Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Prince of Tennis!

...

...

Hari jumped up the steps that led from the path along the river and up to the street. She had counted and found that it totalled in 54 steps. She jumped another step and another trying not to think about how many she had left.

"Motto hayaku!"

"Slave driver!" Hari gasped out as she finally reached the top and sank down so she was seated on the top step and stared down at Fuji who was just smirking up at her. She leaned forward trying to catch her breath.

"Come on, Hari-chan," Fuji smiled. "I know you have more than that!"

Hari gave him a tired glare but got to her feet again and jogged down the steps and turned around before starting to jump up once more. She gritted her teeth as she jumped and ignored the way her legs felt like they were turning into jelly.

One more.

Again.

Just…one more.

She reached the top and collapsed on her back and stared up at the blue sky with white clouds drifting by as her breaths came out harshly and her heart thundered in her chest. She barely noticed that Fuji was now coming up besides he and sat down as well.

"You really shouldn't lie down like this here," he told her. "You might be trodden on."

"Damare," she mumbled and he laughed.

They sat/lay in silence for a while and Hari wondered just why she was bothering with this before she remembered it was all because she was working on her new move.

"You're stamina and jumping abilities are getting better," Fuji commented.

"You think so?" Hari asked glancing over at him before looking back at the sky.

"Of course," Fuji smiled. "So, let's go back to the court and we'll start training on your jump as you try to hit the tennis ball."

Hari nodded and pushed herself up and followed Fuji back down and made their way toward the court they normally used when they were practising her new move together.

...

"Who are you?" A boy asked and Hari looked around to see a boy with short brown hair staring at her with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Rude," Hari said and turned her back at him to continue with her work.

She was alone for now because Fuji had to go and fix something but he would be back soon. She ignored the stares she felt on her back as she hit yet another ball over the net and grimaced as she didn't hit it correctly.

"I asked you who you are?" the boy demanded and stepped onto the court, "and what are you doing here?!"

Hari sighed as she lowered her racket and turned to face the boy. He was glaring at her and she arched a brow at him.

"You know it's a public court, right?" she asked him. "Also, it's only polite to introduce yourself first before you demand a name from someone you've never met."

"Pfft," he scoffed. "Whatever. I need the court, so please leave."

His tone was mocking and she sighed.

"Ie," she said. "I don't feel like it."

She glanced over at him and saw the rebellious look in his eyes and the glare he continued to level at her.

"You know, it's room for more than one," she said. "I don't mind if you use the other half."

"Well, I do mind," the boy growled. "So, leave."

"Ie," Hari said simply.

"Yuta?" Fuji's voice sounded and Hari looked to the side to see her friend had returned and was staring at the boy, Yuta?, with a stunned look and actually opened eyes.

Hari looked at Yuta and saw that he had frozen for a moment before he glared hatefully at Fuji and spun around before running off the court.

...

"You know him?" Hari asked when the silence stretched. She watched Fuji with concern as she was worried about how silent he was.

Fuji stared after the other boy even after he was out of sight before he sighed and looked tired.

"He's my little brother," Fuji finally said.

Hari hid her surprise as she looked at Fuji and noticed the tension in his shoulders and the way his jaw was clenched. He also looked sad and pensive at the same time.

"Let's continue," Fuji said as he shook himself and seemingly returned to his normal self. Hari gave him a last look before she nodded.

"Alright," she said.

She wasn't going to ask even if she felt curious about their relationship. She could remember the way Yuta looked at Fuji, it was filled with contempt and pain, and Fuji…she had never seen that tired expression on his face before.

Hari just went back to what she was doing and smiled when Fuji joined her.

They had finished and Hari was putting her racket back into the bag and was zipping it up when she heard a sigh and looked over at Fuji to find him seated on the bench leaned back and staring up at the sky.

"You okay, Shu-chan?" she asked.

He blinked and turned blue eyes to her and gave her a questioning look.

"Shu-chan?" he asked.

"Why not?" she grinned, "you don't like it?"

