In a Cottage at Florence

Harry greeted Skull with a tight hug when his lively cloud got back from whatever lessons—or more likely training—that Viper put him through.

Skull reciprocated it by hugging back and lifting him up to twirl him around in circles. Their flames lit up and entwined to show their joy at being reunited, even by only being separated by three days.

Warm pure orange danced with vibrant purple as their bond resonated. A soul bond that reached an unspeakable level of trust and love.

They were snapped out of it by a forced cough from Viper who watched the whole thing from the corner of the room. They looked unimpressed by the show of affection and were waiting on them.

Harry blushed and shyly apologized for forgetting about the mist's presence in the room but Skull on the other hand smugly stuck a tongue out to them.

Harry didn't even fault Viper when an illusion of a vine alike to a devil snare caught his mischievous cloud's feet and made him trip.

Skull slipped on the floor with a loud yelp and only through Harry grabbing his forearm did he not end up a mess on the ground. Ending up sitting on the floor was much better than hitting his head on it.

"Mou, idiot. Keep in mind what I told you about"

They crossed their arms and curled their lips at Skull. A look of distaste from the visible part of their face.

A dark look flashed for a second in the cloud's purple eyes unknown to Harry as he scowled.

"Yeah yeah, I know", he waved his hand over his head and stood up with help from Harry.

Skull frustratedly messed with his hair before pouting and draping himself over Harry's shoulder like a lazy cat.

"Hmm, Harry I'm tired. Let's go back home"

Harry fondly rolled his eyes before ruffling his cloud's purple hair, almost as wild as his own.

"Okay Skull, we'll go home soon", he smiled to his cloud but was called after by Viper who was still standing on the corner.

"Harry I still have something to talk to you about"

He turned towards them with curious eyes. Viper stood shifting from one foot to the other while their hands gripped their dark robes. The mist appeared nervous and was finding their courage.

Harry tilted his head and stared questioningly. He shook off Skull who was laying on him much to the annoyance of his cloud and walked over to the informant.

"What is it Viper? Can I help?", he asked politely at first to try to gauge just what they needed help with. The amount of trust he had in them greatly increased when they brought back Skull fine and uninjured. 

With his talk with Kawahira, he learned more about the Mafia world and Dying Will Flames. Just how they meant to the flame users.

The Earthling also wrinkled his nose at him like he saw something annoying and offensive when they talked together afterward. It was then explained by the man that Harry was reeking mist flames.

"I'm a sky", he pointed out with a blank stare at Kawahira who was slurping on his Miso ramen. Harry also had ordered Tonkotsu ramen and was appreciating his meal.

Kawahira rolled his eyes before placing his chopsticks on the rack again. He used a napkin to wipe his mouth before tossing it to the side.

"I know, if your ridiculous amount of sky flames that almost killed me yesterday didn't show me then I don't know what would. I'm talking about another flame user's mist flames", he paused before sighing and pinching the bridge between his nose. " You don't know, do you?"

Harry crossed one leg over the other and turned towards Kawahira with a look that translated to 'I'm the one who doesn't belong to this world. Why the fuck would you think I understand everything'.

Kawahira glanced skyward at the wooden ceiling before looking back at him and spreading his hands open in a show of good faith and asking for patience.

It just looked condescending in Harry's eyes and he sent a low stinging hex on the older man's leg in retaliation. Kawahira didn't even bother to react to that petty display and continued.

"Based on my investigation, the only one strong enough for these flames and the only mist you have ever had contact with is the famous information broker, Viper, right?" he hummed smugly when Harry nodded in response.

"What I mean is that Viper has placed a mark on you. Some of their mist flames are twirling around yours. Just like how animals mark their mates or children to scare away possible predators or even the same animals. It typically screams at other mists to stay away. Like some kind of sign that says 'this sky is off limits' or is 'reserved'. Elements usually do this when in the middle of courting a sky they liked. So congratulations, you have a mist courting you and by the look of it, quite some time too"

Harry stared with wide skeptical eyes and mouth agape at Kawahira who just raised a judgemental eyebrow at him, like it was supposed to be obvious.

