WINTERTIDE
000
CHAPTER TEN
Day One:
Hermione – Weather good. Training well. Ariah V-good aim, now improving. Looking into defensive warding myself. Take care.
Bianchi – Lovely. Day good. Reborn excited – Tsuna inherits family business soon. Big ceremony. You are invited.
Day Two:
Hermione – Yay. Weather V-windy. Ariah flying, crazy girl. Making potions – learn Japanese better.
Bianchi – Everyone has made friends with transfer students. Tsuna and Lambo esp. Hayato excited over seeing first UMA.
Day Three:
Hermione – Weather good. Potions done – working hard to learn. Am researching Curse Breaking. Ariah tearing up environment.
Day Four:
Hermione – Weather raining. More research. Ariah looking into Elementals, good with fire and wind. Curse Breaking V. Difficult.
Day Five:
Hermione – Is all good? No responses – concerned. Training going well.
Ariah - Dad, you and I need to talk when I get back.
Day Six:
Bianchi – Return home now. Yamamoto critical in hospital, trouble is brewing.
"HARRY!"
000
For Hermione, the last six days had been desperately needed and rather enjoyable. She wasn't a great fan of 'roughing it' so to speak, but Wizarding Tents had eased the whole unpleasant affair a great deal, and with no one to dictate her actions the Muggleborn had enjoyed the last few days of living as she desired. She opened her books first thing in the morning, Ariah taking care of breakfast with an ease that would have looked out of place on a teenage boy, she read and practised magic throughout the day, brewing potions as and when she desired. The Mountain, being so close to a magic school, was magically rich and thus teaming with plant-life and occasionally creatures essential to various potions, not to mention Ariah had easily given up the remainder of her Potions Kit for the other girl to absorb into her own collection, claiming that she would restock back in England. In all honesty, Hermione had adored the last few days, especially when working practical magic along with Ariah who had not lost her flare for teaching, nor her skill in defensive magic.
For her friend, Ariah had been excelling, leaps and bounds. She would fly a way from the tent and then wreck unholy destruction on the most barran patch of land she could find, the scorches and scars in the earth were quite something. She had come back to the tent more than once with her wand smoking with how much power she had channelled and how quickly she'd done it. Flying was her naughty addiction, out here in the mountains no one could see her or tell her off for it, it became a game of hers to fly as fast as she could and try to stun birds, it worked on improving her aim and reactions as she flew down and caught it before reviving the startled creature and allowing it to take flight again. Her physical training mostly involved running from one side of the mountain to the other in varying ways, never stopping, always trying to do it as quickly as possible. It got boring so she started including a little... style. Instead of jumping she flipped, for instance. A little psychological manipulation could go a long way in a fight, even if it was just looking like you were fully capable of taking them apart without even breaking a nail.
Still, aside from Duelling Hermione and occasionally getting into a fight with what had to be a rather runtish Oni, Ariah had yet to have a proper fight. So she was still largely unsure of what she could do should she really have to punch it. At least now she had a better idea of her limits though. She would need a lot longer than six days to really get the measure of her strength.
But she wouldn't be getting those extra days.
Hermione had never ridden on a broom with Harry, her fear of heights only really allowed her to watch her bestfriend defy death and gravity, never join him. It was only the idea of innocent and sorely wronged Sirius Black getting the Dementor's Kiss that spurred her into climbing astride Buckbeak and squeezing her eyes shut, trusting Harry not to kill her as they flew to his rescue. She still hated heights and flying – but Ariah had no intention of being considerate of that today and Hermione knew it as she mounted the Firebolt, tucking the Invisibility Cloak around herself, clutching her bottomless bag tightly to her chest. In it was their tent and all their other supplies with the exception of the broom, cloak and their wands. Hedwig hooted from her spot between Ariah's legs. They needed to go faster than the Snowy could fly, but they also needed her help to find Yamamoto, hence the fact she was going to hitch a free ride.
"Hold tighter," Ariah ordered gruffly, knowing that if Hermione didn't the force of their take-off would tear her clean off the back of the broom. She felt her friend shift and press in much tighter, "Good. Don't scream."
That was all the warning she got before they shot into the air like a champagne cork at a much higher velocity. Hermione's skin burned and she nearly got flung off with the force of the wind in her face and gravity sucking at her back. Ariah didn't seem to notice as she adjusted the cloak around them and told Hedwig to lead the way.
