A Cursed Retribution

by Emerald Kitten Tail

A damaged Soul and body found within a cursed spring Changes Ranma for the rest of his life. Together, with his European Friend who was lost in time, they will discover more of themselves and the magic of the world than they ever expected when they first meet. With Aid from Koh Lon and their allies, both prepare for war in the distant future. There's a reason why Hybrids are feared

7. Chapter 6

August 2nd, 1995

Yui watched as the young man disappeared in a flash of teal light before she slipped the Nanban Mirror into the small leather sack tied to her pant loop as she stood. Letting out a small sigh, she turned towards her companion and gave him a strained smile. He spread his arms, a gesture that had long since become habit between them, before she slipped between them. Pressing her face into his hard chest, she nuzzled into the warmth that seemed to have alway emitted from him and enjoyed the feeling of his arms as they wrapped around her waist.

Looking up, she stared into his azural eyes, watching as his slitted pupils dilated as they fixated on her. There was a touch of sadness there but also something that always got her heart fluttering like a snidgets wings. He leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss, his stubble rubbing against her skin and stroking the embers inside her. Magic circulared between them, mixing and cooling his while warming hers in return. The sensations sent a shiver down her spine and she moaned into his lips. Fingers carded their way into his hair and she felt his hand tracing across her backside.

Pulling away, her cheeks set aglow and sparkles in her eyes, she put a hand to his chest and pushed back. He didn't follow but the satisfied grin upon his lips showed her just how much he enjoyed it.

"I'm going to miss being able to do that." he spoke in a hushed deep bass, a hint of somberness rose in it, "Do you really have to do this? You can just let this life die, come home with me and let them deal with this madman themselves."

she smiled softly at her Guardian Angel, "you know I can't do that, if i don't, these children will suffer for my cowardliness." fiddling with the ring upon her finger she squashed the pain in her heart while she watched his face fall as she slipped the ring in his pocket, "I still love you and if there was another way i could do this, i'd do it without a second thought." softening her voice, she layed a hand on her own abdomin, "if it wasn't for Voldemort, Id happily be waking up next to you every morning, a little tyke running about our feet. But i c-can't, not y-yet." Her voice broke and tears trailed down her cheeks.

He reached forward, brushing her tears with his thumb before lifting her chin with his fingers, a gentle kiss upon her brow, "I know, I just wish..."

"Not now, but someday." he gave a displeased grunt, yet she felt his lips turn upward on her forehead. "But i have to get ready, somebody is bound to appear any moment now. The Patronus isn't just any spell afterall"

"Fine, but you own me Hari."

She could live with that, she already owed him more than either of them could count. "Of course, Ranma. Ive owed you one since the day you found me." He snorted but didn't deny it either. To them, they saved each other that day he saved her from drowning in that magic spring. Ranma slowly pulled away from her, his fingers trailing along her skin, almost like a reminder of his touch. The gentle digging of his claws sent a buzz to her core that she always felt particularly naughty for.

Taking a deep breath, she took out a single mushroom with a dark brown top. Ranma's eyes fixed upon the little shroom as an uneasiness filled his eyes. She tried giving him her best reassuring look but it didn't fully work. He never liked these mushrooms, despite their potential. Breathing in a steady breath to ease her nerves, she popped the pod in her mouth. It tasted of earth with a mix of a spicy tang, stick in her teeth with every bite as her mouth seemed to dry out by the second. it was like a pasty ash as she swallowed and fell into her stomach like a rock.

A second ticked by before her stomach gurgled and an uncomfortable buzz sensation spread thorought her body. Beyond the tingle, it felt seemless, but as she watched her arms shrink and felt her hips slimdown a few centimeters, her top swaying ever so slightly more in the late summer breeze and the empty space in her bra, she knew its had taken affect. Centimeters seemed to drop in her height as Ranma grew a bit taller to her perspective and she could feel her feet shrinking as space opened up in her heels.

When her stomach finally settled down, she took a shaky breath and wiggled her extremedies. Now came the moment of choice and she focused on her core, looking for a small string of magic that layed within that filled her nose with the smell of blood and grass. Giving it a little pull, she felt her body shift once more. Her Height rose by a solid 10 centimeters and her feet filled her heels once more but uncomfortably dug into the sides. Her bra seemed to empty, leaving nothing but open air and her jaw started to itche something fierce, as did her nails. Her hips smoothed out even more, it was only many years of practice that she managed to catch her jeans before they started to fall. An uncomfortable strain formed in her undergarmets, her knickers straining under some pressure. A groan escaped her lips as her shifting finally started to settle, a slightly strained tenor pitched voice trebled and filled the mostly empty underpass.

"God, i forgot what it was like to shift forms dressed like this." his voice came out in gasps before opening his eyes. Ranma's eyes were tracing him from crown to toes, a small smile skimmed his lips but it was more nostalgic than amused. "What? You could at least help me, rather than just stand there." his hand resting on his hip as he rose an eyebrow at his love.

He grinned, "I was just thinking you look rather similar to how you did when i first saw you in that green and silver kimono. Less leg exposure though." his eyes stopped on Harry's neck, "Gonna have to cover that marking, you definitely didn't have it when we first meet." A chuckle came up then as he drew his wand, a few swishes along Harry's frame, "And you might want to remember that guys cross their arms, we don't put them on our hips."

Sighing, Harry just let his arms fall to the side as his clothes shifted around him and the arches in his heels leveled closer to the ground. When Ranma stopped waving his wand, his clothes finally settled and he could take a breath without the feeling of wire digging into his chest. Slipping his glasses upon his nose, he looked down at his lovers choices, he couldn't help but beam at his selection. What was once a Green Day t-shirt had been turned into a smooth silk button down shirt with golden buttons while his bra was now a light purple tanktop. His jeans turned into an blackwash pair of slacks while a golden chainlink belt with a buckle that showed a horse rested around his waist. The heels had shifted into a pair of polished black leather shoes with purple side laces and a pointed tip.

