A/N: I always wanted to do a crossover with Inuyasha, but I never had a concrete idea on where to start. I ended up choosing Harry Potter since I've read crossovers with this series for a while now. I ended up switching my intent around before settling with this version of my idea. I'm taking liberties and rushing through certain parts as far as plot is concerned.
Thank you for your interest!
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-Lucicelo
Arc 1 - Chapter 1
The impending doom of the war prompted James and Lily Potter to read through multiple books. Concealing them in extended compartments of their trunks, no one knew of their secret project and they kept it that way. After a sequence of muggle born deaths, backup plans came into their minds. James worried for his wife's sake. Whenever she read the newspaper, she kept a stone face whenever she read about the newest sudden death. Leaving themselves unprotected was a fool's gamble.
Using Harry's naps and time in between Dumbledore's visits, they researched a list of concepts from different brainstorming sessions. No matter how ridiculous an idea sounded, James found books on the subject before the inevitable moment they sealed themselves in their new home.
Taking turns in caring for their son, Harry remained blissful and ignorant about their dire situation. Guilt wrecked them over bringing a child into the middle of the war. Their carelessness added on another life, an innocent life, who deserved better than confinement alongside his parents.
On a positive note, Harry's presence pushed their research forward and stroke the will to fight. His cries snapped them out of procrastination and brought the couple closer. Having developed a decent system, they almost went without long periods of sleep. Of course, it depended on Harry's temperament and mood. Harry slept way more than them.
For the future of the Wizarding world and for their son, all this hard work had to pay off.
No one noticed Lily's impatient stance whenever Dumbledore visited their home or found James' insistence on shorter visits a tad odd. Their research time shortened whenever anyone visited and tried prolonging their stay for whatever reason. James interjected whenever Dumbledore patronized them over the safety of their own child. Lily barely contained her anger at the audacity. Instead of releasing her emotions onto their old headmaster, she poured her energy through the books she read from a topic on their list.
Their rose colored view of Dumbledore dimmed the more time they spent in their cottage. At one point, James brought up returning to Potter Manor, having grown up there, he knew the extensive wards shielded the grounds against variations of magic. A limited number of individuals visited the location in the first place. Dumbledore shot down the idea, commenting on the idea of predictability and variables of Voldemort managing to break through those wards. James followed Dumbledore's hinted suggestion, but relayed none of their hidden plans.
James and Lily specified wanting to keep to themselves and putting up alerts before anyone passed through the floo. Questions and answers became protocol before anyone stepped into their home. James hated questioning his own friends, but in troubling times, they couldn't take the risk. On one visit, Sirius suggested a change in secret keepers, as the obvious choice, the possibility of him getting kidnapped and tortured for information came to mind.
Lily found Peter's eagerness in taking Sirius' place a bit unnerving. As a man who remained hidden from this war, this sudden urge of helpfulness brought on her doubt. She discussed her concerns on the day before the change was implemented.
Despite James' natural instinct to trust his old friend, he listened to Lily's concerns, she brought up certain topics if they bothered her enough. Her rare complaints on certain situations caught his full attention. Still, his unrelenting trust on one of his oldest friends made it hard for him to listen to his beloved wife.
Lily set him aside once Harry began his nap. "I'm not sure about using Peter as the secret keeper, James."
"Why? He's one of my best mates. I trust him, Lily."
Lily rubbed her forearms. "I don't know. There's just...something about his attitude that's making me doubt him. I'd rather have Remus as our secret keeper."
James hitched his breath, averting his eyes, he said. "I-I don't think I can trust him, Lils. You-know-who recruited werewolves to his forces. He might have-"
"James!" Lily snapped. "Remus sees you all as pack! He'd never betray your trust. Harry is Moony's cub!"
James defended his friend. "Same goes for Peter, he wouldn't toss away a long friendship for anything in the world! He might not fight in the front lines, but he has loyalty!"
Harry's sudden yell stopped their argument from escalating.
Lily rubbed her temples, groaning in frustration. They barely managed to get Harry to sleep.
