First off, sorry for how long this has taken to post. Health and housing related changes meant free time to write and post has been lacking - large parts of this story have been written on public transport and between various meetings so far, which has affected the flow quite badly. It took me a long time to stop it feeling like this chapter has been written in small chunks.

Secondly I have been loving a tumbler called 'the setup wizard' which I recommend to you all. There are some jokes which only appeal to people who work with IT, enjoy computer games and sci fi, but in general it's pretty accessible to anyone who is at least a mild Harry Potter fan. I shared it with a couple of people in my office, but sadly the American English was a bit of a barrier for quite a few jokes for them.

Thirdly, as stated earlier my health isn't great and I've had some housing issues so I really can't estimate when I'll next have a chance to update. My health is currently deteriorating enough to start looking at the options for suspension from working to recover, but I can't really afford to do that again. Ah well, it'll work out somehow and at least my current boss is aware that I'm not faking it when I say I can't leave my house for a few days. Screw career progression and success, I'll take just being able to get up each morning and leave my house!

Finally the warnings: This chapter contains fairly explicit mentions of PTSD and drinking to excess. Statements about participating in one night stands (nothing graphic, but explicit statements about it occurring). A few statements taken from one of my friend's vegan rants and, depending on how you view it, racism or speciesism. I feel I kind of should apologise for how I am writing Albus, I love him as a character and feel he is making some horrible decisions that have to be made despite how much they cost him and those around him. He can see the use for having Dante on side, but doesn't know how to do it and has no idea how much trust he can place in him. There is also, finally, an explanation for why Trish is avoiding Nina and not as close to Dante as she used to be, but this involves intolerance towards certain groups of people.


"Did you have a good day?" Trish asked as she closed the shop doors behind her. Lady was curled up in one of Dante's old coats on the sofa, whilst reading through various books spread around her. It wasn't an unusual occurrence, the heating in Devil May Cry was notorious for failing at random times and Dante was too much of a cheapskate to get it fixed. The human occupants tended to feel the lower temperatures far more than the other members of the group and had taken to wrapping themselves up in the large collection of coats stored in Dante's cupboards.

"It was nice to see them both," Lady replied as she flipped open another book. "Dante asked me to look up a few things for him."

"So I see," Trish said as she shuffled over some of the hardbacks to sit on the opposite sofa. She glanced at the research books and noticed they were opened on pages about stones and gems. "What is a bezoar?"

"Apparently it's a stone which can protect you from any poison. They're found in goats, though I have no idea why." Lady didn't glance up from her current book. "But I don't think that's the stone Dante was talking about."

"Dante asked you to look up information about magic stones?" Trish asked as her interest was piqued. She picked up another book and started reading aloud. "'Adder stones protect against various illnesses and ill intent, whilst granting the user the ability to see through disguises.' Does Dante need protection from something?"

"No, he was given a stone to look after temporarily and wants to find out what it was. He said it was red and glass like, gave off a sense of power, but he was sure it wasn't demonic in origin. If you hadn't decided to hide today we might have some more information to search with." Lady looked up over the top of the book to see the blond demon flinch slightly at the accusation. "I've ignored your avoidance of Nina so far, but I deserve an explanation. When it was me and Dante visiting her I could put up with you running away, but I can't keep doing it alone without a good reason."

Trish dropped her gaze to the table. "Let me open a bottle of wine for us first."


"Patty and Nina are harmless," Lady complained as she sipped at her glass. "We're helping them so why would they try and bind you or Dante?"

"They're Lowells. It's what they do," Trish hissed back. She'd downed her first glass of wine swiftly and was partially through her second, having attempted to explain her distrust to Lady. It had been unlikely the human hunter would understand her reticence. Dante had been hard enough to talk to about Patty, but the half demon shared her uncertainty of Nina. The Lowell family were demon hunters, maybe some of the nicer ones and potentially willing to treat demons under their control with respect, but that did not set Trish at ease. After discovering Nina's true identity Trish and Dante had both felt the urge to flee, but Dante's bond with Patty overruled his immediate fear and he remained in the shop. Trish had maintained her distance until Nina's hospitalisation, joining in with jobs outside the city limits and a couple of phone calls with Dante to try and persuade him Patty wasn't worth the risk.

"It may be what the family used to do, but Patty's been living with Dante so I doubt she'd even consider the idea of trying to control either of you." Lady's mind brought up the image of Dante replacing the collar around his neck again and she picked up her glass to disguise the small shudder at the memory. She had been planning to mention it to Trish, but it would have to wait until she didn't think the blond would try to commit murder to free Dante. "Nina is in no position to train Patty how to bind demons and she certainly can't do it herself whilst in the hospital." 'Unless she could get help from someone and I've already smuggled in several items for her that she claimed were used for demonic protection. For all I know she could use those things, and anything she asked Dante for, to try and control a demon. Unless she was planning to target Dante, I expect she'd tell me her plans though. She knows enough about me to request my help.'

"They may both be unable to right now, but that won't always be the case. Patty will learn and take guidance from her mother. No amount of trust and help from Dante is going to change the fact that Patty and Nina are Lowells who actively research demons and how to control them." Trish drained the wine glass and reached for the bottle to pour herself a third. "If Dante or I gave you a reason to, you would kill us. We all understand that and we've been honest with you about some of the less than human aspects of our psyche." Trish paused as she sipped her new glass. Lady recalled several conversations which had made her remember what her co-workers really were. It was easy to forget until something brought the reality of working with the demons back into focus. The preternatural reflexes and senses were regularly on display whilst they were working and no longer held any fascination, (jealousy yes, but not the amazement she had experienced when first seeing them in action) but it was the events when they weren't working which reminded her the most.

Dante's eyes shifting when he got emotional.

Trish's descriptions of 'playing' with some of the people she had taken home in the past for one night stands.

Both of their cravings for violence and destruction.

Lady pulled the coat tighter as Trish's look turned predatory for a moment before returning to her usual smile. She had seen that look directed towards people in the bar and always turned the other way when Trish approached them. Dante had referred to the activity as hunting and advised Lady not to get in the way if she noticed it happening in the future, he would deal with Trish if she took the hunt too far.

"You knew I was a demon hunter when you approached me. We even fought each other. Why would you trust me and not Patty?" Lady let go of the coat with one hand as she reached for her wine glass again.

"We do the same job. I didn't trust you at first, but when I saw the way you and Dante spoke to each other I realised we would be able to work together. You have sworn to defend humanity from devils who wish them harm, the same as me. We both kill those devils out of our own free will."

"The Lowells are doing the same thing, and from everything Nina has told me she follows that family tradition. She-" Trish cut her off.

