Disclaimer: I do not own D. Grey-Man or any of its affiliates. Anything that you recognise is property of its respective owners. Any relations to persons living or dead are purely coincidental.

Music used for inspiration: Ticking Bomb – Aloe Blacc, Come With Me Now - KONGOS


It was a few days later when Kanda was heading back from lunch. He swept through the corridors, his mind elsewhere, and barely paid attention to the students parting like the red sea in front of him.

He came to a particularly dense patch of students, and was forced to pay attention to his surroundings lest he mow several students down.

He frowned as he ventured further into the ever thickening crowd, the babble of talk and low thrum of whispers giving way to the sound of raised voices.

Shouldering his way through the throng of small people, he ignored the protests as he pushed them aside.

Suddenly, he found himself out of the crowd, and looking at a small group of students that were arguing in raised voices.

A small girl with red hair and a blotchy face was clenching her fists and looking angrily up at three boys that Kanda recognised from his classes. She was standing protectively in from of a boy Kanda recognised as Dennis Creevey, brother of the foolish child who had gotten lost in Knockturn Alley. Their uniforms marked the boys as Slytherin, and the girl and Creevey boy as Gryffindor.

He sighed and surreptitiously checked to make sure there weren't any other authority figures around that could deal with this instead. To his annoyance, he appeared to be the only adult in the mob of students.

He wanted to curse as the Malfoy boy began to talk.

"How sweet, a blood traitor protecting a mudblood." He drawled, folding his arms. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled appreciatively from behind him.

The girl, who Kanda found vaguely familiar but couldn't quite place, barely gave the blonde time to finish before she angrily replied.

"You can take your racist bullshit and shove it, you inbred prick!" She snapped. "Leave Dennis alone."

The blonde flushed and took a threatening step forward, his goons cracking their knuckles behind him. The redheaded girl flinched slightly, and Kanda decided that if he really had to intervene, now was probably the time.

He stepped out of the crowd and folded his arms. He saw the redheaded girl look at him in surprise and then trepidation.

Kanda mentally congratulated himself on gaining a reputation of being an unapproachable, cold hearted asshole.

"First you threaten someone's mother Mr Malfoy, and now you're causing a disturbance in the hallway. I marvel to think of the surprising headway we would make if you put this kind of effort into your classes."

The blonde turned around fast enough the give himself whiplash, and Kanda raised an eyebrow at the expression of angry distaste on his face.

"Professor Kanda." He said neutrally, attempting to slip into the demeanour of cool detachment. Unfortunately for him, he was talking to a master of 'cool detachment'. "I was just-"

For the second time in so many days, he was cut off by his professor.

"Bullying younger students, I can see that." Kanda finished for him, levelling an unimpressed stare his way.

"No sir." The young aristocrat denied stiffly, his jaw tense. "I was talking to Creevey here when Weasley just started shouting at me."

The girl took an angry step forward.

"The hell I did!" she shouted and jabbed a finger at the blonde threateningly. "He was picking on Dennis! He's a-"

"Enough!" Kanda snapped, raising his voice. He was met with blessed silence. His eyes swept across the guilty parties and the amassed students. "You five will come with me, we will discuss this in private." He ordered sternly.

"The rest of you, haven't you got better things to do? Get moving." He raised his voice to address the crowd, who reluctantly began to shuffle away, grumbling.

The Malfoy scion however, was having none of it.

"You can't keep picking on me! My father will hear of this!" He protested.

It was taking every drop of his not inconsiderable willpower to stay (relatively) calm and not sucker punch the young highborn student. Kanda did not have the benefit of experience in keeping calm; since there were very few people he was required to hold his tongue around in the Black Order Headquarters. Keeping calm was not part of particular skill set, which incidentally contained many skills that were the cause of people keeping their mouths shut around him so as not to piss him off.

"I am positively quaking." He muttered just loud enough to be audible. In a rare moment of tactfulness, he decided not to voice the thought that really, he could pick on whoever the fuck he wanted, because who was going to stop him?

Draco flushed once again.

