Kenshin

Chapter 2: Reasons Not To

Hiei was surprised when the window opened and it was Kenshin there. Kurama had never mentioned where the kid went but to suddenly see him there instead of Kurama nearly knocked him out of the tree.

"Afternoon, Hiei." Kenshin said cheerfully. "Kurama is at school currently. Care to join me for a card game?"

"Hn." Hiei tried reading the boy's mind but all he got was faint emotions.

"Ya know it's rude to intrude in people's mind without permission." Kenshin quipped.

Hiei grunted in response as he sat on the windowsill. Kenshin snickered as he rolled up the sleeping bag. Hiei watched as he looked for a moment sad before grinning brilliantly.

"So, you're a demon?" Kenshin murmured.

"Yes." Hiei's followed him around the room.

Kenshin seemed to be cleaning on automatic. "So can I assume you're at least allies with Kurama? Since you don't seem to be the one to make 'friends'."

Hiei watched the boy curiously. What in Makia did he mean by 'friends'? The boy pulled on his jacket and secured something in his oversized sleeves. Kenshin picked up a satchel and smiled.

"Uh, do you possibly know the closest Wizarding shops?"

Hiei raised an eyebrow. Kenshin snickered a bit but send an apologetic look. Hiei mentally blinked. What was it with this kid? By now he would have lose his temper with a ningen.

'Must be spending too much time around the Detective and his idiot sidekick. Or the fox and his mother. Either or.'

"Ah, could I ask a favor?" Kenshin asked. "And later you can call on it. As long as it's legal."

Hiei suppressed a chuckle. Smart human. Hiei found himself liking this Kenshin quite a bit. Is this what Kurama saw in him?

"What?" Hiei said blandly, as not to show how he was feeling.

"Well, I need some potion ingredients and items. I'm asking you to come with me so….I do I put this….no one would think twice about a pair of boys. I may have some people looking for me and I want to layway them for a while." Kenshin explained as he pulled the bandana back down to hid his scar.

Hiei nearly fell backward. Scary, this boy had a knack of disguise. He still looked like Kurama's double if you were close enough. Yet with the green bandana, he could pass as Hiei's sibling.

Kenshin rummaged through a chest and pulled out several pairs of glasses. He picked out a pair of thin square rimmed glasses.

"Don't know why I keep glasses. I fixed my eyesight months ago. Oh, yeah. Thank you, Moony." He muttered.

He tapped the glasses several times, making strange sounds under his breath. Hiei felt the stir of magic in the air. Hiei closed his eyes. The magic gave him a rush of power, which contested the boy was probably untrained for the most part. The boy was powerful and Hiei was suddenly glad he had somehow earn some sort of trust with Kenshin.

Hiei found himself staring at a speckled almost human version of himself. The glasses must have had some eye color spell on it because vivid red eyes flashed with amusement back at him.

"So are you willing to come?" Kenshin asked with a tilt of his head.

"Hn. Sure."

Hiei remained quiet until they reached the wand shop. Hiei frowned as he followed in. Harry didn't worry too much about Hiei's silence. He was in a good mood. However, the other shoe dropped.

"Ha, welcome to my humble shops." Said a disheveled middle-age man.

"I need a new wand." Harry said. "My last wand was broken in an accident."

"So what was you last wand?"

"Mahogany and roc feather." Harry murmured.

Hiei suspected he was lying, Harry knew judging by the way Hiei tried his mental shields. The wand maker gave him a odd look before retreating into the back room.

Harry after an hour of testing was becoming a bit upset. Harry pulled a breath in slowly to control his temper. It had become easier to control it since Voldie kicked the can but a lot of the residuals were still there.

"There is one wand I haven't considered." The shopkeeper muttered. "But would it be wise?"

He moved away, reentering the back. Harry sat down with a moan. Hiei glanced at him.

"Hn."

Harry shot back. "Don't hn me. I knew this would be difficult." Sighing he continued. "Why is it I can't be a normal wizard?"

Hiei watched him quietly. The shopkeeper returned with a box covered in ofudas and runes.

"This wand is very powerful. The half-demon wizard, Tenshi, created this wand. Made from some say the Tree of Vidas and bound within is the bloodstained hairs from Tenshi himself." The shopkeeper said blandly. "Try it."

Harry reluctantly waved it. The energy released arched out in a wide swatch, flowing like water. A jumble of noise and half-shapes in the energy slammed upon the occupants of the room. And within minutes, it disappeared back into Harry and the wand.

