Unofficial Portkey Archive

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the 'Harry Potter' universe, nor do I own any of the lyric bits I use to enhance the story. I make no money whatsoever from writing this stuff.

A/N: I swear, you people are going to kill me. You're going to come and hunt me down and stab me repeatedly in my sleep, then probably do some unspeakable things to me corpse. Now before you reach for your torches and pitchforks, understand that this chapter sets up the end of the story. Remember that the fragment in Harry isn't 'just' a Horcrux. Oh, and let's see how many of you can guess the story of this house! As always, R & R & Enjoy!

-----~-----

Chapter 36: Lily's Love Lagoon

Memories are just where you laid them,
dragging the waters 'til the depths give up their dead.
What did you expect to find?
Was it something you left behind?
Don't you remember anything I said when I said,

Don't fall away and leave me to myself.
Don't fall away and leave love bleeding in my hands, in my hands again.

Excerpt from the song 'Hemorrhage (In My Hands) by the band Fuel.

-----~-----

Harry walked towards his quarters at a brisk pace, anxious to leave the castle that soon would be overrun with Ministry officials searching for both Kotone and him. He smiled at the thought of his two girls that were off in search of birthday presents for him, but the smile was short lived. Thinking about his birthday reminded him that he would be of age in the wizarding world and would be able to use magic freely, but that thought made him painfully aware of the of the empty space in his pocket… the space that had always held his beloved holly wand. Already, he was missing the comforting feel of the shaft of wood against his hip.

As he walked, he briefly wondered if he had enough time to visit the Room of Requirement to fill another cage of 'food' for Kotone, but dismissed the idea, again, because he had no wand. Anyway, he had already taken enough chances for one day, and without a wand, it would be comically simple for any wizard to capture him. He would find another way to get food for her… maybe a muggle pet shop.

Harry entered his quarters and looked around for a few moments, making sure that he wasn't leaving anything behind, but soon realized that he hadn't brought any of his own possessions to the room at all. He stepped towards his fireplace, grabbed a handful of floo powder from the pot on the mantle and threw it into the grate. He stepped into the magical fire, feeling the warm, tickling sensation of the green flames around him. He opened his mouth, ready to speak his destination.

Realization struck him… Hermione told him that she was able to cast the Fidelis, but never told him where the place was. This caused a sharp intake of breath, which only served to fill his mouth with bits of hot ash and cinders, much like what had happened the very first time he traveled by floo. He stepped out from the grate coughing and spitting, and wondering how he was going to get home.

He assumed that Ron, Luna and Kotone had already been told the location, so that they could come and go as they pleased. He knew that he couldn't stay in the castle, but where could he go that Hermione would know to look for him, but the Ministry wouldn't? The Twins' shop came to mind, but wandering around Diagon Alley without his father's cloak wouldn't be a very keen idea. He considered The Burrow, but that would be one of the places that the Ministry would expect him to go and were probably watching the area. He briefly entertained the idea of flooing to Mrs. Figg's house and making his way to Privet Drive, thinking that Hermione had found him there before. That didn't sound very appealing, either… but maybe that would give him a chance to get that driving lesson that Hermione had promised.

He glanced down to his shoes, remembering the tracking spell that Tonks had placed and wondered if it was still in effect. If so, Hermione could find him no matter where he went, leaving him with his original question… where to go?

He remembered the box of documents that he had taken from his nearly empty vault. He recalled seeing a list of properties that he supposedly owned. There was Privet Drive, of course. There was also Godric's Hollow, but he was told there was nothing there. He tried to remember the other places… a place that had a name like a fish… and a few others. There was only one place on the list that he remembered the name of, and only because it struck him as so amusing… 'Lily's Love Lagoon.' The name was certainly intriguing…

Figuring that he had nothing to lose, he hastily scribbled out a note. A note that he knew Hermione would understand, but anyone else who saw it wouldn't have a clue to its' meaning.

'I've left by floo for a short holiday to the beach. If you need to get in touch with me, just look in the -paper box- and -don't ever forget,- because I certainly haven't.

Prof. Harold Buck.'

Harry left the note conspicuously on the end table next to the large sofa near the fireplace. He grabbed another handful of floo powder, tossed it down and said clearly, "Lily's Love Lagoon."

