Harry's Housekeeping

It was a simple case of mistaken identity, but Harry had always been good at cleaning, so he didn't really mind. OOC, AU, and I've played around a lot with the timelines.

Notes: So I swear my mom sends me paragraphs of heart emojis. Also, Skull has his typical teenager moments.

This story has no pairings.

Thank you for all the kind reviews. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Still open to prompts.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Three

Skull sighed in relief as he shut the pantry door behind him. It was shortly after dinner and the others had retreated either to their rooms or to the common area. No one would think to check here.

It wasn't that he really minded their company. They were an odd bunch, but they were dedicated and passionate and Skull respected that.

They were also insanely curious about all things civilian, which meant that Skull bore the brunt of their scrutiny. And while Skull didn't mind explaining how most people didn't live life fighting for their lives, he was not about to share anything about his Number One Fan. No, no, Harry was far to kind for these people. He'd probably try to feed them or something, and then they'd get addicted to his food, and they'd probably stalk him and - no. No way. There was no way Skull would allow them to corrupt his poor Harry.

Logically, Skull knew that Harry was strong. He had defeated Voldemort, after all. But that had been a long time ago, and when Skull had asked him whether he missed the action, Harry had told him that fighting was not something he ever wanted Skull to have to worry about.

Skull still wasn't completely sure what Harry had meant, but he knew that his godfather would be upset if he knew that Skull had been roped into the Mafia, so he kept silent about it. The less Harry knew, the better.

He pulled out his phone and pressed the first key, smiling slightly as it automatically dialled his favourite number.

"Hello?" Ah, the soothing voice of his Number One Fan.

"Harry!" He greeted cheerfully.

"Skull!" Harry's voice took on a distinctly warmer tone. "I was wondering when you'd call. You used to call me every day." Harry was definitely pouting.

"Ah, I've been busy with work," Skull said apologetically. "I didn't have the chance to call."

"It's okay, Skull, I'm just teasing. I know you're busy. I just want to make sure you're safe."

"Of course I'm safe! It takes more than work to bring down the great Skull-sama!" He declared passionately, not liking the worry he could hear in Harry's voice.

"Take you down? You're not doing anything dangerous, are you?" Harry was probably frowning, and if Skull didn't ease his worry, he'd probably start pacing too.

"Ah, no! No of course not!" He laughed a tad nervously. "Nothing dangerous. Just… tiring, is all."

"Oh, good. I was worried for a moment there," Harry sighed into the phone. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

Skull felt a surge of guilt. "I promise to always be careful, Harry," he said solemnly. He didn't like lying to Harry, but he would do anything to keep his godfather safe. "Besides, I'm pretty durable. Remember that time we ran into the bear?"

Harry groaned. " I think you took ten years off my life," he said. "I got four new white hairs that day."

"It's my job to keep you on your toes," Skull replied cheekily.

"Yes," Harry replied dryly. "You're very good at that."

"So," Skull said, "Are you keeping yourself out of trouble too?" Because Skull was sure that Harry attracted more trouble than Skull did. Most of their - er, adventures - with wild animals had been Harry's fault, after all.

"Of course!" Harry replied almost indignantly. "Work has been keeping me busy too."

"You haven't been working too hard, having you?" Skull asked suspiciously. Harry had a tendency to get carried away when it came to his tasks.

"No, no, I get weekends off, unless I have to travel."

"And how clean is the house?" Asked Skull, well aware of Harry's coping mechanisms.

"Ah, well, quite nice and shiny." Harry was probably fidgeting.

"Mhmm," Skull narrowed his eyes.

"Well, Luna and Rolf have been away for a little while… but they'll be back soon! Any day now, really…"

"Have you at least seen Aunty Hermione and Uncle Ron recently? Or Uncle Neville?"

"Well…"

"So you spend all your time… alone…"

"Well…" Harry repeated nervously.

Skull sighed. "Harry, you need more friends."

Harry sputtered. "I have plenty of friends!"

"Yeah, back in England. You rarely even see them anymore now that Aunty Hermione is pregnant. Come on, Harry, even I have more friends than you do." And he did. He met up with his circus friends almost every weekend, and spent a surprising amount of time with the rest of the Arcobaleno. He had more friends than he'd ever had before in his life.

Harry was grumbling on the other end of the line. "I'll try," he said reluctantly.

Skull beamed. "Great!" And it was. Because Harry didn't really care about most people, so he never really made an effort to get to know them. But Skull was sure that Harry could do a great job if he put his mind to it. It wasn't that Skull didn't understand - he more than understood. They were very much the same in that regard. They were fiercely protective of their friends and family, and did not tend to reach out beyond that circle. Still, Skull was aware that it was not exactly the healthiest way to live for someone in Harry's position. Skull and Luna had agreed a while ago to keep an eye on Harry, since he was rather oblivious to his own wellbeing.