"I look like i just came out of an upperclass night club..." he drawled toward the older man.

"Nah, you were just on your way to an amazing date. " He winked at him with an air of confidence, "but sadly, they were chased away by the dementors aura."

Laughing at his quip, Harry reached up and pecked the older man on the cheek, "Well, i guess my date had better run before anyone sees them here and start asking uncomfortable questions." Ranma snorted but smiled down at the him and nodded in acceptance. Tossing out a quick goodbye while he handed him a scrunchy to tie back his hair, Harry watched as his oldest friend spun on his heels and disappeared with a very slight pop.

His shoulders slumping as soon as Ranma was gone, Harry took a few deep breaths to hold off the void his absence brought forth. He didn't like it, Ranma had been his figurative and literal stone for the last 10 years. Through Secondary School, Mahoutokoro, and all those meetings with the Yokai Council; he was there for it all, never walking away even when he was given plenty of chances. Not even when he was offered a way to escape his Jusenkyo Curse, he decided to follow his path and master the transformative magic instead, he actually went farther that he did and now, Harry was still trying to play catch-up. Ranma was gone for the foreseable future and there was nothing he could do to change it. It made his heart ache something fierce, the pull in his core grow ever so slightly stronger. But he could ignore it for now, they had practiced for this and planned as well as they could while balancing all their studies. He could do this, he had to do this.

Looking down to where his younger self had been sitting along the underpasses wall, Harry squated down and scooped up the fallen wand that had been left behind. He smiled at the wand as warmth flowed up his arm and settled within his core after many years of absence. He had gotten another focus over the years, like this wand he had cherished it just as dearly, but with the return of the holly wand he felt a hole in him being seal once again. Giving it a light wave, he watched as the blood that had trailed down the concrete surface evaporated, never to be found.

A frown came upon his brow as he glanced around, "Where did Dudley go?"

Moving down the underpass, he veared around the bend near the end, coming upon a service door. Heavy breathing could be heard from within, followed by a nearly audiable whimper. Reaching forward, he clasped the lock and jerked the door outward, the heavy metal grinding along the stone flooring and darkness stretched far into the abyss. But not even two steps in, sunked to the floor was the trembling form of his cousin. His features clenched tight in terror while his already pale skin was now a unhealthy chalk colour.

"Dudley?" he whispered, earning him a heavy flinch from the thick boy. He didn't even look at what had said his name, "Dudley, its me, Harry. You can come out now, the creatures are gone." His cousin's shaking seemed to steady but he didn't untense. A single baby blue eyes peaked out over his forearm before a muffled gasp sounded from his large frame. His body started to unwrap from itself, but never did the larger teens eyes leave him.

Finally, getting to his feet as Harry held the door from shutting on the troubled teen, Dudley seemed to swallow the lump in his throat. "What...What happened? What were those things!?" His eyes whiped back and forth along the tunnel, "D-Did they leave?"

"Dementors, kind of like a soul sucking demon." Dudley paled again, "Normally we have them locked away on isolated islands but two seemed to have escaped their confinement. They're likely going to be punished rather heavily, there are treaties from centuries ago to stop this kind of things from happening."

Seeing his legs start to tremble, likely a delayed form of shock, Harry moved in close and threw the boys arm over his shoulder. Grunting over the boys bulk, he lead him back towards their home and out of the flickering lights and shadows that was envoloping them. A few cars drove passed, their lights shinning brightly in their eyes but thankfully, Dudley didn't ask anymore as they moved. His eyes were still darting about, moving from one shadow to the next. Internally, Harry had a feeling his cousin wouldn't be watching any horror movies for the foreseable future. It was a peaceful walk at least, he could hear crickets chirping into the night and the occasional mewing of a cat in the distance.

"T-Thank you, Harry...I...I'd probably be dead right now if it wasn't for you." It came out in a rough whisper, just barely audiable for the bespecticaled teen. A flash of surprise filled Harry and it also made him smile, that was probably the first time his cousin had ever said anything polite to him.

"You're my cousin, Dudley...Despite our issues, i couldn't leave you to die." A look of shame came to the older boy, his eyes seemed to take on a hollow appearance, "But if you really want to thank me, then tell your parents that you were almost hit by a car. If you mention the Dementors, it'll just cause way to much drama."

Dudley stared at him for a moment, before nodding fiercely. The haunted look seemed to ease up ever so slightly. Shame for running away would likely eat at the boy for a while to come but it would pass.

"Um...why did your clothes change? And your hair is long too..."

Harry chuckled, "I had a date for my birthday but we couldn't meet up then, so we decided to have it tonight. I didn't want to draw attention to it, so i used some of my magic to hide it all." his laughter rose in volume as he watched his cousin's jaw drop. It was fun picking at him sometimes. He did mumble about wondering what girl in the area had gone on a date with him, given his reputation and all. He wisely decided not to answer, he just gave a happy smile. "I was kinda fretting over it when you found me in the park, but they likely ran off because of the dementors, so im not to worried."

It took them around twenty minutes to get back to #4 Privet Drive, lights were visible through the kitchen window and as they approuched the front door, Harry could make out the whispering of his Uncle's telly. Grabbing the knob, he was thankful that it was at least unlocked before pushing it in. As they entered the Foyer, Duddley pulled himself off and whispered to head upstairs before his parents noticed them. Offering the boy a small salute, Harry snuck up the steps before sliding past his door with a gentle click. He didn't even get over to his bed before Vernon and Petunia screamed from the livingroom and then there was a heavy thunking of the front door slamming shut. The reving of the family car was the last thing he heard before the trio were racing down the street, likely waking a couple of their neightbors in their brisk exit.

