If you decide to do this one contact me, I have some requirements for it before I let it go. It's one of my babies, but one I know I'll never finish.

Prologue

"Where should we put him?"

Papers shuffled, eyes flickered.

"He's new, you can't put him with Julian and Ray would eat him alive."

More shuffling, the creaking of a chair reclining, a thoughtful glance.

"I'd say we could put him with Evi, but the room next to his was just taken by that little boy."

A small smile, eyes closing, body settling comfortably into a plush chair.

"I don't think you're taking this very seriously sir! This man has never even thought about this line of work. He told me that he wouldn't even have known about this if it weren't for that woman screaming about it at him!"

Eyes open, the smile widens. "Harry."

"And to top it off, he's-what?" Bewildered eyes settled on the other man.

"We'll put him across the hall from Harry. He'll be taken care of."

Worried brown eyes turned suddenly warm and a small chuckle escaped the standing man. "Of course, Why didn't I think of that?"

Blue eyes sparkled and a dark hand reached out to tug the other into his lap. "Because, Harry takes care of everyone. You already assumed he'd get the best from him, so why think about him when you need to find a new ones place?"

A chuckle, shifting clothes, a moan.

"Now, lets get down to business."

Chapter One

Chapped lips pressed together firmly as a slim hand reached for one of the small cakes he'd been preparing for the newest arrival. A wooden spoon just as quickly smacked it away. "Evander Alphonse Murlow, you and your hands get out of my kitchen or you'll not be getting any sweets from me for a month!" Green eyes snapped with irritation, barely kept in touch by amusement.

The slim hand pulled back under the table and a spidery man revealed himself with an embarrassed smile. "Sorry Harry, but Thaniel said you were making cakes tonight because of the new guy and I wanted to have one."

Those chapped lips thinned even more and a stern glint entered Harry's eyes. "You can have one after dinner Evander, like everyone else."

Evander pouted slightly, his full lips glistening with gloss. "But I have to work tonight Harry, and I told you to call me Evi. Everyone else does."

Harry snorted and stuck the dreaded wooden spoon into the pot he'd been about to stir. "Are you saying I should jump off a cliff if everyone else does it Evander? Because I think everyone smart enough to stay would be mighty hungry if I did."

The taller man frowned and unfolded his arms from their position across his chest. He took the few steps between them and wrapped those long, sleeve clad arms around Harry's shoulders. His chin settled atop Harry's head and he look down into the slowly melting chocolate glaze. "I didn't mean it like that, but you always sound so angry when you say my full name."

The stirring paused, before picking back up a little less violently. "Perhaps I wouldn't sound so angry if you would keep those thieving fingers to other peoples pockets and out of my kitchen!" The smaller lowered the flame on the stove and brought one of the hands crossed over his stomach to the spoon. "Now stir this while I check the turkey. It got terribly dry last time I let one of you take care of it."

A long finger dipped toward the slowly stirring pot.

"And don't you taste that chocolate Evander! It'll burn your skin at that temperature!"

The finger pulled away quickly and the stirring picked up a little.

Harry checked in on the poultry, ladled a bit of the juices over the bird, and washed his hands to begin cutting up strawberries and several fruits. The pair worked in silence, comfortable with each other and their tasks. Then a timer dinged and Harry was bustling over to the chocolate and moving it onto a hot plate.

Green eyes flickered up briefly, catching honey brown staring longingly at the small cakes. Chapped lips quirked and small, delicate looking fingers reached up to tug on sandy blond hair. "I'll save you a cake and all it's fixings. I know you wouldn't miss my cooking unless the customer was very important."

Evander lit up and leaned down to peck Harry on the cheek. "Thank you so much Harry! Thaniel threatened to eat mine as well, since I'll be gone tonight."

Harry chuckled and replaced the wooden spoon with a small ladle in the chocolate. He was about to put the spoon in the sink when his wrist was caught and the spoon was pulled up so Evander could lick it clean.

Green eyes softened and the firm tilt of the chapped lips relaxed a little. "Try to have fun tonight Evi. I know you don't talk about your customers, but don't let this one do to much. Okay?"

Chocolate covered lips covered Harry's own in a sweet kiss and his wrist was released. "I promise to come straight to you if they do, alright? You can patch me right up." A brief peck to the slightly parted lips and Evander was slipping out of the kitchen.

Harry licked the residual chocolate and banana lip gloss off his lips and turned back to chopping things for the cakes with a small frown. He'd have to make sure his first aid kit was stocked tonight.

Another body slipped into the kitchen and snuck up behind Harry as he was picking grapes off their bundle. Strong arms circled his stomach and lifted him up, spinning him around briefly and then putting him down. Harry laughed and held onto the arms locked around his middle.

