The deep bass echoed from the floor above, a left over remnant of the song that was playing in another room, and it filled her head, the rhythmic sound the only thing she cared to hear. The muted effect it gave the small room, hidden from the party above, attributed a surreal quality to the night, as if perhaps it happening in that fine line between dream and reality, where neither existed, and yet it somehow continued to occur. Bodies flushed against one another, roaming hands leaving trails of pleasurable fire along her body, and a warm mouth caressing her neck, moving steadily south.

Boom, boom, boom.

She groaned softly as the body above hers molded even further into hers, pressing them deeper into the couch, his hands running, trailing across her back. She bucked her hips up against his, gripping the nape of his neck and golden hair to pull his mouth back to hers, nipping at his lips playfully, with the resulting moan so satisfying that she couldn't help but let her own hands begin to wander lower. The bass continued to pump throughout the secluded room, and she let the sound and sensations soothe her otherwise turbulent mind. All she could focus on was his lips and his hands and every place their bodies touched.

Boom, boom, boom.

He groaned her name into her ear as she focused entirely on reciprocal pleasure, placing a line of bruising kisses across his collarbone. Touches become more violent, too rough to be called lovemaking and yet everything the pair needed out of each other. She swung her legs over him, controlling and straddling, deft hands removing his shirt and her shirt and all other obstacles. Letting more heat, sensuous fires burning everything else away, erupt from touching skin. She leaned down, palms firm on his chest, lips unable to keep apart for longer than moments, forcibly pulling him into her body. She pulled back minutely from his face, open eyes taking in everything from the small scars around his ears to the unusually warm blue of his gaze, before he took the situation back, moving and pinning and grasping, one hand holding her arms above her, the other cupping her chin. Another look entered his eyes, playful and cruel and smoldering at the same time, and then the moment passed with a harsh thrust and an unaccountable amount of bruising kisses and rough touches. They fought to best one another at this game, who could love more violently and thoroughly, who could leave more of themselves on the other person.

And for a small time in their inexplicably large lives, the two felt peace.

"Kagome!"

The soft breeze, the warm sun, the peaceful day…she could almost feel it slipping out of her grasp, so tangible that the weight of such a loss seemed to settle firmly on her shoulders. Ah. Oh well. She turned around, smiling at the tall forms rushing towards her, barely needing to force the action despite the interruption they presented. "Fred! George! What mischief are you two getting up to today?"

The red heads trotted up to her, taking a moment to get their breath. She was on the fourth floor, but as far as she could tell there hadn't been a staircase up here a moment ago…they must have run to catch up to her.

George smirked, the cat's smile pulling his skin taunt. "Why miss, whatever would have led you to that particular conclusion-"

"-just because we happen to be in need of your excellent services, does in no way insinuate,"

"or imply,"

"nay, nor instigate-"

"Okay, okay!" She cut the pair off, before they could continue rambling on. Honestly, if she left them talk without pause they'd be here all day. She had been making her way to the east wing of the building, hoping to duck out on social cues for a couple of hours, but somehow seeing the twins banter back and forth kept her in a stable mood, and she hardly minded the distractions.

"What is it you two need?"

They grinned, ever synchronous, two hands reaching out to grip her shoulders, two faces ducked close to hers. Somehow, and she didn't quite know how, they had latched onto the rather conniving side of her personality, developed and molded through years spent around another red head, with an even larger penchant for tricks, and throughout the last several months of her term here had made it their personal mission to get her involved in their plans some way or another. Kagome, always the sentimental fool, couldn't let such cute tricksters, such familiar personalities, down.

"Well," Fred started "we were just thinking,"

"yeah, right, about how you're on such great terms with ol' Professor Snape there-"

"-although why that is, we don't dare assume to know-"

"-despite the fact that there is always better company than that greasy mug…"

"But! We digress."

George swung his arm around Kagome, turning her around from her previous path and back towards the common rooms. "Now, wouldn't it just be so dandy if someone, some benevolent and beautiful someone, could perhaps just…distract the good professor, long enough for him to maybe miss lunch."

She stopped, her face twisted in a convincing frown. "You want me to distract Severus?"

They nodded, all smiles and happy faces. "You've caught on quick!"

"You want me to eat lunch with him, so he doesn't go to the Great Hall."

They continued nodding, and Kagome took this as her go ahead. "And you want me to do all of this without asking you why I'm doing it?"

"Oh Kags darling, you've got it!"

Their faces, similar, yet always in some quiet way different from the others', overlapped with another's, a fanged smile that said everything would be alright, just trust, and trust, and trust.

She sighed deeply, looking away for a moment. It was late morning, so she hadn't eaten yet anyway, and according to her sponsors here, she would have to rectify that situation. It had been a while since she had come to Hogwarts, to observe and move on as dictated, and she had gotten into a rhythm suitable for her. And yet…

Always a fool for sentimentality, Kagome looked back at the twins with a defeated smile, and nodded. The resulting hug, two bodies pressed tightly against hers, had her rib cage clamoring with her heartbeat, and her palms sweaty against her tightening grip.

"Severus? Are you here?"

"Kagome, is that you?"

She looked over to the dusty corner, where the students' most recent works were being processed, and smiled. "Yup! I just came from the Great Hall, but…"

She trailed off as she got full sight of the professor. "Severus, whatever are you doing?"

He scowled down at his papers, not bothering to look up at her. All around him lay smoking cauldrons, the small ones intended for personal use potions, and fluttering scraps of ash grey paper, settling down as if they were falling from the roof. Snape himself sat on a rather rickety looking stool, staring intently at a collection of papers in his grasp, as if holding onto his sanity by refusing to focus elsewhere.

After a small moment's pause, he looked up at her. "I'm grading papers…obviously."

She bit back the laugh she knew should come out, walking over to the chaos that surrounded him. "Well, as I was saying, I just came from the Great Hall and brought lunch. Whatever uhm…this is, would you like to take a break?"

She offered out the plate of amassed goods that she had had the twins pluck from the kitchens, a small smile plastered on her face. Snape looked at the food, back up to her, and sighed deeply.

"It might be a good time."

