AN: forgive the long time it took me to update! i'm really sorry...>" i have no excuse. on the other hand, i have just discovered the wonderful-ness that is JuubeixKazuki (Get Backers) and the fun-ness that is Death Note...until Raito(Light) gives up his notebook, anyways. sigh
Disclaimer: YuYuHakusho, Harry Potter, and all related characters do not belong to me.
"Japanese" "English" "Makai-nese" /Kurama to Hiei/ /Hiei to Kurama/
Kurama woke suddenly, as he usually did, but with the strange feeling of being greatly refreshed. That worried him. Usually, he woke feeling a bit tired—a result of inhabiting a truly human body in a magical environment. He opened his eyes to see an unfamiliar stone ceiling, and looked down his body to see a warm blanket draped over him. Right. Draco.
Only moving his head, Kurama turned to see an empty four-poster bed with curtains, in Slytherin colors, which had been drawn aside. The deep green blankets were not yet made, but loosely tossed back, and to Kurama's right, he vaguely heard the sounds of running water. Kurama slid out of his makeshift bed and neatly folded the blanket he had used, placed it on the unmade bed, and unraveled the mass of foliage that sat in the corner of Draco's room. The youki flowed easily through him, and Kurama frowned again. The very fact that he felt well was strange.
The sounds of the shower stopped, and not long after, Draco stepped through what appeared to be solid stone, clad in school robes, rubbing a towel through his wet hair. He stopped dead and stared at Kurama with wide eyes. "Potter?" the name was said hesitatingly, not without fear and alarm.
Kurama turned at the sound of Harry's name and smiled at Draco. "Good morning, Draco."
Draco's eye widened further, and he slowly replied, "Good morning…Kurama." Kurama grinned, and was about to reply when he suddenly froze. The grin melted off his face and he stared at Draco's wary look. "I'm not speaking English, am I?" The blonde shook his head. Kurama frowned, concentrated and asked, "How about now?" Draco nodded. A sudden thought struck Kurama and he whirled around to find the nearest mirror. Kurama stared at his reflection with no little horror.
/Hiei/ Kurama practically shrieked over the bond, and he vaguely felt Hiei wince. Kurama's eyes didn't leave his reaction as he sent, more calmly/Sorry. Just…come here. Quickly./
/Understood./
Kurama relaxed slightly with the affirmation that his bonded was on his way and studied the figure reflected in the mirror. He raised his hands and studied them, the reflection copying his movements. Long, slender fingers, calloused fingertips, pale skin. He raised his hand to his head and pulled forward a lock of hair. Red. Not the Weasley ginger, but true red. Blood red. His eyes in the mirror were deep green, slanted Asian eyes, with long, thick eyelashes. Said eyes shut and Kurama collapsed backwards onto the chair that Draco hastily shoved under him. Kurama let out a heavy sigh. "Was I like this when you woke up this morning?"
"I don't know. I didn't look." Draco's voice was quiet, subdued, and still wary.
"Kurama." Ah, Hiei had arrived.
"Hiei, look at me. What do you see?" Kurama asked urgently. Hiei gave him a strange look, but complied, giving the body a quick look over.
"A human body. Red hair, green eyes. Japanese." Hiei paused, and then said sardonically, "Looks exactly like you, as a matter of fact."
Kurama rolled his eyes. "No, I meant…look at me. With more than your eyes." Hiei's eyes widened in understanding, and he frowned. He loosened the ward, and slowly checked Kurama over, with eyes, youki, and the slight pulse of the Jagan. A low hiss sounded as Hiei confirmed Kurama's fears.
"Zigleaxh."
The word was spoken in an undertone, and Kurama buried his face in his hands. "So it really is. Its too early, Hiei, as far as I can tell."
"Uh, excuse me?" Draco broke into the Japanese conversation. "What's too early? What did Hiei-san see? And what is a zeeglaks?"
"Zigleaxh." Kurama corrected. "Its not a word you would ever need to know. However…" He exchanged glances with Hiei, "in light of the current situation, I believe you should be informed. Zigleaxh is, to the best of my ability, translated to mean the process that happens when a body's spirit is starting to fight back." Kurama stood, and with effort, switched back into the body of Harry Potter. He walked to the door, Hiei following behind him. "Tonight, at ten. I will explain further. Be with Snape at the edge of the forest. Do not be seen, either of you," Kurama warned. The two demons then swept out the door and into the corridor. Draco ran after them, but they had vanished.
Kurama re-appeared during breakfast, looking exhausted. Both Blaise and Draco looked immaculate, but tired—that was to be expected. None of them had gotten more than a few hours of sleep. Snape looked the way he always did, probably due to various potions. Ron and Hermione descended upon Kurama like vultures upon a carcass, asking and prodding and wondering why he wasn't in the Hospital Wing. Kurama ignored them for the most part, answering a few questions, disregarding the rest.
As the meal wound down to a close, Dumbledore stood. "Seventh years, please meet in the courtyard for a brief meeting right after lunch. Inform those of your housemates who are not here of the meeting. It will be mandatory. Thank you." Silence followed the announcement, and after it was evident that the Headmaster had finished, chattering broke out, as well as a few of the students who had finished breakfast leaving to prepare for class.
