A/N: Next chapter!!! Finally. I can't believe my kick left me ;_; *Sniff*
"You have one busy schedule my friend." Kioko mused.
"I have Friday free though, that's a plus." Hotaru said, though she still sighed. She'd probably be using that Friday for homework.
"Hey, remember they were giving you N.E.W.T level homework last year? You'll do fine! In fact, you've got more time on your hands now, especially with sleep being cut out and all." Kioko said.
"I suppose so. How many of them are you in?" Hotaru asked. Her schedule looked like this:
Monday: Potions, Arithmancy, Transfiguration, Kinetics, Care of Magical Creatures
Tuesday: Composition of Magical Objects, Rituals, DADA, Astronomy
Wednesday: Hands on Art, Charms, Ancient Magic, Conjuring
Thursday: Healing, Illusonary, Herbology, Natural Magic
Friday: Free
"Let's see, Potions, Arithmancy (Bleh), Transfiguration, Kinetics, pretty much everything on Monday. Composition of magical objects, DADA, and Astronomy for Tuesday. Charms, Ancient Magic, and Conjuring on Wednesday. And Illusonary and Natural Magic for Thursday. Come to think of it, I have a busy schedule as well, heh." Kioko said.
"Oh Kioko!" Called a very familiar voice. Kioko brought an empty potions bottle from out of her robes and smashed it into Roku's face.
"I thought I told you, you weren't allowed to call me anything but Night-sama." She hissed.
"Kioko!!!" Hotaru exclaimed, flinching at the sight of all the broken glass pieces and blood on Roku's face.
"It's quite alright, Miss Firefly. I have a high tolerance for pain and a good many of my own healing spells." Roku said, taking out the glass pieces and flinching as he did so. Hotaru stood back and watched as Kioko stalked off fuming.
"Really, Roku-san, you shouldn't act like that if you want to get Kioko to notice you." Hotaru said. She waved her hand over his face. All the glass pieces disappeared and there wasn't a trace of the fact that he'd been hit with anything at all on his face.
"Ah, well, I was a bit hyper yesterday, you can't imagine how much caffeine is in Code Red Mt. Dew. You'd think there was quite enough in the original soda but nooooooo." Roku shrugged. "It's worn off, I won't be so, what was it? Oh yes, I won't be so suicidal today." He told her.
"You might not want to even say hi to her, she's still annoyed with you and she can keep a grudge for years." Hotaru told him.
"So I noticed." He murmured. "Anyways, what do you have first tomorrow?" He asked holding out his schedule to look at it.
"Potions. You?" Hotaru asked.
"Same thing, as well as Aushran. Is Kioko there too?" He asked hopefully.
Hotaru sighed, "Yes she is. But still, you need to back down a bit."
Roku waved it off, "Ah, don't worry. My good looks and ridiculously large ego haven't failed me yet." He joked making her giggle.
"Kioko doesn't like large egos, and if you continue to flout like that you'll just annoy her even more. She doesn't like it when people call her things like 'beautiful' or 'gorgeous', and for that matter she doesn't like people who complement her only to get in her good graces." Hotaru told him.
"I'll remember that, thanks Firefly. Oh, Aushran's in the library by the way." He said as an afterthought.
For a moment Hotaru wondered why he'd think she wanted to know where Aushran was, but mentally waved it off, thinking it would be rather nice to see him again. "Okay, thank you." She smiled as they parted ways.
Aushran was in the library, yes, but he wasn't reading. Instead he had his easel out and was painting instead, calmly trying to ignore the goings on about him, meaning all the girls who seemed to be lingering around him. Hotaru fought back another giggle and walked around to see what he was painting. It was a portrait of the library itself, with people here and there, studying and talking a bit. At least, that's what it looked like it was going to turn out. He was just now getting to the actual painting as he had finished the sketch.
"Ohayo Aushran-kun." Hotaru greeted.
