Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Prince of Tennis!

...

...

...

Hari could still feel the slight throbbing from her scar, but it was so vague that she managed to control it now and felt that her occlumency barriers were up. It still worried her, though. She blinked when she realised that Kawamura was standing in front of her and that Keigo had left with the help of his team. She tried to smile at the older boy who was watching her worriedly.

"How are you feeling, Hari-chan?" he asked.

Guilty, terrible, scared, Hari answered in her mind, but she couldn't say all that.

"I'm feeling better, Kawamura-senpai," Hari said quietly, "I'm sorry for worrying you."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Hari-chan," Kawamura said kindly. "We are just glad that you are feeling better."

He was so kind, and it made Hari feel both grateful and a little bemused.

"Thank you," she managed to say without her voice breaking even as she felt like crying.

"Hari-chan!" Kikumaru cried and came bouncing over and threw his arms around her making her gasp slightly in shock. "I was so worried! How are you? I'm so sorry I didn't notice sooner! I should have noticed and helped you more!"

"It's not your fault, Kikumaru-senpai," Hari said awkwardly patting him on the back (and allowed a relieved sigh when Oishi pulled him off her). "I'm the one who's sorry. I'm sorry I caused us to lose. You played very well and showed just how much you've grown since the Kanto tournament."

"You didn't make us lose, Hari-chan!" Kikumaru protested. "You played very well!"

Hari didn't say anything, but she didn't believe him. She knew she was the reason they lost their match, and she felt guilty.

"You still look a little pale," Oishi worried. "Are you sure you are fine?"

"Just a little headache," Hari said. "It's much better than it was."

"Okay," Oishi said but still looked worried.

Hari smiled a little trying to reassure them that she was okay, even as she felt really bad for doing this to them. She hated that she couldn't tell them the truth about what was wrong, that she couldn't be honest.

"We'll tell you all about Ochibi's match," Kikumaru said making Hari look over at him. "It was amazing!"

"I'm sure it was," Hari agreed quietly and noticed that Fuji gave her a concerned look, but he didn't say anything. She was grateful that he didn't.

"That will need to be another time," Nanjiro said stepping up to them, "she needs to go home to rest now. Don't argue, Hari-chan."

Hari closed her mouth and nodded in defeat. She wanted to prove that she was fine, but she knew that Nanjiro was right. She needed to rest, and to be honest, she needed to be on her own for a moment.

...

Ryoma wasn't sure why he hadn't gone home with Hari when she left. He should have done that, but he had just walked away and felt like a jerk. He should be by her side now, and not hiding out by the vending machine.

She had still looked pale even if she did look better than she had earlier, and he knew she was upset and scared. He wasn't sure how to act now, though. Should he act as if nothing happened or should he address it?

He fisted his hands as he remembered how pale she had been and the pain she hadn't been able to hide as he met her eyes after her match. He had seen her scared before this, but it had been different. Now it looked…raw. It was almost consuming her and she was just barely hanging on.

Honestly, he was surprised the others hadn't picked up on it more than they had. But maybe he saw it because he knew?

For what felt like the first time it had been difficult to play tennis. He always loved playing. He loved the challenge and always got lost in the game and the adrenaline that came with playing, especially against someone like Keigo. He was strong (just don't tell him that), and Ryoma had known it would take a lot to win. This time, however, was not easy. He struggled to get completely lost in the game as he worried about Hari. It felt like he was betraying her or something by playing tennis when she was fighting for her life.

And no one (or almost no one) knew it.

"Did you lose?"

Ryoma startled slightly as the voice interrupted his thoughts and he looked around only to find no one, then there was a laugh and he looked up. He scowled at Toyama Kintaro who was seated on a branch watching him with a playful smirk on his face.

"So, did you, Koshimae? Lose?" Kintaro asked again. "You look like you did."

Ryoma looked away from him and stared at the vending machine and pushed the button to get the Ponta.

"Eh, Koshimae? Don't ignore meee!" Kintaro complained.

"Of course I didn't lose," Ryoma muttered. "Idiot."

Kintaro just laughed delighted and jumped down from the branch to stand in front of Ryoma looking like he was watching something really fascinating.

"So why are you looking like you lost?" Kintaro asked curiously.

Ryoma scowled, "none of your business."

He turned to walk away, but Kintaro just followed him.

"But I'm curious!" Kintaro complained. "I wanted to watch you play, but Shiraishi said I couldn't."

He pouted and Ryoma wondered why he kept following him like this.

