For the remainder of the week, Konata was in the lowest of spirits. Except for half-hearted "hello's" and hugs for Neville, she never smiled. Even then, her grin was small and unconvincing. Every day, she stared longingly at the Ravenclaw table, hoping Shiro would be sitting with a group, or so much as looking her way. But, no; he still sat alone and glared at a wall for each meal.

"Hey, Konata, do you want to-"

"Sorry Blaze, I can't, I'm turning in early today," Konata quickly interrupted one day.

"What else is new?" Blaze muttered. Konata pretended like she didn't hear her or feel incredibly guilty and hurried off to her common room. Before she could make it, however, she felt a hand clasp firmly over her mouth and an arm sharply pull her backward.

"HEY! GET OFF ME!" she shrieked, kicking her feet off the ground.

"Quit it, it's me!" hissed an all too familiar voice. Konata's eyes widened, and she stopped immediately as if someone had used immobulus on her. Hundreds of exclamations exploded inside her brain, some angry, some sympathetic, some relieved, some just plain frantic. Before she could say any of them, however, Shiro started to speak.

"Look, I know you're on your way to bed, so I'll make this quick… I- well, first of all, I don't hate you, if that's what you're thinking," Shiro told her, releasing his grip. Though the corner of the hall they were currently standing in was rather dark, Konata could still tell that Shiro looked, in a word, exhausted. Not a just-ran-a-mile type of exhausted, but as if he'd missed out on a week's worth of sleep. It looked like he had been in that state for weeks.

Once she found her train of thought, Konata shook her head. "No, I know you don't! And I'm really sorry about what happened over the summer, it's so tragic..." she squeaked.

Shiro's eyes widened. "How do you know…?" Realization quickly dawned on him.

"Satoshi," they said in unison.

"He told you about my deal with Draco, right?"

Konata nodded.

"He's not the only one who doesn't quite understand the whole thing," Shiro sighed. "You'd think that he'd make me his servant, or part of his gang or something. But instead he specifically asked that I erase all interaction with my friends. I didn't think he hated me so much that he wants me to do something that he should very well know will send me into a state of depression. But, he's a twisted sort of person, so I'm afraid if I disobey him he'll…" Shiro gulped. "Well, think about it. I'm repaying him for saving my life. If I break our deal…"

It took Konata a moment to catch on, but once she did, she shuttered.

If at all possible, Shiro demeanor darkened even more. "But perhaps… this is for the best."

Konata felt her insides go icy, her heart cracking in her chest. "W-what? Oh, Shiro, I-I'm sorry, I-"

"No, Konata, it's not that I don't want to be your friend," Shiro said quickly. "It's just…" He suddenly got very serious. He spoke slowly, saying every word carefully and precisely. "I'm not who you think I am, Konata. I'm not who I think I am. It would be better- safer- for you if you stayed away from me."

Konata bit her lip. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Shiro… No. I'm probably being a bad friend for disobeying you, but no. I wouldn't care if you're an escaped prisoner from Azkaban, I've learned too much and got too close to you to stop being your friend." She gently took Shiro's hands and stared into his eyes. "I'm sorry, but you're not going to get rid of me."

Shiro started to smile, but immediately stopped. He gripped Konata's hands, though more in a nervous way than an affectionate. He sighed and returned Konata's eye-gaze. It was fortunate nobody, especially Neville, walked by, because it looked rather romantic. "Konata, I have something to tell you that I haven't told anybody before. The only living people who know about this," he choked on the word living, "are Satoshi, Sakura, and Draco. You see, one day when Draco and I were 7, we ventured out into the woods. We knew there were places we shouldn't go, but naturally, we had to go see them. One spot my father particularly warned us about was sacred land. Something had caught Draco's eye that caused him to pause, but me, on the other hand… I took one step too far. I heard a chorus of disturbing voices that didn't seem human call out 'Monstrum!' and let me tell you, the only thing that could compare to the feeling I got was falling into a pit of lava. It was TERRIBLE.

"I didn't hesitate to get the hell out of there. I'm not sure if I was running from whatever force conjured that spell, or if I was trying to escape the endless pain. I remember dashing into my house, and hearing Draco explain what happened, and hearing my mother scream, and then… Everything just cut out, like I was having a dream that consisted of nothing but a red screen. I learned that the curse turns those inflicted into a horrible, demon-like creature. Apparently, I grew claws and fangs, and my eyes turned dark red. I didn't seem to have a conscience or memory of who my family was." Shiro's voice dropped to barely a whisper. "I nearly killed all of them that day.

"My dad performed some sort of counter-curse that prevented me from turning into the beast again, but I know it still lies somewhere deep inside me… Whenever I get majorly angry, I can just feel the urge to lose myself and rip out someone's throat. Some days- the day of my parents' funeral being one of them- I've awoken with red eyes and bloody scratches on my arms. Cuts I'd given myself, with my own fingernails, without even knowing it. If something happens one day and I lose my cool, those claw marks could be on your body, Konata. I care about you too much to allow that to happen," Shiro concluded.

Konata was speechless. She opened her mouth, but no sound whatsoever came out. Even her mind had gone blank. Shiro? A monster? There was no way. Absolutely no way. She very gradually gathered enough thoughts to say, "That doesn't change what I think about you. If you want me to stay away from you, I'll stay away from you. But I'll always trust you, Shiro, and I'll be slow to think negatively of you."

Shiro didn't say anything for a moment. He knew he didn't want Konata to turn against him; nevertheless, he was also aware that it would be best for her to do so. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Closing his eyes tightly, he took in the moment: the scent and tickle of her milk-chocolate colored hair; the silky feel of her one-size-too-large robes; the beat of her heart; the reassuring emotion that overwhelmed him as he held her in his arms.

"Don't worry, Konata. I'll try to sort this all out…" he whispered.

Gripping Shiro's robes, Konata closed her eyes. "You have enough to worry about. Try to take it one thing at a time… A lot's happened to you, I know. I can't say I can relate, but I realize there must be bunches of difficult situations going on for you. Take it easy if you can."

Shiro, who didn't realize thin tears were silently streaming down his face, nodded and stepped back. "A-alright. Thank you, Konata… I won't keep you any longer."

Konata reassuringly gripped Shiro's shoulder. "I'll always be here for you. Remember that." As she started off down the hall, Shiro suddenly called to her, "Konata, wait! I…"

Konata looked over her shoulder, wearing a look of anticipation. Shiro looked like he'd just realized he'd written the wrong answer on an exam, and quickly said, "Good night."

Konata smiled gently and tucked one of her braids behind her ear. "Good night, Shiro. Sweet dreams."