FIC: Summer Vacation III: Honeymoon in Japan, Part 6 of 9

[geri_chan]

Title: Summer Vacation III: Honeymoon in Japan, Part 6 of 9
Rating: NC-17 overall
Pairing: Aric/Takeshi, Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~9,565
Author's note: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: Based on the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling; no money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Warning: AU; this is a continuation of the Always series, but the main focus is on Aric and Takeshi, and Snape and Lupin appear mainly as supporting characters.
Sequel to: Always, Summer Vacation, For Old Time's Sake, Three's a Crowd, Return of the Raven, Phoenix Reborn, Phoenix Rising, Aftermaths, The Revenant, and Ash's Story. Although it's not so much a sequel to the latter two stories as it is a companion piece. The Revenant, Ash's Story, and Summer Vacation III all begin at around the same time, a couple of days after the ending of Aftermaths, and pretty much run concurrently.
Summary: Tsubasa meets with Dumbledore, and later Takeshi, Aric, Lupin, and Snape attend the Tanabata festival.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

***

The next day, Lupin, Snape, Dumbledore, and Tsubasa arrived at the Kimuras' cottage, where Takeshi had offered to let them hold the meeting. The Headmaster bowed and handed Takeshi a large box of Honeydukes sweets. "Just a small token of my gratitude, Mr. Kimura," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I appreciate all your help."

"The pleasure is mine, Headmaster," Takeshi said politely, accepting the box. "Please be seated and make yourselves at home while I get some tea."

The four guests sat themselves on the floor around a table in the living room with varying degrees of awkwardness or grace. Takeshi returned a few minutes later with a tray holding a pot of tea and some cups, while Aric followed, carrying a plate with some of the sweets arranged on it. Aric laid the plate on the table while Takeshi served the tea; he tried to keep his expression as serene and calm as Takeshi's, but he was fairly bursting with curiosity over this mysterious meeting that Dumbledore had asked for.

When Takeshi had finished pouring the tea, he bowed and said, "Aric and I will leave now, to give you some privacy," ignoring the glare that Aric shot his way. "My parents are visiting my brother right now, so you will have the house to yourselves."

"We didn't intend to throw you out of your own home, Mr. Kimura," the Headmaster protested.

"It's all right," Takeshi replied with a pleasant smile. "It's a nice day for a walk, and I thought perhaps Aric and I could take a stroll by the lake."

"Or we could just wait in the next room," Aric said innocently.

"Where you could overhear everything with with your keen wolf ears?" Lupin asked, grinning and winking at Aric; Aric grinned back at him sheepishly.

"I think it would be fine if the two of you stayed for the meeting," Dumbledore said. "But I must ask you to keep what you hear in confidence."

"Of course, Headmaster," Takeshi said. Aric was eager to know the reason behind the meeting, so he nodded in agreement as well.

So they seated themselves at the table, and Dumbledore politely introduced himself to Tsubasa. The two of them exchanged a few pleasantries as Aric tried not to squirm with impatience, while Lupin nibbled on some candy, and Snape and Takeshi calmly sipped their tea.

"Your performance at the reception was quite impressive," Dumbledore was saying.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Tsubasa replied. If he was curious to know what Dumbledore wanted, it didn't show on his face, which was set in an expression of polite but slightly detached interest. Either he wasn't particularly interested in what a foreign professor might want from him, or he was just better at covering up his curiosity than Aric.

"It seems rather dangerous, though," Lupin interjected. "You could have been seriously injured if the timing of any one of the dancers had been even slightly off."

"Of course," Takeshi said with a laugh. "That's what makes it so impressive." His cousin just smiled modestly.

"Well, I am glad that you escaped without any damage, except perhaps a bit of a haircut," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon glasses. "More of a slight trim, actually."

Takeshi and Tsubasa both laughed. Snape raised an eyebrow and asked in his low, sardonic voice, "Am I correct in assuming that the incident was staged?"

"Oh!" Lupin exclaimed. "You mean it was all part of the act?"

Snape rolled his eyes. "It should have been obvious to anyone but a Gryffindor," he said in the scathing tone of voice that the students at Hogwarts were so familiar with, and Aric found himself flushing, because he had not been aware that it was part of the act, either, although as a Slytherin, he should have known better. The timing of the dancers had been so flawless that he should have realized that even a small mistake was out of character. How humiliating, to be proven as dense as a Gryffindor!

"I confess," Tsubasa laughed, the polite mask on his face slipping into something more natural. "Yes, it was staged, to make the dance more dramatic. My companions chose me for the role because they said that my hair was the longest, so I could best afford to lose a little of it."

Takeshi, Lupin, and Dumbledore laughed along with him, while Snape smiled smugly, looking pleased to have been proven right. Aric was still feeling a little chagrined, but he laughed along with the others.

"Well, I suppose we should get down to business," Dumbledore said, and Aric thought, {Finally!} He noticed that Takeshi, despite his outward pose of indifference, leaned in a little closer, as if not wanting to miss any of the conversation.

"I would like to offer you a position at Hogwarts as the Transfiguration Professor," Dumbledore continued.

If Tsubasa looked startled, both Takeshi and Aric were outright shocked. "What about McGonagall?" Aric asked. "Is she retiring?"

"That's Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore gently chided. "But to answer your question, Aric, she is not the one retiring. I am."

"What?!" Takeshi and Aric both exclaimed. "But you've been there forever!" Aric blurted out without thinking.

"Yes, I know that I'm as old as the hills," Dumbledore said with an amused smile. "Which is all the more reason for me to retire."

"What he meant was, we just can't picture Hogwarts without you, Headmaster," Takeshi said tactfully.

"Hogwarts will do well enough without me," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "I am sure that Professor McGonagall will make a fine Headmistress, and you must remember, I am over a hundred and fifty years old now--closer to a hundred and sixty, in fact! Surely this old man has earned the right to a little relaxation."

"Oh, of course!" Takeshi said hastily. "No one would deny that. But...what will you do when you retire?"

"Oh, some fishing, perhaps," Dumbledore said vaguely. "Catch up on my reading--I'm several decades behind. Knit some socks."

