Of Wizards, Akuma, and Exorcists

Twenty-One: Memories

Disclaimers: I do not own any D. Gray-Man or Harry Potter characters/settings. They rightfully belong to Mr. Hoshino (D. Gray-Man) and Ms. Rowling (Harry Potter). Also, some conversations between the Harry Potter characters are direct quotes from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and that also does not belong to me!
"My apologies, Komui, for keeping you in this stuffy old room whilst your companions are outside, enjoying the autumn weather," Dumbledore said kindly.

"It's alright," Komui Lee replied, slipping a piece of paper onto the ever-growing stack of files he'd looked through. "Quite alright."

"How is your studying coming along?"

"Oh, it's dull. So far, I haven't seen anything that contradicts with our knowledge of the Millenium Earl and his Noahs, although, I daresay, Allen Walker probably knows more about them than any. Him, or that red haired boy, Lavi."

"Hmm..."

Komui yawned as his eyes skimmed the next paper quickly, finding nothing in particular that caught his attention. As he placed it on top of the three-feet-tall stack of parchment, his mind wandered to the Exorcists down in Hogsmeade, doing God knows what with those three Gryffindors. Komui was quite aware that Harry Potter, the legendary boy he'd heard as the only person to survive getting killed by Lord Voldemort, was amongst those three. He also knew that Harry Potter, as well as Dumbledore, was considered a headcase these days.

Komui had learned to trust Dumbledore and the members of the Order of the Phoenix. He'd met some of them, too. While everyone of the Black Order thought he was trapped in the office, he and Dumbledore had snuck out of the castle to ensure that the alliance between the two orders was secure. They were all good people, Komui had been relieved to know, but he was surprised when he found out that two members of the other order were a werewolf and a wanted, supposed mass murderer. And Harry Potter, truthful or not, was thought of as a lunatic, maybe also wanted for questioning by the Ministry of Magic. The thought that his sister, his dear, beloved, innocent sister, Lenalee, was always hanging around him was...infuriating.

The fact that Allen, Lavi, Kanda, Krory, and Miranda were with her should've been a reassurance. That thought of Miranda being close by would have been a reassurance. But she wouldn't be of much help with her complication with self-confidence. And the others were men, and men must not be trusted when they were with Lenalee...

"Komui," Dumbledore said in his clear, pleasant voice, "you're crumpling up the papers."

"Huh?" Komui gasped, snapping out of his thoughts. "Oh, yes, right." He released the death grip he'd held on the now wrinkled documents, tried to smooth it unsuccessfully, and put it down. Sighing, he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, brushing away non-existent sweat. His eyelids felt like lead, weighed down with fatigue, and his eyes themselves twitched under the heavy, ever-familiar feeling of sleeplessneess. Back at headquarters, he and his fellow science department folks would go through days, weeks, maybe even months of all-nighters and absolutely not a wink of sleep, but being in this magic-filled castle, so far away from home, in a different century even, was a lot more pressure upon his shoulders than usual. And Lenalee was still with those men...

"Why don't you take a well deserved break, Komui?" Dumbledore asked. "Today is a Hogsmeade day, and many of the students are enjoying the breezy weather. You should go down and get some fresh air as well. You've been in here all day, only leaving with me to go to meals."

"Yes, well, I have to say it's been part of my lifestyle ever since I went to the Order," Komui said sheepishly, stifling a yawn. He suddenly had a craving for coffee, in his adorable mug, poured by Lenalee. It always woke him up because Lenalee knew just exactly how he wanted his coffee.

Like it's time to be longing for coffee, he thought with a shake of his head. Everyone's always risking their lives for us, for the world, now that I'm a part of the darkness now, I should act as I should...

"Yes," Komui said, "yes. I think I'll take a stroll through the village. Maybe I could find something usefull as well..."

A jingling sound reached his ears as Dumbledore handed him a small pouch. "Enjoy a cup of coffee, and maybe some sweets from Honeydukes," the headmaster said with a twinkle in his eyes. "I'd say you might enjoy the Three Broomsticks."

