Sorry this is a little bit late, but hey what's two days overdue. Anyways, my dad finally got me a flashdrive, so these may possibly come out sooner than you think. Wouldn't that be great!
Disclamier: Sigh . . . don't own . . .
Warning: slash, yaoi, boy/boy, Mpreg and such. Don't like don't read. Real simple. Also, Draco/Harry and all other canons.
Chapter 6: Surprises around Every Corner
The sun was shining brightly in the sky and I was sitting comfortably on a blanket spread out on the green, green grass. I was shaded by a large oak tree and there was a slight breeze which carried the sound of children's laughter.
I was smiling and I was happy.
Everything was absolutely perfect.
So much so that when I turned around I saw him.
"Harry."
He called my name with such love that a shiver sprinted down my spine. I moved closer to him and he wrapped one of his arms around my waist.
"This is nice."
He hummed in agreement, dropping his head so that he could nuzzle my neck. I was pretty sure there was a shit-eating grin on my face, but I wasn't the least bit embarrassed. Not even when he pressed a chaste kiss under my ear.
"Daddy! Daddy!"
I turned around at the sound, glimpsing white-blonde hair and emerald eyes just as —
Harry awoke with a start and sat up immediately. He looked around in confusion before a frown took over his face.
Harry honestly couldn't remember the last time he had had a good dream, but there it was; the first one in what had to have been at least seven years. And it was so . . . strange. He could only remember bits and pieces of it.
White blonde hair, vibrant green eyes, a hand around his waist, a soft voice, children's laughter . . . and . . . and . . . nothing . . .
With a groan Harry threw himself back onto the futon that was his bed.
For a moment he simply stared up at the blurry brown and off-white blob that was the ceiling before he realized that – good dream or not – he would not be getting any more sleep.
With a resigned sigh, Harry got out of bed and went about the motions of getting ready for the day. Then he headed up to the roof, where he planned to sit until everyone else was awake.
It was on a windy day that Draco Apparated to the tallest hill outside of a town called St. Catchpole – where the houses looked like a collection of toy houses on a children's play set. But Draco wasn't interested in the town – he could care less about any Muggles or anything that was associated with them.
No, what he was interested in was a house, and a house he would find.
It was only after searching almost every hill top around the area that Draco found what he was looking for. The 'house' was shaped like a giant black rook with a luminous moon hanging behind it in the midmorning sky. There was a sign hanging from it that creaked ominously on its rusty chains. It read: The Quibbler Editor: L. Lovegood
Draco would have rolled his eyes, but he didn't have the time or the patience to even think about what that odd girl was doing writing a paper that was basically obsolete.
Straightening his robes and fixing his hair as best as he could with the strong wind, Draco strolled purposely past the creaking gate and up the zigzagging path that lead to the house.
There were a number of odd plants planted along the way, and Draco could recognize one as something the Looney ex-Ravenclaw had worn as earrings. Turning his nose up at it – just like his mother had taught him – Draco rapped smartly on the front door and then waited for it to open. He only had to wait a few seconds and then he was staring into the misty blue eyes of one Luna Lovegood.
"Ah . . . Draco Malfoy," the young woman greeted him in her dreamy voice. Her eyes focused in for a moment before drifting back into a look of fog, like the girl wasn't completely present inside of her own body. "I was wondering when you'd come calling."
"Oh, so you were expecting me," Draco demanded and his voice was full of accusations.
Luna let out a small "Hum," before she stood to the side and motioned for Draco to enter her clustered home.
"Please, come in, Mr. Malfoy."
Harry needed a distraction, and a very good one at that.
His dream from two days ago kept creeping up on him, filling him with dreams and a longing for something he knew was impossible for him to have. He felt sick and his head was spinning, pounding painfully.
It had been so unexpected, so out of the blue, it was making him nauseous.
Harry pivoted forward and clutched at the tree before him as everything wavered before his eyes. He had been walking through these woods aimlessly since he had woken up from another one of those tantalizing dreams. He had come out here and now he was sure he was lost, but that thought hadn't really crossed his mind yet.
It was raining, had been raining for a while.
Maybe that's what had triggered the dream that had reappeared last night. But that was stupid. It hadn't been raining in the dream and besides, Harry already knew what triggered the dream; he just didn't want to think about it, about him. Wasn't it painful enough that he had to hide like this?
There was a rustling in the bushes to Harry's right. His head jerked up and his arm twitched, but all he saw was a deer darting for cover away from the rain.
Harry sighed and turned so that he could lean his back against the tree he had been using as support. He closed his eyes for a moment, but then the dream seemed to dart across his closed eyelids, so he opened them again. He tried clearing his mind by staring blankly out at the forest surrounding him, but then he would start to hear children's laughter.
Growling lowly under his breath, Harry pushed himself off of the tree and spun on his heel, and then he promptly Disapparated on the spot.
When Tohru woke up, it was to see the rain falling steadily outside her window.
She stared out at it for a moment, taking in the peace of a quiet house, before she slowly got up and went through her morning routine. As she did so, she glanced over at the grinning picture of her mother and knew that today was the day.
She could feel it.
Something was going to change today, and the only scary thing about it, was that she didn't know if that change would be good or bad.
Taking a deep, cleansing breath, Tohru prompted herself to gather her courage and then she headed downstairs to start breakfast. She hummed as she worked, trying to fill herself with happy, calming thoughts before she had to do it.
Kyo came down as she was setting the table. Tohru breathed in quietly through her nose and sat down at the table with him. Breakfast was quiet that morning, Kyo was subdue because of the rain, Shigure was out, and Yuki was sleeping in because of the holiday. Tohru had no idea where Harry had gone, but she was confident that he would be fine.
"Thanks for the meal."
Tohru's heart jumped a little at Kyo's sudden voice. She looked up and saw that he had already gotten up.
"Ah . . . yes."
"I'm going out for a little while," he told her as he walked away from the table. Tohru watched him go for a moment, just muttering a soft, "Ok," before she remembered what she had to do. Kyo was already in the foyer when she finally got up from the table.
"Kyo-kun . . ." she called out to him. Kyo paused, one hand on the half-opened door and the other hand holding an umbrella.
"Ah . . . if you would, please listen to me," Tohru asked. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest and she could feel the blood heating her face. "I would like to talk, please."
Tohru saw Kyo hesitate on the threshold for a moment and she was afraid that he would leave without hearing her out. And then he turned around and his expression had Tohru's heart stopping.
It was an odd mixture of anger and irritation and sadness and just a pinch of longing that she was sure he didn't want her to see. But she couldn't make much sense of the emotions she was seeing anyway.
"Kyo?"
"I-I've been wanting to talk to you about something," Kyo suddenly said, and to Tohru he sounded deadened. "If I'm wrong, feel free to laugh at me as much as you like. . . . If you think I'm an idiot. You . . ." Kyo paused, hesitated and then blurted it all out.
"Do you love me?"
Tohru froze, too shocked to say anything.