She put the food down on one of the nearby desks, and motioned Severus over, clearing away some of the potion supplies as she did so. She set her own lunch down and looked over at the tall man as he walked over to her. "Term papers?"

Sitting down in a way that was purely Snape, dignified yet not graceful, he shook his head. "I'm afraid not. They're…supposed to be normal lessons."

She peeked over his shoulder, looking at the smoke and the paper still twirling around in the air. "One bad one in the whole batch, right?"

He nodded, drawing in a slow and suffering breath. "Precisely."

She giggled, patting his hand with her own. "It is a difficult and long path you've chosen for yourself Severus."

Rather than respond to the heavy statement, Snape just began eating his food. "I am glad I won't be seeing any more of their faces today."

She smiled. "I do what I can."

A small, comfortable silence passed, and Kagome allowed herself to relax a little. Since Severus was a professor, he knew more about her situation than most, so it wasn't as much work to hide her personality from him. Furthermore, he was naturally a taciturn and rather solemn fellow, and it often suited her needs to put herself in his company, as a way of soothing the air around her. Severus, due to his unique situation of being a double agent – a fact she had perceived many months ago but had never asked him to tell her about out loud – was neither good nor evil, and it helped for her to be around him.

After a moment of mutual observation, he spoke up. "How are your duties going?"

She thought on it for a moment, chewing on her food. It took a lot of effort to override her mental state and stop seeing the food as a rather gross lump of slop, and instead look into the nutrients in each bite.

"It's going well. I don't have many responsibilities; it's more like I'm part of Hagrid's show and tell rather than an educator myself."

"Is he making it seem-"

She shook her head quickly, before he could get started. "No, no, it's nothing he is doing. I am reading more into it in any case. Sufferance I suppose, for being an observer rather than a participant."

"You do well as both."

She nodded to herself, not forcing the smile. "True. But maybe it's just been too long for me to keep up with it."

She chuckled to herself, a little wryly, and moved on. "My actual duties are going along smoothly though. I've worked my way through most of the southern quarter."

He nodded. "It is time consuming, when you have many other obligations to fill."

She agreed. "It is the only way it can be done though. I enjoy the occupation honestly."

Since as much as she knew about his way of life, through personal observation and secondary sources, he knew about hers through similar venues, he merely kept quiet, silently taking in her grief. Severus knew how to hold his tongue, always did, and it was one of the reasons he had lived so long with such dubious double lives. It was also the reason she had agreed to this…plan, in the first place. It gave her adequate reason to visit.

They let the silence surround them, only breaking it occasionally for quiet murmurs of conversation to flow naturally around the air. Kagome had come to the UK when her previous travels had finished, using the devastating wake of grief and an immense solitude so poignant she felt it with every step, push her along across the globe. It wasn't long before she had found the small niche of magical folk here, was mistaken for a student, and became pulled along with everyone's whims.

Still, there were people here who recognized how old she actually was. Not in years alive but in years experienced. Albus could be called a friend, as well as Severus. There were others that had gotten to know her, but the weight of appearances was beginning to hurt. As with every individual here, she had to remain careful to keep some secrets to herself. Always on guard, always trying to see where she was in relations to others, and never truly caring where the results put her.

Perhaps it was the setting sun, or perhaps the impending papers that had yet to stop smoldering, or even that Severus was perceptive and knew Kagome as well as one could know her in the several months she had been in his company, but regardless of the reason, he stood up, collecting the plates with him. He looked down at her, not smiling, but she cocked her head at the small amount of exasperated affection she saw.

"You should probably head down to the dorms soon. I need to finish these before tomorrow, or some insufferable idiot will think it is alright to be in my class."

She smiled up at him, turning her head then to look out the small windows that peeked out near the roof of the classroom. Potions itself was held in the dungeons, but Severus' office was just close enough to an actual wall to have some view of the outside light. It was certainly past lunch time by now, and gaining rapidly close to dinner. She had felt a little too soothed in here, and she could tell by the way her bones creaked as she stood. It exhausted her to keep up personal appearances, something he was all too well aware of.

She felt another small surge of appreciation, however brief, and looked back at the Potions Master. "You're right. Thank you for the company Severus. Best of luck with your work."

He nodded, turning around and heading back over to his work station. The plates he had taken up had mysteriously disappeared, and the wonder of magic went over Kagome's head, as it usually did. Snape was never one for long goodbyes regardless, so she turned and left the room with no more than a solemn smile on her face, grateful, and fearful of such gratitude.

She had not been wandering the eastern wing long when a tall figure grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into another classroom. If not for the fact that she had been expecting such a call, Kagome would have been thrashing about, enjoying taking her anger out on someone.

As it was, she was still breathing deeper than normal when the body, after pulling her out of the public eye, proceeded to turn her around and push her into the wall next to the door.

She looked up at him in the darkness, the faint light from the hallway casting a soft illumination, breath intermingling with his as she leaned forward. "Draco." She whispered into his mouth, bringing her arms up to twine around his shoulders.

He smiled down at her, in a cold way, but let his hands rest on her hips. "You've been busy today."

She grinned humorlessly. But, playful, she told herself, keep it light. She slipped out from under his grip and shut the door, turning then to walk further into the room. There was a window that let in the newly awakened moonlight, and she stood by it, drawing Draco closer in with her.

"I have." she confessed. "Always a kept woman, with all of these obligatory duties."

She pulled him in near her, gripping the back of his neck so as to keep his face as close to hers as possible.

"I doubt," he said on the tip of her breath, eyes glazing over slightly "that those bastard twins are your duty."

She shrugged, idly playing with his hair as she leaned up to drift a kiss across his cheekbone. "They are my friends."

Her current position put his mouth right by her ear. Draco drew the rest of his body closer to hers, one arm wound tightly around her waist, the other flat against the wall next to her head. "Liar." He whispered into her ear.

She continued her trail of kisses down his jawline, lightly, just teasingly touching the skin. She stopped near his mouth, pulling his face back down to hers. "They asked so nicely though."

