Chapter Fourteen: Purebloods Invade Muggle London

Sleepy contentment coursed through Harry's veins as sunlight poured into drapery covered windows. The light cast a soft glow across his bedroom. Fixated on the sunbeams, Harry tried to recall the last time he'd slept in and just laid in bed. His normal now included waking before the roosters crowed as Sensei blew a whistle in his ear. Yet, this morning Sensei let him skip training.

Why? Despite, returning from Greengrass Manor past midnight, he still expected Sensei to continue their training regime. Surprised, but grateful for the reprieve, Harry jumped in the shower and quickly dressed in a t-shirt and shorts before rushing to the kitchen still fastening earrings in his ears.

May waited for him, her long elf fingers typing away at a modified tablet computer. The table had been set for breakfast and there was a bowl of porridge, fruit, and juice awaiting him. Harry slid gratefully in his seat.

"May, you are amazing."

May, used to him by now, just smiled, and handed him his mail. "Everything is arranged for your trip to Harrods, Master Harry. Emil will be outside the Leaky Cauldron with the limo. I'll have several personal shoppers waiting outside the restaurant for you once you're done with tea."

"Wicked. Were you able to get in touch with Luna?"

"Yes, she'll be there."

"Great. Anything I should know?"

"You should buy Madame Bones a gift while you're out." Harry cocked his head in question. "Now that it's known you aren't with the Dursleys wizards are contesting your guardianship and demanding to know where you're staying and who holds your custody. According to Dobby's sources," which Harry took to be the House Elf information network. Really, did wizards think house elves never gossiped. "Some wizards hope to gain favor and political capital by being the guardian of the Boy-Who-Lived." Harry looked horrified at the thought. "They won't get anywhere Master," May soothed. "You are a royal ward, no one can trump that, and your files are sealed by Royal Decree. No magic can override a royal seal. They won't even know why they can't override it."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "I assume Dumbledore is in the horde?"

"Yes. He knows he can't interfere directly so he is using others. Lord Black ignores him. Molly Weasley is willing, but Arthur Weasley refuses to allow her to be involved." Harry grinned at that information. "So Dumbledore is using the Diggorys and the McMillians. The DMLE has been swamped and Madame Bones is under a lot of pressure, hence the gift. Master, I'd suggest you keep your status as a royal ward secret for now, even from your friends."

Harry nodded in agreement. "How are the projects com . . ."

Sensei walked in the room, Harry did a double take. Well if doing a double take entailed staring at someone with your mouth hanging open in complete and utter disbelief. Used to seeing Sensei in workout clothes or immaculate three-piece suits, his head of security was a complete shock to the senses. Sensei wore distressed gray jeans with a thick black and silver Goth belt and an expensive looking stretched t-shirt. His hair, usually pulled back in a ponytail was now parted down the middle and hanging free. Silky, jet black strands hung down over his shoulders reaching his chest. Sensei's goatee and five o'clock shadow were gone. Clean-shaven his normally androgynous features looked even more prominent. Heck, he even carried a bag that looked like a purse. If Harry didn't know how bad ass Sensei was, he would have seriously underestimated the man.

Harry, in shock blurted out the first thing that popped into his head. "You look like a bloody girl."

"And you sound suspiciously like my father only with an English accent," Sensei quipped uncaring, so sure of masculinity that Harry had to admire the man.

Sensei sat at the table and May served him a substantial meal of boiled rice, miso soup, pickled vegetables, grilled fish, and a Japanese omelette roll. If Harry hadn't known he was on his way to afternoon tea, he'd be jealous.

Harry looked at May questioningly.

"Miss Rachel is setting up her workroom in the wing we'll be using for the exhibit," May continued their conversation seamlessly. "We're taking applications for the curator of the automobile museum and managed to get Godric's Hollow off the National Registry. I'll be working with Mr. Santori, your contractor to turn it into an orphanage. I've met with Brenda Jameson, a muggleborn witch who operates an underfunded charity home in muggle London near the Leaky Cauldron. She has twelve kids and is excited about the new home and student scholarships, especially for the ones who don't get into Hogwarts."

"I'd like to see the house in Godric's Hollow before anyone else goes in." Harry mumbled.

