Chapter 102 – Back in the Banzai Bazaar

07:00hrs Saturday 3rd September, Grand Master's Office, Mahoutokoro

"Ah good morning Satomi. Nice to see it wasn't too early for you to be up and about." The Grandmaster said as he appeared in a gulf of green flame and stepped out of the fireplace in his office to find Satomi Kazuko the schools duelling master sat waiting for him facing his desk.

"Good Morning Grandmaster" Master Kuzuko replied standing quickly and giving the Grand Master a deep and respectful bow.

The Grand Master sighed good naturedly and returned the bow smiling before slowly making his way to his desk. "Satomi, how many times am I going to need to tell you that you can call me Takada when not in front of the students?" He asked the younger witch as he took his seat and using a display of wandless magic cast his walking stick way from him and against the wall where it rested gracefully.

"At least once more Grandmaster" Master Kuzuko replied getting another kind smile from the old wizard who shook his head at the joke.

It was a game they had played ever since Satomi had past the trials to come to work at the school. It was a term of respect that she addressed him as such he knew and she had once joked that the day she could beat him in a duel was the day that she would call him by his first name. They both enjoyed their own private little joke though and it happened every time they were alone or with a few other staff in private.

"Very well. Thank you for meeting with me so early and making the arrangements as such, so that the young Lord and Lady will meet you here rather than at the duelling hall." The Grandmaster said as he placed his elbows on the desk.

"That is fine Grandmaster. Lady Granger was quite happy to accommodate the arrangement as by travelling by floo would save them a great deal of time rather than getting the Asian Express to the Bazaar." Master Kuzuko explained before asking, "Can I ask what you wanted to see me regarding Grandmaster?"

"Certainly Satomi, I wanted to discuss a couple of things with you before you left for the Bazaar with Lord Potter and Lady Granger and unfortunately I wasn't able to speak with you last night regarding them. I had a meeting with the Minister and Kim Shota along with Tiki Takahiro." The Grandmaster explained.

"Kim Shota, as in the head of the auror office and Tiki Takahiro… I'm assuming he's a member of Hero Takahiro's family?" Master Kuzuko ventured.

"Correct on both counts. Yes Tiki is the head of the Takahiro family and they have been a member of our cause ever since their family home was attacked by the Jade Dragon. Why would the Jade Dragon want to attach a family of fisher men I assume you are wondering?

Well the answer is that they wanted access to the families fleeting of fishing vessels as well as the family fortune that comes from being the best and largest fishing company both in our world and the NOMA world as well." The Grandmaster said answering Master Kuzuko's question before she'd even had a chance to verbalise it.

"The Takahiro family are a very magically powerful and incredibly wealthy family, which is why the Jade Dragon initially wanted to recruit them. When Takahiro family said no to a man, the Jade Dragon changed them from a possible ally or recruit to a target to attack, plunder and kidnap and on occasion murder." The Grandmaster explained soberly as he held his hand out and his wand suddenly appeared in it is if summoned from somewhere.

He flicked his wrist and the writing mat on his desk rolled itself up and moved to the side of the desk revealing a picture built into the wood of the desk showing a scene of a geisha dancing with a series of long ribbons in her hair. "Hello Aya, please can you open for me" the grandmaster said affectionately to the painting.

"Hello Grandmaster" The geisha said stop dancing and bowing respectfully. "Ofn course I'll open for you" she added standing and giving him a flirty wink.

The picture sunk in and shifted to the side revealing grey stone slab that had a series of ten small brass tumblers on it all of various different sizes. Master Kuzuko watched the Grandmaster do an intricate series of wand movements and then heard the tumblers spinning really quickly and a series tapping noises as the dial stopped in turn with a metallic click as the Grandmaster held his hand up twirling his fingers around his wand that vanished from his hand.

The noise of the spinning tumblers went on for a few moments until the final dial stopped and with a clunking sound the safe popped open and the door opened with a metallic groan like a submarine hatch. The Grandmaster windlessly summoned some parchment and a small palm sized book with a grey leather cover from the safe and they drifted through the air.

Master Kuzuko watched as the delicately folded parchment landed gracefully on top of the book in front of the Grandmaster to the left of the open space in the desk. She tilted her head to the side and thought she saw something embossed on the front in silver but it was gone underneath his hands before she had chance to focus on what it was.

"Is it because of the Takahiro family you wanted to speak with me?" she asked curiously wondering why the Grandmaster was telling her about the Takahiro family.

"No, no, no. Sorry Satomi I started going into teacher mode about one of our allies and the why's and where fore's, of how they came to join us. Now Satomi… As you are aware from your latest meeting of the Grey Lions we are trying to really step up are operations within the capital at the moment. We have got good people spread out throughout the rest of the country but the capital is and has always been harder to observe and react quickly due to the amount of witches and wizards travelling to and through the capital.

We are working around the clock trying to gather intelligence on the Jade Dragon and their movements as I have told you previously that our efforts to get someone close to the organisation and work their way up to the command chain in Tokyo hasn't worked. We have managed to infiltrate the Jade Dragon in some of the other provinces but in Tokyo province is has proved particularly difficult.

The chain of command in Tokyo seems to have changed and we are still desperately trying to find out who is in the upper echelons of the command chain now as it appears that there has been a reshuffle. Taking into account that a lot of their members keep their identities secret, like ourselves it is making it more difficult to track them." The Grandmaster said letting out a sigh of frustration as they kept hitting a brick wall when it came to trying to get above Ensign rank in the Jade Dragon as the higher up the command the harder it got to try and identify or track a target.

"Why is so important to infiltrate the Jade Dragon in Tokyo though? What is it that you are hoping to gain by having someone move up the ranks there?" she asked.

"Well we would like to a look into what their plans are what possible targets and things are so that we can prevent events and incidents before they happen or at least limit their operations as much as possible in order to protect society on the whole.." The Grandmaster started to explain to Master Kuzuko who was sat attentive and upright in her seat.

"As we explained at the last meeting we believe that there is a new commander in the capital as the amount of incidences that are happening is starting to increase and shop owners are being squeezed for protection money. We believe that a new commander is trying to make their mark on the shop keepers around the bazaar and the rest of the city." He added solemnly.

"How do you know it isn't Colonel Lao who is stepping up operations?" Master Kuzuko asked.

"Well partly because Colonel Lao hasn't been sighted around the Bazaar since the beginning of July in the capital and also because the manner of what has happened recently just doesn't have his particular style on it." The Grandmaster explained his voice calm.

"Forgive me for asking Grandmaster but what do you mean by his particular style?" she asked him curious as to what he meant.

"Yu Lao was commander for the Jade Dragon for years in Tokyo province and in that time he has never attacked either a building during the day and so publically. Not to mention that anything he did he tried to not leave any unnecessary destruction in his wake and you've seen the report in The Rising Sun about the attack at the docks.

He operated by stealth and subtly and only engaged his forces in a kidnapping attempt or an assault if he knew he would succeed or had overwhelming numbers.." The Grandmaster saw that Master Kuzuko was nodding along with what he was saying as she had lived in the Tokyo province for many years so would remember that The Jade Dragon had their presence felt in the city they didn't have it plastered all over the press.

"Yes Colonel Lao always sort not to draw any attention onto himself or bring any undo attention to the Jade Dragon's operations. It is how they have managed to operate for all these years. Obviously we at the Grey Lions, along with the auror office and the ministry have tried to disrupt this as much as possible. However until the appointment of the current minister we were all trying to accomplish the same goals but individually.

The ministry and the auror office tried to handle it by showing a sign of presence on the streets of the Bazaar and the rest of the country to try and act as both a deterrent and a source of comfort for the masses. Obviously you'll have followed the news over the years and probably witnesses many an encounter where the aurors and members of the Jade Dragons clashed.

Unfortunately due to the parameters and restraints that the ministry and auror office have to work under as they can't be seen to be anything other than professional are only cleared to engaged when cast at first. The other issue they have is that they are mandated to stun and capture only. As a result they aren't able to use the abilities and talents of the aurors properly as they aren't allowed to use any shall we say.. use powerful incapacitating hexes and curses to disable their opponents." The Grandmaster said pulling a large gold pocket watch from an unseen fold in the middle of his jacket and checked the time.

"I've never understood why the aurors only stun against the Jade Dragon members that they fight. Is that the driving reason then? They have to put their lives in danger because of some sort of political and reputation protecting agenda that some in the ministry and The Council of Elders have?" Master Kuzuko asked the question leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Yes, I'm afraid so Satomi. Thankfully however we have a minister, head auror and chief prosecutor who realise that this is not good enough and are trying to have the laws and regulations changed." The Grandmaster said.

"Can't the minister just change the code of conductor for the aurors to allow them to use any means necessary when engaged?" Master Kuzuko asked.

"Any changes in policy or the regulations and rules at the ministry and any department they oversee must have the Council's approval. This takes a great deal of time and also needs to have an overall majority vote in the council in order to get changed.

The minister is trying to rally political support and backing so that he can get these changes approved and even when approved there will be an enormous amount of back and forth trying to get the law correctly worded and terms defined and so on.

Until a time that it is passed into law, the minister will unofficially and discreetly continue to work with the Grey Lions and The Office of Hunters and Hit Wizards or TOHH in secret." The Grandmaster informed Master Kuzuko.

"I understand Grandmaster. So they are having to join forces behind the scenes with TOHH as the aurors can't be seen to be using excessive force so to speak where as a Hit Wizard or Hunter . I must say I'm glad that you've accepted me into the ranks as I really want to make a difference and try and stop these… animals from persecuting people. I've got some really good stuff I want to unload on them if it comes to a fight." Master Kuzuko said enthusiastically and for a moment the Grandmaster was reminded of her as a young student with her enthusiasm to show off her new spells.

"What is it you want from me Grandmaster… Am I getting given a proper mission?" Master Kuzuko asked quickly sitting forward and failing to keep her excitement and enthusiasm in check.

The Grandmaster smiled at the younger witch seeing her desire to start making an impact as the newest member of the organisation he had reluctantly taken control over. "Yes you do have a mission Satomi and its one of the most important ones we can give you." He replied while taking the parchment and picking it up in one hand and the small book in the other.

He let go of the parchment which opened up and fluttered down to the desk like an autumn leaf falling from a tree and he placed the book to one side. "What is it that I'm to do Grandmaster" Master Kuzuko asked trying to see what was on the parchment as the Grandmaster placed his hands on it covering most of it.

"I am charging you with observing and protecting Harry Potter and Hermione Granger when you are travelling out of these grounds and into the Banzai Bazaar and wherever else you may go with them." The Grandmaster said soberly staring at the younger witch and seeing her shoulders slump a little.

"Is that it? I will be with them and protecting them anyway Grandmaster that isn't really a task that I'm not going to already be performing" she replied feeling deflated and disappointed.

"No, that is not all I require of you Satomi…" He said giving her a firmer look over the top of his glasses as the younger witch looked up. "We believe that Mr Potter and Miss Granger are prime and somewhat vulnerable targets for the Jade Dragon. Can you imagine the impact on the magical world as a whole if they managed to kidnap or injure or at worse assassinate either of them?" The Grandmaster said as Master Kuzuko gasped.

"Do you really think they'd try and kill them?" Master Kuzuko asked appalled at the thought.

"We can't be sure and that is why we want to have one of our most skilled duellists and an unknown to the Jade Dragon with them." the Grandmaster explained.

"But Grandmaster surely the auror office or the ministry should be providing protection if the threat is that real or imminent. I mean they are trained for this sort of thing." Master Kuzuko exclaimed concerned that the Grandmaster considered the threat to them that immediate.

"Yes they are trained for close protection work I have to agree, however I don't think the young Mr Potter and Miss Granger would want to be surrounded by aurors just in case something might happen. Also my apologies Satomi if I've lead you to believe that there is an imminent attack. Nothing in our findings would suggest there is one on the horizon but I believe to air on the side of caution rather than being caught off guard.

I just wanted to merely point out that they would make a tempting target and that was why I want you to be with them as you're one of our best fighters. I just wanted you with them in case trouble does arrive as I would hate for something to happen, not only on a personal level but also as the leader of Mahoutokoro I also have a responsibility to look after them why they are in my care here in Japan.

As much as the pair of them don't want the attention…. They are celebrities here and all over the world. There isn't a person in our world who won't know the name Harry Potter and I'd be surprised if stories being told now and in the future don't bring Hermione Granger's name into the magical world's attention." The Grandmaster informed Master Kuzuko who was nodding as they talked.

"So other than protecting them what else do you want me to do?" she asked the Grandmaster thinking about how she'd never ran protection for anyone as she wasn't an auror and didn't know how to be a body guard.

"I'd like you to get to know them. Try and figure out whether you think they would be interested in joining our cause and our fight against the Jade Dragon." The Grandmaster said. "I only know a certain amount about the pair from what I've been told by Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall have told me a good deal about their personalities and character and Albus was Harry's mentor and Minera was Miss Grangers so they would know..

This however was before the battle of Hogwarts and I'd like you to try and establish if they have the will or desire to fight against tyranny again left in them. I would understand If they didn't as for what they've experienced for ones so young they have done more than enough in the fight against evil than anyone can realistically expect of them… But what a pair of allies it would be to have them both assist us.." The Grandmaster said as he ran his finger along the edge of the parchment.

"So you're basically wanting me to get to know them and what? Are you hoping that they would want to join the Grey Lions or something?" Master Kuzuoko asked not really liking but understanding the idea.

"Simple put…. Yes. I'm hoping given what has happened in their own country they might consider assisting us as well. Although I am curious and would also like to try and see what there plans might be with their time here in Japan." The Grandmaster replied matter of factly.

"What do you mean what their plans are? They're here to completely their NEWT's aren't they?" Master Kuzuko asked.

"Well if they are just here to attend school and get there NEWT's then excellent… I do wonder though, if that was their only intention while here in Japan, then why would they have need for a magical solicitors here?" The Grandmaster asked his eyes locking onto Master Kuzuko's.

She sat there thinking for a moment before asking "Wouldn't this solicitor be able to tell you what they're doing and planning if they get s a job working for them?" seeing the Grandmaster break into a smile.

"That would be more helpful wouldn't it. Unfortunately they will be restrained through a magical contact and confidentiality agreement I would have thought and that is something that there isn't a way of getting around. I would prefer for the young lord and lady to give that information willing to someone they trust." The Grandmaster finished as Master Kuzuko let the thought sink in for a few moments.

