Harry's eyes slowly fluttered open, and he yawned softly before looking around, wondering where he was. Then memories came flooding back... Harry then noticed something... He felt...warm... and safe... Looking over at Kyoko, the small boy's eyes widened when he saw that she was holding was...So nice... He felt safe and warm and so comfy... Closing his eyes, he snuggled in closer to the detective, enjoying the warmth she exuded, as well as her soothing lavender scent. Kyoko felt something in her sleep, and for reasons she couldn't comprehend, she felt her arms wrap about whatever was next to her. After a few more moments, Kyoko's eyes slowly opened and she looked about, then looked down as a wide smile formed as she saw Harry snuggled up to her. Casting a glance outside, she saw it must've been a few hours.
"Harry? You awake sweetie?" She asked quietly, looking at the tiny bundle.
"Hi Miss Koko..." She heard Harry mumble, as he squirmed about and looked up at the detective.
She sat up in her bed, holding Harry in her arms and hugging him close to her bosom as she yawned softly. "Hmm... I don't usually take naps..." She mused.
"Me either..." Harry mumbled into her chest. Kyoko quietly rubbed his back, knowing the reason for that was a cruel matter of 'not being allowed' to take a nap.
She kissed the top of his head and climbed out of bed. "Well, I'd say it's definitely time to wake up..." She mumbled, carrying Harry as she made her way to the door.
She paused and adjusted Harry in her arms and smiled down at him. Walking into the hall, she thankfully only saw Makoto, seeming lost.
"Oh, hey Kirigiri!" The boy said, sounding relieved. "I Uh... I kinda forgot where the elevator was... and there's so many rooms..."
Kyoko smirked and shook her head in bemusement. "The elevator is two halls down and to the left." She replied. Makoto grinned at her.
"Great. Apparently Fukawa's bugging Togami again, and he wants me to bring him this spray bottle to chase her off." Makoto held up the item in question and Kyoko's smirk widened in amusement.
"That works out quite nicely, actually. Those two are the only ones that haven't met Harry yet. I think I'll join you and get it over and done with."
"Heh, okay then." Makoto smirked, then frowned somewhat when he realized what this meant. "I just hope things don't end up... y'know..."
"Yes, I do." Kyoko frowned. "But I believe Harry will be okay if I'm with him when he meets them."
Harry looked up confused, but didn't say anything. If Miss Kyoko said he'd be okay, then he believed her, she hadn't hurt him yet, and he didn't believe she would.
The trio made their way to the elevator, Kyoko fighting back the worried feeling in her gut. Either things would go smoothly and her worries would be for nothing...
Or she would be leaving with Harry in tears, something she very much did not want to happen. Honestly, if it did happen, she just might punch Byakuya right in the face.
As it turned out... her worries were all for naught.
Fukawa was sitting quietly in a corner, scribbling away in a journal, thankfully in her calm, very timid form. Byakuya was looking at his phone and not paying anyone any mind, but he did seem annoyed. Kyoko approached Fukawa slowly, nervous to how this was going to go down.
"Konechiwa." Harry said in a tiny voice before Kyoko could speak. Fukawa gave a startled 'Eep!' And hug her face behind her journal. Much like had did with his sheets when he first met Kyoko.
Byakuya looked up from his book slightly, eyebrow raised. 'Hmm? A child? How peculiar...' He thought to himself before sitting silent to see what happened.
Toko looked at the boy in front of her with wide eyes before looking back and forth between him and Kyoko, looking like a kitten cornered by a pitbull. "Uuuuuuhhhhh..."
Kyoko decided to break the rather awkward silence and introduce Harry to the writer. "Fukawa, meet Harry... I've adopted him."
"Oh. Um. Well then..." The writer mumbled, not sure how to react. "He's cute..."
"Thank you miss Fukiwawa." Harry replied quietly, trying (and failing) to pronounce her name. The attempt did earn a small smile from the writer.
"Daw, aren't you precious?" She said, a bit more life in her voice now.
Kyoko was surprised. Toko had a soft side for children? What an unusual turn of events this was. She had been so ready to scold the writer...
Then she remembered Genocide Jack's preferred victims were cute boys, and her eyes widened. Would Harry qualify as a viable victim for the hidden killer?!
Toko seemed to catch on and looked offended. "I would never!"
Harry looked confused as he looked form Kyoko to Toko, the writer seemed rather upset by something, and seemed close to tears as she tired to hold them back. Harry didn't understand why she was so upset, and he reached out to her as if trying to offer her a hug.
"I..I'm sorry Toko. I just..." Kyoko tried to say, realizing that while her fears were somewhat justified, she may have gone about this the wrong way. She noticed Harry reaching out, trying to offer a comforting hug, and she slowly set the tiny boy in the writers lap. Nervous, but also trusting her.
Fukawa squeaked at the sudden weight in her lap, then looked down at Harry, who looked up at her rather shyly. "Um... Hi..." He said softly.
Toko's face turned slightly red. He really was an adorable little boy, and she didn't really know how to respond to the situation. Then, she squeaked again when his tiny arms wrapped around him.
"K-K-Kirigiri, what is happening...? Why is he hugging me?" The writer questioned her fellow purplette nervously. Kyoko chuckled at her reaction.
"I think he believes you need comforting." Kyoko replied with a slight smirk. Fukawa blinked then looked down at the tiny boy still trying to hug her. After a few moments, she slowly wrapped her arms around his tiny frame, awkwardly returning the hug. Kyoko however, found it adorable. Harry seemed so genuine in his hug, and Toko seemed so bewildered yet so happy at the same time.
She looked quite... content holding Harry in her arms. She had never seen the pigtailed girl look so relaxed before... It warmed her heart far more than she thought it would.
"Well, well, you've found a way to pacify her irritating self deprecation tendencies... As well as a way to take her attention off of me." Kyoko turned to face Byakuya.
The affluent prodigy was watching the scene before him with an unreadable expression on his face. Whether he was intrigued or bored, Kyoko didn't know.
"Thank you for that." She said flatly. Thankfully neither Harry or Toko seemed to hear, as they were still hugging one another the writer seeming to warm up to the embrace and now returning it with a shy smile on her face.
"What? I'm just being honest." Byakuya shrugged. "Besides, I never expected YOU to adopt a child Kirigiri."
Kyoko stared at him impassively, showing no signs of being offended by his remark. "I suppose I'd be offended if I wasn't completely in agreement with you."
Byakuya frowned. "You mean to tell me that adopting him was a spur of the moment decision? Those are extremely dangerous, Kirigiri."
"This was not a dangerous decision, Togami. I know for a fact that I did the right thing, and you can't convince me otherwise.."
"But are you sure that this wasn't just a case of sympathy due to your line of work? Speaking of which, you've never really been one to show much emotion, so how can you raise a child if you show nothing but a cold aura?"
Kyoko was getting somewhat angry now, but she also knew he sort of had a point. Her work required her to be somewhat disconnected from her feelings, but Harry... he was different. This wasn't just because of work, this was because she loved him.
She narrowed her eyes sternly at Byakuya, causing the Affluent Prodigy to quirk a brow in intrigue. This was becoming quite interesring indeed...
"Togami... Are the words maternal instincts familiar to you? ...Every woman has them, whether they realize it or not... And when they kick in... A woman just knows."
Byakuya smirked in response. "So the icy shell has been dissolved by a small child of all things. How very amusing." Kyoko narrowed her eyes.
"Keep this up and I'll make Toko change to her other self and come after you." Kyoko growled, her eyes narrowing dangerously. The warning seemed to work as Byakuya noticeably paled, leaning back to try and stay away from the detective.
"Hmph." He let out a small huff. "Well, either way, would you mind taking her out of this room? She's quite a bit more bold these days and it is most annoying."
Kyoko rolled her eyes. "You have no interest in introducing yourself to Harry?" She asked flatly. Byakuya frowned slightly in confusion.
"And why, might I ask, do you have interest in me meeting the boy? You know very well I'm no natural with children." He replied to her inquiry.
"Hm. On that we can agree." Kyoko replied stiffly. "But still, he's met everyone else. And as much as I'd prefer to skip you-"
"Go ahead, I won't feel any worse." The rich boy cut in, rolling his eyes. "Besides, I think Toko's taken a liking to him."
