Oh no! I'm REALLY sorry for the slow update. I know this sound like a
super lame excuse, but I was grounded. Yes, grounded. Hurry up everyone,
and sympathize with me! Anyway, gomen gomen gomen to the trillionth power.
I kinda forgot about this story.
Well, since your authoress is feeling horrible and miserable for doing this to you, you can at least give her a break and not start shouting at her, right? I certainly hope so...
Once again, my sincerest apologies. On with the story which I have almost absolutely no idea what to do with now!
*~*~*~*~*~*
It was DEFINITELY not a good time for them to have gone into the Great Hall. Everyone was quiet; Dumbledore (dressed in overalls, a red and white checked shirt, and a farmer's hat) was in the middle of making another one of his speeches.
Several professors stifled astonished noises at the sight of them — namely, the way Ryou, Malik, and Yugi were dressed.
All attention was focused on them now.
Then came the screams. There were shrieks and yells as all girls abandoned their partners for the night and made a mad dash for the four foreign students.
"Oh, just look at them!"
"Aren't they soooo hot?"
"Sexyness!"
"Ryou's sooo different!"
"No, Malik's still the best!"
"I think Yugi's the cutest, though!"
"I call Seto!"
"I've got dibs on Ryou, then!"
"Go!" Seto whispered urgently, shoving Harry, Ron, and Hermione away unceremoniously. He was just in time. A split second later, the four were surrounded by girls. The other three would've been squished like pancakes. Dumbledore stood up, looking both amused and a little surprised, smiling serenely.
Yugi mouthed 'HELP!' Dumbledore conjured up a piece of straw and stuck it in his mouth, going for the authentic look.
"Surely you're going to help them, Albus?" asked Professor McGonagall, still looking at the overturned tables and chairs, and then the mass of people at the doors.
"I have to admit, I'm curious as to what they're going to do," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling.
On his other side, Snape gave an impatient noise of disgust. It was mandatory that all teachers were to attend, or else he wouldn't be there at all.
"Look at them. They're just crawling all over each other to get at them," he sneered.
Secretly, he was hoping that one of those crazier ones — what's his name, the blond one — Malik, was going to kill someone. The girls were just about driving all the teachers crazy. And most of the boys weren't even caring about anything. Over half of them stood staring, trying to subdue heavy nosebleeds. The others just looked confused. And... almost the whole female population of the student body was trying to get at Seto, Yugi, Ryou, and Malik.
It looked like Hermione was just about the only girl not going crazy. She muttered about rudeness, as she had landed on the floor, and was about to pick herself up off the ground when a hand stretched out in front of her.
"May I help?" Draco asked, smiling just a little. "It looks like you're having a bit of trouble."
"Yeah, thanks," Hermione said, grasping his hand and pulling herself up. She was still getting used to the fact that Draco was being nice to them. Actually, he didn't look half bad, either. He had on a dark blue dress shirt and dark pants. He was obviously going for a casual look, but the effect was almost as good as Malik's or Seto's.
"Seems Malik overdid it a little," Draco chuckled. "Still, it looks like the rest of them are having trouble as well. Should we go assist them?" He looked questioningly at her.
"Nah, let's leave them to sort it out themselves. They can handle themselves just fine." She didn't know why, but she was feeling extremely wicked. Now that she thought about it, Harry and Ron were nowhere to be seen. Oh well, Draco was pleasant to be around now, anyway.
"Why don't we go out for some fresh air?" she asked Draco. He seemed like the only other sane person left. He deserved another chance. And besides, she wanted to know him better.
"Sure," he said uncertainly, throwing a last look at the crowd still surrounding their friends.
The garden was there again, as it had been during the Yule Ball, shimmering with fairies. Hermione welcomed the cool night air. She could hear the slight babble of water from the fountain decorating the center of the garden.
"So who're you with?" she asked him, as they made their way to a stone bench near the water. "Or, rather, who were you with?" It seemed more appropriate, since everyone else was still in the castle.
"No one," he replied truthfully, turning to gaze into the water. The lights twinkling on the surface were moving every so often, luring him into a trance-like state.
"Nobody you liked?" asked Hermione, raising an eyebrow.
"There might just be someone," said Draco mischievously. He brushed the strange statement away with a sigh, looking up at the clear night sky. It seemed that it stretched on forever and ever. How he would like flying all the way up into the stars someday...
"I haven't felt this free since... I don't know," he laughed. He continued to stare wistfully at the stars.
"Um, if you don't mind me asking," Hermione said tentatively, "What happened? I mean, why have you changed?"
Draco didn't answer. "Sorry! I didn't want to offend you or anything—"
"It's quite alright," he assured her, turning around, a genuine smile on his face. "You're one of the few people who've actually given me a chance ever since... well, since I've changed."
He took a deep breath. "I know I can trust you, so here's my story."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Inside, the others weren't having such a great time. At least Seto had set up some kind of force field around them. But now the fanatical girls were trying to get in.
"Why can't we get in?"
"C'mon! Let's combine our strength to get in!"
"How can we get them to stop?" asked Yugi, still trying to recover. Somebody had pulled one of his strands of hair! And it had hurt!
"Just a minute," said Seto, thinking quickly. "I've got it. I think we can arrange to get them off our backs for a while. I'll need some help, though. And Malik, get that thing away from me, it's giving me a headache again."
"What, this?" Malik asked, perplexed. He pulled out the Millennium Rod.
"Yeah."
"Just do it already!" exclaimed Ryou. He slipped his hand into Seto's, forcing a wave of energy through the connection. He had started to learn about all of the old magic a couple of months ago. The others did the same, linking their hands together and forming a single connection. Malik was holding onto his other hand, and he felt the slightly darker magic travel through him.
