My world is different to anything you know (Hunter/Sam)

The girl nodded when he asked if she’d been told that he was a seer as well. “She told me lots… she told me I got your nose...” granted Enitan didn’t think hers was quite as big as his, but she wasn’t about to say that. What he said made perfect sense to her. And she was glad that he’d recognised her. “Did you see me? Like before I came in? In your divining?” She was very curious now, but she didn’t blame him at all. “She also told me that sometimes you see stuff that doesn't make sense until later.” after all, she didn’t want him to feel like anything was his fault. It wasn’t. He couldn’t find her if he didn’t know who she was. She was glad when he seemed to relax a little, sitting cross legged in front of him and smiling softly. Enitan was far too mature for her age, a product of having to fend for herself, and spending her childhood on the run, and had an understanding of the world that was a strange mix of childish naive and a more grown up realistic view of how things worked.

For right now, she was willing to be patient with him. Especially when he said he did want her. She almost teared up at that, rubbing her eyes so she wouldn’t, only drawing attention to the fact that they were threatening to spill over with tears. She’d come a long way to hear those words, but honestly had no idea how things would play out now that she’d found him. After all, that had been her singular goal, not thinking beyond that. “That's okay. I don't have to share a room with seven other girls who scream when they see Bindi.”  she realized at that point that he didn’t know about her pet rat, but before she could begin to explain, Hunter walked in. Enitan looked confused at first, then at the stuff he put on the counter and back to where the man had been.

“Hunter?” but he was gone as quickly as he’d come in, smiling at her and messing up her already wild and untamed hair before walking out the door as if he was convinced everything was going to be okay now. She watched Sam cross to the door to try to stop him, but return looking a little bewildered as he closed the shop. It was better that way. She could have all his attention. She felt bad for distracting him from a theify man, but at least her friend had been there.

“I… Yes.” she pulled herself up onto the counter so she could sit with her legs dangling down, and continue to talk to him. “Hunter helped hide me and my mum… and then when the bad people took her away, he promised me he wouldn’t leave me alone until she came back. And he gave me Bindi.” she reached into her hood and pulled out the Rat. “she’s my best friend. And she bites people I don’t like.” Enitan said this rather proudly, pleased with herself. “After...” she looked down at her shoes again, tapping them together so the lights came on. As if it would help reassure her. “After Mum died… I escaped from the NoMaj house where they put unwanted kids… and I found him again. Because he said he would always watch out for me. He helped me find you. At least this time I had a real name and not just Blonde Sam from Essex...”

How should he answer that? That he'd Seen her, but hadn't realised the significance of the visions at the time? “I did, but I didn't know who you were” he admitted, deciding that if he started with the truth now, at least he would never have to answer for hiding anything. “I think...the first was about five or six years ago. When I See things, its like watching...do you know what a movie is? Well its like that, except I also get to share the feelings of the person I'm Seeing." That was going to open up still more questions, but after a moment's hesitation, he added “I know you've been in bad places. I know you were sad sometimes.”

More that sometimes, it seemed. He was trying to piece together the story of her life without asking too many questions all at once. She'd been in a childrens' home, but how long ago that was he couldn't make out just now,Mind still reeling, Sam was now adding another level to his thoughts as he tried to work out how this whole thing was going to work. What he'd said about her living with his was quite true - he did technically have a room she could use; a tiny one certainly, and he'd have to move his art supplies out of there, but he didn't hesitate because that's what was needed. For now, at least - he'd need to start looking for somewhere bigger.

When he turned back from locking the shop door, Enitan was trying to climb into the counter. Sam started to protest, knowing Cassandra would be appalled that a child had been sitting on there and what would the customers think if they knew?, but then changed it into a “Can you manage?” and a vague effort to help that she clearly didn't need, despite her tiny stature. He didn't really care if she sat on the counter. What harm was it going to do anyway? And then she extracted a rat form the hood of her cloak, and Sam took a surprised step backwards. Not that he had anything against rats, but that could be awkward. He didn't know how the lizards were going to take to a small furry interloper. Of course, some of them could be put into their tanks, but Blue had the run of his apartment, and Houdini could be absolutely anywhere. He decided to ignore that for the moment until it actually became a problem.

