The night passed without incident, the only real thing of note was that when Cerebella had gotten into bed, Harry had almost instinctively rolled over in his sleep to meet her. The weightlifter grinned and happily wrapped him up in her arms.
Now Harry was training with Beatrix again, but rather than try teleporting, lifting, or more 'exotic' magic as some might say, Beatrix wanted to teach Harry a few magical abilities that focused more on the mind.
"Okay... Now, first thing's first... I'm gonna teach you how to do telepathy." Harry looked confused. Beatrix smirked. "How to talk to people with your mind."
"Wow... With my...mind...?" Harry asked. "So I don't have to talk or anything...?" Beatrix smirked and nodded.
"Not even one syllable."
"How?" Harry cocked his head in clear confusion.
'It's simple, really.' Beatrix spoke into Harry's mind, laughing quietly as his eyes went huge and he looked around, trying to see where the voice was coming form. 'I'm talking to your mind silly.'
"Oh. I'm sorry..." Harry mumbled.
Beatrix patted his head. "No worries, no worries, it's a new experience for ya. Now... All you have to do is really concentrate on what you wanna say..." Harry didn't have to think about it for very long, as he knew exactly what to say when he saw Cerebella out of the corner of his eye...
'I love you, mommy.' Cerebella suddenly heard Harry's voice fill her head. Cerebella gasped, her hands jumping to her mouth in shock, and not catching Feng, who then fell to the ground, her plates following one after the other and hitting her on the head. Cerebella turned around, and looked at the two.
"Did... did Harry just..."
"Heh... Guess that means it worked." She chuckled. "Yep, Harry just talked to you with his mind. Pretty cool, huh? That hat of yours doesn't even scratch the surface of what magic can really do."
"Yeah, no kidding..." Cerebella breathed. "So, can he just use that to get in contact with me anywhere I am?" Beatrix shook her head.
"Nope, there's a range limit. If you're not in town, he won't be able to reach you. Just think of it like phone reception."
"Oh, that's... still amazing!" Cerebella said with a grin, patting Harry's head. "I'm very proud of you, bud." Harry blushed at that, and looked away embarrassed. Beatrix smirked and nodded.
"It's just amazing how fast he's learning."
Cerebella grinned and pulled her son into a one-armed hug, playfully giving him a gentle noogie. "Yep, my little man's awesome." She agreed.
"Thank you, mama... I'm really trying hard to get it all right..." He said softly, feeling bashful, but also proud of all he had managed to accomplish.
'You're doing great kid, I think your mama's jealous.' Beatrix said to Harry's mind. 'Don't tell her I said that.' Harry nodded as Cerebella set him back down so he could continue training. "Right, let's try something... ah, let's try a 'group call'." Beatrix smiled. "Try and talk to me, Cerebella, and Feng." Harry nodded, then focused. He felt odd, he could sense multiple minds around him, and it took him a few minutes to find Beatrix and Feng. Finally, he thought he had it.
"Hello!" Harry said happily, Cerebella and Beatrix hearing it, until someone spoke up.
"Harry?" Regina asked, bewildered. "Are... are you in my mind?" Harry blinked, surprised, and whirled about to face the circus leader, who was looking at him with a confused and almost impressed frown.
"Oh... Sorry, Miss Regina... I was trying to get it to Miss Feng, Miss Beatrix and mama. I think I got you instead of Miss Feng." He admitted.
"That...it...it's fine dear." Regina said, surprised by how what Harry had done. "I'm just... suprised is all." Harry seemed embarrassed, but decided to try again. After another few minutes, he timidly spoke mentally.
"Hello?" Regina watched the boy focus, and soon enough, he, Cerebella, Feng and beatrix were all visibly pleased, indicating that it worked well.
"My, my, my..." Regina mumbled to herself. Beatrix certainly wasn't kidding. This boy clearly possessed immense magical prowess... The circus may have its next in line magician...
