And here I am again, this time with another short story! For those wondering if I'm working on the next chapter of the Bloody Ashikabi, I have yet to start the next chapter, as I am trying to put down my ideas for the story and to order them. I have lots of ideas, fortunately, but I need to do this if I wish to write the best chapters possible, so please bear with me.

Now, this is another Harry Potterx DxD story, mainly because I find the verse very interesting. It's a bit sad it has been reduced to the story of a pervert making his way through the supernatural world, but I don't own it, so I can't really complain.

I don't own Harry Potter or Highschool DxD

Sitting on a bench

Part I

The first time Koneko Toujou met Harry James Potter, she was not really impressed. She had spent a long day at Kuoh, having to put up with the desperate leering of the Perverted Trio, her Devil senses allowing her to hear every single one of their words. Every. Single. One. She could honestly say that it was a very good way to learn how to control her temper, as even her emotionless mask came close to cracking whenever they had one of their "debates". Even more so when they lamented her lack of breasts. She was a growing girl, they'd come out eventually, but it wasn't her fault she was a late bloomer!

Anyway, after such a day, she went to do what she did whenever she wanted to relax: she took a walk to her secret spot, a nice place in one Kuoh's parks, hidden nicely by the trees and allowing for complete peace since most people didn't even seem to realize there was a bench there. It was the perfect place, a nicely hidden clearing with a bench under a single tree allowing for some very enjoyable shade during the summer, and a small pond. She loved being there, because even if she didn't use Senjutsu, the place made her feel at peace.

It also allowed her to avoid her fans, for many knew about the "mascot" of Kuoh Academy. As a fifteen years old, Koneko was rather small, and underdeveloped in some areas, which, coupled with her cool behavior and white hair cut in a bob, had her considered as "moe". She had nothing against some popularity, but the amount of perverts staring at her with less than pure intentions was not something she appreciated.

Which was why she twitched when she realized that someone was sitting on her bench. While not as territorial as a true cat, as a member of the Nekoshou, the strongest breed of Nekomata, she was somewhat instinctively possessive about what she considered hers. For instance, everyone at Kuoh had quickly learnt to avoid trying to steal even one of her sweets, as she would notice, and take revenge for it, that is, if they even managed to eat said sweets, more often than not she caught them before they could even do so.

So, after a long day, she was understandably less than thrilled to see that her spot was taken. Fortunately, it seemed that there was still some place left on the bench, and she made sure to sit on her bench as far as possible from the newcomer.

She was about to bite into one of the cakes she had saved for that evening, when a delicious smell tickled her sensitive nose, making her almost mechanically turn her head to stare at the person sitting only two feet away from her.

Now that she could see him clearly, she had to fight a blush from showing on her face. The person sitting next to her was a teenager, probably around the ages of her Senpai, Rias and Akeno, meaning that he was likely either seventeen or eighteen. He had wild black hair which was somewhat tamed into a wild cut, giving him the look of someone who had just practiced a very intense physical activity and ended with tousled hair. His face though, was the most striking one she had ever seen, and she had been around some Devils who could have easily passed for royalty. The teen's face was soft, with aristocratic curves, which gave him a somewhat androgynous look, although not to the point he would be mistaken for a female, and definitively not to the point of it being effeminate. He was neatly shaved, and her sensitive nose could pick the last remains of his aftershave, a musk that strangely tickled her sensitive nose. But the most striking feature of all this person were his eyes, deep, deep green pools currently staring absentmindedly at the pond in front of the bench, while he munched on a scone.

She was used to be around handsome men, after all Rias' brother was handsome himself, and Kiba was definitively in the "pretty boy" category. But this teen, for some reason, seemed different. While Sirzechs, Rias' brother, was not just some pretty face, he was also an expert at hiding the true depths of his personality, instead appearing like a laid-back, goofy sis-con. The teen though, she could tell that something had happened to him. Perhaps it was the reason of her interest, as she herself had more than enough baggage to be leery of ever opening up to a member of the opposite gender. She couldn't explain it, but she somehow knew that whatever the young man next to her was thinking about was much, much different than the petty problems the other boys she knew whined about. And it made him more interesting in her eyes.

Then his face turned and she got an eyeful of the deep green of his irises, and she realized that she had been staring for a while, making her blush and avert her eyes.

"Oh, hello."

She almost quirked an eyebrow. English? That was unusual. While he didn't look like an Asian, it wouldn't be the first time she dealt with Caucasian looking people who could speak Japanese.

Then the teen had realized that he hadn't spoken the native language, and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, like an embarrassed child, an action that she personally found very cute. It proved that he was at least humble enough to realize he had committed a blunder, and acknowledge it. It also pointed to the fact that he didn't like attracting attention, but she could hardly point fingers.

"Sorry," he tried again.

She kept staring at him. Or, more precisely, at the divine smelling scone in his hand. Due to the fact that Rias was somewhat stingy when it came to giving out money (although she made sure that all her Peerage members had enough to live comfortably, she never gave them enough to truly splurge), she had always been forced to stick to Japanese sweets, outside of the few events she had attended in the Underworld. And by Lucifer, the scone the teen was holding smelled better than anything she had tasted in those gatherings.

"Do you want some?"

She blinked, her eyes coming up to stare at the young man's face to see if he was joking, but all she could see was a genuine smile as he offered her, not the half-eaten scone in his hand, but a complete one, who smelled as if it had just come out of the oven. Before she could even realize what was happening, her instincts had kicked in and she had grabbed the pastry, munching it so fast it seemed she was inhaling it, before greedily licking her fingers to taste the last remnants of the sweet treat, almost purring in contentment at the heavenly aroma.

Then a chuckle made her snap out of her blissful state, and she realized that she hadn't even properly thanked the young man, so she gave him a grateful nod.

"Sorry," She said, her monotone showing the slightest hints of sheepishness.

"It's all right. I can share," Smiled the teen.

The rather awkward silence that had been between them broken, Koneko relaxed a bit. She had already checked, just in case, to see if person in front of her was in any way supernatural, and what she got from him was enough for her to know that he was not a Fallen Angel, an Exorcist, or even a Mage, nor any other of the species she could think of. While it would have been surprising, she wouldn't put it past some of her enemies to try and trick her this way.

"Potter Harry," smiled the young man, giving her a short bow.

Blinking, she realized that he had just introduced himself, and she flushed when she realized that she had yet to introduce herself. While not one to bother with most social niceties, she could at the very least introduce herself. To know that her stomach had made her forget about it was deathly embarrassing, especially in front of a complete stranger. Had it been at school, at least there would have been the passing familiarity with the person, and they likely wouldn't have held it against her either due to her status as Kuoh's mascot.

"Toujou Koneko,"she bowed, before returning to the scone.

She had to admit, no matter how many of Potter's scones she ate, they were all excellent, probably on par with the best Japanese pastries she had eaten. She was also pleasantly surprised when her companion didn't try to speak overly much to avoid the silence, instead exchanging some light chatter with her, and not being bothered with her short answers, which she knew tended to disturb most people who didn't know her very well.

Which was why when he pointed out it was starting to get dark, and offered to accompany her back to her neighborhood, she didn't mind, having found the whole experience rather enjoyable. She was also a bit surprised that he was well-mannered enough to escort her back to the general area where she lived, in this day and age most men didn't bother with such niceties. And she would not admit it, but she was also flattered. She could tell that he was actually seriously thinking about her wellbeing, instead of trying to hit on her.

