Shattered Dreams (5/?)
Author: Meri
Email: [email protected]
Category: Romance, action, mystery,
Keywords: Trio Draco Ginny Original character
Spoilers: All books
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and
owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to
Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros.,
Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is
intended. Also Kyuuketski Miyu characters are the property of their
corresponding owners/designers.
A/N: I'm really really really sorry that this is so late in coming. Real
life, laziness and volleyball have all kept me from getting around to
cleaning this up when it has been written for months now. I'll find some
way to make it up to you all.Anyway, as always thanks to my betas (Morgana,
Fefi, and Adelphie) for their help. Slash is implied in certain parts,
can't say you're not warned. Also how Adri addresses Snape is no
coincidence, it is not written OOC for no reason. (Below is a poem composed
by Maduin).
Only you can break me down,
make me cry,
make me frown,
make me wish a terrible fate,
on to myself,
bring me hate,
cause me to smile,
inspite of the pain,
put my heart on trial.
Only you look with disdain,
Won't lie to me for simple gain,
Will tell me everything,
Though pain may be,
All it will bring,
Won't lie to protect,
A life I've seemed to have already wrecked. ~*~ Draco was furious and walking around the castle for two hours had still not quelled his anger. 'How could you choose Adri over Harry? You don't even know her that well!' his inner voice quipped. 'Look what you did to Harry! And you know you'll sell out Adri once you tire of her too! They're just possessions to you, things to own and break at your will!' "So what if they are just toys?" he mused. "Hearing your conscience speak, Malfoy? Painful, isn't it?" taunted Blaise. "Blaise," "Thinking is a dangerous past-time, Draco. Why weren't you at our table in the library at 6? I waited for you for two hours! I hope you were fretting over missing our meeting, honey. " she said sweetly touching Draco's face. "Would you believe me if I said yes?" "It depends," she said coyly. "on what you do to make it up to me." "I'll help you train for your match with Kaitou. That way you can pound her into the ground." She gave him a quizzical look but then visibly brightened. "Well I'll see you at lunch, I have some business to take care of before then. After we'll go practice. Okay, love?" She squealed and placed a light kiss on his cheek before racing off. As soon she was out of eyesight Draco wiped his cheek and had the urge to spit. "She is only tolerated because she is a useful pawn." He grimaced, not fooling himself, and walked off in the opposite direction.
"Hahaha, baka!" a little kid laughed. I opened my eyes to see Mikael peering down at me. "Who are you calling an idiot, Mikael?" "You. You fell asleep on the ground." He pulled at the collar of his suit, trying to loosen the tie. I looked down at myself; I was wearing a green dress with slits reaching to my thighs. I was barefoot and my sandals appeared to have been discarded some feet away. I looked up; vibrant colors lanced through the canopy of leaves above. "Mikael, why don't you go pick an apple?" I suggested. "Uncle will get mad," he answered scuffing his shoe in the dirt, not meeting my eyes. I sighed and stood up and strode over to the tree trunk. I proceeded to climb up as best I could in a dress. I finally came in reach of an apple, plucked it, and threw it down to Mikael who caught it deftly. "Mikael, catch this one too!" I threw another down and it landed right at the feet of a stranger. "Shouldn't you be at the reception?" the stranger asked in a cool voice. "I could say the same for you." I retorted as I swung down and landed in the grass. Mikael tugged at my dress, and said, "Who's that?" "I have no idea. Probably one of Uncle's guests." I shrugged and turned back to address the stranger and found him sitting, eating my apple. "Was this yours?" was all he said as he took another bite. "Give it back!" I ordered. He offered me the half-eaten apple. He stared at me, daring me to take it. I grabbed it from him and took a large mouthful, all the while watching his face for a reaction. He gave none, but simply watched me eat the apple. "Are you finished?" was all he said. "Quite," I said as I threw the apple core at him. "Mikael," I called and he came racing over and grabbed my hand. We were on the edge of the orchard when he called back, "You forgot your sandals." He held them dangling from his fingers. I dropped Mikael's hand and stormed back and grabbed them from him. "No thank you?" He smirked. I was silent and turned my back to him. I re-joined Mikael. "Come, we had best wash up and sneak into the reception." I took his hand again and was walking away when he called out once more, "I guess I'll be seeing you around, fiancé." I whipped around to try and see his face but gray was already seeping in. My vision was growing fuzzy as harsh reality descended.
I sat up to look into the startled faces of the trio. They were gathered around my bed along with the entire potions class. "You're alive," Ron said airily. "Of course," came my own clipped reply. "And why is the potions class in the hospital wing watching me?" "To see if you failed, Ms. Kaitou," said Snape from behind me. "You never fail to try and make a dramatic entrance, do you Professor?" "It was so much nicer when you were asleep, the blessed quiet was such a nice change compared to your grating voice." "Only you would find it so." I pulled back the covers and stood up, trying to stay prone. Ron reached out an arm to steady me. I nodded my thanks and walked to the door and turned. "Show's over." I turned back and left them all in stunned silence.
"It's okay Ron, I can walk fine on my own." I said after we had been walking for a while. He gave me a look as if to say "very funny". I sighed and continued with him supporting me. "So, what happened while I slept?" "It's the weekend, so nothing special. Although, weren't you going to practice with Harry to prepare for the match with Zabini?" "Shoot, I forgot all about that! I should go practice. Come on, you'll teach me in his place." I said as I ran down the hall in a burst of energy, Ron still hanging on to me. "Me?" "No, the statue over there. Go grab your broom and ask one of your brothers if I can borrow theirs again. I'm going to go change." Ron let me go and we went and met back in the common room soon after. "Adri, I was thinking. I believe that Slytherin signed up for use of the pitch today." "We'll kick 'em out. At the moment I really don't care who's out there, I have to practice! Well, come on!"
We flopped down at dinner, thoroughly exhausted. "Where have you two been all day?" inquired Hermione. "I was teaching her Quidditch." Ron said breathlessly. Hermione turned to me. "Honest," "Fine with me. Hermione, can you help me with this problem?" Harry interjected drawing Hermione's attention away from Ron and I. "That was close," Ron said. I nodded and dug into dinner.
"It is that time again, potions class." "We're doing truth serums though. That could be interesting." Ron added. "Weak forms of veritas-serum." Hermione corrected. "It is Friday too, Adri's big match today. It was a secret but now the whole school knows about it." Harry commented. "Aw, then I can't cheat as easily, darn." "Adri! You were planning on cheating!" Hermione demanded outraged. "Only a little." "Adri!" was all she was able to say before Malfoy walked over. "Oh, if it isn't the little baby Gryffindor. Afraid to face Zabini?" he sneered. "No, I'll beat her at her own game." "You won't be able to win, even if you do attempt miserably to cheat." "Somehow your empty words mean little to me. Go harass someone else, Malfoy. I don't feel like beating you up at the moment." "As if you could." "I did a pretty good job of it in Magical Creatures class." Malfoy looked ticked but I turned away and pranced into the classroom. I took my seat beside Pansy and Snape sauntered in shortly. "Today we will be concocting weak forms of veritas-serum. Can anyone tell me the ingredients you will be using?" he rambled on for quite some time before he ordered us to get to work. 'I just had to sit next to Pansy, didn't I? I would have been much safer if I had sat next to Goyle rather than this peas for brains thing everyone calls Pansy.' "Shall I get the ingredients out?" I asked her sweetly, all the while smiling at her. She giggled and told me to do whatever I wanted as long as I didn't disturb her. I sat there, trying to contain my anger. After counting to one hundred three times I was calm enough to get to work. By then half the class was close to completion and I hadn't even set up the cauldron. 'Ooo Pansy is going to regret this.' I quickly began chopping up ingredients and throwing them in the cauldron. I finally completed the potion and sat back, letting it boil. I observed Snape survey the class, searching for a victim. His eyes rested on me but then slid off to focus on Malfoy. "Malfoy, is your potion complete?" "Yes, it was so easy to whip up. Honestly Professor, can't you challenge us more?" he drawled lazily. "I'm afraid that if I did the whole class, except for a certain few, would fail. Dumbledore just wouldn't allow that, now would he?" He turned away from Draco and looked over the class. "Time's up." he announced merrily, with a wide smirk on his face. A chorus of groans and cries of outrage could be heard before he hissed menacingly and silence was once again established. "Potter, care to taste your potion?" he asked, sending daggers in Harry's direction with his glacial stare. "Our potion is not complete," Snape was about to comment when Ron beat him to it. "But I'm sure Malfoy's is finished." Ron smiled saucily at Malfoy as he watched horror cross the other boy's face. "Well Malfoy, measure some out. Come on boy, are you daft?" Draco's cheeks flushed lightly, high in his cheekbones, but faded as he straightened up, handing the cup to the Professor. "Gather 'round as Malfoy demonstrates to you dense children the powers of this truth serum." Draco was seated in a chair facing the class and gulped down the potion, no emotion apparent on his flawless face. Slowly his eyes became glazed over and his head began to tilt to one side. Snape waved his hand in front of Draco's eyes and got no response. "The potion is working. Who would like to question him? Remember, nothing besides a yes or a no question can be asked and no lewd or degrading ones either." I glanced at Ron, a large smile plastered on his face. 'Ron's up to something.I wonder what he plans to do?' Hands shot up as each student went up and asked a question of Draco. He answered automatically with a disturbing lack of emotion, and no matter what he said it seemed to have no effect on him. Finally it was Ron's turn and as he walked past my seat I snagged hold of the hem of his robe. "Ron, remember that Snape will fry you." I rasped harshly. Ron looked taken back, but the smile returned to his face and I let his robe drop. He walked up to Draco and stared him in the face. "Malfoy, who is it that you lust after?" the class gasped in surprise and some delight at Ron's question. "Ha-," Snape covered Draco's mouth before he could finish. Ron went chalk white and stepped back from Malfoy. But the rest of the class was not watching Ron, they were making disgruntled sounds at the Potion Master's intervention.
I stood alone in the locker room, stretching on the floor. "One, two, three," I counted as I stretched out my leg. I looked up at the clock, five more minutes until I had to go out and face her. I considered myself a calm and confident person, but this pressure was stripping away my mask, revealing my true self for the entire world to see. I was a coward. I was panicking; I had no desire to leave the room, ever. I finished the stretch and started the routine all over again. Repetition was keeping the panic at bay, but how long could I do so? I heard a scuttle and snapped my head up to focus on the source of the sound. "Shiina," "Coward," I blanched at the truth in her statement, "if you can't face her down, how the hell are you going to stand up to the truth?" "You know not what you speak of." "Get your gear on and get yourself out there. Do you want to prove to everyone what I already know?" I growled at her in response and striped off my school robes and donned all black. "Trying to trick everyone into believing you're an archangel? I'm not convinced." "Haha, very funny, but no. I'm trying to not show favor by dressing in a non-house color." Shiina sighed in exasperation. "Black is also a color of mourning you know." With that I stormed out the door, leaving Shiina sputtering behind me.
