Chapter 11: (2) Chapter 1: That Feeling When 1/2

Summary: Motivated, miffed, and magical, Shikamaru Nara was a force to behold. Whoever had placed him here was going to get it, but first he'd have to get through a school for magic. And he'd thought ninjas could be stupid. Troublesome.

Rating: T, and should stay that way.

Genres: Friendship, Adventure, Hurt/Comfort, maybe more, I don't know yet.

Warnings: Violence, language, SPOILERS FOR NARUTO AND HARRY POTTER, bits of angst sprinkled here and there, deaths, bullying, non-canon-ness, warnings are individual per chapter, might change next chapter or might not. No slash or yaoi, yuri, Shounen Ai, or Shōjo Ai. Ask for incest and prepare to be given a virtual flat stare of just no.

Pairings: As far as romance goes, it's canon for both series. Friendship!Shikamaru/Harry&Ron&Hermione&Neville&Fred&George. Mentorship(maybe)!Snape/Shikamaru. I might add more later, if I think of it.

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

Emphasis on words, writing

Times

(#) A/N at end to explain stuff

Regular text

Chapter Summary: In which Shikamaru temporarily rids himself of outside stupidity, deals with the vultures known as Family to protect his friend, and kills some trees through excessive use of paper. (Doing these now, possibly only for this book. We'll see how it works out. Tell me if you don't like it, and I'll stop.)

A Shadow in Wizard's Robes Book 2 Chapter 1: That Feeling When (your therapist is actually evil and wants you for a prophecy)

By: AngelicSilverWolf

"You raze the old to raise the new." – Justina Chen, North of Beautiful

Age 3: Nine years before Hogwarts

English was the absolute worst language in any world.

It was a syntactical nightmare, the grammar was inconsistent at best, and he thought it better to just ignore the actual words themselves. Compared to Japanese - this world's equivalent to Fire Nation Standard - it was a headache of a language, and the sooner he mastered it and moved on, the better. Between adjusting to his new environment, attempting to learn a language without much help, and staving off nightmares, his days started off terrible and tripped and broke their necks, and so by the end, he just wanted to huddle underneath his covers so he could stop trying to process so much.

His new life had not started auspiciously, abandoned on a doorstep, taken in by adults who hated him, left to battle against culture-shock and a lack of ability to communicate. A year later, and while he had a tenuous grasp on basic conversation, he still had trouble with higher-level sentences, and while he was trying to pick up on cultural taboos, it wasn't too high on his radar.

If he warded people away with very flat, blunt statements, or just bored stares, then as far as he was concerned, it left him more time to try and figure out how to read.

The children around him either left him alone, or they tried to pick on him. Neither of those things bothered him. The adults either ignored him or visibly favored others in his site. He didn't particularly care about that either; the only thing that annoyed him was that he didn't have anyone to turn to regarding language study help. He had to resort to crawling out of his window and going over to a nearby park where people would actually talk to him. More or less normally - this being a child business was getting old very fast. He couldn't wait to hold a normal conversation without people talking down to him.

All of the work in progress also made for very efficient distractions from two things:

1: the complete lack of any support whatsoever,

And 2: the fact that he desperately missed Konoha.

It wasn't just Konoha and its inhabitants, either. He wanted to go back to where nearly everyone either was a ninja or had experienced a rougher kind of life, so they weren't this sheltered and happy-go-screwed-up-and-spoiled people. In the Elemental Nations, it wasn't uncommon for even a civilian family to have lost a family member to some conflict or another. Merchants had to worry about rounin and bandits; politicians had to deal with kidnappings and assassinations, and even priests weren't safe. Everyone knew that life was dangerous, and they acted accordingly, with caution and intelligence. It was a little...comforting, almost. But here?

Here, people were still people, but with more ignorance and innocent lives. Here, people didn't know what it meant to take a life or save one, unless they were in the medical field or law enforcement or the military (or just really unfortunate, or criminals). No, here, people liked to be both brave and cowardly at the same time. They lived on the edge, pulling stupid stunts to gain attention, or going to third-world countries to garner support for political or economic reasons (and what the hell was with politicians here? In the Elemental Nations, they hadn't always been liked all that much, but they had been respected because they had gone through combat training and situations just like every other ninja or samurai or priest).

