NOTICE TO READERS PLEASE READ
Alright so I got absorbed into the Cult of the Lamb fandom recently and I'm gonna be just posting some content out of order for this series for a while because I don't want to abandon it. Tanners not been around and I'm sorta tryin' my best. I know the chapter isn't labled as you'd expect and it seems a little out of context.
Aspen walked the Pizzaplex going to pick up Mayla, and her new friends to stay the week as the whole building would be closed for maintenance on everything. Bram and Nova had called out that day to set everything up. So Aspen, who was Mayla's godmother, came to get the two.
The only ones that should be in the daycare would be them. Aspen saw a slide, smiling as old memories of sliding down the stairs of school came to mind. She saw the little ones running around, having fun. Aspen looked seeing three children, wasn't she meant to have two… maybe it changed last second.
"Aspen!" Mayla shouted to her. The robotic keeper of the children, sunshine themed, gave her a friendly wave.
"Mayla, Mayla's friends…?" Aspen said as ve saw Harry. Sirius had made sure to get a picture of the boy while he'd been in his custody, but Aspen probably still would have recognise those eyes. Why was Harry here? His hair hand grown out to curl around and over his shoulders, instead of the short choppy mop that Sirius had given him before the picture was taken but aside from that they child looked mostly the same.
"I'm Emelia, this is Harriette," The girl Aspen didn't know said. "She's shy. Are you the one picking us up?" The girl started to say something else but the robot placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Give her time to respond, Pumpkin," Sun said, before ruffling her hair. Then turning his attenion to Harry, no Harriette and the two spoke in sign language for a second. Every emotion Aspen felt passed over her face, she took a breath and smiled, an unarming smile. The ones you smile when you see a baby, human or animal, that you instantly love.
"Hello Emelia, and H-Harriette… you look just like your mother, sweety. I am Aspen…and I… i'm…if you want..I'm your godmother." Aspen said, getting on equal ground with a very traumatized child.
"Harriette already has a father, and he's the best father, no cap," Emelia said, waving her hands in a clear imitation of a sassy older girl. "I saw that in a movie." She giggled to Harriette. "But yeah, Harriette's dads are the best dads. Are you sure she's okay, the last godparent Harriette had was a jerk. And a drunk. And he hit Harriette. And cut her hair. And called her a boy the whole time she was there. And0" The robot once again stepped in to stop the girl from continuing. This time by stepping between the children and Aspen. Ve understood that's perfectly. Ve would never want a child to be exposed to someone ve thought was dangerous.
"I know he and I had quite the talk, as did Bram. Harriett, sweety I am glad to say that he is not going to come by this week. Do you still want to come with us? Knowing that I know your godfather?" Aspen asked.
Harriette looked uncomfortably between them. Before shrugging.
"But if you do anything suspicious you'll never find me!" Harriette informed. "Kreacher's coming too so, I'll be alright." She tugged on the robots legs, giving them a gentle, weak little smile.
"That is very understandable, now Sun was it? Would you think about letting Harriett talk to a therapist, if so I have a card on me." Aspen said, standing up to talk to the father.
"That's correct," Sun nodded. "We've already been discussing it with Bram. But Harriette doesn't like leaving - home too often." he ran a gentle hand over Harriette's hair.
"Bram told me, not who the child in question was, but the living situation was cleared up, here is the card. She is used to calls, and videos appointments. She and I work together a lot." Aspen said, holding the card out.
"Thank you," Sun said. "Here that, you don't have to go anywhere if you don't want to." Harriette nodded, silently asking for a hug. When he'd picked her up she gave his cheek a kiss and he booped her nose. Emelia immediately started chattering to Aspen. Making sure ve didn't have any attention to spare for the sweet scene between father and daughter.
"What do you do for a living? Where do you live? What's your favorite color? What do you do for fun? Where were you born? How old are you? What's your birthday? Do you have a soulmark? Have you met your soulmate? What are they like?" Emelia probably would have kept asking if Aspen hadn't started answering. Mayla was napping in Aspen's arms.
"I'm sure Mayla told you, but my job is to make sure some children have a good home. The ones that lost their families, or were hurt by them, or worse forgotten, I take them to the pack, which is where all of us are going, and get them the help they need. I live in the pack grounds, with Mayla and the others. My favorite colors are red, gold, and the same green as Harriette's eyes. " That got a giggle out of Emelia before she returned to serious interview mode. "I look after Mayla, and help the other more ill children in the pack."
"That's not for fun, but okay," Emelia said very seriously.
"I was born in England. Old enough to know young women, gentlemen, and others shouldn't ask that."
"Very specific." Emelia said, rolling her eyes in an exaggerated way, before having to fight off a fit of giggles and a smile at her own act.
"My birthday is sometime this year. Yes and I have met and fully completed the bond with them. They are in the dog house for a long time though." Aspen said, a smirk appearing on her face.