"We use our guns and other weapons to kill them. The Lowells use magic and demons they have already forced to serve them. To you, I am a fellow hunter. To them, I am a weapon." Trish held Lady's gaze. "That is why I don't trust them." Lady blinked and tried to focus her thoughts. It still felt illogical and she wanted to grab Trish and shake her until she agreed to have a conversation with Nina. However the blond haired demon was definitely disturbed by the situation and thinking back over the interactions between Dante and Nina it had seemed the half demon was at least uncomfortable. He had joked about it when Lady had asked him, but the comment about demons and alchemists not being friends no longer seemed as funny.

"Dante doesn't trust them either, does he?" Lady asked quietly. The answer felt important, like something which could change her future and who was in it. Trish looked down at the table as if she was considering what answer she should give.

"Dante loves Patty. He trusts her completely. But Nina," Trish drained her wine glass. "He doesn't trust her at all. When we found out who she was we wanted to run away. Dante only stayed for Patty. We spoke about the risks and Dante believes they are worth it for Patty. I think Dante is worth staying in the city for, but it doesn't mean I agree with his decision. I fear this disagreement has lost the friendship we used to have. We've been distant ever since he decided to stay." Lady noticed the tears begin to form at the corners of Trish's eyes and tried to think of something to say to cheer up the demoness. 'Even devils may cry at the fear of having lost someone they love.'

"I'm sure Dante's just being a jerk because he thinks you were insulting Patty. You know how he gets when people are rude about her. He's going to turn into one of those dads who scare off all their daughter's boyfriends because he doesn't believe they're good enough for his perfect little darling." Lady smiled as Trish chuckled, probably at the mental image of Dante interrogating a teenager about his intentions with Patty. Trish stood up and reached for the glasses and wine bottle.

"I'll make us some coffee and help you look for this stone."


"It says here that there is one in existence," Trish commented. "Dante would have noticed more than a bit of power from it though. Something capable of producing the elixir of life has to be really powerful."

"He said it didn't react to him at first but seemed to align to his power. I think this stone might do that." Lady looked down at the books they had open. Several pages detailed the myths surrounding the philosopher's stone and its uses. Some reports claimed it could do everything from create life to transform anything into precious metals. One book mentioned the creation of such a stone required human souls to provide the immense energy the stone contained.

"I still think Dante would have sensed the power it contains more. This stone is meant to be the most powerful gem in existence. Why aren't there people fighting over it and demons trying to steal it? It doesn't make sense."

"People can't have known it was there," Lady said quietly as her eyes covered the section on human sacrifice which one book had suggested was a method to create the stone. 'How many people were killed in the pursuit of this thing?! It's horrific! How can anyone desire to live after killing so many people to make it?'

"You need to go to bed. We have a job in the morning and I can't do this one alone," Trish stood up and indicated Lady should leave the books alone now. Sleep was required.


"I'm sorry we haven't had many chances to talk since you arrived." Albus opened the drawer in his desk to offer Dante a lemon drop. "I understand you are getting used to your surroundings and many of the teachers found the sword lesson you gave very informative."

"Thanks," Dante replied as he accepted a lemon drop. He leaned back in the chair and glanced around the office in what he hoped was a bored manner.

'It's in his desk,' Vergil's voice said in his head.

'Are you planning to get me to steal it?' Dante replied as he clicked the lemon drop against his teeth.

'Not currently.'

"Is there anything else you require?" Albus asked as he glanced over his spectacles at Dante.

"Not currently," Dante kept the smile to himself as he copied his brother's words. "The house elves have been very helpful in making sure me and Patty have anything we need."

"They are very helpful creatures. I am always impressed by their dedication to their work." Albus smiled and lifted his cup of tea to his lips. "However they did tell me that you had caused some property damage. I assume this is not something you intend to make a habit of."

"It's a bit late to stop that." Dante smirked and lifted his feet onto the desk as he leaned back in the chair. "Surely the American Congress told you about my inability to preserve personal property."

"They mentioned your destructive nature whilst working. However I do not expect you to break this castle's walls or fixtures without a valid reason." Albus allowed his eyes to narrow as he regarded the relaxed half-demon still sucking on a sweet.

'You have always been a vandal, Dante,' Vergil's voice sounded amused and Dante tried not to grin.

'It was an accident. You were always the pyromaniac. I still remember you setting fire to mom's clothes when we were little.'

'That dress was hideous. I didn't want to be seen in public with mom whilst she was wearing it. You, however, always broke things out of frustration.'

'You always have a reason. Every action is thoroughly planned.'

"I will try to not do it again," Dante replied as he bit through the remains of the lemon drop.

"You are welcome to damage things whilst using the room of requirement, but please do not allow staff or students to witness you doing so." Albus sighed as he replaced his now empty tea cup in its saucer.

"Room of requirement?"

"The room on the seventh floor, where I assume you were sparing earlier this week. You can continue to use it during term time, but must be more discreet whilst leaving. The state of your clothing made it very clear you were involved in a fight of some kind."

'No one saw me that day. I'm sure of it.'

'He's spying on you, brother. He doesn't trust you.'

"The paintings are fairly unobservant, but please do be more careful in future. I would prefer it if you did not attract the attention of the Ministry. They are not known for their tolerance." Albus noted Dante's posture change at the accusation of fighting. The half demon had clearly believed himself to be alone and unseen that morning. It meant that his surveillance using the ghosts and paintings, so far, had been unnoticed, which was a relief. He had expected Dante to have realised he was being watched and reported on, but as soon as he confirmed it everything about Dante seemed to tense as if preparing to fight. Interesting.

"I'll take a change of clothes with me in future," Dante muttered as he forced himself to relax again.

"That would be sensible." Albus smiled as he noticed Dante's gaze had shifted to the portraits on the wall behind him. It was clear the paintings around the castle would be treated with suspicion from now on. The ability to spy on Dante would be reduced, but it would decrease the chances of any demonic abilities being revealed, or at least Albus hoped it would. He still had the ghosts which seemed to be able to trail Dante without alerting the half demon to their presence. Minerva had been the one to suggest it after her tour, mentioning Dante had been unable to smell Professor Binns and their lack of footsteps would probably make them an ideal method to monitor him. Peeves had thought it sounded an amusing game, and would hopefully be kept entertained by it for several more months, whilst the other ghosts agreed to watch and report anything unusual about the new 'muggle' member of staff.

"How is Patty?"

"She is happy and enjoying helping Pomona in the greenhouses." Dante allowed a genuine smile to grace his lips. Patty was thrilled with her current role of chief greenhouse helper and had confided in Dante that she wanted to be sorted into Hufflepuff so she could be in Pomona's house. Dante had told her that he was sure she could still help in the greenhouses, irrespective of the house she was placed in.

"That's very good. Pomona told me she was very happy with Patty's help so far. How is her mother doing?" Albus noticed his tea cup had refilled and lifted it to start sipping the hot liquid.

"Not very well," Dante's smile disappeared. "She is happy for Patty, of course, but her health is not good and I suspect she will remain in the hospital for a while yet."

