Disclaimers: I own nothing! Kuroko is the property of Tadatoshi Fujimaki, while Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling.

This story will contain some child abuse, I will not go into physical abuse, but the emotional and mental abuse will be mentioned. Just to warn you.

I have already posted this on Archive on Our Own (AO3) up to about chapter 50 (as per 6th of March 2018). I will now start to post it here as well. Obviously, with 50 chapters to go, it will take a little while to get everything over here. It is NOT a finished story, I am still posting chapters for it. I try to at least post one chapter a week. I have no idea how long it will be.

This is my second Harry Potter and Kuroko no Basket crossover (the other one I will also post here so please check it out when it gets here). Finding your way home started as a request from one of the readers of my other KnB/Harry Potter fic, so that's the start of this fic.

This is a story.

End pairing will be: Mackenzie Potter (female Harry) / Aomine Daiki

Other pairings will occur as well.

My native language is not English, so mistakes will happen. All the mistakes are my own.

Ok, think I got everything off my chest now...

...

...

Elementary school

Mackenzie 'Mac' Lillian Potter, a petite girl of 8 years old with long thick locks of reddish black hair and startling grass green eyes hidden behind thick-framed glasses, walked quietly into the new house they had just moved into, it was different from the one they had lived in back in Surry. For one it was only one story, so she couldn't sleep in a cupboard under the stairs here. Also, it was…strange, she had heard her aunt Petunia say it was a traditional Japanese house. Aunt Petunia had said it with disgust, her nose in the air as she has sniffed around the house, pointing out everything she didn't like. Mac had started to believe it was everything about the house, but she kept her mouth shut.

Mac liked the house, though, the only fault with it was that she had to live there with her aunt and uncle and cousin. But that wasn't the house fault, now was it? She had been given the smallest room in the back of the house, and if she tried hard enough she could pretend that she lived there alone. It was the farthest away she could get from the other two bedrooms in the house where her relative had settled in. Dudley had of course gotten the largest room for all of his things, not that he used most of it.

Mac sighed as she heard the telly from the living room and the loud laugh from Dudley and moved past the room and into the kitchen where Petunia was standing by the fridge.

"It's about time you came back, girl," Petunia snapped at her with a glare. "Dinner isn't cooking itself, you know."

"I'm sorry, Aunt Petunia," Mac said working on not rolling her eyes and keeping her calm. She walked to the counter and started to work on making dinner as Petunia left the kitchen with a last sneer. When she was sure she was alone she rolled her eyes at her aunt.

She finished dinner quickly knowing Vernon would be home from work soon and expected dinner to be on the table by the time he stepped into the kitchen. Just as she heard the front door open she placed the last pan on the table and stepped back. She grabbed the small plate she had prepared for herself and slipped out of the kitchen, hoping to avid her uncle by all means.

Even if she was only 8 years old Mac knew there was something strange about their move, and no matter how much Dudley had complained and thrown tantrums, her aunt and uncle hadn't changed their minds. Mac knew it was the first time in both Dudley's and her memory that they had not complied with Dudley's demands. That in itself was…odd.

"Petunia, dear, all of our problems will be solved!" Vernon had stated one day just as Mac was leaving the kitchen and the way he smirked at her had her stopping at the door. "I have the perfect solution!"

"What is it, dear?" Petunia asked.

"I was called into the Director's office today and he commended me for the job I do," Vernon bragged puffing out his already large chest, "he said they're opening a branch of Grunnings in Tokyo, and asked me if I was willing to take the position of leader at the branch!"

"Tokyo…like in Japan?" Petunia asked and Vernon nodded. "But, dear, it's so far… and school for Dudley…"

"It's the perfect solution, Pet," Vernon said again and threw a meaningful look toward Mac who still was standing in the doorway. "They won't find us there! They won't think to look for us, for her, there!"

Mac frowned confused and saw the pensive look on her aunt's face before she had nodded and that was that.

A week later they were getting language lessons in Japanese, even Mac, and her uncle had muttered that it was because his company knew she was living with them and had included her in the lessons. Otherwise, he would have let her be on her own. Mac hadn't minded all that much; she found the lessons fun and interesting. Somehow, though, she picked up on the language much quicker than the rest of her relatives. Dudley really struggled and whined that it was too hard and boring; he wanted to play video games.

Six months later they were on a plane and on their way to their new lives far away from England, Surry. Now their new lives in Japan, Tokyo awaited them and Mac wasn't very hopeful that it would be much better than her old one in England.

