Chapter 8

She had done it again; he smiled and knew he would soon be able to have her. His smile widened and he picked up his pace.

"I knew it." Hermione was the first to speak, she didn't look like the boys who looked surprised at what Kagome had done. "Why didn't you say you were a miko?"

Kagome's face went white, even she felt the color fade from her face, and how could this girl know what a miko was? Kagome tried looking at her feet but they brought no comfort to her, she looked at her hands which were shaking and finally she looked into Hermione's eyes. The other girl, however, wore no expression of suspicion but instead of comfort, and Kagome felt she could tell her anything.

"It was years and years ago when I found out I was a miko. About 500 years to be precise." Kagome still stared straight into Hermione's eyes. They both realized it would be a long time before the entire story was finished. All of them walked over to the table and sat down. Hermione prompted Kagome to start, and after hesitating Kagome jumped into her story as she would dive into a pool. The relief of finally being able to tell someone her story was more precious than gold.

"When I was fifteen I started to explore the shrine I lived in. We had just moved in with my grandfather because my father had passed away." Kagome looked at her hands and Harry finally realized the connection he had with this raven haired girl, they had both lost someone very close. "I had always wanted to go into one small building on the edge of the shrine but my grandfather told me it was a very holy place. I went there when everyone was away for the day and all I found was an old well sitting in the center. It was so dusty and dreary in there I almost left but something kept drawing me in. I went to sit on the side of the well and, I know this sounds stupid, but I saw something at the bottom and I kind of fell in. I though I would stop falling but I never did, I ended up on the other side in a different time. I started walking and walking and then I came upon this old tree….." They listened to her for hours, Kagome felt a strange sensation, she had never been able to tell anyone about the feudal era before without the fear of them sending her to a mental hospital. Harry was also feeling a different sensation, and that was jealousy. Every time Kagome spoke of this Inuyasha character and their adventures together, he also felt it whenever she said the name Koga and Miroku. Harry internally shook himself and went back to listening to Kagome's story.

"The Shikon No Tama had only one piece left," Kagome said close to four hours after her tale had started. "We had finally caught up with Naraku I knew he had the last piece, we fought and somehow he was destroyed. To this day I still don't really know what happened, I was hit on the head and I remember seeing Naraku destroyed and then everything went black. I woke up the next morning in my bed and my family had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned the well and Inuyasha." Kagome sighed and looked up at the staring faces all waiting for something more. "I know you want it to be a happy ending but unfortunately you know I end up here and not in the Feudal Era." She gave a small smile and Harry smiled back, glad the bouts of jealousy were over.

"But, you never checked the well? You never tried to go back?" Hermione burst out, she seemed unable to allow the story to end there. Kagome looked sheepishly over at her.

"Yeah, I did go back but the building housing the well but it was completely gone, I asked my grandfather what had happened to it and he said he had no idea what I was talking about." She shrugged and looked back at Hermione, "I know, but that was all I could do, I can't time travel with my powers so I take comfort in the thought all of my friends lived a long happy life and died peacefully." Kagome swallowed hard, that was the most difficult part to accept.

Feeling Kagome's change in character Harry proposed they eat, the afternoon sun had been slowly dropping in the sky but they all agreed they could be gone for another hour. Hermione waved her wand at the plates and a full meal appeared. Harry was always surprised when Hermione did magic, she made it look effortless. He would never say it out loud but he was happy both Hermione and Ron had agreed to help him look for the remaining Horcruxs. He had no idea where Kagome fit in but he thought about asking her to come with, after all her fighting Harry knew Kagome would be a great help. Harry decided to talk to her alone after they were done eating.

After they had eaten their fill of Hermione's food Harry tried with all his might to get Kagome's attention. It wasn't hard as she was trying to do the same thing. When they had finally made eye contact the message was clear between them. Kagome got up and walked to the edge of the woods and looked back. Harry threw a grin at Ron, who muttered something about not fudging up this time and Harry left.

Hermione raised her eyebrows but decided not to press the matter, she knew Harry would tell Ron everything and she could press Ron later.

