Disclaimer: D. Gray-man and Harry Potter and their characters do not belong to myself or Azhwi. They are the property of Hoshino Katsura-san and J. K. Rowling, and all associated thus.

By the same token, this story does not belong to anyone else, and as such, any elements not associated with Harry Potter or D. Gray-man are by proxy mine and my co-writer's to do with as we please. Do not take and reuse, redistribute or warp in any manner. Thank you.

The Depths We Will Go To
Part 1: Harry Potter Had it Easy
Chapter 3: Solving Problems
Fandom: D. Gray-man x Harry Potter
Characters: Kanda, Allen, Albus, Scorpius, James, mentions of others
Summary: They find their Innocence, but no one's leaving just yet...
Warning: Violence, language, shonen ai
Rating: T
Written by: Azhwi and Lost to the Hoping

I take an absence of blame for any injured organs – from laughing, or braining yourself at the stupidity of teenage boys. Proceed with caution. And enjoy.

xXx

Soft voices down the corridor, arguing it seemed like. As Kanda drew nearer, they became more distinct. Albus Potter - or rather, just his head - and a very pale youth holding a lantern.

"-should I know? It's not like they tell me anything," the unnamed youth was grumbling, brow furrowed.

"Alright, alright... Sheesh." Albus huffed. "I was just asking. Seemed like the sort of thing we should know, just in case. After that incident last year-"

Kanda glanced at Walker, but the Moyashi only shrugged. The reference could be to anything.

"Yeah, I know, Albus," the other snarled. "Of course I know!" He abruptly calmed, like flipping a switch. "Sorry, I know you're just worried. I can't keep this up. Ameli keeps lying for me..."

Albus grimaced, and shook his head. "Tell her to knock it off. Or make her forget, you can-"

"No!" the boy yelped, green and black robes fluttering slightly as he took a sudden step toward the Gryffindor. "Hell no, Albus. I can't do that to her!"

At least there was some honour among the snakes, Kanda thought, which was more than what the Gryffindors had said of them.

"Okay, okay," Albus said quickly. "You're right. It was dumb to even think about it. I was just... well, we don't want her taking the heat..."

The other nodded glumly. "I'll think of another way. Anyway... We should move on before anyone comes along. The other prefect from Slytherin will be coming through here in about ten minutes. You need to get back to the Tower."

"Yeah... Scorpius, you'll tell me if you need anything, right?" Albus asked worriedly, eying his friend. "I mean, if there are any troubles or whatever."

Scorpius nodded. "Yeah, I will." He offered Albus a warm smile. "Now go."

"Yeah, yeah, snakey git," Albus joked, and suddenly disappeared. "Good night."

"Night." Waving, Scorpius turned and started walking in Kanda and Allen's direction.

There was a touch at Kanda's elbow, and when he scowled at his partner, Walker pointed up. Kanda shook his head sharply. Walker scowled back. The Japanese man smirked, crossed his arms, and leaned back against the wall, gesturing with his finger to shoo. If Moyashi didn't want to be here, he was welcomed to leave.

When Scorpius was five feet away, Walker sighed and stuck out his tongue at the other exorcist, then leaped up into the dark dusty spaces above them. Kanda just waited.

The youth turned the corner and stopped, eyes locking on Kanda and narrowing. A cool, detached mask had already snapped into place. "What are you doing out in the halls so late, Gryffindor? That'll be five points for being out of bed after curfew."

"Wanted to talk to you," Kanda replied, letting his arms drop down to his sides.

"It can wait until the daytime, when you are allowed to be up. Now go back to bed before I take more points," Scorpius snapped.

Kanda gave the blond boy a flat look. "You wouldn't talk to a Gryffindor in daylight." It wasn't a question. "I'm looking for something. It grants power, but only to the one who wields it. And I'm not the only one who is searching for it. Odd things happen to the wielder and those around him. Dangerous things. And they get worse the longer I go without finding him."

There was silence for so long that he began to think the boy wouldn't answer without more prodding. Finally, though, pale fingers tightened their grip on the handle of the lantern. "Why are you looking for this object? What purpose does it serve for you? If you can't wield it, it's pointless for you to look, isn't it?" he demanded tightly.