In the next breath his lips were on hers, pushing down in a mind-robbing kiss. She groaned into his mouth, threading her hands into his hair. A heartbeat later he had pulled her further into him, hands wreaking havoc under her shirt. He took his mouth away, looking down at her carefully, hands absently trailing along her skin.

"They turned the Great Hall red."

She giggled to herself, a pure noise bubbling out of her throat. "That sounds morbid."

He shook his head slightly. "Not in the conventional way. It was a disgusting shade that matched their house colors - too bright and shiny to be morbid."

She smiled. "Oh? Next time I'll ask them to turn it into a deep green then, hmmm?" She hummed into his lips, daring him. Draco just bit at her lip, pulling roughly.

He murmured near the corner of her mouth. "How about next time, instead of playing a third to such obnoxious partners, you find me." He sealed the sentence with another kiss and wandering hands, moving up her stomach, tracing dangerously near her bra.

She tried speaking through his next one, letting her own hands drift downwards, unbuttoning his shirt. "Sounds dangerously fun" kiss "but see," snap, and her bra was undone from the back, falling down without any support of straps "you have class." Her voice hitched at the last word as warm hands explored her body.

The reason she got along so well with Draco was because he helped her forget. He drove everything she did not want to remember out of her head with other, more fun thoughts. Thoughts she had never been capable of having back then. Draco didn't remind her of anyone from the past, and nothing they did together brought back unpleasant memories. The heady rush of endorphins and hormones did wonders for the object buried deep in her chest as well.

With one hand groping under her shirt, the other one buried in her hair, he moved her head back so that he could look clearly at her with a heated gaze. "We both know that I can hardly be bothered with class."

She smirked, pushing his shirt off his shoulders as she leaned into him, despite the hand still entwined in her hair. "Someone would notice you, silly boy."

As with all of her usual patronizing comments, Draco's eyes narrowed, and his grip became a little rougher. With a gasp and a moan at the sudden new treatment, she dragged him forward as he did her, and the two spent the next many moments trying to pull themselves into each other.

"Oi! Hey there Miss Higurashi!"

Kagome paused in her step, waiting a small moment to assure herself all articles of clothing were in their proper place, and turned around on her heel. She smiled up, and at her stature she did mean up, at the man before her. "Professor Hagrid. What brings you to this neck of the woods so late?"

The sun had set a long time ago, but the dark was never a real concern of hers. It had been, once, in a time where she hadn't even known of magic or how the dangers lurking in the dark were far less frightening than the ones that screamed in your face.

With all of the activities she had been preoccupied with she had not yet finished her rounds for the day. Albus was a very understanding person, but she would rather not allow him a reason to put her back in her old universe. Besides, it wasn't like she truly ever slept, especially now that magic had cut off her only real need to.

The wonders of anti-exhaustion draughts in the wizarding world.

The large man chuckled, the sound booming throughout his body and reverberating around her. Against all odds, she actually found that she liked Hagrid's presence. It wasn't a thing that she felt relaxing, but he was kind and despite her best efforts, she didn't hate it.

Still, given her predicament, she was not about to let that small amount of favor ruin her.

"Oh, I was on m'way to the Forbidden Forest with these rascals. You know, Professor Dumbledore lets me take 'em with me on my errands."

She peered around him to grab a peek at the three in question, who had been trailing behind him. Hagrid must've run up to say something to her and left them behind.

She smiled at the trio, eyes guarded. It would be a long time before she could look at the Boy Who Lived and not see the dark cloud lurking on his shoulders. One of the perks of the trade, if there really were any at this point, was being able to see auras. And his was dark. Foretold a lot of hardship. Not death or destruction or mayhem or anything evil necessarily. Just that there was a lot of potential for it, and a lot of adversity to challenge him.

"Hello there."

Harry nodded, staring a bit longer than she liked, while Hermione and Ron hung behind, bickering over something. Kagome let her eyes linger on Harry's, her smile tight. Just as she saw his inner demons, similarly he could pick up on hers, both subconsciously aware of the strange darkness that housed itself within each other. Being a hero always came with a cost, a cost that she had already found to be very high to pay. Something she was sure Harry would learn as well.

Looking back up at Hagrid, Kagome asked. "Was there something specific you were looking for? I still have my rounds."

He nodded hurriedly. "Right, right, I know yer rounds are very important. I jus' wanted to let y'know that class is cancelled tomorrow."

She raised an eyebrow. This was an unexpected surprise. "Oh? What's happened?"

He grinned, teeth gleaming in the moonlight. "It's actually a funny story, if yer okay with a little bit of crude humor."

She laughed softly. "Well of course I am. Actually, can I accompany you on your errands as well? My rounds can be done while you guys are walking. You are going into the forest, correct?"

It wasn't noticeable, what she did for Albus. Rather, the fact of her favor for him was that it wasn't easily visible to witches or wizards, which was why it was so valuable. She knew, with an easy sense of clarity, that none of the magical folk currently present in her company would be a risk if they saw her put up a couple of charms here and there.

"Sure thing! It'd be a real pleasure t'have you along."

Her smile widened. "Perfect."

As her and Hagrid began walking again, slightly ahead of the other three, Kagome fixated her focus on the border of the Forbidden Forest. She had promised Albus to protect not only the school, but also the creatures that resided in the forest. Despite their seemingly toxic nature, there were many beings that did not deserve to be abandoned to outside forces simply because of some prejudice. She had been going through the forest systematically these last few weeks, during the night, checking for more nefarious lurkers that might call the forest home. It gave her something more to do, and she had met quite a few magical beings that, while being off putting and frankly giving demons a run for their money, were a wealth of knowledge she would not otherwise have. Certainly, reading books of this world were interesting, but first-hand information was far preferred.

She made sure to respond to Hagrid's facial cues though, and to delegate part of her attention to him. Like she had mentioned, the man was pleasant company, and she had grown a fond of him. She would hate to offend him unnecessarily. By the time they were halfway through the forest edge, the bit that Kagome had already scoured, he was laughing uproariously.

"-and it'sa Greiton. A Greiton! Can you imagine? Gave us all a real run fer our money, I'll tell ya that. Nasty luck really, being attacked by the only critter out there that collects these here webs."

