Child of Darkness, Child of Light
By: Fyre Fairie Rated R (For mature content and violence) Summary: Harry finds out he has been lied to all his life. After GOF he travels to lands forgotten until he is ready to face the friends he abandoned, the love he will encounter, and the evil he must conquer. Just now when he has finally found his family will they all survive the war?
Chapter 7: Adoption
"Just sign right here please and fill out this form and you'll be on your way Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins. I'll go get little Jasmine's legal paper's ready for you while you're finishing up." Mrs. Denagon, the manager and legal official at the Little Whinging orphanage replied cheerfully and passed a white form across the table to the married couple interested in adopting Jasmine.
"Thank you Ms. Denagon, you may call me Maurine by the way no need for such formalities." Mrs. Jenkins answered grinning and showing off large front teeth. Next to her, her husband nodded, "And please call me Travis."
"As you wish. I'll go and collect your newly adopted daughter as well as her papers. Oh you'll just love her, she is a clever child, and I'm sure she'd love you as well."
Once the sprightly woman was gone Maurine Jenkins turned to her husband one last time before signing and filling the form in front of her out. "You think she'll work well with the other children?" she asked, her high pitched and scratchy voice lowering itself so no one else would hear.
"Hopefully my pet," he answered just as quietly. "After all we do need someone to scrub the floors on a daily basis, you know how dirty they get with your brother living with us. Not to mention cleaning the bathrooms as well, there's only so much the older kids would do."
Grabbing a blue ballpoint pen Maurine and Travis both put down their signatures and other significant information.
"Here she is, Maurine, Travis, this young lady right here is Jasmine Le Fey, she's of course four years old like I've told you." The middle aged blonde woman said leading the redheaded girl in by the hand while she shied away tugging back towards the doors she came in from. Tightening her grip Mrs. Denagon knelt down so she'd be eye level with Jasmine and gave her a friendly smile, patting her head. "Jasmine, these people are Mrs. and Mr. Jenkins, they are ready to take you home with them to meet the rest of their children, wouldn't you like that sweetie?"
The young girl roughly shook her head and stubbornly yelled "No! I want my mommy!"
Sadly the middle-aged woman patted her hand soothingly. "I'm sorry darling but your mummy's died and gone to heaven with the rest of the angels."
Stepping away from Mrs. Denagon, Jasmine backed up a little and shook her head again. "No she isn't dead, I know she isn't, Desdemona told me she's coming to take me with her soon. Plus don't be silly angels don't exist just souls in a different dimension." She said a matter of fact surprising all three adults.
"My gosh, this child hasn't been educated in the Christian beliefs, this will not do. May the great and mighty lord forgive her heathenness parents who taught her in devil' belief. She will need to be purified by a priest." Maurine Jenkins spoke softly clasping her hands in prayer.
Jasmine's eyes bugged out and she backed up as far against the wall as she could, the doorjamb digging into her back. //Purify?!\\ She mentally screamed. //Desdemona said mummy would come, but where is she?\\
But Christian beliefs were the least of Mrs. Denagons concerns and she knelt down to the frightened child again. "Sweetie, you mentioned someone named Desdemona earlier, who were you talking about? An imaginary friend?"
Even though she was four years old Jasmine knew better than to tell muggles about magic and especially how her great grandmother talked to her through her dreams. They would put her away in a funny farm if she spoke one word of it.
"Silly, Desdemona is my imaginary friend." She told the lady in an adorably sweet voice making the blonde woman chuckle and pinch her already rosy cheeks.
"Well with a lot of praying the good lord will rid the child of the demons that speak to her." Maurine whispered to her husband bent forward to look the little redhead in her green eyes. "Hello Jasmine, my name is Maurine but you can call me mummy if you want."
"Now, now, Maurine," the social worker, Mrs. Denagon said. "She's only a child and in an orphanage children need friends, little Jasmine here has just made one up for herself."
"Yes well such disillusions can damage her perception of the world later on and should be stomped out of her right away." Mrs. Jenkins countered.
At that moment Jasmine actually wanted to throw up. //Is this woman serious? I can smell the rotten stench of her soul already, this one is definitely not a good person.\\ she thought wrinkling her nose and side stepping her.
"No thank you Mrs. Jenkins but I'd rather not be adopted all together, excuse me while I go back upstairs. Have a nice day." To Jasmine the woman actually looked like a giant vulture, with her raven hair, dark eyes, hooked nose and long neck. She was obviously also a prude. //That would make her a prudish vulture lady!\\ the redhead reasoned.
She was just about to walk out the door when Mrs. Denagon blocked her way and took her hand forcefully.
"Now, Miss Le Fey, or should I say Miss Jenkins," the middle-aged woman winked her way and gave her a boisterous grin. One of those sickeningly cheerful ones that you want to spit on if given the chance and Jasmine wanted nothing more than to stomp on the lady's foot and run like she never ran before. "You wouldn't want to stay here all your life and the Jenkins' are kind enough to take you in I'm sure you'll be happy."
Outside a loud continuous barking sounded having everyone in the office jump a foot off the ground in fright and look towards the window where a large black dog stood growling loud enough to wake the dead. The dog was strangely familiar and instead of scaring her it's presence calmed her immensely. Although she couldn't understand what it wanted the message was getting across, it wanted to protect her. At that moment Jasmine stared right in its eyes and understood, this was Padfoot. She didn't know how she knew the dog's name nor why she felt connected to it somehow but taking her chances she screamed back.
"Padfoot! Help! The mean people are trying to take me away! HELP!!" she screamed frantically and watched the dog run off across the lawn to the hotel and out to the back of the building.
"What's this all about?" Maurine Jenkins huffed.
