Two figures stood in front of them, both tall and wearing matching volleyball jackets; identical except for their dyed hair. The blonde on the right was smiling at them, while the grey haired one was looking at Malfoy with a slight frown.
They had to be the Miya twins, but Hermione didn't want to reveal that she knew that. "Shouldn't you introduce yourselves before asking us questions?"
"Of course." The blonde held out his hand. "I'm Miya Atsumo, and this is my twin Osamu. And you are?"
Why did she have to be right?
Calm. She had to stay calm. Getting agitated or cutting off the bond would make Tetsurou worried.
This match was important to him. She had to let him focus on getting the team ready—there would be no more chances for nationals after this one.
Hermione forced herself to smile and return the handshake. "I'm Granger Hermione."
As her hand fell back down to her side, Malfoy bowed before either twin could extend their hand to him. "I'm Malfoy Draco." His hands were at his sides, and even though he didn't stay down long, he bowed to a ninety degree angle before he straightened, a false smile stretching across his face. "Pleasure to meet you both."
That… did Malfoy know about bowing etiquette in Japan? He'd just insinuated that the Miya twins were above him in status and that he considered them worthy of the utmost respect. It would be like Malfoy to research etiquette, but why would he act so deferential?
The grey-haired twin, Osamu, looked non-plussed, bowing as deeply in return, but the blonde twin, Atsumo, considered Malfoy for a few seconds before giving a half bow, barely bending at his waist. Hermione winced at the slight as the blonde twin dismissed Malfoy to instead turn toward Hermione. "You wouldn't happen to be the Granger who is the new ambassador from England, would you? Our uncles mentioned she was around our age."
Uncles? As in plural? Hermione only remembered one Miya at the meeting, but it's not like she had caught everyone's names. "I've had the honor of being appointed to that position, yes."
"What's a political figure like you, from Britain especially, doing at a high school volleyball match? And even wearing a Nekoma jacket?" The blonde's hands were in his pockets, his entire stance loose and unguarded, despite the fact that he was basically interrogating her.
She didn't like this.
Deep breaths. Stay calm. Don't make Tetsurou worried.
But how to explain this without mentioning her bond? "My cousin loves the sport and is friends with the Nekoma captain, and unlike Karasuno, Nekoma doesn't have a team manager, so I decided to help them out as a way to practice my Japanese." There. That should do it. It should even make the Miya family happy that she was trying to improve her Japanese. "But I thought your family lived near Kyoto? Do you always come out to the Tokyo regionals matches?"
"Aren't you well informed!" Atsumo laughed, his smile reminding her of Malfoy when he was amused at his own joke. "We like to watch our future opponents. And these are official matches, so we're not breaking rules or anything. Kuroo-kun can't chase us out this time."
Chase them out? Kuroo-kun? What in Merlin's name?
Osamu was still analyzing Malfoy. Did they recognize his last name? Malfoy's father was Voldemort's right hand man.
"So she's here to practice Japanese. What about you?"
Malfoy shrugged. "I'm just here to escort my cousin, Granger's godson, to the game. He's been babbling about seeing it ever since we last visited."
"Godson?" Atsumu blinked, then motioned over at the empty chairs where Charlie had sat with Teddy earlier. "Was that the little boy sitting with you?"
"Yes." Hermione nodded. "My friend came as well, and just left to take him to the restroom."
"Well while you have company, why don't we give you all a tour of Kyoto later, ambassador?"
"I'm afraid we'll be busy."
"Tomorrow then?" Atsumu's smile made her wary. "We know that area far better than Kuroo-kun and his friends, after all."
Damn it. How could she refuse this? There's no way Tetsurou would like it, but Hermione didn't even know why Tetsurou didn't like them!
"That would be lovely. How kind of you to offer." Malfoy's voice cut through Hermione's panicked thoughts.
She stared at him in disbelief.
Mio?
Dang it all! And now Tetsurou had noticed that something was wrong, but as long as she had his attention-. About the Miya Twins… where do they fall on a scale of 'likely to trip you in a hallway' to 'will lock you in a room of venomous tentacula'?
What the heck, Mio? They're definitely more the 'trip you in a hallway' type, though verbal taunts and political maneuverings are more their style. Are they there?
Ok. That… that helped. They weren't an immediate danger. I'm handling it. Focus on the team, alright? Hermione closed their bond as best as she could, then turned her attention to the Japanese wizards in front of her. If these two weren't the type to do anything drastic, this was going to be much easier to handle.
Malfoy was still talking, "Should we send you our owl?"
Osamu wrinkled his nose in displeasure. "Why bother with an owl when texts are so much faster? Owls always raise questions in the city, too."
Malfoy sighed, still wearing his superficial smile. "I'm afraid I have yet to acquire a phone since we don't use them in England. Granger, you have one though, don't you?"
Three sets of eyes turned toward her, two brown and one grey.
She was going to kill Malfoy. Then Tetsurou would bury the remains. "I do." Hermione gave Malfoy a sharp smile, and the ferret subtly inched away from her.
"Wonderful." Atsumo was grinning like a cheshire cat as he pulled out his phone. "Your number so that we can reach you, then?"
Hermione tried to keep her voice calm and pleasant as she listed the number. If things got too bad, she could block them. Or get a new number. Something.
Atsumo slid his phone back into his pocket with a sly smile that Hermione was beginning to suspect was ever-present. "We'd be happy to discuss Japanese customs with you at any time as well, ambassador. I'm sure you've had quite a bit of culture shock coming from England, and having multiple perspectives on issues can be helpful." Right. Because they didn't agree with the Akaashis on most policies. "And we would be happy to explain muggle things to your visitors, as well, since you will be down on the court." Malfoy stiffened next to her, but the twin plowed on, "I'm sure they must be lost if they don't know the sport."
