4/27/09

A/N

The last chapter was on crack.

There's no denying it. This one has gone to rehab though, so hopefully it won't seem so…high…

(had an assembly about drugs at school—one and a half hours of awkward, stuffy, cramped, weepy lady talking about son who overdosed…She was very…poetic….and lyrical about it…O_o)

Sorry for not updating in 2 months xD I've been contemplating how to go about writing the next chapter for another story, as well as stressing over LOTR The Fellowship. It is driving me CRAZY.

Oh! Just remembered; Yes, Seshomaru is a giant compared to itty bitty Natsu. Anyone seen the episode that Seshomaru brings Rin back to life? It had to have been her…2nd…maybe 3rd appearance in the series. Sess-chan kneels down and she's up to his friggen knee O_o And she's supposed to be nine (Or IS she? *jaws theme song*)

Plus, you need to take into account that he is a pure blooded dog demon…he's probably eight feet tall if you used the head size = one foot ratio.

I actually am going through a little bit of a writer's block for both this and TSW on the other account. Sorry that it couldn't be longer.

Rating

PG13 for swears and violence, rating may change in certain chapters, you will be informed when such happens.

Harry Potter and the Inner Demon

Chapter 24

A groan rang through the stuffy room, and Natsu rolled over under his bed sheets, perspiration rolling down his face as he squinted and fit down on his pillow. Gripping the edges of his mattress, he gave a pitiful whine only to huff in contempt as his chest warmed and a vibrating sensation startled him out of his misery.

"What?" He rasped. Letting go of the bed, he tugged the chain out from beneath him and his Orb sent him a mocking hum. "Think it's funny, don't you?" Natsu bit out and thrust the orb across the room, flinching as his shoulder cracked and the rest of his spine stung mercilessly. The orb—having smacked the wall with a 'thunk' immediately started rolling back toward his bed.

"Screw off, you bloody piece of-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as his neck seemed to explode in pain. Howling, he thrust his face deep into his pillow and gave a sob. A hum sounded again and he felt the orb on the bed again. It pressed against his side and, this time, it was cool and soothing to his feverish skin.

It had been 3 days ago that Seshomaru sentenced Natsu to bed rest and he was not enjoying it one bit. To make things worse, today was Saturday and he was supposed to meet those first years. His muffled whine rang through the room. There hadn't been any signs of him improving either, and with his brother refusing to tell him what was wrong—as he seemed to have a clue, if those sympathetic stares he kept receiving held any meaning—he was close to snapping.

The stabbing pain in his neck receded only a few seconds before striking his knees. Natsu clenched his teeth and let out a high keening noise. He could feel his tail laying limply over his throbbing legs and desperately wished he could move to put some clothes on, this was so degrading!

Natsu forced his eyes open and glared down at he alarm on his night table. It flashed nine in the morning and a frustrated sound forced its way out of his raw throat.

He wished Seshomaru would come check on him, hopefully with a glass of water and some news about what was going on with everyone…

Kagome rifled through the ministry directory. She sighed in irritation, rubbing her eyes before turning to the next page to read about the next 'infallible' tutor that Britain's magical government seemed to have tucked away somewhere.

Cassandra Beautrop

Graduated Hogwarts in 1973 with Outstanding NEWTS in Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, and Arithmancy. Exceeding Expectations in Care of Magical Creatures and Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Ministry Arrests: None

Blood: Muggleborn

Her eyes narrowed at the last bit of information that the ministry had provided. She had thought the government was strictly against blood prejudice. 'Maybe it's for their own safety,' she decided. 'If a muggleborn was sent to work for a muggle-hating family, they could possibly be attacked.'

A flash of lightening shot through her mind and Kagome winced and swayed a bit before reaching her hand up to stroke her temple. The 'spikes', as she called them, had been coming sporadically since the very first one. Every time it happened it sent her mind on overload and it went numb, shutting her down for the briefest of seconds.

'This isn't right,' she growled mentally, recovering from the spike. 'The only reason I was even able to sense the Shikon no tama was because it had been in my body since birth. There's no reason to sense other jewels…' Training over the years had given her sensitivity to powerful objects, demonic and spiritual, but Hogwarts should be bereft of such an inventory. This school had something else; something she couldn't sense. It had magic. How she was ever thankful she wasn't sensitive to magic, as she would have gone mad the moment she walked in. The teacher's she had met and the books she had read all declared the same thing, that Hogwarts didn't just hold magic; It is magic. Every corner to the widest of spaces was packed with it.