"Hoot, Hoot!"

Turning his head toward the sound, Harry found Hedwig resting on her perch along the far wall, near to the window. He couldn't stop himself, tears fell from his eyes as he looked into his beloved owls warm amber eyes. Her white feathers looked glossy, if a tad disheveled from a long flight, beautiful as ever with their small specks of black throughout. She looked plump, surely proof that she'd been out hunting this summer. Much better than the underfed appearance she usually sported by this time in summers past.

Moving towards her, he gently stroked her forefeathers, watching as she seemed to knuzzle the palm of his hand. " Hey girl, did Hagrid feed you well this summer? Lots of squirells and bacon?" she stomped her clawed feet upon the wood as she perked her chest up. It made him glow even more. "Good, It would have taken him off the 'okay' list of fawning if he hadn't."

He opened his mouth to say more but was interupted by a heavy thunking sound against the window. Frowning at the glass panel, he noted the emperor owl that was resting precariously on the window sil, a single visible letter tied to his claw. Sighing, he got up and let it in and waiting patiently as it settled ontop of his splintering desk. Being careful, he offered a finger and waited for it to press its beak into the tip, a small stream of magic funneled between them before the bird cawed in acceptance.

Fishing the letter off, he skimmed it quickly. With each word, his eyebrows rose in disbelief.

Dear Mr. Harry James Potter,

As of August 2nd, 1995 at approximately 8:43pm you were noted to have cast a Patronus charm within the presence of a Muggle. Due to this breach of the Internation Statue of Secrecy and one warning of the Restricted Use of Underage Magic, you are ordered to appear before a displinary panel on August the 5th, 1995 at 10am at the Ministry of Magic. If you do not comply, you will be forcefully escorted to the premise, fined and possibly imprisoned due to abbetting your hearing. A representative will not be appointed by the court, so make sure to have one with you if you would like. Please note that upon arrival to your hearing, your wand will be seized as evidence.

Sincerely,

Madam Hopkirk

Improper Use of Magic Office

Ministry of Magic

"Well, i guess im returning to Magical Britian with a bit of a splash." a wild grin stretched along his lips, a small set of fangs peaked into view.

CR*

August 3rd, 1995

Coming down from the twilight sky, Harry watched as Madeye Moody, a woman named Tonks and Remus Lupin all landed along the pavement just infront of some rather run down townhomes. His trainers barely making a noise as he landed and dismounted. It wasn't much to look at, a solid "U" shaped area with some graphette, a few dead plants and a rusted out playground tucked into the center. A homeless man was passed out on a bench, the smell a liquor and piss strong enough that Harry could smell it from a distance.

"Here Harry, it'll help you get to our headquarters." Remus whispered to him as he handed a slip of parchment.

Raising an eyebrow, he glanced an the warn and crumbled slip of stationary.

The HeadQuarters from the Order of the Pheonix is located at #12 Grimmauld Place.

"Surely they've got to be joking. A Fidilius Charm? Utterly useless if you have over five people in the know and if they have this place as their hideout, its practically ruined already." Sighing, he memorized the slip before handing it back, noway was he going to be responsible whatever they have hidden here. A small tendil of magic came from the building before hiim, a sharp sting to his reverberated in his core as it attatched to him.

Ever so slowly, the building on either side started to shift and another townhome seemed to rise from the earth. It shutters were all drawn in and a heavy amount of grim was pasted along the outside. Its bushes were all wilted, some drapped down to the dried out grass or were just bare branches altogether. Even from here, he could feel the oily magic that covered the home. Shivering in disgust, he begrudgenly let Remus grab his arm and pull him towards the decreped old london townhome. There were even cracks along the stone steps, the door knocker was the image of a small face wailing in dispair or pain.

Madeye knocked three times, one solid hit, then four heavy pounds and then seven rather light taps. There was a rustling of locks, at least five mechanical ones, before the door opened into the foyer. And it didn't look much better to the Bespeckled teen. Ragged old rugs on the floor, tacky magical creature furniture -either made of or depicting a creature- and a rather large portrait of elderly woman with a frozen expression of unadulterated rage. Harry noted the string of subtly glowing runes burned into the wall and carpet in the area that surrounded the painting.

"She doesn't look like the nicest of people" was all he could think of say.

A rather heavy snort just off to his right seemed to agree. "And thats being rather tame, Prongslet" A man spoke with a hint of mirth to him.

Stilling, Harry ears followed the source and couldn't stop from beaming at the man before him. With his hair trimmed up and falling in gentle waves down toward his shoulder, a beard that was no more than an 2 centimeters in length and incircled his mouth. Sirius' face was fuller and there seemed to be more of a spark of life in his eyes, rather than the desperation and a hint of madness that he had seen during Harry's third year, He was also dressed in a white button up, with a leather bikers jacket and dark blue flared jeans. It was surprisingly mundane of the man.

Harry didn't wait for the man to offer him a hug, instead, he dropped his trunk at the door -ignoring the swearing behind him as Tonk stubbed her toe on it- and rushed the man. He threw his arms around Sirius's neck and practically buried his face into his kneck. "Wow, hey to you to kid." was muttered from the man but it didn't stop him from returning the hug. And when he did, a tension seemed to release from his stocky frame. His shoulders relaxed, and his legs bent just a tad under Harry's weight. But the warmth that Harry felt in his Godfathers arms, it helped chase away the sadness he'd been feeling since Ranma left.

