The Japanese kid would be a good Don.
He knew it even before they fought.
He knew by the way his Guardians looked at him.
He may have been scared and rather pathetic then but as he knew how place was as heir and he had grown. Tsunayoshi had matured and when the time came Xanxus knew he would love the Famiglia as his own.
….
The Varia was coerced into attending the Inheritance Ceremony for the second time. Coerced because they went to the first one of their own volition and Xanxus didn't want be forced into a suit for another one when the first one still counted in his mind.
Tsunayoshi had already been accepted by the Sky ring so the entire ceremony was all for show.
It wasn't too much of a waste of time.
The Famiglia was his life - both the main Family and his Varia.
He would suffer through the fanfare if it meant the Famiglia would live another day.
….
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Squalo's hand twitch.
A tell very few could recognize for what it was.
Intruders.
Squalo had turned his body slightly to block him from the windows.
He swore that if anyone interrupted the ceremony he would shoot on sight. He absolutely did not want to do this again.
Not a chance.
….
Fortunately, whoever was lurking had the decency to wait until afterwards to show themselves.
It was unheard of that anyone would attack while the inner circle of Varia was present.
A man in robes instantly appeared behind him and grabbed his arm urgently pulling him back into the hallway.
Xanxus jammed his gun into the man's chest.
"Harry," he hissed. "It's me."
"Black? Why are you here?" he kept his voice low though he knew his people were watching from all corners of the room.
"You need to get out of here-"
"No, you need to get out of here. You said you would arrive in a more acceptable manner, did you not?"
"That's not the point!" Black frowned ," That's not the point. You really need to get out of here. They're coming for you. We couldn't stop them."
Several cracks echoed around them and he knew those visiting for the event would appear at the supposed sound of gunshots.
The last thing he saw was Squalo sprinting towards him before his world dissolved in a swirl of color.
….
Sirius would freely admit that the past several months had been a series of mistakes.
They shouldn't have gone after Harry without a plan and they most definitely shouldn't have allowed the Order to find his location.
And now, several of their allies were undergoing serious medical treatment because they snuck up on his godson – ex-godson.
If they had waited and actually spoke to him, their allies wouldn't be in critical condition.
If they had actually bothered to listen instead of snatching him of all things six order members wouldn't have been shot.
Harry shot them.
If he hadn't already been so disillusioned he would have cried.
Only three had been injured on their collection of him and the others had been a consequence of their arrival at headquarters – his weapons had since been confiscated.
And now, Harry was magically bound to a chair scowling at everyone present after being silenced once he had begun to continuously harass everyone around him.
The whole situation was a mistake.
….
Those scum, those trash, those fools.
He had never been so angry in his life.
Never.
Nothing compared to the ferocity of the pure wrath coursing through his veins.
They took him.
He let them take him.
Then, they took his guns.
He had ¾ of a mind to burn them to the ground.
The other ¼ was curious.
...
Sirius watched as Hermione flitted around near the entrance of the room Harry was being held in obviously wanting to speak.
She had been one of the few to openly object to their plan.
It probably stemmed from the fact that she regretted ever stepping foot in the Wizarding World.
Moony was in the basement preparing for the full moon it was only eight but with as stressful as
Sirius pulled out his wand and Xanxus's eyes narrowed in suspicion, even when he canceled the silencing charm.
"The fuck do you want, Trash?"
"Harry-"
Xanxus glared and Kingsley promptly shut his mouth.
"Let's get some things clear, trash.
"One: the name is Xanxus
"And two: if you don't answer my questions, I will burn you to the ground."
….
Hermione felt terrible about the entire situation.
Harry hadn't been a part of the Wizarding World for over a decade.
He wasn't one of them and there was no reason why he should be forced to fight their battles.
Battles they had already lost.
Looking at the man before her, she realized there was no way they could force him to do anything against his will.
She wasn't surprised that this Harry – no – that Xanxus was different than the Harry she knew.
He was, in fact, a grown man and Merlin knows what kind of life he had been leading – by the scars on his face she assumed it hadn't been a peaceful one.
Why no one else understood that she hadn't the faintest.
She had done her best alongside Sirius and Remus to slow the Order in their search but it seemed inevitable that they would find him.
She was under no illusion that they wouldn't take him and she wasn't blind enough to ask him to fight a war they lost years ago.
She felt the power dripping from his words as he spoke and she wondered why he bothered to listen to them at all.
….
Molly gasped when she entered the room and he wanted to bash his head against the wall.
"Are you alright, dear?
"Why is he tied up?"
No one answered and she banished the ropes.
Everyone moved forward at once but Xanxus stayed seated.
"First question: Who the fuck are you?" He glared at the matronly woman – something that hadn't changed through the war.
"Harry-" she tried.
"Wrong. Strike one. Who are you?" he leaned back in the chair he had been tied to with a casualness of a man self-assured enough to recognize when he was in control.
….
Xanxus subtly surveyed the room.
There was a woman about his age standing in the door way, a bald man to his right, and Black against the wall to his left.
The woman attempting to fuss over him was revolting.