"Do you have a scary Captain?" Kintaro asked suddenly over his recent pouting and was now almost bouncing excitedly as he watched Ryoma who had paused just because it was tiresome to keep walking like this. "Shiraishi has scary poisons hidden in his arms and he will use it on me if I don't do as he says… just like in the mangas. Isn't that scary? Right? Right?"

"…" Ryoma just stared not sure what to say to that.

"So, I couldn't go and watch you play," Kintaro complained, "and it's not like we had a match at the same time. We only have one now soon. We're playing Fudomine. Have you played them before? I don't think they looked very fun, but… Shiraishi said I had to play them, so… are you ready for the semi-finals?"

"…yes," Ryoma found himself answering when Kintaro stared at him with wide eyes.

"Super, Koshimae! Then I can play you there! I want to play you now too," Kintaro said. "Do you want to play?"

"No," Ryoma said not feeling up to playing.

"Oh, come on, Koshimae!"

"No."

"Yes!" Kintaro argued.

"No," Ryoma said turning away and starting to walk away again.

"Meany," Kintaro complained as he followed him again.

...

"Did something happen?" Kintaro asked suddenly more serious as he followed Ryoma. "Where is Hari-chan?"

Ryoma abruptly stopped walking and turned to Kintaro with a frown.

"Don't talk about her," Ryoma said seriously remembering that his boy knew exactly who Hari was.

He held up his hands, "I won't. My sister already talked to me and told me not to say anything about Hari-chan to anyone else. I won't tell anyone who she is, but I still want to play her! Do you think she'll play me now?"

Ryoma narrowed his eyes at him, "don't bother her."

"Touchy," Kintaro said with a pout, "but why do you look like you lost?"

Ryoma sighed and turned away again. Why did he look like he lost? Did he? Well, probably. He just…the normal satisfaction after a win was not as dominant right now. He should have gone home with Hari and made sure that she was okay and not blaming herself for the loss.

That was why he had played. To keep her from blaming herself too much, because she always took on everything like it was her fault. Even the things she had no control over and it made him mad.

He frowned as he realised what he had just thought.

Was he mad at her?

But that didn't make any sense at all. She hadn't done anything wrong, but why did he still feel like he was angry?

"You look like you lost again," Kintaro said.

Ryoma blinked and frowned over at him.

"You're still here?" he asked not caring that he was rude and again Kintaro just grinned looking unbothered.

"Just curious," he admitted freely making Ryoma snort.

"You're blunt," Ryoma said.

"Hehe, you think?" Kintaro laughed.

Ryoma sighed, "shouldn't you go to your match?"

"Probably," Kintaro shrugged, "are you coming to watch?"

Ryoma just shrugged.

...

"Ryoma-kun!"

Both Ryoma and Kintaro turned to see Sakuno coming toward them.

"Girlfriend?" Kintaro asked looking over at Ryoma who blinked and then frowned.

"No," Ryoma denied.

"I…um…I made this for you," Sakuno blushed as she held out a small box with rice balls in them.

Ryoma reached out to take one and ate it because Sakuno looked so hopeful.

"Oh! It looks so good," Kintaro said. "Can I have one?"

Sakuno blushed but she nodded and the other boy eagerly grabbed the one left and ate it happily.

"Is…is it good?" Sakuno asked nervously as she looked at Ryoma.

"Isn't it hard to make rice balls taste bad?" Ryoma asked not looking at her.

"R-right," Sakuno said.

"It's good," Kintaro said. "I really liked it!"

"Oh, good," Sakuno said.

Ryoma sighed not really understanding the nagging feeling he was feeling now as he watched how Kintaro was grinning at Sakuno.

"Hey, Kintaro," a new voice interrupted and a hand grabbed the back of Kintaro's shirt making the boy flay around a little before he managed to look over his shoulder.

"Oh, Shiraishi," Kintaro said. "What's up?"

"You're late," Shiraishi said calmly but Kintaro swallowed.

"But-but it's Koshimae!" Kintaro protested and pointed at Ryoma making Shiraishi look over at him.

"Ah, hello again, Echizen-kun," Shiraishi said politely. "Heard you won against Atobe."

"Hn," Ryoma said.

"I want to play him!" Kintaro said excitedly.

"Then you have to win against Fudomine," Shiraishi said calmly.

"Fine," Kintaro said and turned to Ryoma. "I'll see you tomorrow, Koshimae!"

With that he ran off making Ryoma feel dizzy.

"He can be a little much," Shiraishi said, "but you'll see that you're not the only raw talent around here, Echizen-kun."

Ryoma just stared at him making the older boy smile.

