Title: Firefly Tides
Author name: CherryStain
Author email: CherryStain@hotmail.com
Category: Drama/Angst
Rating for this chapter: This chapter is probably pg-13. Nothing too heavy, just a lot of arguing.
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, Gundam Wing.
Summary: Harry, forever The-Boy-Who-Just-Wouldn't-Die meets familiar faces after thinking them dead for over Five-Hundred Years. Crossover with Gundam Wing, will have slash, though won't be centered on it. next chapter is at the manor. (
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Gundam Wing manga series; story by Hajime Yadate & Yoshiyuki Tomino, art by Koichi Tokita.
Authors Notes: I'm definitely getting these out fast. Well, the two other pilots finally show up, so now we've got the whole group! Um, a few announcements. Don't get mad at me for totally messing with the Gundam Timeline. I want to use events from the GW timeline, just not in the right order exactly. Oh, and don't worry, the whole "misplaced in time" group of wizards will eventually make it back, but Duo just can't deal with them right now, what with fighting a war and all.
Oh yes! And there are a few quotes, or at least variations of the quotes, in this chapter. I got the quotes off of [http://www.angelfire.com/gundam/altuniverse/index1.html]. I'm having a sort of contest. If you find all of them, then you get the next chapter sent to you a day before it's posted. Just copy and paste all of the quotes onto an e-mail and send it to [CherryStain@hotmail.com].
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Chapter Three- Too Many Buttons!
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"This would *definitely* be considered a manor." Seamus, Hermione, Snape, and yes, even the filthy rich Draco Malfoy were all staring up at the Winner mansion in wonder.
The mansion had to have at least a hundred rooms, and they hadn't even seen the grounds behind it yet! A cobblestone drive, large eucalyptus trees lining it, led up to the front doors, then curved around to a garage on the side of the main building. It was all done in a Spanish villa style, all red tiled roofs and ivy-covered balconies. In the center of the turn-a-bout on the front of the house, there was a small pond with a weeping willow sweeping to the edge of it. All in all, it was breathtaking.
Hermione, who had wanted to talk to Harry when they reached their destination, was disappointed. He was still fast asleep. For reasons unknown, she was rather nervous to talk to Harry. Harry could not have changed that much, could he? From the brief conversations with him, he seemed different. Darker, not evil, just not as he had been yesterday - well- at least, the day in which she'd been in before the explosion and this whole crazy mess. How long had Harry been in this place? Was he sent here along with them but had been lost sometime in time? She was scared of what had happened in this future . . . scared that she had lost all that she had loved. As she gazed up at the mansion, she also hoped that she would be able to get back to her original time as soon as possible, were the variables weren't so endless.
"Welcome to Master Winner's Home. Shall we be preparing rooms for you?" All four turned towards a large Middle Eastern man who had just walked out of the side door, previously unnoticed.
::blink:: "Winner?"
"Yes, have you never heard of Winner industries?" Snape, figuring this should be common knowledge, nodded and turned towards the obviously bemused Wufei. Wufei found their awe comical, and didn't really mind showing it. Heero, who Snape was starting to really be creeped out by (amazing considering this was *Snape* we're talking about), was currently messing with some sort of weapon he had pulled out of the back.
"Hello, Rasid[1]." Wufei nodded to the Arabian guy in greeting. "Yes, I think that four rooms near Heero, Duo, and my own rooms will be perfect. Quatre-kun and Trowa-kun have arrived, I presume?"
"Yes, Master Winner has just stepped into the shower. Mister Barton is currently in the gym."
Wufei nodded and then, turning back to the entourage of wizards, spoke.
"You may come in whenever you wish. If Maxwell ever awakens, we will sort all of this out." Wufei scowled then. "Remember this, we will not hesitate to kill you if you are not who you say you are." And with that cheery message, he walked into the manor.
The others, now more positive that he just might carry through with his threat, all swallowed convulsively before Heero's voice drew their attention.
"Can someone get this thing, he's laying on the box of ammunition." Heero didn't even look up from whatever he was doing to his gun, just waved in the general direction of the trunk. A groan came.
"Thing? I'm insulted! This 'thing' has a name." Heero ignored the comment and, reaching into the trunk, he pulled out a red box, most likely the ammunition. An indignant squawk came from the trunk of the car, which, from the four wizards position, they could not see into.
