Discalimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Prince of Tennis!
...
"Parseltongue"
...
...
The crackling from the fireplace sounded loud in the darkened room, the chair was barely lit up by the light cast from the fireplace. A man was kneeling on the floor in front of a high chair.
"I want Harriett Potter," a cold hissing voice said.
"M-my L-lord," a simpering voice answered.
"Wormtail, quit your simpering," the cold voice said. "I want Harriett Potter!"
"She…she was quit Hogwarts, M-my Lord," Wormtail squeaked.
The room was quiet for a moment as the man kneeling on the floor twitched slightly but kept his head bowed low.
"Then she should be easier to get to," the cold voice said.
"Y-yes, M-my Lord," Wormtail said.
"She is with the Muggles?" the cold voice sneered.
"I...I suppose so, M-my Lord," Wormtail said.
"Crucio!"
Wormtail fell to the ground screaming and jerking violently as he thrashed around on the carpet. The curse was lifted and left whimpering and shaking on the floor.
"Get up," the cold voice hissed. "Get up, you pathetic fool!"
Wormtail managed to push himself up and knelt before the chair again.
"You suppose so? Eh, Wormtail?" The cold voice asked. "You should know where Harriett Potter is! I need her!"
"B-but she must be…pr-protected, M-my Lord," Wormtail stuttered and flinched when a loud hiss escaped the owner of the cold voice. "I-I mean…D-Dumbledore would ma-make sure-sure that-that she can't be tou-touched."
"And what do you suggest I do?"
"You…cou-could use someone else, M-my L-lord," Wormtail said. "It doesn't have to be P-Potter."
"Someone…else?"
"I-I could go out and fi-find someone for you, M-my Lord," Wormtail said and his voice had gained a little confidence. "It wo-would only take a f-few days."
The crackling from the fire was the only thing heard for a long while.
"I see. Do you think we could use someone other than Harriett Potter? We can't! It has to be Harriett Potter! She is the only one who will do! You aren't suddenly showing concern for the daughter of your late friends, are you Wormtail?"
"N-n-no! Of c-course not!" Wormtail denied. "I just…"
"You just thought you would leave me here helpless and unable to protect myself!" The voice hissed. "Don't think you've fooled me, Wormtail! I see the way you look at me! I see the way you cringe and look disgusted by the idea of touching me! If you left who would milk Nagini? Who would help me?!"
"You…You are stronger, My Lord, I thought you would be fine for a few days…"
"Liar!" The voice hissed. "Lies, Wormtail! You regret coming to find me! You wish you never did!"
"I…never…"
"The fear of your friends is the only reason you came to find me," the voice said. "I know. I know all, Wormtail. But no matter. We will get Harriett Potter and soon a true servant will find us and then we will take action. We're going to find Harriett Potter and this time she will not get away!"
...
With a gasp Hari jerked up in her bed breathing hard and her heart was pounding in her ears. Her hand flew up to her scar and pressed against it trying to make the pain go away. She fought nausea as she tried to calm her breathing. Sweat was dripping from her forehead and she could feel how her t-shirt was sticking to her back.
A nightmare. That was all it was. Just a nightmare.
She tried to convince herself as she tried to calm down but the dream and the throbbing scar wouldn't let go as she sat up in bed. It had been so…real. But it couldn't be real. There was no way that it was. She was just worked up because of the nightmare.
She rubbed the scar almost absentmindedly as the pain ebbed away and soon it was gone like it hadn't hurt at all. But it had…and last time it had hurt like that Voldemort had been close.
Her breathing picked up again as fear spread through her. Voldemort had been close… But he couldn't be now, right? He didn't even have a body!
She got out of bed and almost ran to the window and looked out. It was still dark outside but from the streetlights, she couldn't see anything moving. She listened closely as she tried to pick up noises that were strange or unfamiliar, but she couldn't hear anything. But that didn't mean…
But… Last time her scar had hurt Voldemort had been at the back of Quirrell's head! Dumbledore said that her scar hurt when Voldemort was close. But he couldn't be close now…
Her hands clenched into tight fists as she tried to calm herself down. She was not going to go into a panic… She stared out of her window again but still couldn't see anything.
She needed…someone. She didn't want to be alone.
She moved before she really thought about it and was out of her room and outside of Ryoma's room without realising that she had moved. She hesitated though when she touched his doorknob and wondered if she really was going to wake him up just because she had a nightmare.
I want Harriett Potter. I need her.
