Notes:
Hello my lovelies!
The week has ended, so it's time for a new chapter!
I hope you'll enjoy this one. It's got a little surprise for all of you :D
As always, please excuse any and all mistakes.
On to the chapter, enjoy!
Chapter 37: Familial Connections
There were a lot of words to describe Shiranui Genma. Tokubetsu jonin, confident, loyal, trustworthy, outgoing and cocky were a few of them. Recently, the words asshole and dick had been added to that mental list. Nervous wasn't one of them. There had never been a reason to describe Genma as nervous. Especially since he had always been very confident in his abilities and in himself. The Genma who stood next to him at the moment was definitely nervous though. His nervousness was easily noticed as well. Couldn't stand still, his fingers were twitching and his heart was racing. All of them tell-tale signs.
Kakashi didn't say anything, keeping his eyes forward as he leaned on the railing. It wasn't up to him to start. It was up to Genma and he was patient enough to give the man time to get his shit together to do so. He'd wait. He wanted to hear what he had to say. If he ever got to that point, he thought with a mental eyeroll. Right now, he was more worried that the man would faint.
It surprised him, the moment Genma stepped away from his side, making him turn his head. What he saw next, made him raise his eyebrows towards his hairline. What was he doing?
"Wha-"
"I sincerely apologize for my words and actions. I shouldn't have said any of it. I wish I could take it back but- I'm really sorry, Kakashi. Please accept my apology." Genma said as he bowed down on his knees, hands placed in front of him and his forehead touching the ground.
Kakashi couldn't do much more than stare at the man on the ground before him. Knowing Genma, he had actually expected a half-assed apology with a smirk on his face. Hell, he'd expected a lot from him. But not this. He had expected anything but this.
"Genma." He said, his voice firm. It took a few seconds before the brown-haired man sat up, meeting his gaze. "Stand up." He all but ordered. "Please." Frankly, it was making him uncomfortable. He wasn't used to people treating him like that. He was respected, sure. But no one had ever apologized like Genma just had.
Genma raised his head to look at Kakashi as he leaned back. He stood up shortly after, stuffing his hands in his pockets and moving the senbon in his mouth awkwardly. Both men knew that the ball was in Kakashi's court now. It was just that he wasn't sure how to respond to this. Most of the anger had mellowed before Genma started talking, the fact that he came to apologize already meant a lot. After the actual apology, the anger had become even less. It was still there, but not as bad as it had been before.
In any other situation he would've waved it off, said it was alright and had gone on with his life. Either that or he would've ignored it. But this was different. He'd never had someone he considered a friend do this. So what did he do now?
"You can always decide if you want to accept afterwards." Hermione had said. She was right. He didn't have to accept the apology. He didn't have to forgive him straight away. It wouldn't be what Genma would want to hear, but he'll have to deal with that. Kakashi just couldn't. Not yet.
"Thank you." Kakashi said. "For the apology."
"I was a dick. And an asshole." Genma said, shaking his head. Kakashi in turn chuckled at that.
"That's exactly what I thought."
"Of course you did. What else did you think?"
"That being both a dick and an asshole, you could go fuck yourself." Kakashi supplied dryly.
The tense air completely disappeared as Genma responded with a snort. "Why am I not surprised?" He joked.
"But," Kakashi swallowed. He didn't want to say this, he really didn't. He needed to, however, for his own sanity. "While I do appreciate you apologising to me. I- I'm not ready to forgive you. Not yet."
"Oh."
"And that means that, for now at least, I can't let you back on the team." Kakashi knew he couldn't. Their entire teamwork relied on them trusting each other. And with this between them, he couldn't ensure them being able to work like they always did.
"Right." Genma sounded defeated at that.
"I'm s-"
"Don't. I deserve it. Actions have consequences." Genma said. "Besides, I don't have time for that, right now."
"What do you mean?" Had Genma been assigned to another team? He hadn't heard about that if it was the case.
"The Hokage assigned me to another job for the time being." He shrugged as he said it. "For… Punishment."
"Oh?" Kakashi raised his eyebrow at that.
