The Yule ball was boring as fuck, and that was after he managed to secure the only interesting chick in the entire freaking castle, outsiders included. Luna was by far the only tolerable one around.
The Veela chick just made him sneeze of all things whenever she tried to lure him with her Allure. He suspected it had something to do with the near imperceptible amount of pheromones she kept letting off. It would explain a lot.
Besides, it only took him an hour to figure out he had to deal with mermaids of all things once he got that stupid egg. Stupid screechy bastards. Worse than banshees and he had actually heard a recording of those fuckers once.
So he was less than amused being stuck swimming in the middle of fucking February in Highland Scotland for the amusement of others, especially since the lake was clearly supplied by both a salt water source and mountain run off, making it very cold.
Wrath Flames or not, he hated the cold!
As the idiot announcer was explaining what was going on, Xanxus was busy looking for a certain blond exiled Prince. He had been missing during breakfast, which he could accept...but Belphegor would not miss cheering on his "big brother/minder".
More to the point Mammon was openly frowning about something, and looking at a piece of paper that clearly had their infamous "sticky trace" on it while looking at the lake.
Xanxus was hit with an epiphany.
Those fuckers had better not have done what he thought they did, or he'd kill every fucker involved!
If he noticed the effect his low, threatening growl was having on the other champions he made no sign of it.
Putting in the Flame-powered rebreather was easy enough and more reliable than spellwork. As was the fact he had a spear-fishing gun in his bag at his side, or the fact he was wearing a thermal suit to insulate himself from the chilly waters.
Xanxus detested the cold and the fact they were being forced to swim in the tail end of winter in Scotland, when even the castle was fucking freezing in the corridors, made him extra pissy.
However it was what he found when he reached the village faster than any of the other champions (being more physically fit than the other three by a large margin) that made him fill the entire area, both above and below water level, with killing intent.
Forget pissed...he was going to fucking murder someone and he wouldn't be quick about it!
Tied to one of the posts was Belphegor...and a brat who was clearly Fleur's younger sister.
As Belphegor's legal and magical Guardian, he should have been asked before they used him as a hostage. Even the English had laws about using minors without the consent of the guardians and Belphegor wasn't even old enough to be in formal magical schooling yet. Not for at least another two years.
So the fact they stuck his Storm in a damn mountain lake clearly fed from a salt water source when it was almost a guarantee he'd end up sick as a dog once they were out?
Yeah, someone was going to fucking die, never mind the fact that he could sense Fleur swimming back up in a panic.
Hey, he was a fire-oriented mage who had a fucking dragon and a tiger for his inner animals. He could tell when she was too close and the only other signature was right in front of him. Clearly she was not getting her hostage.
The mermaids took one look at his glowing red eyes and the amount of killing intent he was letting off, before letting him remove the little Veela girl and his Storm. Feeling Belphegor curl into him unconsciously reminded Xanxus of his priority.
Get topside. Find out which fucker thought it was a bright idea to take his Storm and ward into a fucking lake in winter without his permission. Brutally make an example of them as a warning not to fuck with his people or take his things without fucking permission. Then sick Mammon on their ass and fine the every living fuck out of them.
The second they were above water level, the two kids woke up. Belphegor was very pissed, and wrapped his arms around Xanxus' neck. The girl looked confused but hung onto him as well.
Xanxus turned into Erebus, making it easier for him to swim. Tigers actually liked the water, and this way they could hold onto his fur without accidentally drowning him in the process. Besides, he was not dealing with that much water displacement, thank you very much.
Once he shook off the water and switched back, he turned pissed off eyes at the adults around him.
"Which one of you fuckers put him in that fucking lake? I know for a fact none of you assholes bothered to ask me before using him as a fucking hostage."
"They were perfectly safe!" said Bagman, looking decidedly nervous.
"Their magic is fucking fire-oriented, you stupid fucker! Water and fire do not mix! Hell, Belphegor's magic was actively eating away at whatever the fuck you put him under with and he would have woken up in that fucking lake and drowned! Now which one you assholes kidnapped him?" demanded Xanxus irate and clearly murderous.
"Let's calm down now," said Dumbledore, trying to placate him. Xanxus was not having it.
"Fuck you, you senile goat! I'm his magical and legal guardian and none of you assholes thought to ask me if I was alright with you using my ward as part of a potentially deadly task or given any notice at all!"
"They didn't ask the Prince if he would be a hostage either. They dosed me with some potion before hitting me with a stunner," said Belphegor darkly.
"I was not asked to be a hostage either. They made me drink an unknown potion that made me black out. Who knows what these uncivilized heathens could have done to me during that time period?" said the girl in French while frowning. Fleur looked about ready to join Xanxus in a bit of murder hearing that.
Seeing Bagman and a few other Ministry officials back away slowly at the sheer murderous intent, Mammon spoke up with a cold drawl.
"Boss, do you want to let me at their vaults now or after you've killed them?"
"Find out who was in on it and drain their fucking accounts dry. Twenty percent goes to the hostages but the rest is yours," he said flatly.
Mammon looked darkly pleased hearing that.
"And miser brat? No fucking mercy. I want them to know how fucked they are when I come for their ass," said Xanxus. "And I want a fucking list."
"Of course cousin," said Mammon, practically purring.
"Mr. Black, please be reasonable. It was a simple task," said Dumbledore.
"Reasonable? Reasonable would have been getting the permission of their guardians before using two minors as fucking hostages before dosing them with an unknown potion! Anyone with a brain knows that Veela, even part Veela are more inclined to fire magic and therefor highly vulnerable in water! Never mind the fact it's the middle of winter in Scotland! It's an almost fucking guarantee these two are going to be sick as dogs from the weather alone after being in the water for over an hour!" snapped Xanxus.