Voldemort's cold voice echoed in her mind and she opened the door and slipped inside before closing the door behind her. She saw Ryoma sleeping on the bed and he looked peaceful. He always did when he slept. Karupin was at the end of the bed but wasn't sleeping, his head was raised slightly and he blinked at her.
Hari walked over to the bed and looked down at Ryoma. Seeing her little brother helped calm her down a little. He was there and he was safe. Voldemort wasn't close to her.
She sat down on the bed and nudged his shoulder slightly. She did feel bad for waking him but…she needed him. He shifted slightly and his eyes flickered open, he blinked a couple of times before he focused in on her.
"Hari?" his voice sounded sleepy and he blearily blinked up at her. "What's wrong?"
She swallowed and her throat felt really dry all of the sudden. She felt stupid and silly for even being here but she was and she had woken him up so she had to face it.
"I…" she tried but her voice trailed off.
He pushed himself up and rubbed his eyes as he looked at her. She felt a flash of affection go through her as she looked at him.
"Hari?" he asked again.
"I'm sorry," she said hurriedly. "I shouldn't have woken you up…"
"It's fine," he said. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing," she said. "I'm just being silly… It was just a nightmare…"
He frowned slightly as he looked at her.
"You want to talk about it?" he asked.
She looked at him and he was concerned when he noticed the fear in her eyes, it wasn't strong but it was there underneath the embarrassment and wariness.
"No," she whispered. "I would rather forget it."
He didn't say anything for a moment as he looked at her. He sighed softly before he moved slightly to the side in his bed and she blinked at him.
"Come on," he said a little awkwardly. "You need to sleep."
"Oh, but…"
"Hari," he looked at her. "Get into the bed. You'll stay here and sleep. You need to sleep."
Hari swallowed and tried to tell herself that she didn't need to stay with Ryoma, that she should go back into her own room and bed and stay there like the big girl she was. But… the offer of comfort and safety was too much.
"Thanks," she whispered as she slipped into the bed and lay down beside her brother. She smiled slightly as she felt him move and shuffle around to find a comfortable position again.
...
Hari felt bad for having woken Ryoma up, but she couldn't help but feel grateful and oddly content as she laid beside him on his bed. He had fallen asleep again but her mind wouldn't shut up so she was still awake, but she didn't mind too much since she wasn't alone.
How long had it been since she had sought someone out after a nightmare? Had she ever done that before? She wasn't sure.
But her mind went back to Voldemort and the dream. Now, with Ryoma's steady breathing next to her, the dream didn't seem as scary and threatening. It had let go slightly, but still…
She wasn't able to shake the worry over her scar hurting again. But she was sure that Voldemort wasn't anywhere close to her now because no one knew she was in Japan. There was no way he could be close to her, so why did her scar hurt?
And how could he actually talk with Wormtail? She tried to think but she hadn't actually seen him, just heard his voice. And it had been his voice. It was a voice she never would forget. She felt a stab of fear again and turned to look at Ryoma and let the view of her brother calm her down. She was safe. She was with Ryoma.
But if Voldemort was looking for her and it was true what she had seen in the dream, then was she really safe? Oh, why did he keep coming after her? Why was he so obsessed with her? The stupid git. He should realise that she was just a girl and not where the treat was.
But… if he came looking for her and actually found her then her family would be in danger. She frowned and curled closer to Ryoma as she needed to closeness. She didn't want to lose what she had managed to build up here. She was not going to let him take it from her!
Not again!
...
Ryoma watched Hari who was talking with Nanako over the breakfast table. She looked to be okay now but he couldn't help but feel worried. She must have been really scared after her nightmare and it must have been really bad for her to actually come to him like that.
Unfortunately she had already gotten up when he woke up this morning so he hadn't had a chance to actually talk to her about it. And now she was talking with Nanako. He was sure she did this on purpose. Just so she could avoid talking to him.
"Morning," Ryoma mumbled as he stepped further into the kitchen and Hari glanced over at him and he saw the embarrassment, wariness and gratefulness in her eyes as she looked at him. Nanako smiled and placed a plate of food down at the table next to Hari.
"Morning," Nanako said.
Ryoma sat down and started to eat.
"So, tell me more about your date, Hari-chan," Nanako said.
Ryoma swallowed and glanced over at Hari who was still looking at him but now she turned back to Nanako with a soft smile.
"It was great," Hari said. "He took me to watch a movie. It was a great film, and then we walked a little before we went for ice cream."
Ryoma listened to her talk about her date and heard her voice lighten up as she talked about it, and he almost felt grateful because if the date could get her mind off whatever bothered her then it was a good thing.
