Hello Everyone! I'm back~ I'm so terribly sorry, this story has been way over due for almost a year I think...Sorry! But I have good news! I've gotten a beta reader! (a really good one) and she has helped me with this chapter! (hence why it is so damn good!) soooo...Thank you soo much Stella Cadens for betaing my story!

Forlorn Promise

Crossover: Bleach/Harry Potter

Chapter five: The explination

Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach and/or Harry Potter

Beta Reader: Stella Cadens

.::Previously on "Forlorn Promises"::.

"State your rank." Hitsugaya commanded.

"Ano…Hai taichō!" The man answered and looked up, "Hayata Juro of the fifth division under Kobayashi-taichō unseated."

When he spoke of his captain's name his eyes became saddened for a brief moment. Anyone else would have missed it, but Hitsugaya, being an extremely analytical person, noticed the flash of sadness immediately.

"You came to this mission with your captain and two others. Where are they?" Yoruichi finally asked after a tense silence.

Hayata's eyes widened. A cat had just spoken! To him! Was he, perhaps, hallucinating?

That was when he remembered the rumors of one of the former captain's abilities to transform into a cat. Apparently they had been true.

It took a moment for him to process the earlier question (I've been told that it takes a while to get over the initial shock of being spoken to by a cat).

He looked away for a moment, his hands clenching.

Finally, his voice wavering, he softly "T-they were killed."

"What do you mean killed?" Yoruichi gasped, feline eyes widening.

The unseated shinigami gathered the fabric of his hakama, lowering his head to hide the tears running down his face. Hitsugaya stood still in front of the trembling man, his face blank and his eyes hiding any doubts. Inwardly, however, he was full of questions, questions about the authenticity of the crying man's statement. Had a highly experienced team of shinigami really have been so easily killed?

'Impossible' he thought, there were in total of four members in the group: one a captain, and all four coming from the same division...the 5th squad. 'The fifth division is known to have some of the most talented shinigami of the Seireitei, with even the weakest slightly above average. How is it possible for the entire team to die, especially with Kobayashi being the captain?' Toshirou wondered silently, feeling frustrated.

"W-we were attacked by Arrancars, when we were heading back to Seireitei." Juro explained sadly, "Taichou said that they couldn't find us in time, but they did. Yumi-chan and Fumio-san stayed with Kobayashi-taichou and I... I ran! I wanted to stay and help fight, but Taichou ordered me to go; she told me that someone had to take back the information to the Seireitei in case the rest of the team didn't make it back."

Juro used one hand to wipe away a stray as his other hand gripped on his hakama with anger and guilt. But as much as Hitsugaya pitied the other shinigami, his grieving was time consuming, and time was not meant to be wasted.

Hitsugaya opened his mouth in an effort to talk but only elicited an angry hiss from Yoruichi, she knew what he was thinking of doing and she did not approve of it.

Oblivious to the silent semi- conversation, Juro continued his explanation with a quivering voice, catching the other two death god's attention, "As soon as I heard screams I turned back. I had to, they were my partners, my friends. B-but I was too late; Yumi-chan and Fumio-san were..." he paused, unable to communicate the fact that two of his teammates were gone.

"What about Kobayashi-san?" Yoruichi asked, sounding worried.

Juro simply shook his head, "I didn't see Taichou, butI couldn't sense her spiritual pressure any longer. Now... now they're after me!"

"If they are after you? Why have you not tried to open a Senkaimon?" Hitsugaya questioned, his tone suspicious.

Juro's eyes lowered, a tinge of red rose from his already scarlet cheeks as he answered, "The Kido Corps opened one the day we were suppose to head back, but I didn't make it in time."

So... Juro was the only one remaining from the group that had been dispatched, that must've been the reason why Toshirou couldn't sense his spiritual pressure, its signal was almost completely blocked by the wizard's magic! Now that he had found him, it was time to return him to Seireitei safely. The young captain crossed his arms on his chest, his presence suddenly more commanding.

"Stand up and grab your sword!" he ordered, "You are under my responsibility now..." he muttered the last sentence to himself as Juro gingerly lifted his zanpakuto off the ground.

"Where are we going?" Juro asked then quickly added, "-Hitsugaya-taichou..."

"I'm going to keep you safe until I can get you back to Seireitei so that you can present your group's findings." Hitsugaya answered, his tone irritable.

"What? What about Kobayashi-taichou? She could still be alive! Aren't you going to look for her?" Juro questioned incredulously.

