This is dedicated to my rp partner who came up with this amazing idea. She's given me so many plots for these two lately and I love her for it. I can't wait to write more for them
This oneshot is a little twist on familiars in this Hogwarts!AU. It's explained in the oneshot so I hope you understand.
Warning: Yaoi.
Disclaimer: Sadly not mine.
Familiar
An animal that chooses a person and leads them to their soul mate.
They're whispering again.
It's easy to ignore. They've been whispering about him since their first day when Kanda punched a guy who started to talk to him in hopes of becoming his friend. Kanda thought he had made it clear he didn't want friends and thus resorted to violence to get the guy to leave him alone. He had been warned beforehand. It wasn't Kanda's fault he didn't listen.
"He's heartless." "Oh, keep away from him." "Don't even look at him. He might snap."
Those are just some of the things he's used to hearing. There are nicer things – "He sure doesn't like being close to people" – that he hears and then there are things that are harsher – "The fucking girly jackass is coming".
He's learned to ignore them.
The time he isn't spending in class or on the Quidditch field, he's locked away in his room doing homework. He doesn't go down for many meals, opting to grab something and head back to his room. He'd never admit that he gets rather lonely. That isn't something he needs people to know. They might start to think he wants to hang around people. It was bad enough that damn Lenalee won't leave him alone, but he can't really punch the girl. It does help that he knows Lenalee from before his time at Hogwarts.
He likes to spend time wondering around the outskirts of the grounds, just outside the forest. He's tried to venture in before, but there is always a professor who catches him. It's annoying and he often gets in trouble for talking back to them. He doesn't really care. Tiedoll won't let the school expel him. Or at least that's what he likes to think. The damn guardian might decide it will teach him a lesson if he's expelled. He hopes that doesn't happen. Those muggle schools are much worse than this damn school. He'd much rather stay here.
It's a Friday night when he wonders to the edge of the forest. He hides behind a tree when he sees a group of professors walking back to the building. They are probably going to see if any students are still out before heading in themselves. It is past curfew, not that Kanda cares. He's never cared.
The forest is dark as he approaches, a smirk pulling up his lips. There are so many stories about these woods and he's found himself draw to the darkness, wondering how many of those stories are true.
He's about to step foot in the forest when something pops out from behind the bushes. It's rushing, hopping along the ground. It seems to be running from something. What, Kanda doesn't know. He doesn't get to find out either. Because the professors have walked back and they are scowling him about being out past curfew and being around the forest.
He ignores their words as he heads back in the direction of his dormitory, arms crossed over his chest. The damn rabbit distracted him and he hadn't been able to hide from those stupid professors.
He's half way to his dormitory room when he notices something is following him. A dark eyebrow raises and he turns to find out what idiot would even dare follow him around. He snaps his mouth shut before a retort can leave his lips, dark eyes shifting to see that same bunny on the ground, hopping along after him.
"The fuck," he mutters, turning on his heels. He walks a few paces, turning to see the bunny hopping along behind him. The thing is following him and Kanda has no idea why it would be doing such a thing.
Kanda turns down the next hallway, hurrying down the hall in hopes of losing the damn thing. The second he is at the door to his dormitory, he hurries in after a muttered password and a grumble from the damn painting. The door is slammed closed before the rabbit can get inside.
They are saying different things about Kanda today. He can hear them muttering and it has his fists clenched and a scowl set on his face. The people in the hall way move away as he walks, glare harsh as usual.
"Is that a bunny?"
It's Lenalee. She's at the end of the hallway, head tilted so she can see around Kanda. There's frustration obvious on Kanda's features as he turns to glance at the fluffy thing. It's been following him all day and the topic of the rest of the school's conversations. It was fucking annoying as hell.
"It won't fucking leave me alone," Kanda snaps, glaring at the little fluff ball. The bunny doesn't seem fazed as it hops closer, cheek pressing against Kanda's leg. "It started following me last night."
Lenalee doesn't seem to hear him though, because she's bending over, fingers running over the soft fur on the bunnies head. She's smiling at the thing, talking to it in a little baby voice. Great, this was not going to get the thing to leave him alone.