"I'd better go," said Harry. "Work starts so early," he sighed.

"I'll call you again soon." he said, hanging up only after Harry told him just how much he loved his godson in an overly sappy voice that had Skull rolling his eyes. Just because Harry looked young didn't mean he had to act young. Honestly.

He peeked out and, seeing no one, left the pantry. Hearing murmured voices, he wound his way to the common area to find a few of his - coworkers? Fellow mafiosi? - gathered around the fireplace. Verde was reading an overly large text, Fon was drinking tea, and Reborn was chatting with Luce.

Skull's phone pinged and he glanced down. It was a text from Harry. He opened it to see a smiley face and a heart emoticon. Ugh, how embarrassing. Shaking his head he closed his phone just as Reborn looked up. He cursed as the man smirked.

"Talking with Harry again?" The man asked.

Skull scowled, flushing slightly at the innuendo. When he'd refused to tell them anything about Harry, they had all decided to instead come to their own conclusions. Reborn thought that Harry was his secret lover, and had gone to great lengths to publicly reassure him that there was nothing wrong with loving another man. Skull knew that, of course, but just because he was a pretty boy didn't mean that he was gay. To be honest, he hadn't actually fully figured out his sexuality, but - argh! That was beside the point! And now Reborn was leering at him, Verde had yet to look up at him, and Luce was staring at him knowingly.

Skull groaned. At least Lal had just scolded him about security breaches and Fon had recommend foods that would win over any man - or woman's - stomach, and thus their heart.

"It's not like that," he grumbled uselessly, scowling as Luce giggled at his plight. She probably knew, and was enjoying his pain. Damn seers. He'd never actually met one before Luce, but Harry had complained enough about them that he had inherited his godfather's wariness.

"Don't worry, Lackey, I'm sure your dear Harry won't care how weak you are, as long as you're pretty."

Reborn, you ass. Skull wanted to wipe that damn smirk right off his face. Skull widened his eyes as he stared at the hitman. "Reborn-senpai, you… think I'm pretty?"

Reborn froze.

Verde paused mid-page turn.

Luce raised a hand to her lips.

Fon laughed.

Click.

"Ah, Reborn-senpai, I'm sorry, but you're not my type - "

Bang.

Skull ducked with a squeak. Then he ran, a smirk crossing his face as he sped down the hall, using his enhanced speed to dart out of sight. Served Reborn right, the damn bastard.

—

"Good morning, Harry!" Maria greeted cheerfully when he stepped through the doors into the staff room. She grabbed his arm and pulled him down one of the hallways. "It's time for your work evaluation."

Harry blinked. "Evaluation?" He said as he was dragged behind her. "Alright."

Maria sighed. "You're supposed to get nervous," she complained. "That's what everyone else does. Well," she said thoughtfully, "Grumpy Luca just scowls extra hard, but you know." She flapped her free hand absently.

"Oh," Harry said, tilting his head. "Sorry, I'll do better next time."

"Please do," Maria nodded. "Otherwise I feel like I'm failing at my job."

"Your job at intimidating the newbies?"

Maria sniffed. "It's important for them to remember their place. Otherwise they get all hotheaded and end up shooting off their guns in front of civilians like untrained hooligans."

"Ah," Harry nodded understandingly. They risked bringing the Vindice down upon them if they went too far. And that was not any fun for anyone. Harry had yet to meet the Vindice, but he'd heard the rumours, and he'd be happy to stay far, far away from them.

"Marco!" Maria beamed as she entered his office. "Harry gets a top score for punctuality. Not a single day late."

"Oh?" Marco looked up from his desk, then ruffled through a drawer for a folder. He plopped it down and withdrew a sheet. From Harry's spot in front of the desk he could see his photo and information but was not surprised that they kept a file on him. They probably did for everyone. It was a little creepy, but it made sense, really.

Harry sat down in the chair next to Maria and rested his hands in his laps.

Marco began to fill in the sheet. "Very good, very good," he said as he wrote. "Top score for cleaning, too."

Harry tried not to feel too proud.

"Top score for etiquette," Maria added. "Very polite, this one."

Marco nodded seriously, his pen moving impressively fast. "Fitting in well, yes, very good."

"Ah! And good initiative. Offered to take Grumpy Luca's shift when he caught a cold and had to leave early."

Harry shifted slightly, not too sure why they were impressed with that, but felt pleased nonetheless.

"Hmm, yes, overall a good score so far. But…"

Harry frowned slightly. What had he missed?

Maria's expression turning serious. "Yes," she agreed. "Sociability…" She tapped her finger on her thigh. "A fail."

Harry blinked.

Marco nodded.

