Arthur Kirkland And the Job

Chapter Three

Harry James Potter was fairly sure he'd been straight up to this point. It wasn't that he suddenly felt attracted to all men. Ron for instance was still completely unattractive to him. But every time the man in front of him looked in his direction Harry's heart did a little flip and his face felt hot. Harry wasn't exactly sure where it was coming from. Sure he'd noted that other males were attractive before, but never like this. Harry wondered if this was how Ginny Weasley felt around him. Harry decided he'd apologize the next time he saw her. This was horrible.

And to make matters worse he was sure Hermione knew. She wasn't being obvious. But in between talking to the man about how Magical Germany post-World War II had faired versus how Muggle Germany post-World War II had faired, she was giving him knowing looks out of the corner of her eye. Harry was just Happy Ron was to busy being convinced the man was Dark to notice Harry's quiet. Their only other companion, introduced via the man as Professor Remus Lupin, though had no opinion. He was too busy sleeping from what the man had told him was a long night. The way he said it though had made Harry suddenly wander exactly how the new Professor and the foreign man knew each other and simultaneously fight a blush at his attractive accent. What was he a girl?

"Something wrong Harry?" Ron questioned snapping Harry back to reality. Damn, Harry really needed to get a hold of himself if his loyal, bit sometimes oblivious, friend noticed it.

"Just a little hungry." Harry lied weakly. Ron nodded sympathetically and offered him his last chocolate frog. Harry accepted the frog and ate it without tasting it. Feeling red eyes on him, Harry looked down focusing on getting through this ride without embarrassing himself. He was almost thankful when Malfoy showed up as a distraction. He'd run off quick enough, not before throwing the man a piercing look though. Harry tried to ignore the fact he hadn't liked it that the man had looked at Malfoy with such interested and hadn't even blinked at Harry. Not that Harry minded. If anything Harry was glad Gilbert Beilschmidt wasn't treating him like the-boy-who-lived. And then the lights went out and Harry met a dementor for the first time.

"Harry! Harry! Are you alright-"

Someone was slapping him. When Harry opened his eyes the first thing he realized was that his mind was clear and he didn't feel overwhelmed. Then he took in everyone else. Ginny was sitting curled in the corner of a seat looking very pale and beside her was the equally white Neville. Hermione and Ron were kneeling beside him. Had he fallen off the seat when he heard the screams? Professor Lupin was watching him with concern. Feeling sick and cold Harry finally realized were Gilbert was. He was laid across the empty side of the compartment seats, asleep and with a look of terror on his face. Harry noted that he could actually look at Gilbert's face now and wondered what had overcome him before.

"What happened? Who screamed?" Harry questioned, but despite his worry over someone possibly being hurt he was more concerned on what had been going on earlier. Had he been under some spell. He couldn't stop throwing Gilbert a suscpious glance.

"Nobody screamed." Hermione said her brown eyes watching him wide and worried. Harry stared at her. He'd heard the woman. Hadn't he? He threw Gilbert another look. That thing that had come in had done something to him while he'd been under some weird spell. Harry was fairly sure it was a spell now. Maybe they'd caused him to hallucinate?

A loud snap made him jump and look up. Lupin had broken off some chocolate from an enormous slap. Lupin quickly began passing pieces amongst them, but gave Harry the biggest one. Lupin quickly folded the remaining chocolate in its foil and laid it down beside Gilbert.

"What was that thing?" Harry asked before he realized what he was doing.

"A dementor searching for Sirius Black." Lupin told them calmly and frowned when he saw Harry hadn't eaten the chocolate. "Eat it all off you it'll help. I need to speak to the driver." The man's pale eyes focused on Gilbert. "Make sure he eats the chocolate when he wakes."

With this the man disappeared into the corridor. Harry ate his chocolate, surprised by how much better he did feel while doing it, and listened to what happen. His insides went cold when he realized only he and Gilbert had reacted so strongly to it, but it made him wonder. What did he have in common with the German man? Looking up at him again he noted the man was moving. Jerking up Harry moved over to him, Hermione followed close behind. Harry wanted answers. He was almost sure that Gilbert was behind whatever had happened. But when he heard Gilbert speak he couldn't bring up his anger.

"Ludwig." The name seemed to be ripped from somewhere deep within the man. Somewhere twisted and pained. The compartment went silent as they all leaned foreword to hear what he'd say. The man jerked in his sleep and what looked like anger crossed his face.

"Rusland." The man hissed his face twisting up and voice filled with hate. Harry looked at Hermione to see if she knew what it meant. The girl's face was watching intently, but looked like she was thinking about something very hard.

"Russia." Hermione finally said, Harry turned back assuming that was her translation.

The next time he spoke it sound worse than anything else he'd said. It was painful to hear him say it. And Harry almost didn't. "I'm sorry Matthew." Gilbert whispered his face looking as if he was being burned. Harry couldn't stand it anymore and grabbed Gilbert's shoulders, he didn't care rather he'd used some creepy lust charm or whatever on him anymore, and shook.

Gilbert's eyes popped open, brilliantly and disturbingly red and focused dazed on Hermione and him. He looked confused at the sight.

"Roderich? Lizzie?"

…

Prussia had never truly hated himself until that moment. During the battle he was supposed to protect Holy Rome. He was not supposed to leave he's little brother's side. He wasn't supposed to feel him. He wasn't supposed to find this. Holy Rome wasn't moving and Prussia couldn't breathe. The boy just laid there on the ground his chest motionless. Prussia fell to his knees. No. No. No. NO! His brother couldn't be dead. His annoying, bossy, little brother couldn't be dead. Prussia hadn't meant it all those times he'd wished he was gone. He hadn't meant any of it. Kill Prussia destroy his Kingdom. But don't take his brother. No. No. No.

