Title: 1970 Somethin'
Chapter: 03 – Promised Land
Author: Killaurey
Rating: T
Word Count: 9,638
Notes: Written for Unconventional Courtship 2023 and based on the summary of the Mills & Boon book The Ninefold Key by Rebecca Brandewyne. Title comes from Mark Wills' song 19' Something. Disclaimer: I don't own either Harry Potter or Naruto. I just play with them. Part 3 of ?
Summary: Regulus Black is going into his 5th year at Hogwarts. Quidditch Captain. Prefect. Literally the guy of Ino's dreams. Dumbledore is more interested in Elvis than fighting the war looming on Wizarding Britain's horizon. Voldemort's still handsome but Farrah Fawcett's hair is, like, way better.
Regulus doesn't disagree but he really wishes Ino hadn't felt the need to say that to The Dark Lord's face.
And no, no he's not quite sure how they got to this point either.
It's 1970 somethin'.
"Four daughters?" James echoes. "What do you mean four daughters?"
Because last he'd checked he was a son and Sirius as good as. He leans on the stair railing and watches his mum bustle about. She hasn't appeared to hear his question.
"Do you think we ought to remind her that there's house elves to deal with getting things ready?"
Sirius' lips curl up into a wry sort of smile. "What, and spoil her fun?"
"Mate, do you really think there's anything that could spoil her fun right now?" James asks. "She's never been that excited for me to come home, calling it now. Or you, for that matter."
"Her loss," Sirius says. "Oy! Effie! What daughters are you talking about?"
Mum spins to look at them and James is aware that they've made a terrible choice because, within moments, they've been roped into helping and carrying armfuls around of clean linens and blankets is just not his idea of a good time. Sirius takes to it like a duck to water but, then, Sirius has always been quite mad.
"It's what your father and I have been working on," Mum says as they all carry far too much up the stairs. "It's been a very long series of negotiations, but the approval has gone through! We're getting young ambassadors from Japan."
"Ambassadors from Japan?" James asks. "Why would they come here?"
"To improve relations between our countries," Mum says brightly. "After those awful Muggle wars and the whole Grindelwald mess, Japan is reaching out to other magical communities to rebuild connections so that such terrible things never occur again."
James only has a hazy understanding of the awful Muggle wars-namely, he knows they happened-and Grindelwald was dealt with long enough ago that it seems like ages and ages.
"Interesting that's it's now, though," Sirius says, but he says nothing else.
When James looks over at him, he sees Sirius frowning thoughtfully. It'd be easier to ask what was up but, Mum didn't notice and carried on.
"We're serving as their host family!" Mum says. "There was a lot of competition for it, but not many people can comfortably host an extra four and the Ministry was advised that, if possible, they'd like to stay together. Of course they would, four teen girls in a foreign country? Of course they'd want to stay with each other, if at all possible!"
"How long are they staying?" James asks curiously, not sure how to feel about abruptly acquiring four sisters in such a strange manner but, also, figuring that he does know how to share his parents and it's true they've plenty of room.
"They'll be arriving in August," Mum says as they make their way into one of the guest rooms. "And staying at least a year. They'll be going to Hogwarts with you and Sirius too. Be dears and help them get their footing, alright? James, put your load down on the bed. Sirius, over on that chair, please."
"If they're ambassadors, won't they be used to this?" James asks, settling the linens down and shaking out his arms in an exaggerated fashion, which makes Mum reach over and pinch his cheek. "Mum!"
"Why else would your cheeks be made so pinchable if they weren't made to be pinched?" she asks. "And, well, I had thought the same as you, but Fleamont's been talking to Orion-"
"My father?" Sirius asks, sounding surprised and a bit alarmed. "He's involved with this?"
"Orion Black has many ties to the Japanese Ministry," Mum explains. "And he knows the language and culture, which is more than most of us can say. He's been placed in charge of helping the girls adjust and intervening if any difficulties arise due to cultural differences."
Sirius frowns, though James isn't sure he's mad.
"Something about not fearing blood," Effie muses. "Or seeing it? I didn't quite understand that part, but blood always makes me queasy and your father didn't go into great detail about it. I don't know that Fleamont asked him to."
"Like, actual blood?" James asks, though he regrets it with the way his mum goes a few shades paler. "Never mind, Mum. Do you know anything about your new children?"
Sirius snorts a laugh but it makes Mum beam at him.
"Oh," she says, "I'm not allowed to share much about them yet, but I've been assured they're all lovely ladies. I can't wait to meet them! Four daughters!"
"Do you think Ino's been acting weird?" Sakura asks Tenten after an English lesson. She lingers after Hinata leaves, citing something to do with her team for her reason for making an exit.
Sakura envies Hinata her team but, also, it's convenient.
And Tenten doesn't mind having her around. Now they're sprawled out on Tenten's bed, door shut, and Sakura's head aches from the English that's been pounded into her.
But I will get this down.
"Ino's always weird," Tenten says. "Have you not noticed?"
"Yeah," Sakura says, frowning. She picks up one of Tenten's pillows and hugs it to her chest. "But weirder than normal. She keeps, I don't know, spacing out. Like she's thinking about something and then gets swallowed down the rabbit hole of it."
Tenten idly twirls a senbon around her fingers.
"I mean," she says, "Ino is leading our mission. She's had a lot of meetings going on with everyone that we haven't been privy to. She's probably just working out how to run everything smoothly, right? Just because we're coming along doesn't change the fact that we're Ino's backup and weren't part of the original mission parameters. I wouldn't be surprised that she's got more orders than what we were given."
"Maybe," Sakura allows, though she thinks she would know if it was something like that. "I don't know. She's been kind of down about it, I think. I'm not sure what to do about it."
"You can't always do something about it," Tenten says. "Just keep being there for her. If she needs us, she'll let us know. Ino picked up for the mission so she knows we're on her side, yeah?"
