AN: I hope everyone enjoyed Chapter Four. This chapter starts where the last left off, still at Number Four Privet Drive. The G-boys have expressed their displeasure with Petunia in front of Marge, and Harry is throwing together a bag totals with him for an extended visit with Heero.
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and Harry Potter belong to their respective owners, and no monetary gain is received from this work of fanfiction.
Heero's warning of possible legal action still hung heavy in the air. Duo and Harry soon appeared in the doorway.
"Aunt Petunia," Harry quietly called. "Um, they said I may spend the rest of summer break with them. So, erm, I probably need my school things. The trunk is still in the cupboard, right?"
"Vernon has the key," was the hissed reply. Petunia Dursley obviously did not enjoy having her tales unspun before witnesses.
Duo took to leaning against the wall in order to eavesdrop on the women. Harry and Heero strode to the kitchen, where Vernon and Dudley split a tray of biscuits (cookies). "Mr. Dursley," Heero extended a hand toward the walrus of a man. "I am Heero Yui, half-brother to your nephew. Your wife gave permission for Harry to come with me until his school resumes in September. However, he'll need his school things from the cupboard."
Vernon Dursley, Heero decided, was not a bright man. A humorous expression of curiosity and suspicion touched the fat man's face, made funnier by the bushy eyebrows and mustache. "Very well," Vernon hoisted himself to his feet, and the chair legs squealed against the floor. "At least you're polite. Unlike those wackos that got him last year."
Heero arched a nonchalant brow at the man's dark mutters and Harry's embarrassed blush. Dudley, true to form, pulled the tray of sweets closer to his seat and ignored the going-ons around him. The pilot and wizard followed Vernon's broad backside to the little door under the stairs. Despite his pudgy hands, Vernon deftly located the small key on his keyring and had the padlock open in a jiffy. The big man stepped aside, "We put away his school things to make sure he doesn't tear up anything." With that, Vernon joined his wife and sister in the sitting room.
Duo, being just down the hall, heard the large man's explanation of why the trunk was in the locked cupboard. "Never mind the kid's summer homework," he muttered as Vernon passed. The long-haired teen joined his companions at the little door under the stairs. Duo flipped the latch and opened the door with a slight creaking sound.
"I need to get Hedwig's cage," Harry excused himself.
Just in time, too, judging by the sudden tension in Duo's shoulders. The trunk sat on what looked to be a small cot that still had a couple faded blankets on it. The braided pilot angled the trunk to pull from the little cupboard when s eyes landed on something that simultaneously turned his blood to lava and his stomach to ice. A yellowed crayon sign was push-pinned to the wall next to the door. Hary's Roome would be visible if a small child were on the cot.
Heero watched as Duo jerked out of the cupboard under the stairs faster than if a snake were about to strike, and sped to the simple washroom nearby. The sound of running water reached him, as well as rattling toiletries if he strained his ears. He looked to see what had brought such a reaction from his friend. At first, nothing caught his eye, but when he bent to retrieve the trunk, the Hary's Roome sign came into view. Mentally going through the brush strokes of Hirigana, Heero pulled the black trunk fully from the tiny cupboard. He noted the flat pillow, dusty sheets, and rumpled blankets still on what had obviously served as a bed within the storage space.
Duo emerged from the washroom with his face dry but his fringe wet. His blue eyes gleamed violet with suppressed anger. Heero set the trunk to the side of the front door before meeting his friend's eyes. You saw it too? seemed to be conveyed in the long-haired boy's gaze, to which the Asian boy nodded.
Hurried footsteps on the stairs sent a small rain of dust onto the cot. Harry clutched a satchel under one arm while Hedwig's cage took up his other hand. Both pilots cleared their expressions to neutral at the young wizard's approach. The two older boys fell in behind the youngest.
Harry poked his head into the sitting room. "Right, er, we're off then. Bye." Withering glares from his aunt and uncle met him, while Marge at least gave a curt nod.
