The Lord of The Fae

A/N: Once again thank you to the wonderful Hard working MISS *claps cheers*

It had been three weeks since Harry had woken from his coma, three weeks of worry and change. Hermione thought as she paced the gardens of the castle Naratsu, a long thin sword at her side. The castle was a pristine white color with many levels piled high in traditional Japanese style. It had been built many ages ago by a powerful Japanese Lord by the name of Naru Hitachi. Upon his death he had gifted the Castle to his young prodigy Albus Dumbledore.

The castle itself was large and had extensive walls protected by a great wall of stone and many enchantments. With protection spells placed there by both Naru and Albus himself it was the perfect place for Harry to get back on his feet. Since arriving at Naratsu, Hermione had poured herself into learning the Castles history and the history of the man who had owned it. A man, who at five hundred years old had finally decided life, for him at least, had run its course. That had been over a hundred years ago, as Dumbledore had been only a young man himself.

Now the castle was run by several servants and several Japanese wizards, whom were in the process of teaching Ron and Hermione the art of Hondi or sword play. Every afternoon Hizen Mioku, one of the wizards residing at the castle, would give them a lesson. At first she had been skeptical of the lessons, after all how was one supposed to get close enough to slay their enemy if he or she had a wand and all you had was a sword. Hizen had corrected her mistake quickly.

“Alright then Miss, cast your strongest spell at me we shall see who is victor and who is victim,” He had said with a knowing glint in his eyes. Hermione still remember the shock of her hex shooting towards Hizen only to shatter as he twirled his blade in a circular motion so fast he did not appear too be moving it at all. And just as fast he had lunged forward to place the blade against her throat. “It appears Miss, that even with a wand, you are victim.”

She hadn’t questioned him since; in fact she’d poured herself into learning about Hondi and the castle itself. She had learned more about Japanese wizarding culture in Naru’s libraries then she could have in any other. She learned that each blade when it was forged was instilled with deep enchantments to reject and enforce magic, so that the blade itself was both wand and shield. If you could move it fast enough, it all depended on the sword bearer’s skill. She had learned many other things while residing here as well.

She had discovered a set of diaries in Naru’s library belonging to a young woman named Linn. It was evident from many hours of reading that Naru and Linn had once been lovers some where in Naru’s past. She had died centuries before Naru ever had, how a man lived that long was a mystery, one she was determined to discover for herself. Linn had been Naru’s greatest joy and it was for her he had built the castle.

When the order was looking for a code name, a way to mention the castle without giving away their position, Hermione had suggest calling it Castle Linn, being as only someone who had ever known Naru himself would have known his greatest love had been a young dancer by the name of Linn Nuia. She felt proud to contribute at least that much. This was a place of beauty and of healing, yet that healing didn’t seem to be reaching Harry.

For the first couple of days after leaving his coma, he had simply lain in his bed eyes barely blinking staring sightlessly at the ceiling. Emotions none of them could read playing behind his eyes. By the time the first week had passed he had managed to sit up and eat, but he never spoke. When she and Ron went in to talk to him he blinked at them, those horrifyingly cold and haunted eyes boring into them as if stripping them to gaze at their souls. Once he’d gotten out of bed he paced his room like a wraith gliding about in utter silence, eyes staring coldly either at the floor or out the window. For another week it had gone on like that.

This last week had been the worst; he had started to leave his room. He never spoke a word in the daylight hours. He listened to her and Ron’s nervous chatter with cold uncaring eyes. He ate slowly as if he could no longer taste food. He no longer practiced magic just held his wand and stared at it as if it had some how betrayed him. He practiced personally with Hizen, and could often be found in the gardens hacking away at invisible foes until the early hours of morning. And all the while he never spoke. Except once, once Ron had tried to thank him for trying to save his sister, to tell Harry he didn’t blame him. Harry had raised his head to stare directly at Ron.

