A bright flash of light filled the room. Severus held his breath, had they reversed it? Forms appeared before them, materialising into a strange tableau. They did it, they brought the missing children back, but Severus had little time to feel any relief.

Kaori Yamato held her little brother back as if to prevent him from leaping somewhere, tears in her eyes while Hiro's face was contorted in a mixture of anger and sadness and a hand reaching out. A bespectacled girl close to Hermione's age screamed while a blond non-Japanese girl of around sixteen similarly tried to hold her back. A third Japanese girl, also perhaps sixteen, gripped her wand tightly, wanting to act, but unsure how, she too was crying. A Japanese boy a bit older than Hermione with a camera around his neck fell to his knees, while a non-Japanese boy stared ahead blankly. A tiny house-elf stared similarly lost, a comforting hand on Camera Boy's shoulder.

Where's Hermione? Severus scanned the room, and found she had landed across the room from the main group. Unlike the others, she was completely drenched, lying prone, face down and hands clutching at nothing. He brought his daughter home, but she wasn't moving.

"HERMIONE!" he called, rushing to her side.

Others had the same idea, Kaori released Hiro, who ran to her side with a cry of "Mi-chan!" and a released bespec–Saiyaka–did so as well.

Severus knelt next to her, a million thoughts swirling in his head, she was too young to...why was she the only one drenched and covered in river weeds? Was it too late to...No, he drew his wand and reached for her, unable to stop his hand from shaking.

He didn't need to expel the water from her lungs, as within seconds, she began to cough it up herself. Hermione struggled to her hands and knees, wheezing and gasping for air once she'd cleared her lungs.

Relief washed over him and he felt the first easy breath in weeks. He had to remind himself not to throw his arms around her until he was certain her breathing was clear.

Hiro and Saiyaka didn't seem to have the same restraint, nor did the six others who came rushing up to her, calling her name.

"Don't crowd her," Severus put up his hand, hoping it was a universal gesture. "Give her some air."

A translation from a skinny Black boy (Sam?) halted their advance, but not their questions as each bent or knelt to see her.

Hermione responded by offering a sheepish smile between gasps and holding up two fingers—a peace sign?-before saying "Yatta!" breathlessly.

Severus placed a hand on Hermione's head and, to his surprise, she leaned into him. That she would lean into him rather than her boyfriend surprised him, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't relieved she still found comfort in his presence.

Minako Yamato threw her arms around her son and daughter, saying something in Japanese through relieved tears. The headmaster was more reserved, but still hugged them. Those who didn't have family members waiting onsite simply collapsed in relief, comforting each other.

"Hey, Dad?" Hermione spoke barely above a whisper, her voice very raw.

"Yes, love?"

"Thank you."

"I just wish I knew who opened the book," Hermione admitted, after a long examination. I also hate that our spell and the grown-ups' spell went off at the exact same time. I'll never know if it was me or him that brought us home...

All of them were ordered to the hospital wing, and none of them were given the clear to go until the following morning. Well, none but Suni.

"I know!" Miyuki whined. "It's like an unfinished story. I hate unfinished stories."

Hiro clasped Hermione's hand and smiled down at her. "I don't know, I think this one has a happy ending."

"You're so...hokey!" Hermione giggled before kissing his cheek. "But I love you."

"And I love you," Hiro kissed her.

"Get a room, you two!" Toshio threw a cushion at the couple. "And not our dorm, I'd like to sleep this week."

"It bothers me too," Saiyaka laid down in her bed. "We know the crying child was a student, what if they do it again, even if it's an accident. Or what if Hermione's right and they would do it again in an attempt to enter the book?"

Hermione thought of this for a bit. It'd be someone who liked archery, who connected with Tsukiyasha, and someone truly miserable…and in lower years if they were described as a crying child. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in Hermione's head.

"Togo-Senpai?" she asked. "When's the next Archery club meeting?"

"Are you alright, Dad?" asked Hermione.

Severus and his daughter spoke in the empty workroom, still strewn about with items and texts used to break the curse. All the children were treated for minor injuries and kept for observation. He was beyond relieved to see Hermione released alongside her peers rather than kept longer for complications.

"I am now," he smiled, placing a hand on her head. "There's less than a week left of classes, and you've been through a lot. I can bring you home early, your absences while you were missing and missed tests were excused."