May nodded her ears dropping sadly. "Of course, master."

"Take Lord Black when you go," Sensei said to Harry's surprise.

"Huh?" He answered inarticulately.

"He can tell you things about the home, your parents' life, your life before they died no one else could. It'll be a hard trip and you should go with someone who has a connection with your family."

"I'll think about it," he mumbled. He saw Sensei's point but was shocked he made it, especially after the way he threatened the man.

"That's all I'm asking."

Seeing there was nothing else, May popped out.

"So," Harry drawled out, intensely curious and desperate to change the subject, "big plans?"

"Yes."

Harry tried again. "What'cha doing?"

"Trying to eat my breakfast and ignore a nosy teenager."

Harry pouted. "Not fair, you always know where I am."

"Yes I do," Sensei replied completely unfazed. "Fortunate for me and unfortunate for you I am not thirteen."

Harry sat back in his seat, muttering under his breath, and sulking for several minutes.

"Yeah I know. Sucks to be you. Take a couple bites of food before you leave, brat."

Still sulking, Harry took a bite of the porridge. "You let me sleep in."

"I tried to wake you," Sensei said dryly. "You were dead to the world and babbling in your sleep. I decided to leave you be since you've been working so hard."

"You're a softie," Harry grinned making Sensei snort. "Who am I with today besides Emil?"

"Haruhisa and Kris, they're already at the Leaky."

Harry nodded and rose from the table. "Enjoy your Harry free day. Maybe you should wear that outfit when you meet Kingsley."

Harry managed to catch the pear lobbed in his direction.

"Have fun brat and eat the pear."

Giggling, Harry waved and stepped through the floo, stepping out at the Leaky Cauldron. He was the last to arrive and everyone sat around the table waiting. To Harry's surprised they were all dressed in acceptable muggle clothes. Neville of course already had clothes, but the boys all wore khaki's and polo shirts and the girls wore skirts and blouses.

"I'm impressed, not a bad job with the clothes."

Hannah laughed. "My mum is muggleborn, she transfigured our robes."

"She did an amazing job, are you guys ready. I have a car waiting."

"I've seen cars before," Blaise said skeptically. "They look small. Will we all fit?"

"Trust me."

As if they were performing in a play, every single Slytherin rose an eyebrow in perfect precision at Harry's words. Bloody, suspicious Slytherins. Chuckling, Harry grabbed Luna's hand, and headed to the exit that led to muggle London. Everyone gasped upon seeing the white stretch limo sitting at the curb.

"Cool huh. I have several of these. They're mostly in black, white, and pink."

"Pink?" Daphne asked amused.

Before Harry could answer, Emil opened the door for everyone to slide in. Harry gave Emil a hug before getting inside the limo, relishing the gobsmacked expression on everyone's faces as they came in contact with the lavish interior.

"Pink is the most requested color from brides after black and white. This is the tamest of the limo's I own. I didn't want to freak you guys out too much."

"This is tame," Blaise asked incredulously, staring at the grey and beige custom leather sofas that wrapped around one side of the vehicle and the fully stocked bar and televisions that lined the other side.

"Yeah. Most of the others have lighted floors, sofas in crazy psychedelic colors, and massive flat screen televisions too. But, my most popular is a pink limo with a lighted floor and dancing pole in the middle. Brides seem to love it for some reason; they always request it for bridal parties." Harry shrugged.

"Brides?" Tracey asked.

"Castle Potter, my ancestral home, is a muggle tourist attraction. One of the most famous in the U.K. Mum transformed the property after she married my dad when she saw we had that big empty castle the family wasn't using as its primary home any longer. Muggles pay to take guided historical tours through the public areas. We also host events like weddings, conferences, business meetings as well as have shops where we sell things that are grown and created on the farm and greenhouses."

"Its amazing guys, you should see it," Neville said.

"So you're a business mogul in the muggle world as well as the magical one," Theo mused thoughtfully. "Do you make a good profit?"

Harry shrugged. "Several million galleons after salaries and expenses," Harry answered only to laugh at the expression on their faces. "See muggles aren't so bad now are they? You just have to know how to navigate in their world."

