That Crazy Nut of a Teacher Chapter 6: Summertime madness

"A summer resort?" Harry raised an eyebrow and set down the sheaf of papers he was leafing through. He did so carefully, since the first thing Fleur did when she entered the classroom was to draw up a redecoration plan. Instead of his desk being rather bereft of individuality, it was now littered with small tokens and other memorabilia. While he was slightly annoyed at his work space being cluttered, he grudgingly accepted their presence.

Fleur, who was steadily grading though an exercise from the last lesson, pursed her lips in thought. She set down her red ballpoint pen and gave Kyoya her undivided attention. As a teacher's assistant, she was given her own desk next to Harry's. Unlike her fellow teacher, she decorated her desk as a designer with good taste would. Every week, she would bring a different bouquet to fill the vase on her desk. As a result, the room constantly smelled of flowers.

Kyoya's presence in the classroom during study hall was rather unanticipated. If anything, the duo expected him to approach them during club activities since they were relatively free during that time. Fleur and Harry listened to what Kyoya had in mind.

They looked at each other and decided that they could forgive Kyoya for interrupting their work time. After all, he did have a proper reason for his actions.

"Yes," Kyoya inclined his head and adjusted his glasses. He was rather comfortable in the presence of both teachers, and he had no qualms about voluntarily spending time with them. While it would have been more proper to arrange a meeting a day or two in advance, he did not think that they would mind sparing half an hour of their time for academic purposes.

"What brought this on all of a sudden?" Harry asked curiously and tapped his pen on the desk. It was summer- yes- but did they not have a club to run? He was no stranger to summer resorts- in fact, he even built one on his private island after trying various tropical paradises. Since Kyoya was the one to propose the idea, he can only assume that the astute teenager had another reason for the sudden trip.

"It would be a good idea for everyone to relax once in a while away from our guests," Kyoya suggested logically. "It would also benefit the club in profits if our presence was not a constant in their lives." Absence makes the heart fonder, as the old saying goes. If their customers started taking them for granted, then their value would decrease- a variant of the law of supply and demand.

"Yes, but why there and why now?" Harry rebutted. "There are many places and ways to relax." Harry brushed aside Kyoya's excuses and reasons. For Kyoya to pick a specific time and location, there must be a very specific reason- one that most probably benefits him financially as well. Harry was sure that if the teenager could, he would kill an army of birds with one stone. But then again, it was this drive for efficiency that first caught Harry's curiosity and attention.

"It is the beginning of summer, Black-Sensei. What would be more suiting for a hot summer day than poolside relaxation and cool drinks?" the boy marketed. Fleur crossed her arms and looked amused. Even though she has hardly known Kyoya for more than a month, she could tell that the boy was hiding the true reason for the visit.

Harry mentally rolled his eyes and wondered if he should keep interrogating the third year if only to hear what random excuse he had to pull out of his hat next. "This place…," he began questioningly.

"Is private property belonging to the Ootoris," Kyoya said smoothly. He pulled two pieces of paper from his pocket and handed them to the two adults. An address- presumably that of the resort- was written on each one. "It is brand new; all the facilities are imported from only the best designers worldwide."

"Yes, yes, that is all well, but have these facilities been tested?" Harry emphasized. He could not care less about these "best designers"; he has heard all that and more enough times to know that "best" has different connotations according to different people. The words "brand new" set off alarms in his mind though.

"A team of renowned designers and experts were brought in to design the facility from start to finish with comfort in mind; the resort is meant to provide a gentle and peaceful location to maximize recovery for patients recovering from various psychological disorders, such as stress and anxiety related disorders." Kyoya adjusted his glasses.

"I am sure the resort has the necessarily facilities to be used for medical purposes, but you did not answer my question," Harry was not fooled by his assurance in the least. He waved his hand and pushed for Kyoya to answer the question

"Harry, they want a day at the pool," Fleur summarized succinctly, a smile tugging on her lips. Really, Harry did not have to be so harsh on the boy- he has his reasons. He would not purposely cause harm to the host club members, for they are the ones to draw revenue to the host club. "I don't see a problem with this. I assume the guests will not be present? "

Kyoya inclined his head lightly as thanks. "No, they will not. If they were present, we would be obligated to entertain them as hosts."

"Good," Fleur approved.

Trying to hold in a huff, Harry turned to his coworker. "This facility needs to be safe," he emphasized.

"And it will be." Fleur said shortly. "You could make the design as ironclad and foolproof as you want, and disaster can still strike if it truly wants to. How are you supposed to prevent them from slipping on a tile? Or choking on a fruit? Or scraping a knee? They're not six; they're sixteen. The least you can do is trust in their ability to not kill themselves."

Harry looked at Fleur skeptically as if he couldn't believe she was talking about the same people he was.

"If you are that concerned, I can accompany them as well. Renge is bound to come as the "manager" of the club," Fleur added, grudgingly admitting that perhaps the teenagers don't quite act their age. "If that is fine with you," she nodded to Kyoya.

The normally taciturn teen nodded. Even with Renge's position as the "lady manager" of the Host Club, the resort is an Ootori property. He had every right to refuse her entry; however, Fleur's request was merely a formality. The Ootoris would not risk offending the Houshakuji heir for something as trivial as admittance to a resort.

Harry was a tad exasperated, but he knew that once Fleur has her mind set on something, she would not let go. He wondered if it was the Veela blood in her causing her to be extremely stubborn. He had heard from Ron many years ago- when his brother and Fleur just got married- that they often had trivial arguments over the smallest of differences.

She raised an eyebrow at him and sent a small tendril of magic his way as if to remind him that they were both capable of using magic in an emergency.

Harry caught the small tendril easily and let it curl around his magic for several short seconds. He stared into Fleur's calm blue eyes. While he can hardly trust his charges to look after themselves, he did trust in Fleur's ability and skills. She had received training as a front line healer during the war- if anything urgent was to happen, compassionate use of magic in front of muggles can be justified under the Japanese legal system. He nodded at her and turned his attention Kyoya.

"Are all the hosts in agreement with this plan?" Harry asked.

Kyoya straightened, seeing that an unspoken accord had been reached between the two adults. "They are," he confirmed. Technically, Haruhi had not been informed yet, but everyone else had responded quite enthusiastically with the idea. He was confident that Haruhi would not (or would be unable) to refuse.

'Really?' Harry thought skeptically. He was sure his expression reflected his thoughts.

"Does this resort at least have adequate security?" Harry asked, still slightly wary.

"Only the best from my family's private security force," he reassured the advisor.

Exchanging one last look with Fleur, Harry conceded reluctantly. "Fine, but I will require detailed layout of the facility and any outstanding features. You also need to obtain approval from everyone's guardians since none of you are over eighteen."

Kyoya couldn't help the small quirk of his lips.

Harry blinked as the twins once again frogmarched Haruhi to the changing rooms, each twin taking an arm. Really, they should know better than to run next to the pool.

"I thought you had the consent of all members," he said accusingly to Kyoya, who was scribbling apathetically in his notebook by the shade.

"Yes, well…" the teen replied half flippantly. He adjusted his glasses ever-so-slightly. Clearly, this was a case of do first and apologize later. He did have Ranka's approval, though only in writing. The man had approved readily enough when Kyoya mentioned that Harry would be there as a chaperone. Clearly, the man favored the teacher quite a lot. In any case, Haruhi would simply have to stay until their drivers arrived at the end of the day to take them back to the school.

Irked, Harry crossed his arms and vowed to have a talk with the teenager later. For now, all he could do is try to keep the monkeys in his care alive and unharmed. He turned his sights to the luxurious Olympic-sized pool before him. It was really less of a pool and more of a lake; it had its own Jacuzzi sections, deep water areas, light water areas, warm water areas, and cold water areas. It even had a lane where one can actively swim against an artificially generated current.

It was unreal; exotic sights and sounds met his senses. He could hardly believe he was in Japan- if he closed his eyes, he could imagine the surroundings of his favorite Brazilian resort. Even the temperature and humidity were carefully controlled to suggest a different climate, and tropical fauna and flora were imported to add authenticity.

Even so, Harry was not impressed. He knew what the Ootori finances were like, and yet they would spend so much capital on a facility such as this for a niche in the healthcare industry? It was a big gamble, and he can only hope that it pays off. He wondered if they could really afford to splurge on a place like this when they were on the edge of bankruptcy.