She chuckled with him, although she wasn't really certain what a Greiton even was. Thanks to clever language charms and a bit of pomp and circumstance, a lot of the witches and wizards quickly forgot just how much of a foreigner Kagome was.

"That is awfully unlucky." She said, attempting to infuse the proper amount of sympathy and mild amusement into her tone.

Hagrid nodded, wiping a mirthful tear out of his eye. "Right you are. Anyway, now we gotta round up a whole new batch, includin' the reserve stuff I promised Professor Snape for his potions."

A small voice spoke up from behind. "Is that what this stuff is?"

Hagrid and Kagome turned around, taking in the three students trailing behind them. The giant had gotten so caught up in his story he had just nearly forgotten about the kids who had promised him their help. Kagome eyed them up with calm speculation, unaware of how long they had been paying attention to their teachers without speaking a word. She was frustrated to find she had not noticed them keep their silence.

Hagrid nodded to Harry, who had been the one to ask the question. "Yup! We're gonna pair off and collect as much of it as ya can. It's to help attract some creatures for our next lesson!"

Ron eyes the silvery strands of web with a dubious look plastered on his face. "I'm not sure I want to be there when you uh…attract them to class."

Silently Kagome agreed. There was a large abundance of the spun silver in the deeper parts of the forest, catching the moonlight in a very beautiful way, but as far as she knew it didn't have much more of a purpose than to indicate to other animals that this area was part of a spider's territory. However she was not as up to speed as Hagrid in regards to mystical animals and their biological niches, so she deferred to him in this aspect.

Although, she had only been her a few months and already she knew that Hagrid's idea of harmless was not on the same level as regular folks.

"Nah," he said, waving off the red-head's concern "you'll definitely wanna be there. Anyway! Don't want t'ruin the surprise, so we'll just–"

"Do you mind if I help?" Kagome interrupted.

Hagrid blinked at her in surprise, although it was a bit difficult to see with the evening light. "Yer not busy?"

She smiled, patting the pocket of the robes she wore, to where her charms rested. "I can multitask. Plus, I technically am a teaching assistant."

He beamed. "Absolutely! Anything I can do to help!"

While he had picked up on her need for secrecy, subtly was a different matter entirely for the giant. Kagome refused to look at the three students who stood nearby, and insisted "no, anything I can do to help."

He nodded, and with a quick look at the still-fuming couple, Hagrid kindly decided that an adult with each group was the best course of action. With another large smile and a wave he set of with Ron and Hermione, the former of which was still dragging his feet on the idea of encountering more of, as he called them, 'those soddin' spider'.

Kagome turned to Harry, who was gripping a wicker basket tightly in his hands as he watched his friends depart. "Shall we?"

Bright green eyes met hers, and he nodded slowly. "Yeah, sure."

She slipped a hand into her pockets, feeling the heavy papers that rested in there, and gestured for him to lead the way. The more of the forest that she could cover tonight, the better.

Sometimes, Harry reminded her of Inuyasha. Not that their personalities were in any way similar – her hanyou friend was brash and often incapable of relenting on even the smallest of issues, while Harry held an enormous capacity for love in his life, and was alright with showing it in acts of mercy or friendship. She had not been able to escape the rampancy of the stories that followed the scarred man in his wake, and many of them spoke highly of his courage.

However, in other aspects the two were very similar. Losing parents at a young age and being raised in hostile environments had led to a sort of desperate need to find another family, and both discovered it in their friends. Back when things had been normal, normal for her at least, the shard-hunter group had been the relatives that Inuyasha had never known he wanted. For Harry, his friendships with Ron and Hermione were equally as important, and even from her small amount of observations, Kagome knew a familial bond when she saw one.

On top of that, there was something about valuing that bond so deeply that these two individuals developed freaking hero complexes about it. Stupid, idiotic, charge-headfirst-into-danger-and-don't-think-about -anything-else complexes.

Having had been staring at him for a pause longer than normal, Kagome was not surprised when green eyes flashed to hers, a question apparent in them. What did catch her breath was the blinking she had to do to clear bright gold out of her vision.

Ah. Problems.

"Can I ask you something?"

Kagome cocked her head, but nodded slightly. They had been travelling the last few hours in mostly silence, and she would've been alright to leave it that way. Talking seemed only to disturb the peaceful darkness the permeated the forest.

"You're not really a professor here, are you?" He said, certainty ringing out even as the questions posed itself.

Reaching for a strand of web, Kagome folded the sticky substance into a pile, considering his question carefully. For the most part, the students here viewed her as a gopher, an odd English-term that really just meant she ran around doing errands for the professors and completing odds and ends. Beneath all of that, she was clearly a favorite of the Headmasters, spending many nights talking with him about the wizarding world and occasionally allowing some slips about demon lore in Japan.

She could probably tell Harry her real purpose here, but should she ever choose to bother, this was not the ideal place.

"No, I'm not. Think of me as more of a cultural exchange student. I'm too old to learn any of your magic, but I have enough of my own to justify staying here and learning about it." She finally said.

Harry twisted the basket in his grip once more, the thing practically overflowing with how much the two had collected in the last hour. They had made their way through a large portion of the south-western forest, and Kagome was mildly pleased with herself.

"Dumbledore likes you." He said, only a small part of his tone accusatory.

She nodded again. "Yes, we are…friends."

"So I know that means I should trust you."

She smiled now. "But?"

Harry met her eyes bravely, finding no warmth in her gaze. "It's hard to trust someone who gives up nothing of themselves."

Kagome found a small bit of pleasure jilting through her, a rush of chemicals that was much more pure than the way she normally took her desire. It was satisfying to know that the so-called hero of the wizarding world was skeptical. Wariness often saved lives.

"It is good then," she reasoned "that I am not asking for your trust."

Before he had a chance to expound on what he was asking, Kagome continued. She was offering up more of herself than usual, and maybe that was due to the lingering feeling of friend that rang around her. "You may however, trust my intentions." She rolled up the sleeves of her arms, baring clean, unmarked skin. "I am not here to cause harm to anyone."

