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Lunch, the only time Syaoran appeared. He limped to Eriol, and he looked really messed up. Eriol helped him to the Gryffindor table, and they sat.
"What happened to you, mate?" Ron asked.
Sakura looked at them from the Hufflepuff table and gasped at Syaoran's appearance.
What happened to him? she thought.
Back to the Gryffindor table, Syaoran ate first before he cleared his throat.
"You wouldn't want to know." he said seriously.
Eriol nodded his head.
"What happened? We want to know. We're concerned." Hermione said.
Then she blushed, noticing what she just said.
"Yes." Harry said.
"No." Syaoran said.
"He's right, it's better if you three don't know. Especially you Harry." Eriol said.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
He became even more curious because it had him in it. Syaoran just shook his head stubbornly. Then he and Eriol rose to go.
Tomoyo, Sakura, let's go, Quidditch field, now. Eriol mentally told Tomoyo and Sakura.
The two rose and followed Eriol and Syaoran. Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances. They decided to follow the four.
"Hurry, let's get the invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map. They don't still know about those two." Harry whispered.
They got up and ran to the Gryffindor tower, where Harry got the invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map. Once they were out of the Gryffindor tower, they put on the invisibility cloak.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Harry said.
Then the map appeared. They saw four dots with the names Sakura Kinomoto, Tomoyo Daidouji, Syaoran Li, and Eriol Hiiragizawa. They followed where those four dots were. Soon they were in the dungeons, where they heard walking, soon they saw the four.
"I've got this feeling that someone is with us." Tomoyo said.
"Not only one person. Three to be exact, my Tomoyo-hime." Eriol said.
Syaoran faced Harry, Ron, and Hermione, then he approached them and grabbed the cloak.
"How did you know!" Ron sputtered.
"Well, obviously you have aura, and we can sense them." Syaoran said.
Then he eyed the Marauder's Map. Harry quickly saw this and got panicky, and so did Hermione and Ron.
"Mischief managed." Harry whispered.
The map was instantly blank.
"Can I see that?" Syaoran asked.
"Sure." Harry said.
He gave him the map which now looked like an old and worthless piece of parchment. Syaoran smiled. He tapped the parchment twice and the Marauder's Map appeared. Harry, Ron, and Hermione gasped. Tomoyo, Sakura, and Eriol approached him and they looked at the map too, then Tomoyo and Sakura started laughing while Eriol just did his Cheshire cat smile. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked baffled at their reaction, shouldn't they be amazed at the map and not laughing at it? What was so funny with the map?
"Marauder's Map. Made by James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, more known as Prongs, Padfoot, Moony, and Wormtail in this map. The invisibility cloak, owned by James Potter. They used these things for mischief. Mischief managed." Syaoran said.
The map instantly went blank. Harry, Ron, and Hermione gasped. How did he know all of that? Supposedly Eriol, Tomoyo, and Sakura knew also about that since they were laughing.
"And this was once Fred and George Weasley's, and they gave this to you, didn't they Harry?" Eriol asked.
Harry nodded.
"How do you know all of this?" Hermione asked.
"And do we ask you why you are following us?" Tomoyo asked back.
That kept Hermione, Ron, and Harry quiet.
"Well, of course Syaoran already knows the answer to that, him being able to read minds and all." Tomoyo said.
"We wanted to know what happened to Syaoran." Ron said.
The CCS gang sighed. These three were the most curious people they ever met. Don't they know the saying curiosity killed the cat.
"We need and want to know." Hermione said.
"You don't need to know everything that happens in everyone's lives." Eriol said.
"Does this have to do something with the war?" Harry asked.
"And what war? There are many wars in the world." Sakura said, her voice sounding truly innocent.
"The war of the wizards against You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters and the rest of his thugs." Ron said.
"Why don't you call him Voldemort? He does have a name."
Ron and Hermione paled.
"Cowards in midst of a war. That's not what people need you know." Tomoyo said wisely.
"We're not cowards! Then why should we be in Gryffindor?" Ron asked angrily.
"You don't need to be brave to be in Gryffindor, Ron."
She said this coldly. They needed to learn. The three always got their way, but this time, no. They needed to be a bit modest, to be a bit more controlled. They were about to enter war, even if they didn't know it that is, but they had to be ready.
"All the Gryffindors are brave, Ravenclaw-girl." Ron hissed.
"Don't set your temper on me. You really aren't brave. You can't even say his name." Tomoyo said in the same cold voice.
"We've faced him lots of times! How can you call us cowards!" Hermione asked in an angry voice.
"But then, Harry's the only one who's officially faced him for real. And he's the only student in Hogwarts that calls Voldemort Voldemort." Sakura said.