"Get ready," warned Seto quietly. He pushed outwards with his mind gently. The force field suddenly spread out, expanding rapidly. It was like a ripple in a pond. It just passed through people, but they froze in mid- stride/yell/glomp. Seto allowed the magic to touch only the part of the students that had been, to put it mildly, 'attacking' them.
'Now.' They heard his voice ring in their heads. They all let go of each other's hands at the same time. They looked around. People dressed in random muggle clothes were spread all around them, frozen in various poses. Some of them looked plain scary. (For example, six different articles of clothing on their heads — which was, incidentally, represented by Mr. Vincent Crabbe.) They were to wake in five minutes, and would not remember anything.
"Whew. I'm glad that's over. Now let's get out of here, before they wake up again," said Yugi.
"Actually, if it worked correctly, they're not really going to try to mob us again for the whole night," Seto told him.
The four headed for another doorway. This was the one that lead outside.
"I don't understand," Professor McGonagall said. "It was such powerful magic..."
"Yes, and no," corrected Dumbledore. "Powerful to some, put is only a fraction of the output that Seto will have later on. This is what Voldemort will be after once he finds the Millennium items useless."
Professor McGonagall looked at him in alarm. She opened her mouth to speak, put Dumbledore said loudly, so that the other teachers would hear, "Let's get to the dance floor and have a little fun before the students wake up, now, shall we? Professor McGonagall, would you care to dance?"
*~*~*~*~*~*
The students woke up ten minutes later, feeling very... stiff. They couldn't recall anything from the past few minutes, so they just decided to continue on with the ball. They joined the teachers in dancing, eating, having drinks, and just talking. You know, "hanging out."
Another half hour would pass before any of them would start to wonder where Ryou, Yugi, Malik, or Seto were, as well as Draco or Hermione.
As for Harry and Ron... their whereabouts are currently unknown to this poor author.
*~*~*~*~*~*
A single figure stood near an archway watching everyone have fun. Somebody with soft, white hair and ice blue eyes. Long, delicate eyelashes fell as the lids closed, covering the blue.
He was so alone... He shivered, backing away from the noise even more, stepping into the moonlight.
He desperately needed his yami.
/Bakura?/ he ventured.
Silence, as all of his other pleas had been answered with.
/Onegai, Bakura... I really need you!/
There was no reply.
/'Kura, please!/ Ryou sank to the floor. Everything was going wrong. His yami wasn't speaking to him at all, his other friends had gone somewhere and deserted him, and his whole life was just messed up. And what was more, there had been an awful pain just ripping at him from the inside, as if his very soul was being destroyed.
A single tear fell onto the moonlit marble floor. It glistened on the white tile.
"What is it?" came a familiar voice.
Ryou's breath caught in his throat. He looked up. Yami Bakura, his yami, was standing in the shadows, leaning on the doorway.
"'Kura!" He picked himself up and stared. Yami Bakura seemed different, somehow. Maybe it was just the shadows, but he could barely see him.
Nonetheless, he started towards him.
"No."
"Wha—?" Ryou stopped in his tracks, a look of confusion on his face.
"There's something that we need to clear up," snarled Yami Bakura. Ryou flinched at the tone of his voice. His darker side inwardly berated himself. He had not meant to sound so harsh.
"What do you mean?" Ryou asked, his voice wavering slightly.
"The boggart," Yami Bakura replied simply.
Ryou suddenly understood. He remembered the form the boggart had taken when it had faced him.
"Oh no! 'Kura, I can explain!"
"Really? If I recall correctly, a boggart assumes the shape of your worst fear. So, why, when it saw you, did it turn into me? How do you explain that? That your worst fear is me?"
"No!" cried Ryou. "It was because... because...."
Three other figures were standing concealed behind a stone column.
"What's going on?" whispered Yugi, having just joined them.
"Shh. Wait and see," replied Malik, staring intently at the scene in front of them.
"Because what?" asked Yami Bakura, his eyebrows raised. "If you hate me, then it *is* possible for me to disappear from your life forever."
"What are you saying?"
Yami Bakura stepped out from the shadows. Ryou's eyes widened. There was a muffled gasp from the stone pillar behind them.
"You're... 'Kura, what's happened?" he asked, unable to take his eyes off of his yami.
Yami Bakura was almost totally transparent. No, Ryou *could* see right through him. The moonlight shone through the figure and onto the floor. There was no shadow.
"Almost gone," his yami said quietly, lifting a hand up and looking at Ryou through it.
"The bond..." Malik said quietly, eyebrows furrowed. His eyes suddenly widened. "No... it can't..."
"The bond, the link between us," Yami Bakura continued, "is almost gone. Which means that I, the spirit, will disappear. We have grown apart, not contacted each other for weeks, so the special connection between yami and hikari... has died away..." He shut his eyes, his body fading even more. "I just came by," he paused, looking as if every single word was costing him dearly, "to say... goodbye. I don't want you to hate me, and I can't exist knowing that fact, so I will go."
"But surely he's been resisting death's call?" asked Yugi.
"He cannot prevent it anymore," Yami told him. "He certainly does not want to go, but the pull is too great. And with nothing left here in the physical world, nothing or no one left to pull him back, he really has no choice."
Ryou clutched his chest and the Millennium Ring. There had been a horrible pain when Yami Bakura disappeared even more that time — worse than the others had been. Forcing himself to keep his head clear, for an intense wave of nausea had threatened to come, he looked up. He was about to faint, there was black eating away at the corners of his vision.
