Keira smiled as she watched Narcissa and Lily talk about wedding dresses and flowers. She wasn't as knowledgeable about the current wizarding fashions; being out of the loop for just over a year did that to people.
Lily was wanting a muggle wedding dress but Narcissa was insisting upon a wizarding one.
"Why not just go to Madame Malkin and get a custom made one? It can be a mixture of wizard and muggle. I'm sure you three could figure something out together." Keira suggested, sighing, "Besides, the bridesmaid dresses still need to be chosen."
"Of course! That's brilliant, Keira!" Narcissa said, smiling, "That could easily be accomplished. The muggle dresses aren't horrible but this is supposed to be a traditional wizarding wedding. If we use the wizarding dresses as a base then add the muggle on top of it then I'm sure we could come up with something! Now, what about colors? We still need the colors for the bridesmaid dresses, along with the style. As Keira said, we haven't even started with those!"
"I was thinking maybe a crème color? Something off white so that we could have an added ribbon of color or something." Lily explained.
"Crème is such a common bridesmaid dress color though!" Narcissa stated, "What about a lighter green with the crème band? That way the crème will still be incorporated into it all but not the overall color."
"Maybe a mint color? It's pretty light." Keira suggested.
"Oh! Mint with a crème band and white shoes!" Lily said, grabbing Keira's hand, "Thank you!"
"That would look great," Narcissa said, clapping, "And the men could wear black dress robes with a mint vest and crème shirt and ascot!"
"That would be fantastic," Lily exclaimed, "Of course, Keira's boyfriend would wear a suit instead, he'd kick up a fuss if he had to wear formal robes."
"If I asked him to, he'd wear them." Keira said, smiling, "But I'm sure he wouldn't have a problem with wearing it after he sees what it looks like. It's not much different than his suits."
"True, but it tends to have that very low dipping vest and I'm not sure how that would look on him." Lily said, frowning.
"Lily, it's your wedding. I'm sure that he'd wear whatever you wanted him to wear." Keira said, laying her hand on Lily's shoulder, "Really, don't worry about it."
"If you insist." Lily muttered.
"Keira, I didn't know that you had a boyfriend. When did this happen?" Narcissa asked.
"A few days ago, actually." Keira said, blushing, "We've known of each other for about a year now but we never really talked until here recently and we started dating. He was wanting to repay me for assisting him with something when he needed help so he took me to dinner."
"Really? What's his name?" Narcissa asked, "Is he a wizard? Or a muggle?"
"He's a muggle, and he's really very sweet, though not many get to see it." Keira said, laughing.
"Keira!"
+The trio looked over to see James and Sirius running towards them.
"James, Sirius? What are you two doing? I thought you had to be at work five minutes ago." Lily said.
"Hide us!" Sirius yelled, hunkering down behind Keira while James hid behind Lily.
"What are you two talking about? Why should we hide you?" Keira asked, frowning.
"Chaos."
Keira looked up to see Renato standing there, glaring at Sirius and James. "Renato! I thought you were staying at the house today?"
"I was, until these two morons decided they were bored and wished to prank me." Renato bit out, a dark aura pouring off of him, causing many of the shoppers to run into stores to get away from it and Narcissa to hunker back.
"They pranked you? How?" Keira asked, astonished.
"They hexed my coffee."
Keira looked back at Sirius and James, "Why the coffee?"
"We were bored and James said he hadn't managed to prank him yet and you know we prank everyone to welcome them into the family and it seemed like a good idea until he tried to kill us! It'll wear off in an hour!" Sirius cried, ducking back behind Keira when Renato's glare targeted him.
"But why the coffee? You saw how he was about it."
"It was James' idea!"
"It's the only thing other than you that he hovers around so we knew he'd go to it eventually. We just thought that he'd do it when we weren't around..." James defended.
"Siri, James," Keira sighed, exasperated at the two, "Go away. Renato, don't kill them, I'll help you get some payback before we leave. Now, since you're here, why don't you sit with us?"
Renato sighed and took a seat, still angry at the pair who were running with their tails between their legs.
"What did they do exactly?" Lily asked, unsure if she wanted to know.
Renato stared at her for a few moments, making her shift in her seat from the intensity, before taking his fedora off to reveal a pair of soft black cat-like ear. "They gave me cat ears." He growled, "I hate cats."
Keira smiled and reached out to touch them, laughing when they twitched and Renato glared at her, obviously annoyed, "They're adorable though!"
"I don't do adorable, Keira." He growled, tugging his hat back on.
"Awe, but you do right now." She responded, a cheeky smile on her face.
Renato looked back at Lily, "Any way you can get rid of them?"
Lily nodded, "Yes, it's pretty simple to remove because it wears off so quickly, but it can be removed by a simple finite." She pointed her wand and said the incantation, not missing the way Renato tensed up, until he felt the ears melt away from the top of his head.
"Thank you, Lily. Now," He looked at Narcissa, "Who is this?"
"Narcissa Malfoy nee Black, pleasure to meet you." Narcissa said, smiling.
"Renato Angelo, a pleasure to meet you as well." Renato replied, tipping his fedora.
Now that introductions were finished, the women went back to the wedding plans while Renato watched the wizards and witches passing by. The entire time though, Keira had her hand placed lightly on Renato's thigh and a smile on her face.
XXXXX
Going back to Marsala after spending a few days with Lily and James was disappointing. While Keira had missed home, she had missed her brother and friends more.
Luckily though, they had the portkeys and Renato had moved into the spare bedroom; and wasn't that an experience.
They were both used to living alone and going from that to living with someone was a bit of a hassle. He tended to sleep till five and she woke up around four. He was a light sleeper, she was a deep sleeper. He tended to wake up when she was getting ready and she fell asleep later because they would talk until late at night.
