Jing: Stupid IDIOT!! You let the TB plotbunny out!
Tsuki: 'grin' So? It was lonely and wanted to have some fun.
J: Definitely not when I'm behind on the other stories!
T: Take a break from it then.
J: And you scared away my Bleach plotbunny.
T: ...
J: 'glare daggers' Go get it or else.
T: 'snicker' Well, I'll be back when the TB plotbunny is happy!
J: 'crumbles a sheet of paper and throw it at her'
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in Tokyo Babylon or Harry Potter. They belong to CLAMP and J.K. Rowling, respectively.
Warning: This is randomness. Pure randomness. Sorry if you could not make head or tail of it or why I put the two series together. And if you think it makes sense, congratulations. You have the same twisted imagination as I. "Smile" Enjoy and reviews are much appreciated.
The Nightmare of the Summer Dream
All was quiet in Godric's Hollow. Everything was calm and peaceful. Darkness wrapped the entire village in silence. All the while, another stood on the edge of the village, regarding it with contemplation. The second man crouched at the first's feet. His eyes flitted over the man and the village in a habitual nervousness. It was a moonless night and the surrounding is strangely empty of the usual noise of the insects. Unmoving, the man watch the dimly lit village like a predator regarding its prey. His gaze was focused on a particular house in the Hollow. The house was in no way peculiar. It is a regular piece of architecture with the windows lit and figures can be seen moving inside. A smile appeared on the man's face, one you would imagine seeing on a patient in the insane asylum.
"You have my gratitude, Wormtail." The man spoke, hissing the words out like a snake. "Leave."
The little man was relieved beyond words. He kissed the hem of the robe of his lord, and scampered away.
The man resumed his watch on the house. If you have a good enough eye sight, you can almost make out the silhouettes of the man and the woman inside. Sometimes you can see the shape of a bundle in the woman's arm. Presumably of a baby. He smiled again, his eye glowing ember.
"Tonight, our game ends."
-.-
"James?"
He shifted in the comfortable position on the sofa, willing the voice to go away.
"James, wake up. You'll catch a cold sleeping like this."
Reluctantly, James opened his eyes and found Lily smiling at him. "How long did I sleep?" He sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"The whole time I was on watch." Lily smiled again and moved toward the stairs. "I heard Harry move up there so I'm going to check on him."
"Say hi to him for me." He grinned at the memories of his son. She smiled and disappeared up the staircase. James stretched and moved to the water basin to freshen up. Life was dull at Godric's Hollow. The village would be interesting to explore, if they were allowed to go outside. It's been several months since Lily and James went into hiding with their son. The occasional visits from the Order of Phoenix did not help to lighten the mood. Voldemort seems to be bent on finding the couple and has his Death Eaters looking for them high and low. Every time Sirius and Remus visit him, more news of dread and tension comes. They both warned him excessively to not go out of the house, but Prongs never saw the reason to it. No one can find them as long as the Secret Keeper chooses not to tell anyone where they are, and he knows he can trust whoever Dumbledore chooses.
There are times he's tempted, though. Especially when the full moon comes, he often remembers the days at Hogwarts when he, Moony, Padfoot, and Wormtail would sneak out of the castle and roam the forest. Those were some of the best memories in his life. Fortunately for him, he has a good reminder of why he shouldn't, no matter how tempting it is. His wife and son. Harry was the bright spot in his boring days. James just cannot seem to get tired around Harry. The baby brought the laughter that was needed in this family. And he cannot - will not - leave them behind.
Refreshed, he pulled his wand of the pocket and resumed his seat on the sofa. He yawned, attempted to chase the last thoughts of sleep away. When he opened his eyes after that mere second, his mortal enemy already made himself comfortable on the recliner in front of him.
"Voldemort." James spat the words out, glaring at the deathly pale male in front of him.
"James." The man inclined his head in a mock greeting, red slits meets the hazel. "So nice to see you again."
"How did you know?" James ignored the sickening sweet word and shot back a question. "How did you know where we are?"
"A little worm -" Voldemort smirked at the widened eyes, "told me."
James stood up, shocked. "Impossible. Peter would never…"
"Fortunately for him, he did." Voldemort continued to grin like a maniac. "Or he would have ended up as food for Nagina."
"You threatened him!" James' fury reached its peak. He cannot believe that this guy can sit, in his own home, and calmly talking about how he's destroying his friends and those he care about.
"Do calm down, James." The other waved his wandless hand. James snarled and hurled the first curse he could think of at the man. With a flick, Voldemort managed to deflect it.
"Why?!" James pointed at the calmly sitting person, "Why do you always tail me?! Why can't you leave me alone?!?"
"Why, indeed."
James gawked at Voldemort, shocked by the casual expression on the pale, hated face. The firelight shone behind the sitting man, throwing shadows across his features.
"I never really knew why." Voldemort examined the man standing in front of him, talking to himself. "You and the Longbottoms are the only ones who ever managed to escape from me for four times. Well, can't say that it went well for them in the end."
"What do you mean…"
"Bellatrix is really impatient," Voldemort signed, shaking his head. "She took what was marked as mine. She'll have to be punished."
"The Longbottoms…" James halted, "What did she do to them?!"
"Insanity." Voldemort said with a sign, closing his eyes. "I was hoping for a much better ending. But of course," The snakelike eyes snapped open, "We mustn't forget our present target."
