A/N: Um…hi. It's been awhile. Yesh. So, uh…yeah. Forgive me? And many thanks to -'-Hyper-'-Child-'-4Eva-'- for kicking my lazy butt back into gear. For anyone who's waited all this time, I love you too! (hugs you all) Onwards now! (It's certainly been long enough).

"English"

"Ninja Language"

Oh yeah, I don't own Naruto or Harry Potter. (glares at rejoicing characters)

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Neji was listening to Ron and Hermione bickering and mentally comparing them to Lee and Tenten when his first report from Snape arrived. It had been delivered by a large raven that had given Neji a dirty look as it dropped the envelope on his lap. Okaasan hissed at the raven from Neji's shoulder. The raven squawked at her and flew out the window.

"What's a raven doing in the Gryffindor common room?" Harry asked, walking down from his dorm with a textbook to try and do some homework.

"Delivering a letter," Neji replied flatly. It had taken Snape longer than expected to send the report, almost a week since the deal had been made.

"Who has a raven instead of an owl?" Harry asked, sitting on the couch beside Neji. Neji simply shrugged. Tenten and Lee started arguing. "Do they do that often?"

"You should know by now. Yes," Neji leaned over to read the start of Harry's essay. It almost made him cringe. It was entirely obvious that Hermione wrote many of Harry's essays for him, or at least edited them.

"Am I the only one that thinks that it's odd how Tenten and Lee and Hermione and Ron act almost exactly alike sometimes?"

"You're not. Tenten, textbooks are not to be used as weapons," Neji raised his voice to make sure that Tenten heard him. He received a dismissive wave of her hand. "Tenten," His tone grew sharper.

"I heard you, Neji. I'm not deaf," As if to contradict this point, she whacked Lee on the head one final time with the textbook and resumed doing her homework.

"They always do that?" Harry asked skeptically, wondering how Lee could still be alive if Tenten did that every day.

"Yes," Okaasan lowered her head and began to run her beak through Neji's hair, chirring deep in her throat. Neji reached up and gently pushed her away, earning a squawk and a bloody finger. "Stop that," He glared. She hissed. Neji returned to his work as if nothing had happened. Harry inched away slightly. Neji and the others were creepy even when they weren't angry at him. "I can tell what you're doing," Neji said flatly.

"Ah," Harry flushed slightly.

"It's a good idea," Neji continued. Harry stared at him. "A little caution never went amiss," Tenten snickered, but fell silent when Neji glared at her. Thunder, who had been occupying himself by chasing Tenten's quill across the parchment as she wrote, stopped and jumped onto Ron's lap, ignoring the yelp that followed. Tenten looked up.

"Thunder, what are you doing?" Ron gave a particularly girly shriek as the kitten leapt for his pocket, swiping at the rat inside. Tenten snatched her kitten before Ron could swat him. "Thunder! I told you not to do that!"

"It smells weird, though." Thunder protested, squirming in Tenten's strong grip.

"I don't care if it smells weird! No eating pets!"

"Will you put that thing in a cage already?!" Ron demanded, "Scabbers is already sick!"

"Well…he smells weird!" Tenten shot back, storming over to her books and resuming her homework. She dropped Thunder in Neji's lap on the way by, purely to see Neji's reaction. He glared at her, gently shoving Thunder off of his book. The kitten squeaked and stalked off, hopping onto Hermione's lap and settling down with a huff.

"What is he…?" Hermione asked confusedly.

"He's sulking." Tenten explained without looking up from her work. Thunder huffed again.

"So you're not going to do anything about the fact that it tried to maim me?" Ron demanded.

"Thunder's a he, and he tried to maim your rat. And no." Ron settled back to sulk, but gave another girly shriek as Crookshanks appeared out of nowhere and tackled him, trying to grab hold of the quivering lump in his pocket.

"Get this thing off of me!" Ron yelped. Neji grabbed Crookshanks by the scruff of his neck and dragged the hissing cat onto his own lap.

"Stop that," Neji scolded, aiming it half at Ron and half at the still-struggling cat. Crookshanks stilled, but Ron continued to grumble.

"Be careful with Crookshanks," Hermione said nervously.

"He's fine," Neji said dismissively. Crookshanks hopped off of the couch and stalked away, tail lashing angrily at being deprived of his prey.