"I could have her moved to St Mungo's. They may be able to help her in ways the muggle doctors can't."

"That isn't my decision to make, and you know that, so why are you offering?"

"You are Patty's guardian whilst her mother is unable to make decisions for her. Within the current situation I believe you are the closest thing to a legal guardian of the Lowell family. I find it ironic that in the wizarding community your kind are considered to have fewer legal rights than the house elves, but you are currently able to make important decisions on behalf of wizards."

"Your society could learn a few things from the muggles. They at least abolished slavery." Dante grit his teeth in annoyance. His options of Albus's enemy or collared slave were both so enticing.

'He plans to use you,' Vergil's voice said plainly.

'I can tell. His entire society would have me in chains.'

'Wizards are disgusting creatures. They are the worst kind of humans.' Vergil's revulsion was clear even in his mental voice and Dante found himself agreeing with the sentiment behind the words. Wizarding society was not endearing itself to him and the possibility of being a resident within this group for the next seven years was already feeling like torture.

"How is the muggle treatment of animals for food, work, research and entertainment any better than ours? The only difference I can see is that the muggles view you as one of their own, whilst we consider you as a worker." Albus smiled slightly over his tea cup.

"Animals have rights in the muggle world to do with how they are kept and treated. They may not be fair, or upheld very successfully, but I expect they are a damn sight better than the rights I have in your society." Dante glared at Albus and felt Vergil's mental agreement with him. It was nice to know Vergil would back him up on this argument if he needed it. How useful that support would be was questionable, but appreciated nonetheless.

"Whilst your heritage remains a secret I will treat you in accordance with the rules for employing a muggle in a wizarding business. If you are discovered I will have to treat you in accordance with the relevant laws, but I doubt we will need to look into that option."

'He likes threatening you,' Vergil commented. 'I think he's terrified.'

'I agree, brother. He's petrified of me, like the rest of the staff who know what I am seem to be.'

"Is there anything else?" Dante asked as he swung his feet back on to the floor.

"No. You are free to go."

"Thanks." Dante swiftly left the room in a swirl of red, slamming the door behind him.

Albus allowed his cup to rattle in its saucer as he put his head in his hands. He had wanted to set Dante at ease and gain his trust, but he'd clearly messed it up again. The half demon was powerful and, if treated correctly, a major asset. However he had resorted to obvious threats to ensure Dante's cooperation in hiding his heritage.

"You need to treat him as an equal," one of the paintings on the wall behind him suggested.

"No! He's a demon! He must be collared and controlled!"

"Bind him!"

"Throw him out the school! Demons can not be trusted!"

The paintings argued around Albus's office and the current headmaster shut his eyes in an attempt to block them out. This old bigotry was going to get him nowhere. The first painting had been correct. He needed to stop this open distrust of Dante and show the half demon he was welcome. If he was successful the rest of the staff would, hopefully, fall in line and make their 'muggle' colleague an accepted member of the team.

"Fawkes. I need you to send this message to Rubeus."


The knocking on the door was insistent and Dante pushed himself off the sofa to make it go away. He had only returned from the headmaster's office a few minutes ago and had been contemplating calling Flora to ask for a pint. The cupboard had been emptied so he had to request any alcohol he wanted rather than helping himself. Probably an idea from Patty to dissuade Dante from attempting to get drunk again. Dante suspected the conversation had included the phrase 'for his own good'.

"I was hoping you'd be able to give me a hand," Rubeus said with a smile as Dante opened the door.

"With what?" Dante asked, already reaching for his coat on the hook by the door.

"Moving Fluffy."


"Albus wants Fluffy to guard the stone," Rubeus explained as they walked towards the makeshift kennel. "He's putting a few barriers in place to protect it. I'm not sure what the other ones are, but he's asked for Fluffy to be made into a guard dog."

"All of this for a piece of jewellery," Dante replied with a laugh.

"It does seem too much," Rubeus agreed. "He'd only really need Fluffy."

"Fluffy wouldn't protect it from us," Dante pointed out as Rubeus pushed open the doors.

"Yeah, but we wouldn't steal it."

'You're far too trusting, Rubeus. I'd definitely steal it if I thought it was worth it.'

Fluffy tried to bound over to them as he recognised the two men.

"Hello, Fluffy, have you missed your mummy?" Rubeus asked as he stroked the dog behind one set of ears. The answering whine suggested the answer was yes and Dante allowed his fingers to scratch a second head.

"We're here to take you for a walk to your new home," Dante told the animal. Feeling his earlier anger creep back in as he realised that to Albus he was no different from the creature in front of him, and Albus had requested Fluffy be locked in a room guarding a stone. What was stopping Albus from deciding to do the same with him? Probably only his current muggle status, and that wouldn't really stop much as Albus could revoke it whenever he wished.

"Do you mind holding the leash? He's a little strong for me," Rubeus admitted as he began undoing the chains holding Fluffy to the wall.

"Of course. I assumed that was the reason you asked me to help."

Fluffy pulled on the leash as Dante began walking him outside. The dog was interested in everything surrounding them and Dante had to tug on the leash occasionally to remind Fluffy he was meant to be following him rather than the squirrel he'd just seen.

"Come on, Fluffy," Rubeus called as he walked ahead and clapped his hands to try and gain Fluffy's attention. "No, leave the squirrel alone. Come here, Fluffy, follow your mummy."

Dante glanced towards the castle to see a few other staff members watching them and wondered how they were going to explain why Dante was the one holding back the huge three headed dog, rather than the theoretically stronger half giant. He'd tell people he lost the coin toss if anyone asked.

They were nearing the greenhouses now and Dante spotted that Patty and Pomona had stepped outside, probably having heard Rubeus's yelling.

"Are you taking that poor dog for a walk?" Pomona asked as they got closer. "Keep him away from my plants or I'll complain to Albus."

"Moving him to his new home," Rubeus replied as Fluffy tried to bound over to the exciting new people. Dante dug his feet into the ground and pulled back on the leash to try and keep the dog under control.

'This puppy needs some serious training. Rubeus needs to get a dog trainer in, there must be wizarding pet trainers.' Dante felt his feet sink slightly and expected there would be shoe prints left in the grass.

"Can I pet him?" Patty asked as she stared at Fluffy.

"He's not very keen on people, but we can see if he accepts you," Rubeus grinned.

"Fluffy, she's a friend," Dante told the dog quietly as Fluffy whined. He hoped Patty had enough of his scent covering her for Fluffy to make the connection between them.

Patty stepped near enough for Fluffy to sniff her and paused to wait for the dog's acceptance. Dante noticed her grimace as she smelt Fluffy's breath, but she didn't back away and Fluffy didn't seem to want to attack her.

Fluffy's tail started wagging and he tugged on the leash to try and greet Patty more enthusiastically. Patty started laughing as she noticed Dante was having to fight to hold onto the dog which was now nuzzling her hair.

