Hello! Kuro here. Sry that it's been over a week, but we got state tests over the next two weeks so updating might be a bit slow until the end of May. If you can bare with me until then I'll put up two chpts when they're over with. And for similar reasons, Kaze is busy and can't do the A/N now. Hopefully she'll be back for chpt 9. Thanks to all who have reviewed and for those who have not plez do.
Truth Lies in the Shadows
Chapter 8
The girl with the purple eyes stood from her seat at the Slytherin table. Moving a strand of her matching purple hair from her face, she watched the new kids leave the Great Hall. She knew there was something strange about them the moment they walked in the room.
"Kiku! Hurry up or we'll leave you behind." Malfoy called from the doors. He, Crabbe, and Goyle were waiting impatiently for the girl.
Kiku ignored the Slytherin boy, but left the Great Hall alongside him. Throughout the walk to the dormitories, Kiku paid little attention to the few people who said anything to her. Once in the common room, she dismissed herself from everyone and went to her room. She wasn't that tired so instead of sleeping, she began forming a plan to get to know the new kids better.
Feeling something on her nose, Kaze reluctantly opened her eyes and saw Fireball staring at her. He was hitting the wind demon on the nose with one of his white paws. Kaze picked the kitten up off her chest and sat up.
"Thank you, Mustang-taisa." she said to the cat after glancing at the clock. It was a quarter till seven. She probably could have slept for another fifteen minutes or so, but she was going to need that extra time to wake up a certain shadow demon.
Kaze got out of her bed and went over to Reina's. She glanced to Hermione who was still sleeping. Then she pulled back the curtains around the half-demon's bed. "Reina," she whispered. "It's time to get up." The girl didn't move. Kaze tried again, this time a bit louder. Reina stirred, but remained sleeping. Deciding to try once more in a few minutes, Kaze went back to her things to retrieve her uniform. She left the dormitory to change.
When she returned, Hermione was up and Reina was still playing the part of a corpse behind the bed curtains. The girls said good morning to each other before Hermione departed to change.
"Okay, Reina, I was nice before. But now you really need to get up." Kaze said aloud.
The wind demon put Fireball in Reina's bed. He woke her up so maybe he could wake up the half-demon. The little feline pawed at Reina's face as he had done to his owner. Reina moaned and rolled over causing Fireball to fall onto the mattress. She waved her hand in front of her face, mumbled something inaudible, and went back to sleep.
"That's it!" Kaze cried in frustration. She leaned over so she was close to her friend's ear. She took a breath and, "Get your ass out of bed, you lazy half-breed!"
Reina's eyes popped open and she nearly jumped out of bed. Her head came up and back, making a loud noise when it hit the wooden headboard.
"Dammit!" she cursed loudly, massaging the back of her throbbing skull. "What the hell did you do that for?"
"You wouldn't wake up. I had no choice." Kaze said innocently. She picked the kitten up and put him on her bed.
"You could have found a less painful way to do it." Reina retaliated. "But you just don't give a rat's ass, do you?"
"Of course not. Now, hurry up and cast the spell before Hermione gets back."
Reina grudgingly threw off the covers. She removed her wand from the robe lying across a chair. "Dissimulo vultus." Her appearance changed to that of a human. A second later the door opened and Hermione walked in.
"Are you two okay? I could hear you yelling from the common room." she said
"Yeah, we're fine." replied Kaze.
"Speak for yourself." muttered Reina who glared over at Kaze.
Hermione looked between her roommates. 'I finally get someone to share the room with and they happen to be insane.' she thought. "All right then. Do you want me to wait for you?"
"No thanks. We know the way. We'll meet you in the Great Hall." Reina said while collecting her uniform.
"Okay. I'll see you soon."
Hermione left the room again. Reina was changed and ready within minutes. She and Kaze then headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. They met up with the trio at the Gryffindor table.
"Good morning." the boys greeted, or at least that's what the sounds coming from Ron's full mouth resembled.
Kaze scooped some eggs ad toast onto her plate followed by milk in her cup. The half-demon propped her head up on her hand. She started to close her eyes, but was jolted awake by Kaze slamming her fist on the table. After a quiet exchange of quick insults, Reina rubbed her eyes so she wouldn't fall asleep again.
"Aren't you going to eat?" asked Harry.
"I don't eat breakfast." Reina replied. She knocked twice on the table with her fist. At first nothing happened, but then a mug appeared on the wood in front of her. "This is all I have in the mornings." She picked up the cup and took a sip. "The house elves make excellent tea."
At Reina's last comment, Hermione's face turned sour. She put her fork down and looked at the half-demon accusingly. "You force the house elves to make you tea every morning?" she asked angrily.
"What?" Reina put her cup down. "No, I don't force them to do anything." she replied kindly. She understood why Hermione was upset and didn't blame her for what she said. After hearing some of the stories of cruelty from the elves, Reina would never think of harming them. "They do it out of gratitude for when I would help them with their duties over the summer."
