Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Power In Many Forms ❯ Hidden Depths ( Chapter 9 )

Power in Many Forms

Word Count: 5,645 (not counting the Disclaimer and Notes)

 

Disclaimer: YuYu Hakusho, Inuyasha, Harry Potter, and Anita Blake are not mine; they belong to their respective creators. I hold no claim on them; just minor original characters.

 

Author's Notes: So yeah, spiffy update, yay for me. I hope to get chapter 10 out within the next two weeks, maybe. I have the basic plans written out...actually I might have it fleshed out already and I should be able to type it up (and flesh it out even more...my writing process is weird). Speaking of my writing process, Dad said he'd try to get the big marker board I bought up on the wall in the hallway! Which means no longer having to venture into my Sister's room...It's ooky in there.

 

Kay, I'm done rambling. Enjoy!

 

XXX

 

They had taken turns watching over him after the unsealing. The process of removing the cracked and eroding seal was not complicated, just tiring for most involved. Demi-gods seemed to be the exception. But the recovery would take a few days, so Neville lay in a fitful sleep in his new quarters, plagued by dreams.

 

And they were not ordinary dreams, not with all the different energies flowing through him, meshing with his own. With all the power that had flooded through him something had changed him, perhaps not permanently, but something was indeed different. One cannot remain the same after having the power of a god flow through them. And Koenma's power mixing with his own energies caused strange visions to appear behind closed dusky green eyes.

 

As Neville moaned in his sleep he twisted and turned, the covers tangling around his body, causing the one keeping watch to untangle the bedclothes from the boy's body and press a cool cloth to his head. But that was all that could be done; Neville had to face the visions on his own.

 

Fragmented images raced by him, some things he recognized, others he didn't. Memories swept by and he smiled at the good, frowned at the bad. It was like he was watching several series of moving portraits. Some were connected, some not, and none of it made sense. Was he glimpsing into other worlds? Did other worlds exist? How was any of this possible?

 

Or maybe the unsealing had just driven him barmy.

 

The broken scenes slowed some, until a single figure stood in front of him. Neville didn't think he knew the creature, or perhaps he did. But when he tried to move closer to get a better look he found that it was rather hard to move. He hovered above the ground, his body felt heavy and weightless at the same time. The young wizard supposed it was similar to swimming in syrup. Being unable to get closer he could only observe from his current position what happened before him.

 

The figure was a silver fox with five tails. That should have meant something to him, but for the life of him he couldn't remember what significance the fox had. Then it began to run and he floated along, not that he could control the floating, which was rather annoying, and his eyes suddenly could not move away to look anywhere else. So he remained always watching the fox, and after a bit he could tell he wasn't alone. He could see a pair of dark eyes, eyes that glinted like steel, but were warm with affection. They seemed to be feminine eyes that had seen and done too much.

 

Together he and the eyes watched the fox run across the barren landscape, its tails waving and flowing as if they were part of the wind that whipped around its lithe form. And as they gazed two more tails became visible, forming on a burst of power and small circle of blood appeared on the fox's left shoulder. It kept running, suddenly calling out, yipping in a shrill way for another to come, to run, to play. From behind him came another fox, this one black with silver ears and a tuft of silver fur on each of its three tails.

 

The black fox seemed younger somehow, more playful, occasionally leaping into the air, yipping and calling for family. Above them a bat appeared, screeching in greeting and watching them from the sky. The black fox screeched back in an echo of the bat's voice and suddenly there were wings on its back, though it continued to run alongside the silver fox.

 

In the distance a pack of wolves serenaded them, calling out in greeting, answering the black fox's call for family. All the while the dark feminine eyes gazed on in approval, though a face was never visible. A lone wolf, barely seen in the distance howled in longing and the black fox yipped and howled back, joyous for some reason. A feeling of coming home fell over the scene and Neville could almost taste the feeling of security and love. Family. Pack. A woman's voice whispered. And before Neville could even try to respond the vision changed.

