Heyo! Chapter 4 is finally here! Now I just want to clarify that Ciel had his Incident when he was 9 not 10. So it's been 3 years since then, not two.

Hajime

"Is that even a viable question? Of course I need it!"

Harry was relaxing under the shade of an old willow tree located by the pond that was on the very edge of the estate's grounds. He was quite enjoying just basking in the shade of the tree, ruminating on little pranks he could play around the manor if he got too bored. Unfortunately, his little relaxation time was ruined when the Phantomhive butler came striding over. When Harry did not react to the silently waiting demon, Sebastian calmly kicked him in the head.

"Ow! What in the nine hells did you do that for!?" Harry grasped his aching cranium to try to stop the pain.

"You weren't answering me, Hadrian."

"You didn't say anything! And my name is Harry," he protested.

"Yes well the young master needs a dance partner and he complains that I am too tall." Sebastian gave an annoyed glance to the heavens before turning his attention back on Harry. There was a sinister gleam in those red orbs that Harry really didn't like. So he rose to his feet defensively and started slowly backing away. The butler's gloved hand shot out to grasp Harry's well-worn gardening shirt.

"You, Hadrian, are going to go into the manor, change, and then teach the young master to dance," Sebastian commanded.

Harry tried to pry the other demon off but his grip was unrelenting. So with a resigned sigh he agreed.

"Is this even a job that a servant would do? Wouldn't that be a tutor," he grumbled mutinously. Once Harry was already far enough away from the older demon that he deemed it safe, the green eyed demon turned back and impishly yelled, "You owe me treacle tarts later for this!" The he turned tail and ran as fast as he could, as a mortal, into the giant manor.

Harry pulled on the black tailored suit that Ciel had commissioned for him -that he never actually wore- and brushed his hair out of his eyes but it just fell right back in place. Annoyed, Harry tried to figure out a way to get his, admittedly, too long hair out of his face. Maybe it was enough to put back into a ponytail?

So Harry experimentally conjured a black ribbon that matched his hair color almost exactly and pulled his unruly strands back into a high ponytail. Once the ribbon was in a tight knot that he knew wouldn't come undone, he observed himself in the mirror. With his hair pulled back he looked almost… ridiculous. The lower portion of his hair still sat on his neck while the rest was pulled back into a high tail. If Harry were to be honest, though, he sort of liked it. He would have to use it more often, especially when he was working around the manor so he could keep his stupid -precious reminder of his father- hair out of his face.

Harry was satisfied with his cleanly appearance and so he set out to where he could sense Ciel through the tracking spells he had put on the boy's ring. Reaching the private study, he took a minute to look over the clearly agitated boy and the smirking Sebastian. He briefly wondered what he missed before he pushed the thought away and focused on the task at hand. Training Ciel to dance.

"Well, Sebastian wants me to be your instructor for lessons on the Waltz."

Harry hated to acknowledge the fact that he was small (especially next to Sebastian the damned giant) but taking Ciel as his dance partner he could clearly see the difference. The little lord was almost thirteen and he was only about five inches smaller than Harry's 5'5" (165 cm or 1.65m). Stupid Dursleys and their stupid malnutrition and abuse…

"Right. Now, I know I'm a bit taller but sometimes there are females who will be as well. So I'll be teaching you how to lead. So put your hands like this," Harry stated, tugging on Ciel's hand.

Harry pulled Ciel's right hand onto his waist and grabbed his left to straighten it out to the side.

"Now this is the position you will always use unless for some reason you are following." Harry looked at Ciel for a moment and quietly snickered at the thought of the small boy being a girl. Oh how different life would have been! Ciel glared at him more than likely getting a slight inkling about what he was thinking about.

"Once the music starts playing you begin with your left foot." Ciel stepped on him and Harry got aching toes for his efforts.

He tried to keep going though, and said, "Next is the natural turn." That went a lot more gracefully but Harry was almost pulled over when Ciel tripped on his own shoe.

"Slide your foot forward." Then Harry got a wonderful kick to the shin. Lovely.

Sebastian, who was silently smirking off to the side, finally stepped forward. Master and servant stared at each other before the demon butler decided to speak up.

"Your dancing ability leaves much to be desired. How very catastrophic, young master."

"Shut up!"