"See?" The Weasley girl hissed venomously. Dennis Creevey was following her like a mouse, shooting frightened, awed looks at each of them in turn. "Even the professor thinks you're a racist cockbag, you-"

"I would appreciate it Miss Weasley," he barked. "If you didn't put words into my mouth."

The girl reddened and glared at him.

"You can't be defendinghim! He called me a blood traitor and he called Dennis the 'M' word!" She complained.

Kanda held up a hand sharply for quiet. The students surrounding them who had been pretending not to be interested slowed their pace so they could see more of that was going on.

"Let me get one thing straight. I don't care about your race, what religion you follow, your political affiliation, your sexual orientation or what kind of blood you have." He began, fixing them all with a glare that could have melted steel. Somewhere, deep in his pitiful, blackened little soul, a point was added to the woefully short tally marked 'Good Man'.

"I want you all to be aware that from the bottom of my heart, I hate each and every one of you equally." He smirked ever so slightly and he might have been wrong, but he thought he heard to sound of muted sighing and no little giggling. He ignored it.

"Now," He began with a tone that would have had his comrades at the Black Order running for the nearest escape route. "You five will follow me to my office and this will be resolved."

Pinning them with a steely look, he was pleased when they began to follow him without argument.

Turning swiftly on his heel, he marched down the corridor, parting students like the red sea. The five uncomfortable students trailed behind him like a gaggle of particularly guilty looking geese, intermittently shooting glares at one another.

Kanda raised his eyes to the stone ceiling.

God give him strength.


Kanda was barely managing to get through his dinner without yawning, so when Hagrid sat himself down next to the exorcist with enough force to buckle the chair legs, he mentally cursed.

"Heard yeh gave the Malfoy boy another detention." The groundskeeper said out of the blue. "What number's he up t' now?"

The long haired exorcist smiled faintly and pushed his plate away before picking up his glass.

"Two in three days." He replied, taking a sip.

Hagrid laughed and the table shook.

"What were they for?" he asked, chuckling.

The exorcist shrugged.

"The first one was for causing a fight and cursing another student, and today's was for bullying younger children and causing a disturbance in the hallway." He looked out at the crowded hall from under half lidded eyes. "Apparently, his father will be informed."

Hagrid's chuckles died down and his amused expression was replaced by one of concern.

"Yeh should be careful of Malfoy senior." He advised quietly. "Man's got powerful friends and 'es no slouch in the political arena neither. There was ne'er any evidence, but it's pretty much believed that 'e fought fer You-Know-Who in the last war."

The swordsman swirled the wine in his glass idly, before he chuckled. The large groundskeeper appeared surprised and not a little concerned.

"He's fought in a war then?" The exorcist finally said, not really expecting an answer. "Interesting."

Hagrid frowned and looked out from under bushy brows.

"You 'ave too." He shook his head. "I can tell."

Kanda raised a brow.

"How?"

The groundskeeper shrugged, his massive shoulders appearing like undulating mountains.

"I recognise th' look." He said simply. "You finished?" he asked, unexpectedly.

Nonplussed at the apparent non-sequitur, the exorcist nodded.

"C'mon then." He groundskeeper grunted, pushing his plate away. "This ain't a conversation for a dinner table."

Still mildly confused, the long haired man rose from the table and allowed himself to be led from the hall. They were followed by black, suspicious eyes.


It hadn't taken them very long to make their way down to the small village that nestled in the shadow of the great castle.

Kanda supposed they must have looked quite odd, but rationalised that this was a wizarding village, and they saw weird stuff all the time. A huge man with enough beard to make a bear jealous and an individual with a rather striking uniform making their way into a dingy, shifty looking pub was probably not even worth noting on their 'weird scale'.

Hagrid insisted that he buy the first round of drinks, and Kanda was more than content to let him. Returning with a large tankard and what the exorcist could only describe as a keg. Correctly assuming that the keg wasn't for him, he took the tankard with a nod of thanks. The big man took a seat and looked at his companion, who had taken a seat in the shadows. He shook his head.

Hagrid reached out with his drink, looking expectantly at the smaller male. Kanda did the same and clinked his drink against the other before taking a deep draught.

