Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Kuroko no Basket!
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1st year – Too Academy
Mac sighed as she let herself fall back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She inhaled deeply before letting it out and felt some of the stress leave her body. Nao purred beside her and pressed against her side making her lift her arm and start petting him without really looking at him. She could tell he had all his extra tails out and felt them against her thigh, surrounding her, comforting. She smiled slightly at the care from her little Kitsune. Perhaps she should send a letter to Newt and Tina soon. It had been a while since she had talked to them last.
She had just come home from a late practice and she was tired, not enough with that she had felt on edge all day feeling eyes on her and whispers behind her back. She tried telling herself that it was just in her head, but the way Fujimoto and Fukui had giggled and stared at her before whispering to some of the other girls in the class…well, it was hard to do. She was getting tired of it and wondered just what Daiki saw in the other girl.
Not to mention that she had a test in Defence Against the Dark Arts the next day that she really wanted to do well in, and she had to get to read the last chapter one more time because she found it difficult.
Her phone rang and she groaned knowing she had to move to get it. She turned and stretched so she reached her mobile as it had been tossed on the bedside table when she came in. She smiled though when she saw who it was.
"Hi Seijuro," Mac said falling back on her back and went back to petting Nao. "Glad you called."
"Hi Mac," he answered. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," Mac said. "I'm just tired after practice and I have to study for a test in Defence tomorrow."
"Defence…like in magic?" Seijuro asked.
"Yes," Mac smiled slightly. "It's rather important and I want to do well."
"You will," he stated so sure that Mac had to blink.
"How do you know?" she asked.
"Mac," his tone said that she should know better than to ask that and she should, but the question had just slipped out. "Because you're you and you're my best friend."
Mac snorted amused, "I see."
"So, what else has been going on?" Seijuro asked.
Mac told him about the team and antics they came up with and the preparations for their game against Tokushin High. She even talked about Ueno and her Martial Arts classes, she remembered when she told Seijuro about her learning Martial Arts. He had been silent first and then he had asked who had made her feel like she needed it. Clearly, he had wanted to go out and hunt someone down for scaring her, she had barely managed to talk him down and explain it was more to prevent something from happening and wanting to feel safe.
"She sounds nice," Seijuro said and Mac almost snorted at Seijuro calling someone nice, but she also picked up on the jealous note in his voice and smiled slightly. He was so easy to read.
"She is," Mac agreed, "but I do miss hanging out with you after practices, Seijuro."
"I do too," Seijuro agreed his tone more light now and Mac smiled once more.
"What about you, Seijuro? How are you? Did your meeting two days ago go well?" Mac asked.
"Of course it did," Seijuro said.
"Of course," Mac echoed with a small smile, "does your dad still give you strange looks?"
She remembered Seijuro mentioning that his father kept giving him some strange looks when he thought Seijuro didn't see it. The other boy couldn't understand why he kept doing it.
"Not as much," Seijuro said, "but he hasn't been home much lately. Mostly been away on business trips."
"So, you're all alone down there?" Mac frowned worriedly.
"So are you, Mac," Seijuro pointed out knowing that her uncle was in the States more often than not lately.
"Yes, but I have Taiga," Mac said still worried. "I don't like the idea of you being on your own…"
"The servants are here," Seijuro said, "it's not like I'm entirely on my own."
Mac sighed and chewed on her lips trying to think but there was no solution that came to her mind.
"Ok," Mac said, "but call me often to let me know you're okay."
"Alright," Seijuro said and Mac could hear the smile in his voice. She knew that he would have gotten defensive and short if anyone else had told him to do the same, but she also knew that he liked that she did. She understood the need for having someone show they cared for you even if it was small. She only wished she could do more.
They talked a little more before Mac had to get started on her studying before it got too late. So it was with a heavy heart she ended the call.
...
Sato's house
Mac didn't like this; she didn't like it at all.
"What are you doing back here?" Mac asked rather rudely even she could hear that, but she didn't really care. She was tired of running into the other girl when she was here for her lessons. She had just finished a rather tiresome test in Defence and just wanted to go home and rest a little before her basketball practice.
