Camaraderie
- I -
::
When Sakura was born, her hair was a very pale blonde, many shades lighter than her mother's but with the potential to darken to the same golden yellow. Her father would often playfully lament the fact that she'd inherited both her mother's hair and eyes and, when she puffed out her chubby cheeks and pouted up at him, saying that she didn't want grey hair like him, Kizashi would gently pinch her nose and tell her that she'd look just as cute with the red hair of his youth.
She spent most of her preschool days trying not to let her bullies see her cry, hiding her wide forehead behind blonde bangs and playing by herself or taking refuge in the daycare building. Her favorite color was blue and her father often teased her that it matched his eyes, but she was never without her favorite plastic bracelet – a pale cerulean band dotted with white stars – and often held it between her palms while she endured the other children's teasing.
Playing by herself was difficult, so she often imagined she had friends that would keep her company. Imaginary friends that picked flowers with her or helped her make her sandcastles or pushed her on the swing, her imagination only strengthened by the odd occurrences that she never really considered to be all that strange. The buds on flower crowns she weaved bloomed when she smiled down at them, her castles never crumbled in the sandbox, and she swung higher than all of the other 4-year-olds at the playground, even if she was by herself, and she was delighted, sure that she didn't need to play with the other children if she could accomplish so much on her own.
She was five when she made her first, real friend.
The empty house next door was suddenly no longer vacant when a family of three moved in, a smiling young couple with their daughter who Sakura met one day while playing outside in the Haruno residence's yard, piling up sticks into a make-shift campfire.
She'd just stuck a pair of marshmallows onto one of her sticks when she heard a shy voice behind her, green eyes wide and curious as she looked over her shoulder.
"H-hi!" The smiling brown-haired girl behind her said, arms crossed behind her back and the toe of her red sneakers digging sheepishly at an exposed rock. "I just moved in next'ta you!"
Sakura paused for a moment, quickly glancing around to make sure the other girl was actually talking to her. Seeing no one else in the yard or on the street, she offered a shy smile and turned to face her, marshmallow stick gripped in her fist as she kneeled in the grass.
"O-oh, hi! My name's Sakura. What's yours?"
The brunette's smile widened and she moved closer, pointing at herself. "I'm Tenten! It's nice to meet'cha, Sakura."
She paused, head tilting and her brown pigtails bobbing as she glanced down at the crude pile of sticks and the bag of marshmallows next to the blonde-haired girl.
"Are you roastin' marshmallows?"
Sakura's grin widened and she nodded enthusiastically, waving Tenten over.
"Yeah!" A pause as her lips twisted into a small frown. "'Scept I don't have a real fire and Mama won't let me make s'mores..."
She looked back up at her new neighbor and smiled again, reaching for the half-empty bag next to her before holding it out to the other girl.
"Wanna play with me? I've got a whole bag!"
And Sakura and Tenten became quick friends, spending most of their time after preschool together and playing in either of respective yards and homes. Tenten scared off Sakura's bullies when they came to tease the blonde-haired girl about her large forehead and Sakura learned that the brunette's parents were actually her adopted parents, currently only about halfway into their first year as a family. The Haruno's were the only other Japanese family in the neighborhood and Mr. and Mrs. Jouda were overjoyed that their new daughter had already made a friend while Kizashi and Mebuki were relieved that Sakura finally had one of her own.
The two families grew closer as their daughters' friendship developed, but it was only Tenten's father who seemed to know what was going on when, one day, the little brown-haired six-year-old spontaneously turned Sakura's cup of water into a cup full of sand.
The Haruno's had invited the Jouda's over for lunch, as they often did at least once every couple weeks, and the two girls had been playing in the living room while the grown-up chatted in the kitchen, laughing over tea and coffee. Sitting around the low coffee table in front of the couch, the girls giggled as they colored in their activity books, the Haruno family cat, a calico Manx, sleeping on the arm of the sofa behind them.
Tenten had only just asked her friend if she could have a sip of her water, the offered glass in her hand for all of two seconds, when the liquid suddenly turned tan, solidifying into hundreds of grains of sand. The girls stared in surprise at the cup, their crayons forgotten, before Tenten hesitantly poked the forefinger of her free hand into the sand.
