((SXH: Hello again, everyone! I am happy to let you all know that my life is improving and my inspiration is coming back, albeit slowly. I would like to thank all those who have been so loyal to this story so far and have stuck with me through my problems and late updates. Thank you so much, all of you. You really keep me going. If I didn't have you guys here to tell me about this story, I wouldn't have the made it past chapter 3. Now we're a whole ten chapters past that! TEN! That makes me really happy you guys have no idea. And I would like to point out that I have yet to receive a negative review for this story and that has been the best thing about this whole experience. If I had known that people crave the darker stories sooner, I would have started writing more stories like this a long time ago. Anyway thank you all so much. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and the more likely to come. Enjoy.))

Disclaimer: We should all know by now that I am not the owner of Kingdom Hearts or Harry Potter. I only own this storyline.

Warning: Language, mild violence.

/

Chapter 13: A Piece of the Past

/

It was midnight and Severus was doing his rounds. As soon as he checked his clock, he checked to see if anyone was around. Once he realized that he was alone and there were no portraits or ghosts around. Severus stepped into an alcove and created a dark corridor. He stepped into it and immediately appeared in the same grey room that had been known for years as practically their living room. It had been months since he had been here. A week at most since Potter had been here. But, he didn't even want to be here. He was forced to act in Potter's place, relaying command to Xemnas so that he may relay them to the others.

Their leader was not happy about the situation. He was forced to stay put while Vexen developed the technology that they needed to remove Harry's trace. It was taking up most of the icy scientist's time. So much, that Zexion was ordered to create a new replica. Severus smirked a little at the memory of the indignant expression the small man made when Vexen gave him the step-by-step instructions.

Shaking off those thoughts, he had to continue on with his original mission. He had been 'ordered' to come here by their master. He couldn't explain how it happened, but he knew what the other wanted without him saying a word. It was unsettling.

Severus looked up to see that he was not alone in the room. Xigbar was there, messing around with Demyx. Axel was sleeping on the couch, snoring away rather loudly. Luxord, one of the few people he could possibly enjoy his precious time with, was sitting down with a bottle of rum and practicing cards. Then there was Saïx. He was sitting calmly in the most comfortable chair, quietly reading a book. Severus saw no indication of what it was about on the cover or the spine. Severus ignored them all in favor of trying to get to the door unnoticed. That was an impossibility…

"Good evening, Number XIV," Saïx called before he could get halfway across the room. All heads napped up to stare at the new occupant. Severus mentally sighed.

"Good evening, Number VII," Severus replied before continuing his journey. He didn't get three steps before his path was blocked off by a certain idiot with an eye patch.

"Wow. Long time no see, Eve! How've you been?" asked Xigbar, leaning in uncomfortably close to Severus. Severus's expression remained blank.

"Better until about five seconds ago," he answered and sidestepped the other, changing his course in the process. Now, he was headed toward Luxord. Xigbar, the annoying thorn in his side, followed.

"Aw! Come on, Eve. You've got to be at least a bit curious as to how we've been doing here. You've been gone for months, just like Ahrxri," Xigbar continued.

"Yeah! You've been gone for so long, we nearly forgot about you!" Demyx piped in. Axel groaned and turned over on the couch. Everyone except Severus ignored it.

"Oh, I doubt that. And just because I am not visible to you, Number II, does not mean that I am not in the castle. Luxord, pass me a tumbler will you?" Severus replied. Luxord handed him one and gestured for the other to sit. Severus nodded and took a seat and took a long drink. "Besides, I'm not staying long. I've got to get back in about an hour or so."

"Not staying. Isn't that the Superior's call or something?" Xigbar wondered. "I don't think that you should be deciding things on your own, even on one of Xemnas's good days. I really don't think you should be doing it today because Xemnas is already pissed because of Ahrxri's absence and all." Xigbar paused only for a few seconds to look Severus up and down. Severus was about to correct him about it when the idiot went on with his little lecture. "Also, I don't think Xemnas would like to find out that you have been fucking his little toy on the side either."

