"Have you seen this look Harry gave me in his room?" America asked unsettled when his brother and he left the house. "It was spooky, as if he could see something that nobody has ever seen."
Canada had seen the look and he was pretty sure he knew what it meant. None the less he kept his silence because he felt soft vibrations in the ground. Shortly after he heard soft tapping noises whenever a foot landed on the ground. At this America turned around and met the eyes of Italy.
"Italy, can we help you?" the American asked surprised. The only 172 centimetre tall Italian frowned at the USA. He looked confused, surprised, worried and amused in such a quick succession that America was sure he missed a few emotions in between.
"Ve~, I only wanted to offer you to drive you to the airport. It's better than taking a taxi," the Italian offered an insincere smile. Canada and America exchanged a look. They both knew that Italy had had something different in mind when he came up behind them. The problem was that they had no idea what it was exactly.
"That would be great, thank you," Canada said in his quiet voice. Italy smiled again, this time his eyes closed with it. As if the neutral expression on his face never existed he turned around and started chattering while walking to his car.
As soon as the Canadian and the American sat in the car the chatter died out and deafening silence took its place. "I have seen the look Harry gave you, America," Italy finally started when both nations started to fidget in the silence. They were unused to silence in the company of the cheerful Italian.
"So what is it about it? You make it sound as if it is some crime to get looked at by a boy," America defended himself. Canada had to agree with his twin.
"That's not the problem. I have to say that Harry is really informative without him even saying anything. As soon as you are back I would like it if you can teach him the poker face. Harry has the uncanny ability to look behind every mask ever built, mine, Canada's, yours, Norway's, everyone's. That's no big deal, it's nice to know that there is one person who can see the real person before judging, but he gives it away whenever he sees a mask he never had before, like yours, America. I'm not around to teach it to him, so I'll give you the job of doing so," Italy Veneciano said, his eyes on the street. As such he felt the look Canada and America exchanged more than that he saw it.
"You mean to tell me that Harry sees something in me that nobody else has bothered to see?" America asked right away when the Italian stopped talking. Italy nodded in agreement when they reached the airport.
"Think about it, America, Canada, and do as you think what is right," the young man said, leaving the car to give the bags of the two nations to them. "Have a good flight and have fun to find everything that belongs to Harry."
Canada and America nodded, thanked the nation for driving them and went into the airport.
"What do you think about this?" America asked his blond brother when they waited for their flight to be called.
"I think that Feliciano has given more information than you gathered," the Canadian answered the question after a bit of thought. He looked at America from the corner of his eye. Said American was frowning at him. Suddenly his eyes widened in shock.
"He has, hasn't he?" America mused. "He freely admitted that he wears a mask. He admitted that he knew we are wearing masks, too. He also said that he won't be around much and that he trusts us enough to teach Harry something he will need to survive in this school of his."
Canada nodded in agreement, leaning back in a dark seat in the lobby. "That's right. Feliciano knows something we don't and he said as much. Do we want to help him or do we ignore it, that's the question, isn't it?"
"You want to help him," America deadpanned. His brother didn't even look ashamed or shocked. Instead he agreed with the statement.
"I am fond of the Italian. Helping Harry is one other reason why I would do so," he got the response in a quiet voice.
Both blonds shared a look, until America threw his hands in the air as a sign of resignation. "Alright, we'll do it. I think that we have to stand in the line for teaching him, though. Lukas wanted to teach him Norwegian and something else, too. Arthur mentioned something along those lines as well. When he's better he will have a full fledged schedule for the rest of the summer."
America nearly stumbled over the names. Sadly they were in public; as such they had to use the human names of the other nations. Because Norway was a pretty private nation, not even the other Nordics ever used this name outside of the public. Canada threw him a knowing look, none the less filled with amusement.
"When he's better we will have to chain him on someone from us, otherwise he will be storming up to Hogwarts and demand answers," America's brother reasoned. The blonds exchanged looks while entering the plane to London.
