Hermione vowed to do her best to make sure Tetsurou's birthday dinner that evening wasn't strained. She was getting along better with his mother, but things still felt so awkward. These were people that cared for Tetsurou and had raised him and knew so much about him that she didn't. Yet despite how important he'd become to her, his parents still felt like complete strangers.
How was she supposed to get to know them better? She had no clue. After learning about their background with the Miya family, Hermione at least felt like she understood them a little better, but still… Hermione had never been the best at polite conversation. Plus Kenma-kun rarely said anything, so she couldn't really rely on talking with him at the dinner…
At least Tetsurou's mother wasn't openly hostile toward Hermione anymore.
They had almost made it through the meal, but then there was a lull in the conversation and Tetsurou sighed, his emotions morphing from happy to annoyed. "I should probably let you know that those Miya Twins showed up today."
His parents immediately became tense, and his mother set down her chopsticks, her posture straight and regal as she raised an eyebrow. "Were they simply watching your matches or did they do something?"
Tetsurou nodded to Hermione. "Mio, would you explain since you interacted with the bastards more? They just taunted me."
"They approached Malfoy and Charlie during the break between matches. At first they were curious why foreigners were at a high school volleyball match, but they recognized my name and then they wanted to take me on a tour of Kyoto and talk to me about their political perspective. They wouldn't take no for an answer." Hermione sighed. "They have my phone number and expect to meet with Malfoy and I tomorrow for the tour."
"That's odd." Tetsurou's father was frowning now. "Why would the Miya family approach foreigners and involve themselves with them? They've always ignored or belittled foreigners in the past."
Hermione sighed. "I found out after the match that Malfoy is the soulmate of one of the twins."
Kenma looked up from his game, startled. "What?"
Tetsurou's mother laughed, a loud cackle that startled Hermione with how ridiculously similar it was to Tetsurou's. Hermione realized she'd never actually heard the woman laugh before. "Wonderful. The Miya family isn't going to accept that easily." She looked over at her husband with a grin, "How much do you want to bet that those twins haven't told anyone?"
Tetsurou's father looked up at the ceiling with a sigh. "If they're smart they haven't and are still debating the options between the two of them." He glanced back at Hermione, "I assume they haven't shaken hands or anything?"
She nodded. "They haven't. Malfoy was careful to avoid all contact and took some sort of potion to make the strain easier."
"Alright, so they are curious about you, but you're not their main concern tomorrow." Tetsurou's mother frowned, tapping at the table in thought. "They're going to focus on Malfoy. They'll probably try to separate you two at some point. Which would be easy for them to manage with side-along apparition—they go to the same place but a different apparition point."
Hermione really didn't like that idea. As much as she loathed spending unnecessary time with the ferret, she liked the idea of him alone in Japan even less.
Though as much as she didn't appreciate being caught up in Malfoy's drama, she was sure part of this was their way of trying to determine why a key figure from England's war was staying in Japan and connected to the Akaashi family.
"A tour of the Kyoto area will take a sizeable portion of the day." Tetsurou's mother's sharp eyes evaluated her son. "You'll need to go there as well, unless you two want to be miserable."
Tetsurou's face contorted in displeasure. "The twins don't know we're soulmates yet, though, and I'd like to keep it that way. They're already too interested in Mio for my comfort."
"Go visit your grandmother, then." Tetsurou's father sipped at his tea, his posture loose. "You haven't visited in awhile and your exam isn't too far away, you could use the studying."
Kenma frowned. "You're studying potions all the time now, though."
"I could use the time with Obaa-san to review rare creature ingredients again..." Tetsurou sighed. "Though I hate the idea of visiting and not introducing her to Mio."
"Your grandmother's a smart woman, Tetsurou. Just tell her what's going on and she'll find her own way to introduce herself to Hermione-chan. The twins will most likely include their home in their tour, after all."
Tetsurou rolled his eyes, "There is that."
"Why would they include their home in the tour?" That seemed a bit extreme. Then again, it did sound like something the Malfoys would do.
"Well…." Tetsurou rubbed at the back of his neck, "Some of the families were granted land a long time ago and have just stayed there. The Miyas are really proud of living in a historic area."
"Historic?"
"They're near important shrines and such."
After that the conversation devolved into a history of the magical community, which actually flowed a lot more naturally than their discussion beforehand. Hermione always felt more relaxed when she was learning about a topic. Even Kenma seemed a little interested, though he still didn't put down his game.
The next morning, Hermione still didn't feel prepared at all to see with the Miya twins. Malfoy had pulled her into the tent the night before to plan and interrogate her about the Miya family—he hadn't been thrilled to learn that the family specialized in offensive magic.
The twins had texted her to meet them at the transportation center at 9, so at 8:59 she and Malfoy apparated to the station.
The distant pull of the bond was like an itch at the back of her mind, and she hated it. She could tell when Tetsurou left for Kyoto, but wherever the magical transportation room was, it was still far away from the other city. And she wouldn't be able to talk with Tetsurou too much—not when they were still obvious about holding internal conversations.
She wished Tetsurou didn't feel the need to hide them from the twins, even if she understood that he was doing so for her benefit.
Malfoy was tense beside her, and Hermione's eyes scanned the transportation center, quickly finding the twins leaning against the information booth counter.
"Yo!" Atsumu waved at them, straightening up and making his way over toward them, Osamu trudging behind him. "You two ready to see Kyoto? We thought we'd show you the sights near town as well. We're more spread out down south than Tokyo is."
Hermione's smile was strained. "Of course. I'm sure it will be interesting. I've only really seen Miyagi and Tokyo."
"Kyoto's different." Osamu came to a stop next to his brother, brown eyes evaluating them. "We can use the tori gates all day if you want, but it would be easier if we apparate you both. Only if you're comfortable with that, of course."
Hermione swallowed. She'd figured that would be the best option, even if she hated it. It would let the twins separate her and Malfoy, which wasn't great, but they likely had multiple plans on doing that if that was their goal.
Hermione really didn't like the idea of wizards she didn't know well apparating her to an unknown location, but a show of trust would be good, and Tetsurou had said they weren't dangerous, just annoying. Plus coming back to the transportation center every time they needed to go to a new location would definitely be a hassle. "You can apparate us."
Malfoy cleared his throat, "I would prefer if Miya Atsumu-san would apparate me, given the circumstances."
"Of course! We figured we would show you our home, first." So Tetsurou had been right about that. Good. She hadn't anticipated that being the first stop, though. Would Tetsurou have enough time to talk with his grandmother?