He felt the grate he was standing on fall out from under his feet. He held his arms tightly around him as the floo grates flashed by in rapid succession. After a few minutes of dizzily spinning around amidst the green flames with no sign of slowing down, he began to get very worried.

Every time he had floo traveled in the past, the trip only lasted a few moments, sometimes up to thirty seconds, but never this long. He also noticed that the number of floo grates that were zipping by became less and less frequent with longer spans of blackness in between until there were no floo grates at all, just a disorienting nothingness beyond the green flames surrounding him.

The incessant spinning was causing the nausea he was feeling to magnify. Just as he thought he was going to sick up all over himself, a stationary floo grid appeared before him. Desperate to be free from the confines of the floo network, he lunged forward and ended up sprawled out on a huge, white, polar bearskin rug in front of a huge fireplace.

He closed his eyes, panting and gasping, trying desperately to swallow down the bile that made a brief appearance in the back of his throat. After a few moments he felt the nausea subside enough for him to open his tearing eyes to survey his surroundings.

The first thing he noticed as he lifted his head from the rug was that the floor seemed to be made of pure white earthenware tiles. He looked at the large, white marble fireplace, with the white marble mantle. The bare walls were a stark white, as well as all the furnishings, which, if he were forced to describe them, would be considered 'ultra-post-modern,' at least they would be back in the late nineteen seventies.

There was a pair of white, egg-shaped chairs near the fireplace that were suspended from the white ceiling by sturdy-looking white chains. There was a large, fur-covered, zebra-stripe-patterned sofa between the two chairs facing the hearth, with a clear glass coffee table with white, tubular plastic legs sitting before the sofa.

The other furnishings in the room carried the same motif… he had never seen so much white in one place at one time. He did notice that everything was coated in a thick layer of fine dust, which was only disturbed on the area before the fireplace when he made his graceless entrance.

There were three white doors in the room, one set of glass doors that led outside, and one white staircase that appeared to lead to an open loft on the side of the room opposite the fireplace. He could just make out the shape of a large bed with zebra-patterned sheets through the railing that lined the upper loft.

The room was illuminated by a very large, but very dirty skylight that took up nearly the entire ceiling above the bed in the loft. He could imagine himself lying on the bed at night and looking up at the starry heavens above. With the amount of light coming in, it was either very late in the day or very early in the morning… he couldn't tell which.

He carefully walked up the stairs to inspect the sleeping area, assuming that he might be spending a very long time in this place. He certainly wasn't looking forward to the return trip through the floo.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he saw a large white dresser with a wide mirror above it along the wall opposite the foot of the bed. The walls all around the loft area were covered in lightly frosted mirror squares, making the area appear much larger than it actually was, and giving any occupant of the bed an unrestricted view of himself from nearly every angle.

Next to the dresser was a door that led to a small loo, which contained only a toilet and a sink set into a marble-topped vanity, all white, of course.

In the wall opposite the stairs was a set of French-style doors that appeared to lead to a balcony. The moment he opened the doors, the calming sound of the ocean met his ears. He could smell the scent of tropical blossoms that was carried on the warm breeze. Stepping out onto the wide balcony, he suddenly paused, taking in the sheer beauty of his surroundings.

He was looking out over a wide, white sand beach, perfectly smooth with just a smattering of the stray seashell or a strand of dried seaweed with a few bits of dark driftwood marring the pale sand. Gentle emerald waves capped with white foam were lazily caressing the shoreline while the soaring sea birds occasionally dove into the surf to pick up a quick meal of fresh shellfish. Palm trees littered the surrounding area, with all types of flowering flora covering the landscape in-between them. Looking off to his right, he could just make out through the trees a high outcropping of rock where water flowed over the edge and landed in a cozy, fresh water lagoon.

'Lily's Love Lagoon,' he thought to himself, 'It's beautiful!'

Harry wasn't sure how long he stood there, taking in the sights and smells of his parents' getaway. It was more than long enough for him to discover that it was actually morning there, as the clear, cloudless sky had been steadily lightening. Before long, the bright rays of the sun cleared the top of the distant waterfall, bathing him in its warmth. If there hadn't been a constant, cooling breeze coming in from off the ocean, the temperature probably would have been uncomfortably hot while standing in the direct sunlight.

He was roused from his musings by a sudden noise from within the house. He cautiously entered back through the French doors and looked down over the loft's railing to see Hermione sprawled on the polar bear rug, panting heavily between her dry heaves. Lying on her back beside her was Kotone, who was frantically clutching at her mask. As soon as her mask was removed, he discovered that the little girl was also heaving, although not the dry type as Hermione's was.