Kyoko whirled around in fear, not sure what was meant by that, but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the writer had rested her chin on top of Harry's head, and the pair were looking at her journal, Fukawa reading some of her writing to the tiny boy.
Harry appeared to be enthralled by the story the writer was telling, and Kyoko had to smile at the sight. "Well, come on over then, Togami."
Byakuya frowned, then sighed as he slowly rose to his feet, approaching the group with an impassive look on his face. He gave Harry a critical look.
"Hmm... It seems he hasn't seen the best of days just yet, does it not?" The heir commented on the boy's rather unimpressive physical appearance.
Harry whimpered and tried to hide, somewhat burying his face into Toko's chest, shocking the writer, while Kyoko donned a saddened expression.
"No. He hasn't." She shook her head sadly. "His... his own family is to blame for that."
That last remark made Byakuya freeze before he could speak, his eyes widened and his mouth hung open as he looked to Kyoko, genuine shock clear on his face.
"His... FAMILY did that to him?" He finally got out.
"The poor baby!" Toko exclaimed, trying her best to hug Harry protectively.
Byakuya briefly looked annoyed by Toko's words, before he let out a sigh and cleaned his glasses. "Hrmph... Well... His condition is certainly abysmal..."
"I'd consider that an understatement." Kyoko replied with a roll of her eyes. Byakuya gave her the evil eye, and she gave it right backto him.
"However..." He looked at Harry. "Upbringings like his turn out one of two ways. Either they grow to despise the world and all that inhabit it... Or they learn from it, and become stronger, better people. And I believe it's clear what category the boy falls into."
Harry tilted his head, thinking about what the new boy said. Was this similar to the 'Silver Lining' that Miss Kyoko had talked about? He seemed to go deep into thought (as deep as a small child could) before deciding that was at least similar, so he looked up and nodded at Byakuya, which seemed to both surprise and amuse the boy.
"Well, he certainly seems to agree with me." He smirked.
"Silver... linens?" Harry finally spoke, trying to repeat what he had been told.
Byakuya blinked twice before smirking at the boy. "While I do very much enjoy silver linens, I believe the term you're looking for is silver LINING."
"Ooooh. That makes more sense..." Harry replied with a nod, secretly wondering the difference between the two. Kyoko rubbed his head gently.
"Well, I have to say... This meeting went far better than I anticipated." She admitted. "Thank you both for being kind to him. Lord knows he needed it."
Byakuya nodded, his face still it's usual self, but Kyoko could tell his nod was genuine. Toko gave a tiny smile and patted the boy's head, trying to show she cared as well. The writer handed the tiny boy back to Kyoko, and harry was noticeably more comfortable in familiar arms. Kyoko gave him a small smile before leaving the room.
"Um...Um...B-Bye!" Toko called out after them. Harry gave a small wave in response and Toko let out a soft squee of delight in response.
"Why don't you follow after them? ...And stop bothering ME?" Byakuya questioned, to which Toko responded with a huge, rather creepy smile.
"Oh, as much as I love Harry... I will always love YOU the most, my-EEP!" By that point, Byakuya had smacked her upside the head with a newspaper.
Kyoko shook her head with a slight chuckle as she left adjusted Harry in her arms and smiled down at him.
"So... that's everyone." Kyoko stated.
"Miss Toko was nice. But... she seemed scared of something. Is she okay?" Harry asked innocently.
Kyoko kissed his head and rubbed his back. "Yes, dear, Miss Toko's just fine. She's just... very shy and has trouble with her emotions... She doesn't like herself very much."
Harry was confused. "She...She doesn't like herself? But why not? That doesn't make any sense. She's nice, and she makes really good stories."
Kyoko thought it over, trying to determine the best way to describe Toko's 'Quirk' without scaring him away from her permanently. However, she couldn't think of a truthful reason that someone as tiny as Harry could comprehend without the aforementioned terror.
"I'll tell you when your older." The detective replied. "But I can tell you now she really appreciated your kindness."
Harry seemed satisfied with that, smiling softly and cuddling in closer to her. Kyoko rubbed the back of his head and smiled softly. Well... Introductions were complete...
Now perhaps would be a good time to teach Harry some Japanese. During a nice breakfast of course... Carrying the boy downstairs, she got them breakfast and sat them down.
"Well, Harry, you remembered how to say hello in my language. I'm very impressed." Harry perked right up at the praise. "Now let's see what else you remember..."
As she led Harry through the exercise, Kyoko was very impressed with how much Harry (mostly) remembered. Sure, he had a hard time pronouncing most of the words, but even the fact that he remembered at least the base of them was more than she had expected. It made her proud that Harry was learning so fast. They got so engrained in practice they they forgot about their food until Harry's stomach growled.
He blushed slightly and Kyoko let out a soft chuckle. "All right, that will be enough for now, Harry. Excellent job. You remembered your Japanese very well." She praised.
Harry beamed with pride, much to Kyoko's liking. The boy needed a boost in his self esteem. "Thank you, Miss Kyoko..." He said softly.
"Oh? You pronounced my name right." Kyoko said with a smirk, ruffling his hair. "You really are catching on, aren't you?" Harry was feeling pretty good about himself. ...Until his tummy growled insistently.
Kyoko wrapped one arm around Harry, the other one picked up a forkful of food and held it up to his mouth. Harry didn't resist and opened his mouth to be fed. He chewed the egg and his face seemed to brighten. Kyoko smiled and went to get some more for him, until...
"Awww! That so cuteee!"
Kyoko quickly prayed it was Sayaka, and not who she thought it was, until Junko sat down across from the pair with a huge grin on her face.
Kyoko looked at the blonde, maintaining her stoic demeanour quite well all things considered. "Hello, Junko. I can't help but notice you have an egg on your head, a swollen ear and a jar stuck on your hand."
Junko laughed uproariously. "Yep, that was one heck of a wakeup call!" She smashed the jar against the table, breaking it in two and freeing her hand. "There we go, that's off now!"
"You're bleeding."
"Yep! I sure am! Feels great!"
Harry stared in horror at what just happened, to him, blood was always associated with pain. Unlike anyone his age (or most older) blood in and of itself didn't frighten him, he had seen so much of his own he was sadly used to it. But he liked Miss Junko, and he knew blood usually meant pain. He didn't want any of Miss Kyoko's friends to be hurting...
"B..but it hurt!" Harry stammered eyes wide. Junko looked down at him and her smile widened.
"Aww, That so sweet of you to care sweetie pie!" The crazy blonde cooed. "But to me... pain isn't really... painful."
Harry was now completely confused, and he looked up to Kyoko, as if asking for an answer. The detective decided to change topics.
"So... about the egg..."
"It's on my head." Junko replied with a grin, taking a seat and resting her feet on the table. Kyoko's eye twitched slightly, as she knew that was the only response she was getting.
"I see. ...Honestly, the things you get up to in your spare time confuse and baffle every one of us." Junko just giggled in response before leaning forward, resting her chin on her hands.
"So you're teaching your little baby how to speak Japanese? He is KILLIN' it! You must be a pretty good teacher, huh? Either that or he's a really good student!"
"Miss Kyoko's a good teacher." Harry almost immediately answered, still not fully able to beleive he was a good student... Kyoko notes the tone of slight sadness in his voice and hugged him reassuringly.
"Hey, your a wonderful stundent. You're learning faster than most of the students at my school!" Kyoko said with a chuckle. "Some of them are still struggling to speak English, so the fact that you've picked what what you have is outstanding."
Harry felt a warmth at the compliments. For so long he had been beaten and pushed down. But maybe Miss Kyoko was right. Maybe he wasn't as stupid as he had been forced to beleive.
Junko leaned forward. "All right, let's hear you say THIS in Japanese... Supercallifragilisticexpiallidocious!" Kyoko looked at her like she was insane.
"Junko, he does not know how to say that in Japanese." She said flatly. Junko huffed and crossed her arms beneath her bust with a pout.
"You gotta be kidding me, Kirigiri! C'mon, you can't teach him how to speak our language and leave out such an important word! I mean, sure, the sound of it is something quite atrocious, but that doesn't mean you can just pretend it doesn't have a huge part in our culture!"
Kyoko's palm was now very acquainted with her face.