"Why can't you people keep your cats locked up?" Ron demanded.

"Because you don't cage cats," Tenten informed him. "You cage rats," She and Ron glared at each other.

"Tenten, I believe that it might be time to change the subject," Lee whispered into Tenten's ear, subtly gesturing to Neji, who was tensing almost imperceptibly.

"Hey, Neji, check this, will ya?" Tenten rolled her homework up and threw it to Neji, who caught it effortlessly. He opened it and read one sentence before tossing it back.

"I'm not magic, Tenten. Rewrite it, decently this time,"

"But…you are magic," Lee objected.

"Don't start," Neji snapped.

"Something wrong?" Tenten asked, sitting up a little straighter.

"Headache." Neji admitted.

"Want me to help?" Tenten offered.

"Not until they're not watching," Neji sighed. Okaasan began to run her beak through his hair, and he relaxed slightly.

"Are you sure?" Tenten asked hesitantly.

"Positive." Neji said firmly.

"Really? Neji, you look ill," Lee said concernedly.

"I'm just tired."

"If you insist," Tenten looked at her homework. "So, what's wrong with this?"

"Start with the first sentence," Neji said. Tenten glared at him.

"What did you all just say…never mind," Ron said hastily after being glared at by everyone but Lee, who was intensely focused on the textbook in front of him.

"Good, you're learning," Neji commented without looking up from his work. Ron looked vaguely offended, but managed to keep himself silent. For him, this was a major accomplishment. Thunder, still curled in Hermione's lap, purred his approval.

"Was that a compliment or an insult?" Ron asked after some silence. There was no response. He began to grumble to himself as he worked. Hermione looked over at Ron's work.

"You and Tenten might want to work together. You need to re-write yours too."

"Hermione, can't you just write it for me? Or edit it? You're the one that's good at this stuff!"

"You would use that excuse on all of our homework if you thought I would listen," Hermione shot back, but she sounded amused.

"Please, 'Mione? I can't write it again!" Ron begged, holding his homework out to Hermione.

"Ron, I don't have time! Besides, if I wrote your paper, I'd have to write Harry's too, and look at what I have to finish!" She gestured to the massive piles of textbooks that surrounded her. "I'll never get this done in time!"

"Then why did you take on so many classes?" Tenten asked practically. She ignored the glare from Hermione that followed.

"You're going to finish it, Hermione. You're perfect at school, remember?" Harry said reassuringly. Hermione looked up at him, eyes wide with panic.

"I'm not perfect and I can't finish! I still have to do Transfiguration, Potions, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures!"

"What have you already finished?" Lee asked, finally looking up from his essay. Hermione flipped through her papers.

"Charms, Divination, Astronomy, and Defense against the Dark Arts," She said tiredly. Neji sighed. He knew he would regret saying this later…

"Give me what you've already finished. I'll edit it," Hermione's eyes lit up.

"Y…You will? Oh, that would be so great! I really don't feel that my star charts are quite right, but I don't have time to go over them a third time…here they are," Hermione fished a massive sheath of papers out of her bag, holding them out to Neji. "I owe you so much,"

"Yes, you do," Neji agreed as he began to examine the papers in front of him.

"Wait, you'll edit her papers, but not mine? I'm your teammate!" Tenten protested.

"Yes, and you're not trying," Neji replied, eyes locked on Hermione's work. "So I'm not editing,"

"Neji, please?" Tenten whined.

"No," Tenten huffed slightly, looking remarkably like Thunder as she rummaged through her bag to find some more parchment.

"Jerk,"

"So I've been told," Neji unrolled Hermione's homework a little more, involuntarily raising an eyebrow when he saw both how small her handwriting was and how much of it there was. He knew he would regret this…

"How does it look?" Hermione asked worriedly, as she took a moment to peer at Neji over her pile of textbooks.

"Fine," Neji replied easily. He pulled his quill out and began making some minor corrections. "Much better than either of theirs," He gestured to Lee and Tenten, who apparently didn't feel very insulted by this comment. It was more than likely that they were simply used to it by now.

"Oh…thank you?" Hermione shot Tenten a confused glance, and received a reassuring nod in return.

"Neji, if you have a moment, could you look at this for me?" Lee asked, looking unnaturally serious. Neji nodded and took Lee's essay to examine it. It was a refreshing break from the density of Hermione's writing.