"No, your team has been missing for almost a month. The Seireitei hasn't received any distress calls or any signs of your team that shows they are actually still alive. My mission is to 'retrieve and retreat'. I've been ordered not to make exceptions." He answered, "I have a limited time here for my search, as far as I know I only have a few days left. If I did not find you within that time then a new group would be sent to do what your team did not finish."

The information he had told Juro was cruel, he knew it was but he could do nothing about it. Sasakibe debriefed Hitsugaya before he could leave for his mission. He had told Hitsugaya that due to the possibility that the team did not survive the attack, he was to take over their mission. You see, Toshirou was the 'new group' sent to gather information, and if there were any personnel still alive then they were to be brought back to Seireitei.

"...So if I had been caught by the Arrancars, I wouldn't have been rescued either..." Juro trailed numbly, a horrified expression dawning on his tear-stained face.

The young captain contemplated what had just been said. He then looked at the man, his expression softening slightly, "No, a rescue team would be too difficult to put together . We lost too many during the previous war with Aizen, and our troops have been drastically depleted."

They were not ready for another war with Aizen, not yet. With so many soldiers either dead or incapacitated it would be suicide to allow the only capable ones into battle, especially considering how few there were in the first place.

Juro frowned before nodding hesitantly, his eyes sad. He may have understood Hitsugaya's reasoning, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Come on, it's time to go." Hitusgaya commanded, his voice echoing loudly in the tense silence, "If the Arrancars are after you now, they will be close by."

With cold teal eyes, the young captain glared a death glare at Juro; the man that had mistakenly elbowed Hitsugaya's head as they, with Yoruichi tightly secured in the prodigy's arms and Juro in the lead, walked through the extremely crowded Diagon Alley.

Juro, either avoiding the captain's eyes or just completely ignoring Hitsugaya, continued away, leaving the captain in a rather aggravated mood. Remembering that Hitsugaya was following him with a start, Juro looked over his hunched shoulder to see if Hitsugaya was still in sight.

Due to the fact that Juro had lost his gigai during the attack on them they needed a way to keep his zanpakuto hidden. It had been lucky enough to have the appearance of a lightweight short sword nevertheless it still had to be covered. They found a tattered old black cloak back at the warehouse and wound it around the zanpakuto. Now it rode on Juro's back safely secured instead of its normal position on his waist. Hitsugaya looked at his handwork of trying to conceal the sword but frowned even more if possible. It still, in his opinion wasn't properly hidden and he had hoped that the wizards would not notice the elongated object dangling on the taller shinigami's back, which was suspiciously shaped as a sword. He doubted that the wizards would find it common for someone to even have a sword, a wand yes... but a sword... no.

His Shihakushō wasn't much of a problem to hide, it bear the resemblance of the robes that the wizards were wearing. Hitsugaya in the other hand did not fit in with his normal clothes or as he heard some whisper as he past them muggle clothes.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Hitsugaya asked loudly above the roaring crowd and ducking to avoid another elbow to the head.

"H-hai, Taichou; this path leads directly back to the Leaky Cauldron." Juro answered back before pausing, awaiting for the crowd in front of him to part so that he could walk by.

The young captain let out an impatient grumble from his throat and closed his eyes, the over crowded-streets, the intoxicating smell in the air and the loud overlapping voices of the people were giving the captain a migraine.

Five minutes! It had been five minutes since they had left the empty warehouse and it had only took these people five minutes to create a headache that was equally as annoying as one of Matsumoto's headaches.

"The sooner I get out of this place the bet- ACK!" a strong force hurdled towards him and slammed against his left shoulder, hard. He shut his eyes tightly as he felt the hard sharp contact of the ground on his petite body. There was a cracked scream that followed after him and with a grunt as the offensive person fell in front of Hitsugaya.

Teal eyes snapped open and his right hand quickly went to aid his shoulder, it stung but only momentarily before his eyes trailed to the scattered pile of books that surrounded a ginger haired boy.

"Bloody hell..." the boy moaned with a following hiss when he gingerly fingered his arm. His head tilted upwards to reveal angry blue eyes, the two boy's eyes made contact and the disbelieving look in their eyes turned into angry glares.

"Watch where you're going!" the both hissed simultaneously at each other, both glaring resentfully towards one another.

Hitsugaya's brows knitted tightly together in a scowl as the boy gritted his teeth angrily.

"Look where I'm going? Look what you made me do!" the boy barked, motioning at the scattered books on the ground. Abruptly, he began to pick them up before the people that were passing by wouldn't step on them.

Hitsugaya only let out a dark growl in response before getting up and dusting the dirt off of his clothes. He felt the boy's eyes back on him and reciprocated with his own reproachful glare.

