InsaneJournal

***

The day before the celebration, Tsubasa went to see his parents, and gave his stepmother a package. "I was going to save this for Christmas, but since you're already here, I thought I'd give it to you early."

"Oh, I wonder what it is," Reiko said playfully, tearing the wrapping off, then she gasped in pleasure when she saw the robe that she had admired in the shop window of Gladrags Wizardwear the last time she had come to visit her son. She stroked the soft, plush, midnight-blue velvet lovingly with her fingers, then unfolded the robe and held it up to admire it. The robe was embroidered all over with hundreds of tiny clear crystals that twinkled and glittered whenever the light struck them.

"Thank you so much, sweetie!" Reiko exclaimed, leaning over to kiss Tsubasa on the cheek. "But you really shouldn't have; it must have been very expensive."

"We can always go back and return it, if you insist," Tsubasa teased, and Reiko clutched the robe possessively to her chest.

"I thought I taught you better manners than that, Tsubasa!" she mock-scolded him. "It's rude to take back a gift that you've given, and it's also rude to decline one. Therefore, I will accept your gift with my sincere thanks, although you shouldn't have spent so much."

"It was a little expensive, but it wasn't that bad," Tsubasa said with a grin as his stepmother kissed him again. "Besides, I get free room and board as part of my contract, so I have lots of extra spending money."

"You should always make sure you have some money saved in case of emergencies, though," Yokuto lectured, although he sounded a little distracted, as he was preoccupied with examining the robe with a weaver's critical eye.

"Yes, Dad," Tsubasa murmured obediently.

"This really is nice work," Yokuto said approvingly of the robe. "Quality materials and good craftsmanship...aesthetically pleasing, too. It would have been easy to overdo it with the crystals and cross over the line into garishness, but the seamstress managed to stay on the side of elegance and good taste."

"High praise from you, my love," Reiko said, sounding amused. "Then I shall wear it to Tsubasa's wedding, since I won't have many opportunities to show it off in Japan." She added teasingly, "Unless you'll be hurt that I'm not wearing one of your kimonos?"

"Not at all," Yokuto laughed good-naturedly. "In fact, I would like to visit the shop where you bought this, Tsubasa, to compliment the seamstress and see their other wares."

Tsubasa smiled, sensing the opportunity to indulge in a little harmless mischief--a habit he had picked up while living with the tengu, along with his swordsmanship skills. "Of course," he said pleasantly. "Let me go see if Ash is available, and we can all go down to Hogsmeade together. It will give him a chance to spend some time with you, and get to know his new family better."

So they collected Ash, who smiled a little sheepishly and nervously when he heard that they were going to Gladrags, and they all headed to Hogsmeade.

The owner of the shop was a Mrs. Gladys Goldstein--"But you can call me 'Gladys,'" she told them, beaming happily when Reiko and Yokuto complimented her on the robe. "I was very pleased with the way it turned out, but I can't take all the credit. My apprentice was the one who sewed all those crystals on by hand. Parvati dear, come here for a moment."

Gladys beckoned to her apprentice, a pretty girl with dark hair and skin, whom Tsubasa remembered seeing when he had visited the shop with Reiko. She smiled, eyes gleaming with curiosity when she spotted Tsubasa and his family.

"This is Parvati Patil," Gladys said. "These people have kindly come to compliment us on the robe you worked on, Parvati."

"It's very beautiful," Reiko said.

"Thank you very much," Parvati replied graciously. "I'm so glad that you like it, Miss...um...?"

She allowed her voice to trail off in a not-so-subtle attempt to discover Reiko's identity, and Tsubasa happily obliged. "Please allow me to introduce you to my mother, Miss Patil," he said pleasantly.

"Mother?!" Parvati exclaimed in shock.

Reiko gave her son a sidelong glance that indicated she knew he was up to some sort of mischief, then bowed politely and said, "I am Reiko Hayakawa; I'm very pleased to meet you, Miss Patil."

"Mother?" Parvati repeated, still looking stunned. "But...but...you're so young! Too young to be the Professor's mother, surely!"

"Oh, you flatter me, dear!" Reiko laughed modestly, but she looked quite pleased.

"You were very young when we first met," Yokuto reminded her.

"I'm actually Tsubasa's stepmother," Reiko explained to a bewildered Parvati. "I was nineteen and Tsubasa was six when I married his father, so I suppose I am a little young to be his mother. But not impossibly so, though it's very kind of you to say so."

