Hey there. I'm really excited to be posting some finally. Expect updates once or twice a week, and know if I don't it's for a good reason, like getting hurt or something. I am a new writer on here, so please treat me well. This is also the first of my writings to be truly public, so once again. I'm always happy to take suggestions, though, as I'm really new at this. I didn't even know how to do an Author Note. So, yeah. Thanks for reading. I don't own any of Hetalia or Harry Potter, and I don't think I could.
Russia shook his head, sighing quietly. The world meeting was almost over, and they had gotten almost nothing done. He didn't mind, though. It was that America, who constantly brought to mind bad times and an urge... to yell at them and threaten them to get them to behave. But he wouldn't, even if all the others thought he would. He hadn't ever really even treated anyone that badly. Besides Belarus, but that really was self-defense. She wasn't a woman, she was a demon. He continued to think, paying no mind to the others in the room. His thoughts were startled by a high, annoying voice.
"Dude! Russia, man! You were totally out of it!" Ah, there it was again… so annoying… he looked up, smile forming on his face as he greeted America.
"Da, America? What is it?"
America slung his arm around Russia, laughing loudly, and Russia noticed that everyone at the meeting was looking at him a bit curiously.
"Dude, we've been calling your name, but you've just been all weird! Somethin' wrong, man?"
Russia shrugged him off, creepy smile growing wider as he began to laugh the laugh that made everyone go away. They shrunk back, as he though they would. Even the idiot retreated a little. Russia smiled a little more normally, and stopped his laugh.
"America, I am not hurt. I am just wishing you all get along better, da? I think these meetings would not be so pointless, and Germany might not have aneurysm after all. I like seeing you all getting along so well, and your little voices shouting make headache, da? Settle down." They all looked at him, a bit shocked.
England coughed and shuffled. "W-well, he does have a point, I suppose. Unfortunately, meeting time is over, and I'm sure a lot of us have some events to attend to- get off!" This last remark was directed towards France who had decided to give England a parting hug before they all left.
Germany saw this going downhill, and quickly stood up to take charge. "STOP THAT UND LISTEN! Now, remember, all of you, the next monthly meeting vill be in Washington D.C., und perhaps next time ve vill take Russia's advice. Now, pack up neatly und politely, und try not to cause any accidents again!"
They shuffled off, and Russia, slow to get up, was the last one to leave. He stepped outside, enjoying the rare sunshine in London. The world meeting had taken place here instead of little Latvia's home, since there was a lot of snowfall there, as usual. His coat was still necessary in the surprisingly cold wind for summer, but the sun really did feel nice, and he saw similar happy looks on the other people's faces. Russia had quite a bit of time on his hands, so he decided to walk around a bit. At first he was simply enjoying the sights, but soon he stopped paying attention, and began to walk aimlessly.
Soon he found himself wandering more suburban area, with freshly mowed lawns and carefully tended flowerbeds. He smiled to himself, thinking about the ridiculousness of these people who wasted their time on things like this. Most of the houses seemed to be empty, the owners gone to work. He wandered, glancing at his watch. It was about 1'oclock now, and the air had become greatly hotter. He was glad for his natural coldness, for it made him cool enough to keep his coat and scarf on even in this heat.
It was then that he heard the angry voice, and he walked closer to the house it came from. He saw, on the lawn, a skinny, meek little 5-year-old with messy black hair and beautiful green eyes. Russia was entranced by those eyes, (In a wow-those-are-pretty way, this isn't going to be weird, ok.) in the sparkling emerald, but somehow they were darkened with pain and sadness.
Russia felt a bit angry, and looked at the person standing over the little boy, keeping himself out of sight as he did so. It was a tall, rather horsey looking woman who was glaring at the boy. She was the one who had been angry, and judging by the way she held her hand, she had just hit the boy. She kept shouting at the boy, unaware of the narrowed eyes watching her. The boy was holding a broken, cheap looking trowel, and Russia realized the boy had been working on the garden in that yard when it broke. A man walked out of the house, and Russia nearly laughed at the man's comical features. He was stout, with quivering jowls, and a huge mustache that made his tiny face seem all the tinier. It was red, too, putting Germany's earlier angry face to shame. Germany was better looking, too, and that helped. In fact, the man reminded him a bit of General Winter, only overweight, with his gruffness and not caring about others. Russia like him even less, now.
The man growled at the boy, and was clearly about to start shouting too, when Russia decided he'd had enough. The nations always valued children greatly, even the odder ones, and seeing a child treated like this was enough to make a nation absolutely furious, even Russia. And he was fighting from taking his special pipe out and doing some things England would yell at him for. But the child may grow scared, and Russia did not want to frighten the child even more than he already was.