"I'd love to see how Castle Potter was turned into a business enterprise," Theo said. There were murmurs of agreement all around.

"My schedule is pretty packed until you guys go back to Hogwarts. It'll have to be during a Hogsmeade weekend or a day during Winter holidays. I'll get back with you and send out invitations for a tour. Is that okay?"

Everyone nodded. Since, Harrods was only a couple of miles from Charring Cross Road, they got there fairly quick. Harry didn't even have time to slide in a movie. Maybe he'd invite them to stay the night at the castle for a sleep over and movie night. They could always watch Star Wars, because really, you could never have too much Star Wars in your life.

Satisfied with his plans, Harry exited the vehicle and helped the ladies out, chuckling at the amazed look on the pureblood's faces once they viewed the five-acre department store for the first time.

"Wow, what muggles do without magic." Terry Boot breathed.

"Wait until you see inside."

Harry gave his friends a leisurely tour of each floor of the department store until they reached the fourth floor and the Georgian restaurant. The maître d jumped to attention the moment Harry walked in.

"Lord Potter, it's an honor, your assistant rang to inform us you'd be arriving soon. We have everything set up for you."

"Thank you. I appreciate the effort."

The man smiled and led them to a huge circular table at the center of the massive restaurant. Classical music from the piano and tuxedo clad player led a soothing quality to the place. The chandeliers and massive vases filled with flowers added a touch of elegance. Waiters stood by ready to seat them, and they were offered a variety of teas to taste and sample. After everyone had selected their first tea to sample, the waiters returned with large platters of freshly made sandwiches and scones with creams and preserves. The purebloods, with their exquisite manners, made sure to compliment the servers on their excellent service. This surprised Harry and further destroyed any preconceived notions he might have remaining regarding purebloods and their treatment of people they considered beneath them.

Everyone had a great time chatting and getting to know each other outside of the Hogwarts house system. Harry was pleased with how everyone treated Luna. He had expected snide comments and annoyed looks, but they were extremely tolerant and even indulgent of Luna's quirks. And Harry found himself feeling guilty, because a small part of him realized that one of the reasons he invited Luna, besides loving her company, was to see how the purebloods reacted to her. If they were awful that would justify him not letting them in and he could stop being friendly with them. Merlin, he was pathetic.

"We're purebloods," Theo, who sat next to Harry said while leaning over to whisper in Harry's ear. Startled out of his thoughts, Harry jerked and looked at Theo in confusion.

"Huh?"

"As purebloods we know the Lovegood family's history and can guess what happened to her. Besides, she's a pureblood from a magically powerful, if not extremely eccentric family. Most of us just leave her alone. Muggleborns, half-bloods, and purebloods who haven't been trained in wizarding traditions and family history are the ones who call her names and steal her belongings, not us."

Harry's eyes narrowed and his body went ridged. "Steal her things?"

Theo nodded.

"And the teachers don't stop it?" Theo snorted in response. Harry sighed. "Of course not, stupid question. I'm tempted to just blow up the castle."

Theo laughed. "You're not the only one."

Several of the customers, well-known business executives, celebrities, and members of the English gentry stopped to say hello to Harry, including Dan McCaw the rugby player who was marrying the annoying supermodel. Harry made a face when he recognized the man's name.

"My condolences," Harry was sure the man was insane. She hadn't even been that good looking.

Mr. McCaw laughed. "She's not that bad, she's just in bridezilla mode at the moment, and even that hasn't been too bad since you knocked her down to size and we had to find another venue."

"I'm sorry about that, but I cannot accept rudeness to my staff, especially toward someone who has worked with my family since my father was a child. Jouri has built my family's brand to what it is today."

He smiled. "I understand."

"Good luck."

The rugby star laughed again and walked away. Once he left Harry explained what happened by comparing Dan McCaw to a Quidditch star and his finance to a bratty veela. The purebloods were awed by how much responsibility his house elves had and their function in his life, so he explained what his mother had done, how dedicated his elves were, and how that transformed into profit for his family. They had an interesting debate on house elves role in wizarding society, which Harry thought he had won. After all, his methods of valuing them and giving them more responsibilities obviously panned out for him and his family. Purebloods it seemed, were able to concede defeat and get over their prejudices quickly if they profited from it.

