Harry covered his ears. "Hermione, Demonic traits here, I have sensitive hearing, as do all the other Half-demons in Gryffindor."
"Oh sorry Harry its just that your mum made me such a great offer im so happy." She hugs him tightly.
Harry nods, "Yeah, I figured as much."
"That mean take i csn definitely come over your home during the summer and if I'm lucky maybe sit in onr of the Council sessions like you do Harry." She hugs him even tighter.
"Mom's not holding Council Sessions this summer, she's buying a private island, for the family to be a family, and plus you..i think." Harry replies, "Now would you mind letting me breath?"
"Oh sorry Harry its just i'm so happy right now."
Harry nods again, "I got to work on my homework."
Around afternoon, Maria was just wandering the halls when Hermione found her.
"For a long time, Demons didn't associate with one another except in battle over territory." Maria states, "A few hundred years ago, I noticed that the humans were beginning to outnumber us, So Sesshomaru and I set about plans to protect all demons from being slayed."
"I see Lady Maria but what about the demons that refused and the Slayer clans as well?"
"The Slayer clans are positioned all of the world, each has their own way of slaying demons or Rogues, as we call them now, the Slayers are employed by Sesshomaru and Myself, since we can't fully present ourselves to the humans, we have tricks to go out among them, but we live behind the barriers."
"Is that why there are sightings of monsters like the yeti and such?"
"Some are rogue demons, and some are magical creatures that try to stay away from humans." Maria replies "when rogues become to bothersome, we send out the Slayers and they do their job."
"But Noriko agreed to come teach here and doesnt she hate demons.?"
"Depends on the demon, if you look at her name, she is with her demonic horse Fire Heart, who she has been with since she was a small child, but she is here as a favor to her cousin." Maria replies, "we have a slayer in residence that acts as Harry's bodyguard while not serving her true duty."
"Really but Harry is no threat to anyone." She says in disbelief.
"Oh no? He has a father, mother, two sisters and brother, that anyone who captures Harry that could be used against..." Maria replies, "If say he is kidnapped by a rogue they could threaten his life and his father and I will do anything to get him back even resorting to giving up our empire."
"Oh i didn't think about that but he seems so unobtrusive that most of us forget eho he is."
"I don't know what to do with him sometimes." Maria replies, with a sigh. "I am trying my best to raise him as Lily would, but at times, I do not know my head from my own tail."
"But I think you did a wonderful with him he's smart and handsome and so easy to talk with."
Maria shrugged "Well enough on that, anything else?"
"Well i was wondering about the more of the more normal aspects of demon home life."
"Just the same as a human home life, except for I live in an estate with in the center of the Demonic Empire. Depends on what you want to know, from Sesshomaru's day or mine?" Maria replies "to anyone else, I am a 'stay-at-home' mother, Sesshomaru owns a multi-national corporation that he oversees and I oversee the daily needs of the Empire, sometimes, Sesshomaru does but he rather be a cutthroat CEO."
"Well mainly what your and Lord Sesshomaru responsibly are and how your government works."
"There are many different assortment of demons, each Tribe leader selects a representative as a Speaker for his or her Tribe, Clan, Pack, whatever you want to call it. Mostly the leaders act as their own Speakers, so we have a twice weekly council session to discuss new additions to the empire or the others asking for more breeding grounds, hunting grounds." Maria replies "then we had the Coronation of Yasha as the Heir, where all the Demonic Realm pledges Fealty, but Yasha might have to prove his worth in battle, which is why I am here and not in the council chamber right now, he is leading the council with regency powers." Maria smiled "Other then that, I'm just a demoness, who is old enough to have been mother, grandmother, and ancestor to everyone in this school."
"But Harry said Yasha is only 14 is that wise lady Maria?"
"We have been training Yasha and Alison, his sister to be the next ruler since the day they were born." Maria replies, "He knows what to do. Sesshomaru is there to help him as well. I'm not that dumb."
"Oh no lady Maria, i didn't mean to imply that you was dumb." Hermione looked panicked for a minute afraid she insulted her."
Maria didn't seem bothered. "I've been called many things throughout my life, so that doesn't bother me."
"Um still that was hardly proper of me to say that."
