Disclaimer: Neither Inuyasha nor Harry Potter and all characters contained within said works belong to Sessha-chan. It tears me apart to admit it but it is the truth.

Chapter 3

The Joys of Combining Early Pregnancy and Cramming

"My brain hurts more than the last time I crammed," Kagome moaned into her dinner. They were in the great hall eating at the head table because the only people there were Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hermione and the Taisho couple. The rest of the professors would not arrive for two or three weeks yet and the students still had a month left in their break.

"That's what you get for trying to learn six years in a day, idiot," Inuyasha chided with an amused smirk.

"'m not an idiot, dog-boy," she returned. Inuyasha did not bother answering, he just pointed to her plate. Kagome got the hint and continued eating.

Hermione watched the interaction between Kagome and Inuyasha with interest. They fought almost constantly, but there was the occasional look or comment that softened the air about both of them like melted wax. Inuyasha, in his own way she could tell, cared for Kagome and worried over her. Kagome cared for Inuyasha and all too often indulged him in his overprotectiveness. They were a strange couple, for sure.

"Sure you're not," Inuyasha agreed with a taunting grin.

"Like you're one to talk," Kagome retorted, "You're the one who runs into impossible battles without even a basic strategy beyond 'just keep hitting him until he dies,'"

"It's worked so far,"

"It's almost gotten you killed more times than I have years on me,"

"But I haven't died yet," he pointed out, "After all who else can haul you out of trouble when you walk right into it? I need to stick around just to keep you from doing something stupid,"

Kagome huffed, "I'll have you know that I was doing just fine until I met you,"

"You were just about to get eaten by Mistress Centipede when we met," he reminded her.

"But I'm sure I wouldn't have died. And as soon as I figured out how to get home I would have and never looked back. But you kept dragging me back,"

"We had to put the jewel back together,"

"Don't remind me," she frowned down at her plate and piled some more potatoes on.

"How can you eat that much when you're only three months along? I thought you weren't supposed to be so much of a pig until later on,"

Kagome looked at Inuyasha, stricken, "Are you saying that I'm acting like a pig?"

"Well, just look at how much... Kagome? Are you crying? Don't cry! Stop that!" he blustered. Kagome covered her mouth with a hand, closing her eyes to keep the tears in check. They still fell.

"Excuse me," she choked out, before getting up and rushing out of the almost empty hall.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha leapt to his feet, rushing after his mate.

Inuyasha finally caught up with his mate when she hid herself in their assigned quarters. The hanyou approached timidly, unsure as how to handle the situation.

"Kagome?"

"I'm sorry Inuyasha. I shouldn't be so thin skinned," Kagome muttered miserably, wiping away the last remnants of her tears.

"No, I...I didn't mean it like that. I didn't mean to make you cry,"

"You don't have to apologize, Inuyasha, it isn't your fault I'm moody,"

Inuyasha edged closer. Kagome had curled herself up in a corner in the bedroom of the suit they had been given. No lights were lit. The clouds and rain hid the moon outside the windows. But still Inuyasha could find her.

"I guess I'm tired," Kagome continued, "It's been a long day and this magic stuff is draining,"

"Doesn't help that you need more sleep than usual," he added softly with a tentative smile.

"True,"

"Then lets get you into bed. These stones are cold, not very comfortable for sleeping on either," he waited for her nod before he slipped his arms around her and lifted her from the chilled stone floor.

"You're warm," she muttered, pressing closer.

"You're cold. Come on, let's get you into bed," he deftly juggled her and turning down the bedcovers and slipped her in, still in the clothes she had worn all day.

"It's cold here," she whispered. Inuyasha took the hint and crawled in as well. Kagome was instantly pressed against his body, soaking in the heat he radiated. He ran his hand through her hair.

"Sleep, you need it,"

She nodded.

Kagome woke to the dim sunshine of dawn. She reveled in the warmth of the bed and the quiet of the morning. A happy sigh excaped her lips.

Before she bolted out if the bed and raced to the bathroom, tripping over the blanket that followed her on her way out.

Inuyasha woke to his mate rushing from their room. He sighed and followed. Someone had to hold her hair back. He got to her just in time to catch her long hair from being swiftly introduced to the meager contents of her stomach. The smell was vile, especially for his finely tuned nose. When the dry heaving subsided she sat back against the wall, looking very drained.

