Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Kuroko no Basket!
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1st year – Too Academy
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"Finally," Mac said and leaned back on her seat tipping back slightly so she could stare up at the ceiling. The notebook was lying open on the desk in front of her full of notes on the training menus for all the regulars. They were more detailed and comprehensive than ever before and with this they would become much stronger.
The memory of losing against Seijuro and Rakuzan still stung, but she pulled strength from it now. She never wanted to feel like that again. She would do what she could so that when they were faced with the same situation again they would win.
She glanced down at the notebook again and smiled to herself. It was a great feeling to finally have it done and she couldn't wait until she could actually get them started on this. An idea had also been running around in her mind for a while but she had not done anything about it because of everything that had gone on in her life. But now that things had calmed down a little she was ready to take her idea to the coach and see what he thought.
She heard the front door open and close and sighed as a frown settled on her face. Taiga had been quiet since she'd told him about Sirius and Remus a couple of days ago. He had been upset that she hadn't told him before and she really wasn't sure what to do about it. She hated that he was upset with her and wanted to make him understand.
But understand what? Why hadn't she told him about Sirius and Remus when they first came? She still hadn't told her uncle and Taiga had told her to do it or he would. But what if he thought that this gave him a reason to get rid of her? What if he got angry at her too?
A nagging feeling churned in her stomach just thinking it and she could not stop herself from clenching her hands so hard that her knuckles turned white.
"Hey, Mac," a familiar and unexpected voice said making Mac straighten up in her chair and spin around to see her uncle standing in the doorway. He was smiling but his face turned worried when he saw Mac who had no idea what her face looked like. "Are you okay?"
Mac swallowed and tried to calm down.
"I'm…fine," Mac said and tried to smile but it turned more out like a grimace.
"If you're sure;" Tarou said but sounded worried. "Where's Taiga?"
Mac shrugged.
"I thought it was him coming home now," she said.
Tarou nodded but glanced at the clock.
"I see," he said. "Well, I'll start making dinner."
"Great," Mac said.
"Don't work too hard, Mac," Tarou said as he turned. "You're looking a little pale and you really should take a break from all your work sometime."
Mac only nodded turning back to the desk. The worry from Tarou was only making the nagging feeling in her stomach grow even larger. Her good mood from finishing the training menus for the team was gone.
...
Tarou looked between Mac and Taiga with a pensive frown on his face. They barely spoke and there was a tension in the air that he couldn't quite understand. It was like it was back when Mac first moved in but it made no sense. He thought the two of them got along very well so why did they barely even look at each other?
He really wished his wife were here because she would know if he should address this or let them work it out on their own. He knew that some issues were best left on their own for them to work out, but at the same time maybe they needed help?
He hoped that they both knew that they could come to him if they needed help with anything. He felt a stab of guilt he always felt when he thought that he wasn't doing a good job as a father or an uncle.
He watched, unable to say anything, as Taiga got up, placed his plate by the sink and walked out of the room without as much as a word. He turned his eyes to Mac who was looking after Taiga with a sad look on her face but when she caught him looking she blanked her face in a way that really worried him. Had she always been that good at hiding her emotions that quickly?
"I'll clean up," Mac said quietly getting up. "Thank you for the food, uncle Tarou."
He opened his mouth to say…something but closed it again. He stayed in his seat for a moment longer watching as she started to clean up after dinner and worked with silent efficiency. She looked focused on her task but at the same time, he knew she was not really present here, that her mind was somewhere else. But where?
Later he stood in front of the window in the living room and looked out over the city and the lights shining in the dark evening.
"I don't know what to do, Sophia," Tarou murmured and glanced down at the picture of his darling wife, her green eyes shining up at him even through the picture. Her auburn hair was short but he liked it that way, he could still remember how it felt to pull his fingers through it. Even if he sometimes wondered if he only imagined it or worried that he was forgetting. "You would know how to help them. I just…don't know."
He sighed and pulled a hand over his face feeling tired.
...
Daiki was half lying; half sitting propped up against the wall on the stage in the gym and the sounds from the practice were surrounding him. To everyone else, he was napping like he usually did when he bothered to show up for practice, but if anyone took the time to look over at him they would see that his eyes were open and that he was watching Mac.
