Disclaimer: Inuyasha and Harry Potter belong to Rumiko Takahashi and JK Rowling. I am merely borrowing them for my creative and imaginative cravings. ^_^
Title: Persevere
Chapter Three
She was running. She could feel sweat dripping down the side of her face--evidence of how hot the air was that sweltered in all around her. And yet she felt an overlying sense of happiness and freedom. She loved where she was.
She was running. Every color was so vivid and bright and birds were making their music all around her. She could hear people laughing…her mom…her dad…her baby brother…It was all so blissful.
She was running-- towards something now. She was looking for something…someone. But who?
She stopped suddenly in front of a building, but couldn't hear anything. There were no birds anymore…no laughing. She opened the door slowly, as though her doom lay behind it.
She saw darkness. Slowly her eyes adjusted from stepping into the dark room. But where was the person she'd been looking for? Cautiously she went down the steps. She felt afraid now. It was too quiet.
She was surprised when she slipped on something wet and fell to the ground. Had someone spilled his drink? She brought her hands up from the ground to inspect the liquid on them.
Red. Her hands were red. She was shaking now and then she saw him. He was in front of the well…blood pouring from him.
Blood. It surrounded her. The scent filling her nostrils. It was covering her hands…her feet... everywhere. The nausea came and she screamed...
Kagome snapped her eyes open and gulped in air. Clean air…no blood. She brought a shaky hand up to her forehead and had to remind her self to breath calmly. The window beside her bed was opened a bit and sunlight filtered through it. Bright. No darkness. No blood.
Kagome rolled off of her bed and stumbled to the door. She exited her room and went down the hall to the bathroom. She undressed, fumbling somewhat, and stepped into the shower. She turned it on hot. It practically burned her. But she felt so dirty, as though her skin was still covered blood.
She took a breath shakily as the room began to fill with steam. That dream had been the worst. She hadn't had any physical consequences of her dreams the previous nights. It was probably because today marked the anniversary of his death.
She squeezed her eyes shut and turned of the water. It was just a stupid dream. With a sigh she put a robe on and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes looked bloodshot and she had a horrible look on her face. She needed to calm down! She had to be strong for her mother and Sota -- especially today!
She took a few more moments before she left the room and again made her way down the hall. As she passed the room next to her brother's, she froze. Cautiously she opened the door and peered in. There was someone occupying an extra futon that had been brought out.
Who could it…the man from the well. Kagome rolled her eyes at herself. How could she have forgotten the strangely 'dead, but not dead' man that had appeared in the well the previous day? She was too forgetful sometimes.
She approached him and kneeled down by the futon. She observed him critically and checked his pulse. Once again, nothing. The man hadn't moved at all since yesterday's incident.
The man whose name was Sirius Black. How had her mother known who he was? Her mother had behaved oddly all night after she'd seen him. She'd told them to bring him inside and then she had retreated to her bedroom. She'd adamantly refused to answer any of her children's inquiries. Perhaps if her grandfather were here, he could have helped, but he was at some convention in Kyoto and wouldn't be back for another few days.
She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she failed to notice when someone entered the room. When a hand was placed on her shoulder, Kagome jumped in surprise. She turned around, taking a defensive position. It was such an automatic response from being chased by demons half the time.
She breathed out when she saw who it was. "Sota! Don't scare me like that!"
Sota seemed on the verge of bursting out with laughter and wisely chose to restrain himself when faced with his sister's glare. "I was just wondering if he'd moved yet. Are you sure we're not hoarding some dead guy?"
"I know it's hard to believe, Sota," She answered, "But he'll wake up."
Sota regarded the man for a moment and then spoke in a small voice. "Do you think he's connected to h-him. I mean, Mom never freaks out except when it involves him. I-I don't like it when she's like this."
He sounded so sad and lost that Kagome felt her heart lurch. She reached out her hand and ruffled her brother's hair. He pulled back in annoyance and Kagome smiled. "Don't get too worried, Sota. It'll all turn out for the best. Now let's get some breakfast and get dressed nicely. We need to leave in an hour."
Souta grumbled something unintelligible and left the room. Kagome stood up as well and glanced back at the futon.
