AN: So you lucky bastards get yet another chapter…don't get too used to these quick updates…Happy reading…Cya

Chapter 6

Ichigo was jerked awake when someone shook his shoulder. He sat forward so fast the person who had been trying to wake him up landed on her butt. It took Ichigo three seconds to take in what happened before he was on his feet apologizing and helping the girl to her feet. He recognized her as the one from the train that always hung around Harry. He tried to search his brain for her name.

"It's Hermione right?" he asked tentatively after she had straightened her robes. "I'm sorry again."

She looked up and smiled reassuringly. "I said it's okay. I just saw you sleeping there and I figured you needed someone to wake you up, you know breakfast starts soon. You were muttering something, I think you were caught up in a dream, that's why it took so long to wake you." She smiled as she headed over to one of the tables and piled books together.

"I was muttering?" He scowled as he tried to think back on what he had been dreaming about.

She smirked over her shoulder and reassured him. "Yeah, but it's not like I could understand what you were saying…I think I only know about five words in Japanese. I have this feeling you weren't asking where the bathroom was or how much the book cost."

He smirked as he ran his hand over his face. "You're probably right." He stretched and looked at his watch. "Damn…I gotta go take a shower before it gets crowded." Hermione's laughter followed him up the stairs.

It took him three steps up the stairs before he remembered why he had fallen asleep in the chair the night before. He tentatively reached out to his hollow as he climbed the rest of the stairs. He recoiled slightly when he felt his hollow pouting. That was just too weird.

'Alright, Hichi, What is the issue with you?' Ichigo had finally decided to call his hollow that after he got tired of people calling him 'Hollow Ichigo' or something similar. Not that many people even knew the hollow existed; only high-ranking Shinigami knew, and even fewer were really okay with the fact. The thing needed a name, so he gave him one.

'You are my issue King.' Ichigo could practically see him with his arms crossed over his chest and glaring.

'You want to be a bit more specific?' Ichigo made it to the bathroom and he thanked all that was holy that there was only one other boy there. He quickly shed his clothing and stood under the warm spray.

'You almost let that…thing…inside your head! He attacked you and yet he's still breathing. You don't think that's a problem?' The words dripped with acid and made Ichigo lean his forehead against the cool tile to let the words process.

'So he was trying to get inside my head?' he finally asked.

He could feel Hichi's exasperation flood over and he groaned as he hit his head against the wall. 'As to the other point, we can't kill him you idiot.'

'Yes we can, it would be rather simple.'

Ichigo rolled his eyes as he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. 'No we can't.' He reinforced.

He slipped into his dormitory and barely acknowledged the rest of his roommates getting ready for the day. Hichi kept talking as he pulled clothes on.

'…and then we could…'

Ichigo banged the side of his head with the heel of his hand and growled. 'Just shut up! We aren't killing him that's final. Get used to it.' He got a few weird looks for his actions, but the deadly scowl on his face prevented any questions.

'Fine. But you better keep him out of your head, because if he goes rummaging through there, he's going to find me. I have a feeling he wouldn't hesitate in deciding we were dangerous and to try and kill us. Not that he would succeed, but those wizards are strange beings.'

Ichigo stopped dead in his tracks, which only further confused Ron and Harry as they had been behind him on the stairs.

"Uh, Ichigo?" Harry asked hesitantly.

Ichigo snapped out of his inward conversation and continued down the stairs with a muttered, "Sorry."

'There's nothing to worry about.' Ichigo added confidently as he sat down to breakfast.

'You're probably right. I'm just all worked up. You haven't let me out in awhile.' There was a return of the slightly playful and manic tilt to his voice.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, which caught the attention of Toshiro. 'I'll see what I can do.' He said sarcastically.

"Everything okay?" Toshiro asked nonchalantly as he took a sip of his tea.

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, he ain't happy, but he'll deal with it." He took a bite of his eggs and added. "He's pissed because Snape tried to get inside my head, and I didn't kill him for it."

Toshiro looked shocked for a millisecond before he composed his face again. " So, he was trying to get inside your head? That's…deplorable." He looked up at the head table. "Just stay away from him and ignore him in class." He advised.

Ichigo nodded but was distracted when someone behind him started speaking in what he assumed was fake Japanese. He rolled his eyes at the mocking tones and obnoxious laughter but Harry and Ron obviously thought it warranted action.

