A/N: Kyaaaaaaaaaa!!!! I'm super-de-duper sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter out!!! ^_^;;;; It didn't take me quite 2 months!!! Ehehehe... ^_^;;; But now school and exams are over and summertime fun reigns! Let's just see how efficient I will be when I have the option to get off my lazy bum and start typing! But just for those of you waited so patiently for this chapter to come out (you can put the torches and weapons away now, Mr. Mob), it's extra long! Onto what you've been waiting for!

Inuyasha/Harry Potter do not belong to me!!! But I did get the 2nd IY Art Book as an early birthday present!!! It brings me so much joy!!! XD I can't wait for the goodies I'll get on the 12th... (I'm also so full of hope -_- ;;;)

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Chapter 8: October means the birds, the bees, and scary dreams!!!



The winds around Hogwarts began to blow with an increased ferocity, changing the colors of the trees into a sea of gold and bronze billowing on the vast grounds. As autumn became more and more evident as each day passed, the rest of September also blew by, welcoming in the early days of October.

On one such October day Kagome was leisurely strolling through the empty halls of the school, enjoying the sound of her shoes tapping against the stone corridor, the only sound reaching her senses and echoing down the rest of the halls. She often would eat breakfast quickly and early on Saturdays so she could wander through the halls without any other students bustling by. The solitude every week kept her sanity in tact, tested thoroughly with every occurrence during the school week.

Take September for example. Kagome was surprised she had lasted even a month in this place without snapping and blasting anyone that looked at her in the wrong way with her wand. The classes themselves were challenging, a new adventure to look forward to everyday. She quickly learned that not only taking precise notes and copying every single spell and fact for every class would let her pass. It also took a keen sense of intuition and good judgement for when to use a spell and which one to cast.

It also seemed that not all the teachers were fond of every student, Kagome being one of them. Snape had had a growing hatred toward the girl after the first eventful class, though not yet at the point of putting her on Harry's level. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Naraku didn't seem to display any dislike towards Kagome, but his cold eyes often glinted in her direction, making the girl clutch the jewel beneath her robes. His stare seemed to penetrate her skin, the professor looking back up with a smirk forming at the corners of his mouth.

Kagome shook her head, the echoes of her footsteps fading as she came to a halt in the middle of a deserted corridor. Her ebony hair draped over her shoulders as she gained control of her senses, her head stopping its rhythmic motions. She continued her walk, pushing a few strands of hair from her face, and fingered the jewel beneath her sweater. She could trace the shape of the charm through the fabric, the lump not noticeable beneath the fibers. She still had to tell her friends about the Shikon no Tama and its possible abilities, but if something like that centipede came after her again she didn't want them involved.

Kagome rounded a corner, guiding herself with a hand along the cold stone wall and sat down heavily against a suit of armor. The armor clanked angrily as she leaned back against it, visor shutting loudly as the girl ignored its protests.

"Oh, quiet you." Kagome shut her eyes and put a mental block against the metallic clattering. Soon another yet much softer and soothing sound filling her senses.

"Kagome?"

Miroku was leaning around the armor, sitting opposite of her, a puzzled look on his face. The suit of armor gave one final angry clank and gave up, the metal no longer vibrating against Kagome's back.

"Miroku? What are you doing here?" She leaned around a metal leg and faced Miroku, crawling over to sit beside him, her trail evident in the dust layered upon the floor.

"I've already told you a man can rest wherever and whenever he pleases. What is a lady like yourself doing seated on this unfit floor?"

Kagome eyed him skeptically. The last time he had been "resting" in a place like this was when Sango seemed to be on a search for a blunt object and his head.

"What did you do to Sango, Miroku?" She stretched her legs out, a cloud of dust settling on her once spotless shoes after being so unpleasantly disturbed. Miroku looked at her innocently, eyes suddenly large and round.

"Whatever do you mean, my lady Kagome? I was simply--" He was interrupted as Kagome gave him a disbelieving glance, one eyebrow arched to the point of being devoured by her bangs. Miroku was baffled for a moment, until a grimace passed over his face at the memory of a similar situation that ended with him unable to walk for a week. "Well, you see--" Her eyebrow raised higher, the drooped lids of her eyes giving her a hooded appearance.

