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Scars, Part 19
Rating: NC-17 overall
Pairings: Snape/Lupin, Ash/Tsubasa; also a little Theodore/Blaise, Dylan/Hermione, and Aric/Takeshi
Author's note: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts; [] indicates song lyrics.
Disclaimer: Based on the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling; song lyrics are from "Scars" by Papa Roach. No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Warning: AU. This story contains a character from Half-Blood Prince, but does not follow the HBP storyline.
Sequel to: Always, Summer Vacation, For Old Time's Sake, Three's a Crowd, Return of the Raven, Phoenix Reborn, Phoenix Rising, Aftermaths, The Revenant, Ash's Story, and Summer Vacation III.
Summary: The focus in this chapter is mainly on Ash and Tsubasa as they tentatively build a relationship together; also, another murder is blamed on the werewolves.
Part 18
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The following morning, the body of a man named Octavius Pepper was found in Diagon Alley. He was a street vendor who sold Pepperup Potions, as well as Beautification and Love Potions of dubious quality. Unlike the previous victims, he had no known connections to the werewolves, yet he appeared to have been killed in the same manner as the Madleys and Mrs. Abbott--at first glance, anyway.
As usual, Takeshi Kimura and Healer Smethwyck were called in, but they seemed puzzled and disturbed when they examined the body. "He appears to have been killed by a werewolf, but..." Smethwyck said, his voice trailing off uncertainly.
"But it's strange, isn't it?" Harry finished, relieved to have his own suspicions confirmed. "Those wounds look like teeth and claw marks but the moon wasn't full last night."
"The medallion," Kingsley said grimly. "It really does work. We should have confiscated the blasted thing instead of giving it to the museum."
The healers looked puzzled, as they had not been told of the theft of the medallion, and the Ministry was trying to keep the news under wraps. Dawlish glared at Kingsley for letting the information slip, and Tonks sighed, "We were going to have to tell them anyway, Richard, if werewolf victims keep turning up between full moons."
"Oh, very well," Dawlish said grudgingly, and Tonks explained about the missing artifact.
"Is there any chance that he could have been killed by a transfigured dog or something like that?" Harry asked, not very hopefully.
Takeshi shook his head. "No, a few of these wounds show signs of self-healing, as in a true werewolf attack. See?" He pointed to a half-healed wound on Pepper's leg. "But some of the other wounds appear to be made by neither a man nor a wolf. Or perhaps I should say--by both a man and a wolf?" He indicated four long, thin bruises encircling the victim's arm, as if someone had gripped it hard enough to impress the mark of their hand on it--hard enough to have broken it, in fact. The arm was bent at an unnatural angle where the handprint was, and there were deep puncture wounds at the ends of the bruises, as if fingernails--or talons--had pierced the flesh when the killer had grabbed the victim's arm.
"But these bite marks were definitely inflicted by a large canine--much larger than a normal dog or wolf," Smethwyck added. "They are consistent with injuries inflicted by a werewolf."
"So maybe the killer attacked Pepper in human form, then transformed into a wolf?" Tonks guessed.
"But these wounds were made by talons, not fingernails," Takeshi objected.
"So you're saying that he was killed by a...a wolfman, like in a Muggle horror movie?" Harry asked incredulously.
"I don't know," Takeshi replied, shrugging helplessly. "Despite what rumor and movies and popular fiction say, a werewolf always transforms into an animal nearly indistinguishable from a real wolf, never some sort of humanoid monster. But it sounds like no one really knows how this mysterious stolen artifact works..."
"The magic may have been warped by the damage done to the medallion," Kingsley speculated. "Maybe the transformation was halted halfway through."
"It doesn't matter whether this werewolf is walking around on two legs or four!" Dawlish shouted. "What matters is that we've got a monster running around killing people, and now he's not restricted to the full moon!"
"And two legs or four, he can apparently turn people, too," Smethwyck said gravely. "If Mr. Pepper had survived, he would almost certainly have turned into a werewolf himself."
"This is what comes of coddling your werewolf friends!" Dawlish yelled accusingly at Kingsley, Tonks, and Harry.
"Richard, be reasonable," Tonks pleaded.
"If we keep on being 'reasonable,' soon half of London will be dead or turned!" Dawlish retorted. "I intend to catch this killer if I have to round up every werewolf in Britain, starting with Diggory's pack!"
"You can't arrest them just for being werewolves!" Harry objected. "That's against the law!"
"And Arthur won't permit such a thing," Kingsley added, speaking in a quiet, level voice, as if trying to project an air of calm to ease the tension in the room. Unfortunately, he wasn't very successful.
"Then we can at least bring them in for questioning!" Dawlish snarled. "And if Arthur doesn't watch his step, we won't be answering to him much longer!"
"Was that a threat, Richard?" Tonks demanded, her face flushing with anger. Her violet hair slowly began to turn red, too, like heat rising from a fire. If Harry hadn't been so angry himself, he might have found it amusing.
Strangely, her words seemed to calm Dawlish down a bit. "No, merely a statement of fact, Tonks," he replied in a taut voice. Now that the anger had faded, Harry could see that there was also fear and worry in the Auror's face. "I'll admit, I'm not Weasley's biggest supporter, but he's a decent man. As Ministers go, we could do worse. The problem is, he's too soft, and he's surrounded by ambitious, power-hungry underlings, all ready to pounce at the first sign of weakness, like..." He smiled ironically. "Like a pack of wolves waiting to pounce on a wounded deer. He needs to learn how to play politics, and how to be ruthless when it's necessary."
"So he should sacrifice the werewolves to hold onto his job?" Harry asked disgustedly.
"Get off your high horse, Potter!" Dawlish snapped. "Yes, sometimes sacrifices have to be made. Besides, who do you think will protect your precious werewolves if Arthur gets sacked? Amos Diggory and Dolores Umbridge might be gone, but they still have plenty of friends left in the Ministry, and if one of them becomes Minister, you can kiss the equal rights bill and the Wolfsbane Potion Distribution Program goodbye." He gave Harry a cold stare. "Even if we catch the killer today, there will be fallout from these murders, Potter. There will be changes in the Ministry, like it or not. Arthur can choose to be a part of these changes, or he can be swept aside by them."
"But you know the murderer isn't Ash, because you questioned him under Truth Potion," Harry protested. "It's probably a rogue, someone not even connected to Master Diggory's pack."
"It doesn't matter," Dawlish sighed, suddenly looking weary. "We have to at least look like we're doing something to solve this case. Weasley's not the only one who can lose his job, you know."
Harry had a sudden vision of a Daily Prophet headline that read: "INCOMPETENT AURORS FAIL TO CATCH SERIAL KILLER!"--with Rita Skeeter's byline, of course. Not that Harry cared what Skeeter wrote, but if he and Tonks and Kingsley lost their jobs, then the Aurors who replaced them would probably go after the werewolf pack with even less restraint than Dawlish.
"So start bringing in the werewolves for questioning," Dawlish ordered. "We'll consider it 'voluntary' at the moment--after all, if they're innocent, they won't mind answering a few questions, right? In the meantime, I'm going to get a warrant to search their main residence. I doubt that I can get a warrant for the Diggory mansion at this point, but I'm going to try. He's married to Narcissa Malfoy, and the Malfoys might well have an interest in Dark Magic artifacts. Hmm, I wonder if I could get a warrant for Malfoy Manor...?"
"But Draco and Narcissa aren't--"
"Find me another suspect, Potter, and I'll gladly interview them," Dawlish interrupted curtly. "Otherwise, I'm going with what I have." Harry opened his mouth again, and Dawlish snapped, "The issue isn't up for debate! I'm still the lead Auror on this case, and don't you forget it! Now get to work!"
He swept out of the room without waiting for an answer, and Harry muttered, "Yes, sir," sarcastically under his breath.
Tonks heaved a sigh of resignation. "Well, if someone has to question the werewolves, I think it had better be us than Dawlish, don't you think?"
"Yes," Kingsley agreed dryly. "Unless we really do want to see blood spilled."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
After weeks of awkward courtship and misunderstandings, Ash had finally moved in with Tsubasa. Ironically, they hadn't yet slept together--or rather, they had quite literally slept in the same bed, but nothing more. After being rescued from his unexpected transformation following his father's death, Ash had been too drained, both physically and emotionally, to do anything more than lie in Tsubasa's arms. His inner wolf had found that satisfying enough, though, craving comfort and reassurance more than sex. It had been enough just to lie next to Tsubasa and breathe in his scent and listen to the sound of his breathing.
When Ash tried to report to work the next day, Arthur took one look at him and ordered him to take some time off--"compassionate leave," he called it. Typical Weasley softheartedness, or maybe he just wanted to keep Ash a safe distance away from an irate Dawlish, who was rather disgruntled about having his prime suspect proven innocent. Either way, Arthur refused to take "no" for an answer, and in the meantime, Sprout had also told Laura to take a day or two off from school, so Ash spent some time getting to know his half-sister.
They tried to talk over tea in Sprout's quarters, but their conversation was stiff and halting, with neither of them really knowing what to say. Finally, Ash suggested that they go for a walk on the school grounds for lack of anything better to say. That turned out to be a good idea, as it gave them both a neutral topic of conversation, with Ash asking questions as Laura pointed out various buildings and landmarks. His interest wasn't feigned; like all the other young werewolves, he had dreamed of attending Hogwarts but never had the chance, and he really was quite curious about the school.
As they relaxed, the conversation flowed more naturally, and Laura told him about her classes and friends, while Ash told her a little about his life with the pack, and how he had come to join them. He glossed over the more unsavory details, of course, but even that relatively "clean" version caused her eyes to brim with tears, and a look of guilt and pity to fill her face.
"It's not your fault," Ash gently told her. "Besides, everything worked out in the end. Lukas found me, and I have a true family now, my pack brothers and sisters...and you too, of course, my new little sister."
Laura smiled at him shyly, then hesitantly reached out and slipped her hand in his, and they continued strolling hand-in-hand, not saying much but taking comfort in each other's presence. Sprout had summoned him the other night to console Laura, but to his surprise, Ash found that being with his sister helped to ease his own reluctant and unwilling feelings of grief. He wasn't really sure why; maybe it helped to know that something good had come out of his parents' marriage, or maybe it was simply that pain was lessened by being shared, like the old adage said.
Still, they carefully avoided certain topics, such as Laura's happy memories of her childhood. She instinctively seemed to sense that Ash didn't want it rubbed in his face that they had been loving parents to her but not to him. Likewise, Ash mentioned little about his life with Rosalind and Madley, and talked mostly about his life with the pack.
Ash also introduced Laura to Lukas and Celine--well, she already knew them, of course, but this was her official introduction as a new pack member. She was obviously a little intimidated by Lukas, which made Ash smile, remembering how he had been frightened of Lukas when they had first met in Knockturn Alley. But when he greeted her warmly and welcomed her as a new "sister," Laura smiled at him shyly; it would take a little while for her to get to know the softer side of Lukas that he normally showed only to the cubs in the pack.
She had no such reservations about Celine, though. The younger girl impulsively flung her arms around Laura and delightedly exclaimed, "Oh, I'm so glad to have a sister!"
Laura was stunned for a brief moment, but quickly returned the embrace, saying, "I'm glad to have a sister, too. Growing up, I always wished that I had siblings, and now I have a brother AND a sister!"
"Lots of brothers and sisters," Celine giggled. "Just wait till you meet the rest of the pack!" Laura hugged her again, and she seemed to take great comfort in her newfound sister's affection. At least, her face gained a little color and lost some of that haunted, despairing look that she'd been wearing since her father's death.
Laura left Sprout's quarters and returned to the Hufflepuff dorm that night, and Ash was glad that Celine would be there to provide comfort, although she seemed to have many friends in Hufflepuff, judging by the reaction she got when she arrived for dinner in the Great Hall. Ash was watching from his seat at the head table as Tsubasa's guest, and he saw the Hufflepuffs cluster around her, greeting her with obvious concern and affection, hugging her or patting her on the shoulder, offering their sympathies and saying they were glad to have her back, that they'd been worried about her. One brown-haired girl was especially protective of Laura, and she kept turning to glance curiously at Ash; that must be Rosie Zeller. Laura had briefly mentioned that she was best friends with one of the farm children, who turned out to be the daughter of Ash's old friend John.
