Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of J. K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing, and Arthur A. Levine Books. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakuken, and Viz Media. I am not them, and as such make no money from this venture.


When dinner had been consumed and Harry appeased with the knowledge that Sesshōmaru would eat later and wasn't refusing to join them because he was upset, Shippō led them back to the study. The desk had been cleared of most papers and scrolls, only the few that would need to be signed to confer custody of the child remained. Harry wiggled onto the cushion he had left behind and Shippō set a small pot of weak tea and a plate of sweet buns in front of him before retrieving a ceramic carafe and two saucers from a cabinet in the corner of the study. When everyone had taken a sip of their respective nightcaps, Sesshōmaru focussed on the small boy across the desk. Harry looked up, somewhat confused, when he felt the pressure of that golden gaze.

"If you were to agree to become my ward, Harry Potter," the lord began in a soothing rumble, "there would be no others who could lay claim to you until I release you. This is not the way of human dealings, but those ways are not enough to protect you if you choose to stay."

Harry's green eyes were wide at that and he darted a quick glance to Shippō, who gave him a small smile behind his drink. Sesshōmaru's fingers twitched minutely and his voice was perhaps a bit colder than before.

"I have many enemies who have attempted to use my wards against me before. The protection you require is not from this Sesshōmaru."

The young boy relaxed slightly and nodded, nibbling on one of the treats the kitsune had given him. The inuyōkai continued, the soothing quality returning to his tone.

"As your lord, I would also be responsible for your training."

"Training?" Harry piped up, darting another glance at Shippō.

"Your education," the kitsune clarified. "Since Shō tends to move around, you wouldn't be going to regular school like you would have started soon. He'll probably also teach you a bit of martial arts and perhaps some magic."

"Like turning into a big dog?" Harry swung his wide-eyed gaze from Shippō to Sesshōmaru and back. "Or a fox?"

"Perhaps," the inuyōkai conceded. "I have heard tell of some human magicians able to perform the feat. That would not be until later, however. Becoming a ward of the House of the West is not something to be taken lightly, but I extend the invitation nonetheless," he concluded solemnly.

To his credit, the young Potter actually thought about it for more than a few seconds before taking a deep breath and asking, "So you'll protect me and teach me until I'm old enough to do it myself?"

Sesshōmaru nodded silently.

"I'd get to live with you and Shippō and we'd travel all over? Even to, like, China? Or Wales?"

Another nod, accompanied by eyebrows raised faintly in amusement. Harry's mouth turned down in a scowl as he thought hard. When he looked up, his green eyes were solemn. "What would I have to do in return?"

Silence reigned in the study for a moment before Sesshōmaru set his saucer down and clicked his nails across the hardwood of his desk. Meeting Harry's gaze with serious golden eyes, his voice was deep with promise. "I would require you to be diligent in your studies without due complaint. You would need to eat well and dress and act in a manner that would not reflect poorly on myself or the House of the West. And," his nails clicked once more across the desk, "I require that you inform me of any danger to yourself and your well being. No ward of mine lacks for anything."

Harry stared up at the lord with undisguised admiration and smiled, nodding decisively. Shippō matched his little grin as Sesshōmaru dipped his head once more and slid a single document across the desk. A pen was produced from seemingly nowhere and a clawed finger wordlessly pointed to where Harry's signature was needed. Small fingers twisting in his hem, the boy looked helplessly at the desk before darting his gaze up through thick lashes. "I don't know how to write," he admitted in a small voice.

Nodding as though it was expected, Sesshōmaru replaced the pen with a small tray of ink in two deft movements. "Your fingers will suffice for now. A new contract can be signed later, if doubt arises."

When Harry's thumbprints were carefully placed and secured with a small trace of his own wishful magic, Shippō reached over and pressed a small block of inked stone to the page, signing as witness. A wash of binding magic rippled out faintly before contracting, and the kitsune clapped his hands and grinned at the boy beside him.

"Now that that's done, I think it's time for all good little wards to get ready for bed!"