"Itai! I was using that!" Heero raised an eyebrow, then turned and walked away from the jeep and into the house, paying no heed to the group.
"Erm, Potter? I do believe we should be going inside." It had taken them hours to get to where they were, and it was now approaching lunchtime. Turning to his students, Snape told them to take a look around the front yard while he waited for Harry to bring them into the house. Hermione had given him a questioning look, but had walked away with the others anyway.
"Just a second Snape, Perfect Soldier's ammunition caught on the bindings of my bandages and I need to sort it out." Snape sighed and walked around the jeep to the open trunk.
Coming around to help Duo, Snape found him shirtless, struggling with the bandage around his mid-section. Snape let his gaze linger on his scars for a moment. Duo, catching the look, smiled ruefully.
"I spent a few years on the streets. Bound to get in a fight every once and a while." Snape's eyebrows drew together. Reaching forward, he helped Duo unbind the now slightly torn bandages.
"When you said 'five hundred years old,' you were serious, weren't you?"
"Hai," At Snape's blank look he translated. "It means 'yes' in Japanese. I've sort of picked up words from different languages. Even though the Perfect Soldier doesn't say much, he does add in the occasional Japanese word. I sort of picked it up from him." Snape had taken off the original bandage, getting a good look at the damage for the first time. Duo most likely had a hairline fracture, bruising showing up on his lower left side.
"The 'Perfect Soldier' would be Heero, am I correct?" Duo nodded, "You keep strange company Potter." Duo smirked.
"Not much stranger than myself. After all, I'm a five hundred and sixteen year old wizard who has major identity problems. They," Duo nodded in the direction of the large manor, "Think I'm a fifteen year old soldier. And then they," Duo looked over to the three young wizards, "think I'm Harry Potter- a naïve young wizard who just happens to be famous." Duo's face hardened, his lips thinning. "I am not the Harry you once knew. Actually, I'm not sure if there is any of the old Harry in me at all." Duo picked up the bandage new bandage out of the first-aid kit, handing it over to Snape.
"That remains to be seen. You do seem . . . different, but if you're in the middle of this war as you say, their has to be a bit of Potter left in you." Duo chuckled.
"Your humor is one thing I most definitely missed over the years." Snape glanced up.
"Really? I was of the impression that you despised me and my so called jokes."
"Oh, don't get me wrong, I hated you and your idea of a joke. But, I've got a little more perspective on my life since then. And, let's face it, I was too innocent. Didn't know humor when I saw it. I'm not sure if Hermione or Seamus will want to be around me, because if they are expecting a shy, heroic do-gooder, they'll be disappointed. I haven't seen any of you in over five hundred years. You haven't seen me in less than twenty-four hours, from what I'm guessing."
"Yes, it will be rather confusing trying to picture Potter as anything but naïve."
Duo turned rather serious then. "I have killed before. I will continue to kill because it is the only way we may be able to stop this war. I am only telling you this because you were once a Death Eater and later a spy. I'm hoping you understand that I don't enjoy it, but I must do what I have to. Hermione, Seamus, and even Malfoy were sheltered from the war against Voldemort. Voldemort barely let out a peep until the attack in my sixth year. They will have a hard time adjusting to this world, but I am hoping that we will be able to get you back to your own time." Duo paused, glancing down at Snape's bowed head, who was slightly crouched in front of him, fiddling with the bandage.
"I do not wish them to know of everything I have had to do in my life."
Snape looked Duo in the eye. His eyes, darkened to a cobalt blue, were pleading, "I will not mention any of this to them." Finishing up, Snape backed away, letting Duo step down and slip his jacket on, the shirt in his other hand. Taking a calming breath, Duo's whole demeanor changed, taking the hard edge off of his features.
"Well, let's go inside. There's been no one sane to talk to for the past week, what with Justice Boy and the Perfect Soldier around! Well, actually, it could have been worse. I could have been stuck with Trowa and Heero. The silence would have driven me insane!"
Snape, still rather confused as to who some of these people were, followed Duo.
"Hermione, Seamus, Malfoy, come on!" The three turned toward them, then hurried along, falling in step along side them. Hermione came up to stand next to Duo.
"Harry, are you okay?"
