Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unto the Few ❯ Further Complications ( Chapter 9 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Author’s Notes: I understand that this isn’t the typical year-after-OWLs, because according to JKR the sixth year students take only the courses in which they earned a certain grade.  The students also had quite a few ‘free periods’ that were usually taken up with homework.

I’m trying to write as closely as possible to the sixth book’s schedule, but I started this way before that book was released.  Therefore, I’m not going to re-write the schedules I put together.

I have no excuse for my audacious absence from the writing scene, other than some major life changes.  So updates, when and if they come, will be sporadic.  I appreciate your patience and support.

As always, read, review, and enjoy!

-

Chapter 9: Potions, Poisons, and Plants

Kurama decided not to return to the Great Hall with Yukina and Kagome.  Instead, he vouched for finding a small niche in the cool stone wall where he could think.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, pressed the sole of his right foot against the wall and balanced on one foot.  “Interesting developments…” he mused to himself.  “The first day of classes and already there is drama.  If I were a suspicious person, I would have cause to be concerned…”

-

“Now, everyone,” Professor Lupin said, leaning casually on the corner of his large desk.  “Welcome to yet another year of Defense Against the Dark Arts.  I hope you will all have patience with me as I assign your seats.”

At the announcement of assigned seating, a groan rose from the Gryffindor and Slytherin students.  

“Settle down, settle down,” Lupin said, gesturing with his hands.  He pulled a folded piece of parchment from a pocket inside his robe and began reading.  “Row one, left to right: Potter, Minamino, Weasley, Higurashi, Jaganshi.  Row two: Parkinson, Malfoy, Kuwabara, Urameshi, and Ms. Bones.  Row three…”

The first day of Defense dragged on slowly, most of the period being taken up by arguments among students who were placed away from their friends--or more specifically, beside people they were not friends with.

The biggest problem seemed to present itself when Draco and Pansy were placed directly behind Ron and Kagome, and that Kuwabara was stuck between Malfoy and Urameshi, the latter of which seemed hell-bent on Draco’s destruction.

They were dismissed with the promise that an actual lesson would be taught next time, much to the chagrin of the students.

Kagome and Yusuke headed off to a flying lesson, as they would do for only the first week of school.  Kurama and Yukina made their way to the Astronomy tower.

“So,” Yusuke said, slinging his arm over Kagome’s shoulders.  “You excited about your first day of flying?”

“I’m just glad this is before lunch,” she replied, clutching her stomach.  “I’m nervous, but kinda excited too.”

“Oh, flying is nothing.  I do it all the time with Botan on her oar.  Scared the living fuck outta me the first time she took off with me on back.  Even took me through a couple loops just to freak me out.”

“Sugoi,” Kagome said, as they arrived at the wide open field.

“Oi,” They exhaled sharply.  They were surrounded by eleven-year-olds.

“Come on, come on,” Madame Hooch ushered the pair to a set of broomsticks at the end of the row.  “Don’t be scared, they’re just First Years, their bite doesn’t hurt and they don’t know many damaging spells.  Come on, take your place.”  Madame Hooch spun and blew her whistle for attention.  “Alright everyone.  If you’re right handed stand on the left side of your broom, and vice versa.  Hold your hand over your broom and say in a strong voice, “UP!”

The air was filled with shouts and whines and whispers as everyone ordered and begged their broom to jump off the ground.  Yusuke’s broom shook and rattled around, but refused to obey.  When Kagome’s shot into her hand on the second try, his face flushed and his eyes turned fractionally red.  

Kagome glanced over, “Did you just growl?”

Yusuke glanced darkly over at her and barked, “UP!”  The broom jumped immediately into his palm.  Anger instantly gone, he looked down in wonder, while Kagome giggled.  

“Alright everyone, swing your leg over and mount up.  Push gently off the ground and hover for a few seconds, then lean forward slightly and land.  Do not under any circumstances go off on your own.”