'Grumbling obscenities under her breath, Kagome reached for a bit of parchment along with an ink well and quill. Gathering her materials—all fresh from the store and ready to be used—she settled at her mahogany desk in the corner of her common room and began to write to the Ministry Department of Magical Education requesting Cassandra Beautrop as a tutor.

Shadows on her black flickered as did flames in the fireplace and the rest of the room. The Cream sofa seemed lonely with only a small table to keep it company. Perhaps she would take a nap before lunch today; she had spent all night studying and all morning choosing a tutor after cleaning up all of her books and guides.

Sealing the letter inside of a cream envelope and setting it aside to bring to the Owlry later, Kagome left the desk and curled into a ball on the sofa. The soft cushions comforted her she grew drowsy. Her last thoughts before drifting asleep were about her mother and whether she would ever feel this way in her own home again.

Seshomaru was at his desk, correcting the papers—which he hadn't planned on assigning but had to because of his students' ineptitude in all things practical—in his office for the third time that week. After returning to his and Natsu's rooms the first day of his brother's 'growing up', he had been struck by a very familiar sent that he did not feel at all comfortable in. It was at that moment that he discovered Natsu's future.

The scent had been maternal, like newborn babies and breast milk. He knew that neither he nor his brother were pregnant and it was too perfect timed to be coincidental. It was such a strong scent that Seshomaru himself had been loath to leave but had forced himself to get a grip.

Natsu would be a submissive and there was no doubting it now. His brother would choose a mate and become a carrier at some point in his life. This new information had sent Seshomaru on a frenzy of panic, wondering how long this development would take to calm down, whether he would be able to bring Natsu back with him for the winter break; he couldn't bear to leave his brother in the castle alone yet he wished to see his own little girl. Rin was expecting him to be back and he couldn't just abandon his pup. He was caught between them both now and he'd much rather keep them both close to him than give one up for however long.

A knocking on the door startled him and Seshomaru looked to it, sniffing the air. First years, they had a more baby-like scent to them than the other students had.

"Come in."

A Slytherin and a Hufflepuff—what an odd pair—toed the entrance and the Hufflepuff wrung his hands nervously. "Sir," The Slytherin started, her voice quiet. "Is…is Natsu alright, sir?" Seshomaru blinked a moment and ran his had through his hair—he had forgotten that ribbon again—and said, "Natsu is a bit ill at the moment. It is unknown whether he will be attending classes even on Monday." The two looked extremely worried and he reminded himself that they must be his brother's friends, or something of the sort. "You needn't stress yourselves," he told them," Natsu is going through something similar to what humans would call 'growing pains'. It is nothing too harmful." That was a lie but Natsu would thank him for it later.

The first years looked relieved but still a bit upset. He waved them out of his office and continued his paperwork. Rubbing his eyes he failed yet another student who described how to hold a sword incorrectly.

The aches and pains that had kept him bed ridden had dulled to a distant throb, barely noticeable. Seshomaru had come by once or twice a day to clean up any of his 'spills', so to say, and feed him. He could tell that his brother was trying his best not breather near him and it made Natsu frown in irritation. 'Do I really smell that bad?' he wondered.

Now he lay on his back, somewhat stiff but very grateful for whatever that had been happening to him was now over. His orb was once again around his neck and he sighed contentedly as it gave a gentle purr against his chest. Eyes closed, he thought about what he would do first once he was allowed out of bed. 'I'll go see Embry and Alexandra to apologize for not being able to make it the study session yesterday. Then he'd grab a hold of Remus and drag him down to the kitchens so they could feast. The calendar he had asked Seshomaru to tack to the wall for him stated that the full moon was in a few days, meaning the werewolf would be a bit ill feeling as well.

An odd kicking sound on his bedroom door was answered with a 'come in' and Seshomaru entered with a tray. Wary gold eyes met aware green ones and the older demon breathed out in relief. A smile graced his lips as he carried the tray to his brother. Setting it on his knees, Seshomaru reached out to ruffle Natsu's hair. Natsu grunted and pushed the hand off with a small laugh.

