Fleur opened the door to her quarters, and froze at the sight of Shiro comfortably seated on her open window sill. His face was turned away towards the moon.
Relief sprang up at the sight of her guard. It had been four days since his disappearance. It had caused quite a stir when he vanished in the middle of the Great Hall leaving nothing but leaves spiraling around. It was immediately assumed he had apparated. That theory was countered by the fact Apparation within Hogwarts was impossible because of a magical barrier, leading some students to say he was able to circumvent the obstacle. Fleur wasn't sure what to think. From her interactions with him, she established that he was wickedly fast, he never used a wand to fight, preferring physical combat, and she had never seen him cast a spell until now, and when he had healed her wrist on the second day after their meeting. Whatever he used, he cast by utilizing a single hand, further reinforcing her suspicion that he never had a wand in the first place.
She wanted to laugh at her own stupidity for assuming he was just a normal overly skilled wizard when they first met. Her father would only chose someone he trusted implicitly to complete the job, and that person happened to be Shiro, a person barely older than she was, and far from normal. What was he? Could she even call him a wizard?
Fleur shut the door with a thump, her eyes narrowing when he remained motionless. Did he hear her? He must have. It was another thing she learned about him. It was impossible for anyone to sneak up on him. She even tried it a few times alongside Annabelle. The result was a bored look, and snarky comment.
"You know I'm here don't you?" Fleur stated more than asked. After a long moment, Shiro tore his eyes away from the moon, and faced her.
"I was thinking about home, and was reluctant to leave my thoughts just yet."
"Where have you been these past days?" Fleur demanded. "Have you been ignoring your duties?" She knew the last part couldn't have been true. Somehow, he was always watching. And that was one thing she swore to discover.
"If I don't perform my duties to the requirement of the contract, I would only be shaming my superior." was the calm response. "I've been watching you, just out of sight."
"Shiro, why did you hide?" Fleur asked earnestly. "That night, I… apologize if I came off as harsh. You were ill, and I hold myself responsible for not realizing it. But something else was wrong with you. What was it?"
He didn't answer for a long while. His passive features she had come to regard as a mask cracked, and the shards fell revealing a worn face. As he looked back into her eyes, she saw how lifeless they appeared.
"Kotetsu, if this causes trouble later, I'll kill you." Shiro sighed in his native tongue.
Fleur blinked at the language. She heard it once before. It was, was, Japanese dialect? She was brought back to focus as her guard indicated her soft velvet chair. His expression and gesture was clear. She positioned her chair facing him, and sat expectantly.
"You're a troublesome girl, Miss Delacour." He stated passively. Fleur bristled. He had always treated her politely, but beneath his courteous attitude, she had sensed veiled contempt. It angered her, and she had responded by treating him haughtily, to remind him of his position and that he was hers to command. Now after the worry he had put her through, he was just going to begin by insulting her?
Shiro smirked inwardly as he saw Fleur tense, and flush. He'd better speak soon to avoid an outburst.
"Since the day we met, you've always been very curious about me, and I must say, it's been tiring deflecting your attempts to find out my history. I'm sure you've pieced together some things from what you've seen. What are they?"
Fleur reigned in her indignation. "You're not a wizard, not by our standards. You don't have a wand, and…" Fleur hesitated and looked at him uncertainly. He merely sighed.
"I can guess what you wanted to say. That I've killed people."
Fleur felt her heart quicken at his expression. The feeling of coldness it brought was like was like the Hogwarts ghosts passing through one's body. For a moment, a brief spark of amusement shone at the memory it brought of Shiro being surprised by the specters. People may not have been able approach him unknowingly, but ghosts were able to, at least once. The spirit of a baroness had come floating through the door he had been on verge of opening. The result was a sharp wooden thunk as one of his odd daggers lay quivering in the wood.
"Miss Delacour-"
"Fleur." She cut him off sharply. "I want you to call me by my name, like you do with Annabelle. And if you won't, I'll just make it an order."
A puzzled expression crossed his face. "Delacour is your name." She shot him a dangerous look at. "As you wish." He receded as Fleur leaned back pleased.
"I'm going to make you an offer."
"Will it be like your offer back at Beauxbatons?" Fleur asked pointedly. Shiro smiled at her.
"It'll much more fulfilling I can promise." His expression grew hard, and Fleur felt herself straightening at that. "I'll reveal what your father already knows of me, and more. In return, you'll promise to stop prying into my affairs, but-" Shiro said sharply, "you will also take the magical vow of silence never to disclose this to anyone without my permission. If you break it, you'll die. It's the same oath your father made when he signed the contract."
Fleur sat silent not quite able to believe what he was offering. She weighed the consequences. If her father had done the same, then she could as well. Here was a golden opportunity and she wasn't going to throw it away. Face set in determination, she draw her wand, and cast the magically sealing oath. If she would speak of this to anyone else, it would kill her. A slight shiver passed her frame as it dawned on her the enormity of the consequence.
Shiro watched her silently. He felt vulnerable. It was one of the rare times he was opening to a distant person. He would really give Kotetsu a proper throttling if he came to regret this act later. Seeing her complete the vow, he allowed his face to express his state.
