Ok, so I'm going to try (pathetically) to salvage this and bring in the original plot. T^T Oh, and to one of my reviewers who thought Ryou was going to be a spy, I have another story about that. ^^ (not posted) btw, I 3 all my reviewers and shit! So many alerts and favorites! Don't inflate my ego! It already annoys my friends! . (Don't stop either!)

Updates are planned to be weekly but I suck with schedules so…. I'm not that sure. Btw, I wrote chapter two and this one all in the last 48 hours and I have been sick for the last week so shove it all up your asses! (sorry! That was so incredibly rude!) I'm flying almost blind here since I have to mix new plot and old and the story is shorter because I cut out a whole chappy in the last one. T^T

Please give me a break. I am really trying here.

(Why do I act like I'm being harassed when no one has said anything negative on my story or pressured me? Damn I need my head checked.)

(P.S. One of my reviews was unnatural. They told me to take my time. O.O Why is everyone so kind to me? G-d, why!)

Oh yeah, the t-shirt in the last chapter was inspired by one of my friends actually saying that stuff I said should be on t-shirts. I thought it would be hilarious just to write that. ^^

Hermione was surprised at how strong Ryou's reaction to Lupin being hurt was and flinching away like that almost hurt her. 'Why would he flinch so badly? I barely touched him.' She thought and listened as Harry spoke up. "Horrible." Hermione noted that his fist was clenched so tightly that she could see his bones in his knuckles. "It's horrible."

"Harry, we're all upset about Lupin getting hurt but there's nothing you can do about it." Kingsley said from the side startling them all a bit as they hadn't noticed that he was still in the room. "But there should be!" Harry near shouted.

"But there isn't. Go back to what you were doing. Keeping out of our way is the best thing you can do right now." Harry just fumed at being treated like a child but there was nothing else he could do. He stormed off and Ron and Hermione hurried to catch up to him Ryou tentatively following them not sure where he should go.

They went up two flights of stairs before Harry took off along the hallway and marched into a room with two beds Ryou assumed was Harry's and Ron's. He stormed around for a few moments before Hermione decided to stop him. "Harry. You know he's right."

Harry rounded on her. "No, he's wrong. We should be out there doing something not sitting around here while Voldemort keeps attacking everyone. This is the third one during the break. And there are rumors that Voldemort has a new powerful ally." He took a deep breath trying to stop yelling at his friends; that hadn't done him any good during the summer.

"Harry," Hermione started and paused to see if he was going to go off on her again. "I know how you feel but we have to leave it up to them. We're not fully trained wizards and he's after you. We can't just send you on the front lines; that's giving him exactly what he wants." Harry ran his fingers back through his hair frustrated that Hermione was right.

No one said anything for a few moments so Hermione decided it was time for introductions. She cleared her throat, "Harry, Ron, this is my cousin, Ryou." Harry inclined his head in acknowledgment before studying him. Ron on the other hand was much more vocal about his opinion. "Hermione, are you sure he's related to you? He has white hair even."

Hermione pursed her lips at him. "Ron. My cousin is an albino; of course he has white hair. Now don't be rude." Ron just shrugged it off and turned back to Ryou. "I guess it's nice to meet you then." He said and held out his hand. Ryou shook it accordingly.

"It's nice to meet you to." He smiled softly making Ron blush a bit. "Y-yeah." Ron backed away. For lack of anything better to do Ryou took off his coat and folded it over his arm when he remembered something. "Hermione, where am I going to be sleeping?"

"I'm not sure but you'll probably stay here with Harry and Ron." Said boy's eyes widened. "He's staying?" Harry asked before a look from Hermione shushed him. "Ryou, do you remember the way here?" He nodded his head. First rule of thievery, even if don't know your way there remember your way back. "Good. Could you go get our bags? You can leave your coat here."

"Sure." Ryou gave another smile and did as he was asked. It was clear they needed to talk without him there. Ryou left the room and both boys rounded on Hermione. "You sure never said anything about how effeminate your cousin was." Ron accused. He had thought it was a girl until he remembered that Hermione had already said Ryou was a boy.