The boy groaned theatrically but it had been a rather full day, and not in the way he was used to. Shippō chuckled and herded him gently from the study and down the hall once more.

ooo

With a heavy sigh, Shippō dropped onto the cushion across from his boss and friend. Sesshōmaru's only response was to pour him another saucer of saké and take a measured sip of his own. Harry had just fallen asleep, but neither yōkai required rest anytime soon.

"I see what you mean by skittish," the kitsune murmured. "One sharp word and the kid might bolt."

Sesshōmaru hummed in agreement. "I had thought to return to Japan soon, but Inuyasha is not known for his tact."

Shippō laughed, well aware of his hanyō friend's flaws. "Might be better to stick to somewhere Harry can understand the language too, at least at first."

Another wordless acknowledgement as the lord drained his drink. "There is the matter of the child's own holdings as well," he sighed soundlessly. "They will have to be accounted for and any wealth put into trust before we leave. Additionally, his parents were well known and his own fame is bound to have attracted vultures."

"Time to call in the terrible trio?" Shippō asked with a smile as he split the last of the bottle between them.

Sesshōmaru merely titled his lips slyly. "Perhaps it is unfortunate that I do not have any wolves currently in my employ. You will indeed have to settle for my three wise men."

The kitsune raised his dish in one last toast. "May they strike fear into the hearts of vultures everywhere, and leave poor foxes alone."

A rumbling laugh and the soft clink of porcelain on porcelain was his only answer.

ooo

Two days later over breakfast, Harry was informed that they would again be spending the day shopping. He wrinkled his nose; hadn't they picked up everything he could possibly need already?

"Not like Monday!" Shippō laughed into his tea. "We have to visit a different place entirely. It'll be magical!"

If the black-haired boy had known a bit more about himself, the emphasis on the last word would have given him a clue to their destination. As it was, he only blinked twice before returning Shippō's bright smile. Setting his dirty dishes neatly on the counter to be washed later, he darted off to get changed.

Sesshōmaru met them at the back door of the shop, speaking softly with two men and two women, one of whom was the one to hand the lord Vernon's card that first day. Harry slipped behind his kitsune escort, ducking his head shyly. Shippō smiled and stepped aside, ushering him forward with a comforting hand on his back. Conversation halted and five sets of eyes turned to the small human. Sesshōmaru beckoned him forward and Shippō leaned down to whisper a gentle admonition to stand up straight and not be afraid.

Harry moved closer cautiously, eyes darting nervously between each unknown face. As though sensing his discomfort, the woman he recognised from the shop stepped forward with a warm smile and gave him a small bow. "Hello, young master," her voice was soft and calming. "My apologies for not introducing myself when we first met. My name is Hanami. I work for Sesshōmaru-sama."

Green eyes watched her intently before darting up to meet his lord's. A faint nod of confirmation from that quarter, and he found the courage to point out that "Your ears weren't pointy before."

"Ah!" She looked back at Sesshōmaru, tucking a hand up against the side of her face in embarrassment, but he merely watched the interaction flatly.

Shippō leaned forward conspiratorially, winking when Harry turned towards him. "Hanami is a kitsune also."

Glancing between them, the child compared them before wrinkling his nose. "You don't look the same."

One of the other men, tall and thin with sharp features and grey hair, laughed. When Harry glanced up, he gestured towards the front of the shop. "You do not look like many of the humans outside either, little one, but we don't doubt you are."

Feeling bold, bolstered by the presence of Shippō at his back and Sesshōmaru before him, Harry grumbled insolently, "Are you a fox too?"

Long fingers waved negligently, unperturbed by the show of cheek. "No no, not I. Not for me are the tricks and trappings of the forest."

Bowing faintly, he released a small shiver of yōki. When he straightened, there was a wide red streak painted across the bridge of his nose. Harry noted a similar mark also spread across the man's hands, covering each of his fingers between the first and second knuckles. Sharp orange eyes watched him shrewdly. "Heisui," the pale yōkai introduced briefly. "Like your lord, I often keep myself disguised in public, but I am crane, not dog."

