The door to Satoru Okabe’s office slammed open with a terrible crash.
“What the bloody fucking hell is going on here?” an irate Amihan Sinagtala demanded, hands sternly on her hips and her glorious amber eyes flashing.
“It’s good to see you, too, Ami-chan,” Okabe drawled drily.
Amihan reared up as if to pounce on the blond Japanese youth in anger. But, when she saw the faint sparkle in his ice-blue eyes, she gave a sharp bark of laughter.
“Bakero!” she chided him, reaching over to mess his already tousled hair. She hugged Shinju, Ginny, and Draco before gracefully draping herself into a chair. “So! What’s so important that you lot disturbed me from fixing lunch for my husband?” She declared that last word with great aplomb, having celebrated her Catholic church wedding to Remus Lupin in Manila the previous day.
No one said anything, but Okabe pointed to the fragments of what appeared to be a bracelet on his desk. Amihan’s eyes widened and she choked back an oath as she fingered the bits of silver and onyx. There was a lot of power emanating from the fragments when she touched them.
“A bannin-no-udewa,” she whispered. Only then did she see the unbroken bracelet around Ginny’s wrist. “Puñeta!” she swore. “When did this break?”
“About ten minutes ago,” Draco replied in a grave tone. He turned to her with bewilderment written all over his face. “Who would want to hurt Ginny?”
“Not hurt her,” Shinju chimed in. She took Ginny’s left hand and raised the pinky finger slightly. “Tell me what you see, Amihan.”
“’Maryosep!” Amihan hissed angrily as she looked at the little finger. There was a white thread wrapped around it; she was sure that no one else could see it save for her and Shinju. And white is the color of death, she thought.
“Draco,” she now said in a tight voice. “I believe Satoru-kun has a Kaiwa-kagami in the other room. Would you mind calling the Tokyo Portkey Bureau for me? Ask them if any Weasleys have arrived within the past half-hour.”
“Surely you don’t think anyone in my family would want to hurt me!” Ginny cried, her eyes filled with horror.
“I’d rather not,” Amihan assured her in a bleak tone. “But we can’t be too sure.”
***
Bill and Charlie Weasley were among Amihan’s dearest friends and Remus’s best comrades during the Final Stand. It was, thus, a foregone conclusion that they would be invited to their musubiya wedding in Japan.
They did, of course, bring their better halves along. Bill brought Fleur and Charlie his obviously pregnant Cyzarine.
The four of them were at Nekomi-jô, ancestral keep of Amihan’s maternal relations, where Remus Lupin was presently regaling them with the funny things that happened during their church wedding the previous day.
He was about to tell them about the mishap that occurred when Sirius Black drank too much punch and “accidentally” unzipped a woman’s gown when Amihan’s face appeared in a nearby mirror.
“Remus dear,” she called.
“Hallo, darling!” Remus greeted her. He pointed to the visitors. “Look who’s here.”
“Hi, Bill and Charlie!” Amihan beamed at them, but they noticed that her amber eyes looked worried.
“Oi, Mrs. Lupin!” Bill called teasingly.
“Where are you, Ami?” Charlie asked.
“At a friend’s shop.” She frowned. “Did Ron come with you?”
“No,” Charlie replied. “He and Hermione took a later Portkey.” He checked his watch. “They should be here in Japan by now.” He turned back to her. “Why?”
Amihan was obviously simmering with anger; her face had gone scarlet and the pupils of her eyes had narrowed into slits.
Bill and Fleur stared at her, knowing almost at once what was bothering her.
“Mon Dieu!” Fleur exclaimed. “Ron’s ‘ere – and ‘ee ‘as brought ze diedu!”
“Diedu?” Charlie stared at them quizzically.
“A mind-altering potion,” his wife and Remus chorused.
Remus looked grave. “He’s planning to use it on Ginny?” he asked Bill.
Bill nodded. “That’s what Hermione told us,” he replied.
“He’s planning to subvert her mind against Draco, then,” Remus declared with finality.
“But we like Draco!” Charlie protested. “He’s a nice enough bloke, his Death Eater dad notwithstanding. Besides, Ginny’s been happy with him; he takes good care of her.”
“Cap’n,” Amihan broke in, calling Charlie by the nickname they gave him at school, “you might like young Mr. Malfoy, but Ron hates him like the plague.”
“So do Percy and George, come to think of it.” Bill’s lips twisted as he thought for a bit. “Ron’s not that much of a potion brewer, Ami.”
“That’s an understatement,” Amihan scoffed. “But if Hermione went and told you, that would mean she isn’t involved.”
“If she isn’t involved, then who could’ve told Ron about the diedu?” Remus wondered. His violet eyes suddenly widened as he hit upon a realization. Unfortunately, it was a realization that sat rather uncomfortably. “Percy?!”
