Daphne: "Eighth chapter, ready to be read! I am so happy to finally have
this done, and I hope that you like it!
~*~*~*~
Hogwarts-Sakura Style
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 8.
The next morning, when she awoke, Sakura felt a comforting presence near her. She looked up and smiled as she caught sight of the sleeping Syaoran. His chestnut hair was messier than usual, and a lock of it fell across his eyes. His cheeks were flushed pink with sleep, and his breathing was deep and regular.
Sakura reached up, and smilingly brushed the lock of hair out of his eyes. His eyes blinked open, and intense amber met rich emerald. He smiled, and cupped her face in his hands.
"How did you sleep?" He asked, his eyes roving her delicate face. She grinned.
"Better than I have in years. You?" She asked cheekily.
"Same as you." He answered, leaning down and kissing her rosy lips. She giggled and wound her arms about his neck. The kiss was passionate and full of true love, something that most sixteen year-olds did not experience until a much later age. But Sakura and Syaoran were not of the 'normal' race of people; no, they were two in a group of very special persons, all of whom had found their true loves at an early age. And this was only one aspect of the romance and love that bound these two, for there were many more that any mere mortal could not possibly comprehend.
"We really should get some breakfast." She said breathlessly, as he pulled away. He hesitated, and then pulled out of her arms.
"Fine. But while we eat, you have to tell me everything that has happened so far during your stay at Hogwarts." He insisted. She grinned and got off the bed, pulling him with her. When they got down to the common room, they found two plates of steaming food, waiting for them.
"We is thinking that you might be getting hungry. So we is bringing you up something to eat. Also, Miss Tomoyo left you a note." Winky shrilled, coming out of her room, with Rose cradled in her arms. Sakura read the note, which simply said that the others were going down to the kitchens for breakfast, and then they were going to try to find Syaoran. He supposedly hadn't returned to his room last night, and Meiling was worried. Sakura showed the note to Syaoran, who laughed, and then they settled down to eat.
As they ate, Sakura explained everything, from the time that she had arrived at Hogwarts and met Neville and Draco, to just before last night. Syaoran listened with interest, and then looked at Rose thoughtfully.
"He did a good thing." Was all he said about Draco's shocking decision. Sakura was surprised that he took it so well.
"So...what do you have first, today?" Syaoran asked, as they finished breakfast. Sakura smiled.
"Over the last few weeks, we have been studying with the professors, so we wouldn't have to join our classmates immediately. It is better that they get used to our presence first, before we join them in the classes. We have already done what all the sixth-years are doing today, so we are just going to spend our time in the garden, at least until lunch." She said, as they got up to go their separate ways. After one last kiss, Syaoran hurried to his first class, (Transfiguration with Professor McGonagle), and Sakura hurried to meet her friends in the Great Hall/Enchanted Garden.
~*~*~*~
"Look! There is Ginny!" Hermione hissed, as the red haired girl appeared the next morning. Ginny had not returned to the dormitories last night, and Ron had been up half the night, worrying.
"She had better have a bloody good reason for not coming to bed last night..." Ron began, but then he noticed that Ginny was not alone. In fact, Ginny was in the middle of what seemed to be a very funny conversation with the handsome sixth-year boy, Eriol Hiiragizawa! They were walking quite close to each other, while Meiling Li walked on Eriol's other side. Beside her, Neville was laughing his head off at something Eriol had said. As they moved closer, the conversation could be heard clearly.
"...so then, Yamazaki told them that the Aztecs were actually an ancient singing group, that had been quite popular back in the day. I couldn't help but add that the Aztecs tended to wear punk-style hair, and nose rings. The next day, almost all the boys came to school with moehocks or dreadlocks and fake nose-rings! It was very entertaining." Eriol said with a straight face. Ginny and Meiling broke into giggles, while Neville worked hard to keep from collapsing to the floor in mirth.
"Chiharu was so mad, that she hit him over the head with a mallet, and he ended up in the nurses office for the rest of the day." Eriol finished.
"Ugh! Please tell me that he has grown up in the last five years!" Meiling groaned, rolling her eyes. Eriol smirked.
"I highly doubt it." He chuckled, sitting down directly across from Harry. He shot Harry a sly smirk, and then went back to talking with his friends, who were now seated around him; it was an odd group, actually. Normally, Meiling would sit with the popular girls, and Eriol would join his group of friends. Neville tended to hover close to Ginny, and was quite shy when it came to talking, so it was quite a surprise when he sat down next to Meiling, and struck up a lively conversation with her. Neville was not one to be bold, so it shocked his friends when they realized that he was flirting recklessly with Meiling, and she was lapping it up!
"...So then, I told him that I would rather die, than join his cause. Then he pulled out his wand..."
"And pointed it at you?! Oh Neville, that was so brave!" Meiling gasped, as she wrung her hands. He smiled.
"Not really. I just did what I believed was best. Power is not everything." Neville answered, winking at her, and making his friends mouths drop.
"No, it is not." Meiling murmured, reaching over and squeezing his hand, before she began to eat. Harry glanced back over at Ginny, who did not seem aware that he was even in the same room as her.
"So, Sakura (or Cherry, as most know her) tells me that you like to sing as well. Is that true?" Eriol asked, looking genuinely interested. Ginny blushed a bit, and lowered her head.
"Well, I do like to sing, and I have even sung with them a few times. But I am not that great." She mumbled, playing with her food. Ron stared at his sister in shock.
"You have met the 'Mortal Angels'?!" He yelped, making the whole room go silent. For the first time since she had entered the Great Hall, Ginny noticed that they were there. As soon as she caught sight of Harry, her cheeks reddened, and he felt a strange rush of satisfaction at the fact that he still had that affect on her. But when she looked at Ron, she rolled her eyes.