At the same time, these people were terrified of death, something ninjas came to accept as a possible reality from late genin-hood to mid-chunin-ness - the really lucky (or not) ones sometimes didn't learn until jounin. Talk about useless wishes; Shikamaru didn't understand why people didn't see death as a fact of life. Scientists were trying to find the cure to cancer or trying to figure out lizard regeneration and how it could be applied to human anatomy - he couldn't comprehend why people were going to such lengths to stay alive longer. In fact, the average life-expectancy was abnormally high to him; many ninjas didn't live to see forty, and these people were going on past twice that. He himself had been in his early thirties when he had been brought to this place. It was like living in a world full of Orochimarus.

Disturbing.

And so, Shikamaru went through his third year in London, thoroughly unimpressed and rather wishing that something would happen so that he could see if he was improving at all in any areas. Man, he'd never thought he'd want school to start.

…

Present:

Shikamaru had a blessedly simple life for about three weeks, and then everything went to Tartarus in a fluffy pink hand-basket filled with the souls of demented bunnies trapped in garishly colored eggs (that metaphor was fully deserved and then some)). And of course, it was all because of that damn therapist.

Funny how life worked. At first, Shikamaru just thought that the man was a nosy idiot with more airs than the queen of England. And then, the man attacked the orphanage.

...

It was a normal day, and Shikamaru's appointment was in ten minutes, so he was making the most of his unfortunately temporary freedom in the tree in the backyard, when he heard shouting. Sighing, but resolved to check on the situation just in case it was worth getting involved in, he dropped out of the tree and made his way inside. It was fortunate that he was to the back of the people making the noise, as they couldn't see him. He noted the presence of his therapist, and the tense atmosphere, and backed away. He ventured to the living area and caught one of the younger children by the arm and asked what was happening.

Somehow, it had become known known to all that Shikamaru could fight well and was unbelievably intelligent, which was why the child burst into relieved tears. He managed to get "wands" and "scary men" out of the boy before he shushed him and pulled him into a nearby closet. Then, he managed to get the entire story.

His therapist. That damn bastard. Shikamaru would burn him and dance on the ashes (influenced by anyone? Him? No…). At least he hadn't told the man much that could be used against him, since he hadn't trusted him as far as he could throw him - which was probably still rather far - and apparently for good reason. People had called him paranoid in this life, but it wasn't paranoia if there was really someone out to get him at every turn.

Shikamaru told the boy still sniffling in front of him to get as many people together as he could and to hide and, if possible, phone the police or escape outside of the building. With hurried reassurances, he then slipped out of the closet and went to work.

He had never been more grateful for his trace-free wand as he cast several stealth spells over himself. He went around the orphanage - glad he'd had the foresight to explore and memorize all of the shortcuts and hiding places - and gathered all of the children he could. He made a Kage Bunshin under cover of sleepy and/or rowdy kids, and had it Henge into a bird to explore outside the orphanage for possible enemies around the perimeter of the building.

Either the attackers were confident in their abilities of keeping the occupants inside the building, or they were just plain stupid, because there were no guards around the orphanage building, not even in case someone potentially called the police. No getaway car either, and how were these men functioning again? To be fair, their uncoordinated plan based solely on intimidation and panicking the residents might have worked if Shikamaru hadn't been there and they were only facing normal civilians. But they didn't know that they were going against the lead strategist and adviser of Konoha, not to mention the Nara clan head. Then, Shikamaru heard something that made him freeze in place.

The intruders were asking for him. Something about a prophecy…shit. Someone had overheard that woman, all of those years ago. It shouldn't have been such a surprise; she had predicted in a fairly open and public place. He should have taken precautions to check, but he'd been rattled. And of course, some fanatical follower of He-Who-Continually-Made-Shikamaru's-Life-Harder had to overhear (Murphy's Law sucked so much).

To the everlasting credit of the adults of his orphanage, after hearing the demand, they promptly told the man to go burn in hell where he and the rest of his group belonged, in not so many words (and Shikamaru was grudgingly impressed with the amount of disdain in their response). That defiance lasted all of twenty minutes as the attackers promptly marched out of the building and set fire to the orphanage with children still inside.

Shikamaru was pissed off.

Horrible and supremely moronic as they were, the people of the orphanage were still people that didn't deserve the fate of burning alive. The same could not be said about the bastards that tried to do them in, however. Accordingly, Shikamaru took charge of the situation immediately and went to meet all of the people he had gathered together (in one place, protected by numerous stealth spells and charms, and shields from magical and physical items). He ordered windows to be broken with furniture and the fire kept at bay with wet towels and buckets of water. Thankfully, his authoritative demeanor was actually acknowledged and listened to. He had one adult phone the muggle police (because the idiots for attackers hadn't bothered to take down the phone lines), while he sent up a surge of magical energy large enough to draw the attention of the Ministry.

