Chapter 13: Kiss the Girl (Part I)
The first order of business for the day: find a way to kiss Kagome. This was the chief activity on Kurama's mind as he made his way to breakfast the next morning.
Normally, the kitsune functioned well on little sleep but considering he had barely been able to close his eyes last night (or, this morning, rather) he felt in dire need of caffeine. He had just seated himself and poured a steaming mug of coffee when Yusuke and Hiei entered the Hall and made their way toward him.
Kurama had a half-second's warning when he felt Hiei enter his mind and tried to shut down the thoughts racing through his mind but only half-succeeded. Judging by the insolent gleam in the brat's eye, he had indeed caught on to the fantasy Kurama had spent the last four hours perfecting. It mainly involved himself, Kagome, those damned bandages and a couch.
I see you've been a busy boy.
Kurama was embarrassed, yet relieved that the information Kagome had divulged about her past remained his little secret.
Don't be jealous.
"Morning, Kurama," Yusuke greeted him, his voice still hoarse from sleep.
"What inspired you to get up at this time? Usually I don't see you until lunch."
"You can call it 'inspiration' if you want. I call it Shorty's boot in my ass. He was all in a rush to get down here before lots of kids showed up for food."
"What's happened?" It must not be too serious if they were discussing it in the open like this.
"I have news from Spirit World," Hiei's voice was monotone as ever, yet Kurama sat forward in his seat, immediately at attention.
"How?" Kurama's eyes shifted from side to side, taking in the slowly growing number of breakfast-goers.
"That's what I said," Yusuke yawned. "You'd think that little bastard would've contacted me first, but nooooo…"
"Should we be discussing this here?" Kurama slipped into Japanese.
A door at the head of the Hall opened and none other than Severus Snape strode through. As a unit, the team left the hall; the last thing they needed was the one staff member who spoke their language to overhear them. As they filed past, Snape appeared to ignore them but his beady eyes followed their exit.
Safely in the corridor, the trio walked a short distance to a small alcove usually used for studying.
"Where is Kuwabara?"
"I guess I forgot to wake him up." Hiei answered blankly.
"Hiei, this matter concerns him as well. You'd better go wake him."
"My pleasure." The tone in the hybrid's voice caused Yusuke to stand and offer to go, instead.
"I'll just take one for the team on this one…be right back."
As Hiei turned his calculating stare on Kurama, the fox knew he had some explaining to do.
"Well?" Judging by the pursed lips and slightly quirked eyebrow, Kurama realized the little demon was laughing at him.
"I'm not sure what you find so amusing." Inwardly, Kurama thought that statement sounded just a little too much like whining and determined to not be judged by Hiei.
"Oh, there's plenty to be amused by, Kurama. The best part is that I get to pick my pleasure…should it be the fact that the mighty Youko has been subjected to following a human priestess like a sick puppy? Or should it be that this priestess, at any given moment, could purify you out of your human disguise and ruin all those years of trying to hide? Or, I could also choose to humiliate you with the fact that you, the very essence of thousands of men and womens' wet dreams, have failed to even begin to seduce said priestess? Or—"
"I believe you've said quite enough." Kurama's voice was dangerously low as Youko's spirit clawed his way to the surface.
"What would you do, fox?" Hiei taunted him. "Kill me? Nothing short of my death would put an end to the mockery you've left yourself open to."
"Do not tempt me."
"I am above temptation and you used to be, as well. I am not baiting you without reason; I have concern that this girl will endanger us all. We have not worked so hard for so long to have it all blasted away in a second by some human priestess!"
Kurama was quiet. It was unlike Hiei to be so openly adamant about his point of view and therefore deserved serious thought. At first, he'd thought the little demon was jealous of the time he was spending on Kagome but could it be…? He was actually thinking of someone else before himself? A smug smile tried to creep onto his face but Kurama dared not let Hiei see it. Kurama could now hear Yusuke and Kuwabara's familiar footsteps coming towards them.
"I will think on what you've said."
"See that you do." Hiei withdrew into himself, determined to make up for his loquaciousness by being utterly silent for the next few days.
"Wow, thanks for including me, guys." Kuwabara lumbered into the alcove, easily taking up double the room of anyone else.
"Good morning to you, Kuwabara." Kurama greeted the carrot top.
"Alright, let's get cracking. How the hell did Koenma get to you all the way over here, Hiei?" Yusuke sat on a low bench beside Kurama.