Worry gnawed at the girls' insides as they flew back to Namimori, Hedwig directing them to the hospital as they streaked overhead. Hermione didn't think she could breathe, never mind Ariah's suicidal flying, what if Yamamoto had been attacked by the Death Eaters? Would a muggle hospital even be able to help him? Had they found out about Ariah and Reborn? Or was it even Death Eaters? Was it just an honest accident? Something more sinister? Was it to do with the Vongola? Reborn was still under the mistaken impression hat neither of them had the slightest idea of his Underground connections, but Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley had made it their business to know such secrets from the age of eleven onwards. And in all honesty, he hadn't been at all subtle about it. It didn't take much digging or much difficulty to piece everything together and find out the truth and how it related to Reborn and Tsuna and his friends.
But that was the thing, so far there had been no indication of trouble brewing, and both of them were very good at pinpointing that moment when it began, so, if there was nothing brewing when they arrived... who was it that attacked Yamamoto? Death Eaters or someone against the Vongola?
This was the problem of having been hunted and attacked your whole life, you immediately looked deeper into things that may or may not have anything to do with what was happening – it could have just been a car accident, they didn't know what had happened just yet. The Muggleborn Witch was becoming more and more distressed over this situation as they finally swooped into a steep landing amidst the small stretch of green around the hospital.
The sterile reek of rubber gloves, bleach and sickness struck Ariah's nose full belt as the two girls ran inside, past a pair of distinctly European men – the one with the prosthetic arm giving a small start of alarm at the sight of the dark haired girl as the two burst into the Emergency Waiting room. Tsuna and his friends plus a group of unfamiliar teenagers all jumped to their feet, postures defensive and alarmed as the two Witches strode in with hard faces.
"Ariah! Maioni! What are you two doing here?" Gokudera blurted in surprise, hastily waving down the unfamiliar group of teenagers in black uniforms.
"Bianchi told us about Yamamoto," Ariah explained in fluent, if accented, Japanese making everyone look at her in shock. A few days ago she could barely string a sentence together!
"We came as quickly as possible," Hermione further told them, shakily taking a seat, her face ashen. "Ariah drives like a lunatic. Give me a minute, if I talk too much I may throw up," she complained, taking deep and steady breaths as she gripped the seating beneath her. It was less of a surprise for them to hear Hermione now fluent in Japanese given how she already knew Italian to a fairly competent degree.
Ariah gave her an apologetic glance, "What happened?" she asked, drawing all eyes back to her in an instant.
For a moment, it seemed as if no one knew how to answer her until Gokudera spoke, recognising that same authority that Reborn cloaked himself with now resting on the young woman's shoulders. "Earlier today, Yamamoto was attacked by person or persons unknown in the locker rooms at School. Mizuno Kaoru had been with him earlier but left to go home," he explained, scrubbing a hand through his hair in anxious frustration.
The Witch nodded thoughtfully, "Would you say this is a simple attack on Yamamoto as an individual or something connected to the Vongola?" she asked calmly.
For Gokudera, it was reflex to answer her, never thinking twice about the words that just left her mouth. The other members of Tsuna's guardians though, all jerked and looked at her in shock. "Definitely a Vongola attack. Someone took out the World Renowned Assassination Famiglia from Russia, the Giegues'. Reborn believes that they're after Tsuna due to his Inheritance Ceremony," the silver haired teenager explained, glaring angrily at the thought of anyone getting in the way of the Juudaime's rightful assension to the position of Decimo.
"H-how do you know about the Vongola?" Chrome asked, wringing her fingers as she peered at the other woman.
She gave the skittish teenager a smile, "We figured it out. Hermione and I have been digging these sorts of things up since we were eleven, it wasn't difficult and in all honesty, I'm a little thankful that this wasn't done by Death Eaters. Hermione, think you can brew up some medicine?" Ariah asked, looking over her shoulder at the much steadier looking brunette.
She swallowed and nodded, "I've patched you up often enough. I'll need to know the full extent of his injuries, possibly get a blood sample just in case I have to use some of the more heavy duty ones but anything short of dismemberment or actual death I can manage if I leech off you for the actual application work," she explained.
"Excuse me," a frosty feminine voice interrupted, causing the two girls and the other guardians in the room to look over at the woman in the black school uniform. She was frowning rather suspiciously at the two girls, specifically at Hermione. "But who are you? This is not a conversation for girlfriends," she snipped.
"Ariah is my daughter and Hermione is her Right Hand," a familiar and at this point in time, much welcome voice declared from the ground level.
"Dad, I take it you went to the scene?" the black haired girl asked, dismissing the unknown woman who bristled almost comically at the blatant lack of concern.
He nodded, giving her a brief visual check, she was more comfortable in her skin now, no more fidgeting or defensive posture. Add to that she had figured out about the Vongola, she really was his daughter to get to the bottom of the matter with even less resources than he and on so few hints. "I did and I can tell you now that we can and we will find the culprit and all who are connected to him or her," the Sun Arcobaleno declared.
"So you found a clue?" Ryohei and Gokudera exclaimed, hope kindling upon their features.