"You're not very talkative, are you?" Shiraishi said amused. "Well, that's fine. We'll see you in the semi-finals."

With that he turned and left the two Seigaku students standing there watching him.

...

"Um…why Koshimae?" Sakuno asked.

"Who knows," Ryoma grumbled.

"Are you okay?" Sakuno asked as Ryoma started to walk again.

"Hn," Ryoma didn't look over at her.

Would Hari be home now? She should be, right?

"Ah, sorry," Sakuno said timidly and Ryoma bit back a sigh. He really was feeling like a brat and he looked over at the girl who was always trying to offer help and support.

"I'm fine, Ryuzaki," Ryoma finally said.

"I thought you had left with Hari-chan," Sakuno said.

"I should have," Ryoma muttered. "She did say I should stay back with the team, though."

But he should have gone home with her and made sure that she was okay.

"I hope she'll feel better tomorrow," Sakuno said worriedly.

Ryoma made a noncommittal sound as they spotted the rest of the team standing by the court where Shitenhouji and Fudomine would be playing their match. There was already a group of spectators around the court, so quite a few people were interested in this match.

"Ah, there you are!" Momoshiro said. "I was wondering where you disappeared to!"

...

"Fudomine lost," Ryoma said as sat down at the end of the bed and looked at Hari who was sitting at the head of the bed with her legs pulled up to her chest. She looked over at him with a thoughtful look on her face.

"I see," she said. "An must be disappointed."

"It was some interesting matches," Ryoma said.

"Did Toyama Kintaro play?" Hari asked curiously.

Ryoma huffed but he nodded, "he played Ibu. It ended with a forfeit. Only Tachibana played his match to the end, the rest had to forfeit."

"They must have given their all, then," Hari said leaning back a little as she looked up at the ceiling. "I wish I could have seen it."

Ryoma looked at her, "how are you feeling?"

"Tired," Hari admitted. "Upset."

"It's not your fault," Ryoma immediately said the nagging feeling was back again, but he pushed it back. He wasn't angry at her. It wasn't fair of him to be.

"It feels like it is," Hari said. "I…I just…don't know what to do now."

"What do you mean?" Ryoma asked.

"What if it happens again?" Hari asked quietly. "What if I get those attacks again the next time I play?"

"You can't know that," Ryoma said. "You'll do your best, and that's all."

Hari shook her head, "that's not good enough."

"Do you want the others to be upset with you?" Ryoma asked.

"Eh?" Hari blinked at him.

"Do you? Do you want them to blame you?" Ryoma pressed. "Because you act as you do."

So much for not…Ryoma winced, but the question was out there.

"N-no, of course not," Hari said.

"Then accept it when they say that they're not," Ryoma said. "You can't blame yourself for everything, Hari-chan. You're not invisible, and I…I just want you to accept that!"

Hari stared at him, but he got off the bed and left. He wasn't sure if she was calling him as he did, but he just felt…angry.

...

Ryoma was lying on his bed feeling bad for snapping at Hari. He shouldn't have snapped at her like that. He was such an idiot. There was a knock on the door and he turned his head to look behind him wishing (hoping) that it would be Hari, but it wasn't.

"Ryoma," Ryoga said.

"What?" Ryoma muttered as he turned away again.

"Are you okay?" Ryoga asked walking over to the office chair by his desk and sitting down. Clearly, he was intending to have a conversation.

"Fine," Ryoma said.

"Fine," Ryoga repeated. "Isn't that what you don't want Hari-chan to say when you ask? To just dismiss it with a generic fine when it's obvious that you're not?"

Ryoma frowned and half-turned so he could glare at his brother who looked unbothered.

"It must have been scary today," Ryoga said.

"What do you want?" Ryoma demanded ignoring what Ryoga just said.

"To talk," Ryoga said like it was obvious. "You seemed upset."

Ryoma hesitated. "Did you hear my conversation with Hari?"

"Just the last part," Ryoga admitted shamelessly. "I was on my way to check on her."

"Hn," Ryoma said.

"I know that I am scared," Ryoga said and Ryoma looked at him again. "You've known her for longer and have a special bond with her, so I can only imagine how scared you must be."

"You really want to do this?" Ryoma asked defeated. "Talk about it?"

"Why? There's nothing wrong with talking about how you feel," Ryoga pointed out. "I don't get why that should be a problem."

"You sound like a therapist or something;" Ryoma said and Ryoga shrugged again.

"A friend pointed it out to me," Ryoga said and Ryoma noticed the way he looked away and seemed a little odd, but right now that wasn't what was important so he filed it away for later.