Beatrix now considered what was next for Harry, and she decided to try a memory link. She told Harry to try and communicate with her again, but this time to think of a specific memory. Harry hesitated slightly at that. "Sh-Sharing memories...? Wh-What memories...?" He asked timidly. Beatrix shrugged her shoulders in response.
"I guess whatever ones I find. Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit... Trust me, all right?" Harry hesitated and nodded his head slowly. Beatrix knelt down in front of him, rested her hands on his shoulders, pressed her forehead against his, and closed her eyes...
She saw...a man. A fat, walrus like man... It would have been a comedic sight...except for the fact that he was yelling at a cowering Harry. "WE WERE VERY CLEAR WITH YOU THAT THERE WASN'T TO BE ANY OF THAT FREAK STUFF SO LONG AS YOU WERE STAYING IN THIS HOUSE, YOU STUPID BOY! THIS WAS MY BEST BLOODY TIE! NOW IT'S PINK! DAMN YOU, THE LOT OF YOUR KIND IS A WASTE! YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED WITH YOUR BLOODY PARENTS IN THAT CAR CRASH!" And then the memory ended.
Beatrix's eyes snapped open, wide in disbelief at what she had just witnessed, and Harry seemed close to tears. Everything made sense now... that's why he was so terrified of magic, it was beaten into him.
'Hey, Harry.' Beatrix spoke very calmly to Harry in his mind. 'It's okay, I know what it's like to be hated because of your gift. I went through that too.' Harry looked at her with wide eyes. She smirked back at him. 'And do you wanna know how I handled my problems? I stuck it to the man and proved he was wrong about me.'
'I...I don't know if I can really do that... Uncle Vernon's the grown up... right...? Grown ups can't be wrong... Right...?' He asked, feeling unsure.
'Kid... If he's telling you ridiculous, awful stuff like you deserved to die, then it seems to me that he's ALWAYS wrong. NOTHING about that is right no matter what way ya slice it. He was never a real guardian to you. You want a real example of a parent or caretaker, look no further than your mom. Here... Let's try again, okay?'
Harry paused, and Beatirx saw him going through the memories of his time with Cerebella. She saw how she cared for him, comforted him during his nightmares (and the magician shuddered at what he was probably seeing) and even watched as Cerebella furiously attacked a gang that threatened them.
'Look, Harry. I didn't mean to bring this up.' Beatirx continued. 'I'm really sorry...'
'It's not your fault...' Harry mumbled. 'It's mi-'
'It's not your's. Don't say that.' Harry looked down, not sure how to feel about the situation. It was practically instinct to blame himself at this point, and to be told it wasn't his fault, while comforting, was very confusing for him.
Beatrix frowned and gave him a pat on the head. 'You can't listen to people like him, Harry... These people thrive on hurting others... You're his victim. No one has the right to make you feel like dirt. You're a good kid. You're polite, you listen well, you have so much potential... Once you've moved past this whole thing, I know you're gonna do great things. That guy didn't like you... But think of the people here that are proud of you. Your mom's proud of you, Feng's proud of you...And I'm proud of you too.' Harry stood in silence for a few moments, letting his teacher's words sink in. Then, slowly, he approached her, and Beatrix was surprised when she felt his tiny arms wrap around her leg in a hug.
Beatrix now felt somewhat awkward, unsure of what to do. She didn't feel like she was ready to return the hug but she appreciated it nonetheless. So she settled for just patting his head. Once their embrace was done, Beatrix smiled again.
"C'mon, let's try to catch an apple again." She said, gently taking his hand.
"Okay." Harry replied, looking up at the magician.
She held up the fruit, looking at it for a few seconds. "Okay, kid... Try not to think of it as me throwing it AT you. Think of it as me throwing it TO you."
"To me?" Harry asked, tilting his head like a confused puppy. Beatrix chuckled and nodded her head, tossing the apple up and down in her hand.
"You ever see someone play catch with their kid before? Try to think of it as us doing that. Just a couple friends playing a game."