Mac sat in her room eating her dinner as she heard the distant laughter coming from the kitchen and she scowled at the plate on her lap. She focused her mind back to the question of why they had moved. It had been so sudden, and she really doubted that Vernon and Petunia just suddenly decided that they wanted to live in Japan. Not with the snobbish and superior attitude they had shown since they landed at Narita Airport. Also, Mac had a strong suspicion that it wasn't because of the promotion Vernon had received from Grunnings either, no matter the rise in salary. Her brows furrowed in thoughts as she tried to get to the bottom of this mystery. She couldn't shake the feeling that it was because of her… it had something to do with her, and she knew it. The question was how?

...

"You're still going to be unpopular and a freak here," Dudley sneered at her staring down at her where she was sitting underneath a basketball hoop on an empty court. At least it had been empty until Dudley had found her. Her sketch pad was open on her lap and she looked up at her cousin. His thick blond hair and double chin made him look like a blond Vernon, the colouring was the only thing he had gotten from his mother.

"Go away, Dudley," Mac snapped at him.

"Why are you speaking Japanese to me?!" Dudley demanded.

"Hm…Maybe because we're in Japan?" Mac pretended to think knowing she would regret her cheek later, but she had been enjoying herself until he showed up.

"I'll tell mum," Dudley glared.

"Run and tell your mummy," Mac taunted but let out an annoyed sound when the sketchpad was ripped out of her hands and Dudley waved it around. She got to her feet quickly, but she was not as tall as Dudley and he used it to his advantage, so she had trouble getting it.

"Give it back!" Mac demanded.

"Where did you get this, anyway?" Dudley asked narrowing his small beady eyes at her. "You stole it, didn't you?"

"No!" Mac denied. "Give it back!"

"I'm telling dad you stole it!" Dudley sneered.

Mac made another grab for it, but Dudley pushed her roughly so she fell to the ground hard. She glared up at his smirking face, but before Mac could say anything and so sudden that Dudley couldn't stop it the sketchpad was snapped out of his hands and he was left blinking before he spun around to glare at the person who had taken the pad from him.

Mac stared at the kid who had interfered and taken the pad from Dudley, she saw that he was tall and had navy blue hair that was parted on the right side, and the bangs reached just above his eyebrows, and Mac noticed that his skin was tan. He was also taller than Dudley, but she was sure he was around the same age and she quite envied the height.

"You shouldn't tease younger girls," he said frowning at Dudley, "it's not nice."

"Stay out of it," Dudley snapped in heavily accented Japanese. The boy tilted his head a little and looked from Dudley to Mac who stared back at him with wide eyes.

"No," the boy said. "You apologize."

Dudley sneered at the boy and cast a furious glare at Mac before stomping away from the boy who frowned after him. Mac saw the boy open his mouth to say call after Dudley, but she also knew it was best to just let him go. She would be in enough trouble when she got home as it was.

"Its fine," she whispered making the boy close his mouth and turned to her. She got back to her feet and started to brush off the dust from the ground. She felt his eyes on her as she did.

"It's not," he scowled, "he shouldn't take something from you like this."

Mac just shrugged and looked away from the boy who was still watching her, his eyes were the same navy blue as his hair, Mac noticed.

"I'm Aomine Daiki," he suddenly said and sounded different from before, happy.

Mac snapped her eyes to him and found him smiling widely at her and holding out the sketchpad to her, she took it and pressed it against her chest.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"No problem;" he grinned, "what's your name?"

Mac looked back at him startled that he was still talking to her, normally everyone walked away when she was close. She hesitated, should she tell him? What if he walked away, like all the others? What if he didn't want to talk to her? But…he had stood up against Dudley.

"Mackenzie Lillian Potter," Mac finally said, "but everyone just calls me Mac."

"That's a strange name," Daiki said amused.

Mac glared at him, "it's English, so my last name comes last!"

"Oh," Daiki blinked, "well, I'll call you Kenzie."

Mac blinked, "why?"

"Just because" Daiki grinned. "I like it."

Mac scowled lightly but shook her head. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to play basketball," Daiki said sounding so excited that Mac blinked. "You play?"

"Never have before," Mac admitted and bit her lips to avoid laughing at the horrified look on his face.

"What?" he asked, "basketball is the best sport ever!"

Mac just shrugged and looked away from him not noticing his frown as he looked at her. Suddenly she felt someone grab her wrist and she flinched but he ignored it and pulled her back toward the centre of the court where she noticed that a basketball was laying, he must have dropped it when he came to help her.

