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EDIT 6/1/12: For a better reading experience, all review replies and old, unimportant ANs were removed. Any questions, just PM me
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor claim to own, anything pertaining to Inuyasha nor Harry Potter. Just the ideas that pop into my mind ;)
—Boarding the Express—
The sight at platform 9 and 3/4 wasn't one normally seen at every train platform.
Trolleys stacked with trunks and packages and even cages with various animals – owls, cats, frogs - were being pushed. Swarms of people milled around them.
Shouts and laughs echoed about as they walked. Children ran, parents shouting after them.
Families were hugging, murmuring sweet goodbyes, hopes for a great year, and requests to write.
Kagome had to sniffle, and quickly swiped at her eyes as they made their stop beside the train, arms tightening around Kirara in search of comfort.
Understandable, seeing as the last seven years she had gotten very close with her new family, and had to come to love them very dearly.
Charles spotted her, and smiled sadly down at his daughter. Crouching to her level, he wrapped her in a hug. "C'mere Princess," he murmured fondly, petting her hair.
Kagome snuggled into her father, hugging him tightly with her only arm, shifting Kirara to the side so she wouldn't be squashed. "I'm gonna miss you Daddy!" she murmured sadly.
The arms around her tightened, and her father's voice mumbled deeply into her ears. "I'll miss you too sweetie, but it'll only be four months until Christmas and you'll be back!" he reassured her, leaning back. He ruffled her hair, giving her a comforting grin. "And we'll write you as much as you want!"
"Once a week at the very least," their mother added firmly, her eyes suspiciously wet as she went to hug her son, kissing the crown of his head.
"Awhh, Mum! No one writes their parents that much!" James whined, though it was halfhearted, as was his struggles in her attempts to hug him farewell.
Charles chuckled and gathered his son up in a hug as his wife and he switched children, ruffling his already messy hair as well.
Ella's lips twitched as she leaned back from kissing Kagome's forehead, and she shuffled over to crouch before James. Shrugging, she feigned disinterest as she set to straightening his robes. "Fine then – if you can go on without my cookies for that long, you can write whenever you want..." she said nonchalantly, and pecked him lovingly on his cheek like it was no big deal.
James eyes widened comically, "No!" he exclaimed loudly, before clearing his throat when he got strange looks. "I – I mean, alright..." he mumbled, ducking his head in embarrassment.
Kagome and Charles shared a look and grinned at each other.
James would probably give up one of his arms rather than Ella's cookies – they were just that good.
—o—o—o—o—
"Merlin, where are all the seats!" James complained loudly. "All the compartments are full!"
Kagome scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Well, if you didn't drop your stash of dungbombs right in front of Mum, we would have gotten on sooner," she replied with a sniff.
James twitched and stuck his tongue out at her. "It's not like I meant to!" he shot back, groaning and running a hand through his hair. "I was looking for my wand – I thought I forgot it!"
Kagome snorted, because she really wouldn't be surprised if he had forgotten it. "I told you to stash the bag in my trunk – now we lost half our supply of fireworks, not to mention the good prank journals!"
James threw his hands up in defeat. "I didn't think she'd actually look through my trunk right then and there on the platform!" he exclaimed exasperatedly.
Kagome looked over her shoulder and nudged him gently, seeing his down face. "I know," she murmured, giving him a break. "We'll get 'em back during the holidays in winter, so it's not that big of a deal," Kagome remarked, waving it off so her brother didn't feel too bad. "At least she didn't find our prank savings," she reminded him.
James let out a long relieved sigh. "Yeah, thank Merlin for owl orders," he muttered.
Kagome grinned slightly, peering through the compartment windows for a few seats as they continued to walk down the corridor.
Luckily, there was one at the very end. "Oh, look, I think this one's free!" she exclaimed happily.
However, when she opened the door, she realized it wasn't as vacant as she first thought.
The doors slid open, and from the corner seat at the other end, a head of brilliant red long hair whipped around and teary, striking, and rather familiar emerald eyes bored into them.