"O...Okay." Harry sighed, trying to collect himself. He nodded and Beatirx gently tossed the apple towards him. He tried to catch it, but a pang of fear shot through him, and the apple fell to the ground. Beatrix frowned then picked up the apple and tried again. This time, Harry didn't panic and tried to catch it. Focusing hard, he looked at the apple as it came towards him, and, much to everyone's pleasure, it froze several feet above the ground and stayed in place.
Beatrix grinned broadly at that and nodded her head. "All right, very good. Let's keep at it, and just remember that I won't hurt you, okay?" Harry nodded. He needed to trust Beatrix... She'd been such a good teacher... She tossed the apple again, and found himself easily catching it again. "Yes!" Beatrix cheered, starling Harry and making him drop the apple in surprise, and look to Beatirx hopefully. "That was perfect!"
"Really?!" Harry asked, his eyes sparkling with hope.
The magician grinned and nodded her head. "You caught it flawlessly, kiddo. Now let's give it another shot!" She tossed the apple again. Harry felt his confidence rise each and every time the apple was thrown, and Beatrix's supportive reactions only further fueled his confidence. Eventually, he was finally able to pull it off flawlessly. "Great going!" Beatrix beamed. "Now, let's try two apples." Harry nodded and prepared himself. Beatrix tossed one apple, which Harry caught, then tried to catch the other, but missed. Beatrix shrugged. "Weeell, you're not gonna get it all at once. We'll keep working at it... Huh. Would ya look at the time. Guess it's time for you to go back to your mom now."
Harry smiled and nodded. "Okay, Miss Beatrix... Thank you for helping me again." Beatrix messed up his hair.
"It was my pleasure, Harry." Harry walked back over and was almost immediately picked up by Cerebella, who held him close.
"Hi cutie, how'd it go?" She asked playfully, kissing his forehead.
"I'm almost done practicing with catching the apples, mama!" Harry said excitedly. "Miss Beatrix thinks that I'll be able to do it in no time!"
"Aw yeah, that's my boy!" Cerebella replied, giving Harry a playful, very brief little noogie to avoid scaring him. He giggled in response.
"Heh... I'm pretty dang proud of my little student myself." Beatrix stepped up. "He's made teaching a complete breeze so far, he's so good."
"That's great to hear." Cerebella smiled at Beatrix, then blushed slightly, a bit embarrassed by her enthusiasm, but didn't say anything, hoping Beatrix didn't see it. Beatrix had seen it but didn't know what to say, so she just patted Harry on the head.
"Okay, little guy, that's all the training we'll do for the week. Tomorrow's our day off, so we can all just take it easy for a little while."
Harry nodded his affirmation before looking at Cerebella. "Mommy, is tomorrow your day off too?" Cerebella smirkd and nodded.
"Yep! Sorry, squirt, looks like you're stuck with me and Miss Feng all day tomorrow."
"Yay!" Harry said happily, leaning into Cerebella, who couldn't help but laugh at his excitement.
"D'aw, that's so cute!" Feng cooed, her eyes turning to hearts at the sight. Harry was thrilled he got to spend time with his mama!
The greenette gave the magician a smirk and a nod. "Well, Beatrix, that's the end of week one, and I have to say, I'm pretty happy with the results."
Beatrix gave a half smile, sticking her nose up pridefully. "Well, what can I say? When you have a perfect teacher and a perfect student, there's really no room for hiccups." Cerebella chuckled slightly as Harry continued enjoying the warm embrace of his mother. She cooed at the tiny boy before nodding her thanks one last time to Beatrix before heading back to her room. Harry had rested his head on her shoulder and seemed to be napping contently. She had to let out a small, soft chuckle at the tiny sleeping form in her arms and decided she wasn't going to put her boy down just yet.