For a moment there was a little panic inside of her. How could he possibly know? Was it that obvious? Had he known all along? What now? These questioned ran through her mind over and over again in a dizzying pattern that was sure to give anyone a headache. But Kyo was waiting for an answer and Tohru didn't know what to give him, and so she did the only thing that she could do. She blushed furiously.
Kyo's eyes widened and the bad feeling Tohru had been trying to ignore since she had woken up, suddenly increased.
Kyo looked away.
"Are you stupid," He asked almost angrily and although his voice was low and soft, Tohru felt as if her heart had just dropped into her stomach. "I didn't think that you were this stupid. Why?"
Tohru had no answer. Love didn't work that way. There was no reason why, it just was, but Kyo obviously knew that, because he went on.
"Your . . . mother, don't you love her? Or . . . is that a lie? Did it 'never exist'?" Kyo paused, gave her an opportunity to explain, but she didn't.
He turned around.
"I have to go," he muttered and then he was out the door, walking out into the rain.
Tohru didn't think about it, she just simply acted. She followed him out into the yard.
"Kyo-kun."
It is painful, was all Tohru could think, but she still called out to him. She just had to know, had to find out, was this all worth it?
"If you would, please listen to me. . . . I . . ."
"You don't know anything," Kyo suddenly shouted. Tohru could see fear in his eyes now, could see the ghost of the monster inside of him. "You don't know what I've done."
Tohru's eyes widened as did Kyo's. He looked so scared, but there was also something else, hidden deep inside of there. Kyo turned his head away before Tohru could figure out what it was, and then he was talking again.
"She shouldn't have died. . . . In truth . . . your mother . . . your mother, I knew her. That day . . . The accident on that day, I was right there. . . . I immediately recognized her. . . . I wondered if I should speak to her. Then I saw a car coming at a fast speed in your mother's direction. I realized it was dangerous. I only had to take her arm and hold her tight to save her . . . but I'm not 'human'. If I held her, I would have turned into the cat, and everyone would have known that I was not 'human'. I let her die."
Tohru didn't know what to do, couldn't do anything. Kyo looked so . . . broken, pouring out his heart like this. What had it been like, to be there and know you could have helped but at a price that you couldn't pay?
"I . . . her injuries wouldn't have been so painful and severe," Kyo continued to say, the pain clear in his voice, in his body, in the eyes he cast down to the ground. "She wouldn't have been thrown. She definitely wouldn't have died. Yet . . . I felt 'I' was worth more than your mother's 'life'. I protected 'myself'. I chose 'myself' over a 'life'! What is wrong with me? . . . Why am I . . . like this? . . ."
All that pain, so clear as day.
Who could possibly hold onto that much? Tohru wondered and then she realized that Harry sometimes looked the same way. He looked as if all the pain in the world was his to carry, just like Kyo looked now. It was heart wrenching and Tohru didn't think there could possibly be anymore, but then Kyo was opening his mouth again and she knew there was more pain.
"My . . . mother . . . was killed in a similar way, but not by a car. She couldn't find a reason for giving birth to something like me." The way he said it, so matter-of-factly, made Tohru want to cry, but she was frozen in place, listening. Always listening. "Since I was so pathetic, it was painful for her. She couldn't stand being near me. She cried so much one day, then she died. It's . . . all . . . my . . . fault. . . ."
No its not, Tohru wanted to yell. She wanted to scream it for the world to hear. It wasn't his fault. Stop blaming him!
"I took it," Kyo said it in a manner of a person confessing to a crime. "I-I killed her. . . ."
The sharp intake of breath was inaudible and Tohru was glad, because she was sure that if she had made any noise, Kyo would have bolted. It had been so quiet after Kyo's confession, just the sound of the rain hitting the house and the trees and the grass.
"She said . . . 'I won't forgive you.' Your mother, lying there in blood, recognized me and said, 'I won't forgive you'."
Tohru's heart, already in turmoil, skipped a beat. There was no way her mother would ever say something like that. She was the one who taught Tohru forgiveness. But here was Kyo, telling her all of this.
"Surely . . . that's what I heard," Kyo said, lifting his hand to his face as if to cover up the memory physically. "When . . . I heard those words, I . . . I couldn't do anything. . . . My mind was in chaos. . . . I ran away . . . from that place. From there . . . Shishou took me . . . to the mountains."
Oh, that made sense now.
In her mind, Tohru heard Kyo's voice from a long time ago. "For about four months, I disappeared into the mountains for training."
"'Training,'" Kyo said, almost as if he had read Tohru's mind. "As if that was possible. Shishou tired to release me from the darkness, but I couldn't forgive myself for what I did. I finally concluded that the only way to escape was to die. But I ended up telling myself . . . It's not my fault. It's all his fault! It's all Yuki's fault! My hopes . . . that damn rat took it all! Because of Yuki . . .
"This way . . . I created a hateful 'bad guy' that I could give all my responsibilities to. I wanted to pretend . . . to forget everything that had happened to me. All I had to do . . . was hate. It was a very easy way. It was comfortable . . . like magic . . . to shift the blame. All my life, I had been doing that to make myself feel better. Am I not the worst?"
No, you're not. You are human and what you do just makes you even more human! Tohru wanted to shout these words, but they wouldn't form in her mouth. She curled her hands into tight fist as she fought to speak, but still, all she could do was listen.
"So finally . . . I became fine . . . came down from the mountain. I decided to live with my hatred. So . . . I went to find Yuki. I didn't expect to see you. Can you . . . ever forgive me? I ran away. I'm always running away. Even when I met you, I pretended not to see you. I didn't say a thing. . . . I can't forgive myself. . . . I will not forgive myself. I don't want you to forgive me."
No, no, no! This wasn't fair! Tohru screamed in her head, but those weren't the words that came from her mouth.
"'I won't forgive you.'" The words were a repeat. She wasn't saying them and she never would, not to him. Because it wasn't fair, it just wasn't. Already Tohru could feel the tears pooling in her eyes and she fought to control them as she looked Kyo straight in the eye.
"Do . . . I have to say that? Forgive you or not forgive you . . . are those my only choices?"
Her hands were shaking now, and an anger she had never known filled her body.
"M-mother . . . I don't believe my mother would say such a thing to you! I can't believe it. But . . . if . . . if she really said that, then . . . I . . . I have to be against her!" There it was, those words Tohru had been trying to spit out since Kyo had first told her about her mother. And now it was all coming up, like the gate to a dam being forced open. It was all overflowing and flooding out of her and the words came so easily.
"Because . . . it's . . . me. . . . Don't you understand? . . . I just love you!"
The tears came after the words, flowing down Tohru's face freely now that the words that had been holding her back for so long were out for all to see. Kyo looked speechless, shocked at her sudden confession and then he looked away.
". . . Your love . . . is an illusion. . . ."
Tohru felt like she had been socked in the gut.
She had finally admitted it and there it was . . . she was turned down. Kyo turned around and sprinted away. Tohru heard movement behind her and then Yuki's voice floated up to her ears.
"KYO! WAIT!"