Harry took the last bite of his bagel and stood. "I'm going to get my books. I'll see you in class." He paused and said, a bit lost, "Its DADA, right?"
Hermione and Ron exchanged worried glances and Ron replied, "Yeah, with the snakes. Don't know who's teaching though, since Prof. Lupin hasn't been seen around. Dumbledore didn't say either, did he?" The last was directed at Hermione, who worried her lip.
"No…the opening feast was…interrupted." Another glance at Kurama, who resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "And we're the first Defense class this year. No one knows."
Kurama shrugged, "Ok, thanks," and walked off. Ron and Hermione held a low, hurried conversation, before Ron grabbed a muffin and they jogged after him.
"Hey! Harry! Wait up!"
Kurama slowed, but didn't stop. He wanted to get this day over with as soon as he could, and getting to the classroom early was one way of resting. His youki was pulsing and Harry was stirring and Kurama knew why, but couldn't do anything about it. Not in this human school. Not with everyone as suspicious as they were. They walked into the classroom and chose seats in the middle, reserving judgment until the teacher was established in their minds as competent or not.
"I want to talk to you. Later, after class." Hermione's low voice echoed in his mind before he made sense of it, and Kurama nodded. It seemed that Hermione, too, was suspicious. What had become of Youko Kurama's famed abilities?
/They withered from lack of usage./ Hiei's voice was annoyed. /But you can be forgiven. No one likes being possessed by someone else completely. Especially one of these…humans./
/Hiei? Is something wrong/
/I've interrogated the imp we caught yesterday…/
/Thanks you. Did you find out why he was in Draco/ Kurama cut in.
/Don't thank me just yet/ Hiei's voice was grave, /Yes, we did. Thus, we've found out who Voldemort resurrected./
/But that's wonderful! It gives us an advantage, as Voldemort doesn't know we know./ Kurama was confused by Hiei's tone. /What's wrong, koi/ A feeling of foreboding settled in the pit of his stomach. /Who is it/
Silence.
/Koi, tell me/ Kurama was getting worried. His hands clenched and unclenched on his desk and he stared at the wood. /Who is it/
After another pause, Hiei finally answered, reluctance and distaste coloring the one name: /Karasu./
Kurama froze in his motions as his eyes widened, staring at nothing in particular. He vaguely heard someone calling his name, but he ignored it in favor of paying attention to Hiei. /Karasu/ Kurama's mental voice was low and disbelieving.
/Yes. That's why the imp was in Draco in the first place. He was under Karasu's orders to watch you, and to report back any information he could get on Potter. I've altered his mind. He will report only what I plant there./
/Thank you, Hiei./ Kurama was trembling ever so slightly as he closed the connection and stared back down at his tightly clenched fists. He should have guessed. Karasu…the crow demon still gave him nightmares sometimes. Kurama knew that he should be thankful that it wasn't the younger Toguro, or that it wasn't Sensui. Kurama knew that he should be thankful it was only the weaker Karasu that Voldemort had found. His mind knew that, but the deep-rooted fear within him reared its head and Kurama couldn't help wishing that it was Sensui…at least Yusuke would have been pleased to have a rematch.
"Harry!"
Kurama's head jerked up in surprise, narrowly missing Draco's. Hermione, Ron, and Blaise were all watching him closely. He forced a smile, "Yes?" Hermione gestured down at his clenched fists, and Kurama followed their gazes. Blood was dripping from between his fingers, and Kurama was suddenly made aware of a slight stinging pain from his palms. With no little trepidation, he turned his wrists so his palms faced up, and relaxed his hands. His palms were smeared with blood that seeped sluggishly from four crescent moons that had cut into his flesh. Kurama bit his lips as, with as hissing sound, his cuts sealed themselves, leaving no indication, other than the blood, that he had been hurt a few seconds earlier.
Hermione's eyes were huge. "How…Harry, what just happened?"
Kurama thought quickly, "I took a healing potion right before class. I guess its still working…" He shrugged, and added, "I accidentally scraped my palm on the walls, and it hurt to hold a quill, so I found the extra vial Mme. Pompfrey gave me." The opening of the door to the classroom cut off any other questions, and the class waited with bated breath to see who their new DADA professor would be.
Headmaster Dumbledore swept into the room with a cheery grin and a blue robe with orange stars. A confused sort of mumble rose from the students as they tried to figure out what was going on. Finally, Hermione raised her hand and asked, "Professor Dumbledore, are you our Defense professor this year?"
Dumbledore chuckled. "I'm afraid not, Miss Granger. Your professors have been detained. However, they should arrive in time for classes on Monday. As of today, I suppose I might as well dismiss this class." The class cheered, Dumbledore twinkled. "Enjoy the sunshine while you can, and keep the noise down in the hallways, please. Class dismissed!"
chapter owari
AN: yes, i suppose the Karasu deal was a bit predicatable. oh well. XD also, for those of you who are interested, i've posted an altered version of chapter ten. it didn't really make that much of a difference in the following chapters (none, actually), but it makes a small difference in whats coming up...i guess. won't kill you if you dont read it, but i'd like it if you did. )