A/N: after this chap we'll be going somewhere. Lemme know if you'd like
this to be SB/JP plz.
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......... Getting a room was not.
The fact that there were two (needy) ten-year-old twins that weren't completely identical needed a room didn't quite match up to the hundred other (un) needy adults that weren't identical in the least except for the way they dressed.
In other words, the innkeeper figured Our Heroes were a couple of brats and turned them away.
Funny how well over an hour of arguing later he gave in. Everybody else seems to be certain that the bloody nose he had somehow obtained had nothing to do with it.
After making themselves comfortable, they promptly fell asleep.
And slept in. of course.
The next day, both were awake, refreshed, and ready for some brunch since it was eleven o'clock.
After /that/ was taken care of, they sat up in their room on the bed (Sirius had slept in the chair due to his sister's abrupt grumpy mood again), they went through Tome's things.
And ended up spending the rest of the week either wandering around, attempting to memorize Tome's books, and increasing their knowledge of the kanji characters, seeing as they already had hiragana and katakana down rather well.
And, finally, the Dreaded Day (well, not really) came.
"Sirius? Sirius, wake up!"
"W- why? It's," Sirius groggily checked his watch (muggle), "seven in the morning. Go back to sleep."
"No! I can't sleep, I'm too scared!"
"Scared? Hitomeko Black scared?" he seemed more awake now.
"Shh, don't call me that, Dog star!"
"I won't use your full name if you don't call me Dog Star."
"Deal! But I'm still worried, I mean..."
"Err, yeah." Sirius, seeing that he wouldn't be getting any more sleep, rolled over and scrambled about groggily, first pulling on his robes backwards, then trying to shove his head through an arm hole. After a moment, he was dressed the way a proper would-be wizard was.
Tome was dressed to. In her school uniform and everything.
Emerald green robes, kind of like a cross between regular robes and bathrobes. That is, regular robes that were open in the front. A plaited skirt that was black with little emerald green stars on it, that came to slightly above her knees. A black tank top sort of, that came to a tuck-in with an even blacker belt around the loose skirt - there was one medium sized emerald green star on her top right shoulder that had the school seal on it. Something like a sailors' thingmabobber (ever seen a Japanese school uniform? Sailor moon?) that was emerald green with black lines, and came as an emerald green bow in the front and a broach that also had the school seal on it. As the letter regulations said, her hair was the way it was supposed to be. That is, A) not a perm, B) not cut like a boy, and C) in tight pigtails tied with emerald green and black ribbons. Her hair came to just above her shoulders. She wore the knee-high black socks with the emerald green lining and single stripe up each side, and the black shoes that would be taken off anyway.
She looked like she'd been up all night getting ready.
She looked like she'd been up all night period.
"You look..." Sirius trailed off. What with the uniform and all, his sister looked good. What with her anxious face that looked like she'd been traumatized, she looked awful. "You look interesting, Tome."
"I know. I'm just so worried."
"Hey, I'll write to you every day. If I find some more kanji characters we haven't studied, then I'll tell you about them. You know all Japanese wizarding customs. You sure as heck look the part. What else can ya do, mate?"
"We need an owl!"
Sirius blinked. "What?"
"We haven't got an owl! How are we going to write if there's no way to write in the /first/ place?"
"Oh."
"Well, it's something to do."
"Sure, why not." Sirius grinned at her, took his sister's slightly shaking hand, and led her out to the fairly empty streets. They found a food place that was open twenty-four-seven and Sirius helped Tome practice pronunciation, quizzed her on characters, informed her that she was overreacting and forced her to eat. By the time she left the girls' bathroom after that, threw up a little bit, did something to make herself look less bedridden, and had a considerably more replete mood, it was around lunchtime.
After some ice cream, another stop at the bank, and a bit of wandering around trying and failing to avoid the stares they were getting, they found Eeylops Owl Emporium.
"May I help you?" a woman with a tight white bun asked.
"Err, yeah," Sirius starts, glancing around, "We need a couple of owls capable of flying great distances at great speeds."
"What, may I ask, do you mean by that?"