'Just who are you, Sirius Black?'
* * *
He was floating somewhere. There were voices taunting him…whispers to his ears yet they called his attention as much as any yell would. They were beckoning him forward. But to what? They were promising him happiness -- sweet relief from the life he had led. It was enticing…but he knew the truth.
Sirius Black huddled in the farthest corner of his mind trying to escape the echoes that called after him. He knew what they were now, although it had taken him awhile after collapsing to realize exactly what was going on. The voices behind the veil KNEW what Kei had asked him to do. And they knew if he succeeded, their last chance for freedom would be dashed away. Had their strength already grown so much that they could affect him in such a way?
They were determined to get his soul it seemed -- or at least the part of his soul he had. Sirius glared in the direction of the whispers. So he was missing part of his soul, huh? For the life of him he couldn't figure out how he could be missing…a part of himself. His parents had never said anything to suggest a problem.
But then again, he'd never been on their favorite list. He tried to remember if his Great Grandfather had ever mentioned anything. He was one of the members of his family that he'd actually liked and gotten attached to. He'd been so old and yet he had a strange quiet kindness about him that most of the Black's never had. He had taken Sirius on a trip to Japan when he was eight. It was because of his Great Grandfather that he'd met Kei -- and learned of a distant family he'd never known.
He stopped his musings abruptly when he realized that everything was silent within his mind. It seemed they'd lost the strength to keep their connection. At least for now. Sirius sighed and opened his eyes. He blinked in surprise as he gazed around and realized he was in some sort of bedroom and in a futon. Was he still dreaming? Had he even been dreaming in the first place?
Kagome. Kei's daughter. He'd met her in…a well, was it? She must have brought him into this house. She had her father's eyes, that was for sure. They were full of compassion. But she hadn't been carrying a wand. Was she a witch? He recalled that Seiko came from a long line of shrine maidens. Maybe she'd inherited her mother's gift.
The sound of a door opening downstairs caused him to jump. He hadn't even realized how quiet the house had been. They must have all just gotten home. He heard someone come up the stairs slowly and approach the door. Sirius tensed nervously. It wasn't a burglar, was it?
His eyes widened as the door opened and he found himself gazing at a miniature Kei. Kei's son. "Sota…"
Sirius spoke out loud without thinking yet again and the boy's eyes widened in panic. "M-MOMMMM!"
He ran out of the room faster than Sirius thought possible and he cursed under his breath. How daft was he anyway? He had to gain Kei's family's trust and all he'd succeeded in doing so far was scaring them out of their wits!
He could hear more footsteps rushing up the stairs and the next moment two people appeared in the doorway: Kei's daughter, Kagome, and her mother, Seiko. Sirius fixed his eyes on Seiko only. She was the one that he'd need to convince. He'd need to gain her trust first.
She took his stare without flinching and Sirius had to praise her for that. She most likely still thought him a murderer. She spoke abruptly and addressed her daughter. "Kagome, can you please leave us alone for a bit?" Kagome looked at her mother in shock and opened her mouth to protest. "Please, Kagome."
The girl sighed and reluctantly retreated from the room. She shut the door behind her, but Sirius suspected she wouldn't wander too far -- her mother's safety was probably on the forefront of her mind.
Seiko approached the futon where he was laying and sat down. She looked at him as though trying to see through some sort of façade. Sirius chuckled a bit. "Seiko, I'm not here to trick you."
She seemed surprised when he spoke so good naturedly. "Sirius…I don't understand any of this. By all rights I should turn you in at the British Embassy."
Sirius tipped his head to the side. "Then why haven't you?"
She spoke quietly. "Because there's something different about you. I can sense Kei's presence, his magic aura, all around you." She balled her hands into fists and stared straight at him suddenly. "Are you a murderer, Sirius?"
Sirius smiled sadly. "In a way, I probably am…" He told her the truth then -- everything…The Fidelius Charm…his idea of making Peter the Secret-Keeper…the night of Peter's betrayal…his imprisonment is Azkaban and eventual escape…the confrontation in the Shrieking Shack…his years on the run…Voldemort…the Order of the Phoenix…his death…and finally what Kei had told him and how he had ended up in the well.
