Exactly one week. :)
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE (Raliena and ME!~)
"Albus," Minerva looked to the Headmaster, a worried glimmer in her eye. "I didn't see Remus at the meeting. Do you know where he is? I'm worried about him. After that night… Well, he has no one."
"Remus is fine." Albus dismissed the remark, "I must go. I have a meeting at the Wizengamot."
Albus left, while Minerva was still drawing breath to press further.
"Sometimes," Minerva sighed, "I don't think he even listens to me, Fawkes."
The phoenix gave the professor a look that almost seemed to say: 'And you think he listens to me?'
"Could you take a message to Remus?" Minerva asked, "You don't have to. I'm just worried. Remus doesn't have much to live for. He's always been one of my students that I looked out for more than most. Not just for the obvious reason."
Fawkes ruffled his feathers, chirping his willingness to help the woman.
"Thank you, Fawkes."
xx
"I will listen to Noin." Heero agreed after much discussion from Quatre.
Quatre smiled. "Thank you, Heero."
"Who will care for Harry?" Wufei asked, his brow creased in thought.
Duo dissolved into giggles, falling from his chair in his laughter.
"What's the matter?" Quatre frowned.
"I just thought," Duo pulled himself upright, "OZ is terrified of us… How do you think they'd react if they found out that we dealt with child care along with fighting this war?"
"They wouldn't believe it." Heero replied softly.
"If Harry stayed with 'Fei an' me," Duo declared, "we'd probably be constantly moving. He'd stay safe that way. OZ would never get near him, 'cause he'd never be in one place long enough to be noticed."
"My plan," Quatre countered, "involves taking Harry to Sanq."
"OZ would notice." Duo countered.
"Blue contact lenses," Quatre stated, "And small children are pretty androgynous. Harry becomes my one of sisters' daughter Harriet. A little tomboy. My father has dark hair, so the hair colour wouldn't be totally out of the question. I could sell it to anyone. At least for a couple more years."
"Harry decides." Duo announced, "He's gotta have a choice. Nobody leans on him – it's gotta be what he wants."
"Agreed." The nods went around the group.
"And we hold off the decision about Sanq," Quatre added. "at least until Noin has her say."
"When will that be?" Heero frowned.
"Tomorrow." Quatre shrugged. "There was no risk. She is to be in a small shuttle on her own at set co-ordinates. All we have to do is not turn up… but I believe it is in our best interests to hear her out."
xx
Noin's small shuttle landed on the Sweeper ship the next day.
She willingly let Wufei check her for weapons, before entering a discussion with the Pilots about the need for security in Sanq.
Things seemed to be going well, when the peace was slightly shattered.
"Wufei!" Harry came tearing into the hanger, waving a piece of paper, "I did it! I did it!"
"A child?" Noin's eyes went wide as she turned to face Harry, who had slowed upon seeing Noin. "And you called me weak willed? You called me a bleeding heart! You who drag around a child with you?"
Harry had reached the Pilots, his eyes fixed on Noin as she continued to shout.
"Just what do you think you are doing?" Noin snapped, "Dragging a child into all of this?"
No one said anything.
Noin continued to rant. Her anger almost tangible. Quatre was trying his hardest not to sense it.
His paper abandoned on the floor, Harry was clinging Duo in fright, too scared to cry out. Desperately keeping silent, even as tears poured from his eyes.
Duo lifted Harry, so that the boy could cling tighter to his big brother.
"I mean, I knew you were reckless, but this is sheer idiocy! He isn't safe. Let me put him in an orphanage."
Heero, Quatre and Wufei closed ranks, blocking the furious woman from getting near the pair of braided boys.
"Duo," Quatre snapped, "Get Harry out of here."
Duo ran from the hanger, not even bothering to look back in anger.
With the exit of Duo and Harry, Noin was left with nothing to focus on. Glancing around, she started to realize that she might have said something wrong.
Heero had a gun in his hand. And while it wasn't yet aimed at her. It didn't seem as if he would hesitate if she pushed him.
Wufei's fingers were clasped around his sheathed sword. The tension in his arm made it clear that only Quatre's words prevented him from drawing it.
Quatre's face was cold. His eyes hard and fierce.
And it wasn't just the Pilots. There was complete silence in the hanger bay. Not one single Sweeper was so much as tightening a screw. However they all held a tool in their hands as they stared at Noin.
"Miss Noin," Quatre spoke slowly, clearly and firmly, "Do not presume that in this instance we desire or care for your opinion. Kindly keep your remarks to yourself. Understand this, we have our reasons. They are not for us to explain or justify to you. It would do you well to remember that it is you who has come to us desiring aid. Insulting my brother does not incline us to listen. Let alone agree."
"A brother?" Noin frowned, "You're the Winner heir. You have twenty nine sisters. You don't have any brothers."
"Duo is my brother. For he has shed blood with me. As have Heero and Wufei. Harry is Duo's brother, and I claim him as my own. None of us contest the relationship and you have no right to."
"Need any help, boys?" Howard asked, his words light, but his eyes were cold as he fiddled with a spanner.
"We've got it, thank you, Howard," Quatre smiled slightly, "Though I think Harry might need his grandfather."
"You think I'm that old, boy?" Howard teased, "I get it. Don't worry. The kid doesn't understand kind uncles."
Noin watched their banter with confused eyes, still wary of the silence around her.