Severus, who had been in the process of trying to finish his drink, froze. He stared at the sharpshooter with an expression he rarely showed anyone but Demyx. It was his famous 'am I hallucinating or did that really just come out of your mouth' look. Without saying a word, Severus threw what little he had left of his rum on the moron in front of him.

Shocked, Xigbar backed away and tried to wipe the rum off of himself. "You son of a-…" Severus snapped his fingers and Xigbar's voice went out.

"I, for one, do not appreciate being accused of such accursed acts. In case you haven't noticed, that boy is young enough to be my son, just hitting puberty actually. Not exactly my type," Severus began, smirking at the sharpshooter's reaction.

"Really?" Luxord asked. "Damn. I bet that you were interested in men."

"I am." Luxord raised a brow. "Like I said. Ahrxri is a boy. I like men. Preferably blonds." Luxord blushed at this. He grabbed his bottle of rum and began gulping it down like he was a man who hadn't seen water in weeks. Severus chuckled lowly, causing Luxord to chock a bit. He stunned both Demyx and Xigbar into silence while Saïx just rolled his eyes.

Severus stood and was about to leave the room before he got an idea. He walked over to Xigbar and suddenly clamped his hand on the other's mouth. Then he roughly kneed him in the groin. Any sound that could have come out of Xigbar's mouth was absorbed by the hand. Severus let go of Xigbar quickly and glided toward the doorway. "Bye, Number II," Severus spoke, turning around. With another snap of his fingers, a loud scream echoes into the ear of one fiery red head. Axel, pissed at being awoken, shot a glare at Xigbar before lighting his arse on fire, aided by the alcohol. Severus didn't stay long enough to take pleasure in the sight. Instead, he imagined what it must be like. Xigbar running around here and there while engulfed in flames. Severus laughed to himself as he made his way to the Superior's office.

Once there, he took notice that it was eerily quiet. More so than usual. It was… depressing. He guessed that Xemnas was sulking since he could not see the little raven. Severus rolled his eyes. Shame such a handsome man would be such a pansy. I could do so many things to him… Severus quickly shook such thoughts away. He was serious when he said he was interested in blonds. Specifically, either the cute poker player with all the time in the world, or the adorable politician that could use a good blow to the pride. Hmm… That's a rather tough decision. I think I'll try Lucy first. I'm sure Draco wouldn't mind.

Severus knocked on the door and waited to hear the strong, yet faint reply of "Enter". He opened the door and closed it behind him. He put up sound wards when he did. No one liked eavesdroppers. Severus smirked. Merlin, he was a hypocrite.

"Superior. I have a message from our lord," Severus began. "From your latest report. He wishes for you to stop playing with this Sora boy. He wants the kid to stop causing trouble, permanently." Xemnas made a small noise of acknowledgement from his desk. He himself was holding a glass tumbler full of what looked like Firewhiskey. "He also wishes for me to express to you his ideas on this. He demands that the boy be captured and detained as soon as possible. He wishes to be notified of when this occurs."

Xemnas scowled and took a long drink from the Firewhiskey. "Understood," he growled and turned away. Severus stared at him, contemplating his reaction, before continuing.

"Milord has also stressed that Sora be captured alive, and kept away from Roxas. He does not want Roxas nearly running off and disappearing again while he is… indisposed," Severus continued. He remained calm and motionless even as Xemnas slammed the glass down and glared at him.

"Fine! Luxord has informed me that he is still in The Caribbean. If you must, go and fetch him!" Xemnas snapped. Severus stood in silence as the Superior said this. Instead, he searched Xemnas's face for answers to such an outburst. He wasn't stupid. He knew it was caused by Ahrxri. However, he had no way of knowing just what had transpired between the two. It was curious.

"Sir," Severus began carefully after a few quiet minutes. "If I may… I would like to express that the silent contract demands that I be here for most of your needs. Anything within the definition of work." Severus stepped forward and placed a hand on Xemnas's shoulder. "However, being a Nobody without emotions does not constitute that one cannot care. With that said, if there is anything you need, I will be there for you."

