20The streets of Little Innsmouth were barren and empty, the inhabitants having retreated to their homes for the night. All was silent, and calm... Until one lone car entered the town. The man driving the car looked for a secluded area, where he doubted anyone would see him. Then, he stepped out of the vehicle and pulled open the trunk. Inside the trunk of the car, was a tiny child. Barely up to a healthy adult's knee. The boy was curled up in the car, and when he saw his uncle scowling down at him, he curled up into a ball and whimpered.
Vernon Dursley grabbed his nephew by the collar of his shirt and held him up to eye level, snarling viciously. "I'm warning you now, boy... Make NO noise. NOT. A. PEEP. If you do... I'll kill you. Do I make myself clear?!" Holding back a whimper, the child nodded slowly. Storming into a nearby alley, Vernon threw the poor child against the wall as hard as he could, the child biting his tongue hard enough to draw blood to prevent himself from screaming. Vernon towered over the cowering child and smirked. "One more for the road, boy..." He said sadistically. And then, the beating began.
Harry had been through this ordeal time and again. If you expected this to make him numb to the pain, or find some way to ignore the feelings of terror... Well, I'm sorry. But that wasn't the case. All Harry had learned was that making any sound only made things worse. He did everything he could to remain silent, and hoped that this would all be over soon. At one point, he may have wished for someone to save him, but those feelings and dreams were gone. He had given up hope, he simply believed what he was told. Harry wasn't sure how long he had been beaten before it stopped, maybe he had passed out. But when he finally did wake up, he was alone. The night air was cool and did provide a slightly calming breeze to his bruised body. But that was all.
He pushed himself up shakily and stumbled to his feet, finding it difficult to stay standing. It hurt... It all hurt so much... Right now, more than anything, little Harry Potter wanted his cupboard... Walking forward shakily, he looked around, timid and worried. "U-Uncle Vernon...?" He called out softly, tentatively. But he received no answer. "Uncle Vernon?!" He called out again, this time scared. No answer. He began to breathe heavily in panic. He was alone?! In unfamiliar streets?! His uncle had abandoned him!
Despair overwhelmed the little boy, and he sat down and hugged his knees tightly. He no longer had a home... No cupboard... No weekly fill... Nothing but the rags he was left with. Whimpering softly, the little boy buried his face into his knees. He was in pain... He was scared... He was cold... And he was completely alone."I...I...I want my mommy..." He whimpered.
He sat against the building wall and decided to try and wait, to see if anyone came looking for him, hoping that maybe someone would. Maybe... maybe in the morning... Losing the battle against his weak and tired state, Harry slowly let his eyes close, falling into a pained sleep.
A month had passed and many things had changed. Snow was falling, and the townsfolk were getting ready for the holidays. Walking to stores or homes, everyone seemed to be in good spirits, enjoying the crisp cold winter air.
Except for Harry.
In the past month, he had tried to find his family, but to no avail. He was too frightened to go to anyone else, so he had been living in the alleyways, digging through trash to try and find anything to eat.
The occasional Dagonian had noticed him, but he always ran when they tried to come near. Not out of fear of their appearance, but fear of them hurting him like his uncle. Yes, little Harry Potter was scared of everything. He was also cold. There was no warmth to speak of, and it was taking its toll. And he was hungry... So hungry... So tired... The boy coughed violently, hunching over slightly. On top of it all, the cold had made the poor child very, very sick.
Currently, he was sitting in a damp, rotting cardboard box that he had essentially made his home. He looked at the place where he'd put whatever food he could find, only to remember he hadn't found any in the past two days. He whimpered sadly as he debated between trying to sleep or trying to find some food. In the end, his hunger won out and he set back out to look around the nearby trashcans.
Carefully, he lifted off a lid, and peeked inside. He let out a deep sigh of relief when he found a half eaten sandwich, only a little bit moldy. Eagerly, the child reached down to grab it... But was interrupted by the sound of growling. Eyes wide, the boy whipped around to see a pack of large, angry dogs before him, all snarling viciously. Harry whimpered and began to tremble violently. He hated doggies... They always attacked him... He didn't want to get bitten... "G-Go away..." He protested weakly. The dogs didn't feel particularly up to listening, however, and they pounced.
Harry screamed as the group of dogs bit at him from every angle. One of them had its jaws around his leg and was shaking it violently. Another was biting down on his arm and pulling as hard as it could. One was trying to rip into his ribcage. And another still was ripping away at his cheek. Harry couldn't stop screaming. He didn't WANT to stop screaming. For the first time, he wanted someone to hear him, to save him... It hurt... It hurt so much...
Nearby, a woman happened to be in the area. Lithe and tan, with deep blue eyes and a platinum blonde bowl cut, the most striking feature about this woman was the pair of cat ears atop her head and the tail sticking out her back end. This woman wore a black trench coat that did little to protect her from the cold weather, especially due to the outfit she had underneath, which could only be described as half a blue shirt, a black bikini bottom and some ripped pants that left her thighs and shins completely exposed.
This was Nadia Fortune, town hero and last member of the fishbone gang. Nadia was out on a casual stroll through the town. She shivered very slightly. She prided herself on her impressive resistance to frigid temperatures, but even she had to admit that this cold was pretty bad. It sent a chill up even her spine.
"Eh, snow point staying indoors over being a little chilly." She mumbled to herself. "Think I'll head over to Yu-Wan's... nice bowl of soup would be the cat's pajamas right-"
The sound of barking got her hair, ears and tail standing on end. "Oh geez... This place is REALLY going to the dogs..." She muttered. "Well, time to put down a few more mutts."
After a Medici dogfighting ring had been busted, their dogs had found themselves dumped off in Little Innsmouth. In one month alone, twenty two Dagonians were hospitalized by these dogs, and twelve of them didn't make it. Nadia had taken it upon herself to personally exterminate the dogs herself. All outside help called was either racist towards her aquatic friends, completely brainwashed by dog culture and refused to believe any dog could be too dangerous to keep alive, or both.
She had made incredible progress in taking down the threat to her hometown, and this was most likely going to be the last of them. Nadia ran as fast as her legs would carry her, ready to dispose of the threat once and for all. A swift decapitation would suffice just nicely.
Then, her ears picked up something else... Screaming... A child's screaming...
"Oh no..." She gasped, the colour draining form her body as she heard the pained cries. After turning down a few alleyways, she was momentarily frozen in horror. The mutts seemed to be attacking what looked like a baby. The horror quickly shifted to anger as she leapt into action. Her claws made quick work of the dogs, providing a somewhat brutal (but compared to what they had been through, relatively quick and painless) death. Nadia was left standing in the snow, blood covering her hands as she breathed heavily, finally getting a better look at what the dogs had been after. Lying on the ground, now with even more torn clothing and bleeding cuts, was a baby... No. Not a baby... Wait, why did he look like one?