"Socks?" Aric asked incredulously.

"One can never have too many socks, Mr. Dietrich," the Headmaster assured him in a cheery voice.

"Socks," Aric muttered under his breath, wondering if the old man had lost it. Maybe it was time for him to retire, after all.

"But I am not retiring just yet," Dumbledore continued. "I plan to remain at Hogwarts for one more year, to help our newest instructor, Mr. Zabini, get settled into his position. I had intended to take my time searching for a new Transfiguration Professor, but if there is already an ideal candidate available, why wait?" Dumbledore smiled at Tsubasa. "It might actually be beneficial to have you and Professor McGonagall working together during the next year, as a kind of transition period--if you are willing to accept the position, of course."

"Forgive me, but I don't understand," Tsubasa said, staring at Dumbledore in confusion. "There must many qualified candidates in Britain already; why seek abroad for a replacement? Surely you aren't offering me the position just because I Transfigured that toy into a dragonfly for the children at the wedding!"

"It really was quite impressive, though," Lupin said with a smile. "It takes skill to Transfigure an inanimate object into an animate creature, even temporarily."

"I contacted your old teachers at Salem," Dumbledore told Tsubasa. "They assured me that you were a very talented student, and that you were offered a number of prestigious apprenticeships in the U.S. after you graduated, including an assistant teaching position at Salem, but you turned them down to return to Japan with your family. You've been training in martial arts and weaponry with the tengu, but according to Professor Kamiyama, you've also continued your magical studies. And you have experience as a teacher--"

"Teaching fencing, not magic," Tsubasa protested.

"Oh, I hear that you informally teach the tengu children a bit of magic as well," Dumbledore said. "But actually, it really was the dragonfly incident that convinced me that you are the right person for the job, Tsubasa-san. Not because it demonstrated your skill with magic--although it is, as Remus says, quite impressive--but because it demonstrated how well you work with children. And you could also teach your original subject, if you wish. I spoke to our Physical Defense instructor, Master Diggory, and he said that he would welcome your assistance. His wife is pregnant, and he would like to take some time off when she is ready to give birth, so we could use a substitute instructor for perhaps a few months. He also says that a few of his most talented students could benefit from advanced lessons that only someone with formal training could give. You would, of course, be paid extra for any additional duties outside of your Transfiguration lessons."

Tsubasa just stared at him, looking a little stunned. "I...I don't know what to say," he stammered. "I am flattered by the offer, but I never really considered leaving Japan to work in another country. I assume that this is a permanent position?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I do not wish to announce my retirement in advance, so you would officially be working as Professor McGonagall's assistant for one year. But after she becomes Headmistress, you would become the Transfiguration Professor." Tsubasa hesitated, and Dumbledore continued, "Of course, if you find that you are unable to bear living away from your homeland, we would not try to hold you against your will. I propose that we draw up a temporary contract of one year, to be extended at the end of that year if both parties are in agreement. That would enable you to return home to Japan without dishonor if life in Britain is not to your liking. But if you choose to accept the position, it should be with the intention that we will work towards making the arrangement a permanent one."

"I understand," Tsubasa said solemnly. "If I enter the contract, it shall be in good faith. But this is a major decision...I need some time to think it over and discuss it with my family."

"Of course," Dumbledore said. "Please take your time. I'll be returning to Hogwarts today, so when you make your decision, you can contact me at the school. Remus and Severus, or Mr. Kimura and his family know how to reach me."

"Thank you, Headmaster," Tsubasa said, bowing. "I promise that I will give serious thought to the matter."

Dumbledore bowed in return, then got to his feet with Lupin's help, making a joke about his "creaky old bones," and Disapparated.

"You recommended Tsubasa to the Headmaster, didn't you, Remus?" Takeshi asked almost accusingly.

"Yes," Lupin admitted, grinning a little sheepishly. "I admit that I was meddling again; it's a bad Gryffindor habit. Are you upset?"

Takeshi smiled and shook his head. "I must admit, it would be nice to have my cousin living in Britain." He turned to Tsubasa and said, "Aric and I could show you around Hogsmeade and London, and you could have dinner at the Sakura whenever you like. But of course it is your decision, Tsubasa-nii."

It suddenly occurred to Aric that it might be to his advantage if Tsubasa accepted the job. Takeshi spent a lot of time with the werewolves, and it would be natural for him to introduce his cousin to some fellow shapeshifters. And it certainly couldn't hurt to have a young, handsome, and single gay man around to distract Ash's attention away from Takeshi. Then they could all be friends without Aric having to feel jealous of his rival.

"You should definitely accept the position!" Aric said enthusiastically. "You'd be a great teacher, and Takeshi would be happy to have his favorite cousin around, and I'd be happy to have a sparring partner!"

Lupin gave Aric a slightly quizzical smile, while Snape gave him a suspicious look. "I certainly hope that you'll join us at Hogwarts," Lupin told Tsubasa. "I look forward to working with you. But I understand that it must be a difficult decision. It's a major change, moving to another country..."

"But you could use the Portkey at the Sakura to go back home for a visit anytime you wanted!" Aric pointed out. "It's not like you'd be cut off from Japan permanently."

"That is true," Tsubasa conceded. "But still, it is a major decision...a commitment that would last for many years. I need some time to consider it." There was a very pensive, almost sad look on his face that Aric didn't understand. Then Tsubasa smiled, and his face settled back into a polite mask. "For now, why don't I show Professor Lupin how to make a take-tonbo, as I promised, and you can all tell me about Hogwarts."

"Of course, but please call me 'Remus,'" Lupin said with a friendly smile.

"Then you may call me by name as well," Tsubasa said. "You needn't bother with 'san' or 'sensei'; my sensibilities aren't as delicate as most of the other cranes."

"Do the shapeshifters not have last names?" Aric asked curiously. He noticed that the cranes and tengu seemed to be called only by their given names, and Master Satoshi, who was a tanuki, went by only one name as well. The Kamiyamas, who were kitsune, had surnames, but perhaps that was because they were trying to pass as human among the Muggles who lived near the temple.