"I did." Was it Hermione's imagination or did Ariah just put herself between the unfamiliar teenagers and herself? "But it will take some time to reveal the culprit, and since this concerns secret information regarding the Vongola, I must ask the Shimon Family to leave," the pint-sized Mafioso requested politely. "Ariah and Hermione as well," he added, glancing apologetically to his daughter who nodded.
"Secret information of Vongola?" the glasses wearing teenager asked, leaning forward in interest.
"If you let us in on it, we may be able to help," the serious dark haired woman pointed out.
"Of course if we need help we will ask for it. But for now we need to have a little privacy. You should be careful as well, you may be attacked," he warned, watching as the young woman's eyes narrowed briefly.
"Understood," she intoned.
"Ariah?" Reborn prompted, glancing to his daughter who rummaging in her pocket. A moment later, she withdrew a coin, similar to the messenger ones that he had been Bianchi communicating with Hermione using.
"Give us a call when you're finished. Forward Yamamoto's injuries and we can get started on the medicine," she told him firmly. Reborn nodded, watching as his daughter slung an arm around her bestfriend and guided her out, one eye on the Shimon family. He felt something inside of him tighten at her suspicion, he trusted his instincts but to him, Enma and his Guardians reminded him of Tsuna back before he started coming into himself. Had Ariah noticed something different? He shook the thought off, Yamamoto was his main concern right now, not his daughter's thoughts and opinions, she was too new the Mafia world to be of much use in this beyond healing him up and providing an extra pair of eyes.
Outside, one of the Shimon boys, the one with the glasses, turned to them with what he obviously thought was a comforting smile, "Don't you worry your pretty heads over Yamamoto Takeshi, he's a tough guy," he told them shifting behind Rauji to be closer, unaware of how Ariah's eyes narrowed as she ensured Hermione was on her otherside.
"Regardless of how tough he is, he is in the hands of medical professionals," the dark haired girl retorted sharply, "Thus in the best hands possible." An obvious dig at Hermione who bristled like Crookshanks, if it weren't for Ariah's grip on her shoulder and the tense warning that threaded through her whole arm, she would have given that arrogant little Miss such a talking to. Had she really been like this when she was younger? Such a stickler for the rules? Thank god Ron and Harry got their claws into her when they did.
"As you say, the best hands possible," Ariah confirmed, giving Hermione's shoulder another more encouraging squeeze that went unnoticed by all present.
"So," the glasses wearing boy began, grinning even wider, "Are either of you taken or are you together?" he asked, making Ariah's eyes narrow dangerously and Hermione to take on an expression more reminiscent of Professor McGonagall than anyone else.
Aoba Koyo flinched and immediately back-peddled, angry girls were something he didn't like dealing with. Not after all the broken bones that Adelheid had given him over the years.
"What is your relationship to Sawada Tsunayoshi?" the serious girl demanded, breaking up what she was quite certain was a dispute she would not have stood for on school grounds.
Ariah gave her a poisonous look, "None of your business," she retorted before pulling Hermione along.
"What's wrong? You're not usually that hostile to people. Do you think they're connected to Yamamoto's attack?" Hermione whispered once they were a fair distance away, making their way out of the Hospital to begin the treck back to the Sawada residence.
The Gryffindor sighed heavily, "I'm not sure, on the one hand they feel like Tsuna and his friends, but on the other, it feels as though they're on the flip-side, the darker half." She gave her friend a humourless smile, "The Draco Malfoy to Tsuna's Harry Potter." There seemed to be such a sense of anger, tightly leashed violence and an almost air of guilt that lingered around them, she had seen them tense and radiate alarm when Hermione admitted to being able to heal Yamamoto. The big one with the regent hair-style had been watching her from the corner of his eye ever since, hands flexing and it made Ariah nervous to be around them.
"Harry Potter," a male voice greeted from behind the two, making both tense and whip around, Wands drawn so fast they nearly clipped the old man as he back-peddled, holding his hands out defensively with an almost exasperated chuckle. He was a very large man, broad shouldered and rather mature, his hair was fairly long, hanging past his shoulders in strands of silver and white brown hair, he wore a familiar dark suit that the two Witches had come to associate with Reborn with the only unique difference being that his left arm looked as though it had been taken from one of the Hogwarts' Suits of Armour. "My apologies ladies, I had not meant to startle you. Please, I am Coyote Nougat, a colleague of Reborn's, I mean no harm," he told them soothingly.
Hesitantly, Hermione stowed her Wand but Ariah kept her's outstretched, "Prove it," she commanded, green eyes narrowed on the older man who couldn't stop himself from smiling approvingly of her attitude, though perhaps not her lack of respect.