"He's going to bring them to take me home." Was all Jasmine said and promptly sat down on one of the leather chairs in the office to wait. No matter the amount of coaxing it took none of the adults were able to get a word or move out of her. She would sit silently for as long as needed. But not long enough it seemed because her silence and persistence in staying in that chair and waiting only made her adoptive parents even more angry and the painfully thin 'vulture lady' as Jasmine liked to call her picked her up forcefully and stilled her struggles at escape.
"Let me go! PADFOOT HUURRY!!!" Jasmine screamed as loud as her voice would let her and started kicking and punching Mrs. Jenkins. She just knew she had to hold on a little longer, Padfoot was coming, he had to be. Just a few more minutes were all she needed to buy.
"We really must be going Mrs. Denagon, once again thank you for getting us this little angel. I'm afraid that Travis has work and my mother is coming for a visit to see our new edition to the family." Maurine explained and briskly walked out the door with a forced smile trying desperately to hold onto the little girl.
"Of course Maurine, Travis, I hope she adjusts well. Goodbye Jasmine it has been a pleasure having you here!" The middle-aged blonde yelled out to them on their way out.
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Padfoot ran as fast as his legs could carry him through the back way of the hotel. Considering the fact that Emerald would have to come up with a good enough plan and transfigure all of their daughter's legal papers he was told it would take some time before going in to get her back. Time was one thing he did not have, neither was patience and so he had gone and peeked into one of the orphanages window's. And alas what did he find? By mere coincidence he saw the little girl and three other people. The words 'adoption' and 'take away' were all her needed to hear before panicking.
What surprised him the most was how Jasmine knew about him and how she knew Emerald was near. Transforming in the middle of the last staircase he bounded through a hallway and burst through their hotel room door breathing heavily and panting. Leaning on his knees Sirius stopped to catch his breath before announcing what he just seen and heard.
"She's there," he panted. "And someone's trying to adopt her!"
Not a second later both Emerald and Remus went out the same way followed by Sirius who had again transfigured back into a dog.
Emma ran blindly until she reached the door of the orphanage where she slowed down and let the other two catch their breaths. This is where she would put her plan into action. Clutching the frozen picture of her daughter in one hand and clearing her throat a bit she opened the front door and strode in straight towards the adoptions office.
On her way there an elderly woman with a tight bun and a pencil stuck through it stopped her. "Can I help you m'am?" The woman she recognized as Mrs. Kensington addressed her and looked her over, scrutinizing her appearance from head to toe. Lucky thing she wasn't wearing her battle uniform today. She just wore a simple summer dress that went down to her knees and held up by spaghetti straps. For shoes she was wearing a pair of heals that matched her pastel yellow dress with embroidery on both items.
"Oui, my name iz Emerald Le Fey," she said in a strong French accent accentuating part of her plan. "Yoo see I am from France and somevhere around trios months ago my daughter Jasmine was kidnapped," she spoke with a slight sniffle. "Ze French authorities were informed and bulletins and reports on me petite have been posted withzin my country but I am afraid she was not found and ze search was limited to France so I have been scowering England for her az vell ever since."
Handing the woman the picture of Jasmine that she had she saw recognition spark in her hazel eyes. Continuing with her pleading she spoke and half begged, "Please Madame my little girl means a lot to me, have you seen her by any chanze?" Pause, the woman seemed to think about it. //What is there to think about you old hag!\\ she nearly screamed out loud but hastily added. "There is a hefty reward for her return Madame."
"Oh you poor, poor, dear. You must have been devastated when your little one disappeared." The elderly woman snapped into action pretending to look sorrowful while her eyes danced greedily. "You are lucky my dear we have had a girl turn up that looks just like you three months ago she goes by the name Jasmine Le Fey." The woman beamed and Emerald's eyes filled with unshed tears.
//I'm so close!\\ she mentally shouted. "Oh I must see her Madame! Where is she!?" she cried enthusiastically.
"Well dear." the old woman said hesitantly. "I'm afraid she's been adopted just this morning," and immediately Emerald's stomach sank and her heartbeat sped up in anxiety. //I should have listened to Sirius and went to get her right away?!\\ She mentally chastised herself.
As if trying to fix the fact that the orphanage made a mistake the elderly woman put a meaty arm around her and falsely patted her shoulder with her wrinkled hand, which Emma instantly shrugged off. "We have taken perfect care of her while at the orphanage dear but I am afraid that she is far lost now that her adoption papers are signed. I'm sure you could ask the Jenkins' to share custody over her."
The red head froze and dropping her French accent turned to the old woman. "Did you just say the Jenkins'?" If Emerald weren't trying to control herself she would have gutted the woman with her claws nearly ten times over.
"Yes.dear that's what I said." Momentarily confused that her accent disappeared Mrs. Kensington only had enough time to huff in outrage as the younger woman sped off outside.
Emerald ran as fast as her legs could carry her to a small parking lot behind the building, just in time to see a brown station wagon to drive out and passed her. In the back seat sat a putrid looking woman that strangely reminded her of Petunia Dursley, she was holding a struggling child who seemed to be kicking and screaming.
"Panic overtook her and the first thing that came to mind was to stop them no matter the consequences. Up ahead the street there was a traffic light, the perfect opportunity to get her daughter. Blindly she transformed into a cheetah right in the middle of the street, ignorant to the people watching and the pain of the transformation rippling through her whole being. The only thing that mattered now was her daughter. Remus warning her to stop, Padfoot's barking and the screams of the muggles did not even reach her as she sped off as fast as possible after the car.
//I'm coming baby,\\ she thought. //Mummy's coming to get you.\\
For a moment she thought about using her claws to puncture the wheels but that would only draw attention to her. Unwanted and unneeded attention. Instead she would follow these people home and come for her daughter at night. It didn't matter if they're destination was hours away; she would find a way to keep up. For now, a stealth charm would work.