"How did'ya do that, Tenten?" Sakura asked, eyes wide and wondrous, while the brunette frowned, eyebrows creased worriedly.
"I-I'm sorry, Sakura, your water- I didn't mean- How did that...?"
The blonde-haired girl shifted closer, carefully reaching for the cup as well.
Her fingers were a hairbreadth away when the glass suddenly turned to sand as well, both girls jumping in surprise with shocked shouts as the fistfuls of sand fell down onto the tabletop and Tenten's lap, sliding through her fingers.
"M-mama!" Tenten called, obviously more scared by what had just happened than Sakura, who was hesitantly pushing her fingers into the pile of sand. "Papa!"
The adults all rushed into the room, the Jouda's at the lead, and all four paused uncertainly in the doorway to the living room, looking around for whatever trouble that had distressed the girls.
Prince, the calico cat, stretched from his place on the sofa before hopping onto the coffee table, batting curiously at the small dune at the edge.
"Is that," Mrs. Jouda paused, moving closer to the girls. "Sand?"
Mebuki's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, glancing from the pile on the floor to Sakura and Tenten as they rushed to their parents' sides. "Where did all of this sand come from, girls?"
"Tenten ma-!"
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-!"
It was hard to understand the girls as they tried to recount the tale to the adults, Sakura's eyes wide with wonder and excitement while Tenten was on the verge of tears, clinging to her mother's leg. Mr. Jouda, who had been silent all this time, quickly crouched down next to his daughter, gently dropping a hand onto her head and stroking her brown hair as he tried to calm her.
"Shh, shh, Tenten, it's okay!" Sakura heard him tell her, resisting the urge to go play in the sand with Prince. She stayed next to her parents as Tenten's father picked the teary-eyed brunette up, offering a quick apology to the Haruno's and resting a hand on his confused wife's shoulder.
There was an odd look on his face, a mixture of surprise, confusion, concern...
Awe.
"You'll have to excuse us, Kizashi, Mebuki. Tenten must have been playing in the sandbox at preschool and brought home a shoe-full. I," He paused, glancing to his frowning wife, who brushed her long black ponytail over her shoulder, before adjusting his hold on his daughter. "I need... to speak with Koko. Sorry about the mess!"
Mebuki looked just as confused as his wife, but Kizashi brushed the odd event off with a laugh, taking Sakura's hand in his own when she grabbed onto his pantleg.
"No worries, Taro! Sakura brings home pockets filled with sand all the time when she comes back from the playground. Have a nice afternoon!"
And Mr. Jouda quickly ushered his wife out of the house, the sniffling Tenten still clinging to him, while the Haruno's shrugged it off, cleaning up the odd pile of sand.
Later that same week, something else happened.
It had been about four days since Tenten turned the cup of water into sand at her home – and Sakura knew it had been Tenten that did it – and she hadn't seen her friend since then. She stood on her friend's porch, a Ziploc bag with chocolate chip cookies in her hand as she reached up onto her tiptoes to ring the doorbell. It was quiet for a few moments before the door finally opened and there was the brunette, her eyebrows furrowing as she peaked around the edge of the partially opened door.
"Sakura?"
"Tenten! You haven't been at preschool and Mama said you were pro'lly sick! So! I brought you some cookies to help you get better!"
Tenten's lips pursed and her brown eyes darted down to the bag of treats in Sakura's hands before she looked back up at the blonde-haired girl, expression still confused.
"You... came t'visit me?"
"Of course!" Sakura replied, her face scrunching up into an equally confused frown. "You're my friend - why wouldn't I?"
Something shifted in Tenten's eyes, her posture relaxing with hesitant relief as she opened the door fully.
"You still wanna be my friend? Even though I...- With the sand…"
Sakura giggled and took the brunette's hand, pulling her towards the steps of the porch and sitting down, bag of cookies in her lap. Tenten hesitantly took a seat next to her, accepting a treat when her friend handed her one of the cookies.