Then, after assuring the other people's safety, he reapplied stealth spells around his person, crept out the door of the guarded room via the now-broken window, and went hunting. Let it never be said that deer were harmless herbivores.

The first three were down before the others could draw a breath. Another two soon followed, each taken out by a broken neck, or a severing spell to an artery or five. The bodies were tossed into the rapidly growing fire (he didn't bother with the building itself because it was nearing two-hundred years old and would have to be rebuilt eventually anyway) so as to disguise the causes of deaths.

He had gone through about a third of the enemy numbers before the Ministry wizards arrived (and what the hell was with that authority response time? Half of the children would have burned to death had he not been there). Then, after making sure everyone was alive and relatively unharmed, he slipped away. He might have saved their lives, but he'd be damned if he had to go to another orphanage or something like foster-care. He had enough money to get a room in a hotel until he figured something out or-

Lupin.

Remus Lupin. The solution was so simple; he couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't thought of it immediately. While Shikamaru tried not to be in the habit of owing people, this was a bit of an emergency situation. It wasn't going to be permanent; he'd probably chafe if he was around an adult that actually paid attention to his whereabouts. Lupin was really the only adult he trusted at the moment, so it'd make sense to go to him for help.

With that in mind, Shikamaru abruptly changed directions, not even startled when Hypatia landed on his shoulder with the small pouch filled with all of his necessary items in it (he hadn't trusted the orphanage at all, so he had shrunk down everything he owned, cast an extension spell on the mokeskin pouch Ron had given him last year, and had placed everything inside in case). He slipped it over his head and tapped her chin in thanks. He loved his owl.

…

"What do you mean 'he isn't here'?" Shikamaru asked, fighting the alarm that was slowly bubbling inside of him. The landlady frowned down at him, crossing her arms.

"He moved out about six months ago," she said with a shrug. "Hasn't been back since."

"Did he leave an address or phone number?" Shikmamaru asked, trying to retain an even tone. The number given to him previously was for the apartment, and other than that, he had no way of contacting Lupin. Hypatia couldn't find him without an address, and he didn't know any locator spells.

"Sorry, kid, I got nothing," the woman said with a bit of sympathy. He thanked her for her help and walked away, thinking furiously.

Well, there went that plan. Practicalities aside, he felt genuinely hurt that Lupin hadn't even seen fit to leave a note, or something, that he had left. The man didn't seem to be the type to forget about his friendly acquaintances, but it wouldn't be the first time Shikamaru had misjudged someone. It could have been an emergency of some kind, he reasoned. Either way, he needed a place of residency ASAP.

And because most places charged monthly fees, he would probably have to get another part-time job for three months' rent and school supplies, as well as food, utilities, and whatever else cropped up.

Troublesome. Acting as an adult was still terrible, after all of these years. He missed having someone else to suffer with him - he and Temari used to have sessions of just complaining about why being an adult was so damn hard and tedious.

Whatever.

He ended up getting a room at the Leaky Cauldron for a fair price, even if it was payment per night, until he found a more permanent place of residency. The barman Tom did ask about his age, but Shikamaru waved away the questions with some excuse about trying to learn the importance of independence. He snagged a second job tending a counter at a convenience store and managed to repair the damage done to his bank account by the end of the week. Another two weeks passed, and he had just come down for breakfast when a familiar voice called out to him.

"Shikamaru?" Neville asked incredulously. Shikamaru turned around to see his friend with an old woman who looked stern and powerful at the same time. Undoubtedly Neville's fearsome grandmother whom he'd heard so much about. He felt the ridiculous urge to bow at the sight of her (stupid clan-elder training). This made him more wary than usual; he'd have to watch what he said to her. She seemed the type to be given an inch and demand a kilometer instead.

"What are you doing here, Neville?" Shikamaru asked, keeping an eye on the woman. Neville shrugged.

"Shopping early for school, to beat the crowds and stuff," he said.

"What have I said about using that word?" the woman reprimanded sharply. "'Stuff' is a poor excuse to describe anything." Neville went a little pink.

"Shikamaru, this is my grandmother," he mumbled, making half-hearted gestures with his hands.

"Speak up! I can't hear a thing, and I doubt he can either when you talk like that," the old woman barked. And okay, Shikamaru unfortunately envisioned an image of his mother, except...older and less Asian.

"I heard him alright, Ms.…" he trailed off, realizing he didn't have her name.

"Longbottom," she said, "Augusta Longbottom."

"S-so, what are you doing here?" Neville asked, clearly wanting to steer the conversation away from his lacking oratory skills. His grandmother looked disapproving about the stutter, but Shikamaru answered before she could verbalize it.