Whatever had bothered him about the suggestion, Malfoy wasn't letting it show. His smile was perfectly calm as he motioned to the empty seats to his right. "By all means, feel free. I'm sure my cousin and Granger's friend would appreciate your insight."
"Always happy to help an ambassador's guests, right, 'Samu?"
The grey haired twin nodded. "It might be easier to do so if we sat on either end, though."
"There's no need, I'm sure." Hermione quickly cut in before the twins moved. The last thing they needed was the twins flanking the row. Even if Tetsurou thought they weren't physically dangerous, Hermione didn't like the idea of Teddy and Charlie being surrounded like that. "They'll be close enough to hear you since I'll have to go back down to help the team, and Teddy mostly sits in Charlie's lap."
"If you insist." Osamu shrugged, taking the seat next to Malfoy, who tensed up at the action.
Hermione frowned. Why had Malfoy reacted that way again? It had been brief, but it wasn't like Malfoy to slip up like that.
The Japanese wizard had shifted his leg further from Malfoy, though, leaning his hand against his palm as he watched them both. "Is this the first game you've seen, then?"
Malfoy nodded. "I've seen one of Kuroo-san's practices, but I was mostly watching my cousin for Granger while she helped their team."
"Oh?" Miya Atsumu plopped down into the seat next to his twin, leaning over his brother's shoulder as he did so. "Does your cousin visit often then?"
"Occasionally." Telling them about Teddy couldn't hurt, Hermione supposed. It would at least let them know that some British wizards valued the muggle world. "Teddy's named after his grandfather, who was a muggleborn. His parents wanted him to experience muggle culture, too, but we don't have a lot of opportunities to go on outings to muggle London. It's much easier to show him things here."
"'Mione!"
She turned automatically at Charlie's voice, waving to him and Teddy as they climbed up the stands. She grinned as Teddy squirmed in Charlie's arms, "Awntie! Want Awntie!"
The second they reached her, Charlie gratefully deposited Teddy in her arms. "Merlin, he was a brat. Didn't want to wait in line at all." Charlie turned to look over at the twins, appraising them. "I see we have company. Weasley, Charlie." He held out his hand, "Nice to meet you."
Hermione ruffled Teddy's hair, making the toddler squeal.
Miya Osamu shook Charlie's hand first since he was closer, and gave his name with a bored tone. His twin held out his hand, his expression open and welcoming, but still somehow suspicious. "Our uncles have met Granger-san through work. Seeing as you don't know the game well, we thought we would be good hosts and explain things to you."
"That's… generous of you." Charlie turned to look back at Hermione, who gave him a strained smile, then winced as Teddy tugged at a curl. "Teddy bear, that hurts." She quickly grabbed the toddler's hand, working on unwinding her hair from his fingers.
A whistle blew down on the court, and Hermione looked over at the court, frowning. The other match had ended.
She didn't want to leave them like this, but… "I should probably go join Kuroo-san and the team."
Charlie raised an eyebrow at her name choice, but nodded as he took Teddy back, despite the toddler's protests. "Sounds good! Have fun, Mione. We'll wait up here when the matches are over."
"Alright! See you then." She ruffled Teddy's hair again as she slipped by Charlie. "Be good, Teddy Bear!"
"Awntie! No go!" His hand clutched at her sleeve, and Hermione sighed as she pried it loose and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"I'll be right down there, ok? You want to watch the match with Uncle Charlie, right?"
Teddy frowned, but this time he let her go, at least. With one last wary look at the Miya twins, Hermione turned to head down the stairs.
Hermione really didn't like leaving Charlie and Teddy alone with Malfoy and the twins, but she didn't know what else to do. They were in a muggle arena and surrounded by muggles. It's not like they could really do anything, right?
She sighed, making her way toward the hallway where she could sense Tetsurou.
Maybe she should ask? It's not like the team had to have her there… Hermione bit her lip, unsure, then sighed and opened up the bond. She hated not knowing things.
Immediately Tetsurou's own emotions switched from focused to confused and concerned. Mio?What happened?
I had a run in with those twins you hate.
Shit.
Tetsurou, I left them up in the stands with Teddy, Charlie, and Malfoy. Should I go back?
No, they won't actually do anything. Make some snide comments maybe, but that's it. Why the hell are they sitting with them? They hate foreigners.
I don't know! Hermione groaned. She'd been hoping that Tetsurou might be able to shed some light on that. They cornered me into giving them my phone number so they could show me around Kyoto and talk about policies. Then they said they wanted to be good hosts and explain the game to Charlie and Malfoy.
That makes no sense. Bothering you, sure, but why would they go out of their way to help you?
I don't know! I don't even know if they're actually helping, really, or just want to annoy us or have some other plan. Well, that was good to know, at least. It did nothing to explain why Tetsurou was so upset, though. Who are they, Tetsurou?
Seconds passed without any response. He was frustrated and angry, but Hermione just wished she knew why. Finally Tetsurou replied, Do they know we're soulmates?
Hermione wanted to bang her head against a wall. That was not an answer. I told them I'm helping Nekoma because Kei-kun's friends with you. Why does it matter? Tetsurou had never cared who knew about them before.
Good.Tetsurou paused, anger giving way to pure frustration. We don't get along.
I've gathered.
Tetsurou groaned.
It's complicated, Mio. Really complicated. Can we please go over this when we're face to face?
Hermione sighed. She'd expected it. She knew today was important to him, but it was still annoying. You mean after your next match.
Yes.
He'd at least told her the twins weren't likely to harm anyone. And he was just as confused about their motives as she was. A few more hours probably wouldn't change much—it's not like she would have any contact with them until after the match, anyways. Hermione sighed. Fine. I know this match is important to you.