Before Hermione could warn Tetsurou they were heading there first, Atsumu reached out and took hold of Malfoy's shoulder. "See you there, 'Samu!"
Osamu winced when the two disappeared, and Hermione couldn't help but be impressed with him for going along with this insistence on avoiding contact. Whatever Malfoy had done, the distance was obviously still affecting them somewhat. The grey-haired twin silently held out his arm, and the second after she took it, they apparated.
The first thing Hermione noticed when they landed was that Malfoy wasn't anywhere to be seen.
Bloody hell, already?!
They were in a forest, but she could hear distant murmuring and see a red building not too far away. The shrine?
Osamu ran a hand through his hair, and surprisingly seemed agitated by Malfoy's absence. "He's here, I can feel it, Atsumu probably took him somewhere to threaten him about hurting me or something."
Right… She still thought it was planned.
But Hermione could also feel that Tetsurou was a lot closer now, so they were at least near the Miya compound.
Osamu led the way through the trees toward the building. "Our home is unplottable near this area of the shrine, so that way no one ever sees us practice magic."
Why hadn't they just apparated into their home? Hermione cautiously followed Osamu, the murmur of people was growing louder as they approached the building, and now she could see a path filled with people.
"There's a notice-me-not charm here, so no one will pay attention to us as we enter the path. After that we'll be around non-magicals, though, so don't say anything too overt."
"What about Malfoy?"
Osamu shrugged. "Like I said, Atsumu's probably threatening him. They'll be making their way toward the main compound as well, though. I apologize for the walk. Our apparition wards prevent direct entry."
Right. Well at least the path was going in the direction she could feel Tetsurou. Wait. "I thought Japanese wizards didn't use apparition wards?"
Osamu shrugged. "The large Kyoto households do. The Akaashi family does as well, but it's a complicated one that's based on intent, so most people aren't aware of it." An apparition ward based on intent? Hermione had never heard of that. She'd have to ask Akaashi about it later.
Osamu stepped out from the trees, silently blending into the throng of visitors. Hermione quickly followed suit, amazed at the number of people. How big was this shrine if it was this popular? The Miya family was old, so the shrine had probably been around for multiple centuries…
And then the path turned, and Hermione blinked in astonishment. She recognized this.
Rows and rows of tori gates stretched out in two paths before her, and a third, empty path veered off by the red shrine to the far right.
"Fushimi Inari."
Brown eyes blinked at her. "Yes. Glad you've heard of it. This way." He made his way through the crowd, stopping to bow in front of the shrine with a horse statue before he took the empty path of tori gates to its right.
"You live in Fushimi Inari." Tetsurou had said they lived near historic sites, but she hadn't realized he had meant this famous. This was probably the only shrine in Japan she could actually name. "Is that why your school is called Inarizaki?"
Osamu shook his head. "We live next to Fushimi Inari, not in the shrine itself. And we go to school in Kobe. It's nowhere near here, really, but it's the closest school with a strong volleyball team, so Atsumu insisted. We have a small apartment near the highschool and apparate there before walking to and from school."
That was odd. "Your schoolmates think you live on your own, then?"
"It's not unheard of here." He glanced back at her for a second, but then was looking ahead at the path once more. "Adults don't make a habit of attacking schoolchildren in Japan."
Hermione winced. Arse. "Our war is over now. That doesn't happen anymore in Britain, either."
The twin shrugged, and they descended into an awkward silence as they walked through the tori gates.
The red wood contrasted against the greenery around them, black kanji painted down the back of each one. The spacing wasn't exactly even, and in some places it was clear there was room for a new gate to be erected, but the gaps just let you appreciate the surrounding forest.
It was really quite beautiful, if you weren't distracted by dealing with international wizarding politics.
"So…" Osamu rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly, but didn't turn around to look at her as he spoke. "What is Malfoy-san like?"
Blast Malfoy for being right. The last thing Hermione wanted to deal with was an interrogation about the ferret, even if she couldn't blame the twin for being curious. "Malfoy is a Slytherin and always has been, which means he's cunning and ambitious." She could do this. Focus on what they talked about last night and try to spin the ferret's annoying traits in a positive way.
He so owed her for this.
"What is his ambition, then?"
His ambition? Merlin's beard, already a question they hadn't talked about. She'd anticipated them asking more about Malfoy's past. Well… "From what I can tell, at the moment he's trying to regain honor for his family." That was the reason he'd given for helping her earlier this summer, at least.
"Regain it? So he really wasn't on the winning side of the war, despite his being here with you."
"No." Ok. This was more like what she'd thought he'd ask. "I won't lie, Malfoy and I hated each other when we were younger. We've thrown curses back and forth more times than I can count, and he's the only person I've actually punched. But he's also changed a lot because of the war. He began to think for himself and decided that his father's decisions had betrayed their family's honor. In the end, he saved Harry's life and mine."
There. That was about as honest and nicely as she could phrase that.
Osamu was silent. Hermione quickened her pace a bit so that she could walk beside him and see his face, but it was carefully neutral. Not helpful. Finally, he spoke again, "So he values family."
"Without a doubt." The number of times Hermione had heard the prick spout off about the Malfoy family name. Not to mention Malfoy's attempt to murder Dumbledore all because Voldemort was threatening his family.
"Did his family survive the war?"
That was an easy enough question. "Some did, but except for Teddy they're all in Azkaban. Narcissa Malfoy, his mother, saved Harry at the end of the war, so he spoke in favor of a lighter sentence."
Silence again.
"Why is Malfoy-san here in Japan?"
Alright, that was harder to answer, but they'd expected the question. "My godson needed someone to bring him here. Everyone else was busy with work or school, so Malfoy volunteered. He's said that he's trying to learn more about muggle culture." Malfoy obviously had been, too, so it wasn't entirely a lie.
The leaves crunched underfoot as Osamu thought in silence. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Thank you. I appreciate your willingness to answer my questions."
They rounded a corner in the path, and Hermione stared at the compound that stretched before her.
It was huge. There were at least fifteen buildings stretched out in front of her, all made from red wood with black and gold accents, just like the shrine's architecture. She'd expected there to be a few buildings, maybe ten, but this was ridiculous. "How many people are in the Miya family?"
Osamu shrugged, making his way down the path and toward the nearest two story building. "Twenty two. There's only three branches; well, maybe four? Depends on how you count. Most of these aren't homes, though. We have two dueling halls, the house of heirlooms, our own Inari shrine and some other things."
"Two dueling halls?" Why would they need two if there were only around twenty people?