Hiei looked like the prospect of speaking further rendered him mortally ill so he was as brief as possible. "An owl found me late last night with a paper bearing Koenma's personal seal. It seems he has discovered how the wizards' communication systems work and wants to set up a meeting as soon as possible."
"Aren't we going to that Hogsmeade village soon?" Kuwabara scratched his head, trying to remember when their last trip was.
"Yes, next week I believe."
"We are supposed to write back to Koenma with the date, time and place. We are to secure a private room with a fireplace for at least one hour to be briefed."
"The Three Broomsticks is a good place…there's so much activity going on, no one would think twice about seeing us there." A sound suggestion from Yusuke, but Kurama was already shaking his head.
"We need a private room and someone who can be bought to give us enough time." The four sat in silence for a few minutes, thinking this through.
"What about the Shrieking Shack?"
"I don't believe it's connected to the Floo network anymore."
"Shit. Well, there goes my best idea." Yusuke folded his hands behind his head, removing himself from the conversation.
A group of students heading to breakfast passed by their nook; Hermione, Ron and Harry all stopped by.
"Morning, everyone." Hermione nodded to the group.
"Why so glum?" Ron sat down beside Kuwabara. "Still upset that I wiped the floor with you last night in chess?"
"Am not!" Kuwabara crossed his arms and stuck his nose in the air.
"Oh, don't be a sore loser." Ron jibed him.
"It's true, Ron beats everyone at chess," piped Hermione. Ron subtly blushed. "Kurama, I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?"
Inwardly, Kurama thought her overtures at friendship were a bit too obvious but she was a kind person, nonetheless. "I've been well; and yourself? I hear you've taken these two on for tutoring?"
She nodded. "It took a while but when they realized that their marks in class directly affected their ability to function in the wizarding world, they really buckled down. Kuwabara earned top marks on his last Charms exam, isn't that right?"
How sweet, Hiei's sarcasm cut through Kurama's mind.
You're feeling chatty today.
The answering silence told Kurama his words were well-chosen; Kurama himself wasn't sure he liked the talkative side of the little demon. It was very strange.
"We were just talking about the next Hogsmeade trip," Yusuke's segue was well-timed and Kurama had to applaud his (slowly) growing skill of tact. "Last time we went to the Three Broomsticks the drinks were good but it was too crowded. You have any suggestions?"
"Well, Madam Puddifoot's tea shop is more private but you blokes don't want to be caught in there without a date," Ron suggested.
Kurama filed this away for later use.
"There is the Hog's Head pub," Hermione spoke up, unable to restrain her knee-jerk reaction to being asked a question. "But it's quite dingy and not necessarily the best place for students to be going."
The Tantei knew they'd found their meeting ground. After depending on one another for so long, there wasn't even a pause in the conversation or any meaningful shared glances to give away their intentions.
"Well, dingy isn't exactly what we had in mind. Maybe we'll see you at the village?"
"Of course,"
"We'd probably better head down to breakfast; want to join?" offered Harry.
"Thank you, I've had my fill," Kurama declined while Hiei merely shook his head.
"I think we'll go with you," Yusuke slung his arm around Kuwabara's neck. "Hey, Kurama, Hiei, how's about some exercise tonight?"
The two demons smirked lightly and nodded accord.
"Oh, you won't want to miss this!" Ron clamored to tell his friends all about the spectaculars he'd seen the four Japanese students perform at his home over the summer. "We can come and watch, right? You going to do it by the Pitch, then? There's the most room there, I think…unless you wanted to go by the lake…" Their voices trailed off into the Great Hall.
"We'll be lucky if Ron doesn't start selling tickets," Kurama joked but Hiei had had his absolute fill of all things both conversational and human. He barely spared a glance at his friend before heading outside. The fox hoped Hiei would at least deign to go to classes; he was never the type to let something silly like rules get in his way, but more trouble would be caused by his delinquency.
Kurama didn't see Kagome until later in the day, right before Sans Wands class.
"How are you feeling today?"
"Oh, I'm much better. I didn't even need those bandages when I woke up." Kagome's eyes were sparkling today and, unlike in the past, there wasn't an air of forced cheerfulness in her expression. "Did you get to sleep at all?"
Such an innocent question, Kurama bemoaned silently, trying to squash the vivid images from his fantasy before they could affect his body. "I slept some,"
"Hey, Kurama!" Yusuke and Kuwabara were pushing their way through the crowded corridor towards them. "Kagome, what's up?"