"Listen, young master." Sebastian strode over and replaced a sour looking Harry. "It is said that 'social dancing begins and ends with the waltz'. You must dance formally and with elegance. In any case… you must first address your gloomy demeanor, sir. You do not wish to be rude to the lady. Alright now give us a joyful smile."

Sebastian tugged at Ciel's cheeks trying to make a smile form but nothing was forthcoming. Instead Ciel smacked his butler's hands away and shakily informed the occupants of the room that he had long since forgotten to smile joyfully. Harry supposed it was true. He hadn't seen the little lord smile truly happily the past two and a half years that he had known him. Sure there had smirks and some rueful and bitter smiles but nothing that constituted enjoyment of any sort.

"Well," Harry said breaking the awkward silence, "You still haven't learned the waltz. Back to the lessons!"

Harry quickly got the kid into his position and had Sebastian start the music. And so the lessons continued for an hour with Harry always correcting Ciel when he did something wrong.

"Move your hand a little higher, Little Lord. Wouldn't want the lady to think you were some kind of pervert would you?"

"Now now don't be so shy! Women love a bold man."

"Oh dear I think there is such a thing as too bold, Little Lord."

"Hm. I wonder if you'll just stand off to the side to have your cheeks pinched instead of dancing at the rate you're learning."

Comments like these were made throughout the whole lesson and at the end Ciel finally cracked.

"Don't make me throw you out of this manor!"

Harry's eyes darkened playfully. "Ah but I do believe that it would be me throwing you out of the manor, little lord. I have many doubts as to whether you could even lift me off the floor."

Sebastian just chuckled in the background. He had seen Hadrian poke and break the little Lord before and it was as amusing as ever. The Phantomhive butler didn't know when the two had grown such an interesting relationship but the first time he had caught them he had been so surprised that he couldn't say anything as spirited barbs were thrown back and forth. Well, dear Hadrian was quite good at needling when he wanted.

"Now that the lessons are over I think the little lord should be getting on the costume that the monst-that Lady Elizabeth gave to him."

Sebastian refocused on the scene in front of him and gave Harry permission to leave with a nod. The younger demon did so and Sebastian was left alone with his charge. Ciel frowned for a moment before he too left and Sebastian followed placidly.

Harry made his way out to the great hall slowly. He really didn't want to stay for the dance but Finny had caught him before he had reached Ciel's study and had asked him to attend. Now normally he was immune to the puppy dog stare but for whatever the reason, whenever Finny did it, he couldn't resist.

Well, he had said yes and Finny had managed to make him promise to stay so he was stuck at the stupid ball with everyone else. Thankfully, there were still some chores that needed to be finished so Harry could do those while he waited instead of having to put up with the cute-obsessed fiend.

It took thirty minutes to finish hooking up some broken pipes in the kitchen without magic. Now he was done and stuck with nothing to do except going to the stupid ball. Great. Harry made his way down the hall bumping into Ciel as he went. He joined Sebastian behind the little lord and solemnly marched to his eminent doom. Oh how he hoped that the girl was too preoccupied with Ciel to notice him.

Luck was on his side for once because she completely disregarded his presence instead, giggling over how cute Ciel looked in the outfit she bought. She stopped spinning her now dizzy fiancé and stared at his thumb with a small frown marring her otherwise doll-like features. Harry frowned too. Now what was the monster going to complain about?

"Ciel where is the ring I got you? The cute one that matched your clothes?"

Harry shifted into the shadows at the absolutely terrifying look on her face. Well it wasn't that terrifying for the small demon but he was backing up just in case she had a tantrum. And lo and behold, she did, right after Ciel stated his ring was just fine.

"I think not! I've made you all cute! But that ring isn't cute at all!"

Harry could swear the girl had fangs the way her face contorted into a mask of pure (fake) evil. Then she had a complete mood change and started bawling right then and there. Bipolar much?

"You don't want to wear the one I bought, Ciel," she sobbed. "You're so meeeeaaaaaaan!"

Ciel looked exasperated. He held up his hand with the Blue Diamond ring on it and tried to explain. "That's not it. You see this ring-"

Elizabeth snatched the ring with a triumphant look on her face but Harry could only focus on Ciel. If the small demon was feeling anything it would have to be worry. Worry for the child that had managed to worm his way into his frozen heart. The little lord looked as if the whole world had just come crashing down around him. And for a moment the miserable blue eyes pulled at Harry's heart strings before Ciel's expression turned murderous. He hadn't looked like that since the last time he'd come to him after a night terror.