He felt a rising worry inside of him as he saw the fake smile she put on for Sakurai as she explained something to him from the training menu she had set up for him. She was working her way through the team and explained to them what she wanted them to do, she would smile and laugh but was he really the only one who heard how fake it all sounded?
No, he frowned as he looked over at Imayoshi and Susa. Both of them had started their own programs, Daiki had seen them put the printed sheet of papers of detailed training menus that Mac had set up for them away before starting. But they were now also looking at Mac from time to time and both looked worried. Well, Susa looked worried. Imayoshi looked…intrigued but Daiki had learned to see through some of his masks and did detect some worry underlying the intrigue.
Daiki scowled. He knew why Mac was upset. Of course, he did. Taiga. Her cousin. That stupid, too dim of light cousin! How dare he make Mac upset and worried like this?!
"Daiki," Mac suddenly said and he realised that the practice was over and she was standing just below the stage looking at him. "What have you scowling like that? Bad dream?"
A small teasing smile was on her lips but it disappeared quickly but Daiki just smiled back and pushed himself up and jumped effortlessly off the stage landing next to her.
"Nah," he smiled and reached out ruffling her hair.
"Oi! Stop that," Mac swatted his hand away and tried to straighten her hair back again. "My hair is messy enough as it is."
Daiki just grinned and she rolled her eyes.
"So, where to next?" Daiki asked.
"I need to go home to study," Mac sighed and yawned.
"Again?" Daiki asked.
"Professor Sato told me that he has signed me up for my OWLs," Mac said looking both stressed and excited. "It's in a month!"
"So just before school starts up again?" Daiki asked.
"Yeah," Mac said. "I will take it in four subjects, so it will be for four days."
Daiki looked over at her and frowned a little but he pushed the worry back.
"Alright," he said. "Do you still have lessons with Professor Sato?"
They exited the school now and walked over the schoolyard. Seeing that it was the summer holidays they were practically alone at the school, Daiki had no idea where the rest of the team had gone to. Probably left without him noticing.
"No," Mac said. "He said that I would need to prepare on my own for the upcoming weeks. I can call on him if I need to, but it's really just revisions and I can do that on my own."
"I see," Daiki nodded.
"Come on, Daiki," Mac smiled and reached over and took his hand in hers. "I'll still have time for you."
"You better," Daiki said. "And it's your birthday in a few days, you know."
Mac blinked for a moment before she looked away from him and he saw the frown on her face.
"Oh," she said. "I didn't realise."
He sighed but didn't say anything. Instead, he squeezed her hand and they walked in silence until they reached the bus stop.
Daiki was not pleased and he was not going to put up with it anymore. After saying goodbye to Mac outside of her apartment building he turned around and stalked back to the bus stop.
...
Taiga scowled as he dunked another ball harshly through the net and landed on the parquet again.
"Wow! Kagami!" Furihata exclaimed.
"That was even more powerful than your last one!" Kawahara added.
Taiga just shrugged and scowled as he turned back ignoring the approaching eyes from Tetsuya at the rudeness he showed. He couldn't care though; his mind was too preoccupied with Mac.
Why hadn't she told him?
She should have told him. He grabbed the ball again and started to dribble it across the court not paying attention to those who tried to steal the ball from him but avoided them out of reflex of instinct. She should have let him know.
He should have known. He should have pressed her more. Why hadn't he? He had known that something was wrong but he had done nothing. Nothing.
What kind of cousin was he?
She had needed him and he had pretended that he didn't know that she was struggling? But how was he to know that it was something like that? How was he to know that she was keeping something that big from him and his dad? His dad who still didn't know.
What if they lost Mac because they didn't know?
He dunked yet another before stopping as the last thought registered in his mind.
Could they lose Mac? The two men were friends of her parents; they obviously cared enough about her to search for her. They wouldn't do that if they didn't want her in their lives, right? Right? But…
"Kagami?" Teppei's voice sounded and he realised that he had stood still for too long.
Before he could say anything the door was thrown open with such force that it banged against the wall and the tall figure out Aomine Daiki walked, no stalked, into the gym.
Without taking any notice of the surprised looks he got he marched right up to Taiga and grabbed the collar of his shirt and pushed him back so hard that he hit the wall underneath the hoop.