Harry panted, listening to the breathing of his companion and the shopkeeper. The room swam for a bit. He was unaware of the slight white and purple energy pulsing about him.

"It seems the wand is yours, young sir. Or should I say Harry Potter." The shopkeeper said mildly.

The energy disappeared. Harry's eyes harden until even Hiei had to flinch slightly.

"Harry Potter is dead." He said savagely. "He died the day Voldemort kicked the bucket."

"Ah, I'm sorry, sir. You may take the wand. I won't charge you anything." The shopkeeper nervously said. "Good day sirs."

Harry stalked back, Hiei following behind him. Harry muttered about how quick they'd find him and that he wasn't ready to face them.

Kurama had listened to Hiei's recollection worriedly. Kenshin's anger seemed a bit out of place in him. Kurama knocked on the door before entering. Kenshin sat on the far wall facing the window. The owl, Kurama remembered as Hedwig, cleaned his hair affectionately. Kenshin spun the shellacked wand thoughtfully.

"So Kenshin, what happened?" Kurama asked gently.

"I do have an explosive temper but it used to take a lot to get me to that point." Kenshin spoke softly. "When Voldemort was resurrected, his emotions tainted mine and eventually he sent them on purpose. Prophecy be dammed. Except for a select few people, everyone in my life wanted me to either save their sorry butts or wanted something from me. Dumbledore didn't help. He could have saved us the trouble by helping Tom when he was in school, but I supposed stereotypes didn't help it any."

Kurama sat down next to him. Kenshin leaned a bit towards him. Hedwig hooted softly, nipping his ear gently.

"I have finally found myself as Kenshin. I found someplace to be comfortable. For the longest time, I wanted to have a family and to be myself. I don't want to go back and be Harry Potter. It would kill me a little bit at a time."

Kurama's arm moved and pulled Kenshin closer as Hedwig flew out the window. Kenshin relaxed slowly in his hug. Kurama thought about it and had to agree.

"So when will you tell me the whole story?" Kurama asked.

"Soon, I think." Came the soft reply.

"I'll kill him." Roared Ron. "He's alive!"

"Ron!" Hermione yelled.

"He left us." Ron sneered. "The bastard left us and went to Japan. We're his best friends, Mione!"

"Wow, so Weasel does have abandonment issues." A familiar drawl drew the fuming redhead and brunette to the door. "I don't blame the Golden Boy though. I'd leave this place if I was him too."

Draco Malfoy leaned against the doorway. Ron's hands opened and closed at his sides. Hermione placed a restraining hand on Ron's arm.

"Considering his 'best friends' spent most of the time snogging…" Draco's voice contained mere disappointment. "Never mind that, but let's say. The Golden Boy left because he found something he could live without."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Fame." Draco's silver eyes were weary. "You come to realize a lot of things about your school rival when made roommates. Like how well he can acted. How he missed Them."

"Them?" Ron asked.

Draco didn't elobrate as he turned away and left the room.

Kenshin sneezed again for the fifth time that morning. Kurama looked amused over his book. Kenshin glared slightly before turning back to his note-taking.

"Magic…blah,blah…idiotic….um, no thanks…..bad image, bad!" Kenshin muttered. "Ah, here! Kuso. I hate Ron."

"Who's Ron?" Kurama asked.

"Well, I know why my behavior is erratic at best." Kenshin muttered. "My so-called best friend used a pretty dark curse."

"Was he aware?"

"Ron is a brilliant strategist but a lousy wizard actually. Can't do anything above a Patronus."

"I heard Patronus was a advance spell." Kurama looked thoughtfully at him.

"True. He doesn't research what the spells do properly enough to be anything but a slightly above average wizard."

"Ah." Kurama detected a bitter tone in Kenshin's voice. "So what's the curse?"

"Er, roughly translated to the Mind of the Child curse. Basically my intelligence will be reduced as my emotional state becomes similair to that of a young child. It's classically used to brainwash a target which make it Dark but it was originally meant to heal the broken-minded. Neville's parents could have benefited from such a spell." Kenshin said absently.

'Neville? Must be an old friend.' Kurama thought. Youko merely rolled over back into sleep.

"Any way to counter the curse." Kurama asked.

"Yes, but this means I'll be probably depressed and suicidal for a while…"

"Mother, I and Hiei will try to help."

"Hn. Why are you volunteering me, Fox?" Hiei asked.

Kurama's eyes glinted at both of them. Hiei snorted and Kenshin rolled his eyes and groaned.