Kagome froze as pleading screams echoed in her head. Images flashed behind her eyes – a woman, about twenty, face pale and eyes wide – determined but full of fear.
Not fear for herself – but for the babe in the crib she was standing so protectively in front of.
'Not Harry! Please!'
'Step away, girl!'
'No - not Harry! Not my son!'
'Avada Kedavra!'
Kagome's insides shivered as a bright green light flashed behind her eyes, icy cold dousing her insides before her vision shimmered back to the pair of green eyes now staring at her in confusion. There was a soft sniffle, and then. "Can I help you?" she mumbled.
'Lily Potter... no, Lily Evans right now...' Kagome thought in awe, before she mentally shook her head.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Kagome blurted out immediately. "I thought it was empty," she said awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck.
The girl just stared at them before shrugging, waiting.
Kagome fidgeted awkwardly, not knowing what to do, and she turned to James to suggest they find another compartment before -
"You mind if we sit here?" James asked bluntly.
Kagome gaped at his tack.
The girl just shrugged again, "Go ahead," she muttered glumly, and turned away from them to continue looking out of the window.
'What's her deal?'James mouthed with a strange look.
Kagome just silently slapped her forehead and went to lift her trunk to the overhead rack, Kirara leaping to the seats, and James shrugged before following suit.
She would have figured that the first time James met his future wife, it would be, somehow, a little more climatic.
Not anti-climatic...
Now the pair was sitting there awkwardly, listening to the soft sniffles, not really knowing what to do.
By the look of James face, he was regretting his decision to ask to sit here too...
Biting her lip, Kagome cast a worried glance at the girl, before her eyes widened. Gently, she thrust Kirara over to the crying redhead. "Here," Kagome said kindly. "Wanna hold my cat?" she asked kindly, before continuing in a softer voice. "It always helps cheer me up when I do."
Lily turned to her with wide eyes, and let out another sniffle before nodding. "Thanks," she said softly, wiping at her eyes before accepting the kitten.
Kirara, sensing her sadness, let out a trilling purr and rubbed her head against Lily's hands, making the girl giggle softly under her breath.
Kagome smiled, relieved. "See," she chirped happily.
Lily began to stroke the tiny feline, "She's really pretty..." she trailed off, staring at Kirara as she just noticed something.
"Magical cat," Kagome explained amusedly, guessing the reason for Lily's halting.
"Oh," the redhead muttered, and shook her head, letting out a wry laugh. "Still getting used to this, I guess," she whispered softly.
Kagome smiled sympathetically, "Non-magical parents?" she guessed – well, sort of.
Lily blinked over at her, but nodded. "Yeah," she murmured faintly, before looking back out of the window.
Kagome let her be, feeling that she needed her space. She was probably thinking of home, or something.
She turned back to her brother, who was watching her with raised eyebrows.
"What?" she whispered defensively.
James just smirked and shrugged innocently, or as innocently as he could.
Suddenly, the door slid open again.
"There you are!" exclaimed a loud, familiar voice. "Finally, I found you!"
Kagome looked up, and a grin blossomed across her face and she jumped up. "Sirius!" she exclaimed happily.
Gray eyes rolled at her. "You just had to pick the last compartment, huh?" he drawled sarcastically, dragging his trunk in and going ahead to lift it up to the rack.
Kagome waited until he finally got his trunk up before glomping him, laughing. "I thought you forgot or something!"
Sirius froze, shocked at the impromptu hug, before slowly and awkwardly reaching over to pat her on the back. "Trust me, I don't think forgetting you is near possible..." he muttered dryly.
Now James was staring at the two like they grew another head, his hazel eyes lighting suspiciously upon Sirius.
Kagome saw it as she pulled away, but knew the perfect way to deal with this though. "James, this is Sirius – he's the boy I told you about, remember - the dinner function prank?" she prompted, eyes dancing.