He was also curious about this Yukimura Seiichi and wanted to know more about him. He had seemed to be okay last night, but he couldn't really say that he knew him. For all he knew he could be a very good actor…but the way he had handled Nanjiro was great. Even Ryoma had to admit that.
Ryoma kept a close eye on Hari as she continued to talk and while the fear he had seen in her last night was gone she still seemed a little…off somehow. He couldn't quite place it, but there was a new frailness about her that hadn't been there yesterday.
"Are you going to see him again today?" Nanako asked bringing Ryoma out of his thoughts as he looked at Hari.
"Hai," Hari nodded. "I'm meeting him for lunch before he has to go back home. He has school tomorrow."
"Long distance is a challenge," Nanako nodded in understanding.
Hari sighed but shrugged, "it's worth it."
Ryoma looked pensively at her before he noticed a movement from the corner of his eyes and realised that Nanjiro was watching them half-hidden in the doorway to the living room. He was mouthing something to himself as his tragic eyes were locked on Hari.
Ryoma snorted and looked back at his food and focused on finishing it.
"He's been there since I first came down," Hari commented to Ryoma.
"He's trying to not say something about Yukimura, I take it?" Ryoma smirked.
Hari rolled her eyes but nodded. "I guess I should be grateful he is trying."
Ryoma snorted but didn't say anything.
...
Ryoma was frowning slightly as he put the racket back into the bag. He had met the others for an unofficial team practice, having gotten the text from Momoshiro earlier asking him to join them. He was aware that the others shot him questioning looks, and he knew it was because Hari wasn't there. She had not shown up and it was a little strange. At least the fact that she hadn't responded to the text. Though, he knew she was meeting Seiichi so he also knew why she wasn't here.
He still hadn't gotten the chance to talk to her on his own. She had gotten up right after she'd finished eating and said she was going out to meet Seiichi and ignoring Nanjiro's protests and sidestepping his hug attempt (knowing she was caught if she let him hug her).
Ryoma wasn't sure if he should laugh or cry watching his father's pathetic attempts to prevent Hari from going out to meet her boyfriend. Rinko had shaken her head and swatted the back of his making him pout and stare at the door where Hari had just left.
"Come on, let's go and eat," Momoshiro suggested with a grin.
Ryoma glanced at him before he nodded, "okay."
The rest of the regulars of the team ended up deciding to join them and soon they were on their way. Ryoma barely listened to the conversations around him as he walked beside Momoshiro. His mind was still thinking about Hari and her nightmare. He should have made sure to talk to her before she left, then he wouldn't be this distracted and worried.
"I wonder why Hari-chan didn't show up, nya," Kikumaru said. "She normally does."
"Yeah," Momoshiro nodded. "She always loves to come to practice."
"Maybe it's because she can't practice yet herself?" Kawamura asked making the others get a pensive look as they nodded.
"Echizen?" Fuji asked and Ryoma blinked as he was brought out of his thoughts.
"Eh?"
"Do you know why Hari-chan didn't come today?" Fuji asked.
Ryoma did know but he wasn't sure what to say so he just grunted and shrugged. It was up to Hari to let them know who her boyfriend was. The others looked away from him disappointed but Fuji kept looking and had a knowing look in his eyes.
They reached the burger place just then much to Ryoma's relief and he followed the others inside hearing them laugh and talk as they did. He sighed softly telling himself to snap out of it and focus on what was going on around him.
"Oy!" He snapped when he walked straight into Momoshiro's back when he stopped abruptly. Ryoma rubbed his head as he glared at Momoshiro making him notice that it wasn't just Momoshiro who had stopped. It was all of them and they were all staring at the same spot. Ryoma followed their eyes curious to see what had made them stop like that.
Ah. He realised why they had stopped and he felt a little flare of apprehension go through him realising that this could get…loud.
"EH?!"
"HARI-CHAN?!"
...
Hari walked to the park where she was meeting Seiichi and had to work to not turn and look behind her to see if someone was following her. She hated the sudden fear she felt walking down these streets, she had not felt like this since she had been at Hogwarts.
Even if the dream was faded and she couldn't really remember any details about it anymore it still had her jumpy. She reached up and rubbed her scar as she remembered the pain that had blinded her in the middle of the night.
Why had her scar hurt again? What did it mean?
The questions wouldn't leave her alone as she thought about it. She always came back to Dumbledore's explanation again and again, but there was no way that Voldemort was close to her now! He wasn't!