"My sister is attending school in Japan, and I'm fairly certain I'll be staying in the European area."
"Ah. Well, we've got plenty of those fast, loyal birds back here, now, come on!" she turned and disappeared into the back of the shop. Tome blinked.
"A couple?" she asked. "As in, plural?"
"One for you, one for me," Sirius explained, grabbing her hand and pulling her back to where the woman was.
Lots of owls, and not just "owls," big, big, big owls. Thin, big owls. Short, big owls. Big Owls.
"Take your pick, now. They're all friendlier than pie and loyal as well, as all of our owls are."
"This one." Tome said immediately, barely after the woman had finished her sentence. The bird she had chosen was a dark owl, in the dim light too hard to make out what color it was. It was already settled on her arm, and hooted softly.
"Ah, he's a young and new one, just got him last month," Owl Woman said, beaming. "Wonderfully fast flier. Have you chosen yet, young master?"
Sirius furrowed his brow, not exactly liking the expectant looks he was being given. "That one." He said, pointing to a random owl to his left.
"She's not a very good friendly bird, but she's fast," the Owl Woman said, voice faltering. Sirius already had the bird untethered by its feet and his arm sank under her weight. She ignored him, fluffed her feathers, and looked around. "Well, alright. That'll be seven sickles and three knuts for this one, and the same doubled for that one.
About five minutes later, both left with cages filled with a sleeping owl each. They really weren't that big, once out of the somewhat threatening atmosphere. Sirius glanced at his twin and laughed.
"I have to have a picture of you," he said, and bought a camera for just that. It popped pictures out almost immediately after they were taken, and already had them moving as well. "Say something that'll make your teeth show." He instructed once she had her owl on her arm and was standing in front of an empty brick wall.
"Sirius," she laughed, holding her owl up slightly on her arm by lifting her elbow, completely relaxed. A moment later, they were both crowded around the still developing picture.
"You're so cute," Sirius joke, gushing the last word out in a mock baby voice.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now I want a picture of you and your owl!" she snatched the camera from him.
Seeing as his owl was sleeping happily, Sirius just stood by her cage, making faces at his sister until she snapped a picture.
Again, both crowded around the still developing picture, then both laughed. Instead of making faces, the picture of him was just pacing, looking serious and as though smiling seriously hurt.
"I'm showing this to everybody who's stupid enough to look," Tome laughed, placing it in an inside pocket of her robe.
Her face fell slightly as Sirius put the camera around his neck and tucked his picture of her in a pocket.
"Guess I'd better go soon," she said softly. Sirius checked his watch.
"Err, yeah. It's twelve-thirty now, and you've got to be there at five in the morning. Time difference, see."
"Should I go now, then? What time is it in Japan?"
"I don't know." Both froze.
"I think, just to be safe," Sirius hissed, looking around. "We need to pack, quick. C'mon, over here." Grabbing their cages, both ran towards the nearest store, and got a couple of (expensive) bags. They were the size of regular backpacks, except could hold just as much as a trunk. Used up the rest of their money on them, too. Then they ran at top speed back to their room, throwing Tome's things in her bag (which was a pale shade of pink). Then they raced downstairs, to the fireplace, and paused, calming down.
"Right, so, play nice with the other kids, give the teachers hell for me, and for heavens sake, learn a few curses!"
"Yes, sir," Tome took a deep breath, grabbing a handful of powder. "Well, I guess this is it."
"We'll keep a steady stream o letters, now, won't we?"
"Well, yeah." She paused again, made sure her backpack (which, despite it's ability to hold so much, still weighed a significant amount) was secure, and then flung her handful into the fire, which leapt up and roared green.
"Don't be good."
"I won't." Tome gave him a quick hug, before shouting the address (reading it off of a parchment) and stepping in. she disappeared.
Sirius stayed there until well after the flames had died down to nothing. Then, almost numbly, he made his way back up to his room.
He sat down on his bed, and then looked across the room to the dresser, where his owl sat, still sleeping. There was also another owl there as well, sitting on the open window sill. It stuck out its leg, which had a letter tied to it.
And left once the letter was taken.