"How're you felling?" he asked. She glanced up at him, a sarcastic tilt to her eyebrows, but said nothing. He sat down next to her.

"I hate mornings," she groaned.

"Can't blame you,"

They sat in silence until Kagome dropped her head on his shoulder.

"I'm so tired," she moaned pitifully.

"Yeah," he said with a quirky lopsided grin, "I guess puking up your guts like that would wear you out,"

"Oh shut up."

"Do you want me to carry you back to bed?" he asked. She nodded, feeling quite pathetic

Once she had been tucked back in bed and asleep Inuyasha wandered out into the common room. It was devoid of all life. Light filtered in through the elaborate windows. He perched himself on a window seat and watched the sun rise.

Someone knocked at the door. He swiftly padded over and yanked it open. It was Hermione.

"Um... I'm supposed to get Kagome for breakfast and her lessons," she said quickly.

"Kagome just went to sleep again. She won't be getting up for another hour," he said.

"Again?"

"Yeah, little girl. She got up, puked up a lung and went back to sleep. She's only going to sleep for another hour or so, so just wait, 'kay?" he frowned.

"What's wrong with her? Is she sick?" the girl looked genuinely worried.

"Morning sickness,"

"Oh."

"It happens," he shrugged it off, "Go tell your professor that she won't be coming for a while," and he closed the door abruptly.

Hermione stared at the door for a moment, considering insisting that a professor's word was second only to God's, but thought better of it.

Inuyasha nodded, satisfied, when she did not pester him any longer. Operation 'Instill Fear in the Hearts of Mortals' was off to a successful beginning. Kagome would not like it if she knew he was being intimidating on purpose, but Inuyasha had centuries of practice acting the terrifying hanyou.

He headed back to the master bedroom. He sat down on the bed against the headboard, resting an arm against a propped up knee and stood guard over his mate and their growing child.

Just as Inuyasha had predicted Kagome did wake up an hour later. Hermione was waiting in their common room since Inuyasha could not just leave her in the hall, as much he had wanted to. Kagome's teachings of etiquette might not have been instilled perfectly but Inuyasha knew that if he stepped too far out of line his mate would hear of it sooner or later.

"Ready for class, Kagome?" Hermione asked, standing when the miko shuffled bleary-eyed out of the bedroom. Kagome grunted something and closed herself into the bathroom. Hermione sat back down. Kagome left the bathroom, padding back to the bedroom.

"Toothbrush." She muttered.

"In your carryon," Inuyasha told her. She nodded. Soon she returned to the bathroom, this time a toothbrush dangled precariously from her loose fingers.

In a few minutes Kagome emerged, looking somewhat more awake than before. "Good morning Hermione," she smiled at the girl, "Morning Inuyasha," she kissed him chastely on the lips.

"Morning yourself, Kagome," Inuyasha grinned and whispered in her ear, "Do you have any idea how sexy you look in the morning? All sleepy-eyed with that messed up hair?" Kagome blushed and pushed away. Inuyasha let her. Seemed like she was in a good mood this morning and he was not about to ruin it just yet.

"You're terrible," she said back at him.

"Of course I am," he smirked, leaning confidently against the wall, "I had myself quite the reputation even before you came along and we killed Naraku,"

Kagome smiled, remembering how the villagers had acted around him for the first couple of weeks after she had released him from the goshinboku.

"That's right, you did. The Great and Terrible Inuyasha, son of the Great and Terrible Sugimi-sama, former Lord of the Western Lands," She cooed.

"And I didn't even use my family to build my rep," he boasted.

"Didn't have to,"

"Didn't want to,"

"That too," she winked at Hermione, "Now, Inuyasha, I know you don't like Sesshoumaru much but I want him to bring my family here when the baby's due. And I want him to stay as well,"

"What?" Inuyasha yelped, pushing away from the wall. "You're kidding right? Why Sesshoumaru?"

"Because he's your brother. He's going to be this kid's uncle. If my side of the family can come why can't yours?"

"Cuz we hate each other," he reasoned.