Hermione looked off to the side, her tiny face fallen, as she clasped her hands together. "Can I at least say goodbye to my friends?"

"Now that you're well enough to travel, all I want to do is take you home. Leaving you here is against every parenting instinct I have—" She only gets to see them for one month of the year… "Though I do suppose it's only three days. If you can promise me you'll stay away from dangerous situations, and begin writing daily again. Can you do that?"

Hermione looked up at him with tangible surprise. "I promise, Dad," she nodded "Thank you."

"Sit down, love," he gestured to the table. "If you're staying there's something—a few things, actually, I'd like to talk to you about."

Hermione nodded and took a seat next to him. Her clasped hands tightened as she looked up at him. "It-it's about Hiro, isn't it?"

He nodded, running his hand over her head. "One of them, but right now, I'm interested in why you volunteered to seal the onryo. You knew how risky it would be, and unless there's something I missed, you know you can't swim."

Living by a bloody lake, he would have taught her if he knew how to himself years ago. But as it stood, she couldn't and knew that.

Hermione seemed to put together his implication, she looked away, ashamed. "I did seal her away though. I–erm—I didn't plan it. It was supposed to be the heroine, but we all got separated…she nearly dragged Hiro in—"

"But you reflected that attack, Hermione," he said softly. "That should have given you enough time to get away."

Hermione shook her head. "I-I was the only one to remember the spell…maybe if Miyuki or Togo-Senpai had been there, or Tsukiyasha. I thought it was the only way to get them home, Dad."

The counsellor's question over Christmas rang in his mind again: Self-injury or threats of suicide?

"I notice you said 'them'," his chest tightened and stomach churned. I thought that wouldn't be a problem here.

"Dad," she leaned against him. "I wouldn't have agreed to marry Hiro if I were planning on—-I just didn't know when we'd get another opportunity to seal her away. It was better—-" Hermione bit her lip, and dug her nails into her own flesh again. "It was better for some of us to get home than none of us. I know you hate that I think that way…"

"I do," he admitted. "And I need to ask: why?"

"I-I–" Hermione lifted her head from his side and stared at her feet. "I don't know."

Severus wasn't sure he bought that, but he wasn't sure how much he wanted to dredge up before leaving her behind. All he really wanted was an assurance she wasn't going to—he sighed and patted her head again. "What matters is that you're safe, and that I'd like you to stay so, yes?"

"You're not upset?" she asked, venturing eye contact.

Incredibly so, what father wouldn't be? "Not with you, love. Are you certain you don't wish to come home now?"

Hermione nodded.

Severus couldn't help but think about how easy it would be to force this issue. Remind her that he was legally responsible for her until she turned seventeen...twenty while in Japan, retract his consent, hell, simply pick her up and leave. But it was three days, and she wasn't going to do anything, not with Hiro Yamato and his lot sticking around, he saw how upset they were when they thought—more importantly she saw it. If they could keep out of trouble, it would stop her from throwing herself into dangerous situations.

"Very well," he conceded before reminding her. "You'll write to me daily."

"Yes, sir."

"I'm going to meet Mrs Yamato and see Headmaster Yamato about our departure," he drew Hermione into a hug. "I'll see you in three days. Try and stay away from cursed items until then, eh?"

"I'll see wh—" she looked around, confused. "I thought you wanted to talk about Hiro?"

"That was before—" he shook his head. "We can discuss your little 'engagement' (he formed quotations with his fingers around the word) when we get home, Hermione."

"You don't approve, do you?" she asked, but her expression told him she already knew he didn't.

"You're thirteen," he sighed, patting her head. "When you're my age you'll understand just how foolish this is. Very likely before that. Take it from someone who knows, Hermione, you don't want to be beholden to commitments you made when you were too young to know any better."

Hermione looked up at him, and bit her lip before asking: "What commitment are you stuck with?"

"That's a story for another time, love."

Miyuki, Saiyaka, Togo and Hermione were quite popular with the archery club, swarmed by girls excited to hear the stories. Swarmed by every girl save the one that Hermione wished to talk to.

Monufa Sani, as always, sat in the corner, staring at them, looking both relieved and guilty. Hermione resolved to try and recall her at the end of the club meeting.

"Monufa-san," Hermione asked with a bow once everyone filed out. "Can we talk?"

The younger girl shook before bowing her head and cried : "Gomenasai!"

