Duo's Family Rewrite
By Ammie Hawk
Disclaimer: Still not mine.
AN: Okay, so I meant to have this up yesterday in honor of Single's Appreciation Day (aka Valentine's Day), but things happen and it didn't happen. Anyway, here it is, the new and improved second chapter.
Chapter 2: Meeting the Family
After the plane landed, Wufei drove the Dursleys and Harry to an upscale hotel where two rooms were already booked for their stay, courtesy of the Preventers. He saw them to their rooms and bid them goodnight, saying he'd be there in the morning to take them to Preventer Headquarters where the meeting with their family member would take place.
As soon as the Chinese agent was gone, Vernon Dursley rounded on his nephew. That little whelp had disrespected them too much already on this trip and, while he might not do anything right this moment, he would be sure that brat kept his place for the remainder of this ordeal.
"Now you listen here, boy," he grabbed the raven by the scruff of the neck, forcing his head back to look at him, "you think just because these officers are here you can get away with this… this shit, you've got another thing coming to you. As soon as we get home, you are confined to your room, only leaving to use the bathroom, am I understood?"
Harry gulped, he knew he'd suffer for his attitude, but he'd thought it'd be a beating or even extra chores, but this was much worse in his opinion, it'd be just like the summer before his second year, but he nodded anyway, "Yes, sir."
"Now, get to bed, I don't want to see you before that agent arrives tomorrow morning," his uncle growled out, shoving him toward his bed. "And if you keep Dudley awake tonight, I'll add in a beating."
Without even bothering to change, the young wizard flopped down on the bed and buried his head in the pillow, refusing to allow any tears to fall. He just hoped this would be over soon.
The next morning, the teen from before arrived, as promised, bright and early. Harry was ready before any of the Dursleys, and because Dudley refused to get out of bed, they were over half an hour late, causing the Preventer agent to scowl darkly.
They arrived at Preventer Headquarters and the agent led them to an elevator and pushed the up button. The wizard tried to keep track of everything and everyone in the lobby, but it didn't do much good, the Chinese teen kept hurrying them along. Finally, the lift arrived and they all piled in and the agent hit a button, taking them up.
When the elevator arrived on the proper floor, the five of them stepped out into a small reception area. The first thing the shaggy haired raven noticed was a rather stern looking woman, leaning against the desk of a nervous looking, mousy female, and barking out questions. After a moment, she must have realized that someone else was there, as she turned suddenly and spotted their group.
"05, you're late," her eyes narrowed dangerously as they zeroed in on the agent.
"My apologies, Lady Une," the Chinese teen bowed slightly, "we had a bit of a delay." He shot a glare in the Dursleys' direction.
"Head inside, they're waiting," she waved him off. "I'll take over the explanation to the Dursleys and Mr. Potter."
"Yes, ma'am," he saluted and entered the door almost directly behind the woman.
"I'm sorry about that," Lady Une smiled at the family. "Have to keep a tight ship around here or they'll run wild, especially that one. Now, I am Lady Une, the commander of the Preventers, and you must be Mr. and Mrs. Dursley?"
"Oh, please," Petunia gave a very congenial smile, which Harry knew was fake, "call us Vernon and Petunia. And this is our son, Dudley," she put her arm around the obese teen proudly, and then added as an afterthought, "And that's our nephew, Harry."
"Welcome to the Preventers," the lady nodded. "Now, your other nephew is waiting inside this room," she indicated the door she'd just sent the agent through, "as well as some of his friends. They are a very close knit group. They're a bit high strung at times, but don't let them intimidate you. Now, if you'll please follow me."
She turned on her heel and marched to the door, opened it briskly, and headed in.
888
Duo paced back and forth in the conference room they had met in earlier that week. He paused in his trek long enough to look at the clock. It was now nine o'clock, but there was no sign of his family. He and the other three, who had all elected to come in with him for emotional support, had arrived, on time, at eight and had been stuck here waiting ever since. They had talked and speculated for awhile, but that could only distract the former Deathscythe pilot for so long.