Harry rushed down the stairs and helped Hermione to her feet, then did the same for the distressed Kotone after she had finished puking up the bits of bone and partly-digested rodents.

As he lifted the crying girl into his arms, she spoke through her tears in her natural, grating voice, "I a'so sorry, Shishi-san! I not mean to make mess! I will clean!"

Harry looked pointedly at Hermione, who understood immediately and drew her wand and cleared away the little girl's vomit from the floor.

Harry gave Kotone a soft hug and said to her while rubbing her back, "You should never have to apologize for being sick, Kotone, something like that can't be helped. Merlin knows that I've made enough messes like that myself. I almost did the same thing when I came through to here!"

Harry wiped away the tears from Kotone's cheeks and gave her an understanding smile. He held her for a minute before he realized that she had fallen asleep against his chest. He walked up the stairs, pulled back the dusty top sheet on the bed, and gently laid her down. He gave her a little kiss on her forehead before returning down the stairs to properly greet Hermione.

When he reached the bottom, he was surprised to see a wide, approving smile on Hermione's face, something that he had never seen her give before when he was dealing with Kotone.

At his questioning look, Hermione said while looking down at her hands, "Harry, when you first took it upon yourself to care for that little girl, I thought you were biting off more than you could chew. I thought you took to her much too quickly… I had assumed it was out of pity for her, or maybe just sympathy, but pity and sympathy can only take one so far. We also knew that we had so much to do… so many dangerous things to do… I was sure that you wouldn't be able to handle the pressure… or the responsibility. Don't take this the wrong way, but that girl is quite needy… she needs a lot of attention, and quite honestly, I thought for sure that you would soon tire of her."

Harry was about to defend himself, but Hermione raised her hand to halt him and continued before he had the chance, "I'm very happy to say that I was wrong. That girl up there loves you. You have no idea how much she does… I don't think that I even know how much, but I do know that you're the most important person in her life, and that's not by happenstance, but by choice," Hermione paused and looked intensely into his eyes, "and now I see that you love her, too. I see how much you truly care for each other, and I think you'll be a wonderful father for her."

Harry reached down and picked up Kotone's mask from the bearskin rug. He stared at it for a few moments, and then absently looked around at the place that his own parents shared during happier times. He then looked at Hermione, who was still smiling at him, albeit somewhat nervously, apparently afraid that she had offended him with what she had said.

Actually, he was pausing long enough to ensure his voice wouldn't crack from emotion when he next spoke, "Hermione, thank you," he said, and then cleared his throat, "That means more to me than you'll ever know."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, and then asked for the grand tour of the house as she looked around the very white room. Harry quickly explained that he hadn't really seen the entire house himself, just the room that they were in, the loft and the balcony, so they decided to explore together.

Through the door next to the bottom of the stairs was a very large bathroom, complete with a massive hot tub, sauna and a bidet, along with the standard toilet and a glass-encased, walk-in shower. Surprisingly, the room was all done in fawn coloured tile instead of the glaring white that he had expected.

The door beside the fireplace led to an expansive kitchen containing an extensive array of cookware and utensils hanging above a center island that could be used both as a food preparation area or a dining counter, as there were a set of stools along one side. He briefly inspected the bare pantry and the equally empty coldbox. All of the appliances appeared to be magically operated, as there didn't seem to be electricity connected to the house.

They entered the third door from the main room to find, much to their surprise, a fully furnished nursery, although it looked as if it were never used. Apparently, James and Lily had built this place while she was still pregnant with him, but hadn't returned after he was born.

For a moment, Hermione thought that the sight of the nursery that was intended for him would somehow adversely affect Harry, but he just gave a cursory glance around the room before wordlessly walking back out into the main room and towards the glass door that led to the outside.

Harry kicked off his trainers at the door and stepped out onto the sandy beach. He could hear Hermione doing the same thing behind him. As they walked, all that was heard was the rustling of the soft breeze through the palm trees and the occasional cry of a gull.

Harry looked out over the ocean and asked, "Do you have any idea where we are?"