"Hmmmm I don't really know whether its any of our business what they are doing though... It feels like I'd trying to trick them in some way to giving me things you want to know about rather than them just be a friend or ally and want to tell us." Master Kuzuko said feeling uneasy at what the Grandmaster was suggesting.

"My dear Satomi. There's nothing sinister in what I'm asking you to do I promise you. I just feel that if we have an idea what there intentions are we can put people in place in order to react quickly if you come under attack and try and plan ahead. Do not worry as I will be having others working in the background to provide support and observe as necessary just in case as its imperative that we keep them safe while in Japan." The Grandmaster said giving Master Kuzuko a little reassurance.

She thought about what the Grandmaster was saying and decided that for now she would agree to go along with things but was wary of the Grandmasters intentions to try and track the young students movements ahead of time. "Well I will try and befriend them Grandmaster but my priority will be protecting them. However I will gather as much information as I can on their movements as possible. How do you know they are seeing a magical solicitors anyway?" she asked the older wizard.

"I was told so by Yuki Yushiro. She has told me that they are visiting Yuki and her sister Amy regarding possibly employing them as their magical solicitors in regards to their affairs while here in Japan. I believe yourself and the Yushiro twins were quite close when you were here at school." The Grandmaster asked kindly as he remembered how Satomi Kuzuko and Amy Yushiro made quite the impression on their former duelling master when students at the school.

The memories of her childhood friends came rushing over Master Kuzuko like a tsunami of emotion as she thought about how herself and Amy had been best friends in Mahoutokoro. She had also been close to Yuki and had stayed in relative contact with Yuki after Amy closed herself off to the world after the death of her duelling mentor.

"Yes… of course I know Amy and Yuki well, but I haven't spoken to them in a long time…. Amy changed after the death of her parents and sort of closed herself off from everyone except for Yuki and her old duelling mentor.." Master Kuzuko explained sadly looking down into her lap as the memories of her time with her friend pushing her away after the death of her parents and mentor came flooding back to her.

"Seeing Yuki at the Yu's tea house the other week was the first time I've seen either of them in years. I just wish I'd had time to talk to her then to see how she was and especially Amy. She stopped replying to my letters a few years ago and said something about not wanting to endanger me by replying. I thought it strange at the time but she never replied to my request to expand on what she meant. I have been thinking and meditating on it as I really miss them both" Master Kuzuko said her eyes welling up.

The Grandmaster seeing Satomi was still hurting from the distance that had imparted itself between herself and her childhood friends nodded to himself. "This is one of the other reasons why I selected you Satomi to accompany Mr Potter and Miss Granger when the request came to me to allow them to leave the school for the weekend." He said kindly as Master Kuzuko raised her eyes towards him and met his and he saw that tears were threatening them.

"I decided that it would be a good opportunity to knock down two Chasers with one Bludger." He said giving her a warm smile his eyes twinkling. "You see I thought it would give you the opportunity to reunite you with your childhood friends in a situation that might not have ever arisen unless you had gone to seek legal council from them yourself.

I know the loss of Sima Mann hit us all hard as he was our leader and the original leader of the Grey Lions. As you know young Amy Yushiro was taken under his wing after the death of her parents and Sima coached and trained her on the duelling circuit, which was a rare thing for him to do. I've never seen him fonder of anyone other than his son Mini and even then it seemed like a different relationship to what he forged with Amy Yushiro.

You know as well as I that in our world, compared to the NOMA world that a wizard's son is his heir and is moulded and shaped into what he wants them to be in order to take over the family. A son is given so many more rights and freedoms than witches in our world are given in the more traditional families. A trend I'm happy to see is changing more and more throughout the magical world slowly but perhaps not quickly enough in countries such as ours, who are so steeped in tradition in certain areas.

Daughters however are always the apples of their father's eye and I believed for the longest time that Sima saw Amy Yushiro as not only his pupil but also as the daughter he never had. He invested a lot of time training, moulding and shaping her into the witch he believed her capable of being. I also believe that for a period of his lift he considered her his prodigy who might one day lead the Grey Lions in their fight against the Jade Dragon instead of his son Mini." The Grandmaster explained with a flourish.

"Yes I knew she took his death hard but I'd always assumed it was because of the memories it had brought back of her own parents murder." Master Kuzuko said looking up at the Grandmaster and wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"Well it will be a good opportunity for you to reconnect with the Yushiro twins. Yuki as you know from Yu's is a member of our ranks and in time we are hoping that Amy will consent to join the fight against the Jade Dragon as she was a supremely talent duellist and would be a real addition." The Grandmaster said as Master Kuzuko nodded distractedly still thinking about her past.

The Grandmaster observed her for a few moments letting the silence stretch on for a little while before breaking the silence as time was of the essence. "So Satomi.. There is something I need to give you and another thing I need to show you." He said reaching for the small grey leather bound book and drawing Master Kuzuko attention to it.

"This Satomi is a tool for you to use. This is a secure method of passing information on without worry of it falling into the wrong hands." The Grandmaster said turning the book around and sliding it across the desk offering it to Master Kuzuko as he sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers as he watched her.

She leant forward and took the small book seeing that the silver writing on the front of it was actually an image of a lion in what looked like an Egyptian hieroglyphic and Master Kuzuko was a little surprised by that. She tried to open the book and found that the outside cover wouldn't move an inch. She looked up at the Grandmaster seeing him trying to contain a smile as she reached for the pages of parchment to try and open the book but no matter how hard she tried pull the pages open they wouldn't allow her fingers to get a grip and were like a solid piece of metal.

Master Kuzuko pursed her lips and with a grimace of concentration she started trying to figure out a way of getting into the book. She tried stroking the spine, rubbing in different places, scratching different parts, tried prising it open at the corner using the desk as leverage and no matter what she tried it wouldn't budge.

She then asked it too and started saying different words and phrase it to try and get it to open and the Grandmasters smile just got bigger the more she tried and grew more frustrated. "Come on you stupid thing just open" she uttered under her breath as The Grandmaster got up and walked round his desk and moved to the far wall behind Master Kuzuko saying as he passed "maybe magic might help" as if to himself as she realised it needed magic and not brute force or a trick to open it.

She took her wand out and say that the Grandmaster was doing something behind her as she took her wand out and said "Imaitayoka" as her wand fired the spell at the book which blasted it back at her like a bullet sending the duelling master flying backwards of her chair. She was blasted across the room and she hit the far wall with a wall shaking thud and she was thankful that it was an interior wall and not a solid stone one. She had just missed a ming vase that the Grandmaster had taken off its stand a moment before.

Master Kuzuko shook her head from the impact and look up just in time to see the book swoop up and levitate itself from the desk before flying towards her and it was smacked across the top of her head twice as if some invisible hand was wielding it before it flew back to the desk and returned to where she had originally placed it.

Rubbing her head she got up off the floor and put her hand on her back rubbing where she'd hit the wall. "You knew that was going to happen." She scolded the Grandmaster who was chuckling to himself quietly as she took tentative steps back to her chair which she bent down to pick up before returning to her seat.

"I did… I encouraged you in fact. Forgive an old man his little amusements Satomi but I knew that you wouldn't be too badly hurt as you're a logical girl and I knew that you'd try a simple unlocking spell first." He said smiling at her kindly with his eyes twinkling with glee made his way back around the desk where he retook his seat. "The book is spelled and enchanted to fire back a spell with the same amount of power that the caster put into their spell…. I must say it appears you put quite a lot of power into your unlocking spell Satomi." The Grandmaster chortled.

"Well I was getting annoyed and was just frustrated and wanted it opening and… How do you open this thing anyway?" Master Kuzuko groused holding the small book up.

"Place your hand on the rune of the lion on the front cover and say the incantation 'Yurta Rai Oneko' and the cover will open for you." The Grandmaster replied and then added "I promise Satomi nothing will happen this time except that the book will open.

A little hesitantly Master Kuzuko held her left palm over the little rune and said "Yurta Rai Oneko" and she moved her hand and the book opened for her like a normal one would.

She leafed through the pages and found that there was nothing written on them and she looked up to the Grandmaster..

"If you pull the cover fully open you'll see a little gap open in the spine of the book and inside is a small feather self inking brush. You can write a message on the parchment and you will see the writing sink in and disappear into the parchment. You can then tear the parchment out and pass it to someone and they will use the same incantation that you used to open the book or you can write the persons name and a message and it will work the same way as your scroll viewer and assignment scroll except its in the one book" The Grandmaster explained.

"Why would I need to pull out a piece of parchment if I can send messages with the page still in the book?" Master Kuzuko queried.

"Well in case you wanted to leave instructions for the next member using the safe house and didn't know who it was going to be for example or in case you needed to leave information for the next person to be stationed somewhere, for two examples." The Grandmaster explained matter of factly.

"I didn't know that we have safe houses." Master Kuzuko said surprised at this piece of information. "Why would need safe houses?" she asked wondering why they would need a safe house.

"Ah for various reasons such as if we need somewhere to lie low or to put someone we are protecting and need to take them out of harms way for example." The Grandmaster explained. "So this is your book now Satomi, so keep it safe and check it regularly as this is a way we will communicate with each other for those outside of the school. We list who is needed and where to attend meetings in our books. The words will appear on the pages and…" he said pausing as a ghostly like giant turtle form of Boshu entered the room through the wall and swept across the room.

"They are approaching the pagoda Grandmaster" the spirit said quietly as it passed through the room before gliding out the opposite wall.

"Thank you Boshu. Could you tell Master Bo that I'll be having to step out for an hour and to keep an eye on things please." The Grandmaster said after the ghost like form had passed he turned to Master Kuzuko Boshu's deep voice replied from nowhere "Of Course Grandmaster", which caused the younger duelling master to smile. She had always known that the Clan guardians must be keeping the Grandmaster informed of goings on at the school and the Clan areas. She had a sneaking suspicion that the suits of armour, paintings and portraits must get information back to him as well as he was always so well informed.

"I'll have speak to you more about how this works when you return from the Bazaar and we have more time as the young lord and lady are on their way." He said to her as Master Kuzuko nodded and put the book into the inside pocket of her cloak.

The Grandmaster mean while stood and start unfolding the piece of parchment he had taken out of the safe and waved for her to come round the desk and join him. She stood and walked around the desk before coming to a stop next to him and saw a plan view of a map that had several dots on it.

"This is a map of the Banzai Bazaar." The Grandmaster said moving to the side of it and sitting on the edge of the desk and his wand appearing in his hand. "The places indicated in red are the safe houses that I mentioned. I wanted to show this to you as there are currently members of the Lions staying in these locations." He said tapping several of the dots that turned blue on the map. Master Kuzuko nodded along not really understanding why he was telling her this as he continued.

"I've been informed that some friends and a relative of Lord Potter's are staying here at The Panama Palace" he said tapping the place on the map that had the hotels name on it. "As you will see I've a couple of people staying in locations on either side of the building and I'm going to give you funds for you to stay there as well in order that there are people close by in case anything happens.

I would ideally like to keep them both here so we know they're safe but I cannot prevent them from doing so or stop them exercising their right to leave the school if they wish given their status and that they are of age and their titles.

So throughout the year I will be asking a member of the Lions here to attend the Bazaar with them when not with the rest of the students and if you are agreeable Satomi I would like the majority of that time to be you." He asked her and looked from the map to her for her reaction.

"I'm sure that will be fine Grandmaster although I do have lesson plans to prepare as well as other duties here as a Master that I need to see to." She replied as he agreed and said that when they had more time they would work things out in more detail. The painting of the samurai inside his office that was a mirror copy of the one at the entrance to his quarters informed the Grandmaster that they were approaching him.

"We'll have to conclude this now I'm afraid Satomi. Quickly study this map and its locations and if you tap the map with your wand and say 'Sunan Sei Kireo' it will tell you the password and put it back in the safe before you leave.

Don't worry the desk will lock itself when you place what you want in there. I will leave you to greet your young charges as I have to go and see to a matter regarding the patrols around the school and Master Ping wants to bend my ear about the vandalism caused to the Phoenix Nest and discuss ways to prevent it further." He said his eyes sparkling as he winked at Master Kuzuko before turning on the spot and disappearing with a loud crack as he apparated.

She quickly looked down at the map noting a couple of the dots and said "********" the book glowed a little and she flicked open her book and jotted the location of the safe houses on the inside cover. She quickly got the passwords and made a note next to the locations. She had just finished writing the last password and was slipping the mini quill in the spine of the book when the picture of the samurai announced that 'The Lord and Lady are approaching Master Kuzuko" he said loudly.

"Thank you Guardian" She replied to the picture as she started hurriedly folding the parchment.

07:30hrs Saturday 3rd September, Harry's trunk, 11th Year Boys Dormitory, Turtle Island, Mahoutokoro

Harry had woken up that morning with his alarm clock spell going off but instead of going off as loud as normal it seemed that his magic was making sure not to scare Hermione as it was quieter and more gentle that morning.

Harry had opened his eyes slowly and as his eye lids fluttered open as he woke he felt Hermione stirring awake as well. In their sleep Harry had gone onto his back and Hermione at some point had turned over, put her left leg over his and snuggled into his side. Somehow his arm had worked its way around her shoulders and he woke to his beautiful friend asleep pressed up against him and snuggled into his side and looking very comfortable thank you.

As the alarm had started increasing in noise Harry had reached for his Holly wand that he was still in the habit of putting on his bed side table and had cancelled the spell. He'd really needed the toilet and had apologised to Hermione who was still trying to snooze and who had sleepily requested five more minutes.

He'd untangled himself reluctantly from her and made his way to the bathroom looking back to see Hermione had stayed in the same position tucked up under the blanket. When he had returned from the bathroom he entered the room to see Hermione more awake sat up in bed and having tied her hair back into a loose ponytail sat up her torso above the quilt as she leant back against the back board.

The pyjama spaghetti strapped top she had on clung to her bust beautifully in Harry's opinion and she smiled at him when he had entered the room and she looked a lot happier than she had the night before. After exchanging 'good mornings' Hermione had said that she was going to go for a bath and to get ready and suggested that they meet at the duelling hall and then make their way together to the Jade Pagoda and meet with the Grandmaster and Master Kuzuko.

Harry had agreed and said that they'd go with Fleur and Narcissa for breakfast rather than eating in the Clan dining halls. Hermione had said that would be best and that she'd go and get ready and asked whether Harry was taking his trunk with him or whether she should bring hers.

