FILFY teacher

by Vimesenthusiast

A Harry Potter who has tried to take control of his destiny from second year on finds himself in need of a fresh start. Armed with some abilities beyond the norm, a Mastery of Defense and a muggle-style teacher's license, Harry takes his daughter Lily Luna and takes a job offer at Kuoh Academy, not knowing how big the world beyond the Wizarding World is. Pairings Harry/Rias/many.

8. Chapter 8

Not British or Japanese.

Needless to say FILFy was one of the two small stories that one in the small story poll, though this time it only came in Second place total with 988 votes, with 523 votes here. Stallion of the Line took first thanks to my patty r ons, 265 votes here, and a total of 1,161. A lot of people wanted it to be updated, and it will be at some point tonight - going to wait for the wire on it so hopefully I can upload a Michael-edited chapter.

I wish to give Roanoak credit for the punishment meted out to the perverts in this chapter, and to JKiteral for the use of a certain term in that section.

Warning, there is a lime in this chapter. If you want to skip it, look for the brackets and the second { will take you past it.

Regarding ATP: I have not been in communication with Mordreek, RL kicked my ass, and it has been doing similarly to him, however going forward I will redo the outline for the chapter so there are less Asgardian centric sections. In that manner, I should be bale to get a chapter out next month, but I still cannot promise to do so just yet.

Thanks go to Nad Destroyer for giving this a once over. However neither he nor I are very good at spotting small mistakes, of which there will therefore be many. I just can hope we have found the larger ones. I apologize for that, and hope they are small enough they don't effect your enjoyment of the chapter.

NOTE: the first version of this chapter still had some beta reader comments. I hope I have found them all, and hope this helps people enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 8: Getting Closer

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Despite the turmoil of the weekend, some things could not be avoided, and the fact that all of them but Asia had work or school was one of them. Against his own wishes Harry had to go to work and his daughter, with the resiliency of youth, wished to go to school. With that, and with his desire to see Sona and Rias later that day, Harry agreed, though not before calling and asking Akeno to drop off one of her little Oni to watch Lily. Of course, that led to another issue:

"No Lily, you can't play with the little guy while at school. I'm confident in my spellwork, but let's not push things," Harry said wearily, as Lily attempted to give him her best puppy-dog eyes attack, cradling the neon pink Oni against her cheek. Much, Harry was amused to note, to the grumble of many a 'Desu' from the little critter. Though he couldn't understand it, the tone certainly came through.

Translation: "Release me tiny red-haired person! I am a mighty ranger, not a plushy!"

While his daughter pouted and turned away, Harry looked over at Asia, who had insisted on helping that morning by cleaning up after breakfast. "Asia, I looked over your answers to the tests I gave you yesterday, and you did very well in reading and writing. You need a little work on your Japanese, especially your kanji, but that isn't unusual. Your math and science though, you'll need a few weeks of concentrated lessons there to catch up to your age group."

As Asia sighed sadly Harry went on quickly, pulling her into a sideways hug and ruffling her long blonde hair. "But that's okay because it will let you join at the start of the next semester. I'll leave you some math books to go over today. Beyond that, if you could look through those furniture magazines for things for your room that would be great. I'll conjure some temporary stuff up when I come home this evening, and this weekend we can go out to shop for more permanent furniture."

"Oh, you don't have to go to that trouble for me Potter-san," Asia replied, flushing under the hug. She didn't feel anything romantic towards Harry, or at least she didn't think so, but he was still a handsome man, and she had little history with such, and even less with hugs except from younger children or her fellow nuns.

"I don't have to, but I want to. Besides, conjuration is but the work of a moment, and I'm pretty wealthy, so eventually buying real furniture won't be an issue either. Just remember I don't want you out of the house without me or one of the others. Regardless of the fact Raynare and her group was rogue, we want to hide what happened to you from anyone looking for as long as possible," Harry said kindly.

After that, Harry dropped his daughter off at school like normal though not without a large pang of anxiety. He really didn't like the fact that the school didn't have any defensive wards around it. But then again, that is one of the reasons why I'm going to school like normal. That thought did not stop Harry from throwing up a few rough and dirty defensive spells, as he had previously done on the house where his daughter had been supposed to spend Saturday night. These however were much stronger. If anyone tried to enter the school grounds with intent to harm or even look for Lily, Harry would know, and they would stall the individual or individuals long enough for him to arrive and… deal with them appropriately.

That only leaves Lily vulnerable going from and to school for the day, and since she's not supposed to go anywhere, that isn't a concern. That and my little modifications to her portkey necklace. Those modifications, which he had made after his discussion with Ddraig last night, made that necklace both unbreakable and Lily unable to remove it without his help. Like any other child she hadn't liked that, but Lily had understood the necessity.

Lily was also very interested to see Harry create a clock like the Weasley clock that Molly had in her home, which was something he had talked about during the 'Magic is Amazing' time of their day yesterday. Lily hadn't really enjoyed being in the Burrow or around Grandmother Molly most of the time: she liked to pinch Lily's cheeks - which Lily hated - she was far too certain in her opinions, and far too liable to simply order Lily around rather than play with her. But Lily had thought the clock was a nifty idea, and was eager to see the Potter version.

But Lily had also pushed to have Asia, Koneko, Harry, Rias, Akeno, even Kiba on it as well as Lily's own little clock-hand. Of course she doesn't realize that the more people you add to the clock, the more difficult it is to get it to work properly. There's a reason that piece of furniture cost as much is the rest of the Weasley's possessions combined, Harry mused as he walked to school. Still, creating it will be an interesting experiment.

He looked up as Tsubaki Shinra came down from a nearby rooftop, making her way quickly to him. "Shinra-san, good morning." He greeted her.

"Potter-sensei, good morning. I hear that you had a tumultuous weekend," Tsubaki said, speaking obliquely. She was also glancing back to the elementary school, curiosity plain on her face.

It was very evident to Harry that Tsubaki had been close enough to feel the magic he had used and wanted to ask about it. But just as obviously, something held her back, so Harry prodded, "You could say that. And you can ask me anything you want, I won't take offense."

"Unfortunately I cannot," Tsubaki replied ruefully. "My king has her pride, and I will not act against that or her known wishes on this manner." She glanced back at the school as they kept walking, then looked at Harry, a wry smile on her face. "No matter how much I want to, especially after this weekend."

A few minutes later they arrived at school, smiling and nodding to the students who were already there are, and then calmly got ready for the day. Throughout the rest of the day, Harry went about his job as usual. Nothing about his outward appearance showed what had occurred the past weekend. The only sign of those events occurred when Harry paused by Rias and Akeno's desk, letting slip a little note onto their desks one after the other. A similar note had already been dropped off in the room that Sona used for the student Council. The duplicated note read 'see me after school at around four in the occult research club's basement'.

That basement had already been used a time or two by Harry to give Rias and Akeno examples of some of his magical spells, and vice versa. Harry had come away with an immense amount of respect for the brute power of devil magic could contain, as well as for the versatility of some of the things that the Devils could do. For certain, their family based attack magics sounded incredible, which Harry understood after the few times he'd seen Rias's in action. Many demons could also use the equivalent of small scale charms easily, replacing cleaning charms and charms like Leviosa or Accio with simple gestures and magical telekinesis.

Their defensive magics however, were not as good, perhaps because of the ability of their offensive magic to overcome such. And while Harry had initially thought their wards were quite good, and certainly strong, he no longer felt that way after this weekend. This was something Harry was determined to correct in no uncertain terms.

First however, Harry left school to pick up Lily. He was unsurprised, and rather happy, that Koneko met him before he left the main school building. "Picking up the puppy?"

"Yep," Harry replied with a nod, and then smiled down at her. "I was hoping you'd come over and watch her with Asia for me?"

"Don't even need to ask," Koneko said, puffing herself up slightly. "My job as Onee-san after all."

Harry chuckled, and led the way out of the school to and through the town to Lily's elementary school. There they picked up Lily and Harry walked the two home, watching with a faint smile as the two girls talked and played around him, reaching out to lift Lily up in the air once and carry her kicking and wriggling when she attempted to use him as a shield from Koneko's tickle attack. They reached the house with no incident, and Harry spent about fifteen minutes talking to Asia, asking her how her day went, and if she was alright with being alone while the rest of the household was at school.

To his surprise, Asia had studied for some time, prayed of course, and actually done as Harry had asked: looked at furniture for herself. She hadn't really understood much about it, but had already settled on a style for herself, though Harry had to convince her that there was no need to limit herself in terms of money. However eventually he had to leave to meet up with Sona, Rias, and their Queens.

It was with some trepidation that Sona and Tsubaki joined Rias and Akeno on a walk towards the occult research clubs clubroom. "Is Harry still as angry as he was yesterday about our detection array not working?"

Rias shook her head, smiling at her friend. "Don't worry about his anger. He's not angry at us so much as he is angry at himself. He's angry that he missed the fact that Lily was having such difficulties, and that she had been the subject of verbal bullying back in Britain so much that it's stuck in her head. He and I are dealing with that aspect, and we've already overcome quite a bit of it. So he is turning his guilt towards making certain that she can't be physically threatened by anything supernatural ever again."

Akeno nodded slightly. "He took Koneko-chan with him to pick Lily up, and I assume Koneko-chan will stay with Lily at the Potter's home. Even if you set aside those remarkable wards, I for one would not want to try to get past Koneko-chan to harm Lily in any way. That girl is becoming quite protective of her 'little sister'."

"I know, isn't it fantastic?" Rias said with a smile, opening the door for her three friends and entering behind them.

"And it doesn't bother you that he's evidently taken over your own training area and basement?" Sona asked, frowning. "That is a rather large breech of etiquette." Indeed, if someone had just unilaterally taken over her peerage's training area or one of their other holdings, Sona would have reacted rather violently to it. Well, unless it was Serafall-nee-sama. Then I'd simply moan, sigh and try to escape whatever she was planning.

"Since when have I cared about etiquette over friendship?" Rias asked, her tone making it clear that not only was this not an issue for her, she was uncertain why it ever would be.

As Akeno led the way down to the basement, Sona reflected that this statement said something, both about her friend, and her relationship with Harry Potter. Is it really going to become that serious? Sona asked herself before shaking her head. Of course it is. Rias isn't the type to casually date someone, regardless of our ages. But then… does she understand what it might mean, if she has a long term and possibly… fruitful… relationship with a human? Both to her family and to the politics of Hell? Has Rias thought this all the way through?

The 32 Pillar clans were called that because of two things: one, there remained enough of each of those families to retain their political and magical power after the civil war that had occurred between the New Devil and the Old Satan faction. And two, their blood was pure demon. The clan heirs at the very least had married other demons entirely from their creation to now. This was important to both keep the line pure, and to make a nod to the Pureblood Demon faction, which was a large political bloc.

If Rias married Harry Potter, and Sona knew that was what her friend wanted, then either her parents would be forced to have another child, or the Gremory clan would lose their Pillar status. And demons were not nearly as fruitful as humans. It took a long time, sometimes centuries, for a demon couple to have children, hence why the pureblood demons were concerned about the number of turned demons that had been welcomed into their society. Sona knew that it had been seen as a minor miracle that Grayfia and Sirzechs to have Milicas after only twenty years or so of trying. The Gremory clan was known to be more fruitful than most, but even so, that had been amazing.

Sona felt that Rias's family would eventually agree to once it was proven that Harry was not only someone their daughter wanted, but also was powerful in his own right. Sona had been very serious when she called Harry Potter a demigod. Yet Rias's father at the very least would have issues with it, and it would be a long bumpy road to that acceptance. And even after that, she would face a lot of anger, even hate, from the Pureblood bloc, which the Gremory clan had heretofore been a part of.

Sona set those thoughts aside as Akeno opened the door to the basement. Inside, they found that Harry had conjured a long table into being, setting it into the center of the room. On top of that was a large but not very deep sandbox, the kind that people would use to practice runes in the world over. There were also several dozen books that Harry had dropped off before leaving to pick up Lily. Four were written in Japanese, ten or so in English, it was hard to tell given they were rather haphazardly piled on one another at the moment. Then there were three more that Rias had given him about devil magic. The title of one Sona recognized as covering her family's specialties of teleportation arrays and two others which dealt with the kind of spell network or 'bubble' that Rias and Sona maintained over the town.

Twitching slightly at the sight of that first book, Sona once more resolutely set those thoughts aside, moving into the room and sitting to one side of Harry as the other girls all sat down in turn.

When they all were sitting, Harry began to speak. "I have no doubt that Rias is already told you about what occurred this weekend. While the attack on my daughter is ultimately my responsibility, one aspect of what occurred this weekend lies a firmly on your shoulders. Knowing what kind of enemies there are out there now, I am not willing to trust my daughter's safety just walking around this town to defensive sensors that can be so easily bypassed. That was a mistake. I thought your 'sensory bubble'was relatively competent and decent at sensing magic. It is not. And we're going to correct that now."

Rias and Sona both nodded, having come to that same conclusion. Rias had even started to look at the defensive wards that Harry was used to, which she could sense quite a bit of after having been in his house numerous times.

"How do we go about this?" Sona asked, her voice actually tinged with a bit of eagerness now. Helping with this project would not only make their territory more defensible, but would also give her a glimmering into more of Harry's magical abilities.

"We're going to first take apart the spell that you have cast around the town," Harry replied calmly, "then we're going to talk about the defensive arrays that you already both know about, why they're not viable over that wide a territory, and see if we can find ways to make them so. Then we're going to incorporate as much of my knowledge of wards, both wizard and Onmyouji style into them as much as we can."

Tsubaki held up a hand, her other hand having filled, somewhat to her own surprise, with one of the books that Harry had brought along. "A point of order sensei, the magical detection bubble that my King and Gremory-sama put up initially was the work of several weeks of long term casting, slowly expanding it out from a central area while constantly feeding power into it and tying down new anchors. As such I doubt we will be able to change that original spell without the entire bubble… bursting I suppose I need to say, if we continue that metaphor. We will have to take it down and immediately raise new ones or else we might face interference from one ward, as you put it, to another."

"Unless…" she paused, thinking it through. While in no way an expert on wards or defensive magic, she knew the basic premise. "Unless we allow that one to remain in place as a kind of outer shell, perhaps? After all it does not interfere in the wards that both peerages have around their seats of power or your own house Potter-sensei. Or those spells you threw up this morning."

"That is one of many things we're going to be talking about Shinra-san," Harry replied politely. "However, this needs to be done, regardless of the difficulty. Seeing as I just finished my own education in a local laws and magic…"

It was Harry's turn to pause then, a wintry little sound as his lips twitched looking from Tsubaki to the others. "Actually, when you think about it, your sensor bubble has done some good. The Onmyouji haven't been able to sense any of my magic, which they should've been able to do, even if I wasn't using the focuses that they had placed tracer tags on. So was interfering with such detection a side effect of your own detection bobble? Or are the local wizards lying to themselves about how well they can sense magic being done in the Japanese islands? If so, that could be a danger."

"That is sort of off topic," Rias said with a frown "but I will say now that I believe that could indeed be the case. Either that, or…" She looked over at Sona then back to Harry. "As you know I went out on a Stray Devil hunt quite a ways away from our territory about a month and a half ago. My family and I both used by magics, and found and killed a Stray Devil who had been using her own style of magic to cover her presence. We saw no sign that the Onmyouji reacted able our types of magic. It could be the equivalent of some kind of sound that they can't hear. Or their ability to detect such is horrible. Or…"

"Or someone in the factions has suborned whichever governmental body is in charge of keeping track of such things. That could have interesting complications," Tsubaki mused, nothing in her tone suggesting that she had anything but a scientific interest in the answer despite the fact that she knew her family was an example of a group of isolationists, cut off but still technically part of that larger society. She and Akeno however did exchange a rather telling glance, nodding once before turning their attention back to the others.

"Exactly," Rias said with a nod before turning back to Harry, smirking at him. "I'm also reminded of an old saw that the best defense is a good offense, so I have been thinking about how to find and hunt down Stray Devil's or other such threats before they come upon our territory. That could be a good starting point."

"While I would prefer not to go down that road, after this past weekend's events I am forced to agree that we need to be more proactive," Sona said with a faint sigh. "Especially if the Khaos Brigade is hiding some of its people in Japan or elsewhere in Asia. None of the factions but we Devils have much of a territorial base in Asia. The Church has never made much inroads in most Asian countries, least of all Japan. The Fallen have mostly concentrated on the Middle East and China leaving the smaller countries alone. Singapore, Japan, North Korea and Taiwan, possibly even India would make for excellent bases of operation or simple recruitment, such as with the Youkai Association and its offshoots."

"That is an excellent idea, and one that we should probably talk about in greater detail," Harry said, making his own position plain as well as his a with both of them in his approving tone and smile towards Rias. "I might have some ideas of how to find such threats as well, including perhaps creating some connections within the Onmyodo government and trying to find out the answer to the question that sparked that idea. But for now, let's concentrate on what we can do on the defensive side of things."

"I like the idea Harry, but we all also have other projects we need to spend time on. I have my own education both at the school and magical, and my peerage's training. I can move that kind of thing around for the most part to clear say two hours most days, but not Tuesday at all. That's a day I've devoted to speaking with Gasper for a while now."

"Gasper, you mentioned him, erm, you're Bishop right? A vampire you said, whose Sacred Gear is too powerful and out of control to let him around other people?" Harry asked.

"Exactly." Akeno replied with a nod and a wicked smirk on her head. "That and he's a hikikomori, a shut-in who can't stand being around other people. He communicates somewhat well with Koneko-chan online, but that's about all. We've tried to convince him to communicate with us more often but it hasn't worked."

He's also…" Rias paused, and then shrugged. "I suppose you could call him gender-questionable?" At Harry's look of confusion Rias shrugged once more. "He um, he's a very pretty boy who doesn't really look very boyish at all and who generally likes to wear dresses. He's even very formal and kind, but he also still identities himself as a boy and has never evinced any desire to actually change genders or interest in boys himself, so gender-questionable."

"Fufufu" Akeno giggled. "Indeed, indeed, though I maintain Gasper-kun would make a most cute girl."

"Kiba-kun would probably gouge out his own eyes if you even suggested such a thing again," Rias said with a laugh of her own.

Sona and Tsubaki shook their heads at that, while Harry simply blinked, seemingly unable to picture such an individual in his mind. The image he came up with was a sort of cross between Draco Malfoy and a vampire Wearing one of Kuoh Academy's girl's uniforms.

He shuddered, and promptly forced the image out of his mind. "Let's, let's move on. I want this done, and it will take far less time with all of us involved as much as possible. But if you can only give three hours a day to it, that's fine."

"I will also bring in my own two Bishops. They are not as experienced in using magic as Tsubaki or myself, but they do have that potential, and at the least can spot check any runic arrays we right out." Sona said, jumping on the chance to get her Bishops some more training even peripherally connected to this new type of magic.

Harry nodded acceptance at that, and the four got to work. Most of the time that day was spent with Sona and Rias explaining the existing array and how they had created it, with Harry taking notes and asking questions based off his own magical background. It was clear even from that however that the reconstruction of the defensive spells around Kuoh would be a very long project, especially with all of the other demands on all of their time.

As they were leaving, Harry looked over at Akeno and Rias, moving his arms around Akeno's waist flirtatiously. "Would the two of you like to come over for dinner?"

"Ara, I'm afraid not Sensei~," Akeno said in her teasing tone of voice, leaning back and kissing him under the jaw. "I have several contracts I cannot ignore, and one of them is going to take up all of tonight and tomorrow as well."

"And I have to go have a meeting with my Onii-sama I'm sorry to say, for many reasons." Rias replied drolly, waiting on the other side of the table to fall into step with her friend and lover, pushing down a small flash of jealousy as she took Harry's hand in hers.

"Oh, and what will you tell him?" Harry asked quizzically, knowing that Rias wanted to keep their relationship a secret from her family for as long as possible.

"As much as I have to, and nothing I don't." Rias said in a tart tone.

As they were leaving however the trio paused at the entrance to the old school building, seeing that Sona and Tsubaki had been stopped by Saji Genshirou. Tsubaki had excused herself and walked off, moving to the main school building to let the two of them have some time to talk.

Saji looked as if he hadn't slept a wink, there were rings under his eyes and his normally immaculate appearance was somewhat rumpled, with only his hair looking cared for. Sona had in fact been rather worried about him, and had sent one of her youngest peerage members to watch him, even giving him food at lunchtime to help keep his energy up. It seemed to have helped, but only somewhat.

Now however Sona was wondering if that had been a good decision. "I, I'm sorry, but, what did you just say?" she asked, actually flushing slightly, something that had Rias smirking where she had pushed Akeno and Harry back into the old school building.

As they watched from hiding, Saji nodded seriously. "I, I've been interested in you, I mean, I've had a bit of a, well a crush on you for a while Sitri-sama. And I want to know more about being a Devil, so this is rather two birds with one stone. We, that is' I'm not asking that you become my girlfriend, only that we go on a date and get to know one another more before I agree to join your peerage."

"I, I suppose that is one way of getting to know one another." Sona said, secretly rather flattered. She felt she was rather plain in comparison to many of the girls in the school, especially Akeno and Rias. This was rather a nice little ego boost, if nothing else. "I won't lie to you Genshirou-san, I am not in fact interested in romance at this point in time. However… however, I will agree to this stipulation, if you do agree to at least seriously consider joining my peerage."

"Would you like me to pick you up at around seven this Friday?" Saji asked, to which Sona just nodded, feeling her heart go pitter-pater for a moment.

That feeling abruptly left her as she turned to see Rias and the others there. She scowled at them all, actually growling. "Not…one…word…"

"I didn't say anything. Not yet anyway." Rias said, while Akeno fufufued, before the two of them began to tease Sona unmercifully. "Does this mean the ice maiden, who stated she would never be interested in someone less intelligent than her, has thawed a bit?"

"Ara, I would think it something entirely different. Sona-sama is simply using the best way she can to control her newest peerage member~," Akeno teased. "Fufufu, I can just imagine having that young boy serving under you, mmm…"

"Right, I think that's my cue to leave," Harry muttered, and without another word apparated away, leaving the three girls alone.

But Rias couldn't tease her friend for very long, she had a meeting to get to after all. Indeed, within a bare forty minutes of leaving her best friend, Rias was down in hell, being greeted by her big brother in his own inimitable fashion.

"Rias-tan! Oh, you're alright, Onii-chan was so worried! You know I love you but meanie Grayfia-chan wouldn't left me come see you! Can you believe it?! Oh, I was soooo proud of you for the reports you sent me about those rogue Fallen!" Sirzechs Gremory, Maou Lucifer, King of Hell and reckoned a monster among monsters in terms of magical power said, her arms practically crushing Rias in a hug as he rubbed his cheek against hers.

Yes, I definitely overdid it with my message to him, Rias thought tiredly as she tried to get out of the grip without much success. "I'm fine Onii-sama, now if you could just let go!" Rias said, pushing and straining further. When that didn't work she tried to smack his head with hers as her voice rose. "I'm fine darn it now let go, baka-Onii-sama!"

"No, I won't let you go until you say you love me!" Sirzechs moaned, tightening his grip.

"Gah, fine, I love you!" Rias growled, somehow raising her knee until it smacked into her brother's thigh just close enough to earn her a blink. Then with a faint sigh she kissed him on the cheek before speaking directly into his ear, her voice rising in volume with every word. "Now let go or else I swear I'll tell Grayfia about your Collection of Sailor Moon figures! The ones you want to hand down to Milicas!"

Those figures were not the simple, toy-like ones that she and her brother had bonded over when she was young and into Sailor Moon. No, these were the adult, made for devils by devils sort, the next best thing to tiny sex dolls, complete with a few specialized spells on them. Sirzechs had bought them years ago, and had hoped eventually to talk Grayfia into some cosplay based off them, especially the one named Rei for some reason Rias didn't want to think too hard about. Rias knew about them because it had been her original figurines Sirzechs's set had been based off of.

Sirzechs let his little sister go at that, pouting at her, while Rias sighed and straightened her clothing, grateful she had insisted they meet alone in his office. This had been embarrassing enough, if anyone else had been there it would have been worse, particularly Grayfia, who Rias admitted she had some complicated feelings about. She somewhat respected the Strongest Queen for her strength, but the way she acted at times infuriated Rias for her complete commitment to the rules and laws of Devilkind.

"Mou, that was a low blow Rias-tan," Sirzechs said, before sitting down at a nearby chair, waving Rias into another one opposite. When he spoke next though, he became somewhat more serious. "So, give me a more in depth rundown on these Fallen you ran into."

Rias did so, narrowing her eyes and pointedly going on about how she and Sona hadn't been able to detect them or the excommunicated exorcists. "I think I know why we weren't told about how poorly our detection array would work, much like why we weren't told about our own aura's but even so Onii-sama the excommunicated exorcists' ability to get past it, and to use items to create magical effects with impunity, is something else!"

"I understand why you're angry at that Rias-tan, and I would have taught you about them if I had expected exorcists to be an issue," Sirzechs replied with a wince. "There aren't supposed to be that many excommunicated exorcists to be any appreciable threat, and the Church is the least likely of the Three Factions to restart open hostilities. The crisis of belief among humanity has garnered most of their attention and they have more trouble making up their losses than we do."

"…I'll accept that for now," Rias replied, then continued on. She made no mention of her relationship with Harry Potter, that would have been foolish in the extreme even if Sirzechs wasn't likely to have a fundamental objection to it, beyond the idea of any man being worthy of his sister, anyway. Instead she hinted at the idea that Harry had been involved in suborning Kalawarner, which was the truth, and that he had begun to teach Rias his style of magic.

"Truly?" Sirzechs said in surprise. "I hadn't thought of that when…"

He paused, and Rias filled in the blank, smiling at him and actually reaching across to pat his knee. "I know you hired him thinking he would become part of my peerage Onii-sama, and I'm grateful for it." More grateful than I'll tell you now for certain. "But I think you neglected to take into account Harry's priorities. Lily comes first and foremost, followed by everything else a very distant second and he doesn't go looking for fights anymore." Well he does, just not in the same manner. "He had no other desire or need to become a devil. Instead, he and I have agreed to an exchange of knowledge and information.