"There's a good boy, Fluffy," Rubeus said as he approached Patty to stroke behind the left hand head's ears. Fluffy's tail wagged happily as he received the attention and Dante let the leash go slack as he watched Patty smile.

"We should get going if we want to get Fluffy settled in before dinner," Dante eventually commented as he noticed Pomona pull out her wand to check the time. He'd got used to the casual way many of the teachers would use magic to replace common muggle inventions, like watches and hair dye. Rolanda had been the first one he'd seen to use magic to adjust her appearance and Dante had been fairly certain she was trying to flirt with him at the time. She had asked his opinion on which colour suited her best and had rotated through several options, including blue and green, eventually settling on a strange mix of purple with red streaks. Dante had considered it quite a nice style actually, highlighting Rolanda's peculiar yellow eyes and making her seem younger and more fun. He considered trying to get a picture to show the hairstyle to Lady as he could imagine the female hunter pulling it off rather well.

"Ok, we need to get back to work anyway. I'll see you at dinner," Patty said excitedly as she bounced away towards the greenhouses again.

"Come on, Fluffy. Let's go to the castle," Rubeus was talking to the dog again.


The room wasn't very small and Dante was glad Fluffy would have a reasonable amount of space to roam around. It was closer to the size of some of the corridors and had a high enough ceiling to allow Fluffy to stretch to his full height. There was a trap door which Dante suspected hid the further challenges and, eventually, the stone beneath it.

"Here you go, Fluffy, I hope you're happy here," Rubeus was saying as he took off Fluffy's collars.

"How long are we going to keep him here?" Dante asked as Rubeus backed away and put the collars in a trunk near the door. Dante noticed a few other things in the trunk, including an assortment of musical instruments. A strange thing to put in a room with a three headed guard dog, but wizard's didn't give the impression of being logically minded so far from what Dante had witnessed.

"I don't know, poor thing will be cooped up until Albus says otherwise. The house elves will make sure he's fed and kept clean at least. They aren't happy about it, but Albus's orders so they have to obey."

'Of course everything in this school happens on Albus's orders,' Dante thought in annoyance.

"Hopefully we can take him outside again soon," Dante replied as he looked over at Fluffy. The dog was sniffing around the room, eager to investigate everything that was new and exciting. "We both need showers before dinner," Dante commented as he glanced down at the state of his own clothes. Fluffy had drooled on him several times and it was currently sticking in his hair in a rather disgusting way.

"You look awful," Rubeus told him with a smile.


Lady double checked the instructions on the card Dante had left by the pot of floo powder.

'Throw a handful of the floo powder into the fireplace. Wait for the flames to turn green. Speak the destination clearly and step into the flames.'

The note had 'Dante's office, Hogwarts' scrawled on it which Lady understood as the destination she needed to say. She grabbed a handful of the green powder and threw it into the few flames currently flickering in the grate. The powder fizzled and Lady could smell a slightly sweet scent.

Green flames slowly replaced the yellow and orange making Lady grab the bag she was taking and say her destination loudly and, hopefully, clear enough to not get her lost. She stepped forward and crouched to make it into the fireplace.

The travel was unpleasant and Lady fell onto a carpet at the other end, coughing to remove the smoke from her lungs. Her bag fell from her hand to land on the floor next to her, soot marks spreading across the surface.

A pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and lifted her up onto her feet before steering her to sit on a sofa and be given a cup of water.

"Have fun?" Dante asked as Lady gulped down the water.

"That is a horrible way to travel." Lady handed the empty glass back as Dante chuckled. "I think I just shortened my life by several years."

"I should have told you to hold your breath," Dante agreed as he returned the glass to the kitchen.

Lady glanced around the room, taking in the familiar weapons decorating the walls. It was a pleasant place to be, comfortable furniture and a large enough area to have visitors. There was a table with several books stacked on it which were probably Patty's new school books, they certainly gave the impression of being textbooks, and several sets of playing cards were on various surfaces around the room.

"I brought you a few books and some paperwork," Lady said as Dante reappeared from the kitchen with a teapot and a couple of mugs.

"Paperwork?" Dante queried as he placed them on the side table by the sofa.

"Adoption paperwork. I picked it up yesterday. There's the contact information for the adoption agency I chatted with as well. The easiest way is to get his current carers to sign a statement giving you parental rights and fill in the forms. The agency will do the rest. I was surprised it seemed so easy, but I guess they just don't want kids without a family." Lady accepted the mug of tea Dante handed to her and leaned back on the sofa.

"Thanks for looking it up. It's good to have some options." Dante sipped his own mug of tea. He was surprised Lady had taken it so far already. Lady hadn't even met the kid and Dante wasn't certain anything really was wrong where Harry was currently living. It seemed a bit premature to start looking at adoption when everything might be fine. Dante didn't really know anything about the family and had hoped Lady would have done some digging into Harry's family history rather then visiting adoption agencies. Oh well, he'd probably be hearing all about Harry and whoever else Patty befriend over the next few months. "Did you find anything about the stone?"

"Of course." Lady looked up at Dante as if he'd asked a stupid question. "Trish and I had quite a bit of success."

The bag was easy to grab and open, three books pulled out with multiple sheets wedged in between their pages covered in notes.

"There were three main options we came up with." Lady flicked open the first text to a bookmarked page. "There are multiple stories of stones which neutralize poisons and it could be one of these. We were considering that the stone wouldn't seem to have any power for you as you aren't affected by poisons in the same way as humans. The second option is that it's draconite, or a relative of it, which would provide magical protection or increase a wizard's magical capabilities." Lady flicked through to a new section of the book to show Dante another chapter.

"Both of those stones wouldn't react to me in the same way as a human or wizard. I think it's more likely to be this one as it did start reacting to me after a while and felt powerful." Dante pointed to the current section Lady had open, letting his gaze drift across the information.

"Well, there is a third option, which Trish and I think is the most likely." Lady flicked to the final chapter of the book she was holding and allowed Dante to read the title. He let out a low whistle.

"I always thought it was a myth, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised by these wizards. It'd explain the security Albus is putting in place. He's got a three headed dog and some kind of evil plant protecting the thing. Rubeus hinted at a few other layers being prepared as well."

"This stone is worth protecting. It can grant the holder power, produce the elixir of life, turn stuff into gold. I don't know how it was made, but there are several theories, including human sacrifice. There's a few references to this guy, Nicolas Flamel, who was thought to have succeeded in making one." Lady shut the book and put the stack of them on the side table next to the sofa. "I've made plenty of notes for you to read through. Let me know if you find out anything new."

"I should hide that before Patty comes back," Dante muttered as he stood up to find a suitable hiding spot. Lady watched him tucking the books into the back of the kitchen cupboards. It was probably a suitable place as Patty didn't spend much time in the kitchen at Devil May Cry without permission, everyone knew the kitchen was Dante's domain. "Do you want to look around the school?"