Harry hadn't thought to bring his trunk with him but given what had happened the night before he said that he'd bring his and it would save them both having to get a room at a hotel as she'd be able to access her trunk through his. Hermione had then gone off into her own trunk after getting out of bed and pulling on her dressing gown and giving Harry a hug and thanked Harry again for being there for her the night before.

Harry had waved the thanks away and said that she had been there for him more times than he could remember. Hermione had then gone off to her own trunk and started getting ready and Harry had gone about his morning routine feeling a lot better than he had the night before.

He thought in the shower and while giving himself a magical shave that morning about what Lucy had done to him the night before and he found himself thinking about how he should handle it. Part of him wanted to announce to the whole clan what had happened jut to humiliate her and embarrass her like she had him.

He still couldn't believe the absolute cheek and stupidity of the girl that her deception was ok because she wanted to fool around with him. He couldn't believe that she had used Hermione's hair and tricked him like that. That was the thing he was most annoyed about…

That he'd finally thought Hermione had decided to make his dreams come true and get together with him. He should have known something was up because she did so many un-Hermione type things like talking dirty to him, making the first move and well being sexually aggressive towards him he supposed.

In his minds eye he couldn't see Hermione being like that as she always carried herself with a touch of class. He cut himself while shaving with his wand as he wasn't paying attention and managed to score a deep vertical cut running from just next to the middle of his ear all the way down to the bottom of his neck.

It had stung and it was the first opportunity Harry had, had to put some of the magic he had learned already in healing class to use. Master Zuki had taught them all some basic spells in regards to healing cuts and scratches and Harry concentrated on remembering the spell and softly said "Knituga Snagou" as he watched as he glided the tip of his wand along and just above the cut.

It weirded him out a little bit seeing the droplets of his blood getting sucked up and back into the cut in his skin before watching the skin kneed together perfectly until no scar could be seen at all. After finishing getting ready and dressed Harry exited his trunk and entered the boys dormitory to see the rest of the boys asleep in bed except for Hero's bed, which was empty and Harry assumed he'd gone off for his morning swim.

Harry closed his trunk and took his holly wand and shrunk his trunk so that it was the size of just above a match box and put it in his jacket pocket. Being as quiet as possible he inched out of the room into the eleventh year lounge area to see Hero sat upright on the sofa and for the first time looking uncomfortable almost nervous.

"Morning Hero.. You alright?" Harry asked him seeing the Asian boy look up as he closed the door to the dorm.

Hero looked up at hearing Harry enter the room and nodded stiffly before firing his wand into his hand and casting a silencing charm at both the doors. "Morning Harry… Have you got a minute for a quick talk?" Hero asked feeling uncomfortable for the first time with Harry even though he'd done nothing wrong.

"I've got a couple of minutes but I don't want to keep Hermione waiting for me. What's going on?" He asked as he sat on the sofa opposite and saw Hero look to the floor nodding in response as if trying to collect himself.

"Mate what's going on? What's with the spells on the doors?" Harry asked his curiosity peaking.

"I wanted to talk to you in private and didn't want to be overheard." Hero replied as he looked at Harry. "I need to talk to you about what happened last night with Lucy" he said tentatively.

The hairs on the back of Harry's neck stood up instantly and his eyes narrowed as he felt his anger start to bubble gently as he looked at his friend. His face had taken on a hard look that Hero hadn't seen other than before Harry started duelling and he kept his wand in his hand just in case.

"What do you mean what happened with Lucy last night" Harry said trying to sound like he didn't know what he was talking about.

"About what happened with you two last night. I know everything.. She told me." Hero responded his pulse quickening.

"Oh so she's been gloating about what she did already has she." Harry said irritably and a little louder than intended. "Been having a good laugh about what she did has she, hmmm?" he added seeing Hero slowly start shaking his head.

"No Harry, its not like that at all. Look I was asleep last night when I was woken up by shouting, which I now know was you at her. Anyway I got up out of bed thinking something might be going on and just as I was about to go into your trunk Lucy came flying out and knocked us both to the ground. I wrestled with her abit thinking she was an intruder.

I pulled her into the lounge and cast some privacy charms and grilled her about what the hell she was doing there. She didn't really have a choice but to tell me." Hero explained.

"Yeah I bloody did throw her out magically and she's lucky I didn't physically put my hands on her because I could have rung her neck after what she did." Harry responded his voice raising as he fired back.

"Well given what she did, I'm not surprised and I don't blame you feeling that way, as what she did was out of order and I told her so.." Hero said looking his newest friend in the eye.

"Yeah it was out of order. Did she tell you that she snuck into my tablet in 'The Rack Shack' as well? Deactivated the runes on the lock or something she said and then snuck in and… took advantage of me." Harry said forcefully, yet feeling silly acting so outraged as he hadn't really put up much of a fight that night given his intoxicated state and until finding out it had been Lucy hadn't been as angry about that as he should have been.

"I know it was bang out of order mate and I've made her aware of the seriousness of what she's done and she really is sorry, Harry. She made a stupid mistake because she fancies you and she thought that if she did something as stupid as she did that you'd start liking her" Hero said as Harry pulled a highly sceptical face and was just about to respond when Hero got in first.

"I know that's bleeding stupid and doesn't make any sense to me either, but far be it from me to even attempt to work out her line of thinking. Look she made a monumentally stupid mistake Harry and even though you're well within your rights to report her and have the book thrown at her, I'd ask you not to." Hero said soberly.

"Is she mental? How did she think sneaking into my trunk and poly juicing herself as Hermione and then throwing herself as Hermione at me, is going to make me fancy her?" He said finding he was on his feet and pointing to the door arm outstretched as if Lucy was on the other side of the door leading to the stairwell.

Hero held his hands up in surrender as he could see Harry's anger building and he didn't want him getting madder but wanted to try and calm him. "I really don't know mate… All I know is that she didn't think you'd like her enough to just go for it with her and well she suspected you fancy Hermione and that after things had got so far you wouldn't mind if the potion had worn off and found out it was her." Hero said her reasoning still sounding stupid as he presented it.

"That's just fucking stupid. I wouldn't have touched her at all, except she tricked me and worse, she took advantage of my feelings for Hermione to do it… Not to mention impersonating my best friend." Harry said his voice booming out loudly as his anger and magic flared and one of the book cases to the side of Hero had the side of it crack and splinter as Hero waved his wand to repair it.

He knew Harry had every right to be angry and he was starting to regret putting himself into the angry path of the vanquisher of the most even wizard in history, who was also the most magically powerful wizard to attend the school.

"I know its stupid and I'm not defending what she did Harry as it was completely wrong and she had absolutely no right to do it. I just wanted to let you know that she didn't mean anything evil by it or want to hurt you. She's a nice girl but she made a really stupid error in judgement." Hero pleaded on Lucy's behalf.

"Twice! She too advantage of me twice Hero!" Harry shouted back trying to keep his anger in check but confused why Hero was arguing her case for her.

"I know it was twice and I've told her the seriousness of what she's done and the implications of what she has done Harry." Hero fired back trying to keep his cool as having Harry take his anger out on him was what he'd expected and Hero for the good of both Harry and Lucy thought it best he took the initial outburst of Harry's anger at the situation.

"So why are you here speaking for her then? Why isn't she here explaining her own actions?" Harry ranted.

"Because I told her to let me talk with you first before she apologises to yourself and Hermione formally. I know you're mad and you've every right to be. I just wanted to speak with you first to request you to stay your hand and not make this a formal issue with the ministry and the school if you're willing. She made two very serious errors and lapses of judgement and I've told her all about how she could end up with her wand snapped or end up in prison as a result of what she has done." Hero explained as Harry looked at him with his eyebrow slightly raised as Hero said the last.

"Good because the last person I want to see right now is her. It took a hell of a lot of control to not throttle her last night… If Hermione knew what she did…" Harry said trying to calm himself as the thought of Hermione enraged at her body being used and also Harry being tricked..

"Are you going to tell Hermione?" Hero asked tentatively.

Harry stared hard at Hero for a long while as he tried to sort through the thoughts in his head and the implication that it would have if he did. Not just on Lucy but himself as he would have to admit to her that he did what he did with Lucy because he thought it was her, which would be an awkward thing to explain away.

"I don't know" Harry replied honestly. "I should do as Lucy tricked me as Hermione and that is bang out of order especially if she stole a hair from Hermione to do it. What else did she do as Hermione huh?"

"She didn't do anything. She took the potion when she was about to enter our lounge and tip toed past Yoko and Akiko and through out dorm into your trunk." Hero replied from what Lucy had told him.

"Do you know what an awkward position this puts me in… I now have to keep a secret from my best friend to protect some girl who…. who… used me" Harry retorted loudly and harshly.

"I know Harry. Look its completely up to you and you're well within your rights to tell Hermione everything. Like I say I'm not going to stop you doing whatever you decide to do. I'm just asking for you to give Lucy a chance to apologise and not take this as far as you could." Hero said giving his final thought on the matter.

"I don't know what to do Hero.. I'm still pissed off about it. I feel violated… If a guy did that to a girl I'd knock his head off and get him arrested." Harry said seeing Hero gulp and then look down at the floor sadly.

"I know Harry. I would as well and I'm not saying because it's a girl on a guy that its ok or in someway not as bad. I'm just saying she didn't do it with bad intentions.. she was just a silly little girl who thought she could mess around and end up having sex with a celebrity… Completely daft I know but she won't do it again... She knows how serious this is and I'll make sure she's punished for it." Hero tried to reassure Harry hoping that would be the end of it.

"I don't think a couple of detentions is really justice for what she did." Harry replied waspishly and felt a little bad at seeing Hero's shoulders slump.

"Look I'm sorry Hero. I don't mean to take this out on you as you've done nothing and you're just trying to help but… I'm too pissed off with this right now to think straight. I'll speak with you after the weekend about it as I've really got to get going." Harry said checking his watch and seeing that he didn't have long at all and that Hermione would be on her way any minute and he didn't want to keep her waiting.

"Alright that's fair enough. Look I'm not trying to tell you what to do or taking her side over yours or anything like that.. I just don't' want to see this get worse than it already is… Are you coming back here next week?" Hero asked thinking that it might be a good idea to get Lucy to apologise to Harry then.

"I've got to go to the Dragon's next week as I need to spend sometime with them and I'll be back here after the Bazaar weekend next week… well other than quidditch practice" Harry said getting a nod from Hero.

"You're not mad with me are you… I'm really not trying to stick my nose in or anything if its unwanted." Hero said as Harry started shaking his head.

Harry looked at his friend "No mate… I know you're only trying to help… Just do me a favour and keep that girl away from me for the next week otherwise I don't think I'll be able to not lash out at her…"

"Alright Harry no problem. So what are you going into the Bazaar for anyway? Surely you're not just going to meet a firm of magical solicitors and that's it… Thinking of trying to convince Hermione to have a dirty weekend with you?" Hero said grinning at Harry and waggling his eyebrows.

Harry gave him a look that showed he wasn't impressed with the suggestion. "Its far, far too soon to be joking about the subject after last night." He said shaking his head.

"Yeah …. Sorry man.." Hero stated sheepishly as Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head and started making his way to the door leading to the stairs.

"This really isnt the time for banter Hero….maybe I'll see the amusing side of this one day… but not now." Harry said shaking his head in amazement that Hero would even ask.

"I know… That was stupid of me. Just trying to lighten your mood abit. Well have a good weekend mate, give my regards to Hermione and I'll see you in class on Monday alright." Hero said holding his hand out to Harry who looked at it before clasping it and they both leaned forward and patted the other of the back.

"Yeah see you on Monday and have a good weekend yourself." Harry said giving Hero a nod and a wave as he stepped out through the door of the eleventh year lounge and let out a sigh. He liked Hero and admired him for trying to help with the situation but he'd inadvertently made Harry start thinking about what he should do about the situation and whether he should tell Hermione.

So far he'd just been angry about it and hadn't really been able to see anything past anger or what the effects of him bringing the matter to someone else's attention would do or the impact it would have.

He started making his way down the stairs to the common room instead of using the fast rope in the boys dorm due to not wanting to wake the boys in his year up. As he went past the tenth year lounge door he heard sobbing and a female voice asking "Lucy…. Lucy.. What ever is the matter?" And he found himself pausing to stop by the door to listen.

He listened straining his ear near the door when the response of a teary witch "I've been so stupid… I've made such a mess of things and I can't even go and ssss…..ssss… sayyyy sooo soooooo sooooorrrryyy" before words failed her and Lucy started balling again and the girl she was with started to console her.

He found his hand had unconsciously gone to push the door and he stared at it for a moment before pulling it back. 'No don't go in there and try and sort it out. She should feel like crap for what she did to me..' He thought to himself as he continued down the stairs and looking round the common room and seeing that he and Hero were amongst the only ones up and as he made his way through the exit into Turtle Island proper.

Having heard her crying he started thinking about what Hero had said and he was going to need to speak to someone about it. He'd normally speak to Hermione about it but given that it was Hermione's form that she had taken he didn't know how she would react and after her telling him she wasn't in a great place the night before he didn't want to upset her further.

On the flip side he'd never kept anything important from Hermione other than his real feelings and some of his experiences over the summer and since arriving at the school. He didn't like that he was starting to keep little secrets from the person he loved the most in the world but as he was getting older he was starting to realise that some things he would have to keep to himself.

Especially if he might have more than one wife as if one of them told him something that they didn't want the other or others (the thought of having more than one wife still made him queasy) to know about then he would need to learn to not divulge things to the other.

Harry made his way along the wood jetty that made up Turtle Islands walk ways and smiled for the first time that morning when he was passing Master Bo's apartment. He heard the Head of Turtle Clan singing a the rear of his private quarters on what he assumed was a deck or balcony at the rear of the building as it sounded like the Herbology master was outside.

He left the grounds of Turtle Island and stepped out through the bamboo trees that made up its entrance to the ploughed and cleared land around the entrance where his years Herbology assignment was going to be taking place. The land was dug up and ploughed and from the smell in the air some sort of fertilizer had been put down.

He knew that his Clan mates hadn't planted anything yet because they were all going to go to Banzai Bob's the following weekend to start looking at and researching the plants they wanted in their green house before they were going to plant them. As Harry passed the cultivated land he looked down the hill to see Mahoutokoro spread out before him.

The Jade Pagoda shining brightly and intimidatingly in the middle of the grounds. Its fat jade stone walls dazzling and sparkling with the other school buildings surrounding it. The mountain where the Dragons Lair was located behind the quidditch stadium in the distance and the swirling and ever shifting group of clouds to his right with the tip of the Phoenix pagoda sticking out through the top of them.