"Duh, I still wanna be your friend, silly! I like you a lot!"
"Even if I'm weird...?" Tenten quickly shook her head free of that thought, leaning over to hug Sakura before taking a quick bite of her snack. "I like you a lot too, Sakura."
Smiling, she returned the hug and, her blonde ponytail bouncing, she sat back and looked thoughtful for a moment before clapping her hands together.
"I know how I can prove that we'll be friends forever! Here!" Tenten watched curiously as the other girl removed the blue bracelet from her wrist, green eyes sparkling and her grin wide as she quickly held it out to the brunette. "I want'cha to have this, Tenten! Like a friendship bracelet!"
She was staring at Sakura with wide eyes, mouth still open and her cookie halfway to her lips before she slowly lowered her hand and took the offered gift, a light blush on her cheeks.
"R-really?!"
Sakura gave a dutiful nod, looking very proud of herself, before her head tilted in confusion as Tenten quickly slipped the bracelet onto her own wrist, set aside her treat, and raised her hands up to her hair. After taking a moment to pat the twin buns her hair was styled into, she carefully removed the black hairclip from her its place holding back her bangs, fingers brushing over the little panda head at the end before she held it out to Sakura.
"Then I want you t'have this, Sakura. A friendship clip!"
It was her turn to stare at her friend, wide-eyed and gaze awed as she looked down at the panda clip, hesitating as she glanced up at the brunette.
"B-but... You love this hairclip, Tenten! You beat up that boy at the playground when he tried to steal it!"
Tenten smiled and pressed the panda clip into her friend's hand.
"I love you more, Sakura!"
She gave a happy squeal and pulled the brunette in for a tight hug, her face flushed with pink.
A pink that was steadily spreading to her hair.
Spreading through her hair.
Tenten suddenly pulled back in surprise when she noticed Sakura's ponytail change from light blonde to pastel pink. Her confused friend gave her a curious look when she held her at arm's length, pink eyebrows furrowed as she took in the girl's shocked expression.
"Tenten? What's wrong?"
"Your hair!" She replied, voice a surprised whisper. "It's... pink!"
Head tilting and face scrunching up in confusion, Sakura reached up to pull out the hair-tie holding back her ponytail, taking a lock between her fingers and pulling it into her line of sight. She froze as she was met with the sight of her no-longer blonde hair, and, instead, stared wide-eyed at the petal-pink strands wrapped around her fingers.
"W-what...?"
Tenten was staring too, reaching up to run her fingers through Sakura's hair as well, brown eyes dropping back to the blonde-turned-pinkette's frantic expression.
"Mama is gonna be so mad! I'm not old enough'ta dye my hair!"
And that was the scene that Taro Jouda walked out onto, standing in the open door of his house with a cup of coffee in his hand, the morning breeze ruffling his short brown hair, and surprised blue eyes falling on his daughter and her friend, the latter's hair a startling pastel pink.
::
Sakura's hair never changed back after that day and she overheard a lot of conversations between her parents and Tenten's father, many of which she was sure she wasn't supposed to have been listening in on.
...
"Have you two ever noticed anything... odd happen around Sakura before? Things that you can't quite explain?"
"Well... when she was two, the windows to her nursery burst open when she was crying. We were sure they had been locked but..."
"And there was this time when- I thought I was going crazy, but I knew the bubble bath was strawberry scented, but it smelled like vanilla halfway through her bath!"
...
"It's not uncommon for a child of non-magical parents to suddenly begin to start using magic. It just means that one of you has a witch or wizard ancestor."
"What about your daughter? Did you know that Tenten was... magical?"
"Had either of Tenten's biological parents been a witch or wizard, she wouldn't have ended up in a Muggle orphanage. She must have been Muggleborn as well."
"Muggle...?"
...
"How do you know so much about this? Are you a... wizard as well, Taro?"
"My mother was a witch and my father a Muggle. Both of my siblings started using magic when they were children – most young witches and wizards start showing magical potential by the time they're seven – but, I... I could never use magic. I'm what those in the magical community call a 'squib'."