"Hai, I'm well, just a bit bruised. The sleep on the way here helped."
Walking into the building, Hermione couldn't help but gasp. It was amazing! And was that- it was! An actual Picasso! Duo, seeing her gaze, smiled.
"Yeah, one of Quatre's sisters decorated this one. From what I've heard, she actually reminds me of you. A real bookworm. Ended up becoming a history major. That piece is practically priceless. Especially considering it is probably around one thousand years old. The louvre, sadly, was destroyed around two hundred years ago, Quatre's great something or another found that painting and kept it in storage of all places! Quatre's sister found it and put it up, recognizing it for what it was."
Sometime during Duo's explanation of the painting, they had arrived at a parlor, large couches littered around surrounded by a few bookcases and a large bay window.
"That is all rather interesting Potter, but where exactly is our Host? You certainly do not own this establishment." Duo found it rather funny, if immature, that Draco was imposing his idea of Harry onto Duo. Then again, neither Malfoy nor any of the others, with the exception of Snape, knew that he was over five-hundred years old and definitely wasn't the boy he had once been.
"Don't make me seriously mad, if you want to live long Malfoy." Duo said in an almost joking matter. Smirking, he bent over the side of the particular armchair he was seated in. A small speaker with many multi colored buttons sat on the table next to him. His brow furrowed, hand hovering over the buttons as if unsure of what to press.
"I think you're looking for the yellow button Duo, for my personal rooms."
"Thanks," the braided boy murmured. Suddenly realizing to whom the voice belonged, Duo looked up. "Quatre!"
In one fluid motion, which must have been painful considering Duo's injuries, Duo was up and had propelled himself across the room. Quatre and Duo exchanged quick man-hugs (you know the kind, hit each other on the back as hard as possible?) before stepping back.
"I do find it kind of disturbing that a pilot of one of the deadliest mobile suits can't remember what button to press on a simple intercom." Quatre's words were softened by the genuine smile on his lips.
"Funny Q. I'll remember that the next time we spar." Quatre winced. Looking down at Duo's midsection, his smile disappeared as he touched the bandage.
"I'm sorry I was unable to get back from our mission on time. If I had, we probably would have been able to send a few of us on reconnaissance first to learn a bit more about the base before breaking in."
Duo turned slightly, addressing the people behind him.
"Oh, man, Quatre loves to blame himself for everything if you let him. Sooner or later, he'll start saying that there's no air in space because he didn't work on it hard enough." Duo turned back to Quatre. "Besides, if we had been given the right information in the first place, the professors would not have even needed three of us to go get the disk."
Quatre didn't seem particularly offended by the jibe. Finally turning towards the wizards who had not even been in his view when he had been in the doorway, Snape noted that Quatre did not seem surprised that they were there.
"Oh yes, before I forget, this is Quatre Winner. He's the owner of this massive slab of cement. If you have problems with the room service, Malfoy, take it up with him." Duo turned and walked back over to the intercom. Draco frowned, but kept his mouth shut.
"Blue is the gym, right?"
"Yes." Duo pressed on the blue button.
"Clown Boy, come up to the first floor parlor. Get Wufei on the way, he might be in his room. Out." For a second static came over the line, then a clear voice answered back, "Okay."
"A man of few words," Duo said rather dryly before looking over the buttons once again. Finally deciding on the green one, he pressed it.
"Heero-kun, come to the first floor parlor." Static. More static. Duo rolled his eyes and pressed the green button again.
"Yuy, I know for a fact that you don't wear earmuffs in the shooting gallery. Stop ignoring me and come up. I'm not explaining anything more than once! Out." Static, than a grunt that sounded suspiciously like 'baka.'
"Hai. Out."
Duo sighed and sat in the overstuffed armchair. It was usually Quatre's chair and it was common courtesy to give the chair at the head of the room to Quatre, but he had a feeling Quatre wouldn't be sitting down. The pilots were suspicious by nature. Duo himself was convinced that Snape, Hermione, Draco, and Seamus were who they said they were, the evidence just added up. In the past, people might have used Polyjuice Potion or even a Glamour spell, but not now. That knowledge or even the ability wasn't even possible now.
"Hello, as Duo has said, I am Quatre Raberba Winner. Would any of you like something to drink?"
