And it's time for this month's chapter! Sorry for the long wait, I was a bit busy for a while, and had a minor block which stopped me from finishing this as soon as I would have liked.

Anyway, this chapter is the last one of the first Arc of this story, which is basically getting every character in place and setting the bases for what happens next.

Now, to address a few reviewers:

Acceptance of despair : sorry that for the moment this story lacks badass scenes, but don't worry, they are coming. It's my hope that after the four interlude chapters that will follow this one, you will start to see the Badass.

Guest: don't worry, people will start dying soon.

Nakedfury: this story WILL be diverging from the canon universes, and I think that what I have planned will be quite different than what could be seen in Canon for either universe.

Guest: nope, Kaho won't be joining Harry. While she is interested in him, it is more in a sense that she looks up to him as someone to surpass than as an Ashikabi.

Now that is out of the way, I have a message for you dear readers, most of you aren't targeted when I'm writing this, those who are will recognize themselves:

I get it that having the Potters "abandon" Harry on Dumbledore's words is something that some have trouble with, and I don't pretend that it is normal either for parents to abandon their child. If you don't like it, it is fine, I can understand that, and I respect your point of view. I simply want to point out that as far as I'm concerned, and considering the situation when they did take the decision, it was a viable option. It's the kind of decision that you explain by starting with "It seemed like a good idea at the time", and I hope that this story will show that the Potters actually regretted their choice later.

I don't own Harry Potter or Sekirei, just this one plot.

15

New house and Homura

It was a rather normal morning in Izumo Inn, Miya was preparing breakfast as usual, Uzume was sprawled over her futon in her bedroom, snoring and clad only in a shirt, Matsu was giggling perversely as she watched porn (thankfully she had thought about isolating her room and used headphones, otherwise the Hannya of Doom would be seen far more frequently), and Homura was staring at the sky in the backyard.

The recently turned female sighed once again as she thought about her situation. For the longest time, she had expected that she wouldn't be winged, and that she would die after her powers ran amok one time too many. She had been convinced she was a male, when in fact she wasn't, and now that she had spent some time in her female body, she realized there had always been a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something wasn't right. Now that she had become a female, she no longer felt as if her body wasn't like it should be, and her powers no longer threatened to burn her down the second she relaxed her control on them.

My life is really fucked up...she thought.

She didn't know what to think. She was grateful to her Ashikabi, her ten, soon to be eleven years old Ashikabi, for what he did for her, allowing her to be freed from whatever MBI had done to her to confine her in a body that didn't fit her, but at the same time he had winged her forcefully. It went against everything she stood for, to let someone who had winged a Sekirei forcefully to live, yet she had to admit, the circumstances had been very peculiar, and she couldn't really fault him to have winged her since he only wanted to save her life. However, she sometimes wondered if it was the bond speaking or her true thoughts. Would she be thinking the same thing if she hadn't been winged, and it had been another Sekirei who had gone through what she had? Would she be so forgiving if she wasn't winged to the person who had saved her life?

That had been what she had asked herself ever since she had been winged, among other things. The very first thing she had thought after reverting to female though, had been that it was going to be horribly embarrassing to have to learn about "women's stuff". Periods, underwear, all the things that as a man she wouldn't have touched with a ten feet pole were now subjects of conversation between her and the other tenants of Izumo Inn. Fortunately, Miya had helped her a lot, Uzume as well, though on her part there had been a good dose of teasing. Matsu...Well she wasn't any help at all, since the one time she had asked her for help, the conversation had somehow been diverted onto porn, making her horribly uncomfortable.

In the end, she had managed to get used to her new gender with a few bumps here and there, but her questions about her feelings were still left unanswered. She couldn't even really judge her Ashikabi, seeing as she didn't know him all that well, and that Miya was adamant on him spending as little time as possible at Izumo Inn. Sure, the fact that he had winged Karasuba of all Sekirei, and as a child at that, raised very concerning questions about his sanity, but so far, he seemed alright enough. He had gotten her a wand for her to practice magic, and while she couldn't do so without him around, she had learnt a few useful things, though he had told her it was a drop in the ocean of what Magic could do.

That was another thing she had trouble to realize. Her Ashikabi was not only a child, he was also someone who had had the knowledge of a fifty-or-so Dark Lord, a man who had committed murder, torture, and watched his men rape and kill men, women and children, downloaded in his brain. And if that wasn't enough, he had been somehow modified and had become a partial Sekirei, who in time would have enough power to rival Karasuba herself. Needless to say, she was very aware that she would need to keep an eye on Harry as much as she could, and make sure to at least try to keep him in line, something she was certain his other two Sekirei wouldn't do. Karasuba reveled in chaos and bloodshed so there was little she would do to stop their Ashikabi if he ever decided to go on a rampage, and Akitsu was so devoted to him that she'd probably commit suicide if he asked her to.

"Ara? Already up, Homura-san?"

Turning, the Fire Sekirei realized that Miya was standing next to her, her hands folded in her lap and her usual soft smile on her lips, though she could see a flicker of worry in the woman's eyes. Miya had not taken well to her Ashikabi, in fact had she been able to, she would probably have forbidden her from even seeing him. Unlike her, who wanted to at least give him a chance (even if it may have been because of their bond), the owner of Izumo Inn had apparently firmly decided to believe that Harry was a lost cause, what with him being Karasuba's Ashikabi and the adopted son of the man she loathed above all others. In fact, the few times Harry was around, the Hannya of Doom was seen far more often than when he was not, a fact that had made the others shy away from him, since they couldn't stand to see the manifestation of Miya's malice. She herself didn't have the luck to avoid it though, and she had found that the impact of the mask had somewhat lessened compared to before, even if it still scared her shitless each time she saw it. Harry himself didn't seem even remotely affected by it, though, so more often than not the Asama widow was left frustrated with his lack of reaction.

