Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Prince of Tennis!
...
...
Hari: Ron, I don't know what you want me to say. How could you do that? I trusted you, but I don't know how I can ever trust you again. What happened to you? You protected me against Sirius, you were my first friend at Hogwarts. You were my best friend. How could you not see that? How could you think about going to Dumbledore when you knew what I felt about him? When you knew what he did?
How? HOW? WHY?
I can't… I can't deal with this now. It's too much. What am I supposed to do with this? Ron, you idiot!
I...can't.
Hari stared at the words she had written and felt detached from it. Empty.
What should she do?
It hurt.
It really hurt.
What had he been thinking? How could he do that?
It was unforgivable. How could she look past this? It didn't just put her at risk (she could handle that) but also her family. The ones she loved. That wasn't something she could just ignore.
"If you want to kill Hari, then you have to kill me and Hermione as well!"
Ron's voice echoed in her mind and she felt tears escape her eyes as she wondered where that boy had gone. The one who was willing to do anything to protect her, who was loyal. Brave. Trustworthy. Frustrated she threw the journal hard against the wall and if fell to the floor with a thud.
She wished she didn't have it. That they had never found her. If only…She felt betrayed. And it was too much for her to handle now…
"Argh!" She groaned as she kicked her desk and winced. She jumped around as she clutched her foot before she lost her balance and fell down on her arse. "Ouch."
Hedwig hooted and gave her a look making her glare back up at her.
"Don't look at me like that, Hedwig," Hari snapped causing Hedwig to give a sharp and reproaching hoot and glare. Making Hari felt chastised and ashamed. "Sorry, Hedwig. I didn't mean to take it out on you."
Hedwig hooted and flew over to her and landed on her shoulder. She nibbled at her ear (maybe a little harder than necessary) reassuringly.
"What's going on?" Rinko asked and Hari looked up to see her family in the doorway looking in and she realised that she hadn't been quiet.
She sighed.
"Ron's an idiot," Hari mumbled.
"Hari-chan?" Nanjiro frowned stepping closer and looked at her worriedly.
"We heard a crash," Ryoma said.
Hari sighed.
"Are you hurt?" Nanjiro frowned.
"Nah, just kicked the desk," Hari said focusing on Hedwig. "I got angry."
"We got that," Ryoma said.
"Ryoma," Rinko warned. "Hari-chan, what happened?"
Hari knew she had to tell them. She ignored the voice that said she would push them away this time, trying to convince herself that they wouldn't do that.
(But maybe they should…)
So, she told them about Ron's message and how someone might know that she was in Japan. Someone who shouldn't know.
...
"I see," Rinko said when Hari finished.
Ryoma watched Hari and frowned. Why did she have to go through so much? Why couldn't she just be left alone as she wanted? He felt helpless. He wanted to help her, but he was powerless in all of this.
Hari looked so defeated, sad and it made Ryoma angry. Angry at Ron who had caused the latest stress. Ryoma had liked Ron well enough when they met, but he hadn't liked how he had upset Hari while they were there. Hari never really said anything about what it was about that time, but Ryoma knew she was hurt by how he acted.
He had also seen how Ron had watched them all, him especially like he was jealous. Judging, really. He had a feeling that Ron didn't like them much, but Ryoma hadn't really cared. He just tried to get along with Hari's friends because that was important to Hari.
"Idiot," Ryoma said.
Hari looked at him before looking back at Hedwig, who was in her lap now and enjoyed Hari's attention.
"Ryoma," Rinko warned.
"What?" Ryoma glared. "He put Hari in danger. He should have just kept his opinion to himself and not tried to control her life!"
Hari flinched a little but didn't speak up to defend Ron.
"That might be right, but you…" Rinko started.
"I don't care," Ryoma interrupted. "He claims to be her best friend but doesn't act like it! I don't want to see Hari hurt because of him!"
"Calm down," Nanjiro said (surprisingly calm in the middle of this) and walked over to Hari and sat down beside her. "We'll handle it. Okay, Hari-chan? We'll talk with the auror's and see what they think about this."
"Good idea," Rinko agreed. "I'll write a letter and maybe Hedwig can deliver it for us?"
Hedwig hooted and nodded (Ryoma still found it strange how much the owl understood).
Ryoma huffed but didn't say anything.
"Sorry," Hari said quietly. "I didn't mean for this to happen…"
"We know that," Nanjiro said. "It's not your fault."
"Of course not," Ryoga said smiling down at Hari and reached out to ruffle her hair. "You can't control the actions of others."
