Fandom The Gathering of Death Eater Children

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"As I said, my brother and I read all of the books that interested us." Celeste replied with a smirk, meaning that they had read more from the Restricted Section than anywhere else. "So, do you have a favorite book from the Restricted Section?" she asked.

"I see. To be honest, none of the Hogwarts books truly interested me enough to choose a favorite." she shrugged casually. "It was merely a bit of light reading."

"Truth or Dare?" the Masked Man asked.

"Dare." If it's too difficult, I'll choose 'truth' instead...But I'm not going to quit playing until both options are impossible for me. Rosaleya decided. I may not get the chance to play with him again because he's so unpredictable.

"I dare you not to request the removal of my mask for the remainder of the game."

"Okay, fine, I see what you did there." Rosaleya sighed, admitting her defeat in the 'dare' half of his turn. "Truth"

"What is a large secret about yourself that you don't want anyone to know?"

"Fine." He backed me into a corner without hesitating. If only I had won the first round! I know that he didn't cheat because I chose the cards myself. Well, I can't go with 'Truth' this time... "I'll go with Dare." Rosaleya chose her next card, and the Masked Man chose his. Rosaleya won.

Yes! I'll ask him about his real name! "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare." the Masked Man replied confidently.

? I was waiting for him to pick 'Truth'...This isn't good! If he wins the next round, he can 'Dare' me not to ask about his real name! I have to think of a terrible dare that he wouldn't think of doing without crossing any lines... Rosaleya looked to Jade for suggestions.

"You can bet that he is eccentric enough to carry out any dare that you can think of. I suggest that you use this opportunity to secure your own safety in this game." Jade replied wisely. "He promised that he wouldn't dare you to do anything perverted, but cutting off a finger or eating something horrid aren't 'perverted'. He seems to play ruthlessly, so you should take my advice if you want to get further into the game."

Rosaleya sighed. "I dare you not to suggest anything physically harmful or disgusting or embarrassing for me for the remainder of the game."

"I choose dare." the Masked Man replied, selecting his next card, and Rosaleya followed suit.

Rosaleya won again. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

Okay, now I'm in the same position as before, but this time I've secured myself in future rounds. Let me try to think ruthlessly for a second...what can I ask him to do that he isn't crazy enough to do?

"His demon house should give you plenty of clues as to who he is." Jade suggested slyly.

"I dare you to give me a tour of your house in Hell, whenever I choose." Rosaleya said.

"Truth."

"I dare you to tell me your real name." Yes! He's trapped now!

"I choose Dare." the Masked Man replied without hesitation, as if the choice was obvious.

Well, at least I can maybe get clues as to who he is by visiting his house... Rosaleya thought. Too bad you're not allowed to ask the same question or give the same dare twice...

Rosaleya took a deep breath, and picked her next card. This time, the Masked Man won. Rosaleya selected 'Dare' first.

"I dare you to take a walk with me at the park of my choice tomorrow, at dawn." the Masked Man asked gently.

"A park? Out of curiosity, what is the 'truth' part of your turn?"

"Tell me the biggest thing that you dislike about yourself."

"The biggest thing? Hmm...that would probably have to be that I'm emotionally unstable. One minute I'm fine, but then something happens and I lose control of my facial features and emotions. I wish that I was a Kuude- I mean...that I was a colder person..."

"Hmm." the Masked Man froze for a moment, and Rosaleya assumed that he was reflecting on her words.

I didn't say anything weird, right? Not too weird...I just felt like telling him that for some reason.

"It isn't too strange, since he has probably figured that out already." Jade said.

"Truth or Dare?" the Masked Man asked on his turn.

"Truth."

"What trait do you find most attractive in fictional characters?"

Rosaleya was surprised by this question, for she had already given it plenty of thought. So, she replied without hesitation. "I admire fictional characters with a lack of emotion instead of the ones that cry their eyes out when things go wrong. I want to be able to turn my emotions on and off like a switch." Rosaleya stated calmly. That round wasn't so bad. Is he trying to get me to drop my guard, or was he only trying to be blunt at the start to secure his privacy?"Perhaps that's why I've always thought that the antihero types of main characters, and the villains were the most interesting and had the most attractive personalities. I like characters that don't hesitate to dispose of wicked people and don't flinch at torturing people who deserve it." Did I sound a little too enthusiastic there? I can't help that I'm attracted to the characters that the fans call 'psychopaths' or 'sociopaths'. I just love that cold look in their eyes when they are doing the right thing that the general population considers to be the 'wrong thing' like when Light Yagami killed all of those evil people with his Death Note. But I'm not attracted to Light because his personality was terrible, and the way that he acted in the end was so despicable and pathetic. I just liked one aspect of his character.

Rosaleya's turn. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Why did you say goodbye to me today at Hogwarts when you ignored everyone else?"

"Because I perceived every other being in the vicinity to be like air." he replied coldly.

Air? He doesn't like Nova or Athena? I guess that Athena's hatred of him is mutual...but who doesn't like Nova? This guy must be a jerk to dislike him...or maybe Nova was different in his past? Do they have a tragic past together? Betrayal and pain...and stuff like that? Wait, why aren't I also like air? I've got no value to me since a soul could easily be taken from any other mortal without wasting this much time on them...

"Hmm...what a peculiar reply...You should ask him why he wants to spend time with you if everyone else is 'like air'. Also, ask if he knows anything about why Athena is also spending time with you." Jade suggested. "Also, ask him if he knows you're a demon. Also, you're worth more than air, my love."

Rosaleya's turn again. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Why do you want to spend time with me if everyone else at Hogwarts this morning, especially Nova, is 'like air'?"

"I perceive you to be an interesting demon."

"Oh...so he also thinks that you're a demon." Jade raised an eyebrow in an 'I told you so' kind of way. "Ask him if demons can identify different species. And about Athena."

"Truth or Dare?" the Masked Man asked.

"Truth."

"What is the most delicious thing you have ever eaten?"

"Probably...everything in Reign's garden. Demonic food is superb as it is, but Reign's food is especially delicious." Rosaleya replied.

"Truth or Dare?" the Masked Man asked.

"Truth."

"What is the most interesting subject to read about?"

Rosaleya thought for a moment. "Probably..." Refrain from saying 'Anime', refrain from saying 'Anime'...

"Hey, why don't you ask him if he knows what 'Anime' is?" Jade suggested. "I mean, your 'Prince' obviously knows what it is, since he sent you that ring, and would've had to know the Anime well enough to make the reference. That's a clue, right? Or wait, why don't you ask him if he knows anything about the letters and the ring?"

"...Probably Anime." Fudge, I can't lie!

"Truth or Dare?" Rosaleya asked.

"Truth."

"Do you know why Athena Lovett also wants to spend time with me?"

"I am unaware of the full explanation." the Masked Man replied in a cold tone. "I only know that she perceives you to be as interesting as I do."

"Oooohhhhhh." Jade rolled his eyes. "How romantic. Why are they both fighting over you? Maybe your special powers make you the key to the demonic world, and they both want to have you on their side so that when you discover them, they'll be able to profit from the sidelines!" he invented humorously in a dramatic voice. "In which case, Nova would've known, and he's already won. You're out of luck!" Jade hollered at the Masked Man, even though he couldn't hear him.

Rosaleya laughed, and the Masked Man made a slightly confused expression under his mask.

Seriously, though, I think that Athena just wants a friend and Kagetane wants a princess. Rosaleya thought.

"Truth or Dare?" the Masked Man asked.

"Truth."

"Why did you cut your hair?"

"Why are you asking? Do you think that it looks bad?" Rosaleya asked, raising an eyebrow since she knew that it didn't.

"No, but it is considered rude to answer one question with another." he said gently.

"Oh...I've been wanting to get it cut for a really long time, and..." Rosaleya explained how her father had always controlled her haircuts, and how Athena had gently persuaded and helped her to do as she wished. "...because I wished to Nova to make my father a bit less strict...well, a lot less strict, so Athena made me realize that I could finally have what I wanted, and she helped me describe that to the hair stylist since I'm terrible at describing things." she finished.

Once again, the Masked Man paused and seemed to ponder her words for a while. "Truth or Dare?" he asked at his turn.

"Truth."

"What is the emotional significance of that signet ring?" he pointed to her signet ring.

Argh! I don't want to tell him that if he doesn't already know! It's totally another piece of perfect blackmail material.

"Dare."

"Allow me to give you an outfit that I believe will bring out the colour of your eyes."

Another unpredictable thing that he said.

"He's being very blunt, isn't he?" Jade remarked dryly.

Well, if it's the choice between getting a new outfit and giving him some blackmail material-

"-then the choice is obvious." Jade finished.

"I choose the dare."

They selected their cards. "Truth or Dare?" Rosaleya asked.

"Dare."

"Tell him to lick the floor." Jade suggested before bursting out into laughter.

That's mean.

"He's being too blunt and confident for his own good." Jade replied coldly. "Besides, if he really doesn't want to, then he'll choose 'truth'. Then, you can ask him about the signet ring and the letters. If he doesn't know anything, then he should have no problem replying. But if he does, then he shouldn't hide it from you, right? And furthermore, I'm sure that he can probably find a loophole in the question if he really wants it to be a surprise."

"Lick the floor."

"Truth."

"Tell me everything in your memory about this signet ring that I'm wearing, or about love letters, and how you know that information."

"Love letters are a form of writing that suggest affection and an affinity for the receiver of the letter. I have received and written several in the course of my lifetime. The concept of love letters was explained to me by a book I found in a demonic library. The signet ring is, as far as I can tell, a well-crafted ring made of a metal that is found in certain parts of Hell that is similar to human silver, yet stronger, and never susceptible to corrosion. This particular ring is based off of an Anime and Manga series known as Revolutionary Girl Utena, or Shoujo Kakumei Utena, as the Japanese call it. I know this because I researched the ring the day that we met in Darkest Creatures. I was curious about its significance to you." he finished in a very professional voice.

Okay, so, he's not my prince? Rosaleya thought.

"He could still be your prince." Jade assured her.

How?

"Do you remember, in Code Geass, when Lelouch was playing chess against Mao, who had the mind-reading Geass?"

"Yes."

"Lelouch won because he removed the memory of his plan to win against Mao, and thus he won without Mao reading his mind and discovering the plan."

"Oh..." Rosaleya said out loud. "That is very good information." she thanked Jade out loud.

The Masked Man assumed that she meant his information about the ring and love letters.

"Truth or Dare." the Masked Man asked.

"Truth."

"What is the most pleasant way to wake up in the morning, theoretically?"

"Dare."

"Tonight when you return home, take a cold shower with all of your clothes on, and then go to bed without doing anything else."

"Pfft...I'll get a cold, but that's not technically harming me, or embarrassing me, so you're not breaking the rules..." she sighed. "Okay, if I could wake up any way I wanted, it would probably be the way I always wake up. I set my computer to start playing one of my favorite Anime songs every morning, so that it's the first thing I wake up to. It puts me in a good mood, and it's nicer than a regular alarm clock. The only addition I would make is for my closest friend Jade to serve me tea and open the drapes for me like Sebastian Michealis. Satisfied?"

"I was planning on doing that tomorrow morning." Jade remarked gently.

The Masked Man didn't answer, but picked his next card. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Tell me who 'Jade' is."

"Dare."

"Wear an outfit of neon orange the next time you leave the house."

"Ouch! That's such a terrible colour it's painful to think of!" Rosaleya cringed. "Jade is my personal extension-"

"Speaking of which, you should ask him about his personal extension." Jade reminded her.

"-and hence my closest friend in all of the realms-" Rosaleya continued.

"-I'm honored!" Jade swooned jokingly.

"-and the only person I would trust to be in my bedroom while I'm unconscious."

"That's right! You can trust me." Jade embraced Rosaleya from behind her chair. "And I'll never leave your side."

Awww...and you feel so nice and warm, too...you feel so real! Rosaleya thought gratefully.

"Truth or Dare?" Rosaleya asked.

"Dare."

"The next time you eat something, you have to make it so spicy that your eyes water and your throat hurts, and then eat every last bite of it without drinking or eating anything else to help relieve the pain!" Jade suggested wickedly. "And you can't take a break until you've finished it!"

Rosaleya repeated this, word for word, to the Masked Man.

"Truth."

"Describe your personal extension in as much detail as possible."

"I select 'Dare'. " the Masked Man replied calmly.

