Cerebella and Feng sat in front of their TV in comfortable silence. Cerebella had tried to convince her friend to watch a scary film, but relented when Feng threatened to break her horror CDs while she slept.
So the two just sat through whatever happened to be on at the moment, Cerebella boredly turning channels on the remote and Feng resting her hand on her cheek.
"Much as I love my days off...they're sooooo boring sometimes!" Feng whined. Cerebella just nodded, not really feeling up to giving a verbal response. "Then again... I guess today was a pretty good day off for you." Feng continued, and Cerebella's smile widened. Her thoughts drifted to the bundle of sweetness upstairs, sleeping peacefully... she was so happy she had found him, that she had saved him. He wasn't going anywhere, and he wasn't going to be hurt. Ever again.
She looked back at the TV and donned a thoughtful expression. "I wonder what kinds of movies he'd like..." She mused. "Probably some kiddy stuff, yeah?"
"Oh totally. No creepy horror movies for him, you hear me? Those will haunt him for the rest of his life!" Cerebella rolled her eyes with a light smirk.
"Gimme a break, Feng. I can't help it if a little scary stuff makes you wet the bed at night." Feng punched her in the shoulder, and she laughed it off.
"Hey, the kid seemed terrified enough by the people he's gonna be living with, don't give him more to be afraid of." Feng said plainly, and Cerebella had to concede that her friend had a point.
"Yeah, you're right." She grumbled. "And Beatrix... man, what's wrong with her?! She starts rambling about how he's some powerful magic user and then tries to take him!"
"Well, have you considered that Beatrix May be right?" Feng replied.
"What?"
"Trix is a lot of things." Feng explained. "A manipulator, an egomaniac, a narcissist, a stuck up bit-"
Cerebella clapped a hand over her mouth. "Careful what ya say, Feng, you know how she loves to show up and give me grief. Don't wanna her to overhear you badmouthing her, do ya?"
Feng snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. "C'mon, Bella, I'm not afraid of her! I think I'm strong enough now to take her in a fight!"
Cerebella gave her a flat look. "Really? You wanna take that chance after what happened last time you picked a fight with her? That was the second time you got covered in elephant poop." Feng sighed and lowered her head, remembering the incident... it had taken FOREVER for her to finally start smelling normal again...
"Don't tell Harry about that." She suddenly said crossly, Cerebella smiled in response. "I'm serious!"
"Look, what was your point, about Trix being right?" Cerebella asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Well, when it comes to magic, she's actually pretty smart." Feng reasoned. "And while I wouldn't be surprised if she lied about almost anything else, I don't see her as someone who'd lie about her magical prowess. Namely because it's so much stronger compared to us."
Cerebella snorted. "Please, she's not stronger than me just 'cause she has some fancy magic! I manhandled her last time we fought each other!"
"And she sent you flying through three brick walls the time before that. You two are pretty much equal, y'know, ever since she started actually using magic..."
"Please, I'll bet it's not even magic. She's a magician, would you put it past her to use a bunch of fancy stage tricks?" Cerebella reclined on the couch. "Even if she was magic though, she's not allowed anywhere near Harry."
"And do you think she's going to just listen to you?" Feng continued, trying to get a point across to her friend. Cerebella paused, thinking over what her friend said.
"What? No... what would she..." Cerebella trailed off then shook her head, her hair bouncing slightly. "Even if she tries anything, I'll make her regret it."
"You're already acting like a mom." Feng smiled.
Cerebella shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Well, I'm pretty much a mom now, might as well act the part." She reasoned. Feng put a hand to her mouth and snickered.
"You're such a softie." She said in amusement. Cerebella turned to her friend with a glare and a pout, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I am not a softie! I just have a conscience, that's all!" Feng patted Cerebella's shoulder.
"Being a softie isn't a bad thing y'know."
"Yeah, and I think Harry needs all the softness he can get right now." Cerebella sighed. "He's been through too much for someone his age." Feng nodded in agreement.
"Poor little baby... Just ditching him like that... how could they do that to him?!" Feng grumbled, leaning forward.