Green eyes narrowed and Harry contemplated this for only a short time before turning an expectant gaze on the two who had yet to speak. The woman stepped forward first, her matronly appearance comforting on a level he didn't quite know how to explain. Not bothered with the formality shown by her companions, she crouched down at eye-level, her full skirts puffing up around her.

"You'll learn, Mister Potter," she smiled, wrinkles creasing the corners of her dark eyes behind her tortoiseshell glasses, "that there are yōkai for nearly every species, and the word we use for 'spirit' depends on where we come from. Some of us aren't even tied to an animal nature, though they're far rarer than those who are."

He looked dubious, but another brief nod from Sesshōmaru convinced him of the woman's words. She smiled deeper, holding out a lightly tanned hand for Harry to shake. "You'll call me Oria, hm?" she smiled, patting his captured appendage lightly with her free hand.

The last man stepped forward as Harry indicated he would do as she asked, a hand the colour of milky coffee out to assist his associate. When Oria was standing, he turned back to the boy and bowed with an open palm resting over his heart. As with Heisui, a small wash of yōki covered him as he rose. "You may call me Rahul, Mister Potter," he murmured with a faint accent.

Harry had to look hard for what had changed, apart from newly pointed ears tucked under neatly cropped black hair. After a moment of searching, he spied the thin vertical lines - only a shade paler than the man's skin and thus that much harder to spot - that traced from the outer corners of Rahul's piercing black eyes down to his chin. He reminded himself to ask his guardians later if all the different markings meant something. Shippō didn't seem to have any, after all, and Sesshōmaru had more than all the others combined. Sneaking a glance at both, Harry tucked his hands behind his back to conceal his nervousness. Grasping at his clothing was no longer allowed, according to Sesshōmaru, as it wrinkled and tugged them out of place and such messiness was unbecoming of them both. "Pleased to meet you all," he replied at last, trying to emulate the stoic lord's usual tone.

Though only Oria's expression changed outwardly, Harry had a feeling they were all amused by his attempt. Sesshōmaru raised his chin a fraction before turning towards the back door, barely sparing a glance for his entourage. Yōki rippled again as disguises were replaced and Harry stepped back as he saw the dramatic change overcome the inu. Shippō's hand came down on his shoulder, gently keeping him in place, as Harry finally got a good look at his lord's public face. Pale brown eyes slanted towards him and he was guided forward until he stood two paces behind and to the right of Sesshōmaru.

"This is your place," Shippō told him softly, giving his shoulder a last comforting pat before retreating. "Don't let anyone take it from you."

With that, Hanami opened the door and the small group stepped out into the streets of London as one.

ooo

When they emerged from the two sleek black cars that had carried them several streets over - too far to walk, certainly, but not a long drive at all - Harry was almost overwhelmed by the swirling mid-morning crowds of downtown London. The solid presence of both of the yōkai he was most familiar with bracketed him however, and sure steps led the entourage to a dingy pub that had muscled its way into existence between two other shops. He tried to keep his wide-eyed reactions limited, focussing instead on staying just the right distance behind Sesshōmaru.

The pub's interior wasn't much to see and they swept through without stopping to greet the bartender or any of the patrons. When they reached what seemed to be a dead-end courtyard, Harry glanced up at the lord in faintly nervous confusion. Had they decided he wasn't worth keeping after all? No. He shoved the thought down and straightened his back again. They had signed the contract, and if there was anything he had learned from the stories Shippō told him before bed sometimes, it was that Sesshōmaru protected what was his and did not go back on his word.

