Chapter Three - Trouble with the brothers
Apparently, Don Nono had been asking Xanxus to join the weekly family dinners since he'd first arrived, and Xanxus has steadfastly refused, to his father's dismay. As his gesture of thanks for his help with Squalo, Xanxus had condescended to attend, for what sounded like an incredibly tense hour of tea and strained conversation. Xanxus would inevitable return to his room in an awful mood, immediately change into something more comfortable and go shoot things for the rest of the afternoon.
However, Harry could tell that the time spent with his family was doing Xanxus good. Once he had calmed down, he was generally eager - in that aggressive, I'm-doing -you-a-favour-by-letting-you-listen-to-me way of his - to share the gossip he picked up, or his observations about his father and brothers, or just his complaints of how 'that bastard Enrico always sounds like he's mocking me! How the hell does he do that even when he's agreeing with me!' or 'the shitty old man threw a bitch fit, just because I threw one desk at that idiot teacher!' When he was whining like any other boy his age, like Harry remembered complaining about the harshness of McGonagall or the unfairness of Snape, it was hard to remember that he was a dangerous fighter and fourth in line to inherit the most powerful Mafia Family in the world.
For the two months Xanxus had been attending the family lunches, he and Don Nono had been the only two constant presences. Enrico had missed one when he was in hospital with a broken arm. Xanxus had panicked when he'd heard from a gossiping servant that Enrico was in the hospital. He had promptly abandoned his gun training, rushing down to the car lot to bully someone to drive him there immediately. Luckily Squalo, who had been with him, had the presence of mind to run and fetch Harry. Harry had made it to the garage at a dead run, just before Xanxus immolated the servant who was brave or stupid enough to deny him. Harry had driven both boys to the Vongola-owned hospital and sat with them in the waiting room as a nurse explained that it was a simple break, nothing to worry about. He wished he still carried calming potions with him as he watched Xanxus pace up and down the small room, made even smaller by the presence of two of Enrico's Guardians. He could tell the Rain present was doing his best to keep the atmosphere calm, and Xanxus was barely restraining himself from burning the entire building down.
When the tension got high enough that a nurse almost fainted just from walking past the door, Squalo dragged Xanxus out into the car park. Harry stayed in the waiting room with Enrico's Storm and Lightning – a brunet man called Aragorn and a tiny redheaded woman called Gandalf. A light conversation about Lord of the Rings and Enrico's bizarre choice of naming theme lasted until the two boys tumbled back into the room, bloody and bruised but no longer wound tight enough to explode.
It was only a couple of minutes later that the nurse announced the Enrico was returned from the minor surgery needed to insert the metal pin, there were no complications and he would be waking up shortly. The relief on Xanxus' face was painful. The Guardians had known that it was just a broken arm, and nothing to worry about, so they had been able to view the accident as something to tease their Boss about rather than the terrifying threat to his new family that Xanxus couldn't help but see it as.
As soon as he had seen the groggy but smiling Enrico, Xanxus had growled something about 'wasting my time in this shitty hospital, asshole, don't do it again' and strode right back out of the room. Harry had obligingly driven both boys home, he and Squalo reading the tense lines of Xanxus' body and spending the short trip in silence. Xanxus and Squalo had spent that night in sleeping bags on Xanxus' floor.
The overnight the anaesthetic had required meant that Enrico had missed the next day's lunch, but other than that his record was spotless. Massimo, on the other hand, had only attended one lunch, and Federico had been out of Italy entirely for the last six weeks. Judging by his frustration, Xanxus didn't know what his absence was about, and Nono was refusing to tell him. Harry wondered when Xanxus' father would learn that keeping secrets from him was the best way to alienate him.
Harry still hadn't met Federico, but Xanxus had introduced him to Massimo and his children during the week they stayed in the mansion. For a certain value of 'introduced'.
Harry was just on his way to the laundry room with Xanxus' bedsheets when he was almost knocked flat on his back by a screaming pre-teen girl hurtling down the corridor. Automatically, he stepped to the side, dropped the sheets, grabbed the girl and pulled her behind him, searching the hallway for threats as he reached reflexively for a wand he hadn't carried for months.
"Nice reflexes," a deep male voice commented.
'Nice' depended on your definition. War-trained instincts didn't die, no matter how many times he reminded himself that the Death Eaters were caught, no one could track him to Italy, and Hermione or Ron would warn him of any threat. If he carried his wand with him, he knew he would have cursed his unsuspecting Muggle co-workers half a dozen times in the first week alone, when they startled him or another burst of gunfire sounded. Harry relaxed slightly as he saw Xanxus striding down the hallway, next to a man Harry didn't recognise. By his resemblance to Enrico, Harry assumed the man was another of the Vongola brothers, but he didn't drop his arm or move away from where he was sheltering the girl.
"Massimo, this is Harry. Trash, the second brother and his spawn." Xanxus immediately made what appeared to be a sincere effort to shatter Massimo's kneecap with a kick from one of his heavy boots, as Massimo reached out to ruffle his hair.
"Pleasure to meet you," Harry said.
"I'm not a spawn!" the girl behind him declared indignantly, to the indulgent smile of her father.
The boy Harry had just noticed hiding behind Massimo nodded fervently, pouting. By the way Massimo had his arm round him, he guessed the older man had pulled him out of the line of fire when he saw Harry reach for a weapon. It made him think highly of the man, that his first instinct was to protect the child.
"Of course not," Harry agreed calmly, dropping his arm and letting the girl move out from where she had been trapped between his back and the wall.
"I'm Daniela Vongola," she declared haughtily.