-Break-

From there on, she met with Harry several more times, each of them at what had quickly become their spot. It seemed he had found the light conversations with her enjoyable too, and each time he brought some sweets, though none of them were Japanese, which was a boon for her sweet tooth as she became able to enjoy a variety of snacks she couldn't have back at the Occult club.

She found that Harry was British, from an old and rather well-off family, as well as an orphan, his parents having died shortly after his birth. Surprisingly, she found herself opening up to her "snack-time companion", as she found that despite being only a few years older than her, Harry was actually very wise and gave good advice. He was also something of a prankster, something made clear by his suggestions to deal with the antics of the Perverted Trio. She didn't think that they would ever be able to get rid of the photos of them dressed as girls leaked on the Internet by a vengeful Kendo Club, or the videos of them admitting to their perverted antics. The memory was enough to make her small a little, which was no small feat.

Soon, she found herself genuinely looking forwards to the times she spent with him, no longer because he brought snacks (although it was a bonus), but because she genuinely enjoyed his presence. Whenever she was having a bad day, he would be able to make her bad moods vanish with a few stories about his friends and the mishaps they got up to when they were her age, or a few pats on the head. Koneko came to love spending time with him, as it made her feel normal, not a Devil in the service of the little sister of the Underworld's leader, not a school mascot constantly hounded by other students who wanted to stare at her like some kind of circus animal, but just her, Koneko Toujou, a fifteen years old girl with a passion for sweets.

However, not everything was easy, as she sometimes had trouble to manage her duties as a Devil while also having a normal life, and having to make time for regular meetings with someone outside of her school hours was not exactly easy. Nor was concealing the fact that she was much stronger than she looked, and could likely snap Harry in two should she actually want to. It was almost ridiculous to think that she, a girl barely five feet tall and looking as if anyone would be able to walk over her, was actually strong enough to lift cars with ease, or snap a regular human in two with little trouble. The fact that she wanted to hide her association with Harry from her friends, if only to avoid having them spy on her meetings with him, which she considered private, also made things rather hard for her.

It was after a particularly stressful day that she met with Harry once more, the older teen sitting on the bench with what appeared to be éclairs just waiting for her, that she realized that he might be more than just the good friend that she had come to consider him as. The moment he had seen her, he had delicately, but firmly, place her in his lap, and it was only because she could see that the action was in no way purposely perverted or possessive that she didn't slap him by reflex. Before she could ask what he was doing, he had handed her the éclairs, and had begun massaging her stiff shoulders, making her melt as he gently rubbed the stiffness out of her back. The action was reducing her to a purring piece of goo as she sleepily munched the sweet treats, her eyes half-closed with contentment at the action Harry was taking.

In her daze, she managed to mumble:

"Harry-kun, what…?"

"More eating, less complaining, neko-chan," Chuckled the teen, silencing the white-haired girl's protests by working on a particularly dense knot in her back.

Thus, they continued in a companionable silence, only broken by the occasional moans from Koneko when Harry managed to work out a particularly dense kink, and before long, she had eaten all the éclairs, making sure to lick her fingers to no waste a single piece of sweet delight. She found herself leaning in his chest, utterly relaxed, and with her stomach full, leaving her feeling better than she had in a long time.

The feeling was…enjoyable, for the usually solitary Koneko, as while she had friends in the other members of the Occult Club, as well as in the Student Council, she made sure to keep everyone at arm's length, to keep a distance. Yet with Harry…it was as if it didn't matter, as if she didn't want to keep a distance between them. For the first time since her sister had betrayed her and left her to die, she felt as if she was completely safe, protected, as she snuggled deeper in Harry's chest, inhaling his scent, her sharp nose catching the musky fragrance coming from him, a mix of wilderness, forests, and grass.

"Nyaaa…" she sleepily moaned, clutching the fabric of her companion's shirt and settling in a comfortable position, like a cat curling for a nap, before blacking out and drifting to sleep, helped by the hand softly rubbing her head.

-Break-

The next day found Koneko sleepily waking up in a bed she didn't recognize, a bed much bigger than the one she was used to, which immediately put on her on edge, as she jumped out of the piece of furniture as if it had burnt her. Looking around, she realized that she was in a room, most likely a boy's room as it lacked the feminine touch of a woman. While comfortable, the room wasn't overly lavish, like she was used to see in the Underworld's mansions and villas, but it was certainly neat and well-cleaned. Her eyes caught several photographs on a small shrine at the back of the room, and thanks to her Devil senses, she could see them as if she was right next to them in the middle of the day.

The first photo was of a couple, a beautiful woman with red hair and the same green eyes as Harry, who was laughing and leaning on a man who resembled her friend so much that he couldn't be anyone else but his father. She realized that it was a photo of his deceased parents, and she felt a stab of pain at the knowledge that Harry had no memories of them, just as she did not her own.

The next photo was of an emaciated, and slightly haggard-looking man, but there was no denying that he was handsome, even if he would have looked better with a few more pounds of flesh on his bones. With black hair elegantly swept back in a wild style, he looked like some kind of mad rocker, the wide grin on his face not helping the comparison. She recognized Sirius Black, whom Harry had told her about with nothing but fondness and regret. She knew he had died a few years back, and that Harry had been present at the time, which made her sad for him.

The last photo was of another couple, the male a middle-aged man with prematurely graying hair and frayed clothing, looking as if he just barely managed to scrape together what he needed to live, while the woman was younger than him by a good decade, looking as if she was in her mid-twenties at most, with deep purple hair and clad in clothing that wouldn't be out of place in a punk band. Those she did not know, but she could tell that if their photo was on the altar, that they were likely people close to Harry as well, since he seemed to have brought her back to his home when she was asleep.

She blushed a bit at this. She had never been in a boy's room, let alone the one of someone as close to her as Harry, and her traitorous mind did not miss the implications that the situation had. Even if her mind knew that Harry didn't know where exactly she lived, and thus had no way to bring her back to her own flat, it didn't mean that it could process it.

I'm in Harry-kun's house…in his house…

It was fortunate that she was very gifted at controlling her emotions, as otherwise she would have squealed in embarrassment right then and there, as she realized just what had happened.

I fell asleep in Harry-kun's lap…And he brought me to his home…Like a boyfriend worried about his girlfriend…

Now, Koneko might be emotionally stunted, that didn't mean that she didn't feel anything, or, that as a teenage girl, she had never had fantasies about boys. It was just much rarer for her than for the average teenage girl, but it did happen. And to be honest, Harry was probably the male she was the closest to, and whom she had the most reasons to be interested in. So, now that her mind had drifted to that kind of thoughts, she wondered. What were they, Harry and her? Acquaintances? They were clearly more than that, given how often they met, and how much they talked. Friends? True, she considered Harry a friend, and she was pretty sure that he saw her much the same way, but there was a closeness to their relationship that "just friends" didn't have.