"Well it didn't seem important to mention. I never thought you would ever actually meet." Hermione explained briskly before Harry stepped up. "But Hermione, why is he even here let alone staying?" Hermione started removing her coat revealing a white sweater. "I'm not sure. When the Order members arrived Dumbledore told me that I was coming back to Grimmauld place with them and that my cousin would be coming too."

Hermione walked over to Harry's bed as it was nearer and dumped her coat and then her hat and gloves onto it in a pile. "Why would Dumbledore want your cousin here?" Harry asked. Hermione resisted sighing as she answered. "I don't know Harry. But what about you two? What have you been doing while you're here?" she redirected the conversation not having answers and hating to admit it.

Ron groaned. "It's horrible. Christmas was fine but for the past two days it's been nothing but cleaning and trying to get into the meetings. Harry got into just one and he says there are a lot of wizards he doesn't know there." Harry nodded his agreement. The Order was growing and Voldemort was taking action.

Hermione contemplated the new information before deciding to dig deeper on one subject. "You said You-Know-Who had a new ally. Do you know anything about them?" Harry shook his head. "No. We heard that he had a new ally and it has everyone scared. Apparently this guy has a lot of power but he hasn't been seen yet. But the weird thing is, he's not a wizard."

"Harry, are you certain?" Hermione asked. Voldemort was all about wizard superiority so him working with someone who wasn't a wizard was unthinkable. "Well, not really. He has power but no one is sure what it is."

They were interrupted from their conversation when the Portrait of Mrs. Black began screaming. With quickly exchanged looks they all rushed to the stairs where they noticed something strange about the yells. They were still shrill but she sounded… scared?

~A Few Minutes Earlier~

Ryou walked down the stairs wondering why he had been brought here. It made sense for them to bring Hermione but Ryou had no involvement with wizards. Well, not the light side at least. Did Bakura's involvement include him?

He quickly got to the bottom of the stairs and grabbed the suitcases. He took a look around the room. It was obviously supposed to be a grand entrance but it was littered in thick dust. He could make out a vague outline of a chandelier but he couldn't be sure from the monotone of the room. The walls were mostly bare except for tapestries that couldn't be viewed properly. Along the far wall was something of interest though. Right next to the hallway they had taken the man down to treat his injuries.

'Don't think on it.' Ryou reminded himself and took the suitcases towards the staircase which was to the side of the black curtains. He paused in front of them before placing down the suitcases. There was something magical behind that curtain and it was calling to him almost to go look. He edged forward and barely lifted a corner of the curtains when they flew all the way apart.

"TRAITORS! IN MY HOUSE! MUDBLOODS! DISGUSTING FILTH! OUT!" Ryou barely had time to take in that it was a woman of moderate looks in a portrait that was yelling at him before their eyes met and hers widened in front. 'Oh no…' Ryou knew that look. It was someone who knew his power and knew he had it and feared it with good reason. "DEMON! BE OUT OF MY HOUSE AT ONCE! LEAVE! YOU CAN'T HAVE MY SOUL! MONSTER! CREATURE!"

A whole group barreled through the hallway they had taken the man down and he heard Hermione and her friends come down the stairs but Ryou could just stare at the portrait that recognized him and called him a monster. "LEAVE! YOU BLOOD THIRSTY BEAST!" A man with scraggly hair tried yelling back at her. "Shut up you filthy old hag!"

"BLOOD BETRAYER! MUDBLOODS! DEMONS! SUCH FILTH UNDER MY ROOF! BEGONE! MY FOREFATHERS MUST BE ROLLING IN THEIR GRAVES FROM SUCH DEFILEMENT OF THE HOUSE OF BLACK!" Ryou took a step back. "Shut the curtains!" someone yelled and a few people ran between him and the portrait struggling vainly to close the curtains again. "DEMONS! INSIDE MY HOUSE! LEAVE AND LEAVE NO TRACE!"