...
"What's going to happen? Is someone going to come to take Sakura away? I won't let that happen."
"No, no, Mebuki! Usually, Muggle parents don't find out all of the details until their child turns eleven, at least here in Britain, that is, when a staff member from Hogwarts comes to deliver the young witch or wizard's acceptance letter. But I'll be sure to help you guys with any questions you have until that time comes."
"Hogwarts?"
...
Sakura was never given a direct explanation, considering she was so young, but she heard the word 'magic' thrown around so often in her and Tenten's home that she began to understand on her own. Any research her six-year-old self tried to conduct only ended with children's books about fairies and dragons, frowning down at the books in the kid's section of the library. Taro assured her parents that he would always be available if anything ever happened or if the... magic got out of hand.
And Sakura clung to the word 'Hogwarts' and embedded that overheard conversation in her memory, counting down the years, months, days to her eleventh birthday and when she'd finally learn just why she could make her paper dolls dance and convince the flowers to grow in the winter.
She religiously wore Tenten's panda clip in her permanently pink hair, blushing shyly when her parents cooed over how cute it looked and how well it matched her new hair color. They never tried to make Sakura hide her pink locks, always assuring her that they loved it, that they loved her and were proud of her... abilities.
Sure, Sakura's school teacher didn't seem to approve of Sakura's new hair, but Mebuki and Kizashi insisted that their daughter was never too young to express herself.
(Though, they did assure the woman that it was a child-safe powder dye.)
While Taro had neither the authority to properly explain magic nor the ability to even begin to teach them to control it, Sakura and Tenten experimented and played on their own, testing what they could do if they focused hard enough and excitedly recounting the day's exploits with each other. The parents watched on in both awe and pride, listening attentively to Taro's explanations of what this magical school would be like for the girl's.
And five years passed without incident.
Tenten's Hogwarts visitor and accompanying acceptance letter came the day of her eleventh birthday, March 9th, and she spent the entirety of the next day showing it to Sakura, when the pinkette had come to bring her friend her birthday gift. Her expression was excited and overjoyed as she told her that her father said that they'd all be going to get their school supplies together when the weeks-younger girl got her letter.
Sakura was restless in the days that followed, a constant mess of jittery nerves and anticipation and her parents readily understood, rather amused and still-awed as they watched the loose papers on her desk float into the air as she paced in front of her bed. The weeks passed too slowly for her liking and she tried to occupy her time with her normal – Muggle – schoolwork, desperately trying to distract herself from her curiosity about the inevitable visit.
Finally, on the morning of March 28th, Sakura burst out of her bed with a wide grin. She quickly washed her face and got dressed, slipping on a red sundress with white leggings, the panda clip taking its place in her bangs, and her mid-back length pink hair loose. Racing downstairs, she skidded into the kitchen to the sight of her parents finishing with breakfast preparations, the pair turning to greet her with bright smiles.
"Happy birthday, Sakura!"
::
After a breakfast of strawberry waffles, eggs, bacon, and vanilla yogurt, Sakura received her birthday gifts from her parents, squealing over the new dresses and clothes and a pretty stationary set, the cover printed with her namesake, and thoroughly distracted. Mebuki and Kizashi explained that they'd be going out later that evening for a special birthday dinner at a restaurant of her choosing and it was nearing 11 AM when there was a knock at the door.
Sakura's head snapped in the direction of the front door and her expression lit up even brighter, practically bouncing in her seat on the sofa. Prince languidly climbed into her lap and she didn't have the heart to move him, thankful when her father moved to answer the door.
Standing in the doorway was a tall, older woman dressed in green and black robes, her black hair hidden under a tall, pointed black hat and her hands laced in front of her. She nodded in greeting as Mebuki moved to join her husband, the pair regarding the woman with rather nervous smiles.
"Good morning," The woman greeted and Sakura continued to pet the calico, crossing and uncrossing her ankles, "Mr. and Mrs. Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno?"
Her parents were quick to nod, Mebuki resting her hand on her husband's arm.
"Yes. Are you the Hogwart's representative, ma'am?"