Gently bending down Nadia gently tried to turn the child over to comfort him, but when she placed a hand on his back, she realized two things: One, her hand was still covered in blood, and two, there was practically no meat on this little boy.
She saw the boy wince in fear and curl in on himself. "N-No... Please don't... I'm sorry, don't hurt me, don't hurt me, please..." Nadia's ears drooped and she carefully turned him over. Harry was ready to panic, but when he saw his saviour, all fear washed away as he saw the pair of cat ears on top of her head. Nadia smiled sadly.
"Hi, kit... You okay?" She asked gently. Harry opened his mouth to reply...but then began to violently cough before shaking uncontrollably and whimpering from the cold. Nadia, without hesitation, removed her trench coat and wrapped the boy up tightly before picking him up and hugging him tightly to her chest to share her body heat with him.
Nadia also now realized he felt as heavy as a stuffed animal, making it clear he was very malnourished. She didn't even have to look under his shirt to see that. His voice also sounded like it was broken, the poor dear was probably sick... "Kitty?" He mumbled through shivering teeth and weakness from hunger.
"Daw... you're a sweet little kitten, aren't you?" Nadia cooed, smiling as she saw Harry reaching up for something. "Hm? Is there something you'd like?"
"P..pe...pet...e.." Harry managed to weakly get out, and Nadia blinked in surprise, then smiled widely. Leaning her head down, she felt the tiny boy scratch her ears, earning a soft purr from her. This was good. She was establishing that she wasn't a threat. Hopefully she could figure out who did this to him...
When the boy had decided he was done scratching her ears, she leaned back and smiled softly. "Heh... Well, you got to pet me, so it's only fair I should get to pet you." She joked before gently stroking the boy's head. The child leaned into the touch, and she smiled softly, her tail swishing about behind her. "What's your name, sweetie?" She asked gently.
"H-H-" He struggled to speak between coughs. "Harry, ma'am." Nadia stuck her tongue out playfully and made a 'blah' sound.
"Ma'am? Heh... You're making me sound like some kind of old granny, kit. The name's Nadia, but you can call me Ms. Fortune if you'd like." A sudden gust of wind made the boy shiver again. Frowning softly, Nadia carefully shifted him in her arms, holding his head up against the crook of her neck to share just a bit more body heat with him and gently rubbing the back of his head, purring softly to help keep him comfy.
"So, Harry. What's a little cutie like you doing out here on your own? It's too cold for a little kitten to be out on his own." Nadia cooed, feeling Harry almost violently tense at the question. She frowned but didn't press.
"I...I...I..." Harry stammered, trying to think of a good excuse. He knew what would happen if he told anyone anything about what his family did to him. "I was...getting grocries..." He lied, accidentally mispronouncing the word, and Nadia frowned at that.
She took a good look at the little boy tucked in her trench coat, and her ears drooped. Ludicrously tiny size... Far too skinny... Wearing rags... Out all on his own in the middle of the coldest spell she had ever seen... It was abundantly clear to her what was happening. She herself had been through this dilemma. She understood all too well... The signs were very familiar... "Harry... Sweetie..." She said softly. "...You don't have a home... do you?" The way the boy went limp in her arms told her everything she needed to know. "...Well... You do now."
"What?" Harry mumbled, confused. "Where do I live?"
"You're gonna stay with me, kitten." Nadia smiled down at him. She wanted to kiss him to comfort him, but she didn't know how he'd react to it... She settled on holding him close and trying to keep him warm as she began to make her way to Yu-Wan's. Hopefully her friend could heal the poor thing.
"But... I can't..." Harry weakly protested.
Nadia blinked, confused, as she looked over at the shaking child. "Oh yeah? Well why can't you?" She asked softly. Harry coughed a bit before looking down.
"Y-You don't really want me..." He said softly. Nadia frowned and gently nuzzled him, purring lightly in order to bring him comfort and peace.
"C'mon, buddy... Of course I do. I could never just leave you alone in the cold like this." She sighed softly. "Harry, I just need you to put a little...blind trust in me, okay?"
Harry looked down, then very timidly he looked back up at the pretty cat-lady. She had been kind to him, and even if she was just acting, he was so desperate for warmth and food... He finally gave in and leaned back towards Nadia's chest. The woman smiled and patted his head. "There we go..." She cooed softly. "Just sleep now kitten, soon things will be better..." In a matter of moments, Harry had fallen asleep, Nadia smiled and continued her way down the street, ignoring the occasional looks of wonder as she went.
As well as the rather...appreciatve looks she received from several males due to her very revealing outfit. Hey, she felt way more comfortable showing off skin. Kept her ready for a fight. The life gem kept her from getting sick anyway, so what was there to worry about?
When Yu-Wan's restaurant finally came into view, she breathed a soft sigh of relief. She wanted a nice hot bowl of soup just as much as her new little buddy really needed one. But really, the biggest reason was simple: She needed healing water, a special brew that only the family of her best friend, Minette, had access to. Harry needed it desperately.
Thankfully, the afternoon rush was over so when Nadia entered the restaurant, there were very few patrons. "Minette!?" She called in a somewhat panicked voice. "Where are you!?" After a few moments, her fish friend appeared form the back, smiling as she made her way over to Nadia.
"Hey Nadia, what's going- there's a bleeding child in your arms." She began in her chipper tone, but that quickly melted away to shock when she saw the tiny boy in her friends arms.
The Dagonian rushed forward with wide eyes. "Oh my gosh, is he okay?! The poor dear, he's just covered in blood!" She touched his forehead gently and gasped. "Oh my gosh, he's sick too?! Poor little thing... Nadia, what happened?!"
Nadia smiled sadly and kissed Harry's head gently. "Harry here doesn't have a home... And he had a little encounter with the hellhounds." She explained, using the nickname the dogs had received for their learned eagerness to fight and attack.
"Right... okay... okay..." Minette muttered, her breath hitching in fear. "Okay. Um... You just wait here, I'll get him some soup, and I'll get the healing water ready. Just... just... I dunno!" Nadia bit her lip, she had never seen her friend this frightened before. She sighed and seated herself with Harry, continuing to hold him close to her chest.
"Don't worry honey, you'll be feeling better soon." Nadia cooed.
