Chapter 3: COFFEE

LadyDragonIchi: D: I'm sorry that you don't like the pairing but it's not going to be a major part of the story because relationships just aren't my thing. It's mostly going to focus on Harry's life and interactions in the Kuroshitsuji verse. I hope the pairing won't change your opinion on the story either. I don't want to lose a reader! T.T

Janelly Slytherin and SensiblyTainted: What you're looking for should be in this chapter. :D

Reedited!


Hajime

Well Harry had to admit he was a lot happier now than he ever was before in his life.

Two years had passed and Harry found himself getting attached to everyone at the manor, especially Ciel and Sebastian. For some reason Ciel seemed to take comfort in Harry. The demon just couldn't understand why a child that was so jaded could take comfort in a being that would easily rip him to shreds if he even annoyed it just a little. The boy hadn't shown any inclination to seek comfort from Sebastian; no Sebastian was his butler and had to do everything that was ordered of him.

Maybe that was why Ciel always came to Harry behind Sebastian's back when he was having troubles with nightmares or being the head of a family at such a young age. The little lord wanted to keep his unbendable image up for Sebastian, though the older demon already had some suspicion that Ciel was hiding something from him, so he went to Harry. Harry who would keep the child's counsel and could refuse to do something that the child ordered if it was necessary or even if he didn't want to.

Sebastian would mock Ciel, though maybe not as harshly as he would have two years ago because even Sebastian had grown a little attached to his contract, if he found out about the child's fears but Harry never did. He only listened and gave advice when it was needed. Harry didn't know why he did it but the child was special. He could feel it in his gut and Harry always followed his gut, so he stayed his harsh comments and sarcasm and instead drew upon his old hidden human emotions and offered comfort. Harry hated commitment but he had stayed here longer than he had ever stayed anywhere in this dimension so he could put up with staying even longer. Though, sometimes Harry still thought Ciel was an annoying little brat.

Right now he was standing by Tanaka behind Ciel's chair trying and somewhat succeeding at stifling his laughter. Sebastian was straightening his gloves as the martial artist across from him took a funny pose. It was probably an attack stance but some of the postures that humans had come up with nowadays were funny. The man attacked and Sebastian barely moved from his spot to dispatch the human. Harry was now bent over clutching his stomach, his face turning red from trying to hold in his mirth. Ciel would try to reprimand him later if he laughed and Harry just didn't feel like dealing with that.

"Th-that was the ultimate secret technique of our school! When the Fierce Tiger and Dragon roar, ten thousand flowers scatter and split fist…You fiend! Who the Hell are YOU!?"

Sebastian turned his head slightly regarding the human still on the floor while flexing his fingers. There was a slight sting which meant that move really was strong. At least for a human made attack…

"I am the Butler of the Phantomhive family. It goes without saying that I can manage a technique as elementary as this," Sebastian stated in a condescending way.

Harry couldn't help it. Peals of laughter escaped his lips as his shaking became too much and he dropped to the ground. Ciel could reprimand all he liked this was just too hilarious! It happened almost every week and for some reason, each time, it grew funnier and funnier.

There was a set routine for this situation. Sebastian would defeat whichever outlandish martial artist Ciel managed to procure from nowhere. The Phantomhive butler would tell Ciel what his lessons were for the week before he rounded on the servants. Mey-Rin, Finny, and Baldroy would get chewed out for not doing their jobs so they would quickly rush back to work. It was the same every time!

Harry decided that repetition was funny only a certain amount of times and he would soon get bored so he wanted to disrupt the pattern. After the servants had scurried back inside the manor, Harry, who was now upright, looked at Ciel.

"If you really wish to see Sebastian on his knees so bad, you should just order him to fight me."


Ciel turned a scowl to the impudent and uncollared demon that had lived in his manor for close to three years. The young looking demon had a point. He would like to see who would come out on top of a battle between his two resident demonic beings. He looked at Harry contemplating asking him to fight Sebastian right now when he caught sight of the demon's gloved right hand.

He remembered the night in which he had first seen the brand mark. It had shut him up very quickly and he had grown curious. When he had finally gotten to ask about it he had found some very important information on the green eyed demon. He had been trapped just as Ciel had been and he was half human, which was supposed to be an impossibility. Something in Ciel's opinion of the annoying demon had changed that night. Ciel couldn't figure out what exactly had changed but he knew something had.

It was only after a year had passed that he finally figured it out. He had started seeing the much older being as a someone to look up to or something close to that anyway. He could sympathize with Ciel and protect him so Ciel found himself seeking out the uncollared demon for comfort. He would never live it down if Sebastian had found out, so the first time he shared something about his nightmares he waited for some change in his demon butler. But nothing happened and so Ciel went to Harry more and more often and he had grown attached. He had even grown attached to Sebastian who he saw as a guardian. He knew that was bad but he saw the older demons as a kinsmen of sorts and he wasn't about to let that go nor was he about to tell either of them about it either.

