Hello one and all, sorry about the long wait for you all. Between having my muses leave me for a while and a bunch of crap that I had to deal with its been a while since I have even thought about typing. It'll also be a while after this chapter as I will be going to school for the next 18 months and have no idea when I'll get a chance to write again. However, I will do my best to get you as much out as possible ^.^ So please be patient with me.
And now on to the story.
Sarika sighed as she looked at the notes she had before her. It had been a few days since she took her young subordinate shopping and now she was going over several things, one for Uraharra, one for herself and her spy report from another friend. She sighed again, her gaze turning to Ruishi.
Although he was only a mere ten years younger than her, he was still a child by her standards. He was so innocent, and naive. Even for a lower squad member he was so young. Sarika did not want him any more involved than what he was.
She looked over both reports from her friends, memorizing both before burning them. She couldn't change what was written and she couldn't do anything about the information yet; she needed an insider before she could. It would be a while, but she did have someone in mind. Two people actually, and if they did their jobs right, no one would ever know. Sarika grinned then, a grin filled with blood lust and cunning. There was a reason she was the captain of eleventh squad.
Ruishi moaned in his sleep and Sarika turned to look at him with worry. Ruishi should have never followed her, should never been in this position. She hated what she'd have to do to him, but nothing could be left alone now.
She focused on her lessons, there was a lot wrong with the wizarding world, it was sadly so much like her own home and if she was going to fix one, she might as well practice with the other. It would be hours before she turned her thoughts or her mind from her studies.
"Captain?"
Sarika jumped in surprise as her hand reached for her zanpaktou. "Ruishi?" She asked in surprise, wondering why he was awake.
"Have you been studying all night long?" Ruishi asked, this time it was his turn to worry about his captain. It was a normal scene, Ruishi starling Sarika after she pulled an all-nighter.
Sarika looked up at the light flowing into the room, finally realizing that her candle had long gone out and the light that came in was from the sun on the horizon. "Ah, I must have." She stretched before standing and cleaning up her mess and sweeping off the ashes off of her desk.
"Bad news?" Ruishi asked, his eyes catching the act of her trying to dispose of the evidence.
"Not necessarily." Sarika answered, "Mostly about the world we're about to enter." She almost forgot that she trained him and hiding information would not be easy.
"A combination of info then?"
Sarika grinned before reaching for the sake on her desk. "I can't sa~ay" She sung before knocking back the alcoholic drink.
"CAPTAIN!" Ruishi yelled before running to hit Sarika. Thus was their morning routine.
After two or so hours of Ruishi chasing Sarika and yelling out spells, they finally calmed down enough to pack. Well, Ruishi was panting, and had to stop. Sarika just stood watching with a wide grin on her face. Though she didn't say anything, she was proud of how long Ruishi was able to push his body. For being only four months of training, he had gotten far.
"Come now, Ruishi! We have a train to catch!" Sarika yelled darting out the door and leaving Ruishi to pick up the luggage and follow. Somehow they both made it to the train station without incident.
Once they arrived Sarika immediately began to search for the platform, in between sips of sake while Ruishi tried not to yell at his alcoholic Captain. Sarika smiled down at her subordinate and waiting for the screaming to begin.
Oh no, not the screams of the tortured, or the screams of the cursed or anything like that, as much as she would enjoy that. No she was listing for the screams of the children. As she was unsure of where the train would be, even she knew that there were no platforms 9 and ¾ at this train station.
When the large group of red heads appeared at the station and loudly began to question about the platform, Sarika frowned slightly. It disappeared before Ruishi could notice it. However, he did notice the same thing she did.
"Captain isn't the wizarding world supposed to be in hiding?" He asked softly.
"Hai"
"There's also older Hogwarts students in there too, correct?" Ruishi kept his gaze on a blond haired man and his almost twin like son.
"Hai." Sarika repeated her gaze moving to watch an older black woman and her son.
"So then…" Ruishi trailed off as they were noticed by a tall stern looking woman.
"Hai." Sarika spoke softly before taking a calm sip of sake and making her way to the woman. "I'll see you later, Ruishi! Don't do anyone I wouldn't do!" She called back, her earlier solemnness disappearing.
Ruishi blushed a bit, and opened his mouth to retaliate back, but Sarika had left. With a sigh, Ruishi turned to deal with the red headed family. It seemed as though they would be the only people to help him through the gate.
With a confidante air, Ruishi walked to the suspicious family. Though unease laced every step. He stopped in front of them and gave what looked to be the mother a quick, but polite bow. She stared at him in shock.
"Excuse me Ma'am," Ruishi spoke politely, ignoring the look that the red headed woman gave. "Would you happen to know the location of platforms 9 and ¾?"
"O… Of course dearie. You just have to walk through the wall between platforms 9 and ten. If you want Ron can walk through with you, if you're unsure." She told him in a fake sickly sweet tone.
"Iie, ma'am, I'm quite fine with walking through gateways, even if this one is a bit odder than normal." Ruishi replied politely before walking to the gateway and staring at it. With a shrug of his shoulders he walked through it and was on the other side.
The long train that was the Hogwarts express stood proudly above the milling people and well-wishers saying good bye to family and friends. Ruishi shook his head and smoothly made his way onto the train.
Within minutes Ruishi had his own compartment and was comfortably seated with his legs stretched across the compartment. He had his box of pocky sitting next to him and one piece of pocky he was carefully enjoying with a blissful expression.
So deep into his enjoyment, Ruishi didn't her the compartment door open and jumped when a young woman cleared his throat.
Ruishi looked up, then down at the broken pocky that had fallen in his shock. In despair he completely ignored the young woman and the young boy who followed and sobbed over the death of his once beloved pocky.