Sakura frowns.
She wishes she had Tenten's ability to be nonchalant about her concerns. It's not that Tenten's wrong, of course, because she's right, but all the same... Sakura feels like she's waiting on tenterhooks for whatever it is that's bothering Ino to cascade down upon the rest of them.
"That's what a mission leader does," Tenten says comfortably. "Ino's got it handled. If she needs us to know, she'll tell us, otherwise there's nothing we can do but spend time with her and help her out where we can."
"I always feel like I'm being rescued by Ino," Sakura admits, tucking a strand of pink hair behind her ears. "I just want to make sure she's okay and-"
"And like you're trying to even the score a little?" Tenten suggests.
A flush crawls up Sakura's cheeks. "Something like that," she admits. "I know that Ino doesn't want or need me to, but I wish... I still wish to be of use to her."
"You're her best friend," Tenten says. "If I were you, I'd stop worrying about that and, instead, see if there's anyway you can be a better one. Is there anything you can do for Ino today? It doesn't have to be big."
Sakura considers that. "I suppose I could make dinner for her and her dad," she muses. "Something that can keep, since I'm never quite sure when Ino's dad is going to come back."
"And you like cooking more than Ino does," Tenten says, grinning at her. "Ino will love it if you cook for her."
Sakura grins back. "Thanks, Tenten," she says, getting up. "I'm going to have to hit up a grocery store then. I'll see you tomorrow."
"You know where to find me!" Tenten says.
The grocery store is busy but not so busy that she feels crowded or off-put and Sakura wanders the aisles for a bit, trying to decide what to make. Tenten's right, that this is something Ino hates doing, so it will be useful.
It doesn't solve any of the problems, Sakura admits. And that does bother me, since I still wish I could solve them for her.
She sighs.
But I suppose I won't know until Ino decides to tell me, Sakura thinks. So all I can do for now is be a silent support.
Ino surveys her team-her chosen one, not the team she'd been assigned at graduation-and marvels at the way they trust her.
Of course they do. I'm awesome.
But she hates this. She absolutely hates this part. The mission is going to be great, it's going to be so much fun, but this...
I'm glad I'm not the one who has to erase their memories but I can't forget that it's because of me that they're needing it done in the first place.
And she hates that.
Ino sets her chin obdurately.
They're meeting in a room just off of the Hokage's work rooms in the hospital. Not so coincidentally, several members of her Clan are waiting there.
Privacy wards have been engaged and she knows there's ANBU on watch, only because she can find their minds.
And Sakura, Tenten, and Hinata wait for her to start the meeting. Sakura looks nervous but also determined, Tenten a mix of anticipation and boredom, and Hinata, well, Hinata's doing her best impression of a serene statue.
It's a pretty good impression, Ino concedes.
"Okay," she says, "so, I've been given a full briefing on this mission."
They all shift, according to their natures, coming to attention.
"Like we thought, there's more to it than fun," she says, picking her words carefully. She's under orders to not give the entire game away. "There's several situations brewing in Wizarding England that the Hokage has decided require observation."
"What kind of situations?" Sakura asks.
"Like another Grindelwald situation?" Tenten asks, at the same time.
Hinata just frowns slightly, her thoughts having picked up the 'several' different situations.
Ino shrugs a little and chooses to address the verbalized questions first.
"Something like Grindelwald," Ino says, which makes Tenten nod but also scowl.
Sakura frowns, too, but Ino knows it's because she's trying to remember her history if and that's been covered in the Academy.
It hasn't and Ino sympathizes because she's spent the last few weeks cramming this stuff into her own head.
"Wizarding England and the countries around them are kind of weird with how they handle the whole magic thing," Ino explains. "Remember the blood designations we had to figure out for the forms? Those things matter there. And there's a lot of strife between the various fractions. The purebloods don't like the muggleborn, the halfbloods are awkwardly torn between two worlds, and it's a sauce pot on the edge of bubbling over. We're going there to keep an eye on it."
This much is safe. This much, should anyone read their minds, is safe for it to be known.
Ino is being very careful not to come down on any particular side of the argument, verbally, and everything she's said is true.
"So, despite everything, it's not all going to be good vibes only," Ino says, shrugging. Then, she smiles. "But that just makes it more fun, right?"
Tenten laughs but she's the only one that does. Hinata is still frowning, while Sakura bites her lip.
"If that's all it is," Sakura says, "then you wouldn't have called us here, not to the hospital."
"That's true," Ino admits. "Tsunade-shishou is insisting on full physicals, so surprise, that's going to be fun, right? But also, does anyone know anything about the art of mind reading through magic?"
They swap glances.
"Like you do?" Tenten asks, frowning.
"Nope," Ino says. "That's through my bloodline, no magic involved."
Hinata shifts and Ino's attention turns to her.
"I've heard of it being done," Hinata says, "though I'm not sure of the... the how. There's always stories, too, of priests and other enlightened or holy people being able to read minds."
"Most of the time," Sakura says slowly, "I'd always thought that was, like, just something they pretended to do and used their knowledge of human nature to make accurate guesses. But... I've seen a few who know things they're not supposed to, while out on missions."
Tenten just shrugs. "My brain's full of bees," she says. "You know this. I'm not going along because I can think, I'm going along because we're friends."
Ino beams at them, ignoring the dirty look Hinata sends Tenten because, well, Tenten is perfectly smart enough but she is also very sincere in her conviction that life is better if other people do her thinking for her, when it comes to the hard things.
"Okay," Ino says, "that's more what I'm talking about. We'll leave aside the interesting arguments about how they manage it and if it's magic, luck, or god-given gifts. That's not the important thing right now."
She takes a breath.
She still really hates this part.
But I will not back down and I will not look away. I chose this mission and I chose them without understanding the true scope of the mission. It's my fault, so the least I can do is look them in the eye when I say so.