"Yes, it's fine," He handed it back to Lee, ignoring the death glare from Tenten.

"Oh, thank you, my Youthful teammate!" Lee beamed at Neji, and was not at all upset when Neji waved his hand dismissively in Lee's general direction. Harry began to rub his eyes. It was getting harder and harder to focus on the dream chart that he was supposed to be making for Divination.

"Here. You fell off of the North Tower," Tenten said, leaning over and pointing at a day that Harry hadn't filled in yet. Harry blinked sleepily

"Wha—? Oh, thanks," He began to write it down.

"Or you were eaten by the giant squid," Hermione piped up from behind her wall of textbooks.

"Or you drowned in your bath," Neji commented, scribbling something on Hermione's essay.

"I think Buckbeak maimed me," Ron said thoughtfully.

"You aren't Malfoy. He wouldn't maim you," Neji retorted.

"Yeah, well, Trelawney doesn't know that," Ron muttered. "There, I'm done plotting my death fifty times. Time for bed," He stuffed all of his books and papers into his bag and moved to go upstairs. Hermione looked over at him.

"You haven't finished everything!"

"Yeah, but it's almost midnight, and I'm tired. It's not due tomorrow anyway." Hermione looked as if she was going to object, but she suddenly realized that she had work as well, and returned to it. Harry looked from Ron to Hermione for a moment before he picked up his own stuff and followed.

"How am I going to finish all of this?!" Hermione practically sobbed. Neji sighed and finished editing Hermione's homework before moving to help her with the rest.

"You're going to work." Neji replied flatly. Hermione looked like she was on the verge of hysteria. "Let me see your Arithmancy," She reluctantly handed it over.

"I haven't had time to check it yet…"

"That's what I'm doing. So work," Hermione nodded and returned to her Potions essay.

"You're being very nice, Neji," Tenten remarked.

"It's hard to guard someone when they're hysterical and stressed from lack of sleep," Neji replied, sounding rather tired himself.

"It is also difficult to guard someone when you are lacking sleep," Lee pointed out.

"I think I'm better at functioning without sleep than she is," Neji retorted.

"Not without sleep and with a headache," Neji glared at Tenten and continued to look over Hermione's homework, glaring at the star charts. He agreed with her, there was something off there, but he couldn't figure out what it was. He was about a second from just throwing them across the room when he finally figured out what it was. Hermione had switched a few of the moons of Jupiter. They were the right names, but on the wrong moons.

"I fixed them," Neji said, laying the charts aside. Hermione gave him a grateful look.

"What did I do wrong?"

"Switched some moons," Neji replied, preoccupied with Hermione's Arithmancy.

"I can't believe that I made such a stupid mistake!" Hermione exclaimed, reaching over to inspect the charts herself.

"You're tired. Now keep working,"

"Because that makes sense," Tenten muttered. She yelped as Thunder hopped from Hermione's lap to her shoulder.

"Where is Maito?" Lee asked suddenly, sitting up and looking around.

"Somewhere nearby," Tenten said casually.

"I cannot see him, though…" Lee sounded worried. He put his books down and started to look around.

"Hey! Kid! Being eaten by a cat here!" Lee whirled and saw Crookshanks crouched under a chair with something in his mouth. He fairly dove for the cat, scooping Maito out from between Crookshanks' front paws.

"Maito, are you alright?" Lee asked desperately, running his fingers over Maito's shell to find any possible injuries.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! Just keep me away from that crazy cat!" Maito said, squirming slightly as he was rolled onto his back so Lee could examine his underbelly. Lee set Maito on top of his head and returned to his work. The turtle pulled all of his limbs into his shell and allowed himself to roll off, landing squarely in Lee's lap before stretching out. "Much better," Lee rubbed the top of his head with one finger.

"I am glad that you are comfortable," Lee said happily. If Maito was a cat, he would have purred at the petting.

"I think…I think that I've done everything that I can do tonight," Hermione said hesitantly, looking at the remaining stack of books.

"Then go to bed. I'll finish checking this," Neji said, writing some minor commentary on Hermione's Charms essay.

"You will? Oh, thank you! I owe you so much!"

"Remember that." Neji ordered. Hermione blinked at him.