 

Suddenly he could see himself standing in a clearing, surround by wolves, Harry on his left, the dark eyes peering out of a shadowed figure on his right. The moon was full and bright above them. Full of promise and a good hunt and they grinned toothily at one another, he, Harry, and the shadowed figure with dark eyes. With that grin they threw their heads back and howled with the pack.

 

Neville sat straight up with a gasp and choked it down, and immediately regretted moving at all. It felt as if the inside of his head was being massaged by a horde of Blast-Ended Skrewts. He clutched at his head and tried to will the pain away, mildly wondering if this was the sort of thing Harry experienced with his scar induced dreams. The pain was searing, pounding and chased away all thoughts and visions from his mind and he realized through the pain that his entire body was one big ache.

 

Afraid to move he lay there for a good half hour waiting for the pain to recede. When it lessened enough that he was in control of his body he knew someone was watching him. How he knew that was a question unto itself. Slowly he turned to look at his visitor, expecting to see Kurama, Botan, or another familiar face. Instead a pretty woman with red eyes and aqua green hair smiled kindly at him. Her crimson gaze was soft and reassuring and he wondered why the color was so familiar.

 

“I'd ask how you're feeling, but the answer is sort of obvious. Gomen, but such pain is part of removing such a seal.” Her voice was quiet, but strong.

 

“Um…”

 

“Gomen, I'm sorry. I'm Yukina, Hiei's twin.” Yukina's smile softened as she waited for him to gather his thoughts and words together.

 

“S-sorry, I'm just a little surprised that Hiei would have a sister…not that him having a sister is a bad thing. It's just that he's…well he's Hiei and it's hard to imagine him having…I'm going to stop that train of thought now.” He grimaced at his sudden gift of babble. “I'm Neville by the way, and normally I don't take so long to shut up.”

 

Yukina tried to stifle a giggle and they shared a grin. “Niisan can be a little gruff, but he's had a hard life. Kazuma-san and Botan-san have been good for him, he's much happier now. And he is a good person, otherwise he wouldn't have offered to help watch over you.” Neville wasn't sure how he felt about Hiei watching him sleep, but Yukina was being so nice that he didn't want to upset her as she seemed to be very fond of her twin.

 

“He's an okay bloke. Kuwabara and Botan are lucky to have him as well from what Kurama says of him.” Neville spotted a glass of water with a straw in it on the bedside table. He sat up, slower this time, no need to repeat the massive aching pain attack. Yukina followed his gaze and reached for the water and held it closer for him, positioning the straw so that he could drink. And drink he did, he gulped down the water so fast it barely quenched his thirst.

 

“Neville-san, you must drink slower. Also I have a letter that Botan brought back from England for you.” Yukina gently placed the glass back on the table and pulled a roll of parchment from her sleeve. “It is from your friend.”

 

“How long have I been out?”

 

“Three days.”

 

“Three days!” He winced at the volume of his own voice, but she seemed unfazed. Lucky her; his head was starting to hurt again.

 

“It was expected…did no one tell you?” Yukina looked apologetic and her eyes seemed to quiver. Neville found himself quick to reassure her. That was when he realized that Yukina probably had her older brother wrapped around her dainty little finger. And she was completely unaware of it.

 

“Nothing new, I've been unconscious for long periods of time before. It's okay.” Her eyes stopped quivering and she sighed in relief. “So, Harry wrote back.” She nodded and handed him the letter.

 

He reached for it and tried not to grimace again. The aching head he could understand, but the all over body ache was getting old. Once the letter was in his grasp he moved to relax his body again, hoping to just lay there for a while. Instead he felt a gentle touch on his forehead and he made wide eyes at Yukina as she stared at him and concentrated. Slowly her fingertips began to glow a soft blue and a peaceful energy drifted over his skin, chasing away the pain in his head. The feeling spread through his body until all the pain was gone and he felt like a new man…or demon rather.