"All sides of the equation we're walking into have at least one person, probably more, who are known to read minds," she says grimly. "Not through a bloodline talent, like me, but with magic."
The girls swap glances, the questions on their faces loud and clear in their minds as each of them think that through.
"The whole point of this mission is to go in without anything to make anyone suspicious," she says. "Which means, all of you are going to have to forget about the fact that I, and my family, can read minds."
There's a silence, then, and Ino tries hard not to read anyone's mind during it because-
Just this once, I don't want to know, she admits to herself.
She refuses to look away, though, and so she can watch the way Hinata's face goes pale and then shuttered, Tenten frowns, and Sakura... Sakura tilts her head slightly, not frowning, but clearly thinking.
"Okay," Sakura says, with an easy sort of confidence that Ino is both thrilled to see her wear and also, in this case, terrified of. "Will the memory modifications be permanent?"
"They don't need to be," Ino says, relieved for a question, a sensible one, and not everything going sideways. "Daddy says it's more like wrapping an innocuous bandage over those memories, so they're not noticeable by anyone, even you, than anything more harrowing. So, after all of this mission, the bandage would be able to be taken off."
"Your dad had to explain it to you?" Tenten asks.
Ino shrugs a little. "Temporary modifications are way harder than permanent ones," she explains. "I don't actually have the skill, yet, to do a temporary change. If I were to do it, it'd have to be permanent."
"Your family is always weirdly backwards on things like that," Sakura mutters, though she looks relieved. "So, we'd get everything back after the mission?"
"Yes," Ino says. "That's what I've been told."
Hinata also looks relieved. Tenten's frown is gone.
"Then that's okay," Sakura says. "I don't like having my mind meddled with, but if it's a temporary measure for a mission, that's okay. I know you'll look after us and, if need be, you'll figure out how to work around our... bandages."
Tenten leans back in her chair, shrugging as she does so. "Can you mind talk to us, if we're wearing mental bandages that tell us there's no way you could do that?"
"Yes," Ino admits. "But it's not going to sound like it comes from me. You'll take it as more of a daydream or a real dream, if you're sleeping. Sometimes just an urge."
"To... come see you?" Hinata asks curiously.
"To come see me," Ino confirms. "So if you ever get the oddest urge to drop everything and go find me-and also, somehow, you know where to go? Find me. Immediately."
"Will we remember that?" Tenten asks.
Ino takes a breath and lets it out a little easier. Easier, now that there's no freak outs, no back outs. Just... professionalism.
I love my friends, she thinks fiercely. They're good people and good ninja and those aren't always the same thing.
"Dad can probably leave an imperative so that you can't ignore the urge," Ino muses, sending the query over to her dad, one room over, as she talks aloud. "Let me see. He's thinking about it."
"What about you?" Hinata asks quietly. "Your memories won't be altered, will they?"
Ino shakes her head. "No," she says. "I'll still have all my abilities and all my memories."
"Why, though?" Sakura asks, even as Hinata makes a noise of understanding.
Ino nods at Hinata. "I think she's got it."
"It's a bloodline ability," Hinata says. "And, while it involves the mind, it's based in blood. The magic and the skills they use to read her mind are looking for similar abilities."
"Correct," Ino says, grinning a little. "But, since my abilities are in my blood, they can't read my mind at all. The brain is surrounded by blood."
Sakura hums. "Does that mean you can read their minds? Like, right through whatever they've got up magically against that?"
Ino nods. "Yes," she says, "and that's why a Yamanaka was always going to have to go on this mission. I'll be able to slide right past their shields but they won't be able to get anything out of my head. They won't be able to return the favour."
They're all quiet for a little, thinking that over.
They're taking it well, Dad comments.
I know, Ino says, like she'd always been perfectly confident that this was going to be the outcome. I'm so disgustingly proud and adoring of all of them right now. What's the verdict, Daddy?
We can do it, he says calmly. It won't take any more work on their part, just a few tweaks for us.
They'll still have a choice to go see me, right? she asks. Not an unquestioning command?
They'll have the choice, he agrees. I don't see any reason to remove their free will for that. They're ninja. After the first time it happens, they'll know it's important, and know better than to disregard that. But giving them their free will means, if for some reason they cannot, it won't cause them distress.
She nods thoughtfully. Thank you, Daddy. I know it would be easier to take their will away.
It's why possession is one of the first visible skills any Yamanaka learns. Possession is easy.
Negotiating is much harder.
"I'm still in," Sakura says, her green eyes determined. "I mean, you didn't ask, but also you did, by telling us all of this. I'm still in, I'm still going, and I haven't had all those English lessons for nothing."
Sakura grins at her.
"Besides," she says, "you still owe me Paris."
Tenten laughs. "Wait, were we supposed to confirm attendance again?" she asks. "Because I'm totally going."
"Yes," Hinata agrees quietly. "I'm still going as well."
"I'm still keeping details from you," Ino admits freely. "I have to, so there's less for you to need to forget, but after the fact, I'll tell you the whole story."
I can confirm you'll be able to do that, Dad says. We're ready whenever you want to start sending them in. One at a time, please.
"That makes sense," Hinata murmurs. "But I should like to know, once we're allowed to."
"Otherwise," Tenten says agreeably, "we riot."
Sakura giggles.
Ino claps her hands together and then, because she can, she stretches her arms out.
"Dad says that yes, he'll make it so you won't ignore the call," she reports. "If you can't get to it, it won't hurt you, but it'll be there, like a nagging voice in the back of your head."
"Aren't you that already?" Tenten quips.
Ino laughs along with the others but, after that, smirks at Tenten.
"Just for that," she says, "you can be the first in. Dad says they're ready to start. Age before beauty, you know."
"I am going to remember that," Tenten says, even as she gets up, a tension to her face that hadn't been there a moment ago.
She doesn't like it–which, well, Ino doesn't like that this is being done either–but Tenten's as determined as she is to holding fast to the principles of a good ninja.