"Oh." Sirzechs frowned at that then shrugged. "I had hoped that with the power I could see growing within him, he would be amenable to being turned. But if not, then at least you were able to find a way to use his knowledge."

"Exactly," Rias replied, and then changed the subject before her older brother could ask further questions on that topic. "Have you come up with any more information on the Khaos Brigade? More specifically, are there any hints of further activity on their part in Japan?"

"Not yet. We've discovered attacks by that group against churches and Fallen bases elsewhere, but nothing so overt in Japan." Sirzechs said, shaking her head. "Though I have learned that there seems to be more Fallen activity in Japan that hasn't been accounted for."

"In that case, Sona-san and I will want any information on any sighting of such," Rias replied firmly. "Check them against whatever your contact among the Fallen is telling you, and anything that he or she doesn't immediately tell you is their people we can assume are either Khaos Brigade members or further rogue groups like the one we just had to deal with."

Sirzechs instantly understood why Rias was asking for this and he frowned, before asking hesitantly. "You do know that such a thing could cause further conflict."

"But on the other hand it might nip problems in the bud," Rias replied firmly. "Japan and other Asian countries are the most likely places for the Khaos Brigade to have bases, and the least to have strong Fallen or Church presences. Indeed, from what Sona and I already know, there is only four sanctified churches still in use in Japan, and only what, five, seven known Fallen territories? Assume a few more of both that they haven't let us learn about, but that still might leave some targets which no one is willing to claim."

"If we can take the fight to them, they will have less time and resources to make trouble that could in turn lead to a resumption of war between the parties, and therefore less ability to make trouble for us in our own territory like this group did." Her face hardened. "Raynare and her group came far too close to succeeding in gaining several powerful Sacred Gears from right under our noses. Khaos Brigade or not, we can't let that happen again."

Nodding his head, Sirzechs first wondered what his 'spy' in the Grigori would think about this, and if it indeed might make him actually act for once. But he doubted it, more likely he'd let Rias clean up his problems for them, only taking credit if he could after.

Setting that thought apart Sirzechs surreptitiously let a film of magic cover his eyes in such a way that Rias wouldn't notice before blinking it away, smiling in pleasure, if also somewhat in confusion. Huh, isn't that interesting.

Their parents had put two spells on Rias before allowing her to move to earth as she had been begging for years to be allowed to do. The first spell had simply been to keep her from just running away, which had been a real concern for a time, in order to get out of her marriage to Riser. The other had been to make her somewhat lazier and more lackadaisical than she should be. It had been a subtle but irritating piece of work.

The first had been unusual, but given Rias's love of Japan and the human world in general, even Sirzechs had been concerned that her love of the human world would overcome her waning feelings of duty to their family. The other was actually normal: it was a test the 32 Pillars put on their children, to see if they could develop the will to break it. But what had not been usual was the fillip that her father had added to it: that she wouldn't be able to be proactive at all in terms of training herself.

The problem was Rias had a proclivity to the Power of Destruction that was astonishing if nowhere near Sirzechs's own. If she was free to train that power, it was feared she might find a way to overcome the Phenex family's ability to regenerate and simply kill Riser, which would cause a feud between their families regardless of why she did it. Since Rias had stated she would do so if she could, again no one could argue the necessity beyond the spell, not if they were in favor of the 'marriage' in the first place anyway.

But now both were gone. Somehow Rias had broken them both through sheer willpower which made Sirzechs happy, and wondering what his dear little sister was planning for Riser. He wouldn't ask: he had done all he could to help her already, she had to take the next step herself. But the fact she seemed able to take that step made him very happy. "Very well Rias-tan, I'll get you that information as quickly as I can. I just hope that when you use it, you're careful about how you go about it. After all, if you go after a tiger, sometimes you become the hunted instead of the hunter… "

Later that day, Sirzechs sighed as he sat down to dinner with the people he was so irritated with in terms of their treatment of his little sister, his parents. The two of them, his son Milicas and his wife Grayfia were having dinner together.

Or rather, the Gremory family was. Grayfia, much to Sirzechs both feigned and real annoyance, did not sit with them. "Come on Grayfia-chan, why don't you sit down and join us?"

Grayfia shook her head firmly, taking a place at the back of the hall with the other maids. "It would not be proper Sirzechs-sama."

"Mou, so cold," Sirzechs pouted, but then smirked as Grayfia sent a small smile towards their son, Milicas. Those little smiles were the only real emotional sign she would show in public. Grayfia was not a natural mothering type, smothering, cajoling, yes, but not mothering and rarely showed any kind emotion outside of their own house.

"So, what did Rias-chan want to talk to you about Sirzechs?" Zeoticus Gremory asked as his son sat down. He was an inch or so taller than his son, but just as fit looking, with a dark curly red beard and hair matching his children's. "I was surprised she didn't stop in to speak to me Venelana."

"Really?" Sirzechs asked his tone disingenuous but his eyes hard. "Are you really, given the way the last time you three talked went?"

Zeoticus had the good grace to twitch and look away at that, while Venelana sighed and shook her head. Being the only one there without red hair Venelana stood out somewhat. While she had handed down the Bael clan's Power of Destruction to both her children neither of them had gotten her brown hair. "My daughter is still sadly against the marriage we have contrived for her. It is understandable given her age, no one at that age likes being told what to do, but she will eventually get over it."

"So you say Mother. I rather believe she has reason to want out of marrying Riser Phenex. There are all those rumors after all, including several on how Riser treats his peerage…" Sirzechs said, once more hinting at what he knew as fact: that Riser routinely abused his peerage. That the peerage link would force them to enjoy it if he so wished made that fact no less horrible or damning in Sirzechs's eyes.

"Bah, rumors is all they are, no doubt started by his rivals in the Ratings game or someone jealous, possibly even jealous of his upcoming marriage to our little girl," Zeoticus said with a laugh. "You know as well as I do that any upcoming devil of a Noble family will have rumors sprout up around him like mushrooms."

"So you say Dad," Sirzechs said, only to scowl as Grayfia caught his eyes, glaring lightly. Darn it I know Grayfia, stop glaring at me! He whined in his head, before growling in his mind. Fucking politics, 'I can't be seen interfering in my own family's life beyond the Rating Game plan we've set up'? Can't use my resources to find out the truth beyond those rumors and force my parents to see it? I can't use my resources as a Maou to figure out what kind of an asshole Riser is? Fucking politics!

"I do not doubt that some of the rumors about young Riser's lecherousness are true," Venelana said, smiling at her son. "And I do like how you are trying to watch out for your little sister. However, those excesses can be excused in a young man, especially one from such a vitally energetic family. I simply see it as a sign young Riser will need a firm female hand to control him. Rias can certainly supply that."

"Hah! All too true, though hopefully she won't take too many lessons in the means she uses to do so from young Himejima." Zeoticus guffawed.

"What are you talking about?" Milicas asked innocently, but with the timing of a true devil.

Wilting under the glare from his wife, Zeoticus tried to deflect this. "Oh nothing important grandson, just some adult type business. That and your Aunt Rias's upcoming nuptials."

While his mother admonished her husband for his lowbrow sense of humor and joined with him to redirect the young boy's attention, Sirzechs reflected that this was his thirtieth attempt to bring the rumors about Riser's attitude towards women to his parent's attention, and once more it had ended in a failure. Just as similar attempts to gently force Riser's parents into action in an effort to see if they could change his attitude had failed.

The only one that's listened is Ruval, the clan's heir. And as he's busy with his own life, what he can do about his younger brother is limited, especially since his parents are blind to it. What is that phrase? You can lead a camel to water but you can't make it drink? Regardless, at least Ruval took on their younger sister, Ravel, rather than let Riser do it.

Sirzechs rather liked that young man. Ruval was everything a Phenex should be, passionate, intelligent, combative, caring and above all fiercely loyal. Honestly speaking if it had been him who Rias was engaged to I wouldn't have tried to help Rias nearly as much as I have been. But he didn't spend much time at home being a professional Rating Game fighter, and was 31 years old, so there would still have been an issue with their disparate ages in Rias's point of view.

That brought Sirzechs mind to another topic: Harry Potter.

Harry Potter, The Man Who Conquered, a werewolf magician, who possessed the things the wizards called the Hallows, would have made a powerful Bishop for his younger sister. But even if he doesn't join her peerage, ha has at least agreed to help train them. And I bet he could help Koneko and Akeno with their various issues which would be big help right there.

The magical realms so to speak, were not as separate as most thought. There were numerous spies on both sides, mostly in the Magicians guild. Many a wizard had a contract with a Fallen or Devil, though not so much the church, some who spied for their own people, while others spied on the Wizarding World for their contracted devils. Which makes sense, given how the Church encouraged magic users to be burned at the stake. Huh, now that I think about it the Angels might not realize wizards are still out there, or that their excesses hadn't really stopped the rise of the Wizarding World. Those notice-me-not arrays are no joke even to me and the other Maou. Still, I wonder if Rias-chan was able to get the powerful Sacred Gear user the Fallen were after to join her peerage?

"Dad!" a voice shouted in his ear, breaking Sirzechs out of his rambling thoughts with a squawk of shock. He looked over at his son, who was pouting at him from where he sat on the other side of the long, heavy table. "I asked you a question."

"Sorry Milicas, my mind was bouncing like a bunch of rubber balls and I couldn't catch even a single one." Sirzechs replied with a smile, causing Milicas to laugh.

"I asked you if Rias-onee-sama brought down anything for me. I was hoping she'd found another gunpla." Milicas asked patiently.

Smirking over at his parents who were laughing at them both, Sirzechs shook his head. "Sorry son, but no, she didn't mention anything about that. Although, if you make me a list, maybe we can talk to your mother about getting you a few after you ace your next test on etiquette."

Sirzechs could feel the glare Grayfia was sending him, but damn it, what was he supposed to do? Milicas really spent too much time in the limelight being the perfect tiny noble, and Sirzechs took every opportunity to let him be a child again. Normally Rias could be counted on to do that too, but those times had become few and far between since she had finally been able to move out of Hell to the human world.

Later, a thought occurred to him, and as he walked next to his son to their own portion of the large mansion, he suddenly had a thought. "Milicas, you have a break coming up next month from etiquette school right?"

"Yep!" Milicas said with a smile. "I'm looking forward to it, though Mom hasn't planned anything for us yet."

"Hmm… well don't worry about that. I think instead of doing something with me and your mother, you can take a trip up to see your sister and get one or your Gunpla personally." Sirzechs mused. "Heck, maybe I can get some time off and come with you! Oooh, maybe we could all go to Tokyo Disney? Won't that be fun?"

"You're going to get in trouble Dad, again." Milicas replied with a giggle, fully aware of who wore the pants that relationship.

"Maybe, but it'll be worth it I think." Sirzechs said with a smile.

OOOOOOO

Harry had teleported home that day to have dinner with Lily, Asia and Koneko and the four of them had a fun time watching a series of cartoons from America translated into Japanese. The next day went much the same. Harry met with Rias, Sona, Akeno and Tsubaki, in one of the classrooms this time. He had let it be known that he was helping them prepare for college, which was believed by the student body. With the principal he had hinted that they were all talking magic and that was enough for that worthy. This allowed them to talk and meet somewhat openly, which made the exchange of ideas go somewhat more fluidly, since they weren't at the stage where they would be righting up full arrays just yet.

That day however marked a far larger change. While Akeno was once more out on a contract and Rias meeting with Gasper, Harry walked home instead of teleporting because he wanted to stretch his legs after sitting for so long. And outside of his house, Harry found Kalawarner outside of his home, carrying several grocery bags. He looked at her, his head cocked to one side quizzically as a small frown played on his lips. "Kalawarner? Can I help you?"

"You already have in a lot of ways, but no not right now. Instead, I'm here to help you," She said with a smile, holding up the bags. They were heavy, so much so that most women would have had trouble lifting them but Kalawarner was not a human woman. "I thought that I could maybe come over and start making myself useful. That," she said going on in a quieter tone of voice, "And I want to talk to Asia. I want to apologize to her for the part I played in duping her, for the part I might have played in robbing her of life and her Sacred Gear if things had played out as Raynare wanted them to."

"And in this way you get closer to me," Harry said mildly, without any censure or sign of acceptance of that fact in his voice.

"That too, and the others," Kalawarner said with a smirk, absolutely no repentance or chagrin at being found out in her tone. "And Lily too." She shook her head with a sigh. "Those assholes attacking her that was so far beyond the pale even without everything else I would've had a major issue with that. I've always thought kids were truly precious, that their innocence needed to be protected. That's why I never went after married men. Unless they had already cheated with other women, of course."

Harry looked at her for a long moment, then slowly nodded, rolling his eyes internally at the last bit she had added on at the end there. But that in a nutshell sort of showed the issue he had with Kalawarner. She was trying to change, but she had hundreds of years of bad habits she was fighting. "All right, but you'll have to deal with me watching you in the kitchen. It's not that I don't trust you or think you're going to poison us or anything like that, but it is my kitchen after all."

"That's fine," Kalawarner said smiling once more. Hell, watch all you want. Later on, once we're more comfortable around one another and the kids are out of the house that could be a nice segue into some fun…

Not replying to that Harry led the way inside, pausing momentarily to touch Kalawarner on the forehead reading her temporarily into the wards of the house, then looking up as Koneko appeared, cocking her head thoughtfully to one side. That day, as the day before, Harry and Koneko had picked up Lily together, and he had gone home with them to speak to Asia before returning to school via apparition. It was clear to Harry at this point that would become a daily routine quickly.

"Kalawarner has decided she wants to cook for us tonight." Harry said, addressing the Nekomata. "Between you and me, I think Mittelt's mouth is sort of wearing on her," Harry said dryly.

"Well there is that," Kalawarner said with a wince. "Mittelt is perfectly happy with lazing about all day drawing up designs, but I prefer to be around people, and ones who don't curse and shout insults at their TV shows every other minute for preference. I swear she watches some of those dramas just to have a reason to shout about the characters. I mean we're… kind of friends, as much as we can be, but that really doesn't mean we like spending time together that much."

At that point Asia popped her head out from around the corner leading into the TV room behind Koneko, starting a little at the sight of Kalawarner there. "Oh, um, hello Kalawarner-san, um, are you doing well?"

"That was my question for you Asia." She glanced over at Harry, who led the way into the kitchen, gesturing Asia and Koneko to follow them as the discussion continued. "I take it Harry and possibly the Gremory girl told you about my part in what occurred this past weekend?"

Asia nodded smiling at the fallen, a smile full of warmth and genuine happiness. "They did, and I think that what you did was very brave, Kalawarner-san. It is not very easy to take that first step towards redemption after all."

"I don't think of it as redemption," Kalawarner said quietly as she began to pull out various food items from the bags. "I think of it as more expiation."

"Whatever you call it, doing good is still doing good," Asia replied stubbornly. "And whoever said that a Fallen could not find his or her way back to God?"

Kalawarner grunted in something approximating a response to that as Harry took a slight step back, looking at the two of them thoughtfully before watching as more items came out of the bags. "I hope you're all feeling a little adventuresome," Kalawarner said. "I was thinking of a traditional Greek meal to start with, then French maybe tomorrow."

"No frog's legs," Koneko said making an X in front of her body.

"That's a stereotype!" Kalawarner and Harry said as one, then looked at one another and laughed.

It turned out that evening that Kalawarner was an extremely good cook. "Though," Harry said dryly afterwards, "That's hardly surprising given how old you actually are."

He earned a smack on the shoulder from Kalawarner for that and a smack upside the head from Koneko as they intoned as one "Never mention a lady's age." In the background Asia also looked mortified, and Lily, his darling daughter, was nodding along. Female solidarity was a horrifying thing.

Later that night as the young trio were having fun playing a board game and after Kalawarner had left, Akeno and Rias came by to spend some time with Harry. Rias wanted to tell him about her meeting with her brother, and Akeno wanted to just spend time with Harry for a bit.

As Harry handed her a glass of wine, she sighed and took a sip, mumbling thanks. "Mah, I do rather like tea and tea ceremonies, but the people who come to them at times are most trying to deal with."

"Sorry about that Akeno-chan," Rias said, pulling her friend into a loose sideways hug. "But that is one of your best contracts; you gain more energy from that one contract than any three of your others."

At Harry's interrogative noise, Rias turned to him and explained, smiling thankfully as she too took a glass of wine. "The number of people who are part of a contract, or rather who are effected by it, impact the amount of life energy we can gain from the contract itself. Akeno-chan has a contract with the tea house manager, which in turn allows her to take a bit of life energy from all his employees, as well as everyone she personally serves tea to."

"Ah." Harry wasn't certain how the contracts worked really, but the idea of exchanging life energy into mana sounded believable. "But surely you don't get as much out of that as you would by just training?"

"Training is harder and takes longer, but yes, the payoff is more. There's also the mental aspect of training to consider, hence why I'm going to be pushing Kalawarner and Mittelt to train against the rest of us in as many different scenarios as I can." Rias replied then smirked a little. "Kalawarner actually said she wanted something to do today, so I figure she can come up with a few scenarios during the day, and we can maybe spend an hour or so every evening rotating the others in to train with the two of them after dinner. Although with all our other projects it is getting harder to schedule training for myself and Akeno going forward."

"Speaking of Kalawarner, I have been wondering Harry-san if you met anyone else who you felt was supernatural but didn't tell us about?" Akeno asked her tone rather mellow even if her words might not have sounded that way. "Your ability to read auras is after all still better than ours, and we never did ask you that question. But it would not be good to have only dealt with one group of foreign elements."

To Rias and Akeno's surprise, Harry nodded at that. "Yes actually. There was another woman who I saw once at a bar. I might have also seen her before when I was out with Kalawarner. She was a tall, purple-haired woman named Yubelluna."

The reaction to this revelation was far beyond what Harry had anticipated. Rias and Akeno both slammed their goblets of wine down and stood up shouting as one "WHAT?"

Koneko poked her head in from the TV room, her head cocked to one side, but Rias waved her off, staring intently at Harry. "Are you sure that was her name Harry? And that you met her here in Kuoh?"

"Yes, she told me her name herself, and yes, I met her in Kuoh. I think the first time I saw her was at a dance club downtown. The second was in a bar and she was taking the opportunity to… deaden the pain you might say." Harry replied, nodding to the two goblets and the wine they contained. "With stuff quite a bit stronger than that, I might add. I take it you recognize the name?"

"Yubelluna is the name of the Bomb Queen, Riser's Queen." Rias growled, beginning to pace around the kitchen. "Damn him, actually coming into our territory like that and not telling me or Sona! That is a major breach of etiquette, to say nothing of the issue between him and me! Damn it, this is not fair!"

"I do not think that either Riser or any of his peerage would be so boorish as to keep an eye on you Rias-sama," Akeno said formally. "I would instead assume they wanted to pressure you, but was not allowed to do so by your parents. It would be well within his personality to then want to blow off steam, hence why he would be in a dance club. And well…" Akeno grimaced, picking up her goblet and pouring the rest of the wine back into the bottle slowly. "If I had to deal with that man, I might well want to drown my troubles too."

Breathing in deeply Rias calmed down, and then followed her Queen's example, picking up her goblet and slowly pouring it back into the bottle. "You're right about that. Pity, I really have quite a bit of respect for that woman, she is powerful, loyal and intelligent from what I've seen and heard. She and the others don't deserve how Riser treats them all, and she's put up with it for the longest time of them all too. Though I still wonder why she was in our territory for that."

"Maybe you can ask her after you kick Riser's ass and force him to pull out of this engagement farce," Harry said mildly, his eyes flashing with fury at Riser and confidence in Rias in equal measure.

"A lovely thought," Rias said, leaning into his side and kissing his neck in thanks for the assurance.

Harry however turned the conversation in another direction. "Speaking of the future, the short term future in this case, I wanted to tell you that regardless of our relationship I won't be willing to go on dates for a while, not for a while." When both young women looked at him, Harry went on. "I trust my own wards, but I still don't want to leave Lily on her own for any length of time, especially since she still has a social life outside of Koneko. I'm not going to force her to stay home over the weekend or rush home every day after school, but that does not mean I'm willing to be all that far away either."

"Aw, the big papa wolf is going to lurk nearby then protecting his little Red?" Rias said with a laugh hugging him hard before backing away. "I sort of anticipated a reaction like that. But it just means we'll have to have some family style or stay at home dates for a while. And maybe we can still have dates, just somewhere near wherever Lily is. Plus, I'd wager that her friends wouldn't mind Koneko's inclusion into their group."

Akeno too seemed understanding. "Ara, I saw your priorities when you ran off and left me before our date officially ended sen~sei~, so do not worry about me," she said, putting a seductive lilt on the word sensei just as usual. "However, I will request a full blown, ritzy sort of date in the future."

Harry agreed to that request easily enough, but Rias looked at her friend closely. And later, after another hour of small talk and putting Lily to bed, Rias insisted the two of them walk home rather than teleport so the two of them could talk before reaching their home.

As they walked home the two young women were silent, walking arm in arm, a sight that would have set many a boy to blushing at the implications if nothing else. Eventually however Rias broke the silence. "Dating Harry not all you thought it would be?"

Akeno rolled her eyes. "I would hardly call a single date worth the word 'dating', although the emotions are there, I know that now." She sighed, shaking her head as she went on, her tone wistful. "But dating should be about whirlwind romance, dancing and making out every night!"

"Well, we might not be going dancing, but the making out bit we can do," Rias replied with a seductive smirk on her lips before she became serious. "But there's always Lily, and there will always be Lily."

Akeno sighed. "I like Lily quite a bit, but I do not like how I need to compete with her, and now Koneko and Asia." She turned and buried her face into the taller Rias's shoulder, not incidentally letting her larger chest press into Rias's as she mock-wailed. "I'm losing time with my boyfriend to a trio of younger girls, whatever will I do?!"

Rias laughed in amusement at that. "Well, that's what you should expect when you become involved with a single parent. As for Asia and Koneko, I think of that as just an extension of the issue with Lily." She then frowned at her friend pushing Akeno away from her lightly. "You need to get over that Akeno, if you want this relationship to become serious."

"Your idea of serious and mine are different, but I agree I need to work on that," Akeno said, smiling as the two of them resumed their walk home. A few moments later, Akeno asked hesitantly. "Speaking about the future, I, I was wondering if… I spoke once about… that is…"

She paused, trying to get her words to line up right in order to ask her King for help in the future to follow her dream of being a singer. But she didn't have to.

Instead Rias put an arm around her Queen's shoulder, holding her tightly. "Akeno, I never intended for you to give up your own dreams for the future when you became my Queen, or force you just to follow mine. If you still want to be a singer, go for it, I'll try and help you however I can."

"Th, thank you Rias-sama," Akeno said, leaning into the hug.

OOOOOOO

Getting into bed that evening, Harry was happy at how his conversation with Akeno and Rias had gone, but wasn't so certain what to think about Kalawarner, not that this was anything unusual where the blue-haired woman was concerned. He was still having some problems with the whole multi-partner thing, but had bent on that point already for Akeno, who he had yet to build the kind of emotional rapport that he had with Rias.

But with Kalawarner, I had built a kind of connection before she tried to influence me. Now that she's expressed regret and really made up for that, I could see us getting together again, if not for Rias and Akeno even if I don't feel any attraction or passion to her now. And I won't let anything like that build up again unless Rias and Akeno both make certain that they would be alright with it. I think it will be far better if I concentrate on Rias, Akeno and above that making certain that Lily remains safe. I just hope that Kalawarner won't push for more than friendship.

Setting aside such thoughts for a moment, Harry decided to do something else he had decided to do since meeting Ddraig: getting the next best thing he could to real combat training in how to use his new powers. With that in mind, he moved over to the heavily warded box where he had placed the red gauntlet that was the Boosted Gear. Pulling it on, Harry concentrated, and once more the ring that was the visible expression of his new connection to the land between the living and the dead on his other hand.

The connection was even easier this time, and almost instantly Harry's astral projection found itself standing in the odd, blasted landscape that was the interior of the Sacred Gear. Well at least this time I start out facing in the right direction, Harry thought, standing face to monstrous snout with Ddraig, the Great Welsh.

The giant dragon's long, sinuous neck reared upwards slightly as Ddraig cocked its head. "And what do you want this time, Owner of Fragarach?"

"First, can't you at least call me Potter? That way of addressing me makes it seem as if Fragarach is all you care about. While Fragarach is amazing, I can assure you that my abilities extend far beyond its use." Harry replied, scowling slightly.

"Hah! Very well, Potter. What do you want?" Ddraig said, mollifying his tone slightly.

"I want to train myself in my new powers and abilities, and wondered if we could have a spar," Harry replied honestly. "In return, I would be willing to see what I can do to let you sense or see what is going on in the outside world somehow. I understand that is actually somewhat easy once you are being worn, and I could perhaps think of a few spells to feed a TV signal or something similar into your gauntlet."

"What do I look like, one of those coach potato creatures?" Ddraig grumbled, as if the phrase was supposed to describe a separate species rather than lazy humans. "Still, the idea does have some merit. And you mentioned the idea that there could be someone else fit to wield me. Very well, I will agree to this, if you let me meet some of these others. I will waive my initial desire for them to be humans or former humans for a time, though I will be harsher on them in terms of testing their willpower if that is not the case."

The dragon suddenly stood up on its tree trunk legs, moving far faster than something its size should have been able to. "For now, let us see what magical tricks," the dragon scoffed, looking as he wanted to spit, but couldn't, "You have that make you think you can stand against the great Ddraig, Potter!"

OOOOOOO

Diodora Astaroth was not happy. "I'm sorry," he said, keeping his voice level, and obsequious with a certain amount of the difficulty. "But you don't recognize it?"

"The signal is blurred," his patron said, tossing the small magical device, which looked like a large crystal ovoid, Diodora had used to try to get a sense of what had occurred in that church in Kuoh back to him. "Could figure it out, but why?"