"I'll teach you," he said seriously.

"Um…" Mac said, "I have to go home soon…"

"Just for a little while," Daiki said and Mac found herself nodding wanting to spend some more time with the boy who was so happy and easy going.

Mac placed the sketchpad on the side of the court and caught the ball that Daiki threw her; she bounced it uncertainly and smiled when she heard the sound the ball made when it hit the concrete. She threw the ball back at Daiki who grinned and she watched in awe as he rushed toward the hoop and the effortless way he moved on the court until he finally was closer and jumped up before shooting the ball through the hoop.

...

"Girl!" Mac winced when she entered the house knowing it was impossible to avoid any confrontation. She entered the living room immediately spotting Dudley sitting on the sofa, smirking at her. She ignored him and looked at Vernon who was glaring at her angrily.

"What did we tell you about treating Dudley with respect?!" Vernon yelled spit flying from his mouth.

Mac kept silent, knowing that no matter what she said it would be wrong. Vernon stalked closer and she withheld the flinch, while they normally didn't hit her she still didn't feel safe being too close to them.

"You will treat Dudley with the respect he deserves, you hear me girl?" Vernon sneered. "You embarrassed him and that is not tolerable! And give me that!"

For the second time that day her sketchpad was snatched out of her hands, she grabbed after it, but was shoved roughly back and hit the table behind her, but didn't fall. She looked up to see Vernon start ripping the sketchpad right there smirking at her as the paper fell to the floor with her pictures in small pieces.

Dudley's taunting laughter was ringing in the room and Mac bit down on her trembling lower lip as she forced herself to watch without a comment. She fisted her hands at her side, digging her nails into her palms.

"Go to your room and do not expect dinner tonight!" Vernon snapped when he was done. "No, wait… clean this filthy mess up. We'll find a proper punishment for your stealing later."

Mac glared at them when they left the room, both laughing like they had just had a laugh. She fell to her knees as she started to gather up the pieces of paper. It was impossible to make out the pictures she had drawn from the pieces, and it hurt. The sketchpad had been a present from Mrs Figg back at Privet Drive; the old lady had been kind to her. Even if she had been overly obsessed with her cats. When she had found out that Mac loved to draw, and was good at it, she had given her the sketchpad. And now it was gone.

She refused to let her tears fall until she was in her room and the door closed behind her, the simple furnishing was a contrast to the rest of the house, but she didn't care. She fell down on the futon she had placed in the corner of the room. Tears fell from her eyes and her small shoulders shook in sobs. Why couldn't she be cared for? Was it normal for kids who weren't raised by their parents to be treated like this? Like they weren't part of the family? It was a long time since she had allowed herself to cry, she hated to show the weakness and she would never do it in front of anyone else.

Stubbornly rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand she wiped the tears away and sat up, she forced her mind to think about Daiki whose happy smiles and laughter had her smiling slightly herself. He hadn't looked at her like she was a freak, he had been…kind. She wondered if she would see him again, he had said that she could come and play basketball with him again tomorrow or whenever she wanted to. But, she knew it was unlikely that she was allowed outside tomorrow.

...

A week later the day of the first day of school was there, it was strange to start school in April and not in September like they did in England. Mac was starting a local elementary school and since she was 8 years old she would start in the second year. Her aunt and uncle had decided to dump her in the public school system, while Dudley was going to an international school with other kids from other countries and he could speak English.

"Follow me," a woman with her hair pulled back in a tight bun said and Mac followed behind her quietly, her hands clutching the straps of her bag tightly, the only outward sign of her nerves. Her mind was spinning with questions and worries, it would be the first time she would attend a school without her cousin. Would she be able to make friends? Dudley always chased off everyone else, both physically and by spreading rumours about her being a freak and strange. This time, though… could she actually make friends? Would they like her?

They stopped in front of a classroom; Mac glanced up at the sign hanging on the top right side of the door, 2 – B. She paused when the lady held up a hand before she opened the door and said something in quick Japanese to the teacher inside the room. Soon the teacher appeared in the door and Mac saw a young woman with black hair reaching to her shoulders, she was smiling warmly at Mac.

"Good morning," she smiled, "I'm Minami Chika, but you may call me Minami-sensei. I'll be your teacher this year. Why don't you come inside?"

Mac nodded silently and followed the teacher inside without looking at the strict woman she had followed here. She was instantly aware of the class sitting at their desks already all looking at her. Mac didn't turn to look at them as she heard the whispering start.