"What? Did we make it too easy?" Jade asked, flabbergasted. "Fine, next, we'll ask him to pretend that he is Dante in his tiger form, and lay on the floor for ten minutes! He'll fear the humiliation so much that he won't be able to resist choosing 'truth'! Or, you could make him empty out his pockets! Maybe there are clues as to who he is in there!"

"Truth or Dare?" the Masked Man asked.

"Dare."

"Tell your father how you truly feel about him."

"Truth!" Rosaleya said hurriedly.

"What is your relationship to Nova?"

"He is a close friend of mine. I feel comfortable enough to let him in my room, and we play board games there, or sometimes we just talk. It's because I made a wish that he would never betray me, and we've gotten close after a lot of time has passed. I made it explicitly clear that any act of lust against my will was an act of deep betrayal," once again she was using a warning tone "which, of course, he already knew."

"Truth or Dare?" Rosaleya asked.

"Dare."

"Empty out your pockets and let me touch and inquire about the contents."

"Truth."

"Tell me a big secret that you don't want me to know that isn't about your face or your name."

The Masked Man didn't move for a moment, and just when Rosaleya thought that she had won, he reached into his pockets.

"Awww...I thought that that might work, but...maybe he foresaw this and cleaned out his pockets beforehand of anything too obvious." Jade said in disappointment.

He emptied the contents on their table; a notebook, the book he had been reading earlier, a small bag of Demonic currency and a bag of Wizarding currency, and a collapsible quill.

Rosaleya first chose to examine the book, which he had been reading when she arrived. It was about all the different torture techniques, dated from the beginning of time up until the current year, and explained in detail.

"Wow...it even says which nation came up with the technique..." Rosaleya was impressed by and interested in the book. "Can I have a copy?"

"Borrow it, if you wish."

"I'll make a copy of it for you." Jade offered "Hand it over."

Rosaleya handed him the book, and he duplicated it for her, handing the original back to Rosaleya before putting the copy inside a fold in his kimono.

Next, she examined the notebook, which had random quotes from different people written in it. She recognized only a small portion of them, but nearly all of them were interesting.

"While many can pursue their dreams in solitude, other dreams are like great storms blowing hundreds, even thousands of dreams apart in their wake. Dreams breathe life into men and can cage them in suffering. Men live and die by their dreams. But long after they have been abandoned they still smolder deep in men's hearts. Some see nothing more than life and death. They are dead, for they have no dreams." Jade read one of the quotes out loud, looking over Rosaleya's shoulder. He was reading it in Griffith's voice from the English dub that Rosaleya had greatly enjoyed.*

"Can I also have a copy of this?" They go back from the beginning of time, although it doesn't say who spoke these words. Rosaleya said.

The Masked Man nodded.

Jade repeated the copying process with the journal.

"Okay. Then, those are all of the questions that I have." Rosaleya finished.

After replacing the items in his pockets, he won the next round. "What is the most disgusting trait in a fictional character?"

"Lust. I like characters that make perverted jokes sometimes, but not if they act on their lecherous desires. It's gross, and it makes me lose respect for them, every time, without fail." she said it in a warning tone, as if advising 'Edmund Dantes' to remember that fact.

"Truth or Dare?" Rosaleya asked.

"Truth."

"How do you eat with your mask on? I saw you eating the ice cream earlier, but I don't understand how that worked."

"The mask is charmed so that sometimes I forget that I am wearing it. It is an illusion, so I can still breathe, eat, and swim with it on. However, if anyone other than myself tries to touch it, they will perceive it to be a solid mask."

"That's interesting." Rosaleya and Jade remarked at the same time. She won again. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Do you play any instruments, and if so, which one or ones?"

"I play the piano."

"Truth or Dare?" the Masked Man asked.

"Truth."

"What sort of music do you enjoy listening to?"

"Dare."

"Go to sleep with wet hair on December first, this year."

"I'll get a cold!" Rosaleya laughed. "I like mostly Japanese music, but I also like classical music."

"Truth or Dare?" Rosaleya asked.

"Truth."

"What are your parents like?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to get on all fours and then order a meal for both of us, in that position, as seriously as possible." Jade suggested. "It has to be a good meal, with appetizers and dessert and drinks as well. You also have to pay for it all. And when you're done ordering, you have to ask the waiter to pat you on the head like a 'good dog'. "

Rosaleya repeated this to the Masked Man while the corners of her mouth twitched upwards.

'Edmund Dantes' remained frozen, and both Jade and Rosaleya held their breath for his reply.

"What?!" Jade exclaimed when 'Edmund' rose from his seat, signaling for a waiter.

"You-you're going to do it?!" Rosaleya asked with a shocked expression. "Y-you don't have to, we can stop playing if you want!"

"Rules are rules, and I am choosing to do this." the Masked Man replied nonchalantly. "Besides; I've done far more embarrassing things before. More importantly, I want to finish our game."

"You're overreacting." Jade said.

I feel bad... "No, that's it. I don't want to play anymore. Game over." Rosaleya got up from her seat and asked the waiter to leave because they didn't need him yet. She turned to the Masked Man after the waiter had left with an apologetic and gentle countenance. "I'm sorry for asking you to do that. It wasn't fair. If you don't want to talk about your parents, then that's fine, but I don't want you to embarrass yourself."

"He could've made a wish to another demon that grants wishes to make everyone here forget what they saw, if he doesn't have powers that can make them forget. If he dislikes Nova, then surely there must be other demons that can grant wishes, right?" Jade reasoned.

"It's fine." the Masked Man took his seat again, gesturing for Rosaleya to do the same. "I'm more concerned over why you reacted so warmly to me just now. The look of concern in your eyes was highly unsettling to me. It was a simple dare. You weren't asking me to cut off a finger or gouge out my eyes. Didn't you say that you wanted to be more cold-hearted?"

"I'm sorry...I-"

"Why are you apologizing? Please refrain from doing that." the Masked Man took hold of Rosaleya's right hand, clasping it gently in both of his. "It was a game that we were playing, nothing more. Honestly-"

Jade reached forward, promptly taking hold of Rosaleya's wrist and pulling it away from the Masked Man.

"-I was having fun." he ignored the fact that, from his point of view, Rosaleya had harshly snatched her hand away from him. "Besides; have you ever gotten embarrassed in a room full of air and furniture?" he gestured around them at the restaurant full of guests.

"I told you, you were overreacting." Jade sighed. "What's the use of having me here if you're only going to listen sometimes? He's so eccentric that he doesn't care about the other beings in this room...for a reason that we don't know, yet."

"Okay...I didn't see it like that." Rosaleya said.

"Would you like to finish our game?

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Hmm...The book about the cursed vaults and about ancient runes that contains dark magic are currently my favorites," August replied. "You do not have any favorite book at all?"

"I see. To be honest, none of the Hogwarts books truly interested me enough to choose a favorite." Celeste shrugged casually. "It was merely a bit of light reading."

...Then why did she even waste time on reading? She visited Hogwarts several times to explore it and to read the books...yet it sounds as if all the books in our library did not meet her expectations, as if they were a bit boring...August thought, surprised by her answer. I would only bother myself with reading if it something that is very interesting and which I will gain benefit of...

"Ah...I see..." He nodded. "Have you visited the grand library in the wizarding village Serpents' Garden? They have more collections of books from all over the wizarding world..."

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Yes, I have." was all Celeste said. Her reply didn't give any clues as to how he felt about the place, but also stated clearly that she didn't really care to continue their discussion about magical books.

"So, I'm looking forward to our next date." she smiled, changing the subject to something that she wanted to discus. "Why don't you choose a date for our seventh date, and I'll tell you if my schedule is clear on that day. I already have our activities planned out." she said with a secretive smile that expressed her excitement for their next date.

"You'll have to excuse me for a moment." Rosaleya replied, walking in the direction of the bathrooms.

There was a small hallway separating the men's and women's restrooms, and Rosaleya summoned Nova there.

To her surprise, he entered the hallway the same way that she had, as if he had been inside of the restaurant all along.

"Salutations." Nova greeted gaily.

"Hi...Uhm, Nova, can all demons tell the difference between demons, humans, and, you know, all of the other races?"

"Yes, it is a common ability." Nova replied. "If they're taught, then they can distinguish other demons from the rest of the races easily. Just like humans are taught the difference between 'left' and 'right', but they don't know until they're taught." he explained. "However, it is a very common ability with humans, to be able to tell the difference, correct?"

"Yes, that's a perfectly clear explanation." Rosaleya thanked him. She was about to ask another question when he interrupted.

"Alright, bye!" Nova smiled, walking back out of the hallway normally.

I'm really...? I can't believe it. This is what I've wanted ever since I started visiting Hell... Rosaleya's eyes were filled with joy. I can't believe that so many amazing things are happening in one day...If the fight between Dad and I was a sort of 'payment' for all of these other amazing things, then that's fine. Eventually my sadness from that fight will disappear...but I'm really a demon! I'm overjoyed! That means I actually have a shot at being equal to Nova and Celeste and Stephan and the other 'Princes of Hell'. All this time, I've felt inferior to their greatness, but now- "Wait!" Rosaleya said, but Nova hadn't heard her. Why didn't he tell me?

"Hang on." Jade said helpfully, pursuing Nova and grabbing his arm, pulling him back to where Rosaleya was standing. Nova hadn't resisted, so Jade hadn't harmed him, but the latter remained holding the former's arm with a helpful smile.

Rosaleya gestured for Jade to release Nova. She laughed quietly as he moved to stand next to her again obediently, with his hand on her shoulder. I wonder what would've happened of Nova had resisted? She thought briefly before continuing. "Why didn't you tell me that I was a demon?"

"Because I didn't know." Nova replied. "Although I can usually tell, for some reason I had quite some difficulty with you. How did you find out?"

"Athena, Jade, and Kage- I mean 'Edmund Dantes' all told me, but I didn't believe them until you told me that demons can usually tell the difference. I mean, it's not likely that Athena and Edmund are both unable to, right?"

"Right. I'm very happy for you." Nova smiled "...But I wanted to tell you; you've always been equal to me, regardless of your species. It's because all virtuous people are equal to me." he added genuinely, ruffling her hair before walking away again.

"How sweet. Wait here for a moment." Jade said to Rosaleya, following Nova discreetly.

Jade also thought that Nova's words were sweet...It's strange that when Jade expresses his opinion, I agree, and also feel surprised. I know that Jade's words are also my own, but I often have two opinions on things, and choose to ignore one of them. Jade is verbally expressing the second or forgotten opinion for me. He also thinks faster than I do.

"Nova was sitting nearby and we didn't notice him! He was watching our game." Jade said, returning ten seconds later.

"Oh..." Rosaleya wasn't bothered by this, because she understood that their match was probably interesting from Nova's perspective. "Well then, I'm glad that I stopped Kagetane from doing that, because it would've been terrible if Nova and Kagetane saw my reaction."

"Well, now we can talk." Jade turned to Rosaleya. "You have more questions for me."

"Yes, I do. Okay, first, what else should I ask Kagetane about? I know that when I get home, I'm probably going to remember something really important that I could've asked him, but it would be too late by then. Also-"

"Also, he's being very vague with most of his answers, so forget about asking him important questions. He's probably used the Code Geass memory trick that we discussed earlier in preparation, for all of his important answers. That's why he's so confident that he didn't use our 'nothing dangerous, embarrassing, or disgusting' dare for himself on one of his turns. He thinks that he can get away with choosing our mild 'dares' or simply being too vague about our 'truth's. So basically, we're going to get nowhere. You can't use this game to get information that he is hiding, but what about information that he didn't think you would want?"

"Like what?"

"He probably planned for you to waste the whole game trying to interrogate him instead of learning more about his personality, meanwhile he's learning plenty about yours." Jade stated logically. "So why not try to ask questions similar to the ones he's asked you? At least you would learn more about his tastes."

"Thank you." Rosaleya took a deep breath and then walked back to the Masked Man's table, where he was staring into the distance, clearly deep in thought.

"You should also ask him about that strange new ice cream you had on the walk." Jade suggested.

Rosaleya won the next round. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"What flavor was that ice cream that we had earlier? You never told me." Rosaleya asked. "Tell me in detail, because it was delic-"

"-It was soul ice cream. I made it myself." the Masked Man replied.

"You were eating souls?! Ask for clarification!" Jade said, looking as surprised as Rosaleya felt.

"...How do you make it?"

