InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Learning to Love Again ❯ Chapter Seven ( Chapter 7 )

Hermione glanced over at Kagome beside her as she mechanically lifted rice to her lips, staring off into the bowl of rolls sitting in front of her like they were the most interesting thing in the world. Looking to her other side, Draco seemed to be brooding about something. What, no one could guess. Across from her on the other side of the table, Ron sat, oblivious to the mini-drama taking place in front of him, stuffing his face like their was no tomorrow. Harry had yet to join them.

Sitting down her chopsticks, Kagome stood from the table. "I'd better go get ready for the morning classes. Tell Harry I said 'Hello.'" And with that, she crossed the Great Hall and went off down the corridor to her classroom. 'I know that was just a dream last night, but it still hurts knowing he still hates me. I wonder why I would think of him, of all the people, in my Meditation Chimera,' she thought, unlocking the heavy, wooden door to her classroom and striding in. Beginning to set up what she would need for today's lesson, a sound by the door and an approaching demon aura caught her attention.

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Harry walked through the Great Hall and took a seat beside Ron, across from Hermione. Noticing the lack of insult from the obviously fuming Draco, he asked, "What's with him?" No one noticed the subject of their conversation's brows drop into a 'V' at that statement.

Shrugging, Hermione answered, "I don't know. He and Kagome have been acting funny this morning." Again, no one noticed as Draco's face took on a slightly angrier shade.

Ron, really having no idea what was going on, but feeling left out, suggested, "Maybe they had a fight."

Finally fed up, Draco turned with an angry countenance to the rest of the group. "I'm right here, incase you didn't notice!"

Completely ignoring him, Hermione countered with a giggle, "Ron, when are they not fighting?"

Infuriated at being disregarded like he was no more than some filthy Mudblood, Draco stood and stomped out of the Great Hall, grabbing Crabbe and Goyle on his way out.

Suddenly, her face lit up as if she'd just discovered the world was round and not flat. "But that's just it! They weren't fighting this morning! Oh, my God! Something really is wrong!"

Before the others could comment on that, the Great Hall was suddenly filled with hundreds of hooting owls. The mail had arrived. After waiting to see if any of them had been sent anything, and becoming disappointed when nothing arrived, the group left the Hall and headed off down the corridor to their first class of the day: Defense Against the Dark Arts with Kagome.

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LAST NIGHT IN THE SENGOKU JIDAI

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Miroku startled out of his nap against one of the great mimiji trees that lined the village as a small, unnatural tornado made its way past him. Unsuspecting villagers panicked and ran out of the streets and into their houses, screaming, "Demon!" Sighing in recognition, the Houshi stood, brushing off his dusty robes and retrieving his gold staff from where it was lying on the ground beside him. "What are we going to do without Kagome-sama here to break up the fights?" he asked himself, making his way to Kaede's hut where the creature was sure to be headed.

Sango jumped as a storm entered the hut where she was helping Kaede crush some herbs to be made into a healing medicine for some children in the village that had come down with a minor cold as the autumn months grew chillier, preparing for the oncoming winter. The dust cleared and in its place stood a tall, dark, and handsome man… er- wolf. "Where's my woman?" Kouga asked in his gruff voice.

Sighing with what she knew was going to be a trying experience, Sango cleared her throat in preparation for the yelling sure to come and the argument sure to break out. "I'm sorry, Kouga-sama, but Kagome-chan isn't here. You just missed her. She left for her home a few hours ago," she told him, trying to be gentle.

To her surprise, Kouga didn't break out into a rage at hearing this news. Rather, his countenance took on a rather pitiful expression. Looking somewhat hurt, he reached behind his back and picked up a little ball of fur from where it had been wrapped in his tail to hold out to them so they could see what it was. "But, I brought a gift for her," he offered as they ogled the little wolf cub in his arms as he held it against his chest. It was so young, it hadn't even opened its eyes yet.