"So you finally decide to show, Gryffindor?" Blaise taunted. She was decked in her house colors and she stared disdainfully at me. "Why aren't you wearing your house colors, however ugly they may be? I'm sure your friends are disappointed in you." "I have no friends, they're all dead." "What, you killed them all?" "Yes," Blaise glared at me, not believing a word. I smiled slyly at her and turned to watch a Hufflepuff walk towards us. It was Laura Madley and she would be refereeing. "Using the Quaffle you are to score up to fifty points to win the match. Using the central hoop, depending on who has possession, you are to attempt to score while the other will try to block and re-take possession of the Quaffle. Bludgers will also be released to challenge you further. Now shake hands and good luck to you both." Blaise gave me a wary look before stepping forward. I held out my hand, we shook but dropped the others as if branded. She threw me a glance before straddling her broom, waiting for the match to begin. "Mount your brooms, please." She gave a short trill on her whistle and we took off. The thrill of speed and the wind surrounding me banished all thoughts of fear. The Quaffle was thrown in and the Bludgers released. Blaise raced for it and caught it in her outstretched hands and headed towards the hoop. I pointed my broom down at an 80-degree angle, trying to get low enough so I could go up underneath her. I put on a burst of speed but over shot and zoomed right past her. Blaise scored. She shook her fist in the air in triumph. I gained possession of the Quaffle. She floated in front of the hoop, waiting for me to make my move.
Kaitou was a poor flyer; she could see that now. 'She has no natural grace on the ground or in the air. Pathetic really. This will be all too easy.' She watched as Kaitou's eyes flickered from side to side, as she tried to make a decision. Her features became still, as she suddenly zoomed forward, coming straight at Blaise. Blaise hovered there, not un-nerved in the least. 'What is this, a game of chicken? She thinks I'll move for her? She had better think again.'
I came at Blaise, hoping to scare her into moving aside. I got closer and closer and closer. So close I could see the beads of sweat gathering on her forehead and the way her knuckles were white from gripping the broom handle so tightly. I tried to lower myself even further down on the broom handle to reduce air resistant and increase speed. We were three meters apart when Blaise threw herself to the side, barely getting hit. I scored as a cheer rose up from the crowd. All this had happened in a matter of seconds, but it had seemed as if I had been flying towards her through water. I sat there, trembling. I had gotten lucky. If she had moved a second later.I shuddered at the thought. 'She would have impaled herself on my broom.' the darker side of my mind offered. 'You could have killed her, more blood on your hands. You look so beautiful covered in crimson blood.' WHAM! I cried out as a searing pain spread through my stomach. I doubled over in pain, clasping my arms to my chest. I swallowed, and clamped my mouth shut, so as not to let any more moans escape. "Seems you forgot about the Bludgers, Kaitou. Idiot." I looked up at her through my hair that was now covering my face. I sat up and looked down my nose at her and muttered forcefully, "Who cares, we play." "You're too injured to play," she pointed out. I wiped at the stream of warm blood trickling out of my mouth. She turned her back on me and began to descend towards the ground. "Coward." Blaise turned back to face me slowly, rage evident on her face. "What did you just call me?" she said in a low voice, trying to contain her rage. "You're a coward. You're running away with your tail between your legs like a whipped dog. Face it, you're too weak." She roared in rage and lashed out at me, but by then I had swung to the side and she sailed past me. "You're going to pay for that comment, Kaitou. You're going to pay dearly." "Oh I'm so scared, I think I'm going to wet my pants." I sneered and zoomed past, while snatching the Quaffle from her grasp. She growled in frustration and tore after me. I swirled to miss an oncoming Bludger and sped towards the goal. I summersaulted over the handle of my broom and let the Quaffle fall as I reached up to grip the broom. I hung there, suspended, as Blaise, laughing took the Quaffle and proceeded to score. 'She hung onto the back of my broom and pulled on it, causing me to lose my balance. What a cheap shot!' I thought in outrage at the unfairness of it all. I swung back and forth, gaining momentum, and flipped back onto the broom. Blaise threw me the Quaffle and I caught it with a tiny oof as it hit my sore stomach. She smirked and positioned herself in the vicinity of the goal post, keen and alert.
"Adri isn't doing too good," Harry commented as he peered through his Omnioculars. "That's an understatement." Hermione sighed deeply, "Could this get any worse?" Harry and Ron turned to stare at her. "I know, I know, famous last words." "Well I hope Zabini wins. Would serve Kaitou right, the stuck up snob." "That sounds.weird, coming from you Neville. You're usually so accepting of others." said Ron. "Well not her, she is so hateful. Besides, she gives me the creeps." "What do you mean?" Hermione asked, rounding on Neville. "Like, she, er, well it's like she's an asp. Always watching and waiting for the moment you lower your guard and then that is the moment she strikes." They burst out laughing as Neville sputtered indignantly. "Oh Neville, is that all? I thought you were serious! I mean come on, Adri, something else?" Hermione said, covering up the fact that she actually agreed with him. She gave Harry a look and he simply nodded in response. They turned back to where Ron and Neville were talking about what Snape would look like donned in a dress and boots, all sinister thoughts forgotten, for the moment.
Draco watched with a disguised look of amusement on his face. Kaitou was doing horribly. He had expected a tiny bit more skill from her, but it appeared to him that he had greatly overestimated her. 'A shame really, all brag and no truth to her. Not a very good quality in a woman.' A cheer went up as Kaitou scored but just as quickly Blaise scored another. Draco remained seated with his arms crossed as his housemates stood and cheered for her. "Draco, why aren't you cheering? She scored." Crabbe commented dully. "You wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you." Draco commented his voice dripping with disdain. Crabbe grunted in way of an answer and turned back to the game. Draco continued to watch, trying to keep his mind off the elusive vision that even now plagued him, demanding to be seen; the vision of a woman offering him a black rose.
"Come on Kaitou is that all you can do?" Blaise taunted. I smiled in response, for after all, the Quaffle was in my possession. "Heh," was all I said before pushing her with all my might to the side. In the time it took her to re-orientate herself I had scored. "We're even now. One cheap shot for another, I can give as good as I get." I said snidely. "You're getting desperate now, Kaitou. Finally realized there is no way you can possibly win? You're rather thick if it took you this long to figure it out. Come on, even a Hufflepuff could figure it out sooner than you could." "You dare compare me with one of them?" "Oh, I dare." I eased my broom to the left and just as quickly she was facing me. 'She's extremely fast but she watches me, not my broom. This could be to my advantage.' I stood still and used my legs to guide the broom. She didn't react quick enough for by not moving my upper body I didn't give away which directing I was going. With precious few seconds I was able to maneuver past her and slam the Quaffle through the hoop. "Who's losing now, Zabini?" She laughed, throwing her head back as she did so. "You're so typical. Only a Gryffindor would say that. I'm serious now, playtime is over." She snickered softly to herself and taking the Quaffle deftly slid past me and scored. 'She moved so fast! I couldn't see her! What is going on? I could watch her perfectly before!' "At a loss for words, are we?" she taunted. "We're even now, next goal wins. You might as well bring out your tissues now; you're going to be crying for days." "I wouldn't bet on it, I don't cry, no tear ducts, you see?" "That's it, let's finish this." she said with distaste. "Fine," We met in the middle of the field and lined our broom sticks up so handle tip touched handle tip. "On the count of three." We both tensed, getting ready for the moment that I would release the ball into the air. "One," "Two," "Three,"
"GOAL!"
I heaved a tired sigh; I was tired of reflecting on the past events of the day, mostly the quidditch match. I ached from the intense feeling of disappointment that accompanies failure. I had lost, and lost to Zabini at that. Most people in my position would possibly feel anger, a crushing sense of failure, resentment, the list goes on and on. I however, felt nothing, as always. I sighed and sunk deeper into the bath. "Trying to drown yourself in despair?" "Shut up, Shiina. If I'm going to die, I'm not going to in a bathtub. It's not dramatic enough." Shiina had by this time, plopped herself down on the mat by the bath and sat there, looking up at me. "So you're saying you'll leave the bath first and then go kill yourself?" "Why are you stuck on thinking that I have plans in ending my life over a stupid match?" "Hmm, lets see, probably because you've been in here for two hours! You're moping, admit it!" "I am not moping, I am simply relaxing." "That's what they all say." "I feel a headache coming on." "Just trying to make sure you're not dying anytime soon, I wouldn't want my plans screwed up all because of you." "Oh, how thoughtful of you Shiina." I splashed a good amount of water on her as an after thought. "Hey!" she shook out her fur and looked at me with pity. "Adri, remind me to stop looking out for you next time." "Why are you looking after me anyway, Shiina?" She looked startled for a moment but resettled herself on a dry portion of the mat before answering, "I won't lie to you, its because the Kanshishaa instructed me to keep watch over you." "The Kanshishaa!? You work for her?!" "I did. She has been..preoccupied, so she left me in charge of watching Reiha." "Reiha would be, who?" "Reiha is your mother." There was complete silence in the room. "My mother? And you never told me!" "You never asked. But that behind us, Reiha left Japan and so I was sent after her. Other.circumstances, came up so now I look after you." "Other circumstances meaning her death, right?" "Yes, among others. I'll tell you all of it someday, I just don't think it wise to tell you too much at once, the results could be potentially harmful." "Then do not speak of my past, just tell me about the Kanshishaa. What is she like?" "The Guardian, huh? Well, last I heard of her she was still in Japan returning Shinma to where they belong, the darkness. Larva is still by her side, even after all these years." "Isn't Larva a Shinma too?" "Yes, but he and the Guardian are bound together. Anyway, I don't believe the Kanshishaa will have any reason to pay you a visit here just yet. There are many Shinma still lose in Japan." "Oh thanks ever so much, that is just so reassuring. Yeah, I just can't wait for her to come later on and decide to kill me. Wonderful Shiina." "She won't kill you, she'll just return you to where you came from." "That would be killing me. Shiina, I've done some research on my own, I know my mother was a Shinma and my father a human wizard. I would burn to death if she tried to return me. Besides, I belong here." "Shinma, even children of them and a human, are still considered Shinma and must be taken care of." "Are you saying I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't?" "Pretty much." "I'll have to think on this, there has to be some loop hole." I was interrupted by a resounding bang on the bathroom door. "Adri! Are you still in there?" Hermione hollered through the thick door. "Yes!" "Well hurry up and get out! You're lucky you were able to use the prefects bathroom in the first place, you're pushing it by staying in there so long." In a quiet voice, "Is everything okay? "Everything is peachy, I'll be out in a few'." "Okay, if you're sure." "I am." I heard Hermione's footsteps fade away and I sighed. "Best be going Shiina." "I'll talk to you later, you can count on it." With that brief farewell Shiina faded into the shadows and was gone, leaving me all alone with my thoughts.