Ash continued to watch over his sister from the head table, having no desire to go over and introduce himself to the Zeller girl, because he wasn't exactly sure how he felt about his former friends who had abandoned him. His anger and resentment had faded somewhat, but he still wasn't ready to forgive them yet. It wasn't the girl's fault, of course, but he decided to keep his distance for the moment. Dealing with a long-lost sister was going to be challenging enough without adding further complications, although he was going to have to deal with the issue eventually, since it seemed like he had become Laura's guardian by default. Even if the Parkers changed their minds about wanting custody of Laura, he couldn't leave the poor girl with his mother's cold-blooded relatives.
And suddenly a whole host of new complications presented themselves, as the full implications dawned on him. It was one thing to offer a sympathetic shoulder to cry on, but to take on custody and become a responsible guardian for a child? Laura would be at Hogwarts for most the year, but what about summer and winter holidays? Should he take her to live with him at the townhouse, or would she want to go back to the farm? The latter would be a problem, since he certainly didn't want to step foot in his childhood home again. Maybe she could stay with John's family, but that seemed like shirking his responsibility, somehow. And where did Tsubasa fit into all this?
His thoughts grew increasingly frantic, until a light touch on his arm brought him back to reality. "Everything will be all right, Ash," Tsubasa said with an understanding smile. "Just give it some time."
"Ah...right," Ash said, turning his attention back to his dinner. He didn't have to solve all of his problems tonight, after all. First, he'd give Laura some time to heal and get over the worst of her grief, and later he could talk to her about where she wanted to live. And he could ask Lukas for advice in the meantime. Maybe he could bring Laura over to the townhouse and Diggory Manor for short visits, to gradually get her acquainted with the pack.
And at some point, he supposed that he and Tsubasa were going to have to decide what they were going to do. Tsubasa had said that they had to learn to live together since they didn't seem to be able to live apart, but Ash didn't know if that meant moving in together right away, or simply continuing to date with the intention of making their relationship permanent. And if they did move in together, did that mean living together at Hogwarts, or getting a place of their own?
Tsubasa seemed disinclined to discuss it right now, though, and Ash was content to simply enjoy being in his presence. After dinner, they spent a quiet evening together not doing much of anything; Ash lounged on the couch watching as Tsubasa read and graded some Transfiguration homework. "I hope you're not bored," Tsubasa told him apologetically, and Ash just smiled and shook his head.
They did nothing more than sleep together (literally, not figuratively) that night, too. If Tsubasa wanted to take things slowly, Ash was willing to respect that, and his inner wolf remained tame, although it was beginning to take a definite interest in the closeness of Tsubasa's body lying beside his. But it was nothing remotely close to the raging lust that had possessed him the day that he'd taken Tsubasa up against the wall of the Physical Defense classroom, and he remained in control of the wolf...for now.
Laura decided to resume her classes the next day, saying that schoolwork would help keep her mind off things, so Ash went to visit his packmates, who alternately wept, hugged, scolded, and fussed over him, all in quick succession. Matilda gave him a sharp tongue-lashing for making them worry about him, and he meekly apologized. Takeshi laughed and embraced him, whispering, "I hope things work out for you and Tsubasa. I think you two are good for each other."
"I hope so, too," Ash replied, pleasantly surprised to find that any lingering attraction he had for his friend seemed to have dissipated. He still loved Takeshi, but his feelings had reverted back to a more brotherly sort of affection, although he still felt a kind of nostalgic pleasure when he thought of their one night together. But when he tried to picture the one that he really desired, it was Tsubasa's face that was foremost in his mind. He held onto Takeshi for just a little longer than was really appropriate, though, just to needle Aric a bit and make his pack brother scowl jealously.
Ash returned to Hogwarts later that afternoon, feeling much better. He spent a little time with Laura, telling her humorous stories about his packmates, and he was happy when she eagerly asked if she could meet them sometime. Maybe she wouldn't mind living with the pack, after all.
He spent time with Tsubasa as well, the two of them not yet discussing commitments, but simply trying to get to know each other a little better. Tsubasa talked about his schoolboy days at Salem and his life with the tengu, and Ash told Tsubasa some of the same stories he had told Laura--minus the editing meant to shield an innocent young girl's sensibilities.
After dinner, they sat together quietly in Tsubasa's quarters, sipping some green tea that Tsubasa had brewed, both of them feeling a little talked out from their previous conversation. "How about some music?" Tsubasa suggested, and Ash nodded, thinking that he meant to turn on the wireless, or maybe one of those magical music boxes. But instead, he took down a silk-wrapped object from a shelf, unfolding the cloth to reveal a wooden flute. It was crudely carved and obviously homemade, but when Tsubasa put it to his lips, the most lovely music poured out of it: high, clear notes that were sweet but haunting and a little mournful, like a songbird keening wordlessly for its lost mate. And yet, there was a hint of comfort in the music that made the sorrow bearable.
"That was beautiful," Ash whispered, with tears in his eyes when the last note of the song died away.
Tsubasa lowered the flute and smiled, his fingers caressing it affectionately. "One of my tengu friends made this for me and taught me the song. It's an old song that's been passed down among the tengu for generations, but it was actually created by a human. According to the legends, a tengu man once dallied with a human woman and got her with child. She gave birth to her son in her home village, but as he grew older, he began to show signs of tengu magic, and the villagers grew fearful of him, calling him a demon. The mother knew that her son would never be accepted in the human world, so she took him to the tengu and turned him over to his father's people to be raised. The song I just played was the mother's lament, a bittersweet farewell to her child."
"I see," Ash said. Not a song of parted lovers, then, but a mother trying to comfort her child as she said goodbye to him forever. "She couldn't have stayed with her son and lived in the tengu village with him?"
Tsubasa shrugged. "The stories are a little vague. The tengu are an insular people, and she might not have been welcome. Even if they did allow her to stay, she probably would have felt as out of place there as her son did in the human village."
"Well, it was a beautiful song, although it's sad," Ash said. "I had no idea that you could play the flute." Tsubasa lips twitched as he fought back a smile, then gave up and burst into laughter. "Did I say something funny?" Ash asked, puzzled, not finding anything amusing in his simple statement.
"'Shakuhachi' is the Japanese word for 'flute,'" Tsubasa replied coyly, giving him a sidelong glance through half-lidded eyes. "But it's also a certain...hmm...euphemism for something else."
"So it really means...?" Ash prompted.
A sensual smile spread slowly across Tsubasa's face, and he practically purred, "Perhaps it would be better if I showed you rather than explained it. We wouldn't want anything to get lost in the translation, after all."
Ash thought he could probably guess what it meant, but he certainly didn't object as Tsubasa opened and pushed aside Ash's robes, then unbuttoned and unzipped his trousers, reaching inside to free his rapidly growing erection. "So eager," Tsubasa murmured, his fingers encircling Ash and running up and down the shaft. Ash moaned, leaning back against the couch, vaguely noting that Tsubasa's hand felt strangely rough in some spots but silky-smooth in others. It didn't feel bad, though--quite the opposite, in fact! The roughness of Tsubasa's calloused hand gliding along his very sensitive skin actually heightened the pleasure and sent shivers up and down Ash's spine.
He didn't have much time to ponder the matter, though, because Tsubasa slid off the couch, pushing Ash's legs apart so that he could kneel between them, and lowered his mouth, lips and tongue replacing fingers. Ash moaned again, forgetting about everything except the sensation of Tsubasa's mouth moving on him, licking and sucking gently, almost playfully at first, then with more force, gradually increasing in intensity until he was on the brink of climax, then easing off to let him catch his breath before increasing again, the pleasure ebbing and flowing like a tide.
Ash growled as he reached down to loosen the cord that tied back Tsubasa's hair, so that he could tangle his fingers in that mass of black silk. He might have gripped a little too hard, because his lover let out a muffled little grunt of pain, but instead of stopping his "flute-playing," he suckled harder, without backing off this time, and very lightly pressed his teeth into Ash's flesh. That sent Ash right over the edge, and he howled as he came, spilling into Tsubasa's mouth.
He felt like he was drowning in sensation, ecstasy coursing through his body like fire running through his veins, and for a moment, he forgot who and where he was. As awareness slowly returned, he glanced down to see Tsubasa sitting back on his heels, a self-satisfied smirk on his face as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
"Well," Ash said a little breathlessly, "you certainly are a man of many talents: teacher, swordsman, master musician. Is there anything you can't do, Professor Tsubasa?"
"Ironically, I'm crap at weaving and sewing," Tsubasa admitted sheepishly.
"I thought that was the specialty of your people?" Ash teased. "All those fairy tales about turning feathers into cloth..." Tsubasa blushed, looking rather embarrassed, and Ash felt guilty. Tsubasa had said once that he didn't get along with most of the crane folk; maybe they gave him a hard time because he couldn't weave. "Well, but not all of your people are weavers, right?" Ash asked, giving him an apologetic smile. "Takeshi is a mediwizard."
"Takeshi is part-human," Tsubasa explained. "Not all crane folk with human blood can perform Weaving magic, but all the purebloods can--theoretically. Even if they choose some other profession, such as healing, they still have the ability to weave feathers into silk, and even a crane of average ability ought to be able to produce cloth finer than anything the Muggles can mass-produce with their machinery. But I seem to be the exception to the rule." He grimaced comically. "I can sort of do it, if you don't mind cloth with snarls and runs and knots in it, but I can't produce a garment that anyone other than a beggar would want to wear in public."
"Well, perhaps you have this one weakness to balance out all your other talents," Ash chuckled. "If you were any more perfect, you'd be nearly insufferable."
"I shall endeavor to remain humble," Tsubasa said sweetly, eyes downcast with feigned modesty.
"Come here," Ash growled, grabbing Tsubasa by one arm and pulling him up off the floor onto his lap. He kissed the other man deeply, taking a slightly perverse sort of pleasure in tasting the bitterness of his own climax inside Tsubasa's mouth. Tsubasa was wearing a long kimono without his usual hakama trousers, and Ash slipped his hand beneath the folds of the kimono, running his fingers along Tsubasa's thigh until they reached his crotch and firmly closed over the obvious evidence of his arousal. Ash grinned as Tsubasa moaned loudly, and he growled into his lover's ear, "I'm no master musician, but I'd like to return the favor. I think I can manage to play a tune or two, if you like."
"Yes," Tsubasa whispered hoarsely as Ash nibbled gently on his earlobe. "I would like that..."
Afterwards, Ash lay sprawled across the couch with his head pillowed on Tsubasa's lap. His performance might have lacked some of Tsubasa's finesse, but he had tried to make up in enthusiasm what he lacked in subtlety, and Tsubasa certainly seemed satisfied enough. He rested against the couch with his eyes closed and his face flushed, a satiated smile on his lips as he idly stroked Ash's hair.
Ash growled with pleasure, but then remembered something that had puzzled him, and grabbed Tsubasa's hand to examine it more closely, noting that it was as calloused as his own, although in slightly different places.
"Is something wrong?" Tsubasa asked.
"No," Ash replied, releasing his hand. "It's just funny that I never noticed the calluses on your hand before."
Tsubasa grinned wickedly and said, "That's because you were far more interested in other parts of my anatomy."
"That's true," Ash confessed, laughing. "But to be honest, it reassures me. Your skin is so soft that I always felt a little ashamed to be touching you with these rough hands." He held up his own hands, which were slightly calloused themselves from years of physical labor, since the werewolves had often had difficulty finding proper wizarding jobs.
"Silly wolf," Tsubasa scolded affectionately, kissing Ash's fingertips. "For one thing, I'm not that delicate. For another, any experienced swordsman is going to have calluses." He smiled nostalgically. "Although the tengu did tease me for having 'soft hands' when I first arrived at their village. I had taken some kendo lessons from my step-uncle, who is an instructor at a small dojo in the States, but nothing like the kind of intensive training that the tengu teach. They laughed at me and told me to go back to my loom, but when I insisted on staying, they decided to test my resolve. Before I was even allowed to touch a sword, they assigned me to hard, menial labor, like chopping firewood and hauling buckets of water--up and down the mountain, I might add. I was soft, by tengu standards, and my hands were blistered and bleeding, and my muscles aching by the end of the first day, but I never uttered a single word of complaint, because I knew they'd send me back home if I did. The tengu were impressed by my stubbornness, and they eventually deigned to accept me as a student. And I eventually developed calluses and got accustomed to hard work." He kissed Ash's hands again. "So there is no reason for you to feel ashamed of yourself, ever. Evidence of hard work is something to be proud of."