It had taken the braided teen almost a full day for the news to sink in that he had a family. When it finally did, he couldn't sit still. It had almost driven the other three pilots to the brink of insanity. He spent his time alternately worrying that they wouldn't like him, or excited that he was finally going to meet them, or even angry that he had missed out on his baby brother's life.
"Duo… Duo… DUO!" Quatre's voice broke into the braided teen's frantic pacing, causing him to look at the blond Arabian curiously. "You're going to wear a hole in the floor if you don't stop. Not to mention the fact that you're driving us crazy."
"I can't help it, Quat," he bowed his head sheepishly and sank into the chair next to Heero. "What if he doesn't like me? What if he does? What if he thinks I'm…"
"Shut up," Heero cut into his ramblings. "It doesn't matter one way or the other, you'll always have us."
"I know, I know," he threw his hands up in frustration. "But this is my kid brother we're talking about. I can't help but worry."
"You worry, Maxwell?" a voice said from the doorway. "That'll be the day."
"Fei!" Duo sprang out of his chair and practically threw himself at the Chinese teen. "Are they here? Did you bring them? Can I see them? What are they like? Does my brother look like me?"
"Get off me, Maxwell," Wufei growled. "If you would actually let me get in the door, I will let them in."
Heero stood and grabbed the self proclaimed Shinigami around the waist, and dragged him back to his seat, holding him firmly in his lap, so his newfound family wouldn't receive the same greeting their comrade had. The raven turned as the door opened, saluting at Lady Une walked in, followed by four people.
The man, Duo assumed it was his uncle, was rather fat with watery blue eyes and a very large mustache. His aunt, in contrast, was bone skinny with a face like a horse and a neck like a giraffe. One of the boys with them was rather large, but it looked like he was just starting to get some muscle mass under the layers of fat. He hoped the blond wasn't his brother, he looked like a bully and he was sure they wouldn't get along. The other kid was on the short side, with messy black hair, bright green eyes behind unbecoming round glasses, and he had a strange scar on his forehead, shaped like a bolt of lightning.
Harry was rather shocked to see four males in the room they had entered, including the agent who had brought them here, as well as a young woman. His eyes darted around, trying to pinpoint which one was his brother, but he wasn't really sure. He immediately eliminated the Chinese agent, quickly followed by the other oriental looking male, his parents weren't oriental that he was aware of, though if the hair was anything to go by, the other could've been his brother, it just seemed to grow all over the place, just like his. The female was next, they had told him a brother after all. The little blond was a possibility, considering his aunt's coloring. Though the teen beside him had green eyes, or eye, he could only see one, and the auburn hair could've possibly come from Lily.
"Duo Maxwell," Lady Une said, taking a seat at the head of the table, "allow me to introduce you to your family. Vernon Dursley, Petunia Dursley, their son, Dudley," she pointed them out as she gave their names and they nodded in response, "and your brother, Harry Potter. Petunia, this is your nephew, Duo Maxwell, as well as your brother, Harry." She indicated the brunet sitting on the other oriental teen's lap.
The young wizard hid his surprise well, considering he'd thought his brother was a girl, it could've been the three foot rope of hair through. However, his aunt wasn't so discreet about it, she gasped quite audibly in his opinion. He sent her a glare before moving over to the brunet indicated by the Preventer commander, extending his hand in greeting.
"Hi, I'm Harry."
The braided teen pushed to his feet, a bit shakily, and grasped the proffered hand before pulling his brother into a hug. The raven stiffened at the unexpected contact, a fact the other picked up on, before returning the embrace. After a few moments, the former Deathscythe pilot drew back, holding the younger teen at arm's length, drinking in his brother's appearance.