Usually she'd argue that her kind respected lives without discrimination, but having to explain priestesses to a British teenager was not high on her list of allowances.

Unabashedly Harry stared at her forearm, already aware that the teacher could not be a Death Eater, not when Dumbledore trusted her. Still, the reassurance helped. "This isn't a place you want to be just because you're curious."

"Are you saying that Hogwarts is not safe?"

The boy shook his head. "That's not it. There's a war coming you know."

Even as it stood, she could feel the gentle hum of her powers that covered half of the school ground. "I do."

"And you're okay being here?"

Kagome smiled, walking closer to Harry under the ruse of depositing her spun silk. She lifted her gaze, peering up into eyes that were now decidedly green. "I stand with the school."

It had never been her intention to involve herself in another mess like this. Absolutely not. She had been so enthralled with this new magical world that at first she had not taken note of its darker undertones. By the time word reached her about the newest evil, she was already having difficulties rising above her past.

Was it possible to live on the border between good and evil when one chose a side?

Standing so close to her, seeing the calm look on her face ripple and reveal and resume, something clicked for Harry. "You've done this before?"

Kagome leaned back on her heels. "I have."

"In Japan?"

She couldn't see the lie in agreeing. "Mhmm."

"Did you win?" Harry breathed, his eyes shining with something uncomfortably familiar to Kagome. In this regard Harry and Inuyasha differed the most – whilst her friend had been a cynic, or at least defiantly focused on the bad outcomes, Harry still carried so much hope.

People flashed before her eyes, even as she stared back at the Boy-Who-Lived. A woman laughing, her hand gripped gently around her husband's. A boy with bright red hair and a permanent laugh on his face, his small nose buried under her chin. And a man, standing tall and proud and filled to the brim with promises of protection. And then, these loved ones, covered in blood and fighting to the bitter end.

She caught the last vestige of optimism in Harry's eyes as he took in her pain with steadily climbing certainty. But when she shook her head softly, she was not denying the death of her nemesis, but rather "there is no winning in a war Harry."

She saw a similar expression pass across his face, and thought that perhaps it was her and the young boy who had the most in common – determined and sacrificial and underneath every odd, a realist.

"Our side was successful however." She amended. "I haven't thought about it in a long while but…we defeated what we set out to defeat. For that, the cost is never too high."

Her musings were solidified when the young boy nodded solemnly, every ounce of his being agreeing with what she had said. He'd be willing to pay the price if it meant everyone else would go on to live happily. In that, Kagome saw herself.

That was probably why she could not help from doing what she did next. She took the basket out of Harry's grip and tucked it under her arm, then wrapped his hands in hers, trying to subtly send small vibes of goodwill through the boy, using her powers to soothe his frazzled nerves.

She answered the question in his eyes. "If you find yourself in danger of buckling, you may talk to me. I am an ally of Albus', which makes me an ally of yours, and I will understand Harry."

He looked down at their hands tied together. "You will?"

She nodded somberly. There were things he had yet to go through, feelings he would not find pride in, and in that moment Kagome knew she would want to help him avoid everything she had endured. If only because she could, and she had always had a problem with ignoring what help she knew she could give.

The world would get darker still.

After that moment in the Forbidden Forest, things changed a bit for Kagome. She still kept her promise to the Headmaster, wandering around the school grounds in a vague attempt to shield what she could, but there was another person now tacked to the small list of people she cared for. Some evenings she'd spend musing over history with Albus, carefully avoiding any mention of the legend she knew the Headmaster was aware of. Others she would tuck herself next to Severus' side, wallowing in the quiet comfort she found there. She would help Harry sneak into her study, spending long evenings fortifying his confidence and allowing every painful weight to vent off his chest. The twins still coerced her into far too much, bringing up painful memories she continued to resist, and Hagrid was more insistent than ever upon her inclusion into lessons. Months passed in this wayward manner, and as the school became filled with pervasive rumours and rouge students, she solidified herself in this role.

And when everything became too much for her fragile notion of a new life, Kagome sought out the only companion she could relax her boundaries around.

"Draco."

She'd caught him hiding in an alcove, staring listlessly out of a window into the moonless night, and had allowed a moment's indulgence before approaching the blonde. At her breathless whisper, he turned, eyes flashing dangerously upon her.

"It's you." He said, his tone belying the undercurrents of anger Kagome felt in him.

She nodded softly. They were alone in the hallway, protected by both the Slytherin house's reputation and a few confusing twists and turns that kept the area a secret. The corridor was lit only by a few strategically placed torches, the crackle of the flames casting patterned shadows across their faces. Kagome could feel the pressure building on top of her, new duties and responsibilities that crashed into old ones, and she prodded the ire in Draco, embracing the outcomes. Placing an arm on his shoulder, she tugged slightly, her face blank.

She had felt the change in his aura upon first seeing him, so it did not surprise her when he lashed out at the small action. With a snarl he flung her away from him, the anger pushing forward.

She fell against the opposite wall, her head cracking dangerously onto brick. Kagome opened her eyes gingerly, taking in Draco's confliction and drew near him again, this time using a steady hand to graze his jaw lightly, placing soft kisses under his chin. It took only a second before he once more pushed her away.

He growled at her. "I don't want to see your face right now bitch. Go find someone else to occupy you for the night."

He had stalked out of the alcove to loom threateningly above, but not close enough for her. She tutted softly but refused to say anything, only walking to him once more. She didn't have the chance to touch him this time, for with another swing of his arms he pushed her away, flinging her further down the hall.

"I said I don't want to see you! If you need a nice fuck just go find Potter."

She sprawled across the floor, momentary confusion clouding her intentions. "Harry?"

Draco narrowed his eyes upon her, cold blue digging into her in ways his body never had. "Don't think I haven't noticed. Shit, any idiot would, since you drag the tosser into your room nightly. What, was he not a good enough lay? Needed something more?"

Kagome glanced to the blonde's arm as she slowly stood up, neatly tucking her feet under her as she regained balance. "You're a fool." She declared.