The four wizards glanced at each other before Snape, who had been dying for a cup of tea, spoke first.
"Do you have any Earl Gray?" Hermione and Seamus asked for the same.
"Do you have any pumpkin juice?" Draco asked. Quatre's face showed confusion.
"Don't worry Quatre, just get him Earl Gray also." Draco glared at Duo.
"Potter. Don't be a pompous git. I can order for myself, thank you." Duo smiled, unnerving Draco who had been expecting a rather Gryffindorish retort.
"Quatre doesn't have pumpkin juice. It's not something people regularly drink." Draco frowned before nodding towards Quatre who smiled then turned to the side of the door, where he had been standing. A separate intercom was installed, with three buttons. He pressed the first, most likely the kitchen.
"Hello? May we please have four Earl Grays and," Quatre glanced over at Duo, "One coffee, black." Duo smiled.
On the other line, someone replied that someone would be up shortly. Not a few seconds later, another middle-eastern man, this one thin and tall, came in with a tray of their drinks, handing it to Quatre.
Quatre nodded, "Thank you Shaukat, and give my regards to your wife." The man smiled and nodded before walking out of the room. Quatre handed out all of the drinks before taking his place at the open door leading to the hallway just as Heero, Wufei, and a man with long brown bangs and eyes like Harry's walked into the room.
Trowa stood to the side of Quatre as Wufei took his place by the window seat. Heero came over to Duo, standing directly behind him and watching the wizards shift nervously under his gaze.
~'Blocking all exits'~ Duo thought rather humorously. Snape and Hermione, it seemed, were the only ones besides the pilots who realized the strategetic positions in which the four were in, because they both cast nervous glances around the room. Well, Hermione did, Snape just watched it all in an almost clinically interested sort of way.
Severus thought it amazing that these young men were so war hardened. Despite Quatre's good-natured personality, and Potter's dark but none-the- less humorous facade, they were, by definition, soldiers. And damn good ones if this was any indication.
~'Battle formation over tea, how quaint.'~
Duo finally spoke up from his armchair.
"Well, I guess I have some explaining to do."
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Authors Notes: muwahhhhhhahahah! The cliffhanger that spanned three chapters! Well, never fear, next chapter we will *finally* get stuff answered. Anyways, if you didn't read above, I'm having a little contest.
Oh yes! And there are a few quotes, or at least variations of the quotes, in this chapter. I got the quotes off of [http://www.angelfire.com/gundam/altuniverse/index1.html]. I'm having a sort of contest. If you find all of them, then you get the next chapter sent to you a day before it's posted. Just copy and paste all of the quotes onto an e-mail and send it to [CherryStain@hotmail.com].
Editor's Note 1: Rasid (pronounced rah-SHEED) is the leader of the Maganacs and a servant of Quatre Winner. The spelling of the name comes from the Gundam Wing manga series; story by Hajime Yadate & Yoshiyuki Tomino, art by Koichi Tokita.
Thanks to those who reviewed:
Demia (Here's more (), ~Mary~ (yeah, ff.net was going wacky for a few days, but it's better now luckily. Sadly, you'll have to wait a bit for their reactions- at least till I get a mobile suit fight into the story, somewhere around chapter seven or eight I think), ~F~ (Hey! Yeah, I'm not so sure about Relena/ 01, because they're just *too* different. And they both feel strongly about opposite things. yes, I was going for SS/Duo, and that is what will happen later on, but not for a while. They've got to sort of get used to each other again (), Rebecca (you'll find out in chapter 5, hehehe. It's not what you'll be expecting though), Enchantress (how was chapter two off? Is their anything I should change about it? e-mail me, I don't mind fixing something- I like feedback), J. Lynn, Brimstone (hehe, yup, I love Duo!), Dru, VMR, Shinegami (::smiles:: my regular reviewer, hehe. Spot on, by the way. The Gundam Pilots can be so predictable sometimes (), Semirhage (hey! Yup, their aren't *nearly* enough gw/hp. Yeah, I'm using a lot of Duo's history and incorporating it, but that wont be told for a while at least.)
One more quick message from the writer: go to:
www.geocities.com/gundamgirl_1321/index.html
The site has *adorable* chibi pictures of the Gundam Wing pilots ( check it out!
Anyways, Review!
