CHAPTER 6 - TRYING TO FIND A WAY

L was sitting in a chair, with legs in front of his chest and he was chewing on his thumb. The chair was extremely comfy. He was even thinking about moving it to his own cabinet. But… if he did that there would be no chair like this on their meetings and he didn't want to lose his comfort on these… overly long discussions about nothing.

His whole task force was currently in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts and discussing the progress of the case. Actually… it was not his task force anymore. It was Naomi's, officially. She was doing a good job leading it, but her speech was a little long for him. She was explaining unnecessary details. But it was understandable. She was new in this position and she had a need to defend her procedures in front of the others.

L on the other hand, didn't. If he stood up and sent them chasing after a dragon crossed with a fairy, no one would question him. He was feeling sorry for Naomi. But he was also very supportive of her. It was him who wanted her to take his place anyway. She was the only person who he was 100 percent sure with. Except for Watari of course, but that was a different level of trust.

While Naomi was talking about the lead that went completely cold during the last month, L's mind was wandering around. The task force working on the Kira case currently compounded 8 people. L and Naomi from the Auror's office, chief Yagami from the Department of Law enforcements, his 3 men - Aizawa, Mogi and Matsuda, ex-auror Raye Penber who was currently working for Department of Mysteries and then of course, Watari.

L was still not sure about Yagami's man. He trusted the chief to a very high level, but his men were new to him. He was especially unsure of Touta Matsuda - a beta his age, who was overly enthusiastic but completely useless when it came to thinking. But the chief said he was good at practical magic so L let it be for now.

Then there was Raye Penber. They were working all together with Naomi in the past. And Raye had a problem with L. Because of his relationship with Naomi. They were never more than colleagues and friends but it was making Penber very uncomfortable. The man was in love with Naomi for a long time. When they finally got together, Penber had to leave the office, because officers in a relationship could not work in the same office. It was a very admirable step from him. But anyway… even when Penber and Naomi were together for 3 years now, and engaged, sometimes, L caught Raye killing him with his sight. It was actually funny for him. But probably not so much for Naomi.

"So as I said… this lead is completely cold now. And except for the Hogwarts lead we have nothing else now." Naomi turned to L who was drifting around the room with his eyes: "Any progress here at Hogwarts, L?"

L turned to her and tilted his head: "No… nothing yet. There are a few students with some strange after school activities but nothing I would link with Kira's activity yet."

"Maybe your theory wasn't right." Aizawa said and L turned to him with a smirk: "Or maybe investigation of this kind of mystery needs more time than a burglary and crimes of passion."

L said that on purpose. Because he read Aizawa's file and those were exactly the cases he was working on for last year. Aizawa was about to say something but L was faster. He hopped off his chair and started pacing the room. It was time to speed it up. He needed a cake.

"All right… so all the leads are currently cold. Looks like we are stuck." he said and then turned to Penber: "Penber, any news from your departement?"

L wanted Raye to work with them because he had access to all materials from the Department of Mysteries. And in this case, it could be a key feature. They were chasing after a legend.

"No. I spent the entire month searching for artefacts related to Kira's legend, but there is nothing there. The legend is too old. If there are any existing artefacts, they are in private collections of Wizarding families."

L bit his lower lip. That wasn't good. He was sure Raye would find at least something. But the truth was that the legend was 1000 years old and British Ministry of Magic existed for only 400 years. There were many older artefacts at the department, but 1000 years was simply too much. And searching for something, when they didnt know what they were searching for, within ownership of old wizarding families, was like looking for a needle in a haystack. But they had no choice for now.

"Alright… I need you to prepare a list of all Wizarding families with a long family tree who could be in possession of something from this era. The list should not be long. Then I want you to get to know everything there is about those families and their possessions. Including the list of things they have at Gringotts tresors."

Chief Yagami cleared this throat: "L… are you sure about this? It's also a very cold lead and if some of the families find out, we could be in serious trouble."

L shrugged: "It's not like we have anything else now. And I dont think its a good idea to sit and wait until Kira kills someone else."

Chief Yagami nodded.

Then L turned to Watari: "It would be also good to send Roger on to check on other Wizarding schools, just in case something like that is hidden in their possessions. If I remember it right Beauxbatons has a pretty collection of antique artefacts."

Watari nodded: "Of course L."

L looked at Naomi. She was confused for a second and then realized what she should do: "Alright, that will be all for today. We will meet here again in a week, or sooner if we will find a new lead."