"Ah, I see," Emelia nodded a very serious expression on her young face, before she suddenly couldn't hold back her giggles.
"Emelia, you seem to be a sweet child. I hope we can be good friends," Aspen said.
"Agreed," Emelia said offering her hand, she had returned to serious mode. As if this was a business transaction. Once Aspen had taken her hand and they'd shook on it they both giggled.
"Aright," Harriette said. "I'm ready." Emelia freed herself from Aspen and offered a hand to Harriette. The girl taking it and giving it a gentle squeeze. She now had a little backpack on, it was charmed to have all her stuff. Since she couldn't leave them here. A pair of Plushies were attached to the straps, Sun and another modeled after the moon.
"Okay, let me tie Mayla onto my back and we can go…can y'all keep a secret?" Aspen asked, taking out a strong looking ribbon.
"Definitely, but Mayla's a bit of a blabber mouth," Emelia said very seriously. "So, if it's a secret secret you probably should be careful. If it's a magic secret then she already knows about that thought."
"Only in some cases but she is asleep so… lets count to three and see what happens to the ribbon, okay" Aspen said, as she moved Mayla to her back. On three the ribbon wrapped itself around Aspen and Mayla and tied a big floppy bow.
"OH!" Harriette said, surprise clear on her face. "I didn't know you'd do that?"
"I didn't we all did, it's the power of friendship." Aspen said with a smile on her face telling those who knew to look for it that she was lying. How Harriett knew to look for it she didn't know. Though she wouldn't have believed her even if Aspen had been fully under the impression. Friendship didn't do that.
"Oh," Harriette and Emelia said together, pretending to humor the woman. Harriette didn't think either of them did a good job but Aspen chuckled.
"Have a good time, Pumpkins," Sun said, giving to two conscious girls another head pat each. Then giving Mayla one for good measure. "Be safe." Kreacher appeared then, his own bag on his back. Aspen had met Kreacher a few times. Rarely under such nice circumstances.
"Well then let's get going…I didn't fool you two at all did I," Aspen said, holding a hand for the girls to take. Emelia accepted it with an air of an older sister taking charge.
"Nope," she smiled, then. "Let's go."
"I don't know why but that never works…" Aspen said with a smile on her face, as they all left. They walked for a bit then when no one was around them Aspen stopped.
"Now to get where we are going it's going to feel like a big squishy hug okay. I really need you two to keep a tight hold of me and your eyes closed, can you two do that?" Aspen said, looking the girls in the eye. Emelia nodded, grip tightening. Harriette grabbed her Emelia with her other hand, and nodded.
"Kreacher could just appearate up there," Kreacher stated. "Not nearly as messy."
"I don't want to impose on you Kreacher. You know that and I always do this as well." Aspen said.
"Kreacher doesn't mind," Kreacher said. "Less stressful that way too." Kreacher offered his hand to them. Giving a little smile. Harriette taking his hand too. Her offered his hand to her too. He was an older house elf with longer ears, and nose and droopy eyes. But his face was a lot- softer then it have been. Less stressed. He was also much cleaner and his skin much healthier. Proper diet and care making his life much easier.
The pack grounds were oddly full of people wanting to see Mayla's friends. A big healthy looking black dog was sitting and waiting as if it knew more than other dogs. The group appeared and the ribbon undid itself as Bram took Mayla off Aspen.
"Welcome to the Raywood Pack, Emelia, and Harriette," Aspen said as the girls opened their eyes. Harriette looked around at every with an air that was both curious and cautious. Waving at Bram and Nova shyly before mostly tucking herself behind Emelia. Who was already chatting with one of the other wolves. Animatedly asking a similar serious of questions to the ones she'd asked Aspen. She also waved absentmindedly to anyone she knew. She was about as much a chatterbox as Mayla.
"Good to see you all got here safely," Bram said sitting on the ground near Harriette. Harriette allowed Bram to keep her company, talking softly to the man before they started the trek to the house. Bram picked her up, before leading the way to it. Aspen was sure that Harriette had given him permission given her already nervous air. The group made it inside.
"That was a little scary," Harriette admitted.
"We tried to get them to clear off," Bram said setting her down. "But they were too excited about meeting you." He ruffled the girl's hair, and gave Emelia a high five.
"I know but they all take meeting anyone you have me bring in as a big thing. Maybe next time don't have me do it. But I understand why you did now," Aspen said.
"Yeah, that might have been a wise idea, if it was any other child," Bram said, scratching his head. "But y'know the stories. Silly as they are."
"At least we have some more protection with Harriette coming to be Harriette." Aspen said.
"Yeah," Bram said. Watching as Kreacher and Emelia had half followed, half led Harriette over to the side to help calm the girl's frazzled nerves. "She's really skittish." Sirius, still in dog form, loped cautiously into the room through the doggy door. He wasn't the only animal companion in the area and most people didn't mind looking after each other's pets if it came to it. So it wasn't really surprising to have an animal come in. It's just the specific one in question.