Thanks, Mio. I promise I'll explain later.
I'll hold you to that. In the meantime, though, Is there anything you need me to pick up for the team? I'm almost there.
Hermione blinked as Tetsurou's mood shifted to annoyed. He didn't seem to be annoyed with her, though, so why—
She rounded the corner to see another team in green uniforms standing in front of Nekoma, and Tetsurou was glaring at them.
Hermione squinted at the kanji on the green jackets. Snake? Wait. Nohebi? That was who the team was playing next, right?
They had to beat this team in order to make it to Nationals. There were certainly a lot of players, but Hermione had no clue how good they were. They had to be a strong team, though, if they were one of the best four in Tokyo.
She walked up to Tetsurou, who was taunting the captain, saying something about a girl named Mika.
The other captain yelled back, and Hermione was pretty sure he said something about her. At least, she'd caught the word for 'girl' and it's not like there were other girls nearby.
Tetsurou started laughing. "Perfect timing, Mio."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "What exactly is this all about?"
"This asshole isn't over being dumped by his girlfriend and is mad that you and I are together."
Ah. Hermione fought against the urge to sigh. "You shouldn't make fun of people for being dumped, Tetsurou."
"Hah! See!" The Nohebi captain was grinning as if he'd won some sort of contest. "You're terrible."
So he knew some English? Hermione rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't go that far."
Tetsurou laughed again. "Trust me. He deserved to be dumped."
Before Hermione could respond, Lev appeared from behind the other team and said something that seemed to reroute the conversation back onto volleyball. And then Yaku was yelling at Lev, as per usual, and Tetsurou was declaring that they would win.
Hermione shook her head, smiling slightly at the chaotic group. She knew Tetsurou was competitive and the sport was important to him, so he really wanted to win this match. The dramatic declaration of intended victory in the middle of the hallway reminded her a little of Harry and Malfoy in their younger years, though.
Tetsurou huffed next to her as they began to walk toward the gym. "I don't know what you're so amused about."
"Nothing, really." She was pretty sure he'd be annoyed if she said he reminded her of an eleven-year-old challenging his enemy to a duel.
"That so?" Tetsurou grinned at her and tried to put his arm over Hermione's shoulder, but she quickly pushed him away.
Hermione wrinkled her nose. "No way. You still stink from sweating so much."
"Mio!" Tetsurou's hand was over his heart in a wounded gesture.
"Nope." Hermione rolled her eyes. As if dramatics would get her to relent. The boy stank.
Tetsurou groaned about being betrayed while the team laughed around them.
Hermione enjoyed the team's camaraderie, but she didn't really understand how they all had accepted her so easily. It's not like she was able to help that much, and she was hardly athletic. Most of them didn't even understand her, yet they'd given her a team jacket and welcomed her presence.
Yet after the boys finished their warm up drills and Tetsurou gave his speech, they all turned to her with expectant eyes.
Right. They wanted her to say something before the match. Brilliant.
She could do this, though. What had she said last time? "Ganbatte!" That one was easy, she'd heard Shimizu say it several times. And maybe… "Kimi nara dekiruyo!"
The boys cheered, making Hermione's shoulders sag in relief. She hoped she hadn't messed up the second phrase, but they'd at least understood her.
The teams were then heading out to take their positions on the court, and Hermione sat down nervously next to Nekomata-sensei, wincing when Nohebi scored the first point.
As the match progressed, no matter what they did, they couldn't seem to get ahead. Plus, Hermione couldn't understand what was going on in the court. Tetsurou might look calm, but inside he was seething practically every time someone from Nohebi opened their mouths, even if the other team's tone remained calm and polite. She didn't want to distract him by asking for an explanation, but not knowing was driving her insane.
She hated not knowing things, and there was so much she didn't know right now.
Hermione took a deep breath, marking another time the ball had gone through Lev's block.
She had to stay calm. Any agitation she felt would only make things more difficult for Tetsurou, who was doing what he could to stay composed for his team. This match was important to him. She couldn't distract him.
Deep breaths.
Everyone was tense during the time out, and right after they returned to the court, Yaku started yelling at Lev again. Plus Nohebi was in the lead, and now the other team had twenty points. They weren't too far behind, but…
This game was not going well.
They had to win, though, or they couldn't go to Nationals. But at this rate—
Suddenly Yaku was diving into the stands to fetch a ball, barely managing to send it back over the net. It was a free ball, though, and Nohebi easily received it, but then Lev was there at the net, slamming the ball down onto the court.
Finally a decisive point in their favor!
Hermione stood to cheer, but worry suddenly rushed through their bond.
Tetsurou was staring off court.
Hermione followed his gaze, her eyes widening when she realized that Yaku hadn't made it back to the court. The libero was biting his lip, wincing as he stepped forward with a limp.
Hermione hurried to his side, reaching under his arm to support him. Yaku cursed as he leaned against her, his face contorted.
He tried to put weight on his foot again, and she barely managed to keep him upright. "Yaku-kun! Tomatte kudasai." She knew he wanted to go back into the game, but he'd only make it worse if he kept trying to walk on his injury.
Merlin, she wished she could heal him, he looked like he was in so much pain. And with a limp like this, there was no way Yaku would be playing the rest of the game.
Yaku's tense arm was trembling around her shoulders, and he muttered an apology.
Hermione looked up to meet Tetsurou's worried eyes. Her soulmate said something in Japanese, his smile confident as Kai added something, making Yaku laughed half-heartedly.
Take care of him, Mio.
Of course. Not that there was anything she could do, really.
Hermione helped the third year hobble over toward the bench to sit down beside Nekomata, watching with worry as the assistant coach gently lifted up Yaku's leg and started to examine it.