"Yes. Atsumu probably took Malfoy-san to one of them."
What? She did not like what that sounded like, but please let her be wrong. "Why would he take Malfoy there?"
"To see if he's worthy."
Oh bloody hell. "What part of he survived the frontlines of a war do you not understand?"
Osamu shrugged. "I don't mean it as an insult. The Miya family takes pride in dueling."
Hermione wanted to scream. "Duels are never the same as war. Take me there now." Malfoy would win easily, but so many things could go wrong… when she'd dueled with Charlie for Tetsurou and Kenma, that had been entirely controlled and she'd still fallen right back into war instincts.
Malfoy would be no different, and his instincts were not to use light spells. No matter how much he'd changed, he was still a dark wizard.
"We have wards in place to protect everyone. They'll be fine."
"Do you really think death eaters can't break wards? You don't understand. Malfoy is trained to kill, not to duel. What happens if he has a flashback? Our war only ended a few months ago! We need to go there now."
Osamu frowned at her. "Where else do you think I'm taking you? We're on our way to the dueling halls. And Atsumu's not a pushover."
Right. Of course. Their stupid family pride. "That's wonderful. I'm so glad he's good at dueling." Hermione wanted to scream, but instead she just quickened her pace. If Malfoy was in this direction, then she needed to go there faster.
"Meeting my family's standards isn't easy."
"Forgive me for being skeptical when you're trying to compare it to us fighting for our very lives." Malfoy would want to make a good impression. She just had to hope that his usual stubborn arrogance would help him keep tight control over any unwanted memories. Hurting Atsumu would do nothing to help Malfoy in the long run, and he knew it.
They turned a corner, and it was immediately obvious that these had to be the dueling halls.
The two massive buildings sat side by side and could each easily fit two dragons inside them. There was a large wooden platform leading up to each and black kanji were written across the red support beams. The roofs had a sharp slope that extended out over the deck, golden designs accenting its edges.
Brilliant. There were no obvious signs of destruction, but that didn't mean anything.
Osamu headed toward the stairs, slipping off his shoes before climbing up the polished wooden steps in his socks. Hermione quickly followed, only a few steps behind him, and when he slid back the door she sighed in relief.
Atsumu was fine.
Even better, Malfoy was obviously in complete control of himself, though that could change with a moment's notice, you never knew what might cause a flashback. If Atsumu used the wrong spell…
No. They were fine. She was here now. She could stop whatever happened.
Malfoy was standing tall, facing sideways to make himself a smaller target, his posture perfect as always. His grip was loose but firm as he held his wand out with his right hand, keeping his left behind his back. Despite the scorch marks scattered across the ground in front of him, even Malfoy's clothes were spotless.
On the other side, Atsumu was sweating and crouched slightly as he wore a feral grin, his eyes focused on the Malfoy heir. Hermione recognized the stance—it was the same one the Nekoma libero used in order to be able to receive a ball quickly. But while the position might give one a solid base from which you could move any direction, it also made him a huge target. Malfoy had obviously been using more powerful spells than Atsumu, as the floor to Atsumu's left had been completely destroyed, as well as a large portion of the middle.
"This way." Osamu walked along the edge of the room where Hermione noticed the wood was darker and set up in a different direction. "The wards will keep us safe from stray spells."
Reassured that Malfoy was doing ok, Hermione let her eyes wander over the walls, taking in the paintings of red and white kitsune that watched the two duelists as they moved. Large wooden lanterns hung from the ceiling, and Hermione could tell they were intricately carved even if she couldn't make out the exact designs from this distance. No doubt the wards protected those against harm, as well.
She sighed as Osamu kneeled on one of the cushions along the wall. "Is this really necessary?"
"Yes." Osamu sat down in one chair, eyeing Malfoy's form. "He's already foreign. The family won't give him a chance if he's also weak."
Stubborn idiotic xenophobic purebloods.
What part of war veteran did they not understand?! You didn't survive the frontlines of a war without being a talented fighter.
Atsumu shouted as he casted another spell, but Malfoy twisted his left hand in a tight circle and a shield snapped into place. A silent wandless shield? Malfoy must really be unimpressed with the power of the Miya twin's spells. Or maybe they'd been weakening over the duel? If Atsumu usually won duels quickly, then he wouldn't be accustomed to maintaining spell power over a long period of time.
Malfoy's lips moved, but Hermione wasn't surprised when he spoke too quietly to allow anyone to hear his spell. Wind immediately filled the center of the dueling hall, coalescing into a miniature tornado that streamed from Malfoy's wand toward the blonde twin.
Atsumu rolled out of the way, not bothering with a shield and instead casting a spell she didn't know.
The Japanese incantation sent a bright red light zipping toward Malfoy, but the Slytherin snapped his wand to the side, somehow making the spell vanish and then reappear behind Atsumu.
The blonde twin darted to the left, but Malfoy repeated the motion right before Atsumu shifted, and suddenly instead of dodging, Atsumu was moving straight into the path of the spell.
The twin hissed in pain before grunting out what might have been a counter spell. He straightened, glaring at Malfoy as he spit out something in Japanese.
Osamu sighed next to Hermione, his form tense as he watched how Malfoy would respond to his brother's taunt.
Malfoy didn't even acknowledge it. Instead his wand twitched, sending a silent stunner at the opposing wizard before following that up with an expulso aimed at the ground in front of Miya.
The twin dodged and put up a shield, but the floorboards right in front of the shield exploded, the shockwaves from the blast almost causing the twin to fall. He kept his footing, but barely managed to twist to the side and avoid the flash of lightning that darted out from Malfoy's wand.
Osamu's face was unreadable as his twin wiped sweat from his brow.
Hermione frowned. She supposed she should try to compliment Atsumu. She was supposed to be trying to smooth things over between England and Japan, after all, not point out when they were being idiots. "Your brother is good at dodging."
Of course, dodging wasn't everything, and it was clearly wearing him out. Plus all of the twin's attacks so far had just been one spell at a time; nothing like the layers of spells Malfoy would send his way.
It was clear Atsumu was used to the rhythm of each person having a turn. "What are the rules for your duels?"
"Family rules are if you touch the dark wood around the edge or at the center line then you lose. You also can't cast anything you can't heal."
So they each only had half the room to work with and you couldn't try to attack from behind your opponent. Nothing about taking turns attacking, though. But Osamu had said these were the family rules… maybe the twins dueled outside the family and Atsumu had picked up the habit there?