"Thinking a bit, is all, Miya." she said, leaning back as she once more gazed at the sky.

"It is about himagain, isn't it, Homura-san?" asked Miya, her soft smile contorting into a grimace as she spat him as if it was a disease.

The Fire Sekirei sighed. Even if she could somewhat understand her feelings, Miya was being irrational about Harry, which was not like her. Of course, she herself wasn't a good judge since she was biased, but even then the Number 01 was usually more reasonable. From what little they had learnt about the boy, he was unstable, that much was true, and he had winged her unwillingly, but it was to save her life. He had also saved two Sekirei from being experimented upon at the cost of his own humanity, not that he seemed to mind in the slightest, but it was the intention that counted. She just wished Miya could have approached the matter with a clear head, instead of letting her loathing of Karasuba and Minaka blind her.

"Yes, it is. He sent me a message saying that he was going to search for a house for his Sekirei and himself a few days ago. I've been considering moving in with him."

As she expected, the older Sekirei frowned. It was clear that she pondering whether or not to forbid her from going to her Ashikabi, and that in itself made her lose a lot of the respect she had had for the woman. She had always understood that Miya had done as much as she had been able to help the Sekirei, and had never held a grudge for the fact that she had left MBI to get married, after all if one of them had deserved happiness it was the former Head of the Disciplinary Squad. However, now she was seeing another part of her, a part that she could say she disliked. She was seriously considering forbidding her from moving in with Harry, despite the fact that he hadn't done anything wrong to deserve her ire. She was willing to let her loathing of a man and of a Sekirei that had stumbled into Harry's life by pure chance, and who had helped him more than anyone else, cloud her judgment.

She could admit herself that she was not objective, what with being winged to him, however she had expected Miya to be the objective one in this case, which she was clearly not being.

"Homura-san, are you sure about this? You do know that MBI will never set foot in this house as long as I breath, do you?" finally asked the lavender-haired woman, causing Homura to feel a pang of exasperation.

"Miya, I know you don't like Harry, but can't you at least try to make an effort? Every time he has been here you've been breathing down his neck, as if you were expecting him to suddenly start cackling like Karasuba and trying to kill people! He isn't some mini-Karasuba, Miya! And he isn't a mini-Minaka either!

I'll be the first to recognize that he isn't even remotely normal, not with the life he's had, and the people he lives with, but that doesn't make him a monster!"

Miya looked a bit surprised by her outburst, but quickly composed herself.

"Homura-san, I can assure you that I am not letting my personal feelings towards the people your Ashikabi associates with cloud my judgment. If you remember, he forcefully winged you, and in this very inn no less. This is not something I am willing to let pass."

"We both know it's not only that, Miya. I was going to burn alive, and he saved my life! It's not like he suddenly appeared out of nowhere and winged me by force!"

"Perhaps, but it was still his presence which caused you to react. Had he not been allowed here, you might still be free." tried to explain the landlady, causing the grey-haired Sekirei to growl.

"Free? You call being cooped in a body and a gender that weren't mine to begin with, to be free? You call, wondering everyday if this day is going to be your last, because you can't control your powers, being free?! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND, MIYA?!" yelled Homura, her voice getting louder and louder at the end, startling the usually composed widow in front of her.

"I apologize, Homura-san, that was not-"

"Well let me tell you this, Miya. Ever since I've been winged by Harry, I've felt better than I've ever been in my life! I don't wonder what's wrong with my body every second of the day! I can spend an entire week without having to worry about suddenly losing control of my powers and burning everything around me and self-immolate, and when I do, I remember that I don't have to worry anymore! SO DON'T YOU TRY TO BLAME HIM FOR THIS, MIYA!"

"That wasn't-"

"That wasn't your intention?! Well then, tell me why you've been intent on keeping apart from MY Ashikabi, who has done me more good than YOU ever did! Tell me why you seem to hate him, when he saved my life and explained my condition to me!"

The slight frown on Miya's face was the only warning Homura got before a very familiar feeling of dread, terror and unease crept up her spine, and the Hannya that haunted her nightmares materialized behind the landlady, echoing with the voices of the damned. Had it been a few months ago, she would have cowered, too terrified to even think of resisting the Hannya's effect, however considering how often she had been in close proximity with it in the last months, she had started to grow some resistance to its' effects.

"Shouting and disturbing the other residents of Izumo Inn is...prohibited." said Miya, her voice cold and steely.

Usually, that would have been enough to quiet Homura, and while said grey-haired Sekirei was still quite shaken from the effect of the manifestation of malice, she was still able to glare at the landlady, which was enough to cause her to widen her eyes and call off her Hannya.

"Fine." huffed Homura, moving to eat her breakfast. She paused next to Miya, not bothering to even look at her."Just so you know, I'll be meeting Harry tomorrow about the house. At least there I will be able to try and learn more about him."

-Break-

The next day saw Homura sipping on a coffee, sitting in a coffee shop Uzume had introduced her to, since she had stopped smoking upon changing into a woman (not that it stopped her from smoking from time to time, but it was sporadic at best). She was dressed in a black button-up shirt as well as black jeans, her grey hair neatly combed. Usually she would have worn a white shirt, but she had realized upon changing gender than a white shirt was usually a bad idea, since it more often than not let people see a bit of what was underneath. And she quite frankly didn't like the idea of people ogling her chest, thank you very much.

Of course, her attire didn't stop men from glancing at her, or even openly staring, since as a Sekirei she was gifted with the good looks of her species. Still, she was grateful that the number of males who did stare wasn't too high, she could deal with some attention, what with being a former host, but having every single male in the vicinity openly ogling her would have been a bit much, even for her.