She couldn't do anything.
Here she was, capable of healing him in seconds, and she couldn't do anything.
It was infuriating.
Yaku was still trembling, and she wasn't sure if it was from pain or from frustration. She hoped frustration. His ankle wasn't too twisted, so maybe it wasn't broken, but he was clearly in a lot of pain.
Hermione wished there was a magical way to gradually make something heal faster, or slowly deaden the pain so he was less likely to notice the change. But magic didn't work that way.
Nekoma was taking their second time out and Nekomata seemed to be sending in the first year libero, Shibayama. The poor boy looked so nervous.
The assistant coach was still sitting with Yaku, so Hermione went over to the first year, handing him a fresh water bottle with a smile. This was one of the ones who didn't understand much English, so she wasn't sure what to say. Still… she had to try. "Ganbate."
Shibayama nodded, his eyes still uncertain and his brow tight. Before Hermione could try to think of something else to say, though, the whistle was blowing and Yaku was shouting something at the first year as Shibayama jogged onto the court.
Tetsurou was anything but calm as he stood in the back of the court.
Hermione took a deep breath. There wasn't much she could do right now, but she could at least avoid adding to Tetsurou's anxiety.
The very first chance they had, Nohebi spiked the ball right toward the substitute libero. The ball hit Shibayama's arms, then careened out of bounds, giving Nohebi the point.
The first year's shoulders caved inward, but Tetsurou slapped him on the back, saying something that made him grin and relax.
A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. It was always nice to see that Tetsurou was a good captain for his team. She knew he was, of course, but seeing the obvious respect his teammates had for him… Hermione appreciated it.
The problem, however, was that calming down his teammates didn't change the fact that Nohebi was still in the lead, even if just barely.
Hermione returned to the bench next to Yaku, whose back was tense as he faced the stands, staring down at his ankle.
Distantly Hermione heard the crowd roar and felt a rush of satisfaction through the bond.
Tetsurou must have scored.
Yaku hissed as the medic slowly wrapped a brace around his ankle, then asked what something was. That word sounded familiar, though… oh! The score! Yaku wanted to know what the score was.
Hermione glanced back toward the scoreboard and her eyes widened in surprise. "22 to 22." Tetsurou's last point had managed to tie the game. That's why he'd been so happy!
Yaku gave her a huge grin. "We can do this."
Hermione nodded. They might be able to. The two teams were neck and neck, so it definitely wasn't impossible.
Yaku tried to twist around to see the court, but the assistant coach fussed at him again, making the libero pout. Hermione shook her head, then went to get him a fresh towel and water bottle. It was the least she could do.
When she got back, Yaku immediately asked for the score again.
Hermione carefully responded in Japanese, "24 to 24 desu."
Yaku's eyes widened. "A deuce? Your boyfriend better win this. I'll never forgive him if we lose."
"He will." Tetsurou was determined right now, and entirely focused on the match. Plus he was serving next.
Just a few serves, and they would win. The assistant coach fussed at Yaku, forcing him to face the stands as he wrapped the libero's ankle, so Hermione did her best to narrate the match in English for him. She was sure she missed several things, but he still seemed to appreciate it.
And then Kuroo jumped from the back of the court, spiking the ball over his teammates and across the net, right to where there was an opening on the Nohebi court. The ball slammed into the ground.
Nekoma won the set.
The crowd roared and Yaku's eyes widened before he let out a shout of joy and tried to jump up, only to be yelled at by the coach again.
Hermione smiled at the third year, who was grinning wider than she'd ever seen him. They had all worked so hard… she knew he was frustrated having to sit out in such an important match. The team was still doing well, though.
Yet during the second set, Nekoma couldn't seem to pull ahead. Yaku was repositioned now so that he could see the match, thankfully, and the libero kept up a constant commentary in addition to telling her to write down mistakes that Lev and Shibayama made (though there were far fewer comments about the second first year).
Every time the ball went toward Yamamoto or the other team said something about the Nekoma player, Yaku cackled. "That won't work on Tora any more! When the situation is tense, you can count on him. That's why he's our ace."
Even now that both teams were in the twenties, though, the points were still neck and neck. Not to mention that the referee was definitely making more calls in Nohebi's favor than Nekoma's, though Hermione couldn't tell why. She asked Yaku, but he just started cursing and calling Nohebi fake. He tried explaining, but became frustrated when he couldn't find the right English words, and before he could finish explaining he would then get distracted by whoever managed to score.
Needless to say, Hermione quickly gave up asking.
She watched as Tetsurou received a ball, but pain darted across the bond, her fingertip suddenly bleeding. Hermione quickly hid her hand under the clipboard, grateful that Yaku was so engrossed in the game that he hadn't seemed to notice.
Tetsurou was looking down at his finger, annoyed.
What had happened?
Jammed my nail or something on that receive, damn it.
It wasn't broken, then. Episkey should work, and it was only one word… Hermione glanced back at Yaku, who was glaring and shouting at Lev, upset about his last terrible block.
She would risk it. Hermione muttered the spell under her breath, grinning when the pain immediately abated and Yaku never even glanced at her.
Thanks for that, love. Tetsurou shook out his hand, smiling as he answered Kai's question.
You're welcome. Just be glad that Yaku-kun was so busy yelling he wouldn't notice.
Tetsurou laughed, his eyes never leaving the court. Lev's blunders are good for something, then.
He could keep going.
Tetsurou was saying something to Lev, now, but the tall Russian just looked confused. Tetsurou groaned and tried again, but the first year still didn't seem to understand.
Beside her, Yaku started cursing.
