The Boy

Chapter 2: The Boy Have A Name

Charlie watched the sleeping little boy lying in the middle of his bed. He looked so small and vulnerable. It saddened Charlie very much so to see him like this.

It had taken a fair bit of soothing words and bouncing him like a baby to calm him down after his ordeal with Petunia. His wails had quieted down to silent sobbing until he had fallen asleep. Charlie had laid him down on the bed then after removing his worn trainers; trainers that had been bigger than the little feet they encased.

The two of them were alone in the house because the loud crash from earlier was Petunia's Dudders trying to steal food before dinner and ending with the dinner table, and everything on it, all over himself, getting burned and cut in the process. Charlie and the little boy got the blame for simply being late. Charlie had placated his half-sibling with the reminder that he and the boy would be out of their life once custody of the boy had been handed over to him. Goodness knows, Charlie would not want to come visit Petunia and her family ever again because of the way he already had been treated. Honestly, being blamed for the fat little boy's mistake was unfair. Charlie know it is wrong to feel a certain amount of satisfaction that the little idiot got hurt for all his trouble, but he can't help it.

Charlie sighed softly. He isn't the sort that thrives on someone else's misfortune and felt quite guilty in the deepest and darkest most corner of his heart. He kept it pushed back so that it won't bother him in the least.

He stood from where he sat on the edge of the bed. While Petunia and her precious little family was out of the house, he should contact his own lawyer because it is only right that said lawyer help with this custody issue.

He quietly stepped out of the room to go to the living room with its ugly décor. The phone sat on a round little table with a straight-back chair beside it. Charlie would've thought that Petunia would've had something more comfortable near the phone.

He got in contact with his lawyer who only complained about the different time zones before she told Charlie that he should leave everything in her hands. They hung up without her even asking for any contact details or anything of Petunia's lawyers. He thought it odd, but didn't ask her about it. He had an inkling that she would find out those things for herself because she was just that sort of person. He went back to the guest room with a much lighter heart. If Shannon Greybourne can get him custody quickly, he and his little nephew can go home.

The boy is still asleep when he walked into the room, lying on his side, his little arms tucked in under his messy black haired head. Charlie watched him sleep for a few more moments before deciding to take a shower and then go to bed. He was still jetlagged and hadn't had a chance to rest since his arrival. It goes to show how little his half-sister actually cared about family. Or she still blames your Dad, and you by extension, for divorcing your Mom. He shook his head at that thought, knowing that, that was probably right. Petunia never liked Charles Swan Senior much and later on she didn't quite like Henry Evans either because of Lily getting to attend a prestigious boarding school and she didn't . Not that it's a pity, though. Petunia just really never blamed the real person for her misfortune of not having a biological father whom she know like Lily and Charlie did. Charlie actually know who Petunia's father is and he really don't want to get into that mess. Not with Micheal Newton Junior having a wife and child, and Senior, who is Petunia's father, retired from the family business and living in Seattle instead of Forks. Mike Junior won't like his family name tarnished with Senior's old skeletons from the closet. Although….Senior wasn't yet married when Petunia was born. But he was engaged to Junior's Mom Beatrice Small.

Charlie shook his head and pushed down the memories and thoughts of the past. He whistled a nice little tune as he took a long deserved shower. Petunia Dursley wasn't his problem now, nor ever.

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"Mister Swan, if you would sign this document, here and here," Petunia's lawyer Donald Brown said, indicating where Charlie should sign.

It took longer for him than he thought to get custody of the little boy whose name he now know. Harry like his friend Harry from the La Push Reservation. This signing thing was just last minute paperwork that needed to be processed.

Charlie's own lawyer had been a great help in the whole process of getting custody of Harry. For some reason, the Greybourne Family firm had a branch in London and a lawyer of theirs had been assigned to Charlie. Astor Malfoy was kind of standoffish, but a great lawyer. Though, there was something off about him that Charlie couldn't help but wonder about.

Astor had told him that there is a family firm of Malfoy also in London, but that he didn't work for them because he wanted to own his own branch later on and needed the experience. That is why he worked for the Greybourne branch in London. Charlie don't know why the man told him that. It is irrelevant to the custody case and frankly, he cared nothing about anything or anyone but the boy named Harry.

"Well, Mister Swan, I guess congratulations are in order?"

Charlie glanced at Astor Malfoy, who smirked at him, from where he stood beside him, in a way that made Charlie's skin crawl, yet charmed other people like Donald Brown and the judge that had granted Charlie custody of the little boy. A good thing, Charlie supposed.

"Thank you," Charlie stated politely and the two of them shook hands.

Astor Malfoy said goodbye and turned to leave, but paused at the door of the office. "A social worker will come by your home in a few weeks to see how the child is doing under your care," he said curtly ,"Should your care be lacking, we might just take the boy back. A good day to you, Mister Swan, and good fortune in raising such an extraordinary little boy." With that he left the office, leaving only silence behind.

Charlie, of course, had understood and accepted the threat. Though he wondered why Astor Malfoy even cared as he himself left the offices of Brown and Bronwyn Attorneys a few moments later. It made no sense to him at all.

He would be staying in England for another few weeks more because of a passport for the little boy and whatnot. Harry and he wouldn't be staying at the Dursleys during that time. Donald Brown had given him the directions to a small, family friendly, hotel where he and the child will be staying until they leave for the States.

Charlie left the building that housed the offices of Brown and Bronwyn and crossed the street where Vernon Dursley waited impatiently for him in a new car that Vernon had actually bragged about when he came home with it one evening. Vernon would be picking up Harry from the house as well as Charlie's luggage and then he would drive them to the hotel. From there, Charlie and Harry will be on their own and Vernon, nor Petunia will have to see them again, which is fine with Vernon. He didn't like Charlie and he obviously don't like that little freak either. It's a win, win situation for him.

