It's shorter again, I know, I'm sorry, but I just couldn't help with the dramatic effect at the end (meaning it's a cliffhanger, or coarse).

Thanks to Howl for the help with my dilemma, most appreciated.

Also, a little note, I said in my first chapters disclaimer "no slash, no romance" there is still NO slash, but hints of a romance maybe (not HGSS, trust me, I don't do that whole, thirty year difference thing).

Chapter 34

On the Brink of Destruction

It was three in the morning when Ashitaka began patrolling the forest edge. Lea came rushing out a couple hours later and after formally greeted him, "Prince Ashitaka," that was never good, "Ms. Granger," that was even worse. Formalities and Lea never mixed unless she was angry, which apparently she was.

"What did you say to her?" he asked Hermione, amused.

"You don't want to know," that roused his curiosity, but he didn't question her further, figuring he could get it out of Lea later.

"Come along Ms. Granger, it's early, I'll escort you back to the castle."

They walked in stiff silence and Hermione began to see her Professor in a whole new way. It was dawn and he was either still awake from the night before or just waking, but she had to guess it was the former. Even in the morning light she could make out the circles under his eyes, dark against his unnaturally (for him anyway) pale, drawn skin. Other than his looks he gave no indication that he was tired.

"Are you just waking, sir?"

"No," was his sharp response.

"I wouldn't be able to sleep either, with nights as warm as these, don't you think?" he didn't have to speak, but he had no choice but to listen.

"Aye."
She scowled darkly at his indifference and made no move to speak to him again.

"Here we are Ms. Granger, good day to you." He gave her an informal bow.

"Good day," she called after his retreating form. She sighed, "and be careful," but she knew he couldn't hear her.

………

Hermione's words got to her more than she realized. And she didn't really notice until Ash came up to her, clutching his arm, obviously in pain (and in human form). He simply told her that he had been summoned (not even realizing she had no idea what that meant) and staggered off. After a few painful minutes of running around frantically trying to find any Slytherin student who did, it dawned on her that she really didn't know him anymore.

And that hurt.

He used to be so carefree, or at least she thought he was. He would laugh so openly with her, joke about nothing or stay sneak into the kitchens at three in the morning to make human brownies while getting flour everywhere in the process. But he wouldn't do that now; he was too wrapped up in this war, trying so hard to push everyone away, just to protect himself.

It never really occurred to her that she hadn't seen him in 20 years. He just sort of faded away from the Demon World and for a long time she even doubted he existed in the first place, he was just a dream that swept her up for her first 16 years and then it slowly faded away. Then in one long painful day Lady Catrithian Elistratoral waltzes up to her and spits out that she was planning to destroy the Forgotten Prophecy by killing Ashitaka. But she wasn't going to let that happen.

The dethroning was easy, all Lea had to do was slip a few hints hear and there that the Exiled Prince was going to come back and take the throne but the Lady was going to kill him….the very angry villagers handled the rest, she almost flinched at the attack on that Water Demon, he was never smiled upon, nor frowned upon, he was just there and he happened to get sucked into the mess with the Lady…the Dancing Deceiver….as she was soon nicknamed, being a Dancing Demon.

She didn't let any of her thoughts get to her though, she kept her composer when she went to the Order meeting, he was supposed to send. She told them that he was gone and relayed the messages (as few as they were) that he was supposed to tell them. She kept her composer, she kept her face blank, masking Ash's own composer….it wasn't until she get to her own private tent, the Flag of Wind blowing dramatically above, it was only then did she cry.

As she finally wiped the last tears from her eyes she wondered if that's what Ash did. If he waited till he was alone to let his mask down. But he should know now that she was back in his life….he would never be alone again.

………

She found Hermione around dinner time, intending to know where she was so she could stay as far away as possible. She was in no mood for a confrontation about her feelings. She would gladly keep those to herself. Maybe, she thought rather bitterly, Ash and I can become the infamous Demons who were totally emotionless….hah. She knew this "mood" wouldn't last long. She would take one look at Ash when he showed his very rare, yet wonderfully contagious smile and just fall to pieces….he had that effect on woman, she found out soon. It was interesting how much humans focused on looks. While Hermione and she were training, Hermione had told her the gossip about Professor Snape and how the girls were absolutely swooning over him (not like there was nothing to swoon over of coarse, even she couldn't deny that) they didn't even know him, he could turn out to be a real bastard (which he isn't) and all they focused on was the looks, she sighed…….humans were so simple-minded.