James ruffled his hair in aggravation. "Damn it, Lils. Look, the change is going to happen tomorrow."
Lily spat out. "Not like it matters for you to tell me, you decided without my opinion."
"Sirius didn't want to delay this any longer." James tried reasoning with her, but her twitching eyebrow made him think otherwise. "I saw Sirius' reasoning and went forward with the plans. Everyone knows Sirius is my closest friend. It was a mistake to make him secret keeper in the first place."
Lily turned away from him and went to collect their fussing child. "I'll overlook this, but only because it's too late to change plans."
Hating this tension between them, James piped up. "...you're mad at me. Aren't you?"
Seeing no sense in lying, Lily breathed through her nose. "James, we're planning an escape route for our family and you went along with outside plans. What if something we decided contrasted with this change? We can't afford any slip ups."
Guilt washed over James as he stared down at their child. "All I can say is I'm sorry. I know we're a team. My vows are proof of my dedication to you. I just reverted back to the old days where I discussed my plans with only the Marauders."
Lily arched a brow. "Excluding Remus? He was always the sensible one out of all of you."
James flinched. "We can't be too sure."
"That's how I feel about Peter." Lily rubbed circles on Harry's back. "Let's just agree to disagree. Okay?"
"Yeah."
In a miraculous feat, James managed to calm Harry down from his tantrum. He almost groaned in relief, but settled with giving a weary glance toward Lily. She smiled in understanding. Harry cried for almost an hour, unrelenting and loud, chipping away at their patience. They never used silencing spells whenever he cried.
They resumed their usual pow wows and exchanged ideas in low whispers. In her seat, Lily gazed down at their list of options. Scratching off two ideas, Lily tapped her pencil against her chin.
James rocked Harry in his arms as he inspected their books. One title in particular caught James interest, he remembered the contents well enough. Explaining the findings to his wife, her eyes widened in surprise.
"We can use golems to take our place." James rubbed Harry's back as walked back and forth, trying to calm his own continual nerves. "I mean...they keep the appearance of our bodies through our magic. They will give us enough time to escape England." Catching on Lily's stunned gaze, he yammered on. "Staying put isn't going to save us. We have to keep on moving or even try hiding somewhere outside the country."
Lily ran her fingers through her messy hair, amazed at James' suggestion. "That's...brilliant!" Getting up on her feet, she tossed her notebook onto the sofa, a new light shined in her eyes. "We can always travel to the neutral countries and stay undercover." She counted using her fingers. "Switzerland, Costa Rica, Mexico, Japan, there are plenty of countries—the wizarding communities won't release us if we change our names."
James beamed, kissing Lily, his shoulders lost their tension. "Then it's settled. We'll travel to a neutral country and seek sanctuary." He sighed. "It's...not selfish leaving our friends behind, is it? I feel awful keeping our plans from everyone, but—" He maneuvered Harry into a better position in his arms. "Harry's safety comes first."
"I'm glad that our plans are all coming into fruition. All that research had to amount to something." Lily rubbed her hand down Harry's back, "We have to decide on a day to leave. I vote for all Hallow's Eve."
James tagged on. "I'll send a message to Gringotts and take out a good amount of money. More than enough to keep us afloat for however long we need."
"Won't the letter get intercepted?" Lily worried her lower lip. "I'm almost certain someone is keeping an eye out for any sign of us sending owls."
"I'm not sure...I can always disguise myself and go into Gringotts."
"Are you sure?"
James let out a deep sigh. "There's little we can do. I don't want us to struggle financially if a problem pops up while we're on the run. Besides, goblins are neutral in war, they won't turn anyone away if they're a loyal client. I'll be fine." Giving Harry to Lily, his answer crossed his mind making him face palm. "I forgot about apparition."
Lily shook her head. "Coming from an auror, that's just embarrassing, James."
"Lils!"
"Then again, I can't say I didn't think of that either." Lily sighed. "Just come back to us safe and sound, James. Oh and don't forget our question."
James pouted. "You don't trust me?"