He tramped over to where she stood, slowly following her as she started backing down the hall. "A fool? That's the best you've got? Best work on your pickup lines whore, you're going to need them–"

They had gotten halfway down the corridor before Kagome neatly reversed and pulled Draco into her, slamming her lips into his in a bruising and battling kiss. He fought her against it, although it was not so much of a resistance as a vie for dominance, one she allowed him to win. His hands came up to tightly grasp her waist, blunt nails digging into her hips painfully. She met every harsh kiss with equal fervor, and when Draco entangled a hand in her hair, to maneuver her face to the side so that he could continue his assault along her jaw – cruelly mimicking her earlier gentleness – she nipped his ear.

Again he growled, although this time it was laced with restless lust. Draco pulled sharply down on her hair, forcing her to bare her neck to him on which he quickly indulged, leaving dark bruises along the pale column of her throat. She clawed her hands along the nape of his neck with a strangled moan, arching into him, allowing the same abuse on his body.

Heavy. Heady. Hot. Kagome could barely keep her sense, but in a small moment of lucid clarity she remembered why she had moved so far into the corridor. With sharp tug she pushed him into the empty room that served as her storage space during the teaching year. Locking the door behind her, she barely had time to turn around before Draco had thrown himself onto her, intent on continuing the line of hickeys right down her chest. As he tugged the robes off her she fought to rid him of his, and for every caressing wound he left on her body she made sure to repay in kind.

This was not gentle. This was not love or companionship or even solace. Despite the frenzied need that ran through both of them, this was a war, and the battleground were their bodies. Kagome took out the canvas of his chest, nipping and sucking and trailing fire upon the land, while Draco plundered and pillaged, heedless of the attacks she struggled to maintain. A win was signified with breathy moans and half-lidded eyes, renewed struggles to turn the tides of battle back upon the other. Clothing lost became a tally of triumphs, until there was no more to lose, and all it took was a clear rip before tangled limbs fell to the floor, heedless of the jarring bruises that followed.

Kagome managed to take a brief conquest, straddling the man beneath her with a deft spin and firm palms that held him down beneath her. She rose victoriously and with a long suffering arch of her back she claimed her prize, basking in the win just long enough for Draco to snatch it from her. With a quick twist he loomed over top of her, pressing his body down into hers as he bit down harshly on the junction between her shoulder and neck. She cried out, digging her nails into his back as she rocked into him, and then gave in to the waves of pleasure that washed over her with his last thrusts. With a similar groan of satisfaction, Draco stretched into her, every intense feeling of anger and frustration placed into the assault until he couldn't feel any longer.

He collapsed beside her, wordlessly pulling the brunette up to his side as the crowded weight finally lifted off of both of them.

Hours passed in silence, Draco eventually working up the energy to transfigure a bed and some blankets into the otherwise bereft room. After the harsh anger of their earlier encounter, every movement seemed markedly gentle and soft. He pulled Kagome off the floor and onto the bed, but it was with an attentive grasp and hushed embrace that they found themselves in each other's arms.

This part was usually skipped, either Kagome or him leaving before the night could truly finish. They had been leaning on each other in the barest sense of the word, using the comfort found in releasing inhibitions to offer solace. Neither could admit when the change had occurred, whether it was when Draco found himself resenting the secrecy forced upon him, or when Kagome found she cared enough about the darkness overcoming the blonde to allow him to vent. For the first time they had given everything, and it was…liberating.

Candle-light filled the room, and Kagome turned in Draco's arms to catch his gaze. She smiled hesitantly, and then more confidently as she watched warmth bloom in his eyes.

"I'm not sleeping with anyone else." She admitted, rather pointlessly since Draco wasn't asking. Nevertheless it felt good to hear, and he laid a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Hmm." He hummed, tucking her under his chin. "Potter's too much of a pansy anyway."

She giggled, leaning into his embrace. Another moment of silence passed over them, Draco allowing his eyes to close in a rare moment of true relaxation.

Kagome ran her hand over Draco's arm as she entwined her legs in his, seeking constant contact even as he leaned away from her. He watched her fingers drift lightly over his newly marked arm, the snake twisting and hissing as he looked on, a constant reminder of the newest burden in his life.

"Did you want it?" She asked, quietly taking in his trust as he made no move to pull the secret away from her. She had noticed the dark point in his aura almost as soon as she had found him earlier that evening, and had made the connection easily enough.

He held his tongue for a while, wishing that the pleasurable silence could extend for a little bit longer. Finally, he said "for a long while, I did. But not anymore."

For all of her struggling and viciousness, Kagome was not evil, and Draco knew that. She was not ostentatiously good either, and for that he found he could feel true affection for the girl, but being a Death Eater would definitely impede any pursuits he may like to take up.

And well…he was quickly finding that he didn't like the ideology of it as much.

Kagome was still tracing gentle loops over the mark, following the path of the serpent tattooed on his forearm. She seemed to be considering something, and with a heavy sigh she looked back up at him.

"What if I said I could get rid of it?" She asked, her face schooled into a very serious expression.

She had never told Draco what it was she did at the school. It hadn't been a part of their 'arrangement', and it certainly wasn't something she could risk telling the son of one of the main culprits. In the face of his faith however, knowing full well that she was quite close with the Headmaster, Kagome felt her trepidation about his parentage falling to the wayside.

Draco finally snapped out of his hazy contentment, and stilled under her ministrations. "Pardon?"

She stopped to lay her hand flat over the mark, feeling the pull it had on his soul. It felt very similar to a tainted shikon shard, and with a little extra boost from the treasure buried in her, Kagome was certain she could purify the tie that held the Dark Lord and his servants together. It was an interesting discovery, and one she'd likely have to pass onto some higher ups, but for now...

"You've allowed me to see who you are." She started, holding Draco's gaze with hers. "I could show you a way out, if who you are no longer matches up with who your parents want you to be."

"Are you asking me to switch sides?" He asked, breathlessly. Briefly Draco considered the possibility that Kagome was a Deatheater in disguise, testing his loyalty, but quickly banished the thought. Not when she was looking at him so tenderly.

The little bubble they had created here threatened to burst, but thankfully Kagome shook her head. "No, not if you don't want to. I am asking if you still follow Lord Voldemort."