The woman seemed a little surprised by Kizashi's question, giving a slow nod before reaching up to adjust her square spectacles. "It appears that you've been expecting me. Yes, I am Professor Minerva McGonagall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Deputy Headmistress to the Headmaster Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."
A pause and Sakura was sure that she'd glanced past her parents to see her, sitting patiently on the couch.
"I'm here to speak with you about your daughter, Sakura. May I come in?"
::
Sakura spent a good hour marveling over her acceptance letter to Hogwarts, still seated on the couch long after Professor McGonagall had left. The older – kind of scary – witch had filled in the gaps Taro had left in regards to the world of magic and then spoke a long time about Hogwarts to her and her parents, Sakura practically at the edge of her seat as she devoured the information. Names and titles raced through her mind – Dumbledore, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and so on – and Professor McGonagall had nodded in approval when her parents mentioned that their neighbor, Taro Jouda, and his wife and daughter would be accompanying them to purchase Sakura's school supplies.
She'd informed them that the innkeeper of the Leaky Cauldron would be alerted to their eventual arrival, seeking entry to a mysterious Diagon Alley, which, apparently, would be where they would acquire the supplies. Professor McGonagall explained where and how to exchange their Muggle money for the wizarding currency, went over the list of school supplies Sakura would need, and revealed when the new school year would start.
Sakura was both relieved and distraught to learn that it would be months before she'd be going to Hogwarts.
Once everything had officially been revealed and expressed clearly, finally came the moment Sakura made her decision and she received her parent's permission. There was no hesitation with her answer and her parents had no intention of denying her the experience and Professor McGonagall had taken the acceptance, wishing Sakura luck in the school year to come before making her departure.
Though she had looked at Tenten's letter nearly a hundred times, she couldn't stop staring at her own, her heart beating with anticipation and excitement as her fingers traced the schools crest at the top of the parchment.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms. Haruno,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Sakura spent the rest of the day with her parents and they had to convince her to not immediately begin packing, the family laughing and embracing in growing excitement. They celebrated more than just Sakura's birthday when they went out for dinner that night and, the next day, Tenten was at her door well before noon, a wrapped present in her hands, Sakura's bracelet on her wrist, and her grin wide.
The girls had squealed over their letters, any nervousness pushed to the back of their minds and overwhelmed by their exhilaration, and compared their list of supplies to make sure there were no differences. Sakura was determined to prepare herself as much as she could before September arrived, creating her own checklist of supplies and anticipating the inevitable trip to Diagon Alley, a sea of possibilities flooding her eager mind.
::
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
After officially entering Diagon Alley and visiting Gringotts Wizarding Bank to obtain the proper currency, Taro had directed the group of Muggles and two witches-to-be through the bustling shopping district, a wide, if bittersweet, smile on his face as he recalled his childhood.
"I accompanied my siblings when they came to get their Hogwarts supplies every year. It's been a long time since I've been to Diagon Alley, but none of the shops have changed much. First stop is to get the girls their robes!"
Visiting Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions proved to be an interesting experience.
Sakura had never had anything fitted to her before, the closest experience to standing on a stool while a witch measured her and pinned the sleeves of the long black robe being when her mother had hemmed a dress that had proved to be too long when she was eight. Her mother and father watched on in amusement as Sakura was turned this way and that, looking miserable as the witch had her stand straight and hold out her arms so that she could get the measurements right.
Tenten's giggles quickly died when the pinkette was finally done and it was her turn.
While Mebuki and Kizashi chatted with Taro and Koko, all three asking the brown-haired man about the shops they would be heading to next, Sakura decided to do a little exploring, sending Tenten a thumbs-up and a cheeky grin before she slipped away, wandering through the shop.
It was still months before the official start of the academic year but the shop was far from empty. There were plenty of other families drifting through and around the store, child and adult alike getting fitted for robes of all sorts, and Sakura eagerly took in her surroundings.
It felt like Halloween, what with all of the dark robes and pointed hats, and Sakura wondered how out of place she looked, dressed in jeans, pink sneakers, and a dark blue shirt under a grey cardigan, her long pink hair pulled back in a loose braid.
