"Well little one do you mind if I look at your memories?" Artemis asked the child still on her lap as she smiled down at him, causing him to beam back up at her and shake his head. The kid probably didn't even know what she meant. Artemis placed a slender finger on Harry's forehead and viewed his memories, from the earliest to the most recent. When she pulled out of his memories at the sight of him meeting Zoe she didn't notice she was growling. How could someone leave their child on a doorstep in favor of another child?! How could someone abandon a toddler in a forest filled with animals that could harm him!?
"'Mi' lady. Thou are scaring the child." Zoe said suddenly when she saw the little one begin to whimper and try to escape Artemis's protective grip on him. Artemis suddenly stopped growling and looked down at the child apologetically.
"I'm sorry little one. I was just mad at what those...things did. How can anyone abandon such a cute little child?" Artemis said speaking soothingly as she kissed the childs forehead on reflex. The action caused him to slowly stop whimpering and struggling, realizing that maybe she wouldn't hurt him and even if she would she had too strong a grip for him to escape.
"You are not ever going back to them. They are the prime example of what I hate in males and females. You'll be staying right here with us." Artemis said rocking the child slightly while the Hunters looked torn between angry at a male joining the Hunters or happy at being the poor kids sisters.
"I know. There's only one way to keep them away from you for good. Do you want me to blood adopt you little one?" Artemis asked much to most hunters surprise before her face fell slightly.
"Damn even if I do blood adopt you it would only get rid of one of your parents DNA not the others. Hmm." Artemis said to herself as she began trying to think about how she could counter this. Harry meanwhile had forgotten his earlier experience with Zoe and looked at her curiously. Hmm she had dark hair, dark eyes, and tan skin could she be?
"Dada?" Harry asked causing everyone to look at him in confusion, there were no males here. They looked at where he was pointing and several snickered when they saw he was pointing directly at an angry Zoe. On one hand she was angry at the kid for considering her a 'dada' when she was obviously female; on the other she was happy at the thought of considering the child her own. She loved children even if she didn't show it because she wasn't allowed to have any.
"That's a good idea little one. Both me and Zoe can blood adopt you and that'll get rid of both of those things DNA in you!" Artemis said beaming down at Harry while a few more Hunters began to turn blue trying not to laugh at the blushing and shocked Lieutenant. Harry for his part had no clue what she was talking about, he just knew the dark haired lady looked like his dada in girl form (which he had seen once thanks to a prank Sirius had pulled) and that the nice lady that looked like his mama was proud. This caused the toddler to grin and clap his hands happily, causing the Hunters trying not to laugh turn purple while the ones that weren't laughing or trying not to laugh were cooing over how adorable Harry looked.
"Let's hurry up and adopt you before those nasty vermin realize what a terrible mistake they made by abandoning you like that." Artemis said nuzzling Harry's hair, she knew she probably shouldn't be this attached to a child let alone a male child so quickly but there was just something about this kid that made her want to protect him.
"Dada! Up up!" Harry said holding his hands out to Zoe who was still staring at him in disbelief and shock, and slight anger. Zoe however couldn't resist the adorable pout he was giving her and sighed in resignation as she reached forward and picked up the toddler when Artemis nodded at her ever so slightly.
"Let's get this over with." Zoe said with another resigned sigh.
The fates appear and say " Hail Zoe Nightshade, Soulmate and Guardian of Artemis."
Zoe holds the child on her lap like she had seen some civilian mothers do with young children anytime they went into town.
"Taking to the role of 'dada' rather easily huh Zoe?" Phoebe asked with a grin causing those trying not to laugh to nearly die, they were holding their breaths trying not to laugh at their lieutenant.
"Shut thy mouth Phoebe." Zoe growled at Phoebe who just grinned at her cheekily while Artemis watched in amusement as she led the way to her personal tent in order to get the blood adoption potion from her palace.
"Here Zoe. Add a little of your blood to this, then I'll add mine and when the little one drinks it he'll be our son by all but birth." Artemis said returning shortly after having to hunt it down; she had never thought she would use the potion Hecate had
given her a few weeks ago so she had hidden away in one of the closets.
"Yes mi' lady." Zoe said shifting Harry's weight slightly so that she could cut her thumb on a knife Phoebe held out for her helpfully. As soon as both Zoe and Artemis had placed their blood, or ichor in the pair's case, in the vile Artemis healed their hands.
"Here little one. Drink this for me will you?" Artemis asked smiling reassuringly at Harry who obediently swallowed the potion when Artemis held it to his lips. Harry immediately passed out so that the changes could take effect. His short messy black hair became straighter and longer with some auburn highlights in it; his skin became a little paler so that it more resembled Artemis's own milky white skin, and then there was the biggest change noticeable at the moment.
"Whoops. I guess we'll have to pick a new name for our new little one." Artemis said smiling sheepishly, she really should have seen this coming as Harry regained consciousness and blinked open silver orbs with a volcanic ring around them. The hunters that had been trying to hold back their laughter before lost control and fell to the ground rolling in laughter at the look on Zoe's face as she looked at the toddler in her arms that was looking around curiously.
"New little sister!" Phoebe cheered through her laughter at what had happened, at least it'll help him be more accepted within the hunter camp.
"So much for a son, but I suppose a daughter is even better."