A car door slammed shut had her jump and she felt her heart beat faster as her eyes sought out the source. She saw the family moving from the car and toward a house making her sigh and shake her head. She started to walk again and this time quickened her pace as she just wanted to reach the park and Seiichi.
"Hey," a voice said and she jumped.
She spun around and saw Seiichi looking at her with a concerned look on his face.
"Hey," she said smiling a little.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, sorry," Hari rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I guess I was lost in my own thoughts and didn't hear you come up."
He looked a little doubtful but nodded, "okay."
He walked over to a bench and sat down making her follow him and take place beside him. She felt a little stupid for jumping just by him saying hey, but she still couldn't shake the uneasiness she felt. She glanced around but there was nothing out of the ordinary around them.
Stop it; you're being paranoid and silly, Hari thought to herself.
She blinked when a hand reached over and closed around hers and squeezed it gently and she looked up and saw the concerned look in the violet-blue eyes.
"You sure you are okay?" he asked.
"Yes," she nodded. "I really am fine."
"Well, did your dad give you trouble last night?" Seiichi asked looking at her closely.
"He's been giving me these looks all day," Hari snorted. "And tried to keep me from going out."
"Well, I'm glad you got out," Seiichi said and Hari laughed.
She looked down at the hand holding hers and she smiled slightly. She felt herself relax slightly as she felt his warm hand in hers and the comforting presence next to her. She looked up and met his eyes and couldn't help but smile as he was looking right at her and looked like he liked what he saw.
He reached out and pushed a strand of her hair out of her face like he had done so many times before but it comforted her and settled something inside of her that she didn't even know needed to be settled.
"Tell me about your friends," he said.
She smiled and started to tell him about the team and their lively and often chaotic practices and as she talked she relaxed even more. She had a feeling that it was what he had wanted and he looked pleased as she waved a hand to explain a point.
They stayed there on the bench and just talked for a long time and as they did Hari managed to pretend that the dream never had happened. She was just Hari, a normal girl that was out with the boy she liked and for some reason liked her back.
"Your team sure seems like a lively lot," Seiichi said.
"Yeah," she smiled fondly.
She blinked when he suddenly was closer and now any thought other than Seiichi was blown out of her mind as he reached out and cupped her face and she could feel his warm hand against her cheek and his breath was on her face, so close was he.
She couldn't stop the blush from creeping up her neck and into her cheeks as she realised just how close he was and wishing that he would kiss her again.
"You are pretty when you blush," he whispered and without giving her time to answer he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers making her mind go pleasantly blank.
It wasn't even their first or even their second kiss but Hari still felt like it was, her eyes flickered closed as she kissed back. Her hand holding his tightening around his and she felt him squeeze back.
It was strange because she didn't have any experience when it came with kissing, but with Seiichi… it just felt natural. Oh, she knew she must be awkward and a little lost on, well, how it worked, but she didn't feel like she messed it up.
She felt his hand moved from her cheek and over her hair and to the back of her neck. His fingers played with a strand of her hair as he kept kissing her, softly but yet also a little more fiercely than before.
She felt like her cheeks were burning up and her body felt hot but she didn't want him to stop kissing her, but of course, he eventually pulled back and they both breathed a little rougher than normal as he rested his forehead against hers.
"Why did you stop?" she blurted out before blushing madly and looking away. Why had she said that? Oh, she was so…
"I think we're a little too out in the open to continue like this," Seiichi said and she glanced up at him and saw the smile on his face. His hand pushed her hair out of her face again and she felt his fingers linger a little before he pulled back.
She had completely forgotten that they were in a public park and that anyone could see them. She felt a burst of embarrassment go through her but she pushed it back.
"Oh," she said.
"Come on, let's go and get something to eat," Seiichi said and got up from the bench before pulling her up after him.
...
They ended up at the burger place near her school and the one she had been to with Ryoma and Momoshiro a few times, and even An a couple of times.
"It's nice to have this place near your school, isn't it?" Seiichi said.
"Hai, Ryo-chan and Momo-chan certainly think so," Hari snorted.
They ordered and brought their food to a corner booth and since it was so quiet they didn't care that it was one of the largest tables in the place.
Hari was placed when he sat down beside her and not across from her. She enjoyed feeling his warmth beside her and the casual touches with his arm against hers. It didn't matter that she had to turn to look at him when they talked, it was worth it.
"Oh," he said as if he was just remembering something. "I almost forgot."
He pulled up his bag and started to go through it.
"I saw something on my way home yesterday," Seiichi said as he pulled something out of his bag. "My girlfriend is famous."