"I never thought of it that way before," Ash said, staring up at Tsubasa in wonder. He had always felt slightly ashamed of himself--of his scars, his calluses, and until he'd gotten his Ministry job, his shabby clothes and lack of money. And to a certain extent, of his lycanthropy, although in some ways he considered it a blessing because it had brought him to Lukas and the pack, his true family. It amazed him that someone like Tsubasa, so beautiful and noble, thought of him as an equal. Ash had always defiantly declared that he was the equal of any human, but deep down inside, maybe he hadn't really believed it.
"Well, you should," Tsubasa said, smiling at him tenderly.
Ash sat up and wrapped one arm around Tsubasa, pulling him close. "So, you don't mind if I touch you?" he asked in a husky growl, sliding his other hand beneath Tsubasa's kimono.
"Not at all," Tsubasa gasped. "I see you've got your second wind."
"Haven't you heard?" Ash asked with a grin. "Werewolves are insatiable."
"Show me," Tsubasa said, kissing him.
So he did.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ash spent most of the night demonstrating just how insatiable werewolves were, which meant that they were both exhausted when they finally fell into a deep and contented slumber, and they slept late into the next morning.
Ash woke up when he felt Tsubasa stirring next to him, and noticed sunlight filtering through the curtains covering the bedroom window. "Morning," Tsubasa said, brushing his lips against Ash's cheek, then he yawned and stretched, blinking sleepily as he rolled over to glance at the clock on the nightstand. "I don't think we can make it to breakfast in the Great Hall, but I have some tea and fruit and rice crackers on hand, if you don't mind making do. Or I could ask the house-elves to send some food up from the kitchen."
"No, that's fine," Ash said, waving off the latter suggestion. "But won't you be late for class?"
"I have first period free," Tsubasa replied, smiling lazily. "It's Professor McGonagall's turn to teach Transfiguration today, and Physical Defense doesn't start till later, so there's no rush."
"Good," Ash growled, nuzzling Tsubasa's neck, feeling a smug sense of satisfaction at the sight of the bruises he had left there last night. The wolf had enjoyed claiming its mate, but their lovemaking had been playful and relaxed, a pleasant contrast to the desperation and anger that had marked their last encounter.
"You really are insatiable, aren't you?" Tsubasa laughed. "Well, I suppose breakfast can wait..."
Some time later, they settled down to a makeshift breakfast on the couch, feeding each other bites of food between kisses. They had showered together (which had further delayed breakfast), and Ash was wearing a borrowed cotton kimono, which he had to admit made a comfortable substitute dressing gown or bathrobe. He had felt a little silly when he first donned it, but Tsubasa had assured him that he looked very handsome. Tsubasa, of course, looked beautiful in his own kimono, with his damp hair falling loose and unbound across his shoulders.
Ash felt a little giddy with happiness as he took a piece of fruit from Tsubasa's fingers with his mouth, brushing his lips against his lover's fingertips as he did so. It almost felt like they were newlyweds--living together, waking up together and making love in the morning, even kissing and laughing over breakfast like a couple of lovestruck idiots. He was hard-pressed now to recall why he had been so frightened of taking a permanent mate. Living with someone was actually rather nice. Well, he lived with his pack, of course, but that wasn't quite the same thing.
Then reality suddenly intruded on his euphoria as he recalled something Kai had told him about Tsubasa going out on a date with a woman in Hogsmeade, and the fruit he had just eaten seemed to get stuck halfway down his throat.
"What's wrong, Ash?" Tsubasa asked, looking concerned by the sudden change in expression on his face.
Ash coughed and forced himself to swallow. "Um...this may sound a little odd, but...do you have a girlfriend?"
Tsubasa seemed bewildered by the question. "No, of course not. Why would you ask such a thing?"
Torn between relief and suspicion, Ash replied defensively, "Well, Kai said he saw you--no, wait, that's not right." He paused to try and remember exactly what his pack brother had told him. "The girls at Gladrags saw you walking arm-in-arm with a pretty Japanese woman who called you 'sweetie'. She was looking at a robe in the shop window there. And afterwards, the two of you went to Puddifoot's."
Tsubasa burst into laughter and said, "You idiot, that was my mother!"
"Your...mother?" Ash asked weakly, feeling very much like an idiot, indeed.
"Yes, my stepmother Reiko," Tsubasa replied, still laughing. "Didn't I tell you that she was only eighteen when she met my father? And on top of that, she looks young for her age, so I suppose we might have looked more like sweethearts than mother and son to a stranger. I can't wait to tell her; she'll be thrilled to hear that someone mistook her for my girlfriend."
"I'm sorry," Ash apologized, smiling sheepishly. "It's just...it was right after we had that fight, and I wouldn't have blamed you if you decided to start seeing someone else. I thought maybe she was some old flame from Japan..."
"You idiot," Tsubasa repeated affectionately, leaning over to give him a kiss. "Even if I was seeing someone else--which I most definitely am not--it wouldn't be a woman. Didn't Takeshi and Aric tell you that I'm gay?"
"Um, well, Aric did," Ash mumbled, blushing. "But I thought maybe he was mistaken."
"Well, he wasn't," Tsubasa said firmly, then grinned. "Although I must admit that I am a little flattered that you were jealous."
"Werewolves are possessive lovers," Ash growled softly, shoving their breakfast plates aside. He pulled Tsubasa close, tugging at the sash wrapped around his waist to loosen it so that he could slide one hand beneath Tsubasa's kimono. He knew that Tsubasa was wearing nothing under it because they had gotten dressed--so to speak--together after showering, and that knowledge titillated the wolf. He growled again, nipping at his lover's throat, reveling in the sensation of smooth, warm skin beneath his fingers, while Tsubasa began fumbling with Ash's kimono, eager to return the favor.
"Excuse me!" a voice called from the fireplace, and both Ash and Tsubasa jumped, turning to see Kingsley Shacklebolt's face staring at them through green flames. The Auror coughed and turned away for a moment as Ash and Tsubasa hastily pulled apart and straightened their robes.
"Sorry, didn't mean to...er...interrupt," Shacklebolt said, his voice hovering somewhere between amusement and embarrassment.
"Not at all, Mr. Shacklebolt," Tsubasa said calmly. "What can we do for you?" His kimono was now wrapped securely around his body, and he sat in a relaxed position, his face schooled into an expression of polite attention. Only a faint hint of pink staining his cheeks indicated that he was anything other than completely composed.
Ash, on the other hand, was rather disgruntled about the interruption. "So who got killed this time?" he asked sarcastically, but when the Auror's face suddenly turned grave and sober, he realized that his half-joking question was no joke, after all. "Come on!" he protested. "Both my parents are dead; I don't have any relatives left to murder!" Well, there were the Parkers, his mother's kin, but Ash had seen them only a handful of times as a child, and didn't really think of them as family. And then his face went pale as he remembered that he did have one blood relative left that he cared about. "Laura!" he gasped. "Is she--"
"She's fine, as far as I know," Shacklebolt assured him. "A street vendor was killed in an apparent werewolf attack last night, an Octavius Pepper. Do you know him?"
"Not really, although I know of him," Ash replied, frowning. "He sells bargain-price potions, and let's just say that you get what you pay for. He's neither a friend nor a foe to the werewolves. Wait a minute...last night wasn't a full moon. But Takeshi told the pack about some Dark artifact that was stolen...?"
"An artifact that supposedly allows a werewolf to transform at any time of the month," Shacklebolt confirmed in a grim voice. "Dawlish, as you can imagine, is beside himself, and he's ordered that all the werewolves be brought in for questioning." Before Ash could object, the Auror added wearily, "And no, I don't think that you or any of your pack are guilty, but we have to do something to appease Dawlish or he might go to further extremes. As a matter of fact, he's trying to get a search warrant for the townhouse right now."
"What?!" Ash roared, leaping to his feet.
"Calm down, Randolf," Shacklebolt urged. "As long as he doesn't find the medallion there, he can't charge you or your pack with the murder." He gave Ash a hard stare and added sharply, "And there isn't any other contraband on the premises, is there? You're all supposed to be leading respectable lives now."
"Only as respectable as you humans will let us be," Ash replied bitterly, avoiding Shacklebolt's question. Ash was careful not to keep any contraband in the house, especially after his last arrest--unless Dawlish could find an excuse to arrest him for possessing video games again--but he wasn't sure if the other werewolves were as careful. They wouldn't have any Dark Magic artifacts, of course, but Dawlish would take advantage of whatever excuse he could find to arrest a scapegoat.
Shacklebolt sighed wearily, then said, "I don't blame you for being angry, but please, let's just get this over with," making an obvious effort to sound polite and placating. "Once the interview is over, you can leave, but it's going to be a long day for us. I think that Dawlish expects us to interview every werewolf in the country."
The majority of the werewolves in England belonged to Lukas's pack, but there was also a significant number that did not belong to the pack, mostly because they were still trying to pass as human. Some still had the support of their families and had not fallen into such dire straits that they had needed to join a band of smugglers and thieves, while others hated the part of them that was wolf so much that they couldn't bring themselves to openly acknowledge their lycanthropy as the pack did, not even if they were starving. Under the equal rights bill, werewolves were no longer required to register with the Ministry, but Ash had no doubt that the old registry still existed somewhere, even if it had been tucked into some closet or file cabinet, and that Dawlish would dig it up to look for suspects if the pack eluded his grasp. Ash had never really trusted the Ministry to keep its promises, not even after the werewolves had been lauded as heroes after the war ended, and now it looked like his cynicism was being proven correct.
Ash didn't think that he would be arrested today, but he had the uneasy feeling that one day soon he might walk into the Ministry and never walk out again. The werewolves were protected only so long as Arthur Weasley remained Minister of Magic, and he was well aware of how shaky Weasley's position was at the moment.
Sensing his reluctance, Tsubasa said, "I'll go with you. And you should contact your lawyer."
"All right," Ash told the Auror, giving in against his better judgment. "Give us a few minutes to get dressed and call Ms. De Lacy."
"That's fine," Shacklebolt said, and his face vanished, along with the green flames. Ash supposed that was a good sign; at least he was being allowed to come in voluntarily, without the Aurors being sent to drag him in forcibly. For now, anyway.
Morrigan De Lacy met them at the Ministry, looking slightly harried; he supposed she had a lot to deal with, since she was also working for Snape, defending him against the alleged "rival heir". Lukas was there also, and he had worked himself into a fury. When Ash and Tsubasa arrived, he was shouting at Shacklebolt about Dawlish and his search warrant while Arthur Weasley and Morrigan tried to calm him down.
"How could you allow this?!" Lukas snarled at Arthur. "You claimed to be our friend, or was that all talk?"
"Lukas!" Morrigan hissed, her stern gaze silently reprimanding him. Even Ash knew that insulting the Minister of Magic generally wasn't a good idea, but Arthur didn't take offense.
"I'm sorry, Lukas," Arthur said, looking weary and guilty. "The Ministry is in an uproar, and I thought it would be best to prove that the werewolves have nothing to hide. Trying to block the search warrant would only lead to more claims of conspiracies."
"The Minister is in a very difficult position," Morrigan scolded. "He is doing our best to help us, at the risk of his own career."
"I know, I know," Lukas growled apologetically. "Sorry, Arthur."
"No offense taken," Arthur assured him with a faint smile. "I don't blame you for being angry. But I know that the search will come up empty, and Dawlish can't convict anyone without evidence, at least as long as I am Minister."
"Forgive me if I don't find that as comforting as I should," Lukas muttered sarcastically. Morrigan glared at him again, but Arthur just sighed; he knew as well as anyone else that his days as Minister were numbered.
"I've sent Tonks and Harry along with Dawlish to conduct the search," Arthur added. "Just to make sure that Richard doesn't get a little, shall we say, overzealous."
"Like planting false evidence?" Lukas asked with a bitter smile.
Somewhat to Ash's surprise, Arthur replied, "No, not even Dawlish would stoop that low. He's always been a by-the-book type of Auror, and he wouldn't plant false evidence, although he would take advantage of any legal loophole that he could find. I was more worried that he might vent his spite by trashing the house during the search, as he and Williamson did when they searched the Nott residence after the war ended."
Lukas and Ash exchanged skeptical looks. They didn't have as much faith in Dawlish's integrity, but they remained silent and did not contradict the Minister's words.