I flicked the bubble off my cheek and went back to scrubbing the floor. Malfoy and I had been working off our detention for an hour now, and had not spoken once. The silence was soothing and was doing wonders for my tortured mind. 'I finally have a name for her, Reiha. My mother, finally after all this time. That name, there's something about it I need to remember. Something important, just, what is it? When I heard her name, I thought that something was missing. I know something is missing, someone or something, that she never went anywhere without. Matsu.' "Watch it!" Draco spat. I lost the tendril of memory and collapsed on the stone floor and angrily smacked my fists against it. "You," my voice quivered in anger. "Get your face off the floor, I just washed over there." "I almost remembered something extremely important and you just had to go ahead and say something, kisama!" I pushed him roughly to the side and he hit the bucket and it spilled all over him and the newly cleaned floor. "Look what you did!." He pointed an accusing finger at me and then at the offending bucket of filthy water. "If you hadn't said anything then this never would have happened in the first place!" "You got in my way." he answered coldly. "Whatever, we now have to re-wash that whole portion of the floor." Thanks to you." I uttered under my breath. "What did you just say, Kaitou?" he hissed menacingly. "Nothing, let's get started on this mess. Which was all your fault." I said once more. "I know what you're saying, and it is most definitely not my fault!" I threw the sponge in his face. "Shut up and get back to scrubbing. I want to get out of here before ten at the latest." Malfoy was silent as the sponge slid down his face. I turned my back and began to scrub the floor with his sponge. It was then that the other bucket of filthy water was upended over my head. I looked up at him, at a loss for words. All I saw was his retreating back as he closed the classroom door behind him. ~*~ "What happened?" Hermione demanded upon me stumbling into the common room. "Detention with Draco Malfoy is what happened." "Go clean yourself up and come back down here, we need to talk." I nodded and trudged into the girl's bathroom. I grabbed a towel and began to dry my hair. I walked back out into the common room. Hermione had her legs curled under her as she sat gazing into the fire grate. I sat down in an empty chair, hair wrapped in the now soggy towel. She slowly turned to face me. "Lately I feel you've been getting the wrong impression of how things are around here. You act as if you are above the rules, as if just because you are new you can flaunt them. I don't think you're aware of how many Gryffindor's despise you and find you insufferably arrogant. If you're not careful you might run into.mishaps. I'm trying to warn you Adri; you've upset people who do not easily hate others. I've heard things, seen things, just be careful all right? Most Gryffindor's won't be as forgiving as I am." She stood up and stood by my side, facing away from the fire. "Goodnight," She walked off, leaving me there by the fire with many a disturbing thought.
She glided down the eerily silent halls immersed in brilliant silver light. A heavy cloak was draped around her lithe form. Tentatively she drew close to one of the towering windows that spanned the corridor in which she was passing through on her nightly walk. With a captious eye she scanned the school grounds before she allowed her weary body to sit neatly on the window seat. Snow was falling lightly over the scene that would appear in any fairy tale: quiet grounds, falling snow and somewhere a little lost princess. She herself was far removed in any way from anything that could be termed as 'being a princess'. She contented herself with watching the snow fall as the rest of the castle slept.
"Shirahime is crying." She looked down at her clasped hands as homesickness washed over her in nauseating waves.
"Who is Shirahime?" As quick as flame feasting on oil, her head snapped up and her gaze fell on an inquisitive first year Gryffindor. The child looked at her in amazement as he realized that she was no normal student.
"Shirahime is a goddess of the snow. It is said that whenever snow falls like this," she gestured to the Hogwarts grounds, "that Shirahime is crying. But everyone knows that it is really human children that call the snows. Lets say we have a blizzard." She grinned wickedly at the child who still held his ground. With that she bolted upright and started for the child at a run, laughing in glee. By now the child had enough sense to turn tail and run away from her. "Come on, I want to see you cry, cry for me human child!" The child stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. His face was serene and held none of its previous fear. "I will cry for you, you didn't have to try and scare me into cryin'." She smiled and patted him on the head. "You don't have to cry for me as long as you make me a promise." "What promise?" "That you will help me whenever I am in need." The child nodded. "Pinky swear?" "Pinky swear." answered the child, a tone of laughter in his tiny voice. The child yawned and used one hand to rub at his eyes. "You must be tired, here let me help you." She whispered a spell before he could respond and she caught him easily in her arms. She picked him up and was surprised at his lack of weight. 'He must have been trying to resist my summons all week, but he caved in this night.' She smiled again and started the long walk back to Gryffindor tower, but not before out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a face drawn back into the folds of a curtain.
"Adri wake up! We're going to be late to breakfast because of you!" I flopped over onto my stomach and quickly shoved the pillow over my head to try and drown out the annoying voice. Suddenly deft hands ripped all the covers off me and took away my pillow. "Get up!" she hollered into my ear. I groaned and rolled out of bed onto the stone floor with a thump. I slowly got up from the seemingly inviting floor and looked up into the livid face of Lavender. "I'm sorry, go ahead without me." I waved her away with one hand as I shuffled towards my chest. "You know it's my turn to get everyone up, but if you don't want to eat breakfast then be my guest." She spun on her heel and left. I dug through my chest, trying to find a suitable shirt. I pulled out am ebony hued one and tugged it on. I then proceeded to lace up the sides with leather thongs.
"Need some help?" "I thought you left." I said from over my shoulder. "Nope," was all she said before coming over and helping me. "Thanks, this shirt is always tricky to tie up by oneself, it's like a corset." I made a face as she giggled and then I dove back into the mess that was my chest. I pulled out a pair of lace up kapris. Lavender groaned as I tugged them on. "More lacing," I told her with a grin. I pulled on a plain black robe. As I searched for appropriate footwear she flopped onto my un kept bed. "So, what do you think of Justin? Don't you think he's the cutest guy alive? Ah, I'd love to get my hands on him." I snorted. "Hey! Come on, don't you have an opinion of him?" "Um, he's cute?" She threw a pillow at my face. "You're pathetic Kaitou." I stole a glance at her. I couldn't tell if I had just been insulted or not but chose to shrug noncommittally.
We practically flew down the stairs and to breakfast. We stopped at the door and walked in slowly and sat ourselves with the rest of our respective groups of friend's. "Where have you been?" Ron inquired as he shoved strawberry pancakes into his mouth. "Slow down Ron, you'll make yourself sick!" insisted Hermione. "I was trying to get myself out of bed." "What did you say?" a first year hollered from down the table. "I said I saw her! She's real!" Everyone at the Gryffindor table had by now turned to watch the captivating argument. Ron took this chance to try and purloin Hermione's pancake. She abruptly stuck her fork in it without even turning around. "Don't even think about it Ronald Weasley." Ron appeared disappointed so I shoveled all of mine onto his plate. "Enjoy." "Thanks!" he dug right in, oblivious to the argument. The argument between the first years was beginning to rise in volume. "I did see her, why don't you believe me?" "No way could you have seen a Shinma inside Hogwarts School!" "I did see her, I tell you! She had long white hair, and purple eyes! Normal people don't look like that!" "I saw her too." piped up a timid third year girl. "See, she is real! I told you so and you called me a liar!" "Sorry," muttered the kid, arms crossed across his chest and a pout on his lips. We all turned back and stared at each other in silence. "A Shinma, huh? I wonder who it could be?" Hermione thought out loud. "It would seem the silly first years are trying to garner importance for themselves. Rather foolish, really." I muttered pensively. "Would you be so kind as to pass the milk?" ~*~ "Nee-chan!" A blurry bolt launched itself at me. Groggily I hugged the small bundle of flesh. I opened my gritty eyes, Mikael was trying to desperately latch onto me all the while sobbing quite loudly. "Why are you here? Heck, how did you get here in the first place?" His tear streaked and florid face peered up into my grime covered one. "I came here to rescue you." he answered in-between sniffles. "That's very thoughtful of you, but how on earth did you get in?" I asked, curious and yet despairing at once. This could be a trap, one which my sadistic father would pull, and had been known to do in the past. "I, er, that is I." "Yes?" I pressed. "Killed the guards." he finished. I started at him in amazement. "All of them, all the ones guarding the dungeons and connecting corridors?" "Yes." I was stunned; we had over 30 guards to ensure that nothing happened to the Family, that family being anyone blood related on my father's side. We all lived in one grand and palatial home, and of course, Mikael lived there as well. It would be easy for him to go anywhere except here-the dungeons. "So you killed all the guards and then you just walked in here?" He nodded and continued to cry into my shirt. "H-how, did you kill them?" "My mum and da also have Shi blood, just like you! Isn't it wonderful? I get to be even more like nee-chan now!" 'Such a young age and he has already awakened his Shinma side? Amazing.' "We must flee before Uncle notices what has happened. He won't be pleased that you killed all the guards and he'll most likely beat me for trying to escape." I grabbed his hand and pulled him up from the floor and brushed the straw off his fine clothes, which were now permanently soiled. "Give me the keys." He handed them over and I pocketed them within my jump suit. I took off at an easy run as Mikael trotted beside me as we tried to eat up distance between us and freedom. We reached a checkpoint and with shaking hands I slid the key into the rusting slot and turned it with a flick of my wrist. On the other side I retrieved my wand and kept it in my right hand while the other still held Mikael's in an iron grip. I broke into a sprint as I dragged him struggling behind me. "Almost there, just a tad bit further, hang in there cos'." I gasped as I tried to suck air into my tired and abused lungs. I barely restrained myself from slamming into the door head on, but I quickly forced the key into the lock and turned. The door opened wide and hit the side of the entry way with a resounding bang. I swore under my breath and dragged Mikael out. "I can't run any more, I'm too tired." he whined. I hefted him onto my back and raced out of the room. We encountered no guards or family because a) they were either dead, b) at the Death Eater party or c) locked up because they had were insane or had extreme tendencies for paranoia. 'I'll be so glad to be rid of this place'. "And where do you think you're going?" asked a blond stranger who lounged against the back entrance to our estate, and the way out.
