Itoshii Sune-ku

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.


Itoshii Sune-ku.

Chapter 9: Taimen Ato Koneko.

Harry rubbed his eyes. They had been walking for the last hour and a half and had yet to find either sister or brother. Harry was cloistered between two of the sisters, they were all cold for some reason, and they said Harry was the warmest. So they wanted to keep him close. The only one who wasn't cold, was Ryssein. The pale girl had explained that she didn't get cold. But then again, she went on to explain, she didn't feel many different temperatures, to begin with. Unless it was utterly warm. Bordering on hot, she couldn't feel it. Harry thought that was sad, and offered her the heat blanket Aunt Petunia had packed. She had laughed, kissed his forehead and thanked him. She didn't reach for the blanket in the back pack though. So Harry had shrugged, guessing she didn't need it at the moment.

Rhapsody was walking on his left, her right arm hooked around his left, and her left arm cradling the small red and white fox cub, Puriti. On his other side was Aji, who had her head laid against his shoulder. Even though all the girls were at least five inches taller than him, and Aji had to lean down some to lean her head against his shoulder, she said it was still comfortable. Harry didn't see how it could be. Walking ahead of them was Ryssein. Since no one was in the mood for talking, they just walked on in silence, apart from Amaryssein humming a strange tune and sipping from a cup, of what she calls, hot white chocolate held delicately between her hands..

Harry sighed, and freed an arm enough to rub at his eyes. He was tired. Sleepy tired, not tired tired. But he stayed awake, besides dozing a few times. What kept Harry awake the most, though, was Puriti. No matter whose arms she was in, at radom times she would just suddenly jump out of who ever's arms she was residing in at the moment, or take off at a sprint to some unknown location, until they all caught up with her. Where upon she would calmly, if a little sulkily, walk back to either child and jump into their arms or onto a shoulder.

And that was just what she did, not ten minutes later. Harry shouted for her to come back, but as usual, she didn't. They picked up their pace and ran after the small fox, but she disappeared two minutes later.

"Hmm, you know where we're going, right? Why don't Aja and I go one way, and you, Rhapsody, take Harry and go another. We'll meet at the diner. How's that?" Ryssein asked, calmly. Rhapsody nodded and took Harry's hand, leading him down a road with different clothing, and pet shops. Rhapsody looked everywhere, while Harry looked through the shop windows and down alley ways, and softly called for his pet.

Five minutes later, Harry continued to walk, while Rhapsody looked down an alley, only to come back out with a cat tangled, but snuggled, into her long hair. She huffed, but didn't bother the cat. Harry was about ten feet ahead of his new sister, so he slowed his pace a bit, but continued walking. As he was whistling Puriti's favorite song, he looked up and spotted a small bundle curled up on the steps of a bank. Puriti was nestled on top of the bundle. Harry knew for a fact that the bundle laying there wasn't just some old thrown away clothes.

Harry jogged over to the steps and sat down gingerly next to the poofy bundle of robes. Listening closely, Harry could hear little mewling snores coming from deep within the robes. Harry reached up and pat Puriti a few times before poking the robes lightly with a finger. The robes stirred a bit, but otherwise didn't move. Harry looked up and caught Rhapsody smiling behind two fingers against her lips. She flicked her hand at him, indicating he should go on. So he did. Harry poked the robes once more, this time, a little more forcefully. Well, okay, with enough force in the poke for it to be annoying. After four and a half more pokes, the robes were moving and wiggling, trying to get away from the tiny finger of Harry.

In the next minute a tiny head full of dark, curly hair popped out from under the robes, flashing scarlet eyes glaring at him, murderously. A cute pout on a thin, pale face with a small button nose, Harry thought the tiny girl in front of him had to be the cutest he had ever met. Harry smiled at her. She still glared. She huffed.

"Why did you wake me up? I haven't slept in days, I'm terribly tired." The child demanded, trying with all her might to sound grown up. Harry smiled wider.

"I apologise for waking you, dear girl. But I believe you should wake up, you don't want to be late, now do you?" The girl huffed again.

"I'm already late! I don't even know where I am! I'm lost. Get it? Lost! I can't even find my brother! He was supposed to be around here somewhere, too!" The girl sniffed, sitting up more. Now that Harry looked at her in more effective lighting, he could tell she had been crying. She sniffed. Harry tried to reassure her.

"Well, I'm looking for the same people you are. Well, the brother you're looking for, I've already found three of the sisters. I've found Aja, Amaryssein, and now you. Rhapsody found me, I didn't find her." Harry giggled. The tiny bundled up girl's eyes widen and she smiled slightly.

"You know where my sisters are? You can take me to them, right? I'm lost. I want my sisters back." Harry nodded, smiling.