She ran her hands over the fabric she passed, pausing as she reached another fitting area and watching quietly as an older girl with blonde hair stood patiently, being fitted into a set of fancy, pretty robes. Sakura's attention was drawn away and she turned to leave, only to pause as she caught a flash of red out of the corner of her eye.
Peering around a rack of cloth and her hands clasped behind her back, she spotted a boy around her age sitting on a stool, expression bored and his chin in his hands as he rested his elbows on his knees, watching the blonde-haired girl. Sakura considered him for a moment, taking in the dark marks around his eyes, the tired look on his face, his short, messy red hair, and definitely not-Muggle clothing.
She was just about to pull back and return to her parents when he glanced her way, freezing when he spotted her. Sakura's face flushed at being caught snooping and she hesitantly stepped out from behind the dark fabric, offering a tentative wave as his pale green eyes glanced over her, his expression shifting as he took in her clothing.
He didn't say anything, however, and Sakura tried not to stare too hard at where his eyebrows should have been.
"Uhm..." He was still staring at her and Sakura nearly lost her nerve, resisting the urge to glance back in the direction of her parents and Tenten. "Hello?"
He was silent but, eventually, offered her a nod, raising his hand in a small wave.
"Hello." He paused, gaze traveling to her hair before returning to the unnerving eye contact, the smallest, most hesitant smile quirking the corners of his lips. "...I like your hair."
Sakura's face quickly burned with a bright blush and her eyes dropped to the ground as she worried the hem of her shirt, a flustered smile threatening to break across her face.
She managed a hurried, flushed "Th-thank you!" before quickly turning tail and disappearing back into the shop, beelining for her parents and missing the boy's shocked expression.
Her cheeks were still red when she finally made it back to Tenten, her friend regarding her with a quirked eyebrow that quickly melted into a sly smile as she took in Sakura's blush and flustered smile. When the brunette was finally done with her robe fittings and their parents purchased the all of the required clothing, some minutes later, Tenten nudged her shoulder, expression curious.
Hand raised to absentmindedly brush her fingers over the panda clip in her hair, Sakura suddenly froze as she spotted something behind Tenten, face turning pink once more before she raced out of the shop, grabbing her mother's arm and tugging her after her as an excuse to hurry up the group. Eyebrows furrowed, the brown-haired girl glanced over her shoulder to find a confused, red-haired boy watching her, his eyes darting from Tenten to the door Sakura had just run out of.
She quickly connected the dots and sent the boy a wide grin, waving happily before hurrying after her friend.
::
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
After purchasing the girls' books and other supplies, there was just one final item left to obtain.
Sakura stared down at the words "1 wand" as Taro led the group through Diagon Alley. They'd done most of their shopping in the North Side and their final stop in the South Side was a shop called Ollivanders. She and Tenten stared up at the narrow building in front of them for a few moments when the group finally stopped, eyes scanning the words "Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC" before Tenten's father ushered them inside.
The girls eagerly looked around once they passed through the door to the shop, the ringing bell announcing their arrival, and Sakura's gaze traveling over the hundreds and hundreds of narrow boxes lining the walls. It was quiet in the shop for a few moments before Taro stepped to the front counter, leaning to glance past one of the tall row of shelves that stretched towards the back.
"Hello? Mr. Ollivander?"
There was muffled movement from further in the shop and, after a moment, a man with pale eyes and even paler hair appeared, rounding a corner of one of the shelves and holding a few of those narrow boxes in his arms. He paused as he noticed the group before a friendly smile fell over his face, carefully placing the boxes on the countertop as he welcomed them.
"Hello, hello! Welcome, my friends." He paused once more as he noticed Tenten and Sakura and his smile turned warm, gesturing the girls forward. "Young witches here to get their first wands, eh? Step forward, my dears, and I'll bring you a few to test out! And might I know your names?"
If he noticed that they were all wearing Muggle clothing, he didn't comment on it.
