English

'thoughts'

'thoughts of Sesshomaru's beast'

Rin was feeling over the moon. Lord Sesshomaru had just told her that they would return to his palace this very day. And the best part was that Hermione would accompany them as well. Unfortunately, it wasn't as her new mother and bride of Lord Sesshomaru; it was for business with some foreigners. However, that could be changed. It would take time and a bit of work, but she would make sure her wish came true or at least do everything in her power to make it happen.

Rin was currently packing her things and was smiling and humming while doing it. Lord Sesshomaru was sitting near the fireplace drinking tea. What made the whole situation even better was that her other friends would come visit them soon and stay at the palace over the winter. Her lord also had told her of Kagome's pregnancy. 'Rin is so happy her family is growing!'

When she was almost finished with packing, Hermione entered the hut smiling.

"This Sesshomaru assumes they agreed."

"Yes, they did! Kagome had to sit Inuyasha since he kind of blew up after he was frozen for a few minutes, having been shocked by the invitation. She agreed on his behalf and assured me he would come around. I already said my goodbyes for now, so I just have to pack my plants and a few things here, speak to Lady Kaede, and then I am ready to go."

Her lord raised an eyebrow in question.

"Just pack your plants? That will take a lot of time, and how do you think to take them with you? I saw how big your garden is."

She smirked at him.

"With a little magic, naturally."

Rin's eyes grew wide. She had seen a few things Hermione could do, but this sounded a lot bigger than any other thing she had witnessed so fat.

"Can Rin watch? Please?!"

Hermione smiled indulgently at her.

"But of course! Just let me get my things here first. Do you have anything you want to put inside my bag?" she asked Rin while she was already bustling around the room, collecting her belongings.

"Can Rin give all her things to you, so Rin does not have to carry it?"

Before Hermione could answer, Lord Sesshomaru said: "Rin. Do not be rude. This Sesshomaru will carry your things. The witch has enough things to carry."

"That's very considerate of you, but it's no bother. My bag has an Undetectable Extension Charm and a Feather-light Charm on it, meaning that it is bigger on the inside and as light as a feather no matter what I put in it."

Before he could ask Hermione anything she showed him, taking Rin's things and putting them in her beaded bag. Her whole arm disappeared in it and Lord Sesshomaru's eyes widened slightly. Rin could tell her lord was very surprised. Hermione turned to Lord Sesshomaru and held out her bag to him.

"Would you like to see how heavy it is?"

Her lord took the bag out of Hermione's hands, being even more astonished now.

"This must be very useful while traveling."

While bustling around the room again, Hermione answered him a bit absentmindedly: "Yes, it was very useful while on the run, and I kept it. After the war I was a little paranoid and took it everywhere with me, which is fortunate since I ended up here."

Lord Sesshomaru seemed shocked and asked slightly incredulously: "Run? War?"

Hermione tuned around, her face being a bit pale, as she realised what she just told them.

"Y-yes. I… will tell you maybe another time."

She put the last of her things in the bag and went out the hut, calling over her shoulder: "Come if you want to see how I handle the plants."

Rin followed her immediately.

HxS

Sesshomaru was growling. 'She was on the run from what? Why? What war? Did she mean she lived during a war or that she was in it? Why won't she tell us?' 'This Sesshomaru does not know, but it can't have been good since she felt she had to keep her belongings with her all the time.' 'We have to comfort her, make sure she feels safe.' 'Yes, but for now, let us see what she can do with her magic.'

He followed his little witch and his ward.

After they arrived there, the woman drew out her stick and started to wave it at her magical plants. At first nothing happened, but after a while the piece of earth where the plants were growing lifted and was suspended above the ground. Then Hermione flicked her stick at it and it began to shrink until it wasn't bigger than her hand and she put it into her bag.

Sesshomaru was amazed by her display of magic. 'She must be very powerful to be able to do that.' 'This Sesshomaru does not now. It seems very powerful, but we only interacted with one person that smelled like her and did not see them perform magic. We will have to ask him.' 'We should do that, but I feel she is powerful.' 'This Sesshomaru does not feel much from her.' 'She is suppressing, hiding her true power.' 'Is she now? Our little witch is full of surprises.'

While he was conversing with his beast, Hermione took a bit of every non-magical plant and put it in her bag.

"Lord Sesshomaru, why don't you and Rin go to the hut and wait there for me while I go and speak to Lady Kaede?"

"Fine. Do not take too long or this Sesshomaru will come and get you."

He looked at her intensely, and he saw how she had to swallow hard. She nodded and went to search for the old priestess. Rin followed him to the hut.

"Rin, what are you thinking about?", he asked as he saw how distracted the girl was.