Before Ciel could ask Harry to fight Sebastian, a thought came unbidden into his mind. Chlaus was coming so there was no time for the battle and so he told Harry so.

"Sometime I would like to see that battle but I had a call from Chlaus in Italy. Sebastian I need to talk to you about it. Come."

"Very well, sir."


Harry sighed. He came so close to getting to fight. It was interesting around the manor what with all the accidents the servants caused but he still hungered for carnage and souls but mischief could help control that urge. He had started reigning in that hunger about a year ago and he wasn't regretting it. Because for whatever reason, every time he went on one of his little vacations, everything interesting happened and Harry hated being bored so hence the fasting of the human souls for the time being.

Harry followed after Sebastian and Ciel plotting ways to get his little battle out of Sebastian. Truth be told he was interested in how strong the older demon was when he was starving for souls. But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon apparently so Harry decided he could wait.

Harry was waiting out in the hallway of Ciel's study while the two discussed what was going to happen when Chlaus got there. He wasn't really thinking of anything of importance because the study door opening made him forget everything that was on his mind. Sebastian turned toward Harry who hiding in the shadows and handed him a list.

"Please fetch the herbs from the garden and while you're at it make sure that all the other servants are doing their job."

Harry nodded to show his understanding and melted into the shadows before reforming in the garden in the shade of a large tree. It took about twenty minutes for Harry to pull the correct amount of herbs because he loved doing it by hand. While he hated the Dursleys, they did give him a passion for cooking and gardening. And the herbs tasted better handpicked then gathered with magic or demonic energy anyway.

Harry walked into the manor, waving to Finny as he passed him, and walked toward the kitchen. Harry heard a shattering noise and turned back to the entrance hall to see Mey-Rin drop porcelain tea cups. When one of them created a mess all of them created a mess so Harry hesitantly turned back to look at the gardens and nearly cried. His precious Lilies had been turned into a mass of shriveled brown vines along with the rest of the garden.

Harry closed his eyes and counted. One. Two. Three. BOOOM! Yep there went Baldroy… Everything was in ruins now…


It was just another one of the daily and entertaining occurrences at Phantomhive manor. But this time there was a guest coming and that made Harry groan. If a guest was coming then Sebastian was going to force Harry to clean the place. Ah man…

Harry noticed the three incompetent retainers were huddled together and crying. They most likely feared Sebastian's wrath. Well, he would too if he were a human that messed up the work a demon had to do every day. Sebastian looked as if he were about to bite someone's head off.

Harry glanced around. What could be done with what they had? The yard could be turned into a rock garden like they had in Japan, a lot of the herbs he held were also good in Japanese cuisine, and well the tea set could just be cleaned up and replaced (*cough*magically fixed later*cough*). So Harry decided to suggest his idea to Sebastian in a roundabout way. It was more fun to make Sebastian think because he knew that the older demon didn't travel as much he did~!

"You know, Sebastian, Japan has a wonderful selection of sweets this time of year. You really should go sometime," Harry stated casually.

Baldroy gave him a weird look but Mey-Rin and Finny looked at him as if he were the most angelic presence they had ever been in. Hmph! How ironic an angelic demon… Harry turned his attention back on Sebastian as he was having an epiphany over Tanaka's tea cup and Harry's statement. The butler gently took the Japanese style tea cup from the old man's hands and stated, "We shall make do with this."

Sebastian turned to Harry with a frightening gleam in his eye and said that he was going to be helping. Harry hesitated but nodded anyway. An hour later he knew he was right about that bad feeling he had gotten from Sebastian. Because the demon couldn't use his own demonic energy, he had Harry use his to clean the whole manor. Then he had the younger demon go out and buy everything needed for the rock garden and had Harry and Finny working on it for the rest of the time. Mey-Rin was told to set up the table outside which she did perfectly for once. Lastly, Sebastian used the recipe Harry had slipped him to make a Japanese meal and just in time for the guest to arrive.

"Welcome Mister Chlaus!"

Harry listened half-heartedly as the guest was greeted at the door. Harry always did hate the stifling formality he was forced to have whenever a guest was over. The only reason Harry didn't just disappear when people came over was because Sebastian would chew him out later about being respectful. Sebastian was also the only reason he put up with it because he got to complain to the older demon afterwards. Even the small attachment he had formed to Ciel didn't make him want to suffer through so many formalities. But he did so stoically.

He silently followed Sebastian out to the main gardens which he and Finny had painstakingly transformed into a garden the Emperor would be jealous of. There was a niggling in the back of Harry's mind that was bugging him. His gut was also churning and it was leaving him slightly irritated. Something was going to happen soon, all of his instincts were pointing towards that. The annoying thing was he couldn't figure out what it was going to be; good or bad.