"No..." he choked out. He had to tell him, fast. "Bakura, that time... the boggart appeared as you... was because I didn't want you to return to hating me. That would mean that you wouldn't care for me anymore. You, returning to your past... *is* my worst fear. The most awful thing that could happen to me... is losing you — the present you. The one who has turned caring and compassionate."
He struggled to turn his feelings into words, but found that he couldn't. Instead, he opened his link and let the emotions flow.
Yami Bakura froze, the storm of misery and pain, as well as the happiness and laughter of the past, flooding his head.
"You've blocked me for so long, and now I know why. But it's not right! You're my yami, my dark. I'm your hikari, your light. Neither of us can exist without the other." Tears made their way down Ryou's face as he struggled to get up. "You must know this is why we've been feeling as if our soul has been splitting. You are a part of my soul, as I am a part of yours. We are not complete without our counterparts. We will never feel whole without the other. We *need* each other, 'Kura. And... even though you won't always return my feelings, I will always love you... 'Kura-chan."
They were only inches apart. Ryou reached forward, fingertips outstretched. He could barely feel his yami. Tentatively, he reached up and brushed the other's lips with his own, and then hugged him tight around his waist.
"I don't want you to go, 'Kura. I still, and always will, love you."
Yami Bakura's eyes widened in shock. Everything had suddenly all locked into place. There was a light coming from within his body.
Ryou could feel it already. The change had happened immediately when they had touched. Everything was being pieced together again. Memories, feelings, and atoms. Slowly, Yami Bakura's body gained density. Suddenly, the moon was shining on an almost opaque figure, instead of through it and onto the floor.
The yami wrapped his arms around Ryou protectively, returning the embrace.
//I'm sorry, Ryou. I — //
/Don't worry about it. I would've acted the same way. I'm just happy that you're here again. I've missed you./
"Aww, isn't that sweet?" asked Malik, finally stepping out from their hiding spot.
For once, the formerly cold-hearted thief didn't reply.
The rest of the group followed him.
"Hey, look!" Yugi said mischievously, pointing at a spot somewhere above their heads. It was mistletoe.
"I wonder how that got there," Seto remarked dryly, throwing an obvious look at our favorite blond Egyptian bishounen. "It's not even Christmas. Who's ever heard of mistletoe on Halloween?"
"Well, this is a first then," said Malik hastily, but grinning all the while at the couple bathed in moonlight.
Ryou looked up, smiled, and leaned up to place a chaste kiss on Yami Bakura's lips.
//You call *that* a kiss?// Yami Bakura rolled his eyes and pulled Ryou into a fiery kiss that sent a sudden surge of tingling exhilaration coursing through their bodies.
Ryou blushed, breathing heavily, at the catcalls from the group after they broke apart.
Yami Bakura, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips, leaned forward, and whispered in Ryou's ear, his warm breath sending the other's heart racing, "Aishiteru, my little light." He then nipped at Ryou's earlobe, getting a surprised gasp in return.
"Oh, yeah, one more thing," the spirit said, straightening up and frowning, looking Ryou up and down. "What's with the outfit?"
Ryou looked sheepishly at his attire. "Well, Malik —"
//I like it.//
/Y—you do?/ Ryou asked incredulously.
//Hai. And... I suppose the eyes, too.//
/Huh?/ He had forgotten about them.
"Oh, screw these!" He suddenly exclaimed, surprising them all. He pulled the magical contacts out, dropped them someplace random, and threw himself at Yami Bakura again, burying his face into his dark's chest.
/I didn't like them anyway./
His darker half silently agreed.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Okay, something weird is definitely going on here," Ron said to Harry, who was hiding behind another pillar some ten feet away. He pulled out his Extendable Ear and opened his mouth to speak. Harry held up his hand, indicating for the redhead to stop. There was a look of intense concentration as he listened intently to his own Extendable Ear. Then he beckoned for Ron to move over to his hiding spot. The other complied.
They were listening to a conversation outside. One that happened to be between their best friend and previous worst enemy.
"— so Malik was pretty much my first best friend here. Everyone else only respected me because of my name and my actions. On the first or second day, Malik approached me in the Slytherin common room late at knight. He told me to close my eyes. I did. There was a flash of golden light, and suddenly I was flying through old memories. Then I was back in the common room. I felt... different, somehow. There was a presence there before, one that I couldn't describe, but it was gone after that light.
"He explained that I had been controlled lightly by the Imperious Curse for my whole life, ever since I could understand basic concepts."
There was a small gasp from Hermione. But she remained silent after that, and Draco continued.
"I found out... that it was my father. He had been influencing my thoughts, my actions, my feelings. I remembered how I'd treated others before the curse was lifted. And I regretted every single thing I did. I don't want to become like him! I don't want to hurt innocents. I don't want... to become a Death Eater."
A sigh from Draco, and then, "The initiation for me is this summer. I will have become of age. Malik explained to me that my father does not yet know of the severed connection. I'll still have some time. Malik has been relating previous events of his past. His future, too, had been forced. But he fought, and escaped out of it. We are very much alike, Malik and I. More so, he has given me the strength to continue. He gave me a long lecture the other day..."
Draco chuckled.
"...about how I shouldn't just throw my life away after finding out about my father's deed. He told me that I needed to retaliate. He's given me hope, set an example for me. I will now try to become the best person I can. It won't matter if most still think that I'm still snobby, rude, and stuck up. Heck, all the Slytherins hate me now. Or, rather, they hate both Malik *and* me now. But I know that there will still be people that will give me a chance, despite my previous actions. Those people were Yugi, Ryou, and Seto for Malik. And of course, his sister, too. Now, in a place where his reputation hasn't gotten ahead of him, many others are treating him just fine. That is my goal. I have already found four people like that. Malik, and the very ones who helped Malik himself — Yugi, Ryou, and Seto. Although I don't have any family members who'll be like that, I'm sure that I can find some distant relatives that will let me in."