Harry's sharp green eyes swept over every detail; he expected to see tell-tale evidence of budget cuts in discrete places, and he was not disappointed. The designers did well to tuck them away in small corners, but some, like the quality of the wood and the design of the flooring, were clear to those who knew what to look for and expect in a high-end resort.

Perhaps the biggest telltale sign of that was Kyoya's change in behavior. If the Ootoris could afford to hire beta-testers for their facility, Harry was sure they could. Instead, they barely finish the massive project within the proposed deadline and hardly have any of the allocated funds left over to hire professional testers. Instead, Kyoya invited the most accident prone teenagers he could find to "beta-test" the facility features.

Given the twins' and Tamaki's penchant for getting into trouble, Harry can hardly fault Kyoya for considering it a good idea. If anything is to happen, the twins and Tamaki are sure to trigger it in every way possible. They were just that lucky.

The creak of a door snapped Harry out of his musings- clearly, someone neglected to oil the hinges. Harry mentally added that to the list of details Kyoya ought to fix before opening the facility for public use. Out came Haruhi, who was dressed in a one piece swim suit and a matching swim cap courtesy of the Hitachiins. She had a matching scowl on her face, and her hair was in slight disarray- probably from the rush and hassle of trying on endless swim suits.

'Cute,' Harry mentally approved. He assumed that the twins gave her a ruffled swimsuit top to conceal her rather flat chest. Ruffles serve to enhance the curves that she already had. Regardless of Fleur's assumption that he lacked any taste for fashion and designs, he does pay attention to her ramblings.

'Even cuter,' he chuckled quietly when a red faced Tamaki held out a yellow parka. He surreptitiously snapped a photo from his position under the large sun umbrella

"Hurry up and put this on. It's only okay for girls to show skin when they get married," the teenager mumbled, refusing to look at a confused Haruhi.

"Huh," she said, and accepted the parka. Was it normal for her senior to look out for her so much?

"Care to repeat that again, Tamaki?" Fleur stepped out from the changing room after Haruhi with a smirk on her lined red lips.

Tamaki stuttered a reply to Fleur's question, still flustered over the sight of Haruhi in a swimming suit, which is by far much more conservative than Fleur's.

'Ah, puppy love,' she snickered mentally and flipped her hair. 'He just makes it so easy', she thought.

"I certainly have no complaints," Harry said teasingly as he rose from his chair by the pool to take a good look at Fleur. She was dressed in a classic dark blue bikini with white and gold highlights; she accessorized it nicely with large sunglasses and bright red lips. Her hair was done in a loose fishtail braid, with small flyaway strands artfully arranged around her face. She was certainly dressed to impress, but Harry expected no less of a fashion designer like her. Though who she was trying to impress was really anyone's guess

"Like what you see?" Fleur quipped and did a quick turn. Harry's eyes scanned over her form once.

"Most certainly," Harry said agreeably. "It would be an insult not appreciate your effort given how long you spent in the dressing room," he teased. By the time Haruhi arrived, Fleur had already spent at least fifteen minutes changing. He was sure she spent half that time arguing with her compact mirror.

Fleur huffed playfully and tossed her hair back.

In contrast, Harry was dressed in a half-buttoned white collared shirt and causal shorts that came to his knees. He kept his watch on him and folded up the sleeves of his shirt to the elbows. In total, he spent about three minutes in the changing room- just enough for him to shed his business attire and put on the beach clothes he brought with him. In fact, he even kept his dress shirt; all he needed to do was shrug off his suit jacket and take off his tie.

Meanwhile, Haruhi dutifully put on her bright yellow parka.

"I wonder where the exit is…" Haruhi muttered as she gazed up at the multitude of topical birds.

"It's that way," Harry said dryly from behind her and pointed towards the other side of the pool.

"Sensei!" Haruhi gasped and spun around. "Don't do that!" She berated, grasping at her parka.

"Do what? Talk?" Harry smirked. He anticipated her sudden action and reached a hand out to grasp her elbow.

"You know what I mean," Haruhi accused. Black-Sensei was one of the few people who could creep up on her unnoticed. Curiously, it was as if he had no presence at all. She gently tugged her elbow out of the teacher's grasp. While she appreciated his concern, she was nowhere as accident prone as the rest of her schoolmates.

"You have a bird on your arm again," Haruhi sighed and stared at the avian occupant of her teacher's shoulder.

"Isn't she a beauty?" Harry cooed to the bird of paradise on his arm, oblivious to Haruhi's deadpan expression.

Haruhi sighed. Really, rich people have such weird obsessions. She supposed her teacher's rather out-of-place love of all birds was not extreme compared to classmates' questionable lack of common sense, but it was rather weird quirk all the same. Harry even had sparkles around his hair as he gazed lovingly into the bird's eyes.

"I think I will name you Vera," Harry declared. "Would you like that, girl?"

The bird bobbed its head, much to Haruhi's shock.

"You are not taking another tropical bird home with you, Harry," Fleur said strictly. Once again, Haruhi failed to notice her other teacher. "You already have a toucan, three hawks, four owls, and a parrot."

Of course, Haruhi thought sarcastically. All he was missing was a partridge in a pear tree. His teacher had the weirdest naming sense.

"Any more, and you are simply courting Avian Influenza," Fleur scolded.

Harry gave a long sigh and reluctantly placed the bird on a long branch.

"It is so kind of you to look after my health," Harry pouted.

"Why yes, since you demonstrated a complete lack of ability to do it yourself," Fleur argued back, referencing the pepper up incident.

She is a like a dog with a bone, Harry thought, mildly annoyed. However he knew that he lost his argument and merely grumbled good naturedly in defeat.

"Are you feeling less paranoid now?" Fleur asked as reclined in the shade. "It seems they have managed to keep themselves out of trouble," she said, pointing to Honey and the twins splashing each other in the shallow end of the pool.

"Not really, no," Harry confessed. In reality, he was waiting on baited breath for something unexpected to happen.

"You need to relax, Harry," Fleur said exasperatedly as she shoved her glass of mango juice towards him.

Harry accepted the glass reluctantly and sipped on the juice. At long last, he let out a long sigh. "I suppose," he conceded. With Light's PR disaster, the Ootori's near bankruptcy, and the kids, his mind has been on overdrive for the past month. He was grateful for Fleur's help; without her, he mostly likely would have collapsed again from overwork.

Fleur frowned at Harry in concern. She wanted to ask him what was wrong- she really did want to. However, her last conversation with her estranged husband echoed in her ears. Pushy, nosy, annoying, demanding, stubborn. These words rang out in her mind, drowning out her thoughts. No, she would not be labeled with those words again even though they have been branded into her mind time after time. As such, she kept her silence.

"Ah, this feeling of peace…" A young voice broke her out of her reverie. "This time we don't even have customers we need to serve. It's just a response for handsome teenage soldiers, I guess."

From behind her large sunglasses, Fleur blinked. She turned her head to Harry; together they shared a look with a collective question mark hanging in the air between them.

"I believe I must have heard him incorrectly," Fleur said, slowly to Harry.

"No, I don't think you did, unless I heard it incorrectly as well," Harry said blandly.

"And pray tell, who does he think he is fighting against?" Fleur sighed. These children are too disconnected from reality, the thought. They had no idea what it means to be a child soldier- none at all, she thought darkly.

"Diabetes, maybe," Harry said, his voice drier than a desert.

Fleur laughed weakly and made no mention of the war they both fought in over ten years ago. There are some memories better left buried, and some things better left unsaid. There was nothing to say, for it was war.

"Hey Haruhi, let's go check out the water slide!" Hikaru shouted from across the pool with his hands cupped around his face.

"And what's with the parka?" Kaoru asked with one eyebrow raised while munching on a banana.

"Well…" She began explaining her situation hesitantly.

By the time Haruhi finished telling her tale, Kaoru had long since finished his banana. Not seeing a trash can anywhere in his vicinity, he haphazardly tossed the banana peel on the ground.

"So are you not going to swim?" Kaoru asked, a skeptical look written on his face.

"Or are you one of those people who sink like a rock?" Hikaru asked.

"I can swim as well as well as an average person," Haruhi answered. "But I'm really not interested in resorts. I just want to go home," Haruhi sighed.

"Besides, what's with these facilities? A plastic pool is enough for playing in the water," Haruhi noted.

"A plastic pool?" The twins' voice synchronized nicely.

"Yeah, it's about this size- you inflate it with air," Haruhi gestured with her arms.