Ryoma nodded and it hurt a little to see how she blamed herself (again), and he felt even angrier at Ron for causing this. They worked so hard so that Hari would not expect to be rejected and blamed for things out of her control.
...
Rinko wrote the letter and put it in an envelope. She sighed a little feeling tired. All she wanted was for Hari to be safe and loved. She hoped Togura and Toyama would know how to help, and that they took it seriously. She hated the idea of someone knowing where Hari was.
It was also still strange and horrific to her that someone was so set on Hari and wanted her dead. It was unbelievable, unreal, but still so real that she wished she could do more to protect the girl who had become her daughter.
It hurt to see how Hari tried to do everything on her own, how she expected to be on her own when the world crashed down around her.
"She'll be okay," Nanjiro said comfortingly putting a hand on her shoulder. "She'll be fine."
"I know," Rinko said accepting the comfort from her husband. "It's progress that she tells us right away, though. That she doesn't try to handle it on her own."
"It is," Nanjiro said. "She'll realise that we love her and will be at her side."
Rinko nodded and smiled a little. Nanjiro had become more serious with all of this going on, and she kind of missed how goofy he normally was. Though, he still had his moments. But it was nice to see this side of him as well, she knew he was protective of all of their kids. He would always do everything he could for them. All of them.
"I love you," Rinko said making Nanjiro blink before he smiled softly at her.
"Love you too," he said.
...
Both Togura and Toyama came to see her the next morning after having received the letter from Rinko asking to meet when they had the chance. Hari hadn't expected them so quickly, really.
"Hello, Echizen-san," Togura said politely.
"Hey," Toyama said a little more cheerfully.
"Oh, hey," Hari said. "Um, come in."
She stepped back to let them into the house and led the way into the living room just as Rinko joined them.
"Ah, I'm glad you came so quickly," Rinko said.
"We try to come as fast as we can," Toyama smiled. "How are you, Hari-san?"
"Fine," Hari said with a small smile.
"So, what did you need to talk with us about?" Togura asked.
Hari grimaced a little before looking over at Rinko who gave her an encouraging smile.
"Someone might have found out where I am," Hari said and explained what she knew and saw the pensive looks on their faces as they listened.
"I see," Togura said. "You are sure they wouldn't know your exact location?"
"Ron said they wouldn't," Hari said. "He never wrote where in Japan I was."
"That's good," Toyama said.
"Thank you for letting us know," Togura said.
"What should we do now?" Rinko asked.
"We will increase the protection around Hari-san," Togura said. "Someone will be watching her, but you won't need to worry about it. You won't see them unless it is necessary."
Hari frowned but nodded biting back her protests not wanting them to have to do even more for her. She knew they were already doing much, and she didn't like burdening them even more. But for the sake of her family, she wouldn't deny the help.
"I…thank you," Hari said. "I…I'm sorry."
"You're not at fault here, Hari-san," Toyama said kindly. "It's our job to protect people. You are just as important as everyone else."
...
Togura glanced over at Toyama and saw the sad look on her face. They had just gotten back to the office and the younger Auror had been quiet ever since they left the Echizen's.
"You okay?" he asked gruffly.
"Eh? Oh, yeah," Toyama said. "Just thinking."
Togura nodded.
"She's not what I expected," Toyama said making Togura look at her again.
"Hari-san, you mean?" he asked.
"Mm," Toyama said. "I mean… it's easy to get ideas about how someone is given the fact that they're talked about, written about and all that. It's easy to lose sight of the fact that there's a real person behind all of that. A child."
"It seems like a lot have lost sight of that," Togura said.
"She's strong," Toyama said.
"She is."
"She didn't like the idea of having someone watching her," Toyama said.
"Not many like that," Togura said not looking at her. "I think we should also work to secure our borders. I don't like the idea of someone coming."
"Good idea," Toyama said. "Did you notice that she didn't argue because of her family? I think she decided to keep her protests down so that they would be protected. Not her."
Toyama couldn't understand it.
"Seems like she's used to being the one to protect others," Togura said calmly.
Toyama frowned. She didn't like it. How she had been moulded into thinking that she wasn't worth as much as everyone else.
"She's just a year older than my brother," Toyama said. "He's just interested in sports and friends. School. Normal stuff."
"Good," Togura said absentmindedly.
Toyama sighed and leaned back in her seat.
"I don't like it," she finally said.
Togura looked at her, "we'll do what we can to protect her, Toyama. Keep focused. I know it is difficult, but you need to stop yourself from becoming too personally involved in the case. It's how we best can help."
Toyama grimaced. She knew he was right, but it was easier said than done.