Yuki ran past her to chase after Kyo, but stopped at the last moment and turned to look at her. Tohru vaguely wondered how much he had heard.
"Honda-san." There was an awkward pause and Yuki rested his hand on her shoulder as he called out her name again. "Honda-san . . . you should go inside and get cleaned up. You might catch a cold." With that said, he turned to go after Kyo. Tohru heard him mutter "Idiot," before he disappeared.
Tohru stood there for a long moment – it had stopped raining but she wasn't sure when that had happened – and she thought about going inside, but her body walked forward instead. She wanted to go after them, wanted to try again before she lost her nerve. The sound of rustling bushes caught her attention and she turned toward it.
Surprise flitted across her face when Akito stepped out.
Life was never fair, nothing ever went right, and something always had to happen to the few good people that populated the planet.
That's what Kagura thought when she had first received the news of Tohru and Kureno being in the hospital.
Life wasn't fair – it never was and it never would be.
Kagura waited anxiously by the front door to the main estate, shifting side to side on her feet with Kisa at her side crying softly. It was because she had been waiting there that she was the first to see Shigure arrive with Akito tucked safely under his arm. Kagura let them go by without a word, but as soon as Akito was out of earshot, she pounced on Shigure, demanding information.
"I went to the hospital, and Akito was examined, but nothing was wrong, so we came home," was all Shigure would tell her.
Nothing about Tohru and nothing about Kureno, and when Kisa asked if Harry knew, Shigure didn't have an answer for that either; but apparently no one could find Harry to tell him anything.
So no, life wasn't fair . . . not for anyone, not for them – especially not for them.
Tohru being in the hospital from falling off of a cliff effected everyone a whole lot more than one would have thought, but then again, none of them could really help it. Tohru was a figure in all of their lives – she helped them sort themselves out, helped them resist against something that had been slowly strangling them all, and they couldn't even help her now with this one thing.
Kagura never felt so useless . . . or so hopeless.
It would be great if we could all just go through life without making a single mistake.
That phrase kept repeating itself over and over again in Yuki's head. Through those long hours in the waiting room and the long walk home, over and over again.
And then it was gone and a new thought replaced it.
What the hell was Kyo doing?
And that was the thought that lead Yuki upstairs to Kyo's room. That was the thought that lead him to unleash his normally controlled anger.
The door was the first to receive some of him anger when he pulled it open so forcefully, he almost ripped it off its hinges.
"The hospital . . . why didn't you come," he demanded before he was even inside the room.
Kyo didn't bother to answer him; he just continued to look out the window where he was sitting. Yuki felt his anger boil further.
"Oh," the rat said mildly. "So you have the time to sit here and do nothing."
Still no answer.
"You are so low."
Yuki's voice had turned icy.
"Say whatever you want . . ." Kyo said in a nonchalant tone which only further infuriated Yuki. "But even if I were there, I would only hurt her. I can't protect her. I think it would be better if you were with her."
Each word out of Kyo's mouth was like gasoline to fire.
Yuki didn't know how stupid a person could get.
"Oh . . ." he said, keeping his tone mild, letting a bit of sarcasm seep through. "I see . . ."
Yuki moved, walking over so that he stood before his cousin. And then he did something he had never done before.
He threw the first punch.
Kyo crashed into the book case, the force rattling the shaky shelf and causing a few books to fall down onto the floor.
"'You can't protect'," Yuki questioned, and his control was now slipping, anger seeped into his voice, saturating his words. "What the hell is . . . 'You can't protect?' So, would you be satisfied if you could catch someone who was falling off a cliff? Or if you could somehow wonderfully save someone from being run over by a car? That would be wonderful!"
Sarcasm flowed easily over the venom pooling out of his mouth. Yuki wasn't exactly sure where all this rage was coming from, but it was damn well time for him to release it, and Kyo was the perfect target.
"Who do you think you are, some kind of superhero? You're just a stupid cat!"
And there it was.
The flash of anger that turned his eyes cat-like, and now Kyo was retaliating, fighting back with a familiar anger.
"Shut the hell up," the red-head shouted. "I'm not that sort of person! That's your job, isn't it? I'd be more like you if I could! I wanted to be you!"
And that was it.
Those words triggered something inside of Yuki that he swore was never there.
He just snapped.
His next fist hit Kyo just above his eye, but he wasn't done yet.
"Shut the fuck up," Yuki screamed, yelling louder than he ever had before. He tackled Kyo to the floor, pushing him back as he drew back his fist to punch Kyo again. "Shut the fuck up! . . . Shut the fuck up! SHUT THE FUCK UP! SHUT . . ." Kyo grabbed his hand, stopping the next attack, but the anger was still there, so Yuki let them go through his words, his grip on Kyo's collar almost strangling to startled teen.
"THAT WAS ME! I wanted to be you! I idolized you. Idolizing . . . idolizing . . . idolizing . . . and yet you say it first so easily! Shut the fuck up! SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Yuki snatched his hand back violently and stood up. Anger still coursed through his veins, so much so that his hands were shaking.
". . . But you are Kyo, and I am Yuki, and that's the way it is. I can only be myself, and I accept that. It's the only way I can face myself." And then the anger spiked again out of nowhere. Yuki had never acted so violently before, and he lashed out at Kyo's door by kicking it in half. "YOU'VE BEEN PROTECTING HER!"
When he turned around to face Kyo again, there were tears in his eyes and that only made him angrier. Kyo looked both startled and scared.
"You've been protecting her! She was happy. Content . . . true, there might have been small things, but you were a hero. You didn't have any superpowers, but you were beside her . . . smiling and laughing, right! Do you really think it would be the same if I were beside her? You should realize . . . there are some things that only you can do! So don't make her cry! Be strong!"
Yuki stopped. His breathing was heavy and he let all his anger at Kyo drain away as he tried to get his breathing under control. But Kyo was just standing there, staring at him like an idiot. Yuki glared over at him and crossed his arms.
"Why are you still doing nothing? I, the one you admire so much, am saying this to you, stupid cat."
Kyo looked away and didn't hesitate as he walked out of the room. Yuki didn't bother to watch him go, instead dropping his gaze to the floor as tears filled his eyes again.
"I really don't like that guy," he said to himself and left it at that.
"For a while, not even close friends and family were allowed to visit," Yuki was telling Haru a few days later during the free period toward the end of the school day. "It seems that all the initial check-ups and whatnot are done, so starting today, anyone is free to visit."
"Hmm, I see," was Haru's oh so intelligent reply. "Good. . . .Oh, so that's why Momiji left school early today."
"Eh? Momiji played hooky so he could visit the hospital?"
Haru shrugged.
"Probably . . ."
Yuki laughed and shook his head slowly.
"Honda-san will feel bad. . . . I mean everyone's going to visit her," Yuki said, his thoughts going to Tohru's grandfather who supposedly threw his back out a while ago. He could just image the girl fretting now.
"Yes, but . . . Kyo seems to be in a tricky situation. . . ."
Yuki looked over at where Kyo was standing, looking like he was facing a firing squad as he stood in front of Arisa and Saki. Yuki could practically feel the malevolent aura flowing from out of the two girls.