She had not expected to meet Hermione right now or see the other girl purposely seeking her out. Especially after the last time they met. If Mac allowed herself to think about it, she did feel a little bad about how she had lashed out at her. Yes, Hermione had probed into something she didn't have any business probing into, but Mac shouldn't have snapped at her like she did.
"I asked if I could come," Hermione admitted.
Mac stared at her and her eyes were drawn to the other girl's hands that were wrung together, and her face looked a little pale and her eyes wide and worried. Mac sighed and rubbed her forehead as she tried to calm down her original reaction to the other girl.
"Why?" Mac asked.
Hermione seemed relieved that Mac hadn't snapped at her and smiled a little making Mac pause. Just why did she smile at her?
"I wanted to talk to you," Hermione confessed.
"Why?" Mac asked once more.
"I… I know I don't understand everything and I have been thinking about…about everything you've told me," Hermione swallowed and looked down at her hands before looking back up at Mac. Mac looked at her blankly not showing anything of what she was thinking. "I…"
Mac sighed tiredly and looked to see Sato standing in the doorway of his office, obviously having heard their conversation. He arched a brow at her and she knew he asked her what she wanted to do. He left the decision up to her and she appreciated that.
"Come on," Mac said, "I guess we can talk in the garden, ok?"
Hermione nodded eagerly and Mac turned away from her and walked with fast steps into the gardens and allowed Nao to go down so he could explore, but he stayed close to her with his eyes trained on Hermione who eyed him a little warily.
...
Mac sat down on the two-seater garden bench and turned her green eyes to Hermione who was lingering right in front of the door. Mac couldn't help but wonder just what the other girl wanted for her to ask to come and talk to her.
"Take a seat or something, will you?" Mac asked tired of waiting for Hermione to move.
Hermione went to one of the chairs and sat down still wringing her hands in her lap. Mac eyed them before looking up at the other girl.
"I can't say I understand why you want to talk to me," Mac stated.
"I…I don't understand," Hermione said quietly.
Mac frowned, "understand what?"
"Why you're here," Hermione said nervously glancing up at Mac and wincing slightly when she saw Mac's glare.
"Are you still going on about that?" Mac asked. "I told you, you don't need to understand everything. You don't know everything."
"I need to…" Hermione said.
"You don't!" Mac said sharply. "Why do you need to know my life? I don't know anything about you, and I don't go asking why you're here instead of at Hogwarts. I don't dig into your life and make conclusions without the facts, nor do I think I have a right to know the facts since I don't know you."
Hermione stared at her and Mac inhaled deeply to calm down again. It wasn't easy and she really tried to not lash out, but the constant going back to the same thing every time she saw the other girl was exhausting.
"You don't understand either," Hermione said a little more fire in her voice and Mac arched a brow at the stubborn tilt to Hermione's head as she glared at Mac. "You don't know how it is for me to not understand something. I need to understand and I need to be able to know why I'm not telling the professor's I look up to about you! Why I have to hide it from the professor's I know are hurting not knowing where you are!"
Mac didn't respond right away just looking at the other girl and saw the tears in her eyes that she was determinedly rubbing away as she looked away from Mac.
"If you look up to them so much then why are you here, Granger-san?" Mac eventually asked. "If you think Hogwarts is so great, then why are you not there?"
Hermione looked at her and Mac arched a brow.
"If you want me to understand and want me to tell you more about me then I think I have a right to know something about you as well," Mac said calmly.
"I have always been different from the other kids," Hermione said looking down at her lap once more. Mac tilted her head as she watched Hermione. "I never really had a friend and my books became my world. It became a place where I could escape and be someone interesting. It offered me truth and security. They never judged me or gave me looks or talked about me behind my back."
While books hadn't offered exactly the same for Mac, also because she hadn't had a free access to it growing up she could understand some of what Hermione was saying. She had also enjoyed escaping in books when she could. That was before she met Daiki and started with basketball, basketball became her free spot, her escape.
"When I learned about magic I saw it as a way to finally find a place I belonged," Hermione continued. "Hogwarts offered me that and I enjoyed learning more magic and read about everything. But…I still was the strange one, the outcast at the school. The other kids there didn't like me and even bullied me."