It was a struggle and they tended to argue a lot the first few days but they soon found a rhythm that worked.
By the end of May they were bickering about things like an old married couple; Amelia's words, not hers.
The situation was strange, but it was working for them, and that's all that mattered.
XXXXX
"You will not believe what happened." Keira said as she walked into the apartment one day.
Renato looked up from the book he was reading on their couch and raised a brow, "What?"
"Lily and James basically eloped! I received a call from Sirius at the café and he was telling me all about it. Apparently Lily's parents are severely sick and won't be able to attend the wedding so they went to the muggle world and were married there by Remus." Keira said, sitting down on the couch beside Renato, "So they're going to do the bonding ceremony instead of the wedding but will still have the reception. The bonding ceremony is much shorter, though it's more thorough." She paused and pressed a finger to her lips in thought, "Though I suppose it would work out better in the end. Typically, a wizarding wedding and bonding lasts a good six hours, that's with the reception added into it. The wedding left out would make it only three hours because the congrats could be given at the reception and it wouldn't need to start as early since we could easily just place everything up; no need to worry about muggles at the bonding so the reception could be set up at the same time and that would automatically cut off two hours and a normal wedding ceremony takes an hour with pictures. Since it'll just be the bonding everything would move much faster and we'd only have to worry about muggles at the reception."
Renato glanced down at her, "Not that I doubt you, but would it really be much better if the time was cut down like that?"
"Of course!" Keira said, "The shorter time would allow more people to come and it would also be more secure as not a lot of aurors can take six hours off to attend a wedding. With it only being about three hours, we'll be able to have more aurors show up which means it would be less likely to be raided by Death Eaters. Though, with you being there, Death Eaters wouldn't be a problem in the first place. You'd be able to take them out pretty quickly.
"Though having so many aurors around, them knowing that you are Reborn would be an issue, mainly as they'll want to ask you about nearly everything under the sun. A lot of the people who joined the aurors have a weird sense of justice and there are a few who are thinking of becoming hit wizards. It's amusing because most of the hit wizards are illegal so becoming an official one like they're trying to do is a pain." She looked up at him, "To be honest you probably made Sirius want to become one. He's always had an interest in it but he didn't want to put forth all the work to do it, mainly because he's from what's considered a dark family so it would be more difficult for him to actually become one. You have to pass a lot of tests on mentality and your bias towards things as well as your ability to cope with certain things. You have to have neutral magic and, while it is possible to change your magic type, it's much more difficult than it sounds."
"I didn't think it was possible to change your magic." Renato said, leaning forward to place his book on the coffee table before pulling Keira to his side, "I assumed it was much like flames, you have a certain one and you're stuck with it."
"No, magic tends to go with how you are throughout life. Children are born with a type of blank magic, it's just pure and clean. It's neither good or bad, nor is it neutral. As you grow up what you do is reflected on your magic. People who tend to do more good in life have light magic and those who do more bad in life have dark magic. It also goes with what people have cast and what they grow up around. It locks in typically around the age of thirty. Sirius has more dark magic because the Black family is considered a dark family and his family raised him around the dark magics but his magic has always struggled to the light. He'd have to do a lot of good and release a lot of his anger to get his magic neutral and he'd have to keep that disposition until he was thirty. James and Lily have light magic while Remus has dark."
"Remus has dark magic? How?"
"Well, he's a werewolf. For him to have that blood tainted his magic. He'll always be considered a dark creature. He's one of the least dark people I know but it's part of his heritage sadly. For him, switching his magic would be like you or I trying to change our flames to something else. It's not something that can be done." She sighed, "He's discriminated for it and it's sad but it's how the wizarding world is. Those with light magic are able to cast light magic spells easier, like the patronus charm, while those with dark magic can cast dark spells, like the cruciatus curse, easier. Neutral magic users are able to cast most spells with the same difficulty. They could cast the cruciatus as easily as the patronus. They're considered dangerous which is why they're the only ones considered for the hit wizard job. Most hit wizards don't last longer than three years.
"Mad-Eye Moody was considered the best hit wizard and he only lasted five years. You being a hitman for almost ten years is unheard of in the wizarding world. I wouldn't be surprised if you were mobbed the moment you stepped foot into the building. At least you have until the end of June to prepare for the mob." Keira said with a grin.
Renato rolled his eyes, "I doubt that people will flock to me. You did say that most of the people hate muggles in the wizarding world."
"Yes, but anyone coming to James and Lily's wedding won't have that bias clouding them. They won't care that you're a muggle. Don't worry though, I'll introduce you to Mad-eye, that should keep most of the aurors away. He doesn't care for crowding."
"...Really? Is that why he became a hit wizard, to kill the people who crowded him?"
"You know, I'm not really sure. It's strange though, he's one of the best trainers for the aurors now but he doesn't like crowds. How he manages to handle the trainees, I have no idea."
Renato hummed and started running a hand through Keira's hair, "That reminds me, my mamma has invited us to dinner this Sunday."
Keira frowned, "I never really asked you much about your family. How did she even know you were dating? You said she invited us."
"Ah, she doesn't know we're dating. Mamma always makes a lot of food so when she called and told me to come to Sunday dinner, I decided to bring you. It's not uncommon for Italians to bring their dates home. Typically, it could be considered a first date to meet the family. With us being betrothed already it could be a problem but I don't believe it will be." He paused and frowned, "Though she will be upset that I have a fidanzata. It's important that she likes you. Though if she is told that you are my anima gemella then she will likely accept you, but I would prefer she like you before finding out. The good thing is that you can cook so that should earn points to winning her favor.