Malfoy wasn't attacking anymore, but using his left hand to shield whatever Atsumu sent his way while he started casting something with a long incantation. Hermione raised an eyebrow at some of the Latin. Whatever this was, it was going to be nasty.
Malfoy's face was calm, though.
She had to trust that.
She hated having to trust Malfoy. He'd proven that she could, but it wasn't exactly easy to look past all those years of taunting and the multiple times he'd tried to kill people.
Malfoy's wand stopped moving and a thin, dark vapor poured forth, pooling onto the ground in front of Malfoy's feet and then slowly stretching outwards.
Hermione blanched as the floor beneath the vapor started to decay.
Atsumu sent wind hurtling toward it, but Malfoy merely flicked his left hand, blasting Atsumu's wind to the side before it ever reached his black fog.
Well that was certainly a show of power.
"What is that?" Osamu leaned forward, eyeing Malfoy's creation that was now eating away at the floorboards.
Hermione shrugged. "I have no clue, but please tell me there are spells in place to repair all this damage."
"Of course. It's a dueling hall."
Right. Because everyone had those and knew how they operated.
"Do you yield?" Malfoy's voice was bored as more and more of the black vapor poured out of his wand, eating away the floor space between them.
Atsumu didn't acknowledge the question, instead casting spell after spell to try to stop the mist, but everything he cast was absorbed, almost spurring on its growth. The mist disintegrated the rocks Atsumu summoned in mere seconds, so the trick to stop had to be wind, especially since Malfoy actually bothered to block that, but Atsumu couldn't break through Malfoy's defensive blasts.
It was obvious he'd lost.
The fog was inches away from Atsumu now, surrounding him completely except for a stretch of dark wood directly behind him. Every other inch of flooring around Atsumu had been disintegrated. From the looks of it, the mist had even eaten through the support beams underneath as well as several layers of dirt.
Malfoy raised one eyebrow, his face impassive but his voice more insistent as he repeated his question, "Do you yield?"
The mist swirled threateningly around Atsumu's feet.
Atsumu glared at the mist, then back at Malfoy. The twin grit his teeth, then slowly stepped back onto the dark wood.
A buzzer immediately rang overhead.
Malfoy whispered another spell and wind swirled around the mist, ripping through it and forcing it to dissipate.
"What the hell was that?!" Atsumu's form was rigid with anger.
"Dragon's Fumes, I invented it myself." Malfoy sheathed his wand. "The spell takes a while to cast, so thank you for the opportunity. I could never finish the incantation in battle."
Atsumu snarled, and Osamu sighed next to her. "He's going to be hell to deal with all day. He hates losing." The silver haired twin pulled out his wand, casting a spell. A blue light raced over the ground, and then soil began to fill up the holes underneath the building before wooden beams sprouted from the ground as wooden panels multiplied, spreading across the floor to lay on top of the support beams.
Well that was certainly impressive. Was there a default state that the spell would return the hall to, perhaps?
Atsumu's eyes snapped over to Osamu, and he glared at his twin before looking away, his forehead creasing in frustration. "Fine. He's passed so far."
"I'm honored that my paltry British spellcraft can meet your standards." Malfoy bowed to the twin, and Hermione couldn't help but grin despite the oddity of being just as offended by something as Malfoy was.
Osamu sighed. "Sorry about that. Atsumu insisted."
Hermione frowned. So he had known what his brother planned on doing, and yet he'd failed to mention to her that they were duelling until they'd almost arrived.
"It's quite alright." Malfoy's smile was as cold as ice. "I anticipated that you would want to test me in some way. However, I would appreciate advanced warning in the future. I tend not to react well to surprises."
Atsumu glared at the two of them, staying silent until Osamu cleared his throat and gave his brother a pointed stare.
Atsumu scowled. "I apologize for the surprise. We'll be happy to start the actual tour now."
"Brilliant." Hermione tried her best to sound enthusiastic. Learning about the cultural differences here would be interesting. She just needed to focus on that. "Where to first?"
"We thought we would start south of Kyoto where another family has a large complex." Osamu held out his hand, offering to help her stand up, and Hermione reluctantly took it.
"Would that be the Sakai family?" Those were the Miya's allies, after all.
"Yes." Atsumu rolled his eyes. "We're frequently political allies, though we have our differences."
Odd. Tetsurou had never mentioned that the two weren't always allies. "What do you disagree about?"
Osamu shrugged. "Nothing important, really. We should go ahead and start moving toward the apparition point."
The blonde twin frowned, but moved to leave the dueling hall, his shoulders still tense and annoyed.
Lovely. Spending the day with an annoyed Miya twin would make the experience even better. Reluctantly, Hermione moved to follow him. "You said you would let me know other aspects of the political climate in Japan, correct?"
"It's not really political." Osamu's voice sounded bored, "They're Buddhists, that's all."
What? But Tetsurou's family never seemed to practice religion, nor did the Akaashi's, so she'd always assumed that magical Japan was atheistic like Britain was. "And you're not Buddhists?" She probably should stop making assumptions based on Tokyo magical practices. Tetsurou's family probably did many things differently from the Miyas on purpose.
"We follow Shinto beliefs."
Shintoism. Right. "Because you live next to Fushimi Inari?"
"That's part of it. Different members of the family believe more devoutly than others, but we all follow its practices, including those who marry into the family."
Hermione glanced over at Malfoy, but his face revealed nothing other than polite interest as he took her pause as his own chance to ask a question. "And what do those practices involve?"
"Festivals. Ceremonies at certain ages and for formal occasions like weddings. Offerings at the shrine. The primary Shinto deity we worship is Inari, but some individuals worship others."
Malfoy nodded. "And Inari is a fox deity?"
Osamu shook his head. "Foxes are Inari's messengers. Inari presides over agriculture, industry, and prosperity, among other things."
"Alright!" Atsumu stopped walking and turned around. "Enough of that boring talk. We've reached the barrier, so let's head to our first stop!"
They'd crossed a barrier? Hermione hadn't felt it… cautiously, she took another step forward, and then she did feel the ward ripple over her skin. "Where does the Sakai family live?"
"Nara." Osamu held out his arm, and Hermione reluctantly settled her hand over his. She really wasn't looking forward to apparating constantly today.
Sure enough, the second Osamu apparated she felt her stomach churn and the now familiar empty ache that always accompanied distance from Tetsurou.
A deer stared back at her as she opened her eyes.
Right. She'd read that there was a city in Japan where deer roamed freely. Apparently that was Nara. Unless the deer was only here because they were on the city's outskirts? It looked like the Miya twins had apparated them into the middle of a forest again, though Hermione could hear people murmuring in the distance.