"Now, I want you to find a couple of Aurors that can do the protection detail," Togura said. "Make sure they can be trusted and that they know the importance of the secrecy."
"Yes, sir," she said.
...
Oishi smiled and pushed back the nagging feeling he couldn't shake off. He did the best he could to ignore the pain as he prepared for Nationals. He remembered Tezuka telling him that one day they would lead the team in Nationals. He wanted that.
He really did.
But.
They were now 10 players that were good enough for regulars since Tezuka had returned from Germany, but only 9 could be counted as a regular.
He wasn't sure what Nanjiro and Ryuzaki would do about that.
He looked at Kikumaru and saw the focus the normally hyper boy showed as he did his best in the task Nanjiro had given them. He wanted to play in the doubles with Kikumaru. They were a team. He wanted….
But…he felt the pain throb in his wrist again.
He knew what he had to do, but it meant giving up on a dream. It was hard.
He pushed his feelings back and walked over to Nanjiro who was observing the practice as normal.
"Coach," Oishi said making Nanjiro look over at him.
"Yeah?" Nanjiro asked.
"I would like to play a match against Tezuka," Oishi said.
Nanjiro arched a brow. "Oh? Why is that?"
Oishi squared his shoulders, "we need to decide who will be regulars for Nationals. With Tezuka back, we're too many."
Nanjiro hummed as he gave him a considering look and then looked over at the others who were practising and then back at him. Oishi did his best to stay still as he was studied. He noticed Nanjiro glance down toward his wrist and Oishi wondered how he knew.
"Fine," Nanjiro said. "I will allow it."
"Thank you," Oishi said.
...
Nanjiro watched as Oishi and Tezuka played.
It was pretty one-sided, but that was what Nanjiro had expected. He could respect what Oishi was doing, and that was why he allowed it. He had planned on talking with him soon and hadn't expected Oishi to come to him like this.
"He's injured, isn't he?" Hari asked quietly from beside him. She was watching Oishi with concern. "That's why he asked to play Tezuka."
Nanjiro put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. She saw more than she let on most of the time, and he was impressed and proud that she still managed to see her friends even with everything going on for her right now.
"You're a good friend," he said making her look at him.
"Eh?" she frowned.
He just smiled and ruffled her hair making her glare at him.
Tezuka won but didn't smile as he looked at Oishi who gave a brave smile and walked to the net.
"Thank you for the game, Tezuka," Oishi said.
"You too," Tezuka said.
"So, it is decided," Nanjiro said. "Tezuka will take Oishi's place as a regular for Nationals."
"Eh?" Kikumaru said looking at Oishi. "But…"
"It's for the best," Oishi said. "Tezuka won."
"You're still injured, aren't you?" Ryoma asked. "Your wrist."
Oishi grimaced but didn't deny it. Tezuka didn't look like he was surprised as he looked at Oishi. Kikumaru frowned sadly as he looked at his friend and Hari felt for him. She felt for Oishi as well, it must be difficult. Yet, he faced it head-on and made the choice of what was best for the team.
Hari didn't say anything as she watched Oishi, and she wondered if she was the only one who saw just how hard he found this. How disappointed he was, but he kept smiling and reassuring the others.
She wished to be more like him. He was amazing…
...
Start of Nationals
...
Hari looked around curiously as she took in the atmosphere of the Nationals. To think they had finally arrived at the day the Nationals started… she felt excited but at the same time, the feeling of getting closer to the ritual made everything a little more real and final.
She couldn't help but worry.
She noticed Ryoma looking over at her and she did her best to push everything back and focus on the here and now. She didn't want Ryoma to worry any more than he had to.
Another reminder was on her wrist, but that was for protection. To anyone else, it just looked like a bracelet, but she knew what it really was. Toyama had stopped by soon after their meeting and given it to her explaining that it was a magical charm that made it possible for her to call for help should she need it. It would act as a tracker that would help them find her if she needed it.
Toyama had said they would have someone keep an eye on her, since she was in the muggle world it might be difficult to always have an eye on her. Though, they would do their best. The bracelet or tracker would be a security measure.
Hari wasn't sure how she felt knowing that someone would be watching her. It seemed like an invasion of her privacy, and it felt weird, and she didn't like it. Though, it was reassuring to have someone take her safety so seriously. It also provided her family more protection as well, and that was something she was very grateful for.
All in all, she found it confusing and felt guilty for taking up so much of their time and efforts. And annoyed at Ron for having caused all of this. If he only…
She shook her head. She didn't want to go down that path again.