She approached a seat that was closest to the fireplace and hugged the child as tightly against her bosom as she could, gently running her fingers through his hair. Minette stepped out, seeming much calmer now, and sighed softly. "Okay, Nadia... Yu-Wan is gonna bring you some soup. While you feed this poor thing, I'm gonna go home and mix up a fresh batch of healing water..." Minette reached out and gently caressed the boy's cheek. "Poor baby..."
Nadia smiled softly. "Thanks, Minette... Really appreciate it..." The Feral said gratefully. Minette smiled sadly before taking off, leaving Nadia to await Yu-Wan.
Harry now looked up at Nadia once again. "Miss Fortune?" He asked shyly.
"Yes kitten?"
"Why are you helping me?" Harry asked confused.
"Aw, kit... You didn't deserve what's happened to you." Nadia smiled down at him. "You deserve to be happy. Now don't worry, you just rest. I'll keep you safe."
Harry blinked, then nuzzled closer into her, relishing in the combined warmth of the glowing fireplace, the trench coat he was snugly wrapped up in, and Nadia's own body heat. Nadia smiled fondly and gently nuzzled the top of his head with her cheek. Her ears pointed upward at the sound of a soft 'clink', and she turned to look at two bowls of soup with a soft smile. "Heh... Thanks, Yu-Wan." The chef in question nodded with a warm smile. Nadia reached into one of her pouches, but Yu-Wan gently grabbed her arm.
"No, no, Nadia. You are not paying even one coin for this meal. You've saved a life today, and probably many others as well. This meal is on the house."
"Thanks." Nadia smiled, before adjusting Harry in her arms so he was sitting more upright. "Alright kitten, lets get you fed."
"Oh. Um... I'm not hungry..." Harry timidly replied, and Nadia frowned down at him.
"None of that, little man." She cooed, gently stroking his cheek. "You seem like you haven't eaten a decent meal in your life. Besides, this will help you with the sickness." Harry wanted to protest some more, knowing he couldn't eat normal people food, but it smelled so good... and Miss Fortune was at least pretending to be nice... and he was so hungry...
Nadia gave the boy a toothy smile and grabbed the spoon with her tail. "Open up, kiddo. It's SOUPer good." She said, chuckling slightly as she moved the soup into his mouth.
Harry's eyes lit up at the taste. "It's... It's yummy...!" He said happily. Nadia chuckled and scooped up another spoonful, using her tail so that she wouldn't have to break her hold on the clearly comfortable boy.
"Heh... Yep... The chef really knows his stuff." She chuckled. "All right, bud, have some more now..." Nadia slowly fed the boy his entire bowl, smiling fondly as he relished in every spoonful.
By the time he was finished, Harry seemed to be falling asleep again. Nadia smiled and rested him against her chest, patting his back and getting a small burp from the boy. "Excuse me..." Harry mumbled. Nadia tucked him back into a more comfortable position and rocked him in her arms.
"Why don't you take a nap, cutie? I'll wake you later." Harry didn't have to be told twice, and quickly dropped off to sleep, despite his attempts to remain awake.
Nadia chuckled and gently nuzzled the sleeping boy, which caused him to coo cutely in her embrace. "Geez... Is it even legal to be this cute? Might need to check for some kind of license." She joked softly.
Yu-Wan tapped her shoulder, and she turned to see him holding a nice blue blanket. "Nadia... You must go and see Minette now. He needs the healing water."
Nadia smiled softly and rose to her feet. "Right. Thanks again, big guy. That soup really helped him..." Nadia said gratefully before kissing Harry's cheek.
Gently shaking Harry awake, the boy mumbled something inaudible and looked up at the woman holding him, giving a tiny, but genuine smile. "Hey kiddo, we're gonna get you all cleaned up, and you're gonna feel like a new kitten!" She said playfully, standing up and beginning to walk towards Minette's house down the block. Harry, however, much to her surprise and slight sadness, began squirming as if he wanted to get away. "Aww, what's wrong little guy? I'm not gonna hurt you." Harry, however, continued trying to get away, clearly upset by something, and Nadia gently held him a little bit tighter. "What's wrong sweetie? You can tell me." She insisted.
"I...I don't wanna take my shirt off..." Harry mumbled softly, looking down. Nadia tilted her head to the side with a frown, now concerned.
"Worried about the injuries the dogs gave ya, hun? Hey... I know they're bad, but trust me... This stuff will make it all totally vanish. Promise." Harry blinked as he remembered the dogs. Yes... He could just blame the injuries on the dogs! Ms. Fortune would never even know where they really came from!
Leaving the small restaurant, Nadia kept Harry close to her chest as she made her way to her friend's house. She sighed slightly as she thought about what the kid had been through. A dog attack was something she'd only wish on her worst enemies. After a few minutes of brisk walking, Nadia sighed in relief when she saw her friend's home appear up ahead. Running the last little bit of the way, she knocked on the door and waited.
She heard the sounds of her friend scrambling to get to the door, yelping and bumping into things all the while, and chuckled softly at the sounds. Finally, the door was thrown open, and Minette stood there, looking haggard, but still smiling nonetheless. "Oh good, you have the poor thing more bundled up... C'mon in, the water's all ready."
"Thanks, Minette. Heh... I gotta say, I'm impressed. You didn't come out looking like a sweater mummy this time." Minette pouted.
"Let's just get the poor thing healed up..."
"On that, I agree." Nadia nodded.
"So, what you'll need to do is let the poor thing soak." Minette explained. "The water's warm, so it shouldn't be uncomfortable for him, just let him soak for a bit and scrub where you think needs it most. After that, give him a regular bath to clean everything off. Shampoo and soap will mess up the healing water's effects. Okay... I'd better go..."
"Are you going somewhere?" Nadia asked with a raised brow.
"I uh... I have some errands I forgot about and need to get done. I'll be back soon though." The fish woman replied, and Nadia nodded.
Minette gently stroked Harry's cheek on her way out the door. "You're gonna be okay, sweetie. Miss Nadia will take care of everything." She cooed gently before rushing out the door.
Nadia watched her go, then turned Harry with a wide smile before setting him down gently. "All right, kit, mind taking that nasty old rag off so I can clean ya off?" Harry hesitated before complying, carefully removing his shirt... Nadia's world froze when she saw the horrors that lurked beneath that shirt. Scratches, welts, cuts and bruises ran all across his body, all clearly untreated and starting to become infected. Most of the bruises were in the shape of human fists. He was malnourished, his stomach practically concave, his ribs on full display. It was like something straight out of a horror movie.