"It doesn't matter why. They did." Cerebella said matter-of-factly. "And more importantly, what matters is he's mine now."
Feng grinned and hugged her friend. "Aww, Bella, that's so sweet!" Cerebella smirked and patted her friend's head gently, feeling a sense of pride.
"Ah, c'mon, Feng, you're making me blush here." The greenette replied somewhat sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head with Vice-Versa.
"Hey, d'you think he's awake yet? It's been a couple hours and it's almost suppertime." Feng reasoned. Cerebella looked over at the stairs and decided to check. Making hey way upstairs, she slowly opened her door and looked into the room with a smile. She saw Harry turning slightly in his sleep, making the weight lifter sigh deeply. She had a feeling this was going to happen sooner or later, not even if she ended up keeping him, but the next time poor Harry fell asleep, he was going to be plagued by these nightmares. Slowly she sat herself on her bed and gently shook the boy's tiny frame.
"Harry? Harry can you hear me? It's not real. What you're seeing isn't real."
Harry suddenly bolted upright, white as a sheet and looked around in a panic. He recognized a familiar voice, but without his glasses had a hard time seeing anything. Cerebella carefully grabbed the boy's glasses off the nightstand and placed them on his face, causing him to immediately calm down when he saw who it was.
"M-Miss Bella...?" He asked timidly. Cerebella gave him a small smile before wordlessly pulling him into an embrace, offering all the comfort she could to the small boy.
"That's right, little guy, Miss Bella's here..." She said softly. "Ya have a bad dream?" She felt Harry nod against her shoulder. "Ya wanna talk about it?"
"Um... I... I was all alone, and it was cold." Harry began, clearly scared. "And then I was falling, and then I was back with my family... and they hurt me. You weren't there and... and..." Harry's voice hitched and Cerebella gently let out a 'shh' to calm him.
"It's okay, I'm here now." She said reassuringly. "You don't ever have to go back there, you're gonna stay with me now. I'll take good care of you, I promise."
Slowly lifting him out of the bed, she took a seat and hugged him tightly against her bosom, stroking his hair gently to let him know that here, he was cared for and cherished.
He was so light... It was unbelievable just how little this child weighed... Cerebella planted a kiss on top of his head, and the little coo she got from the act assured her that he was calming down.
She slowly rose to her feet, stepping out the door of her bedroom and carrying him downstairs. "C'mon, little guy, come spend some time with me and Feng."
"Okay." Harry replied, content in Cerbella's arms. The weight lifter made Hey way back downstairs and took a seat next to her roommate, placing Harry on her lap.
"Hi baby, didja sleep well?" Feng asked, smiling down at Harry, and frowned when she saw his somewhat upset look on his face. "Awww... did you have a bad dream?" Harry nodded his head slowly. Feng reached over and gently patted his head. "Well, y'know what always cheers me up when I have a bad dream? A snack." She rose. "Lemme go see if we have anything to munch on..."
Cerebella smiled after her friend, then looked down at Harry and rubbed his back. "Y'see? People care about ya here, little guy... Oh, hey, Kitty." The cat in question hopped up onto the couch with a meow and approached his master before noticing Harry was there and taking interest in him instead.
"Hi Kitty." Harry said timidly. The cat meowed in response and sat itself on his lap. Harry slowly began to scratch the cat behind it's ears, earning a happy purr in response, along with Kitty's head rubbing up against his hand. Cerebella's smile widened as she watched her two favourite cuties interact.
"Aww, looks like Kitty has a new best friend!" She cooed, making Harry giggle as she gently poked his side playfully. Harry smiled up at his caregiver and leaned into the contact. Humourously enough, he himself was acting somewhat catlike himself when given affection. Cerebella was half expecting him to start purring like Kitty.
Feng returned not long after, holding a box of cookies in her arms. "Hey, guys, let's finish off these cookies, sound good?" She asked before setting the box down on the table. Harry looked at them, then his demeanour turned to one of sadness, both girls noticed and Feng lifted his chin up. "Hey sweetie, what's wrong?" She asked kindly. "You don't like cookies?"