"Maybe he's your familiar, Kanda."
The comment is almost absentminded, coming out of nowhere. Lenalee is looking up at him, smile on her face. This was not the familiar he wanted. No fucking way. The damn thing was way too…cute.
"Fuck no." He was hoping for something a little more aggressive, manly. He wasn't even sure. The thing was a bunny for fucks sake. He didn't want it following him around.
"It doesn't seem like he wants to leave you alone so you might have to get used to it."
Kanda doesn't get to snap back at the girl because she's walking away now, waving at someone down at the end of the hall.
This stupid thing better not be his familiar. There was no fucking way.
The bunny is still hopping along after him a few days later. Lenalee's words don't sit well with Kanda, because he is starting to believe what she said. There really isn't another reason this little bunny would be following him around. But why a bunny? It didn't fit him at all. Though, the familiar doesn't actually have anything to do with him. It has to do with his soul mate. Kanda still doesn't like the idea of a bunny especially if it has to do with his soul mate.
The hallway is dimly light as Kanda makes his way down the hall, hands in his pocket and scowl in place. Kanda's started to slow down enough for the bunny to hop along next to him. It's annoying really, how only after a few days he's already used to the damn bunny being around him.
The hall is relatively empty at this time. It's nearly curfew, but Kanda doesn't plan to head back to his room any time soon.
"Look, it's Kanda." The taunt is something Kanda's gotten used to. There was one fight at the beginning of the year and now everyone is on his back. He's set a few people straight, but some still think they can mess with him. He has seven years of this school; he would rather set everyone straight this first year instead of the next six.
He's about to resort when the guy is suddenly hopping on one foot, glaring down at …the bunny. It's giving this evil look, but it looks pretty satisfied with itself. Kanda adds a punch for good measure.
Maybe the bunny was his familiar.
The bunny somehow ends up in one of his pockets. It isn't that small and Kanda ends up carrying it around for most of the day without noticing it. He only notices when the thing peeks it's head out around lunch time when he goes to get a bowl of soba. It's obvious the thing noticed the carrots on the corner of the table and it's nearly out of Kanda's pocket and falling to the ground before Kanda can wrap his fingers around the little guy so it doesn't make contact with the floor. Why does he even care if the thing gets hurt?
"Is he growing on you?"
Of course Lenalee would notice the little bunny. It wouldn't get past her.
There's a sigh, dark eyes shifting to look at the girl sitting next to him. It isn't unusual for Lenalee to force him to sit with her at lunch and talk. She ends up doing most of the talking, but he's rather good at pretending to listen – or really pretending that he isn't listening.
"He fucking bit someone yesterday who was annoying me." Lenalee seems to realize that's what brought Kanda and this familiar closer.
"Why is he in your pocket?"
"The damn thing weaseled his way in without my knowing." Arms cross over his chest. He's such an idiot for not noticing a damn bunny in his pocket. The thing isn't even that light.
"Really?" Lenalee seems suspicious, like Kanda actually put it there and is lying to her. He wouldn't fucking do that. "I think I saw you just put it back in your pocket with food." She's smiling now, like she knows the bunny is growing on him. This was stupid.
"Tch. Whatever."
He's not going to admit so easily that it only took a matter of a few days before the thing grew on him.
It's a few weeks later that the bunny worms his way into the secluded seat in the common room that Kanda is occupying. The paper he's working on is taking all his concentration and he doesn't notice when the fur ball curls up next to him, head resting on his thigh.
The essay is a scribbled mess by the time he's done and he can't even read half of it. There are words spelt wrong, but Lenalee has always been there to help him work through his errors. It's no difference today when she sits herself down next to him, a smile on her lips as she goes over the paper. He isn't even sure how she can read half of it.
There's this odd knowing look on her face and it only takes Kanda a moment to realize his hand is patting the top of the damn bunny's head. The damn bunny he hadn't even noticed snuck up next to him. Fuck. This is so stupid. The thing was normal in his life now. He's been trying to push it away, but somehow it always worms it's way back.
"Don't fucking say anything." Kanda's arms are crossed over his chest now, frown pulling down his lips. He doesn't move the bunny though. It looks much too peaceful sitting there.
