Hello, minna-san! I am once again attempting to write a story. This one has been flittering about in my head for a while now, acting like a hummingbird on crack. And this one is not actually slash! Gasp! Oh my gosh! Well, let's see what you think of it. Oh, and beware in advance: I don't plan on having a regular update schedule. I will update when the mood hits me, just like in my other fic Muketsu no Kyuuketsuki. Enjoy Tsubaki!

We were married on the night of October the eleventh, our ceremony attended by all of our close friends and family. Even my sister Petunia and her husband showed, if only to gorge themselves on the wonderful feast. Sirius and Remus stood proudly next to James as his best men, and Alice was only too eager to be my maid of honor. I remember James wearing the largest grin I had ever seen, ruffling his hair and tapping his fingers against the side of his leg as he watched me walk down that aisle, and I recall my smile in return as a finally reached him and smoothed his hair back into place. I had to grab hold of his hand so he wouldn't mess it back up again. He always had an unhealthy addiction to playing with his already messy hair when he was nervous.

The ceremony was beautiful, though it was fairly small. The reception afterward was held at the one place that both James and I had considered special. The House tables of Hogwarts had been magicked out onto the lawn next to the lake, and a for-once still Whomping Willow towered over a small makeshift dance floor. Sirius, of course, upon seeing the four House tables, fretted and generally made a nuisance of himself as he wondered if he were sitting at the vile Slytherin table. I had to laugh as Remus, slightly red in the face and standing next to the loudly spouting Sirius, could only roll his eyes before tightly grasping his friend's arm and shoving him onto the bench closest to the bride and groom's seats.

Albus just watched the scene and laughed, his eyes twinkling like a madman, before generously mollifying Sirius with the news that he had made sure Sirius only sat at the best table, knowing how the younger, rambunctious man felt about Gryffindor House pride. Later on, Albus couldn't help but to tell me about how he had nothing to do with setting up the tables, as the house elves would not even think of letting him participate in the set-up. "Young Mr. Black seems happy not knowing this, though. No harm in bending the truth a little every now and then. Keeps the wits sharp, if I do say so myself," the old crackpot said before merrily flitting away in his bright purple robes.

After a long night of merrymaking and laughing with friends, it was time for James and I to leave our friends and head out to an unknown destination. James had planned the whole honeymoon, only telling me the tiniest of details and assuring me I would love where we were going. I had my doubts, considering this was coming from the man who thought that hexing the Slytherins was fun, and the grandest vacation would be going to Lucius Malfoy's mansion as Head Auror to arrest him for "aiding and abetting a known greasy git" and "conspiring to harass the wizarding world with evil old geezers who didn't know when to kick the bucket". I was especially nervous when he assured me that he'd had others look over and approve all of the plans. Others meaning Sirius Black! At least Remus had been there to put a halt on any of the other two's really half-baked ideas.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that, in fact, James had done an excellent job at planning our honeymoon. With the use of a Ministry-sanctioned portkey, both James and I were whisked away to one of the many Potter estates, this one stationed on the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan. It was a grand old house, not quite a mansion, but close enough. Two stories of brick, gleaming white Corinthian columns holding up an upper porch at the front, and a set of stones winding their way up the small hill to the black front door.

We quickly searched the house and its property, finding a surprisingly beautiful and natural garden in the backyard, complete with a small koi pond. I think I even caught sight of a young kappa running rapidly away as it tried to keep the water from splashing out of the bowl-shaped recess at the top of its head. That night was a magical night for the both of us, but I will not give you any details. If you are like any other child, the thought of your parents being intimate is probably making you feel slightly ill while you manage to utter minor profanities between your bouts of gagging. Just remember, you wouldn't be here if not for us "procreating". So, no nightmares tonight, all right, sweetie?

Half a year our honeymoon lasted, like six months of our own tiny heaven far removed from the world. Just your father and I and that wild little garden--its twisted pines, the thriving cherry trees with their light pink blossoms, and the wonderful red camellia reminding us of our love. On swift wings those six months passed, and I would have been heartbroken at parting with that little garden had I not known one thing. In just five months time, your father and I would hold our greatest gift in our hands, far greater than the memory of the beauty of our wild little camellia hideaway.