She blushed. In fact, she was pretty sure that what they did, meeting together, talking, and more recently, cuddling, was the kind of thing only done by couples. Was this why she didn't want her friends finding out? Because she was beginning to think about Harry that way, and that she was afraid that her friends, if they became aware of their meetings, would undoubtedly make the situation uncomfortable? She couldn't deny that the thought of Rias or Akeno finding out displeased her greatly, both because she knew that they would pay far too much attention to Harry for it to be healthy out of concern for her, which, while not badly intended, would likely irritate her very much, but also because she knew that as a female, she simply couldn't compare to the bodies of her upperclassmen. She was perfectly aware that boys loved breasts, it was a fact, and at fifteen, she barely had any, much to her chagrin, while both Rias and Akeno had the biggest breasts she had ever seen in a woman. She was thus perfectly convinced that whenever they were around, no male would be interested in her, and those few who did would undoubtedly be pedophiles, as painful for her pride as it was to admit.

Try as she might, she could not repress a surge of anger at the idea of her two friends "taking away" Harry from her. Harry was hers. She had met him first, she was the one who knew him the best, she was the one who cared for him! She was the only one allowed to eat the sweets he homemade for her, and she would fight to the death before letting some big-breasted women take Harry and his cooking away from her, even if they were her friends! She-

She froze. Had she just admitted that she loved Harry? It certainly sounded like that to her. Looking around, she was glad to see that her friend was nowhere in sight, and thus wasn't there to see the blush that lit up her face when the realization hit her. Oh dear Lucifer. She was in love with Harry Potter. The thought made her lightheaded for a moment.

Shaking her head to clear it from the traitorous thoughts, she decided, after looking at the clock, that she would need to hurry, as she had school in a little over an hour, and she wanted to take a shower and put on some fresh clothes before then. That, and it was way too early to think on the revelation she had just had.

Carefully walking out of the room, her enhanced hearing picked up the light snores coming from the couch, and she couldn't fight back yet another blush when she realized that Harry had been nice enough to leave her his bed, while he used the couch. That kind of attention was something she found very nice, and she resolved to find something to thank Harry for bringing back to his home instead of waking her up, as well as leaving her the bed.

Feeling a bit mischievous, she tiptoed until she had a clear view of her sleeping friend, and the sight made her heart flutter. In his sleep, Harry was smiling contentedly, curled on himself under a blanket, and looking perfectly at peace. The regular move of his shoulders told her that he was still deeply asleep, and she decided not to bother him, instead grabbing her bag, that he had apparently brought back with her, and wrote a quick note explaining that she had left for school, before putting it on the table in front of him.

Staring back at him one last time, her eyes ended on his lips, and she found herself slowly lowering herself over him, before blushing, and darting out of the apartment, blushing and cursing her thoughts for distracting her.

-Break-

"Rias, don't you think something is…off, about Koneko, lately?" asked Akeno.

Akeno Himejima, the Occult Club's vice-president, was a beautiful teenage girl, there was no doubt about that. With a body more fit for a mature woman than a teenager, she had outrageous curves and a beautiful face, which always made people look at her with admiration, and in male's case, desire. Few knew her well, and those few who did felt privileged to know her, as she was very caring about her friends, although some of her quirks were not always welcome.

Her friend, Rias Gremory, had proportions just as outrageous, although where Akeno's hair was dark as night and worn in a ponytail that reached her feet, Rias' was crimson, and worn free, reaching her lower back. Both teens, due to their bodies and beauty, were known as the "Two Great Onee-samas" by the students of Kuoh, a title that made them the most popular students in school, and the reason why countless people had tried to integrate the Occult Club of Kuoh.

What nobody knew was that both young women were Devils, and that the Occult Club was actually a cover for Rias' Peerage, her Devil Servants, although instead of Servants, she saw each member as a member of her family, a trait her family, the Gremorys, were renowned for. Which was why Akeno's question, which would have been dismissed by most as the white-haired girl being in a phase of her puberty, was actually considered seriously by the redhead.

Nothing was truly wrong, per se, about Koneko, but Rias had indeed noticed that the usually emotionless girl was being slightly more open recently, as well as unusually excited whenever she left the Academy at the end of the school day. There was also the fact that while she still ate them, she no longer wolfed Akeno's sugary treats down, instead munching on them with relish. It had slightly irritated the raven-haired beauty, as she prided herself on her cooking skills, but seeing that the white-haired teen still ate them with pleasure, she was not losing her touch. Instead, it was as if the secretive younger girl had found something that she loved better, and thus no longer enjoyed the treats as much as before.

"I'm not sure…" frowned the redhead, looking pensive, while she sipped on the tea her vice-president had just made. "She has been acting strangely lately, even though she's been working hard to not make it affect her duties…"

"Perhaps she is seeing someone? Ufufu…Our little Koneko-chan is growing up, isn't she?" smiled the raven-haired teen, although there was something dangerous in her smile. "Don't you think we should make sure that nobody is…playing with her? Naughty boys must be punished, after all."

The redhead sighed, twirling her tea pensively. While she, like Akeno, was very protective of the youngest member of her Peerage, she didn't want to intrude in the teen's love life. Koneko was a very private person, even with her friends, and the trust between Rias and her had been grown over the years of taking care of the younger girl, meaning that she was loathe to endanger it by potentially disrupting the girl's relationship. If she was in a relationship, that is.

Nonetheless, it was her duty as the King of the Peerage to make sure that Koneko was happy, and given the type of people who were usually attracted to lolis like the white-haired girl, she felt that it was best to at least know what was affecting her, and, if she was indeed seeing someone, who that someone was. This way she could discreetly investigate the person, and make sure that they genuinely loved Koneko, and were not with her for less than noble reasons.

Her mind made up, she summoned her familiar, and told the small bat creature to follow the youngest member of her Peerage while keeping out of sight, and being very discreet, since the girl's tracking abilities were the best amongst them, meaning that she would easily detect anyone spying on her. It was fortunate that familiars could camouflage their power and pass as normal animals, or else it would have been hard to use them for spying.

-Break-

That evening, Koneko made her way to their spot, her mind still trying to find a way to process the fact that she, in fact, loved Harry. Her feelings aside, she had no idea on how to even begin to broach the subject with the object of her interest, as she had no prior experience, and felt far too insecure to simply say the truth. She didn't lack self-confidence in most areas, but she had always felt insecure about her looks since she had entered puberty. Where most girls got growth spurts and had noticeable breasts, she seemed doomed to forever look like a child, which made the very idea of a relationship incredibly awkward.

And she refused to let go of the one boy she got interested in. Who knew how long it would take for her to feel as comfortable with someone from the opposite gender otherwise?

"Hello, neko-chan," smiled Harry, who was sat on the same bench she had met him on the first time.

He was rather simply dressed, with only a black blazer over a white button-up shirt with long sleeves, as well as jeans and simple, yet sturdy-looking shoes. She had always wondered what he did when she was at school, as he was too young to be living alone, since he was still a minor. She had not once seen him wear a uniform, so she knew that he didn't attend a school at least, but the notion was ludicrous to her. She knew humans were very strict about studies, and he didn't look like someone who'd skip classes if he had any.

With a small nod, she sat down next to her love interest, pointedly avoiding to look at him, to take the time to collect her thoughts. She wanted to tell him about her discovered feelings, she wanted to tell him she wanted to date him, but sadly, she had no clue about how to go about it.

So pensive that she was, she didn't notice the look in Harry's eyes before he lifted her and plopped her in his lap, his hands coming to massage her scalp, something he had discovered calmed her greatly, although she doubted he was aware it was due to her nature as a Nekoshou, the sensation the same as someone giving her a very comfortable massage.

