat, and after a time got Harry somewhat coherent. Really it was Big D's fault, he forgot his cousin likely had no tolerance for this sort of swill, so begrudgingly he and Piers each took an arm over the shoulder and began walking back to 4 Privet Drive.

Midway through their journey Harry came to a moment, turned his head to meet Dudley's gaze and rasped out, "I'm in love with Hermione!"

"No fucking shit," Piers drawled out, causing Harry to meet the boys gaze with panic obvious in his eyes.

"What do...What do I tell Ron!?"

Dudley snorted at that with a wider grin, "Back off you worthless sod, or you'll be sorry."

Harry grinned at that then nodded, "Ok!"

Once back home Dudley and Piers laid Harry out on the couch, wishing his friend farewell Dudley spent the next few hours feeding Harry water and leading him to the loo. After 5am he sat on the couch, letting Harry rest his head on his lap, and passed out.

As it ended up his parents saw the scene in the morning and didn't quite know what to make of it, the freak was nuzzled up to their Duddikens, but neither of them seemed to be bother with it.

Being the perfectly normal people they were they decided to go out for the day, so as to not be involved with...whatever was going on.

"Harry, you need to wake up."

Oh sweet Circe...everything hurt. He remembered most of last night, he thought, Dudley and he sorta kinda came to terms, he got drunk, admitted he was in love with Hermione and...

Oh fucking shitting hell he was in love with his best friend!

What was he gonna tell Ron!?

'Back off you worthless sod, or you'll be sorry,' oh, yes.

Wise words Big D.

"HARRY FUCKING WAKE UP NOW THERE ARE MONSTERS TRYING TO GET THROUGH THE WINDOWS!"

Snapping his eyes open Harry sat up as his head very nearly clipped a concerned Big D's own cranium and he couldn't help but let a brow raise in consternation.

Because, it would appear directly outside of 4 Privet Drive, two dementors were caught before the window like moths in a bug zapper.

"Well...that's a thing..."

Dudley eyed his cousin for a few moments before snorting in amusement, "Potter...write a bloody letter to whoever is in charge of that madhouse world so we can get this over with and hit the hideout..."

Right the hideout, were more of that horrid, rancid, mind altering and fun inducing liquid was. Currently being blocked by soul vampires...

Time to write a letter to the DMLE...