"Over the summer?" Harry eyed the two girls curiously. He started to ask why they had been at the school during vacation, but was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Good morning."
"Good morning, Professor." Harry and some of the others greeted.
McGonagall stood behind the boys, wand and schedules in hand. She began looking over Hermione's O.W.L. scores, which were of course good. The young witch was cleared to continue with all of her chosen classes. Once Hermione had departed for class, McGonagall moved on to Neville then Harry and Ron. The later two waited at the doors for their new classmates.
"I see you've become acquainted with Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger." McGonagall said to the two remaining students.
"They seem nice." said Reina. "It's good to know that I'm not related to a pompous jerk."
"Yes. Let's see." McGonagall scanned the pieces of parchment containing Reina's and Kaze's O.W.L. scores. Both girls had done surprisingly well for just learning it all in a couple of months. They had received either an 'Exceeds Expectations' or an 'Outstanding' in all of their subjects. "Miss Krone," she stated. "You are clear to continue with Ancient Runes, Charms, Care of Magical Creatures, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Potions, and Astronomy." She tapped a blank schedule with her wand and handed it to Reina.
"Thank you, Professor." The half-demon took the schedule and briefly looked it over. She waited for Kaze to be cleared of Arithmancy, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies. They then rejoined the boys outside the Great Hall.
Snatching the schedule from Kaze's hand, Ron read the paper and compared it to his own. He concluded that she was in three of his and Harry's classes, and that she was completely mental for taking Arithmancy. Harry politely asked to see Reina's schedule which she freely turned over.
"I think we've got another Hermione on our hands." Ron said as Kaze grabbed the paper from him. The wind demon was highly tempted to kick the boy, but restrained herself since there were teachers around.
"Maybe two more." Harry corrected after reading over the schedule and giving it back to Reina.
"I've got to be going. I'll see you guys next period." Reina said. She threw her bag over her shoulder and headed off to Ancient Runes.
Harry, Ron, and Kaze went back up to the common room, all three of them having a free period at this time. They entered the room, which was vacant besides a few seven-year girls. One of them came up to Harry and said something about the badge Harry was wearing. They discussed tryouts of some sort before the girl left the common room.
"She's right. You shouldn't just pick your friends for the team." Ron said in a low voice.
"Ron, you're good. You'll make the team because of skill, not because you are friends with the captain."
Having no idea what they were talking bout, Kaze stood off to the side in silence. She looked around the room then decided to sit down. The boys followed suit. "So, what team is this?" she asked, flipping through a copy of the Daily Prophet that had been discarded on the table.
"The Gryffindor Quidditch team. I made captain this year so I'm in charge of putting a team together." answered Harry.
"Oh, cool. Another question," the girl stated, still looking through the paper. "What's Quidditch?"
She waited for an answer, but there was only silence. She put the Daily Prophet down so she could see why they weren't answering. The boys were staring at her like she'd just grown a second head.
"You don't know what Quidditch is?" said Ron with a confused look on his face. Kaze shook her head. "Blimey! How can you not know what it is? Didn't they play it at your other school?"
"Other school?" Now Kaze was confused. Then she remembered what Dumbledore had said the night before. "No, the school isn't too open about things outside of an education." She lied hoping it would work. It did the trick. And she soon regretted ever asking what Quidditch was.
Reina walked into the classroom and was greeted by the Professor. She looked around and spotted Hermione who waved her over. Sitting down, she took out her textbook 'Ancient Runes Made Easy' and placed her bag under the seat.
"So, is this class interesting?" she asked.
"I think so." replied Hermione.
Throughout the class period, Reina developed the same conclusion. The professor was nice and the work wasn't overwhelmingly difficult. Although Reina's mother and father made the material easier. Darikk had taught his daughter about other languages and civilizations on their travels. The half-demon had also peeped at her mother's old school things as a child. It appeared that Marina was able to help her child even in death.
Towards the end of class, the students were instructed to read a chapter in their textbooks. Reina finished relatively quickly and looked over to Hermione. She was already done, now reading ahead to the next chapter. Seeing this, the half-demon could understand Ron's comment at breakfast. She took out a blank piece of parchment, wrote out a short message, and slid it over to the girl next to her.
Hermione turned her eyes from the book to the note. She looked up after reading it and smiled. Reina smiled as well then read the reply she got back. After a quick glance at the teacher, she scribbled down another question and passed the parchment. This time Hermione gave the other girl a quizzical look. Before she could write out her reply, the professor announced the end of the period. Hermione folded up the note and placed it in her bag along with her book. The two girls left for their next class, Defense Against the Dark Arts.
There was no chance for them to speak in the halls, nor did they get the opportunity when arriving at the classroom. Not long after reaching their destination, the girls spotted Harry, Ron, and Kaze coming towards them. Hermione rushed forward to meet her friends.