He laughed and shrugged.

"I guess you can call me that," he said before looking back at the sky.

"So?" Hari sat down beside him and looked up at the sky herself as she waited for him to say something.

"I'm alright, Hari-chan," Fuji said. "I was just thinking about my brother."

Hari nodded.

"I haven't really seen him in a while," Fuji confessed.

Hari frowned but didn't say anything and just let Fuji decide what to say.

"He used to be a cry-baby and weak," Fuji recollected. "And he would follow me around everywhere and try to do everything I did. He picked up tennis when I did and we used to come here and play together."

Hari glanced over at him from the corner of her eye and saw the nostalgic look on his face.

"But…as we grew older he got more and more angry and hostile," Fuji sighed. "I know it was my fault."

Hari frowned but still kept silent as she let him speak.

"Everyone started to compare him to me and expect that he had the same talent in tennis," Fuji said, "and he hated it. He used to attend Seigaku, but he quit when he couldn't get out of my shadow. I tried to help, but everything just made it worse."

He sighed and a shadow crossed over his face as he clearly remembered something painful. Hari was surprised by what she heard and felt sorry for both Fuji and his brother, but she also understood. She had seen this before, after all. Ron and his insecurities toward his older brothers was a perfect example of how Yuta must feel.

"I really don't know what to do," Fuji admitted.

...

Fuji wasn't sure why he was speaking. He was telling himself in his mind that he should shut up and to stop because Hari didn't deserve to be pulled into his family drama, but he couldn't stop the words.

It might be because she didn't say anything and only looked understanding and concerned without any trace of pity on her face.

Or maybe it was just because she was there and had seen Yuta and he was thrown off by suddenly seeing his little brother at the court where they used to play tennis together before everything changed between them. He hadn't expected to see him now and to be honest; he hadn't expected him to come back to this court at all. Why had he come here?

"He needs to work it out himself," Hari suddenly said and Fuji looked at her. She met his eyes and smiled slightly. "Having a brother who is seen as 'better', 'stronger, and a 'genius' is difficult. It's not your fault and he will realise that one day, Shu-chan."

Fuji blinked.

"You seem to know what you're talking about," he commented after a while.

She got a sad smile on her face as she turned her face away from him and looked back up at the blue sky and he could see the profile of her face.

"One of my best friends back in Britain has five older brothers and one younger sister," Hari said. "He feels insecure because his older brothers are all successful in their own ways and he always feels like he has to prove to be just as good as them. Not to mention that his younger sister is the first girl in the family in seven generations and gets a lot of attention because of that." Not to mention being the best friend of the Girl-Who-Lived and being in her shadow as well… well, Ron had it tough.

Fuji blinked. Again. Hari always managed to throw him off with what she said and did, every time he thought he had her figured out she did or said something that had him guessing again. He wasn't used to it.

"I…see," he finally said.

"You is you and Yuta is Yuta," Hari shrugged and got up. "That's all that matter and he'll see that one day, I'm sure."

Fuji smiled and nodded.

"I hope you're right," he said.

"Of course I am, Shu-chan," Hari grinned. "Are you ready for the tournament soon?"

"Saa," Fuji smiled with his eyes closed and Hari rolled her eyes. That was the Fuji she knew.

...

When Hari was back in her room she wondered about the Fuji she had gotten to see today. He had not been his usual self, but he clearly felt bad for how his brother was treated because of him. She had a feeling that Fuji never really talked about it to anyone and was glad he had opened up to her.

After all the help he had given her with her practice she was happy to offer some sort of help back, at least she hoped that it helped him to talk about it.

She frowned as she stared down at the picture she had of Ron playing around with Fred and George over Christmas in the empty common room. Yuta really was a lot like Ron in many ways, only Ron wasn't bitter and angry. At least not anymore.

People were cruel and judgmental. She hated how they expected someone to be like someone else just because they were family. Like how Yuta had to be just like Fuji just because he was his little brother. Idiots. They couldn't see that they were separate persons.