Xemnas stared at the man with wide eyes for a few moments, trying to determine if he actually meant his words. After he fought that battle, he began another inside his mind. This one was to determine whether or not to tell his subordinate about his issue or not. Severus stood there for several minutes without an answer. He sighed and turned away. "Well, when you do wish to talk, all you need to do is send an Dusk," Severus informed, striding forward toward the door. His hand had just grasped the door knob when Xemnas spoke.

"He won't talk to me," he said. Severus took his hand off the knob and turned back to his superior.

"At the present time, he cannot speak to anyone without revealing anything about his true life," Severus clarified. Xemnas held up a hand, indicating to let him finish.

"I meant before they put that trace back on him. He wouldn't tell me," Xemnas explained.

"Wouldn't tell you what?"

"How he died," Xemnas murmured, leaning back in his chair. Severus stiffened. He remembered the last time someone had asked Ahrxri how he died. It didn't end well for that poor puppet. Severus couldn't remember her name, but he did remember that she nearly caused quite a bit of trouble for the organization. Not to mention, asking how a person died is very personal. From his standpoint, if someone asked him how he died, it would be more insulting than asking who they were having sex with. No wonder our Lord has been in a foul mood as of late… Severus thought.

"That is very personal," he commented. "Are you sure he wasn't just insulted that you asked?"

"Gods no," Xemnas snapped, shaking his head. Severus's brow shot up.

"How do you know? Did he say something to suggest otherwise?" the dark haired man questioned. Xemnas looked away, only confirming the statement. "What did he say that set you off?"

"I did not hold any negative reservations to what he said. I was more… surprised than anything," he answered. "He asked me one question. I guess I should have guessed he wouldn't know, considering he was a child when he became a Nobody – "

"He is still a child, sir," Severus interrupted. Xemnas glared.

"Be that as it may, ever child has heard the little fairy tales and their morals and such. Even I knew the story of Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast even though I came from Radiant Gardens," Xemnas continued.

"What exactly did he ask?" Severus wondered, definitely curious as to where this conversation was headed. Xemnas sighed and looked down at the table.

"He asked me what 'love' was. However, it didn't seem like an innocent question like a child asking her parents after she has listened to a fairy tale. He seemed to have never even heard the word before. It was like he was asking for a dictionary definition than a serious emotional response," the Superior clarified. Severus's eyes widened only minimally. He thought about it for a few minutes.

It made sense that he wouldn't know what it was. He was only ever told that Potter was a child when he died. The details were tightlipped, so no one knew what happened. No one even knew how old he was when he died. In fact, he didn't show himself as a member of the organization until they already had thirteen others. Then Severus joined and was filled in on the situation, solely on the fact that he was deemed useful in not only as a spy, but also keeping the boy reigned in to an extent. His job was to help him control his powers, should they get out of hand for some reason. That had been happening quiet a lot recently, in truth. It was getting harder and harder to control his actions.

"Would you like me to investigate?" Severus asked. Xemnas shook his head and then downed the rest of his tumbler.

"No. Best not to anger him more." Severus nodded and headed for the door. "And one more thing before you go, Number XV. This conversation never happened."

"What conversation, sir?" Severus said before he turned the nob and left.

/

Harry sat on the soft grass out in front of Hagrid's hut. He avoided everyone he could for the past few days. He didn't speak much at all, in fear of his powers slipping and Dumbledore catching on to him. It caught everyone's attention, but most who knew what went on in Dumbledore's office shoved it off to him being depressed or just plain pissed off at Ron and Hermione.

He didn't speak to Neville, Draco, or Luna, but he did sit with them at meals. He didn't have to tell them what had happened. Neville already knew because Ron and Ginny threw a bitch fit as soon as they entered the common room that night. Neville had dragged Harry out of there before Ginny could curse him. Draco and Luna probably already knew from either Neville or the Hogwarts grape-vine. More than likely it was the grape-vine than Neville. Nev didn't like to spread rumors.