I opened my eyes and was met with velvety darkness. The night air seemed to press down on me, as if trying to keep me intoxicated with the ephemeral joy of dreaming of my past. It was not exactly a tender, or even much liked memory. That particular memory was more real, so to speak, than the others. This one had held thoughts and valuable information, which I would no doubt find useful at some point in time. I went about and performed my nightly ritual of dragging on a heavy robe and supple leather boots so that I might go out for a walk. My feet took me to my favorite haunt; a secluded corridor lined with windows that adorned both walls. I lay down in a particularly battered and used window seat and leaned against the glass. The cool panes helped to clear my fuzzy head. I closed my eyes to rest them for suddenly it felt as if lead weights had been tethered to them and were dragging them ever down. I heard a tinkling laugh resound in my ears as I allowed myself to fall into the waiting arms of sleep.
"There she is, there's the Shinma!" the girl exclaimed gleefully, pointing at a young woman. The two boys who had joined in the search for the Shinma peeped out from behind her thin frame. The girl approached the seated Shinma. "Are you Shirahime?" the girl said bluntly. The Shinma smiled at her lovingly. "Yes, yes I am Shirahime." she answered, humoring her. The girl laughed as if all this were a joke. "We were hoping that you would be the Shirahime of legend, then you could save us from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." "Oh?" "Yes, cause Shirahime is a demon." "Uh-huh, is that so?" The girl nodded emphatically. "Shinma are not demons." she corrected. "But you're still very powerful, right? You could easily kill someone, wizard or no?" "That is true." she answered, evading the subject. The boys eased forward and stood on either side of the Shinma. "May I sit and look out the window with you for a few minutes, please?" the girl asked, tears starting to well up in her sapphire eyes. "I miss my mummy." The Shinma gave a sigh of defeat and allowed the girl to climb into her lap. The girl made herself comfortable and they sat like that for a while. Then suddenly the girl clasped her in a tight hug. The Shinma was taken by surprise and in that moment the girl slipped a sliver knife from her belt and plunged it in-between the woman's ribs. She gasped as the realization dawned on her that she had been tricked. "Y-you, tricked me." she growled hoarsely. The girl leaned in close and whispered into her ear, "A threat to our Master can not be allowed to live." The Shinma's eyes widened as the knife was thrust into her side once more. She choked as the pain spread through her like a cancer. Suddenly she smiled and started to laugh despite the knife lodged in her side. The girl moved back, fear just beginning to claw at her mind. "Foolish girl. I have a message for your master, run and hide, run and hide, I'll be coming to complete my revenge soon." The girl and her bodyguards were backing away and were about to flee but the Shinma was too fast. She laughed heartily as she froze them where they stood, encasing them in solid ice, grotesque expressions chiseled onto their child-like faces. Children they were not. Their hearts and minds were poisoned by beliefs imposed on them by elders, they would forever be imperfect specimens of humanity. The Shinma spat on the floor in disgust. "Filth really." She clutched at the hilt of the knife and tried to get a firm grip on it despite the blood that made it nearly impossible. She froze the knife all the way to the tip and then pulled it out of her skin, which was now slick with scarlet blood. She then placed a stream of ice inside the wound and felt the arteries that had been pumping blood cease. The piercing cold was a touch of heaven; it drowned the pain in blessed coolness. Her wound incased in ice, she silently berated herself for letting her guard down. She swore never to do so again, for no one at all, no matter who they were.
I groaned as I rolled over unto my stomach and sucked in a sharp breath as searing pain ate at my side. It felt like I had been beaten with a particularly nasty whip, and that it had penetrated deep within. I reached down and felt my fingers come in contact with a sticky substance. I put it to my lips and I tentatively took a lick. It tasted metallic which meant only one thing in my book, blood. I sat up and just as quickly sank back down into the sheets as the world turned and rotated around me. I groaned and rubbed at my eyes, trying to fight the dizziness and waves of nausea. "Why, why does this always happen to me? Why me?" "What are you going on about over there Kaitou?" a voice called from behind closed curtains. "Oh nothing new except how much I detest life in general." "You're right, nothing new. Go back to sleep, its 5 o'clock you git. Some of us need our beauty sleep, and you sure could use more than the rest of us." Lavender called out harshly. I resisted the urge to answer her with a scathing retort accompanied by a nice whack but I doubted my ability to do that at the moment. Later perhaps I thought, grinning maliciously. I pulled my shirt up to get a better look at this annoying new development. The wounds were deep and were bleeding freely as if whatever had been holding the blood back had decided to pack up and leave. I thought through this. I most likely was suffering from severe trauma and shock accompanied with a good deal of blood loss, possible infection and disease if the knife had been used before or was unclean. Also a good chance that I had internal bleeding, and a broken rib to boot. Ah, the glory of being a teenager! "I got this wound somehow and however I got it, it's probably not a good thing. I don't remember receiving it, which is even worse. But despite the consequences I need medical help and fast." I said to the air quietly. I heard movement in the bed adjacent to mine. I listened to Hermione's quickened breathing. I tried to will her into remaining asleep. I held my breath, waiting for her to stop moving. I realized this wasn't a good idea and let my breath out with a whoosh and fell back on the pillows, as once more the room looked like an abstract painting done by Van Gogh. When I sat back up Hermione had stopped making noise and was breathing softly. 'That was too close. I need to find a medical textbook and fast.' I slowly lifted myself up just enough so I could situate myself against the headboard of the bed. "Shiina! Shiina where are you, come to me!" I waited in the deep silence for a sign of those familiar ears. Slowly they appeared in my line of vision as they towered over the side of my bed. "Shiina!" I called out in joy. "Do you know what time it is?" she asked in a snappy tone. "Nope, and neither do I care. I need you to find me a medical textbook and fast." "Whatever for?" "I've been stabbed." "Oh." she said, all amusement and morning grumpyness gone. "Sit tight." With that she jumped off the bed and went scurrying off. "As if I could move." I waited and started to nod back to sleep despite the tearing pain when Shiina returned. She dragged it to the side of my bed. "Its too heavy for me, you'll have to cast a spell to levitate it." I groped for my wand on my bedside table. My fingers closed around its familiar form and I whispered the needed spell. "Wingardium leviosa." The book shot up and I grabbed at it desperately. I threw it down on the bed and quickly scanned the table of contents. I found the needed page and flipped to it. Listed was a combination of potions and spells that would help heal me. I realized that I would have to cast a few spells now and do the rest, like brewing needed potions later. "Lets just hope it doesn't become infected." I muttered darkly.
I gazed closer; the person was no stranger, she was my cousin Annisel. Annisel was twenty-two, but had the air of a forty year old woman. She had long blonde hair, which she kept in a braid reaching to her knees and the trademark purple eyes of the Family who were past the age of eighteen. She was a seer, a very rare gift, which only occurred in the Family every thousand years. Her very presence commanded respect and as soon as I recognized her I stopped short. "Mikael, get down and go to your room." she instructed. "But why? I don't have to 'cause I'm running away with nee-chan!" "Go." she said, her voice left no room for argument. Mikael averted his eyes and slipped down. He trotted down the hallway and turned back and gave me a pained look. He turned the corner and was gone from view. "Now, what shall we do with you?" she muttered pensively. "I'm leaving Annisel, I can't bare to stay here any longer. You might enjoy fitting yourself to their clay model of you and living that way, with no free will. But I just can't do so. It's slowly unraveling my moral fiber just by being around them." "Don't be so melodramatic. Teens and their angst." she said, sighing to herself. I was tempted to inform her that she was a teen not too long ago. "You will stay here whether you like it or not. You are part of the Family, we can't have you running amuck somewhere." "Oh? So you suggest I stay here and let them dictate my life to me? I don't have your gift, or your excuse to stay away from it all." Her eyes darkened at the mention of her having excuses. " I know you use this 'seer' thing to hold it over their heads so they can't force you to do all the horrible things they do to me. But someday they'll realize your game, then where will you be? Oh, that's right, you'll be in my position! So no, you have no right to say that I have to stay any longer." "Don't be such a child. Even if I wasn't a seer, I would still honor the Family above all else." "I hardly believe that I should bow and scrape to The Dark Lord for some intangible thing you like to call family honor. This beast will destroy our family, you'll see. I'm doing the wise thing and escaping while I still have the chance. The Dark Lord will not be happy when he discovers that he has had wool placed over his eyes." "What makes you think its there in the first place?" she asked, becoming impatient. "I know its there. Time will dictate who lives through this, and I know for one that I will, despite what the family does." "So you're just saving your own hide. How do you think you'll survive out in the real world without the Family to take care of you? Do you know? I bet you haven't even thought through that far." she gazed down her nose at me and continued. "You'll have no money, no shelter, no food. Who will care for you? No one, that's who, if you run out on the Family. That is of course if the Dark Lord doesn't catch you first. You can't survive out there, just stay here; live and deal with things. You'd be far worse off on the streets than joining the Dark Lord." "I'll find a way, heck, anything has to be better than joining with him. Now get out of my way." "I won't let you ruin your life like this." she answered, blocking the doorway. "If you claim to be the seer you are, then you know that I'll get past you, and escape." She closed her eyes, as if I taxed her greatly. She opened them and fixed me with a menacing stare. "The future is undecided." With that she drew out her wand. Before I could cast even one spell she whispered her own. "Accio wand." My wand went shooting from my hand and landed deftly in hers. I growled in frustration. "Now what will you do? You have no wand to fight me with to get through the door, and you might not be able to get it back from me. If you don't get your wand and escape you'll become a common muggle, my dear." she informed me, smiling at her own wit. I charged at her, fists raised. She flung me across the room with a simple spell-she didn't even bat an eyelash. I tried thrice more before I sunk to the floor, on the edge of defeat. It was then, the first time I heard her. I heard a sinister laugh fill my ears, I scanned the room, no one was there. I realized with a start that the sound was only in my mind. 'Let me free.' purred the voice. I shivered at the predatory tone. 'Only I can set the real you free. I know you want the power, my power. Immeasurable power is in your hands, you just need to reach out and grab it.' She laughed some more. 'Come on, give it a go. With me you can do anything. This power, the power to force entire civilizations to bow down to you, its all in here, in you.' Her words washed over me, soothing me, infusing me with a massive belief. What she offered me was the world. Power that I never dreamed I could posses, all I had to do was eat the forbidden apple. But this forbidden fruit, at what price would savoring it cost me?
A/N: Shirahime Syo is the property of CLAMP. Here is my blog a href="; which is like an online journal, so for anyone interested you can go there and read up on any updates I post there about SD. SD should hopefully be coming to a close in maybe the next two chapters, so look for some answers to questions to be revealed soon.