Lenalee merely giggles and goes on reading his essay for him.
The damn bunny is fucking part of his life now. It likes to hang around in Kanda's pocket for the day, sticking his head out every once and a while to see what's going on. It wedges it's way under Kanda's hand when he's sleeping. The thing lives off the carrots Kanda steals at lunch time. It's to the point people are talking about it.
"Kanda has a bunny." Cue laugh. "I heard it bit someone." "It's probably as heartless as him." "Why the hell would something so fluffy and cute pick Kanda of all people?" "Does Kanda even know how to take care of an animal?" "He's probably starving it." "I don't know why that thing sticks around." "It can't possibly lead him to his soul mate. Kanda won't ever have a soul mate. He's heartless." "The bunny is the only thing in his life."
These comments are harder to ignore for some reason. The bunny wasn't just some animal now, it was the familiar that choose him and the damn thing has grown on him. It grew on his much too quickly for his liking. It wasn't even the horrible things they were saying about him, but those random comments the familiar would get.
"Why would the stupid animal stay with him? He's heartless." "He only ignores the damn thing. It's gotta be slow in the head or something to stay with Kanda."
Those comments have his knuckles turning white and his glare darker than usual. The bunny didn't do anything to them. Kanda knows it can't understand what they're saying – or maybe it does, Kanda isn't sure – so Kanda has to stand up for the damn thing. Well, at least get annoyed for the bunny –Usagi as he's started to call the little guy. He can't exactly hit anyone with the threat of being expelled over his head, but he can glare at them. It isn't as affective, but it normally shuts them up.
The bunny is curled up in his lap nibbling on a carrot the next time Lenalee comes around to fix one of his papers. She greets Kanda with a smile, fingers moving to run down the bunny's spine before she takes a seat.
"He's rather comfortable with you," she smiles, eyes scanning some of the scribbled words and correcting a good half of them.
Kanda knows the other has heard the things going around about the heartless Kanda and his damn bunny and he's thankful Lenalee doesn't bring it up. She's the same as usual, smiling and happy. It's refreshing.
"Che," Kanda grumbles in reply, fingers moving on their own to pat the bunny. He doesn't miss Lenalee's smile before she turns back to the work at hand.
"He's good for you."
He almost misses the comment.
People start calling the bunny heartless when he bits another person.
There have been more things going around now that Kanda's back for their third year. Second year was a breeze, but this year he made the Quidditch team. They all say it's because he knows someone high up. They obviously haven't seen him play yet. They have something coming.
Someone steals the bunny the same day they beat the Slytherin team. Kanda knows it's the damn beater from the Slytherin team. Kanda is up in seconds, eyes narrowed and fists clenched. The bastard better hide.
The wand is pulled from his rob once he catches the other and a curse is uttered under his breath to stop him in his tracks. By the time he's scrambled back to his feet, his nose is bleeding and Kanda's fist is hitting it. There's a satisfying snap and Kanda knows the bone is broken.
The fight is broken up within seconds when a professor hurries down the hall, scolding the two boys. Kanda doesn't agree as he's told to go to the headmaster's office.
Their fourth year everyone is talking about meeting their soul mate. There are even some who already met their soul mate. The majority of his year found their familiar the year before or during the summer. This means a big year for love – Kanda gags at the word.
Kanda can also hear people talking about how he'll never have a soul mate, not that he really cares.
Kanda had gotten his familiar early for his age, surprising everyone, but no one had been surprised when the little bunny hadn't let him to anyone. It's rare that your familiar doesn't lead you to a soul mate, but possible.
Everything thinks Kanda is the exception.
There's another incident that Usagi bits someone in Kanda's fifth year. Allen scowls at him, shacking out his hand. Lenalee's made him sit around with them and Kanda can't help the smirk on his lips when Usagi finally bit the other's hand. Allen mutters something about the heartless pair, but doesn't turn them in.
It isn't the last time he gets bitten.
It happens again a few days later. It takes a while for Allen to learn his lesson and wait for when Usagi isn't around Kanda to fight with him. It probably saves his hand a lot of bits.