"No," said Hermione softly. Draco tensed. "No," she continued. "You have five people. Possibly more. There's Dumbledore, and all of the other professors, too. I'm sure Ron and Harry will consider you a friend once they know. You still have a chance, Draco. Malik is right. Just take that one chance and make it a reality."
"Thank you."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Ron stared at Harry, yanking both of their Extendable Ears out.
"Did you hear that?" Harry asked. Ron nodded feebly.
"Wow..." he said, having gained a new respect for Draco. "Poor bloke. Imagine... his own father..."
"Wait, Ron," Harry said suddenly. "Don't tell anyone about his, okay?" He looked down. "I... I have just have a feeling that Draco was going to tell us when he was ready, or something, so we shouldn't press any further."
Ron nodded. "Agreed."
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Look! They must be giving us a reward for all those exams! Hogsmeade trip tomorrow! No classes until Tuesday!"
"Yeah, I was wondering when I'd get to go to Honeyduke's next. I haven't been in Hogsmeade in ages!"
"I can't wait! I'm going over with some of my friends to have tea at Madam Puddifoot's. Wanna come?"
Excited chatter filled the Gryffindor common room the next day. Ryou was somewhere else at the moment. Malik groaned, his face falling into the open book in front of him.
"What're they going on about now?" he asked. "What's a Hogsmeade? And Madam Puddifoot's? That just sounds really gay."
"Oh, Hogsmeade is a town right next to Hogwarts. It's an entirely magical town full of all sorts of stuff! I just know you'll love it!" Hermione told him.
"Yeah, and there's this really great place called Honey—"
"Ron, don't start on that again," Harry smiled, giving his friend a little shake of his head.
"Well, Draco's told me a bit about this place..." Malik started. "I know! How about going together! I'll tell Draco later this afternoon."
Hermione bit her lip, making up her mind. "Actually, I need to talk to all of you," she said quietly. "Up in your dormitory, for more privacy, I think. You too, Ryou, Yugi."
*~*~*~*
"Okay, what is it?" asked Ron, after they'd all trooped up to the dormitory.
"First of all, Ron, I really want you to be nicer to Draco. He's a really great person, you know. I got to talk to him a little during the ball last night, and I just think... that he should get another chance."
Ron looked away, staring guiltily at somewhere above Dean's poster of the West Ham soccer team, before nodding and saying, "Alright."
"Second of all," Hermione went on, facing Yugi, Malik, and Seto, "I really think that you guys should tell us more. I mean, we've known each other ever since August, but you're still acting all secretive all the time. Please?" She looked into Yugi's eyes. They reflected the conflict that was going on inside his head. They didn't answer.
"Look, I've done quite a bit of research. Those gold items you have — they're Millennium Items, aren't they? Do you have... spirits inside them like the legends say?"
Yugi's eyes widened. Actually, they turned red. Hermione let out a sharp breath of surprise. Then he said, in a deep voice, "Where did you get that information from?"
"A — a really old book in the corner of the library. It was the only one in that section written partly in English... Wait... you're not Yugi!" She stared back at him, amazed. "So is it true?"
Yami admired this girl's determination and perseverance to seek out the answer. She had spunk, all right. And she'd actually discovered their secret. He took a step closer, studying her closely. Her gaze didn't falter. She didn't move a step. Yami turned around, having decided.
"Very well then. We will have to meet somewhere more enclosed. It is possible that someone will overhear us in the vicinity of the castle."
"Tomorrow," said Malik. Hermione's gaze fell on him. He and Seto didn't seem to change at all. "There is a small cave up beyond that town," he continued, his lavender eyes looking straight at her. "If you want to find out the truth, then arrive there by two. You do want to know, don't you?"
"Yes," came the firm reply.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"I should've known they'd find out. Hermione is very perceptive," Yami said. They were still in the dormitory, while the other three had gone back to the common room.
"Yes, but I think that it'll be better after they know. And we won't have to be so secretive, either," Malik mused.
"Like you were ever secretive before?" Yami asked, rolling his eyes. He sighed.
"Someone'll have to tell Ryou."
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hermione, I'm impressed," said Ron. "But how come you didn't tell us first?"
"Sorry, Ron," she sighed. "I guess it was a spur of the moment thing. I never did have any time to get to you first. But it just seemed like such a good opportunity."
"But the cave," Harry said thoughtfully. "How could they have known about it? I mean, since they've never been to Hogsmeade before, they shouldn't know about anything in it, much less the hiding spot. Most villagers don't even know about that."
"Ah, I don't know," said Ron, stretching. "Fancy a game of chess, Harry?"
*~*~*~*~*~*
Gasp! What's going to happen? Are they going to spill it all? What chaos is going to ensue at Hogsmeade? And do I detect a little Draco/Hermione? But the real question is, do you *want* Draco/Hermione? Send in your comments please!
Just to warn you, the next time I post is still unknown. I'm trying to get as much done as I can today, since I'm staying at home (I have the awful, evil flu). Uh, I hope you're still liking my story so far. The last thing I want to do is lose readers because of my inability to write.
And... I'd also like to ask again of you to review for each chapter, if you haven't done so already. It would really help me lots! Thanks to the people who've already done that, and cookies for everyone who's actually reviewed so far!