Author name: CherryStain
Author email: CherryStain@hotmail.com
Category: Drama/Angst
Rating for this chapter: This chapter is probably pg-13. Nothing too heavy, just a lot of arguing.
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, Gundam Wing.
Summary: Harry, forever The-Boy-Who-Just-Wouldn't-Die meets familiar faces after thinking them dead for over Five-Hundred Years. Crossover with Gundam Wing, will have slash, though won't be centered on it. next chapter is at the manor. (
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Gundam Wing manga series; story by Hajime Yadate & Yoshiyuki Tomino, art by Koichi Tokita.
Authors Notes: I'm definitely getting these out fast. Well, the two other pilots finally show up, so now we've got the whole group! Um, a few announcements. Don't get mad at me for totally messing with the Gundam Timeline. I want to use events from the GW timeline, just not in the right order exactly. Oh, and don't worry, the whole "misplaced in time" group of wizards will eventually make it back, but Duo just can't deal with them right now, what with fighting a war and all.
Oh yes! And there are a few quotes, or at least variations of the quotes, in this chapter. I got the quotes off of [http://www.angelfire.com/gundam/altuniverse/index1.html]. I'm having a sort of contest. If you find all of them, then you get the next chapter sent to you a day before it's posted. Just copy and paste all of the quotes onto an e-mail and send it to [CherryStain@hotmail.com].
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Chapter Three- Too Many Buttons!
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"This would *definitely* be considered a manor." Seamus, Hermione, Snape, and yes, even the filthy rich Draco Malfoy were all staring up at the Winner mansion in wonder.
The mansion had to have at least a hundred rooms, and they hadn't even seen the grounds behind it yet! A cobblestone drive, large eucalyptus trees lining it, led up to the front doors, then curved around to a garage on the side of the main building. It was all done in a Spanish villa style, all red tiled roofs and ivy-covered balconies. In the center of the turn-a-bout on the front of the house, there was a small pond with a weeping willow sweeping to the edge of it. All in all, it was breathtaking.
Hermione, who had wanted to talk to Harry when they reached their destination, was disappointed. He was still fast asleep. For reasons unknown, she was rather nervous to talk to Harry. Harry could not have changed that much, could he? From the brief conversations with him, he seemed different. Darker, not evil, just not as he had been yesterday - well- at least, the day in which she'd been in before the explosion and this whole crazy mess. How long had Harry been in this place? Was he sent here along with them but had been lost sometime in time? She was scared of what had happened in this future . . . scared that she had lost all that she had loved. As she gazed up at the mansion, she also hoped that she would be able to get back to her original time as soon as possible, were the variables weren't so endless.
"Welcome to Master Winner's Home. Shall we be preparing rooms for you?" All four turned towards a large Middle Eastern man who had just walked out of the side door, previously unnoticed.
::blink:: "Winner?"
"Yes, have you never heard of Winner industries?" Snape, figuring this should be common knowledge, nodded and turned towards the obviously bemused Wufei. Wufei found their awe comical, and didn't really mind showing it. Heero, who Snape was starting to really be creeped out by (amazing considering this was *Snape* we're talking about), was currently messing with some sort of weapon he had pulled out of the back.
"Hello, Rasid[1]." Wufei nodded to the Arabian guy in greeting. "Yes, I think that four rooms near Heero, Duo, and my own rooms will be perfect. Quatre-kun and Trowa-kun have arrived, I presume?"
"Yes, Master Winner has just stepped into the shower. Mister Barton is currently in the gym."
Wufei nodded and then, turning back to the entourage of wizards, spoke.
"You may come in whenever you wish. If Maxwell ever awakens, we will sort all of this out." Wufei scowled then. "Remember this, we will not hesitate to kill you if you are not who you say you are." And with that cheery message, he walked into the manor.
The others, now more positive that he just might carry through with his threat, all swallowed convulsively before Heero's voice drew their attention.
"Can someone get this thing, he's laying on the box of ammunition." Heero didn't even look up from whatever he was doing to his gun, just waved in the general direction of the trunk. A groan came.
"Thing? I'm insulted! This 'thing' has a name." Heero ignored the comment and, reaching into the trunk, he pulled out a red box, most likely the ammunition. An indignant squawk came from the trunk of the car, which, from the four wizards position, they could not see into.