Hermione sighed. The poor boy did score points, and she could tell his height was valuable, but he also definitely made things more difficult for his teammates. During a tense math like this one, every small slip up was magnified.
Thankfully, Lev scored the next point, giving them a one point lead. Now they were at match point. Hermione grinned. Yaku's curses calmed down somewhat, but his arms were still crossed as he muttered something.
Just one more point, and they could go to nationals.
And then Yaku was shouting at Lev, happily for once, as the first year made a block that forced the spiker to send the ball straight at Tetsurou, who was in the perfect position to receive it. Kenma set the ball for Yamamoto, and the ball slammed against the gym floor, easily in bounds.
They'd won.
Hermione sighed in relief as Yaku cheered next to her. Lev was waving his arms around and yelling at Tetsurou, who was laughing at him, smug happiness filling their bond.
And then Tetsurou and Kai were there, tackling Yaku, who was starting to cry while they teased him.
Tetsurou released his friend, turning toward Hermione with a big grin and open arms. Hermione scrambled off the bench, stepping backwards. "Nope. Nuh-uh. Back off, Tetsurou."
"But we won! We're going to nationals! I need a victory hug!"
"Yes, congratulations! But go hug your equally sweaty teammates." Hermione tossed a towel at him. "Shower first, and then you can hug me."
"Awww, come on, Mio, It's my birthday!"
"I said happy birthday this morning and I'll give you a hug later, but you wanted to celebrate that next weekend, so you can't whine about that today."
Tetsurou pouted, "But this has been my goal since—" he cut off with a squawk as Lev tackled him, and Hermione laughed as he tried to push the excited Russian off him.
"Congratulations!" Hermione blinked, looking up in the stands to see two girls waving at the team. One of them had silver hair like Lev's, and the other was short and much younger, but jumping up and down in excitement.
"They're Tora and Lev's sisters." Tetsurou must have escaped Lev because he was beside her again, looking up at the girls.
"They seem enthusiastic." Hermione passed him his water bottle, grateful that he at least had given up on hugging her.
"Little Tora has been our cheerleader ever since Tora joined the team."
"That's sweet of her." Hermione looked over toward the corner of the stands where Teddy, Charlie, and Malfoy were sitting with the Miya Twins. Hermione frowned. Teddy was whining about something, and Charlie kept having to stop him from taking the headband off. Meanwhile Malfoy was talking to the twins. "Do you have everything under control here? I want to go back to Charlie, Draco, and Teddy—I don't like that those twins are still there."
Tetsurou nodded, distracted as Yamamoto asked him a question.
Taking that as answer enough, Hermione turned to head toward the gym stairs, but she'd only gone a few steps when Tetsurou called out, "Mio, wait!"
Hermione turned around, confused. "What?"
"Just…" Tetsurou walked closer, rubbing at the back of his neck as he glanced up at the stands where the twins were. Tetsurou swallowed. "Look, before you talk to them again, there's something you should know about the twins."
He wanted to talk about the Miya twins now? She had assumed he'd meant when they could talk privately about it, not in front of the team.
"The Miya twins are here?" Yaku was groaning now. "Bastards. I thought you told your cousins to back off?"
Cousins?!
Tetsurou winced, but he didn't deny it, watching Hermione's expression closely as he responded to Yaku. "I did. They're not exactly the type to listen, though. And this is an official match."
"Cousins, Tetsurou?" Hermione glared at her soulmate. "Why haven't I heard about them before?"
Yaku whistled. "I'll let you deal with this one." The libero scooted down the bench, calling out to Kai for help, but was scooped up by Lev instead, which immediately led to shouting.
Hermione ignored it all, instead watching Tetsurou as he rubbed at the back of his neck. "Well?"
"It's not like we're close—we just have the same great-grandparents." He closed his eyes in frustration. My Dad left the family and took my mother's name, ok? I'm not affiliated with those assholes. I didn't lie to you; we're an independent family.
Tetsurou's face was clouded with anger.
Hermione didn't understand what could have caused a rift like that, not when the five families were such a huge deal in the magical community. Families with that kind of influence didn't just let someone leave. Still, though… she didn't think Tetsurou was lying. "Alright."
"For the record, I was going to tell you that they're my cousins. Yaku just beat me to it." Tetsurou gave her a small grin. They definitely hate me, though, and aren't exactly happy that we left the family. That's why I don't want them to know about us. They'll turn against you even more or they'll find some way to use our connection against you.
Use it against her? She still didn't understand. She trusted him, though. "I won't say anything." But why did your father leave the family to begin with?
"Great." Tetsurou opened his mouth to say something else, but then he was looking over her shoulder. "What's up, Kenma Cat?"
"Stop flirting. We need to clear the gym."
Hermione blushed, but Tetsurou groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I'll leave the court, but would you tell Coach I'm heading to the restroom or something? I need to tell Mio about the Miyas."
Kenma frowned, looking between them for a few seconds before he sighed and turned back toward the team. "Fine. Be quick, though. We want to go celebrate."
"Of course, thanks, Kenma! You're the best!"
The setter didn't respond.
Tetsurou sighed. "Come on, we should stand out of the way and I'll try to explain quickly—they're expecting you up in the stands, right?" He followed after the team, heading in the same direction as the entrance to the stands, then slipped, down a side hallway and into a storage closet.
"Really, Tetsurou? A storage closet?" Hermione sighed, but locked the door and cast a silencing charm.
He shrugged, "It's foolproof. If anyone catches us or saw us enter the room, they'll think we were making out, not discussing magic or political family drama. It's a great cover."
She glared at him.
He grinned. "Of course, we could always just do that anyway—"
"Focus please." Hermione crossed her arms, she was not in the mood right now. "Why did your family leave the Miya family? What about that made them hate you so much?"