And that is, of course, that for a mission–anything goes.
"It will be reversed after the mission," Ino promises, when Tenten hesitates. "They're just in the room on the left."
Tenten smiles, nods, and leaves them. Her back is very straight and her eyes are very clear as she goes.
The door closes quietly behind her.
One down, two to go, Ino thinks grimly.
"A-Ano," Hinata says, "I'll go next, if… if that is alright?"
"That's fine with me," Sakura says. "Though if you're doing it to spare my nerves, please don't. I can face this."
"You can both face this," Ino says firmly. "This is not permanent. This is like packing a winter cloak because Kumo sucks in the winter time. This is mission prep, not anything more."
They all know there's more to it than that but, all the same, they take comfort from the comparison.
"I would rather go next anyway," Hinata says quietly. "It is not your nerves I am worried of, Sakura, but rather, my own."
Sakura huffs out something that's not quite a laugh but also not a sigh.
"Suppose I can't argue that," she says. "Yeah, you can go next."
"Thank you," Hinata says. "And, thank you, Ino, for telling us about this."
"I was given the option to tell you or not," Ino says, "but you're all my friends, first, before we're ninja together. And while a ninja might pull something like that on a comrade, a friend wouldn't. So, I'm sorry, I know it's awful, but I promise it won't last and there was no way I wasn't going to tell you."
"It's not fine," Sakura admits. "But–that helps. A lot. And we all still want to go. So, it'll be okay."
It will have to be, Sakura's thoughts continue and Ino, still hating this, settles in to try and distract them until her Dad says he's ready for the next one.
"What if they don't like their rooms?" Mum asks, freezing halfway through breakfast. She goes to stand. "I should check, again, and make sure everything's perfect for them."
"Effie, love, please sit down," Dad says. "We're meeting the girls in a few hours. There's no time to make changes now—I'm sure they'll love their rooms and, if any changes do need to be made, wouldn't it be better to wait until they've had a chance to look at them?"
Sirius glances sidelong at him, repressed amusement flashing over his face.
James just sighs. It's been a long few weeks. This has been the weirdest summer he's ever had.
Then he straightens his shoulders.
"Dad's right, Mum," he says. "They're already at the Ministry, aren't they? If we did anything now, it would look sloppy."
Slowly, Mum takes her seat again, picking up a napkin and twisting it in her hands.
"They'll be here soon," Dad says. "Which–Sirius, just so you know, your father is likely to be with them."
"I figured," Sirius says, rather glumly. "There's no way he wouldn't be involved in this."
Dad nods but James just squints at Sirius, who avoids his gaze.
It's not the first time that Sirius has said something weird and peculiar about Orion Black's ties to Japan and it's also not the first time that Sirius has said it and then completely refused to elaborate.
It's bloody aggravating, that's what it is. James hopes he's put out of his misery soon.
He casts an eye at the clock, frowning when he sees how slow the hands seem to be moving.
Well, it's not like time was going to speed up now, anyway, he thinks. Not when it's been dragging the whole summer. I miss last summer. Last summer made sense.
Breakfast ends on an unsatisfactory note and, to his own bemusement and Sirius' disgust, they're booted outside to 'go play before the girls get here'.
"What, are we five?" Sirius gripes.
James laughs as Mum pinches Sirius' cheek and tells him to be good. Then she shuts the door behind them.
James listens for a moment but there's no click. She hasn't locked them out. He'd half expected her to.
"She only did that because you were acting like you were five," James says, though really, with Mum, she might do it anyway.
"Oh, shove off," Sirius grumbles.
"We could go for a fly," James suggests.
Sirius, though, doesn't seem in the mood for that, so they just walk for a bit, through the woods nearby. Neither of them quite dare to transform here, even though that would be great fun.
But there's extra wards up, to ensure the safety of the young ambassadors. I'd rather not get Azkaban for being an animagus and getting caught on my own home's lands.
Not that he plans on Azkaban anyway but, like, that's not the point.
"Want to bet Dad's talking Mum off of inspecting the rooms again?" James asks.
Sirius snorts, but he's smiling. "Nah, no bet," he says. "She absolutely is."
"What's up with your dad and the whole Japan thing?" James asks.
It's the last chance he's got before the girls are around and, well, James has no idea what that's going to be like but he suspects privacy will be at a premium.
"I don't know," Sirius admits. "Just–that there's something. Always has been."
"Always has been?" James asks. "What's that supposed to mean, mate?"
Sirius shrugs, shoving his hands into his robe pockets. "What I said, Prongs. He's always been an odd duck but he's... odder than normal, about Japan. I think he even gets their papers delivered, every morning. I know he did, for a long time."
"Huh," James says and, since Sirius clearly doesn't want to talk about it, he drops it. It doesn't seem that important anyway. "What do you think they'll be like, anyway?"
"Prongs," Sirius says, "I don't really care. The papers have their pictures and they're fit little birds. If they want to play around a bit, I'd be down for it. Otherwise, I don't have a broom in this race."
"Don't let Mum hear you talking about her daughters like that," James warns, and laughs when Sirius scoffs. "I mean it! She'll go on and on about me having to defend their honour."
"From what my father says," Sirius says, looking like the words 'my father says' curdle his stomach, "they'll be more than able to protect their own honour."
"I have no idea what that means," James admits. "Are they going to be hex-happy? Because I get enough of that with Evans."
"Evans thinks you're slime," Sirius points out. "Which, she's right, mate, you ought to wash more often."
"Piss off," James says.
"I'm going to throw up," Sakura says, and Ino pats her on the shoulder. "Pig, why did I let you talk me into this?"
"I believe the reasoning was 'Paris'," Tenten says, frowning at her reflection in a mirror and making a tiny change to her hair. "But I think this is cool. I'm totally not going to be sick."
"Tenten," Hinata says quietly. "You're going green."