After desserts that included tasty macaroons and lemon meringue pie, Harry paid the bill and led everyone to the doors where several personal shoppers waited. A woman in a smart business suit stepped forward.

"Lord Potter, it's good to see you again."

"Thank you for coming. Since we're a big group, I figured we'd split up into boys and girls. While the boys are outfitted the girls can get their hair done and facials and vice versa. Is that possible?"

"Of course."

Harry turned to the girls. "This is my friend Daphne, see how she looks uncomfortable in her outfit. She's very posh, elegant, conservative."

"Grace Kelly," a stylist said looking at the poised blonde.

Harry beamed. "Exactly, classic. Daphne's not casual and she'll need something when we go to the amusement park." He pointed to Luna. "Luna is a free spirit, a flower child. Hannah's earthy, a mother hen, but fierce. Susan is a business women, fierce but delicate, country casual, the titled socialite who has her own business on the side. Tracey is posh, like Daphne, but where Daphne is old fashioned, Tracey is more trendy."

The woman smiled. "You're good at this. The boys?"

"Neville's cool, so we can skip him. Blaise is GQ and Italian Vogue, Theo is elegant but a rebel with a cause. Terry is the quirky intellectual, but he has an edge. Ernie's totally upper crust school boy prep."

"Well if you and the boys will follow my colleagues to the lower ground floor to the men's wear, I will escort the ladies to the beauty salon."

"Thank you." He stepped up to her and whispered in her ear. "Put it on my account."

"Of course, sir."

Several hours later, everyone had new clothes and makeovers, even had gotten haircuts, facials, and massages. The experience made Harry see why the wives were looking forward to visiting the spa. It had been a great day and Harry was surprised with how much he enjoyed himself.

"Do you guys have to get back," Harry asked.

Neville scowled. "Don't you have tests tomorrow? Shouldn't you be revising?"

"If I see another textbook, I'll scream. I'd rather go on a bus tour of London after we grab a snack."

Everyone looked to Luna whose normally scraggy hair now fell down to her waist in soft waves. She tilted her head and stared at Harry, her eyes going out of focus for a moment.

"Harry will do fine. His history is bad, but that's Professor Binn's fault. He'll take his O.W.L.s early."

Harry hooted. "See! Are you coming?"

Everyone nodded eagerly. Harry turned huge puppy dog eyes to his personal shopper who laughed.

"I will arrange it, maybe you and your friends will enjoy waiting at the Disney Café?"

Harry grinned evilly. "You are awesome. That's a great idea. They'll either love it or want to gouge their eyes out with their forks. We'll be waiting."

"Should we be scared," Blaise asked wryly.

Harry cackled. "Very."

With a bounce to his step, holding Luna's hand as he skipped through Harrods, Harry led them to the Disney Café. The brightly colored restaurant was filled with parents of young kids and workers dressed in elaborate costumes wandering around the room interacting with the children who either ate or ran around inside the play area. Annoyingly cheerful music blared loudly from speakers. Their party was quickly escorted to a table, where the girls ordered salads and the boys sandwiches.

"I would've loved coming here as a child," Hannah said excitedly as Belle walked by in her famous yellow ball gown and Captain Hook ran around the room chasing Peter Pan.

"They have a room where you can dress up like a storybook Princess and have your pictures taken. You girls should do it."

Excited squeals erupted from the girls although Daphne's glare in his direction promised murder. Harry winked back.

"I assume these are characters from muggle children stories?" Blaise asked.

"A watered down version, yes. The originals are just as weird as Beedle the Bard, but few non-magicals read the stories in the original form nowadays because the watered down, more child friendly versions are littered across pop culture."

Theo's eyes shone with greed and with the calculated gimlet look he exchanged with Blaise, Harry would bet half his fortune that a wizarding version of the Disney Café would be opening in Diagon Alley in a few years.

After they ate several family sized Knickerbocker Glories were placed on the table. He ended up sharing his with Luna which was far better than getting Dudley's left overs. Which reminded Harry he hadn't had a Knickerbocker Glory since that fateful trip to the zoo. That was something he was going to have to rectify immediately. They were delicious.

"Are you having a good time, Luna?"