"Our clan is small enough that individuals don't really need a family name to be identified," Tsubasa explained. "Everyone in the valley knows everyone else by face and name. Generally, only those of us who are part-human or who live among humans use a surname. In a very formal situation, I might be introduced as Tsubasa-son-of-Yokuto-of-the-crane-clan, but in general, I am simply 'Tsubasa.'"

"And technically, our last names are our first names," Takeshi added. "In Japan, the surname is given first, so here I am 'Kimura Takeshi' instead of 'Takeshi Kimura'."

"The names are given in order of importance," Tsubasa explained. "Family or clan first, and then the individual."

"Ah, I see," Aric said. "The purebloods back home are like that, too--the family name and bloodline are more important than anything else." Important enough that they would turn their backs on a son who might sully that bloodline, Aric couldn't help but think with a touch of bitterness, but when he looked at Takeshi it reminded him that he had gained much more than he had lost, and the bitterness eased.

Tsubasa showed Lupin how to make the take-tonbo, and while Lupin whittled the dragonfly wings into shape, he and Snape told Tsubasa about the curriculum at Hogwarts; Aric and Takeshi occasionally interjected a comment about what it was like from a student's point of view. Tsubasa said that it sounded similar to the education he had received at Salem, for the most part.

"The curriculum is basically the same in America," he said. "They use the traditional Latin spells, and follow the teachings of Merlin. The rules are a bit more relaxed, though. The students are allowed weekend passes to leave the school to visit their families or to go on day trips to the neighboring village. And we didn't have Houses. There was a bit of competition between the different dorms, but the dorm assignments were by random selection."

"It was sort of like that at Durmstrang," Aric said. "But then, Durmstrang was essentially one big Slytherin House."

"Doesn't it make more sense to group the students together by aptitude?" Snape argued.

Tsubasa smiled politely and shrugged. "The Americans believe in focusing on the individual over the group. In theory, each student is supposed to be unique. In practice, the students do tend to form cliques based on their backgrounds, abilities, and personalities."

"I suppose it's the same everywhere, to a greater or lesser degree," Lupin said with a pleasant smile. "Ah, I think I've got it!" He put the completed tonbo together, spun it between his hands, and tossed it up in the air, laughing as delightedly as the children in the courtyard had as he watched it fly.

"It takes so little to amuse a Gryffindor," Snape muttered under his breath. The wooden dragonfly flew nicely until it struck the wall and fell to the floor, and Snape added in a dry voice, "You might want to do that outside, Lupin."

"Oops," Lupin said, smiling sheepishly at Takeshi.

"It's all right, Remus," the mediwizard laughed. "There's no harm done, to either the tonbo or the wall."

"Still, I think Severus is right," Lupin said, getting up to pick up his fallen toy. "I should take this outside." He grinned impishly. "Perhaps I can find some children my own age to play with."

Snape rolled his eyes. "Are you speaking of your chronological age or your childish mentality, Lupin?"

"I would say that I am youthful at heart, Severus," Lupin said lightly. "Thank you for this," he said to Tsubasa, twirling the tonbo between his fingers. "I hope that we'll see you at Hogwarts in the fall."

"Perhaps," Tsubasa said, in a polite but noncommittal tone of voice.

Lupin and Snape bowed to him and prepared to leave, when Takeshi called out, "Professors, you'll come to the Tanabata festival this evening, won't you?"

"Festival?" Aric asked, startled.

"Didn't I mention it?" Takeshi said, and Aric shook his head. "I guess with all the excitement of the wedding, I forgot."

"What sort of festival is it?" Lupin asked eagerly, while Snape had a slightly pained expression on his face that seemed to say, "Not another party!"

"It's the festival of the Star Lovers," Takeshi started to reply, and Aric interrupted, "Oh, I remember now! It's that fairy tale you told me, about the Weaver and the Herdsman who can only meet once a year."

"I don't think I know that tale," Lupin said, looking intrigued, so Takeshi told him the story of how the lovers Orihime, the Weaver, and Hikoboshi, the Herdsman, were separated because they neglected their duties after they married, and thereafter were only allowed to meet once every year, on the seventh day of the seventh month.

"So every year, the birds form a bridge across the Celestial River so that the lovers can meet," Takeshi finished. "But only if the sky is clear; if it rains, the birds are unable to form the bridge, and the lovers must wait for another year."

"Such a lovely and sad story," Lupin murmured.

Tsubasa smiled affectionately at his cousin. "As I recall, it was always one of your favorite stories, and Tanabata was always your favorite festival. I remember that you cried one year when it rained, because you thought that the lovers wouldn't be able to meet."

Takeshi grinned sheepishly. "Yes, I remember that; in my defense, I was only five years old. Okaasan had to tell me that it was only a story, but I still felt bad for Orihime and Hikoboshi." He added, in a mock-accusing tone, "You and Niisan teased me about it."

"We did," Tsubasa admitted with an apologetic smile. He informed Aric, "Takeshi was a very sensitive child, and Ichiro and I were several years older, and we liked to tease him a bit. But when he wouldn't stop crying, we felt bad..."

"So the two of you bought me some candy and a pair of goldfish at the festival to cheer me up," Takeshi finished, smiling nostalgically.

"And you named the fish 'Orihime' and 'Hikoboshi!'" Tsubasa laughed.

Takeshi laughed along with him, then said to Aric, "They weren't really so bad for older brothers. Or rather, an older brother and older cousin. They teased me a little, as older brothers do, but mostly they were nice to me."


"My older sister used to pick on me when we were small," Aric said. "But I don't think that she ever felt guilty about it!"

The others all laughed, and Lupin and Snape departed, promising to come back for the festival. Tsubasa left as well, still looking a little pensive.

"Is something wrong?" Aric asked Takeshi. "Your cousin seems...not upset, exactly, but..." His voice trailed off, unable to find the right words. "I mean, he doesn't have to accept the job if he doesn't want it. The Headmaster and Lupin would be disappointed, but I'm sure they wouldn't hold it against him."