Lily shooed him away with a wave of her hand. "You'd do the same to me. Now, get going before it's too late."
Returning home with an extendable bag in one pocket and the crescent moon box in his hand, James felt exhausted in having dealt with his family bank manager. Ever since his father introduced Silverfang to him, the goblin took great pleasure in making him sweat in the most obscure ways. All witches and wizards complained of the treatment, but found no other safe haven for their money. Hence, generations of magical people suffered the less than excellent treatment through gritted teeth.
At least, he found a silver lining in the whole situation. Good practice for those less than stellar people in the world. His lack of patience grew to accommodate the harsher days on his job. While in the auror department, he reacted to none of the derogatory comments he received from criminals on the outside. As head auror and head of a clan, reacting to mean commentary wasn't appropriate.
Thinking back to his younger years, he cringed at his thoughtless and ridiculous behavior. As a child, he got away with anything due to his parents trouble at conceiving him. They gave into his whims and spoiled him. In between their indulgent ways, they taught him the fundamentals of his station and appropriate behaviors. Once he got into Hogwarts, the letters and disapproving glances of his mother didn't compute to his intolerable behavior at the time.
He hoped his current maturity and remorse on his past made his parents proud. Losing them early on in the war, his father through a death eater attack, his mother from a broken heart, reality hit him hard.
In the last second, he remembered to request an international portkey through their services. Once he asked for one, his bank manager sent off a notice without a second thought. Always eager to make money, Silverfang charged him for the service.
Seconds later, a goblin came inside with a small box with a crescent moon etched on the wood. Questioning the oddity of the item used in a portkey, the usual ones came in the form of socks, boots, or any obscure items, Silverfang said nothing and pushed it towards him. The goblin said nothing about the location either, questions ran through James' mind and he demanded answers. Silverfang informed him on a safe location overseas, but remained tight-lipped.
Seeing a losing battle, James settled with the news of being far away from England as possible. Lily might not like the obscurity of their location, but their safety was guaranteed.
Before he finished his business, Silverfang revealed the passcode on a piece of parchment.
Revival.
As he stumbled into the living room, he spooked Lily enough to draw her wand toward his direction. In awe of her quick draw, he stayed still when he whistled. "Nice speed."
"Thanks." Lily arched a brow and asked. "What's my patronus?"
"A doe."
"Correct." Lily lowered her wand and slipped it back into her wrist guard. "How did it go?"
James grinned. "I have enough money to tide us over in obscurity and I managed to snag an intentional portkey!"
Lily beamed in happiness. "That's great! That'll save us plenty of time for when we leave on Halloween. We don't have to use our ministry's floo network! The less someone sees us, our chances of escape will go smoothly. Are we set to leave soon?"
"Yes." James went to her side and kissed her forehead. "I'll pack my trunk."
James and Lily spend the week before Halloween preparing for their departure. Adding extra supplies in their trunks, Lily and James overwhelmed the interior compartments. Expecting the unexpected, Lily added ready-made potions in case of sickness and injury. As a healer, she thought about multiple scenarios of trouble and surprises. James on the other hand, packed brooms, protective gear, and their funds.
Creating duplicates of their trunks, they left them in place of their real ones. Careful in which items they packed, a majority of Harry's toys remained in his room. In any case, Harry played with his stuffed animals in place of the magically enhanced toys bought for him. This made space in their luggage easier to fill.
James thought of adding a mirror on the wall behind of Harry's crib. When questioned, he informed Lily of the possible chance of a spell rebounding back to the caster. A small chance of injuring Voldemort, winning one over the dark wizard, as they made their grand escape. Lily let him do as be wished, not believing his theory one bit.
Leaving a will with the goblins, James and Lily didn't wish to leave their son unprotected. Declaring their pick of guardians, Sirius Black, Alice Longbottom and Minerva McGonagall, they felt happy with their choices. Included in the will, James named Peter as the secret keeper. Lily added in a notion to keep their vaults sealed in the case of their demise, except for Harry's heir vault, until he accepted his lordship at the age of sixteen. James left specific letters for his friends, explaining their reasons for leaving and apologies for tricking them. Lily added a letter for her old friend, Severus Snape.