"Aren't you excited about class, today?" Kuwabara was bursting with energy.
"What's happening, again?"
"Don't tell me you forgot, Higurashi?" Yusuke joined in the teasing. "It was fourteen inches of parchment due today!" When he saw her face pale he hastily corrected himself. "Kidding, kidding…"
"I believe the activity they're referring to is that today is the first day of active demonstration for Sans Wands," Kurama supplied a measure of peace to Kagome's panic.
"I can't believe I forgot! But this class has been so boring lately that I guess I just didn't pay attention…"
"Yeah, it was really dragging there," agreed Yusuke. "But today's supposed to be different; I heard Myer is doing an actual demonstration instead of just running his mouth about the theory of this and that and blah, blah, blah…"
"Blah, blah, blah? Is that really all you've learned from me, Mr. Urameshi?" The professor approached Yusuke from behind and now stood staring at the back of the youth's head, appearing torn between amusement and aggravation.
Not willing to give the professor the satisfaction of seeing his embarrassment, Yusuke resorted to his usual fallback of sarcasm. "You know we already know how to do the whole wandless magic thing, Doc, why not just cut us a break and let us show you how it's really done?"
Professor Myer's expression gave way to amusement as he allowed a throng of students into the amphitheater-like classroom they studied in. "I know that you know how to fight without wands, Mr. Urameshi, but what I'm interested in is that you also understand the finesse and skill it takes to perform magic without your wand." Myer waded through the students as they made their way down the dark wooden stairs; he had an unshakable air of ease and confidence that led most of the students to respect him. "But, if you insist on a demonstration of sheer power versus skill, I can provide you with one."
"Now you've done it," Kuwabara bemoaned his friend's loud mouth.
"Where's Hiei?" Kagome asked Kurama.
"I don't know," he whispered back. Members of all the Houses settled along the first three rows of seats while Professor Myer gracefully hopped the low banister separating auditorium from teaching area.
"Since our Urameshi appears to like the limelight so much, I'll just ask him to join me on the floor, if you please."
A round of "Oooh's" rose from the students as Yusuke cracked his knuckles and easily cleared the railing in one jump.
"Thought you'd never ask."
"What does he think he's going to do?" Kagome wondered aloud.
"What Yusuke does best," replied Kurama. "Show off."
"Now, everyone, I know many of you have been feeling restless since the beginning of the year, wanting to get past all of these formalities about theory of wandless magic,"
"Finally, he understands us!" An anonymous voice rose from the students, quickly shushed by some while others started to giggle.
Myer waited patiently for his students to quiet, a small smile on his delicately curved lips. "Today is your lucky day. Mr. Urameshi, please have your wand ready."
Yusuke gamely planted his feet, wand held firmly in his right hand.
"I'm going to demonstrate to you how important it is to be able to perform wandless magic under pressure. But first, we have a little re-arranging to do," Myer turned his attention to the teaching platform, which slowly folded away under his gaze into a smooth hardwood arena that matched the auditorium's seating. Yusuke and Myer were left standing in a large, empty semi-circle. The class ooh-ed and ahh-ed.
"You have all seen duels, I imagine? And you know that in situations such as a duel, having to speak your spells aloud sets you at a disadvantage. For example, Expelliarmus!" Myer whirled on Yusuke, who had a split second to block the curse but did so successfully. "Excellent block, Mr. Urameshi." Myer pocketed his wand with a flourish and then there was a split second of pause until Yusuke's wand flew from his hand and the young man fell to the floor in a full-body binding curse. The entire class was on its feet, shouting appreciation and consternation. Just as silently as he had cursed him, Myer released Yusuke from the curse; Yusuke stared at him appraisingly, no longer as loud or boastful but now calculating.
"Wow," Kagome breathed.
"Just think of the possibilities," Kurama murmured. "This puts an entirely new dimension on dueling. I wonder how they expect to control who casts which spell when they don't need their wand to do so,"
"What about those three curses that are Unforgivable?" Kagome pondered. "Without a wand to track who does what, how will their Ministry know whom to arrest?"
"All important questions," Kurama reassured her. "Let's see what happens here, first."
Yusuke had retrieved his wand by this point but had fallen into a natural fighting pose, the wand an afterthought in his hand.