Still, as she sipped on the beverage, she couldn't help but think back at her outburst from the previous day. Truth be told, she may have been a bit harsh with Miya, however, she was starting to wonder if the Number 01 was really as infallible as she had been led to believe. Oh, she did not question her power, that she knew Miya possessed in spades, no, what she questioned was her ability to make decisions, and her willingness to decide for others. She was so used to be in control, to have absolute control over the other Sekirei, that it seemed she had forgotten that she had no right to make decisions for them now that they were adults. Of course, some of them needed to have decisions made for them, Matsu and Uzume being examples, since one was childish at best and had little grasp on the world, having spent her time behind a screen since she was old enough to type. Uzume for her part, while an adult, was the epitome of lazy, and while she was fairly certain of her ability to make good decisions, it wouldn't hurt to have Miya behind her, just in case.

Now, in her own case, Homura believed that Miya had no say in her own decisions, so long as she did not endanger the Sekirei as a whole. She had a job, behaved responsibly, helped around the house when she could...No, she was not immature, and as such, the landlady had no right to decide for her that she shouldn't be around her Ashikabi. Of course, if his actions ended up dissatisfying her, she might acknowledge Miya's warnings, however it would be hard to tell if she couldn't even spend some time with her Ashikabi without the lavender-haired woman breathing down their necks.

"Hello, Homura."

Here he was, her Ashikabi. As usual, he was clothed entirely in black, a habit he seemed to have picked up from Karasuba, among other things. She had to admit, he was rather tall for a pre-teen, even a Caucasian one, and his face was rather androgynous, his long ashen grey hair streaked with lavender making him stand out, not that he cared all that much. Next to him were Karasuba, who was yawning, the hand not in front of her mouth on her nodachi, while Akitsu dutifully trailed behind the two of them.

Upon looking at them, she couldn't help but notice a few subtle changes in the both of them. Karasuba was the more obvious, back then before she knew Harry, she would never have come to such a place, and would have glared at the humans or outright killed them for the slightest reason. Now, while she still seemed to hold humans in contempt, she didn't seem to be ready to start a slaughter at a moment's notice. Akitsu's change was more subtle, the stoic Ice Sekirei still didn't seem to talk much, nor did she show much emotion, however Homura, who was used to read people's body language after her job as a host (it made it easier to coax money out of people), could see that she was no longer slouching, though her posture was still submissive. Still, there was a newfound confidence in her posture, and that made Homura happy. Akitsu deserved some happiness, and if being with Harry helped her improve her own self-confidence, then good for her.

"Hello, Harry. Coffee?"

"Sorry, Homura-chan, but no thanks. Coffee really isn't my thing anyway." said the pre-teen, settling in a chair facing her. Karasuba did the same, as did Akitsu after a brief glance from Harry.

She was a bit disturbed by the once-over the Black Sekirei was giving her, after all while their Ashikabi had probably told her about her change of gender, it was the first time that she did see the Fire Sekirei as a woman.

"Lookin' good, Homura-chan." grinned the ashen-haired woman, her stare focusing a bit longer than what she was comfortable with on her behind and breasts. "Never thought I'd see the day you'd be wearing a bra. How does it feels to be a woman now? Got used to that time of the month?"

She could feel the heat on her cheeks at that. While she had gotten used to periods, well as much as one could after only a few months, she wasn't exactly comfortable talking about it in the open. Which was why she was thankful when Harry lightly chided the Black Sekirei.

"Karasuba, stop bothering her, it's hard enough for her without having you needling her about it."

She was surprised to see her older "sister" huff and cross her arms, pouting. In fact, she had to keep herself steady to avoid falling out of her chair at the expression on the face of the unstoppable killing machine in front of her. She had never thought she'd see the day where the psychotic murderer of the Disciplinary Squad would act like this, usually she'd already have disemboweled the person who had reprimanded her.

Perhaps this will be better than what I initially thought...

-Break-

"So, what do you think?" asked Harry, grinning at the dumbstruck look on Homura's face, the wonder on Akitsu's and the smirk on Karasuba's.

They were currently standing in the middle of a property that while smaller than the Shiba's main house (which Homura hadn't seen), was probably large enough to fit a hundred people. It was an old Japanese-styled mansion that the Goblins had prepared for him, and he had to admit, he rather liked it. Unlike what most wizards liked, they had made certain that it did have all the modern comfort one could expect, with an indoor pool as well as living rooms with plasma televisions and modern gaming systems.

He had been rather clear on what he wanted, and the Goblins had been all too happy to comply, after all he had the means to pay them, as did he enjoy a very good relationship with them. Karasuba had already had her first spar with Goblins warriors, and both parties had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. In fact, the Black Sekirei had enjoyed herself so much that she had almost raped Harry when she had come back to thank him, and it was only because Akitsu had intervened, and because Harry wasn't a normal squishy human, that he hadn't lost his virginity right then and there. On the Goblins' side, there had been a lot of positive feedback, several of the warriors even asking for a rematch, saying that it had been the best fight in their lives.

So it was no surprise that they had prepared the absolute best for Harry and his Sekirei, who were now being introduced to their new house by a smirking Goblin. Of course, the very first thing they had been explained were the security measures around the compound, and boy had they outdone themselves. The house was so protected that the USA could have rained their entire nuke arsenal on it without so much as scratching the protection. There was a quadruple layer of wards, each tied to several ward stones hidden on the property, making it impossible to deactivate even one layer without alerting both Gringotts and the inhabitants of the house. Of course, even if someone did manage to get past the first layer, by some God-like stroke of luck, they would find themselves stunned and portkeyed into a secure room inside the bank, where they would then be interrogated.