"This way." Atsumu started walking through the trees, and Hermione hurried to follow. "The Sakai family live behind Todaiji."
Todaiji? Why did that sound familiar?
Through the trees, Hermione could make out a massive crowd gathered in the plaza. There were even more people here than there had been in Fushimi Inari. Or maybe the people were just in a more compact space? Atsumu wasn't walking to where the crowd was, though. Instead he followed the perimeter of the forest, heading toward the other side. "We'll show you the Daibutsu on the way out. It's easier to avoid the crowd when you approach from the back."
"The Daibutsu?"
Atsumu looked back at her in disbelief. "Todaiji's famous for it. There's one of the largest statues of Buddha in the world. The Sakai family could tell you all kinds of details."
Well that explained why she had heard of the temple then. And if the Sakai family was primarily Buddhist, she supposed that was why they had been given land near this temple.
When they had finally circled around to the back of the clearing, Atsumu headed deeper into the forest. Hermione followed, but blinked in confusion as they passed through a ward.
There wasn't a forest.
Right in front of her were steps leading up to a wooden deck that wound through elevated buildings all made from a rich dark wood with white walls. The twins took off their shoes before climbing the stairs, and she and Malfoy quickly followed suit.
"Come on, we'll show you around. Their complex is beautiful. Not as great as ours, though, of course."
Hermione did have to admit that the grounds were gorgeous. Floating fruit waved in the slight breeze above lavender flowers that were arranged into intricate swirls amid vibrant green leaves. Stone lanterns followed the path, each covered in moss and emitting a soft glow. As they walked they passed a willow with golden leaves stood on a hill surrounded by blood red flowers, one of which snapped at an insect that landed on its soft petal.
Between that and the venomous tentacula vines that were draped around a nearby tree, Hermione had no doubt that walking into the garden would result in injury if not worse.
Neville would love it here.
"I take it the Sakai family specializes in herbology?"
Osamu snorted. "How could you tell?"
Glowing red eyes stared at them from the bamboo stalks next to the pond. The koi looked much more friendly, though she worried that they only existed for plant food. "Just a guess, really."
Atsumu shrugged. "Stay on the pathway and you'll be fine."
The plants certainly were giving the path a wide berth-there wasn't even a single leaf on the smooth wood surface. Hermione eyed the script engraved into the path's edge. She recognized some of the kanji, but she wasn't certain… "Is that an age line?" If you translated it, the spell was a lot like what Dumbledore had drawn around the Goblet of Fire.
"Seikai desu."
Tetsurou's bracelet began to vibrate slightly.
Hermione turned to see a door slide open, revealing an old man wearing a plain black yukata who stepped out onto the platform. Hermione's eyes widened at the next figure. That was the man who had insulted her before the ambassador's meeting.
The Head of the Department of Magical Travel.
And of course he'd answered her question in Japanese. She was pretty sure that he'd said she was right, though.
Atsumu was saying something now, but he was speaking so quickly that Hermione couldn't follow well. Something about them giving a tour?
The two men studied her and Malfoy for a second, then the elder one reached off the platform to a nearby vine that was crawling over a terrace next to the building. The vine reached toward him, weaving itself into a small circle. The old man tapped his wand against the vine, severing it.
"Hajimemashite, Granger Hermione. Irasshai." The old man bowed his head, holding out the bracelet with both hands. "Sakai Hideaki to setai nushi no Miya desu."
Oh for Merlin's sake. She had no clue what he'd just said. Some kind of introduction probably? But he obviously expected her to accept the vine bracelet. Tentatively, she answered, "Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu" while reaching out to Tetsurou, The Sakai family wouldn't give me anything dangerous, would they?
He looked satisfied, by her answer, at least, but he was still holding out the bracelet. She didn't know what to do, but any longer of a pause would be impolite.
What? No. They're probably up to something, but it won't physically hurt you.
She'd have to trust that. Hermione did her best to give a proper bow, making sure that she bent lower than Sakai-san had. "Arigatou gozaimasu." That was probably a safe answer, right? She cautiously held out her left hand, and the vine moved from his hands to hers, sliding around her wrist until it was snug, but not too tight.
She really didn't like this.
The dragon on her right wrist was still vibrating slightly, though it had calmed down a little bit. Why had accepting the bracelet calmed down the threat? What was the threat? Sakai-san said something else in Japanese, then turned and left, his younger companion following him.
Lovely.
Hermione glanced down at her wrist, unsure of what to do about the plant, but she supposed she should just make sure that it didn't grow or anything for the time being. Hopefully Tetsurou would recognize it. She didn't really want to ask the twins, since for all she knew Sakai had said what the plant's name was and revealing her ignorance would show she didn't know Japanese well… Of course she might have already revealed that. Hermione wanted to groan.
For now, though, she should focus on the tour.
At least the complex was beautiful. And enormous. Hermione had no doubt that one could easily spend days exploring the various paths. Osamu took them to the right, following a small creek that led to a miniature waterfall. The pond in front of it was covered in lilies, stepping stones arranged to lead one across to the other side, where the wooden path resumed once more and led to rows of green hedges that climbed up an outcropping, though the stone surface underneath was a shimmering sapphire blue.
Despite the fact that Hermione knew many of the plants were deadly, the whole garden felt peaceful and lighthearted, like it had been summoned from a child's imagination of fairyland. It was nothing like the haunting aura of the Forbidden Forest, despite that being the only place back home that could compare.
After the tour, Atsumu led them through a backdoor into Todaiji, which was an impressive sight. It was hard to wrap your mind around a statue where the Buddha's foot was bigger than your entire body. Gold surfaces reflected the dim lighting throughout the large, open room, but it was so cramped with people that they didn't stay long and instead quickly made their way back out into the forest to apparate.
The next place they took them to was even further from Tetsurou, and Hermione very nearly threw up when they landed.
"Granger-san? Is everything ok?" Atsumu's voice didn't actually sound concerned, but she smiled at him and ignored the tone.
"Fine, sorry. Apparating just makes me queasy sometimes, that's all."
Malfoy sighed next to her. "You'd think you would be over that by now, Granger."
"I'm working on it." Well honestly she was hoping that time would fix it, but Tetsurou seemed to have taken an anti-nausea potion because she was feeling much better now.
Malfoy looked around the alley, nose wrinkling in distaste despite the fact that everything was ridiculously clean. "Where are we now?"
They had to be somewhere near the ocean. Hermione could smell salt water in the air.
The twins shrugged and turned as one to move out of the alleyway where they'd landed. "Osaka."