"W–what I–I what the hell"

"How eloquent"

"Bugger off mate"

Kawahira snorted with a smile on his face before going back on his Miso ramen like he didn't just give Harry a shock.

Now Harry was going back to every interaction that he had with viper. The amount of time they met face to face couldn't be more than his fingers. But they did call each other a lot, which really didn't mean much since Harry pays the mist every time, discounts not helping.

When he explained it to Kawahira the man looked at him like he was an idiot again which he stopped when Harry pointed his sparkling wand at him.

"Harry dear, the word 'discount' doesn't exist in Viper's dictionary. Never in their time have they ever provided it. The truth is that every time someone contacts them the prices get more and more expensive. Discount is non-existent and you wouldn't get anything free even if you pry it off their corpse. Them paying would actually be the end of the world"

Kawahira lifted his bowl and drank all the soup before placing it down and saying "Gochiso sama deshita". 

Harry just continued to stay speechless while the mist continued his explanation.

"So they are courting you. Just wait for them to formalize it by doing their thing before asking for permission to Harmonize. The courting for the position of guardian depends on the flame user themselves", he explained before putting on a pleased expression. "Oh, and Harry, eat your noodles now before they become soggy"

Harry glared at the bastard enjoying his shock and question of reality before finishing off his ramen. It would be bad to eat it cold.

So that was how Harry finally figured out he was being courted by Viper. Now just based on the unusual reaction from them, he knew that this was something that involved their courting.

Harry wasn't even sure what to make of this new predicament he was in. He liked Viper enough true. But this was a soul bond, Harry would be sharing his entire life with them. While he doesn't regret what happened with Skull, he didn't actually have a choice in that. This was something that he needed to have a hand in. It was jarring, to say the least.

"Mou, yes. I would like to invite you for dinner tonight. I would p-pay for it. But of course only tonight. Do not expect more"

Viper sounded like they struggled to get the word out and by doing so had dragged their soul out kicking and screaming.

Harry's eyes widened and he saw on his side that Skull was near snarling so he wisely sent a muffliato on his cloud and held him at bay.

"That would be nice. Thank you for the invitation", he warmly smiled at Viper who lit up as much as the mist could show.

"6 PM at L'angolo Italiano, Viia degli strozzi"

With those parting words, Viper misted away with their indigo flames dripping like ink and enveloping their cloaked figure.

Harry sent a Finite Incantatem to Skull to cancel the muffliato. Then he now heard his cloud's snarl. He looked beside him to see Skull's eyes flashing a purple glow to show the signs of his cloud instincts kicking in high gear.

Skull was still trying to balance the new instincts he managed to gain after gaining a sky. When they were back at the cottage, he would usually prowl the property at random times. Viper called that 'patrolling his territory' like any normal cloud does so. Skull was trying to keep a lease on his instincts all this time because he didn't know about flames and we're wary of letting them out. Now that he knew about them, they were trying to help Skull adapt to it.

Looks like Viper's lesson worked well enough for the cloud to pick up on a courting. And well, clouds have a hard time sharing, inverted or not.

"Come on Skull, let's go home", he gently placed a hand over Skull's shoulder and apparated them back to their home.

The cottage was dust-free despite neither of them being home in three days. Harry turned on the lights, incense, and the TV in the living room. He let the familiar buzz of the telly and the scent of lavender from the incense fall before them.

Skull visibly relaxed at being in their home again and those flashing purple glow stopped to show his cloud's clear eyes. Harry then felt hands creep up to his waist and tightened their hold. He let out a yelp when Skull pulled him to the couch with them. He ended up sitting on Skull's lap while the teen tucked his head on Harry's neck.

Harry sighed before lifting his hand to pet those purple messy hair. He took off his necklace and let his flames fill the room.

It was after lunch and Harry still had a long time before his intended dinner with Viper. Now here comes the question of how he can deal with it. While Harmonizing with Viper didn't seem that much of a death sentence, it was a soul bond. A literal soul connected that will bind them for life, this was worse than marriage. You can't get a divorce on this one.

