Field Trip: Vongola
Marauder Farm...
It was a homey place with the house being a Chalet-style with fencing around the house, most likely to keep animals out of the family garden. Behind it not far from the house, were numerous barns and coops with good reason. They owned a huge flock to satisfy their clientele.
After learning that the family went to Hogwarts to subtly help Neville with a dangerous problem in school but will be back as soon as possible due to Reines' schedule, Sirius toured his wife around the house and facilities.
The house is big enough for four people...Sirius himself, Lily and her daughter Reines, and Remus Lupin. There's a Living Room with a Fireplace and anything to entertain themselves with, complete with photos of people(mostly many photos of the three marauders, Lily, Reines and Neville) a big bathroom with a shower and a bathtub with the toilet separate in another room with a faucet, a kitchen, laundry area and not far from the house, is a manure pit where they also dump food leftovers to sell as fertilizer to farmers. The bedrooms are all upstairs.
The barns where the cattle are, are spotlessly clean with no smell at all! The cows and bulls are all super-tame and friendly, and loving luxurious comfort.
Well, they all lived luxurious lives because they'll be killed for meat later.
Might as well give them a happy life before their short lifespan ends.
'Sirius, what do you think the cows feel when they just live to be killed?' Aphelandra asked her husband as they went to see the Milk and Cheese Factory.
'We're sad too because we raised them only to kill them in the end. From baby calves to adulthood.' said Sirius with a sad smile. 'When its time for butcher time, we tell them, 'you did a good job and your life is worth it' and then one good AK as its painless that way. We don't want our cattle to cry in pain with a meat cleaver so we use the Killing Curse instead. More humane that way and a peaceful, painless death. Same goes for our chickens. We AK them first before we slit their throats to prepare them for market to become the next fried or roast chicken.'
'Oh...'
'During grazing, its usually the kids who graze them and clean the house since we adults handle the harder jobs. But since Reines goes to school and Neville went back to his family, she grazes them on weekends and a weekly housecleaning. Lily handles the Chickens and the Milking, the whole Cow-Loving Package, we boys do. And any idea what a bitch it is to call two teams of ten of Vets to check our cows and chickens?' he snorted. 'We pay them a fortune each and that's every month!' he shuddered. 'Of course we have to magic the muggles just to make sure they do their utmost best with the health care and not swindle us off while pretending they worked. Beauty of Compulsion. I suppose in the meantime, I gotta go to our office to see what happened while I was out. Wanna come so you'd know what our jobs is like other than caring for thousands of 'cash pets'?'
'Well hopefully being a butchery and egg business is more than just that.' said his wife wryly as they went to the house.
Hours later, the rest of the family returned home by dinner time.
'Welcome back guys!' Sirius greeted as he welcomed them with a big dinner.
Unlike what most would believe, Sirius can cook.
Lily had basically nagged the men to learn how to cook as what happens if she suddenly fell sick to cook? Reines can only bake due to her young age(at the time) so she strong-willed them into learning how to cook. And by learning how, their Potions skills got better.
And when Reines turned 12, she started learning how to cook.
'Well, its a long story Padfoot.' said Remus. 'I hope you and your wife are all ears!' he said with a grin.
xxx
On the other hand, Aphelandra observed the newcomers.
Lady Lily Potter, Muggleborn wife of Pureblood James Fleamont Potter is a pretty attractive woman who somehow retained her youth...Sirius blatantly admitted that the stress of the magical civil war in Britain aged them through fear and paranoia-induced stress that made them age into looking older than they should. So after a healthy diet and 'vanity potions', they all regained their youthfulness and their hair color. She's a fiery redhead with vivid green eyes, shapely thin angular eyebrows, high cheekbones and a straight nose on her oval-shaped face. She also has rosy-red thin lips.
Her daughter Lady Reines Potter, a Half-blood through her parents...DID NOT look like her parents one bit! Sirius said it once caused a funny controversy between James and Lily's parents...when in fact, the Evans' through the mother is of Italian Descent with Lily's father being British. Combined with the fact that she resembled an ancestor bar the vivid green eyes of the maternal grandfather, she's blonde and a beautiful girl Aphelandra knew would cause a case of more than a couple boys fighting over her. She is also the youngest in history to be given Order of Merlin Second Class for her restoration of the Longbottoms, and aiding St. Mungo's in their personal project, the Reines Charm they named in honor of her as they wanted to replicate the spell...as a just incase. Second Class is because St. Mungo's initiated the creation of the spell, not her. Otherwise she'd be a First Class had she been the one who intended to create it.