Oh. Hermione tried to think back to what she knew about Japanese geography. They were a bit further West of Nara, then?
"One of the five families doesn't live here, but it's a popular port city, so there is a magical community of decent size."
"Does it have a shopping center like Tokyo then?" She doubted they were here for a garden. Hermione followed after the twins as they walked through the non-magical crowd, seemingly unconcerned with whether or not they were overheard.
"No." Osamu shook his head. "We're going to the shore."
The shore?
"It's really best seen at night, but what can you do?" Atsumu shrugged. "Your dear family would probably protest if we kept you that long. So daylight will have to do."
Now Hermione was really confused. "Why is it best seen at night?"
"The lights."
Lights? If the magic was ostentatious, then she supposed they must have wards.
And then they rounded a corner and Hermione could see beyond the tall city buildings to an open city park with a large ferris wheel looming over a bay.
"Over here." Atsumu was heading towards a large statue of some sort of… jellyfish, maybe? Hermione wasn't sure what it was. Definitely a sea creature. Probably. But the art was so abstract it was hard to tell.
Hermione blinked when Atsumu walked through the statue. It was like Platform 9 3/4 then? Osamu didn't offer any instructions, instead motioning for them to go through first.
Hermione rolled her eyes when she noticed that Malfoy was hanging back as well. Of course the Slytherin didn't want to go first.
Well, she wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing. Hermione squared her shoulders and walked through.
And immediately stared at the sheer number of crabs covering the beach. Those had definitely not been there before. Atsumu was a few meters ahead of her, bending down to pick one up. "Aren't they great? They glow in the dark. A bunch of different magical creatures frequent this beach and use it as a social spot, but these guys are always here."
Crabs that glowed in the dark. Why not? "So they're bioluminescent? That would certainly be an amazing sight at night." There had to be hundreds of the crabs all around them.
Atsumu laughed, but didn't say anything further as he crouched down to put the crab back onto the sand.
"It's just magic." Hermione turned to see Osamu giving her a bland look as if she should have known better.
She glared at him. Bioluminescence was a perfectly logical assumption!
Malfoy had come through the statue now, and was ignoring them all as he scanned the beach. "What's that building by the cliffs?"
Hermione glanced over to see a large hut standing there, seemingly half above the water and half on land.
"It's a dive bar." Atsumu grinned at her skeptical expression. "Literally. They're not open yet at this time of day, but they serve all kinds of magical clientele, some of whom can't easily leave the water, so half the tables just float on the surface while the other half are on land."
Hermione now really wanted to return here at night with Tetsurou.
"There is one fun thing to do here during the day, though."
"Oh?" Malfoy turned toward Osamu, one eyebrow raised, but the twin just walked toward the water without saying anything. Cautiously, Hermione followed. Osamu picked up one of the pebbles off the shore, hefting it in his palm a few times before sending it skipping across the calm ocean surface.
Hermione stared.
Wherever the stone had landed against the water, the ripples had changed colors, making a rainbow of rings as the rock bounced further and further out. "What beautiful magic."
"Algae actually." Atsumu gave her a shit-eating grin as she glared at him. What the hell. First it was magic and now it was algae?
She turned to see if Osamu would contradict his twin, but the other boy just shrugged. "All the magical species come here as a tourist spot, so it was made unplottable a long time ago."
"Exactly!" Atsumu skipped a stone, grinning when his went further than his brother's had. "It's a great place to socialize with other beings and gain information. Well, in the evening, at least."
The magic here was so different than Britain's. Hermione wondered if the centaurs knew of places like this where natural magic was protected. Or maybe the goblins?
"You ready for another round of apparition, Granger?" Atsumu turned toward her, his grin mocking.
She glared at him. "I'm fine." The anti-nausea potion should still be in effect.
"Let's head to Minami Ichiba and get some lunch as our last stop then."
Osamu visibly perked up and he actually seemed eager for the first time since Hermione had met him. "Minami Ichiba?" South something?
Osamu nodded. "It's a better version of Kotodama."
Well that should be interesting.
After they apparated, Osamu immediately started leading the way down a side street, but when they came to a crossroads he paused, looking down to the left and then straight ahead, indecision clear in his face. Finally he sighed, his shoulders sagging a bit. "Malfoy-san, you still don't have a phone, correct?"
"Correct." Malfoy nodded. "I was hoping to select one later this week after I'd had a chance to withdraw some funds. I wasn't anticipating a lengthy stay."
Osamu sighed again and turned down the left street, "Waiting would be annoying. I'll just get you one now. Granger-san, feel free to explore the market with 'Sumu if you don't want to join us."
Hermione wasn't sure she should leave Malfoy alone in a shop filled with muggles and muggle technology and only one other wizard. Buying a phone was always long and boring, but—
"I'll behave, Granger." Malfoy rolled his eyes and strolled after the grey-haired twin.
Darn it. If she went now, that would be showing the twins that she blatantly didn't trust Malfoy, which… wasn't entirely true. Plus causing a scene here would have absolutely no benefit for him. So she turned toward Atsumu and forced herself to smile. "So what's the market like?"
Atsumu winked at her, then offered his arm. "You'll see."
Hermione's eyebrow twitched. She was not going to deal with flirting. Osamu had been about to head down the street, so Hermione walked straight past Atsumu, ignoring his arm.
Hermione felt the wards ripple over her, and then she couldn't help but stop and stare.
Whereas Kotodama had been a block of buildings twisting and turning around each other with a mix of human and magical beings, Minami Ichiba was one long stretch of stalls, and Hermione was pretty sure she and Atsumu were the only humans there.
"Japan's wizarding population may be small, but our total magical population is much larger and many of them prefer the more traditional atmosphere around Kyoto to the bustling city. Minami Ichiba provides mostly food stalls, but you'll find other things here, as well." Atsumu's hand rested on her elbow, and Hermione stiffened. "Relax. It's so we're not separated by the crowd."
The crowd was thick, but Hermione still would prefer not to have the contact. She quickly was able to ignore Atsumu's hand, though, too captivated by all the odd contents in each stall. There were large purple eggs and food shaped like various animals and biscuits of mythical creatures and too many types of fish to name, plus mushrooms she didn't recognize and meats covered in various sauces and something that looked like bright green cotton candy hanging from the roof a stall and—
Hermione felt so overwhelmed.