"I had discovered a powerful Sacred Gear user who is no longer affiliated with the church," Diodora said prevaricating quickly "and had hoped to woo her to our side. She possesses one of the most powerful healing Sacred Gears in existence, Twilight Healing. But the trail cut off abruptly in the church where I found those odd magical traces."

"Irrelevant, unimportant." The young seeming girl in a lolita dress in front of him said shaking her head. "Not important enough to waste time on. You will instead return to your spying duties. You're worth much more in that then in any kind of recruitment position."

Once more Diodora kept the scowl of his face and out of his voice with difficulty. "This is personally important to me milady, I would rather like some help in this, as well as…"

He stopped, as the girl will looked at him for the first time. The crushing weight of that gaze drove him to his knees, and the girl, Ophis theOuroboros Dragon, intoned simply. "Unimportant." Though whether she meant him, or his concerns about Argento, Diodora could not tell. "Return to spying on the Demons of Hell, or die. You have already too much information for me to let you go your own way."

Diodora let loose a convulsive nod, and the pressure receded. As he pushed himself to his feet though he asked, "could I at least ask others among the Khaos Brigade if they recognize it before I return home?"

"Acceptable," the little girl said with a sharp nod. "But do not take over long. We must have research on the dimensional gap, and breaking through. Your task is important."

Gritting his teeth at that, hating to be reminded of his far more powerful and dangerous cousin Ajuka and the fact he needed to think of a way to raid his labs, the young devil nodded once more. "Thank you for your largess," he said, able to keep his tone even with difficulty. "I will return to my task immediately."

Unfortunately, his further inquiries about the magical residue he had copied from the church where Asia had disappeared yielded little results until he asked the newest member of the Khaos Brigade. There though he ran into her protector.

"If it's just a question," said Arthur Pendragon, one wintry eyebrow raised behind his glasses, "I will allow you to ask my sister. But beware demon, I am here and I am watching you. Your utility to the Khaos Brigade will not stop me from cutting you in half if you look at her inappropriately, let alone do anything else. I know your reputation Diodora."

Smiling brightly at her protective older sibling, Le Fay Pendragon stepped around him, to look at the magical signature, touching the device briefly to get a sense of it rather than just the color. Such devices were not exactly rare, but not common either, being very expensive to create, and for something that was essentially only a one-shot item.

As she did, Diodora took a moment to give her quick once over. Le Fay was a cute blonde girl of around four feet eleven, possibly the same age as his darling Asia-chan, and with the same air of innocence about her, right down to the childlike sorceress outfit she wore, though her chest was a bit better if Diodora's expert estimation was accurate. Oh how I would like to see your other faces my dear, to twist that innocence, to take it away…

Diodora once more kept those thoughts off his face of course. He knew he couldn't face Arthur Pendragon in a fight of any sort, and wasn't even going to try, even for a prize like the younger blonde.

Pulling back, she looked at it thoughtfully then nodded slowly. "The green magical residue somehow feels familiar. I think it could be something I've seen before in the United Kingdom, but I can't tell you more than that right now. She looked up at Diodora hopefully. "I can contact my family though, go home for a visit and see what I can discover." Morgana looked back at her older brother teasingly. "After all, I'm not the one that stormed off in a huff and refuses to communicate with them."

Arthur sniffed, looking away. "All I care about is finding strong opponents; the family only cares about its appearance and lineage."

"And us!" Le Fay replied, poking him in the side. "Or else they wouldn't have ever let me go with you, let alone give you that sword of yours. Or let me tag along. What did mother say… oh yes 'let the two of them spread their wings, you're only young once after all'. Stop acting as if you ran away from home brother dear, no one really believes it."

"I did run away from home and I stole my sword from our family Le Fay, no matter what you say sister," Arthur replied tartly.

Diodora sighed. When the two of these got going on this topic apparently they could go on for quite a while. "Well in that case, I will thank you most profusely for doing so milady, and until then I will take my leave." With that he exited the room, wondering if the girl would really be able to help him or not.

After that, and despite his orders from Ophis, Diodora made a short trip into Kuoh, where he dropped off several of his familiars, which were giant transforming blood slugs, a deadly variant of the normal slug type which were as large as a man and could be made to be rather intelligent. The slugs quickly transformed into human shape, and he ordered, "Search and stay out of sight, never reveal yourselves but keep on the watch for Asia-chan. I will have her!"

OOOOOOO

The next day, Rias came home with Harry. It was the last day Akeno would be busy with her contract and Rias hoped to spend a nice evening in with Harry just the two of them. She was still dealing with some small spurts of jealousy at times when Harry flirted with Akeno in front of her, and she knew her friend was having the same issue.

But when they entered the house they found Kalawarner already there, having been brought in under the wards by Lily and Asia. This was something Harry wasn't happy about, and he promptly removed their ability to connect to the wards in such a manner later that evening. He instead transferred it to Koneko, who he felt had better sense. He might have given the same power to Rias and Akeno, but they didn't live with him.

In this case though, it didn't turn into a problem. When Rias and Harry came in Kalawarner was teaching the three girls how to cook a bit as well as quizzing Asia on her Japanese kanji. This definitely needed some work, though the Italian native was so far along Harry didn't think that she would need the help of a full translation spell like he and Lily had used at first soon.

Looking at this scene Rias scowled, then over at Harry, who was standing across from her in the doorway to the kitchen observing. "And you're okay with this?"

"I told you, she helped protect Lily. That and her apology canceled out any of my anger towards how she attempted to manipulate me. She also seems to want to be around Asia, and I am fine with that." Harry replied, giving her a very direct look, which she understood.

"That wasn't what I was saying," Rias said with a frown taking his hand in hers and bringing it up to kiss one of his knuckles. "We've already talked about that, and I believe you when you say that she won't be able to come between us. I am a little jealous about the time she can spend here with you all, but that can be simply solved by making sure I spend every evening meal I can over here. Not exactly a hardship," she finished dryly before turning back to what she had originally been trying to say. "No, I meant are you fine with her using your kitchen? I certainly would not be okay with anyone but Akeno in mine."

"Then why don't you come over here and help rather than watch?" Kalawarner said over her shoulder, showing she had heard them despite their attempts to be quite before glancing at Koneko. "This one needs to learn how to chop things without destroying the chopping board."

"Not my fault," Koneko muttered. "Chopping board just weak." She resolutely did not look in Asia and Lily's direction when she said that, knowing somehow Lily was smirking at her while Asia would be pouting at Koneko for destroying the board before she got a turn to try to chop things.

With a shake of her head Rias revised her plans for the evening quickly, moving forward and gently taking the knife from Koneko's hands. ""How about we invite the rest of my peerage, including Mittelt, over as well, both tonight and tomorrow night I think, then Akeno can join us. But Mittelt needs to start to get to know the rest of my family on a more personal level, and that way we can also all share recipes."

Harry nodded at that and moved in to help as well, shooing Lily and Koneko out to finish the girl's homework for the night as he did. "I can agree to that, although if Mittelt tries to curse as much as she was doing on Sunday in front of my daughter, I will be forced to take steps."

This, like Harry and Koneko picking up Lily together, became a ritual throughout that first week and beyond. Kalawarner would make dinner for everyone, and everyone would come together at Harry's house, where he would be forced to expand the table to fit them all. She and Rias started to have some civil conversations about cooking. Her choices of food were interesting, and far more varied than Harry or Rias could handle. She and Rias and even Akeno after a time, had several actually pleasant conversation on that topic.

Harry and Rias watched Akeno and Kalawarner and Mittelt interact those first two weeks, fearful that one or the other would say something that would set Akeno off or vice versa, given Mittelt's acidic tongue. But nothing happened there. Akeno seemed willing to take them as individuals, though occasionally she and Mittelt simply started to trade barbs then curses over tiny things.

Rias was also pleased, as was Harry, by the way Kalawarner acted around Asia. She started to come over in the afternoons after checking in at the ORC clubroom to help Asia with her studying and teach the girl some cooking, which Asia, unlike Koneko and Lily, seemed to enjoy. Beyond that she did not try to get that close with Lily, but still treated her well, much like Akeno.

Asia, in turn, started to talk to Rias, putting aside that she, like the others, was a devil far more easily than Rias had feared. When she asked Asia about that one evening, Asia however simply smiled at her. "Goodness has nothing to do with race Rias-san. I can tell all of you are good people. That matters far more to me than the fact you do not follow the Lord, or are Devils. After all, the Lord said to love those who are different than yourself too."

To her personal astonishment, Mittelt was dragged along by Kalawarner to these events and was forced to start to actually both curb her tongue and get along with the devils that she'd spent several months hiding from. But if Kalawarner and Rias had bonded over cooking and how they both tended to act towards Lily and Asia, Rias and Mittelt bonded over fashion or rather the fashions of clothing in various anime shows.

This began the next night with Mittelt, instead of being dragged into the house by Kalawarner as she had the previous night, stomping in under her own power while looking around for Rias. She found Rias sitting with Lily going over some homework while Harry prepared the kitchen for that evening's meal, something that Kalawarner immediately moved to join in.

Mittelt however plopped herself down at the table pointing a finger across the table into Rias's face. "You Devils all have access to fantastic lawyers, right?"

Rias glanced up, then down at the finger pressing into her personal space, then back up until Mittelt got the hint and removed the offending appendage. While Lily giggled to one side, Rias nodded. "Yes we do. In fact, I think my family has contacts with several major law firms and not a few contracts too. Why?"

"Have you ever watched that anime called Rozen Maiden?" Mittelt asked, using her hands to bring attention to her clothing.

"Yes," Rias said slowly "I have. It's not one of my favorites, I think the premise is silly, and while the voice acting is decent, the battle sequences are boring at best. Why?"

"Those clothes, those are a perfect example of my style! This whole Gothic Lolita scene that I found here in Japan, it's all based on my designs! I've been using that style for centuries now, and now I find that anime and others with characters using it?! I should be getting royalties, and instead I am asked if I'm a cosplayer? I'm not a cosplayer I am a trendsetter! If anything those characters are cosplaying me!"

Rias looked at her, and then to Mittelt's chagrin and embarrassment simply began to laugh, shaking her head at and throwing her head back in gales of laughter.

Of course the two Fallen were not the only ones who were trying to fit in with the other locals. There was Asia to consider, but in her case, it was a much easier process. For one thing, she had no prior negative interactions to overcome with any of them.

For another, Asia fell utterly in love with living with the Potters. Hugs were everywhere,and they were great! Harry rubbed her head whenever she performed well on her daily lessons. He even hugged her every morning before leaving with Lily for school. Lily hugged and played with her constantly, and even Koneko occasionally rubbed her head against Asia's much like the nekomata she was.

Moreover, all of them respected her religion, even if they didn't partake in it. They never bothered her when she was at morning or evening prayers, with only Rias and the others asking if she could not mention 'the G-word' in their presence. Her lessons were proceeding apace, and Rias had even taken her to Kuoh Academy to see the campus. So all in all, despite this kind of life not being at all like the one she thought she would be living when she came to Japan, Asia went around the house with a broad smile on her face even when she was alone at home.

It got even better on the second Saturday since she had so haphazardly joined the Potter household. Arriving at home Harry found that Kalawarner hadn't arrived yet, though she had called and left a message which Koneko had written out on a piece of paper. Apparently there was some kind of major clothing sale going on. Rias had ordered the two fallen to go to it, picking up things for all of them including Asia, who didn't have enough underwear just yet for Rias's peace of mind, and Lily. The little redhead had outgrown quite a few of her things thanks to the growth spurt which was brought about by getting in touch with her werewolf side. And like with her shoes, Lily refused to just let her father resize them all the time. (This had actually caused a bit of a tantrum when Harry had brought it up).

Looking outside Harry saw, Koneko and Lily sitting facing Asia, as she took their hands, both of which looked a little bruised somehow. The reason of which was one of the small boulders that had been in the backyard. Said rock now looked rather broken, and Harry wondered what happened there. But then as he watched Asia's Sacred Gear appear and her magic heal the wounds, another thought occurred to Harry.

"Asia," he said, gaining all three young girls attention "Can you keep your Sacred Gear corporeal after you're done using it?"

"Of course," Asia said, smiling and ruffling Lily's hair. "You were a very good girl then, you didn't even whiner whimper once!"

Lily shrugged. "Wasn't that painful," she said bluffing a little, which all three of her listeners knew, their deadpan looks causing her to huff irritably.

Harry then returned his attention to Asia. "Tell me, has anyone ever tried to teach you any magical spells?"

"No, of course not," Asia replied with a shake of her head. "Most of the church believes that magic is a sign of the devil, and those that don't are exorcists, their organization within the church and those who have seen Sacred Gears in action like my own. None of whom are capable of using magic freely outside their weapons, tools, or Sacred Gears."

"Would you like to see if you could?" Harry asked, mock-innocently while Lily began to grin.

That question took Asia back for a moment, and she frowned pensively before nodding slowly. "I think I would like that…"

"Okay, so let's begin," Harry said, gesturing Asia to him. "I'll teach you a few simple spells at first, just to see if you do have a magical core thanks to your Sacred Gear. Keep Twilight Healing out for now, we'll check to see if you can use magic without it being visible in a bit." As Asia moved to stand in front of him, Harry went on. "Alright, this is a simple color changing spell. It was one of the earliest spells I learned at Hogwarts. I'll teach you the motions and the words now, and we'll take them away later."

An instant later, Lily was looking down at her shirt, which barely covered her taller and wider 'wolfie-body'. Both the shirt and her fur under it had been changed into a daisy yellow color. "Pretty…"

Asia stared in shock, then down at her fingers, which still contained the silver rings of Twilight Healing. "I, did I do that?"

Laughing quietly, Harry rubbed her head, smiling brightly. "Yep. Now, let's see if you can dispel it too."

The next disruption to Harry's life in Kuoh came the next day on Sunday. Rias and Harry took Asia and Lily had gone out for the evening to dinner and a movie, wanting to let Asia out of the house after what amounted to the world's most pleasant house arrest for the past two weeks.

None of the others could join them. Koneko had an ongoing contract; Kala and Mittelt were training with Kiba and Akeno though Akeno had tried to get free until she learned that Asia and Lily would be joining them. She wanted the first date where she, Rias and Harry were together on a single date to be just the three of them.

The meal went well as had the movie before it, a children's movie set in the Pokémon universe. Harry had yet to get into it, but that Lily and even Asia actually had started to enjoy it. The fact that it was full of cute little critters probably had something to do with that. Harry sat on one side of the booth, with one arm loosely around Lily's shoulders, trying to hold her still as she bounced up and down excitedly, while on the other side, Rias sat directly across from Harry along with Asia.

Eventually after the move the food came and went, Asia's change the subject, looking over to Rias. "By the way, I have yet to meet one of your peerage, is that correct? Koneko mentioned a Gasper-san, another younger boy?"

"They're the same as but yes." Rias said with a smile and a sad sigh. "Gasper-kun however is not nearly as outgoing; in fact he is rather introverted to put it bluntly." She instantly decided to not go into all of Gasper's other eccentricities just yet with either Asia or Lily.

"Do you think he and the other devils in the area would be angry about me staying here in your territory?" Asia asked, looking around hesitantly as she spoke, poking her fingers together in embarrassment. "I know that you share this town with another devil peerage, and I also know that Kiba doesn't really like me," she said sadly.

Rias shook her head, pulling the other girl into a light sideways hug before letting her go. "It's not that he doesn't like you Asia-chan, he doesn't have a problem with you specifically. Kiba has a problem with the church, though what that is, is his story to tell you if he wants to. For now, perhaps if you don't wear your nun's habit around him? You might notice a difference in his attitude with just that little change."

"Oh, I can do that," Asia said, blushing lightly as she looked over at Harry. "Potter-san," under Harry's sudden mock-glare she changed that address quickly, "Harry-san has bought me a lot of clothing actually. It's just getting used to the idea of wearing it that has been help holding me back."

"Wait," Lily said, sitting up abruptly and staring across at Rias. "You have another family member, who I haven't met? What's up with that?!" She said, waving her arms comically.

"Gasper-kun is very hard to describe," Rias said with a chuckle, reaching over to ruffle Lily's hair lightly. "As for introducing you, that probably would not go very well. He doesn't like being around other people, he doesn't even like communicating with me electronically a lot of the time. The only one who can get him to open up at all is Koneko, and all they talk about his video games, and even then almost always by text."

"Really?" Lily said interestedly. "Maybe I could talk to them by him about that too."

Rias shrugged, and pulled out her cell phone, handing it across the table. "You'll find his address in there. if you want to talk to him, simply text that your Lily Potter. And if you talk about videogames you're sure to get his attention."

"Your anime fixation doesn't spread to games?" Harry teased.

"Hardly," Rias said waving her hand. "I play strategy games, real-time strategy and turn-based. Gasper-kun he likes RPG's, and games like Pokémon or other collector games, time-wasters in other words."

Lily had looked up at her daddy in happiness of the idea for Pokémon game, but Harry shook his head quickly. "Oh, no you don't. I'm not about to buy any game that Rias calls a time-waster sort of game. Any game you play is going to have to pass through the parental approval test, okay?"

Sighing, Lily nodded knowing not to argue with her daddy when he got that tone in his voice.

Lily and Asia played with Rias phone for the rest of the meal, allowing Harry and Rias to talk quietly amongst themselves and, though neither of the other two could tell, to play a little bit of footsy under the table. Harry smirked as he noticed Rias his eyes slowly start to close as his foot, with his shoe taken off, began to play up the inside of her leg slowly pushing up her skirt as his toes started to move from her stocking to the skin of her thigh. Yep, slacks are definitely an advantage in this kind of game.

Because he was busy with Rias, Harry wasn't paying attention to the exterior of the restaurant, though even if he had, he might have missed the small, officious-looking man staring in through the window of the family restaurant at them. He was a short man, just below normal high for a Japanese dressed in a somewhat decent but still somehow cheap suit, with swept back black hair, a receding hairline and glasses. He held a briefcase in one hand and had a cell phone in his other hand which he looked at periodically.

In other words, he was precisely the kind of individual who could disappear into any crowd in Japan without even a single person or individual noticing him, or in fact seeing him at all. After staring at them for a few seconds, specifically Asia, the man did just that, disappearing into a crowd of individuals heading down into a subway area and then out of sight of the restaurant.

Leaving the restaurant, the four of them made their way back to the Potter house with Rias having brought over several DVDs of the Pokémon TV series to watch. They sat down with a few simple fruit drinks with Rias and Harry sitting next to one another, his arm over her shoulder and Asia and Lily sitting on the other side, all of their feet up on the tabletop in front of them as they watched the show. Or rather the two youngsters watched the show along with Rias surprisingly while Harry had simply played with her hair, trying to keep control so he didn't ravish her mouth as he wanted to at the moment.

It was oddly moments like this that made him really appreciate the kind of woman Rias was, beyond her sex appeal or her devilish heritage. Domestic moments when she was around the kids, having fun, helping them with homework, just talking to them. Watching her help Rias perfect a few rumors to help defend herself at school had been a treat. The one time she and Kala made dinner without him also stood out: seeing both of them standing there in aprons had nearly unmanned him then and there.

Rias was funny, intelligent, sometimes childish, sometimes mature, somewhat ambitious, fiercely protective of those she loved, and a woman who had a lot of affection to give all around her. They'd had arguments of course, silly, small and important, but they had been arguments, not shouting matches but a discussion between equals, with both of them understanding the other had good points, and when they ended, there was no bad feelings involved. Indeed, they'd often ended their arguments with a short make out session. Damn it, is it really so surprising that I think I'm falling for her for real?

However Lily had noticed her Daddy's preoccupation and kept on glancing up at them, her eyes narrowed slightly. Looking up from his deep thoughts, Harry saw this and he looked at his daughter quizzically. She shrugged her shoulders, then as one of the episodes came to an end, asked "Daddy, are you dating Rias, or Akeno?"

Harry winced slightly at that. He knew this conversation was coming but that didn't mean he was looking forward to it. "I am dating them both sweetheart, in their culture that's seen as normal."

Lily frowned a little. "So does that mean we're part of their culture now too? Will I be expected to have multiple boyfriends?" She looked aghast at the very idea of having one, let alone more. "Boys are boring!"

Rias laughed at that, and then explained about why harems had become the norm among devil-kind. Lily listened intently, while Asia nodded along, understanding what Rias was saying, though she had no knowledge or background in anything remotely like this. Relationships in the church were forbidden of course, a person could not sully their body if she or he was dedicating their soul to God. But marriages outside the church were sacrosanct and had to be between one man and one woman. She brought this up as Rias finished, looking over at Harry. "Is that not the way it is with you, Harry-san?"

"Among wizards yes, most of the time it would be one man and one woman, or girl-girl and boy-boy, though those aren't talked about and in fact are looked down upon. It does make me feel a bit like a two-timer occasionally, but I'm getting over it," Harry replied, his tone going dry on the last few words.

"But would you not prefer to be…" Asia blushed, poking her fingers together. "Um, I don't mean to sound like I'm trying to judge you, but wouldn't it be better to be his one and only?"

"A part of me would like that," Rias said honestly, remembering that conversation with Harry and where it had gone. "But we'll see how it goes. None of us have made any promises to one another, not yet." She looked at Harry, who smiled back, still running his hand through her hair though he had stopped when Lily had broached her question. They might not have made any promises, but deep down, they both felt that was a matter of time.

Lily frowned thoughtfully, and then nodded slowly. "I get it. But… I don't have to call either of you Mum or anything do I? Even if you eventually, you know, marry Daddy? That would feel strange."

"I would prefer to just be Rias to you Lily-chan," Rias said with a chuckle reaching across Harry to poke her nose. Lily crossed her eyes, and Asia let out a giggle at the site. "Whatever you want to call me you can do."

Lily nodded thoughtfully. "Okay," she said and then abruptly turned her attention back to the show as the next episode began. Harry rolled his eyes at that, and leaned back again in the sofa. Kids, their attention spans are amusingly useful at times.

Actually, Lily's thoughts were a little more complicated than she let on at that point even while she continued to watch the show. She liked Rias and Akeno; she even liked Kala, who she could tell was also interested in her Daddy thanks to her enhanced pack sense, though seemed to be willing to just be his friend for now. But she had seen some of the looks she gave him when Harry wasn't looking. Akeno had also definitely changed recently but she still didn't seem as comfortable around Lily or indeed the whole family atmosphere of the Potter's as Rias was. Further, Akeno didn't seem the type to do the whole parent thing.

But Rias pulled off the 'you can't even argue with me, so don't even try; tone of voice even before she and Daddy got together at that cool restaurant. How does she do that anyway? Well whatever, Lily concluded as the show's introduction song came to an end and ash and his friends began their adventures once more. As long as daddies happy I don't care. Although, she thought, sending a final sideways glance around her dad to Rias, I suppose having Rias as a Mum wouldn't be all that bad. Though I still wouldn't call her that.

Except for the odd question posed towards Rias about this or that Pokémon, the next twenty minutes went by in silence, until Harry asked "so, is there any progress with Issei?"

"I've had Akeno watching him with a few of her familiars, and Kala volunteered to watch him after dinner occasionally," Rias replied just as quietly, though their discussion was still picked up by Lily and Asia since they were so close. "Neither of them has detected any appreciable growth in magic or willpower. He seems to have matured slightly, he argues with the other two perverts about peeping and mutters about it being against the law, but that's the only difference from his previous personality. There is no sign that he remembers anything that occurred to him that night. I would've thought that he would have remembered it as a dream, perhaps to serve as a warning against his perversions but it hasn't happened."

"Then you'll be pleased to note that I don't think we'll have to hand Ddraig back to him to get any use out of the Boosted Gear. I've been fighting Ddraig in his mental plane every night to get a handle on my new abilities and thanks to this little one," Harry ruffled his daughter's hair. "He seems to have changed his mind on the type of people he'll let use him, and for what reason."

Rias's eyebrows rose. "What?" she asked, unsure what part of that statement she was questioning.

Lily laughed. "Well it went like this…"

Flashback:

Asia having been in the one downstairs Lily had gone up to use her Daddy's bathroom. As she exited, she looked around his room. There hadn't been much of a change in here since the last time she had seen it of course, but there was one new thing that grabbed her attention: a smallish oak box, its top open, lying on the bed. Being a curious little girl, Lily moved over to it and looked inside only to gasp in wonder. She reached in and pulled out the large gauntlet. It was so large it would cover her from fist to shoulder, and it was all in red scale in gold and green. "Awesome!"

Looking furtively around, she then slid it over her hand, raising it above her head and shouting "I have the power!" before giggling.

"What in all creation?"said a voice.

Whirling around to stare around her, Lily growled, "Who said that!?"

"This is… weird," said that the voice again its tone of someone musing, if the person was standing at the bottom of a very deep metal well. "Highly unusual in fact. But I suppose I have never been extracted from a user before. Perhaps that makes the physical version of my powers more, pliable perhaps, or easy to use?"

Understanding dawning, Lily looked down at the gauntlet her eyes widening further in glee. "You can talk!?"

"I can talk into your head yes, so you should be happy that no one else is around to see you talking to your own forearm,"said the voice, a dryer sort of rumble going through it. "I am Ddraig, the Great Welsh, and this is my Boosted Gear. But aren't you a little young to be looking for fights?"

"Daddy says never go looking for fights but prepare for them, so when they come to you you're ready," Lily said, and then pouted. "But yeah I'm a little young; I'm only going on eight after all. But hey," she said brightening up. "If you're one of those Sacred Gear things, does that mean if I use you I can be stronger?"

"Yes." Ddraig answered now sounding a little confused. "But you just said you were too young to fight."

"Not fight but I bet I could use you in some rough-and-tumble," Lily said excitedly. "Maybe today I'll actually beat Koneko!"

Running back outside, she found Koneko still there. She pointed at the older girl and then declared dramatically, "Today Koneko you are going down! For behold I have become Mighty Red!" She shouted, thrusting her gauntlet into the air where it shown in the sun.

