Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling does. I'm just a fan, that I am. Oh, and the names of some of the new characters are from the anime series Ruroni Kenshin, which I also don't own. I'm a fan of both, this is an idea I had, and it's not a true crossover, more like an ancestry thing. Anyway, enjoy Scars That Can Never Heal.
Chapter 1, Pain of the Past
Ken sat alone in the compartment of the Hogwarts Express, trying desperately not to fall asleep. He had arrived in London only the day before from America, and his body had not yet adjusted to the different time zone. It was a bit of a struggle just for him to wake up in time that morning, and it was turning into a struggle to stay awake now. And he was losing that battle. "Wake up!" he said to himself. But it was not enough; he dozed off a few seconds later. Then the dreams came.
He saw Nicole, standing there, smiling her perfect smile. He saw her walking to classes with him, her arm around his. He could almost smell her, she never wore perfume, but she always smelled so sweet, like tangerines. He could hear the sound of her laughter, the sweet sound that in his mind still seemed to be ringing clearer than a thousand bells. Oh god he loved her. Being with her had made him feel so alive. She had made him forget his family's legacy. She had helped him forget what his ancestor, his namesake had done, which he had always felt that he was obligated to try and atone for. When he was with her, the world had been beautiful place. He had wanted to be with her forever, he had been determined to be with her forever. But fate had other plans for him.
This was the nightmare Ken had seen for all those months. It always started the same. He was sitting out in the courtyard with Nicole. He turned to her and kissed her deeply, passionately. When their lips parted he said the words he thought he would never say, "I love you, Nicole."
"I love you too, Ken." She said, with a smile so bright, it could block the sun. Then it happened. One second, Nicole was standing there smiling at him and telling him she loved him. The next second, there was the unmistakable swish of a sword, and a look of pain and shock sprang to her eyes. Then blood sprayed in torrents out of her back, and she collapsed into his arms. He heard her killer laughing as he got away. Nicole looked up into his eyes, and said in a very weak voice, "I love you Ken, with a-all m-m-my h-h- heart." Her beautiful eyes closed forever. She died in his arms.
Suddenly, a searing pain shot through his right upper arm, which woke him up. He opened up his gi, and looked at the bandages wrapped around his right arm. Two thin red lines had formed on the white bandages, forming a cross. He closed his gi and started rummaging through his bag to find a fresh roll when he was interrupted by the sound of someone opening the door.
"Oh I'm sorry, but I was looking for an empty compartment." Said the girl who had opened the door. Ken regarded her for a second. She was just about five foot seven, with a slim body. She had extremely bushy brown hair, and deep brown eyes. He snapped out of his trance.
"There's space here, if you want to stay." He replied.
"Sure, let me go get my friends." She said, and then added, "I'm Hermione Granger by the way."
Ken smiled and said, "My names Ken, Ken Smith"
"Pleased to meet you!" She replied, as she left to go get her friends.
Ok, chapter 1 done. I know that things are a little confusing right now, but all will be revealed in time. You'll just have to trust me, that you will.
Authors Note 2/15/08: well here it is, my first rewrite for this story. Not much has changed; I just cleaned it up a little, and fixed some issues that I only discovered in hindsight. This was the first fic I ever began writing, and now I really want to fix it and finish it. Also, my decision to finish it ties into a joint project between myself, The No Life King of Denton, Turned into a Rhesus Monkey, Megx, and M.N. Moore. More on that later.