"I can't imagine Harry doing so," the blue-eyed nation said rationally when they sat down. "If he hasn't demanded answers until now, why should he start now?"
"Did Harry know that there is someone that cares deeply for him until now?" Canada asked a little annoyed. "I think not. Now that Harry knows that he has the support of Arthur and through default the support of Ivan and Yao, he will become more self-confident. It will not take long for him to want to know the why behind everything. Have you not seen that Antonio nearly could not hinder Harry from asking this dreaded question a few times in the last hours he was awake?"
"He will be a piece of work," the blond, blue-eyed American sighed instead of an answer. "You know what I ask myself since yesterday evening?"
The lilac-eyed nation raised an eyebrow, his silent form of sarcasm when he was too lazy to actually speak.
"Don't look at me like this. You know very well that I can ask intelligent questions, brother. Here, I'll show it to you with the following questions. Why do we care so much? I mean, yeah, it's pretty bad that Harry had to suffer like this and that England didn't see it, but why do we care so deeply that even Lukas offers his help and wants to teach him something? That's simply not normal anymore. Even Feliciano is somewhat different since yesterday."
Silence reigned between the two of them, until the Canadian lifted his head with wide eyes, his long curl bouncing in shock.
"Do you think that it has something to do with what Feliciano told us this morning?" Canada asked. He had not forgotten what the Italian had told them and contrary to many of the other nations Canada had not forgotten who had said it.
America threw his brother a blank look, stating clearly that he couldn't remember what Italy had said.
"We were talking about what we could do to help Harry besides having him stay in Spain with Antonio, Lovino and co. Ludwig said that we won't have a chance to gain custody of him. Feliciano said that a mate could have a chance to gain it quickly and quietly. Berwald answered that we don't have a mate for Harry here, now have we? Don't you remember what Feliciano said as a reaction to this answer? He said that he had to say this, even though it was not his place because we were blind and had to see what was in front of us. After that he fell back into his mask and started preparing pasta."
"You're telling me that a human, Harry, is the mate to not one of us, but a lot more than we can even begin to understand," America said in a disbelieving voice. "You know, that sounds stupid and unbelievable. He will die in maybe one hundred years, so why should one of us bond with him?"
"It is simply an idea, America," Canada said without caring that still humans were around them. "And you cannot forget that Harry is not only human. He is special, not only for Arthur, but as it is."
The blue-eyed nation threw his brother an annoyed look. Really, sometimes America really thought that he was stupid, not only as a mask for his true self, but in all honesty.
"I know that, Canada!" America protested annoyed. "But even they cannot hope to live as long as we do. Look at some of them; they got older than some of the 'normal' people, but they still died after only a hundred years, a hundred and fifty was the most they got."
"Like I already said, brother, it was just an idea and Feliciano must have had something in mind when he breached his own mask that carelessly."
Before America could react to that snappy statement, the plane touched down and they entered the rainy country of England. Surprisingly it was not raining when they left the airport; instead it was so hot that Canada groaned in pain. By no means was it cold in Canada in the summer months, well, at least not everywhere, but this heat was for the cold nation unbearable. Without exchanging even a word they took a taxi to Little Whinging.
"It seems like someone is here," Canada said when they walked into Privet Drive. The Canadian didn't need to see the women in their houses to know that they were the number one gossip here. Admittedly neither America nor he did a good job in being inconspicuous. America wore his dark brown bomber jacket with the number 50 proudly displayed, Texas high on his nose and his blond cowlick bouncing in the tact of his walk. Trying to impress he wore a dark coloured Stetson, which perfectly went with his dark bomber jacket. Canada only rolled his eyes. His brother really screamed that he was American and proud of it. None the less Canada had to admit that he didn't look that much better. His dark red hooded sweater with the white 'Canada' on the front clashed a little with his lilac eyes, no matter that no one but his brother was near enough to actually see this. America wore to his outfit dark coloured trainers, while Canada decided to not part with his boots of olive colouring and silver buckles. All in all Canada was the one with more colours on his person. The American was in dark colours, dark brown, dark blue and the little American flag, which did not count, while Canada wore the colours of his flag with a proud expression, his olive coloured boots and the beige trousers that normally went with the Canadian army uniform. At least he didn't show up in Mounty uniform; that would have been a reason to gossip long after they left the country again.