The students obediently mounted their brooms and gently kicked off the ground and hovered listlessly a few feet above the ground.  Kagome marveled, but Yusuke yawned obnoxiously.  “Boriiiiiiing,” he drawled.

Madame Hooch sent him a scalding glance but ignored his comment.  The rest of the short class was spent repeating this exercise; the only marginally exciting part was when two boys got into a kicking contest while hovering and flipped themselves off their brooms.  

“Tomorrow we will work on basic flying maneuvers.  Be prepared.  Class dismissed.”

“Kagome!  Kagome!” Yukina’s voice came pirouetting over the din of the excited first years.

“What?  Yukina, I can’t see you!”

“I’m here!”

Kagome spotted the ice maiden, who was hopping up and down and waving her arms.  With slightly morose humor, she noted that Yukina was barely taller than any one of the First Years.  “What, Yukina?”

“Kagome, you’ll never ever guess!” Yukina’s cheeks were brightly flushed.  “Madame Pomfrey—”

“Who?”

“The Head of the Infirmary!  She said she heard I know some healing and she’s asked me to be her apprentice!  I’ll work with her on weekends and after classes!”

“Yukina, that’s wonderful!” Kagome gave her a quick hug.  “But I’ve got to get to Potions, before I’m late!”

“Oh, ok.  Bye, Kagome!” Yukina smiled at her, but her eyes were calculating to see how her friend was feeling after her upset this morning.

“Bye!”  Kagome turned and ran down the corridors, satchel in hand.  As she ran, she felt another round of tears coming on, but she choked them down.  She was going to need to keep her head if she were going to be around another gaggle of plotting Slytherins.

Her worst fears were confirmed that this would indeed, be a horrifying class.  Chatter abounded between the students, but Kagome noted the green did not mix with the gold.  As a matter of fact, not a single Slytherin was communicating with a Gryffindor in any way other than to make fun of them.  To her dissatisfaction, the Gryffindors were hardly any better.  They were not quite as subtle nor as harsh, but their remarks were still offensive.

Looking around the room, she recognized Hiei, who was standing at the table to her right, beside a nervous, turtle-ish boy who seemed to develop a twitch every time someone from Slytherin made a move around him.

However, when the door to the classroom swung open quietly, all students shut their mouths immediately.  Kagome, not for the first time, found her gaze wandering to Professor Snape’s nose.  She stopped staring when his dark gaze met hers.  He arched a brow sardonically and his nose wrinkled, as if he’d caught the scent of week-old garbage.

“As you should all be fully aware of by now, I do not allow foolishness or excessive wand-waving.  There will be talk only when you ask a question of myself, and for your sakes, it had best be a query worthy of my time.  Sixth year potions are much more difficult than any other potion you have brewed before, and so I expect the utmost attention from each of you.”  His dark gaze flickered briefly to the Japanese students.  Snape’s brow seemed to twitch before he looked away and waved his wand at the board.  “Instructions are up front, ingredients in the back.  Begin.”

Kagome read the instructions carefully.  His script was elegant and clear, but she made herself read the directions several times just in case she’d missed something.  Her summer lessons were testimony to what would happen should she foul-up her brew.  “One ounce Essence of Belladonna, two ounces of Flobberworm mucus, sliced daisy roots, Essence of Murtlap, one teaspoon Pomegranate juice, three rat spleens,” she made her way to the back to retrieve the ingredients for the Draught for Re-hydration.

Kurama was already in the back and he smiled softly at her, not making any noises that may result in a detention.

When back at their respective cauldrons, Kagome and Kurama began the first step: heating their cauldrons for two minutes and four seconds before adding the Essence of Belladonna.  

“Stir counter-clockwise fifty-one times, then reverse and stir six times with a pewter rod,” Kagome murmured.  Out of the corner of her eye, she noted that she and Kurama were in almost perfect synchronicity.  “Let rest two minutes,”

She and Kurama both lay their rods down at the same time and gave each other hopeful glances.  Looking around the room, she saw Hiei following the instructions to a T, but that he was also giving the boy beside him cursory glances to see if he should be ducking under the table any time soon.