"Ohayo gosaimasu, Hotaru. {How have you been?}" He asked in Japanese.
"{Alright. Does the library suite your early morning painting schedule?}" She asked playfully.
"{Library's tend to attract a calming aura, and plus I like books.}" He answered, working on the hair of one of his people.
It was rather rude to talk in Japanese around the others, who couldn't understand what they were saying. But it had turned into a bit of an ongoing thing because neither of them had been speaking it for such a long time it was like they were thirsty to do so. "{It is rather relaxing to be in a library, mostly because you're not suppose to speak real loud.}" Hotaru said.
'Then perhaps we needn't speak at all.' Aushran said, using the Silent Language so fluently it seemed as though he had used it since his birth.
'I agree, it's nice to have quiet.' Hotaru responded, not really thinking about it. But Aushran didn't suddenly jerk his attention to her, he didn't even act like hearing her was abnormal. He merely continued to paint.
'Most others seem to think we have to fill a room with noise.' He went on. His painting continued as his brush strokes were done with such a smooth motion that it was fascinating merely watching him. 'There's animosity in here now.' He said, mentally sighing as he could no longer paint the serene scene.
Hotaru let herself feel the emotions around her, jealousy, anger, annoyance. She suddenly realized what was causing it and felt rather guilty, but at the same time had to fight down the urge to laugh. The others were annoyed that she, of all people, was talking to Aushran. 'Then maybe you should finish the painting some other time.' She said to him.
'Agreed.' He said. He pulled out his wand and whispered a spell to dry the paint, and then put it and his easel all up in his small artist bag. 'Let's go outside so I can continue your portrait.' He offered.
'Okay.'
The air outside was nice, it was a bit cloudy, but not so much that it was threatening to rain. There was a nice breeze too. Hotaru found it a very peaceful setting, a nice place to sit down and enjoy the weather.
Aushran didn't seem to notice they were speaking to each other in the Silent Language, he seemed to think it completely natural, which meant that was how he and his family communicated without using words.
********
The next time Hotaru saw Roku he had an ice pack on his head and a nastily bruised lip. "Good evening Firefly. Pardon me but, it hurts to smile so you'll have to be content with a blank stare." He said good naturedly.
"Shouldn't you get that healed?" Hotaru asked.
"Tried, apparently Lady Hex knows a curse that keeps all healing spells from working correctly. Madam Pomphry told me I'd have to heal these up naturally." He answered.
Hotaru sighed, "Now I think Kioko's being a bit unfair." She said, she waved her hand over his face and touched his ice pack. His lip shrank back to normal and he let the ice pack fall off his head. There wasn't a trace of anything on there. Now he was able to give her his charming smile.
"Thank you, Milady. I shall remember you in case she has a bad day again." He said bowing to make her giggle again.
*******
Journal Entry: Today went by fairly slowly I guess, or quickly for some people. It isn't really over for Kioko and I as we're not going to sleep. I found an actual spell that keeps you awake, however, so the potion will no longer be necessary. Kioko's reading right now, and I'm writing of course.
I'm not going to go back into the 'why me' or 'what in the world is happening' thing again, it's getting old. I don't know how many times I've written those kinds of things down in this book, though I suppose the purpose of a journal is to record your thoughts and let them out on paper. It helps releave me so I suppose I'll say it again. Why me? There, I wrote it down, yet I still don't feel any better. I feel like laughing at myself, but not too much better. Sigh.
I've noticed something over the last few hours we've been in our rooms, Kioko seems to have an itch on her left cheek, but I don't seem to see any sort of rash there. Oh dear, I must be desperate if I'm noting things like this. Wonder if Harry's scar has been giving him trouble. I also wonder if he's had any more of those dreams. Ron and Hermione seem to be hanging around each other a bit, wonder why. Harry and Draco have become like Kioko and I, somewhat. Kioko says she and Draco are both going to turn Harry Slytherin if they aren't careful. "Which we won't be." She says.