So, on the last night of our time alone together, I led your father out to our little garden and knelt beside him as he lay with eyes searching the heavens, gently grasping his hand and placing it upon my slightly rounded stomach to let him know that you were there. And he turned his gleaming eyes from the heavens immediately, raising up on an elbow to meet my happy gaze, pleading for it to be true. A slight nod from me, and our lips met, smiling into our kiss. No words were spoken, no words were needed when our eyes, our lips, our smiles, our entwined fingers said it all. Silently, he pulled me down to lay by his side. And there, amidst the red camellia, we lay gazing at the stars--hand in hand, my head resting upon his shoulder--and dreaming of a future we would share with you. Tsubaki, our little, beloved Camellia.

"Hey, Tsubaki! Are you in?" a muffled voice sounded from the living room fireplace.

Tsubaki glanced up quickly from her mother's journal, marking her place with a red ribbon before getting up out of her comfortable seat at one of the library's windows. She hurriedly marched for the door, hoping to catch Hermione before the other girl assumed she was not at home.

"Coming, 'Mione!" she called as she quickened her step, finally reaching the open doorway leading into the living area.

Tsubaki heard a whooshing sound, followed by a bout of coughing, smiling as she turned the corner and entered the room, greeted by a soot-covered friend. Hermione's hair was even bushier than normal, and, coated as it was in a thick layer of dark ashes, the sight reminded Tsubaki of one of those brooms commonly used by chimney sweeps. She would not be telling Hermione that, though. No use offending her longtime friend, right?

Tsubaki crossed the room quickly, waving a hand in a few haphazard sweeping motions, effectively sweeping the ashes from her friend with her wandless magic. A cleaner Hermione glanced up at Tsubaki, giving an appreciative smile.

"Thanks, Tsu," she said, hair still poofed out around her head in a frizzy halo.

Tsubaki just chuckled at her best friend's frazzled look, causing the oblivious Hermione to tilt her head to the side and narrow her eyes, trying to puzzle out Tsubaki's sudden humor.

"What?" Hermione testily grit out, hands on hips. "What's so funny, Tsubaki Potter?!"

Tsubaki schooled her features, making sure no more laughter escaped. Her petite hand came up to cover her mouth. She did not want Hermione to see her smile.

"Oh, nothing's funny, 'Mione. Nothing at all!" she answered her friend.

Judging by the determined glint in her eye, Hermione had no intention of letting Tsubaki get away with not telling her. Tsubaki decided it would be best to change the subject.

"What did you need, Hermione?" Tsubaki asked, walking over to her friend and using a strategically placed hand on her friend's shoulder to corral her out of the living area and into the kitchen, hoping to distract Hermione with the prospect of tea and talk.

Tsubaki let out a relieved sigh as Hermione, for once, gave up the argument and allowed herself to be moved into the kitchen. Letting go of her best friend's shoulder, Tsubaki surreptitiously dropped back a few steps and made a downward smoothing motion with her hand, watching in satisfaction as Hermione's frazzled strands calmed into manageable waves.

Both young women entered the kitchen, Hermione chattering all the way about her crusade to liberate the house elves. Tsubaki immediately headed toward the sink to fill up the teakettle, nodding and commenting at times as she listened to her best friend, while Hermione claimed her normal barstool at the island table and made herself comfortable.

After placing the kettle on the stovetop range and adjusting the heat knob, Tsubaki turned around to talk to Hermione, leaning casually against the edge of the stove and crossing her arms in front of her. She smiled warmly as she watched Hermione's cheeks redden and her brown eyes sparkle in her excitement. Hermione had definitely chosen the right path for herself, Tsubaki thought. Working for righteous causes was right up her best friend's alley. Today it was house elf liberation, tomorrow werewolf rights, the next day legalizing Ministry-sanctioned vampire blood banks. There were no limits to Hermione's sense of justice.

Tsubaki was just glad someone out there was willing to fight for others, and she was only too eager to help Hermione every now and then. Though she might not lobby actively at the Ministry for the rights of the oppressed like Hermione, a well-thought-out visit to the Ministry on days when hearings were to take place always seemed to do the trick. By now, the adoring public could not help but be fully informed on where Tsubaki stood when it came to such matters. With Tsubaki standing loyally beside her best friend as she argued for new policies regarding "creatures", the vote always seemed to favor Hermione's appeals.

