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

(Quick Little Note:  Just remember that Sirius can speak Japanese…and that I wish I had a flamingo ^_^)

Chapter Five

Kagome tried to tell herself to remain calm.  She tried to tell herself not to worry.  But she wasn't having much success seeing as how she was stuck in the stream of time with darkness closing in all around her.  She'd given up yelling for Inuyasha long ago.  He just didn't seem to be there anymore.

But someone, or rather something, was there.  She shivered at the thought.  Something was definitely out to get her.  But what?  Who?

As if in answer, whispers filled in the space around her.  She turned her head in all directions.  It sounded as if people were everywhere, but she couldn't see anyone!  "Who's there?"

The whispers increased and Kagome covered her ears.  It was just noise now.  She couldn't discern if people were even speaking anymore.  It was starting to become painful almost!  She was going to go insane if this kept up!

Voices.  She froze.  Sirius had said he could feel the voices if he came too close to the well.  She blinked in shock.  They were that strong.  She felt fear for a moment.  And then anger. 

These…voices were the cause of so many problems and now they were trying to get at her.  There was no way she was going to take it without a fight.  Her eyes narrowed in a random direction.   "Go away, do you hear me?  Leave me be!  GO AWAY!!!"

She felt a strange surge come from her and the voices abruptly stopped.  She looked around, expecting something to jump out at any moment.  She hadn't expected the well to reactivate.  The familiar sensation surrounded her and she found herself back at the bottom of the well.

She looked around her and her face fell.  Inuyasha wasn't there.  Her stomach felt slightly queasy -- with worry.  Was he alright?  He couldn't still be in the flow of time, could he?  Maybe he'd gotten back before her.  With a resigned sigh, she moved towards the ladder.  She needed to find him.  Unfortunately for her, problems seemed to be following her wherever she went.

Because there was no ladder.  Kagome looked up in confusion.  Why would someone remove it?  And why was something covering the well?

"I'm telling you something weird happened."  Kagome jumped as a voice filtered down to her ears.  It was a male voice and he was speaking English.  But she couldn't trace it to someone she knew.  She listened as another person responded.

"Yeah, sure.  I think little James is scared of monsters.  Do you need your teddy bear?"  The voice had a playfully mocking tone to it and it sounded…familiar somehow. 

"Ah, stuff it, Sirius.  If you're so brave, why don't you open it and check?"  Kagome blinked.  Sirius?  WHAT!?  What was going on?  And who was this James?

"Yeah right.  Kei would kill me.  Besides, there's nothing here, so let's just catch up to everyone."  The other voice, James, complied reluctantly. 

Kagome let out a breath as their voices faded in the distance.  Why was she so nervous anyway?  It was just Sirius…but something was different.  And who was that other person?  His name had been James…James… 'I was fifteen in that picture and I had brought my friend James Potter with me that year.'

She leaned against the edge of the well.  It wasn't possible.  She couldn't have slipped through time and ended up in the wrong place.  She looked up towards the well opening.  But it was the only possibility.  She'd just have to check it out for herself.

She stepped away from the wall, and was determining how to get out, when her foot hit something.  She jumped and looked down.  Sighing in relief, she bent to pick up the mirrors.  She thought that they'd been lost when the voices had attacked her.  At least that was one good thing.  They'd followed her to…wherever she was.

Now all she needed to do was get over the next hurdle -- climbing out of the stupid well.

And it did prove to be a hurdle.  After at least an hour, Kagome was able to drag herself out of the well and landed before it in a lump of exhaustion.  She never knew how much she'd taken that ladder for granted.  Even the vines she'd climbed up the first time she'd appeared in the Feudal Era seemed like a blessing now! 

Rubbing her sore back, she stood up.  The door was there.  All she had to do was open it.  She gulped.  Why was she was so nervous?  It was ridiculous!  This was HER home.  With a deep breath she opened the door to find that…nothing had really changed.  She blinked.  Had she just imagined Sirius and James?

She stepped out, wiping her brow in relief, and nearly screamed as someone addressed her.  "I didn't think anyone else was here.  Are you lost?"