'But Skull didn't end up so bad, a sky needs its elements', he ignored those whispers in his mind and continued pondering just what to do.

'Admit it, you got attached to the little miser. Greedier than a goblin but just as endearing. The first help you ever had in this unusual world. Just as quick to grasp on as you did to Ron and Hermione'

Harry shook his head to get the thoughts out but only managed to ruffle Skull who had fallen asleep on him. Skull looked up at him in a daze before tucking back on his neck to sleep again.

'You need friends Harry, you can't keep living like a hermit!'

Oh great, now it sounds like Hermione. Who next, Luna?

"Yes, Harry?"

Harry jolted and nearly pushed off Skull in his surprise but thankfully managed to keep still.

"Luna?", he questioned the voice in his head. This was it, he was going crazy.

"Yes silly", she giggled in that dreamy tone she always wore. "You called for me so I answered, little Sky. Although I was bored too, Rolf and I just finished visiting a hidden magical Waterfall in Tokyo for the Mizuchi there"

He stared dumbly at the air, not knowing where to look when she was talking to him through his mind.

"I just have one thing to say, Harry. Don't let the wrackspurts pollute your head. Things happen for a reason, let magic guide you. She will never let her child be harmed in soul anymore. Oh, and drink more coffee"

And then as mysterious and dodgy as mist flame user, she disappeared from his head.

'If Luna is an element then she'd be more of a rain than a mist', he laughed in his mind before focusing back on reality.

Well, she was right. No need to overthink things too much. He'll just have to trust magic on this one. On the other hand, he wasn't even sure if they'd be able to Harmonize. 

If things go awry then he always had Skull and a new lesson on life. He'd never get anywhere if he was always afraid. Something he learned as a curse breaker and in Hogwarts. 

He is Harry James Potter, death spat him out thrice, and is more likely to kick him out again if it meant that someone has the title of the master of death. He can do this.

Harry soon arrived at the restaurant that Viper talked about. It was a nice place, more like a big family-run business that Harry prefers. The restaurant has a warm feeling that triggers nostalgia with the dark wood in its structure and the orange candles that lit up the place. Soft Italian jazz plays on the speakers that lull the customers into comfort. The walls were a creamy white and were easy on the eyes. Harry liked it immediately.

He arrived about five minutes before 6 and saw that Viper was already waiting for him outside the restaurant.

While Harry himself wore simple jeans with an indigo elevated casual button-up. He didn't even bother trying to tame his hair because the only time it ever managed to look manageable was with the unholy union of Hermione and Draco using both magic and muggle ways to try to fix it for a special ball. It took them 8 hours, 18 broken combs, 3 empty jars of gel, 20 broken clips, 2 broken dryers, 1 malfunctioning hair straightener, 2 magical books for hairstyles on fire, and 10 empty bottles of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion before it worked. And his hair only became tame for two hours before it turned back into the mess it was.

Ron and Astoria had to physically detain their partners from hexing Harry's hair—head included in a sure-fire gruesome aftermath— afterward. 

It was then decided that the hair was some extension of the Potter luck and they had no way of fixing it.

Harry was quite surprised when Viper wore something other than their usual clothes. They wore an indigo dress shirt and tailored black dress pants, over those clothes was the familiar cloak that they always wore. Their face was still under the hood and those bright violet upside-down triangle-shaped marks on their cheeks.

"Mou, time is money. Come on, I set up a private room for us", they opened the door for Harry and ushered him inside.

The wizard pretended not to see the red blush on their cheek after seeing his attire. A sky wearing the color of their courting element was already an ok in their language. It showed that Harry understood their intentions and was accommodating to it.

After entering, Viper talked with the person on the counter and soon a waitress arrived to guide them to their room.

Harry arrived in a nicely lit room with scented candles on the side. It has a beautiful balcony that lets them see the stunning night sky above. Their table was located beside the balcony, enough to see the view outside but not enough to leave the ceiling.

Harry calculated the price but thought that anything above zero euro was something Viper didn't want to spend on. For the sake of both of them. Harry hopes everything goes well.