Komui dumbfoundedly took the rather heavy pouch of gold, muttering a thanks, before he slipped out of Dumbledore's office. He stared at the money for a while as he walked down the corridors, and with a smile, decided to buy a small gift for everyone waiting back at the Black Order, one of each Exorcist, for the Finders, and the scientists. It would still only be the small piece of thanks he could give.

"I'm not a student," he said absentmindedly as he passed Argus Filch, who squinted up at him over the list of students allowd to go into Hogsmeade. "Have a good one."

"So you're one of those strangers Professor Dumbledore'd invited, are you?" Filch growled. "At first glance you all seemed like Muggles. Wonder what you truly are, eh? The bloody secret you hide behind all your pretty faces...Professor Umbridge won't let you out of this castle easily. It'll be a long time before you see your homes, it will be..."

Komui shrugged and walked out into the silver sunlight, basking in the warmth and gulping down fresh air. It was a beautiful day.

Humming a tune he'd heard once while wandering the castle, Komui sauntered into the village where bright colors of red, orange, yellow and brown shone vividly against the gray sky. There were students everywhere, looking quite Mubble- like (or whatever the non-magical folks were called) in their jackets and coats and skirts and jeans. They bustles about from store to store, down one street and around another corner, each and every one of them overflowing with excitement and not an ounce of worry in them as they ventured through and around the peaceful, lively town with their friends.

This is the world we're all aiming for in the Order, Komui thought, a touch of loneliness in him as he wished his comrades were with him, making him a part of the group as well. They were all from the same 'home' and were in the mission together, yet he was always inside an office alone while everyone else was traveling with each other. It was the same at any time, any place. Back at headquarters, all he could have done was send out Finders and Exorcists into the battlefields. And now, even at Hogwarts, the most he was able to do was communicate with their allies and literally hide behind pile after pile of documents while the others had fought twice already and were facing the wrath of the Ministry of Magic constantly. He felt bad and at guilt towards the Exorcists every time he saw them. He could see damages on their coats almost painstakingly clearly, the scratches and rips in the tough fabric, memoirs of all the battles they'd fought. He knew that, most likely, Kanda's lifespan was shortened with every near-fatal mission, and he'd more than once overheard Allen wandering the headquarters once because his cursed eye was hungry for Akuma, reacting to the presense of monsters that were miles and miles away. And once, only a few days after Allen had almost died after temporarily losing his left arm, during one of his midnight cravings for coffee as he and Reever pulled another all-nighter, Komui had seen the boy in his room, crying.

As Komui walked down the cobblestone road, he fell into his past memories, the scene from not so many nights ago replaying in his mind, haunting him...

The door, slightly ajar, with a dim yellow light pouring out into the corridors. Allen, curled into a ball on his bed, the blanket tangled around his legs. The boy was breathing deeply, harshly, his shoulders shaking and his hands clenched tightly as Timcampy rested on his head, trying to comfort his master; it was obvious that Allen had awoken from a nightmare, and with a chill creeping down his spine, Komui had a hunch as to what that dream was about. Allen's right hand was grasping his left arm, as if to make sure that it was there, and he then was groping along the front of his shirt. And then, Allen stayed still for a few seconds. Komui could almost hear the pounding of the boy's heart in the silence that fell at that moment, and when Allen's hunched shoulders relaxed, and when Allen let out a breath of relief, Komui realized with a jolt that his own heartbeat was what the boy had, in fact, been listening so hard for...to make sure that there was no hole in the beating organ...that he was alive...

"Whoa, Komui, you came out of your nest?"

Lavi's voice violently dragged Komui out of the past, and the chief found himself looking into his sister's dark eyes that were looking back at him with worry. Standing behind Lenalee were Allen and the others, but Harry Potter and his friends were nowhere to be seen. Allen and Lavi were both holding a bag of sweets, while Krory and Miranda were holding a small package tightly in their hands. Kanda stood a few feet away from everyone, staring into the window of a rather darkly lit store. But when Lavi shuffled over to him and whispered in his ear, the samurai glared daggers at him and turned away from whatever was on display.