It wasn't just Ron and his brothers she saw in Yuta and Fuji. She saw herself as well. Actually, she could easily picture herself in both of them. People expected her to be like her parents all the time, a prankster and troublemaker like James, smart and fierce like Lily. It was tough to be faced with those expectations all the time. But she could understand Fuji as well, because she had heard people talk back at Hogwarts about how Ron and Hermione was her best friend and that they must be just like her and had to live up to that.

She hated it.

...

"Hari!" Ryoma scowled at her and had his arms crossed over his chest. She had just arrived home from school seeing there was no practice today and Ryoma had already been gone when she left the school.

"Ryo-chan?" Hari blinked at him.

"Where have you been this last week?" Ryoma asked. "You've been disappearing a lot lately!"

"Just been practising tennis," Hari said.

She looked at him and saw what was bothering him as she noticed the way he pouted even as he scowled and glared at her. She smiled slightly and threw an arm over his shoulder.

"Want to play a match against me?" she asked.

He relaxed and nodded.

"Daijobu," he said.

"Just let me change and put my bag away," she said and jogged up the stairs.

He was waiting for her when she got back downstairs and they left the house together and made their way to the shrine and the court there. Nanjiro had already left for the day so they had the place for themselves.

They started their match automatically and without needing to say anything. Hari smiled as she fell into the familiarity of playing against Ryoma like this. Neither went all out at first just content to rally the ball back and forth.

Her mind couldn't help but drift over to Fuji and Yuta. They should share tennis like this as well as they used to do. She remembered the angry voice that Yuta had used while talking to her before Fuji showed up. He had really wanted to use that court, she thought.

I wonder why, she mused.

For him to come back to it even with the history it had, and even claim it when it was occupied must mean something. She remembered Fuji's tired eyes and how resigned he had looked over the fact that his brother had purposely distanced himself from him. But Yuta couldn't be that far off when he returned like that…

"Ready to step it up, Ryo-chan?" Hari called over.

"You bet!" Ryoma smirked and she couldn't help but smirk back.

The match intensified and Hari grinned as she rushed after a ball that tried to sneak past her. She jumped and stretched her racket out feeling it connecting and hit it back toward the net. In a fluent movement, she rolled over and got to her feet so she was ready when he returned the ball again.

"Nice move," Ryoma said.

"Arigatou," Hari smiled.

Hari managed to return another one and grimaced as he returned it easily and this time it slipped past her.

"Next one is mine!" She said.

"Good luck with that," he smirked.

She rolled her eyes.

...

Hari sighed as she shook her head at Momoshiro who was eating (again) behind his book that he had popped up to hide from the teacher who was standing at the front lecturing and pointing at the blackboard.

Honestly, he was such a glutton. So like Ron…

"Oi! MOMOSHIRO!"

The yell startled everyone as the teacher had noticed Momoshiro eating and threw a book at the boy who looked up guiltily.

"…sorry?" He chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.

Hari chuckled before taking on a blank look when the teacher looked toward her having heard the chuckle.

"Pay attention in class," the teacher snapped.

"Hai," Momoshiro sighed.

Hari glanced at him and smiled slightly as she continued to take notes. At least with Momoshiro in the class, it wasn't boring.

...

Lunch happened and Hari was about to get up when Hira and Sora came toward her.

"Hey guys," Hari smiled. "Doshita?"

"It's been ages since you've had lunch with us," Sora said.

"Ah," Hari nodded. "Then, maybe you would like to join me now?"

They nodded and smiled as they followed her out of the classroom. Hari noticed that Kaido was staying and had a bento already on the desk in front of him.

"Hey Ka-chan!" She yelled as she popped her head into the classroom again.

"Hai?" he looked up at her.

"Do you want to come with us?" Hari asked.

He shook his head, "no thanks."

Hari gave him a look before she shrugged.

"Daijobu," she said. "See you later, then!"

He nodded and waved.

"I can't believe you're that casual with him," Sora said after a moment.