"Yeah," It would seem Genma wouldn't give him any more information than that. Which he would respect. At least until he spoke with the Hokage. He was sure their leader would want to be informed about this.
"Right, well. If that's all. I should head back inside." Something told him Hermione needed him. And it seemed he and Genma were at least somewhat okay at the moment. It would have to be enough.
"Sure, yeah. I'll come with."
Hermione carefully eyed Sirius as he played with Teddy. Of course, the little boy easily took to his older cousin. She hadn't expected anything else. Teddy was very intuitive and knew Sirius was a good man. She smiled as Teddy giggled and chattered away.
"Are you alright?" Inoichi asked softly in English as he came up behind her. She turned to him and gave him a smile as well.
"I'm a bit tired, if I'm being honest. But other than that.. Couldn't be better." She said with a smile.
"Sorry about the party," he said sheepishly. "The timing wasn't that good for you, I know. I just-"
"Please, Inoichi-san. It's fine."
"Just Inoichi. We're family now, after all, Mai-chan." He said lightly.
Hermione rolled her eyes as she chuckled. "I'm surprised the paperwork went through as quickly as it did, though."
"Well, it would seem the Hokage is quite fond of you too." Hermione frowned at that comment. Surely the Hokage hadn't pushed the paperwork through simply because he liked her? Then again, she was happy either way. This saved her a lot of trouble. It gave her some room to breathe. While she was certain she would still look over her shoulder at every possible moment, she wouldn't have to do so within the walls of the Yamanaka compound.
"It would seem so." She replied after a moment. She had turned back to watch her, now, son. Hermione still couldn't believe it. She was a mom now. A mom. Shit. What if she wasn't a good mom? What if she screwed up? Hermione knew she had done alright, up until this point, but this was a human being. A child that would now, up until their adulthood, look to her for answers. For guidance. And what if she didn't have any answers? Couldn't guide him?
Before she could go into full-blown panic mode, Kakashi appeared next to her. The effect of his presence was instantaneous. He didn't touch her, but he didn't need to. Him standing close to her was enough. She slowly released the breath she was unconsciously holding in, giving Kakashi a sideways smile in thanks. He raised an eyebrow in question, to which she softly shook her head, silently telling him she was fine. Kakashi looked at her a moment longer, before frowning and switching his gaze to Sirius.
"How'd it go?" Hermione asked softly. She knew he could hear her either way and she didn't want anyone else to join the conversation, which is why she spoke in English. She also knew everyone within hearing range, in this case Inoichi, Shikaku and Chouza, would be polite enough to pretend not to hear anything.
"He apologised."
"And?" She pressed when Kakashi didn't continue.
"And I told him I couldn't forgive him yet." Kakashi said after a pause. Hermione could feel guilt coming from him. She softly touched his hand to comfort him.
"Please don't feel guilty for not forgiving him. It takes time. Once you're ready, you'll be able to. And it'll mean a lot more to him then. Because then you'll mean it too."
Kakashi didn't respond, but took her hand in his and gave it a small squeeze before letting go again. She understood it was hard for him to accept that, but she was immensely proud of him that he chose not to forgive him straight away, which meant he listened to his heart and knew he wasn't ready. He would be, she knew, he just needed a little more time.
Seeing Kakashi intently watching Sirius and Teddy, she turned her head as well. Hermione wasn't surprised that Sirius was looking at them, what did surprise her was how he was looking at them. He seemed to be contemplating something, but she wasn't sure what. Before she could speak up, Teddy demanded his attention again, which he gladly gave. He was really doting on the boy. It reminded her to keep an eye on Sirius. She would need to make sure he wouldn't go overboard in his ways of entertaining the boy.
Hermione was pulled from her thoughts when Sirius stopped in front of her to hand Teddy to her.
"He's whining, but I'm not sure why. Kept calling for you, too. So, here ya go, mum." Sirius explained as he pushed Teddy into her arms with a smirk.
Looking down at the boy, she realised what was up. She could smell it. Bloody man. Didn't know why? Right. She gave him a look and rolled her eyes at her grin. "You do realise you're going to have to do it at some point, Sirius?"