Foreign Word Translations: Baka-idiot Kanshishaa-The Guardian Larva: The Guardian's protector Nee-chan-Means sister but can also be used as a familiar title for females who are not of blood relation. Shi-blood: Shinma blood in an offspring that has been diluted by human blood from one of the parents.
Only you can break me down,
make me cry,
make me frown,
make me wish a terrible fate,
on to myself,
bring me hate,
cause me to smile,
inspite of the pain,
put my heart on trial.
Only you look with disdain,
Won't lie to me for simple gain,
Will tell me everything,
Though pain may be,
All it will bring,
Won't lie to protect,
A life I've seemed to have already wrecked. ~*~ Draco was furious and walking around the castle for two hours had still not quelled his anger. 'How could you choose Adri over Harry? You don't even know her that well!' his inner voice quipped. 'Look what you did to Harry! And you know you'll sell out Adri once you tire of her too! They're just possessions to you, things to own and break at your will!' "So what if they are just toys?" he mused. "Hearing your conscience speak, Malfoy? Painful, isn't it?" taunted Blaise. "Blaise," "Thinking is a dangerous past-time, Draco. Why weren't you at our table in the library at 6? I waited for you for two hours! I hope you were fretting over missing our meeting, honey. " she said sweetly touching Draco's face. "Would you believe me if I said yes?" "It depends," she said coyly. "on what you do to make it up to me." "I'll help you train for your match with Kaitou. That way you can pound her into the ground." She gave him a quizzical look but then visibly brightened. "Well I'll see you at lunch, I have some business to take care of before then. After we'll go practice. Okay, love?" She squealed and placed a light kiss on his cheek before racing off. As soon she was out of eyesight Draco wiped his cheek and had the urge to spit. "She is only tolerated because she is a useful pawn." He grimaced, not fooling himself, and walked off in the opposite direction.
"Hahaha, baka!" a little kid laughed. I opened my eyes to see Mikael peering down at me. "Who are you calling an idiot, Mikael?" "You. You fell asleep on the ground." He pulled at the collar of his suit, trying to loosen the tie. I looked down at myself; I was wearing a green dress with slits reaching to my thighs. I was barefoot and my sandals appeared to have been discarded some feet away. I looked up; vibrant colors lanced through the canopy of leaves above. "Mikael, why don't you go pick an apple?" I suggested. "Uncle will get mad," he answered scuffing his shoe in the dirt, not meeting my eyes. I sighed and stood up and strode over to the tree trunk. I proceeded to climb up as best I could in a dress. I finally came in reach of an apple, plucked it, and threw it down to Mikael who caught it deftly. "Mikael, catch this one too!" I threw another down and it landed right at the feet of a stranger. "Shouldn't you be at the reception?" the stranger asked in a cool voice. "I could say the same for you." I retorted as I swung down and landed in the grass. Mikael tugged at my dress, and said, "Who's that?" "I have no idea. Probably one of Uncle's guests." I shrugged and turned back to address the stranger and found him sitting, eating my apple. "Was this yours?" was all he said as he took another bite. "Give it back!" I ordered. He offered me the half-eaten apple. He stared at me, daring me to take it. I grabbed it from him and took a large mouthful, all the while watching his face for a reaction. He gave none, but simply watched me eat the apple. "Are you finished?" was all he said. "Quite," I said as I threw the apple core at him. "Mikael," I called and he came racing over and grabbed my hand. We were on the edge of the orchard when he called back, "You forgot your sandals." He held them dangling from his fingers. I dropped Mikael's hand and stormed back and grabbed them from him. "No thank you?" He smirked. I was silent and turned my back to him. I re-joined Mikael. "Come, we had best wash up and sneak into the reception." I took his hand again and was walking away when he called out once more, "I guess I'll be seeing you around, fiancé." I whipped around to try and see his face but gray was already seeping in. My vision was growing fuzzy as harsh reality descended.
I sat up to look into the startled faces of the trio. They were gathered around my bed along with the entire potions class. "You're alive," Ron said airily. "Of course," came my own clipped reply. "And why is the potions class in the hospital wing watching me?" "To see if you failed, Ms. Kaitou," said Snape from behind me. "You never fail to try and make a dramatic entrance, do you Professor?" "It was so much nicer when you were asleep, the blessed quiet was such a nice change compared to your grating voice." "Only you would find it so." I pulled back the covers and stood up, trying to stay prone. Ron reached out an arm to steady me. I nodded my thanks and walked to the door and turned. "Show's over." I turned back and left them all in stunned silence.
"It's okay Ron, I can walk fine on my own." I said after we had been walking for a while. He gave me a look as if to say "very funny". I sighed and continued with him supporting me. "So, what happened while I slept?" "It's the weekend, so nothing special. Although, weren't you going to practice with Harry to prepare for the match with Zabini?" "Shoot, I forgot all about that! I should go practice. Come on, you'll teach me in his place." I said as I ran down the hall in a burst of energy, Ron still hanging on to me. "Me?" "No, the statue over there. Go grab your broom and ask one of your brothers if I can borrow theirs again. I'm going to go change." Ron let me go and we went and met back in the common room soon after. "Adri, I was thinking. I believe that Slytherin signed up for use of the pitch today." "We'll kick 'em out. At the moment I really don't care who's out there, I have to practice! Well, come on!"
We flopped down at dinner, thoroughly exhausted. "Where have you two been all day?" inquired Hermione. "I was teaching her Quidditch." Ron said breathlessly. Hermione turned to me. "Honest," "Fine with me. Hermione, can you help me with this problem?" Harry interjected drawing Hermione's attention away from Ron and I. "That was close," Ron said. I nodded and dug into dinner.
"It is that time again, potions class." "We're doing truth serums though. That could be interesting." Ron added. "Weak forms of veritas-serum." Hermione corrected. "It is Friday too, Adri's big match today. It was a secret but now the whole school knows about it." Harry commented. "Aw, then I can't cheat as easily, darn." "Adri! You were planning on cheating!" Hermione demanded outraged. "Only a little." "Adri!" was all she was able to say before Malfoy walked over. "Oh, if it isn't the little baby Gryffindor. Afraid to face Zabini?" he sneered. "No, I'll beat her at her own game." "You won't be able to win, even if you do attempt miserably to cheat." "Somehow your empty words mean little to me. Go harass someone else, Malfoy. I don't feel like beating you up at the moment." "As if you could." "I did a pretty good job of it in Magical Creatures class." Malfoy looked ticked but I turned away and pranced into the classroom. I took my seat beside Pansy and Snape sauntered in shortly. "Today we will be concocting weak forms of veritas-serum. Can anyone tell me the ingredients you will be using?" he rambled on for quite some time before he ordered us to get to work. 'I just had to sit next to Pansy, didn't I? I would have been much safer if I had sat next to Goyle rather than this peas for brains thing everyone calls Pansy.' "Shall I get the ingredients out?" I asked her sweetly, all the while smiling at her. She giggled and told me to do whatever I wanted as long as I didn't disturb her. I sat there, trying to contain my anger. After counting to one hundred three times I was calm enough to get to work. By then half the class was close to completion and I hadn't even set up the cauldron. 'Ooo Pansy is going to regret this.' I quickly began chopping up ingredients and throwing them in the cauldron. I finally completed the potion and sat back, letting it boil. I observed Snape survey the class, searching for a victim. His eyes rested on me but then slid off to focus on Malfoy. "Malfoy, is your potion complete?" "Yes, it was so easy to whip up. Honestly Professor, can't you challenge us more?" he drawled lazily. "I'm afraid that if I did the whole class, except for a certain few, would fail. Dumbledore just wouldn't allow that, now would he?" He turned away from Draco and looked over the class. "Time's up." he announced merrily, with a wide smirk on his face. A chorus of groans and cries of outrage could be heard before he hissed menacingly and silence was once again established. "Potter, care to taste your potion?" he asked, sending daggers in Harry's direction with his glacial stare. "Our potion is not complete," Snape was about to comment when Ron beat him to it. "But I'm sure Malfoy's is finished." Ron smiled saucily at Malfoy as he watched horror cross the other boy's face. "Well Malfoy, measure some out. Come on boy, are you daft?" Draco's cheeks flushed lightly, high in his cheekbones, but faded as he straightened up, handing the cup to the Professor. "Gather 'round as Malfoy demonstrates to you dense children the powers of this truth serum." Draco was seated in a chair facing the class and gulped down the potion, no emotion apparent on his flawless face. Slowly his eyes became glazed over and his head began to tilt to one side. Snape waved his hand in front of Draco's eyes and got no response. "The potion is working. Who would like to question him? Remember, nothing besides a yes or a no question can be asked and no lewd or degrading ones either." I glanced at Ron, a large smile plastered on his face. 'Ron's up to something.I wonder what he plans to do?' Hands shot up as each student went up and asked a question of Draco. He answered automatically with a disturbing lack of emotion, and no matter what he said it seemed to have no effect on him. Finally it was Ron's turn and as he walked past my seat I snagged hold of the hem of his robe. "Ron, remember that Snape will fry you." I rasped harshly. Ron looked taken back, but the smile returned to his face and I let his robe drop. He walked up to Draco and stared him in the face. "Malfoy, who is it that you lust after?" the class gasped in surprise and some delight at Ron's question. "Ha-," Snape covered Draco's mouth before he could finish. Ron went chalk white and stepped back from Malfoy. But the rest of the class was not watching Ron, they were making disgruntled sounds at the Potion Master's intervention.
I stood alone in the locker room, stretching on the floor. "One, two, three," I counted as I stretched out my leg. I looked up at the clock, five more minutes until I had to go out and face her. I considered myself a calm and confident person, but this pressure was stripping away my mask, revealing my true self for the entire world to see. I was a coward. I was panicking; I had no desire to leave the room, ever. I finished the stretch and started the routine all over again. Repetition was keeping the panic at bay, but how long could I do so? I heard a scuttle and snapped my head up to focus on the source of the sound. "Shiina," "Coward," I blanched at the truth in her statement, "if you can't face her down, how the hell are you going to stand up to the truth?" "You know not what you speak of." "Get your gear on and get yourself out there. Do you want to prove to everyone what I already know?" I growled at her in response and striped off my school robes and donned all black. "Trying to trick everyone into believing you're an archangel? I'm not convinced." "Haha, very funny, but no. I'm trying to not show favor by dressing in a non-house color." Shiina sighed in exasperation. "Black is also a color of mourning you know." With that I stormed out the door, leaving Shiina sputtering behind me.