I like Roku-san, he's rather fun to hang around, and he's charming. I can't help but wonder why Kioko won't just give him a chance, he is rather handsome. I've asked her why she suddenly hates him, but all she can tell me are things that really shouldn't matter. "I don't like his hair.", "He dresses funny.", though her "He's so immature" excuse does have some substance.
I wonder what tomorrow will be like, after this week things will settle down into a schedule, as it did before. But, something's odd, I feel like there's something we're missing, well, we know there's something we're missing, I guess I just feel like things seem too quiet, however absurd that might sound. I imagine things might be a bit hectic in the Great Hall on mornings, especially if Roku-san decides he's going to continue bothering Kioko. I think Kioko likes Aushran, but I know she won't admit it, not even to me. I'm not going to do something unfair like read her mind though, so I'll just wait for her to tell me on her own.
Though she has been quite a bit more open towards me now that she knows I've been living those nightmares as well. It's like we now share the same pain, though we have discussed a few…touchy subjects.
"I'm not sure if they're worse for you or for me." Kioko said.
"Well, you're the one who dies."
"Yeah, but you're the one who kills me, what's worse? Being the one who's killed or the killer? I think it's worse for you emotionally, I mean, I can see that Dark Saturn isn't you, so it's just the pain of living my own death by the hands of Mistress 9. You, on the other hand, have to experience the fact that you're killing a friend." She told me.
"I suppose…can we change the subject?" I asked her.
"Actually, I think this is something we need to discuss. I want to make it clear that you are not the one to be blamed for this. It's Mistress 9 remember? I don't want you thinking that you're actually the one who killed me." Kioko had said.
"Thanks Kioko, that means a lot." I'd told her, feeling better.
I suppose I don't have much more to write down, I'd just start being repetitive. So I suppose I'll stop here, maybe look up some spells or something that might help in my classes.
*******
"It's been 3 months and they still have yet to fix, their, food." Kioko grumbled, frowning at her eggs. "They're trying to kill us I tell you! Let's hope they didn't do anything to their biscuits this time around either." She said. She took a biscuit and examined it closely.
"Perhaps we should try finding a spell that will take the worse of the spices out of the food." Hotaru suggested.
"If there is such a thing." She said. Kioko decided the biscuits were safe to eat and started eating them. Hotaru followed her example.
"Maybe if I asked Michiru-mama to send us some Somba noodles..." Hotaru said.
"Somba? Yeah, those are good." Kioko mused.
"Night? Up before it's downright necessary? I think I'm shocked." Draco said sitting down beside Hotaru.
"Uh, don't eat the eggs." Hotaru warned him. Draco put his fork down.
"Now really, Draco, I'm hurt! You call Harry by his first name yet you're still referring to me by my last name. Come now, aren't we friends?" Kioko asked.
"Friends don't threaten each other." Draco mumbled.
"Draco, we're Slytherin." Kioko told him.
"Good point." He said.
"Hello everyone, how are we doing on our first day of—OOF!" Roku exclaimed as Kioko backed her chair up into him. "But I haven't done anything yet!" He exclaimed holding his stomach.
"Key word being yet." Kioko said grabbing a few biscuits. "I'll see you in Potions, Hotaru." Kioko said getting up to leave.
"You'll see me there too!" Roku called.
"Don't remind me!!!" Kioko yelled back.
"If you want a girlfriend I suggest you pick someone else. Keep going after her you'll eventually redefine the term suicidal." Draco told him.
"Ah, but Malfoy, I don't want just any girlfriend. I'm not that big of a flirt." Roku said sitting down.
"Ah so you want the one girl in Hogwarts who'd sooner skin you alive than sit next to you? You have very dangerous tastes, Alchemy." He said.
"I suppose I'll just leave you two to talk, Sayonara Roku-san, Sayonara Ryuuza." Hotaru said. She kissed Draco on the cheek and left with a few biscuits in her hands.