Shacklebolt began the interviews, and soon the other members of the pack started arriving, in varying degrees of anger, fear, and confusion. Eventually Dawlish, Tonks, and Harry returned, and judging by the look on Dawlish's face, their search hadn't proved very fruitful.
"We did not find the medallion, or any other Dark Magic artifacts," Tonks declared triumphantly. "Not that I expected to, of course."
Dawlish gave her a sour look and set a small leather case down on a nearby desk, saying, "We did, however, find some enchanted lock picks hidden under the floorboards in Mrs. Lowell-Perry's room."
"I thought I told you to get rid of those," Lukas growled at Kyra, who smiled at him sheepishly.
"Well, but I didn't trust the Ministry," she protested weakly. "I thought maybe someday they'd reinstate the anti-werewolf laws, and we'd have to return to our old way of life." She glared at Dawlish, and added in a more defiant voice, "And with the way things are going, I'd say that I'm not far off the mark!"
"But she hasn't used them since the war ended," Brian added earnestly. "She's been working an honest job at the Magical Menagerie."
"The case was covered with dust," Harry added helpfully as Dawlish glared at him. "Which means it hadn't been touched in a long time."
"Also, these picks could have opened physical locks, but they're not powerful enough to disable the warding spells employed by the museum," Tonks chimed in.
"Then it seems unlikely that these particular lock picks were used in the museum break-in," Morrigan said smoothly. "And Mr. Potter's statement seems to confirm that the lock picks were not used in some time, and it is my understanding that the werewolves were tacitly forgiven their previous crimes in exchange for their help in fighting the Death Eaters."
"That is true," Arthur agreed.
"Well then," Morrigan said pleasantly, "it seems to me that Mrs. Lowell-Perry is only guilty of the relatively minor offense of being in possession of an unauthorized magical item. Please refresh my memory, Ms. Tonks. What would be the penalty for such a crime?"
"Harry?" Tonks prompted, apparently testing the trainee Auror's store of knowledge.
"Um..." the boy said hesitantly. "For simple possession not connected to the actual commission of a theft...it should be a fine of fifty Galleons and/or up to a month in prison?"
"Correct," Tonks said approvingly. "And really, Arthur, I think we can forgo the prison sentence in this case, don't you?"
Dawlish started to protest, but Arthur waved off his objections impatiently. "Honestly, Richard, don't we have more important things to do--like catching a murderer, for instance? Confiscate the lock picks and fine Kyra and be done with it."
Dawlish snatched up the leather case and said sullenly, "You'll have to pay the fine before you leave here today."
"You owe me fifty Galleons, and you'll pay back every Knut, even if you have to do it in installments," Lukas said, glaring at Kyra, who nodded meekly. "I'll have to stop by Gringotts." He added sarcastically, "Unless I'm under arrest?"
"Get out of here," Dawlish growled, sounding almost like a wolf himself, and Lukas flashed a nasty grin at him before leaving.
Interviewing all the pack members took some time, but eventually they were all given permission to leave. Many of them had verifiable alibis--some had been working, and a few had gone to the Weird Sisters concert. Others had been at home with only their packmates as an alibi, but there was nothing suspicious that they could be held for, apart from being werewolves.
Dawlish's face was red with frustration by the time all the interviews were done, and he snarled at the other Aurors to start tracking down werewolves from the old registry, much as Ash had feared.
"But that might scare people into hiding, make them afraid to get their monthly doses of Wolfsbane Potion," Tonks argued.
"Well, where else do you suggest that I start looking for werewolves, Tonks?!" Dawlish snapped. "Perhaps you'd like to take out an ad in the Daily Prophet!"
"We should leave, before he changes his mind," Morrigan whispered, and she and Ash and Tsubasa took the Floo back to Hogwarts, where they met with Lukas, Snape, and Lupin.
"I haven't been brought in for questioning yet myself, but it's looking bad, isn't it?" Lupin asked, frowning.
"Even Dawlish isn't stupid enough to think that you're a killer, Lupin," Snape retorted. "But if he can't find the real culprit, he's going to start looking for a sacrificial lamb very soon." He turned to Lukas. "It's your people who will be in the most danger. Dawlish might have some small respect for Lupin as an Order member, but he still thinks of your pack as a band of criminals."
"Kyra was right," Lukas sighed. "This new 'respectable' life of ours was too good to last. But now we're too visible to go back to hiding in Knockturn Alley."
"I'll talk to my father," Tsubasa volunteered unexpectedly. "He's a member of the Wizards' Council in Japan, and perhaps he can get them to offer the werewolves sanctuary if you should have to flee England."
"I will do my best to protect you legally," Morrigan said. "But I think it would be wise to make provisions in the event that the law can no longer protect you. And with that in mind, I think I should leave now, so that if you should disappear in the future, I can honestly say that I do not know where you have gone. But contact me if you need anything. And Severus, don't forget about your trial."
"How can I forget?" Snape asked sourly as the lawyer vanished through the fireplace.
"We spoke of this possibility once before, when Amos and Williamson were persecuting us," Lukas said. "But what would the pack do in a foreign land where we can't speak the language?"
"It's better to be safe and figure out the rest of the details later," Snape said practically. "I also could speak to some of my colleagues in America and try to find you sanctuary there; at least they speak the same language, more or less. The Americans also seem to be slightly less prejudiced against werewolves, and they began distributing Wolfsbane Potion long before the Ministry did, although more out of practicality than altruism--it's far safer to have the werewolf population taking the potion than running around infecting people, after all. But the States do have a formal extradition treaty with Britain, which means that the authorities would be obliged to hand you back over to the Ministry if they became aware of your presence. Japan extradites only on a case-by-case basis, and Dumbledore and I have some goodwill with the council, thanks to our association with Professor Kamiyama and my work on the Wolfsbane Potion."
"Then please make the arrangements, Tsubasa, with my gratitude," Lukas said in a resigned voice. "But I hope it won't be necessary."
"So do I," Tsubasa replied. "I would hate to leave my new job, not to mention my new friends, so soon." He smiled at the occupants of the room. "I'll head to the Sakura and Portkey to Japan."
"Wait," Ash said, catching him by the arm as he turned to leave. "Tsubasa..." He wasn't quite sure what to say, especially with the others present, so he settled for, "Thank you," although it seemed inadequate.
Still, Tsubasa seemed to know what he meant, because there was a certain sense of warmth and understanding in his eyes as he met Ash's gaze. "You're welcome," he said softly, then Ash released him and he left by Floo.
Lupin and Lukas grinned at Ash knowingly, while Snape just looked impatient. "Tell your wolves to be ready to leave at a moment's notice," he instructed Lukas curtly. "We should arrange some system where you can notify them quickly if they have to leave the country."
"We could use the method that Hermione used with the D.A.," Lupin suggested. "Every member carried a coin enspelled to pass on messages with a Protean Charm. When the master coin is changed, all the others are, too."
"Clever," Snape grudgingly conceded. "Well, if that wench can manage it, so can we. Lupin and I can enchant the coins, and Diggory, you'll have the master, obviously, so that you can alert your pack if and when the time comes. I'll also speak to Dumbledore about making a few temporary Portkeys in case of emergency."
Ash's pack leader sternly instructed him not to leave the school, then departed with Snape and Lupin, still discussing magical coins and preparations to escape from Britain, and Ash was left alone to wonder what would happen to his pack, and to himself and Tsubasa, not to mention his newfound sister. He had promised Laura that she wouldn't be alone, but would it be fair to ask her to leave her home and travel to a different country with him? But if she chose to stay behind, would she be safe from his enemies? And would his budding relationship with Tsubasa survive all these added pressures? There were no easy answers, and he brooded alone over these questions as he waited for Tsubasa to return.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
After all these weeks of hiding the truth, it was surprisingly easy for Tsubasa to finally confess everything to his father. Keeping Ash safe was more important than anything, including his own embarrassment and even his desire not to worry his father, and he laid out all the facts calmly and succinctly, as if he were still a scout among the tengu, reporting to his commander.
He was even more surprised when his father listened quietly with a thoughtful expression on his face, without immediately growing alarmed and agitated. When he saw the startled look on Tsubasa's face, Yokuto asked with an amused smile, "Did you really think I didn't notice that you weren't telling the entire truth in your letters, my son?" He saw a similar look on Reiko's face and added, "And you, too, my wife?" They both smiled at him sheepishly. "I'll admit that I didn't think you were hiding anything so serious as these murders, though. I just thought that you wanted to build your relationship with Ash without any interference from meddling parents, and I certainly didn't want to jeopardize things if you had finally found your mate after all these years."
Feeling a little ashamed that he had underestimated his father, Tsubasa asked humbly, "Then will you help the werewolves, Father?"
"Of course!" Yokuto replied, looking surprised that he needed to ask such a thing. "Ash is your mate, after all, and that makes his pack brothers and sisters your kin."
"Um, well, we haven't really...that is, we haven't formally decided..." Tsubasa stammered, but his father laughed, smiling at him fondly in the way that a parent smiles at a child who has just said something amusing.
"You may not have taken formal vows, but it's clear to me that you love your wolf," Yokuto said. "And if you were able to call him back to humanity from his wolf form as you said, then I think that he must love you, too. You must have faith, Tsubasa. The bond between a crane and his or her lifemate is always strong and true."
"Even if the lifemate isn't a crane?"
Yokuto smiled at his wife, who smiled at him lovingly in return. "Even so. It takes some pairs longer to realize it than others, but a bond cannot be broken, save by death."
Reiko took his hand in hers and said gently, "Even after death, love endures, although the heart may open to embrace a new love."
"That is true, my love," Yokuto said softly, lifting Reiko's fingertips to his mouth to kiss them.
They were gazing into each other's eyes, and although he regretted interrupting such a tender moment, Tsubasa coughed to get their attention. "Ah...so you'll speak to the council about offering sanctuary to the pack, Dad?"
Yokuto smiled wryly and said, "There is a human saying, is there not, that it is easier to ask forgiveness than to ask for permission? You know how long it can take the Wizards' Council to make a decision even on trivial matters, let alone important ones. I think it would be better to quietly make preparations to bring the werewolves over, and then petition the council once they are here. I shall speak to Kamiyama-sensei about it; he is a good friend of your colleague, Snape-sensei, and father-in-law to the leader of the local werewolves, so I am sure he will be my ally. And you and Takeshi are both mated to werewolves, so they are certainly entitled to the protection of the crane clan. How many werewolves are we talking about?"
"I'm not really sure," Tsubasa admitted. "I think there are about fifty members in Lukas's pack, including the ones who don't live at the main residences. And there is a small but significant number who do not belong to the pack--perhaps twenty or so? I will have to ask Professor Lupin to be sure. The pack will do as Lukas commands, but the independent werewolves might be loathe to leave their homeland, even if their lives and freedom are in danger."
"Even fifty is a large number to introduce into our little valley," Yokuto sighed. "Kazuhiko will have a fit. Still, even he must abide by the laws of kinship. But I wonder if they might feel more comfortable living with other werewolves, if the Japanese pack will accept them?"
"The Japanese pack would probably insist that the British wolves swear allegiance to their own leader, Seiji," Tsubasa replied. "But the British pack is devoted to Lukas, and I don't think they will accept any other leader. Besides, the Japanese pack lives in isolation in the countryside, and are mostly hunters and farmers, and the British werewolves are mostly city folk."
"Then perhaps they would be more comfortable living in one of the big cities, among the Muggles," Reiko said. "And any odd behavior would be chalked up to them being foreigners. Well, don't worry, Tsubasa; we'll work something out. The main thing is to keep your friends safe. They will find sanctuary here if they need it."
"Thank you, Mom, Dad," Tsubasa said gratefully.
"I hope your friends won't need to leave their country," Yokuto said. "But no matter what happens, bring Ash home for a visit. It is only proper to introduce your mate to your parents, after all!" And despite the seriousness of the situation, he beamed happily at his son.
Tsubasa repressed a sigh, then bowed his head and obediently said, "Yes, Dad," like a dutiful son. With his human friends, it was usually their mothers who wanted to see them paired off and settled down, but Yokuto was one of the crane folk, and in his mind, it was unnatural for a crane to be alone. He'd been fretting over his son's lack of a mate for the past several years, and Tsubasa knew that he'd get no peace until he introduced Ash to his father. It might actually be a good thing for Ash to become part of a loving family, but the wary, cynical werewolf might find Yokuto's enthusiasm a bit overwhelming at first.
"But I think we should wait until things calm down," Tsubasa added, hedging a bit.