A cough pulled them from their moment, "As... touching as this is, we have a meeting to get to." a semi-familiar drawl came from down the hall.

Pulling away from the warm imbrace, Harry note Snape standing at the far end of the foyer, his face in a subtle snear and his eyes pinched. The mans magic seemed to roll and toil within him, a heaviness that weighed down towards his feet. It had a slightly oily feel to it, as most do that have practiced the Darker aspects of Magic, but it wasn't clinging to his power, simply resting upon the surface. There was a slight twitch in his hands, a motion he didn't recall him having back in his fourth year. Nerve damage, if he had to guess.

"He's right, Harry. But why don't you get settled in and we can talk once I'm finished," a gleam of excitement entered his stormy grey eyes, "I can even give you a tour! Thanks to Bathsheda, we have managed to clense most of the house...Not the wards though, they'd be a lot trickier."

"That'd be perfect, see you soon then?" Sirius nodded and gave him one last pat on his shoulder before moving towards his Potions Professor. He noted the men watching one another, a weariness and distrustful air between them, as they slipped through the door. He caught a brief glimpse of Mrs. Weasley, seeming to be scolding someone just before the door sealed itself. Then it was just him and one slightly disgruntled owl, as his escorts must have slipped away while he was preoccupied.

Taking a moment to settle his nerves, Harry pulsed his magic and waited for it to resonate throughout the building. Several sources were coming from the room down the hall, around seventeen and most of them felt oddly cool, as if they were like stagnant water in a canal, but there was also a small group of people upstairs, their energy constantly swirling and in flux.

"If Mrs. Weasley is here, then that must be her kids." He couldn't stop from chewing his lip in frustration, "even more people in on the secret. How is this thing even still standing? The strain from being pulled in so many directions has to have weakened in some fashion. But what?"

Shrinking his trunk, while scooping up Hedwigs cage, Harry started heading up the stairs. He clicked his tongue at the mounted House Elf heads, each one frozen in a look of anguish. "How can they stomach having these here? Wish Ranma was here, with his love of fire he'd get a kick at burning a lot of this junk." a chuckle slipped passed his lips, last time Ranma got to really let his pyromania loose was when they burnt the Grandmasters Collection. Now that was a lot of smoke and had drawn a lot of attention toward the Tendo property. Nerima ended up having a minor festival to celebrate the final removal of the Grandmaster, he still looked back fondly on the kiss Ranma had given him that night under the cherry blossom tree, although they had been a tad tipsy at the time. It had been their first afterall.

He'd gone up three landings before coming to a wooden sign and he snorted, "Welcome to Coral Island, beware the Lord of Flies." there was a stenciled serated blade beneath the words, blood dripping from the tip and pooling along the bottom of the sign before flowing back up the side and merging wih the blade in a constant repetition. One of the past Black's must of had a rather Dark sense of humour, likely Sirius' grandfather or father.

The hall itself was a pale green with a few paintings spread along the walls, some having been incircled in the same runic chain as the one in the foyer. Copper gas lamps lined the walls, their gentle flames giving life to the dreary home. Wooden flooring creaked under his feet with every step he'd taken so far. Each door along the hall had a small metal plaque beside the trimming, a name written in elequent cursive. Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Ginerva Weasley, Fredric and Gregory Weasley, Regulas Black. He paused the twins plaque, curiosity as to why it didn't say George like the boy and his family had always claimed it was. Mystery for later at the very least.

The magic of his housemates felt to be coming from Ron's room, all seemingly squished into the single room. He wasn't in a hurry to see them all just yet, knowing they would be full of questions about what happened last night. And he just wanted to get a long shower, the time he spent at the Dursley's had left him feeling horrid. A night of restless sleep definitely hadn't helped, added with the pre-dawn knocking on the front door which brought out the angry shouts of his uncle who had only returned home a short few hours beforehand, he really didn't have a good morning. Meeting Sirius had been the highlight, although seeing Professor Lupin had been a plus in the beginning.

Moving over to a door near the end of the hall with an empty plaque, he placed his hand on the knob. A stabbing sensation flashed through his hands before the knob pulsed and the feeling was muffled. Harry noted his name appeared along the plaque, although he was interested in his title forming underneath it as well. Another thing to worry about later, he had more immediate concerns to handle first.

Slipping inside, he noted the large space he'd been given. A queen sized bed, resting upon a silver bed frame, an intricit pattern of vines weaved into its design. A small stack of pillow rested near the headboard with a quilt in a rather stunning forest green. The walls were a light brown colour, while the floor had plush white carpeting. He'd have to insist on the others taking off their shoes before coming in, he didn't want to see dirt prints all over. An Armoir rested in the corner, its mirror shining in the morning sun, while a tall red maple wardrobe rested beside it. There was even a few bookshelves scattered around the room, a halfshelf right beside his bed rather than a nightstand. There were a pair of cream colour drapes hanging across the window, sunlight just barely peaking past the creases along their edges and a perche for Hedwig to nest upon.

"This is suprisingly pleasant for such a dark and dreary house."

Noting a single door along the far wall, he traversed the room and pulled it open. "Definitely a magical room, this shouldn't be in a british townhome" he thought as he stared at the insides of a tiled furo and washing station, absently taking note that the entire wall seemed to be a single mirror. A small section had been split in the first half, a shelf filled with toiletries and towels while the other half contained a porcelin sink and toilet.