They grabbed his hand and led him towards one of the chairs and pulled it back for him. Harry thanked the polite gesture and happily sat on the chair. The mist sat on his own chair and handed him the menu that was laying on the table.

"If you have picked your food, tell me so I can ring the bell and call the waiter in"

Harry nodded before picking a simple dish. For Viper's own sanity, he picked the cheapest thing they had along with a glass of water. When he asked Viper about their order, he laughed when he found that they ordered the same exact thing.

Viper rang the bell and soon the waiter came in, the professionalism was amazing as they didn't even react upon their order of what was most likely the cheapest dinner at the restaurant.

"This is exhausting. Mou, next time you are going to be taking me to dinner"

For someone who likely never spends anything on another person, Viper was probably not even lying. The miser must be in agony at spending money on such a 'useless extravagance' as a dinner date.

Harry chucked and gave the miser a toothy grin. 

"Yeah, I'll take you out wherever you want"

Viper proudly preened and leaned on his palm with his elbow over the table resting.

"I'm glad that you finally figured out I was courting you. Mou, I thought I would have to spell it out. Although it isn't your fault since I'm the first one to court you. Skull didn't even have the courtesy of it before harmonizing with you"

It seems that the mist had taken offense to the fact that he and Skull had harmonized so quickly but Harry sensed underlying jealousy in their voice.

Harry doesn't think he'll ever understand just how elements' minds work despite how many times Viper or Kawahira would explain it to him.

Speaking of Harmonization, he had forgotten about his necklace that kept his flames in. This was a special event and he knew that Viper was smart enough to do something to the room with his mist flames to avoid his sky flames from flooding the restaurant but better be safe than sorry. Harry tries to avoid replicating an accident like the first time his flames became permanently active. But even with his restraint, this whole street would still be flooded by sky flames. He could have just adjusted his necklace but the effect it will bring will still dampen the chances of harmonization. 

"Viper, could you do the thing with your mist flames to try to hide my flames for a bit, I'm going to take off the trinket that hides it", he said as he picked up his necklace and showed it to the mist who watched it like a hawk.

Viper raised his hands and soon mist flames surrounded their room. 

Harry smiled wryly before he took off the necklace. The room then lit up in vibrant orange, almost drowning the mist flames.

The mist shuttered before seemingly melting into goo, but they immediately stiffened and took a pouch from their subspace. They searched inside and pulled out a small bottle with orange pills. Viper took one out and swallowed it.

They sighed in relief and placed the pouch and bottle back in their subspace.

"Don't worry. It's just that the initial first impact is the strongest. I'll be fine now. But I would still like to observe that trinket, Harry"

They opened their hand and moved it in a give-me motion. 

Harry was worried at first because of the sudden intake of the medicine but calmed down after their explanation. If the harmonization does work then Viper would get used to his flames and this wouldn't be a problem anymore. The wizard complied and let the necklace drop on their hand. 

The informant curiously poke and prod it but appeared mostly curious about the rune he etched on the wooden necklace.

"Mou, what is this? I can feel my flames being hidden but not sealed? This weird writing has energy, not the kind that Dying will flames emit", they traced the rune with their finger and squinted at the tiny writings.

"It's something that my family was able to do. Passed down to me now. But first, let's get this straight, why me?"

Viper didn't know anything about Harry and he could say the same about the mist. But honestly, even if they didn't know about it, Harry is the one at an advantage. They knew about flames, and so did Harry. But they didn't know about magic and Harry's ability to bring hell with it. That was why he had grown comfortable in his surroundings, but he always made sure not to get too comfortable. He was powerful and the only wixen in this world true, but even titans and gods could be brought down if they let their guard down. Harry was not going to let arrogance and laziness be the death of him— as they did to Voldemort.

"Hmm, there are many factors to consider. Mou, first is that so far you have been the only sky powerful enough to possibly harmonize with me. Second would be your status as a civilian. I don't like the idea of being tied down by a famiglia. Having a civilian sky would give me more freedom", their lips curled in disgust as they discussed joining a famiglia.

