The beautiful thing about expensive buildings is that there are often multiple entrances. Petunia’s building had three. The main entrance, which she often used out of sheer convenience. The staff entrance, which usually was off limits. And the parking entrance, which could only be used if one was in an automobile.
Petunia actually did have an automobile parked down below her building. It cost an obscene amount every month, but she found it worth it should she want to take the boys out of the city.
Now, with Lloyd in the passenger seat and the boys in the back, she was feeling rather smart about it.
Lloyd had, of course, accompanied Petunia on drives before but that did not make the wixen comfortable in the ‘monstrosity,’ as he liked to call it.
Petunia waited until they were miles away from their home before she lowered the convertible top and let the wind whip around them.
“Excited, boys?” She called out to Harry and Dudley, though she need not even ask. The boys had grins so wide that she could guarantee they hadn’t heard the tightness in her voice.
“How long is the drive, mom?” Dudley asked loudly, perching his body forward.
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He was tall for his age, with a large frame and so he blocked quite a bit of her view by doing so. One day, Petunia thought, he’ll be a wonderful athlete.
“Four hours, give or take.”
“Will we stop for food along the way?” Harry chimed in, forcing his usually even voice to wobble as he shouted over the wind.
Unlike Dud, Harry was lean. Not in a malnourished way, of course, but in the way a growing boy gets after a growth spurt. He was nearly as tall as Dud.
“Yes, yes, we’ll get you boys fed before we tour Salem.” She tsk’d.
“Thanks, mom!” Harry laughed, waving to a truck driver as Petunia sped up and they throttled down the highway.
It was a long drive, wherein Petunia could feel every assault Dumbledore made against the wards. He never let up, not for a moment. And it was wearing on Petunia’s psyche.
At some point, Petunia was sitting at a run down diner with her boys, all three. Pulling out her wallet, her hands shook. A particularly nasty attack spell was absorbed by her wards.
Lloyd was looking at her, worry plain on his face.
“Is that blasted man never going to give up?” She hissed under her breath, meeting Lloyd’s gaze. The man gripped Petunia’s shaking hand and squeezed tightly, reassuringly.
“He’ll have to. I’ve sent word to Lisa. She’ll be making a personal visit within the next day or so.”
Harry and Dud were looking at the exchange curiously, their eyes fixated on the way Lloyd seemed to be gripping their mothers hand like a lifeline. As if when he let go she would disappear.
“Good,” Petunia said, her voice cool and collected as ever. She did not pull her hand from Lloyd’s, not even when she met Harry and Dud’s gazes. “All right boys, wrap it up. We’ve got to get back on the road.”