Ryou minutely opened his mouth in shock and she gave a scream of pure terror that caused everyone to stare at her. She was now backed up against the backdrop of her portrait trying to make herself as small as possible and get away from Ryou who she focused terrified eyes on. "NO! DON'T TAKE MY SOUL YOU BEAST! TOTURER! SENDING PEOPLE TO HELL! MONSTER! CREATURE! FIEND! LEAVE! DO NOT HARM ME! I WELCOME MUDBLOODS BEFORE I ACCEPT YOU TO WALK IN MY HOUSE! DEMON!" she gave one more terrified stare before the curtains closed on their own and all eyes turned towards Ryou who was terrified himself at this point.

He stared at where the curtains came together for a minute before he ran. He dashed up the stairs figuring less people would be up there. He just needed to get away. 'She knew. She knew I was a demon.' Ryou ignored the voice in his head that told him it wasn't true along with the pounding he could mentally feel Bakura doing on his soul room door. His panic over rode everything and he just kept running up the stairs as far as he could stopping a bit before the top floor because that was always an obvious place to check. He dashed along the hallway there and found a room with a bed that had no one in it. Perfect. He dashed inside and placed a chair in front of the door so no one could come in and curled up in a corner.

~Bakura's POV~

He had been lazing around the Riddle Manner listening to the flamingo rant about him with his spying abilities when his hikari's light was almost completely shut off from him. Almost falling out of the chair he had been leaning back in he was in the corridor between their souls before the wooden chair clanked loudly on the floor.

Bakura took one glance at Ryou's door before he was mentally yelling 'No!' Ryou's door was covered in black fabric that shimmered to create words at their leisure. Demon, Monster, Soul Stealer, Creature, Freak, Unholy, Despicable, Torturer… things he had been called because of what Bakura had done. Underneath where the words of hate appeared were whispered screams that echoed without sound; the cries of those that had lost their souls and all the pain in the world Ryou thought he caused.

Bakura rushed to the door and began intermittently hitting the door and calling for Ryou and trying to rip the fabric that only stretched with the pull or went so close to the door his fingers bled trying to get it. When the words stopped shimmering and just kept coming and the fabric turned a shade deeper Bakura decided that it wouldn't do. He would lose Ryou at this rate. He had only seen Ryou's door this bad once before and that was when Ryou had attempted to kill himself. 'Shit, not again…'

Ryou's door always had a black piece of fabric hanging from the top that he could never get rid of but most times in the last six months it had barely been noticeable. Like a stain you forget to remember. There was no getting through the door at this point so Bakura had to go directly to Ryou's body and try to reach him from there. Quickly summoning the shadows he appeared in a dingy room which he only noticed because of all the dust Ryou was sitting in.

Ryou was shaking back and forth slightly clenching his fists hard enough so Bakura was worried about the bones popping out of his knuckles. His pants would definitely have holes where his nails were digging in although Ryou thankfully kept his nails short so he couldn't draw blood. His eyes looked dead as he mumbled sounds not even forming all the way into words before the next word started to form.

The situation needed to be handled cautiously so Bakura tried to reach Ryou through words but he was always one for action more than words. "Ryou, can you hear me? Ryou, you have to listen to me. No one thinks you're a demon, they're wrong. Ryou…" he slowly edged closer almost silently from all his training as a thief. Slowly reaching out he barely touched Ryou's shirt when he jerked around. The first tears fell from Ryou's eyes as recognition slowly spread into his eyes. Bakura dropped onto his knees spreading his arms wide and Ryou dived into them full out bawling. "He knew, Bakura. She knew and now they all know. The all know that I'm evil. And they're all going to hate me." Bakura just rubbed Ryou's head and let him ramble while mentally prodding Ryou's door and feeling it give. He almost sighed in relief when the memory of what had gotten Ryou this way entered his mind. That woman would die…

Bakura seethed on the inside but calming Ryou was more important at this point. "Ryou. Ryou!" he took said boys shoulders and shook him a bit bringing him back so that Ryou was looking him in the eyes. He was still crying but the rambling had stopped so that was good at least. "Ryou. That woman is wrong. You're not the demon, I am. She's just a crazy, dead painting obsessed with her house. You're an Angel Ryou, don't listen to their lies."