"Stop being an idiot and stop hurting Kenzie!" Daiki snarled as he pushed Taiga against the wall.
Taiga glared back and tried to push Daiki off but Daiki just pushed back.
"Oi!"
"What are you doing?!"
"Let go of Kagami!"
The cries from the team around them went to deaf ears as Daiki glared at Taiga who was frowning now as he glared back at Daiki.
"I won't accept anyone making Kenzie smile those fake smiles again," Daiki said. "Not even you."
"Aomine-kun," Tetsuya spoke up and the two boys realised that the shadow had come up next to them and was now looking imploringly at Daiki. "Let go of Kagami-kun."
Daiki scoffed.
"Tell me why I should let go of the jerk?" Daiki challenged.
"You really should," Teppei spoke up. "Mac wouldn't like it if you get into a fight with her cousin."
Daiki glowered over at Teppei who just stared back at him with a mildly curious face. Daiki huffed before looking back at Taiga who hadn't said anything.
"Whatever," Daiki said but he did let go of Taiga and took a step back ignoring the relieved looks from the rest of the team.
"Now why have you come here to assault one of our players," Teppei asked like he was asking about the weather.
"Oi! Sound a little more serious here, Kiyoshi!" Hyuga protested before he turned to Daiki. "And you! What do you think you're doing with our Ace?! HUH?!"
"Oi! Hyuga is in clutch-mode!" The first years yelped.
Daiki felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance as he looked at Taiga.
"None of your business," Daiki scoffed. "So get lost!"
"You're the one who came here," Teppei pointed out.
"Well, Kenzie isn't here and this is the only place I could find the jerk without her, so…" Daiki snapped.
"So you don't want Mac to know," Teppei confirmed. "She will find out, you know."
Daiki scowled at him.
"You're going to go and tell her?" Daiki asked with a sour look.
"Hm…" Teppei smiled. "Who knows…"
"Stay away from her," Daiki said.
"We're friends," Teppei said. "That won't change just because you say so, Aomine."
Daiki stepped forward but Tetsuya put up a hand to stop him and actually managed to do so. Daiki scowled and turned back toward Taiga and the scowl deepened even more.
"Talk to Kenzie or you won't like what I'll do," Daiki warned.
"What's it to you if I talk to Mac or not?!" Taiga challenged.
Tetsuya glanced at Taiga with a small frown but didn't say anything as Daiki stepped closer to Taiga again.
"Because she is smiling her fake smiles that she used to smile before," Daiki said. "I don't ever want to see her smile those smiles again. She's worried about you for some reason and you're acting like a jerk. You're making her believe that you don't want her in your lives anymore and that's not acceptable! I don't care about your reason. Kenzie is upset and it's your fault. Fix it. Today."
With that Daiki spun around and left as abruptly and forcefully as he had entered leaving a stunned Seirin behind.
...
Tarou looked up at the house in front of him and wondered again if he was doing the right thing. He should know what to do without coming here, but he was at a loss. With a deep sigh, he walked up to the door and rang the doorbell.
"Ah, Kagami-san," Ayano smiled warmly when she saw him.
"Hello, Aomine-san," Tarou smiled back. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"
"No, not at all," Ayano smiled and opened the door wider. "Come in, come in. And call me Ayano, alright?"
Tarou stepped inside and nodded.
"Then call me Tarou," he replied.
Ayano led him into the living room and told him to sit while she made some coffee and got Takehiro. Takehiro entered the living room before his wife and smiled in greeting. They talked casually until Ayano came back with coffees.
"So, what brings you here?" Ayano said after a while.
Takehiro put down his coffee cup and furrowed his brow slightly as he thought on how to best ask them.
"I don't really know if I even should be here," he admitted.
Ayano and Takehiro exchange a look before they looked back at Tarou.
"Is something wrong with Mac?" Ayano asked worriedly.
Tarou looked at her before he nodded but then frowned.
"My wife would have known what to do," he said. "But I don't. I am not good at dealing with teenagers and I just don't know what to do…"
"I'm sure you're doing a good job, Tarou," Ayano said. "Mac often talks about you, you know."
Tarou felt a little surprised hearing that but also felt a warmth spread through him at the thought.
