Disclaimer: Inuyasha and Harry Potter belong to their respective owners which, unfortunately, is not me

We're All Mad

The aroma of cinnamon, vanilla, hazelnut, as well as well as other, less pleasing scents, a good majority of which she did not recognize, permeated the air around her. Despite none of these things being in her direct line of sight from her position gazing outside the hotel window, she could smell all of it with startling clarity.

Dumbledore had transported them there using what she had initially thought was a discarded, fraying, metal cable. He called it a portkey. The strange sensation of being hooked around the middle and being pulled through space was something she doubted she would be able to get used to. She was relieved when they were quickly spit out in the lobby of the inn.

Dumbledore had then paid for a room and allowed her time to remedy her appearance. She'd spent nearly forty five minutes scrubbing the dried mud and blood from her hair and skin. When she finally emerged, garbed in a robe she found in the bathroom, Dumbledore was missing and she found her fighting gi pristine and folded neatly on the bed as though it hadn't barely survived a catastrophic battle. She had quickly changed and curled into the chair beside the window, where she continued to wait.

She pressed the sleeve of her shirt to her nose and took a deep breath. The scents lingering inside the fine threads washed over her, pushing away the cacophony of sounds and smells that surrounded her. In the fine silk threads of the white fabric, the first scent to invade her senses was a spicy cinnamon that she knew belonged to Dumbledore. The individual scent of each person seemed to pass onto their magic whenever they used it but it was the faint aromas that were woven beneath that served as a balm for her taut nerves.

The warm scent of lemongrass and green tea that belonged to Sesshomaru greeted her first, soaking into her skin and wrapping her in a blanket of comfort. Sesshomaru had become her teacher and confidante in the last months leading up to the battle with Naraku. Sesshomaru had been the one to give her the gi as a gift toward the end of her training. He'd pushed her to her limits in drills of hand-to-hand combat, reiki manipulation, and mental endurance. There had been moments where she had wished she'd never met him and other moments where she found herself incredibly grateful to have him in her life. He'd been there whenever she'd been in pain and, in the rare moments when he had enveloped her in his arms, she'd felt safe; something that was a rare and precious find in a world full of hatred, pain, and suffering. Her heart clenched painfully at the thought of him, wondering what had happened to him.

Pushing past those thoughts, she sucked in another breath and smiled as faint wisps of Shippo's, Sango's, and Miroku's scent met her nose. Slow, deep breaths. In and out. A calming mantra that was quickly shattered when another aroma buried deep registered in her mind.

The smell of fresh pine, that used to be so soothing to her was now contaminated with the burning, metallic scent of copper. Panic seized her and she recoiled with a whimper. Her heart pounded harshly against the walls of her ribs, the sound beating on her sensitive eardrums, drowning out the bustling crowd outside the window. She pressed the palms of her hands to her ears and sucked in a heavy breath, attempting to calm her nerves. Air hissed in and out past clenched teeth.

So concentrated on her actions, she didn't notice Dumbledore had entered the room until a heavy hand landed on her shoulder, thin fingers digging into her skin slightly.

Kagome turned dazed eyes up to the old man, slowly becoming aware of her surroundings again. Sparkling blue eyes gazed down on her softly and she turned away in shame. A slow moment of silence passed before he took hold of her elbow and prompted her to get up. She complied and obediently followed him where he lead them through the door, down the stairs, and out of the inn.

"I have a few errands I'll need to run before we board the train," She nodded absentmindedly, focused on the bustling crowd around them. Nearly every person, old and young, wore the same billowing robes that Dumbledore did in a variety of colors.

The differences weren't as glaringly obvious as when she'd first arrived in the feudal era, but she clearly didn't belong. She noticed the curious glances directed toward her. Some murmured quietly amongst themselves, her enhanced hearing easily picking up on the sound, although she could understand only the most basic words. English hadn't been her favorite subject in school.

Kagome hugged the sleeves of her haori to her chest, absorbing whatever comfort they could offer and hurried after the tall old man. Marveling at him as he easily wove through the throng of bodies, she made sure to remain close.

"What kind of errands?" Kagome questioned, casting anxious eyes toward the strange objects visible through the windows of the passing shops.

"I'll need to pick up a few books I had ordered, some food for Fawkes, and I agreed to restock some ingredients for Poppy, the Hogwarts Matron."

"And Fawkes is a pet?" Kagome gasped out when a hurried old woman in dark red robes elbowed her in the ribs as she passed. Dumbledore peered back toward her with concern which she waved off.

"Fawkes is my friend and a phoenix,"

"A phoenix?" Kagome burst with curious energy, blushing when Dumbledore turned laughing eyes on her.