"Settle down," Minami called out and Mac heard the instant silence and Minami smiled again, Mac was beginning to think she did that a lot.

Mac let her long reddish black hair hid her face, for once grateful for the wild thick locks of hair and glanced up at Minami who had turned to her again, smiling encouragingly.

"Why don't you turn to the class and introduce yourself?" Minami asked kindly before kneeling down next to her and lowered her voice, "it's fine, Potter-san. Push your hair back and look at your new friends."

Mac inhaled and nodded, she brushed her hair away from her face and turned to look at the class. The curious stares she got had her nervous and wanting to run, but she was brave. She noticed the wide smile on one face, though, and blinked when she recognised Aomine Daiki from the basketball court. She hadn't been able to go back, her uncle had decided that she was grounded and had kept her in her room all the time since the incident. She found the courage to speak when he was grinning at her.

"I'm Potter Mackenzie," Mac said saying her name like they would, "I'm 8 years old and just moved to Tokyo from England. Nice to meet you."

"Wow, you talk good Japanese for just having moved," Minami said. "Have you known the language long?"

"No, Sensei," Mac shook her head, "I started learning when my uncle said he had a promotion to work in Tokyo. That was six months ago."

"Then you're a quick learner," Minami smiled. "Now, you can sit next to Aomine Daiki, Aomine-san, hold up your hand so Potter-san knows who you are."

Mac was already moving toward Aomine who waved at her.

"I already met her, sensei," Daiki said.

"That's good, then," Minami said.

Mac sat down on the free desk and smiled shyly at Daiki who grinned back, she turned her attention back toward the front feeling a little better.

"You never came back to the court," Daiki said looking at her when the class ended. Mac turned to see him looking at her curiously.

"I was being punished," Mac shrugged making Daiki frown.

"Punished? For what?" Daiki asked.

"My uncle didn't like that I talked back to Dudley, my cousin," Mac said quietly.

"The goon that was with you when I met you?" Daiki asked and Mac nodded. "He's your cousin?"

"Yes," Mac said not looking at Daiki.

Mac got up and walked out of the classroom, she was startled when she noticed Daiki following her. She glanced at him and saw him smiling at her making her blink. She was not used to people following her.

"Come on," Daiki said, "let's go and play basketball."

Mac didn't say anything but she followed after him to the court in the schoolyard, there was already some kids there but they greeted Daiki when they saw him and easily passed him the ball. Mac sat down on the bench watching Daiki play with his friends. Mac, who had just been introduced to the game, could see that Daiki was better than the others. Yet, he played with them well and they all had fun.

Mac refused to join when Daiki stopped to ask her, and he frowned at her but shrugged and went back to the game. Mac found herself watching and observing the others, it came easily to her. Her senses and eyes, despite the glasses, were sharp. She took in the way they moved, the way they passed, everything. She wished she had her sketchpad, so she could make notes or draw Daiki play because it was really something.

The bell rang and they all scuffled back to the school and into their classroom, Daiki walking beside her yet again. Mac wasn't sure why he kept coming up to her, but she wasn't complaining. He had a happy air around him, and she longed for it, craved it, even.

...

Mac sat in her room working on her homework, she had made dinner when she came home from school and had eaten some rise and a small portion of fish before she had left the kitchen just as her relatives came into the room, ready for dinner. She had heard Dudley complains that the teachers at the school were strict and that he missed his friends from Surry. Mostly because he was the leader of his gang there, here he was new and it was unfamiliar to him. No one asked how her day had been or if she liked her teachers.

Working on her homework her mind drifted to Daiki who had cheerfully told her that he'd see her tomorrow before leaving school with his ever constant basketball under one arm. She had almost asked where he was going but had kept quiet. Mac stilled when she noticed that she had written something wrong and started to look for an eraser, she turned to each side and lifted the sheets but she couldn't find it. Annoyed she wished she could just find it when something collided with her arm, she turned and stared wide-eyed at the hoovering eraser, and it was nudging her arm like it was waiting for her. Gingerly she reached out and took the eraser from the air; it fell easily into her palm as if it had never been hovering in the air at all. What was that? More strange things happening around her? Luckily no one had seen it this time… Shaking her head she focused on her homework again.

"Kenzie," Mac turned and saw Daiki coming up to her, his bag thrown over his shoulder and he grinned at her. "You're here early."

"Could say the same for you," Mac said and started to walk toward the school again, Daiki easily falling into step beside her. She had been at the school for a month now and Daiki was continuing to come up next to her. Looking at her curiously and like he was trying to figure something out.