She took a seat on the foot of her bed, carefully shifted him in her arms so she was cradling him like a baby, then slowly rocked him back and forth. Sure, perhaps it was rather juvenile to hold a boy his age like this... But Cerebella didn't care... His sweet, sleeping face as he snuggled closer in his new position melted her heart like a gumdrop. Harry cooed happily in his mother's arms, and Cerebella felt her chest get warmer. She loved this, she loved Harry, so much...
She stayed like that for thirty minutes, smiling tenderly down at the sleeping child in her arms... He was a little treasure... HER little treasure...
Finding him was one of the best things that ever happened to her... Certainly up there with being taken in by Vitale... She shuddered to imagine what would have happened had she not found him... But none of that mattered now. He WAS with her, and she'd protect him. Kissing him one more time on the cheek, she quietly tucked him into the bed for a nap and left the room and went back to where Feng was getting a drink.
"Is the little cutie pie asleep?" Feng smiled.
"I think he's just taking a little nap." Cerebella replied.
"Hey, Bella? You and Beatrix seem to be... Getting along. What's with that?"
Cerebella chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "Honestly? Harry's been really good for the both of us. Guess he sorta brought out the best in her..."
"Heehee... Did you see the look on her face when Harry hugged her leg? Priceless stuff..." Cerebella cooed in response.
"Awww, really? He hugged her leg? Aww, my boy's just too damn sweet for his own good... He used to be TERRIFIED of Beatrix, now he's willingly hugging her... Heh... She said having someone to teach magic to has really helped her... And hey... She's been pretty awesome with him so far."
Feng smiled at that. "Well, it is pretty nice to see her without that nasty scowl all the time. I seriously thought her face was frozen that way."
"Heh... Yeah, she actually has a pretty nice smile." Cerebella chuckled. "I even asked her to be Harry's backup babysitter." Feng gasped and opened her mouth. "Don't worry, you're still my go-to girl." This pacified the smaller woman.
"So, any idea what you two are going to do tomorrow?" Feng asked, sitting on the counter. Cerebella mused over the question.
"Well, the little guy has clothes, and I'm not sure if there's a park nearby... Do you know of anything around here he'd enjoy?"
"Huh. I'll get back to you on that."
Cerebella shrugged. "Meh... I'll just have to take him around and see what we can find..." She poured herself a glass of milk and leaned up against the wall.
The two friends stayed in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Feng broke the silence. "Hey, Bella... When Beatrix was showing Harry a spell earlier, she seemed a little...upset. I think I heard her say something about sharing memories...?"
Cerebella frowned. "So Beatrix saw some of what Harry's life was like...? I might have to ask her about that next time I see her..."
"I mean, you found him in a garbage can, I don't think he had a pleasant life..." Feng grimaced.
"That may be, but I don't want to force bad memories back up." Cerebella replied. "Harry's fragile, in time I'll talk to him and find out what happened, but for now, he needs love. If I try and drag that up now, well, I don't wanna hurt him."
"That's fair." Feng nodded.
The two took their usual seat in front of the television and turned it on to spend some time watching TV before dinner. Cerebella thought back to Harry, smiling softly. 'I'll always protect you...'
Meanwhile, Beatrix was making her way back to her own living quarters, her expression blank and completely neutral. She couldn't stop thinking about how little Harry had hugged her that day. Pulling her key from who knows where, she undid the lock, entered her home and closed the door behind her. She made absolutely sure no one was watching... And then, she let out a long, girlish squeal, much like a teenage girl.
"HE'S SO PRECIOUS!" She squealed, her eyes turning to rainbow coloured hearts as a warm surge of energy flowed through her. She felt... accepted. She felt... loved? Was... was this what love was?! Beatrix didn't know, but all she knew was that magic wasn't the best gift she had ever been given, Harry was.
She took a deep breath to regain her composure, then looked down with a blush. "Ugh... Damn it, Beatrix... Way to make yourself look like some stupid teenager..." She took a seat and began sharpening her knives, a fond smile forming on her face as she worked. Harry really was an amazing little guy...