Yuki laughed darkly to himself on the inside and turned his attention back to Haru.
"I suppose," he said mildly.
"I see . . . and have you seen Potter-san as of late?"
Here Yuki sighed. "No," was his answer. "He hasn't come back to the house at all. I'm not sure where he went."
"Oh, well someone needs to find a way to tell him." Yuki looked questioningly at Haru, waiting for him elaborate on the reasoning of his words. "I have a feeling Potter-san will act a lot more violently than Uotani-san and Hanajima-san."
Yuki blinked and a thoughtful look came over his face.
"Huh, I think you may be right." And then he chuckled. "Well, I feel sorry for Kyo."
"Yup. . . ." Haru agreed with a nod. "So, are we going to visit Honda-san afterschool today?"
Momiji was still at the hospital when Yuki and Haru arrived, but they were surprised to find him talking animatedly with Akito of all people.
And then there was Akito himself.
He looked like crap, was Yuki's first thought, but then Yuki realized that it was because he had been crying. Well that was certainly a wake-up call.
"Hey guys," Momiji called to them cheerfully when he spotted them. Akito looked up and then simply froze, but Yuki chose to ignore the behavior for the time being.
"Hello Momiji, Akito."
Akito nodded back in greeting but didn't say anything.
"Are you guys here to visit Tohru," Momiji asked and when Haru nodded he jumped up. "Great, we'll all go together."
"Haven't you already seen her," Yuki asked as he watched Momiji pull Akito up off his seat and then start pushing him down the hall.
"Yup, but I wanna see her again."
Yuki shared a look with Haru before shrugging and following after them. On the way there, Yuki lectured Momiji about skipping too much school, but the blonde simply laughed him off so he gave up.
"Tohru was real happy with the gift I bought her. She looks a lot better now. She said her granddad came to visit her earlier today. I think he was the first one here," Momiji chattered on happily.
They had reached the door now and Momiji pulled it open with a flourish that was worthy of Ayame. The cheerful greeting that he had been about to shout came to an abrupt halt when he saw the strangers crowded around Tohru's bed.
There were four blonds – a man, a woman, and two little toddlers – and another toddler with dark hair. The kids were over by the window, watching the two young adults with curious expressions. Yuki saw that there was something vaguely familiar about the man.
He held himself with a practice poise Yuki would likely associate with royalty, and with the way he looked, Yuki could understand why. He had a sculpture's face, with a strong aristocratic jaw and steel-colored eyes.
The woman, who might just be another high school student, was the opposite. She stood tall and proud, but there was a sense of vagueness about her and she was humming and swaying slightly where she stood. Her eyes were a deep misty blue that had a glazed look to them. And then there were the children. The blonds had the same eye color – bright emerald – but the dark haired boy had silver eyes, and he was obviously older than the blondes – who looked like they could be twins.
All five of them turned to look when the door open, and for a moment the two groups just stared at each other. Tohru seemed to be knocked out cold on her bed – looking a little too pale against the hospital sheets.
"Who are you," Momiji was the first to ask. The man looked him over and then almost immediately dismissed him while the girl just continued to hum. It was one of the blonde toddlers that decided to break the ice.
The girl stood up from the floor, dusted off her skirt, and then practically pranced toward them with a wide smile. When she was in front of them she held out her hand formally.
"Hullo. I'm Lily," she greeted politely, a British lit in her voice. Momiji blinked before bending down to shake her hand as he replied, "I'm Momiji."
He went to let go of her hand but Lily held tight to it and then began to pull him further into the room.
"Okay, Momiji," she said, somehow managing to pronounce his name properly despite the fact that she was probably no older than two. She pulled him over to the window and then reached out and tugged the blonde boy toward her.
"This is my twin brother, Lucian." Then she let go of Lucian and waved her hand at the third boy. "And that's my older brother Teddy." Momiji smiled at each one in turn and then turned around when Lily tugged him in that direction. "And that's my father and that's Aunty Luna."
"It's nice to meet you all," Momiji said to them, but only to be polite. "Now would you care to tell me what you are doing in here?"
No one answered but before Momiji could press the matter, Lily tugged on his shirt to gain his attention. He looked down at her.
"Who are they," she asked him, not pointing like most little kids would do, but nodding her head in their direction. Yuki was surprised at the manners of the girl, she was obviously well raised – she had the likeliness of a small queen.
"Um . . . those are my cousins, Yuki, Haru, and Akito."
Lily let out a soft 'oh' and then let Momiji go and went to stand with her brothers.
"We really need to know why you're here," Yuki suddenly spoke up. The woman, Luna, hummed and nodded and then promptly sat down on the bed by Tohru's feet.
"We are looking for someone," she told them and Yuki was right, she was vague.
"Okay . . . and that person would be? . . . Maybe we can help you."
"We don't need your help, thank you very much," the man drawled out snobbishly. He arched a brow at them as if daring them to contradict him, but they weren't the one's to say anything.
"Draco, play nice," Luna scolded.
Draco – as they now knew the man to be called – leveled the girl with a look but said nothing. Luna turned away from him to look at them, her eyes trailing over each and every one of their figures before she answered their original question.
"We're looking for Harry Potter."
Now this certainly brought them up. Yuki knew they should have guessed; these people were obviously British even if their Japanese was very much perfect.
"Oh . . . um . . . we actually haven't seen him in a while but if you hang around you might catch him."
Draco, who had started gritting his teeth at the beginning of Yuki's response, cursed lowly when the teen was done.
"Damn that Potter. I swear, when I get my hands on him . . ."
"Are you friends of Harry's," Luna asked, completely ignoring Draco's mutterings as if it were something normal.
"Kind of," Haru deadpanned. The girl nodded and hummed. "Are you?"
"We went to school together, so in a sense, yes, we are friends."
Draco snorted at Luna's answer before turning to look at the children.
"Come on all of you, we are leaving."
The blondes immediately jumped up and ran to grab one of his hands, but Teddy trailed behind them looking a little downhearted. Luna stood up and drifted over to the boy and took his hand. As the group passed by them, Yuki heard Luna say, "Don't worry Teddy, you'll get to see your daddy soon enough."
And then the group was gone.
"That was weird," Haru said rather bluntly, but the others couldn't help but agree.
There was a large crowd of students milling around outside of classroom 3-D on Monday morning, and the majority of them were girls. When Arisa and Saki arrived at the class, they had thought it had something to do with Prince Yuki, but then said Prince appeared behind them, Haru and Kyo trailing behind him.
"What's going on?"
Arisa shrugged and Saki didn't bother to answer, so Yuki tapped a first-year girl on the shoulder and asked again. For a moment the girl couldn't talk, she just stared up at him dumbly.
"Miss?"
"Oh," she sort of gasped, shaking her head. "Sorry."
Yuki smiled and waited patiently for her to answer his question and she did so by pointing back at the room.
"Two new foreign exchange students just showed up this morning, we're all trying to get a good look." Yuki's brows arched in surprise and he looked over at the door to the classroom.