As he made his way to the duelling hall to meet up with Hermione he found his thoughts drifted to Stacey Wong and the encounters he had had with the pretty Chinese girl. He walked with out any real thoughts swirling in his head as he just thought about what Stacey had told him about Bronwen Eirwen and how he needed to talk to Narcissa about what she'd told him.

As Harry approached the duelling hall he saw Hermione sat on the steps with her knees together and a letter spread out on her thighs reading and her handbag to one side of her. He smiled as she was clearly engrossed with what she was reading and didn't hear him approach and didn't react until he came to a stop in front of her.

Hermione looked up and her face split into a smile as she looked at him "Hi, So… erm.. ready to go?" she asked him folding up the letter quickly and slipping it back into the envelope it had come in. She saw Harry watching her putting it away and said "Just a letter from my mum." She said answering his unanswered question with a little shrug of her shoulders.

"How are your parents doing? Still enjoying living at The Badgers Nook?" Harry asked fondly.

"Oh yes… they seem to have settled into living in a magical house very quickly. Dad apparently is spending quite a bit of time over at Potter Manor with Paul and they are going to Italy soon looking at cars for you apparently." Hermione said giving Harry a mock disapproving look.

"What? Your dad said that he wants to help Paul update my family's car collection. I just thought it would be a fun thing for them to do together while I'm here." Harry said holding his hands up in mock surrender and grinning at her.

"Uh huh… I suppose my dad's eagerness is nothing to do with getting to spend some of your money on some new toys I suppose" Hermione said in mock outrage struggling to contain her smile. She knew what her dad was like around cars and she smiled at the thought of him being so happy at getting to look at drive all the cars he'd always fantasized about driving because of Harry.

"Absolutely not" Harry replied giving her a wink. "I take it Master Kuzuko isn't in the duelling hall today then" he asked nodding over Hermione's shoulder at the closed door of the hall.

"No she's meeting us at the Grandmasters office and we are going by floo to the Bazaar." Hermione replied standing up and putting her bag on her shoulder. "Come on then, lets get going" she said as they turned and started down the path towards the school buildings and the Jade Pagoda talking about what the solicitors Fleur and Narcissa picked might be like. This eventually led them onto talking about their own magical solicitors in England and Hermione told his that Joel Everard was her solicitor now and said that she'd met Hailey Sloop and thought she seemed really nice.

She's started trying to probe Harry about what this big project he'd started back in England was. Harry resisted her questions and could see Hermione was getting frustrated about not knowing what he was up to. Harry had deflected her questions by asking her how her project with Master Lin was going. It worked perfectly as Hermione started telling him all about the Artimancical theory she was working on but said that she couldn't divulge the true nature or hoped outcome of the assignment to anyone not directly involved in the project.

He smiled to himself as they walked along Hermione telling him something far too complicated for him to understand and he allowed himself to relax a little and start forgetting about the previous evenings. He allowed himself to settle into that familiar pattern with Hermione and it made him feel all warm inside listening to her talking about something so passionately. He decided right then that he needed to ensure that his time with Hermione didn't slip away with her becoming too involved in something and him not get to spend the time with her.

Before they knew it they had arrived at the Jade Pogoda and they made their way up the stairs quickly and Hermione gave the password to the samurai portrait guardian who swung out with a click admitting them entrance into the Grandmasters office. As they made their way up the stairs to his room they found the door already opening for them as they approached it and Master Kuzuko leaning over the desk looking at some papers on the desk.

She looked up as Harry and Hermione entered the room and quickly shuffled the parchment back into its folded state and put the parchment into a panel in the middle of the desk. Harry noticed a metal door swing shut and then a panel of wood that had sunk into the desk come across and up level with the rest of the desk as the wood join seemed to disappear before him eyes as Master Kuzuko slid across a writing mat over the desk.. ((((Check the folder and parchment in both sections to tie it in together.))))

"Good Morning" She said a little too brightly although Harry noticed she looked a little flustered and red faced as she bowed to them and they returned the bows in turn.

He and Hermione exchanged a look as he knew like himself that Hermione would be thinking along the same lines as himself. That it was a little bit suspicious that Master Kuzuko would be alone in the Grandmasters office looking through some sort of document that is kept in a hidden compartment of his desk.

"Morning. Anything interesting?" Harry asked the duelling master as he pointed to where the desk was and saw Master Kuzuko's face drain a little of the colour.

"Oh erm that.. Yes I was just studying something quickly that I've not really had a lot of chance to look at." Master Kuzuko replied feeling her stomach start to churn under Harry's penetrating gaze as she tried to pull up her occlumancy shields and even to her own ears her answer sounded incriminating.

"Something important you needed to study?" Harry asked her cocking his head slightly to the side as he assessed the older witches reaction and body language to his question and thought she looked flustered at being caught.

"Good Morning Master Kuzuko. Is the Grandmaster not here?" Hermione asked over Harry who was just starting to open his mouth to ask her something else about what she had been doing.

"Ah no sadly not. I was errrr…. Just looking at something he'd asked me to look at. He's had to go and speak with Master Ping about some vandalism that occurred the in Phoenix Nest recently and some magic that was used on the Clan's uniforms as she's still struggling to get the colours to return to normal." Master Kuzuko said feeling a little flustered as she saw both of them eying her suspiciously.

She could understand as it must have looked a little strange her looking at something kept in a secret compartment in the Grandmasters desk without him there. She could see the reason for her being there wasn't really appeasing the two English teenagers and smiled at them both. "I can appreciate that my being here without the Grandmaster present may look at little suspicious and the situation looks questionable but I assure you that I'm telling you the truth..." she said seeing the two teens share a look that confirmed that she was right in what they were assuming.

"When we return from the Bazaar we will or both of you can speak with Grandmaster alone without me present and he will confirm what I've said to be true." Master Kuzuko said.

"I'm sorry Master Kuzuko. It's fine and I'm sure nothing that we need to be concerned about anyway. I apologise if we made you feel like you have to justify yourself that wasn't our intention" Harry said first placing his hand gently on Hermione's wrist and applying a gentle pressure before Hermione could get in as he could see she had a question waiting on the tip of her tongue.

Harry had every intention of asking the Grandmaster to collaborate Master Kuzuko's story as he found the situation and circumstances highly irregular as he'd never seen any teacher in Dumbledores office alone without him present and certainly not looking through anything that appeared to be private.

"No apologises necessary Lord Potter." Master Kuzuko replied giving him a respectful nod apparently satisfied with Harry's response as he saw her visibly relax. Harry liked the duelling master. He found her to be quite a friendly person as well as a talented witch and instructor and he was looking forward to trying to learn to dual cast with his wands with her. Now though he was wondering about whether it was such a good idea.

Harry was becoming quite attached to his new wand and found that he was getting more consistent and accurate results with it. He was practicing of an evening doing all the magic he'd managed to perform with his Holly wand with it with the exception of casting sectumsempra and any other illegal hex.

He found that the spells were of a more powerful and more defined that his other wand and for the first time since re-entering the magical world, he was able to see that in the magical world, how much a reputation influenced things. Olivander was the wand authority in Britain and as a result no one really talked about other wand makers. He was really starting to question whether the old English wizard was in fact the best having met Kendo Nagasaki and seeing the results of his work.

"So I was thinking that we need to just have a quick discussion about what will happen in the Bazaar and what you have planned this weekend." Master Kuzuko said to the two of them. "Have a seat" she said with a gesture of her hand and Harry and Hermione turned at a noise to see two of the chairs in front of the Grandmasters desk slide back to allow them to sit down without having to move them again.

Both Harry and Hermione wondered whether the chairs had moved because they were enchanted or whether they'd just seen Master Kuzuko do some wandless magic. They both took their seats as the older witch moved around the other side of the table and perched herself on the edge of the desk facing the two of them.

"So I understand from what you've told me Lady Granger…" Master Kuzuko started to say before Hermione asked her to call her Hermione or Miss Granger and Harry pointed out the same.

"Of Course and please feel free to call me Satomi... Master Kuzuko is only really needed while in school." She replied giving them both a warm smile and receiving nods from them both. "I wanted to discuss with you what your plans for this weekend were given as the Grandmaster is allowing you to leave the school so long as you take an escort with you from the staff." She started saying before Harry spoke up.

"Erm Satomi." He said speaking up and finding saying the duelling Masters name a strange sensation in his mouth.

"Yes Harry?" Master Kuzuko replied finding the use of Harry's first name equally as strange.

"Why is it that when we are going to the Bazaar with the rest of the students we don't require an escort but now we are going by ourselves we suddenly need an escort?" Harry asked and caught a movement in the corner of his eye and gave a quick look to see Hermione settle back in her and he caught a slight smile before she schooled her features and settled back her hands in her lap apparently happy for Harry to pursue this line of questioning.

Master Kuzuko felt herself reeling a little as Harry turned his gaze back to her as it was a very good question and she took a moment as she organised her thoughts before replying "It's purely a safety precaution for yourself and Hermione going to the Bazaar without the rest of the students. Even though you might not notice it but when you and the rest of the students go to the Bazaar a lot of the Masters and Sensei's go as well.

We make it a point to make sure that our students are safe as there are a lot of unsavoury characters in Japan as well as a criminal gang which you most likely haven't read about called The Jade Dragon." Master Kuzuko started to explain before Harry spoke.

"I've been told a little about the Jade Dragon by a couple of my friends here in Japan but surely they are just as much of a threat when the students are around as when they aren't." Harry pointed out.

"Well we've always worked on a safety in numbers idea and throughout their earlier years at Mahoutokoro we teach our students how to recognise warning signs, changes in atmosphere of a place and potential dangers. This is something that I personally teach my younger students before teaching them how to defend themselves as presence of ones environment is something important in combat after all." Master Kuzuko explained.

"Well Harry and I are no strangers to operating in dangerous environments but it's ok Maste… Satomi. Where happy to be escorted but we may need you to swear that you won't reveal anything you might see, hear or learn while with us that you'll keep confidential… Some of the things that you will hear about may be private." Hermione said thinking about whether Master Kuzuko might overhear her talking about Harry to Fleur, Penelope or Narcissa. She didn't really want Master Kuzuko knowing about her romantic business or knowing too much about hers or Harry's business dealings either.

"Yes the Grandmaster said something about you going to see some magical solicitors regarding somethings you are looking to do in Japan. I can assure that anything I may see or hear while with you both I won't divulge to anyone else so long as its nothing illegal" Master Kuzuko said not liking the thought of having to swear to anything.

"Are you planning on doing anything illegal while in the Bazaar as I don't really think that Blind Turn or Love Lane are appropriate places for you to be visiting." Master Kuzuko said thinking about the hidden alley's in the Bazaar that were more adult in nature.

"No, not at all. I think Hermione just meant that you'll potentially be privy to information and other things that we might not want people to know about it." Harry replied getting a thoughtful nod in return from Master Kuzuko.

"I understand completely and I promise I won't divulge anything you do not wish me to and will make myself unable to listen to anything you do not wish to share with me." She replied hoping that would be enough.

Harry sat and studied Master Kuzuko weighing up the sincerity of what she was saying and thought that she sounded genuine but he would speak with Hermione alone about how much to divulge about anything in front of the duelling Master at the first opportunity "Can I ask you another question Satomi?" Harry asked getting a nod from Master Kuzuko

"Of course" she replied

"Are you willing to help me drag Hermione out of places as I don't think I want to spend the whole weekend in the Bazaars book stores." Harry said cheekily and grinning as Hermione swatted his arm playfully.

"You were just as big a book worm as me these days Harry." Hermione replied playfully

"I wouldn't say anyone ever could have been as big a bookworm as you." Harry said under his breath getting a smile from Master Kuzuko watching the two teens clearly so familiar with each other.

"Don't push me Potter." Hermione said warningly trying to keep her face serious.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He grinned back at her.

"I'm sure that won't be a problem Harry. So other than seeing the magical solicitors what else do you think you would like to do with your weekend?" Master Kuzuko asked the two teens who looked at each other.

"Well we don't really know. We're meeting Narcissa and Fleur and were thinking of grabbing some breakfast with them and then us all go to the Solicitors to meet them and then….. Well we don't really know probably go round the shops, maybe have some fun… We just thought we'd kind of go with the flow a little. We don't really have a plan set out.

Although I might go to look for some plants for our Herbology and Healing classes and I need to go and get some more writing materials as I'm running low. I might possibly go to a book shop as Mio was telling me about in Water Square. Apparently it's this great little shop that has all these rare scrolls and books from a multitude of different countries and it sounds wonderful…. Oooh and I've got to look for something for a project I'm working on for Master Liu." Hermione said looking to Harry who was smiling at her.

"So just winging it then" Harry said rolling his eyes as Hermione reeled off the places she wanted to go to that weekend and shared a look with Master Kuzuko who seemed to have a read already and his and Hermione's banter.

"I'm sure all of that will be fine." She said standing. "Well, if we have a breakfast appointment then I suppose we best think about getting moving. Do you know where you are meeting them?" Master Kuzuko asked as she started to stand.

"We're meeting them at Yu's Tea House." Harry said remembering his last letter from Narcissa.

"Oh goody. I've not had breakfast there for such a long time. They make the best omelettes there and really nice tea." Master Kuzuko said excitedly forgetting herself for a moment before schooling her features to the composed face she normally presented in class.

Harry and Hermione smiled and shared a look as they saw a flash of the real Satomi Kuzuko rather than Master Kuzuko for the first time and they both visibly relaxed a little bit. "Well shall we get going?" Harry asked just as his stomach made an audible rumble.

"Harry!" Hermione said giggling at the loud noise of his stomach before hers made a quieter though audible rumble as well causing her cheeks to colour a little.

"Looks like you're both hungry. Right ok then we will be going to the floo behind the Food Dun It Express. So the name of that floo is 'Foody Shoot'." Master Kuzuko said as the two teens laughed. "I know its a stupid name isn't it but no one knows how to change it now and its been like that for years. Now I'll go first and you two can follow me but make sure you clear the fire place quickly as there will be a lot of people coming after you from other places ok" she said getting nods from the two teens.

"Sure that's fine Master Kuzuko" Hermione replied as she and Harry stood along with Master Kuzuko who fired her wand into her hand and pointed it at the apparently blank wall on their left where the Grandmaster had made the window appear the last time they were in his office.

