I'm so sorry for not updating sooner! I got into writer's block again, and I'm not allowed to use my computer on school days, so it's kinda hard. We finish up Valentine's Day here, and trouble arises~! (Japanese is in bold.)
Hermione watched in bemusement as the boys made for the safety of the dormitory. Sighing, she begrudgingly turned back to her own problems. Ron.
"'Mione, shouldn't we help them?" Ron muttered, mouth finally clear of food. After taking a moment to process what he was talking about, she shook her head.
"No, they're alright." She replied, before going back to her book absent-mindedly. Almost subconsciously, her hand found its way to her pocket, fingering the small box of chocolates inside.
"I-I'll go check on them." Harry muttered, standing up and following the distant sound of stampeding feet.
"Finally…. Found you…" The child of the prophecy gasped as he leaned against the doorway for support. Both Shouta and Hitsugaya turned around, looking at the boy in the entrance of the owlery. The shinigami quickly finished up the last of his tea, the brunette next to him devouring the last of the bacon.
"Harry, what are you doing here?"
"Looking for you." Potter replied, sending a withering glare their way. "If it wasn't for your crazy fans, I might have gotten here sooner." He muttered under his breath, straightening his rumpled cloak. Shouta shrugged, and stood up.
"You got here at a good time though. Come up here." As he said this, the brunette walked up to the edge of the tower, leaping up and hauling himself onto the roof. With some help, Harry managed to get on the roof as well, followed by Hitsugaya.
Before them glowed a majestic golden sun, shimmering red and orange as it slowly sunk into the hills, turned a lush green from the fading light. The sky was painted the colors of the rainbow, in all shades and hues, the rich colors dancing a waltz across the heavens.
"Amazing… I never knew there was something so… breath-taking…" Harry muttered, finally finding the words to say.
"It's even more amazing when it's snowing." Hitsugaya murmured, a small smirk on his face.
"What? You going to make it snow now?" Shouta asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes at the question, but didn't answer otherwise.
"What?" Harry asked, genuinely curious.
"Nothing." Shouta replied, laughing quietly. "Anyways, we should probably get back down soon. It's getting late, and I'm pretty sure that your two partners-in-crime have had more than enough time to sort out their feelings." Harry blushed involuntarily at the thought, and hurried back down.
"E-Excuse me, Toshiro?" The Captain turned around to see a small, blonde-haired girl shuffling from foot to foot. According to her tie, Hitsugaya assumed she was a Ravenclaw, and by her height, a second year. "I-I know Valentine's Day isn't quite over yet so… W-Will you be my Valentine?!" She asked, her pale face now burning a beet red.
"Sorry, but no." Hitsugaya replies curtly, his voice cold. With that, he turned away, and began walking to the Hall for dinner, the quiet sobs of the girl behind him.
Shouta whistled as Hitsugaya sat down, an almost sadistic smirk on his face. "Geez, I know you're heartless, but I didn't think you could be that cruel." His eyes glimmered with mischievous, letting the shinigami know that the other had been watching him.
"Unlike you, I don't insult them." Hitsugaya replied, reaching for the tea. Hermione looked at them in confusion, but let it pass, turning to Ron to scold him on stuffing his mouth like a pig.
The group was heading towards the Hall for lunch the next day, when Snape stalked towards them, a sour mood radiating from him. "Hitsugaya, Watanabe." The two nodded, telling the Golden Trio to go ahead, while they talked to Snape.
"What?" Shouta asked, a little rudely.
"A man matching the description of the… man you mentioned was seen in Hogsmeade last night." Hitsugaya's frown deepened, and Snape's sour mood seemed to extend to the brunette now, as well.
"Thanks Snape. We'll keep an eye out." They parted ways, Shouta's once good mood now flipped.
"What happened? Did Snape give you detention or something?" Ron asked as the two sat down.
"No. It's… nothing, Weasely. Just some personal stuff." Shouta replied, angrily stabbing the rather big steak on his plate. Hitsugaya gave Harry a look, making the other turn his eyes away. After about 10 minutes, Shouta moved to get up, saying he wasn't hungry. Harry opened his mouth to say something, when a scream echoed through the halls.
"That came from the courtyard!" Someone was heard saying, but by then everyone else had already gotten up, rushing towards the sound, with Harry, Hermione, Ron, Hitsugaya, and Shouta ahead of the rest.
A first year lay on the ground, unconscious and pale. "She just fainted." Hitsugaya informed the rest, after having checked her pulse. Shouta, however, was inspecting the limp, unnaturally bent body of a young boy, another first year. The boy's bloodied face was twisted into that of an unspeakable horror, as if he were screaming. He had 2 sword wounds: one that hit him in the hip, the other straight through the throat.
"Definitely his work." Izukai growled, cursing to himself quietly.
Professor McGonagall pushed through the gathered crowd frantically, coming to a stop near Hitsugaya. Her face lost all color, and it took all her willpower not to look away. "W-What happened?"
"From the looks of it, the kid's been dead for about a day, and due to the lack of blood on the ground, was moved here from the original location." Shouta replied, standing. In his hand was what looked to be a bloodied note, but was hidden away quickly. "Hitsugaya and I will conduct a thorough search of the grounds. All staff and students are to remain in the dorms until further notice."
"But-" Harry protested, but was cut off by an icy glare from Shouta, which-if looks could kill-would have made Harry drop dead on the spot.
"No protests, Potter. This is my personal business. I am the one at fault, and I will take full responsibility for it. And that includes keeping brats like you safe." Shouta snapped, and the boy-who-lived backed off, suddenly feeling almost scared for his life. Both foreign students ran off without another word, and several teachers ushering the students away after getting over their own shock.
"Find anything?" Hitsugaya shook his head, the frown deepening.
"He couldn't have just left without even a trace of reiatsu."
"Yeah, but we have to remember that he was technically revived from the dead, and taken from hell. He might not even have any, depending on how they got him out of there." Shouta replied, just about to head out for another search when there was a spike of rather malicious energy. "…Did you feel that?"
"Yes. It came from the Gryffindor tower." Hitsugaya replied, and the two looked at each other in realization for a split second, before racing as fast as they could towards the spike.
Review please!