Inside his mental plane, Ddraig slapped his tail over his face shaking his massive head.

Koneko turned away from where she had been quietly reading a graphic novel that Rias had bought her, setting it down and staring at first Lily, then the gauntlet on her arm. Then she said blandly "Mighty Red?"

Lily scowled, "Stop making fun of my naming sense miss 'Phoenix wolf'!"

"My name's descriptive and it's stuck. Yours just sucks," Koneko replied, her tone still bland.

"Grr…have at thee!" Lily shouted, racing forward.

Koneko dodged, then pounced, but found it quite a bit harder to bear Lily to the earth this time, even as Lily changed forms albeit with difficulty since it was well past the full moon. When she was fully changed Koneko's eyes widened in surprise as Lily lifted Koneko off her and tossed her away. Then it was Koneko's turn to be tackled to the ground, and the two girls rolled around in the grass, Lily yipping happily, while Koneko made happy sounding yowling noises.

Having been told the two of them were out there by Kala, who had again come over to cook dinner, Harry came upon them still wrestling over an hour later. Taking a single step out onto the unfinished patio Harry stopped and stared as he saw what was on Lily's arm. Then he smacked his forehead. I forgot to lock the box! Darn it!

Once the box was unlocked, no one but Harry would've been able to open it such was the protections he had cast on it, and there were numerous impervious and other protective spells on the box to keep it from being simply destroyed, which Harry routinely renewed. But as long as it was open, anyone who was able to get underneath the house's wards in the first place would have been able to find Ddraig there. It was designed that way because Harry thought that eventually he would come to an accord with Ddraig and would be able to allow other people to use the gauntlet rather than just himself.

"Lily, come here for a moment," he called softly.

Lily looked up, and then trundled over, shifting back into her human form much more easily than she had when she first got in touch with her puppy-side. "Yes Daddy?" she asked innocently.

Far too innocently for any parent to truly believe, really. "Give me the gauntlet. You know you're not supposed to go through my stuff Lily to take anything from my room."

Behind her, Koneko looked a little more ruffled than normal, but also happy. She came home over giving the shorter girl a hug from behind as she looked at Harry. "It's okay," she said. "It was fun, and got more fun over time. She was able to use Boost."

Having had how the Boosted Gear worked explained to him Harry just nodded, but still held out his hand towards Lily. "That's nice, but that isn't a toy."

The instant Harry had the gauntlet in hand Harry heard Ddraig's voice which refuted some of that. "Actually, that was kind of amusing. I've never been on the body of someone so young before. Her thoughts are way too flighty and uninformed for her to be a true user of my power, but I liked her spunk."

"Really?" Harry said aloud, staring down at the red gauntlet with surprise.

"It's not something I'd want to do every day,"Ddraig answered dryly, but it was an amusing little excursion. "And when I say I like your spunk I should've said I like yours too Potter. I've never been owned by a father before but you're urge to defend, I like that. So I'll make you an agreement. You or anyone else in your so-called family can call on me to defend yourselves from any real fight in the future. And if my opposite number shows up, I will willingly be wielded by you Potter. I think it would be interesting also in the future to be handed down to Lily. She is going to be something special, I can tell."

"I could've told you that even without letting her try to wear you Ddraig," Harry replied dryly, lifting Lily up and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Now why don't you to go inside and get ready for dinner okay? And Lily, I'll let you play with Ddraig here, but only once a week. However, you still need to be punished a bit for taking it from my room when you know you're not supposed to..."

End Flashback

Rias blinked staring at Lily, and then at Harry. "First of all Mighty Red, no, just no. You should've called yourself the red Power Ranger if you want to go that route," she said at last, and then shook herself. "Er, I mean…" Harry and the others laughed, and Rias pouted at them all, trying to gather her thoughts. "That is astonishing, amazing! Do you think it'll extend to my peerage?"

"I have no idea yet," Harry said with a shrug. "But it is good news."

"It's amazing news!" Rias reiterated, flinging her arms up in the air. Then she smirked. "Although it would've been just as interesting to give Ddraig back to Issei if he had shown any growth on his own. Having a single to use a single pawn to get something like the Boosted Gear into my family? That would've been worth bragging about."

Pausing the video, Lily turned entirely to look at Rias. "I don't get that," she said honestly, her head cocked to one side. "I mean if Ddraig is so strong in his Boosted Gear, and you give him back to Issei, wouldn't that mean you would also have to force more pawns into him?"

"It doesn't work that way. Until a turned Devil reach a certain threshold where you can become an independent devil, turned Devils don't require more Peerage pieces to be added to the one already inside them to keep the connection between the king and the piece in question. Else I wouldn't be able to train or otherwise raise the power levels of myself or my family."

"But it would've cost more pieces if you had turned Issei with the Boosted Gear inside him?" Lily asked still looking a little perplexed.

"That's right," Rias said with a nod. "But once it was removed, Issei became almost normal. I say almost considering his activities," she said delicately.

Wrinkling her nose as she remembered who Issei was, Lily thought about it then smacked one fist into her other palm excitedly. "Oh I get it! It's like in Pokémon!"

"What?" Rias and Harry asked as one, looking at her in confusion.

"Well I mean Pokémon evolve right, and the larger, more evolved types are always more difficult to grab in the wild, you gotta have special balls and stuff for it. But if you raise your own Pokémon to where they evolve you can still command them, right?"

Thinking about it Harry slowly began to laugh, as Rias stared at the little girl, before she too began to giggle. "That, that is an amazingly appropriate way of explaining it," she said, still laughing. "Especially since, if the Boosted Gear had been fully awakened, and fully connected to Issei, it would've taken even more, than it would have if it was just inside him in the first place" she howled, reaching over to pull Lily across Harry's chest hugging her tightly. "Oh Lily, that is so perfect! We'll have to call Issei the, the Pervomon from now on!"

Harry's laughter at that was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. He looked over at the others, and Rias in particular. "Do you think Akeno was able to finish up that contract tonight?"

"I doubt it, those particular elderly gentlemen and women are true connoisseurs of tea, and would doubtless keep her there for as long as possible." Rias replied drolly. "Well, that and the men are somewhat genteel lechers. Besides, she would teleport into the backyard instead of using the door."

Moving to the door, Harry paused, feeling at the wards, and realized this was someone new, but not someone who meant him harm. This was a good thing, since while Harry had dealt with the last threat in the area in an oblique manner; he was more than willing to do with any new threat as directly as necessary.

He opened the door, and looked at Loup, in surprise. "Loup, what are you doing here my friend?"

Loup nodded. "Alpha, told you I'd be coming."

"You did, but I didn't think it would be this quick. Are you saying you've already transferred to one of the local colleges?"

"Yes. Also, came here to drop off some information, and an official letter to the two Devil heiresses in the area."

"A letter to me and Sona?" Rias said from behind Harry, "I presume from Yasaka-sama?"

"Yes," Loup said again, his unresponsive face breaking into a slight smile as he saw Lily behind Rias, poking her head around the doorframe quizzically.

"Hey Loup," The little girl said, darting forward and around Rias to take the giant werewolves' hand and leading him inside, gesturing to the sofa and Asia. "Come on in. This is Asia, she's staying with us now to, my other big sister Koneko isn't here tonight, she's got some kind of devil thingy did the two, we're watching Pokemon."

Loup nodded agreeably. "I like Bulbasaur," he said calmly, before stopping by the two other adults to hand over the two folders he had kept on his person at all times during the trip here, gesturing first one than the other. "Information on the possible Khaos Brigade members, and the offer of alliance from Yasaka-sama."

With that, his portion of that mission was done and he sat down at the sofa with Asia nodding politely to her. The former nun nodded back, looking a little awestruck at how large Loup seemed. Harry was of a size with him, but for some reason didn't loom as Loup seemed to.

Smiling at that scene, Harry was about to follow then in when Rias grabbed his arm with a surprisingly strong grip. "I," she said, her voice rather giddy and high-pitched tone as she stared at the folder, "I think that we need to talk to Sona about this right away."

About twenty minutes later, Sona looked up from reading the contract of alliance from Yasaka, her eyes flashing in something approaching glee as well as shock, though you had to know her very well to realize that. "This, this is excellent. If we can do this," she shook her head looking at them all. "My Onee-sama might be frivolous and childish and rarely if ever act her age or as her station should demand. But when she does, Serafall-nee-sama goes about her work with rare ability. Yet even she wasn't able to heal the rift between the Youkai Association's after the Nekomata Massacre."

At Harry's quizzical expression, Rias sighed. "Koneko-chan has told you about what her sister did correct? Well, what she might not have told you is that it sparked outrage and fear among the other demons. There were about four-hundred, perhaps more Nekomata living among the millions down in Hell at the time, most of them having been turned into demons. In response to Kuroka's actions, the demons overreacted horribly, and started a pogrom against them. After a bare week Koneko was the only one left alive in all of Hell, and that only because my brother interceded on her behalf and I promptly brought her into my family."

Harry twitched at that, his eyes hardening but Rias went on hurriedly. "All the Maou spoke out against it, even Ajuka Beelzebub and he's as interested in anything outside his lab as a rock would be. But it was a pure fear reaction, and they couldn't stop it in time."

"Beyond the moral question, which, it must be said the majority of demons wouldn't even consider, the diplomatic repercussions of that were extreme despite Serafall-nee-sama's best efforts, and relations between our peerages have been on the far side of cool ever since. This though, shows that is noticeably changing thanks to your efforts, Potter-sensei." Sona said, tapping the formal offer of alliance with a finger.

When Harry shrugged saying he had simply stepped in to protect a little girl running from people trying to hurt her, Sona rolled her eyes and waved him off, looking towards Loup. "I have to ask though, why you were trusted with this? I understand Sensei's side of things, but not yours."

The large werewolf was rather handsome in Sona's opinion. And he's younger than Harry, but possibly not as intelligent, which is a pity. Sona had played a few games of strategy with Harry, and while she had won a few times, mostly in long-term strategy games, or games wherein tactics had no place, she had still come away with quite a bit of respect for his mind. And that was one thing Sona was very firm about: any man she became involved in had to be intelligent, smarter than her at the very least.

That was why despite his joining her peerage she hadn't gone on a second date with Saji. That had been…nice, but looks aside, he wasn't quite what she was looking for in a potential boyfriend.

In reply to Sona's question, Loup shrugged. "My mom taught Yasaka magic when I was younger. When she died, Yasaka and her family took me in for a bit.

"Ahhh…" Harry said, nodding looking at him with one eyebrow raised. Loup shrugged, understanding what Harry was saying, and replied in his own way, that yes, that was why he had a crush on Yasaka. But it had just been a crush, and Loup had set it aside after the way Yasaka had so embarrassed the two werewolves.

That didn't mean he didn't know she was attractive, nor did it mean Yasaka could no longer get under his skin, but Loup had moved on. "Sort of like family," he finished with a shrug. "Babysat for Kunou several times."

"And you'll be moving in here with us?" Harry asked though he already knew the answer.

Loup shrugged. "That was the plan, although… you're more crowded than I thought." He nodded towards where Asia was sitting beside Lily, still watching Pokemon.

"We can still put you up here, although I'm afraid Kunou will have to bunk in with Lily. We just don't have enough rooms. I suppose I could use some permanent expansion runes, then separate a room modified that way into separate rooms, but it's not my priority right now." Harry assured the other werewolf.

Rias coughed delicately at that point to bring the two werewolves' attention back to her. "I think that we need to take this a little further," she said thoughtfully waving at the offer of alliance Sona still had under her hand. "It doesn't mention anything about information exchange for example, and I believe that Yasaka-sama might well like the kind of clock that you were speaking of earlier at dinner Harry."

"Clock?" Sona asked looking over at Rias in confusion. "What clock?"

When Harry described it, she sighed and nodded. "Yes, any mother would leap on that kind of thing." Dammit! Another use of magic that is so different than anything I've heard of before as to be astonishing! Oh, I have no doubt that Ajuka-sama could create magical devices like that if anyone could make him pay attention to it for long enough. "However, it's not the only thing we can add is it?" she went on, staring at Rias speculatively.

"Sona, that's a very long way," Rias said with a sigh, "Yes, it's possible I could set up a teleportation array there, from here to there certainly, but it would only be good for one way transportation. Remember that Yasaka can't travel."

"She can't travel for very long Harry said with a grin, "But her daughter can. If you can set up an array that can reach that far, especially one which can be defended from both ends like the one you're attempting to put in my home, that could be a major addition. Her daughter could be sent home to spend time with her mother every weekend, if not every night, and such a connection could also be a major defensive bonus."

That was quite a bit more of a connection than anyone else had contemplated with the Youkai Association even before relations had cooled and Sona smiled, happy that the other two had been willing to follow up her suggestions. "So," she said, tapping the file in front of her once more. "Shall we start rewriting this then? We'll have to walk Potter-sensei here through the formal parts of that, but we should be able to finish in a few days," she paused then, and went on more slowly. "However, I think we will also need to organize a formal meeting in Kyoto between our two peerages and Yasaka and her… court? Would that be an appropriate term?"

Loup shrugged. "Pretty much, changing team of advisers, about twelve of them normally."

"When is she expecting a response?" Harry asked.

"She'd like a response quickly, but she has prepared all the paperwork to push through Kunou's coming into Lily's school. Apparently Lily told Kunou the schools name," he added at as Harry frowned in confusion. "It was also her description of school that made Kunou interested in the idea in the first place."

"Make sense," Harry said with a nod. He frowned thoughtfully. "Though I'm not certain I can get a message to her that far away. If I still had Hed.." hi frown turned into a scowl before he went on. "If I still had Hedwig, I could send her, but even then with all the old magics still messing up magical means of communication over distances in this country even she might not have arrived. And the only other method of communication I have over that long a distance is via a special spell, but it's visible to non-magicals." He laughed then, looking over at Loup. "And I'd rather not try to Apparate there. "For one thing I'm not certain I could remember anyplace there well enough to do that, and for another I have no doubt that Yasaka's done some work on the anti-teleportation wards around that forest."

Loup snorted at that, which was answer enough. After that, Sona and Rias wondered about sending one of their familiars with the information. Sona's familiar was a large crane, and could travel that distance with ease, but it was susceptible to being flummoxed by wards, and Sona would have to ride its mind the entire way. Rias's was more capable but could never make that journey.

From where she had looked up as another episode of Pokemon ended, Asia coughed delicately. "Excuse me, but is there any reason why you can't simply call this Yasaka person?"

Sona, Rias and Harry looked at one another then turned deadpan gazes towards Loup, who coughed and looked away, a faint blush of embarrassment visible in his face. "Forgot," he muttered. "Yes, she's got one."

"All right, let's do this the technological way instead of the magical," Harry replied laughing quietly.

Scene break

"Excuse me but you have a call Mistress," said Yasaka's chief butler, carrying a phone towards her. "It is from a Harry Potter, do you wish to speak to him?"

"I do indeed," Yasaka said hiding her excitement with difficutly but well save for the movements of her tail. "Hello Harry-han I take it you Rias-han, and Sona-han got my missive?" she said, her Kyoto dialect coming over the phone clearly.

With Rias, Harry and Sona using speaker phone they all explained what they wanted and Yasaka nodded, all nine tails stiffening and her ears quivering with eagerness. "If you can make that kind of a magical device for me for my daughter Harry, I will be internally grateful," she said happily, leaning back and propping her legs up on her desk, not at all unintentionally kicking the paperwork she's been laboring over off. As for Sona's and Rias's additions to the treaty, I wholeheartedly agree with them too. In fact, I can make the formal meeting into a big deal here, use it as a rallying point, to show that we're doing what we can to strike back against the Khaos Brigade."

She thought for a moment, a light hum coming over the phone on the other end. "Hmmm… I think that it will take me about… five weeks or so, maybe six to set that up. Give me your phone number and I'll give you a heads up as to when I'll be ready for that, but I'll shoot for the end of December." She then smiled impishly, even though no one on the other side of the phone could see it of course. "But if you could come and pick up Kunou now Harry, that would be best I think. I already started the paperwork to have her be accepted at Lily's school, and I believe she'll be cleared to join Lily there in a week or less."

"Rather confident you would agree with your offer, weren't you?" Harry asked, amusement clear in his tone.

"Why wouldn't you?" Yasaka said with a laugh. "This is the best kind of deal: everyone wins, and there's no real need for any of us to make compromises. Although I do like the additions you're talking about. I want to look over the defenses of this teleportation network closely as well as the information exchange concept, to make certain that were equal partners in this. And…" she said grimly "That any of my…citizens I suppose, who go down to Hell will still retain the protections of our alliance, it won't be just a alliance against foreign threats. I still remember the Nekomata Massacre, Sitri."

"Agreed," Sona said quickly. "We agree with that, in fact, I can probably even get my sister to add her own agreement to it at a later date. You're not the only one who regrets that act, as you well know Yasaka-sama."

"And if you have the paperwork ready," Harry said, speaking up once more "I'll come by next weekend to pick Kunou up. I don't have work that day because it's a sports club only day. That means no gym classes, and I'm only an advisor to the occult research club rather than any of the sports clubs. That'll give Kunou Sunday to acclimatize to living with us here before school starts up on Monday."

Yasaka fought back a yip of happiness at this idea, hoping that Harry would come alone when he did. "That works very well Harry. I will see you then, and Sona, it'll be nice to see you again too eventually. I still remember the time you were brought as a baby to a meeting with your sister years before the Massacre."

"Do you have blackmail pictures on both of us?" Rias asked, her voice sounding horrified while Sona was sputtering in the background, turning into an interesting shade of rose in Harry's opinion.

"Now it wouldn't be very good blackmail if I told you about it, now would it? Yasaka said with a teasing lilt. She waited until he she heard the two younger girls groan before hanging up, leaning back in her chair and the laughing aloud. "Yes, progress!"

Scene break

The next weekend while Rias and Akeno watched Lily, Harry left early in the morning on a train to Kyoto, where upon arriving in at the same entrance he'd used before, Harry was led through the Youkai-only area of the city and then out into the forest quickly. He was met by Yasaka at the outer gate to her castle and the slightly-older looking blonde Kitsune smiled, pulling him into a tight hug, deliberately pressing her chest against his stomach before pulling away. In her normal Kitsune no Yoko body Yasaka was an inch or two shorter than Sona, who in turn was shorter than Akeno, let alone Rias. "Harry, great to see you."

Harry nodded, somewhat nonplussed by the greeting, while looking around thoughtfully. "You already repaired everything already, I see. I also felt the wards. They were much more powerful this time. Did you do any work on them besides powering them up?"

"Not much, not personally if that's what you mean. I provide the power, a few of my other family members, and in particular an ancient ward master provides the knowledge."

"Is there any chance I can meet with him?" Harry asked interestedly. "As part of our information exchange I mean."

"I'm afraid not," Yasaka said with a sigh. "Master Kush is a Ganesha, an elephant type Youkai from India. He is very old, crotchety and does not play well with strangers. Even if I was there to introduce the two of you, he would probably dismiss you out of hand, and he doesn't really like being questioned about his art very much. In fact, his latest apprentice left, and refuses to speak to Kush any longer. I've been trying to get him to return from India, but I haven't been having much luck."

"Ahh, that's unpleasant. But where is Kunou?" Harry muttered.

"She's in our room, finishing up some exercises I gave her on illusion magic, to make certain that she can keep her ears and tail from showing." Yasaka said, smiling and trying to fight the urges she was getting from being this close to Harry. Harry had an immense control of his aura, but it had expanded in power dramatically from what it had been somehow, and moreover it carried a certain… sexual charge almost, to her sense. What in the world happened, and how can I get him to tell me about it without informing him his aura is affecting me? Hmm… best to play it off as more a humorous thing than anything more.

"I would've thought that she could do that already if you're so certain that you'll be able to send her to Lily's school," Harry said noncommittally.

"Oh, she can conceal them well enough," Yasaka said waving off Harry's concerns and her own thoughts. "I just want to make certain that she can do so when she is startled out of a nap or in other unusual circumstances. Simply concentrating on something else won't have them pop out; have no fear on that score."

"So," Yasaka went on, sidling up to Harry, pressing into his side before he could step away. "How is everything going with you and little Rias?"

"If you know the two of us are together, why are you trying to flirt with me?" Harry asked bluntly, shaking his head.

"You must be crazy!" Yasaka said with a laugh. "You might be in control of your aura Harry, but that doesn't mean I can't sense it! Power like that, is an aphrodisiac to many supernatural women all on its own. Added to that, you're handsome, and a loving father, successful, intelligent…why wouldn't I be interested?"

Harry looked down at her, one eyebrow raised. "And the fact that I am already in a relationship?" he said again.

Yasaka rolled her eyes, moving away slightly but taking Harry's hand in hers. "Why would that bother me again? I told you before" among my people, harems are more normal than monogamous relationships. Or did you think I was joking when I said I'd like to test both yours and Loup's endurance?"

She yipped in good humor, shaking her head. "I might see Loup more as a little brother, but that doesn't mean I'm blind to the fact that he's quite handsome in a stern muscly sort of way. Besides, it's not like I could even give you enough time to be your one and only," she said seriously. I can't move from Kyoto and you're not likely to uproot yourself, break off with Rias, and move you and Lily to here either. So I am more than willing to share. But we Youkai are just as long-lived as demons, and I rather like the idea of getting to know you more Harry Potter."

Harry sighed, but nodded. "I understand your point, but I don't know you very well yet, and as I said I'm already in a relationship. I also come from a human society, so this whole harem thing is still throwing me." More, it was throwing him that the women were pushing for it. Harry could understand a man who was in a relationship looking at another woman, even if he wasn't some kind of playboy flirt. But he couldn't understand why the women seemed to be willing to flirt with someone already in a relationship.

Yasaka yipped amusement again, but feeling the power and Harry, the size of his aura, she figured that his human thought process wouldn't last very long. Hah, I'll bet it lasts precisely until the first time he and Rias sleep together, and he wears her out by drilling her into the mattress, Yasaka thought rather salaciously. As a Kitsune no Yoko she was actually more susceptible to the auras of people than most, though she could recognize this and fight off the effect or ignore it entirely if she wished. Right now she didn't. And, could feel her body reacting, enjoying the sensation.

The two of them were interrupted by the sound of scampering little feet, and Kunou came around the corner, skidding to a halt as she stared at Harry. She then became a little shy, stepping back around the corner and looking around. "You, you didn't bring Lily-chan, Potter-san?"

"If you're going to be living with us Kunou, I think you should get used to the idea of just calling me Harry if that's alright. And as for Lily, I'm afraid not," Harry said with a chuckle, going to one knee and making a come hither motion with one hand. "She and Rias are planning to spend the day together, along with another girl named Akeno, who you'll meet soon enough."

OOOOOOO

Indeed, at that very moment, Rias and Akeno were with Koneko, Lily and Asia in a massage salon. "Are you sure this is all right?" Asia said as she leaned back in her chair while an older woman began to paint her nail as another began to work shampoo her hair. "It feels a little too good to be… allowed I suppose."

"A little sinful you mean?" Akeno said with a laugh, luxuriating in a similar treatment nearby. "Darling, every girl deserves a little sin in their lives."

Nearby, Rias laughed along with the salon worker as they once more painted Lily's nails in a different color, although the woman doing it wondered why the pretty foreign girl called them claws of all things. "I don't know…" the little red had said, "Green is sort of okay I mean I like the color of my own eyes obviously, but green and red now, to Christmassy. "Ooh how about gold?"

"You can get gold on your figures only if you can answer this question. What did I just say earlier about how to spread rumors and combat them?" Rias asked.

"Laughing at them is good," Lily said by rote, "'punching is bad. Ignoring them is bad, countering them somehow is good. You can attack a girl's looks, but only secondhand, never to her face and keep it comical rather than personal. Find something about them that they are vain about, then poke fun at it, but again, always softly.'" She pouted. "I don't like subtle!"

"You are your father's daughter in that area," Rias said, leaning over to give Lily a little kiss on the forehead.

Lilly flushed, but was quite happy at that little bit of affection. Then she looked down at her fingers holding them up to Rias. "So, gold?"

"We'll do one in fold, see if it works first," Rias said with a laugh. "For now, how about we do something with your hair?"

Once more, none of the four girls noticed a nondescript man glancing in from outside, watching them for a moment before once more disappearing in the crowd.

OOOOOOO

Back in Kyoto, Harry explained had just finished explaining what Lily was up to, and Kunou pouted. "Okay I can wait I guess. "Are we leaving now?" she said excitedly then pouted again, her mood shifting swiftly as was the way with young children at times. "I don't know I if I'm looking forward to the actual trip though. We were just about to eat after all."

"Sorry about that little one, but we can take the train back if you want. And if your mother has enough coloring books and other things to keep you occupied for that said train trip." Harry said, the last quite dryly, looking over at Yasaka. "It would give us a better chance to get to know one another."

"I'm a single-parent and have been so for four years Harry," Yasaka said loftily. "Of course I have enough of such things. And in fact I agree with my daughter, portkeys are not pleasant, especially on a full stomach. She looked over towards a nearby Kappa and asked "Could you go and prepare an assortment of such? And a book bag to carry them in." Turning back to Harry, she smiled coquettishly. "Besides, this way we can keep talking over lunch."

Harry nodded, and decided, you know what, hell it. She wants to flirt; I can flirt back at least, although I'll have to tell Rias about it later. After all, she doesn't go around flirting with other boys -although wearing Kuoh Academy's uniform could be considered flirting with everyone around her - it's only fair that if I flirt with someone else I tell her about it.

The three of them sat down with Harry asking Kunou a few questions about what she expected out of school, what she had learned so far, and other things of that nature. From there he told her about Lily's adventures at school, warning her about how kids sometimes viewed newcomers, and about bullying and whether or not they should do something about it themselves, or come to their parents. Having missed the long-term damage whispered slurs had on his daughter, Harry was not about to let such a thing happen again. Kunou replied easily, then more excitedly about meeting other kids her age who wouldn't be introduced to her in an attempt to get close to her mother or were irritating or had egos. Yasaka interjected with some of her own stories as a young teen learning magic from Loup's mother, which was the closest she had to actual schooling rather than home tutoring.