He grimaced. "Trust me, the feeling is mutual." Tetsurou sighed, running a hand through his hair. "My grandfather is Miya Arata. His soulmate was Akaashi Hanae, the minister's daughter."
Hermione's eyes widened. "I thought you said the families didn't typically marry into each other."
"They don't." Tetsurou frowned. "And these two didn't. The Miya family demanded that Hanae leave behind the Akaashi name and take on the Miya name."
Ok, now Hermione was confused. "Isn't that usually what happens in Japan?"
"Not if the woman is also from an old family or if she has a big business or something, then the man takes her name. Hanae was closer to being the head of the Akaashi family than my grandfather was to being the head of the Miya family, so she had a right to argue that they should stay in her family, instead. The Miya's didn't want to hear it, though, and she refused to join the Miya family since they'd scorned her so badly." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Both families got involved and it turned into a big argument, and eventually Hanae refused to marry my grandfather, even though they were soulmates. They broke the bond."
Oh. Ginny's book had talked about purebloods doing that if they disapproved of the match and the parents found out before the bond was sealed. They'd made it sound so painful.
Tetsurou continued, "The Miya family told my grandfather to keep pursuing Akaashi Hanae because it was unthinkable that he marry someone else, but he said it was hopeless and didn't try."
"Then your grandparents aren't soulmates?" That was certainly rare in Japan.
"Nope." Tetsurou shrugged, "They still have a happy marriage as far as I can tell. My grandfather met my grandmother a few years later, but the family never approved of her." Tetsurou crossed his arms, his whole posture stiff and annoyed. "She's a world-class genius in potions, but they refuse to accept her and won't train her in dueling, which is the Miya family specialty."
"Wait." Hermione's brow creased in confusion, "But you said the twins weren't likely to be openly confrontational. Why does a family that specialize in duelling rely on political maneuvering?"
Fondness rolled across the bond with a twinge of sadness. "Because we're not at war and they can't just randomly attack people, love. Or course, several of them are aurors, so it's not like they don't use their skills to gain political power."
"Right." Other countries didn't have people declaring duels and killing each other over political issues. "But Bokuto's not studying wards, even though that's the Akaashi family's specialty, right? You said he's learning charms."
Tetsurou nodded. "Not everyone that marries into the families learns their specialties, but if Bo wants to learn later he can. My grandmother wanted to so she could prove herself to them and they wouldn't—"
Tetsurou's voice broke off and he swallowed, pausing for a second before he added, "I hate them. Dad was angry at how they treated grandmother and resented the pressure they put on him since they disapproved of her, so he took my mother's name when they married. There's some other things with my aunt, but the family really doesn't like talking about that, so the twins won't bring it up." Tetsurou looked away, his voice unsteady. "I'll let you know when we have more time. I know you're nervous about your friend and godson right now."
Tetsurou looked back at her, his eyes uncertain. "So that's why the Miya family doesn't like me. Miyas. My name alone is practically an insult to them, plus I don't duel or even use my wand, so…" Tetsurou shrugged. "I'm a disgrace to the family as far as they're concerned, and if the twins know I want something, they'll get in my way on purpose. I don't want them to sabotage you because of our bad history."
"Tetsurou…" Hermione bit her lip, unsure of what to say after that. She stepped forward to hug him. "It has to be tough to be cut off from your family like that." Her parents had never really been close to anyone, but she knew her magic had made that more difficult. She'd always been envious that Ron had never had that problem. But Tetsurou hadn't either, and he'd still been cut off. He had his parents, sure, but….
Hermione sniffled, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
"Oi! Hey now, why are you crying, love? It's not the best situation, sure, but it's ok. We just don't talk to each other most days and it's all good. There are only so many Miyas, after all; we can avoid each other."
"But they're your family. You should be able to support each other, not get into fights like this that tear you apart."
Tetsurou sighed, his arms wrapping around her. "It is what it is. In the meantime, the twins and I keep our disagreements related to volleyball, which is pretty minor as far as things are concerned."
"What about your parents, then? Do the Miyas leave them alone?"
"They block Dad's promotions, but Mom makes life hell for them whenever she can with legal cases, so it all works out."
Hermione sighed, resting her head on Tetsurou's chest. "You could've told me this earlier."
Tetsurou groaned, resting his chin on top of her head. "I know you're the British ambassador now for the most part, but most ambassadors lay low in Japan and you have the Akaashi's looking out for you. You shouldn't be facing a lot of political turmoil, right? Plus we generally avoid each other. I wasn't expecting the twins to show up today; they're damn good at the sport, they don't need to do reconnaissance or any shit like that. But they're also assholes who like to make my life more difficult, as well as Akaashi's. I guess they couldn't resist the two-for-one deal that spying on these matches would provide."
Hermione blinked in surprise. She'd never heard Tetsurou openly complement anyone at volleyball besides Bokuto. "They're that good?"
"Unfortunately. Their team is one of the top favorites to win nationals." Tetsurou sighed. "Like hell I'd let the bastard twins beat us, though." He pulled away from her, holding out his hand. "Here, give me your wand so I can make it look like you haven't cried."
"You don't have yours?"
"Nah, it's in my gym bag, which Kenma grabbed for me."
Hermione would never understand how Tetsurou could just walk around without his wand. She shook her head in disbelief as she let hers fall out of her holster, then handed it to him, taking it back from him after he finished the spell.
"There. Good as new." Tetsurou grinned at her. "You want to go to the stands now? I know you didn't want to leave them waiting for very long."
Hermione sighed. She didn't particularly look forward to dealing with these twins after everything that Tetsurou had told her, but she couldn't just leave Charlie with Teddy and Malfoy. "No time like the present, I suppose."