Sirius allowed himself a small smile. He'd be going to Hogwarts.
.
.
.
......... Getting a room was not.
The fact that there were two (needy) ten-year-old twins that weren't completely identical needed a room didn't quite match up to the hundred other (un) needy adults that weren't identical in the least except for the way they dressed.
In other words, the innkeeper figured Our Heroes were a couple of brats and turned them away.
Funny how well over an hour of arguing later he gave in. Everybody else seems to be certain that the bloody nose he had somehow obtained had nothing to do with it.
After making themselves comfortable, they promptly fell asleep.
And slept in. of course.
The next day, both were awake, refreshed, and ready for some brunch since it was eleven o'clock.
After /that/ was taken care of, they sat up in their room on the bed (Sirius had slept in the chair due to his sister's abrupt grumpy mood again), they went through Tome's things.
And ended up spending the rest of the week either wandering around, attempting to memorize Tome's books, and increasing their knowledge of the kanji characters, seeing as they already had hiragana and katakana down rather well.
And, finally, the Dreaded Day (well, not really) came.
"Sirius? Sirius, wake up!"
"W- why? It's," Sirius groggily checked his watch (muggle), "seven in the morning. Go back to sleep."
"No! I can't sleep, I'm too scared!"
"Scared? Hitomeko Black scared?" he seemed more awake now.
"Shh, don't call me that, Dog star!"
"I won't use your full name if you don't call me Dog Star."
"Deal! But I'm still worried, I mean..."
"Err, yeah." Sirius, seeing that he wouldn't be getting any more sleep, rolled over and scrambled about groggily, first pulling on his robes backwards, then trying to shove his head through an arm hole. After a moment, he was dressed the way a proper would-be wizard was.
Tome was dressed to. In her school uniform and everything.
Emerald green robes, kind of like a cross between regular robes and bathrobes. That is, regular robes that were open in the front. A plaited skirt that was black with little emerald green stars on it, that came to slightly above her knees. A black tank top sort of, that came to a tuck-in with an even blacker belt around the loose skirt - there was one medium sized emerald green star on her top right shoulder that had the school seal on it. Something like a sailors' thingmabobber (ever seen a Japanese school uniform? Sailor moon?) that was emerald green with black lines, and came as an emerald green bow in the front and a broach that also had the school seal on it. As the letter regulations said, her hair was the way it was supposed to be. That is, A) not a perm, B) not cut like a boy, and C) in tight pigtails tied with emerald green and black ribbons. Her hair came to just above her shoulders. She wore the knee-high black socks with the emerald green lining and single stripe up each side, and the black shoes that would be taken off anyway.
She looked like she'd been up all night getting ready.
She looked like she'd been up all night period.
"You look..." Sirius trailed off. What with the uniform and all, his sister looked good. What with her anxious face that looked like she'd been traumatized, she looked awful. "You look interesting, Tome."
"I know. I'm just so worried."
"Hey, I'll write to you every day. If I find some more kanji characters we haven't studied, then I'll tell you about them. You know all Japanese wizarding customs. You sure as heck look the part. What else can ya do, mate?"
"We need an owl!"
Sirius blinked. "What?"
"We haven't got an owl! How are we going to write if there's no way to write in the /first/ place?"
"Oh."
"Well, it's something to do."
"Sure, why not." Sirius grinned at her, took his sister's slightly shaking hand, and led her out to the fairly empty streets. They found a food place that was open twenty-four-seven and Sirius helped Tome practice pronunciation, quizzed her on characters, informed her that she was overreacting and forced her to eat. By the time she left the girls' bathroom after that, threw up a little bit, did something to make herself look less bedridden, and had a considerably more replete mood, it was around lunchtime.
After some ice cream, another stop at the bank, and a bit of wandering around trying and failing to avoid the stares they were getting, they found Eeylops Owl Emporium.
"May I help you?" a woman with a tight white bun asked.
"Err, yeah," Sirius starts, glancing around, "We need a couple of owls capable of flying great distances at great speeds."
"What, may I ask, do you mean by that?"
"My sister is attending school in Japan, and I'm fairly certain I'll be staying in the European area."