There's a rumor going around that a new student is coming. It's early into Kanda's sixth year and no one knows why someone would be coming this late. There are never transfers, but someone pulled the string for this guy to come.
The group of students who haven't met their soul mate are all talking about it. There is a part of Kanda, in the back of his mind, that keeps telling him it might be possible to have a soul mate. They've said it some much around campus that Kanda is starting to believe he'll never have one. Though, he never really liked the idea of having a soul mate. It would be fun to prove everyone wrong.
There had been a little hope when he was one of the first to get a familiar, but after years of not having a soul mate, he realized he doesn't need one. The bunny is plenty company for him and Kanda doesn't really care for more people in his life. It's bad enough Lenalee made him befriend Allen. The idiot was annoying as hell.
Kanda doesn't know when the new student is supposed to come around. He doesn't really care either. The school year is going well for once and the other Quidditch teams have finally calmed down and stopped bothering him after all these years. He spends a lot of peaceful nights sneaking out into the forest to meditate with Usagi following behind him or tucked in his pocket. It's actually a good year so far.
He wasn't supposed to go home for winter break. Tiedoll had planned on being away and Kanda was supposed to stay at Hogwarts. The plans change though and Kanda finds himself wondering around the muggle town –because Tiedoll is obsessed with muggle behavior. The snow is falling and the bunny is tucked away in his pocket, nice and warm.
It isn't till the end of the walk the little guy wiggles his way out and Kanda places him on the ground for a moment so he can stretch his legs. The only problem is that the little guy hopes away on him and Kanda has to go chasing after the other.
It's definitely much easier for a little bunny it hop around people's feet than it is for Kanda to push his way through the crowd.
The next time he sees the fluffy bunny, he is sniffing a snow covered boot. The person – a flaming red head – picks up Usagi, fingers running down his spine. Kanda's shocked Usagi is letting this person touch him like that. He doesn't really like people.
"Stupid rabbit." It doesn't normally run away.
And Kanda has a bad feeling he knows why it did, if the feeling running through his veins is anything to go by when his fingers brush the redhead's hand when he's passing the bunny back with a smile. There's pink dusting Kanda's cheeks and he can vaguely see the color dusting the other cheeks. That could be from the cold though.
Fuck, this can't be happening.
Kanda's gone before the other can even process what just happened.
"Lenalee?" The question has Lenalee snapping her mouth shut. It isn't often Kanda has something to add to the conversation.
"Hmm?" She's looking at him encouragingly now, like he might back out at any moment. He gets why she's looking at him like that, but he wasn't going to back out this time.
"Aren't familiars supposed to lead you to your soul mate?"
The shock on Lenalee's face almost has Kanda wanting to drop the whole thing, but then she's squealing and Kanda wants to cover his ears. She is way too excited about this. Now she's going to think Kanda's actually met his soul mate. (It isn't that red head. Fuck no.)
"Oh Kanda, has he lead you to anyone?" There has been disbelief that Kanda would ever find a soul mate. That he would be alone forever. Kanda had believed them and had no problem with that. He's never liked the idea of other people and those whispers where easy to ignore. Kanda knows Lenalee had probably been starting to think the same thing after he hadn't gotten a soul mate his first five and a half years at this damn school.
"No." Lenalee knows he's lying though, because she is still smiling at him. She knows not to push the topic any further. Kanda will continue it if he wants too and she can't pressure him to continue or else he will never tell her.
Apparently the new student started the day they got back from Christmas break. The whole school is talking about it, especially the ones who haven't met their soul mates yet.
Kanda ignore all the hype going around and focuses on the damn essay the professor gave him their first day back to school. Well, he's focused on it until Usagi goes hopping off. This is the second time in two weeks. He's never pulled stuff like this before and it has Kanda worried. Maybe he does have a soul mate.
The bunny leads him down a few halls –the thing is fast for a little guy and Kanda can't run down the hall with all these students – until Kanda see a redhead in the distance.
And Usagi in his arms.
It's the same red head as before and Kanda's breath seems to catch in his throat. This wasn't supposed to happen. He hadn't planned on seeing that person ever again. Especially not at his school of all places.