"There you go, neko-chan," came the voice of her companion, as some delicious looking sweets were put in front of her, her daze preventing her from identifying them as she grabbed them and begun munching on the little pieces of sweet happiness.

The combination of her scalp massage, as well as the sweets, were enough to reduce her to a purring piece of putty, snuggling contentedly in Harry's chest.

"Nyaaa…" she moaned, "I loooooveee yoouuuuu, Harryyyyyy…"

The last bit, while slurred, was easily understandable, thankfully, due to her friend being literally right next to her. It wasn't until she realized he had stopped petting her that she processed what she had just blurted out in her delirious bliss, and her heart began hammering in her chest. She dared not look up at his face, afraid as she was to face rejection, but before her worry could grow into a full-blow panic attack, his petting resumed, and she felt the pressure of his head on her own.

"Thank you, neko-chan," he said, very quietly, and she was struck by how grateful he sounded when he had spoken. "I think I love you too."

She felt her breath catch in her throat at his words, feeling as if she would burst with happiness at any moment. Not only had she finally confessed, even if it hadn't been as she would have wanted, but she hadn't been rejected!

All her worries, like what she would do when she would have to reveal to him that she wasn't human, flew right through the window at the moment, replaced with pure bliss as she decided to bask in the feeling for the moment. Whatever obstacles to her happiness life had in store, they could wait. Right now, she was in Heaven (well, Hell, since she was a Devil), and she intended to enjoy every second of it.

-Break-

Harry James Potter was used to life sending curve balls at him, because quite frankly, after the amount of shit life had thrown his way in his eighteen years of life, he had come to expect it. Therefore, he had been quite aware that beginning a relationship with Koneko would come to bite him in the ass later, how he hadn't known, but he had known it would come. However, he had most certainly not expected said curve ball to come in this form. He had expected angry fanboys, since from what she had told him, she had a fanclub, and he fully expected the lowest of the fans to stalk her, which was partly why he had had Hedwig keep an eye on his girlfriend.

Thus, he was understandably quite surprised when two extremely good-looking girls knocked at the door of his flat one morning, both clad in the same uniforms as his girlfriend, only larger, to fit their…assets.

"Harry Potter?" asked the redhead, whom he noticed had spoken in English.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" he returned, having already an idea as to who his guests were. After all, the descriptions Koneko had made of her friends were quite detailed.

"Can we come in?"

He frowned. The way she had voiced it, it sounded more of an order than a request for permission, and he didn't like it. He had been ordered around nearly his whole life, which had left him with a heavy dislike for people who thought they could tell him what to do, at least when he had no reason whatsoever to listen to them. The only reason he didn't slam the door at their face was because he had been raised to respect women, or at least had grown that way, he didn't think the Dursleys had ever taught him anything.

Sighing, he looked at the redhead, whom he guessed to be Rias Gremory, right in the eyes. While not very tall, he was still slightly taller than her, which he was grateful for. Glaring at people when you were smaller than them tended to lose its intimidating effect.

"Not before introducing yourselves and telling me why you're here in the first place, no."

He could see a flash of surprise in the girl's eyes. Was she truly so used to getting things her way that she was surprised when she didn't get her way?

"My apologies. I am Rias Gremory, and this is my friend, Akeno Himejima. As for the matter that brought us here, I must insist that we speak inside."

Sighing, he stepped aside, allowing the pair to walk past him. Closing the door, he led them to the living room, where he gestured to the sofa, while he took the lone armchair. He used the time to collect his thoughts, and ready himself for what was likely to be a long interrogation. From what Koneko told him, Rias was someone with the heart in the right place, but she was also incredibly stubborn, and, the white-haired loli had warned him, extremely protective of the members of her club, whom she apparently viewed as her family. He knew the feeling, as he felt much the same for his Godson, which was, ironically, the very reason he was no longer in England. With things as they were, for the moment it was better for the toddler to not be associated with him.

"So, now that you've introduced yourself, and insisted to speak to me in private, may I know just what was so important that you felt the need to make sure nobody could eavesdrop on this conversation?" he asked.

His bluntness seemed to surprise the pair, whom, he had noticed, seemed to be surprised he had not been ogling them since they had come in. He could guess that with bodies like theirs, every male and their brother was drooling after them, but he had long since learnt that appearance meant little, even though he could still appreciate beauty when he saw it. And he was in a relationship, meaning that he felt that thinking about a woman who wasn't his girlfriend in that way was betraying her, hence why he avoided to ogle his two guests.

"Yes," coughed Rias, her surprised face leaving place to a very intense and searching look, "What is your relationship with Koneko Toujou?"

"She's my girlfriend," he answered easily. There was a distinct happiness in his tone, how could there not be? It was the very first time someone had told him they loved him. Ginny, for all her claims, was more of an obsessive stalker than anything, something he suspected was partly due to her mother's bedtime stories and repeated claim that they would be the perfect couple. So to have someone tell him they loved him was marvelous, especially when it was Koneko. Not only did she have no knowledge of his reputation back home, meaning that she loved him for himself, and not his money, but she was also very enjoyable to be around when she opened up, and also happened to be very cute. What else could he ask for?

He did not miss the look shared by his guests. It seemed that they were unsure about what to do. Something just seemed…fishy. A lifetime of conflict had honed his instincts to the point of making them a sixth sense, and right now, said sense was telling him that something was decidedly out of place. His fingers twitched subtly, ready to summon his wand at a moment's notice. Others wouldn't be wary of two young women, but others hadn't spent their teenage years fighting for their lives, with everyone being a potential enemy.

"Very well. I will be frank: I do not think that this is a good idea. Trust me when I say this, nothing good will come out of this relationship, no matter how much you love each other. Koneko will most likely hate me for this, but I am doing this for your own good, both of you."

Before he could even move, he felt his body freeze up, as he grew drowsy.

What in Merlin's name…?!

While different from the Imperius, the feeling was eerily similar, as he felt a strong compulsion trying to worm his way into his brain.

Forget…

Forget you met Koneko…

Forget your feelings…

You will remember nothing of your relationship…

Nothing of Koneko Toujou…

Nothing…

-Break-

Rias frowned. While not as good in using magic as, for example, Sona, she was still quite gifted with her magical powers, especially when it came down to something as simple as hypnosis. She had used such a thing to keep her most fervent admirers at bay whenever a talk wasn't enough, and a few times to get preferential treatment when she wanted a particular set of anime DVDs. Yet she had never met resistance at all, none of her targets ever able to resist the hypnosis.

So why was she straining now?!

It was as if this young man was aware of what was happening, and was fighting it with everything he had! She had to actually focus on him to push the suggestion, and yet he was still fighting it!

Gritting her teeth, she focused more of her power on her suggestion, quite a bit impressed with the young man in front of her. It was clear that he cared very much for Koneko, if he was fighting her this much, and she was a bit ashamed to force him to forget about his girlfriend, but in the end, nothing good would come out of their relationship.

For one, Koneko was a Devil, and would live centuries, even millennia, while this young man, in a few decades, would be a shriveled old shell of what he once was. For two, involving a normal human, one with no Sacred Gear no less, in the supernatural world, was not something to be done lightly. Once done, it couldn't be undone, and more than once had a human made aware of the supernatural died a horrible death, either torn up by the powers their greed had them seek, or killed by one of the factions for no other reason than their allegiance to another side. She would not let her beloved Rook suffer through that kind of heartbreak, not after she had all but lost her emotions after what had happened with her sister.