Although stealth charms did not make people invisible, they would draw less attention to her. People would see her but the charm would push their minds away from registering the situation and thus believing it unimportant. And magic was still workable in her cat form. It was the perfect solution, except for one last thing. If she did indeed tire out and cease in following the car she would need to track it. Casting both a stealth charm and tracking spell Emma instead of chasing after the station wagon would take a cloud. So ducking into an alley she summoned one after transforming back and followed high above the streets of England letting her spell guide her.
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It was almost sunset when the Jenkins' got back home. Maurine had had quite a time coping with the energetic redhead. The girl had bitten her somewhere between thirty to forty times, she couldn't be sure she lost count at twenty because of her overexerted body and loss of blood. It had been quite a struggle but a few smacks to the child's face had done the job and now she just sat pouting. Maurine fully expected the girl to cry but she was a strong one, to headstrong and proud.
//She'll be the perfect little worker once her spirit is broken.\\ her smirk highlighted her sharp and ugly features as she looked at the slightly chubby redhead. //Beauty!\\ she huffed examining the girls gentle and pretty features jealously. //Who needs it when you have absolute control over others even if they are children.\\
Upon being roughly handled into a fairly well sized house a loose gray dress and a pair of raggedy shoes were thrust into her hands. "Change into those, you will find that there will be no more pleasantries in your immediate life. Welcome to the family wretch." The hooked nosed woman sneered and spoke to her sharply before unlocking a closet by the staircase and pushing her into the darkness.
Sneezing from the dust a few times Jasmine let her eyes adjust to the dark and felt around the tiny space she was in. It seemed bare except for some kind of rag that lay on the floor and a thing pillow. Grimacing she dumped the hand me downs she was given onto the pillow except for the shoes which she threw in the corner. Sitting down on the rag she waited, and waited, and waited, for what seemed to an hour now but no one came to get her. Vague whispers floated to her ears, whispers of other children. They were frightened by the tone in their voices, and a far off sound even more disgusting than one of the matrons loud farts. It was the sound of three adults laughing, somewhat hysterically at something. Two men and a woman she recognized by their voices.
She'd have to wait until they went to sleep before escaping then, if Padfoot couldn't find her then she would find him instead. Laying her head down on the pile of clothes and the pillow she decided to get some rest before leaving, she would need all the strength possible.
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Outside the house a ginger cat with bright green eyes sat in a tree across from an open window. She had watched as the old station wagon pulled into the Jenkins' garage earlier. How the vulture like woman dragged her daughter forcefully through the gate of a white picket fence and up the walk of a perfectly normal house from the outside. Although Jasmine had struggled she did not scream, maybe it was the large bruise on her cheek that stopped her, fear of being hit again.
Rage surged through every molecule of Emerald's body as she watched the way the little girl was spoken to and then stuffed into a hall closet not at all unlike her cupboard at the Dursley's. So history was repeating itself then, but this time she would stop it. Put an end to this misery and fix things. She now understood why the Council hid her daughter from her, so that the revolution she was planning wouldn't occur. The Magi wanted to stay in control and they tried scaring her into submission like they did so many others. But there was no such thing as her going into submission for anyone.
She wouldn't have cared if they hurt her, if they hurt Desa, if they hurt Marvolo, but she sure as hell wasn't going to stand around watching them torment Jasmine. An innocent just like she used to be before the lies and corruption reached her eyes and ears and filled them with a fog swirling her mind and jumbling her thoughts. By this point in time if someone told her she was mentally instable she wouldn't deny it.
Nightfall was slowly approaching and the house was getting darker. One by one the lights in the windows were being turned off and she could hear nothing but silence. She had waited until midnight to make sure all was still and quiet before leaping into the small bathroom window. Lightly padding along the tile floors Emerald had to transform to open the door and help her daughter out of the closet. Across the short hall she could see the front door and next to it one of her worst nightmares. A closet where another poor child was subjected to sleeping in, what made it worse was that the child was hers this time.
Even though Emma felt relieved that she was saving her daughter, guilt plagued her from the knowledge that she had done nothing to prevent this from happening at all.
Whispering a quick "Alohomora" towards the lock on the closet she quietly opened it inch by inch cautious that it might squeak and wake one of the residents of the house up. The weak moonlight pouring through the windows did not do much to let her see into the dark space but her eyes although were not in their feline form were still very much useful in such situations as they quickly adapted.
Emerald's breath caught for a moment as she stared down at the little redhead curled up in a ball lying on top of thin rags splayed across the hard floor. She was breathing regularly and shivering almost violently, a violent bruise contrasting starkly with her pale skin. Biting her lip from damning the gods to hell for putting this fate on her daughter's innocent life she carefully ducked into the closet and picked her up gently, cradling her in her arms. She looked exactly like she did in the photograph Desa gave her instead a bit thinner.
Jasmine shifted in her arms and sleepily murmured something incoherent probably still dreaming of something perhaps better than the environment she was in recently. Before unlocking the front door quietly Emerald placed a light kiss on her daughter's forehead and murmured, "Mummy's here, you're safe now sweetie." Once outside she summoned a cloud and kneeled on it holding her daughter against her chest and rubbing the little girl's arms to keep her warm as the wind blew at them and the cool night air stung at their skin.
Jasmine stirred, feeling some kind of movement yet feeling like she was perfectly still. It was really the strangest thing, she felt like she was flying. Somewhere in the background someone was holding her close to him or her, trying to keep her warm and at the same time humming a song that was so familiar. It was exquisite and flowed smoothly, soothing her back into a gentle sleep. The last thing her eyes noticed were a pair of bright green eyes looking down at her, identical to her own and clouds breezing by in the back round.
In her sleep muddled brain she imagined her mother sitting with her and humming the song that was recorded in her locket. She must be her guardian angel. Jasmine was always told her mother was dead and nobody knew of her father. But this woman strongly reminded her of the one on the inside of her locket. A tall slender redhead with a warm smile and twinkling green eyes.