Nadia turned pale, almost sheet white. Her eyes went wide, pupils dilated. Her ears flattened against her head. Her mouth was open as if she meant to speak, but no words came out. And her hands were clenched into fists, her claws digging into her palms deep enough to draw blood. After about ten seconds, Nadia finally moved. Without even thinking about it, she rushed forward, knelt down to Harry's level, and hugged him tightly and protectively.
Harry was frightened by the sudden hug, believing he was about to be hurt again, that she was going to crush him, that she...
This felt nice.
Harry slowly calmed himself, and realized Miss Nadia wasn't going to hurt him, she was trying to comfort him. Very slowly, he leaned his head against her chest like he had earlier, hoping that he wasn't overstepping his boundaries. Nadia's hand rested itself on the back of his head, gently rubbing it in a very soothing motion. Harry whimpered slightly, desperately wanting to cry, but had to bite his tongue to keep himself from doing so.
"Oh kitten... who did this to you?" Nadia whispered, tears forming in her eyes.
"T..th...the dogs." Harry lied, not wanting to tell the truth.
Nadia gave the boy a sad look and gathered him in her arms, holding him close and nuzzling his cheek. He was lying... She knew that... And he was lying out of fear. She decided not to push for information. He needed to tell her on his own terms, not hers. She let out a soft sigh, then gently pressed her lips against his cheek. "Okay, hun... Let's just get ya healed up..." Gently, carefully, she lowered the little boy into the healing water, taking note of the way the boy cringed the closer to it he got.
Nadia sighed sadly and very slowly set him into the water. Harry gave a tiny 'eep!' when he was first set into the warm water, but looked up at Nadia, as if he had been expecting something else. She smiled sadly. "It's okay, little guy... Just soak for a bit."
Grabbing a nearby bath pillow, Nadia carefully put it against the tub and gently rested Harry's head against it. Harry was very clearly loving the warm water, closing his eyes and smiling contently. Nadia smiled and gently rubbed his head, watching as the injuries and pain slowly but surely disappeared. "Heh... Feels good, huh? Just relax, sweetie... It'll all be okay soon."
Harry slowly closed his eyes, letting the feeling of warmth overtake him. Nadia sighed in relief as she saw most of the cuts and wounds seemed to be closing or fading away altogether. It didn't explain where they all came from, but right now, this was far more important. After about fifteen minutes, Nadia looked over the tiny boy, nodding in aformation that the boy was at least healing.
Smiling gently, the feral took a kneeling position by the tub, gently rubbing his head as he basked in the warmth of the healing water. He cooed adorably at her touch, and she smiled softly. As he bathed, however, Nadia noticed something... Several of the scars weren't going away. Not even showing signs of it. Then she noticed one on his forehead... Carefully scooping water into her hands, she gently trickled it over the boy's forehead. But nothing happened. Nadia's ears drooped. "Some scars never heal..." She spoke softly before leaning down and kissing his forehead.
Harry cooed softly, a sound that melted her heart. "Like the kisses?" He nodded. Nadia gave a toothy grin at that before leaning down and kissing his forehead again, followed by both cheeks. "Heh... Well, there's plenty more where that came from, little guy. Now c'mon... I think you've soaked enough." Harry was visibly upset to be taken out of the warm water, but he didn't fight her. "Hey, don't worry, kit. Now we're gonna give ya a proper bath. Wash all the guck off ya. Looks like you've never even seen a bar of soap before."
Harry looked away, embarrassed and Nadia giggled. This kid was so adorable... if he had gotten lost (which she sincerely doubted) his parents must be worried sick! Regardless, she chose to focus on the task at hand, then talk with him later. Setting him down in another pool of warm water, she smiled when she saw Harry relax once again, seeming to like the warm water. She looked at the cleaning supplies and picked up a bar of soap. "Okay, let's get you clean." She said with a smile before beginning the process of scrubbing his little body, gently, to remove the grime. The water quickly changed colours form a crystal clear blue to a sludge-like gray and green. Nadia decided to take him out and let the water empty out, then refilled it and set to washing him once more.
The process repeated three more times, which worried Nadia greatly. This boy was abused. No way around it, he was abused terribly. Beaten. Starved. Self esteem crushed. It broke her heart. Eventually, she was satisfied with the boy's cleanliness. But since he was so clearly enjoying the bath, she decided to empty it and refill it again. This boy needed some enjoyment and happiness in his life yesterday. So she gently set him in once more and added some bubble bath before finding Minette's old bath toys.
Harry seemed enthralled by the bubbles, playfully trying to grab handfuls as they floated about the tub. When the bath toys were added, Harry was happily playing with a rubber duck in the tub. Nadia smiled and kept a close eye on the tiny boy. It seemed like this was the most fun he had ever had.
Shrugging to herself, she decided to play with him a bit, grabbing a toy fish and moving it through the water. "Glub glub. Glub glub." She made it look up at Harry. "Hey kid. I'm a fish." Harry giggled softly as Nadia held the toy up to his face. "Whatcha laughing at, kiddo? I got somethin' fishy on my face?" Harry giggled harder, which made her chuckle. She had the fish swim about a bit before having it bump into the duck. "Uh-oh. Looks like I've run aFOWL of my old nemesis... Quacks the Duck. You nipped my father. Prepare to get wet." Squeezing the fish, Nadia watched as a small squirt of water sprayed the duck.
Harry giggled a bit louder now, and Nadia felt her heart melting. His laugh was so precious! She wished she could somehow make an audio recording of it, and sell it as some sort of audio therapy. She laughed slightly to herself at the ridiculous concept, but at the same time, it seemed to be an almost magical laugh. The two remained there for another half an hour, until Harry looked around confused before looking back up to Nadia. "Missus Fortune?" He asked. "Uh... where am I gonna go?"
Nadia tilted her head to the side with a toothy grin. "You're comin' to stay with me kit. Remember?" She asked before messing up the boy's hair. "Now c'mon, buddy... The water's gettin' lukewarm. Time to get out." Harry nodded, then allowed her to gently scoop him out of the tub and wrap him up in a soft, warm towel, leaving only his tiny face visible. Nadia smirked lightly at the little bundle of joy in her arms before hugging him close to her bosom. She carried him downstairs and took a seat on the loveseat, deciding to just snuggle with the boy for a while.
She spent about fifteen minutes holding the boy before hearing a very familiar shriek coming from outside. She blinked, then realized what must have happened and chuckled lightly, setting Harry down. "Be right back, hun. I think Miss Minette just did something silly again." She said with a wink. Harry nestled into the couch as Nadia walked out the door and looked around. Near a large mound of snow, she saw a whole bunch of shopping bags sitting on the ground, thankfully having spilled nothing from the tumble their carrier took.
