Important note at the end regarding the future of this fic

The Fifteenth

"You sir, are one lucky child."

Ryou shrugged with an oncoming blush at his friend's playful words. Nott had been going on about the previous day's events. Not only had Ryou survived falling off a roof, but a dragon's attack as well. No scars, no trauma, just a broken bone that had been repaired in a matter of minutes. And to top it off, he had received kisses from four very beautiful Beauxbuton girls. "I'm just glad to be alive," Ryou replied.

They both walked down the corridors in the early afternoon having been finished with their assignments quickly. The halls they traveled were emptier than most, that being the main reason why they were chosen as the roundabout way to step outside. Overnight, Ryou's name had spread through the different houses as "the mysterious fourth-year". He had always received glances because of his unusual hair, but he was not prepared for the full on stares and murmurs. And the dark fortune Professor Trewalany refused to have memory of only added to the whispers.

Two girls were walking towards them in the lone hallway. Upon seeing the newest 'celebrity' they began talking to each other in hushed voices. Ryou and Nott passed them without a word, Ryou sighing when they were out of earshot. Nott patted his shoulder. "Don't worry about it Bakura. At least now, there will be more girls willing to dance with the talk of the school."

Ryou scratched his cheek in thought. "I forgot about that…"

Nott rolled his eyes. "Well, it's a good thing you remembered now. Christmas is going to pass by quick."

And so is my one month.

Yet, there is slow progress Yadonushi. The old spirit reminded him, a whisper at the back of his head.

Ryou walked alongside Nott out into the warm sun. It was rare to have such a nice day during the winter and many students were taking advantage of it. "Where do you want to sit?"

Nott looked around the open space, searching for a more or less empty area. "Anywhere, really…"

He spotted a nice shady area beneath a tree overlooking the lake. "How about there?" Ryou suggested. If for only a moment, he wanted to enjoy a nice day out and block out what he had to do, and the consequences that would arise because of it.

So you've accepted it?

Not yet, Ryou hadn't given up hope just yet. Yugi must have figured something out, concocted some sort of plan to locate the missing ring. Something had to happen.

"Bakura?"

Ryou snapped his head up to Nott's narrow face. He figured his friend had asked him something and, being so lost in his own thoughts, had missed the words entirely. He gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I was thinking. What was it you said?"

"The two Ravenclaw girls are sitting close by," Nott repeated slowly, "and they're waving to go join them."

"Are they?" Ryou acted quickly to avoid having to explain his wavering thoughts. He directed his gaze to two girls sitting on a small bench in front of the tree he had pointed out before. They sat close to each other in their large coats, an opened book propped open between them on their laps. They were waving them over with gloved hands and already scooting somewhat to allow them space on their bench.

The two boys squeezed onto the opened seats, Nott sliding in besides Lisa while Ryou took the spot at the edge. Nott began the chatter with a sharp question. "Don't the Ravenclaws usually stuff themselves in the library during the winter?"

Lisa gave him a weary glance. "Unlike snakes, we Ravenclaws need the sunlight every once in a while. Besides, we called Bakura, you're simply the tag-along."

Ryou laughed lightly, used to this form of greeting between Lisa and Nott. Ever since their first meeting in the potions class, the four have paired up or sat close to each other to consult different ideas and techniques. From their curt, and at times sarcastic, conversations, Ryou learned that Lisa was the more astute and canny of the talkers while Mandy usually hid by her side, speaking little and allowing her friend to represent them both. Sometimes, it felt as if they somewhat mirrored his and Nott's own relationship, but on a wider spectrum.

Not too far from where they were seated were a girl and boy, both older and from Hufflepuff. They were simply standing before each other away from the larger groups of students like any other day. What had drawn the four pairs of eyes to them was the bright red rose the boy was holding out for the other. He spoke a few words and was suddenly ambushed by the squealing girl and they twirled around in the snow in each other's embrace.

It was suddenly tense around the bench, a rain cloud hanging over the two pairs slouching and watching the bright happy scene with envious eyes. Seconds passed and nothing was said, even after the new couple had left the scene hand in hand and the rose carefully placed in the girl's hair.

"I'm going to make a wild guess here…" Nott began mournfully, not taking his gaze off the now vacant spot, "none of us here has a date for the Yule Ball, right?"

The girls shook their heads and Mandy began prodding the snow with her foot. "I'm probably going to go home anyways." Lisa announced. "It's just a dance, plenty of those back home."