"It's fine," she said. "And I don't plan on telling anyone. Well, other than Togo-Senpai and the Mercury members. I-I promise we won't write about it! I-I just—erm—we need to know why. Please, Monufa-san"

Monufa Sani shook her head. "It's my first year and I've really screwed up. One of my two girls told me that if I wanted to join their group I had to sneak into the restricted section. Said they'd meet me at the Cursed Items section, but when I got there, they weren't. They never came, that's when I found the book. I started reading it, and it was—I-I–this is embarrassing—I guess I wished I could have friends like that. And when the book lit up I-I-I–" she looked down ashamed. "I just ran. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Hermione said. "But you should apologise to—"

"Erm," Saiyaka's voice said from behind her. "She doesn't need to."

Hermione leapt up to see the entirety of the Mercury staff and Togo emerge from a supply cupboard.

"H-h-how'd you even—" Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm starting to think I should permanently transfigure my ears into cat ears!"

Hiro literally swept her off her feet with a grin. "You'd be cute either way, but then we'd never be able to surprise you!"

"H-H-Hiro-kuuun!" Hermione squeaked. "T-time and place?"

"Right," Hiro nodded. "We all heard it, and we forgive you, Monufa-san."

Monufa turned to Togo with tears in her eyes. "But you got shot!"

Togo nodded. "It was all a mistake, we understand."

"And you were all stuck there for weeks! and you nearly drowned!"

"That's just because we're a bunch of idiots who can't mind our own business," Miyuki smiled, holding two victory signs by her face.

It took some convincing, but soon Monufa calmed down. Hermione sat next to her, understanding the complete loneliness she'd felt this July, and the intense bullying from her classmates she accounted for. Hermione herself had been through much of it, both here and at home. Not sure how to comfort the crying eleven-year-old girl, Hermione tentatively reached a hand out to her head and patted it.

"A little too familiar," Monufa said, backing up. "But you lot can–erm–all call me Sani."

Hermione looked away embarrassed. "Yeah, that was dumb, sorry, Sani."

Yamato Minako followed Kaori into the clubroom. Hermione still found it odd Hiro and Kaori's mother–and for that fact, her father–-were welcomed to stay till the matsuri. More odd, she was asked to speak with her in private.

"Konbanwa, Yamato-san," she bowed.

"Moving photos," she sighed, indicating the Mercury's most recent draft. "I'll never get used to this. Hermione-chan, I–erm—I spoke to Hiro about your relationship…"

I know I'm not good enough for your son...please just get it over with. Hermione bit her lip and clasped her hands tightly in her lap.

"My Hiro–he thinks the world of you, y'know?" she smiled. "And I know you saved his life, Kaori's too. I'm grateful. But you—you're so young—and neither of you know what it's like for a gaijin to live here full-time. I won't lie, it's very hard. Hiro said you had some bullies? That won't end in school. You want to be a freelance reporter, jobs will be hard to come-by, and that's before mentioning what some men are like with foreign girls…" Yamato Minako trailed off, but she did look at her meaningfully.

Hermione swallowed. It did sound hard, but wasn't it worth it for Hiro? That wasn't the answer, she was trying to scare her off, that way Hiro didn't have to ditch her when he came to his senses. But Hermione wanted that life with him, she was thirteen, not stupid, she knew what she wanted. Despite what her father thought.

"I'm not trying to scare you off, Hermione-chan," she insisted. "I just want you to promise me you can commit to that. To him. Even if—I'm thirty-seven, barely middle-aged, but I do know I won't be around forever. If my son's proposing, it had better to someone who can take care of him when I'm gone. I was your age once, and I know how easy it is to get swept up in these emotions without really thinking them through. I told Hiro this too, romances at your age fall apart all the time. Can you really say yours won't when you grow up, you'll both change a lot."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, Yamato-san. I don't think I can even imagine the way I feel about him changing. I-I'll be there as long as he needs me. As long as he wants me. I pr—"

"Don't promise me now, Hermione-chan," Yamato Minako said. "Think about it. Same as I told Hiro. GIve it time."

Hermione looked down at her clasped hands. "Yes, Yamato-san."

"Survived?" Hiro teased, his hazel eyes upturned at the corners.

"I did," Hermione fanned herself, collapsing next to a tree. "Though Miyuki should have known better than to have us wear masks and frilly frocks while as archers. I can't believe Suzuki-Senpai approved them."