So her mother had been imprisoned, then died, and she'd been in a muggle childrens' home, run away, found Hunter who had looked after her until the other man had tracked him down...and Tatiana had forgotten his name? That was a bit disappointing. Sam didn't have illusions that he was incredibly attractive or any woman's ideal, but he liked to imagine himself as a bit more memorable than that! But...they'd never really talked about themselves, had they? They'd been more interested in their mutual studies and, he recalled of their meeting at the conference, mutual attraction. Which of course had been when...

The colour drained from his face as his head finally caught up with that was happening. “Oh gods...I only know how to teach kids. I have no idea how to look after one” he said, the words coming out in a rush before he realised he'd even said them out loud. And then he was horrified, and would have done anything to take them back. He shook his head, crossed to stand next to her on the counter. “I'm sorry. Don't feel sad about that, please. I'm still a bit scared right now.” Suddenly he was terrified that he was going to frighten her away and he would never see her again, and it felt like that would be the worst thing in the world. Sitting next to him, the tiny girl came up to his ear now, her rat still nosing around in her sleeves. For the first time, Sam noticed the amount of layers she was wearing and wondered where she'd been living. Another question he wanted to save for later. “Can I hold her?” he asked, holding out a hand for the rat to sniff.

Enitan smiled when Sam mentioned movies. “I know what movies are. We watched a lot of them at the No---Muggle place.” she grinned a little. “My favorite was Princess Bride. And also the one about the orphan boy. Oliver.” she frowned then. “But I got yelled at for quoting them there. Apparently… ‘Under no circumstances is it ever okay to tell another child to ‘prepare to die’” she said it with a decent approximation of an older woman, if that woman were a hunched over decrepit old goat with a four pack a day smoking habit for the last 90 years. “Stupid woman knew I was just quoting the movie...” she stopped, biting her lip. That hadn’t been the point of what he was asking her. He’d been trying to explain about his visions and how he knew who she was but not who she was. “That makes sense… Mum would just start talking. And i was supposed to write what she said down. But sometimes i forgot parts of it. Her voice would always get really low and soft… and slow...” her mind had gone back to that small one room flat, where they’d shared a bathroom with everyone else on the floor. It had barely been big enough for a bed and a table, but they’d made due. She didn’t want to think about that place, where her mother had died.

She shook her head when he asked if she needed help, patting her eyes once more with her sleeves. She was starting to get really warm, dressed the way she was in a warm shop, and pulled off her sweater, holding it in her lap instead. But her gaze snapped back to his when he spoke again, watching him with those ‘too world weary for her age’ big honey colored eyes of hers, already a little misty from thinking about the place her mother had breathed her last. “But you want to… Right? You said you did… so that's… a start. And I can look after myself. I’ve gotten very good at it.” she gave him an uneasy smile as he tried to reassure her.

Looking down when he asked about Bindi, she picked the rat up once more and cuddled her close, before setting the black and white creature back down on her lap. “Bindi don’t bite him. He’s our friend. You got that? Friend. No Biting. Nice man.” she patted the rodent on the head gently, before looking back up at Sam. “just let her smell you. And if she wants to, she’ll climb into your hand, just hold it out nice and flat for her so she knows that's what you want.” she gave him another one of her proud smiles. “Rats are really smart. They understand a lot more than people give them credit for. Bindi knows lots too, Hunter helped me teach her at first… and then I taught her a bunch on my own. He has her brothers and sisters.”

Sam had no idea what movies she was talking about. He only knew what they were at all thanks to having had muggle grandparents on his mother's side, and even so his experience was limited to old black and white films on a rainy Sunday afternoon when he was a small boy. Nonetheless, he cracked up at her imitation of the old woman. “I guess...I can see her point though” he admitted, grinning, and then immediately panicked he'd said the wrong thing. Should he be approving of everything the little girl said at this point? Parents didn't do that, but right now he was just getting to know her. What if she thought he was going to be one of those ultra-strict fathers who couldn't relate to their kids at all?

Then a small voice of reason whispered in his ear and reminded him that, while he had no idea what he was doing on terms of actually looking after a child, he did at least know how to talk to them. He'd given out enough detentions at Hogwarts and students had still turned up this classes, and to his knowledge at least he hadn't been unpopular. Well, he'd never discovered any unflattering graffiti of himself, anyway. And perhaps...just being there, just the fact that now he was a part of this child's world was going to be enough while they figured everything else out. She was crying again - not overtly, but dabbing her eyes with her sleeve, and he was sure she was thinking about her mother.