Kagome smirked and caught another Gryffindor— “Hermione is her name, I think,”—staring at her.  Caught, Hermione blushed and looked away and she busied herself correcting the amount of Belladonna her red-headed partner was attempting to put into his cauldron.

Kurama put a hand on his partner’s arm.  “Time,” he whispered.

Kagome nodded and carefully poured the Flobberworm mucus into the potion.  After that, they had exactly twenty seconds before the sliced daisy roots could be submerged in the water, at which time the potion was supposed to turn a transparent, shimmering blue.  

Both Kagome and Kurama’s potions turned the right shade, but they had to hit the floor when Hiei’s partner’s cauldron began to boil over with pale green foam.

“Evanesco,” Snape said, flicking his wand at the cauldron.  He smirked slightly.  “An incomplete on the first day, Longbottom.  Off to a good start this term, I see,”

The boy identified as Longbottom quivered and hung his head in fear.

Kagome caught Hiei’s quiet huff of annoyance.  She looked down and saw some of the goo had dropped onto his boot.  “Finicky little thing, aren’t you?” she thought to herself.

Kagome added the pomegranate juice and essence of Murtlap in quick succession.  After this came more stirring and she sighed in relief when the potion turned the according shade of purple with grey steam rising from the surface.  To finish, she added the three rat spleens (appropriately diced), one at a time, every four seconds.  The potion’s steam dissipated and turned nearly as translucent as water, with a hint of lavender.

Looking around, she found that only herself, Kurama, the Hermione girl, and the blonde brat Malfoy had managed to make it to this step thus far and not botch it up.

“Time,” Snape called, his voice droll and dripping in sarcasm.  His lip curled at the abysmal attempts of most of the students in the room.  He passed Kurama, Kagome, and Hermione silently, but awarded Slytherin twenty points for Malfoy’s work.

Kagome glanced over to see Hermione steaming silently and knew how she felt.

Kurama gathered Kagome’s satchel and handed it to her as they exited the room.  Hiei joined up quickly, still silent.

The trio passed Hermione, her partner Ron, and Harry Potter, whom had joined their bushy-headed friend on their way to lunch.  Hermione broke away from her two friends and nervously approached the transfer students.

“Erm…” she began, trying to catch someone’s eye.

Kurama and Kagome stopped, looking at her with interest, while Hiei continued on a few steps before pausing as well.

“Yes?” Kurama asked politely.

“I was, uh, just wondering…” Hermione trailed off, biting her lip and looking nervous.  “I was just wondering how you are, Kagome?”

Kagome was slightly shocked at the forward question, but put on the bravest smile she could muster and replied, “I’m alright, thank you,”  “But the day isn’t over yet,” she reminded herself.

“Well…I was just going to say that…I’m very sorry for the way I’ve acted towards you.  Both of you, actually,” she rephrased, glancing at Kurama as well.  “If the Weasleys say you’re good people, then you’re good people and well, I’m sorry.”  She blushed faintly and bit her lip, then glanced from her left to right and whirled around, planting her hands on her hips.  “Oh come on you two!”

Ron and Harry split a glance and rushed over, Ron muttering something about being stupid, while Harry scratched behind his ears and mumbled, looking properly abashed.  

Hermione had a strangely smug look about her as she bid them farewell and continued on their way to lunch.

“Well that was nice of her,” Kagome said, highly amused at the mother-hen affect she’d had on her two male friends.  

“Indeed,” replied Kurama, who came to a complete halt in the hallway, his gaze locked curiously on Hiei, who seemed to have become suddenly drenched in hot pink paint.

“Hiei?” Kagome asked, slightly worried, as the hybrid was not moving an inch, despite the ostentatious paint dripping from his frame.  “Are you…alright?”