She wondered if she should have hugged him back... This thought drifted to wondering just what it would be like to hold him... No, to hold him would be overstepping her bounds... But would it? I mean, if he hugged her, wouldn't hugging him back be the right thing to do? Still, Beatrix wasn't sure how Cerebella would react to that.
'Or what you saw..'" A voice piped in her head, and Beatrix paused, biting her lip.
Right. That.
She hadn't seen much, but she could tell that this kid was broken. Sure, Cerebella was definitely the best fit to make him happy again, but she knew from personal experiences that those scars weren't going to heal right away. The magician paused, wondering if Harry had told Cerebella yet. This was one thing the knife thrower knew without a shadow of a doubt to NEVER bring up unless Cerebella asked her directly.
She shook her head and finished sharpening her knives quietly, deep in thought about the man that had said those horrible things to little Harry...She scowled and tightened her hold on her knife. Just who the hell did that huge, disgusting, morbidly obese waste of oxygen think he was?! Calling him a freak?! Screaming at him over an honest mistake?! Insulting wizards everywhere?! But the part that infuriated her the most is when he told the boy he wished he had died... That is something you NEVER say to ANYONE, much less a f*cking kid!
Beatrix blinked, then saw some of her knives floating with a red aura surrounding them, and she quickly caught her breath. The one thing that annoyed her about her magic was the fact that if she got pushed past a certain point, she didn't have much control. She wondered if Harry had anything like that, but wished he didn't. She didn't want to see him pushed to such a place.
Shaking her head, she opened up her fridge and pulled out some leftover casserole from the night prior. She prided herself in her ability to cook, but never really had anyone to share it with, so for all she knew, she was mediocre at best.
Shrugging, she sat down and ate her food, still thinking about Harry. While Cerebella was the ideal mother for him, something about him being here felt very off...
Well...The reason for this was pretty obvious. Vitale. That man was a sleazebag, through and through. It was pretty obvious from the way he was constantly eyeing up an oblivious Cerebella, his freaking adopted daughter. Frankly, a part of her wished she had won that contest just so that Cerebella didn't have to put up with that crap.
On top of that, she felt kinda worried that sooner or later, he'd turn to the kid. If Harry's magic was as powerful as she believed, when he got older, Vitale'd probably try to get the kid to use it for some twisted ideals... she didn't doubt that he would, he didn't care who he hurt just so long as he got what he wanted.
"Well, at least his bastard of a father won't be immortal now..." She mused to herself as she ate. She didn't know what happened to the Life Gem, but frankly, it was probably better off wherever it was now rather than in his hands. Yes, as bad as Vitale was, his father, Lorenzo, was worse. Much, much worse... That man was pure, unadulterated evil, and not even the naive, oblivious Cerebella liked him.
The idea of Harry getting mixed up with those two made her feel nauseous, doubly so because she wouldn't be able to prevent it. Even she wasn't strong enough to beat that bitch Black Dahlia...
She paused, suddenly questioning why she felt like this. Harry wasn't her son, so why did she care so much? Was it because she was training him and didn't want all that talent to go to waste? If that was the case, then why was she training him?
She frowned as she knew the answer, she wanted to stick it to Cerebella originally, but now... that didn't feel right. She found herself training Harry almost as a form of therapy for him. Maybe that's why she felt so protective over him. That and he was just so precious...
She groaned in slight frustration, slapping her palm against her forehead. Since when did she fawn over cute kids? Normally, she couldn't stand children... Yet Harry... Something about him just... melted away her cold demeanour... She just couldn't explain it... Perhaps... Perhaps it was his loving personality...?
She rubbed her temples and grumbled slightly. If she grew fond of the boy...Would that make her weak...? Or could it lead to greater strength...?
She decided she could worry about that later. She turned her attention back to her food and kept eating in solace, a familiar, cold, dark atmosphere returning and shrouding her in silence once again. She sighed, feeling like she was back to normal now, alone. Well, there was always tomor-
Wait. They weren't training tomorrow.