"Is there anything wrong, Komui?" Lenalee asked suddenly, her eyebrows knit together. "You seemed troubled when you were walking."

Seeing the anxiety in his sister's eyes made Komui feel as if someone had poured ice cold water over his head. Ever since Lenalee was a little girl, she'd been worrying about everyone. Komui hated that look in her eyes whenever her thoughts were plagued by the possible death of comrades who disappeared during battles and missions. If only he could take away the constant worry in her eyes...and yet, his job was to create them, sending the Exorcists and Finders out into danger...

"It's...nothing, Lenalee," Komui said, smiling. "I was just thinking about the documents that I was working on in Dumbledore's office. And the mountain that everyone would be making for me back at headquarters."

"Oh, yeah," Lavi said with a laugh. "Once we get home, Komui would be back to getting hassled by Reever and the others."

"I hope we don't have any more Komurins," Allen muttered. "That one time I really thought I was going to die."

Komui nearly fainted when he heard Allen say the word 'die.' Once again, the image of the young boy crying alone in his room in the middle of the night flashed through his mind, and Komui closed his eyes, shaking his head to make it disappear.

"Komui?"

"Do you think you guys won't mind showing me around Hogsmeade?" Komui asked cheerfully, looking around at the Exorcists. "Please? I'll treat you later."

Lenalee, Allen, and Lavi nodded enthusiastically. "Is there anything specific you want to see?" Allen asked. Krory and Miranda smiled in agreement, and as per usual, Kanda stood off to the side, not exactly participating in anything but still being a member of the group.

"I'd like to see if I could find a quill for the science department," Komui said as Lavi and Lenalle steered him down the street. "Reever could use a new quill for a refreshment, I think."

"I think I saw Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop just ahead," Krory said, pointing down the High Street. "Oh look, there's Hermione."

"Harry looks real happy, don't he?" Lavi asked Allen as the Exorcists watched the boy walk away in the opposite direction.

"Yeah, well, Cho Chang kept looking at him," Allen replied boredly as they entered the quill shop. Komui and Miranda immediately disappeared behind a display of special quills.

"And Ron looks like the world's ending...either that or he's going to end it himself," Lavi said again.

"That's probably because he somehow found out about Ginny's boyfriend, Michael," Allen answered coolly again, fiddling with a bright peacock feather quill. "I mean, that's the reason Ginny made me swear to keep it a secret. She knew Ron would harp on about it."

"How do you know all this, Allen?" Lenalee asked.

"Because I've ran into Ginny several times and she and I walk around the lake talking a lot," Allen said. "Lavi, do you have six Sickles? I think I could make some use of this quill..."

"Ooh, me too," Lenalee said excitedly, picking up a long, snow white feather quill. "Lavi, could you give me your pouch? Allen, here, I'll go buy this for you too."

"Thanks, Lenalee."

Komui watched from a distance as his sister took a golden quill from Allen and disappeared behind a shelf to pay for their purchases. Komui had already bought himself and the scientists back home a reasonable number of quills and ink bottles each, and although they hadn't all been the most cheapest items, Komui's 'allowance' was still plentiful and weighed down his pocket. Dumbledore sure spoiled him today...

"Where do you want to go next, Yu?" Lavi asked Kanda as Lenalee returned with a small, thin package.

"I don't care," Kanda answered grimly. Walking out of the store swiftly, the others followed.

"I'm thirsty," Allen said, looking through his bag of Honeydukes sweets. "What's this? Blood flavored licorice? I don't remember bying this...well, Krory, here, try this..."

Komui took a deep breath and clapped his hands. "Let's go to the Three Broomsticks, it's a bar Dumbledore told me about," he said cheerfully. "My treat."