Tetsurou laughed, and Hermione cancelled the wards, tucking her wand up the jacket sleeve and into its holster before Tetsurou peeked outside, then held the door open for her. The hallway was empty, though Hermione could hear the murmur of people around the corner. Tetsurou gave her a quick side hug. "Don't let the twins get to you, alright, and call for me if you need me."
"Will do. And congratulations again. I know this was important to you all. I'll meet you down by the buses so let me know when you're ready to leave "
"Thanks!" Tetsurou gave her a cheeky grin before turning to head down the hallway. "Sounds good, love."
Hermione glanced toward the hallway's opposite end. She was pretty sure the closest entrance to the stands was in that direction. Well, one way to find out. Hermione headed down the hallway and was relieved when she turned the corner to see another gym entrance. She squeezed her way through the departing crowd to head toward the bleachers, then climbed up the stands. Hopefully the Miya Twins and Malfoy hadn't caused too much trouble.
When she finally reached the top and could see the wizards, both Charlie and Teddy looked fine, but Malfoy… even though his expression was neutral like always, his posture was stiff, like it had been when they were younger and he was particularly miffed at Harry about something.
But why was he angry? Or maybe frustrated?
As Hermione approached, the twins smiled and the blonde one, Atsumo, waved at her. "Congratulations on heading to Nationals! Hopefully we'll be able to play against each other."
"Thank you." Hermione smiled back. "I'm sure Kuroo-san and Kenma-san would appreciate the chance to defeat you."
Malfoy sighed while Charlie laughed next to her.
Atsumo's grin turned sharp. "I think you'll find that you little kitty cats don't stand a chance against us."
"'Sumo." The grey haired boy gave his twin a warning look, and the blonde held up his hands.
"Alright, alright, I'll drop it." He gave an exaggerated sigh, then turned back to Hermione. "On a less contentious note, do you all have dinner plans? I don't know of any place around here with good food, really, but we could take you to a place in Kyoto."
Why were they so determined for her to go to Kyoto? She was not letting that happen. "I apologize, but I don't let people I don't know take me to unknown locations. I'm afraid I'm still a bit paranoid after the war."
"Ah." Atsumo rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly, glancing over at his brother before he responded. "Well when you put it that way, that makes sense. I promise we just want to get to know you, though!" He pulled out his phone. "I'm sure there's some place nearby good to eat… And there's always Kotodama, of course…"
Hermione frowned. He just wasn't taking no for an answer, was he? "Perhaps another time; I already have dinner plans with the team."
Brown eyes looked up at her, surprised. "You're taking this manager gig pretty seriously."
Malfoy cleared his throat. "Granger, can I talk to you for a second? Privately?"
Hermione glanced over at Malfoy, confused. His expression was blank, but his muscles were still tensed—something was definitely upsetting him.
"Alright." Hermione looked over at the top of the bleachers that were now completely empty. "Is it fine if we stay in sight?"
"Whatever you wish. I'll even let you choose the privacy measures." And now she was even more confused. Malfoy wasn't going to try to do the wards himself? He turned back to the twins and gave them a short bow, though not as low as his earlier one. "I apologize for this abrupt departure, but we will return shortly." Instead of moving past the twins to the closer aisle, though, Malfoy turned and motioned for Hermione to lead.
What in Merlin's name?
Hermione didn't like the idea of having her back to Malfoy, but she doubted he would try anything here. Especially with Charlie so close. So she turned and squeezed past Charlie and Teddy, answering Charlie's questioning look with a shrug as she patted Teddy's head.
The quicker she reached the top of the stairs, the quicker she might have answers. Hermione surreptitiously moved her wand to the bottom of her jacket sleeve, and once they'd reached the top level she cast silencio around them.
Malfoy's jaw was set, but he stayed silent for the first few seconds as he considered her. Right as Hermione was about to goad him to explain himself, though, he spoke. "You Gryffindors prefer when people are idiotically blunt, correct?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow, "We prefer it when people are open and honest, yes."
"Right." Malfoy paused again, then took a deep breath. "Well. I've been coming to Japan to try to help you and make sure that I stay on Potter's good side."
Hermione nodded. "Right. You've said as much."
"I've also been coming because I know my soulmate isn't in England. I thought I might as well try here."
Hermione blinked in surprise. "But British purebloods have always been dismissive of…" her eyes narrowed. "You have a betrothal you want out of, don't you?" He'd even mentioned those that first night he'd arrived at the Tsukishima's house.
Malfoy nodded. "Astoria Greengrass. Needless to say, we don't get along. Firstly, I'm not attracted to women, and secondly, I think Greengrass would rather poison me than marry me—it's not the first time a betrothal would end because of the death of one of the individuals."
Hermione shuddered. "Alright, so you're here to make political alliances but also to save your skin by finding your soulmate. Why tell me now?" Hermione's eyes widened. Wait. Malfoy had been avoiding touching the twins!
"I found him." Malfoy looked over at the twins with a nod. "The grey haired one, Miya Osamu."
Merlin.
Malfoy's soulmate was related to Tetsurou. He was related to her.
Tetsurou's happiness morphed into confusion. What the hell?! A Miya with a foreigner?!
Life just couldn't be simple, could it? Hermione rubbed at her forehead in frustration. "I knew it was odd that isolationist wizards would show so much interest in foreigners."
"Isolationist?"
Of course. Malfoy didn't know. "The Miya family generally supports policies that prevent or diminish interaction with foreign communities."
Malfoy frowned. "Alright, so they're most likely more politically conservative, then. I can work with that. I'm hardly going to let this opportunity pass. At least I've avoided contact so far, and he's respected that, which has made the pull minimal." He paused, his mouth twisting in a sneer. "You and I both know my bond is not likely to be simple."