"Rias?" tentatively asked Akeno, her friend apparently concerned with the beads of sweat that had begun trailing down her face as she tried to impose her will on the human in front of her, the human who was gritting his teeth and…was he beginning to glare at her? That was impossible! That would mean…she gritted her teeth as she felt the beginnings of a migraine, that would mean he was actually fighting her off!

His nose was beginning to bleed, and his body was trembling violently, no doubt from the strain of fighting her, a task way beyond the abilities of the average human, but he was actually pushing her back!

"Rias, that's enough, you're going to kill him!" shouted Akeno, looking more than a little concerned with the state Koneko's boyfriend was in.

With a pained grunt, she released her hold on him, as she panted for breath, her migraine making her heart pound in her ears. What was that?! She had never heard of a normal human resisting hypnosis, not to that degree!

"What…" croaked the young man, making her start as she realized how bad his state was. His eyes were bloodshot, some of the vessels in them having burst, his skin was a pasty white, and he was bleeding from the nose. Obviously, fighting off her suggestion was not without a cost. "What…were…you…trying…to…?"

His last words were mumbled so low that even her enhanced hearing couldn't pick them up, the teen collapsing forwards, unconscious.

-Break-

"You what?!"

The voice of Koneko resounded strangely in the utterly silent clubroom, all the members of the Occult Club very silent as they all stared at the unconscious young man being treated by a fussing Asia, who was making distressed noises.

The meeting had been more or less forced, since Rias had needed Asia to heal Harry, as the damage done to his brain, if not quickly treated, might become permanent, and as reluctant as the redhead was to let her Rook know that she had tried to erase her boyfriend's memories, she knew the result would be much, much worse if anything happened to him, because of her no less, and that she didn't tell her. She knew that if such a thing happened, it would destroy any trust Koneko had in her, and she refused to even think about such an outcome.

"Koneko, I know you are angry with me, I understand that, but I only wanted the best for you. This relationship won't end well, and I don't want you to get hurt. I didn't think something like this would happen."

Far from being placated, the younger teen only seemed to get angrier, her grip pulverizing the armrest she had been gripping from where she sat, her eyes leaving Rias every few seconds to look at Harry, before she returned to glare at her King.

"You…you tried to erase my boyfriend's memories of me, and when he resisted, you almost destroyed his mind?! And you try to tell me it was because you wanted the best for me?!"

Rias, Akeno and Yuuto paled when two white cat ears suddenly appeared on the girl's head, while a white cat tail slithered out of her uniform. Koneko loathed taking her natural form, to the point of them not having seen it more than a handful of times ever since she had joined Rias' Peerage. For her to revert to such a state showed just how angry she was, and the redhead suddenly felt her hopes of reconciling with the younger girl take a sharp dive.

"A-ano, Koneko-san?" shyly asked Asia, the former nun using her Sacred Gear to heal Harry from the damage he had suffered.

"What?"

"T-the damage is healed, but Twilight Healing tells me that Harry-san should be dead…" shyly said the blonde, looking afraid and heartbroken.

"...What?" asked the Nekoshou, her eyes leaving her King to land on the Bishop.

"A…ano, T-Twilight Healing lets me know what is wrong with the people I heal, and Harry-san's blood is apparently very toxic…" said the blonde, looking a bit confused. "Something like a single drop of it being enough to kill a grown Devil…A-and the substance in his blood is everywhere in his body…"

"Asia, what do you mean?" asked Issei Hyoudou, a rather perverted brown-haired boy, who happened to be the possessor of the Sacred Gear, Boosted Gear, a weapon that would allow him, in time, to be able to even slay Gods. At the moment though, he was looking at Harry with clear concern.

"She means that something must have contaminated his bloodstream, which in turn, allowed whatever poison was in his blood to permeate every organ and muscle in his body. What confuses me is that it shouldn't be possible. Something as lethal as you said, Asia-chan, should have killed him long before it could reach his muscles…" frowned Rias.

"Who cares? Asia, can you heal him?" worriedly asked Issei.

The blonde shook her head sadly. It was easy to see that she was upset by that, the former nun was one of the most compassionate people anyone in the room had ever met, probably the most compassionate one. Therefore, it came as little of a surprise that she was upset by her inability to heal someone, especially since he happened to be Koneko's boyfriend.

"I…I can't…Sorry…"

The blonde's sniffs were interrupted by a groan, Harry slowly waking up. Immediately, the Devils, outside of Koneko, moved to leave him some space as he blearily opened his eyes.

"Uuugggg…Did someone get the name of the Hippogriff who trampled me?"

In a heartbeat, Koneko was at his side, helping him sit with gentle hands, looking immensely relieved. Her white ears and tail also disappeared, as if never there in the first place.

"Harry?" she asked, her voice cracking.

No matter how well the damage to his brain was healed, it didn't mean that what Rias had done would disappear so easily. For all she knew, what had happened had made him forget her completely, and made it permanent. If such was the case…

Instead of answering, the young man blearily stared at the white-haired loli, his eyes squinted, as if trying to recognize her. The other people present, more particularly Rias, held their breath, hoping that Harry would recognize the Rook. If by some stroke of bad luck he didn't, they knew that Koneko would be crushed, her earlier reaction having made it clear that she loved the teen very much, and that losing him would hurt her deeply. It would also likely create a rift between Rias and the Nekoshou, a rift that quite frankly they were unsure they would be able to mend.

"…Koneko?" he eventually asked, and the white-haired girl sagged with relief.

"Yes, it's me," She smiled, shocking her fellow Peerage members, none of them having ever seen such a smile on the Rook's face, and Asia smiled when she saw the smaller girl gently take her boyfriend's hand in hers.

"What happened?" he asked, his eyes still focused on the younger girl instead of roaming the room, as he tried to remember what had happened. By the way his eyes eventually widened, and that he turned to glare at her, Rias knew he remembered everything, although she gulped nervously at the sheer hate and scorn in Harry's eyes when he looked at her.

"You…" he all but snarled, "You tried to erase my memory!"

At that moment, several things happened. First, those well attuned to their Devil senses felt a sudden spike of magic, just as all the room's windows exploded, and the expensive furniture seemed to come to life, floating and hitting the walls, shattering on impact. Second, Harry's eyes glowed, actually glowed, the sickly green light quite eerie in the rather dark room.

His eyes never leaving Rias, he started to get up, undoubtedly ready to exact his revenge on her for trying to take away from him what he saw as precious memories, but before he could take a single step, a small hand dragged him back down, and he found his lap full of his girlfriend, who had put his hand on her head, as if telling him to focus more on herself than on his anger. The distraction seemed to work, as the magic in the air disappeared, while the furniture stopped rattling and flying around.

With a grunt and a last glare towards the redhead, he snaked one of his arms around Koneko's waist, while his other hand went to slowly pet the white-haired girl, who snuggled in his side happily as he hesitantly touched her ears. None among those present could miss how close she was to Harry, or the relief that she felt since he remembered her.

"What was that?!" asked Issei, finally breaking through the shock of what had happened. "I thought that Harry was supposed to be a normal human?!"

