Disclaimer: I own nothing
It was a few weeks later before Leslie confronted Scott, while he was hanging out with Marian, Mathilda, Kevin, and Larry.
"I thought we agreed that we'd not indulge in making friends with unknowns," she scathingly glared at the boy.
"But they aren't unknowns for me, Leslie. They accepted me as friends when you couldn't even accept me as a neighbor," he grinned at the temperamental redhead.
"Why do I have a strange feeling of déjà vu?" Marian murmured as he laid his head on Kevin's lap.
"Because it's like how Kevin and Larry used to behave, and you and Kevin," Mathilda laughed lightly.
"But I don't remember figh-oh right," Marian sighed. "Neah says if you're going to shed blood you're better off going to the chamber where the ink of a diary has already been spilled," Marian said as Severus walked up.
"How does Neah know about that?" Severus asked surprised.
"Because Neah opened it last Christmas for me," Marian answered, sighing.
"Neah can speak Parseltongue?" Severus practically yelled in shock bringing out the Herbology teacher.
"Severus, I really thought you knew better than to yell discoveries like that," the teacher scolded him, "Didn't Hermione teach you better when she told you about the Voldemort War?"
"Yes, Professor Longbottom," Severus was suitably chastised and Professor Longbottom turned his attention to the boy who always wore gloves.
"I'm sorry about Severus. He tends to get a little overexcited after he learned just a little about his family. He still hasn't learned about the Hallows."
"I'm guessing his great-however-many grandfather still has the cloak?" Larry asked excitedly.
They seemed to have forgotten about Leslie and her six friends, not that she was going to let them.
"The Hallows are a stupid myth!" she exclaimed.
"So is magic, young lady," Professor Longbottom seemed to chuckle.
"So is the existence of so much, Leslie," Larry tacked on, then turned back to the professor, "I've been meaning to ask you, how did you survive barely managing to be a footnote in that war? I mean you and Harry had the same birthday, your parents were tortured into insanity and you were one of Harry's friends. In fact, you were the friend that stood silently by his side to do the things he and Ron and Hermione seemed unable to do, like killing the snake, Nagini, and leading the resistance while they were hunting Horcruxes."
"You seem well-versed in this for how poorly I've heard you pay attention in class," Larry raised an eyebrow.
"That's because the stupid rabbit has a thirst for knowledge that defeats even Noah's sadism," Kevin angrily answered the unspoken question.
"Kevin, why would you say something like that?" Larry whined. "It's not my fault that Panda has a mean kick!"
"I think you two have forgotten that they don't know who Noah is," Mathilda managed to scold them.
"Oh, come on, Mathilda! It's not like he's gonna kill me here where they might actually manage to convince him to part with his precious Mugen!"
"Are you trying to imply something, stupid rabbit?" Kanda demanded, his hand reaching into his robes.
"We want Larry in one piece when we go back, Kevin," Marian's voice sounded more mature to the professor. Leslie and her six friends seemed surprised, while Scott and Mathilda grinned and both Kevin and Larry looked shamed. "Stop provoking him, Larry. It could actually equal your death one of these days. I can't constantly be here to stop it. Komui's not here, and while I don't care if either of you actually dies, Allen does which means I must. Stop being so bloody stupid!"
Marian went to walk off, but was blocked by seven first years who wanted to know exactly what was going on.
"Marian, come on," Scott called, "I wanted your help with my potions assignment!"
"Scott Percival Smith, I'm not done with you!" Leslie actually stopped the five from leaving. "Why are you hanging out with these…these unknowns," she managed to hiss.
"Because we're fr-friends," Marian managed to stutter out.
"Friends with a shortstack who never reveals his hands?" Leslie grinned maniacally. "Who could ever be friends with a weakling like you?" she demanded cruelly.
"You bitch," Kevin growled his sword out, from where, none watching could be certain. It didn't hurt that Larry had suddenly been sporting a seven-foot tall hammer, and all four (yes, Scott, Mathilda, Larry, and Kevin) were standing protectively around the small boy. They acted as though a herd of elephants, protecting their young. Scott had used his Innocence to shield them from outsiders the moment Professor Longbottom had left them so as not to cast suspicion on their volatile group.
"Let me kill her, Kevin," Mathilda growled angrily. "She gives us a bad name. I don't think we should even let the wolves taste her bile as it would kill them,"
"Oh come on, Leslie's not that bad," one of the others said.
"She just called a person that she has no knowledge of a weakling. The only ones who reserve the right to call Marian anything close to it is us, isn't that right, bean sprout?" Kevin glared at the brown hair, black-eyed boy who had said they looked familiar.
"Shut it, Damien," Scott was glaring angrily at the boy. "Just because you like her doesn't mean she's let anyone else close enough to even speak civilly. She's almost as bad as Yuu Kanda."
Kevin growled and turned towards the boy only marginally.