"Yes, a phoenix and oh –" Dumbledore paused before veering off the main road and toward a deserted alley. Kagome grunted, pushing against the natural flow of the crowd to join him. She studied the walls, looking for whatever had drawn his attention. Finding nothing of interest she turned her gaze onto him. He gave her a reassuring smile before seizing both of her wrists in a powerful grip. Startled, Kagome allowed her eyes to fall to his hands.

Dumbledore murmured under his breath, the words hanging in the air, before a burst of fiery pain engulfed her wrists. Kagome shrieked in pain, struggling to break free of the iron grip Dumbledore had on her. A pale orange glow emanated from beneath his hands. It felt as if a scalpel enveloped by an inferno was carving into the sensitive skin of her wrists.

Her knees buckled beneath her weight, all of her limbs suddenly feeling drained and she hit the gravel covered floor. Dumbledore whispered a few more words, lasting only a few more moments before he released her.

Kagome curled her arms gingerly to her chest, whimpering pitifully. She studied the angry red markings that were now seared into her skin. Elegant looping letters embellished with delicate swirls curved around each wrist. She couldn't read it. The language, although it looked familiar wasn't something she understood. Latin maybe?

"I apologize," Dumbledore's voice broke the silence. Her head snapped up to look at him, a growl instinctively bubbling in her throat. He held his hands up in a pacifying manner.

"You will now be able to speak and understand English,"

Kagome forced her muscles to relax and backed away, putting cautionary distance between them. This world's magic wasn't like anything she had ever encountered in the past. It wasn't anything like the purity of her priestess power nor the dangerous swirling wilderness of youki; it was another reminder that she was alone in unfamiliar territory. The pain in her wrists pulsed with the last remnants of magic. Giving the abused skin a final tentative stroke, she lowered her hands to her sides. Dumbledore nodded, eyes trained on her before he turned back toward the street and motioned her to follow once again.

She did, leaving a cushion of distance between them so she would be able to counter any further surprises.

She trailed after him as he moved from shop to shop, each filled with strange people, creatures, and items. Finally they entered an apothecary. It was vacant with the exception of a short, thin clerk standing with his back to them, stocking the shelf behind the counter.

Dumbledore moved toward the man and began discussing his order leaving Kagome to scan the shop. Aisles of shelves lined the store all cramped with vials filled with insects, as well as a variety of plants and liquids both familiar and foreign to her. Curiosity urging her forward, she began wandering the aisles, reading the odd names and applications of the items.

She passed a bottle filled with silvery white crystals labeled antimony; a chemical element she vaguely remembered being discussed by one of her professors. Beside that was another bottle, this one filled with a pale blue substance labeled as Syrup of Hellbore, however it was the next item that made her pause. There were a handful of them in a delicate glass jar. Small pale brown spears jutted up toward her, the lengths curling in gentle spirals.

"Horn of Bicorn?" Kagome read aloud.

"Move," A gruff growl startled her out of her observations. Kagome jumped back, nearly bumping into the shelves behind her. She hadn't noticed anyone entering the shop. She shook her head ruefully; Sesshomaru would be so disappointed in her lack of attention.

The man in front of her towered over her small frame. His pale face was riddled with scars and a chunk of his nose appeared to be missing but his most startling feature was his eyes. One dark eye glared down at her and where the other should have been there was an unnatural bulging electric blue eye that whirled around the room, pausing only momentarily before jumping around again.

Kagome stepped away from the shelf, making room in the cramped aisle. Still glaring down at her, the man nodded toward her and limped past her, snatching a fistful of the spiraled horns in a meaty hand on the way.

Kagome grumbled under her breath, irritated at the man's sour demeanor, and watched as his ragged leather coat whipped around the corner and out of sight. Kagome glanced back down at the label where it listed common potions.

"What's a polyjuice potion?" Kagome wondered.

"What was that?"

Kagome turned and found Dumbledore standing behind her holding a ticket with the store's logo on it; a glass vase filled with purple carnations and a plume of smoke surrounding them. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she smiled up at him.

"You get what you needed?" Kagome asked.

Dumbledore nodded, guiding her toward the exit.

"Yes, now I do believe it's time we made our way home to Hogwarts."

Alright parts of this were a bit rushed. I'll go back through and edit some more but as for right now I'm kinda sick of staring at this chapter. I wanted to get this out months ago. Obviously that didn't happen :( I got stuck on a stupid little detail that didn't even make it into this draft. I'd love to hear any thoughts, suggestions, or critiques. Reviews are deeply appreciated. Thank you to Gooberdee, Kedakumi, as well as the 'Guest' for your encouragement last chapter. And a very special thanks to oOLily of the MoonOo! Your review made me feel pretty awesome and I hope I don't disappoint you. I hope everyone enjoys this new installment! Until next time!