Its an incredibly complex charm as even Reines herself had trouble teaching the Healers that OWL and NEWT standards to apply for Healer changed...an O in both written and practicals in Charms! Of course, the girl wasn't there to get her award. Her mother went to get it for her as Lily didn't want anyone in Britain to see her daughter's face and paint a target on her back. Only the Longbottoms and the Healers who have sworn oaths know her face in Britain. She is also a multi-lingual, accomplished student in her muggle school, and soon to graduate. Her grades are out of bullheaded hard work as the girl expects the best of herself, fearing the 'dumb blonde' labeling that's gotten infamous lately in school and she's anything but dumb.
Her husband is very proud of his goddaughter, bragging over his first night at her home that it effectively set standards to the younger Brilharts who have yet to graduate and made her an ideal bride catch. However, the young lady has three overprotective adults. A Werewolf, a hot-tempered Charms Master who, with her husband defied a Dark Lord thrice and her husband who made fools out of the man's followers.
And then there's the Werewolf Half-Blood Remus John Lupin. His misfortune was that his father offended Fenrir Greyback and the bastard's idea of revenge is biting the man's son in a full moon, effectively infecting him and its common knowledge that Werewolves have a hard life for something that wasn't their fault, yet suffered extreme prejudice. Remus' stroke of luck, was having good friends willing to help him so unlike most werewolves, he's living a cushy comfortable life, healthy, employed and wealthy. Too bad his scars are cursed scars due to self-inflicted injuries whenever he's in the Moony Lounge. He has thick, light-brown hair and gold eyes with a green ring. His eyes were green as a child but gained the gold due to his affliction.
She wondered how these three will receive her. Granted, all of them have the same ideals and beliefs, but she's still nervous because as far as she's concerned, the only people Sirius considers family(until he married her), are these three, and a cousin and second cousin at Britain.
xxx
'Wow! She's a really young wife!' Lily gasped out, as they stared at Sirius' wife, Aphelandra. Aphelandra Black nee Brilhart has long, wavy black hair, icy blue eyes, and like most witches who used skincare potions, has alabaster-fair skin. She's of an average height for a european woman, but slender-slim with a modest bust size, but she made up for it with her hourglass hips. And like most witches of Pureblood Families, wore long-sleeved dresses, but
'Well, I did wait until she's 18.' Sirius grimaced. 'That way even muggle laws can't accuse me of being an ephebophile.'
'Sooo did you guys make me my godkids yet?' Reines piped up that got the couple sputtering. Lily and Remus gaped at her as if she grew another head.
'No!'
'We just got married last week!' Aphelandra choked out. 'Moreover we're waiting for our house to finish constructing and furnished first before we move in!'
'Baby-making can wait until then kiddo. Yeesh, what the heck are they teaching in La Garenne?' Sirius shuddered at that very unchild-like question. Reines just laughed when they got a doorbell. 'Ah, we got company.' and when she went to open the door...she saw Squalo. 'Squalo!' she exclaimed, recognizing the teen and he's quite patched up.
'Reines, we need to talk in private.' he said seriously. Reines followed him out.
'Who is that kid?' Sirius growled, his papa-antenna 'activating'.
'That kid is Squalo, the boy she told us about in her field trip in Milan.' said Remus. 'She happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, they met and because he had trouble after him, she was targeted by association so he protected her and killed them off.'
'I wonder what happened...he came injured!' Lily frowned worriedly. 'I'll go get the medicine cabinet and looks like he might stay for a while.'
xxx
At the Chicken Mansion...
'This is as private as we can get.' said Reines. 'Hopefully you quit that dangerous job of yours.'
'It ain't that easy and besides, I like my new station in life.' said Squalo airily. 'But I came here to ask you a favor in return for keeping your involvement secret and existence unknown. I'm breaking Omerta as it is.'
'Omerta?' Reines frowned. 'The beginning would be great. Is that a new italian lingo I didn't know about?'
'About a year ago...I met my boss in a party. I told you about flames right? I met my Sky.' he said. 'But he's one big ball of rage that made one hell of an impression on me...and a man I wanted to follow for the rest of my life even with his shitty temper and spoiled brat attitude.' he snorted. 'There are five others loyal to him for various reasons known only to themselves because despite my boss' many flaws, he still welcomed and accepted us even if we have more than a few screws loose.'
