Yay the sequel's begun and the first chapter has Sebastian. As a heads up this story will contain artifacts and spells from Tite Kubo's Bleach, Ken Akamatsu's Negima, Son Hee-joon's Phd:phantasy degree and Nobuyuki Anzai's Flame of Recca. I own none of these a well as Harry Potter and Kuroshitsuji, if I did I wouldn't have student debt :) Oh, and the story does get weird from here on in, but then again it's half based on an anime/manga so what can you expect?
"Nice to see you again Sebastian," Luka replied truthfully, it was surreal seeing him again.
"And the same to you," the demon said silkily.
"What time to get off work?"
"Right now as a matter of fact. Anderson! I'm heading off early, the café's all yours," called Sebastian and a man came scuttling out from the back.
"Guess being the boss has its privileges," said Luka as Sebastian headed to his office chuckling, he returned with a long black military style jacket that he quickly did up over his black waistcoat.
"What do you want to do first?" he enquired.
"I don't know, there's so much to do,"
A couple of hours later they were both standing in Borgin and Burkes perusing the tomes on Dark Magic, most notably those on mind control. Mr Borgin stood behind the counter apparently unfazed by the sight of a child in his shop.
"Sebastian, do you think there'll be anything here on becoming a Parselmouth?" Luka asked as she scoured the lowest shelf.
"I take it that since you found out about that talent you've wanted to use it on Mel,"
Mel being Luka's pet royal python whom Sebastian had been looking after in her absence.
"Yeah and just in case there are other basilisks lurking in Hogwarts," she replied as Sebastian chuckled, for the safest place in magical Britain Hogwarts was turning out to be singularly dangerous. First a possessed professor now a basilisk what on Earth was next? Escaped lunatics running around the place?
"Well I'm afraid books on the subject will be rare,"
"And the books we're looking for are plentiful? I think we've already crossed that bridge Sebastian," Luka said crossly, she already had a crick in her neck from scrounging around Flourish and Blotts looking for books on Legilemency and Occlumency. She'd found some basic ones to start her off but she needed more advanced ones as well.
"Parseltongue has long been believed to be an inherent trait so no one has really looked into it much," the demon smirked, "but since you could vaguely understand what the boy meant it might be possible for you to develop the skill. However you won't find a book entitled 'Parsetongue For Dummies'. Ah, found one,"
Luka walked over to him as he plucked a book about mind curses from the top shelf. This made the third volume on their possible buying list. A swift look at the table of contents revealed the general nature of the book; mind crushers, how to trap people in nightmares, Legilemency torture and how to tear apart someone's sanity piece by piece. The text was perfect apart from one minor detail, all they could read was the contents because the rest was cursed so that it couldn't be read without cursing the reader. It was still a good buy though a little over priced. They would have to haggle.
"Do you want to try your hand at haggling first or shall I get it over with?" asked Sebastian sniggering slightly.
"You do it. I doubt he would take haggling from a child seriously," Luka replied wearily, standing in the Dark Arts shop she felt some sympathy for Ciel. Over a century had gone by and he hadn't aged much, he was still 5'6'' and pretty shrimpy.
"Very well my lady," said the smirking demon as he strode masterfully over to the counter as an old, battered tome caught Luka's eye.
The haggling was about to be competed when Luka scurried up to the counter with the book which was about half a foot thick and bound with leather and metal catches.
"Is it okay if I get this too Sebastian?" she asked.
Sebastian looked over the large volume on lycanthropy and nodded.
"I see your girl has excellent taste, a most intriguing text that Miss..?" said the stooping man.
"Reginold,"
"Well, Miss Reginold that book will be twelve galleons," he said slickly.
"I think not," Luka replied coldly and Mr Borgin's smile slipped as Sebastian's spread, "the text is thorough but woefully out of date and it is hardly in mint condition,"
"Given the book's age that is understandable, to the discerning collector-"
"Surely the discerning collector would know that this 'silver' catch is a mere cheap gilding spell that someone used on the original brass to try and increase the value," Luka's gaze intensified as she narrowed her eyes and continued, "furthermore I couldn't help but note how it was right at the back, almost completely obscured. It was if it was just taking up space rather than being on display like the rest of your collection. I will be happy to take it off your hands for eight galleons, not a knut more,"
Mr Borgin stood startled for a moment, how had a little girl seen through his gilding charm? He looked at her more closely, she looked about Hogwarts age but her eyes were abnormally cold and emotionless looking.
"Very well, eight galleons it is. Would you care to take a look at my selection of jewellery whilst you are here. I'm sure we can find something to fit your pretty neck," he replied hoping she would go to the opal necklace, perhaps it might finish her off and she'd stop cutting into his profits. It was bad enough that her companion was a haggler but her too? What sort of world did he live in if he couldn't hope to take advantage of a young girl?