"She has stepped back since I am technically the head of the family now. She doesn't treat me the same as my brothers and sister in public but she still has certain expectations towards who I date and such."
"Really? Is it sort of like the arranged marriage situation?"
"No. Mamma just wants what she thinks is best for her children. It's common for Italian women and, unfortunately, my brother Nero is a mammoni, a mama's boy. He's the second born, two years younger than me. He was sickly when growing up and, though he's gotten over his illness, he still trails after mamma."
"Oh? What about your other siblings?"
"Leonello and Icaro are three years younger than me and they're twins. They were the troublemakers and I typically pulled them out of trouble whenever I could. I also taught them as much as I could since papa and mamma tended to ignore them; papa because he had no interest in any of us kids and mamma because Nero was in and out of the hospital a lot. They're the reason I became a hitman. They ended up causing a turf war and I ended up killing one of the bosses to protect them. Had it not been for my tutor, I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to get this far. I got rid of both gangs within a month after that first kill. Ended up earning a pretty penny from taking care of them and that's what made me initially start taking jobs.
"Cecilia is my little sister." Renato continued, rolling his eyes, "You'll have a problem with her I'm positive. She's the youngest at eighteen. She's the baby of the family and was doted on by everyone. The only issue is that she has a... I suppose you would call it a big brother complex? She thought that her and I were going to be married when we were younger and while she doesn't want to marry me anymore she has an even higher expectation of the women I date than mamma does. She is also more overprotective than mamma.
"Ever since I had them move from Palermo to Positano it's been an issue with her trying to catch a train or a boat to Marsala just so she can keep an eye on me. While I will admit to not coming home often, it's annoying that she keeps trying to find her way here just to keep an eye on me when she'll just put herself in the target zone."
"Aren't I, technically, in the target zone as well?" Keira asked.
"Yes, you are, but there's a difference. You are trained in fighting, at least to the point where you were able to defend yourself against robbers; don't look at me like that, I heard the story from Richard and Amelia. Cecilia hasn't had to fight at all and would end up hurt while you would be able to at least fight your way out. You also tend to have a few potions on you incase you end up hurt as well. It's more the fact that you can take care of yourself if needed while she can't. Her putting herself in danger just to see me is irresponsible." Renato said, "Anyways, since it's already Friday, we'll have the rest of tonight and a bit of tomorrow to get ready. We'll need to catch a flight to Naples from Palermo then drive to Positano. It'll take about two hours to get to Palermo, an hour on the flight to Naples, then about an hour and a half to drive between Naples and Positano." Renato explained with a sigh.
"I could contact Lily and ask for a portkey to Positano. We already have a portkey that will return us to the apartment. Lily should be able to apparate here to give us the portkey. And since it's not an international one it won't be illegal for her to make it for us." Keira said, "That way we can leave later and we won't have to mess with the travel. Might as well abuse it while we can, right?" She grinned.
Renato chuckled, "Alright, you win. Call her up and ask. We'll also have to find a gift to bring. Since I'm inviting you it would be best to have something."
"I could make tiramisu or amaretto biscotti? I don't think that many other things would hold up to the travel." Keira said, worrying her lip.
"If nothing else we could bring a bottle of wine. I'm sure mamma would enjoy a bottle of Marsala wine. Now, go call Lily. As soon as you get a response I'll book a hotel and we can get a few things packed." Renato said, pulling her lip from between her teeth with his thumb, "And don't chew on your lip, you'll make it bleed with how you're worrying it, amore."
Keira blushed, "Amore? You've never called me that before…"
Renato chuckled, "Yes, well, it has been a few months since we got together and I know that I only wish to spend my days with you so why not call you amore? You are cuore mio."
Keira's face grew redder at that and Renato shook his head in amusement, "Perhaps I should call you fragolina instead? You're starting to look like a little strawberry."
Keira lightly smacked his arm, "Please don't, I'm sure plenty of people will join in on calling me that if you start it. Amelia already calls me micio."
Renato frowned, "Fragolina fits much better. You're nothing like a kitten."
"Oh, but I'm like a strawberry?" Keira said with a brow raised and a smile on her face.
"Of course. For instance, you're small, you tend to turn red, and you're very sweet." Renato said with a wave of his hand, as if brushing his comment off as if it was something one normally would say.
"Luce dei miei occhi, you're really too sweet sometimes. Though I wonder what I should call you now? Perhaps passerotto? That fits you. So does tesorino though, and caramellino." Keira said with an impish grin.
Renato chuckled and shook his head, "Go call Lily, amore."
Keira rolled her eyes and got up from the couch, "Fine, fine, I'll go call," She stepped into the kitchen area and turned around, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "caramellino."
XXXXX
"Are you ready, amore?" Renato asked, placing his small suitcase beside the coffee table.
"Almost! I need to get the biscotti into the container Lily brought. It has a stasis charm on it that should keep it fresh until tomorrow when we arrive." Keira said as she placed the fresh biscotti into the container before grabbing it and rushing into the living room. "I need to grab my bag then I'll be ready!"
Renato chuckled and held up her bag, "I've got it already, amore, don't worry. Come, we should head out. We need to check in and I wanted to take you out to dinner."
Keira smiled at him, "Caro, you are always two steps ahead, aren't you?"
"That is what makes me the world's greatest." Renato said with a cocky smirk, causing Keira to laugh and grab his arm as she activated the portkey.
The uncomfortable feeling of a hook catching the back of the navel and pulling them into a small tube lasted for only a second but it was enough to make Renato sigh in relief when it was over. If not for the fact it would save them about six hours time, he wouldn't have taken the damn thing.
"Oh!"