Shaking his head, Kanda scowled. "I said I'm looking for it. Not that I want it. I have my own. My purpose it to find, and bring back the wielder and his power. I belong to an organization that teaches those wielders to control the power. And to fight against our enemies that seek to destroy us."

The pale youth seemed even paler in the darkness of their surroundings. "Prove it," he said firmly.

Not here with all the Prefects wandering around. Kanda rolled his eyes. "Fine. Follow me." He headed back towards the Room of Requirements. It was getting a lot of use tonight. "And Moyashi, get down."

The boy's head snapped around when Allen dropped out of the eaves. Those eyes narrowed. "I might have known," he said, eying the other pale-haired male suspiciously.

"Right back at you," Allen said smirking. He folded his arms behind his head and skipped ahead, turning to face his partner. "So... demonstration?"

Kanda grunted. "Obviously." He cut his eyes at Malfoy. "Douse the lamp."

Scorpius nodded and put the lamp out, not reacting to a faint, invisible brush against his back. His heart started to slow, however, in relief. Albus must have realized something was up. "Alright," he said.

A few halls later, with little conversation (Kanda seemed to have used up his word quota of the month), the three teenagers and the invisible one, reached the now familiar door.

Allen reached out, and snagged it open, ushering the other two inside. Scorpius however paused at the threshold, eyes wide. Kanda had already swept through, drawing Mugen and scowling in impatience.

"You wanted proof," he said, gesturing for Malfoy to walk in.

A faint press on his back eventually came, so Scorpius walked slowly forward. Then he backed up against the wall, watching the Japanese boy warily. "So? Demonstrate," he commanded imperiously.

Chortling as he closed the door, Allen grinned. "Round... five?"

Kanda flashed a shark's grin of teeth in reply. And both exorcists intoned, "Invoke!"

There was a sense of satisfaction that thrilled through Kanda's body as Mugen took its true form, blue light shimmering along its length.

"So! What we will be doing is-" Allen swept up his arm to block the incoming jab from Kanda. "BaKanda! I was talking!"

The other exorcist merely rolled his shoulders and stepped back, but Allen could tell Kanda was already feeling much better. This had been their first invocation since enrollment. It had been a while.

"Anyway," Walker continued, "what we'll do is show how Innocence, that's our weapons, work. They are different for everyone. However, they all have something in common. They hurt our enemies called Akuma, but not people. Now... Say, if I hit BaKanda." Allen shot his claws out at his partner, who leaned out of the way. "Hey!"

"Moyashi," Kanda growled. He sheathed Mugen and grabbed Allen's normal arm. "Do this properly." He marched over to Malfoy, dragging Walker with him.

Malfoy stepped back, bumping into the wall, eyes widening almost comically. "Wh-what? What are you-?"

"You're too far away to see," Kanda said as he stood in front of the boy. "Allen, claws up." The younger exorcist sighed and complied. Kanda hooked a finger around one of Allen's armoured digits. "Look."

Grey eyes lowered to focus on the strange white-plated hand, and narrowed. "What is it?"

"Innocence." Kanda let go. "Now stab," he told Walker. "And this doesn't count as a hit."

Scorpius' eyes widened, but he relaxed when the other boy moved to hit Kanda, and not himself.

The claws surged forward, sinking to the last knuckles straight into Kanda's chest. The Japanese man barely twitched. There was no blood, only a faint green fire that flickered at the joining of weapon and torso.

Allen left it in for a second, wriggling his fingers for a moment, before he slid the weapon back out. "Mine is a parasite type; it's part of me," Allen explained. "That's why I eat so much."

Kanda motioned at Malfoy. "Hand."

Scorpius paled. "What?"

The taller male sighed. He drew his weapon and held it sharp edge up between him and the boy. With his free hand, he swept his palm along the edge, letting the blade bite into his flesh. He showed his unmarked skin to the blond. He kept the sword up between them.

A brush against his arm, that was probably meant to be reassuring, brought him out of a horrified stupor. Slowly, he lifted his hand and held it out, eyes wide and face devoid of blood. Still, he was pretty sure Albus would be proud of him.