A loud noise above their heads made Kurama and Kagome look up, then wish they hadn’t.  High above their heads was Peeves, juggling large balloons with neither care nor caution.  He was singing a bawdy song about a bar maid in an off-key tone.  On one particularly harsh note, he lobbed two balloons in quick succession at Kagome and Kurama.  

Kagome shrieked and hit the ground, but the balloon nailed her anyway.  Kurama threw up his arms in a defensive block, which resulted in a strange horizontal-bar pattern across his chest, while the rest of his top half was dripping neon green paint.  

Suddenly, there was a surge of energy and the two Slytherins gaped openly as Hiei moved.  In the blink of an eye, he was above Peeves, a previously concealed dagger held in one hand.  The blade glowed with a menacing purple hue.  Peeves howled and dropped the other balloons directly over Kagome.  

Hiei was moving with intentional sluggishness, Kurama knew, because if he’d wanted to force the ghost back to the Spirit World, he would’ve done it by now.  The hybrid was merely getting close enough to Peeves to show him who was boss.

“LEAVE PEEVESIE ALONE!  PEEVESIE’S NEVER DID NO HARM!”

Kagome wiped her red-and-white -coated bangs aside to see Hiei holding Peeves in place by an unseen power.  Hiei held the ghost upside-down and nose-to-nose to himself.  He was muttering something that was surely sinister.  At least, that’s what the two observers had to assume, as Peeves was shivering and nodding with fervor.

“Go.”  With one word, Hiei dismissed the ghost, who disappeared as quickly as he could.

Kurama was cleaning paint out of one ear when he asked, “Was it really necessary to waste so much energy on him?”

Hiei’s smirk had a distinct undertone of smugness when he replied, “He won’t bother us again.”

Kagome’s stomach rumbled then, loud enough to echo through the empty corridor.  She blushed and looked down.  “Um…why don’t we go to lunch now?”

Kurama chuckled and drew out his wand.  He murmured, “Scourgify,” as he pointed his wand first at Kagome and then himself.  He turned to Hiei, but found that the hybrid was already clean and putting his wand away in the sleeve of his left arm.

They made it to lunch about half-way through the meal.  Hiei refused to answer questions about the reason for their delay, but Kurama and Kagome told their inquisitive friends, “Peeves.”

Looks of understanding and concern flitted among the Gryffindors.  Ron piped up, “We told you you’d know him when you saw him!”

At the Slytherin table, Kagome sat down quietly across from Kurama and put only two things on her plate.  Using her fork, she moved the vegetables and potato around without gusto.

Kurama had raised a bite to his mouth when Kagome sighed.  He set his fork down and gave her a level look.  “Kagome, are you alright?”

Scraping the tines of the fork across the plate idly, she muttered, “What do you think?”

In a fluid movement, Kurama was out of his seat and at her side, sitting close enough that she could feel the heat of his body emanating through his clothing.  She set down her fork and folded her hands into her lap and sat with her shoulders hunched.  She sighed.

“That’s the second sigh since you’ve sat down,” he remarked casually, placing a few more food items on her plate and filling her goblet with juice.

“It’s sighing or crying, take your pick.”  There was a distinct pang of harshness as she resumed play with the fork.

Kurama lifted his hand and rested it atop hers to still her movement.  For a moment, her hand tensed at his touch.  Then, she relaxed and let him keep his hand where it was.  She didn’t dare look at him.  The hold she had on her emotions was extremely precarious.

“It’s not like you to be so cold…Kagome,” he said her name softly, keeping his tone even.  “I haven’t seen you like this before.  I don’t think I like it.”

There was a pause and the din of the hall faded away for Kagome.  “…And you think that I do?”

Kurama gripped Kagome’s chin and turned her face up to his.  His verdant eyes simmered quietly as he locked with her eyes, which were dull and hazy with grief.  Her pupils were dilated and her lower lashes were already wet.  She was on the edge.

“Just keep it together for a little while longer, Kagome.  There are only three more classes for today.  I know you don’t want to hold this in, but I know you can do it if you must.”

