Once Upon A Time (Prequel of The Savior Fables)

Chapter Four

Harry gets to start living his best life, Emma gets a new title, and Vernon Dursley gets his reckoning.

***

Emma was slowly starting to realize the harsh impact of taking in a kid with abusive relatives. Not that she regretted that, no, she didn't regret her decision at all. She was more than happy to help Harry, knowing what he'd been through, hoping her own kid she'd had a few years prior wasn't going through the same thing. God, she hoped not, she gave him up for adoption because a) she was in jail, b) Emma was two months shy of eighteen when she'd had her son, c) there was no way she could provide for her child, and d) so he could have a better life than she did. Because he was a newborn, the jail's warden told her he was adopted almost immediately and she thanked him and turned back to recovering, not thinking about him except for fleeting moments since. That was six years or so ago, now.

Emma shook her head at herself. She couldn't - wouldn't - go down that road, not again, not while she had a kid that was her responsibility.

He was such a quiet kid, too, barely making any noises when she was working. He was extremely jumpy when she cursed or made a loud thump when she got frustrated with something, and he was always asking if there was anything he could do, any chores, or something she needed him to do. She assured him that he didn't have to do anything here, or anywhere else, if she could help it, and that he could play if he wanted to. He almost looked like he was pouting at her.

Today, she had been working on her case on Vernon, gently telling and explaining to Harry that if he could explain in detail all he could remember from the abuse, he would be helping immensely. Harry had tensed, but he did as she asked, giving vivid details about just what he had gone through the last three years and the abuse at the hands of the Dursleys. Afterwards, Harry had asked quietly if he could be excused, and all Emma could do was nod and watch Harry as he took off towards his room to do whatever he wanted to do.

Emma had stared at the space Harry had been sitting for just over five minutes after he left for his room, shocked, disgusted and horrified by what that little boy had been through. She had never seen someone go through so much in such a short time, and she was absolutely furious that Harry had been left at the Dursleys. She knew nothing of what happened to his parents or why the Dursleys had to take Harry in, but she knew that whoever left Harry on the Dursleys' doorstep was either insane, or very, very naïve when doing so. She glowered at the manila folders beside her and mentally cursed the Dursleys, silently planning how she was going to murder them and make it look like it was an accident.

That was almost two hours ago, and Emma hadn't heard a peep from the small boy in all of that time. She was almost done with her case on the Dursleys, now able to add, with proof, abuse to the case of why Vernon Durley was a terrible, absolute bastard of a man, not to mention his money laundering and child abuse. She knew Harry was processing that he'd explained his situation in great detail to a virtual stranger, and she also knew he needed some time for himself, but she had to make sure he was okay . . . no, that was a lie, she needed to make sure.

So she got up from her position on the couch, walked down the hallway to Harry's room, and stopped at his door, sighing when she heard the muffled cries of the little boy and saw his small frame under his blankets, curled around Snuffles. She knocked softly on the door, only loud enough to get the boy's attention, but not enough to startle him. The door was open, but Emma wasn't going to walk in until she got Harry's consent. This was his space, his space only, and she wasn't going to intrude unless he gave her permission. "Harry, kid?" she called softly, smiling kindly when Harry blinked at her. "Do you want to go out? I'm finally at a point where I can stop, if you want to go have some fun? We can go get some ice cream and go to the park?"