All eyes then instinctively went to the other Ravenclaw for an explanation or a reason for the apparent lack of date. When she kept quiet, Lisa sighed and rested her chin on her knuckles. "I pressured her into asking someone."

"And…?" Despite the situation, Nott was grinning expectantly for the rest of the story.

"And it turned out that the boy she asked was that bookworm Samuels." Lisa gritted out.

Mandy tugged at her coat, "Lisa…"

Said girl turned to her. "I don't even know why you like him. All he cares about is reading and hides away in his room doing who knows what. Rude too by flat out saying 'no' when you went up to him." Mandy flinched and Lisa had the sense to turn her instant flare of anger at the other two. "Well, what about you? Have you been turned down or are you too afraid to ask anyone?"

Pride hurt, Ryou blurted out what he had not been planning on saying in front of Nott. "I was thinking of asking Granger to the dance."

"What?!"

"Granger? Hermione Granger, from Gryffindor?"

The two demanding faces in front of him made Ryou lean back. "Umm…yes…?"

With a grin that hid a sinister thought, Lisa sat up straight. "So, the Gryffindor's golden brain, you like her?"

It was Nott that took the liberty of answering that question for Ryou. "Don't be insane, Turpin. No Slytherin would ever even think of asking a mudblood like her."

"A what?" Ryou inquired cautiously, suspecting an insult coming from his friend.

"Nothing Bakura. But you can't ask her. I mean, why her of all the other, much prettier, girl in Hogwarts?"

He was quickly pushed aside as Lisa continued with her own topic with Ryou. "If you like her, then ask her before someone else does. She's always around Potter and the redhead and it's likely that one of them already asked. If not, then they will at one point."

Skittish with the sudden confrontation, Ryou stuttered. "W-well…I don't know…"

"Just go ask her!"

"Now?"

"Yes!" Lisa exclaimed, fully pressing her face into Ryou's personal space. "Right now, before she leaves." She nodded at something she saw behind Ryou. "Go Bakura."

"O-okay!" Being practically kicked off the bench by her imposing orders, Ryou stood up and looked at what Lisa had been motioning at. There indeed was Hemione's bushy brown hair, accompanied her friends walking closely together towards the school. He looked back uncertainly at Lisa as she smiled, simultaneously holding back Nott, and ushered him forward.

Taking deep breathes, Ryou walked away in hasty steps, wanting to get the whole show over with. It's no big deal. It's just a…friendly question. 'Would you like to go to the dance with me' and it'll be done. The last few steps were taken in a job as he caught up with the trio.

Harry was the first to greet him. "Hello Bakura." They all stopped, looking toward the Slytherin with friendly smiles.

"Hello Potter, Granger, Weasley." He shuffled his feet and pulled at the sleeve of his robe. He resisted the urge to look back at his audience and instead cleared his throat. "Miss Granger, may I talk to you for a second?"

Harry and Ron exchanged glances. Hermione, however, agreed. "Of course Bakura." She followed him a few steps away from the other two boys until Ryou was sure no one else would hear them.

Ryou suddenly paused and whirled around, surprising Hermione to a stop. "Would you…" Just say it Ryou. "Would you, ano.." He took a moment to inhale sharply and blurted out his question in one quick sentence. "Would you go to the dance with me?" As soon as he finished, he turned his head downward to hide his embarrassed expression.

He waited anxiously for an answer. Hermione let out a soft "Oh…" which Ryou instantly knew was the start of a rejection. "I'm flattered Bakura, and I would really love to go with you, but I've already been asked; and I said yes."

Ryou was unsure of how he should react and simply went towards a polite approach. "Well, I'm glad you have a partner. I hope you enjoy yourself." Then he added as an afterthought. "Sorry for bothering you."

"It was no bother."

Ryou gave her a smile and said goodbye, waving at the two other curious boys, and headed back to the waiting group. I should have known someone would have already asked her to the ball. I mean, she's really smart, and kind…It wasn't that he liked her, not anything more as a friend, but she was honestly the only person he had on his list of other girls to ask. Sure, there were the girls in his house, but they were pushier, with overbearing personalities. That was seemingly a Slytherin trait from what Ryou has seen so far.

When he returned to the waiting group, he attempted a calm attitude but it was quickly seen through. "Rejected, huh?" He sighed at Nott's statement of the obvious and fell down in his seat beside him.