Her eyes shimmered, dangerously close to spilling over.  She gathered her breath.  “I know,”

Kurama’s hand tightened on her chin as her gaze searched his.  The rush of blood coursing through their ears dulled the racket of their surroundings, which suddenly seemed superficial and garish.

The moment of silence was broken by a rude clearing-of-the-throat over Kurama’s shoulder.  That was followed by a distinctly loud and sarcastic “Awwwww, what do we have here?  A new cutesy-wootsey couple?”

Kagome’s eyes lost their glossy sheen in an instant, as both turned to see who was addressing them as such.  If possible, Kagome paled even further.  Kurama placed a steadying hand on her forearm, even while he glared blood and tyranny at the blonde boy.

Malfoy dropped the teasing and replaced it with a voyeuristic approach.  “C’mon, Minamino.  Kiss her already.  You’ve been staring at her like a sick puppy for the last two minutes, though I can’t for the life of me see why.  I wouldn’t want to kiss her even if I had to stare at her for a second.”

A violent spasm of hurt, fear, and a viscous rage shook Kagome’s body simultaneously.  She didn’t know how to react.  She felt herself detach from the situation as shock finally set in.  She felt her purifying energies swell and magnify to catch her as she toppled into the abyss.  Kagome hardly noticed that in the same second that she lost grip on reality, Kurama was on his feet.  She marveled in a distant manner at the way his hair was suddenly standing on end and a superb heat was rolling off of his body.  She simply shut her eyes and buried her face in her arms, shutting out the world as her mind shut down.

Had she been looking at Kurama from Malfoy’s viewpoint, she would have also seen the pupils of his eyes alternate from demonic red, to icy yellow, and back to emerald.  His body was in a defensive stance, one hand ready at the base of his neck, where his fingers clutched a delicate rose seed.

Malfoy took a quick step back.  His eyes widened as Kurama’s figure moved faster than he could follow.  Suddenly, the kitsune was standing directly before Malfoy.  Kurama did not touch the boy, but the blonde boy found that he couldn’t move away.  

Youko was forcing his way to the surface in a battle that he was quickly winning.  Kurama had to stomp down the usurping emotion to transform here and now.  Malfoy was held captive by words unspoken.  The air in his lungs seemed to freeze.  His pulse pounded wickedly in his veins.  Kurama could smell his fear.  The boy did not know what his captor was, but he sensed instinctually that to move now would bring mortal pain and possibly death.

No words were exchanged and there were no movements, yet suddenly the two had the attention of every person in the room.

In his mind, Kurama’s hand was around the boy’s throat, his nails elongating as his delicate fingers crushed the enemy’s windpipehe could feel Malfoy’s weak hands trying to deter his grip, but he could not.  He would die a horrible

“I thought we were supposed to be laying low,”  Hiei’s voice cut through Kurama’s concentration like a knife.  From his peripheral vision, Kurama could see the hybrid a short distance away, ready, but not yet willing to intervene.  “Don’t make me come over there, kitsune.  I would like to see his blood shed as much as you, but this is not the time or the place.”

“I will rip his heart out.”

Hiei had to pause.  It was not Kurama that was replying to him, but Youko.  His eyes narrowed.  This was not good.  The situation must be taken into hand…But how?

As Hiei was debating on whether the general public needed to know that he was carrying weapons or not, Kurama made a move of his own.

Hiei tensed as Kurama took one infinitesimal step towards Malfoy, now standing toe-to-toe with the boy, who was still frozen like a deer in headlights.

Kurama locked gazes for one more split second and then he turned away and scooped Kagome into his arms.  Malfoy remained where he was, staring into distant space.  Ignoring the stares, Kurama strode past the tables and out a side door.  