Her voice shook slightly as she admitted that and Mac got a pensive look on her face as she watched the pain on Hermione's face. It was something she could understand and she felt something inside of her soften, but that didn't mean that she like all the probing Hermione had done or the way she jumped to conclusions she had no right making.
"Some of the professors helped me and gave me more to do as they saw how alone I was," Hermione said, "I got good grades and topped the year easily, but… I never had a friend. The others would tease and…and it got bad last year. I got the chance to study at Mahoutokoro because of my grades and my parents thought I would benefit from getting free from the bullying at Hogwarts."
She stopped and Mac could tell she had trouble getting control over herself, so Mac allowed her a moment to gather herself before speaking.
"Still doesn't explain why you are so determined to make me go back there," Mac said.
Hermione looked up, "I…I told you about Professor McGonagall."
Mac frowned trying to remember the name, and she could vaguely remember her mention something about someone called that. Something about her crying when they hadn't found her when she didn't turn up at Hogwarts.
"Ok, but…" Mac said.
"She did a lot for me," Hermione said. "She worries about you and I think she deserves to know. She was really upset when you didn't show up at Hogwarts back in the first year. I think even the other teachers were surprised at the anger she directed at the headmaster."
"Still, that doesn't mean she has done anything for me," Mac pointed out. "They all left me to an abusive home and no one came to check on me."
Hermione stared at her and she opened and closed her mouth without saying anything.
"I guess I can understand some of what you're saying, Granger-san," Mac said standing up and walked a couple of paces away from their seats and picked up Nao who nicked at her shoe barking slightly to get her attention. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that, being bullied…well, I understand how that is like. Still, I don't see why you're so set on me going back. Nor do I think you have the right to think you can order me to let anyone know where I am."
Hermione frowned and looked away from Mac who looked at the other girl over Nao's head. She let the fox cuddle into her and scratched his ear as she observed Hermione.
"You used your books as your escape," Mac said and Hermione looked up at her again. "You read about me, right?"
"Yes," Hermione looked a little wary about admitting it.
"Since you mentioned the books I have looked at some," Mac admitted. "I must say…I don't recognise myself in them at all."
"But…" Hermione started to protest.
"Wait, Granger-san," Mac said as she walked back to the bench and looked Hermione straight in the eyes. "Just listen, ok?"
Hermione nodded.
"If you were going to write a book," Mac said, "what would you do? Say you were going to write about that professor you like. Professor McGonagall, was it? How would you do it?"
Hermione blinked, "well, I would research her and conduct interviews to get to know her and talk to the people around her…"
Mac nodded, "exactly. And none of those authors who wrote about me did that. They never talked to me nor did they know me. They built everything up on their ideas of what I should be like, about what they knew of my parents. I'm sure they've gotten reports on what my parents were like, and built it from there."
Hermione frowned in thought.
"So, see? How can anyone think that I'm like that?" Mac asked calmly trying to make Hermione see her point without losing her temper and snapping at the girl like she had before. "I never knew my parents, I know a few things about them now but that is only because I met someone who knows them. I am grateful to them for saving me and loving me when I was a baby, but they haven't had the chance of forming me as a person. They haven't been there for me to look up to them and try to be like them at all. So, the authors of those books have no real facts to go on."
Mac could see the wheels turning in Hermione's head and she hoped she would be able to see the facts that Mac gave her, because if not then Mac would give up. Then there was no way for her to reason with the other girl.
"You may have a point," Hermione grudgingly admitted.
"I guess that will have to do for now," Mac sighed. "Anyway, I know that people in the magical world have this idea about who I am and what I'm going to do. I know because I've met someone who's from Britain and even they knew why I didn't want to come back. They knew I would be put on a pedestal and expected to be a hero and lead the way. That's not me, Granger-san."
Hermione looked at her thoughtfully and Mac glanced at the clock and grimaced.
"I have to go," she said. "I have to go back in time and then start my day over again. I can only go back a certain amount of hours, so I have to go now."
"You're going to Muggle School?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Yes," Mac nodded getting back to her feet. "And I have an early basketball practice."