"As you can all see, there is great possibility for being able to cast spells without having your wand at the ready. In dark times such as these, there is a very real possibility that you may one day find yourself wandless and in need of help. Mr. Urameshi, if you would attempt to cast a spell without using your words?"
"You haven't taught us how to do that yet," Yusuke protested but Meyer was already shaking his head.
"We've been covering the principles of wandless magic for weeks; just try to actively apply what you've learned. If you've learned."
The jibe, although made in jest, embarrassed Yusuke in front of his peers and his fists tightened.
"He's not going to do what I think he is, is he?" Kagome edged a little closer to Kurama.
Yusuke was rolling up his sleeves for dramatic flair. He stuck his wand in his back pocket and pointed his index finger. Kuwabara erupted from his seat shouting, "Don't do it, Urameshi!"
"Don't be an idiot," Kurama muttered between his teeth. His comrade's ego was about to undo their careful plans for concealment.
Too late, Urameshi's aura was powering up. In an instant, the entire room was filled with static electricity and a blinding light raced down Yusuke's arm, through his palm and into a burning point of light at the end of his extended finger. The students were on their feet, shouting.
"Something's wrong," Kuwabara shouted over the commotion and Kagome instantly recognized the problem. The energy Yusuke was attempting to summon was stuck at his fingertip and, after the initial fireworks, the light was dimming quickly. Yusuke's dramatic fighting pose began to look comical as the energy was swallowed up by an unseen force. The captain of the Spirit Detectives noticed the giggles and whispers beginning to fly around the room and scowled darkly.
"What the hell is wrong with this place?" He demanded of Professor Myer, who was coming out of his own defensive crouch, his wand now out of his pocket and extended carefully.
"Mr. Urameshi, you are dismissed from this classroom. Fifty points from Gryffindor—" There were enormous moans from the offended House, "I expect seven pages of parchment due by next week regarding the ethics of wandless magic from every student. Any further in-class demonstrations are postponed until you have all proved a sufficient understanding of the physical and theoretical application of wandless magic. We will be returning to our original lecture format until further notice. Dismissed."
"That was a little harsh, coming from Myer," Kuwabara muttered.
The rest of the student body moved toward the exit, muttering under their breaths about Myer's overreaction to Yusuke's disappointing rebellion.
As the hall emptied out, Myer approached the transfer students furiously. "What in Merlin's name did you think you were doing, Mr. Urameshi?"
"I told you we knew how to do wandless magic!"
"No, you know how to manipulate energy. You do not have the slightest inkling of the finer points of being a wizard. Wandless magic is performing actual spells without a wand, not unleashing a mass of your energy in the form of a weapon!" Myer's rage filled every word but he was so correct in his argument that Yusuke couldn't find anything to say. "Not to mention the fact that you were preparing to launch some sort of spiritually powered weapon towards me and not only endanger myself but the entire class!"
"Um…it won't happen again?" Yusuke muttered, taken aback by the usually easy-going professor's overwhelming ire.
"It most certainly will not." A different voice rang out over their heads.
The group turned to see Dumbledore making his way through the classroom door and down the stairs towards them.
"Headmaster," Myer nodded.
"I apologize if my wards caused so much trouble," Dumbledore had finally arrived at the group.
"It's not your fault," Yusuke protested.
The Headmaster's eyes twinkled a bit, "Quite right, Mr. Urameshi. It was undoubtedly your fault for trying to destroy our newest staff member."
"I wasn't trying to hurt him!" The detective protested.
"If you had shown restraint in trying to show off for your classmates, I would not be in the position of trying to explain your actions to the rest of my staff." The words were harsh but his tone was kind yet firm. Yusuke had enough propriety to look ashamed. "Professor, if you would excuse us. I believe I need to speak with these students in my office."
The Tantei exchanged brief glances but followed the Headmaster out of the room and into the hallway. As they made their way through the castle, students and instructors alike stopped and stared. Apparently, rumors were already circulating. Once they stood facing the statue guarding the entrance to his office, Dumbledore whispered the password, "Gummi Bears," which caused Kagome to giggle. The aging wizard turned a kind eye to her. "I have always had a love for Muggle sweets," he explained.
Kurama's mind shifted to Hiei and his peculiar sweet tooth. Up until that moment, Kurama hadn't thought of the little demon, but just a thought was enough to reach out and discover the hybrid making his way towards them quickly.