The grounds were beautiful Lady admitted as she looked across the lake. It was colder here than back at Capulet city and she regretted not bringing her jacket. Leaning against Dante was an option, the half-devil was always a good heater, but it'd probably give anyone watching them the wrong impression. She shivered slightly and regretted it as Dante pulled off his red jacket to drop over her shoulders. That would probably give a worse impression to any people nearby. The jacket swept the floor as Lady stuck her arms through the sleeves to pull it on properly, she had worn it enough times in the past to be familiar with how it was most comfortable, but regretted the way it made her look like a flasher when she pulled it closed.

"Oi, Dante," came a booming voice which made Lady jump. She turned around to find the source of the voice and saw a huge man walking towards them with a black dog trotting along behind him.

"Hi, Rubeus. Lady, this is Rubeus, the grounds keeper here, and Rubeus, this is Lady, one of my co-workers from America."

"It's good to meet you," Lady said as she offered her hand for the half giant to shake. Her sunglasses were still in place, giving the world a slightly blue tint, and she was glad her mismatched eyes were hidden from the stranger.

"You too. Do you fancy joining me for a pint later? I was going to pop down to Hogsmeade for a bit."

"We'll probably spend the evening with Patty, but thanks for the invite," Dante replied with a smile.

"Fair enough. I've got to feed the thestrals before dinner," Rubeus held up a sack which smelt like rotting meat. "I'll see you both in the Great Hall."

"He seems nice," Lady commented as Rubeus wandered towards the forest edge and disappeared.

"I think he's the closest thing to a friend I've made here."

"With your masculine charm?!" Lady managed to fake shock as she turned back to the lake. Dante chuckled in response. "Surely not! Everyone loves you!"

"The people here…" Dante paused, trying to think of a good way to explain it. "The ones who don't know what I am are welcoming to an extent. They think I'm a muggle, non-magic person, which makes me interesting to some of them, but not part of the group. The ones that know what I am? I'm a potential threat. They can't seem to decide whether to try and appease me or try to control me."

"Well, as Nina says, you are the monster under the bed to wizards. Demons, banshees, vampires, dragons, trolls, all of them are the baddies in the fairy tales they grew up with." Lady looked up at Dante's face and smiled. "Give them time and they'll realise you aren't on the big bad wolf's side."

"Maybe," Dante muttered as he continued to look across the lake.

"Or you could just call it quits and return to America. I would have to mock you for years of course, and check my expenses carefully to see if there are any outstanding payments I should add to your debt."

"Outstanding payments?" Dante replied as his smile reappeared. "I thought Albus had paid off all my debts as part of my contract."

"He paid off what I told him you owed me, but a few expenses may have slipped my mind. Of course if you quit he'll probably want a refund which would leave you accountable." Lady smirked up at Dante as she realised his smile was genuine.

"I guess I'll have to stay here for a while then, or face your imaginative debt collection techniques."

"I aim to please." A tentacle broke the surface of the lake as the two of them looked back across it.

"I guess that's why Minerva told me not to go swimming," Dante nodded towards the giant squid that was now appearing to sunbathe in the late afternoon sunlight.

"What else were you told not to do?" Lady asked with a smirk that clearly meant she was planning to use the following statements as a to do list.


The gunshot reverberated around the clearing and the stick Dante had tossed into the air split in two before returning to the ground.

"Better," Dante commented and picked up another stick to throw. It was a familiar training game to improve their aim and the abundance of potential targets had been difficult to resist. Dante's suggestion to explore the forest had seemed a fun diversion, considering the warnings about the ferocious beasts that were meant to inhabit it, but it had proved a bit of a let down so the devil hunters had fallen back on their standard games involving live ammunition and non-living targets.

"Ready," Lady said after reloading and Dante threw the stick up. It was split cleanly and returned to the ground.

"3 for 7," Dante commented and glanced around for more suitable targets to throw for Lady. He could hear animals nearby, it sounded like horses, and Dante remembered Rubeus explaining the huge variety of creatures which inhabited the forest. Dante had tuned him out after unicorns were mentioned, but he was starting to wish he'd paid more attention so he knew if they were likely to be attracting anything dangerous with their game.

"What is it?" Lady hissed as she noticed Dante had paused in his search for sticks of the right size to throw.

"Hooves," Dante replied quietly as he glanced in the direction of the sound. "Heading in our direction."

"Tree?" Lady asked as she tried to work out which would be easiest to climb quickly.

"Tree," Dante nodded and grabbed the back of his jacket that Lady was still wearing. He jumped and landed on a branch part way up, pulling Lady with him. Lady dragged herself onto the branch above her and looked down into the clearing. They were still fairly obvious to anyone who decided to look up, but animals with hooves weren't likely to be able to climb. She could hear the hoof beats now and was glad they were off the ground as it sounded like a stampede of multiple horses.

What charged into the clearing made both Dante and Lady do a double take.

Centaurs.

A herd of ten centaurs armed with bows and arrows burst into the glade. Lady suddenly wished they were more concealed as she didn't want to get shot by any arrows. Dante would be fine after pulling them free, but she would end up with horrific scarring from those barbs that were fixed to the end of their arrows, if she was lucky enough to survive long enough for them to heal.

"It is good to see you, half breed," came a voice from below and Lady watched a centaur approach the tree they were currently occupying. Dante's shoulders tensed and Lady could see him resisting the temptation of reaching for his gun.

"We didn't mean to disturb you," Dante said slowly.

"You're game is rather destructive, but you are welcome to play provided no harm comes to our forest," the centaur replied. "Will you descend so we may speak?"

Dante glanced up at Lady before dropping onto the ground at the base of the tree. Lady took a breath and pushed herself off the branch, landing in Dante's grasp. She hastily pushed herself away from him and looked around the group of centaurs. They were significantly taller than both of them and would definitely be capable of overpowering Lady. Dante would defend her, but she preferred not to have to rely on his protection.

"You're presence in our forest was foretold. We are happy to allow the son of Sparda the freedom to roam our land."

"You own this forest?" Dante asked, taking a step forward so Lady was shielded from the majority of the centaurs by his body. He had noticed most of them were focusing on her and the familiar twitchy fingers on their weapons was not a good sign. His presence may not be offensive to them, but it was clear Lady's was.

"This is our land, and humans are not welcome," the centaur replied, looking pointedly at Lady.

"You realise my mother was human, don't you?" Dante snapped back in reflex. Lady tensed behind him and placed both hands on her guns in readiness.

"We are aware of your half breed nature, but do not view you as human." The centaur smiled slightly as he spoke and Lady felt it made him look slightly deranged. "The stars have made it clear that you pose us no harm and require the use of this forest."

"You guys are a bunch of fortune tellers?" Dante asked in disbelief. He glanced around the group in the clearing, trying to imagine them staring into crystal balls and reading tea leaves.