Hermione looked more curious now and Mac tilted her head to the side as she looked at the other girl, it was something different in her now. She didn't seem as closed off as before, could it be that she was close to really see what Mac was trying to say?
"Want to come?" Mac asked before she could stop herself.
"Eh?" Hermione blinked.
Mac sighed and pulled her free hand through her dark hair as she looked over at Hermione.
"I asked if you wanted to come with me," Mac said, "I guess you can see how I live and maybe you will understand what I mean and why I don't want to leave."
Hermione nodded eagerly.
"Ok, I guess we have to talk to Professor Sato," Mac said and started to walk toward the house again and heard Hermione coming up behind her quickly.
Mac wondered if she made the right choice if she really was going to show her how she lived and let her meet her friends. She was not really sure, but she wasn't going to turn back now. If she could convince Hermione that she was happy and had a good life then there was a chance that Hermione would not tell anyone about her. That was reason enough, or at least that was what Mac told herself.
...
"Potter-san, Granger-san," Sato smiled looking up at them from where he was talking with his wife in the kitchen both nursing a cup of coffee. He glanced at the clock, "you're cutting it pretty late, Potter-san."
"I know," Mac said smiling slightly, "sir, I…Well, I was wondering if it was okay for Granger-san to come with me."
Sato blinked and lowered his cup as he looked at her before he looked over at Hermione. The surprise was clear in his eyes.
"I must say I did not expect that," he said. "May I ask why?"
Mac glanced over at Hermione who was wringing her hands again but she was silent and obviously left the talking to Mac.
"We have talked and I think having Granger-san see how I live might be for the best," Mac said. "It might help her understand me."
Sato exchanged a look with Kaori who smiled softly and nodded her head.
"I think it might be for the best, dear," she said.
"Alright," he said.
"Thank you, sir," Hermione spoke up and Mac also bowed her head in thanks before she pulled out her Time-Turner and put the chain around Hermione's neck as well. She saw the lack of curiosity on Hermione's face when she saw the Time-Turner and decided to ask her about it later.
...
They landed in the middle of the living room and Mac glanced at the clock before wincing slightly.
"Ok, so it's getting rather late," she said. "Are you hungry, Granger-san?"
"Um, a little," Hermione admitted.
"Come on then;" Mac said and led the way to the kitchen. She quickly found something for them to eat and put it in front of Hermione. "Eat while I go and get ready for school. I have to change into my school uniform."
Hermione nodded and Mac rushed out of the kitchen to her room. She was glad she had put her uniform out the night before and quickly changed into the dark blue skirt with the white line at the bottom of it before pulling on the white shirt and buttoning it up and finally adding the red bow around the neck.
She pulled her hair back into her ponytail and looked at herself in the mirror to see that she looked alright, she pushed her glasses up further on her nose before turning around and grabbed her bag and green jacket as she left the room.
"Ready?" Mac asked when she was back in the kitchen.
Hermione looked at her and nodded, Mac could see her looking around curiously.
"Are you here alone?" Hermione asked.
"Taiga has already left for school, I guess," Mac shrugged, "and uncle Tarou is away on a business trip."
"I see," Hermione said.
Mac only shrugged and grabbed her apple to eat on the way. She closed the door behind Hermione and they walked out of the building in silence.
...
"Ok, so I have basketball practice early today," Mac said when they reached the school. They had just walked through the gates of the school. "The preliminaries for the Inter-High are coming up and we have the first match coming up soon."
"Inter-High?" Hermione asked curiously.
"It's a tournament for the best High School basketball teams," Mac explained. "All the schools have to play in preliminaries to qualify first for the Final League and then the Inter-High. Inter-High holds schools from the entire Nation."
"I see," Hermione said.
"So, I think our coach will allow you to watch the practice," Mac said, "I'll talk to him and ask if you can stay in the gym and watch if you want."
"Ok," Hermione nodded.
"Mac!" Both Mac and Hermione turned to see Sakurai and Namamura coming up behind them both blinking when they saw that Mac wasn't alone.
"I'm sorry!" Sakurai quickly apologized and bowed repeatedly. "I'm so sorry for interrupting you when you were already talking with someone, Mac!"