Tying up loose ends, Lily packed provisions of food and drink to tide them over. Thinking about settling into their new home, she already knew she wouldn't cook. James teased her on her mother henning ways, she tapped his forearm with a snicker. Once he saw her slip bottles of firewhiskey into his luggage, he kissed her for the consideration.
On Halloween night, Lily guided their golems in the proper places of the home. Adding an alarm in case Harry woke up, Harry slept in his portable sleeping bed in his room. She swaddled Golem Harry and set him inside of the crib.
James made one last inspection of their cabin through using his invisibility cloak. The eerie silence brought a shiver up his spine. Lack of a warm cloak didn't help matters. Turning back to the entrance, James let out and sigh of relief. No one suspicious wandered into their wards and their plans of escape remained a secret.
Entering through the threshold, James locked the door behind him. He added a few extra spells to keep the door locked. During the process, he heard rustling and footsteps coming up the trail. Pausing in his spell work, James peeked through the window paneling of the door.
"No." Whispering, James backed away from the front door. Through his invisibility cloak, he saw Peter scampering away from Voldemort's towering frame. He recognized his features and saw the sudden transformation into a rat. "I-It can't-"
Behind him, their golems reacted as normal. Well, as normal as they instructed them to act. Golem James shifted through some Quidditch magazine as Golem Lily cleaned up the toys left on the floor. They did nothing more than act as if settling in for the night.
James shuffled back upstairs, not at all hiding his loud footsteps. In a harsh whisper, he burst through Harry's room. "He's here. Peter outed us, Lily." He pushed aside his anger for Peter for the sake of his family.
Lily paled. Taking out her wand, she wasted no time in shrinking down their trunks, shoved them in her pockets, and gathered Harry in her arms. Harry readied himself for a cry due to the jostling, but Lily spelled him to sleep in her panic.
James snatched up the portkey, cursing under his breath for lack of preparation. He never expected Voldemort to use Halloween to slip in for a surprise attack. Feeling the anti-apparition wards cover their home, he bounced on his feet, trying to think of a solution.
"The wardrobe!"
"What?"
James pointed to the wardrobe. "We'll hide in here. Lily, don't look at me like that. There's no time!"
"You've got to be kid-"
"No time! Get in the wardrobe, Lily!" Insisting, James helped her climb inside with Harry in her arms. He followed her inside, closing the door enough to leave a gap for them to see.
James tightened his grip on Lily and Harry. His fingers dug into the portkey as Voldemort blasted the front door wide open. The golems inside of the cottage screamed, scattering around in their designated spots. Breathing through his nose, he peered through the crack in the door to Harry's expanded wardrobe. Lily burrowed her face into his neck while Harry remained in a spelled sleep.
From the sudden heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, James and Lily held their breaths. Golem Lily burst through the room, shielding the crib which housed Golem Harry. James and Lily gulped at the sight of the Dark Lord, who ordered Golem Lily to step aside. Hearing her own voice plead for the life of her son, tears trickled down Lily's cheeks. Voldemort killed Golem Lily after three demands, the golem fell onto the floor.
When Voldemort yelled out the killing curse, James whispered. "Revival." Please work, he pleaded.
Their last image of their old home came from watching the mirror in front of Harry's crib, fling the killing curse back at the Dark Lord. A twinge of smugness flickered in James' chest at the sight. Voldemort's ashes crumbled onto the floor, wand clattered on the floor, and the anti-apparition wards fell. Pieces of the ceiling fell, a small piece of wood hit Golem Harry's forehead.
Giving them a chance of escape.
Landing on the ground, Lily managed to stay on her feet before before stumbling with Harry in her arms. Peeking into his blanket, the spell remained intact, she waved her wand and canceled the effects. Harry grumbled in his sleep and nuzzled his face into her chest. Hearing James stumble onto his feet a short distance away from her, she turned to his direction and watched him fall onto his knees. As his emotions caught up with him, James let out a snarl.
