Faultlines

The Cleaning Brigade

The Cleaning Brigade

"Hush little baby don't say a word.
Tony's gonna buy you a mockingbird

And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Tony's gonna buy you a diamond ring

And really anything else, if you could just please stop crying."

Little Teddy didn't seem to care much about any sort of bribes his new semi-uncle could offer him. He did seem to think crying was a way better use of his time.

Was this normal? Probably. Tony admittedly didn't have much experience with babies. Even Harry had already been more of a toddler.

"Alright, buddy. You are not hungry. You don't need changing. Nothing is poking you. This time. What is it? Because if we wake up Harry, he'll say I am unfit to look after a baby. That's just wrong. I am Tony Stark. I can do everything."

After ten more minutes of quiet singing and rocking Teddy did eventually really fall asleep. Tony would have liked to claim that as his achievement, but he feared it might simply have been exhaustion. Much more carefully than he had even deemed possible, Tony moved the infant to the crib they had placed in Teddy's as of yet improvised nursery. Harry had only shown up with the boy a week ago and the specifics were still not figured out, on anything really. Exhausted, injured and shaken by war, Harry was taking one day at a time and Tony would do his best to help him. Right now that meant helping him get some much needed sleep. Tony had carefully suggested that maybe a nanny, someone trained to look after children, would be a good idea. Harry had looked at him with such a look of deep betrayal that Tony felt reminded of their mother, who seemingly always found stupid reasons to fire Harry's nannies, after the first one had quit.

For the first two days Harry had hardly let little Teddy out of his sight, now at least he let Tony look after him. Harry didn't trust people right now. Understandably, Tony thought. So the two brothers had been more or less hiding in their apartment in London. Tony had been ready to get the hell out of this country and head somewhere far away, but Harry was reluctant to just leave his community behind like that. Or take Teddy too far away from his grandmother. And now here they were. Harry appearing to be almost comatose, Teddy snoozing in his crib and Tony sitting in a rocking chair, contemplating his the hell had they got here?

Tony snoozed off as well, unsure of how long it had actually been, when he heard a soft knocking sound. At first he thought Harry might actually be up and moving about, before he realized the sound was getting both louder and was obviously coming from the front door. Which meant a. it had to be a wizard, because they just apparated into the hallway b. it had to be one of the few of Harry's friends he had actually told where they were staying and c. someone smart enough not to ring the doorbell, in case Teddy was sleeping. Tony liked them already.

He quietly but hurriedly made his way to the door and opened it carefully, not knowing what to expect really. Ron and Hermione had left for Australia. Sirius had hurried back to France after the funerals and was probably on a drunken bender, an impulse Tony could very much relate to right now. Who else was left, who wasn't too caught up with their own grief right now, to intrude on theirs?

Apparently the Weasley-Ladies. Tony stood stupidly staring at Molly, Ginny and Fleur Weasley. The three were laden with containers and didn't wait for him to move out of the way.

"Hello, dear.", Molly gave him a big, comfy hug, "Are Harry and Teddy actually asleep?"

"Yes.", Tony answered mechanically. He hadn't seen anyone really, since Fred's funeral five days ago. Molly simply pushed past him into the living room, making room for Fleur to give him a quick kiss on both cheeks and push past him as well. They had bonded years ago, when Fleur found out Tony loved to spend time in France. And of course, she adored Harry and his brother simply by association. Ginny was the last one left, Harry's spunky, enduring girlfriend. She gave him a big hug, too, much like her mother. And just like the other two, she seemed to take his silence as an invitation to move inside. Tony stared at the empty hallway for what must have been a minute, before realizing it was time to turn around. God, he was tired.

Fleur and Ginny were quietly moving around the living room, picking up all the clothes and food cartons lying around. Judging by the soft noises coming from the kitchen, Tony assumed Molly had made her way there. She poked her head out through the door.

"Tony dear, this big white thing is to cool food?"

"Ahm, yes. The fridge. Not the freezer, though, that's too cold. I mean for eating. What exactly are..."

But Molly didn't let him finish. "We brought enough food to last you boys a while. And I am preparing something right now. You go and take a shower. Don't worry, we will have an ear out for Teddy."

"But..."

"No really. Go and take a shower. Now."

"Yes, Ma'am.", Tony reacted on impulse and made his way to the bathroom. A shower did indeed sound like heaven. He was sure there was spit on him somewhere. And worse things, too.

It took him almost an hour. That was totally because he enjoyed the hot water and not because he fell asleep on the toilet or standing under the hot water. Not at all.

Clad in a bathrobe he made his way back to his bedroom. Had he left it like this? No. He definitely had not. Oh no, the cleaning brigade had been through here as well. He found slacks and one semi-clean shirt. They had probably left it for him, so he wasn't forced to be completely naked. Did wizards know how to operate the washing machine? Did he, for that matter? He really needed Harry to let him hire a maid.

Quietly he opened the door to Harry's bedroom, only to find it empty. Both of his brother and laundry. There was one thing to be said about the Weasley-Ladies: they were very efficient.

The living room, too, was spotless. And yes, he could hear the washing machine going in the utility room. Together with the smell of food coming from the kitchen, Tony was sure he had died of exhaustion and gone to heaven.

The kitchen was, just as he expected, full of people. Molly was standing at the stove, still frowning at the dials a bit, but judging by the smell, she seemed to have figured it out. Harry was sitting at the table, freshly showered and in clean clothes as well, Ginny sitting next to him, they were talking quietly, but Tony couldn't hide a smile, when he saw that Harry was lovingly drawing circles on the small of her back. Good. One less thing to worry about.

Fleur was sitting opposite them, Teddy securely nestled in the crook of her elbow and a bottle in hand. They all looked rather peaceful.

"Ah Tony, if you are standing already, go and get us all some plates.", Molly told him and again Tony just acted on impulse. Five minutes later they were all sitting around the table, eating happily. Except for Teddy, who had been moved onto Molly's arm to be burped, a feat that woman managed to accomplish while eating with one hand. Damn, Tony loved her.

"There is food for at least a week now.", Molly told them sternly, "I expect you both to eat it. We will finish cleaning after dinner and the laundry should be done by then as well. And I do not want to see you three just stay cooped up in here. You need fresh air. All of you. There is a stroller. I saw it. Use it. We will be by to check on you regularly."

"It's fine. We can manage.", Harry tried defiantly, but Molly wasn't having any of it.

"Don't be ridiculous. I am not saying you can't do it. But you don't have to do it by yourself, either. Every young parent needs help. You think I did all of it without help? Especially when a baby is so small? This is not an issue of pride. We are family. And you better realize that."

"Yes, Ma'am.", both Stark Brothers declared dutifully. (And quite happily)