"But-" Ryou tried to protest. "No buts. That woman is insane and doesn't know what she was talking about." Ryou's tears started to dry and he went limp in Bakura's arms so Bakura held him again. "You know everyone downstairs is looking for you?" Ryou shook his head against Bakura's chest. Bakura searched a bit and could hear his hikari's cousin. "on! How can you say that?"

"Well Mrs. Black was scared of him! Hermione, your cousin isn't normal if that bat is scared of him." A male voice replied. "Hermione, I agree with Ron. There's something not right with him." Bakura could just see Hermione crossing her arms. "Even if there is something strange he's still my family. Now you two are going to help me look for him!" and Hermione stomped away leaving the two boys to follow.

"Your cousin is upset." Ryou moved to get more comfortable so his head was on Bakura's chest, his arms wrapped around his waist, and his legs brought close so he was almost using Bakura as a pillow. There was silence for a few minutes where at one point they heard very loud thumping on the stairs and yells of "Ryou! Ryou! Where did that brat go?" that quickly continued above them. "He's checking the top floor." Bakura confirmed what Ryou thought would happen. He had run up so they would assume he would go as high as possible. "I should go back…" Ryou said after a time but Bakura could tell Ryou didn't really want to. There would be questions about the encounter and Ryou needed as few reminders of it as possible.

Ryou sat up all the way and looked to the door before giving Bakura a suspicious look. "How'd you know he went all the way to the top floor?" Bakura smirked. This would distract him well. "Do you remember what I told you about listening through the shadows?"

Ryou thought for a moment as he wiped his eyes of mostly dried tears. "You said that you could turn just one of your senses into pure shadow and use it in any normal way." Bakura nodded his head and then crossed his arms over his chest. "Correct. You can also use the shadows as your sight, taste, sense of touch, and smell. Your body would still be here but in essence you're a part of the shadows. Once you do it enough you develop a sixth sense for the shadows and if you want to know something you just have to concentrate on what you want you want to know."

Bakura came back to the real world when Ryou giggled softly. "You always sound like a real teacher when you teach me these things." He giggled again in happiness of a side to Bakura that only he ever was allowed to see and rarely at that. Bakura was annoyed that he had done it again but happy that Ryou was giggling again. It lacked the normal tinkling sound it had but it was much better than the state Bakura found him in. "Did you even pay attention to what I was saying?" Ryou nodded his head. "You can connect with the shadows and it can develop into a sixth sense where you just have to focus to find something out."

It was then that they heard footsteps sounding further down the hall followed by the accompanying rattle of doorknobs and Alohamoras, which Bakura had already told Ryou was an unlocking spell, being said. Bakura stood up to create a portal through the shadows; he had a villain's base to be at. Ryou quickly stood as well and went to Bakura hugging him around the waist. "Thank you." He said softly to avoid the people in the hall hearing. And after all, Bakura had left his post at Voldemort's headquarters for him and comforted him.

Bakura gently took Ryou's chin between his thumb and forefinger and lifted it up to kiss Ryou gently and Ryou's curiosity got to him. "Did you mean it when you said that I'm an angel?" Bakura just smirked and kissed him again a bit more roughly this time before whispering into Ryou's ear, "My angel." With that he went to one of the walls more covered in shadows and sunk through it back to the room the 'dark lord' had given him to use.

Ryou held it in as he wanted more than anything to have Bakura stay or go with him but he had a duty, he couldn't just disappear. Ryou moved the chair back to its starting position silently before setting up his act. He sat at the foot of the bed on the floor and brought his knees up to his chest, his head down. Now to act like he was truly upset – which he still was a bit but he would play it up.

"Ryou? Are you in here?" Hermione asked as the doorknob began to turn and Ryou almost answered her. "Ryou!" she said it in almost relief before yelling down the hall. "I found him!" She quickly came and knelt by him. "Ryou?"