"Says who? I'm not anything special, I'm just a wife, mother, who happens to be the reigning Lady of the Demonic Empire, the time will come when I step down and allow a new Lady to take my place, while I and Sesshomaru enjoy the rest of our lives in bliss by a beach." Maria answers
Hermoine giggles "Now you sound like my mum when she talks about retiring with my father."
"Let me let you in on how I see things, I am only the Lady in the Council Chamber, if I am Milady'd one more time, I will scream." Maria states
"But you are a noble."
"You're wrong there. I am only noble by well I guess you can say marriage to Sesshomaru." Maria replies
"But i hear how some of the half-demons here talk about you." She blushes "I mean I heard how they spoke to Harry at first as well."
"She's graceful, beautiful, blah, blah blah." Maria quoted
"Well yeah and its true as well but they never say how down to earth you are, I guess Harry takes after you in that part."
"I believe so." Maria replies, "But I was raised by humans in the foster care system."
She look at Maria confused "Umm how is that if you were married to Lord Sesshomaru for so long."
"Young lady, i think that a question for later my dear." Professor McGonagall says in a soft voice as she comes up behind her.
Maria turned and nods to her friend. "I don't see why I shouldn't answer that question, since its long and complicated."
Hermione looks at the both of them "Oh please, Professor, Let Ms. Tashio, tell me I simply have to know."
Maria raised an eyebrow at McGonagall, "I don't see why not, after all, Hermione might decide at some point to move into my Empire, where she will not be seen as 'dirty blood'."
Hermione sneers at those words and mutters "Baka no Dobi."
Maria bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Well, I suggest somewhere more private, like Shippo's office?"
"Sure Ms. Taisho." Hermione nods and follows her to the office.
Shippo looked up as Maria and Hermione came into his office.
"Your office is the only one, that is private enough for a discussion that I have not revealed to anyone, and you know the secret of how I came to be with Sesshomaru." Maria explains
"Maria, like i would ever stop you and Ms. Granger anything said in this office is not public knowledge am i clear."
Hermione nods, looking at Maria.
"I am currently in two different timelines, right now in Japan, I am a thirteen year old girl, living in foster care, when I turn sixteen, I will be placed into a Shinto Shrine, that houses a ancient Well, known as the bone eater's well." Maria began.
"But how it that possible i mean there are time turners but the go back hours not years."
"No one has figured out why the Bone Eater's Well works like it does, and quite frankly, I don't care its a center part of a grander point in life, Kagome Higurashi will be taken to the Feudal Era and complete her destiny before I even began to see my destiny through." Maria replies, "Somethings can't be weighed or measure, Time travel is real, and only a select few are allowed to travel back into time, Kagome and Myself being the only ones, who chose to stay five hundred years in the past because we found love."
"Ahh thats is beautiful but aren't you worried you'll run into your past self or someone yourself knew?"
"Why do you think I'm in the United Kingdom? And I chose places where I know I don't know anyone, avoiding risk of screwing up the timeline." Maria answers "I haven't been to Japan in decades."
"Oh my this has to be very confusing to you."
"Yes, but that's what you get for changing so much history just by learning from the unchanged past and righting it for the better, if it weren't for me, Demons would have been slayed along time ago, and I hate to think of my Sesshomaru not being in this world, I can't exist without him, he's my everything. My friend, my love, teacher, co-ruler." Maria replies, "Even now, being away from him hurts me. But that makes the reunion all the more sweeter, and my greatest hope for all my children is that they find the same type of love that I have."
Shippo nods "We find our mates in strange ways..."
"I hope i get that lucky someday." The young witch says with a sigh.
"My word of advice, just keep in mind that the one for you, needs to keep your mind sharp, never let anyone drag down your thirst for knowledge, otherwise you're just another human without anything special." Maria replies "Now, I am sure that Harry has told you of my plans for the summers, I have my own reasons, but I don't think you'll mind staying in a house full of demons?"
Hermione shook her head 'no' the smile bright on her face.
"Of course, I would meet your parents in my own human disguise, be a responsible adult and all that stuff, I will allow them in on other branch of the supernatural world." Maria responds "but everything else can wait."