"See this ring is much too big for you. The one I got is just the right-"

"Give it back this instant…Elizabeth!"

"Why are you so angry? I… was just…" But Ciel gave her no leeway and his glare only deepened.

"What is it," the blonde child yelled. "I was only trying to make you look cute! So how come you're so angry!? You're mean! I hate this ring!"

The shattering of the precious Phantomhive family ring was the only thing that could be heard in the ballroom. Harry winced as the spells he had tied to it severed their connection once the Blue Diamond exploded on hard floor. He was going to have to fix it and put protective spells on it now. Harry almost completely missed the raising of Ciel's hand; he was so absorbed in his dismay at having to use magic again near the Sebastian. He went to intervene before the little lord could hit his fiancé but thankfully the butler got there first. Sebastian gently pushed Ciel's new walking stick into his master's raised hand and stepped away now that the crisis was averted.

As Ciel stared at the broken ring Sebastian turned to the brat of a lady and explained why Ciel had such a reaction. "Excuse us, Miss Elizabeth." He bowed in apology and Harry was disgusted. "It is the one ring in the world that is handed down to each head of the Phantomhive family. Please forgive my master's discourtesy."

The blonde haired girl looked regretful and her eyes welled up with tears.

"It was… such a precious ring… and I… Oh, Ciel. I'm-"

But Ciel only walked to the open window that was letting in cool night breeze and chucked the damaged ring out outside. Harry groaned in dismay. Not only was he going to have to fix it and put tracking and protection spells on it, he was going to have to find it outside at night. He loved hard work. Truly. He did…

"Ciel! How could you?" Elizabeth yelled in horror staring out of the window trying to see where the ring had landed.

"I don't care. It's… just an old ring. I Ciel Phantomhive am head of the Phantomhive family."

Harry stopped sneaking toward the exit and looked at Ciel with surprise. Well he had certainly matured… But Harry knew he would need the ring. It was just another instinctive feeling. So he slipped completely into the shadows and stepped outside of the mansion.

He briefly looked around and saw that the window the ring had been so carelessly tossed out of was the only window that led really deep into the forest that was on the estate. Well now if that wasn't his old bad luck kicking in… But Harry wasn't going to give up so he pushed up his sleeves, his clothes melting into his normal gardener outfit he used outdoors, and walked into the shadows of the forest. Normally he would use his demonic senses to find the ring but for some reason, many precious jewels in the human realms resisted demonic influences and Blue Hope Diamonds specifically were almost completely immune. That was why precious jewels were such a commodity in Hell as well.

Harry could try to use his magic but Blue Diamonds were the only jewels in this realm that were completely magic resistant when you didn't cast it a certain way. Which made his entire day just that much better. The only magic the ring actually accepted was when it came directly from the core and when there was skin to stone contact, which basically meant wandless magic while he was touching it. You know, now that he was really thinking about it he wished he could murder the blonde child.

Sebastian was pulled aside in the hallway on his way to put the master to bed by a disheveled looking Hadrian. There were twigs and leaves in his hair and his working clothes looked completely rumpled and filthy. They would definitely need a wash later… But there was a look of smug satisfaction upon the man's face. He held up his clenched fist and slowly uncurled his fingers to reveal the Phantomhive ring.

Sebastian stared down in surprise before he looked back up at Harry with gratitude. The butler knew how troublesome Blue Diamonds were and to find out that his little demon had gone and found it. Not only found it but put it back together. That was a hard accomplishment to achieve. He was proud of him. He blinked. Hm, he'd never really been proud of anyone other than himself before. Shaking the unusual thought from his head, Sebastian carefully took the ring and turned back to his earlier task.

When he knew Hadrian wouldn't see, he let a small frown appear. There was a strange energy on the ring that wasn't at all demonic. So if Hadrian hadn't used any demonic energy to glue the ring back together, what had he done?

Harry hummed as he killed another mouse before tossing it out into garden where a couple of strays pounced on it like they had been doing for the last hour. The small demon didn't really mind the infestation but they kept chewing through wires and knocking out the electricity. He'd had to fix over twenty wires in the last two days and now he was having Baldroy do it. The soldier had, surprisingly, studied to be an electrician before he was drafted into the war in America.