"I trust your feeling better," Seshomaru asked.

Natsu gave him a bright smile and replied cunningly, "Yes, and tomorrow I should definitely be able to return to classes, right?" His older brother did not look particularly happy about that, instead a worried frown formed on his face. "Oh come on!" Natsu whined. "I'll be fine!"

Seshomaru tapped on the tray. "Eat, I have something we ought to talk about." A small patch of panic grew on Natsu. What was wrong?

Seshomaru had been a bit stressed as of late, that much had been clear even in the little amount of time he had seen his brother. Tense shoulders, narrowed eyes and a stiff back followed him wherever he went.

"I have no doubt your are wondering why you were experiencing what you were and why so suddenly." He began and Natsu nodded around a spoonful of grits. "This is something natural, Natsu. All demons go through this once, if not several times, in their youth. What you have been bedridden for is something that will probably happen again in two or three years." Natsu bit his tongue accidentally and looked at his brother in horror.

"It may not be as bad next time," Seshomaru tried to reassure him. "Your body may have conditioned itself for it now."

"But what is happening?" Natsu demanded, eyes shining. "What are you talking about?"

"You're growing up, Natsu" he replied simply. "I believe that, perhaps your human years and the amount of youki that I transferred to you interfered with the way you would have grown up if you had never been sent here. You skipped several decades and your body decided that you were ready for the change."

Frustration was beginning to show as Natsu's jaw clenched and released. "Change into what?" He growled out at his brother. Brows furrowed and Seshomaru growled a warning right back, causing Natsu to force himself calm. "This change caused you to grow physically, though obviously not mentally," Seshomaru snapped. "That includes sexually."

Jade eyes glistened and widened in surprise. "S-sexually?" Natsu squeaked and his face bloomed. "B-but I already went through puberty!" Seshomaru snorted at him and nearly smirked.

"This is a bit different than the way humans grow, I can assure you." Seshomaru leaned back on his arm and he caught Natsu's gaze with his own. "You are what we demons call a submissive.

Submissives are found among males and females of all demon species. The same goes for dominants. A dominant female can impregnate submissive males or females but would not be able to give birth herself. She could, however, breast feed for her mate. A male dominant can do the same as a dominant female, except he wouldn't be capable of breast-feeding.

Submissive females are the same as any human female, aside from being able to bear another females child. A Submissive male can bear any dominant's pups—male or female—and can breast feed." All through out the conversation he had watched Natsu's face redden and the shock settle in. He wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulder and comforted him.

"I…I have to have kids? Actually get pregnant, carry them and go through labor and everything?" Seshomaru could feel Natsu's heart beat grow maddeningly fast and replied soothingly that no, he didn't have to, only if he ever desired to do so. That seemed to ease his worries a bit but Natsu's back was still stiff under Seshomaru's arm and he decided that it would be a good time to change the subject.

"How about you see how much you've grown," Seshomaru offered gently. Natsu glanced up at him with somewhat glassy eyes and nodded after a moment. He slowly pulled his legs over the edge of the bed and was surprised to find that they actually reached the floor now. Before they dangled aimlessly over the side and at first he had been a tad nervous about getting down.

He carefully put his weight on his legs and stood up. The world seemed to tip and Seshomaru grabbed his shoulder before he fell over. Looking to his brother, Natsu gaped. Not one week ago he had been half the size of his brother, now he stood level with his chest. He was even taller than he had been before he met Seshomaru! He heard his brother chuckle.

"It seems feeding you so much may have actually helped you as well, hmm?" Natsu nodded dumbly and was led toward a mirror in the corner of the room that had been positioned at an angle that he could see from his bed. Stumbling to it his breath caught again. He and Seshomaru truly did look like brothers. Now he even shared the markings on his face. The royal purple crescent moon on his forehead looked a tad odd beside his lightening bolt scar but it stood out much more. The crimson stripes under his eyes made him feel a bit Christmas-y and he could stop the giggle that burst past his lips. But it wasn't a giggle, not really; his voice had deepened a bit so that instead it sounded more like a chuckle. 'Why didn't I hear it before?' he wondered in awe. He felt so much more like an adult!