"Mum." she whispered and sighed, snuggling into the person's shoulder and drifting back into sleep.
Emma's eyes shone with unshed tears when she heard that one little word come out of Jasmine's mouth. One little word meant so much to her, it made her heart leap and her soul relax. She just hoped to whatever deity watching her that she didn't just imagine what she heard.
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Back at the hotel Remus watched wearily as Sirius paced the room relentlessly. He could just swear the man was made out of nerves right now. He was in a delicate condition and worrying about Emerald and their daughter didn't help much.
Remus himself was already ripping his hair out and mentally yelling at himself for not listening to the other man when he suggested they get Jasmine right away. But instead they had to wait until she was adopted then place memory charms on a street full of muggles whom witnessed Emma's transformation before chasing down the Jenkins' car. He only hoped now that they were both all right.
Rubbing his temples and gritting his teeth to keep from loosing himself Remus nearly yelled at the other man who kept pacing in front of him, muttering about something or other that he couldn't quite understand.
"Padfoot would you please just sit down, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet and you're giving me a headache."
Stopping for a moment to look at his companion Sirius didn't even say a word before starting to pace and mumble again, frustrating the lyncanthrope in the process.
"Padfoot," Remus warned through strained teeth. "If you don't sit down I'm going to tie you down and not in the kinky meaning of bondage but fully tying you to a tree outside and leaving you there until Emma comes back to deal with you!"
This time the other man did respond by just striding over to him and plopping down in his lap. "There! How's that? It good enough or do you need to bring out the leash and collar?" he growled, not angry, yet not happy either. His feelings at that moment were quite controversial.
Actually I think you'd look quite sexy in a collar." Emma whispered stepping through the door and holding back her laughter so she wouldn't wake her daughter who still slept peacefully in her arms. Sometimes she just had to laugh at Sirius' and Remus' quarrels, even though they loved each other so much they fought like a married couple.
In their hast to see the little girl in Emerald's arms both men tripped over each other and ended up tangled on the floor before scrambling up and bumping heads in order to get a better look at Jasmine. For all their antics Emma had to 'shush' them quickly. After being thoroughly beaten by each other and chastise by the woman in front of them Sirius and Remus stared in awe at the little redhead that Emma had wrapped in a blanket to keep warm.
"What happened there?" Remus' voice was worried and gentle when he pointed to the livid bruise on Jasmine's face.
"The muggles." She explained and cradled her daughter. "I told you two that history was repeating itself well this is your proof, she was slapped around and carted into a closet. I had to wait until night fall so I wouldn't cause a commotion."
Sirius' face immediately fell and he looked at her as if the apocalypse was just about to occur. "You never told me you were beaten, or pushed into closets for long instances of time." He croaked.
"It didn't seem to matter that I was starved, beaten, worked like a house elf, harassed and made to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs for ten years of my life." She answered bitterly and her arms compulsively tightened around the bundle in her arms.
"You could have told me, I would have."
"You would have what Padfoot?" she asked briskly. "You would have flew in on Buckbeak and gotten yourself caught then sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss? Well no thank you. Your safety was more important than how the Dursley's treated me, and that's the end of that discussion." She said ordering him rather than asking him to change the subject.
The room was silent for a long fifteen minutes that seemed more like an hour though. Each of them glanced at the coloration on the little girls pale skin and cringed. No child deserved such treatment and that bruise was a reminder of Emerald herself had gone through. Though Emma was much, much, worse off.
The bruise was clearly getting to all three of them, so licking per index finger she wiped it on her daughters cheek where her injury started to slowly fade until it was no more. Being as her body healed itself her bodily fluids would be more effective than an actual medical potion. It was a major upside.
"You have to stop surprising me like that." Sirius said unbelievingly and ran two fingers over his daughter's smooth cheek where the black and blue mark had once been.
"That is probably impossible Padfoot, she has more secrets than Hogwarts itself does." The other man answered.
Looking at the two of them and shaking her head in amusement as Sirius swatted Remus playfully and the other man flicked his ear, the subtle war was continuing and Emma felt like she was in a room full of children.
"Shush the both of you! You'll wake her up!" she chastised them once again.
But it was too late; they had already made enough noise to wake the sleeping bundle in her arms. As the small figure stretched a little and yawned softly she opened her eyes. Letting her wide green orbs jump from person to person and take in her surroundings she glanced up at the identical pair she thought she dreamed of earlier. Her mind was still sleep muddled but aware enough to know she wasn't supposed too be in this particular place and with these particular people who she hadn't a clue to whom they were.
"W-Where a-am I, and who are you?" her small voice quavered a little and she tried to wretch herself free of the older woman's protective hold over her.
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Hello all! Well I hope you liked this chapter. I grew a little lazy and it took me a while to finish it. In the future expect bouts of laziness from yours truly!
Someone in one of the reviews asked me why Emma just didn't charge into the orphanage and collect her daughter right away. I have to say it's a good question and what I told them was; I view Emma as a Slytherin really. She thinks her plans through ahead of time and makes good choices. She is clever and cunning so instead of going out to snatch Jasmine she decides to draw up legal papers to make the whole thing all the more believable to the muggles. Kidnapping her right out of the orphanage would only draw attention to Jasmine in the muggle world if they ever decided to go there. Then there is also the fact that she wasn't sure that her daughter was in that particular orphanage. Sirius and her had seen the girl but neither were exactly in their right mind at the time.
All though Emma is a rational person she does have her bouts of mental instability, as I like to call it. The main reasons are primarily because she's been brainwashed so much, tortured, and overloaded with magic enough to mess with her mind at stressful times. I do not consider her rash though; Sirius is the rash and overprotective one. While Remus is quiet and sensible.
Anyways stay tuned to the next chapter coming soon. Find out what happens with Jasmine. Will she accept her new parents? Or will she go nuts?