"Of course I have. That is why I left for school so early, so I could show them 'the ropes'. And you have met them too, if I am not mistaken." She said, her voice echoing in the now silent room. Ron's mouth dropped open, and Hermione's eyes widened, while Harry smirked knowingly.
"Yes you have. Remember those kittens that Professor Dumbledore brought me? Think Ron, there just happened to be *three* of them, and they were named Rose, Violet, and Cherry. Does that ring any bells?" Ginny asked curtly, as she got up from the table and left, closely followed by a smirking Eriol, a chuckling Neville, and a giggling Meiling.
"Wait! Kittens, names, three...Ron, those kittens we were harboring, were actually the 'Mortal Angels' in disguise!" Hermione yelled, making everyone gasp. Harry, however, simply smirked.
"Quick thinking, genius!" He laughed, starting to get up. He was stopped by Ron's hand flashing out and grasping his wrist.
"You mean that you knew?! The whole time?!" Ron shouted. Harry grinned.
"Well, not the whole time, but what can I say?! Ginny can't resist me!" He boasted. Ron growled.
"Ginny wouldn't of..."
"She didn't. I sort of figured it out on my own, and then Rika told Ginny that she could let me in, as long as I didn't tell anyone. And I've kept that promise." Harry stated, picking up his books and heading to their first class, Potions with Professor Snape. Ron and Hermione raced to catch up with him.
~*~*~*~
When they finally got to the dungeons, many of the Slytherins were already there, including...Draco Malfoy. Harry suppressed a moan, and waited for Malfoy's usual abhorrent comment; but it never came. As Harry, Ron and Hermione sat down at their normal seats, Hermione frowned and looked pensive.
"Have you noticed that Malfoy seems a little...distant from the other Slytherins? I mean, think about it! Usually, he is flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, but ever since we arrived, he has seemed to avoid them. I mean, he eats alone at meals, he sits at the end of the table, just like that Syaoran Li does, and he hasn't said a mean word to us at all. Do you get the feeling that something is wrong?" She asked. Ron and Harry looked at each other and shrugged. They hadn't noticed any of these changes, and it was just like Hermione to point them out.
"Also, we find out the 'Mortal Angels' are attending this school, for seemingly no reason, and Meiling, Eriol, Ginny, and Neville start to hang out with each other, when as far as we know, Meiling never even glanced at Neville or Ginny before, Eriol never seemed to be that social, nor Ginny, for that matter. Ginny stops hanging around us, and Neville suddenly starts to act so... stoical and self-assured! If that isn't weird, I don't know what is." Hermione pointed out, just as Neville walked into the room and sat down near them.
"Morning, Harry, Hermione, Ron." He said, immediately opening his book and pulling out his quill, barely even glancing at them. The three friends looked at each other, and shrugged in confusion. Soon after that, the dungeon door slammed open, and Severus Snape stalked into the room.
"Today we are going to be concocting a potion that allows its user to fly, without the use of wings or brooms. The ingredients are in front of you. Get into pairs and get to work." Snape snapped, eyeing the students sharply. Hermione and Ron quickly got together, while Harry partnered up with Seamus Finnigan. Harry was not paying attention to anything else, until Snape spoke up again.
"Mr. Malfoy, would you kindly pair up with Mr. Longbottom. I do not wish to have my classroom blown up, today." Snape said sharply. Harry looked up in astonishment. Snape may have been horrible, and downright mean, but he had never stooped to the level of putting the meanest student with the most helpless. This was an outrage! Harry watched as Draco got up out of his seat, and went to sit beside Neville, who, surprisingly, did not even flinch! Instead, he nodded to Draco, and then handed the Slytherin boy a knife, so he could start chopping the willow roots. Without a complaint, Draco settled down to do as he was told. Harry and Seamus shared a startled look, and then continued on with their work. They failed to notice the wink that Snape sent to Draco and Neville, and the knowing smile that the two boys shared before they began with their potion.
~*~*~*~
Sakura and her friends were calmly sitting in the garden talking, when Syaoran rushed into the room.
"Meiling, Sakura! I missed the chance to do my training this morning, so would you like to join me while I do it now?" He asked eagerly. He was already dressed in his traditional costume, and his hair was tasseled more than ever. Meiling, who was sitting on a bench, got up and ran out of the room, not saying a word, but grinning to him on her way out. Sakura got up off the swing, where she and Tomoyo had been sitting.
"I would love to." She said calmly, taking out her wand and flicking it at her body. Immediately, she was dressed in a battle costume that was identical to Meiling's, except it was white and pink, with a cherry blossom decorating the front, instead of a yin-yang. With a flick of her left hand, her sword flew into the room, and landed in her hand.
"Ready." She chirped, as Syaoran's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
"Um.you look nice.beautiful." Syaoran said, and then shook his head, as if disbelieving, his face turning red. Tomoyo squealed and took out her camcorder, while Eriol smirked at him. Sakura smiled understandingly.
"Tomoyo made it for me." She said simply. He grinned.
"Fine with me! Come on."
"Wait! What do you do, during this...training?" Ginny asked, curious. Syaoran turned and smiled at her, something she had never seen before.
"Why don't you join us and find out." He said, taking Sakura's arm and leading her out of the room. Ginny looked excited.
"If it has anything to do with those swords, I am so there!" She cried, hurrying after them. Eriol and Tomoyo were close behind, their heads bent over Tomoyo's video camera.