He had to admit he wasn't too impressed by what he saw, but he knew that it wasn't the boy's fault. The clothes Harry was wearing were at least three times his size, if the belt cinched around the waist and the rolled up sleeves were any indication. And it could just be a style choice, who was he to judge, but he had a feeling they were hand-me-downs from the obese teen that was their cousin. He had also felt almost every rib in the boy's body during their embrace, indicating he didn't usually get much to eat. He was also entirely too short for a boy his age, and while Duo, himself, wasn't overly tall, he knew that it had to do with growing up on the streets and having very little to eat most of the time, and this should not be the case for someone who had grown up with a family. There was also a trace of tears in the vibrant green eyes, which were as expressive as his own.
Harry was also taking in his brother's appearance. He, however, was very impressed. Not only was the older teen good looking, but he had the coolest fashion sense he'd ever seen in a Muggle, with his tight black jeans, and black leather jacket zipped up over a red shirt. He had never seen anyone, wizard or Muggle, pull off black that well, not even Snape, who only wore black. He could also see the similarities between himself and his parents in his brother, there was no doubt now that they were related. While Harry was the spitting image of James Potter, his brother, Duo, looked very much like the pictures he had of his mother, except for the eyes, which he wasn't sure where they came from, considering James had hazel eyes, and Lily green, but then again, it could've been a recessive gene, considering the Dursleys had blue eyes.
"So," the former Deathscythe pilot finally said, breaking the rather tense silence that had fallen over the room at the brother's reunion. "Tell me, squirt, do I live up to your expectations?"
Emerald eyes flashed in slight indignation at the title, but before that could take hold, the events of recent weeks came crashing down on the Boy-Who-Lived and he practically threw himself in his brother's arms once more and began sobbing. Everyone stared at the messy haired teen in confusion, even the Dursleys, at the display.
"Way to go, Maxwell," Wufei shook his head. "What did you do to him?"
"Nothin'," amethyst orbs narrowed into a glare at the former Shenlong pilot, before turning his attention back to his brother. "Shh, it's okay. There's no need to cry."
The raven shook his head, unable to put into words the thoughts racing through his head. On the one hand, he was glad his brother hadn't pushed him away yet, considering he thought he had lost the closest connection to his parents he would ever find; but on the other, he was sure this same brother, who now held him close, would hate him when he found out what he was and what he'd done, and had yet to do, it was obvious that he had spent little to no time in the wizarding world.
Duo drew his attention away from the smaller figure in his arms as he heard their uncle clear his throat.
"You'll have to forgive my nephew," he was saying to Lady Une. "He's rather… disturbed. Meeting new people upsets him."
He felt the young wizard stiffen in his arms. The other pilots caught it too and turned cold, blank stares on the fat man. Lady Une noticed their expressions and decided now was the time to intervene and speak with her newest agents in private.
"If you four would excuse us," she nodded in the Dursleys direction, "I have a few things to discuss with these gentlemen before I dismiss them to get to know you better."
As soon as the door closed behind them, she turned her attention back to the boys in the room.
"Was there something you wanted to say, Maxwell?" she asked, getting straight to the point.
"I can't let him go back with them, Une," he shook his head slightly. "Just from what little I've seen, I can't. What'd you think, Fei?"
Onyx eyes darted in Lady Une's direction, silently asking for permission before answering his friend. At her nod, he spoke.
"The Dursleys and Potter do not appear to get along," he began delicately. "When I picked them up at their address, the rest of the family went inside to pack and left Potter outside to gather all his belongings from the car himself. The trunk itself weighed one hundred pounds, if not more. On the flight here, they did not speak to one another at all, having had words on the drive about the aunt keeping things from him. Apparently, from what he said, he knew nothing of his parents until the age of eleven."
"What about the clothes?" Quatre asked quietly. "Surely he has something else to wear?"
"I don't know," Wufei shook his head. "I did not get a chance to look into his trunk. But, considering the fact that the others were dressed rather nicely, I think it safe to assume he has nothing better, except, perhaps, his school uniform."