Sango nearly cried out at how sweet the gesture was. 'Kagome-chan is so lucky to have so many men after her, one of which would probably wait on her hand and foot if she so much as suggested…' she thought in envy. "Kouga-kun," she switched to the more endearing suffix, hoping to sound more persuasive. "That's very sweet, and I'm sure Kagome would just absolutely adore her-"

"It's a him," he cut in innocently.

"Yes, well, him, but she isn't here and won't be back until Christmas, so you'll just have to wait till then. He could be your present to her!" she suggested hopefully.

Kouga gave her a blank look. "Uh, what's Christmas?" he asked, reaching up with one hand to scratch the back of his head sheepishly.

Slapping her forehead, angry with herself for completely forgetting that he wouldn't have any idea at what she was talking about, Sango turned back to the bench she sat in front of and grabbed some vegetables. Standing, she walked over to the big black pot hanging over the fire in the middle of the room and began to cut them in her hands with the pocket knife Kagome had gotten her for her birthday. According to the future girl, it was a very special day and was celebrated where she came from. Well, if she got a present, a very handy one at that, she wasn't complaining. Looking up at the expectant wolf, she said, "You're welcome to stay for dinner and we can explain it then." At his hesitant look, she offered, "It's rabbit and vegetable stew."

Sighing, Kouga agreed. Taking a seat, cross-legged, across from where Sango stood on the other side of the fire pit, he set the little pup down beside him. Sango watched in amusement as the miniscule creature attempted to stand on shaky legs only to fall right back down on its round belly. She smiled as it opened its little mouth, devoid of anything more dangerous than a few milk teeth, and let out a tiny growl, letting everyone know that it was hungry.

Something suddenly occurred to Sango. "Uh, Kouga-sama, how exactly are you planning on feeding him? Surely he hasn't been weaned off milk yet."

Still keeping his eyes on the cub, making sure it didn't stumble its way into the fire pit, Kouga answered, "Yeah, I was kind of hoping that fire cat of yours could feed him until he could eat on his own. She's a female, right?

"Oh, yes, she is. I'm sure Kirara-chan wouldn't mind. In fact, I'm sure she'd love playing the role of Mother for a while… if she were here. But, I let Kagome-chan take her with her." Sitting down beside Kouga, gesturing to the cub, she asked, "May I?"

Waiting for a nod from the wolf, she reached down and gently retrieved the little wandering black ball of fur to cradle against her, smiling in delight when its little pink tongue licked her fingers experimentally. Finishing the medicine, Kaede stood from the bench, concoction in hand, and hobbled over to the pot after retrieving a few bowls from a shelf. Filling up two of them, she handed one to each person. "I will return some time after dark. The sun is setting right now." With that, the old woman shuffled out of the hut and into the street.

But a few seconds later, the screen was pulled aside and Miroku walked in. Taking a seat beside Sango, who promptly scooted away a few inches, he poured himself a bowl of stew and began to eat. Sango was about to ask him what had taken him so long and why he hadn't gotten the extra firewood as she'd requested when Kouga spoke up. "So, what's this 'Ku-risu-masu' thing you're talking about?" he asked, sitting down his bowl of food.

Dipping a finger into her stew and bringing it to the cub's mouth to suck on, she answered, "Well, from what Kaede told us, it's a European and American holiday celebrated some time during the beginning of winter."

"But, fall's just starting. It'll be forever before my woman gets back," he protested.

"Well, you can wait until then to give her the cub. I'll take care of him until then," Sango suggested hopefully, freeing her hand from the cub's mouth a moment to swat a certain perverted houshi's wandering hand away from private areas before once again dipping a finger into her stew and bringing it to the cub's mouth.

"No. I want to get him to Kagome before he opens his eyes so she's the first one he sees. I got him so he can kind of protect her when he's old enough, so it'll be better that way. He'll be loyal to her," he told them. Picking the discarded bowl up once again, he sniffed it, picking through it with his chopsticks. "Hey, why is this stuff all cooked. It's better raw, you know."