Duo, having the keys, opened the front door and dashed to open the boot (car trunk) of the dark sedan. Heero easily lifted the school trunk and carried it to where his friend stood by the car. They worked together to ease the black luggage into the boot.
Harry hustled after his half brother. A hoot from the fence drew his green gaze. "Hedwig! There you are, girl. I'm going with them," a nod toward the car. "Do you want to follow the car or ride inside your cage?" The snowy owl winged her way onto the car's roof. "In the car?" A regal nod. "All right then," Harry set the gleaming cage onto the roof and unlatched the wire door with one hand. He then opened the backseat door and put the satchel in the floorboard.
"Whoa, that's a pretty owl," Duo exclaimed.
Harry looked from Duo to the snowy owl already in her cage. "Yeah. Her name is Hedwig. She's my first ever birthday present. We've been together for almost two years now."
"Let's get her settled into the backseat," Heero gently moved the cage onto the seat. He paused a moment, the pulled the seatbelt across the bars to secure the bird. Dark blue eyes watched as his green-eyed brother buckled himself into the backseat beside his owl. The brothers shared a small smile before Heero joined Duo in the front, where the long-haired boy was in the driver's seat.
Ever the joker, Duo adopted a nasally voice, "Pssssht. Welcome. Keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times. Fasten your seat belts, kiddies! We're about to goooooooo!" He had started the car during the speech and put it into reverse at 'go'. His effort at humor paid off with quiet laughter from the boy behind him.
Despite the drama at Number Four Privet Drive, the car ride to London was rather uneventful. Heero manned the radio dial, finding a station with currently popular music as they passed through different coverage areas. Duo occasionally sang along or drummed the steering wheel. Harry had dozed off while watching the scenery pass by his window. Hedwig the owl had long ago tucked her head under her wing for sleep. Soon enough, they arrived at the apartment building Preventors had purchased.
The brick building was formerly owned by a near destitute older man. Mister Sebastian Waters had acted as landlord, repair man, rent collector, and maintenance for the better part of twenty years. The numerous renters had moved out in the last five years for various reasons - newer apartment, buying a house, to be closer to work. There were those who couldn't afford the newer, nicer apartment; those people stayed.
When Preventors bought the property, Mr. Waters and all his tenants were given the choice to stay or go. Anyone that left was given a small sum to aid in finding a new home, and all who stayed were given a month rent-free. The Preventor representative, in this case Hilde Schbeiker, noted that some of the tenants were struggling professionals. As such, she offered each a deal: rent discounts would be given to those who helped renovate the empty flats. Electricians, carpenters, drywall layers, painters, and some others took the deal. A working system was created easily enough. Hilde enlisted the aid of housewives to find inexpensive furnishings as the flats were finished one at a time. Having worked as a scavenger, Hilde often provided a simple meal to the workers. After all, a hungry crew was an unhappy crew, which meant less quality work.
The first few multi-bedroom flats were allotted to Preventor agents that had long term assignments and working out of hotels and motels. These flats were given only basic furnishings, with the bedrooms holding a set of bunkbeds and a dresser for each bed. Hilde opted to split a two-bedroom apartment with Agents Noah and Nicole, siblings assigned to the FRA registration.
The single bedroom flats were also provided basic furnishings, their bedrooms give a full-sized bed, a nightstand, and a chest of drawers. Hilde suggested to Mr. Waters putting out ads on the universities and coffee shops to draw in students. Within that week, a student moved in, quickly followed by a homely bachelor.
Heero directed Duo to a parking deck near the Preventors-owned building. The Perfect Soldier wasn't sure if Duo knew of Hilde's presence in the renovated complex. Well, Heero corrected himself, renovation-in-progress.
Pilot 02 woke the snoozing wizard as 01 pulled the bird cage out of the car. A minor distraction came in the form of another sedan pulling into a nearby space. Duo chuckled at the vinyl decal on the back window, a white peace sign. "Looks like Zecks is here," the long-haired teen announced.
Indeed, Zechs Merquise climbed from the car, with Lucretia Noin following suit. "Yui, Maxewll," the tall man greeted, smirking at the winged cross decal on their car.