"Ask me a question then, something only a friend of Reborn's could answer," he requested, remaining as still as possible. This was Reborn's daughter alright and he didn't want to run the risk of her being exactly like her father and shooting first only to torture the answers out of him later.
She clearly gave it some thought, "What is his real name?" she asked quietly.
A good choice, very few people knew that name, in fact, Coyote Nougat was willing to bet that only the Sun Arcobalenos', the Ninth and his Guardians and the Head of CEDEF knew that name outside of these two girls. "Renato Serafino," he answered, a moment later, the girl slowly removed her Wand. But didn't stow it.
"How do you know the name Harry Potter?" the girl asked suspiciously.
"I am a Squib of the Zabini Pureblood Family." Small world, imagine running into one of your school mate's disowned cousins this far away on the otherside of the planet. Hermione gasped, clearly recognising the name. Coyote nodded in acknowledgement, "I am currently trying to sort out the mess of Custody Issues Reborn and the Dursleys' have caused. When you return to England, it would be beneficial if you got into contact with the Goblins to expedite everything."
"What do you mean, 'custody issues'? My Aunt and Uncle are my Guardians."
Coyote shook his head, "Unfortunately no, that is not the case. They never adopted you, there is no kind of formal paperwork legally placing you within their care. It is a case of Kidnapping. Not to mention, ah, there having been an accident," the Storm Guardian put delicately. He could smell Reborn and Shamal's fingerprints all over it, but the girl didn't need to know and sometimes it was often better to leave women in the dark about such ugly things. "There was a fire, I don't know the details but, official sources claim it was your cousin who accidentally caused the blaze while under the influence. There were no survivors."
Ariah's eyes widened.
No... survivors?
A fire? Dudley 'under the influence', drunk? 'Accidentally'? No, no, she would think about this later, if what Coyote was saying then the Dursleys were dead and there was nothing she could do to change the fact, however, there was someone dying in the middle of the emergency room and they could do something about it – with enough backing.
"I'll speak with the Goblins," she declared, taking the old Storm Guardian by surprise, though really he shouldn't have been. Reborn was the type to focus on things he could change rather than wallowing, well, he used to quite enjoy a good wallowing, he spent quite a while doing so when he was first cursed, however now a days he focused on what he could change. "Before that, I need full details of Takeshi Yamamoto's injuries, access to a Potions Lab, or just somewhere safe to brew them, protection for the Brewer," this was said with a nod to Hermione who was looking a little stunned at how swiftly events were going, "And ingredients if we need them. You do have Access to the Magic District in Japan, correct?" she asked.
"I do, but I will need someone with a Wand or Staff to gain access," he admitted.
Ariah nodded, "Hermione's your girl. She'll know what she needs to get hold of as well."
"You're going to attempt to heal Yamamoto Takeshi using Magical Means?" Coyote asked suspiciously, the Japanese Ministry wasn't going to be happy with that.
"He's signed the forms. He has clearance to be aware." And just like that whatever argument they could possibly have was made invalid. He was aware of their world and their sponsors were clearly not only paying for the ingredients but also brewing the potion themselves, there wasn't a legal leg to stand on.
"Would you like a lift back to the Sawada Household? I believe Reborn may be a while with Tsuna and his Guardians," the Guardian offered.
Ariah shook her head, making Hermione pale, "We have a Broom and an Invisibility Cloak. We'll manage."
Coyote nodded, "Very well. I look forward to seeing you at Tsuna's Inheritance Ceremony the day after tomorrow."
Given how villains always went for the dramatic, attacked in highly public places, aired their victory and were unable to simply keep their mouths shut, they would make their attack during the Inheritance Ceremony. They would be loud and draw all the attention to themselves and lord their superiority over everyone in the room. The typical Villainous monologue. And when that happened... she would be there.
"Wouldn't miss it."
000
Hey guys, been a while. As for why, this weekend I have just been DEAD. Couldn't even bring myself to watch anime or films. Ended up with a splitting migraine for most of Sunday. And as people on Facebook will know I had an essay all of yesterday (24 hour essays. Receive it at 9:00 in the morning, hand it in at 9:00 the next day).
But I finished it today. My only concern is that it seems to have suddenly gone a little too fast.
I'm leery of Filler because the last few chapters have felt that way to me, despite how many of my readers telling me that they were essential to character development.
Also, yes, I downplayed Ariah's reaction to the Mafia, why? Because that's small fry compared to Magic. That's actually nothingin comparison to half the shit she's been through. The killing aspect, well, she's got to kill Voldemort doesn't she? The criminal aspect, I did a small exercise once where I listed every Law Harry broke in the books. I needed three sheets of A4 narrow lined paper. Were it anything other than extenuating circumstances, he'd be in Azkaban.
So yeah, Mafia, no problem.