Shrugging, Harry quickly stripped himself of the clothes he'd been wearing the night before and made his way over to get cleaned, only stopping to grab some of the provided washing untensils. Sitting upon one of the available stools, Harry examined his current form. Unlike when he first traveled back in time, he now had a healthy amount of fat and muscle on his frame. He wasn't tight packed like Ranma had been when he was sixteen but his body was pretty well toned and he could see what looked like the beginning of a some abs starting to show. The scars that once litered the entirety of his back had long sense faded, leaving only wisps of lines along his tanned skin. What did draw his eye were the few tattoos that adorned his body. While he had eventually learned to not be ashamed of the marks along his body, he didn't necessary like them being seen as easily as they were. Koh Lon potions had done wonders for healing them but there was only so much that could be done after years of improper care. So now, his eyes danced over the Pink lilies that crawled from his lower back and crept up over his left shoulded, peaking just above his collar line on his neck. He'd had a small coiled Mamushi along his left shoulder -placed over the marking that had been left by the basilisk fang back in his second year- with its tail wrapped around his bicep. A third inking covered the ritual slash along his inner forearm, now showing a line of kanji that read, "Love burns away all forms of pain" with a small blue heart nestled at the bottom. His favorite though was small black and red horse resting along his lower abdomain - a few centimenters above his pubic mound- with a gentle river flowing beneath its hooves. It had been Ranma's idea and it never failed to make Harry's cheeks heat up when he saw it.

"Ranma's right, i'm going to have to either use a glamour or make-up to hide these. Every one would freak if they saw me suddenly have ink all over my body" He laughed to himself, the soft sound echoing around him, "Be a great laugh though, seeing them sputter."

Washing away the soap and remaining specks of dirt, Harry slip into the furo and relaxed. These last few days had been more tiring then he'd expected and today had only just begun. Nothing a little hot water couldn't help with.

CR*

Waving his hand, Harry's ebony hair dried and fell down to his middle back in soft waves. Tucking a few strands behind his ear, he grumbled as he straightened his clothes out with his free hand. He'd long since gotten used to wearing dresses or skirts over the last decade or at least a slightly baggy band shirt when he had to wear trousers. Usually it was a casual kimono or when at Mahoutokoro he wore a Cheongsam, with the random A-line dress and cardigan. Feeling the collar to the sunny yellow polo he'd picked out rub against his neck was beyond irritating. Opening the door to his room, he grumbled to himself in his head over the annoyance that was clothing.

Sending his senses outward, he noted that the magics downstairs had lightened up and felt more free flowing, a definite sign that whatever serious topic they had been talking of had finally past. He'd been getting a headache at the constant shifting of power from their area. Interestingly, he noticed that his friends had moved from Ron's room and down to the second story banister. They were still huddled together but there was a buzz of anxiety between them all. Smiling to himself, he moved down the steps, careful to cushion his footfalls with a spell. No sense in not scaring them, they should be more aware of their surroundings.

Peaking around the landing, he found them all laying across the floor, feet and legs seemingly intertangled and bodys almost draped over top one another. Their heads were all pressed together and heated whispers were being exchanged between them.

"Whats the Department of Mysteries?" Ron muttered in confusion.

"Harry has a hearing on Monday?" worry flowed from the body of the sole female redhead

"So proud, already..."

"...sticking it to the man!" A heavy amount of pride could be heard in the twins duel speak.

"We have to help him prepare, they said he doesn't have a lawyer!"

Chuckling loud enought to make the group jump, Harry watched as they all seemed to pale before they peaked back at him. Relief flooded them as they collectively scrambled to their feet. Hermione was the first to rush him, her arms flung wide as she latched onto him like a baby koala, not bothered by how tight she held him to her. Returning the hug, absently noting the flash of jealousy in Ron's eyes before he brought up a strained smile and clapped him on the back as she let go. The sting hardly fading as the moment past. Ginny shyly waved to him from a few paces back, her eyes trailing acrossed his appeance with a flush to her cheeks before looking off to the side. The twin then proceeded to squish him between the two of them, one ruffling his hair while the other one poked him in the ribs with wondering fingers.

A laugh escaped his lips from their administration, "Okay, okay enough or im gonna wet myself. Im ticklish you know." One of them ruffled his hair one more time before they both backed off.

Huffing, he did his best to fix the mess they made of him as they all kept staring at him. "Let head up stairs and we can talk there, Moody can probably see you all up here." one of them cursed before following in his wake. None of them said a word as they traveled back to the 3rd floor, the teens to worried over drawing attention from the paintings that hung along the walls. Thankfully, he didn't have to say anything as they followed him down to his room, though he did hear a gasp as they passed his door.

Slipping off his slippers, he enjoyed the feel of the carpet between his toes. It was outrageously soft, likely an interwoven charm or a magical animal sourced material. None of the mundane carpets they had purchased over the years felt nearly as soft. "Shoes off please, dont want dirt getting in the carpet." He tossed back towards them, there was some ruffling as they took off their footwear but thankfully, they complied easily enough. He make quick work of hoping onto his new bed, sinking slightly into the top before he flopped back on it and just enjoyed the sensation. A night on a lumpy old mattress that had at least three springs poking through did horror stories on ones back, a summer off it would have done even worse.

Feeling the bed dip around him, he peaked beyond his lids and noted that they had spread out along his bed. Hermione was sitting crosslegged, Ginny with her legs drawn up towards her chin, the twin were drapped across the top with one looking over the shoulder of his brother and Ron sat on the floor -his fingers absently picking at the carpet.

"So, what have you all been doing all summer. Nobody would really tell me anything in the letters they sent." There was a nervous shifting to his bed, more from Hermione than any others.