Master Kuzuko waved her wand and the air seemed to shimmer and out of nowhere a fireplace stood in the room. There was no chimney breast attached to it and it wasn't even built into the wall. It was just the frame of the fire place standing about five foot with a small step into it and on top of the fire place was a gaudy porcelain cat.

Master Kuzuko approached the cat and picked it up having returned her wand to its holster and turned holding the cat towards Harry and Hermione and twisted the head. The porcelain made a loud and angry 'meow' as she lifted the lid and offered the floo powder to them both and they both took a pinch. She took some herself and put the lid back on the pot earning a purr from the porcelain as she put it back on top of the fireplace surround and ducking slightly climbed into the fireplace.

Turning and facing them she shouted "Foody Shoot" and throw the powder down and was engulfed in the familiar green flames as she was whisked away.

"Do you think we need to be careful what we say in front of her?" Hermione said turning to Harry quickly her hand on his arm and causing his pulse to speed up.

"Clearly you're thinking along the same lines of thought as I am. I don't think her reason for having to come with us makes any sense" Harry said to Hermione seeing on her face that she agreed.

"No it doesn't make any sense as we'd be more in danger when we went with the rest of the students surely." Hermione said thinking Master Kuzuko's point was a bit weak at best..

"How about when we get to the Yu's we'll go and meet near the bathroom or something and talk about this when its not so time sensitive." Harry said not wanting to delay their arrival too much and make Master Kuzuko suspicious.

"Harry I'm not the kind of girl that goes sneaking off to the bathroom with a man in a public place" Hermione teased him but found that between her legs started throbbing at the thought of sneaking to the bathroom with Harry and a naughty little vision flashed through her mind.

Harry completely taken a back by the comment found he was a little stuck for words as Hermione's eyes sparkled at him. "Well you never know until you try… you might like it." Harry replied lamely and wanted to facepalm himself for the comment as she'd think he was rude and crude for saying it. He didn't know why he'd even allowed himself to say it.

He was therefore surprised when Hermione bite her lip and tapped the side of her thigh with the ball of her hand and went slightly pink on her cheeks. The silence stretched out as they looked at each other both looking at the other wrapped in their own little day dream.

"Perhaps we should get some help to make that happen." Harry said quietly feeling like the skin on his back was bubbling as chills went through him.

"Good idea. I'll have a quick word with Fleur when we meet them and ask her to run interference to let us slip away?" Hermione said feeling the tension building up and finding the suggestive undertone she'd set to their conversation was really turning her on and that she was starting to flood with arousal.

"Sounds like a plan" Harry replied as the tone of the conversation felt so taboo and sexy to be having with Hermione he was really quite surprised by her saying what she said and the suggestive nature of their conversation for something so innocent.

It was a new experience for the both of them to be flirting with each other but they both found that they actually liked this new element of their relationship and they hadn't been alone together long enough for their flirting to continue with each other.

As Hermione stared into those eyes she knew so well she found herself starting to get a little breathless with their intensity. Without thought she said "I guess we better go and we'll make it work as If it's a case us having someone holding our hands the whole weekend it's going to be a pain" Hermione said quickly.

Harry smiled at her and took a step towards her and reached down for the hand that was still tapping her leg and took it in his. He heard and saw Hermione breath in deeply. "I don't know" Harry said looking her in the eyes and taking her hand in his running his thumb of the back of it. "I guess we better hold each others then…. Just in case" he said winking at her as he stepped into the fireplace and pulled Hermione in next to him as he held his other hand out and Hermione sensing what he wanted sprinkled her floo powder into it.

"Ready" He said to her as Hermione's stomach did a little somersault as she like the feeling of her hand in Harry's and she gave him a nod as he said "Foody Shoot" before dropping the powder and that familiar feeling of spinning took them both and he felt Hermione's hand grip his little tighter.

Before he knew it they came to a stop and Harry's feet slammed hard onto a concrete floor and he bent his knees a little as the flames cleared and they saw Master Kuzuko stood in front of them. They saw her eyes go down to their hands and a smile spread across her face which she hide quickly by pretending to scratch her lip..

Harry looked around as he emerged from the fire place into a space surrounded by four brick walls and there were gaps wide enough to fit two people through in the three of the corners leading out into the shopping streets. He saw on the walls lots of faded posters for various different magical products that were so old the pictures on them were no longer moving as the magic on them had stopped years ago.

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming." She said good naturedly as Hermione started to ease the pressure on her hand a little to loosen the grip on Harry's and preparing for him to let go. Only Harry wasn't letting go. Smiling to herself as she allowed her hand to tighten again on Harry's.

"Sorry we were just discussing whether to go check into the hotel first before meeting Fleur and Narcissa to drop off my trunk off before breakfast but its small enough to not cause a problem. Shall we get going then?" Harry asked Master Kuzuko as she nodded and held her hand out to one of the three openings indicating the way to go.

"Well we are passing between The Rack Shack and The Panama Palace on our way to Yu's Tea House so if you want to check in quickly then you can. I believe the National Team are playing a game at the Eiko Arena this weekend so probably best to do that first as the rooms will be in demand." Master Kuzuko said as at that moment they heard the fireplace Harry and Hermione had come through flare up.

They turned as they stepped out the way and just in time as out stepped a man wearing what Harry assumed was the Japanese national quidditch shirt as it was a white top that had a red sun (that Harry recognised as the national symbol on Japans flag) coming up slowly from the hem up to the middle of his chest and then firing off thick red lines to the edges of the shirt. It resembled the imperial flag of Japan that he recognised from a history book of Dudley's he'd read one blissful day in his fourth year summer when the Dursley's had left him in the house on his own before he'd gone to the Weasley's.

The man seeing them all stood there looking at them bowed to them respectfully as he stepped out the fireplace as it flamed again and a little girl who must have been no older than three along with a lady of similar age to the man holding the little girls hand appeared and the lady also bowed which they returned and the little girl smiled shyly at them.

The man asked the lady quickly 'where his son was' and the lady rolled her eyes and said "He insisted on showing he can do it on his own. You know how he gets." as the flames ignited again and like a bullet out a gun a boy of around five came sliding out of the fireplace covered in soot and spluttering his top that was similar to his fathers covered in grey soot.

The man smiled fondly at his son and chuckled to himself as Harry stepped forward to help the boy up and the boy took his outstretched hand as Harry fired his wand into his hand and ran it over the boy and the soot disappeared. The boy thanked Harry and then went and stood by his family who thanked Harry and then they turned and went in between the buildings with the little boy insisting that he didn't need to hold his fathers hand as he was five now.

"Let's get going then" Harry said turning back to Hermione and Master Kuzuko and as they set off he felt Hermione slip her arm through his and he turned to give her a smile, which she returned and Hermione noticed he turned and looked back looking for the young family with a sad smile on his face before he engaged Master Kuzuko in conversation about how often the National team play and whether they always play their games in the Bazaar. Hermione couldn't help feeling her heart melt at the little look as she now know exactly why Harry was always so kind to young kids and their parents… He was thinking about family…

Master Kuzuko explained that they play about six times a year but this year was a little different as the world cup was on and national teams want more practice and real game time together so they are ready for the tournament.

Before long they arrived at The Panama Palace having made their way through the busy streets and street sellers trying to sell quidditch merchandise and people moving around stopping people and asking if they would be willing to sell a spare ticket. As they went through the doors to the hotel and into the court yard they saw that all the outdoor tables were occupied with people wearing Japanese quidditch shirts and the odd smattering of what Master Kuzuko told them were Iceland quidditch shirts who were the opponents for todays match.

"The reception is over there." Hermione said pointing to the far side of the court yard and they started making their way through the throng of people until, inevitably, they were recognised and then a few of the more confident people in the crowd approached them asking for photos and autographs from. Master Kuzuko had had to step in after ten minutes.

She politely asked the crowd to disperse as they were busy and Harry and Hermione politely extracted themselves from the situation. They made their way to the reception desk and Harry asked whether there was any rooms available. The harassed looking wizard behind the counter said that they were all booked up and that everywhere in the Bazaar would most likely be booked up as it's the day of the game.

"What are we going to do Harry?" Hermione asked him as she readjusted her bag on her shoulder.

"I guess we'll just have to stop in Narcissa's and Penelope's room then and use our trunks like Fleur is doing" Harry said with a shrug.

"Are you friends of Miss Delacour's?" the wizard behind them asked with a dreamy almost wistful expression on his face and looked like he'd been smacked with Fleur's allure.

"Yes. I'm Harry and this Hermione. We've known her a long time" Harry said introducing himself to the man.

"Harry…. Harry.. Harry?" the man replied almost to himself as a thought struck him as he said Harry's name a few more time as if in thought. "Ah Harry" he called out looking down frantically pulling drawers open until he found what he was looking for and what it looked like was a letter.

"This is for you… Harry…. Potter" The wizard said his nose almost pressed to the envelope before his eyes went wide in surprise and he looked up and looked at Harry before grabbing the copy of The Rising Sun and looking at the front cover and then back at Harry.

"Thanks" Harry said stepping forward and taking the envelope out of the mans now shaking hand as he looked like he might wee himself with excitement. Hermione had reluctantly removed her arm from Harry's as he had stepped forward but settled back into his side automatically as he opened the envelope and pulled out a small piece of parchment written in what he assumed was Fleur's loopy handwriting that like the rest of her was very pretty.

Ello Arry,

I hope that this finds you with Hermione and you are both well. We found out that there is an international quidditch game on this weekend and we were only able to book one room more.

Hermione told me that you had to bring one of the teachers from this school you were at with you so we thought that Hermione could share a room with Penelope and you with Narcissa. If you have brought your trunks with you then everything should be perfect.

Just tell Han behind the desk that he should have a room booked under Pottikins (Narcissa's idea) and that is the room your teacher can stay in.

We will be waiting at Yu's Tea Rooms so hurry as I want to see you both as we have a busy day.

Love

Fleur

xXx

"Pottikins…. Now that has potential" Hermione teased next to him and giggled as Harry's head snapped round to look at her.

"Don't you dare" He said with fake irritation and anger causing Hermione to laugh.

"I think Narcissa is going to turn out to be quite the fun ally for teasing you" Hermione said bumping her hip to Harry's playfully.

"Hmmmm well you two start ganging up on me then I'll need to get my own back up." Harry replied giving her a quick look before turning back to the wizard who was still looking between the paper and Harry as if checking that he wasn't mistaken.

"Ermmm you've a reservation under Pottikins?" Harry asked pulling a face of disgust at the nickname. The wizard who became quite animated again as he quickly checked the book on his desk and found the reservation and turned around and snatched a key from inside the drawer and turned back so fast he looked like a spinning top as he did a full five hundred and forty degrees before coming to a stop again facing Harry and the wizard blushed furiously having just embarrassed himself.

"Here you are Lord Potter-Black-Pev…" the wizard started to say as Harry thanked him loudly to stop the wizard going through his titles.

"Thank you. Is this on the third floor?" Harry asked looking at the key, which had a thirty three on it.

"Yes Sir, Third floor at the end of the corridor. Just turn left out of the lift or right if you go up the stairs. I'll have someone bring up your luggage" The wizard replied helpfully and was just about to pick up a little bell when Harry said it was quite alright and that he'd take his own luggage. He thanked the wizard for his help and the wizard asked if he could get a photo with Harry sometime later that day and Harry said he'd take one with him when he came back down if the wizard had a camera.

It was at this point that Hermione piped up saying she had a camera and Harry watched her start rummaging in her hand bag before pulling out what looked like an old style muggle polaroid camera. The wizard ran round the reception desk and stood rigidly next to Harry looking a little awkward but smiling widely.

Hermione told them to put an arm round each other and big smiles as she took a photo and a short time moment a small picture came out the front of the camera but was just like a magical black and white photo. She handed it to the wizard who couldn't thank her enough and shook Hermione and Harry's hands so enthusiastically Master Kuzuko let out a laugh and reminded them of the time.

As the wizard moved back round the desk they made their way to the lift and Harry held the key out for Master Kuzuko. "How much do I owe you for the room?" she asked reaching into her sleeve and her hand emerging with a coin purse made of red leather from the confines of her sleeve.

"Ah don't worry about it Satomi I'll pay for the room its fine." Harry replied.

"No I couldn't possibly let you pay for my room. It's fine I can afford it as being at Mahoutokoro most of the year I don't really get to spend my wages on things very much." She replied honestly as most day to day expenses were covered by the school such as her meals and accommodation.

During the summer month Master Kuzuko normally went and stayed with her parents, grandparents and some other relatives as she did a sort of mini tour of the country in order to spend time with her family. She tried to see some of her friends from school but they weren't always available and so Mahoutokoro was technically her home.

"It's fine really. You've done us the favour by coming with us otherwise the Grandmaster might not have been happy letting us leave the school. So really it's fine." Harry said waving away the offer but appreciating her wanting to pay her own way and pushed the key towards her..

"Well thank you Harry that's very good of you and I'm happy to come with you to the Bazaar whenever you both need. It gives me a change of scene and allows me some time away from the school… I insist that I buy breakfast though." Master Kuzuko said determined.

"Ok fair enough. Although there will be a few more of us so don't pay for everyone" Harry said as Hermione piped up.

"Yes we are meeting a member of our finance team and Harry's emmm … well a member of Harry's family" Hermione said not knowing what to classify Narcissa as to Harry as she was technically related to Harry through the Black and Potter family trees but with him being the head of house she wasn't sure how much that would change the actual status.

"That's not a problem though. Well I'll just go and drop my things off at the room and then I'll head straight back down and meet you here." Master Kuzuko said taking the key from Harry.

She went upstairs and put her things in her room before coming back down and they made their way through the hotel courtyard again and out onto the street which was already quite busy. They made their way along the cobbled street and moved together through the crowd easily before arriving outside the giant tea pot that was Yu's Tea House and made their way inside.

The place was absolutely heaving but Harry, Hermione and Master Kuzuko took in deep lungfuls of breath as the smell of pastries, ramen, bacon and other breakfast smells assaulted their nostrils. "It smells delicious in here" Hermione said to herself.

As they were stood their looking for a table Mable Yu passed them levitating a series of teapots with her wand looking a little harassed but happy. "Excuse me..Mable" Hermione said trying to remember the lady's name as she recognised her from her last visit and the time she spent with the Tigers. "I'm very to bother you as I can see you're really busy but I think our friends might here… somewhere but we can't see them and I wonder whether you might have seen them." Hermione said politely as witch stopped next to them.