By: Fyre Fairie Rated R (For mature content and violence) Summary: Harry finds out he has been lied to all his life. After GOF he travels to lands forgotten until he is ready to face the friends he abandoned, the love he will encounter, and the evil he must conquer. Just now when he has finally found his family will they all survive the war?
Chapter 7: Adoption
"Just sign right here please and fill out this form and you'll be on your way Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins. I'll go get little Jasmine's legal paper's ready for you while you're finishing up." Mrs. Denagon, the manager and legal official at the Little Whinging orphanage replied cheerfully and passed a white form across the table to the married couple interested in adopting Jasmine.
"Thank you Ms. Denagon, you may call me Maurine by the way no need for such formalities." Mrs. Jenkins answered grinning and showing off large front teeth. Next to her, her husband nodded, "And please call me Travis."
"As you wish. I'll go and collect your newly adopted daughter as well as her papers. Oh you'll just love her, she is a clever child, and I'm sure she'd love you as well."
Once the sprightly woman was gone Maurine Jenkins turned to her husband one last time before signing and filling the form in front of her out. "You think she'll work well with the other children?" she asked, her high pitched and scratchy voice lowering itself so no one else would hear.
"Hopefully my pet," he answered just as quietly. "After all we do need someone to scrub the floors on a daily basis, you know how dirty they get with your brother living with us. Not to mention cleaning the bathrooms as well, there's only so much the older kids would do."
Grabbing a blue ballpoint pen Maurine and Travis both put down their signatures and other significant information.
"Here she is, Maurine, Travis, this young lady right here is Jasmine Le Fey, she's of course four years old like I've told you." The middle aged blonde woman said leading the redheaded girl in by the hand while she shied away tugging back towards the doors she came in from. Tightening her grip Mrs. Denagon knelt down so she'd be eye level with Jasmine and gave her a friendly smile, patting her head. "Jasmine, these people are Mrs. and Mr. Jenkins, they are ready to take you home with them to meet the rest of their children, wouldn't you like that sweetie?"
The young girl roughly shook her head and stubbornly yelled "No! I want my mommy!"
Sadly the middle-aged woman patted her hand soothingly. "I'm sorry darling but your mummy's died and gone to heaven with the rest of the angels."
Stepping away from Mrs. Denagon, Jasmine backed up a little and shook her head again. "No she isn't dead, I know she isn't, Desdemona told me she's coming to take me with her soon. Plus don't be silly angels don't exist just souls in a different dimension." She said a matter of fact surprising all three adults.
"My gosh, this child hasn't been educated in the Christian beliefs, this will not do. May the great and mighty lord forgive her heathenness parents who taught her in devil' belief. She will need to be purified by a priest." Maurine Jenkins spoke softly clasping her hands in prayer.
Jasmine's eyes bugged out and she backed up as far against the wall as she could, the doorjamb digging into her back. //Purify?!\\ She mentally screamed. //Desdemona said mummy would come, but where is she?\\
But Christian beliefs were the least of Mrs. Denagons concerns and she knelt down to the frightened child again. "Sweetie, you mentioned someone named Desdemona earlier, who were you talking about? An imaginary friend?"
Even though she was four years old Jasmine knew better than to tell muggles about magic and especially how her great grandmother talked to her through her dreams. They would put her away in a funny farm if she spoke one word of it.
"Silly, Desdemona is my imaginary friend." She told the lady in an adorably sweet voice making the blonde woman chuckle and pinch her already rosy cheeks.
"Well with a lot of praying the good lord will rid the child of the demons that speak to her." Maurine whispered to her husband bent forward to look the little redhead in her green eyes. "Hello Jasmine, my name is Maurine but you can call me mummy if you want."
"Now, now, Maurine," the social worker, Mrs. Denagon said. "She's only a child and in an orphanage children need friends, little Jasmine here has just made one up for herself."
"Yes well such disillusions can damage her perception of the world later on and should be stomped out of her right away." Mrs. Jenkins countered.
At that moment Jasmine actually wanted to throw up. //Is this woman serious? I can smell the rotten stench of her soul already, this one is definitely not a good person.\\ she thought wrinkling her nose and side stepping her.
"No thank you Mrs. Jenkins but I'd rather not be adopted all together, excuse me while I go back upstairs. Have a nice day." To Jasmine the woman actually looked like a giant vulture, with her raven hair, dark eyes, hooked nose and long neck. She was obviously also a prude. //That would make her a prudish vulture lady!\\ the redhead reasoned.
She was just about to walk out the door when Mrs. Denagon blocked her way and took her hand forcefully.
"Now, Miss Le Fey, or should I say Miss Jenkins," the middle-aged woman winked her way and gave her a boisterous grin. One of those sickeningly cheerful ones that you want to spit on if given the chance and Jasmine wanted nothing more than to stomp on the lady's foot and run like she never ran before. "You wouldn't want to stay here all your life and the Jenkins' are kind enough to take you in I'm sure you'll be happy."
Outside a loud continuous barking sounded having everyone in the office jump a foot off the ground in fright and look towards the window where a large black dog stood growling loud enough to wake the dead. The dog was strangely familiar and instead of scaring her it's presence calmed her immensely. Although she couldn't understand what it wanted the message was getting across, it wanted to protect her. At that moment Jasmine stared right in its eyes and understood, this was Padfoot. She didn't know how she knew the dog's name nor why she felt connected to it somehow but taking her chances she screamed back.
"Padfoot! Help! The mean people are trying to take me away! HELP!!" she screamed frantically and watched the dog run off across the lawn to the hotel and out to the back of the building.
"What's this all about?" Maurine Jenkins huffed.