"Well, i visited Viktor in Bulgaria for the first few weeks of summer" the bushy girl voiced hesitantly, a slight dusting of pink to her cheeks, "He showed me around to a bunch of historical momuments, spent some time camping and i got to watch him practice with his team." He glanced at the other girl, she was turning redder under all of their gazes, "After that, i spent some time with my Nana and parents in Cap d'Agde in

France. Been here for about three weeks now, all i've done is help Professor Babbling draw the runes around a few portraits and cleaned house." Then she pouted, "Sirius still wont let me in the library."

That got a round of chuckles from them all, though he did notice jealously rekindling in Ron's eye when she mentioned Krum. Seemed their Redheaded friend still didn't like her associating with the famous seeker.

"We've been working on a new line of products, calling them Skiving Snacks Box, George has almost got this last batch right."Ron grumbled under his breath, his complexion turning a tad green. "It'll be a big hit with the other students"

"They don't actually hurt people, right?" he asked, thinking about the time he was five and had the flu but ended up severely dehydrated because of how much fluids he expelled. "Cause they'd also be great for vindictive wives with unfaithful or neglectful husbands. You may not get as many sales as you would with the students but that could be a market to catter to as well."

The hidden twin shook his head but a thoughtful gleem appeared in his eye, "None that we've noticed as of yet. But thats an amazing idea, maybe mom wouldn't harp on us as much if she saw us making sales outside of school?" The pair quickly started whispering to one another, Ginny quickly joining in as Ron started talking.

"Been here pretty much all summer. Done nothing but dust and clean, got bit by some Doxies too. Sirius gave me a few Galleons for all the work though. So that was cool. Mom took my wand when we arrived, so i had to do it all by hand, Merlin's ball the blisters hurt." The gangly redhead bemoaned, absently rubbing between his fingers. "Mom and Hermione have been harping on me to do my homework too but i have three weeks left to do it. Don't see what the big deal is."

Looking as a hurt expression came to his friends face, Harry reached over and snagged her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. This had been a constant arguement over the years and Harry had long since realized why Hermione fretted so much. But he had a plan to ease some of her stress, as long as she agreed to it. They may have to take a trip to talk to her parents but that wouldn't come until after his trial.

"I got to spend time with my friend Luna, when she wasn't out looking for her dad's creatures." Ginny barged in, seeming to sense the tension her brother had cause, "Besids that, I saw Dean Thomas while we were camped here with Sirius. He only lives a kilometer or so away, so easily within walking distance. He's been teaching me how to draw, its rather fun." there was a sparkled to her eyes, the shadows within her brown orbs fading to the edges.

"What about you?" Ron asked, a small clump of Harry's carpet clenched between his fingers.

Looking around at the teens that surrounded him, Harry wondered how he should answer that. Ranma and him had talked about it for monthes, if not years, and he still wasn't sure what was the right answer. His time as Ishikawa Yui had to stay hidden, he'd made a few enemies among the Yokai Council and the last thing they needed was another enemy joining Voldemorts side. But he didn't want to hide everything about him that had changed in that time. But that was the truth of it, he had changed. Much more than they were likely ready or even able to comprehend. But as they stared at him, he knew he couldn't hedge around the question. So, he settled for a mix of truth and story warping.

"Well, It started off kinda bad, the nightmares happened so often that there wasn't a night i wasn't woken up screaming." His hand was squeezed tightly, hermione willing him to feel that she was still there, "but i made a friend over the last few weeks. We spent almost every free moment together, to the point where we even went on a few dates at the end." a muffled gasp sounded behind him, "I had a lot of fun though, even learned some martial arts which amazingly enough, helped me with my dancing."

"Your joking, mate. You SUCK at dancing." Ron chortled and even a few of the other giggled along with him, Harry just offered a pained smile in return.

"Well, i did. I'm not as good as Daphne or C-Cedric was but ive improved at least." a flash of guilt struck him at the dead hufflepuffs name, even after the last ten years it still hurt, "at least i can dance without stomping on someone toes now."

"Whatever you say, mate."

CR*

"So, who was this mysterious friend you dated this summmer? And don't pretend like you didn't avoid mentioning their name, cause you definitely did." Hermione said from her place upon his bed.

Hanging up another shirt within his wardrobe, Harry looked back at the bushy hair girl and had to choke back a laugh at the sight of her. She was spread lazily across his bed, a single leg propped upon the other bobbing along to a beat he couldn't hear. Her head and hair dropped over the side as she read one of his romance novels. Her shirt was ruffled from her wiggling about, showing some of her belly but it was nothing indecent. The others had left to go do their own things a short while ago, so she seemed to relax a touch more without the extra sets of eyes.

Reaching into his trunk, he pulled out a silver kimono with black trimming and white snowflakes and slipped it into one of the available drawers. "His name was Ranma, tall handsome block with thick arms and a nice butt." a choking sound came from her and he smirked to himself, its wasn't everyday he caught her unprepared. "He's japanese, and really skilled in fighting, so i asked if he could teach me some martial arts in our free time but also he helped me pick out some new clothes with the money he made at his job since i couldn't really leave my neighborhood without getting in trouble."

"A guy?" she sounded hesitant, but not disgusted, so that was a plus.

"Yeah," he looked at her, seeing her cheeks had eclipsed her earlier flushed state, "it suprised me too. I mean, i knew i was different when i enjoyed the kiss that Blaise gave me after the ball last year, but i figured it was just cause i was being kissed."

"BLAISE KISSED YOU!?" she yelped before slapping a hand over her mouth, eyes darting towards the door. She was starting to look like a tomatoe with all the blood in her cheeks.

"Mhmm, i think he might have been a little pissed though, his breath stunk." He giggled to himself, remembering another drunken kiss but it ended much better that time.