Everyone started packing and headed to the door. Naomi was searching for something in her bag and L used the opportunity to talk to her privately: "I am sorry for taking the lead again. I needed to speed it up."

Naomi shook her head and looked at him: "No need to apologize. I wouldn't know where to go from that point anyway. So in a way… you saved me."

L took a lollipop from his pocket, unpacked it and put it into his mouth with a smirk: "Anytime."

Naomi rolled her eyes and started walking away.

L looked behind her to find Penber standing by the door and giving him a hard look.

Yeah… no wonder he doesn't like me. He thought.

But fortunately, Naomi knew him long enough to know that these flirty smirks never really meant a thing. It was just his inner alpha showing off. And he needed to be in sync with him.

Light hated being an omega for many reasons.

He hated being emotional, he hated the fact that scents of other people could affect his own behavior and he hated that it ruined the way to his life dream in the first place. He was working his way around it for 4, no, almost 5 years now but the longer he was trying the more and harder obstacles came in his way.

Lawliet was one of them.

At least that was how Light saw it.

Until Misa Amane came and planted a seed of doubt within him.

When Light finally fell down from the cloud of his anger and was able to see things a little more clearly, he realized that the girl might be actually right. Lawliet was helpling every single student there. He was getting out the best of them. Sure, his methods were not always the best. He was harsh, sarcastic and he was showing off but he also never hesitated to praise a student when he did something right.

Then why was he so hard towards Light?

Maybe Misa was right… maybe he really saw his potential and didn't want him to get caught in his own glory. It made sense. If Light wanted to become an auror, he needed to be more than just the best school student. He needed to be more than just talented. And Lawliet constantly pointing it out.

It wasn't really Lawliet's fault that Light was failing.

It was his own.

He hated to admit it but he simply couldn't get over what Lawliet told him 4 weeks ago. He couldn't admit to himself that he was really fighting his own wand. But if what Lawliet said was true, and the wand didn't want him to do offensive magic because it was against his omega nature, it was a serious problem. It could be the end for him. Without offensive magic he could hardly stand a chance in the field.

Light let out a long sigh and his head landed on the book he was currently studying. He was in the library for over 3 hours and wasn't able to focus. His mind was still running to this topic. He lifted his head from the book again and took in his surroundings. At that moment, Misa Amane caught his attention. She just passed the corridor but it got Light thinking again.

If what Misa said was true and Lawliet was really trying to help him, that meant there was a way to work it out. Because if there wasn't, Lawliet would simply ignore him and let him be. But he was constantly pushing him to do things differently. That must have meant there is a way. And if Lawliet knew it, Light was willing to find out as well.

The easiest way would be to ask him about it, but Light wasn't ready to do that. His pride was preventing him to.

So he stood up from his book, went to the librarian and ordered all the books about magic wands Hogwarts had. Including those in the restricted department. But he had to wait for those and hope. Because applications for books from this area went straight to the hands of the headmaster Ruvie. And Light had to state the reason why he wanted to study these books.

He was grinning like an idiot when he was writing his reason on the form:

Advanced study of bond between wizard and the wand on suggestion of prof. Lawliet.

"The headmistress of Beauxbatons will accept me immediately, so I shouldn't be off for long. But I still think it would be better if you went there Quillsh, I know madame Gruvalda has a soft spot for you." Roger told him while he was folding things into his briefcase.

Quillsh Wammy shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. "That's exactly why I can't go. She would try to keep me there as long as possible and I can't be away from L for long. He needs his potion on regular bases."

Roger closed his briefcase and turned to his old friend: "Alright, I understand… speaking of L…" he sat down to his headmaster chair: "I got a complaint against him, from one of the students."

Watari raised an eyebrow: "Really? I was under the impression that students like him."

Roger nodded: "Most of them surprisingly do, but it seems that he picked up on someone in the 7th year."

Watari chucked: "I seriously doubt that Roger. I am sure he has his own opinions on the students, but he would never let it out. You know him, he is not acting on his emotions."

Roger frowned into his coffee: "Yes, that's what you and I know… but we also know how he can get sometimes. I am not saying he is doing it on purpose. But maybe his alpha side is doing it for him. The student he should have picked up on is an omega. Maybe it plays a part."

Watari let out a long sigh: "Will you at least tell me who is the student?"

"Light Yagami."

"Yagami? That's strange… that boy is extremely easy going in my classes." Watari was really surprised by this information. He couldn't find a reason why L would pick up on a student like that. Especially, when he worked with his father.