The meal was simple for the most part, rice and fish in a tasty kind of seaweed wrap, with sticks of dango for a side. Throughout the meal, Harry and Yasaka had flirted, but she took it up a notch using the dango while Kunou started to tell Harry about her favorite bedtime story.

Winking at Harry, Yasaka took up one of these dango sticks, and slowly, sensuously fed it into her mouth, one dumpling at a time, her tongue licking out at each new dumpling until the entire stick was now in her mouth, half of it at least down her throat. Then she pulled the stick portion out, and chomped down on all of the dumplings at once, winking once more as she chewed.

Harry rolled his eyes hiding a slight blush and as Kunou paused for breath in her story-telling said, "That's a neat trick," as blandly as he could toward her mother. Two could play this game after all.

"Oh I imagine in that area I have quite a lot to teach you, and possibly Rias and whoever else you are involved with as well," Yasaka said with a smile.

"On the contrary," Harry said, smiling placidly. "I believe I could probably teach you something in that area. Or perhaps exceed any learned skill you have."

"Oh, how so?" Yasaka asked, her face showing a certain amount of dubiousness.

Harry smiled, and seemed to change the subject by asking, "What is your opinion on snakes?"

"They slither and they're ugly," Kunou said promptly, eager to just take part in the conversation. "But some of the snake-yokai are nice enough if you catch them while they're warm."

"Yes that does tend to carry over. Demon snakes and other reptilian-type demons tend to be very placid when it's cold out, and quite snappish if bothered. But what does that…"

"You know how snakes in the wild communicate?" Harry asked, interrupting Yasaka.

"They don't," Kunou said frowning. "They aren't smart enough, and they aren't um... communal... animals." She hesitated on the unfamiliar word but got it out correctly.

Yasaka cocked her head, trying to remember somethings that she had heard from demons who had previously lived in India. "Something about a snake language, a magical one," she murmured aloud.

"Exactly, yes. But they don't speak as you and I do. Instead they vibrate their tongues to make sounds. The magic simply transfers that into words that we can understand. There's long been a theory that it also gives the snakes some intelligence in order to let them answer, but how exactly would you try to figure that part out?" Harry said, already turning away from Yasaka to look at Kunou as he spoke.

Kunou thought that sounded pretty interesting, but asked what snakes would have to talk about. "I mean, the best spots to sunbathe? What the weather is like? What they ate last?" She wrinkled her little nose. "That doesn't sound very interesting to me."

"It isn't," Harry said with a smile, ignoring the massive blush Yasaka was sporting right now.

Holy hell! I want him even more now! Despite that, Yasaka was able to go along with the conversation. Being a parent was fantastic for teaching you how to multi-task. "If you want silly conversations between animals, try to listen to birds sometimes! It's always about my tree, my tree! Or my nest or something mindless like that. They sound pretty, but they are really quite airheaded."

"Well most bird heads are rather small," Harry said judiciously. "And not all of them are that's silly. I had a familiar name Hedwig and she was by far the brightest owl or perhaps even one of the brightest people I've ever met."

"That would be because of the familiar magic," Kunou said, looking over at her mother. "That's how it works right?"

"Youkai have familiars?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Sometimes," Yasaka said with a nod. "But tell us about Hedwig. I don't know of anyone who's had an owl familiar before. We normally use falcons, hawks and foxes in our clan. The last is rather cliche, but what can you do?"

That conversation segued into one about what it would be like to live with Harry, at least for a while before the teleportation network Rias would be installing between the Potter's home and Yasaka's mansion. Harry wanted to make sure though that it wouldn't interfere with the already existing ward structure, and that there could be some defenses on it to make certain that no one could travel between the two places that were weren't allowed to, much like the one Rias was already planning to put in between the Gremory peerage's house and the Potter's. That, Harry confided, was still giving Rias conniptions. There just isn't enough time in the day to work on all of the projects we want to be working on defense-wise."

Kunou waved that off. Like Lily had with her most recent escapade, Kunou had put her near-kidnapping well behind her, and was eager to learn more about living with Harry. "Will Loup live with us?"

"Loup, Koneko who you've already met, and a new girl around Koneko's age named Asia who we've taken in. You'll learn more about her when you meet her, but Asia's very nice, and is studying to so that she can go to school soon to. However, that means you're going to have to share a room. Do you mind that?"

Kunou smiled eagerly, her eyes going big and sparkling which caused Harry to laugh and he reached over to poke her forehead. "That's a spell I've seen before kiddo, and the real version is a lot better."

Kunou ignored that, smacking his hand away to his continue beaming up at him with those big soulful eyes. "Could, could we have bunk beds, pleaeeeasssee?"

Harry paused, cocking his head thoughtfully. "That actually is a good idea. Yes, we can definitely look into bunk beds. Perhaps creating a framed bunk bed, which will let Lily keep the bed she has, and then add the frame around it, with the other bed right over it? That's something I'll have to think about." In fact, Harry would have to talk to Akeno about that, since she seemed to more knowledgeable than Harry or the others when it came to furniture.

"Speaking of," Harry said suddenly, pulling out a small pouch, and then from within the pouch pulling out a large watch. "This is the watch I was telling you about. Kunou, can I have a single piece of your hair for a moment? I'm going to do some magic."

Kunou quickly scrambled out of her chair and raced around it to stand beside Harry's seat, until he reached down and plucked her up, setting her on the table next to him. He then held the watch out so that both she and her mother could see. After explaining Harry took the small hair Kunou picked out from her head, and let it hover over the clock for a moment, before looking at Kunou's mother. "As Kunou's mother, do I have your permission to do this?" he said formally.

Smiling at that bit of formality, Yasaka nodded and watched as Harry slowly lowered Kunou's hair toward the watch in his other hand. The watch's face glowed briefly, and the surface seemed to shimmer, absorbing the hair. Then the hair was gone and the clock, returned to the original face, only now there were words interspersed on it: Home, School, The Potter's, and Danger, with the last being in red colors. "Since I only had a week to work on it, and of course all of my other projects to keep going, it's a relatively simple one, but it works at least," Harry said handing it over to Yasaka, who happily wrapped it around her wrist.

"Thank you for this Harry," she said sweetly, leaning over the table to give him a peck on the lips. He backed away, although Yasaka could tell from his body language that he was attracted to her. It was only the fact that he was loyal to Rias, and his own reluctance to become involved with another woman that kept him from doing so. That actually made her more attractive in her eyes, not less.

"Can that bag of yours carry other things, even things that are technically larger than it?" When Harry nodded, Yasaka went on. "In that case Kunou, why don't you go get your bags and things. That way, you won't have any luggage."

The three of them walked to the trip train station through the forest and the Youkai-only area out into Kyoto proper, with Kunou's still asking questions a mile a minute both about Lily, and about going to school. As they walked, Yasaka looked down at her watch, and saw that it had indeed twisted away from home, and was slightly off it now between it and the Potters.

"It's not very accurate when you're traveling," Harry said apologetically. "There's nothing I can do about that."

"It's fine Harry, this is more than enough. I also have something for you, though it isn't anything as nice." She held up a folder, putting it in Harry's hand. "This is the information that Rias and Sona asked me for, information about churches that are no longer being used, areas where my people have reported seeing magic, and the names of people within the Onmyodo side of things. Your worry that someone there could be have been suborned Is possibly accurate I think given the number of places some of the magic my people have reported where it should have brought some physical response, but there wasn't one. I'd follow that up if I were you."

With a final kiss to her daughter's cheek and a tight hug, Yasaka bade them both farewell as they stepped onto the train, staying there as it pulled out of the station. Then she yipped like a fox again, ignoring the looks from those around her as she turned back towards home. More progress, Hah!

OOOOOOO

It'd taken some time for Hermione and Padma to get back into the swing of things after coming back from India and Lavender's wedding. It had been a magnificent affair and a highly emotional one since Padma had not talked to either of her parents since her sexual orientation had come out. Ironically enough, it appeared as if her father had been all right with it but her mother had not been which baffled Hermione at first until she learned that the woman came from a part of India that was even more backwards than most of the Wizarding World in general.

Still, Hermione had finally been able to get away from the house and work for a day to head to Britain and see her old friend Tonks. Once in London it took her no time at all to find the small apartment that Tonks and her son lived in. Though why they live in an apartment rather than one of the Black Estates I have no idea! I know Harry told them they could move in whenever they wanted. Too many bad memories I suppose. They had no problems living with Harry and Ginny occasionally, but I suppose Tonks simply wants to be independent. Silly girl.

Hermione paused before knocking, chuckling to herself. "I just called her silly girl when she's what, Seven years older than me? Not that she ever acts her age," Hermione defended herself, knocking on the door.

Edward (Teddy to his friends) Tonks answered the door, and Hermione smiled down at him. "Hello Teddy, how are you today?"

"I'm fine Hermione," he said with a smile, opening the door wider to let her in. "Are you here to see mum?"

"Indeed I am, I have news about Uncle Harry," she said, waggling her eyebrows and Ted's smiled happily.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her inside leading the way through the house towards the sitting room where they found Dora laid out on the couch, bits of a newspaper over her head, and a drink of something nearby. The sound of snores could be heard underneath the newspaper, which Hermione noted, was the page from the wanted ads.

"And how long has she been like this?" Hermione asked.

"She came home late last night," Teddy said with the innocence and directness of youth. "She was muttering something under her breath, but she muted herself when she saw me and then started ranting!" Teddy pulled at Hermione's hand and she leaned down so the twelve-year-old could whisper into her ear conspiratorially. "I think she was saying a lot of bad words. She didn't even wake up for breakfast, and I was able to have leftover pizza! It was so yummy."

"I have no doubt," Hermione said with a chuckle, ruffling his hair again, before turning and staring at Tonks.

Tonks wasn't a horrible mother, she didn't neglect Teddy and she made sure the boy had everything he needed in terms, clothes, food, that sort of thing. She even always made time for him as much as she could since she also worked, which Hermione always admired. But in terms of role models in Hermione's view Tonks left quite a bit to be desired. And the less said about how she handled Teddy as a baby, the better, she thought now.

With Andromeda and her Theodore along with Remus some of the last casualties in the war against Voldemort, it fell on Tonk's friends to help her with her child. Harry had had to step in at that point, as had Molly, because as decent as Tonks would become with Teddy later, she had been utterly unable to deal with a baby. And occasionally she seemed to revert back to type. Especially at moments where she's taken a recent negative jolt to the system.

With a sigh, Hermione reached into her purse and pulled out her wand, flicking it towards Tonks several times, enunciating "Wingardium Leviosa. The first one removed the drink, sending it flying through the air and into the nearby kitchen, where it landed with a bit of a crash into the sink. With Teddy giggling next to her, she then lifted the newspaper off her friend, and then created a glob of water right above Tonks's head via an Aguamenti and Leviosa chain. "Tonks," she said in a cool calm voice. "You have precisely 3 seconds to wake up, or deal with the consequences!"

Tonks twisted, raising one hand over her head, allowing Hermione to notice that her hair was now its normal black shade, which it apparently changed into when Tonks was asleep. "Go away," she muttered.

"Two," Hermione said, with Teddy now laughing aloud next-door as he continued to watch the show. "One." With that, she flicked her wand again, and sent the small glob of water down into Tonks's face.

Tonks gasped and sputtered, pushing upright, her wand coming out of its holster on her wrist and pointing at Hermione with lethal intent. "What, what the," But hearing the sound of her son laughing at her, she then brushed the water out of her face rather than attack, instead glaring at Hermione. What the heck was that for!?"

"I wanted to wake you up," Hermione said simply. It's pushing three in the afternoon after all. And this one said he had pizza for breakfast, so I rather doubt you have anything in your kitchen for lunch." She pulled out a small bottle holding it out. "I also come with a gift too."

Tonks twitched; looking away guiltily then reached forward and ruffled her son's hair, pulling him into an affectionate hug. Sorry about that Teddy, I'll order us in something right quick." As Teddy smiled up at her, Tonks then took the potion, swigging it down instantly and letting it get rid of her hangover.

"Or you could come with me back to my place," Hermione said with a shrug. "I remember you both like Indian food, and today's Padma's turn to cook."

"As long as it's not yours," Teddy said, again with the innocent straightforwardness of youth. "You're okay when you make soups and things like that, but if you make anything beyond sandwiches, they look and taste weird, or just plain burnt."

"Ouch!" Hermione muttered, sending a tiny stinging hex towards Teddy who dodged out of her line of sight with a laugh hopping over the couch and his mother. "But if you expect me to share Padma's lovely cooking with a dirty little boy like you, think again! You have to go and take a shower first."

"Alright!" Teddy said hopping out from behind the sofa and racing away. "Be right back!"

As Tonks's son left, she scratched her neck looking away sheepishly. "Thanks for that," she muttered at last, before turning back to look at Hermione. "But what brings you here?"

"I was going to tell you about how my trip to Harry's new place in Japan went actually," Hermione replied sitting down by Tonks's legs and crossing her legs as she leaned back staring at her older though so much more immature friend thoughtfully. I wonder, is it because of her metamorphic powers that her mind simply did not grow to match her physical age? "Be glad it was me, and it wasn't Saturday yet," she said.

"Yeah," Tonks muttered, looking away again. "That would've been bad."

Molly Weasley came over to check up on her and Teddy every Saturday, mainly to continue cooking lessons for Tonks and because she had gotten into that habit when Teddy was a baby. Unlike Hermione however, she had no patience whatsoever for Tonks's relapses to how she was when she was simply single rather than single mother.

"But what caused this, might I ask?" Hermione asked.

Tonks huffed irritably, waving her hand expansively. "I was called on the carpet again for bringing in a perp without enough due process. I caught him casing out the house with a freaking magical spyglass, and all they were willing to slap on him was a fine for voyeurism! Stupid idiots. Then I kind of, sort of, mouthed off to my supervisor. He went for his wand, and I put him through a wall."

She sounded proud of that last and she probably should be, Hermione reflected, in a sick, twisted way. Tonks was many things, but one thing she was most certainly was a war hero. She was well respected for her physical abilities of all sorts, and was one of the fastest wand-drawers Hermione had ever seen. Indeed, if Teddy hadn't been laughing right next to her, Hermione would never even attempted to wake Tonks up as she had for fear of her own life. Hermione might have a far vaster spell repertoire then Tonks, but she didn't have her speed or sheer ruthlessness.

But what Tonks didn't have was a great respect for authority any longer. What little respect for authority Tonks might once have had disappeared during the war years, with good reason Hermione knew. But she had not regained it since save for in the person of Shacklebolt which caused quite a bit of friction completely understandably from both sides. "So you are suspended?"

When the other woman winced Hermione frowned. "Tonks, you were just suspended right?" she asked gently

"No," Tonks muttered. "This was my third warning Hermione." She confided. "This wasn't the first time I argued with a superior, or brought in a perp without due process."

"Ah," Hermione muttered, sinking into the sofa, looking a little stunned. "They, they fired you? They fired a war hero like you!"

"I don't think I gave them a choice 'mione," Tonks said. "You don't… well just look at the rest of the newspaper."

Hermione did so, not having noticed that the rest of the newspaper was actually on the small coffee table next to the large sofa. She picked it up, and there on the front line was 'Respected war hero goes crazy, public duel with superior' as the large headline, accompanied by moving pictures of course. "It was in public!?"

"Not really," Tonks said with a shrug. "But after I put him through the wall, the rest of the Auror Department certainly saw."

Hermione blinked then her eyes narrowed. "And exactly how many of them tried to stop you?"

"Six," Tonks said with a grin, "I put down five of them before the last one got smart and called in Shacklebolt. He talked me down from my little fit of rage."

"Who was the perpetrator?" Hermione said with a sigh.

"One of the Crabbe cousins," Tonks said, "one of those who would have joined the war if it went on for long enough. You know the type."

"I do indeed, but you can't profile like that," Hermione said, reaching out and taking her older friend's hand and squeezing it. "A lot of people in Britain, France, even Italy just want to move on Tonks. Most of them have learned and we have to be respectful of that and respectful of the law if we want them to be held to the same standards."

"I know! And I even know I sort of was wrong here, but dammit, that house had three little kids in it. And you know what kind of bastard his cousin and uncle were!" Tonks groaned.

"I know, and hopefully your finding him in something so small will scare him back to the straight and narrow. But your overreaction was indeed an overreaction, with a few dozen exclamation points added on the end," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Yep, I even released a statement saying that. That perhaps my mind is too clouded with the past yada, yada, and that the Auror department needs to look for the future, rather than to those of us who whose instincts are cast first and ask questions never. It always amazes me that Shacklebolt was able to move on with his life so quickly. But then again, he had already lived through one of the wars didn't he?"

Hermione shrugged. "I still have nightmares of the war; I don't think any of us who came through it came through with the same mindset as we entered it, not Shacklebolt, and not even Harry."

"Yeah you mentioned him earlier, what's up with the old boy?"

"That 'old boy' is my age remember! Younger even!" Hermione said with a laugh. "And if you're calling me old, I don't care how good you are with a wand I will call you out!"

Tonks laughed, but asked, "Seriously how is he doing? I saw him briefly right after the divorce avalanche got rolling down hill, then I had to do some undercover work down Worchester way, and I wasn't around when he left town. Teddy was, but he was being looked after by Molly at the time, and…"

"And Molly took her darling daughter's side of things. I could possibly say that was a good sign of loyalty there, but it should not have been an unequivocal thing. In any event, Harry is doing well. He is a teacher there of course, and has contacted with some of the local magicals, including whom I assume were examples of the local nonhuman magical community."

"What makes you say that?" Tonks asked her eyes narrowing at something in Hermione's voice.

"…The young woman in question is…well… she's drop-dead gorgeous," Hermione said with a shake of her head. "Think of Fleur with her for allure on Max, and then add a few inches to her bust line."

"So that was jealousy I detected!" Tonks said with a grin, leaning back and shifting her body slightly, her chest slowly expanding as she spoke. "Tell me when," she said with a laugh.

This went on for a bit longer than Tonks had anticipated and when Hermione rather jokingly said 'stop', she looked down at herself and whistled. "Wow! That is pretty good. How old is she? I mean I know fully grown women in their thirties who're this size, but I didn't think Harry was the type to go for the older woman."

"In fact it's quite the opposite. She is only pushing nineteen according to them, and the fact she's one of Harry's students. She does have a certain maturity," Hermione said, looking at Tonks as the Metamorph blinked in shock, her eyes going wider than should have been physically possible and her hair standing straight up in shock, going to orange and then red. "In fact I could say she's your exact opposite in that area."

Tonks responded appropriately to this by giving her the finger but seemed to calm down and Hermione went on. "But, I would say she's intelligent, mature, and very good with Lily, which is a big thing as you know."

Tonks nodded, understanding the point. Harry had wanted a family and been a doting father for Lily from practically the moment Ginny gave birth to her. Heck, he had almost been a surrogate father to Teddy too after Remus had died. "Sounds like a match made in heaven?" She said aloud, her tone making that a question.

"Perhaps, however I was wondering if you would like to give her the familial stamp of approval? After all, I could barely stay there more for more than twenty-four hours before having to leave again to get to the wedding."

At that Tonks laughed. "Are you sure you don't want to use me to make her miserable because you're jealous?" she asked, gesturing down to her chest again even as she began to shrink it back to its normal size, a Pert B pushing C-cup that was just above Hermione's.

"I'm positive," Hermione said with a half-smile. "I actually quite like the girl admittedly, given the way she turned all of my anger at the fact they are teacher and student aside. But, that doesn't mean that I think she's innocent. Indeed, there was something about her that was rather mysterious. And if you can embarrass Harry, Rias Gremory, that's her name and get to the bottom of that mystery that will be two birds with one Tonks-shaped stone."

Tonks chuckled, and then nodded as Teddy joined them. "I'll think about it, and maybe, maybe I'll even decide to follow Harry's example. There're too many old faces here, too many memories. Maybe a fresh start somewhere else is just what I need too."

Scene break

Thanks to Yasaka's planning the trip between Kyoto and Kuoh went by quickly. Not once was Kunou left bored, and she and Harry got to know one another as best they could while Harry told Kunou about Asia and Koneko while also telling her what he would expect of her: clean up after yourself, brush your teeth, don't go near strangers and of course, keep your grades up in school or prepare to lose privileges. Parenting wasn't all sweetness and light after all. Despite that warning though, Kunou was now looking forward to living with the Potter's, and for more than seeing Lily again.

Opening the door to his house, Harry sniffed once and could tell that everyone, including Kiba, was here. Kiba must have been read into the wards by Koneko. "Everyone, I'm back."

Rias and Lily moved out of the sitting room and that with Rias moving up to Harry in giving him a light kiss on the lips before moving Akeno now do the same as Rias knelt down to the young kitsune who had started to hide behind Harry's leg as everyone piled out of the various first floor rooms until she saw Lily and Loup. The sight of them stopped her motion. "Hello Kunou-chan, it's good to see you again.""

"You too Miss," Kunou said, holding her hand out seriously and shaking Rias like she should, though wondering why the girl was lips were twitching as she did.

She stood up, still holding Kunou's hand, leading her over to the rest, asking Harry who fell into step beside them. "I trust everything went well?"

"Very well actually. Yasaka handed over some more information about places where her people have noticed magic occurring without any attempt at a physical cover up from the locals. She gave me a few names to follow up on the Wizard world side of things too." Harr smiled thinly. "Although there were a few other things that happened I'll want to talk to you and Akeno about later."

Just then Lily raced down the stairs, leaping and bearing the young kitsune to the ground with an exuberant hug. "Kunou!"

Kunou was just as exuberantly hugging the red head to her even as they rolled around on the carpet. "Lily! You smell a little different, and you're stronger too!"

"Yep! A lot of stuff happened," Lily said, "Some good some of it bad." She shrugged, linking arms with Kunou before looking at her daddy. "Can we go play?"

"Of course honey, but let's go to your room first. As you know rooms are kind of scarce right now, so she'll be sharing a room with you." Lily's eyes widened at that, and he nodded. "In fact, she mentioned the idea of a bunk bed, and I thought that might be an interesting idea to follow up."

Lily's eyes gleamed at the very idea. "That sounds like fun!"

"Have you ever transfigured a bunk bed before Harry?" Akeno said, looking at him quizzically.

"No, and I wouldn't want to try with a bunkbed. Complex things like that can't really be transfigured correctly, especially if you want the pieces to come apart later. You have to transfigure each part, and then fit them all together rather than transfigure the entire thing it in one piece. Of course you could always put that off, use magic to separate it into pieces then. Now, will just look at the room for a bit, then I'll research bunk beds and see what kinds there are."

This segued into the two girls roughhousing on Lily's bed, with many a happy little growl and yip coming from them. Despite being in human or near human form, some things carried over, and even before she had gotten in touch consciously with her werewolf side lily had been a very rough and tumble sort of girl.

Rolling his eyes, Harry however got down to business, figuring out what kind of bunk bed could fit in that room without more expansion charms, and if such were needed how much work it would be. A permanent expansion array would not be too difficult, but one thing that such expanded areas could not do was lighting. For example, the wires in the wall would shift and expand, but the plugs coming out of the wall would not duplicate themselves. It wasn't much of a consideration, the lighting was good enough already that Harry wouldn't need any more plugs or anything similar.

"Harry," Rias said, coming up behind him and putting her arms around his waist as she looked over his shoulder at the room, "I understand that the two girls seem to think sharing a room will be fine, but are you sure that won't go away in time?"

"Maybe once they become teenagers, but I don't know."

"It's going to take a lot of time or money to set this up though," Rias said. "And time too. I still think that you would be better served simply moving to a larger house."

They had been having this argument for a while now almost since Koneko had moved in with Harry, along with a few others. None of them had been emotional affairs or shouting matches, instead they argued about the house, how to use their time, if Lily needed to spend more time on her studying, what magical project needed more priority, and a few others. Rias wanted to put more emphasis on training her peerage, but Harry wanted obviously to concentrate their work on the defensive side of things. They were simple differences of opinion, not real arguments, but both of them were actually happy they could talk their way through them.

Harry had won last that argument, but Rias was slowly wearing him down on the house thing. At this point it was the fact he still loved the small backyard with its pond and tree, as well as his own stubbornness that kept him arguing about it. After all, adding an entirely new bathroom was something his magic was ill suited for. I wonder if I can find out what wards Hogwarts used for some of its plumbing?

"The time might be an issue since I'll want to use talismans to make it permanent, those are easier to change the dimensions of the area affected rather than the runes of European Wizards." Harry said aloud, pushing his previous thought aside. "However the money's no object. I have quite a bit of money actually."

Rias paused, pulling away to look at him as something about that statement bothered her for some reason. "Really, is it working for you?"

"What do you mean working for me, how can money wok for me? It's just sitting there of course."

Rias frowned at that, shaking her head. "We'll come back to that topic later," she said definitively. "If you have as much money as you seem to be indicating you should put it to work. Now," she said briskly, "Let's see that attic. After all,eventually you might need room for Akeno and me too if we decide to move in with you, and then it will be even more crowded."

"If our relationship gets to that point, why do you think you'll have a separate room from mine?" Harry said, leaning down to kiss her.

Rias however laughed and backed away, gesturing Harry to show the way. "Oh, both of us at once Harry, every night? That's rather ambitious of you isn't it?"

"Heh," Harry said, though he still obeyed her request, moving away. "I don't know about that. After all, I was a just a werewolf, a species known for their endurance, and then I absorbed Manannán's powers and some of his abilities. 'Randy as a god' remember?"

To that, Rias now blushing almost as red as her hair, had no answer.

Scene break

Kunou went to school that Monday with Lily, coming home with exuberant stories about how she met so many people, and made a few friends already. Harry was not surprised by this of course. Despite her blondish hair, Kunou was very obviously of Japanese descent, and she was as bright and outgoing as Lily was. They were the kind of girls who would always be able to gather friends easily, as well as rivals.