Renato smirked as he saw Keira looking up at the hotel. "This is the Hotel Poseidon, it's a popular hotel here in Positano and I thought you would appreciate the look and feel of it more so than any other hotel."
Keira turned and smiled at him before standing on her tip toes to kiss his cheek, "It's beautiful! Oh I can't wait to see the view!"
Renato wrapped his arm around her waist and started towards the door, "Then we should hurry and get inside."
XXXXX
The room was beautiful, a junior suite with a fantastic view of Positano from the deck.
Keira looked around the room and admired the color scheme for a few moments before moving towards the deck to look out over everything. After living in Italy for nearly two years now she still couldn't help but to be overcome with the beauty of the country.
She felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her and she looked up to see Renato taking in the sights, "It's beautiful here."
Renato glanced down and smirked, "You haven't seen much other than this view. There's a variety of café's and stores that I'm sure you'd love to see."
Her eyes lit up, "Really?" She looked back at the time, "What time did you want to eat though? I'm not sure when everything closes..."
"Amore, we can come visit anytime you wish if we don't see everything today. Our dinner reservation is at eight so we have a few hours before we need to catch the cab." Renato explained, "It's going to pick us up around seven thirty and seeing how it's near four that will give us three hours to enjoy the town."
Keira smiled, "Fantastic! Let me change shoes then we can leave."
Renato chuckled and went over to the bags, "I'll slip into something less conspicuous so that we don't get as many stares. It's not often people walk around in suits on a day like today."
Keira smiled, "You're going to wear casual clothes?"
"Of course." Renato said, taking out a pair of khaki pants and a white polo.
Keira clapped as she grabbed a pair of comfy walking shoes and slipped them on as she waited for Renato to finish.
As soon as he was done they left the room, locking it behind them, and traveled the streets, stopping at various stores and checking out a few of the café's to see what they had. There was many stores with beautiful beach wear and various others that had amazing china and pottery.
After an hour or so of walking the streets they came upon a gated drive along the side of the road.
"That house is gorgeous." Keira said in awe and Renato had to agree. It was a white stone house that was two stories and had a big garden and a circle drive. It looked out over the sea and was just out of the way of the main roads. "Ah, the people who own it are so lucky..."
Renato nodded and placed an arm around Keira's shoulders, "Are you tired of the apartment, amore?"
"No, not at all, but we can't continue living in an apartment if we plan to raise a family and I've always wanted children and a nice house to live in." Keira said wistfully.
Renato hummed, plans already forming in his mind, as Keira steered them towards the beach. If Keira wanted a nice house then who was he to deny her?
XXXXX
The rest of the night went by quickly for the pair, too quickly. The restaurant was fantastic, just a twenty minute drive from the hotel and up among the hills with a view to die for. The food was good and the wait staff more than willing to help and the wine kept coming.
It was near ten at night when they got back to the hotel, Keira already falling asleep on Renato's shoulder, and he didn't have the heart to wake her up. He gently placed her into bed and took off her shoes before getting ready for bed himself and slipping in beside her.
After all, the next day was going to be a hassle for them both.
XXXXX
"Should I wear the white one or the yellow one?" Keira asked, glancing down at the sundress that she brought and the one she had bought the day before.
"Were you planning on wearing the shawl that you brought?"
"It's more of a shrug, and I was thinking about it."
"Then wear the yellow."
Keira nodded and took the items into the bathroom and changed. She was nervous about meeting Renato's family for the first time and wanted to look her best. It didn't help that her hair wasn't agreeing with her today and had decided to become a mess of curls once again.
She sighed as she tried to brush it out to no avail before grabbing a clip and clipping it back away from her face. "Renato?" She stepped out of the bathroom and looked over at him, "How do I look?"
Renato looked over her yellow sundress and white shrug combo before looking at her hair and black sandals, "Beautiful." He said, stepping forward and kissing her hand, once again dressed in his signature suit.
Keira blushed and looked down at her feet, "I know you said that your family would love me but I can't help but to worry..."
"Amore, don't worry. They will support my decision, especially after they find out that you are my anima gemella, my soul mate." Renato said, cupping her cheek with his hand, "They will love you, trust me."
Keira looked into his dark brown, nearly black, eyes and smiled, "I trust you."
"Good." Renato said, leaning down to kiss her, "Now, we need to hurry, mamma won't appreciate us being late."
Keira's eyes widened as she looked over at the clock, "Oh no! How long will it take us to get there?"
"From here? Probably a ten minute walk." Renato said, picking up her bag that held the biscotti and the bottle of wine, "We should make it just on time."
Keira nodded and grabbed her sun hat before hooking her arm with Renato's, "Okay, I'm ready."
Renato nodded and they headed out, once again locking the door to their room before leaving the hotel.
XXXXX
"Okay, I know I said I trust you, but I'm nervous." Keira said, worrying her lip as they stepped towards the front door of Renato's family home.
Renato stopped before the door and turned to her, "Keira, do not worry. Your brother said that you were both in the Gryffindor house, yes? That is the house of bravery and courage if I do remember. Stand tall and face this head on, no one here will hurt you."
Keira took a deep breath and nodded, "Alright, I'm ready."
Renato smiled at her before turning back to the door and knocking twice.
It took only a few moments before the door opened, revealing a young man with tan skin and warm brown eyes. His hair was hanging just below his ears and was black. It was easy to see the resemblance between him and Renato.
"Fratellone! You made it just in time!" The man said, smiling widely and stepping out to hug Renato.
"Leonello, good to see you again." Renato said, patting the shorter man's shoulder, "You shot up like a weed."
"It's been a few years since I've seen you, fratellone, I've had another growth spurt. I'm nearly as tall as you now." Leonello said, smirking.
