Disclaimer: Hmm... what in this story doesn't belong to me again? Oh yeah. Most of it.
Chapter Six:
Forgiveness
Arianna burst into Madame Pomfrey's domain, a bit red in the face and panting from her sprint. She knew her task was of the utmost importance. "Madame Pomfrey, come quickly, it's Inu!"
The old witch eyed her suspiciously. "What do you mean?"
"I know about him, about his true form, but he... he's gone further than that, to what he called full demon. Please, come quickly! I left Jennifer with him!" She cried, debating momentarily revealing that Inu had shown them what he was strictly forbidden to. It was the easiest way to get the healer to come without questioning.
"Oh... oh, dear. Just lead on. I'll follow." The result was exactly what Ari had hoped for.
She started off towards the Ravenclaw tower at something close to the speed she had had before, but soon realized she had to slow down for the elderly witch. Ari was antsy with worry by the time they arrived. It didn't help that the two individuals they sought were nowhere to be seen. "But... They were right here. They were... they were..." Ari trailed off.
On the previously spotless ground there were now splatters of blood. Ari pressed a hand over her mouth. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes and squeezed them shut to clear the liquid away. This was no time for weakness. Jennifer needed her and she knew better than most what happened when one was in a fight for life or death.
Madame Pomfrey didn't have to adjust her glasses even in the dim light of the corridor to see what had made Ari react as she had. "Oh, dear... We must find them immediately. With Mr. Yasha in this state, there's no telling what might happen to that poor girl."
Ari sniffed once and recovered her stomach, forcing the mental images her brain had forced upon her out of her mind. "R-Right. I suppose the best thing to do is to f-follow the blood drops."
x x x x x x x x
"You are the only reason Kikyo cannot rest. Give yourself up so she may move on!" The demon growled, throwing Jennifer into a chamber, slamming the door behind them.
"Inu," Jennifer whimpered, cowering on the floor, afraid to move save she attract more punishment. "Please... Wake up. You don't realize what you're doing!"
"Oh, I understand... perfectly. I'm freeing Kikyo's soul." The crimson eyes hardened as he flexed his claws.
Jennifer curled into a ball, trying to protect her vital areas. 'Please... please let someone, anyone... please find me. Wake him up!' Suddenly her body went rigid as his claws sank into her back—she couldn't move. "Wh-What are you doing? Inu, please! Wake up!"
"Now... Now Kikyo's soul will be free. DIE, WENCH!"
'Help me!'
"INU! STOP THIS!" Ari roared, throwing the door of the chamber open with a clang, startling the demon from his charge.
The inhuman eyes darted to the intruder accusingly. "Oh, Ari. You went much faster than I thought you would... I thought for sure I'd be done before you returned with... help," he snarled, seeing the witch behind her. "This wench bled just a bit too much, though. If she hadn't, everything would have been perfect. It all would have been right. She'd have been free..."
The mention of the bleeding caused Ari's gaze to stray to her friend. "Jennifer!" She squeaked, seeing the long gashes down both an arm and the blood soaking through her robes. Unable to go near her, Ari cried back to Madame Pomfrey. "Please! Use your magic! Return him to normal!"
Inu snarled as she withdrew her wand from her robes and pointed it at him. "I'll be back, I swear it. And when I am... she'll pay her life." By then the spell had been cast and the demonic appearance melted into the familiar human features the girls were accustomed to seeing. Convinced it was the best course of action, the witch also placed the most powerful finishing charm she could on him. With both spells completed, Inu reawakened as himself. He stared in horror at the scene before his violet eyes.
"Jennifer... I... I'm so sorry. I am so sorry. I can't control my full demon form—" He stuttered, barely managing to keep his voice from cracking.
"Sh-SHUT UP! Leave me alone!" Jennifer screamed, having regained some of her courage now that her attacker was gone. Madame Pomfrey helped the girl to her feet and was all but forced out of the room. Jennifer needed her space, and she needed to leave the memories that were currently festering in the room.
Ari approached him slowly, weary of what she had seen herself. "Inu... I won't turn my back on you, but I won't forget what happened here. If you knew you couldn't control it, why take that risk? You could have simply told us, or shown us closer to the sunset when there might have been something to intervene."
Inu said nothing, merely gazed at the congealing droplets on the ground.