He had jet-black messy hair, and glasses.  He was playing with his hair in an odd way and he looked exactly like the person she'd seen in the moving photo.  James Potter.  She was staring at him with her mouth wide open in shock.  He just regarded her for a few moments and then cursed lightly.  "Damn.  I knew I should have learned more Japanese.  Umm…Ah…"

He struggled trying to pronounce a sentence and Kagome regained some of her composure then.  "No, no.  I can speak English."

He sighed in relief and started playing with his hair again.  "Oh, that's good.  So are you?"

She blinked.  "Am I what?"

The corner of his mouth turned up.  "Are you lost?"

Kagome colored a bit before answering.  "No, I was just…ah…looking at the shrine."

He nodded, although he looked somewhat doubtful.  He regarded her critically for a moment and Kagome fidgeted slightly.  "Are you related to Seiko?  It's just that you look like her a lot."

Seiko?  Her mother?  That was the only Seiko she could think of that they would both know.  Kagome glanced at the well quickly.  She didn't have time for this.  She needed to get back home.  Maybe if she tried going through again, she'd get back to her time.  But she had to get James to leave first.  "Actually, I am her cousin.  Do you think you could get her for me?  I'll just wait right here."

Kagome plopped down on the steps and James scratched the back of his head.  "I guess I could.  I'll be back in a sec."

He ran off, glancing back at her suspiciously.  Kagome breathed out when he turned a corner and scrambled back into the shrine.  That was the same man that Sirius had just told her had been murdered.  He only had a few more years to live before that … Voldemort would kill him.  Maybe she could warn him what would happen!  She could save his life and…

Stop.  She couldn't think like that.  If she changed things, everything could go wrong.  She'd be playing with peoples' lives.  With a regretful look backwards, she leapt into the well.  The moment she was pulled into the stream of time, she realized something and froze in shock. 

"NO!"

*  *  *

James Potter trotted back to the spot where he'd left the strange girl.  He wasn't surprised to find it empty.  He hadn't really planned on going to get Seiko in the first place.  That girl had seemed distracted and out of place somehow.  And with Voldemort and dark magic everywhere, you couldn't trust anybody, even as far away as Japan.

He looked around the perimeter for a while, trying to see if anything was different or if that girl was anywhere.  Finding nothing, he turned back towards the house but stopped when something glinting on the ground caught his eye.  He bent down and picked up two mirrors that were in the same place she'd been sitting.

Turning them over in his hand, he figured he'd have his father look at them later.  He put them in his pocket and went to find Sirius.  He'd been saying something about a dungbomb earlier…

*  *  *

Sirius Black observed his surroundings with nostalgia.  The Higurashi house and grounds were much the same as when he'd visited Kei all those years ago.  It felt good to know that one thing that had meant much to him as a child hadn't been taken away or destroyed.  But some things had changed…like the half-demon that was perched on the tree above him.

His Great Grandfather had told him tales of Japanese demons, youkai, that had once roamed freely across the country.  And that was all he'd believed it to be -- tales.  But there was a real demon, or half-demon, right in front of him. 

Inuyasha had seemed hesitant and aloof when Sirius had first met him.  But he'd learned that he acted just like any other person -- especially when he'd arrived in a blaze of worry and anger out of the well a week ago.  He glanced towards said place and his face lowered in sadness. 

A week.  Kagome had been missing for a week.  He'd barely just met her, which created enough of a favorable opinion, but the people who knew her well were really suffering.  He felt that pain too acutely.  Sota had refused to leave the house, hoping that she'd return soon.  Seiko had done the same, and was often quiet.  Seiko's father had returned from some convention and was trying to perform 'magic' to get her out of the well.  Sirius snorted at that thought.  The old man had a good heart, but definitely not any power.  And Inuyasha…

He'd blamed himself.  Sirius knew what the anger and grief felt like.  He'd festered on those feelings for years in Azkaban -- hating Peter, Voldemort, the Ministry…but the person he hated most of all was himself.  After all, it was his fault that they'd switched the secret-keeper to Peter.  His fault that James and Lily were dead.  His fault.