"Not a chance, love. I'm the fun uncle, remember? I don't do diapers."
Hermione turned without another word and carried the boy upstairs, while softly cooing him. She was actually glad to hold him again. To spend some time with just him, again. Placing the toddler down on her bed, she accio'd all the necessities for the change. "Alright, Bubba. Let's see how bad it is."
"Poo!" Teddy responded.
"Oh, I know there's going to be poo, bub. It's kind of hard to miss," she said with a chuckle. "Ugh, I can't wait until you are potty trained though." She said with a scrunched up nose. Grabbing a few wipes, she cleaned Teddy up before placing a new diaper around him, carefully fastening it. "Alrighty! All ready to go!"
Teddy gave a laugh in reply, clapping his hands. She couldn't get over the fact that he was such a happy child. Her heart warmed at the fact. There was no doubt in her mind that she would do anything to make sure he never lost his happiness. Of course she knew it was impossible to stop him from getting hurt, mentally or physically. But Merlin, she'd try.
Hermione played with Teddy a little while longer, simply enjoying having just him hear her. She ignored the fact that there was still a party going on downstairs. A room full of people she barely knew, save for Sirius. They would just have to do without her for a few more minutes. It reminded her of the parties she had celebrated with her friends. It was nothing alike. She missed them. So much. Surely they had realised she was missing, right? Would they be able to find her? Hermione hoped they didn't think she would just take off. Which made her wonder. Were they even looking for her?
"Anything?" The question was asked in a desperate sounding way. And he was. Desperate, that is. He'd been working on this for months.
"No, nothing."
"Damn it. This is impossible. It's beyond impossible! Where the bloody hell could she have gone? And without a word too! How the hell did we miss this?"
"I don't know, Harry. I wish I knew. I just hope she's safe." Ginny stood next to her boyfriend, placing a hand on his arm, trying to calm him down. He appreciated the sentiment, but he was incapable of calm at the moment. His best friend had been missing for months.
"Surely she's alright, right? I mean, it's 'Mione we're talking about. She's brilliant. She'll find a way to contact us, I'm sure." Ron was right, she was brilliant. But he knew that Hermione wouldn't do anything to worry them. She would've told them if she was leaving for a longer period of time, right?
"It just bothers me she hasn't already. It's been months!" Harry stood up and shoved his chair away. They had been using Grimmauld Place as their headquarters, once again. Their mission this time? Finding Hermione. Who had disappeared without a trace.
"And you're sure no one has seen her? Have you tried asking everyone?" The question came from Neville this time. Harry looked at his friend as he paced around the room as well. The moment he and Luna had learned of the disappearance of their friend, they agreed to help.
"I contacted everyone who I thought she was speaking to. I even owled Krum, but he hasn't replied back. After her parents died, she kind of closed herself off, y'know? So it's hard to figure out who she was speaking with and who she hadn't seen in a while." Harry explained.
In fact, he hadn't even known who she had and hadn't been speaking to. After she had gone back to school, he threw himself into work. Being trained as an Auror had taken a lot more of his time than he had expected. Any free time he had, he'd spend with Ginny. Shit. Maybe that was why she had left? Because they hadn't been there for her?
"Okay, wait. Let's rethink this, make sure we haven't missed anything. She came to my birthday and left a week after that. Did she tell anyone where she was going next?" Ginny started.
"Not that I'm aware of," Harry said. "But in all fairness, I was paying more attention to you." From the corner of his eye, he could see Neville leave the room.
"Ew, guys, please. Can you please not do this with me here? I'm her brother, Harry!"
"Oh, sod off, Ron. Deal with it." Ginny shoved her brother in annoyance.
"I thought she mentioned applying for a job at the Ministry?" Luna supplied. "She said on your birthday that she would go there in a week. Which means she would've gone somewhere else for a few days before going to the Ministry."
"Alright. But where?"
"Guys! I got an owl from the Headmistress!" Neville walked back in, carrying a barn owl.
"McGonagall?" Harry asked. "Why would she owl us?"