"Finally! The start of Nationals!" Momoshiro exclaimed breaking Hari out of her thoughts and realised that the opening ceremony was over, and she hadn't heard a word of what the man had said… whoops.
"Come on," Tezuka said. "Let's get moving."
"Where are we going, nya?" Kikumaru asked curiously. "We don't have a match until tomorrow."
"We're meeting coach Ryuzaki," Tezuka said.
Hari smiled a little and remembered when Ryuzaki came back the day before. It had been nice.
"Sensei!"
"Sensei Ryuzaki!"
"You're here!"
"Are you coming back now?"
"How are you?!"
The exclamations and questions rang through the air and Ryuzaki was watching them with a small smile before she masked it. Nanjiro was beside her looking amused.
"Calm down," Ryuzaki said. "I'm doing fine and I'm back to be your coach for Nationals. I am sure this brat has been training you all hard and that you are ready for what is waiting for you."
"Yes, sensei."
"We're ready!" Momoshiro grinned. "We'll win!"
"Good," Ryuzaki said. "Nanjiro will come around as well and help. So, don't think you're rid of him yet."
"Why?" Ryoma grumbled.
"Oi! Don't complain, brat," Nanjiro smirked.
"Shut up, Oyaji," Ryoma huffed.
Hari rolled her eyes but didn't comment.
"Quiet, brats," Ryuzaki told the two.
"So, who's ready for the last practice before the tournament?" Ryuzaki asked.
Hari had missed Ryuzaki and was glad she had come back in time for the Nationals. It would almost feel wrong to go through this without her.
...
"Ah, Hari-chan," Seiichi smiled when Hari and the rest of the team walked up to the court where Rokkaku and Higa were about to play. "Thought you might show up here."
Hari looked at him wondering if he was still jealous because of Saeki, but she couldn't see anything that suggested that.
"We will play one of them so we thought we would check them out," Hari smiled. "I'm surprised to see you here…"
"We decided to watch," Seiichi said. "The others were interested."
Hari smiled and waved over to his team.
"Hey, Hari-chan!" Kirihara said.
"Hey, Kirihara," Hari nodded. "You ready for the Nationals?"
"Of course!" Kirihara said.
"Good," Hari smiled.
"How are you, Hari-chan?" Marui skipped over to them. "Any new recipes for me?"
"Puri, are all you think about cakes?" Nio sighed.
"Cakes are important!" Marui defended himself.
Hari smiled amused as she watched them bicker until Marui turned back to her with an expectant look.
"Well?" he asked.
"Not now, I'm afraid," Hari said. "But I have one at home, so I'll get it to you later."
"Yay!" Marui cheered.
"You're too kind," Seiichi said. "He is getting spoiled by your recipes."
Hari shrugged, "I don't see any harm in it. He's passionate about it and I have a few from Mrs Weasley."
Seiichi's expression clouded a little at the mention of the name and she knew he was thinking about Ron. She had told him about it, having promised not to hide anything from him again.
"Good," he said and left it at that.
...
Hari moved so she was standing with her team. Even if she would like to stay with Seiichi and watch the matches, she knew she needed to be with her team for this.
"Hari-chan!" Kikumaru complained. "Please sort them out, please?!"
Hari blinked and then saw Momoshiro and Kaido arguing with each other both looking ready to start fighting. She sighed.
"Oi," Hari said. "The game is about to start, you know?"
She knocked the two in the head (gently) making them blink and look at her before looking away sullenly.
"Sorry," they muttered at the same time.
"No worries," Hari said. "No need to be so tense. We'll get amazing new data from watching their games, right Inui-senpai?"
"Eh?" Kikumaru said.
"Right," Inui said adjusting his glasses. "We have a lot to do… Not only this game between Rokkaku, who we know well, and Higa who won the Kyushu District Tournament, but Fudomine is back in full force being led by Tachibana. Then you have Hyotei who will look to avenge their loss… They will all play in the first round."
"Not to mention Aichi District's Murigaoka and Hokkaido District Tsubakikawa, both are powerful teams," Yoshida added. "They also play in the first round."
"True," Inui nodded. "And we will be gathering every player's data from those games."
"All player's data?" Momoshiro exclaimed.
"As expected from Inui," Kikumaru said though he looked a little shocked.
Hari smiled a little.
"I will go and watch another game," Yoshida said.
"We will come with you," Sakuno said and Yoshida smiled and nodded.
"Thank you," Yoshida said. "So, I'll see you later."
Hari considered going with her but decided against it. She wanted to see Saeki play and stay with her team.
"We should watch Rokkaku's match carefully," Inui said turning back to the court. "They'll probably be our opponent if everything goes smoothly."