Ino finishes braiding a long, long strand of fabric flowers into her hair. The fabric shimmers and glints in the light and she knows it's going to photograph well.
"Why would any of you be sick?" Ino asks. "We're all completely fabulous and going to knock this out of the park. Honestly, where is the bravado that got us this far?"
"Oh god, you're running on excessive enthusiasm," Sakura mutters. "I want to die and there you are, laughing."
"Sounds about right," Ino admits. "Though I don't know why you'd want to die. You look perfect. We're going to be so great! This is going to be fun! All eyes will be on us."
"That... that may be the problem," Hinata admits, pinning her hair back with a clip that has a row of pearls on it. "There's a lot of pressure."
"Ino thrives under it," Tenten says. "She's weird."
"I'm not weird," Ino objects. "I'm just a people person, unlike you three."
This makes them laugh, roll their eyes, relax a little, which was the whole point. Ino smiles.
"Besides," Ino says, smoothing her hands down the front of her dress, "for this, none of you need to do anything but smile. I'll do the talking."
I do like doing the talking, she admits to herself. I wish I could talk to all of you more, but I don't dare start trying to say things mentally now, not when we're firmly in enemy territory, and about to be introduced in person to the Minister of Magic.
Since she can't share her thoughts and her actual fears with them, Ino turns her attention instead to fussing over her friends to make them even prettier. Sakura needs an extra hand to help with her hair, so Ino does that, and Tenten's having trouble with the laces on the back of her dress, so Ino does that. Hinata needs help with her make-up, not usually wearing much of it at home, so Ino helps with that.
I never really thought that I'd be the lonely one, when none of them can remember that I can talk to them inside of their heads. And I constantly have to remember that I can't do that unless I really need to. I can't have them behaving erratically or mentioning that they've been hearing voices.
That's not a good sign in the Wizarding world, outside of a very small handful of people.
"Okay," Ino says, when there's nothing left to fuss over and they all look perfect. "I think we're ready."
Sakura makes a squeaky noise of despair while Hinata just nods, curling her fingers around the hem of her long sleeves. Tenten bounces up out of her chair, grinning.
"You got over your nerves fast," Ino says, switching to English now that it's almost time.
Tenten shrugs a little. "It's the anticipation that gets to me. Once we're moving I'm fine. I just hate sitting around waiting for things to get going."
Her response is also in English.
"I can understand that," Sakura whispers to Hinata in Japanese, sounding elated. "I followed that!"
"As did I," Hinata murmurs back.
"Because you both worked crazy, super hard," Ino says, in Japanese, before she switches to English. "And if you need help, Tenten and I will translate."
There's a knock at the door.
"They're ready for us!" Ino announces, then smiles cutely as she pulls the door open and the Ministry employee says, well, basically the same thing and asks them to follow him.
"Orion Black will be your main contact with the Ministry," the assistant says. "He's not formally employeed with the Ministry, but he has connections. He's a Black, after all, and on the Wizengamot."
Ino nods. "Yes, I understand," she says, and is happy that they all do understand.
The Wizengamot sounds like their own council, though that's different too. Ino doesn't offer her impressions of those differences, instead engaging the assistant in simple questions.
I'm here in a new country and chattering about the weather, Ino sighs to herself. It's terribly dull but, like, it's something they'd expect us to ask about. Might as well get it over with now.
"Mr. Black is waiting here," the assistant says, pausing outside of a door that looks, to her eyes, identical to the one they'd left. Most of the doors have been blandly dull and samey.
The assistant knocks on the door. "Mr. Black? The envoys are here."
There's a murmur from the other side of the door and then the assistant opens the door.
"Thank you," Ino says. Ino bows to the assistant-and hides her amusement when he looks incredibly baffled as the girls follow her lead, bowing as they walk past him-and enters the room.
The room is, so far as government rooms go, rather well appointed but her eyes are drawn immediately to the tall, dark-haired man standing in elegant robes before the fireplace.
He turns, and the firelight picks up the way silver embroidery glints and shivers in patterns on the deep, inky black robes. She doesn't know robe styles-yet-but she has a powerful suspicion that these are either the very, very height of current fashion or they're a style so timeless that they're always in fashion, just elevated to the very highest reaches of opulence.
"Yamanaka Ino-san, if I'm not mistaken?" he says, in flawless Japanese. He bows to her, precisely the way she'd bow to an envoy. "It is a pleasure to meet you and your companions."
She bows back. This one deeper than the one she'd given the assistant.
"Thank you," she says, in flawless English. "It is a wonderful thing indeed, to make your acquaintance, Mr. Black."
He meets her eyes and she is startled to see they're as silver in the firelight as his fancy embroidery.
And he's familiar! I know this face or one a lot like it! How do I know his face?
His smile is small, more of a polite fiction than anything else, though she can tell he's pleased. It's all there in his thoughts. Just like-
Your father and I go a long way back, Yamanaka-san, Orion Black's thoughts come through clearly, so sharply that for a moment, she thinks he's mind speaking to her, but...
No, he's just directing his thoughts with blade-like precision. He knows I can hear him and he's worked with Yamanaka before. Daddy didn't mention this!
Hot on the heels of that thought, though, comes the one that-
Daddy did seem awfully comfortable with letting me go and do this. If he and Black-san are old friends, then that would make sense.
Ino smiles.
Then I look forward to getting to know you, Black-san, she thinks back and is rewarded with a wash emotion, of approval, from him.
Daddy doesn't have pictures up nor has he mentioned him before, but that's not unusual. We don't keep many pictures of our friends and...
She comes back to the whole reason her Dad had let her go on this, nearly volunteered her for this mission, and how Black's face is naggingly familiar.
I suppose I'll see how the game is played.
"I understand there's not much time before we meet the Minister," Ino says, making the introductions for Sakura, Hinata, and Tenten.