*********
Draco, Kioko, Aushran, Roku, and Hermione were all in potions with Hotaru. She wasn't surprised that Harry wasn't taking the class, Professor Snape only accepted students who got E's and above. In fact, very few Gryffindors got O.W.Ls for that class, Hermione had to be the only one there who was in Gryffindor house. The rest were Ravenclaws and Slytherins actually. Hotaru noted that Kagen Griffon was there, looking solemn and even a bit frightened.
Seating arrangements were a bit…forced on our part. Kioko hovered over the seat next to mine, looking around hurriedly. "Aushran! Be a dear and sit by me." She said, grabbing his sleeve. She pulled him over to the seat beside her and had him sit down.
"What's going on?" Asked Draco, taking the other seat beside me.
"Kioko's making Aushran sit beside her because she doesn't want Roku to." Hotaru answered. Just then Roku poked his head around Aushran.
"You took my seat again, Aushran." Roku wined.
"I had no choice in the matter." Aushran stated impassively. Kioko looked rather smug.
"Oh, well in that case I'll just sit behind Lady Kioko so that I may admire her beautiful hair." Roku said smiling.
Kioko looked like she was about to die as she lowered her head down to the desk and hit it gently several times upon the wood. Hotaru had to fight with herself to keep from giggling.
Aushran grabbed Roku and forced him to sit down in the seat next to him. "No, you'll sit down here so I can keep an eye on you." He said.
"Thank you!" Kioko exclaimed, sitting back up.
"Good morning class." Mr. Snape swept into the room, his robes swishing as he walked to his teacher's chair. He eyed Aushran, "Mr. Hametsu, I like to expect my students to be wearing their Hogwarts uniforms, much as I agree with your taste of wardrobe. Rules are meant to be followed." He said.
"I understand Professor, it will not happen again." Aushran nodded his head respectfully.
"Good." He said going on with the lesson. "I understand that all of you have passed the exams to excel in Potions, but, let me tell you, it will not be as easy as you think to get through these classes. I expect top marks from now on because, now, I know that you are able to get those marks. Laziness will not be tolerated." He said as he started writing instructions on his board. "We shall begin with a potion called Bliss because it renders the drinker into a state of complete thoughtlessness and, well, bliss for exactly 3 hours. But, if made wrongly, it can destroy the mind. The slightest error can be fatal, and I would not suggest even thinking about drinking your own potion until I teach you the spell that will help you make sure you got everything correct. Now, begin!" he ordered.
Hotaru studied the instructions for a few minutes and then began the potion.
After a few moments there was an explosion to hotaru's right. She looked over and saw Roku coughing up some black smoke. He looked burned all over and his cauldron was completely gone. He looked up and grinned, despite his current state, "I guess I wasn't suppose to do that." He said, making some of the students snicker and Kioko burst out into laughter. Professor Snape, however, wasn't laughing.
"Mr. Alchemy! Please read the fifth line of the potion." Snape ordered.
Roku looked up and read it to himself for a moment, "Oh, I was suppose to put the firedust in after the soth. My mistake professor." He said taking out his wand to clean up the mess.
"See that it doesn't happen again. You'll have to get yourself a new cauldron, I'm sure you can manage that without blowing anything up." The Professor ordered.
"Yes sir." Roku said, unphased by Snape's disapproving attitude.
At the end of Potions, Hotaru, Kioko, Aushran, and Hermione all made their way to arithmancy.
"Ugh…I hate arithmancy. At least Roku isn't here." Kioko complained.
"If you hate it why did you take the class?" Hermione asked.
"Well, it's a good skill to have in almost any job you might want to take. I'm good at it, I just hate it." Kioko answered.
"If you look at it as the ability to manipulate the fabric of magic and not merely extra work it isn't so bad." Aushran said calmly.