"Supercalifflowerexpalido?" Harry tried to repeat the word, his youngest getting very twisted at the overly long word. Junko ruffles his hair playfully and laughed.
"Ah well, you'll get it eventually!" She grinned, her ever present wide smile not showing any signs of stopping. And Harry smiled in return. "There we go! What a adorable smile!"
Kyoko rolled her eyes, an exasperated smile forming on her face. "You really are too much, you know that, right Junko?" The fashionista flashed a peace sign.
"Thanks, Giri! I try!" She looked down at her watch. "Ooh, would ya look at that? It's time for me to go and trick some guy into going into the ladies' room! I can't skip that again! See ya guys later!"
Kyoko felt a sweatdrop form on the back of her head as Junko rushed off. "...I really don't understand why she does the things she does."
"She's nice though." Harry added innocently. Kyoko raised a brow, looking down at Harry, then smiled with a slight shrug.
"Well, if you think so." She said. "Now c'mon, our food's getting cold."
Harry nodded and looked back to his food, picking up the us tinsels and trying to pick up some more of his breakfast. Kyoko smiled as she saw him tentatively take a few bites on his own, she turned to her food and began eating.
When their food was gone, Kyoko sighed and thought about how eventful and life changing this entire field trip had been... In just a few days, she had become... a mother...
Yes, no matter how hard she tried to tell herself otherwise, it was plain to see that she was now this little boy's mother... She remembered what he had said last night as he slept...
Truth be told, she wouldn't mind hearing it again.
"Harry, I have a question for you..." Kyoko began, rubbing his back, making the tiny boy look up at her. "What do you think of me?"
Harry's eyes widened in surprise and he thought for a moment before answering honestly.
"Your really smart... and pretty." He began. "And... your the nicest person I've ever met, you...you don't hate me... and your like a ma-" He immediately stopped himself, looking away ashamed.
Kyoko cupped his chin in her hand and tilted his head up to look into her eyes, offering him an encouraging smile. "It's all right, dear. Please go on with that."
Harry hesitated for a few seconds, trying to urge himself to say it, before finally, he managed to find his voice. "You're... You're like a mama, Miss Kyoko..."
Kyoko felt the smile forming and nuzzled the top of his head gently. "Well, Harry... If that's what you want to call me... then you have my full permission. I've already adopted you, and our relationship is quite strong..."
Harry's eyes widened as if he had just seen a ghost. Surprisingly though, he didn't seem like he was going to cry, he was just very, very confused and shocked.
"Y..you mean it?" He finally stammered our, and Kyoko smiled down at him.
"Of course I do. I wouldn't have said so if I didn't."
Harry remained silent, millions of thoughts running around that he couldn't understand. But there was one thought that he did understand. And it made him happier than he ever had been before.
He had a mama.
Leaning into her chest and trying to hug her, he let out a happy "Mama."
Kyoko smiled softly and rubbed the boy's back, not noticing her tears until they began to cloud her vision. Wiping her eyes and regaining her composure, she leaned down and kissed the boy's head.
"Yes, dear... Mama." She said softly. Wordlessly, she went back to their bedroom. She wanted to spend some time alone with her son...
When they returned, Kyoko seated herself on her bed with Harry comfortably on her lap. The two looked out over the city from their hotel room.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Kyoko asked, stroaking Harry's hair. She had to admit while she enjoyed the sometimes overly bright neon lights of Japan's cities at night, it couldn't be denied that there was a tranquil beauty to England's midday view
Harry simply nodded his little head in response, content to just sit silently in his newly adopted mother's lap. Kyoko kissed his head and stared forward with a small smile,
So that was it... That was the official final step to her new role as Harry's mother... She had allowed him to call her mama... There really was no turning back now.
Not that she had any desire to do so. This feeling of being needed, of being the most important figure in this little boy's life, was intoxicating.
Kyoko wasn't sure how much time passed, but the pair were content where they were. Harry squirmed every now and then to change positions or to get comfortable and Kirigiri would hug or kiss him soothingly, but they were together, and that was more than anything either one had expected.
"That's precious." they heard a voice say, and Kyoko turned around and smirked slightly at Celeste, who was watching them with a wide grin.
"How long were you there?" The Detective asked.
"Long enough." The gambler replied.
"Mama?" Harry asked, peaking around Kyoko's figure, hs worry quickly melted away though when he saw who it was. "Oh, h..hello Miss Celeste."
Celestia waved with a closed eyed smile. "Greetings to you aa well, dearie. And how are we today, hmm?" Harry responded with a large smile.
"Miss Kyoko isn't Miss Kyoko anymore." Celeste tilted her head at that. "Now Miss Kyoko is mama... She said I could call her that. And I'm happy."
Celeste walked over, sitting next to her friend, and took one of Harry's tiny hands in her own.
"That's WONDERFUL darling." She said with a huge grin, before leaning forward and kissing him on the forehead. This surprised harry but also made him blush, and try to hide it in Kyoko's shirt. Both girls found it adorable. "She's the perfect fit for you my little cutie, she'll take good care of you, and provide you with all the love a mother can."
Harry nodded his head in response, a tiny smile forming on his face. "I...I know she will..." He said softly, giving Kyoko a hug. "She already has been..."
Kyoko's heart melted as she leaned down and kissed his head. "I'm glad you think so, Harry... I really do hope I can be the mother you deserve."
"You're more than I deserve..." Harry mumbled softly. "You're the best mama ever."
Kyoko felt happy tears welling up in her eyes again, Harry seemed to notice them to, and gave a tiny gasp.
"I..I..i didn't mean to make you cry mama!" He said, fear suddenly filling his voice. "Please don't be mad!"
"I'm not Harry, these are happy tears." Kyoko snuffed, wiping the tears away and hugging her son closer.
"You're crying because...you're happy...?" Harry asked softly, prompting Kyoko to nod her head in affirmation. "Oh... Um... If that's true, then... Mama...? Is it okay if I do the happy cry too?"
Kyoko chuckled and nuzzled the top of his head. "You don't need my permission, dear... If you want to cry, then don't bottle it up... Let it out..."
"Th-Thank you... Ma...ma..." He buried his face into the detective's chest and let out a soft sob. Celeste saw she had no place in the scenario and opted to leave them be.
Mother and son sat comfortably for some time, Harry had drifted off to sleep, and Kyoko didn't want to move and accidentally wake him. She simple settled for stroaking his cheek with a gloved hand.
Her gloves... she frowned as she realized that she hadn't actually let Harry feel her hands yet. As of there was some barrier between them until hat happened.
She studied her gloves for a few moments before looking back at the sleeping boy. No... HER sleeping boy... He was her son... Her baby... There shouldn't be a barrier like that between them...
Slowly, she pulled off one of her gloves, frowning softly at the scarred appendave that was her hand. After removing the other, she resolved herself to her decision.
She would let him know as soon as he awoke.
She was nervous though. How would Harry react to her scars? Would he be frightened? Disgusted? Kyoko didn't know. After a few minutes of feeling herself being mentally dragged down, something occurred to her. She had helped Harry overcome her scars, maybe... maybe she'd help her overcome her own. She wasn't sure, but seeing her sleeping sons face, she didn't much care.
She gave him a kiss and smiled softly, deciding to put her trust in her son's good nature. The little boy was an absolute sweetheart... He wasn't likely to think any different of her for her hands.
She continued to look out at the city for another hour at least, patiently waiting for Harry to wake up. He needed his sleep that he was so deprived of...
Then, she felt him stir.
"Mmm... Mama?" He said sleepily as his eyes opened. When his emerald eyes finally adjusted to the waking world, he smiled up at the detective when he realized where he was and more importantly, who he was with.
"Hello my sweet." Kyoko replied with a closed-eyed smile. "You seemed to have a good nap."
"I..I didn't meant to sleep for so lon-" Harry began but remembered that Miss Kirigiri wasn't like his aunt and uncle, so he nuzzled closer to her with a happy smile on his face.
Kyoko rubbed his back in an affectionate manner before finding the resolve to do what needed to be done. "Harry...I want to show you something."
Harry looked up at his adopted mother with a curious expression, and she gave him a somewhat nervous smile in response. "What is it, mama?"
"Well... You know how I always wear gloves, right?" Harry nodded. "I think it's time you saw what my hands look like without the gloves..."
