When Haruhi had examined Nekozawa later that night, true to his word he was perfectly healthy. His temperature returned to normal and his breathing was no longer uneven and shallow. The man before her was now consumed in sleep, but she replaced the damp washcloths just to be on the safe side. With that taken care of she changed into her nightgown and slipped under her own covers, all the while wondering what the next day would be like.

Once morning came, it was Nekozawa who awoke first. He peeled off the damp cloths and scooted out of bed. Now standing up, he stretched his sore muscles and sauntered off to the bathing area to wash his face. Feeling fully awake and refreshed, Nekozawa returned to his room to get dressed for the day. He gazed at Haruhi while he pulled on his tunic and trousers.

She was sleeping soundly and had one arm slung carelessly over her head. The covers were bunched up all around her and the sleeves of her dressing gown were pushed up above her elbows. Her hair was coming loose from the plait and Nekozawa just couldn't stop staring at her!

'I could get used to this,' he thought.

It was about that moment when the thought crossed his mind that Haruhi began rousing.

First, Nekozawa noted, she yawned and arched her back a little ways to relieve some of the stiffness in her muscles. Next, she scrunched up her arms before rolling on her stomach and extending them again. From there she pushed up against the bed post and did a perfect cat stretch. Nekozawa was thrilled at how remarkably feline-like she presented herself. A few more stretches and yawns later and Haruhi was ready to face the day. Nekozawa was sitting on his bed by this point, and Haruhi didn't notice his prolonged staring at her.

"Good morning, Neko-sensei," she greeted after another long yawn.

"Good morning, Haruhi," he replied, "Are you ready to start your first day as my apprentice?"

"…I suppose…" she said after awhile, a little downhearted. Nekozawa became a little irked at her tone, but continued anyway.

"Well, as I've stated before, you'll be shadowing me for a bit until I feel you're ready to try some hands on approaches. Observation only today and then tomorrow…we'll see."

"What about regular lessons?" she asked.

"You'll receive the extra education if, and only if, you do well in your magic lessons. We'll switch off lessons every other day. The schedule is subject to change, of course, depending on how well you do and what mood I just happen to be in." Nekozawa smiled but Haruhi did not look amused. Instead, she stared at him blank-faced and slipped out of bed. Without a word she walked over to him and rested the back of her hand on his forehead.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Much better, thank you," he replied, lightly blushing under her touch. Grabbing her wrist he gently pulled her hand away and laced his fingers with hers. "Thank you for taking care of me. I've never had anybody go to such lengths for me before so, I guess that means I'm indebted to you."

"Oh, no need to go that far. I didn't do anything for that I wouldn't have done for my family."

That word broke Nekozawa's heart…and in return, made him snap.

He clenched his grip overpowering Haruhi's – their fingers still laced – and she winced at the tension of her bones readying to fracture. Her breath caught and her eyes went wide at the sudden pain, and when that was out of the way her mind caught up to her physical being and there was rage written across Nekozawa's every visible feature. And what's more, his eyes changed colors.

No longer the bright ice blue that Haruhi had been attracted to, but instead they were now a nasty shade of yellow. The color didn't sit right with Haruhi and it made her stomach violently churn. There was a low growl rumbling in the base of his throat.

"I aM yOuR faMiLy, NoW," he said. A new fear shot through Haruhi.

That was not Nekozawa's voice.

Not even a second later had Haruhi's hand been released and Nekozawa was doubled over cupping his head in his palm. After a while he cleared his senses and brought his head back up to flash a friendly smile. It unnerved Haruhi to no end that Nekozawa could so swiftly change from being polite and gentlemanly to an estranged villain. This was only the second time it happened, but how many more times after this? Haruhi did not smile in return, but instead, looked at him curiously. Nekozawa ignored her and stood up to leave the room.

"I'll get us breakfast while you get changed," he said, "Then we'll start our day."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Haruhi had decided to wear her only set of breeches rather than wearing a dress. She had no idea of what Nekozawa had in store for her and wanted to be on the safe side. After breakfast Nekozawa had given her a thorough tour of his property from the house to the barn to the sheds out back. He pointed out several of the relics that he accumulated over the years and Haruhi stayed silent as he went through them all.

He showed her the various medicines he himself had cultivated and produced, but before Haruhi asked how he tested them she saw a booted leg out of the corner of her eye and the nausea flared up again. Nekozawa noticed this and sweetly offered her a vile filled with thick purple liquid.

The last room he showed her was the room in which he performed his bimonthly ritual. It was quite bare compared to the others, but every bit as strange. The walls were mirrors and there were tall candlesticks in every corner. The ceiling and the floor were painted black and two lush, narrow carpets extended from wall to wall, intersecting one another so the shape they made was an X. The carpets were stark white and nearly blinded her.

"It doesn't look like much," he agreed, "but my ritual takes a lot of concentration. I can't have too many objects in here lest I be distracted, and if Bereznoff isn't let out promptly it could mean ill things for me."

"Does he hurt you if you don't let him out?" Haruhi found herself asking.

"Let's just say it's not very healthy," replied Nekozawa.

"Oh, okay."

Nekozawa took hold of Haruhi's hand and led her out of the room. From there, he pulled her into their bedroom and let go of her so he could rummage in his closet. He pulled out a small, flat trunk and set it on his bed.

"Come here," he said, "I want to show you something."

Haruhi joined him at his bedside and watched him unlock the hinges. He lifted the lid and pulled out a stunning gown. The gown was white silk with gold threading and the figure was slim, indeed. There were a few more items in the trunk; one of which, Haruhi noticed, was a gold circlet with a pearl set in the middle. Nekozawa set aside the trunk and splayed the gown across his comforter.

"My mother was an enchantress, and this is all she left me," he said, "Maybe you'll wear it one day. I'd like you to," he quickly added. Haruhi walked around the bed examining the gown; only looking, never touching. She was afraid the silk would become stained if she laid but one fingertip on it. She smiled appreciatively, but gave no other response. This was good enough for Nekozawa as he smiled back with glee and began the process of repacking the dress. Once the trunk was replaced, Haruhi shocked them both by standing before him and cupping his cheeks in her hands.

Nekozawa stood staring at her, speechless.

"Your eyes change colors," she finally said. Nekozawa grabbed her hand and pulled them down away from his face.

"My eyes don't change, but sometimes Bereznoff shows through," he sighed, "I apologize for the display you witnessed this morning. I will do better to control him. He can't fully take over in between the rituals, but he can still make his appearances…I'm sorry to say he's not very fond of you." He let go of Haruhi's hands only to have her step forward and embrace him. To say he was shocked was an understatement, but he welcomed her nonetheless.

She pressed the side of her head against his chest, and he returned the gesture by wrapping his arms over her shoulders and around the back of her head.

She cried for everything she lost, and he cried for everything he gained.