"I have a feeling... that she will take a while to hear you out. Don't try to press things while they're still raw. Besides, time heals what reason cannot." Ari tried to give him a smile as she pulled the chamber door open. "All you can do is wait and see."
"stupid..." Inu's voice was little more than a hoarse whisper.
Ari stopped. "What was that? I didn't catch it."
Inu raked the tears that had collected in his eyes and rose from the sitting position he had taken on the ground. "Stupid! Stupid, stupid, STUPID! I knew something like this would happen. I knew it and yet I ignored the warnings. Now she'll never say yes!"
"Yes to what?" Ari asked, letting the door close a bit in front of her.
Inu realized he had more or less confessed it aloud. "I... I was going to ask her to the Yule Ball. There's no way she'll ever say yes now. Stupid!"
Unable to console him, Ari's gaze drifted to her feet. 'If only we hadn't demanded what had happened. Everything would have been fine, perfect, even.'
"It's not entirely your fault. We did want to know what happened. You only responded the way you knew best... I'd better go check on her." Ari swallowed hard and pulled the door open again, leaving the dog demon to his own devices as she headed towards Ravenclaw tower.
x x x x x x x x
"After you left, he said something about freeing someone's soul, whom I suppose he took me as a reincarnate of. He grabbed my right arm, here below the elbow, and pulled me towards the chamber you found us in. I fought against his grip, but the only result was this gash." Jennifer looked at her arm for a moment before wrapping her arms around Ari. "I was so scared... I really thought I was going to die."
Ari smiled gently and held the other girl. "Just doing my job—to be a great friend, that is. I'd never leave anyone to fend for them self."
A week had past and Ari and Jennifer were in their dorm after the Halloween feast. The portrait of the demonic dog had been replaced with someone that had been unearthed in the storage. A priestess from ancient Japan; no one could remember her name. ("I think Dumbledore just doesn't want to tell us.") The dog was currently running wild about the other frames in the hallways, knowing no home and welcome just about anywhere he turned up. The new password for the Ravenclaw tower was quiver.
Though the incident had, for obvious reasons, been kept quiet, and though Jennifer had healed quickly and wonderfully, she refused to have anything to do with Inu, even at Quidditch practice. They had discovered at their first real practice that he was a Beater for Ravenclaw. It was quite clear that he was trying to take the anger he held for himself out on the bludgers, and at times it seemed like it worked, but it wasn't. He had been asked to the Yule Ball several times, but declined each time. Each girl only reminded him that he had blown his chance to go with Jennifer. He seemed to have stopped caring about anything.
One particularly stormy Quidditch practice, Jennifer lost control of her broom, and was headed for the Whomping Willow. Inu was the closest, the one who got there first. Jennifer just flew back to the field and continued practice, taking absolutely no notice of what had transpired.
Ari took it upon herself to drift over. "I'm sorry, Inu. There's really nothing I can do until she's ready. She just refuses to acknowledge you. I know deep down she wants to forgive you, but she just can't bring herself to admit it yet." She placed a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Participants in the Tournament must have a partner. Inu... just give her more time. Ask someone else. She may come around before then, but don't count on it, okay?"
"...right... Thanks."
Ari looked at him quizzically for a moment before sighing. "For what?"
The demon in human clothing looked away. "For not doing the same. I just... I just know I could make it up to her if I had a chance."
Ari fixed him with a steady look that was indistinguishable as pity or exasperation. "I'm not going to come between you two during this. I'm merely the messenger. You need to sort this out yourselves. If your heart is set on taking her to that Ball, which it's quite clear it is, then go over there and make your offer. The worst she can do is refuse." Silently she added to herself, 'The sooner they make up, the sooner the hatred in the tower will dissipate. I can't stand to see this happening.'
'So much about this girl reminds me of Kikyo... I suppose she got that woman's wonderful mind. But Jennifer... she's the splitting image of their incarnations,' Inu thought as he flew distractedly over to the field.
Roger Davies, team Captain and one of the Chasers called them to the ground for a pre-game day pep talk. "Now, I know that we're good, but we aren't working together completely," he started, looking pointedly at Jennifer and Inu. "Our first match against Gryffindor is scheduled for this weekend. They have one of the best teams this school has ever seen, but we're going to prove we're better. Ari, Jennifer, have you ordered your brooms?"