"I'm just saying. That guy was said to have had a stick up his ass and wouldn't be friends with anyone. He'd destroy his supervisor's creations just for crossing his path. He had the entire place scared that they would be the next to be impaled on his sword. But there were allegedly bets on which of two others would be the first human to die by his blade¾Allen Walker or Lavi Bookman, Jr," Scott shrugged, grinning as he informed his friends what the records said about them.
Larry began to laugh and kept going until he was rolling on the ground.
"What the hell is with you, you stupid rabbit?" Kanda turned his full-blown "I'm-totally-going-to-kill-your-ass-and-slice-it-into-pieces-that-can-be-fed-to-the-fishes-where-nobody-can-find-you" glare on the laughing idiot, whose hammer had shrunk even though he still gripped it.
"That Yuu is a total prick," he managed to gasp through his tears, "just like Kevin!"
Marian was still curled up in a ball on the grass.
"Stupid Moyashi," Kanda glared at the boy. "Are you seriously gonna let them get away with calling you weak? What would Mana say?"
"Kevin, stop it! Marian's already in a fragile state, and you can't do anything while the culprits are still here!"
"Then why don't I slice each and every one of the idiots that follows the bitch that called Moyashi a weakling shortstack who would never have friends?" He shot a death glare at Leslie who actually stepped back.
"Because she has to sign off on all of our reports to headquarters," Scott sighed sadly. "I'd love to let you run rampant and even help you to destroy these idiots, but if they don't report regularly, there'll be more than just us and then what would you do?"
"Kill them for sending such an aggravating and insulting bitch. You know what, I haven't killed anything since summer, and I think my blade may be in need of sharpening again."
"We could always test it on the bitch who thinks we are insignificant," Mathilda spoke a very familiar evil grin on her face to Kevin and Larry, but not the others who were looking at her. Marian was still huddled on the ground.
"I can't believe it!" Larry exclaimed as he straightened up. "She has a complex over the bean sprout!"
"Larry, shut up, I'm not going to kill you today if you do."
"I can't let you kill the others, guys," Scott looked seriously torn. "I mean I know he's no weakling and I know that he could wipe the floor with us, but they don't and you didn't want them knowing did you?"
"No, we didn't, thank you, Scott," Marian had finally stood up. "Put away all of your stupid over-protectiveness. It's not going to be much longer and he'll be back just the way you idiots remember him."
"Really? Then why the hell are you out, again?" Kevin demanded, not sheathing his sword.
"Because he's sleeping, again. All that crying has always worn him out and then he's going to be starved. Now put those away before you get found out and have them forcibly taken away!"
He didn't speak again until Larry and Kevin had put the weapons away. By then Scott was sweating.
"Thank you, Scott. I know it's asking a lot of you to do this, but keep it going just a little longer, please?" Scott nodded, but didn't say a word. "Severus, I'm going to have to ask you to keep Larry's hammer and Kevin's sword a secret, please. The headmistress knows about them, but not that they are able to actually cause damage. Kevin's was a gift from his dead older brother and Larry's was a gift from his grandpa. I don't know anything other than that, so I doubt they want to explain any more than that.
"Also, I'm sure you understand the importance of keeping my existence a secret. Marian would have another fit if he knew I'd taken over in front of you. Not much longer, but soon he'll get his memories of meeting these three back. I don't know how Larry makes his hammer alter sizes nor do I know how Kevin manages to keep his sword on hand. I am sorry you got drawn into this. If you want I could erase your memory of this entire conversation, but somehow I doubt you want that. From what I've seen, you're too much like what we've learned about your ancestors."
Severus gulped as he looked at the boy whose words had caused everyone to be quiet. They had forgotten about Severus. Kevin had moved his glare to Leslie and kept it there.
"I guess I can keep this all a secret from everyone," Severus mumbled.
"There is no 'guessing,' Severus. In this case, I need to know you'll keep this secret as closely guarded as your nighttime escapades. I know you already managed to recreate that map that helped your ancestor out so long ago, that another of your ancestors had helped create. Larry has the ability to create it once again on his own….a version even better than the original. I can't explain how. Just know that with Larry's brain, even Hermione would be envious. How can we convince you without revealing what we know?" Marian mused.
"I live in the same house as the idiot, bean sprout," Kevin managed through gritted teeth.
"But we have to resolve this now and Scott's almost at his end, though he's done better than usual, you know," Marian stated. "He's going to be too drained for us to worry about anything else."
"It was his choice, idiot," Kevin's glare never moved from Leslie.
"Severus, I really didn't want to tell you this, but I know about you trying to follow us and I know you didn't really want to leave us alone over the summer. Your owls never could find us, you understand. That map is unable to show where we are on it, either."
"I know, but I don't know why. I thought maybe you guys were descendants of people who had been in a famous war and were trying to hide," Severus seemed down.