Luna beamed. "The best Harry, thank you for including me. I've bought a lot of stuff. Did you know they have a whole floor devoted to pants?"

Harry went into his shorts and pulled out the band to his white satin pants.

"I've become addicted to satin."

Luna grabbed at Harry's pants and rubbed her fingers against the fabric.

"Silky, I prefer lace, you should try it. Sexy."

"You think," Harry looked up to see everyone gaping at them. "What?"

"I can see why you two are friends," Theo said. "You are perfect for each other."

"Don't be jealous Theo," Luna said in that airy voice of hers. "Harry would rather jump your bones than mine."

Neville snorted.

"Luna, I haven't figured that out yet," Harry said patiently. "I saw a woman I went gaga over the other day. I haven't done that with a guy yet. Besides Sensei said you could probably see several different futures for me."

Luna waved her hand dismissingly. "Yes of course I can, but you made your choice and all the others versions are unlikely to happen now." Harry was surprised at how normal Luna sounded. Annoyed but normal. "They were bad anyway. This one is much better. It all changed your future and the futures of most everyone our age at Hogwarts several weeks ago, probably when you found out about your inheritance."

Harry knew he shouldn't ask, Sensei warned him not to, but he couldn't help himself. "What were the other futures?"

Luna shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself, her voice taking on a distant, eerie quality as if she weren't really at the table with them, but absorbed in a future that horrified her. "In the clearest one, some of us at this table wouldn't have made it much past seventeen. I was captured and tortured. All of us would've been scarred by what we saw and did. We became child soldiers, fighting when the adults buried their heads in the sand. You and I still became friends, but it was several years from now and it was a different type of friendship, not as strong. Ginny is a very jealous, controlling person, kind of like her mother so you didn't have any friends besides Ron and Hermione. The only others who managed to slip in were me and Neville. At least you and Ginny named your daughter after me. That bit was nice."

Harry gaped. "Ginny! I marry Ginny. Was I drugged?"

The purebloods all snorted into their drinks.

"No. You did what everyone expected you to do. And the Weasley's, expected you to marry Ginny. You were too afraid of losing your friends and disappointing the people you considered family that you ignored your needs. You never learned what you know now. You were still ignorant about the wizarding world and your inheritance. Plus in your ignorance, you had totally offended the goblins and they did nothing to assist you or inform you of important matters." She shrugged. "People took advantage of your ignorance." Luna's eyes cleared as if she were coming out of a trance. And as if she hadn't spoken, as if she hadn't just delivered such a devastating future, she leaned across Harry to smile at Theo. "Theodore, you should ask me to Hogsmeade."

Theo flushed. "You'll only be a second year."

"The Weasley twins aren't the only ones who know the secret passageways out of Hogwarts."

Harry chuckled and the tension at the table lessened as everyone began joking and talking again. Iris, his personal shopper returned to tell him that the bus was ready.

By the time Harry finished the bus tour of London and made his way back to Castle Potter it was almost dinnertime. Harry went to the kitchen excited to see Sensei had everything out to prepare somen, his favorite. Harry eagerly washed his hands to help.

"What are we making with the somen?"

"I've got some lobsters, oysters, and mushrooms."

"Sounds awesome."

"Clean the lobster claws for me and put them in a pot to boil while you tell me about your day."

Harry eagerly complied and had Sensei laughing at the purebloods reactions to the muggle world. With great conversation and fast hands, they found themselves eating about forty minutes later. After dinner, Sensei brought out an amazing looking orange cake drizzled with glaze that the Castle Potter pastry elves made for them. Afterwards, he sat back with a satisfied smile. Today had been an awesome food day, he thought as he loosened the buttons of his jean shorts.

"Either I ate like a pig today or the potions are working and I'm gaining weight."

"Probably a bit of both. You have a long day tomorrow. Settle in and meditate."

Harry nodded and rose from the table carrying his dishes to the sink for the house elves to take care of.

"Goodnight Sensei."

"Goodnight brat."