James slammed his fists onto the ground. With each punch, tears of fury spilled down his face. Discarding Peter's nickname, he spat out in heartbreak. "It was Peter! He told him where we lived. Moony wasn't the one. How dare he betray us like this?! I thought—I thought we were best friends!" Inhaling shuddering breaths, he uttered out. "I—I'm so sorry Lily. You were right."
Balancing Harry in one arm, Lily crouched beside James. Rubbing his shoulder, she offered comforting words, anything to soothe him. Having watched the Marauders since their Hogwarts days, their close friendship seemed unbreakable, unyielding, strong against any obstacle.
Peter didn't share the same sentiments as the rest of the Marauders.
She didn't have the heart to boast about Peter's betrayal. This wasn't the right time to comment on the issue.
James stood up and cleaned off his tears with his sleeve. Composing himself, he inspected the area and noticed a different language on the signs. "Uh...Lils? Where are we?"
Snapping her head from side to side, she inspected the area. Attempting to decipher the letters on any sign her line of sight landed on, provided no results. "James...where did you say this portkey took us to?"
James hunched his shoulders. "I-I don't remember telling you where we'd land. Silverfang wouldn't tell me."
"James!"
James winced. "Lily, I couldn't get it out of him! I tried everything, he didn't budge, but said this portkey would lead us to a safe location. From the looks of things, I think we're in Japan."
Lily breathed through her nose to calm herself down. "Japan?"
"Yes." James pointed out the familiar characters on the signs. "During the time Sirius got hit with a bad curse and stayed at St. Mungos, I partnered with a Japanese auror who came to England for an investigation. He showed me the letters he sent back home and the words are similar."
"So...you know where the Japanese Ministry is located?"
Sheepish, James sighed. "No."
A light timbre sort of voice broke through the tension between the couple. "James and Lily Potter?"
James maneuvered Lily and Harry behind him as he pointed his arm at the stranger. "Who are you?"
Lily removed her wand from her holster, cradled Harry in one arm, and pointed her wand from behind James. Harry woke up from the movement, gurgling random words.
Standing in front of them, stood a gorgeous young man wearing a black for fitting suit. A foot taller than James, his long black hair was in a half ponytail while his bright blue eyes seemed to pierce their soul.
Twinkling blue eyes wrinkled when he grinned. "Lord Ikeru has expected your arrival. Follow me, please."
"You haven't answered my question." James demanded.
"All in due time." The stranger mused. "You're in the heart of Tokyo, near a non-magical area no less, I suggest that you hide your wands. Kind of dumb to be so obvious, don't you think? It's what?" The man checked his watch. "Seven-fifteen in the morning."
Lily inquired. "You're a wizard?"
"Yes." He presented his wand from his wrist holster. "Where are my manners, I'm Kurosaki Keichi. Keichi Kurosaki in Western terms. Now, if you'll follow me, I'll apparate you to the manor."
Not moving an inch, James demanded. "Show us your left arm."
Unfazed, Keichi unbuttoned his sleeve and rolled up his blazer without hesitation. Using revealing charms, his skin remained bare to their eyes. "Curiosity sated?"
"For now." James narrowed his eyes. "Do you know of-"
"The war in England? Yes. Lord Ikeru has given me information of the current political standings in England's Ministry. A real mess." Keichi tutted. "If you will follow me, there is a hidden location we can use to apparate."
Keichi brought Lily, James, and Harry through the large gates of Ikeru castle. He spoke about the history and legends of the castle with pride. Having lived there his whole life, he enjoyed relaying the old stories Lord Ikeru spoke to him about. Beside him, James and Lily tried not to gape at the vast fortress, bigger than older manor homes of pureblood families, and lush green pastures. The old wood and stone walls permeated power of old wards molded throughout the structure. Both adult wizards shivered from the immense power.