"I take the souls of humans that I collect and add them to different batches of plain ice cream that I make at my home. You add the souls when the ice cream is almost frozen, that way the soul retains its freshness, and flavors the ice cream as well. Each soul is a different hue and no two souls taste the same, so you shouldn't mix them, because often times mixing souls creates a bitter flavor. The colour of the ice cream ends up being whatever colour soul the person had." the Masked Man finished without any empathy at all, but it sounded like he was smiling. "So tell me, did you enjoy tasting your first soul?"

"You did enjoy it. It was the most delicious thing that you tasted, and it was unlike anything you had ever tried before." Jade sighed. "And unfortunately, his coldness at this moment is charming you." he observed. "Tell him that he'll have to make you answer that on his next turn, and keep your face as straight as possible! You're doing perfectly well right now, so try to keep it up." he advised. "Put all of your efforts into hiding that smile!"

"You'll have to ask me on your turn." Rosaleya said, keeping her face blank with a great deal of effort and selecting her next card. Jade's right, I do feel like smiling cruelly...But...I would prefer it if Kagetane didn't know what I really think about it...

"That you couldn't care less whether it was a good human or a bad one that he used to make that ice cream, and that you enjoyed it, and in fact would eat it again. People die every day, in plane crashes, car accidents, alcohol or drug abuse, sickness and old age, et cetera...if you tried to empathize with every one of them, then it would be a waste of time. It's no different if the death happens right in front of you, or on the other side of the world. It's the same with all beings, really." Jade said with a cold countenance and an apathetic voice.

"Truth or Dare?" the Masked Man asked.

"Dare."

"Play the 'word association game' with me for one minute."

"Fine." Rosaleya agreed, since she already knew what the 'truth' part was.

"I'll count down from sixty for you." Jade said.

(The 'word association game' is where one person says a word, and the other person has to say the first thing that pops into their heads, without hesitation.)

"You can stop whenever you want if it becomes too difficult." the Masked Man said gently.

"Is it okay if you don't know what the word is that I reply with?" Rosaleya asked, imagining that her replies would be full of Anime words and references.

"Yes. We will start...now. Yellow."

"Sixty..." Jade started counting.

"Korosensei."

"Red."

"Hellsing." Alucard's coat...

"Blue."

"Rin Okumura" From 'Blue Exorcist'.

"Green."

"Grass."

"Black."

"Butler." The 'black' made me think of Black Butler, which made me think of the pentacle on Sebastian's hand.

"White."

"Kimono." I was thinking of Jade's kimono...he's so handsome...

"...fifty...forty nine..." Jade continued with the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.

"Purple."

"Athena's hair." Just like Touka Kirishima's.

"Orange."

"Oranges."

"Face."

"Hairless." Like every perfect bishounen's.

"Hair."

"Long." Like every perfect bishounen's.

"Hand."

"Slap." Why is that the first thing that 'hand' made me think of?

"Chest."

"Toned." Must resist fangirling...

"Fingers."

"Cleanly manicured." Dirty or long nails are gross.

"...I agree...thirty nine..." Jade continued.

"Dog."

"Dead." I really don't like dogs, and a dead one is in heaven, so at least it's at peace.

"Love."

"Trust." Trust is the most important thing in a relationship.

"Evil."

"Child trafficking and abuse." The worst evil in this world. Even human trafficking isn't as bad, in my mind, because I just imagine children as being so cute and defenseless...how heartless can you be to violate that?!

Jade nodded firmly in agreement while he kept counting.

"Justice."

"Lelouch." Rosaleya replied.

"Strength."

"Morality."

"Romance."

"Anime." So far, it only exists in fictional works. As far as I know, those love letters could be a heartless prank. But I am hopeful...hopeful that romance is a real thing.

"...twenty nine...twenty eight..." Jade counted.

"Enemy."

"Pervert."

"Light."

"Yagami."

"Dark."

"Heart."

"Chair."

"Painful."

"Mother."

"Distant."

"Death."

"Grim reaper." And now I'm thinking of Grell Sutcliff and Undertaker, which makes me think of Damien.

"Life"

"Dreams." Griffith's quote: Dreams breathe life into men, and can cage them in suffering.

"Rain."

"Calming or pleasant."

"...And it smells so lovely, and sounds nice as well." Jade agreed. "eighteen...seventeen..."

"Fear."

"Perversion."

"Home."

"Painfully plain." I wish my home wasn't just filled with white walls and half-working appliances.

"Beauty."

"Personality." Because a beautiful personality is the most important thing.

"Father."

"High-handed."

Jade paused his counting to laugh heartily.

"Freedom."

"Revolution."

"Sleep."

"Cuddle." When I sleep with someone, I just want to cuddle. As much as I enjoy reading R18 manga and webtoons, I don't actually have the desire to do any of those things.

"Children."

"Gennon." From Berserk...that __!

Jade suggested three more cuss words in addition to Rosaleya's choice, then continued counting. "seven..."

"Peace."

"One Piece."

"Music."

"Anime."

"Knife."

"Back."

The Masked Man couldn't help but laugh at her last choice. "A knife in the back?" he asked in amusement.

Jade was laughing just as heartily.

I like the sound of both of their laughs... Rosaleya thought. "Yes."

"Well, that was one minute." the Masked Man concluded. "You gave me some interesting replies."

"It was fun." Rosaleya replied.

They were almost done with their game; there were four cards left, so two more rounds.

"Truth or Dare?" Rosaleya asked.

"Truth."

"What trait do you find most repulsive in fictional characters?"

"I find the character trait of 'narcissism' to be the most repulsive."

They both reached for the last two cards, and Jade couldn't help exclaiming "Yes, we won!" when Rosaleya pulled a three and the Masked Man got a two, even though Rosaleya's face showed no traces of excitement.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

"Play the 'word association game' with me for one minute." Rosaleya replied.

"Truth?"

"Tell me the reason why you're using a fake name."

"Because I dislike my real name." the Masked Man replied.

"He was vague, just like every other reply he's given. I told you not to bother with those questions." Jade sighed. "But I suppose you just couldn't help it. You thought, once again, that you had him trapped, but he seems to be a master of speaking without giving out information."

The Masked Man stood from his place, and offered his hand to Rosaleya. "Our game is over, and I have no desire to eat here. I'll be having dinner elsewhere, so you may do as you wish."

Rosaleya looked from the Masked Man's offered hand to Jade, who shook his head disapprovingly. "It's nine o' clock already. It would be better to get to bed after eating alone, since you have to wake up early tomorrow to do your chores and take the morning shift at Darkest Creatures. 'I'll consider it at another time'." he suggested.

"I'll consider it at another time." Rosaleya replied calmly.

"Thank you for the useless game." Jade suggested haughtily.

"Thank you for the interesting game." Rosaleya edited Jade's suggestion, speaking respectfully as she stood from her seat.

"I liked my way far better." Jade turned his head away with a disappointed expression.

"It has been a pleasure." the Masked Man offered his arm to Rosaleya. "May I walk you back to Darkest Creatures?"

"No, just go home already!" Jade sighed in exasperation, as he guided Rosaleya by the shoulders toward the exit with a decided countenance and a firm yet gentle grip.

"No thank you. Have a nice night." Rosaleya said as she left with Jade.

Nova was laughing discreetly at his table. From his perspective, it looked like she walked away without hesitation and simply called her parting words nonchalantly, but I can guess what really happened.

"You don't need him to walk you home, he already did enough with his invitation earlier." Jade's voice was irritated as he kept guiding Rosaleya all the way back home "It was another unpredictable action, but also charming. However, you should try saying 'no' to him more often. The same goes with Athena. Even if you want to agree with them or say 'yes', you need to show them that you have willpower. I can go places with you, and take you to get your hair cut, and take you out to eat, and all of those things. The love letters were probably a heartless prank anyway."

"Stop." Rosaleya stopped a few meters outside of Darkest Creatures, which they had reached quickly at their hurried pace, because Jade let go of her shoulders.

"I really want a 'Prince'. " she mouthed.

"But you also want to be alone, like you've always been."

"I want a cold-hearted Prince that loves me and only me." Because a Prince that doesn't value fidelity is useless. "And a best-friend who won't use my personal information to blackmail me."

"I can be your Prince. You can be sure that I won't betray you." Jade embraced Rosaleya "And besides, isn't the time you spend alone the only time that you get to be yourself without having to worry about what anyone else will think about your 'dark side'?"

"Yes."

"I think that you should toy with Athena and Kagetane as much as you want, and I promise that your heart won't get involved. I'll help you, just like I did tonight."

"That sounds..."

"...perfect. Come now, aren't you hungry? I'll prepare some food for you while you shower and get changed for bed." Jade said positively.

 

[Hikari Chan]

..She is either not interested in discussion wizarding literature or she perhaps doesn't want to share her opinions...the more I think about, the more it sounds as she is not being interested since she seemed so bored about reading the books from the library at Hogwarts.. August thought, feeling slightly disappointed.

"So, I'm looking forward to our next date." Celeste smiled, changing the subject to something that she wanted to discuss. "Why don't you choose a date for our seventh date, and I'll tell you if my schedule is clear on that day. I already have our activities planned out." she said with a secretive smile that expressed her excitement for their next date.

"Well..." He smiled and pondered which date he should pick. ...We have been meeting Wednesday in a row...Is it her favorite day? Should I pick Wednesday again the coming week…but it feels to soon, but perhaps she likes to see me once a week...she would not mind a date two weeks ahead, would she…? "...Since you are always free on Wednesdays, I was thinking about that we could meet on the 15th or 22nd of this month, what do you think?" He suggested lightly.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"The twenty-second sounds perfect." Celeste replied after thinking for a moment.

She stood from her seat, and Dante rose as well. "Shall we return to London?"

"Good morning, young mistress." Jade said to Rosaleya in a perfect imitation of Sebastian Michealis's voice. He placed a cup of tea by her bedside and opened the drapes for her in the morning while humming La Gardenia from Black Butler .

"Good morning, Jade." Rosaleya sat up drowsily, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

"It is six o' clock. You have enough time to bathe and get downstairs to start early on unpacking those new boxes from yesterday. Oh wait, I already did that quietly while everyone was asleep." he smiled warmly, sitting at the edge of her bed while she took a sip of the tea. "I also handled all of the housework up here, then dusted and organized everything downstairs. All you have to do is sit by the register for your morning shift. I'll be in the kitchen, making your breakfast, and I'll bring it to you when it's done."

Rosaleya put down her tea and embraced Jade. Thank you, Asmodeus!

Twenty-five minutes later, she was sitting by the cash register, sipping the soup that Jade had made for her. It was one of the few simple soups that she knew how to make from scratch, so it was a healthy breakfast. She finished eating by the time the first customer entered the shop.

"My my...you certainly did your chores more efficiently than usual." Leigh observed. "You didn't forget a thing, and in fact you cleaned so well that it's twice as good as your usual job." His tone expressed that he was half-complimenting her, and half-complaining that she didn't usually do a good job.

Jade, who was leaning coolly against the wall beside Rosaleya's chair, rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure...I don't care. Go away." he remarked in an irritated tone.

"Thank you." Rosaleya smiled.

"Well, I'll be leaving the store today to stock up on supplies; as you can see, Crystal gave me quite a long list. So, I won't be back until this evening." he was half-explaining, half-complaining. "Bye!" he nearly sighed.

"Bye!" Crystal called half-heartedly from the staircase. She had been ascending the stairs to finish up a custom dress that was due at four, so she would also be busy for a while.

"So..." Jade said as he noticed Rosaleya was feeling slightly bored. "...do you want me to go upstairs and get you the magazine that you got yesterday?" he offered.

Rosaleya nodded once. That's a really good idea. I was just trying to decide what I should do in between customers, since I already finished all of Shakespeare's books.

 

[Hikari Chan]

...It is perfect that I got three weeks ahead to the seventh date... August thought, feeling very satisfied and refreshed the next day. Since he never cared about his sister, he never bothered to check up on her. He found a letter addressed to him from the headmaster and when he went to have a light breakfast, almost the entire staff was gathered. Adela was as usually absent, however since he was used to hardly see her since during this summer, it did not matter. Mulciber was present on the other hand, however he was quiet. It seemed as if he had something to tell August about but refrained from doing so. Alexis seemed to be nervous about something since he picked on his food, but most of the staff were gathered for breakfast, August did not notice anything unusual.