"I figured that the Headmistress would have a little insight on Hermione's whereabouts. She's seen her more often than we have this past year." Neville explained with a shrug.
"Of course. We didn't even ask her. How could we be so stupid?!" Harry groaned. "What did she say?"
"She said she hadn't heard from Hermione since she had graduated." Neville mumbled a little as he read the rest of the letter. "Oh! Oh? Hermione had been writing Remus? I didn't know she kept in contact with him?"
"Yeah, after Tonks- Hermione took it upon herself to check in on him regularly. But-" Harry said, he scratched the top of his head. "Wait, did we hear from Remus?"
"I don't remember getting a response from him." Ginny said with a frown.
"Let's go check his house then. He lives in a cottage in Yorkshire."
The group put on their coats and once done Apparated from Grimmauld Place. Harry was the first to arrive. Eyes wide at the sight of the cottage that once belonged to Remus.
"Merlin's beard." Ginny breathed next to him.
Harry swallowed down the bile rising in his throat. This wasn't good. At all. How did they miss this? "Spread out." He ordered. "Look for anything that doesn't belong."
Every single one of them moved into action. While Luna, Neville and Ginny weren't Aurors, they knew what to do. Quickly searching for any clues as to what happened here and where Remus and Teddy may have gone. Ron paused next to him. "We should probably call this into the office. Kingsley might have an idea. Maybe he's heard something."
"Can you go do that?"
"You got it. Let me know if you find anything." If you find anyone went unspoken, but Harry knew what Ron had meant. If anyone had been inside before the fire started, there was a chance they hadn't gotten out in time.
"Of course." And with a nod, Ron Disapparated.
Harry moved towards the cottage, carefully moving as not to touch any part of the structure. He was surprised how much of it all was still standing. Seeing it from the outside made him think the inside would be completely destroyed. Most of the books hadn't survived the fire, logically. Everything else looked properly burnt.
Turning to the bedrooms, he paused at the first one. This was a guest room, he remembered. He had stayed here a few times when he visited Remus and Teddy after the war. This room was mostly untouched by the fire, it seemed the worst bit was at the front of the house.
He turned to move towards the other rooms as something caught his eye. A jacket. He knew that jacket. He also knew that jacket did not belong to Remus and- No. Bile rose into his throat again, but this time he couldn't swallow it down. Turning his head just in time, he fell to his knees as he vomited, tears appearing in his eyes. It was Hermione's. She had been here. Shit.
"Thanks for coming, guys." Hermione said with a small smile. She was tired, he could tell. Then again, a lot had happened, once again. This time it wasn't all bad, but that didn't mean it wasn't exhausting.
Kakashi stood to the side as he watched his team, Itachi, Gai and Genma say their goodbyes. He would meet up with them later but had to make sure Sirius was back at his place first. Speaking of Sirius, he was the last to leave the house, softly speaking with Inoichi as he stepped out. His attention moved from the men towards Hermione as she stopped next to him. "Well, that was interesting." She commented softly.
"That's one word for it." He said in return, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Listen, about your birthday-"
"Oh, I already said it was alright, didn't I?"
Kakashi tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Yes." He said. "But I, uh, I got you something. I don't have it on me, I didn't think-" He cleared his throat awkwardly. Why did he always sound like a fucking child? It was like the moment he was near her, the connection from his brain to his mouth stopped working properly. "Anyways, maybe you could come by later so that I can give it to you? You could even bring Teddy. It'll keep Sirius busy." He ended with a knowing look. He wasn't below admitting he'd like some time alone without interruptions for once.
Hermione grinned at him and he had a feeling it had more to do with his insinuation and stuttering than the fact that he had a gift for her. "I'd like that." She replied. "And Sirius could definitely use a bit of a distraction." She rolled her eyes at that. "Teddy needs a nap first, though. So maybe tonight?"
Kakashi nodded at that. "Tonight works."
"Great, I'll see you then." Hermione smiled up at him. A bit of alone time sounded good. They still had so much to work through.
"Are you lovebirds done with making plans?" Sirius drawled from the side.