 

Yukina drew her hand back and bowed slightly in her chair before standing up. Neville blinked in wonder when he realized she had healed him. Healing magic like that was a rare talent and was not to be flaunted. The fact that she had seen him important enough to help him made him return the bow, though it was difficult when he wasn't quite sitting up to begin with.

 

“Thank you Yukina.”

 

“You are welcome Neville-san.” She moved toward the door of the room and was about to exit when she turned to face him again. “Kurama-san will be by later to see you. I'll let him know you're awake.” And with that she slipped out of the room. He could hear her soft steps in the outer room before she exited his quarters.

 

Neville sat up completely and looked longingly at the rolled up parchment with his name on it in Harry's hand. But first thing was first. He'd been lying in bed for three days. He wanted a shower. And a trip to the bathroom sounded good too.

 

He took the time to scrub well and wash his hair before returning to his bedroom. He eyed the bed suspiciously, as it was made up, definitely not the way he had left it. Maybe they had house elves here? Or something like them? He'd have to ask Kurama later. Priorities Neville! There's a letter from Harry to read!

 

Flopping down on the newly made bed he unrolled the parchment and began to read.

 

Nev,

Good to hear from you mate; I was getting worried, especially when Hedwig couldn't deliver my last letter. Are you okay? Do you need anything? Botan said you were fine but well…

Anyway, good show standing up to your grandmother Neville, I knew you could, given the right incentive. I'm just sorry she kicked you out mate, really. But I'm happy for you all the same, talk about a stroke of luck that Kurama was at St Mungos, bet he wasn't expecting you there was he, bit of a shock for both of you?

Speaking of shock, does Botan always fly through ceilings? She nearly gave me a heart attack. I had my wand out before I even realized it was in my hand. It's scary sometimes…when you respond that fast you know. I suppose all those DA meetings have really done the trick.

And about your suggestion, a holiday together sounds nice, I'm up for it. I'd do just about anything to get away from the Dursley's a month early. Where should we go? Would Kurama be going with us? We'll need to hammer out the details in any case, but we have nearly two months to come up with a plan.

Botan's carrying on a conversation with Hedwig, she's a very odd…person isn't she. But she's waiting on me so I'll finish up for now. You take care of yourself Nev, and say hi to your relative for me.

Harry

 

P.S. Did Kurama get to meet your grandmother? I imagine she went into a rage when you went back to get your things. Keep me posted on any ideas for our trip.

 

Neville grinned, sure that he looked like a fool, but it didn't matter because Harry had been concerned about his well being. Not only that, but he liked the idea of going on a holiday! A vacation with him! Neville Longbottom of all people! And could he be anymore of a girl about this? He snorted, but kept grinning.

 

Now; how was he going to approach Kurama about this vacation business?

 

xxx

 

Kurama gave a weary sigh, his body snuggled close to Koenma's on the couch in their quarters. Koenma smiled and rested his head on top of his lover's. Everyone including his kitsune seemed to have recovered from the ceremony, and luckily Kurama had decided to forgive him for having so much energy left afterwards. He smirked. “You're thinking too hard Kurama.”

 

“Probably.”

 

“Share your thoughts with me?” Koenma murmured into soft red hair.

 

“I'm just wondering what comes next.”

 

“Meaning?”

 

“Koenma.” It was said in soft exasperation. “I've never dealt with children before, and even though he's nearly an adult…I'm just not sure what to do with him.”

 

“I thought you were going to train him.”

 

“I am. But what about afterwards? I can only train him to use his youki and reiki. The magic is beyond me. And I'm not sure I want him going back to that school. Didn't you say there is a war going on in his world? And he's already been through battles. I just…”

 

“Yusuke and Kuwabara were younger than him when they were introduced to the realm of demons Kurama.”