"..."

"You're going to kick me again if I don't tell you, aren't you Kagome?" Nod nod. "Well, if you must know..."

Kagome smiled brightly, happy at having exploited her friend's weakness for girls. Or pain. Whichever.

"You see... Sango's birthday is coming up. Halloween as a matter of fact. Did I mention that Sango looks stunning in black and orange?"

"I'm sure she does. Now why are you hiding from her exactly?" Kagome reminded herself to ask her friend what she wanted for her birthday. She also made a note to inform Sango to wear black and orange more often.

"Well, in the past I have never quite succeeded in giving Sango an appropriate gift. She didn't seem to like the item I presented to her last year..."

"Wait... You were the one that gave her the French maid costume last year weren't you?" Kagome sighed, surprised at herself for not guessing before. Sango had mentioned to her that she had once received such a costume, but neglected to inform her of who had given it to her.

"Did I also mention that Sango would look stunning as a French maid?" Kagome bopped Miroku lightly on the head for his lack of control of his hormones.

"Do you really think that type of gift is going to win a girl's heart?" She was startled when Miroku looked at her with a crazed glint in his eyes.

"Y-you mean you know that I... with Sango... that is--" Kagome had never seen Miroku so uncontrolled or...desperate. "You don't think she...does she? But why would she..?"

"Umm... I don't think she's noticed..." The girl began to gently pry Miroku's fingers from around her shoulders, the boy being caught up in his confusion and nearly crushing her with his hands. She smoothed out the deep creases and indents left in her sweater as she tried to think of an answer to his babbling. "I'm just very... perceptive, that's all. Sango isn't too sure where she stands with you truthfully..." Miroku seemed to be calming down and returning to his usual suave self, so Kagome continued as he regained his composure. "You need to get her something from the heart. Something that will catch her attention... In a positive way."

"So... no more French themed outfits, then?"

"No."

Miroku sighed and got to his feet, offering his hand to Kagome to help her up. She grasped his outstretched limb as she kicked the layer dust from her shoes. Small clouds of dust filled the hall and the echoing of footsteps on the stone floor resounded in the once empty corridors. It seemed that breakfast was over.

"Ah, see you, Miroku! I don't want to be caught in the oncoming stampede if I can help it! Think about that gift carefully now!" Kagome let go of his hand and began to trot back down the hall, waving at the lone person left amidst the cold steel of the suits of armor.

"Farewell, Kagome! And don't bring up my gift to her from last year! She will... not cherish the memory as I had hoped!" His voice sounded distant as Kagome turned the corner, giving one last and final wave to her friend. The halls slowly began to teem with other students, bustling back to their common rooms if almost lazily after a good meal. Kagome hurried along, fighting against the growing tide of teenagers, jogging past a corner sharply.

"Kya!" She had run directly into something warm and sturdy, knocking her off of her feet. Before she reached the ground, however, a strong arm caught her, pushing her gently back so she was able to stand.

"Umm... Th-thank you..." Kagome flattened her skirt and pulled a wisp of hair from her face, looking up at the cause for her fall and her savior. Before her stood a young man, gazing at her intently with piercing blue eyes, a smug smile planted on his face. His jet-black hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, the end dangling near his shoulder blades.

"Nah, no problem." He rested his chin between his thumb and forefinger, fingers running along his jaw, eyes twinkling mischievously. "Hey, you're the gal who dumped that plant crap in my hair!"

Kagome flushed brightly, trying to shrink away within the depths of her sweater, mumbling an apology from under the fabric. The boy merely laughed, a rich and deep sound. The laughing stopped as abruptly as it had started, the young man walking past Kagome and down the stone corridor, turning to give a last parting word.

"Forget it! But I'll see you later, Kagome!" He winked at her befuddled expression, running down the hall and knocking a few startled students out of his way, clouds of dust marking his trail.

"How did he..." Kagome stood silently for a moment, analyzing her conversation with the odd boy, until someone roughly jabbed her with their elbow as the passed her. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, rubbing her shoulder as she continued down the crowded corridor towards Gryffindor tower.