"You still have a ways to go before you're as tall as me, and I doubt you have another growth spurt coming." Renato said, chuckling.
"Hey, I'm only three inches shorter than you! Not everyone can be over six foot!" Leonello said, rolling his eyes and catching sight of Keira for the first time. "Oh? Who is this?"
Keira smiled and waved, "I'm Keira Potter."
Leonello smiled and held out his hand, "Leonello Angelo, nice to meet you."
Renato swatted Leonello's hand out of the air, "None of that bambino."
Leonello glared at Renato who glared right back before pulling Keira to his side, causing Leonello's eyes to widen. "She yours?"
Renato nodded and Leonello grinned before turning around and rushing into the house, "I'm gonna tell mamma!"
Keira laughed as Renato rushed after his brother and stepped into the house, closing the door behind her. The house was of a decent size and a nice warm beige in the entry way. From what she could see the yellow continued down the hall.
She followed the sound of voices down the hall, looking into the rooms that she passed. The living room to the left was done in a nice brown with black furniture and a few green throw pillows and an area rug. The dining room was to the right and it was done in a soft blue with white trim and an oak table and chairs. There were a few people sitting around the table but none of them noticed her.
At the end of the hall it branched off with what seemed like rooms to the left along with what looked like a bathroom, from what she could see through the open door, and the kitchen to the right. That's where most of the sound was coming from so she stepped into the kitchen, her shoes making a soft pat on the linoleum floor.
At the oven there was a short woman with long black hair working away over a few pots and pans while at the island in the middle of the room a young girl was chopping vegetables.
"Um, hello?" Keira said, not wanting to startle anyone.
The woman turned around and Keira was startled to see how much like his mother Renato looked. "Hello, who are you?"
"My name's Keira Potter. I'm sorry for disturbing you but Renato ran off after Leonello so I thought I'd let myself in." Keira said before holding up the bag she had, "I brought this for you. I hope you don't mind my intrusion."
The woman brushed off her hands and walked over to her, taking the bag and looking in.
"Renato said that you'd appreciate a nice bottle of Marsala wine and I thought I'd go ahead and make some biscotti, to apologize about coming without advanced notice." Keira explained.
The woman looked up at Keira and frowned, "You came with Renato?" At Keira's nod the woman chuckled, "He never tells us when he's bringing a friend. I'm Valentina, Renato's mother, and this is Cecilia, his sister. Are you able to cook?"
Keira nodded, "Yes, I like to think I'm pretty decent when it comes to cooking."
Valentina nodded, "Come, you can help me at the stove while Cecilia chops. We have a lot of people to cook for."
XXXXX
Renato was annoyed. Leonello had managed to lead him outside where Nero and Icaro were and it had quickly turned into the twins trying to one up each other and Nero trying to stop everyone from fighting. What had made the twins think they could beat him in a fight, he had no idea. But now Keira had disappeared and dinner was almost ready.
"Where'd your lady friend go, fratellone?" Leonello asked, taking a seat at the table to the left of Renato, who sat at one end.
"I would know had you all not been trying to prove yourselves for some reason outside. We all know I'm the best." Renato said, smirking at Leonello.
"Well, if you're the best, then where's your friend?" Leonello said with a smirk.
"Boys, stop arguing." Valentina said, walking out of the kitchen with her arms laden with food. "Icaro, stop messing with Siena at the table. Nero, help mamma set the table."
Leonello smirked at Icaro across the table who then flipped him the bird when Valentina wasn't looking.
Nero shook his head and followed his mamma into the kitchen to bring things out.
It was a few minutes later when the table was nearly set when Keira walked in with the marsala wine and filled Valentina's glass. "It should be chilled by now, I hope you like it."
"Thank you, cara." Valentina said with a smile.
Keira smiled back and took her seat to the right of Renato and beside Siena.
Valentina looked over the table before holding her hands out to Icaro and Cecilia to begin the prayer. "Il Re dell'eterna gloria ci faccia partecipi della mensa celeste. Amen."
"Amen." Everyone echoed before digging in.
The conversation at the table was warm and open. Everyone was telling stories of their life, from childhood to now, and Keira couldn't help but smile. At one point, she looked over to Renato and her breath caught when she saw the wide, happy smile on his face. Most of the time, though, was spent with her laughing at the families attempts at embarrassing each other in front of the guests.
As everyone finished up and things wound down, Keira could feel the questions in the air. She knew that soon everyone was going to be asking why she was there and she couldn't help but shift in her seat.
"Ti rendiamo grazie, Dio onnipotente, per tutti i tuoi benefici, Tu che vivi e regni nei secoli dei secoli. Amen." Valentina said as the meal finished before everyone started to clean up and head towards the living room.
Once in the living room, they all found a seat and Icaro took a deep breath. "Siena and I are going to be married."
Everyone looked over at Valentina only to see her smiling, "I had assumed so. You two have been together since you were young. I am happy for you piccolino."
Icaro smiled and gripped Siena's hand, looking at her with a goofy expression. "Thank you, mamma. Your approval means everything to us."
There were words of congratulations exchanged from everyone and soon the focus was shifted to Keira.
"So, Keira, was it? What do you do for a living?" Cecilia asked, frowning at the woman.
"Oh, I work in a café back in Marsala. I typically run the register but I am also a barista there." Keira said.
"Is that how you and fratellone met?" Leonello asked.
Keira blushed, "Yes, he has a habit of coming into the café every day if he can. About six months after I found him hurt and helped him and we've been together since."
Valentina frowned and looked over at Renato, "You were hurt?"
"Two bullet wounds, nothing too serious." Renato said, waving it off.
"You almost bled to death, tesoro." Keira muttered.