When the clock struck ten, Alexis left the staff room and tried to walk out as calmly as possible. ...I need somehow to get hold of that letter miss Jugson got from my sister...but how....

Earlier that morning when Endewyne and Faeryn had went down to staff room for eating breakfast, Alexis had broken into Endewyne's office, but he could not find anything after he had searched her office for nearly fifteen minutes.

...if it is not in her office, it means that she either must have destroyed it or she is carrying it around with it...or she could have entrusted it to someone else... Alexis thought, feeling totally clueless. He left Hogwarts and decided to go around for a walk in London to clear his mind.

When he walked past a shop that was selling gift wraps and party items for the muggles, he suddenly remembered Adela's birthday. ...Of course! To gain her trust, I need to treat her like Elias treats his sister! Well...Adela's birthday is about a month...I should already look around to find the best birthday gift for her...

After wandering around among the shops in the central part of the town for nearly several hours, Alexis stopped by a cafe to have some lunch since he got so hungry of walking around so much.
...Well it turned to be harder than I thought...I cannot just give her a doll this time like I used to do when she was a child... He thought as he took a bite of his chicken sandwich. ...Mother used to buy a couple of presents and I always got one to give Adela...I wish I could ask mother for advice... He thought with a sigh. ...I stopped giving Adela birthday gifts because mother passed away sometime before her eighteenth birthday...and it did not seem right to suddenly celebrate her birthday when she was still mourning... He finished his sandwich and drank a cup of lemon tea while he was deep into his thoughts. ...But it was not a doll I got her when she turned seventeen...but a small bottle of sweet rose perfume...of course, I should get her a bottle of sweet rose perfume! But would that not remind her about her when she turned seventeen? But it would be fine, wouldn't it?

An hour later Alexis came across a small muggle shop that sold vintage fashion and accessories. The shop was narrow and crowded with products.

"Good afternoon," An old lady called out from behind the small cashier.

"Good afternoon!" Alexis greeted her politely but almost choked up on his own words when he saw how the shop keeper stared strictly at him as if he should not have entered this place. ...ugh...I should pick something and buy and get out from here... He thought as he noticed that this shop only sold products for women. He immediately went over to the displays with the various accessories, necklaces, bracelets, chokers and hair accessories. He felt the shop keepers' eyes following his every move as he browsed among the accessories. He picked out two items that he thought that Adela might love and walked over to the cashier.

"They are birthday gifts to my sister," He blurted out of nervousness without thinking. ..Why did I even tell this shop keeper...

The shopkeeper put the necklace in one paper box and the hairpins in another paper box and wrapped the both paper boxes in light rose colored gift wrap. When she was done, she put them in one light brown paper bag.

"Thank you for shopping!" She spoke in a monotone voice after Alexis had paid.

He took his shopping bag and hurried out from the shop. As soon as he was outside, he took a deep breath. …Merlin's beard...that old woman, she must be scaring away any male customer that enter her shop...well I would like to get Adela one third gift...but there's something special I want to get her but I need to go to the wizarding area and ask for it....because if I try to describe the gift for a muggle shopkeeper they might think that I am crazy enough to put me in a mental hospital...

It plinged above the door as soon as Alexis entered Darkest Creatures in Knockturn Alley, believing that he would find the third gift to Adela in this store. As soon as he entered, he noticed that the store was divided into one section for women and one section for men. He also noticed that a young girl with short hair was sitting behind the cashier. He relaxed a bit when he saw that the store offered products for both genders and that the shop keeper was not a scary old lady.

...But I cannot enter the women's section with my shopping bag... he thought and walked up to the cashier.

The young girl looked vaguely familiar; however, Alexis could not remember that she had been the one he had asked for a dance on the summer feast.

"Good afternoon," He greeted. "I am looking for a birthday gift to my sister, so I was wondering if I could leave my shopping bag here at the cashier and take a look in the women's section, if that's alright?"

..I don't know what to do if this shopkeepers decline my request....if she says no, then I am just going to try to describe the gift for her and she has to pick it out for me... He thought as he fingered nervously on the handles of the paper bag he was holding.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Rosaleya read every page of the magazine, even if she wasn't immediately interested or didn't need the item or service advertised, because she was interested to see what sort of advertisements the demons had.

The first few pages advertised different companies which built houses for demons. Some companies only specialized in homes in the Demon Realm, and others were strictly for the Human Realm.

"Oh, so that's how demons get their houses." Jade said, interested. "The names of these companies sound very nice, not like Earth's real estate company names."

A few more pages in was an advertisement for a demonic maid service, promising a clean house in less than ten minutes, no matter the size. If the house was not cleaned satisfactorily, then the customer didn't have to pay. The rates varied based on the size of the house.

"So they also have cleaning services..." he commented.

There was an advertisement for Asmodeus's Plaza in the first quarter of the magazine, and next was an advertisement about a writer who could write any story requested, and design the characters based off of the customer's descriptions.

A customized novel? That sounds like fun. Rosaleya thought.

"It says that the writer is a mind-reader, so he can easily write the story that the customer wants. Well, we don't need anyone reading our minds." Jade said, firmly rejecting the idea as he read from the bottom of the page, which Rosaleya hadn't reached yet.

Next was an advertisement for the demonic mall that Rosaleya had visited with Athena, and then further in there was an advertisement for the salon where she had gotten her hair cut. Sprinkled throughout the first quarter were advertisements for different restaurants all around the world that were owned by demons and hence served demonic food, and other malls and stores that sold demonic items. Sometimes, entire streets or areas or neighborhoods that only allowed demons inside, or humans accompanied by demons, were advertised as well. There were also festivals and other fun events being held at all times of the year. It was quite a detailed and interesting magazine thus far, even though Rosaleya barely recognized any of the things being advertised.

"And here's an advertisement for Antique." Jade pointed.

"Wow..." Rosaleya mouthed. "...I want to visit all of these places...I didn't realize that there were so many places that the demons had in this world."

"I promise that I will take you to each and every one of them. We can also try out the maid service, and maybe one day we'll get a house made from one of those companies." Jade smiled with a soft look in his eyes. "You did say that this apartment was so plain and mundane to you. There are so many places to visit, and we haven't even finished reading a quarter of this large magazine, yet. Oh, here comes what's-his-name." Jade looked up, and so did Rosaleya, to see Alexis opening the door to Darkest Creatures. He had spoken his last words lazily, even though he remembered Alexis's name as well as Rosaleya did.

Rosaleya repeated the standard greeting for the fiftieth time that day. "Welcome to Darkest Creatures." she said brightly. She recognised Alexis from the Summer Feast, remembering how she had turned down his request. I wonder why he's nervous? Rosaleya wondered after hearing his explanation. "Sure." she smiled in a friendly way; the way that her father had taught her to smile for customers. "Just don't forget it here." she joked.

Jade glared at Alexis as he walked away to shop, and then continued reading the magazine with Rosaleya.

"Oh, a school to teach demonic children how to use musical instruments." Jade pointed, his eyes widening with interest at the list of professors' names. "Look, Reign's name is on the list!"

She was about to look at the place that Jade indicated when she heard footsteps nearing the register.

"Yes?" Rosaleya said when Alexis approached the counter again, putting the magazine down and giving him her full attention with a helpful persona.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Thank you!" Alexis replied gratefully, feeling less nervous and could relax. "Sure..." He chuckled. ...How can I ever forget the gifts I bought for Adela! He thought as he walked over to the women's section.

...now that this shopkeeper knows that I am looking for a birthday gift for my sister, I can browse around in this section without worrying the slightest...

As he browsed around, he noticed that the clothes were of dark colors. ...I want to choose something for someone who likes girly and romantic things and likes vampires at the same time...hmm...

...should I get her another necklace...? He thought as his eyes fell on the display were necklaces with long chains hung. ...Hmm...I wonder if she doesn't mind the red color... He thought as he picked out a necklace with long silver chain and a crescent moon and red heart stone.

Satisfied with his choice, he walked over to the cashier.

"Yes?" Rosaleya said when Alexis approached the counter again, putting the magazine down and giving him her full attention with a helpful persona.

"I would like to purchase this one to my sister," He replied. His nervousness was all gone. He placed the necklace carefully on the cashier. " And I would like it to be wrapped as a gift please..."

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"I understand." Rosaleya nodded.

"I'll handle the wrapping." Jade informed her.

While Rosaleya told Alexis how much it cost, put his money in the register and counted out his change, Jade wrapped the item perfectly and put it on the counter. He had selected a white wrapping paper with a pink floral pattern, and a pink ribbon with a white floral pattern.

"Is this wrapped to your satisfaction?" Rosaleya asked casually, gesturing to the gift.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"..." Alexis got nearly speechless when he watched the young girl multitasking with wand-less and nonverbal magic and handing the cash register so flawlessly.

"Is this wrapped to your satisfaction?" She asked casually, gesturing to the gift.

"Thank you! It looks perfect!" He smiled, feeling both satisfied and surprised. He was feeling surprised that she had picked a wrapping paper with pink floral pattern with a pink ribbon with white floral pattern. ...I was expecting a dark gift box...but this is even so much better...

"Besides being so skilled in magic, you have great instincts," He praised her, meaning it. He praised her as a usual customer who would praise a shopkeeper for doing such a great service in the shop. "My sister loves pinks and flowers..." He put the wrapped gift among the others in his shopping bag. "Have a good day, miss." He said and walked out from the shop.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Besides being so skilled in magic, you have great instincts," Alexis praised her, meaning it. He praised her as a usual customer who would praise a shopkeeper for doing such a great service in the shop.

"Thank you." Rosaleya replied in a professional voice.

"My sister loves pinks and flowers..." He put the wrapped gift among the others in his shopping bag. "Have a good day, miss." He said and walked out from the shop.

"Thank you for visiting Darkest Creatures, please come again." Rosaleya said as he left.

August 3rd

"Oh?" Athena said aloud after reading the letter from the Hogwarts headmaster. "Well, then..." she remembered the conversation that she had shared with Rosaleya. "...I guess I'm going alone today." she sighed with a disappointed countenance. Oh, I've got an idea!

Rosaleya sat at Zayne's cafe, staring out the window as she ate a plate of waffles with fresh fruits and extra whipped cream. Jade was reading the letter she had received from the Hogwarts headmaster aloud for her.

"...School uniform, a wand, and an inkwell and quill. Pets are optional." he finished. He had chosen to read the letter explaining the pre-exams first, and then the 'shopping list' as he sat on the chair opposite her.

"Thank you." Rosaleya mouthed while cutting another piece of her waffles. I'll go shopping with Nova and Stephan today. It shouldn't take a long as I originally thought...They'll probably make us go shopping again when we finish the 'pre exams', so that we can get our textbooks. She thought positively.

"Let's read through the Hogwarts rules again today." Jade said, pulling the parchment out of a fold in his kimono. "We've been doing it once a day, and we should keep doing that until we don't need the parchment anymore."

My thoughts exactly. I don't want to get in trouble for doing something that I didn't know was prohibited.

"That would be quite foolish." Jade agreed. "Good thing my mistress isn't a fool." he smiled.

"Wow, look at that girl! She's levitating that parchment, reading, and eating with a fork and knife at the same time." one girl whispered to another. They were eating at a nearby table, and they weren't whispering very quietly, so Jade smirked as he heard this. It was the same smirk he had had when Alexis complimented Rosaleya at Darkest Creatures the previous day. Rosaleya's expression showed little interest in their conversation.

"Yes, she looks like she's been doing it all her life!" the girl's friend said. "She's probably going to make our average grades at Hogwarts look terrible! She'll ace the charms class for sure..."

"Maybe we can ask her to teach us her secret to excellent concentration? When I try to levitate things, I have to put all of my concentration into just handling that, so I couldn't imagine reading and eating at the same time...Maybe she just practices a lot."

"Psh, nonsense. She must have a secret, so like you just said, let's ask her if she can teach us."

"If it turns out that she's also attending Hogwarts, then we will."

After Rosaleya had finished eating, by which time Jade finished with reading the rules, the bell above the cafe door pinged.

"Hello." Nova greeted Rosaleya cheerfully, and she returned his greeting. "I saw you from outside, because you're sitting so close to the window. Did you get one, too?" Nova held up his Hogwarts letter.

"Yes." Rosaleya nodded as Jade held up hers.

"Splendid." Nova smiled. "Stephan and I will be at the robe shop in Diagon...I believe it was 'Madam Malkin's'. Will I be seeing you there?"