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"What do I want for my birthday?" Sango poured herself a glass of hot tea, steam issuing from the top of her glass. The cup was poised before her lips, the girl gently blowing on the drink as the sides of the glass clouded over with condensation. "Why the sudden interest in something so far away?"

Sango, Kagome, and Hermione were seated at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall finishing a late lunch. During the weekend and breaks because the schedules of the students varied, there wasn't a need for the large tables in the Great Hall to only seat their individual houses. Harry, Ron, and Miroku had told the girls that since it was such a great day they were going to use Harry's broomstick to fly around the empty Quidditch field, already having eaten a hasty lunch without them. Kagome peered up at the enchanted ceiling above her, noting the blueness of the sky and the scattered clouds. She still suspected that Miroku was most likely very far from the Quidditch field by now, contemplating further over what would count as a 'nice' and 'meaningful' gift for Sango.

"Kagome?" The girl in question was completely unaware of Miroku's activities, setting down her golden cup and staring at the girl beside her. "Kagome?"

"Huh? Sorry, sorry..." Kagome waved her hand as a gesture of apology, prying her gaze from the clouds drifting leisurely above her head. "What did you say, Sango?"

Sango picked her glass up again, sipping the hot liquid while she gazed over the rim at her friend. Hermione answered for her as Sango nodded while finishing the last of her tea, dropping the cup heavily on the table.

"Really, Kagome! How do you pass any of your classes with that drifting mind of yours? Sango was inquiring as to why you were pondering as to what to give her for her birthday at the end of the month."

Kagome laughed nervously, continuing to wave her hand somewhat awkwardly. "Oh! That! Well... I errr... Wanted as much time as I could get to find something that would actually mean something to you! Wouldn't want to give you some flowers when you really wanted a big...thing...or something..." Sango raised a questioning eyebrow at her rambling, deciding it wouldn't do her any good to push the question further with her friend in this state.

"Actually... Flowers would be nice..." Sango calmly poured herself another glass of tea as Kagome and Hermione exchanged confused glances. Kagome had always pictured Sango as a warrior, roaring as she waved her weapon above a scene of mass destruction, the weak in an unmoving heap beneath her feet, wailing in anguish and pain. Well, maybe Kagome had been studying a little too much about the goblin rebellions in her History of Magic class.

"Really? Flowers?" Sango nodded, guessing at the visual that was going through her friends' heads. She sighed, adding a lump of sugar to her steaming beverage.

"Really. No one ever expects me to actually want flowers or something nice like that. They always think I'm joking and get me '101 Ways to Make a Household Appliance a Weapon'..."

"So Sango really does have a feminine side!!! I'm so happy! Now I can do your hair and we can borrow clothes..." Kagome was silent for a moment, looking Sango up and down as the girl had a look of pure horror on her face. "Well, you can borrow my clothes..."

"What's wrong with my clothes? They're warm, they're comfortable, they're-- "

"Pants, Sango. How are you going to show off those strong, slender legs wearing pants?"

"It's October! Aren't you cold in that mini skirt of yours???"

"It's a small price to pay for beauty, Sango. I wear skirts whenever and wherever. Now, I know you have at least one such skirt to your name, my friend."

Sango spit out her tea, wiping her mouth sheepishly on the sleeve of her large sweatshirt. Hermione sighed and erased the spreading stain with her wand. She mentioned something about tiring of these ridiculous conversations and that a soundly napping Shippou would provide more intellectual remarks, the doors of the Great Hall shutting behind her. Sango and Kagome continued to bicker, getting strange looks from the few other people left in the room.

"What are you talking about??? When did I--"

"Sango. Two words: French. Maid."

They stared at each other silently for a few moments before beginning to giggle, Sango giving up on finishing her tea as she shook from suppressed laughter. They were interrupted as the doors of the Great Hall opened loudly, stifling any further laughs between the two. Inuyasha was standing in the doorway, looking slightly nervous and edgy.

"Ah! Inuyasha!" Kagome waved at him to come join her and Sango, patting a seat beside her as he cautiously sank down onto the seat. He had finally agreed to join Kagome and her friends at this section of the table, still somewhat isolated from the group. "I haven't seen you all day! You missed out on flying lessons from Harry!"

