The Sorting

Chapter Eight

Kagome sat down across from Severus who was leaning against his desk. His arms crossed lazily in front of his chest as he stared her down for a few moments before finally speaking.

"Miss. Higurashi-"

"Kagome." She inserted automatically, not really caring about who it was she was talking to, she hated going by her last name. No disrespect intended to her mother, but she preferred to not think too much about her deceased family.

"...tell me, Kagome...what possessed you to stay behind that night."

"...sir, with all do respect, I can't see how it should be a surprise what I would do. You were dying...and I couldn't in good conscience, leave you there alone. Even if you had no chance of survival, I...I still would have stayed!"

His eyes widened as she yelled out that last part, her eyes closing as she tried to fight back the tears threatening to flee from her eyes. He wasn't sure when his hand moved, but he had a finger to her cheek before he even knew what was happening, catching a tear that had escaped her shields. "I'm sorry." His words, those words, they were foreign to him. "I don't know how I can return the life debt that I owe you, what I could possibly do to thank you...I can't even understand the full entirety of the situation..."

Smiling, kagome placed her hand on the one that still lingered against her cheek, "Professor...I don't think there's anything you can give me. I am alone now, after..." she shook her head and let it fall forward.

"After?" he didn't pull his hand from hers, more tears had begun free falling from her eyes. He needed to hear her story, he wanted to tell her his. He could see her suffering in her eyes, and wondered if his own suffering showed in the darker depths of his.

Kagome sighed, letting Severus's hand go, she stepped back and wrapped her arms around her abdomen. "...after the fall of Dumbledore, Voldemort paid me a visit. He claimed to favor my looks, intellect, and my natural abilities, even said he would overlook my Muggle mother and house placement, should I come with him. He was insistent on taking me as his lover once he had taken control of the Wizarding Community, and had inquired curiously even about an heirloom that had been passed down through the females of my household. For each inquiry, for each of his intrigues, I denied him."

Severus felt his eyes widen at those implications. Denying the Dark Lord was a death sentence in itself, yet here should stood.

"I refused the position as his lover, I turned him away from my abilities, and I denied him the information of the artifact he so greatly wished to attain, and for each denied attention, he took something from me...someone from me." Kagome dropped down to her knees, her voice breaking as she recalled the deaths of each beloved member of her family, so clearly. "First my grandfather, then my mother...and asking once more for the artifact, I chose to forfeit my brother's life to him, and watched in horror as Voldemort violently took it...he had shown me many horrors that night, all of which still haunt me in my sleep...but the worst was the promise of taking all that he desired from me...by force. He told me, he would return; said he would give me time to mull it over, and if still I denied him, he would resort to the Cruciatus...he would have me."

Severus kneeled down on one knee before her, "how did you survive with such a threat over your head."

"...I took my transfiguration classes very seriously, Professor." Kagome smirked, though the playfulness of the smirk didn't quite reach her eyes, it was still there.

"...an unregistered Animagus..."

-x-x-x-

Hermione Granger didn't know what to make of the situation that was happening at Hogwarts. She thought coming back to redo the final year would be a breeze. Sure, there would be studying, but it would be a year without drama and running for her life.

It seemed she wouldn't be running for her life, but there was plenty of drama.

It was all because of the resorting, that and Kagome Higurashi. She just couldn't have just been resorted into Gryffindor again.

She had to be different.

Sighing, Hermione shook her head. She just didn't understand how she got put into Slytherin! That house. She was so brave. Kagome had saved her from bullies on more than one occasion, not that she needed the help, but she had helped Hermione anyways.

How did she get put into a house that seemed so...evil? The same with Luna Lovegood. She was always nice, a bit weird, that was a given. Luna was kind though. She never spoke ill of people.

How did they end up there...and now there was the whole Snape problem.

Hermione was sure he was dead. He SHOULD be dead. Harry, Ron and herself saw him bleeding out of his neck because of Voldemort's snake.

A mere potion couldn't heal that poison.

'So much for a dramaless filled year,' Hermione thought as she tried to figure out everything. She needed to know what was going on.

Snape would be a right jerk this term...and probably take it out on the three of them this year. They had left him there to die. If someone did that to her, she would be downright horrid to the lot who did that to her.

"Hermione?"

Hermione blinked out of her thoughts as she looked to her best friend, "Yes Harry?"

Harry frowned before he spoke again, "What was going on in the Library with Luna and you...and Higurashi?"

Hermione bit her lip, "I just wanted to make sure no one was bullying Luna in Slytherin. She...Luna, I mean, seems different this year...and I..." She paused again looking at Harry, "I just don't understand how Luna of all people got into Slytherin...and Kagome Higurashi..."

Harry looked at his friend; he wasn't a fan of Slytherin either, but he didn't think it was such a big deal.

"I just don't understand!" Hermione huffed, eyes narrowed as thoughts went through her head a mile a minute.

Harry sighed, "I don't think it is something we should worry about. We should keep our house in check though. I don't think them being in Slytherin is a bad thing."

Hermione stayed silent for a minute, "I know...but everything bad that happens seems to happen because of a Slytherin...I just..." She was cut off.

"Hermione...Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff. These houses all mean something. It didn't always mean bad or good. Do you remember what the sorting hat says they represent? The hat says it every year..." Harry looked away from his friend, eyes closing as he talked. He never understood the house rivalry. Sure, he didn't get along with Malfoy, but he had nothing against the house itself.

The two sat in silence until Hermione spoke up in a small voice, "I understand what each house means...but...I can't change my opinion just like that. I will try...but you have to try to convince the rest of the house of this too."

Harry gave a low laugh, "That will be something in itself. I can already see Ron and Ginny yelling at me for it."

Harry didn't know how right he was. No one knew the resorting of houses would bring such an uproar.

But...Harry also thought this could help with the negativity that people had with Slytherins. Maybe something good would happen from this sorting.

Time would only tell.