***
Percy Weasley knew he was in for it. And, boy, was he in for it!
He knew Draco Malfoy now lived in Japan and that his sister was currently staying with him in a posh Kyôto neighborhood. He also knew that young Malfoy’s crowd of former Slytherins were also invited to their former teachers’ wedding in Tokyo. He was also aware that, by this time, Remus Lupin and his bride were already in Japan along with his brothers and their wives.
He did not, however, count on having all of the abovementioned personages – along with three other people he didn’t recognize – barging into his room at the Muggle-run Hotel New Otani with murder written all over their faces.
There was a loud, angry screech. Ginny flew at him first, her brown eyes wild with fury and her manicured fingernails ready to scratch his face clear off his head. He was fortunate that Malfoy managed to wrap his arms about her waist and drag her away. It was most unfortunate that Malfoy took a swipe at Percy, though. Worse still, his fist connected with Percy’s jaw. That was most painful.
Remus, ever the voice of reason, managed to calm everyone down. But, just as Percy was about to rise and thank him, the former werewolf whipped out his wand and aimed it at him.
“Petrificus Totalus,” he intoned almost lazily and Percy crashed back onto the floor.
“You needn’t put a foot on the lad’s chest, Cap’n,” Amihan scolded Charlie who was taking the extra precaution of keeping Percy down with a heavily booted foot. “The Full Body Bind can keep him down.”
“I’d rather not take chances,” Charlie grated between clenched teeth, glaring evilly at his fallen brother in the process.
“Anyone got Veritaserum?” Malfoy asked his gang of hooligans.
A tall, curvaceous young woman – Percy was shocked to see it was Millicent Bullstrode – rummaged in her purse and handed a small phial of clear liquid to him. If Percy hadn’t been hexed, he would be quailing by now.
“Shall I unfreeze him now?” Remus asked Amihan, his wand at the ready.
“Go ahead, dear.” She waved him on, her amber eyes glinting dangerously. “I want some answers.”
Malfoy held the flask of Veritaserum up to a Japanese wizard with a whimsical expression on his face.
“One drop or two?” Malfoy asked.
The Japanese wizard looked down at Percy. “Depends on how much he’s hiding,” he remarked thoughtfully.
Another wizard who was as thin, pale, and blond as Malfoy took a glass from the room’s mini-bar. He pointed his wand at it. But, before he cast any spells, he looked over to Ginny.
“Does your brother drink or is he a teetotaler?” he asked her.
Ginny frowned and quickly went into conference with her two eldest brothers. When they nodded, she said, “Better make it something non-alcoholic, Okabe-san. Veritaserum has awful side effects when mixed with alcohol, you know.”
“Such as?”
“Please don’t let him go streaking through Tokyo, mate,” Bill begged him. “He’s a horror story come to life when he’s starkers.”
“Okay, point taken.” The blond wizard intoned a spell at the glass. “Bibulum caramel cola!” The glass quickly filled up with the dark fizzy drink. “Want ice with that?” the blond quipped.
“Nah, he’ll take it straight,” Malfoy snapped, picking up the glass and adding two drops of Veritaserum to it. “Remus, could you snap him out of it?”
“Not a problem.” Remus again leveled his wand at Percy. “Finite Incantatem!”
At once, Percy sat up and began backing away from the menacing group around him.
“It was all Ron’s idea!” he babbled. “He said he wanted to get rid of Malfoy, that Ginny deserved better. He was planning to marry Gin off to Harry!”
At that, everyone’s eyes widened and all began to talk at once. Again, Remus silenced them.
“And you went along with him because of that?” Remus stared at him in disbelief. He jerked a thumb at Percy and turned to Amihan. “Darling, the poor man’s obviously out of the loop.”
“He’s been doing too much in the way of overtime at the Ministry,” Ginny sighed, shaking her head.
“I don’t think so, Ginny-o,” Draco was quick to correct her. “If I remember correctly, your brother was never one to listen to gossip.”
“Not really,” Charlie joined in. “When he does, he listens to the wrong sort of gossip. Remember what he did during the Triwizard Tournament, Gin?”
“Stale news,” an effeminate boy Percy remembered as Zabini sniffed. “How droll.”
“Would somebody mind cluing me in on what’s going on?” Percy now shrilled at them.
Draco raised an eyebrow and laughed. “Percy,” he began, “how does Ron intend to marry Ginny off to Harry when Harry himself is getting married next week?”
Percy’s jaw dropped as the crowd in his room began to laugh.
“What the bloody fucking hell is going on here?” an irate Amihan Sinagtala demanded, hands sternly on her hips and her glorious amber eyes flashing.
“It’s good to see you, too, Ami-chan,” Okabe drawled drily.
Amihan reared up as if to pounce on the blond Japanese youth in anger. But, when she saw the faint sparkle in his ice-blue eyes, she gave a sharp bark of laughter.