Ollivander looked thoughtfully down at the boxes on his counter for a moment before setting all but two aside, quickly turning to trail his fingers over the stacks of boxes behind him, occasionally carefully dislodging one. Sakura felt a hand on her shoulder and glanced up to see her father smiling encouragingly down at her, gently nudging her forward. Tenten's father did the same and the pair stood nervously in front of the countertop, waiting for the man to return and finally replying.
"I'm Sakura." The pinkette answered, hands clasped behind her back.
"And I'm Tenten." The girls shared glances and watched the nodding man shuffle around the shop, the anticipation steadily building as he made his way back to the counter.
With a sizeable pile of boxes stacked on the tabletop, the wandmaker opened a pair of boxes, peering down at the contents thoughtfully before holding a wand each out to the girls. Tenten accepted the offered wand with slightly less hesitance than Sakura, eyebrow raised as she glanced up at Ollivander.
"Just give them a wave and we'll see how they fit."
Sakura glanced up from inspecting her wand, smiling shyly at the man's warm tone before looking at Tenten. Her expression was encouraging and the brunette sent her a quick smile, giving the wand a quick wave through the air.
Almost instantly, the floorboards under her shook and groaned, causing her to jump back in surprise as they gave a very animal-like shudder before falling still, her wary gaze on the wood when she carefully took her place again. Tenten looked to Ollivander and he shook his head thoughtfully, mumbling to himself as he took the wand back when she held it out to him.
"That would be a no..." He paused, hands already on another box, and looked at Sakura, that kind smile returning. "Your turn, my dear."
Sakura stared down at the wand in her hand for another moment before holding it away from herself, waving it through the air. A small puff of smoke burst from the end when her hand stilled, a pitiful ember falling to the ground and her father quickly stepping forward to smother it under his shoe, just in case.
Frowning, Sakura returned the wand to Ollivander, accepting the next he offered to her.
The girls went through another three wands each, a small puddle under Tenten's feet and a broken window behind Sakura, and they were looking more and more disappointed, almost reluctantly accepting the next pair of wands from the smiling wandmaker.
"Is there something wrong with us?" Sakura muttered aloud when her wave made the thick, open book on the counter slam shut with a loud thud, the book falling to the ground moments later. Tenten dodged an oncoming gust of dirt and dust that swept up from towards the back of the shop and gave a frustrated sigh, lips pursed.
"The wand chooses the witch." Ollivander answered patiently, holding out another pair of wands. "It often takes young witches and wizards dozens of wands before they find their match. Never fear, girls!"
The next wand was in Tenten's hand moments before Sakura reached hers and there was a shift in the air. A gentle wind began to blow around the brunette's ankles, fresh green leaves appearing from thin air and twirling around her legs as the breeze rose around her.
Behind the pair, the parents were at attention, all eyes wide and excited as they watched Tenten, expressions lighting up. Sakura stepped to the side as the wind continued to swirl around her friend, a smile brightening her face as the leaves danced and spun before suddenly glowing and bursting into tiny fireworks-like explosions, raining down a shower of sparkles around the brunette as the wind dissipated.
Tenten stared down at the wand in her hand before meeting Sakura's bright eyes, slowly looking to the smiling wandmaker.
"There we are, my dear." He held out his hand and Tenten hesitantly returned the wand, still mesmerized by what had just happened.
Ollivander looked over the wand for a moment before gently retuning it to its box and handing it back to the dazzled girl.
"Elm wood," he began, giving a description of the wand that had just chosen Tenten, "Dragon heartstring core, eleven and one-fourth inches, and encouragingly swishy."
Tenten accepted the box and carefully held it in her arms, grinning widely as she glanced to her friend. Sakura was nearly bouncing on her heels and dropped her gaze to the wand she'd yet to take in hand, thinking that, just maybe, this would be her match now as well.
Ollivander nodded and held it out to her, offering a brief description as she reached out.
"Cherry wood with a unicorn hair core."
Sakura's eyes lit up and she eagerly accepted it, frowning slightly when there was no reaction. She gave it a hesitant wave and a few shelves nearby were quickly emptied of their contents as the boxes were flung to the floor.