James blinked, and then, amazingly, a huge grin crossed his face. "Ooohh!" he drew out, impressed. "I've always wanted to do that, but we knew Mum would know it was us – evidence or not," he muttered glumly, and perked up, eyes glinting with unabashed curiosity."Tell me, how'd it work out mate?" he needled excitedly.
A similar, huge grin broke across Sirius' face as he took as seat across from them. "Brilliantly mate – just brilliantly..." he said. "Three hours of torture cut blessedly short – it sent my evil great-aunts screaming, it was hilarious!" he exclaimed. "They jumped on the tables, dishes and glasses went flying everywhere!" he went on, gesturing wildly with his hands.
James and Kagome laughed loudly at the images it conjured.
—o—o—o—o—
By the time ten minutes had passed, the two boys had clicked so well you wouldn't have thought they'd just met that day.
They were laughing at yet another joke when the compartment door slid open once more. The two boys paid no attention to who entered, as James was acting out this one prank they pulled on their friend Frank earlier in the year.
But Kagome noticed.
She couldn't help but to notice.
Her eyes silently trailed after the slim, slight figure that passed by her without a second thought.
Already dressed in his school robes was a young boy, almost painfully pale with a hooked nose. Dark, shoulder length hair hung around a gaunt face that held a worried expression saved only for the girl at the other end of the compartment.
Kagome had to clench her eyes as painful visions flashed behind her eyes full speed – a snake, a huge snake, intelligent and cruel. It was the same one she saw years before, in her visions from when she met Siki – and it was attacking a much older man, whose face was so severe and haunted, but eerily similar to the one that passed before her seconds ago.
'Severus Snape... former death-eater, spy for the Order of the Phoenix. Future Slytherin potions master...' the list went on in her mind.
Kagome clenched her jaw as more scenes played before her eyes.
He was kneeling before a elder wizard with a long silver beard – Dumbledore . His dark obsidian eyes, usually hard-edged and filled with cold nothingness, was pleading – begging.
"Please, help her – help them!"
Dumbledore looked down at him, blue eyes darkening with sympathy. "You love her..." he murmured as the thought dawned on him.
The wall which Severus' emotions hid behind just crumpled – his face contorted in a mixture of defeat, guilt, and "Yes – just help her!"
The scene dissolved, to one that had Kagome biting her lip to keep from crying out.
'"Lily! No – no, Lily!" he was moaning, rocking the shell of the woman he once loved so dearly.
Shaking hands hovered to her face, pushing back dirtied red tendrils from her unnaturally pale face. He choked on a sob as unseeing, brilliant green eyes stared back at him blankly.
'No, Lily!'
Kagome shuddered violently as she came back, the words – the screams, filled with despair and agony just echoing and echoing painfully in her head,before she suddenly realized the boys were quiet.
She looked over to see them staring at her strangely. "What?" she asked automatically, tone defensive. "I just got a chill – I'm getting cold," she muttered, rubbing her bare arms for emphasis.
The two boys looked at each other, before shrugging and going back to whatever prank topic the were previously on.
The boy, Severus, had taken the seat beside Kagome, which was right across from Lily.
Said girl looked up as he did, before determinedly turning back to the window, still petting Kirara. "I don't want to talk to you," she said in a constricted voice.
Kagome turned away, so it wasn't obvious that she was listening. Deja vu prickled at her senses.
"Why not?" Severus wondered.
Lily huffed, and shot him a quick glare. "Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore," she said lowly.
Severus stared at her blankly, confused. "So what?"
She threw him a look of deep dislike. "So she's my sister!" she hissed furiously, eyes flashing.
"She's only a-" He caught himself quickly; Lily, too busy trying to wipe her eyes without being noticed, did not hear him.
Kagome noticed though, and she couldn't help but frown.
"But - we're going!" Snape said, unable to suppress the exhilaration in his voice. "This is it! Were off to Hogwarts!"
Lily nodded, mopping her eyes, but in spite of herself, she half smiled.
"You'd better be in Slytherin," said Snape, encouraged that she had brightened a little.
"Slytherin?"