When they got to the grounds, Meiling, Syaoran and Sakura conjured up sand bags, so they could practice their fighting skills. As soon as Eriol, Tomoyo, and Ginny were settled down on the grass beside them, the three warriors began to kick and punch at the sand bags. Ginny watched in dawning approbation and awe as they created a distinct rhythm to their kicks and punches, making it look almost like a dance. Tomoyo had the camera up to her eye, and Eriol was making comical comments about the look on Syaoran's face, or the way that Sakura's hair blew back in the wind, drying the sweat off her brow.
Soon, Ginny noticed that they had attracted a crowd. Hagrid now sat behind them, throwing compliments and encouragement's to the fighters. By his side sat Remus Lupin, Bella Figg, Sirius Black, and a woman that Ginny did not know. They were all doing the same as Hagrid, except in quieter yells and cheers.
"I am just guessing, but I think that that other woman is Sophia Heath." Eriol whispered, when he noticed Ginny's confused look. She nodded, but said nothing. After quite a while, the fighters stopped, took a five minute rest, wherein, they chatted with the older people and learned that the new woman was indeed Sophia Heath, who had flown in from America just that day. She had long jet-black hair, black eyes, and was quite exotic-looking, with her long legs and lovely curvy figure. After the five minutes, Sakura and Syaoran went back out on the 'training grounds'.
"Meiling, why aren't you joining them?" Ginny questioned. Meiling shrugged.
"I don't do sword-fighting." She said simply. Behind her, the five older people shared horrified looks as the two opponents bowed to each other, and then drew their swords and tapped them together. With methodical precision, Syaoran and Sakura went through a series of exercises that Wei had showed them before he, Syaoran, and Meiling left for Hong Kong the second time. Ever since then, Sakura had been working on the exercises almost every day, and had grown quite good at them.
"Are you sure they won't hurt themselves?" Bella asked nervously. Meiling, Tomoyo, and Eriol smiled.
"Not a chance. Syaoran has been doing this all his life, and Sakura since she was ten. They are both very careful, and would *never* hurt each other." Eriol stated firmly. Bella smiled a bit and then nodded.
"We had best be getting back to the castle. Dinner will be soon." She said. Her companions nodded in agreement and they left. Soon after, Sakura and Syaoran finished, and the small group of students went inside and changed into their robes. They had all agreed that keeping Syaoran's image was a must; they must hide the connection between Sakura and Syaoran for as long as possible.
~*~*~*~
So, as they had agreed beforehand, Syaoran stomped into the Great Hall first, causing the whole hall to go silent. Everyone had been watching for the three famed girls to come in, but instead, the cold boy had. This came as quite the disappointment, save to the one person who worshipped Syaoran, Rudy Kanudeson.
Next, Draco came in, his head up and looking as he always did, although a bit more reserved. He took his place at the end of the Slytherin table and then looked at the door expectantly. It was then that the voices were heard.
"...so then Sakura turned around, and this guy was behind her, asking for her autograph. Boy, were we surprised. I never thought that we would be recognized in Alaska!" A voice rang out, laughing. Giggles and chuckles filled the air.
"Well, once, when we were home, Yamazaki came over to the studio and confused Chang to smithereens! He kept insisting that the name 'manager' was originally used for kings, when they went out on grand crusades and such. Poor Chang's eyes were spinning like crazy by the end of the tale, and Chiharu popped out of nowhere and hit Yamazaki over the head with her hammer. Of course, then they made out for the second time that week (that we had witnessed), and Tomoyo, of course-"
"Taped the whole thing!" A group of voices chimed, obviously knowing the rest of the sentence by heart. There was a peel of laughter, and then seven figures entered the room. There was complete silence as the seven people looked around the room quietly, and then they continued up to the head table.
Harry was able to spot Neville, who was standing next to Meiling and whispering something into her ear; she, in turn, was giggling. Next to her was Eriol, who was talking animatedly with a stunningly beautiful raven- violet haired girl. Next to the girl was another pretty girl who had red- brown hair and intelligent brown eyes that sparkled merrily at Ginny, who was next to her; for some reason, this girl seemed strangely familiar to Harry. Ginny was talking to the girl on her other side, a lovely auburn- haired girl who was giggling happily with Ginny. They all made their way up to Dumbledore, who was smiling down at them.
"Well, well, well. I see that you have finally decided to grace us with your presence!" He chuckled, looking over the rims of his half-moon glasses. Looking hesitant, Meiling, Neville, Eriol, and Ginny broke away from the three unknown girls, and walked to the only available seats on the Gryffindor table, right near Syaoran Li. The three girls continued on their way, and stopped directly in front of Dumbledore. He smiled at them, and they, in turn, grinned back.
"Now, I would like to introduce you to our new students. Please treat them with respect, because they are human too." He said warningly, glancing at his other students. The three girls turned and faced the room.
"I am Tomoyo Daidouji, also known as Violet. Pleased to meet you!" The raven-violet haired girl chirped.
"I am Rika Sasaki, aka Rose. A pleasure." The red-brown haired girl said, her eyes sparkling.
"I am Sakura Kinomoto, alias Cherry, and I am very pleased to meet you! Hi Harry!" Sakura called cheerfully, waving at her dark-haired friend. Harry grinned and waved back. Tomoyo and Rika giggled and waved as well. This caused Dumbledore to smile even more.
"You may take your seats, girls." He stated. They all grinned and moved down to where their friends had seated themselves. Unfortunately, the sweet girl, Sakura, was forced to sit next to Syaoran Li. Tomoyo sat beside Eriol, and Rika sat next to her, which was across from Syaoran. Nobody saw that underneath the table, Syaoran and Sakura were holding hands. Nobody, save one.