"You don't say 'no' to Hitoromi Miyuki," Hiro laughed, taking her hand. "And I thought you looked cute."

Hermione felt a blush rise to her cheeks and hid her face with her fan. In the summer heat, she felt much better in her yukata than the layers of frills she had no clue how to move in. But some strange (and maybe shallow…stupid, I bet) part of her felt cute and liked it. Even if there was also embarrassment. She also liked that Hiro found her cute too.

I'm marrying him and he still makes me blush...I wonder if I'll blush before we…No! I don't think ready for that!

Hermione folded her fan and placed it in her obi. "I've nothing on you."

That was an understatement, Hiro was stunning, his hazel eyes shining in the lamp light under his carelessly tousled black hair, and that crooked smile with his prominent canine sticking out made Hermione's heart race. He traded out his simple black yukata from earlier years for a dark blue one with white sakura blossoms and red spider lilies dancing across the fabric, expressing his favourite flowers for the world to see.

Hiro placed a hand on either side of her head against the tree, looking down at her, his mischievous grin still plastered across his face. "I love you," he lowered his lips to hers.

Hermione responded in kind until Toshio, Sam, and Saiyaka all called out in a chorus lead by Sam "Hiro and Hermione sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I–"

"Oh, so you all know enough English for that!" Hermione groaned.

The lot of them broke into laughter, and Hiro laced his fingers through Hermione's with a smile. "Let's see if we can play some games before the fireworks start. Where's Kaori and the others?"

"Two of the others are here," Miyuki dramatically announced, her kitsune mask still sitting on top of her fringe, though she had changed back into a soft pink yukata decked with white tsubaki. "I have suspicions on where Kaori and Anya are."

"Miyuk-chan!" Togo giggled.

"Actually," Kaori said, appearing from behind them, looking rather put together in her red yukata and hair pinned with a red tsubaki kanzashi. "We were just following the sounds of hyenas cackling to find you lot!"

Anya looked much less put together, though still smiling, her pink yukata improperly tied and tying her blonde hair behind her. Miyuki's suspicions were either right, or Anya was secretly a hero that had to change costumes at break-neck speed. Hermione knew which was more likely, and which was more entertaining...Luna, you've ruined me, she giggled to herself.

"Oneechan!" Hiro gasped, feigning a scandalised tone.

Saiyaka simply stared at the two wide-eyed, she didn't need to fake scandal. "At the festival?"

Sam and Toshio joined in the staring while Miyuki giggled.

"We have got to make friends our own age!" Anya groaned.

Kaori nodded in assent before grabbing her hand. "Until then, let's make the most of this. Our next matsuri will be as a post-secondary student."

"Let's harness what's left of our girl power to cease the night!" Miyuki announced, her voice possessing the same command it did when she performed "Daruma and the Coin" earlier that night for the literature club.

Saiyaka covered her mouth with her sleeve and giggled while Toshio and Sam groaned, Hermione turned to see Hiro merely shook his head with a wistful smile. She in exchange smiled up at him and leaned into his arm.

Making the most of the night was exactly what they did. A number of game stalls were still open and Miyuki dragged Kaori to each of them. They fumbled and the ball-scoop, and when Hiro startled Hermione at the yo-yo-tsuri, she dropped the balloon with a loud splash, while other colourful orbs sloshed and fell out. The lot of them simply laughed, with on-lookers regarding them with curiosity.

After that, they tried their new found archery skills, Hermione noticed a plush cat that looked just like Mochi, and determined she would win it for Hiro. Togo and Miyuki embraced the chance to show off, but after their stint in the archery club, they all had decent enough aim for the game.

Hermione noticed she wasn't the only one to have that idea. Kaori presented Anya with a plush frog (apparently her favourite animal) to which she squealed with delight.

"A token of her undying love," Miyuki fake-swooned. "Frogs, the animal of passion! It's just like in all the great romances!"

"Shove off!" Kaori teased, playfully shoving her best friend.

"Well, I love it," Anya asserted, kissing Kaori's cheek. "Is it Hiro or is it Hermione you won that kitsune for?"

"The kitsune's for me." Miyuki harrumphed and folded her arms. "And I'll have you know I've been team Hiromione since day one."

Hermione and Hiro both choked at this.