Yokuto's expression sobered. "Or until the situation becomes so dire that the werewolves have no choice but to come to Japan." He smiled wryly. "You are a warrior, and I know that it's useless to ask you to stay out of danger, especially where your mate is involved, but still--please be careful, Tsubasa."
"I will, Dad," Tsubasa promised.
"And tell your wolf that he is part of our family, and that he shall always have a home here."
Part 20
The following morning, the body of a man named Octavius Pepper was found in Diagon Alley. He was a street vendor who sold Pepperup Potions, as well as Beautification and Love Potions of dubious quality. Unlike the previous victims, he had no known connections to the werewolves, yet he appeared to have been killed in the same manner as the Madleys and Mrs. Abbott--at first glance, anyway.
As usual, Takeshi Kimura and Healer Smethwyck were called in, but they seemed puzzled and disturbed when they examined the body. "He appears to have been killed by a werewolf, but..." Smethwyck said, his voice trailing off uncertainly.
"But it's strange, isn't it?" Harry finished, relieved to have his own suspicions confirmed. "Those wounds look like teeth and claw marks but the moon wasn't full last night."
"The medallion," Kingsley said grimly. "It really does work. We should have confiscated the blasted thing instead of giving it to the museum."
The healers looked puzzled, as they had not been told of the theft of the medallion, and the Ministry was trying to keep the news under wraps. Dawlish glared at Kingsley for letting the information slip, and Tonks sighed, "We were going to have to tell them anyway, Richard, if werewolf victims keep turning up between full moons."
"Oh, very well," Dawlish said grudgingly, and Tonks explained about the missing artifact.
"Is there any chance that he could have been killed by a transfigured dog or something like that?" Harry asked, not very hopefully.
Takeshi shook his head. "No, a few of these wounds show signs of self-healing, as in a true werewolf attack. See?" He pointed to a half-healed wound on Pepper's leg. "But some of the other wounds appear to be made by neither a man nor a wolf. Or perhaps I should say--by both a man and a wolf?" He indicated four long, thin bruises encircling the victim's arm, as if someone had gripped it hard enough to impress the mark of their hand on it--hard enough to have broken it, in fact. The arm was bent at an unnatural angle where the handprint was, and there were deep puncture wounds at the ends of the bruises, as if fingernails--or talons--had pierced the flesh when the killer had grabbed the victim's arm.
"But these bite marks were definitely inflicted by a large canine--much larger than a normal dog or wolf," Smethwyck added. "They are consistent with injuries inflicted by a werewolf."
"So maybe the killer attacked Pepper in human form, then transformed into a wolf?" Tonks guessed.
"But these wounds were made by talons, not fingernails," Takeshi objected.
"So you're saying that he was killed by a...a wolfman, like in a Muggle horror movie?" Harry asked incredulously.
"I don't know," Takeshi replied, shrugging helplessly. "Despite what rumor and movies and popular fiction say, a werewolf always transforms into an animal nearly indistinguishable from a real wolf, never some sort of humanoid monster. But it sounds like no one really knows how this mysterious stolen artifact works..."
"The magic may have been warped by the damage done to the medallion," Kingsley speculated. "Maybe the transformation was halted halfway through."
"It doesn't matter whether this werewolf is walking around on two legs or four!" Dawlish shouted. "What matters is that we've got a monster running around killing people, and now he's not restricted to the full moon!"
"And two legs or four, he can apparently turn people, too," Smethwyck said gravely. "If Mr. Pepper had survived, he would almost certainly have turned into a werewolf himself."
"This is what comes of coddling your werewolf friends!" Dawlish yelled accusingly at Kingsley, Tonks, and Harry.
"Richard, be reasonable," Tonks pleaded.
"If we keep on being 'reasonable,' soon half of London will be dead or turned!" Dawlish retorted. "I intend to catch this killer if I have to round up every werewolf in Britain, starting with Diggory's pack!"
"You can't arrest them just for being werewolves!" Harry objected. "That's against the law!"
"And Arthur won't permit such a thing," Kingsley added, speaking in a quiet, level voice, as if trying to project an air of calm to ease the tension in the room. Unfortunately, he wasn't very successful.
"Then we can at least bring them in for questioning!" Dawlish snarled. "And if Arthur doesn't watch his step, we won't be answering to him much longer!"
"Was that a threat, Richard?" Tonks demanded, her face flushing with anger. Her violet hair slowly began to turn red, too, like heat rising from a fire. If Harry hadn't been so angry himself, he might have found it amusing.
Strangely, her words seemed to calm Dawlish down a bit. "No, merely a statement of fact, Tonks," he replied in a taut voice. Now that the anger had faded, Harry could see that there was also fear and worry in the Auror's face. "I'll admit, I'm not Weasley's biggest supporter, but he's a decent man. As Ministers go, we could do worse. The problem is, he's too soft, and he's surrounded by ambitious, power-hungry underlings, all ready to pounce at the first sign of weakness, like..." He smiled ironically. "Like a pack of wolves waiting to pounce on a wounded deer. He needs to learn how to play politics, and how to be ruthless when it's necessary."
"So he should sacrifice the werewolves to hold onto his job?" Harry asked disgustedly.
"Get off your high horse, Potter!" Dawlish snapped. "Yes, sometimes sacrifices have to be made. Besides, who do you think will protect your precious werewolves if Arthur gets sacked? Amos Diggory and Dolores Umbridge might be gone, but they still have plenty of friends left in the Ministry, and if one of them becomes Minister, you can kiss the equal rights bill and the Wolfsbane Potion Distribution Program goodbye." He gave Harry a cold stare. "Even if we catch the killer today, there will be fallout from these murders, Potter. There will be changes in the Ministry, like it or not. Arthur can choose to be a part of these changes, or he can be swept aside by them."
"But you know the murderer isn't Ash, because you questioned him under Truth Potion," Harry protested. "It's probably a rogue, someone not even connected to Master Diggory's pack."
"It doesn't matter," Dawlish sighed, suddenly looking weary. "We have to at least look like we're doing something to solve this case. Weasley's not the only one who can lose his job, you know."
Harry had a sudden vision of a Daily Prophet headline that read: "INCOMPETENT AURORS FAIL TO CATCH SERIAL KILLER!"--with Rita Skeeter's byline, of course. Not that Harry cared what Skeeter wrote, but if he and Tonks and Kingsley lost their jobs, then the Aurors who replaced them would probably go after the werewolf pack with even less restraint than Dawlish.
"So start bringing in the werewolves for questioning," Dawlish ordered. "We'll consider it 'voluntary' at the moment--after all, if they're innocent, they won't mind answering a few questions, right? In the meantime, I'm going to get a warrant to search their main residence. I doubt that I can get a warrant for the Diggory mansion at this point, but I'm going to try. He's married to Narcissa Malfoy, and the Malfoys might well have an interest in Dark Magic artifacts. Hmm, I wonder if I could get a warrant for Malfoy Manor...?"
"But Draco and Narcissa aren't--"
"Find me another suspect, Potter, and I'll gladly interview them," Dawlish interrupted curtly. "Otherwise, I'm going with what I have." Harry opened his mouth again, and Dawlish snapped, "The issue isn't up for debate! I'm still the lead Auror on this case, and don't you forget it! Now get to work!"
He swept out of the room without waiting for an answer, and Harry muttered, "Yes, sir," sarcastically under his breath.
Tonks heaved a sigh of resignation. "Well, if someone has to question the werewolves, I think it had better be us than Dawlish, don't you think?"
"Yes," Kingsley agreed dryly. "Unless we really do want to see blood spilled."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
After weeks of awkward courtship and misunderstandings, Ash had finally moved in with Tsubasa. Ironically, they hadn't yet slept together--or rather, they had quite literally slept in the same bed, but nothing more. After being rescued from his unexpected transformation following his father's death, Ash had been too drained, both physically and emotionally, to do anything more than lie in Tsubasa's arms. His inner wolf had found that satisfying enough, though, craving comfort and reassurance more than sex. It had been enough just to lie next to Tsubasa and breathe in his scent and listen to the sound of his breathing.
When Ash tried to report to work the next day, Arthur took one look at him and ordered him to take some time off--"compassionate leave," he called it. Typical Weasley softheartedness, or maybe he just wanted to keep Ash a safe distance away from an irate Dawlish, who was rather disgruntled about having his prime suspect proven innocent. Either way, Arthur refused to take "no" for an answer, and in the meantime, Sprout had also told Laura to take a day or two off from school, so Ash spent some time getting to know his half-sister.
They tried to talk over tea in Sprout's quarters, but their conversation was stiff and halting, with neither of them really knowing what to say. Finally, Ash suggested that they go for a walk on the school grounds for lack of anything better to say. That turned out to be a good idea, as it gave them both a neutral topic of conversation, with Ash asking questions as Laura pointed out various buildings and landmarks. His interest wasn't feigned; like all the other young werewolves, he had dreamed of attending Hogwarts but never had the chance, and he really was quite curious about the school.
As they relaxed, the conversation flowed more naturally, and Laura told him about her classes and friends, while Ash told her a little about his life with the pack, and how he had come to join them. He glossed over the more unsavory details, of course, but even that relatively "clean" version caused her eyes to brim with tears, and a look of guilt and pity to fill her face.
"It's not your fault," Ash gently told her. "Besides, everything worked out in the end. Lukas found me, and I have a true family now, my pack brothers and sisters...and you too, of course, my new little sister."
Laura smiled at him shyly, then hesitantly reached out and slipped her hand in his, and they continued strolling hand-in-hand, not saying much but taking comfort in each other's presence. Sprout had summoned him the other night to console Laura, but to his surprise, Ash found that being with his sister helped to ease his own reluctant and unwilling feelings of grief. He wasn't really sure why; maybe it helped to know that something good had come out of his parents' marriage, or maybe it was simply that pain was lessened by being shared, like the old adage said.
Still, they carefully avoided certain topics, such as Laura's happy memories of her childhood. She instinctively seemed to sense that Ash didn't want it rubbed in his face that they had been loving parents to her but not to him. Likewise, Ash mentioned little about his life with Rosalind and Madley, and talked mostly about his life with the pack.
Ash also introduced Laura to Lukas and Celine--well, she already knew them, of course, but this was her official introduction as a new pack member. She was obviously a little intimidated by Lukas, which made Ash smile, remembering how he had been frightened of Lukas when they had first met in Knockturn Alley. But when he greeted her warmly and welcomed her as a new "sister," Laura smiled at him shyly; it would take a little while for her to get to know the softer side of Lukas that he normally showed only to the cubs in the pack.
She had no such reservations about Celine, though. The younger girl impulsively flung her arms around Laura and delightedly exclaimed, "Oh, I'm so glad to have a sister!"
Laura was stunned for a brief moment, but quickly returned the embrace, saying, "I'm glad to have a sister, too. Growing up, I always wished that I had siblings, and now I have a brother AND a sister!"
"Lots of brothers and sisters," Celine giggled. "Just wait till you meet the rest of the pack!" Laura hugged her again, and she seemed to take great comfort in her newfound sister's affection. At least, her face gained a little color and lost some of that haunted, despairing look that she'd been wearing since her father's death.
Laura left Sprout's quarters and returned to the Hufflepuff dorm that night, and Ash was glad that Celine would be there to provide comfort, although she seemed to have many friends in Hufflepuff, judging by the reaction she got when she arrived for dinner in the Great Hall. Ash was watching from his seat at the head table as Tsubasa's guest, and he saw the Hufflepuffs cluster around her, greeting her with obvious concern and affection, hugging her or patting her on the shoulder, offering their sympathies and saying they were glad to have her back, that they'd been worried about her. One brown-haired girl was especially protective of Laura, and she kept turning to glance curiously at Ash; that must be Rosie Zeller. Laura had briefly mentioned that she was best friends with one of the farm children, who turned out to be the daughter of Ash's old friend John.
Ash continued to watch over his sister from the head table, having no desire to go over and introduce himself to the Zeller girl, because he wasn't exactly sure how he felt about his former friends who had abandoned him. His anger and resentment had faded somewhat, but he still wasn't ready to forgive them yet. It wasn't the girl's fault, of course, but he decided to keep his distance for the moment. Dealing with a long-lost sister was going to be challenging enough without adding further complications, although he was going to have to deal with the issue eventually, since it seemed like he had become Laura's guardian by default. Even if the Parkers changed their minds about wanting custody of Laura, he couldn't leave the poor girl with his mother's cold-blooded relatives.