Hermione had tossed away her book at this point, her eyes focused on him. Her face was still flushed but her eyes had a sparkly gleam to them and her smile shouted naughty to him. "What was it like? Did he french you? Ranma, i mean, not Blaise."

A warmth pooled within his chest, unknowingly he clenched the necklace beneath his shirt, "It was absolutely amazing. There had been a fair in town, the sun was starting to set and we broke away from the crowd. He'd snuck some liquor from his dads stash, which he wasn't happy about later, and and we ended up near a church. We were leaning upon each other rather heavily by the time it happened but he had just stopped talking to me midsentence, so i looked at him to see if he was okay. He reached up and stroked his thumb across my cheek, just staring at me for a moment and then pressed his lips into mine. The were so soft, yet his kiss was so wanting. Almost hungerly but he never went beyond kissing. We pulled back for a second to catch our breaths, then i found my back pressed into the tree we'd been sitting under and he was kissed me harder than before. I still shiver at the thought of his tongue in my mouth that day."

Glancing at his friend, he found her with her mouth hanging open and semi-glazed eyes. Her hands were placed on her thighs, with shallow breaths. Something told him Hermione was a closet pervert.

"Jiminy Cricket..." was all she could say and he laughed in return. It probably did sound intense from a fifteen year olds perspective. Hermione would probably have an anyrism if she knew just what she had all done with Ranma during their time together. Some of it would of gotten them arrested for public indecency.

"What about you and Krum? Most don't go visit a boy in another country for a few weeks for nothing." he teased. The bookworms mouth firmly snapped shut, her eyes falling to her lap. Her anxiety seemingly flared back to the front and her body language shifted towards indecieve. Taking note of it, Harry set his shirt back in his trunk and moved over towards his friend and took ahold of her hand. She looked him in the eyes, small beads of tears gathering in her eyes and he could see her chewing the inside of her cheek in fear. "Hey, you've always been here for me, through the good and bad moments. You know i wont judge you for whatever happened. You're my best friend."

She squeezed his hand, a small sniffled escaping and a water smile, "Thanks Harry, i really appreciate it." taking a deep breath, he watched as she mentally counted to three. "We kissed back during 4th year, a few times actually. I thought there might be something there, you know i don't tend to draw attention of many guys, so it was surprising he wanted me. Then he invited me over for a few weeks this summer. Mummy and Daddy had only ever gone to France, so we were happy to take him on his offer. Well, one day after his practice, i had stupidly gone into the locker room to talk to him about our dinner date that night before he got distracted again." a look of shame came to her face and Harry knew she did something against her moral code, "He was just coming out of the shower, only a towel around his waist. I was confused but also really enjoying the view. He gave me this really sweet smile and kissed me, like really kissed me. it got too heated, so fast. Next thing i knew, my shirt was on the floor and he pulled my bra off. T-Then he started going d-down on my B-Breasts. It felt good, so i didn't fight him." She paused and took a fortifying breathe. Harry stared at her, the way she slumped over herself, one arm hugging her middle while the one in his hand seemed to tighten, as if to hold on for dear life. A cold feel filled his heart. "N-next thing i knew, he had pushed me down on my knees and pulled his towel away. Telling me I had to suck...suck his penis if i wanted to be his girlfriend." Her shoulders started to shake and her sniffles turned to sobs. "And I did...I did! For the next week, i did it everyday."

Letting go of her hand, ignoring that her sobs seemed to increase tenfold at the lack of contact, and pulled her into a tight imbrace. Hermione didn't hesitate and latched onto her like a limpet, his shoulder getting progressively wetter as he drew small circle in the girls back. A Silent fury flared inside him, his magic pushing to break through his body. In the back of his mind, he could feel his raging magic start to flow from his control, moving to somewhere else beyond the walls around him. But it didn't matter, what mattered was his heartbroken friend.

"He hasn't even written to me once since i left." a subtle edge crept into the girls tone but it was buried under the self-depreciation, "Guess he got what he wanted."

Silently summoning a hankerchief, Harry pulled out of the hug and looked her in the eyes, "It wasn't right or fair of him to treat you like that, you know that Hermione." handing the clothe over to the girl, which she used to wipe her tears before blowing her nose, "Some guys will be jerks like he was, doing what he has to, to get what he wants. But you can and will get through it, to find a decent bloke that treats you properly. If you don't want to suck a guy off, i'll teach you ways to fight back and get away." He forcefully turned his tone into a joking manner, "Maybe this year you can ask Pavarti and Lavender to help you do you nails, make them nice and sharp to scratch any guy that touches you in anyway you don't like or want."

That got him a snort of laughter out of the red-eyed teen, "Maybe...I-I'll have to think about it." She took in a breath to steady herself, "Thank you for being such a good friend, Harry. I wasn't sure who i could talk to about what happened, but im glad i could with you." Giving her arm a gentle squeeze, he got a half-smile in return.

Hermione picked up her book and with one last hug, she left for her own room. Saying she was feeling exhuasted and was hoping a short nap would make her feel better. Harry had recommended taking a long soak in a tub. Either way, he'd wake her up a few hours for some late lunch, The brainy girl didn't fight it, she had lost her appetite after their talk and Harry could respect that. He wasn't feeling to hungry at the moment either.

He was about to return to his clothes sorting when someone rasped on his door. A small but tired grin came to him, he was only expecting one guest right now and he couldn't wait to really get to talk to them.

CR*

August 3rd, 1995 Nerima, Japan

Apparating into his home from England, Ranma took a slow and steady breath, letting the worry and feeling of loss flow off his shoulders. Clenching his fists, he withheld on his urge to punch the wall nearest to him. The silence of their home only driving it deeper into his heart that Yui wasn't there.