~*~*~*~
At the Ravenclaw table, a sixth-year girl saw what had passed between the two, and she worked to fight back angry tears. Syaoran was hers! Not that famous slut's! And she would have Syaoran before the year ended, or her name wasn't...
"Rudy? Rudy! Hey, hello!"
Rudy looked over to see her best friend Stephanie looking at her, worried.
"Look at her, Steph! Taking my man! *MY* Syaoran! He is mine, and that slut can't have him! Isn't she a little..."
"Woah, Rudy, watch your mouth. Syaoran is a woman hater. He wouldn't look at her twice." Stephanie soothed, holding up her hands. Rudy glared at her.
"He doesn't love her! He loves me, and soon he will see it! Soon, that will be me holding his hand. ME! You'll see!" Rudy hissed. Stephanie rolled her eyes and shrugged, turning to talk with another of her friends. Rudy smiled evilly.
'Just you watch out, Sakura Kinomoto! Once you get on Rudy Kanudeson's bad side, you can kiss you happy life goodbye! And maybe even your *whole* life.'
~*~*~*~
"...so what do we have today?" Tomoyo asked, as they walked down the halls the next morning. Rika looked at her list and cringed.
"Um...Potions, with Professor Snape." She mumbled. She and her 'uncle' had agreed to keep their relationship a secret, so as not to attract attention from other students.
"Oh good! Now we can see the 'real' Snape, that everyone is talking about!" Eriol said in a sarcastic voice. The others grinned at him as they entered the dungeon. Inside, they spotted Meiling and Syaoran seated next to each other, talking softly. Snape was sitting silently at his desk, grading some papers that his students had turned in. He looked up as they entered, but said nothing, seeing as some more students had walked through the door behind them.
"Ohayo, Meiling! Ohayo Li-kun." Tomoyo called. Meiling turned around and waved, beckoning them over. They went and sat near her, Sakura, of course, ending up next to Syaoran. Since she couldn't speak to him aloud, she decided to write notes to him instead. She even had her own code-name for him.
//Green Wolf,
How long will we have to keep this up? I don't like pretending that I hate you. It hurts me.// She wrote, and then slipped the parchment to him when Professor Snape's back was turned. He read it and worked hard to conceal a smile.
//Pink goddess,
Until people are willing to accept it. I don't like this any more than you do, and it really hurts not to be able to speak with you until after supper. But remember, I am always by your side, no matter what. Just let out your aura a little, let it mingle with mine, and then you will know.// He wrote back, slipping the note to her under the desk. She smiled as she read it, and a few minutes later, he felt just a strand of her aura mingling with his. He could not hold in his happiness, and bent over his work hastily, so he his grinning face could not be seen. Sakura too, was smiling happily, even though Eriol had just shot her a warning glance. Sure, the other students and the Professor could not feel her aura, but Eriol sure could! Quickly, Sakura returned back to her work as well.
~*~*~*~
"I can't believe that Snape didn't give us any homework today!" Harry exclaimed, as he and Ron met up with Hermione, and Ginny. They both nodded and then continued onto the great hall.
"Ohayo, everyone!" Came a cheerful voice. All four of them turned to see Sakura waving to them, with Eriol, Tomoyo, Rika, and Meiling on her heals. Eriol began to chat with Harry and Ron over some new Quidditch moves, while the girls found the topic of transforming people into animals more enjoyable.
"I still can't believe that you were there the whole time! I mean, I got the feeling that those cats were suspicious, but I never imagined that they were actually 'humans'!" Hermione exclaimed. Ginny giggled as Rika, Sakura and Tomoyo grinned.
"Like I said, the only pet that I have ever been was a 'teacher's pet', until now!" Rika giggled as they entered the Great Hall. It was already full of students, but up at the head table, there were two new people that no one had ever seen before. No one, that is, except for Sakura and her friends.
"Touya?!?!" Came a chorus of yells from Sakura, Rika, Tomoyo, and Meiling. The taller of the two people stood up and grinned at Sakura.
"Hey, kaijuu!" Touya laughed as Sakura gapped, and then rushed to hug him.
"But what are you doing here?" Sakura asked, pulling back and looking up at her brother. He smiled, causing several girls in the hall to swoon.
"I was accepted into a college not far from here, and I decided to go. Besides, someone had to watch over you, Kaijuu!" He teased, causing her to growl and stomp on his foot. It was then that Sakura noticed someone else behind Touya.
"Yukito!!!" She shrieked, launching herself at the other young man. He laughed and hugged her back.
"How are my divas? I hope that you haven't been getting into too much trouble!" He teased.
"Were fine!" They chorused, giggling hysterically as Yukito mimicked them and moved his hips from side to side in a rough imitation of them walking.
"Hey, what about us?!" Meiling called, indignant. Yukito grinned.
"Well, if it isn't my Tough Fighter and Mr. Grump." Yukito said, teasing both Meiling and Syaoran. Syaoran growled and worked hard to keep from grinning. Meiling laughed and hugged the boy quickly, before taking his arm and dragging him down the isle.
"Come on! We want to show you our rooms! And introduce you to our friends." Meiling crowed, as she pulled him from the room.
"You're coming too, Li-kun!" Yukito called desperately, grabbing Syaoran's arm on the way out. Both boys disappeared from view, as Touya started to shout about his best friend 'being a traitor for inviting the gaki'. Tomoyo was laughing hysterically, taping the whole thing, while Sakura, Ginny, and Rika giggled helplessly in the background. Eriol was smirking at the boy's dilemma, but his smirk was wiped off his face when Tomoyo grabbed his hand and pulled him after Meiling and her captives. Rika and Sakura met each other's eyes, and then each one of them grabbed one of Touya's arms and dragged him after, still yelling about his friend betraying him. Ginny, who was still giggling helplessly, followed at a safe distance.