She quickly handed it back with a sigh, shoulders slumping and disappointment radiating from her form.
Tenten had moved back to join the adults and Sakura went through another four wands before there was finally a change.
She took a steadying, determined breath in through her nose as she took the next wand in hand, eyebrows furrowing when there was, again, no immediate reaction like with Tenten's elm wand. Sakura was only about halfway through raising the new wand for a flick when a comforting wave of warmth washed over her, starting from her hand and spreading throughout her body.
She heard a delighted set of gasps behind her and she lowered her hand, staring in awe as she realized that her hand and the wand were encompassed in a soft green glow, streaks of blue swirling outwards. A smile quickly spreading over her face, she felt the ends of her cardigan raise and flutter in an unseen wind, her long hair lifting around her in a pink halo and the blue and green glow spreading further up her arm. She felt something brush her leg and the pinkette glanced down to see thin vines and branches sprout out from under her feet, her namesake budding and blooming.
Sakura nearly cried.
When the magic finally settled, her hair falling back in place, the glow disappearing, and the plants shrinking back into the floorboards, she looked up at Ollivander, a hopeful smile on her face.
He regarded her with a very pleased look, holding out his hand for the light brown wand.
Once it was tucked back into its box and returned to her, Sakura's parents coming to stop behind her as her mother hugged her and her father ruffled her hair, the wandmaker spoke.
"Larch wood with a unicorn hair core, ten and three-fourths inches, with unyielding flexibility." The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled brightly, looking between Sakura and Tenten.
"Congratulations, my dears. You have your wands – treat them well and they will serve you the same."
::
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
"You mean... I can really take Prince with me to Hogwarts?"
"He's been watching over you since you were a baby. I'd want nothing more than for him to watch out for you while you're away at school too!"
"Besides, he'd miss you too much if you left without him. Silly cat."
::
Sakura, Tenten, and their parents arrived at King's Cross Station at 10:15 AM, the girls' luggage piled on their trolley's and the adults regarding the grinning Taro with confusion as he said they were heading for Platform 9¾.
Nine and three-quarters?
Despite everyone's initial hesitance – excluding Tenten's father, of course – the group made it through the magical wall between Platforms 9 and 10, arriving on the bustling platform housing the Hogwarts Express. It was still fairly early, nearly half an hour now before the train was supposed to leave, but the scarlet steam engine was already waiting, various students and parents dressed in Muggle and Wizarding clothing alike walking around the platform and loading the train.
The girls waited with their parents as they passed the time leading up to the departure, and, finally their luggage was tagged and loaded up and Sakura sent Prince, meowing in his carrier, a quick goodbye before turning to her parents. Her mother was wearing a proud smile while her father reached down to ruffle her hair, tears gathering in his eyes as he grinned.
"I'll write all the time, I promise!"
Kizashi barked a laugh and pulled her in for a hug, Mebuki quickly joining as she pulled her family close, all three piling together for a long embrace. Sakura was fighting back tears by the time they parted, her smile unwavering even when Kizashi pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head and Mebuki combed her fingers through her loose hair one last time.
Tenten was finishing up her goodbyes with her parents as well and turned to Sakura with an excited smile, letting out a surprised sound when Mebuki and Kizashi pulled the brunette in for a quick hug. Sakura's laugh was cut off when Koko and Taro did the same, wishing her luck on her year at Hogwarts.
By the time they were finally done, it was time to load up onto the train. The girls quickly found an empty compartment and opened the window, searching for their parents amongst the crowd of adults sending their children off. Sakura was spotted before she could see her parents, quickly hearing them call her name as she looked out over the crowd. The two girls waved enthusiastically out the window, all bright eyes and wide grins, and their calls of farewell were drowned out by the cry of the Hogwarts Express' engine.
Within moments, the train began to move, pulling out of the station and down the tracks, away, away, away and on towards Hogwarts.
::
notes: this is all the multisaku discord chat's fault
hp/naruto crossover focusing on saku-friendships! maybe some slight eventual romance
leave a review if you enjoyed!