"Didn't realize you two were here," Duo replied.
Noin sighed. "We've been escorting ministry workers to register in the FRA database. They waste so much time arguing about going."
"Ouch," the L2 native sympathized.
Zechs's pale blue gaze landed on Harry. "And who is this?"
The bespectacled boy stifled a yawn, not quite awake enough to feel awkward at the attention. Heero replied, "He is my recently located half brother, Harry."
When the group left the parking deck, Heero and Zechs each held an end of Harry's trunk, Noin carried Hedwig in her cage, and Duo led the groggy Harry into the apartment building. Mr. Waters met the group in the large dumb waiter-type elevator, and the old man worked the controls to take them to Heero's floor. The messy-haired pilot led the way to the smallest two-bedroom flat on this level.
Once all five (six if one counted the owl) of them had entered and the door firmly shut, Heero relayed a bit of information in his usual blunt manner. "Harry is magical," he announced without any preamble. He took hold of both sides of the trunk and set it just inside the bedroom with a window.
The boy in question fidgeted, suddenly awake and watching the tall man and short-haired woman in apprehension. The woman passes Hedwig's cage to the young wizard.
"Hi. I'm Lucretia Noin, just Noin is fine. Heero has been, um, succinct in his words about you."
The pale-haired man nodded. "Two definitive sentences, to be exact. I'm afraid you'll find Heero lacking in most social graces. By the way, I am Zechs Merquise, but I was born Milliardo Peacecraft of the Sanc Kingdom." Zechs drew his wand from under his jacket sleeve and muttered Mufflindo at the door. "What most of Europe doesn't realize, is that Sanc was predominately magical. The Sanc Kingdom had its own school of magic, rumors suggest it rivaled Beaubatons in quality education. Unfortunately, the country fell into ruins when my birth parents were assassinated, and my sister and I were smuggled away to be adopted by different families. Sanc's fall was before you were born, Harry Potter. But her people live on."
Duo and Noin stared at Zechs for a moment. Then, the corner of Duo's mouth twitched, "That was random. Informative, but random."
Noin shook her head. "It was all details a pureblood wizard should know. Or at least, someone from a Noble House."
Heero's dark blue eyes bore into the prince. "Zechs, I would appreciate lessons on what we missed as having non-magical upbringings."
"Certainly," came the easy reply. "I presume we will be heading to Gringotts tomorrow."
At three stumped stares, Harry offered, "Wizarding bank. It's in Diagon Alley. But why would we need to go to the bank?"
Duo rolled his eyes. "Let's sit down. I have a feeling this will take a while."
Harry went to put Hedwig in the darkened room that Heero had set his trunk and opened the cage door in case she should want out. When he returned, he found that the others had already found some surface to sit in the common room. Harry claimed a spot next to Heero. "So, why do we need to go to Gringotts?"
Zechs sat straight, posture perfect, with a ankle crossed over his knee. His explanation included Heero claiming his place as a Potter, changing of custody, and reviewing the Potters' properties and finances. The hidden prince assured the newly acquainted brothers that he had every intention to guide them through the process. Noin added that she would use makeup to hide Harry's distinctive scar, hoping to have their day run smoother.
As the group bid farewell for the evening, Zechs offered handshakes to the males while Noin pulled each in turn into a hug. Harry, understandably, was a little flustered by the hug, which earned a hair tussle from the smirking woman.
Duo flopped onto the couch, muttering, "Surprisingly comfy." Heero browsed through the kitchen for something to cook for dinner.
While those two were occupied, Harry decided to investigate the room he had been given. "Hedwig, I'm going to turn on the light," he warned before doing just that. His black school trunk sat at the foot of a wooden-framed twin-sized bed. A chest of drawers stood next to Hedwig's cage, which was currently on the floor. The window was curtained in dark khaki and the pane of glass would side up to open. The floor was covered in a faux hardwood laminate. The bed clothes included a khaki and navy blue plaid blanket and navy blue sheets while the two pillowcases matched the curtains. A dark wood suit stand offered a decent perch for Hedwig.
