"Aw man, we've procrastinated for far too long. The deadline's in two days, and we've only finished half the newspaper," Harry groaned as he worked on his article.

"Yeah, but maybe if someone hadn't insisted that we take a break to train, we'd have been done by now," Gin grumbled, rubbing his sore arms. Harry's hexes were a bitch to block.

"Stop whining, Rum. You could use the exercise. You were getting fat sitting on your ass and drooling over Harry all day," Kurumu snarked. She had been the first to go along with Harry's idea to start training after school(mostly because she wanted an opportunity to see Harry shirtless, but that was beside the point).

"I have not been getting fat. I'm all muscle. You, on the other hand, Tit-zilla…"

"What'd you say to me, Mutt?!"

The two bickered until Ms. Nekonome walked in with a cup of milk and a letter addressed to Kurumu.

As everyone else worked on their articles, Kurumu read the letter. Her cheeks flushed, and shadows fell over her eyes as her lips twisted into a grimace.

"Hey, Kurumu, what's wrong?" Harry asked as he looked up from his work.

Kurumu startled and shoved the letters into a nearby toolbox in her hurry to leave. "I- I have to go. Sorry, everyone." She didn't wait for an objection before sprinting out the door.

"Wait, Kurumu! You can't just leave right now!" Yukari called.

Moka pouted. "Geez, that's so selfish! She knows we're coming up on our deadline. What could possibly be so important?"

"I dunno, but whatever it was, I don't think it was good…"

Gin shook his head. "It's fine. If we keep working, we'll finish on time. We really don't have time to chase after her right now."

Harry frowned but continued working on his article. He'd have to ask her what that was about later. For now, the rest of the club needed him present.

Kurumu returned later on, just as everyone was ready to leave.

"Hey, I-"

"It's fine, Kurumu. We decided to finish up tomorrow. You can leave too," Yukari said, her tone sharp.

"Just," Moka sighed and shook her head in tired disappointment, "be here tomorrow."

Harry hung back as everyone but Kurumu left. He didn't bother to get up when he saw Kurumu come in.

"Hey, Kurumu. Is everything alright? You seemed upset when you left earlier."

Kurumu sat across from Harry. She hoped maybe she could do a bit of work to make up for her absence.

"I'm… fine, I guess. Today was rough, but it's over now, so it's okay!" Kurumu forced a smile onto her face. It was almost convincing… almost.

"Are you sure? You can talk to me about anything, Kurumu, I promise. If you need my help with something or you're just feeling sad… I'm here for you." Harry offered a genuine smile.

Kurumu wanted to talk to him. She wanted to tell him what was going on, and have him swoop in and solve all her problems, but… Kurumu looked over Harry's shoulder to see a slime-covered boy with long hair hiding in the shadows outside the classroom, watching and taunting. She couldn't do it.

"Really, I'm fine. You should go to your dorm, Harry. I've got a lot to do, and you're probably tired."

"Oh… I can stay if you'd like some company?"

"No. I'm fine, really. I- you should really go on ahead, Harry."

Harry frowned. He was suspicious. Whatever was going on with Kurumu, he needed to figure out what it was. Problems here were never just simple problems, and Kurumu was not the type to hide things, especially emotions. If something or someone was causing her to hide from Harry, it had to be really bad.

Harry walked away from the classroom, just around the corner, before putting a silencing charm on his feet. There was a moment while they were speaking. It was brief, but Kurumu had looked over his shoulder, and then she flinched. She had to have seen something. Harry was going to find out what.

"-'re being really cold, Kurumu. I'd suggest you watch that tone, or I might be tempted to show Harry these pictures," a slimy, nasally voice threatened.

"No, not Harry-kun. I thought you said just one date. Why are you-"

"If you want these pictures to stay just between you and me, then you'll meet me tomorrow at the same place. Understand?"

"No, anytime but tomorrow. I can't! Stop- Stop following me!"

Kurumu sprinted out of the classroom and in the opposite direction of Harry. Harry's face twisted into an angry snarl. Whoever was in that classroom was going to be on the receiving end of a particularly malicious curse.

Harry whipped out his wand and turned into the classroom, but no one was there. Whoever had been talking to Kurumu was gone… along with the papers they had almost managed to finish.

"Fuck!" Harry stormed out of the classroom to check anywhere he could've hidden, but there was no trace.

When the Newspaper Club gathered the next day, Harry was furious. So was everyone else.

"It's all gone!" Moka cried.

"Even the data on my computer… and the backup disk too!" Yukari exclaimed.

Kurumu was the last to walk in, just as Gin observed something strange. "Everything is covered in slime…"

Harry hadn't noticed it last night, but the slime clearly made something click with Kurumu. Harry was willing to bet it had something to do with whoever was with her last night.