"Definitely." Rosaleya replied. Jade took hold of her hand, raising it so that it caught the attention of a nearby waitress.

"I'll see you there." Nova waved.

"Would you like the bill, Miss?" the waitress asked.

"See you soon." Rosaleya replied to Nova as Jade gently moved her head to look like she was nodding in reply to the waitress's question.

"I'll be right back." the waitress said.

Jade followed the waitress, took note of the price, and returned to their table, taking the money from Rosaleya's pocket and began counting it out. "He didn't pressure you into it like Athena. And even though he said that you would be shopping with him to help you avoid Athena's persistence, he still confirmed twice to make sure that you truly wanted to go. What a nice example of a friend." Jade commented genuinely as the waitress returned.

"How did you guess?" the waitress asked, seeing the correct amount on the table already.

Jade shrugged. "...'I have good instincts.' " He suggested in a modest tone, although his smirk ruined the effect.

"It was just a good guess." Rosaleya replied nonchalantly. Jade pulled out her chair for her, and they left together.

"So, you should probably ask Nova about the issue with your wand." Jade said.

"Hmm?"

"Demons don't use wands, remember? Maybe he knows where the other demons get their fake wands when they want to pretend that they're wizards and witches."

Good idea.

When Rosaleya arrived at Madam Malkin's, Nova and Stephan were dressed in Hogwarts uniforms.

"Hello, Ms. Fairbrook." Stephan greeted formally, offering his hand to shake.

"Hi." Rosaleya replied, shaking hands with him. Why is he calling me Ms. Fairbrook now? What was he calling me before? I can't remember, but I feel like he wasn't calling me by my last name.

"He has just recently started calling you by your last name." Jade informed her. "Although I cannot tell why he switched to your last name suddenly."

"I thought that you weren't going to Hogwarts, Nova?" Rosaleya asked suddenly, questioning his attire.

"Oh, this? I was just having fun." Nova replied with a grin. "I wanted to see what I looked like in one of these."

"So, this is almost your size." Jade said, handing Rosaleya a boy's uniform in the size closest to hers. "It's slightly larger, because tight clothes are useless. We might have to have Miss Malkin tailor them a bit, but that's all. Come on, try them on."

"I'll be right back to try this on." Rosaleya informed Nova and Stephan, heading toward the fitting rooms with her uniform in hand.

"I will guard the door for you." Jade said in an important voice, as if he was protecting the queen of England instead. He leaned up against the wall near the door of Rosaleya's fitting room as she changed.

"The waist is about two inches too big, but that's about it. I thought that it would be worse." Rosaleya said, opening the door a few minutes later.

Next, they picked up extra quills and inkwells, and finally Rosaleya asked about her wand, explaining her prior issues with it.

"Well, I think that the reason you were never able to channel your magic through a wand is that it's impossible for a demon to do so with a wand." Nova said after considering it for a moment. "It's like trying to eat an olive by sucking it through a straw. The wand's magical capacity is too narrow for you to channel your magic through, so it's easier to use your hands like demons do. Just pretend to use the wand that you already own, and everything will be fine. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, thank you." Rosaleya nodded. "It was fun shopping with you, so thanks a lot."

"You're welcome." Nova smiled. "See you later."

"Bye!" Rosaleya said to Nova and Stephan, the latter giving her another formal handshake and addressing her once again by her last name.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Jade asked. "I think that we should visit the grocery store because there are some things that we need; I made a shopping list while you were in the shower this morning. I used up all of the glass cleaner and the dish washing liquid, and we're running low on laundry detergent, salt, and toilet paper."

"Thanks. That's a good idea." Rosaleya mouthed.

At the supermarket's checkout counter, Athena stepped out of line when she saw Rosaleya, while using her hand to make sure that no one cut in front of her. "Hey Rose, do you want to take my place?" she offered with a smile. "I was leaving when you came in, and I thought that you would appreciate some help with these long lines, so I stepped in for you."

She waited in one of these long lines just for me? Rosaleya thought skeptically, giving Jade a sideways glance for advice.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Mother, I need some advice regarding a birthday present..."

"A birthday present? But there's no upcoming birthdays this month, is there?" Natalia looked oddly at her son, because it was the first time, he asked her for advice about buying gifts.

"It's Adela's birthday and I don't know what to get her..."

"Oh...is it soon?"

"It is the tenth September!" Vincent seemed visibly proud that he had put the date on his mind and remembered it.

"Well..." ...It is more than a month left, why is he such in hurry... "...give me a couple of days and I will think about something..." His mother smiled. ...How difficult could it be? Just buy her a bouquet of flowers and something that is suitable for humans...He knows her more than me and I have only met her once at a party...yet he asks me what he should get her....perhaps he is being clueless since it is his first time dating hehe...

...ugh why is he holding my hand...I am not a child... Adela thought annoyed, her hand sweating so much because of Alexis who had been holding it since they had gone out for a walk in London, and now they were queueing in the long line to London's eye. And he was holding her hand firmly, as if he was worried she would get lost.

"Uhm sorry..." She nearly yanked her hand out of his grip. "I need to blow my nose..." She was a bad liar and he looked oddly at her as she wiped her sweaty hand with a tissue which she then used to wipe her nose with, pretending to be blowing it quietly without making any noise.

...I hope she does not think that I am clingy.... Alexis thought. ...And I hope she washes her hand when she gets the opportunity... He was feeling disgusted by the thought that she had used the same tissue to wipe her hand and her nose.

...ugh he is so clingy... Adela thought.

"Do you like the view?" Alexis asked when they were at the top of the Ferris wheel. He was trying to make a conversation with his sister who had been quiet and not spoken a single word to him other than excusing herself to blow her nose when they were standing in the line to London's Eye.

"Mhmm..." Adela was indulging the grand view of the city below them, the blue sky with the white clouds, the birds that were flying in the distance. ...If I could fly freely like that, fly away from my worries and leave everything behind me...... She thought, not caring about to converse with her brother and remained silent.

...why is she being so quiet...is it because of what happened two days ago? But I apologized to her... He thought, feeling awkward.

"Where would you like to eat?" Alexis asked cheerfully when they had left London's eye some minutes later.

"Mmm..." Adela looked happily around before gesturing towards a vintage cafe and restaurant that were decorated with flowers. "I would like to eat at that place, please." She was very happy that he had allowed her to choose a place.

...What the bloody hell! I am allergic to flowers... He thought horrified. ...Did she choose that place on purpose...? He glanced sideways on his sister.

"Since it is a hot day, shall we sit outside and enjoy the warmth of the sunshine?" He suggested, hoping that he would be doing fine since they were outdoors.

"Sure…let's sit here..." She chose a table for two which was placed in a corner close to the most of the flower pots and flower arrangements.

...Seriously what the fudge...

"...But I don't like corner places-" He fumbled.

"And I don't like to sit in the middle of somewhere..." She interrupted, hinting on the last time when he had chosen a table at the Three Broomsticks. "Please..." She looked at him with her brown big eyes that he could not say no to her.

"Here..." He gave her some muggle money. "Please order the same for me. I trust your choice."

"Alright," She smiled and vanished inside the restaurant.

He took a seat by the table she had chosen, his back against the flowers and the corner while he was facing the view of the streets and other restaurants, cafes and shops. ...I can make it through this...I will be doing fine...as long as I do not smell the flowers, I will be fine...

Adela came back with a tray a moment later. She had bought Chicken-Fried Steak & Gravy for them both with orange juice to drink along.

"Why are you sitting like that?" She asked her brother when she placed down the tray on the table.

"Because I like the view, I mean, there's not much to see while facing the corner, is there?" Alexis replied.

"I see, but now when I am here, are you going to have your back turned against me?" She asked when she sat down.

"Of course not..." He turned around and smiled towards her.

"Bon appetite!" She returned his smile and started to eat. "Mmm, this is so good!"

He tasted the food and tried to breathe carefully as if he was trying to avoid smelling anything from the flowers that were dangerously close to him. But it did not take long before he started to sneeze. His eyes and nose had turned red and he was holding his handkerchief against his face between every bite he took from his meal. His eyes were so teary that anyone who did not know about him being allergic to flowers would think he was crying. Water was running down from his nose as if he had caught a cold.

"Are you alright?" Adela asked, her voice and eyes full of concern and pity.

Alexis nodded with a smile and wiped off both his eyes and his nose before taking another bite of his food. He chewed it and swallowed it quickly because he just felt about to sneeze for the thirtieth time.

…Merlin's beard...what if he dies... She thought anxiously and felt guilty that she had chosen this kind of restaurant and place to eat. ...It is enough...I only wanted to punish him a bit for what he did to me two days ago...but I never thought that his allergy was so bad...

"No, you are not okay....let's move over to another table-"

"I am fine..." He had nearly finished his meal.

...I hope he believes that I am totally clueless and had no idea about him being allergic to

Flowers... She thought nervously as she drank her orange juice.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Jade shrugged with a cold smirk, replying "I told you; play with them all you want, but don't consider them friends." His tone and eyes were unmistakably cold-hearted.

Without looking at Athena, Rosaleya took the place that Athena had saved for her. "Thanks." she replied coldly.

Athena, who was caught off-guard by Rosaleya's sudden change of attitude, allowed her cheerful persona to falter and be replaced by a worried one. "Are you okay? If you're sick-"

"-Your help is not necessary." Jade said coldly.

"-maybe I could come over and help you-"

"-that's not necessary." Rosaleya replied, matching Jade's cold tone while looking Athena in the eyes with a firm glance. "I'm fine, it's just that I would like to be alone today."

"Oh...I understand." Athena smiled again, patting Rosaleya on the shoulder, although it was clear that she was hurt by Rosaleya's newfound icy persona by the look in her eyes. "Bye, for now."

"Ah, subarashi-dess." Jade sighed, watching her leave with a pitiless glare and a pleased voice. "What a splendid performance. Let's try to replicate that again next time."

"Yes." Rosaleya said quietly to herself, wondering if she had been rude or not. She's being so nice...but...I can't figure out why...I know that previously, I told myself that perhaps she just wanted a friend, but...I feel like that's a lie. I mean, there aren't any Deredere's in real life; they're a fictional character type. There isn't anyone who would be nice for the sake of being nice. She thought as she began unloading the items from her cart onto the checkout counter.

"Yes, there has to be motivation." Jade said in a melodramatic tone "Nova could have, perhaps, had a tough upbringing by heartless parents, which gave him the motivation to never be like them! Asmodeus is motivated to be the polar opposite of his brother, and his parents, or so he has told you! Celeste acts in accordance with her vision of the quintessential 'princess', so that she may one day meet her 'prince'. Her brother is kept in line by his motivation to be the quintessential 'brother' for his sister. And Crystal is motivated to be kind to you because she has always wanted a daughter, but hasn't been able to find a 'prince' for herself yet. That is also her reason for not simply adopting a child now, because she wants 'the perfect family' that she envisions. Eric is inspired by his vision of The King, so he acts as he believes Alastair DiVilliers would. Luna Lestrange is also motivated by her desire to be unlike her parents. Diana is head-over-heels, Yandere-style in love with Reign. We still do not know The King's motivations, or Reign's, or Stephan's, or Kagetane Hiruko's. However, the latter's motivations, as well as Touka Kirishima's, must be discovered. The reasons they are giving are completely unacceptable, and most certainly do not explain their actions. Until they are able to give proper reasons, then we are unable to trust them." Jade finished as Rosaleya paid for the groceries. "Oh, what fools!" he exclaimed in irritation upon glancing at the groceries, which now rested in bags. "They didn't bag them correctly again!"

Argh, not again! Rosaleya thought, sighing as she placed the bags in a shopping cart and grabbed a few extra empty bags as well. She walked to the exit, and stopped just outside, correcting the items.

"The cold items stay together and the toiletries stay together! And most importantly, the chemicals should be placed standing-up in the bags, and triple-bagged so that if they leak, they're not making too much of a mess! Remember the time when the Clorox leaked and stained your dress-shirt?"

"Yes." she took the bag of frozen peas out of the bag that also held the flour a little too harshly.

"Remember the time when the frozen peas got mixed in with the spices and ruined them with the condensation? They should really train their employees better when it comes to bagging groceries. But enough about that-" he smiled, instantly changing from irritated to cheerful when Rosaleya finished her corrections "-where are you planning to go with the rest of your day? We have so much time left until you have to sleep. Do you want to go to the park with the nice long walking paths so that we can run for a bit?"