"You did?" Leonello asked, his eyes darkening, "How'd they get the drop on you?"
"Had a partner this time. They weren't the best, not even decent. Almost got killed and I had to get in there and help them. Would've gotten away without a scratch but the bullets were made with storm flames." Renato said, "But that was months ago, everything's fine now."
"But for them to get the drop on you..." Icaro muttered.
"As I said, it wouldn't have happened had it not been for my partner. He's a distance hitman, not a mid or close range fighter and he was young." Renato said, "He was more suited for a medic than a hitman."
"What was his name?" Valentina asked.
"He called himself Trident Shamal. He's working in a hospital in Palermo now." Renato explained.
"What are your intentions with fratellone?" Cecilia asked, interrupting everyone and glaring at Keira.
Keira frowned, "I -"
"She is my fidanzata." Renato said, raising a brow at Cecilia, "I suppose you do not approve?"
Cecilia looked over at Renato and pouted, "Fratellone, she isn't Sicilian she isn't even Italian!"
"And that matters to no one." Renato said before looking over at Valentina, "Mamma, what do you think of Keira?"
Valentina looked over at Keira for a few moments, "She is nice. No Sicilian, that is true, but she has character and strength, I can tell. I approve of her. I know that she will take good care of you passerotto."
Renato looked over at Keira and smirked, "I told you they would like you, amore."
Keira rolled her eyes and smiled, "Always have to prove me wrong."
"So you two are engaged as well?" Icaro asked with a grin.
"Yes, we've been engaged for nearly three months." Renato said, causing the others to gasp.
"Passerotto, you never told me." Valentina said, frowning.
"I saw no need to tell you over the phone and I've been busy with work. I figured you would want to know in person when I had met my anima gemella." Renato said.
Valentina's eyes widened, "Are you?"
Renato nodded, "Yes, we had the marks appear here recently." He pulled the collar of his shirt away from his neck a bit and there on the side, just above his collar bone, was a splatter of dots that didn't look like anything significant.
"What is it?" Nero asked, looking closer, "It looks like freckles..."
"It is strange that the marking decided to do constellations," Renato said, looking over at Keira, "I blame your family for this one. It's the star pattern for libra and aries. It took a bit before we realized what it was. Keira's brother, Sirius, and his partner have a paw print so the subtle nature of this marking escaped us for a bit. I never saw an interest in astrology but it happens to be one of Keira's hobbies."
Keira rolled her eyes, "I had to take astrology in school and my brother and his family are named after stars so I took an interest."
Valentina smiled, "So you know what he is and what he does?"
Keira nodded, "Of course. It's impossible to miss the mafioso vibe when you're in the know."
"But you know of his dragon heritage as well?" Valentina asked.
"Yes, it's fascinating! Do you know what type because the scales look like nothing I've ever seen before. I figured it was a cross between a hungarian horntail and a european dragon just from the scales and their pattern but that combo is unheard of!" Keira said, eager to know more about it.
"My great grandmother was a child of dragon blood; her mother was a witch born of a pair of hungarian horntails and my great great grandfather was a wizard born of a european dragon. The blood has passed through my family since and Renato was one blessed with the blood and the ability to shift, though not fully." Valentina said.
"Yet." Keira said, smiling, "If Renato is willing, I would gladly help him learn to shift fully. It's difficult by ones self, especially if there's no one who can explain the process."
"You know of a way to teach him?" Valentina asked.
"Yes, and since I already consider you all my family, since Renato and I are going to be married and you already know of the culture, I can inform you that I use to be a witch." Keira said, "The reason that I'm able to teach him is because I managed to become an animagus before I lost my magic. It's a soul form so it's possible for me to retain my form even though I'm no longer able to do magic. I can teach him the way I would teach any other person how to become an animagus. It should be fairly simple since I know the process personally."
"It's possible to lose your magic?" Nero asked, looking over at Leonello, who seemed paler than before.
"From what Renato told me, the only way to lose your magic, other than a huge explosion of your magic from a near death experience, is for you to gain dying will flames." Keira said, frowning. "I lost mine because my flames appeared. It took a while for them to manifest though so I suppose that after your teen years you're in the clear."
"How old were you when you lost your magic?" Leonello asked, "I couldn't imagine losing mine."
"I was seventeen. It was a bit difficult for me, considering I grew up in a pureblood family, but I adapted to it quickly. There's no use crying over something you can't change." Keira said, smiling sadly.
"You mentioned dying will flames. If you have them now, what is your flame?" Cecilia asked.
"I'm a sky flame. From what Renato told me, they are considered the royalty of the flames and they're rare. I don't really have an interest in making my own mafia group so I asked a friend about making a suppressor for my flames, that way I don't draw various flame actives to me. So far, it's worked wonders."
"If you're a sky then how did you get stuck with Renato?" Icaro asked, "Not to insult you but he's got really strong flames and the purity is pretty high up there."
"We harmonized," Renato said, "and achieved harmony as well. It's not that common to have both yet we have it."
Valentina nodded, "I has happened in the past with one of our ancestors, Pietro. He was a sun flame and his wife was a storm under the same sky. For it to happen between a sky and an element is truly a blessing." She then glared at Renato, "Passerotto, when are you going to make an honest woman out of her?"
"Mamma, I have only been courting her for a few months. Besides, her father gave me a limit of six months. We have no plans in mind as of right now." Renato said.
Valentina rolled her eyes, "You two have harmony and you should embrace it. No need for courting. Give your mamma grandchildren to spoil."
Keira blushed while Leonello and Icaro started to laugh.
"Why harass me when Icaro is getting married so soon?" Renato said, exasperated.