'The thing is, we work for a highly-positioned independent organization with certain loyalties to another. My boss thought he's the legitimate son to the latter so when his older brothers were assassinated by rival enemy organizations, he thought he'd finally get the most-coveted position...being his father's successor until he found out illegitimate children cannot inherit...'
'So he found out the dirty secret and flipped his lid?' Reines figured out what came next.
'That sums it up, yeah. For years he believed he was legitimate because his mother said he is his father's son and the old fart let things be. And the old man maintained that belief of his. The boss felt he was lied to and strung along for years for something he can never have and he ain't too happy about it.' Squalo grimaced. 'I was the only one to know that truth because I happened to be lucky in being in the right place at the right time. The others don't know this. The only thing they know, is that we launched a Coup D'Etat on the boss' orders and we did just that. In short, we basically culled a great chunk of the enemy forces, the boss faced his adoptive father...and became a human popsicle for his trouble. He got sealed in Sealing Ice Sky Flames...and only a powerful flame user can thaw him. Show me your full strength because right now, you're the only help I got.' he said in utter sincerity and his loyalty moved the younger girl.
'...alright. But how will you guarantee my existence's secrecy and utter invisibility so I can still stay a civilian?' Reines asked him. 'I don't want any trouble for both myself and my family. And second, is your boss a pure Sky like myself?'
'Ehhh no. He's got what most people call Flames of Wrath. Its a perfect mix of Sky and Storm Flames which was pretty weird...and it essentially packs both Sky and Storm abilities. And it gets better. It doesn't need a ring. All we had to do is piss him off and you'll be lucky if your shadow is left behind when he flashes it at you.' Squalo deadpanned. 'He's one odd case but he's still a Sky, otherwise we wouldn't have become Guardians.' he sighed. 'Well, one other knows now. This guy will be responsible for keeping you invisible while you do your job.'
'Eh?' Beside Squalo, purple flames disappeared to reveal a flying baby with a snakey halo in a dark purple cloak. 'Er, Squalo? Am I seeing things?' Reines blinked owlishly before rubbing her eyes.
'No you're not. This guy is our Mist, Mammon.'
'Squalo, can this girl really help us out?' Mammon asked Squalo. 'She knows nothing about us.'
'And I prefer it that way.' said Squalo flatly. 'She really shouldn't be known in our community or she'll be in danger for many obvious reasons. I owe her and she owes me so we're even.'
'Well, she's an unguarded Sky so she's ripe for picking.' said Mammon. 'One of the men in the house...aren't hers. More like he's her mother's.'
'Uncle Remus? Well, to our luck and given his...affliction, he's a Rain. He's very happy with his luck.' Reines smiled. 'I'll have to ask my mum if she'll let me go with you. I can use the Life Debt card and in our community different from yours, we take Life Debt extremely seriously. And its a debt children inherit until it can be paid off, there's no getting rid of it. They'll have no choice. You did save my life after all.'
'Now that's handy.' Squalo grinned as Reines ran off.
'...makes me wonder what they are if they're not Mafia and that kind of debt is useful but now you're spending it to get our boss back.' said Mammon thoughtfully. 'Did you really save her life?'
'Well, she was at the wrong place at the wrong time back then...I was chased by some gunners, fell in front of her and they thought she's my contact despite being ten years old at the time...yeah, they can be that stupid.' Squalo grunted with a harrumph, crossing his arms. 'And we ran to the slums, she hid behind a trash can as she casually pointed out nobody will shelter her because they'd rather let her die than help her and do the morally-right thing. So I had to protect the alley she hid in, got shot for my troubles...but Mammon, not only was she able to extract the bullets in me with some unknown ability, she healed me too but she haven't a drop of Sun in her.'
Mammon can only stare at him.
'...what?'
'That's what boggles me.' said the swordsman, scratching his head. 'That's why I said she's reliable. And since the boss is in ice for six months now, we could use that healing alright.'
xxx
'Squalo is now calling out a Life Debt because of what happened in Milan?' Sirius' jaws dropped as Reines told them that Squalo asked for her debt and how she got it, but due to Aphelandra's presence, she left out the Flames. That, and a Life Debt being called on, is serious business. You cannot do anything but pay it.
'Yeah. Its something only I can do when he thought of all options but didn't work. He really didn't want to ask me until he found a way to call me without getting noticed by the wrong people. So...yeah. Mum, can I borrow daddy's old broom and somehow attach a second seat to it for me? I have to be at the front with Squalo sitting in the usual magical cushioning...'