Hagrid did the same before setting his drink down with enough force to shake the wooden table, and wiping his beard with the back of his hand.

Kanda looked out at him from under dark eyelashes.

"Not that I mind, but why are we here?" he asked, raising the mug again and taking a much smaller drink.

Hagrid shrugged.

"We said we'd 'ave a drink at some point, yeh? Might as well be now." He shifted uncomfortably. "Besides, war ain't the kind of topic f'r th' dinner table."

Kanda was unaware of this apparent social nicety, since war was pretty much the only thing anyone talked about with any constancy at the Black Order. He supposed that these were civilians however, and would be more sensitive to such subjects. Foolish, he muttered in his head.

"You said that you could tell I had fought before." He stated, fixing his gaze on the other man. "How did you know?"

Hagrid sighed.

"I jus' do." He answered simply. "You have that bearing about yeh. You're used to givin' orders."

The exorcist grunted and took another swig. Hagrid frowned.

"Yeh be careful, that's strong stuff." He warned.

Kanda grinned slightly, and it wasn't nice.

"I'm no lightweight." He assured the groundskeeper. "I've yet to meet anyone I can't out drink."

Hagrid raised his bushy eyebrows and a small smile worked its way onto his lips.

"No offense," he started, and Kanda braced himself for something potentially offensive. "But yeh don't look the type to be fightin' wars and drinking people under t' table."

The exorcist grunted.

"War doesn't care what you look like." He said dryly. "A fair amount of pubs don't either."

Hagrid chuckled.

"Amen to tha'." He toasted before taking another huge swig. "I s'pose I have a similar issue to yeh. People look at me and think 'dangerous creature', an' I don' want to hurt anyone."

Kanda felt his eyes widen at the implication. Hagrid noticed and shuffled awkwardly.

"I forget yeh didn' know. I ain't fully human. Part giant, I am."

He looked as though he was expecting the exorcist to be angry and leave. Kanda shrugged.

"So?"

The groundskeepers face lit up like a child on Christmas. Kanda felt ever so slightly bad for having an ulterior motive. He wasn't human either, if you were being technical. He supposed he was in a biological sense, and he didn't feel any different, but he still knew. He was different.

"Yeh mean it?" He was jerked back into reality by the groundskeeper, who was looking intently at him. Kanda felt mildly uncomfortable. "Yeh don' care?"

"Do I look like I'm terrified right now?" He said a bit more snappishly than he probably should have done. "Besides, I understand what you were saying. People look at me and think I couldn't possibly be anyone of authority. Makes it damn hard to get them out of danger too." He grunted.

Hagrid nodded sagely and raised his tankard again.

"I bet tha's an issue when yeh tryin' t' give orders." He said, nodding.

Kanda make an agreeing noise in the back of his throat.

"Yeah. I remember one mission, there was a nobleman who was convinced his house was haunted. We investigated, and there was enough evidence that it was a demon, so they sent me in. He was a constant pain in my ass until he saw me covered in blood, standing over the corpse of his butler-turned-demon." The exorcist gave a dry, humourless smile. "He was pretty obedient after that."

Hagrid looked a little queasy, but took a large swig from his barrel like mug and appeared to be fine.

"I fought too." He said lowly. Kanda blinked and focused his attention on the big man, but kept quiet. "In th' last war. Never got used to hurtin' people."

Kanda took a long drink and looked pityingly at the groundskeeper. He knew men like him back at Headquarters. Men who could dispatch an Akuma with nary a thought fell to pieces when asked to take the life of a human. Too many had died because they couldn't kill.

He sighed.

"I am twenty two years old." He said simply. "I made my first kill when I was nine." He took another swig. "I'm a killer. I've been trained not to hesitate, and you know what? I don't."

He looked the large man in the eye and noted with some grim satisfaction that Hagrid was having trouble holding his stare.

"I never have, and I probably never will." He set his jaw, straining to get the words out. He was unused to speaking like this. Maybe it was because the large man wasn't human either. He wasn't sure.

"But it's never thoughtless." He muttered. "It can be easy and it can be routine, but it should never be thoughtless."