James, who had shown no interest in the boy until that point, turned at the word. Like Snape, James was slight and black-haired, but there was the undeniable air of being well-cared-for, adored even, that Severus so obviously lacked.
It evoked a hint of pity in Kagome.
"Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" James asked the boy lounging on the seats opposite him.
Sirius did not smile.
"My whole family have been in Slytherin," he admitted in a disappointed, severe voice. Kagome pinned him a dry stare and he looked anywhere but at her.
"Blimey," James looked at him, wide-eyed, "And I thought you seemed all right!" he exclaimed, grinning lopsidedly.
Kagome rolled her eyes face-palmed. "Prat," she muttered fondly, shaking her head, and she turned to Sirius. "There's nothing that says you have to follow in you're family's footsteps," she told him encouragingly.
Sirius grinned.
"Maybe I'll break the tradition," he murmured, his Uncle's words echoing in his mind, and he shrugged nonchalantly. "Where are you two heading, if you've got the choice?" he asked, curious.
James jumped up from his seat and lifted an invisible sword. Kagome let out an insufferable groan - she couldn't believe he was her brother.
But her lips twitched nonetheless as she suppressed a smile.
James saw it and plopped back down next to her, throwing an arm around her shoulders, and instinctively, she laid her head on his shoulder. "In Gryffindor of course," he began.
Kagome grinned, "Where dwell the brave at heart!" she couldn't help but finish and the twins shared a grin before exclaiming together.
"Like our dad!"
Snape made a small, disparaging noise.
James turned on him, eyes flashing. "Got a problem with that?"
"No," said Snape, though his slight sneer said otherwise. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy."
Kagome looked at him in surprise at the hostility.
"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" interjected Sirius, face the object of innocence.
James roared with laughter.
Lily sat up, rather flushed, and looked from James to Sirius in dislike. "Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment," she said with an imperious sniff, beginning to leave the compartment in a stride.
"Oooooo!" James and Sirius exclaimed, imitating her lofty voice; James tried to trip Snape as he passed.
"See ya, Snivellus!" a voice called, as the compartment door slammed.
Kagome shook her head and looked at the pair in admonishment. "That wasn't very nice..." she muttered, chastising.
Sirius had the decency to look abashed, but James, used to his sister, only laughed it off. "Oh, come off it Mel! It wasn't like he was being a little angel either!" he drawled sarcastically. "Actually, he started it!"
Kagome raised an eyebrow at him at that. "Oh?" she retorted. "Does 'Slytherin? Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?' ring any bells?" she said sarcastically in a mocking mimic of his voice.
Sirius snickered as James flushed. "Yeah, well, he insulted Gryffindor! Dad's house!" he argued, as if that made up for it.
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Prats. The both of you." And then she froze for a second, and then pouted. "You know, I just realized something..." she muttered.
The two boys turned to her with questioning looks.
She scratched her head sheepishly. "That girl - she took Kirara with her."
The two boys roared with laughter at that.
—o—o—o—o—
Speaking of Kirara, Severus stared at Lily in confusion as they walked down the corridor in search for a new compartment. "Uh, Lily?" he said slowly, halting to a stop.
Lily blinked her emerald eyes at him as she stopped as well. "Yeah, Sev?"
"When did you get a cat?" he asked bluntly. "And one with two tails?"
Lily blinked, before her eyes widened in horror. "Oh no!" she gasped. "It's not my cat! It was that other girl's! She let me hold her!" she moaned. "I can't believe I stole her cat!"
Severus blinked at her owlishly. "Merlin Lily, just go and give it back then!" he hissed, rubbing his ringing ears. "It's not like it's the end of the world," he drawled sarcastically.
Lily buried her face in Kirara's fur. "I can't go back there!" she moaned. "Not after what happened..."
Severus snorted. "It's those two boys that were being gits. You didn't do anything to her," he reminded her logically.
Lily just shook her head. "Maybe, but I'm pretty sure the one with the glasses was her brother..." she muttered thoughtfully, and groaned again. "She probably hates me now... and she was so nice too..."