"I'm not allowed to have them..." Harry mumbled in response. "I'm too freaky for normal people food." Feng's jaw seemed to hit the ground as she looked up at her roommate, her face was one of sorrow and a mild sense of anger. The weight lifter simply gave her a look, saying 'We'll talk later.'
Cerebella gently grabbed Harry's chin and tilted his head up to look at her. "C'mon, kid, we've been over this. You're not a freak. You're just a normal, everyday kid."
"I...I..." Harry stuttered, trying to find his voice but failing utterly. Cerebella sighed and kissed the top of his head gently to offer her support.
"Just forget what your old 'family' taught you. It's wrong, okay? All of it is just wrong. There's nothing freaky about you. Not even one thing." There was a bit of a pause, then Harry finally nodded.
"If you say so." He mumbled.
"I do." Cerebella said matter-of-factly. "Now open up, you're gonna LOVE these!" Harry wanted to protest, but he did as he was asked, Cerebella smiled and picked up a cookie, gently putting it in his mouth and letting him bite off a chunk. He chewed the piece of pastry slowly, still feeling slightly unsure, buf his expression quickly turned pleased as he realized that he liked the taste of the cookie. Cerebella smirked as he swallowed his treat and messed with his hair playfully. "Heh... Y'see? What'd I tell ya? Good stuff, right?" She asked playfully.
"It... It was yummy..." Harry said softly. Cerebella handed him the rest of the cookie, giving him an encouraging look, clearly telling him to go ahead and dig in. In one bite, Harry savagely and messily devoured the cookie, making both women present laugh at his expression as he ate the treat. Once it was all gone he looked up at Feng, his face covered in crumbs and chocolate, but his eyes almost pleading silently for another. Feng felt like she was going to have a heart attack from it, and she happily picked up another cookie, only for Cerebella to swipe it from her.
"My turn."
Feng rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Tch... Somehow I get the feeling it's ALWAYS going to be your turn, Cerebella." She huffed.
Cerebella snickered as she gave Harry another bite of cookie. "Well, y'know, I'm his guardian, and as his guardian, I get special privileges."
Feng snorted. "Riiight. Special privileges. Like the privilege to be a Harry hog?" She asked flatly. Cerebella responded by sticking out her tongue and pulling down her eyelid. "Yeah, that's real mature." Feng was about to continue her complaints, when she heard a tiny giggle from Cerebella's lap. The two looked down at Harry, who was looking up at the women with a tiny smile on his face. The two girls looked at each other, then Feng pulled her eyelids up and stuck her tongue out at her roommate, hoping to get a laugh from Harry.
It worked. The boy laughed softly, and the two girls exchanged toothy grins. Then they began making a variety of increasingly bizarre faces at each other. As Harry laughed joyfully at their silly faces, Kitty looked back and forth between them from his spot on Harry's lap like he thought they were both idiots.
Eventually, the two women had to stop with the faces, as their facial muscles were beginning to feel stiff. Cerebella messed up Harry's hair playfully. "You have a great laugh, kiddo." Harry blushed and looked down, trying not to show his embarrassment as Feng suddenly managed to worm Harry out of Cerebella's arms, setting him on her lap.
"And the cutest most adorable widdle face!" She added, playfully nuzzling his head with her cheek. Harry liked Miss Feng, he liked Miss Cerebella more, but Miss Feng was a close second.
Cerebella huffed when Feng took Harry, smirking playfully at her friend. "You're a dirty Harry thief." Feng stuck her nose up in the air and snorted.
"Like I'm gonna get a chance to hold him any other way, miss Cutie Hogger." Cerebella playfully punched her friend's shoulder, which caused Feng to very noticeably cringe.
"Ah... Sorry, sometimes I forget my own strength." Cerebella said sheepishly. Feng just gave her a dirty look.
"Sure..." Feng rolled her eyes, sarcasm dripping in her tone, before smiling down at Harry. "Well, now I've got a Harry shield! You wouldn't want to hit him would you?" Cerebella's eyes widened in horror at the remark.