She slowly pulled them off and gently placed her hands on her lap so Harry could see them. The boy seemed shocked, but that quickly changed to a childlike curiosity as he gently took one with his own tiny hands.
"I guess, this is my 'freaky stuff'." Kyoko pled weakly, still feeling very insecure about her hands.
"But... they look normal." Harry commented. "And your still really nice. What do your hands have to do with that?"
Kyoko stared at him with an unreadable expression for a few moments. Then the corners of her mouth turned up and she began to laugh.
Harry tilted his head in confusion. Why was Miss Kyoko laughing? Did he say something funny? Kyoko noticed and reigned herself in, sighing softly.
"Oh, Harry... You are such a pure soul... Please... Never lose that bright innocence..." She said before kissing his cheek lovingly.
Harry looked up and smiled, deciding just to take the kind words and not question them too much. He wrapped his tiny arms around the detectives wait and snuggled into her tummy. Kyoko returned the gesture and rose to her feet, holding her son as the gazed out the window.
"Soon this will all be a distant memory..." Kyoko thought.
She thought it was a true shame... This trip had been such a life changing experience for her... To think it was going to end very soon...
She looked down at her son and smiled softly. She would have to bring him back for vacation one day. It wouldn't be right to keep him away from his country of birth forever...
Still, hopefully she could come back at a later time when not only his uncle would still be behind bars and hopefully Harry would be less... frightened. Still she hoped he'd enjoy his new home in Japan. It certainly would be a change for him, but she figured he like it.
She looked down at her watch and frowned slightly. "Hmm... Harry, I think it's time we went to get some lunch. Any idea what you'd like to have?"
"Whatever you want is fine, mama." Harry replied softly, prompting Kyoko to smile fondly, having had a feeling he would say something like that.
"Well then... I believe I saw a Japanese restaurant in town... Let's go there, and you can get a feel for the kind of food we have in Japan."
Harry nodded eagerly and Kyoko set off. The walk through the hotel was quiet, but also soothing. She felt like many a great wheight had been lifted off of her shoulders and now she could enjoy some food from her home, as well as introduce it to her new son. She wondered what he'd like best...
She reached the restaurant, entitled Kawakubo, and smiled as they entered. The owners had done an excellent job catching the spirit of her home country.
There was a regular seating area, and a sushi bar. Kyoko decided they would try some sushi first as an appetizer before getting a full meal.
"Well Harry, what would you like to try?" She asked as Harry looked out over the new (and understandly foreign,) food. Finally, he pointed to a few different rolls, one with cucumber, one with shrimp and...
Kyoko stopped herself as she realized she was about to feed her son a wasabi roll... he definitely wasn't ready for that.
"Um...I think you should try something else, sweetie." She tried to reason. "Those are...very, VERY spicy." Harry tilted his head with a confused look before nodding.
"Okay...Um...Can I have um...that one then?" Kyoko smiled as Harry pointed to a much more reasonable shrimp roll and nodded her head in affirmation.
"Okay then love." She nodded, picking up the roll and setting it on his plate. Once she was sure both she and Harry had enough to start, she seated herself and Harry at a small table off to the side, then smiled dryly when she saw Harry trying (and failing) to use chopsticks.
"Here...Like this." She grabbed his hand and gently manipulated it to control how he used the chopsticks, showing him how to use them properly.
Harry was quick to catch on, and he gave it another try. He struggled a little bit, but he did manage to pull it off, much to the little boy's pleasure.
"Mmmm..." he mumbled, tasting the sushi. "This is so good! What is it?"
"Well, in that you have rice, mustard, shrimp..." Kyoko listed off the ingredients she could tell from looking at it.
"Shrimp?" Harry asked, tilting his head, confused.
"Shrimp is a type of fish. They live out in the ocean." Kyoko tired to explain, but Harry nodded, signaling he understood.
"Oooh... Fishies are cool." Harry said with a nod. Kyoko chuckled and patted his head as he ate another piece of his sushi, savouring the taste.
"Well... I guess they're closer to crabs and lobsters than fish." Kyoko admitted, eating another piece of her own food. "But yeah... This is common Japanese food."
"Japanese food is really yummy." Harry replied with a bright smile. Kyoko smirked at that. She knew that the food in Japan was considered an exotic delicacy for many... To her, it was just food.
But to Harry... food itself could be considered a luxury... it was so inhumane what he went through. And Kyoko had to keep her composure from showing her slight anger. It wasn't his fault, she didn't want him to think for even a second it was. She just smiled and watched him eat. His eyes were wide with wonder.
The purplette stifled a soft giggle as she watched her little boy eat his sushi. 'So cute...' She fawned internally. Soon enough, they finished the appetizer. Now Kyoko was ready to give Harry the main course.
Carrying him over to a table, she picked up a menu and sat by his side, going over the various dishes with him. Harry was unsure what he wanted... So he decided he would ask her recommendation.
"I think you'd enjoy the yakatori or the ramen." Kyoko answered. When she saw that Harry was still confused, she pointed to the pictures. "Yakatori is meat on a stick, and ramen are noodles."
"Ramen sounds good." Harry finally said, looking up at his mother. Kyoko smiled back down at him.
"Ramen it is." She said.
The pair waited patiently for their meal to arrive, and when it did, Harry ate his ramen very slowly, his eyes lighting up as he quickly found he liked the taste.
Kyoko was quite pleased by the food here. The cooks really went all out to make it seem like it came straight from Japan. And she was glad Harry seemed to enjoy it too.
Tiny boy seemed to be tasting the noodles as if he was inspecting them for something. After a few moments, he chewed and swallowed them, as if they had passed some sort of test.
"They're really yummy." He said, looking up at the detective. "Is this what all Japanese food tastes like?"
"Well, not all of it." Kyoko replied. "You've had sushi as well, and there's many other dishes for you to try. And eventually, you'll try them all. But for now, enjoy your noodles while they're warm."
Harry nodded obediently, and the mother-son duo ate their lunch in a comfortable silence, eventually finishing their respective meals. Kyoko smiled at Harry.
"So, that's just a small taste of what your new home has to offer." She explained. Harry hoped all the food in Japan was as good as the food in this place.
Kyoko paid the cheque, then led Harry down the street, holding his hand gently. She got to thinking... Did her father have a passport ready for Harry?
Come to think of it, where was he going to stay when she got home? She wasn't sure her dorm had a spare bed lying around, let alone an extra room for one more 'jr. student' as she decided to call him. she bit her lip and shook her head, she'd figure out the spacing issues later, and as for the bed, well, Harry could just stay with her.
She was thinking about the passport issue when a text alert went off, she took her phone out and smiled when she saw what was written:
Bring my grandson to the photo studio. Don't want you to get arrested for kidnapping/smuggling a toddler ;)
Kyoko blinked at the message, then smirked mirthfully. It seemed her father had read her mind, despite not even being within the same general area.
She looked down at her son with a small smile. "Well, Harry, we're going to get your picture taken now. You have to have your passport so you can get on the plane."
"Passport?" Harry asked, looking up at her. Kyoko laughed slightly and patted his head.
"You'll see sweetie." She said with a smile as the two kept on walking. Every now and then, Kyoko would notice people look her way with a smile, she blushed, feeling embarrassed, but realized this was all part of adopting a child. Harry didn't seem to notice, either looking around him at he town, or up at his new mama. Eventually, the two came to a stop at a walk way and an old woman seemed to do a double take when she saw Harry.
Kyoko noticed and gave the old woman an inquisitive glance. The bespectacled old woman simply shot her a smile, then approached under the guise of needing to use the crosswalk as well.
"Hello there, dear." She greeted. "Apologies, I just noticed that... this boy looks much like a very similar looking child I know..." Kyoko gave the woman a questioning glance.
"Oh, is that so? Hmm... Quite the coincidence... Well... His name is Harry... He's very recently adopted." She explained.
Kyoko notes that the woman's eyes seemed to widen in shock, although the rest of her body remained the same.
"Oh, well he seems quite happy with you." The woman simply said, a smile forming on her face. Kyoko looked down at Harry and squeezed his hand slightly as a sign of affection.
"Well, he's certainly made me happier." The detective remarked.
"And... you... you make me really happy." Harry added, slightly nervous around the unknown woman.