"What do you want?" James laughed, a little madness mixed it. "If you want me to tell you something about the Order, then you can forget it. I won't tell you anything."
"You really don't remember, do you?"
"Remember what?" Confusion seeped into James' voice.
Voldemort stared at the man hard and long, making James flinch. When he stood up, James backed away, wand at the ready. However, it seems that the man was not going to do him any harm. In a flash with the quickest wand work he can do, Voldemort removed the temporary veil that shields a part of James' memory from himself. The young man, without realizing it, sank into a heap as he lost himself in the place of his memory.
-.-James' point of view-.-
I'm running along the endless corridors inside the Ministry of Magic with muffled shouts and fighting sounds in my ear. The third attack from the Death Eaters has begun and I'm charged with the task of flushing out those who hides deep within the Ministry. Panting slightly, I ran along the Department of Magical Transportation. Since all the Floo Network and the portkeys are being regulated and watched, the Death Eaters cannot appear to anywhere without using apparition. And this makes moving large amount of people to the same place difficult for Voldemort.
As I turned, a handful of Death Eaters meet me. With the element of surprise I was able to stun several of them easily. The rest took a bit of flashiness to get rid off, certain that they won't be waking up anytime soon.
Shouting and flashes of light were seen from an office. I barged my way in to find the Longbottoms, Alastor 'Mad-eye' Moody, Edgar Bones, and several more people from the Order were among the scene. As soon as I saw the trouble spots, I charged right in with what some would say reckless courage that so often defines my House.
I never enjoyed fighting. Some might disagree, especially those who saw how I treated Severus Snape. Narrowly escaping a barrage of curses aimed at me, I cursed under my breath for distracting myself. I never had the intention of hurting him, just harmless fun. However, there are duels that he enjoyed though; just that those never included sadists and Unforgivable Curses.
A flash of robe caught my eye as I disarmed a Death Eater, causing me to loose my concentration. I turned and stared at the person that flashed by my eyes. Without warning, I flung the charging Death Eaters several feet away and ran out of the room.
"James! Where -"
"It's him." The tone in my voice said everything. "I'm going after him!"
"James! Wait!"
Too late. I was already out of the door and into the corridors. I notified his presence to the other members of the Order by setting the phoenix feather Dumbledore gave me to flames. The other corresponds to it by writing my name on their feathers and my current location. In a way, it is similar to how the Marauder's Map works. Guessing that he is going toward the room where all the equipment for watching the Floo Network is, James took a shortcut and blocked the man's way.
"I didn't expect the famous Dark Lord to show up himself to do the dirty work." My voice was dripping with sarcasm, keeping my eyes steady on my target.
"Well, if it isn't James Potter." Voldemort smirked, the snakelike features twisted into a form of smile. He pointed his wand toward a pile of equipment. "And how are you going to stop me this time?"
"Same as every single time: a wizard duel." I held my wand at the ready, watching him with a hawk-like intensity.
He looked intently at me for a moment, and then burst out laughing. "This will prove to be interesting." He sneered at me, "Let's make a Bet."
"A Bet?" I could hear the capital letter in the phrase. "What are you saying?"
At the moment that my guard was dropped, he waved his wand to trace an inverted star pentagram. All I felt was a searing pain much worse than the Cruciatus Curse. When it was gone, I was on my knees, with every muscle screaming at the tension. I vaguely heard the next words Voldemort said, "In one year, I will try to like you, James. I will try not to kill you, even if you throw yourself in my way. If after a year and I genuinely like you, then you win and I will not eliminate you. If you lose, then you forfeit your life to me."
No longer able to keep my conscious, I fell flat on my face. Then darkness came over me.
"Sweet dreams, James."
-.-End James' POV-.-
James staggered, almost tripping on the sofa. "That means that...those times you let me get away..."
"-it's because I'm keeping the terms of the Bet?" Voldemort finished. "Yes."
"Impossible…"
"Impossible?" Voldemort raised an eyebrow. "Then maybe this would convince you." A short jab from the wand at James' direction revealed the inverted star pentagram on the back of James' hands. Speechless at the sudden appearance of the image, James sat back on the sofa, gaping slightly at the pentagram.
Seeing that the man is unable to move, Voldemort stood up and walked until he's only inches away from James. He stared down at him, unpitying. "Say goodbye, James."
"James? I'm coming down. Harry wants to see you!" Lily's voice floated down on the stunned James, causing him to wake up from his reverie.
"Lily! Don't! Stay up there!" He called out desperately, trying to make himself heard.
Voldemort laughed again. "Useless. Your voice cannot penetrate a silencing charm. You should've known that already."
James raised his wand, only to be caught on the wrist by the Dark Lord. In the corner of his eye, he saw Lily coming down stairs with the baby Harry in tow. Her back facing him, she put the baby in the play pen. "I'll go wake up your father, ok Harry? So wait for a bit." She turned around, about to call out his name. The sound was stuck inside her throat when she saw the scene before her.
"LILY! RUN!"
"Avada Kadavra."
-.- End -.-
J: Where is the Bunny!?
T: What bunny?
J: My Bleach Plotbunny!!
T: Oh, that? 'smirk' I ate it.
J: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Reviews and criticism are much appreciated.