Roger took a letter from his desk's drawer and handed it to Watari.

"Apparently, according to miss Takada, Yagami being best is not good enough for L."

Watari quickly read the letter and rolled his eyes on its content: "Oh my… these teenagers."

"Try to talk to him while I am gone. He wouldn't listen to me anyway." With that he stood up from his seat, took his coat and he took out his pocket watch which was actually a port key.

Before he could use it, an application from the library appeared on the top of the tower of his unread letters and the room echoed with a soft bell sound.

Roger only shrugged: "It will have to wait until I come back. Take care of the school Quillsh. Make sure Mello will not burn it down."

Watari chucked: "Don't worry."

L was sitting with his head in some ancient book when Watari came to his cabinet. But he immediately stood up and his face was full of anticipation: "Quillsh! You are back soon! Did Roger agree to go?"

Watari nodded and went to sit on a sofa: "Yes, he is already there."

L smiled and took the book from his desk: "Great… look, I've been doing some research and I found that even Ilvermorny has some ancient artefacts from the era the legend descended from. So we should send Roger a message to visit them after he is done at Beauxbatons! You know… not to waste time."

Watari looked into the book L was showing him enthusiastically and nodded.

"Alright... If you think it's best."

L frowned. He was expecting Watari would be happy about it. Searching for artefacts in Wizarding schools was still better than investigating wizarding families.

"What's wrong Watari? You look… troubled?"

Watari showed L to the chair and L immediately sat there, expecting something bad happened.

"Roger got a complaint against you."

L raised an eyebrow. He was expecting something more serious. Someone sending complaints against him was not that unusual: "Really? That came much later than I thought."

Watari gave him a questioning look: "So you know what is it about?"

L shrugged and put his thumb on his lower lip.

"No… I have no idea, but we were expecting some, weren't we?"

Watari nodded: "Yes you are right… now we have to deal with it."

"Alright… what is it about?" L asked and he didn't look much troubled with it.

"About you picking up on someone from the 7th year."

"What? That's not true!" L said with a higher voice than usual and looked offended.

"Then you have no idea who it might be? Are you sure you are acting the same towards everyone?"

L let his back lean into his chair: "Of course I am not… It would be easy if I could, but those idiots need an individual approach. I must admit it's stressing me out."

Watari completely skipped his whining and went back to the topic:

"Think L… isn't there someone who you are a bit harsher on?"

"Wouldn't it be easier if you just tell me?"

"No… I need you to figure out."

L rolled his eyes. Of course Watari would turn it into a lecture. He was silent for 5 seconds, just to look like he was thinking about it, but he really wasn't. He didn't care much what those little rats were thinking about him:

"Alright… maybe I am a bit harsher on Amane… her lovesick eyes are really pissing me off. But I don't think she would complain… I am even starting to think she is enjoying it."

Which is actually a pretty arousing idea. His inner alpha told him, ignoring the topic.

Watari shook his head: "No… it's not Amane and the person was not the one to complain. It was one of the classmates."

It hit L in a second. Of course. There were only two people who could complain about him picking up on another student.

"Hm… let me guess… So the one to complain was Mikami… or Takada. And the poor victim is Yagami."

The tone L used that made Watari raise an eyebrow: "So you are aware of the situation?"

"I am not biased against him. And I am definitely not treating him differently then the others." L said with a bored voice.

"Are you sure?" Watari asked with a suggestive tone.

L bit on his thumb again, thinking out loud: "Well… as I said they all need an individual approach. And that counts for Yagami too. I am hard on him. In levels of his abilities and my expectations of him."

"Well in that case I think we found the problem."

L threw his hands in the air in defense: "What? Because I expect more from him than from the others I am automatically picking on him?"

Watari started messaging the bridge of his nose: "He is a teenager L. And if he needs a bit of an easier approach than give it to him. It's not going to kill you."

"He wants to be an Auror." L opposed.

"He is a teenager L. And an omega."

"Exactly. And he is trying to perform magic like an alpha. He is not going to get any better like that." L said he wasn't happy they were discussing this. The boy was seriously getting on his nerves. Not only that he wasn't listening to him at classes, he obviously didn't want his help. He got stuck in his bubble and L couldn't help but pity him.

"L… Light is used to be the best. If he is failing at your classes now he will probably need more time to adapt. But I am sure he will manage. He is a smart boy. Just give him some time and space."

L let out a long sigh: "Alright… but I expected a little more from someone with his reputation."