Hari glanced at her.

"Why?" Hari asked.

"He's…so scary," Sora admitted.

"Nah," Hari denied. "He's not. He's just misunderstood. Ka-chan is really sweet."

Hira snorted and Hari narrowed her eyes at him. He held up his hands.

"Just found it funny that you called him sweet," Hira said.

Hari huffed and looked away but before she could say anything someone collided with her and she had to take a step back to avoid falling. She glanced around and found Tomoka sitting on the floor and rubbed her head.

"Are you alright, Tomoka-chan?" Hari asked concerned reaching out to help the younger girl to her feet.

"I'm fine," Tomoka said and smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, Hari-chan!"

"Are you sure?" Sakuno asked her friend stepping up to them.

"Yeah," Tomoka nodded.

"Saa, no problem;" Hari smiled and blinked. She might have spent too much time with Fuji if she was starting to use his favourite word.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" she asked.

"We're going to find Ryoma-sama!" Tomoka beamed. "Sakuno has baked a cake and we're going to ask if Ryoma-sama wants some!"

Hari blinked bemusedly at the two younger girls and noticed that Sakuno blushed and was refusing to meet her eyes. How cute.

"And look at this!" Tomoka said and held up a large plaque with a picture of Ryoma and his name written on it and some cheers. "I've made it for the tournament tomorrow!"

"That's really nice of you," Hari smiled at the girl who just beamed back. Hari couldn't help but admire the dedication the two girls' showed in supporting Ryoma even if the boy didn't really notice. "You should go before lunch is over."

Tomoka nodded and waved while Sakuno gave her a shy smile and hurried after her friend.

"…that was…." Sora stared after them with a wide-eyed look but she didn't continue as she seemed lost for words.

...

Hari stretched as she started to put her books back in her bag at the end of the last lesson and waved at Sora and Hira who already was about to leave the classroom but stopped when Ryoma burst through the door making them take a step back to avoid colliding with him.

"Ryo-chan?" Hari asked as she put her bag over her shoulder and noticed Momoshiro and Kaido pause as well.

"I need to talk to you, Hari," Ryoma said ignoring everyone else.

"Sure," Hari said feeling confused and worried. She wasn't sure what had him coming to find her when they would have met at the tennis court soon anyway.

She followed Ryoma out of the classroom after telling Momoshiro and Kaido that she would meet them at the court.

"What's wrong, Ryo-chan?" Hari asked when they were by themselves.

"Karupin is at the school," Ryoma said and Hari arched a brow.

"He is?"

"I saw him," Ryoma said, "and then someone said they saw a cat (or they called him a racoon) at the roof but when I got there he was gone and…"

Hari had not really seen this frantic and worried side of Ryoma before and she couldn't help but pull him into a hug and felt how tense he was until he relaxed and allowed her to calm him down.

"We'll find him," Hari said. "I'll help you look, alright?"

Ryoma nodded and Hari pulled away.

"First you will go and check the tennis courts and if he's not there you'll ask Momo-chan if you can borrow his bike and go home to see if Karupin has gone back on his own," Hari told Ryoma who nodded quietly. "I will look through the school and the area around, alright?"

Again he nodded. Hari took his hand and squeezed it in comfort.

"We'll find him;" she promised again.

...

Hari walked through the school looking for the Himalayan cat but no luck. She looked in every classroom and every corner she could think of before she came to the conclusion that Karupin was not inside the school.

She walked outside and saw that the practice seemed to have started but she turned away from the courts and walked toward the opposite side of the schoolyard. She knew how much Karupin meant to Ryoma and she would help him find his cat.

She looked and looked and even jumped the wall to see if he had left the school. She wandered the streets and called for Karupin but no cat came and she was wondering if perhaps the cat had made his way home by himself.

She sighed as she stopped and looked around.

Of course.

She raised a hand and rubbed the back of her head as she looked around at the unfamiliar buildings and sighed.

"Baka," she muttered to herself. "Of course, I'm lost. Again."