"Excuse me" The young woman interrupted. "I'm Hermione…"
"You!" Ruishi interrupted, "You! Pocky! You!"
Hermione looked down at the broken pieces of pocky then at Ruishi then back down. "I'm sorry, if I had known you were enjoying Pocky I wouldn't have barged in like that."
"Nani?" For the first time in a long time Ruishi was confused until Hermione brought out her own box of pocky. One glomp later both were sitting on the floor enjoying pocky while the other young boy stood nervously by the door.
"I'm Hermione Granger. This is Neville Longbottom. We were looking for Neville's toad when we came upon you. I was almost afraid I wouldn't be able to find anyone to share my hobby with. Especially after seeing the book store in Diagon Alley. There were absolutely no fiction books. Could you believe it? A book store with no fiction section?"
Ruishi shook his head in horror. "I know, I was there. And did you see the history books? They" Ruishi shuddered, "Were horrible. There wasn't a single manga to be found, none! Nothing British, Japanese, Korean, hell I woulda even went for an American manga! But no! There was nothing! Zip! Zada! Zilch!"
Hermione nodded her head with enthusiasm while Neville edged closer.
"What a…are y… you two talking a…about?" Neville asked.
Ruishi and Hermione shared a look and then proceeded to share with Neville the world of Manga and Pocky. Neville soon found himself with a Pocky addiction, and soon would find himself being a more avid manga fan than either Ruishi or Hermione. He would even go as far as read and walk through the hallways, without bumping into anyone. (A skill that's so much fun to do and so hard to master)
After they had finished introducing Neville to the world of manga fanatics and creating a new fanatic in the processes, the door opened once more to show a red head followed by a blond.
The red head barged into the compartment, shouting "I heard Harry Potter's in this compartment." After his declare and looking around, the red head introduced himself. "I'm Ron Weasly! I wanna be in Gryffindor, like you!"
Ruishi snorted, "Why would I want to be in a house of fools?" He asked.
Ron was taken aback at the abrupt statement, "Huh? Wha? Why?"
"I do not need a house to tell me I'm courageous, as that'll get me killed, therefore I won't be in Gryffindor."
"But your father was a Gryffindor!" Ron exclaimed.
"So you're expecting me to be the carbon copy of a man who's been dead eleven years?" Ruishi asked.
Ron spluttered, his eyes widening and his mouth opening wide, "N...no, that's not what I meant."
"Sure sounds like it, I bet your mom was standing in front the barrier screaming out the wizarding world's existence just to give me a proper glimpse at the wizarding world."
Neville stared at Ron in shock. "Y…your whole family could ha…have gone to a…Azkaban for that! I…if a…anyone saw that not even Ginevera would be e…exempt!"
"What's Azkaban?" Hermione and Ruishi asked.
" I…it's the wi…wizarding prison. Most people g…go i…insane i…in a few months." Neville explained.
Ruishi went pale at the thought, Sarika was very through on the information she gave her subordinates, and one of the things she very heavily went over was the prison and what lived on that prison. Ruishi shuddered, Hollows used to suck the happiness out of people and leave them broken wreaks. It wasn't right.
"I think it's time for you to leave, Ron. And I think you should think on the consequences your family has brought on itself." Ruishi stated emotionlessly, his head bowed and bangs shading his eyes.
The three other people in the compartment stared at the complete change, Ron eventually stuttering a bye and running off in desperation.
Not even two minutes later, Ruishi was happily munching on a pocky stick and happily offering a bite to Hermione and Neville, who could only stare in shock.
Two minutes after that Draco walked into the train, followed by his two bulky body guards. He took one look at Ruishi's standard Shinigami uniform and paled. He stared for a bit before humbly, humbly for a Malfoy at least, handing out his hand.
"Draco, Draco Malfoy. Pleased to meet you…?" He said nothing cocky in his tone.
"Ruishi, former lieutenant of the eleventh squad. Nice to meet you Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy." Ruishi said formerly, yet he had an easy going smile on. "Now that we've meet…" He grabbed Draco's hand and yanked him into a hug then onto the floor despite Draco's protests. "Lets P.A.R.T.Y.!"
And thus Ruishi, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and Draco Malfoy became the most unique group of friends Hogwarts has ever seen.
Authors note Please Read!
I'm sorry this is such a short chapter, I was hoping to get another couple of pages out, but I still have one more story I want to get up before the 28th. Also doesn't help that I'm running out of time and that I'm a bit stuck on Darkened Hero -.- but bear with me, I will get it finished.
Also to clarify some stuff that I know you'll be asking bout- No, Draco has no Idea what Ruishi is. He only knows what has been passed down from generation after generation. Ruishi also has no idea what Draco knows and will do everything possible to figure it out, without losing Draco as a friend. What Draco knows is that he is to show respect to those in that type of uniform. A lot of respect.
Another thing to point out, as iluvaikka asked about. I'm not going to aim for a paring. As I really don't write as per say I let the story take me where it wills. I am however willing to see what my readers are hoping for, though I can't guarantee it. So Yaoi or Het, and with that which characters would you like? I am avoiding traditional parings, as I already see how they will end, Hermione and Ginny will not end up with Ruishi, nor will Voldemort or Severus, in the Yaoi side. I do see Uryu as a very good chance but I may try and steer them away from each other if a majority of you are not fans of Yaoi. But I can't guarantee it. So let me know, and I will try and get a poll up to make it easier, but for now
Yaoi?
Or
Het?
And thank you all who have replied. I don't think I would have looked at this story again if you had not. So much thanks to all my reviewers, your words mean a lot, even if it's only a simple "great job." I'm sure the rest of my readers agreed. And if anyone has any questions about anything please review and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Thanks much,
Sakura OniChi