"Kurumu, who was it?"

The room got quiet.

"I heard someone in here last night threatening you. Just tell us who so we can all find him and beat his arse."

"I- I can't…"

"Like hell you can't!" Gin objected.

"He has blackmail on her," Harry said. He looked back at Kurumu. "He said something about pictures." Kurumu flinched. Harry continued, "That's good. Pictures are physical objects, things you can take back or burn. That's all we have to do, so tell us who it is, Kurumu. We just want to help." Harry's tone was serious, brokering no argument.

"It's… Kano Nagare. He took pictures of me in my underwear, and he's threatening to show everyone if I don't go on dates with him." Kurumu had tears of shame in her eyes as she admitted what Nagare had done.

Harry sighed and pulled the succubus into a hug. "It's alright now, Kurumu. We won't let him do anything like that again. Do you want to stay here or come along? All we need is the time and location if you don't want to see him again," Harry spoke softly.

Kurumu sniffled and wiped the small tears away. "Are you kidding?" Her trademark smirk spread across her face, sharper now as she prepared to get her revenge. "I'm gonna slice that perv up like sardines."

Harry nodded and gave a mean smirk of his own. "Glad to see you're feeling better. So, when and where is this guy gonna regret the day he was born?"

Nagare sat in the branches of the school's famous Monster Tree. He held up the missing newspaper draft and backup disk with a smarmy grin.

"Oh, so you decided to show up for our date after all, huh? I guess you're looking for these~?"

Kurumu's fists shook in barely restrained rage. "I'm giving you one chance, Nagare. Give me the paper and the disk, and burn those pictures or else." Kurumu extended her nails and held them at the ready.

Nagare laughed condescendingly. "Was that your attempt at scary, my dear? You really aren't cut out for it with that pretty face of yours. Don't worry, Kurumu… over time, I'll straighten out that rebellious attitude of yours and you'll be my little doll forever. I think it's time we start our first obedience lesson."

Nagare leaped down from the tree, and his skin began to look like it was melting. Two stalks popped out of his neck, and his eyes extended until he was one big slug. The stalks from his neck released a thick cloud. Kurumu jumped back, careful not to inhale. The moment Nagare started to transform, the other members of the Newspaper Club slipped into the open to assist Kurumu, but the stubborn succubus waved them away.

"This is my fight, and I'm going to shred you to pieces, perv!"

"How're you gonna do that? If you get close, you'll be paralyzed. Kukuku. I don't know why you're not happier to be here with me than at that stupid club anyway. This paper is garbage, and I take much better pictures, don't you think?"

Kurumu growled. "You bastard." She shot into the cloud of paralyzing gas and sliced into the fatty slime. She slashed and slashed, faster than the slug could keep up with, but the slime coating was too thick, and Kurumu couldn't hold her breath much longer.

Just as she was about to retreat to get her breath back, Nagare latched onto her tail and kept her in the mist.

"Kurumu!" Moka called. She ran into the mist before her other friends could stop her and shoved the slimy monster away with all her strength. Kurumu managed to get out, but Moka accidentally inhaled some of the gas.

"Dammit, Moka, I told you not to get involved!" Kurumu yelled.

"Hehehe! Akashiya Moka. You were going to be my next target, but now… you and Kurumu-chan together? Oooo, this is too good. I think I'll start with you since you're already here~"

"Don't you dare!" Kurumu's voice was murderous. A dark aura surrounded her, strong enough to give Nagare pause. "Nobody, I mean nobody gets to hurt my friends, goddammit!"

The Monster Tree's roots started to break through the ground and lash out at Nagare. Nagare was forced back, and the branches locked around him.

"Why can't I m-move?" Nagare yelled, horror twisting his cocky expression.

Kurumu let out a battle cry and dive-bombed the slimy bastard. She sliced through his slime and into soft, yielding flesh. Nagare screamed in pain only to pass out from fear and shock. The roots disappeared, and the branches returned to normal.

"How-?" Moka murmured, barely able to move her lips.

"An illusion, succubi's most dangerous power," Harry answered, smiling proudly at Kurumu.

Kurumu panted heavily, but she wore a satisfied grin on her face. She would always protect her friends, no matter what. And with this new ability, she'd be able to protect them much more effectively.

Kurumu slowly rose from her crouch and lifted her fist to the sky as if she were declaring her victory to the heavens. "YA-HOOOO!"

The Newspaper returned to their club room and pulled an all-nighter to finish up the paper. Ms. Nekonome came in the next morning to see all of them fast asleep with the finished paper on her desk.