"Fine;" Ryoma said.

"So?"

"Yes, I am scared," Ryoma finally admitted. "I just… I feel helpless."

"Me too," Ryoga admitted. "Magic isn't something I can help with."

"I don't even know why I am angry," Ryoma found himself saying.

"You're angry at her?" Ryoga asked.

"No, I just… I don't know," Ryoma said frustrated. "I don't like how she blames herself. That she always thinks that she's at fault. It's like she wants the others to blame her too."

"I get it," Ryoga said and Ryoma frowned. "Look, I don't know everything about what happened with her aunt and uncle, Ryoma. You probably know more than me, but from what I can tell they would always blame her for things she couldn't control, right? Don't you think that it's a habit she's bringing with her? It's not something you can easily just turn off."

Ryoma frowned as he thought about what Ryoga said and how Hari had talked about her relatives. He didn't like acknowledging them as her aunt and uncle because they didn't deserve the title. He knew that Ryoga was right in how they blamed her for even the smallest of things.

"I know that I sometimes feel like I don't deserve to be here with you and Hari-chan, and Oyaji and Rinko," Ryoga said after a pause. "It's like my aunt's voice is in my head telling me that I don't belong here and that she is the one who loves me."

"You do belong here," Ryoma said a little uncomfortably, "I'm…happy you're back home."

Ryoga smiled a little and Ryoma looked away embarrassed.

"I know," Ryoga said. "But it doesn't stop the voice in my mind, but I've learned to ignore it and hopefully it will be completely gone one day. I think it's the same with Hari-chan. And I think she's been better than she was, isn't she? Think about how it was when she got injured by that tennis ball to her chest? She didn't admit it to anyone then, but she will answer you now. She tells you that she's in pain."

"But still, she blames herself," Ryoma said.

"All we can do is be here and show her that we don't blame her," Ryoga said. "That's all we can do at the end of the day."

They sat in silence for a moment and Ryoma was thinking about what Ryoga had said.

"I just want to make it better," Ryoma said. "I want to promise her that it won't happen again, but it would just be empty words. I can't promise her that, and I can't protect her. That's why I'm angry."

Ryoga smiled a little and got up, but before he left he reached over and pushed Ryoma's cap down over his eyes.

"That's okay," Ryoga said. "Just tell her that, and she'll understand, little brother."

...

Ryoma blinked when he found himself hug-attacked as soon as he had stopped apologizing and talking. He returned the hug as soon as he got over the surprise.

"I'm sorry," Hari said. "I'm so sorry."

"Stop saying you're sorry," he muttered but only hugged her tighter.

"Never," she said but he could hear the laugh in her voice now and he felt his lips twitch as relief filled him. "But, I'll try to not blame myself. At least too much, okay?"

"Okay," Ryoma said knowing that he couldn't expect more than that.

...

The doorbell rang and Nanjiro looked up from his magazine as he heard Rinko walk to open the door. He looked back at the magazine, but the images didn't really do anything to distract his thoughts.

"Brat," Ryuzaki interrupted his thoughts and he looked up to see the older woman standing in the doorway to the living room looking at him.

"Old hag," he said.

"Rude," Ryuzaki commented as she came over to the sofa and sat down. "How is Hari-chan?"

Nanjiro sighed and put the magazine to the side and sat up properly.

"Tired," he said.

Ryuzaki nodded, "I see. I wanted to check in and see how she was."

Nanjiro smiled a little, "she'll appreciate that. She is upset that she lost and feels like it's her fault."

"She can't help it if she feels sick," Ryuzaki said. "She looked really pale, and it was clear that she was in pain."

"I've told her that," Nanjiro said, "but she's not ready to accept that yet."

"It hurts to lose," Ryuzaki agreed. "Especially when something outside of our control contributes to it, but she handled it really well."

"At least we made it through to the next round," Nanjiro said. "I think that will help her to deal with it."

"Good," Ryuzaki said. "Will she be ready to play tomorrow?"

Nanjiro paused as he thought about it and he wasn't sure she would be ready. It wasn't just if she would be feeling well enough to play physically, but also mentally. He had not seen her as affected by anything before as she was now.

"I am not sure," he admitted.

"I see," Ryuzaki said. "I have put together a play order for now, but I wanted to see if Hari-chan would be up to playing or not. Maybe she should get the chance to rest the next match, and hopefully, we'll make it to the final and she can play again then."

"You can't do that," Ryoma interrupted and they both looked to the doorway where Ryoma had appeared. "It's like telling her that it is her fault that she and Kikumaru lost."