Inuyasha seemed to bristle at the comment, if only for a brief instant. "Keh! I was just--" He looked quickly up at the enchanted ceiling above his head, muttering under his breath and grabbing handfuls of food. "Shit." He ran out of the room, the heavy oaken doors slamming to a close behind him.

Kagome sat motionless, watching as Inuyasha ran out. Sango leaned over and gently closed her friend's gaping mouth. Kagome turned to her, hands clenching the soft fabric of her skirt. Sango nearly missed the look of hurt and disbelief on the girl's features before being quickly replaced with irritation.

"Jerk." Sango nodded in agreement, still watching the doors that Inuyasha had passed through just moments before. Kagome looked up at the ceiling of the Great Hall for the second time that day. The rich blue was slowly being replaced by hues of deep red and gold, the few clouds melting into the new backdrop still being painted into the sky. She sighed and rested her chin on her hands, watching the sunset unfold above her.

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"Hey, Kagome!"

Kagome looked up surprised as she clambered into the Gryffindor common room, the portrait firmly swinging closed behind her. Harry jogged past a few other Gryffindors as he helped the girl into the room, grabbing her hand and leading her over to a large and nearly full couch. They both sat down on the piece of furniture, finding enough room on the cushions to squeeze next to Hermione and Ron. Kagome tried to position herself comfortably while not accidentally jabbing the other occupants on the couch, finally giving up and leaning back into the cushions. She reached across and grabbed Shippou from Hermione's lap, the kitsune sprawling over Kagome's legs.

"I haven't seen you much today, Shippou!" Kagome cooed and began to tickle his furry feet, adding with a whisper, "That Hermione is trying to steal you from me!" Shippou looked between the two girls confused, eyes going wide as Kagome nodded strongly, trying not to laugh.

"Oh, really, Kagome! Don't lie to such a fragile mind! Besides..." Hermione reached across Ron to pull on her friend's cheek lightly. "Shippou likes me better, don't you?"

Kagome rubbed at her offended cheek, continuing to tickle the boy in her lap with her other hand. "He better like me better, or else..." Shippou looked shocked at the girl above him as her hand stopped moving, mouth hanging slightly open. Kagome suddenly drew her hand away from her sore cheek and began to violently tickle the kitsune with both hands. "Or else this will happen!"

Shippou gasped for breath as tears streamed down his face from his laughter. "K-K-Kaahaahaagome!!! St-st-heehee-op it!!! Or-or-or I'll tell-Ho- Ho-Hojo he can't come!!!"

Kagome stopped abrubtly, hands hovering dangerously over the kitsune's small paws. "Eh? What did you say?"

"Ummm... He didn't say anything! Nothing at all! Isn't that right, Shippou?" Ron looked down at the boy beside him, rustling his hair until it stood on end.

"Huh? But in that letter..." Shippou patted down his hair, now completely and utterly confused, Ron now clamping his hand down firmly on the boy's head. "B-but in that letter that Hojo guy was saying that--"

"How about that flying today? The sky was so clear you could--" Harry interjected, bouncing off of the couch. Kagome fell into the once occupied cushion, Harry's support against her left side gone. She leaned on her arms to position herself upright and noticed Shippou in Harry's arms, mouth covered by the boy's hand.

"What letter about Hojo?" Kagome glared at Harry and Ron, Hermione mumbling and sighing to herself on the other end of the couch.

"You know what? I'm kinda tired already! What about you Harry, eh?" Ron jumped off the couch stretching, acting as if to suppress a large yawn. They two boys, with the kitsune in tow, began to walk as casually as possible to the boys' dormitory. Kagome leaped off the couch and grabbed one of each boy's ears, pulling their heads back so they would face her.

"What letter about Hojo?" Kagome released them, Ron and Harry wincing in pain as Harry withdrew his hand from Shippou's mouth.

"The letter we got at lunch! The one with that Hojo guy and the weird smelling bag--"

"You got a letter for me at lunch?" Shippou nodded and rummaged in Harry's pockets before taking out an open envelope and small parcel with a bright green bow. Kagome took both suspiciously and fingered with the envelope before giving an outraged cry.