Hari froze and her eyes widened as she tried to figure out what he meant because he couldn't mean… Did he know? But how could he…
"Have you seen it?" Seiichi asked turning back to her and she fought to hide her wariness and apprehension as she arched a brow.
"Seen what?" she was proud that her voice didn't shake and she sounded normal.
"This," he said and held a magazine out and she blinked.
She felt her shoulders relax as she realised that he was holding up Gekkan Pro Tennis before she tensed again when she recognised herself on the cover. Well, it wasn't just her… Kikumaru and Fuji were there as well, but she was in the centre.
"Nani…" she blinked.
"So you haven't seen it," Seiichi said. "It's an article about Seigaku and you are mentioned quite a bit."
"They wrote about me?" she asked not liking it. "But…why?"
Seiichi chuckled but he did look at her almost worriedly.
"You are a good tennis player, Hari-chan," Seiichi said.
"But…I'm just… me," Hari said and looked at him. "Why would they want to write about me?"
Seiichi reached out and pushed a strand of hair out of her face and smiled softly at her, but his violet-blue eyes did betray the concern he felt as he looked at her.
"You know it's not normal for a girl to play on a boys' team," Seiichi said. "Not many chose to go for the boys' team when the girls' team are there and actually making it as one of the regulars… that's impressive, Hari-chan."
Hari flushed lightly as she listened to him.
"But still," she said looking down at the magazine. "I didn't know they would be writing about me."
"It's not just about you," Seiichi said, "it's about your team, but you are mentioned quite a bit. I was very intrigued to read it."
Hari saw the headlines: Seigaku – a new challenge for the Trophy?
She shook her head; she wasn't sure what she felt about this. It was strange to get attention like this for something that didn't have anything to do with Voldemort or her being the Girl-Who-Lived.
"So, my famous girlfriend," Seiichi said in a teasing voice, "will you give me your autograph?"
"No," Hari sniffed.
"Kechi," Seiichi said but his eyes betrayed laugher and Hari mock glared at him and used the magazine to hit him.
He laughed and made to grab for the magazine but she managed to prevent him from taking it. She continued to hit him with it (softly of course) as she felt laughter escape as she did and he managed to grab her wrist and pulled her closer so she fell against him as they both laughed.
"EH?!"
"HARI-CHAN?!"
...
Hari blinked as she pulled back from Seiichi who let her go as he too looked behind them and noticed that they had an audience. She almost cringed as she realised that the entire team was there staring at them.
"Oh, um…" she swallowed and looked at Seiichi who was back to looking calm again. Sometimes she really hated that he could do that. "Hey, guys."
"Hey guys?" Kikumaru repeated. "That's what you have to say, nya?"
"I thought 'hey' was what you were supposed to say in greetings," Hari blinked innocently.
Seiichi's lips twitched as he glanced over at her.
"Hello," he nodded to them. "Echizen-san."
"Yukimura," Ryoma nodded back.
The others looked between them in confusion.
"You know him, Ochibi?" Kikumaru asked.
"I met him yesterday," Ryoma shrugged in that carefree way only he could manage.
Hari sighed and looked at Seiichi.
"I guess the secret is out," she smiled and he nodded as he pushed another of her strand of hair out of her eyes and smiled at her.
"It's not that bad," he said. "They would have figured it out soon anyway."
Hari nodded and looked back at her friends who were staring at them. Kikumaru and Momoshiro were openly gaping, while Inui was writing furiously in his notebook. Fuji had arched a brow and looked like he was thinking about something. Tezuka looked like he had gotten confirmation on something as he didn't look as surprised as the others. Kaido was scowling (but that wasn't anything new), while Oishi and Kawamura both looked shocked.
"Mina, this is my boyfriend, Yukimura Seiichi," Hari introduced, "Sei-chan, this is my team. I don't feel like listing all their names…"
Ryoma snorted as he shook his head at the blunt way Hari did the introduction. She did look rather amused as she took in the surprise and shock as they realised what she had said.
"The boyfriend!" Kikumaru and Momoshiro both exclaimed and pointed at Seiichi who arched a brow.
"Hai?" he asked. "That's me."
Hari felt herself blush lightly at the proud way he confirmed that.
"Finally! We've been trying to figure it out forever," Momoshiro said.
"So I've heard," Seiichi said amused.
Hari shook her head as she looked at her friends. She looked at Seiichi who nodded.
"Do you want to join us?" Hari asked.
"If you are sure?" Kawamura looked a little uncertainly at them and she knew he, at least, didn't want to interrupt them.
