Moony was… Moony was not happy.
He was so not happy that he wasn't speaking.
They had already decided that Har-Xanxus had probably taken Hermione back to the place where they found him.
Sirius really wanted to go over there.
He would risk a repeat of the first time.
Literally anywhere was better than being stuck in Grimmuald Place.
Molly was screeching, Kingsley was pacing, and Moony was… Moony wasn't really doing anything.
"We have to find her!"
"She went with him willingly!" he heard himself snap.
"She's just a girl! He coerced her!"
"She's a grown woman, Molly! And you bloody well know, that no one can coerce Hermione Jean Granger."
Moony just growled at the woman and turned to leave.
"Where are we going?" it was a given at this point, where one went the other followed.
"Going to find out what the hell is going on"
….
"What can you speak other than English?"
It had been about a week since she had arrived at the compound and while she had already begun physically training with Lussaria – the man was a slave driver but she had never been happier – she was just now meeting the individual who would help her balance flames with magic.
"I have Latin down pat, I know enough Gaelic to cast, and my French is passible. No Italian, unfortunately."
The person in front of her was about the size of an eight year old and was of undeterminable gender – she cared for neither of these things, she just wanted to get on with the lesson.
They dismissed the answer with a wave, "Someone else can deal with that."
"Normally I charge for my services. However, what I have observed of you has me intrigued."
A great pressure filled the room trying to force her into submission.
She instinctually rebelled.
She could feel her magic growing and spreading to consume the enemy.
Suddenly, the force retracted allowing her magic to take over. Moments later, after her magic was sure the threat was neutralized, she hesitantly relaxed.
"Do you understand what just happened?"
She shook her head.
"Clouds are territorial by nature. Be it of people or land. They naturally push boundaries and challenge those who oppose them.
"Your magic alone is not stronger than mine.
They continued before she could speak.
"The addition of your Flames supplements for any magic you may require.
"The main principle of Cloud Flames is propagation.
"Some Clouds use this to strengthen their bodies making this more resilient during battle.
"You, however, unconsciously feed your flames into your core allowing your magic to expand exponentially."
Her eyes were thoughtful.
It all made sense.
When she first entered the magical world, she has assumed that it was natural to be able to cast spell after spell without tiring.
Then – after some reading – she had determined that she must just have a larger core than her peers. This would account for her success rate with the curriculum.
In the later years, she compared her core to Sirius and then Remus as they were two of the strongest fighters she knew and only determined that their cores were larger than hers but didn't answer why they could only fight for so long before exhausting.
It was a problem she had never had.
She had always been able to fight until the end no matter the length.
"I may be an illusionist, but I know magic and I know flames.
"I will teach you how to use your flames to strengthen your body as well as your magic.
"Give me three months and you'll be up to Varia Standard."
….
"We've given him a week. Besides, he's expecting us anyway.
"And we both know he would rather see us than Nono."
"Who are you trying to convince?
"You already know I want to go.
"Besides, we already agreed we needed to check up on him."
Takeshi smiled amicably.
It was too late for Tsuna to change his mind.
They were already at the gates.
"He's not going to be happy."
"Probably not."
He got out of the car and held the door open for the boss.
….
The boss was ignoring work and sleeping at his desk – business as usual.
And Squalo was forging his signature on the necessary documents.
Someone knocked on the door and the boss didn't even stir.
He was suspicious though, anyone who was allowed to see the boss just forced their way in – even if the door was rightfully locked.
The knock repeated – louder this time – before the door slowly opened.
"Excuse me," came a voice that was both familiar and British.
The boss was still asleep.
"You realize, you can just come in?
"No one knocks anymore."
"If the door had been open, I would have."
Finally.
Finally.
Squalo had been waiting years to find someone who understood the purpose of doors.
Without a word she settled herself on the couch next to him and while closing her eyes she propped herself on the armrest.
"Hm."
"What?" he looked at her out of the corer of his eye.
"We have visitors."
"How do you know?"
She yawned, "I'm bloody good at Arithmacy and Ancient Runes so Mammon connected me to the wards."
"How many?" asked the boss without opening his eyes.