“Bakero!” she chided him, reaching over to mess his already tousled hair. She hugged Shinju, Ginny, and Draco before gracefully draping herself into a chair. “So! What’s so important that you lot disturbed me from fixing lunch for my husband?” She declared that last word with great aplomb, having celebrated her Catholic church wedding to Remus Lupin in Manila the previous day.
No one said anything, but Okabe pointed to the fragments of what appeared to be a bracelet on his desk. Amihan’s eyes widened and she choked back an oath as she fingered the bits of silver and onyx. There was a lot of power emanating from the fragments when she touched them.
“A bannin-no-udewa,” she whispered. Only then did she see the unbroken bracelet around Ginny’s wrist. “Puñeta!” she swore. “When did this break?”
“About ten minutes ago,” Draco replied in a grave tone. He turned to her with bewilderment written all over his face. “Who would want to hurt Ginny?”
“Not hurt her,” Shinju chimed in. She took Ginny’s left hand and raised the pinky finger slightly. “Tell me what you see, Amihan.”
“’Maryosep!” Amihan hissed angrily as she looked at the little finger. There was a white thread wrapped around it; she was sure that no one else could see it save for her and Shinju. And white is the color of death, she thought.
“Draco,” she now said in a tight voice. “I believe Satoru-kun has a Kaiwa-kagami in the other room. Would you mind calling the Tokyo Portkey Bureau for me? Ask them if any Weasleys have arrived within the past half-hour.”
“Surely you don’t think anyone in my family would want to hurt me!” Ginny cried, her eyes filled with horror.
“I’d rather not,” Amihan assured her in a bleak tone. “But we can’t be too sure.”
***
Bill and Charlie Weasley were among Amihan’s dearest friends and Remus’s best comrades during the Final Stand. It was, thus, a foregone conclusion that they would be invited to their musubiya wedding in Japan.
They did, of course, bring their better halves along. Bill brought Fleur and Charlie his obviously pregnant Cyzarine.
The four of them were at Nekomi-jô, ancestral keep of Amihan’s maternal relations, where Remus Lupin was presently regaling them with the funny things that happened during their church wedding the previous day.
He was about to tell them about the mishap that occurred when Sirius Black drank too much punch and “accidentally” unzipped a woman’s gown when Amihan’s face appeared in a nearby mirror.
“Remus dear,” she called.
“Hallo, darling!” Remus greeted her. He pointed to the visitors. “Look who’s here.”
“Hi, Bill and Charlie!” Amihan beamed at them, but they noticed that her amber eyes looked worried.
“Oi, Mrs. Lupin!” Bill called teasingly.
“Where are you, Ami?” Charlie asked.
“At a friend’s shop.” She frowned. “Did Ron come with you?”
“No,” Charlie replied. “He and Hermione took a later Portkey.” He checked his watch. “They should be here in Japan by now.” He turned back to her. “Why?”
Amihan was obviously simmering with anger; her face had gone scarlet and the pupils of her eyes had narrowed into slits.
Bill and Fleur stared at her, knowing almost at once what was bothering her.
“Mon Dieu!” Fleur exclaimed. “Ron’s ‘ere – and ‘ee ‘as brought ze diedu!”
“Diedu?” Charlie stared at them quizzically.
“A mind-altering potion,” his wife and Remus chorused.
Remus looked grave. “He’s planning to use it on Ginny?” he asked Bill.
Bill nodded. “That’s what Hermione told us,” he replied.
“He’s planning to subvert her mind against Draco, then,” Remus declared with finality.
“But we like Draco!” Charlie protested. “He’s a nice enough bloke, his Death Eater dad notwithstanding. Besides, Ginny’s been happy with him; he takes good care of her.”
“Cap’n,” Amihan broke in, calling Charlie by the nickname they gave him at school, “you might like young Mr. Malfoy, but Ron hates him like the plague.”
“So do Percy and George, come to think of it.” Bill’s lips twisted as he thought for a bit. “Ron’s not that much of a potion brewer, Ami.”
“That’s an understatement,” Amihan scoffed. “But if Hermione went and told you, that would mean she isn’t involved.”
“If she isn’t involved, then who could’ve told Ron about the diedu?” Remus wondered. His violet eyes suddenly widened as he hit upon a realization. Unfortunately, it was a realization that sat rather uncomfortably. “Percy?!”
***
Percy Weasley knew he was in for it. And, boy, was he in for it!
He knew Draco Malfoy now lived in Japan and that his sister was currently staying with him in a posh Kyôto neighborhood. He also knew that young Malfoy’s crowd of former Slytherins were also invited to their former teachers’ wedding in Tokyo. He was also aware that, by this time, Remus Lupin and his bride were already in Japan along with his brothers and their wives.