"So you finally decide to show, Gryffindor?" Blaise taunted. She was decked in her house colors and she stared disdainfully at me. "Why aren't you wearing your house colors, however ugly they may be? I'm sure your friends are disappointed in you." "I have no friends, they're all dead." "What, you killed them all?" "Yes," Blaise glared at me, not believing a word. I smiled slyly at her and turned to watch a Hufflepuff walk towards us. It was Laura Madley and she would be refereeing. "Using the Quaffle you are to score up to fifty points to win the match. Using the central hoop, depending on who has possession, you are to attempt to score while the other will try to block and re-take possession of the Quaffle. Bludgers will also be released to challenge you further. Now shake hands and good luck to you both." Blaise gave me a wary look before stepping forward. I held out my hand, we shook but dropped the others as if branded. She threw me a glance before straddling her broom, waiting for the match to begin. "Mount your brooms, please." She gave a short trill on her whistle and we took off. The thrill of speed and the wind surrounding me banished all thoughts of fear. The Quaffle was thrown in and the Bludgers released. Blaise raced for it and caught it in her outstretched hands and headed towards the hoop. I pointed my broom down at an 80-degree angle, trying to get low enough so I could go up underneath her. I put on a burst of speed but over shot and zoomed right past her. Blaise scored. She shook her fist in the air in triumph. I gained possession of the Quaffle. She floated in front of the hoop, waiting for me to make my move.
Kaitou was a poor flyer; she could see that now. 'She has no natural grace on the ground or in the air. Pathetic really. This will be all too easy.' She watched as Kaitou's eyes flickered from side to side, as she tried to make a decision. Her features became still, as she suddenly zoomed forward, coming straight at Blaise. Blaise hovered there, not un-nerved in the least. 'What is this, a game of chicken? She thinks I'll move for her? She had better think again.'
I came at Blaise, hoping to scare her into moving aside. I got closer and closer and closer. So close I could see the beads of sweat gathering on her forehead and the way her knuckles were white from gripping the broom handle so tightly. I tried to lower myself even further down on the broom handle to reduce air resistant and increase speed. We were three meters apart when Blaise threw herself to the side, barely getting hit. I scored as a cheer rose up from the crowd. All this had happened in a matter of seconds, but it had seemed as if I had been flying towards her through water. I sat there, trembling. I had gotten lucky. If she had moved a second later.I shuddered at the thought. 'She would have impaled herself on my broom.' the darker side of my mind offered. 'You could have killed her, more blood on your hands. You look so beautiful covered in crimson blood.' WHAM! I cried out as a searing pain spread through my stomach. I doubled over in pain, clasping my arms to my chest. I swallowed, and clamped my mouth shut, so as not to let any more moans escape. "Seems you forgot about the Bludgers, Kaitou. Idiot." I looked up at her through my hair that was now covering my face. I sat up and looked down my nose at her and muttered forcefully, "Who cares, we play." "You're too injured to play," she pointed out. I wiped at the stream of warm blood trickling out of my mouth. She turned her back on me and began to descend towards the ground. "Coward." Blaise turned back to face me slowly, rage evident on her face. "What did you just call me?" she said in a low voice, trying to contain her rage. "You're a coward. You're running away with your tail between your legs like a whipped dog. Face it, you're too weak." She roared in rage and lashed out at me, but by then I had swung to the side and she sailed past me. "You're going to pay for that comment, Kaitou. You're going to pay dearly." "Oh I'm so scared, I think I'm going to wet my pants." I sneered and zoomed past, while snatching the Quaffle from her grasp. She growled in frustration and tore after me. I swirled to miss an oncoming Bludger and sped towards the goal. I summersaulted over the handle of my broom and let the Quaffle fall as I reached up to grip the broom. I hung there, suspended, as Blaise, laughing took the Quaffle and proceeded to score. 'She hung onto the back of my broom and pulled on it, causing me to lose my balance. What a cheap shot!' I thought in outrage at the unfairness of it all. I swung back and forth, gaining momentum, and flipped back onto the broom. Blaise threw me the Quaffle and I caught it with a tiny oof as it hit my sore stomach. She smirked and positioned herself in the vicinity of the goal post, keen and alert.
"Adri isn't doing too good," Harry commented as he peered through his Omnioculars. "That's an understatement." Hermione sighed deeply, "Could this get any worse?" Harry and Ron turned to stare at her. "I know, I know, famous last words." "Well I hope Zabini wins. Would serve Kaitou right, the stuck up snob." "That sounds.weird, coming from you Neville. You're usually so accepting of others." said Ron. "Well not her, she is so hateful. Besides, she gives me the creeps." "What do you mean?" Hermione asked, rounding on Neville. "Like, she, er, well it's like she's an asp. Always watching and waiting for the moment you lower your guard and then that is the moment she strikes." They burst out laughing as Neville sputtered indignantly. "Oh Neville, is that all? I thought you were serious! I mean come on, Adri, something else?" Hermione said, covering up the fact that she actually agreed with him. She gave Harry a look and he simply nodded in response. They turned back to where Ron and Neville were talking about what Snape would look like donned in a dress and boots, all sinister thoughts forgotten, for the moment.
Draco watched with a disguised look of amusement on his face. Kaitou was doing horribly. He had expected a tiny bit more skill from her, but it appeared to him that he had greatly overestimated her. 'A shame really, all brag and no truth to her. Not a very good quality in a woman.' A cheer went up as Kaitou scored but just as quickly Blaise scored another. Draco remained seated with his arms crossed as his housemates stood and cheered for her. "Draco, why aren't you cheering? She scored." Crabbe commented dully. "You wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you." Draco commented his voice dripping with disdain. Crabbe grunted in way of an answer and turned back to the game. Draco continued to watch, trying to keep his mind off the elusive vision that even now plagued him, demanding to be seen; the vision of a woman offering him a black rose.
"Come on Kaitou is that all you can do?" Blaise taunted. I smiled in response, for after all, the Quaffle was in my possession. "Heh," was all I said before pushing her with all my might to the side. In the time it took her to re-orientate herself I had scored. "We're even now. One cheap shot for another, I can give as good as I get." I said snidely. "You're getting desperate now, Kaitou. Finally realized there is no way you can possibly win? You're rather thick if it took you this long to figure it out. Come on, even a Hufflepuff could figure it out sooner than you could." "You dare compare me with one of them?" "Oh, I dare." I eased my broom to the left and just as quickly she was facing me. 'She's extremely fast but she watches me, not my broom. This could be to my advantage.' I stood still and used my legs to guide the broom. She didn't react quick enough for by not moving my upper body I didn't give away which directing I was going. With precious few seconds I was able to maneuver past her and slam the Quaffle through the hoop. "Who's losing now, Zabini?" She laughed, throwing her head back as she did so. "You're so typical. Only a Gryffindor would say that. I'm serious now, playtime is over." She snickered softly to herself and taking the Quaffle deftly slid past me and scored. 'She moved so fast! I couldn't see her! What is going on? I could watch her perfectly before!' "At a loss for words, are we?" she taunted. "We're even now, next goal wins. You might as well bring out your tissues now; you're going to be crying for days." "I wouldn't bet on it, I don't cry, no tear ducts, you see?" "That's it, let's finish this." she said with distaste. "Fine," We met in the middle of the field and lined our broom sticks up so handle tip touched handle tip. "On the count of three." We both tensed, getting ready for the moment that I would release the ball into the air. "One," "Two," "Three,"
"GOAL!"
I heaved a tired sigh; I was tired of reflecting on the past events of the day, mostly the quidditch match. I ached from the intense feeling of disappointment that accompanies failure. I had lost, and lost to Zabini at that. Most people in my position would possibly feel anger, a crushing sense of failure, resentment, the list goes on and on. I however, felt nothing, as always. I sighed and sunk deeper into the bath. "Trying to drown yourself in despair?" "Shut up, Shiina. If I'm going to die, I'm not going to in a bathtub. It's not dramatic enough." Shiina had by this time, plopped herself down on the mat by the bath and sat there, looking up at me. "So you're saying you'll leave the bath first and then go kill yourself?" "Why are you stuck on thinking that I have plans in ending my life over a stupid match?" "Hmm, lets see, probably because you've been in here for two hours! You're moping, admit it!" "I am not moping, I am simply relaxing." "That's what they all say." "I feel a headache coming on." "Just trying to make sure you're not dying anytime soon, I wouldn't want my plans screwed up all because of you." "Oh, how thoughtful of you Shiina." I splashed a good amount of water on her as an after thought. "Hey!" she shook out her fur and looked at me with pity. "Adri, remind me to stop looking out for you next time." "Why are you looking after me anyway, Shiina?" She looked startled for a moment but resettled herself on a dry portion of the mat before answering, "I won't lie to you, its because the Kanshishaa instructed me to keep watch over you." "The Kanshishaa!? You work for her?!" "I did. She has been..preoccupied, so she left me in charge of watching Reiha." "Reiha would be, who?" "Reiha is your mother." There was complete silence in the room. "My mother? And you never told me!" "You never asked. But that behind us, Reiha left Japan and so I was sent after her. Other.circumstances, came up so now I look after you." "Other circumstances meaning her death, right?" "Yes, among others. I'll tell you all of it someday, I just don't think it wise to tell you too much at once, the results could be potentially harmful." "Then do not speak of my past, just tell me about the Kanshishaa. What is she like?" "The Guardian, huh? Well, last I heard of her she was still in Japan returning Shinma to where they belong, the darkness. Larva is still by her side, even after all these years." "Isn't Larva a Shinma too?" "Yes, but he and the Guardian are bound together. Anyway, I don't believe the Kanshishaa will have any reason to pay you a visit here just yet. There are many Shinma still lose in Japan." "Oh thanks ever so much, that is just so reassuring. Yeah, I just can't wait for her to come later on and decide to kill me. Wonderful Shiina." "She won't kill you, she'll just return you to where you came from." "That would be killing me. Shiina, I've done some research on my own, I know my mother was a Shinma and my father a human wizard. I would burn to death if she tried to return me. Besides, I belong here." "Shinma, even children of them and a human, are still considered Shinma and must be taken care of." "Are you saying I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't?" "Pretty much." "I'll have to think on this, there has to be some loop hole." I was interrupted by a resounding bang on the bathroom door. "Adri! Are you still in there?" Hermione hollered through the thick door. "Yes!" "Well hurry up and get out! You're lucky you were able to use the prefects bathroom in the first place, you're pushing it by staying in there so long." In a quiet voice, "Is everything okay? "Everything is peachy, I'll be out in a few'." "Okay, if you're sure." "I am." I heard Hermione's footsteps fade away and I sighed. "Best be going Shiina." "I'll talk to you later, you can count on it." With that brief farewell Shiina faded into the shadows and was gone, leaving me all alone with my thoughts.