"What makes you think he has a uniform?" Lady Une questioned, her brow furrowed slightly to hide her surprise; she knew the boy had a uniform but how would her agent. "If his aunt and uncle refuse to buy him new clothes, why do you think they would pay for him to go to a private school that would require a uniform?"
"He said his things were in his trunk, as he had just returned from school," the raven haired teen sighed. "That leads to only one conclusion and that is that he attends a boarding school."
"Perhaps his grades were such that he received a sponsor to a private school," the blond suggested.
"His grades through primary school were very average," Lady Une shook her head, opening the folder in front of her, though inside she was laughing at how close these boys were coming to the truth without realizing it. "Perhaps he had a hidden talent that someone recognized and gave him a scholarship. However, back to your original request, Maxwell," she shifted a few papers in front of her, "I figured you would say something like that. So, I had the papers drawn up, and if you can get the Dursleys to sign them, your brother can go home with you. I won't even make you wait for them to get processed."
"Sweet!" Duo jumped up, punching his fist into the air and snatching the form out of his superior's hand.
The braided teen made his way over to the door but paused as he heard someone talking from the room beyond. He silently unlatched the door and opened it a crack to see what was going on.
Outside the room, Harry sank down into a vacant chair, absently noting that the mousy agent was no longer at the desk, and scrubbed at his eyes with his sleeve. He really hated his life at the moment. It wasn't that he wasn't glad he had a brother, he was, but he almost wished he didn't. He knew that if he aunt and uncle got their say, which they usually did during the break, his brother would think he was some sort of freak criminal who deserved nothing but what he got. And maybe they were right. It was, after all, his fault Sirius was dead, no matter what anyone said to the contrary. If he had learned Occlumancy then Voldemort wouldn't have placed that false vision and he never would've been in the Department of Mysteries to begin with.
He was brought from his little pity party by Vernon roughly grabbing the collar of his shirt. He was pulled out of the chair and into the air, barely able to touch the ground with his tiptoes, as his uncle dragged him to eye level.
"Now you listen here, boy," spit shot out of his uncle's mouth with every syllable. "You're not to say another word, got that?" he shook him slightly for emphasis. "Apparently, your brother's not your kind, and as such, the government will most likely compensate us for taking him off their hands."
"So this is only about money to you?" the raven gasped slightly, Vernon's grip was stifling his air supply.
What happened next had the self proclaimed Shinigami seeing red, and had it not been for the quick actions of his boyfriend, he would've been out the door and shooting that pig that was dressed as a man. Vernon Dursley's meaty fist had connected firmly with Duo Maxwell's little brother's jaw, causing his head to jerk to the side with the impact. That… monster had not slapped him, or thumped him upside the head, but punched him. There was no way that was going to fly.
"You'll show some respect, boy, or you'll get worse when we get home. Don't think those freaky little friends of yours will be able to stop me. Do I make myself clear?" he shook him again for good measure.
"Yes, Uncle Vernon," Harry replied quietly, knowing from past experiences that his uncle was as bad as his word.
Vernon nodded once and tossed him back into his seat, straightening his suit to make himself presentable once more. In the room, Heero slipped the door silently closed, keeping a firm grip n the base of his lover's braid with his free hand. He then dragged the struggling teen back over to his seat and forced him to remain there.
"That was definitely enlightening," Lady Une sat back in her chair, her fingers drumming together in front of her. "I have a plan," she leaned forward slightly, catching Duo's eye and causing him to desist his struggles. "Agent 02, I want you to try and get them to sign the custody papers, if they refuse, Agent 01," she indicated the shaggy haired brunet, "you are to arrest them immediately for child abuse. However, if they hand him over quietly, we will gather evidence together and form a solid case against them, let them think they'll get away with it, before moving in to take them down. Am I understood?"
"Understood," the two teens in question nodded, an evil grin spreading across the braided teen's features.