"Now listen well, because I don't care to repeat it. Think of it more as a onetime use." Fleur leaned forward intently, her beautiful face set with enthusiastic interest. For a moment, Shiro dwelled on it, and then began.
"You are right that I've killed. I'm a trained a killer since I was six." Though she had more or less already decided on that fact, having it confirmed was like a sheet of ice passing through her; and since childhood? Fleur was shocked, and it shone on her features.
"You see, the land I came from is one in a constant state of war. Most of the fighting is done between assassins called shinobi. My parents were shinobi. I never knew my father, he was killed in the last war. My mother brought me up, and wanting to serve my home like they had done, I joined the Shinobi Academy at six, despite my mother's reluctance. It was almost at the end of graduation when my class was organized into a survival exercise taking place outside the village. It was a trap. We were attacked by enemy shinobi. Our traitorous instructor killed the other two that were overseeing the exercise. Those of us that didn't resist were kidnapped."
Shiro paused momentarily reliving the memory while Fleur sat silent. The Veela was in a state of shock. She could never have imagined someone having such a past. It was horrid, barbaric. How could someone live such a life?
"I was held prisoner for many years. During that time I was experimented on, and I survived. All my classmates had died. My captor was delighted, and sought to bring me to his side. I swore that I would escape, but I had to keep up appearances. I committed many… terrible acts in his service, but then my chance came when the hideout was discovered and attacked by shinobi from my village. I was able to kill my former instructor during the fighting, and escaped with my fellow shinobi." Shiro's voice grew soft. "I was ten when I finally stepped back inside my village. All those years spent thinking of my mother was for naught when I was told she had died after my abduction. All she left me was the home, her belongings, and a letter."
Shiro's eyes grew wet, and he allowed the first tears to appear. If he was going to reveal himself, why not do it fully? After all, it was only once.
"I was like an empty shell. I held onto the only thing that gave me purpose, my love for my home. I rejoined the ranks of my village's shinobi, and served in it ever since."
Shiro looked up, tear trails visible, and his eyes glistening. "Understand that shinobi are nothing more than trained killers, assassins that complete tasks to produce income, and protect their village. We live in a world filled with deceit, and violence. Your best friend could very well end up cutting your throat. Our 'magic' is quite different from yours. First off, we don't require wands to channel our techniques. We call it chakra, a mixture of spiritual, and physical energy, and we expel it using jutsus, our version of spells. That's how shinobi fight. We use chakra and physical weaponry to kill our opponents."
"Our government stands as thus. The land we dwell in is split into several regions all with its own feudal lords. In each region, there is a shinobi village. We are more or less free to manage our own affairs. The village is led by the strongest of shinobi known as the Hokage. The Hokage manages the entirety of the village affairs. The mission contracts consist of a variety of tasks, and these are taken by regular shinobi. In combat, we are far superior to wizards, and because of our secrecy, we are almost unknown. That is why your father chose us to protect you."
Shiro turned away, and gazed back at the moon. Fleur had to lean forward to catch his next words. "That is my story. You wish to know why I was troubled? It's because I am plagued by what I've done in my life. At least in my village, we are killers with feelings."
Fleur was left speechless. Part of her wished she hadn't inquired. Acting on an impulse, she left her seat, and closed in. Shiro jerked in surprise, but before he could act, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek, and withdrew, disappointed at his lack of reaction.
"Thank you for telling me all this." Fleur said sincerely, hoping to express her feelings now before the weight of his character fully sunk in. He looked at her silently before his features morphed back into their emotionless expression. There was the Shiro she saw on a daily basis.
"I've told you my story, now I expect you to hold your end, and leave me be." Shiro said as he finally moved from the sill. He quickly wiped the wet trails from his eyes, and walked past Fleur to a small table on which a thick book lay.
"Of course I will." Fleur exclaimed somewhat insulted. "I don't break promises."
Shiro merely tapped the book in response. "Onto my reason for appearing, this book is a study on dragons." He met her eyes. "Because dragons are what you'll be facing as the first task of the tournament."
Fleur blinked rapidly. "What did you say? She asked not quite able to believe her ears.
"You'll be facing a dragon. I've confirmed this with the Headmaster, and he says to try and keep this a secret."
Shiro tapped the book again. "I've been in the forest where they are kept, and marked the pages that describes their type." A slow smirk appeared. "I wish you goodnight." He walked past the stunned Veela to the door.
"Wait!" Fleur called, recovering herself. "Will you tell Annabelle about yourself?" she asked somberly.
"I don't know." Shiro responded tonelessly. "And you'd be better off working on how to fight those beasts." The door opened, and shut, leaving Fleur alone. The Veela took the book, and fell onto her bed. What a way to end the night. Too overwhelmed with the information thrust on her, she placed the book on her nightstand, and blew out the candlelight; opting for sleep rather than further thought.
Outside, Shiro leaned against a wall wondering if he had made the right decision. He felt relief, a sense of calmness, but only time would give him the exact answer.