And there, inside the snowbank, was Minette. She had managed to get her upper body and legs buried in the snow, leaving only her butt exposed.
"Hey, Minette. Need a hand?" Nadia said with a smile. An upset and muffled response came from the snowbank, and Nadia laughed. She made her way over and pulled her friend out, who shook her head to get the snow off of her face.
"Oooooh... I hate the cold..." Minette said, shivering slightly.
"Where were you?" Nadia asked with a raised brow, looking to the bags. "Did you forget to restock the restaurant or something?"
"No they're for HarIEE!" Minette began, but as she took a step forward, slipped on another patch of ice, sending her falling backwards into the snowbank. This time, the hole she made was covered by another pile of snow that fell from the rooftop. Nadia couldn't hold back her laughter this time.
Minette's head burst out of the snow with a gasp, and she crossed her arms with a pout. "Hmph... Stupid, dumb snow... Stupid, dumb ice..." Nadia chuckled and shook her head in amusement before looking at one of the bags.
"All right, I'll help ya with...your...groceries..." She looked in the bag to find all she would need to take care of Harry. Some new clothes... A few toys... A toothbrush and toothpaste... Everything. "...Minette..."
"Look, I know it may seem like a lot, but the poor thing seemed nearly dead when you brought him here! I don't know where he's going after this, but he can't be left with tattered rags on his back!" Minette said, trying to explain herself, while Nadia just smiled.
"Thank you." She said sincerely. "For everything."
Minette took a deep breath and smiled warmly. "You're welcome, Nadia... You're the best friend a girl could have. I'd do anything to help you..."
Nadia's ear twitched happily. "But how did you know that I was planning on adopting the little guy...? I never mentioned it to you..." She said softly. Minette smiled.
"I saw it written all over your face, Nadia... That's just the kind of woman you are." Nadia gave her a toothy grin and pulled her into a hug.
"That settles it, Minette. You're gonna be his godmother." Minette gasped.
"Really?! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!", She squealed, hugging her friend back.
"I think we should get inside though, I have a feeling the little guy may think I left him if I'm gone too long." Nadia smiled, hugging her friend.
"Right, of course." Minette nodded, her tone chipper. "You go on in and make sure he's okay, I'll take everything in." While Minette may have hoped that Nadia would insist that she help, she wasn't surprised when Nadia disappeared back into the house. Gently sitting on the love seat once again, she smiled down at Harry who still seemed cozy where he was.
"Hi Missus Fortune." Harry said in his tiny voice.
"Hi to you to kitten."
She picked him up and hugged him close, gently rubbing his back. "Heh... You're way too light, little man... Feel about as heavy as a pillow..."
"M'sorry..." Harry mumbled into her shoulder. She kissed his cheek, and his face lit up in joy, adoring the gesture of affection. Nadia gently nuzzled him, listening sadly as he sniffled and coughed.
The little boy sneezed violently, and he turned his head away to avoid getting it on Nadia. "Heh... Good kid." She said gently, patting the boy's back.
She tucked him close to her chest again and made herself comfortable on the love seat. Nadia kept her arms wrapped around the tiny boy. She was keeping him warm and enjoying his little reactions. It was clear this was a new sensation to him, and he was trying to take in every moment he could in case it was a dream. It was adorable, and a little heartbreaking to be honest. The fact that this was his life, one of clear abuse and neglect... Well, she'd just have to change that!
Minette entered the room, holding the bags so that they were blocking her line of sight, then tripped on a cord and fell over with a yelp. Nadia looked over to see a pile of bags with one of Minette's twitching legs sticking out. "Uh... Heh... Sorry about that, Minette." Nadia said, helping her friend out of her predicament. "Guess I shoulda helped you out there, huh?"
"Oh, no, it's fine, Nadia, really... You're a guest, after all." Nadia smiled and hugged her. Minette grinned, but then looked at Harry thoughtfully, before an expression of realization came across her face.
"Nadia, that boy... He's been the talk of the town for the entire time you were off on your...business trip." Nadia looked at her with a raised brow. "People have been trying to help him for a month, but he always ran away... One of my sisters told me how she tried to help him just last week... And then there was a Great White, a hammerhead, a...barracuda..." She realized that, besides her sister, all of the people that had tried to help him would have been terrifying to such a tiny human boy.
Nadia blinked, then chuckled. "Heh... Hard to believe Bruce and his guys are such softies when they look like they could wipe the floor with that Beowulf guy... But hey... He wasn't scared of me. Guess he just likes cats." She said before nuzzling Harry.
"I'd say so." Minette smiled as she looked at the boy who seemed to have fallen asleep in her friend's arms. "Apparently Bruce and the others did what they could to make sure none of the jerks who stalk the streets hurt him. Apparently there was this one wolf, Kano... or Lobo? It doesn't matter... Apparently he was seen following the kid at one point." Nadia's hair, ears and tail seemed to stand on edge as her muscles tightened without warning. She knew what Minette was getting at.
"Did...he didn't..." she began, genuinely concerned.
"No, no. He didn't." Minette shook her head. "From what my sister told me, Bruce and the others saw him and uh... 'Talked with him'." She said the last part with air quotes.
"How'd that go?" Nadia asked with a relieved and amused tone, knowing what happened when Bruce and his pals got mad.
"Well, if he's lucky, he'll be out of the body cast in say... three years."
Nadia chuckled and patted the sleeping boy's back. "Heh... I'll have to thank those guys next time I see them..." Minette smiled warmly.
"Hmm... Poor little thing needs some food in his tummy... I'll give you some leftover seafood chowder for the road, Nadia, just give me a sec..."
Minette left the room, and Nadia decided to look through the bag of clothes so she could change Harry. Her eyes widened when she got to a pair of blue footed pajamas, with padding inside so that the wearer would be extra comfy...and extra nice to cuddle with. "Oh yeah... He is totally wearing these..."
Harry slowly stirred from his nap, his eyes snapping open and he looked around in a panic. "Hey, Harry!" Nadia said reassuringly. "You're okay! Your with me!" Harry looked around, confusion clear on his face, until he looked up at Nadia and seemed to relax.
"Miss Fortune?" He said.
"Hi kitten." Nadia smiled. "Aww, it's okay... You're safe."
Nadia leaned down and gathered him in her arms, holding him close against her bust as she ran her fingers through his dark, messy hair. She gave the boy a small look-over and took in all the small details that made him adorable. Tiny little size... Shy personality... Sweet little face with beautiful big green eyes... Yep. She was smitten with this kitten.
Did she care what anyone thought? Nope! Well, unless they agreed with her on this like Minette did, but that was a different case. "Are you cozy, kitten?" She asked playfully.
