Chapter Six

Everything had happened too quickly. The holiday season and her vacation were long over, the troubles at the Ministry seemed to be a continued source of frustration and on top of that her life was on a tilt and about to be turned upside down. Despite all this, Emily woke early, showered, dressed and went down for breakfast. One look at the inside of her fridge and her cupboards told her the first thing on their agenda would be food shopping.

It had been nearly a month since Veronica had passed, and in that time her paperwork for temporary custody had been scrapped and an application for full adoption replaced it, which then stalled due to the holiday season and a labyrinth of bureaucrat red tape, thus leaving her Zeke-less and the boy in the care of a foster family. If that hadn't been hard enough, she wasn't allowed visiting rights either, so the best she could do in that time was watch him from afar, out of sight and out of mind. The family weren't bad, they were muggle, but otherwise decent. A mother and father and a young girl some years younger than Zeke. A small part of her felt guilty at the thought of taking him from them, from a proper family and a proper home, but it was in his best interest to grow up in her world, and in that regard she was a better fit for him.

Emily ate her breakfast in silence, the toast seemed almost stale in her mouth, making it a chore to get through. Perhaps she simply wasn't hungry, and that was understandable. It was the day of the exchange. With the last of her legal documentation and quick check in the mirror, Emily left her apartment knowing full well when she returned she wouldn't be alone, and it wouldn't be because Gavin was gracing her with his presence.

She was early, always early, and for that reason she opted to walk two blocks to the Highgate Underground, and waste time taking the train to Tottenham Court Road before walking the rest of the way to the adoption agency just off of Oxford. There were no more Birmingham visits, he was in her neck of the woods now, but that did nothing to comfort her until she had her hands on him. Their last visit together at his mothers wake had been a sombre and private one, and while it hadn't been ideal, she was thankful for the short moment she had with him before they took him into care. Despite his reluctance to go, and his clingy nature, she'd managed to placate him with nothing more than the promise of seeing him soon, that, and insisting as long as he had the compass she'd gotten him for Christmas, that they would find each other. She'd meant it in the literal sense too, having charmed it to track his location should anything go awry.

After checking in with the receptionist, and whiling away even longer minutes in the waiting area, she was finally called into one of the offices for processing. Most of the talking was done by the officer, so Emily listened attentively, nodding at the appropriate intervals while occasionally offering a response. It was as she looked up at the clock that there was a knocking sound on the door and the receptionist from earlier ducked her head in, an unceremonious “They're here,” seemed to announce the arrival of the boy she wanted to see. Zeke. Emily's head turned back to the officer expectantly in time to see him signal two minutes with his fingers. “Almost done,” he replied, a warm smile lighting his otherwise ageing features. The last of the documents where signed and stamped before copies were made. Emily stuffed her remaining folder of papers in her bag, keen to leave to office and ruffle the boys hair again. She only hoped he would be as happy to see her as she was to see him... but she wouldn't get her hopes up, thus lowering her expectations.

She needn't have worried though, as soon as she stepped back out into reception, an exclamation spit her face into a grin.
“Emily!” he had all but yelled, jumping from his chair and crossing the floor to her side. Effectively abandoning the family that had cared for him in the past weeks.
“Zeke!” she replied, as she usually did when he greeted her in that way. She took him by the shoulder, pulling him closer to her side before pushing him away again to check him over head to toe. Everything looked to be in order.
“All well?” she asked, of course there was more significance to her question than the muggles could understand, but Zeke was good at playing along. “No more headaches,” he replied. Thanks you's, goodbye's and good luck's were exchanged and eventually, she was able to lead Zeke out the front door as his legal guardian, his permanent legal guardian. “Can we go home now?” he asked a little impatiently, to which Emily responded with raised brow's and a subtle, “not yet.” They could stop for lunch, perhaps celebratory ice cream and then do some light shopping. It wouldn't look good if the boy starved in her care, and Merlin knew she ate enough for the both of them.


***

“Can I do it?!” Zeke asked, dropping a bag of groceries to the ground at her feet. Emily held out the key to him, it made no difference to her who opened the door, so long as they got in, so he was welcome to have at it.
“Go for your life,” she encouraged, though on closer observation he was holding the key upside down, “other way,” she prompted.
It took him a moment, but he eventually eased it into the key hole and turned, cracking the seal before thrusting the door wide open. There was no response. Emily watched him, curious to know what he was thinking, especially since he wasn't being forthcoming with words.
“It's not much... but it'll do for now,” she said, moving past him up the small half-flight of stairs before meeting the main floor - the kitchen to the side of the entrance. Emily started unloading her bags, “we can always move if you don't like it, it's no hassle.” Zeke picked up his bag and stepped in behind her, letting the door close with a soft click which preceded numerous other clicking sounds indicating that the premises was secured.
“I like it, it's... big,” he concluded with a nod before dumping the groceries on the kitchen counter. “Can I see my room!?” he suddenly added loudly, not waiting for her to show him around. He wandered through the open living area, running a hand along the dining table as he passed and stopping to flop on the couch before jumping back up again. “Upstairs, first to your right,” she informed, abandoning the bananas and following after him.

He beat her up there, practically jumping the flight of stairs to the landing. It was a wonder he didn't fall and hit his head... again, yet another thing that wouldn't look so good for her. The boy was perhaps a hazard, or at the least, a magnet for trouble. “THIS IS MY ROOOM?!” she heard him before she saw him, turning the corner in time to see him sprawled on his bed like a starfish.
“What'dya think?” she asked, knowing full well the room had the boys approval.
“It's brilliant,” he beamed, head turning to face her. Emily leaned on the door frame, arms crossed against her chest, it was comforting to know he didn't hate the place, she was more reluctant to leave this one than any of the others she'd had, and that, was saying something.
“We should still go shopping again, get you some actual things...” and more clothes wouldn't go astray either, he didn't have much with him and he deserved ones that looked less tacky.
“Can we go to Diagnally?” he asked, fumbling with the word.
“Diagon Alley,” she corrected, nodding that it was certainly on the agenda, “just say when.”
“When!”

Fin.