Placed in one of the Western style waiting rooms, James sat down onto one of the plush couch, settling a pillow on his lower back. He groaned in tiredness. The stress and activity of the last few hours tired him out. Lily and Harry might take on the first nap to recollect their energy. Looking at Lily, he saw her looking around the room, before she set Harry down onto the floor, letting the one year old crawl and toddle around the room.
"This is a castle, not a manor." Impressed, James whistled. "This Lord Ikeru guy's place makes Potter manor seem small in comparison. I have to say, this castle looks way better than the Malfoy's overcompensating flashy manor."
Lily bit her lower lip to stop herself from snorting. Despite never having stepped one foot into Malfoy manor, she heard more than enough descriptions from James to paint a mental image. The auror raids into Malfoy manor gave James more than enough material to relay to Lily. Although, he kept tight-lipped about his cases, which Lily had no problem keeping her questions to herself.
James revealed one crucial aspect of Malfoy manor: Stuffy albino peacocks paraded all over the property.
No surprise.
Lucius Malfoy presented himself as a peacock to the rest of the population.
Throughout each one of the pureblood homes James visited as a child, he came up with code-names throughout the years, keeping the anonymity of the family. He needed something to entertain himself from the boredom. After sometime together, Lily knew the meanings behind them, a secret gigglefest happened between them that no one else understood. James' friends thought their secret giggles happened from some couples thing.
A young woman wearing a intricate flower patterned kimono and a high bun, entered the room with light steps. Quiet enough where only her opening the sliding door alerted James and Lily of her presence. She bowed before informing them. "Lord Ikeru will tend to you now."
Lily collected Harry in her arms as she followed James out of the room. Walking through another set of hallways, giving them another view of the intricate detailing of the castle, the young woman remained silent for most part. She stopped to speak to different staff members before resuming on their journey.
The woman stopped in front of a large carved designed door of flowers, she knocked on the door. At the sound of confirmation from the inside, she opened the door, bowing down before she said. "I've brought the Potter family, my lord."
A smooth tenor answered. "Thank you, Midori. They may come in, you are free to go back to your duties."
"Of course, my lord." Midori moved aside, motioning them inside of the study.
James and Lily walked inside, jumping when Midori shut the door behind them. Maneuvering around the seats, both of them laid their eyes on their savior. The first thing that registered was the man's silver hair, longer than Malfoy's bleached blond ponytail, a vast contrast to the black hair they saw so far in Japan. Their assumption of Lord Ikeru's relation to the infamous family, dissipated once they glanced at his facial features. His almond shaped eyes, high cheekbones, smooth skin, and slim figure, way different.
Harry began squirming in Lily's arms, making displeased noises at having stayed still for too long. At his age, Harry didn't enjoy sitting in anyone's arms, he wanted nothing more than to explore. Sighing, Lily broke the silence, "Lord Ikeru? Is it alright if I set Harry down onto the floor?"
"Not at all." Lord Ikeru nodded his head. "I understand that once children begin to walk, they tend to explore any new surroundings. Not to worry, there is nothing in this office that will hurt him."
Thanking him, Lily put down Harry on the floor. As soon as his feet touched the carpet, he began toddling around the office. Seeing the new face, Harry touched the desk to hold himself up as he walked toward the man. James chuckled at the sight.
"Introductions are in order. My name is-"
"Ah!" Harry fell down onto his bottom, his face scrunched up in the beginning stages of crying. "Ma..."
Lily readied herself to get up, but Ikeru put up his hand to stop Lily. Looking down at the child beside his seat, he leaned down, reached out his hand, and patted Harry's head, making the child look up at the stranger in shock. "There, there, child. No harm done."
A flash of gold appeared in Lord Ikeru's light brown eyes.
"Yewo?" Harry said.
Lord Ikeru's eyes widened, schooling his features, he straightened himself out and placed his attention back onto James and Lily. "As head of the Ikeru clan, I'm glad you have used my portkey to seek sanctuary."
Lily asked him. "We were relieved that we landed somewhere safe. Japan was on our list of countries to hide ourselves from England's Wizarding world. We changed our plans once James came with your portkey. I have to wonder. Why didn't you leave your location with the portkey?"