"Yeah, I've got a lot of energy today." Rosaleya agreed with a smile. "I'll change into something more athletic after we put these groceries away back home."

A majestic waltz was playing as most guests swirled around in pairs, dancing in perfect synchronicity. Otherwise, drinks were being raised and lively stories were exchanged between other pairs along the sides of the grand ballroom which seemed to be made entirely of gold...

...Waiters went around, offering beverages or horderves to the guests. At the far end of the room, two thrones sat empty on their platform. A loud and theatrical voice announced "Everyone, the Queen of Roses has arrived."

Rosaleya, escorted by Jade, descended the stairs, and all of the guests stopped immediately and bowed to her as if she were a deity; even the musicians had stopped to follow the example of the guests.

Jade was wearing a golden kimono. Rosaleya was wearing a frilly golden dress, and her hair was too long again, just like before, and also made entirely out of gold. Jade's eyes had a dead and lifeless look to them, remaining firmly staring at the floor, and his slow breathing made it clear that he was experiencing a sort of despair worse than anything in the world. Rosaleya, on the other hand, felt a strange disconnection to the grandeur of her appearance and surroundings, and only registered a light-headed and cold feeling toward it all.

Once she reached the bottom of the steps, every guest was enjoying the ball again as if there had been no interruption at all.

"Miss, would you please dance with me?" the Masked Man asked, taking hold of Rosaleya's right hand in an attempt to firmly lead her to the dance floor. He was wearing a princely outfit, also made entirely out of gold, a top hat, and a golden mask.

"Miss, won't you dance with me instead?" Athena asked hopefully, also wearing a princely outfit made entirely out of gold. She had taken hold of Rosaleya's other hand, attempting to pull her away from the Masked Man.

"Hmm?" Rosaleya asked, feeling distant. She couldn't comprehend what they were asking of her.

"Dance with me, princess!" both of them insisted at the same time, giving Rosaleya a pleading glance before shooting an irritated glance at each other.

Rosaleya looked to Jade for clarification or assistance, but he still regarded the floor with a dead look in his eyes. She was finding it incredibly difficult to speak, as if one syllable was costing her an enormous effort.

"Excuse me, please..." Rosaleya managed to say at last. "...I have to think about something..."

She somehow managed to get outside into the peaceful gardens...

...by which time if felt as if her body was on fire. It felt like she was sick, and needed to cool down immediately or else she would retch something horrid.

She got onto her hands and knees, feeling the cold stone by the water. It was a relief, but still not enough. Without a second thought, she lay down on the stone and rolled over into the water. She was somehow able to breathe in it just fine, enjoying its refreshing coldness as she floated on her back.

"Miss Fairbrook, are you alright?" Stephan asked, looking at Rosaleya with genuine concern in his eyes.

Rosaleya couldn't speak, staring upward at the clear blue sky with a blank look in her eyes. She wanted to speak to him and tell him that she was fine, but it was so difficult to speak now that she couldn't even open her mouth to attempt it.

He bent forward to touch her forehead, and pulled back immediately in pain, having been burnt by her skin.

"Something's wrong with her-" Stephan said frantically to someone behind him that Rosaleya couldn't see "-she was burning up, but now we have to save her before she drowns!"

'But I'm not drowning' Rosaleya wanted to reply, but she was surprised to see that she was at the bottom of the small lake now, and could only hear the distant and panicked voices of the people at the surface. She was not burning up any more, nor was she unable to speak. Now, she was unable to move. Jade was lying beside her with a blank look in his eyes.

"I want to save her!" Athena said, pushing Stephan aside "Get out of my way!"

"I want to save her! Step aside, fools!" the Masked Man said, pushing both of them aside and jumping into the waters without any hesitation.

It became a race of who could reach Rosaleya first, and they all arrived at the same time. "Take my hand!" they all said at once, all with outstretched hands. "Choose, quickly!"

But another pair of hands had seized Rosaleya by the throat, pulling her into the murky ground of the lake. Her lungs filled with dirt and her eyes stung from the debris, although she couldn't struggle against it.

Suddenly, she was sitting in a wooden chair by a roaring fire, soaking wet and cold.

"This fire will warm you. Aren't you happy that I saved you?" Asmodeus asked with a warm smile, as he elegantly played eerie yet charming music on an organ. "You are happy that you chose me, aren't you?"

"What do you mean, 'choose you'?" Rosaleya asked, still unable to move although all of her other functions were fine.

"You chose me instead of anyone else." Asmodeus continued, not seeming to hear her. "I won the game."

"...What game?"

"Don't you remember?" Asmodeus asked, stopping his playing and immediately giving Rosaleya a disgusting and unsettling look of lust. "You set this game up yourself, three years ago. The person that you chose would win the golden prize."

"Gold?" Rosaleya cringed, remembering the sickening amount of gold that had been used in the ballroom and for everyone's outfits.

"Yes. And I won, didn't I? I was a splendid game, but as always, I won. And I didn't even cheat this time. Your power isn't the best prize I could ask for, but it is the joy of having something that no one else will. Something that is not common. There is only one of you in existence, and now, according to the rules that you chose, I will have this prize until the next game, if there ever is one."

Rosaleya realized that it wasn't Asmodeus who was talking; he wouldn't speak in this strange way.

"Hmm? What's this, you have eyes now?" he asked, nearing her.

As he did, everything around her changed in a disturbing way; the fireplace started emitting tortured screams in her own voice, the walls and floors became riddled with hideous and disgusting bugs and insects, all buzzing and moving in different ways, the sky outside changed from blue to brown, and Asmodeus became Satan.

"Can you see it?" he asked, his eyes wide with pleasure at the look of disgust and shock in Rosaleya's eyes.

He moved to embrace her "Is it not beautiful? It cannot compare with the works that the others call art, because I made all of this for you. Tell me, do you like it?"

Rosaleya awoke with a start, tangled in her blankets and falling off her bed with the fading feeling of Satan's embrace and bugs crawling on her skin.

"Jade? Jade! Are you alright?!" Rosaleya asked, calling desperately as she attempted to free herself of the blankets.

Jade promptly ran into the room and freed her from the blankets.

"Oh, I'm so glad that you're okay." Rosaleya said gratefully, embracing him the moment she was free. "I had this terrible dream that-"

"I know what you dreamt about." Jade replied. "But this is why I asked you what you wanted to dream about last night before bed. But you said 'forget it tonight, we'll think about it tomorrow'. And I didn't wake you up because in real-time that dream took only three seconds to escalate to that terrible level. I was rushing upstairs as it was escalating, and that is why I arrived so quickly when you called."

"It was terrible; first I couldn't talk, and then I couldn't move...and you were basically dead, following me around and not doing anything, and I got confused because there were things that I liked and things that I hated being mixed together at the same time. And why do I always dream that either moving or talking requires too much physical effort that I become sick or overheated?"

"We can ask Asmodeus about it if you wish; I heard that he is good at dream-interpretation." Jade replied.

"How did you hear that?"

"In your memories, you block out the background chatter from other demons, but I can remember that chatter as well. I went through all of it, so there are things that other demons were discussing that you may have missed the first time. For example, one of Asmodeus's powers is controlling dreams." Jade replied brightly. "Now now...get back to bed; it's three o' clock in the morning. I'll handle the rest of your dream for tonight, just like I advised in the beginning, okay?" he said, picking her up and placing her back on her bed again. He proceeded to summon clean blankets from the closet in a different room, and covered Rosaleya properly. "Now, goodnight." he smiled.

"Okay. Goodnight." Rosaleya replied as Jade left with the old blankets in hand, presumably to wash them since they had been on the floor, humming something as he went.

"Oh, you're still the first one to arrive to a staff meeting." Crystal laughed, entering the staff as well. "I'm still very early, although I admit I wanted to beat you this time." she joked. "I'll just have to try harder next time."

"Good luck." Luna smiled, looking up from her book. She was almost finished with Wuthering Heights now; she had only one and a half chapters left.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"You have been sneezing a lot lately...." August commented.

"Well...I think it is the season-" Alexis shrugged.

"Really? During this month?" His brother interrupted him and put a hand on his shoulder. They both stopped in their tracks in the hallway on their way to the staffroom. "Unless if you were stupid enough to go to any bloody flower shop or close to those bloody greenhouses here..."

"Well, I happened to walk past a flower shop three days ago...may we discuss this after the meeting or we will be late to the-"

"Whatever, that's your problem and I don't want to hear any excuses. However, I'd like to know why you intervened in Adela's date with Ivan. You better explain yourself after the meeting..."

...What the bloody hell...I already told Ivan that Adela asked me to join her to the amusement park...but I think I messed it up since I first told him I begged her about joining and later told him that it was actually the other way around....well I will just show August part of my memory...I wonder what Ivan told him...perhaps I will get to know what truly happened between Adela and Ivan after we left the amusement park...

Everyone started to enter the staff room about five minutes before the meeting. Elias was the last one to enter.

"Good evening, everyone," He greeted as soon as everyone quieted down. He surveyed everyone with a serious look on his face. When he locked eyes with Luna he smiled, yet he could not help but feeling worried about the approaching school year.

"Well, I have a couple of news for you. I have good news for you, but also something that I would not regard as bad news but more of worrying kind," He began. "The good news are that we have a new aspiring teaching assistant joining our staff team," He nodded towards Pegah. "Welcome, miss Ferydoni!"

"Thank you," She mumbled gratefully, looking down on her hands, not believing her luck that she had escaped from an arranged marriage so far.

"Miss Ferydoni will be assisting miss Pyrites in Magipsychology and hopefully become a professor after a year or so," Elias continued. "Further on, we are going to give older students, that have missed their chances to go to a wizarding school, the opportunities to study and graduate here at us. An extracurricular study group have been formed just for them. Students that already have graduated from our school will also be given the opportunity to take an extra year or two to take extra classes. So, besides the students who are going to begin their first years and the others who are going to continue their years as usual, we also have a group of four students who have missed to go to a wizarding school. These four students will be put in the extracurricular study group. My sister who has already graduated and will be taking an extra year for cooking in magic, will also join this extracurricular study group and be the head girl and prefect of it. I found no one else suitable more than her since she the only one from the graduated students who is taking an extra year-"

..So that's explains why she was here... Flynn thought for himself. ...Head girl and prefect...tsk, will she be able to put through that without earning herself detentions…?

"-Well, as for the worrying news or should I call it the issues that have given me no rest at all. It is regarding the students who are joining the extracurricular study group. You should put their names in your mind from now on, Mr. Edmund Dantes, miss Athena Lovett and Mr. Stephan Garnett. As far as you know the Ministry of Magic keeps a register on wizards and witches that are from Great Britain and Ireland. These three students were not found in this register and hence we know they are from other countries, which is actually not a problem itself, but the problem is that they turned up at my office without making any appointment with me in beforehand and only snorted at me when I made a comment about it. I am not going through any more details about what happened during the meeting, so to keep it short: They do not seem to be the kind of students who would socialize with others during the meals and they already questioned the rules. So, I won't be surprised if these three turn out to be trouble makers. Keep an extra eye on them. You deduct and give points and detentions as long as you are fair and do not favor any student-"

..Didn't you just favor your own sister? It was unnecessary to make her head girl or prefect…Elias is worrying about three new students who we barely know anything about while he instead should be worrying about his own sister who is the biggest trouble maker... Flynn thought for himself.

"-I and miss Lestrange will be taking the decision if things become too serious that we need to expel a student. Speaking of which, Mr. Dantes wears a mask and he refuse to take it off. Whatever his reasons are, please do not question him his mask-"

"Well, why did you accept such troublesome students to this school? You could have sent them off to other wizarding schools..." Persephone interrupted with a sigh. It was clear on her face that she would have kicked out such troublesome students if she had been in his place.

...And send away miss Shadowwalker as well... Flynn thought.

"Because I had no good reason to reject them. We took over this school just a couple of months before the summer and it is not easy to change and enforce new rules over one summer. They will be taking pre-exams and let's hope they excel all the exams that they don't need to be here at all. For meanwhile, just keep an extra eye on these three students-"

"What about the fourth one? You said that four students where joining the extracurricular study group, but you only mentioned three names," Endewyne pointed out.