And suddenly a whole host of new complications presented themselves, as the full implications dawned on him. It was one thing to offer a sympathetic shoulder to cry on, but to take on custody and become a responsible guardian for a child? Laura would be at Hogwarts for most the year, but what about summer and winter holidays? Should he take her to live with him at the townhouse, or would she want to go back to the farm? The latter would be a problem, since he certainly didn't want to step foot in his childhood home again. Maybe she could stay with John's family, but that seemed like shirking his responsibility, somehow. And where did Tsubasa fit into all this?
His thoughts grew increasingly frantic, until a light touch on his arm brought him back to reality. "Everything will be all right, Ash," Tsubasa said with an understanding smile. "Just give it some time."
"Ah...right," Ash said, turning his attention back to his dinner. He didn't have to solve all of his problems tonight, after all. First, he'd give Laura some time to heal and get over the worst of her grief, and later he could talk to her about where she wanted to live. And he could ask Lukas for advice in the meantime. Maybe he could bring Laura over to the townhouse and Diggory Manor for short visits, to gradually get her acquainted with the pack.
And at some point, he supposed that he and Tsubasa were going to have to decide what they were going to do. Tsubasa had said that they had to learn to live together since they didn't seem to be able to live apart, but Ash didn't know if that meant moving in together right away, or simply continuing to date with the intention of making their relationship permanent. And if they did move in together, did that mean living together at Hogwarts, or getting a place of their own?
Tsubasa seemed disinclined to discuss it right now, though, and Ash was content to simply enjoy being in his presence. After dinner, they spent a quiet evening together not doing much of anything; Ash lounged on the couch watching as Tsubasa read and graded some Transfiguration homework. "I hope you're not bored," Tsubasa told him apologetically, and Ash just smiled and shook his head.
They did nothing more than sleep together (literally, not figuratively) that night, too. If Tsubasa wanted to take things slowly, Ash was willing to respect that, and his inner wolf remained tame, although it was beginning to take a definite interest in the closeness of Tsubasa's body lying beside his. But it was nothing remotely close to the raging lust that had possessed him the day that he'd taken Tsubasa up against the wall of the Physical Defense classroom, and he remained in control of the wolf...for now.
Laura decided to resume her classes the next day, saying that schoolwork would help keep her mind off things, so Ash went to visit his packmates, who alternately wept, hugged, scolded, and fussed over him, all in quick succession. Matilda gave him a sharp tongue-lashing for making them worry about him, and he meekly apologized. Takeshi laughed and embraced him, whispering, "I hope things work out for you and Tsubasa. I think you two are good for each other."
"I hope so, too," Ash replied, pleasantly surprised to find that any lingering attraction he had for his friend seemed to have dissipated. He still loved Takeshi, but his feelings had reverted back to a more brotherly sort of affection, although he still felt a kind of nostalgic pleasure when he thought of their one night together. But when he tried to picture the one that he really desired, it was Tsubasa's face that was foremost in his mind. He held onto Takeshi for just a little longer than was really appropriate, though, just to needle Aric a bit and make his pack brother scowl jealously.
Ash returned to Hogwarts later that afternoon, feeling much better. He spent a little time with Laura, telling her humorous stories about his packmates, and he was happy when she eagerly asked if she could meet them sometime. Maybe she wouldn't mind living with the pack, after all.
He spent time with Tsubasa as well, the two of them not yet discussing commitments, but simply trying to get to know each other a little better. Tsubasa talked about his schoolboy days at Salem and his life with the tengu, and Ash told Tsubasa some of the same stories he had told Laura--minus the editing meant to shield an innocent young girl's sensibilities.
After dinner, they sat together quietly in Tsubasa's quarters, sipping some green tea that Tsubasa had brewed, both of them feeling a little talked out from their previous conversation. "How about some music?" Tsubasa suggested, and Ash nodded, thinking that he meant to turn on the wireless, or maybe one of those magical music boxes. But instead, he took down a silk-wrapped object from a shelf, unfolding the cloth to reveal a wooden flute. It was crudely carved and obviously homemade, but when Tsubasa put it to his lips, the most lovely music poured out of it: high, clear notes that were sweet but haunting and a little mournful, like a songbird keening wordlessly for its lost mate. And yet, there was a hint of comfort in the music that made the sorrow bearable.
"That was beautiful," Ash whispered, with tears in his eyes when the last note of the song died away.
Tsubasa lowered the flute and smiled, his fingers caressing it affectionately. "One of my tengu friends made this for me and taught me the song. It's an old song that's been passed down among the tengu for generations, but it was actually created by a human. According to the legends, a tengu man once dallied with a human woman and got her with child. She gave birth to her son in her home village, but as he grew older, he began to show signs of tengu magic, and the villagers grew fearful of him, calling him a demon. The mother knew that her son would never be accepted in the human world, so she took him to the tengu and turned him over to his father's people to be raised. The song I just played was the mother's lament, a bittersweet farewell to her child."
"I see," Ash said. Not a song of parted lovers, then, but a mother trying to comfort her child as she said goodbye to him forever. "She couldn't have stayed with her son and lived in the tengu village with him?"
Tsubasa shrugged. "The stories are a little vague. The tengu are an insular people, and she might not have been welcome. Even if they did allow her to stay, she probably would have felt as out of place there as her son did in the human village."
"Well, it was a beautiful song, although it's sad," Ash said. "I had no idea that you could play the flute." Tsubasa lips twitched as he fought back a smile, then gave up and burst into laughter. "Did I say something funny?" Ash asked, puzzled, not finding anything amusing in his simple statement.
"'Shakuhachi' is the Japanese word for 'flute,'" Tsubasa replied coyly, giving him a sidelong glance through half-lidded eyes. "But it's also a certain...hmm...euphemism for something else."
"So it really means...?" Ash prompted.
A sensual smile spread slowly across Tsubasa's face, and he practically purred, "Perhaps it would be better if I showed you rather than explained it. We wouldn't want anything to get lost in the translation, after all."
Ash thought he could probably guess what it meant, but he certainly didn't object as Tsubasa opened and pushed aside Ash's robes, then unbuttoned and unzipped his trousers, reaching inside to free his rapidly growing erection. "So eager," Tsubasa murmured, his fingers encircling Ash and running up and down the shaft. Ash moaned, leaning back against the couch, vaguely noting that Tsubasa's hand felt strangely rough in some spots but silky-smooth in others. It didn't feel bad, though--quite the opposite, in fact! The roughness of Tsubasa's calloused hand gliding along his very sensitive skin actually heightened the pleasure and sent shivers up and down Ash's spine.
He didn't have much time to ponder the matter, though, because Tsubasa slid off the couch, pushing Ash's legs apart so that he could kneel between them, and lowered his mouth, lips and tongue replacing fingers. Ash moaned again, forgetting about everything except the sensation of Tsubasa's mouth moving on him, licking and sucking gently, almost playfully at first, then with more force, gradually increasing in intensity until he was on the brink of climax, then easing off to let him catch his breath before increasing again, the pleasure ebbing and flowing like a tide.
Ash growled as he reached down to loosen the cord that tied back Tsubasa's hair, so that he could tangle his fingers in that mass of black silk. He might have gripped a little too hard, because his lover let out a muffled little grunt of pain, but instead of stopping his "flute-playing," he suckled harder, without backing off this time, and very lightly pressed his teeth into Ash's flesh. That sent Ash right over the edge, and he howled as he came, spilling into Tsubasa's mouth.
He felt like he was drowning in sensation, ecstasy coursing through his body like fire running through his veins, and for a moment, he forgot who and where he was. As awareness slowly returned, he glanced down to see Tsubasa sitting back on his heels, a self-satisfied smirk on his face as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
"Well," Ash said a little breathlessly, "you certainly are a man of many talents: teacher, swordsman, master musician. Is there anything you can't do, Professor Tsubasa?"
"Ironically, I'm crap at weaving and sewing," Tsubasa admitted sheepishly.
"I thought that was the specialty of your people?" Ash teased. "All those fairy tales about turning feathers into cloth..." Tsubasa blushed, looking rather embarrassed, and Ash felt guilty. Tsubasa had said once that he didn't get along with most of the crane folk; maybe they gave him a hard time because he couldn't weave. "Well, but not all of your people are weavers, right?" Ash asked, giving him an apologetic smile. "Takeshi is a mediwizard."
"Takeshi is part-human," Tsubasa explained. "Not all crane folk with human blood can perform Weaving magic, but all the purebloods can--theoretically. Even if they choose some other profession, such as healing, they still have the ability to weave feathers into silk, and even a crane of average ability ought to be able to produce cloth finer than anything the Muggles can mass-produce with their machinery. But I seem to be the exception to the rule." He grimaced comically. "I can sort of do it, if you don't mind cloth with snarls and runs and knots in it, but I can't produce a garment that anyone other than a beggar would want to wear in public."
"Well, perhaps you have this one weakness to balance out all your other talents," Ash chuckled. "If you were any more perfect, you'd be nearly insufferable."
"I shall endeavor to remain humble," Tsubasa said sweetly, eyes downcast with feigned modesty.
"Come here," Ash growled, grabbing Tsubasa by one arm and pulling him up off the floor onto his lap. He kissed the other man deeply, taking a slightly perverse sort of pleasure in tasting the bitterness of his own climax inside Tsubasa's mouth. Tsubasa was wearing a long kimono without his usual hakama trousers, and Ash slipped his hand beneath the folds of the kimono, running his fingers along Tsubasa's thigh until they reached his crotch and firmly closed over the obvious evidence of his arousal. Ash grinned as Tsubasa moaned loudly, and he growled into his lover's ear, "I'm no master musician, but I'd like to return the favor. I think I can manage to play a tune or two, if you like."
"Yes," Tsubasa whispered hoarsely as Ash nibbled gently on his earlobe. "I would like that..."
Afterwards, Ash lay sprawled across the couch with his head pillowed on Tsubasa's lap. His performance might have lacked some of Tsubasa's finesse, but he had tried to make up in enthusiasm what he lacked in subtlety, and Tsubasa certainly seemed satisfied enough. He rested against the couch with his eyes closed and his face flushed, a satiated smile on his lips as he idly stroked Ash's hair.
Ash growled with pleasure, but then remembered something that had puzzled him, and grabbed Tsubasa's hand to examine it more closely, noting that it was as calloused as his own, although in slightly different places.
"Is something wrong?" Tsubasa asked.
"No," Ash replied, releasing his hand. "It's just funny that I never noticed the calluses on your hand before."
Tsubasa grinned wickedly and said, "That's because you were far more interested in other parts of my anatomy."
"That's true," Ash confessed, laughing. "But to be honest, it reassures me. Your skin is so soft that I always felt a little ashamed to be touching you with these rough hands." He held up his own hands, which were slightly calloused themselves from years of physical labor, since the werewolves had often had difficulty finding proper wizarding jobs.
"Silly wolf," Tsubasa scolded affectionately, kissing Ash's fingertips. "For one thing, I'm not that delicate. For another, any experienced swordsman is going to have calluses." He smiled nostalgically. "Although the tengu did tease me for having 'soft hands' when I first arrived at their village. I had taken some kendo lessons from my step-uncle, who is an instructor at a small dojo in the States, but nothing like the kind of intensive training that the tengu teach. They laughed at me and told me to go back to my loom, but when I insisted on staying, they decided to test my resolve. Before I was even allowed to touch a sword, they assigned me to hard, menial labor, like chopping firewood and hauling buckets of water--up and down the mountain, I might add. I was soft, by tengu standards, and my hands were blistered and bleeding, and my muscles aching by the end of the first day, but I never uttered a single word of complaint, because I knew they'd send me back home if I did. The tengu were impressed by my stubbornness, and they eventually deigned to accept me as a student. And I eventually developed calluses and got accustomed to hard work." He kissed Ash's hands again. "So there is no reason for you to feel ashamed of yourself, ever. Evidence of hard work is something to be proud of."
"I never thought of it that way before," Ash said, staring up at Tsubasa in wonder. He had always felt slightly ashamed of himself--of his scars, his calluses, and until he'd gotten his Ministry job, his shabby clothes and lack of money. And to a certain extent, of his lycanthropy, although in some ways he considered it a blessing because it had brought him to Lukas and the pack, his true family. It amazed him that someone like Tsubasa, so beautiful and noble, thought of him as an equal. Ash had always defiantly declared that he was the equal of any human, but deep down inside, maybe he hadn't really believed it.