"Ah Lady Granger… oooh sorry… should I be using all your titles?" Mable asked Hermione after skidding to a stop.

"Oh erm…. no Lady Granger is fine Mrs Yu.." Hermione replied quietly and blushing at being recognised and not wanting to get into the whole name calling thing in front of so many people..

Mable smiled at being addressed by her name and formally by the young witch who she had heard from her daughter that they didn't really use their titles but was glad to see that they were beginning to accept their social status a little more. "Fleur and Narcissa are upstairs waiting for you already My Lady. I've put them in the top tea room I'm afraid so you've got quite a few stairs to deal with. If you write down your order and message spell me the parchment I'll bring your food and drink up as quick as I can. Go right on up" Mable replied nodding to the stairs and then disappeared through a door leading into the kitchen before shouting out some instructions to the workers in there as the rest of the teapots followed her into the kitchen and the door swung closed.

"Shall we head up then?" Harry asked Hermione and Master Kuzuko who both nodded wanting to get upstairs and their orders in so that they could eat. They started up the stairs and Master Kuzuko activated the staircase moving spell and they all stepped onto the steps and started making their way up.

"How come you introduced yourself as Lady Granger then?" Harry asked her quietly as they ascended the stairs.

"It's something Mio was saying to me the other day that when in public and being addressed by someone we aren't really on first name basis with that we should use our titles if addressed as such.. That its proper here.. and well.. We're going to have to get used to it eventually right" Hermione explained giving him a small shrug of her shoulders.

"I suppose you're right… my Lady" Harry said giving her a wink and causing her to roll her eyes and give him a playful little dig in the ribs with her elbow. "Don't start that or I'll start calling you Lord Pottikins" he fired back getting a groan of protest from Harry.

"Please don't…" Harry said.

"What's it worth to you to not do it?" Hermione teased her tone a little flirty.

"What would you want to seal the deal?" Harry teased back looking at her.

"I'll have a think" Hermione sad her teeth biting her lower lip a little as the point of her shoe tapped the floor gently as she looked into Harry's eyes.

"I think we've about four more sets of stairs to go" Master Kuzuko said over their shoulder as they reached the top stair of that section as she cast the spell on the next set and started up the next ones. It wasn't long before they were up to the very top room of the tea spout of the building in no time as a result.

They approached the door and Harry stepped forward and grasped the handle of the door and slowly pushed it open. He couldn't stop his face lighting up in a smile as he saw Narcissa sat looking out of the window in a royal blue very oriental style dress with yellow flowers on it. It was surprising to see her dressed in such vivid colours as normally when he had seen her black, dark greens and purples.

She looked very smart with her hair up in a bun on the back of her head with two tendrils of straight jet black hair framing the pale skin of her face. Her make up was tastefully done and a plum colour lipstick and her charcoal eye shadow really made her dark eyes pop. As she turned at the sound of the door and saw Harry and her face broke into a smile and she started standing. Harry could see that the dress she was wearing was complimenting her curvy figure and that seemed to blow petals across the from the flowers when she moved.

Harry had to chastise himself a moment as a bundle of impure thoughts about the newest member of his family rushed through his brain like an erotic collection of snap shots. He smiled back and looked at the other occupant of the room who also stood and Harry saw that Fleur was wearing a similar dark grey dress but with a slightly different and more daring cut with silver stars on it. Like Narcissa's dress it also showed off Fleur's amazing and curvy body except there the front of Narcissa dress was closed Fleurs was an open style that showed a hint of cleavage..

He saw Fleur's lips break into a smile that felt like sunlight was warming the room as she flicked her silvery blonde hair to side and then ran her fingers through it straightening it into a ponytail which she put over her left shoulder.

"Hello you two" Harry said smiling warmly as Hermione stepped into the room behind him followed by Master Kuzuko who closed the door behind them quietly. Fleur stepped forward giving a delighted squeal and apparently unable to contain her excitement in seeing her friends as she dashed round the table and enveloped first Hermione in a fierce hug and then to Harry's surprise she turned her eyes almost sparkling as she gave Harry a hug as well.

Harry felt Fleur's breasts press against him as her arms wrapped around his neck and his around her waist and lower back. He felt his head started to go a little fuzzy and cloudy as his magic seemed to pulse inside him at the contact with the pretty French witch and he wonder whether she, in her happiness to see them had doused them both with a blast of her allure..

As Fleur step back Narcissa who had been giving Hermione a polite hug hello then took her position in front of Harry and looked at him with a happy but apprehensive smile on her face. "Can I get one of those as well?" she asked feeling a little unsure but following advice that Fleur had given her to try and act as a close family member would with Harry and that he was more open to physical contact than when he was younger.

"Of course" Harry said feeling a little awkward himself but wanting to treat Naricssa how he thought a family member should as he opened his arms and Narcissa slender frame almost shot forward and stepped into Harry's arms. Her hands slid up Harry's back and to her surprise felt him relax slightly in her embrace as she gently stroked the back of his head near his neck before leaning back.

"You look lovely." Harry said as he felt her and himself relax in their embrace before Narcissa stepped back. She looked so different from the times he had seen her with Lucius Malfoy. The first thing he noticed when he looked at her was black hair missing the white blonde streaks that were normally evident there.

The next thing he noticed as they leaned back looking at the others face was that Narcissa rather than having the alabaster coloured skin she normally had actually was getting a little tan on her face. Her eyes seemed a lot warmer and Harry was happy to see that being free of the Malfoy yolk at least for now seemed to be good for her.

The last thing he noticed was the beautiful smile plastered on her face between two plump and little pink lips. "You look happy" Harry said to her quietly so that only Narcissa could hear.

"I am happy" she beamed back at him her darks eyes sparkling. "Thank you for letting me start to live my life how I want to live it Harry… I can't thank you enough for giving me the opportunity and I want to show you so much how I value what you've given me" Narcissa said her tone turning serious for the moment.

"You don't need to thank me…. Seriously anyone would have don…." Harry started saying.

"No they wouldn't" Narcissa cut across him dismissively placing her cool fingers over his lips to stop him continuing. "Not many wizards would have done what you did without wanting something in return" she added honestly. "I want to help you with your plan Harry… Fleur and Tengu haven't given me all the details but the little bits they have allowed me to help with I've enjoyed immensely… Its giving me something to do besides practice spells with my new wand but I want to help with all of it if I can… get the big picture.." She said her eyes turning hopefully that he would let her.

"Well.. ..if your happy to get fully involved in it as well then that would help. I mean you might have heard Mr Malfoy talking about names of people and things that might prove handy." Harry said thinking to himself and wondering how much exposure Narcissa had had to Lucius' business deals.

Narcissa broke out into a smile as she thought that Harry was thinking along the lines that a Slytherin student would and that he was actually more cunning than she had anticipated, especially considering he was a practical text book example of what makes a Gryffindor.

"That's a clever thought…. You're right of course as I have overheard and was privy to a lot of Lucius' dealings and it was actually myself a lot of the time that greased the wheels of his ambition so to speak. I know it used to really rankle Lucius a lot that so many of his contacts preferred to speak with me. While he always met and thrashed out the details it was the name 'Black' that encouraged them to meet with him in the first place." Narcissa replied thoughtfully seeing that the cogs were turning in Harry's head.

"Shall we take a seat. I believe that Amy and Yuki should be arriving soon." Fleur said causing Narcissa and Harry to turn still holding each other towards the French witch who along with Hermione was looking at the pair of them while Master Kuzuko was stood back keeping out the way but observing everything.

Master Kuzuko was wondering who the attractive older witch was and what the connection between her and Harry Potter was. "Erm yeah sure." Harry said getting a radiant smile from Fleur. "Although I think perhaps introductions are in order first" Harry said giving Narcissa's arm a gentle squeeze getting a nod from Narcissa.

"Master Kuzuko. May I introduce Miss Fleur Delacour. Fleur is employed by Gringotts technically but is also part of mine and Hermione's account management team and is currently in Japan carrying out some work on behalf of myself and Hermione and our interests while in Japan." Harry said introducing Fleur to Master Kuzuko.

"Fleur this is Master Satomi Kuzuko. Master Kuzuko is our duelling master at Mahoutokoro and our escort for the weekend" Hermione said looking toward her friend who nodded.

"Please to meet you Master Kuzuko. Harry tells me that you have a very accurate casting technique and that you have an incredible control over your magic and zat you are able to dual cast" Fleur replied remembering the little nugget of information that Harry had told her when they had gone to Elixir Eddies and she'd asked him about his new school and classes.

"The pleasure is mine Miss Delacour. Please feel free to call me Satomi. After all you're not one of my students and even though I keep insisting that Harry and Hermione call me by my name they are struggling with the adjustment." Master Kuzuko said before giving Fleur a bow.

"It seems you've been giving me compliments without my knowing Harry" Master Kuzuko teased Harry who shrugged.

"Its just an honest assessment. I'm still hoping that you'll be able to teach me how to dual cast though." Harry said getting an 'of course' in reply from Master Kuzuko whose eyes drifted across to Narcissa.

"Ah forgive me." Harry said seeing Master Kuzuko's gaze shift and he reached back and put his hand on Narcissa's lower back encouraging her to step forward. "May I introduce Miss Narcissa Black… My… erm" Harry said looking to Narcissa not sure on how to introduce her and seeking her assistance.

Narcissa didn't miss a beat and stepped forward extending her hand to Master Kuzuko and said "Well we don't know exactly what we are to each other in the family but I'm a member of Harry's family. On the Black family line though and its a pleasure to meet you." she said giving Master Kuzuko a nod as the duelling master could only nod as she remembered that Harry Potter's parents were murdered when he was a baby and the added information made sense.

Master Kuzuko took the extended hand and shook it firmly noting that Narcissa's grip was just as tight as they locked eyes for a moment. "Pleasure to meet you Miss Black. I'm sure you must be very proud to have a relative as powerful as Harry here. I've never seen anything like it and his reputation certainly proceeded him." Master Kuzuko said before turning to Hermione and smiling "Not that Hermione here is lacking in the power department" she added causing Hermione to blush.

"Erm yes I am.. very proud" Narcissa turned her head giving Harry a smile even though she knew that they were only technically family but she still couldn't help the feeling inside her as he smiled shyly and modestly at the compliment that she was proud to be associated with such a young man. It was the first time since she had become a Malfoy that she was proud of a family member.

"I've not really seen either Harry or Hermione casting much magic since…" She replied faltering a little as she didn't want to bring up the battle of Hogwarts so she covered by finishing "Well in a short amount of time as we've only recently been acquainted" Narcissa said a little surprised at the talk of power.

She knew that Harry was a powerful wizard having heard her son talking about him over the years as from having heard from Severus Snape about the strength and power of a patronise Harry cast in third year at Hogwarts. Draco however had never really mentioned Hermione Grangers power and only ever criticised her by calling her mudblood and a know it all and complained about how teachers very being prejudice and giving her better marks than him because they felt sorry for her..

Pansy Parkinson however had been much more honest in her assessment over the years and especially this summer and told Narcissa that Hermione was an extremely gifted witch but that her skill in the application of magic. She had said that while Hermione didn't always produce the most powerful results, that there hadn't been a spell in school she wasn't able to do and that the chestnut hair witch was normally the first to master a spell. Pansy had also spoken with some envy up on the arsenal of spells Hermione seemed to be able to call task at any given moment.

"Well he certainly caused a stir in my first class when I took everyone's power rankings. Hermione did to of course and I couldn't believe the power she can produce either.. In fact they've both proven quiet the sensation in my duelling hall" Master Kuzuko added giving the young witch a warm smile that caused Hermione's cheek to colour at the compliment.

"Power rankings?" Fleur asked indicating them all to sit down on the long table that had eight chairs around it.. Harry was about to sit down on one of the chairs to the side but he felt a gentle pressure on his arm and looked to see it was Narcissa's hand on his arm.

"You should sit at the head of the table Harry. It's a place for the wizard conducting a meeting and Hermione you should probably sit at the other end as this meeting is about you to. It's also reluctant of your ranking in society being heads of house you should really sit at the heads of the table." Narcissa informed them all getting confirming nods from Fleur and Master Kuzuko. Hermione felt a little put out as she wanted to sit next to Harry but given that this was their first official meeting she went along with it.

Harry took his seat with Narcissa on his right and Hermione sat at the opposite end of the table with Fleur on her right side. Master Kuzuko said that she would wait downstairs and have some breakfast while the meeting took place as she was sure that they had many things to discuss with their solicitors.

Hermione started to say that that wasn't necessary but Fleur tapped her foot against Hermione's and silenced her. "That would be very much appreciated and please tell Mable zat we will be paying for your meal. After all you ave assisted us in bringing Arry and Hermione to us." Fleur said giving the duelling master a respectful nod and Master Kuzuko bowed to them all and excused herself.

As the door closed all four of them started talking at once causing them all to give a little awkward laugh. "How are you both?" Hermione asked looking to Fleur and Narcissa.

"We are doing well and Penny also is enjoying her apprenticeship at Kendos and says that she will meet us after she has finished work for dinner tonight as she doesn't think that she will be able to get out at lunch" Fleur said.

"Its been lovely having someone here in the Bazaar to spend time with and Fleur has been letting me help with little bits of research and other things which has been nice and kept me busy." Narcissa explained to them both but more for Harry benefit. "Plus we've had a good look around the Bazaar together and looked at some opportunities that you both might like to consider if you are wanting to create a business portfolio" she added with a small shrug.

"Really. You've already started looking into businesses for us?" Harry asked looking at Narcissa pleasantly surprised.

"Yes.. It's actually quite interesting and I'd like to spend some time with Hermione later about one that Fleur has mentioned to me that she thinks could be an interesting venture. If you would be happy for me to help that is of course Hermione?" Narcissa asked hopeful that the younger witch wouldn't mind spending some time alone with her. She knew how important Hermione was to Harry and it was evident when seeing the two of them together that they meant a lot to each other.

Hermione felt a stab of excitement in her stomach at Narcissa's suggestion as she knew the venture she was talking about and had also wanted to try and find an opportunity to speak with Narcissa alone regarding Harry and what had developed between them. She would be able to get Fleur's and Penelope's opinion easily enough as she was staying in Penelope's room and Fleur's trunk was in there as well.

"I'd like that" Hermione replied giving the older brunette a small smile and feeling her cheeks colouring a little as Harry was watching her and she didn't want to get into a conversation about the shop she wanted to invest in.

"What is it that you are looking to invest in?" Harry asked.