"But I thought...when I saw you two together...I thought you were his girlfriend!" Parvati blurted out.

"Really?" Reiko asked, laughing delightedly. "We've already bought the robe, dear! You don't have to flatter me to make the sale!"

"No, no!" Parvati protested. "You're so young and pretty--I really did think you were his girlfriend!"

"Fortunately for me, she is not," Yokuto said, smiling with amusement. "Though I agree with the 'young and pretty' part."

"My father, Yokuto of the crane clan," Tsubasa said, motioning to his father, who bowed politely and murmured, "Pleased to meet you."

"You caused a bit of trouble for me, Miss Patil," Tsubasa said with a wicked grin. "My boyfriend here was a little upset when he heard that I supposedly had a girlfriend." Ash's face turned bright red as he began spluttering out an incoherent denial.

Parvati looked equally embarrassed. "Boyfriend!" she exclaimed. "Oh! I had no idea that you and Mr. Randolf...I'm sorry if I caused any trouble." Then she frowned, looking puzzled. "But I never mentioned anything to him about your girlfriend...er, I mean, mother."

"It's all Kai's fault," Ash groaned. "He told me that the girls at Gladrags told him that Tsubasa stopped by here with a pretty woman who was calling him 'sweetie'."

"I always scold my apprentices for gossiping too much," Gladys said, giving Parvati a stern look. "But you know how teenage girls are..."

"It was natural to think they were a couple," Parvati tried to defend herself. "She...that is, Ms. Hayakawa called the Professor 'sweetie' and held onto his arm."

"Of course," Reiko laughed. "Because he's my sweetie, my darling little boy." And she planted a motherly kiss on his cheek, beaming at him fondly.

"She's called me that since I was a little kid," Tsubasa explained to Parvati with a grin. "It used to embarrass me to no end when she did it in front of my friends at school."

"What's wrong with a mother expressing her love for her child?" Reiko demanded, feigning a hurt and offended look.

"Nothing, except that the other guys at school were calling me 'sweetie' for weeks after that Parents' Day visit back in third grade, Mom."

"You'll never be too big to be my sweetie," Reiko cooed, wrapping her arms around him to give him a hug.

"Mom!" Tsubasa protested, rolling his eyes, but he was enjoying the incredulous look on Parvati's face--and on Ash's, too.

"I'm sorry," Parvati said weakly. "For the misunderstanding."

"It's all right, Miss Patil," Yokuto said kindly. "Everything worked out in the end, after all. In fact, they're getting married this weekend, so all's well that ends well, yes?"

"Married?!" Parvati and Gladys chorused, their eyes widening and their jaws dropping in nearly identical expressions of shock.

"Well, it won't be official under your British laws, of course," Yokuto replied cheerfully. "But they'll be exchanging vows and gifts following our crane customs. I'm so pleased to be gaining a new son!" He patted Ash on the shoulder, and Ash smiled back nervously at his father-to-be.

"Yes, and I'll be wearing your lovely robe to the ceremony," Reiko told the shopkeeper and apprentice calmly, although a hint of laughter sparkled in her eyes.

"As I was saying earlier, I was impressed by the quality of the robe," Yokuto said in a more serious voice. "I am a weaver myself, so I can appreciate good craftsmanship when I see it."

"That's right," Parvati said, regaining some of her composure. "Professor Chizuru told us about how the crane folk weave silk from their feathers. Her kimonos were always so beautiful."

"Ah, so you knew the Princess when she was teaching at Hogwarts?" Yokuto asked.

"Yes, although we didn't know she was a princess at the time," Parvati replied. "But she was so beautiful and elegant that it didn't really surprise me when we found out. My friend Lavender is in Japan now, studying as her apprentice."

"I've met Miss Brown a few times," Yokuto said. "The Princess says that she is a most diligent pupil."

"She's going to work as a mediwizard at St. Mungo's when she comes back to England," Parvati said, smiling proudly.

"Ah, now I recall," Yokuto said. "Miss Brown said that she had a friend back home who wants to open her own boutique someday...that must be you." Parvati grinned and nodded. "How wonderful, then, that you are both pursuing your dreams."

Parvati and Gladys gladly showed him around the shop, and Yokuto politely complimented their wares. In return, Gladys admired the kimono that he was wearing, and after Parvati inquired about it, Yokuto modestly admitted that he had woven and sewn it himself. (Reiko was wearing casual Muggle clothing, as she preferred to do when she was away from Japan and the crane elders who would grumble if she wore anything other than a traditional kimono.)