"I'll admit I am curious as well," frowned Rias, looking expectantly at the seated teen, who simply gave her a deadpan stare, as if to say "you tried to erase my memory and make me break up with my girlfriend, and you expect me to answer you?".

However, his glower stopped when Koneko turned her wide hazel eyes to look at him. He could tell that she was curious, and that despite what had happened with Rias, that she still trusted the redhead, as well as those present within the room. He knew that she was aware of what she was asking, and that she understood that if he answered, it was with the unspoken promise that they wouldn't try to use what he would say to their advantage.

"Before I answer anything, could you tell me why you tried to erase my memory? Or that you implied that my relationship with Koneko was bound to end badly?"

-Break-

"So, let me see if I understand right. You, and everyone in this room aside from me, are Devils. Devils, as in the Bible's Devils, but nowadays, your species is on the brink of extinction, and thus you resurrect other people as your servants to repopulate. Add to this, that those reincarnated start at the bottom of the social order until they manage to either bring in enough contracts, or accomplish great military deeds.

In addition to this, there is a tentative ceasefire between the three Factions, which are comprised of the Devils, Angels and Fallen Angels. To make things worse, Issei and Asia were killed by Fallen Angels not long ago, and resurrected as your servants, which makes you think that someone is specifically trying to start trouble in the area.

Well, that certainly explains things," Sighed Harry, pinching his nose. He should have expected something like this. When he finally found someone he loved, and felt loved him for himself, it turned out that she was actually a supernatural being whose entire race was considered traitorous and evil. Oh, how the Ministry would have fun if they learnt of this! They certainly had the material to call him a budding Dark Lord now.

"I am glad to see that you grasped the basics. Now, could you explain what you are? Until your…outburst, we all thought you were a normal human, but it appears that we were wrong. Are you a Mage? And if so, which association do you come from?" politely asked Rias.

"Err…I am not sure about being a Mage, I know that people like me are called wizards. As for an association, I am sorry, but I never heard of such a thing…Oh, do you mean the ICW?"

"The ICW?"

"The International Confederation of Wizards. From what I know, they're like the magical equivalent to the UN. They're the ones who oversee things related to magic on a global scale…And judging by your face, you have no idea of who I'm talking about, right?" deadpanned Harry, seeing the look of clear confusion on both Rias and Akeno's faces.

"If such an organization existed, I should be aware of it…One moment please," said the redhead, before a crimson circle appeared beneath her, transporting her away.

"Where did she go?" asked a confused Harry, a bit miffed to have the redhead vanish on him. He might also have been a bit jealous at the way Devils transported themselves to another place. Apparation and Portkeys were not comfortable in the least, always leaving you feeling as if you had been squeezed through a straw, or had been thrown in a washer while being drunk. He himself reacted badly to both, so something as convenient as the circle, which seemed to be rather comfortable, would be a very appreciated change.

"I believe that she went to fetch someone who might now more about the subject than herself," smiled Akeno, before offering: "Tea?"

-Break-

It was a while later, with Harry having somewhat relaxed thanks to the tea of the Japanese beauty, and the idle conversation he had struck with Asia and Issei mainly, that a giant crimson circle appeared, quickly spreading to encompass the entire room. The teenage wizard had been in the middle of a conversation with the former nun, whom he found to be the most innocent soul he had ever met, bare Luna Lovegood, when crimson light suddenly illuminated the entire room, blinding him.

When he opened his eyes again, he found that he, along with the entire Occult club, were in a giant, well-furbished room. Years of being forced to fight for his life, and to suspect everyone to be a potential threat to his life and health, caused him to immediately slip into a fighting mentality, his eyes roaming everywhere, taking in every last detail, and his brain processing the data to allow him to react in time to any potential threat. His first conclusion was that the Occult Club members had no idea of what had happened either, as they looked just as surprised as him, and he would have seen signs if they were faking their emotions. He could see recognition in the eyes of at least Akeno, Yuuto and Koneko, which meant that they at least, had already been there.

The sound of a door attracted his attention, and he turned to see Rias standing there, looking a bit confused herself, while a tall man with crimson hair, looking deceptively young, stood emotionless at her side. Sharp breaths made him look around, and he was surprised to see Akeno, Yuuto, and his girlfriend bowing deeply to the newcomer. Whoever said newcomer was, it was clear that he was high up in the Devil hierarchy at least.

He was opening his mouth to inquire about who the crimson-haired man was, when a hand wrapped around his throat, and he found himself flung, hard, into a wall, the air in his lungs forcefully pushed out by the impact, which, thanks to some experience, he could tell had broken three of his ribs. He could faintly hear the sounds of shock and protest coming from the Occult Club, but at the moment he was fighting hard to not simply lose consciousness, the shock having been more than enough to knock out the average human. He was simply fortunate that a lifetime of fighting and sheer willpower was enough to keep him somewhat awake.

Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, he flung himself to the side, just in time to avoid a hit that pulverized the wall, and sent him flying outside the house. Several rolls later, he ended his face in the ground, and puking blood, his body having already gone well beyond its limits simply by allowing him to stay conscious. Through the crimson haze of the blood pounding in his ears, he saw the man who had entered the room with Rias land a few feet away from him, cold, hard eyes staring at him as he tried to get up, and failed to do so.

He glared at the stranger, feeling anger for being treated like this for no reason that he could fathom. He knew he wasn't perfect, but he had never purposely done wrong to anyone who hadn't deserved his ire, even his reaction to Rias' attempt to erase his memory was more than justified. So to be treated this way for no reason made his blood boil. Was this one of the Devils Rias had told him treated humans like dirt? He doubted it, the man had the same crimson hair than her, and she had claimed her family saw the humans as people to protect, not to harm if they could avoid it.

As the man advanced on him, he saw Koneko suddenly appear next to him, white cat ears coming out of her head, while a white cat tail was coming out of her collarbone, sticking straight out like when a cat was angry. She seemed to be about to attack the man, but with a flick of his finger, she was blasted back towards the Occult Club members, whom he could see were running their way, looking panicked.

However, his eyes were only on Koneko, his girlfriend, who had just been hurt by the crimson haired man. Then everything went black.

-Break-

Rias could only watch in shock as her usually goofy older brother, Sirzechs, literally punted Harry outside of the mansion, after destroying the wall with an attack that would have likely killed Koneko's boyfriend had it connected fully. Due to him always acting like a goofball, she had forgotten that her brother was centuries older than her, and had fought in the Civil War, killing more people than the number that lived in Kuoh. But seeing this, she was forcefully reminded of the fact that her brother was one of the most powerful, and ruthless, Devils to currently live.

The question was: why was he acting like that? All she had told him had been the name of Koneko's boyfriend and the fact that he was a wizard, when her Onii-sama's face had changed from cheerful to dead serious, and that he had asked her to tell him everything she knew about him. He had then purposely called on the transport circle present in the Occult Club's meeting room, forcefully transporting Harry, along with her Peerage, to the Underworld. She had not even had the time to ask him what he was doing, that he was already attacking Harry. She could only watch in stunned shock as the teenager was destroyed in front of her, her brother not even showing a hint of an emotion as he crushed the younger man.

However, where she and the others were too stunned to react, Koneko on the other hand had not lost any time. Her cat ears and tail out, she had already brought out her wings, and with an angry hiss had lunged at one of the leaders of the Underworld, ready to defend her boyfriend, no matter how much more powerful Sirzechs was. Her brother merely flung her back like a sack of potatoes, and she caught her Rook just in time to prevent her from landing on the ground.