"Calm down, Sakurai-san," Mac said exasperatedly. "It's fine."
Hermione blinked a little shocked at the over the top apologizing, but she looked at Mac and saw that it was obviously something she was used to.
"Sakurai-san, Namamura-san, this is…a friend of mine," Mac said and Hermione caught the slight hesitation before she had said friend and felt a little sad about that, but at least she had said friend, "Granger Hermione. Granger-san, this is Sakurai Ryo and Namamura Nori. They're both teammates of mine from the basketball team, and Sakurai-san is in the same class as me as well."
"Nice to meet you," Namamura smiled and waved. Sakurai echoed the greeting but a little more timidly.
"Nice to meet you," Hermione said.
Mac started to walk again and the others followed.
"So, are you starting school here as well, Granger-san?" Namamura asked.
"No," Hermione shook her head.
"I'm sorry he asked!" Sakurai cried making Hermione blink at him.
"Why are you sorry?" Mac sighed. "Granger-san is just coming with me to school today, she goes to another school here in Japan. It's a boarding school, though."
"I see," Namamura said. "So, how much are you going to torture us at practice today, Mac?"
Mac blinked at him innocently making him groaned.
"Ryo-san, we're going to die!" Namamura cried dramatically throwing his arms around the other boy with fake tears.
"Sorry," Sakurai said but this time he sounded more amused than anything else.
"I don't know why you think I'm the one torturing you," Mac said smiling slightly, "I mean I'm not the coach."
"That's because they know the coach leaves much of our training up to you, Mac-san," a smooth voice said from behind them making Hermione jump but Mac just turned her head slightly to see Imayoshi and Susa there.
"Hm," was all Mac said.
"Who's this?" Imayoshi smile widened as he turned his closed eyes behind his glasses toward Hermione. "Friend of yours, Mac-san?"
"Yes," Mac said, "Granger Hermione. Granger-san, this is Imayoshi Shoichi, our Captain, and Susa Yoshinori our Vice-Captain. They're both 3rd years."
"H-hi," Hermione said nervously.
"Hm," Imayoshi said, "she doesn't look like a basketball player."
"She's not," Mac rolled her eyes, "now leave her alone, Captain."
"Yes, yes," Imayoshi smiled and backed off. "I wouldn't want to upset you, Mac-san."
Mac rolled her eyes as she watched them walk off and toward the locker room. She glanced at Hermione who swallowed looking nervous.
"Don't worry," she said, "he just enjoys teasing. He's not mean about it."
Hermione nodded but she looked unsure.
...
Hermione stared at Mac who was running back and forth between two lines on the court together with the other boys she had said was the regulars on the basketball team. The rest of the club was on the other part of the large gym and doing their own thing. She wasn't sure.
To say that Hermione was surprised would be an understatement when she saw Mac changed and getting ready to join the boys in their practice. Somehow Hermione had thought Mac had talked about a girls team when she talked about being on the basketball team. While Hermione knew that in the Wizarding world they mixed the genders together in Quidditch, she had not expected the same in the muggle world. She knew they were more…what to call it, conservative when it came to gender roles. At least in sports.
But seeing Mac interact with the team it was clear she had their respect and that they saw her as a friend, she would sometimes stop them and give new direction for what to do and they listened. It was…so strange to watch.
She was also starting to see why Namamura had been so worried before the practice because it was clear even to her that Mac was pushing them hard. She wouldn't allow anyone to stop running and would use rather inventive measures to get them to keep running. She even chased one of them around and poking him in the side with her fingers when he almost stopped running.
Whistle!
The sharp sound had Hermione rub her ear as she watched as Mac stopped the running exercise and the boys gathered around her. It was strange for Hermione to see Mac talk and use her hands as she explained something to them, a look of excitement on her face as she did so.
The practice went on and she watched as they finished with a practice match with Mac's team the winning one. She couldn't help but smile slightly as she watched Mac being patted on the shoulder by the one Mac had introduced as Susa. He was smiling down at her and said something that had Mac smile slightly and nods.
...
Hermione had spent the time Mac was in her first classes at the library doing her own homework (luckily she had her bag with her) since she couldn't join Mac in her classes. She didn't mind and it gave her time to think. So when Mac came and got her when it was lunch she was actually surprised at how fast the time had gone.
