eight; HE DID DROP ME

Contrary to popular belief, it hadn't been Lily who was Daisy's favourite sister when she was little. No, Lily and Daisy were always close, exceptionally so, and Lily always dropped anything the second her baby sister needed her. But Daisy had always been so enraptured by Petunia.

Petunia, who she looked most like, Petunia, who took her out for ice cream every single Friday after school no matter what she had to put on hold, Petunia, who helped her with her homework and taught her to bake. Petunia, who, like Daisy, didn't possess the ability of magic.

Now, Daisy adored magic, and unlike her parents and both her sisters, she hadn't known a life where magic didn't not exist. It had always been a part of her life for as long as she could remember, and while she was sad when it never developed in her, it was okay because she still had Petunia. Her oldest sister was her best friend, and it was just one more thing that they shared.

Vernon Dursley had put a strain on the relationship between Daisy and Petunia. But it was November 1981 that placed a wedge between two sisters, who were closer than anything once upon a time. Petunia couldn't get over her jealously, and when she couldn't take out her bitterness on a dead woman, she decided to take it out on a baby and then side with her husband on all matters related to her youngest sister. In doing so, she lost Daisy's trust forever.

But, hope was on the horizon.

December bled into January, and the New Year found Daisy in the park with Harry by her side, his emerald eyes wide in awe as he watched the fireworks for the first time he could remember.

Vernon had taken Dudley and Petunia to a week-long event at Grunnings to celebrate the new year. He'd used the excuse that his niece was focused terribly on her studies and his nephew wasn't fond of big crowds to keep his least favourite people on the planet away from his job.

Daisy didn't mind considering Vernon thought she was staying with Emmy and Harry was with Mrs Figg when in truth, they had free reign of Number Four.

Bastard probably should have taken the spare key with him, Daisy thought smugly. She shook herself from her thoughts and focused her attention on Harry, who curled himself further into his blanket while he watched the night sky erupt in various colours of the rainbow.

Her sister, nephew, and brother-in-law had been gone for only three days so far, but Daisy had already witnessed the change in Harry when he wasn't in their presence. She saw the curiosity linger in his eye when none were there to scold him for it. The barest of hesitation when they went to the ice cream parlour, and he could choose more than vanilla, and the way the tenseness in his shoulders melted when Vernon was no longer near him.

Daisy felt more confident than ever in the plan set in motion a mere three and a half months earlier, which was slowly beginning to take shape.

"How cool is this!" Harry exclaimed as he pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders.

"So cool." Daisy agreed when a blue firework exploded into three more beams of light. She glanced at him and grinned before she reached over and adjusted the beanie on his head, the smile widening when he didn't squirm away from her.

"I wish they didn't have to come back," Harry whispered shyly, keeping his gaze firmly on the lights exploding above them.

"Me too, love." Daisy told him softly, "But...I think this year will be our best yet."

She wanted to tell him about the house in London waiting for them, but she couldn't. Not yet, not when they were so close.

Her nephew's smile was sad, "I hope so."

Daisy's eyes remained on Harry while he gasped in awe of a particularly astonishing firework, "You know, your mum proposed to your dad during a firework show."

That caught Harry's attention, and he immediately lost all interest in the firework display when he turned to face his aunt, eyes twinkling with a curiosity that Daisy never wanted to disappear, "Really?" He asked.

"Oh yeah." Daisy nodded, "My parents, your grandparents, were going away for their wedding anniversary, so I stayed with your Mum and Dad for two weeks, and your Dad suggested we go to a carnival near their place. At the end of the night, there was a firework show."

"Like this one?"

"Exactly like this one." Daisy exclaimed, reaching forward to adjust his beanie once more while he listened intently, "And I was on your Dad's shoulders so I could see better. I remember looking down at your Mum, and she was already looking at us, so when your Dad finally noticed she was watching us and not those incredible fireworks, he asked her what was wrong."

"What did she say?" Harry whispered.

"That he was good at dealing with my excitement, I'd nearly caused him to drop me about six times, but he never did. She told him that she loved him." Daisy answered, her voice cracking. She glanced up at the fireworks as less began to fill the sky, "And she told him that she wanted to marry him someday. I nearly choked him. Because he was so surprised that that time he did drop me."

Harry giggled at the image of a nine year old Aunt Daisy falling from the shoulders of a man who maybe looked a bit like him after his mother had shocked him.

"What happened next?" Harry had never heard a story about his parents, definitely a comment here or there when Aunt Daisy felt as though she could without punishment, so he needed to know as much as possible.

"Your Dad popped me down on the ground and told your Mum that he'd marry her the next day if she wanted to." Harry beamed as Daisy giggled at how romantic that night had been, how it set the tone for precisely the kind of partner she wanted, nothing less, "He said yes to her proposal, but he still pulled a ring out of his pocket and gave it to her, and you wanna know a secret?"

"I do." Harry eagerly agreed, leaning closer to his aunt as she moved her chair closer to his.

"He showed me that exact ring a month after I met him, asked me if my sister would love it." She told him, and Harry's face lit up with happiness.

"They really loved each other?" He asked hesitantly.

Daisy nodded, staring out at the outlines of people from the neighbour rushing about the streets, yelling to their neighbours, hugging, dancing.

"The path to them becoming friends was a bit rocky." Daisy admitted, "But they did become friends, and when they fell in love, there wasn't a doubt in anyone's mind that they were meant for one another."

Harry's smile was bright, though a touch sad, and Daisy pulled herself out of her seat and crouched in front of him, "I'm going to tell you every single story I know about both of them as soon as I can, I promise."

"I know." Harry nodded, "I don't want Uncle Vernon hurting you for talking about them. I can wait."

Daisy leant forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead, brushing the hair from his eyes when she moved away, "I think you're the coolest, you know."

"You're the coolest." He laughed, and his already elated expression lit up further, "Emmy!"

Daisy beamed and glanced over her shoulder to find Emmy making her way toward them, dragging a chair and two blankets. She stopped beside her best friend and placed her chair onto snowy grass before she leaned over Daisy to drape one of her blankets over Harry's shoulders.

"Happy New Year." She greeted the pair with a smile, and she dropped into her chair, placing the blanket she still had onto her legs and Daisy's, "What are we doing?"

"Happy New Year, Emmy." Harry exclaimed, "Aunt Daisy is telling me that my Mum proposed to my Dad!"

"That's so cool, bud." Emmy cried, the look on her face making Daisy smile softly, "Bet you expected it the other way around."

"That's how all my teachers say it's supposed to go!" Harry informed her, "But, I think it's cool that it doesn't have to be like that, don't you?"

"Oh, absolutely!" Emmy nodded, and her smile widened when Daisy nudged her knee with her own, "Seems Aunt Daisy agrees with me."

Daisy nodded when Harry glanced up at her.

Harry scrambled to move his chair to see Emmy better and talk to her properly. Daisy watched with a smile when he began to laugh during Emmy's story about a customer at work.

This year will be better for you, love.

══════════════════

hi, it's been a little while but i think i'm getting back into my groove with daisy, although this isn't as long as the last couple of chapters but i wanted to write in a little filler chapter between harry and daisy (also featuring emmy!) with a small bit of information on the former relationship between petunia and daisy just before we go into the final phase of daisy's plan which is going to be fantastic.

also, i'm kinda vibing with the idea of writing a long one shot where daisy has magic because i'd really love to work out just how much different her life would be if she was a witch.

thanks for reading!

~r