When Howard began to make his way out of the hanger, Quatre turned back to Noin.
"Now then, Miss Noin," Quatre smiled pleasantly, "Do you still want our help?"
Breathing heavily, more from anger than from exertion, Duo slowed the moment he could no longer hear the voices from the hanger.
Noin had no right to stick her nose into his life, into the pilots' lives. She had no right to frighten Harry by shouting like that about things that didn't concern her.
If he hadn't had to take care of Harry, he would have shot her at the very idea of dropping Harry in an orphanage, abandoning him to a life alone and unwanted.
But Harry came first.
"Harry? You ok?"
Still crying into Duo's shoulder, Harry shook his head, his small hands tightening where they clutched Duo's shirt. "Don' wanna go 'way," he whimpered softly, his words slurred and more childish than usual in his panic. "Don' wanna go t'an orph'nage, Duo! Please, I sorry! I wanna stay wif you... I be good – do all the chores and won't do the freaky things no more!"
"No, no, Harry," Duo leaned against the wall, sliding down until he sat on the floor with Harry still held tightly against his chest. "You're not going anywhere, kid, not without me or one of the guys. I swear, no orphanage. You're our baby brother, not a freak, and nobody gets to take you away from us. Especially not a bratty, soldier-lady who doesn't know better than to shout like a bi- dog."
"I can- I can stay?" Harry pulled back, eyes wide and pleading. "You won't let the mean Lady take me away?"
"No." Duo met Harry's gaze with blazing eyes. "You. Are. Ours. That means you're stuck with us, Harry Maxwell."
Harry burst into tears again, wrapping his arms around Duo as best he could. Duo held him close, but a darkness lingered in his eyes.
Nobody hurt Harry.
"How is he?" Howard's approach snapped Duo out of his murderous thoughts, and he looked up to meet a warm, worried gaze.
Duo snorted lightly, shaking his head. "How do you think he is?"
"That bad?"
Harry peeked up at Howard from the safety of Duo's arms, radiating hesitation and fear as he scrubbed at his cheeks. "You send me 'way?"
Shaking his head, Howard crouched down in front of Harry, offering a broad smile. "Now why would I do that, kid? I like being a grandpa and Duo here's too old to appreciate me."
"Grampa?" Harry's eyes were wide, as wide as they could go, his fist twisting Duo's shirt anxiously. "You wanna be my grampa? Like... like family?" He whispered the last word as though it might come back to bite him, cringing into Duo's chest as he awaited the answer.
As though he was scared Howard would lash out at him for even suggesting such a thing.
Duo squeezed his eyes shut, suppressing the rage that welled up inside of him. In the state he was in, Harry would not take a show of anger well, regardless of who it was directed at. Still, he tightened his embrace, letting Harry know he was safe.
"Yeah," Howard agreed, not missing a beat. "Like family. Wha'd'ya say, kid? You want to be related to an old geezer like me?"
"Can I?" To Duo's surprise, Harry was looking up at him as he whispered, "Will I still be your brother?"
"Course!" Duo grinned at Harry, his smile softening at the longing in Harry's eyes. "Family's what ya make it, there's no limit. This is just like me an' you an' the others, only Howie's too old t' be your brother."
The awe that lit up Harry's face was blinding. He hugged Duo tightly, before turning to Howard who held his arms out. A moment of hesitation was all Harry took before he reached out to Howard, letting himself be lifted up into a tight embrace.
"Why don't we go get a snack, kid?" Howard asked, ruffling dark hair with one big hand as he winked at Duo over Harry's head. "It's Grandpas' privilege to spoil their kids, right?"
"...Duo?"
The tentative hope in Harry's eyes was painful to see, but Duo smiled and nodded. "Make sure he gives ya the good stuff – none of that healthy junk. Hold out for ice cream or cookies or somethin'. Got it?
"You don't wanna come?"
"Nah." Duo shook his head. "You and Gramps here need some bonding time, and I've got some work to do." At the look of dismay on Harry's face, Duo reassured him, "I'm not going anywhere, just got some things to fix. I'll be right here once Howie's done stuffin' ya full of goodies. Okay?"
Harry nodded, looking like he wanted to say something as Howard set him back down on the ground. He didn't though, letting Howard take his hand and lead him off to the kitchen with a disbelieving smile and one final glance over his shoulder at Duo.
Assured that Harry would be taken care of, Duo let his smile fade as he turned on his heel, making his way back to the hanger with long strides.
xx
Alone in his rooms in the lower levels of Hogwarts, Severus Snape gathered his belongings with a few flicks of his wand, shrinking down everything of importance to store it in his trunk. He could not stay at Hogwarts, or even Wizarding England. Not with the threat of Azkaban being held over his head so casually.
The Dark Arts were addictive, and it had taken all of Severus' efforts to escape their hold the first time,. If he allowed himself to slip, he would not be so lucky a second time.
Albus knew how hard it had been for Severus to break free. He knew how addicting it could be to let the Darkness take hold even for a moment. If he was truly of the Light, he would never have even contemplated the notion, and yet, Albus had not only considered it, he had ordered it. If that was not an indication of just how far the man had fallen, nothing was.
Severus would find Harry Potter, the last remnant of his precious Lily, but it would not be with the Dark Arts. And once he knew that the brat was safe, Severus would ensure that Albus never had a chance to twist the him into a pawn as he had so many others, including Severus himself.
TBC...