"It seems like it," America agreed after Canada finished observing their clothing. Sometimes Canada hated how easy it was to distract him. They could sit in a war council and he would just state that bombing is the only solution only to get sidetracked by a pair of butterflies; it was ridiculous! "And if my eyes don't deceive me, and they would never do this, as I wear Texas at the moment, it seems as if the whole family is present now."
The Canadian followed America's gaze and saw a really fat person enter the house that wore a silver number '4' on the front, gleaming in the sunlight and nearly blinding both nations when they followed the person with their eyes. In a moment of spite Canada wondered if Harry had had to do that, too; polishing the house number so that no neighbour could ever think to look at it when the sun shone down on them. His brother seemed to share his thoughts when they exchanged a look.
"Just marching in and packing everything that is needed or marching in, loudly yell at the Dursleys, then pack everything that is needed, or the polite approach of ringing the door bell, waiting until the door opens and then demand to be shown to Harry's room?" America asked curiously, watching the changing expressions on his brother's face. He nearly laughed at the gleeful expression when he mentioned yelling at the Dursleys, but contained his mirth until Canada could share his amusement with him, which was when Harry got better and they could get custody of Harry until he was of age.
"Sadly," his Canadian twin started, "we will have to take the polite approach. No can do that they yell so loudly that they attract the attention of someone else and Dumbledore or someone of the Order will come to find out if we know where Harry is. We may be not 'normal', but we are affected by spells and potions, too."
America sighed exasperated. When this all was over and they had not to fear anymore that Harry had to go back to them anymore, he was going to kick the asses of these people that called themselves relatives of such a nice and polite boy. Canada seemed to read his mind as he only said, "Take me with you when you are ready, right? I won't let you do all the work alone." One amused grin later the door bell rang and a horse opened the door.
One look of the horse with the neck of a giraffe, and she screeched, "You are one of those freaks, too, aren't you? I already told the others that I have no idea where this freakish, ungrateful brat is!"
Canada, who had opened his mouth when the door opened, closed it again in shock. Ungrateful?! This boy is anything but ungrateful! You should be happy to be related to such a beautiful and wonderful boy like Harry, you bint! But on the other hand I can see that you have a reason to be jealous at him. No wonder you're such a fury!, Canada ranted in his head. His lilac eyes burned in a silent rage. If looks could kill, Petunia Dursley would have died at least thirty times in the last minute alone.
"Don't you worry, Mrs. Dursley," America hastily said before his brother could react. It would be better if Canada did not lead this specific conversation at the moment. "We are sent from the Spanish government to retrieve the last items in Harry's possession, so that the immigration to our warm country will go smoothly. If you would just show us the way to his room and you don't have to see us or Harry for that matter ever again."
That, of course, was a lie that obvious, even the biggest idiot should catch on, but Petunia Dursley simply pursed her lips and stepped aside. Okay, it could be seen as true that they were sent from the Spanish government, in a way Spain was his government and he said something along the lines of gathering Harry's things, but it was obvious that neither of the pale twins was a Spaniard. Canada ignored everything, entered the house and went straight upstairs. The even before pale man had paled even more in his rage and America worried that the house would not be standing anymore when they were ready to leave.
~o~
I hope you liked it and that it wasn't too bad. As this story has no beta I tend to go a bit off tangent sometimes and I probably use the commas wrong and stuff, but anyway: I finally convinced myself to update. Let me know what you think of it! (Aka Reviews are always welcome and get me of my ass.^^)