Severus scoffed. "She probably wants her cat back," he muttered flatly under his breath.
Lily twitched and shot him a sour glare. "You're not being very helpful."
Severus raised an eyebrow. "I'm also not the one that's a thief," he countered dryly.
Lily narrowed her eyes, but a beat of silence later had her lips were twitching. She sighed then. "It shouldn't be very long until we get to Hogwarts... I'll just give her back when the train stops," she reasoned, mostly to herself. Lily glanced down at the cat in her arms, scratching underneath her chin. "If that's alright with you?" she wondered.
Kirara stared up at her for a moment with gleaming orange eyes, before letting out a soft purr and rubbing her head against the girl's hand.
Lily smiled widely. "I'll take that as a yes!" she chirped.
Severus was staring at the cat suspiciously though. "That cat isn't right," he said suddenly, tensing.
Kirara looked up at Severus when he said that, and the boy could have sworn it narrowed her eyes at him!
Lily just shook her head at him indulgently. "Stop being silly Sev, she's a magical cat. I imagine she'd be more intelligent."
"Right..." Severus drew out slowly, before shaking his head. "C'mon, let's find somewhere to sit then, shall we?"
—o—o—o—o—
"Hello?" came a shy voice.
Kagome turned to the side just as she got off from the train, and spotted Lily, with Kirara in her arms. Beside her, the boy's attention were caught, and they started snickering.
Kagome's head snapped towards her brother, eye's flashing. "Knock it off," she muttered sharply, elbowing him.
James winced, grunting, and glared at her. He huffed a second later when she matched his glare with one of her own.
Now Sirius was snickering at James, which stopped soon enough when Kagome leveled at glare at him as well.
He gulped and looked away. Her glares were scary.
With that dealt with, Kagome walked over to Lily, smiling kindly. "Hi there!" she said cheerfully, like what just happened a second ago didn't.
Lily blinked at the girl, before her lips twitched into a wry smile. Gently, she held out Kirara. "Here's your cat," she said, and scratched the back of her head sheepishly when Kagome took her. "Sorry I stole her..." she muttered, embarrassed.
Kagome waved it off. "I'm sorry for my brother, and my friend," she added as an afterthought. "They can be right prats sometimes, but they mean well," she explained, trying to smooth things over.
Lily looked unconvinced, but nodded slowly anyways. "It's alright-" was all she managed to get out before a booming yell interrupted her.
"Firs' years! Firs' years – this way!"
The two girls looked back at each other. "Well," Lily began. "Thanks for letting me hold her – it really did help. I'm Lily – Lily Evans," she formally introduced herself.
Kagome smiled, and nodded. "Anytime. And I'm Kagome Potter."
Lily returned her smile.
"Kagome – c'mon! What are you waiting for!"
"Lily? Lily, where are you?"
Kagome and Lily shared a look, and laughed. "Looks like we're being called," Kagome muttered exasperatedly. "It was nice meeting you," she said, taking a step back toward her brother and Sirius.
Lily nodded, "You too," she said softly, and waved as she turned back to find Severus. "See you around, Kagome!"
Kagome waved back before she bounded back to her brothers.
—o—o—o—o—
"Alright now, only four to a boat kids!" the deep voice now exclaimed.
James, Kagome, and Sirius all headed to the line of boats, and were lucky enough to find one with just one other person in it.
And of course, it was someone who had to give her flashbacks.
Because two times that day wasn't near enough to give her a headache...
The three sat, Kagome and James sitting next to each other at one end, and Sirius sitting next to a certain sandy blonde boy with amber eyes. A lone, silver scar, faint with age, sliced along his cheek and bridge of his nose.
Kagome wondered if it was fate, or just one hell of a coincidence for them to pick the one boat with Remus Lupin already on it.
Her breath hitched as the flashes rolled on like an internal movie.