Even Harry wouldn't even think about trying to break in a house so well-protected, and those were only the wards. The Goblins had also been kind enough to layer the entire house with runic arrays that made it more durable, reinforcing the walls and preventing them from ever catching fire unless a few dragons or high-level kitsunes tried to burn it simultaneously.

Last but not least, there was an entire army of Zashiki-warashi to take care of the house. Of course, considering its' size, it was understandable, but few people understood just how dangerous the child-like youkai could be when the house they protected was threatened. Oh, one or two of them wouldn't hold off more than a few dozen wizards, but with more than thirty of them, it was an entirely new story. You did not want to anger a small army of beings who would fight to the death to protect the place they lived in. Especially when said beings were grateful for the opportunity to take care of an old house.

"Harry," breathed Homura, slack-jawed, "isn't this a bit big for the four of us?"

"Actually, Homura, it'll be the four of us, for now. When the Sekirei Plan starts, there'll be a lot of Sekirei looking for a place to stay, so this should fit nicely if we have to accommodate a few of them and eventually their Ashikabis."

Oh, Harry wasn't stupid, he was well aware that a lot of the Sekirei were weaker than his own, even when using their Noritos, their "ultimate attacks", powered by a kiss of their Ashikabis. Still, having a few other Sekireis on his side with their Ashikabis would definitively be useful. He was not stupid enough to believe that people would leave him alone if his identity ever came to light, and he was acutely aware that now that he had removed himself from the Potter family and taken the title of Lord of the three families he was Head of, there was going to be a lot of snooping around to find him.

It was one of the reasons he was trying to get powerful allies. He may have MBI's resources for him, since he was the adopted son of the company's CEO, but that only protected him from ordinary people, not wizards. However, now that he had gotten closer to the Shiba family, as well as the Goblins and in a way, the Veelas, he was starting to become a political powerhouse, which was what he wanted. He didn't care much for politics, preferring to leave basic instructions to his proxies, while he focused on training. Wizards didn't seem to understand that while political power was important, personal power was too, most of them relying primarily on their standing to avoid conflicts. Of course, quite a few still learnt how to duel, however only a very scant few ever subjected themselves to military-level training, most only trying to increase the number of spells they knew and their casting speed.

Harry could say for himself that he was probably far more dangerous than any student in Hogwarts, and he was confident he was also above most of their teachers. From what he knew thanks to Tom's memories of the First War, and what he had been able to ask from the Goblins, a select group of teachers were powerful, those were Minerva McGonnagal, Filius Flitwick, Severus Snape. Of course, Dumbledore was above them all, but that was because he was a genius when it came to magic, much like Tom had been. Harry, having inherited his memories, as well as incredibly large magic reserves, also had the drive to train himself to the ground, making him quite dangerous in his own right. Of course, he wouldn't reach his peak for at least a few years, but he was still nothing to scoff at, and with his Sekirei, he doubted much people could present a challenge to him.

Shaking his head and focusing back on the present, he grinned and gave the Goblin a thumbs up, the small creature answering with a smirk full of sharp teeth. Goblins liked to be praised for good work, and despite one would think, most wizards didn't even have the decency to be thankful for what they did for them, another reason of why they hated most magic users. After all, working for someone was one thing, but if the person you worked for didn't ever show you respect or respect for your work, then why should you help them when you were the one holding all the cards? That was also while Harry made sure to cultivate a good relationship with them, good friends could really help, especially when they were in key positions in society.

"I take from your reaction that you are satisfied?" grinned the representative of Gringotts.

"Of course." grinned Harry, "I knew that your people wouldn't disappoint, they never do. Too bad most wizards can't see that, or are too proud to admit it.

As promised, you may contact the British Branch to ask for your payment, you deserved it. And add an extra of a thousand Galleons by person who worked on this, as thanks."

The Goblin gave a slight bow, hand on the heart, to show his appreciation.

"Thank you, my Lord. It shall be done. I, on Gringotts' behalf, thank you for your business."

With that, he vanished, having used a portkey to get back to the bank, leaving the three Sekirei and the wizard/part-Sekirei alone in the house (well, excluding the Zashiki-Wrashis, of course, and Rin as well).

Now that they were alone, Karasuba sauntered towards her Ashikabi, her grin stretching to dangerous proportions as she cupped his chin, looking in his deep green eyes.

"That's what I like with you, Harry-chan, you know how to take care of your Sekirei. Hurry up and grow, I've got an itch I need you to scratch." she purred, before leaving towards the bathroom, no doubt to take a good bath and relax.

Harry, for his part, shrugged, turning towards Akitsu, who was standing next to him, as usual, a happy smile (for her, to anyone else it would be a slight upturn of her lips) on her face.

"Anything you wish to do, Akitsu?"

"Ah...A movie?" she blushed.

Now that Harry had quite clearly stated, and proved, that he would do everything in his power to wing her, or at least create a bond between them, she had started to express her feelings a bit more, though it was frightening to see just how much she revolved around him. Everything she did, she did for him. He could have ordered her to massacre the entirety of Japan's population, and she would do it in a heartbeat, and should she fail for any reason, she would go to any length to gain his forgiveness.

At least now, she acted a bit more like a woman and less like a cold machine, though she somehow managed to be incredibly shy despite her extremely blunt personality. He wasn't quite sure how that was possible, and he didn't think he'd understand anytime soon, not that he really cared, so long as she was happy and did what he asked.

"Why not? Homura, you interested?"

He saw the grey-haired Sekirei forcefully shake herself, before looking at him. Truth to be told, he knew he would need a lot of time before being as close to her than he was to Karasuba and Akitsu, but he was willing to try, after all they were both stuck together until their deaths, and possibly even beyond. Homura was someone, well quite different than him, truth to be told. Karasuba having raised him, he had taken a lot after her, though he was less bloodthirsty and more reasonable than her. As for Akitsu, well she was devoted to him to a degree that bordered on fanaticism, which didn't mean they didn't have anything in common, quite the contrary in fact. However, in Homura's case, there were quite a few differences in their characters, and they would need to eventually work them out, since it was better to disagree in private than in public.