"Silverfang kept the location hidden per my request."
"Oh," From the finalized tone of his voice, Lily knew Lord Ikeru wouldn't relay anymore information. "You know about the war?"
"Yes." He interlaced his fingers and set his hands onto his lap. "Multiple countries have kept themselves ignorant of the reality of this dilemma and have opened their eyes. The trickling news of the raids of your dark lord's minions have gained the attention of those higher up in different communities. As one such person, I have taken to relay the information to the ministry."
James asked him. "Why did you help us?"
Lord Ikeru answered. "Our families have an alliance."
James blurted out. "I didn't know the Potter line had an alliance with your family. I don't think the Potter family ever had ties to anyone in Japan."
Lord Ikeru's lips quirked up a bit, emphasizing his features. "My clan keeps a steady record on all our alliances. It's not easy for me to forget an important ally and to not offer assistance in their time of need." He gazed with hidden fondness at the child playing on the floor. "I used my family's goblin manager to deliver it to your bank manager about a decade ago."
Stunned, James stood up, bowing low to Lord Ikeru as pureblood manners entailed. "I thank you for extending a hand of assistance to my clan, Lord Ikeru. Your portkey sent us away from a dire situation in our home."
Ikeru got up, returned the gesture, before motioning for James to sit down. He followed suit. "You're welcome, Lord Potter. It is an honor to help those in need of assistance. Since you entered the country without going through the ministry, I will send a missive to the minister to push your papers immediately. Of course, I take full responsibility, I did leave a portkey which pulled you into the country illegally. Now, about your living quarters."
Lily spoke up. "Lord Ikeru, if I may interject." Ikeru tipped his head in recognition. "We don't want to impose. James and I can rent out a home to tide us over. We have the funds to sustain ourselves for the time being. You're already helping us through pushing our papers."
Ikeru motioned to his palace. "I have more than enough room to spare, Lady Potter. A majority of my house contains other alliances who have taken refuge and have continued to stay. It's not a bother to house your family." He locked his fingers together, his face impassive and neutral. "Your family may stay in the crescent moon wing."
Entering through the threshold of the wing, James and Lily blinked in surprise at the luxurious room. The waiting area alone presented beautiful paintings hanging on the walls, plush western furniture with carved wooden resting arms, intricate rugs, and silk curtains. Before taking a step inside, James and Lily slipped off their shoes and set them aside. Lily took off Harry's shoes as well.
"Uh...I didn't think I would ever enter a manor fancier than Malfoy's. This seals the deal for me." James checked the bathroom, he grinned at the large tub big enough for two. He moved toward different rooms and inspected the bedrooms. "Here's a smaller room for Harry."
"What did you think of our host?" Lily observed the painting of a large dog with markings jumping up toward the moon. "He seems hospitable and generous. Offering us this wing and opening his home to us is more then I expected. From how he handled Harry, good with children, at least, good with our child."
James muttered. "He's too pretty."
Turning her head toward James, Lily arched a brow. "Don't tell me you're jealous of Lord Ikeru."
"No!" James huffed.
"We were lucky to have someone with discretion handle our papers for us. Remember, we have to send Japan's Minister a letter of sanctuary. Although, I'm sure Lord Ikeru will smooth that over for us as well." Lily set Harry down onto the floor. Opening her trunk, she took out Harry's Padfoot plush and he grabbed onto it. "We have to lay low for the next few weeks."
James tested out their bed with his hand for softness. "Padfoot and Moony will be so pissed at me. Wait! We need to keep track of Pettigrew's trial. Dumbledore must have remembered that he was the secret keeper! He's the one who officiated the change. I'm sure he'll bring him to justice."
Lily rocked Harry in her arms as he gnawed at her shirt. "At this point, people think we're dead, James. Our golems died by his hand. As far as the public knows, we didn't survive today, well, technically yesterday. We'll have to resurface in a few weeks once the celebrations die down."