He lifted his head up and pretended to wipe some tears. "Oh, Hermione. Sorry, I just wasn't expecting a painting to yell at me." He said half truthfully. She seemed to accept the explanation and patted his back. "That's Mrs. Black. Horrid woman. We can't remove the portrait so we keep it covered." Hermione stated firmly. Ryou nodded his head before letting it hang again. "Sorry, I caused so much trouble for everyone."

"It's nothing. Even I was curious when I first got here. Although, you shouldn't have run off like that. You had everyone worried." Hermione scolded before standing up. "Now, we should take you downstairs and Mrs. Weasley will probably make you a nice cup of tea." Hermione offered her hand and Ryou took it gingerly getting to his feet. "Thank you." He gave a soft smile and left in front of Hermione after giving her hand a squeeze to show that he really meant it.

Hermione looked perplexedly after her cousin. Mrs. Black had been terrified of him and even called him a Demon, a Torturer, and talked about Ryou not taking her soul which was far too similar to the incidents when he was younger to be pure coincidence. She had also said worrying things like Ryou had the power to send people to hell. There was also that Ryou had just run off which Hermione couldn't blame him for, who would stay after being told those things?

But it was where he hid that got her. He ran up the stairs as if to avoid everyone but instead of going all the way up to where Buckbeak was he stopped the floor below. It could be that he ran out of adrenaline, but that was unlikely. He had gone partially down the hallway and not locked the door. Instead Hermione noticed some dust still stirring in the corner as if he had been moving around over there before.

Then there was getting here in the first place. The first staircase only went to the first a second floors the latter being where they had gone with Harry and Ron. There was a separate staircase to go higher but when no one found him on the first or second floor Sirius went up to the top floor and didn't find him. He had thought out where he hid so he wouldn't be found for a while.

She also noticed how Ryou found his way back as if he walked here all the time. Hermione had gotten lost several times when she first got here but he didn't have trouble getting here or back to the main hall. There was something going on with her cousin and she would find out; when he wasn't upset.

Almost before she knew they were at the landing to the main hall where a severe looking man with a slight tan that verged on sunburn stood. Medium length black hair pulled into a pony tail at the nape of his neck. He looked intimidating just standing his arms flat at his sides because of the glare in his eyes.

Hermione resisted the urge to shiver. That gaze had more hatred than Snape's did for Harry but somehow, the man looked familiar. But it felt like it was wrong to see him in the traditional black wizard robes. She soon realized who it was as Ryou walked down the remainder of the stairs. He stood in front of the man and all eyes assembled there – Harry and Ron who had come up behind Hermione, Fred and George who were behind them, Kingsley, Mad-eye, and Snape who were standing to the side of the man, and Ginny and Mrs. Weasley coming up the stairs from the kitchen – watched as Ryou said a single word. "Father."

Almost as soon as the word was out a resounding slap could be heard throughout the room and several people gasped at both the revelation and the action. Mrs. Weasley immediately covered Ginny's eyes who just pushed her mother's hands away. Ryou slowly pivoted his head back remembering not to wince so that no one would know how much it hurt. He kept his head low not meeting his father's eyes a second time.

His father's voice was harsh as he spoke. "You, are a disappointment. And disrespectful. I pay for your rent and what do I see? You frivolously on vacation in Egypt. I listen to Dumbledore and come to help in the war so I'm warned to protect my family. What do I find? You on vacation with your cousin. And when I have them bring you here to make sure you're safe you cause a ruckus and a valued member is injured because you were to slow to get out of there." Each word cut like a knife and most of the occupants of the room could feel the pain Haru Bakura was inflicting on his son.

"Anything to say?" Ryou mumbled so only those closest could hear. "I'm sorry. I didn't intend for any of this to happen." He got slapped again and most occupants in the room were surprised that Ryou didn't get whiplash from the speed and ferocity. "Don't speak such lies, Demon. You're an abomination. Don't think you're fooling anyone. Even that painting could tell what a monster you are."