Older, more weary, with scars littering his tired face as he slept on a train. Dressed in shabby robes as he strode in front of a class room, lecturing. Standing next to her – Harry – talking, or guiding him through a spell. Then, it was night, the full moon's pale light shining down on all of them – Remus, a ragged Sirius, an unconscious Severus, a stunned man, and two other children.
Then, Remus was changing, shifting. Fur sprouted everywhere – bones snapped and cracked and deformed.
And then he wasn't Remus anymore.
He was a werewolf.
The scene changed, they were in a house, and Remus was angry – absolutely furious with his eyes flashing. Words were said, tempers were running, and suddenly she was thrown into a wall as he stormed out of the house.
The scene warped, and they were in a house, a small, more brighter one, and Remus was in a much better mood. He was practically glowing, brimming with happiness as he named Harry godfather of his son.
And then – and this had Kagome's insides twisting painfully inside her, making her knees weak and grateful that she was sitting.
Lain upon a table was Remus, face unnaturally pale, face slack, and his body undoubtedly unmoving. He was dead.
And so was the woman beside him, whose hands he was holding.
Kagome knew that the young woman was his wife.
She also knew – somehow – that this left their newborn son alone as an orphan just as well.
Kagome shivered, and her blue eyes caught a certain amber gaze, before she was compelled to look away, unable to stare any longer. She turned into James, burying her head into his shoulder as her eyes filled with tears. Horror filled her skin.
'No... no wonder why Harry made his wish. No wonder he was so desperate, so willing to risk losing everything he knew just to change the outcome. He lost so many, and they weren't just friends, but family, people that may not be blood, but were the closest things to family he ever had,' she thought mournfully.
"Kagome?" she heard James whisper, his arm slinking around her, a worried tenseness to his movements.
Kagome wound her arm around him, and she felt Kirara shuffle in her lap, meowing in concern, and she struggled to calm herself. Taking a deep breath, Kagome lifted her head up, glad the tears were gone and glad that it was nighttime. "I'm just cold," she mumbled, making a show of tightening her robes around her.
It was true anyways – it was pretty chilly out.
"I really do wish we didn't have to travel this way..."
James looked over, seeing her trembling form, and pulled her closer. The shivers – which was partly from her visions, and partly from the cold - calmed down in a bit, and she gave him a grateful look.
Sirius was watching them, a sort of envy in his gaze, and Kagome couldn't help but look away.
"I never was close to my family – I never really agreed with their purist ideals..."
She couldn't even imagine how that must have felt – to feel so alienated with your family, to live in such a cold environment.
Kagome started when the boat started rocking dangerously.
Kagome's head snapped up, and her eyes widened.
"What are you doing?" Remus blurted out quietly, speaking for the first time. His eyes were wide and his eyebrows furrowed.
Sirius stilled, and looked over his shoulder at him from his position from leaning over the boat. "What? I heard there was a giant squid," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and grinned.
Kagome stared at Sirius incredulously, Remus doing the same. "So?" she prompted flatly.
"I want to see if it was true – you can't say you've seen a real giant squid before!" he exclaimed.
James snickered, nudging her. "Mate's got a point!"
"Kirara will kill you if she gets wet!" Kagome warned, snapping when the boys only scoffed, "I will kill you if I get wet!"
James only cackled louder. "Now if that's not encouragement, I dunno what is!" he exclaimed. He glanced over at Sirius. "How much you want to bet we would be the first to fall in the lake on the ride over!" he wondered, grinning evilly at his sister.
Sirius snorted, grinning and laughing. "That's a sucker's bet mate – never heard of anyone doing it before!"
Kagome's eyes widened in dread. Across the boat, she saw Remus' doing the same, as if he knew what was coming. "James!" she said warningly just as the boys shouted.
"Rock the boat!"
Words- 4,511
Hahah! James and Sirius finally meet! XD Already quick to becoming thick as thieves. Poor Kagome, Kirara, and Remus! The boys are a right force together ^^
And now, Lily and Severus enter the story as well XD
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!
Till laters!
RainLily^^
A big huge honking thanks to all those who read, alerted, and fav'd this fic, and to these awesome reviewers!
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