“Yeah. I do. I'm just...” Sam had been trying to figure out where he could buy a bed from, and then inwardly rolled his eyes at his own foolishness. He didn't need to buy anything at all, not today. He could transfigure the dining table for now; just until he got things sorted. She'd probably be thrilled at the prospect. “And I'm sure you can” he added, though he didn't really believe what he was hearing. Children her age didn't... wait. How old was she exactly? He was going to ask how, then changed it to “When's your birthday?” And then he held out his hand for the rat to sniff, hoping it wasn't going to decide to bite him.

Instead the little animal, sniffed his fingers delicately and then, with obvious curiosity, stepped onto his hand. She was small and soft and weighted very little, and her toes tickled the palm of his hand. “Do you think she'll miss her brothers and sisters?” he asked. It wasn't really what he'd meant to ask; what he wanted to know was how easy it would be to get in touch with this Hunter again, because Enitan was clearly close to him. But he didn't want to say that aloud in case the little girl interpreted it as Sam rejecting her. The rat made her way to his wrist and put her head inside his sleeve, and then the rest of her body began to follow. “Uh...is she meant to do that?” he asked uneasily, not sure he wanted a rat exploring inside his shirt just then.  And then, because it seemed a good time to mention it, he asked “How is she with other animals? I've got lizards at home...There's Blue, she's my iguana, and a family of geckoes. You'll see them later...”

There was a smile that again crossed her face, though she let out a slight huff, as if being told something she’d been told a dozen times before. “Well I know thaaat and we were playing with foam swords. I even said the full quote; so she definitely knew it was just play....” the girl pantomimed holding a sword out in front of her, and in the best manly voice a ten year old could muster, repeated. “HELLO! My name is Inigo Montoya! You killed my father. Prepare to die.” she grinned. “It has a good ending, that one. He gets the man who killed his father. And becomes a pirate.” she paused as if that was the only important part of the movie, before continuing. “Can we watch movies? Have you seen Princess Bride?” she asked, looking up at him inquisitively.

Enitan didn’t understand how she could be almost crying one minute, and smiling the next. The whole conversation for her was a whirlwind of emotion, and it didn’t seem to be any better for him. But they were both new at this, so she figured it was okay. The whole thing felt like a dream for her, and for a moment she panicked a little inside, worried that it might be and she’d wake up on Hunter’s couch or worse, back in the children’s home. “May 2nd.” she answered his question, his voice bringing her back to the present. It couldn’t be a dream. This was all too awkward to be a dream. “Mom said after she got back, that day was special… Hunter said that was the day the good people at the Magic School beat the bad guys.”

She tucked her leg up under her, half cross legged with the other one still dangling free as she watched him play with Bindi. “well it was like a long time since she last saw them, until we found Hunter again this time. So I think she’ll be okay.” she frowned a little, thinking more about herself then Bindi. She really hoped that Sam would let her see Hunter again. She played with the fringes of her Appleby Arrows scarf worriedly, before smiling a little as Bindi climbed inside of his shirt sleeve. “Bindi stop that. If you’re cold come curl up in my sweater.” her tone had gone almost scolding, still in a very childish voice, but stern like a grown ups. “I really don’t know… she hasn’t been around other pets… we weren’t allowed to have them at the group home, but they could never find bindi to get rid of her. Even with their traps. Bindi knows better.” but her eyes lit up a little when he mentioned Geckoes, though her stomach also growled at the same time.

Oh, Merlin. He knew where she'd got that little skill from! When he'd worked with the divination company in Wales, the main form of entertainment had been for the Seer and other diviners to perform plays for each other. The child's stance was at first manly and proud, despite her size, then a moment later she was asking if they could...watch films? Evidently she had spent a good deal of time in the muggle world. Princess Bride? “I don't know that one” Sam admitted “It sounds good. Maybe we could go to one of those places where people watch films together...what are they called? Cinelands?” he thought about the times he'd walked past the one in the street near Louise's gallery “Can we walk into one and tell them which film we'd like to watch, or isn't that how it works?” That sounded reasonable, but muggles tended to have strange ways of doing things. Sam felt like he ought to know. Back at Hogwarts, he would have just gone to the staff common room and asked. Someone - in this case, most likely the muggle studies professor - would have been sure to know... And the thought had brought up another issue. How was he going to tell Louise that he had a daughter? How was he going to tell his family?

But then she was looking scared, and she answered his other question, and the world shifted again.

May 2nd. That was her birthday.