Lea scanned the room, searching more for power rather than a particular face, when she located the Wind Power that was unique to a certain Ms. Granger; she simply spun on her heel and stalked in the other direction. She didn't realize what she was doing until she started doing it…she was pacing. She never paced. That's how she knew she was worried. Occasionally when her restlessness grew she jumped into the air as her butterfly form and scanned the horizon, or, if she was feeling exceptionally lazy, she just took of with wings, something she never did often because it drew too much attention.

She remember the day she found that out….they were 14; it was the day Ash was supposed to come back from school. She circled the portal for hours without really caring if she was using wings or not. After about an hour she flew rather low to the ground and a panther leaped on top of her, snarling madly then jumping off of her and prancing around sending very snotty messages in her mind about how useless she'd be if she was attacked by a land animal and she was in the air. She taught herself never to do that again and swore some day she would get back at Ash for that little sneak attack, she should have known that day would never come.

It was midnight now and it was almost impossible to see over the horizon, even with the light of the almost full moon. Sighing, she landed softly in the Clearing of the Unicorns and sat down next to the portal, intending to wait there for as long as it would take for him to get back. She knew he always came their after the meetings if only to clear his head.

………

She was awakened by the soft purring of a warm body next to her. She (thankfully) wasn't on those blasted rocks anymore….that would have been very uncomfortable in the morning. Someone had moved her in the night to the soft ground on the clearing. It took her a moment to remember why she was there and when she did she looked down at the stretched out panther in surprise. I never knew panthers could purr. He was sleeping lightly, she could tell by the way his paws twitched every time a twig snatched as if sensing for danger, or every time the purrs were interrupted by soft growls, every time the wind blew to hard and sent something whizzing past them.

She smiled. Very gently she placed a hand on his side, feeling so relieved to feel the soft yet strong heart beat beneath her fingers or the way his chest raised every time he took a breath. It wasn't yet down and she really didn't want to move, so curling herself up next to the warm dark body, she buried her face in his fur and went back to sleep or attempted to. She couldn't stop thinking about how protected she felt knowing he was with her, a comforting thought indeed, but she knew that this wouldn't happen again. She was trying to get to close to him, pushing him a little to hard, he was going to shut down completely soon if she didn't back off for a bit, completely slam down his walls that she had been so carefully trying to pry open.

………

The second time she woke, she was disappointed to find the comforting presence not there. He (in Demon form this time) was sitting casually on the rocks next to the portal. One leg stretched out comfortably the other bend up to his chest where he rested his chin, staring out at the woods. He would have looked perfectly relaxed and harmless if it wasn't for the dagger he had resting on his thigh (the one he finally finished sharpening for her) and the sword hanging on his belt.

"Well, good morning!" she said cheerily, standing and stretching.

"Morning," he said, giving her one of his rare smiles that made her grin even broader, "sleep well?" he tossed her the sheathed dagger casually and she slipped it into her belt, feeling even more protected knowing it was well cared for.

"Very,"

An almost uncomfortable silence ensued and that terrified her. They never had uncomfortable silences, at least not as uncomfortable as that.

He stood up then, just as she was about to break the stillness, "I need to talk to the Order," he said simply, "you told them I was summoned?"

"Yes," and then as an after thought added, "after I figured out what it meant,"

He started at her, "You didn't know? I'm sorry, I thought…." He trailed off and he looked positively uncomfortable.

"Well, never mind then, I figured it out, no big deal," she smiled cheerily at him, "come on, off we go," he followed her silently and in panther form as she bounced out of the woods. He slinked up to the castle when she went her separate way and slipped in through the doors.

Normally he would have gone as a human, but he wanted this to be as quite as possible, the tidings he brought were not good, and would sent the school into a panic. That was never a good thing.