"What?" he snapped

"Well, aren't you suppose to be apologizing?" the carrot top snapped back.

"Why should I apologize? You're the one that wasn-" he paused as he felt a tug on his leg. He looked down just in time to see Yoruichi jump towards him, she crawled up his arm and nuzzled her nose in his hair close to his ear.

"That's enough Hitsugaya!" she hissed quietly in Japanese into his ear, "If you haven't noticed, Juro has disappeared!"

Hearing this, his eyes immediately scanned the crowded streets for the subordinate, but there truly was no sign of him! Hitsugaya's free hand gripped to a tight fist of annoyance. How was he suppose to get Juro back to the Soul Society safely when he can barely keep track of him? It would have been easier to track him down with his spiritual pressure, but with the interference of 'magic' the spiritual pressure was weak, too weak to be traced.

"Che, I don't have time for this!" the young captain muttered in his native language, his expression exasperated.

"What was that?" the ginger-haired boy said upon hearing Hitsugaya mutter something in a different dialect, of which he was suspecting to be something about him.

Teal eyes returned their back to glaring at the red-head with annoyance and anger. "I said," Hitsugaya replied in English, "I don't have time for this trivial nonsense."

"T-trivial?" the carrot-top sputtered indignantly, obviously offended.

Hitsugaya didn't bother with a reply, he'd already wasted enough time with the child instead of using the time to search for Juro. Instead he stepped to the side and hustled past the irritating boy. By this time, the taller boy managed to scoop up the pile of books and step away from the passing people as he watched the albino walk away in disbelief.

"Hey!" the boy shouted at Hitsugaya's retreating figure

Hitsugaya closed his eyes in irritation; he knew the boy was following him. He was determined to find Juro before he got himself into more trouble.

CRASH!

Instinctively Hitsugaya snapped around to what the noise was but relaxed when he saw the ginger once again crashed into yet another person, this time into a bleach blonde boy who wore the same robes but with distinctive green linings.

"You'll pay for that, Weasley!" the new victim of the clumsy red-head snapped, glaring at said boy.

Hitsugaya turned around, now that he was rid of that annoyance, it was time for him to continue in his search.

He had searched the entire Alley for the shinigami, even back at the warehouse!

Despite this, Hitsugaya still couldn't find Juro. How was it even possible, with his keen eyes and captain abilities to not find the man?

With a sigh, Hitsugaya leaned against a store wall, one arm draped on his chest while the other leaned against the aforementioned wall, pinching the bridge of his nose to ease the monumental headache building between his eyes.

Yoruichi had jumped up on the sill of the display window of one Magical Menagerie. The watchful eyes of caged pet animals stared at the ex-captain disguised unnervingly as a black cat in suspicion.

She had stayed with Hitsugaya instead of running off like what she usually would've done, her reasoning being that she didn't want to be murdered by the child captain hat was already irritated with tracking Juro.

Thump! A shiver ran up the former-captain-turned-cat's body at the sound of the glass behind her. Irritably, she turned her head slowly at the window behind her with half-lidded amber eyes to see the faces of the cat-like creatures pushing onto the glass close to her. As she took a few steps to the side, the faces followed, sliding against the glass. She took a few steps more and still they followed, she hissed and the animals just licked the window. An audible shiver ran back up her body again, now she was disturbed; very very disturbed.

Just then a familiar black ruffle of hair reflected by the window caught the Amber eyed shinigami, instantly she turned around and eyes widened

"Toushirou!" She called on the white haired captain

But, as she glanced up at the captain he had already spotted the walking figure. The person was tall yet his back hunched slightly, teary red eyes and an oddly shaped object tied to his back. Teal eyes squinted and brows crinkled together, he pushed off from the wall and Yoruichi followed, glad to be away from the display window of unnerving felines.

Hitsugaya did not stop for the people that were passing by and marched towards the man. He then noticed a crowd of flaming red-haired people walked with him, the plump, motherly woman was even conversing with him!

"Hayata..." he growled, mimicking the same growl that he would always use on Matsumoto.

The man in question stopped his long strides and, with wide eyes, he met the glare of the captain.

"T-taichou..." He quivered nervously.

"What is the meaning of th- is that ice cream?" The young captain voiced his anger, a cold hiss coming into his tone.

Juro looked down at the half eaten cone and quickly hid it behind his back, which, in turn, only made the young captain more angry.

