Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, I do not have any rights to Harry Potter and I do not make any money from writing these fic's.
A/N 1: Just to stop the confusion I live in the UK and I know the UK way of crocheting so I am using the UK method of crocheting so to me a Single Crochet in patterns mean a double crochet.
Chapter Fourteen
"Yes, we need to make sure our little genius does not become like those on the TV," Petunia said nodding her head, "One day he is going to become a lawyer! Or a doctor!"
"Or take after his old man," Vernon said puffing his chest out proudly, "So it is agreed then? The freak can do all the hard work while our Dudley can just relax and enjoy having a pet kitten!"
"Quiet right dear, our Dudley does enough hard work at school, his grades the best in his class," Petunia praised happily while ignoring the fact that Harry did both his own homework and Dudley's homework, "So do you think we should take the kitten up to the freak or make him come down and get it?"
"As funny as that would be I do not want the freak's arm broken," Vernon replied as he started to head towards the hallway, "Remember the freak still has a use to us, a very important one."
"I know but if he has not finished at least one of those blankets by the time we get up there he will be punished," Petunia replied following her husband.
"Of course he will, we can't go soft now can we?" Vernon answered as they walked into the hallway, "We can't let the freak forget his place!"
Making a sound of agreement Petunia followed Vernon as he made his way to the stairs, being careful not to startle or injure Dudley's new pet kitten Petunia walked a few extra steps behind Vernon as they walked up the stairs and held the kitten in front of her.
"The first thing the freak does with this germ bag is to teach it how to go to the toilet followed by how not to create messes in my nice clean home," Petunia said with a look of distaste on her face, "I will not have all my hard work gone to waist just because the freak is too lazy to train Dudley's kitten!"
"Well Pet I do not know about you but I hope the freak has not made a single dog blanket yet," Vernon said as they reached the top of the stairs with an evil glint in his eyes, "And don't worry Petunia, if that kitten does something wrong we can always just use it as another reason to show the freak who is in charge."
Even through Vernon could not see her Petunia nodded her head in agreement as her husband climbed the final step. As Petunia reached the top of the stairs she reached out and grabbed Vernon's shoulder making the man give her a dark look to which Petunia ignored.
"You give the freak the kitten, I have already been disappearing from Dudley's party enough times today, what will everyone think if I keep disappearing like this?" Petunia asked as she shoved the cage into Vernon's free hand, "And this time I disappeared with you! I need to get back to the party before anyone starts commenting on how big boned Dudley is, and before you start I helped you carry it up stairs."
Vernon just grunted in agreement and accepted the cat cage from his wife, he knew she was correct and with having a freak in the family they could not afford to be seen to be anymore un-normal then usually. Once Vernon had a good grip on both the cat cage and cat stuff Petunia gave him one last look before turning and quickly walking down the stairs.
"Don't be long dear, you have already missed a lot of Dudley's birthday," Petunia said as she reached the bottom of the stairs, "We need to think up of a way between us to make this up to Dudley. It is his birthday yet all it has been is all about the freak, first with the freak and Ripper, then the freak and the apple tree and then the freak and his legs and now the freak and the kitten."
Grunting in agreement Vernon nodded his head and turned began to walk towards the guest room which held Harry. As he got closer the soft sounds of mutterings about number's and stitches came to his ears causing Vernon to smirk.
'I do so hope that the freak has not done a lot in the short time he was alone' Vernon thought as he made his way towards the guest room 'I wonder if I will be able to find a reason to beat him again through...I do not need a reason.'
Chuckling at his thoughts Vernon came to a stop in front of the guest room door, without a thought about knocking on the door Vernon harshly pushed down on the door handle and slammed the door open, enjoying the cry of surprise that came from the freak as he did so.
"Boy!" Vernon said gruffly as he walked into the room with a glare on his face, "You better off been working on those dog blankets! I will not take anything better than perfect!"
"Yes uncle Vernon, I have been working on them," Harry replied nervously as he nervously held up his first dog blanket of which he had done a few rows of.