"In a way, but you must never show these seven that map. It's not good for them at all. Besides who knows what their reactions would be. They can never see that map when it's activated. Ever."
"After last year, I left it at home. I think my mum was happy about that."
"Good," Kevin snarled, "We already got one addition whose coming with us this summer, we don't need another."
"I think Scott wanted to tell them, and, Severus, can you keep all of this a secret like you did what you learned last year?"
"I can," Severus said full of conviction.
"Welcome to our group. You'll need to get permission to come with us at the end of the summer. Scott, thank you. Deactivate."
Scott slumped to the ground. He didn't speak as Mathilda moved to his side.
"I think you managed an extra twenty seconds, Scott," Larry commented.
Scott smiled weakly, "I could have lasted longer if I had merely concealed the weapons, but I was shielding all thirteen of us."
"Fourteen," Marian corrected pointed at his head, where a snitch-like thing sat.
"I didn't think I'd used it that much," Scott sighed even as he lay his head on Mathilda's lap.
"Don't worry too much," Larry laughed. "Marian can't do anything right now except keep Kevin from killing Leslie. He really needs to get that stick removed."
Scott laughed weakly, "I thought he'd kill me!"
"If Marian didn't trust you as much as he does, I would," Kevin growled. "I'm not some stupid idealistic bean sprout."
"Kevin, just because he's sleeping doesn't mean he's not going to hear about this later," Marian glared at him.
"As if I care what happens to the cursed idiot!" Kevin growled.
"You should," Mathilda looked at him as she helped Scott back up. "He's only not on the Slytherin Quidditch team because you'd turn it into a killing spree."
"Why should the idiot even care?" Kevin demanded as the seven exorcists who didn't know who they were continued to watch.
"Because he's more your friend than any of us!" Mathilda cried. "He's the one who helped you and your brother, remember!"
"It doesn't mean I owe the idiot. His own guilt was eating him alive. Guilt that he didn't need to feel," Kevin finally looked away from Leslie. "Besides if he was really my friend, why the hell would he come back to us?"
"He wanted to pay his respects. He is an idiot," Marian spoke, "but he actually does care for you. It's his stupid self-sacrificing ways that'll get us killed and leave the rest of you to nature's mercy because God sure as hell won't go easy on any of you. He doesn't understand the concept of hate though he has more reason than even Noah. I can't even claim as much wrong-doing upon a person as he can. Scott's the closest as we already know. If it weren't for you three I doubt I'd have had as many problems as I've had with the idiot."
"Him saving the rest of us isn't a problem!" Mathilda angrily told him.
Marian raised his brows. Larry started laughing as Scott began to lean against the girl. Severus just looked at the group like they were amazingly stupid. The seven others who had traveled with Scott just gaped at the group still trying to figure out what they had meant about Scott going with them.
Eventually, Leslie demanded what they had meant.
"If you guys wouldn't leave as soon as I walk in a room I might have told you, but Mathilda's older brother extended an invite for me to spend time with them over the summer."
"As long as you leave Mathilda alone," Larry sighed. "The last time some guy tried to spend time with her, her brother sent another robot after him and all they were doing was shopping for a gift for the guy's son and her brother. I still can't believe how he kept us from destroying them and then they were attacked by that ak¾rabid creature."
"He gave Marian an octopus hat!" Mathilda giggled.
"Marian saved you and then you knocked your brother and his robot into the river," Larry was laughing again.
"I swear not to bring upon myself the wrath of Mathilda's brother," Severus grimaced. "I guess I'd better go send an owl to my mum and dad."
"The sooner you get permission the sooner we can warn Komui," Mathilda sighed.
"If his fucking creation tries to take my soba away again, I will kill the damn thing."
"But you'd let Marian become it's victim?" Mathilda raised a brow while looking sternly at him.
"It's his own fault, the stupid bean sprout," Kanda's expression seemed almost implacable. "Besides haven't you been a victim of your brother's inventions?"
"Aah, but he means well by it, most of the time," Mathilda smiled as Scott straightened back up and the snitch that had been on Marian's head disappeared.
"He's going to want to join the Quidditch team when he remembers everything, isn't he?" Scott asked quietly.
"Most likely. He and Kevin have a seriously volatile relationship. Only two people ever dared come between them and there was one person that if ever present caused him not to even be volatile. Thankfully, Kevin was rarely around when he'd be around. And now the bastard's gotten himself killed," Marian grinned. "But now Severus would you mind leaving us to discuss some things with Scott's traveling companions?"
Severus looked at them, but accepted and disappeared. They waited until after he was out of ear- and eye-sight.
"I'm not going back to where I'm not welcome," Scott said, causing Kevin to chuckle, surprising everyone.
"He's worse than I thought," Kevin quickly schooled his features back to a glare. "He's as bad as the stupid bean sprout with his stupid ideals."