Kanda could have been more impressed. He had meant the boy to copy his motions, to test the Mugen's edge, but... With a twist of his wrist, he sliced through Malfoy's hand, squarely through the palm.

Beside him, Allen sighed and facepalmed.

Scorpius blinked and looked at his hand. No injury. "Wow," was all he could say for a moment. Finally, though, he looked between the two other boys, brow furrowing. "I... just... one more thing... You said that someone else was looking for this stuff too?"

"Akuma, led by beings called the Noah. Their leader, the Millenium Earl, creates Akuma, demons using human souls." Allen's voice was a cross between aching pity and fury. "He tricks grieving people, good people, into a trap made of their own bodies. And they rise as Akuma and follow his orders. To seek and destroy life and the one thing that can harm them: Innocence."

The Slytherin boy stared down as his unmarred hand thoughtfully before he finally brought up the other one. The one that, somehow, he always kept lowered. He curled the fingers of that hand into a fist and turned it over, back facing up so they could see the knuckles.

On his middle finger was a ring, pale silver and fashioned with dragons on the surface. And on the top of that ring was a small clear gem. "Is this it?" he murmured.

Kanda shrugged as Allen leaned close to peer down at it. "Why do you think it is?" the Japanese male asked.

"So you can't just tell?" Scorpius asked shrewdly. Interesting. "I've used it before. Last year, this... thing came and attacked my sister while she was in Hogsmeade. I used it then to escape. After that... I don't know what happened to it," he admitted. "It disappeared, I guess."

Though that wasn't exactly the truth. He knew exactly what had happened to the thing, but he wasn't quite ready to reveal his own partner. That was his ace in the hole, should these men be the enemy after all.

"It's easier to tell when it's invoked," Allen said readily. The incident with Miranda sprang to mind and he amended, "And depending on the Innocence, not even then."

The Akuma disappeared? Kanda frowned. "Or it was destroyed," he mused. A passing exorcist? "What did your ring do?"

The Malfoy hesitated, pulling his hand close to his body again. "Glowed a lot," he said slowly, eying them both. "Then..." He trailed off again, reluctant, but forged ahead. "It... created some sort of... bubble, I guess. I think the uh... Akuma? I think it couldn't find me anymore, or something, because it stopped coming after me. I was able to get away with my sister."

The two exorcists traded glances and took a few steps back. "Can you invoke it now?" Allen asked.

"... I guess," Malfoy muttered, and lifted his hand again. He peered down at the ring for a moment, before mumbling something. And then he was gone.

Allen leaned over to Kanda, his eyes still trained on the spot where Malfoy had been. "That could be very useful."

His partner nodded. "More so because he can hide more than just himself." And a normal person too. Kanda frowned. "Are you moving, Malfoy?"

No answer, no response, nothing. However, after a moment, Malfoy reappeared, about five feet to their left. "You said something? I couldn't hear you. What did you say?"

Kanda shook his head. "No audio communication. Either way."

"But he can still read or receive visual signals," Allen pointed out. He turned to Malfoy, "He just asked if you were moving. One to test if we could hear you, two to see if you could and if you were then detectable. That's a very useful Innocence!"

"Uh, thanks," Scorpius muttered. "Is that all? I'm kind of tired, now..." And he looked it. Tired and worn.

Allen grimaced. "Yeah, it takes a while to get used to it. That's why the training is so important. So you can use it when you really need it. Here," he dug around in a pocket and brought out a handful of candies. "Any food is good."

There was a grunt from Kanda. "Will you be able to finish your rounds, Prefect?"

Scorpius straightened, taking the food and lifting his chin. "Of course. I'm a Malfoy." Then he grimaced. "Not that that says much these days. Well, I'll be fine." Albus was definitely going to haunt him until he went to bed now.

The two exorcists looked at each other. Neither had a family to take pride in. Though... "No," Allen smiled. "You're a Malfoy and an exorcist." He deactivated his weapon in a flash of light as Kanda sent Mugen back to sleep in its saya. "So, of course you'll finish your duty."

Kanda shot Allen an impatient look. "Stop blabbering." The tall male nodded once to Malfoy. "Good night."

The blond smiled at them and turned, going to the door and opening it only to pause. He glanced back at them. "Thanks," he muttered, and hurried out.