'too late' Hermione thought to herself. "Ummm well its… errrr." Hermione said awkwardly not really feeling comfortable speaking with the idea with Harry.

"Let me guess.. It's a book shop" Harry teased.

"No actually, its not" Hermione replied giving him a playfully scolding look. While the idea of investing in a book shop was a very appealing idea Hermione didn't think that she wanted to do that straight away.

"So what is it?" Harry asked surprised and interested in what had caught his friends attention as a business.

"Now Arry, Hermione doesn't need to tell you what she is planning in going after just like you don't need to tell her what you are thinking about" Fleur said playfully sensing Harry's eagerness to know.

"I know she doesn't but I thought she'd want to tell me." Harry said giving Hermione puppy dog eyes.

"And you've told her what you're grand plan is in England have you?" Narcissa chipped in getting a look from Harry.

"No.. Only Fleur and my account managers know about that… And well you some of it." Harry replied with a small shrug.

"That's a good point you haven't told me anything about this plan of yours other than it's a secret and you know that its frustrating the hell out of me not knowing" Hermione said trying to use Narcissa comment to her advantage.

"Well…. it is a secret" Harry replied looking at Hermione.

"Then you are going to let her in on it then?" Narcissa asked him a teasing smile threatening to steel on her face as she saw Harry shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Well no I hadn't planned on telling anyone about it." Harry said awkwardly.

"Not even me… Harry we've been through so much together. I could help" Hermione said honestly but with a teasing note to her voice.

"I kind of want to surprise you with it" Harry shot back. "Besides my plan wasn't part of the conversation about what you were investing in or wanting to." He added hoping to swing the conversation back to what he wanted to talk about.

"I'll tell you if you tell me what your big plan is" Hermione said not wanting to allow Harry out of it that easily.

"A sort of…. hmmmm I'll show you mine if you show me yours arrangement" Narcissa added getting a smile of encouragement from Hermione who knew she had an ally in the pursuit of finding out Harry's big plan.

"I think zat Arry has already given Hermione a little show of his, even though it was by accident when she walked in on him getting changed." Fleur said laughing lightly to herself as she recalled the story Hermione had told her about walking in on Harry as he was getting changed.

Hermione swatted her arm recalling telling Fleur about the incident of walking in on Harry getting changed. "Fleur" Hermione hissed mortified and staring daggers at the French witch to convey a message for her to be quiet.

Harry meanwhile was recalling the previous evening and what had happened with the polyjuice form of Hermione and felt himself growing hotter and his pants getting a little tighter. He was struggling to meet her eye as a result of it and when he chanced a look at her saw his oldest friend staring hard at Fleur with a face that was almost as red as Ron's when he gets embarrassed.

"What?" Fleur replied with her hand to her chest and mock innocence on her face before grinning like the cat that got the cream as she felt herself becoming aroused as the memory of walking in on Harry in the shower stabbed through her mind and the veela part of her magic flared into life aggressively.

She was recalling the memory of looking at Harry's frame and felt herself getting wet at recalling what Harry Potter was equipped with in the wand department and wondering how this new Harry that had been working out since leaving Muriel's looked and wished she could have another peek..

She cast a sultry look at Harry that went unnoticed by Hermione and Narcissa who were both looking down at their laps. Hermione in embarrassment that Fleur had revealed to the man she loved that she had been talking about him in a way he wouldn't have expected. Narcissa was trying to contain her laughter at the statement having seen both Harry and Hermione go as red as tomatoes at the comment.

"You know what" Hermione muttered under her breath at the older witch aiming at kick under the table at the French witch who gave a small yelp as it connected with her shin.

"I think that is possible a story best kept for another time." Narcissa said trying to pull the conversation back on track. "So Harry are you going to share with Hermione and I what this big plan of yours is?" Narcissa asked again as Harry sat back in his chair and looked at her for a while.

He could sense Hermione leaning forward in anticipation and he tried to hide a smile that stole across his face. "No I don't think Hermione needs to know about the plan unless I need help with it. I want to surprise her with what I'm think doing or at least trying to do." He said seeing Hermione's shoulders slump a little in disappointment.

"Don't think that it's not because I don't WANT to tell you. I'm practically bursting wanting to tell you but I want to surprise you with it more and unless I run into a problem only that brilliant mind of yours can fix then I want to try and do this by myself, well kind of. If that's ok… I want to prove I can do something on my own… so to speak" Harry said the last quietly so it could only barely be heard.

Hermione saw Harry look down at his hands as if focusing and then she saw the heads of house rings appear on his finger. Hermione understood then what Harry meant. He wanted to show the world that he was worthy of being head of such illustrious family names. He wanted to show that he was able to do something and not because he was not Harry Potter "saviour of the wizarding world" but that he was Harry Potter-Black-Peverell-Ravenclaw and that he was capable of doing other great things rather than just things associated with dark magic.

What Hermione didn't know was that Harry wanted to prove to Hermione more than anyone what he was capable of doing himself. He wanted to impress her and win her admiration for something he'd done outside of school and not relating to the fight against Voldemort. He knew Hermione wouldn't expect him to prove anything but he wanted to show her what he could do and make a more permanent mark on the wizarding world and that all her efforts with him weren't for nothing.

Somehow in his head the plan that he was forming seemed to be an important way in his own head to show Hermione that he was capable of and to show her that he was capable of so much more.

Hermione nodded to Harry and gave him a small smile. "Its alright… I understand" she said simple looking at him and as their eyes met he could see that she at least understood part of it… That this was important to him.

"Ok so if you arent' going to tell us then how can I help?" Narcissa asked seeing the unspoken exchange between the two and again thinking how much they both seemed to know each other. They were like a married couple who could convey what they were thinking just with a look or a phrase.

"Well I'll tell you what you can do to help me" Harry said reaching into the inside pocket of his robe and pulling out a thick parchment envelope that had a black wax seal on the back of it. "You can have a read of this while we get breakfast sorted" He said smiling at her and slid the envelope across to Narcissa who picked it up seeing her name inscribed on the front in Harry's spiky handwriting as Harry started talking with Fleur and Hermione about eating something as he was starving..

She turned the envelope over and saw the black wax seal and looked at the embossed symbol on the back and recognised the Black family coat of arms. Narcissa slipped her finger under the flap of the envelope and moved it across sharply intent on breaking the seal to open the envelope but the seal didn't budge.

She tried again but it was like a piece of steel. She looked at Harry who was half watching her while discussing breakfast and when the others were speaking t. "Try pressing your family ring to the seal" he said quietly amusement clear in his voice.

Narcissa turn placed the envelope on the table and taking her Black family ring against the wax seal and she heard it crack and she was able to open the envelope. She pulled out the smooth thick parchment and opened the pages and saw that there was three sheets of parchment. She quickly leafed through them all before looking at them in more detail and finding what Harry was wanting her to do as she looked at him seeing him engaged in conversation with the two younger witches.

Narcissa sat back in her seat reading and finding that Harry really did want to involve her in his plans at least to a degree and that he wanted her to be spending time between Britain, France and Japan. She read on with interest her pulse quickening as she read just a few of the ideas that Harry had and how he wanted to make his fortune work for him.

She thought back again to how Harry was showing more Slytherin like qualities with his ambition and wondered whether the sorting hat had made a mistake sorting him into Gryffindor. Narcissa looked up as she heard the scraping of chairs and Fleur and Hermione stood both stating that they would go downstairs to order the food for them as the staff were really busy with the place being so full and it might speed it all up a little as they had an appointment to keep and the quicker they ordered the quicker they could get going.

Hermione reached into her purse and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill and asked Narcissa what they fancied for breakfast. She looked at Harry and complimented Harry on going local with his choice of breakfast, which consisted of fried pork with ginger, miso soup and white rice.

"Its not my choice but Hero has the quidditch team on a strict training regime and diet. I'd much rather have a traditional English breakfast but I said that I'd try and stick to the eating plan he's devised. I thought that Oliver Wood took quidditch seriously but Hero is obsessed with me getting in the best shape possible to really have a go at the quidditch cup and when you look at his physique its hard to argue against what he's saying." Harry said shrugging never having met a wizard who took his fitness so seriously.

"Well I approve Arry. You're looking very good these days." Fleur said looking at Harry a little sultry smirk stealing across her face as she flicked her hair back flirtaciously at Harry. A gesture that wasn't missed by Hermione or Narcissa who eyed Fleur a little surprised about her open flirtation. Especially as she did it so blatantly in front of Hermione.

"Erm thanks Fleur" Harry said feeling his cheeks colour and seeing that Fleur look absolutely radiatant as he suddenly started feeling an impulse to try and impress her somehow. 'Is Fleur using her veela allure on me?' he thought to himself incredulously as Fleur had never used her allure on him before and having been placed under the imperius curse by Barty Crouch Jnr when he was pretending to be Professor Moody he was able to push the impulse down.

"Fleur why don't you go with Hermione and get the breakfast sorted. I'll have my usual please" Narcissa said giving the French witch a pointed look that seemed to snap Fleur out of her line of thought and to Harry's amazement the pretty French witch actually blushed a little on that perfect face.

"Of Course. Come on zen Hermione I'm starving" Fleur said getting up and smoothed her dress down and giving Harry a small smile made her way to the door and walked through it. Hermione set off after her and closed the door a little harder than she normally would causing Narcissa to wince inside.

"So that was different" Narcissa said out loud in her own thoughts looking at the door.

"What was?" Harry asked.

"Fleur blasting you with her allure and surprisingly you not reacting to it" Narcissa said turning to Harry.

"So it was her allure that I was feeling then." He said blinking as his mind started clearing rapidly with Fleur not in the room.

"Yes… I've never really seen her do that before although I've not known her nearly as long as you have. I've seen veela use their allure as you know at the world cup and I have to admit even then you handled it a lot better than Draco and Lucius did. Draco started singing in French at them and Lucius opened his shirt and started pulling poses as if he had lots of muscles like one of those muggle body builders. It was one of the stupidest things I've ever seen." Narcissa said thoughtfully.

"I wonder why she did that though. I didn't do anything to embarrass myself did I?" Harry asked concerned that he might have done something as last time he'd partly risen out of his chair at the world cup to impress the veela.

"Oh no, nothing like that. I… I think Fleur was just really happy to see you both and let her control on it sleep a little" Narcissa lied smoothly as veela only normally used their allure to entice attention and Narcissa was under no illusions that she had blasted Harry with it on purpose. The question was why and Narcissa promised herself that the next time she and Fleur were alone she would get the answer.

"So I know you've not really had chance to read it properly but what do you think?" Harry said nodding down to the parchment that Narcissa had only had chance to partly scan briefly.

"Well no, I've not had a chance to read it properly but I like the fact that you want me to be more involved with your plan, I really appreciate that. I'm so happy that you are really putting so much trust and effort to allow me to be involved in your life." She said to him genuinely.

Harry smiled at her and replied "Well I want us to be part of each other's lives and I've never really had family. Not really… and I'm kind of learning as I go along here. We're going to be in each other's lives forever now Narcissa and I want you to be part of what I'm trying to do. It's not something that's going to change the world or anything but I'm hoping that it leaves a positive mark on magical Britain and I'm determined that people in the future will remember the names Potter, Black, Peverell and Ravenclaw and only speak of them in positive terms" Harry said reaching across the table and putting his hand on hers.

"You're part of this now. You're part of my family… No matter what happens. I'll be there for you and you'll I hope will be there for me too." Harry said giving her hand a gentle and reassuring squeeze. "We've both been through a lot and no one whose has never had to deal with that level of.. abuse, will understanding how it feels." Harry said the word sounding strange in his mouth as he'd never called it that before. "You're never going to have anything like that happen to you again. I promise" he said looking at her determinedly.

Narcissa with tears forming on the corners of her eyes and threatening to run down her cheeks gave Harry a warm and watery smile as she felt a warm glow inside her as Harry Potter gave her something she had yearned for, for years… Affection.

Narcissa put her hand over Harry's and patted it gently feeling the small rough grooves of a scar on the back of is left hand and thought it must be one of many battle scars he had. "I promise with everything that I am that I'll always be there for you Harry… I'll never do anything that is intended to hurt you or harm your reputation and I promise I'll conduct myself how you would expect a member of the Black family to be...

I'll only ever try and bring positive things into your life. It means so much to me that you seem to want to have each other as family and care for each other as much as I do." She said as Harry smiled back at her.

"Good well I'm glad that's sorted. So I was thinking about when we met with Stacey Wong and she asked who you were and just then with Master Kuzuko about what we are to each other. We've not got time to explain to everyone how we've came about and become family and quite frankly…" Harry started to say before Narcissa spoke up interrupting him.

"Its no one else's business." Narcissa said determinedly and getting a nod from Harry. "I think while we're here in Japan or any country I'm not known it would be easier if you just called me your Auntie. When we're in Britain and people know who I am then I guess we'll just have to figure it out but again its not really anyone's business and I think I'll probably hex anyone who calls me Malfoy ever again." Narcissa said the bitterness and anger still evident in her voice.

"As will I… You're a Black now and we will look after each other and family comes first.." Harry said the fire igniting in his belly at the thought of what Draco had done to his mother as she gave him a beautiful smile and a nod of thanks at the comment as she looked into his eyes suddenly finding them focused and determined. She rubbed the scar on his hand absent minded… soothing and comforting and not really realising she was doing it.. "That sounds like a good idea though about what to refer to you as. So I guess for now you're going to be my sexy Aunt Cissa." Harry said before realising what he had said until Narcissa eyes widened a little at the comment.

"Erm… What I mean… errr what I meant was…" Harry said thumbling over his words, mortified at ruining a nice moment with a slip of the tongue and he started to pull his hand away but Narcissa held tight.

"That's very nice of you to say…" Narcissa laughed said her voice a light as she couldn't remember the last time anyone had called her sexy. "I guess being sexy runs in the Black family and none more so than the head of the family." she said giving him a playful wink causing Harry's cheeks to colour slightly before she let out a light hearted laugh and patted his hand.

"I wouldn't' say that exactly… " Harry said a little croaky finding his voice surprised at Narcissa's flirty reply and a little taken a back and puzzled at Narcissa response.

"Well it's clearly true as you've got all these young witches after you…That's not included the ones at Mahoutokoro that your friend Stacey Wong was saying about.." Narcissa said grinning at him enjoying watching him squirm a little.

"When did you speak to Stacey Wong about the girls at school?" Harry said trying to figure out how Narcissa seemed to know so much about everything that was going on.