Thank you so much for all of your support. I really appreciate all of the um, 'constructive criticism' that some of you have given me, as well as the encouragement the rest of you have voiced in your reviews. I'll really try hard to bring out the next chapter soon!
Well, since your authoress is feeling horrible and miserable for doing this to you, you can at least give her a break and not start shouting at her, right? I certainly hope so...
Once again, my sincerest apologies. On with the story which I have almost absolutely no idea what to do with now!
*~*~*~*~*~*
It was DEFINITELY not a good time for them to have gone into the Great Hall. Everyone was quiet; Dumbledore (dressed in overalls, a red and white checked shirt, and a farmer's hat) was in the middle of making another one of his speeches.
Several professors stifled astonished noises at the sight of them — namely, the way Ryou, Malik, and Yugi were dressed.
All attention was focused on them now.
Then came the screams. There were shrieks and yells as all girls abandoned their partners for the night and made a mad dash for the four foreign students.
"Oh, just look at them!"
"Aren't they soooo hot?"
"Sexyness!"
"Ryou's sooo different!"
"No, Malik's still the best!"
"I think Yugi's the cutest, though!"
"I call Seto!"
"I've got dibs on Ryou, then!"
"Go!" Seto whispered urgently, shoving Harry, Ron, and Hermione away unceremoniously. He was just in time. A split second later, the four were surrounded by girls. The other three would've been squished like pancakes. Dumbledore stood up, looking both amused and a little surprised, smiling serenely.
Yugi mouthed 'HELP!' Dumbledore conjured up a piece of straw and stuck it in his mouth, going for the authentic look.
"Surely you're going to help them, Albus?" asked Professor McGonagall, still looking at the overturned tables and chairs, and then the mass of people at the doors.
"I have to admit, I'm curious as to what they're going to do," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling.
On his other side, Snape gave an impatient noise of disgust. It was mandatory that all teachers were to attend, or else he wouldn't be there at all.
"Look at them. They're just crawling all over each other to get at them," he sneered.
Secretly, he was hoping that one of those crazier ones — what's his name, the blond one — Malik, was going to kill someone. The girls were just about driving all the teachers crazy. And most of the boys weren't even caring about anything. Over half of them stood staring, trying to subdue heavy nosebleeds. The others just looked confused. And... almost the whole female population of the student body was trying to get at Seto, Yugi, Ryou, and Malik.
It looked like Hermione was just about the only girl not going crazy. She muttered about rudeness, as she had landed on the floor, and was about to pick herself up off the ground when a hand stretched out in front of her.
"May I help?" Draco asked, smiling just a little. "It looks like you're having a bit of trouble."
"Yeah, thanks," Hermione said, grasping his hand and pulling herself up. She was still getting used to the fact that Draco was being nice to them. Actually, he didn't look half bad, either. He had on a dark blue dress shirt and dark pants. He was obviously going for a casual look, but the effect was almost as good as Malik's or Seto's.
"Seems Malik overdid it a little," Draco chuckled. "Still, it looks like the rest of them are having trouble as well. Should we go assist them?" He looked questioningly at her.
"Nah, let's leave them to sort it out themselves. They can handle themselves just fine." She didn't know why, but she was feeling extremely wicked. Now that she thought about it, Harry and Ron were nowhere to be seen. Oh well, Draco was pleasant to be around now, anyway.
"Why don't we go out for some fresh air?" she asked Draco. He seemed like the only other sane person left. He deserved another chance. And besides, she wanted to know him better.
"Sure," he said uncertainly, throwing a last look at the crowd still surrounding their friends.
The garden was there again, as it had been during the Yule Ball, shimmering with fairies. Hermione welcomed the cool night air. She could hear the slight babble of water from the fountain decorating the center of the garden.
"So who're you with?" she asked him, as they made their way to a stone bench near the water. "Or, rather, who were you with?" It seemed more appropriate, since everyone else was still in the castle.
"No one," he replied truthfully, turning to gaze into the water. The lights twinkling on the surface were moving every so often, luring him into a trance-like state.
"Nobody you liked?" asked Hermione, raising an eyebrow.
"There might just be someone," said Draco mischievously. He brushed the strange statement away with a sigh, looking up at the clear night sky. It seemed that it stretched on forever and ever. How he would like flying all the way up into the stars someday...
"I haven't felt this free since... I don't know," he laughed. He continued to stare wistfully at the stars.
"Um, if you don't mind me asking," Hermione said tentatively, "What happened? I mean, why have you changed?"
Draco didn't answer. "Sorry! I didn't want to offend you or anything—"
"It's quite alright," he assured her, turning around, a genuine smile on his face. "You're one of the few people who've actually given me a chance ever since... well, since I've changed."
He took a deep breath. "I know I can trust you, so here's my story."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Inside, the others weren't having such a great time. At least Seto had set up some kind of force field around them. But now the fanatical girls were trying to get in.
"Why can't we get in?"
"C'mon! Let's combine our strength to get in!"
"How can we get them to stop?" asked Yugi, still trying to recover. Somebody had pulled one of his strands of hair! And it had hurt!
"Just a minute," said Seto, thinking quickly. "I've got it. I think we can arrange to get them off our backs for a while. I'll need some help, though. And Malik, get that thing away from me, it's giving me a headache again."
"What, this?" Malik asked, perplexed. He pulled out the Millennium Rod.
"Yeah."
"Just do it already!" exclaimed Ryou. He slipped his hand into Seto's, forcing a wave of energy through the connection. He had started to learn about all of the old magic a couple of months ago. The others did the same, linking their hands together and forming a single connection. Malik was holding onto his other hand, and he felt the slightly darker magic travel through him.