With that though, Koneko, Mittelt and Kalawarner nearby, Harry felt safe enough to start dating. He began to plan a group date along the lines Akeno was hoping for but before he could finalize things, the trio's relationship suddenly took a large step forward.

That Friday Sona and Rias's peerage and Harry's household met up at the Occult Research Clubroom for a party. The defensive array's design and planning had finally been completed. All that was left would be to emplace it around the town and empower it, which would take all the magically inclined individuals a full day's worth of work, and would leave them drained even so. At the same time, Rias, who had taken a step away from this work, had finalized the changes she would need to make to her family's teleportation network in order to provide security to them. Because of these two breakthroughs, the two Kings and Harry all decided it was time for a party.

Putting a large tray of finger food, Harry smiled over at Rias and Kala, who had also been doing the cooking, as Akeno out had been handling the drinks: numerous types of tea, fruit drinks, and in one corner wine for the older members, a bottle specially selected from Rias's storehouse.

Sona smiled at them all as she led her peerage through the door. "We're right on time I see."

"It all looks wonderful, Potter-sensei," Tsubaki said, sitting down quickly next to her King, smiling brightly at Kiba, who returned the smile with a nod of his head gently sitting next to her taking her hand in his. The two of them hadn't much time together since work on the defensive wards started, which Tsubaki begrudged even though she had gotten close to Harry and snuck a few lessons on local magic from him under her King's nose.

The two of them would leave the party early for a date, where Tsubaki had promised to make up for it. Kiba wasn't certain what that pertain, and had earlier asked Harry for advice on it. Harry told him, "Don't push, don't let her feel uncomfortable, unless she's giving signs that you think mean that you need to do something of your own. In that event, be prepared for her to either shake her head or indicate you're doing something too quickly. All girls are different, but I get the impression that Tsubaki is one who would prefer to take things slow and romantic, judging from the reaction to that little performance I helped you put on. Remember that, and also remember to give her as much attention as she gives you, if you know what I mean."

Kiba had blushed at that, but nodded. "It would be rather rude not to."

"I always think so boyo," Harry said had said with a laugh ending the conversation with a slap to the younger man's shoulder.

Rias smiled at her friend, and then gestured to Kunou, Loup and Asia. "Ladies and gentlemen," she said, smiling at Loup, Harry and Saji who were very badly outnumbered by the large group of girls. "This is Loup, Harry and Kunou, a representative of and the daughter of the leader of the Yokai Association. Loup is here to go to college, while Kunou is here to go to school with young Lily, who befriended her during the escapade In Kyoko. And this is Asia who is studying to join her own peer group here at Kuoh academy. She'll be joining us in December," Rias said smiling at the young not who smiled brightly, looked around happily as everyone else greeted her warmly.

The three newcomers waved and Saji moved over to Asia, taking her hand bending over lightly to kiss the back of it. "Milady, your loveliness knows no bounds, just as many of the women around us; you will surely fit right in here."

"Ohoh," Harry muttered, glaring at the young blond boy while Asia flushed. "I see I'll have to watch you closely, won't I?"

Watching Rias leaned over to her friend. "I take it that you and Saji aren't dating?" After that first day, she hadn't really had time to tease her friend about her new family member.

"Not at all," Sona said, waving that off easily. "He's not my type, not quite intelligent enough, and certainly not loyal enough. Oh, he is loyal as part of my peerage, but he has roving eyes as you can see. And unlike you, I don't think I am emotionally capable of sharing."

"It's not as easy as I try to make it seem sometimes," Rias said, looking over to where Akeno was attempting to flirt with Harry though he had turned his attention away and was answering a question from one of Sona's family members, while Lilly Kunou and a few others are nearby, talking about games and drinking fruit juices. "I think both of us are dealing with a few issues of jealousy occasionally."

Later, as Harry turned away from that conversation with Kiba, Koneko, Kunou and Lily about training, and whether or not the two young girls should start to learn how to wield swords. Harry thought that going through the motions of such a thing was a good idea, though he wasn't about to put any kind of sharp object beyond a cooking knife in his daughter's hand, and even then not often. There was a reason why he had sent her away every time Kalawarner tried to teach her how to cook. Seeing Lily or even Kunou there (though Kunou didn't enjoy cooking) like that brought back memories of the times when he'd been forced into that role at that same age.

Looking around as Kiba moved over to join Tsubaki by the door Harry noticed that Mittelt was smirking at Rias, was blushing and glaring at her. Moving over, he sat down next to his girlfriend, noticing that nearby Akeno looked on, positively gleeful. Kalawarner's lips were twitching and she was smirking at Rias too. What's this all about?

Mittelt had been planning her revenge on Rias's laughing at her that first time they had talked about fashions in anime and she had said she should be getting paid royalties. That morning she had sprung it in the form of the first cosplay suits she had prepared, to show Rias she could do it. "I don't know what you're so unhappy about Ojou-sama," Mittelt said caustically, her face somehow trying to twist into a look of innocence, and failing utterly. "After all, I gave you what I wanted didn't I? Two cosplay outfits fit to order for you and Akeno."

"I asked you to give me cosplay outfits, not fetish outfits!" Rias growled back, her face reddening slightly.

"But those are cosplay outfits. You never specified what kind of cosplay outfit you wanted, and when I looked online, those suits were some of the most famous." Mittelt said, still trying to sound like she was her physical age and still failing miserably.

"What outfits are these?" Harry asked, sensing something funny or sexy, he wasn't certain which.

"Ara, there's a thought." Akeno said, jumping in, her eyes alight with amusement. "I vote that Harry take a look at us in those outfits, and we have him decide whether or not the suits are accurate."

Rias blinked, and then shared a look with Akeno before nodding. "That's a thought. Harry, would you mind officiating? We can even attempt to dress up as the characters in question."

For a second Kalawarner looked as if she was going to say something then visibly bit it back, leaning back and watching as Harry simply shrugged. "Sure, that sounds like fun, though I'll have to research this particular anime of yours before agreeing."

"Cool," Rias said, carefully, calmly. "We'll stop by later tonight then. As for the anime, its name is…"

Unfortunately for Harry, even after they left the party Kunou and Lily were still energetic, hopping around all around them, high on sugar. Koneko and Asia helped to keep them moving towards the Potter's home, but they were still bouncing around by the time they arrived, which Harry responded to by taking them out back. Illuminating the yard with a few floating lights, Harry played with the two girls, with Asia looking on and laughing as Harry tossed them around, even Koneko when she joined in. While as a Rook she had a lot of strength that hadn't made her any heavier, and Harry could match her strength or even exceed it if he really tried.

It was pushing elven by the time he had them tired out enough to head back inside, where he turned them over to Asia and Koneko for a bath. The bath on the first floor had been enlarged to allow several of the girls to use it at once, which came in handy now.

"Can I trust you two to get these two puppies into bed?" Harry asked Asia and Koneko.

Ignoring Kunou's whine of 'not a puppy but a kit', Koneko nodded while pulling off her shirt, uncaring of Harry seeing her in her undershirt. True to what she thought, Harry simply rubbed her head, causing her to purr, before winking at Asia. "Alright, I'll see you four tomorrow okay?"

"Hai!" Asia and Koneko said, while Lily and Kunou, both stripped down, passed them and raced into the bathing area. "Wait you two, have to wash first!" Koneko said, racing after them, with Asia following.

Chuckling Harry made his way up to his room in the attic, only to pause as the back door opened. Rias and Akeno stood there in trench-coats, tightly closed. "Oh, right. Sorry you two, I wasn't able to research the anime you wanted me to. The kids were too darn rambunctious, and we had to tire them out."

"That, that's fine Harry," Rias said moving forward and taking his hand, pulling him toward the trapdoor to the attic. "You can still see them now, that's…more important than if we actually look like the characters. After all, Akeno refuses to do anything to her hair, and Rei Ayanami has short blue hair. And I have a copy of the graphic novel with me anyway."

Realizing this was about more than simply seeing if the outfit Mittelt made matched the original, Harry nodded, reaching out to pull both girls into hugs before reaching up to pull down the trapdoor. Pulling it down, he ushered the girls up, one eyebrow rising as he noticed the leggings they were wearing looked to be skintight.

Up in his room Rias looked around for moment, smiling. The attic had been raised somewhat, but still showed the steeped ceiling, and Harry had placed several dozen pictures of his daughter around on bookshelves, along with numerous books. Among them were pictures of his friends, both new and old, including one Rias remembered that Lily had taken when she and Harry had started to meet in the morning. Akeno was there too, smiling into the camera as she turned from making tea in their clubroom, as was Asia, blushing as she and Koneko stood at the kitchen table, another picture Lily had taken.

There was even one of Kunou, which he had taken her first day at elementary school. "Did you send that one to Yasaka? I imagine she would love it." Rias asked, moving over to look at the pictures, and then the bed and the light set to one side. That too was an interesting affair, a long, burnished metal frame twisted this way and that, with a central paper covered light.

{Lime start}

"I did, she said she loved it…" Harry's voice trailed off as Akeno decided to get things rolling, and stripped off her trench-coat.

His eyes widened as Akeno revealed what she was wearing underneath: a skintight white outfit, with black bits and lines on it that made it look like a it was made of some kind of formfitting armor. Around her wrist were built up as well, almost like handcuffs underneath the latex and two yellow bits, the suit including tight gloves of the same color. Portions of the front of the arms were black as well, and there was a red accent line around the tight neckline. There were also bits that looked reinforced underneath the chest area. Here and there were what looked like strange sockets at the shoulders and other parts.

Blushing Rias joined her friend, showing she wore a similar outfit, though hers was red instead of white. The black portions on the arm were the same, and the yellow bits on Akeno's suit were instead orange, and there was no red line around the neck.

But this was all beside the point in consideration to the main, important point: that both suits were so skintight, they looked more like body paint for the most part. Bloody hell, I've seen both of them wear jeans that looked like they'd have to use machinery to get into them, but this is ridiculous!

Akeno and Rias's chests were held up by the 'armor' underneath almost obscenely, each breast thrust forward like a separate treat waiting to be feasted on. The latex outfits were so tight both young women's nipples and areolae were visible, and their labia too. Rias, Harry knew from experience, had areolae a little larger than a British pound, but he could also tell that she was turned on now, her nipples sticking out mouth-wateringly. And down below, Harry could see the lips of her pussy. From what he could see, she had smaller lips than Ginny had, but that was about all.

Akeno had both larger breasts and nipples than Rias, Harry could see, with a slightly larger areola as well. Down below, Harry could see she had larger lips too, though not by much. She too was also aroused intensely right now, since her white suit showed this even more clearly than Rias's red suit. She was also slightly thinner in the thighs, but her rear was just a tiny bit larger too.

"We, we're supposed to be Rei and Asuka, two robot pilots from Evangelion. It's not an anime I'd recommend for Lily, but even so, um, you can see why I didn't think these suits were… well," Rias stammered, blushing hotly but feeling almost as turned on now as she had been on the date where Harry had gotten her off. This was one of her fantasies, although admittedly she would have liked Harry to have been dressed as Shinji too. Later, we can try that kind of thing later.

"Yes… I can see that," Harry murmured, sitting down on the side of the bed. "Come here," he half-stated, half-ordered. Both girls did so, sitting down on either side of him, and he brought his hands up to first Rias's body, then Akeno's as he leaned in for a kiss. Akeno kissed him back ardently as Harry's hands played with Rias, his fingers sinking into her latex covered chest, kneading and caressing.

While Akeno was being seen to a second later, Rias began to unbuckle Harry's belt, pulling his shirt out, then undoing the buttons of his shirt, pushing it off. Opening her eyes Akeno saw this and grinned salaciously, her body beginning to thrum with lust, almost as much as she had felt 'taking care of herself' after Harry had dealt with the Perverted Trio months ago. "Mmm, such nice definition you have, sensei~!"

"Can't you just, mm, damn, can't you just call me Harry now?" Harry asked plaintively, kissing Rias and then Akeno between each word, one hand on Rias's chest, the other on Akeno's as the girls began to caress his chest and stomach.

Akeno's chest was just as responsive to Harry's touch as Rias, though larger by at least three centimeters. His fingers sank in deeper and his hand could not cover nearly as much of her breast as it could with Rias. Her nipples also poked just a little less than Rias's did.

For her part Rias was greatly enjoying this, feeling her body respond to Harry's touch like it had before. But she was also determined to not let Harry do all the work this time. Instead, even as she kissed Harry back as ardently as she possibly could, her fingers went down to Harry's pants, unbuttoning them.

At one point Harry might have objected to this about still going too fast. But that had been weeks ago, weeks spent flirting, getting to know one another and everything else couples were supposed to do. Further, he knew both these women were old enough to make their own decisions. However he did pull back enough to mutter, "Not going to go all the way tonight, not romantic enough."

While Akeno moaned disappointment, unable to create words while Harry's fingers started to play with her nipples through the latex, Rias just nodded. "The suits stay on of course, and they don't have easy access like that, Mittelt made it accurate in that."

Blinking, Harry found his thoughts bounced onto a side track for a moment. "Wait, these suits are that accurate? I am never letting my daughter see this anime!"

As he finished speaking, Rias pushed him to lie on his back pulling Harry's pants off. She then stared at what was revealed as Akeno, still moaning her own pleasure, looked down as well. "Mmmmm, Harry-sensei~, what have we here?"

Needless to say, Harry's 'little wand' was at full attention straining at his boxers, and it wasn't so little. Reaching forward, Akeno and Rias could both get a hand around the tent with room to spare both above and between. They could feel Harry's manhood through the thin cotton, hot and pulsing, and Akeno seemed to almost lose herself in desire, simply staring at it intently. But for a moment Rias could only say, "Thank goodness you're not a tighty-whitey man. I don't think I could have taken that."

Blinking, Harry laughed pulling Rias down into a kiss while Akeno giggled. While the other two kissed, their tongues dueling and lips making audible smacking noises and Rias started to make little breathy moaning noises, Akeno began to pump her hand up and down, bumping into Rias's and a forcing her to concentrate on that too.

Then it was Akeno's turn to lose concentration on the matter at hand as Harry sat up to take one of her latex clad nipples into his mouth, his other hand dipping down to trace Rias's rear. He tried to take as much of her breast into his mouth as he could first sucking, his tongue lathering at the latex. Harry didn't actually like the taste all that much, but could deal with it for now, since so much of the sensation he was causing seemed to travel through it to Akeno.

Turning to one side, Rias stared down at Harry's bulge, now threatening either to break through the fly or simply burst the cotton; Rias's lust-fuddled mind couldn't decide which was more likely. "Poor man, someone needs some relief…" she cooed, reaching forward now with both hands, pumping them up and down.

Akeno wasn't one to just idly let someone else take the lead though, and she started to rake her nails through first Harry's hair, then down his bare back. She pouted slightly as he left the breast he had been nibbling on only to sigh as he moved over to the other one, starting to play with it more forcefully, though still not quite enough for Akeno. She grabbed one of his hands and pushed it between her legs, then began to try and concentrate enough to concentrate on a low-key lightning spell.

It worked, but Harry growled, pulling away to give her a glare, his hands stilling and even pulling away. The pain had not heightened his pleasure. Instead, it had been a turn-off, reminding him of other, far less pleasant things. Akeno blanched, but then his look changed and he leaned up, kissing her on the lips again, his tongue plunging into her mouth as his fingers down below started to caress her cleft through the plug suit. She whimpered and he pulled back, muttering, "None of that."

With that Harry turned his attention on Rias, leaning down to kiss her while she kept her hands moving up and down his shaft over his boxers. Pouting Akeno joined in, one hand rubbing the top of his shaft, her fingers dipping slightly into the slit of his fly around the one button keeping it close, feeling his cock with her fingers, like steel under a thin, hot veneer of flesh.

Accepting Akeno's apology, Harry divided his attention once more, his hands diving between both ladies legs and beginning to trace their labia, now expanded by their arousal. Soon enough it became almost a race to see who would finish first.

Looking up from her work with Harry, Rias decided to help her friend along and reached over, her small hands almost disappearing into Akeno's breasts as she squeezed hard. Though a little startled, that pain accompanied by the pleasure Harry was causing made Akeno cum hard, almost as hard as she had on that long ago day. "AHHHHHH!" She shrieked, before falling forward half on and half off Harry's legs.

Her own climax coming, Rias moved her hands up and down Harry's shaft almost violently, finally causing it to hop out of the fly. Desperate to finish Harry off at the same time, Rias played with the now revealed portion of his cock, one hand playing with the head the other moving down the shaft rapidly. At the same time she twisted her upper body around enough to lean up and kiss Harry on the lips, her tongue out and questing before their lips even met.

The feel of her latex covered hands, the stimulation he had already endured and the kiss did it. Harry grunted as he came, firing off like a cannon blast covering her hand and actually lifting the hand playing with his cock's head with the power of the blast. At the same time his fingers clenched, digging into Rias where he had been playing with her labia, finding her clitoris almost accidentally and rubbing it enough to send her rocketing over the edge. Rias moaned aloud, not as loud as she had screamed before, but that was thanks to their liplock, and her body slumped against Harry.

Chuckling, Harry let his upper body fall back onto the bed, pulling Rias back with him even as they broke their liplock in order to breathe. "Um…What was I supposed to do about judging these suits again?" He asked, while one hand waved, lazily casting a specialized cleaning charm on Rias's hands and his lower body.

{Lime end}

"Mmm, I wonder if we can just lay here for a bit?" Rias muttered. "Or…" she said with a faint smile, staring down at Harry's lower body, "Seeing as your 'broom' hasn't gone down, we could keep having fun…"

"Ooh, I am alllll for that," Akeno said, pushing herself up and turning around to join them, leaning into Harry's shoulder as Rias lay on his chest. She slipped one leg over Harry's legs, trapping his 'broom' in the small behind her knee. "There are so many things I want to try…"

However before they could continue, Harry pushed up lightly, staring down past the foot of the bed to the trapdoor beyond. "Bollocks."

Rias turned in the same direction, and saw the orange glow of a detection charm. "Oh, that's a good idea Harry. But can you tell who is beyond it?"

"No, but I'd bet one of the little ones," Harry said, pushing Rias off his chest and rolling away from Akeno, forcing her to give up her previous position with a pout. "Lily sometimes likes to come up and sleep with me."

Looking between the scrambling daddy and the trapdoor, Rias rolled her eyes and gestured over at her trenchcoat, pulling it on quickly while shaking her head, biting back giggles. Oh that's just adorable! Heheh, I can so see that too. Harry really is a great father, isn't he?

As she did, she noted that Akeno looked more affronted than amused, but it faded quickly. "I'll see what whoever it is wants, but if it's just that, maybe I can turn them back?" Rias asked rhetorically.

Opening the trapdoor, Rias looked down into the faces of Lily and Kunou looking up. Lily blinked then continued up the trapdoor's ladder, hugging Rias around the neck and head. Rias returned the hug but she didn't let Lily past her. "Hey Rias, sorry, we didn't know you were here with Daddy. We were comparing sleeping with a mom and a Daddy and decided Kunou needed to compare the two."

Lily had of course slept with both her parents at a time, but Kunou couldn't remember sleeping with her own father and Lily had never liked sleeping with both parents. Ginny was clingy like Lily, but also stole the blankets, which she had never liked.

"Hmm, well how about you come with me for a bit, we can have some chocolate milk and then you can both come up and see Harry then? We were helping him rearrange some things up here, and his bed needs to be remade first," Rias asked, gently pushing Lily back down the ladder. "And remember to whisper, Asia and Koneko are no doubt sleeping."

"Okay," both little girls whisper-shouted, racing down the ladder one after another and then away down the hallway.

Rias turned and winked at Harry. "I'll buy the two of you some time, but not too long," she warned, getting a wide smile from Akeno, and Harry both.

"You could stay you know, both of you could," Harry said, while Akeno immediately began to get his 'little wand' to stand at attention. "And you need to stop woman, or I'm not going to be responsible for what I do to you!"

"Ara, that sounds like fun," Akeno purred into his ear, causing Harry to growl.

"I'd like that, but I greatly prefer to sleep naked, and I'd rather do that with you alone the first time," Rias replied, stepping down backwards onto the ladder even as she looked at Harry and Akeno, some of her jealousy rearing its head.

It dissipated though as Harry looked up at her, his eyes smoldering. "Oh yes, that does sound like fun, but sleep would definitely not be occurring then, I'm not that under control."

Rias laughed, blowing him a kiss. "Well, you've got half an hour or so, so why don't you and Akeno do something about that?"

With that she turned and Harry did the same, pinning Akeno to his bed, grinding his arousal against her core as he kissed the living daylights out of her. Shaking her head as Akeno began to moan, Rias firmly pulled the trapdoor closed behind her and attempted to push her jealousy down again, then went to find Lily and Kunou before they could get into any further trouble.

Scene break

After that weekend, life shifted into a new routine. With the design phase done, and Sona and her peerage took over much of the work on the physical creation of the array, scouting out places for each disparate part to go and writing out the unimportant parts of the runic scheme. This freed Harry to work on his own projects in the house.

Within a few days Kunou and Lily's room was set up with their desired bunkbeds, and had also been placed on a primitive clock the like of which Harry had given Yasaka. Like that example, the watch Harry had only showed a few things, and Harry knew it was simply a prototype, but it was enough to give him a bit more peace of mind.

A talisman had been placed on the roof and the floor underneath the carpet enlarging it that way so that the room had the height of two rooms set one on the other. Instead of having Lily's be the one on the floor, Harry transfigured it into overhead sort of bed, which overlooked the dresser and Lily's small desk, with two large wooden rails set there and then nailed into the floor. In its place a bed for Kunou had been added to the room, twisted onto its side and then set against the far wall, the bed set up with a lot of large fluffy pillows. Harry knew the two girls would probably migrate from one bed to another instead of sleeping separately, so had made the beds different. With that done expanding the room enough to keep it homey while also putting in a second tiny desk and a small bookcase right over it was easy.

Further expansion talismans were then placed on every room, each one specifying a different size for each room, including the kitchen, the kitchen table, and the TV room. This made the house no longer seem as overcrowded, yet did nothing about the plumbing of the bathrooms, where there was still a bit of a traffic jam every day. And of course while Harry could copy his cooking utensils, he couldn't do the same to the sink or the electric appliances, which still made mealtimes somewhat crowded, since, somehow, Harry's house had become the destination for dinner for everyone (Luckily Rias paid for most of the food her peerage ate). Still, Harry was somewhat pleased with his progress.

After that, Harry began to spend an hour every other day working with Akeno and Rias, helping them in learning the Onmyouji and European magical styles. During these lessons Harry learned more about demon-based magic, some of which he learned he could do thanks to his now truly massive magical core. Akeno and Rias both proved to be able students, though Rias was slightly slower at picking up things than Akeno. But when teaching Asia in turn when she joined them, Rias proved to actually be a better teacher. Akeno was simply a prodigy when it came to Onmyodo-style offensive and defensive spells taking to them like a duck to water, all only being slightly slower to learn European-style spells. Yet it was Asia who was the first of them all to learn how to transfigure things, while Rias had been the first to find her mental state.

She came out of her meditation one day and blurted out, "Water?! I'm water?"

For a moment Akeno and Harry looked at one another then nodded as one. "That makes sense."

"No it doesn't," Rias said, stamping her foot as she stood up, looking a little irritable. "The Power of Destruction within me should have, that is, isn't that some kind of fire? I would've thought that would make much more sense!" Water sounded far too passive for her tastes.

"The elements you're closest to in terms of your magic don't have any connection to any previous physical or familial ability," Harry said shaking his head. "Whatever you might think, I can definitely see you as being closest to the element of water." Rias frowned at that, and he went on, reaching over to take her hand. "Caring, loving, something that everyone needs to survive, but when roused has a bottomless fury and a power to crush anything within its path. Doesn't that sound like you?"

Blushing heavily, Rias leaned in and kissed him lightly. "Flatterer."

Thanks to the local books on mediation, Akeno and Asia also quickly developed their minds to the point where they had discovered their elements. With that, Akeno and Rias began to control their auras to an extent that they no longer influenced anyone around them even slightly, while Asia started to manifest some magical control even when she didn't have her Sacred Gear physically present. Akeno's was wood: a power of movement, strength endurance and above all the ability to change and grow. Asia's was water, just Like Rias.

Lily and Koneko practiced every day with Lily's other form, with Kunou joining in the lessons easily, both proving an example of transforming quickly between human and her non-human form and a fellow play-pal. Lily had more issues the longer it became from the full moon for a time, but Harry helped her every night for thirty minutes after dinner, getting her to realize to how much stronger and faster she was even when not in her 'Phoenix Wolf' form (yes, Koneko's name had stuck, much to Harry's chagrin no one had come up with a better name yet), with Koneko handling her training in her alternate body. This always segued into more rough and tumble with Kunou and Koneko, as Lily grow grew ever more at home with her puppy side as she called it.

For her part Kunou was a fox kit, and like young fox's she loved playing just as much as puppies would, and really liked doing it with Harry too. Indeed, Kunou greatly enjoyed being surrounded by so many new friends within a few days of moving in. Life as Yasaka's daughter wasn't lonely per se, but Yasaka always had to consider how people could use getting close to Kunou in order to use that as a stepping stone to influence her in turn. And anyone who wasn't among that kind of type, other than Loup and a few older relatives, treated her as more a princess than the little girl.

Loup for his part fit in well at the college and even at home sometimes taking over Harry's duties to talk to Lily after dinner, though only very rarely. He instead volunteered to help teach Lily how to fight, having a first dan black belt in judo and actually in some foreign martial arts too, which he had learned when he was younger. He was not as outgoing as the rest of the household, but got along relatively well with Koneko, who shared in his stoic deadpan nature and Kiba, who liked simply to have another young man around.

He was a solid, stolid presence, and immediately volunteered his services when Harry complained once about wanting to create a larger backyard. Rias moved on this instantly, pushing Harry once more to move into a larger house somewhere. Seeing the state of his kitchen and having experienced the back end of the line for his own personal bathroom, Harry at last caved on the idea, since it really did make sense. But that would wait until the Christmas and New Year's break, which was now coming up quickly.