"Hey! You two read my mail! Wait..." Kagome flipped the letter open and looked between Harry and Ron skeptically. "How did you read my mail? It's in Japanese..."

"Ermmm... We had a bit of extra help in that area..." Harry fidgeted nervously as Ron nodded numbly. "Miroku said he would translate it if we promised to not mention his name when you found...whoops."

Kagome sighed and read through the letter, the source of her immediate problems for the moment. "Oh no... Hojo wants to visit sometime this year... He's going to try to arrange it... Why did mama tell him I was going here..." She looked up and sighed again, feeling a headache form in her temples. "Now as for you two..." Kagome silenced Ron with her hand as he was about to speak. "...and for Miroku... why did you even think of going to this much trouble to read a letter from one of my...friends."

Ron stepped forward and did a small bow as a gesture of apology, not bothering to straighten his vivid red hair as he jerked his head up at the fuming girl before him. "Well, I wanted to know what that spelendid 'gift' he bought you was... The owls flying into the Great Hall all took a poke at it and flew away awfully ruffled. Turns out to be some nice old herbs, eh? Funny gift for a girl if you ask me... But Harry, here..." Harry shot Ron a dangerous glare, the freckled boy immensely amused. "Harry, as I was saying, wanted to know what all of these were for..."

"Eh?" Ron pointed a long finger at a few marks on the bottom of the page near Hojo's signature. Kagome looked down at the parchment in her hands, noting the small little hearts decorating his name. "Hearts? That's how Hojo always signs his letters to me..." She gazed briefly at each of her friend's faces, emotions ranging from entertainment to shock. "He... well...umm..."

Hermione pushed herself off of the couch, huffing irritably as she approached the small group. "It's obvious, isn't it? This Hojo has the misconceived notion that Kagome has feelings for him, trying to strengthen her supposed feeling for him by cutting off their main obstacle: distance. He therefore intends to plan a trip just to visit Kagome before she can develop any other feeling for another man. Really!"

The entire common room seemed to be enveloped by the awkward silence caused by Hermione's blunt but accurate statement. The light-hearted chattering continued as Harry set Shippou down on the lush carpet, the kitsune clutching his head, unable to comprehend anything that the bushy haired girl had said. Ron turned to Harry and patted absently above his belt buckle.

"Well then. That was interesting, made me suddenly hungry. Time for dinner, isn't it?" Harry nodded dumbly and waited for Hermione and the speechless Kagome to come with them to the Great Hall. Hermione sighed and told them she had had a late lunch, while Kagome mumbled something about not being hungry and retreated to the girls' dormitory. Harry and Ron shrugged but scooped up the dazed Shippou as they pushed open the portrait door.

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Kagome nudged the door open to the empty room and shut the door behind her, the only source of light from the common room succumbing to darkness. She strolled past the unlit candles scattered throughout the room and flopped down on her neatly made bed, the crimson sheets creasing beneath the new weight. Kagome skimmed through the controversial note, barely able to distinguish the writing in the dark, while she kicked off her shoes, baggy socked toes wiggling happily at their freedom. However she tried to look at it, Hojo coming to Hogwarts, whenever that would be, would not be a joyous occasion. She contemplated over the possible scenarios that Hojo would encounter with her school until she finally drifted off to sleep, letter still clutched loosely in her hand.

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Kagome suddenly sat rigidly in her bed, wiping away the cold beads of sweat forming on her brow. She desperately wanted a tall glass of water for her parched throat as the world around her came into focus, foggily aware that it was still dark outside and the previously empty room was filled with sleeping girls.

How long had it been since that same dream had woken her up, a feeling of dread always accompanying it? At least a month, wasn't it? But no, it wasn't the same dream... This time the details had been clearer, but at the end was a hazy glimpse of a man. How long had it been since she had last seen that man...?

Kagome rubbed at her dry throat, now having an urgent need for a long drink. She clumsily got out of bed, still rubbing at her eyes as she silently opened the door that led to the common room. The fire had burned itself down to ashes, not even emitting a glow in the suffocating darkness. She gingerly padded around the large armchairs, feeling her way with her hands held in front of her. A faint beam of light caught her attention, dimly evident in the surrounding black. Kagome followed the path the light took, pulling apart the thick curtains at the end of the trail.