"Merlin's beard Harry. Just before you came over to help me up in Scribes and Scribblers…" Narcissa said wondering how a man getting so much female attention seemed to get so shy when asked about. She found it quite endearing as Draco would have been boastful about the amount of female attention he had received. Harry meanwhile seemed to be overly modest about it as he tried to deflect the conversation about it..

"Oh right I see…" Harry said looking at the table. "Well it's been a bit of an adjustment and I'm trying to be as guarded as possible.. especially with girls I don't really know… Its this multiple titles things.. Its going to make my life really difficult" Harry said thinking about how complicated his life had become and how he just wanted to focus on Hermione.

He had nagging thoughts in the back of his head about Susan, Daphne, Pansy and Tracey and the things he'd got up to with them when he didn't see a future with himself and Hermione while she was still with Ron.

Now though he desperately wanted to see where that would go because as much as he really cared about Susan, Daphne and the others he knew like he had always known that he wanted to be with her.

Narcissa watched Harry seeing him thinking about the situation he had found himself in and she didn't want to push him too hard on the details as they were still getting to know each other. She decided to stay quiet for a while and said "I'd say that's a good idea.. A smartway to be".

After what felt like an eternity to Harry, Narcissa patted his hand again and leaned back letting go of it and said "So from what you've mentioned in this" Narcissa said changing the subject and holding up the first and second page of parchment before continuing "its certainly ambitious. Do you really believe that you'll be able to pull this off?" she asked trying to keep her scepticism from her voice as what he said he wanted to do was certainly a bold idea but she knew from Lucius' business dealing as well as the Black families dealings that it would be extremely difficult nigh on impossible for him to achieve it.

"Well my account managers in Gringotts seem pretty confident that it can happen as long as we move quickly when we need to and make sure that everything is done properly and we're organised. Hayley Sloop my solicitor at Sloop and Everard has set up a company called Gold Square so that we can try and get things completed without anyone or the media being aware that it's me but obviously if throwing my name into the equation can help push things through then that's what we are going to do." Harry explained.

"That's a good idea. So its at the moment a faceless company with only your account managers and Fleur being known as well as Miss Sloop." Narcissa said thoughtfully before thinking about her friends Nicole and Peter Parkinson.

"Have you not considered using Parkinson's to represent you rather than Miss Sloop? You've met Peter and Nicole and they would really work hard for you as they both really like you along with Pansy who believe me is certainly quite taken with you." Narcissa asked him.

"I went to Parkinson's first but the receptionist there wouldn't even talk to me like a human being because I didn't have an appointment and it's only when I told her my name as I was leaving that she suddenly seemed to remember what her job was." Harry explained remembering how good it was to knock the smug bitch down a peg or two.

"How about having them represent you now that you've met Peter and Nicole? They've got rid of that receptionist as well off the back of what happened with you. Pansy was telling me as she had to cover the reception for quite a while over the summer until she was replaced." Narcissa pointed out.

"Hmmm well I'm really happy with Hayley Sloop. I really like her and we have a good bit of interaction and banter going between us and she works bloody hard for me" Harry said.

"I know but now you know Peter and Nicole you know that they'd do everything in their power to help you. Plus they are an older and better known firm you may find that they get results quicker than Sloop and Everard." Narcissa pressed.

"I guess that makes sense but I don't know.. I mean their Pansy's parents and if I didn't like that they were doing or something and I had to stop using them I wouldn't want it to affect mine and Pansy's friendship" Harry responded honestly as he wasn't sure about employing his friends parents in case he wasn't happy with what they did.

"Oh you would be more than happy. They are very good at what they do and you wouldn't have need to get rid of them I assure you." Narcissa said sitting up straighter hopefully.

"I'm not sure… I mean Hayley has been absolutely brilliant with me so far." Harry said wondering why Narcissa was pushing this so much. "You seem very determined for me to hire them." Harry said looking at Narcissa and seeing her face drop instantly.

"Oh dear…. I've annoyed you with my babbling haven't I.. I'm so sorry Harry. I'm not suggesting for a minute that you stop using Ms Sloop especially if you're happy with her work. I…. I was just suggesting that you might want to think about using Peter and Nicole as well if the work load is too much Ms Sloop or if you want different things doing at the same time" Narcissa said her cheeks starting to colour "Its… it was just a suggestion… Forgive me , Its not my place to say such things" Narcissa said feeling like she'd over stepped her bounds.

"Of Course it's your place to talk about these things with me." Harry said.

"It's really not and I shouldn't be telling you what to do." Narcissa said looking away from him embarrassed.

"You're not telling me what to do. You're suggesting something that you think will help." Harry replied.

"But even still." Narcissa said looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Look its completely fine. Its one of the reasons I love Hermione so much is that she'll suggest things to help me or tell me if she thinks there is a better way of doing things or if I'm doing it wrong. You're just doing the same thing. Look I get that you want to help me and you think that Nicole and Peter Parkinson would be able to do so. I understand that. I'll think about it but I think in the mean time that you should meet Hayley as you'll see yourself she's really good. If we find that Hayley is struggling to cope then we'll discuss it with her." Harry said seeing the relief wash over Narcissa.

"So you don't mind me making suggestions." Narcissa said picking up on how casually said about one of the things he loved about Hermione.

Harry laughed at her. "No of course I don't mind.. I've pretty much said as much in the rest of that." He said pointing at the parchment on the table in front of Narcissa. "Why don't you finish reading that before the others come back and then maybe you'll have a better idea of the bigger picture." He suggested.

"Alright but I was thinking of reading it after breakfast. I've been looking forward to seeing you so much I don't' even want to waste a second reading instead of talking to you." Narcissa replied honestly and excitedly.

Harry grinned at her and nodded and Narcissa hastily folded up the parchment and saw that the wax resealed itself when she put the letter back into the envelope and closed the flap. "Its sealed itself.

"Yes it's that security wax that I bought at Scribes and Scribblers. I bought one for each family line Red for Potter, Silver for Peverell, Royal Blue for Ravenclaw and Black for the Black family obviously. I was thinking of getting another one for communication between Gringotts, Fleur and myself but I've yet to think of a way of having something we can all use to crack that seal.." Harry told her as Narcissa examined the wax more closely.

"I don't remember you buying these?" Narcissa said looking at him.

"Well when that wizard came over talking to me about Mahoutokoro and you started subtly making your way off away from him when he started cracking onto you" Harry smiled recalling the memory of the old wizard who must have been old enough to be Narcissa's father saying that he'd love to take Narcissa out for a good time.

Harry had chuckled as he'd seen Narcissa on the back foot for the first time since he'd met her. "I called one of the staff over and asked them how much they would be and they told me, so I gave them a beseecher slip for the amount and asked them to deliver it to Mahoutokoro, which they did." He explained.

"Well he was coming on a little strong." Narcissa said smiling remembering the older wizard and how he was such a blatant flatterer. "I think it's a good idea having something like this. I never even knew that this sort of thing was possible with wax." She added looking at Harry who nodded back. .

"Tengu said that he thought it would be a good way of making sure that none of my correspondence got read if intercepted. He said that there are all sorts of waxes for sealing letters over here to protect mail as there was a big problem a few decades ago where the ministry was searching peoples post. He said that certain criminal elements were sending things in the post to people and that was what forced the ministry to intercept and open peoples mail.

They were only trying to protect people at first but then they started doing things like arresting certain people or interrogating people about things they read in peoples correspondence and the general public weren't happy about it." Harry said as Narcissa pursed her lips thinking how it wasn't right that the ministry of Japan had opened peoples mail before sending it on.

"I know my former husband wouldn't have been happy if his correspondence was opened as he'd most likely have been locked up a lot quicker than he was." Narcissa said picturing the scene of Lucius Malfoy being carted off to Azkaban kicking and screaming in protest.

"I asked Hero about it and he was saying that The Japanese Council of Elders needed to do something to both appease and protect the public and passed a decree at the height of the scandal giving people permission to secure their post however they wished. They weren't stupid though and they put a clause in the decree that the ministry are allowed to use Cruse Breakers or Unspeakables to try and gain access to anything they consider suspicious." Harry explained.

"And are you planning on sending anything illegal through the mail that you don't want the ministry intercepting?" Narcissa asked Harry.

"No nothing like that but I just thought if I was wanting to talk to you about something personal and I don't want anyone else to read it then it would be a good way of making sure that no one other than a Black can read it and there is only me, you and Andromeda left and Teddy of course when he's older. Plus if I'm going to tell you more about my plan I don't want any competition intercepting it and trying to find out what I'm doing." Harry said shrugging his shoulders.

"I suppose that makes sense and if it gives you piece of mind that what you are sending me is for my eyes only then I think it can only be a good idea." Narcissa smiling and feeling something in her heart click into place as she felt herself smiling at seeing his trust in her build but also that he indicated that he would be sending her thoughts and wanting to share personal thoughts with her in their correspondence.

"Great. Well I'll give you your wax stick when we get back to the hotel as I believe we'll be sharing a room tonight." Harry said his eyes bulging for a moment as he felt his cheeks blush at Narcissa's raised eyebrow before she let out a giggle and playfully smack his arm and replied "Its cute how you get so flustered by any comment that could be taken as a suggestive innuendo Harry." She said loving teasing him and laughed at face he was pulling.

"So what else did you want to do this weekend after you've met the candidates Fleur and I have picked to be your solicitors… pending your approval of course?" Narcissa asked Harry as she sat back in her chair and stretched her arms up into the air.

"Well once you've had a read of that and some of the ideas that I've got I wouldn't mind visiting one or a couple of the places I've mentioned in there on a sort of research finding mission.. But it will be fun I promise. Then I think it would be good if we all went for dinner together maybe somewhere you've found that you think is good.

Other than that I don't really know but I need to talk to you about something that happened at some point as I…. I was….. " Harry said faulting for a second unsure how to explain it.

"You were what?" Narcissa asked tilting her head slightly studying him.

"Well its kind of embarrassing but I was tricked… and well I suppose you could say taken advantage off or used. I guess….." Harry said feeling a little awkward before Narcissa interrupted him..

"You were tricked and taken advantage off? How? By who?" Narcissa asked sitting up instantly alert at the mention of being tricked and someone used Harry against his will finding herself concerned and protective.

"Well its' kind of awkward but it was this girl.." Harry started saying and was quite surprised when Narcissa blurted out.

"You didn't sleep with a girl did you… please don't' tell me you've got some girl pregnant or something " Narcissa asked for some reason fearing the answer worried that Harry had given some girl a good night and that she was going to try and take advantage of him to boost her social profile or worse was trying to honey trap Harry by conceiving a child.

"What no.. I didn't sleep with her but we kind of….. fooled around quite a bit.. and..." Harry said reaching up and running the back of his head awkwardly embarrassed to say what happened suddenly.

"So some girl isn't pregnant then." Narcissa asked.

"WHAT! No…. look it didn't get that far." Harry said defensively.

"But it could have?" Narcissa asked looking at Harry's eyes for any sign of him lying. She'd learnt how to recognise a lie over the years having seen and heard enough of them coming from Lucius and Draco.

"Well yeah.. it was definitely leading that way… until well.. I had to stop as soon as it wore off and I certainly wasn't going to be going through with it then…" Harry started to explain feeling very anxious about talking to Narcissa about his sex life as he didn't really know her well enough to talk about this.. Hell he doubted he'd even be able to talk to Ron about this as the only person he'd ever really given the details of his sex life to was Neville and that was before he and Susan had slept together and he was still waiting for a response from Neville about his date with Hannah.

"Oh I see… Well…. Em.. Harry there is nothing to feel embarrassed about that… I mean…. It happens to all wizards at some point… granted its normally when their older but…." Narcissa said feeling her own cheeks go as pink as Harry's were as the mental image of Harry's in that condition and without clothes on started wandering into her head.

"What do you mean it happens to all Wizards when their older?" Harry asked wondering what she was on about.

"You know… their erm…. Wands become less unyielding shall we say." Narcissa said having to cover her mouth with the back of her hand and try and stiff a giggle to cover her own embarrassment.

"WHAT! NO! No, not that" Harry said mortified at Narcissa comment as the older witch burst into a fit of giggles at Harry's outrage that only increased the more disapproving and aghast he looked at her reaction..

"Sorry.. I just thought you meant that when you said you couldn't go on." She said when she finally got a hold of herself and pulling out a handkerchief from her sleeve dabs the tears of laughter from her eyes.

"Merlin I'm only eighteen I hope I never have that problem… No what I meant was that.. well you see it was like this. I'd been to the Dragon's Lair my other Clan as two of the members were celebrating finding their animagus forms…. I'd had a really good time and when I got back to Turtle Island I went into my trunk to find Hermione stood there… " Harry started explaining.

"It was Hermione that tricked you?" Narcissa asked unable to contain a gasp… Her eyes went wider as another thought it her. "You mean that it was Hermione that you were fooling around with" Narcissa asked a mixture of both happiness for the two of them and also a twinge of something else at hearing this revelation.

"No…. Well yes…. I mean sort of" Harry said trying to straighten out his thoughts as his sentence was becoming all jumbled in his head.

"What does no, yes, sort of mean?" Narcissa asked studying Harry wondering why he couldn't just come out and say it. "Look you're going to have to stop.. take a moment and get what you want to say out and ready because right at this minute you aren't making any sense." She added holding up her hands to signal Harry to stop.

"Tell me from the start what happened and I'll stop asking questions I promise and I'll let you just tell me." Narcissa said taking control of the conversation to try and help the troubled teen get out what he needed to tell her as she was really curious now as to what he was going to tell her.

"Alright… I thought it was Hermione." Harry said seeing Narcissa brow crease and her head turn ever so slightly as her eyes narrowed a little as if trying to decide if Harry was teasing her or being deliberately obstructive in his explanation.

"Riiiggghhhht" she ventured the word stretching out in from of them as a comment and also a question.

"But it wasn't Hermione." He said gesticulating with his hands

That makes no sense… You were fooling around with Hermione but you weren't?" Narcissa asked cautiously.

"Yes… I thought it was her but it wasn't Hermione" Harry said as the door to their room opened and Harry looked up as Hermione entered the room looking at the two of them.

Hermione had her hand still on the door knob as she looked to the two members of the Black family as she opened the door and said "What wasn't Hermione?"

A/N – Just for your information "Imaitayoka" is the Japanese version of alohomora the unlocking spell (I've made it up from the words Now, Open, Permit in Japanese).