He had not been informed about any new students.
"Foreign exchange students," Haru asked in a monotone once the girl had drifted off, no doubt to tell her friends that she just had a conversation with Prince Yuki Sohma.
"That's stupid," Arisa snorted. "We're about to begin exams and it's the end of the second semester."
Yuki nodded in agreement before turning away.
"I'm going to go find out about this. I'll be back but . . . um . . ." he glance over at a clock and then back at the large crowd. "Try and get them to leave."
Arisa grinned and mock saluted him. Then she rubbed her hands together.
"This should be fun."
The group was gone within minutes when they saw the two girls were trying to get into the room. Arisa groaned at the hasty departure but shrugged it off soon after.
There were only a few students in the class, and they were all trying to be inconspicuous as they tried to check out the two blondes sitting in the far corner of the room. Haru let out a monotonous 'Oh,' and then promptly left for his class.
Arisa shared a look with Saki and then the two trolled casually over to the new students. Not knowing what else to do, Kyo followed them at a safe distance.
"Hey, new guys!"
The blonde girl looked up, her blue eyes slightly unfocused, but the boy sitting next to her didn't even twitch. At first glance the two looked like they could be siblings, but on closer inspection, you could tell that they weren't.
The girl was on the short side, looking small in her seat, and her hair was a dirty blonde color. She wore the school skirt really long so that it dragged on the floor even while she sat, and under her top she wore a brightly tie-dyed shirt.
The boy was tall, around the Sohmas' height, and he was slim but still had muscles. He had aristocratic features, a strong jaw, a straight nose, and a look of indifference in his grey eyes. The tie to the uniform was loosened slightly and the top button was deliberately undone. And there was a dark tattoo of a skull and snake on his left forearm.
"You guys the exchange students right," Arisa asked, sitting down in the desk beside the girl. The girl blinked slowly, tilted her head to the side, and waited ten seconds before saying, "Yes, we are."
Arisa nodded and stuck out her hand.
"Alright. I'm Uotani, Arisa and this is my friend Hanajima, Saki."
"Lovegood, Luna," the girl replied to the greeting, lifting her small hand a shaking Arisa's. Her grip was very firm despite her frail appearance. "It's nice to meet you. This is an acquaintance of mine, Malfoy, Draco."
Kyo jerked a little at the name and he was now staring at Draco with open curiosity, but he didn't say anything. Didn't have to when the homeroom teacher trailed into the room, Yuki on her heels.
The group, minus Tohru and Harry, met out by their usual tree for lunch, and it was only once they had sat down that Yuki told Saki, Arisa, and Kyo about what had happened at the hospital yesterday.
"They were just standing in her room," Arisa nearly shouted and she threw a suspicious glare over her shoulder at Draco and Luna, who were sitting on a bench across the lawn.
"Yes, but they said they were looking for Potter-san."
"Then what were they doing in Tohru's room," Saki questioned and Yuki didn't really have an answer to that, seeing as the two blondes had ignored the question yesterday.
"Well, maybe they heard about Honda-san's accident and knew that she was Potter-san's cousin," Haru suggested.
"But Potter-san said no one but he knew about that," Yuki told him and so Haru shrugged.
"Whatever, I just don't want that guy anywhere near Tohru," Kyo suddenly said.
Arisa and Saki turned to look at him coolly.
"I don't think you're in any right to say something like that," Saki spoke.
The others were in absolute agreement with her. Kyo sighed in frustration and when he spoke next, he aimed the question at Haru and Yuki.
"Don't you know who that guy is?"
"I'm pretty sure his name was Malfoy, Draco."
Kyo glared at Yuki.
"Yes," he hissed. "The Malfoy guy from the paper in Britain. The ex-Death Eater or whatever."
"The what," Arisa questioned, thinking Kyo was trying to make some kind of joke. However, the shocked look on Yuki's face made it clear that he wasn't. "What? What? What's wrong with the guy?"
"He's dangerous, that's what's wrong with him."
"Huh," Arisa asked.
Yuki looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, and then he leaned in. The others had to lean in also to hear his low voice.
"My older brother did some digging on Potter-san and he came back with a whole bunch of newspapers. Potter-san is supposedly some kind of hero in Britain. There were all these murders and stuff going on over there a few years ago and he managed to catch the man causing it. But this guy had a bunch of followers that did all his dirty work and they were called Death Eaters. Malfoy-san was said to be one of these Death Eaters."
Yuki leaned back and looked around at them. This was probably the first time he had ever seen Saki look shocked, and if the topic wasn't so serious he would have tried to take a picture to document the moment.
"Well, damn," Arisa whispered and then her expression darkened. "Well, we certainly can't let that son of a bitch anywhere near Tohru."
And again the others were in absolute agreement.
Harry decided to go site seeing – which was sure to be the perfect distraction – and the first site he went to see was Tokyo, since he was already in Japan. He only stayed there for a few hours before he Disapparated to Australia, a place he had wanted to visit since Hermione mentioned it to him.
He roamed Sydney, trailed the outback, and marveled over the amount of kangaroos he saw there. Harry spent the rest of the day there and in the morning he Apparated to Egypt, where he saw how long the Nile really was. If he hadn't been a wizard he was sure he wouldn't have survived the day in Egypt. When people said that it had extreme weather, they weren't kidding. The desert went from blisteringly hot to almost icy cold at night.
From there Harry Apparated to South America where he roamed the rainforest, all of it teeming with birds and jungle cats and monkeys. It was the first forest Harry had been in that was so full of life everywhere he turned. Harry then moved upward to Rio and then the United States. Harry actually spent two days in New York, marveling over the city that was Manhattan and its flashing lights and tall buildings. He felt like a child in a candy store.
And finally, Harry returned to Europe.
He spent a day in Germany and then another in France – he always wanted to see the place where Draco's family hailed from – before he went to the British Isles. First his visited Scotland and then he returned home to England.
That was where he was now, roaming the busy city of London.
He had forgotten to put up a glamour in his haste to distract his mind, and so people could be seen turning around and pointing at him. Even in Muggle London he could not escape from the stares.
Yes, they were more subtle, but it was still annoying.
Sighing in irritation, Harry ducked into a hailed taxi and asked it to send him to the nearest park. The sun was out and shining brightly, but it was still spring, so the air was still slightly cool. The park was teeming with flowers in bloom. Bees and butterflies flew around and there was a pleasant hum in the atmosphere – like the Earth was letting out a content sigh.
Harry roamed around aimlessly, not paying any attention to where he was heading or who was around him, so he was very much surprised when he heard someone call out to him.
"Harry?"
Harry blinked and then turned to look at where the voice had come from.
He saw a group of people, two woman and three men. Four of them were gapping at him openmouthed, but the man in the middle just looked mildly shocked. He was caring a small baby in his strong arms and his other arm was wrapped around a brunette's waist.
For a long while Harry didn't know who this person was. He gave the man a polite smile – the one he reserved for all of his many fans, and turned to leave when something struck his as familiar. Harry turned back around quizzically and stared.