I flicked the bubble off my cheek and went back to scrubbing the floor. Malfoy and I had been working off our detention for an hour now, and had not spoken once. The silence was soothing and was doing wonders for my tortured mind. 'I finally have a name for her, Reiha. My mother, finally after all this time. That name, there's something about it I need to remember. Something important, just, what is it? When I heard her name, I thought that something was missing. I know something is missing, someone or something, that she never went anywhere without. Matsu.' "Watch it!" Draco spat. I lost the tendril of memory and collapsed on the stone floor and angrily smacked my fists against it. "You," my voice quivered in anger. "Get your face off the floor, I just washed over there." "I almost remembered something extremely important and you just had to go ahead and say something, kisama!" I pushed him roughly to the side and he hit the bucket and it spilled all over him and the newly cleaned floor. "Look what you did!." He pointed an accusing finger at me and then at the offending bucket of filthy water. "If you hadn't said anything then this never would have happened in the first place!" "You got in my way." he answered coldly. "Whatever, we now have to re-wash that whole portion of the floor." Thanks to you." I uttered under my breath. "What did you just say, Kaitou?" he hissed menacingly. "Nothing, let's get started on this mess. Which was all your fault." I said once more. "I know what you're saying, and it is most definitely not my fault!" I threw the sponge in his face. "Shut up and get back to scrubbing. I want to get out of here before ten at the latest." Malfoy was silent as the sponge slid down his face. I turned my back and began to scrub the floor with his sponge. It was then that the other bucket of filthy water was upended over my head. I looked up at him, at a loss for words. All I saw was his retreating back as he closed the classroom door behind him. ~*~ "What happened?" Hermione demanded upon me stumbling into the common room. "Detention with Draco Malfoy is what happened." "Go clean yourself up and come back down here, we need to talk." I nodded and trudged into the girl's bathroom. I grabbed a towel and began to dry my hair. I walked back out into the common room. Hermione had her legs curled under her as she sat gazing into the fire grate. I sat down in an empty chair, hair wrapped in the now soggy towel. She slowly turned to face me. "Lately I feel you've been getting the wrong impression of how things are around here. You act as if you are above the rules, as if just because you are new you can flaunt them. I don't think you're aware of how many Gryffindor's despise you and find you insufferably arrogant. If you're not careful you might run into.mishaps. I'm trying to warn you Adri; you've upset people who do not easily hate others. I've heard things, seen things, just be careful all right? Most Gryffindor's won't be as forgiving as I am." She stood up and stood by my side, facing away from the fire. "Goodnight," She walked off, leaving me there by the fire with many a disturbing thought.
She glided down the eerily silent halls immersed in brilliant silver light. A heavy cloak was draped around her lithe form. Tentatively she drew close to one of the towering windows that spanned the corridor in which she was passing through on her nightly walk. With a captious eye she scanned the school grounds before she allowed her weary body to sit neatly on the window seat. Snow was falling lightly over the scene that would appear in any fairy tale: quiet grounds, falling snow and somewhere a little lost princess. She herself was far removed in any way from anything that could be termed as 'being a princess'. She contented herself with watching the snow fall as the rest of the castle slept.
"Shirahime is crying." She looked down at her clasped hands as homesickness washed over her in nauseating waves.
"Who is Shirahime?" As quick as flame feasting on oil, her head snapped up and her gaze fell on an inquisitive first year Gryffindor. The child looked at her in amazement as he realized that she was no normal student.
"Shirahime is a goddess of the snow. It is said that whenever snow falls like this," she gestured to the Hogwarts grounds, "that Shirahime is crying. But everyone knows that it is really human children that call the snows. Lets say we have a blizzard." She grinned wickedly at the child who still held his ground. With that she bolted upright and started for the child at a run, laughing in glee. By now the child had enough sense to turn tail and run away from her. "Come on, I want to see you cry, cry for me human child!" The child stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. His face was serene and held none of its previous fear. "I will cry for you, you didn't have to try and scare me into cryin'." She smiled and patted him on the head. "You don't have to cry for me as long as you make me a promise." "What promise?" "That you will help me whenever I am in need." The child nodded. "Pinky swear?" "Pinky swear." answered the child, a tone of laughter in his tiny voice. The child yawned and used one hand to rub at his eyes. "You must be tired, here let me help you." She whispered a spell before he could respond and she caught him easily in her arms. She picked him up and was surprised at his lack of weight. 'He must have been trying to resist my summons all week, but he caved in this night.' She smiled again and started the long walk back to Gryffindor tower, but not before out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a face drawn back into the folds of a curtain.
"Adri wake up! We're going to be late to breakfast because of you!" I flopped over onto my stomach and quickly shoved the pillow over my head to try and drown out the annoying voice. Suddenly deft hands ripped all the covers off me and took away my pillow. "Get up!" she hollered into my ear. I groaned and rolled out of bed onto the stone floor with a thump. I slowly got up from the seemingly inviting floor and looked up into the livid face of Lavender. "I'm sorry, go ahead without me." I waved her away with one hand as I shuffled towards my chest. "You know it's my turn to get everyone up, but if you don't want to eat breakfast then be my guest." She spun on her heel and left. I dug through my chest, trying to find a suitable shirt. I pulled out am ebony hued one and tugged it on. I then proceeded to lace up the sides with leather thongs.
"Need some help?" "I thought you left." I said from over my shoulder. "Nope," was all she said before coming over and helping me. "Thanks, this shirt is always tricky to tie up by oneself, it's like a corset." I made a face as she giggled and then I dove back into the mess that was my chest. I pulled out a pair of lace up kapris. Lavender groaned as I tugged them on. "More lacing," I told her with a grin. I pulled on a plain black robe. As I searched for appropriate footwear she flopped onto my un kept bed. "So, what do you think of Justin? Don't you think he's the cutest guy alive? Ah, I'd love to get my hands on him." I snorted. "Hey! Come on, don't you have an opinion of him?" "Um, he's cute?" She threw a pillow at my face. "You're pathetic Kaitou." I stole a glance at her. I couldn't tell if I had just been insulted or not but chose to shrug noncommittally.
We practically flew down the stairs and to breakfast. We stopped at the door and walked in slowly and sat ourselves with the rest of our respective groups of friend's. "Where have you been?" Ron inquired as he shoved strawberry pancakes into his mouth. "Slow down Ron, you'll make yourself sick!" insisted Hermione. "I was trying to get myself out of bed." "What did you say?" a first year hollered from down the table. "I said I saw her! She's real!" Everyone at the Gryffindor table had by now turned to watch the captivating argument. Ron took this chance to try and purloin Hermione's pancake. She abruptly stuck her fork in it without even turning around. "Don't even think about it Ronald Weasley." Ron appeared disappointed so I shoveled all of mine onto his plate. "Enjoy." "Thanks!" he dug right in, oblivious to the argument. The argument between the first years was beginning to rise in volume. "I did see her, why don't you believe me?" "No way could you have seen a Shinma inside Hogwarts School!" "I did see her, I tell you! She had long white hair, and purple eyes! Normal people don't look like that!" "I saw her too." piped up a timid third year girl. "See, she is real! I told you so and you called me a liar!" "Sorry," muttered the kid, arms crossed across his chest and a pout on his lips. We all turned back and stared at each other in silence. "A Shinma, huh? I wonder who it could be?" Hermione thought out loud. "It would seem the silly first years are trying to garner importance for themselves. Rather foolish, really." I muttered pensively. "Would you be so kind as to pass the milk?" ~*~ "Nee-chan!" A blurry bolt launched itself at me. Groggily I hugged the small bundle of flesh. I opened my gritty eyes, Mikael was trying to desperately latch onto me all the while sobbing quite loudly. "Why are you here? Heck, how did you get here in the first place?" His tear streaked and florid face peered up into my grime covered one. "I came here to rescue you." he answered in-between sniffles. "That's very thoughtful of you, but how on earth did you get in?" I asked, curious and yet despairing at once. This could be a trap, one which my sadistic father would pull, and had been known to do in the past. "I, er, that is I." "Yes?" I pressed. "Killed the guards." he finished. I started at him in amazement. "All of them, all the ones guarding the dungeons and connecting corridors?" "Yes." I was stunned; we had over 30 guards to ensure that nothing happened to the Family, that family being anyone blood related on my father's side. We all lived in one grand and palatial home, and of course, Mikael lived there as well. It would be easy for him to go anywhere except here-the dungeons. "So you killed all the guards and then you just walked in here?" He nodded and continued to cry into my shirt. "H-how, did you kill them?" "My mum and da also have Shi blood, just like you! Isn't it wonderful? I get to be even more like nee-chan now!" 'Such a young age and he has already awakened his Shinma side? Amazing.' "We must flee before Uncle notices what has happened. He won't be pleased that you killed all the guards and he'll most likely beat me for trying to escape." I grabbed his hand and pulled him up from the floor and brushed the straw off his fine clothes, which were now permanently soiled. "Give me the keys." He handed them over and I pocketed them within my jump suit. I took off at an easy run as Mikael trotted beside me as we tried to eat up distance between us and freedom. We reached a checkpoint and with shaking hands I slid the key into the rusting slot and turned it with a flick of my wrist. On the other side I retrieved my wand and kept it in my right hand while the other still held Mikael's in an iron grip. I broke into a sprint as I dragged him struggling behind me. "Almost there, just a tad bit further, hang in there cos'." I gasped as I tried to suck air into my tired and abused lungs. I barely restrained myself from slamming into the door head on, but I quickly forced the key into the lock and turned. The door opened wide and hit the side of the entry way with a resounding bang. I swore under my breath and dragged Mikael out. "I can't run any more, I'm too tired." he whined. I hefted him onto my back and raced out of the room. We encountered no guards or family because a) they were either dead, b) at the Death Eater party or c) locked up because they had were insane or had extreme tendencies for paranoia. 'I'll be so glad to be rid of this place'. "And where do you think you're going?" asked a blond stranger who lounged against the back entrance to our estate, and the way out.
