AN: The story reached 100 reviews! Thank you all so much! Let me know if you have ideas or wishes for the story, maybe I will include them. Enjoy the next chapter!

English

'thoughts'

'thoughts of Sesshomaru's beast'

They reached Sango's and Kagome's huts shortly before the birthday child and Lady Kaede arrived from the opposite direction. As the group saw Rin they all shouted: 'Happy birthday Rin,' Lord Sesshomaru who stood next to Hermione being the only exception. Rin looked at them with big eyes.

"It is Rin's birthday today?" she asked hopefully. Hermione stepped up to her and nodded.

"Yes, today is your birthday, and we all came to celebrate it and you. Look, even Lord Sesshomaru, Jaken and Ah-Un made it," she told the girl after hugging her. She pointed to the demon lord and his followers.

Rin squealed happily and ran to her father figure, hugging him around the waist and burying her face in his fur-thing. He patted her head with a clawed hand and murmured something to her.

Hermione thought they were very cute. 'I keep forgetting to ask, but what is that fur-thing he always has on his right shoulder? And what is it called? Is it clothing or part of his demon form?' She decided to ask Rin later, and if she didn't know maybe Inuyasha did. She would ask Lord Sesshomaru only if nobody else knew. She didn't want to insult him, by asking him a possibly sensitive question.

Rin went around hugging everybody while everyone congratulated her on her thirteenth birthday. After the well wishes it was time for the cake. Kagome and Hermione had baked it with a little help of magic, and it now had three layers. It was a chocolate cake decorated with sugar flowers because Rin liked flowers so much. The chocolate had come from Hermione's stash in her bag, for chocolate was probably only now discovered by Europeans. The cake even had thirteen little candles. The two friends were very proud of their creation.

HxS

Rin looked at the big cake. She had never seen something so beautiful made for her. She had to blink tears away, for she was so touched. Hermione came to her side and hugged her tightly.

"Oh sweetie, it's okay to cry. You remember I cried too because I was so touched by your thoughtfulness."

Rin buried her face in Hermione's kimono and cried for a while. It felt good being hold like that, and Hermione compared to Lord Sesshomaru was soft. Was this how a mother's embrace felt like? If so she now really wanted Hermione to become her mother. She had to talk to Shippo.

"Come on now, wipe away your tears and blow out the candles on the cake. You can make a wish when blowing them out," Hermione said softly to her and wiped her tears away with the sleeves of her kimono, "There. Now go on, wish something, but don't tell anybody what you wished for, for if you do your wish won't come true."

Rin turned to the cake and closed her eyes. She knew exactly what to wished for. 'I wish Lord Sesshomaru an Hermione would be my stepparents and that they fall in love with each other and marry or mate and that I will get stepsiblings.' She opened her eyes and blew out all the candles in one go. Everyone clapped, and Kagome began cutting the cake into pieces. Rin got the first piece and bit into it as soon as she had it in her hands. Her eyes grew big as she tasted the sweetness. It wasn't like anything she had ever tasted. She decided she loved this taste and munched happily at her cake while looking at the reaction of the others. The one reaction she wanted to see the most was Lord Sesshomaru's. How would he look like when he tasted the cake? Would his face stay the same, not showing how much he liked it, or would he react differently?

Rin saw how Lord Sesshomaru's eyes went wide for a short moment, and he looked at the cake curiously. Then his face was blank again, but Rin saw how he liked his fingers when he had finished eating the cake. She smiled happily, being glad that her lord enjoyed the cake.

HxS

Sesshomaru was still liking his fingers discreetly so that nobody noticed. This cake had been delicious. He had never in his long life tasted something nearly as sweet and tasty as this chocolate. 'We want another piece.' 'If somebody offers, yes, but this Sesshomaru will not ask for it.' 'You are too stubborn for your own good. Ask our little witch, she will not think bad about you.' 'Hn.'

He went to stand next to the little witch, who was still eating her piece, but he did not ask her. Instead he kept starring at her as she ate her cake.

After some time, she looked at him and asked: "Would you like another piece of cake? There is still plenty at the moment."

He only nodded and took the new piece she just cut and began to eat it. 'We love this chocolate. We want more.' He looked at the little witch, who just finished her cake. She had a bit stuck to her cheek. He reached out and wiped it away with his thumb and then licked the chocolate away slowly. She stared at him with wide eyes and blushed.

"Hey you ice prick! Take your paws off of Hermione!" came the irritating voice of his half-brother from behind.

"That is none of your business half-breed," Sesshomaru said while turning around.

Before anyone could say anything, Sesshomaru caught a scent who should not belong near the village, and so did the noses of the little fox demon, the half demon and the witch. One could see Inuyasha's ears flick in the direction from which the scent came. Sesshomaru growled at the scent of wolfs, and he heard Inuyasha growl as well. They glared at each other, realising they had the same reaction, and then looked to the scent source. A little tornado seemed to come towards them.

"It's the mangy wolf! What do you want?!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Shut up, mutt. Who wants to talk to you."