Scrunching her nose at he thought of eating raw meat, Sango explained to him that humans get sick when they don't cook their food. Realization dawned on Kouga. "So, that's why Kagome never eats when she's with us. I'll have to remember to cook her food next time."

'Well, that and because she's afraid it might be human meat,' Sango thought in disgust, recalling a conversation she'd had with Kagome not too long ago when they'd been bathing.

"So, where does Kagome live? I though she lived here in this village," Kouga asked, deciding to just go ahead and eat the stew when his stomach gave a not so discreet growl.

"Uh…" 'Oh, boy, how to explain this one.'"Well, Kouga-sama, you might not believe this, but she comes from the future. She jumps through this old magic, dried-up well called the Bone-Eater's Well and that takes her to her home. Right now, though, she's in Europe, the place I mentioned earlier, teaching magic to some witch children," Sango explained casually.

Kouga could only stare at her. Finally, he spoke. "Okay," he began disbelievingly, "take me to this well then."

"Okay," Sango agreed easily, happy at the chance to get to send a letter to Kagome. "If you go see her, though, could you take a letter to her for me?"

Nodding, he agreed. After eating, writing a letter to give to Kagome, and pouring some stew broth into a canteen for Kouga to feed to the pup on the way, Sango and Miroku led him to the well. Bidding a quick goodbye, the wolf jumped into the portal to Kagome's time, cub, letter, and canteen in tow.

"Do you really think that was a good idea, Sango-san?" Miroku asked after Kouga had left.

"No, but I couldn't pass up the chance to communicate to Kagome-chan, now could I? And besides, that cub will cheer her up," she answered, turning around and beginning their walk back to the village.

"Speaking of which, where is that two-timing hanyou? I haven't seen him since this morning before Kagome left."

"Ah, he's probably still out with Kikyo."

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ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WELL

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Kouga jumped out of the bottom of the well as the blue light that had carried him to the future vanished, almost hitting his head on the top of the well house. Looking around, he opened up the dusty doors to be assaulted with the thick smell of gassy smog and the not so tranquil sounds of nighttime in Tokyo. After becoming somewhat used to the smell of pollution, or at least tolerant of it, he made his way outside and stopped to sniff the air.

Even through the unfamiliar fumes, he could smell a great concentration of Kagome's scent in the house down the steps and to his right. Quickly jogging to the front door of the oddly shaped building, he knocked on the entrance. An older but still pretty woman answered the door and gasped when she saw him standing there. "Excuse me," she began nervously, "may I help you, sir?"

"Yeah, I can smell Kagome in there. Is this where she lives?" he asked, wanting to be polite incase this was Kagome's mother. The woman had similar facial features and some of the same qualities in her scent.

"Uh, yes, but she isn't home right now. May I ask who you are, sir?"

"Kouga," he stated simply, as if that one name would explain everything.

"Hm… yes, I believe I've heard Kagome talk about you." His face lit up at this. "You're the prince of the Wolf Tribe, aren't you?" Kouga nodded proudly. "Would you like to come in and have some tea?"

After a talk with the woman, Kouga decided he liked his mother-in-law to be. She was kind and sweet and reminded him a lot of his Kagome. After codling the cub, Kagami (AN/ I'm going to say that's her name, because I really don't know what it is. It's a popular modern Japanese name that means "mirror.") was persuaded to show Kouga how to use the Floo powder Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall had given her. After much hesitation, the wolf was persuaded and, with the cub and a bag of extra powder, he began his short journey to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

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NOW AT HOGWARTS

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After a total of forty-three failed attempts, Kouga was finally thrown out of the fireplace in the Gryffindor Common room. Confused, terrified, and tired from just waking up, the students let him be as he sniffed the air. His Kagome had been here, he quickly concluded. Sniffing his way there, Kouga slowly made his way to the unsuspecting Kagome's classroom.

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