"Ehem...What kind of movie are we talking about?"

He shrugged, Akitsu liked a lot of movies, so it shouldn't be too hard to find something that they would all like.

"Why don't you come with us, so you can choose with us?"

He could see that she wasn't sure about what to do, and he could hardly blame her. Until that morning she had been living at Izumo Inn, with a landlady who had (in his opinion) a stick shoved somewhere uncomfortable, and who took her frustrations out on her tenants by promoting rules that she knew most of them couldn't respect. Now she was going to live with him, in a house fit for royalty, with little to no rules she needed to respect, so he could understand the change was a bit much for her.

"No, I think I'm going to sleep a bit, I need some rest, I've been having quite a few late nights recently."

"Fine by me. Ami!" he called.

Immediately, a little girl around twelve or so appeared in the middle of the room. Like every Zashiki-Warashi, she wore traditional clothing, and looked like a man-sized doll of a young teen.

"Yes, Harry-sama?"

"Would you mind showing Homura to her room, please?"

"Of course, Harry-sama." bowed the little girl, before turning to Homura and bowing again. "Homura-sama, please follow me."

"Good nap, Homura. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call Ami."

-Break-

The next morning saw a sleepy Homura walking towards the dining room as she navigated the maze that was her new house. For someone like her, who was used to rather spartan comfort, to suddenly end in a house with every needed appliance and everything you needed was a foreign experience. She would be lying in saying that she didn't appreciate said experience though, her futon had been very comfortable and it had helped her have the best sleep she had had in years. Still, it would take her a bit longer to get used to her new lifestyle.

As she entered the room, she sleepily looked around, trying to see if anyone else was there. To her surprise, Karasuba was already up and wolfing down her breakfast, while Harry was eating too, though at a more moderate pace. At the sight of the delicious-looking food, she felt her stomach betray her as her nose picked up the heavenly scent, growling loudly and making her blush beet red.

"Hungry, aren't ya?" asked Karasuba, grinning from ear to ear.

"Karasuba, stop teasing her. Besides, you are worse when you're hungry." chided Harry, carefully putting down his chopsticks. "Good morning, Homura. Did you sleep well?"

She nodded dumbly as she sat down at the table.

"Yeah, in fact, it was the best sleep of my life."

"Good. Now, what would you like for breakfast?" asked her Ashikabi. "Kairi, the chief, said that you're welcome to try anything you want since she likes to learn new recipes."

"Wait, you mean that this breakfast..."

"Was made by our little "maids"? Yes, it was. And before you blow as gasket, you need to know that Zashiki-Warashis live to take care of houses and the people who live there. It makes them happy, and gives them a purpose. So if you were thinking about diminishing their workload, don't, you'd make them angry at you. Of course, they don't mind if you keep your room tidy and things like that, but don't go doing the laundry or cleaning, they consider its' their job."

She nodded dumbly. She actually had been about to get angry on the little girls' behalf, but then again she realized that with magical species, sometimes it was better to learn about them some more before complaining about the conditions they lived in.

Another growl of her stomach made it clear that she was hungry, and she looked towards Harry curiously. Her Ashikabi, upon realizing her problem, explained:

"Just say what you'd like loud and clear, they'll do the rest."

"Ah. So, I, uh...I'd like some miso soup, fried fish, and rice, please." she said, feeling incredibly awkward by talking to empty air.

The chime of a bell made her jump and she looked around.

"Don't worry, the bell thing is their way of saying they've understood."

No sooner had Harry said that that a platter with perfectly cooked, and artfully disposed, food appear on the table in front of her startling her.

"See? Told you. And before you ask, the reason the food was ready so fast is simple: magic."

Another nod and she was eating her breakfast, which she had to admit was delicious, even better than Miya's food, and she had been the best cook she had ever seen. The way the fish melted in her mouth, the subtle taste of the rice...If this was what she was going to have each morning, then she was looking forward to her breakfasts a lot!

"It's delicious!" she moaned happily, and she could have sworn she heard a very faint Thank you.

"Good to see you're enjoying the food." grinned her Ashikabi, "A good breakfast after a restful night of well-deserved sleep is one of the best experiences there is."

She nodded as she was more focused on eating (read wolfing down) her food.

The breakfast was mostly silent for her part, though Harry, Karasuba and Akitsu (whom she hadn't noticed, but was there) talked together, mostly the Black Sekirei and her Ashikabi, since the Ice Sekirei was happy with only a few words here and there, and didn't speak up unless she was spoken to. Though a part of her noticed that Harry did his best to not bother the brunette too much, while at the same time making sure she spoke a bit, thus not isolating her.

She had to admit, the feeling was nice. At Izumo inn, while there was indeed a sense of camaraderie and friendship, there were still a lot of things you couldn't talk about, lest making Miya angry, as such she had often felt as if she was walking on eggshells. Here...Well she felt oddly at peace, even with Karasuba around. The old her would have been royally freaked out about sitting at the same table than the Black Sekirei without Miya to supervise the meeting, but now, even if it made her slightly nervous, she had the inkling Karasuba wouldn't be threatening her all day. Oh, she held no delusions, she knew she was still the bloodthirsty monster who killed hundreds of people, but it was as if she was more...focused, less tempted to go on a bloody rampage. It was like a highly aggressive dog who had been trained. She was still extremely dangerous, but only for those who threatened her "Master" (Ashikabi).

"Attention please!" called Harry, jolting her away from her thoughts.