 

“That's different…Yusuke…is Yusuke and Kuwabara is one of the single most stubborn humans in Ningenkai. They're practically built to withstand an apocalypse. Neville is…”

 

“He's your flesh and blood, and you've only just found him.” Koenma tightened his hold on Kurama. “I don't have any children Kurama; I can't quite imagine what you're feeling. But I can tell you that I don't like sending you on missions. I'm always afraid you won't come back.” Kurama tensed and he hurried on. “It has nothing to do with how capable you are. I know you're strong and not many are your equal. But because I love you I will always worry. Even when we are bound and you will live as long as I live, I will always worry about your safety…am I making sense?”

 

Kurama relaxed against him again. “Yes, I understand. But Neville is…he is so young, and he has chosen his path. I just want to protect him because no one else has.”

 

“What about the boy he's written to?”

 

“They are Nakama, but that is all I know about him. Neville hasn't said much. Except I get the feeling he cares for the boy very much.” Kurama sighed again.

 

“He'll be fine, you'll—“

 

“Koenma!” King Enma bellowed as he burst into their apartment, the door slamming against the wall in protest of his sudden entrance.

 

Koenma let out an ungodly squeak and started to put Kurama behind him, but the fox held him still and tilted his head up to look at the King of Reikai. Koenma relaxed a bit but remained ready; there was no telling what his Father wanted.

 

“Father?”

 

Enma ignored his son and Kurama for moment as he looked around the otherwise empty room. “Where is he?”

 

“Where is who?” Koenma asked carefully.

 

“The boy! Kurama's blood kin.” The King returned his gaze to Koenma. “Are you hiding him from me?”

 

“Um…no.”

 

“You'd better not. Not after the ritual you used. He's pretty much a member of the family after all that blood and power you applied.” Enma looked at his son closely.

 

“That was sort of the point. I told you I was going to bond with Kurama, why wouldn't I ensure Neville's protection by making him part of the family?”

 

“But to mark him as one of our house? He's a half demon who could develop into much more now. I hope you know what you're doing.” Suddenly Enma smiled. “But that's not why I'm here. I want to meet him, after all he is my Great-great-grandson now…or something like it.”

 

Koenma choked and sputtered. “W-what? Dad, are you feeling okay?”

 

“He's still recovering from the ritual Enma-sama.” Kurama said softly, still looking up at the King, his words held a confident undertone.

 

“That does sound about right; Botan said the seal was a strong one. But tell me about him. What sort of things does he like, when is his birthday? I have a lot of catching up to do.”

 

Kurama smiled. “He is a young wizard who loves working with plants. His best classes at Hogwarts are Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts. His birthday is July 30th. And if you're thinking of getting him a present…he'll need a new wand. With the seal gone his energies have changed and his old one is no longer a match for his powers.”

 

“The wand will be no problem. I will need to meet him first, to get an idea of his potential.” Enma nodded sagely. “By the way Koenma, when are you and Kurama going to start a family? I'm glad to have a grandchild to spoil now, but I'd like to have some that are quite a bit younger. Small children are always so curious and full of life. It would be nice to hear children playing in the castle gardens again.”

 

“We want to wait until after we've bonded before deciding anything Enma-sama.” Kurama grinned.

 

“Fine, fine. But don't wait too long.” He nodded to the two of them and left the room, closing the door behind him.

 

Koenma stared at the door, then back at Kurama, his mouth hanging open. “He…what? I…guh.”

 

Kurama shrugged. “When I told mother that I had a great-grandson as Yoko she reacted much the same way. I believe she plans to give him a present for each birthday and holiday she missed.”

 

Koenma groaned into Kurama's shoulder and hugged him closer. “I'd thought Father had just gone insane. It never occurred to me that he'd be excited about getting the equivalent of a grandkid!”

 

Kurama chuckled and pet his leg sympathetically.

 

xxx

 

I stepped carefully through the woods, not that I needed to, I was pretty sure I was alone. But after the past week or so, well I'd rather be paranoid than dead. So I kept my senses open in case the rogue had decided to come back to the farmhouse. As I walked my mind skipped around going from various details about the case that bugged me. There was nothing to connect the attacks, no reasoning behind them anyway. Except that the rogue lycanthrope seemed to be in a rage.