"Yeah," Hari nodded and smiled at him.
...
They ended up having to connect another table to the one Hari and Seiichi were using for all of them to fit around the table. Hari sat closer to Seiichi and smiled when he took her hand in his and squeezed it.
"So how did you two meet?" Fuji asked. "I didn't know you knew Yukimura, Hari-chan."
Hari scratched her chin as she glanced at Seiichi who had an amused smile on his face now.
"We met on a bus here in Tokyo," Hari said. "I was on my way to meeting Keigo."
"And you just started to talk?" Momoshiro frowned.
"Well," Seiichi said and Hari sighed. "No, not exactly. She was in her own world and suddenly she said something about boys being complicated."
"Well, you are," Hari huffed.
"I got curious so I asked her why she thought that," Seiichi continued. "That's how we got talking, not that we talked very long and I didn't learn her name before she had to go."
Hari remembered how she had been confused over Saeki and what she felt for him, while she had liked him it was nothing to what she felt for Seiichi. And how fast hadn't that come on? She thought.
"Then how…" Oishi looked between them as he took a bit of his food.
Hari huffed and glared at Seiichi who looked even more amused now.
"I met her again at the train station back in Yokohama," Seiichi said. "I was on my way to Tokyo and waiting on the train when I saw her. She even kicked my bench without sparing me a glance…"
Hari blushed slightly, "I didn't see him, but he deserved it with how amused he looked. Baka."
Seiichi laughed softly.
"You got lost again, didn't you?" Ryoma asked amused. "That's when Okaa-chan and Oyaji told you that you couldn't use the trains by yourself anymore."
"Hai, hai," Hari muttered.
The conversation went easier after this and Hari enjoyed seeing her friends talking with Seiichi, and while she saw some (Kikumaru and Momoshiro) give Seiichi scrutinizing looks most looked to be calm and relaxed as they talked.
"You didn't look that surprised seeing Hari-chan with Yukimura, Tezuka?" Fuji commented when they all had finished eating and was just sitting there chatting and laughing.
Tezuka looked back at Fuji stoically as he looked back at Seiichi and Hari who both had turned their heads to look at him as well having heard Fuji's question. Actually, most of the others had heard and had stopped their conversations curious about what Fuji wanted.
"I wasn't," he said. "I had guessed that she might be dating Yukimura-san."
"How?!"
Tezuka sighed and looked like he didn't really want to talk about this or maybe he just didn't see the point.
"I told him I knew him," Hari said deciding to help her Captain out. "When Kirihara Akaya crashed our practice, remember? Well, I asked Tezuka-Captain to be allowed to leave the practice early so I could take Kirihara-kun back to Sei-chan and the others."
"You knew?!" Kikumaru exclaimed.
"And didn't tell us?!" Momoshiro accused.
"It wasn't any of our business," Tezuka said and gave them a look. "Hari-san is more than capable of looking out for herself. "
Hari smiled slightly feeling grateful that he felt like that.
...
Hari had stepped away in order to go to the bathroom leaving Seiichi alone with her team and friends. Seiichi hid a sigh as he was faced with Kikumaru and Momoshiro.
"Yes?" Seiichi asked.
"Don't hurt Hari-chan or we will deal with you," Kikumaru said folding his arms over his chest.
"Eiji!" Oishi groaned from the back. "Stop threatening people!"
"But, Oishi!" Kikumaru whined. "He is dating our Hari-chan! We can't let him do that without letting him know what would happen if he hurts her!"
"That's right," Momoshiro nodded. "We're just letting him know what the deal is."
Seiichi sighed and glanced at Ryoma who looked to be amused.
"Oyaji yesterday and those two today," he smirked. "Are you regretting it now?"
There was a challenge in those hazel eyes that were locked on him, and Seiichi wasn't blind to it.
"Never," Seiichi said steadily. "Like I told your family yesterday, as long as Hari-chan thinks I'm worth it then I'm here. I hope you will support her and not create difficulties because of this for her because I know she really cares about you all. But I will not let you or anyone stand between me and Hari-chan."
Seiichi was aware that they all stared at him, but he kept calm and just looked back. He was not going to hide what he felt or what he wanted. He would let them know exactly where he was in regards to Hari and then handle it from there.
Ryoma gave him a searching look but he looked more pensive than anything else.
"Fun of hopes and random dreams," Kaido hissed just as Hari came back and shot him an amused glance before looking between Seiichi and the others.
"Okay, what did I miss?" She sighed.
...
A few days later – with Hermione and the Weasley-boys'
...