"Brat," Nanjiro said. "That is not what anyone is saying."

"It's how she will see it," Ryoma said. "She'll take it as confirmation of her own thoughts."

Ryuzaki and Nanjiro exchanged looks before looking back at Ryoma.

"I'll take it under consideration," Ryuzaki finally said.

Ryoma just looked at them before continuing on his way toward the kitchen.

"He's very loyal to Hari-chan;" Ryuzaki commented.

"He is," Nanjiro agreed. "They are very close."

Ryuzaki nodded as they continued to discuss the team and the upcoming match. Ryuzaki also told him about the match between Fudomine and Shitenhouji.

...

It was early when Hari found herself in the car on her way to the Shrine and to meet the monk again as he had asked her to. She wanted to sleep, but at the same time… her mind was not really turning off. She kept thinking about the day before and how everything was going wrong.

She leaned her forehead against the window as she stared out at the passing streets and sighed softly.

"I know it is early," Rinko said looking over at Hari before looking back at the road.

"Mm," Hari didn't look at her as she noticed a few people walking toward the bus stops and subway. "I guess it's the only time to do this if I'm going to be able to join the others later. I'm sorry you have to go out so early, though. You need rest too."

"Don't worry about me, Hari-chan," Rinko said. "I will do this as early and as often as you need. We want you to be as safe as you can be in this situation."

Hari felt tears in her eyes and blinked them away, unable to say anything as she didn't trust that her voice wouldn't betray her emotions. It was too early to cry. Hari felt vulnerable and she hated that she was putting more pressure on Rinko and Nanjiro, she hated that she made them worry even more. She hated that she scared them like this. But at the same time, she was so grateful that she wasn't dealing with this alone. She felt like she was loved and that was new in these kinds of situations.

It didn't take too long before they reached the Shrine and Rinko found a spot to park her car. She looked over at Hari who was still seated in her seat.

"Come on, dear," Rinko said and Hari nodded before she opened the door and stepped out of the car. She took Rinko's hand and lead her into the Shrine.

Arata was waiting for them, and Hari tried to give him a smile, but it felt a little flat. He just bowed and greeted them politely and didn't seem bothered by her lack of warmth. It made her feel worse because Arata was always so welcoming and nice.

"Hari-chan," Arata said. "Come with me."

Hari followed behind him not paying attention to the beautiful flowers around them like she normally would do. It was always interesting to see what was growing because it kept changing, and since Seiichi knew about magic now it was always fun to tell him more about the flowers she'd seen.

...

Hari was led to a garden that reminded her of a rock garden with different size rocks and sand, with a small water feature in the corner that gave a small dripping sound.

"I want you to meditate," the monk said.

Hari sighed but she nodded. She hated to meditate. It was so difficult to manage to clear her mind and just sit still.

She sat down and got comfortable as she closed her eyes and tried to close her mind.

Hari sat still and tried to just focus on her breathing as her mind cleared. It was impossible for her to say just how long she sat there.

"Focus on my voice," Arata said. "Don't open your eyes, Hari-chan. Just focus on my voice. You are doing very well. Breathe in and then breathe out. Breathe in and then out. Let the air flow through you, in and then out. Keep doing that and feel how the air fills you and sustains you, how your body reacts to the air. Can you feel how your body reacts to the oxygen?"

Hari listened and did as Arata said.

"Can you hear the water?" Arata suddenly asked.

Hari listened and even though it sounded like it was far away and slightly muffled she thought she could hear the soft sound of trickling water.

"Yes."

"Focus on the sound," Arata said. "Where does it come from?"

Hari tried to focus on the sound, but then there was a loud cry of a bird that made her frown as she tried to pick up on the water sound again.

There.

It was…to her left?

No.

It was from her right.

"From my right," Hari said. "Behind me."

"Do you hear anything else?"

Hari tried to listen and suddenly she thought that the water was closer, and it sounded clearer to her. She tried to move her senses away from the water and listen for something else.

"A bird," she said. "and….something grinding? No...A bug? And someone talking?"

It felt strange and slightly overwhelming as the noises surrounding her made her mind buzzing.

"What do you feel?" Arata urged her. "Think about it. What are you feeling?"

Hari took a deep breath and tried to focus on what she was feeling. What was she feeling? There was a strange feeling, like something that was pricking at her. Not quite uncomfortable, but not pleasant either. It felt like a buzzing.

"Strange," Hari said slowly. "Like a buzzing, or prickling tension. It is… I don't know."