'Are you really going to be OK?' Lily sputtered out. 'You barely dodged gunfire last time!'
'That's because Squalo protected me and the alley I hid in. He has security this time. I pay my debt, he has a way of getting me home unseen. End of story. Besides, I have an ace up my sleeve...just incase.'
'But you're underage, you can't use magic!' Aphelandra gasped out in protest.
'Like I said, I have an ace.' Reines smiled. 'Its that very ace he needs right now. Then I'm home free of my debt.'
'You do know that I'm very reluctant with this.' Lily sighed. 'But the Debt is being called on, I have no choice...for now.' she said unhappily. 'You know where your father's broom is, so go get it. I'll transfigure a seat for you as Squalo will be riding on the usual place.'
'OK~!'
And so...
'Are you kidding me? We're going to Italy in this?' Squalo twitched as at the coops, Reines told him they'd be using a broom.
'Quit being a baby and hop on!' the younger girl grumbled as she sat on it and to their amazement, it floated in the air! 'Sit behind me.'
'There's no cushion!'
'There is! Its just unseen! And besides, nobody can track us above the air with Mammon's illusions, easy-peasy!' so reluctantly, Squalo sat behind her and he felt something on his butt.
'O...K? There's...a seat.' he said rather incredulously. 'Even though I'm seeing just the broom handle...' at least he didn't have to worry about his precious.
'Away we go!' and Reines kicked off for them to fly upwards. 'You're my navigator while we avoid traffic, obstacles and curvy road turns and most importantly, your shadows! We're going straight south!'
'Now THAT'S convenient!' Squalo grinned while Mammon observed their...helper. The family is NOT an ordinary family alright! He wondered what they are for owning a flying broom...and he hasn't felt anything other than flames from the family. The mother and one of the uncles are recently-awakened while Reines is a seasoned flame-user at a young age. Really. Seven? And her incredible instincts...its an ability belonging ONLY to the Vongola. No other Sky has such ability.
Stealing some blood during her time with them, is in order.
xxx
Next day, Italy, Varia Base...
Mammon gave Reines a room, and she was made to wear all-black. Shirt, pants and shoes, with a paper bag on her head with eyeholes, given the codename Flare.
'Alrighty, stay in this room while we plan a way to sneak you to where the boss is without getting caught.' said Squalo. 'Lussuria will be bringing you food and stuff, and you won't be getting bored in this room. We gotta TV and all that shit. Nobody must see you, OK?'
'OK. Being seen is trouble for me anyway.' and they left her there...leaving her free reign of the room, enjoying Disney Channel.
xxx
In Xanxus' Office...Squalo gathered all the Guardians. Lussuria the Sun, Belphegor the Storm, and Levi A. Than the Lightning.
'OK, we triple-checked this office, so we can talk freely.' said Mammon. 'Squalo has an announcement.'
'No interruptions cuz' you'll get answers the more I talk. Listen up, bastards, I have a way to defrost our boss.' said Squalo as the others stiffened. 'The thing is, this person might be a powerful Sky, but she's a civilian, and since she owes me sometime back, she's willing to help to pay me back under the condition nobody knows her face and name, and no troubles after her. Her codename during her stay here is Flare. Lussuria's job is to look after her while the rest of us plot plans on smuggling her to where the boss is as well as smuggling them both out. Her job is to heal him too as Luss' flames aren't fully-manifested yet since that shit takes years and we're no different. The boss and Mammon's just an exception for obvious reasons. Any questions?'
'Its a girl...how old is she?' Lussuria asked in interest.
'Twelve, why? She said she's been playing with fire since she's seven and even turned a sniper to stone after she sensed him before I could and that was when she's ten.'
'Twelve?!' Lussuria, Bel and Levi gaped at him.
'Shishishi...there's no way I'm losing to a civilian...' Bel cackled. He's nine and it did not suit well with him that a civilian of all things got their flames before he, a mafioso did.
'But Squalo, I have my own concerns.' said Mammon. 'I want a blood check.'
'Voi?'
'The instincts you say she has...you know full well the Hyper Intuition belongs only to the Vongola Family yet she has such an ability.' he pointed out. 'So yes, I want a blood check.' at this, he got numerous stares.
Squalo paused.
'Luss, that's your job too.' he instructed the blonde. 'Now that you mention it...' he mused thoughtfully with a frown.