Hermione sighed as she sat down at the kitchen table of the small place that Bill had borrowed from a wizard he worked with in Egypt. He was from Tokyo and had agreed to let them borrow his place for a little while.
It made it much easier to look for Hari when they had a place like this to stay. Hermione didn't really want to imagine how it would be if they had to rent a hotel room and stay there, and honestly, having this place had made the whole thing much easier when dealing with Mrs Weasley.
"You want to take the kids with you to Tokyo?" Mrs Weasley asked shrilly while Mr Weasley was looking thoughtfully between his children (minus Ginny and Percy).
"Yeah," Charlie nodded. "Bill has to work and that leaves a lot of day time where I'll be by myself. It would be much more fun if they were with us. We could play tourists while Bill worked and he could meet us when he's done."
"It's not always long days either," Bill nodded. "Some days it might not be anything at all, but the Goblins still needs me to be in Japan for the work. We would look out for them, mum."
"Of course we will," Charlie nodded.
"But…! They're just kids!" Mrs Weasley protested. "And how will you afford to take them to Tokyo? And living expenses?"
"I have a friend from Tokyo," Bill said. "He is in Egypt right now and he said that we could borrow his place. It's safe and it shouldn't cost us much."
Mrs Weasley looked at her husband who was still watching his kids. He took off his glasses and polished them as he clearly thought about what to say.
"And why the sudden interest in taking them with you?" he asked. "You never have before."
Bill and Charlie had exchanged looks.
"Well, we thought that it might distract them from their worries about their friend," Charlie said slowly.
Mrs Weasley immediately teared up at the mention of Hari and sniffed loudly as she wrung her hands together anxiously.
"We know they worry about her, but…" Mrs Weasley frowned. "But I'm sure Dumbledore will find her soon and bring her back home."
"But they are worried and I fear they might do something stupid if they are just staying here and brooding in their worry," Bill said.
"Well, Ron and Hermione do have a tendency to get into trouble," Mr Weasley agreed but again there was that shrewd look in his blue eyes.
After that it hadn't been too hard to convince Mrs Weasley but she still wasn't thrilled with them leaving. She had talked with Hermione's parents who had agreed to allow Hermione to travel with them so she couldn't use that as an excuse to keep Ron and the twins' home.
She refused to let Ginny go, though. It didn't matter how much Ginny complained, yelled or slammed the doors. She was not going. Percy wasn't interested, he was so focused on his new job at the Ministry and he was rather pleased getting rid of the twins who were causing chaos and distractions daily.
...
"Any new ideas today, Hermione?" Ron asked through a yawn as he joined her in the kitchen. He still looked tired. "Ah, food…"
She rolled her eyes when he immediately went for the food and started eating. He was soon joined by his brothers and Hermione shook her head at the similarities between them when it came to food. Well, Ron was the worst of them, though.
"Well, we have been checking schools," Hermione said with a sigh. "But it's difficult when we don't know which school she attends if she attends a muggle school at all. I just wish we had a new name."
"You are sure she has changed her name from Potter when she was adopted?" Fred asked.
"Because the name does symbolise her parents," George said.
Hermione sighed. They'd had that conversation several times.
"I don't know," she said, "but I just feel like she would do that because it would make her harder to track down. The name Potter is very famous, even in Japan."
"Hermione is normally right," Ron said in between bites. "You should listen to her."
Hermione rolled her eyes at him but smiled all the same.
"We should…"
"…just go…"
"…out and hopefully…"
"…we'll get lucky and find something," Fred and George said together.
...
"I wished the tracking charms worked," Ron moaned as they walked through yet another street.
"Yes, but somehow that doesn't work," Bill said as he looked at a map as they walked. "I told you that already, Ron. I think someone is blocking her."
"But…who would do that?" Fred asked.
"I don't know," Bill said and motioned for them to cross a street.
The novelty of seeing muggle Tokyo had worn off over the days spent trekking through the streets. Hermione kind of missed the way Ron' and the twins' eyes would light up in awe and curiosity when they saw something new. Bill and Charlie had seen more of the Muggle world before so it wasn't as exciting for them, but they would still get confused at a few things.
They all depended on Hermione when it came to the muggle world and how to navigate it. Luckily they had some help when it came to the language. Hermione knew that had they been normal muggles the language barrier would create a much larger challenge for them. But they were lucky because Bill worked for Gringotts and that meant that he had knowledge of the more complicated and unknown charms. A language charm was one of them because they required it in order for their work with Gringotts when they were all over the world.