"Don't get too cocky now," Seshoamru warned, having read his mind. "Just because you're a little taller doesn't mean your any less my little brother, I expect the proper respect from you and your best behavior towards others." The voice was teasing and both smiled at one another.

Natsu pulled his should from his brother and took an experimental step. He felt a bit of the dizziness he had at first melt away and managed to walk all around the room. "Could I go to lunch today?" He asked excitedly. A stern look fell across his brother's face.

"We'll see." He replied gruffly.

As it turned out, Natsu managed to convince his brother to let him go to the Great Hall. They entered through the staff door, Seshoamaru keeping a cautious eye on him, and settled at the end of the table. Seshomaru had refused to allow him to eat with the Hufflepuffs, claiming he didn't trust Natsu's health quite that much yet. He had grudgingly agreed, desperate to get out of their rooms.

Snape entered the hall and looked at them warily as he took his seat. "How are you, Natsu?"

Natsu blinked and smiled brightly. "I'm doing much better, sir! I can go to class tomorrow too!" Turning back to his brother he said, "I forgot to your class last time, I'll remember to this time though." He got up from the table then to see the Heads of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff for their schedules.

"How were things for you?" Snape asked Seshomaru, eyeing Natsu as he bounced away. "Was it as bad as you thought?"

"Not at all," Seshoamru replied, busying himself with a sandwich. "He's not like most teenagers, human or demon." Snape nodded in agreement and they ate in silence.

Natsu came back with the Gryffindor 6th year's schedule and the Hufflepuff first year's as well. "I'll go to DADA with the Gryffindors to DADA first thing then to Potions with the Hufflepuffs and whoever comes after them," He told the two excitedly. He rather wished it was Monday already.

Natsu ate his lunch diligently under his brother's mothering eye and watched the Hufflepuff table thoughtfully. He took what Seshomaru had told him about mates into consideration as well as his instant obsession with Embry. A flush formed on his cheeks as he thought about the possibilities. There was no way that could be it! The idea just seemed wrong, Embry was just a kid!

He caught sight of the boy then and felt a tugging warmth in stomach. It was then he realized all the eyes on him again. He looked owlishly at them all and gave a small wave to Embry. The boy turned pink and immediately all the others around him leaned in. Their voices were so quiet that he couldn't make out a word amongst the rest of the crowd.

Hermione and Ron at the Gryffindor table were silently eating as they had every time he saw them. Natsu sighed sadly and went back to his food.

Once they were all dismissed, Seshomaru allowed him to catch up with Embry with the promise that he'd be back in their rooms in a half-hour.

Natsu marveled at how tall he was compared to most of the other students now. He made his way through the crowd and managed to catch up to Embry and ignore the stares and gawking eyes that followed him. "Hey Embry!" Natsu chirped, and several people around him jumped in surprise, as did the boy in question.

"Natsu!" He cried in shock. "You're huge! How did that happen?!" The boy looked so innocent that Natsu couldn't help but struggle to find a way to describe it that didn't mention sex whatsoever. "Demon Puberty!" He coughed out and Embry flushed. 'So maybe that wasn't quite right either…' he thought.

"That's…er…great, Natsu," Embry choked out. Natsu nodded delightfully and they continued walking out of the Great Hall. Alexandra made her appearance then, all but shoving people out of the way to get to them. "Are you okay, Natsu?" she asked a tad worriedly. "Your brother said wasn't anything too bad and that you were just having growing pains." She looked him up and down. "I guess he wasn't joking."

Natsu nodded and inwardly couldn't believe his brother could compare something that painful to 'growing pains'. 'We'll have to have a chat when I get back to our rooms,' he thought irately.

"I'd like to apologize for not being able to come to that study session yesterday," he said. "Are you going to have another one sometime?" The two perked up and smiled excitedly.

"Yeah," Alexandra said, "How about tomorrow?" Natsu nodded in agreement and made plans to meet them after dinner in the library.

"I've got to go, he said as they neared a corridor that could take him to the dungeons. "I promised my brother that I'd be back to our rooms soon." He waved to them and went down the corridor, feeling much happier than he should have. 'I need to talk to Seshomaru about more than just growing pains…' he thought and blushed a bit. 'I hope it's not what I think it is.'