He barely resisted the shudder that came at his name. Instead, he shook his head, able to at least admit the truth here. "No."

Draco felt the woman beside him relax, her hand coming up to gently rest on the scar that covered her heart. He had noticed the extensive expanses of healed white skin that littered her body, but had never asked about them – something about the way Kagome held herself when she bared the injuries had kept his tongue. For the first time he felt he had made the right choices in getting her tonight, for she gave one of the most genuine smiles he had ever received in his life.

She gently kissed the underside of his jaw, pleading for the strength to trust. She hadn't told this story to anyone, not since she had lived it, and despite the sudden yet inexplicable desire to bring Draco close, it required courage yet.

She wriggled out from under his hold, pulling up the sheets with her as she sat up. Draco managed to give her a wry look at her attempt to preserve modesty, but quickly quieted as she stared at him contemplatively.

She asked him once more, this time clearer. "Do you want it gone?"

Green and silver passed through his mind, the looming image of a father sent to jail yet still expecting his son to follow. His family, always scared, and the initiation of blood and serpents and a mark on his soul. Trying to hide the fright that pervaded him whenever he was called home, placing a mask on day after day as cocky smugness hid everything he couldn't show. Feeling like a trapped animal with no way out, and willing to lash out at everyone who crossed his path if only because he had not options left.

And blue eyes, so much deeper and darker than his own, for once lowering her guard in the wake of his. Someone he could associate the word home with and not feel terrified about, although so much of their union did indeed scare him. Wordless, Draco nodded his head.

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes." For it was the truth, under everything.

Kagome smiled, and reached for his arm. Silently he placed it in her grasp – he had always known she wasn't a witch, but that she was some sort of Oriental equivalent. Never before now, however, had he thought she was this powerful.

The wind seemed to pick up around them as Kagome focused entirely on purifying the mark. She felt the steady thrum of the shikon under her chest and silently called on its help; not a wish, but a request. Pink flared around her, and with the jewel backing her, and her every emotion tuned on the man she cared for, Kagome found the tether. It was black and murky and refused to let go, her entire body crying out at the darkness that settled in it. She had not suspected so much power to reside in it.

With a quiet exclamation she poured her energy into the person holding the other end, and the mark disintegrated. Draco felt like the world had suddenly popped into clarity, every detail noticeably more pronounced, and would've happily discovered these new nuances if not for the body that fell into his.

He sat up quickly, pulling her up with him. "Kagome!" He shook her softly; relieved to see her eyes flutter open. "Kagome." He whispered, this time with gentle insistence.

She leaned into him for a second, breathing deeply. "It's gone?" She asked.

Draco nodded, a genuine smile breaking across his face. "It's gone."

"Oh good. That's a powerful one on the other end." She mumbled to herself, letting out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

He prodded and tugged until she'd turned her face up to his. Littering kisses softly across her face, Draco had to ask. "What was that?"

Kagome smiled tiredly. It had been a long day, and an even longer night. But for once, she found the courage to resist putting up the barriers she had maintained so long since she had been forced out of the past. "Since you've let me in," she said, causing Draco to laugh softly – he didn't think he'd be able to ever shut her back out "it's only fair I return the favor."

So, under the safety of soft candlelight, Kagome gave in to this new feeling, knowing that no matter how much the world threw her way, she'd have somewhere to go.

She'd been explaining her theory all afternoon, and by the time she made it to Albus' office it felt like a millennia had passed. Who knew that out of everyone, Hagrid would be the biggest skeptic? For a half-giant to have difficulties accepting what a priestess was capable of was just odd, especially when said half-giant happened to specialize in weird and rare creatures.

Not that she would like to define herself as a weird and rare creature, but if the boot fit...

With an undignified woosh Kagome collapsed into one of the armchairs facing the Headmaster, using all of her willpower to not recline in it and just give way to sleep. Draco, who was much more accustomed to propriety and the like - plus Dumbledore still scared him a bit - took the seat next to hers with the proper amount of cordiality.

"When you suggested that a demonstration was necessary, I never imagined I would need to do one with every member of the faculty." She complained, looking at the Headmaster from underneath baleful lashes.

He merely smiled. "You did not have to prove yourself to every member of our staff, only ones in the Order."

Kagome felt Draco stiffen next to her. It was still odd for him to hear about the other side's plans, and he was having troubles adjusting to the openness of it all. The priestess' presence certainly helped foster such trust, but he continued waiting for the inevitable other shoe to drop.

She reached over to lay a hand on top of his clenched one, shooting the man what she hoped was a reassuring look. Turning back to Dumbledore, her expression turned darker. "I haven't even met all of the Order Albus, let alone told them my role in this."

"Ah," he said, waving a hand vaguely "yet they are all aware of you."

Harry had probably been the most surprised person to hear about her, especially once he learned she was working for the Order. After a lot of lengthy talks many months previous, spending her days soothing one boy only to have another one embrace her every angry whim, Kagome finally gave in and officially joined the group. Lines were being drawn and sides were chosen, and despite her brevity in this world, she had chosen to fight. With this plan she had secured neutrality for Draco, for a Death Eater who willingly lost the Dark Mark was no longer welcomed in the folds of pure blood society - one of the few ramifications of her actions weeks previous that Kagome had not foreseen. So she had offered to explain to everyone what she was and how she had come into so much power by using the blonde as a veritable show-and-tell. The Order knew who had and hadn't been marked, and the fact that Draco bore no sign of the Dark Lord's favor confirmed what she had been telling them.

Once they knew she could all but turn Voldemort's magic into dust, there was little Kagome could do to resist recruitment.

She grumbled, but sidestepped the issue, unwilling to think too long about the troubles that lay ahead. Not when she had spent all day talking about them. "Either way, I've now personally met everyone within the school grounds that claims allegiance, and Draco's helped me confirm what I've been saying. I'm ready to come out whenever you see fit."

Dumbledore turned carefully neutral eyes to the blonde sitting uncomfortably to Kagome's left. "And you Mister Malfoy? While you are essentially free for whatever you wish, many dangerous paths lay in front of you. Have you decided yet what it is you will do?"