She is not surprised that his thoughts are warmer to Hinata than the other two.
The Blacks are one of the families that came up in her briefing as being likely to be affiliated with this new so-called dark lord.
But it's fine. I don't care what he thinks. He was equally as polite to all three of them and that's the important thing. Actions speak loudly, far more loudly than thoughts do.
It's one of the first lessons any Yamanaka is taught.
"That's correct," Mr. Black says. "The Minister has arranged a press conference for you. Are you ready for that?"
"Yes," Ino says, though Sakura's thoughts indicate that she is super not ready for it. "I've been expecting that. I was more surprised by how we are meeting yourself, before the Minister."
A faint smile touches Mr. Black's lips. "I did not give him a choice," he says, but does not explain that. "Let me explain what your day will look like."
"We're listening," she says. In more ways than one.
They take seats and, once they're seated, Mr. Black joins them around the table in a high backed chair that Ino cannot help but notice looks vaguely like a throne.
Though I think that's partly the style of furniture, Ino decides, glancing at the other, identical chairs. They like their grandeur, the British. It suits him, though, with his handsome face.
That he's easily as old as her dad doesn't stop her from noticing that he's handsome or that the style suits him.
She likes it too, if she's being honest with herself. They've got their own style, in Japan, and it's just as impressive, but this is a totally different vibe.
It doesn't take long for him to walk them through the outline of their day, with the press conference and interviews in the morning. The photoshoot after lunch, then the closing ceremonies for the day.
"Then, once you've received the ceremonial key to the Ministry, I'll escort you to your host family's home."
"A-ano," Hinata says, then takes a deep breath, and starts again, this time in English. "Are we all being hosted by the same family? We had not heard back regarding that situation."
"I'll will investigate why that information was not given to you," he says, and his thoughts echo the same, with a layer of irritation at this mishap. "I can confirm you have all been placed with the same family."
"What family?" Ino asks curiously. "Are they part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight?"
He likes that she knows of the Sacred Twenty-Eight.
"Unfortunately, the Ministry decided that it was best for you to be placed with a family outside of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, concerned as they were about the potential political ramifications. The Potters are an old, pureblooded family, however, and capable of providing for any of your needs."
If they're an old, pureblooded family, then why are they not part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight? Ino asks, keeping this question quiet.
They're bleeding heart muggle-lovers, Mr. Black replies.
Ino admires the way he says it so openly, so clearly, and his disdain of them resonates with her the same way that she wonders what civilians are even doing sometimes, back home.
But the civilians have some of the best entertainment. Probably because they don't have to spend their time in training and fighting and dying. So even while I think they're silly and don't understand them, I like to watch their movies and listen to their music. They're not without value.
I wonder if Mr. Black thinks 'muggles' are without value?
But she doesn't ask. That's not a conversation she wants to have while they're both paying only half their attention to it.
It also completely makes sense that they'd not want to have Sakura or Tenten in the house of someone who thought of their parents like that.
Ino wonders, had it been just her and Hinata, just where they would have ended up.
That's good to know, she says, and on the outside she smiles as Mr. Black answers one of Sakura's questions without any outward expression for distaste for her existence.
And that's the thing, really, as Ino listens to both his voice and his thoughts.
I don't actually care what he thinks or who he hates so long as he treats my team with respect. In fact, I like that he was open to me about it. I wonder if he's that way with my dad and it just carried over? Or if dad told him I wouldn't care?
Either is a likely reason. She could go looking for it, in Mr. Black's head, but there's no good excuse for that, other than curiosity, and-
And he'd know that would be rude.
"Any last questions?" he asks smoothly.
I would like to talk to you at some point, Ino says, even as she agrees with the others about how he's explained everything perfectly.
That is easily arranged, he thinks back at her. In a week, perhaps? Give you time to settle in and begin to grasp the shape of the country you're now living in?
That would be perfect. Thank you.
He smiles at her, sharp as a blade in both thought and appearance. It's chilling and impressive and she wonders, again, how her dad and this man became friends. She would dearly love to know.
I'm so totally writing a letter to dad about this, she decides. But for now... for now we get to meet our adoring public.
And while this mystery and this man are intriguing, she is honest with herself and admits that going out and being adored are also going to be great, good fun.
I just need to make sure I can salvage Sakura and Hinata's good moods and courage from their nerves.
Sakura's easy, though, Ino just holds her hand as they leave the room and Sakura is capable of doing the rest herself. Sakura has always been a tactile person and Ino has adjusted to that.
"Remember," she says, knowing Mr. Black will hear her but not talking to him. She's focused on the girls. "Remember that we're all in this together and that I'm doing the talking. All you have to do is smile, look pretty, and ladies, you all look fantastic. You've got this."
It's not perfect, it can't be, but while Sakura's nerves still sing, they lose the frantic panic they'd been building up into. Hinata smiles faintly, her eyes still slightly worried, but inside, her core calms down.
And Hinata's got the training for this, Ino consoles herself. It'll be fine.
Tenten strikes up a conversation with Mr. Black about Quidditch.
It will be fine, she repeats.
And, the thing is, it totally works out.
"They're coming any minute now," Mum says, all but vibrating with excitement.
James, who has been shoved into a set of robes more formal than he hopes he's going to be expected to wear for the rest of the summer, pretends he doesn't hear her. It's rude but, also, she's repeated herself five times in the last three minutes.
Dad can take that. I can't.
Sirius, looking perfectly at ease in the robes, sighs.
James kicks him in the ankle, mostly because he can, but also because Sirius' antipathy towards his father showing up here is both entirely understandable but also as bloody annoying as his mum's excitement.
Sirius kicks him back.
He's just going to kick him again, when the flames in the fireplace go green.
Mum squeals quietly. James glowers at Sirius, who glowers back, then, that fight over with before it ever got going, they both look at the fireplace.