"It seems we're only about four or five hours behind GMT, and given the climate, I'd say the Caribbean, perhaps somewhere near Bermuda… or maybe around Jamaica. I wonder if we're the only ones on this island… I mean the house looks as though it hadn't been disturbed in years, so we could quite possibly be alone here. It would be interesting to find out if there are wards of some kind hiding this place."

Harry glanced towards Hermione and noticed that the smile she had worn back in the house was no longer there. Her eyes were focused somewhere on the horizon, lost in thought. They walked quietly for a few more minutes until the stillness was broken by her timid voice.

"So, I assume that you discovered my little mistake with the Fidelis?"

"Yeah, I never realized that once I left the property, I'd forget where it was… I remember the house, I just have no idea where it is… and I was surprised that you found out I was here so quickly, but now that you're here, you can tell me and we can go back there, right?"

"Well," began Hermione anxiously, "I can't tell you. I was the one who cast the spell, so I couldn't be the secret keeper. As you know, it was supposed to be Ron, but he was injured, and I couldn't use Luna, so it had to be Kotone. I was so exhausted from casting a spell in a half hour that was supposed to take more than a day… I never made sure that Kotone knew the address of… 'home.' I… I don't know if we'll ever get back into that place, and it's all my fault!"

Seeing that Hermione was on the verge of tears, he reached over and took her hand. He gave it a reassuring squeeze and said, "Don't worry about it… I never liked that grim, old place anyway,"

"But… all your things are there! All of Kotone's things… your Firebolt, and your father's cloak! Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry!"

He squeezed her hand again and said, "Forget it. Most of that stuff can be replaced… in two days, I'm going to have more money than Merlin, so I can afford to replace most of it. The only thing that might be a problem is the picture of Kotone's family… oh, and her parents' wands, but I'm sure she'll understand."

Hermione gave him a small, watery smile as she continued walking, not releasing his hand from her grip. After a minute, she spoke again, "Thank you for leaving that note. I never would have guessed that you'd come here, of all places. It's lucky that I still had the print-outs that listed your properties."

Harry smiled and said, "I figured that you'd remember all the places, even without the list."

They walked a few more steps before Hermione said, "It seems that Dumbledore was wrong about destroying the horcrux in the ring. It was only by chance that I discovered that the soul fragment from the ring is still in the tomb with his body," she gave that fact a moment to settle in with Harry before she continued with her theory, "Apparently, if a horcrux is created in a living thing, the implanted fragment doesn't die when the host does, so if Nagini truly is a horcrux, as Dumbledore had thought, then just killing the snake won't be enough to destroy the horcrux."

"Can you banish that one… the one from the tomb?"

"I haven't tried that ritual on inanimate objects before… it'll have to be a bit different, but I think I can do it. I couldn't do it when I discovered the soul fragment. There were too many people around, and the Ministry was about to show up. We'll have to plan it out for when there'll be no one around, maybe at night."

They continued walking in companionable silence. Harry couldn't help to think that this place, this 'love lagoon,' was probably the most romantic place he had ever seen. He could tell by the way Hermione was looking around in wonder that she was thinking the same thing. He let out a small sigh, thinking that under different circumstances, maybe he could have had the same thing with her as his parents' once had together.

As his thoughts dwelled on his parents, he suddenly remembered something that Hermione mentioned in passing, although he was unsure at the time whether she was being serious or just pointing out some myth about Necromancers.

"When you said that you could 'speak with the dead,' what exactly did you mean by that?" asked Harry curiously.

Hermione's eyes drifted to the sand in front of her as she somewhat reluctantly answered, "Well, according to the book, I could summon a guide who can help me commune with some spirits… the book was quite vague on a lot of points, and it supposedly takes years to be able to build a rapport with the guide to be able to reach beyond life at all. The guide would have to be willing, for one thing, and it would have to hover between this world and the afterlife for quite some time to get its' bearings… In any case, it's not something that's done lightly."

Excitement shone in Harry's eyes as he said, "So you could possibly speak with my parents? Sirius? Or even Dumbledore?"

"I don't really know," said Hermione in a subdued tone, "As I said, it usually takes years to find a guide, and then it takes time to build a 'connection' to the guide… if I were able to contact your parents at all, I'm afraid it would take a very long time to get to that point."

Harry just nodded in understanding, his excitement ebbing away as quickly as it came. After another minute of silence, He heard Hermione softly sigh, then gave him an odd, sideways glance before she absently looked away towards the tall waterfall on the far side of the lagoon.