Though she might help out Hermione every now and then, Tsubaki wanted nothing to do with the Ministry on a daily basis. She had her own projects to dedicate her time to, like her fledgling organization, the Association for Interaction and Magic, or AIM for short. Tsubaki definitely had her hands full with that one. Her weekdays were filled with planning meet-and-greets and magical outings for children between the ages of five and ten years, and her weekends were dedicated to actually chaperoning the pureblood, halfblood, squib and muggleborn children around magical Britain.

It was good for the muggleborns to become acquainted with a culture they were totally unfamiliar with, and the purebloods and halfbloods could always use some extra learning in that department. Squib children benefited from the program as well, teaching them about options available to them in both the magical and muggle worlds. While the field trips were purely for the children, the weekly meet-and-greets were open not only to the wizarding world's newest generation, but also their parents.

Surprisingly, it had been fairly easy for the kids from different echelons of wizarding society to get to know one another. Some of the pureblood children even seemed interested in learning about muggle society. Unsurprisingly, the parents tended to argue over the merits of being pureblood versus muggleborn, but the situation had been slowly getting better over the three and a half years since the organization's inception. Tsubaki had high hopes for her project.

Four years ago, right before their graduation from Hogwarts and immediately after Voldemort's downfall, Tsubaki had done some serious soul searching. Early that morning, a stern-looking owl had landed beside her plate of eggs and bacon, carrying a rather plain looking envelope with a Ministry seal. The letter had contained her admission into the Auror Academy.

She supposed she should have been as happy as Ron had been upon his acceptance into the rigorous Auror training program, but she could not find it in herself to care overmuch. With a glum look on her face, Tsubaki had made her way out of the Great Hall, disregarding the rest of her half-eaten breakfast and the questioning glances from Hermione and Ron. Thus had begun a week's worth of hard deliberation about her future. In the end, Tsubaki had decided that the Ministry was not right for her.

Instead, she had surprised her two best friends as she had raced into the Gryffindor Common Room late on the evening of her eighth day of serious contemplation, skidding across the stone floor and coming to an abrupt stop in front of the two as they sat cuddled on the couch next to the fire. They had hastily pulled apart, their joined hands falling quickly onto their laps and trying to look innocent. Tsubaki looked between the two, causing both Hermione and Ron to start sweating nervously.

"What?" Ron asked, eyes nervously casting about for something to settle on, his voice slightly breaking in his anxiety.

"We weren't doing anything!" Hermione managed to stutter out, her face glowing bright red.

Tsubaki gave them another glance, faking disgruntlement. The two were beginning to look twitchy when Tsubaki decided to quit playing with them. She let loose a wide grin, her green eyes shining in merriment.

"It's about time!" she yelled out, attracting the attention of several other late-night Gryffindors. Ginny, sitting across the room and muttering over a Potions essay that was due first thing in the morning, looked up at that moment, letting out an equally loud cry.

"I know, right?!" she teased her brother, a sly grin on her face.

Several other Gryffindors chimed in with their thoughts about why it had taken the two so long to see something that everyone else had been aware of ages ago. Dean and Seamus couldn't help but make kissy faces at the new couple. Ron's and Hermione's faces only became redder at the spectacle everyone was making. Tsubaki turned away from the crowd, once again remembering what she had wanted to talk to them about.

"All right, all right. Enough, children! Quit teasing the lovebirds!" she stated in a firm, no-nonsense teacher's voice, ruined by the large predatory grin fixed on her face. At her words, the other Gryffindors laughed but quickly resumed their previous activities. Tsubaki turned back toward her two traumatized best friends.

She waved the Auror letter in their faces, saying proudly, "I know what I'm gonna be when I grow up now!"

"Ugh, I don't think you are ever going to grow up," Hermione muttered under her breath, still testy over her previous embarrassment in front of all of the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Uh, yeah, an auror, right?" a stupefied Ron said. "We all saw you get the letter, you know."

Tsubaki gave them a confused look, muttering an eloquent and succinct, "Huh?", truly dumbfounded on how they arrived at that conclusion. She watched as their eyes followed the letter she held in her hands, and she gave the letter her own once over, at once realizing it was her Auror acceptance letter.