Kurama paused at the base of the stairs, waiting for Hiei to catch up. When Dumbledore saw the latest addition to the group, he nodded as they stepped into his office. "Welcome, welcome. Please sit down." He conjured enough comfortable chairs for everyone but only Kuwabara and Kagome sat in them. Kurama, Hiei and Yusuke stood around looking very much disinterested in the situation, although Hiei's eye was caught on a giant bowl of candy perched on the Headmaster's desk.
Dumbledore sat in his own chair, hands folded passively in front of him. "You are all aware, no doubt, that I am the reason you have been invited to this school." The students shifted warily and Dumbledore smiled. "In order to convince my colleagues that you were indeed a good fit for Hogwarts I may have had to…tweak a few facts about yourselves. For instance, I refrained from disclosing the fact that three of you have demon blood."
Hiei and Kurama were immediately on alert, eyes squinted suspiciously and bodies tense. Yusuke was the one who chose to speak up. "Wait, wait, you know about us?"
"Of course, Mr. Urameshi. I would not have invited strangers casually into my school at such a dangerous time without having thorough knowledge of your backgrounds."
"How much do you know?" Kurama asked, one hand casually twirling a strand of hair that was very close to the nape of his neck.
Will we have to kill him? Was his actual thought, echoed moments later by Hiei.
"Let me be clear, everyone," Dumbledore's expression was suddenly serious. "I have many connections around the world and, despite the general idea among my peers that the Wizarding way is the best way, I have come to understand there are other ways to perform magic…or, as some would call it, psychic energy." He peered over his half-moon spectacles at the group, scrutinizing each of them in turn. "Many Wizards are still convinced that the realm of non-magical folk does not concern them. I disagree strongly. The separation of Earth into different realms isn't new but most reject the idea that there are categories other than Muggle and Wizard. Your lives are proof enough that they are incorrect. So, to answer your question, Mr. Minamino, I do not know everything about your pasts but I know enough that I wanted to bring you here to help us."
"Help you? What could we do, we don't even know that much magic?" Kuwabara asked, leaning forward in his seat and frowning.
"Yeah, it looks to me like you've got a pretty good handle on your business without us already." This was from Yusuke, who had begun to pace slowly around the room.
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, fingers in a steeple, his eyes sharp and intelligent. "As I'm sure you've ascertained since arriving in Britain, all is not well in our world. An incredibly powerful wizard is threatening to destroy our government and our freedom. He is also out to commit genocide against all wizards not of pure heritage and seeks to kill and enslave the non-magical folk of the world. It is a grave situation and we have only one hope to stop him. Harry Potter, your classmate, was prophesized to be the one to defeat Lord Voldemort. I believe completely in Harry's potential."
"But," Kurama inserted into the Headmaster's monologue. In response, the wizard nodded appreciatively.
"But, if we are to defeat him fully, we must also use every weapon we have against him, because that is exactly what he is doing to us."
"We're the weapons," Kagome sat straight up in her chair, heart racing with the implications. "You said we were here to advance our knowledge and gain power by utilizing the Western method of magic. A chance to start over." If she had been brought all the way from home to help fight for a cause she had no desire to be involved with, she would just-! Kagome folded her arms tightly against her chest and leaned far back into the chair.
"Quite right, Ms. Higurashi. That is one of my reasons for bringing you all here."
"How did you convince everyone to allow us to come here?" Kurama asked. He was too surprised by these revelations to know how he felt about it yet.
"I did have to disclose the fact that you have special powers that may put you at risk around the rest of the student body, powers that may interfere with the way we live here in the castle." He gestured to Yusuke. "You discovered one of those inconveniences earlier today when you attempted to fire your spiritual weapon inside the castle."
"Wait, it really was your fault my Spirit Gun went haywire!?" Yusuke advanced a few menacing steps towards the Headmaster's desk.
"I haven't had a problem using my powers on castle grounds," Kurama interjected.
"Neither have I," Kagome supplied.
"I haven't really tried much of mine out, honestly," said Kuwabara.
I'm unable to use the Jagan, Hiei mentioned to Kurama, who had thought as much but his idea wasn't confirmed until now.
"Why am I the lucky one?" Yusuke asked.
"Your power is a destructive one, is it not?" Dumbledore asked the question as if he were trying to lead Yusuke to a specific point.
"Well…if you want to think of it like that, I guess…"
Kurama thought he understood where this was going and decided to speak up. "My ability with plants is seen as benign and so I can function normally with my power."