"Haruhi, that is an air boat, not a pool," Hikaru said, wondering if there was something wrong with the girl today.

"There's no way something that small can be a pool," Kaoru added in a half mocking, half disbelieving tone.

"It is a pool!" Haruhi insisted indignantly. "Little kids have fun with it in the summer."

Suddenly, Tamaki dropped from a branch overhead with ease that would make a lemur jealous. He swiftly put the twins in a headlock and whispered furiously.

"Idiots," he berated. "Don't argue with Haruhi; if she says it's a boat, then it's a boat. This is commoner's knowledge!" Tamaki whispered.

"I suddenly feel very offended," Haruhi muttered quietly to the side. She caught sight of her two teachers by the pool and waved them over.

"What is going on?" Harry and Fleur walked over to girl. Fleur raised an eyebrow at the three boys crouching on the ground but made no comment. This only happens every other Tuesday or so.

"We were talking about pools, and I mentioned the plastic pool I had back home," Haruhi explained.

"Ah. What about them?" Harry asked. He remembered a hot summer's day in the Dursley household when Vernon brought home a plastic pool. The memory was vivid in his mind since he was the one who had to inflate the damn thing.

"They don't believe in their existence," Harruhi deadpanned.

"Sensei, you know about these mystical plastic pools?" The twins gasped dramatically and in unison, much to Haruhi's ire.

Harry sighed. Disconnected from reality indeed, Harry grumbled tiredly. He heard Fleur chuckle to his side. Even a pureblooded witch like Fleur knew what a plastic pool was; Mr. Weasley was fascinated with these "little immovable plastic boats of the muggles".

"Yes, I know about them; they do exist. I haven't seen one since I was a kid though," Harry shrugged.

"You had one?" Fleur raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not," Harry admitted easily. "It was my cousin's."

The twins and Tamaki assumed incorrectly that Harry did not own the tiny cheap pool, for he probably had a much larger one. Why would he need a plastic pool when he could afford a hundred Olympic sized pools?

Fleur, however, looked exasperated and a tad angry- clearly the Veela still wanted to rend the Dursleys from limb to limb (after more than a decade) for their mistreatment of Harry. The object of her concern merely blinked and shrugged. What happened in the past can stay in the past. His mind flashed briefly to the last time he saw Dudley- his words and the feel of his cousin's hand was as clear as ever. Dudley would be a decent man, he mused and shoved the thoughts to the back of his mind.

Meanwhile, Haruhi only looked on contemplatively, her keen eyes narrowed in thought.

"Haru-chan," Honey pulled lightly on Haruhi's arm.

"Ah," the girl uttered in surprise and stumbled.

"Let' go play! There's a pool that way with waves in it," Honey said excitedly.

"No, I don't want to swim today." The firmness in Haruhi's voice left no room for argument- not even for a person like Honey. "Oh, Honey-sempai, you can't swim?" Haruhi noticed the inflatable tube around Honey's middle and asked curiously

Both Harry and Fleur turned to watch the latest development in their holiday.

"Nope," Honey shook his head cutely. "Because isn't this cuter?"

"Ah, it's an usagi pattern," Haruhi said with an indulgent smile.

The pattern is rather cute, Fleur noted with amusement. It certainly suits him.

"How innocent," the twins said wistfully, one on each side of Haruhi. Harry privately shared the twins' opinion. Honey's thought process was never that simple; while it was ludicrous to suggest that Honey chose a bunny pattered swimming tube for any nefarious, world domination purposes, he certainly had ulterior motives for doing so.

Honey never a simple person- in any situation, under any circumstances, Harry concluded.

"Not good- it's not good enough!" a familiar voice echoed through the facility- a voice that accounts for a hefty amount of white hairs on Harry's head. Harry's reaction? He sighed- as always.

The voice was followed by ominous shaking; soon enough, the hut behind Haruhi split in half, and a motor generated circular stage rose from the ground. The trees too, were pushed aside, Fleur noted distantly.

"Kyoya…" Harry grumbled. Having a mechanical motor stage go through a hut does not constitute as safe. What if someone was in the hut when it split? Besides, it was unlikely that Renge would revisit the resort, so Kyoya will have to order the gears removed after today's visit- meaning more potential safety issues and additional cost.

He had assumed that Renge was not coming when he saw no sign of her at the resort. Clearly, he should have known better.

Fleur however, was not surprised at all. She sipped calmly on her mango juice and gestured for a refill. A waiter from the beverage section took the glass promptly and disappeared.

"You knew she was coming?" Harry asked while rubbing his temples.

Fleur raised an eyebrow delicately as if she could not believe Harry was asking such an obvious question. "Of course, I did her makeup."

"Of course," the man sighed.

Fleur only smirked and continued to sip on her now refilled glass of mango juice.

"Is this gimmick everywhere or something?" Haruhi asked sarcastically. The twins only looked at each other and shrugged. They have long since accepted Renge's presence in their lives. She was like a pesky burr or a mole that keeps popping up from the ground.

"That outfit is stupendous," Hikaru said.

"What is with that tattoo around the belly though?" Kaoru asked.

"Oh, don't you know? This is cosplay," Renge announced.

"Of who?"

"Lala," was the reply. A collective thought hung in the air: Lala? What on Earth?

"Nevermind that," Harry said, tuning out their mundane conversation. "How long did Renge had to wait underground for this chance?"

Fleur tilted her head; she had not considered that point at all. "Probably some time," she replied, checking the time on Harry's watch. "For an hour or so, I think?"

Harry frowned. "That can't be safe- or comfortable." His concern for his students- however annoying- was showing.

Fleur nodded. She would have a talk with Renge about this. Knowing the mule-headed child, she would not consider quitting her gimmick altogether. At the very least, Fleur would insist on adding adequate ventilation and water for her.

With a shrug each, the adults turned back to the children.

"My lord, there's a girl with a skimpy outfit," Hikaru pointed blatantly at Renge. "Is that okay?"

"That's fine, isn't it?" Tamaki replied.

"Why is that?" the twins questioned.

"Well… I suppose it's cosplay," Tamaki said thoughtfully.

Harry knew exactly why Tamaki was bothered by Haruhi's 'skimpy outfit' and not at all by Fleur's and Renges- even though Fleur was by far the most stunning of the three. And judging by Fleur's reaction, she knew as well.

It was simple: Tamaki was in love with Haruhi.

Out of all of them, the two adults noticed first, having the most experience in matters of love. Following them, Kyoya, Honey, and Takeshi did as well, though all three have remained quiet about the matter (Harry thought that Kyoya would probably manipulate Tamaki using Haruhi at some point). The twins too, are beginning to notice as well.

As usual, the only clueless ones happen to be the ones involved.

Harry honestly does not know what to think of it. On one hand, Tamaki is a good child, but he was raised in a world that is completely different from Haruhi's. As a teacher, he did not want to see Haruhi hurt in any way. Furthermore, there was no guarantee that Tamaki's family would approve his marriage to a commoner- especially since Tamaki was theonly heir of the family. So for now, Harry will only watch from the sidelines, wary and alert; he would do his utmost to safeguard the two until it was time to reveal their relationship- if one did develop.

"Your understanding of Haninozuka-sempai is not good enough," Renge pointed a finger regally at the hosts.

Harry once again noted that Honey still had not permitted Renge the use of his nickname. For a boy his size, he really knows how to hold a grudge, Harry thought.

"You would know better, wouldn't you?" Harry muttered sarcastically. Privately, he thought that Renge could be rather perceptive when she wanted to be, just like the rest of the brats in this "club".

Fleur's lips twisted down, causing a small wrinkle; it was her own version of palming her face- not that she would do something so inelegant and unladylike.

Renge had the grace of a stampeding rhino, she thought darkly. She would need lessons in communication. Well, if they would be of any help, she added as an afterthought.

"What do you mean?" Tamaki asked tiredly. The skepticism on his face was clear to all. It was a look echoed by the twins.

"Do you remember what he said?" Renge turned her back knowingly.

"Because isn't it cuter…?" Haruhi recalled.

"That isn't innocence at all," Renge said.

"Indeed," Kyoya interrupted from the shadows. "If you added a subject to the end of his statement, you would understand."

The hosts thought for a moment before they gasped in unison, dumbstruck by Honey's implied statement. Because it would be cuter… me that is.

