black bats flying round and round

[colorshapes]

They're not really colors or really shapes, but Addy's tastes aren't really tastes, so Kerron thinks it's okay to call them like that anyway. Addy does too and they talk about colorshapes every week. He likes Addy. She has simple colorshapes that are easy to understand and he can help with lots of them. Other people have more complicated colorshapes but he's getting better at reading them while they fly through the air.

He's on his way back to the quarters he and Mummy and Daddy share, and he's just pushed open the door that usually leads to the right building in the Forks compound.

It doesn't.

Kerron has only opened this door twice before in this direction, but he sure remembers where it used to go. Probably Mummy or Her Majesty did a magic here. He wants to see what kind. He goes in and lets the door swing shut behind him.

Comments

[colorshapes]

"She doesn't like stuff that makes me or Daddy or our friends sad," says Kerron thoughtfully. "And she doesn't like being stuck in one place or being lonesome. One time a lady who is like the Empress but not put her someplace lonesome that she couldn't leave and it made her really sad but then Daddy fell in love with her and asked nice and the Empress asked the lady who's like her to let Mummy out to come live where we live and she did." Kerron nods smartly. That is the end of this story.

[pythbox]

"I used to know your mother," she murmurs. "Or... maybe 'know' is the wrong word. I met her, anyway." She smiles wryly. "We didn't get along."

[colorshapes]

"That's sad," says Kerron frankly.

[pythbox]

"Yes," she sighs. "Yes it is."

[colorshapes]

"How come you didn't get along?" Kerron asks. "Most people can if they try! Esme says that. She's Lily's mummy. And also some other people's mummy, like the Emperor."

[pythbox]

She closes her eyes.

"Because," she says finally, "he did a lot of things that upset me and people I care about."

[colorshapes]

"Oh. Huh," says Kerron. "Was it a long time ago? Most grownups did some bad things a long time ago and then stopped." Pause. "Most of the grownups I know, anyway."

[pythbox]

"About six months," she says. "For me."

[colorshapes]

"Oh, that's way before I was born," says Kerron unconcernedly. "Okay then."

[pythbox]

She gives him a quizzical look.

[colorshapes]

"What?"

[pythbox]

"How long ago were you born?"

[colorshapes]

"It was March seventh!" says Kerron obliviously.

[pythbox]

"And," she says, smiling despite herself, "what's the date today?"

[colorshapes]

"May sixteenth!" Kerron nods. "I know dates."

[pythbox]

"Yes you do," she agrees. "Is magic involved somehow in how fast you're growing up?"

[colorshapes]

"Not especially. Even half-vampires who aren't witches or ingots grow this fast," says Kerron. "Wolves are slower, and humans, but I like growing this fast, it was boring not being able to talk. I'm gonna learn to read soon. It's not fair that Henry can already."

[pythbox]

"...I see," she says, trying not to laugh.

[colorshapes]

"How come you wanna know so many things about Mummy when you don't wanna ever see her again anyway?" Kerron asks.

[pythbox]

"...Because I don't understand her," she says. "I used to think I did, but I really don't."

[colorshapes]

"Why'd you think you did if you didn't?" asks Kerron.

[pythbox]

She shakes her head. "He used to act... very differently... from how it sounds like he does now."

[colorshapes]

"People do that all the time," Kerron says. "They grow up and learn stuff even if not everybody does it as fast as half-vampires."

[pythbox]

"Mass murderers don't turn into doting parents that often," she mutters, mostly to herself.

[colorshapes]

"What? No, they totally do!" laughs Kerron. "There's lots of vampires who have kids and almost everybody who's been a vampire for more than like thirty years ate lots of people before! But they stopped because now they know that you can eat animals and also there's magic and also the Princess brings home golden bubbly from -" He looks around him. "Hey wow is this Milliways? That's where the Princess gets golden bubbly from!"