"We listen and read the messages nature gives to us. You are an individual who maintains the balance and we respect that ability. Your future is unclear, but a decision you make will influence the world."

"I'm a demon hunter. I kill demons to protect people. There isn't much decision making involved. She does the same job as me so you should all be showing her the same level of respect as you're showing me!"

"She is permitted as your visitor, but we will not extend this courtesy should you enter this forest alone." The centaur glared at Lady over Dante's shoulder and her hands twitched in desire to pull her guns. "We will leave you to your game for now, but will talk again in the future." Lady guessed the centaur had realised Dante was getting annoyed and didn't wish to find out what the result would be. 'Pose no harm' indeed.

The centaurs swiftly left the clearing and Lady realised she could now hear birdsong in the surrounding trees. Before the centaurs had arrived the forest had seemed deathly silent, which wasn't unusual when demons were present, but now the forest was full of life. Dante must have noticed too as he was glancing around at the trees.

"I guess the centaurs really do own this forest and just deemed us accepted visitors."

"Sorry about Magorian," a voice called from nearby. "He doesn't like humans, but the stars said we should welcome you." A centaur stepped back into the clearing and approached Lady and Dante.

"Do you guys do everything the stars tell you?" Dante asked.

"We try to, but their messages are not always very easy to interpret. My name is Firenze. It is good to meet you, half breed." Firenze extended his hand to shake Dante's in greeting.

"It is good to meet you too, Firenze. Please call me Dante, not half breed." Dante shook hands with the centaur, wondering if Firenze was intending to report back anything which was said to the rest of his herd. Did centaurs come in herds? Packs? Flocks?

"Of course, Dante." Firenze smiled and turned to Lady to offer her his hand. "It is good to meet you as well, human."

"Lady," she corrected him as she accepted the handshake.

"You are welcome if you accompany Dante, but I must warn you that my brothers will attack if you venture here alone. We do not have a pleasant history with humans." Firenze looked genuinely apologetic.

"That's ok, I'll stay out the forest," Lady told him with a smile.

"Magorian mentioned knowing I was coming. What else was in this prediction?" Dante asked as he sat down on a nearby fallen tree trunk. Lady and Firenze wandered over to join him, Lady sitting next to him and Firenze lying down in a similar manner to horses, tucking his hooves underneath him. He didn't look very comfortable, but it made him a similar height to the two devil hunters.

"It could be interpreted in many ways," Firenze replied, obviously choosing his words carefully. "The stars were clear in your arrival, as well as the arrival of many others who will have an effect on the future of this land. We are sure that you wish to defend this world, and all living creatures within it, but a decision which will test your allegiance is in your imminent future that will have far reaching consequences. Nothing is clear about the decision, except that it is yours alone to make." Firenze looked away and his gaze followed the flight of a blue bird across the clearing.

"If this decision is so important, what happens if I just refuse to make it?"

"That in itself is a decision." The centaur's gaze returned to Dante and Lady. "The stars also indicated that you needed somewhere away from human eyes to engage in hunting. Magorian read the movements and declared that you be permitted to hunt within these woods, provided you do not harm any beings which call this their home. I do not think he understands the purpose of demonic hunting, but if you wish to practice capturing prey without injury, the centaurs are willing to aid you. We do not often have the opportunity to take part in such activities, but I am sure our herd will enjoy the chance to improve their skills."

"You should accept," Lady said as she nudged Dante in the ribs. "It'll keep your tracking skills sharp at the very least and you might learn some new things. Who knows, you might find Firenze is a good fighter that you can wrestle with."

"I have some fighting skills, but centaurs are a peaceful race... most of the time," Firenze informed them with a smile. "Learning each other's tracking techniques, and how to evade them, will be highly useful. You may find some of us willing to play other games with you too." Firenze looked at the firearms strapped to Lady and Dante's belts as he spoke.

"Do you want to try?" Lady asked and offered him the gun she had been firing earlier.

"I have never held such a device." Firenze held the gun cautiously, as if it might hurt him at any moment. "It is an instrument of death. The only purpose is to kill and it feels heavy with the lives it has ended. Please take it away, I can not hold such a violent tool."

"How can you carry a bow and arrows? They are for killing as well." Lady took the gun and returned it to her holster.

"They are used to hunt food or to defend. We never kill without necessity."

"In my possession these guns have only killed demons. Those demons would have killed others had I not stopped them, so they are tools of defence."

"You seek out these demons and accept payment from others for this defence that you speak of. That is not the same. I do not wish to offend you, and I have great respect for the difficult job you both do, but that does not mean I believe you are correct in your choice to kill for money."

Dante placed a hand on Lady's arm as she was about to retort something unkind about Firenze and his contradictory views. She stilled and held her tongue, settling back next to the half demon.

"Do you have any advice about my new job?" Dante asked, wondering if the centaurs had much contact with the wizarding school. He suspected their dislike of humans was a result of their interactions with wizards and doubted they would spend any time on the school grounds out of choice.

"My experience with the wizards is limited to Hagrid. He is a very kind man, but not the most sensible. We permit him to wander this forest freely and I hope this truce will continue. However the other wizards encroach on our land occasionally and some wish to remove us completely. I can only advise you to be careful in who you trust, but remember you have friends amongst the centaurs and we will accept you as a creature of the forest if you require it." Firenze shifted his legs, obviously uncomfortable with lying on them for so long. "I must return to my herd soon, they will wonder about my absence if I stay away too long. It was very pleasant to speak with you both."

"Thanks for being so welcoming," Lady told him as she stood and shook Firenze's hand.

"I'll probably see you again soon," Dante said as a parting comment.

"I am sure of it," the centaur replied, glancing towards the sky briefly before trotting between the trees and out of sight.

"I think his front left leg had gone to sleep," Lady commented to Dante after she was certain Firenze had gone.

"It looked like it. They're a weird group, but I think I'm going to take Firenze up on that offer of learning how they track."

"He seemed happy about the idea of playing with you, even if we are basically assassins."

"Ignore that. I expect they have never seen the world beyond the forest. They've decided to accept me based on what the stars have told them for crying out loud! That's not the sign of a well adjusted group."

"I'm so going to tell Trish that you made friends with a bunch of centaurs because the stars told them to when I get back."

"I'm sure she'll love that story," Dante replied with a laugh as he noticed Lady shiver despite his coat still being around her shoulders. "We should head back and let you warm up a bit."


Lady was laughing as Dante lead the way into the Great Hall. She had warmed up significantly on the walk back and had removed Dante's coat when they reached the castle. It was now folded over Dante's arm as he didn't see any point in putting it back on.

"Lady!" came a shout and Patty ran over to hug her as the two stepped into the room.

"It's good to see you too, Patty," Lady told her as she hugged Patty back. "You seem to be training Dante well. He was enough of a gentleman to ask if I wanted dinner before I headed home."