I opened my eyes and was met with velvety darkness. The night air seemed to press down on me, as if trying to keep me intoxicated with the ephemeral joy of dreaming of my past. It was not exactly a tender, or even much liked memory. That particular memory was more real, so to speak, than the others. This one had held thoughts and valuable information, which I would no doubt find useful at some point in time. I went about and performed my nightly ritual of dragging on a heavy robe and supple leather boots so that I might go out for a walk. My feet took me to my favorite haunt; a secluded corridor lined with windows that adorned both walls. I lay down in a particularly battered and used window seat and leaned against the glass. The cool panes helped to clear my fuzzy head. I closed my eyes to rest them for suddenly it felt as if lead weights had been tethered to them and were dragging them ever down. I heard a tinkling laugh resound in my ears as I allowed myself to fall into the waiting arms of sleep.
"There she is, there's the Shinma!" the girl exclaimed gleefully, pointing at a young woman. The two boys who had joined in the search for the Shinma peeped out from behind her thin frame. The girl approached the seated Shinma. "Are you Shirahime?" the girl said bluntly. The Shinma smiled at her lovingly. "Yes, yes I am Shirahime." she answered, humoring her. The girl laughed as if all this were a joke. "We were hoping that you would be the Shirahime of legend, then you could save us from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." "Oh?" "Yes, cause Shirahime is a demon." "Uh-huh, is that so?" The girl nodded emphatically. "Shinma are not demons." she corrected. "But you're still very powerful, right? You could easily kill someone, wizard or no?" "That is true." she answered, evading the subject. The boys eased forward and stood on either side of the Shinma. "May I sit and look out the window with you for a few minutes, please?" the girl asked, tears starting to well up in her sapphire eyes. "I miss my mummy." The Shinma gave a sigh of defeat and allowed the girl to climb into her lap. The girl made herself comfortable and they sat like that for a while. Then suddenly the girl clasped her in a tight hug. The Shinma was taken by surprise and in that moment the girl slipped a sliver knife from her belt and plunged it in-between the woman's ribs. She gasped as the realization dawned on her that she had been tricked. "Y-you, tricked me." she growled hoarsely. The girl leaned in close and whispered into her ear, "A threat to our Master can not be allowed to live." The Shinma's eyes widened as the knife was thrust into her side once more. She choked as the pain spread through her like a cancer. Suddenly she smiled and started to laugh despite the knife lodged in her side. The girl moved back, fear just beginning to claw at her mind. "Foolish girl. I have a message for your master, run and hide, run and hide, I'll be coming to complete my revenge soon." The girl and her bodyguards were backing away and were about to flee but the Shinma was too fast. She laughed heartily as she froze them where they stood, encasing them in solid ice, grotesque expressions chiseled onto their child-like faces. Children they were not. Their hearts and minds were poisoned by beliefs imposed on them by elders, they would forever be imperfect specimens of humanity. The Shinma spat on the floor in disgust. "Filth really." She clutched at the hilt of the knife and tried to get a firm grip on it despite the blood that made it nearly impossible. She froze the knife all the way to the tip and then pulled it out of her skin, which was now slick with scarlet blood. She then placed a stream of ice inside the wound and felt the arteries that had been pumping blood cease. The piercing cold was a touch of heaven; it drowned the pain in blessed coolness. Her wound incased in ice, she silently berated herself for letting her guard down. She swore never to do so again, for no one at all, no matter who they were.
I groaned as I rolled over unto my stomach and sucked in a sharp breath as searing pain ate at my side. It felt like I had been beaten with a particularly nasty whip, and that it had penetrated deep within. I reached down and felt my fingers come in contact with a sticky substance. I put it to my lips and I tentatively took a lick. It tasted metallic which meant only one thing in my book, blood. I sat up and just as quickly sank back down into the sheets as the world turned and rotated around me. I groaned and rubbed at my eyes, trying to fight the dizziness and waves of nausea. "Why, why does this always happen to me? Why me?" "What are you going on about over there Kaitou?" a voice called from behind closed curtains. "Oh nothing new except how much I detest life in general." "You're right, nothing new. Go back to sleep, its 5 o'clock you git. Some of us need our beauty sleep, and you sure could use more than the rest of us." Lavender called out harshly. I resisted the urge to answer her with a scathing retort accompanied by a nice whack but I doubted my ability to do that at the moment. Later perhaps I thought, grinning maliciously. I pulled my shirt up to get a better look at this annoying new development. The wounds were deep and were bleeding freely as if whatever had been holding the blood back had decided to pack up and leave. I thought through this. I most likely was suffering from severe trauma and shock accompanied with a good deal of blood loss, possible infection and disease if the knife had been used before or was unclean. Also a good chance that I had internal bleeding, and a broken rib to boot. Ah, the glory of being a teenager! "I got this wound somehow and however I got it, it's probably not a good thing. I don't remember receiving it, which is even worse. But despite the consequences I need medical help and fast." I said to the air quietly. I heard movement in the bed adjacent to mine. I listened to Hermione's quickened breathing. I tried to will her into remaining asleep. I held my breath, waiting for her to stop moving. I realized this wasn't a good idea and let my breath out with a whoosh and fell back on the pillows, as once more the room looked like an abstract painting done by Van Gogh. When I sat back up Hermione had stopped making noise and was breathing softly. 'That was too close. I need to find a medical textbook and fast.' I slowly lifted myself up just enough so I could situate myself against the headboard of the bed. "Shiina! Shiina where are you, come to me!" I waited in the deep silence for a sign of those familiar ears. Slowly they appeared in my line of vision as they towered over the side of my bed. "Shiina!" I called out in joy. "Do you know what time it is?" she asked in a snappy tone. "Nope, and neither do I care. I need you to find me a medical textbook and fast." "Whatever for?" "I've been stabbed." "Oh." she said, all amusement and morning grumpyness gone. "Sit tight." With that she jumped off the bed and went scurrying off. "As if I could move." I waited and started to nod back to sleep despite the tearing pain when Shiina returned. She dragged it to the side of my bed. "Its too heavy for me, you'll have to cast a spell to levitate it." I groped for my wand on my bedside table. My fingers closed around its familiar form and I whispered the needed spell. "Wingardium leviosa." The book shot up and I grabbed at it desperately. I threw it down on the bed and quickly scanned the table of contents. I found the needed page and flipped to it. Listed was a combination of potions and spells that would help heal me. I realized that I would have to cast a few spells now and do the rest, like brewing needed potions later. "Lets just hope it doesn't become infected." I muttered darkly.
I gazed closer; the person was no stranger, she was my cousin Annisel. Annisel was twenty-two, but had the air of a forty year old woman. She had long blonde hair, which she kept in a braid reaching to her knees and the trademark purple eyes of the Family who were past the age of eighteen. She was a seer, a very rare gift, which only occurred in the Family every thousand years. Her very presence commanded respect and as soon as I recognized her I stopped short. "Mikael, get down and go to your room." she instructed. "But why? I don't have to 'cause I'm running away with nee-chan!" "Go." she said, her voice left no room for argument. Mikael averted his eyes and slipped down. He trotted down the hallway and turned back and gave me a pained look. He turned the corner and was gone from view. "Now, what shall we do with you?" she muttered pensively. "I'm leaving Annisel, I can't bare to stay here any longer. You might enjoy fitting yourself to their clay model of you and living that way, with no free will. But I just can't do so. It's slowly unraveling my moral fiber just by being around them." "Don't be so melodramatic. Teens and their angst." she said, sighing to herself. I was tempted to inform her that she was a teen not too long ago. "You will stay here whether you like it or not. You are part of the Family, we can't have you running amuck somewhere." "Oh? So you suggest I stay here and let them dictate my life to me? I don't have your gift, or your excuse to stay away from it all." Her eyes darkened at the mention of her having excuses. " I know you use this 'seer' thing to hold it over their heads so they can't force you to do all the horrible things they do to me. But someday they'll realize your game, then where will you be? Oh, that's right, you'll be in my position! So no, you have no right to say that I have to stay any longer." "Don't be such a child. Even if I wasn't a seer, I would still honor the Family above all else." "I hardly believe that I should bow and scrape to The Dark Lord for some intangible thing you like to call family honor. This beast will destroy our family, you'll see. I'm doing the wise thing and escaping while I still have the chance. The Dark Lord will not be happy when he discovers that he has had wool placed over his eyes." "What makes you think its there in the first place?" she asked, becoming impatient. "I know its there. Time will dictate who lives through this, and I know for one that I will, despite what the family does." "So you're just saving your own hide. How do you think you'll survive out in the real world without the Family to take care of you? Do you know? I bet you haven't even thought through that far." she gazed down her nose at me and continued. "You'll have no money, no shelter, no food. Who will care for you? No one, that's who, if you run out on the Family. That is of course if the Dark Lord doesn't catch you first. You can't survive out there, just stay here; live and deal with things. You'd be far worse off on the streets than joining the Dark Lord." "I'll find a way, heck, anything has to be better than joining with him. Now get out of my way." "I won't let you ruin your life like this." she answered, blocking the doorway. "If you claim to be the seer you are, then you know that I'll get past you, and escape." She closed her eyes, as if I taxed her greatly. She opened them and fixed me with a menacing stare. "The future is undecided." With that she drew out her wand. Before I could cast even one spell she whispered her own. "Accio wand." My wand went shooting from my hand and landed deftly in hers. I growled in frustration. "Now what will you do? You have no wand to fight me with to get through the door, and you might not be able to get it back from me. If you don't get your wand and escape you'll become a common muggle, my dear." she informed me, smiling at her own wit. I charged at her, fists raised. She flung me across the room with a simple spell-she didn't even bat an eyelash. I tried thrice more before I sunk to the floor, on the edge of defeat. It was then, the first time I heard her. I heard a sinister laugh fill my ears, I scanned the room, no one was there. I realized with a start that the sound was only in my mind. 'Let me free.' purred the voice. I shivered at the predatory tone. 'Only I can set the real you free. I know you want the power, my power. Immeasurable power is in your hands, you just need to reach out and grab it.' She laughed some more. 'Come on, give it a go. With me you can do anything. This power, the power to force entire civilizations to bow down to you, its all in here, in you.' Her words washed over me, soothing me, infusing me with a massive belief. What she offered me was the world. Power that I never dreamed I could posses, all I had to do was eat the forbidden apple. But this forbidden fruit, at what price would savoring it cost me?
A/N: Shirahime Syo is the property of CLAMP. Here is my blog a href="; which is like an online journal, so for anyone interested you can go there and read up on any updates I post there about SD. SD should hopefully be coming to a close in maybe the next two chapters, so look for some answers to questions to be revealed soon.
Foreign Word Translations: Baka-idiot Kanshishaa-The Guardian Larva: The Guardian's protector Nee-chan-Means sister but can also be used as a familiar title for females who are not of blood relation. Shi-blood: Shinma blood in an offspring that has been diluted by human blood from one of the parents.