Harry snickered. None of the hosts were dumb- not by any means. Out of all of them, Honey was the most unreadable. He would not discount the host's conclusion, but he was sure that Honey had other reasons for the plastic tube. Perhaps he does not trust Kyoya's facility either? It was certainly worth a guess.

Either way, he could only hope that the day will end peacefully without injuries.

Harry Potter, the savior of the wizarding world, sent a silent prayer up to whoever was listening. Surely, a peaceful day by the pool wasn't too much to ask for.

Perhaps it was too much to ask for, Harry thought distrustfully as the twins and Tamaki leapt this way and that, bouncing around the pool with water guns in their hands. They were running on wet tiles next to a pool. Harry pinched the bridge of his nose and counted backwards from fifty.

Fleur nudged his arm lightly and offered him a drinks menu.

"Anything alcoholic?" Was Harry's immediate response. He hadn't even taken the menu yet. Fleur snorted into her mango juice and shook her head.

"You look stressed," she smiled. "It's no wonder they call you grandpa with the number of lines you have on your forehead."

"It wasn't that way three years ago, I assure you," Harry said dryly. He took the menu out of her hands gently and skimmed over the words.

"Guava juice, if you have any," Harry tilted his head.

A nearby waiter took the order with a bow and returned moments later with his drink.

The twins had attempted to rope their reluctant teacher into their water war, but they were unsuccessful; their twin beams of water were blocked easily by Harry. He had simply pulled out the umbrella propped against the back of his seat and opened it in one swift movement. Unfortunately, the displaced water splashed unceremoniously onto the person sitting next to him: Fleur.

There was silence on the poolside before Fleur calmly wiped the water off her face- makeup still unmelted- and pinned the twins with an icy glare. They fled like the devil himself was on their heels and left the two adults alone after that.

"Haruhi, come over and sit," Harry gestured to the girl and handed her a menu.

"Service is provided free of charge," Harry smiled winsomely. "Not by me," he added quickly.

"Oh really?" Haruhi questioned doubtfully but took the menu nonetheless.

"Kyoya's staff could use the practice," Fleur shrugged elegantly. "In reality, you are doing him a favor."

Harry nodded. "If there are any issues with the staff", he pointed at the still star-struck waiters and waitresses at the bar, "it's better if Kyoya hears them from us than his future clients."

"I see," Haruhi said quietly. She ordered a glass of pineapple juice.

Takeshi too, had come to join them. A quick peek at the pool revealed that Honey was quite capable of swimming against the current without the silent giant's help.

"Taking a break?" Haruhi said kindly. "Would you like some juice?" she offered him her drink.

"Sure," Takeshi said monotonously while draining the water in his ears.

"Come sit," Harry offered. "The menu is here if you want to see it."

He was saved from replying when Tamaki suddenly slipped on a banana peel and was sent careening into a totem pole. It groaned and moaned ominously as algorithms suddenly appeared on the walls.

Fleur had set down her drink the moment she saw Tamaki spin through the air, while Harry had downright choked on his. Nonetheless, he too scrambled up to his feet (with several coughs and far more inelegantly). The sinking feeling he had earlier returned with a vengeance. This would not end well, he thought.

In the shadows, Kyoya had paused in his writing. The algorithms were not supposed to appear; he frowned thoughtfully. Not those ones at least

Within seconds, a veritable tidal wave was generated and raced towards Honey, who could only look on in horror.

Immediately, Takeshi, Harry, Fleur, and Harry sprung into action. Unfortunately, Takeshi's fall on a banana peel had paused the other three for long enough that Honey was swept away.

Wordlessly, Fleur helped Takeshi up. Harry spared the older boy a glance; the moment he deduced that the injury could be treated at a later time, he turned back to the pool- it had turned into a fast current. Harry followed the direction of the current with his sight and attempted to match it to their current location and the map he had with him.

"Everybody, after Honey-sempai!" Tamaki declared as if it wasn't his fault that they all landed in this mess.

That boy is shameless, Harry thought with a twinge of annoyance. He exchanged a look with Fleur; they both knew that the easiest way to find Honey would be with a Point-Me charm, but there were security cameras spread throughout the resort. Undoubtedly, any magic they performed would be caught on tape and counted as a violation of the Statute of Secrecy.

"Waaah! There are crocrodiles! They're over here too!" The hosts' panicked screams threw the duo's senses into high alert. Crocrodiles? Here? Harry's mind flashed through a dozen scenarios in a second.

"Hurry, this way," Harry grabbed the wrists of the children nearest to him and began sprinting away. Fleur nodded, grabbed the rest of the unruly brats, and followed suit. Unfortunately, crocrodiles were blocking their way to safety.

Troublesome pests, Harry thought venomously, adrenaline coursing through his veins. His eyes flashed green, and he hissed quietly at the reptilians. He hid his hiss easily with a loud cough by pretending that the juice had not cleared completely from his airway.

"Back off, now." Harry commanded. He was unsure of whether the reptilians actually understood him, but they left all the same. Perhaps they were simply unnerved by the sound of the Serpent Tongue coming from the mouth of a human. Either way, Harry quickly tugged his students to safety.

"Why are there crocrodiles?" Tamaki panted after he was nearly thrown on the ground by Harry.

"It should be impossible," Haruhi gasped for breath.

"That pool over there is one for tropical animals, but I guess breeding crocodiles was a bad idea after all. Well, it seems like the wave pool's switch location is more of an issue. I must tell this to the design team. I must thank you; I was able to get some good data. " Kyoya said calmly, not a hair out of place.

"Kyoya," Harry's eyes zeroed in on the teen. His voice was frigid though his face was pallid. "I thought you said that this place was safe," Harry said with deceptive calmness.

"It is," he said unflinchingly. If Harry noticed the teen shifting ever so slightly, he did not mention it.

"It is not," Harry emphasized. "By breeding crocrodiles in a pool, you are putting your clients- us- at bodily risk. This resort is supposed to be one for recuperating patients; how do you expect your patients to escape from crocodiles of all things if any of them escape from their enclosure? We can clearly do so; we are young and at our prime. Your patients are not. If you do not wish to have a lawsuit on your hands in the future- because there will be one from whomever these beasts harm if things don't change- you will tell your godforsaken world renown design team to use their common sense and not put crocodiles in a medical resort," Harry said without raising his voice. Nonetheless, each word was as deadly as the next.

The hosts paused in shock; they had rarely ever seen their teacher lose his temper like that. Even the twins did not crack a joke at the age comment.

Kyoya took the scolding silently and merely adjusted his glasses.

The response was not one Harry was looking for, as his lips thinned even more. Forget having words with Kyoya, Harry thought angrily. He would be having words with Kyoya's father. The safety of his students is his first and foremost priority, and he will not allow that to be compromised in any way.

"Harry," Fleur laid a soft hand on Harry's shoulder. "You can lambaste him later; now is not the time. Right now we have a missing student to find."

Reluctantly, Harry tore his eyes from the thoroughly chastised teenager in front of him and switched the target of his ire to the quarter veela. Fleur met his anger head on without fear; Harry was in the mind to scold Fleur as well- and he would too, for she was the one who convinced him that nothing could possibly go wrong.

But, she had a point. He would have to rework his priorities. Now was not the time to lose his temper. With a pointed look at Kyoya that conveyed the message that this was not over, Harry redirected his energy once more. He did have a student to find, after all.

"This is the map of the area," Kyoya's voice said calmly, "we are here. To get to where Honey-senpai is, we need to go through the jungle area in the south block. Distance wise, it is about eight hundred meters."

"It seems like this jungle area is filled with unknown places though," Haruhi reasoned soundly.

"These are the zones still under construction," Kyoya admitted. Harry added that to the list of grievances he had to settle with Kyoya. Meanwhile, Fleur was calling Renge on her cellphone- with bullet-speed French, she was ordering the girl to stay underground until further notice. Being underground will hopefully secure Renge's safety.

"It seems like there would be more dangerous things," Hikaru began.

"Than crocrodiles," Kaoru finished.

"This is a survival battle plan. We shall penetrate this jungle area and rescue Honey-senpai no matter what!" Tamaki said dramatically.

"You shall do no such thing," Fleur said firmly, much to the surprise of the hosts. "Our first priority is your safety, so we will find a safe location for all of us to gather."

"Kyoya, call your security force and inform them about Honey's disappearance," Harry said curtly. "I do hope you were not lying about that." The 'too' in the statement went unspoken.