Kyoko had to smile at that despite herself, and she patted Harry's head affectionately. The older woman looked like she wanted to say more, but stopped herself.
Kyoko was interested, but decided not to pry. The light changed, and she led Harry across the street. "It was nice meeting you, ma'am."
"Oh yes, likewise, dearie, likewise." The woman replied.
Mirnerva McGonnal water the new mother and son cross the street and continue down the sidewalk, she felt a warm smile form on her face and a tear run down as well. Harry Potter was safe and loved. That was all she ever wanted for the poor dear. She wasn't sure if she would tell Albus right away, but definitely Hagrid, the half-giant would be greatly relieved to hear about Harry's new circumstances.
"I hope you take good care of him dear, better than we did..." she whispered to herself.
She turned away from the scene and stepped into a nearby alley, seeming to vanish from sight upon entering the confines of the two walls...
Kyoko reached the studio, sighing softly. "Okay, Harry, hope you're not camera shy." She said as she entered and found her father waiting for her.
"Hey kiddos." He said with a grin. Harry seemed a bit nervous, but remembered that this was a nice man.
"Hello sir." Harry said with a tiny wave, earning a grin from both Kirigiri's.
"Hey to you too squirt." He replied. "Great to see you so happy with Kyoko."
Almost instinctively, Kyoko gave Harry's hand another squeeze. The detective picked up her son and looked around.
"So where do I put him?"
"Right on this stool over here." The elder Kirigiri instructed, patting the seat of said stool. Kyoko nodded and gently set Harry down atop the stool.
"All right then. So will the photographer be here soon?" Kyoko asked, looking around for any sign of the photographer, wondering why he wasn't there.
"Yes, he's just getting ready." Jin explained. Kyoko nodded in response, then stood next to Harry patiently, awaiting the photographer's arrival.
As Harry sat, Kyoko found herself fussing over his hair somewhat, trying to find a suitable style with the messy mop that was his current hair. Kyoko's father smirked as she watched his daughter being very motherly to the tiny boy that was now his grandson. He always hoped that somewhere under Kyoko's cold detective face there was a caring side, but after the way she had been raised... well, he'd be lying if he said he didn't have some regrets.
But now, watching the tiny boy sitting infront of his giggle as Kyoko tried to find a good look (and seeming to grow somewhat flustered when nothing seemed to work) it gave him a sense of pride seeing how much his daughter truly cared. He was taken out of his thoughts but a frustrated huff as Kyoko threw her hands down and stamped her foot.
"Fine. I give up." She grumbled.
Harry's hair was still a mess, and he was looking slightly nervous, rubbing his arm and looking down at the ground like s child caught up past curfew. "Sorry, mama..."
Kyoko realized he was distressed and gave him a quick hug. "No need to be sorry, Harry... Not your fault your hair is completely untameable..."
"I think it looks fine." Her father stated with a shrug, masking the purple-haired mother turn and look annoyed at him.
"Are you being serious, or are you just trying to annoy me?" She asked flatly.
"Bit of A bit of B."
"I swear your as bad as Celeste..." Kyoko grumbled.
"But... Miss Celeste is really nice." Harry piped up, looking up at the two. The sincerity in his tone was adorable.
Kyoko had to smile despite herself, and she messed with the boy's hair gently. "Yes, I'll admit, the girl does have her moments... When she isn't stirring up trouble anyway."
Then, the photographer stepped out. "All right then, let's just get your picture taken, young man, and we can get everything in order by tomorrow."
Harry should looked at the camera man and gave a tiny smile. There was a brief flash and he began blinking in confusion, finding himself briefly dizzied by the white flash. Kyoko giggled slightly at his bewildered face before putting a hand on his shoulder.
"All done." She said with a smile.
Harry tilted his head curiously. "That's it? That was really, really fast." He said softly, getting a smile out of his adopted mother as she picked him up.
"Well, there is more to it, but I think my dad can handle that, right, dad?" Jin gave his daughter a smile and a thumbs up, and Kyoko had to smile back.
"Thanks daddy." She said with a smile.
"Thank you sir." Harry said in a quiet voice. Kyoko patted his tiny head with a gloved hand and mentally laughed. She wasn't expecting him to call her dad 'Grandpa' just yet, then again, maybe he didn't know he could. Oh well, she'd cross that bridge when she got to it. Right now, she wanted to continue her day with her baby boy.
"No problem, dear. Now you go and enjoy the rest of the trip. We shouldn't have much left to deal with. I'll have his Japanese citizenship ready for him soon enough."
Kyoko gave her father a hug, much to his surprise. His daughter wasn't one to be so forward with her affection like this. "Thank you... For helping me adopt him..."
"Heh, the little squirt deserves someone to love him like you do. He also seems to have helped you open up a bit more. To me this is a win-win." He replied calmly. Harry looked up from where he was held at the two hugging. He felt left out, so he tried to hug Miss Kyoko, but was still unable due to his tiny frame. Still, the two adults found it adorable.
Eventually, Kyoko pulled away and smiled slightly at her father. "Thanks again, dad... Harry and I will be on our way now, okay?" Jin nodded.
"Right. You kids enjoy your day. I'm gonna go check out that Japanese restaurant, I've heard good things about it... Kawakubo, I think it was?"
"The ramen's really good." Harry said.
"I'll have to check it out then." The Jin replied with a smirk. "Now go on, her out there."
Kyoko smiled and kept Harry close to her side as she left the building. This was really happening. He was coming home with her. She pondered something as she walked down the street, Harry nuzzled at his side.
"Harry Potter-Kirigiri... hmm... Harry Kirigiri-Potter?" The Detective began playing with names in her mind.
She looked over at her son, who was clutching tightly to her hand as he looked around at the city around them curiously. It was truly a cute sight seeing his eyes so full of wonder.
Smiling, she looked over at Harry. "Well, Harry, since I'm your mother now, tell me what you'd prefer... Taking on my last name, Kirigiri, or keeping your old last name and having mine as a middle name?"
Harry seemed to be deep in thought over this, it was an adorable look, he seemed so determined to come up with an answer. Finally, he looked back up at her.
"Um... can I keep my last name? Cause... my parents gave it to me?"
Kyoko held him up and kissed him on the forehead, then set him back into her arms.
"Of course you can love." She replied sweetly.
She understood why he would want it that way. It was the name he'd grown up with, after all. It would seem rather weird to just give it up.
So then he would be Harry Kirigiri Potter. A rather wordy full name... Plus she would also have to factor in whatever his original middle name was...
"Harry, what was your middle name?" She asked, genuinely curious as the files she had never mentioned it.
"Um... James I think." Harry replied, struggling to remember as he had never been called it before. Only 'freak'.
"Harry James Kirigiri Potter... Hmm... I suppose it has a bit of a ring to it..." The detective mused with a finger under her chin. "Well, either way, we have that settled nicely."
"Yes, mama." Harry replied with a nod, happy to officially have his adopted mother's last name in some capacity. He felt closer to her as a result.
Kyoko sighed happily, it was all done. Harry was hers now, his uncle was going to prison for a long, LONG time, everything seemed perfect. Heck, most (if not all) of the students had taken a liking to him, so she wasn't too too worried about any of... well, their eccentrics.
Yes, this was truly the beginning of the life her little boy so richly deserved... She would do everything in her power to provide it all for him...
Now, her son was home... With her...
Meanwhile, Albus Dumbledoor walked in on a sight he never thought he'd live to see, and that was saying quite a lot considering how old the wizard was and all he had been through.
What he saw was Haggrid flat on his back on the floor, clearly having fainted from shock, and his face ghost-white.
The elderly wizard had been called in by his most trusted confidant, Minerva McGonagall, to Hagrid's hut so she could deliver important news.
The old man looked at the bespectacled woman, who seemed... elated. For the first time since they had discovered Harry's coma...She was happy.
"I've found him, Albus... He's safe. And he's happily adopted too..." And just like that, a weight left the old wizard's shoulders.
"R..really?" He sputtered, unable to process what he had just been told. "By who?"
Minerva frowned slightly before shaking her head.
"I didn't catch the young woman's name, but I believe she not only was responsible for seeing that Vernon Dursley is sent to prison for a long time, but also has been helping Harry cope with everything."