She sighed to herself, shoulders drooping slightly. Maybe she'd just head into town tomorrow and find some way to entertain herself...
Back in Cerebella and Feng's quarters, Harry was just in the process of waking up, yawning softly as he looked around. Still in bed... No sign of his mommy...
Lying back against the pillow, he began thinking of an idea Beatrix had put into his head earlier... Miss Feng being his auntie... Would Miss Feng like that...? He turned to one side and kept wondering about it. He saw how happy calling his mama 'mama' made her, so maybe Feng would like being his aunt... he certainly thought of her as his aunt, but was afraid to call her that.
He was startled when the door suddenly creaked open. "Hey, Harry? You awake there, little guy?" Relief flowed through him as he realized it was his mommy.
"Yes, mama." He said, sitting up slowly. He saw his mother's silhouette enter the room and felt her carefully scoop him up, hug him tight and kiss his cheek.
"Well, c'mon then, buddy... Miss Feng's cooking supper..." The little boy rested his head on her shoulder snd decided he would ask her opinion.
"Mama? Would it be okay to call Miss Feng... Auntie Feng?" Cerebella stopped, blinked, then grinned widely down at Harry before kissing his face.
"I think she'd love it." She grinned. "But you can ask her yourself." Harry perked up at that, deciding he would ask as soon as he saw her. When they entered the kitchen to find Feng standing over the stove, Harry spoke.
"Hi, Auntie Feng." He said softly. Feng went dead silent, staring blankly at the food she was preparing, and Harry was worried he'd made her mad.
Then, she turned around with a huge smile that practically ripped her face apart. With speed Cerebella didn't think was possible, Feng had run over and snatched Harry out of her arms, and was now holding him in a death hug.
"YAYY!" She cheered, nuzzling his tiny face before smothering him with kisses. "I'm Auntie Feng!" Cerebella blinked in surprise then couldn't help but laugh at the two's interactions. It was honestly really sweet to see. Now that Harry was calling her roommate auntie, it felt as though their little family had fully come together. The loving mother, the doting aunt, the sweet little boy... Heh... Now all she needed was a lover to fully complete the family dynamic... But that was for another day. In the meantime, their current family was more than enough.
Cerebella wanted her son back, but couldn't bring herself to take him away form the delighted Feng, who was still cuddling him like a teddy bear. Harry was giggling and trying to hug her back, but his arms were too tiny to do so. The greenette simply opted to stand to the side, smirking slightly in amusement at the adorable scene before her, before eventually deciding to give Feng a little reminder.
"Yo, Feng, hate to kill your little moment, but the food's gonna burn if you don't attend to it." Feng eeped and hurriedly handed Harry back before returning to her cooking. Cerebella chuckled and rubbed her boy's back gently. "There, y'see? Auntie Feng's happy to be called your auntie." She said with a wink.
"I'm happy to call her that too." Harry said happily, leaning back into his mothers' hug. Cerebella smiled and kissed his head, contently humming as she seated herself in a chair and rubbed his cheek lovingly. Feng smiled over her shoulder at the pair. She had never seen Cerebella this happy before, and she was happy too. But it was safe to say Harry was happier than anyone.
Though, she supposed Cerebella was less... 'happy' and more 'content'. She always wore a smile, but now she seemed satisfied with the direction her life was taking. Heck, she didn't even bring up Vitale even once since the day she brought the boy home with her! Feng's happiness melted away as she grimaced.
Vitale... Oh, how little she thought of that gross, slimy toad... Everything about him made her want to put a hole in a nearby wall. He just...enraged her. She shook her head, deciding not to let her feelings towards the owner ruin this for Cerebella. She just hoped that Harry would be able to deal with him. She didn't think he'd hurt him... but she wasn't sure. She bit her lip and looked back down at the food.
She would just focus on cooking for now and hope that everything would turn out right in the end... That Vitale would NEVER be alone with Harry...