"Ludwig." Prussia sobbed gathering the little boy in his arms. Prussia's heart shattered as he sobbed clinging to the little boy's body as if, if Prussia held on long enough he'd come back…

Prussia looked across the room at Germany and felt a chill go down his spine. The war was over today. They'd lost, but Germany still looked the same. Prussia couldn't ignore it any longer. He'd seen the camps. He'd seen the bodies. Prussia had helped this, supported this even. Prussia's body went numb as he took in the complete coldness of his brother's appearance. He'd failed. Forget any power this war could have brought. Forget any help Herr Hitler had been in the beginning. Prussia had failed Germany. He'd failed Ludwig again. He'd done worse than killed him. He'd turned his little brother into a monster.

Prussia collapsed outside the room and for the first time in years let himself cry in public. He was really gone. Old Fritz. The greatest ruler Prussia had ever known was dead. Prussia sobbed at the loss he felt as bitterly as any other blow had ever been.

Prussia felt a shiver of fear go down his spine, but didn't look up when the door was opened. He refused to react and give him any satisfaction. Prussia's stomach turned over as the footsteps grew closer. He wasn't saying anything. That wasn't right. He always mocked Prussia except… Prussia couldn't truly repress a shiver of horror. It had only happened once, he'd been cursing at Russia after the traditional hitting around and the man had tried something new as punishment. Prussia bit his lip trying to breathe through his nose to calm himself. He couldn't think of that otherwise he'd throw up. It wouldn't happen again, Prussia told himself wildly, but his heart fluttered harder with each step taken. Prussia had been good this week, he'd done the jobs he'd asked with little complaining. He hadn't even screamed earlier when his arm was broken. Prussia froze when a hand gently cupped his cheek. Warm breathe brushed against his face. "Kaliningrad."

It was a beautiful day, the sky was blue, the air was pleasantly crisp, and the mountain was beautifully covered with snow. Hearing the laughs of the other's on the slope Prussia turned to grin and Canada, who smiled shyly in return. Prussia felt his heart give a wonderfully painful squeeze—

No not this.

—Prussia paused when he noted something was off on his gentle friend's face. He took a step close to the blonde boy and lifted his face with a finger under the boy's chin. Canada jumped looking surprised. He grinned sheepishly. "Come on tell the awesome me what's wrong."

Stop I don't want to see this.

Canada hesitated looking, down but Prussia prodded again. Finally he looked up at him entirely serious. "Gilbert there's something I need to say." Prussia smiled, though he sensed something was serious. He leaned closer to hear his friend's quiet voice better. "You can tell me whatever you want Mattie."

Don't say it. Walk away.

"Gilbert-"

No.

"-I-"

No.

"-love-"

No, please. Don't. Mattie!

"-you."

NO!

Prussia froze and looked at the hopeful terror in those beautiful purple eyes. He pulled on a mask of indifference. "Sorry I'm not the love kind of guy." The expression of shattering pain was only there for a second before it was covered by a small smile. "It's alright. Let's forget I said something." Prussia wouldn't though. He could never forget or how that pain made him bleed on the inside and made him want to die slowly for putting it there, no matter how necessary he though it was.

…

Prussia opened his eyes to someone shaking him. Slowly he focused on who that someone was. It was two somebodies actually. "Roderich? Lizzie?"

Why were they here? And where exactly was here? Prussia couldn't remember anything. That was terrifying enough, but if Hungary and Austria were here that meant something bad had happened. And since Prussia felt alright, well a little weak, but not to bad, that meant something bad had happened to someone else. Prussia's heart jumped into his throat.

"Ludwig! Where's Ludwig?" he demanded trying to get up only to fall back down. Hungary grabbed his shoulders, uncharacteristically kind, and gently helped him sit up. That made Prussia distinctly terrified. Hungary was not kind and gentle to him. Ever.

"Where's my brother damn it?" he snarled and turned to look into Austria's green eyes. Wait green? Prussia blinked and leaned back to take Austria in. He was younger and his hair was messy. And what the hell had happened to Mariazell? Prussia looked at Hungary. She was a lot younger too and her eyes were brown instead of green. Suddenly Prussia realized these two weren't nations. He went back over what he'd said in panic trying to remember if he'd given away anything. His heart calmed when he realized he'd used human names. He was pretty damn lucky, but he still didn't know where he was.

Looking around he realized he was on a train and the compartment he was in was filled with kids. The girl who was not-Hungary and the boy who was not-Austria shared a look and seemed to decide something. The girl let him go and bent to pick something up. Prussia stiffened until he realized it was a chocolate bar.

"The Professor said to make sure you ate it when you woke up." The girl said quietly in English. Prussia calmed completely at that. He'd spoke in German earlier so he doubted they'd understood anything. Then the door opened and Lupin walked in. Suddenly everything came back to him. Prussia looked down feeling mildly horrified that he'd collapsed in front of these children. He ignored the curious looks and took a bite of the chocolate. The rest of the train ride was quiet. Prussia allowed Lupin to help him into the carriages drawn by some odd skeletal horses. When they made it to the castle Prussia only had the chance to take in Lupin's shocked face when the black haired old lady said Dumbledore wasn't expecting anyone before everything went black again.