~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~
Hogwarts-Sakura Style
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 8.
The next morning, when she awoke, Sakura felt a comforting presence near her. She looked up and smiled as she caught sight of the sleeping Syaoran. His chestnut hair was messier than usual, and a lock of it fell across his eyes. His cheeks were flushed pink with sleep, and his breathing was deep and regular.
Sakura reached up, and smilingly brushed the lock of hair out of his eyes. His eyes blinked open, and intense amber met rich emerald. He smiled, and cupped her face in his hands.
"How did you sleep?" He asked, his eyes roving her delicate face. She grinned.
"Better than I have in years. You?" She asked cheekily.
"Same as you." He answered, leaning down and kissing her rosy lips. She giggled and wound her arms about his neck. The kiss was passionate and full of true love, something that most sixteen year-olds did not experience until a much later age. But Sakura and Syaoran were not of the 'normal' race of people; no, they were two in a group of very special persons, all of whom had found their true loves at an early age. And this was only one aspect of the romance and love that bound these two, for there were many more that any mere mortal could not possibly comprehend.
"We really should get some breakfast." She said breathlessly, as he pulled away. He hesitated, and then pulled out of her arms.
"Fine. But while we eat, you have to tell me everything that has happened so far during your stay at Hogwarts." He insisted. She grinned and got off the bed, pulling him with her. When they got down to the common room, they found two plates of steaming food, waiting for them.
"We is thinking that you might be getting hungry. So we is bringing you up something to eat. Also, Miss Tomoyo left you a note." Winky shrilled, coming out of her room, with Rose cradled in her arms. Sakura read the note, which simply said that the others were going down to the kitchens for breakfast, and then they were going to try to find Syaoran. He supposedly hadn't returned to his room last night, and Meiling was worried. Sakura showed the note to Syaoran, who laughed, and then they settled down to eat.
As they ate, Sakura explained everything, from the time that she had arrived at Hogwarts and met Neville and Draco, to just before last night. Syaoran listened with interest, and then looked at Rose thoughtfully.
"He did a good thing." Was all he said about Draco's shocking decision. Sakura was surprised that he took it so well.
"So...what do you have first, today?" Syaoran asked, as they finished breakfast. Sakura smiled.
"Over the last few weeks, we have been studying with the professors, so we wouldn't have to join our classmates immediately. It is better that they get used to our presence first, before we join them in the classes. We have already done what all the sixth-years are doing today, so we are just going to spend our time in the garden, at least until lunch." She said, as they got up to go their separate ways. After one last kiss, Syaoran hurried to his first class, (Transfiguration with Professor McGonagle), and Sakura hurried to meet her friends in the Great Hall/Enchanted Garden.
~*~*~*~
"Look! There is Ginny!" Hermione hissed, as the red haired girl appeared the next morning. Ginny had not returned to the dormitories last night, and Ron had been up half the night, worrying.
"She had better have a bloody good reason for not coming to bed last night..." Ron began, but then he noticed that Ginny was not alone. In fact, Ginny was in the middle of what seemed to be a very funny conversation with the handsome sixth-year boy, Eriol Hiiragizawa! They were walking quite close to each other, while Meiling Li walked on Eriol's other side. Beside her, Neville was laughing his head off at something Eriol had said. As they moved closer, the conversation could be heard clearly.
"...so then, Yamazaki told them that the Aztecs were actually an ancient singing group, that had been quite popular back in the day. I couldn't help but add that the Aztecs tended to wear punk-style hair, and nose rings. The next day, almost all the boys came to school with moehocks or dreadlocks and fake nose-rings! It was very entertaining." Eriol said with a straight face. Ginny and Meiling broke into giggles, while Neville worked hard to keep from collapsing to the floor in mirth.
"Chiharu was so mad, that she hit him over the head with a mallet, and he ended up in the nurses office for the rest of the day." Eriol finished.
"Ugh! Please tell me that he has grown up in the last five years!" Meiling groaned, rolling her eyes. Eriol smirked.
"I highly doubt it." He chuckled, sitting down directly across from Harry. He shot Harry a sly smirk, and then went back to talking with his friends, who were now seated around him; it was an odd group, actually. Normally, Meiling would sit with the popular girls, and Eriol would join his group of friends. Neville tended to hover close to Ginny, and was quite shy when it came to talking, so it was quite a surprise when he sat down next to Meiling, and struck up a lively conversation with her. Neville was not one to be bold, so it shocked his friends when they realized that he was flirting recklessly with Meiling, and she was lapping it up!
"...So then, I told him that I would rather die, than join his cause. Then he pulled out his wand..."
"And pointed it at you?! Oh Neville, that was so brave!" Meiling gasped, as she wrung her hands. He smiled.
"Not really. I just did what I believed was best. Power is not everything." Neville answered, winking at her, and making his friends mouths drop.
"No, it is not." Meiling murmured, reaching over and squeezing his hand, before she began to eat. Harry glanced back over at Ginny, who did not seem aware that he was even in the same room as her.
"So, Sakura (or Cherry, as most know her) tells me that you like to sing as well. Is that true?" Eriol asked, looking genuinely interested. Ginny blushed a bit, and lowered her head.
"Well, I do like to sing, and I have even sung with them a few times. But I am not that great." She mumbled, playing with her food. Ron stared at his sister in shock.
"You have met the 'Mortal Angels'?!" He yelped, making the whole room go silent. For the first time since she had entered the Great Hall, Ginny noticed that they were there. As soon as she caught sight of Harry, her cheeks reddened, and he felt a strange rush of satisfaction at the fact that he still had that affect on her. But when she looked at Ron, she rolled her eyes.