A soft light bathed the common room, falling warmly over Kagome. She leaned her forehead against the cold glass, watching as the sun slowly rose into the sky. She thought again about the man in her dreams, trying to focus on his features. The distinguished face of her father again filled her mind, tears beginning to leak out the corner of her eyes. Kagome chided herself for crying over something that happened so long ago, but made no effort to stop the flow of tears. The sun settled itself in a remote location in the sky, the dull creaking of the portrait hole signaling its arrival. Muffled footsteps strode through the room, then came hesitantly as they neared the girl standing before the window.

"Kagome?"

Kagome looked up and hastily wiped away the streaks of tears with the sleeve of her sweater, the remnants of her crying still clinging wetly to her cheeks. She plastered a fake smile on her face as she spun around to face the new voice.

"Eh, someone else is watching the sunri--" Recognition hit Kagome as the dark haired boy before her curiously gazed at her beneath his bangs. "Inuyasha?? What are you doing up this early?? Why were you--"

"Why were you crying?" Inuyasha took a few cautious steps forward, afraid that if he got too close the girl would shatter. Kagome looked mildly surprised for a moment but shook her head while wiping away the remains of her tears from her face.

"Ah... I just had a bad dream, that's all." Kagome peered intently at Inuyasha in the growing light. His clothes were covered in patches of dirt, he had deep circles beneath his eyes, and large gashes covered his exposed skin. "Kya! Inuyasha!!! You're covered in cuts again!!!"

Inuyasha looked at the marks covering his arms and felt the stings of the delicate areas as the fabric scratched his skin. Kagome pointed and stood with her mouth hanging slightly open.

"Look, I'm fine... I just need to go to sleep... So if you don't mind--" Inuyasha made a move towards the direction of the boys' dormitory, but Kagome blocked his way, closing her mouth and stretching her arms out to hinder his path. Inuyasha could have easily picked the girl up and made his way to his bed without any troubles, but he was curious as to what she intended to do.

"Here. Just wait here for a second. Don't you move, or else." Kagome gently pushed the reluctant boy into one of the large armchairs, running out of the Gryffindor Tower and down the empty corridors. Inuyasha sat patiently and actually began to lean into the padding of the chair, staying in his spot and not making any attempt to disobey Kagome. (A/N: Heehee, he sounds like a puppy dog! XD) After a long while, in which Inuyasha had begun to doze off, Kagome entered the common room triumphantly, out of breath and clutching a roll of toilet paper and a glass of water.

"Hah! Ran all the way here without spilling a drop of water!" She bounded happily into the room, acting as if running throughout the halls of her school at sunrise was perfectly normal. Inuyasha woke up from his stupor at her energetic attitude, complying with her wishes and sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace. Kagome crawled over, placing the water of a nearby table, and pulled her wand out from her sleeve. A crackling fire soon lit the room even more, warmth splashing over the two. She tore off a strop of the toilet paper and dabbed it in the glass of water. Inuyasha followed her orders and removed his sweater and shirt, the full extent to the damage on his body now evident.

"Really, Inuyasha... I don't want to know how you get yourself into these things..." Thankfully, Kagome didn't try to pry any deeper into his dangerous affairs, but delicately cleaned all the wounds to the best of her abilities. She muttered a few words and tapped the toilet paper with her wand, the paper becoming much thicker and stronger. She wrapped the newly transformed gauze around every cut, Inuyasha's arms and chest completely covered with layers of the fabric. All of this was done in silence, Inuyasha staring at the floor with a passion, the fibers in the carpet very intriguing, while Kagome turned him this way and that and lifted his arms up and down. Finally, the boy broke the silence as Kagome clapped her hands as a signal she was nearly done.

"Why?" It was a simple question, yes, but it still puzzled Kagome. She looked towards the ceiling for inspiration, and finding none there, tried to answer as thoughtfully as she could.

"Why? Well... Because I knew that you wouldn't get the Nurse to fix you up, for your own strange little reasons. And you certainly wouldn't try to treat yourself, bandages being for the weak and all."