Still smarting from the earlier comment, Kyoya did as he was told. Harry nodded stiffly at the teen and addressed the rest of the hosts.

"Fleur is correct. Not only that, but under no circumstances will you split up without one of us to accompany you. The last thing we need is more people getting lost." Harry's green eyes lingered on Takeshi for a while longer than the rest.

"Not to mention we need to get your wounds treated in case of infection," Fleur said pointedly, looking at the scratches at Takeshi and Tamaki had on their arms.

"All rest stations are equipped with first aid kits; I believe there is a station towards that way," Kyoya directed them towards the jungle.

Without further ado, the group delved into the jungle.

"Ah, it's squall time," Kyoya's statement had Harry sighing again. Perfect, just perfect. Of course there would be an artificial rainstorm. Once again, he directed the children to run towards the shelter, which was within sight.

"A squall is a giant rainstorm," Harry explained concisely as he ran beside Haruhi. He was truly glad that he had not abandoned sports completely after his departure from the magical world.

And not a moment later, the rain came pouring down on the little hut of theirs.

"Mori-senpai, you seem very close to Honey-senpai. Are you two childhood friends?" Haruhi asked after she finished catching her breath.

"Those two are cousins," the twins explained. Takeshi only looked out into the blank blanket of white and deigned not to answer Haruhi.

"The Morinozuka family has served the Haninozuka family for generations," Kyoya explained in a rare moment of generosity.

He had better start being generous with his information, Harry thought darkly.

"But they have been cousins ever since a marriage two generations ago, so the servant-relationship between them should have dissolved already," Hikaru continued.

"Even so, Mori-senpai always follows and served Honey-senpai," Kaoru finished.

"His blood must be boiling. The ancient blood of a loyal servant to his lord inside Mori senpai…" Tamaki said wistfully.

"What a beautiful story! So touching!" The twins sobbed dramatically in the background, providing all the waterworks Haruhi could possibly want (or not want).

"That's a beautiful story?" Haruhi asked in part confusion, part exasperation.

While the children- Kyoya included- were amusing themselves discussing Takeshi and Honey's family history, Harry surreptitiously crept to corner of the hut, where the pillars met the jungle floor. He knelt, pretending to inspect a snapped twig. In reality, he was gesturing for his hidden wand hostler to release the Elder wand into his awaiting palm.

"Point me Haninozuka Mitsukuni," he whispered to the wand. It spun once- an illusion of the wind to untrained eyes- before pointing to a direction roughly southeast of their current location. Quickly, he disengaged the spell and slipped the wand back into the invisible hostler.

At the other end of the hut, Fleur was busy disinfecting and bandaging Takeshi's wounds, none of which were serous.

She stared worriedly at the teenager. Even to an outsider like her, she could easily tell that the emotionless brunette was worried for his cousin.

"Mori-senpai, it's okay. Honey-senpai is safe," Haruhi too, expressed her worries. "He's stronger than he looks, and if he's hungry, there are bananas around."

Takeshi smiled and ruffled Haruhi's hair goodnaturedly.

"I have no doubt in Honey's ability to defend himself," Fleur stated, finishing the last of the dressing and moved to Tamaki's side of the hut. She promptly bopped the twins on the head and told them to be quiet.

"He is safe," Harry said certainly. "It looks like the squall is letting up."

And indeed it was- Mori took the opportunity to slip out quietly.

"Ah, Mori-senpai, Honey-senpai isn't that way," Haruhi whispered as she followed Takeshi.

"No, he is that way," the taciturn teen said and made off on his own.

"Wait a minute! It's too dangerous to go off on your own. I'll go with you," Haruhi raced after him.

"He is right," Harry joined them. He held Haruhi's elbow to stabilize her; the girl jumped in surprise.

"Sensei, you scared me! Again!" Haruhi scolded.

"So I did," Harry admitted with a smile playing at the corner of his lips. "You shouldn't worry so much about Takeshi's safety- you should worry more for yours."

"What happened to not separating?" Haruhi accused. "And I can take care of myself just fine."

Harry shrugged. "I'm sure you can. I'm with you guys, and Fleur will notice that I went with you. That should be enough for her to keep everyone else still." And it would also be his petty revenge on Fleur for approving this thrice-curst trip. Undoubtedly, she will be grilled for answers by the nosy brats while he was gone.

"Sensei, you're not really angry at Kyoya-senpai, are you?" Haruhi asked after a moment of walking in the jungle and flinching away from bugs.

"Hm?" Harry looked down at the petite girl beside him. He gave the matter some thought. "I assure you, I am. Your safety is my first priority, and I don't appreciate being lied to. He shouldn't have put you guys in danger like that- he knows that you guys are as trouble prone as troublemakers can be. I did not want to approve this trip, actually. Fleur was the one who convinced me."

"Delacour-sensei?" Haruhi asked.

"Mhm. She said that you guys wanted a day off at the pool," Harry said dryly. "I told Kyoya to get the parental approval for everyone prior to the trip, but apparently he is disinclined to listen to me."

"Is that why you left Delacour-sensei behind with everyone else?" Haruhi asked, easily making the right conclusion.

Sharp girl, Harry approved. "Maybe," he grinned.

The trio walked in silence before Haruhi said quietly, "Sensei, please don't be mad at Kyoya."

Harry blinked at her request but remained impassive.

"I'm sure he did not mean harm intentionally, I think," she explained. "He may have tricked us into coming here, and it didn't turn out very well, but he wouldn't harm us intentionally. He is clever and shrewd, but he is not cruel."

Harry thought that many would argue that shrewdness and cruelty go hand in hand. While Kyoya did not know for certain that this trip would cause them harm, he did suspect that it would. However, for Haruhi, he would forgive Kyoya.

"You're a good child, Haruhi," Harry smiled fondly and ruffled her hair. "A good, kind-hearted child."

Haruhi brushed his hand away and looked at him, awaiting her answer.

"Alright, if you insist, I won't stay mad at him," Harry said to placate the girl. "But still, he endangered all of you for a pittance. I don't intend to let him forget that lesson."

Haruhi nodded, knowing that it would be the most she can get out of her teacher.

"I will be having a stern talk with Kyoya. A very stern talk," Harry said with deceptive calmness as the three of them were surrounded with private security guards- who apparently cannot identify their target correctly. "Present or not, his security force is incompetent."

Mori's eyes sharpened as he assessed the situation as he was trained. Harry had already done the same, and both warriors came to an identical conclusion: it will be hard to keep Haruhi safe in the midst of this.

"Targets confirmed," the captain of the team intoned. "Two suspicious individuals," he continued.

Harry was beyond miffed that he, of all people, was considered a target.

"Hey you- release the boy, or else we will resort to force," a random guard yelled at Harry, who had pushed Haruhi behind his back. Not waiting for an answer, two guards grabbed Haruhi roughly, one by each arm

In the blink of an eye, Harry had him flipped and tossed into the bushes, much to the surprise of his students. Absently, Takeshi did the same and left the man on the ground.

Since when can their teacher flip people? They thought as one.

"The man is resisting," the guards snarled. "Ready your weapons!"

Just as Harry opened his mouth to threaten the guards- if they made any of them bleed, they can be assured to find his lawyers knocking on their door within twelve hours with a stack of papers- a loud cry came from the sky.

"Takeshi, Haru-chan, Kuro-sensei, get out of the way!" Honey cried as he came swinging into the clearing on a vine.

The diminutive blond kicked a guard in the face- with the most of the force diffused by the helmet- before landing in a crouch. In a whirlwind of motion, Honey had knocked all the guards unconscious though numerous ways, and did so in perfect form.

Harry snapped a quick picture of Haruhi's rather bewildered look; Takeshi was not surprised in the least, as expected.

"Mou, don't do reckless things. Bullying my friends is a no-no!" Honey announced with cute hearts floating around him.

Harry debated on clapping slowly for the good performance. In the end, he opted not to. With friends like Honey, he pitied any of Haruhi's enemies.

"Haruhi, are you alright?" Tamaki came running, late as always, with a rather hassled Fleur in tow. "I was worried about you," he said handsomely with not a hair out of place.

As per protocol, Harry quickly shoved the blonde away from Haruhi with a quick palm strike. Tamaki fell to the ground like a fallen leaf.

"Ah, Tama-chan!" Honey's smile was wide as usual. He ignored the ring of unconscious men next to him.

"Ah, Honey-senpai," the twins called out.