"Feng! That's just mean!" Cerebella exclaimed.
"Too bad! He's all mine now!" Feng replied, turning away and holding Harry close, kissing his tiny head. Harry was giggling at the interaction between the two and the kisses. "Hmmmm... I wonder if my little Harry is ticklish?" Feng said with a grin.
"YOUR little Harry?! Oh, that's a laugh!" Cerebella snorted. "The kid's mine and you know it." Feng gave her a toothy grin, and Vice-Versa put a hand to her face. "Atta boy, Vice, block that ugly face."
"Hmm! M fc s nt ugy!" Came Feng's muffled protests. She removed her arms from around Harry and set to trying to remove Vice-Versa's hold on her.
"Ah-HA!" Cerebella seized the opportunity to snatch Harry away from Feng, setting him back in her lap triumphantly. Feng sputtered in indignation as Vice Versa released her.
"Foul! Foul!" She exclaimed. Cerebella stuck out her tongue once more. Kitty was now seated between the two, looking like he thought he was surrounded by idiots. "Give him back!" Feng shouted only to have Cerebella's hand pushing against her head keeping her from moving. "No fair! you're way stronger than I am!"
"Hmmmm... I don't know..." Cerebella mused. "What do you think Harry? Do you want to stay with me? Or be with mean old miss Feng?" Harry looked at the two women, then smiled and nuzzled closer to Cerebella, who hugged him triumphantly.
Feng crossed her arms and sulked in her seat, her cheeks popping out like a pufferfish as she let out a loud, audible "Hmph!" Vice-Versa clapped a hand against Feng's back.
"Ah, no worries, Feng, you can have Kitty!" The cat in question had indeed shown interest in Feng, and clambered onto her lap, looking up at her and purring.
Feng smiled slightly. "...Yeah, Kitty's cute... I still think you should have named him Midnight though."
"And I still think Midnight is an edgelord name."
"Edgelord?" Harry asked confused, tilting his head as he looked up at Cerebella.
"Oh, uh, it's a term meaning 'trying to sound cool'." Cerebella said, giving a (relatively tame) answer.
"I think Midnight is a nice name." Harry commented, patting Kitty's head, earning a happy 'mew' from the kitten, Feng grinned widely while Cerebella pouted.
"But he already knows his name is Kitty... I can't change it now..." Cerebella grumbled, resting her chin on Harry's head with a pout. Kitty meowed, as if in affirmation
Feng scratched the cat beneath his chin and he purred lightly at the affection. The smaller girl smirked lightly. "You sure he's your cat, Cerebella? He really seems to like me."
"Aw, c'mon, Feng, now you're trying to steal my cat too?" Cerebella griped, giving her friend the stinkeye. Feng just snickered in response.
"I mean, throw me a bone here! You get Kitty AND Harry? That's just not fair!" Feng continued with mock annoyance. "If you want Kitty, it'll cost you a Harry."
"You REALLY think I'd trade Harry for Kitty?" Cerebella asked, bemused.
"Well, in that case..." Feng shrugged, rising to her feet and walking away, holding Kitty in her arms. Cerebella frowned then groaned in annoyance.
"Okay... how about we trade for a few minutes?" She sighed in defeat. Feng smirked and handed Kitty to Cerebella, prompting the black cat to hop into his master's lap. Cerebella smirked and scratched behind his ear. "Sorry, bud, Miss Feng's got me tied." She passed the boy to her friend. Harry was very amused by this whole situation. Miss Cerebella and Miss Feng were funny. He wondered if this was what it was like to be a ball.
Feng took him with a smirk. "Thank you SOOOOO much for your patronage." She said mockingly, prompting Cerebella to throw a cookie at her face. The cookie found it's mark and smacked into Feng, then bounced off her and landed in Harry's hands. He blinked, then began eating the cookie, clearly enjoying it. "Daaawwww, I think I love you." Feng cooed, tickling Harry's chin.
