| Puffskein
Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Florida
Posts: 1,415
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Janet Lynn Gordon
Fifth Year |  Werecats are people too! Reader of Fan Fictions
CHAPTER SIX
Hate Takes a Backseat, Love Abounds
This last term Tom had to live with Petunia was turning out to be not so bad. He tried to stay out from under foot so Petunia could plan for her wedding. She was actually falling in love with Vernon.
In addition, she seemed grateful for Tom’s company. In the evenings after each day of seeing: the caterers, to decide what delectable delicacies are going to be served; the flower shops, to shop for the perfect brides bouquet, bride's maids' arrangements, boutonnieres for lapels, rose petals to be dropped on the red carpet runway, gardenia trellises, and so on and so forth the list seemingly unending, Petunia would tell Tom all the good things that happened that day, as she readied herself for bed.
Each day was another chore that needed tending. The day of the appointment to pick out her wedding dress was upon her. This would prove to be a very productive day for Tom. Marge, the soon to be
sister-in-law was coming to help Petunia pick the perfect dress.
“Tom,” Petunia said somewhat uneasily. “Marge raises dogs," her eyes squinted, her nose wrinkled, and her lips pursed showing she greatly disapproved, "and she’s bringing her favorite one along. The vial thing such as it is.”
Without thinking what she was doing, she picked up Tom, and sat with him on her lap, stroking his fur. She indeed was deep in thought, for this was the first time she had ever held him. “She has thoughts of putting it in the wedding. I don’t want it in the wedding though.
Vernon says I need to humor her because she controls the family fortune when his parents pass on.” Tom was thinking already what to do to take care of the situation; he was going to enjoy this. Master of deception is his magic after all.
Petunia was going on with her complaint in the background of his thoughts when something she said alerted him to his senses. “… was my plan all along to have you walking down the isle with the pillow clipped on securely carrying the wedding bands. Now I have to have that stupid dog carry it. I wanted to have pictures made and give to Lily. I know she loves you so, and she would enjoy seeing you in your smart Tuxedo.” Tom did not like this plan at all. He was all for helping the dog after all until she said about the pictures for Lily.
“Oh there’s Marge and Kipper, or whatever the horrid things name is. Tom, look what an ugly disgusting thing it is!” Her whisper reached an octave higher. “It’s drooling all over the place! Tom what shall I do, what shall I do?”
“Petunia, here we are Ripper and I at your service!” She started in command of the conversation. “Instead of us traversing all over the city, looking at gowns, I’ve phoned and have all of them coming here.”
“Oh, “Petunia said trying to have a congenial smile come to her face, with only a fraction of success. “That sounds delightful, I should have thought of that, but I didn’t. (She lied; she had been looking forward to the bustling around all over the city.) I’m afraid I’ve got appointments and reservations at Crispers for lunch with Vernon, and,”
“Oh pish posh,” interrupted Marge cutting in on Petunia. Marge wafted her hand in the air, waving away Petunia’s plans. “No, this is much better, and we can all go out to dine later. And Ripper is just a puppy; an all day expedition would wear him out.”
“But, what of Tom? Cats and dogs aren’t the best of friends, it’s not in their nature to get along.”
“Tom will be fine, as long as he behaves himself,” she said looking warily at him. ”Ripper will be a true gentleman; he is very well behaved. Watch this.” She took Tom from Petunia by the scruff of his neck and hung him in front of Ripper. Were it not for the fact that he would loose his home, Tom refrained from lashing out with claws that would take off her hand for handling him this way, and kept himself limp in front of the dog.
He reached out to the animal with his magic and challenged it to see if it could bark and get slobber all over him without even touching him. Of course, Ripper was up for the challenge and was very happy to oblige. “Tom didn’t move a muscle. It looked like the dog had just tried to make a meal of Tom. Marge was flabbergasted and speechless.
“Tom!” Petunia screamed. She reached him and ever so gently brought him to her breast.
“Tom, are you alright? Please be alright.” He mewed softly and made himself tremble. Petunia carried him to the bathroom. “Oh yes of course” he thought eyeing the tub as she hurried to it, “every great plan has a downfall of some sort. Anyway strike one Ripper.”
Petunia drew up a shallow bath for Tom, and washed him carefully examining him for wounds that would need tending to. She was talking very sweetly to him, and then he looked to her face and saw she was crying.
He felt ashamed that he used her for the deception. He really did not have a clue that she cared for him like this. He new she was warming up to him, but didn‘t recognize the love he felt now. He nibbled on her chin, when he was clean and she held him to her wrapped in a towel. She smiled and said, “I see why Lily loves you so. I do too.”