Takeshi smiled a little sadly. "Tsubasa is like me, I think. He spent too much time abroad to properly fit in when he returned home, which is why he no longer lives in the valley. Perhaps this job offer is a good thing, a chance for him to make a fresh start somewhere new. At the same time, it won't be easy for him to leave behind his homeland and start over in a foreign country."

"I see," Aric said, now able to put a word to the expression on Tsubasa's face: conflicted. "I can relate to that," he said with heartfelt empathy. It hadn't been easy to leave behind his old life as the Dietrich heir, even if he had done so willingly. "Well then," Aric said, smiling a bit ruefully, "he should fit right in with rest of us. When you think about it, we're all kind of misfits, aren't we? You, me, the werewolves--even Draco and Narcissa, and Snape and Theo. They may be purebloods, but they don't really fit into pureblood society anymore."

Takeshi laughed gently. "Yes, you're right, my love. We're a pack of misfits, an odd family of sorts, but still a better family than others I could think of, who are tied to each other by blood but not love."


"I can't argue with that," Aric said, wrapping an arm around his lover.

"I'll try to reassure Tsubasa that our friends will welcome him, and accept him for himself instead of judging him for what he is not," Takeshi said. "But ultimately, the decision is his."

"I know," Aric said. "But I hope he decides to take the job at Hogwarts."

Takeshi smiled lovingly at him. "It makes me happy, my wolf, that you have welcomed my family as your own."

"Your family is my family," Aric said virtuously, although he felt a small twinge of guilt that Slytherin practicality quickly rationalized away. He really did like Tsubasa, after all. And if he hoped to play matchmaker and get rid of a rival by pairing Ash off with Tsubasa, well, where was the harm in that? If the two of them ended up hitting it off and actually got together, then he would have done them both a favor, right? The way Aric saw it, it was a win-win situation for everyone involved. He pulled Takeshi against his chest, hugging him tightly, so that his mate would not see the smug smile that was slowly spreading across his face.

***

As they got ready for the festival that night, Aric learned that it was the custom for both sexes to wear a yukata, a light cotton kimono, to these summer festivals. "I borrowed this one for you," Takeshi said, holding up a light blue garment patterned with darker blue stripes. "You're broader of shoulder than most of the crane men, but I believe it should still fit. They're deliberately cut a bit loose, and not meant to be form-fitted the way British robes are."

The yukata fit well enough, and was quite easy to put on, as it was a simple loose robe with no buttons or fastenings, and was held in place only by a cloth sash called an "obi" around the waist. It was sort of like wearing a long bathrobe.

"Are you sure this won't come loose?" Aric asked a bit dubiously, testing the knot on the obi after Takeshi had tied it in place for him. "I don't want to have the yukata fall open and flash everyone at the festival. I feel kind of naked not wearing any pants." He was wearing a pair of undershorts, of course, but no trousers, as the kimono was meant to be worn alone, according to Takeshi.

His lover just laughed. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, my love," Takeshi said, giving Aric an appreciative look. "However, I assure you that I have tied the obi quite securely, as I prefer to...shall we say...keep your charms to myself. Cranes do not share their mates with anyone."

"Neither do wolves," Aric said, nuzzling Takeshi's neck. He looked gorgeous in an indigo yukata with a design of ripples and dragonflies in a lighter blue.

"Do you like it?" Takeshi asked. "Ichiro gave it to me. I thought I'd wear it because it reminded me of the dragonflies that Remus and Tsubasa were making."

"You look great," Aric said, nibbling on Takeshi's earlobe. "Positively delicious, as a matter of fact."

"Stop that, or we'll end up missing the festival," Takeshi laughed, pushing Aric away from him. "Remus was right; you werewolves really are insatiable!"

"I'm just embracing my wolfish nature, the way you said I should," Aric pointed out.

"Well, embrace it after the festival," Takeshi told him firmly. "Tanabata is my favorite festival, and I don't intend to miss it."

"Not even for amazing sex?" Aric whined.

"Not even for that," Takeshi said sweetly, giving him a light peck on the lips. "Seeing as how we just had amazing sex after lunch, I believe that I can manage to hold out for a few more hours before we repeat the experience."

"What's amazing is how you can manage to sound so sweet while being so sarcastic," Aric grumbled. Takeshi laughed again, and then they headed to the festival with Isamu and Haruko.

Takeshi had given Aric a pair of zori sandals to wear in place of his usual shoes; they looked sort of like the flip-flops that one might wear to the beach, except that they were made of woven straw instead of rubber, with a cloth thong. Aric wiggled his toes and joked, "Even my feet feel underdressed!" But he had to admit that the yukata was much cooler in the summer heat than a robe and shirt and trousers would have been. And then he had to try not to think about how little Takeshi was wearing beneath his own yukata because that mental image filled Aric with the desire to grab his mate, toss him over his shoulder, and carry him back to the house for a night of lovemaking, festival be damned. A feral, hungry smile spread across his face, and Takeshi glanced his way, looking amused but a little nervous at the same time.

"You're thinking something dirty, my wolf," Takeshi whispered accusingly.

Aric didn't even try to deny it. "Yes, I am," he purred in a low, husky voice and gave Takeshi a lascivious look that made him blush.

"Well, cut it out," Takeshi whispered, still blushing. "Because there are children present."

At that very moment, Ichiro's twin daughters came running up, shouting, "Takeshi-niisan! Aric-niisan!" They squealed with delight when Aric picked them up and tossed them up in the air the way Lukas always did with the young cubs in the pack. He probably could have done it even as a normal human--he'd developed a lot of strength in his upper body while playing as a Beater on the Durmstrang Quidditch team--but with his new werewolf strength, the girls felt as light as feathers to him.

"Oh my!" Kaori gasped, laughing nervously.

"Stop that, Aric, before you give their mother a heart attack," Takeshi gently scolded.