When Harry caught up with Kagome she was standing with her back to him in a small clearing. He grinned and hid behind a tree waiting to scare her. For the half second that he looked down at his feet to make sure he wouldn't step on any branches he let his guard down. When he looked up there was an arrow flying straight for his face. Harry had no time to react the arrow was moving too fast so he couldn't get to his wand. All he could do was close his eyes and wait. The second he closed his eyes raven hair swept through his thoughts.

The arrow hit home, Harry opened one eye and peaked out. There was a wooden arrow that looked like it was a thousand years old clutching his shirt at the shoulder pinning him to the tree behind him.

"I'll give you a piece of friendly advice, never sneak up on a miko." Kagome's smiling face poked around the tree in front of Harry. She muttered the same phrase for the third time and the arrow and bow she was holding vanished. Harry felt for his wand and fixed the hole the arrow had left.

"No more joking, I have to talk to you." He said trying to be serious even thought she kept smiling like that. Harry felt his stomach flip every time she smiled.

"Yeah, I have to talk too." Kagome said and followed Harry to the tiny clearing she was standing in. Harry pulled out his wand but was stopped by Kagome, who sat down in the overgrown grass. Harry followed suit and in spite of himself he loved the way the long blades flew in front of Kagome's face. He wished he could be those grains gently caressing the sides of her cheeks. He was broken from his stupor when she started talking. It made the entire area come alive. The sun had long ago dropped below the horizon, now they only had the moon for light.

"You know I can feel auras." Her voice was so musical Harry had trouble trying to listen to what she was saying instead of just listening to her voice. "The reason I came here to Britain was because I was following two auras." Kagome couldn't look at the young man sitting across from her, his eyes were so green they seemed to put the grass around them to shame. "They were opposite, one pure, the other evil. I came to find the pure one because I already knew the other very well." Kagome's hand strayed to the base of her neck fingering the scar she had received in the final battle. She knew she had to say what she dreaded.

"Four days ago I was following the pure aura and I was walking down a dirt road. I stopped by the side of a small cemetery and it was there I discovered the aura." Harry looked up in surprise, there was no way she could mean him. He was….. there was still no way she meant him.

Kagome watched him intently, as realization entered in on his face she felt she could continue.

"I don't really know how to ask this but I will just have to be blunt, I would like you to help me fight Naraku. I have to leave either way and I could really use your help." She look into his eyes, they were staring at the grass going back and forth with no care in the world. "Of course if you say no, there are no hard feelings, we only met four days ago. But I still have to leave no matter what."

After Harry had done it he had no idea why he did do it. He had no clue what led to his decision but the thought of her leaving without him figuring out what he felt for her made Harry feel that he had to do something rash.

"I still have to leave no matter what. Don't feel bad if –" Kagome's lips stopped moving because someone else's lips were forcing them to be still. She breathed in and closed her eyes. They sat there for a few moments. Neither of them moved until Kagome raised her hands up to Harry's face. The instant her fingers made contact Harry pulled away.

"Sorry." He muttered blushing, he couldn't look at her, he was so embarrassed at what he had done. She probably hated him now for kissing her.

Harry was almost able to rise up from his kneeling position at her side when something stopped him. She was kissing him back, this time he wrapped his hands in her hair.

Neither one of them knew who ended the kiss first but when the pulled apart Kagome had no idea what they were talking about. The same confusion was worn on Harry's face as well.

"Now, what were we talking about?"

A note from your author: I know this chapter is full of the mushy stuff, but I promise the next chapters will be great! The dreaded wedding chapter is next! I would also like to rant before anyone says it, because if I was reading this I would say it too: Harry has not forgotten Ginny, I wrote this part of the story completely forgetting that Harry and Ginny do get together in the sixth book, I think that she, Ginny, believes that what she had with Harry was great but the fact that he is leaving and this girl could help him with whatever he is going through is good. Ginny is very mature for her age and I really hope that this part of the story makes sense because I really am worried that it doesn't follow with the book story plot. Oh and one more thing, while I am on this rant, I don't want you to think Harry is a heartless guy who doesn't think about his ex-girlfriend or the fact that Dumbledore is dead, but that he is a person who has just lost about everything in his life and now has found a new friend he can confide everything in. And yes he was visiting Cedric's grave. Thank you and I promise that my notes won't usually be this long.