"Something has happened between Taiga and Mac," Tarou said abruptly.
"And you don't know what?" Takehiro asked.
"No," Tarou said. "I got back yesterday and they barely said a word to each other or even looked at each other during dinner. It was like it was when she first moved in, no, it's worse than when she first moved in. There's a tension between them and I don't know what to do. Should I ask them what happened or should I wait till they come to me or solve it themselves?"
Tarou looked at the parents of Mac's best friend and boyfriend hoping that they would know what he should do. He saw the concentrated looks on their faces as they processed what he was saying.
"I know Taiga will come to me if he thinks he should," Tarou said. "He just uses a little time before he does, but… Mac… I don't think she's really come to me with a problem or anything since she moved in. I haven't really thought about it until now."
Ayano nodded in understanding.
"She probably wouldn't," she agreed seriously.
"But why?" Tarou frowned.
"You know she stayed with her aunt and uncle before she moved in here," Ayano said looking at him.
"Yes, but Mac never talks about them," Tarou said.
"No, she wouldn't," Takehiro said scowling.
Tarou looked between them and felt he was missing something. Well, of course, he knew that something was wrong with the aunt and uncle, but he never was told exactly what they did. He knew they left her and that was the reason Sasaki had come looking for him or rather Sophia.
"Mac never expects help from adults," Ayano said sadly. "Not really. She will always try to solve everything on her own and if she needs help she will ask Daiki or her other friends from Teiko. You've probably heard her talk about them if you haven't met them."
Tarou nodded thoughtfully.
"I think that the only one she really trusts is her friends," Ayano continued. "I know she trusts us to a certain extent but she doesn't expect help. It's because she grew up thinking that she was a burden and unwanted. That's why she doesn't think she's worth it and she fears to burden anyone."
Tarou scowled and felt a rush of anger.
"Those…animals," he sneered.
"Agreed," Takehiro nodded. "Unfortunately, there's not much we can do but to be here and show her that we care. When she comes to you don't get mad at her, just help her. That will show her that she is wanted."
...
Taiga walked away from the others and picked up a basketball once more but he didn't move to start playing again. He just stared at the ball as Daiki's words echoed in his mind. The anger he had expected but at the same time…not. He hadn't expected him to come at him like this.
"Kagami-kun?"
Taiga glanced to the side and saw Tetsuya standing there staring at him with those teal eyes of his in a way that made him feel like the other boy saw straight through him. Had he been standing there long?
"What?" Taiga asked gruffly.
"Are you okay?" Tetsuya asked.
"Are you worried about me, Kuroko?" Taiga asked with an arched brow. "What Aomine told you that I'm the reason Mac is upset?"
Tetsuya stared at him for a long moment.
"Aomine-kun has a tendency to overreact when it comes to Mac," Tetsuya finally said. "He would react with anger rather than trying to understand where you are coming from."
"And you understand?" Taiga couldn't help but ask.
"You found out that Mac has met some friends of her parent's, right?" Tetsuya asked.
"You seem to know," Taiga said bitterly and threw the basketball hard across the room.
Tetsuya seemed unbothered and just stared at Taiga without saying anything.
"They were at our apartment a couple of days ago," Taiga finally said. "She told me after they had left and…I don't understand. Why didn't she tell me before? She should have told me and dad. Dad still have no idea and how are we supposed to help if we don't even know what's wrong?"
Tetsuya frowned slightly before he blanked his face hiding the frown from Taiga.
"She loves you and your dad, Kagami-kun," Tetsuya said quietly.
Taiga blushed a little and his scowl lessened slightly but he still looked upset.
"But…"
"I think you would find that Aomine-kun touched on what the problem is," Tetsuya said quietly.
"Eh?"
"When he said that you're making her think that you don't want her in your lives anymore," Tetsuya reminded him making Taiga frown.
"I don't understand," Taiga said, "why would she think…"
Tetsuya smiled a sad smile that had Taiga stop talking and frown deeper.
"That is something that you need to hear from Mac," Tetsuya said. "But you should know… Mac really does care for you and what you think. She would hate to know that you're upset because she didn't tell you about them. She didn't tell you because she didn't trust you, but…well, she's scared."
With that Tetsuya turned to leave.