"Well, you should," Tsubasa said, smiling at him tenderly.
Ash sat up and wrapped one arm around Tsubasa, pulling him close. "So, you don't mind if I touch you?" he asked in a husky growl, sliding his other hand beneath Tsubasa's kimono.
"Not at all," Tsubasa gasped. "I see you've got your second wind."
"Haven't you heard?" Ash asked with a grin. "Werewolves are insatiable."
"Show me," Tsubasa said, kissing him.
So he did.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ash spent most of the night demonstrating just how insatiable werewolves were, which meant that they were both exhausted when they finally fell into a deep and contented slumber, and they slept late into the next morning.
Ash woke up when he felt Tsubasa stirring next to him, and noticed sunlight filtering through the curtains covering the bedroom window. "Morning," Tsubasa said, brushing his lips against Ash's cheek, then he yawned and stretched, blinking sleepily as he rolled over to glance at the clock on the nightstand. "I don't think we can make it to breakfast in the Great Hall, but I have some tea and fruit and rice crackers on hand, if you don't mind making do. Or I could ask the house-elves to send some food up from the kitchen."
"No, that's fine," Ash said, waving off the latter suggestion. "But won't you be late for class?"
"I have first period free," Tsubasa replied, smiling lazily. "It's Professor McGonagall's turn to teach Transfiguration today, and Physical Defense doesn't start till later, so there's no rush."
"Good," Ash growled, nuzzling Tsubasa's neck, feeling a smug sense of satisfaction at the sight of the bruises he had left there last night. The wolf had enjoyed claiming its mate, but their lovemaking had been playful and relaxed, a pleasant contrast to the desperation and anger that had marked their last encounter.
"You really are insatiable, aren't you?" Tsubasa laughed. "Well, I suppose breakfast can wait..."
Some time later, they settled down to a makeshift breakfast on the couch, feeding each other bites of food between kisses. They had showered together (which had further delayed breakfast), and Ash was wearing a borrowed cotton kimono, which he had to admit made a comfortable substitute dressing gown or bathrobe. He had felt a little silly when he first donned it, but Tsubasa had assured him that he looked very handsome. Tsubasa, of course, looked beautiful in his own kimono, with his damp hair falling loose and unbound across his shoulders.
Ash felt a little giddy with happiness as he took a piece of fruit from Tsubasa's fingers with his mouth, brushing his lips against his lover's fingertips as he did so. It almost felt like they were newlyweds--living together, waking up together and making love in the morning, even kissing and laughing over breakfast like a couple of lovestruck idiots. He was hard-pressed now to recall why he had been so frightened of taking a permanent mate. Living with someone was actually rather nice. Well, he lived with his pack, of course, but that wasn't quite the same thing.
Then reality suddenly intruded on his euphoria as he recalled something Kai had told him about Tsubasa going out on a date with a woman in Hogsmeade, and the fruit he had just eaten seemed to get stuck halfway down his throat.
"What's wrong, Ash?" Tsubasa asked, looking concerned by the sudden change in expression on his face.
Ash coughed and forced himself to swallow. "Um...this may sound a little odd, but...do you have a girlfriend?"
Tsubasa seemed bewildered by the question. "No, of course not. Why would you ask such a thing?"
Torn between relief and suspicion, Ash replied defensively, "Well, Kai said he saw you--no, wait, that's not right." He paused to try and remember exactly what his pack brother had told him. "The girls at Gladrags saw you walking arm-in-arm with a pretty Japanese woman who called you 'sweetie'. She was looking at a robe in the shop window there. And afterwards, the two of you went to Puddifoot's."
Tsubasa burst into laughter and said, "You idiot, that was my mother!"
"Your...mother?" Ash asked weakly, feeling very much like an idiot, indeed.
"Yes, my stepmother Reiko," Tsubasa replied, still laughing. "Didn't I tell you that she was only eighteen when she met my father? And on top of that, she looks young for her age, so I suppose we might have looked more like sweethearts than mother and son to a stranger. I can't wait to tell her; she'll be thrilled to hear that someone mistook her for my girlfriend."
"I'm sorry," Ash apologized, smiling sheepishly. "It's just...it was right after we had that fight, and I wouldn't have blamed you if you decided to start seeing someone else. I thought maybe she was some old flame from Japan..."
"You idiot," Tsubasa repeated affectionately, leaning over to give him a kiss. "Even if I was seeing someone else--which I most definitely am not--it wouldn't be a woman. Didn't Takeshi and Aric tell you that I'm gay?"
"Um, well, Aric did," Ash mumbled, blushing. "But I thought maybe he was mistaken."
"Well, he wasn't," Tsubasa said firmly, then grinned. "Although I must admit that I am a little flattered that you were jealous."
"Werewolves are possessive lovers," Ash growled softly, shoving their breakfast plates aside. He pulled Tsubasa close, tugging at the sash wrapped around his waist to loosen it so that he could slide one hand beneath Tsubasa's kimono. He knew that Tsubasa was wearing nothing under it because they had gotten dressed--so to speak--together after showering, and that knowledge titillated the wolf. He growled again, nipping at his lover's throat, reveling in the sensation of smooth, warm skin beneath his fingers, while Tsubasa began fumbling with Ash's kimono, eager to return the favor.
"Excuse me!" a voice called from the fireplace, and both Ash and Tsubasa jumped, turning to see Kingsley Shacklebolt's face staring at them through green flames. The Auror coughed and turned away for a moment as Ash and Tsubasa hastily pulled apart and straightened their robes.
"Sorry, didn't mean to...er...interrupt," Shacklebolt said, his voice hovering somewhere between amusement and embarrassment.
"Not at all, Mr. Shacklebolt," Tsubasa said calmly. "What can we do for you?" His kimono was now wrapped securely around his body, and he sat in a relaxed position, his face schooled into an expression of polite attention. Only a faint hint of pink staining his cheeks indicated that he was anything other than completely composed.
Ash, on the other hand, was rather disgruntled about the interruption. "So who got killed this time?" he asked sarcastically, but when the Auror's face suddenly turned grave and sober, he realized that his half-joking question was no joke, after all. "Come on!" he protested. "Both my parents are dead; I don't have any relatives left to murder!" Well, there were the Parkers, his mother's kin, but Ash had seen them only a handful of times as a child, and didn't really think of them as family. And then his face went pale as he remembered that he did have one blood relative left that he cared about. "Laura!" he gasped. "Is she--"
"She's fine, as far as I know," Shacklebolt assured him. "A street vendor was killed in an apparent werewolf attack last night, an Octavius Pepper. Do you know him?"
"Not really, although I know of him," Ash replied, frowning. "He sells bargain-price potions, and let's just say that you get what you pay for. He's neither a friend nor a foe to the werewolves. Wait a minute...last night wasn't a full moon. But Takeshi told the pack about some Dark artifact that was stolen...?"
"An artifact that supposedly allows a werewolf to transform at any time of the month," Shacklebolt confirmed in a grim voice. "Dawlish, as you can imagine, is beside himself, and he's ordered that all the werewolves be brought in for questioning." Before Ash could object, the Auror added wearily, "And no, I don't think that you or any of your pack are guilty, but we have to do something to appease Dawlish or he might go to further extremes. As a matter of fact, he's trying to get a search warrant for the townhouse right now."
"What?!" Ash roared, leaping to his feet.
"Calm down, Randolf," Shacklebolt urged. "As long as he doesn't find the medallion there, he can't charge you or your pack with the murder." He gave Ash a hard stare and added sharply, "And there isn't any other contraband on the premises, is there? You're all supposed to be leading respectable lives now."
"Only as respectable as you humans will let us be," Ash replied bitterly, avoiding Shacklebolt's question. Ash was careful not to keep any contraband in the house, especially after his last arrest--unless Dawlish could find an excuse to arrest him for possessing video games again--but he wasn't sure if the other werewolves were as careful. They wouldn't have any Dark Magic artifacts, of course, but Dawlish would take advantage of whatever excuse he could find to arrest a scapegoat.
Shacklebolt sighed wearily, then said, "I don't blame you for being angry, but please, let's just get this over with," making an obvious effort to sound polite and placating. "Once the interview is over, you can leave, but it's going to be a long day for us. I think that Dawlish expects us to interview every werewolf in the country."
The majority of the werewolves in England belonged to Lukas's pack, but there was also a significant number that did not belong to the pack, mostly because they were still trying to pass as human. Some still had the support of their families and had not fallen into such dire straits that they had needed to join a band of smugglers and thieves, while others hated the part of them that was wolf so much that they couldn't bring themselves to openly acknowledge their lycanthropy as the pack did, not even if they were starving. Under the equal rights bill, werewolves were no longer required to register with the Ministry, but Ash had no doubt that the old registry still existed somewhere, even if it had been tucked into some closet or file cabinet, and that Dawlish would dig it up to look for suspects if the pack eluded his grasp. Ash had never really trusted the Ministry to keep its promises, not even after the werewolves had been lauded as heroes after the war ended, and now it looked like his cynicism was being proven correct.
Ash didn't think that he would be arrested today, but he had the uneasy feeling that one day soon he might walk into the Ministry and never walk out again. The werewolves were protected only so long as Arthur Weasley remained Minister of Magic, and he was well aware of how shaky Weasley's position was at the moment.
Sensing his reluctance, Tsubasa said, "I'll go with you. And you should contact your lawyer."
"All right," Ash told the Auror, giving in against his better judgment. "Give us a few minutes to get dressed and call Ms. De Lacy."
"That's fine," Shacklebolt said, and his face vanished, along with the green flames. Ash supposed that was a good sign; at least he was being allowed to come in voluntarily, without the Aurors being sent to drag him in forcibly. For now, anyway.
Morrigan De Lacy met them at the Ministry, looking slightly harried; he supposed she had a lot to deal with, since she was also working for Snape, defending him against the alleged "rival heir". Lukas was there also, and he had worked himself into a fury. When Ash and Tsubasa arrived, he was shouting at Shacklebolt about Dawlish and his search warrant while Arthur Weasley and Morrigan tried to calm him down.
"How could you allow this?!" Lukas snarled at Arthur. "You claimed to be our friend, or was that all talk?"
"Lukas!" Morrigan hissed, her stern gaze silently reprimanding him. Even Ash knew that insulting the Minister of Magic generally wasn't a good idea, but Arthur didn't take offense.
"I'm sorry, Lukas," Arthur said, looking weary and guilty. "The Ministry is in an uproar, and I thought it would be best to prove that the werewolves have nothing to hide. Trying to block the search warrant would only lead to more claims of conspiracies."
"The Minister is in a very difficult position," Morrigan scolded. "He is doing our best to help us, at the risk of his own career."
"I know, I know," Lukas growled apologetically. "Sorry, Arthur."
"No offense taken," Arthur assured him with a faint smile. "I don't blame you for being angry. But I know that the search will come up empty, and Dawlish can't convict anyone without evidence, at least as long as I am Minister."
"Forgive me if I don't find that as comforting as I should," Lukas muttered sarcastically. Morrigan glared at him again, but Arthur just sighed; he knew as well as anyone else that his days as Minister were numbered.
"I've sent Tonks and Harry along with Dawlish to conduct the search," Arthur added. "Just to make sure that Richard doesn't get a little, shall we say, overzealous."
"Like planting false evidence?" Lukas asked with a bitter smile.
Somewhat to Ash's surprise, Arthur replied, "No, not even Dawlish would stoop that low. He's always been a by-the-book type of Auror, and he wouldn't plant false evidence, although he would take advantage of any legal loophole that he could find. I was more worried that he might vent his spite by trashing the house during the search, as he and Williamson did when they searched the Nott residence after the war ended."
Lukas and Ash exchanged skeptical looks. They didn't have as much faith in Dawlish's integrity, but they remained silent and did not contradict the Minister's words.
Shacklebolt began the interviews, and soon the other members of the pack started arriving, in varying degrees of anger, fear, and confusion. Eventually Dawlish, Tonks, and Harry returned, and judging by the look on Dawlish's face, their search hadn't proved very fruitful.
"We did not find the medallion, or any other Dark Magic artifacts," Tonks declared triumphantly. "Not that I expected to, of course."
Dawlish gave her a sour look and set a small leather case down on a nearby desk, saying, "We did, however, find some enchanted lock picks hidden under the floorboards in Mrs. Lowell-Perry's room."