"Get ready," warned Seto quietly. He pushed outwards with his mind gently. The force field suddenly spread out, expanding rapidly. It was like a ripple in a pond. It just passed through people, but they froze in mid- stride/yell/glomp. Seto allowed the magic to touch only the part of the students that had been, to put it mildly, 'attacking' them.
'Now.' They heard his voice ring in their heads. They all let go of each other's hands at the same time. They looked around. People dressed in random muggle clothes were spread all around them, frozen in various poses. Some of them looked plain scary. (For example, six different articles of clothing on their heads — which was, incidentally, represented by Mr. Vincent Crabbe.) They were to wake in five minutes, and would not remember anything.
"Whew. I'm glad that's over. Now let's get out of here, before they wake up again," said Yugi.
"Actually, if it worked correctly, they're not really going to try to mob us again for the whole night," Seto told him.
The four headed for another doorway. This was the one that lead outside.
"I don't understand," Professor McGonagall said. "It was such powerful magic..."
"Yes, and no," corrected Dumbledore. "Powerful to some, put is only a fraction of the output that Seto will have later on. This is what Voldemort will be after once he finds the Millennium items useless."
Professor McGonagall looked at him in alarm. She opened her mouth to speak, put Dumbledore said loudly, so that the other teachers would hear, "Let's get to the dance floor and have a little fun before the students wake up, now, shall we? Professor McGonagall, would you care to dance?"
*~*~*~*~*~*
The students woke up ten minutes later, feeling very... stiff. They couldn't recall anything from the past few minutes, so they just decided to continue on with the ball. They joined the teachers in dancing, eating, having drinks, and just talking. You know, "hanging out."
Another half hour would pass before any of them would start to wonder where Ryou, Yugi, Malik, or Seto were, as well as Draco or Hermione.
As for Harry and Ron... their whereabouts are currently unknown to this poor author.
*~*~*~*~*~*
A single figure stood near an archway watching everyone have fun. Somebody with soft, white hair and ice blue eyes. Long, delicate eyelashes fell as the lids closed, covering the blue.
He was so alone... He shivered, backing away from the noise even more, stepping into the moonlight.
He desperately needed his yami.
/Bakura?/ he ventured.
Silence, as all of his other pleas had been answered with.
/Onegai, Bakura... I really need you!/
There was no reply.
/'Kura, please!/ Ryou sank to the floor. Everything was going wrong. His yami wasn't speaking to him at all, his other friends had gone somewhere and deserted him, and his whole life was just messed up. And what was more, there had been an awful pain just ripping at him from the inside, as if his very soul was being destroyed.
A single tear fell onto the moonlit marble floor. It glistened on the white tile.
"What is it?" came a familiar voice.
Ryou's breath caught in his throat. He looked up. Yami Bakura, his yami, was standing in the shadows, leaning on the doorway.
"'Kura!" He picked himself up and stared. Yami Bakura seemed different, somehow. Maybe it was just the shadows, but he could barely see him.
Nonetheless, he started towards him.
"No."
"Wha—?" Ryou stopped in his tracks, a look of confusion on his face.
"There's something that we need to clear up," snarled Yami Bakura. Ryou flinched at the tone of his voice. His darker side inwardly berated himself. He had not meant to sound so harsh.
"What do you mean?" Ryou asked, his voice wavering slightly.
"The boggart," Yami Bakura replied simply.
Ryou suddenly understood. He remembered the form the boggart had taken when it had faced him.
"Oh no! 'Kura, I can explain!"
"Really? If I recall correctly, a boggart assumes the shape of your worst fear. So, why, when it saw you, did it turn into me? How do you explain that? That your worst fear is me?"
"No!" cried Ryou. "It was because... because...."
Three other figures were standing concealed behind a stone column.
"What's going on?" whispered Yugi, having just joined them.
"Shh. Wait and see," replied Malik, staring intently at the scene in front of them.
"Because what?" asked Yami Bakura, his eyebrows raised. "If you hate me, then it *is* possible for me to disappear from your life forever."
"What are you saying?"
Yami Bakura stepped out from the shadows. Ryou's eyes widened. There was a muffled gasp from the stone pillar behind them.
"You're... 'Kura, what's happened?" he asked, unable to take his eyes off of his yami.
Yami Bakura was almost totally transparent. No, Ryou *could* see right through him. The moonlight shone through the figure and onto the floor. There was no shadow.
"Almost gone," his yami said quietly, lifting a hand up and looking at Ryou through it.
"The bond..." Malik said quietly, eyebrows furrowed. His eyes suddenly widened. "No... it can't..."
"The bond, the link between us," Yami Bakura continued, "is almost gone. Which means that I, the spirit, will disappear. We have grown apart, not contacted each other for weeks, so the special connection between yami and hikari... has died away..." He shut his eyes, his body fading even more. "I just came by," he paused, looking as if every single word was costing him dearly, "to say... goodbye. I don't want you to hate me, and I can't exist knowing that fact, so I will go."
"But surely he's been resisting death's call?" asked Yugi.
"He cannot prevent it anymore," Yami told him. "He certainly does not want to go, but the pull is too great. And with nothing left here in the physical world, nothing or no one left to pull him back, he really has no choice."
Ryou clutched his chest and the Millennium Ring. There had been a horrible pain when Yami Bakura disappeared even more that time — worse than the others had been. Forcing himself to keep his head clear, for an intense wave of nausea had threatened to come, he looked up. He was about to faint, there was black eating away at the corners of his vision.