"The silk is exquisite," Gladys sighed. "Would you consider allowing us to buy some from you?"

"Well, normally we only sell to shops in Japan, but that's mainly because no one outside the country has ever asked to import our silk," Yokuto said, sounding intrigued.

"We didn't even know the crane folk existed until Professor Chizuru came to Hogwarts," Parvati pointed out.

"We're an insular people," Yokuto explained to Gladys. "But our Princess is trying to change that." He smiled. "Perhaps a bit of trade would be a good way to help promote friendship between our peoples. Let's see, I'm not sure what the current exchange rate is for yen-to-Galleons, but a single bolt would sell for approximately..." He paused to do some math in his head, then named a figure that caused Gladys to blanch. "Crane-woven silk is highly prized among the humans of my country," he added apologetically.

"My goodness," Gladys said faintly. "I think that might be a little beyond our means. Only the wealthiest families could afford a robe made of cloth that expensive, and only for a very special occasion." She sighed wistfully. "It isn't like the old days before the first war, when the Malfoys and the Snapes were holding grand parties nearly every weekend."

"But the Minister's son will be getting married in the spring," Parvati said brightly. "Perhaps we might be able to get some special commissions. I bet Fleur would love to have a wedding gown made from crane silk! And maybe we could make smaller items, like scarves, that would cost less but we could sell more of."

Gladys laughed, "Practical as always, my clever Parvati!"

Yokuto laughed as well. "Well, since my wife is so happy with her new robe, and Miss Patil is an acquaintance of the Princess, perhaps I could give you a slight discount. I would have to speak to the Head Weaver before I could negotiate a formal contract between the clan and your shop, but we could make an informal agreement just between the two of us--a trial run, let us say. I weave for pleasure, though it is not my official profession, and I could sell you a couple of bolts at, let us say, a twenty-five percent discount."

"You aren't a weaver, sir?" Parvati asked curiously. "Are you a Healer, then, like Prof...I mean, Princess Chizuru?"

"No, I am the crane representative to the Wizard's Council in Japan," Yokuto replied, then smiled self-deprecatingly. "Sort of a combination of diplomat and politician, but please don't hold that against me."

"The Japanese wizarding community is governed by a council of representatives from the various provinces in the country, as well as one representative from each of the non-human clans," Tsubasa explained.

"I see," Gladys said, looking impressed. "So, if your silks prove popular, then you would be in a position to negotiate a more permanent arrangement?" she asked eagerly.

"That is correct," Yokuto agreed.

"However, while twenty-five percent is a generous discount, the price is still a little dear for us," Gladys added, in a tone that indicated she wished to negotiate further.

"I am open to suggestions," Yokuto replied pleasantly.

"Crane-woven silk is exquisite, as Mistress Goldstein said, but few people in Britain have heard of it," Parvati said earnestly. "So perhaps you could sell the first few bolts to us at a larger discount, and build up a market for it. Once it becomes popular--as I'm sure it will--then we can sell it for a higher price, and in turn afford to pay you more."

Yokuto burst into laugher. "You drive a hard bargain, Miss Patil! How can I argue against such logic? I am sure you will make a fine shopkeeper someday!"

After haggling a bit further, with only token protests on Yokuto's part, they agreed upon a discount of about one-third of the original price for the first order of silk, with the understanding that they would renegotiate the next order after they had a chance to see how well the silk items sold. Everyone seemed pleased with the agreement, and they parted cordially, with Gladys gifting Yokuto with a robe he had admired during his brief tour of the shop--one made of black wool, with silver fastenings and embroidery along the hem and sleeves.

"I like it very much," Yokuto said happily of his gift as they left the shop. "It looks very distinguished. I think I shall wear it to your wedding, and perhaps I shall wear it when we go back home, too. It would be a shame to wear it only once, after all."

"You will scandalize the elders, my dear," Reiko said with a smile.

"It's good for them to be scandalized once in awhile," Yokuto replied serenely. "It reminds them that change is an inevitable fact of life."

"Is it really all right for you to give Gladrags such a big discount, sir?" Ash asked doubtfully.

"It's 'Father,' not 'sir'--we are family now, remember?" Yokuto gently scolded. "As for the discount--it's only for the first shipment, and besides, I'm in a good mood because my son has finally chosen a mate, so I'm feeling generous!"

He grinned broadly, and the others laughed. "Well then, I suppose everyone is happy, and all's well that ends well," Reiko declared.