"We must find out who she is!" Albus exclaimed. "Even if it is just to express our gratitude we should do what we can and-"
"Apologies Headmaster." A somewhat cold voice spoke up, the two turning to see Severus Snape stand nearby, having been listening to the conversation. "But I don't believe that may be the best idea."
Albus turned to face the man, frowning. "Severus? Whyever not?" Dumbledore asked the Potions master. Minerva gave Severus a stern glance.
"Severus, if this has anything to do with your own personal grudge against the boy..." McGonagall said sternly. Her glare was enough to make even Severus shudder.
"No, nothing of the sort." Snape replied with a slight wave of his hand. "But moreover, it is most likely he has been taken in by a muggle woman. Not only would revealing ourselves, and to an extent, Harry's true powers be rather complicating on a number of levels, I do believe there is also the fact that she could very easily, and for the most part, rightfully, blame us for the abuse Harry went through."
The room fell silent, the four realizing that intentional or not (Or as Albus would frequently say "Good Intentions) they HAD left Harry with the Dursleys, and yes, while there may have been rules about exposing Magic to the Muggle world, they hadn't ever checked up on him. The potion master had a point.
Dumbledore sighed and rubbed his temples. "Well... Be that as it may, Severus... She is going to have to find out about her newly adopted son's true heritage sooner or later..."
"Yes... And as his mother... I believe she deserves to know the whole story." Minerva chipped in with a nod. Severus sighed, knowing they made valid points.
"An' at the end of it all, I think we all are'n agreement that it's better for the little lad to be with 'er." Hagrid commented, now back to reality and picking himself up off the floor.
"Yes... I still can't beleive how shortsighted I was..." Albus sighed deeply. "Family or not, the Dursley's never should have been left to watch over Harry..."
"As I had been saying from the very beginning." Minerva said sternly, causing the old man to wince. "But... What's done is done... We can't change it now..."
Dumbledore sighed and nodded. "Yes, I know... Minerva... Where did you see this young lady? I'd like to meet with her as soon as possible."
"I don't have a name for her, but she's of Japanese heritage and has purple hair. That's all I know."
Albus nodded, thinking this over. It probably wouldn't be too hard to find her, but they also needed to becareful. Not just with finding her, but with explaining everything, and finding the best course to move forward.
Back in England, Kyoko was seated on her bed, Harry sitting comfortably on her lap as the two of them read over the book of language.
Kyoko gave her son a proud smile as he successfully recited half a page worth of Japanese words. "Good job, dear. You're really getting the hang of it." She said, giving him a fond smile.
Harry smiled up at his mama and leaned into her tummy, sighing contently. Kyoko rubbed his head like she was petting a dog. She looked up when she saw the door open, and Celestia entered, humming to herself.
"Oh, hello cutie pie." Celestia smiled down at Harry.
"Konichiwa, Celestia-chan." Harry greeted with confidence. Celeste blinked, then gave him a bright smile, tilting her head to the side and closing her eyes.
"My, my, I see you're making excellent progress on our language, dearie." Harry smiled, pride swelling up inside him at her praise.
Without warning, Celestia swiped Harry out of Kyoko's arms and ticked his chin, earning a giggle from the tiny boy.
"How are you so precious?" Celestia cooed, bouncing the boy in her arms. "I just love how sweet and adorable your are!"
Kyoko smirked at her friend, happy to see Harry more playful. She also began debating if she should get a baby harness so her classmates would stop stealing him...
Nah, he was too old for that... Looks like it's just something she'll have to deal with. She smirked lightly. "He's already got thirty pages memorized almost flawlessly."
Celeste blinked. "Thirty you say? My, my, that is most impressive for someone his age. Most children would take weeks just to memorize one page."
Harry blushed and looked away, feeling embarrassed by all the praise. Celestia chuckled and patted his head and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She gave him a quick squeeze and then sat Harry back onto Kyoko's lap. The decretive chuckled at their interactions. The gambler giggled into her hand before seating herself on her bed.
"Well... Two more days and it's back to Hope's Peak." Kyoko commented, lying down on her back and holding Harry against her chest.
Celeste nodded her head. "Yes, it's quite the shame. England s truly a wonderful country... I wouldn't mind returning for a vacation on my own terms one day."
"Still, I am looking forward to being home." Kyoko remarked, looking up at the ceiling.
"And I imagine that your also excited to show little Harry his new home." Celestia added, Kyoko smiled over at her.
"Yup." Was all the detective said. patting Harry's back.
Then, rather suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Um... Enter." Kyoko called out, slightly surprised. The door opened to reveal her father.
"Kyoko... There's someone here who wants to speak with me, you and Harry... It seemed pretty serious..." Kyoko looked down at Harry, who seemed nervous.
"Are they gonna take me away...?"
"No." Kyoko said immediately, holding Harry tight to her chest. Her face turning grave and somewhat angered. "Never. I won't let them."
Harry whimpered and moved closer to his adopted mother as Kyoko rose to her feet and turned to her father.
"Who are they?" She asked.
"An elderly man with a Santa beard, an old woman who looks way too stern for her own good, a hook nosed guy who really needs some shampoo and a giant."
Kyoko stared blankly at her father. "...Are you making this up? This sounds like a setup for a joke." She said flatly. Jin shook his head and chuckled.
"Nope, it's the honest truth. Come on down and see for yourself. They're waiting on us." Kyoko sighed and turned to Celeste.
"Guess I'll be seeing you around then."
The gambler nodded, but there was an air of agitation aunt her currently. She clearly didn't;t like this, let alone the thought of someone trying to take Harry away from Kyoko. Kyoko sighed and began following her father to the elevator and heading to the main floor. When she arrived, she was rather... surprised by who was waiting for her.
"You... You're that woman from the crosswalk." She said, acknowledging Minerva with mild surprise. The older woman gave a small smile and nodded her head.
"Wonderful to see you again, my dear... I'm glad to see little Harry is still doing well." Harry looked up at the woman with a small smile, then noticed the other three.
He felt like he knew them from somewhere... especially the tall man. There was something very familiar about him. Harry looked a bit confused, and tried to make himself seem smaller in Kyoko's arms.
"Well, he's happy. And that more than I can say about a week ago..." Kyoko grumbled the last part, her eye twitching somewhat.
The group before them clearly winced at that before the old man stepped forth. "My dear, I truly can't thank you enough for taking young Harry in..."
"Well... It's no problem at all, but if you don't mind me asking, just who are you, and how do you know Harry? Are you relatives of his or something?
The four went silent, a somewhat dower feeling coming over the room, Albus finally spoke up.
"We aren't his family, but... we are the ones who left him with his family."
Almost immediately, Kyoko's eyes narrowed and her face darkened to one of anger, she gritted her teeth and held onto Harry tighter.
"YOU left him with... THEM?!" She demanded angrily.
Albus nodded solemnly, having anticipated this reaction and braced himself for it well in advance. Kyoko took a deep breath, trying to reign herself in. Emotional outbursts were unbecoming of a detective such as herself... "Okay... Why?"
"They were the only family the boy had left... We felt they would be the most wise decision to leave him with... We never anticipated that they would..." Dumbledore trailed off.
"Yet none of you bothered to check up on him? To see if he was being treated properly? Surely, if you knew of these people, you would have known the kind of people they were... Yet not one of you ever thought to look in on them." Jin said sternly, arms crossed.
Looking around, Albus notes they were alone, and sighed once again.
"I'll make no excuses for what happened. Minerva even told me it wasn't a good idea, but considering what was happening around him, we truly felt like there was no other choice. Had we known... we would have found another."
"What was happening?" Kyoko asked, a hint of anger still clear in her tone.
"The man who killed his parents is what happened." The voice of Severus cut in. This got Kyoko's attention immediately. "Though he died, his followers are still out there."
"Oh, yes..." Minerva nodded. "There's not a trace of doubt that they want revenge on young Harry... Albus thought that if he didn't go to the Dursleys, he would be killed."
"Hang on. What are you talking about?" Kyoko said, confusion now somewhat overtaking her tone. "Who would want to do such a thing to Harry, or his parents?"
"M..my parents died in a car... car crash..." Harry whimpered, now somewhat burying his face into his mother's protective hold.
"Well, Harry isn't exactly a normal child." Albus continued. "He's a wizard."