"Yes, we've both put in an order for Firebolts. They should be here well before the game," Ari replied.
"Good, good. Listen, the best thing for you to do is find the Snitch and find it early. Don't give Potter a chance." One would have thought this information was clear when the Seeker's sole purpose was to catch that small golden ball, but nevertheless it had to be repeated for emphasis's sake.
"I'll do my best, Roger." Ari replied, trying not to sound exasperated.
"Alright, everyone. That was a great practice! Let's get back in the locker room, shower, change, and get back in the castle. Classes will be starting soon." He declared, dismissing them all. The team staggered towards said locker rooms, exhausted but pleased with their performance.
Inu approached Jennifer before she disappeared into the locker room and Ari unintentionally blocked the escape route through the door, effectively cornering the other girl. "Jennifer... I know you don't want to listen to me, but please, I have something to ask you. Please hear me out."
Jennifer had her back to Inu, facing the locker room door. She 'hmphed' but didn't try to escape. "I'm waiting."
Inu was slightly shocked that she responded, after being out of her conversation for much longer than he would have liked. "Well... There is a large event coming up on Christmas, the Yule Ball. I... I was wondering if you would go with me."
Jennifer's dark eyes narrowed and a slight coloration came to her cheeks. "You... You dare ask me to go to that ball with you? Are you really that much of a fool? Here's a tip... Never come near me. Again." Jennifer stormed past Ari into the locker room, her expression unreadable.
The bronze-haired girl looked after her friend and moved away from the door towards Inu. "Well... that went... well."
"That's just perfect. Now she's more pissed at me. I am a fool when it comes to that woman. Thanks for the advice, Ari." Inu replied bitterly and headed towards the boy's locker room.
"Excuse me for trying to help. I want you two to get back on good terms too, y'know," Ari snapped, following the same path Jennifer had. "Maybe if you took your head out of the Feudal Era and stuck it in this one you'd stand a chance. Times have changed."
Jennifer let out a small gasp as Ari came storming in and made herself inconspicuous as her friend passed, as to not let her know she had been eavesdropping. 'So, they're working together to "help me." I can't believe how blind I've been to it. They're just trying to help themselves... or maybe... Did Inu really mean it? Is he truly saying that he understands what he put me through and is deeply sorry? Wouldn't that imply that he's done something of the sort before?' Jennifer pondered, slowly making her way to the showers to get ready for the day's classes.
x x x x x x x x
After the evening meal that night, Dumbledore announced that the first of the three tasks was approaching. "Be prepared for anything on November 10th, good competitors. For those lucky enough to be only spectating, there will be stands set up for viewing the event as it plays out. Good evening!"
Later, in the blue and bronze common room of Ravenclaw tower, Ari and Jennifer sat quietly by the fire working madly on their stacks of homework. Inu entered the room and dragged his way across it, all appearances calling him one of the living dead. To Ari's surprise, Jennifer rose from her seat without a word and followed him up the stairs to the dormitories. "Inu?" She asked quietly in a voice that hinted nothing at what was on her mind.
Inu nearly fainted from the shock. "Y-Yes?"
Jennifer looked swiftly away from the violet eyes, seeing a flash of red in them gifted by the firelight. She swallowed and continued, figuring there was no turning back now, and she could get more comfortable as time progressed. "Is that invitation still valid?"
The violet eyes widened and the demon's heart rate increased. "Yes."
"Then... I would like to accompany you to the Yule Ball." Somehow she managed to meet his eyes as she said this.
Inu really did pass out at this point, and Ari jumped up to see what the cause of the loud thunk was. "What happened? What did you do to him?"
"I changed my mind." Jennifer replied crisply, stepping over Inu and continuing towards the common room to finish her homework.
"Huh?" Ari asked, looking between Inu and Jennifer, torn as to whom to stay with.
"I said yes."
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Bah. Short chappie. Sorry about the bipolar-ness. I blame my 7th grade mind and my current 11th grade mind being unable to think clearly to edit it any better. Like I said, this story is on crack and seems to have lost its plot. I am trying to weave it back in, though, so it might be there by the end, or I might rip this whole thing offline, re-edit it, and re-upload it. I dunno. Depends on how much time I have.
Next chappie's longer, so please don't expect it up in a day like this one. XD