Harry exited the potions room hidden away in the basement of Castle Potter and made his way to his private rooms. Once he got to the main floors, he darted between tourist groups, waving as people gaped at him. Jouri had informed him day traffic to the castle had increased by fourteen percent since his interview with the London Times. Ms. Abrams had done an excellent job on the article. Her article had been called the Lost Lord: From A Pauper To A Prince and was about Castle Potter, the building's history, the muggle version of his family's history, his newfound inheritance, his reaction to learning he was a peer of realm, and how he handled the changed circumstances in his life. He was quite impressed. Her article was very different from the sensationalized stories of the wizard press. The article, despite being tasteful, still caused a furor and he was becoming as well known in the muggle world as he was in the magical one. It was kinda annoying. The only consolation was it brought business to the castle. Jouri had told him that in addition to the increased foot traffic, the visitors he had stopped to chat with wrote about the experience on travel websites, which was seen by more people, which brought more people to the castle. Knowing this, Harry knew he should've stopped to say hello, but he didn't. He was hungry, exhausted, and not in the mood for frivolous chit chat.

Testing had been grueling and he had just taken placement tests. Harry shuddered to think what the ordinary tests would be like. His placement tests, compared to his tests at Hogwarts made his time at Hogwarts look like a day at the Quidditch World Cup. The worst tests were Potions and History. History covered the magical and non-magical world. The magical exam encompassed more than what he read in A History of Magic. The textbook Hogwarts used for its history course wasn't really a history of magic. Hogwarts history class should be renamed European Magical History. It wasn't until he'd taken Rachel's exam that he realized he didn't know anything about magical history outside Europe. Now, he felt stupid for not focusing on the rest of the magical world, which had their own histories and traditions. Since all his tutors were ICW certified and he had taken international tests not just the British standard, he should've known better. Hadn't he complained about how insular magical Britain was and here he had gone and not realized there was more to the world than his own little sphere. It made him feel stupid. At least the Potions written exam wasn't too bad. Surprisingly, Harry discovered he wasn't as bad at potions. It helped not having a vindictive professor snarking and criticizing his every move. The potions written exam had focused on ingredients, what reacted well, and what didn't react well with each other. The practical was harder but he used his knowledge of the ingredients when he couldn't remember the steps to create the actual potion. But, he was still disappointed. He could've done better. Since Potions had been his last exam, he dragged his exhausted body into his private quarters intent on collapsing on the sofa and calling a house elf to feed him a lavish dinner. Upon entering the living room, Harry froze and his mouth dropped open, his book bag clanking to the ground from nerveless fingers.

Sensei sat on the living room sofa chatting with Takashi and Satoshi. Harry's exhaustion fell away and a broad grin stretched across his face.

"Takashi, Satoshi, what are you doing here!" he shrieked nearly jumping up in down in his excitement.

Satoshi rushed to give him a hug. The younger boy lifted Harry in his arms and swung him around.

"We're going camping with you, Harry-tono. It should be fun to see how commoners vacation."

Harry laughed and returned Satoshi's hug. "You do know that you sound condescending right?"

Of course, Draco Malfoy Junior only shrugged carelessly. Harry supposed he should give Satoshi the benefit of doubt for being excited about the experience. Harry's heart jumped inside his chest and he couldn't keep the smile off his face as Takashi approached. It was great to see him. He looked great with his spiky hair and intense eyes. His lanky but muscular body was clad in a sleeveless t-shirt and slouchy tracksuit bottoms.

"Harry," Takashi intoned in a deep voice before he reached out to ruffle Harry's hair.

"Slumming?"

Takashi's eyes brightened with amusement but he didn't speak. Harry had almost forgotten how quiet and reserved Takashi normally acted because he was so open and opinionated when they communicated through their journals. Seeing him in person made Harry realize just how much he missed his friend. He wished Takashi had hugged him as Satoshi had.

"How did your tests go?" Sensei asked.

"Huh?" Harry asked dumbly. He turned to face Sensei who smirked at him, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Oh, umm the tests were fine, stressful. I won't have the results until next week."