Arata didn't say anything and Hari just continued to sit where she was with her eyes closed and felt her body relaxing and her mind buzzing slightly.

...

"Open your eyes, Hari-chan," the monk said as he stepped up to them and Hari blinked a couple of times as she noticed the monk. Arata was smiling at her while she felt drowsy.

"Did you feel any different?" the monk asked.

"Different?" Hari frowned.

"Did you notice how you took in the nature outside of you?" The monk asked. "By taking notice of the spring of water in the distance, and the sounds of the animals around you and people talking, everything is a part of you and your surroundings. That is what I've been talking about. How magic is in everything."

"How does that help me?" Hari frowned.

"You allow it to build your shields," Arata said. "By taking notice and focusing on you and what is around you, it will help your natural shields to strengthen."

"The feeling you felt at the end there is your magic," the monk explained. "It is the magic flowing through you, into you. It's the magic that is in the air, in the bird, in the water. It is what connects us together."

"Oh," Hari said a little lost.

"This is part of the reason for why I've had you meditate," the monk explained. "It is important in order to open yourself to allow the magic around in, and allow it to help you."

Hari just nodded and still felt confused, but she was also feeling tired. It didn't feel like she had been meditating, but rather like she had been in full activity.

"How are you feeling?" Arata asked.

"Tired," Hari admitted.

"That is natural," the monk said. "I had Arata push more magic toward you today because you needed the push. We are working on a tight schedule now, and with what happened yesterday we need to push more for your magic to be ready."

Hari nodded.

"Okay," she said. "Has he been pushing magic at me every time I've been meditating?"

"Yes," Arata said. "To try to make you open to the surroundings."

"You haven't said anything," Hari frowned.

"It's best that it happens as natural as possible," the monk explained. "If pushed too soon or too much it can overwhelm you and make it worse. That's why we've been just nudging you along until now, and so far, that has been enough."

"I see," Hari said.

She got up and her legs felt a little wobbly and she briefly wondered if she would be able to play tennis like this at all, but then again… her heart sank as reality came over her again and she remembered the tennis match the day before.

...

Seiichi sat on the bench underneath a tree in the garden and listened to the birds waking up and the sun was starting to rise for the day. He couldn't sleep, so he had gone out to the garden where he normally would be able to relax. But he still felt restless now and unable to unwind like he normally did out here.

He was worried and he felt helpless. How could he help Hari? She was struggling, and he was unable to do anything for her. He couldn't say that everything was going to be alright, because he didn't know that it would be. There was too much of an unknown for him to be confident.

No, he would be confident. He did believe that she would be fine and that she would beat this, but… there was that nagging fear inside of him that kept him awake at times.

What if… What if… What if…

It echoed in his mind, refusing to leave him alone.

Magic was…scary. He tried to not think about it, but it was there in the back of his mind. Magic was so much more than he had first believed when he learned about it. He felt so helpless against a power that he could do nothing to protect himself or others against.

He tried his best to push it back, but it was harder at times. He didn't want Hari to know because he knew she would blame herself and pull away from him. He didn't want that, and he knew that magic had good sides as well. It was just…scary.

"Seiichi?"

Seiichi turned his head and saw his mother standing there watching him curiously.

"You're up early," she said.

"I woke up early and couldn't sleep," Seiichi said softly looking back at the small pond.

"You've been distracted since you came back yesterday," Sora said. "Did something happen?"

Seiichi didn't answer for a moment as he wondered what to say.

"Just…worried," he admitted.

"About Hari-chan?" Sora asked and Seiichi blinked at her and she smiled a little. "It's not that hard to guess. Is she okay?"

"She's…doing her best," Seiichi settled on. His parents knew most of what was going on, he knew Rinko and Nanjiro had told them. "It's hard, though."

Sora nodded, "it must be. I can't imagine how scary this must be for her. Are you okay?"

He shrugged, "I'm fine."

"You sure?" Sora asked sceptically. "It is okay for you to not be okay too, Seiichi. It is a tough situation."

"But I need to be strong for her," Seiichi said. "Okaa-chan, I need to be there for her. But I can't do anything."

Sora walked over and sat down on the bench beside him.

"She doesn't expect you to fix everything, Seiichi. She just needs you to be there like you have been." Sora said comfortingly.

"It's…so hard, Okaa-chan," Seiichi finally admitted. "But I don't want her to worry about me too, and I know she'll blame herself if she knew that…"

"That you are scared?" Sora asked gently and he nodded. "Don't you think she already knows that you're scared, Seiichi? Isn't it better to be open about it? Maybe she'll feel less alone if someone else also admits to being scared?"