"Dudley," Harry finally spluttered when he finally recognized the man.
He hadn't seen Dudley Dursely since he had left Number 4 Privet Drive two days before he turned seventeen. That was at least six years ago.
Dudley had changed a lot, which was why Harry hadn't recognized him. He had grown his hair out some so that it now brushed his ears. All that extra fat Harry remembered him having was gone now, turned it muscle from what Harry could see. He was dressed casually, stone-washed jeans, a blue T-shirt, nice trainers, but there was a soft pink baby bag hanging from his shoulder that kind of threw it all out of perspective.
"Blimey," Dudley said and a smile worked its way across his face. "I haven't seen you in ages." Dudley walked forward and the people with him followed, still gapping at Harry as if he were some kind of alien. "I would have thought you'd vanished off the face of the Earth if you hadn't have appeared in the paper ever other day."
"Ugh, yeah," Harry said back rather lamely.
"So what brings you around these parts?"
Harry shifted uncomfortably, not really knowing what was happening. Yes, Dudley had been very much civil to him in the end, but there was still that slight air of awkwardness hanging over Harry. How do you actually go from loathing the person who constantly beat you up as a child to being kind-of-sort-of friends with your only male cousin – adoptive or not?
"I was just . . . traveling around, jumping from place to place." Dudley nodded, catching the subtle hint that Harry actually was jumping from place to place. "So, um, what's good with you?"
At this Dudley shrugged.
"Nothing much. I teach at a school around here, Gym, and I coach boxing." This Harry could understand slightly. "Have you seen my parents yet?"
Harry winced at this and Dudley nodded, taking that for an answer.
The girl he had his arm around suddenly coughed and that seemed to remind Dudley of the company he was with.
"Oh, sorry," he quickly apologized. He then grinned over at Harry. "Harry, this is my wife Gwen. These are her brothers Jake and Dylan, and that's her friend Emily. Guys, this is my cousin, Harry."
Harry gapped at Dudley, not sure if he heard him right. Did he just say wife?
"Oh, it's nice to finally meet the famous Harry Potter," Gwen said, giving his a winning smile. "I always read the paper to see what you're up to next."
"Um . . . thanks," Harry muttered rather awkwardly. He was sure his publicist would have a fit if he heard him now.
"Mate, you did not tell us you were related to the Harry Potter," one of the guys – Jake maybe – said, slapping Dudley hard on the shoulder. The movement woke the baby in Dudley's arms and he shot Jake a glare.
"Look what you did. Now she'll never be able to get back to sleep."
Harry watched in shock as Dudley made shushing motions and started rocking the baby.
"He's just the perfect dad," Emily said adoringly. Gwen rolled her eyes and elbowed her friend in the stomach before turning to Harry.
"Do you have any kids?"
"I . . . um . . . I sort of take care of my godson," Harry said in a whisper. "He's five now."
"Oh," Emily said, jumping into the conversation, and there was a gleam in her eye that Harry automatically recognized. "So you're unattached?" Harry backed up reflexively. Gwen rolled her eyes again and her brothers grinned. Dudley had managed to calm his daughter and was now watching him curiously with a knowing look in his eyes.
"Actually I am, but I'm gay," Harry was quick to tell her. Emily's face fell and Dudley burst into loud laughter, Jake and Dylan following.
"Aww, don't worry Em, there are more fish in the sea," Dylan tried to console, patting her softly on the back. Emily looked up and glared at him.
"I'm still not going to date you Dylan."
This only made everyone laugh again and even Harry let out a small chuckle.
These friends of Dudley weren't too bad and his wife seemed nice enough. Harry studied her for a bit and then looked at the baby in Dudley's arms. She was looking back at Harry with focused blue eyes, and it was then that Harry caught the taste of grapefruits.
Harry's eyes widened slightly.
"Um . . . Dudley, can I talk with you for a second," Harry said, cutting through the light atmosphere. Dudley's brow rose but he immediately handed his daughter over to her mother and motioned for Harry to walk with him.
"Do you know that your daughter is a witch," Harry blurted out once they had walked a far enough distance so that the others couldn't overhear them. Dudley blinked in surprise.
"Actually, no," he said and then he shrugged.
"Wait . . . you don't care," Harry asked carefully.
"Well, not really. I mean, you're magic, so it can't be bad."
Harry blinked. Just how much had Dudley changed since he had last seen him?
"Oh . . . I see."
The two were silent for a while and Harry looked over at the group that was still standing there, waiting for Dudley.
"Harry." Harry turned to see that Dudley was staring at him deeply. "What are you really doing here? And don't you dare try and feed me some cock-and-bull about just popping in because you felt like it."
Harry, who had opened his mouth to give that exact excuse, let his mouth fall close. He was surprise, since when had Dudley known him so well?
"I . . ." Harry didn't know what to say. Come to think about it, he didn't really know why he was here either. Here, in a park on a fairly sunny day, just like in his dream. Harry sighed and told the truth. "I'm here to distract myself."
"From what?"
"My thoughts, my dreams, everything," Harry said in a rush. He looked down at his feet and then found himself confiding in Dudley what he hadn't wanted to tell Cho or anyone magical that knew him.
"My mum was adopted."
Harry heard Dudley draw in a breath and when he looked up Dudley looked globsmacked.
"Wha? Bu? How," he stammered. Harry was about to explain, but Dudley threw up his arms. "Wait! Does my mother know about this?"
At this Harry shrugged.
"She might not remember or she forgot or something."
Dudley shook his head slowly.
"So . . . did you find her real parents?" Harry nodded and a lump formed in his throat when he thought about the people that were supposed to be his grandparents. "What were they like?"
"They're worse than your parents," Harry immediately blurted out and then added, "No offence," as an afterthought. Dudley shrugged it off.
"None taken. So, did you find anything else out?"
"Yeah," Harry said on a sigh, his shoulders drooping. "Mum had a little sister but they never got the chance to meet."
"Well that's —" The rest of Dudley's sentence died at Harry's next words.
"She's dead." Dudley winced at that and looked pityingly at his cousin. Just about everything happened to him.
"That's . . ."
"Yeah, I know," Harry said quietly. A silence fell over them again before Harry broke it. "But I have a younger cousin. Her name's Tohru."
"Tohru," Dudley repeated, an eyebrow arched. "What kind of name is that?"
"It's Japanese. My mum's half Japanese."
That seemed to surprise Dudley but then he shrugged it off. He was taking all of this in stride so far, normal people would have faint from the information overload by now.
"Okay, what's Tohru like?"
This question brought a smile to Harry's lips.
"She's like the gullible traveler."
Both eyebrows rose at these words and Dudley wondered why this seemed to make Harry smile. Didn't that make this girl an easy target? As if he had read his mind – which he might have what with magic and all – Harry laughed and said, "But she has these two bodyguards. Actually, you could say she has an army."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry mimicked zipping his mouth and then grinned cheekily up at Dudley. "Harry!"