He recognized that she probably meant well but, hell, only Lussuria was allowed to talk to him like that.
"Answer the question."
The woman at the door stepped forward.
"We are The Order of the Phoenix.
"The organization was started by Albus Dumbledore during the first war and reconvened during the onset of Voldemort's return."
He noted which individuals flinched at the name.
"Since you're here, the war is still being fought."
The woman shook her head.
"It could have been prevented, but the second war only lasted two years before it was lost.
"Since then, we have become a major steeple of the underground rebellion.
"We heal the wounded and home children who have been misplaced.
"In the beginning we raided Death Eater bases and had spies within the Ministry but then people grew fearful. A raider group was caught and their families were murdered and they were imprisoned.
"The movement still has small groups that have taken over the fighting, but we have become less of a militia and more of a rehabilitation center."
He mulled over her words and the passion in her eyes – she was a strong Cloud.
"You said the loss could have been prevented. Explain."
"Ever since the first war, Dumbledore advocated for defeating the Dark Lord through peaceful means." She scoffed.
"While our enemy was using the Torture Curse and Entrails Spells, we have been stuck using Binding Hexes and Stunners." She spat the last word with such distain he was impressed.
"Hermione, dear. If we had fought like they fight we would have been no better than them." The matronly lady soothed.
"I would rather be like them now than have lost the war." She growled. He decided then and there that he would take her with him when he blew the joint.
The woman looked appalled by her words and he spoke before he was stuck listening to something tedious.
"So, why am I here?"
With a set jaw and clenched fists the Cloud spoke.
"They want you to win the war."
…
The laugh that exploded from Xanxus was entirely incredulous.
Xanxus then smirked at her and asked the one thing no one was expecting:
"How much?"
Unlike the others, she wasn't taken aback at the seemingly outrageous question.
Unlike their world, the Muggle World wasn't in a state of chaos – not all of it at least.
They had taken him from an apparently sophisticated event – if his clothes were anything to go by – but he was armed.
And she wasn't naïve enough to believe the only weapons on him were those guns.
The rest of the room was entirely bewildered.
"You're telling me," Xanxus laughed, "that you expected me to kill someone for free ?"
The last word was spat with more incredulity then she thought was possible.
No one spoke despite – or maybe in spite of – their gaping mouths.
….
Xanxus stood quickly, nearly knocking over the chair.
"Ragazza, where are my guns?" he questioned the Cloud and ignoring the wands pointed at his person.
The girl disappeared through a side entrance.
"Now," he addressed the room, "I am going to walk out that door and I'm taking the girl with me."
"Just a minute, why don't you just sit back down and I'm sure we can work something out-"
"Do I get a say in this?" The cloud nearly drawled. She stood in the doorway with his guns in her hands.
"No." He stalked across the room, retrieving his weapons, and motioned for the Cloud to follow.
He turned at a shout to see a red beam of magic hurtling towards him but before he could react, the Cloud practically growled as she threw up a shield and began shooting spells.
In that moment, she reminded him of the kid's Cloud, the one who wanted to bite everyone. That kid was an animal, totally feral. If he had any subtly, he would have been Varia quality.
Xanxus cocked a gun, "Push me, and I will burn you where you stand."
….
So, Hermione usually prided herself for keeping her head in tense situations, but when that stunner was cast at the very man they wanted to save them.
It was cowardly.
It was despicable.
It was unforgiveable.
She couldn't remember what transpired, but the next thing she knew she was being directed into a car with heavily tented windows.
With half a mind, she slid across the backseat and allowed for Xanxus to join her.
"With no due respect, boss," a silver haired man turned in the driver's seat to face them, "what the ever loving fuck."
The scarred man just shrugged, "She was being wasted."
She looked around the inside of the vehicle – it had been years since she has last had contact with the real world.
"-do you even know her name?"
She blinked and turned her gaze to the man next to her.
Did he remember her name?
It had been over ten years after all.
The long-haired man sighed and rubbed his eyes, "What's your name, girl."
She blinked at him with furrowed brows and a foggy mind.
"Did you harmonize with her?"
She was terribly confused as Xanxus looked her over.
"You were like this too," he gave by way of an answer.
The man sighed again, "Again, what the fuck, boss."
She watched the stranger look at Xanxus and the man nod before he turned around and started driving.
"I'm glad you're alright… shitty boss."
….
After the Cloud had managed to harmonize, she had practically shut down.
It had happened – to some extent – to his other guardians and Brow Nei had determined that it was their bodies going to shock after merging with his corrupt flames.
However, the only other guardian to be that strongly affected was Squalo when they were fourteen.
He wasn't actually concerned.
Xanxus had led the Cloud out of the house and several blocks away before he deemed them safe and pulled out his phone.
"We need a lift," he spoke before the other end had a chance.
"The shark is near your location," responded the nasally voice of the not-baby.
"Charge my account," he abruptly ended the call without waiting for a response.
"Come on, ragazza. It's time to move."
….
Squalo was more pissed than he was worried. Well, not really. His worried and pissed levels were about 50:50.