Hermione blinked when she met a pair of glaring navy blue eyes that belonged to a tall teen with navy blue hair that matched his eyes, he was standing right in front of her with his arms folded across his chest. Hermione noticed how tanned his skin was on his muscled arms that were bared as he had pulled up the sleeves of his shirt.
"You're the one who hurt Kenzie," Daiki snapped. "Why are you here?"
Hermione took a step back and swallowed not knowing what to say or how to react to him, he was…scary. She knew if looks could kill then she would be dead by now. She had not expected this when she followed Mac to the classroom she had just left to eat lunch.
"Daiki," Mac said and Hermione saw the small frown on Mac's face as she put a hand on Daiki's arm. "I invited her."
"Why would you do that?" Daiki demanded.
Hermione noticed that the girl who had come with Daiki looked from Daiki to Mac with something in her eyes that Hermione would have to call jealousy and resentment.
"We talked and I think it's time to try to understand each other," Mac said simply and gave him a look. He scowled but he didn't say anything else before he turned on the spot and marched out of the classroom with the girl running after him.
Hermione looked at Mac and saw the tired expression on her face before she blanked it and turned to look at her.
"I'm sorry about him," Mac said. "He's just…very protective."
"I understand," Hermione said quietly, "who is he?"
"He's my best friend," Mac smiled as she pointed to the free seat by her desk. "Sit down, Granger-san."
Hermione sat down and thought about what Mac had said. "Your best friend?"
"Yes," Mac nodded, "I met him when I was 8 years old and had just moved to Tokyo. He decided we were friends and dragged me with him to play basketball. He's the reason I love the sport so much."
Hermione blinked as she saw the nostalgic smile on Mac's face as she popped her head on her hand that rested on her elbow leaning against the desk.
"Oh," Hermione said. "He wasn't at the practice."
Hermione regretted saying it when she saw the smile fall from Mac's face and a dark look crossed her face as she leaned back again and looked away.
"He still plays, but…he doesn't enjoy the game anymore," Mac admitted quietly. "He only comes when he wants or I manage to convince him to show up."
Hermione didn't know what to say to that so she remained silent. Soon Mac seemed to shake it off and she gave Hermione a small smile that Hermione took as a victory. She couldn't help but notice that Mac seemed to be a little on the outside of the class. The other students in the class seemed to enter and leave the room as the lunch went on and she noticed how they talked and shouted at each other as they did, but Mac was left by herself by most. Only the one from the basketball practice joined them at the desk and he and Mac were now talking about drawing. Perhaps it was because she was there, but Hermione didn't think so.
Mac didn't look bothered by it either.
...
Finally the day ended and Mac could find Hermione and leave the school. While she didn't really care about the rest of the class she could get a little tired of the looks she got. She saw that Daiki was upset as well and he left before Mac could talk to him or ask him to join her and Hermione.
Well, it was probably for the best that he didn't join them because he was not happy with the other girl. She sighed. She really wanted Daiki to be with her and she needed him to keep calm, though the day had gone much better than what she had feared.
"Where to now?" Hermione asked.
"Hm, let's go to Maji Burger," Mac said, "I'm getting hungry."
"Ok," Hermione agreed.
They entered the burger place and Mac blinked when she noticed some familiar people there.
"Mac!" Taiga smiled before he blinked when he noticed Hermione next to her. "Who's that?"
Mac smiled slightly, "rude, Taiga."
He rolled his eyes at her but he was still looking at Hermione with curious red eyes.
"Mac," Tetsuya nodded with a pleased smile making Hermione startled slightly and look away from Taiga and over at Tetsuya in shock.
"Tetsu!" Mac smiled and hugged him making him choke slightly at the force of her hug. Mac pulled back with an apologetic smile and laugh. "Sorry, Tetsu."
"Hi Mac," Riko smiled from where she was sitting beside Hyuga and Izuki.