"Lucas! Put me down, you great brute! I'll give your cake to Evi if you don't!" He was reluctantly set down and spun around for a brief, smoke flavored kiss.

Lucas grinned down at him when Harry wrinkled his nose and the smaller male huffed. "Sorry Harry, I'm just so excited about getting someone new on our floor! Reg's been a right bastard about us being the only ones on your floor and now he can't complain because all four apartments are going to be in use! Course, that also means I had to move my stuff out to an actual storage space, but still!"

Harry pushed himself on his toes and popped the grape he'd been holding into Lucas' mouth. "Eat that and go let everyone know that dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes." Lucas squeezed Harry briefly and dutifully chewed his grape. "And help the poor man if he seems to be struggling, will you? Myles said he was kind of shy, so I doubt he'll ask one of us."

Lucas nodded and stole another grape nearly dancing out of the kitchen. It was an amusing sight, considering the man was rather well muscled and sturdy looking. Not at all the type of person you would expect to be dancing around a building full of people.

This time, when he went back to preparing their meal, no one interrupted and he soon had the various dishes laid out on the tables.

There were two turkeys, several bowls of potatoes, a pot of greens, and some gravy evenly distributed on the two large tables that made up the dining room. Everyone was already waiting eagerly, save for those he'd recruited to help him carry it all in, and the reason behind the whole feast was blushing on the first table and smiling shyly at the boisterous people around him.

Harry gave the man a thorough visual inspection. Sandy brown hair, eyes that looked almost yellow, and a tired slump. He turned away from the man and leaned across the second table to put the last boat of gravy down and then squeaked when someone tugged him into their lap.

He accepted the kiss pressed to his lips and climbed out of the lap to go to his own seat. Several more people accosted him on his way, pressing kisses to his lips or whispering their thanks in his ear.

When a smaller hand reached out and snagged his fingers he stilled. Everyone in the hall seemed to settle down as Thaniel, or Nathaniel, tugged Harry closer to himself. The little boy had only come to live with them a month ago and was terribly skittish. He had a distinctly adverse reaction to touching people and liked to hide when someone he didn't know was in the room with him.

It was quite surprising, and reassuring, that he'd reached out to touch Harry on his own.

"Um, Evi said that it was okay if I touched people and that you wouldn't mind it." Harry smiled encouragingly at the little boy leaned forward a little to hear better. "So, can I give you a kiss too?"

Broad grins spread over the faces of those who had heard him and Harry crouched so the boy could reach his face. Small lips pecked his cheek and Thaniel ducked his head with a red blush. Harry straightened and pressed a kiss to the top of his head before continuing down the table.

Only two more people tugged him into their laps by the time he'd made it to the end of the table. Usually he'd never have allowed such behavior, but this was a festive atmosphere and he'd be damned if he was the one that ruined it.

He smiled sweetly at the large black man sitting at the head of the table. He was the owner of the building and it's business, Jase Marle, and he'd been perfectly happy to take Harry in when he a child. Then green eyes turned to the man's lover, Ienzo.

Where Jase was thick, Ienzo was lithe. Where Jase was dark, Ienzo was pale. Looking at them next to each other was almost like going from blacktop to snow. But they both took good care of everyone under their employ and neither took customers of their own.

"So, what do you think of the new guy Harry?"

Green eyes flickered up from the potatoes he'd been mixing gravy into. "He's a werewolf, isn't he?" The pair nodded at him and he frowned thoughtfully. "You said he'd been directed here by that Umridge woman?"

"Not exactly. He's one of the few werewolves who could protest at the ministry with any standing. The ministry just passed the Anti-Werewolf Employment Act. All werewolves who were already unemployed when it went into effect are banned from taking any sort of permanent job. She said that if he was so desperate for work he could always apply at a whore house." Ienzo carefully lifted a piece of gravy drenched turkey to his mouth.

Harry snorted and took a sip from his cup of juice. "We're hardly a conventional whore house Ienzo."

Jase grinned and pulled some greens off his fork. "That's right Harry. No one in this house is a whore, they're all your babies."

The youngest of the three pouted and brandished his fork at Jase. "You got that right Jase Marle, and you're the biggest baby of them all!"

Ienzo grinned behind his cup as Jase blinked at Harry. Harry sniffed and speared his own pile of greens. He was about to put it in his mouth when he stiffened and set it down with an audible clink. "Joshua Motricelli Portucino! You put that spoon down this instant or I'll take your books and set them afire!"

A red head on the table behind Harry hastily shoved the spoon full of potatoes he was about to fling into his mouth. Harry nodded and slipped his fork full of greens into his own mouth. Both tables burst into laughter.

"I reserve my opinion until I've gotten to know him first." Harry said, suddenly bringing the subject back to the new guy. "After all, there are many contradicting rumors surrounding Remus J. Lupin."