"Would you stop that?" Hermione scolded him as she swatted his arm. "Enough already."
"Come on, 'Mione. You know me. I'm not someone to just take orders like that." Sirius said with a pout, which he was way too old for.
"Funny that you're saying that, Padfoot. Isn't that what dogs do?"
Kakashi wasn't sure what was happening, and really didn't know what to do with Hermione's comment. What was with that nickname? And thinking about it, Sirius did have an odd smell to him. Not at all completely like a human normally smelled. It reminded him of the Inuzuka, surprisingly. How odd.
Sirius stepped up next to Kakashi, slinging an arm around Hermione's shoulder. "Not this dog." He said with a wink. "Alright, brat. I'm ready to go back."
Kakashi just rolled his eye at that and cocked his head and nodded in the direction of his house. He figured they might as well walk. It wasn't that far and he didn't feel like using chakra to bring them back to his house. He'd also be able to get a better feel for the man this way.
Both men were silent while walking. Kakashi kept an eye on the man next to him, but the older man wasn't fazed at all. He walked at a relaxed pace, hands in his pockets. It wouldn't surprise Kakashi if he would start whistling, he seemed so relaxed. Only five minutes after they left the Yamanaka's did Sirius break the silence.
"So. You and Hermione are close, hm?"
Well, duh, is what Kakashi wanted to say. After all, the man had seen them kiss, had he not? He didn't know about Hermione, but he didn't go around kissing every woman he came across. "What gave it away?" He replied dryly, deciding not to deny anything.
"A lot, actually."
That got his attention. A lot? "Oh? Such as?"
"Hah, got your attention, did I?" Sirius gave him a smirk. "Well, the snogging was obvious. But other than that…" He hummed, seemingly deep in thought. Kakashi didn't pry, yet he was quite curious what the man had seen. He wondered if Sirius could even give them some insight in the bond he shared with Hermione. Did the man even know? He couldn't be sure if Hermione had said anything to him, then again, surely Sirius would have mentioned something before.
"How do you feel, when you're around her?" Sirius then asked, which made Kakashi snort.
"You don't actually think I'm going to answer that, do you?" There was no way in hell that he was going to tell Sirius. He barely knew the man.
"Right. Right, yeah. Of course. You shinobi don't talk about feelings. Merlin forbid, you would realise it's actually healthy to talk about your feelings." He said with a sigh.
"What the hell do you know about what shinobi do or don't do?"
"I've been here quite a bit longer than Hermione has, brat. Surely, the Hokage has told you this."
The man needed to stop calling him a brat. "Right. You met Jiraiya-sama. How did you manage to get a letter of recommendation from one of the Sannin?"
Sirius chuckled at that. "That's quite a long story. I guess the short version of that story is that I saved his life." Kakashi's head whipped to the side in shock. This man saved Jiraiya's life? How? "It can't be that surprising, Kakashi-san. After all, you and I both know what kind of trouble he gets into from time to time. I've seen the books."
Ah, yes. He did have a point there. Jiraiya did have a reputation of being a pervert and has been kicked out of a lot of bathhouses. Still, Kakashi was sure most of it was an act. He didn't believe that he wasn't able to dodge any and all hits he received. Someone as legendary as him? It made him wonder what kind of trouble he had been in, for Sirius of all people to come to his rescue.
"Back to you though, you and Hermione. What gives?"
"It's complicated," Kakashi answered with a sigh. And it was. To this day, he still didn't understand all of it and frankly it pissed him off.
"All relationships are, mate. Trust me on that."
"What about you?" He figured now was as good a time as any to ask about his connection to Hermione. "You and Hermione, I mean. How do you know her?"
The only answer he got was a raised eyebrow and a smirk. He rolled his eye in response to that. "Just answer the question, Black-san."
"Hm, well. We're from the same place, obviously. Also, she's my god son's best friend and she pretty much saved my life the same day that we met."
"Saved you? How?"
"By being a bright little witch, of course. But I'll let her tell you that story. I was unconscious for a part of it."