Kyoko and Jin stared blankly at Albus for several seconds before Kyoko sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "And here I thought we were gonna have a serious conversation here..."
"I assure you, young lady, that I am quite serious." Dumbledore replied. Jin looked at him blankly, wondering why the other three were enabling this senile old man's delusions.
"I think we're done here." Kyoko said very flatly, preparing to stand up and leave until the old man seemed to wave a stick that he had... somewhere, and a book on a table next to him floated upwards and over to him. Both Jin and Kyoko were left speechless, but Harry (having grown up where he had) seemed terrified of the magic.
Dumbledore turned to look at Jin and Kyoko, his eyes twinkling merrily. "So, do you believe me now?" He asked as Kyoko approached, searching the floating book for any sign of trickery.
"No strings, no magnetism... This..." She stared in disbelief at the floating book. "This...really is magic... Isn't it...? This is the kind of thing Harry..." She looked down to see her scared, whimpering son.
She remembered back when they first met, and how Harry had mentioned his 'freaky stuff' such as making things float and being able to talk to snakes. But that was just all the imagination of an abused child, trying to justify the unjustifiable actions of his abuser, right?
Well, Kyoko wasn't so sure now.
"What's wrong love?" She asked, looking at Harry.
"It's... It's the freaky stuff... That's the stuff that made Uncle Vernon hate me... It's what made Uncle Vernon..." His voice trailed off slowly.
"Freaky stuff?" The giant man's voice sounded out. "Freaky stuff? Is tha' wha' that great prune told ye, 'Arry? Ain't nothin' freaky 'bout yer magic. S'as normal as walkin' where we come from!"
Kyoko picked up maybe a third of the half-giant's words, but noticed something in particular.
"Where your... from?" She finally said with a raised brow. "Do you mean to tell me your from another world or something like that?" She asked, albeit somewhat sarcastically, but she also had to acknowledge that there was definetly something weird going on.
"In a manner of speaking, yes, I suppose you could say that, seeing as how our part of the world is uncharted in yours." Severus chimed in.
Kyoko sighed and rubbed her temples. "This whole thing is just too ridiculous to believe..." She muttered. Jin nodded his head in agreement.
"I'm pretty skeptical as well... Even with that little book trick of yours, I don't really know what to make of the situation."
"To be completely honest, this isn't something you need to worry about currently." Minerva now spoke, getting the purplette's attention. "Even though he may accidentally use it, Harry's magic shouldn't truly come into fruition for another few years. But the main reason why we've come is to make sure he was okay, and... and to apologize for what he was put through."
Kyoko looked down at Harry, tightened her hold on him and sighed softly. "I'm not going to lie to you... I find it very difficult to forgive you after what I've found out."
Dumbledore nodded his head. "Yes, dear, it truly was dreadful... We all regret not looking in on him at any point... We completely understand..."
"Do you, though? Do you really understand what my son went through? Do you know his uncle tried to drown him on several occasions? That they made him do all their chores? They made him DRINK CHEMICALS for God's sake!"
The four went silent, looks of absolute horror on their faces. Even Severus Snape, the man who never thought much for the boy, was disgusted beyond words. Albus felt like he was about to be torn in half, either by Minerva, or by the woman who was now Harry's mother. Either way, he knew that this was so much worse than he ever could have imagined.
Kyoko's stern gaze never wavered, and the group was impressed that a muggle could give off an intimidating glare that sent shivers running down their spines.
"If you really want to apologize for indirectly causing all of this to happen to my son... You have a long, rocky road ahead of you." The young woman said sternly.
"We understand. Minerva nodded, seemingly having expected a reaction like that. "Right now however, we care that he is in good hands, and it's rather clear that he is."
Kyoko's glare wavered ever so slightly, as just a hint of pride took over. "Well... thank you. I'm trying my best to be the ideal mother for him..."
"You don't have to try too hard, mama... You're the best mama ever." Harry chimed in innocently. Kyoko blushed slightly and gave him a small smile.
Kyoko couldn't stop the slight blush that formed, despite that fact that she wasn't alone. Harry really was too sweet for his own good... which made what he had been through all the more horrific, not to mention that the people who had put him there were sitting across from her. Still... she didn't feel like she could blame them outright...
She sighed softly and affirmed her glare. "All right... I'll forgive your gross negligence on one condition..." She gave her adopted son a gentle nudge. "Harry has to forgive you first. And you have to accept his decision no matter what. Is that clear?"
"I think that's very fair." Dumbledore replied with a nod.
Harry whimpered, not sure what to say or do, but he could tell that while these people HAD left him with his relatives, he didn't think they wanted to hurt him... but he was still nervous.
"W..why did they hate me?" Harry finally asked.
Severus stepped forward. "Petunia was always a petty, jealous brat of a girl. She couldn't handle not being as good as your mother, and so she grew into a bitter, hateful old shrew. And the only type of person to show interest in trash would be other trash, like your worthless uncle... The reason you were hated is because Petunia was jealous of your mother's magic, and so decided that all magic was evil. Awful, petty brat..."
While Kyoko thought the description was a bit harsh (but 100% accurate) Harry seemed to think it over, his family hated him... because his parents were better? Well, they hadn't abused him... they hadn't starved him, hit him, left him alone outside in the dark or made him do strenuous work or...
Something seemed to clock in Harry's mind, even for someone his age he could understand this:
This man was right.
His 'family' was nowhere near as good as his parents, let alone Miss Kyoko! And he hadn't even considered Miss Celestia, Mr. Jin or any of the others and well.
"They... They were bad... They WERE bad... I was never the bad one... It was them... It was ALWAYS them." Harry's eyes were wide as the realizations hit him at full force.
"Yes indeed, young Harry, they were the worst kinds of people. They couldn't handle anything that didn't fall within their definition of 'normal'. I'm sure magic folk weren't the only ones they looked down on." Severus affirmed.
To say Kyoko was pleased was an understatement. Harry understood! He finally, finally fully understood that he was not to blame for his abuse!
Harry nodded timidly before looking at the four sitting across from him.
"I...I forgive you..." HE mumbled, barely audible, but loud enough that it could still be heard. Minerva donned a caring smile which made Harry feel comforted somewhat, much like the warmth and comfort he knew his mother could give him.
Kyoko for her part was rather proud of her son. She knew that this portably wasn't an easy thing to hear, understand, or say in the end, but she knew he had a pure heart, and was genuine in his words.
"Well then... Since Harry's chosen to forgive you, then so will I." The detective said with a nod, making Harry smile from the knowledge that his adopted mother trusted his judgement.
"Thank you very much, dear." Albus nodded his head. Then everyone turned to Jin, who looked thoughtful as to how to respond to this.
"Weeeell... What the heck? If everyone's forgiving each other, I might as well join in." He said in a jovial manner. Now everyone was on better terms with one another.
Kyoko smiled at her father, than gave Harry a quick kiss on top of his tiny head, making him coo cutely and lean into her happily.
"So, if Harry does have magic, is there any way he can control it?" Kyoko asked, still not completely believing the story she was told, but also willing to be open minded about it.
"Well, of course." Minerva replied. "Every witch or wizard, once they've reached eleven years of age, is sent to attend special schools that will teach them how to use their powers properly."
"I see... So it's like a boarding school, I presume? The students live at the school in dorm rooms and don't come home until the breaks?"
"Roughly speaking, yes." Minerva nodded, and Kyoko frowned at that.
"And if he doesn't want to be away for that long?"
The older witch was quiet for a few moments, trying to think of the proper response. She knew where Kyoko was coming from, especially with all Harry had been through, despite it was still years away, him leaving her side may be hard for him.
"Then I will see to it that a private tutor is assigned to him. Harry is very important to the wizarding world, you know... He is the chosen one that defeated the dark lord Voldemort."
Kyoko stared blankly at Dumbledore before looking down at Harry. "...Sir... My son is five years old. You expect me to believe that he beat some evil dark magician when he was a baby?"
"Yes, I know it's difficult to believe, but it is the honest truth. Someway, somehow, when the dark lord Voldemort cast the spell to kill Harry...it reflected back at him, and ended his life."
Kyoko didn't respond, a flat look on her face. She wasn't sure if this old man was being serious or was senile. She could maybe, MAYBE be talked into beleiving Harry had some form of telekinetic abilities of some sort, but killing a dark wizard as a baby just seemed to stretch it a bit.