"Itai! I was using that!" Heero raised an eyebrow, then turned and walked away from the jeep and into the house, paying no heed to the group.
"Erm, Potter? I do believe we should be going inside." It had taken them hours to get to where they were, and it was now approaching lunchtime. Turning to his students, Snape told them to take a look around the front yard while he waited for Harry to bring them into the house. Hermione had given him a questioning look, but had walked away with the others anyway.
"Just a second Snape, Perfect Soldier's ammunition caught on the bindings of my bandages and I need to sort it out." Snape sighed and walked around the jeep to the open trunk.
Coming around to help Duo, Snape found him shirtless, struggling with the bandage around his mid-section. Snape let his gaze linger on his scars for a moment. Duo, catching the look, smiled ruefully.
"I spent a few years on the streets. Bound to get in a fight every once and a while." Snape's eyebrows drew together. Reaching forward, he helped Duo unbind the now slightly torn bandages.
"When you said 'five hundred years old,' you were serious, weren't you?"
"Hai," At Snape's blank look he translated. "It means 'yes' in Japanese. I've sort of picked up words from different languages. Even though the Perfect Soldier doesn't say much, he does add in the occasional Japanese word. I sort of picked it up from him." Snape had taken off the original bandage, getting a good look at the damage for the first time. Duo most likely had a hairline fracture, bruising showing up on his lower left side.
"The 'Perfect Soldier' would be Heero, am I correct?" Duo nodded, "You keep strange company Potter." Duo smirked.
"Not much stranger than myself. After all, I'm a five hundred and sixteen year old wizard who has major identity problems. They," Duo nodded in the direction of the large manor, "Think I'm a fifteen year old soldier. And then they," Duo looked over to the three young wizards, "think I'm Harry Potter- a naïve young wizard who just happens to be famous." Duo's face hardened, his lips thinning. "I am not the Harry you once knew. Actually, I'm not sure if there is any of the old Harry in me at all." Duo picked up the bandage new bandage out of the first-aid kit, handing it over to Snape.
"That remains to be seen. You do seem . . . different, but if you're in the middle of this war as you say, their has to be a bit of Potter left in you." Duo chuckled.
"Your humor is one thing I most definitely missed over the years." Snape glanced up.
"Really? I was of the impression that you despised me and my so called jokes."
"Oh, don't get me wrong, I hated you and your idea of a joke. But, I've got a little more perspective on my life since then. And, let's face it, I was too innocent. Didn't know humor when I saw it. I'm not sure if Hermione or Seamus will want to be around me, because if they are expecting a shy, heroic do-gooder, they'll be disappointed. I haven't seen any of you in over five hundred years. You haven't seen me in less than twenty-four hours, from what I'm guessing."
"Yes, it will be rather confusing trying to picture Potter as anything but naïve."
Duo turned rather serious then. "I have killed before. I will continue to kill because it is the only way we may be able to stop this war. I am only telling you this because you were once a Death Eater and later a spy. I'm hoping you understand that I don't enjoy it, but I must do what I have to. Hermione, Seamus, and even Malfoy were sheltered from the war against Voldemort. Voldemort barely let out a peep until the attack in my sixth year. They will have a hard time adjusting to this world, but I am hoping that we will be able to get you back to your own time." Duo paused, glancing down at Snape's bowed head, who was slightly crouched in front of him, fiddling with the bandage.
"I do not wish them to know of everything I have had to do in my life."
Snape looked Duo in the eye. His eyes, darkened to a cobalt blue, were pleading, "I will not mention any of this to them." Finishing up, Snape backed away, letting Duo step down and slip his jacket on, the shirt in his other hand. Taking a calming breath, Duo's whole demeanor changed, taking the hard edge off of his features.
"Well, let's go inside. There's been no one sane to talk to for the past week, what with Justice Boy and the Perfect Soldier around! Well, actually, it could have been worse. I could have been stuck with Trowa and Heero. The silence would have driven me insane!"
Snape, still rather confused as to who some of these people were, followed Duo.
"Hermione, Seamus, Malfoy, come on!" The three turned toward them, then hurried along, falling in step along side them. Hermione came up to stand next to Duo.
"Harry, are you okay?"