Seiichi frowned a little, but he had to admit that she had a point. It wasn't like he really hid it either, but he tried to not show it as much. He didn't want to make it harder on her.

...

"Hari-chan," Rinko hurried over to her and immediately pulled her into a hug. "You okay?"

"Tired," Hari mumbled as she pulled away.

"Here," Arata held out something for Hari. "Take this charm with you. It's a protection charm, and it will help you focus your shields. Remember that it is important that you practice your occlumency and come back if you feel them breaking. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," Hari said quietly. "Thank you, Arata-kun."

Arata bowed and stepped back before he turned and walked away. Hari looked down at the charm for a moment before she put it in the pocket of her training clothes.

"Are you ready?" Rinko asked.

Hari nodded and followed Rinko out of the Shrine. The nagging feeling in her stomach grew and it felt like it was something sharp nicking at her insides as she knew that the semi-finals were getting closer.

"Hari-chan."

Hari blinked when she saw Seiichi standing by the car when she and Rinko reached it.

"Sei-chan," Hari said. "What… you should be with your team!"

"It's still early," Seiichi smiled as he came up to her and she noticed how his eyes seemed to scan her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said automatically and she saw the arched brow and shrugged.

"Seiichi-chan," Rinko smiled at him.

"Echizen-san," Seiichi said politely and Rinko greeted him warmly.

Hari smiled a little as she watched them and turned fully to Seiichi, "you should have stayed home so you could rest. You need sleep, Sei-chan."

"I woke up and couldn't sleep," Seiichi said. "Don't worry about me, Hari-chan. I was hoping we could go and get breakfast together?"

"Why don't you go and eat, Hari-chan?" Rinko said. "Your tennis racket is in the back."

Hari looked over at Rinko who was already opening the backdoor so she could grab the racket and handed it to Hari who blinked and then smiled a little.

"Okay," she agreed.

"Good luck today," Rinko said. "You'll do great no matter what."

"Thank you," Hari said and accepted the hug before she stepped back and watched as Rinko got into the car and drove away. Seiichi took her hand and Hari turned to look at him. "So, where do you want to eat?"

...

"Where is Hari-chan?" Nanjiro asked when Rinko got back home.

"She's having breakfast with Seiichi-chan," Rinko said and Nanjiro sighed. "What? You still don't like him?"

Nanjiro pouted, "no, I like him."

"Don't look like it's the end of the world, then, dear," Rinko said amused.

Nanjiro just sighed looking rather pathetic.

"She's not getting married, Oyaji," Ryoga snorted as he got up, having finished his breakfast. "So don't act like she's about to leave home to get a new one."

"Don't say that word!" Nanjiro said dramatically.

Ryoma shook his head as he eyed Nanjiro.

"So overdramatic," Ryoma muttered. "You're loud, Oyaji."

"Besides, isn't it better that she has a boyfriend that you like rather than one you hate?" Ryoga asked. "And Seiichi-kun has proven that he cares about her."

Nanjiro just pouted making Rinko smile amused.

"She needs to keep living as normally as she can," Rinko said looking at Nanjiro. "If…if not then she'll be swallowed up by everything and we'll lose her."

Nanjiro nodded, "I know."

"It's normal for Oyaji to have a fit over her boyfriend, though," Ryoma added making Nanjiro glare at him while Ryoma ignored him and left the kitchen to get ready.

...

Hari smiled as the traditional Japanese breakfast was served and she looked over at Seiichi who was watching her closely.

"What?" she asked a little self-consciously. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No," Seiichi said, "you're just cute when you get excited about food."

Hari blushed and looked down, "stop it."

Seiichi chuckled but he didn't say anything else.

"How did it go today?" Seiichi asked as they started to eat.

"Fine," Hari said not looking at him. "Though, I'm tired."

He looked at her concerned, "should you go and get some sleep before the matches started, then? Maybe I shouldn't have…"

"I wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway," Hari said. "I like this better."

Seiichi sighed a little, but he nodded and they fell into a slightly uncomfortable silence. Hari tried to focus on her food and eating, but she couldn't help but worry about everything. Seiichi looked tired too and she hated that she was causing him to lose sleep.

"Hari-chan," Seiichi said and she looked at him, "I know I can't do much for you, but I'm here, okay?"

"I know," Hari said. "I just wish…"

"For now, let's forget everything," Seiichi said and she looked at him. "Right now we're just having breakfast before the semi-finals and there's nothing else going on. Just for the next hour. What do you think?"