"Sweet dreams!" Allen's voice drifted to him as the door closed.

Kanda scowled.

"So... was it just me, or... was someone else here that entire time?" Allen asked, brows lifting thoughtfully.

His partner grumbled. "A pause coming in, hesitation going out. Noise when there shouldn't have been." He hated working with an audience. Especially one that had as many tricks up his sleeve as Albus Potter.

Allen heaved a sigh. "I guess it couldn't be helped, though. Malfoy obviously trusts him, and he didn't mention him. He probably felt safer with the other boy around." He shook his head.

"That's not going to help when he has to leave," Kanda muttered heading towards the door.

"And that will take some convincing," Allen agreed, following. "Not just because of his friend, but his sister too. Man, he would like that ice queen." He frowned. "Hey Kanda, there's just something that bothers me, though..."

"The disappearing Akuma?"

Allen nodded. "Yeah, exactly. Maybe I should contact Komui, ask him if he knows of any exorcists that were in the area around that time..."

Pausing by the door, Kanda frowned as he looked back. "I'll do it. You're pathetic when you miss a meal."

"If I wasn't already prepared to go eat, I'd beat you up again," Allen said halfheartedly, and headed out the door. "Jerk."

xXx

Kanda didn't bother sleeping the rest of that night. Instead, he snuck out the castle, settling himself down by the pilings of the dock.

The brief call with Komui was enlightening, and not.

Yes, there had been a report of an Akuma last year in the summer. No, there had not been an exorcist present. Yes, the Akuma has either been destroyed or withdrawn as no, there had been no rash of deaths in Hogsmeade.

"It's good that you found another exorcist," Komui congratulated Kanda.

"But?"

Komui almost sounded apologetic. "The finders believe that there may be a second Innocence there."

"What?!"

xXx

"You're smiling more than usual."

The smile faded as Scorpius gave his younger sibling a guilty look. "Sorry."

She scowled at him and propped her hands on her hips, and proceeded to scold him about what he should and shouldn't apologize for. And was still glowering moodily at him as they made their way up to breakfast. His eye met Albus' across the cafeteria, and he sneered at the other boy. Albus sniffed and made a face like scenting something rotten before visibly dismissing him.

The Potter-Malfoy rivalry was infamous, after all.

"Oh, it's the mudblood," Ameli sniffed as they sat down across from Allen, Crabbe, and Goyle. "And as usual, you're being completely messy."

Strangely, Allen didn't even look up as he polished off yet another plate and stacked it carefully on top of the growing pile.

Scorpius sighed and poked at his food as Ameli made a few more attempts to engage Allen. When it became obvious that it wasn't going to work, though, she huffed and gave up, redirecting her attention to her brother. "You should eat, Scorpius."

"Huh? I am eating," Scorpius said, blinking at her.

"No, you're systematically disassembling your toast," she retorted.

He looked down at his plate to find that she was right; the toast was barely in chunks, it was so battered. "Ah."

A plate full of eggs, bacon, gravy, and biscuits was shoved under his nose. Allen smiled from across the table. "You should eat."

Scorpius gave him a cold look before sniffing and at least pretending to eat. Ameli took the opportunity for what it was. "What are you doing? You don't know if he's poisoned that!" she hissed at her brother venomously.

I really doubt it, Scorpius thought, frowning at her. "Would you like to taste test it for me, if you're so worried?"

She bristled. "What? No! Gross! I'm on a diet anyway!" She sneered at Allen.

The white-haired boy merely blinked at her. "Students poison each other in this school? How rude." He went back to eating with no lack of enthusiasm.

"Urg! You're so gross!" she yelped, and shuddered.

Scorpius sighed and got up. "I have business to attend to," he muttered, climbing off the bench. He waved a hand in a royal-esque manner when Crabbe and Goyle stiffened. "As you were."

The table watched as Malfoy left the hall. Even Allen. "I don't think you should have said that," he told Ameli. "He might have stayed to eat more."

"He always eats; he's probably headed toward the kitchens so he doesn't have to deal with mudbloods," she retorted, sticking her nose in the air. And she too got up, only to move to the other end of the table to chat with some other Slytherin girls.