"No doubt you mean that hangman's noose there," she said as she gestured to the piece of rope hanging off the ceiling before walking over to the opal necklace, "I see that you have excellent taste when it comes to the acquisition of jewellery. A pity I am not here to buy such things. It is a little showy but a fine piece," she stroked the necklace gently, "although I daresay that prolonged contact with it may not be good for my health,"
As she turned she tried to keep the smile from her face, the shopkeeper's expression was priceless. Sebastian too was reining in his mirth as he packed the books into a bag and shrunk them, their weight was no inconvenience but there size was. After a brief good bye the pair exited the shop am in arm and Luka burst out laughing.
"Did you see his face? I thought he would die of shock," chuckled Luka.
"I'm not surprised, that curse would have killed most people," he replied smirking, human reactions to the unexpected were always entertaining.
"It was strong but not that strong. Where are we going now?" asked Luka.
"I believe Quidditch Supplies would be good as we have already visited the apothecary and you said you wanted a broom to get into the chamber," Sebastian said looking down on his charge.
A few minutes after entering the shop they exited and Luka was the proud owner of an old, but still sky worthy, Cleansweep 5. Sebastian had goaded her a little about getting a Greenbottle family broom so that she could take Ciel for rides as well. When Luka threatened to tell his master about that Sebastian reminded her that all he had to do was say the word and she would take that secret to her grave. That made Luka understandably sullen as no one wants to be reminded of their eternal servitude. Seeing her saddened Sebastian tried to lighten the mood by suggesting that she try out for the house Quidditch team. Her broom may be old but she could channel her magic into other tools so why not a broom? That had the desired effect and Luka replied by saying that she would apply for the position of beater. She had always been heavy handed.
After reaching a dark corner the pair retired through the shadow gates to Sebastian's flat. Shadow gates were so much more nice to use than apparition thought Luka. All you do is walk into a shadow, take a few steps in absolute darkness whilst visualising your destination and step out of the shadow the other side. The only downsides were the possibility of being stuck in purgatory, which was unlikely with Sebastian, and the suffocating feeling one felt as one walks through a shadow as it seems to take on a thick, jelly-like consistency that ripples around you. Once in his feline filled flat Sebastian and Luka organised her new acquisitions in order of when Sebastian would send them to her via Elise. Initially Luka had been surprised that Sebastian had sent Elise to her but she swiftly got over. Hang around demons for any length of time and things become strange quite quickly and it was useful that Elise could pass through dimensions since she was a hell owl. Sebastian would never be out of reach. That just left two orders of business.
"Do you intend to pay me for the purchases with your meagre saving or do you want to work off the debt?" asked Sebastian as he stroked a Siamese.
"I think I'll leave my savings so I'll work it off," Luka replied.
"Very well, you can work a couple of shifts at the bar a month until I feel the debt is satisfied. You may keep any tips you receive," said Sebastian feeling gracious.
Luka nodded, the bar was an appendage of the maids and butlers café that Sebastian managed. It was linked to the café so that to get in one had to pass through the café. It allowed the Funtom company to run two businesses simultaneously without the extra paperwork of two premises.
"I believe that the next task at hand is what to tell my father," Sebastian said quietly, he wasn't looking forward to seeing him again. The last encounter had resulted in a 'family bonding' session of jig saws between himself, his father, the wraith and his psychotic pet and one of Sebastian's overly affectionate brothers.
"I doubt he'll lift the restrictions. Odds are Nicholas will impose further conditions," replied Luka sadly, turning to see Sebastian's wistful face she continued, "at least you can see your family whenever you want Sebastian and the only reason he's being so strict is because he cares about you. He doesn't want to see you hurt again,"
At this Sebastian smiled and it was genuine rather than his usual smirk. Seeing this Luka smiled in return, it was rare to see that expression on Sebastian's face. However it didn't last. Luka felt a strong tug at her gut as she was yanked away by portkey.
She landed with a thud on the kitchen floor of the house. She looked at the clock, she'd been careless her foster father had come back from work and had wondered where she'd been. Thus Luka had been recalled. Rose strode forward and booted her in the ribs, it didn't hurt much. Luka had felt far worse.
"I knew you were up to something the moment I got back Luka! Thinking of heading home were you? You should have known we would have put a Tracker as well as the Trace on you," snarled Jacob as he delivered a stinging hex.
"I checked the trunk. It seems that you can't keep those horrid little hands to yourself," cooed Rose as Luka returned her glare tenfold, "you know what happens to bad little girls here don't you? They get punished,"
"I should have killed the pair of you along with your colleagues," Luka growled in defiance.
That seemed to have struck a nerve as Rose rose from her crouch and said, "Shall I do the honours or you Jacob?"
"Ladies first," he replied.
"Go ahead," Luka snorted as she flipped them the bird and put her hands behind her head as she lay on the kitchen floor, "she's probably too weak to cast it properly,"
At that Rose stamped down on Luka's face and before the blood had a chance to trickle from Luka's nose she shrieked, "CRUCIO!"