Aric set them back down on the ground, and each twin grabbed one of his hands and pulled him along, eager to show him around the festival grounds. The shore by the lake had been transformed into an outdoor carnival, and there were game booths and food stalls that would not have been out of place at an English carnival or fair. The decorations were unique, though: strings of colorful origami cranes hanging from poles, and arches hung with huge ball-shaped ornaments that dangled long, brightly-colored streamers. Aric found it a little surreal, as they reminded him of giant jellyfish or octopuses (or was it octopi, he wondered)--if jellyfish or octopuses were red and green and blue and yellow and pink, that is.

"The streamers are supposed to be the threads that Orihime weaves," Takeshi explained, noticing his puzzled look.

"I know that 'hime' means 'princess,' because I've heard you call Princess Chizuru that," Aric said thoughtfully. "So does 'ori' mean 'weaver'?"

"Exactly!" Takeshi said, smiling at him approvingly. "You'll notice that many of the crane women have 'ori' in their names, like Kaori-neesan, or her mother Shiori."

"Many of the cranes also have names that refer to flight or the sky," Ichiro added. He affectionately placed a hand first on one twin's head and then the other's. "Kumi's name means 'beautiful sky.' And the 'sho' in 'Shoko' means 'to fly up.' And Tsubasa and Yokuto-oji both have the same kanji character in their names, which means 'wing.'" He murmured a charm under his breath and the tip of his finger started to glow; his finger left behind a trail of glowing light as he sketched a complicated character in the air. It hung in midair for a moment before vanishing. "It's written the same way but pronounced differently in the two names."

"Ah," Aric said politely. He was just beginning to grasp the concept of spoken Japanese; learning to read and write it was obviously going to be much more difficult. "And what do your names mean?" he asked Takeshi and his brother. "Wing? Feathers? Flight?"

"Nothing very poetic in my case," Ichiro said with a smile. "'Ichi' means 'one,' so it's a name commonly given to firstborn sons."

"Takeshi's name means 'strength,'" Haruko said, smiling at her youngest son fondly.

"It's a good name," Aric said, and he realized that it was surprisingly appropriate. His mate had a core of inner strength that was far greater than Aric's physical werewolf strength. Takeshi had the strength to stand by his beliefs; he had befriended the werewolves before it had been fashionable to do so--indeed, at times, it had even been dangerous. He was true to himself, and didn't try to pretend to be something he wasn't to better fit into society, unlike his craven ex-boyfriends. And Aric didn't think that he would have been able to handle becoming a werewolf and losing his family without Takeshi's support. {You are my strength,} Aric silently told his mate, not wanting to speak such intimate words out loud while they were surrounded by the crowd of festival-goers, but his eyes must have conveyed his words eloquently enough, because Takeshi smiled tenderly at him and inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment.

They continued wandering through the festival grounds, and met up with Snape and Lupin along the way. There were several booths with familiar carnival games, which apparently were the same around the world--throwing darts to pop balloons, or throwing a ball to knock over a stack of blocks. They all tried their hand at the games, except for Snape, who of course declined to participate, but Aric proved to be the most successful at them. He bestowed his prizes--mainly stuffed animals and other small toys--upon the delighted twins.

After they tired of playing games, they went to take a look at the food stalls. Aric felt a sudden pang of wistful nostalgia as they bought some cotton candy for the twins; he remembered his parents buying cotton candy for him and Erika at a carnival they had gone to many years ago. Still, he couldn't help but smile a little when he saw Lupin buy a stick of cotton candy for himself; despite being a teacher and a parent, the werewolf still retained an air of boyish mischief, and it was not difficult to imagine what he must have been like as a student at Hogwarts.

"Do you want some, Sev?" Lupin cheerfully offered, and Snape shook his head, a disdainful look on his face. "Are you sure?" Lupin asked. "I thought you loved sweets. Or are you afraid that your image as the big bad Potions Master will be ruined if people see you walking around a fair eating cotton candy?"

Aric had to choke back a laugh at the mental image of Snape in his sinister-looking black robes, walking around with a stick of fluffy, pink spun-sugar candy. Snape glowered at both Aric and Lupin, then said icily, "While I do, from time to time, indulge in gourmet chocolates, I do not care for cotton candy, Lupin."

"You don't know what you're missing," Lupin said with a shrug. "But it's your loss." He pulled a wad of candy off the stick and popped it into his mouth, slowly licking the sugar off his fingers in a sensual manner that made Aric blush and caused Ichiro and Kaori to hastily rush the twins ahead to the next stall.

"Lupin!" Snape hissed, his pale face turning scarlet. "Will you cut that out?"

"Cut what out, Sev?" Lupin asked in a puzzled voice, with a look of a wide-eyed innocence.

"Perhaps we'd better give the Professors a little privacy," Takeshi whispered to Aric, obviously trying very hard not to laugh. "I think I'd prefer something more substantial than cotton candy, anyway."

Aric nodded in agreement, his stomach rumbling slightly as his nose picked up the scent of grilled meat. But it was difficult to banish that image of Lupin licking his fingers from his mind. Not that he really wanted to think of one of his teachers in that manner, but it did give him some ideas...

"Maybe we could pick up some cotton candy afterwards to take home with us," Aric said to his mate with a suggestive smile.

Takeshi blushed, then shook his head and laughed, "I'm beginning to suspect that all you werewolves think alike!"

"It's Lupin's fault," Aric protested. "He's a corrupting influence on impressionable young students."

"Somehow the words 'impressionable' and 'Slytherin' just don't seem to go together," Takeshi said wryly.

They slowly walked past stalls selling grilled meat and fish, or roasted corn-on-the-cob, trying to decide what they wanted to eat; it all smelled wonderful to Aric. And then they passed by a stall that was selling what looked like little balls of fried batter.

"Ah, takoyaki!" Takeshi exclaimed happily. "I haven't had that in ages, not since last summer, as a matter of fact. It's not the sort of thing you can find in London. Two orders, please."

The vendor handed him two plates filled with the little fried balls, along with a couple of toothpicks. Aric followed Takeshi's example, using the toothpick to spear a ball and pop it into his mouth. It was definitely fried batter, mixed with small chunks of something that was chewy and tasted sort of fishy. A little unusual, but tasty.

"So what exactly is takoyaki?" Aric asked curiously, swallowing the first ball and popping another into his mouth.