The feelings Sam had always had on that day, the sense of strangeness, of incompleteness...suddenly they made sense. “I thought...I've always feel weird on that day. Like something's wrong, or missing. After the battle, I thought that was the reason, but the feelings carried on every year. The day we beat the bad guys...” he smiled at her “Now I know why.” Now he knew how old she was, too. Granted, his memories of the deadly dull conference he and Tatiana had skipped probably weren't as crystal clear as hers had been, but they were there nonetheless. The conference had been a bit over eleven years ago. So...Enitan was ten. He wondered if she'd gone to a muggle school, or if her mother had taught her until...

The rat was still trying to disappear up his sleeve. Sam tapped it gently on the back and it pulled its head out, looking round at him with an offended expression before it sat up on its haunches and started washing its whiskers. “Well I guess that's something we'll find out later. The geckoes have their own tanks, it's just Blue that roams wherever he wants to.” then her stomach rumbled “Are you hungry? Do you want to go and get lunch or something? We could go to...wait. What's your favourite food?” Asking mundane, everyday questions was a lot easier than asking more important ones.

There was an amused grin from the girl as Sam offered to watch movies with her even though he obviously didn’t know that much about it. It was a warm and fuzzy feeling she’d gotten often when laughing with her mother, something that had been painfully rare. “Those places only have the newest ones. And you need muggle money to do it. Princess bride is old.” she paused, not wanting him to think she didn’t like the idea! He was trying to be nice even though he really didn't understand, and she was practically making fun of him! Quickly backpedaling, Enitan corrected herself. “Not that i wouldn’t want to. We could some time. It would be a lot of fun. From what the other kids said that's basically how it works though.” she paused trying to remember correctly. “You look at the list and tell them which one… they’re like portkeys. You have to arrive at the right time. And then you go into a dark room with a bunch of other people and the screen is as big as the wall!”

His response to her birthday made her smile a little. “Hunter said you were there… after he found out you were here now. He said you were one of the good guys.” she was hesitant, but reached out and took his hand, smile growing a little, though nervous. “You didn’t know me… but you gave me the best birthday ever.” after all, nothing was going to beat knowing your birthday was the day that your dad helped beat what people still spoke about in hushed whispers and called the ultimate evil. Though she was really happy to hear that even if he didn’t know about her, or that it was her he was thinking of, him being a seer meant he had been thinking of her every year on her birthday. And he seemed pretty happy about that too, at least until Bindi tried turning him into a treehouse.

Enitan picked up her rat, cuddling it to her chest and petting it softly. “You don’t… have dogs, do you? Bindi and I don’t like dogs. Just lizards? Lizards are cool.” she really wanted to hold a gecko. And really hoped that Bindi wouldn’t think they were snacks. Of course then her stomach growled and she blushed. She was about to protest, stating frustratingly that she just ate, but stopped herself. She really was hungry. And he was her dad, so it was okay to ask him for food. She nodded, but paused. “I… never really thought about it...” she looked almost upset. Food was something she had to have, and usually it was whatever she could scrounge up with dropped change, or with hunter, whatever he got for them. She hadn’t really considered that food was something you could have a favorite of. “I like cheese...” she offered up helplessly, still petting Bindi.

Sam wasn't at all offended that Enitan clearly knew more about movies than he did. It didn't even occur to him to mind; he was just fascinated to hear how a cinema worked. “That sounds like a restaurant. You can pick what you want to eat, but only if they've got it on the menu” he said thoughtfully. And it made sense; because while a restaurant couldn't keep the ingredients for a thousand different meals ready in case somebody asked for roasted goat curry with triple-cooked fries and artichokes, he supposed the muggles wouldn't be able to store every film in the world in case someone came in and asked to watch it. Even the Hogwarts library hadn't had copies of every book ever written, not even all the books written in the English language. “It would be fun to go sometime, even if they don't have that film. We can get muggle money from Gringotts. Have you ever been there? It's run by goblins...”

Did she already know that? Tatiana had been muggleborn and hadn't lived in Britain when they'd met - either time. Sam felt like he was intruding as he asked “Um. Have you always lived in England, or did you move here?” It also might make a difference to which magical school she ended up attending, he realised with an unpleasant jolt. The idea of her taking a portkey half a world away - even though he'd done just that several times - wasn't one he could bear to think about, even though he'd only known of her existence less than half an hour. Nor could he think any more about the battle, not then. Not while his daughter was holding his hand and thought he was a hero. At least that anniversary would stand for something else in future, a happy memory to replace the horrors he'd witnessed.