Kakashi just stared at the man. Sirius had a way of speaking in a vague manner, never really answering in a proper, understandable way. Then again, he wasn't all that different, was he? He was known to be cryptic as well, not answering when questioned.
When he arrived at the house, he let Sirius inside. "I need to make a few arrangements, regarding my team. I'll leave Pakkun here for emergencies but I shouldn't be longer than an hour or two."
"Pakkun?"
"Yes." Kakashi punctured his thumb and went through the necessary signs before placing his hand on the ground. With a poof of smoke, the pug appeared.
"What's up, Boss?" Kakashi signaled him to follow him for a bit, making sure Sirius couldn't hear them.
"Please keep an eye on the house and Sirius. I'll be back in two hours tops. Also, he smells off. Try to find out why."
"Like how you smell off?" Not now. Damn the dog and his nose. He should've known.
"That's not what's important right now. But he is different. He smells like a dog, but I haven't seen one near him the entire time. So the smell shouldn't be this strong. Investigate, will you?"
"You got it." The pug answered in reply. With a nod to Sirius as well, he flickered away.
"So. You're a talking dog, eh?" Sirius wasn't sure if the dog spoke English, so it was best to speak his native tongue.
The pug turned its head and fixed him with a bored stare that he easily copied with a raised brow. The staring continued for a few minutes before the dog sighed and stood up.
"I'm not a talking dog, human. I'm a ninken." The dog, sorry, ninken moved towards him and sniffed. "You don't smell like a normal human, though."
"Well, I'm not a normal person." Sirius drawled. Because while he was one in his own community, he knew he wasn't here.
"I don't mean that. I know about your kind. Boss' lady friend has the same kind of smell. But even taking that into account, you smell off."
Damn. His nose was really good, wasn't it? So far he'd gotten away with being an Animagus. Hadn't even changed in a long time. No one had realised, and no one knew besides 'Mione. But it seemed this dog knew something. Was that what the brat had been speaking about to him? Had he known something too? Sirius was aware of shinobi having other talents than fighting. Some had better hearing, others had better eyesight. And some, some had a better sense of smell. Was Kakashi one of those?
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't bullshit me. Why do you smell like a dog?" Ouch, talk about blunt. "I will find out. So you might as well just tell me before I make you."
"Is that so? Well, I'm not going to tell you anything, mate." Like hell that Sirius was scared of a little pug. But, damn. He hadn't expected the pug to be as quick as he was. Then again, he should've known. One second the pug was standing before him, the next he saw a mouth full of canines come for his leg. Now, he could've easily stunned the dog, but he wasn't sure how Kakashi would react. He was sure the Hokage wouldn't be amused at that. The other option was to let the dog bite him, but he didn't feel like getting hitten, honestly.
So he opted for a third option. Not ideal, but he supposed the dog would get its answers, wouldn't it? It had really been a while since he had done so, so the feeling of his body changing felt a bit odd. He felt his bones shift, as well as his insides. It had never been a pleasant feeling, transfiguring oneself. But to him, feeling like this meant freedom. So while it physically wasn't pleasant, he enjoyed doing it. He had missed this.
After his bones and insides had rearranged themselves, he felt his limbs change. It was such a smooth process and it happened quite quickly, but he was so in tune with his body when he did this. He felt his clothes merge with his body and hairs growing out of his skin. His nose and mouth stretched forward and his ears moved to the top of his head. All in all, the transformation was completed within a second.
The shock of watching him transfiguring himself was quite apparent as Pakkun stopped his attack midway and twisted himself, landing to the side. "What the…"
Sirius was bummed he couldn't speak in this form, but hoped since he was a dog too, Pakkun would be able to understand him either way. He whined as he shook his body, getting used to the larger body he hadn't used in so long.
"So, you can change into a dog? That would definitely explain the smell. Were you always able to do this?"
No.
"How then?"
I taught myself when I was in school.
"Can the girl do this as well?"
No, she can't. Between you and me, she could learn. But at the moment she can't.
The pug was quiet for a moment while processing this information. He took it a lot better than he would expect someone to take it. Then again, he was a talking dog. He'd probably seen a lot of weird shit. "Hm. Interesting. And you can change at will?"