He walked up, looking calm, but inside he was struggling to keep a grip on his emotions. The two adults looked a bit stricken to see this oddly dressed man walking towards them, and it was easy to tell that Russia was tall and muscular even with his layers. They looked a bit apprehensive, but didn't back down, the lady with her horse face in a disapproving scowl, and the walrus man's face growing constantly darker. He stopped in front of them, letting out a bit of his creepy aura and smile, and the two adults flinched a bit. He glanced at the boy, and was surprised to see that he was looking at Russia not with the usual fear, but with what could be hope. This glance made Russia determined to take the boy from these awful people who treated him so badly all the more.
"What do you want, huh? Mind your business, young man!" The growling of the man brought Russia back to the present, and he nearly laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of the statement young man. He was Russia, and had been alive for a long time, longer than this man.
Russia's grin stretched wider. "Who are you? It would be nice to have names, da?" The man growled again. "I think you should be doing the answering now, before you grow too red."
The man puffed himself up, affronted. "I am Vernon Dursley, and this is my wife, Petunia. Now that you know our names, get off our lawn! I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you better just keep walking, you understand me?!"
Russia slowly shook his head. He took a step forward, and the Dursleys (minus the boy) scrambled backwards a bit. He was angry now, but still didn't completely show it for the sake of the boy. "I don't think I will. I think I will be stopping the yelling and hitting of the boy, da? What is his name?"
Vernon looked like his head would explode from rage. "That boy? Who cares about that little beast? He's not worth worrying about, that dirty so-called wizard." Petunia's head shot up a bit, but she maintained her haughty look.
"You do not want him? Because he is a- wizard? Then, I take him. If he likes, da?" The boy's face filled with wonder at these words, and he unconsciously scooted a bit towards Russia.
The Dursleys looked torn between fear and hope of their own. "What do you mean, you'll take the boy? Take him to who, exactly?" Russia narrowed his eyes a little bit more at the Dursleys.
"I take him to Russia, and I raise him myself. You are not good parents to him, and he is not seeming to like you. If he wants, he comes with me, never comes back to you. I think you like idea." They did, and he could see it on their faces oh so clearly. Just a bit more, he could tell, and they would agree. The boy was almost next to him now, too, eager to be taken away from these awful people.
"How are we to know you won't give up on that filthy little brat and dump him back with us, huh? We're not fools."
"Aha, I do not care what you think you are. I do not think this boy will be bad to me. I take him, and I never come back. Simple, da?"
They shrugged, suddenly caring a bit less. They exchanged glances, and Russia could see them agreeing. Vernon Dursley turned back to Russia, looking a bit less red in the face, and nodded, reaching out his hand for a handshake, albeit a bit disgustedly.
"Fine, just take him, and get out of here. Don't bother coming back or sending letters, we don't want them to see or you. I don't want to see either of you again, got it? Now scram!" With a handshake done with, the Dursleys scuttled back inside their home, Vernon rubbing his bruised hand. Russia knelt down to the boy, gently smiling his real, nice smile. He slowly reached out one of his big, gloved hands to the child, and the boy suddenly smiled and gripped it, unafraid. Russia was frozen by the look on the boy's face, full of happiness suddenly, and the beauteous smile stretching across it. He pulled the boy a bit closer, happily patting his head gently.
"Little boy, what is your name?" He asked, entranced by the boy's absence of fear. The boy looked down a bit, a bit sadder, and answered in a small and gentle voice.
"I-I don't like mine, but it's Harry Potter. Those people weren't my parents, they were my aunt and uncle. Um… are you really going to take care of me?"
Russia nodded, happy to hear the boy could speak. "Da, I am. I know! Do you want new name, that I give for you, little boy? If you want me to raise you?" Harry looked back up, excitement in his gaze.
"Of course I want you to raise me! Can you really give me a new name?"
Russia laughed a little, and picked the small, undernourished five year old up. He started walking with him in his arms, pleased at the steady heartbeat of the boy, assuring him nothing was wrong. He knew a perfect name, a reminder of how things, and he, could have been, before things went badly for him so long ago. "I know perfect name, if you want. After son of man in Russia long ago, plus last name of mine. I call you Alexei, and give you my last name, Braginsky. You like?"
The boy laughed, happy with it. Russia nearly stopped in shock. He loved this laugh, and felt like he needed to make sure the laugh came easier to the boy.
"I like it! Thanks! What's your name, mister?"
Russia smiled. "I am called Ivan, or Russia. Either one. I can explain more later, if you wish, little one. But for now, I bring you to my home, in Russia. Here-" Russia took off his scarf, gently folding it around the newly dubbed Alexei, wrapping him gently in the warm, thick and soft fabric. Alexei giggled, taking some of it in his hands gently. "Now, Alexei, hold on. I am going to take us to my home in an instant, I explain later how, da?" Alexei looked excited, nodding eagerly.