"No..." he choked out. He had to tell him, fast. "Bakura, that time... the boggart appeared as you... was because I didn't want you to return to hating me. That would mean that you wouldn't care for me anymore. You, returning to your past... *is* my worst fear. The most awful thing that could happen to me... is losing you — the present you. The one who has turned caring and compassionate."
He struggled to turn his feelings into words, but found that he couldn't. Instead, he opened his link and let the emotions flow.
Yami Bakura froze, the storm of misery and pain, as well as the happiness and laughter of the past, flooding his head.
"You've blocked me for so long, and now I know why. But it's not right! You're my yami, my dark. I'm your hikari, your light. Neither of us can exist without the other." Tears made their way down Ryou's face as he struggled to get up. "You must know this is why we've been feeling as if our soul has been splitting. You are a part of my soul, as I am a part of yours. We are not complete without our counterparts. We will never feel whole without the other. We *need* each other, 'Kura. And... even though you won't always return my feelings, I will always love you... 'Kura-chan."
They were only inches apart. Ryou reached forward, fingertips outstretched. He could barely feel his yami. Tentatively, he reached up and brushed the other's lips with his own, and then hugged him tight around his waist.
"I don't want you to go, 'Kura. I still, and always will, love you."
Yami Bakura's eyes widened in shock. Everything had suddenly all locked into place. There was a light coming from within his body.
Ryou could feel it already. The change had happened immediately when they had touched. Everything was being pieced together again. Memories, feelings, and atoms. Slowly, Yami Bakura's body gained density. Suddenly, the moon was shining on an almost opaque figure, instead of through it and onto the floor.
The yami wrapped his arms around Ryou protectively, returning the embrace.
//I'm sorry, Ryou. I — //
/Don't worry about it. I would've acted the same way. I'm just happy that you're here again. I've missed you./
"Aww, isn't that sweet?" asked Malik, finally stepping out from their hiding spot.
For once, the formerly cold-hearted thief didn't reply.
The rest of the group followed him.
"Hey, look!" Yugi said mischievously, pointing at a spot somewhere above their heads. It was mistletoe.
"I wonder how that got there," Seto remarked dryly, throwing an obvious look at our favorite blond Egyptian bishounen. "It's not even Christmas. Who's ever heard of mistletoe on Halloween?"
"Well, this is a first then," said Malik hastily, but grinning all the while at the couple bathed in moonlight.
Ryou looked up, smiled, and leaned up to place a chaste kiss on Yami Bakura's lips.
//You call *that* a kiss?// Yami Bakura rolled his eyes and pulled Ryou into a fiery kiss that sent a sudden surge of tingling exhilaration coursing through their bodies.
Ryou blushed, breathing heavily, at the catcalls from the group after they broke apart.
Yami Bakura, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips, leaned forward, and whispered in Ryou's ear, his warm breath sending the other's heart racing, "Aishiteru, my little light." He then nipped at Ryou's earlobe, getting a surprised gasp in return.
"Oh, yeah, one more thing," the spirit said, straightening up and frowning, looking Ryou up and down. "What's with the outfit?"
Ryou looked sheepishly at his attire. "Well, Malik —"
//I like it.//
/Y—you do?/ Ryou asked incredulously.
//Hai. And... I suppose the eyes, too.//
/Huh?/ He had forgotten about them.
"Oh, screw these!" He suddenly exclaimed, surprising them all. He pulled the magical contacts out, dropped them someplace random, and threw himself at Yami Bakura again, burying his face into his dark's chest.
/I didn't like them anyway./
His darker half silently agreed.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Okay, something weird is definitely going on here," Ron said to Harry, who was hiding behind another pillar some ten feet away. He pulled out his Extendable Ear and opened his mouth to speak. Harry held up his hand, indicating for the redhead to stop. There was a look of intense concentration as he listened intently to his own Extendable Ear. Then he beckoned for Ron to move over to his hiding spot. The other complied.
They were listening to a conversation outside. One that happened to be between their best friend and previous worst enemy.
"— so Malik was pretty much my first best friend here. Everyone else only respected me because of my name and my actions. On the first or second day, Malik approached me in the Slytherin common room late at knight. He told me to close my eyes. I did. There was a flash of golden light, and suddenly I was flying through old memories. Then I was back in the common room. I felt... different, somehow. There was a presence there before, one that I couldn't describe, but it was gone after that light.
"He explained that I had been controlled lightly by the Imperious Curse for my whole life, ever since I could understand basic concepts."
There was a small gasp from Hermione. But she remained silent after that, and Draco continued.
"I found out... that it was my father. He had been influencing my thoughts, my actions, my feelings. I remembered how I'd treated others before the curse was lifted. And I regretted every single thing I did. I don't want to become like him! I don't want to hurt innocents. I don't want... to become a Death Eater."
A sigh from Draco, and then, "The initiation for me is this summer. I will have become of age. Malik explained to me that my father does not yet know of the severed connection. I'll still have some time. Malik has been relating previous events of his past. His future, too, had been forced. But he fought, and escaped out of it. We are very much alike, Malik and I. More so, he has given me the strength to continue. He gave me a long lecture the other day..."
Draco chuckled.
"...about how I shouldn't just throw my life away after finding out about my father's deed. He told me that I needed to retaliate. He's given me hope, set an example for me. I will now try to become the best person I can. It won't matter if most still think that I'm still snobby, rude, and stuck up. Heck, all the Slytherins hate me now. Or, rather, they hate both Malik *and* me now. But I know that there will still be people that will give me a chance, despite my previous actions. Those people were Yugi, Ryou, and Seto for Malik. And of course, his sister, too. Now, in a place where his reputation hasn't gotten ahead of him, many others are treating him just fine. That is my goal. I have already found four people like that. Malik, and the very ones who helped Malik himself — Yugi, Ryou, and Seto. Although I don't have any family members who'll be like that, I'm sure that I can find some distant relatives that will let me in."