"Of course I have. That is why I left for school so early, so I could show them 'the ropes'. And you have met them too, if I am not mistaken." She said, her voice echoing in the now silent room. Ron's mouth dropped open, and Hermione's eyes widened, while Harry smirked knowingly.
"Yes you have. Remember those kittens that Professor Dumbledore brought me? Think Ron, there just happened to be *three* of them, and they were named Rose, Violet, and Cherry. Does that ring any bells?" Ginny asked curtly, as she got up from the table and left, closely followed by a smirking Eriol, a chuckling Neville, and a giggling Meiling.
"Wait! Kittens, names, three...Ron, those kittens we were harboring, were actually the 'Mortal Angels' in disguise!" Hermione yelled, making everyone gasp. Harry, however, simply smirked.
"Quick thinking, genius!" He laughed, starting to get up. He was stopped by Ron's hand flashing out and grasping his wrist.
"You mean that you knew?! The whole time?!" Ron shouted. Harry grinned.
"Well, not the whole time, but what can I say?! Ginny can't resist me!" He boasted. Ron growled.
"Ginny wouldn't of..."
"She didn't. I sort of figured it out on my own, and then Rika told Ginny that she could let me in, as long as I didn't tell anyone. And I've kept that promise." Harry stated, picking up his books and heading to their first class, Potions with Professor Snape. Ron and Hermione raced to catch up with him.
~*~*~*~
When they finally got to the dungeons, many of the Slytherins were already there, including...Draco Malfoy. Harry suppressed a moan, and waited for Malfoy's usual abhorrent comment; but it never came. As Harry, Ron and Hermione sat down at their normal seats, Hermione frowned and looked pensive.
"Have you noticed that Malfoy seems a little...distant from the other Slytherins? I mean, think about it! Usually, he is flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, but ever since we arrived, he has seemed to avoid them. I mean, he eats alone at meals, he sits at the end of the table, just like that Syaoran Li does, and he hasn't said a mean word to us at all. Do you get the feeling that something is wrong?" She asked. Ron and Harry looked at each other and shrugged. They hadn't noticed any of these changes, and it was just like Hermione to point them out.
"Also, we find out the 'Mortal Angels' are attending this school, for seemingly no reason, and Meiling, Eriol, Ginny, and Neville start to hang out with each other, when as far as we know, Meiling never even glanced at Neville or Ginny before, Eriol never seemed to be that social, nor Ginny, for that matter. Ginny stops hanging around us, and Neville suddenly starts to act so... stoical and self-assured! If that isn't weird, I don't know what is." Hermione pointed out, just as Neville walked into the room and sat down near them.
"Morning, Harry, Hermione, Ron." He said, immediately opening his book and pulling out his quill, barely even glancing at them. The three friends looked at each other, and shrugged in confusion. Soon after that, the dungeon door slammed open, and Severus Snape stalked into the room.
"Today we are going to be concocting a potion that allows its user to fly, without the use of wings or brooms. The ingredients are in front of you. Get into pairs and get to work." Snape snapped, eyeing the students sharply. Hermione and Ron quickly got together, while Harry partnered up with Seamus Finnigan. Harry was not paying attention to anything else, until Snape spoke up again.
"Mr. Malfoy, would you kindly pair up with Mr. Longbottom. I do not wish to have my classroom blown up, today." Snape said sharply. Harry looked up in astonishment. Snape may have been horrible, and downright mean, but he had never stooped to the level of putting the meanest student with the most helpless. This was an outrage! Harry watched as Draco got up out of his seat, and went to sit beside Neville, who, surprisingly, did not even flinch! Instead, he nodded to Draco, and then handed the Slytherin boy a knife, so he could start chopping the willow roots. Without a complaint, Draco settled down to do as he was told. Harry and Seamus shared a startled look, and then continued on with their work. They failed to notice the wink that Snape sent to Draco and Neville, and the knowing smile that the two boys shared before they began with their potion.
~*~*~*~
Sakura and her friends were calmly sitting in the garden talking, when Syaoran rushed into the room.
"Meiling, Sakura! I missed the chance to do my training this morning, so would you like to join me while I do it now?" He asked eagerly. He was already dressed in his traditional costume, and his hair was tasseled more than ever. Meiling, who was sitting on a bench, got up and ran out of the room, not saying a word, but grinning to him on her way out. Sakura got up off the swing, where she and Tomoyo had been sitting.
"I would love to." She said calmly, taking out her wand and flicking it at her body. Immediately, she was dressed in a battle costume that was identical to Meiling's, except it was white and pink, with a cherry blossom decorating the front, instead of a yin-yang. With a flick of her left hand, her sword flew into the room, and landed in her hand.
"Ready." She chirped, as Syaoran's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
"Um.you look nice.beautiful." Syaoran said, and then shook his head, as if disbelieving, his face turning red. Tomoyo squealed and took out her camcorder, while Eriol smirked at him. Sakura smiled understandingly.
"Tomoyo made it for me." She said simply. He grinned.
"Fine with me! Come on."
"Wait! What do you do, during this...training?" Ginny asked, curious. Syaoran turned and smiled at her, something she had never seen before.
"Why don't you join us and find out." He said, taking Sakura's arm and leading her out of the room. Ginny looked excited.
"If it has anything to do with those swords, I am so there!" She cried, hurrying after them. Eriol and Tomoyo were close behind, their heads bent over Tomoyo's video camera.