He shook himself abruptly.  He'd come here to talk to Inuyasha, not delve into the past.  He looked up at the half-demon.  Inuyasha's eyes were fixed on the well, but his ears flicked as Sirius approached.  A red blur hopped down from the tree and the half-demon was before him in a moment.

"Were you able to do anything?"  Sirius rolled the wand in his hand at the question.  He'd acquired a wand in the hopes that he would be able to find some way to help Kagome.  He'd been very relieved that he could still use magic.  He just wished it were under different circumstances. 

"No.  I tried a locating spell, but there's too much magic surrounding the well for anything to work."  He rubbed his forehead.  "I never really noticed much magic coming from it when I used to visit.  But the place is full of it.  A witch or wizard definitely had a play in the time travel you've been using.  Do you know anything about it, Inuyasha?"

He frowned.  "I don't know how it works.  Kagome was the one who originally came through…she would be the one who might know more."  Inuyasha's hands clenched.  "Damn it!"

Sirius rubbed the back of his head.  "I know it's difficult, but we'll find her." 

Inuyasha bared his teeth in anger.  "What the hell do you know?!  She's gone and all I can do is sit around on my ass!"  His hand went to his sword.  "I can't fight something that I can't see! I couldn't-"

He broke off, realizing his outburst, and turned away with a dismissive snort.  Sirius narrowed his eyes.  "What the hell do you know?  I know what it feels like to be powerless to change something and always wonder what you could have done differently.  I know how it feels to hate yourself for it.  I know what it means to lose someone important.  Too many people I love are gone but Kagome may not be totally lost…at least you have that."

Inuyasha's ears bent back and he looked…regretful?  "Kagome told me what happened to you."   Sirius regarded him and Inuyasha turned around sharply.  "I do appreciate how hard you're trying to get her back.  Th-Thank you."

Sirius smiled a bit and opened his mouth to respond but stopped as Inuyasha suddenly whipped his head and stared straight at the shrine with the well.  "KAGOME!"

Sirius didn't have time to say anything as Inuyasha ran towards the well in a blur of red.  He followed suit, wondering how on earth Inuyasha managed to move so quickly.  He reached entrance and rushed in quickly, hoping that Inuyasha's sense of smell was correct.  As he took in the sight before him, he wasn't disappointed.

Kagome was climbing out of the well looking just fine.  In fact, she didn't look much different from the last time he'd seen her.  Inuyasha hoisted her out and set her on the ground, but instead of stepping back, Kagome moved forward and put her arms around him.  Inuyasha looked surprised for a moment, but didn't move away.

They looked like such a cute picture that Sirius couldn't help but smile.  But still, they had to come out of La-La Land at some point.

Sirius coughed loudly and the two jumped.  "If you two need some time alone…"

Kagome reddened and leapt away from Inuyasha, all the while giving explanations and apologies.  The half-demon, for his part, turned just as red but simply said, "Feh."  Sirius grinned at their embarrassment.  Oh, he was DEFINITELY going to enjoy teasing them later on…

*   *   *

"So, it's really been a week since I've been gone?"  Everyone around her nodded, and Kagome bit her lip.  How had that happened?  She'd only been gone a few hours.  The voices must have seriously altered the flow of time in the well.  Would she and Inuyasha be able to get back to the Feudal Era safely?

She knew she would have to face a lot of those problems later, but sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by her family, Inuyasha, and Sirius, she felt perfectly content.  After greeting Inuyasha, her family had rushed in with their own welcome.  It hadn't taken much longer after that for the questions to start on both sides.  After they'd all cleared up the time discrepancies, she'd told them everything that had happened.

She'd been most nervous about what Sirius' reaction would be to the news that she'd met James.  Would he be mad that she hadn't done anything to warn his friend?  But the wizard had only donned a thoughtful look, and even now he seemed to be still musing on something.  She supposed there was only one way to find out what.

"Sirius?"  He looked up at her.  "Y-You're not mad that I didn't warn James, are you?"

He looked at her for a moment and then sighed.  "No.  Who knows what would have happened if you'd said anything.  It's just…" He ran a hand through his hair.  "I sometimes wish I could go back and do things differently but…No.   You did the right thing.  I'm just happy it was you instead of me.  I don't think I would've been able to stop myself from doing something."