Orion Black is the first out, of course, and he nods his stupid head politely enough at Mum and Dad that James can't find fault in it (and believe him, he's trying), then holds his hand out into the flames.
The first girl out is the one the papers are saying is the head of the delegation.
She's flat out gorgeous in robes of pale, filmy lilac, but James thinks it's creepy how her eyes have no irises, just an empty expanse of cornflower blue. She thanks Orion Black in a soft voice, then steps to the side, studying the four of them with a frank sort of curiosity.
"Oh, she's darling," Mum says.
The girl smiles at Mum. "Thank you," she says, and her English is perfect, though there's a bit of an accent he's never heard before to it. "You are-Mrs. Potter, is that correct?"
That's all it takes for Mum to bustle over to her. "You can call me 'Mum'," Mum says. "Look at you, your hair's so long! Are those real flowers in it! What's your name, sweetheart?"
"Ino," she says, one hand reaching up to touch her hair. "The flowers are fabric. Did you want to touch them?"
The fireplace turns green again as Mum coos over the girl's hair.
"Good thing there's four of us," Dad says, in a low voice, and James stifles a snort.
The next girl to come out is as different as she could be from the first one. She's pretty, too, which he figures makes sense. They wouldn't send ugly people to be delegates. Her robes are shorter, sleeveless, and in shades of red and white. He thinks she might actually be wearing shorts under her robes, from the way they shift. Her eyes, thank god, are perfectly normal and pale green.
And her hair is pink. Not even just a little pink, but pink-pink.
The first girl reaches out, taking the new one's hand absently, and bringing her over.
"This is Sakura," she says to Mum.
Sakura bows to Mum, which James stares openly at. Sirius elbows him.
"Don't," Sirius mutters. "It's a cultural thing."
Mum's already gushing over Sakura's hair and the first girl, Ino, turns her attention to them.
James feels the hair on the back of his neck rise when she meets his eyes.
"Mr. Black did mention one of his sons would be here," she says to Sirius. "You are him, yes?"
"That's right," Sirius says, sounding resigned. "Sirius Black. This tosser who has no manners is James Potter, your host's son. Don't worry too much about him. Effie's already willing to be wrapped around your fingers."
Ino laughs and, like the rest of her, it's a pretty laugh.
James still finds her eyes creepy.
He turns back to the fireplace as Ino talks with Sirius-who is loosening up a bit, now that she's stopped talking about Sirius' dad-and watches as a perfectly normal looking girl, with brown eyes and brown hair, wearing casual robes steps through.
Someone normal, he decides, relieved.
Ino moves on to introducing herself to his dad while the new girl looks at the scenario and then, with a shrug, bows to the room at large.
"Tenten," Ino says, "come meet Mr. Potter."
Finally, the fire flares once more, and the last girl steps out and James hardly notices the shy smile she gives, because she might be a vision in white and gold robes, but she's also got deep, dark hair, almost a weird shade of purple, and her eyes are completely empty. Just pure white.
I take back everything I thought about the first one's eyes. At least she's got colour to them!
Ino glances sidelong at him, something like laughter dancing in across her face, and James hopes to every bit of Merlin he can think of that his thoughts aren't written all over his face.
I wish I had a better poker face, but I always get cleaned out when the lads and I play, he thinks glumly.
The weird girl with the white eyes turns out to be Hinata-he doesn't know why the Japanese have such strange names either, especially since they seem to speak English just fine-and James tries not to make an absolute arse out of himself.
Especially not since Sirius is actually behaving himself, even when Dad invites Orion Black to supper and Orion Black accepts.
Did he suspect that would happen? Was I supposed to know this? Why did no one keep me in the loop?
James supposes, vaguely, that he could've paid more attention to what was going on right under his nose but, like, it had seemed so horribly dull.
I figured Mum was just being Mum about things and Dad was indulging her. Was Sirius paying attention to them? What was I doing?
Guilt, strange and prickly, nags at him. He's been working on the prat-list and how to not be one for most of the summer and, yet, it seems like without realizing it, he's been a prat again.
How does this even happen?!
Mum bustles off with her gaggle of daughters-"All of you feel absolutely free to call me 'Mum'! After all, while you're here, I'm as good as!"-to take them upstairs beyond the doors of the bedrooms he'd grudgingly helped put together.
For the first time, he hopes they like them. Mostly for Mum's sake, really, but...
"Well, that's going well so far," Dad says lightly, standing next to Orion Black.
They couldn't be more different, for all that they're both tall and black-haired. James blinks at them and wonders if he's missed something again, because they seem friendly, almost.
Sirius, too, is keeping an eye on them, though he's taken a seat with a cup of tea.
"You think so?" Orion Black says.
"Isn't it?" Dad replies.
"I wonder," Sirius's father says mildly, in a way that nonetheless leaves James wondering what he knows that the rest of them don't.
"Are there any allergies we need to be aware of?" Dad asks. "Or medical conditions?"
"Was anything in your informational packets?"
"No," Dad admits.
"Then, no," Orion Black says. "They're not like the soft children people raise here. Japan fosters independence in their magicals from a very young age."
"And, this, darling, is your room!"
Ino bites back a grin at how incredibly, adorably enthused their host mother is about their presence and how weirded out Sakura's thoughts are about the whole matter.
Tenten and Hinata have already been shown their rooms-both lovely, well-appointed things that are nice without being ridiculously opulent; which seems to be a theme with the Potters, who clearly have money and who, just as clearly, don't flaunt it as much as they could-and Ino peers into Sakura's room to see that it's much the same, just done in shades of a pale, spring green instead of Hinata's lavender and Tenten's warm honey.
Sakura looks over her at her, her thoughts screaming for help, and Ino just shrugs a bit.
It's really not worth the effort to stop Effie Potter from gushing as she shows Sakura her closet, her desk, and chatters about the sheets and blankets.