"Just shut up, Malfoy." Harry was now glaring at the group that was behind Ichigo.

A sneering voice echoed over Ichigo's head. "What, you going to make me, Potter?"

Harry began to say something back, but Toshiro cut him off when he turned in his seat and studied the blonde making all the fuss. Ichigo's eyes darted from Toshiro to the blonde and back.

Malfoy sneered and looked down his nose at Toshiro. "What do you want, midget? And what's with that hair?"

Ichigo waited for the explosion, waited for the hall to drop to below zero, but it didn't happen. Instead Toshiro merely stared at the blonde as if he was trying to figure something out.

Finally he spoke. "Malfoy... Are you related to a Lucius Malfoy?"

A smug little smile flit across Malfoy's face. "You know of my father?"

Toshiro nodded but before he could speak, Snape walked between the tables on the way to the head table. "What is going on here?" His voice caused everyone at the table that had been listening intently to return to their food. "Well?"

Malfoy smirked. "Nothing, sir. We were just chatting." He turned and left with his entourage.

Snape surveyed the Gryffindor table, probably trying to see if he could find anything to deduct points. After he couldn't find anything, he threw one last look in Ichigo's direction and swept to the head table.

Ichigo shook his head a bit to focus and turned to Toshiro. "So, I guess he's an important player as well?"

"Yes. His father is an enemy."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Another minion? What is with crazy evil guys that want to rule the world, and minions?"

Toshiro just looked at him apathetically. Ichigo went back to eating, trying to ignore the annoying voice in his head.

When breakfast was nearly over, Toshiro caught a glimpse of Snape leaving. He rose to his feet and quickly followed the dark man out into the hallway. When he was within hearing distance he called, "Professor, may I have a word?"

Snape stopped and watched impassively as Toshiro caught up with him. When he came level he started off again. They walked in silence for a few moments.

Toshiro broke it. "I am fully aware that you don't want to hear what I am about to say. I also know that you probably think it is ludicrous that I could offer any kind of advice." He said all of this in a neutral tone and never breaking stride. "But I am going to offer it anyway." He saw Snape's shoulder's stiffen out of the corner of his eye, but he continued.

"Don't antagonize Ichigo. He's been through things you can't even imagine." They came to a stop in front of the classroom. Students would be arriving shortly.

"You have no idea what I can imagine." Snape said icily.

Toshiro rubbed a hand across his face. "This isn't a competition. I am simply giving you a friendly warning. Leave him alone. I really don't want to deal with more problems than is necessary." Before Snape could comment further students started to swarm the hallways.

Snape swept through the classroom door a step in front of Toshiro. The class came in quietly and took their seats.

Ichigo shot Toshiro a questioning look, but he wasn't getting anything from the white haired captain. He didn't even look in the Professor's direction. He was taking Toshiro's advice, just going to ignore him.

Snape told them to get into pairs and to practice the spells they learned the day before. He then strode between the pairs and critiqued them. He seemed to completely ignore Toshiro and Ichigo, but took out his frustration on Harry and Ron.

After the third time he berated Harry on every aspect of his spell casting, Ichigo turned to them. "Ron, why don't you practice with Toshiro?" Ron looked confused but they quickly switched partners.

Harry looked confused but didn't say anything as they continued to practice. Just as Ichigo predicted, on Snape's next circuit he saw who Harry was partnered with and after a hard glare, steered clear of the two.

After the class, Ichigo walked beside Harry on their way to the next one. Ron was on the other side of Harry but was strangely quiet. A student came rushing towards them.

"Harry Potter? Harry, Dumbledore asked me to give you this." She handed him a purple scroll. She then turned to Toshiro. "You're Toshiro Hitsigaya, correct?" when he nodded she also handed him a purple scroll.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "What I don't get one?" he asked sarcastically. Toshiro merely rolled his eyes and handed him the open scroll.

"Your name's on it too, idiot."

Ichigo quickly scanned the contents and realized it was asking for their presence in the Headmaster's office after dinner. He looked over at Harry.

Harry shrugged. "Got a meeting with him after my last class." He crumpled the little piece of paper in his hand as they entered their next class.

Ichigo could tell the wheels were turning in Toshiro's mind by the look on his face, but didn't get a chance before the Professor called the class to order.

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