Hari blinked before she smiled a little, "okay."

"So, you're playing Shitenhouji," Seiichi said. "That means Shiraishi and his team. Are you ready?"

Hari shrugged, "probably?"

Seiichi laughed, "probably, huh? Well, I guess that's better than no."

Hari smiled and leaned back as she finished her miso soup.

"What about you?" Hari asked. "You're playing Nagoya?"

"Yes," Seiichi said.

"I haven't heard much about them before," Hari admitted.

"They are a prestigious school," Seiichi said thoughtfully, "and haven't made much of an impression so far in the tournament."

"Hm," Hari hummed. "Are they hiding something?"

"Probably," Seiichi said casually.

"You don't seem too concerned," Hari noted with a small smile.

"We'll deal with it," Seiichi said. "Besides, I think the coach wants to try something."

Hari looked at him curiously, "how are you settling in with the new coach? I'm sorry, I should have asked you about that earlier."

"That's fine," Seiichi reassured her, "I know you've had more than enough on your mind."

"Doesn't mean that I shouldn't show interest in what's going on with you," Hari argued. "I am sorry, Sei-chan. I do care about what's happening with your team, too. I'm a bad girlfriend."

"Stop it," Seiichi said. "You're not a bad girlfriend, and I know you care about my team as well. It's perfectly understandable that it slipped your mind, and I haven't brought it up either. So, don't blame yourself for this, Hari-chan."

Hari still looked a little uncertain, but she nodded.

Seiichi shrugged, "it's fine. He's not really trying to take over that much, really. He's allowing us to continue much like we used to but will ask questions and offer support. He has some ideas and will deal more with…with Akaya."

"I see," Hari said. "That's good, right?"

"It…is," Seiichi agreed. "I thought he would change more than he has."

"I can understand that," Hari said. "But if he can help then it's worth it, don't you think?"

Seiichi nodded, "yeah, it is. Akaya has settled more with his help as well, so that's good."

"Good," Hari said. "I'm glad."

They managed to talk more casually now, and Hari almost forgot as she focused on Seiichi who was doing his best to get her to think about something else. It felt a little like her heart would burst with warmth and gratefulness.

...

"Thank you," Hari said as they paused outside the arena where the semi-finals would be played. Seiichi smiled as he reached out and pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and she blinked when he allowed his hand to stay so he was cupping her cheek.

"Anytime," he said not pretending that he didn't understand what she was thanking him for.

Hari bit her lip as she hesitated for a second, "Sei-chan, you know that I don't expect you to be fine all the time, right?"

He stilled for a second before he smiled a little shrewdly, "you saw through me, eh?"

Hari shrugged, "maybe?"

Seiichi remembered what his mother had said earlier and could tell that Hari was waiting for him patiently as he was considering what to say.

"I guess…I'm scared," Seiichi admitted. "I want to be strong for you and I will always be here to help you in any way I can, but… it is…scary."

Hari swallowed as she pushed back the guilt she felt and immediately pulled him into a hug and hugged him tightly as he returned the hug.

"You can talk to me about how you are feeling too, Sei-chan," Hari said quietly still hugging him. "I know it must be difficult for you, and you haven't even known about magic for long. It's a lot to process having been thrown into the darker parts of magic so quickly."

"I don't want to make it harder for you," Seiichi admitted.

Hari pulled back and looked at him for a moment. It wasn't that he hid how he felt because she had clearly seen the worry and fear the day before, and it hadn't seemed like he tried to hide it. He just didn't talk much about how he felt and would focus more on her and what he could do for her.

It always made her feel warm and special, but she realised that she failed in asking about him. It must be difficult for him too, and she should be more aware of his needs as well.

"I know," she said. "And I appreciate it, Sei-chan. You're making this…well, I won't say easier because this is nowhere near easy, but you are giving me hope. I… really am relying on you and I know that it isn't fair. So, I want you to tell me how you are too because I want to be able to help you as well."

Seiichi looked at her for a moment before he leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.

"Okay," he agreed. "That sounds reasonable."

"Good," Hari smiled softly and rested her head on his shoulder for a moment just allowing herself to accept his comfort and hopefully giving him the same.

It was soon time for the semi-finals of the Nationals.

...

...

AN: What do you think? XD

I have a question for you all. Do you think Hari should play in the next game? And if so, who do you want to see her play? I'm open to suggestions :)

So, I'm late again with the update. I'm sorry about that, and I appreciate all of you who continue to read my fanfiction! 3 Just wanted to say that :)

Thank you for reading! And hope you liked it! XD