"Harmony happens so little nowadays, you must grip it and hold it tight. You two will be capable of many things and your children will be the same. It wouldn't surprise me to find a child of yours becoming a mafia don!" Valentina said, giving a short nod. "Treat her well, passerotto, or it won't be her family coming after you."
Icaro and Leonello started laughing again as Renato sighed and nodded his head, "Yes, mamma."
XXXXX
It had been two months since they had returned from Positano and Keira still couldn't forget the conversation that she had had with Valentina before leaving.
"My son is very bright but, sometimes, he does not see what is in front of him. You two work well together; like pasta and tomato. You are good for him and he is good for you. Struggles will come, like with any relationship, but you are the sky that accepts all, even the darkest parts of your elements. You know of my son's, but do you truly understand? Talk with him, don't let him mess this up."
She didn't quite understand what Valentina was getting at but she figured that something had gone wrong in Renato's life that he hadn't told her about. She knew she should ask him but she couldn't bring herself to. Whatever it was, Valentina had made it sound like it was serious and she wasn't quite sure how to bring something like that up.
Keira sighed and turned back to the counter. The day had been pretty slow and she wasn't sure what to do about it. Her shift was coming to an end and Amelia hadn't come in for her shift yet. Richard had given them both a few half days here recently and she had no clue why, but it was nice to have a few extra hours.
The bell rang as the door opened and Amelia came walking in with a baby in her arms. "Keira! I have a question!"
Keira blinked, "What is it Amelia?"
"I couldn't find a sitter and my mom can't watch her like she normally does. Do you think you could watch her until I'm done with my shift?"
"Is she yours?"
Amelia blinked, "Yes... Why else would I be carrying a baby with me?"
"Sorry," Keira said, blushing, "That was a stupid question. It's been a slow day."
"Whatever you say, Keira. But really, could you watch her? It'll only be for a few hours." Amelia said, "Please, I promise I'll pay you back!"
"Of course I'll watch her Amelia, and you don't owe me anything for watching her. Do you have her diaper bag and things?" Keira asked while Amelia was shifting the baby till she was nearly shoving her at Keira.
"Thanks a lot Keira! Her name is Donata and she's a little sweetheart. She was just fed so she may fall asleep here soon. There's diapers and toys in her bag along with a few bottles of formula just in case. You're still living in your apartment, right?" Amelia asked.
"Yes, still the same one. Are you going to pick her up after your shift? Or did you need to get a few things from the store before getting her?" Keira asked, "I can always call a cab to come and pick you both up when you get to the apartment."
"That would be fantastic! I live on the otherside of town from you so it would be fantastic to not have to walk all that way and with that boy-toy of yours I'm sure a cab would get there quickly." Amelia joked.
Keira rolled her eyes, "He's not a boy-toy Amelia."
"Hey, you two have been together since April, it's August. I know you two are serious about each other so until I see a ring on that finger, he's your boy-toy." Amelia said, putting an apron on and clocking in, "Do you want me to clock you out and get your purse for you?"
"If you wouldn't mind that would be great." Keira said.
Amelia nodded and quickly got her purse from the locker and clocked her out, "Have fun! And thank you so much Keira, you don't know how much this means to me!"
Keira smiled and waved before walking out the door with the little girl balanced on her hip, "Your mom's a busy woman, Donata, but we're going to have fun. Don't worry."
The little girl looked up at her and blinked her big blue eyes before yawning and curling up into Keira's shoulder and falling asleep.
Keira cooed at the baby before turning towards the apartment and starting her walk. It would take longer with a baby but at least the day was nice out.
XXXXX
Renato hadn't planned to leave the house today but when he received a call from Timoteo about a hit, with a fantastic pay, he couldn't help but to take it. It was close to Marsala, probably an hours drive, and it didn't require anything other than finding the target and killing them. It wasn't like his bullets could be traced when he formed them out of his own flames.
All he really wanted at the moment was to relax with his fiancee and possibly take a nap. Yeah, that would be nice.
He unlocked the door and stepped into the apartment and immediately noticed something was different.
"Come on bambina, you can do it!" He heard Keira saying in a soft voice, one he had never heard before.
He stepped out of the entry way and saw Keira laying on a blanket on the floor, "Keira, what are you doing?"
Keira jumped a little, having not heard him come into the house, "Renato! Amelia had the shift after me and couldn't find a sitter so I'm babysitting for her!" She stood up and carefully picked up the baby to show her to Renato, "Isn't she the cutest? Her name is Donata."
Donata blinked up at Renato before gurgling happily at him, causing Renato to blink.
Keira smiled and started cooing at the little girl again, making cutesy faces and all while Renato watched on.
He sighed and went to the kitchen for a drink, he was going to need it.
XXXXX
Keira had no idea what Renato's issue was. Ever since he had gotten home all he had done was drink at the kitchen counter and practically ignore her and Donata. It was strange. He had never done that before. Was it because of Donata?
"Renato, can you get the door, I think that's Amelia." She said, still thinking on what was going on.
She heard his glass hit the countertop softly and then the sound of his feet hitting the floor as he walked to the doorway.
"Amelia, good to see you again." She heard Renato greet.
"Renato! Good to see you too! Richard has had me on the later shift these past few weeks so I haven't gotten to say hello. How are you doing?"
"I'm doing well, thank you. How about you? Keira said you couldn't find a babysitter."
"I'm doing pretty well for myself. My mother had a doctors appointment today so she couldn't watch Donata like she usually does so finding a sitter on such short notice didn't work out very well. I'm just glad that Keira was able to watch her for me." Keira smiled and quickly gathered up Donata and her things before walking to the door.