"Hey look, Kagen Griffon is in this class too, maybe we should make friends with him." Hotaru said pointing.
Kioko shrugged, "Sure, why not?" She then looked at Hotaru. Aushran and Hermione joined her.
"Huh?" Hotaru asked. "Oh, okay I'll go talk to him." She said moving over to where Kagen was taking his seat. "Hello, would you like to come sit with us?" Hotaru asked kindly.
Kagen looked up and started so badly when he saw her he knocked his books over. "Y-Your Highness!" He exclaimed.
Hotaru's cheeks reddened, "Oh please, just call me Hotaru." She told him, helping him with his books. "Come on, I'll introduce you to my friends, Griffon-san." She said smiling.
"O-okay." He stuttered, picking up all his stuff hurriedly to follow her.
"This is Aushran Hametsu, you've probably met him already, this is Kioko Night, and that's Hermione Granger." Hotaru introduced.
"Hey." Kioko said as a greeting.
"H-hi." Kagen returned, his face was turning an odd shade of pink.
"Pleased to meet you." Hermione said, holding out her hand to him.
Kagen nodded and returned her handshake.
"Settle down class, settle down!" Called the Professor. "It's time to get started." He told them.
"Yes! Another class without Roku!!!" Kioko exclaimed in Transfiguration. "What?" She asked when Hotaru gave her a 'look'. "Is it my fault I hate him so much? Wait, don't answer that." She said before Hotaru could say 'yes'.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Kioko were there with Hotaru in Transfiguration. Because Kioko had done all the classes Hotaru had the previous year she wasn't surprised that they'd be in most of their classes together.
"Oh look, it's Liam Sodin." Hermione said pointing. Both she and Kioko looked at me.
"Hey, I made friends with Kagen, it's Kioko's turn." Hotaru defended.
"Hotaru, one word, Gryffindor." Kioko told her. "If I tried 'making friends' with him he'd probably go off on that prejudice limb and insult me, a Slytherin. Therefore I will most likely loose my temper and sever any sort of relationship we might have had before they even started." She said.
"I'm Slytherin as well." Hotaru told her.
"Well, yes, but you're the designated 'Queen of Saturn' meaning 'insult me and it's off with your head', he wouldn't dare say anything of the sort to you. Besides, you're just too sweet in any case." Kioko explained.
Hotaru sighed, "Very well, I'll go see if he wants to join us." She said, defeated.
Again Hotaru approached a transfer student, but this time when he looked up after she said hello he stood up and bowed. "Good afternoon, Your Highness," he said, "Liam Sodin, at your service!" He said.
"Um, just Hotaru is fine." Hotaru said, a sweatdrop formed on the back of her head. Is everyone going to be calling me 'your highness' from now on? She asked mentally. "I was just wondering if you'd like to come sit with us Sodin-san."
"But of course! I'd love to, Hotaru. And you can just call me Liam if you like." He said smiling.
"This is Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Kioko." Hotaru introduced.
"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Harry Potter!" Liam said shaking Harry's hand in a very friendly manor.
"Um, thank you I guess." Harry said.
"Hey, aren't you that Slytherin who threw Roku out the window? Then into the wall?" He asked Kioko, who grinned proudly.
"Yes I am." She said smirking.
"Good going! Too bad he survived." Liam praised.
"You don't like him either?" Kioko asked, looking enlightened.
"Not really, he's just really annoying." Liam shrugged.
"That I will agree with. Welcome to Hogwarts Liam." She said holding out her hand for a shake.
Hotaru sighed and shook her head, sitting down. "Please take your seats class." Professor McGonagall ordered.
Lunch went by as it normally had last year, only, Hotaru was not becoming aware exactly how much of an impact her identity had on many of the students. Everyone had their own reactions, some were now scared of her, others respected her, and still others seemed to shy away, as if intimidated for some reason. But Hotaru was beginning to feel that nothing would be the same again.