"You think so?" Hari said.
"You don't?" Fuji asked curiously.
Hari shrugged but frowned as she watched Higa.
...
"Eh? Why are we starting with Singles?" Momoshiro asked.
"Didn't you listen?" Kaido sighed. "The man told us earlier. This time as a special rule they said they would change the playing order of singles and doubles."
Hari would admit that she hadn't caught that either.
"Also, despite being a team game, there's a special rule which states that all five matches must be played. This means that by watching the first game we can determine their strength to a certain degree."
"Still feels weird starting with singles," Hari said.
"What do you mean changing the order?"
"There will first be singles 3, then doubles 2, then singles 2… and so on," Inui said.
"So, pay attention," Ryuzaki said. "We will learn a lot by watching this match."
Hari watched as Aoi got ready for Rokkaku as Singles 3. He looked almost small next to Higa's Chinen Hiroshi who was very tall. Hari frowned as she watched how Chinen pretended not to see Aoi who tried to do the regular pre-match greeting.
She fisted her hands as she saw the rude dismissal and insult against someone she considered a friend, but also against a fellow player (didn't matter that he was on the other team). It was considered fair play to do the greeting before a match, but the way Chinen did it… it made her feel angry.
"Don't like him," she muttered.
...
Hari wasn't the only one who watched a little stunned at how the match progressed. She knew Aoi was a good player, he was strong and talented, but this…She hadn't expected Chinen to dominate the game this much.
She had noticed that the rest of Rokkaku had reacted one time during the match, Itsuki in particular had looked angry. She wondered what they reacted to, but she could guess…
In the end Aoi lost 6-0, and she felt for him.
"Captain Tezuka," Momoshiro said unable to look away from the court, "The Okinawa guys, what are they?"
Tezuka had no answer for him but he was watching stoically. Hari wondered what he was thinking, but didn't ask.
...
There was a small break so Hari walked over to Seiichi and his team.
"Hey," Hari smiled a little.
"Hari-chan," Kirihara waved. "How do you like the matches?"
She shrugged, "I won't pretend that I didn't wish for Rokkaku, so I don't like it very much."
"You don't think they can come back?" Sanada asked.
Hari grimaced, "I hope they can, but without figuring out how Higa plays I don't see how they can come back now. They seem shaken by the results so far and I can't see how they can change it now."
"True," Seiichi said looking at the court. "Higa is good, and they do have a special way of playing."
"I noticed," Hari said. "It's like they have unexpected movements, but I can't place what it is."
"It's Okinawan martial arts," Sanada said.
"Eh?" Hari blinked. "Martial arts?"
"Yes," Yanagi said. "They have been incorporating Okinawan martial arts in their tennis, and it allows them to come at you with unexpected movements."
Hari frowned in thought.
"Or rather, their captain Kite Eishirou, has been gathering kids talented in martial arts since he was young," Yanagi said.
"Huh," Hari said. "Interesting."
"Scary," Kirihara said with a low whistle. "I didn't know you could do that with tennis…"
Hari nodded in agreement before looking at Sanada and Yanagi.
"But should you share that information with me?" She asked with a smile. "We are rivals, you know."
Seiichi smiled amused, "it's fine."
"Don't see anything wrong with sharing this," Sanada said.
"Me neither," Yanagi smiled a little, "it's not like Sadaharu doesn't know some of this already."
"True," Hari agreed.
...
"Where did Ryo-chan go?" Hari asked as she got back to her team.
"He said he wanted to take a walk," Momoshiro said. "And that he was thirsty."
"I see," Hari said as she turned her attention back toward the court.
Hari noticed that Ryuzaki was frowning as she watched the bench of Higa. Following her eyes, Hari saw the tall bald man sitting there looking bored almost.
"He's their coach?" Hari asked.
"Yes," Ryuzaki said. "His name is Saotome Harumi."
"I haven't seen him talk with his team," Hari said. "Has he moved from the bench at all?"
"Not that I've seen," Ryuzaki said.
"Sanada told me that Higa used a martial arts form called Okinawan martial arts," Hari said. "They have made it a part of their tennis."
Ryuzaki arched a brow, "I see…"
"Interesting," Inui said. "I knew Kite Eishirou and most of the others have been participating in martial arts."
Hari hummed, "well, it explains a lot."
...
Hari twitched as Ojii fell off the bench and seemingly passed out after getting hit by a tennis ball right in the eye. A shocked silence seemed to hover over the court before Kurobane from Rokkaku rushed over to their coach and called for a stretcher.