"Hai, I'm well, just a bit bruised. The sleep on the way here helped."
Walking into the building, Hermione couldn't help but gasp. It was amazing! And was that- it was! An actual Picasso! Duo, seeing her gaze, smiled.
"Yeah, one of Quatre's sisters decorated this one. From what I've heard, she actually reminds me of you. A real bookworm. Ended up becoming a history major. That piece is practically priceless. Especially considering it is probably around one thousand years old. The louvre, sadly, was destroyed around two hundred years ago, Quatre's great something or another found that painting and kept it in storage of all places! Quatre's sister found it and put it up, recognizing it for what it was."
Sometime during Duo's explanation of the painting, they had arrived at a parlor, large couches littered around surrounded by a few bookcases and a large bay window.
"That is all rather interesting Potter, but where exactly is our Host? You certainly do not own this establishment." Duo found it rather funny, if immature, that Draco was imposing his idea of Harry onto Duo. Then again, neither Malfoy nor any of the others, with the exception of Snape, knew that he was over five-hundred years old and definitely wasn't the boy he had once been.
"Don't make me seriously mad, if you want to live long Malfoy." Duo said in an almost joking matter. Smirking, he bent over the side of the particular armchair he was seated in. A small speaker with many multi colored buttons sat on the table next to him. His brow furrowed, hand hovering over the buttons as if unsure of what to press.
"I think you're looking for the yellow button Duo, for my personal rooms."
"Thanks," the braided boy murmured. Suddenly realizing to whom the voice belonged, Duo looked up. "Quatre!"
In one fluid motion, which must have been painful considering Duo's injuries, Duo was up and had propelled himself across the room. Quatre and Duo exchanged quick man-hugs (you know the kind, hit each other on the back as hard as possible?) before stepping back.
"I do find it kind of disturbing that a pilot of one of the deadliest mobile suits can't remember what button to press on a simple intercom." Quatre's words were softened by the genuine smile on his lips.
"Funny Q. I'll remember that the next time we spar." Quatre winced. Looking down at Duo's midsection, his smile disappeared as he touched the bandage.
"I'm sorry I was unable to get back from our mission on time. If I had, we probably would have been able to send a few of us on reconnaissance first to learn a bit more about the base before breaking in."
Duo turned slightly, addressing the people behind him.
"Oh, man, Quatre loves to blame himself for everything if you let him. Sooner or later, he'll start saying that there's no air in space because he didn't work on it hard enough." Duo turned back to Quatre. "Besides, if we had been given the right information in the first place, the professors would not have even needed three of us to go get the disk."
Quatre didn't seem particularly offended by the jibe. Finally turning towards the wizards who had not even been in his view when he had been in the doorway, Snape noted that Quatre did not seem surprised that they were there.
"Oh yes, before I forget, this is Quatre Winner. He's the owner of this massive slab of cement. If you have problems with the room service, Malfoy, take it up with him." Duo turned and walked back over to the intercom. Draco frowned, but kept his mouth shut.
"Blue is the gym, right?"
"Yes." Duo pressed on the blue button.
"Clown Boy, come up to the first floor parlor. Get Wufei on the way, he might be in his room. Out." For a second static came over the line, then a clear voice answered back, "Okay."
"A man of few words," Duo said rather dryly before looking over the buttons once again. Finally deciding on the green one, he pressed it.
"Heero-kun, come to the first floor parlor." Static. More static. Duo rolled his eyes and pressed the green button again.
"Yuy, I know for a fact that you don't wear earmuffs in the shooting gallery. Stop ignoring me and come up. I'm not explaining anything more than once! Out." Static, than a grunt that sounded suspiciously like 'baka.'
"Hai. Out."
Duo sighed and sat in the overstuffed armchair. It was usually Quatre's chair and it was common courtesy to give the chair at the head of the room to Quatre, but he had a feeling Quatre wouldn't be sitting down. The pilots were suspicious by nature. Duo himself was convinced that Snape, Hermione, Draco, and Seamus were who they said they were, the evidence just added up. In the past, people might have used Polyjuice Potion or even a Glamour spell, but not now. That knowledge or even the ability wasn't even possible now.
"Hello, as Duo has said, I am Quatre Raberba Winner. Would any of you like something to drink?"