Harry laid back against the cold ground to cool his head. He turned his head to the side and came face to face with Fang. Harry immediately remembered the first time he heard Hagrid play that sweet tune on his flute in his first year. He remembered, for the first time in a long time, a small feeling of relaxation and happiness. This was the only reason he could stand to be around anyone at the moment. Before he left the castle, he could only tolerate Hagrid. But, he was gone. No one knew where he went. Dumbledore just used the normal excuse that he was on vacation. He had heard from Xemnas earlier on in the year about how Hagrid was partying with the giants.

Harry felt relaxed when sat outside of the homely hut. Almost like a spell, he could feel almost all the tension leave him. He turned on his side, getting into a more comfortable position. Harry didn't know when, but he slipped off to sleep.

It was dark. Harry couldn't see anything. He could hear the soft tunes of music outside and laughter, but he felt cold. He felt alone. He tried to curl up on his spot on the cold, hard ground. Everything hurt. His head… his arms… his legs… his chest… There was a painful clench in his chest whenever he thought about the possibility of being alone. He wasn't supposed to be alone. There was supposed to be someone there for him, help ease the pain, but… they took her away… Harry coughed and hacked when he felt some fluid reach his lungs. The taste of copper filled his mouth and he spit out some red liquid on the floor.

Suddenly there was a loud, ear-shattering, blood-curdling scream that shot terror through him. The scream was instantly followed by boom laughter of a crowd. "The audience…" Harry said to himself absently in fear. He flinched as more screams followed. He wanted the torment to end. Not just her torment but his as well. He didn't want to hear her screams anymore. Harry felt rage run through him at the thought of what they were doing to her. Soon the screams faded and he heard footsteps approach.

The door creaked open, revealing blinding light and a silhouette in the doorway. It was a man, whose face he could not remember. But, judging by his clothing, he was rich. The sound of his expensive shoes tapping on the stone floor confirmed that. He seemed young as well. He was able to pick Harry up by his hair alone, but that didn't really attest to anything. He was small and scrawny. He couldn't remember what his last meal was, nor the taste of it. He pulled Harry up by his hair to be face to face with him.

"You're turn, pretty boy," he said, in a voice that seemed to be a tenor. He was young. He had to be. But, Harry wasn't one to assume anything. He learned a long time ago not to. He learned from observation what people were like. And to Harry, this man was a sick bastard that he hated with a passion. This passionate hatred caused him to gather enough energy to spit in the young man's face. Harry took a bit of pride in seeing the disgusted look on his face. It was funny to see the handsome face twist and turn in the ugly one under his façade. Harry was dropped to the floor instantly and kicked in the ribs about three or four times. The man only stopped when Harry yelped in pain. "Impertinent little brat! You should be grateful that I was the one who came to get you!"

Shortly after his beating, harry was forced to stand, despite the pain, and was led to the door. As soon as he stepped through it. The most terrifying and heart-shattering scream he had ever heard erupted and echoed around the halls.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" she screamed.

Harry shot up off the grass and gave a small shout himself. He stood up and drew his wand, ready for a fight, still in his half-awake and half-asleep mind. Once he realized that he was not in that terrible place from his dream, he sat back down and put his head in his hands. He felt Fang brush his head up against Harry's shoulder and Harry turned around just in time for Fang to decide to lick his right cheek.

"Hey! Fang!" Harry shouted as Fag pounced and licked all over his face. "Stop it! I get it! You like me! Now stop it!" With this, Fang backed off and sniffed his face. Deeming it still unclean, he went back in once again. "Fang! Yuck!" harry decided to close his mouth after that because of a really close lick to his open mouth. Once fang backed off, Harry glared at him. "Happy? I'm clean now," Harry grumbled and wiped off his face.

Fang just sat there, looking decidedly happy with Harry's improved mood. Then he looked past Harry and barked. Harry turned around and was met with a sight he did not expect to ever see in this world.

/

SXH: There you have it! Another chapter behind us! Chapter 13 is now posted! Tell me what you guys think in a review! Love you guys!

Bye~!