"Yes, Miss Fortune." Harry replied, clearly enjoying the warmth.
"You're a polite little squirt, aren't you?" She smiled.
Nadia looked over at the pajamas she'd been planning on putting him in and grinned. "All right, kiddo... Let's get ya properly dressed up... Heh... I'm only gonna feed ya and put you to bed when we get back to my place, so those pajamas oughta do." Harry nodded in affirmation and made no fuss as Nadia removed his ragged oversized shirt and pulled the footed pajamas onto his tiny, frail body. When she finished, she wore a very shark-like grin at the sight. "Sorry, kid, gonna have to get a little visit from the cuddle monster for being too cute."
Harry let out a somewhat nervous whimper, but once he was pulled closer, he let out a happy coo and tired to snuggle into the embrace. 'Agh... He's so cute!' Nadia mentally cooed, looking down at the tiny boy trying to get as close as he could, while still being wrapped up in a blanket.
"Miss Fortune?"
"What's up, kiddo?" She asked.
"Are you a cat?"
Nadia blinked at that, then chuckled softly. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." She tapped her ears, then swished her tail. "See, I only have the ears and tail. I'm actually a feral."
Harry tilted his head. "A...A feral...?" He asked curiously. Nadia laughed and nuzzled his cheek gently.
"Ferals are people that have animal features, kit. There's all kinds. Wolves, cows, pigs...You name it. And there's fish people too. Those are Dagonians."
"Oh. Okay..." Harry blinked, trying to understand. Nadia laughed and pressed her forehead to his. He was so cute...
"Don't worry about it, squirt." She said, patting his head. Harry smiled slightly up at her, his frightened shell slowly starting to crack. That made Nadia's heart warm, knowing that there was still a ways to go, but she'd help him in any way she could. "Miss Minette's bringing something to eat, so just stay comfy."
Minette stepped out of the kitchen, holding a large thermos and a duffel bag. "Okay, the chowder is in the thermos, and you can use the bag to carry..." She froze when she saw Harry in the pajamas. "...Awwww..." Minette cooed. "He's soooo cuuuute..." Harry blushed and buried his face into Nadia's shoulder, causing the feline woman to chuckle.
"Yeah..." She rubbed his back for several seconds...before she noticed something... "M-Minette... These are baby clothes..." Minette blinked.
"Wait... I thought he was a baby..." Nadia shook her head.
"Minette... Harry's five years old... But these baby clothes are a perfect fit... Oh my God... He's so underfed he can literally wear baby clothes!"
"Mmsowry..." Harry mumbled, tensing up, afraid he had done something wrong.
"Don't worry, kiddo, we'll get some meat on your widdle bones!" Nadia cooed, hiding her fury. She picked a coat from one of the shopping bags and bundled Harry in it, making sure he was extra cozy. The little kid was too frail, and Nadia was concerned that if he wasn't warm enough he could get even more sick.
"Okay, my little sicko..." Nadia placed everything Minette had bought in the bag, then carefully slung it over her shoulder and turned to the boy with a grin before gathering him into her arms. "Let's go home now..."
"H-Home..." Harry said softly, making Nadia smirk and kiss his cheek gently.
"That's right, sweetie... Time to go home... Your new home..."
Harry looked up with wide eyes and smiled, leaning into Nadia's embrace. "Thanks Minette, I'll see you later." Nadia said thankfulyl.
"Thank you Miss Minettee." Harry said, trying his best to pronounce Minette's name. Minette gave a girlish squeal of delight and covered her mouth with her hand, laughing slightly.
"You're more than welcome, cutie pie!" Minette cooed in response.
Nadia chuckled softly and turned to Minette with a wave before stepping out into the cold, snowy streets, wincing ever so slighly as the frigid wind blasted her bare skin. "Geez, this temperature's ridiculous..." She muttered. "How ya feeling, buddy?" She looked down at Harry, who was leaning contently against her breast, wrapped up in excessive layers, from the pajamas to the winter clothes to a blanket to her own trenchcoat.
Nadia chuckled softly and kissed his cheeks before falling deep into thought. Who could have done this to him? Sure, the Dagonians of Little Innsmouth were a bit suspicious of humans due to the Medicis, but that didn't mean anyone in this town was about to harm a little boy... Hell, even the Medicis themselves would probably have groomed him into one of their guys rather than outright torture him. And with the way the laws in the kingdom cracked down on child abusers... 'Must be someone out of town...' She thought.
She was pulled out of her thoughts when she noticed the stares she was getting from passersby, some shocked at her much too revealing outfit for the weather, some noticing she was carrying a little boy and smiling warmly, and some giving rather... appreciative looks to some of her best features. Nadia chuckled softly at that last one. Ah, the joys of being the attractive town hero...
Harry, for his part, wasn't paying attention to any of the curious or relieved looks he got from people who had seen him on the street over the past little bit. He was still trying to process why Miss Fortune was so kind to him. He was a freak, he knew that much... and she wasn't his mommy... but... maybe she didn't think he was a freak? He'd have to ask her later. Right now, he was terrified of saying or doing anything that would anger her. Little did Harry know, angering Nadia would be next to impossible.
'Well, the little guy is warm at least.' Nadia thought as she kept walking, occasionally stealing a glance at Harry, wrapped up in her arms. 'That's good. And Minette's healing water really seemed to help... but still. How did he get so battered?' Nadia knew she was going to keep him. He was so adorable and tiny, she felt like she had to be the one to raise him. She assumed (correctly) she already had a bond from when she saved his life.
She gave the little boy a soft smile before eventually, she reached her house. It was basically a gift from the town for being their hero. Nothing too fancy, pretty small, but it was a very cozy little place. She entered her home and sighed in relief before shaking her head slightly to get the snow out of her hair. It was coming down really hard now, She stepped into her kitchen and pulled out a small bowl, plus one for herself, then poured some clam chowder into both bowls. "Let's get you fed. Then I'll take ya upstairs and tuck you in for a nap."
Sitting on a chair, she held Harry in one arm, tucking him into the crook of her arm and smiled down at him. "Open up, honey!" She grinned. Harry seemed like he wanted to say something, and Nadia spoke up: "What's wrong, kiddo? Cat go your tongue?"
"I... I can't..." Harry mumbled.
"Can't what? Are you allergic to clams?" Nadia asked.
"I...I'm not really allowed to...to eat..." Nadia's eyes widened at that. Now it was becoming very, very clear to her just what this boy had been through.