"We thought you were friends to us!"
"We are friends. You just need to accept what's the truth-"
"And the truth is that we're brave! We're Gryffindors!" Ron said angrily.
"They're as equally brave as me... and what have you people done?" Harry asked, taking side with his long-time friends.
Eriol suddenly smiled his Cheshire cat smile.
"Then you don't mind at all if Syaoran fights you without magic, don't you?" he asked.
"For all the things that are good and holy, Eriol are you trying to kill them!" Tomoyo asked, horrified.
Ron snorted. Tomoyo glared coldly at him. Sakura tried to calm down Tomoyo. Ron looked over-confident. What could Syaoran do? He looked very weak at the moment with his messy-looking face.
"Ron, you should think this over." Harry suddenly said.
"Syaoran looks weak." Ron said in his over-confident voice.
Syaoran twitched. It was getting harder to keep his anger at bay. And Harry noticed this and he became even more worried for Ron. Hermione also noticed this.
"OK, so we might not be that brave as we say we are. We don't want to die young." Hermione quickly said. "At least I know I'm sorry. I really am."
Sakura smiled, and that made Hermione smile too. At least Hermione was their friend again, and so was Harry. Ron was a fool if he accepted his fight, especially when everyone could see that it was getting harder for Syaoran to keep himself calm. That was already the point of no return.
"I'll get the hospital wing ready." Hermione said.
"Hermione! You don't even know if Syaoran will hurt Ron." Harry said.
"Harry's right you know." Eriol said. "He can just make Ron unconscious."
"Like the people at the..." Sakura started to say.
Tomoyo nudged her.
They still don't know about any of the sorcerering occasions, Sakura-chan, the class still hasn't talked about it yet, Tomoyo mentally told Sakura.
Sakura nodded her head.
"Well, do you accept the challenge, Ronald Weasley?" Eriol asked seriously.
"I do." Ron said in his over-confident voice.
"Wait! I'll video this moment. So that we can remember all of this in the future." Tomoyo said.
So she got out her video camera. Syaoran and Ron walked thirty paces away from each other, then they faced each other. Syaoran did a fighting stance. Ron smirked. He was so confident that he would win with a scruffy-looking Syaoran.
Never mind the stupid stance. It's just a charade to scare me, Ron thought.
His smirk turned into a huge grin. Harry and Hermione began to worry for their friend. He was just too much. He was blinded by his arrogance. Harry and Hermione saw Syaoran glare at Ron even harder. Ron just had to see the truth.
They are right... we're cowards. Ron is a coward too... if he wasn't he shouldn't be fighting Syaoran right now. They're a wise bunch... Oh Ron! Wake up before you get injured! Hermione thought.
She had been having a special overprotectiveness over Ron for sometime now, and she identified this as love. She probably wouldn't have figured out this feeling if she hadn't had a special encounter with Syaoran and Eriol two days ago.
FLASHBACK
Library, Hermione was looking for a certain book and then she saw Syaoran and Eriol in one table. She decided to join them.
"Hi, Hermione." Syaoran and Eriol said.
"Hi guys." Hermione said with a blush that followed. "Can I join you?"
"Oh sure." Eriol said.
Hermione sat across them. Then Syaoran looked at her, and Hermione blushed.
"Tell me Hermione, have you ever loved someone?" Syaoran asked.
"No... just crushing on." Hermione said, blushing even more.
Syaoran smiled, he knew something she didn't know. Maybe this was the right time he should tell her what he knew about her that she probably didn't figure out yet. Eriol also knew this as Syaoran had told him. Eriol began smiling too.
"Hermione, have you ever felt something for Ron? You know, whenever he's in trouble or anything of the sort." Eriol said.
Hermione looked thoughtful, then she looked at the two.
"I... I don't understand at all... you see, whenever he's in trouble... I-I-I feel as if I should protect him, stand up to him... more than with Harry... this has been worrying me a bit..." she started saying.
She apparently looked confused with her emotions. She didn't know how to act. Syaoran and Eriol smiled, for Syaoran was a small smile, while for Eriol was the Cheshire cat smile.
"Hermione, do you know what feeling that is?" Eriol asked.
"No... do you two know?" Hermione asked.
"That's love, Hermione." Syaoran said.
"Love... with Ron... n-n-no way!"
"We're in a library, unless you want us to get kicked out."
"Sorry... it's just that what you say... well... it seems impossible... how can I love Ron...?"
"That's the same thing I feel with my Tomoyo-hime." Eriol said, a bit happily.