One stall caught her eye, though, where balloons of bread floated over a table. A tiny being marched over the table's surface, attaching strings to a rack to keep the bread from floating away. He (at least Hermione thought it was male?) had a head shaped like a sake bottle, and his body seemed to be made from porcelain fragments
"Oi, Seto-san!" Atsumu crouched down until he was eye level with the table, then said something in rapid Japanese. The twin held up two fingers as the figure shouted at him, shaking his tiny fist. Atsumu laughed, then dropped a few coins on the table and the figure pulled loose two strings, leaving it to Atsumu to catch them before they floated away.
"Here." Atsumu straightened up, handing Hermione a string. "Seto Taisho's bread is the best here. He's amazing in the kitchen."
Hermione reached up, cautiously grabbing the bread and pulling it down so that she could take a small bite.
It tasted heavenly. Sweet and light and like it just melted into nothing inside her mouth. "This tastes incredible. I've never heard of Seto Taisho before."
"They're only in Japan." Atsumu moved further down the row of stalls, somehow slipping between two and into a small area that had a single table where he sat down. "They form whenever there is a pile of porcelain scraps around a sake bottle that has absorbed a lot of magical energy. It's said they contain all of the cooking knowledge that the dishes experienced during their lifetimes. This particular Seto Taishou has great bread, but there's another one that sometimes comes and helps out the kama itachi in the fried noodles stall."
Kama itachi? That's what Bokutou had called those weasels with long razor sharp claws. Japan certainly had a lot of magical beings that Hermione had never learned about in Britain. Wait. "Isn't your uncle in charge of the department of nonhuman magical beings?"
Atsumu's grin sharpened. "Yes. There are far more nonhuman magical beings in Japan than there are magical humans, so it's of the utmost importance that we maintain a good relationship with them."
Hermione nodded absently as she took another bite from the roll. "Do the other departments like justice, health, and travel handle matters with nonhuman beings as well, or are they solely focused on humans?"
"They handle any situation with mixed beneficiaries or solely human beneficiaries. The nonhuman department focuses on interacting with the governing structures of nonhuman magical beings."
That sounded incredibly complicated. Even in her limited time in Japan, Hermione had already come across so many species… "Negotiations and maintaining a peaceful balance must be difficult."
"You have no idea." Atsumu sighed, finishing off his roll. "It's a shame Osamu's not going to have as much time here, it really is his favorite place. He swears one day he'll open the first human stall." Atsumu rolled his eyes. "Our cooking isn't nearly good enough to compete here."
"Your brother wants to own a food stall?" That hardly seemed like a goal befitting a family of duelists. Then again, the grey-haired twin hadn't seemed that enthusiastic about dueling…
Atsumu snorted and stood up with a stretch, waiting as Hermione took her last bite. "Osamu's never wanted a fast-paced job."
"And your family is ok with that?"
Atsumu banished the strings and clear wrappers from their bread, then turned toward the entrance. "They'll allow it as long as he also helps with politics or family affairs. It's not like either one of us is in line to be the next head of the family."
Right. Tetsurou had said the Miya family heads all had the character 'shi' for death in their name. It had something to do with metaphorically overcoming death as a family.
Atsumu was moving back into the crowd now, so Hermione hurried to follow.
Back in the main street, Atsumu continued to walk through the stalls, waving to various beings and stopping to laugh about something with a centaur while Hermione looked through the various hand towels in the next booth.
A woman sat behind the table, long black hair covering her face as she smoked a pipe. The hand towels weren't that expensive, plus they were so soft even without any spellwork… There was even one with a black cat tangled up in yarn that she would love to get Tetsurou, but she couldn't get him anything without raising suspicions…
Hermione frowned in thought. Maybe if she got a couple? Then it wouldn't be as obvious, at least. She looked through more of the hand towels, finding one with strawberries on it for Kei, as well as one with a dog that looked like the mascot on Akiteru's team banner.
"You like Kejoro-san's work? It'll last forever, promise." Atsumu was leaning over her shoulder, but with enough distance between them that Hermione didn't feel crowded. Thank Merlin the cat hand towel was at the bottom of his stack.
"I was thinking of getting some for my cousins, but I didn't know the magical properties of the material."
Atsumu hummed a bit, "Which basket did you grab them from?"
Hermione blinked. That mattered? She gestured toward the closest basket in front of her, thankful that they'd all been from the same one. Now that she looked closer, there were small kanji woven into the edge of the basket. "Those will absorb water, but nothing else. They mean that, by the way—if your cousin uses one they'll absorb the water from his sweat, but none of the salt. So be careful using them in public since that would really confuse people."
That was certainly fascinating. "What do the others do?"
"Mostly they'll all absorb different things. Some will do everything but water, others will only absorb acidic substances, some will store the water on one side and release it when you press the side against something. They're all good, but the ones you picked up are probably the simplest version for non-magicals."
"Thank you for translating." As much as she hated admitting that she'd needed it. Hermione could read the small notecards with their prices listed, but that was about it.
"Sumimasen. Ano… Kejoro-san?" Hermione thought the woman was now looking at her through her hair. "Kore, onegai shimasu." Hermione set the three hand towels on the table and the woman stood up in one smooth motion and glided toward her, listing the price. Hermione summoned the coins from her pocket to her hand, then set them down in the outstretched tray. The woman nodded politely, then returned back to her seat. Hermione picked up the three hand towels, sliding them into the side pocket inside her purse.
"Well, what do you know? You actually are learning."
Hermione glared at Atsumu. She was pretty sure she hadn't said anything wrong. "Did you think I was lying?"
"Most ambassadors just don't make the effort. The meetings are translated, after all."
"Most ambassadors probably don't have family here."
Atsumu shrugged. "True enough."
"I do have a question, though." Atsumu moved further down the street, but tilted his head to show her that he was still listening. "You've been calling everyone not by a personal name, but by the name of their race. Why?"
"For most nonhuman beings, names are intensely personal and it would be rude to ask for them." Atsumu held his hand out in front of her, making her stop as a group of seven mice darted across the path in front of them. "I do know a few of their names, but only because I've known them for over a decade, and those are reserved for private correspondence, not public conversations."
Fascinating. "So—"
"Of course you're interrogating the poor man about something."
Hermione jumped, whirling around to see Malfoy standing behind her holding a bag, but Osamu wasn't anywhere with him.
"Damn it. I give 'Samu the chance to do something romantic and he abandons you for food." Atsumu shook his head, sighing dramatically. "I should have known. Well, he'll show up soon enough. Let's go ahead and buy some lunch since he's no doubt doing the same."