Kagome rested her head on her knees, amazed that Inuyasha didn't even seemed fazed by her comment, instead keeping his eyes fixated on the floor. He looked up sharply and locked gazes with hers, surprising the bejeebus out of the girl to say the least.

"No. Why were you crying?"

"I already told you. Just a bad dream..." This was confusing. Did Inuyasha actually care...?

"Why did the dream make you cry?"

"Eh? Do you really want to know?" Inuyasha stared straight at Kagome and kept their gazes locked. Kagome took this as a yes. "I... it's just this dream I always have... But this time I saw someone I didn't expect to see..." She took his silence as a sign to continue. "I saw my dad for the first time in years." She managed a feeble smile and began to wrap more of the gauze around his already padded arm. She kept her eyes on the roll of bandages as it circled his arm, becoming smaller and smaller with each turn. Inuyasha said nothing and resumed his long gaze at the ground when Kagome continued to wrap his arm. Her soft voice broke the settling silence in the room, Inuyasha watching the soft sunlight play across her hair as she spoke.

"My dad just disappeared when I was younger while working for the Ministry of Magic. The Ministry did an investigation but ended up sending us a cheap bouquet of flowers as a way of apology when he couldn't be found." Kagome gave a slightly sarcastic chuckle at this, pausing in her arduous task. "They were white lilies, I think..." She lowered Inuyasha's arm and crawled behind him, lifting his dark mane of hair to recheck his back for any cuts she might have missed. "Now I live with my Mama, my little brother Souta, and jii-chan on a shrine in Tokyo. Never quite as exciting there as it is here." Kagome let out a long sigh after dropping his mass of black tresses, feeling suddenly and extremely tired. She laid her forehead lightly against Inuyasha's bandaged back, feeling the boy tense at her touch. He made no move to shake her off so Kagome stayed, watching as her black hair fell around her face and mingled with his.

"I lost my father when I was younger, too." Inuyasha's shoulders visibly tensed even more, Kagome remaining quiet while watching the sea of black locks swimming around them. "He was... He was very different than my mother. She died a little while after him." Kagome nodded, forehead still pressed against his back to let him know she was listening. "I was forced to live with my step-brother in a crappy and remote place in Japan, away from anyone and anything that wasn't fit to be around the bastard. That included me." Inuyasha was silent for a few moments, flexing and unflexing his fingers. "My mother had been teaching me English since the day I was born, always telling me that she had met my father at Hogwarts and that I would go there one day, too. When she died, that damn Sesshoumaru kept me locked up until he figured that making my dead mother happy wasn't as bad as having me around. So I basically was kicked out and sent to live here to live out my mother's dream." Inuyasha gave a low chuckle, much like the one that Kagome had given earlier. "Hope she's happy."

Kagome tilted her head to the side while leaning against the boy, watching with mild curiosity as his shoulders slacked after his long rant. She beamed and lifted her head from between his shoulder blades, creating a rift in the sea of hair. He looked over his shoulder at her with an arched eyebrow, eyes questioning her smiling face. Didn't he just tell her about his horrible past??? What was so damn happy about that???

"This is the most you've ever shared with me since I've known you, Inuyasha! It's so nice to see your sensitive side from time to time..." Kagome continued to smile, the light shining softly around her dark strands of hair. Inuyasha felt heat radiate from his cheeks, turning his head around sharply to escape the features of the giddy girl. He replied the only way that he could while mentally pounding himself for actually being glad he made her smile.

"Keh."

Not even his curt response could ruin Kagome's mood. She had managed to penetrate Inuyasha's defenses, learning something about the boy that acted as a loner to protect the barriers that she had just knocked down! Nothing could bring her down!

"Who's Hojo?" That was, of course, until the loner in question had drawn out a crumpled piece of paper from his torn jeans' pocket. Kagome stopped her mental victory dance and felt a vein throbbing in her temple as she saw the disheveled letter in Inuyasha's hand. She quickly thrust her hand over his shoulder and snatched the paper from his grasp, recognizing the many hearts decorating the bottom of the page.