“No dogs. My sister has a dog, but...” he smiled. Time to explain a bit more of her background she wouldn't yet know about. “That'll be your Aunt Cassandra. She's eight years older than me, and she's married, and...oh. You've got cousins, too. They're, um, fourteen and fifteen now. Anyway, they've got two dogs, but you don't need to worry because Bindi won't need to meet them. Not yet, anyway.” Sam hesitated again, wondering how much to tell her all at once, before deciding she could always ask questions about anything she forgot. “Then there's my other sister Teresa. She's six years older than me, and she lives in South Africa with her partner Elaine. They've got two children too. Jack's seven and Malaika's three.” Jack was adopted whereas Elaine had given birth to Malaika, but that definitely was too much information for a ten year old to absorb.

“And then there's your grandparents. My Dad owns this shop, but he doesn't work here much any more. And my Mum's muggleborn too...and now I get to tell them all about you and introduce you” he said, making it sound like the best thing in the world. Which it was, in one way, but also quite terrifying. How did you explain to your entire family that you've suddenly got a ten year old daughter you didn't know existed? Not to mention... “And Louise. My girlfriend” he finished, not adding any further explanation there, though he felt worried. Worried because, although it was entirely irrational, he was afraid that Enitan would think somehow that because he was dating someone that meant...what? He'd never been in a relationship with Tatiana, and he doubted she would have told her daughter otherwise.

No, that was going to be the least of her worries. It wasn't so much what the little girl said as what she didn't say. She liked...cheese? That was the best she could come up with. Sam suspected that meant she'd never been to a restaurant, at least not one where she'd been able to choose what she ate. He swallowed the lump that was threatening to form in his throat. “Okay. How about we get pizza - with extra cheese?” he suggested, letting go of her small hand and turning from the counter to stand in front of her, arms held out to lift her down.

Enitan was more then excited to be able to share her knowledge with her father. The awkwardness was gone now for the most part, and the two of them were seemingly having fun getting to know each other. Was she still scared? Of course. She wasn’t sure when that feeling would go away, but right now it was being comfortingly drowned out by the warm-and-fuzzies. And not just because she was cuddling a warm and fuzzy rat. “GOBLINS?” she asked, her eyes lighting up brightly as she grinned. “Like in ‘the labyrinth?’ probably not…those goblins kidnapped babies, and i don’t think wizards would let baby snatchers do something important like that in the middle of a city...” the last part of that was said more to herself, then Sam, but she paused, and looked up at him. “That… is another movie. It's really good too. But the main character is really really annoying. All she does is whine and complain.” she shrugged, as if she didn’t realize that was some people’s perception of children. “I do want to meet real goblins though. They can turn wizard money into muggle money? Like with magic?” her mother had never taken her to Gringotts, though she’d heard the woman mention it before.

His next question caused her to pause, and she had to think really hard. “We came on a muggle metal bird thing. Airplane! Mom likes… liked muggle things like that. I got to see all the houses from really high up. Or so she told me… I don’t remember it that well. I was…. Five? I think. Maybe four. But we weren’t here long before we had to hide… but mom said we were now british wizards…. Sooo…….” she let out a little shrug. Her mother had complained about having to do a lot of paperwork to get them here, but Enitan didn’t remember much of it. There were a lot of papers in the bag though. Her mom said they were important, and had tied them together with string.

She was really glad when he said that there were no dogs at home. She was already thinking of his place as home, and she hadn’t even seen it. But he was talking about his family, and telling them all about her. And that meant he was going to keep her, right? You didn’t tell your family about something like this only to send them away… thats not what family did. Her eyes widened however as she listened to him list off everyone in his family. “Its not Bindi i was worried about...” the admission came out quietly. She didn’t want to tell him how much dogs terrified her. Bindi would attack them to protect her and might get hurt, and if her pet attacked his sister’s pet, they might demand that she get rid of bindi, or send her away if she didn’t like dogs. But at least that wasn’t something she’d have to deal with right away. “You have a really big family...” she said, still kind of in awe about how many people there was. “Do… I get to meet my grandparents? I’ve never had grandparents….” Tatiana’s parents had died before Enitan was even conceived and her mother had been an only child, so she and her mother had always been on their own. Just the two of them. She paused when he mentioned his girlfriend however, biting her lip again. “Do…. do you think she’ll like me? She won’t make you send me away?” she asked nervously, revealing something that was an obvious fear of hers.