"I was coming to that," Elias replied. "You don't need to worry about the fourth student, miss Rosaleya Macabre Fairbrook. I doubt she will cause any mischief, however on the behalf of miss Thorne who is her guardian, I ask you all to keep an eye on her and report if anything that happens to her to miss Thorne. Just like when you have to report things about other students to their parents. Well, as for now, any volunteers who would like to examine the students' trunks when they arrive here? I need at least eight volunteers, one for each class year and one for the extracurricular study group."

Flynn Pyrites, Lloyd Macnair, August Dolohov, Claude Selwyn and Ivan Mulciber raised their hands at the same time.

"I need three more volunteers," Elias looked around.

Endewyne Jugson raised her hand.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Luna returned Elias's smile with an equally gentle smile. She wasn't worried about any of the new students' eccentricities, since she could always have Raven fix whatever problem she needed.

We have discussed this already together. Luna remembered the conversation she had shared with Raven on August 1st, after she had met the new students. Raven can remove their memories of Hogwarts and easily relocate them all to different schools, as well as undo any damage they are capable of. It is not a problem in the least, although after meeting Crystal's student I do not think that she is capable of trouble, although appearances and reputations can always be inefficient in judging a person's character or capabilities.

"-I and Miss Lestrange will be taking the decision if things become too serious that we need to expel a student."

Raven is my right-hand person, so that is not a problem, but Elias probably knows that and is simply informing the other professors, who shouldn't know anything about Raven. Luna thought.

Rosaleya isn't so useless as to cause trouble; she's the model student, studying properly and speaking respectfully to the professors, I'm sure. Crystal thought confidently. But those other guys from August first... she remembered the meeting while her lips twitched upwards I really can't afford to laugh out loud at the moment at all the strange ideas I'm having about them causing trouble without a care in the world.

"-Speaking of which, Mr. Dantes wears a mask and he refuse to take it off. Whatever his reasons are, please do not question him his mask-"

"Well, why did you accept such troublesome students to this school? You could have sent them off to other Wizarding schools..." Persephone interrupted with a sigh. It was clear on her face that she would have kicked out such troublesome students if she had been in his place.

...That's rude, we have to at least give them a chance. Luna thought disapprovingly. Especially since expelling them would be easy no matter how 'terrible' or 'troublesome' they are. I was one of those students with a strange reputation and appearance and demeanor when I was a student here; don't tell me Persephone is also one of those professors who would've shunned me because of that.

That's a little harsh. Crystal thought reasonably. But I can see where she's coming from...kind of.

"Because I had no good reason to reject them. We took over this school just a couple of months before the summer and it is not easy to change and enforce new rules over one summer. They will be taking pre-exams and let's hope they excel all the exams that they don't need to be here at all. For meanwhile, just keep an extra eye on these three students-"

"What about the fourth one? You said that four students where joining the extracurricular study group but you only mentioned three names," Endewyne pointed out.

Here, Crystal couldn't help but smile confidently to herself, thinking of Rosaleya.

"I was coming to that," Elias replied. "You don't need to worry about the fourth student, Miss Rosaleya Macabre Fairbrook. I doubt she will cause any mischief, however on the behalf of Miss Thorne who is her guardian, I ask you all to keep an eye on her and report if anything that happens to her to Miss Thorne. Just like when you have to report things about other students to their parents. Well, as for now, any volunteers who would like to examine the students' trunks when they arrive here? I need at least eight volunteers, one for each class year and one for the extracurricular study group."

Flynn Pyrites, Lloyd Macnair, August Dolohov, Claude Selwyn and Ivan Muliciber raised their hands at the same time.

How many people does he need? Crystal wondered.

I have no interest in such a task. Luna thought indifferently. But if we are short on volunteers I can always have Raven assist them.

"I need three more volunteers," Elias looked around.

Endewyne Jugson raised her hand.

"Can I help, too?" Crystal smirked, raising her hand. "It would be fun to berate troublesome students for having contraband. Just kidding." she added in a tone suggesting that her previous line had been a joke and that she would definitely take the job seriously. "But just for this year; I don't know how I'll feel about it next year." she clarified. If I don't like the job, I don't want to be responsible for it until I retire! She thought logically. But if I find Rosaleya with something bad; not that she would do it on purpose, but maybe she would accidentally bring something after forgetting that it was on the contraband list...even though those items don't seem like things that she would own...I would want to give Rosaleya a proper warning without embarrassing her.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Sure," Elias nodded in response to Crystal. "Anyone else? I need one more, please"

"Count me in," Maximillian Rockwood volunteered.

"Thank you, and oh before I forget, I have managed get three guest lecturers for the classes Defense against the dark arts and Care of magical creatures-"

"Three guest lecturers for two classes? Did I hear it right?" Persephone looked curiously and surprised at Elias.

"Yes, you did," He replied. "Both you, Lloyd and you, Claude, will be notified when we will have these three guests here, because you will need to be present during the classes when the guest lecturers are here and of course attendance will be mandatory for all students who take any of these two classes. Since it is guest lectures and not regular classes, all students regardless the years will be gathered in one grand classroom for the guest lecture in Defense against in dark arts and the same goes for the guest lecture in Care of magical creatures."

"May I ask you why these two specific classes?" August asked.

"Because I found some interesting subjects that could be covered by experts that are not professors and would give the students a different experience and perspective on these subjects. I believe that offering guest lectures to the students by inviting guests from a different field than the school field will make the classes more fun and interesting for the students. And because I'd like to surprise everyone, I will introduce the guest lecturers when it is about time. Well I have nothing else to add. You will receive your schedules a week before the first school day. If you don't have any further questions, let's call it a day."

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

August 5th

Tap tap tap

Rosaleya pulled back her bedroom curtain to view her fire escape. "Yes?"

"Do you want to hang out today?" Athena asked with a friendly smile.

"No, thank you." Jade replied coldly without hesitation.

"...No, thank you." Rosaleya tried her best to match Jade's cold tone while giving Athena a very direct and firm gaze.

August 6th

Tap tap tap

Rosaleya pulled back her bedroom curtain. "Yes?"

"Do you want to hang out today?" Athena asked with a friendly smile.

"No, thank you." Jade replied coldly without hesitation.

"...No, thank you." Rosaleya tried her best to match Jade's cold tone while giving Athena a very direct and firm gaze.

August 7th

Tap tap tap

Rosaleya pulled back her bedroom curtain. "Yes?"

"Would you like to indulge in ice cream and perhaps walk for a bit on this fine day?" the Masked Man asked elegantly.

"No, thank you." Jade replied coldly without hesitation.

"...No, thank you." Rosaleya repeated perfectly with a firm gaze.

"A game, perhaps?"

"No, thank you." both Jade and Rosaleya replied coldly.

August 15th

"They've been asking me every day now! Both of them, at different times, always at the fire escape!" Jade said in irritation. "That's what you want to exclaim, right?"

"Yes." Rosaleya replied with a sigh, having just turned both of them down in the same hour. "They're so nice about it that I feel bad...and Athena makes that disappointed face every time with her smile faltering...and Kagetane allows his sweeping gestures and elegant tones to falter in an even more subtle way..."

"...but you shouldn't feel bad because they're not trustworthy people." Jade finished coldly.

"Right." Rosaleya nodded with mixed feelings.

August 16th

Tap tap tap

"Yes?" Rosaleya asked coldly, pulling the curtain back with an unmistakable look of irritation in her eyes. She had just turned both Athena and the Masked Man down in less than an hour, and thought that perhaps they were starting to ask twice a day. "Oh, sorry!" she opened the window immediately once she saw that it was Nova who asked, stepping aside and gesturing for him to enter.

"Are you alright? I've seen them pestering you the last few days, and I wanted to know if perhaps-" Nova said as he entered "-you would like to make a wish for them to stop bothering you?" he offered kindly.

"No, thank you." Rosaleya replied. "But why did you use the fire escape? Usually you knock on my door, or enter with smoke when I summon you."

"Because they were hanging around here and I wanted to show them how you don't even hesitate to take a true friend's invitation. Can we go to the park together?" Nova asked slyly, imitating the Masked Man's elegant voice and sweeping gestures quite obviously. "Please?" he asked with an overly happy smile, imitating Athena now. "We're best friends, right?"

This display earned Nova genuine laughter from Rosaleya, and she agreed through her laughter "I'll change my clothes and be right outside."

"Oohhh...you two should link arms and look happily into each others' eyes." Jade suggested through his laughter. "Get ice cream and eat it on the way to tease Kagetane."

"Can we link arms?" Rosaleya asked.

"Sure." Nova grinned.

"Can we get ice cream?"

"That's even better! Did Jade come up with that?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Just a guess. See you outside." Nova waved as he left through the fire escape, closing the window behind himself.

Outside, from their separate watching places, Athena and the Masked Man sighed in unison, although neither knew of the other's presence.

Why did she turn me down? They both thought. What am I doing wrong?

August 18th

Reign sat under one of the trees near the Hogwarts gate, reading a book. He had arrived an hour and a half early to his date with Melody, enjoying the nice weather and the greenery.

His hair was in its usual style; a high ponytail, and he was wearing a black kimono.

 

[Hikari Chan]

August 18th

...Besides the books, I should get some ink wells and parchment scrolls as well... Lily thought as she eyed the list of school supplies, she needed to get. ...Is there anything else I need for cooking in magic? Hmm...according to the information I have received, the ingredients will be supplied and pots, plates and bowls and such will be provided during the classes and I only need some utensils like spatula and ladle according to this list. Kitchen knives will be provided in the classes because I am not allowed to bring such items to school due to safety reasons...duh as if I could not kill someone with a ladle if I wanted... Lily was deep in her thoughts with her eyes on her parchment when she entered the small shop that was selling inkwells and quills. Cooky was holding the books she had bought for her cooking in magic classes and walked a bit behind her. She suddenly bumped into someone she least expected.

"Ow…watch your steps!" She massaged her nose and looked annoyed at professor Pyrites.

"Watch your steps, miss perfect!" Flynn retorted, looking annoyed in return. "Who walks around with their nose stuck in a piece of parchment without paying attention to their surroundings?"

…Huh, what the bloody hell did he call me just now? miss perfect…?

"I was watching my steps perfectly, but instead for being a gentleman and holding up a door when you see a lady in distress entering you decide to be a jerk!" She snapped.

A couple of witches and wizards who were nearby to shop glanced disapprovingly at Flynn. ...Merlin's beard, this girl... He swallowed his pride, stepped aside, held up the door and gestured for Lily to enter. "I am sorry..." He apologized.

"Oh well...I hope you truly mean it!" She replied haughtily and walked past him.

He clenched his teeth and refrained from snapping back at her. ...this girl is so unbelievable...did her parents not teach her to say a simple 'thank you'? She sure knows how to crush a man's pride... He was about to leave when his eyes fell on the house elf, holding up a packaged stack with books and that was following her inside the shop. ...Is that her house elf? Merlin's beard, I wonder if this girl is being serious about taking classes in cooking of magic...if she cannot hold a shopping bag or a package in her own hands I doubt she will be able to lift a pot and put it on the cooking stove or even less set the table...

"Good afternoon!" Melody greeted Reign cheerfully. She was dressed in an off-white tunic dress with a pair of beige trousers that reached above her knees along with a pair of beige summer sandals. She was wearing her wheat colored floppy summer hat and holding a big picnic basket in her hand. "Uhm..." She suddenly become speechless and blushed. ...How have you been? I have missed you. I cooked something nice for picnic, let's go to a nice park... "...uhm…let's go on a picnic..." She said shyly.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

When Melody arrived, Reign put his book away immediately, throwing it to his left where it disappeared into thin air, and stood to greet her.

"Good afternoon!" Melody greeted Reign cheerfully.

"Good afternoon." Reign returned her greeting gently with a soft look in his eyes. A pleasantly cheerful countenance and tone suit her beautifully.

"Uhm..." Melody suddenly become speechless and blushed.

Another adorable reaction. Reign thought, regarding her shy persona. How lovely; she prepared this for us. He took a glimpse of her picnic basket for a split second before calmly returning his gaze to her eyes.

"...uhm...let's go on a picnic..." She said shyly.

Reign held out his hand, waiting for her free hand to take it.

He led her further into the forest, and stopped, just like the last time, in the middle of a clearing, where their portal waited for them. He opened the door for her, and closed it behind them, then it disappeared.