When they got to the grounds, Meiling, Syaoran and Sakura conjured up sand bags, so they could practice their fighting skills. As soon as Eriol, Tomoyo, and Ginny were settled down on the grass beside them, the three warriors began to kick and punch at the sand bags. Ginny watched in dawning approbation and awe as they created a distinct rhythm to their kicks and punches, making it look almost like a dance. Tomoyo had the camera up to her eye, and Eriol was making comical comments about the look on Syaoran's face, or the way that Sakura's hair blew back in the wind, drying the sweat off her brow.
Soon, Ginny noticed that they had attracted a crowd. Hagrid now sat behind them, throwing compliments and encouragement's to the fighters. By his side sat Remus Lupin, Bella Figg, Sirius Black, and a woman that Ginny did not know. They were all doing the same as Hagrid, except in quieter yells and cheers.
"I am just guessing, but I think that that other woman is Sophia Heath." Eriol whispered, when he noticed Ginny's confused look. She nodded, but said nothing. After quite a while, the fighters stopped, took a five minute rest, wherein, they chatted with the older people and learned that the new woman was indeed Sophia Heath, who had flown in from America just that day. She had long jet-black hair, black eyes, and was quite exotic-looking, with her long legs and lovely curvy figure. After the five minutes, Sakura and Syaoran went back out on the 'training grounds'.
"Meiling, why aren't you joining them?" Ginny questioned. Meiling shrugged.
"I don't do sword-fighting." She said simply. Behind her, the five older people shared horrified looks as the two opponents bowed to each other, and then drew their swords and tapped them together. With methodical precision, Syaoran and Sakura went through a series of exercises that Wei had showed them before he, Syaoran, and Meiling left for Hong Kong the second time. Ever since then, Sakura had been working on the exercises almost every day, and had grown quite good at them.
"Are you sure they won't hurt themselves?" Bella asked nervously. Meiling, Tomoyo, and Eriol smiled.
"Not a chance. Syaoran has been doing this all his life, and Sakura since she was ten. They are both very careful, and would *never* hurt each other." Eriol stated firmly. Bella smiled a bit and then nodded.
"We had best be getting back to the castle. Dinner will be soon." She said. Her companions nodded in agreement and they left. Soon after, Sakura and Syaoran finished, and the small group of students went inside and changed into their robes. They had all agreed that keeping Syaoran's image was a must; they must hide the connection between Sakura and Syaoran for as long as possible.
~*~*~*~
So, as they had agreed beforehand, Syaoran stomped into the Great Hall first, causing the whole hall to go silent. Everyone had been watching for the three famed girls to come in, but instead, the cold boy had. This came as quite the disappointment, save to the one person who worshipped Syaoran, Rudy Kanudeson.
Next, Draco came in, his head up and looking as he always did, although a bit more reserved. He took his place at the end of the Slytherin table and then looked at the door expectantly. It was then that the voices were heard.
"...so then Sakura turned around, and this guy was behind her, asking for her autograph. Boy, were we surprised. I never thought that we would be recognized in Alaska!" A voice rang out, laughing. Giggles and chuckles filled the air.
"Well, once, when we were home, Yamazaki came over to the studio and confused Chang to smithereens! He kept insisting that the name 'manager' was originally used for kings, when they went out on grand crusades and such. Poor Chang's eyes were spinning like crazy by the end of the tale, and Chiharu popped out of nowhere and hit Yamazaki over the head with her hammer. Of course, then they made out for the second time that week (that we had witnessed), and Tomoyo, of course-"
"Taped the whole thing!" A group of voices chimed, obviously knowing the rest of the sentence by heart. There was a peel of laughter, and then seven figures entered the room. There was complete silence as the seven people looked around the room quietly, and then they continued up to the head table.
Harry was able to spot Neville, who was standing next to Meiling and whispering something into her ear; she, in turn, was giggling. Next to her was Eriol, who was talking animatedly with a stunningly beautiful raven- violet haired girl. Next to the girl was another pretty girl who had red- brown hair and intelligent brown eyes that sparkled merrily at Ginny, who was next to her; for some reason, this girl seemed strangely familiar to Harry. Ginny was talking to the girl on her other side, a lovely auburn- haired girl who was giggling happily with Ginny. They all made their way up to Dumbledore, who was smiling down at them.
"Well, well, well. I see that you have finally decided to grace us with your presence!" He chuckled, looking over the rims of his half-moon glasses. Looking hesitant, Meiling, Neville, Eriol, and Ginny broke away from the three unknown girls, and walked to the only available seats on the Gryffindor table, right near Syaoran Li. The three girls continued on their way, and stopped directly in front of Dumbledore. He smiled at them, and they, in turn, grinned back.
"Now, I would like to introduce you to our new students. Please treat them with respect, because they are human too." He said warningly, glancing at his other students. The three girls turned and faced the room.
"I am Tomoyo Daidouji, also known as Violet. Pleased to meet you!" The raven-violet haired girl chirped.
"I am Rika Sasaki, aka Rose. A pleasure." The red-brown haired girl said, her eyes sparkling.
"I am Sakura Kinomoto, alias Cherry, and I am very pleased to meet you! Hi Harry!" Sakura called cheerfully, waving at her dark-haired friend. Harry grinned and waved back. Tomoyo and Rika giggled and waved as well. This caused Dumbledore to smile even more.
"You may take your seats, girls." He stated. They all grinned and moved down to where their friends had seated themselves. Unfortunately, the sweet girl, Sakura, was forced to sit next to Syaoran Li. Tomoyo sat beside Eriol, and Rika sat next to her, which was across from Syaoran. Nobody saw that underneath the table, Syaoran and Sakura were holding hands. Nobody, save one.
~*~*~*~
At the Ravenclaw table, a sixth-year girl saw what had passed between the two, and she worked to fight back angry tears. Syaoran was hers! Not that famous slut's! And she would have Syaoran before the year ended, or her name wasn't...