"Harry?" said Hermione in a low, unsure tone. He was barely able to hear it above the rush of the waves on the shore.

Harry could instantly tell what she was going to say next. He had been expecting it. He looked out over the vast expanse of the ocean as he walked and simply said, "Hmm?"

Hermione gave him another hesitant glance before saying, "Now that the spell that Ginny cast on us has been broken… well… have you given any thought about… about if we should try to repair the soul-bond that we had? I read up on the ritual involved… it's quite simple, really… well, simple for someone like us, that is. One can't be formed when there wasn't a bond in place naturally, meaning that you can't create a fake bond… only to restore one that… that…"

Hermione's voice trailed off into silence and her eyes returned to her feet when she saw that he wasn't responding at all.

Actually, Harry had been giving a lot of thought to the bond that they had shared, and found the same problems as before staring him in the face. The same things he told Ben Bones about as they shared the pea soup in the Leaky Cauldron were still just as valid, although they were now somewhat compromised.

As a 'friend,' she would naturally be in danger, and he knew that there would be nothing he could say or do to keep her from following him… but as a 'girlfriend…' Was that so much of another story? Would she be in an even more perilous position? Could he even justify that argument, given the fact that Kotone was now an important factor in his life, one that could be used against him just as effectively as Hermione?

Harry looked around, taking in the peace and beauty that seemed an integral part of the landscape. His parents had been here… together… had loved one another, even though a war was raging. They probably had plans for this place for when the war was over. They didn't stop living their lives, despite the danger around them. He realized at that moment that they wouldn't want him to give up on something so special. They wouldn't want him to deny himself love or happiness, especially due to some misguided attempt to supposedly 'protect' someone. It wasn't fair to him, or to Hermione. If he were to die, Hermione would mourn for him just as much, whether as a friend or as a lover. If she were to die, he knew that he would also feel the same way.

He was denied love by Voldemort's actions, albeit indirectly through the effect of his horcrux on Ginny, and from his successful attempt of tricking her in her weakened state into breaking their bond. How would the last few years have played out without his interference? How would the next few years play out if the bond wasn't repaired? He would never know the answer to the first question, but he was damned well sure he didn't want to find out the answer to the second. He abruptly turned around and began walking back to the house.

Hermione also turned and was still walking beside Harry with her downcast eyes watching the little arcs of fine sand being kicked up by her toes with each step she took. She stopped mid-stride when she heard him say, "If you still want to, let's do it."

Hermione looked up from her feet to meet Harry's eyes. She studied him for a moment before saying, "Are… are you sure?"

Harry turned to face her as he reached out and took her other hand, "I've lived my entire life not knowing what 'love' is. I know what I have with Kotone. Even though she's been with me for only a short while, I can't imagine not having her around. We're going to give each other something we both need… to be part of a family. I do love her, but I know it's not the same as what we could have had. I don't know what we could have had together. I was stupid for denying it for as long as I did, and I only realized what I was missing after it was too late. I want to feel it again, Hermione… I want to feel it with you."

Although Hermione was crying, she still wore a beaming smile. She launched herself at Harry, wrapping him tightly in a fierce hug. She rested the side of her head against his and said between sniffles, "When I read that note… you said you haven't forgotten that I loved you… I know that I don't feel it now, but I haven't forgotten, either… I want to feel it again, too… I need to feel it again! I've been so miserable, and with everything that's been happening to me… with me being a Necromancer and doing what I've been doing, I was afraid you'd never want to repair the bond… that you'd never want to be with someone like me!"

She held him even tighter as she cried on his shoulder. He was very aware of the two heaving, fleshy mounds that were pressed against his chest, the same two mounds that seemed to be a recurring theme in his recent dreams. He was very surprised at the reaction that the two fleshy mounds were now having on his nether-regions. He hadn't felt that stirring in a very long time.

Of course, when Harry started reacting to their embrace, Hermione could feel his stirring against her lower abdomen, and her body began reacting to it in much the same way as his. She let out a small gasp as she felt the wetness build between her legs… the faint, tingly feeling in her lower abdomen and the warm rush that traveled all the way up into her chest… that hadn't happened to her in a very long time! She involuntarily thrust her pelvis against him, causing him to also gasp in surprise.

Without their natural hormonal feelings being siphoned off to Ginny, they were now experiencing them once again. The newfound rush of sexual desire took them both by complete surprise. It had been missing for so long, neither one was sure how to handle it.