Lunch with Atsumu and Malfoy was oddly better than Hermione expected. Malfoy showed her the phone's box, completely bewildered by it, but she made him wait until later to ask questions. Turning it on in a magical area like this would only lead to breaking it.
The ramen from the stall run by Kowai was incredible, and Atsumu kept the conversation light and mostly regaled them with stories of when he was younger and had met some of the magical beings in the Minami Ichiba for the first time. He might be an asshole, but the twin was definitely charismatic when he wanted to be.
Eventually Osamu did in fact find them, and he was carrying several bags of food. Atsumu had proceeded to lecture him about how it wasn't ok to abandon guests, but the grey-haired twin didn't seem to care, instead simply offering them some sort of grey pastry that had been somewhat sour, but delicious.
As Malfoy asked Osamu about the other food, Hermione cast tempus, and her eyebrows rose when she realized it was almost three o'clock. Had they really been out most of the day?
Atsumu stood up with a stretch, "Well, we should probably let you return before we're accused of kidnapping you. We weren't able to show you our shrine earlier, though, since they were holding a purification ritual in it. Why don't you come back with us and then you can apparate home from there?" He gave her a mocking grin, "Unless that's too much for you."
Hermione wished she'd thought to take the anti-nausea potion before he'd left so that the twin couldn't tease her about this weakness. Going back to the Miya complex would be annoying, but it would also mean moving closer to Tetsurou again, so she wasn't about to complain. "That sounds fine."
"Purification ritual? What does that involve?"
"The priest cleanses impurity from the shrine and those that attend." Osamu held out his arm to Hermione. "We can show you how it works when we get there, if you want."
Malfoy nodded, accepting Atsumu's arm, and Hermione's couldn't help the relief that washed through her when they apparated and she could feel Tetsurou's presence nearby once again.
You're back! Great. One minute and we'll head your way. Try to act surprised though.
Brilliant. Though Hermione couldn't help but be both curious and wary of seeing him interact with the twins after everything she'd learned.
"Still with us, Granger?" Atsumu's voice was slightly taunting, so no doubt he'd taken her distraction as nausea again. Well, that was probably for the best, even if it was annoying.
"I'm fine." She could even feel Tetsurou starting to move closer to the path they were on. If she remembered, this wasn't too far from the complex, which meant Osamu had definitely apparated her further out than necessary this morning, no doubt to give Atsumu more time alone with Malfoy.
How annoying.
Atsumu had already begun to walk toward the complex, talking about how their property was the oldest (and apparently therefore the best. Hermione wanted to roll her eyes, but kept up a polite smile instead).
And then Tetsurou practically ran into Atsumu at a curve in the path, holding a large basket in his arms that obscured his vision. "Gomen!" Tetsurou set the basket down, his expression morphing from apologetic to annoyed as he saw the twins.
"Well if it isn't the stray cat." Atsumu was practically sneering at Tetsurou.
Tetsurou grinned back at him, "I could have gone longer without seeing you two again."
"Then why are you here?" Osamu glared at Tetsurou. "You're not welcome."
Tetsurou gave a carefree shrug, lifting up the basket that was apparently filled with mushrooms. "Gathering ingredients for obaa-san."
"Right. You just happened to want to study potions here today."
Tetsurou laughed. "What can I say? A blonde birdie told me bakayarou had invited our manager on a tour."
"Tetsurou, language." A stern, weary voice called out from further down the path.
Tetsurou winced, then turned and called over his shoulder, "Gomen, obaa-san."
Hermione stared as Tetsurou's grandmother came into view. She was incredibly tall—almost as tall as Tetsurou and the twins, and her entire posture was straight, her long grey hair contained in a tight bun. The sleeves of her yukata had been tied back, but that didn't detract from the regal air surrounding her. "Atsumu-kun, Osamu-kun. You have guests?"
Atsumu inclined his head to her, while Osamu bowed slightly. Hermione hastened to bow, as well, but added more depth to her own to show the woman more respect, and Malfoy followed suit.
The woman smiled. "It is rare to see foreign guests here. What are your names?"
"I am Granger, Hermione, the current ambassador from England's magical government. And my companion is Malfoy, Draco."
"You are young for such a position." The woman nodded at her. "Hold it with honor and so that none can question you. I am Miya Masumi, though I have published international articles under the name Kuroo Yuki." The twins stiffened at the name, and her cold eyes turned to regard them. "I will not give honor to a family name that refuses to honor me."
Atsumu glared at the woman, "You—"
"'Sumu." Osamu's voice was commanding, and the other twin instantly quieted. Osamu bowed again, this time slightly deeper. "I wish you a good day brewing, Obaa-san. We were about to visit the shrine."
"Of course. I wouldn't want to keep you." The woman inclined her head toward them, but paused. "The Kanjanotsuru on your wrist, child. Where did you get it?"
Hermione held up her left wrist, glancing down at the vine bracelet. "Sakai Hideaki-san gave it to me earlier today."
So that's what you meant. Say "I have no use for it myself, and have heard that it is good for variants of the Mopsus potion. I would be honored if you could find use for it."
Hermione dutifully repeated what Tetsurou had said, and the twins tensed behind her, but the woman smiled and nodded. "I would be glad to accept your generous gift."
Hermione held out her hand, not really sure how to remove the vine, but that seemed to be the right motion because Masumi-san simply tapped the vine with her wand and it fell directly into her outstretched palm. "My thanks to you. I will make good use of it."
"I'm glad it can be of service to you." Hermione bowed once more, and Tetsurou's grandmother returned the bow before moving past them down and further down the path.
"Later, Granger-san!" Merlin's beard that sounded weird coming from Tetsurou. He winked at her, then followed after his grandmother, walking backwards to call out, "Come find me whenever the demon twins inevitably become too annoying." And then he was turning back around and quickening his pace to catch up to his grandmother.
Atsumu scoffed next to her. "As if."
Osamu sighed. "Let's just show them the shrine."
Right. One more stop and then she could head home.
As beautiful as she was sure it would be, Hermione really couldn't wait until she was done.
Thanks to my lovely beta for beta-ing this for me! And thanks for all the comments y'al really appreciate them! You can find me on tumblr at haruhi1020! I put research posts about settings and other things for my fics there. If you want to talk about my work, writing, art, or anime in general, we always love to have new people join us on my discord server! We recommend fics to each other, have writing and art challenges, and play games :D You can be active as much or as little as you want. I try to keep ppl informed about upcoming works I'll be posting and there's also some fan art there of some of my works. won't let me link to that here, but you can message me on tumblr for the link or find it on any of my Ao3 posts (I'm toboe1087 there) :)