Hanami moved forward, ducking her head to the disguised inuyōkai before turning to the wall blocking their path. Gently, she touched her fingers to stone. Harry couldn't control the dropping of his jaw as the bricks shivered and rearranged themselves into an archway leading towards the most fantastical street he'd seen yet. The group moved forwards once more and, as they passed into the street, yōki shimmered briefly into cloaks that draped themselves over suits and dresses. The ripple in the air that Harry could feel whenever the familiar-unfamiliar magic was used shifted closer, curled around him, and then suddenly he was draped in soft, dark fabric. He gathered some of it briefly in a fist, startled at its appearance, but the hum that ran through him corresponded with the glint of pale brown checking his progress. Sesshōmaru's power. He relaxed, knowing it was protection and comfort in one, and followed his lord deeper into Diagon Alley.

ooo

Sesshōmaru was pleased to see his ward so easily accept the casual drape of mokomoko, disguised as it was, across his shoulders. He'd caught the boy's nervous tension before Hanami had opened the way, but Harry had forced it down on his own. Still, he'd felt his instincts buck, and soothed them by offering the child protection in more ways than one. Harry would not look out of place with his neat trousers and plain shirt so long as everyone else saw the robe thrown over the top. Anything that could sense his true nature or relied on scent for identification would find the declaration of mine to be clear. It was particularly useful when they swept down the Alley and into Gringotts. The magic of goblins was no less odd to him than that of humans, but the goblins themselves were much better at understanding the subtleties of non-humans than so-called witches and wizards were.

A pair of guards stepped forward as they neared the teller counters, gesturing with their spears for the entourage to follow. Sesshōmaru inclined his head briefly, allowing the goblins to guide them down a hallway to the office he visited on the rare occasions he dealt with the bank. Hanami ducked forwards to open the door as she had the archway, subtly scanning the room for threats - not that it was necessary here in the heart of London - and announcing his presence to the goblin seated behind the desk. Bloodedge nodded and stood, waving away the guards as they entered. "Lord Sesshōmaru, it has been many years since you have graced us with your presence."

"I have come to settle some accounts regarding my new ward." He raised his eyebrow slightly and gestured the child forward. "I believe you know Harry Potter."

"Ah, yes!" The old goblin came around his desk, peering closer but keeping his distance, the presence of mokomoko warning him off. "We were told it would be several years yet before he would be escorted through our doors, however."

Sesshōmaru's voice was cold. "Told by whom?"

Bloodedge retreated to his desk, rifling through papers and appearing unconcerned with the implied threat in those words. "Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of the wizard school up north. He informed us that the Potter wills were to be sealed until the child reached majority. Naturally we did no such thing, as that man had no control over any of the relevant accounts and was not named executor. Unfortunately, by the time we had gone through them, the child was nowhere to be found."

The inuyōkai gestured minutely and Heisui moved forward, presenting the scroll that had been signed earlier that week. Pinning the banker with an icy stare, Sesshōmaru rumbled dangerously. "Execute the wills. Any monetary wealth is to be transferred to a trust vault under my guardianship. Heirlooms are to be placed in a separate vault with access restricted to myself and my ward. Any property will be managed by this Sesshōmaru through the use of intermediaries."

"Very well," Bloodedge muttered after a moment studying the document he'd been given. "Is there anything else Gringotts can do for you or young Potter?"

"Yes," Rahul spoke up, his softly accented voice carrying a hint of steel. "My associates and I would also like to discuss correcting a few breaches of intellectual property law regarding Mister Potter."

Harry looked up at Shippō in confusion, but a shushing motion from the kitsune convinced him to hold his questions until later. The goblin's gaze sharpened at the thought of legal issues with such a large account-holder and bared his teeth in something that could be considered either a smile or a grimace. "What sort of breaches?"

"Those involving the unauthorised use of our client's name, of course," Heisui replied smoothly. "His celebrity status regarding the incident four years ago and the lack of negative enforcement has allowed many to profit with the use of either his or his parents names."

Bloodedge's expression curled much closer to shark-like amusement. "I see. This is something we have been unable to curb without approval of young Potter or his guardian. Now that that is secured, Gringotts would be pleased to offer... enforcement services for any deal we make regarding the use of the names and likenesses of such valued customers."

A brief stare-down ensued before Sesshōmaru inclined his head slightly and turned towards the door, confident that his orders would be carried out efficiently and to greatest profit for all involved. Collecting Hanami, Shippō, and Harry in a glance, he swept out of the bank and back into the Alley. Some ice cream wouldn't go amiss to reward the boy for staying his curiosity.