Sirius felt drained as he finished off telling how he'd met Seiko's daughter. Had so much really happened to him? And yet, it seemed like things were far from over.
He looked at Seiko and began to feel nervous. She had a withdrawn look on her face as though she was going over every word he had told her carefully. He breathed out in relief when she placed a hand over his own. "I-It sounds almost impossible Sirius but…I believe you're telling the truth."
Sirius gave her hand a comforting squeeze. He had yet to relay Kei's message to her. Today marked the anniversary of his death…his murder. Why did he have to come today of all days? He didn't want to put her through any more sadness. She didn't need a reminder of what she'd lost in her husband.
"What else is there?" Sirius blinked in surprise at the unexpected question. "I know you're not telling me something. When you spoke about-" She paused for a moment and took in a shaky breath. "-about Kei…you seemed hesitant. Please. I want to know everything."
Sirius nodded after a moment's indecision. She was stronger than he remembered. "He told me to give you a message…about your children. He wants you tell them the truth."
Her eyes widened for a brief moment and then she donned a look of understanding. "He's right. I've been too selfish in not telling them." She got up and went towards the door. "Would you mind explaining things to them as well?"
Sirius nodded and she left the room. He only hoped that Kagome and Souta were ready.
* * *
Kagome paced back and forth in front of the door in agitation and nervousness. WHAT could they be talking about? They were taking their sweet time, whatever it was. And her patience was wearing thin.
She heard a creak on the steps and knew what it was without looking. Sota had been sitting on the steps waiting with as much apprehension as her. The two shared an understanding silence as they waited for some sort of answers.
Kagome was just was contenting herself with glaring at the door when said object opened and her mother appeared. She seemed to have a resigned look about her.
"Kagome, can you come in here with me? I…We need to tell you something." Her mother glanced at the steps. "You come too, Sota."
The two siblings followed their mother into the room and sat down before the strange man that had appeared the previous day. Kagome shifted nervously where she sat. There was a strained silence in the room now. It almost seemed as if her mother and the man weren't sure of what to say -- or perhaps where to start.
Kagome was relieved when the man finally spoke up. "Well…I guess I should introduce myself to you two to start with. Kagome, Sota, I'm Sirius Black."
Kagome muttered a polite greeting and her brother echoed her, but her eyes narrowed slightly. How on earth did he know her name?! Her mother seemed to read the look on her face because she quickly took over. "Kagome…Sota…there's something I've never told you two. Something about who your father was."
Kagome blinked in surprise. Her father? She hadn't expected this situation to have anything to do with him. "What are you talking about Mom?"
Her mother reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper -- a picture. She handed it to her and Sota and they peered at it curiously. It was a picture from years ago. It was at her temple but things looked slightly different -- older perhaps.
There were four people within the picture. A dark haired boy with mysterious eyes had his arm around another boy with incredibly messy hair and glasses. They both wore similar cocky grins. There was another young man, slightly older, who was rolling his eyes at the two next to him. She almost missed the fourth person who was in the background. It was a girl in a shrine outfit who was calmly gazing at the three boys.
Kagome was shocked to find that she actually recognized three of the youths. The first one was…Sirius? She looked from him to the picture just to double-check. He looked so much younger and carefree!! The third, older boy was someone who she knew instantly. She looked at his pictures often -- her father. And even with the girl in the background it was easy to recognize that it was her mother. She devoured the picture as she scanned everything curiously
In fact, Kagome felt herself so drawn into it that the picture seemed to move. Now young Sirius was winking at her and waving his hand and..."WHAAAAAAAA!!!!"
Kagome threw down the picture and her eyes widened. Those people … pictures … whatever were moving! "Mom, what is that?!"
Her mother looked at her seriously. "It's magic, Kagome."
Sota picked up the picture to look at it more closely while Kagome looked at her mother incredulously. "This isn't something to joke about Mom!"
Sirius spoke up then. "She's not joking, Kagome. That picture was developed by a witch or wizard using magic. The reason I'm sitting here talking to you is because of magic. There's an entirely separate world than the one you know. One full of magic."