"My, my. You've all worked so hard, haven't you? Don't worry, sensei will make the copies. You kids get your rest," she whispered to her sleeping students.

Nekonome watched them all fondly. They'd been getting along so splendidly these last few days, just as she'd hoped they would one day. Her little kittens were growing to be a real team.

She switched her gaze over to Harry. As always, he was in the middle, unconsciously spreading his affection to all of his friends equally. Nekonome might play the bimbo, but she was far from stupid. All of her students liked Harry, and she knew he liked them too, but he was the only one to deny the attraction entirely. That just wouldn't do…

"Don't worry, little Romeo, Mama Kitty will sort you out."

The Newspaper Club, once again, gathered in the forest to train. Kurumu and Mizore had teamed up to fight Inner Moka, and Yukari and Gin teamed up to fight Harry.

For the fifth time in half an hour, Kurumu and Mizore were both thrown on their asses. "Dammit, this is impossible!" Kurumu lamented.

Inner Moka regarded her two "opponents" coldly. This whole training session was a waste of her time. She wasn't getting any stronger from this. It was like fighting a pair of toddlers.

Inner Moka sneered at the two. "That's enough. You two are ridiculously weak, and it's starting to irritate me. Go train amongst yourselves."

Harry took note of the scene out of the corner of his eye, not really surprised at the development. Inner Moka was proud and intolerant. That was kind of the point of getting her to train with them. If Outer Moka was serious about helping Harry with Voldemort, they would all need to work together. That meant Inner Moka had to learn to play nice with the other kids.

Harry dodged an attack from Gin by a hair. He had to duck under a swarm of tarot cards a second after. Harry had bought dragon hide armor in preparation for these sparring sessions. He intended for them to attack him without inhibition.

Harry clamped his lips closed and focused hard. He cast a silent flipendo on Gin. Harry cheered when the spell worked, and Gin was forced away from him, but his celebration was short-lived as Yukari snuck around behind him and used the same spell to bowl Harry over until he was face-planted in the mud.

"Yaaay! Gotcha, Harry-kun!" the younger witch cheered.

"Yeah yeah, you got me. I see you've mastered the disillusionment charm?"

"Yup!"

Harry smiled and wiped the mud from his face. He could hardly be upset with her when she'd used the spells he had taught her to take him down. He wondered if this was what it was like to have a younger sibling.

A loud growl interrupted Harry's proud reverie. Inner Moka glared at the wizard. Her eyes glowed an angry red as she stalked closer to him. "This is ridiculous. You're all weak! You have us all out here training aimlessly, running around and fighting each other like dogs! At this rate, you won't have to worry about Voldemort. You'll be dead before you leave school grounds," the vampire spat.

Harry's lips fell into an angry scowl. "Then what would you have me do, Moka? At least I'm doing something-"

"Watch your tone, wizard. I could kill you where you stand. The only thing that stays my hand is Outer's irritating attachment to you and your blood. Don't push your luck," the vampire hissed.

Inner Moka glared at Harry. Her aura grew dark and oppressive. Just a look from her had Harry's knees struggling to keep him upright, but Harry met her eyes defiantly. He would not be bullied or cowed into submission, even if he knew Inner Moka's words to be true.

"Outer Moka is weak, and you have the ability to remove my rosary. That is why I stay and help in your hopeless endeavor to improve your meager strength." Inner Moka's aura grew heavier, almost forcing him to his knees. "But if you all don't get your shit together you will all die as soon as a truly strong opponent shows their face."

With that, Inner Moka snatched her rosary away from Harry, sat down by a tree, and attached it, leaving Outer Moka slumped unconscious.

Harry huffed, partially relieved to be free from Moka's overpowering youki but mostly frustrated at his own weakness. He likely couldn't have moved if he'd wanted to. Moka hadn't even had to touch him.

Mizore appeared next to Harry. He barely managed to keep himself from visibly startling when she suddenly rested a hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright, Harry-kun. I think you're very strong. Inner Moka's just a huge bitch," she said in her usual monotone.

"Yeah, Harry-kun! You're way strong!" Yukari pitched in, her voice colored in admiration.

Harry shook his head, biting back a self-deprecating sneer. "No, she's right…"

"As much as I hate to agree… there are people in this school right now that would be able to kill every one of us without breaking a sweat," Gin spoke from behind them, a pensive frown marring his typically laid-back features.

Harry made a personal note to ask Gin who specifically he was talking about, but he nodded in agreement. "Exactly. If we're going to be able to take on Voldemort, we'll have to make it out of Youkai Academy alive. And I don't know if you've noticed… but it seems that just about everyone in this school wants to kill us at some point."