The look in his eyes then would haunt her forever, cold eyes had turned glacial they chilled, they froze and behind them was a stark and ravishing pain. He had uttered one final and chilling warning. “Don’t” Then he had fallen back into silence. Hermione felt tears welling in her eyes. Harry obviously blamed himself for Ginny’s death, and as much time and space as they where giving him he wasn’t getting any better. And tomorrow Malfoy would be arriving. The order had been informed of the Prophecy just last week. Harry was the only one who didn’t know yet. Most of them felt it was better for Malfoy just to arrive. Hermione disagreed; it was going to be too much to handle too quickly. They had all been shocked to learn that his best friend had not died four years ago, and had instead been living with Snape.

“HERMIONE PAY ATTENTION!”

Ron’s shrill warning came a second before his own sword went swinging towards her ear. She jumped back before it could touch skin but a mistake like that just wasn’t like her. Her arm wasn’t as strong as Ron’s, it never would be, but Hizen was fast teaching her that strength wasn’t everything, it was speed.

“Fast evasion Miss, but fast will not win the battle. Attention to it may help you, I suggest you pay it mind then!” Hizen reprimanded her from the side lines. She gritted her teeth and returned her attention to Ron who was stepping in front of her. He was getting better everyday; no longer tripping over his own feet, she could no longer afford to be unwary. Besides one day she would face a Death Eater and she did not fool herself to believe that Japanese wizard’s had never turned Death Eater. She would have to master this form of fighting and many others if she was to survive, they all would.

Ron slammed his blade down in a cutting arch and she quickly parried side stepping so that the force of his blow could flow into her legs instead of shattering her arms like it was meant to. Even still she felt her arms weakening, and she had the sinking feeling that her moments of inattention had already cost her this round.

Ron was grinning at her a knowing light in his eyes, he knew it too. Hermione gritted her teeth and backed up a step.

“NEVER RETREAT MISS GRANGER!” Hizen shouted from the side lines. She well knew that but Ron was forcing her back; his sword glinting a steel grey in the sunlight, blow after arm numbing blow. She stumbled backwards and hastily brought her sword up to prevent Ron’s wild swinging blade from removing the nose from her face.

“Give it up 'Mione, I have this one,” Ron taunted, continuing to force her back. His red hair was swinging in the sunlight having fallen loose from the pony tail he had recently begun to keep it in. His arms where layered with developing muscle, hours of training with Harry and living in camps for the past four years had turned the lanky and pale youth into this relentless man before her. If he didn’t stop he was going to break her arms, and she’d gladly let him before she ever admitted that she liked him this way, knew she was out of her element and found it dangerously exciting,

With a ripple of sleek muscle she found a blade slashing across her chest, she leaped back gasping. Not fast enough to prevent a wide tear in her shirt her white bra was clearly displayed and Ron was hooting with laughter. She turned red as a tomato and glared at him.

“You did that on purpose, your so perverted Ronald!” She accused. Ron grinned shrugging and sheathed his blade.

“’Course I did, I believe that’s my round don’t you Hizen?” He asked turning to the willowy old man who sat on a tree stump watching him. His white beard reaching his knees his eyes were serious and almost scarily knowing obsidian. Hizen nodded granting Ron the battle.

“Yes, you fought well today young master. However you are still depending too much on strength. If Miss did not have head in clouds today she could easily have out maneuvered you. You must always remember that in Hondi battle you must be aware on two levels. Always be aware of the strength of body and blade, and the cunning of magic and mind. Miss could have cast obliterating spell and you would be wide open for attack. Luckily for you young one that she shows such lack of concentration today.” Hizen said nodding sagely towards the door way. Letting them no he was finished for the day.