"Kyaaa!!! Why do you have my letter from Hojo-kun???" She glanced over the torn up letter, noting the 'Love, Hojo' near the multiple hearts crossed out with something very sharp.

"Hojo-kun???" Inuyasha also felt a vein throbbing in his temple, turning to face the girl frantically scanning the piece of parchment.

"I remember falling asleep with this in my hand--" She mimicked the position she was in while falling asleep, the note held loosely in her fingers.

"You fell asleep reading that crap???" Inuyasha could feel his eye begin to twitch in time with the throbbing on the side of his head.

"--and I didn't even notice that it was missing when I woke up!!!" Kagome stopped looking over the paper, pointing accusingly at Inuyasha with her free hand. "You stole it!!!"

"What the hell are you--" Inuyasha scooted back defensively as her voice became higher and more piercing with each cry.

"Kyaa!!! You walked into the girls' room and stole something that I was holding in my hand!!!" Kagome dropped the letter held in her right hand out of shock, the vein in her temple throbbing with a burning passion.

"I did not f--" Inuyasha continued to scoot backwards, the girl crawling forwards on her hands and knees angrily.

"Kyaaaaa!!! How do I know you didn't do anything else while I was sleeping???" She stopped suddenly, throwing one hand up over her mouth and the other again pointing at the boy glaring at her nervously and densely.

"What kind of crap are you talking about??? I am NOT Miroku, damn it!!!" Inuyasha grabbed her accusing hand to stop her from advancing and jabbing him roughly in the eye. He was already in enough trouble as it was.

"How can I--" They were interrupted as heads poked out of several of the dormitory doors, each student rubbing sleepily at their eyes. Groggy teenagers looked down at the pair sitting in the new morning light, both very embarrassed with the disturbance they had caused.

"What's going on out here?"

"Who is that?"

"What time is it?"

"Does this mean it's breakfast yet?"

The 5th year doors creaked open, a head of bushy hair popping out of the girls' room, the head of a boy trying to straighten his black rimmed glasses out of the boys'. Harry's eyes snapped open at the scene before him, walking purposely through the crowd beginning to gather until he reached the pair sitting dumbfounded on the floor. He glared at Inuyasha, threw the boy's hand off of Kagome's wrist, grabbed the wrist that Inuyasha's hand had previously had a hold of, pushed again through the crowd with Kagome following behind, and shoved her in front of the bushy haired girl before retreating back to bed while grumbling. Hermione sighed and dragged Kagome into the room while lecturing her about her odd sleeping habits and companions.

Inuyasha sat motionless in the center of the common room, watching as the crowd slowly dissipated and returned to bed. Inuyasha slowly and shakily clambered onto his feet, patting the bandages as he rose to keep them in place. Only two other people remained in the room with the dark haired boy, both identical and watching him lazily through squinted eyes.

"Does this mean--"

"--it's breakfast yet?"

Inuyasha walked past the redheads and into the boys' dormitory, leaving the two dazed boys alone in the common room, knowing that Harry would be sitting and waiting on his bed for an explanation. He had done enough talking tonight and decided that he would push the idiot off of his bed so he could get some much needed sleep if the four-eyed twerp tried it. Inuyasha shut the wooden door with a slam behind him, waking up the other boys in the room, but he could have cared less. Instead, he was hoping that Kagome would have some nice dreams when she finally settled into her own bed and fell asleep.



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A/N: How was that? Was it worth the wait? Erm... Don't answer that. ^_^;;; And for those of you who are wondering, I don't think Fluffy will make an appearance in this fic... I know, I know... How cruel. =P But this is coming from the author who only has certain events in this story planned out as of yet. And boy do I have some events ^_~ (oooo, suspense!!!) Just keep on reading and the next time you read a new chapter I'll be a hale and healthy 15! Ahahahahahahahahaha!!!! Birthdays are fun and mean cake... ^_^

Next Chapter!!! Well... Lesseee... It's getting harder and harder to do these things... o_o;;; But the next chapter should take place on Halloween/Sango's Birthday! Coincidence or is the author trying to fit as much as possible into a single chapter? Stay tuned! And reviews bring me as much joy as a hunk of chocolate cake, my friends! *hint hint*