"Sociability…" Harry said dubiously as he looked between them. "I was not aware that it was a necessary aspect of my job…"

Marco leaned back in his chair, his pen pausing over the paper. "It is," he said. "In fact, it's very important."

Harry frowned. He was polite with his coworkers. He was never rude, and he treated them with respect. He was not sure what else they wanted him to do.

"Harry," Marco put down his pen and clasped his hands in front of him. "When you took this job, you also became part of the Famiglia. We are a Family. We are a unit. Without unity between us, there is no Famiglia."

Family. Harry's eyes widened, and he felt his heart beat just a little stronger.

"You fit in well," Maria said. "There's no friction or tension with others. That's good. But… you don't see yourself as one of us, do you?"

Harry looked away, not too sure why he felt a flash of guilt. He rarely felt guilt these days.

"I know that all of this is new to you. We don't usually hire civilians. Quite the mixup, there." Marco said, a tinge of knowing humour to his voice. They knew, but they had done nothing. They had accepted him anyway. "Which is why you're here now. You're a good worker, Harry. One of the best, really. But for us to be strong, we need every member to be a true part of the Family. It's what makes us successful."

Unity. Family. Harry lowered his eyes. It sounded… nice. But to become part of the Family… that meant that one day they would be gone, and he would be left behind. Alone.

"So," Maria clapped her hands. "We want you to attend the next Family picnic!"

Harry looked up in surprise. He'd avoided all of the previous ones, and hadn't thought that his absence had been noted. Surely they hadn't missed him.

"Just for a bit. Give it a chance." Give us a chance.

Harry found himself nodding before he even realized it. Because he could pretend, but he could not lie to himself. He wanted to be part of the Family. He was just… scared.

"Wonderful!" She passed him his invitation. "You get to bring some dessert. Now, shoo. You're on horse duty this week." She gave him a little wave as he stood and nodded to them both before leaving.

Family. For a moment he felt warm. What a beautiful thought.

—

'Company picnic', Maria had joked every time she reminded him of the upcoming event. He had thought briefly about pretending to be sick, but in the end he had decided to go. Luna had beamed in pride when he told her about it. "I'd been worried about you," she'd told him, hugging him to soften her words. "Hiding yourself away is not healthy."

He couldn't deny her earnest looks. Not to mention the way Skull kept scolding him.

So, Harry packed a basket full of homemade fruit tarts. He secured the cloth over top, activated the preservation charm, and picked it up along with his jacket and helmet. Though he didn't have Sirius' old bike anymore, he couldn't give up riding. It was the closest he could get to a broom among muggles. Besides, he wouldn't be Skull's Number One Fan if he didn't at least have a motorbike to ride.

He arrived at the park only half an hour late, and was relieved to see that he was neither the first, nor the last to arrive.

"Good morning," he greeted politely as he approached Marco and Maria who were idling by the table already laden with food. "I brought tarts." He held the basket out for Maria to take.

She grinned. "Had a feeling you would."

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Wasn't sure you'd come," Marco admitted, offering Harry an empty plate.

Harry rolled his shoulder in a shrug. "My friends are… persuasive."

Marco eyed him skeptically. "You have friends?"

Harry scowled and Maria laughed.

"Oh, these smell delicious," she said as she lifted the cloth from his basket. "And they're still warm." She delighted.

"The basket is insulated," Harry lied. He filled his plate with food and a couple of his own tarts before spreading his blanket under one of the trees. He was soon joined by the other two and, to his surprise, Grumpy Luca.

Half an hour of idle chit-chat later, they were surrounded by most of his fellow staff. Harry leaned back against the base of the tree, nibbling on the first of his two tarts.

He blinked in surprise as Luca held out a fresh cup of tea for him and accepted it with a nod of thanks. Two sugars and a dash of cream. Just the way he liked it. He cocked his head as he studied the scowling man. He hadn't realized that Luca had noticed his habits.

"Oh, the last tart," Maria said, eyeing Harry's plate enviously. "You going to eat that?" She asked with wide, pleading eyes.

"Ah, actually it's for Luca," Harry said apologetically. "He brought me tea, so…"

Maria sighed as she watched Harry hand the plate over to the quiet man. She waited until the plate was placed on the ground before darting forward quickly, hoping to catch Luca off guard.

But Luca was faster. With a light slap, he knocked her hand aside and snatched up the tart, stuffing it into his mouth in one bite, glaring all the while. Maria gaped, mouth dropping at his uncharacteristic motions.

Harry couldn't help it. He laughed. A tension he hadn't realized slowly drained from his shoulders. He didn't notice as they looked at him in slight surprise. He had never laughed in front of them before.

"If I'd known they would disappear so quickly, I would have made more," He smiled.

Maria recovered first. "Next time, then," she said. "You'd better."

Harry blinked then nodded, "I will," he agreed, his smile lingering, finally reaching his eyes.