"Well, I'm not sure what happened here, but it seems like everything's okay," Kaoru nudged one of the unconscious guys with a foot.

"This is Honey-senpai's work, right?" Hikaru poked one of the men lightly. "Then he must have went easy on them."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Haruhi asked curiously.

"Oh, you didn't know?" The twins asked in return. "The Haninozuka family is famous for being the elite family in martial arts. Not only the police or the security force, but they also train private armies worldwide."

Harry wondered absently if he could get Honey's family to give him a discount en masse.

"In particular, Honey-senpai is the first to be called a fierce warrior in the Haninozuka family, and he has already been the national champion for karate and judo in middle school," Kyoya explained.

"Also, Mori-senpai was the national kendo champion in middle school," Tamaki continued.

"That's why I told you to worry more for yourself, Haruhi," Harry said matter-of-factly. His student only glared balefully back.

"Honey-senpai, why are you here?" the twins asked, assuming that he would be in the other direction.

"Ah, I reached the end of the wave pool, so I was trying to find anyone," Honey explained with a sunny smile.

"We are very sorry!" The security force captain said hurriedly as the rest of the force bowed as one. "I am the successor to the Ishikawa dojo."

Another guard said in an equally fearful tone, "I am a student at the Todoroki dojo." A number of other guards began announcing what dojos they were from.

"We are greatly indebted to your family!" they cried. "We are very honored by your presence. For us to not know that you were Haninozuka Mitsukuni-sama, please accept our deepest apologies! Even if it was for a brief moment, it was an honor to have exchanged blows with you, Haninozuka-sama!"

Meanwhile, Haruhi was shocked to the core by the sudden revelation.

"Takeshi, you did good protecting Haruhi," Honey said while patting Takeshi's head like one would a favored pet. "You weren't lonely when I wasn't around, right?"

"Not completely," he said while looking away. The two of them exchanged silent reassurances through their smiles.

"Ah, next time we should go to the beach to change up the mood!" Hikaru said while stretching his arms.

"The beach! That's a good idea," his twin agreed with him.

"Fools! Haruhi isn't interested in that," Tamaki concluded.

"Took you long enough to figure out," Harry remarked, a bit more than grumpy after a trying day of babysitting.

"I wouldn't mind going to the beach," she said, surprising everyone present- including her teachers. "I don't really enjoy obviously artificial sites. But the beach is nice- the waves too."

Enthused, Tamaki immediately began planning a trip to the beach.

"Don't give him any ideas," Harry said with a long suffering sigh.

Haruhi only giggled in reply.

Omake One: The mysterious past of a mysterious teacher

"Why I ought to…!" Fleur seethed in anger, and her nostrils flared slightly in rage.

It was still a rather pretty sight, Hikaru noted as he cowered with his twin on the other end of the wooden hut. The party had only just discovered that Mori and Haruhi had gone missing- along with Black-Sensei.

Predictably, Delacour-sensei was furious, but Hikaru didn't think that she would be that furious. Her hair was noticeably frizzing up (perhaps from the humidity in the air), and she looked to be on the verge of spitting out fireballs (if she could). For the past minute and a half, she has been half-hissing something in French, and it was making the remaining hosts just a tad nervous.

"Tono, what is she saying?" His twin whispered to Tamaki, who was suddenly rather pallid.

"You don't want to know," he answered back, wincing as the teacher started on another rant. "I worry for Black-sensei's continuous wellbeing."

Hikaru shared an uneasy look with his twin. He didn't know how the designer managed it, but even in a rage, she looked ready for the runway. Life's not fair, he reiterated in his mind.

"Um, sensei…?" Kaoru spoke up quietly.

She paused in her pacing and looked at the nervous male teens. She took in their crouched posture and sighed.

"What are you doing on the ground? Get up, you lot," she said, putting her hands on her hips. She tilted her head to Kyoya's direction.

"Kyoya, has your family's security force found Honey yet?" Fleur asked sharply.

"No, Delacour-sensei," Kyoya replied, ending his call.

"Tell them to keep looking then. And tell them not to attack Harry, Mori, and Haruhi. Also, send someone down to Renge and confirm that she is in a safe and secure location. She should be underground near the pool filtration system." Fleur commanded.

"Understood, Sensei." Kyoya nodded and began dialing numbers again.

"Delacour-sensei, are we going to go look for them?" Tamaki asked, nearly out of breath and frantic with worry.

She shook her head, causing more strands of hair to fall out of her braid. "No, not at least until this rainstorm is over. None of you have prior self-defense training, and with such heavy rain, our visibility is very low. This facility is very easily to get lost in; Harry knows we are here, so when he finds Honey, he will make his way back."

When, not if, the twins thought.

"So we just wait here?" Hikaru asked, disappointment coloring his tone.

"Yes- until the rain stops or until Kyoya's security guards have Honey's location," the teacher confirmed.

And so, they wait.

The problem is, the rain isn't stopping, and Honey is still nowhere to be found. Kaoru pouted, his mind already drowning in ennui. He itched to go out and actually do something, instead of waiting in this damp, miserable wooden hut.

He turned his gaze to his teacher, who was staring out into the rain with an unreadable look on her face. Her forehead was creased with worry, and her lips were pressed tight in a line. Not good, the twins thought.

"So, uh Delacour-sensei," Kaoru began. "How did you meet Black-sensei? You guys go way back, right?"

Fleur started a bit, but was not surprised. She expected them to start asking questions at some point, being the nosy brats that they are, but she didn't expect them to start so soon.

"Yes; he went to school in Scotland, and I went to school in France. I exchanged over for a semester for my last year in school. He was fourteen when we met, I believe," Fleur tilted her head, recalling some long buried memories.

"What did you exchange for?" Tamaki asked, showing his interest in the curriculum of other schools.

"Harry's school was hosting an… event and invited students from France and Bulgaria," Fleur paused.

"An academic competition of sorts?" Kyoya inquired.

"Something like that," Fleur conceded.

"What was Black-sensei like back then?" Hikaru asked, failing to imagine Gramps as a teenager.

Fleur flashed a grin. "Oh, he was very much the skinny, lanky teenager- all knees and elbows. He was quite awkward, nothing like the man he is today."

There was something in the way Delacour-sensei said the last part of her sentence, Kyoya mused. The seeds of a theory started growing in his mind.

"He was awkward?" The twins chimed, mischievous grins plastered on their faces. Fleur's gaze slid off their faces in an instant.

"Oh, very. His hair was constantly in disarray, and his glasses were round, old fashioned, skewed, and broken. His clothing was ill fitting and out of fashion for at least three seasons if not more." Fleur listed out.

"Broken?" Kyoya frowned. With Black-sensei's background being what it was, broken classes shouldn't be an issue at all.

Tamaki echoed Kyoya's disbelief.

"Did he not have maids to handle his daily wear?" The twins raised one eyebrow each. "His butler should have noticed if his glasses broke."

Fleur shook her head. "He didn't have them."

"Glasses?"

"No, staff," Fleur said, a smidge annoyed.

"What were his parents thinking?" Hikaru muttered under his breath. No maids? No staff? How did they expect Black-sensei to survive?

"They weren't." Fleur said succinctly. The teens agreed with that easily- if they clearly had the money to spare, why not make their child's life easier? "That's because they were dead."

The twins stopped nodding. Even Kyoya ceased his scribbling.

"What?" Tamaki breathed, his eyes wide with surprise.

Fleur hesitated to talk. "They died when he was one," she said at least.

"Sensei was an orphan…" Tamaki's look was one of sympathy.

"How did he grow up then? Surely someone took him in," Hikaru frowned. Sensei's ease and experience with business makes him sound like he was born into wealth and inheritance. The redhead's mind flashed to a conversation he had earlier in the day. Yet, he was familiar with the commoners' inflatable boats. Did sensei grow up in the commoner world? But that can't be…

Delacour-sensei shook her head, though her expression grew pinched when Hikaru mentioned Harry's "extended family". "If you want to know anymore, you will have to ask Harry yourself. I'm not at liberty to say; his past is his to divulge."

Sharp as always, Kyoya's dark eyes noted his teacher's anger. It was telling, that Delacour-sensei stopped when Hikaru mentioned Black-sensei's family situation. What Delacour-sensei did answer only raised more questions in his mind. Perhaps this was something worth looking into, the Ootori thought.

Omake Two: A certain peculiarity

After that rather disastrous trip to the resort, club activities were normal for a while- as normal as Ouran's Host Club could be anyways.