A second later, Sirius was back in his human form. "Yes."
"Who else knows about this?"
"Hermione knows, obviously. Other than that, you." Sirius sat back down on the couch, crossing his legs as he made himself comfortable.
"I'm flattered." Pakkun responded flatly.
"I'm sure you are. I would appreciate it if you could keep this to yourself for now. I'd like to prank the brat at least once before telling him."
He'd never actually heard a dog snort. That's what Pakkun did, however. "You want to prank Boss?"
"Sure," Sirius replied with a shrug. "He could use it. He needs to loosen up a little, you know?"
Pakkun was silent for a moment longer. He wondered if the dog would join him in the prank. That'd be the best outcome. The other option would be that the dog would rat him out. "Alright, I'll help. But only because you won't succeed otherwise." It was funny how the dog tried to play it off like he couldn't care less. Sirius knew better. He was definitely interested. A smirk appeared on his lips.
"Great! Let's start planning then, maybe-"
Sirius grabbed his wand as Pakkun instantly moved towards the door. He sniffed and growled. "Damn cat. They know better than to show up here."
"Cat?"
Sirius got up and moved to the door, opening it, ignoring Pakkun's question as to why he would do that. He had a hunch, however. There was only one cat that always found him, no matter where he was.
"Meow." Crookshanks purred as he entered the room like he owned the place, dragging a small bag with him, not even giving the dog a single glance.
"Well. Welcome back, Crookshanks. What have you been up to?" Sirius said, easily switching back to English.
"Meow."
"He says he's got something for you." Pakkun grumbled, making Sirius stare at him in surprise.
"You can understand what he's saying?"
"Strangely enough, yes. Which is weird, because I usually can't understand cats. He's not secretly a human, is he?"
"No, not that I'm aware of." He told the pug before turning to Crookshanks. "What do you have for me Crooks?" Sirius said, kneeling down. He'd notice the package, of course. Crookshanks sat down as Sirius reached out for the small bag, carefully opening it. He stuck his hand in, biting back a small curse at the cut it created in his palm. Taking it out, he frowned. Slowly unwrapping the cloth covering the sharp object, he froze at the sight of it. He recognized this. How couldn't he? He had created it.
He placed the object on the floor, carefully examining it. It was one of the mirrors he and James had charmed. It was a shame it wasn't the entire mirror, but it seemed the magic was still very much present in it. Who would be in possession of the other half, he wondered. And would it work? And most importantly, how did Crookshanks get it?
"Meow."
Absentmindedly Sirius petted the cat's head. "You did good, Crooks. Now. Let's see if we can contact someone, hm? Who knows. Maybe we'll even be able to get back home. Hermione's going to be thrilled."
Kakashi sighed as he appeared in front of his house again. The meeting had been brief, but necessary. He'd received a notice about the new attribute for his team. Apparently he got another Uchiha under his care. The heir, this time around. He'd seen the boy at the party, but now he also knew why he was placed on the team for Hermione's mission. He was a good asset, so he was positive it would be fine.
As he approached his house, he noticed the door was open. Why would they leave the door open? What were they up to?
"You can understand what he's saying?" He heard Sirius ask.
"Strangely enough, yes. Which is weird, because I usually can't understand cats. He's not secretly a human, is he?" Why the hell would a cat be secretly human? That made no sense at all and he'd expected a lot more from Pakkun.
"No, not that I'm aware of. What do you have for me Crooks?" Sirius asked again, this time directed to what seemed to be a cat. Also, why the fuck was there a cat in his house?
"Meow." Kakashi stealthily moved closer, making sure no one knew he was there.
"You did good, Crooks. Now. Let's see if we can contact someone, hm? Who knows. Maybe we'll even be able to get back home. Hermione's going to be thrilled."
Kakashi's heart stopped beating at that, he was sure. Contact who? What was he playing at? And… Go back home? Hermione would be thrilled? No. No, this wasn't happening. No. Fuck. This wasn't supposed to happen. Fuck.
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Until next time 3