"Okay, okay," he conceded. "So Tohru just happens to be an orphan also, her dad died when she was really young. And I'm not quite sure how it happened, but she's living with this large family. And when I say large I mean large, they're practically their own community."
Dudley whistled lowly at that and Harry nodded, his grin still in place.
"Yeah. And just about everyone loves her. That's just how Tohru is. So you may think she's an easy target, but she's very much protected."
"And then there's you," Dudley added and then elaborated at Harry's questioning look. "Well, you're obviously not going to let anyone get close to her. You're like an army yourself, right?"
Harry shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Dudley chuckled and shook his head.
"They're magic too, although they don't know it."
"How do you not know? Didn't weird stuff happen around them like with you?"
Harry shrugged.
"Probably, but the family also happens to be cursed, so . . ."
Dudley whistled lowly again and shook his head.
"You meet the strangest people Harry." Harry laughed at that before saying, "You don't know the half of it Dud."
Harry spent the day with Dudley and his family.
Gwen was like a pleasant mixture between Ginny, Hermione, and something incredibly sweet. Harry had fallen in love with her as quickly as he had with Tohru. Gwen's brothers were like the twins and Charlie mixed together, although Dylan had a bit of a sensitive side. And then there was Emily. She was nice enough, but she seemed like she couldn't stop flirting with him. But it seemed harmless enough, so Harry left her alone.
And then there was little Amaryllis. She was so small and happy. Harry always saw her smiling a bright gummy smile. Dudley let him hold her and Harry was wrapped right around her finger. She was an absolute angel.
The group went out to have lunch and Harry got to know all of them better. They all seemed to like following the news and Harry. Supposedly, it was inspiring to see someone the same age as them accomplish something the best of the best couldn't. Gwen had been very much surprised when she found out that Harry didn't work for any force, or work at all, that is until he told her that he had family money and was set for a while and he was simply exploring.
"So what are you into right now," Gwen questioned looking completely entrapped.
Harry shrugged.
"I'm in school. Japanese high school." Gwen looked confused, as did all the others. "They happen to have a lot of stuff that I didn't learn in my old school," he explained. Dudley immediately caught on and told the others that Harry had gone to a school that had focused on a single aspect instead of many.
"Oh, so you're just expanding," Emily clarified and Harry nodded.
"That's good." Gwen said smartly, sounding a little bit like a mom. "But enough work and all that boring stuff." Gwen leaned forward a little and asked, "Do you have your eye on anyone?"
Harry turned a dark red and the others caught it.
"Oo! Do tell," Emily demanded, her eyes bright. Harry shook his head quickly and leaned back as they closed in on him.
"Come on Harry, it's not like we'll tell anyone. We probably won't even know who it is," Dudley pushed. Harry shook his head again.
"Please," Gwen begged, pinning him with those large blue eyes.
"I . . . It's nothing really. Just a small fling a few years back. There's nothing to tell?"
"Doesn't sound like it to me," Emily observed.
Harry shot her a mutinous look and she shrugged it off.
"Oh, is it that guy they mentioned in the paper. Draco something right," Jake jumped in. Harry's eyes widened and that was enough conformation for them. "Well damn. That wasn't a small fling. That was a one night stand!"
"Sh," Harry told him, waving him down when his voice rose up. "Shut up. And it wasn't a one night stand." All five of them looked at him skeptically. "Okay, so maybe it was a one night thing, but I knew him before that."
"And were you involved before that," Gwen questioned.
"Well . . . no. Actually we hated each others' guts and we were always fighting. I can't tell you how many times we landed each other in the hospital wing . . . but that's beside the point."
"Hardly," Jake muttered.
Harry shot him a glare.
"All that fighting must have just been sexual frustration," Dylan told him matter-of-factly. Harry's eyes widened and his face flushed.
"It was not," he snapped defensively.
"Obviously it was if you two ended up in bed, probably drunk," Jake pointed out.
"I was not drunk, because I can't get drunk!" Jake and Dylan looked skeptical. "Look, whatever. Can we move on from this topic?"
"But it just got interesting," Dudley protested and the two girls nodded in agreement.
Harry looked around at all of them, staring at him eagerly. Even Amaryllis looked like she was enjoying this.
Harry groaned and let his head drop onto the table in front of him.
Hiro was very nervous as he walked with Kisa to the hospital, and it wasn't because he was alone with Kisa. He was nervous because he was worried, although he would never admit that to that stupid girl. The hand he was holding was shaking and it was only that that kept him from showing his nerves, because Kisa was scared.
"Do you think we can do anything for them," Kisa asked in a small voice. Hiro looked over at her to see her looking down at the ground.
"I don't know. We can try with Kureno, but . . ." Kisa nodded at the end of Hiro's unfinished sentence.
They had both been studying the many books Harry had bought for them, and one of them had healing charms in it. But since they didn't know what sort of injuries Tohru had, it would be extremely dangerous to try a spell on her.
"Okay, let's go see Kureno-san first."
And that's what they did.
Akito's attack had severed a nerve in Kureno's body that would give a normal person a permanent limp, but with the healing charms they knew and practiced, Hiro was certain that they'd be able to heal him.
Kureno was staring out at the window when they walked in, a book propped open in his lap. Judging by the language written in it, Hiro guessed that it was one of the books the man had picked up in Diagon Alley.
"Kureno-san, how are you," Kisa asked, walking over to stand beside him.
"I'm fine," Kureno told her, giving her a small sincere smile. Kisa nodded and fiddled with the wand she had pulled out of her pocket.
"Um . . . I . . . we want to try something that might help," Kisa told him. Kureno looked curious but nodded for her to go ahead.
A whispered spell later, and he was completely healed.
"Thank you, Kisa-chan," Kureno thanked, patting her fondly on the head as he stood up. Kisa blushed red and beamed brightly.
"We were just going to visit Tohru; do you want to come with us," Hiro asked and when Kureno nodded, the three left the room and headed for Tohru's.
The door was wide open and so was the window. A warm breeze was blowing into the room, making the curtains flutter. Tohru's bed was unmade and a chair was turned on its side. The machine that should have been connected to Tohru was flat-lining, the single tone sounding horribly ominous.
Kisa let out a small gasp and then collapsed into Kureno's arms – he had to hold her carefully so that she wouldn't transform.
At the older man's command, Hiro ran out of the room and went to inform the nurses.
Tohru was gone.
Harry whistled to himself as he walked the paved path to Shigure's house.
He felt oddly refreshed after the day he had spent in London with Dudley. It felt good to catch up with someone that was not Cho. Harry hadn't realized how lonely he had been feeling. Maybe that was the reason for his past restlessness.
He entered the house with a grin that disappeared when he walked into the living room to find it filled.
Shigure, Ayame, and Hatori were huddled together toward the back near the door, their expressions grim. Momiji was sitting in the corner, his arms wrapped around his knees, and his head bowed. Haru was holding Rin, rocking her as she buried her face into his chest. Yuki was missing as was Kyo. Kisa, Hiro, and Kureno sat on the couch, they were facing everyone else and Kisa looked pale white.
It was only those three that turned when Harry entered.