"Taichou...t-this isn't... w- What I mean is- when we-" He finally stopped his incoherent mumbling, dropping on his knees as he bowed his head, the half finished ice cream cone long forgotten in his anxiety.

"Gomenasai, Hitsugaya Taichou!" He apologized loudly, surprising the redheads as well as the aforementioned captain.

Yoruichi, deciding that the situation was getting out of hand, crept up the Juro and leaned close to his ear, "That's a little over-dramatic, don't you think, Juro? And I don't think Toushirou enjoys the attention you're drawing."

Juro looked up to see the irritation etched on the captain's face and the curious glances of the people passing by the scene. Quickly, he stumbled back on his feet, his face glowing bright red with his embarrassment. He then attempted to apologize once more with a deep bow before being cut off by the captain before he could ask for forgiveness.

"Do you know how long I've been looking for you? All of that time wasted..." surely Juro would have noticed by now that time was important to the young captain. He then bowed his head more than even possible, "Gomenasai Taichou."

"Hey!" a voice attracted all three shinigami as a familiar boy from the redheaded group stepped up. Hitsugaya did a double take before grimacing in annoyance.

"Not him again..." the captain grumbled impatiently.

"You again! What do you think your doing picking on Juro?" the red-head asked darkly, his tone promising death.

"Ronald!" The plump woman reprimanded in a motherly tone. It didn't stop him. The taller boy continued to approach Hitsugaya, only to stop when an arm slipped between him and the captain.

"Please, Ronald-san, he has all the right to be angry at me." Juro explained, "I've cost nothing but trouble to Tai- him."

"Oh? You must be Juro's little friend that he's been searching for since you got lost!" The motherly woman exclaimed.

"Lost? I wasn't the one who got lost." Hitsugaya grumbled, folding his arms as he glared at the subordinate.

"But, Taichou...you were following me," Juro started weakly in Japanese, avoiding Hitsugaya's eyes, "So... technically, you got lost...sir..."

Hitsugaya opened his mouth to retort angrily but snapped it shut and hitched his shoulders up in annoyance.

"Che, Just get me out of here now!" he demanded hotly, cool facade quickly fading.

"Hai, Taichou." Juro answered with a slightly brighter tone, and turned to the plump woman once more.

"Weasley- san, if it wouldn't be a bother..." he trailed off.

"Oh? Oh! Of course dearie, I do say we might as well be off too." she answered with a sweet smile, casting a glare at her son.

And with that the group of redheads started to walk away, Hitsugaya had started in the opposite direction from them but Juro had motioned him to follow.

"Why are we following them?" Hitsugaya demanded

"They are leading the way back to the Leaky Cauldron..." Juro whispered, hunching just a tad lower just so he could whisper it to the captain

Hitsugaya gave him a questioning look, "I thought that you know how to get back to the Leaky Cauldron?"

"I do! But to get 'back' into the Leaky Cauldron we need a wand to open the wall. So that the Weasley's wouldn't be suspicious I told them that we are muggle-borns and we lost our guide, who was the only one in our group with a wand, Molly-san offered to open the way to the Leaky Cauldron once we found you." Juro explained quietly.

Hitsugaya remembered now, the barkeeper, Tom, had opened up the courtyard wall by tapping his wand on the bricks. He let out a quick 'hmm' then snapped his eyes at the red-headed brat who had been glaring at him for quite a while. It was beginning to irritate him.

Hitsugaya was relieved when they reached the enchanted wall, that child was annoying. The ginger-haired woman- whom Hitsugaya concluded to be the mother of the carrot-topped bunch- briskly walked up to the wall, tapping in the same motion that he remembered Tom had done.

The wall grumbled and the bricks began to clear a way back into the familiar courtyard. Hitsugaya was the last to exit, and, as soon as he stepped into the courtyard, the bricks moved back to their original placements.

As they all entered the door that lead into the old pub, Hitsugaya felt relief flood over him.

"My, my, Mr. Heyta," the barkeeper said jovially as he approached the taller shinigami, completely mispronouncing the shinigami's name, "I thought you would never come back and my, my, little Fuyuki how ar- oh, Toeshiru? What happened to little Fuyuki and the other two?"

Juro froze on his spot at being reminded about his teammates, he couldn't answer, he couldn't even move!

"They've gone home." Hitsugaya swiftly lied, his voice extremely convincing.

Tom let out an 'oh' then turned to Juro who only nodded, then Hitsugaya turned and walked up to Mrs. Weasley.

"Thank you for the guide back, Weasley-san." he stated with a respectful bow.

He motioned Juro over with a helpful nudge to the taller shinigami from Yoruichi. Surely enough, Juro followed but only bowed with no voiced appreciation.