Hari heard the shocked gasps around her but she couldn't pick up any word as she focused on Kai Yuujirou from Higa. He looked completely unbothered and bored as he called out an apology for having hit the ball at Rokkaku's coach.
He did that on purpose.
Hari fisted her hands as she wished to do something. Her magic felt like it was just under the surface and a sudden urge to let it lose made her stumble a little. She gritted her teeth trying to control herself… She was angry.
"Hari-chan?" Fuji asked sounding a little concerned.
Hari just hummed not able to say anything as she glared at Kai. She wanted to wipe that look off his face. That arrogant smirk, the way he thought he was better than everyone. That he used tennis to hurt someone.
"Hari-chan," a calm voice suddenly pierced through and a warm hand touched her shoulder and she blinked as Seiichi came into view. He smiled a little. "There. Just breathe. Okay?"
She tried to do what he asked and focused on his smile and how he nodded.
"Good," he said. "Keep doing that. It's okay. I'm sure he'll be okay. They got him help, okay?"
Hari nodded and closed her eyes as she pulled her magic back.
"Sorry," she said hoarsely.
"Don't worry about it," Seiichi smiled pushing her hair out of the way.
She smiled a little before looking around hoping that no one had noticed and was relieved when she saw the others watching the court and hadn't noticed her almost loss of control. Though Fuji was watching her with a frown looking concerned he smiled when he saw her looking. She hid a grimace.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"Always," Seiichi smiled. "You okay?"
She nodded and before he could ask anything else Momoshiro gasped and Hari looked at the court almost afraid of what had caused Momoshiro to gasp. Ryoma was standing behind Saeki (who was the only Rokkaku player left) and had picked up the ball.
"Oi! The ball, hurry up and give it to me!" Kai yelled.
Ryoma looked at Kai for a moment before he got into position to shoot (and when had he gotten the racket out?) and shot the ball at Kai hard and it shot straight past Kai's face only inches away and into the metal fence behind him.
Hari smiled and heard the others astonished exclamations and even Seiichi chuckled a little as they watched as Ryoma straightened. Hari saw Saeki looking surprised but a little grateful as well as he stared at Ryoma.
"Sorry," Ryoma called out in a mocking tone (similar to the tone Kai had used earlier), "Seems like my hand slipped. I was aiming for your face."
"Echizen!" Momoshiro yelled.
"That's Ryo-chan," Hari smiled proudly and felt more of her anger fade back.
"Impressive," Seiichi said. "He's a little rebel, isn't he?"
"Yeah," Hari agreed.
Seiichi squeezed her hand and pulled back making her look at him.
"I'll see you after the match okay? Or do you need to leave now?" he asked.
She shook her head, "no, I'm fine. I'll see you after."
He nodded and walked back to his team.
...
Seiichi felt heavy as he walked back to his team. He wanted to stay with her, but they had agreed that they would watch with their respective teams for the tournament. But when he had noticed how she stilled and paled when Rokkaku's coach had been hit by that ball he had acted without thinking.
He wasn't sure if he imagined it or not but the air felt heavier and almost electric (hard to explain) when he got close to her and he could see the anger in her eye. He ignored Fuji who was watching her worriedly and talked to her. He was relieved when she responded to him and calmed down and the heavy feeling went away.
He hoped she was okay.
He worried.
"She okay?" Sanada asked.
"Yes," Seiichi nodded.
"To think that someone hit a ball purposely at the old man," Nio said. "Puri! Dirty!"
"Hope he's okay;" Marui agreed.
...
Hari frowned as she heard the supporters of Higa (probably their club members) start to taunt Saeki about continuing on his own and laughing. Some saying he should have pretended to help his coach and run away from the match.
Hari moved without thinking and stepped out onto the court knowing the rest of her team followed. The laughing stopped abruptly, and she arched a brow at them unimpressed.
"Rokkaku's cheering team," Hari and Momoshiro said at the same time.
"Seigaku?"
"Jiro-kun," Hari said looking at him and saw the surprised but also gratitude as he stared at them. "Show him what you got, okay?"
Saeki smiled and nodded.
Hari then turned to Ryoma who had come up beside her now and hugged him.
"Hari," Ryoma complained but didn't do anything to shake her off.
"So proud," Hari grinned.
Ryoma huffed but patted her arm and she let go. She felt a little off still, and angry, but standing here felt right. She was determined to support Saeki when the others were off helping Ojii.
...
Seiichi wasn't really surprised when Hari led her team to the side-lines of the court to cheer Saeki on. He felt a small flash of jealousy but pushed it back reminding himself that Hari and Saeki were just friends.