So Yokuto and Reiko saw their son happily paired off with his mate, and eventually returned home to Japan. And as Parvati predicted, Fleur indeed fell in love with the crane-woven silk as soon as she laid eyes on it--Yokuto had wisely sent along a bolt of undyed white silk especially for her, along with other more colorful samples. Fleur marveled at the pure, creamy color of the silk--as white as a crane's feathers, but with a very subtle opalescent sheen that caused the cloth to shimmer in the light. "A cloth fit for the bride of the Minister's son," Gladys purred, and Fleur agreed, starry-eyed, as she caressed the silk with her fingers, exclaiming at how smooth and soft it was.

Bill good-naturedly joked that he had never been jealous of a piece of cloth before, and agreed that his bride should have a dress befitting of her beauty, although he was slightly taken aback at the price, even with Yokuto's discount taken into consideration. However, his pocketbook was spared when Fleur's doting parents, who were fortunately very well-off, insisted on buying their daughter's wedding dress. And as a diplomatic gesture of friendship between their countries, the Wizard's Council of Japan sent Fleur a wedding veil as a gift, woven by Takeshi's brother Ichiro, chief apprentice to the Head Weaver of the crane clan. It was made of lace that looked and felt as light and delicate as a spider's web, but was so strong, Takeshi told them, that it would not tear even if Hagrid tried to pull it apart with all his strength--though Fleur would not allow anyone to put it to that test, so they had to accept his word on it.

Fleur's wedding dress turned out to be good publicity for both the silk and the shop, and as Parvati predicted, the silk rapidly gained popularity. Even at a discount, only the wealthy could afford a full robe made of the crane-woven silk, but Parvati's silk scarves soon became very popular among the general public, as they were a luxury that even those of moderate means could afford.

Princess Chizuru was delighted with this new trade opportunity, and by extension, the opportunity to form better relations with Britain. Lord Kazuhiko was less pleased, but even he grudgingly admitted that the crane clan's coffers benefitted from the influx of British gold.

Yokuto was sent back to Britain, this time in an official capacity to sign a new trade agreement with the Ministry. Of course, he also visited his son and new son-in-law while he was there, and the family had a private dinner together in Tsubasa's quarters at Hogwarts.

"A new trade agreement and stronger diplomatic ties to Britain," Yokuto said to his son with a smile. "And just to think, it's all because your mother is so young and beautiful that those shop-girls mistook her for your girlfriend!"

The incident had become a private joke among the family, and Ash took the teasing in stride. "I'm very lucky that you're not really my rival!" he told Reiko, grinning widely. "I wouldn't care to compete with you!"

"Silly boy," Reiko laughingly scolded, slapping his arm playfully. "I know my son well, and no woman could ever capture his heart. Though the girls wouldn't have known that, of course."

"That's not quite true, Mom," Tsubasa corrected, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. "You captured my heart on the day that you saved me and Dad from drowning in the sea."

"And mine as well," Yokuto said, smiling lovingly at his wife. "Although it took me a long time to realize it."

"Then we should say a toast in her honor," Ash said, still grinning, as his mother-in-law laughingly protested. He raised his glass and said, "To Reiko--capturer of hearts, and forger of diplomatic alliances!"

Yokuto and Tsubasa raised their own glasses and chorused, "To Reiko!" as Reiko laughed and blushed modestly.

THE END.

***

Afterword: This was just supposed to be a quick little scene where where Tsubasa gave Reiko the robe, and they went back to the shop and explained the truth to an embarrassed Parvati. But the ending seemed too abrupt, so I ran with it a little further, and somehow it spun off into another side-plot about Yokuto forming a private business deal with the shop.

I actually have another side-story I'd like to write someday for these characters, about how Reiko and Yokuto fell in love, with Tsubasa unwittingly becoming the catalyst that gets them together.

Btw, in case anyone was wondering, "Hayakawa" is Reiko's maiden name, which she uses in human society since Yokuto doesn't have a last name. I didn't mention it in "Scars," but Tsubasa used his stepmother's last name when he went to school at Salem as a child, a piece of information that I was planning to use in a future fic where Snape and Lupin go to Salem for a Potions conference.

I also have another Snupin love hotel side-story in mind, where they watch one of the porn videos, although it's more comedy than smut, and I have a couple of Narcissa side-stories I want to write, about her watching Lukas transform for the first time, and about learning that Cedric Drake has inherited his father's lycanthropy.