But at least she could focus on the idea of food, even if his first suggestion was not at all appealing. “Ugh. Pizza tastes like cardboard...” she then blinked, as if suddenly second guessing herself and needing to backpedal. “I mean… at least the pizza i’ve had. Maybe this will be different. If you want it then I’m okay with it.” she quickly added, letting him help her down and picking up the carpet bag again.

Sam had always thought he was pretty well-versed in muggle culture. Unfortunately, all that meant was that he knew was a television was, and that they drove cars which weren't sentient so you should never walk in front of one and assume it would see you, and that they mostly used some mysterious thing called electricity instead of magic. So when Enitan started asking about goblins and kings and kidnapped babies he was completely at a loss, even when she explained that she was talking about another movie. At least there was a question tacked on the end that he knew how to answer. “Not with magic. That would be possible, but it's not legal” he explained “because once you know how to transfigure something, and you're good at it, it's possible to just transfigure stones into coins...except there's a law against it.  No, you take some galleons into the bank, and they'll give you some muggle paper money in exchange. It's not very exciting, but it works, and...you've been in one of those flying machines?!”

His jaw had dropped with shock, delight and a little admiration that she could talk about it so calmly. Obviously Sam had seen aeroplanes in the sky, but had never stopped to think about the people inside them or how they worked...oh. They probably worked with electricity, didn't they? No time to ponder that now, though, because she was telling him something important. Enitan probably didn't understand the significance of being British wizards, but it told Sam two important things. Firstly, Tatiana must have completed some sort of official papers in order to come here. And secondly, Enitan's name would definitely be down for Hogwarts rather than Ilvermorny.

For the first time since he had left the school, Sam wondered if he should have made a different decision. It would be hard watching this little one go off to school next year, knowing he wasn't going to be there to watch over her. He almost missed her next admission, quiet as it was. She was...scared of dogs? “That's okay. You don't have to see any dogs...though you can definitely meet your grandparents soon.” he assured her. “Though I should probably tell them about you before you meet them, unless you want them sitting on the floor looking surprised as well?” he grinned at her, thinking he'd covered that quite well. How to tell them though...perhaps he should just send an owl saying he'd had to close the shop early and he'd explain why later? Yes, that could work, for today at least...

“Nobody's going to send you away” he said, and was surprised with the certainty he felt as he said it. No matter what happened, the Seer was responsible for this child now, and he was determined to do a better job than he had with some of his former students. As he helped her down from the counter, he added “don't worry. We'll figure everything out. It just might...take a little time, okay? And no cardboard pizza” Sam couldn't help a sudden snort of laughter. His brow furrowed briefly as he considered suitable alternatives. “How about pie and chips? There's a pie shop just up the road from here, we could eat there or...” he suddenly thought the cafe might not like a rat wandering around on the table “...take the food home and eat there. Oh - can you manage that?” he asked as she picked up the carpet bag, apparently quite ready to leave with him.

There was a huff of disappointment when the money changing turned out to be so… mundane. And boring. Even with magic it sounded like there was rules. Enitan wasn’t against rules, per say, after all, most rules kept her safe, but some of them just seemed silly. Not letting the no-maj know about magic. That made sense. She’d learned about the witch hunts in muggle school and really did not want that to happen again. She smiled when her admittance of being on one of those planes stopped him almost halfway through a thought. “Yeah… I don’t remember it though. Mum said I was glued to the window the whole time though. Maybe that's why i liked riding on Hunters broom so much.” they’d had to take a broom a few times when they were on the run, and it had been the best thing ever, in her opinion. Second best to finding her father and him accepting her. So far…

Enitan looked relieved when he said she didn’t have to see the dog, nodding, happy when he went back to talking about his family. “No cause old people die when they get surprised. One of the older girls told me that. So we should probably tell them very gently. While they’re already sitting down. And by we I mean you.” she smiled up at him, as if utterly convinced that what she said made perfect sense. Especially when he assured her that no one was going to send her away. That made her feel really good. Maybe it was okay to think that things were going to work out this time.

The idea of Pie and chips sounded really good right now, so she nodded. Her and hunter had gotten that a few times and it was really good. “I like that.” she said. But she really liked what he had said next more. Fighting the urge to tear up. He had said home. That they could take the food home. Not back to his home… just… home. They were going to go home. She flung her arms around him suddenly, burying her face in his side. Something she’d wanted to do since walking in here, really since she first was standing outside looking at him yesterday. She closed her eyes tightly, trying not to cry but feeling tears leak out anyways.