Kagome just continued to stare at them in disbelief. Magic!? Witches and Wizards!? It couldn't be true! It was just…insane! Yet…
She looked at the picture and at Sirius. Those people were moving. It didn't look like some illusion. And Sirius had no pulse! That was DEFINITELY no illusion. She closed her eyes for a few moments. She was probably crazy but…She'd been through so much since she'd met Inuyasha that it seemed like anything was possible. She just hoped she wasn't going to regret her decision…"I-I believe you guys. But I don't understand what this has to do with us. Or with Dad."
Her mother looked at Sirius and he nodded. "Well, to get technical, it began before I was even born. My family, the Black family, goes back many generations -- even to medieval times. They prided themselves on being purebloods."
Kagome frowned a bit. "Purebloods?"
"There are some wizards who believe that they're better than others because they're what people call pureblood. They believe that any wizard related to non-magic people are 'dirty.' My…family followed that belief."
Kagome noticed a resentful, almost hateful, look on Sirius' face at the mention of his family. It seemed he didn't like them much. "Because they believed so strongly in this, they weren't exactly happy when anyone thought differently. But there are those who have gone against what was expected in my family. One of those people was my Great Grandfather."
Sirius smiled a bit fondly. "He loved exploring new places and traveling. And when he came to Japan, he fell in love with it. He wasn't the only one who did either -- his twin sister followed his every lead. And when she came to Japan with him, she met someone -- a man from an old shrine family. A few years later she married that man, whose name was Shinta Higurashi."
Shinta Higurashi? Kagome felt her mind reel at all the information that was being assaulted on her, but it seemed more was yet to come.
"Because she married into a non-magic family she was cast away from the rest of the Black's. My Great Grandfather remained with the Black family and married as was his duty, but he never stopped visiting his sister. And even after her death, he continued to visit the Higurashi's. When I was eight years old, he took me on one of his trips to Japan and I met your father. I came back to visit for two weeks every summer. I was fifteen in that picture and I had brought my friend James Potter with me that year."
Sirius lowered his eyes slightly. "It was also the last year I was able to come here. My Great Grandfather died three months later."
Sirius continued on, telling of his years before Azkaban and up to his meeting with her Father. By the time he finished, Kagome felt a very strong headache forming. Everything he was saying seemed so farfetched yet…how could he make it up on a whim? Her mother believed him and plus, there was that picture.
Kagome fiddled with the edge of her shirt. So there were witches and wizards all around them? How could she have never noticed? A whole different world that had been concealed from her!
"Mom?" Kagome turned to Souta as he spoke up. He'd been so quiet throughout the whole explanation. Kagome mentally reprimanded herself. He was just as much a part of this as she was.
Her mother encouraged him with a nod and with everyone's attention focused solely on him, he fidgeted nervously. "Does this mean we've got magic too? Will we be able to help Sirius?"
Kagome was surprised when her mother donned an uncomfortable look then. "Well, actually-"
But whatever she was about to say was cut off abruptly as a terrified scream echoed up from downstairs…
Author's Notes: Happy Holidays everyone! I wasn't planning on updating this week. I have a very…loud family and with the Holiday parties…
Anyway this chapter was my gift for you guys. Unfortunately, I won't be able to update next week, but never fear I shall post soon after that!
And now the most important part of the chapter! The thank you to everyone who reviewed:
Little Witch (Happy Holidays to you also!), SilverKnight7, Hotaru Tomoe (Hope this chapter answered some of you questions. As for LOTR…I don't have enough fingers!!), Eden's Echo (Here's a thank you times two for reviewing twice ^_^), Presea101, YoukoKurama201 (A lifetime supply of cookies!? YES! Now the question is, what KIND of cookie…), Kasumi21 (Sorry if I confused you with pairings. I haven't really thought of anyone for Sirius. Hmmm…), Sango9 (I do seem to leave cliffhangers often, don't I? Watch out for cliffhangers in later chapters…), inu_babe666 (Kikyo isn't liked much, is she? ^_^ But I do so love Inuyasha/Kagome. Same with Miroku/Sango. I'm not sure if I'll be including many couples for the Harry Potter gang. There are SO MANY different possibilities! Perhaps some hints here and there…*puts on thinking cap*)
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