She frowned. "Sesshoumaru never hated you, you know,"

"Oh, now it's your memory that's going, Kagome, or have you forgotten all those times he nearly killed me?"

"But you have to notice that he never did kill you. He could have, many times, but he used excuses like it was 'dishonorable to kill an unconscious opponent' or that 'he had no time to bother with such a trivial matter when he had lands to run.' He could have, but he didn't" she nodded, "And didn't you get stronger after every battle with him?"

"Well... But that's not the point!"

"Oh? I asked him about it, you know. He admitted that he was trying to train you in the only way he knew how. You hated him so it's not like he could just up and offer his help,"

"I still hate him!" Inuyasha protested. Kagome smiled.

"Yet you still stick around when he comes over with the girls,"

"Oh shut up,"

Kagome snickered. "So the Big Bad Hanyou has a soft spot for his nieces,"

"I'm not soft!"

"No, you just have a soft spot for adorable little three-quarter youkai girls wielding Hello Kitty paraphernalia,"

Inuyasha scowled darkly. Kagome giggled some more and kissed him on the lips.

"I have class, if you promise to be good then I'll let you come along," she said sweetly.

"And if I don't promise?"

"Then you can go into the lovely forest and do some hunting,"

"You're just doing this magic stuff? Nothing dangerous?"

"Promise," she smiled, "And if it will help I'll give you a charmed bracelet that will tell you if I feel like I'm in danger,"

"Where's that bracelet," he muttered, giving in. The forest was calling seductively to his instincts, he needed to get outside the stone walls. Kagome skipped back inside the bedroom and returned holding a beaded bracelet that looked something like the necklace of subjugation.

"Just give me a second to set the spell in place and you can have it," she said and started pushing chairs and sofas out of the way, clearing a circle in the center of the common room. Kneeling in the center of the circle she placed the bracelet before her on the stone floor. She clasped her hands together, the pointer and thumbs pointing upwards, and bowed her head. Once settled in a prayer-like position she began chanting. Pink energies flared up around her, creating a whirling vortex of power. Quickly they solidified together and sunk into the waiting bracelet. The bracelet glowed as Kagome finished chanting and only subsided when she reached out to pick it up.

"There," She said, tying it around Inuyasha's wrist, "With the amount of energy I put in it, it should work even across the well," she smiled.

"You sure?" Inuyasha looked somewhat skeptical. It was not that he doubted her abilities - far from that - he just had to be sure.

"You'll just have to trust me on it because I'm not about to jump out of a window to prove my point,"

"Good. Then I'll take the brat out for a couple of hours," he said. He opened a window and stepped onto the ledge.

"Inuyasha! Use the...door..." She trailed off when Inuyasha leapt out into the fresh morning air. Both Kagome and Hermione rushed to the windows.

"But we're on the sixth story! He's going to kill himself!" Hermione panicked.

"No," Kagome said watching her husband float to the ground, "Inuyasha's landed from higher heights, I'm just trying to train him to use a door,"

Inuyasha landed softly in a crouch and sprinted to the forest. He could feel his claws lengthening in anticipation. The trees loomed forwards and the hanyou vanished in the foliage like the master hunter that he was.

"Why did he jump?" Hermione cried.

"It's quicker," Kagome sighed.

"Quicker? What good is quicker if it could get you killed!"

"I told you he's landed from higher heights. Don't worry about him, he's half youkai so he's not limited the ways us humans are," the miko patted her friend on the shoulder, trying to calm her down with reason, "Then again, since he's half youkai it also means that he's bound by a lot more than us humans..."

"Like what?" Hermione was diverted. Kagome led the way out of the guest suite.

"Well, instinct, for one. He's a half blood inuyoukai, a dog youkai, so he can't stand staying indoors for too long. This is why I convinced him to go hunting. If he stays indoors for too long it could escalate into a bloodbath. Cabin fever multiplied exponentially with sharp, pointy claws added into the mix,"

"Ouch, sounds rough," Hermione winced.

"It can be," Kagome nodded, "but if you know when to kick him outside then everything works out. He's also very protective of what he considers his. His brother is like that too. A dog's loyalty, you know," she snickered. Hermione smiled.

"Is that why he's so protective of you?"