He then silently lead Hitsugaya up the stairs, Yoruichi in tow. Previously, Juro had mentioned that his previous team, along with him, had gotten a room from the Leaky Cauldron. Hitsugaya hadn't really asked how, but he would later.

Once up the stairs, a still silent Juro lead Hitsugaya into the room labeled '10'.

The room was practically empty, with a large window sadly lacking a good view, and two unkempt beds and either sides of the room. Candy wrappers and paper were scattered on the floor. Hitsugaya grunted at the unkempt room of their's, but kept quiet nonetheless.

This was a time to be tactful, and, considering the depressed state that Juro had retreated to, this was thetime.

"Juro..." Hitsugaya ordered in an uncharacteristically gentle tone, attempting to ease Juro's depression. "...get some rest."

"Hai, Taichou." answered the unhappy shinigami before shuffling towards the bed to the left.

Yoruichi then walked over to Hitsugaya, who had made his way over to the window. He reached into his pocket and picked out the silver mobile phone. Impatiently, he flipped it open to see whether there was a connection or not. He had tried to use it while at Diagon alley but all he got was no connection and strange stares from the people who had passed by.

But now it was working perfectly fine, unlike before.

"What are you going to do now, Toshirou?" Yoruichi asked after jumping on the windowsill.

Hitsugaya pressed the dials which beeped to his each touch, "I'm calling the Soul Society if I can even get a signal and then ask for Juro to get picked up and then I'll continue to look for the Arrancars." he stated

He held the cellphone to his ear and heard the dial tone awaiting for someone to pick up.

"Moshi moshi, this is Ka-" a hand flung towards the phone, grabbing it out of the young captain's hand and throwing it against the wall

By instinct, Hitsugaya grabbed hold of the other hand and threw the person against the ground with a loud 'thud'. He then kneed the man on the stomach to secure him onto the ground in a firm hold.

"What is the meaning of this, Hayata?" He growled at the subordinate under hi

"Please Hitsugaya-Taichou don't send me back to Seireitei! Not yet!" Juro begged desperately, "I-I want to stay and look for my captain!"

Hitsugaya lightened his grip on the man and got up, letting go of him as he got to his feet gracefully. He then glided over to where his phone had been thrown, "Don't be ridiculous, you're going back to Seireitei."

Juro sprawled back to his feet and flash stepped between Hitsugaya and the phone spreading his arms out defensively, "Please Taichou, I know Kobayashi-taichou is alive! I want to find her!"

Tears began to swell from the traumatized man's eyes, "Kobayashi-taichou was always a nice to me, she was nice to everyone. No matter how much times I messed up she always had confidence in me! I can't just leave her now knowing she might be alive. Please, Hitsugaya-taichou, let me stay! Just until we find her!"

Hitsugaya was motionless for a moment, and Juro had thought maybe he had changed his mind, but, with a flash step of his own, Hitsugaya reappeared behind Juro.

"Bakudō Sai, number one!" He chanted and, almost immediately, Juro had returned to the ground, arms behind his back in an invisible hold.

Hitsugaya went over to pick up the phone and looked back at Juro while he dialed in the numbers once more. His eyes were avoiding the young captain's as tears began to slide from them.

"What makes you so sure that you can find Kobayashi-san?" Hitsugaya asked as he waited for someone to pick up once more, "It took us weeks to find you."

Finally Juro's eyes shifted to Hitsugaya's.

"I know I can find her...because," Juro grunted with conviction, "We know where and when the arrancars are planning to attack the wizards and Kobayashi-taichou would never let them have their way. She'll be there."

Hitsugaya stiffened and stared back at the bound man.

"Moshi Moshi, This is Kamui Miharu speaking." The voice answered at last.

But Hitsugaya did not reply, his grip on the phone tightening.

'Damn it!'

"This is Hitsugaya Toushirou captain of the tenth division," He started finally, "I've gotten a lead on my mission so I'm asking for an extension. Have Sasakibe call me back "

And with that he shut the phone and released Juro from his invisible bindings. He headed back to the window, passing Juro. The taller man was slowly massaging the feeling back to his wrists, wincing.

"You better be right about this Hayata." Toushirou said as he placed himself on the windowsill next to Yoruichi.

Juro looked up at Hitsugaya and with a genuine smile he nodded, "Hai, Taichou!"

Yoruichi purred a chuckle and placed herself in the child- turned- shinigami's lap, "Breaking rules now, are we Toushirou?"

Hitsugaya only grunted.