"Okay. Thank you, and good night," Hermione packed her books away, scooped Crookshanks up, and headed up to bed.

"Wow, Neji. Since have you been so nice?" Tenten teased.

"Since I could feel the stress radiating off of her from the other side of the couch and I didn't want to deal with her tomorrow,"

"Sounds about right. Want me to deal with your headache now?"

"Please," Tenten smiled and stood, moving behind Neji. Okaasan, still perched on Neji's shoulder, squawked in protest as Tenten brushed her aside.

"Oh, hush. I'm making Neji feel better," Tenten began to finger-comb Neji's hair, smiling as he leaned back into her touch. The more time she spent with Neji, the more bird-like she thought he was. She had discovered awhile ago that 'preening' Neji's hair was enough to ease his throbbing headaches.

"Has your headache eased at all?" Lee asked.

"I just started, Lee!" Tenten laughed.

"Have you finished your homework?" Neji asked, closing his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, it's done, Neji," Tenten said. Lee looked up at Neji.

"I believe that I have finished, if you approve of what I wrote earlier,"

"I do,"

"Then I am finished," Lee packed his books away and claimed a spot on the couch beside Neji. Maito was happily resting on Lee's leg, rubbing his head against the boy's finger. Lee finally got the message and resumed his petting.

"Better?" Tenten asked after awhile. Neji only nodded.

"Then scratch me!" Thunder ordered, rubbing his head against her cheek. Tenten laughed and obeyed, rubbing him behind the ears. Thunder purred.

"So what was that letter that came earlier via raven?" Tenten asked as she hopped over the couch and landed on Neji's other side.

"Snape's first report," Neji fished it out of his robes and broke the seal, carefully opening it. He half-expected a curse or something in it, but there was nothing.

"This is quite thorough," Lee commented as he took note of the map that Snape had included.

"It is," Neji agreed. He didn't protest when Tenten resumed finger-combing his hair, even remaining silent when her head fell to his shoulder. When he glanced over, he saw that she was half-asleep.

"Mr. Hyuuga," Team Gai looked up to see Professor McGonagall standing in front of them. "I have been informed that you have been sleeping on the couch instead of in your dormitories,"

"We like to stay together," Tenten said, fully awake now and clinging to Neji's arm. He pried her fingers off, but his gaze stayed locked on Professor McGonagall.

"Technically, it is against the rules to sleep down here."

"People fall asleep here all the time. We wake them up and send them upstairs," Tenten protested.

"Obviously, we are rather lenient with this rule, but you are not supposed to sleep down here every night. Especially because…"

"I'm a girl? We've been sharing beds since we were like…" Tenten thought for a moment.

"About eleven," Lee supplied helpfully.

"Unfortunately, the rule still applies,"

"Who would complain about us anyway? We're not doing anything!" Tenten looked partly-furious and partly on the verge of tears. Neji patted her arm to silence her. Tenten always got more emotional when she was tired.

"I am aware. Calm down, Miss Buki," Professor McGonagall said reassuringly. "I am required to inform you that you must sleep in your dormitories, however, you being who you are, I am not at complete liberty to enforce the rule. I would ask that you at least try and follow it, though."

"And if we refuse?" Neji asked, eyes narrowed.

"Then I am required to give you detention. However, what the detention consists of is of my own discretion."

"Then we refuse," Neji said, turning to making himself more comfortable.

"Detention next Tuesday. I will tell you what exactly it is in the morning. Good night," Professor McGonagall turned and left.

"Are you sure that it was a good idea to refuse her?" Lee asked.

"Because you could fall asleep alone in your bed here?" Neji asked.

"No, I suppose not,"

"Then we're sleeping here."

"Sounds good to me. Scoot," Tenten shoved her teammates over so she had room to lie down. Thunder curled up in the junction of her neck and shoulder, purring. Neji curled up with his head on Tenten's side. Lee draped himself over Neji.

"So we will deal with this in the morning?" Lee asked sleepily.

"Yes," Neji agreed. Tenten resumed playing with his hair.

"Well, good night." She mumbled. No response. When she looked over, both of her teammates were asleep.

ENDCHAPTERENDCHAPTERENDCHAPTER

A/N: So…review? I dunno how much I like this chapter, it's kinda a filler. But it's an update, right? XD