"Oh kit... Your old family starved you...didn't they...?" She said softly. Harry looked down slowly, and Nadia quickly changed the subject. "Well you're with me now. You're in my house, under my rules. And my rules state, very clearly, cute little boys must eat three meals a day at the very least." She said with a toothy grin.
Harry looked down once again, and Nadia guessed what he was thinking. "Aw, you don't think you're cute?" Kissing him on the forehead, she said: "Well, I think you are, and I know you're hungry." Harry wanted to protest, but he was hungry, and he wanted to make Miss Nadia happy, so he nodded.
"Atta boy, now open up..." Harry obediently opened his mouth wide and Nadia put the spoon in his mouth, watching his face light up at the taste. "Heh... Yeah, Yu-Wan's the real cook at the restaurant, but Minette's no slouch in the kitchen. Even if she does make a huge mess when she cooks."
"It's better than what I make..." Harry mumbled, and Nadia's ears perked up at that, mostly in shock though.
"Oh, you like to cook too?" She asked in a friendly tone, trying to hide the shock in her tone.
"Mmhmm..." Harry nodded, enjoying the chowder.
"Well, I bet you'd be great at it."
Harry gave her a small smile, feeling a bit better at her encouragement. Grinning broadly, she fed him the rest of the chowder, until the bowl was completely empty."Well whattya know, you ate the whole thing!" Nadia said with a smirk. "Now there's a good kid." She picked Harry up and hugged him against her shoulder. "All right, kitten... Time for you to take a nap. You're totally exhausted..."
"I'm not tir.." Harry tried to insist, only to let out a tiny yawn and let the tiredness overtake him. Nadia chuckled. He was so cute... Entering her room, she paused when she remembered that her room was kind of a mess. She had made the mental note of 'I'll clean it when I get back', before she left... and now she was taking care of a little kid. Oh well, maybe now she'd actually have a reason to try and keep her room clean. Regardless, she made her way over to her bed and tucked Harry in, pulling the thick warm blanket up to his chin and smiling as he seemed to sink into the blanket.
She leaned down and gave him a kiss before taking a kneeling position and gently rubbing the top of his head, much like one would do for a kitten. She leaned forward and whispered softly in his ear. "Just go to sleep now, sweetie... I'll be up to check on you every now and then, okay?"
Harry let out a soft hum of acknowledgement and snuggled into the blankets closer. The exhausted little boy mumbled "Love you...ms...fortune..." before drifting off into a deep slumber.
Nadia felt her heart melt at those words. She smiled and patted his tiny head before quietly leaving the room, but remembering to keep the door open enough to let some light in so she could also keep an eye on Harry. She sat down and returned to her clam chowder. She loved Minette's cooking.
After finishing her own lunch, she took a seat in front of the TV and turned it on, deciding to kill a little bit of time. After watching for a few minutes, she would go up and check on Harry. He seemed to sleep soundly for about an hour... But then, she heard him screaming and yelling in his sleep. Eyes wide, she rushed upstairs to check on the little boy. He was thrashing wildly and screaming in raw terror. Nadia rushed to his side and put a hand to his forehead, feeling her stomach clench at how warm he felt.
She had to bring down this fever first and foremost. Hurriedly, she rushed downstairs and filled up a bucket of cold water, then grabbed a rag. Rushing upstairs, Nadia snatched Harry up and hugged him tight, pressing the cloth as firmly against his forehead as she could without hurting him. Harry was jolted from his slumber, but the nightmare wasn't over. Now he had gone from a simple nightmare to a fever induced hallucination. "NO! PLEASE NO! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME, PLEASE! MISS FORTUNE, HELP! MISS FORTUNE! MISS FORTUNE, PLEASE, HELP!"
"Kitten! Harry! Please wake up!" She exclaimed, not knowing that he was seeing things. Harry continued thrashing about violently, trying to escape, to run... Finally, Nadia pulled his head close to her chest and gave him a long kiss on the head.
"M..Miss Nadia?! Where are you!?" Harry whimpered, still not seeing things clearly. He looked around for the kind cat woman, and suddenly felt himself being kissed again.
"I'm here, honey. I'm right here..." She sighed gently, her heart aching for the little guy. It was clear there was a lot he hadn't been telling her, and the poor thing had been going through a lot. She was determined, she was going to help him.
Slowly, the hallucination faded away, and Harry looked up to see Nadia looking down at him with pure, unadulterated worry written all over her features. "Hey, hun... You okay now...? The scary stuff gone?" She asked gently. Harry sniffled slightly, then buried his face into her chest and whimpered softly. "Awww... Don't cry, kitten, it's okay..." Nadia cooed. "I'm right here, okay? Nothing's gonna getcha while Miss Fortune's here to keep you safe."
It took Harry a few minutes, but finally he managed to stop whimpering. He was still shaking, and was having trouble pulling himself away from Nadia, but the young woman was just fine with that. It was clear right now he needed comforting affection, and she was going to give it to him. Every now and then, she'd nuzzle the top of his head or give him a quick kiss to try and soothe him. After about an hour, Harry was now curled up against Nadia's tummy, timidly looking up at her, afraid he had done something wrong.
Nadia just smiled sadly at him before calmly walking out the bedroom door, making her way downstairs to the kitchen. "Hey, kit... I know being sick's no fun... Those fever dreams are no joke. Buuut, there is one upside to it." Harry looked at her in confusion, and she gave him a grin before pulling the freezer open. "When you're sick, ya get to have ice cream!" She announced. Harry's eyes widened. He'd seen Dudley eating this stuff by the carton, but of course he'd never been allowed to have any. "Okay, let's eat some ice cream, and you can tell me all about your bad dream."
Harry was nervous. He didn't know if he could talk about his dream... He was told he couldn't, and that he'd be hurt if he ever did... but Miss Nadia was so nice! Maybe she wouldn't hurt him. Harry leaned into Nadia's embrace as she carried him back into the kitchen. She sat him on the counter and smiled warmly at him. He felt safe around her.
He took a deep breath, and as Nadia put a bowl of ice cream in front of him, he spoke softly. "There... There was a man... A really big, mad man with a big moustache... He looked like a walrus, but..." He shivered. "He changed... He turned all red and his eyes turned yellow and... and there were horns on his head, and he... He..." The boy shuddered. "He said he was gonna beat me, and that I couldn't tell you or he'd kill me..."
"Aww... Kitten..." Nadia sighed, her ears drooping. She gently rubbed his cheek. "It's alright, I'll protect you. What happened next?"
"Uh... He... he grabbed me, and he bit me... Then he kept clawing at me, and things got really hot..." Nadia frowned deeply, nodding to signal she understood.