However, it didn't seem anything could keep Drane Millichent from trying to get her back on the Quidditch team.
"Oh dear, Millichent's coming, I suggest you run Hotaru." Kioko warned.
"Why would she want to run?" Aushran asked.
"Tomoe!" Millichent exclaimed.
"Too late." Kioko sighed.
"Yes?" Hotaru looked up.
"Any chance of getting you back on the seeker position?" He asked.
"Sorry, Millichent-kun, but I have a lot of things to keep up with, I don't think I should make many more commitments." She told him politely.
"Pift! Quidditch should be a stress reliever or something like that, it works for Night." He tried again.
"Millichent," Hotaru looked up smiling sadly, "I can't play normally, I know where the synch is at all times. It's not particularly fair for the other teams."
"So?" He asked, as if that seemed to hardly matter.
Hotaru sighed.
"Millichent, bug off, she said she doesn't want to play therefore you have no more business here. Don't make me use this." Kioko said dangerously waving her wand towards Millichent.
"Uh…" He backed away, "Okay, yeah, I'll leave you alone now." He said walking the other way.
"I think he remembers the fact that you threw Roku out the window." Aushran said.
"Either that or he remembers all those bludgers I hit him with during our, ahem, practice sessions." Kioko said snickering.
Next class was Kinetics, in which Hotaru and Kioko were the only ones, so the classroom was one of the smaller rooms, yet still a bit too large for just a total of three people. It wasn't really needed, the two were better than the teacher, it was mostly a credit so they merely practiced difficult spells and talked a bit. The teacher sat back, considering this a bit of free time, and let them do their spells as they pleased.
"Uh, homework? Um…well let's see…levitate my teacup without spilling the tea." The teacher said near the end of class.
"Psh," Kioko snorted, she rose her hand and the teacup lifted with it. She then set it back down and Hotaru did the same.
"Oh well, that's it you're done. Have a nice day!" She waved them off.
Care of Magical Creatures was next, Aushran and Liam were there, but Kioko didn't have another class that day so she wouldn't be in CMC.
"E', 'ello there 'Taru." Hagrid greeted.
"Hello Professor Hagrid." Hotaru returned, bowing politely as she walked to the seat beside Aushran. "Aushran-kun." She greeted.
Aushran nodded in response.
"Hellooooooo, Miss Hotaru!" Liam said sitting on the other side of her. "Would Miss Kioko be here?" He asked looking around.
"No, she's not taking another class today." Hotaru said, a Chibi version of Kioko popped into her head saying 'thank the gods!' and she giggled a bit.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing."
*********
Journal Entry: I decided to save most of my homework for that day until night, so I'd have something to do, and yet I've already finished it all and I still have 4 hours left with not much to do, unless I want to work on something for myself.
Kioko's trying to get my book from me so she can research traps and such to use on Roku. Well, Roku-kun doesn't really deserve such punishment, she might think so, but I rather enjoy his company, so I'd rather not be in any way responsible for Kioko's retaliation. So, that's what she's doing, researching by using books from the library.
Something's about to happen. I can feel it, something big is underway, and it has to do with Chaos and the Hat's Riddle. Something's coming, if not it's already here.
I feel it approaching, but I don't know what it is. Maybe it's something coming physically nearer, maybe it's some event coming soon. I don't know, it scares me. I feel like the silence is warning me, it's carrying messages of fear, confusion, pain, and others I can't identify to me from far away places. Harry feels it to, I just know it.
Hotaru stopped her pen, "Kioko," She said, breaking the silence.
"Hm?" Kioko looked up.
"It's happened, something's happened." She said, her eyes were wide, as if they were trying to see what was going on. The Silence formed shapes in the air, almost like human shapes. "It'll be in the Daily Prophet tomorrow, and in only a few hours everyone will know and be talking about it." She said.
"Hotaru? What—?"
"I can feel it." Hotaru whispered.