"You believe the amount of work we received in Ancient Runes." Stated Hermione. While she and the boys talked for a moment, Kaze walked past them.
"How was your first class of the first day?" the wind demon asked leaning against the wall.
"Good. What of your break?" Reina said facing the wall next to Kaze.
The shorter girl sighed. "Very…informative." She turned her head to look at the trio. "A word of advice, don't ask Harry or Ron what Quidditch is."
Riena would have questioned the other demon had it not been for the opening of the classroom door. A tall man walked out into the hall, his eyes quickly taking in the sight of the students. His greasy black hair fell around his face as he jerked his head. He ordered everyone into the classroom with on word. Quickly and quietly they filed into the room and took their seats.
The mood of the room was dark, and not in the sense that the shadow demon would enjoy. Little light enveloped the space; disturbing pictures adorned the walls. Just from he décor, the two demons could tell there was something unusual about this man. Snape shut the door and walked to the front of the room.
"I have not asked you to take out your books." Snape sneered. Hermione immediately dropped her textbook back into her bag. "I wish to speak to you, and I want your fullest attention. But first," Snape slowly walked down the aisle between the desks, observant black eyes focused on the two students in the back row. "We have a couple of new students. Stand."
Everyone turned around in their seats to watch Snape attempt to embarrass his fresh new prey. Kaze glanced over to her friend to see her reaction to the demand. The half-demon was locked in a stare with the man before her. Out of the corner of her eye, Reina could see Hermione making hand gestures for her to stand up. Next to her, Ron watched intently while Harry looked a bit pissed. Deciding it would be safer not to disobey, Reina stood up along with Kaze.
"I assume you know the rules which means you will do good to follow them." Snape said quite sternly. There was a short silence before he addressed the girls again. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir. You've made it quite clear that you won't tolerate our rebellious teenage problems." Reina said with a slight tinge of sarcasm.
There was a round of laughter through the room. Snape silenced the class with a deadly glare, and then turned on Reina. "Another comment like that and you'll receive detention, Miss Krone." he hissed. "Sit down." The girls sat back in their seats. Snape turned on heel and returned to the front.
Kaze stared disbelieving at the half-demon. She tapped Reina's arm with the back of her hand. "And you tell me to watch my mouth." she whispered. Reina couldn't help but smile, especially when she saw the thumbs up Harry was giving her. Looking to the front, she caught sight of the girl from last night. When she looked back, Reina averted her gaze. It was then that Snape began talking again.
As the teacher went on, Reina's original bad feeling about him only worsened. Snape spoke of the dark arts as something he praised. And in the half-demon's perspective that wasn't a good sign. Eventually Snape had them to divide up and work on nonverbal spells.
Hermione seemed to be the first to successfully deflect one of Neville's hexes without saying a word. Both Reina and Kaze watched as Snape disregarded the girl's success. However he did pay notice to the purple haired girl's correct deflection of a hex thrown at her by her partner, Malfoy.
"Nicely done, Miss Sukue. Twenty points to Slytherin." Snape announced.
Some grumbling and some silent, the other students continued practicing. After deflecting a jinx from Kaze in silence, Reina watched her least-favorite-teacher-as-of-now pester Ron for not doing it right. Kaze had also stopped to become a spectator since she couldn't keep Reina from examining her cousin's work.
"Protego!"
Harry's strong Shield Charm knocked Snape back. The boy had reacted on instinct when Snape pulled his wand on him. The whole class was now aware of what was going on, and watched in silence.
"Do you remember me telling you we are practicing nonverbal spells, Potter?" scowled Snape.
"Yes." replied Harry.
"Yes, sir."
"There's no need to call me 'sir', Professor."
A dose of Snape's fury and a detention later, Harry was being congratulated by Ron and their new acquaintances.
"You two have got some guts." said Ron to Harry and Reina.
"I'm surprised you got away with that, Reina. I thought for sure Snape would take points or give you a detention after what you said." Hermione said.
"I couldn't help it. That guy's a jackass." the half-demon said in response.
"Agreed."
"Harry!"
The group stopped to find who had called the Boy-Who-Lived. A boy ran over to them and handed Harry an envelope. They then continued on their way to the common room. Once there, the trio began discussing the letter Harry received from Dumbledore. Reina and Kaze went upstairs to start their homework. Reina didn't want loads for that night since she had Astronomy at midnight. Kaze wasn't too serious about her work during the break. She figured her work from her remaining classes that day would be easy. And she was most likely right. She was relatively good in Arithmancy and Muggle Studies would be a breeze since they lived like muggles. Either way, the day was not over with quite yet.
One more thing before I leave you. I promise to send a sneak-peek ofwhatever chpt the winner wishesto whoever can figure out what television show and the character that Kaze's cat is named for. Put your answer in a review and enjoy!