………

He slipped silently into the Order's meeting room, not letting his presence known. He silently brought up his Demon form, standing on the opposite side of the room, waiting for a proper time to intervene into the conversation Molly and Dumbledore were so deeply involved, "I don't think we should let the students fight at all, Albus, maybe just the very gifted students. I don't want to risk casualties,"

"I don't want to put so much pressure on the Demons," Albus argued and Ash smiled, so considerate of you.

"They should have known that a lot of pressure was going to be put on them when they agreed to help,"

Ash thought this a perfect time to intervene, "You should rely more on our trust, Molly, we don't mind the pressure, we rather enjoy the challenge," the duo spun around, startled by his sudden appearance.

"Severus! How did you get in here?" Albus said trying to look cheery but failing miserably, apparently his presence was not welcome.

"The door," he answered simply, he noticed the dark look that passed into Albus' eyes at his sarcasm, but he was beyond caring now, he knew he never really had their trust, but that was okay, but in reality they never really had or even came close to earning his trust, they were interested in having it as long as he continued being their little lap dog and doing everyone as he was told, which he did of coarse, he had to be a good boy now. As much as he hated to admit it, he suspected that when the war was over and if they won they would just let him get dragged off to Azkaban and let the soul be sucked out of him, that is if they thought he had a soul in the first place, they might just torture him to death right then and there, "I come bearing ill tidings," he waiting a moment, thinking of the best way to say the tiding that he so wished he didn't have to bear, "… the planned attack date….has changed."

………

Lea figured it would be pointless to hide (she used that term loosely) from Hermione anymore. Sighing, she cheerily, almost over enthusiastically, bounced up to the girl and her nerdy looking friend and the red-headed friend, "'Lo Hermione!" she waved and plopped down in the middle of Harry and Ron (lo and behold, she did actually know their names).

Hermione and Ron were playing chess and Harry was (note the 'was') watching intently before Lea got into his line of vision. She looked very out of place, she must have because the entirety of the make shift Great Hall (it was almost an exact replica) was staring at her, she just smiled sweetly and waved and they instantly stopped, or mostly. She kept getting odd glances thrown her direction, whispering followed soon after, but she didn't mind, she kind of liked standing out in the crowd. It made her feel very unique.

"How you three are holding up, cooped up in here all the time, must be boring you out of your minds," she grinned, as if teasing them with her freedom to roam.

"It's okay actually, a little too close for comfort sometimes," Harry scooted slightly away from Lea as he said this giving her and himself a bit more space, "very close quarters."

She grinned cheekily at him, "I just had the most amazing day," she stood and danced around them (more like floated but at that time the details really didn't matter), "the sun is shining, the wind is blowing strong with us, no clouds in sight and Ashitaka finally finished the dagger he promised to make me," Hermione let out an inconspicuous cough at the mention of Professor Snape's demon name, but if Lea noticed, or cared (which she did) she chose to ignore it completely.

Just at that time when Lea looked like she was about to go on (and Ron was about to check mate Hermione's king) Seamus Finnegan ran up, looking out of breath and nervous, "Dumbledore is calling everyone for a big meeting, I just heard the whole school is supposed to meet here, something about the war," and then he took off out of the hall to spread the word. Lea looked up sharply at the words and without another word to them, took off to find Ash.

………

Once the news was spread that the meeting was about the upcoming battle it wasn't long before the entire school was assembled at their respected tables in the great hall. The teachers looked grim, which wasn't a good sign. Ash stood in the back to one side of the Headmaster, surveying the room with a skilled eye, on the opposite side of the Dumbledore was Lea watching Ash carefully, he refused to tell her what the meeting was about, saying it could wait until the announcement to the student body.

Dumbledore cleared his throat as he stood, silencing the hall, "I fear I have terrible news," all the extra chatter that always went on even after asking for silence, ceased. The only sound now was the soft blowing of the winds in the trees (which was almost impossible to hear anyway because they were two stories underground), "it has come to my attention by Professor Snape that Lord Voldemorts plans have changed. The attack was set for four days from now, but that has changed."

The tension was growing, what they feared coming to life write before them.

"The new date for attack……..is tomorrow morning at dawn."

End Chapter 34

On the Brink of Destruction

Anyone else notice that Lea has taken on many of the characteristics of Haruko from Furi Curi (Fooly Cooly or FLCL)?

TBC