Charlie did not make a move to even converse with the whale of a man as they drove to Little Whinging where Petunia already waited for them in the front parlor with Charlie's suitcases and a small suitcase full of ratty clothes and broken toys. Harry stood beside the suitcases, dressed in overly large jeans and a sweater that were bright orange and Charlie thought that it might come alive and eat them all.

I will have to buy him other clothes and throw everything out that's not useable, he thought as he quickly picked up the suitcases and said goodbye to Petunia, while urging the boy to follow him out to the car. Because there is no car-seat for Harry to be strapped in, Charlie decided to sit with him in the back to keep him safe. Vernon only sneered at that and made no comment.

The ride to the hotel was quiet . Charlie enjoyed it as he held Harry close to him, his arms and the seatbelt keep the boy safe and secure. When they finally parked before the hotel, Vernon said that if he needed anything more to call. Yet, he said it in such a way that made it clear that Charlie shouldn't call. Charlie thought so by himself that Vernon are an idiot for even offering for him to call if he don't want him to, anyway.

A friendly porter helped them to get the luggage into the hotel when Vernon made no move to help and Charlie actually breathed a sigh of relief when he watched the rear of the disgustingly unimpressive new car become smaller as Vernon sped out of the hotel parking lot.

The owner of the hotel was a friendly old mocha skinned lady who spoke with a bit of an accent. She talked a lot as she escorted Charlie and Harry, who Charlie carried on his arm, to their room. Charlie understood only half of what she said as she spoke quickly as if she was a commentator at a derby. He breathed another sigh of relief when she left him and Harry to get settled in the two bed and one bathroom hotel room.

Charlie sat Harry down on a small couch before the small sitting area and switched on the television to keep him busy while Charlie went through their suitcases to unpack only what they needed. To his horror, he found no really usable clothes in Harry's suitcase. He made a note in his mind to go out and buy appropriate clothes for the child to wear for now until they go to the States. So it will only be the minimal amount of clothes that the boy needed right now. They can get more at home.

"Kid, I'm going down stairs to talk to Mrs. Thomas. I'll be back in a bit, yeah?"

The little boy looked away from a cartoon show on the telly and nodded. "Okay." Charlie smiled as he went right back to watching the cartoon show. Charlie felt bad to leave him alone in the hotel room, but he had no choice. He just hoped that the boy kept watching TV and didn't decide to go exploring and getting lost. He didn't want to be accused of child neglect on the first day of custody.

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Charlie walked into a clothing store that sold second hand and new clothes. Mrs. Thomas had given him directions to the store and had promised to keep an eye on Harry who was around the same age as her own grandson Dean, though, Dean was way bigger than Harry. Charlie had caught a glimpse of the little mocha skinned boy playing outside in the hotel's garden when he went to find Mrs. Thomas.

Picking up a basket at the door, Charlie walked through the shelves upon shelves of clothing to find the child section. He reminded himself, as he picked up the first item on his mental list, that Harry was very small and clothes that would fit normal four year olds won't fit him at all. So he had to look through those for two year olds, though they too were a bit bigger considering he was as small as a one year old child.

Charlie thanked his lucky stars that Harry is potty-trained when he passed by packs of nappies. Petunia had told him that he had been potty-trained before he landed on her doorstep, placed there in the most cliché way ever, like some orphan child would be placed on the stoop of an orphanage, in a basket. Charlie had asked Petunia if she knew who left the child there, but she had become stiff and tight-lipped about it. Charlie didn't ask her again, not wanting to start an argument that might result in her not wanting to give up the boy anymore.

He grabbed a nice pair of trainers and a pack of multicolored socks. The trainers were a bit big, but not as much as his tattered pair. He found two pairs of tracksuits and a pair of jeans that would fit Harry much better than the jeans he was already wearing. With the jeans and tracksuits he chose a few t-shirts and a pack of underwear. Two pairs of cargo shorts and a nice winter jacket went into the basket with the other clothes. He paid for the clothes before going in search of a toy store that sold inexpensive toys for children that are prone to break their toys.

He found a toy store that sold both expensive and inexpensive toys where he bought a pack of those little plastic toy cars that he had seen boys play with and a stuffed snake that looked much cuter than the teddy bears. Not that Charlie liked snakes, though. He just thought , since teddies had arms that most certainly gets in the way sometimes, a long lump of stuffed snake with plastic googly eyes were a much better option and easier to carry. The woman at the cash register only smiled at his explanation when she asked why he didn't choose something else instead. The stuff snake was to help Harry sleep and to feel comfortable as he cuddled it.

It was almost dinnertime when he found his way back to the hotel, finding Harry seated with the little boy Dean at a small children's table in the dining room, eating fries and small hamburgers that would only be a lick and a promise for an adult.

Mrs. Thomas joined him in the doorway to the dining room. "I hope you don't mind me giving him a hamburger and chips to eat, dear."

Chips? he thought before remembering that chips were fries back home and the chips he know are called crisps. "Not at all, Mrs. Thomas. Thanks for keeping an eye on him."

"Oh…You are welcome. It was no bother at all. Dean had a friend, that is all that matters. Do you want your dinner now? Rosa has just finished up cooking dinner for us adults."

Charlie held up his shopping bags. "I'll just go and put this away and wash my hands. Thanks again, Mrs. Thomas." She only waved him off, a kind smile on her lips.

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So…. I hate load shedding. I have to wait hours for the electricity to come on so that I can write. Thanks to those who read this. I appreciate it. Next Harry starts his life out in Forks.