So Harry had made a deal with the servants. Whoever killed the most mice while Baldroy was fixing cables would be treated to one of Harry's special dinners and one of Sebastian's delicious desserts. Baldroy could still compete if he wanted but Harry knew he was going to win and he was going to share just a little of his dessert with the annoying chef only because he had helped with the cables.

The half demon had easily gotten Ciel to agree because the little lord had wanted the mice gone but Sebastian turned out to be a little harder. He would only agree if Harry sustained from sweets for a month after the dessert was eaten even when he won. Harry wanted to yell 'deal off!' but he had made an agreement with the other three residents of the manor and he kept his promises. So he steeled himself and agreed, making another deal. He really had to stop doing that… Minor deals tended to pile up.

Harry stopped in the hallway when he felt a mental tug. Sebastian was calling him? And in such a way too… He slipped off the garden gloves he had worn to keep the blood and stench off his hands and banished them to his room while heading to the guest room where Ciel and his guests where located at the moment. He gave a nod to Finny and Mey-Rin as he passed them and Baldroy, who was fixing a cable in the roof, in the hallway.

He knocked politely on the door and waited for Sebastian to open it. It opened slightly and Harry slipped in, barely touching the door before he closed it. The occupants of the room glanced up to see what had disturbed them and, seeing it was only a servant, went back to what they were doing. Ciel gave a nod of acknowledgement before he also turned back to the conversation.

"What reason did you feel the need to mentally contact me when you know I don't like it," Harry asked agitatedly in a low voice. Oops. He was still really disquieted about that gut feeling that just wasn't going away. He didn't mean to snap like that.

Sebastian gave a brief frown before replying, "The young master wants me to attend to other things but he requested that you stay in here while I go fix the mice problem."

Harry frowned as well. Why would the little lord want one of his servants in a room full of his business associates? He stayed though as Sebastian quietly slipped out without anyone noticing. Harry really didn't care about the conversation going on. Their doublespeak was so easy and basic it was almost insulting his demonic sensibilities. He only stood at attention when one of the older guests approached the door. Randall something or other…

Harry held the door open politely, his head bowed, and the man gave him a brief nod before leaving. Harry remained as the rest of the guests rose as well and started filing out slowly. Ugh he hated bowing to anyone…

Ciel gave Harry a wave that indicated he should close the door so he did. His patience was rewarded when Ciel announced his suspicions of the man named Azzuro Vanel.

"What do you want me to do about it, Little Lord," Harry asked trying to smooth his features with a placid mask.

"I have a feeling that something is going to happen today and I want you stay close to me. I want you to play like a normal human being for now. I know you don't like it," he said seeing Harry's indignant face, "but it will help with getting rid of the mice infestation."

Harry wasn't really sure he wanted to act like a human to deal with backstabbing contacts but Ciel didn't often ask for him to do stuff and the way the boy was looking at him. Damn those little flames. Then a thought occurred to him…

"Why not have Sebastian do this?"

"He does not suit the role that I think you will have to play."

Well that just made his agreeing seem like a worse idea than before. Harry hated playing the damsel in distress. He could rescue himself thank you very much. It would be so much easier to deal with Vanel by murdering him too. There was no need to flush him out first. Damn Ciel and his little schemes.

Ciel had ordered Sebastian to prepare all the preparations for the party that would be hosted tonight. The smaller demon had to snicker when the butler chewed out the servants again and then caught some fleeing mice when the other three were clearly unsuccessful at doing so. Sebastian gave him a look but Harry just shrugged with a smirk on his lips and turned to follow after the little lord to his office.

There was the stinging smell of chloroform as the he neared the study and as Harry pushed open the slightly ajar door he was treated to the sight of Ciel passing out in a truly ugly thug's arms. Harry clenched his teeth as the irritation spiked again but he held still and allowed the metal bat to connect to his head with a meaty thwack.

The man smiled as he watched the servant go down with a blow to the back of his head. He glanced down at the hostage they were supposed to be taking for the Ferro family. Ciel Phantomhive. Then he glanced back down at the unconscious servant and then at his partner who just shrugged at him. He thought a moment before he gestured to take the small black haired boy with them. If anything he would be a good sell on the slave market and they had an extra hostage for the ransom.

AN: And, yes, there is a reason Ciel asks Harry to come along.

Drop a review? They definitely help with motivation :)