After the Italian had left Harry decided he was going to have a two day vacation. Fasting was just not working. It had been a couple months since he had had one so he informed both Sebastian and Ciel of his decision. They both agreed readily so Harry set off to London to find a quick contract that he could devour.

Harry didn't sleep a wink during his two day hunting spree and devoured as many contracted souls as he could to keep his mind off of whatever was coming. He hoped he wouldn't have to use any of his magical powers. While Ciel knew that he had magic, (after much cajoling on the child's part) Harry also knew the boy would keep his secrets just as he did for him. It would be troublesome for Sebastian to find out why Lucifer wanted him. He was a freak of nature no matter how you looked at it, magic didn't exist in this dimension, and Lucifer wanted him as a consort so he could use Harry's powers to strengthen his position as King in the courts of Hell.

Something in his chest twisted painfully at the thought of Sebastian abandoning him just like all the others in his life had done when they found out what he was. He didn't like disappointing Sebastian in any way and Harry was positive the older demon would despise him because he was a freak. It took a carriage almost running him over to pull him from his gloomier thoughts.

Harry glanced up in the sky and noticed that it was dark. If he walked back to the manor he would be there by mid afternoon and so he decided to do just that. The small raven haired demon focused on meditating during his walk so he wouldn't accidentally walk past the manor. He needed to strengthen his occlumency shields gradually just in case he came upon a demon that was stronger than him. It was doubtful in the human world but then he had met a few of Lucifer's hunters so there you go.


Upon entering the manor doors just before twelve, Harry gaped. Then his stare turned into utter mortification at all the pink and girly decorations. This could only mean one person and Harry was not going to have a run in with her again. Last time he did, he almost killed her and both Ciel and Sebastian had been most displeased.

Harry quickly hopped up onto the chandelier in the entrance hall and just in time it seemed. A small girl in a poufy pink dress came running from one of the lounge rooms. Her curled blonde tresses bobbed as she swung her head side to side looking for whoever had come in. When there was no one to be found, a pout formed on her creamy face and her green eyes grew slightly watery.

"I could have sworn that I heard someone come in. The servants said that Ciel should still be in London so it must have been that really cute boy with the green eyes from before. I never see him anymore," she mumbled to herself.

Harry shuddered knowing she was talking about him. The chandelier creaked in protest at the extra weight and movement so Harry stilled. The young girl looked around a bit more before she dejectedly slipped back into the lounge room where it looked like all the other servants were being forced into frilly and cute clothes. Harry made a noise of disgust right when the door finished closing. He absolutely despised girly colors. The only one that was slightly okay was a nice dark purple.

He liked dark colors with some silver or gold trimming thrown in here or there. He had always secretly like Slytherin colors much more than Gryffindor. Red, the color of blood was beautiful, but the yellow in the Gryffindor colors was much too loud and boisterous for him though he would have never admitted that while he was at Hogwarts. Of course he still hadn't admitted it out loud but still…

It was two hours of hiding before Ciel and Sebastian arrived home. He watched as Sebastian was forced into a pink bonnet and Ciel was hugged over and over by the little evil blonde monstrosity. Harry was, by that time, convulsing in silent mirth which gave away his position to Sebastian.

"Hadrian come down from there and help me set up this ball. Lady Elizabeth is already gone," Sebastian said with a fake smile plastered on his lips.

The small demon shuddered. He was going to get a taste of Sebastian's sadistic side. It wasn't pain that he used, that Harry could easily put up with; oh no he liked to force Harry to clean without his demonic energy. Gardening and cooking were okay and so was cleaning every once in a while when he was in the mood but Harry despised cleaning without a little extra help when he wasn't in the mindset for it. So he decided to play it off as if he was never hiding in the first place as he hopped down to the floor.

"Sebastian you're lucky that I would get in trouble for killing that girl and that I am a nice demon. I doubt I would ever eat her soul and that would just be a waste. She is just horrible with her obsessions though and it disgusts me. And what did I tell you about my first name!"

Sebastian sweatdropped. It was hard to remember that this boy ate souls just like him. Harry acted so human sometimes. The only indication that he was a demon was knowing that he had known the smaller male for hundreds of years, his casual talk about eating souls, and the little vacations that he took off to actually go eat those souls.

"Then I will give you some jobs outside of the manor to accomplish. How does that sound Hadrian?"

Harry grit his teeth at the way Sebastian mockingly said his first name but replied that it was fine. "But I need coffee and I am requesting that you get it for me."

"I know I said anything you want, but do you really need coffee? You get enough sugar from all those sweets I get for you anyway," Sebastian questioned.

"Yes, I need coffee!"


AN: Yay another chapter down! Thank you for all the reviews and I hope that you keep them up~!