Chapter 4

I feel rather accomplished that my reviews more than doubled.

Anyways, I decided, since this took so long, to tell you the story of this chapter.

My muse and I sat at the computer…I typed a little…then we stared at the screen…

This went on for weeks…

…and then more weeks…

You have my sincerest apologies.

A lot of effort was put into this…I hope you all enjoy it. Feel free to yell if you don't.

The call came around three A. M. He hadn't been very willing to talk about his reason, he just mentioned it was a family matter, but even that had been in passing. He had asked for a simple favor: tell his mother he was taking a trip with Arthur, who ever that was. Yusuke hadn't been satisfied, but Kurama's voice had turned suddenly urgent and he had cut off the call a few seconds later after a quick, careless goodbye.

Luckily for the fox, Yusuke was a good friend, and despite the lack of answers to his reasonable questions, he had filled Shiori in on her son's departure. He had then, due his worry, not lack of trust as some may believe, gone straight to Koenma, demanding to know where Kurama was and what he was doing.

Koenma did a search more out of fear of Yusuke's temper than of worry for the fox. His scan showed that Kurama had somehow gotten to England in the fifteen minutes after the call to Yusuke, which said boy had determined was from Kurama's house phone.

It was then Koenma's scared demeanor turned immediately to worry. Without so much as acknowledging Yusuke's demand of, "What the hell is going on," Koenma had switched into panic mode, grabbing his communicating mirror and screaming something that sounded like, "BOTAN GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Obviously the worry in Koenma's voice got her into the office faster than she would on any other day. Koenma filled her in with a short, high-pitched, breathless…word.

"KuramagottoEnglandinfifteenminutes!"

But as Yusuke watched her reaction to the news, the look on her face told him she was obviously not getting it.

"Kurama got to England in fifteen minutes…and…? We all know he has his little connections. He probably got bored and called in a favor."

Koenma glared at her, "Botan…think about it! What's in England that makes this a problem?"

After a one minute pause, Botan still looked confused. Koenma slammed his head on his folder-covered desk.

"Voldemort!"

Botan's eyes widened considerably, "Oh dear…"

A tense silence followed this statement. Yusuke started to get irked. This was getting ridiculous. How was it that everyone except for him was in on whatever the hell was happening in England?

"What the hell is going on?" he blurted out quite suddenly, earning jumps from both deities. "I'm not kidding guys, I hate being out of the loop. What is going on in England that dragged Kurama away from his mom? And who is Voldemort?" Silence for both the deities caused a small explosion from the teen. "DAMMIT! I wasn't kidding! What the hell is going on?"

Koenma hesitated, choosing his words carefully.

"It's…complicated."

"Yeah, it took a genius to figure that one out. If you don't tell me what's up, I'll go to England and find out myself."

Koenma heaved a sigh.

"Botan, get me the files of Shuuichi Minamino, Tom Riddle, and Harry Potter."

………………

Kurama stood beside his uncle, gazing calmly up at the house that had just materialized before his very eyes.

"Nice illusion. I'm guessing a spell?"

"It's got every known wizarding defense on it," Arthur explained, shooting a look at his nephew, who looked fairly impressed. "Listen, I filled everyone in about you and your…special talents before I left so don't be alarmed if they give you odd looks."

Kurama nodded, a slight smile tugging at his mouth, "Understandable. It's not every day you meet a demon."

Arthur snorted; "You're telling me…" he gazed up at the house, his mind turning over the events of the past nine hours. After he and Shuuichi had finished discussing the state the Order was in, the boy had taken it upon himself to tell Arthur the truth…the WHOLE truth. And Arthur had never met someone with such a messed up past. The mix of good and evil was probably the most shocking thing for him. To think that he believed the boy was working for Voldemort when he was really working very hard AGAINST any threat to the world. Though Kurama had admitted that he never paid Voldemort's threat much mind until that very day, he had saved the Earth from a number of troubling people and monsters. Arthur's trust and respect for his nephew had swelled during the story and he had decided to not only bring Kurama back to England, but into the very heart of the dying Order. He hoped that this demon was the remedy he was searching for.

Kurama was watching him, waiting respectfully for him to finish digesting the events of the day. Arthur turned a slight smile on him and together they approached the front door.

"Don't knock," Arthur advised when he saw Kurama's hand rise towards the wood, "You'd regret it."

Kurama didn't ask, he simply stood back and allowed Arthur to force the door open. The front hall was dark and quiet, as always. Arthur stepped inside, beckoning for Kurama to follow. The demon did so with out comment, taking in his surroundings with faint respect. Arthur touched his arm and gestured towards the kitchen door. He could hear the daily Order meeting happening inside.