It was a reprimand for them both, but aimed especially towards her, she knew that. She knew the loss had been her own fault but it still grated on her nerves that Ron had beat her. She sighed life used to be so simple, she frowned rethinking that. Ok so it had never been simple, being Harry’s best friend and her relationship with Ron was anything but simple. It was just that before, before things where right they fit! Before Harry was moderately happy, he talked… he made jokes… he laughed. He was alive in the before time. In the before time, Harry was amazingly talented but amazingly dense in some areas. In the before time he and Ron counted on her. In the before time Ron would not have beaten her no mater how distracted she was and would have gotten into a snit about it and she would be forced to get snippy back. In the before time, Ginny would tell her brother he was being a prat and to just do what they could all see he was wanting to do.

That’s what really hurt, that’s what was distracting her so much, because Ron had been about to. She remembered the moments before they where ambushed clearer then the ambush itself. They had been gathered by the fire Ron, Fred and George where out on watch, Harry had fallen asleep, Ginny was sleeping in his arms and they had looked so peaceful that way. Remus had just come back from the watch awhile before and was dozing lightly. She had turned at the sound of a branch snapping; her wand out at the ready. She had breathed a sigh of relief, it was only Ron.

“Hermione, I have to...I….” He had turned beet red and clamped his mouth shut. She had stared at him utterly confused. She let out a shriek as he dove forward catching her arms in his big hands. He jerked her too him and their lips had met in a bruising and stumbling crash. At first she felt suffocated then his lips had gentled and she’d never felt more alive or more wanted. A low chuckle of laughter startled them both enough for Ron to jump away so forcefully she had sprawled out on the ground.

Remus, Harry and Ginny where all awake and peering at them with obvious delight. Ron had groaned in mortification. Harry was laughing his ass off; Ginny just rolled her eyes and smirked at her brother. “Way to go get her, Romeo couldn’t have done it better.” Ron had turned an even darker shade of red and had opened his mouth to retort when the night had exploded with a scream of pain and terror. They had all jumped to their feet and raced to the sound of Fred’s cries.

Hermione bit back the tears that wanted to form in her eyes. When they had gotten to the watch post there had been so much blood, it was pooling on the ground. Their where so many Death Eaters, where they had come from? How had they found them? They where laughing; playing with George’s mangled body. She had watched in horror as they made Fred watch. He continued to scream, that wailing keening cry of loss and pain. The look on Fred’s face would be forever etched in her memory.

Ginny had gritted her teeth and shoved out of Harry’s firm grasp, what she had thought she could do to save her brothers to this very day Hermione didn’t know. Harry had run after her, and then they had all entered a hopeless fight. Ginny had died and so had George, Fred had been dragged away by two death eaters clutching George’s body. Whether he lived or died after that was unknown.

No one had been the same since then; Ron had blamed himself for leaving his post. Harry blamed himself for not holding onto Ginny, not protecting her. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had lost two, possibly three of their children. Nothing was like the before time at all, nothing.

“Where is your head today Hermione!” Ron asked, sprinting to catch up to her as she marched determinedly towards the garden door leading into the castle.

“Every thing has changed Ron. Everything! Did you read the paper this morning? Hanna Abbot was killed in her apartment! You know it was because she offered us shelter last spring. It seems as if the moment Voldemort returned to full power the life as we know it went slowly and irreversibly down hill.” The tears that she had been trying to force back were leaking from her eyelids.

In the before time Ron might have held her; whipped them away but everything had changed now. He shifted uncomfortably and said, “Well if the prophecy is right then this is to be expected, ‘Dark will tarnish Light and Light will dim’, don’t you remember! And according to the prophecy it will only get worse. A time of darkness will follow, so you have got to buck up already Hermione.”

She knew he was right, that he was being the voice of reason, but that just made it even more clear how much things had already changed. And to tell her it was only going to get worse wasn’t making her feel any better.