Beyond that, with Loup here and trusting that between him and Kalawarner watching the girls along with Koneko after school, they could handle anything that tried to threaten his daughter the romantic moments returned a bit more seriously now. Although they never quite reached the level of the night after the party, Harry attempted to make up for that with spontaneity…

Harry walked into the occult research clubroom after school. Rias was there, working on some of the paperwork she needed as part of her cover as club president. She looked up once and waved at him, before looking back down at her paperwork even as she asked, "I thought you'd be going to pick up Lily and Kunou already? We're not due to meet up with the others for our next discussion until four-thirty, right?"

"I decided to let Loup and Koneko pick them up today. Mondays she goes straight home anyway, none of her friends are ever free on Monday after school." Rias nodded at that still not looking up until she felt Harry standing right next to her. She looked up then, only for him to lean down abruptly and kissed her hard on the lips.

Her mouth opening in surprise Rias then began to squeak as Harry's tongue quickly took this opening, her hands grabbing at his, as his hands moved to her back, pulling her lightly out of the chair. The kiss lingered on for many moments with Rias hugging him hard, her hands on his rear as Harry's hands moved through her hair before pulling back slightly, winking at her. "I just thought I'd stop by and tell you how much I appreciate you, you know?"

Blushing brightly, Rias simply nodded her head, staring at Harry as he skipped backwards, winked at her again, and with a whistle exited the room. A moment later she slumped forward, hiding her still blushing face against the top of her desk. Maou damn that man and what he's doing to me! Or maybe that should be Maou bless him for the same darn thing!

Rias wasn't even a closet romantic, she was just a flat out, dyed in the wool romantic, despite the number of anime she watched with male leads who wouldn't know what the word meant if it smacked them upside the head. And in her opinion being in a relationship with Harry was possibly the best thing to ever happen to her, right up there with building up her peerage, her family. She knew she had changed, become stronger and more focused since meeting him, and was now eagerly waiting for the day Riser made his move, rather than dreading the same thing.

But as happy and thankful for that as she was, it was the other aspect of their interaction that made her truly happy to be with him. Despite being a Devil raised in a noble house and steeped in politics, at base Rias was a creature of love and affection, not just lust and desire, and Harry gave her that and vice versa, and not just physically. They talked far more than they did anything else. And to her, the way he was with Lily, Koneko, and now even Kunou was simply icing on the cake. It proved he would make a fantastic father when they got to that point, as she was becoming more certain they would in time.

"Still, all of that doesn't mean I'm going to take what he just did lying down," Rias said to the empty clubroom, a sensual smile on her face.

The next day, she went to find Harry at lunchtime, knowing that he would remain in the last classroom he was in to look at some of the essays he had given the freshmen class recently, getting a jump on the work. "You know you can't eat paperwork right?" she said, holding up a box lunch for him, while her other hand sent a spell toward the door, a spell to keep people from entering like a very detailed notice-me-not.

Harry smiled up at her then waved her to sit down, which Rias did but not at the desk he indicated, rather on the side of the teacher's desk, unwrapping the bento and dipping into it with a pair of chopsticks. She held it out to Harry, who chuckled and opened his mouth, letting her feed him for a moment. She stood there, waiting until he nodded in approval before leaning down abruptly and kissing him hard, just as hard as he had been they had yesterday. Within a second she was sitting on his lap, her legs around his body and chair, slowly grinding herself against him as she kissed him with an open mouth.

Eventually Harry pulled back, kissing down Rias's neck, loving the feel of her skin under his lips. Soon he found her pulse point to nibble at it, causing her to moan louder and to hump him even harder. "Is this a game now?" he murmured against her skin.

"A very fun one," she said, part laugh, part moan.

Harry sighed, but some of his senses returned, and he slowly lifted her off his waist, not bothering to hide the reaction his body had to her closeness. "But dangerous to play at school."

"True," Rias said, not fighting as he lifted her easily up back onto his desk. "But still fun."

Smiling at the sensual curve to her lips, Harry shook his head and reached for the box lunch. God this woman!

Akeno and Harry had moments too. There's were little more animalistic meetings then with Rias and Harry, with one or the other striving at first to dominate the kiss, with Harry always coming up on top, much to Akeno's chagrin. She was a bit of a switch in that area, but to be a real switch she needed her desire to dominate to be fed as well as her need to submit, and that wasn't happening. Nor, unfortunately for her, was Harry proving open to the idea of bringing in a bit of pain into their fun, as she learned with every interaction…

Akeno stayed behind as the other three left, moving around the table and lifting her own sandbox off it. "I'll help you clean up Potter-sensei."

"Why do you like calling me that?" Harry asked shaking his head as he looked over at her as he moved one of the large sandboxes into one of the corners.

"Because it adds a certain kinkiness to it," she said moving up behind him, hugging him tightly from behind and reaching up to nibble at his ear. "Don't you like it, Potter sensei?" she asked, then bit down on his ear, doing no real damage but causing some pain. He arched his back kissing a little, and turned, pushing her away lightly then grabbing at her rear, squeezing it hard.

"Kinky girl," he growled, though whether in approval or not was debatable.

"Yep," Akeno said happily, then leaned up to kissed him hard, biting his lip as hard as she could, trying to and succeeding in making him bleed for just an instant before the wound closed thanks to his werewolf side.

He pulled back again, wiping away at a bit of blood with a thumb even as his lip healed. "Control yourself," he muttered, swatting her rear from where he still held it.

"I told you I like pain sensei," she said happily, wiggling her rear. "Both giving and receiving."

"I can see that, but I'm not certain I'm so happy with either of those, and certainly the receiving."

"Oh, but Sensei~, Akeno said, believing Harry was just playing hard to get. "You're a werewolf. That means you can heal quickly from almost anything I do to you…"

Narrowing his eyes, Harry shook his head. "That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt in the first place."

With a smile Akeno reached up and kissed him, and despite the little argument, Harry couldn't stop his body from responding, arms going around her, the hand still on her pliable tushie squeezing as he did. And when she opened her mouth, Harry met her tongue with his own.

Another time Harry initiated the contact, coming up behind her as Akeno was alone in the clubroom, preparing some tea. Akeno turned as Harry entered, and the next moment she knew, she was being lifted up by her waist and sat on the small tea table, Harry pinning her there and dominating her so thoroughly, his tongue doing such amazing things in her mouth and his hands exploring her back and rear, that she nearly came just from that.

Yet before she could bring her scattered thoughts together enough to think about biting his tongue, or scratching his back, or any of the myriad Akeno she wanted to do to him in order to see him wince in pain, to give her pleasure in turn and send herself over the edge, Harry pulled away. "So, can I have some tea?" He asked in a husky tone, and it was all Akeno could do not to melt into a puddle. But no matter what she attempted, Harry wouldn't submit to her in turn.

And while he was okay with some spank and twist play, all the more extreme things Akeno wanted to try were shot down almost immediately, proving a turnoff to Harry. He had been through too much pain in his life, in his war against Riddle and before that at Hogwarts and with the Dursleys, to be willing to bring real pain into their courtship.

He had actually explained that to her, but Akeno just couldn't stop herself from attempting to get him to see the fun they could have with a bit of pain added to things. Nor was he at home with the idea of bondage. Why, the one time she got some shackles on him, Harry practically ran away. He was laughing, but he was still running away. Again, this was because of his experiences in the the war, but Akeno still held some hope to in some fashion try out some domination of her own out on Harry.

Despite Akeno's growing frustration, all the flirtatious moments showed the two young women that Harry was putting aside his concerns about their multi-girl relationship and in a way they were correct. Harry liked giving and receiving affection, but still seemed to instinctively prefer to flirt with one or the other rather than the two of them at once. This was the way they liked it too because both of them were still dealing with the odd moment of jealousy, which was doubly surprising really given the night in the Evangelion suits they had shared.

Rias talked to Harry about that at one point, as the two of them cleaned up after dinner. They had fallen into the habit of whoever didn't help make dinner had to help the cleanup.

"Akeno and I are not getting over our jealousies as well as I had hoped," she said shaking her head. "We don't feel it when it's not right in our faces I suppose you could say, but we do feel it. That night with the *ahem*, suits was an anomaly, despite our trying." Rias sighed a little. "We're getting over it slowly, and we're not letting it get in the way of her friendship which was my primary worry. But I think I was telling the truth when she and I talked a few weeks back, after you told us about not wanting to have any dates away from Lily for a while. She is still having problems with Harry the family man."

"I'm not going to compartmentalize," Harry said firmly. "It's not like I'm separate people, Harry the flirtatious boyfriend and Harry the father."

"You are a flirtatious monster of a boyfriend," Rias said with a laugh shaking her head, as she remembered what Akeno had told her. Having come to school early in order to help with one of the clubs that morning Akeno had found Harry already there. Akeno had initiated contact, pushing Harry's chair back and sitting on his lap before he could object and then trying to take his breath away via his tongue while humping him where he sat, giving Harry a raging hard on. But Harry had kissed her back so hard that her lips had bruised before they had to break off at people moving around outside the classroom.

Akeno had of course loved it, that little bit of pain adding to her pleasure. But she had been forced to cover her face with a light illusion to prevent it from showing. the fact they had almost been caught had thrilled her too, while Harry had not been as pleased.

"I love the fact that my family has grown too." She confided, looking around the doorway into the other room, smiling happily as she saw Koneko helping Kunou, while Lily stared at the TV screen, a bored expression on her face. The youngsters were supposed to watch and take notes from a children's show, but taking notes apparently killed Lily's fun in the show.

Harry joined her, and Rias winked up at him. "I hope everyone's doing their work in there! I have ice cream for good little girls." She said loud enough to be heard by the youngsters. That caused Harry to chuckle at his daughter quickly straightened up, staring hard at the screen, her hand moving once more.

"But Akeno is different in that area." Rias finished, turning back to Harry.

Harry nodded, leaning down to lightly buff Rias's cheek with a kiss knowing exactly how different the two of them were. Every time Rias interacted with Kunou, Lily, or Asia and Koneko, showed that she had a natural mothering instinct. They had talked about her desire for large family of course, and Harry well remembered how she had said she wanted to be a mother, and even now remembering it caused his body to react once more.

Rias felt that, and leaned back into him, taking his hand and putting them on her stomach before smirking up at him her eyes alight with both lust and something else, softer yet also deeper. Harry decided at that point that he was going to kiss her, and leaned down the small distance necessary to follow up on this most excellent thought. Rias's tongue flicked out, moistening her lips as she too leaned up toward him.

"I'm done!" Kunou shouted, flourishing her finished notes, with Koneko following after her, a small, warm smile on her face while behind them Lily scrambled to get her own work done. "What kind of ice cream do you have?" The Kitsune girl paused, staring as Harry and Rias stared at one another, then began to laugh. "What's so funny?"

Of course, there was also something else Harry had promised to help Rias with: training her peerage.

The day of the first full peerage training day started innocuously enough for the two groups in question, unless you included Issei among them since he was technically speaking a member of Rias's. But she had made no effort whatsoever to reach out to him. Akeno and Kalawarner had volunteered to watch him for any sign of growing magical control or willpower in the boy.

But despite weeks having gone by since Rias had told Harry about that the first time, neither had reported any sign of Issei's body producing more magical power now that he was a demon, despite the fact that his unnatural lust should have empowered him thanks to his Demonic origins. It looked for all the world like he had simply reverted back to normal. Yet he had matured at least slightly: he now had to be dragged to some of the Perverted Trio's escapades apparently, but that was all.

Harry hoped that today's punishment for the trio would be the final 'hint' Issei needed to get his life together and his lust under control. Harry had actually asked Mittelt, who had a vindictive streak, in particular for some help in coming up with new and interesting ways to punish the three perverts, and Mittelt had come up with a most interesting punishment. "Pain doesn't work, since if it did the girls would be able to police themselves. They're obviously not motivated by school, so that won't work. Sending them home only prolongs the problem not solve it. So you need to use humiliation. And there are so many ways you can humiliate someone…" The almost girlish Fallen Angel said trailing off with an evil little grin on her face.

That conversation led directly to this moment, with the three fools standing beside Harry after he had lobbied hard for Mittelt's idea. "All right boys, we've tried everything else, so now were going to try a little something called disruptive therapy. We will let the punishment fit the crime, and tie every act of perversion you do, with this…therapy." With that he let the three boys into one of the art. "Hello girls," he said smiling at the twelve girls inside, who were setting up a few drawing pads on easels around a central point.

"Hello Potter-sensei," one of them said moving over to him and bowing respectfully before smirking at the three younger boys. "Ah and here are the three lustful fools."

"They are indeed, I have… can't say it's honor with a straight face, say rather I have the dubious duty of introducing you twelve to the Perverted Trio."

"We already know who some of these are. Asuka Kiteno, Nomi Inejima and Momo Hieraij the hotties of the manga club." Motohama said, before going on to recite their three sizes quickly, while Issei also stared at the girls with a wide grin.

"Are we going to be models or something," Matsuda asked, while moving into a few muscleman poses. Ha, I knew it! It was just a matter of time before the girls here understood my manliness!

"Something like that," Harry replied. This startled Issei to look at him, and the brown haired boy was not encouraged by the evil grin on Harry's face and a shiver went down his spine as Harry went on. "But not just any kind of pose."

"Indeed, yes, we're having problems with one of our mangas, and we need a few poses to get them right," Asuka said, reaching behind her and pulling out a book.

It should have been a simple small book with a colorful, attention grabbing cover like any other doujin. But this book showed such evil on the cover that all three boys screamed. "Oh hell no!

"Such filth should not be written!"

"Burn it with fire!"

On the cover of this doujin was two boys staring into one another's eyes as one leaned in for a kiss with the other. It was a yaoi, or boy's love, doujin based on the popular anime Gundam Wing.

Suddenly realizing what was about to occur to and what they would be forced to do, Issei and Motohama turned, trying to bolt out the door, but Harry stood in their way, pushing them back gently but inexorably. "None of that now, you all put brought this on yourselves. And just remember, from now on every time even a hint comes to our ears of you doing perverted things, this will be your punishment from now on."

Harry took a single step back then closed the door behind him. "They're all yours girls!" With that he left, ignoring the screams and pleas from the boys.

Leaving the three their fate, Harry left to pick up his daughter and Kunou at school, dropping them off at home with Asia and Loup to watch them. Thumping Loup on the chest he nodded at the large man. "I'm going to bring up the wards to a higher footing while we're gone, but remember you're in charge here, okay?"

As Kunou and Lily rushed past toward the stairs Loup nodded stolidly. He had been approached by both Rias and Sona asking if he wanted to join their peerages but the young man had not replied yet, wanting to think about it first. The idea of having a magical core and being able to use magic like his mother, who had been an Onmyouji, appealed to him. But he wasn't certain he wanted to give up being simply a werewolf, and wasn't certain he wanted to be tied to either peerage just yet and all the extra stuff that entailed. "Good luck." The other werewolf let a small smile appear on his face. "Don't be too hard on them."

"That will entirely depend on how arrogant they are," Harry replied with a grin, before shouting goodbye to his daughter and Kunou, before leaving the house once more.

After that Harry went back to the academy and met up with Sona, Rias, and their peerages, in the occult research club's basement. Over the past few weeks, Harry, Rias and Akeno had been working on it after their lessons, creating permanent expansion runic arrays, strength enhancing charms, and even a permanent alternate dimension bubble embedded in the walls to create a larger, better version of the training center it had been. That last would allow them to use any magic or attack they wanted without fear of it escaping to do damage to the real world beyond.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Harry said with a faint smile. "Operation correct the perverts is underway, the kids are at home, and I am now yours for the rest of the evening until dinner. So what kind of training are we going to do?"

"We've decided it will be all of our peerages against you Harry," Rias said with a smile and a mild glare towards Sona. "Sona says that it should be as if we're trying to attack the position that you are defending, with time to setup and prepare for us," she said, ominously, still staring at Sona.

Sona ignored that, pushing her glasses up her nose. "I have a deep respect for your magical power, and your knowledge of magic Potter-sensei. But I have yet to see your offensive and defensive spells in action first hand. Nor has any of my peerage fought against someone who uses magic for more than physical enhancement. I felt that this would be a wake-up call. You will have fifteen minutes to set up before we attack."

"Oh, it's going to be that," Kiba muttered, shaking his head while Akeno had a small smile on her face, staring at Sona's peerage with a faint blush, already anticipating the pain they would be in soon enough.

Harry blinked, and then nodded. "It's your funeral but all right."

As the two peerages waited by the door, Harry moved into the rest of the basement, passing through the area which marked the edge of the alternate dimension bubble, the edge causing a faint shiver on Harry's skin. "Now then… what to do?"

With a faint smile on his face Harry quickly moved through the wide area, which now looked like a desert almost, one hand raised as he started to concentrate, creating a few illusions of trees and other foliage as he went. Harry's other hand reached into a pocket and began to pull out talismans, some already written out, and others blank at the moment. "Illusions for cover, talismans for trapping, element magic for long range, and European style magic for mid to short, no need to use Fragarach here. Hmm… they have Koneko, going to have to do something about that, my illusions aren't as good against smells." Unconsciously Harry began to whistle. "So many choices."

While Rias's peerage, even Mittelt, knew they were about to be 'corn-cobbed' as Kalawarner put it, Sona's were quietly confident. Or they were until they passed the dimension bubble's threshold. Then they gasped, staring.

Around twenty feet from where they stood, the desert image of the dimensional bubble ended abruptly at a wall of trees. Harry had created a massive illusion of a forest before them, spreading out in every direction. "Forbidden Forest," Koneko muttered, looking around in interest. "Harry has mentioned it."

"Yes he has. I wonder if he's been playing with the idea of golems, and other more advanced versions of transfiguration," Rias muttered, looking around. She knew that Sona's stated purpose was accurate enough, but Sona had also wanted to see more of what Harry had to offer. Well Sona-chan, be careful what you wish for.

Shaking her head, Rias turned and gestured to her fliers. Sona did the same to her peerage and they instantly spread out, the two Kings moving forward in the center of a very decent formation. That formation was an escort formation however, not a skirmish line, and beyond the fliers, which consisted of Kala, Mittelt and Akeno, they had no scouts.

Rias however had a plan for that, which she put into place just as they were about to reach the forest edge. Her aura flaring around her in a crimson penumbra, Rias gestured forward, and a wide wave of crimson and black energy flashed out from her. The Power of Destruction hit the edge of the forest she had been facing toward and in a wide angle. But as she had expected, the trees there were illusions, and they remained after. But behind and through them other things were hit, she could see little flares here and there, and two somethings had time to let loose warbling wails.

"Very nice Rias," Sona said, moving in that direction. "Let's move, we have a safe direction to go in now."

"Right!" barked Tomoe, moving forward, her pink hair bouncing on her shoulders, a sword appearing in her hand from its sheathe at her side like it had teleported there. "Spread out, but beware your eyes and ears, attack anything that EEP!" Tomoe's voice ended in a startled shout as she fell into a pit of some kind, which had also been covered by the forest illusion. While her Knight-given speed didn't help her to leap clear, she instantly flared her demon wings, but they touched the edge of the pit, and talismans, barely seen in the dark of the pit, glowed.

"Hmm… as Potter-sensei would say, BuggeR!" The talismans went off, the same explosive array that Harry had used so effectively against the Fallen in the church. Enclosed in the small space of the pit, it was enough to take Tomoe out of action and she found herself in the normal basement of the ORC's building, not the dimensional bubble. "Well, at least that feature works…" Tomoe said with a scowl. "Being the first taken out however, that's kinda humiliating."

The rest of Sona's peerage now stared at the ground, but Sona simply shook her head and flared her own aura as Rias had. An instant later an intense amount of water appeared in her hand, flooding forward over the ground into the forest. The water found several more pits filling them in quickly and sometimes activating the talismans within. As she watched her power go to work, Sona shook her head. "He did all this in fifteen minutes?"

"Harry can be quite inventive when he wants to be," Rias replied ruefully, shaking her head as beasts of all types started to appear from beyond the 'safe zone' she and Sona had created. With a few gestures she conjured up a Protego on one hand, even as she started to launch thin pinprick sized streams of Power of Destruction at the oncoming beasts.

At the same time however, mist began to appear from all around them, so thick it was almost impossible to see through and attack spells finally began to flare from somewhere to their right, arcing up towards the three flyers, who dodged with varying degrees of skill. Seeing this, Rias shook her head. "This is not going to be fun."

Moments later Kiba slid behind a boulder just dodging what looked like a giant with a club. The boulder was real, he could feel it under his fingertips, and had seen it already stop an attack spell once already. "All right, so exactly, at what point, did we lose control here?" he gasped, hurling a sword like a spear up into the giant's face. It impacted, driving deep into the beast's skull, sending it stumbling back before it blinked and slowly started to fall to one side slowly, as if the conjured monster didn't understand it was dead just yet.

Rias crouched next to them, wincing a little as she looked down at her hands, which had taken a concussive blast of some kind. Harry's attack spells might not pack a lot of punch in comparison to ours but that didn't mean they don't sting! She didn't respond to her Knight's words; too busy staring around them as she thought furiously.

However Tsubasa Yura, Sona's Rook, stared at Kiba. "You watched the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie?!"

"I've always thought of myself as a Leonardo fan," Kiba replied absentmindedly not sticking his head out as the cries of two more of Sona's peerage members echoed in the distance.

"I think we lost control the moment we entered the room and allowed Harry time to set up! He's using some of the same tricks he's describes to us, and some of the ones we've been working on all to deadly effect," Akeno said happily, her face somewhat flushed as one particularly loud scream echoed from out of the fog which had not gone away at all since it appeared. She had been driven to the earth moments ago by a monstrous steel dragon of some kind. How the two Fallen were faring was anyone's guess, though they had been better at dodging Harry's attack, and even his flying beast, than she had.

"That," Akeno said conversationally would be someone falling into another pit of despair I think, a rather amusing little trick."

"We lost Koneko before the fog fully enveloped us," Rias said, looking at her remaining peerage. "She stepped on some kind of sticking charm and then was taken out by Harry's direct attack spell."

Indeed, Koneko had joined Tomoe and the others in the regular basement several moments ago. She wasn't too sore about this as she had also found a bag of sweets waiting for them.

As Akeno dealt with another giant, enjoying the conjured monsters screams, Rias frowned thinking hard. "Harry targeted Koneko first, that must mean that her senses might have been able to pierce some of his illusions, smell especially. There are spells we can use to heighten our senses for short amounts of time. I think we need to use them. Further, I think we need to keep moving. We can't allow him to pin us down," Rias said with a shake of her head. "Especially since we haven't seen hide nor hair of the man himself!"

Kiba nodded, and came out from behind cover, his sword shifting into a massive sword with a wider blade than his body, using it like a shield as he moved forward.

The others followed him quickly, spreading out slightly but they were still within eyesight of one another, which given the fog meant they didn't spread out very much. So Rias heard one of Sona's bishops say aloud "That was how they got Saji, Sona-san and Ruruko. We bunched up, and then spend too much time trying to plan their way forward."

Elsewhere Harry whistled as he stared at where he had just been standing, having dodged at the last instant some sixth sense pushing him into motion. The Protego he had created, as well as another shield crystal Rias had given him, had both been shattered, the energy of them destroyed just like anything physical would have been by the beam of Rias's Power of Destruction and would have tagged him had he not dodged at the last instant. "Wow, okay, so can't block that with any kind of shield. Except maybe Fragarach, but I'm surely not going to check on that here!

Still, despite that, Harry knew he was winning this fight. The fog didn't just block the sight and even deaden sound, it was a spell he had come up with after absorbing the three Hallows. A specialty of Manannán Mac lir's which also told Harry vaguely where his opponents were. Couple that with the longer ranged element attacks of the Onmyodo school and his own illusions, he hadn't needed t come close after taking out Koneko. Now however, he sensed Rias and the other survivors forging forward, ignoring his illusions and taking out his conjured beasts even as they closed in on his own position. "Clever lady my Rias."

Shaking off that line of thought, Harry crouched, and began a few more spells, one after another before he apparated away.

Eventually Harry won, as Rias and everyone else knew he would. Rias and her makeshift group were never able to close the range enough to see him through the fog. Mittelt and Kalawarner's mobility gave him some conniptions, but their ability to help their teammates had been severely limited by the fog that filled the 'basement'. Rias and Akeno, with their recently learned skills in defensive magic, kept the others alive for a time, but not for long enough. Eventually they too fell to Harry's hit and run tactics and the fog.

"Well that was fun," Harry said with a smile as he stepped out of the dimensional pocket, staring all around him at the disgruntled figures of the two devil peerages. "I trust I've cured you of your peerage's overconfidence issues, Sona-san? And perhaps your own?"

"You have indeed Potter-sensei," Sona said with a faint smile, staring at Saji in particular who was looking rather appalled right now. He had not even had an opportunity to use his Sacred Gear's Absorption Line attack.

"Excellent! In that case, what shall we do next?"

Several more exercises went on, with the devils learning that it was a very bad thing to fight a wizard of Harry's strength unless you could somehow pin him in place. They did do that eventually, but even then Harry's werewolf strength and durability saw him able to survive and then reopen the range. So it was a very sore, bedraggled, and above all wiser set of young devils who left the building later that night. As they marched back to the main school building, Harry was surprised to see the Perverted Trio only then walking out of the building.

All three of them looked as if their vitality had been sucked out of them somehow. Motohama was walking like a zombie, while Matsuda was moving forward, his eyes far away, as if he had seen things that could not be unseen. Issei was stumbling, holding his stomach and glaring around him. With the devils dispersing, Harry moved in their direction, thinking to check on how they had taken their latest punishment.

"That, that was sooo not worth it," Issei muttered angrily. "We didn't even see any glorious oppai, we were just caught and then, and then, that, that…" he shuddered and fell silent.

"Yes, our plan to spy on the baseball club failed miserably, I have to admit. Who knew that they would be waiting for us like that?" Motohama said.