This matter was one Kagome had spent many evenings treading carefully around. As far as they knew, no one on the Dark Lord's side was aware of Draco's freedom, and as such he continued to live in the dorms and play the part of a student. But when spring break offered a chance for him to return home a choice would have to be made. His father was in jail and the rest of his family belonged to Lord Voldemort. Fighting for the Order, on the other hand, could prove to be just as lethal for his family as it could for him should he turn up without the blessing bestowed upon him in his father's absence.

And she wasn't sure he even liked any of the Order. Kagome would never pressure the man to pick a side, accustomed as she was to treading the balance between light and darkness in an effort to maintain the jewel's neutrality.

"I have." He declared, sitting straight under the Headmaster's gaze. "I will stay with Kagome."

"What?" She lifted her hand off of his, unable to hide her shock.

Draco chose not to look at the girl, continuing to address the curiosity in the old man's eyes. "If she is going to publicly offer sanctuary to Death Eaters, then she'll need some sort of protection."

"Excuse me, I can take care of myself just fine-"

"Not against wizards." He turned to her now, a hard look on his face. "I know what they can do Kagome, and it isn't just painful curses and a quick death - they take pleasure in torturing people like you."

She frowned. "People like me?"

"Stubborn people. Stubborn people who fight for the other side, and who pose a threat to their cause. They'll capture you and then spend the entire war trying to find out exactly where it is your power comes from."

The scar tissue on her chest was a clear sign pointing to where it was her power came from, and Draco knew that. Still...

"So what, it's better if they capture you?" She argued, pointedly ignoring the third party in the room. "That's not an acceptable solution Draco."

He matched her tone. "I wouldn't return willingly."

"Well that's the whole point, you aren't the enemy if you just walk into their lair."

Now he scowled, eyes narrowed. "I'd put up too much of a fight to go back at all-"

"So what," She exclaimed "you're going to die fighting? That's the brilliant plan you came up with? You're as free as it gets, you don't have to pick sides. Why don't you just...hide out the rest of the war, take your family and just-just leave?! That was your plan! It was a good plan!"

Okay, so maybe the whole selfless plan to keep her opinions quiet sort of backfired. But not when his idea of a good time included hiding out with her as she took in refuges from the war.

"That's what you think I'd do?" He harshly asked. "Run with my tail between my legs-"

This time she cut him off. "No you'd be keeping everyone safe, that isn't cowardice."

"Not if it meant leaving you behind."

He spared a look for the Headmaster, who was watching the argument with transparent interest. Sighing in the wake of Kagome's silence, Draco turned in his chair so that he was fully facing her, attempting best he could to ignore the audience. "Look, you're right about me. I don't care much for either side of this war, but dammit if I don't care for you. You have these big plans to give people a way out of the Dark Lord's allegiance and I can't help but think that's because of me. You found out you could help me and now that weighs on you, so of course you have to offer it to the Order, and I get that, I do, but I can't just watch you walk away."

After a few seconds she found her voice. "I would have always ended up fighting in this war somehow, you just pointed me in the right direction. Don't let your guilt force you into this."

"It isn't! God, why do I have to bloody convince you to let me help?"

"Well you don't, you could just-"

"No! I couldn't just." He let out a strangled groan. A better question was why did he have to do this in front of the Headmaster? "If you left and I stayed behind I could never forgive myself. I'm not going with you because I have some guilt - or maybe I am, but that's not just it. Knowing you're out there, facing danger every day, being reckless, because you're always reckless...I wouldn't be able to breath. I am coming along with you, no matter what you decide to do, because that is the only option that's acceptable."

He was nearly shouting at her by the end, but for a moment it seemed to get through to Kagome. And she understood. Because if Draco had decided to fight, she knew there was no where else she'd be than by his side.

She sighed deeply, placing a hand on his cheek. "Okay." She said, nodding slightly. "Okay."

Draco nodded silently, his eyes on hers.

After a lengthy moment she recalled where she was and settled back into her seat. Now she was wide awake. She tried to give Albus her most nonchalant look and blinked slowly at him. "Draco's coming with me."

Thankfully he did nothing more than widen his smile some. "I see."

"Good."

Draco for his part was staring decidedly at the corner of the desk, having had made enough of a fool of himself for one evening. He blamed it on the insufferability of the woman next to him and the very long day they had had.

"As things are progressing currently, do you believe you'll have the wards up by the end of the term?" Dumbledore took pity on the two lovers and changed the discussion back to more time-sensitive matters - not that he believed there was anything more important during these times than expression ones affections.

Kagome nodded. "Absolutely. All I have left to do is connect the West and East sides together, and then Minerva has promised to help me incorporate it into the barrier spell around the school."

"That's excellent to hear. We are very fortunate that you came upon us during such times."

She spared a quick glance for Draco, drawing warm blue eyes to her own, and then for herself. When she had first happened upon Hogwarts, it had been with the most carefully concealed loathing she had ever experienced. Trying desperately to forget what she had voluntarily given up, while maintaining even her internal composure for the sake of the shikon, Kagome had never been so removed from her emotions. And it wasn't just Draco that had brought her back from there - it was every character at this school that she'd had the pleasure of meeting, it was the hope that continued to push Harry and his friends along, it was the chance to fight for something once more, except this time the world might be hers to keep. This world had saved her.

"No," she insisted gently "I believe I am the fortunate one."

AN: Sooooo this was never really meant to be a full story, so try not to hate me too much for ending it here. You can imagine, if you like, that Draco and Kagome end up in some corner of the wizarding world, collecting individuals who have decided to change sides or at least leave theirs, and that the two bicker every day about who can meet with Kagome and who should be kept away for her own safety. And while the big famous Harry Potter fights the real war these two spend each day doing what they can to heal each other, and after it's over they marry and settle down and forgive and forget and love and etc. etc. It's happy at the end, I swear! At least in my canon.

I couldn't get this out of my head, so hopefully this helps satisfy some of you who are probably quite angry at me for taking forever to update my other HPIY story. I called it Monster because I've been listening to the new Imagine Dragons song on repeat and it just...fit.

Toodles~