"Amelia! You were right, she was a sweetheart, didn't cry once!" Keira said, smiling as she handed the baby back to the mother.
"I told you she was an easy one." Amelia laughed causing Keira to join in. "Thank you so much for watching her for me."
"It was no trouble. If you need me to watch her feel free to ask me anytime." Keira said, "We already called a cab for you like you asked, they should be here in a few minutes. Do you want anything to drink?"
"No, we should really be going. It's going to be a long drive back to the house and I'm sure Donata will get cranky if she doesn't get to bed on time." Amelia said with a fond smile. "Thank you again Keira, you're a life saver."
Keira and Renato said their goodbyes before stepping back into the apartment.
"So, Renato, how was your day?" Keira asked as she walked into the kitchen to get dinner ready. It was already seven at night but something light shouldn't hurt.
"Alright. Timoteo called me with a mission and I was just getting back from it when I walked in. The pay was higher since it was a no notice mission but it was fairly simple. Should be getting a hefty amount transferred into my account." Renato explained as he poured himself another drink.
"That's good. I'm guessing nothing went wrong with the mission since you didn't appear hurt but you must be tired." Keira said, fixing a quick salad while some chicken breasts cooked.
"What makes you think that?" Renato asked, his glass halfway to his mouth.
"I don't know... You just came home and as soon as you saw Donata and I you went straight for the alcohol it seemed. I don't know if it was because you were tired or because I did something wrong..." Keira said, looking down into the bowl of salad she had just made.
Renato sighed and set his glass down before getting up and walking over to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his face in the crook of her neck, "Amore, you did nothing wrong. It's just..." He sighed, "It's just an issue that I have to overcome myself. Seeing you with Donata tonight made me happy... but in my experience, happiness like that and what we have doesn't last very long. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, for one of my enemies to find out who you are to me."
Keira turned around in his arms, "But you know that I can take care of myself and that I have a way out if I need it. Things may go wrong in the future but what is life if there isn't a little risk? We can't risk our happiness because of doubts Renato."
Renato sighed once more, "Keira, you try to make it so simple when it isn't."
"How am I supposed to know what is difficult unless you tell me?" Keira said, wrapping her arms around him.
Renato laid his head on top of hers, "When I was younger Cecilia was kidnapped under my watch. Mother was at the hospital with Nero and Father had already died. I got a call asking for my father and when I told them that he was dead they didn't believe me and threatened to kill her. I had to make a choice and I chose to go after the man who took her." He squeezed her a bit tighter, "I ended up killing the man and a few of his lackey's got some hits in. I never told Mother what happened exactly, just that I was beaten up by some street thugs. Cecilia was still really young so she doesn't remember but I do."
"You told me your first kill was just some stranger..." Keira muttered.
"It was. I had no clue who the man was, just that he had kidnapped my little sister and I wasn't going to let him get away with that." Renato said.
"So, is that why you were so quiet this evening?" Keira asked.
"It was part of it. Seeing you with Donata made me realize that we will eventually have children of our own and that those children will be susceptible to being kidnapped, to one, or both, of us being killed because of who I am. I don't know how many times I have killed a man and seen his child come running out to the dead body, asking it to get up. I don't want that for our child but I can't quit this life, you know I can't, and our child will be drug into the life eventually because they may inherit our flames. I don't want them to see me dead on the street from a bad hit, I don't want you to see that either, but seeing a parent dead isn't something that a child just forgets." Renato said, sighing heavily. "I know I don't forget seeing my father dead."
Keira felt tears in her eyes after Renato's explanation. She hadn't realized just how much he had been worrying about this, how much he had to deal with daily since they had gotten together. She had mentioned having children on multiple occasions and while he had never said yes to her about them, he had never said no. Knowing what she now knew, she could understand why he never said anything.
"Renato..." Keira muttered, slowly lifting her head to look up at him, she raised a hand up and placed it on his cheek, "We will find out what to do when the situation happens. We will worry about it then and work together to find a solution. I can have James and Lily ward the house and place traps that only you and I know where they are, hell, you could place some of your own. And I know mother and father have some goblins on their side who would ward the house so that it's more difficult to break into than breaking out of Azkaban. It won't be foolproof, but it'll be something. All we can do is our best and if that's no enough," Her eyes flashed, "Then we will find the bastards who took what is ours and we will burn them to the ground."
Renato chuckled softly at that and leaned down to capture her lips in a kiss. "Amore, this is why I love you."
Keira smiled and kissed him back, "And I you."
A/N:: So, I'm having my galbladder taken out and it has been causing me a lot of pain over the last few months along with preparing for cons and doing work and dealing with all this heat I've been pretty busy. I hope y'all don't mind that this chapter is out so late or that it may seem a little rushed. There's more to be said about Reborn's past than what's been said in this but it will come up as it does. I plan to have the next chapter include Keira and Reborn's wedding so you'll have that to look forward to! Hopefully it won't take me nearly as long to get the next one out as it did this one!
Also, the Italian translations!
Cuore mio: My heart
Amore: love
Fragolina: little strawberry
Micio: kitten
Luce dei miei occhi: light of my eyes
Passerotto: Sparrow
Tesorino: treasure
Caramellino: little caramel
Anima Gemella: Soul mate
Fratellone: Big brother
Bambino: masculine form of Child
Cara: Dear
Il Re dell'eterna Gloria ci faccia partecipi della mensa celeste. Amen.- an Italian prayer before food
Ti rendiamo grazie, Dio onnipotente, per tutti I tuoi benefici, Tu che vivi e regni nei secoli dei secoli. Amen. - and Italian prayer after food
Piccolino: little one
Tesoro: treasure/dear
fidanzata: feminine form of fiancé
bambina: feminine form of child