This story was written for the House Competition by Moonlight Forgotten (Year 3)

Round 10

House: Gryffindor

Position: Year 1

Category: Drabble

Prompt: Family (a sad occasion)

Words: 464

James was playing with a one-year-old Harry in the hall when he heard Lily shriek his name from the next room. He quickly put Harry in his cot before making his way to the next room. Lily was in tears when he found her.

"Lily, sweetheart, what's wrong?" asked an alarmed James as he put his arms around her.

Lily handed him a letter which turned out to be an Owl from Dumbledore informing them about the deaths of Vernon, Petunia, and Marge Dursley from a car crash the night before. Their one-year-old son, Dudley, had survived as he was home with a babysitter that night. James was unsure of what to say to comfort his grieving wife.

"Lily, I'm sorry," said James, tightening his grip around her and stroking her hair as she sobbed on his chest.

"She died hating me," said an inconsolable Lily.

"She's your sister. I'm sure she loved you even if she didn't show it." James tried to comfort the Muggle-born witch.

"I never made peace with her," Lily continued.

"You sent each other gifts last Christmas, so that's sort of a relationship," James offered, but this was met with a glare.

Maybe he should just shut up and let her get it all out.

"And, poor Dudley… He's just a baby like Harry and he's an orphan. James, we can take him in, can't we?" asked Lily hopefully. "We're his only family left."

James didn't have a problem opening his house to Dudley. He did feel sorry for the poor kid, but he wondered how Dudley would feel growing up in a family with all wizards while he was a Muggle. Perhaps he would end up being a Muggle-born like Lily?

"I don't mind taking him in, but are you entirely sure it's a good idea? Wouldn't Dudley feel inferior growing up in a family with wizards?"

"We'll do our best to make him feel included," said Lily quickly. "The only other alternative is to send him to an orphanage."

James supposed that Lily had a point.

"Alright, we'll take him in," he agreed.

James, Lily and Harry were at a Social Service center, waiting for baby Dudley to be brought to them. There were two strollers with them, one with Harry in it, and an empty one. After a fifteen minute wait, a social worker brought Dudley to them. Lily began to get teary eyed as she saw her nephew and she felt James hold her hand reassuringly. This was the first time she was laying eyes on Dudley as Petunia had never even bothered sending pictures. Dudley looked mostly like Vernon but he was blonde like her sister. He was her sister's son and she would honor his sister's memory by raising him well in a loving home.