"I thought I told you to get rid of those," Lukas growled at Kyra, who smiled at him sheepishly.
"Well, but I didn't trust the Ministry," she protested weakly. "I thought maybe someday they'd reinstate the anti-werewolf laws, and we'd have to return to our old way of life." She glared at Dawlish, and added in a more defiant voice, "And with the way things are going, I'd say that I'm not far off the mark!"
"But she hasn't used them since the war ended," Brian added earnestly. "She's been working an honest job at the Magical Menagerie."
"The case was covered with dust," Harry added helpfully as Dawlish glared at him. "Which means it hadn't been touched in a long time."
"Also, these picks could have opened physical locks, but they're not powerful enough to disable the warding spells employed by the museum," Tonks chimed in.
"Then it seems unlikely that these particular lock picks were used in the museum break-in," Morrigan said smoothly. "And Mr. Potter's statement seems to confirm that the lock picks were not used in some time, and it is my understanding that the werewolves were tacitly forgiven their previous crimes in exchange for their help in fighting the Death Eaters."
"That is true," Arthur agreed.
"Well then," Morrigan said pleasantly, "it seems to me that Mrs. Lowell-Perry is only guilty of the relatively minor offense of being in possession of an unauthorized magical item. Please refresh my memory, Ms. Tonks. What would be the penalty for such a crime?"
"Harry?" Tonks prompted, apparently testing the trainee Auror's store of knowledge.
"Um..." the boy said hesitantly. "For simple possession not connected to the actual commission of a theft...it should be a fine of fifty Galleons and/or up to a month in prison?"
"Correct," Tonks said approvingly. "And really, Arthur, I think we can forgo the prison sentence in this case, don't you?"
Dawlish started to protest, but Arthur waved off his objections impatiently. "Honestly, Richard, don't we have more important things to do--like catching a murderer, for instance? Confiscate the lock picks and fine Kyra and be done with it."
Dawlish snatched up the leather case and said sullenly, "You'll have to pay the fine before you leave here today."
"You owe me fifty Galleons, and you'll pay back every Knut, even if you have to do it in installments," Lukas said, glaring at Kyra, who nodded meekly. "I'll have to stop by Gringotts." He added sarcastically, "Unless I'm under arrest?"
"Get out of here," Dawlish growled, sounding almost like a wolf himself, and Lukas flashed a nasty grin at him before leaving.
Interviewing all the pack members took some time, but eventually they were all given permission to leave. Many of them had verifiable alibis--some had been working, and a few had gone to the Weird Sisters concert. Others had been at home with only their packmates as an alibi, but there was nothing suspicious that they could be held for, apart from being werewolves.
Dawlish's face was red with frustration by the time all the interviews were done, and he snarled at the other Aurors to start tracking down werewolves from the old registry, much as Ash had feared.
"But that might scare people into hiding, make them afraid to get their monthly doses of Wolfsbane Potion," Tonks argued.
"Well, where else do you suggest that I start looking for werewolves, Tonks?!" Dawlish snapped. "Perhaps you'd like to take out an ad in the Daily Prophet!"
"We should leave, before he changes his mind," Morrigan whispered, and she and Ash and Tsubasa took the Floo back to Hogwarts, where they met with Lukas, Snape, and Lupin.
"I haven't been brought in for questioning yet myself, but it's looking bad, isn't it?" Lupin asked, frowning.
"Even Dawlish isn't stupid enough to think that you're a killer, Lupin," Snape retorted. "But if he can't find the real culprit, he's going to start looking for a sacrificial lamb very soon." He turned to Lukas. "It's your people who will be in the most danger. Dawlish might have some small respect for Lupin as an Order member, but he still thinks of your pack as a band of criminals."
"Kyra was right," Lukas sighed. "This new 'respectable' life of ours was too good to last. But now we're too visible to go back to hiding in Knockturn Alley."
"I'll talk to my father," Tsubasa volunteered unexpectedly. "He's a member of the Wizards' Council in Japan, and perhaps he can get them to offer the werewolves sanctuary if you should have to flee England."
"I will do my best to protect you legally," Morrigan said. "But I think it would be wise to make provisions in the event that the law can no longer protect you. And with that in mind, I think I should leave now, so that if you should disappear in the future, I can honestly say that I do not know where you have gone. But contact me if you need anything. And Severus, don't forget about your trial."
"How can I forget?" Snape asked sourly as the lawyer vanished through the fireplace.
"We spoke of this possibility once before, when Amos and Williamson were persecuting us," Lukas said. "But what would the pack do in a foreign land where we can't speak the language?"
"It's better to be safe and figure out the rest of the details later," Snape said practically. "I also could speak to some of my colleagues in America and try to find you sanctuary there; at least they speak the same language, more or less. The Americans also seem to be slightly less prejudiced against werewolves, and they began distributing Wolfsbane Potion long before the Ministry did, although more out of practicality than altruism--it's far safer to have the werewolf population taking the potion than running around infecting people, after all. But the States do have a formal extradition treaty with Britain, which means that the authorities would be obliged to hand you back over to the Ministry if they became aware of your presence. Japan extradites only on a case-by-case basis, and Dumbledore and I have some goodwill with the council, thanks to our association with Professor Kamiyama and my work on the Wolfsbane Potion."
"Then please make the arrangements, Tsubasa, with my gratitude," Lukas said in a resigned voice. "But I hope it won't be necessary."
"So do I," Tsubasa replied. "I would hate to leave my new job, not to mention my new friends, so soon." He smiled at the occupants of the room. "I'll head to the Sakura and Portkey to Japan."
"Wait," Ash said, catching him by the arm as he turned to leave. "Tsubasa..." He wasn't quite sure what to say, especially with the others present, so he settled for, "Thank you," although it seemed inadequate.
Still, Tsubasa seemed to know what he meant, because there was a certain sense of warmth and understanding in his eyes as he met Ash's gaze. "You're welcome," he said softly, then Ash released him and he left by Floo.
Lupin and Lukas grinned at Ash knowingly, while Snape just looked impatient. "Tell your wolves to be ready to leave at a moment's notice," he instructed Lukas curtly. "We should arrange some system where you can notify them quickly if they have to leave the country."
"We could use the method that Hermione used with the D.A.," Lupin suggested. "Every member carried a coin enspelled to pass on messages with a Protean Charm. When the master coin is changed, all the others are, too."
"Clever," Snape grudgingly conceded. "Well, if that wench can manage it, so can we. Lupin and I can enchant the coins, and Diggory, you'll have the master, obviously, so that you can alert your pack if and when the time comes. I'll also speak to Dumbledore about making a few temporary Portkeys in case of emergency."
Ash's pack leader sternly instructed him not to leave the school, then departed with Snape and Lupin, still discussing magical coins and preparations to escape from Britain, and Ash was left alone to wonder what would happen to his pack, and to himself and Tsubasa, not to mention his newfound sister. He had promised Laura that she wouldn't be alone, but would it be fair to ask her to leave her home and travel to a different country with him? But if she chose to stay behind, would she be safe from his enemies? And would his budding relationship with Tsubasa survive all these added pressures? There were no easy answers, and he brooded alone over these questions as he waited for Tsubasa to return.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
After all these weeks of hiding the truth, it was surprisingly easy for Tsubasa to finally confess everything to his father. Keeping Ash safe was more important than anything, including his own embarrassment and even his desire not to worry his father, and he laid out all the facts calmly and succinctly, as if he were still a scout among the tengu, reporting to his commander.
He was even more surprised when his father listened quietly with a thoughtful expression on his face, without immediately growing alarmed and agitated. When he saw the startled look on Tsubasa's face, Yokuto asked with an amused smile, "Did you really think I didn't notice that you weren't telling the entire truth in your letters, my son?" He saw a similar look on Reiko's face and added, "And you, too, my wife?" They both smiled at him sheepishly. "I'll admit that I didn't think you were hiding anything so serious as these murders, though. I just thought that you wanted to build your relationship with Ash without any interference from meddling parents, and I certainly didn't want to jeopardize things if you had finally found your mate after all these years."
Feeling a little ashamed that he had underestimated his father, Tsubasa asked humbly, "Then will you help the werewolves, Father?"
"Of course!" Yokuto replied, looking surprised that he needed to ask such a thing. "Ash is your mate, after all, and that makes his pack brothers and sisters your kin."
"Um, well, we haven't really...that is, we haven't formally decided..." Tsubasa stammered, but his father laughed, smiling at him fondly in the way that a parent smiles at a child who has just said something amusing.
"You may not have taken formal vows, but it's clear to me that you love your wolf," Yokuto said. "And if you were able to call him back to humanity from his wolf form as you said, then I think that he must love you, too. You must have faith, Tsubasa. The bond between a crane and his or her lifemate is always strong and true."
"Even if the lifemate isn't a crane?"
Yokuto smiled at his wife, who smiled at him lovingly in return. "Even so. It takes some pairs longer to realize it than others, but a bond cannot be broken, save by death."
Reiko took his hand in hers and said gently, "Even after death, love endures, although the heart may open to embrace a new love."
"That is true, my love," Yokuto said softly, lifting Reiko's fingertips to his mouth to kiss them.
They were gazing into each other's eyes, and although he regretted interrupting such a tender moment, Tsubasa coughed to get their attention. "Ah...so you'll speak to the council about offering sanctuary to the pack, Dad?"
Yokuto smiled wryly and said, "There is a human saying, is there not, that it is easier to ask forgiveness than to ask for permission? You know how long it can take the Wizards' Council to make a decision even on trivial matters, let alone important ones. I think it would be better to quietly make preparations to bring the werewolves over, and then petition the council once they are here. I shall speak to Kamiyama-sensei about it; he is a good friend of your colleague, Snape-sensei, and father-in-law to the leader of the local werewolves, so I am sure he will be my ally. And you and Takeshi are both mated to werewolves, so they are certainly entitled to the protection of the crane clan. How many werewolves are we talking about?"
"I'm not really sure," Tsubasa admitted. "I think there are about fifty members in Lukas's pack, including the ones who don't live at the main residences. And there is a small but significant number who do not belong to the pack--perhaps twenty or so? I will have to ask Professor Lupin to be sure. The pack will do as Lukas commands, but the independent werewolves might be loathe to leave their homeland, even if their lives and freedom are in danger."
"Even fifty is a large number to introduce into our little valley," Yokuto sighed. "Kazuhiko will have a fit. Still, even he must abide by the laws of kinship. But I wonder if they might feel more comfortable living with other werewolves, if the Japanese pack will accept them?"
"The Japanese pack would probably insist that the British wolves swear allegiance to their own leader, Seiji," Tsubasa replied. "But the British pack is devoted to Lukas, and I don't think they will accept any other leader. Besides, the Japanese pack lives in isolation in the countryside, and are mostly hunters and farmers, and the British werewolves are mostly city folk."
"Then perhaps they would be more comfortable living in one of the big cities, among the Muggles," Reiko said. "And any odd behavior would be chalked up to them being foreigners. Well, don't worry, Tsubasa; we'll work something out. The main thing is to keep your friends safe. They will find sanctuary here if they need it."
"Thank you, Mom, Dad," Tsubasa said gratefully.
"I hope your friends won't need to leave their country," Yokuto said. "But no matter what happens, bring Ash home for a visit. It is only proper to introduce your mate to your parents, after all!" And despite the seriousness of the situation, he beamed happily at his son.
Tsubasa repressed a sigh, then bowed his head and obediently said, "Yes, Dad," like a dutiful son. With his human friends, it was usually their mothers who wanted to see them paired off and settled down, but Yokuto was one of the crane folk, and in his mind, it was unnatural for a crane to be alone. He'd been fretting over his son's lack of a mate for the past several years, and Tsubasa knew that he'd get no peace until he introduced Ash to his father. It might actually be a good thing for Ash to become part of a loving family, but the wary, cynical werewolf might find Yokuto's enthusiasm a bit overwhelming at first.
"But I think we should wait until things calm down," Tsubasa added, hedging a bit.
Yokuto's expression sobered. "Or until the situation becomes so dire that the werewolves have no choice but to come to Japan." He smiled wryly. "You are a warrior, and I know that it's useless to ask you to stay out of danger, especially where your mate is involved, but still--please be careful, Tsubasa."
"I will, Dad," Tsubasa promised.
"And tell your wolf that he is part of our family, and that he shall always have a home here."
Part 20