"He's going to bring them to take me home." Was all Jasmine said and promptly sat down on one of the leather chairs in the office to wait. No matter the amount of coaxing it took none of the adults were able to get a word or move out of her. She would sit silently for as long as needed. But not long enough it seemed because her silence and persistence in staying in that chair and waiting only made her adoptive parents even more angry and the painfully thin 'vulture lady' as Jasmine liked to call her picked her up forcefully and stilled her struggles at escape.
"Let me go! PADFOOT HUURRY!!!" Jasmine screamed as loud as her voice would let her and started kicking and punching Mrs. Jenkins. She just knew she had to hold on a little longer, Padfoot was coming, he had to be. Just a few more minutes were all she needed to buy.
"We really must be going Mrs. Denagon, once again thank you for getting us this little angel. I'm afraid that Travis has work and my mother is coming for a visit to see our new edition to the family." Maurine explained and briskly walked out the door with a forced smile trying desperately to hold onto the little girl.
"Of course Maurine, Travis, I hope she adjusts well. Goodbye Jasmine it has been a pleasure having you here!" The middle-aged blonde yelled out to them on their way out.
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Padfoot ran as fast as his legs could carry him through the back way of the hotel. Considering the fact that Emerald would have to come up with a good enough plan and transfigure all of their daughter's legal papers he was told it would take some time before going in to get her back. Time was one thing he did not have, neither was patience and so he had gone and peeked into one of the orphanages window's. And alas what did he find? By mere coincidence he saw the little girl and three other people. The words 'adoption' and 'take away' were all her needed to hear before panicking.
What surprised him the most was how Jasmine knew about him and how she knew Emerald was near. Transforming in the middle of the last staircase he bounded through a hallway and burst through their hotel room door breathing heavily and panting. Leaning on his knees Sirius stopped to catch his breath before announcing what he just seen and heard.
"She's there," he panted. "And someone's trying to adopt her!"
Not a second later both Emerald and Remus went out the same way followed by Sirius who had again transfigured back into a dog.
Emma ran blindly until she reached the door of the orphanage where she slowed down and let the other two catch their breaths. This is where she would put her plan into action. Clutching the frozen picture of her daughter in one hand and clearing her throat a bit she opened the front door and strode in straight towards the adoptions office.
On her way there an elderly woman with a tight bun and a pencil stuck through it stopped her. "Can I help you m'am?" The woman she recognized as Mrs. Kensington addressed her and looked her over, scrutinizing her appearance from head to toe. Lucky thing she wasn't wearing her battle uniform today. She just wore a simple summer dress that went down to her knees and held up by spaghetti straps. For shoes she was wearing a pair of heals that matched her pastel yellow dress with embroidery on both items.
"Oui, my name iz Emerald Le Fey," she said in a strong French accent accentuating part of her plan. "Yoo see I am from France and somevhere around trios months ago my daughter Jasmine was kidnapped," she spoke with a slight sniffle. "Ze French authorities were informed and bulletins and reports on me petite have been posted withzin my country but I am afraid she was not found and ze search was limited to France so I have been scowering England for her az vell ever since."
Handing the woman the picture of Jasmine that she had she saw recognition spark in her hazel eyes. Continuing with her pleading she spoke and half begged, "Please Madame my little girl means a lot to me, have you seen her by any chanze?" Pause, the woman seemed to think about it. //What is there to think about you old hag!\\ she nearly screamed out loud but hastily added. "There is a hefty reward for her return Madame."
"Oh you poor, poor, dear. You must have been devastated when your little one disappeared." The elderly woman snapped into action pretending to look sorrowful while her eyes danced greedily. "You are lucky my dear we have had a girl turn up that looks just like you three months ago she goes by the name Jasmine Le Fey." The woman beamed and Emerald's eyes filled with unshed tears.
//I'm so close!\\ she mentally shouted. "Oh I must see her Madame! Where is she!?" she cried enthusiastically.
"Well dear." the old woman said hesitantly. "I'm afraid she's been adopted just this morning," and immediately Emerald's stomach sank and her heartbeat sped up in anxiety. //I should have listened to Sirius and went to get her right away?!\\ She mentally chastised herself.
As if trying to fix the fact that the orphanage made a mistake the elderly woman put a meaty arm around her and falsely patted her shoulder with her wrinkled hand, which Emma instantly shrugged off. "We have taken perfect care of her while at the orphanage dear but I am afraid that she is far lost now that her adoption papers are signed. I'm sure you could ask the Jenkins' to share custody over her."
The red head froze and dropping her French accent turned to the old woman. "Did you just say the Jenkins'?" If Emerald weren't trying to control herself she would have gutted the woman with her claws nearly ten times over.
"Yes.dear that's what I said." Momentarily confused that her accent disappeared Mrs. Kensington only had enough time to huff in outrage as the younger woman sped off outside.
Emerald ran as fast as her legs could carry her to a small parking lot behind the building, just in time to see a brown station wagon to drive out and passed her. In the back seat sat a putrid looking woman that strangely reminded her of Petunia Dursley, she was holding a struggling child who seemed to be kicking and screaming.
"Panic overtook her and the first thing that came to mind was to stop them no matter the consequences. Up ahead the street there was a traffic light, the perfect opportunity to get her daughter. Blindly she transformed into a cheetah right in the middle of the street, ignorant to the people watching and the pain of the transformation rippling through her whole being. The only thing that mattered now was her daughter. Remus warning her to stop, Padfoot's barking and the screams of the muggles did not even reach her as she sped off as fast as possible after the car.
//I'm coming baby,\\ she thought. //Mummy's coming to get you.\\
For a moment she thought about using her claws to puncture the wheels but that would only draw attention to her. Unwanted and unneeded attention. Instead she would follow these people home and come for her daughter at night. It didn't matter if they're destination was hours away; she would find a way to keep up. For now, a stealth charm would work.