She was about to call her brother to ask him why he was acting like that, when she felt an absolutely massive power crushing her, sending her, along with Akeno and Yuuto, the only other two who knew how to fly, straight into the ground, just as an unearthly shriek tore through the otherwise peaceful air.

As she tried to stand, while simultaneously helping Koneko up and checking the poor Rook, whom thankfully seemed unharmed, her eyes caught a scene that chilled her to the bone. Where Harry had been laying, beaten and broken, he was now standing, or at least something looking like him was standing.

Where Harry Potter had once laid, beaten and broken, was now standing something that all of Rias' instincts told her to flee from. The beaten body was now back to full health, even if the bloodstains covering the clothes had not disappeared, but that was not the most unnerving. It was the fact that Harry's eyes, which she had previously found to be a very beautiful deep green were now pitch black, and his lips were stretched in a threatening snarl. Truly, she had seen worse things from Stray Devils, Devils who left the service of their Kings and degenerated into little more than beasts with time, but for some reason the entire thing just seemed wrong.

"Harry…" moaned Koneko, who, despite having been sent flying, seemed physically unharmed, although she seemed deathly worried for her boyfriend.

"Onii-sama! What are you doing?! And what is happening to Harry-kun?!"

Any answer her brother could have provided her was drowned when the being that had been Harry Potter let out another blood-curling shriek, lunging at Sirzechs at speeds that far surpassed what a human was able of. Yet the red-haired Maou didn't seem phased, instead stepping aside, avoiding the berserker, whose hit created a crater as deep as he was tall, and, seeing that his attack had failed, spun on himself to launch another, coiling himself on all fours, like a large feline, but this time, not only did her brother avoid the hit, he struck Harry on the neck, sending the teen to the ground with little effort.

Under Rias and her Peerage's bemused eyes, he then bent over the prone form of the teen, checking his pulse, and, once he was apparently satisfied with what he had felt, he lifted Harry's body like a sack of potatoes, and turned to wave at them, giving her the wide, goofy smile she was used to.

"Rias-tan! Don't worry, your big brother dealt with the nasty wizard!"

-Break-

A bit later, they were in one of the guest bedrooms, Harry laid down on the bed, having been treated by Asia again, while Rias and her Peerage, save Koneko, were looking at Sirzechs questioningly. The white-haired loli, for her part, had opted to lay in the bed next to Harry, holding his hand in hers, and overall keeping as much physical contact with her boyfriend than she could, although from time to time her eyes flickered to the red-haired Maou, the worried look in them replaced with anger and disgust.

"Onii-sama, why did you attack Harry-kun?" finally asked Rias, once she was certain that her Rook understood that she was unaware of the attack until it happened, as she was already on Koneko's bad side for almost reducing her boyfriend to a drooling vegetable, or worse, killing him. She did not wish to give the girl the wrong idea, as given how things were, it would take only the slightest thing to completely alienate the younger girl to her, something she wanted to avoid at all costs.

"Rias, trust me, it was necessary. I wouldn't do something like this for no reason. I apologize for it," he said, turning to bow at the Nekoshou curled up next to Harry, who was giving him an impressive glare for someone who was expressionless most of the time, "but I had no other options if I wished to determine for sure if I was right."

"Onii-sama, stop speaking in riddles!"

"Fine, fine. As Harry told you, he is what is known as a wizard. Wizards are not as you may think, Mages. Mages rely on equations to cast their magic, while wizards are closer to us Devils in that they use their own power instead, channeled through a wand, to cast spells. There are actually hidden communities of wizards all around the world, and they are an extremely isolationist bunch, to the point of having almost no contact with the modern world. An example would be the British Wizardry world, where Harry-kun comes from. They are still stuck in the eighteen-hundreds, and most of those born in these communities are not even aware of the fact that mankind has begun exploring space.

Now, the reason why I attacked Harry-kun is a bit more complicated. You see, Serafall is the one who deals with these kind of things, and seventeen years ago, there was a wave of rumors about a baby vanquishing the worst Dark Lord the European wizards had seen in the last five centuries. Where adult wizards tried to kill him and failed, a toddler had succeeded. Needless to say, he was hailed as a hero, and given the nickname "the Boy-Who-Lived" for surviving what had been until then, a certain-kill spell.

Fast forward sixteen years, to last year, this toddler had grown in a young man named Harry Potter, the same Harry Potter who is unconscious here," Explained the crimson-haired Maou. "Unfortunately for him, the Dark Lord he had vanquished had created anchors that bound his soul to the mortal plane, preventing him from passing on, and eventually, he came back from the dead when Harry was fourteen. Harry was there to witness the whole thing, and tried to warn the public, but the Ministry of Magic, who were a bunch of bigots and mostly supported the Dark Lord, slandered him, and he was widely believed to be a liar and an attention-seeking brat. Still, no matter how much pressure they put on him, he didn't cave, and kept repeating his story, until one day, the Dark Lord was witnessed by the public attacking the Ministry. After that, it was hard to call him a liar, but Voldemort, the Dark Lord, had already gained too much support, and he eventually overthrew the Ministry, and put a price on Harry's head."

By now, the entire Occult club was staring at Harry with more than a little respect. To keep warning people despite being warned against it by the government was a commendable action, and given how Sirzechs painted the whole thing, they could see what he was not saying. They doubted that when he had returned the Dark Lord had been happy with Harry, and he likely paid dearly for banishing him or whatever had happened when he was hailed as the Boy-Who-Lived.

"S-still, Onii-sama, that doesn't explain why you attacked him!" pointed out Rias.

"I was coming to it. Records are a bit scarce, but for the last year of his magical schooling, Harry basically dropped off the map with two of his friends, for what reason is unknown but we believe it was to destroy the other anchors keeping Voldemort alive.

After that, there was a battle, and the Dark Lord was killed, but there were rumors about unusual things about Harry around that time. Namely, the fact that he was using far more power than what should have been possible for a wizard, and the fact that nobody could tell what kind of spells he was using. There were also rumors he had reunited artefacts called the Deathly Hallows, which were supposed to have been granted to three wizard brothers by Death itself as a boon for outsmarting it. The one to reunite them was supposed to be the "Master of Death". It was a rather popular fairy tale in their world.

What wizards don't know though, is that these artifacts are actually much more than mere fairy tales. They are actually very old, and even I don't know for sure who created them, but what is known about them is that they work as a seal over a very powerful entity, much like Ddraig for Issei's Boosted Gear. And the being sealed by the Hallows is a very old and powerful Goddess of Death known as Nyx, who was dangerous enough that no single pantheon wanted to anger her, due in part to her exceptionally vicious temper. Separated, the Hallows are already quite dangerous if you know how to use them properly, but if someone were to reunite them, the seal would likely be much weaker, and Nyx might be able to influence the Hallows' possessor. Which is why I attacked Harry: I wanted to make sure that he did not succumb to her influence under normal circumstances, even less so exceptional ones.

If Nyx was freed due to some mistake on his part, it could cause a crisis that could possibly plunge the world into chaos."

"O…Onii-sama, are you serious?" asked Rias, looking suddenly ill.

"Very serious. Nyx is powerful, and even if she has been sealed, she still is a Primordial Goddess. And while Harry-kun seems to be doing a good job so far at ignoring her influence, I could not let him go without making sure that there was no risk of him accidentally freeing her."