"The bean sprout's ideals are what saved your sorry ass when you almost died in Japan, BaKevin," Marian reminded him.
"I was fine," Kevin glared at the boy.
"You were dead until I convinced the stupid boy that he could save you, you idiot."
"I'm not the idiot who has to rely on a stupid bean sprout!"
"He was chosen to be relied upon by both God and Noah alike. Only he could have done what was needed and because of you idiots he has had a crisis of his faith to do as Mana told him so long ago. That doesn't help any of us. And I thought we had more alike than not."
"You're the idiot in choosing a boy who'd rather sacrifice himself than listen to reason."
"That's why he was chosen. His love for anything else no matter how bitter, his pity for those suffering souls, and his incredible lack of self-preservation when another creature's life is on the line. It causes him to be chosen by both sides in a war that can probably never end."
"Yeah, I know," Larry sighed, "but do you have to be so cold-hearted? I mean you're the one who put him in this mess to begin with. If it weren't for you and that damn prophesy, then I doubt he'd be anything more than a pitiful performer whom we can't help but like."
"It's because he was chosen that he's the Clown, Larry. His history makes him perfect to cheer up others even while they ridicule him. He can't help himself. He'll keep walking until he's finally allowed death at the hands of time itself."
"Like we needed you to tell us this shit?" Kevin growled at the boy. "We've got other matters to attend like Scott having not informed the rest of his group about his turning traitor in their eyes."
"So reminiscent, isn't it?" Marian had a wicked gleam as Larry looked ashamed.
"You're the biggest traitor of all, Neah!" Mathilda whispered harshly, just loud enough for the group to hear but not any who might wander a little too close them.
Most of the student body hated Leslie and her friends, but they were even more scared of Kevin, Marian, Larry, and Mathilda. The four just had an aura about them that said 'piss me off and you'll be so fucking dead that no matter what you do or anyone else for that matter, you'll never be found again.' They had learned the first day of classes the previous year that saying anything against Marian would undoubtedly equal one's death.
It was proven when a huge bully had one night suddenly disappeared from Ravenclaw and his cronies in each of the other houses also disappeared. No trace of any of them had ever been found. Teachers were even afraid of the foursome, except those who had participated in the Voldemort War. It had been rumored that Harry Potter and Ronald and Hermione Weasley would be asked to come and teach until the four graduated. It wasn't very surprising that most of the student body actually avoided the group when it was the two they and teachers feared the most.
"There are always more than two sides to every war, Mathilda. Why would that change? Besides the only one out of this group who could see the thestrals is most likely Scott. He did watch as a town was brutally destroyed, the people who had taken him in tortured to death, remember? That was done by humans. Then he agreed to fight in a war that would let him save humans at the cost of what? Being hated by any who saw him? It wasn't really a fair exchange, was it, Scott? But now you'll have people who appreciate you and what you do. So many people…" he trailed off grinning evilly.
"Of course we appreciate Scott!" Leslie angrily glared at Marian. The other six quickly agreed.
"Then why did you leave him out of your meetings?" Mathilda demanded. "Why didn't you notice him sneaking out at night? Why do you only now try to berate him? Why now when there's no obvious escape?"
"We weren't going to-" Leslie was cut off by Kevin's growl.
"I might let the bean sprout lie to us about things, but I will never let someone who doesn't know the true hardships of war lie so badly to our faces or did you forget that we're unknowns?"
"You're too young to have seen war," Leslie dismissed his words quickly.
"That's not what they said when I was chained to a bed at age five," Mathilda glared at her.
"Nor when Kevin was forced to kill his best friend," Lavi solemnly agreed.
"And it sure in hell ain't what they said when the bean sprout was forced to kill for his own safety. War doesn't care about the people involved nor does it worry about age. Why else would people try to convince themselves that it's okay to kill, and the stupid bean sprout still has fucking nightmares when he's allowed full fucking knowledge!"
"There is no war going on currently that would force any of you unknowns to fight."
"And we would like to keep it that way for as long as possible, Leslie, but you are making it harder and harder and the little idiot is about to wake up which means we need to get to the great hall fast or who knows what he may find to eat."
So Kevin, Mathilda, Larry, Scott, and Marian rushed as quickly as they could to the great hall, making it there just as Marian 'woke' up.
"Kevin, I'm hungry," he pouted.
"You're in luck, Marian. We're in the great hall," Larry laughed.
"So can I eat my fill?"
"Of course, bean sprout."
"I can't wait! Ooh, I hope there's lots and lots of food!"
"It's the stupid great hall, idiot bean sprout."
"But Mana said I should try to never be a burden to anyone and that our job as entertainers is to bring joy to them."
"So your over-enthusiasm is to bring us joy?"
"N-no," Marian moved away from Kevin slightly.
Kevin sighed as he just looked away from the other boy.