"Miyuki-chan," Hiro coughed. "How long have you been using that name for us?"

"Last summer," Miyuki stuck her tongue out, prompting laughter from Togo.

Saiyaka placed the toy bow back in on the counter and walked over to the lot of them, clutching a giant pink tiger, her face nearly matching its fur.

"T-T-Togo-Senpai?" Saiyaka said, looking away.

"Okasha-kun?" Togo leaned her head to the side. "Are you alright?"

Saiyaka nodded and presented her with the tiger. "I–erm–-I know you already won something but, I-I–this made me think of you. You can have it."

"Thank you, Okasha-kun…" Togo ventured, looking at Miyuki who shrugged.

I guess she's over Kaori… Hermione smiled wondering if Togo would be receptive.

Hermione's turn came next and she excused herself from the lot of them, resolving to present Hiro with the plush calico in private. She inhaled deeply, and was thankful for the reduced weight of the toy bow. She remembered every movement Miyuki, Togo and Suzuki made, and with familiar control, a soothing control, Hermione counted to three and loosed the arrow at the target beneath Hiro's prize. To her pleasure, she managed to hit the bulls-eyes.

Placing the bow back on the counter she clasped her hands together to calm herself when a member of the Go Club presented her with the prize. The small toy had Mochi's exact markings and the exact shade of blue for her eyes. Hiro would love this.

Hermione came around, after concealing the plush toy with her sleeve. "Do we want to watch the fireworks from the beach like two summers ago?"

Hiro nodded. "Just let me see what I can do before they close up. Oh, do you want a candy apple, Mi-chan?"

Hermione smiled and shook her head. "Do you know how much food I had to sample for the Mercury? I'm afraid I have to pass. But I can get you one—if you'd like."

Hiro shook his head and sighed before kissing her cheek. "I'll be back."

Hiro and Hermione managed to melt away from the rest of the group into an outcropping of trees, the lamps still visible, and close enough to the beach that they could hear the others' chatter if they were quiet.

Hermione bowed to Hiro with a smile. She held out the plush cat to him. "I–erm–I won this for you, Hiro-kun. It looks just like Mochi, doesn't it?"

"It does! I think I'll call her Chibi-Mochi. Thanks, Hermione,"Hiro beamed and accepted the gift with a bow. "Great minds think alike, I remembered how well you related to Kyoko and saw the nekomata...it's black instead of white, but I–erm–I thought you'd like this."

Hiro in turn presented Hermione with a plush black cat with two tails, a smiling face and large yellow eyes. Not only was it cute and fluffy enough to serve as a pillow, but Hermione couldn't help but be touched by his remembering after being lost in the book.

"Thank you!" Hermione bowed. "I love it!"

"Well," Hiro admitted putting an arm around her, "It was either that or the otter I saw you eyeing. Remembering Kyoko made it easy to decide."

"You always remember or notice things," Hermione leaned into him. "I don't think it'll ever stop surprising me."

"Because I care about you, silly," Hiro scoffed before lowering his lips to hers.

The two kissed until a sudden bang startled Hermione out of it. She spun around, Hiro's arm still around her waist, only to see the bright flowers of vibrant sparks blooming in the sky. She sighed in relief and leaned against Hiro. "I forgot how beautiful those are."

"I think I like my view better," Hiro smirked.

"What are you talking ab—" Hermione looked up at him. "Hiro-kun!"

"Let's join the others," he laughed before kissing her and leading her back to the beach by the hand.

Severus reached one of the larger public gardens in Tokyo to collect his daughter. Remus tagged along this time, the two having stayed together in a motel the night before, after Remus dragged him to the Kitaguchi Hongu Shrine on Mount Fuji and excitedly explained the various shrines, cleansing stations and the history of the forest around it. Severus rather enjoyed watching Remus in his element, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't relieved to be escaping Japan's oppressive heat soon.

"I now understand wives who complain their husbands are more like extra children," Severus sighed watching Remus wind up his disposable muggle camera again.

"You'll thank me later when you have pictures of your time away," Remus sang. "So, what's Hiro like?"

"The Yamato boy?" he mused. "I don't know what to make of him. To hear Hermione speak, you'd think him worthy of sainthood. But I know he gives a damn…"

Remus knit his eyebrows in confusion. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Giving a damn's the bare minimum, Remus," he groaned. "If he understands me, I intend to speak to the boy."

