16 Morning After

In the morning, it is surprisingly quiet. This is a rare occurrence, seeing as how someone is usually shouting at us to make breakfast. So when Harry and I awaken, we are instantly suspicious.

After we quietly get dressed, we sneak out of our room, looking around carefully in case it's a trap. Seeing nothing, we sneak our way past the living room where we notice that Petunia is still passed out. That's one.

Once we reach the kitchen, we take a careful peak to see if Vernon is still there. It's empty though. We exchange a glance, communicating silently in that way only twins like us can do.

Finishing our mental conversation, we get to work. We clean up the kitchen, standing the overturned chair upright, cleaning the dishes, throwing away the trash, etc.

After that's done, we get started on making a light breakfast. We aren't sure who, if anyone, is going to eat it, so we make sure we make enough for everyone. Including us.

Once the smell of breakfast and coffee starts to permeate the house, we start to hear movement.

The first person to show up is Petunia, no surprise since she was closest to the kitchen. Her red eyes blearily take in the scene of us cooking breakfast, but fails to notice the distinct lack of her husband being there to "encourage" us.

Harry pours her a cup of coffee and places it in front of her as she sits in her usual spot. She just stares at it for a moment, as if she's trying to figure out what it is. Then she slowly wraps her hands around it, inserting her fingers inside the handle so she can fully feel the warmth. Carefully, she lifts it to her lips and takes a slow, languid sip. She lets out a loud exhale once she's done.

"Ah, that hits the spot." Her eyes are closed as she relishes the faintly receding hangover from last night.

Soon enough, Vernon makes his way in, stumbling into the doorframe twice before he makes it through. He practically drops himself in his chair, and I can swear that it's crying for death again. I place a cup of coffee in front of him, and the process with Petunia repeats. Only, instead of a slow sip, he takes a great big gulp of it.

Soon enough breakfast is done, plates are set, and food is distributed. We even set a plate for Dudley, though considering he's not down yet, he probably ate himself into another candy coma for the day. Same as last year.

Thankfully, Vernon and Petunia are too distracted by the food to notice that Harry and I gave ourselves the same food as them. Part one of the plan is successful. Now we just have to wait for the two of them to finish waking up before we can enact the second part.

It doesn't take long, the combination of food and coffee working to reduce both their drowsiness, and their hangovers. By the time they come out of it though, the two of us have finished our food and deposited our plates in the sink. So they'll have no idea we ate the same food as them.

They look around as they finally realize where they are. Harry takes this moment to speak up.

"So Uncle Vernon, Clarity invited us over to her house next weekend, and we would like to accept." I can tell he's nervous, be he manages to speak confidently.

Vernon just blinks at him and begins to speak at his usual volume before he thinks better of it. "WHA-ugh. What are you talking about boy? You know that you two cadgers aren't allowed out."

I clear my throat. "Actually," I manage to keep the smug out of my voice, but it's hard. "according to the wagers you had with Mr. Insania last night, you are required to allow us to go. It wouldn't look good for you if you were to break the terms of your agreement with him."

He pauses for a moment, and I can practically see the gears in his head turning as he tries to figure out what I'm talking about. I can see the moment he remembers. His jaw drops, his face alternatively turns pale, then red.

He begins to speak in a furious tone, but still not yelling. Guess he doesn't want to risk making his hangover worse. "You little cadgers spiked our drinks last night!"

Harry and I simultaneously facepalm. I look at him like he's an idiot. Which he is. I just didn't expect him to be this big an idiot. I speak to him slowly. "How could we have done that? We weren't anywhere near the kitchen before we left, nor could we have possibly know what you would have to drink. Honestly, we still don't. And by the time you would have gone to the kitchen, we were long gone with Clarity. Not to mention that Mr. Insania wasn't drunk. So how could we have spiked your drink but not his?"

Vernon's face slowly loses its redness. Even he has to agree that his accusation is far-fetched. Slowly, he nods. "Very well. You can go." Under his breath, he mutters, "At least it's just this one time."

"Ah, actually Uncle Vernon," Harry speaks up, "you agreed to no less than seventy days where we could accompany Clarity in various activities."

His face turns red again, and he looks like he's about to scream, hangover or no, when Petunia interrupts.

"Just let it go darling. You did make the wager with Mr. Insania. Even if most of the night is a blur, I do remember that quite clearly."

It takes a few minutes of obvious internal struggle before Vernon manages to calm himself down, and he simply nods.

Harry and I exchange a glance of celebration at getting Vernon to uphold his word. I honestly thought that it had a fifty-fifty chance of him saying no anyways.

We just begin to grin when the front door rapidly slams open then closed. Then we hear the lock click and Dudley bursts into the room. His costume of some guy in red metal armor and a helmet is drenched in sweat.

Before any of us can say anything, he manages to gasp out a few words. "T-t-t-tiger. In the streets."

Then he faints.