James laid onto their bed, melting onto the soft smelling sheets of the mattress. He let out a blissful sigh. Almost like a soft cloud. "All I can hope for is that Moony and Padfoot understand why we did this. Speaking of them, who should I send a letter to first? I know I wrote them letters beforehand, but these are to calm down their concerns."
Lily shrunk her trunk and slipped it back into her pocket. "I want to talk to Severus. Before you say anything, I know I left a letter, but it's not like we're dying anytime soon. I want to rebuild our friendship again. He has to meet his godson."
Harry struggled in walking through the room with his Padfoot plush in his arms.
"Right...you named him honorary godfather." James winced. "I still have to say offer my apologies. Can you hold up a bit in meeting up with him, Lils? Like...another year?"
Lily deadpanned. "No. It's been too many years since I've talked with Severus. We don't even have conversations at order meetings, he leaves them once they're over." She rubs her hands together. "James...I looked past your mistakes and I've taken too long in closing the bridge between Severus and I."
James winced. "Yeah..."
Lily turned her attention onto Harry and watched him bend down to pack something. "Harry? What are you looking at, sweetie?" She walked closer to him and her eyes widened when a light slowly surrounded him. "Harry! No!" Lily ran toward him and snatched him up in her arms.
James jumped off the bed and ran toward them, making it in time before a bright light surrounded them. He clung onto his family, wishing for them to stick together. Closing his eyes, he heard Lily's screams and Harry's scared sobs.
A blinding light overtook the room, encasing their bodies, before reducing into nothing.
Lily awoke to someone shaking her shoulder, grumbling, she rubbed her eyes. As the remnants of sleep left her, her eyes snapped open once she remembered what happened. Snapping her head in all directions, she saw trees in all directions, no buildings in sight. Turning to the direction of the hand, she noticed James holding a fussy Harry in his arms.
Relief crossed James' face as he handed Harry to Lily. His wife hit her head a bit hard, the bruise on the side of her head proved his point. Lily grabbed onto their son, cuddling him to her chest, then checked him all over for any bruises. As a healer, he expected her to jump into a bout of mother henning and nursing regardless of her own injuries.
Noticing their location, Lily asked. "James...where are we?" She held Harry close into her arms, rubbing circles onto his back to soothe his fussing.
James answered. "I don't know. I'm serious this time. I thought maybe we teleported into a forest in Japan, but," He showed a chain, dangling in front of Lily's eyes, a broken time turner. "I think we came back in time. There are no buildings in sight and Ikeru castle is missing!"
Lily's stomach plummeted. "James...please...tell me you're joking."
"No, I'm not." James knelt in front of her and rubbed her shoulder in an act of comfort. "Lily, we can't let ourselves panic. We have to save that for when we find a roof under our heads."
"Have you looked around?" Lily tried locating any civilization through the trees and bushes. "Are there people around here?"
"I didn't want to leave you alone." James got up on his feet, getting into a guarded stance. "You might have gotten a concussion and I have little to no healer experience. I was waiting until you woke up. How do you feel?"
Lily touched the tender spot with her fingertips and winced. "I think I just knocked myself out. I'm not feeling nauseous, but I'll cast some diagnosis charms in a bit."
The rustling of bushes brought James and Lily's attention to the left. A grotesque looking creature walking through the brush, "I smell humans." Looking to its right, a smirk stretched to both sides of his face, showing sharp canines. "Oh, a small family. You'll fill me up just fine."
Hiding Harry into the crook of her neck, Lily removed her wand from her holster and send a hex to the creature. James drew his wand and sent a multitude of spells. One of the spells hit the creature in the chest, making it fall backwards onto a large rock, knocking it out.
Lily uttered out. "Fuck." She looked down at Harry and winced. "Let's hope he doesn't repeat that when he's old enough to talk."
James managed to joke. "Looks like I'm not the only one who will corrupt Harry."
Inside of a cupboard under the stairs, a bundled up child disintegrated into nothing more than clay and mud.
In the coffins of the Wizarding World's heroes, their corpses broke down into pieces, crumbling into fine powder.
To be continued...