Although stealth charms did not make people invisible, they would draw less attention to her. People would see her but the charm would push their minds away from registering the situation and thus believing it unimportant. And magic was still workable in her cat form. It was the perfect solution, except for one last thing. If she did indeed tire out and cease in following the car she would need to track it. Casting both a stealth charm and tracking spell Emma instead of chasing after the station wagon would take a cloud. So ducking into an alley she summoned one after transforming back and followed high above the streets of England letting her spell guide her.
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It was almost sunset when the Jenkins' got back home. Maurine had had quite a time coping with the energetic redhead. The girl had bitten her somewhere between thirty to forty times, she couldn't be sure she lost count at twenty because of her overexerted body and loss of blood. It had been quite a struggle but a few smacks to the child's face had done the job and now she just sat pouting. Maurine fully expected the girl to cry but she was a strong one, to headstrong and proud.
//She'll be the perfect little worker once her spirit is broken.\\ her smirk highlighted her sharp and ugly features as she looked at the slightly chubby redhead. //Beauty!\\ she huffed examining the girls gentle and pretty features jealously. //Who needs it when you have absolute control over others even if they are children.\\
Upon being roughly handled into a fairly well sized house a loose gray dress and a pair of raggedy shoes were thrust into her hands. "Change into those, you will find that there will be no more pleasantries in your immediate life. Welcome to the family wretch." The hooked nosed woman sneered and spoke to her sharply before unlocking a closet by the staircase and pushing her into the darkness.
Sneezing from the dust a few times Jasmine let her eyes adjust to the dark and felt around the tiny space she was in. It seemed bare except for some kind of rag that lay on the floor and a thing pillow. Grimacing she dumped the hand me downs she was given onto the pillow except for the shoes which she threw in the corner. Sitting down on the rag she waited, and waited, and waited, for what seemed to an hour now but no one came to get her. Vague whispers floated to her ears, whispers of other children. They were frightened by the tone in their voices, and a far off sound even more disgusting than one of the matrons loud farts. It was the sound of three adults laughing, somewhat hysterically at something. Two men and a woman she recognized by their voices.
She'd have to wait until they went to sleep before escaping then, if Padfoot couldn't find her then she would find him instead. Laying her head down on the pile of clothes and the pillow she decided to get some rest before leaving, she would need all the strength possible.
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Outside the house a ginger cat with bright green eyes sat in a tree across from an open window. She had watched as the old station wagon pulled into the Jenkins' garage earlier. How the vulture like woman dragged her daughter forcefully through the gate of a white picket fence and up the walk of a perfectly normal house from the outside. Although Jasmine had struggled she did not scream, maybe it was the large bruise on her cheek that stopped her, fear of being hit again.
Rage surged through every molecule of Emerald's body as she watched the way the little girl was spoken to and then stuffed into a hall closet not at all unlike her cupboard at the Dursley's. So history was repeating itself then, but this time she would stop it. Put an end to this misery and fix things. She now understood why the Council hid her daughter from her, so that the revolution she was planning wouldn't occur. The Magi wanted to stay in control and they tried scaring her into submission like they did so many others. But there was no such thing as her going into submission for anyone.
She wouldn't have cared if they hurt her, if they hurt Desa, if they hurt Marvolo, but she sure as hell wasn't going to stand around watching them torment Jasmine. An innocent just like she used to be before the lies and corruption reached her eyes and ears and filled them with a fog swirling her mind and jumbling her thoughts. By this point in time if someone told her she was mentally instable she wouldn't deny it.
Nightfall was slowly approaching and the house was getting darker. One by one the lights in the windows were being turned off and she could hear nothing but silence. She had waited until midnight to make sure all was still and quiet before leaping into the small bathroom window. Lightly padding along the tile floors Emerald had to transform to open the door and help her daughter out of the closet. Across the short hall she could see the front door and next to it one of her worst nightmares. A closet where another poor child was subjected to sleeping in, what made it worse was that the child was hers this time.
Even though Emma felt relieved that she was saving her daughter, guilt plagued her from the knowledge that she had done nothing to prevent this from happening at all.
Whispering a quick "Alohomora" towards the lock on the closet she quietly opened it inch by inch cautious that it might squeak and wake one of the residents of the house up. The weak moonlight pouring through the windows did not do much to let her see into the dark space but her eyes although were not in their feline form were still very much useful in such situations as they quickly adapted.
Emerald's breath caught for a moment as she stared down at the little redhead curled up in a ball lying on top of thin rags splayed across the hard floor. She was breathing regularly and shivering almost violently, a violent bruise contrasting starkly with her pale skin. Biting her lip from damning the gods to hell for putting this fate on her daughter's innocent life she carefully ducked into the closet and picked her up gently, cradling her in her arms. She looked exactly like she did in the photograph Desa gave her instead a bit thinner.
Jasmine shifted in her arms and sleepily murmured something incoherent probably still dreaming of something perhaps better than the environment she was in recently. Before unlocking the front door quietly Emerald placed a light kiss on her daughter's forehead and murmured, "Mummy's here, you're safe now sweetie." Once outside she summoned a cloud and kneeled on it holding her daughter against her chest and rubbing the little girl's arms to keep her warm as the wind blew at them and the cool night air stung at their skin.
Jasmine stirred, feeling some kind of movement yet feeling like she was perfectly still. It was really the strangest thing, she felt like she was flying. Somewhere in the background someone was holding her close to him or her, trying to keep her warm and at the same time humming a song that was so familiar. It was exquisite and flowed smoothly, soothing her back into a gentle sleep. The last thing her eyes noticed were a pair of bright green eyes looking down at her, identical to her own and clouds breezing by in the back round.
In her sleep muddled brain she imagined her mother sitting with her and humming the song that was recorded in her locket. She must be her guardian angel. Jasmine was always told her mother was dead and nobody knew of her father. But this woman strongly reminded her of the one on the inside of her locket. A tall slender redhead with a warm smile and twinkling green eyes.