As the twins would complain, life was back to the boring monotone that it was before.

Harry had only bopped them each on the head and told them that if they had enough time to complain, they had enough time to do extra work for his class. They stayed quiet after that.

Said teacher was currently chatting with their other teacher at the back corner of Ouran's third music room- as per usual.

Haruhi looked at the pair as her customers chattered away about mundane topics and useless chit-chat from the gossip mill.

There was something… odd about those two- something that can't be accounted to their age or their status as teachers. It was not the first time that Haruhi had observed her teachers quietly; she had the most peculiar feeling that her teacher was hiding something from them, and that feeling had only intensified with the arrival of Delacour-sensei.

Haruhi thought that Delacour-sensei was hiding something too. She couldn't explain her odd feeling- she just knew.

Still, she respected their privacy and never pried, but there was something about them- something almost magical in the way they talked and the way they played the piano together. That night, the sight she was graced with when she turned back for her homework will stay with her for years to come- it was spectacular. It was not a feeling she could put in words, but it piqued Haruhi's curiosity nonetheless.

There were little things that she noticed- the way Black-sensei catered to Delacour-sensei; he knew exactly what she preferred to eat, and he knew her odd tendencies. He finished her sentence at times as if he shared her thought process.

Likewise, she knew exactly what to say to get their normally strict and mule-headed teacher to relent. The fact that Black-sensei listened to her- that she could change his mind after it had been set on something- was remarkable in itself, but there was an air of camaraderie between the two adults that puzzled Haruhi.

Delacour-sensei only exchanged at Black-sensei's school for a year, right? Yet the depth of their relationship puzzled Haruhi to no end

There were little things too- the way Delacour-sensei reacts to Black-sensei's odd obsession with avians (or rather, her lack of reaction thereof), and the way Black-sensei easily hissed away the crocodiles at the resort

Haruhi frowned- she was sure that the latter was not normal by any means. Nonetheless, she kept her speculations to herself, though they haunted her thoughts.

"Haruhi, you look bothered," Kaoru noted during lunch.

"You weren't focused at all during class either," Hikaru added. Now that his twin pointed it out, Haruhi's behavior was rather out of place.

As expected, Tamaki was the first to leap into action, to Haruhi's exasperation. He checked Haruhi's temperature and her pulse with all the drama of a Shakespearean actor.

"No, I'm not- not really," she said while pushing away a frantic Tamaki, who was rapidly invading her personal space.

"My lovely daughter," Tamaki said tearfully, "If there is anything bothering you, you can tell dear Daddy." In truth, he was not sure what was going on with Haruhi either. He too, noticed his "beloved daughter's" lapse of attention, but he did not want to pry. His mind automatically leapt towards issues at home- perhaps something was wrong? He wouldn't pry into private matters like that. He expressed his concerns in the only way suit for the situation.

"No thanks," Haruhi said crossly and continued shoving away a pushy Tamaki, who was rapidly hypothesizing completely ridiculous situations and bringing out the waterworks (which he of course, had in spades).

"Your concentration has decreased as of late. Your performance and grades have been deteriorating as a result," Kyoya noted while pushing up his glasses. He too, noticed the abrupt change in Haruhi's attitude. While he could ignore her lapse in concentration, it was interfering with her duties at the host club. And that, was not acceptable.

"Senpai, you got into the teachers' gradebooks again?" Haruhi's mutter was drowned out in Tamaki's worried wails.

Kyoya merely smiled. It was not a comforting sight.

Honey tugged on her sleeve cutely and stared at her for a long moment. Haruhi was mildly unnerved, though she met his gaze unflinchingly; it was as if Honey's gaze was staring deep into her, extrapolating her thoughts from her body language alone. Moments later, he offered her a slice of cake with one of his trademark smiles. He had found what he was looking for, Haruhi presumed.

Mori differed to Honey's judgement on the matter, though he did give her a cursory once over- not that his expression changed in the least.

Haruhi picked at her food, debating on whether she should share her concerns. At least, she said hesitantly, "Do you ever notice something odd about Black-sensei?"

The hosts looked at one another and turned back to her. "All the time," Hikaru said dryly. A certain conversation he had with his twin came to mind.

"Delacour-sensei too," Kaoru added and propped up his chin with one hand

"Yeah, they keep calling us by the wrong names," the twins finished. And it wasn't that they mixed the twins' names up either- they kept being called two completely unrelated names- ones that no one really knew.

Haruhi frowned. Now that the twins mentioned it, the two teachers did have a certain shadowed look to them whenever they called on the twins.

Kyoya's mind flashed immediately to the talk he had with the teacher recently. It had stung bitterly, but he thought that the teacher looked pained when he sat down and told him in-no unclear terms- that the situation at the pool will not be repeated.

It was as if the teacher had experienced that lesson himself, Kyoya thought. It was certainly odd- the man looked immensely pained at that particular moment in time.

Besides, how did Black-sensei manage to make perfect investments every time he picked up a stock or a company? Out of curiosity- and on the orders of his father- Kyoya had checked Black-sensei's investment history (or the parts he could get ahold of). There were never any losses- at least not major ones. All stocks were bought at the optimal time, and all of them turned a hefty profit. How was that possible? It was more than illogical- it was almost indicative of something illegal. Yet there were never any leads or news of anything of the sort.

A quick check on personal history revealed that Black-sensei grew up in Surrey, England with his maternal aunt, her husband, and her son. While it was a household in the commoner world, he failed to see why Delacour-sensei would be angry over the situation- unless there was something else that failed to find.

"Delacor-san is indeed very close to Black-sensei," Kyoya pointed out, shaking away the conspiracy theories that his mind conjured.

"Too close for just a semester of exchange…" Hikaru muttered suspiciously. Clearly, she knew enough to be Black-sensei's close friend. Was it possible to build such a strong relationship in the span of one semester? They could not possibly have shared the same schedule; Delacour-sensei was probably in different classes since she was older.

There were also little things Kyoya saw- like how their enigmatic teacher had been playing with a spinning stick during the squall.

Haruhi's thoughts were more or less on the same wavelength; Mori was able to find Honey quickly and efficiently even though he was in a completely direction. Later on, Honey had told her that Mori had a very keen sense of smell; he had literally tracked Honey down by smell alone. However, Black-sensei had also told her that Mori was right; he too, knew where Honey was.

He did not doubt Mori-senpai once either, Haruhi thought. Before that, Black-sensei was the one who showed them the map of the resort. He agreed with them on Honey's most likely position when they asked for him. In the span of a rainstorm, he sudden changed his opinion to the complete opposite?

"Delacour-sensei was arguing with someone in the changing room," Haruhi recalled from the other day. "But no one talked back to her, and no one was with her. I was in the room next to her, so I heard her clearly."

"How did Delacour-sensei reach Black-sensei when he was sick?" Haruhi continued her line of question. All of them assumed that Delacour-sensei had called Black-sensei, but when Kyoya pulled up the security tape of the parking lot, none of them had seen Delacour-sensei with a phone. She had merely rearranged the trunk of her car, so how did she manage to reach Black-sensei? She had said that Black-sensei was not taking any calls either…

"Hm…" the twins scowled. An aura of confusion hung over the hosts as they each attempted tried to make sense of the enigma that was their teacher.

Haruhi sighed. Perhaps it would have been better if she had not answered the twins' question in the first place.

Throughout the whole conversation, Honey only smiled and ate his cake. As a person who was accustomed to hiding one's true personality, he knew from the first moment he laid eyes on their teacher- from the first time he glomped the man- that his teacher was hiding something. After all, for a man with no known martial arts training, he handled the sudden extra weight well. He was not unbalanced in the slightest, and Honey felt the twitch of muscles beneath the heavy suit jacket- his teacher wanted to instinctively flip him. His stance shifted accordingly to handle the extra weight, and it was done very smoothly with none of the hesitance of a beginner. From that moment on, Honey knew that there was more to their teacher than meets the eye.

His other teacher, the charming Fleur Delacour, was more or less the same. Her eyes were just as keen, and her posture just as perfect.

However, he also trusted Kuro-sensei and Hana-sensei. Whatever secret they kept hidden, Honey suspected that it was one and the same. He would wait; if the teachers wanted to reveal their secret, they would with time.

Though perhaps he might lead them off their trail with misdirection and carefully applied "observations"- he was rather fond of Kuro-sensei and Hana-sensei after all.