Her Ashikabi was still sitting, but he was now looking at each of them, a grin of his face.

"Now that we have a house, and that we all live together, I believe I should say a few things."

Coughing in his hand and looking pointedly at each of them, he started:

"First, now that we no longer live at MBI's tower, I would like for all of you to find a hobby. Painting, carving, reading...Find something you like to do, and once you've decided, tell me what you'll need so that I can order it. Yes, Akitsu?"

The Ice Sekirei, who had lifted her hand like a child at school waiting to be given the right to speak, blushed slightly and asked:

"Ah...Watching you, Harry-sama?"

Homura lifted an eyebrow at that. She knew Akitsu was extremely devoted to Harry, what with him having explained her circumstances to her, and having witnessed the Ice Sekirei's behavior around him, but this was a bit much. She didn't know if the brunette loved the Ashikabi, after all from what she knew Sekirei could only love an Ashikabi when bonded with him/her, so since she had lost the ability to bond, she wondered if she could even feel love for Harry, or if it was some sort of obsession. However Harry seemed fine with it, so she wouldn't say anything.

Then again, I'm not sure my Ashikabi is even aware of what love is.

"No, Akitsu. While I'm flattered that you think watching me would be a good hobby, I think you need something for yourself, something you like to do, but isn't related to me."

"Oh..."

She had to admit, her "sister" looked like a kicked puppy when she made that face. While she remained mostly unexpressive, the moisture in her eyes and the downcast look in them, as well as the slight trembling of her lips, made it clear that she was unhappy with the fact that Harry had rejected her "hobby".

Seeing that her "sister" was on the verge of crying, she decided to intervene.

"Akitsu? Is there anything you like to do whenever Harry isn't around?"

"Ah...Waiting for Harry-sama to come back?" asked the Ice Sekirei, tilting her head to the side curiously.

Yep, obsession it is.

Sighing, she thought about it for a few moments, before asking:

"Is there any magic you like? I mean, Harry has told you about magic, right?"

"Ah...Yes. But I have not learnt anything yet."

At that, she looked curiously at Harry, making it clear that she didn't understand why Akitsu hadn't learnt anything magic yet. The pre-teen chuckled and explained:

"Don't worry, Homura. The reason why she hasn't learnt anything yet is because she only got her wand a few days ago. I haven't gotten the time to teach her anything yet. Besides, I thought it would be better if I could teach the two of you at the same time, it would waste less time and you could support each other whenever the other doesn't understand something."

She nodded. It was a valid point, teaching one and then the other would likely waste a lot of time, since they were now living together, they could cut down that time by learning together. When she thought about it, she looked at Karasuba.

"What about Karasuba? Has she learnt any magic?"

At that, the Black Sekirei pouted. She had to make a double take, as she was seeing Karasuba, the Black Sekirei, the Walking Genocide, pout! Numbly, she tried to pinch herself, but the pain proved it wasn't a dream.

"Harry-chan hasn't let me learn more than the basics. It's boooriiinnnngggg!"

"Boring as it is, Karasuba, you won't get to learn anything until you've mastered the basics. There's no way I'm going to let you learn destructive spells when you haven't learnt the more basic theories and spells. I don't need you burning the house down with Fiendfyre."

Homura nodded to herself. They really didn't need a pyschotic murderer who could use magic, messing up an overpowered destructive spell and blowing all of them up just because she wasn't patient enough to wait for the more "interesting" material.

"Anyway, back to topic. Akitsu, is there anything you like to do that doesn't involve me in any way, shape, or form?"

The Ice Sekirei seemed to think, before a faint dusting of pink appeared on her cheeks and she shook her head.

Translation: she is so obsessed with him that she doesn't even think of herself, inwardly sighed the Fire Sekirei. Still, I have to admit that he is trying to get her to function like a normal person.

She was well aware that Harry wasn't normal, that he was as mature as any adult. As such, the fact that he was actively trying to make Akitsu open up a bit more, that he was trying to help her take some time for herself, if only through the use of a hobby, while most would have simply let the Ice Sekirei fawn over them, made her slightly grateful. She had always felt bitter when she had learnt that Akitsu had lost her ability to bond, since it had happened a little after she had left, she had loathed herself for not being able to prevent her loss. As self-proclaimed Guardian of the Sekirei, to know that her "sister", the closest she had to a true sibling, had lost her ability to bond and that there wasn't anything she could do about it had infuriated her. However, now that they both were Harry's Sekirei, she intended to make sure that she was able to feel loved and protected.

"Well then, we'll just need to find something you like to do. And you, Homura, any hobbies?" asked her Ashikabi, stirring her from her thoughts.

"Yeah...Back at Izumo, I liked to read."

She was pleased when Harry nodded, acknowledging her hobby.

"A good hobby. What are your tastes? Literature, history, science...?"

"Mythology mostly. A few sci-fi and fantasy novels, as well as some psychology." she admitted.

"Oh? Interesting choices." he commented, though he did not elaborate.

"My turn, my turn, Harry-chan!" grinned Karasuba, mimicking an eager schoolgirl. To Homura, it was incredibly disturbing to see her act that way, and she once again pinched herself to check that she wasn't dreaming. "I like training, and learning new ways to kill people!"

Yep, she's still the same psycho when it counts.

She didn't miss the amused smile Harry sent towards the Black Sekirei at her declaration.

-Break-

Homura whistled as she looked around. She was standing in the house's library, and the amount of books in it was staggering, as was the fact that the room was around thrice as big on the inside that it was on the outside. Right, magic, she realized, deciding that so long as something didn't make sense in her life, she'd blame the mystical force for it.