 

The first attack had been a middle aged woman, a graying brunette. She'd never married but had been dating a bank executive, they'd been very close. He'd been looking at rings. Poor guy. The second attack had been the two kids at the old house. The first kid had been ripped to shreds; the second had simply reacted and jumped on the fox's back, screaming in outrage.

 

I shuddered. If Gil hadn't shown up then the other kid would have been eviscerated as well. The kid had seen enough to know that Gil wasn't the bad guy. Our cowardly werefox had come storming in to knock the rogue away from the nearly unconscious kid before shifting and forcing it out of the house to continue the fight away from the boy. He was fine, the kid I mean, well physically he was a little bruised from hitting the wall, mentally…boy number one had been his cousin and best friend.

 

The third attack had been insane; maybe the fox just liked causing chaos. He had shifted in a mall and just started trashing the place. Luckily I had been nearby when RPIT had made the call. By the time we'd gotten there the food court and a pricy department store were in shambles. The guys from RPIT and I had been searching the department store when a woman had started screaming. I saw her first, her eyes wide and panicking as she ran across the store, her name tag flashing in the overhead lights. The fox had been closing in fast. I'd reacted, running toward them on instinct alone, calling on each of my beasts, just a little. And I tackled the fox. Not the smartest plan, but I was hoping the different scents would throw him off enough for me to fill him full of silver.

 

Unfortunately he saw me coming and managed to knock me back and through a wall. But I got three shots in, I don't know how, but I did. Security cameras caught him limping and bleeding badly as he'd made his escape.

 

I sighed as the farmhouse came into view. I'd been here a couple of times in the last few days. This was the only place Gil had been seen with the rogue. I'd hoped he was here, but he hadn't been. My eyes strayed to the left and locked on a figure sitting on the ground. Gil was here.

 

I strode to him and took in the slump of his shoulders as he stared at the old house. I could smell the despair and guilt coming off him, and it rolled my stomach in an unpleasant way. I stopped beside him and joined him on the ground, close but not touching.

 

The sun was low in the sky, not visible behind the trees that surrounded the overgrown yard. A few rays peeked through and reflected off the yellow police tape a few feet in front of us. That same flash of sunlight fell on Gil's arms. There were claw marks that hadn't been there before. I looked at his face, the side I could see, there was a long mark going down his jaw line that disappeared underneath his shirt collar. The marks were recent, fresh scars from another lycanthrope. Probably gotten when Gil had saved the kid.

 

“Talk to me Gil.” I kept my voice soft. Gil was skittish by nature, the fact that he wasn't whimpering and rocking back and forth was freaking me out a little. Something was different, wrong about him. He wasn't acting like Gil. Not the Gil I'd met anyway.

 

“I infected him.”

 

“What happened?”

 

Gil took a breath before starting. “His name is Mason Gerald. He…he was a coworker, sort of a big shot at the company. The kind of guy who got whatever he wanted. He was an asshole. Everyone hated him, enough that some people quit anyway. That's what we thought at least. That they'd quit because they couldn't take working with him any---anymore.” His breath hitched and a tremble started in his body. I reached over slowly to put my hand on his arm and let my thumb trace over one of the new scars.

 

“Take a deep breath Gil. He's not here now.” He did and the trembling lessened, though I could still feel a slight tremor.

 

“I'd been working late, finishing up some paperwork. I hate bringing paperwork home.” Him and me both. “That's when I found out why other's had quit. Mason is…a predator. He came up behind me, slid his hand over my back, my arms. I jumped away, the chair rolled and I was cornered in my cubicle. He—he…” Gil gulped and the trembling got a little worse. “He grabbed me, tried to force me on my back on the desk, tried to undo my belt. And I panicked. I fought, but he was stronger than I thought he was, and I'm used to being weak. My shirt ripped and he dove for my throat and bit down, hard, enough to break the skin. I screamed and the next thing I knew, my hands had shifted and his chest was a bloody mess. And I ran.”