He can hear a few whispers about how the red head –the new kid- is holding Kanda's familiar. The only people the familiar have ever let touch him are Kanda and Lenalee. Kanda glares and stomps his way down the hall.
The bunny is taken from the gentle hands holding it and Kanda stomps away without a word.
The next day there are rumors about Kanda and the new kid being soul mates.
The rumors are often accompanied by people saying that Kanda could never love someone properly.
"I'm screwed," Kanda says the second he enters the common room. Lenalee is busy doing homework, but she brushes it off to turn her full attention to Kanda. She must have heard the things going around about Kanda.
"Kanda, you know you can't fight it."
That's the problem. Kanda can't fight it. The damn bunny has lead him back to that idiot multiple times and Kanda just ends up blushing, snapping at the idiot and running the other way after the bunny is back in his possession. This isn't what he wanted. This was never supposed to happen.
"I don't want him."
There's a sad look in Lenalee's eyes, a frown tugging down her lips. She sighs, hand moving to rest on Kanda's shoulder in a comforting manner. For some reason it has Kanda relaxing slightly, fingers moving to brush Usagi's soft fur.
"Lavi is a nice guy, Kanda. I promise." That isn't the problem though. The problem is that Kanda doesn't want to reply on anyone, including the so called person that was supposed to be his soul mate.
"I don't fucking care."
"Kanda-"
The girl is cut off when the bunny hops down from Kanda's lap and across the dormitory floor. Kanda sighs, saying a quick good bye to Lenalee so he can catch the little guy before it gets all the way to Lavi –How did Lenalee even know his name? - this time.
They'll have to talk about this another time. Not that Kanda wants to actually continue this conversation.
Kanda avoids the whole school after that. The rumors are all about him and this new kid. He spends most of his time locked in his room or out by the forest if he isn't in class or at practice. It's annoying. He's heard the red head is rather energetic and optimistic. That wasn't something Kanda wants to deal with at all.
Lenalee tries to get him to go out a few times, but Kanda refuses. She brags him out once but he sees a head of red hair –not even close to Lavi's, but he's paranoid – and he's back in his room, Usagi curled up in his lap as he reads a book. It's nothing new really. This is how he acted his first few years at this school.
Quidditch practice runs late. Usagi is nowhere to be found once he's done and he starts to panic. The other teams might have gone back to old habits. Usagi could defend himself, but if there were multiple people the little guy could only hop just so fast.
He's out of his robs in seconds and he's hurrying off, ignoring the calls of his team about meeting later today. It's often he skips the meetings anyway. Lenalee will fill him in when she's scowling him for missing the meeting in the first place.
He swears hours fly by as he walks around the campus, muttering under his breath. The people around him tend to move away to let him through. It's probably better they do or else Kanda will shove them out of the way.
It isn't till nearly curfew that he hears someone talking about Usagi.
"Did you see Lavi with Kanda's rabbit? It was weird. Does that really mean Kanda of all people got a soul mate?"
Kanda's in front of the guy in seconds, fingers wrapping around the front of the other's robes, dark eyes narrowed. "Where is that idiot?"
"H-He's in the library. Like he usually is."
The male is dropped and Kanda stomps his way to the library, fists clenched and temper high.
The only problem is that it seems to deplete when he walks in to find Lavi rubbing his nose up again Usagi's little one. There's a blush on his cheeks now, breath caught in his throat. He was really screwed. This was happening to him and there was no way he could fight it.
Kanda takes in a calming breath, walking over to the other cautiously. Lavi notices Kanda when he's a few feet away and turns to give Kanda a breath taking smile. Fuck. This was going to be hard to get used too.
"The little guy was wondering around the hall when I found 'em. I was tryin' to find ya for a while, but I had ta study and was goin' ta try again later."
It's the first time he's heard the other's voice. It leaves him speechless for a moment, eyes shifting back and forth between the bunny and Lavi.
"Idiot rabbit."
He isn't exactly sure if he's talking to Usagi or his idiot of a soul mate Lavi.
Fin.
Yes, Kanda named the bunny Usagi.