She had been asked by one of the maids to come here, apparently her Ashikabi wished to have a talk with her. She was a bit nervous, after all she had no idea of what he wanted to talk about, and with all the changes in her life recently she was having trouble to cope. She wasn't in a state of shock, she just felt a bit numb at everything happening to her. She was still trying to adjust to being a woman, though that issue was mostly dealt with, but she also had to deal with the fact that her Ashikabi was at least a decade younger than her, a wizard to boot, and then that he would teach her feats that could fit right in a fantasy novel, well she had trouble adjusting to everything.

"Ah, Homura. Please, sit down."

Looking around, she saw that Harry was sitting in an armchair next to a table with some coffee. His hair was sprawled behind him like a halo, and his legs were crossed. All in all, it was hard to picture him as a pre-teen, and if it wasn't for his physical appearance, she would probably have thought her Ashikabi was a grown man.

Sitting down on another of the armchairs, she shuffled nervously. That too was something she had discovered recently. As a former host, she was rather good at reading people and at staying calm, what with having to deal with grabby or drunk women. She was used to be calm, collected in all circumstances (minus when the Hannya of Doom was summoned), so to feel flustered and nervous around anyone felt strange to her.

If we were in a bad novel, I'd say I'm feeling like a schoolgirl talking to her crush.

Luckily, Harry seemed to sense her discomfort, and he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. What he probably didn't know was that that simple action made her feel as if someone had ignited a fire on her skin, and it took all her willpower to not jerk back by reflex. However even with that, she couldn't stop the atomic blush forming on her face, nor the quickening of her heartbeat.

As if seeing that something was wrong, her Ashikabi released his hold, and while she felt slightly better, the burning heat that she felt barely subsided. She didn't know anymore if she was blushing because of his touch or because she was incredibly embarrassed that she reacted like that to his touch. He wasn't even a teen! She shouldn't have been feeling like that!

"Homura? Homura!"

"Hhmm? What?" she answered, looking a bit confused as she realized she had been lost in thought.

"Are you sure you're alright? You seemed to doze off for a moment?" Harry asked, and she touched when she felt a faint touch of concern in his voice. For someone like him, who hadn't gotten any love while growing up (she did not delude herself in thinking Takami or Karasuba loved him, they probably did care, but did not love him, at least at the time for Karasuba), to show concern for her spoke of how much he valued her.

"It's...alright?" she shrugged, before changing the subject. "So, why did you call me?" And as an afterthought, added:" And where is Akitsu? I swear, she's never more than ten feet away from you."

"Akitsu's training. It's about the only time of the day she isn't by my side, so I thought it would be good to have little discussion."

Pouring some coffee for her, he pushed the cup towards her, which she accepted with a grateful nod.

"As for why I called you? Well I thought it was pretty obvious. We haven't gotten a lot of time to get to know each other so far, what with me being busy and Miya being constantly behind our backs at Izumo. So, now that we're going to live together, I guess I wanted to get to know you more."

She felt a slight fluttering in her stomach, and cursed the fact that Harry was so young, making it wrong for her to be attracted to him. She didn't show it, but she was incredibly touched by his thoughtfulness, as she hadn't expected him to understand her concerns about not knowing each other very well. She hadn't wanted to live with someone she barely knew, and it had eaten at her since that morning.

Not showing her thoughts, she nodded.

"Thank you, Harry. Though I must ask, did you do the same for Karasuba and Akitsu?"

"No, not really." he admitted."I've spent years around Karasuba, so I think I know her rather well since she isn't really the kind to keep secrets or be subtle. As for Akitsu, well I'm trying to get to know her bit by bit, since at the moment I'm not sure there's much she would tell me. Oh, she would answer if I asked the right question, without lying at that, but it would be rather wrong of me to probe her when she is so vulnerable. AND I'm not sure it would be good for her to answer everything, a woman has her secrets after all, or so I'm told."

She nodded. True, Karasuba was blunt, so it was a given that after three years of living with her, Harry would know her rather well. As for Akitsu, he was again right, the Ice Sekirei was so devoted to him that she would answer pretty much everything he asked, even if it was personal. At least he knew that and didn't try to interrogate the brunette.

"Anyway, let me introduce myself again: my name is Harry-Minaka-Peverell-Ravenclaw-Slytherin. I like training and learning magic, my Sekirei and fighting strong people. I dislike people who manipulate others, Dumbledore, my birth parents, British Wizards as a whole and weak people who don't try to improve themselves.

Now, your turn."

Understanding, though feeling a bit surprised at the rather childish way of introducing himself, she introduced herself.

"My name is Homura. I like protecting Sekirei, reading, and learning new things. I dislike Minaka and his Sekirei Plan, rapists and perverts."

She saw her Ashikabi nod happily.

"A good start. Now that "introductions" are out of the way, why don't we ask each other questions? One question for you, and one for me? We don't have to answer if we aren't comfortable with the subject."

She nodded. It was fair, he got to learn about her while she got to learn about him. That way she was also free to ask the questions she had been dying to ask him.

Seeing that he motioned for her, she understood that he was allowing her to start the questions. Thinking quickly, she asked:

"What do you plan to do about the Sekirei Plan?"

Without batting an eyelash at the question, almost as if he was expecting it, he explained:

"The Sekirei Plan won't take place, at all. I'm going to shut it down before it even begins. You are aware that I am part-Sekirei? Good. Truth is, the ship you used to come to Earth had an AI who saved my life, for which she asked that I protect the Sekirei and stop the Sekirei Plan. I might be a right bastard when it calls for it, but I always pay back my debts."

She was shocked into silence, her mouth open as she tried to process what she had just been told. She had thought that as an Ashikabi, and someone who loved to fight by his own admission, that he would encourage the Sekirei Plan, since it allowed for more fights. Not only that, but he claimed that he was going to stop it from even starting? Was he blind? Minaka would never...Then she realized that as Minaka's son, Harry was the next in line to inherit MBI if anything happened to the madman, and while she would like to believe her Ashikabi wasn't heartless enough to kill his adoptive father, she had a feeling that he would do exactly that.