Chucking, though Harry couldn't figure out what he said that had been so funny, Sensei led them to the kitchen and pushed him down in a stool at the island. Takashi sat next to him. Soon he, Takashi, and Satoshi were eating the Knickerbocker Glories Harry had requested the house elves prepare and were chatting with Sensei as he made dinner. Dinner was more ornate than anything he'd had with Sensei before. They spent the rest of the evening in the kitchen eating but since the courses were light and spaced out he didn't feel as if he'd pigged out like he would've if he'd had the multi-course dinner he'd been planning before Takashi arrived. At Takashi's urging, he even tried sushi and raw fish for the first time. Harry thought he'd hate it, but with the dipping sauce, it was surprisingly tasty. Takashi of course looked smug at being proven right.

"You guys should get some sleep especially you two so your body adjusts to the time difference," Sensei said at about nine in the evening.

"What time is Kingsley coming?"

"He'll be here in the morning for breakfast along with the others. Then we'll take a port key to Milngavie."

Harry nodded finally remembering how tired he had been and made his way to his suite, Takashi and Satoshi following behind him. Takashi had the room next to his and Satoshi was next to Sensei. When it was just the two of them in the hall, Harry beamed, and grabbed Takashi's hand unable to stop himself.

"I'm so glad you're here," Harry said in a rush. "The best surprise ever. The journals are great, but this is so much better. I know this isn't your idea of a vacation, so it's cool you're here. Don't worry, we'll have fun. You won't regret coming."

The hand wrapped in Harry's twisted around so that instead of Harry holding Takashi's hand, Takashi held his. Takashi put gentle pressure on his fingers, Harry immediately stop rambling and glanced up at his friend.

"Good company, good exercise," Takashi simply answered.

Harry looked down where their hands were entwined. Long fingers calloused from years handling shinais and bokkens seemed to cradle Harry's. He felt his cheeks heat up and bit his lip, embarrassed to realize being next his rational and quiet friend made him happy, but not the same type of happy he felt around Neville, Ron, and Hermione.

"Great company," Harry answered softly. Taking a chance, he pulled Takashi into a hug. Something he did with his friends on occasions to countless to name, but this felt different. Takashi was special. More mature, more rational than his other friends. More special. Takashi was special. Crap, he already thought that hadn't he. What was going on with him? "Goodnight Takashi," Harry stuttered out. "I'm glad you're here. I'll see you in the morning."

"Ah."

Takashi smiled at him. Harry in the process of turning away to go to this bedroom, now found he couldn't move. Takashi had a wonderful smile and Harry basked in it. Takashi barely quirked his lips, just let the muscles around his mouth relax and his eyes light up. Sexy. Harry couldn't help but smile in return, before bolting inside his bedroom and leaning back on the door, placing his hand on his pounding heart.

He'd just thought of Takashi as sexy. Oh my. What was it with him and Asians that got him so hot and bothered? Lately, he only found two people sexy, Takashi and Naoko and they were both Japanese. Was that weird? And Takashi was his friend. He wasn't supposed to think his friend looked sexy. Takashi was the first boy he'd ever noticed in that way. But he noticed Naoko was sexy too, but she didn't make his heart pound like this. Naoko had been like a beautiful piece of art, Takashi . . . Takashi, he wasn't sure what Takashi was. But, it was different, like nothing he'd ever experienced. Harry sighed dropping his face in his shaking hands. Everything was so confusing.

It looked like puberty had finally reared its ugly head.

Author's Note:

*Happy Monday. Hope everyone had a good week. I've been battling with a head cold and have been tired a lot this week. Sigh. I've been getting a lot of PM's and some reviews asking me since they knew my story was complete, why didn't I just post the entire thing. I thought I'd address it here. Yes, the story is complete, but that doesn't mean it's very good. For example when I write I just write, trying to get down all the information. It could be something like. They went to the store, grabbed a soda, went home, and discovered the body. That is very basic, but later when I go in and edit I go back and add all the details, the emotional contact, any plot points that I have left dangling. In the last chapter, it had originally started with the party with the guards, when I edited, I added the two other scenes because I knew there were plot points that I had scanned over and needed a little more detail for later. In this chapter, I upped the emotional tension from what I had originally wrote between Harry and Takashi as well as a few other places. Bottom line, sorry, I do need the time to edit. I'm glad you're loving the story, but please be patient. I want to make it the best I possibly can for you.

*As always I do not own Harry Potter or Ouran High School Host Club and all mistakes are my own.