The wolf prince looked around and found the priestess and walked up to her, grabbing her hands.

"How is my woman? Is the mutt treating you well? I can beat him up for you if you want?"

The Priestess just stared at the wolf with an open mouth.

"Hey! She is my wife! Keep your dirty paws of her!"

They bickered for a while. Sesshomaru searched looked around to see where Rin was. She was playing with the little fox demon a few meters away. He looked back to the little witch. She was smiling as she watched Rin and Shippo play.

'She wants pups. Let her know we can help her with that.' 'I told you already. Patience. We don't want to scare her away.'

The wind picked up a few strands of her hair and played with it. Sesshomaru was transfixed with that scene, his beast wanting to play with her hair too.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by hearing the wolf prince breath in loudly and saying: "What's that strange smell?"

In seconds the wolf stood in front of the witch, smelling her.

"Who are you?" he asked bluntly.

"My name is Hermione. I live here."

"I have never smelled you, and you have been here before."

"I came here three and a half months ago."

He stared at her, and she stared back unblinkingly. He began to smirk and took her hands in his.

"You are a feisty one, I think I like you."

Sesshomaru growled at the mangy wolf. 'She is ours! Don't let him touch her!'

Before Sesshomaru could do anything, he heard a whimper. He turned around to see what happened. Three wolfs stood in front of Rin, and she was backing away slowly from them clearly afraid. He heard a crack behind him and shortly after one before him. The witch now stood between Rin and the wolfs. And she was growling at them. Her hair seemed to puff up a little. The wolfs looked at her strangely but kept their playful and aggressive stance.

The wolf prince stepped up beside him and said: "They just want to play with the little girl."

"Idiot. Don't you see that Rin is afraid?! Call your beasts back or this Sesshomaru will dispose of them!"

But that was a bit too late since the wolfs had tried to 'play' with Hermione now, and she did not like it. In front of everybody she changed her form, and where once stood a woman now stood a big cougar, growling at the wolfs, telling them to back down or they would have a taste of her claws. They yipped and ran to the forest tail between their legs. When they disappeared between the trees the little witch changed back and turned around to see if Rin was okay. His ward hugged the woman tightly and thanked her. Afterwards the little witch turned around and looked at the many shocked faces.

"Well, I suppose the cat is out of the bag, again."

"That's a hell of a big cat!" exclaimed his half-brother.

The mangy wolf walked up to 'his' little witch and took her hands again.

"I see you are not only beautiful, but also very interesting. I'm sorry, but I will come and visit you again. I have to go now, Ayame is waiting for me," to the others he said, "See you around!"

He left the way he came, like a whirlwind. Sesshomaru growled silently in the direction he left and then walked to the girl and woman.

"Are you two alright?"

"Yes, we are, aren't we Rin?"

His ward nodded and smiled at him, being still a bit shaken from the events.

"Come Rin, I will get you another piece of cake. Lord Sesshomaru, would you like one as well?"

He followed her wordlessly accepting the piece when she held it out to him.

"Hey, why don't you seem surprised to see Hermione change into a huge cat?"

"Because this Sesshomaru was not surprised. We already met in her other form."

"What?!" came from most of them.

"I was out hunting one night and happened to 'bump' into Lord Sesshomaru. The cougar is my Animagus form. It's part of my magic. Becoming an Animagus requires a lot of preparation and training, so not anybody can become one. But it's not rare in my world," the little witch told them while shrugging her shoulders.

While he concentrated on eating the heavenly cake, the friends were talking, but he didn't listen. He watched Rin, who had calmed down and was playing with Shippo again.

Later Rin opened her presents and was very happy about everything she got. Especially about the new kimono, jewellery and book from Sesshomaru and a book from the little witch. As the daylight began to fade they ate dinner together, Rin sit happily between him and the woman. They chatted softly with each other while the people around them talked loudly.

It became late, and the people began to say good night and head home. Rin was leaning on the witch sleepily while the older woman talked to him.

"This Sesshomaru shall take his leave but will visit soon."

Rin hugged him groggily around the waist, wishing him a good night.

The little Witch bowed slightly and said: "Thank you again for the present and for coming, as well as for the wonderful time I and Rin had today. We are looking forward to your visit."

She smiled at him, and he smiled back minutely, but it was only visible to people who knew him. He nodded and jumped into the air, Jaken following him on Ah-Un.

He looked back and saw the two females waving at him.

'We miss them already. Can't we come back tomorrow?' His beast asked hopefully. No, we have a lot of work to do. The guest from far away are coming in little more than a months' time. We have to be prepared, but do not worry, we will visit soon, before the guests arrive.' 'Hn.' 'Are you mocking this Sesshomaru?' Only silence followed.

AN: Thank you so much for your support! I hope you continue liking the story! I am always thankful for your feedback. I will try and post another chapter tomorrow, but I am not sure If I will make it. Since I start work I won't be able to post as much anymore, but I will try as much as possible.

This story is now betaed by Pyo-Kiyo, I am very grateful for her help. Thank you so so much.

Thanks, and enjoy!