"Almost correct, Mr. Minamino. The wards I have set up are separate from the protective wards and spells on the school; these wards are against psychic attack."
"You put up wards specifically to stop us from harming anyone in the school." Kurama's voice was completely lacking inflection but inside, he couldn't believe the old man's shrewdness.
"I thought you trusted us?" Kuwabara asked.
"Once cannot be too cautious," was all Dumbledore would say on the matter. "As long as the energy used is one not for destructive purposes, the wards will allow the energy to take form."
That's why the Jagan is of no use to you, Hiei, Kurama interjected to his friend. I imagine that is also why Yukina can still use her healing abilities freely.
Cunning old bastard, Hiei replied but there was a certain measure of respect in his tone. It wasn't every day someone managed to outwit them. We're just lucky he's on our side.
Or that we are on his.
"If you want our help on this, shouldn't we have included Yukina in this talk?" Kagome asked. "Doesn't it concern her, too?"
Now it was Dumbledore's turn to look embarrassed. "Actually, my purpose for the young Ms. Koorime's presence was completely a by-product of inviting you four," he indicated the Tantei, "to the school. My sources told me of the main members of your group who would fit the bill of talented young people with special abilities. Therefore, would it not have seemed odd to you that you were invited here but Yukina, equally talented although in other areas, was not?"
"You don't intend to use her in battle." Hiei spoke aloud for the first time.
"Not at all. In any case, her talent does not lie in the battlefield, or would you disagree?"
No one did and Dumbledore nodded to himself. "Officially, you are here on my whim to learn skills as wizards and witches, to enhance your lives and perhaps to bridge cultural gaps between Western and Eastern magic by adding diversity to the school. Unofficially, and this knowledge is shared only by two other individuals, Professors Snape and McGonagall, you are here to use your special talents to help rid the world of Lord Voldemort and his followers."
"Not that it's not a noble cause and all, but don't you think you should've, you know…checked with us on that before you hauled our asses all the way over here?" The anger in Yusuke's voice translated directly into sarcasm.
Dumbledore redirected the conversation effortlessly. "Did you, or did you not, Mr. Jaganshi, receive an unusual owl the other evening?"
The Tantei became unnaturally still. "I did." Hiei responded curtly.
"Was this message not from a former employer of yours?"
"Enough with the leading questions; get to your point." Yusuke gripped the back of one chair in both hands, tension vibrating through his muscles.
"I have been in touch with Mr. Koenma for some months now and he is the main reason you all came to my attention."
"Koenma? Who's that?" Kagome asked, looking around the group for answers. "I don't know a Koenma."
"No, Ms. Higurashi, you do not know him but he is also the one who brought you to my attention."
Kagome huddled further into her seat, not at all certain she liked where this conversation was going.
"As I explained earlier, my sources are from all over the globe and are in every realm, including the Realm of Spirits."
"And of Demon World?" Kurama had to know the answer.
Dumbledore nodded once and the Tantei seemed to be speechless at the depth of exploitation involving their carefully guarded secrets. If this man, not even remotely connected to them, could find out so much about their pasts, then who else could do the same?
"Much of what I know is because of your friend, Mr. Koenma."
"That little bastard is no friend of mine," Yusuke growled, smashing his fist onto the chair he held in a death grip.
"Please, do not blame him for what has happened or for what I know about you all."
"He has no right to divulge our private information." Kurama's voice had gone soft and steely. Revenge was at the forefront of his mind.
"Remember that I do not know all of your secrets, please," Dumbledore interjected as he sensed the outright hostility in the room. "I know of the Dark Tournament and of your demonic background. I know nothing of who you were or how you came to be before the last year or so. Koenma divulged only enough information to allow me to make an intelligent decision about inviting you here."
"I think you're avoiding a certain point, here. Who is this Koenma person and how did you both 'find out' about me?" Kagome sat straight up, her lips drawn tightly and eyebrows in a firm line.
"My apologies, Ms. Higurashi. Mr. Koenma is in charge of a vast amount of topics, usually involving the Spirit, Demon and Human realms as well as the transportation between those worlds." He peered over his half-moon spectacles, giving her the opportunity to push for more information.
"…Oh." She glanced around the room and found all eyes to be on her. "Hey, guys, could we…get a little privacy?"