Remus ran his hand through his greying hair while he thought for a moment. "I can translate if need be."

Severus shook his head before creating distance. "I'd appreciate it if you could get her to introduce you to her friends, tell you about her summer, you know?"

"Distract her so you can talk to your daughter's boyfriend alone?"

Severus looked ahead to the lot of children in muggle school uniforms and parents picking them up. Surveying them, he finally found Hermione and her friends laying on the grass next to a towering maple. Hiro Yamato hovered over Hermione—-Is he pinning her?!

"Precisely."

Hermione and her friends watched the fluffy clouds pass by in the blue sky, all of them laying down on the grass. The heat left them lazy but happy to reminisce, or simply enjoy that clouds could move again.

"I wonder if I could catch one," Hiro mused.

He reached his hand out to the heavens and grasped at air. Hiro examined his empty, open palm and feigned disappointment.

Everyone burst out into laughter at this, and Hermione grabbed a brush and a notebook from her bag. She then proceeded to draw the fluffiest cloud and smirked down at Hiro.

"This is how you grab a cloud!" she teased, and crumpled the sheet with a demonstrative hand.

Hiro grinned at this, his mischievous canine exposed as he playfully leaned over her and grabbed her wrist. "Oh, you mean like this?"

"Nope!" she giggled. "Get your own cloud!"

"Too bad," Hiro teased back. "I want yours."

Now it was Hermione's turn to smirk. "Maybe, I'll give it to you for a kiss."

Hiro leaned in further to oblige and a familiar cold voice put an end to the playful roughhousing and the light laughter that broke out among the group.

"I'm curious, what's going on here?"

"Dad!" Hermione squeaked, straightening her pleated skirt and hoping it didn't look—We're all here, nobody would be stupid enough to assume we'd do that here. "It's—erm—great to see you again. H-how're things back home? Oh–erm– hi, Remus."

Hermione's father rolled his black eyes before sending her one of his trade-marked spine-chilling glares. "You are not helping yourself, little girl."

Remus awkwardly looked between the two, his pity clear when Hermione shrank under her father's gaze.

The others glanced at each other, everyone unsure what to make of the situation. Saiyaka even took to cleaning her glasses nervously. Everyone rose to their feet and bowed in greeting, stiffer than usually.

"Erm," Hermione said upon finding her own feet. "Everyone this is my father, Snape Sensei, and his–erm–friend (Hermione didn't know if they were public yet or ever intended to be) Lupin Sensei."

Stiff greetings were made and a hand rested on top of her head. Hermione looked up to see that her father's posture relaxed, though his ire had not gone away, the glare merely shifted to Hiro. Once again Hermione didn't know what to do with the mixed signals. The hand on her head was something he usually did to comfort her, but he was looking at Hiro like a venomous viper that needed to be fended off.

I never should have admitted to us dating!

"I believe we all had the pleasure earlier this week," Severus said in embarrassingly accented Japanese. "H–Yamato Hiro-san, I would like to speak with you in private."

"Hai!" he said with a bow,

Hermione looked between the two, her brown eyes growing even larger in size than usual. Surprise, worry and dread were all clearly evident as she stammered in English "D-d-did y-you want me to tr-translate?"

"There's no need," he told her, demonstrating the fact by using Japanese.

"I-I see," she muttered, looking back to Hiro Yamato and clasping her hands together.

You don't need to look so damn horrified at the prospect!

Hermione wasn't the only nervous one, Kaori Yamato also eyed her younger brother with worry. A rather mild worry that morphed into lip biting and a nervous twitching of her fingers when she saw Hermione's face.

Anya (Did I ever know that girl's last name?) took Kaori Yamato's hand which soothed her a bit. Though Severus wondered why his own daughter was the one most worried. I've yet to harm Potter and Weasley, that should tell you that your little boyfriend is safe!

As for the boy himself, he was proving that boys, in fact, did not change. He flashed both Hermione and his sister an arrogant smile, his posture would kindly be called confident while he, of all things, laughed.

"It'll be alright!" he assured them. "I know it."

Or that was how he interpreted it. "Daijoubu" and "Kitto" had several meanings but all fit along those lines, at least he believed they did. And the arrogance with which he delivered the line helped.