He fell silent and drained the last of his drink, wishing he had another. Suddenly, he felt a large, warm hand on his shoulder. He was man enough to admit that he jumped, having not expected physical contact. He looked up, tense and feeling flighty.

Hagrid was looking at him seriously, his kind face grim and drawn. He withdrew his hand.

"Thank yeh."

Kanda grunted, forcing himself to relax his muscles. He shrugged.

"You were right, this topic is too heavy for the dinner table." He snorted. "I need another drink."

He stood smoothly, and saw the groundskeeper smile tentatively.

"I think we're going to need something a little stronger than beer, yes?" The exorcist offered, and he saw the smile turn into a grin. Satisfied that he had diffused the tense situation for now, he nodded and made his way to the bar. As he rattled off his order to the terse man behind the bar, he felt something warm seem into his stomach.

He hoped he wasn't getting ill.


Harry Potter was trying very hard not to snap at his friends.

"And I was like WHOOSH, and then everyone was like 'woah!' and I was like-"

Mentally, he rephrased. He was trying very hard not to snap at one friend in particular. Ron was being entirely too loud for someone who was out after curfew. Sneaking a look beside him, he noted that Hermione was flushed and her hands were fisting the material of her bag strap as though they were the redheads neck. He quickly moved to diffuse the situation, before the pressure reached critical mass.

"That's great Ron!" he exclaimed, clapping his friend on the back. He was painfully aware that his smile was very plastic. Ron didn't seem to notice. "Have you done that Transfiguration homework yet?" He asked quickly, as the redhead seemed to take his previous words as encouragement to continue his story even louder than before. Thankfully, the redhead cheerfully began complaining about their homework, at a much lower decibel level.

Hermione breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth several times before opening her eyes and mouthing a 'thank you' to Harry. Nodding tiredly, the Boy-Who-Lived continued plodding to his next class. She must still be angry about her first detention slip that she had received that morning with her breakfast.

As they neared a turn in the corridor, they heard voices. One voice in particular made Harry grimace. The oily, biting tone of their Potions Master could be heard echoing off the stone. Not wanting to draw his attention, he quickly stepped against the wall, motioning his friends to be quiet and join him. They did so, Hermione rolling her eyes at his antics but going along anyway. As they hid, Harry frowned. Snape was talking to someone and he wasn't happy.

"-when you're not welcome. The headmaster might trust you, but I do not. I will not have you harming this school." The Potions Master hissed.

Alarmed, Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, only to see that they were just as confused and startled as he was.

"Quite frankly you oversized bat, I don't give a damn what you think."

Had the situation not been serious and not required silence, Harry would have laughed. As it was, he heard a fain thump as Hermione whacked Ron for giggling. He may not like him much, but Harry thought that Professor Kanda definitely had a way with words.

"Look at you."

Harry could hear the contempt dripping from the Potions Masters every word. He was taken aback. He had seen and been the target of Snape's vitriol for years, and never had he heard the man sound so disgusted.

"You stand here bold as brass, smelling like alcohol and blood. You think you can intimidate me?"

Harry bit his lip. He could sense the sneer.

He risked a peek around the corner. The two were staring each other down, each with their own particular presence. Thankfully, they were positioned so that it was hard for them to see what was going on at Harry's end of the corridor. He pulled on his friends sleeves and they popped their heads around the corner to join him.

"I didn't think Snape hated anyone as much as he hates you, Harry." Ron muttered, keeping his voice low.

Harry hadn't thought so either.

He saw Professor Kanda sneer. His skin was paler than usual, the Gryffindor noted, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

"I'm hungover, kono yarou." The young professor snapped. "So you can fuck right off before I do something I sure as hell won't regret."

"Barbarian." Snape spat. "You're a thug."

The swordsman snarled.

"I'm warning you; walk away before I rip your throat out."

Harry had his heart in his mouth. His brain told him he should do something to stop whatever this was, but he couldn't. So he stayed completely still, and watched.

Snape barked a laugh. Harry had never heard the dour man laugh before.

"You're only proving me right!" he crowed maliciously, goading the other man. "You're not just a thug, you're goddamned animal."