"Rudy? Rudy! Hey, hello!"
Rudy looked over to see her best friend Stephanie looking at her, worried.
"Look at her, Steph! Taking my man! *MY* Syaoran! He is mine, and that slut can't have him! Isn't she a little..."
"Woah, Rudy, watch your mouth. Syaoran is a woman hater. He wouldn't look at her twice." Stephanie soothed, holding up her hands. Rudy glared at her.
"He doesn't love her! He loves me, and soon he will see it! Soon, that will be me holding his hand. ME! You'll see!" Rudy hissed. Stephanie rolled her eyes and shrugged, turning to talk with another of her friends. Rudy smiled evilly.
'Just you watch out, Sakura Kinomoto! Once you get on Rudy Kanudeson's bad side, you can kiss you happy life goodbye! And maybe even your *whole* life.'
~*~*~*~
"...so what do we have today?" Tomoyo asked, as they walked down the halls the next morning. Rika looked at her list and cringed.
"Um...Potions, with Professor Snape." She mumbled. She and her 'uncle' had agreed to keep their relationship a secret, so as not to attract attention from other students.
"Oh good! Now we can see the 'real' Snape, that everyone is talking about!" Eriol said in a sarcastic voice. The others grinned at him as they entered the dungeon. Inside, they spotted Meiling and Syaoran seated next to each other, talking softly. Snape was sitting silently at his desk, grading some papers that his students had turned in. He looked up as they entered, but said nothing, seeing as some more students had walked through the door behind them.
"Ohayo, Meiling! Ohayo Li-kun." Tomoyo called. Meiling turned around and waved, beckoning them over. They went and sat near her, Sakura, of course, ending up next to Syaoran. Since she couldn't speak to him aloud, she decided to write notes to him instead. She even had her own code-name for him.
//Green Wolf,
How long will we have to keep this up? I don't like pretending that I hate you. It hurts me.// She wrote, and then slipped the parchment to him when Professor Snape's back was turned. He read it and worked hard to conceal a smile.
//Pink goddess,
Until people are willing to accept it. I don't like this any more than you do, and it really hurts not to be able to speak with you until after supper. But remember, I am always by your side, no matter what. Just let out your aura a little, let it mingle with mine, and then you will know.// He wrote back, slipping the note to her under the desk. She smiled as she read it, and a few minutes later, he felt just a strand of her aura mingling with his. He could not hold in his happiness, and bent over his work hastily, so he his grinning face could not be seen. Sakura too, was smiling happily, even though Eriol had just shot her a warning glance. Sure, the other students and the Professor could not feel her aura, but Eriol sure could! Quickly, Sakura returned back to her work as well.
~*~*~*~
"I can't believe that Snape didn't give us any homework today!" Harry exclaimed, as he and Ron met up with Hermione, and Ginny. They both nodded and then continued onto the great hall.
"Ohayo, everyone!" Came a cheerful voice. All four of them turned to see Sakura waving to them, with Eriol, Tomoyo, Rika, and Meiling on her heals. Eriol began to chat with Harry and Ron over some new Quidditch moves, while the girls found the topic of transforming people into animals more enjoyable.
"I still can't believe that you were there the whole time! I mean, I got the feeling that those cats were suspicious, but I never imagined that they were actually 'humans'!" Hermione exclaimed. Ginny giggled as Rika, Sakura and Tomoyo grinned.
"Like I said, the only pet that I have ever been was a 'teacher's pet', until now!" Rika giggled as they entered the Great Hall. It was already full of students, but up at the head table, there were two new people that no one had ever seen before. No one, that is, except for Sakura and her friends.
"Touya?!?!" Came a chorus of yells from Sakura, Rika, Tomoyo, and Meiling. The taller of the two people stood up and grinned at Sakura.
"Hey, kaijuu!" Touya laughed as Sakura gapped, and then rushed to hug him.
"But what are you doing here?" Sakura asked, pulling back and looking up at her brother. He smiled, causing several girls in the hall to swoon.
"I was accepted into a college not far from here, and I decided to go. Besides, someone had to watch over you, Kaijuu!" He teased, causing her to growl and stomp on his foot. It was then that Sakura noticed someone else behind Touya.
"Yukito!!!" She shrieked, launching herself at the other young man. He laughed and hugged her back.
"How are my divas? I hope that you haven't been getting into too much trouble!" He teased.
"Were fine!" They chorused, giggling hysterically as Yukito mimicked them and moved his hips from side to side in a rough imitation of them walking.
"Hey, what about us?!" Meiling called, indignant. Yukito grinned.
"Well, if it isn't my Tough Fighter and Mr. Grump." Yukito said, teasing both Meiling and Syaoran. Syaoran growled and worked hard to keep from grinning. Meiling laughed and hugged the boy quickly, before taking his arm and dragging him down the isle.
"Come on! We want to show you our rooms! And introduce you to our friends." Meiling crowed, as she pulled him from the room.
"You're coming too, Li-kun!" Yukito called desperately, grabbing Syaoran's arm on the way out. Both boys disappeared from view, as Touya started to shout about his best friend 'being a traitor for inviting the gaki'. Tomoyo was laughing hysterically, taping the whole thing, while Sakura, Ginny, and Rika giggled helplessly in the background. Eriol was smirking at the boy's dilemma, but his smirk was wiped off his face when Tomoyo grabbed his hand and pulled him after Meiling and her captives. Rika and Sakura met each other's eyes, and then each one of them grabbed one of Touya's arms and dragged him after, still yelling about his friend betraying him. Ginny, who was still giggling helplessly, followed at a safe distance.
~*~*~*~