In a blink of an eye, they vanished from Privet Drive and appeared in the snowy winter plains and forests of Russia, in front of a large and stately home. It looked a bit empty, but Russia planned to fix this by repainting, making it more comfortable with décor, safer for Alexei. He walked in, and was surprised to see some people waiting for him. It was Germany, Lithuania, and Prussia, who seemed nervous. They looked at him, not yet noticing Alexei in the thick bundle of Russia's scarf.
Germany stepped forward awkwardly, not expecting help from the other two. "Hello, Russia. I hate to sound rude, but I vas vondering vhere you vere? Ve all had a meeting scheduled, although you are only five minutes or so late."
Russia smiled, still genuinely, the happiness in his system not leaving him. He walked over to a comfortable chair and gently deposited the bundle of scarf and boy in it, talking as he went.
"I apologize, Germany, I grew distracted and forgot. I only came back now because I have surprise I was not expecting, but glad to have."
The three guests stepped forwards, curious. Russia stepped aside a bit, revealing the little boy, all wrapped up in the scarf and slowly getting a bit more comfortable. They gasped a bit, either at the fact that Russia was treating someone so well, or the boy himself, all bruised, thin, and dirty, but looking happy nonetheless.
"W-who ist that?" asked Germany, quite startled, and a bit repentant for his earlier words. Russia adjusted the cushions and got the boy a blanket, and Lithuania hurried forward to help.
"He's little boy I found somewhere by London, he was hurt by adults he lived with. I agree to take him and they all too glad. I dislike things like that, we all do, da?"
Alexei thankfully took the blanket and settled further into the chair, warm and happy, still clutching the scarf. He smiled, again, and shifted a little, under the nation's watchful eyes. His cracked and worn glasses fell from his face, and Prussia caught them, having drawn closer to the boy over time. He examined them, a bit sad for their condition, and cleaned them off the best he could, then carefully placed them back on Alexei's face. Alexei smiled and said a quick thank-you, mesmerized by the nation's features and the small yellow bird nesting in his hair.
Prussia noticed, and a grin leapt to his face. "Kesese~ aren't I awesome? I'm an albino, only the awesomest of people get to be like me! And this right here is Gilbird! He's named after me, the awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt! This is my little brother; the slightly less awesome Ludwig, and a buddy, Toris Laurinaitis!"
Alexei nodded, his eyes wide, gazing at the three and marveling a little at how different they all were. Lithuania smiled faintly at him, and he smiled happily back, fully opening his eyes for the first time too. They all were shocked by how cute he was; and all the angrier at the people who had dared hurt him in such a way.
Lithuania saw how thin he was and stood up quickly, meeting forgotten by all, and said, "I'll cook something for him, if you don't mind, Mr. Ivan. I can make something for all of us, if that's okay." Russia nodded and Lithuania hurried off to the kitchen, happy to help in his own way.
Prussia stood next, and offered to go to the store nearby to pick up some clothes and things for the child. Russia thanked him, and Prussia hurried off. Germany was left with Russia, but Alexei's presence made it comfortable. They both served the boy to the best of their abilities until he was comfortable, then fell into silence as he fell asleep.
Russia was the first to speak. "Thanks, Germany. I did not realize the work needed to care for him. It is nice that you are here, and I am surprised that you are so good with children."
Germany, surprised by the sudden statement, nodded, and, curious, asked, "So vhat do you plan on doing with him?"
Russia shifted in his chair, thinking. Germany, knowing this, waited patiently. Russia wasn't entirely sure, actually. He really was planning on raising Alexei, but he was sad that the child would grow up and leave him behind, or even that Russia could fall and he would leave the boy. He would explain the nations to him, the minute he got settled in, he was sure of that. Russia, at long last, smiled and answered.
"I will raise him. I'll explain about nations in few days, he gets here properly first. I find way to care best for him, and find way to make him more like us. Does this sound fine?"
Germany, surprised at the question but expecting the first part, took no time in answering. "I am quite fine with you taking care of the child. In fact, I believe it is for the best: the two of you seem to enjoy each other's company. As for immortality or even nation hood, England himself is my recommendation for something like that. I vould be happy to help, Russia."
Russia was taken aback. Yet, at the same time, he was even happier. Here was an old enemy, recently less so, that was honestly offering his services without any ulterior motives. He smiled again, still genuine.
"Thank you, Germany. I am happy to hear this. I think I will approach England, and ask him for help. I am happy as well to help you any time." The two nodded, a certain peace achieved. At that moment, Prussia burst in, albeit more quietly than normal, and Lithuania softly called from the kitchen that he had finished with the meal.