"Two but they're non-hostile. The wards welcomed them."
The boss looked at him and he nodded and stood.
"Must be the brat."
….
Despite his general anxiety of going into a den of murderers – something Takeshi had always seemed to lack – his intuition had told him to wait until now to visit Varia HQ.
If he had his way he would always send a delegate in his place – namely Ryohei who got along with most everyone.
They let themselves into the mansion, as per usual, Takeshi smiling as he took the lead.
He cringed when Takeshi barged through the doors of Xanxus' office with a smile on his face and not a care in the world.
"See, no one knocks. Even the ones who should know better."
He sighed and straightened his lapels. He paused before he entered the room.
That must be why his intuition was screaming.
He flared his Flames and slipped into what was annoying referred to as his "Boss Mode" – honestly, a guy becomes respectable and it's attributed to a new persona.
And in English he spoke.
"Since when do you have a Cloud Guardian, Xanxus?
"And a human one at that."
...
He was powerful, whoever he was. Even more so than Xanxus.
And his Flames were so incredibly pure.
She hadn't quite known what to think when a tall Japanese teenager in a suit burst into the office with the flash of a gun tucked into his waist band and what was possibly a sword slung over his back.
Then she was positively overcome by the intensity of the Flames that came off of the one who followed him.
"I mean, only you could make something out of getting yourself kidnapped."
The boss just growled.
"I do hope you know that Nonno was distraught. Everyone was looking for you."
"If you were so damn concerned, why the hell didn't you stop by earlier."
She watched the exchange with lidded eyes.
"And draw back your Flames, you brat. You're going to get the whole manor Flame drunk."
Squalo chuckled seemingly unaffected.
She had thought it was the second teenager that was the cause of her lack of energy but it was the tall teenager that looked to the one behind him and when he nodded, her thoughts were cleared.
She immediately found herself visually searching for weapons on the other one.
His suit was slim so no guns or knives. But he wore fingerless leather gloves with golden crests on the backs and on his left hand he wore two rings connected by a chain.
"Sorry about that," the tall one apologized to her. "I needed to ensure you wouldn't harm the boss. Newly bonded Clouds are volatile for the first bit until everything settles," his English was accented but not terribly.
She just narrowed her eyes and nodded.
"It wasn't time," the other one commented offhandedly. "And now I know why."
She didn't understand the answer but the boss just nodded in understanding.
….
It was a good trick the Tsunayoshi played; flaring his flames so that his guardian could sedate the Cloud without her notice.
It wasn't the first time Squalo had seen the trick, he had seen the sword brat use it to calm his fellow Guardians and, he knew, Fredrico and his Rain had used it on Xanxus when he was a kid.
Squalo had always thought it would be great in combat but he knew the brat's guardians would never let the Tsunayoshi use himself as a target.
He had watched the Cloud visually check the brats over for weapons before settling into a look of poorly hidden confusion and frustration at not knowing the situation.
Well, since the boss wasn't going to help...
"The tall one is Takeshi Yamamoto, Rain Guardian."
He cut in before the conversation could continue.
"And the Sky is Tsunayoshi Sawada, Vongola Decimo."
He could tell she was skeptical but she had felt the strength and purity of his Flames and that was something one couldn't deny.
"How does someone like you become the head of the most powerful Famiglia in Italy?"
The brat chuckled weakly and made an aborted movement to rub the back of his head.
"It wasn't intentional and it's a long story. Besides, while I'm Nono's official heir, I won't take over the Famiglia until next year."
He turned to the boss, "We need to know the events of your capture as well as the factions involved.
"No flames were detected and the cameras went out the moment you disappeared. However, a man in robes was spotted speaking with you prior to several similarly dressed individuals.
"Thanks to several sources outside of the Famiglia, we have suspects. The problem being, how they are connected to you."
The boss sat back and crossed his arms, "What do you think you know, brat?"
"Byakuran, as well as Yuni, have come to the conclusion that you were abducted by magic users and while this knowledge is yet to reach Nono's ears, we are inclined to believe them."
The boss dug his nails into the arm of his chair and scowled deeply.