"He can be nice when he tries," Patty replied as she grabbed Lady's hand and dragged her over to the table, eager to introduce her to the assembled teachers. "This is Lady. She sometimes works with Dante and is my friend." Patty told the group.

"It's good to see you again, Lady," Albus said with a smile over his glass of wine. "Please join us for dinner."

"Are you a devil hunter, as well?" asked Rolanda eagerly as Lady sat next to her.

"Yes. Dante and I occasionally do jobs together."

"And are you together?" Rolanda pressed. Lady looked shocked in response as Dante started laughing.

"What do you say, Lady? Fancy dating me?" Dante asked as his laughter came under control.

"I'm not that desperate. I'll try picking up men from the local at kicking out time first, thank you."

"Good luck with that. Most of those guys are terrified of you after you won that arm wrestling competition."

"They were wimps."

"So you told them, loudly and repeatedly. Then you challenged me to shots and tried to attack me when I said you had had enough."

"You probably deserved it." Dante shrugged in response and bit into his slice of pizza. Lady scared most men away with her atypical attitude and the company she kept. Dante was under no illusion that when the group went out drinking together his presence would prevent any men approaching Lady or Trish. He occasionally disappeared from the table and started trying to chat up women in the bar just to give other blokes the opportunity. It rarely worked now as most men in the pubs they frequented had been exposed to Lady and Trish before. They both had problems with men they considered weak and Dante feared he'd become their comparison point. All human men were going to seem physically weak compared to him and it was unlikely they were going to meet any other half breeds which the girls would accept. Lady still had an issue with his and Trish's demonic status, which would probably never fully disappear. What you were taught as a child was hard to overwrite as an adult, but the human devil hunter had ultimately built a friendship with the two of them. Trish had an almost identical issue, despising her own demonic existence but at the same time resenting humans for their freedom. It had eventually become one of the reasons she had left his shop to explore, unable to look at a reminder every day that they weren't really human and never truly will be.

Dante had seen several men approach the girls in the past, some even made it to the third or fourth date before the women decided they weren't capable of keeping up with them. It was probably that romantic notion of having a bloke who could protect you and care for you and all that other stuff in those trashy books Lady and Trish seemed to read. Most of the time the girls stuck with one night stands, like Dante, and shunned the idea of relationships.

"You two should both stop drinking alcohol. It clearly makes you do stupid things," Patty said.

"Alcohol does make you do stupid things. Dante, does stupid things without alcohol as well." Lady smiled at Dante's glare as she helped herself to roast potatoes.

"No play fighting," Patty said suddenly, pointing her knife between them. "You'll make a mess."

"We're still in trouble for fighting last week," Dante explained as Lady raised her eyebrows.

"When did we...oh, at the hospital." Lady looked down at her food to try and hide her grin.

"I doubt a hospital is an ideal place to have a fight," Minerva commented.

"We were in the grounds and no one was around. It was fine, damaged a flower bed but that was it," Dante explained.

"Sparing is a good way for us to practice our skills," Lady added. "We never put other people in danger and keep damage to a minimum. With Dante here, he's not fighting demons, so his skills will go rusty if he doesn't spar at all."

"You offering a match later?" Dante queried as he picked up another slice of pizza.

"Of course, but you're going to have to give me a chance to digest this or I'll get a stitch."

The conversation drifted to other topics as the teachers asked Lady about the demons she had fought and what had made her choose devil hunting as a profession. She managed to skirt around the questions about her upbringing and said she had first seen Dante in a bar, not explaining that she hadn't spoken to him until Temen-Ni-Gru. Patty had almost spoken up a few times before remembering Lady was probably lying to help keep Dante's secret.

As they were about to leave Lady pulled a letter out of her pocket and offered it to Minerva. 'Professor McGonagall' was scrawled on the front in messy Biro.

"Nina asked me to give this to you if I got the chance."


Lady and Dante had agreed to join a group of the staff members on a trip to a pub in Hogsmeade after Patty had announced she needed some grown up free time. They had said they would have one pint with the group before heading off to find somewhere suitable to spar, but Rubeus was trying to persuade them to stay out longer. Lady hadn't taken much persuasion after she had tried a few of the wizarding beers and was swiftly onto her third pint with several samples of the spirits. Dante was trying to pace himself after disappointing Patty with his drinking once that month already. Most of the group had dispersed after the second round; some returning to the school, a couple saying they were going to try the other local pub and a few joined the card game at the back. Rubeus had wandered off to speak to a hooded figure near the fireplace which Dante expected was a dealer in rare animals.

Minerva was nursing her firewhiskey and Dante found himself wondering if she had actually come out to drink or just watch him. Her gaze seemed to flicker between him, Lady and her drink which backed up the second option. If that's what she wanted then she could do it, he was enjoying having Lady with him in this strange world.

Lady's cheeks were showing a definite pink tinge now and she was getting increasingly chatty. Dante was glad Rolanda had passed out on the table leaving only Severus, who was asking Lady questions probably in hope of finding something embarrassing about Dante, and Minerva swirling her firewhiskey around the glass.

"It might be time to walk you home," Dante suggested as Lady drained her glass.

"Nah, I can handle another. This stuff is really good." Lady's grin was a good indication of her inebriation.

"I'm sure you can," Dante said in an attempt to appease Lady. He didn't want to start a fight with her now. It'd probably get them asked to leave and potentially barred, which wouldn't be a good start to his employment.

"You're just worried I'm going to talk about him," Lady said with a slight shushing motion to herself. "I promise I'll keep my mouth shut."

"That's good to know," Dante replied wondering if she meant his father, her father or Vergil. It could be any of them really. He sipped his beer and glanced back to Minerva, she looked more interested in Lady's ramblings now which was a bad sign.

"Who do you mean by him?" Severus asked, swaying slightly as he leaned forward in his seat. Dante hoped he was drunk enough to forget anything Lady was saying by the morning.

"I'm not meant to say," Lady leaned forward conspiratorially. "Do you promise to keep a secret?"

"Yes," Severus replied, leaning forward more. Dante wondered what Lady was planning to say, she had played the secret game before whilst drunk and usually ended up saying something about a past one night stand's performance. How true any of it was Dante had no idea, but considering the level of exaggeration some of her tales reached it made him doubtful. She really was just like a typical mercenary when drinking.

"Dante isn't compensating with his sword," Lady burst into hysterics after finishing speaking. Severus leant back as his alcohol infused brain worked out what she had meant. His cheeks went red as the meaning dawned on him.

Dante chuckled and shook his head in response, glancing at Minerva, who had gone red and was drinking her firewhiskey rather quickly. She probably wasn't used to this type of conversation and looked incredibly uncomfortable.

"I don't think everyone shares our sense of humour, Lady," Dante told her as she started getting her laughter under control. "And we should leave before you upset someone."