She went back to the living room where Marge was giving Ripper a “you’re a very bad boy lecture.” “Is it going to make it?” Marge asked timidly.
Petunia smiled weakly, and forced a kind answer. “Yes, TOM (taking offense at him being called it) is ok. Thankfully, he did not draw blood. She looked at Ripper with repugnance. “I think he was just scared near to death.”
“Nonsense, Petunia, Ripper was just playing, he’s only a puppy,” she said recovering from her timid laps of her self-image.
Petunia was actually starting to tremble from holding her true feelings in for the despicable dog and his master.
“Well then,” she said not being able to hold it all in. “It seems Tom is the gentleman here then, because he didn’t tear you up trying to get away from Zipper and he didn’t rearrange Zippers face either. Now if you’ll excuse me, it seems I have people coming and I’m to be trying on gowns, and I’m not ready for that because I’ve got your dogs slobber all over me.
She got louder as she went, turned smartly about and then she and Tom went to get ready. When she came back out Marge was still standing in the same spot looking shocked at the way Petunia clearly manhandled her.
Then she smiled, “Well you’ve come through this test with flying colors. I was afraid you was one of those mamby pamby city girls that wouldn’t be worthy of the Dursley name.” she proffered two rather ham shaped arms towards Petunia for a hug. “Welcome to the family.”
“Petunia, you look radiant in that little fall bath robe.” she marveled, desperately wanting to change the subject after Petunia rejected the hug, but thanked her for the welcome. “The perfect thing to wear sense you’ll be getting fitted for your gown.”
Tom curled up on the overstuffed chair Harry had always sat in. The rest of the day was pleasingly pleasant once Petunia actually started trying on different dresses. Petunia settled on her favorite dress, which wasn’t the one Marge thought Vernon would pick, but, Petunia cut across her mid sentence. “Sense Vernon would look silly in any of them, I will take the one I like the most.”
Later that evening Vernon came over and it was discussed where they should go out to eat. “But, you two go on, “Petunia said,” I can’t leave, Tom, here with the dog.”
”Oh, just shut it in your bedroom.” Vernon spouted out. “It will be fine until we get back. Come on now hurry up I’m starved.” Petunia was offended once again at Tom being called, “it” but decided not to push the issue. She took him to her room and told him she was sorry. Tom wasn’t though; he had to be getting on with the next part of his plan.
They all left and Jim opened the door and went to the kitchen. “This will be perfect.” he said. Ripper was following Jim around smelling the boy, and being very curious.
“You should be thankful you can’t talk. I have ways of taking care of loose tongues.“ Jim told Ripper in a matter of fact way.
He got the wine and poured it out into Rippers water bowl, then broke the bottle perfectly, so there wouldn’t be any shards of glass, and placed it on the floor under the table the wine had been on.
“Here you go Ripper drink up, but do not touch this bottle or any part of it.”
He watched as the dog lapped up the wine. “Now, this is your final instructions for the night, and ,Jim told Ripper, what he had to do when his master got home. He put fresh water in the bowl and watched over the dog until he seen the car coming down the road.
He went to the bedroom and shut himself in and changed back into Tom, then curled up on the foot of Petunia’s bed as if he were asleep.
“What the bloody blaze is going on with that dog? It’s drunk!” yelled Vernon, his face turning a shade of plum purple. It’s knocked the wine off the table and drunk it!” he yelled incredulously.
“Strike two Ripper,” recounted Tom
Petunia screamed, as Ripper went over to the table leg and lifted his leg and yes, he did, he relieved himself of his full bladder of wine.
“Strike three Ripper, you’re out of the wedding.”
Poor Ripper. None of the events of the day was his fault, and yet he was the one in trouble. Tom didn’t have a bad conscience from it though. It was an unpleasant fact that; the masters are at fault most of the time when there are problems; and the animals are the ones to get in trouble for their stupid mistakes.
If Petunia wanted Ripper to be in the wedding, Tom would not have stepped in. When Marge just put him in and Petunia didn’t have a choice about it, her own wedding, that was Marge’s mistake.
Although Tom enjoyed this new and improved Petunia, he grieved for his master and digressed to the day she left for Hogwarts to start her last term of school. Petunia was so sweet and loving when she hugged Lily and admonished her to be careful of Severus before she left for school, then to change so swiftly with such animosity towards her, he wondered if Petunia might be suffering from some sort of mental instability.
He could not believe the vulgarity she used telling Lily to conjure up a love potion, and shack up with someone. That is indifference, even hate, but not love.
Hope you all enjoyd this chapter. I welcome all comments. I love reading all the posts. Happy New year!
Last edited by Connie; 11-21-2010 at 07:45 AM.
Reason: correcting mistakes
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