Cerebella smirked at Feng's response. "I think very few people would disagree with you there, Feng." She said before deciding to help herself to a cookie as well. Kitty meowed and stood on his hind legs, supporting himself by pressing his front paws against his owner's chest. Cerebella petted his head fondly before turning the TV on. The trio sat in comfortable silence as they watched the television. By the time the cartoon they were watching ended, Harry had found his way back in Cerebella's lap. The green-haired woman wrapped her arms around him and held him close, Harry snuggled into the contact and looked up at his caregiver, giving a tiny smile which made Cerebella's heart melt. The three remained where they were for a few more shows until Harry seemed to be drifting off once again. Cerebella chuckled softly and kissed the top of his head. "You are one sleepy kid, aren'tcha?" She asked playfully. Harry mumbled something into her stomach.
"A little nap can't hurt." Feng said with a shrug. "I'm gonna go get dinner started. I think we're all ready for an actual meal." As if on cue, their stomachs growled in unison. Harry smiled as he was rested against Cerebella's chest and carried off once again. Bella was gently humming a tune to him as she returned to her room. By the time she had set him on the bed, he was already fast asleep. However, Cerebella decided this time she was going to stay, she knew poor sweet little Harry was going through a lot, and she wanted to be there for him. She looked at the sleeping boy and found herself thinking... He had slept an awful lot within the span of one day... It seemed he had a lot of sleep to catch up on... The question was...why? Did his original... 'caretakers' deprive him of sleep on top of everything else? Did they deliberately keep him awake just so he would suffer more? She breathed heavily through her nostrils, her anger flaring as she began to picture someone willingly subjecting this sweet little thing to pure, unadulterated hell on earth.
Cerebella knew that at some point she was going to have to ask him about the conditions that led to him running away and hiding in a garbage can, but for now, she was completely overtaken by how adorable he looked when he slept. The already tiny boy curled into a tiny ball and was quietly snoring, barely audible, but just enough to sound like a bird chirp almost. It was one of the cutest things Cerebella had ever seen, she wished she could keep this moment forever.
But her mind drifted to something else that had happened earlier, Beatrix had said that Harry had magic. She couldn't have been serious, right? But then again, Beatrix wasn't one to lie about magic, and she seemed far too interested in Harry suddenly. Cerebella frowned and tightened her grip on the small boy remembering how Beatrix tired to steal him... She would try again. She just knew it. The arrogant magician always did have it out for her, and when she wanted something, she stopped at nothing to get it...
Shaking her head, Cerebella leaned forward and kissed Harry's cheek gently. "I will NOT let that miserable bitch take you... I promise..."
Meanwhile, back in Beatrix's room, the magician was furiously throwing knives at her dartboard. A dartboard that just so happened to have a picture of Cerebella on it. "Stupid...brainless...senseless...bitch!" Beatrix scowled as she continued throwing knives. "She has NO IDEA WHAT SHE'S DOING!"
After another few minutes, Beatrix calmed down and began pacing around her room, trying to think of a way to get Harry to understand that he needed HER to raise him, not that airheaded weight lifter... She took a deep breath and tried to think about what she was going to do about the situation... Cerebella was extremely stubborn, that much was obvious, and she was not going to give up the boy willingly...The magician gritted her teeth when she remembered what the weightlifter had said to her. Accusing her of being a potentially abusive parent... Who did she think she was?! She felt a light sting in her palm and realized she was clenching her fists. Loosening her grip, she looked down at her hands to see her nails had drawn blood.
"Thanks for that Bella..." She scowled as she went to clean her hands off. As she washed the cuts clean, her mind turned to another problem. How was she going to convince Harry that she'd be a better mentor than Cerebella? She knew whatever it was, she had to do it soon, short of kidnapping him and disappearing to another town, Beatrix was struggling to think of anything.
Then... a thought came to her.
Kids came to the circus all the time, and they always were enthralled by her magic, maybe if she showed Harry some, then promised to teach him... yes, that could work. Smirking, she took a seat on her bed and began to think. What kind of tricks would Harry enjoy seeing...? So many ideas, so many possibilities... Surely he'd want to learn some cool spells.