Kagome nodded, feeling a bit better.  "Kagome?"  Sota spoke up from next to her and she looked at him expectantly.  "Inuyasha told us that you got some magic mirrors to help Sirius.  Can I see them?"

Kagome looked away guiltily and clenched her fists.  She'd forgotten to mention that little blunder.  "I'm sorry, Sirius."  He blinked in surprise at the sudden apology.  "I forgot about the mirrors when I was talking to James.  I-I left them behind.  We had a chance and I blew it.  But I can still make it right!  Maybe if I try to go back through the well-"

"The hell you're not!"  Kagome jumped slightly at Inuyasha's sudden outburst.

And where did he come off telling her what to do?  "It's my decision, Inuyasha."

He seemed ready for an argument.  "And what if you can't make it back?"

"Well, I'll just have to…Sirius what's wrong?" 

Sirius's eyes had widened and he had a strange look on his face.  "Inuyasha, you said those mirrors had powers, right?"  Inuyasha looked perplexed at the sudden question, but nodded in answer.  "Would you be able to communicate through them?"

Inuyasha looked thoughtful for a moment and then turned to Kagome.  She remembered Kaede had said something similar to that.  "Yeah, we were told something like that.  Why do you ask?"

Sirius ran a hand through his hair.  "Because I know where they are.  I have them…or I did."

"What!?"  How could that have happened?  The mirrors had been left behind and … James.  Kagome nearly hit herself.  She should have thought of it sooner!  James must have taken them after she left and somehow Sirius had ended up with them.  But that would mean…

"The mirrors are in England?"

"Well," Sirius bit his lip.  "One of them is at my house and the other should be with my Godson, Harry."

"So, we need to go to England?"  Kagome rubbed her forehead.  "That's not something we can just randomly do.  We don't have that kind of money.  Plus, it'll be hard to get you out of the country, Sirius, considering your not…living.  I'm not sure if we could manage."

But they had to do something.  She'd messed everything up the first time.  She wouldn't make a mistake again.  They had to get to England somehow.

"Actually…" Kagome looked at her mother, a bit surprised.  "We may be going to London sometime soon."

HUH?  Kagome just stared.  That had been completely unexpected.  Her mother seemed to understand her confusion because she made some sort of signal to Sota.  Sota left the room for a moment, but soon returned carrying two letters.  Kagome glanced from her brother to the letters.

He bounced on his feet a bit, excitement evident, and thrust the letters toward her.  "I'm a wizard, Kagome!" 

Author's Notes:  It's been a few weeks since an update.  Midterms, school, and life in general came and nipped me in the butt.  Anywho, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

***And now to the boring explanation part.  I've made slight CHANGE, which I'm hoping won't ruin anyone's day (or night) too terribly.  As most of you probably know, Kagome is 15 at the start of the anime/manga.  Well, in this here fic, she's already turned 16.  This also means that she's gotten into a high school (in the Japanese school system, High Schools run for grades 10, 11, and 12, and the school year starts around April).  I'll delve more into how she actually got into a high school (seeing as how she never has time to study…) later on the story.  This change also equates her to how old Harry, Ron, etc. are, which will be helpful later on.  So I hope this doesn't put anyone in a really bad mood.  If you are upset…well…here's a cookie for you.

And of course an incredibly HUGE thanks to everyone who reviewed.  You're all awesome!!

SilverKnight7, Kadasa-Mori, WraithWoLf368, Master-DoppleGanger  (There was more Sirius in this chapter  ^_^ , though he seemed mostly depressed.  I need to give him a break…), yamiyumetenshi  (Money Squirrels!), Kasumi21  (I know how it feels to be busy ^_^.  As for villains…*insert evil laughter*), miko no tsuki, smile7499  (Thanks for reviewing twice!), Hi 1 0 1, Inu-babe666 (Thanks for wishing me luck.  I hope you did all right on yours too!), kyoukihinotomori-luvs-inuyasha (Very interesting pen name...), Miroku004 (*blushes* Thanks so much!  A truck load of cookies?  YES!), SushiiSquirrel (Toilet paper?  I love it!  ^_^).

I love flamingos…

I love REVIEWS even more…

^_^