Harry could understand, Viper probably fought hard to continue being independent up until now. It was near impossible to be an unaffiliated element unless you were strong enough to do so. All the freedom and hard work they put into being unaffiliated would turn to dust the moment they bonded with a sky from a famiglia.

He didn't want to join a mafia family himself, the wizard liked his freedom. That was why he fled from the Britain wizarding community and joined an independent group of curse breakers.

"—And then... I found you first. You became my responsibility when you came waltzing into the underworld with your too-bright sky flames and complete utter lack of common sense—"

Harry would have been offended if it wasn't true. But in his defense, he really was a civilian in terms of the mafia world.

"—and most importantly, you can pay me. Money makes the world go round. I'm greedy and I want a sky that can afford me"

Harry had a deadpan look in his eye and blinked slowly to show the lack of surprise at the last statement.

"You could have just skipped the first three and just jumped on the last one you know", he laughed as he accepted back the necklace from the mist.

Viper crossed their arms and scoffed. The candlelight illuminated their back cloak and gave it an orange hue. The scent of orange and cinnamon in the air mixed nicely with the savory scenes emanating from the other customer's dinners outside.

"Good thing you know"

"Viper, anybody who spent more than an hour with you would know you're a greedy miser"

"Mou, it's not a lie"

Harry chuckled and shook his head in amusement. It was fun to banter with Viper, it oddly reminded him of his time with Draco. Sarcastic banter and dry humor with each flung word.

Soon their food arrived and the two of them enjoyed a simple dinner. They talked about their likes and dislikes as well as their hobbies.

Harry found out that Viper's favorite food was those small cheap chocolates from Japan called the 5-yen chocolate and that their favorite drink is lemonade when dining but for a snack they liked milk.

Harry introduced his favorite food as treacle tart—he never really did get over it— and that his hobbies included cooking and traveling the world. Viper replied that their own hobby was checking their deposit account.

Both were careful to avoid any topic or questions about their past. Viper's gender and possibly real name were brought up as much as Harry's ability to hide from them. Which means not at all.

Harry respected them if they wanted to make their names and past a secret to forget and let rot. Harry would be a hypocritical bastard if he didn't. 

Skull confessed about his past as a person who grew up in a circus and later took up a motorcycle to do stunts after his mother's death. But it was clear that he was struggling to say his former name. So Harry put a stop to it. He harmonized and bonded with Skull de Mort, not whoever he was before. His cloud became teary and hugged him tightly afterward.

There were times in Harry's life when he wanted to change his name. When the crowds, prophet, and reports got too loud and crazy for the savior. When he found his name written and called out, whether as a prayer or a curse. But it was the name that his parents gave him, he was not losing another part of him to the world that had already taken so much.

So yes, he knew why others would like to shed their names and past. The Dursleys and all the nightmarish shit he had gone through Hogwarts was something he wished he could wave a wand at making it disappear. 

Whoever they used to be was of no concern to him. The person he wants to harmonize with is Viper. The greedy miser who talks and breathes money yet didn't sell out Harry when they had a chance. He trusts his instincts, and they are telling him that Viper was someone he could rely on.

When they finished their dinner an awkward mood settled in. Harry knew that harmonization differentiates depending on everyone. Some harmonization might take days to a year. Other rare instances like he did with Skull, just click the moment they met.

The more compatible the pair and more powerful the sky, the faster harmonization occurs. That was the rule.

So when they got the table cleaned up, Harry held out his hand to Viper and gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

They stiffened and stared at the hand for a second. Harry chewed his cheek nervously but the mist finally did find their courage and with a slightly shaky hand, reached out and clasped his hand.

Their flames flared and entwined in a vivid dance of orange and indigo. Harry then felt the warmsafehomehomecomplete that filled him when he bonded with Skull. He felt the hopeful hesitance that Viper carried in their chest. The streaming fear of what if that chased their thoughts. Their belief and dependence on money, the only stable thing in this world that will bring them the freedom and power they wanted.

The burst of happiness at feeling finally complete. Finding somewhere they belong. Their home, their sky.

The overwhelming feeling being transmitted made Harry's head spin and his cheeks flush red. 