"Ah. Well, we've got plenty of those fast, loyal birds back here, now, come on!" she turned and disappeared into the back of the shop. Tome blinked.
"A couple?" she asked. "As in, plural?"
"One for you, one for me," Sirius explained, grabbing her hand and pulling her back to where the woman was.
Lots of owls, and not just "owls," big, big, big owls. Thin, big owls. Short, big owls. Big Owls.
"Take your pick, now. They're all friendlier than pie and loyal as well, as all of our owls are."
"This one." Tome said immediately, barely after the woman had finished her sentence. The bird she had chosen was a dark owl, in the dim light too hard to make out what color it was. It was already settled on her arm, and hooted softly.
"Ah, he's a young and new one, just got him last month," Owl Woman said, beaming. "Wonderfully fast flier. Have you chosen yet, young master?"
Sirius furrowed his brow, not exactly liking the expectant looks he was being given. "That one." He said, pointing to a random owl to his left.
"She's not a very good friendly bird, but she's fast," the Owl Woman said, voice faltering. Sirius already had the bird untethered by its feet and his arm sank under her weight. She ignored him, fluffed her feathers, and looked around. "Well, alright. That'll be seven sickles and three knuts for this one, and the same doubled for that one.
About five minutes later, both left with cages filled with a sleeping owl each. They really weren't that big, once out of the somewhat threatening atmosphere. Sirius glanced at his twin and laughed.
"I have to have a picture of you," he said, and bought a camera for just that. It popped pictures out almost immediately after they were taken, and already had them moving as well. "Say something that'll make your teeth show." He instructed once she had her owl on her arm and was standing in front of an empty brick wall.
"Sirius," she laughed, holding her owl up slightly on her arm by lifting her elbow, completely relaxed. A moment later, they were both crowded around the still developing picture.
"You're so cute," Sirius joke, gushing the last word out in a mock baby voice.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now I want a picture of you and your owl!" she snatched the camera from him.
Seeing as his owl was sleeping happily, Sirius just stood by her cage, making faces at his sister until she snapped a picture.
Again, both crowded around the still developing picture, then both laughed. Instead of making faces, the picture of him was just pacing, looking serious and as though smiling seriously hurt.
"I'm showing this to everybody who's stupid enough to look," Tome laughed, placing it in an inside pocket of her robe.
Her face fell slightly as Sirius put the camera around his neck and tucked his picture of her in a pocket.
"Guess I'd better go soon," she said softly. Sirius checked his watch.
"Err, yeah. It's twelve-thirty now, and you've got to be there at five in the morning. Time difference, see."
"Should I go now, then? What time is it in Japan?"
"I don't know." Both froze.
"I think, just to be safe," Sirius hissed, looking around. "We need to pack, quick. C'mon, over here." Grabbing their cages, both ran towards the nearest store, and got a couple of (expensive) bags. They were the size of regular backpacks, except could hold just as much as a trunk. Used up the rest of their money on them, too. Then they ran at top speed back to their room, throwing Tome's things in her bag (which was a pale shade of pink). Then they raced downstairs, to the fireplace, and paused, calming down.
"Right, so, play nice with the other kids, give the teachers hell for me, and for heavens sake, learn a few curses!"
"Yes, sir," Tome took a deep breath, grabbing a handful of powder. "Well, I guess this is it."
"We'll keep a steady stream o letters, now, won't we?"
"Well, yeah." She paused again, made sure her backpack (which, despite it's ability to hold so much, still weighed a significant amount) was secure, and then flung her handful into the fire, which leapt up and roared green.
"Don't be good."
"I won't." Tome gave him a quick hug, before shouting the address (reading it off of a parchment) and stepping in. she disappeared.
Sirius stayed there until well after the flames had died down to nothing. Then, almost numbly, he made his way back up to his room.
He sat down on his bed, and then looked across the room to the dresser, where his owl sat, still sleeping. There was also another owl there as well, sitting on the open window sill. It stuck out its leg, which had a letter tied to it.
And left once the letter was taken.
Sirius allowed himself a small smile. He'd be going to Hogwarts.