Hermione had never even heard of the charm he had used on them, it had been so complicated that she knew that there was no way that they would have been able to do it themselves yet. So, they were lucky that Bill knew it and that someone else could cast in on you. It wasn't like they automatically just learned the language either, it required them to study the new language and the charm helped them to pick it up faster and to transfer the knowledge of the language to you easier.
So, they had been reading language books for days before they left and even after they arrived, and that was why they could make themselves more or less understood while talking with the people here but the more complicated conversation was still left to Bill.
But it helped, and they could understand more now that they had been here for a few days and had used the language. It felt rather strange to just pick up the language knowing it should be more difficult. But Hermione loved to learn and it was really fascinating.
"Did Hari even know Japanese?" Ron asked with a frown. "I don't think she knows the charm Bill cast on us."
"I doubt she knew it," Hermione agreed, "but I don't know if she knows Japanese. I didn't think so, I never heard her talk about knowing the language."
"But she's not at the international school," Ron sighed. "We checked there first."
"They hadn't heard of Hari before," Charlie nodded, "so she's not there."
...
They reached a small shop and they decided to get something to drink since the weather was warm and they had been moving around all day. It was warm and hot so a drink was needed.
Ron and Hermione went in to buy the drinks for them all while the others sat on a small bench outside waiting for them. Hermione walked down the aisles looking for the drinks as she wondered about Hari. Would they have to give up looking for her? She had felt so optimistic and hopeful when they first arrived in Tokyo, just thinking that they were in the same city as Hari. But she had underestimated just how large Tokyo was. It wasn't just to walk out onto the street and randomly running into Hari.
They found the drinks and Hermione also added some cookies knowing that the boys could always eat. Ron lingered a little behind her as she moved toward the counter. She was so tired and she wanted to sleep, but she couldn't. She had to keep searching for Hari. Just how well could that girl hide?
She got in line behind a man in what she thought was a monk outfit. He was somehow looking for money and giggling at the same time and she saw the magazine opened in front of him opened on a girl in a bikini. She looked away just as he made a loud exclamation and said something to the employee behind the counter.
She startled when the man suddenly turned around and grinned when he saw her. He then proceeded to wink at her and gave that creepy giggle again just as Ron walked up behind her.
"Oy! Stay away from her!" Ron demanded hotly making the man smirk at them before he stepped to the side and start to walk toward the door.
"Mada Mada Dane," he said just as he left the store.
Hermione rolled her eyes even as Ron muttered about the man, and placed the drinks and cookies on the counter before her eyes fell on the magazines stacked on a shelf just beside the counter.
She felt her eyes widen as she spotted the familiar face on the front cover of one of the magazines and shoving Ron away she was over by it and had pulled it off the shelf and was staring at it.
"Oy…" Ron muttered as he rubbed the arm she had shoved.
"Ron!" She hissed.
"What?" he frowned at her.
She just showed him the magazine and he gaped before he turned hopeful blue eyes up meeting hers as a matching smile grew on his face.
...
...
AN: So, what do you think about the chapter? XD
I am a little nervous about how this will be received, to be honest. I have made some changes on what I planned and wanted for the story when it comes to Voldemort. I had originally planned on him being gone for good, but I realised that it wouldn't work while talking with a reviewer. There would be loose ends if I did that, and since the first three years of Hari's schooling is like it is in canon (or almost exactly the same) that means that Voldemort is still out there. So, something must be done. I do have ideas and plans on how I want this to go and I don't plan on changing the tone of the story too much, so the focus will still remain on Hari and her life at Seigaky and relationships with the people around her. :)
ALSO: THERE WILL BE NO TRI-WIZARD TOURNAMENT. I don't plan on bringing Hari back to participate in that. The Harry Potter World is in AU territory now. XD
And, over to something else; Ron and Hermione are in Tokyo! XD Yay! Finally. They should find her next chapter. Also, about the language charm, I had them use in this story; I know it's the easy way out. I just didn't want to struggle with them not being able to talk to Hari's friends and having to translate and all that. They still aren't fluent in the language yet, but they can be understood. Also, they do have magic so why not have some benefits from it? :) I just made the choice in order to make this easier on myself. I admit it, I'm kind of lazy... Sorry.
Well, the end of a rambling author note. Thank you for reading! Love to hear your thoughts so feel free to leave a review:)
Japanese words used:
Hai - Yes
Nani - What
Gekkan Pro Tennis - Monthly Pro Tennis
Kechi - stingy
Mina - Everybody
Baka - Idiot
Okaa-chan - Mum
Oyaji - Old man/ dad