He thought of his beautiful Tomoyo. Syaoran sighed a bit. Love was a feeling he had lost and might probably never get back again, but he'd always have hope that there was a person out there that will teach him love or at least give the love he lost back to him. Eriol frowned inside, he had heard the sigh of his descendant. Then the two switched back their attention to Hermione who still looked disbelieving.
"Listen, Hermione, you might as well deny it, but listen to your heart. It's calling to you. Hear it, before it's too late. Obey it, before it's too late. Feed it, before it dies of hunger... you're a wonderful person, and I'm sure Ron sees that in you." Syaoran said gently.
Hermione blushed at the complement.
"And right now, your heart is begging for some love in your life. It's not always about grades or knowledge. It's not always about being the winner or being the best. It's about being yourself, finding your path or making a path of your own. Listen and obey your heart before the chance for love slips away." Eriol said. "I took a chance. And look at me, I'm probably the happiest man on the Earth for all I care."
Hermione smiled, now that she thought of it, maybe she did feel something for Ron. How much she thought of him... maybe her hormones were finally starting to kick in or maybe she just started to mature to a real woman, one that loves.
"Tell him. If not now, soon, before you lose your chance." Syaoran said.
"Soon, not now." Hermione said. "Thanks a lot for the enlightenment."
"You'll always be a friend and that's enough thanks for us." Eriol smiled.
END OF FLASHBACK
Hermione looked pleadingly at Syaoran not to hurt Ron, and this, Syaoran understood. Eriol also saw this look, and his smiled his Cheshire cat smile. Hermione was finally open to her feelings. That was something great.
"Then let's begin, shall we?" Eriol said.
Then Syaoran began running and he disappeared. Ron frowned angrily.
"Isn't he not supposed to use magic!" Ron asked angrily.
"He's not using magic at all." Sakura said.
"Ron... you worried?" a voice asked behind him.
Ron turned around only to meet Syaoran. Syaoran suddenly grabbed Ron's wrists and made him face the wall.
"Admit it, you lost this one." Syaoran said.
Ron growled. He was certainly not going to admit that. He was going to show all of them of how great he was!
"Syaoran-kun, are you sure you're not killing him?" Tomoyo asked.
"Of course not, Tomoyo-chan... and he means a lot to a certain somebody!" Syaoran said.
It's Hermione-chan if you're wondering... hey, why am I using a -chan on an English-born person... oh well, Syaoran mentally told Tomoyo.
"Uh... Syaoran-kun... I think you should let go of Ron now... he coughing and well... the wall doesn't seem inviting." Sakura said.
"Not until he swallows that pride of his." Syaoran said stubbornly.
Then Ron faced him with difficulty.
"I think you've never gotten your pride crushed have you!" he asked angrily.
"Listen you, if you think my pride has never been shattered, it has! And Ying Fa not only shattered my heart but as well as my pride! The world doesn't friggin' revolve around you Weasley!" Syaoran shouted angrily. "Swallow your pride or else you'll never live for another day!"
They, except Ron, Eriol, and of course the now nearly angry Syaoran, sweat-dropped, even Hermione.
"I'm going to count to five, and if your damned over-bearing pride of yours is still out there I'm going to resort to one of the ways I've been planning to kill people!" Syaoran shouted angrily again.
The same people had even bigger sweat-drops on their head. This was turning out to be funny in a horrifying way.
"OK! OK! I admit defeat! Let go off me!" Ron screamed.
Syaoran let go. Ron stood up properly and caressed his now-aching wrists.
"You didn't do that much to him did you?" Hermione asked nervously.
"Just wrist pain, it'll die in thirty minutes." Eriol said, looking at Ron's wrists.
"Just! It seriously hurts! I'm going to the hospital wing!" Ron said angrily. "I might have broken wrists or something like that!"
"Seriously, they do that to children in training for the clan... five years old or something as old as that, and they don't moan... they're more fragile than you too, Ron." Syaoran said.
"So I won't go."
"And I just want to tell you that you have a very colorful choice of words."
"I didn't even know you could combine the two and give you a really colorful word." Eriol chuckled.
"What do you mean by colorful?" Sakura asked innocently.
"Sakura's so KAWAII!" Tomoyo squealed in delight.
"What does colorful words mean?"
"It means curses." Eriol said.
"Oh, thank you Eriol-kun."
"What about our talk?" Syaoran asked.
"We can postpone that... besides, we have the rest of Saturday to do something, and we certainly can't resume the talk anymore." Tomoyo said.
"You know what guys, I just received a PS49! Want to play in the Gryffindor Common Room, you too Harry, Ron, Hermione."
"Then what the heck are we waiting for here, Syaoran-kun!"
They all ran to the Gryffindor Common Room where they played with the PS49. Kero and Suppi appeared out of nowhere and played with them too.