"I'm here to practice basketball before school starts," Daiki said, "dad had an early meeting, so he dropped me off. I didn't think anyone would be here so early."

"I see," Mac said, not saying that she had left early to get away from her family.

"Come on," Daiki said not commenting on the lack of explanation on her part. He rarely did, Mac noticed, and she liked that about him. She followed him to the court and smiled when he let out a loud excited cheer as he started to dribble the ball around the court.

"Kenzie, catch it!" Daiki yelled and Mac managed to catch the ball in last minute before it hit her.

"You've got good reflexes," Daiki commented with a laugh as Mac glared at him. He just laughed as he always did, making her roll her eyes and start to dribble the ball. It didn't feel as unfamiliar in her hand anymore and she had better control over it as she made her way to the court.

Daiki smirked and got in a defensive position and soon the battle between them was on, and Mac even found herself laughing quietly when she managed to get past Daiki who scowled before demanding one more time.

"How did you do that?" Daiki asked when they stopped, they had noticed that the schoolyard had started to fill with kids and knew that school must start soon.

"Do what?" Mac asked confused.

"Get past me like that," Daiki frowned. "You shouldn't have been able to… I was covering you well!"

"You always have your weight on the left foot and I used it to my advantage," Mac shrugged and saw his incredulous look.

"Huh?" he asked dumbly.

"I've observed how you play and move, and I knew you would have your weight on the left leg when you were in that position," Mac explained and he stared at her before he burst out laughing. She frowned not knowing why he was laughing at her.

"You've got a good eye for basketball for someone who never played before a month ago," Daiki said.

Mac shrugged and closed her mouth as a few of their classmates came up to them and she fell back, Daiki was immediately pulled into a conversation and Mac watched from the back as he laughed and goofed around with them.

"You left," Daiki frowned at her as he sat down on his seat next to her in the classroom. Mac didn't look at him only doodled in one of her notebooks as she waited for the teacher to come.

"I wanted to find my seat," Mac said not looking up so she missed the frown on his face.

"You always pull away when others come," Daiki said, "why?"

Mac shrugged, "I'm not very social."

"You are with me," Daiki pointed out.

Mac stilled and knew he told the truth, she didn't have a problem talking with him. It was strange, really. She looked over at him and saw the unnatural serious look on his face as he watched her. She looked away again. The voice in her head said she didn't deserve friends, and that they would leave as soon they discovered that what a freak she was.

Mac was saved from having to answer when Minami came into the classroom and the class started.

...

Mac ran as quick her eight-year-old feet could carry her, and it was fast, but her cousin was still after her. While Dudley wasn't too fast, his new friends were, and they were now chasing her around the neighbourhood. Mac stumbled and fell, but she pushed herself up without taking time to feel the pain from her leg as she pushed on.

"Freak!"

"Girl! Come back here!"

She heard the yells behind her, but she didn't stop. This was something she was used to, but she had hoped that it would stop here when she wasn't in the same school as Dudley. Yet, he still managed to target her…

Suddenly a hand grabbed her wrist and she was pulled behind a large dumpster making her startle and a hand covered her mouth to stop her scream. She stared wide-eyed up in navy blue eyes belonging to Daiki who held a finger to his lips as he stared at her. Mac forced herself to calm down and Daiki removed his hand as they listened to the footsteps coming closer and then rush past the dumpster where they were hiding.

Mac exhaled shakily and stood up taking a couple of steps away from Daiki. It was the second time he had seen how Dudley treated her, and she hated it. She didn't want anyone, especially him, to know. She bit down on her lip trying to keep her emotions under control. Abruptly she felt someone yank at her pants leg and looked down to see Daiki try to get a look at her leg.

"What are you doing?" Mac demanded to try to pull away.

"You're bleeding," Daiki said sounding a cross between angry and concern.

"Eh?" Mac blinked and looked down at her leg and saw the jeans she was wearing was ripped and some blood was on it. "Oh. I didn't realise."

Daiki scowled and got up, he took her hand and pulled her with him. She didn't know why she didn't yank her hand free, but she didn't so she followed him. Her cousin and his friends were luckily gone.

"Daiki," an older woman with brown hair said warmly when Mac and Daiki entered the house, Mac was looking around wide-eyed as she realised that it was Daiki's home. She had never been there before. "Oh…who's your friend?"

Mac looked up and saw the warm smile on the woman's face, her face was kind and she had the same happy air around her as Daiki had. Mac wanted to explain, but before she could say anything Daiki spoke up.