"D-dog," Harriette whimpered, cowering next to Emelia. Who supported and comforted her. Sirius immediately dropping down on the ground to try and make himself less threatening.
"Hey, it's okay. He's my dog, he is actually a trained emotional support dog. I will admit I haven't named him. Would you like to, Harriette?" Aspen said.
"O-o-oh," Harreitte said. "D-d-don't-don't li-l-lik-like dogs, b-ba-ba-ha-had a bad ex-eh-." Emelia rubbed Harriettes' back to sooth her.
"Her aunt's husband's sister had a mean dog that would bit her," Emelia said.
"Oh, well if you want he won't get any closer than this, unless you want him to. Unless you are getting too close to anything that will harm you, but even then he will not bite you, just bark and hurd you away from there." Aspen said, petting the dog.
"O-Okay, I jus=just n-n-nee-ee-d-d a mi-min-minute to get-get use-d-da h-him." Harriette said. Sirius very carefully, still down on his belly, scooted further way from Harriette. Harriette smiled.
"Th-th-thank you," Harriette said. "Ga-ga-good do-doggie. Ni-nice do-doggie." Harriette waved.
Once Harriette was a little more settled, the dog carefully started inching toward them. For awhile he followed them at a cautious distance until Harriette was brave enough to offer her hand for him to sniff. The dog sniffed her hand, and then gently bumped it to be on his head. She gave him a good scratch behind the ears at Emelia and Mayla's direction.
The three girls stuck to the insider of Bram and Nova's house. Mayla showed off her room. It was done up in expected shades of purple, and Harriette was happy to note that on one wall there was the purple string lights that she'd given her. Once Mayla was satisfied with showing off her room, she took them to the game room that her dad and grandpa worked together to build.
"Isn't cool!" She'd said, rubbing her nose proudly. Like in the cartoon that Harriette had seen. The girls played a few of the games, there was one that was about the transformers and Harriette really loved that one the most.
They ate loads of snacks, some of it wasn't even healthy in the slightest. Harriette got to try a lot of different kinds of candy. Bram and Nova seemed really interested in what kinds of snacks she liked, and paid close attention to her reactions. Harriette learned a lot about her own taste too.
She liked spicy sweet candies. Which had surprised several people. She didn't like orange flavored candies, or strawberry flavored things, or anything that was supposed to taste like a fruit really. Except for bananas for some reason. Harriette liked banana candy a lot. Blue raspberries too. Chocolates were also really good too, but that was pretty normal apparently.
For pies, Nova and several other pack members made lots of different pies. Harriette liked Rasberry the best. Cherry and apple were tied for second.
Harriette liked fresh fruits and vegies but Harriette was just able to say that one outright. Though she learned that there were more types of foods then even she knew or even thought of. She got to eat different types of peppers, and fresh strawberries, and cucumbers. There were fruit trees around the pack, that the kids were allowed to climb, and an older boy climbed all the way to the top to get Harriette what he claimed was the best apricot, and peach.
Harriette was able to show Nova how to make her favoritest type of tea, that she was able to make.
Harriette learned that there were ways to make homemade candied fruits and those she liked way better then fruit flavored candies. Except for bananas, those weren't great candied, but they were probably the best candy flavor.
"Did you know that banana flavored stuff is actually flavored after an extinct breed of banana?" Emelia had informed.
"Why'd it go extinct?" Mayla asked.
"Dunno," Emelia shrugged
Harriette learned she liked lemonade, and learned there were other types of soda of then just Fizzy-Fazz. She liked fizzy-fazz the best though. She liked fruit drinks, and tea.
Harriett, Emelia and Mayla stayed up late the first night watching movies, and documentaries on spiders. Mayla had copied them from tv just for Harriette.
Several of the teens, and grown up laughed at the dog as he ran and yipped at the young group of kids. He was alway near or next to Harriette, unless he saw Aspen then he ran for them and tackled them to the ground. Aspen alway would wave to the group, or bring a new kid to meet and play with them. In Fact it seemed that if Bram, Nova, or Aspen hadn't seen the kids, Aspen would just pop up and join them for a bit.
Before anyone knew the week was over and Bram, Nova, and the kids were all going back to work/home. There were tearful goodbyes, promises to write, or visit. Aspen was standing in the back near a shadowy corner, her face hidden and arms holding her. Harriett looked closer and saw someone holding her godmother soothing her as she cried about something.
She decided not to bug them. Instead she chatted happily with some of the older kids. She was slightly surrounded by their group and they were talking about the game they'd played. A low to the ground quidditch game. Harriette was pretty proud of herself for managing to play as well as she did. It was the first time she remembered ever being on a broom.