Back in Cerebella and Feng's room, the two girls sat in silence, waiting for the pot of noodles to start boiling. "Soooo... Did I do a good job on that clam sauce, or did I do a good job on that clam sauce?" Cerebella said boastfully.
Feng rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes, Cerebella, you sure did. I was watching you the entire time. And correcting you the entire time." She said flatly.
"...Couldn't just let me have it?"
"Your ego's big enough as it is, Bella." Cerebella pouted and turned away childishly, Feng laughing at her friends reaction. "So, random question, how much do you know about the kid?" Feng asked slowly, making Cerebella raise a brow.
"How much do I know?" She repeated, confused.
"Yeah, like... why was he in a garbage can? I get that he's probably been hurt, sadly possibly by his own family... but do you know why?"
The question gave Bella pause. It was a good question, but other than Harry saying he was too scared to go back, and he was a 'freak', there wasn't much to go off of. "I mean... The underneath of his shirt looks pretty nasty... Like...someone's seriously been hurting him... But the why, I have no idea..."
"Hmm... Um... Would it have anything to do with...the magic? Beatrix said that he was magic, do you think that would have anything to do with it?"
"Honestly, Feng, I couldn't care less about the why. They're getting their faces pounded into pudding either way, so it really doesn't matter."
"True. Very true." Feng nodded in agreement. "Oh hey, the food's done."
"Great!" Cerebella said happily. "Uh... now what?" Feng laughed, shaking her head and instructing her friend on how to finish up the meal. At the same time, the smell of warm noodles was wafting throughout the building, and it stirred Harry from his nap.
He let out a soft "Hmm...?" at the appealing smell before sitting up in the bed, stretching his arms and yawning softly. 'More food...? Probably for Miss Bella and Miss Feng...'
He looked down, but when the door opened, he smiled when he saw Cerebella walk in. "Ah, how about that, you're awake! Suppertime, kiddo, let's go eat!"
"Really...? You want me to eat with you...? Like... in the family room...?"
"Uh huh! You're part of the family now!" Cerebella said with a wide smile, then frowned when she saw it seemed like Harry was about to burst into tears. "Aww, what's wrong?"
"I...I..."
"Don't say you're too freaky, kiddo. You're not." Cerebella cut him off with a gentle kiss on the forehead.
"Why are you so nice to me?" Harry asked, looking up. Cerebella blinked at that and then took a kneeling position in front of him, placing her hands on his shoulders and pressing her forehead to his.
"Because there's no reason to be mean to you. None. The vermin that put that stuff in your head? They're the ones to blame. They're the ones I hate. Not you. NEVER you." Harry bit his lip, but when he saw the look on Cerebella's face, he decided not to argue. He replied with a timid nod and reached up, making the woman smile and lift him up into her strong arms. She adjusted Harry so he was sitting in her arms as she began to make her way towards the dining room.
Cerebella sat herself at the small table she shared with Feng, then set Harry gently on her lap. She folded her hands together so they were wrapped around him, she gave him a playful poke which earned a tiny giggle from the boy. Feng was serving up the noodles and brought over three steaming bowls. "I hope you like it, Harry." She said with a smile. Harry thanked them for his meal, then looked at it and his eyes lit up in recognition. It was seafood linguinni! He had made this dish several times in the past!
Cerebella quirked a brow at the boy's reaction, smirking lightly. "Heh... Looks pretty good, huh? Made the sauce myself." Feng cleared her throat. "...Okay, Feng helped a little." Cerebella laughed when the smaller woman kicked her shin from under the table.
"I used to make this for my...um...family..." He was hesitant to call the Dursleys that. "I...I tried some shrimp once, but my uncle saw, and he..." He fell silent and clutched at his tiny arm. Cerebella pulled back his sleeve and noticed an absolutely nasty burn mark on the boy's arm.
"Oh my God..." Cerebella whispered, everything suddenly starting to connect better. She knew his uncle had hurt him... but not even letting him eat?! No wonder he was so skinny! Cerebella hugged Harry tightly and kissed the top of his head. "That... that isn't right. No, no... you'll never..." She trailed off, tears forming in her eyes. "I promise, you'll always have food to eat, and you'll NEVER be hurt here Harry."