"And he was...slamming me into the wall, and he... he threw me, and started kicking me... And it... It hurt... It hurt so much, it hurt, it hurt, it hurt..."
Nadia pulled him into her arms and hugged him tight, nuzzling the top of his head. "Say no more, kit, I got it... So you had a bad dream that ya got beat up, huh?" Harry sniffled softly and nodded his head. Nadia gave him a sad smile. "Okay... Well, why don't you go ahead and eat your ice cream? I'll even let ya have seconds when you're done."
Harry looked down at the bowl, and finally took a timid bite of the ice cream. His eyes widened somewhat, and he seemed to be in shock for a moment, then he hungrily dove into the bowl, Nadia giggled as she watched Harry eat with absolute joy. After a few minutes, he looked up with his face covered in ice cream. "Well, I think you enjoyed it." She grinned.
She scooped some more into the bowl and watched with a grin as he ate it. Chuckling, she put the carton back in the freezer, and when he'd finished, she took the bowl and threw it in the sink. Nadia stepped up and gently picked Harry up, hugging him close to her bosom and gently patting his back. She watched him snuggle in contently and smiled. "Okay, kit... Ya had a nasty dream when I left ya to sleep alone... So hey... who knows? Maybe you'll sleep a lot better in my arms. Whattya say?"
"Thank you Miss Nadia..." Harry mumbled, snuggling into what he believed was a safe place to be. Nadia grinned and kissed the top of his tiny head.
"No problem little guy, now you have a good sleep, I'll make sure nothing scary comes your way." Nadia didn't know it now, but those simple words meant more to Harry than just about anything he had ever had or heard in his life. To him, that promise of protection let him sleep, and while he was still scared, he was beginning to trust Nadia more and more.
Nadia smiled softly and leaned back in her seat. She began to hum softly, but the sound quickly morphed into a soft purr, which reminded Harry of when he played with the kitties at Miss Figg's house. The soothing sound of his new caregiver's purrs slowly lulled Harry back to sleep. Nodding off, he snuggled closer into the feline feral and began snoring softly. Nadia smiled warmly, her ear twitching and her tail swishing about merrily. Then, she let out a very catlike yawn. "Ugh... Y'know, a little catnap sounds pretty good right about now..." Rising to her feet, she made her way upstairs.
Heading back into her room, she kicked some of the discarded clothes to the side and set Harry on her bed. She looked around, then closed the blinds somewhat, to give the room a little more shade. Getting into her bed, she pulled Harry underneath the blankets with her and close to her chest. "See you soon, kitten." She smiled, kissing his head one last time before letting herself drift off to sleep, purring contently as she napped.
However, mere moments before drifting off into sleep, Harry said something, very soft, like the coo of a dove. "Mama..." He mumbled out softly.
Nadia's eyes snapped open, and her ears shot up rigidly. She gave the boy a stunned look. "M-Mama... Mama...? Me...?" She breathed out. She had no idea how to respond to that one little word. She didn't think she had any interest in being a mother... But... Something about the idea was bringing a warmth to the forefront she didn't even know existed.
Well...He was asleep. He didn't even know what he was saying out loud... Nothing was official quite yet...
She decided to simply keep him warm and safe. She'd figure out if she was a mother later on. Kissing him one last time, she let herself slowly drift off, but one thought did stick in her mind. "Mama Fortune... I like it." She smiled, nuzzling the top of Harry's head as sleep overtook the pair. For the next few hours, Nadia slept comfortably as usual, but Harry, for the first time in forever, didn't have any bad dreams.
In fact, the soft sound of Nadia's purring, as well as the way her body curled around him, found their way into his dreams, making them very sweet indeed. He dreamed he was cuddled up with a giant kitty, who was purring and periodically nuzzling his tiny head. The boy smiled and nuzzled further into the cat's soft fur. Both woman and child slept peacefully, smiling warmly in each other's embrace.
A few hours later, Nadia yawned loudly, stretching out as she looked around, scratching behind her hear as she woke up. She felt something next to her and blinked in surprise, then looked down, then smiled when she saw the sleeping boy. "Daw... he looks even cuter when he's asleep..." Nadia cooed, resting her head against his for a moment, then sat against the headboard, pulling Harry close.
She leaned down to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before hopping out of bed, landing on all fours on the floor. With a feline yawn, she arched her back to wake herself up, then rose to her feet. Looking over at Harry, she smiled softly and gathered him in her arms, cradling him like a newborn and rocking him back and forth gently. Smiling tenderly down at the boy, she leaned her head down slightly and gently pressed her nose against his. "Poor little guy... He's totally exhausted..."
Harry cooed softly in his sleep and squirmed for a moment, then settled back down and let out a tiny sigh, before peacefully breathing in his sleep. Nadia frowned as she gently traced his ribs though the clothes he was wearing. He hadn't eaten in so long, that much was clear, but what had caused this to begin with? Minette had claimed people had seen him for over a month, but what was he doing on his own?
Was he orphaned? Perhaps his family had been killed somehow while on vacation... Not a lot of humans came to Little Innsmouth, after all. Or maybe... Maybe he was abandoned... Intentionally left all alone on the streets to fend fo himself... Her eyes narrowed into slits and she tightened her hold on Harry. That made too much sense. The injuries... The malnourishment... The fear, the panic, the crippling shyness... It was all beaten into him...
That was a terrifying thought, and a thought that Nadia was tragically having trouble finding a counter or explanation to. She didn't want to believe that the little guy was so badly abused... but she had a bad feeling in her gut that sooner or later, she'd find out the truth. So she decided to enjoy her time when he was peacefully sleeping in her arms.
She sat down on the couch and grabbed the remote with her tail, using it to turn on the weather channel to see how bad the winter was gonna be. Snow, snow and more snow, all in below zero temperatures. Nadia winced and looked down at the sleeping boy in her arms, smiling sadly. "I am SO glad I got you off the streets..." She whispered softly. "If those dogs didn't do you in, the cold totally would have..." She winced sadly at the mere thought, how sheer dumb luck had been the deciding factor in Harry still being alive. If she hadn't happened to be in the area...
She cleared her head, biting her lip. For once in her life, dumb luck was to thank for helping her find the little kitten in her arms. She sighed and leaned back, a foot rest swinging out from underneath her as she reclined on her couch, tucking Harry into the nook of her arm. She tickled his chin and looked back to the news. It seemed like the duo may be spending a good amount of time together, what with all the snow.
And she was just okay with that... She gave Harry a tender gaze and nuzzled his cheek gently. "I'll protect you, Harry... I'll keep you safe, or die trying..."And as the little boy smiled in his sleep, her face lit up with joy.