Then another click.

The feeling of a puzzle placed perfectly in its fitted piece. And Harry knew at that moment that he had harmonized with Viper. 

With a watery smile so full of hope and happiness he slowly let go of their hand. Viper allowed this as they clutched their hood and duck their head down in embarrassment for their exposed feeling and sheer happiness at their Harmonization.

Then to Harry's surprise, they loosened their grip on the hood and let it fall to expose themselves.

He owlishly blinked in surprise more at the action rather than their actual appearance.

He returned the act of vulnerability and trust with a warm kind smile.

"You have such pretty eyes, Viper"

A slight blush decorated their cheeks, making the purple triangles have a reddish tint.

"...Mou, you as well. My sky"

Kawahira stirred the broth of the salt ramen he had ordered for tonight's dinner. 

His mind wandered into the wizard sky he met 3 days ago and couldn't help but be filled with hope.

He had found someone like him. A human but not human, the firstborn children of Gaia. And someone who promised to help with the Tri-ni-sette. To find another way aside from cursing seven souls with those damned pacifiers. To create a way so that he would no longer have to roam and search for compatible elements powerful enough to make sure to trap them with it to ensure the world doesn't end.

He doesn't even like humans. Kawahira can find some of them amusing at some times, and endearing at rare times. But he has nothing but indifference for most of them.

Sepira was the one who adored humans, the one who wanted to live with them. His sky had such love for this stupid race that he couldn't understand how.

There were times that he just wished he could let this world that didn't contain his kind burn to the ground by throwing those cursed pacifiers into the ocean. But he couldn't let Sepira down.

So he continues to live and do his job as the administrator of the Tri-ni-sette.

Bringing despair and hatred to the cursed seven, to make them feel the anger that he experiences at being forced to continue.

And of course, his bad ways also just had to find a way to bite him back.

Bermuda von Veckenschtein.

The devil's reincarnation hell-bent on finding and bringing him to hell with them.

Centuries older than he should be, that person's will and hatred for him was enough to form the Vendice and Vendicare Prison. Enough to fuel them for more centuries to come. 

But hopefully when Harry finds a way to seal those pacifiers then he would need to make the Arcobalenos and Bermuda would give up on their search for him.

He snorted and then laughed.

Bermuda would never stop trying to find them to burn their body to dust with his flames of night. Even if the world ended, he would still try to find him.

Kawahira just hopes that in the few rare instances that the little monster could find him, he wouldn't do it when he's with Harry.

The true Earthling changes his appearance every few decades, after all, he hopes that the Vindice doesn't grab the wrong Gaia's child at that time. Harry might just kill Kawahira.

While counting the number of people itching to have a go at him. He wrinkled his nose at the remembrance of the mist that was courting his kin.

Viper, the world's best illusionist and information broker. Second only to him in terms of mist flames.

If things didn't happen as they did, then he would have picked that mist as part of the I Prescelti Sette. The next generation of the arcobalenos. Lucky bastard.

Elements have the urge, an instinct instilled by their flames to find a home. To find their sky. Many would lay their soul for a chance for harmonization.

But skies were rare, good skies even rarer. And Harry was an impossibility, especially with his identity and magic. But even without that, a civilian sky was something to latch on to.

A sky that wasn't raised in the mafia world and didn't understand nor comply with common sense. Someone who didn't understand or care just how special skies are. The literal royalty of the underworld, and because of that most grow a head big enough to float away.

A humble sky that has no idea what they want because they could not understand just what they could have. To have a sky that wouldn't look anywhere else and give their guardian freedom that a famiglia can't give. But unlike normal civilians, Harry has the ability and power to protect himself. That's what Viper is looking for.

As an informant—much less the world's best informant, Viper must have already guessed that there is something special—other worldly—to Harry. For a civilian to be a ghost until 2 years ago and be unplottable to even the government's system. 

Although they probably wouldn't have guessed magic so far. Even Kawahira was surprised by that at first, and he was the same kin and child of Gaia.

'But oh well', he raised his cup of sake to the air and drank it in one go. 'At least things will be interesting from now on'.