"Wait, Kuroko!" Taiga said. "What do you mean?"
"I already said too much," Tetsuya said. "I won't say anything else. Please don't make Mac sad, Kagami-kun."
...
Mac sighed as she felt a wave of tiredness wash over her. Her eyes felt heavy and the words on the page seemed to swim before her eyes. She rubbed her eyes trying to make them focus. She was on her own in the apartment, well Nao was curled up on her bed asleep, her uncle was out somewhere and she guessed Taiga was with his team.
Her mind drifted to Daiki and she felt a little worried about him. He had seemed angry about something earlier and she really should have talked to him about it. She felt a stab of guilt for not taking the time to find out what was bothering him just because she was preoccupied with thoughts of her revisions.
She shook her head. There was no use in thinking about it now. She would call him later or talk to him tomorrow and that would be fine. She just didn't have the energy to spend on it and even if it made her feel bad she knew she had to get through more of her revisions if she was going to be ready for her OWLs in time.
It was thirty minutes later she was still reading about counter-jinxes when she heard the door open and close sharply before hurried footsteps came toward her room.
"Mac!"
Mac turned in time to see Taiga coming into her room and stopping just inside the door.
"Taiga," she said. "Are you okay?"
Taiga blinked.
"I'm fine," he said.
Mac sighed but didn't press it. She also had to hide a smile at the fact that they were talking without him scowling at her and she felt a spark of hope.
"Mac…" he started before he shifted his weight on his feet. "I…"
He seemed to be at a loss on what to say.
"Why don't you sit down, Taiga?" Mac asked.
Taiga nodded and moved toward the bed before he stopped so abruptly that Mac blinked and then she followed his eyes and she couldn't hold back a smile. Nao was lying on the bed. She had forgotten and Taiga never went near Nao if he didn't absolutely have to.
"Let's go into the living room," Mac offered and managed to keep the amusement out of her voice. Barely.
"Okay," Taiga said relieved.
...
Just as they were about to start to talk Tarou came back and paused as he saw the two seated together on the sofa. He blinked.
"Huh," he said.
"Uncle Tarou?" Mac looked up at him confused.
"Nothing," he smiled. "I was just worried because the two of you seemed to have had a fight and now I'm happy to see that you're talking."
Mac looked down before she glanced up again.
"Well, we're about to talk," she said and swallowed. She clenched her hands before she inhaled and forced herself to relax. "Actually, I have something to tell you too…"
Mac inhaled and fisted her hands as she waited until her uncle had taken a seat and was looking at her. With another deep breath, she started to tell him about Sirius and Remus.
Tarou listened and felt a feeling of dread fill his stomach but he kept his initial reaction of being upset of not being told before back keeping what Ayano and Takehiro had told him in mind. He looked at her when she finished talking and saw the nerves she was trying to hide but failed with how she shifted on the sofa.
"I see," Tarou said breaking the silence. Mac looked at him with a surprised look and even Taiga looked at him looking slightly taken aback.
"I see?" Mac repeated. "You're…not angry?"
"With you?" Tarou asked and Mac nodded slowly. "No, Mac. I'm not angry with you. I am just sorry that you didn't feel that you could come to me with your problems. I had hoped that you knew that I would help you."
Mac opened her mouth before she closed it again.
"I…" Mac trailed off lost.
"It's okay," Tarou said. "But I want you to come to me if you have any problems. I'm your guardian and your uncle, which means that it's my job to look after you and keep you safe. I know that I leave you and Taiga on your own a lot, probably too much, but I will always have time for you if you need me, Mac. You and Taiga both will be my priorities."
Tarou could see that it was a lot for Mac to take in and it hurt to see the doubt so clear in those green eyes that were so much like his wife's. For the first time, he really wished he knew just what she had gone through with the Dursley's so that he would know what to do to fix it.
Knowing that he shouldn't push too hard right now he smiled and got up from his seat and walked over to her and placed his hand on her head. She blinked and tilted her head up a little to look up and him with a confused and almost lost expression on her face.
"I'm really happy that you came to live with me and Taiga, Mac," he said softly and leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he walked away.
...