"Rhapsody was right. You are the cutest. No offense to your sisters or anything, it's just that you're much cuter than them, when they are pretty." Confused eyes stared at Harry, and he laughed.

"There's a difference between the two?" She asked. Harry replied.

"Of course, there is. You see, cute, is like you. Right now, you look small, cute, and adorable. While your sisters, they look very elegant, and pretty. See the difference?" She stared for a few moments, a thoughtful look on her face. Suddenly she smiled.

"No. I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. But it sounds nice. I'm Serena. Who are you? And how do you know my sisters?" Harry thought for a minute, wondering how to explain. Finally, he began tentatively.

"Um, I'm Harry, and well, see, I used to live with my aunt, uncle, and my cousin. My Aunt Petunia would take care of me whenever my uncle Vernon got mad. But she couldn' t take care of me all the time. So, when Rhapsody came looking for some stuff for her sisters, she found me in my cupboard. I was hurt, so she...umm...What did she call it? Stitched, I think. I think she said she stitched my bones back together. I don't know. But after she got done with that, Aunt Petunia found her and was about to give her a good sound scolding, but I told her not to. Aunt Petunia and Rhapsody talked for a while and Aunt Petunia asked her if she could take me with her. Aunt Petunia packed us up with a whole punch of stuff we may never need and Rhapsody and I left. Rhapsody's been explaining a lot of things to me. She says she'll teach me to do a lot of stuff like you guys can." Harry shifted his backpack to a more comfortable position as he finished his sketchy explanation, and waited while Serena just stared at him.

Serena dislodged the fox that was still perched atop the robes and herself and sat up fully, staring at Harry in mild concern. She reached out and pulled Harry gently closer to her and pushed his backpack off his back. She ran her hands down his arms, over his collar bone, across his chest and ribs, down to his stomach and legs. She muttered to herself all the while.

"Dislocated shoulder, mangled elbow, sprained wrist, slightly cracked collar bone--nothing too serious there. Six fractured ribs, two broken. Rhapsody did a fairly good job there. 63.1 percent bruises and lacerations; not too serious but needs to be dealt with soon before infection sets in. Don't want to be losing limbs, now do we?" She giggled slightly at the last, and Harry stared at her wide eyed. A chuckle and a another giggle distracted Harry from what Serena was beginning to do. He looked over and saw two figures. One he knew, one he didn't.

He stared at the two laughing figures for a few short moments, before letting out a high pitched yelp, and grabbing his elbow. He looked back at Serena, then down to his arm, which was now bruise and scratch free. Not to mention his elbow wasn't twisted at an odd angle anymore. He looked back up at Serena and asked quietly.

"What was that? That kinda hurt." Serena smiled slightly not even pausing in her self-appointed task.

"Well, I just mended the crack in your collar bone, not to mention your sprained wrist and dislocated shoulder blade. I'm surprised you didn't feel any of those. I just got done replacing the bones into their rightful positions in your elbow. Boy, was that difficult. Next time something like that happens, I'll personally tar and feather the one that causes it. Hmph! I'll be working on your ribs next, so you might want to be still, and try not to breathe too deeply. But please! Try not to hyperventilate." Harry was so shocked, that this tiny little girl could sound so grown up without even intentionally trying, that he just stared. He didn't even feel it when she mended his ribs. All eight ribs, to be exact. Harry jumped slightly as a slight weight landed on his head.

"Puriti! You scared me!" The fox yipped, apologetically. Harry sighed, glancing back over to Rhapsody and the other, taller figure standing next to her.

"Your sister and, I think that might be your brother, are standing over there waiting for us. Do you want to go see them?" Harry asked Serena, turning back to her. Serena's eyes lit up, turning a strange reddish orange color. 'It's so facinating, watching her eyes.' Harry though to himself, before grabbing onto Serena's arm before she could away. Serena looked back to him, confused.

"Thank you. For healing me the way you did. You didn't have to, but you did anyway. Thank you a lot." Harry smiled. Serena stared at him, taking in his smile, his messy hair. Getting even messier with the way Puriti was trying to get comfortable on his head. His eyes, and the honest smile in them. Serena reached over and kissed Harry on his nose, shocking him utterly.

"I don't like you." She stated matter-of-fact like. Rolling her eyes before continuing.

"But I will like you. If you agree to be MY baby brother. I have a younger brother, but he's only younger by a few hours. You seem like you're younger than me by more than a few hours. You are, aren't you?" Harry nodded dumbly. Serena beamed, stood up, pulling Harry along with her, and shouted.

"Well, come on then, you slow-poke!"

'Hooboy! I'm doomed! I'm so out-numbered by girls! Why all the kisses! Ahh...' Harry thought, while being dragged off to meet the mysterious brother of his new family.