How much English do your friends know? Severus wondered before bending to speak in Hermione's ear, using French just in case. "Your little boyfriend will be fine. So you can start breathing again any time."

Hermione nodded stiffly at this.

If you want my approval then it should be obvious I need a gauge of the boy's character! "Young man, this way," he pointed.

The two found some distance where they were out of earshot, but still within their field of view. He had planned to do this so he could impress upon the boy just how young Hermione was, but it had the fringe benefit of the others seeing that he wasn't going to hurt the boy.

Hermione should know better than to expect— he thought with a pang. He saw her staring across the clearing with her hands clasped tightly. How could she think—

"When last summer did you two become involved?" he turned to Hiro Yamato.

The boy no longer wore an arrogant smirk, but rather looked down at his feet, a hand ran through his black hair, nervous rather than careless. He spied a red braided cord on the boy's wrist.

So Hermione's newfound interest in trinkets came from you marking your territory…

"During the field trip to gather bamboo blossoms, she was gorgeous standing among the bamboo in—-" Hiro shook his head with a chuckle and brought his gaze to Hermione across the clearing. "She's incredible."

When Remus's attempts to draw Hermione's and Kaori's attention failed, one of the girls (Miyuki?) managed to distract them by running up in front of them and blurting out something that flustered both girls enough to focus on her and the others burst into laughter. Eventually Saiyaka muttered something in Hermione's ear, which eventually earned her laughter.

"She is," Severus agreed. "But she's still only thirteen (I'm almost fourteen! Hermione's voice reminded him). And you're (the boy now was only a head shorter than himself now, and outsized Hermione by quite a bit, he also looked more like someone in his middle adolescence than a child) not. Not only is she still very much a child, but she is my child–"

That tore Hiro's gaze from Hermione and back to Severus. He thought he saw fear cross his face before confusion set in. He ran a nervous hand through his hair again. Had it not been for the look on the boy's face, Severus might have attributed the gesture to an act of vanity or an attempt to look cool. Perhaps he misinterpreted the boy's smile at Hermione too.

Perhaps, but not likely… "And she has been hanging on your every word since she was ten-years-old. She has no clue how she feels or she's doing because she's never made room for anything else in her life. Hermione was never going to say 'no' to you. I doubt she even knows how."

"But, sensei," Hiro swallowed. "I've been in love with your daughter since I was twelve."

"And she was ten," he hissed. Hermione's watching. Calm down.

All you are is a bully, no wonder Hermione avoids you… Potter's words from months ago chose to surface at the worst time. This wasn't an attempt to—he just wanted—Severus knew if the two broke things off it would be for the best. That Hermione could then pursue something more age appropriate, and (admittedly for his own relief) local. But that wasn't the point right now. She would never forgive him if he forced them to break things off.

This little chat was simply to impress upon the boy the power he had over Hermione. The girl nearly died for him. Hiro Yamato needed to know the consequences of asking her to marry him. Of the influence he had over her.

Even after dosing himself with a small amount of Calming Solution to avoid making a scene in front of his daughter, possibly costing her place in a program that meant the world to her, he still had to fight the urge to instil the fear of God into the boy by shouting, insulting him and demanding he break off their little engagement this second. For once, the potion and he will power won over his temper.

Hiro nervously spoke, and his muttering made it impossible for Severus to interpret, until he finally spoke at a comprehensible volume and speed. "I love Hermione. You're cute—"

"Excuse me, boy?!" he snapped.

Hiro shrank and muttered to himself before slapping his forehead. "Oh! Not kawaii, kowai,-" the boy then spoke in a very broken, heavily accented voice. "Hermione dating scare you. I love her, wouldn't hurt her."

"You speak English?" Severus groaned.

The boy held his fingers close together and sheepishly smiled. "A little."

I should have just taken Remus up on his offer to translate… Severus rubbed his temples and looked down at the boy. His carefully rehearsed points and basic Japanese weren't as complete for this conversation as he thought, and he had no clue what Hiro meant by "a little." He pressed on in Japanese.

"Look at her," he returned his gaze to his daughter.

Hermione was now sufficiently distracted, covering her mouth and laughing as Saiyaka hurrumped at one of Miyuki's comments. Severus had forgotten how much more alive Hermione was when she was here. His strategy was making him feel more guilty than the boy.