Right. Malfoy might have been on the opposing side, but it's not like he hadn't experienced his share of trauma from the war. "But even without contact, returning to England would be inadvisable."
"To say the least." Malfoy's features had become neutral once more, but his gaze remained focused on the twins. "And from what I understand, they live far from here?"
"Correct." Hermione wasn't sure what to do. She couldn't let Malfoy go wandering off on his own, but she couldn't go to Kyoto just to babysit him, that was ridiculous, especially with tension between Tetsurou and the Miya family…
Yeah, no. I definitely don't want you staying there. They wouldn't hurt you, but still.
Right. She took a deep breath. Political opponents didn't necessarily mean they would try to kill each other. Still, I don't want it either, Tetsurou, but can you think of any other options?
The twins won't let him harm people or anything like that, Mio. They're annoying, not evil. I promise. If you talk to them you could work something out. They're probably going to be more open since one of them now has a foreigner as a soulmate. He paused, sighing, Of course, who knows how the family as a whole will react to that news, but the twins at least seem interested.
"You're still obvious."
"Shut up." Hermione glared at Malfoy. It had only been a few weeks! Plus Malfoy already knew about their bond, so it's not like she needed to hide their conversations around him. "I want to believe that you're being honest, and it's far easier to accept that you're being selfish and saving yourself than you're actually trying to do something good, but as the British ambassador to Japan I can't just let a known death eater wander the country without approved supervision."
"Obviously." Malfoy sighed, reaching into his pocket. "I doubt you want me to pull out my wand, so cover for me. I have something that will help with the bond separation, but it's not exactly advisable to take a potion in the middle of muggles."
"Something that will help?" Ginny's book hadn't mentioned anything like that…
"Please, Granger." Malfoy rolled his eyes, pulling a vial from his pocket. "As if purebloods haven't figured out ways to stop their children from bonding with undesirables. Since I was looking for mine and hardly wanted to seal this bond immediately, I came prepared."
Yet another thing about the magical world that Hermione had never learned. It was frustrating the amount of times that she didn't even know she was missing information. She discreetly cast a notice-me-not charm, though, then cancelled it after Malfoy took the potion.
The tension in his shoulders immediately eased, while the grey haired twin abruptly turned to stare at them. "You're going to have to explain that to the Miya twins."
"It won't be an issue. I doubt any soulmate of mine would want to rush into something as important as a bond." Malfoy sneered. "Let me guess, you and Kuroo-san shook hands right when you met?"
Hermione blushed. "Bonds are far more common here than in England."
"Well if they hate foreigners so much, he's probably going to be a bit more cautious with me."
"That's true." Hermione sighed. "They clearly want to know you, though." It made far more sense now why the twins wanted her to come to Kyoto—they wanted her to bring Malfoy along, as well.
"With this potion, I won't need to stay as close to him, so I should be fine as long as I extend my stay in Japan. I'm afraid Weasley will have to take Teddy back on his own. If you allow me to stay, of course."
Great. Because more time with Malfoy was exactly what she wanted. "Fine, but you're getting your own phone. I refuse to be the intermediary between you two. I'm not an owl." And it was ridiculous the amount of times she had to tell people that.
"The muggle contraption?" Malfoy frowned, but then shrugged. "I suppose. It is his preferred mode of communication, apparently. I'll need to go to Kotodama and acquire funds for that purchase as well as some more clothes. I did not pack for a lengthy stay."
Patience. Strangling Malfoy wouldn't serve a point and would only be temporarily rewarding. Hermione took a deep breath. "We'll figure something out. Also, don't tell the twins that Tetsurou and I have a bond—they don't get along and he doesn't want them to know about us."
One blond eyebrow rose as Malfoy stared at her incredulously. "But aren't bonds in the public record?"
"If they look, yes. Misdirect them. You're a Slytherin and you want my trust, right?"
Grey eyes narrowed. "Very well." Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Thank Merlin you're at least a smart Gryffindor and haven't called him Tetsurou in front of those two." Malfoy looked back over at the twins, his expression unreadable. "It doesn't surprise me that you wouldn't be on friendly terms with someone who is my soulmate. I'll make it work, though."
"Brilliant." Hermione really wasn't looking forward to more time with Malfoy, but she supposed it couldn't be helped. "Then let's head back to the others. Unless you have anything else to say?"
"That was all. I'll continue to help you with your occlumency and hide your bond from the Miya family."
"Appreciated."
"I'm counting on it."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm doing you a favor here, too, Malfoy. This does not make me in your debt." With that established, Hermione turned to walk back toward the others.
"You two have a nice talk?"
Hermione blinked at Osamu's annoyed tone. He hadn't been nearly this hostile to her before, so why—
Malfoy scoffed. "Believe me, we're not interested in each other."
What?!
Charlie started laughing. Some help he was.
They'd thought—well, sure Malfoy deadening the bond like that while they talked privately probably did look bad, but… Hermione shuddered. "Malfoy is definitely not my type."
"Oh?" Atsumo grinned at her, leaning on his brother's shoulder. "Who is, then?"
Lovely. Now she had to deal with flirting. "Not you, either."
Atsumu sighed. "So I guess blondes are off the table."
"You could say that, yes." Though really it was another issue entirely.
"I'm not naturally blonde, though, you know."
For Merlin's sake.
Malfoy distracted the twins by bowing low to Osamu, who was staring at him in confusion. When Malfoy straightened, he explained, "I apologize for deadening the bond without your consent, but the tug was becoming annoying, and I would like to get to know you before committing to something so permanent."
"Hold up. Bond?" Charlie looked back and forth between Malfoy and the twins. "He's kidding, right?"
Hermione sighed. She wished.