She had no idea what direction she had come from or even how far she was from the school. She shook her head and started to walk down a street and hoped that she would recognise something.

Seriously how hard could it be to find Seigaku again? Or even just a street she recognised and find her way home from there?

Apparently it could be very hard because thirty minutes later she was still lost and walking through streets she had no idea where was, she was sure she had walked in a circle a couple of times but that didn't really help her.

She blinked when the sound of the phone interrupted her walking and she pulled it out and answered without checking on how it was from.

"Hello?"

"Hari-chan," A familiar soft voice greeted.

"Ah, Sei-chan," Hari smiled recognising the voice. "How are you? Back home, right?"

"Hai," he said, "I just left school and overseeing the tennis practice."

She knew he wasn't allowed to play yet and had until now also stayed away from the practice, but she had talked him into trying to just take part in what he could.

"And?" she pressed.

"It went fine," he said. "I really wanted to play, but it was great seeing the team again and being with them even if I had to just watch."

"That's good," Hari smiled. "I told you that you might like it."

"I know," she could hear him smile. "So, am I interrupting your practice?"

"Nah," Hari said. "I didn't go to practice today."

She explained her mission to find Karupin and ended with, "…and now I'm lost."

He was silent for a moment before he sighed.

"I have a feeling that this is a recurring thing with you, Hari-chan," he said.

"It's not!" Hari protested before she paused, "well, I don't do it on purpose."

"Of course you don't," he sighed. "…you do realise that you are talking to me on your phone, right?"

"Well, yeah," Hari rolled her eyes. "I think I realise that. Why?"

"And that means that you have a phone and could have called your brother or someone to help you find your way back, right?" he said.

Hari paused in her walk and gaped.

Oh.

"…I forgot," she said.

"Hari-chan…" he sighed. "You sure make me worry."

She blushed and wondered why her heart suddenly felt like it was beating so hard in her chest. Had she walked faster than she had realised? Maybe she was getting tired?

"Well, I…um," she stuttered slightly. "Fine. I will call someone when I've finished talking to you, ok?"

"Good," he said.

She suddenly heard the sound of a ball hitting the pavement and paused as she looked to her left and saw a large staircase made of stone and the sound was coming from the top. She let her curiosity win and started to walk up the stairs even as she continued talking with Seiichi.

She paused when she reached the top and saw that there was a tennis court there not that different from the street court where she had first met An. Thinking about An reminded her that she should see her soon…

She trailed off in her conversation with Seiichi as she recognized the boy who was playing tennis by himself. It was Yuta.

"Hari-chan?" Seiichi's voice brought her back.

"Ah, sorry, Sei-chan," Hari said. "I have to go, but we'll talk later?"

"Alright," he said, "let me know when you get home."

"Fine," Hari rolled her eyes but smiled slightly.

...

Hari sat down on the bench and watched Yuta who had yet to notice her. She knew she should let him know she was there, but she wanted to get a feeling of him before she talked to him. She was very aware that she had told Fuji to give his younger brother time and not pressure him so she should just go back down and pretend that she hadn't seen him.

But she couldn't do that. Her curiosity and concern for Fuji had her staying and observing the boy who was the same age as her. He had a more open expression on his face now and even smiled once as he managed a move he had been practising.

Suddenly he stopped and spun around so he saw her and he immediately scowled at her.

"What are you doing here?!" He demanded stomping over to her and glared. "Are you spying one me?! Did he send you here to spy?!"

Hari snorted and he blinked.

"Why would I spy on you?" Hari arched a brow.

"You…." He started but stopped before narrowing his eyes as he stared at her. "Then what are you doing here?"

Hari shrugged and stood up as she looked around.

"I got lost," she grimaced.

"Lost?" he echoed.

"Yup," she nodded seriously before sighing. "I don't even know how I managed it this time… But it was Karupin's fault."

He had lost the glare as he just stared at her in confusion.

"Karupin?"