"Fucking Megalomanics, bad enough we had to kill Herb and now, theres another one out there." he grumbled as his eyes fixated on the photos that lined the wall, his hand trembling in a tight first. Memories of the years past reflected back at him. Their friends, their family and all the happiness that they'd managed to scrap together during the last decade. His Master Certificate in Defensive Magics sat besides her Warding beads, all 6 levels shining in the mid-afternoon sun. A single Golden Record hung above them with her name engraved upon it. They had done so much together that he couldn't help but feel hollow without her here.

Moving into the main room, Ranma absently picked up a watering can that she had perched by the Shoji that lead to the properties court yard. Small pots of lilies were scattered about the room, a homage towards her mother that he didn't have the heart to deny her. Some were already starting to wilt, evidence toward their lack of care over the last two weeks while they were out of the country. It took him two cans of water to get to them all.

"Merrow" a soft body rubbed against his leg. Smiling down at the lavender coloured cat, Ranma couldn't help but smile, though it was strained. Setting down the can, he scooped her up and tucked her in his arm, the furry menace gave off a content purr.

"Hey, Xian Pu. Sorry we've been gone for so long, have you been fairing alright without us?" the cat nuzzled his hand, a small chirp eased his mind, "Thats good, Yui would kill me if you starved." she cocked her head at him, a question in her eyes, "She wont be back for a while," fishing her ring out of his pocket, a heavy weight on his heart, "But she will be back, she promised me she would be. I just wish i could be there to help her."

Xian Pu lept from his arms, her tail lazingly smacking him in the face as she jumped. Padding over towards small set of coloured letters, she shifted them into words he could read. They were a toy for kids, this version done in English rather than his or Xian Pu's native languages. It was just much easer to move single letters, rather than their kanji. All three of them had long since learned each others native tongues, so there wouldn't ever be any miscommunication.

" You have the abilities they need. Why not become a teacher at her school?"

Clutching his chin, a grin spread across the Master Martial Artists face. That wasn't a bad idea. Hari hadn't planned for that, she wanted him to stay here and keep the Council off her back but there's no reason that he couldn't do that and stay by her side, abet from the sidelines. Plus, it'll be fun to tease her. The council likelly wouldn't like that he was leaving Japan and going to the UK of all places, but they'd just have to get over it. He wasn't about to leave his wife alone in such a horrendous place. His mother would kill him! Hari had become something of a daughter to her afterall.

"Thanks, Xian Pu. i should probably go resign from my job at the station first then, cant really take cases if im not around."

Fishing his badge off the kitchen counter, he disappeared once more in a barely audiable pop. Leaving Xian Pu to her own activites, which she happily settled for laying out in the sun with her tummy pointed skyward.

CR*

Landing outside the Tokyo Metropolitian Police Department, Ranma moved thorough the crowds, skimming passes criminals, his fellow offices and regular civilians as he moved. Clutched his badge between his fingers, the edges digging into his flesh, he flashed it to the guard as he entered the precinct. The man gave him a short bow with a disdainful frown upon his brow before turning his eyes back towards the shifting foot traffic. Ranma held back a glare at the officer, it wasn't worth arguing over some minor issue that had been going on for the last couple of years.

Whispers followed him as he tranversed the office. Interns and stoogies alike failing to covered their words, a giggle here or there and the word Okama floating on the wind. Grinding his teeth, he wished he could find a way to end their hurtful words. But he knew there was no way he could do that without causing even more of a fuss. He'd tried once, a superior of his had gotten on his case for his nails and despite his boss being in the know of Magic, he couldn't rightly explain why his looked the way he did. The arguement had ended when the chief put one of the few guns in the office to his head and ordered him to release the broken man beneath him. It had gotten his collegues to backoff but all it did was make them not address him directly. They had a healthy dose of fear of him and he found that he liked it to an extent. When he suggested something, they took it seriously. So it had some positives. But he also wasn't the only one they tossed that label at in the Precinct.

Moving up a floor, Ranma made his way toward the chiefs desk. There was a small row of chairs stationed off to the left side and he frowned when he saw a familar Brunette sitting slumped in one of the chairs. Her uniform was torn in small spots, a dark patch near her neck where he could see blood had soaked into the fabric. The silent shaking of her shoulders and muffled sobs were easy to see, even from so far across the upper office space. Concern flowed through him as he caught sight of the scratches along her neck, a slight bruise bloomed across her temple. He also noted that none of the other officers seemed to be willing to approach her, their eyes passing over her as if she was just a office plant.

Nearing her, he crouched down before her and gently took ahold of her hands. She stiffened and choked on a sob but looked up at him. A wave of anger and sadness filled him when he saw the trail of blood that was crusted on her skin. "Oh, Aoi..." he whispered as she gripped his fingers in a vice. "they did it again, didn't they?"

A tear fell from her sole open eye before she got up and rushed him for a embrace. He would of stumbled over if he was anyone else, but he managed to keep his balance, despite the awkward position he was in. Aoi didn't seem to mind as he pulled them back up into a standing position, a hand bracing her back and the other pulled her head into his shoulder. She never stopped crying but she wasn't gasping for air anymore.

The office seemed to quiet as he embraced his partner, he glanced around him now that her eyes were sealed shut. Half the room were shuffling in place, looking at their paperwork or staring into space while the other were grinning, watching the pair with a malicious glimmer in their eyes as they looked upon the woman in his arms. Grinding his teeth, he glared at them as he channeled his magic into his eyes. Some flinched as his eyes started to shine, three years of experience of his temper having showed them not to mess with either of them.

Looking down at Aoi, he forced a smile, "Come with me, Aoi. We can get you all fixed up and decide what to do then."