"What happened," he immediately asked. "Where's Tohru? What's going on?"
Kisa suddenly burst into apologies, tears running down her cheeks.
"I'm so sorry. You were gone and something happened and Onee-chan fell off a cliff, and then we went to see her but she was gone!"
"What," Harry demanded. What the hell had happened when he was gone? It had only been a week or two at most and already things had taken a turn for the worst.
"I'm so sorry," Kisa wailed again.
Harry stared at her dumbfound, at a loss of words.
It was silent except for Kisa's sobs. And then someone else walked into the room. Harry turned to look at them.
Akito looked like shit.
She looked worse that Kisa did, with her eyes red and her hair mussed-up.
"You're back," she said, her voice very low and raspy. Harry nodded, still too shocked to speak. "I take it someone told you what happened?"
"I . . . wait . . . what?"
"Tohru's missing. Have any ideas on how to find her?"
Harry blinked then shook his head to clear his thoughts. He wasn't normally this muddled in a crisis.
"Yeah, maybe, but first I have to —"
The rest of Harry's words were cut off by a loud outcry of "Daddy," and then Harry was knocked to the floor by a flying five-year-old. Harry groaned as his back hit the ground and then looked down to see a mess of dark black hair.
"T-teddy?"
The boy looked up and grinned up at Harry with a set of perfectly straight, white teeth.
"What are you doing here? Where'd you come from?"
"Aunty Luna and Uncle Draco brought us," Teddy told him brightly. Harry blanched and looked around Teddy's head to see Luna and Draco standing in the doorway, Lily in Luna's arms and Lucian in Draco's arms.
"Hi, Daddy," the twins chorused waving at him with bright smiles.
"Hi," Harry said back, breathlessly. He stood up slowly, his eyes locked onto molten silver.
"Hullo Harry, it's good to see you again," Luna called pleasantly. Harry nodded and shifted his gaze to her. He adjusted Teddy in his arms.
"Same here, but what are you doing here?"
"Visiting you, of course," Luna said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world; and to her it probably was.
"Yes, and I have some business with you, Potter," Draco cut in icily. "About a certain piece of news you failed to give me."
Harry winced at that. He knew what Draco was talking about, that stupid article of Rita Skeeter's.
"Um . . . okay, but could we do this later, I have more pressing matters at the moment," Harry told them.
"We already know about that. It's why we are here in this," – Draco paused and looked around in distaste – "house. We felt something at the hospital a while ago. Something that wasn't supposed to be there."
Harry's eyes widened as a sudden realization flashed across his face.
"Shit," he cursed. He set Teddy down on the floor and began to pace. "I'm such an idiot!"
"What else is new," Draco cut in, but Harry didn't seem to hear him.
"I can't believe I didn't see this. Ugh! I knew I shouldn't have come here! Bloody hell, this is all my fault! Damn, I can't believe this. Now of all times! And it just had to happen when I wasn't around! Damn it!"
"Potter, I suggest you calm down before you level this dump," Draco told him mildly when things began to rattle because of Harry's uncontrolled anger. Magic was coming off of him in waves now, spreading around so that some things were floating.
Harry looked up at Draco's suggestion and then pulled in his magic when he noticed it was affecting his surroundings.
"What the hell was that!"
Harry looked over at the door. He hadn't noticed Kyo and Yuki arriving.
He looked at them then around the room before saying, "Sit down, we have to talk."
"Now," Kyo demanded incrudiously.
Harry noticed that he looked unnaturally ragged and pale, not that Yuki looked any better.
"Yes now, so sit before I make you and you don't want to force my hand." Kyo growled but he did as he was told, not really having the energy to argue.
"Daddy," Lily called out to him from Luna's arms. "What's happening?"
Harry shot the girl a smile.
"Don't worry, Lils, Daddy has some work to do, okay?"
Lily nodded her head dutifully and settled more comfortably in Luna's arms. Harry sighed and then sat down on the couch beside Kureno. Teddy crawled into his lap and Luna and Draco went to stand behind them.
"Alright, before I go to get Tohru I need to tell you all something. This may surprise you but try and keep your outburst to yourself." Here he shot a glare at Kyo who huffed and crossed his arms. Harry took a deep breath before saying, "I'm a wizard."
"You're joking," Yuki said after a long bit of silence.
Harry shook his head.
"No, I'm not. In fact, you might want to know that you are all wizards also."
Yuki looked skeptical as did the others that did not already know.
"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but it's actually true," Hiro spoke up. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out the wand Harry had bought for him. Kisa and Kureno mimicked his move, pulling out their wands.
"Wait . . . so you guys knew about this," Akito demanded in a slightly accusing tone.
"Yeah, they did because I told them, just like I'm telling you. And I have a theory. I'm guessing that the curse you have chooses who to posses based on the magical potential you have."
"Curse," Draco muttered lowly, but Harry didn't acknowledge him.
"It does," Kureno told him. "I read about it in the book that I picked up."
"Well there you go."
"Okay, so you're a wizard and we're wizards," Haru said. "What does this have to do with Honda-san's disappearance?"
Harry took a deep breath and braced himself for their reaction to the next piece of news he was about to deliver.
"I think Tohru was kidnapped, and that her kidnapper is trying to get at me."
"What! Why," Kyo exploded, jumping out of his seat. Harry stared at him until he sat down again and then spoke again.
"You should all know; you guys did do a little digging on me."
"Does this have to do with that man you killed," Hatori asked.
Harry's eyes darkened and his expression turned stony, his mouth spread into a thin line.
"First of all, Voldemort" – Draco shivered at the name – "was no man. He was a monster who wanted to kill innocents so that he could get power. And yes, this does have to do with me killing him."
"You killed someone," Akito asked with wide eyes.
"Look. Let's get a few things out into the air. That monster killed my parents when I was barely one. His minions," – Draco flinched violently when Harry said this with all the venom he could muster – "killed my godfather and Teddy's parents. They tortured my friends and made my life a living hell. He tried to kill me on a number of occasions, so it was either die or kill. I did what I had to do then."
The room was silent after Harry's short monologue. No one knew what to say after hearing what he had to go through and they were sure it was only a small portion of his life.
"So . . . do you . . . um . . . know who took her?" Momiji asked, breaking the silence and looking over at him with large brown eyes. Harry sighed and relaxed his shoulders, leaning back into the seat. He leveled all of them with a look.
"No, but if I can see the room she was in I can find out."
And that was what led some of the group to the hospital later on. Upon entering the room Teddy started growling lowly. He clutched the collar of Harry's shirt tightly in his small hands and Harry saw his eyes flash yellow.
"Damn, this just got worse," Harry muttered when he caught the scent of magic in the room.
"What? Do you know who did it?"
Harry nodded, but he didn't turn to look at Momiji.
He looked over at Draco when he said, "Greyback took her."
Dun Dun Dun! Bet none of you were expecting that. Well once again I surprise myself by adding someone I had not planned on including in the story. Tell me what ya'll think about my Dudley, k? I hope he meet's your standards!