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

Gil nodded. “He didn't come back to work. No one knew where he was. About a week after it happened he was waiting for me by my car. That's when he shifted for the first time. He was so angry, crazy angry. He said it was my fault he was a monster and I was going to pay for it. But he didn't attack me, he ran off and I didn't hear or see anything of him for a couple of days. Then, that woman was attacked.”

 

I tightened my grip on his arm, just a little. “You should have told someone, called the coalition. No one would have blamed you, he attacked you. No one likes a rapist.” An image of Gabriel hovering over me flashed in my mind, a cold sweat broke out on my skin.

 

“And now?” He was still staring at the house, not once during his story had he met my eyes. I was beginning to wonder what I'd find when I looked into them.

 

“A woman and a little kid are dead. You were here the other night, don't deny it. The boy remembers you.” I was quiet for a minute, remembering how the kid had been in shock, tears trailing down his face. The boy, Sammy, had met my eyes and asked if I knew the fox that had saved him. “His name is Sammy; he wanted someone to tell you that he's glad to be alive.” Gil's arm relaxed underneath my hand. “I don't suppose you'll come in for questioning?”

 

Gil turned his head to face me for the first time since I'd gotten there. I blinked, not sure what I was seeing at first. Gil had never looked like that before. There was a hardness in his brown eyes that hadn't been there before. It reminded me of the coldness of steel. Nothing like my own on bad days, but it was so unlike Gil that it made me freeze.

 

“This is my mess. I'll stop Mason.”

 

I wasn't sure where this new strength was coming from, and I wasn't sure I liked the change. It made me scared that Gil would do something stupid.

 

xxx

 

Since Yukina had left his room a few hours ago Neville hadn't really gotten much done. He'd fed Trevor, straightened his room a bit, and wandered to the kitchens and back. He was stalling and he knew it. But he wasn't sure what to write to Harry, especially about their possible vacation. Neville had no idea how to bring that up when he next spoke with Kurama. And they didn't really know each other that well, even if Kurama and everyone was extremely nice to him. Hiei didn't count, as Yukina had told him, Hiei was simply being himself.

 

He was at his desk in the sitting room when a knock at the door took his attention away from the blank piece of paper that was supposed to be his response to Harry. “Come in.”

 

Kurama opened the door, a gentle smile on his face as he stepped into the room. “How are you feeling? Yukina said you had woken, but I thought you might like some time to yourself.”

 

Neville nodded and tossed down his ink pen. “Yeah, but I could use an intrusion.”

 

“Really?”

 

He glared at the paper. “It's nothing.” Turning dusky green eyes on his great-grand father Neville tilted his head. “Why are you staring at me?”

 

Kurama grinned and sat in an armchair near the desk. “I'd like to compliment you on keeping your human form so well.”

 

Neville stared at him, blinking in confusion. “Thanks…but how else am I supposed to look?” He wondered what in the world Kurama was getting at. Was he supposed to look different? Kurama looked human, but then Kurama had a human body now. Had he looked different when he'd been Yoko?

 

Kurama gave him a puzzled look. “I suppose the form you have now could be your true form. Not all demons look like demons. Many can masquerade as humans, though they have another form that would make them stand out.

 

“Like what?”

 

Kurama looked thoughtful for a moment. “I know a demon who looks human, but when he's in his demon form his hair grows to a great length and his body becomes covered in tribal markings. Hiei has another form as well, it's not nearly as flattering as the one you've seen him in though, and it's not a natural form either.”

 

“How could it not be a natural form?”

 

“You've seen Hiei's Jagan? His third eye?” Neville nodded. “It is an entity unto itself, Hiei had it implanted into his head many years ago, and it gave him another form.”

 

“Why would he want that?”

 

Kurama shrugged. “It's not my story to tell. When you're brave enough you can ask him yourself.”

 

Neville's eyes grew wide and he shook his head. “I can live with wondering.” Kurama chuckled, and Neville had a thought. “Can you…can you still take on your old form?”