Yukina was on her feet and tried to follow Kurama, but one glare over his shoulder sent her back to her place and her alarmed tablemates.  Yusuke and Kuwabara were also out of their seats, but Hiei stopped them with the one-word command of, “Stay.”  Upon hearing the tone of his voice and guessing his mood, both returned to their seats and the whispered queries and wanton amount of gossip already circulating.  

Hiei grimaced.  The encounter between Kurama and Malfoy had not lasted five seconds, and yet he was already hearing questions such as, “What’s wrong with Malfoy?”  “Why is he staring into space like that?”  “How did that new guy get Malfoy to do that?”  “Why was that girl passed out?”

Hiei bit back a growl and forced himself to remain where he was.

Lunch didn’t last much longer than the confrontation between the two Slytherins.  The Gryffindors and Slytherins, each very much aware of the other, made their way to the latest installment in their curricular schedule: Sans Wands.

~~

Kurama darted across the hall and up the stairs, Kagome securely in his arms.  His anger was now back under control, but the remaining adrenaline that coasted through his blood demanded some form of release.  He used the excess amount of energy to dash much more quickly than necessary up the stairs and down several corridors.  He was heading for the Infirmary.  Kurama had debated for only a few moments on where he should take her, to his rooms or the Infirmary, and had decided on the latter.  In the Infirmary, she would be insured solidarity and silence.  He regretted that it lacked the private, intimate setting that she might have gotten from the seclusion of his dorm.  A moment later he regretted the thought, because rumors would already be circulating about their assumed relationship.  It wouldn’t help matters if he was seen taking her to his roomthe very room he shared with Malfoy, no less!

His blood began to boil at the mention of the name and he barely restrained himself from gnashing his teeth.  He quelled the urge to leave Kagome in the Hospital Wing and return downstairs to teach the whelp a lesson in respect.  Slowing his steps as he slowed his blood, he shifted Kagome in his arms to open the doors to the Infirmary.

Madame Pomfrey came hurrying out of her office after she caught sight of the girl that was apparently unconscious in Kurama’s arms.  The only sign Kagome gave of being moved from her protector’s arms to a bed was to grip Kurama’s sleeves a little more tightly.  

“Are you missing a class, my dear?” Madame Pomfrey asked kindly, eyeing the way Kurama was reluctantly distancing himself from Kagome.

“Yes, Madame.  Sans Wands.”

Madame Pomfrey twitched her lips in thought.  “I take it you don’t feel the urge to be leaving her anytime soon?”  Kurama gave her a look of mixed relief and apology.  Pomfrey began to speak again, when Kagome stirred.  “There, there, dear,” she murmured to Kagome, whose brow was wrinkled.  In a softer voice, she asked Kurama, “What happened?”

“I’m not sure, Madame.  Her grandfather passed away a few days ago, and she only received word today.  She was quite distraught.”

Madame Pomfrey made a ‘tut-tut’ noise and muttered, “And already it begins…the first day of class, no less!  Well, no doubt the poor lass is plenty homesick as well.  It’s no wonder this didn’t happen sooner.”

“If you only knew the half of it,” Kurama thought.  He felt Youko roll over and stir restlessly just outside the corner of his consciousness.  After the surge of emotion only minutes before, the kitsune spirit was extremely restless.  

“Well, she seems to be fair out of it at the moment, but a bit of Draught of Dreamless Sleep won’t hurt her a bit.  You’ll stay with her, then?”

Kurama regarded her gravely and nodded.

Madame Pomfrey strode away, mumbling something about, ‘Children starting off so young these days…’

During her short absence, Kurama drew the curtains around Kagome’s cot and took the chair beside her bed.  He seated himself and reached for her hand.  He stopped himself just as he began to interlock her limp fingers with his.  He kept his body entirely still for many moments as he simply looked down at their joined hands.