Not able to help himself, Sam snorted with laughter when she said old people could die from shock. “I think that's a different kind of shock. Like...falling into freezing water or getting attacked by an angry hippogryff, things like that. But you're right, they definitely need to be sitting down when we tell them. And by we, I mean I” he added with a grin. Things were going fine. It was going to be okay. But then things took a turn for the unexpected, because she agreed with his next food suggestion, but then suddenly she was hugging him, clinging to him and he was sure he could hear the sort of little wet snuffling sounds that meant she was trying not to cry.

What had he said? Sam started to panic, but...she was hugging him, and if he'd upset her, she would likely have backed away or retreated into herself somehow. Slowly, tentatively at first, he put an arm around her. It seemed strange and right at the same time. If his niece had been upset - when she was younger of course; at fifteen she was going through a phase of refusing to show any emotion in public except a kind of bored offence at everything an adult said to her - he would have done the same. “Are you okay?” he asked, unsure what had caused such a reaction.

The moment passed, and Sam reached behind the counter, grabbing his own cloak which he had never bothered to hang up since arriving at the shop a couple of hours earlier. With a flick of his wand he put the returned goods on their shelves, feeling slightly self-conscious as he was now being watched by both girl and rat, the former holding her carpet bag expectantly. Sam had to concentrate hard to remember everything he needed to do; extinguish the lights at the back of the shop; take the money out of the till and charm the safe until the morning and then. Once they were outside, lock the door and set the anti-theft wards. It took several minutes and he was concerned the little girl was going to get bored; he hadn't done this often enough that he was able to chat to her while he was setting the wards in place.

Finally it was done, and the pie shop was just a short walk. Sam hadn't been there for some time, but it had a good reputation. As it was now mid afternoon there was no queue for the moment, and just a few people sitting at the tables. “Chicken and mushroom with chips - oh, and mushy peas please - and...whatever the lady would like” he said, looking down at Enitan. She had seemed to capable he assumed she would be able to choose and order for herself. They waited while the chips and pies were wrapped in old copies of the Daily Prophet; the mushy peas sealed into a small pot, and everything handed over in a carrier bag.

“Are you okay to walk home? Its not far” he said once they were outside the shop “I um, can't apparate both of us.” Actually he couldn't apparate at all, not since the sickness following the Victory Ball, but he didn't like to admit that. They set off, Sam reminding himself to walk slower than usual to compensate for how small she was. “So can you ride a broom by yourself yet?” If she could, that was useful to know - they could get her a new or even a good secondhand one so they could fly places together and if not, Sam could teach her. He felt a sudden jolt of pleasure at that prospect.

Once they left Diagon Alley, it was only a couple of streets before they reached the block where he lived. “We're here” he said “well, nearly. I live on the third floor, and we have to take the stairs...”

Enitan clung tightly to him as he put an arm around her, holding her close. This was all she’d ever wanted. But she didn’t quite know how to tell him that, sniffling as she held on for dear life. She could only manage to nod her head when he asked if she was okay, pulling back and rubbing at her eyes, though there was a smile on her face. “I… I’m sorry.. I just… really needed to...” she didn’t finish, a little embarrassed, and hoped she hadn’t made things awkward by hugging him. But if she had, then wouldn’t he have reacted differently, instead of hugging her back? She let herself be consoled by that thought, as he got his cloak. She’d thought they were going to leave, but he started doing other things, like tidying up quickly, and…. She finally realized this was why people stayed in shops after they closed for the night, sometimes as long as half an hour.

Waiting for him to be done, she went back to the music boxes, realizing now that the dancing glass ballerina actually changed colors between blue, pink and purple as it moved in the darker shop. She was totally mesmerized, until she heard the man’s footsteps approaching, stepping away from the display and towards the door. She waited patiently outside, looking around to see if Hunter was still there while Sam locked up the shop. But he wasn’t, at least that she could see. Enitan figured everything was going to be okay then; after all, if hunter had gone, then he must have assumed she’d be alright. He wouldn’t have just left her if he didn’t. She smiled, putting her hand in sam’s while they walked and carrying the bag with her other hand.