 

Kurama nodded. “Only under special circumstances, well, that's the way it was a few years ago. I've gotten better at it. There was a potion that I had to use if I was in Ningenkai. However if I'm in Makai that form is easier to access, it is easiest here though.” Green eyes glittered in amusement. “Would you like to see where you get your golden eyes from?”

 

Neville looked baffled for a moment before flashing back to the times his eyes had changed color. “Yeah.”

 

Kurama closed his eyes and for a moment nothing happened. Then Neville leaned forward to study him closer as strands of silver hair appeared among the rose red locks of Kurama's hair. He gaped as suddenly all of Kurama's hair was that same silver-white; and a pair of ears were atop his head. It had happened so fast that Neville wasn't sure if he'd even blinked during the transformation. Even Kurama's outfit had changed from jeans and a polo shirt to a loose fitting white outfit. When Kurama opened his eyes they were narrower than before and a gold that glinted dangerously in the light; though when they took in Neville, the gaze softened.

 

“Wicked! Can I do the same?”

 

Kurama nodded. “With training.” He reached over to ruffle Neville's hair and Neville smiled at the warmth of the touch. When Kurama moved his hand away again he almost protested, but Kurama was already changing back to his human form, but he smiled.

 

“There would be a catch. What sort of training?”

 

“Several types actually. Your reflexes are already very good, and you seem quite competent in magic. But your hand to hand combat skills would need some work. I'm assuming you don't come to blows often?”

 

Neville blushed. “Once in first year, not often after that though.”

 

“Oh?”

 

Neville grinned. “I was sort of um…defending Harry. He was playing Quidditch and Draco Malfoy was being a prat and trying to send at curse at him while he was flying.”

 

Kurama blinked. “Flying?”

 

He nodded. “Quidditch is played on broomstick.”

 

“Do you play?”

 

“I wasn't that good at flying. Lost control of my broom during lessons and fell off, broke my arm.”

 

Kurama stared at him. “Your magic fluctuated?”

 

“Story of my life…or at least it was. I might try it again, flying I mean. I'm not that good at Quidditch either. I'd…I'd rather watch.” He smiled at Kurama, a faint blush still on his cheeks.

 

“Harry is good?”

 

“Youngest Seeker in a century!” Kurama laughed at that.

 

“I see.”

 

Neville decided a change in subject was necessary. “So…fighting. Anything else?”

 

Kurama let the switch in topics go. “You should be capable of wielding both reiki and youki—spirit energy and the demon equivalent.” He supplied when the boy gave him a perplexed look. “You said you already have an affinity for plants, so that will be something else to look into. But before we start any training there are a few things that need to be done. Or rather people who want to meet you.”

 

Again Neville was confused. Who would want to meet him? “Who?”

 

“My mother Shiori and Koenma's father King Enma; they both seem very excited about meeting you.”

 

Neville looked thoughtful for a moment when his eyes suddenly got a little wider, an idea popping into his head. Kurama looked on warily, wondering what his little descendant was planning. The blush coming back to the boy's face did little to comfort him.

 

“I was wondering…well I sort of asked Harry if…”

 

Kurama smiled gently. “You can talk to me about anything Neville.”

 

Neville gulped but barreled on. In for a knut in for sickle. “I suggested in a letter to Harry that we…that we go on a holiday. A vacation of sorts. Together.” Neville was redder than ever and Kurama tried not to laugh at his embarrassment.

 

“That is a predicament. Because you can't.” Neville's hopeful gaze dropped so suddenly that Kurama stood up and walked the two steps to the boy before kneeling down in front of him. “You can't go on vacation with him yet. I want to meet him first. How about a day trip to London?” Neville's eyes widened and hope glimmered there once more.

 

“Why?”

 

Kurama grinned cheekily. “I want to meet this young man before the two of you run away together. I have that right as your great-grandfather after all.”

 

Neville burst out laughing and hugged Kurama, not caring if the embrace would suddenly turn awkward.

 

XXX