“How can you say that so…so uncaringly? Our friends are dieing Ron. People we love and care about our being slaughtered! We can’t trust anybody! Adam betrayed the order, he told Voldemort exactly where we were that night! We can’t even trust our own allies and Malfoy’s on his way here. According to your precious prophecy where expected to trust him with our lives! JESUS RON! We can’t even fucking trust ourselves!” She had never lost control like this before, but tears where streaming down her cheeks and she wanted to whip out her sword and cut into something. Preferably Ron himself.

“It isn’t my damn prophecy Hermione; you think I like this any better then you do. Malfoy’s a fucking Death Eater for god’s sake! You think I’m just going to sit back and welcome him in like a best mate! There isn’t any use moaning over it, it’s out of our hands but you can bet your ass I’ll be watching his! We watch him, we stay on his back ‘till he can’t tell where he ends and we begin. We don’t give him a chance to betray Harry. He takes one wrong step and we end his sorry existence; prophecy of no prophecy!” Ron declared heatedly.

Hermione took a step backwards; she had never seen such a look in Ron’s eyes. It was heated it was dangerous. It sent a shiver down her spine. Excitement mingled with fear as she nodded. He clapped her shoulder with one big hand and sighed. His eyes lost that fire and a grin replaced it. “I’m bloody hungry though ‘Mione lets get some food already; the snake arrives tomorrow morning and I want to be well fed.” Hermione whipped her tears as a shout of laughter burst from her. Some things never changed.

-----Meanwhile some other place------Meanwhile some other place------Meanwhile some other place------Meanwhile some other place------Meanwhile some other place------

“So let me get this straight you’re traveling to some unknown place, in an unknown part of the world, to talk your sworn enemy out of ruining the rest of; what has been so far a sad and miserable waist of life. All because this kids Godfather will get a little upset if the kid snuffs it? Is that it? Have you lost your mind?” Slyfer hissed. His snake like tongue flicking Draco’s ear. They had arrived in London the day before and had waited patiently for the messenger from the order to reach them. It had been done in shadowed allies and in all secrecy tomorrow morning they would port key through a specially set network into Nuia Linn.

Draco could tell Slyfer was getting tired of traveling hidden in Draco’s trunks but he was getting to big to hide beneath his cloak. And as he was an illegal breed to own as a pet he couldn’t very well just let him walk beside him on a leash. However he was cold and wet and drawing closer to meeting a man he couldn’t stand while having to deal with Snape and Severus’ childish digs at one another. They seemed to have fallen into a rather disturbing pattern. Rip each other to pieces verbally by day, and… well rip into each other physically by night.

“You want to keep it down Slyfer; we could be ambushed by Death Eaters any moment. Why don’t you keep a look out eh, use that fire you’re always bragging about.”

“At least some of us appreciate the gifts where given! Like a brain, I assume humans have those. You want to use it, now would be a good time.”

“Shut up already, maybe I just felt like taking a trip ok!”

“A TRIP, if you wanted to take a trip we could have gone back to Brazil! My wings are growing in I’ll be able to fly soon. My fires getting stronger everyday and what’s the point of that! There’s no other males to fight here in Britain and no females to fight over!”

“Well if it makes you feel any better you may end up a lonely bachelor but we’ll be in the same boat at least.”

Slyfer snorted; flicking Draco’s ear again, a puff of hot steam slightly scalding his skin. He settled agitatedly on Draco’s shoulder before replying.

“Your problem is your not looking in the right places, I’ve seen it through our bond you know theirs someone strong enough to be your mate, your just to proud and angry to except it yet.”

“If you mean Potter your out of you mind, we’d kill each other first I wouldn’t have to incinerate him!”

“If you hate him that much why don’t we just go to Brazil. That was the original home of the Earth and Fire Fae before they left this earth. Chances are there will be someone of Fae blood living there.”

Why didn’t he go to Brazil ? Slyfer was right, Draco thought. However the idea repelled him for some reason. With a start he realized part of him was looking forward to trading wits and challenge with Harry again. The thought of going back now filled him with distaste. Slyfer snorted again and sighed.

“Humans can be such fools.”