Mac touched her forehead again when she was lying on her bed with Nao snuggled up to her side. She could still feel the soft pressure of the kiss on her forehead and it made her chest almost hurt. Her throat felt thick and dry all at once and it didn't matter how many times she tried to swallow. It didn't help the feeling.
It felt like something she imagined a father would do with his daughter. It was something she had seen Takehiro do with Sayuri before bed, and she had envied. She hadn't even realised that she had envied it until now. Until she felt…what did she feel?
Safe? Loved?
She wasn't sure but it was warm and something she only really felt with a few sets of people and still, it was different. It was hard to analyse and it annoyed her because she was good at analysing things. She should be able to analyse this as well, she thought.
She sighed softly and stroked Nao's head making the fox looked up at her with sleepy eyes. He yawned and nudged her like he was telling her to go to sleep. She smiled slightly and pulled the covers over her and allowed herself to close her eyes and drift off to sleep.
...
"What did you do?" Mac asked exasperatedly when she saw Daiki the next morning in the gym right before their practice was going to start.
"Who says I have done anything?" Daiki asked.
The others looked between them and Imayoshi was already smiling like he was expecting a show.
"You did something," Mac frowned as she looked at Daiki. "Otherwise you wouldn't have been here on time. You're trying to make it up to me without me even knowing what you're trying to make up for! So, what did you do, Daiki?"
Daiki huffed and looked away.
"Ooh," Imayoshi smiled. "Intrigue."
Mac ignored him as she looked at Daiki who was shifting on his feet and shoved his hands into his jersey jacket pockets. He also refused to look at her and she knew he was trying to hide something from her. He always did this when he was.
"Spill it," Mac said.
"Nothing!" Daiki said. "Shouldn't we start practice?"
Mac arched a brow.
"You want to start practice?" she asked.
He blinked.
"Well, then," Mac said. "You better participate today, Daiki."
She turned to the rest and told them that Harasawa would be a little late and that they would start with running laps around the school for warm-ups.
Mac kept an eye on Daiki as they ran and noticed that even though he tried to avoid her (she let him) he would glance over at her with a worried and searching look. At times he seemed relieved at whatever it was he saw but then he looked pensive again. She knew he was hiding something and she had to know what.
...
"Sorry! I'm sorry!" Sakurai bowed frantically as Mac glanced at him.
"For what?" She asked not sure why he was apologizing this time.
"I should have made sure Aomine-kun kept practising!" Sakurai said and apologized once more.
Mac just waved it off and rolled her eyes as she spotted Daiki on the stage having completed his rounds for the warm-ups and was now on his favourite spot.
"Daiki! Since you wanted to practice then get off your lazy bum and get over here!" Mac called.
"I do love to watch you keep your boy in line," Imayoshi smirked at her.
"Just do your own exercises, Captain," Mac sighed.
"You know, I feel like I should be the one to order you around and not the other way around," Imayoshi commented dryly but he walked over to Susa and they started to work on their exercises together seeing that she had told them to work together on their offence/defence moves.
Mac shook her head but smiled slightly as she turned to see Daiki jumping off the stage and look around.
"Oi! Wakamatsu! Let's play!" Daiki called.
"Oi! Watch how you speak to me, Aomine!" Wakamatsu yelled angrily but he was making his way toward them. "You rude little brat!"
Mac sighed.
"Looks like they are worked up," Harasawa's voice sounded and Mac turned to look at the coach as he watched Daiki and Wakamatsu start their one-on-one. He had obviously just arrived. "You're going to let them play?"
"I had planned on having them play," Mac said. "Wakamatsu needs to learn to play against someone similar as himself but also more playful, and if he can get used to playing against Daiki he will most likely not be as easily affected by other teams and their attempts to push his buttons."
Harasawa arched a brow.
"So, you think he'll get used to it and therefore not as easily angered?" he asked to clarify.
"It's worth a shot," Mac nodded. "Daiki is very good at pushing Wakamatsu's buttons, so he is the best choice."
"Interesting," Harasawa said.
...
...
AN: What do you think? XD
A little more insight into Mac's uncle Tarou in this one. :) Hope you liked that. I just thought it was time to show a little more bonding between Mac and her family.
Next chapter will have a birthday-date for Mac and Daiki! :) Any ideas on what they should do? XD
Thank you for reading and for supporting this story! :D