She frowned and answered: "Hermione can do amazing things with her magic. Rin was wondering why Hermione could not use magic to heal her scars and if she received them in this war she told us about."

Sesshomaru turned around fast to face Rin. He could barely hold back a growl, but he did not want to frighten Rin, and he asked: "What scars?!"

Rin shrank away a little from him, so he tried to calm down.

"Rin has seen them on Hermione when Rin showed her how to wear a kimono and when we were at the hot springs."

"What kind of scars?"

"Rin wants to tell Lord Sesshomaru, but Rin thinks that would not be okay since Hermione does not like to talk about them yet. Rin should not talk about them either."

He sighed. She was right.

"You are right, Rin. This Sesshomaru will wait and ask the little witch another time."

'She was hurt badly if she has scars and does not want to talk about them.' His beast whined; it did not like the thought of their little witch being hurt. However, he couldn't do anything about it and that was what he liked even less.

HxS

Hermione was on her way back to the hut after having spoken with Lady Kaede. She had thanked her for letting her stay in her hut for such a long time and for helping her with masking her magic flow. She had also told her goodbyes to Lady Kaede and hoped she would see the priestess again in six months. Her other friends would join her in Lord Sesshomaru's palace soon.

When she arrived at the hut, Lord Sesshomaru and Rin were waiting for her.

"Are you ready to leave? Rin said her goodbyes while you were talking to the old priestess."

"Yes, we can go."

Lord Sesshomaru led them out of the village and to the edge of the forest where the dragon and the imp were waiting.

"I forgot to ask, but how will we get to the palace?"

"We fly."

"Wait, what?! No! I am not flying! I am afraid of heights!", she screeched at the demon lord.

He glared at her with twitching ears.

"Don't screech, woman. You are hurting this Sesshomaru's ears."

She stopped for a moment and took a shaky breath.

With a normal voice she said: "I am sorry. But I am really afraid of heights. I know that it's pathetic – a witch who can't fly on a broom or anything else for that matter."

"This Sesshomaru is sorry as well, but we have to fly, for it would take days on foot. You will fly with me, and I will make sure you are safe and won't let you fall."

She heard the little imp sputter. She turned to see him almost choked and mumbling somethings when a small stone hit the toad in the head.

"Lord Sesshomaru!", cried the imp.

Hemione turned to the demon lord who looked as if nothing had happened.

"Rin, Jaken, you will ride on Ah-Un. Come here, little witch", he ordered, while he glared at Jaken and opened his arms to her. Being confused, she stayed where she was. He beckoned her to step in to his arms. When she still wasn't showing any kind of reaction, he came to her and embraced her. Hermione was so startled that she stayed like that a few moments, then she began to struggle, wanting to have some space.

"Stop struggling, little witch, or I could let you fall."

With horror she realised they were already in the air and were moving towards the west fast. She stopped struggling and held on to him for dear life. Closing her eyes, wishing not to look down, she felt very warm even if the wind was cold. She was leaning on him, feeling his strong muscles surrounding her, but she could also feel something soft. Opening her left eye slowly, she saw Lord Sesshomaru's fluffy-fur-thingy. She closed her eye again and burrowed her head in the white fluff, trying to imagine that they weren't flying.

After a while she gathered enough courage to open her eyes again. She looked up to the demon lord and realised he was staring at her. She looked at him questioningly.

"Little witch, you are handling your fear well."

She huffed. Why did he keep calling her that?

"I am not that little!"

He looked down at her and lifted his eyebrow as if to make a point. Well, he had one. The top of her head only reached his collarbone.

"Okay, I am smaller than you, but I still have a name! Please use it. And for being afraid… sadly, I have faced worse than this and I am a Gryffindor. Gryffindor are supposed to be courageous."

"I know your name, Hermione", he purred softly in her ear which send a warm shiver down her spine.

He smirked at her and straightened up again, having bent down slightly previously.

"What is a Gryffindor?"

"I went to a magic school for my education. It was a big magical castle, and the students were all sorted into houses through an old talking hat. There are four houses: Gryffindor is represented by a lion and values bravery, Ravenclaw is represented by an eagle and values wisdom, then there is Hufflepuff represented by a badger and values hard work and finally Slytherin which is represented by a snake and values ambition. I was sorted into Gryffindor."

"Tell me more about this school of yours."

As they were flying over the land, talking about Hogwarts, Hermione was able to relax and forget that she was in the air.

She did not know how much time had passed, but it was a few hours. The sun was setting slowly, and they were slowing down evenly and losing altitude.

"Look. There is my palace."

AN: Thank you for your support! I hope you continue liking the story! I am always thankful for your feedback.

This story is now betaed by Pyo-Kiyo, I am very grateful for her help. She is also going over the already written chapters, so there might be a few small changes.

Thanks, and enjoy!