"No," said Hermione softly. Draco tensed. "No," she continued. "You have five people. Possibly more. There's Dumbledore, and all of the other professors, too. I'm sure Ron and Harry will consider you a friend once they know. You still have a chance, Draco. Malik is right. Just take that one chance and make it a reality."
"Thank you."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Ron stared at Harry, yanking both of their Extendable Ears out.
"Did you hear that?" Harry asked. Ron nodded feebly.
"Wow..." he said, having gained a new respect for Draco. "Poor bloke. Imagine... his own father..."
"Wait, Ron," Harry said suddenly. "Don't tell anyone about his, okay?" He looked down. "I... I have just have a feeling that Draco was going to tell us when he was ready, or something, so we shouldn't press any further."
Ron nodded. "Agreed."
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Look! They must be giving us a reward for all those exams! Hogsmeade trip tomorrow! No classes until Tuesday!"
"Yeah, I was wondering when I'd get to go to Honeyduke's next. I haven't been in Hogsmeade in ages!"
"I can't wait! I'm going over with some of my friends to have tea at Madam Puddifoot's. Wanna come?"
Excited chatter filled the Gryffindor common room the next day. Ryou was somewhere else at the moment. Malik groaned, his face falling into the open book in front of him.
"What're they going on about now?" he asked. "What's a Hogsmeade? And Madam Puddifoot's? That just sounds really gay."
"Oh, Hogsmeade is a town right next to Hogwarts. It's an entirely magical town full of all sorts of stuff! I just know you'll love it!" Hermione told him.
"Yeah, and there's this really great place called Honey—"
"Ron, don't start on that again," Harry smiled, giving his friend a little shake of his head.
"Well, Draco's told me a bit about this place..." Malik started. "I know! How about going together! I'll tell Draco later this afternoon."
Hermione bit her lip, making up her mind. "Actually, I need to talk to all of you," she said quietly. "Up in your dormitory, for more privacy, I think. You too, Ryou, Yugi."
*~*~*~*
"Okay, what is it?" asked Ron, after they'd all trooped up to the dormitory.
"First of all, Ron, I really want you to be nicer to Draco. He's a really great person, you know. I got to talk to him a little during the ball last night, and I just think... that he should get another chance."
Ron looked away, staring guiltily at somewhere above Dean's poster of the West Ham soccer team, before nodding and saying, "Alright."
"Second of all," Hermione went on, facing Yugi, Malik, and Seto, "I really think that you guys should tell us more. I mean, we've known each other ever since August, but you're still acting all secretive all the time. Please?" She looked into Yugi's eyes. They reflected the conflict that was going on inside his head. They didn't answer.
"Look, I've done quite a bit of research. Those gold items you have — they're Millennium Items, aren't they? Do you have... spirits inside them like the legends say?"
Yugi's eyes widened. Actually, they turned red. Hermione let out a sharp breath of surprise. Then he said, in a deep voice, "Where did you get that information from?"
"A — a really old book in the corner of the library. It was the only one in that section written partly in English... Wait... you're not Yugi!" She stared back at him, amazed. "So is it true?"
Yami admired this girl's determination and perseverance to seek out the answer. She had spunk, all right. And she'd actually discovered their secret. He took a step closer, studying her closely. Her gaze didn't falter. She didn't move a step. Yami turned around, having decided.
"Very well then. We will have to meet somewhere more enclosed. It is possible that someone will overhear us in the vicinity of the castle."
"Tomorrow," said Malik. Hermione's gaze fell on him. He and Seto didn't seem to change at all. "There is a small cave up beyond that town," he continued, his lavender eyes looking straight at her. "If you want to find out the truth, then arrive there by two. You do want to know, don't you?"
"Yes," came the firm reply.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"I should've known they'd find out. Hermione is very perceptive," Yami said. They were still in the dormitory, while the other three had gone back to the common room.
"Yes, but I think that it'll be better after they know. And we won't have to be so secretive, either," Malik mused.
"Like you were ever secretive before?" Yami asked, rolling his eyes. He sighed.
"Someone'll have to tell Ryou."
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hermione, I'm impressed," said Ron. "But how come you didn't tell us first?"
"Sorry, Ron," she sighed. "I guess it was a spur of the moment thing. I never did have any time to get to you first. But it just seemed like such a good opportunity."
"But the cave," Harry said thoughtfully. "How could they have known about it? I mean, since they've never been to Hogsmeade before, they shouldn't know about anything in it, much less the hiding spot. Most villagers don't even know about that."
"Ah, I don't know," said Ron, stretching. "Fancy a game of chess, Harry?"
*~*~*~*~*~*
Gasp! What's going to happen? Are they going to spill it all? What chaos is going to ensue at Hogsmeade? And do I detect a little Draco/Hermione? But the real question is, do you *want* Draco/Hermione? Send in your comments please!
Just to warn you, the next time I post is still unknown. I'm trying to get as much done as I can today, since I'm staying at home (I have the awful, evil flu). Uh, I hope you're still liking my story so far. The last thing I want to do is lose readers because of my inability to write.
And... I'd also like to ask again of you to review for each chapter, if you haven't done so already. It would really help me lots! Thanks to the people who've already done that, and cookies for everyone who's actually reviewed so far!
Thank you so much for all of your support. I really appreciate all of the um, 'constructive criticism' that some of you have given me, as well as the encouragement the rest of you have voiced in your reviews. I'll really try hard to bring out the next chapter soon!