"Granger Hermione, this is my cousin Kagami Taiga, the one I live with," Mac said remembering that Taiga had asked about her but she had been distracted by Tetsuya. "Kuroko Tetsuya, a friend of mine as well as a former teammate, and this is their team, Riko, Izuki, Hyuga, Furihata, Koganei, Mitobe, Tsuchiba, Fukuda and Kawahara-san."
Mac pointed at them all as she said the names.
"Taiga, this is a friend, Granger Hermione," Mac said looking at Taiga.
"Do you want to join us?" Riko asked.
Mac looked at Hermione who met her eyes and nodded.
"If you want to, Potter-san," she said.
Mac smiled and nodded. They went and bought their food before they went back to the table and sat down at the free seats that had been added for them. Mac sat beside Tetsuya.
...
Hermione once more observed Mac as she talked with her friends, and saw the smiles on her face as she talked to the one who had shocked her with his presence. She hadn't even seen him sitting there until he spoke, but it was clear that Mac had noticed him because she hadn't startled or anything just hugged him.
"Are you getting ready for your match?" Mac asked curiously as she looked at Riko.
Hermione saw the way Mac seemed to observe the other girl and wondered if she was a player as well.
"We're working hard," Riko said. "But there's still much to do."
Mac nodded in understanding.
"Are you a player as well, Riko-san?" Hermione asked bringing their attention over to her.
"No," Riko smiled, "I'm the coach for Seirin."
Hermione blinked shocked and looked at Mac who nodded with a small smile. She then watched as Riko and Mac got into a basketball discussion and Hyuga and Izuki also joining.
"Do you like basketball?" the question had Hermione look away from Mac and over to the one she had called her cousin. He was tall and had this intensity around him that had Hermione feel on edge and nervous all at the same time. His eyes locked her in place as she tried to find her voice again.
"I never really watched it before," Hermione admitted blushing slightly.
"You never watched it?!" Taiga repeated shocked staring at her with wide red eyes.
Hermione shook her head worried she had offended him or something.
"Where have you been hiding?" Taiga asked incredulously. "Basketball is the best sport ever! It's thrilling and exciting and fun and…you have to have watched it!"
"Not until Potter-san brought me to their teams practice today," Hermione said.
Taiga blinked and blinked again.
Hermione heard a giggle and tore her eyes away from the tall red-head and saw Mac watching them amused having stopped her own discussion and obviously caught their conversation.
"I think you broke Taiga, Granger-san," Mac said amusedly looking at her cousin. "Well done."
"I didn't do anything," Hermione protested.
"His life is basketball and he has trouble understanding that others aren't that obsessed with it as he is," Mac said still smiling. "Just a warning…he will now try to convert you into a basketball fanatic."
Hermione blinked and like on cue Taiga broke his stunned silence and dove into a basketball rant.
...
"Come on," Mac said after they left the burger place and dragged Hermione with her and away from Taiga who was still going on about basketball.
Hermione followed and waved goodbye to the others who had been more open and cheerful than the students in Mac's class. She glanced at Mac who was smiling slightly and wondered just what had her in such a good mood.
"I want you to meet someone else before I take you back to Professor Sato's place," Mac said and looked at the clock. "It should still be early enough."
"Ok," Hermione said curiously but didn't press when Mac didn't say anything else.
They had to take the bus to get there, but it wasn't that far. Mac was silent as they rode the bus. She seemed to be thinking as they walked down the streets and glanced at Hermione from time to time as if she was considering something.
"That's where I met Daiki for the first time," Mac suddenly said and Hermione stopped realising that Mac had stopped walking and was staring at what Hermione realised was a basketball court in a park. There were some kids there playing now and Hermione tried to picture Mac and Daiki play there when they were kids. "He stopped my cousin from bullying me and stealing my sketchpad from me."
Hermione blinked and looked over at Mac who was still staring at the court like she was seeing something Hermione couldn't see.
"Dudley never like me," Mac admitted. "He would do everything he could to make me miserable and his parents encouraged it. Daiki was the first one to stand up against Dudley and actually help me. Of course, my uncle destroyed my sketchpad when I got back home anyway and punished me for stealing even though they knew I hadn't stolen it."
