Chapter Text
Chapter Thirty-One: There's No Place Like Home
The next day was the leaving feast, after the leaving feast there was a party held for the seventh years. Fifth through seventh years were invited to attend, it was both a going away party for seventh years and a congrats to the fifth years for making it through their OWLs. Of course the party this year was also a relief to the staff, the Weasley twin had finally finished school and would no longer be returning to cause chaos.
However what most of the staff forgot was the fact that they had two of the infamous Marauders on staff and the third happened to be sharing quarters with Severus Snape. Not to mention they forgot about a certain trio's usual antics, which thankfully this year passed without a real incident.
The day after the leaving feast students were packing and preparing for the train ride home the next day. Others were lazing about by the lake, or studying in the library, or just plain enjoying their last day at Hogwarts. Some students were down at Hagrid's hut visiting Belinda before they had to leave, she reassured the students that she would still be at Hogwarts when they returned next year.
Kushina packed away all of her things into her trunk, she had put all of her Shinobi tools into storage scrolls, she also placed her favorite book series into a storage scroll. The first things into her trunk was her school books while the second thing was her clothing.
Once everything for school was fully packed into the trunk she began to place the rest of her stuff on top of it. The chest containing her ANBU uniform and her storage scrolls were nestled by each other and scrolls on sealing that she'd been writing were placed beside her school books.
Her invisibility cloak was wrapped around her ring and nestled on top of them was the Marauders map. All three items were placed next to the chest containing her old uniform, she shook her head and wondered what the reaction would be if her and Kisuke showed up in Konoha. The king had told her not too worry about Kisuke's memories from his life as Minato, he told her that she was the key to him remembering.
She then closed the lid and activated her locks, the locks would only open if she pressed her blood and flared her Reiatsu as she swiped her blood across the locking mechanism. If anyone but her tried the trick, they'd be frozen in place until she got there, since the locks ward would alert her to the attempted break in.
Of course the twins took that as a challenged and tried to open it no fewer than twenty times during the previous summer. Every time they had tried she had to come release them from the Kido spell.
When she went to bed that night she felt both of her Zanpakuto manifest in the room and after wishing her peaceful dreams they both went out into the living area to read. Kushina had left her Icha Icha books out of the storage scroll that she put her books into. A fact which both of the spirits seemed to appreciate.
The next day the students boarded the train and in the carriages many students were playing exploding snap or Wizard's chess or talking to their friends that they wouldn't be able to see until the next school year.
Many of them were wondering if professor Lupin would still be their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor next year. While others were pouting over losing their new Potions professor.
Kushina and the others were quietly discussing the previous summer, Neville was excited to spend an entire summer with his mother and father. Ron was regretting that he had asked the twins what they had planned for the upcoming summer as the two were talking about Yumichika and their joke shop. They made the remark that Lee had accepted to run the Hogsmeade location once they had the Diagon Ally location up and running.
Kushina smirked and said, "well, at least Theo will be able to visit him regularly."
The twins beamed and said, "we know!"
Kushina then looked over at Hermione and asked, "so what are you doing this summer?"
Hermione looked up from her book and said, "mom and dad are taking me to Italy for two weeks. Then I'll be spending time with you guys, mom said that she's going to take Dad on a surprise trip to Australia." She made a face and said, "if they come back with a little sibling for me, I'm going to be both surprised and slightly disgusted."
Ron asked, "why? Wouldn't you be glad to have a baby brother or sister?"
She sighed and remarked, "yes, I'll be glad to be a big sister. However, the thought of my parents having marital affairs is not something I want to picture."
Everyone in the carriage froze in place for a minute and then unanimously agreed with her, the thought of their parents having sex was not something they wanted to picture.
Thankfully the rest of the train ride passed without incident, even Malfoy refrained from making his usual end of the year trip visit upon them.
As they arrived at the station the students disembarked and after waving goodbye to friends and greeting family members that came to get them, left the stations by groups of twos and threes. Kisuke was waiting for the trio along with Mrs. Weasley and the Grangers.
Hermione was quickly embraced by her mother and asked about how her school year had been. Hermione quickly waved goodbye to Ron and Kushina who waved back, Hermione was going on holiday to Italy for the first two weeks of summer vacation, then she'd be back to spend some time with the other two of the trio.
Mrs. Weasley said, "hello dears. How was your school year?"
Kushina shrugged and said, "good. How was your time without the kids around?"
Molly smiled down at her, "oh, not that bad. Percy dropped by every once and a while to check up on me. Arthur says that he's doing rather well, Madam Bones is quite pleased with how hard he works."
Ron smiled at his mother and said, "that's good."
While Molly was checking on her children Kisuke had scooped Kushina up and after giving her a hug, he gave her a quick chaste kiss. She laughed before she said, "did you have fun while I was gone, my dear mad scientist?"
His blue eyes twinkled at her and he said, "but of course. Nemu is quite the sharp minded young lady. She was a bit upset at Mayuri's sentence but she's adjusted to having me for her captain instead of him."
Kushina laughed and said, "good, I never liked what Uryu and Ichigo had to say about him." The students that were leaving waved goodbye to Kushina and shouts of, 'see you next year, Potter!' Rang out around them, she waved back ruefully, and she muttered, "terrific. Why do I have the feeling that they are going to expound my virtues to their parents?"
Kisuke looked down at her bemusedly and quipped, "perhaps because they are."
She groaned and rolled her eyes in exasperation, he chuckled at seeing her so discomfited by the attentions of her fellow students. His Shina-Chan preferred the shadows unless it concerned Quidditch, then she was all for showing off.
She glared up at him for laughing at what she termed her plight, he laughed again then suggested, "perhaps we should head home. Your parents said they'd meet us at Jackal's Lair."
She shrugged and after Molly shrunk hers, Ron's, Ginny's and the twin's trunks, they all took a portkey back to Jackal's Lair.
The last thing the rest of the people on the platforms saw of Kushina was her laughing at Ron's face when the twins teased him about something they couldn't hear.
The End (or at least for now!)