Omake Three: A disappointment

"Kyoya," Harry waved the brunette over at the end of club events. It was exactly one week after their trip to the Ootori resort. "Stay behind for a bit."

The teen adjusted his glasses and nodded. It was rather late in the evening, and the sun was setting. The third music room felt strange without guests; the room was bathed in the warm red light of the late afternoon.

Haruhi looked worriedly at Kyoya. Like the rest of the hosts, she knew why the teacher wanted to talk with Kyoya about what happened the other day in the resort. She hesitated in packing up the last of her homework, but Tamaki had already begun shooing the hosts away- in a moment of clarity, he deigned to give the teacher his space.

Before she closed the heavy doors of the third music room, she looked back and sent a small, pointed look at her teacher.

The man only smiled and waved his hand in a shooing motion towards her. Haruhi frowned worriedly but obliged nonetheless. Fleur followed suit and locked the door behind her. She sneaked one last lingering glance at the duo before closing the door.

"Have a seat, Kyoya," Harry said calmly. The teen obeyed quietly.

"So," Harry sipped on his tea. "Tell me, what happened last week?"

"It was an accident, Sensei. I am sure no one intended it," Kyoya said smoothly.

"It was an accident," Harry conceded, "one that should not have occurred in the first place. One that could have been easily prevented."

"Accidents rarely should," Kyoya said wittily. "They would not be called accidents if they could be that easily prevented."

"Perhaps it could have been avoided then, had you been more careful. That "design" team of yours… world class they may be, but they lack foresight." Harry said. "Also, I don't appreciate being lied to."

Kyoya dipped his head in admittance. "I shall strive to improve in the future then. Though I admit it did not go as planned, I received some very valuable data on the facility, and despite everything that had happened, I'm sure everyone had fun." He adjusted his glasses. He ignored the other part of the question. His lack of response was an answer in itself.

"I'm sure you did," Harry said drily.

A moment of silence filled the room as Harry mulled over his next words.

"Kyoya, do you remember what I told you before? There are some corners that should not be cut," the teacher said, referring to the bullying incident that greeted Haruhi in her first week at the school. "This, would be one of them. It was all fun and games- this time. You cannot guarantee that next time." Harry started pacing around the room. His dress shoes clacked on the floor with every step.

"What do you suppose I should say to your parents, Haruhi's father, or Honey's family if anything were to happen to you lot?" Harry asked quietly. "The Host Club needed an advisor, so here I am. Why did the Host Club need an advisor? Because you lot travel everywhere without adult supervision, sometimes with more than a quarter of the student body, and that makes parents very nervous."

"I'm here to ensure that you guys are safe no matter where we are. I'm not here to limit your actions or your freedom. I'm here to ensure that you guys come back from your travels in one piece. Do you understand? I take your safety very seriously, I assure you," Harry's voice grew louder, but he did not shout.

It was odd, Kyoya thought, that his teacher cared more about his safety than his father did. Is this what it feels like to have someone worried over you? Genuinely care for you? He's not family. He has no obligation to go this far. Yet he does, every day, without fail, with no ulterior motives other than the fact that he cares. Something in Kyoya's heart twinges with an emotion- it was almost bitter.

"What happened last week- it will not happen again. Have I made myself clear?" Harry cleared his throat to snap Kyoya out of his reverie.

"Yes, Sensei," Kyoya adjusted his glasses again and bowed his head.

"I was disappointed in you, Kyoya," Harry turned to face the window, his back to the teenager. "I was disappointed because as the club Vice President, you are a leader of this club. You are held to higher standards and have more responsibilities than the other members of the club. It's that way anywhere in the world; leaders have to work harder, work more than any other person on the team. It's why they're called leaders," Harry sighed and turned back to face the taciturn teen. He walked over in long strides and clasped Kyoya on the shoulder.

"I was disappointed, but you are young. The young make mistakes; it's how they learn. It is not an excuse but merely an observation. Learn from your mistakes now- while you can still afford to make them- and don't repeat them later on. I have high expectations of you, and I know you can live up to them. Don't stay too, late, Kyoya."

Without waiting for a response, the business mogul unlocked the door and left the third music room.

"I'll try not to disappoint… again," Kyoya states to the empty air. He gets no response- not that he expected any.

Omake Four: Sink or Swim, it's all the same

"So, Light," Harry says over tea one fine afternoon, "how does your search for a legal consultant?"

"Progressing," was the clipped reply. "How does your teaching?" the young CEO snipes back. He picks up a small tea cake from the tray presented to him and inspects it carefully.

"About as well as one can expect," Harry shrugs. His shirt crinkles with the movement. "They're teenagers. Some days, I don't even know if they're attracting trouble, or if it's the other way around."

Light laughs softly at that. He could clearly remember his teenager days. While he was never so graceless as to stumble on the path of life, he had his fair share of mistakes.

"How goes the company? Is everything alright?" Harry asks, getting into the meat of the conversation.

"Well enough. It would be better if you were present at the board meetings," Light says primly, half glaring at his once-mentor.

Harry shrugs again. "I have my obligations, and it's not like I'm completely absent."

"Obligations that include buying a pharmaceutical company?" Light raises an eyebrow.

"I have to eat somehow," Harry jokes. He has enough money in the Potter vault alone for his family to live in comfort for the next four generations if not more.

Rebuffed, Light scowls at the non-answer presented to him. He knew what that buy out meant. His mentor has no doubt decided to follow another one of his brilliant, half-mad, plans to turn the world on its head. He gets the message loud and clear:

Lord Harry James Potter-Black doesn't need this company to succeed. This company- while it is his first company- is but a part of his very vast group. Even if it goes down in flames (as Light sometimes think it might), his mentor will still survive.

It's him who won't- a young CEO who has the world's eyes on him. He made a mistake, and it's his to correct. Harry made it perfectly clear that he has washed his hands of the matter.

Still, it was nice of him to invite his stressed out student for tea.

"You are looking, though, right?" Harry asks, referring to the law team that Light is currently trying to put together.

Light nods, his attention returning back to the matter at hand. "Since this is international business law, I'm looking beyond Japan. I have several law firms in mind, and I am currently negotiating with one in Manhattan that I found particularly promising."

"Excellent," Harry says and drinks the last of his tea. "I trust that you will take care of the matter at hand. Excuse me." Reaching for his vibrating phone, Harry gets up from his seat.

No doubt a call from his PA, Light thinks. He twists the tea spoon around in his fingers; the silver surface catches his reflection, and he wonders how life suddenly got so complicated… or when he got so old.

Mandy: Well, that's another chapter. Chapter Six, I believe? Sorry it took so long, guys. This chapter is late by about a year? Wow. That's kind of bad even by my standards… Anyways, I got stuck on the third omake for the better part of three months. No excuses there. This chapter is kind of short and filler ish since there wasn't really much for me to write about in the first place. However, I did set up some parts of the next chapter.

Next chapter (the twins' fight) is when things will really start. It will be the first major turning point of the story. The second turning point will be when Éclair shows up (I really hate letters with accents or symbols.)

I'm sure that some of my readers have noticed that I skipped the physical exam episode/chapter in cannon and that I've changed the order of things around a bit. I'll probably do that some more since I don't honestly have the time to write out every single episode. I might end up combining or turning the flashback episodes into an omake or just skipping them altogether. I'll probably do the beach chapter after the twins' fight, and the Fujioka household visit after that (and thus push the Lobelia episode back a bit). I'll probably skip Honey's toothache episode and turn the Wonderland one into an interlude (I'm very fond of Alice in Wonderland). I'm not sure what else I will skip or combine, but I guess that would depend on the cannon episode's contents.

Anyhow, I'm not going to abandon this story. I have plans, but it just takes me forever and a day to update. I'd really like to finish this story, but I'm seeing maybe 20-22 ish chapters in total. I still have a number of loose ends and subplots to work on, like Fleur's past, Teddy's fate, Light's little dilemma, and Harry's relationship with the magical world. I have that stuff planned out in my head, but I don't want to rush things, so I have to space out the subplots accordingly…

Anyways, I'm rambling. As usual, no guarantees on updates. Many thanks to my reviewers- all of you. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Ouran, and I'm not a business major. I also started this story in high school, so I need to fix up the first couple of chapters at some point. Also, there will be no more product placements, so don't worry. Asking me to update sooner doesn't actually do anything since fanfiction isn't a priority for me.