Hermione swallowed down her tears and asked in a breathy voice that made the butterflies in Harry's stomach churn, "When did you want to try?"

"As soon as we can," he said into her hair, "Don't you think we've waited long enough?"

Hermione pulled back from him to look into his eyes, and he immediately missed the warm contact of her body against his. Her voice still held the husky tone as she smiled and said, "Alright then, let's head back to the house."

Their pace seemed to quicken as they walked along the shore, both of them anxious to find what had been taken from them so long ago. It wasn't long before they were both sitting by the ocean on a wide blanket that Hermione had conjured. They were facing each other, looking both nervous and excited.

Hermione gave Harry a reassuring smile as she explained, "Okay, what has to happen is that our souls have to merge for a short time… just a few seconds should suffice. There's no other ritual or spell or anything. Two people who have never had the bond could try this every day for the rest of their lives and nothing will come of it. Since we have matched souls, the act of merging should reattach our bond to each other. The first thing we have to do is enter our 'states.' Then we can separate ourselves from our bodies, and move together. Once it's done, just 'will' yourself back into your body and dispel your state."

Harry just nodded, hoping that once it was going to be as easy as she made it sound. He watched as Hermione closed her eyes and lifted her wandtip to her forehead. He sighed, and then loudly cleared his throat. She opened her eyes again and looked questioningly at his frowning face.

He lifted his hands to show Hermione that his hands were quite empty, saying, "How am I supposed to enter my 'state' without a wand?"

"Oh!" she said with a hint of embarrassment, "Well, I suppose I should have told you before. According to the book, Warlocks should be able to enter the state without needing a wand, just like Kotone can do with her Oni magic. It works the same way, just close your eyes and concentrate on your symbol… it should be much easier now that you know what to look for."

Harry looked at her skeptically for a moment, but then just shrugged as he closed his eyes and began concentrating while Hermione placed her wandtip back on her forehead.

-----~-----

Kotone was standing on a jagged outcropping of rock overlooking the bleak and dreary landscape of her father's homeland, her sad, violet eyes affixed on some point out in the darkness. The crescent moon peeked out from behind a mass of high, thin clouds, and a rather brisk wind buffeted against her face, making her animated hair seem that much wilder. Clouds of thin fog that were carried by the wind rushed past her, causing her white kimono to billow and flow eerily behind her.

'Hello, Father,' she softly said in her native language.

A towering figure emerged from the darkness behind her. His mane of long white hair flailed in the wind, much like Kotone's own hair was doing. He wore a thick fur cloak that was as white as his kimono, but neither seemed to be affected by the gale around him. The feathers on his massive wings, however, were disheveled and windswept.

Kotone turned to her Oni father and sank into a polite bow before once again erecting herself to face him.

'Greetings, my child,' he said in a light, almost feminine voice that seemed to reverberate around the desolate area, 'I am very proud of you. You have done well with your charge thus far, even considering the problems you have encountered.'

Kotone gave him another respectful bow while saying, 'Thank you, Father.'

The tall figure paused as he looked at Kotone, carefully scrutinizing her features. She was trying to keep her expression as neutral as possible, but she couldn't hide anything from him.

'You are afraid,' he spoke with no hint of a question, 'You are unsure of your task. I know what you have to do is difficult. I know how much you have suffered, and how much you are destined to suffer before your peace.'

Kotone stood there, silent and nearly motionless, the only movement caused by the gusts of wind against her tiny frame.

Her father didn't fail to notice the tears that appeared on her lashes before being carried off into the night by the wind. He gave a soft sigh and rested a light hand on top of her head.

'You are the last child. You are the only one left in the Kobayashi bloodline, the final daughter of the debt that was owed for two thousand years. You are the final payment, and you have been given the chance to start anew. Do not be sad. Do not be afraid. The interest on the debt shall be freely bequeathed unto you, and your sacrifice will…'

The figure suddenly went still. His yellow eyes stared blankly towards the horizon and his thin, white brows creased in concentration.

His eyes flashed towards Kotone as he urgently said, 'You must return to your charge! Quickly!'

Kotone started to bow, but was startled by her fathers voice, no longer soft and feminine, but deep and commanding, 'NOW!'