"My little brother's cat," Hari nodded, "he followed Ryo-chan to school today and I promised to help look for him and…well, here I am and it's clearly Karupin's fault."

She noticed that Yuta looked at her with a look that clearly questioned her sanity but at least he had lost his hostility.

"Then go on and get lost," he suddenly snapped.

…and found it again. She sighed.

"Ie," she said.

"What?" He glared.

"I said; no," she repeated calmly. "I don't think so."

"I was here first," Yuta said. "And you're friends with him so you will spy on me and I will lose my chance on beating him."

Hari titled her head curiously as she watched him.

"Stop looking at me like that!" He demanded.

"Like what?" Hari asked innocently.

"Like…like…" he seemed unable to find words and she smiled.

"Well," she said, "I was just thinking that you're a good tennis player."

He frowned and looked at her warily.

"But not as good as my brother, right?" he seemed unable to keep the question in and there was a bitter note in his voice.

Hari arched a brow.

"I never said that," she said quietly.

"But you thought it," Yuta accused and turned his back to her and took a couple of steps away from her.

"You don't know what I thought so I would ask that you don't assume anything," Hari said her voice slightly cold and he stopped walking. "I didn't think that either, by the way."

He didn't turn to face her but she could tell he was waiting for her to say something.

"Well," she smiled her voice returning to normal. "I will look forward to seeing you play and I can tell that you really love tennis. I'm really interested in your style."

"My style?" he turned and she saw the wary yet curious look on his face.

"Yeah, I like it," Hari smiled. "I hope I'll get to play you one day, Yuta-san."

He stared at her in silence for a long moment and didn't seem to know if he should believe her or not. She just smiled at him.

"You want to play me?" he finally asked.

"Yeah, I would like that," Hari nodded.

He scoffed and folded his arms over his chest as he looked away from her and a blush covered his cheeks.

"It won't be like playing nii-san," he said.

"I don't expect it to be like playing Shu-chan," Hari said before glancing at the clock. "Ouch. I have to go… um, could you direct me in the direction of Seigaku?"

He stared at her and then scoffed again but she had a feeling that he was just hiding behind his gruff exterior and wasn't actually that angry right now.

"That way," he said and nodded in the opposite direction of where she had been headed. "Just keep straight and you should find it."

Hari nodded.

"Alright," she smiled and waved. "See you later, Yuta-san!"

He huffed and turned away from her.

"Oi!"

She turned around as she was halfway down the stairs and looked up to see him standing at the top looking down at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Namae nante iu no?" he said a blush colouring his cheeks.

"Echizen Hari," Hari grinned and waved.

...

Hari finally found her way back to Seigaku and wasn't surprised when she found it empty. She sighed and made her way back home hoping that Karupin had turned up because she knew Ryoma would be upset if not.

"Hari!" Ryoma called when she entered the house and she looked up to see him entering the hallway from the living room. "Karupin is back!"

"That's great," Hari smiled.

"Where were you?" Ryoma asked.

"Well…" Hari looked away.

"You got lost again, didn't you?" he sighed.

"Maybe," she admitted and he sighed.

"Of course you did," he said.

"Hey! This time it's Karupin's fault!" Hari defended herself.

Ryoma just gave her his best-deadpanned look and she huffed.

...

...

AN: Finally a new chapter! I'm really sorry for the delay on this update! I will try not to let it be this long between updates again, but I can't promise anything...

So, what do you think? Fuji might seem out of character but I just thought it would be nice if he had someone to confide in and Hari is a good listener. They've spent time together as Fuji is helping Hari with a new move and I think their friendship has grown from there... Hope you liked it.

Next chapter should involve Atobe again and maybe a little peek at how Ron and Hermione are doing. XD

Thank you so much for your patience and support!

Japanese words used:
Motto hayaku - Faster
Damare - Shut up
Ie - No
Saa - Filler
Daijobu - Alright
Arigatou - Thank you
Doshita - What's up?
Hai - Yes
Baka - Idiot
Nii-san - Older brother
Namae nante iu no - What's your name?