Feng was looking at the scene before her in shock. She approached slowly and hugged Harry from another angle. "Oh God, what did they do to you...?" She breathed.
Harry was snuggled into Cerebella. Despite the circumstances of the situation, he couldn't help but maintain a small, content smile on his face. Was it really true? Could it really be possible that all his pain and misery was finally coming to an end? Could he really be raised somewhere where he was loved? "If you don't wanna talk about it, that's just fine." Cerebella said soothingly, rubbing his back in a sign of comfort and affection.
"Yeah, sorry sweetie... didn't mean to bring up bad memories..." Feng mumbled, feeling bashful about what she may have done.
"S'okay..." Harry mumbled. Cerebella looked down at him, and chuckled softly when she saw the expression of peace and contentment on his face.
"Heh... All right, Mr. Smiles, I think it's time to eat now." She said before scooping up a spoonful of linguinni and putting it in his mouth. The meal was spent in relative silence as Cerebella fed Harry, the happy mood from earlier essentially ruined by what Harry had revealed about his life. However, the two women didn't know that for the first time in his entire life, Harry felt safe. He felt safe... and loved. Two things he thought he would never experience in his life, and for that, he was unbelievably grateful. He just didn't know how to put it into words. Sure, he was frightened every time his family was brought up, but he also believed now that Miss Cerebella and Miss Feng would protect him. He trusted them.
And unknown to the trio, just outside the window, Beatrix was watching them. Her frown deepened as she saw the tiny magical prodigy she wanted to train snuggle closer to Cerebella. She needed to act fast. Scowling at Cerebella, she turned to walk away, looking down at her spellbook. She had chosen the spells she was going to show Harry... She would act tomorrow.
Later that night...
Cerebella was currently sitting with Harry on her lap, putting together a list. She was going to have to buy some things for the little boy. He had nothing but the clothes on his back...
He needed a toothbrush... Clothes... Some toys for sure... A few books couldn't hurt, maybe a small blanket for him as well. She looked down at the boy in her lap and smiled as she saw him resting against her chest, breathing contently. A few moments later, Kitty appeared and hopped up on the table. At first, he seemed to be looking for leftovers, but when he felt Harry begin to scratch his ears, he meowed approvingly and remained where he could be pet.
Cerebella smiled mirthfully before her mind jumped to what she was going to do tomorrow. It was supposed to be back to training for the circus group... What was she going to do with Harry in the meantime? She didn't know anyone who could watch him, and she didn't want to leave him alone... Maybe he could just sit in the bleachers and watch. Yes, that sounded like a good idea...
"Hey, Harry?" Cerebella spoke up, smiling down at the tiny boy. "Me, Feng and the others need to practice for a bit." She began but noticed an undeniable look of terror in Harry's eyes. "What's wrong?"
"A..are you l..l...leaving me?" The tiny boy stammered, he seemed relieved when Cerebella kissed him on the top of his head.
"Of course not." She said matter-of-factly. "I just wanted to tell you that you'll be sitting a little bit away so you don't get hurt. But don't worry, I'll be able to see you the whole time." Harry seemed to relax at that. Cerebella messed up his hair playfully. "Yeah, nothing to worry about. It's not gonna happen until tomorrow morning."
"Oh... Okay, that's good then..." Harry said softly. The circus girl continued to think about what she needed to get for him so he could live comfortably. "Um... Miss Bella...?"
"Hmm? Yeah, what's up, kiddo?" The greenette asked with a tilted head.
"Um... Thank you... For...For everything... You're really nice to me and you make me feel not as scared and I feel really safe and happy when you hold me..."
"Aww, shucks..." Cerebella said with a small smile. "You are just too precious for your own good." Harry's blush deepened as Cerebella held him closer and nuzzled his tiny head with her cheek. Harry giggled lightly at the contact and leaned into it happily. He really meant everything he had said, he felt safe and happy. He never wanted this to end.
And as far as Cerebella was concerned, no one would ever harm Harry again.