Kurama glanced at the door before looking to Arthur for permission. The man nodded. He knew they were discussing him and he knew they weren't exactly being nice about it. Kurama's hand reached out and grasped the handle firmly just as Moody said, "He's not cut out for it. He's not his brother."

Kurama turned his gaze on Arthur questioningly. His hand released the knob and he stepped back, "You should go first," he murmured. The voices inside the room stopped. Arthur flinched. There was no going back now.

Kurama nodded at him, trying, obviously, to reassure him. He nodded back before grasping the knob.

There were surprisingly few Order members present. Only his wife, Charlie, Tonks, Lupin, and Moody had taken the liberty of coming together that night. Kurama, still in the hall and out of the small group's sight raised an eyebrow at Arthur, who countered with a slight glare.

Moody stood, causing both redheads to snap looks to him.

"Arthur…have you gotten the boy?"

It was surprising how much awkwardness could fit into one statement. Kurama stepped passed Arthur, intentionally pushing him back into the hall, and into Moody's view. He took in the eye and number of scars the man bore with faint interest.

Moody's good eye looked the fox up and down before he chose to speak.

"So…you're Arnie's son?"

Kurama smiled slightly, "It would seem so."

Moody continued to glare at him, his mad eye swiveling to meet Kurama's almost smug stare, "And I suppose you being here means you're working with us?"

Kurama's eyes closed and he shrugged in an almost off-handed way, "Unless I'm a spy, you be the judge."

Instantly, two wands were trained on the demon. Kurama's eyes opened to regard them calmly. Arthur, not trusting the two wand holders, stepped between his friends and his nephew, his arms spread out to either side. He could almost feel Kurama's surprise as he came to his defense, but ignored it, his eyes burning into the two men.

"Put your wands down," he ordered, using more authority in his voice to drive the statement than he had in a month of leading the Order.

Neither man moved. Arthur glowered at the pair, "He's on our side, put your wands down!"

Moody let out his breath and his wand arm fell slowly to his side. Arthur's eyes turned on the other man, who was looking more fearful than angry.

"Remus…"

But the man continued to point his wand at Kurama, his fear slowly turning to resolve. Arthur opened his mouth to speak again, but Kurama's hand on his shoulder cut him off. The fox stepped into the line of the wand, standing tall and proud, his face showing nothing but his own determination.

"My father was faithful to this…Order until the day of his death. So faithful it kept him away for weeks at a time. What makes you think…Remus," his tone changed from its sugary sweet beginning to a harder, colder abrasiveness he rarely, if ever, used with his allies and friends, "that I would be any different? He was my father, after all. He helped give me…life."

Lupin seemed to hesitate before he spoke, uncertainty flicking through his expression so quickly only Kurama could pick it up.

"You're a demon…you're…"

He seemed at a loss for the proper wording. Kurama folded his arms in an almost defensive stance before supplying the word for him.

"Evil?"

Lupin didn't reply. He face said all that needed to be said. Kurama closed his eyes, his head shaking in disgust.

"You poor misguided fool…I almost feel bad. The belief that demons are evil is nothing more than a stereotype humans threw out to explain why, when the worlds were one, they killed them. I believe the same stereotype applies to wizards and witches as well, does it not?" He raised an eyebrow, "Here I was thinking you'd be more accepting…given this…common bond."

Lupin flinched horribly, his wand arm lowering ever so slightly. Arthur put a hand on Kurama's arm, "This isn't necessary."

Kurama shrugged, turning his back on the disgruntled wizard behind him, "Only stating the obvious, Arthur."

The redhead nodded in understanding, turning a cold look on Lupin.

"Lower your wand, Remus."

Looking peeved, Lupin shoved the wand into his robes, turning away to hide his expression from both the men in the doorway. After a moment of awkward silence that none of the Order members nor their demon guest seemed eager to break, the job was done for them by a teenage girl coming into the kitchen after a small knock.

"Dad!"

She looked slightly surprised, but mostly happy when she pushed passed Kurama to embrace her father. Arthur hugged her, his eyes meeting Kurama's as the demon leaned back against the wall, his arms remaining folded. Ginny pulled back from Arthur grinning, only then noticing the quiet presence beside her. She turned a questioning eye on Kurama. The fox eyed her back coolly, taking in the fierce resemblance she held to both her father and his own.

"And you are?"

He almost laughed.

"I'm your cousin," he informed her, letting a smile slip passed his guard, "Kurama. And you are?"

"I'm Ginny," she offered a hand. He shook it as she looked him over again.

"So…you're the big scary demon?"

Several heads slammed against the table behind her as Kurama's smile grew.

"That I am, Ginny."