Hermione swallowed as she stared at Mac. She was lost for words and she suddenly felt a stab of regret and guilt for the things she'd said. The girl she had been watching and observing the whole day was not anything like the girl she had read about. She was starting to see that. She followed silently when Mac started to walk again. The look on Mac's face was as if she was wondering why she had said what she had and Hermione could kind of understand that. It was rather personal after all.
Soon they were in front of a nice and very homey home. She saw Mac easily walk up the path to the house and ring the doorbell. Hermione wondered who lived here. The door opened and before Hermione could see who it was a voice called out:
"Mac-nee!"
A boy about 9 years old, Hermione would guess, was already connected around Mac's middle and hugging the girl around the waist while beaming up at her.
"I didn't know you were coming over today!" he beamed.
"It wasn't planned, Shiro," Mac smiled warmly and pushed her hand through the boy's hair.
Hermione could see the warmth in Mac's face when she looked at the boy.
"Come inside," Shiro smiled. "Sayuri and Daiki-nii is home too."
Daiki, Hermione thought, that must mean that they must be at his home. She wondered why Mac had brought her here because it was clear that the other boy didn't like her. She looked at Mac who didn't look worried at all.
"Come on," Mac said glancing at Hermione as she allowed Shiro to drag her inside the house.
"Mum! Mac-nee is here!" Shiro called.
They were in the living room and Hermione thought it reminded her a lot of how her home was back in London, how her parents lived. Suddenly she missed them something fierce and she almost felt like crying. Especially when the older woman came into the room and smiled warmly when she saw Mac and pulled the girl into a hug.
Hermione watched as another girl entered the room, she was obviously Shiro's twin and hugged Mac as well. Hermione couldn't help but notice that the girl had a book with her and she wondered what book it was.
"Daiki-nii is in his room," Sayuri said.
"I see," Ayano sighed before she smiled as she turned her attention to Hermione who suddenly felt very nervous. "Hi, I'm sorry we're being rude. I'm Aomine Ayano."
"Granger Hermione," Hermione said smiling nervously.
"Nice to meet you, Granger-san," Ayano smiled, "these two are Shiro and Sayuri."
"My little brother and sister," Mac added cheerfully as she ruffled both their hair and laughed when they slapped her hand away.
Hermione smiled more as she greeted the two and she blinked when she saw the suspicion in Shiro's eyes and the protective way he held onto Mac, while Sayuri smiled more open and happy.
They sat in the living room and talked and Hermione saw that Mac really was a part of this family, when the man who introduced himself as Takehiro came home he added Mac in his teasing and ruffled her hair just as he did with the other two kids.
Even Daiki was lured downstairs and while he glared at Hermione he kept close to Mac and watched her with a close eye, and Mac seemed unaware of the way he watched her. Yet, there was something about the way she watched him as well. She would almost unconsciously lean toward him even when she was talking with someone else, and Hermione blinked as she noticed it.
...
"Thank you, Potter-san," Hermione said when they were back in the hallway of Sato's house.
Mac tilted her head as she watched her and Hermione swallowed and fiddled with the hem of her shirt before looking back at Mac who hadn't said anything.
"I…think I understand now," Hermione confessed quietly. "I…I see that you're happy here and that you have people who you would rather not lose."
Mac nodded.
"I promise, I won't tell anyone I know you're here," Hermione promised. "Though I still think you should let some of them know, but I understand that you won't."
Mac was still just staring at her and Hermione shifted on her feet but she waited and she met the green eyes that were curiously looking into hers.
"Ok," Mac said, "thank you."
Hermione nodded and turned to go back to the room she usually used while here. She felt a little heavy and she wasn't sure why. She'd had fun during her day spent with Mac and she realised that she would miss it. She had relaxed more than she had in years if she had ever relaxed this much and her mind hadn't run to a book and felt the need to fill every silence with information from her books.
"Granger-san," Mac's voice stopped her and she turned to look back at Mac who was still standing where she had left her. Mac smiled slightly, "I know we've had our differences, and we still have things to work out…but I didn't mind spending time with you today."
Hermione smiled, she couldn't help herself. "I'm glad."
"Oh, and Hermione," Mac's voice had her still and her mind spun, she had just been called by her first name... "My friends call me Mac."
...
...
AN: Thank you for reading:)