"Uh, no, actually," she said, slyly shoving the letter into her back pants pocket and carelessly crumbling the little piece of paper that meant so much to so many others.

Tsubaki brought her now empty hands back in front of her, shaking her head vigorously from side to side, making the caramel highlights in her raven locks flicker in the firelight. She made an 'X' with her arms in the air in front of her chest, as if their obvious conclusion was completely ridiculous.

"Nuh-uh! Nope! You've got it all wrong," she happily stated, grinning so widely that her eyes were squeezed shut. "I've decided to deny my seat at the Auror Academy in favor of something much better! Guess what it is! Just guess!"

Hermione gave a frustrated sigh at the unusual antics of her normally quiet friend, running a hand over her face in exasperation. Meanwhile, the excited Tsubaki grabbed hold of an unsuspecting Ron and started prancing around the couch with him in an awkward sort of dance. When the mismatched dancing partners hopped once again into Hermione's path, she quickly pulled a dizzy and slack-jawed Ron back onto the sofa and grabbed at the hyper Tsubaki to hold her back from skipping around the Common Room like a ninny.

"Tsubaki Potter, sit down right now!" Hermione yelled.

A still dizzy and slightly dazed Ron nodded vigorously at her side, muttering a quiet, "Yeah, what she said, mate."

With a pout, Tsubaki sat in the chair across from the couch, her arms crossed and her eyes refusing to look at Hermione.

Hermione only sighed, saying a quiet, "Well, it must be something great if you are this excited about it. Don't make us guess. Just tell us!"

Tsubaki calmed a little, wearing only a small and heartwarming smile as she turned once again to meet the eager faces of her two best friends.

"I'm going to teach those pureblood bastards how to not be prejudiced!" she shouted triumphantly.

"So, you mind having two extra helpers for this weekend's outing?" Hermione suddenly asked, breaking Tsubaki from her recollections.

"Hmm?" she absentmindedly hummed at her best friend, wondering what Hermione was talking about.

"Well, I just thought that since Ron and I are free this weekend, we could help you watch all those rowdy children," she elaborated. "I make sure to help out at these things as often as possible, but Ron hasn't been to one in a while..."

"Thanks, 'Mione," Tsubaki gratefully said. "I'd like that."

She couldn't help but to give a grin and throw her hands up in the air in celebration. She let out a thrilled whoop before yelling out, "The Golden Trio is back in action!"

Hermione grinned back at her, quickly getting up from the chair and doing a quick celebratory jig alongside Tsubaki. Both young women were laughing at each other and creating a terrible racket when the teakettle released a high-pitched whine, startling the two into silence for a moment. After a time, Tsubaki looked up at Hermione, who was several inches taller than her own five foot four inch frame. Hermione was clutching at her chest, her eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected sound. Tsubaki couldn't hold back the giggle that escaped her mouth at the ridiculous look on her friend's face, causing Hermione to look down at her before letting out a chuckle as well.

"How about a nice spot of tea to calm our nerves, Miss Potter?" she asked Tsubaki.

It didn't take long for Tsubaki to round up two cups and pour some of her special blend of green tea for the both of them. Soon, Tsubaki and Hermione calmly sat once again at the island table on their assigned barstools, sipping slowly at the light-colored beverage.

"Mmm...I just love your green tea, Tsu," Hermione muttered with a dreamy gaze as she hugged her fingers around the steaming cup. "How are your lessons going, anyway?" she inquired.

Tsubaki blew on her tea before taking a small sip, gently leaning forward with elbows settled on the table as she contemplated Hermione's question.

"I believe they are going quite well," she quietly said, looking into her friend's curious eyes. "My sensei said that I am beyond prepared for my trip to Japan. Let's hope she isn't exaggerating about my language skills, or I might be in trouble next month."

"That's great, Tsu!" Hermione gushed. "Oh, I wish I could go with you! That would be ever so exciting, but, you know...I just can't leave my House Elf bill all by itself...it'll never get passed if I'm not there to see it pushed through, you realize...Ugh, those snooty purebloods on the Wizengamot really get to me, you know, and..."