"Oh, 'tako' means 'octopus' in Japanese," Takeshi said cheerfully. "It's chopped octopus fried in batter."

Aric had just started to swallow when he heard Takeshi's reply, and he started to gag and cough as the lump of food got stuck halfway down his throat while his body tried to decide whether it wanted to swallow the takoyaki or spit it back up. Both Takeshi and Ichiro burst into laughter, and Kaori gave them a reproving look while trying--not very successfully--to fight back a smile.

"You should have warned him what it was, Takeshi-kun," she gently scolded. "You know that most gaijin are squeamish about such things."

"It's one of my favorite foods," Takeshi protested innocently. "I thought he would like it. In fact, he did like it until I told him what it was. I don't see what the big deal is."

Aric finally managed to swallow the bit of takoyaki, although he still felt kind of queasy, then stammered, "But...but...octopuses...octopi?...have tentacles! Tentacles with big suckers! How can you eat something like that? It's like eating the giant squid in the lake at Hogwarts!"

Takeshi and his family all looked vastly amused by Aric's reaction; even the little twins giggled.

"Actually, an octopus and a squid are two different species," Ichiro helpfully informed him.

"But if it was a giant octopus in the lake instead of a squid, just imagine how much takoyaki we could make with it!" Takeshi laughed. "Enough to feed the entire school!"

Aric glared at his mate, who just grinned back at him. "Are you sure you're not a Gryffindor?" Aric demanded.

"Oh, come on, you British eat weird things, too," Takeshi said. "Blood pudding, for one thing."

"I don't eat blood pudding," Aric protested.

Lupin chuckled good-naturedly and plucked a takoyaki ball from Aric's plate. He popped it into his mouth, chewed and swallowed, then said, "Hmm, not bad. It really is quite tasty."

"Here, you can have it," Aric said, handing him the plate.

Surprisingly, he got a bit of sympathy from Snape, of all people. "I wouldn't it eat it, either," the Potions Master told him. "Octopi are carrion eaters. I wouldn't care to eat an animal that feeds on garbage, essentially."

"I didn't know that," Lupin said, looking curious. "That they were carrion eaters, I mean." The idea didn't seem to bother him, though, as he continued eating the takoyaki.

"Octopus ink is used as an ingredient in several potions," Snape said, then apparently couldn't resist adding in a patronizing tone of voice, "Which you would know if you had paid more attention in Potions class, Lupin." Lupin just chuckled again. "In any case," Snape continued, "I made a point of studying, not just about potion ingredients, but the plants and animals that provide them."

"Very thorough of you, Severus," Lupin said with a smile.

"Of course," Snape said, sounding a little offended at the idea of anyone thinking of him as less than thorough.

"Come, my wolf, let's find you something else to eat," Takeshi laughed, taking Aric by the arm.

"Oh look!" Lupin said, hurrying over to another food stall. "This one is selling roasted squid!" He wasn't joking; the stall really was selling tiny squids cooked on skewers, not just chopped pieces but the entire body--head, tentacles, and all.

"Now that really would be like eating the squid in the lake!" Aric said, shuddering slightly. "Or worse, its babies. I'd be afraid to ever walk by the lake again!" He had a sudden vision of an angry giant squid on a rampage, seeking vengeance for its lost children.

Lupin tried a roasted squid and pronounced it delicious, taking a big bite out of the head as Aric shuddered again, which in turn caused Ichiro and Takeshi to burst into laughter once more. After Takeshi finally stopped laughing, he took pity on his mate and bought him some grilled beef at another stall.

Thus fortified, Aric was ready to continue exploring the festival. Two small, sticky hands grabbed his, and the twins eagerly cried, "Let's go write our wishes now, Aric-niisan!"

Takeshi explained to Lupin and Snape about the custom of writing wishes on pieces of paper and hanging them from bamboo branches, while Shoko and Kumi hauled Aric over to an area in the middle of the festival grounds where a temporary grove of bamboo branches had been set up. There was a table next to it where blank paper slips attached to bits of string had been laid out, along with calligraphy brushes and bottles of ink.

Giggling, the girls wrote out their wishes and hung them on the branches. As the rest of the Kimuras wrote out their wishes, Aric peered over Takeshi's shoulder to watch as he wrote out his wish, but couldn't read it, as it was written in Japanese. Aric picked up a brush and dipped it in ink, wondering what he ought to wish for. He already had the thing he wanted most in the world, which was, of course, Takeshi. Should he wish for a reconciliation with his parents and grandparents? But that would probably take a miracle, or at least an Imperius Curse, and Aric thought that it would probably be asking too much of a simple wish that wasn't meant to be taken seriously. So he finally wrote, "To get to know my new family better, and be a good mate, son, brother, and uncle to them," using both sides of the paper tag to fit all that in; Takeshi smiled at him tenderly when he saw it.

"So what sorts of things do people wish for?" Lupin asked curiously.

"The children usually wish for things like new toys or clothes," Takeshi replied. "Teenagers often wish for spending money, success on their exams, or success at love. Many adults wish for the latter as well. It is a festival celebrating two lovers, after all." Then he grinned and laughed, "Every year, I would always write, 'I wish to find my true love'!"

"He's always been a romantic, ever since he was a little boy," Ichiro said, smiling at his brother fondly. "It's all those fairy tales that our mother told us when we were children."

"They didn't seem to have the same effect on you," Haruko said, laughing gently.

"Oh, I believed in true love, too," Ichiro said, smiling at Kaori, who smiled back at him. "But I had faith that it would find me when the time was right. I didn't feel the need to go seeking it out."

Lupin smiled and wrote down something in Japanese on one of the paper tags, hung it up with the others, then turned to Snape and asked, "Aren't you going to write one, too, Severus?"

"No," Snape replied curtly, giving Lupin a look that seemed to say, "You've got to be kidding."

"Oh, come on, Sev," Lupin wheedled. "Everyone else has. This is a festival, after all; we're supposed to be having fun! Don't be such a spoilsport."

"Oh, the Professor doesn't have to participate if he doesn't want to," Haruko hastily assured him.