Then her mind processed the next words as she blinked, looking suspiciously at her cup of coffee. Had someone slipped some kind of drug inside? She could have sworn she had heard Harry say that he had talked to an AI of the ship that brought the Sekirei to Earth. If such an AI had existed, and if it was able to contact Harry, then why hadn't MBI ever found it? She was quite sure that such a discovery would have made Takami ecstatic, and she would have told her, she knew that much. And what about all the knowledge such an AI would have? It would possibly be able to explain why the Sekirei were sent to Earth in the first place!

As her thoughts started to go haywire, she felt herself suddenly calm down. Looking at Harry, his wand was already out and pointed at her.

"Calming Charm. You were having a bit of trouble processing what I said."

"Nooo, of course not!" she quipped sarcastically. How had he expected her to react? To just say, "Oh, ok." and move on? This was their entire species' legacy they were talking about! Information that would help them understand their purpose on Earth!

"Drop the sarcasm, will you? I understand if it comes as a shock, Hell, how did you think I reacted when I suddenly saw an AI waltzing into my mindscape, as if it wasn't protected? Anyway, about the Sekirei Plan: as I said, I'll stop it before it even starts. It will be rather easy, since I am next in line after Minaka if anything happens to him, though I wouldn't be surprised if he had some backup plan in case he died. Anyway, even with that, I'm guessing your biggest concern is Sekirei getting winged unwillingly, right?"

"Of course!" she growled. "I won't let anyone force them into a life of slavery!"

When she noticed the smile on Harry's face, she knew he had already anticipated her reaction.

"Don't worry about that. Remember that I said I planned on winging Akitsu? I've met with people from a magical species known as Veela, who happen to be rather close to your situation: they are all female, all beautiful women, and have the ability to bond with their "mate" as they call it, which would be their equivalent of an Ashikabi. They don't have different powers, all of them having the ability to use magical fire called Passionfyre, and have the Allure. The Allure is something that acts like something between pheromones and a seductive aura. Any man affected by it will try to impress the Veela, save for those who resist it. Ironically, Veela are incredibly attracted by those their Allure can't affect, often marrying them as it is a sign of strong will.

Anyway, after meeting with them and telling them about Akitsu and the Sekirei, they've agreed to help with a few conditions, most of them conceringn only me. However, their last condition was to give each Sekirei a potion preventing the forceful creation of a bond. I'm not one hundred percent certain it will work, since it was most likely designed to prevent magic from forcing a bond, though I'm quite sure that by tweaking it a bit we'll get a potion preventing forceful wingings."

-Break-

Harry was wondering if he had broken Homura, considering the face she was making. He understood perfectly well that the news he had given her were a bit much, after all being told he had met an AI that may have a lot of information on the Sekirei's planet and the reasons why they were sent to Earth in the first place would be hard on her. Not only that, but he had told her that he may have a means of preventing people from forcefully winging the Sekirei, something he was quite certain she hadn't even imagined could be possible, since it solved almost all problems of the Sekirei Plan, the remaining issues being something he would deal with before his adoptive father could even start his mad game.

He was almost taken by surprise when Homura hugged him out of nowhere, crashing his head in her bust, not that he minded too much. While lacking the hormones needed to "appreciate" the breasts he was currently buried in, the place was still very comfortable, and smelled nice too. Homura's smelled like mix between a hot summer day, a camping fire, and ozone. It was a bit odd, but very pleasant.

"Thank you." whispered the grey-haired Sekirei, and he could have sworn that something wet had touched his skin. "Thank you, Harry."

Well, it's going to be interesting telling her everything if she reacts like this every time I surprise her, he mused, before shrugging. He'd see where things went, after all it wasn't as if he minded being hugged, even if the feeling was odd.

-Break-

That night, Homura stared at the ceiling of her room, her mind still reeling from everything she had been told. She had admittedly known, even before coming to live with her Ashikabi, that he was not by any stretch of the imagination, normal. However, while him being a wizard and a potential Pillar was certainly a lot to take in, it was nothing next to what she had learnt earlier that day. To think that Harry had been in contact with an apparently sentient AI, one that apparently had been dormant in the Sekirei ship for so long that even Minaka hadn't found it, was mind-boggling. It was an incredible discovery in her opinion, after all there was so much they didn't know about themselves, about the Sekirei culture, their homeworld, or even the reason of their presence on Earth. While this AI might not be able to answer all her questions, she was quite certain that regardless, there was a throve of information to be gained from asking it about the Sekirei.

Now don't get her wrong, Homura was elated to have an opportunity to learn about her species and everything related to it, however the real shock, the one that had made her act like an emotional teenager, had been to learn that Harry might have found a way to prevent forced wingings. While she was still slightly skeptical, what her Ashikabi had told her did give her hope. She had been sick in the stomach at the thought of what may happen to her sisters, as while some were able to defend themselves, quite a few might have ended with unscrupulous Ashikabi, as she had no doubt that some people would try to force themselves on them. To know that they wouldn't need to fear accidentally bonding to unsuited people was a bigger relief than she could possibly have told Harry, and she found herself grateful for his help in protecting the Sekirei.

As she turned around once more, she felt herself finally grow sleepy, and she let herself sink in the depths of sleep with a contented smile on her face, feeling for the first time in years at peace.

~End Arc 1~

So now you have it, the end of the first Arc of this story. I don't know yet how many Arcs I will write, but my guess will be either two or three. Anyway, as usual, reviews are welcome, constructive criticism as well. No flames, please.