Belphegor sneezed, as did the little girl. Xanxus' glare was thoroughly pissed off and made his opinion of them well known.
Someone was going to die for this stunt, possibly multiple parties.
Xanxus made a point of letting Belphegor curl up next to him for the rest of the week, to let the brat know he was pissed they had used him as bait in a situation where the kid would be all but helpless to defend himself.
The kid had nightmares about it and didn't even try to hide behind his 'princely' persona. He was just glad his Sky was pissed for his sake and more than happy to let him in on the killing of whoever was stupid enough to put him in that situation in the first place.
Fleur felt a dark amount of satisfaction when Xanxus cheerfully handed her a list of people who had been involved in the whole "involuntary hostage mess" that was the second task.
While the English can and did ignore the complaints the French for using Gabrielle as a hostage due to her Veela heritage (to the ire of Fleur and their family) they couldn't ignore a very pissed off Alexander Black armed with a very vicious cousin who was more than happy to fine all those responsible for everything under the sun and a few things that were made up just because.
It was one thing to use a "barely acceptable French minor of potential creature heritage" hostage for the purpose of a magical tournament without asking their parents or de facto guardian (aka Madame Maxime) first. It was another thing entirely to do the same to a known magical royal who was the ward of a feared Ancient and Noble house who wouldn't hesitate to take those responsible to task for it.
It didn't matter if Xanxus was a champion who had been dragged into this mess... he should have been consulted first before they used HIS ward as a hostage without giving him the chance to offer substitutes, even if by doing so they alerted him to what the task might entail.
Which was why the witch was entirely unsurprised when a scant week later several of those who had been responsible for the mess suddenly turned up very dead in extremely graphic ways that made it clear they hadn't died quickly or easily.
These English dogs should have remembered their precious school motto.
Don't tickle the sleeping dragon indeed...and they had gone and pissed of one of the most impressive specimens of a dragon by putting one of his in direct danger due to their carelessness. Royalty, no less, which any idiot could have told them how highly dragons prized royal blood.
The fact Xanxus had made it very clear he considered the homicidal brat his little brother in all but blood should have been warning enough.
Fleur drank her light wine with a dark expression of approval on her face.
It served those honorless dogs right for using Gabrielle like that.
Of course the Ministry was really worried about the fact that Barty Crouch Sr. and Ludo Bagman had been found dead in their homes by unknown means.
(Though Fleur would recognize a gunshot to the head anywhere.)
Belphegor squirmed uncomfortably next to Xanxus.
"Brat, what is it?" demanded Xanxus gruffly.
"Boss... do you really consider me a little brother?" asked Bel slowly, his aura openly vulnerable. He wasn't used to having family that cared.
"What brought this on?" asked Xanxus.
"Mammy said that the reason you killed the peasants responsible for putting the prince in the lake was because you were mad that they put your little brother in danger," said Bel carefully. "And that you set Mammy loose to make sure that they didn't try it ever again."
Xanxus picked Belphegor up like a misbehaving kitten. Bel was so used to this he didn't squawk like he used to.
So he was rather surprised to find himself in Xanxus' lap with the older male's arms around him.
"I don't care if we don't share a lick of blood. You're still my obnoxious, bloodthirsty little brother and I'll be damned if I let some backwater bastards put you in that sort of danger again."
Bel snuggled into Xanxus' side. He had never had a family that cared that much about him to the point they'd happily commit murder for putting him in danger. It was rather nice and it only made the bond he had with Xanxus stronger.
"You are one of mine brat, and don't you ever forget that."
The feeling he got off of the bloodthirsty prince for that was the same feeling he got from Lussuria and Squalo when he told the old bastard who claimed to be his father that he could go fuck himself the day he allowed that old man to dictate who he trusted with his life, with them in the room hearing every word.
He didn't care if his men were loud, annoying swordsmen who had a volume control problem or a former man who creeped everyone out before she had her gender shifted to the one she actually identified with.
They were his and he'd kill anyone who said they weren't "good enough" to be his guardians because he was supposed to be a Vongola. His men were loyal to their very bones and he trusted them to have his back even when the world was going to hell. That was enough for him and he couldn't give a shit about what he considered "minor" details.
Belphegor would happily stab anyone who made a comment about the fact he was openly cuddling with his Sky and older brother. It was nice to have family that wanted you.
In Italy...
Daniela suddenly perked up.
"What is it this time?" asked Gina, one of the ladies who came by to gossip.
"My grandmother senses are tingling. I think I'm missing out on a very adorable moment that will be adamantly denied later by those responsible that would make anyone coo if they saw pictures of it," she announced.
"Ah, one of those," said Lilou sensibly. "I hate it when moments like that spring up and we aren't there to catch it."
Most of the women there pouted.
"And I'm fairly certain it's my adorably violent grandson too!"
"The one who acted as your enabler?" asked Gina, eyes laughing.
Daniela nodded with a wicked grin.
When Xanxus lived with her, he not only enabled her chaotic habits but he was also an openly amused accomplice who cackled right along with her while taking blackmail photos for later. The boy had a positively devious mind and wasn't afraid to use it even on people who were considered "too important" for that sort of thing.
Daniela could still remember the time he managed to spike the punch with a high quality aphrodisiac and the chaos that came of it. So could Timoteo, who had been one of his victims.
She could still see Reborn trying and failing to hold back his own quiet laughter at the sheer havoc it had brought to an otherwise boring ball.
And everyone had thought Xanxus was spiking the punch with more booze.