-----~-----

Kotone's eyes flew open. She found herself lying on a strange bed with zebra-striped sheets, looking up at the daylight through a dirty skylight. She shot out of the bed and rushed to the railing overlooking the empty living room of the house that Washi-chan carried her to.

She turned around and darted through the open French-style doors that led to a balcony. Looking out over the brilliant shoreline, she saw Shishi and Washi, sitting unmoving on a blanket that was spread out over the sand. She briefly closed her eyes and felt the familiar sensation of time speeding up for her.

When she opened her eyes, she saw the ghostly forms of the lion and the eagle rising up from the sitting bodies on the blanket. Her heart lodged in her throat when she realized what they were trying to do, and what would happen if he allowed his soul to leave his body entirely.

'Oh, no!' she thought desperately, 'Not again!'

"Shishi! No!" screamed Kotone as loudly as she could in her coarse, grating voice, "Prease to stop!"

In a panic, she dropped her hands to the floor and as fast as a greyhound, she raced through the French doors, down the stairs and out onto the beach. She couldn't move as quickly through the soft sand as she could on a solid surface. With tears in her eyes, she continued to yell out to him, pleading with him to stop what he was trying to do, but she wasn't sure he could hear her over the surf.

As she reached the sitting couple, she grunted with exertion as she kicked off with her legs and crashed hard into Harry, knocking him off the blanket and tackling him to the sand.

While she was in mid-air, she willed herself into her state, making it appear to her that she was slowly drifting towards Harry. She was already preparing her mind to force a connection with him, but at the last moment she saw him open his eyes. They were as green and bright as she had ever seen them, even if they had the look of shocked surprise as she careened towards him.

-----~-----

Harry could feel his soul slowly sliding out of his body. It was a very strange sensation to see Hermione's eagle-like image drifting above her own body. He felt himself reaching out to her ethereal form. He could see something slightly protruding from her soul, and looking down at himself, he could see the same fluttering filament, like the end of a torn ribbon, protruding from his own form.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his vision, he saw something that both frightened and awed him. The figure of a huge angel, dressed in flowing robes with its' wings spread wide, rushing across the beach towards him. Distracted from his task of repairing the bond, he watched the angel moving closer at a near impossible speed.

He wasn't entirely sure how he did it, probably out of some instinct, but he willed his soul back to his body an instant before the angel reached him.

He opened his eyes just in time to see Kotone flying through the air. A moment later, he found himself on his back with the little half-witch lying on top of his chest. She was sweating profusely, breathing very hard and crying like he had never seen from her before. He was finding it hard to breathe due to the way she was crushing him in a hug.

"Kotone! What's wrong?" asked Hermione, who was by then standing over them wearing a concerned expression.

After a minute, Kotone calmed herself enough to explain.

"Shishi-san, you cannot reave behind…" Kotone tried to explain, but was having a very hard time without her mask, "you forget. If you…"

Giving up on speaking, she forced the connection with Harry, 'You cannot allow your soul to leave your body. You forget there is still the snake with you. It knew what you try to do. It hide within, waiting to take you. Do you understand?'

Indeed, Harry did understand. He had forgotten all about the bit of Voldemort's soul within him. He shuddered to think what would have happened if he had completely left his body behind. Would he be doomed to drift through the world as a disembodied soul? Exist as less than a ghost? What would have happened to Hermione and Kotone, with Voldemort in full possession of his body?

When he relayed to Hermione what Kotone had said to him, she visibly paled. Obviously, she had forgotten, too. Hermione put herself into her 'state' again, and sure enough, the smoky black snake was sitting perfectly still, coiled up tightly within the confines of Harry's body. If she wasn't specifically looking for it, which she wasn't when she first entered her state, she wouldn't have noticed it.

Harry lifted Kotone from his chest and sat her down beside him. He sat there with his eyes closed, silently fuming over the fact that, once again, Voldemort was denying him any happiness… any love from entering his life. 'Parseltongue be damned!' he thought bitterly. He would live without it. When he finally meets Nagini, he'll just deal with it. He's killed a bigger snake than her before.

"Get rid of it," said Harry coldly, 'Get this fucking piece of crap out of me!"

Hermione showed no sign of hesitation. With a look of grim determination, she sat on the sand in front of him, closed her eyes, placed the tip of her wand against her forehead, and began slowly drawing out a thin thread of blood.

-----~-----

A/N: Fun Fact: I forgot to include a 'fun fact' in the last chapter!

-----~-----