Kurumu frowned. "Well, that just means we'll have to get stronger. I don't care what it takes, or even if I have to fight Inner Moka a hundred more times. I'm going to become strong enough to help you, Harry-kun!" Kurumu's eyes gleamed with determination.

The others nodded in agreement, fists clenched and eyes burning. Harry smiled at them. "Well, I guess that means we'll be out here for a while, doesn't it?"

They had been training for hours. The sun had set a little while ago, and Outer Moka woke up a few hours before. Moka trained with them for a while, but without her powers, she didn't last as long as the others. Instead, she busied herself with bringing them lunch and endless bottles of water. When the sun had finally set, she took it upon herself to bring a few sleeping bags and blankets for the group.

They were all huddled around a fire, huffing and chugging water like their lives depended on it.

"It's so cold out here! Whose idea was it to stay out so late?" Kurumu bemoaned, huddling closer to Harry. It would've even looked romantic if they weren't both covered in sweat.

"I'm regretting it already," Harry groaned, leaning into Kurumu and the fire and shaking like a leaf.

Moka returned from the dorms once again with graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate bars. She set them down on a mat she'd brought earlier and sat down next to Harry, huddling in against the cold.

"I don't see what everyone's complaining about. It's a lot warmer than back home out here," Mizore remarked, eying the spot next to Harry with a pout. If she huddled against him like Kurumu, she'd probably give him hypothermia.

"Easy for you to say!" Yukari whined. She was tucked against Moka's side, nursing a cup of tea she had heated up with her summoned tea kettle.

Gin sat down next to Yukari with an armful of sticks and tossed them into the fire. "Eh, it's not too bad. The woods back home used to get so cold your tears'd freeze to your face."

"Father's castle used to be freezing in the winters, but there were fireplaces everywhere," Moka commented.

"Ugh, I couldn't do it. Mom made sure to set us up somewhere tropical for the winters. It doesn't do to have a succubus shivering her tits off," Kurumu said, tugging her blanket closer to her body.

"I used to be able to tolerate cold weather, but then I guess Hogwarts spoiled me a bit with the warm coats and heating spells… Oh right!" Harry cast a heating spell around them, getting many sighs of relief from around their little circle.

"Why didn't you do that earlier?" Yukari exclaimed.

Harry rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Sorry, I kind of forgot about the heating spell. I blame exhaustion making my brain numb."

"Forget about it. We're all warm, and now we've got s'mores to make!" Moka intervened.

The teens dug in happily, seemingly forgetting how cold and tired they all were just a few moments before. They chattered amongst themselves lightly and ate s'mores until they were full and content. The group tucked themselves into their sleeping bags afterward and slipped off to sleep.

Harry awoke screaming. Even as he opened his eyes, darkness lingered around him. He heard voices around him, his friends. He couldn't see anything; he couldn't see them. Darkness engulfed Harry, almost palpable. It was suffocating.

"Harry?"

"Harry-kun, what's wrong?"

"Harry-kun!"

Their voices were frantic. Harry blinked hard, trying to clear his vision. The darkness cleared after a few terrifying moments. Harry looked around at his friends' worried faces.

"I'm sorry," he apologized reflexively.

"What happened? Why did you yell?" Moka asked.

"I- nightmare. I don't remember… I just woke up, and I couldn't see anything."

"It's okay, Harry-kun. You're here with us, and you're safe," Kurumu consoled. She tugged him into a soft embrace.

Harry slowly untensed as he sank into Kurumu's arms. The succubus's tactile nature seemed to suit the situation well as a few moments later, Harry released a breath he didn't know he was holding and relaxed completely.

The others released a sigh of relief as well. Gin grabbed a bottle of water from the bag Moka had brought out earlier in the night or- Harry glanced up at the lightening sky- maybe that was yesterday. Harry took the bottle gratefully and downed it in a few seconds.

"Thank you. I- you guys should really get back to sleep. It's really early… Sorry I woke you," Harry apologized.

Mizore leveled Harry with a scolding glare. "Don't apologize for having a nightmare."

"Yeah. We're glad you didn't have to wake up from that alone. You looked really scared," Yukari noted, looking upset at the thought.

Harry smiled. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Kurumu beamed. "You'll never have to find out if I've got anything to say about it."

Moka nodded seriously. "You'll never be alone as long as we're around, Harry-kun."

Harry smiled at her, remembering what she'd said the first day they'd met.

"You're my first friend!"

Harry looked around him, meeting all of his friends' eyes. Now that he thought about it, all of them had been loners before meeting him. Now they were all part of a tight-knit group, and Harry wouldn't let anything or anyone take them away. "And neither will you," he vowed.