"Never mind, Haruko," Snape sighed in a resigned voice. "It's easier to just humor the werewolf, otherwise he'll nag me about it all night." And he filled out one of the wish tags, bending over it as he wrote to shield it from prying eyes (mainly Lupin's, although Aric tried unsuccessfully to sneak a peek at it without being obvious). Then Snape folded it up to hide what he wrote and hung it from a branch.

"So what did you wish for?" Lupin asked, still smiling mischievously.

"None of your business," Snape replied coolly.

"Are the wishes supposed to be secret?" Aric asked. "Like when you blow out the candles on a birthday cake?"

"Hardly," Takeshi laughed. "They're hung out in public where anyone can read them, after all." When Snape glared at him, he quickly added, "Although you don't have to tell anyone what you wished for if you don't want to."

"Well, I wished for a new kimono!" Kumi announced.

"And I wished for a goldfish!" Shoko chimed in.

Their parents laughed. "Well, a new kimono can be arranged, although it will take some time to weave," Ichiro said.

"But a goldfish--I think we can make that wish come true now," Takeshi said with a grin. The girls squealed with delight, and Aric found himself being dragged back to the game booths. Goldfish-catching was a popular festival game, Takeshi informed him. You purchased a net from the vendor and used it to scoop up goldfish from a large, shallow tub of water. You could keep as many goldfish as you caught, which sounded too good to be true, and indeed, Aric quickly learned that the game wasn't as easy as it looked. The net, which was actually shaped more like a small flat paddle, was made of paper stretched over a wire frame, and would quickly tear once it got wet. Aric broke three nets in a row, the goldfish falling right through the wet paper. However, he didn't feel too badly, because the others weren't doing much better. They bought a couple of nets for the girls, obviously more to let them have fun trying than out of any expectation of success, and Ichiro and Takeshi each broke a couple of nets before Ichiro finally managed to catch a fish.

"The trick is to flip the fish out of the water quickly before the net has time to tear," Takeshi explained.

"Wouldn't it be easier--not to mention cheaper--to just go to a pet store and buy a fish?" Aric asked.

"Ah, but where's the fun in that?" Lupin laughed. Kumi now wanted a goldfish, too, in spite of her wish for a kimono, so Lupin took a turn trying to catch a fish, but was as unsuccessful as Aric.

"Oh, for pity's sake, we'll be here all night at this rate," Snape said. And to everyone's amazement, he took a net and flipped a goldfish out of the tub with a quick flick of his wrist on his very first try. The twins applauded, and even the adults looked impressed.

"Have you ever played this game before, Professor?" Takeshi asked.

"Of course not," Snape replied in a scornful voice, but he looked a little smug, as if he were secretly pleased by the others' admiration. "But some of my potion ingredients do come from living creatures, and although I buy most of them at Slug and Jiggers, it is occasionally necessary for me to catch my own ingredients. Or sometimes a specimen will escape from its cage--often with a little help from a student. Usually a Gryffindor student."

"Only a Gryffindor would be brave enough and foolish enough to dare the Potions Master's wrath," Takeshi laughed.

"Quite true, Mr. Kimura," Snape agreed, his normally sour face relaxing slightly and easing into a faint smile. "But for whatever reason, it is sometimes necessary for me to catch my potion ingredients, which requires quick reflexes. It wasn't really that difficult to scoop up the fish; a quick flick of the wrist is all that's required. Actually, it reminds of me of what Flitwick always tells his first-year classes--"

"Swish and flick!" Lupin and Takeshi chorused, then burst into laughter. Noticing the puzzled looks on his family's faces, Takeshi added, "It's something the Charms Professor at Hogwarts always says. I guess you'd have to be a Hogwarts student to understand."

"Thank Snape-sensei for the goldfish, Kumi-chan," Kaori instructed her daughter.

"Thank you, Sensei," Kumi said obediently. "I like my fish; he's very pretty." And then she impulsively threw her arms around Snape.

"You're...ah...welcome," a flustered Snape said as Lupin doubled over, laughing hysterically. Snape glared at his lover, then hissed out of the corner of his mouth, "Kimura! Will you please remove this child?"

As if she were some sort of unwanted growth, like a limpet or fungus, Aric thought with amusement, although the Potions Master probably had a higher opinion of fungi than he did of young children. Fungi at least could be used as potion ingredients.

"Sorry, Professor," Takeshi said, the expression on his face hovering somewhere between laughter and fear as he gently detached his niece from Snape.

"I like your sensei," Kumi whispered to Takeshi. "Is he one of Tsubasa-niisan's tengu friends?"

Aric realized that Snape's black hair and beaky nose did make him look rather like a tengu, and had to bite down hard on his lower lip to keep from laughing out loud; Lupin had no such reservations and continued laughing so hard that he was having trouble catching his breath. Takeshi cast a nervous glance towards his former Professor, whose face had turned red and whose black eyes were glittering dangerously, then said hastily, "No, Professor Snape is quite human, Kumi-chan." Some of the students at Hogwarts would no doubt beg to differ on that, but Aric thought it was probably wiser to keep that observation to himself.

"Well, it's getting late," Ichiro said pleasantly. "I think it's time to get the twins home and into bed."

"I'm not sleepy!" Kumi protested, then spoiled her argument by yawning widely.

"Bedtime," Ichiro said firmly, gathering his daughter up in his arms, and this time she didn't protest.

Shoko was yawning too by now, and Kaori's arms were full, carrying the bowl with the twins' goldfish and the other prizes that Aric had won them, so he picked up the little girl and started to lift her up onto his shoulders. "Here, I'll carry her home; I don't think that either of them will be up to walking."

"Let me take her," Isamu offered. "You and Takeshi should stay and enjoy the festival."

So the rest of the Kimuras went home, and Snape said that he'd also "had enough festivity for one night," giving his lover an icy look. They said goodnight, and the two Professors left, with Lupin still struggling to get his laughter under control.