Besides, it's too cute and it's so genuine. This isn't someone pretending at being excited, this is someone who is honestly, really and truly, so happy to have four daughters.
It's an amusing contrast to the much more restrained feelings of Fleamont Potter, who is glad to see them but normal levels of glad, not-this.
And his son, who apparently did not bother to learn anything about them and what his parents were doing before they got here.
Sloppy, but we'll see if he improves. He managed to refrain from saying anything about our names, at least, for all he thought it. And I'm disinclined to immediately write off anyone who thinks I'm gorgeous and who is easy on the eyes in return.
Though James Potter wasn't nearly as easy on them as Orion's son, Sirius.
Very nice indeed, she thinks, though she's more interested in the way he looks almost like her dream guy.
But not quite.
At first glance, she'd thought it was, but talking to him, getting a better look at him, and it was obvious he wasn't.
But he's close. And Orion had said that Sirius is his eldest son.
Ino is starting to have a suspicion about why her dad and Orion both seem to be in cahoots about something.
She tries not to think about it too hard, though, since a) if it doesn't happen, she'll be disappointed and b) she's not sure how to feel about having everything masterminded by her dad.
I should be used to it by now, but my love life has so far been off limits.
She stretches out her thoughts and listens to Orion Black snipe at Fleamont Potter, and admires the way that both men gamely keep their composure as they soldier on with an increasingly awkward conversation in front of their sons.
"I'm so sorry to make you wait, Ino, sweetheart!" Effie Potter bustles over to her.
Ino smiles. "I didn't mind at all," she says quickly. "I've liked seeing everyone else's rooms."
"Well, it's your turn now," Effie says, and Ino waves a cheeky farewell to Sakura who looks very, very tired.
"Come this way," Effie Potter says, hooking her arm around Ino's companionably. "Now, I know all of you girls are ambassadors, but I was told that you were going to need a little more space, so you could do your work properly and hold meetings."
Since that's exactly once Ino had planned to do once Effie had wandered off somewhere and given them time to decompress, Ino can't deny that this will be incredibly useful.
"Yes," she says, "thank you. I hope it wasn't any inconvenience. I know there must have been a lot of things to do getting everything ready."
Effie beams at her. "It was absolutely no problem at all! Now, just right down this hall here, the first door-and voila!"
Pushing the door open, Effie then gently tugs Ino on into the room.
It's. It's a lot bigger than the other girls' rooms, actually, since it's not a bedroom at all, but rather what looks like a cross between a sitting room and an office.
There's another door, off to the side, that Ino expects leads to her actual bedroom.
The whole thing is done up in shades of creams and blues, looking both warm and professional.
"This is way too nice for me," Ino says, eyes huge. "Mrs. Potter, really-"
It takes her a moment to realize that Effie Potter is pinching her cheek. Before she can fully process it, Effie has let her cheek go, patted her shoulder, and steered her further into the room.
"Don't be ridiculous," Effie Potter says. "You're an ambassador, aren't you, darling? There's going to be people who want to come and meet with you while you're not at school and you need to have a place to put them that's not in a room that's obviously mine or Fleamont's. It would look like we were influencing you too much. But this room, clean and fresh suits a girl like you. You'll be able to host the Minister for Magic himself here, without shame, if need be."
Ino blinks.
She decides not to tell Effie that they'd gotten Tsunade-sama drunk in a bar to get the four of them to come.
Or that Tsunade-sama had been incredibly hung over when she's confirmed her orders.
Shame apparently mattered differently here.
Any ninja worth their salt knows to look at what a person does rather than what they're surrounded by.
"Oh," she says, plastering a smile on her face. "In that case, wow, I really can't thank you enough, Mrs. Potter! I hadn't even thought of that!"
I guess Orion Black might like it, if he comes here for tea? Otherwise, I'm pretty sure it's just going to be a room we all lounge around in our pajamas in and that's kind of a waste of a fancy space like this.
But Effie Potter is back to beaming at her and Ino, bemused, allows herself to be steered into her bedroom.
Luckily, aside from the extra door into the office, her room is nearly identical to the other rooms the girls have. It's carries over the pale blues, but the white shifts to a pearly sort of grey that's more restful to the eyes.
Ino makes sure to gush appropriately, promise she'll try harder to remember that Mrs. Potter wants to be called 'Mum' and as soon as she's left to her own devices, frowns.
I don't know that I've got time enough to call the girls here and have a real conversation about anything. I'll let them know we'll do dinner with the family and meet tonight, after it. They'll probably give us time to get settled in, assuming we'll be tired.
Her mind made up, and with half her attention on Effie Potter's ebullient passage through the house.
Tenten steps out of her room while she's passing and asks, "Hi, Mum! Where's the bathroom?"
Ino grins at the door while basking in Effie Potter's glee about being called Mum. Tenten gets directions and an escort, which makes Ino laugh to herself.
I'll have to ask Tenten later, just so I can say I asked someone, she decides, even though she knows where the nearest three are now, just from listening to their conversation. I have to remember I'm not allowed to know things I have no reason to know here.
She bites her thumb, rubs the resulting blood along her scroll, and once her things have exploded all over her bed, begins putting them away neatly.
Daddy did say I'd hate it. I hate when Daddy's right after I've said I can handle something.
Ino wonders if they're supposed to change for supper, but Effie's busy gushing to Fleamont, Orion, and James and Sirius, and none of the girls know.
Apparently, Orion Black is staying for supper.
The only one who seems at all okay with that is, oddly, his son.
I got the feeling they were estranged, Ino muses. Interesting that it's the parents who don't want him here, while his estranged son is resigned to it.
With a shrug, she closes her closet.
Hinata's wondering if we're going to need to change too.
Ino looks down at her robes and, after a moment of deliberation, decides they're good enough. They hadn't been told to change, so she won't.
And I'd best hustle before someone else does and then we look like we don't know what we're doing instead of being a coherent whole. That would be embarrassing.