Harry heard Hermione gasp. He risked a look at her and saw that she was as white as a sheet, her hands clutching her cheeks so hard she was leaving marks.

He turned his head just in time to see the long haired professor take a threatening step towards the black robed Potions Master.

Snape did not so much as blink. He stared the young man down, despite being a few inches shorter. Grudgingly, Harry felt his respect for the Potions Master rise a few millimetres off the ground. For all that he looked like he belonged on the cover of a glossy magazine, Professor Kanda was intimidating.

Harry watched with rapt attention as the swordsman took a deep, steadying breath and stepped back.

The air was heavy and tense, and Harry was barely even aware that he was breathing.

Fear was clawing at his stomach, filling him with nausea and making bile rise in his throat.

Next to him, he could hear Ron breathing raggedly.

The young professor took another step back and turned to walk away. He was tense and Harry could see the struts on his neck standing out. His fists were balled tightly and his jaw was set.

"That's right, walk away." Snape hissed. "You may have fooled the others, but you're just another killer." Harry bit his lip so hard he could taste blood. Snape's eyes narrowed, glittering spitefully. "Aren't you, Exorcist?"

Hermione let out a muffled cry. Harry barely heard her.

With a guttural snarl, the swordsman turned, and with movements too swift for Harry to keep up with, grabbed the Potions master by the throat. He slammed him to the stone wall with enough force to knock the air from the Potions Masters lungs and pinned him with one hand.

Harry didn't know much about the human body, but he knew that it was damn near impossible for a man of professor Kanda's stature to hold a man the size of Snape with only one hand.

He swallowed thickly. There was something in his throat.

Snape was making spluttering noises. He was struggling and his pale face was turning puce.

Professor Kanda leaned in close to his ear. Harry could barely hear the following words.

"If I am all you say I am, kono yarou," He muttered, and his voice was harsh. "Do you think it's clever to keep goading me? I have a very short temper."

He let go of the struggling man suddenly, letting him fall to the stone floor, wheezing. The swordsman took a step back, clearly still angry.

"You will find that I am not someone who you want hunting you, Snape." He advised, his voice carefully controlled and as cold as hoarfrost. He turned to leave.

Harry barely had the presence of mind to press himself and his friends into the shadows before the teacher swept past the entrance to the corridor they were hiding in. His footsteps continued down the other hall, fading.

"Diffindo!"

The curse streaked through the air and impacted on the wall, cutting scratches into its surface.

The swordsman's coat disappeared around the corner and his steps continued to fade.

Harry remained silent and tense until long after the Potions Masters laboured breathing and footsteps had faded from earshot.

They didn't know the three of them stayed in that shadowy corridor.

"Holy shit." Ron eventually whispered.

Harry didn't trust himself to speak just yet, but privately agreed.


So this chapter came out a bit more serious than I had anticipated. Reflects my mood I suppose. I was very tired and a bit grumpy when I wrote this one. Still, it had to happen eventually! Exorcists can be great fun, but they're also pretty hardcore when you think about it. Kanda is often the most brutal of the lot, and that's saying something.

Anyway! Thank you to all those who have come out from the woodwork to say that they will participate in the fanart contest! I am very excited to see all your submissions, and I will remind everyone else that it's not limited to drawing. I will accept any and all forms of fanart of this story, from drawings to omakes to knitted tea cosies.

To Skorm: I will not be making this fic KandaxHermione. Sorry. I am not opposed to the pairing, but not in the context of student and teacher I'm afraid. Also, she's fourteen and he's twenty two. Several levels of weird there.

However, if you decide to participate in my fanart contest, I might be able to wrangle an oneshot… (Yes, this is indeed shameless bribary)

To the Guest who left a very nice review that I can't reply directly to: You get your next fix… right now! Enjoy. To your other questions, I do work at being this awesome. I took courses in 'late updates', 'dodgy editing' and 'no planning'. The sass and sarcasm however, is all me. I'm English, sue me. (Please don't, I have no money for food as it is)

Study hard and never eat your vegetables, so you too can be as awesome as me.

Seriously though, eat vegetables. That shit is good for you.