"Well, looks like it's just you and me," Aric said to Takeshi. He felt a little odd as it suddenly occurred to him that with the two of them alone at the festival, it was almost like going out on a date. They had become lovers and were now living together, but they never gone out on a real "date" together before. Or did the hikes and picnics count as dates, he wondered. He looked around and saw many young couples walking together hand-in-hand. "Would anyone care if...well...?" Aric asked hesitantly, then reached out and grasped Takeshi's hand.

"No, my love," Takeshi said, smiling at him tenderly. "The crane folk have no prohibitions against same-sex romances. No one will care."

"Good," Aric said, and they leisurely strolled through the festival grounds. Aric felt a bit self-conscious, but it also felt good to be holding his mate's hand, and when no one paid any attention to them, he began to relax. "So what do you want to do next?" Aric asked. "Shall we play some more games?"

"Will you show off your prowess and win me a prize, my wolf?" Takeshi teased.

"Sure," Aric replied with a grin. "So long as you don't want a goldfish! How about a teddy bear? Let's go try that dart game again." Laughing together, they headed over to the game booth, and Aric asked curiously, "By the way, what did you wish for?"

"For continued happiness with my true love," Takeshi replied, smiling at him tenderly. "And you?" Aric told him what he'd written on the wish tag, and Takeshi whispered, "You're already the best mate that anyone could ever wish for, Aric. I love you."

Aric pulled Takeshi into his arms and kissed him, right there in the middle of the crowd of festival-goers, no longer caring what anyone thought of them, ignoring the stares and whispers and giggles that they attracted. As Takeshi kissed him back, he felt his spirit soar, as if he were being borne aloft by the birds of the Tanabata legend, who formed the bridge every year for Orihime and Hikoboshi to meet. Except that he had Takeshi not just for one day out of the year, but every day for the rest of their lives, and that realization brought tears of joy to Aric's eyes. And for just a moment, the crowd around them seemed to disappear, and Aric forgot about everything except his mate, as if they were the only two people in the world...

***

"Young people these days," Kazuhiko grumbled as he walked past the two oblivious young lovers. "No sense of decorum."

Yokuto, Reiko, and Tsubasa also happened to be passing by, and Yokuto laughed, smiling indulgently at the pair. "No one has a sense of decorum when they're young and in love, Kazuhiko-sama. As a matter of fact, I seem to recall a young man who would stand outside the bedroom window of his beloved and recite poetry to her."

Kazuhiko flushed, then sighed in a resigned manner. "Young lovers must always be dramatic, I suppose...but did Takeshi really have to choose a wolf as a mate?"

"Rather than saying that he chose Aric, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that they were chosen for each other," Tsubasa said, his voice carefully neutral. "It is fate; who can argue against that?"

"You're a fine one to talk, Tsubasa-kun," Kazuhiko said, a bit waspishly. "Do you really think that you will find your mate among the tengu?" He turned and stalked off without waiting for a reply.

"All the recent changes have put him in a bad mood," Yokuto told his son apologetically, switching to English although they had been speaking Japanese with Kazuhiko. The family had gotten into the habit of speaking it among themselves since it was Reiko's first language, although she spoke fluent Japanese. "He's just taking his frustration out on you."

"He's always in a bad mood," Reiko said with a wry smile.

"Well, in a worse mood than usual, then," Yokuto amended. "He wasn't always this way, though. He was adventurous as a boy, even spent some time studying and traveling in the human world. But the violence that he saw there frightened him, and he returned to the valley convinced that we needed to remain isolated for our own protection."

"There will always be violence in the world," Tsubasa replied. "And I would rather learn to defend myself than to hide. But Kazuhiko is right about one thing--I don't think that I will find my mate among the tengu. I have been living with them for a decade, and I haven't met anyone that I care for as more than a friend."

"You will find the right person when it is time, dear," Reiko said gently, reaching out to lay a hand on his arm.

"But there is no one in the valley who seems suited to him, either," Yokuto said, frowning worriedly for a moment. Then he smiled at his wife and said, "Perhaps his love will come to him from across the seas, as you came to me, my beloved?"

"Or perhaps it is I who am meant to cross the seas," Tsubasa said, and explained about Dumbledore's job offer.

"We would miss you, of course, but perhaps this is meant to be," Yokuto said, the expression on his face brightening. "I didn't want to trouble you with my concerns, but it has worried me that you have not yet found your mate."

"Of course I would like to find the one who is meant to be my mate," Tsubasa said, looking both amused and a little exasperated. "But if I take the job, it won't be just to expand my dating pool!"

Yokuto smiled sheepishly and Reiko laughed. "Of course not, dear! But I've noticed that you've seemed restless these past few years...maybe a new challenge is what you need."

"I have felt restless," Tsubasa admitted. "The tengu have been good to me, but still...I feel as if I don't quite belong there. I feel as if something is missing, somehow."

"And you are not meant for a quiet, peaceful life in the valley," Yokuto said. "Whatever decision you make, we will support you, my son."

"England is so far away, though," Tsubasa said uncertainly.

"And so is America, but we visit my family all the time," Reiko said briskly. "If you take the job at Hogwarts, then your father and I will use the Portkey to visit you, too." She added with a smile, "In fact, I would love to play tourist and have you show me around London!"

"Thanks, Mom," Tsubasa said, bending down to kiss her on the cheek. "I was afraid that the two of you would be opposed to my taking the job."

"I admit, if you were moving to a place where you have no kin, I would worry," Yokuto said. "But Haruko, Isamu, and Takeshi will be nearby to look after you--and young Aric, too, of course."

"Well, not 'nearby,' precisely," Tsubasa said with a smile. "But definitely within Floo and Apparition range."

"And as Reiko said, we can use the Portkey to visit you," his father continued, then laughed. "It will give us an excuse to sample Isamu's good cooking!"

"Thank you," Tsubasa said. "I need to think about this a little longer, but...I feel like I want to do this. I had never thought of going to Britain before, but now I'm sort of excited about the possibility of going someplace new."

"It will be an adventure, like when we all went to America," Yokuto said.

"Yes," Tsubasa murmured thoughtfully, his eyes taking on a faraway look, as if he were already looking ahead to England. "An adventure in a new land, a chance to start over again..."

Part 7