"Seems like the two teams are close," Jackal commented.
"Mm," Marui nodded.
Sanada glanced at Seiichi, but Seiichi ignored him as he smiled a little.
"Good," Seiichi said more to himself than to them. "But I have a feeling I know what will happen now…"
He looked at Kai and knew that Hari would have a grudge against him now.
"Oh?" Sanada asked.
Seiichi hummed and sighed softly. Yes, he knew…
...
"Game and match, Higa's Kai, 6-4!"
Hari sighed but smiled a little anyway. Saeki had done a good match and had been close to winning.
"Sorry," Saeki said as he stopped in front of them. "You came to cheer for Rokkaku."
"It's okay," Fuji said. "Right now, it's more important for you to hurry and check on Ojii."
Hari nodded, "yeah, Shuu-chan is right, Jiro-kun. Go and check on Ojii. You did well."
Saeki smiled a little but it was a little forced, "sorry. I'll call you later, Hari-chan."
Hari nodded and watched as he rushed off.
"You talk big, but you're weak!"
Hari glared over at Higa and gritted her teeth as she wanted to put them in their place.
"We'll show them tomorrow," Fuji promised.
Hari glanced at him before she nodded.
"Yeah," Hari said. "They'll regret it then. Arrogant fools…"
...
Hari was on her own for now, she had found an excuse to leave the others unable to keep her mask up right now. She was just so angry… and tired. The matches had not helped, especially the last one and she just wanted to do something. Anything.
"You okay?" Seiichi's voice asked from behind her, and she spun around to look at him. He was looking worried and warm, and she immediately moved closer and hid her face against his chest. She needed his warmth and felt herself relax a little as she felt his arms around her holding her tight.
She allowed a small sigh to escape her.
"Yeah…just angry," she mumbled.
"It was a harsh match," Seiichi agreed.
Hari nodded against his chest and he felt the movement more than he saw it.
"It's everything, Sei-chan," she admitted her voice muffled but he heard her, "I… I'm just so angry and tired, Sei-chan. I don't know if I can do this…"
She found herself admitting more than she had planned but it was like she had said, she was just so tired and sick of everything.
"You can do it," Seiichi said almost sternly, and she felt how he tightened his hold of her. "You're strong and brave. You can do it. When you're tired and doubting, you call me or come and see me. I want to help you, Hari-chan."
Hari sighed, "okay. I'll try."
He held her for a moment more before she pulled back and tried to give him a smile. It felt a little flat, but he returned it and pushed a strand of her hair out of her face.
"Good," he said before he leaned in and kissed her softly.
...
"Where did you go?" Ryoma scowled at her.
"Sorry," Hari said, "just said goodbye to Sei-chan."
He huffed, "you said you were just going to the bathroom."
"I was, but then I saw Sei-chan," Hari said. "I'm sorry you worried."
She felt bad. She should have known that Ryoma would worry when she left like that and didn't come back right away. She saw Fuji watching them with a calculating look in his eyes and she knew he was trying to figure something out.
...
They ended up at the school, just hanging out and talking and maybe some tennis. Just as they so often did before a match. Hari tried to not think about someone watching them, how they might impose on others privacy as well just because of her.
"Don't worry so much," Ryoma said, and Hari frowned at him. "Don't try to say that you're not worried. It's obvious."
"It's…hard," Hari muttered. "I can't help it."
"I know," Ryoma said.
He nudged her shoulder with his and she forced herself to relax. She was here with her brother, and it was enough. Her friends were there, and they had an important match against Higa the next day.
Higa… She didn't like them.
Especially Kai.
"Come on, Hari-chan! Echizen!" Kikumaru called.
"Yeah! Come on!" Momoshiro echoed with a grin.
They were on the court playing around and Hari rolled her eyes but walked closer to the others and nudged Ryoma to go and join them while she paused next to Fuji and Kaido.
"You okay?" Fuji asked.
"Fine," Hari said. "Just angry at Kai."
"Mm," Fuji said. "Hope Ojii is fine."
"Yeah," Hari sighed. She felt her phone in her pocket and hoped Saeki would call soon and let her know how Ojii was. She could call, but she didn't want to interrupt. "We need to be ready for him or the others trying similar things tomorrow. I don't put it past them trying it with coach Ryuzaki."
"You think they would?" Kaido asked.
"Maybe," Hari said.
"I agree," Fuji said. "We will be ready."
"You don't think it was an accident?" Kawamura asked.
"No," Hari said.
"I didn't think so," Kawamura sighed. "I just can't understand how someone would do that on purpose."