"She's my friend," Daiki said. "Kenzie, she's in my class."

"Oh," the woman said with realisation and Mac wondered why she seemed to recognise the name. She glanced shyly over at Daiki. Had he talked about her to his mum? "I'm Aomine Ayano, dear."

"Mackenzie Potter, but everyone calls me Mac," Mac whispered. "Daiki is the only one who calls me Kenzie."

"I see," Ayano said sounding a little amused and glanced between them with a look Mac couldn't read. "Are you ok, dear?"

Mac blinked startled before she hastily nodded, she didn't want to seem weak in front of the kind woman.

"She's hurt," Daiki grunted and let go of the hand Mac realised he was still holding before he stomped into the house leaving a slightly panicked Mac behind.

"Oh dear," Ayano said and looked down at her leg, "you seem to have hurt your leg. Come inside and sit down, sweetie."

Mac followed behind her quietly and into the kitchen where she sat down on a chair watching as Daiki's mother started to gather some things just as Daiki entered the kitchen again with a first aid kit. He placed it on the table and his mum took over, she rolled up the leg of her jeans and frowned a little as she saw the scrape.

"I'll need to wash it," she said and glanced up at her, "it will sting a little."

Mac only nodded and bit her teeth together as she poured something on the wound and it stung, just like she said, but Mac refused to let out a sound. She blinked when she felt someone take her hand and looked over to see Daiki holding it and he smiled at her for the first time that morning.

A few minutes later Ayano finished and got up, and Mac looked down to a bandaged knee. She saw Ayano look at her son with a strange look on her face before she smiled warmly and shook her head a little. Mac just thought adults were weird.

"You should be fine now," Ayano said, "you did well."

Mac blushed a little and looked down.

"What happened?" Ayano asked looking at the kids.

"I fell," Mac whispered before Daiki could say anything. "I was running and I fell."

"I see," Ayano said again and Mac wondered what she saw… did she know? She couldn't know!

"Thank you for your help, Aomine-san," Mac said getting to her feet and bowed politely to the woman just like the teacher who taught them Japanese back in England had told her to do.

"Think nothing of it, Mac," Ayano smiled kindly, "and call me Ayano-Obasan."

Mac felt her eyes widen slightly as she stared at the woman who smiled at her again, Mac nodded carefully feeling a warmth in her chest as she did.

"You're very good in Japanese," Ayano commented.

"I liked the studies," Mac said shyly.

"Perhaps you can help Daiki with his homework, I tell you, that boy is only interested in basketball."

"Basketball is important!" Daiki spoke up defensively,

Mac just nodded and smiled a little.

"Come on, Kenzie," Daiki said and pulled her with him and outside again. Mac followed him in silence and soon they were on the basketball court. No surprise there, Mac thought amused.

"You didn't fall," Daiki said abruptly.

"I did;" Mac said defensively folding her arms over her chest.

"Your cousin and three other boys were chasing you!" Daiki said, "don't tell me you just fell!"

"I tripped when they were chasing me and fell," Mac said glaring at him, "so I did fall!"

"With help," Daiki wouldn't' let go. "Why is he bullying you? Tell your aunt and uncle!"

Mac glared at him.

"You think that will do anything good?!" Mac snapped at him. "They know and they don't care! No one cares!"

"I care," Daiki said quietly. "Mum would care."

"You can't tell her, Daiki!" Mac said suddenly worried. "You can't tell anyone!"

"Why?" Daiki asked confused and defiant at the same time as only a child could do. "She'll help."

"Help with what?" Mac asked, "So, my cousin doesn't like me. It's not something anyone can do anything about. I only have them, Daiki. If not for them I would be in an orphanage and that's a horrible place! I have heard all about them, and I can't go to a place like that."

Daiki looked at her with wide eyes and Mac felt frustrated tears fill her eyes so she quickly turned away from him so he wouldn't see and removed her glasses to rub her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Please, Daiki," Mac said pleadingly as she turned around and stared at him, her glasses back on.

"Fine," Daiki agreed and Mac smiled relieved at him. "Let's play some basketball."

Mac laughed and he blinked and stared at her before he smiled and the sombre air around them lifted as his laughter also sounded. Mac suddenly realised, she had her first friend. A happy and warm feeling filled her chest as she caught the basketball he threw at her with his usual happy smile. All tenseness from earlier forgotten and only the two of them were left on the court. She grinned happily as she rushed into the game.

...

AN: First chapter. More to come soon! :)