"I'm Fabio Vongola," her brother added, now holding his father's hand instead of huddled behind him, but still not moving away from the safety the man offered. Less adventurous then, compared to his outgoing sister.
"Harry solves problems, so if any of the trash do something stupid, get him to fix it," Xanxus huffed, before marching to his room and slamming the door. Massimo grinned at his back. Harry wouldn't be surprised if the man saw Xanxus as more of a nephew than a brother, throwing adorable little hissy fits.
"But Uncle Xanxus was going to play with us!" Daniela complained. Harry bit back a laugh at the thought of eleven year-old Xanxus being an Uncle to the girl who couldn't be younger than six. They had obviously been in the middle of a game when Daniela had startled him.
"It looks like your Uncle is busy," Massimo consoled. Harry held back a snort. Busy. Right. He just hated sharing his things, and would retreat in the rare situation when violence wasn't an option. When introducing Massimo and his children to Harry meant both sharing them with him, and him with them, he was impressed that Xanxus had been as mature as was.
"Do you really solve problems?" Fabio asked shyly.
Harry made a flamboyant bow, making the little boy giggle. "I most certainly do my best. Is there something I can help the young master with?"
"The cooks serve carrot with every meal and I hate it."
"Fabio, you know you need to eat your vegetables," Massimo sighed, in what was clearly a well-worn argument.
"Yeah, but carrots are gross!" Fabio stuck his tongue out for emphasis as Daniela nodded in agreement with her arms crossed over chest.
"Is there another vegetable you prefer? I know Xanxus is fond of peas."
That was actually true. He would happily spend an entire day in the kitchen shelling peas for the cooks, as long as he got to snack on them as he went. They were always glad of the assistance, since it was a boring, tedious job.
"Really?" Daniela's eyes were wide. It seemed that she had a slight case of hero worship for her Uncle.
"Really." Harry replied solemnly.
"I want peas too!" Fabio declared.
Massimo gave Harry a look of utmost relief. "If you help Harry pick up the sheets you made him drop, I'll speak to the cooks about serving peas instead of carrots."
As the two children almost tripped him up trying to help, Harry decided that he liked Xanxus' family.
Harry took advantage of the one guaranteed hour a week that Xanxus was out of his room to the cleaning that was awkward to do with him present - namely vacuuming and stripping his bed. It was the one time a week that Harry had permission to enter Xanxus' room, and even then he wasn't allowed to touch anything but the bed. Normally that wasn't a problem, but this week Xanxus had evidently been in a hurry to leave, because he had left paper all over the bed.
Harry sorted the papers into a neat pile, planning to leave them on the desk, in plain sight when Xanxus returned, when the writing caught his eye.
My dear son
Your tutors tell me that your progress in your academics is incredible. I'm making arrangements for Squalo to join you in History and Geography.
I'm very proud of you
Father
Harry had known that ever since he had first suggested writing a list, Xanxus had preferred to communicate with his family through notes, but he hadn't known that they responded in the same way, or that Xanxus thought they were important enough to keep. He avoided reading any more, although he saw signatures from all three of Xanxus' brothers. He arranged them into as neat a pile as he could, given the different sizes of notepaper, and carried on cleaning with a small smile on his face.
Half an hour later, Xanxus returned from lunch, but instead of immediately changing and leaving, he sat down on his sofa, pulling his tie off over his head as he sighed deeply. Harry didn't say anything, knowing from experience that it was better to let Xanxus initiate conversation.
"Federico's back," he said after a couple of minutes of silence.
"Did he do anything interesting?" Harry asked lightly.
"He says he was looking for the woman he wanted for his Mist, who's vanished off the face of the earth."
"Mist is illusions, isn't it? Indigo?"
"Right. They're supposed to be tricky, so the old man thinks that she just decided she didn't want to be a Guardian and ran. Federico insists she wouldn't do that."
"What do you think?"
"He wanted her because she was hot, not because she was talented. If she had been as powerful as him, or even close, they would have Harmonized immediately, instead of spending half a year Courting. She's not anywhere near good enough to hide from the Vongola, not even for a week, let alone six. But it wasn't a secret that Federico wanted her. So."
Harry understood why Xanxus looked so concerned. Anyone with the arrogance to kidnap a Mist, who were notoriously hard to control, was either very strong or very stupid. Someone willing to take a Mist affiliated with the Vongola, and hide them so completely that they couldn't be found was an even greater threat.
"Is there anyone Federico suspects?"
"A Family who dares to take a Courted Mist? A Vongola Mist? There are Families with the balls but without the skill, or the skill but not the balls. I don't know any with both, and neither do Federico or Enrico. The old man insists that if it was meant as an attack on the Vongola, they would have sent a message. But if kidnapping isn't a message, I don't know what the fuck he's waiting for." He scowled, the tie twisted between his fists beginning to smoulder.
"Keep Squalo close for a while?" Harry suggested. It was a leap from a Courted Guardian to a bonded one, but a pre-teen was a lot more vulnerable than a full-grown, trained woman.
"Damn right. The old man didn't like it, but he can shove it up his ass. Enrico and Federico both have my back in this. Until he finds out what the hell happened, neither of you are leaving the fucking mansion."
"Am I not?" Harry asked. He knew that Xanxus struggled to express himself, but he would not be held prisoner by an eleven year old.
"Please."
At that, Harry could only agree. Xanxus must be far more shaken up than Harry had thought. And he couldn't help but be flattered that Xanxus valued him as much as his right-hand man.
I am so sorry for the wait. So very very sorry.