"You don't believe me." Dumbledore said with a smile, his eyes twinkling. "It's written all over your face." Kyoko let out a very slight huff.
"Well can you blame me? Harry was a baby. How am I supposed to believe what you're trying to push here?" The old man chuckled softly.
"Yes, I will admit that it is a rather difficult thing to believe, but I assure you, I speak nothing but the truth."
"Look, I'm not saying I beleive you, but at the same time, Harry's mentioned some things that coincide with what you've told me. While I don't beleive that he could defeat a powerful warlock, im willing to entertain the idea that that Harry has powers. But I hope you understand I have NO intention of giving him up."
"We would never ask you to do such a thing, young lady." Minerva chipped in. "He is your son. You have adopted him legitimately. It would be horrid of us to get in the way of that."
Kyoko took a deep breath. "Okay... As long as we're clear on that..." Kyoko looked down at her adopted son. "... We have six years to decide what to do... We'll talk about it, okay?"
"Of course." Dumbledore nodded, before quickly adding. "And don't worry about the Dursley's ever being an issue for you or Harry ever again. It's being seen to that aside from the physical abuse Vernon caused, some of his other actions will be brought to light."
That did make Kyoko smile as she ran a hand through her son's hair.
"Good, they deserve nothing less after all they did."
"They deserve far worse if you ask me." Severus chipped in. "There's no punishment on this planet good enough for those sub-human vermin."
"True as that is, I'll take what I can get." Kyoko replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "Okay, so with all that out of the way... Is there anything else we should know?"
"At this point, I beleive all there is to say is that we wish you the best of luck and hope for nothing but the best for Harry." Minerva answered, trying to end their meeting on a good note. Hagrid nodded in agreement.
"Aftar al' 'es been through, it's about time he got some 'ove." The half-giant said.
Kyoko blushed slightly and smiled at the boy in her arms. "Well... Thank you for coming. I'm sure you taking responsibility for your mistakes means a lot to Harry."
"Thank you." Harry agreed softly, snuggling in closer to his adopted mother.
That brought a smile to most of the group's faces. While Snape didn't outright smile, he did feel like he had managed to help prevent an issue from getting much, much worse. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to live with himself if he let Lily's son suffer like that. He may not have always understood why Lily chose James, but he couldn't blame a child for that. Let alone sit by while he was abused.
He looked at Harry for several seconds. "You know, Harry... You look almost exactly like your father. I'd wager you're just about the spitting image, in fact."
"Really? I look like my daddy?" Harry asked curiously, in a manner that Kyoko found just too cute for words. Snape nodded his head in affirmation.
"Very much so... But there's just one thing about you that couldn't be more different..." This time, a small smile did form. "You have your mother's eyes."
"Oh." Harry said, then tried to look at his eyes, accidentally crossing them and making him shake his head with a confused, somewhat saddened mutter.
"Heh, I think they're beautiful." Kyoko smiled down at him.
Harry seemed pacified by that and the adults in the room all chuckled. "Say, Albus... I wouldn't mind learning more about this Hogwarts place. What say we go and get some lunch on me and discuss it further, since my grandson may be going there and all." Jin offered.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea. Muggle foods are truly delicious." Albus agreed. "A pleasure meeting with you, Miss Kirigiri. Harry. And thank you very much for your time."
Kyoko smiled at them and nodded politely, deciding now would be a good time to leave before Harry got overwhelmed. As the pair left, they returned to the elevator. Only when they were on their way up did Kyoko let out a long sigh of relief.
"Are you okay sweetie?" She asked, looking down at her son.
"I..I'm confused." Harry answered honestly.
Kyoko patted his head gently and kissed the top of his head. "You're not the only one, honey... This is a very confusing situation." Kyoko agreed.
"But...But now I know that...that I wasn't bad... Unc-No... Not Uncle, just...Vernon... He was wrong... I'm not a freak... Lots of other people can do what I do..."
"Mmhm." Kyoko nodded, deciding to just agree with Harry for now, even if it was just to help him realize how wrong his uncle was. "And that's what makes you special."
"I'm special?" Harry asked, looking up at Kyoko. eyes wide in wonder and hope. The detective giggled slightly and kissed his forehead in affirmation.
"Very." She said, pressing her forehead to his. "Now C'mon. I think we could both use some rest, and I bet Aunt Celestia will be curious about what's happened..." Kyoko grumbled the last part, not sure how to explain this to her roommate just yet.
Harry perked up when he heard what his mother called Miss Celeste. "Aunt Celestia...?" He asked softly. Kyoko nodded with a small smile.
"Yeah... If you're okay with it, anyway. You've had the most interactions with her, after all... I think she'd be a great candidate for the aunt role. And hey... If all goes well, you could end up with six more aunts, and eight uncles."
Harry's eyes widened in realization at what Kyoko was implying. He had never thought of that... but... they'd be nicer than his relatives, right? He thought it over. Miss Hina was super nice, Leon was nice as well... yeah. Harry liked them all, but Miss Kyoko, or rather, his mama, was his favourite.
But the idea of having a full family, with a whole bunch of aunts and uncles... REAL aunts and uncles that didn't hate him... That idea appealed to him greatly...
Kyoko could sense his building joy and smiled, giving a tiny chuckle. She opened the door to their hotel room and entered, practically flopping onto her bed with a long sigh.
"Is everything alright?" Celestia almost immediately asked, seeing that they had returned.
"Hi Aunt Celestia." Harry replied, giving a tiny wave to the gambler.
Celestia blinked at that before letting a smile come to her face. "Oh? Aunt Celestia, am I?" She patted the boy's head gently. "Well then, how's my very favourite nephew doing today?"
Harry smiled even wider at that, overjoyed she had accepted ths role so readily. "I learned some things... Like how my aunt and uncle were bad all along."
"Well, of course they were, dear. Anyone who would willingly hurt someone like you is the lowest form of filth on this planet." Celestia cooed.
"And we just met the ones who put him there in the first place." Said Kyoko.
The friendly sparkle in Celestia's eyes quickly disappeared replaced with a darkened sense of anger. Harry didn't seem to notice, but Kyoko had known her friend long enough to know that this wasn't normal for Celestia.
"Oh really?" She asked, now looking at Kyoko. "And what did THEY have to say?"
"Mostly that they were sorry. What happened to Harry wasn't what they expected."
The anger faded from her eyes as she let out a soft sigh. "Well...At least they had the decency to realize the terrible mistake they made..."
"Yeah... And Harry chose to forgive them too, so I guess we can't hold this failure against them..." Celeste hummed in response and sipped her tea.
"So long as they didn't try to take the poor dear. I don't think I could live separated from such a precious little thing." She cooed, ticking Harry's chin, earning a tiny giggle from the boy.
"No. Nothing of the sort. They wanted to apologize and moreover make sure he was alright." Kyoko said, calling a half-lie. However, Celestia. being a world-renowned gambler, almost immediately picked up on her friend's lie, but decided not to press.
"I see, I see... Well, I'm very glad to hear that." The goth said with a nod. "Can't have anyone trying to take my nephew away from me, now, can I?"
"Yes, you're right about that... Harry is where he belongs. No one's taking him away from his new family while I'm still breathing." Kyoko agreed.
Harry looked up and smiled at the two women. They really were his family. Kyoko was his mama, and Celetia was his aunt. He snuggled closer to kyoko to show her affection, and the detective chuckled.
"I think Harry agrees with me."
Harry felt happy and content... Finally... After all he'd suffered, all he'd been through... He was home...
Kyoko smiled down at her son and she patted his head. It was weird, how just under a week had changed so much for her, but she knew this, if she had the chance to go back, she'd do nothing different. She was ready to spend the rest of her life not only as the World's Greatest Detective, but the world's greatest mother.
"I love you Harry." She said gently.
"I love you mama." Harry replied.
Author's Note: And that's a wrap! I know there's still more to do with this concept, but as I said before, my stories are about the mothers rather than the children. It's supposed to be how these women adapt to parenthood. If anyone wants to pick up from here, be my guest. That goes for all my stories. Feel free to write a sequel depicting what you would have liked to see. Thanks for reading, and see ya next time.