Hermoine hugs Maria in thanks and excitement "Oh my I can't wait to meet the rest of the family."
Maria returned the hug and smiled. "Now here's an extra assignment, I want you to list all your questions, from less important to dire need to know important. And if you want, I can set you up to trading letters back and forth with Yasha and Alison, they can give you more of a younger perspective, then listening to me rattle on and on."
"Oh yes Ms. Tiasho thank you thank you." She runs off to get started.
Shippo thought about something, "You know that is a good idea, a penpal program but of course, it will be on the student's own time to write and send letters. The DPA is almost big as Hogwarts with plenty of students to write too..."
Maria nods, "I'll draft a letter to Sōten, and see if she is willing to allow this...it might do us some good." she turned on her heel and left.
"Yes and I'll talk with McGonagall, she'll be best about this."
By the next week, there were sign up sheets in each common room, and Sōten was thrilled with the idea to further strengthen demonic and wizarding worlds ties and said so in many ways, even she would write to the professors about their different teaching styles.
Harry looked at the sign up and thought about before signing up and passing the quill. Most of the students signed up in both schools.
Hermione didn't sign up because she already had her penpals, Alison and Yasha. She was just reading their letters, since for some reason, they decided to use the same post owl.
"Have fun talking with my brother and sister?"
Hermione nods, while still reading. "They are so different and they are twins."
"Trust me not all twins are like the Weasley twins." Harry smile "So what are you talking about?".
"Different topics, Yasha's wanting my view on what he does, and if I have anything to add that could be improved, and Alison, is just writing whatever comes to mind, I think she's planning on taking me shopping." Hermione replies
"Yes that sounds like Ali-nee." Harry smiles "But if she does make sure Topaz goes as well to keep her from going nuts."
In early June, Maria left to get summer vacation preparations ready, a warm night, Kikyo knew that Harry was planning on trying to stop whoever was going to enter the Third Floor, she left Gryffindor Tower, silent as a spirit, she went up to the third floor.
Her soul collectors formed around her and carried her through the locked door and through the protections, no one thought of the collectors when they were planning to protect the Alchemist's stone, Kikyo stood alone in the chamber, she looked at the mirror, and see herself dying in Inuyasha's arms, her desire was to atone for her sins against her former love.
Kikyo went and stood out of the way of the main entrance, knocked an arrow aiming for the mirror there she waited.
A short time later she heard someone coming into the room.
She seen who she thought it was, Professor Quirrell. "Hello Professor Quirrell."
"Ahh the priestess i should have known you would show up instead of the boy."
"You couldn't fool me. Your soul is evil as the one who drains your very life." Kikyo states, as she aimed along the shaft of the arrow.
"Surely you don't think even you arrows can stop my master? He laughs in a mocking way.
"Your master is nothing more then a parasite, who is part way dead." Kikyo replies, as she released the arrow, watching it glow with purifying light. She knocked another arrow and let it fly as well.
The first arrow struck true and killed the professor in its cleansing light. The second arrow flew but it struck the mirror shattering it to pieces.
Kikyo went and gotten her arrows when she heard footsteps from the corridor.
She hears Harry's voice in warning to someone else and she feels Harry's rage stemmed as he was hunting.
"You're a little to late, Harry." Kikyo replies, as she put her first arrow back in the quiver.
"Kikyo, what are you doing here? What happened to the stone?" his eyes tinged with red and his dagger in his hands.
"Destroyed." Kikyo answers, "Now calm yourself, and speak rationally."
"I am calm, Kikyo." He smiles and put his dagger away.
"You were one step away from a demonic fit." Kikyo states, "Why are you down here?"
"Simple i was going to destroy the mirror that way no one gets the stone no one gets hurt."
"How were you going to stop Quirrell?" Kikyo questions, as she went and got the other arrow. "And that dagger is supposed to keep you from a demonic fit."
Harry reached into a pouch and pull out several potions and showed her.
"idiot those wouldn't do you any good if he were commanded to kill you." Kikyo states "Which is why I showed up instead, I knew it was here from the moment, I set eyes on him."
"Most of these were the explosives that you and uncle Shippo show me?"
"I never did such a thing." Kikyo replies, as she turned and left the room.