He did not, however, count on having all of the abovementioned personages – along with three other people he didn’t recognize – barging into his room at the Muggle-run Hotel New Otani with murder written all over their faces.
There was a loud, angry screech. Ginny flew at him first, her brown eyes wild with fury and her manicured fingernails ready to scratch his face clear off his head. He was fortunate that Malfoy managed to wrap his arms about her waist and drag her away. It was most unfortunate that Malfoy took a swipe at Percy, though. Worse still, his fist connected with Percy’s jaw. That was most painful.
Remus, ever the voice of reason, managed to calm everyone down. But, just as Percy was about to rise and thank him, the former werewolf whipped out his wand and aimed it at him.
“Petrificus Totalus,” he intoned almost lazily and Percy crashed back onto the floor.
“You needn’t put a foot on the lad’s chest, Cap’n,” Amihan scolded Charlie who was taking the extra precaution of keeping Percy down with a heavily booted foot. “The Full Body Bind can keep him down.”
“I’d rather not take chances,” Charlie grated between clenched teeth, glaring evilly at his fallen brother in the process.
“Anyone got Veritaserum?” Malfoy asked his gang of hooligans.
A tall, curvaceous young woman – Percy was shocked to see it was Millicent Bullstrode – rummaged in her purse and handed a small phial of clear liquid to him. If Percy hadn’t been hexed, he would be quailing by now.
“Shall I unfreeze him now?” Remus asked Amihan, his wand at the ready.
“Go ahead, dear.” She waved him on, her amber eyes glinting dangerously. “I want some answers.”
Malfoy held the flask of Veritaserum up to a Japanese wizard with a whimsical expression on his face.
“One drop or two?” Malfoy asked.
The Japanese wizard looked down at Percy. “Depends on how much he’s hiding,” he remarked thoughtfully.
Another wizard who was as thin, pale, and blond as Malfoy took a glass from the room’s mini-bar. He pointed his wand at it. But, before he cast any spells, he looked over to Ginny.
“Does your brother drink or is he a teetotaler?” he asked her.
Ginny frowned and quickly went into conference with her two eldest brothers. When they nodded, she said, “Better make it something non-alcoholic, Okabe-san. Veritaserum has awful side effects when mixed with alcohol, you know.”
“Such as?”
“Please don’t let him go streaking through Tokyo, mate,” Bill begged him. “He’s a horror story come to life when he’s starkers.”
“Okay, point taken.” The blond wizard intoned a spell at the glass. “Bibulum caramel cola!” The glass quickly filled up with the dark fizzy drink. “Want ice with that?” the blond quipped.
“Nah, he’ll take it straight,” Malfoy snapped, picking up the glass and adding two drops of Veritaserum to it. “Remus, could you snap him out of it?”
“Not a problem.” Remus again leveled his wand at Percy. “Finite Incantatem!”
At once, Percy sat up and began backing away from the menacing group around him.
“It was all Ron’s idea!” he babbled. “He said he wanted to get rid of Malfoy, that Ginny deserved better. He was planning to marry Gin off to Harry!”
At that, everyone’s eyes widened and all began to talk at once. Again, Remus silenced them.
“And you went along with him because of that?” Remus stared at him in disbelief. He jerked a thumb at Percy and turned to Amihan. “Darling, the poor man’s obviously out of the loop.”
“He’s been doing too much in the way of overtime at the Ministry,” Ginny sighed, shaking her head.
“I don’t think so, Ginny-o,” Draco was quick to correct her. “If I remember correctly, your brother was never one to listen to gossip.”
“Not really,” Charlie joined in. “When he does, he listens to the wrong sort of gossip. Remember what he did during the Triwizard Tournament, Gin?”
“Stale news,” an effeminate boy Percy remembered as Zabini sniffed. “How droll.”
“Would somebody mind cluing me in on what’s going on?” Percy now shrilled at them.
Draco raised an eyebrow and laughed. “Percy,” he began, “how does Ron intend to marry Ginny off to Harry when Harry himself is getting married next week?”
Percy’s jaw dropped as the crowd in his room began to laugh.
Author notes: Kaiwa-kagami: Conversation mirrors. As mentioned in previous chapters, the Floo Network is virtually non-existent in Asia. They use charmed mirrors as a communication device instead.
'Maryosep: A contracted form of 'Susmaryosep, literally "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph". It's a common expression of surprise or exasperation in the Philippines.
Puñeta: Spanish profanity common in the Philippines.
To Be Continued.
Pepperjelly is the author of 2 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 7 members. Members who liked Musubiya Mystery Theatre also liked 228 other stories.
This story is part of the series, The Starlight Chronicles. The previous story in the series is Redemption.
This story is a favorite of 7 members. Members who liked Musubiya Mystery Theatre also liked 228 other stories.
This story is part of the series, The Starlight Chronicles. The previous story in the series is Redemption.
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