Hiei and Kurama didn't appear to want to fulfill her request, but Yusuke and Kuwabara looked to Dumbledore for his response. The elderly wizard smiled softly and winked at them.
"If you gentlemen wouldn't mind waiting in the corridor for a moment?"
"What if we'd prefer to stay where we are?" Hiei cocked his head to the side, an insolent gleam in his eyes.
Dumbledore chuckled. "What if I offered you some of the sweets from my collection to occupy yourselves with?"
Yusuke shrugged and grabbed a few pieces from the enormous glass bowl and walked out. Kuwabara and Kurama followed shortly, each taking a few pieces. Hiei was the last one out, grabbing as many pieces as could fit in his hand and casually strolling out.
"That was…odd." Kagome remarked as Dumbledore squared off in front of her.
"I've always had a knack for identifying those with a propensity for sweets, like myself. Twizzler?" He extended a red rope candy to her, but Kagome shook her head.
"I'd really like to hear what you have to say about this Koenma."
Dumbledore gathered himself and moved to stand before his desk, just in front of where Kagome sat in the conjured chair. "Kagome," He began in a fatherly tone, "You were brought to my attention not long after I made contact with Koenma originally. I had been building a business relationship with the Prince for several months; he was following up several leads I had asked him to investigate. One of those led him to find you."
Kagome stared into the Headmaster's compassionate eyes and felt nothing but fear and betrayal. If someone knew of her access to the Feudal Era, could they possibly change it? Did this Prince have the power to alter time and perhaps erase her entire journey? What would happen to InuYasha and her friends then? What if—
"Kagome?" Dumbledore called her attention back to the present. "I can see you are very upset at this information and I do apologize for causing you grief. Let me reassure you on a few facts. Firstly, your past is private and I truly know very little about your history."
"What exactly do you know?" Kagome locked her emotions down tightly and met the aging wizard's gaze steadily.
"I know you are a priestess of considerable power who was given the opportunity to travel across time to help complete an important facet of your country's national history. I know that you no longer take part in these time travels and can only assume that you endured great trials of character in your adventures."
"…That's it?" The young priestess was a little surprised at his lack of detail.
"That is all I know about you from the information Koenma gathered for me."
"Then why did you bring me here in the first place? I've already defeated my own Dark Lord and I have to tell you that I will not be pulled into someone else's war. I won't bear another fight like what I've already experienced. I can't."
Dumbledore paused, weighing her emotional plea to him carefully.
"I understand your hesitation to join our cause." When Kagome glared at him, he raised his hand to soothe her. "Sincerely, I do. This war has only occasionally slipped its bounds in the magical world and appeared to the Muggles. However, it is only a matter of time before it spreads to every continent and every major city around the world. Voldemort has an extensive grasp and possesses enough power to lure support wherever he chooses to go. For now, his focus remains in Europe. But let me assure you, Kagome, when he decides to take his bid for power outside of this country, the world will know his name and fear it just as the people here do."
Kagome was silent as she internalized his speech. Finally, she spoke, "So inviting me and the Detectives here was a preemptive move to try and stop your enemy from spreading his power too far and overwhelming your resources."
"I'm glad you grasp the basic situation so quickly."
Kagome stood and turned away. "I'm flattered that you thought to include me in your plans to help save more people, but I don't think I'm capable of going back to that type of lifestyle. Even if I can, I'm not sure I'm willing."
"I realize how difficult this must be for you. If that is your choice, then I give you my word that I will return you to your family as soon as possible. Understand, however, that I would have to wipe your memory of these past months and when returned you to your home, you would have no recollection of having come to Britain or of meeting any of the people here. Your life would go back to the stage you left it in when you originally departed."
Kagome stood still as comprehension dawned on her but Dumbledore continued. "I will give you a week to consider this possibility and then I would appreciate your answer. I wish you a good day."
Despite the obvious dismissal, Kagome had trouble leaving the office because she couldn't shake the thought that Dumbledore knew more than he said and was playing her emotions like a finely tuned instrument. In the hall, the Detectives lounged against the wall as they waited for her to exit the Headmaster's office.
"So what did he have to say?" Yusuke asked.
"Shut up, Urameshi, obviously it's a private issue!" Kuwabara punched his best friend's shoulder for his insensitivity.
"Guys, guys," Kagome placated them with a gesture before sighing deeply. "I'll tell you later. But for now, I want you to tell me about this little message from Mr. Koenma."