"Ok, time to go home," Lady agreed and leaned on Dante's side. She sighed loudly but showed no signs of getting up soon.

"Would you mind our company on the walk back to the school?" Minerva asked as she put her empty glass back on the table.

"That'll stop us getting lost," Dante replied with a smile. He would have been able to follow the path back to the castle with relative ease, but with Lady to carry it would be nice to have someone else with him who knew the area. It wouldn't be the first time Lady had decided to try and explore whilst drunk.


The group looked unusual and Dante would expect them to be attracting attention from other late night wanderers, but luckily the path was empty. The rest of the teachers had either returned already or were staying out later he thought. Lady was leaning on him and stumbling every few steps, despite claiming she could keep drinking if Dante would just let her. Severus was clearly suffering from intoxication as well and Dante was surprised the potions master hadn't fallen into the ditch beside the path yet. It had been a close call a couple of times.

"Is it normal for demon hunters to drink until intoxicated?" Minerva asked as she gave a small tug on Severus's robe to keep him heading in the right direction.

"Sometimes," Dante said carefully, knowing Minerva was judging his fitness as a parent for Patty.

"Dante drinks to forget," Lady mumbled as she pulled Dante towards her and tripped over her own feet again. "Not his fault. Just a kid. All of us just kids. Didn't want to kill him. Had to kill him."

"Come on, Lady. Think about happy things. Tell me about that wedding you were getting Patty to help you choose a dress for." Dante recognised the start of Lady's descent into the memories of Temen-Ni-Gru. He'd witnessed her crying fits numerous times and tried to support her recovery the best he could. She was the same as him in many ways, a child that never really grew up lashing out at the demons that stole away their parents and their childhood.

"I had a really beautiful dress. It was blue and I had a white jacket with flowers embroidered on it. The dress was only a couple of inches off the floor and had a slit up the side so I could show off my knee high boots." Lady smiled as she closed her eyes to picture the wedding. "Cecilia looked like an angel in her dress."

"I'm sure you both looked angelic," Dante replied as he felt Lady leaning against him even more. She would be struggling with remaining conscious soon Dante suspected.

"I'm sleepy," Lady muttered.

"Not much further and you can fall asleep. Hopefully we won't wake Patty when we get back."

"I'll help you," Minerva said swiftly, she was now holding Severus's arm to steer him along the path.


Severus had wandered off towards the dungeons unsteadily, but Minerva had said not to worry. If Severus fell asleep somewhere before he got back to his chambers the ghosts would probably wake him up again.

Lady was now held up at an angle between them, with one arm over Minerva's shoulders and the other looped over Dante's shoulders. The difference in heights was making it difficult to walk up the stairs and Dante eventually lifted Lady up completely.

Minerva pushed open the door and pulled out her wand. Dante heard her muttering something about muffles and assumed it was a spell to help keep Patty asleep. Magic was rather handy.

"Do you want any help?" Minerva asked as Dante dropped Lady onto the sofa and reached for her shoes.

"It's ok. This isn't the first time I've had to put Lady to bed." Dante undid the clasps holding Lady's boots on as she leaned towards Minerva.

"He's always a gentleman," she said in a loud whisper. "If I didn't have proof I wouldn't believe he was a demon. Him and Trish don't act like other demons."

"I'm going to get you some water and a couple of painkillers. Do you think you can stay awake long enough to take them?" Dante asked, knowing the painkillers would help the inevitable headache Lady would suffer in the morning ease quickly.

"I'll talk to Minerva," Lady replied with a smile.

"The house elves can get you potions in the morning to remove hangovers," Minerva informed them. It would probably be needed for Lady.

Albus had mentioned meeting two female co-workers of Dante's, Lady and Trish, but his description had made them seem fierce, warrior-like and untouchable. Lady was definitely not a fragile girl, the scars which littered her exposed skin were testament to that, but she was very real and very human. The comments on the walk back about drinking to forget echoed in Minerva's mind. Dante had been swift to refocus Lady on happier memories, a technique Minerva had seen used with trauma patients in the past. There had been far too many of her friends who reached for a calming draught to start their day for the last eleven years for her not to be aware.

"Did you choose the collar?" Lady asked quietly as Dante disappeared into the kitchen.

"No. Albus did."

"Good. I don't think I could be your friend if you collared Dante." Lady pushed herself to one side of the sofa and indicated Minerva should sit next to her. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Is this going to be like the secret you told Severus?" Minerva asked warily.

"No. A real secret. Promise you won't tell Dante I told you."

"I promise."

"I want Dante to come back to America. I'm scared you're going to kill him because you think he's dangerous." Lady looked down as tears began gathering in the corners of her eyes and drip down her cheeks. "Dante won't fight back unless you threaten Patty. He's not dangerous to people. I shot him in the head and tried to kill him and he still carries me home when I get drunk." Lady laughed to herself quietly. "He even named his shop because of something I said."

"I won't hurt him," Minerva replied quietly and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe Lady's cheeks. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Does he take after his father?"

"Sparda? Yes." Lady chuckled and turned her head to face Minerva. "I used to believe Sparda was a myth until I met Dante and Vergil. Dante cried when he lost his brother, his other half."

"They were twins," Minerva commented and saw Lady smile in response.

"It was like looking at two sides of the same coin. Dante says Vergil changed. He used to be kind and caring and protective, but the man I met was obsessed with power and didn't care who he hurt to get it. I don't understand."

"Take these," Dante said from next to Lady's shoulder and both women jumped. He gently placed two painkillers in Lady's hand and offered her the glass of water. "Do you want a glass, Minerva?"

"I will be ok. I should return to my rooms and sleep. Would you like me to transform the sofa into another bed before I leave?"

"That would be really helpful." Dante helped Lady to her feet so Minerva could work her magic. Both him and Lady watched in fascination as the sofa changed in front of them into a bed.

"It's real," Lady said in wonder as she reached out to touch the bed.

"Yes, and it's where you're sleeping tonight," Dante replied. "Thanks, Minerva."

"Sleep well, both of you."

"Thank you and goodnight," Lady called as Minerva took her leave.

"I'll get you one of my shirts to sleep in," Dante muttered as he looked at the bedroom door. "Wait here and stay quiet."

Dante was swift, noticing Patty was curled up in his bed with Nevan, and returned with the required shirt for Lady.

"Thanks, Dante. Sorry about getting drunk and saying embarrassing things to your co-workers."

"Don't worry. They were drunk as well, I doubt anyone will remember it in the morning. Get changed and go to sleep."


Well that's it for now. Hopefully I will get the next chapter up without such a long gap.

Also does anyone know any other collective nouns for centaurs? I was sure I'd heard a different one used at some point but couldn't remember what it was so tried looking it up. The general agreement points to herd, but I also found eminence and faculty. Have you guys come across any others?

Date: 22/05/16