"My daughter is bright, kind and helpful. She has her whole life ahead of her. A life she would happily throw away when she's too young to know better. Hermione will be in a new country, completely isolated from her family and friends, unable to speak her mother tongue, and will likely have trouble finding work. And that's before her inability to say 'no' to you. There's nothing she wouldn't sacrifice for you, and you need to think about that."

Hiro gulped and stared at Hermione, for once with doubt in his eyes. Severus wondered if the boy knew or ever even considered the scope of his influence on Hermione. If he didn't before, he certainly did now.

"Think of that next time you ask anything of her."

"Yes, sir!" Hiro said, bowing to him.

Hermione forced a smile as she saw the two approaching. She didn't need to know what her father said to know she wouldn't like it. But Hiro could use the comfort.

"Hiro-kun!"

Hiro approached awkwardly, with a smile that didn't touch his eyes. "Mi-chan," he ran his hand through his hair, and cast his gaze down.

Hermione did the same, unsure what to say. Hiro normally caused her heart to race, but right now, it wanted to drop to her feet. She hoped her father didn't convince…

He wouldn't...even if he did, it wouldn't work! Hiro asked me to marry him.

"Severus," Remus said pointedly. "Maybe we should let the kids say goodbye in private?"

"I don't see why—" her father started before his gaze fell to her and he pointed. "Very well, then! Hermione, we'll be over on the bridge right there."

The two left and Hermione felt she could breathe easier. At last she was alone with Hiro and their friends.

"So, that was your father, huh?" Hiro forced a smile and ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"Yeah," she sighed, letting the tree support her as she deflated. "He's intense, I'm really sorry. He didn't say anything mean to you did he?"

Hiro's hand found hers and she looked up to see his smile finally touch his eyes. "He's just looking out for you. I'm sure I'll be the same when we have a little daughter as cute as you are."

"H-H-Hiro-kun!" Hermione's blood rushed to her face and she had to look away again. Once she collected her cool she turned to him with a grin. "I'm glad I'll be around to prevent you looming over her then."

"And how would you do that?" Hiro was now the one grinning evilly as he lowered his face to her.

"I have an idea," Hermione rose to her tiptoes and kissed his grin.

"I hate that you have to leave," Hiro sighed.

Hermione shook her head. "It's never long enough, is it?"

Hiro held both her hands up to her chest. "I'll be counting the days, Mi-chan."

"So will I, Hiro-kun."

"Do you plan on saying goodbye to us, Nee-chan?" Saiyaka laughed.

Hermione looked back to her friends, all of them, even after everything they'd been through eagerly awaiting whatever next summer brought them. Hermione so often hated initiating contact, waiting for permission to do so, but she threw her arms about Saiyaka and beamed. "I'll write every week, Neechan!"

"Still encouraging that, Saiya-chan?" Kaori teased.

"Why not?!" Miyuki laughed, throwing an arm each around Hiro's and Hermione's shoulders. "It's cute!"

"Miyuki-chan!" the lot of them shouted through their giggles.

Hermione finished saying her farewells, each promising to write every week, to update her on developing cases and further adventures. They couldn't wait till next summer and Kaori promised to send graduation pictures. She drew out every last minute she could with them, but knew it would always be too short. With a final kiss from Hiro, Hermione set off to meet her father.

Severus watched the lot of them saying their goodbyes, unable to make everything out from the distance, but he did see that Hiro Yamato wasn't thinking about what he'd said at all. Evidenced by the two seeming to kiss each other goodbye several times.

The group seemed to focus on Hermione despite the two other foreign students, and Severus briefly thought they were acting as if they would never see her again. But he did see similar behaviour on the platform end of term back home. Teenagers simply thought everything was the end of the world.

Hermione parted from the tangle of students and found her way to the bridge overlooking the koi pond, looking back at them before sighing. She adjusted her bag over her shoulder and looked up at him.

Remus was the first to speak.

"Are the other exchange students not going home?" he asked, noticing that most non-Japanese students were now either gone or paired with their guardians.

Hermione shook her head. "Anya and Sam, actually all of them are staying with Yamato-san until after Obon."

I expect I won't hear the end of that… Severus placed a hand on Hermione's head and said, "Perhaps, if you can manage to stay out of trouble we can talk about you staying next year."

"Honest?!" Hermione gasped, with a rare excited light in her eyes.

"Let's get through this year first," Severus sighed. "This July has felt far too long."