"Maybe if you hadn't been talking so loudly about it!" Issei shot back. "I, I think I'm done." He shook his head then went on, actually shouting as his arms spread wide, enveloping the school in his gesture. "We came to this school to get girlfriends, not just to look at oppai! And look at us now! This place might be a smorgasbord, but the food's so scared of us it runs away leaving us starving!"

"What can you do?" Matsuda asked, coming back to the here and now to stare at his fellow pervert. "The girls here are scared of manly men like us."

"Or they're just turned off by how, how much we act out, let our impulses control us!" Issei shouted back then he slumped. "I'm done guys. I can't go through another punishment like that, and I'm tired of girls running way when they see me coming. I'm done."

"What are you trying to say?" Motohama asked.

"I'm saying I, I want a girlfriend damn it! And if I have to, to learn to control myself in order to graduate from trying to spy on girls to see oppai to actually touching them, then so be it!" Issei shouted again.

"Hah!" his friends said as one, Motohama going on with a grin as he slung an arm over Issei's shoulder. "Come on Issei, you know that's never going to happen. I mean, Matsuda's got his sports ability, me I've got the smarts and neither of us could get a girl to give us the time of day. All you've had going for you is your unquenchable lusts, and no girl is ever going to be interested in that. No, you're stuck with us forever."

"He's right Issei, face it, you're always going to be Sticky Sock Mountain king," Matsuda said with a laugh. "Now come on, let's go and watch some porn. Hardcore bondage or chikan porn I think, just to get the taste out of what we just did out of our minds."

For a moment Issei's anger wavered, but then he shook his head. "No, not this time. I'm going home. And don't try to involve me in any spying shit again." With that he turned and left, his friends gazing after him in surprise.

"Huh, so maybe there's some hope for him after all," Harry said, nodding and turning away.

OOOOOOO

However, this time of relative normalcy ended rather abruptly, first by Rias's brother getting back with the information about possible Khaos Brigade (or other rouge) bases which then correlated with the information from Yasaka. And second, Harry, felt that he was now ready to have the 'ritzy' kind of date Akeno had requested away from Lily. That, and the fact he was always in favor of killing two birds with one stone had him coming up with a date for all three of them down in Tokyo.

"So where are you going to take us first, sensei?" Akeno asked as she and Rias both stepped off of Harry's bike, the black haired girl making a point to hug Harry from behind one last time before doing so. Harry hadn't had to do much to let three people on the large bike, and had to admit, whatever problems he still had with Akeno, and there were a few of them to be sure, her body never ceased to be a turn on.

If only she would stop with the pain, with the masochism, and with the resentment towards Lily and the others. We're somewhat closer emotionally: I know her favorite color, her dream for the future, her past, and vice-versa. We've shared things together that I know she's never told anyone bar Rias. I am honored to know them, to help her get over her self-hate, her destructive loathing for her Fallen heritage and her hatred of them. She's a great conversationalist, has a wicked sense of humor, and can be a delight to be around.

But those points are still between us, and as time goes on, I can tell that those points and the jealousy she and Rias both still feel get to her occasionally, and unlike Rias, she feels jealous of my time, not just my affection. It's not as if I don't understand where she's coming from, a girl her age should be going out on dates, having fun as well as working hard, not having little moments with her significant other around the times he has to spend with his daughter and other kids he's looking after. Worse in a way, I know her reticence there is feeding my own unwillingness to get as close to her as I have Rias.

"Well, I have reservations for us at a restaurant near the Tokyo Tower for eight o'clock tonight." Harry said aloud, putting those thoughts to the side for the moment, extending his arm to both ladies. "So we have three hours to kill before that. "And I figured, we could take a walk on to the local Wizard side. I could show you around and we could also start investigating some of the names that Yasaka gave us."

"Excellent, both business and pleasure," Rias replied with a smile as he took his hand, while Akeno did the same, again making a point to brush her large breasts against Harry's side this time. He shuddered a little, and she shivered in response to the look in his eyes before she delicately stepped backwards, smirking up at him. Two could play the teasing game after all, and she was determined to get the better of Harry today.

"That does sound like a lot of fun actually," she said, smiling thinly. "So long as we don't read into any of my relatives."

"Oh, I rather think that would be quite a lot of fun," Harry said coldly, his fingers twitching. "For me, anyway. Not so much for them."

Akeno shivered at the tone and Harry's voice, and idly wished thought with some frustration I wish he would turn some of that ruthlessness on me occasionally. Or let me do the same to him. I knew pain wasn't one of his fetishes, but for sadism to actually be a turnoff? How was that even possible?

It had to be said that to Akeno this was indeed something impossible to consider. But right now, she pushed that thought to one side and simply smiled softly, bowing her head to Harry. "Thank you for the sentiment Harry." she said, addressing her by name that time.

"That's all they deserve." Rias said, growling angrily. "I would've done something about them when we met, if not for my older brother stopping me."

"Moving on, can either of you see if anyone's watching?"

"There are a few Harry," Rias said, waving her hands in their direction, casting one of those incredibly neat and quick mind alteration spells that the Devils and the other factions seemed to use so effortlessly. They didn't work on people who had defenses against him, but against non-magicals they worked far faster and with less effort than any spell Harry had.

Nodding his thanks, Harry tapped his finger down on his bike, which slowly began to shrink. The two girls watched, and then Rias asked "Why does it have to shrink so slowly?"

"Because there are so many separate parts in it and a lot of moving parts too, including gasoline of course. If you want a complex object like a bike to remain the same, in particular ones that already have spells cast on them you have to take it slowly." Harry replied.

"Makes sense," Rias said with a frown. Shrinking things like that was not something Devils could normally do, though she had heard of one devil clan that could shrink or grow themselves, or portions of their body. Most of those rumors were rather salacious so she took them with a grain of salt of course.

Although if it ever turns out to be true, I might commission some work for them, she thought, looking down her own chest and then over at Akeno's. There was one area where Rias was actually a little bit jealous of her friend, and that was in the realm of the chest. Though Akeno's chest was actually bigger than most adult women they both knew, if not all of them, so Rias knew she was not alone in that.

"Before we go, I think we need to do something about your hair Rias. It's lovely, but it will make you stand out. And your eyes unfortunately. Everyone in there will know I'm a foreigner and there will be many who know me personally, but the two of you should probably try to passes complete locals." Harry cautioned.

Pouting Rias nodded, and began to concentrate, covering her head and eyes with an illusion. Akeno of course did not have to. Despite her body's build, which was well above the Japanese norm, she looked far more Japanese than her best friend did. But even so, she too covered her eyes with a minor illusion since violet wasn't exactly normal either. Those illusions would not last; illusions cast on eyes rarely did for a few deeply magical reasons. But they would last for a few hours.

Harry led the two girls down the street towards a bookstore in the distance. The two girls drew the normal looks they always did, as did Harry from some of the women they passed. But there was no more than the usual looks at attractive people, there and gone, and all three of them were on the lookout for anyone who looked at them for too long, or were otherwise suspicious.

When they reached the bookstore, Harry held the door courteously for the two girls, who smiled at him and entered quickly, finding the bookstore both dusty and extremely full inside. There were books upon books upon rows of scrolls, entire bookcases were buried within books, and piles of books were set here and there.

So packed was it the owner of the shop, a small spare man seemingly disappeared among them. He coughed delicately to draw their attention, and smiled slightly at Harry. "Ah, Potter-san I have not seen you for some time. You passed our equivalent of, what are they called, NEWTS, and then stop coming by, so sad. Yet so normal too in this day and age."

"Mister Husskai," Harry said with a bow. "How are you doing today?"

"I am well, I take it you are here to enter Magical Row?"

"I am."

"And these two are…" the man hinted, looking at both Rias and Akeno.

"Local magicals whose magic have only recently begun to grow," Rias said without preamble, gesturing, and bringing one of the local books to her hand, before handing it to the man back a polite bow. "We both knew of magic before this, but only recently have we gotten strong enough to actually train with it."

The man bowed back, putting the book back delicately, stroking it's spine as if it was a living thing. "It is always nice to see a young person with some respect for the written word. Please, go through."

Harry led the way through the mountains and stacks of books, being very careful not to disturb any of them, something Rias and Akeno noticed, and copied, wondering what would happen if they didn't. At the back of the store out of the line of sight from the entrance, Harry tapped a series of books, or rather portions of books, creating the Japanese letters for one-three-five-two-four.

Suddenly there was a shifting, and one of the nearby walls of books suddenly began to collapse in on itself, creating an opening through into what should've been a back alley. However, what they saw was not a back alley, but a wide well-cobbled thoroughfare, the likes of which with wouldn't have been out of place in any town or village in the back of beyond somewhere.

That impression continued as they entered, and Rias had to bite on her lip to keep from squealing in delight as she looked around. "Oh by Maou," she said, gripping Harry's hand and squeezing it tightly "It looks like it was developed in the Meiji Restoration, and look! They're actually in yukata and geisha clothes, are those two Oni dressed as samurai!?"

Chuckling, Harry looped an arm around her shoulders and gently drew her forward, while Akeno looked around keenly as well, although she was also watching Rias, making little 'Fufufu' sounds behind one hand as she did. While most knew Rias as an anime otaku, she was also just as interested in Japanese culture, or what she saw as the original Japanese culture, rather than what had grown up since the Meiji Restoration. This slice of Tokyo, carved out of time almost and kept just the way it had been for centuries, at least on the surface, called out to her something fierce.

Harry chuckled, busing her cheek lightly. "Come back to us Rias," he said, causing her to smack his chest lightly, but also to kiss him on the lips.

Once Rias was back to normal, Harry pointed ahead of them. "The shopping districts are on the left, the governmental administration building is along the right and through a series of small twists and turns on that road that separates it from a small series of incident other things of that nature. That's also where they have their splice into Tokyo's power grid I understand. There is a lot more tech underneath the surface here than you might think, and they are always using as much tech with their magic as they can.

The two girls swiftly moved into the first store they saw, where they tried out a few locally made yukata and other formalwear. They spent nearly half an hour talking to the woman who manned the store about what kind of protections and other charms they could get on clothing, as well as the prices.

From there, they moved on to other places. Rias bought a small fox statue as a gift to Kunou, a paper umbrella that could grow to any size necessary to keep its owner and those nearby dry, and a few other things little knickknacks, which disappeared into the most expensive purchase that Rias bought, a bag of holding. Like Harry's pouch, it was nearly bottomless, but unlike his pouch it was made to look like a normal bookbag.

As they passed through a small park, where a few local wizards and even a few nonhumans could be seen sitting and taking their ease, Harry was a startled out of his amusement at Rias gushing about a samurai sword she bought as someone called his name. "Ah, Harry Potter. I had wondered why the divination scrolls said I should be here at this time today. Now the reason becomes somewhat clearer."

Harry turned in that direction and his eyes narrowed slightly as he recognized the man who was speaking. It was the Truthspotter, who Harry and Lily had met upon first entering Japan. Harry hasn't seen him since, despite spending some time in this area. But he had asked a few other people as he dropped off tests and such like about the man, and had found he was something of a bigwig in Onmyouji government, although not technically part of it. He was more of a troubleshooter if Harry understood correctly, and something of a magical sport as well, using what the locals would term hereditary magics, which were far beyond anything Harry had run into elsewhere.

Moving towards the other man until he was within comfortable conversation range, Harry bowed deeply, followed quickly by Rias and Akeno, before replying. "Truthspotter, I did not anticipate you being here today. And as for why you are, I'm afraid you will have to give me a little more information than that if you want my help to figure out why you are here in the first place."

"Do I?" The man said, not looking at Harry now, but the two young women beside him. "I rather doubt it considering your companions. They are devils, are they not?"

Harry quickly looked around, and the Truthspotter smiled gently despite his entire body being tense as he continued to stare at the two Devil women. "Do not take me for a fool Mister Potter, I already cast a slight notice me not around us, no one will come over here. Now, can you tell me why you have brought these two here?"

"You know who they are? Or rather what they are?" Harry asked, shrugging apologetically at Rias and Akeno.

"The Devils and the three so-called Factions are well known, at least among the highest echelons of the government," Iori Morimoto said, waving that off. "I came upon the secret quite accidentally, but perhaps inevitably." He seemed to calm slightly now as he realized how young looking these two were, but still turned a stern gaze on Harry. "Our stance is one of nonaggression, and non-confrontation towards the Three Factions. They do not break our laws and guard the secret of magic, and we leave them alone so long as they extend the same courtesy."

"What if they haven't been?" Harry asked softly.

"Explain," the older man said simply.

Rias took a step forward bowing again. "Truthspotter-san, I apologize but I do not know the importance of your title. However, if you are a member of the government here, perhaps talking to you like this is indeed precipitous. We are concerned in that we believe that someone in your magical detection network has been compromised. There have been reports of numerous magical event's, some of which we witnessed, that should really have garnered a response from you and yours, if you're detection system was at all good."

"If you are talking about your odd contracts… but you are not are you? The magical signal of contracts or taking of your chess pieces cannot be detected, though it has been seen on occasion," Iori said, frowning faintly as he leaned back sensing both the truth in their words and the concern there. "Nor are you talking about magic that occurs within a territory where one of your Factions has chosen to set up one of its small headquarters, or recruitment centers I suppose you could say. It is well-known that you can do something which flubs our detection system."

"Our concerns go beyond that I am afraid. We have maps of areas which may or may not contain rogues of one of the three Factions: excommunicated exorcists, Stray Devils, Fallen Angels who no longer wish to follow the commands of their Grigori and more. Most of those are in areas that are not officially under the control of one or the other Peerage, and should therefore have been spotted by your tracking system" Harry said shaking his head.

"You're telling me the truth, yet why is this such a worry? Magic is certainly not becoming known among the non-magical population, which is the primary concern for us. So long as that stays true, whatever petty little squabbles your Factions are having do not matter to us." Iori replied.

From that one sentence Harry and Akeno and Rias all realized that the Truthspotter was being somewhat condescending to them. He didn't seem to realize the true size of the Three Factions, and of course what followed from that was that he didn't understand the difference of power between Devils and Wizards of any magical school. Low tier Devils and their equivalent were close to wizards in terms of power, but there were far, far more powerful Devils than there were powerful wizards. Wizards though could work together and were, as Harry well knew at this point, far more versatile.

"Honored Elder, our concerns come from the fact that there is a cabal out there that is trying to please start a war between the three factions for reasons no one can understand just yet. As far as we know, the Khaos Brigade simply wants chaos. Surely you heard of the attack in Kyoto? I understand that the Yokai Association has regular contact with you." Rias went on, while Akeno stood silently behind and to one side of her as befitted a retainer.

"We do indeed," Iori said smiling slightly. "Although the fact that they had any direct contact with you was their own business. Again our policy is simple: you leave us alone we leave you alone, we all keep the secret of magic, and we all get along. Still, I have heard about the Khaos Brigade. And your fears in this are…"

"We fear that someone might have been suborned among the personnel you have manning the magical tracking system," Harry said bluntly. "If so, both the information and even the skills your Onmyouji have could be known to the Faction that are trying to cause trouble, and could in turn lead to them becoming stronger. And far more daring, so daring in fact, that the great secret of magic could get out."

Iori leaned forward, staring intently. There was a little something, some kind of magic Harry and the two devil women could very barely detect, and he asked softly "Do you truly think that could be the case?"

Harry nodded firmly. "From what we have read and what I personally saw the Khaos Brigade, care nothing for the secret of magic, they simply wants to shatter the peace of the world. Their reasons behind that are unclear, but they are a significant threat."

"We have numerous accounts of the Khaos Brigade acting out," Rias said, stepping up to join Harry once more and looking at the older man. "A few attempted to cause natural disasters in China, another group of a dozen attempted a takeover of North Korea, and there have been several other things of that nature. They were stopped in most of those examples but to great cost at times to the local magic-wielding groups, whatever groups those were. I think it is in the best interest of everyone that we do what we can to strike at their power base however we can."

The Truthspotter leaned back, rubbing at his eyes before looking up at them, the magic now gone but the intensity still there. "I have heard the truth in your words, and found no lies within them," He said formally, standing up. "If that is indeed the case, then we must see to this now. The secret of magic must be kept, and we Onmyouji must remain neutral."

In the main anyway the Truthspotter thought, having gotten a bit more of an impression between these three than the actual discussion would have entailed. One or two wizards going rogue was fine. A wizard remaining within the Onmyodo government, with all of the access that entailed to both information, was something else entirely.

"How can we get to the bottom of it right now?" Akeno asked respectfully, following her King and Harry's lead in this. Although hearing the condescending way the man had spoken of the Three Factions had made her want to tweak his nose a little. It had also gotten under Rias his nose quite a bit, but she was willing to stomach it for now.

"I cannot call in our Investigative team for this just yet, your words and your information would not be enough to stir them. However my word and my joining your investigation for the day will start the ball rolling. Once I find evidence that you are correct, that someone within our tracking system has been coerced or bribed into working for outsiders. That will be enough. They will not be able to lie to me, and we can get to the bottom of this." Iori replied grimly.

"You said something earlier about divination sticks telling you to be here today?" Harry said. "But you then talked as if you had no idea why."

"My wife is a diviner," the Truthspotter said with a faint smile. "She routinely divines our days to make certain that there is nothing momentous within them. Today, there was something interesting and necessary, that was all she could tell this meeting would entail."

"I have to think that is probably a good thing, that it wasn't a momentous event then," Harry said with a faint smile.

"Perhaps you have not heard the Chinese curse about living in interesting times, Harry Potter," Iori stated blandly. "May you live in interesting times has so many different meanings after all."

Harry said nothing to that and the man led the way through the town, passing into the forest around Mount Fuji, which was called Aokigahara. The three of them passed through several different layers of illusions as they quickly began to push deeper into the forest and Harry wondered if the forest had gotten its name for being a popular place to suicide before or after it became an Onmyouji holdout. And if so, did they really kill so many people who came into the forest? That would not honestly sit well with Harry and he hoped not, but wasn't going to bring it up right now. They had larger fish to fry.

As they passed through a small portion of the woods, which should've been pine and bamboo, faded into non-existence, and they found themselves at the edge of a small clearing which held a tall tower. Thin, but nearly as tall as Tokyo Tower, it seemed constructed entirely of wood and paper and every inch of it covered in talismans.

"This is the heart of our detection system of all Honshu," the Truthspotter said smiling proudly. "It was the work of twenty years and thousands of Onmyouji combining their talents, skills and power. It is not perfect, as I have already said, but it is far better than most of the equivalent elsewhere in this world."

As the Truthspotter made forward, Harry took a slight step back so that he was between Akeno and Rias, whispering quietly. "Morimoto seems to think this might not come to an actual physical confrontation, I am not about to be so certain of that. But if trouble does happen, I think it would be best for all concerned if we stick to the spell I've been teaching the two of you all right? No extra magic. That way, you being Devils might not come out later if it becomes an issue."

"I don't like being hampered like that," Rias said, "but I'll follow your lead."

Akeno smiled and nodded not having as much of a problem with it as Rias. For offense, Rias still tended to lean on her Power of Destruction, and all the different new ways she could use it. Since the Power of Destruction was orders of magnitude more, well, destructive, than any spell Harry had ever come across, it wasn't exactly a real handicap. But its use might have made the issue more difficult to get to the bottom to in this case.

With that the three of them followed the Truthspotter towards the tower. He was met halfway there by a man who came out of the tower and bowed deeply to the Truthspotter. He was dressed as a traditional Japanese Onmyouji, with white robes from the neck down and long sleeves, with which he hid his hands as he bowed. "Truthspotter Morimoto-san, to what do we owe this honor?"

"A question has arisen, as to the efficacy of our tracking system. I will ask some questions of your workers, one and all." The Truthspotter said simply.

The man blinked, looked past Iori at the three others following him, but said nothing to them simply bowing deeply again to the Truthspotter. "In that case, please follow me."

The workspaces of the tower were on the first two floors, with the rest of the tower apparently being devoted to even more spells and enchanted items that created the tracking system. Within each room was a portion of Honshu, with two people watching and monitoring it at all times, the man they were now following explained to Iori. He seemed to ignore Harry and the others, not disrespectfully so much as simply believing that they were there as part of the Truthspotter's entourage.

Iori spoke to some of these people, who Harry likened to radar operators. At first he found nothing wrong, the people were pleasant, answered his question and showed no prevarication or anything else Iori might have taken as a sign they were lying to him.

But as Harry had feared, the third room in, things went wrong very abruptly.

There were two men in that room watching the southernmost segment of Honshu, but the moment their supervisor announced that a Truthspotter was here to question them, both men turned abruptly. The Truthspotter's eyes narrowed and he turned to look at the manager, but before he could say anything the two men shouted out's spells, their fingers moving even as their voices almost blurred together. "Dragon of Fire come to my aid!" "May metal rend and tear my foes!"

A Giant dragon of flame appeared, rushing towards the Truthspotter, while the other conjured up a wall of metal which shifted into thousands of needles that shot forward like bullets.

"Akeno deal with the fire dragon," Harry said as he reached forward with his own magic, using the same kind of spell the man had. But targeting the metal filings the man had conjured up taking control of them, melding them into one.

At the same time, Rias had jumped in front of the Truthspotter and the station manager, gesturing with one hand, and creating a Protego like Harry had taught them.

The now-melted portions of the filings shifted then roared back at the person who had sent them, as Akeno dealt with the fire dragon, by dousing it with her own water Dragon. But the steam that caused allowed one of the men to dive backwards, though his fellow was seared badly and fell to the ground screaming, his flesh nearly seared off his bones.

The surviving man did something to the wall, some kind of spell Harry couldn't see. The wall shattered and the man escaped out of it, floating down to the ground at another spell, a talisman flaring as he did.

"After him!" the Truthspotter shouted, "you will be rewarded."

Harry rolled his eyes at that, but was already in motion chasing after the man. He was after all a werewolf, and running away from him was stupid, frankly.

Outside though he had to dodge, as the man hadn't run very far. He had stopped in the middle of the clearing around the tower scowling back into the hole. "You will learn not to challenge a Shinra openly foreigner!" The man said causing Harry to jolt as he recognized the name.

"May the five points of the star seek out my foe! May the fire of my element burn all before me to ash! Awaken Lightning!" He gestured again, and from his sleeves came several dozen talisman which raced forward towards Harry, each one of them charged with a different spell.

Yet even as that occurred, the man gestured again. "Come forth and guard thy master beasts of bone and flesh!" Two more talisman rose from where they had been hidden along his legs, shifting into in the form of giant Oni, which began to charge forward.

Harry ducked out of the way as the talismans tried to form a circle around him, slicing into the closest with Fragarach as it appeared in his hand. He then gestured with his free hand, pointing at the man. The clan Shinra man tried to hastily create a shield, but since that simply made the fight power versus power Harry's cutting spell simply overpowered his shield, cutting through it and the man's arm sending him screaming to the Earth.

He was about to deal with both of the summoned Devils, when a flash of lightning caught all of the remaining talisman, and two shouted spells impacted the oni, throwing them backwards in tiny chunks, causing Harry to whistle. While Rias doesn't have as good a control of those as she does the spell of Power of Destruction, there is no doubt that she has a certain flair for other offensive spells of all types.

The now one-armed man began to crawl away, but Akeno was on him, her hand already sparking with one of her lightning spells. "Ara, I do believe attacking me and my friends deserves some punishment!"

But Harry crossed the distance quickly, grabbing her wrist and shaking his head. "No," he whispered in her ear, clenching her wrist until the spell faded. She looked up at him irritably, her face flushed with emotions and some other things as well, but Harry ignored that gesturing down to the man. "The local wizards will need him available for questioning."

Turning from Akeno, Harry quickly stunned the man then cauterized the wound so he wouldn't bleed out. At the same time the Truthspotter and several workers began to repair the damage done to the tower, and clear away the remains of the two Oni and the other man.

"Thank you for this Harry Potter," Iori said later, his voice cold as he stared down at the man who had attacked him. "This act means there is something very nasty going on here, especially since these two come from the Shinra clan.

"Yes I heard that name; I think I've read it once?" Harry said, looking at the man with one eyebrow raised not hinting at the fact he actually new a exiled Shinra clan member: Sona's queen Tsubaki.

"You probably have. The issue is that that the Shinra clan, like all who practice Jugondo, is so isolationist, they rarely have any contact with anyone else. In fact, these two were under assumed names here. That speaks of forward planning, and that this Khaos Brigade might have turned the entire clan. That would be very bad indeed. However, with the information this one will give me, as well as whatever information we can discern from our own systems, I can safely say that the government will start… dealing with all of the places on your map, which the young… Rias, was it? Was so helpful in copying for us. Those that are not in territory known as official Devil, Fallen or Angel territories. It is going to be a very bad day for this Khaos Brigade tomorrow."

Rias chuckled at that, and bowing formally towards the man once more.

After that, and after Harry was forced to give an account to the local special investigators, the trio passed through the forest and back into the magical Wizard. Perhaps because they were all thinking that it had been a job well done they didn't notice a man crossing a street nearby only to stop and stare at Akeno now. Pulling out his cell phone he took a picture of Akeno from the side, stuffing his phone back in his pocket and turning away before any of the three noticed. The outcast half-breed still lives, and dares to be here, among proper Onmyouji! This is an insult that cannot be born!

Rias certainly didn't notice, smiling and walking with her hand in Harry's. "Well that was an excellent way to spend our time, but Morimoto-san said something that makes me think. If they are going to try and follow up on the places where magic or the supernatural has been seen outside official Faction territories, it falls on us to do those areas. At least, those areas we can. I think that when we get back to Kuoh, Sona and I are going to go over the information we have and decide if we can't join in tomorrow's fun."

"But after our date," Harry said firmly, to Akeno's firm nod of agreement. "No way am I going to let this take our attention from that!"

Rias blinked, then looked up at him and laughed, nodding her head in agreement.

End Chapter

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Woot! Okay, so this is the last mostly slow chapter we'll see. From here on out we will go from big event to big personal event to Riser. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and my world building and the plot as I go about revealing it.