She looked at the list of things they had for pies while he ordered, taking her time deciding what she wanted, even though she kind of already knew. It had been an accident, when she’d gotten it the first time, and it sounded gross but it had been really good when she hadn’t known what she was eating. Maybe that was the secret. To try something before you knew what it was. She smiled up at the lady behind the counter. “Steak and Kidney with chips. And not-mushy peas.” mushy peas were for babies, but she wasn’t about to say that out loud since her father had just ordered them, and she was trying to be on her best behavior. She pulled on his sleeve, looking over at the case of Fizzy drinks. “Can I get the cherry one please?” she asked, quite hopeful.

Now that he was carrying his bag, they got less weird looks at the little girl carrying a large bag while the man with her carried nothing, but he didn’t have a free hand this time so she kept both hers on her bag. “I like walking. You get to see everything. Its okay.” she smiled up at him again, even when they arrived and he said they had to take the stairs. She was a little too in awe of the really nice brick building to answer right away, but eventually she did. “Still like walking.” she teased, before hopping up the steps in front of him. She hated to say it, but this was much nicer then where hunter lived; and she was really eager to see what her new home looked like, and excited to get to meet the geckos. And the iguana. And learn more about him. And maybe she could show him some of the things that her mom had kept. She had told Enitan that she had first met her father traveling in Africa, and had loved showing off all the little things she’d collected there. Once he stopped at a door, she took two steps back to him, waiting to be let in, her mouth watering at the smell of the pies. She was a lot hungrier then she’d realized.

“Whatever you like” he assured her, having forgotten to ask what she liked to drink. Sam had various options back at his flat, butterbeer and herbal teas and various fruit juices, but he'd forgotten that fennel tea and prune juice probably weren't to a ten year old's tastes. Outside, it was cold but not unpleasant, the afternoon seeming much brighter than was usual for the time of year. To Sam, it seemed that the ever-present London pigeons were cooing with more enthusiasm, the passers-by who never even glanced up seemed pleasant and friendly. He didn't consider that the reason for his buoyant mood was nothing to do with the weather or the pigeons, but the small person walking beside him.

They got to the block, and Sam was worried for a moment when she stopped and looked up. Was she disappointed? Had she been expecting something more impressive? Like him apparating her right up to the top floor so she didn't have to walk - and carrying that heavy bag, too? But no, she she was practically bouncing up the stairs, a little bit ahead when they went up the first two flights, then letting him go first so he could lead her to the correct door. It was no different from any other door in the apartment block; but for the fact that Sam opened it - having first glanced over his shoulder to check they were alone - with a complex wand movement. He wasn't the only wizard living in this block, but there were muggles here too, whose flat were unknowingly far less secure given they they were only locked with a simple key.

“Okay, so...welcome home” he said, feeling a little awkward again. Sam wasn't a tidy person by nature, and he had left an easel up in his living room the previous evening, having been painting the sunset from the window. Not only that, but pads of watercolour paper and finished pictures were stacked beside the sofa; the three books he was currently reading lay on the coffee table and he hadn't washed the dishes for two days now. All of these were things he was convinced Enitan would be noticing as he led the way into the tiny kitchen pulling fresh plates and glasses - and a bottle of butterbeer - from the cupboard.

The young girl was super excited to be getting home, both with her special drink, and because she was going HOME! She hadn’t had a home since forever. Even the place she’d lived with her mother when she’d died hadn’t felt like home. And before that, on the run… she could barely remember having a home. Home was a place you went to feel safe, and warm, and loved. She so desperately wanted a home… her heart was pounding in his chest as he did some fancy wandwork to unlock the door, excited to see what was on the other side, her eyes going wide.

The ceilings were so tall, and everything bright from the large windows that filled one of the walls. She almost didn’t step in, but finally joined him inside, looking around. There were plants, so many plants, and the furniture looked really comfortable. It was some of the nicest furniture that she’d seen, even if she’d only really been exposed to the cheapest stuff money could buy. Still holding onto her bag, she wandered through trailing after him, until she saw the easel, stopping and looking. She knew what it was, but was drawn to it, looking back at him and then noticing the stack of paintings. “You paint?” she asked, looking really impressed. Her dad was a Hero, a Teacher, a Seer and an artist. She then noticed that he’d gone into the kitchen, and quickly followed him.

It was tiny, but that was fine for her. She was also small, setting the carpet bag down under the chair and pulling herself onto it as he got everything down for their dinner. “I like it. Its nice and cozy.” she beamed, still looking around. “Where are the lizards?” naturally that’s what she wanted to see the most, until her stomach growled again at the sight of food.