"Really?" Lavi exclaimed happily, then nearly bounded down the street, cheering. Laughing at the Bookman's enthusiasm, Lenalee and Allen trotted after him. Krory and Miranda, chuckling, followed them as well, Kanda walking sullenly behind them, and Komui suddenly found himself staring at the group before him, and the past sucked him in once again.

A little girl, giggling happily as she skipped down a stone road, waving cheerfully at clucking hens and passing farmers, at old men playing mah-jongg, at young girls pouring tea, at mothers who were nursing their babies. The girl's long black pigtails swung inthe air behind her, and her adorable clothes shone in the sunlight. It was as if Komui was looking in through a window in the sky, watching his sister, carefree and with no idea of the fate that awaited her, run through the streets of their hometown in China, and as a young man chased after her, laughing as well. In the distance was a store, and the two children's parents were waiting there, waving, smiling...

And then, darkness, an explosion, as an army of black metal monsters shot their poisonous cannons at the store. The parents were gone in a cloud of dust, and the girl froze in shock as the Akuma aimed their attack at her. The young man grabbed her, trying to escape, as citizens panicked and ran for cover. Then a man wearing a black western coat. He destroyed the monsters, made quick work of them, then a shining green light, the man exclaiming something, grabbing the girl...

CRASH!

"Komui, are you alright?"

"Oh my Gods, Komui, I think the office's gotten to you..!"

"You've been spacing out a lot today. Here, we'll help you in and find you a place to rest...-"

"Komui, are you alright?"

Komui's head was throbbing as Krory and Allen pulled him up to his feet. Miranda looked ready to faint as she stared at the pole he'd walked into while Kanda and Lavi had looks of shock and exasperation on their faces. Still dazed, Komui allowed his comrades to help him into the cheeful atmosphere of the Three Broomstick, and they all sat around a table in the corner. An attractive woman came up to them to take their orders, and Komui heard Lavi ordering something that had to do with toast and beers.

"Sorry guys," Komui said the moment Madam Rosmerta was out of earshot.

"No fret," Lavi said, "but what's with you today? You're just off in your own world half the time."

"I think you're overworked," Lenalee said with a touch of anger in her voice. "Komui, you're going to get sick if you don't be careful."

"I think you should see Madam Pomfrey," Allen suggested. "She'll know if there's anything wrong, and she'll probably help you rest if you're just tired."

"I shall ask Professor Sprout if she could maybe think of any good herbs for you," Krory added.

"M-mhm..." Miranda nodded, apparently having nothing to suddest. Kanda tsked and leaned back in his chair, keeping his eyes on Komui.

"It'll be troublesome if you fall out of your seat," he muttered when everyone sent him a questioning look, and glared at everything in the vicinity when everyone but Allen smiled at him happily. "Keh," he said.

"It's so peacful right now, isn't it?" Lenalee asked, giggling.

"Yes, it is," Allen agreed. "Oh, thank you," he said when Madam Rosmerta came back with seven bottles of butterbeer. He passed one to Komui, and then to the others.

"Cheers," Lavi hummed. "And I agree with Lenalee on that one. I'm already forgetting the life we used to lead up until now. Back home you'd know if you were having a dream that there are no signs of Akuma for half a month, but this time, that's what's happened and it's not a dream!"

"And sitting here," Miranda said softly, her face turning bright red, "it kind of feels like we're all part of a small family on a day out. That's what it was like today while we were all shopping. It's nice...I want the world to be like this after the war is over."

Family, Komui thought, that's what we are all risking our lives for, isn't it- a peaceful time for all the familied out in the world.

"How about we have a toast?" Lavi asked suddenly, holding up his bottle. "To us! And our future victory."

"Cheers," Allen and Lenalee said, winking at the others. Krory raised his bottle as well, most likely out of curiosity than anything, and Miranda nearly slopped her butterbeer all over when her hands shook. Kanda, after a long moment of expectant stares sent his way, grudgingly raised his bottle an inch and set it down immediately.

Yep, times like this, Komui nodded inwardly. We're all working for this to be something we'll be able to take for granted...