Shrugging, Allen was about to turn back to his breakfast when he saw his partner storm into the hall. Oooh, this doesn't look good.

Kanda's expression was somewhere between a black thundercloud and psychotic slasher. Students tumbled out of his way and when he finally sat down, the rest of the table cleared out.

Hell, even Albus Potter looked reluctant to go near the older boy, though he hardly seemed intimidated. In fact, he was the only student that remained within six seats of Kanda. It may have helped that he was technically out of reach.

Silence fell for five whole minutes before the boy decided to break it. "You look ticked. Stub your toe?" he asked, feigning great boredom.

Twitch. A few students shifted even further away. Kanda's signals were now part of the Gryffindor's common language. You learned them, or you suffered.

Kanda snatched up a roll and tore it open. Then he picked up another and repeated his actions. Not one word crossed his lips. English ones anyway. There was, however, a solid litany of Japanese words dropped like razor blades from his mouth.

"Cat got your tongue?" Potter continued mockingly.

By now, Kanda had denuded the entire table of untouched breakfast rolls. He acknowledged Albus' droning with a flick of his eyes and picked up a tea pot. For a moment, he sat there, glaring down at the hot vessel cradled in his hands. His bare hands.

Albus' brow furrowed, the faintly present grin fading in the face of curious confusion. However, his attention shifted after only a moment. "Adam, stay away from the ticking time bomb."

The little boy, whom had inched closer behind Kanda, paused. "But..." He frowned. "Are you okay?" Adam asked worriedly.

Setting the pot back down on the table, Kanda let out a long sigh. "Duty," he muttered. "Fuck." Turning dark eyes towards Adam, he said, "I'm fine." One pink hand reached out and picked up the tea again, pouring a cup. "Just need to meditate." Kanda took the tea cup and pot with him as he left the hall.

Adam pouted after him, and turned toward Hugo when the older Weasley ruffled his hair. "Don't worry, squirt. Kanda'll be alright, right, Albus?"

The Potter grinned. "Definitely! No way someone that unpleasant would be otherwise."

Adam scowled at him. "Don't make fun of him! I'm sure he's just upset about something!" he said, and threw a bit of decimated roll at his cousin.

Far across the hall, Allen watched thoughtfully. If Komui had ordered Kanda to leave with Malfoy, then the exorcist would have been happy, not psychotic. He popped a sausage into his mouth and chewed slowly. So what had BaKanda in such a mood?

xXx

The common room was unusually subdued when James and Hugo walked in. It was crowded as usual, but the noise level was far from its normal strength.

"What's going on?" James asked as he sat down next to Albus. Hugo took a nearby armchair and leaned forward to listen in.

Albus looked up from his homework and shrugged. "The Grouch is being especially grouchy today, so Adam did the doe eye thing and got everyone to quiet down while he 'meditates'," he replied, and stifled a yawn.

He really should have gone to bed earlier last night... he'd barely gotten three hours sleep, between watching over Scorpius on his rounds, and then checking to make sure that worked still... "Anyway," he said over the end of the yawn. "Where've you two been?"

"Talking to Fred about Quidditch," the older Potter said grimly. "We need Kanda."

Albus gave the Seeker a luke-warm glare. "Why?" he demanded. "You don't even know if he can play."

"Better than the alternative," Hugo piped up. "Besides, he's a good flier. He was tested the first week, remember? Took to it like a natural. And his arm- well, after that lake scuffle, nobody would blink at the thought of him becoming a Beater. Face it, we lost Ted; Kanda's our only hope!"

"I know he doesn't look like a team player," James acknowledged the snort from his brother and the other listeners, "but I have to at least get him to the tryouts. Maybe he'll appreciate the stress relief."

"Well he definitely needs that," Albus said thoughtfully, and sighed. "Well, alright, but you should probably wait to pester him about it until after he's done 'meditating'."

Smirking, James looked towards the dorms. "Probably. But I gotta get stuff from my room anyway."

"Blackmail?" the younger male asked, grinning.

Hugo groaned. "Oh no," he muttered.

"We'll see," James replied, standing up and padding to the stairs and up. Pausing at their dorm door, he knocked. "Kanda?"