"Good, it seems you finally know your place boy," Vernon said with a sneer, inside he was fuming over the fact that he couldn't use the boy's laziness as a reason, "I got a job for you and it better be done good and fast!"
"Yes Uncle Vernon," Harry replied once again while his face was blank through on the inside he was brimming with excitement at the fact that he could still do things even through his legs did not work anymore.
"Dudley got a pet for his birthday," Vernon said as he uncaringly dumped the bag of cat items down on the guest bed out of Harry's reach, "A kitten, and I want you to train it."
"Me?" Harry squeaked out in shock and surprise only to let out a gasp of panic and look up at his uncle fearfully, he had just broken one of the rules, he had asked a question."
"You're lucky that I need you to get rich boy or else you would find yourself on the receiving end of one hell of a beating," Vernon growled out as he dumped the cage on the bed not caring about the cat inside, "Now train the blasted thing and make sure the first thing it knows is where to go to the basted toilet!"
"I understand uncle Vernon," Harry said as he found himself wishing his legs worked so he could curl up in a tight ball to protect himself from his uncle's wrath, "I will do my best to-"
"You will not try boy you will do," Vernon growled out as he reached forwards and undid the latch on the cage, "Now train the blasted thing and do whatever but remember it is not your pet but Dudley's!"
Nodding his head slowly Harry turned away from his uncle to the cat cage only to find a pair of glowing blue eyes looking out from the darkness, those knowing blue eyes where looking straight at him. Gulping nervously Harry turned his attention back to his uncle only to find that the large man was already walking through the doorway with the attention of going back to what was left of the birthday party.
"Do it fast boy or else you will be sorry, no matter what," Vernon said darkly only to smirk at the feat that crossed over Harry's face, "Good, I am glad you understand, now you are going to train that blasted kitten while I go to my son's birthday party. I hope your happy boy, you ruined Dudley's birthday and birthday party, you should count yourself lucky that you finally have some sort of use around here."
With those words said Vernon gave Harry one last warning glare before turning and walking out of the guest bedroom, making sure to slam the door shut so no one could see the freak if they wandered away from the birthday party. Harry sat frozen still as he listened to the sound of his uncle's footsteps slowly become father away, as the tell tale sounds of Vernon going downstairs, along with how the whole house shook Harry let out a breath of air.
He had made it through another encounter with uncle Vernon.
Sighing in relief Harry carefully turned back to his crochet only for his attention to be captured by a soft curious meow from the owner of the glowing blue eyes.
"A meow?" Harry asked himself with a frown on his face only for him to let out a low groan as it suddenly hit him, "I guess this is Dudley' new pet...I feel sorry for it."
Carefully Harry placed his half made dog blanket down on the bedside table, Harry did not know just what the animal would make of his crochet and all of his wool, Harry turned his attention back to the cage that was still on the end of the bed where his uncle had dumped it only moments before. A soft meow came from within the cage once again and with the pair of big blue eyes staring at him Harry felt something in his heart melt suddenly.
"Hey kitty...you are a cat right?...why don't you come out of there?" Harry asked softly as he tried to coax the kitten out of the travel cage, "Through then again I do not blame you, if I was to be Dudley's new pet I would run and hide...if I could."
At Harry's depressed words the curious kitten let out a soft mew and carefully walked to the front of the cage.
Epemetheus slowly made his way towards the front of the cage, carefully he smelt the air for any danger, his life had already been shortened enough by the way that the adult male Dursley had been carrying him, he was not some rag toy. As the words of a young boy came to his ears Epemetheus could not help but to let out a cat like snort.
'So this is the little one?' Epemetheus though as he thought over what the eldest Dursley male had just said t as he quietly inched towards the front of the cage like a normal curious cat 'I guess with him training me that I do not have to find some reason to get away from everyone. The question is through how to introduced myself to him without causing him to disappear."
Taking a deep breath, or the best he could do in his current form Epemetheus pushed open the cage door with his head and walked out of the cage and onto the bed only to find himself looking straight into emerald green eyes.
To Be Continued...