"Haru, what are you saying? That's your so-" Mrs. Weasley tried to stop him before he cut her off. "And that's exactly right. He's my son. A disgrace." The whole time his eyes never left Ryou's figure who had finally decided to move his head back to its normal position; twitching his fingers because of the pain instead of a normal wince. It would be no good to be seen. "So that's all? You can't even deny what you are because it's true. You're a curse, a curse upon everyone you meet. I should've sent you to Siberia. There's a chance you'd die there and anyone you end up killing it would be a blessing for them."

"Mr. Bakura!" Molly Weasley gasped that this man, although a bit hardened she had always thought he was a good person, would do this to his own son. Ryou continued to be silent so his father sent him a worse glare. "Forgotten proper English? Then maybe you'll know this. Demon who haunts my house and my mind, begone from my home and leave my dreams in peace." He said the last part in Arabic and Ryou knew it from his time with Malik. It was an old saying when you had nightmares to ask that they leave but the measure of cruelty in his voice and that he dared directed it at a person meant that he considered that person a plague and was asking for the g-ds to take him to Amett to be eaten.

There's not much worse you could say to a person.

/That asshole… I should feed him to Amett myself. / Bakura muttered angrily but Ryou denied it. /No! He's just really frustrated and probably doesn't know what it means when you say it to a person. It's fine Bakura. / despite Ryou's pleas there was a note of doubt and Bakura plotted the worst ways he could think of to murder the bastard. Something that would make a crucifixion seem generous.

"Still nothing to say?" Ryou just looked down and stopped himself from crying. "I'm very sorry." He bowed in a proper Japanese manner but that just upset his father. "Stop your sniveling. Go make yourself useful and clean something of this mess. There's hardly a chance you can kill someone doing that Demon."

"As nice as it would be, you forget that we need to have a discussion with him." Moody cut in relieving almost everyone that this was over. Mr. Bakura glared at him for a moment before turning back to his son. "You will answer all questions asked of you and don't waste our time." Ryou just stood from the bow he was still in and nodded his head. His father still thought of him of a Demon but at least he was talking to Ryou for the first time in almost three years.

Hermione was aghast at her uncle's behavior and Ryou just took it! How bad had things been between those two? This was practically abuse! And how could anyone think of Ryou as a demon? Hermione knew that her uncle blamed Ryou for his wife and daughters death but to the extent that he considered Ryou a murderer? This was unreasonable and no one did anything to stop him except Moody. But then the question was, what would they have to discuss with Ryou?

Kingsley, Moody, and Snape went down the stairs where they would probably be more members of the Order. Ryou tried to follow them but his father grabbed his hair as he tried to pass him. "You should respect your elders." He started forward dragging Ryou by his hair and they all caught him wince. Mrs. Weasley was still in the doorway to the stairs and gave him a look so Haru let Ryou go. Ryou had to put out a foot to steady himself after almost being thrown by his hair and straightened himself out. Ginny tried to reach out and help him but her mother held her back; this wasn't the place or time.

The watched Ryou follow his father before Mrs. Weasley went to follow them. Before she went all the way down she caught Ginny trying to follower her down. "Ginny, go upstairs." She directed. "But, mum-" she was cut off as her mother repeated herself in a tone that left no room for arguments. "Go upstairs Ginerva." Ginny huffed and went up the stairs stopping at where the golden trio and the twins were. The twins exchanged one look before simultaneously saying, "Extendable ears." Everyone ran to get their own hidden set and met back at the top of the kitchen stairs.

Ok, I meant to put in the next scene to but I just couldn't get a vibe on it and this feels like a whole chapter. Btw, anyone else want to kill Ryou's dad? *raises own hand*

*phew* So, anyone confused on the fifty different plot lines? And if it gets to confusing you can ask me for clarification although I hope that I do it well enough that no one has to… Also, shocking number of things! I hope I can keep the updates schedule since school is starting. Hmm… maybe this wasn't the best time to post this story?

I think Bakura might have been ooc... but only a little. I just wasn't sure how to write him when he was worried but I'm satisfied with it. And yes, I am making a lot of references to Ryou being an Angel. I just have this one really good line to set up for… although I might be over doing it. Meh. *shrugs* I don't really care.