The boss had been snatched – which was ridiculous in its own right – but it had happened under the watch of some of the most powerful people in the world.
God knows what Timoteo was thinking, but the kid was furious. He truly considered Xanxus family and not just Familgia.
He had taken charge of the situation and was doing his best to maintain peace before fingers started to be pointed.
Initially, the Varia had been out for blood – and still was – but you couldn't kill an unknown enemy. So, using his authority as second in command, he banished them to headquarters.
Afterwards, he accosted Mammon and obtained the boss' location.
He was however, surprised to see he had picked up a stray.
A stray who had harmonized with his Sky almost as strongly as he had.
It wasn't so much a cause of concern as it was a matter of intrigue.
Regardless, Xanxus was adamant in her being Varia quality and he found himself believing it as fact – even as she was in shock from the harmonization.
The Cloud – whatever the hell her name was – wasn't going anywhere.
And maybe that wouldn't be so bad.
….
Honestly, Hermione had no idea where she was going or what was actually going on.
At some point she had been ushered out of the car and into what she vaguely recognized as a private jet.
The long haired man had said something to the pilot before handing Xanxus a bottle of something that was most definitely alcoholic.
It had taken a while, but her head eventually started to clear and she realized she had been totally impulsive.
She attacked the Order!
Sure she had harbored the desire for years but…
They were supposed to be allies!
She was conflicted, on one hand she was mortified that she lost control but on the other hand she was surprisingly proud at her ability to protect Xanxus.
"Your head should be clearing up by now."
The long haired man gracefully sat across from her and crossed his legs.
She pushed herself off of where she had been leaning against the wall and met his gaze head on.
"Since the boss is shit at explaining anything, I'll give you the run down."
He continued talking without waiting for a response.
"In our world there are powers beyond what your world understands.
"We call these powers flames and there are seven basic types.
"Sun, Rain, Mist, Storm, Lightening, Cloud, and Sky."
She opened her mouth but he continued before she could speak.
"Pure Skies have the property of harmonization.
"In most circumstances this causes the individual to be showered with attention positive or negative.
"And as soon as we step off this damn plane, this will become your life."
….
The woman was taking his explanation surprisingly well – but maybe being magical helped with that?
The opposite was definitely true.
As soon as he finished speaking, he watched her narrow her eyes and ask the one thing that everyone asked first.
"What does any of this have to do with me?"
He gave a toothy grin, "There are two types of flames: active and inactive.
"Individuals with inactive flames can awaken them through accessing their Dying Will.
"This usually occurs when they are placed in a life threatening situation – be it intentional or not."
The woman glared at him.
Obviously wanting him to get to the point.
He just chuckled.
"Skies, in general, naturally bond with six people, six guardians, of different flame type this being what we refer to as harmonization.
"Harmonization can occur partially or totally depending on the situation.
"Now, if you are who I think you are, than it is likely that a partial bond was formed before either of you were flame active.
He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward.
"You want to know what any of this has to do with you.
"You, Hermione Granger, have formed a complete guardian bond with the boss.
"And after some training," he looked her over, "you will be able to take over as Varia's Cloud Officer."
….
Merlin, Hermione had so many questions.
She was a Cloud.
What did that entail?
She was bonded to Xanxus?
Who else had he bonded with?
But the first question to come out of her mouth was.
"How do you know my name?"
The man just scoffed and crossed his arms.
Only his left hand was gloved.
"I fucking listen," he snapped.
"To wh-"
A heavy hand landed on the back of the seat next to her instantly cutting her off.
"OI, shitty shark, how long till we land," Xanxus somehow manage to sprawl dignifiedly in the chair next to the long haired man.
"You have legs, shitty boss."
Xanxus just grunted and looked right at her.
"You doin' alright?"
She looked back and forth between the men, incredulous.
"How could you talk to each other like that?! Aren't you friends?!"
Xanxus snorted a laugh, "We haven't been friends since for fucking ever."
….
He watched the girl, Hermione – Squalo figured it out and he sort of remembered her – put two and two together.
It was slightly amusing.
The only one they had ever told was Lussaria and the baby certainly knew. Levi had walked in once – he stopped trying to get into his rooms after that – and Primo only knows what the brat knew.
Regardless, it was slightly uncomfortable being scrutinized by a Cloud's intensity and especially by someone so strongly bonded to him.
Oddly enough, he found himself caring what she thought about him – it was disconcerting.
He coughed lightly into his fist, stopping her survey of his right-hand.
"If we ever fucking land," he ignored Squalo rolling his eyes, "It's going to be a shit storm.
"When your people showed up we were in the middle of an event.
"Both my men and the kid's kids will be demanding an explanation.
"So, stick close and keep your mouth shut until we make it to HQ."
"Actually, we will be landing at the airfield near HQ," Squalo interjected.
"Figured it would be better than parading her through the Main House."
"Knew there was a reason I kept you around."
"I'm sorry but, headquarters for what?"
"It's our base," he gave a non-answer.
"And who are you?" The woman practically growled. She was obviously pissed and he was loving every moment.
He smirked wickedly, "Varia."