"You could have asked…" groaned a dry voice, making those present turn to see a groggy Harry glaring at the crimson Satan. "Nyx is different now. Her sealing allowed her to see the world from the perspective of the possessors of the Hallows, and it has done her wonders."

"My apologies, Harry-kun, but Nyx is a Goddess, and has been around for much longer than you. She knows how to lie better than most living beings, or how to manipulate someone into thinking what she wants. What makes you think that her claims are not a lie destined to make you lower your guard?" smiled the Satan, in a way that while not purposely condescending, seemed quite close to it, as well as amused.

"Because she is already free," was the dry answer from the wizard, "I died during the Battle of Hogwarts, something my old mentor had apparently planned and believed I would be able to return to the world of the living since the curse that killed me supposedly would have targeted the remnant of a soul stuck in my scar, thus sparing mine. What he didn't know was that the curse ripped my soul out of my body as well, and I had no way to return to it. Nyx showed herself then, and offered me a bargain: she would help me live again, and in exchange, she would be able to create herself a body using my blood. Things were actually a bit more complicated than that, and I didn't agree right away since I had known her for a whole five minutes, but she was able to convince me to agree.

So she has been free for around a year now, and yet nothing changed. That is the best proof that she was telling the truth. Do you know where she is now? In Britain, keeping an eye on my Godson because I can't. So excuse me if I have confidence in the fact that she changed from the Goddess you described into an actually decent person."

The wizard's words seemed to have surprised the older man, who frowned for a moment. It was clear that he had not been aware of that fact.

"How do you explain what happened during our fight then? Your eyes became black and you showed much more power than you should possess, and charged me like a berserker. If that was not Nyx's influence, what was it?"

"Oh, it was her influence all right. I'm her Master, see? The guy who sealed her made it so that even if she was to be freed, that she was forever bound to the last person to master the Hallows. Since she is quite happy with her life now, and that if I die she's going back to the Hallows, she gifted me a silver of her power for situations where I would be in danger of dying. The only reason I was a berserker at the time was because the last thing I wanted wasn't to live, it was to hurt you for hurting Koneko," growled Harry, his arms snaking around his girlfriend's waist possessively, as if to make sure that she was fine.

Said girlfriend was blushing beet red, although he couldn't see it, her hazel eyes wide at the knowledge that Harry, despite being in danger of dying, had reacted more violently to the fact that he thought Sirzechs hurt her than the fact his life was threatened. It gave a whole new dimension to the expression "loving someone more than life itself", and she was elated at that knowledge, already deciding to reward Harry for it. Any girl would love to hear that from their boyfriend!

"So, now that your sister isn't trying to make me a drooling vegetable and that you aren't attacking me out of nowhere, can I please have some time alone with Koneko? And don't think I won't be asking for reparations later, what you both did was stupid and dangerous. I could have ended up killing Rias by accident if I ever got too close to dying, and you brought out a mindless berserker because you didn't have the patience to ask me if I was even aware of Nyx."

That made the older man give him an indulgent smile.

"And how do you expect to threaten me into actually listening to your demands, Harry-kun? I am one of the leader of the Devils, and while you have Nyx's backing, I doubt that she would help you just for that. Don't get me wrong, I will compensate you for the trouble, but I am curious about how you intended to pressure me otherwise?"

The green-haired wizard just grinned, his face showing evil glee.

"Well, while Koneko and I haven't been boyfriend and girlfriend very long, she still told me some things about the other members of the club, and you, since you are Rias' brother."

"That still does not explain how you would have done. Koneko-san doesn't have any blackmail material on me, and even if she did, I wouldn't have trouble finding and destroying it before you could make use of it."

"Really? Well then, I supposed I will have to tell your wife that you attacked someone much weaker than you, who had done nothing to threaten anyone in your family, well outside of Rias, and in her case I would likely have pranked her until she begged for forgiveness. I hear Grayfia-san is very strict on those matters…"

The very pale face of the Crimson Satan told everyone what they needed to know, and that Harry held him by the family jewels. Sirzechs, while he loved her dearly, was terrified of his wife when she was pissed off, and would do literally anything to avoid getting on her bad side. The wizard's claims would be more than enough to have the silver-haired beauty at the very least interrogating him, and he had never managed to lie to her in a convincing manner.

"Please don't tell Grayfia-chan! I promise to give you anything you want, but don't tell her anything!" begged the older man, who had prostrated himself in seiza, much to the amusement of those present.

-Break-

Later that night, Harry was trying to sleep in the massively large bed he had been given in the equally absurdly large room he was allotted in the Gremory residence, since Sirzechs had wanted to properly apologize to him for both his and his sister's attacks on his person. Granted, he was a bit leery of accepting the invitation of someone who had almost killed him, but then again from what he now knew, if the man had wanted him dead he wouldn't have had the time to react before he was dead. And overprotectiveness was something he could understand, being equally protective of those few he cared for. He knew that if someone threatened Koneko, he would stop to nothing to make sure they were no longer a threat to her. It was a bit startling to realize how far he would willingly fall for his girlfriend, but then again he loved her, and for him who had had precious few to love, it meant that there was nothing he wouldn't do to see her safe.

As he turned on himself again, not quite ready to sleep yet, he heard the door open, and as he turned, he saw the small silhouette of his girlfriend softly close the door before walking up to his bed, and then climb on it.

"Koneko?"

She didn't answer, her hands grabbing the sheets and moving them so she could enter the bed. He was not sure of what to say as his fifteen-years old girlfriend, clad in white pajamas, slid inside the sheets, until she was safely tucked beside him. He then felt her move until she was hugging him, and any words he had were stopped by the trembling of her body.

"I thought you were going to die…" she whispered, and he could feel her distress from where he was. "I thought you were going to leave me..."

While he wasn't an expert in comforting distraught women, something he had gotten moderately better at since his schooling, he knew that in her current state, he needed to reassure his girlfriend, and that the best way at the moment was through physical intimacy. And while he was not going to have sex with her or anything of the sort before he was completely certain that she was ready and willing, that didn't mean there was nothing he could do.

He made sure to move slowly, so as to not startle Koneko, and gently hugged her back, while he positioned himself in a way that allowed him to peer down into her hazel eyes and her face.

"I will never leave you, Koneko. I promise you that, no matter what, I will never leave you, and I'll always be there for you. It doesn't matter where or when, if you need me, just tell me, and I'll be there. That's my promise."

Then, and before she could say anything more, he gave her a quick peck on the lips, the first thing resembling a true kiss they had ever done, and he was satisfied to see the hazel orbs peering up at him widen, before she stuck her head in his chest, but not before he caught her blush or the small smile on her lips.

He should not have been surprised that her lips tasted sweet, after all given her love for anything sugary, he would have been surprised if that had not been the case. He would have to make sure that she didn't ruin her health by eating so many sugary treats, but perhaps as a Devil she was resistant to troubles such as diabetes.

He was brought out of his musing when he felt his shirt starting to get wet, but he was too much of a gentleman to inquire about what was wrong. Instead, he merely hugged the white-haired Devil curled up against him stronger, and started to pet her head while whispering words of love into her ears.

The next part is already done, I'm mainly proofreading it at the moment, so expect the story to be complete in a week or two at most.