"Partly. It's more because I'm his family. He's never really known his family, you see, so it's like he's trying to compensate by keeping what family he has now as safe as he can possibly manage. And ever since I got pregnant his protective instincts have spiked. And Sesshoumaru says it'll only get worse the further along I get," she groaned and rubbed her stomach absently.

"You mean it can get worse?" Hermione looked disbelieving. Kagome nodded.

"Oh, believe me it can. I wouldn't be surprised if by the time I hit the tenth month he'll be snarling at anyone who comes near me," at Hermione's alarmed expression Kagome hastened to reassure, "Don't worry, he's promised not to attack anyone without my express permission so everyone at the school is safe. If he gets out of hand I'll just call Sesshoumaru over and the two can spar until he calms down enough to be reasonable. Don't worry, I've got it all figured out,"

They turned into the classroom where McGonagall was waiting.

"You two are late," she said immediately.

"Please forgive use Professor," Kagome apologized and bowed, "I had to enchant a bracelet to give to Inuyasha so that he would feel comfortable in leaving me unguarded here in this castle,"

"Hmm," McGonagall pursed her lip, considering, "Forgiven. Now let us commence with the lesson, shall we? Miss Granger, you will begin the instruction,"

They stopped early that day only because Kagome was nearing the breaking point. Her concentration was wavering and her vision blurring. Inuyasha had returned around the time they stopped for lunch, bearing gifts of campfire cooked rabbit parts. While Hermione and McGonagall declined, Dumbledore and Kagome both had some, Kagome more than Dumbledore. She was used to Inuyasha's version of cooking and it did not bother at all now compared to when she was first pulled into the past.

"Kagome, you have to eat more," Inuyasha urged.

"Oh yeah? Just yesterday you said that I was eating more than a pig," Kagome snorted but allowed Inuyasha to pile more food on her plate.

"I didn't say you were eating more than a pig," he protested.

"You implied it,"

"Did not,"

"Did too,"

"Whatever," he brushed it off, "So how were the lessons today?"

"Exhausting," she sighed dramatically, theatrically slumping in her seat. Hermione and the two professors watched them with animated amusement and curiosity, "This magic stuff is almost as hard as what Miroku-sama and Kikyou put me through when I was training under them,"

"That bad, eh?"

"To put it mildly. Although it's going to take some time for me to get the hang of channeling my energy through the wand, I think I'll get the hang of it pretty quickly,"

"Good thing you pick things up pretty quickly,"

"Too bad that didn't help me pass high school," Kagome sighed, her mood taking a dive. "I think that when I'm done here I'll try for my diploma,"

"Why?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome shook her head. Inuyasha would never understand the importance of an education in the modern world. "Because a high school diploma opens a lot of doors for people. Besides, how can people trust a miko who hasn't even managed to complete grade eleven yet? This world revolves around two things: money and education,"

"Why do you need high school to be a miko? You're already trained," he protested.

"Under Miroku-sama and Kikyou," Kagome giggled, "They've been very good instructors, which is why I'm so good at ceremonies and combat with sutras and the bow now,"

"And prayer scrolls," Inuyasha put in. Kagome nodded.

"And prayer scrolls, that's right. I even brought some of the ones I made back home just in case,"

"Where are they?"

Kagome pulled a scroll out of a pocket and handed it to her husband. Inuyasha unrolled a few inches to check that it was indeed a prayer scroll. It was. He handed it back to Kagome.

"What's a prayer scroll?" Hermione asked, trying to catch a glimpse of the rolled scroll. Kagome held it up so she could see.

"This is,"

"What is it for?" the girl pressed.

"Well," Kagome considered, "it's something like a focus or an amplifier, I guess," she shrugged.

"Hurts like the fury when she hit me with it and she wasn't even trying," Inuyasha swore. Kagome cringed.

"I said I was sorry! I didn't know that it would knock you out for three days,"

"Feh. Whatever," he mumbled. He did not hold a grudge, it was like the time he had practiced the wind scar on Kilala. He understood, he just was not going to say that in front of strangers.

"Can you use more than one at a time?" Hermione asked. Kagome nodded.

"Oh yes, I've gotten up to eight, but any more than that is hard to hold,"

"Eight?" Inuyasha yelped, "I don't even want to think of the damage you could cause with that!"