The door jerked open and a pair of brown eyes glared up at him. "Ssshhh! He's meditating!" Adam whispered.

Before James could argue-it was his room too!-Kanda spoke up. "Weasley."

Adam gave James another glare before reluctantly opening the door and stepping aside for his cousin to enter.

Chuckling, James ruffled Adam's light hair before walking in. "You have him well trained, O Kanda-sama."

Over the weeks of sleeping in the same room, the two older teens had reached an understanding. James wouldn't ask Kanda about his late night excursions and Kanda would give James a decent chance in every conversation. It gave James some leeway in teasing and Kanda room to relax without questions.

The Japanese male who was sitting lotus style and eyes closed on his bed snorted.

"Right." Potter strode over to his bed and collapsed on it, staring up at the ceiling. "So? Want to talk about it?"

Adam sniffed and plopped down on the chest at the end of James' bed (Kanda had already informed him that sitting on his would not be tolerated). And then eyed James suspiciously.

"No," was the short and predictable reply.

James smiled. "Do you need to talk about it?"

There was a silent beat. "Unlikely."

"But?"

That one question was so similar to Kanda's conversation with the Chief, that he growled. "I'll be staying longer than expected."

Over on his bed, James sat up, frowning. Staying? "You were going to transfer out again." No wonder he didn't show any interest in Quidditch.

Adam shot Kanda a wide-eyed, hurt look, but kept his mouth shut. He knew that as soon as they remembered he was here, they'd probably kick him out.

Above closed eyes, Kanda's dark brows knitted together. "That was the plan. Yes."

"And now?"

Several weeks, hunting down one Innocence. A freak chance that Walker had caught on to the one boy who was their target. Not a single whisper of a second Innocence. It was hard enough chasing down the various leads, ending in a 'simple' magical explanation, but McGonagall expected them to behave and fill the role of a model student in her school. Meaning that in the oncoming months, this idiotic sham of being a studious drone would have to be real.

Granted now, Malfoy would be an ally in all of this, but he had his own responsibilities. And that damn headmistress would not allow them to disrupt her bubble of a castle simply because they needed two soldiers from her students to assist in a war where exorcists and finders alike were dying every day.

Not only were he and Walker, two competent fighters, mired in this idiocy, but they were not able to pull Malfoy out like he had planned to. No, now four possible fighters were trapped here until the fourth was found.

Which did not even include the time it would take to convince two wizards to abandon home, school, family, and culture, to join in the war.

"It could be months," Kanda ground out, finally opening his eyes to glare at his roommate. Meditation was shot to shit anyway.

James was watching Kanda carefully. "You really don't like it here."

"What I like is irrelevant," the exorcist snapped back. Only my orders.

But James was shaking his head. "Is it the classes? The people?"

The people he could and did deal with. The fucking homework though... "Fine, it's the classes."

The other teen leaned forward, a calculating gleam entering his green eyes. "What if I could find a way for you to drop several of them? Free up some hours?"

Kanda's eyebrows shot up. "You."

"Me."

"How?"

"Quidditch."

Scowling, Kanda growled. "Not that again."

"Think about it," James cajoled. "Take up practice, claim you're going for pro, and you can drop two, maybe three, classes. Most of those who need to know already saw your testing at the beginning of the month. You're a natural on the broom with quick reflexes and a strong arm." And we can hope that you're around long enough for the finales or that by the time where ever you came from calls you back, it won't be worth returning so close to the end of the term.

But he could see the way Kanda was considering his words by the way those dark eyes were lowered in thought.

"You also get some leeway with handing in assignments a day or so late."

Kanda snapped his gaze back up to James. Heavy handed negotiations yes, but Potter's argument had a potential to solve some of his problems if not all. "Maybe," he allowed.

For his unenthusiastic response, Kanda received a brilliant smile in return. "That's better than 'no'," James said, satisfied.

"Not a yes."

James nodded, acquiescing. "But you'll think about it."

"Maybe."

xXx

God. These two are so fucking cute, I SWEAR. Ahhahahaha. You know, actually, Az does ALL of the writing for James and Kanda, and you have to hand it to her- they're both awesome in this, aren't they?

(I'm such a fangirl. XD)

Anyway, review please!