"Very well, Agent 05, you're with me," she pushed to her feet. "Agents 03 and 04," she nodded to Trowa and Quatre, "enjoy your free time before your missions begin."
A moment later, the conference room door swung open and Lady Une exited the room, followed by the officer who had escorted the Dursleys there. They barely spared a glance at the people in the hall, before walking briskly off. Harry almost wished that they would've stayed, at least then his uncle wouldn't try anything too violent.
A few more moments passed before the other four males from the room came out. The other three didn't even pause, before heading off toward the lifts and disappearing. Duo, however, walked directly to where Vernon and Petunia were sitting and paused, fidgeting with a paper clutched in his hands.
"So," he shifted slightly, apparently nervous, "Lady Une said that all that was needed was your signature here, and we can be on our way."
"What is it?" Petunia eyed it beadily, as if it were a snake ready to strike.
"Standard guardianship papers," the former Deathscythe pilot shrugged, not lying at all, he just wasn't telling the whole truth. "Ya know, these government types like ta make sure ever'thin's official."
"Alright then, where do we sign?" Vernon's eyes took on a malicious gleam.
"Right at the bottom there," the teen indicated, handing over the paper and a pen he'd snatched off the nearby desk.
The obese man signed the paper with a flourish and then handed them to his wife. She hesitated only for a moment, but then put her own signature beneath her husband's. A smirk flirted with the braided teen's mouth as he gathered the paper back and placed his signature after theirs.
Once that was finished everyone stood and made their way to the elevators, and thus the exit. The Dursleys and Harry paused on the main floor as Duo sidetracked when they reached the front desk. He handed the paperwork to the lady behind the counter with a charming smile. He then turned and led his family outside, where Heero was waiting.
"Oh, there you are," the former Deathscythe pilot beamed when he saw the shaggy haired brunet. "Could you take Harry to the car, love? I'll be along shortly."
The former Wing pilot nodded once and grabbed the young wizard's arm, pulling him into the parking lot and away from the Dursleys. Harry looked back in some confusion, but didn't protest. This teen was scary enough, with his completely stoic expression; he didn't want to see him angry because he threw a fit he didn't mean.
"What is the meaning of this, boy?" Vernon snarled, turning to the self proclaimed Shinigami with fury in his beady eyes.
"Harry's going with me," the braided pilot cocked his head to the side innocently. "You did just sign over custody of him to me, so it only makes sense that I take him to my house."
"Why you lying little…" the pig of a man lunged forward, attempting to grab Duo as he had done to Harry earlier.
"I never lie, uncle," he spat the title as if it left a bad taste in his mouth, nimbly avoiding the large man's grasp. "I just left out the part that those papers granted me complete custody of my brother. It's not my fault you were too greedy to read through them before signing."
"You haven't heard the last of this, whelp," Vernon snarled furiously. "I'll get my lawyer…"
"And do what?" Duo gave a mocking laugh. "Waste your money in court on a fraudulent custody battle. It would never stand." He reached out quickly and pulled Vernon down so he could whisper in his ear, "Besides, after the display I saw in the hall earlier, you'd never win, even if it was legit. No judge would put a child back into an abusive home, especially when the alternative is a Preventer agent and a decorated war veteran." He let go and straightened up, "Good bye, Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, we won't be seeing each other again."
With that, he turned on his heel and followed Heero and Harry's path into the parking lot. The Dursleys watched him go, their mouths agape at the audacity of the boy that was their nephew.
"Dumbledore's not going to like this," Petunia muttered darkly, before the three of them headed off in the direction of their hotel.
Ammie: Okay, so there's the second chapter. One of the major changes I made to this version, which some of you have already noticed, is that Cathy is not Trowa's sister. While it is a fun angle, and I'm by no means opposed to it, she had no place in this story, it was just filler and it really bugged me that I had her in there for a moment and no plans whatsoever to bring her back in at all, so I just took her out. Anyway, that is all. Please let me know what you think.