"Don't worry," Kagome patted his arm, "Unless another Naraku shows up I won't have to,"

"I'll kill him before you have to do anything with those things," he vowed darkly.

"But until then could you pass the fruit? I have a craving for bananas and jam,"

The month of 'catch up' study passed quickly. Inuyasha thoroughly explored the castle from the tower tops to the bottommost basements. Kagome progressed quickly through the six years of study she had missed with no mishaps. It was truly impressive. Hermione and her became fast friends and were often diverted into long conversations on their varying cultures and histories. They managed to bore Inuyasha to tears within five minutes. He quickly learned to retreat whenever they started chatting.

When the rest of the Professors arrived they were introduced to Inuyasha and briefed on Kagome's gravid condition. She was due in April, two months before the end of the term, so they could expect an interesting year ahead of them.

The night before the students arrived Kagome packed up their suitcases again to get ready to move into whatever house dorm she was sorted into. She fished out her student's robes, having ignored them for as long as possible and put one set aside to wear in the morning.

She crawled in bed and wrapped herself around Inuyasha and fell asleep almost instantly, something she had been doing since she had started cramming. Inuyasha hoped the pace of her studying would slow down. At the rate she was going it was taking more out of her than she could replace overnight and the dark shadows under her eyes that she covered up every morning was the physical proof.

The next morning dawned bright, with colourful clouds streaking the sky. Kagome smiled and stretched leisurely. Inuyasha's hand tightened on her swelling abdomen as he slept. She paused.

And shot out of the bed in a mad dash for the bathroom.

Inuyasha got there just in time to catch her hair and hold it out of the way. Kagome vomited violently, the heaving wracking her finely boned body fiercely. Inuyasha cringed with every retch. Yes, this was entirely his fault and he could blame no one else for her pain.

"And here I was hoping that it'd be a good morning today and this wouldn't happen. Guess I'm still dreaming," she groaned in between dry heaves. "I have got to find something for this,"

"Is there stuff that would help?" he asked, curious. It would be really, very nice there was, he thought.

"I hope so," she sat back, almost falling until Inuyasha caught her. "Thanks,"

"No problem," he smiled down at her. She looked away, groaning.

"I gotta brush my teeth. I'm going to hate anything minty fresh after this,"

Inuyasha chuckled and left her to her morning routine. He settled himself in the window seat and watched as the sun rose over the forest. That forest. It was filled with many strange and foreign creatures. None of them were any stronger than even Shippou but to a normal human they could be dangerous. And that lake. There was a giant creature Kagome called a squid that swum in its depths. Sometimes it swam along the surface and basked in the warm sun.

This place was not home but it held its own appeal.

He yawned, waiting for Kagome to come back to bed so he could go to sleep again. He was getting lazy here, he admitted to himself. Maybe once Kagome started 'proper classes' he would go out for training.

"I'm going back to bed, Inuyasha," Kagome said, padding out of the bathroom, "Are you coming?" He nodded and followed her.

Inuyasha did not go back to sleep despite being curled up under the covers with his mate. He heard everything that went on outside their room. He heard the little imp-creature that Hermione had called a house elf scurry in to do the routine cleaning. It did not matter that it was supposed to have a notice-me-not spell on it, he noticed.

About an hour after she had went back to sleep Kagome stirred once again.

"Feeling better?" he asked. She nodded and buried her nose closer to his chest, inhaling his scent.

"Yeah," she sighed. Inuyasha rubbed his hand carefully against her gravid belly. Kagome went boneless under his gentle ministrations.

"That feel good?" he whispered in her ear.

"Mmm, yeah. You can do my back too if you want to," she murmured, not opening her eyes. Inuyasha smiled and nudged her onto her stomach. He dug his hands into the muscles of her back working them until all of the knots were summarily dealt with.

"Ready to face the day?" he asked. Kagome groaned.

"I'm just dreading writing the essays,"

"Essays?"

"You'll find out,"

AN: Mood swings and morning sickness. And I really like the prayer scrolls. They're not much, sort of like really long, rolled up sutras that act as amplifiers for holy energy. They will be used later on, just so you know. It's not going to be something that Sessha-chan writes in and forgets about. I like them too much!