Tezuka was watching them quietly yet had a serious look on his face.
"Have anyone heard how the other teams did today?" Oishi asked.
"Hyotei won," Hari said. "Keigo sent me a text. They won 5-0."
"Momo-chan said that Fudomine won as well," Fuji smiled. "Tachibana's little sister told him."
Hari rolled her eyes, "her name is An-chan, you know. But yeah, she texted me too. They also won 5-0."
Fuji just smiled.
Hari watched as Ryoma smirked having just gotten a ball past Momoshiro who glared back. While Kikumaru laughed. Horio, Kachiro and Mizuno were also there playing.
"Yamabuki also made it," Inui said.
"Akutsu still isn't a part of their team, is he?" Hari asked.
"No, he quit," Inui said.
Hari hummed. "I see."
They talked more about the other teams that were ready for the second round and who they would like to meet and not. It was a while later that Hari's phone started to ring and she stepped away to answer it.
"Hey?" she said.
"Hey, Hari-chan," Saeki said.
"How are you?" Hari asked.
"I'm fine, so don't worry about me, Hari-chan," Saeki said.
"Of course I'll worry, Jiro-kun," Hari said. "How's Ojii?"
"Thank you," Saeki said and she could hear the smile in his voice. She imagined it being a little sad, though. "Ojii is doing well. He's going to be okay."
"Good," Hari said. "We're all worried."
"I know, and we're grateful for how you stepped up today," Saeki said. "It really helped."
"You're my friend," Hari said. "I wanted to do what Ryo-chan did, or worse…"
Saeki laughed, "I know."
Hari huffed but smiled a little, "well, I'm glad Ojii will be okay."
"We'll be there tomorrow and support you," Saeki promised.
"We'll beat them," Hari promised.
"You better," he said with a laugh.
...
An undisclosed location
...
Madam Bones was waiting in the room she had been told to wait and wondered if she had done the right thing. This was not something she normally would do, but she wanted to find out the truth.
Maybe she made a mistake.
But her gut said that she wasn't.
The door opened and she looked up and saw Remus Lupin enter and smiled at her.
"Hello," he said.
"Mr Lupin," Madam Bones said. "You asked for a rather unprecedented meeting."
Remus smiled a little, "Thank you for agreeing to meet me."
She gave him a sharp look. "You promised to tell me the truth."
"I will take veritaserum and you can ask questions," Remus offered. "I asked you to bring some if you wanted to use it, did I not? I have some, but I figured you would rather bring some that you know is real. I can offer memories that back up my story as well."
"I did," Madam Bones said. "Why would you do this?"
Remus smiled a little but she saw the sharp look in his eyes as he looked at her, but he also seemed sad. Sad and tired.
"We have someone we want to protect," Remus said simply. "You seem to be the closest one to be willing to hear me out."
"You know where Sirius Black is?" Madam Bones asked.
"I will not say anything until we have reached an agreement," Remus said.
"What will stop me from arresting you right now for helping a fugitive?" Madam Bones asked.
Remus didn't look stressed or bothered by her question and just leaned back in his seat.
"This is a neutral room," Remus pointed out. "Offensive magic will not be possible here, and I would ask that you do not try to arrest me."
She almost scoffed at the request but had to admit that she was curious.
"Fine," she said. "I do want to know more about Black and what I've heard lately has raised a lot of questions."
Remus nodded, "I am sure."
"What are your terms?" Madam Bones asked.
"To limit the time to 30 minutes," Remus said. "You will not ask anything about Hari Potter that does not relate to Sirius and what happened then. And you'll keep your questions to Sirius Black and his situation as a fugitive and secret keeper for the Potters."
Madam Bones watched Remus for a moment going over the stipulations and had to agree that it was fair.
"I will also provide you with memories you can watch after you've heard what I have to say," Remus promised.
"Memories can be faked," Madam Bones pointed out.
"You're good enough at occlumency to spot fake memories," Remus said calmly. "A fake memory leaves a trace, does it not?"
"True," Madam Bones said. "You know a lot about me."
Again, he smiled but didn't say anything.
"Fine, I agree to your terms," Madam Bones finally said, and Remus seemed to both relax and tense (a strange combination), and tea appeared on the table.
"Then let's begin," Remus said knowing that this was a risk.
But Hari was worth it.
...
...
AN: What do you think? XD
Finally an update! Yay. I hope you liked it, though I am not completely happy with it. It was difficult to get the flow right, but I did my best. XD
Thank you for your patience! And hope you're all doing well.
Thank you for reading! XD