The brat seemed to cross the room in a single stride and was practically leaning against the boss' desk.
This time he spoke in a soft yet commanding tone.
"I will not pry into your past or the past of your new Guardian. I will, however, say this:
"If there comes a time that you are in need of assistance, all you need to do is ask and I will bring the full force of our Famiglia down on your enemies. Take that as you will."
He nodded and with a smile to the Cloud, he left. His Rain gave a wave and followed.
….
Hermione wasn't sure what she was supposed to be doing.
The boss was obviously upset but she had never been good with emotions – hers or others – and she honestly didn't know the boss well enough to try to comfort him.
So when Squalo stood and walked over to the boss with tendrils of his Flames surrounding him, she took that as her cue to leave.
Quietly shutting the door behind her, she sighed.
"There is only one person in the world who can affect the boss like that," Lussaria spoke from where he was leaning against the wall beside the door.
"It's part of the reason he rarely visits the manor."
This was wrong.
Powerful people were never kind. But Tsunayoshi was easily the most powerful person in the manor and he seemed so kind. It didn't make sense.
"People don't just say things like that! How – How could he say something like that? How can he mean it?"
"Since the first time they met, Tsunayoshi has been both his greatest advisory and his greatest advocate,"
People with power were supposed to be manipulative and cruel and self-serving. But Tsunayoshi just declared his support for a man with no apparent care for him and seemingly asked for nothing in return.
She didn't understand.
#
In the early years, she found herself cursing Harry Potter.
She was bitter and spiteful.
If he hadn't disappeared maybe Voldemort wouldn't have risen.
Hundreds of lives could have possibly been saved.
After Harry had disappeared, Dumbledore put all his efforts into training Neville and when he was killed the year the Dark Lord rose, he took Ron under his wing and trained not his magic but his mind.
In the beginning years of the war, while they still fought back, he made a place for himself within the Order's inner circle and she became his most reliable fighter.
But Ron was killed three years into the war.
And then, Dumbledore turned his eyes on her.
He had promised to watch over her family in exchange for her undying loyalty.
Then her family was attacked and she had them obliviated.
He never even knew and she never told him.
Powerful people were never kind.
But maybe Tsunayoshi….
….
Lussuria watched the girl as she suddenly stilled.
Then, she took off down the hallway and with a glance back at the doors he chased after her.
She stopped at the front entrance where the doors were propped open.
He felt her Flames before he found her and when he found her, he saw the young Decimo's Rain Guardian standing with his gun drawn and pointed at their new Cloud.
The young Decimo was half in the car looking shocked.
"Stand down," the Guardian's voice was firm and laced with his Flames.
"What do you want from him?!" she her wand was suddenly in her hand.
She took a step towards them.
The Tsunayoshi stepped fully out of the vehicle and place a hand on his Guardian's back and spoke something inaudible that resulted in his Guardian narrowing his eyes and lowering his weapon.
"What do you want from him?" he asked. "For what reason have you tied yourself to him?"
He began walking towards her, "Do you follow him for his power, for his rage?
"Or do you follow him for his position?
"Clouds do not tie themselves down without just cause."
Tsunayoshi's voice was hard and his face was firm.
Hermione's arm began to shake and he didn't know if it were in anger or fear or sorrow.
"Or," he stopped with her wand pressed against his chest,
"Do you follow him because you know that he will provide you with the freedom you crave without stipulation?
He could imagine – by the way her shoulders shook – that their new Cloud was crying.
The young Vongola's face grew soft and his voice gentle.
"All I want from Xanxus is for him to acknowledge that he is a welcome member of not only the Famiglia but our family as well. A family in which you now belong."
Tsunayoshi smiled softly and place a hand on her cheek,
"You have been burned by those in power and I don't expect you to trust me,
"But know that just like Xanxus and just like your fellow Guardians, if it comes down to it, I will protect you as my own."
Lussuria caught the young Vongola's eye and nodded.
He came up beside Hermione and pulled her into a hug.
"I will be sending Shamal to build her file."
And then with a wave and an exasperated yet fond look from his Guardian, the pair left.
"How is he real?" she asked between sobs.
He just tightened his arms around her.