"I live here at the moment," he said casually. Neville gaped and Ms. Longbottom's eyes sharpened (the part that was too influenced by Kakashi to be healthy snickered at how casually he could make such a fact sound).

"What?" the former squeaked. "Why?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Reasons." If the Daily Prophet hadn't reported the orphanage, then he saw no reason to disclose the matter (though, if he thought about it, it would make sense politically to keep things under wraps; no need to let the public know that the Ministry had let a dangerous Dark Lord supporter go free and nearly murder over fifty people - half of them children - after all).

He wondered if the muggle government would do the same. Undoubtedly, they would just cite terrorism or mental instability.

"Okay, then...well, good luck?" Neville said, clearly bewildered. At this, Ms. Longbottom frowned outright at her grandson.

"Is that all you will say to a friend in need?" she demanded. Shikamaru's head snapped over to her in undisguised surprise, and Neville noticeably winced.

"Mis-" Shikamaru began, when she gave him a look so reminiscent of his mother that his mouth shut instantly on reflex.

"For shame!" she said. "At least offer the boy a place of residency more... substantial than this." She gestured at the pub.

Neville was bright pink by now, though Shikamaru couldn't tell if it was embarrassment or shame. Most likely a combination of both, knowing him.

"Um, Shikamaru," the boy started, staring at his shoes, when Ms. Longbottom interrupted him. She did that a lot, Shikamaru noticed. It was probably where Neville had gotten half of his confidence issues from.

"Stand up straight and look him in the eye like a man! Your father would have never made such a weak attempt at aiding a friend," she said sharply. Neville drew in a steadying breath and met Shikamaru's eyes. "And quit being hesitant about it; he won't bite you," his grandmother added, probably just for the hell of it.

"Shikamaru, would you like to spend the rest of the summer at my house? You may also come back next summer, if you haven't found a permanent place by then," Neville said formally. Too formally.

"Thanks for offering, but-" Shikamaru was interrupted by an impatient hand.

"Don't be ridiculous, boy," Ms. Longbottom said. "You'll come with us, of course. The rest of that was just formalities. Do you think I would let some young person like you run off by yourself? What kind of person would that make me?"

A significantly less aggravating one, undoubtedly.

He sighed through his nose. "Since you clearly won't listen to any protests, I'll make this less troublesome and agree," he said, resigned. At least he'd be able to keep from dipping into his savings. "I have a couple of jobs I need to do on a daily basis, so will distance be a problem? They're both in London."

"Working already?" Ms. Longbottom asked keenly. "Interesting - should take a leaf out of his book, Neville. No, it won't be a problem. Ever used the Floo Network, boy?" Shikamaru shook his head while Neville looked on mutely, glum resignation clear on his face. Right, there was still that to deal with. He'd hoped that time at Hogwarts had lessened that insecurity, but family was a separate issue from school bullies. Family was more personal. It would probably be harder to break through with this, but Shikamaru was willing to try.

"Well, go get your things and I'll make the arrangements," she said imperiously. "Neville, go help."

Shikamaru might have protested this, but the look in her eyes made him think she wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Instead, he silently gestured for his friend to follow him up the stairs. They entered his room two flights and half a dozen turns later.

It was fairly sparse since he didn't spend much time in it, though it contained the basic bed and bathroom, as well as a closet and a few pictures. Overall what anyone would expect to see in a hotel room. Hypatia was there, and she hooted a friendly greeting to Neville, who smiled at her. Since he couldn't perform magic in front of his friend without blatantly violating school rules, Shikamaru just started throwing things into the trunk shoved in a corner (1).

"Sorry about my grandmother," Neville said after a pause, "she's a bit forceful." Shikamaru continued packing, both to get the job done and to hopefully lighten the tension.

"Don't worry about it," he said with a shrug. "I appreciate the offer for different living arrangements. Staying in a place like this drains my resources." Neville seemed relieved at that, and there was an amiable silence as Shikamaru finished packing in record time. He turned and gestured to the door, and followed Neville back to where Ms. Longbottom was waiting. She eyed Shikamaru with an unreadable look, but said nothing and walked out of the pub. He sighed and hefted his trunk and owl cage - with the owl notably missing; she wasn't overly fond of traveling like luggage.

At least his vacation wouldn't be so solitary anymore.

…

Neville's 'house' was enormous. Clearly this was where having pure blood came in handy, considering the size of Neville's estate. An estate. Bigger than a mansion and possibly the size of a small town. It wasn't the only one either, according to Neville's grandmother. Apparently the Longbottom family owned three of the monstrosities.