Harry moved the cage to on top of the chest of drawers and offered an arm to his beloved owl. With a quiet hoot, she hopped onto his arm. The wizard showed her their new room, letting her test the headboard and footboard for grip. She accepted the suit stand as a perch while her owner opened the window. Hedwig preened herself as Harry started unpacking the satchel; clothes went into the chest of drawers, and the owl's food and water bowls were carefully laid out.
Duo knocked on the open door. "Hey, kiddo. Settling in all right?"
"Yeah," the younger boy replied. He opened his trunk and gathered his school robes.
The braided teen glanced into one of the still-open drawers. "So, any of that actually fit?"
"Er, not really," a helpless shrug, "but that's all I've got. My school stuff fits, though."
Blue eyes closed in a grimace, apparently remembering what he'd seen the other boy wear so far. "You'd be better off borrowing from from me or Heero until we can take you clothes shopping. It'd still be roomy, but not nearly as bad as," a point towards the open drawer, "those."
Harry gave the brown-haired teen a shocked face. "You'd lend me clothes and take me to buy my own? I mean, we've barely met, really."
"Well, yeah. Can't have you running around in raggedy tents, can we?" A sardonic chuckle escaped. "Anyway, I was going to check out of my motel room and bring my stuff here. I figure I can help you guys before I receive my next mission objective."
"So you'd be staying here? With Heero and me?"
"In the building at least. The couch is pretty comfy, so I won't be in the way too much. Besides, I'll be able to keep you company while Heero is working...and I'd imagine he'll be working during most of the day."
The sound of rustling metal utensils reached Duo's attentive ears. The pilot gestured for Harry to follow as he turned to investigate.
Heero set out three place settings, leaving the food to be ladled in the kitchen. Between the small table and different pots, serving away from the table made more sense. There was, however, a bowl of mixed salad greens in the center of the table.
Harry followed his nose to what smelled like savory beef tips. A soup pot contained the meat in a thick broth, a smaller pot held mixed vegetables in a thinner broth, and a rice cooker sat open and ready. "Wow, Heero. This smells great," the nearly thirteen-year-old was clearly impressed.
"Here-man doesn't do anything halfway!" Duo laughed.
Over dinner, Duo explained his plan of the evening. He also shared his plotting of a shopping spree for new clothes for Harry. The idea of lending Harry an outfit for the following day was tossed in there somewhere. Heero merely nodded at each point, silently agreeing. Harry was amazed that Duo could talk so much while taking seconds (and thirds) and not talking with his mouth full.
In what felt like only a few minutes, dinner was done and the three guys were stuffed. Eyeing the leftovers, Heero messaged Hilde. Shortly after, the former junker knocked on the door and squealed when Duo answered. Hilde snatched her friend into a tight hug, and they excitedly jumped together. Heero rolled his eyes while Harry looked on with a bemused expression.
Happy chatter surrounded the long-haired boy and short-haired girl. Despite the rapid verbal exchange, they each conveyed their purpose in the building. Hilde showcased her skill in multitasking as she conversed with Duo and put the leftovers in resealable packages. The compact young woman gave Heero a hug in thanks for the food and surprise before Duo walked with her out of the apartment.
Heero glanced at his half brother. "Do you have summer homework?"
"Yeah, it's still in my trunk," Harry replied.
"Let's take a look and get some of it out of the way." Heero wouldn't quite admit it, but he was curious about magical textbooks. He hadn't had formal education until Operation Meteor landed him washed up on a beach.
AN: So! Chapter Five moves the story along. Duo tries to add a feeling of normalicy to Heero and Harry's interaction. Zechs and Noin offer their assistance in getting the Potter boys caught up with wizard nobility education. And of course, Marge is left to question her brother's family and their treatment of Harry.
Next chapter will see Duo's return with his shopping. Zechs and Noin will escort the group through Diagon Alley. And the Gringotts visit will likely take up most of the chapter.
I hope you join me for Chapter Six!