Nott was relieved that Ryou wouldn't be going with that girl, a very much hated existence by the entire snake house (and a possible reason for Ryou to be bullied or even shunned by the others) but there was also mixed anger for a pureblood like Ryou to be rejected by the likes of her. As if he weren't good enough for her.

He slung an arm around his shoulder. "It doesn't matter Bakura, because I have found you a partner."

It took a while for Ryou to respond, shocked by what Nott had just announced. "You found me a partner?"

"It's been decided by Ms. Turpin and I, that we would all be going together. Turpin and I, and you and Brocklehurst."

When her name was mention, Mandy looked at Ryou right in the eyes, worried about the turn of events planned by their friends. "I hope you don't mind. I mean, I don't. I think you're nice, but I hope you don't mind…going as friends."

"Not at all." Ryou assured her. After overlooking the fact that Nott had plotted this as he was asking Granger, predicting the harsh conclusion, Ryou was glad it was someone like Mandy that he would be going with.

"Then it's settled." Lisa then gasped as she remembered. "I need to send my parents a letter that I will be staying here for Christmas. Are you coming Mandy?"

"Ah, yes." Mandy stood smiled at Ryou. "I can't wait until the Yule Ball." She told him.

"Me too." Ryou nodded at Mandy in agreement. Soon, with a hasty goodbye, the two girls jogged inside, no doubt heading towards the owlry.

"Well, glad that matter is now taken care of."

Ryou graced Nott with a dubious glance. "I need to be going now; I have another potion to prepare for Professor Snape." With his cat in his arms, Ryou stood and offered a slight bow before turning around, marching up the path to Hogwarts entrance.

Nott wasted no time in scrambling up and matching his footsteps with Ryou's. "Bakura, I hope you're not blaming me for Granger's answer."

Ryou slowed down. "I'm not…"

"Bakura, you have to listen to me. Getting closer to those three won't do you any good. Remember what happened with the first trial? Sure Malfoy didn't say anything afterwards but the tension between the two houses didn't get any lighter with a Gryffindor pushing a Slytherin off a broomstick-"

"But Potter didn't-"

"It doesn't matter. You're new, and you're a bit different, but you're still a Slytherin and what happened did not look good. Before you get caught in the next mess, stay away from the Gryffindors."

His words made Ryou stop and he slowly turned to face Nott. "'Next mess'? You mean Malfoy's going to do something?"

Nott groaned at his own loose lips and tried to amend his mistake. "Ignore it Bakura. You have been turned part ferret, and you broke an ankle. It's only getting worse and next time it could be a broken neck. Just keep out of it."

"What if it's Potter that gets hurt?"

"You're not even friends!"

"I…" Ryou was at a loss of words. It was true. He and Potter weren't close friends, well known classmates at the most, and that fact hurt him. He's never been the type to make good friends and if he did, it was always ruined by the spirit of the ring. Nott, in his own way, was worrying about him and doing his best to keep him safe. Ryou was facing the decision of keeping his one good friend, or possibly making more.

More friends…probably wouldn't be a good idea right now.

"I…need help. With my new potion…"

There was a moment of silence in which Ryou refused to lift his head up and see whatever expression Nott carried. "I'll help you then, Bakura." He heard him say. "I just…let's go get the book then. And then head over to the library." His words were strained, forced out to sound normal but came out as uncomfortable.

"Okay."

It was a slow walk from there with no words uttered to pass the time. There was nothing but the echoes of what they had done and said to keep friends out of danger.

Hello everyone. First I want to thank everyone who returned and to those that are just discovering this fic. It really means a lot to know that there are people who read and reviewed and want to see more of my writing.

Unfortunately, I may not be updating this fic anymore. After I became busy with school and told myself that someday I'll write out the rest, it was soon years since the last update. I've forgotten many of the details and plot points I had planned.

I still had one more chapter in my computer and decided to put it out rather than just this note. If anyone is interested in picking up the story and continuing, or even rewriting some of it, you are welcomed to. As much as I had planned for this crossover and would love to continue it, I just don't have the time.

At the moment, I want to prioritize creating original work and stories. If you enjoyed this fic I would be grateful if you would give a short story of mine a try. You can find it on the tumblr page: theirstrangecircumstances . tumblr. com. If you like action, magical boys/girls, or just a fun story this might be to your taste.

Thank you for following me. I hope my new work is just as enjoyable.