“What is this…?  What is she?  I know so very little about her and look at this…this is entirely irrational.”  Kurama mentally reviewed the happenings of the lunch hour and found himself more shocked than angry.  Just last night I was telling her not to let Malfoy get to her.  I was telling her to ignore him…Now look at me; a hypocrite.  Hiei will never let me forget this…”  

Kagome stirred quietly and his hand moved to smooth out her drawn brow.  The worry lines of a middle-aged woman had already formed between her expressive young eyes.  He traced them with an index finger, attempting to smooth the regret and sorrow written there away.

He stopped his ministrations as he caught himself yet again.  He wasn’t sure what it was he was feeling, but he was sure that it was different than he’d felt before.  So beautiful and innocent…  He paused as she muttered something incoherently in her slumber.  …or is she?  I know next to nothing of her past, I know none of the reasons why she ran from the only home she’d ever known…What could be so horrible that she would leave behind her friends and family?  He paused and thought of his own past and how he had hidden it from his mother for so long.  Maybe we are not so different, little miko, he pondered to himself, allowing his fingers to continue tracing patterns across her skin.

Kagome shifted and tossed her head, a low whine building in the back of her throat.  Her hands, one being held by Kurama, clenched and scratched at things unseen.  As she exhaled, Kurama swore he heard her mutter something.  He leaned in closer to catch the words on her breath as she slept.

“Bow…get the bow.  Get the bow, get the bow!”  Her voice grew louder and more pronounced every time she spoke the phrase.  Her breathing picked up and the sharp tang of fear skittered over Kurama’s senses.  He held her hand more securely and attempted to calm her, if not wake her.

Still she tossed and turned, becoming more agitated by the minute.  “No.  Stay.  Be safe.  Stay safe.  Traitor…blood traitor…you traitor!  Traitor!”  Kagome was almost yelling and Kurama heard Madame Pomfrey’s footsteps as she returned with the Draught.

“Shh, shh, Kagome,” Kurama urged her, holding on to her hand tighter.

“She’s a traitor, she’s a traitor,” Kagome began to sob hysterically in her slumber, encased in a nameless nightmare.  “Cursed me, curse me!  Broken, all broken, all broken.  No fix, no scar, no heal, no wound ,no no no no NO!”

Kurama tensed as she tensed and tried to make sense of her words.  Madame Pomfrey had nearly reached the shielded cot when Kagome began to shiver uncontrollably.  Just as Madame Pomfrey was pulling back the drapery, Kagome sat up and shouted, “INUYASHA!”

Kurama was on his feet and gently pushing her back down as shivers overwhelmed her body.  “InuYasha,” she murmured tenderly.  “Oh, sorry, so sorry.  Traitor’s curse…if she can’t, I can’t either…so sorry, InuYasha, so sorry…”

Madame Pomfrey recovered her wits and demanded that Kurama assist her in administering the potion before Kagome went into another fit.  Kurama leaned Kagome’s body against his and tilted back her head and opened her mouth, then rubbed her throat gently to encourage swallowing as the potion was administered.

“There, that should keep her out for awhile,” Pomfrey said, satisfied.  “That must be some nasty dream she’s having, poor girl.”

“Something tells me it isn’t just a dream,” Kurama thought in reply.

“You may remain with her, so long as you don’t disturb her,” the medi-witch informed him with no-nonsense in her tone.  Kurama nodded sagely and Madame Pomfrey returned to her office.

Tucking the covers back around her, Kurama sat at Kagome’s side once again.  He didn’t hold her hand this time, but merely sat watching her as the potion took hold.  The lines of worry and woe slowly relaxed out of existence.

Kurama put his chin on his palm and attempted to think through everything that she’d said.  A bow…something about finding a bow.  There was something about her safety and then someone, some female, being a traitor.  Something was broken and a curse of some sort…And she kept apologizing to someone named ‘InuYasha’.”  Kurama sat back and mentally scratched his head.  None of that makes any sense at all.

A stray beam of light shone through the veiled windows and struck Kagome across the face with glorious sunshine.  Kurama half-smiled at how peaceful she now looked, compared to ten minutes ago.

“And more problems…perhaps it would do me a good turn to become superstitious…”

* * *



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