The four wizards glanced at each other before Snape, who had been dying for a cup of tea, spoke first.
"Do you have any Earl Gray?" Hermione and Seamus asked for the same.
"Do you have any pumpkin juice?" Draco asked. Quatre's face showed confusion.
"Don't worry Quatre, just get him Earl Gray also." Draco glared at Duo.
"Potter. Don't be a pompous git. I can order for myself, thank you." Duo smiled, unnerving Draco who had been expecting a rather Gryffindorish retort.
"Quatre doesn't have pumpkin juice. It's not something people regularly drink." Draco frowned before nodding towards Quatre who smiled then turned to the side of the door, where he had been standing. A separate intercom was installed, with three buttons. He pressed the first, most likely the kitchen.
"Hello? May we please have four Earl Grays and," Quatre glanced over at Duo, "One coffee, black." Duo smiled.
On the other line, someone replied that someone would be up shortly. Not a few seconds later, another middle-eastern man, this one thin and tall, came in with a tray of their drinks, handing it to Quatre.
Quatre nodded, "Thank you Shaukat, and give my regards to your wife." The man smiled and nodded before walking out of the room. Quatre handed out all of the drinks before taking his place at the open door leading to the hallway just as Heero, Wufei, and a man with long brown bangs and eyes like Harry's walked into the room.
Trowa stood to the side of Quatre as Wufei took his place by the window seat. Heero came over to Duo, standing directly behind him and watching the wizards shift nervously under his gaze.
~'Blocking all exits'~ Duo thought rather humorously. Snape and Hermione, it seemed, were the only ones besides the pilots who realized the strategetic positions in which the four were in, because they both cast nervous glances around the room. Well, Hermione did, Snape just watched it all in an almost clinically interested sort of way.
Severus thought it amazing that these young men were so war hardened. Despite Quatre's good-natured personality, and Potter's dark but none-the- less humorous facade, they were, by definition, soldiers. And damn good ones if this was any indication.
~'Battle formation over tea, how quaint.'~
Duo finally spoke up from his armchair.
"Well, I guess I have some explaining to do."
~~~~~~~~~~
Authors Notes: muwahhhhhhahahah! The cliffhanger that spanned three chapters! Well, never fear, next chapter we will *finally* get stuff answered. Anyways, if you didn't read above, I'm having a little contest.
Oh yes! And there are a few quotes, or at least variations of the quotes, in this chapter. I got the quotes off of [http://www.angelfire.com/gundam/altuniverse/index1.html]. I'm having a sort of contest. If you find all of them, then you get the next chapter sent to you a day before it's posted. Just copy and paste all of the quotes onto an e-mail and send it to [CherryStain@hotmail.com].
Editor's Note 1: Rasid (pronounced rah-SHEED) is the leader of the Maganacs and a servant of Quatre Winner. The spelling of the name comes from the Gundam Wing manga series; story by Hajime Yadate & Yoshiyuki Tomino, art by Koichi Tokita.
Thanks to those who reviewed:
Demia (Here's more (), ~Mary~ (yeah, ff.net was going wacky for a few days, but it's better now luckily. Sadly, you'll have to wait a bit for their reactions- at least till I get a mobile suit fight into the story, somewhere around chapter seven or eight I think), ~F~ (Hey! Yeah, I'm not so sure about Relena/ 01, because they're just *too* different. And they both feel strongly about opposite things. yes, I was going for SS/Duo, and that is what will happen later on, but not for a while. They've got to sort of get used to each other again (), Rebecca (you'll find out in chapter 5, hehehe. It's not what you'll be expecting though), Enchantress (how was chapter two off? Is their anything I should change about it? e-mail me, I don't mind fixing something- I like feedback), J. Lynn, Brimstone (hehe, yup, I love Duo!), Dru, VMR, Shinegami (::smiles:: my regular reviewer, hehe. Spot on, by the way. The Gundam Pilots can be so predictable sometimes (), Semirhage (hey! Yup, their aren't *nearly* enough gw/hp. Yeah, I'm using a lot of Duo's history and incorporating it, but that wont be told for a while at least.)
One more quick message from the writer: go to:
www.geocities.com/gundamgirl_1321/index.html
The site has *adorable* chibi pictures of the Gundam Wing pilots ( check it out!
Anyways, Review!