A sudden whooshing sound and a heavy thump coming from the living room startled Hermione into silence, and both girls rushed out of the kitchen to see what had happened. There, strewn on the wood flooring before the mantelpiece was a soot-besmirched Ron, legs and arms askew. His wide eyes, plainly standing out from the black of his dirtied face, locked onto his two longtime friends, before he disbelievingly uttered a dry, "Bloody hell...".

The girls rushed over to his side, laughing along the way and helping the unsteady man to his feet.

"Oh, Ronald, did you forget the footstool again?" Hermione despairingly cried, exasperated at how clumsy her boyfriend always was when it came to flooing to the Potter Mansion.

"Yes, Ronald, did you forget the footstool again?" Tsubaki cooed at the blushing Ron, rolling her eyes as she watched Hermione briskly brush the soot from her boyfriend and letting out a snicker.

Ron glanced angrily at Tsubaki, playfully muttering a handful of empty threats at her for her enjoyment of his situation.

"You know you love me, Ronniekins," Tsubaki pleaded, fluttering her eyelashes dramatically and plastering on an innocent, pouting expression. "Look into these puppy eyes and dare to whisper your threats again!"

"Argh! Hopeless!" Ron muttered loudly, throwing up his arms in defeat. Hermione laughed at the spectacle the other two were making of themselves before turning around and heading to the kitchen once again.

"Come on, Ronald! Tsu made some of her lovely green tea again. I think there might even be a cup and barstool with your name on it," Hermione airily said over her shoulder as she walked out of the living room.

Ron trotted after her, almost tripping over his own feet in his haste to get to the tea. He called out to the trailing Tsubaki in his deep voice, "Don't call me Ronniekins!"

He looked over his shoulder at Tsubaki with a teasing grin on his lips, stating in a demanding but still friendly voice, "I'll forgive you this once, since you made me my favorite beverage, but don't think I'll always go so easy on you."

He paused slightly before saying, "Hey, come on slowpoke, before my tea gets cold!"

"Why you..." Tsubaki muttered threateningly under her breath, chasing after Ron into the kitchen.

With a gleam in her emerald eyes, Tsubaki laughingly yelled at the rapidly retreating Ron's back, "You're the best, Ronniekins!"

Tsubaki leaned back on the soft cushions of her favorite chair in the living room, propping her feet up on the ottoman and settling her guitar gently on her lap. She absentmindedly tightened some of the strings as she thought about her upcoming trip to Tokyo. Tsubaki had wanted to go to Japan ever since she had read her mother's journal during her seventh year and found out about the Potter Estate there. However, her search for the Horcruxes and her last year of Hogwarts schooling had prevented her from leaving right away. After Voldemort had been defeated and Tsubaki had graduated, she decided she needed to get her organization up and running. She had to get familiar with the Japanese language, anyway, so she figured a handful of years before her trip wasn't a bad thing.

As the years passed, however, Tsubaki had become antsy to start her journey and had taken up learning the guitar to relieve the stress. At that point in time, it had been impossible to leave England. AIM was in its infancy stages, and she felt she could not leave it or the program would go belly-up. It was her presence at the meet-and-greets and outings that kept some of the parents (and therefore, their children) attending each session. It sucked to be famous, but sometimes, just sometimes, it helped to get things done.

Now, three and a half years later, Tsubaki felt the program's participants were comfortable enough with the association to allow her extended, worry-free time outside the country. She would still floo or portkey-in every once in a while on the weekends to help with the children's outings, and she would be doing all the trip-planning from her house in Japan, but Tsubaki had the utmost confidence that Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Neville could handle the meet-and-greets by themselves.

So, everything was under control and Tsubaki was scheduled to leave for a long-term stay in Japan in just under a month's time. By the beginning of April, her life will have changed, and Tsubaki will get to see all of the places her mother talked about in her journal. Even though her parents could not take her to these places themselves, the connection Tsubaki felt with them would be greater than ever.

Tsubaki closed her eyes and smiled in satisfaction, gently strumming on her guitar and humming along softly as she looked forward to the future.

Author's Note: If you have any ideas of scenes you might enjoy seeing in this story, don't hesitate to write it in a review or PM me. I don't have much after the first couple of chapters planned out, so if I like your idea and it fits with the general (i.e., vague) outline I have in my head, I just might write it in and make sure to dedicate that chapter to you!