"Mum." she whispered and sighed, snuggling into the person's shoulder and drifting back into sleep.
Emma's eyes shone with unshed tears when she heard that one little word come out of Jasmine's mouth. One little word meant so much to her, it made her heart leap and her soul relax. She just hoped to whatever deity watching her that she didn't just imagine what she heard.
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Back at the hotel Remus watched wearily as Sirius paced the room relentlessly. He could just swear the man was made out of nerves right now. He was in a delicate condition and worrying about Emerald and their daughter didn't help much.
Remus himself was already ripping his hair out and mentally yelling at himself for not listening to the other man when he suggested they get Jasmine right away. But instead they had to wait until she was adopted then place memory charms on a street full of muggles whom witnessed Emma's transformation before chasing down the Jenkins' car. He only hoped now that they were both all right.
Rubbing his temples and gritting his teeth to keep from loosing himself Remus nearly yelled at the other man who kept pacing in front of him, muttering about something or other that he couldn't quite understand.
"Padfoot would you please just sit down, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet and you're giving me a headache."
Stopping for a moment to look at his companion Sirius didn't even say a word before starting to pace and mumble again, frustrating the lyncanthrope in the process.
"Padfoot," Remus warned through strained teeth. "If you don't sit down I'm going to tie you down and not in the kinky meaning of bondage but fully tying you to a tree outside and leaving you there until Emma comes back to deal with you!"
This time the other man did respond by just striding over to him and plopping down in his lap. "There! How's that? It good enough or do you need to bring out the leash and collar?" he growled, not angry, yet not happy either. His feelings at that moment were quite controversial.
Actually I think you'd look quite sexy in a collar." Emma whispered stepping through the door and holding back her laughter so she wouldn't wake her daughter who still slept peacefully in her arms. Sometimes she just had to laugh at Sirius' and Remus' quarrels, even though they loved each other so much they fought like a married couple.
In their hast to see the little girl in Emerald's arms both men tripped over each other and ended up tangled on the floor before scrambling up and bumping heads in order to get a better look at Jasmine. For all their antics Emma had to 'shush' them quickly. After being thoroughly beaten by each other and chastise by the woman in front of them Sirius and Remus stared in awe at the little redhead that Emma had wrapped in a blanket to keep warm.
"What happened there?" Remus' voice was worried and gentle when he pointed to the livid bruise on Jasmine's face.
"The muggles." She explained and cradled her daughter. "I told you two that history was repeating itself well this is your proof, she was slapped around and carted into a closet. I had to wait until night fall so I wouldn't cause a commotion."
Sirius' face immediately fell and he looked at her as if the apocalypse was just about to occur. "You never told me you were beaten, or pushed into closets for long instances of time." He croaked.
"It didn't seem to matter that I was starved, beaten, worked like a house elf, harassed and made to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs for ten years of my life." She answered bitterly and her arms compulsively tightened around the bundle in her arms.
"You could have told me, I would have."
"You would have what Padfoot?" she asked briskly. "You would have flew in on Buckbeak and gotten yourself caught then sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss? Well no thank you. Your safety was more important than how the Dursley's treated me, and that's the end of that discussion." She said ordering him rather than asking him to change the subject.
The room was silent for a long fifteen minutes that seemed more like an hour though. Each of them glanced at the coloration on the little girls pale skin and cringed. No child deserved such treatment and that bruise was a reminder of Emerald herself had gone through. Though Emma was much, much, worse off.
The bruise was clearly getting to all three of them, so licking per index finger she wiped it on her daughters cheek where her injury started to slowly fade until it was no more. Being as her body healed itself her bodily fluids would be more effective than an actual medical potion. It was a major upside.
"You have to stop surprising me like that." Sirius said unbelievingly and ran two fingers over his daughter's smooth cheek where the black and blue mark had once been.
"That is probably impossible Padfoot, she has more secrets than Hogwarts itself does." The other man answered.
Looking at the two of them and shaking her head in amusement as Sirius swatted Remus playfully and the other man flicked his ear, the subtle war was continuing and Emma felt like she was in a room full of children.
"Shush the both of you! You'll wake her up!" she chastised them once again.
But it was too late; they had already made enough noise to wake the sleeping bundle in her arms. As the small figure stretched a little and yawned softly she opened her eyes. Letting her wide green orbs jump from person to person and take in her surroundings she glanced up at the identical pair she thought she dreamed of earlier. Her mind was still sleep muddled but aware enough to know she wasn't supposed too be in this particular place and with these particular people who she hadn't a clue to whom they were.
"W-Where a-am I, and who are you?" her small voice quavered a little and she tried to wretch herself free of the older woman's protective hold over her.
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Hello all! Well I hope you liked this chapter. I grew a little lazy and it took me a while to finish it. In the future expect bouts of laziness from yours truly!
Someone in one of the reviews asked me why Emma just didn't charge into the orphanage and collect her daughter right away. I have to say it's a good question and what I told them was; I view Emma as a Slytherin really. She thinks her plans through ahead of time and makes good choices. She is clever and cunning so instead of going out to snatch Jasmine she decides to draw up legal papers to make the whole thing all the more believable to the muggles. Kidnapping her right out of the orphanage would only draw attention to Jasmine in the muggle world if they ever decided to go there. Then there is also the fact that she wasn't sure that her daughter was in that particular orphanage. Sirius and her had seen the girl but neither were exactly in their right mind at the time.
All though Emma is a rational person she does have her bouts of mental instability, as I like to call it. The main reasons are primarily because she's been brainwashed so much, tortured, and overloaded with magic enough to mess with her mind at stressful times. I do not consider her rash though; Sirius is the rash and overprotective one. While Remus is quiet and sensible.
Anyways stay tuned to the next chapter coming soon. Find out what happens with Jasmine. Will she accept her new parents? Or will she go nuts?