Rosaleya was playing at one of the parks she liked to visit. She was having fun on one of the swings, while Jade sat on top of the monkey bars in an elegant way, singing songs for her. No one else was at the park, so it was nice to be able to speak with Jade without having to be too discreet. Both the monkey bars and the swings were in the shade of some oak trees, so they weren't too bothered by the warm weather.

"What are we going to do after this?" Jade asked, having reached the end of yet another perfectly performed song.

"You're so good at that." Rosaleya commented.

"You're good at that." Jade replied. "So?" he reminded her of his question.

"I want to try this new sushi place that opened up." Rosaleya said. "I hope they make good sushi."

"Your favorite thing about sushi is when you take too much wasabi in one bite, and your nose and throat burn and your eyes water." Jade laughed.

"Yeah, I like that feeling. I pretend that I'm-"

"-a powerful dragon that is breathing fire!" Jade finished in a theatrical voice. "That's what those burns feel like in your throat; like fire rising from a dragon's belly to its throat to its mouth!"

Rosaleya laughed, and then continued smiling for a while. "I'm so happy with you; I thought that maybe this feeling would get a little less potent the longer I had you, but it's still as powerful as the day I opened the box."

"I am so touched that you feel that way." Jade said in a poetic tone, with his eyes closed and his hands to his heart in an over-dramatic way. "I too am overwhelmed by my joyous feelings at being with you."

"I'm happiest when I'm with you, because you already know everything about me and I don't have to hide anything from you. We agree on everything and we have similar tastes and thoughts. It's so perfect that I'm still struggling to find a way to repay Asmodeus for this, even though I've told him thank you so many times since the day I met you."

"I'm sure that he knows how much you appreciate it." Jade replied. "Now now...what shall I sing next? Why don't we do a duet? No one's around."

"Okay." Rosaleya agreed cheerfully. "Let me think..." I'm happiest when I'm with Jade; and I don't feel lonely because although I know that he is an extension of myself, it feels completely different from when I used to talk to myself sometimes or how I used to try to comfort myself when I was anxious. Everything that I do with Jade, or that he does for me, is so different than before I opened the box. Theoretically, if the demons were playing a game like in my dream, I would choose Asmodeus because this gift is more amazing than anything else. And for Asmodeus to know that I needed such a gift, and to give it to me on that day without expecting anything in return as far as I can tell...I feel so grateful to him that I would hardly hesitate to 'choose' him if this were actually a game.

"Yes yes...Touka and Kagetane cannot even compare." Jade agreed. "And even Nova's kindness cannot come close to this. A gift that allows you to unlock the side of yourself which carries greater instincts and knowledge is such an invaluable gift. Now please, select a song!" he prompted her.

 

[Hikari Chan]

Melody was happy to arrive to her favorite park where all the seasonal flowers grew and bloomed during the spring and summer. There were no swings or playthings as in other parks. There were a couple of benches though and therefor the park was not crowded and only a few people were there for a walk. She chose the best clearing, surrounded by yellowish and white rose bushes. She took out the cloth and spread it out on the clearing and started to set it with the meal she had prepared: Fruit salad that consisted of berries she had grown in her garden including the strawberries by Reign and seasonal fruits that also grew in her garden, fluffy and crispy baguettes, which she had baked, with tender chicken meat marinated in soy sauce and cherry tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers from her garden, rice balls with avocado filling, dumplings filled with other vegetables, homemade cabbage chips and one bottle of water and another bottle of pumpkin juice. The bottles were enchanted so that the drinks were kept cold and would be refilled if the bottles got empty. She had not only brought usual cutlery but also chopsticks for Reign.

...Did I bring too much food or to many various dishes? I have been working so hard during these weeks to learn how to make dumplings and rice balls, but I could not bring myself to only bring these two kinds to a picnic....

"Please sit..." She gestured to picnic cloth and meal she had set out. She looked at him, her eyes full of anticipation, as she waited for him to taste of everything. ...I hope it tastes good... She thought nervously.

"There you are!" Aislinn exclaimed as she kicked up the door to Vincent's bedroom.

He nearly jumped of surprise and looked annoyed at her. He was in the middle of unpacking his suitcase.

"What do you want?"

"Where have you been? I have been waiting for you to arrive-"

"I just arrived just an hour before dawn and went to sleep this morning..."

"That was on time. I have something urgent to speak with you about..."

"Can it wait? I have something urgent I need to do. Adela's birthday is approaching, and I want to buy her presents. And I need to start looking today because I have no idea what to get her. I asked my mother and she only suggested me to get her what I think she would like..."

"Ah…well let's walk and talk then and I will help you to pick out the best gifts to her. Deal?"

"Alright. Deal!"

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Reign leaned up against a tree, admiring the lovely scenery and allowing his mind to wander a bit while Melody set up the picnic.

"Please sit..." Melody gestured to picnic cloth and meal she had set out.

He turned his attention to her with a gentle look in his eyes, then beheld the food with a pleasantly surprised gaze. Taking a seat opposite her on the picnic cloth, he also noticed that she had brought one pair of chopsticks, and, appreciating her attention to detail, he picked them up.

After tasting the rice balls, he noted the anticipation in Melody's eyes. He tasted everything with an unreadable expression, subconsciously finding her slightly nervous countenance to be adorable. He ate at a slightly faster pace than normal so that she wasn't waiting very long for his reply. Then he lowered his chopsticks, opening his mouth to reply in a gentle and quiet voice. He concisely explained that he was delighted to taste such delicious things, greatly appreciating her attention to detail with the chopsticks and oriental dishes, although everything was splendid.

"...it is difficult to select a favorite from these." he finished, gazing at the array of dishes once again. "Thank you." he looked directly into her eyes with a look of such gratitude and happiness.

"...and I woke up with the feeling of bugs crawling on my skin, and Satan...embracing me." Rosaleya finished recounting her dream for Asmodeus rather nervously. "I'm sorry for bothering you with this...but I heard that you were so good at dream interpretation that I wanted to see if that was true. The dream has been bothering me for a while, now."

Asmodeus sipped his tea with the same unreadable countenance he had held during the entirety of her story.

There was a silence of three seconds that felt like three minutes to Rosaleya.

Then, Asmodeus stood up and neared Rosaleya's chair, leaning down so that he towered over her.

"Do you want me to slap him?" Jade asked as the distance between Asmodeus and Rosaleya's faces shortened.

He's probably trying to scare me again...it's usually very funny even if I'm the one that he's playing a joke on. Rosaleya thought as Asmodeus's eyes narrowed and his lips curled upwards.

He spoke in a slow, eerie voice "Would you choose me, if the game was occurring in the real world?"

Rosaleya's hands tightened on the edges of the couch, and Jade watched her face closely for any sighs of unease.

 

[Hikari Chan]

...Oh, how sweet...he likes my cooking... Melody thought happily.

"I am happy that everything is to your liking. You're welcome," She smiled.

She picked up a rice ball and munched on, indulging her favorite kind of food. ...Ah I love picnics. You can just relax with a bit of food in the nice summer weather.... She thought and suddenly remembered that the summer holiday was coming to the end. ...should I bring up the subject now? No no... I would just ruin the mood. I will talk about it before we part. It won't take long anyway, because I just need to explain for him that I won't be able to see him that often when classes start at Hogwarts. And I am going to have so much more work...As if Herbology is not enough for seven classes, I am going to deal with those new students for the extra circular study group, keep an extra eye on them, deal with the pre-exams in herbology...sigh...well, I am getting paid for my job so I should be grateful at least...

She took some fruit salad to eat along with the chicken sandwich. ...Anyway, I should not worry, I guess Reign will be busy as well with his work...we can send each other owls tehe...

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Reign enjoyed viewing the scenery while he ate, once again allowing his mind to wander.

"You don't think that I'm Satan, do you?" Asmodeus asked.

Rosaleya and Jade laughed heartily.

Asmodeus smiled and took his seat again calmly.

"I know what Satan looks like because of the statues in Nova's courtyard." Rosaleya explained. "He doesn't look like you at all. And if the 'game' wasn't fictional, I would choose you."

"Hmm?" Asmodeus seemed genuinely surprised. "I cannot imagine why; there are much better choices."

"It's because..." How should I say it?

"If it's about your extension, I should inform you that Reign advised me to gift it to you." Asmodeus said.

"What? Really?" Rosaleya said in surprise.

"He's lying about that." Jade said.

"If that was the only reason you had for 'choosing' me, then I suppose you've changed your mind."

"No...it wasn't the only reason." Rosaleya insisted. "I just don't know how to word it."

"It's the 'lust thing'. " Jade reminded her. "Tell him about that."

"Oh...right." Rosaleya realized how to properly say it. "Kage- I mean, 'Edmund Dantes' and I were playing a game, and-"

"Who is 'Edmund Dantes'? I am aware that one of Celeste's favorite books is the Count of Monte Cristo, but I am unaware of how you could've played a game with the novel's protagonist. Did you make a wish that he was no longer a fictional character?" Asmodeus asked, slightly confused by her comment.

"No, although that is a good idea." Rosaleya thought for a moment about all the characters she could bring into existence.

"Forget it." Jade advised. "There are too many things that could go wrong...but we will probably end up discussing it later anyways."

"I..." Rosaleya explained about August 1st, and the events following that, up until the present moment.

"My my...you seem to be having quite an interesting time." Asmodeus commented.

"I hope that I'm not boring you." Rosaleya replied in a slightly apologetic tone.

"Don't you dare!" Jade said in outrage. "Your story was interesting, and you are actually very concise when you tell stories, so don't assume that you sound like Diana when she goes on and on and on and-"

"Not at all; as I told you before, I love to learn new things every day." he replied genuinely.

"So, do you know who he is?" Rosaleya asked.

"Yes...."

Rosaleya and Jade held their breath while waiting for the remainder of Asmodeus's sentence.

"...but he asked me not to tell you."

Both Rosaleya and Jade exhaled harshly. "I've heard something like that from Athena, Nova, and Stephan, so I was mostly expecting that answer again. Just tell me; why can't any of you tell me?"

"It was an agreement we came to." Asmodeus explained, gesturing to himself, and then to Rosaleya. "But you asked me to remove your memory of that agreement until a specified time."

"So...this is a story, but the 'big reveal' hasn't happened yet, so none of you can tell me until I find out for myself, is that correct?" Rosaleya asked.

"I'm afraid so, yes. But we are digressing." Asmodeus reminded her.

"You were talking about the 'lust thing'. " Jade reminded Rosaleya.

"Oh, right...so, 'Edmund Dantes' and I were playing 'Truth or Dare', like I told you, and one of the questions was about the trait we found most disgusting in fictional characters. His was narcissism, and mine was lust. Now, that made me think of you. When I asked you how you could possibly represent 'lust' if you're not doing anything lustful, you replied with..."

"So...how are you supposed to be representing lust if you've never...you know..."

"Oh, that?" Asmodeus replied nonchalantly. "It's disgusting; those humans are terrible at overusing that, aren't they?"

"Yes, it's always disgusting." Rosaleya replied, remembering that fictional characters didn't count as ' those humans'. "...Soooo?"

"I have only tried it once, and I wish I never did. A woman who I thought was the quintessential lady turned out to be a beast. She was a liar. She had her games, her clever tricks...Everyone fell into her trap...I did, too. It was back when I was still learning that being naive wasn't a good thing, and neither was listening to my parents' advice. And in that moment, I made a decision that I wish I hadn't. And I realized that 'that', for me at least, is an overrated and glorified experience that I would rather not go through again. And since then, I haven't trusted any of the women who have pledged their hearts to me, whether in person, or through love letters. Because there is one test that I put them through that proves if they are genuinely in love with me or not. I wish I had that test before I met that beast, but since then, every lady I have tested has failed. I shared my test with Celeste, and each one of her potential 'princes' undergoes it before their foolish natures are revealed and she abandons them."

"What is the test?" Rosaleya asked curiously.

So Asmodeus explained.

"...and besides, there are far better things to experience than 'that'. Sunsets and sunrises, fictional and nonfictional books, films, and series, music, meals, lively conversations, parties and balls, shopping, games, swimming, running, walking, embracing, singing, cooking, baking, sports, warm and cold baths, painting or drawing...I can go on for quite some time."

"I can't believe that you're a man and you're saying that." Rosaleya said. "I had this strange impression that all men were lecherous beings that only had one end goal. I'm sorry if I ended up putting all of the male demons into that category as well..."

"Don't apologize; it's only natural to draw that conclusion after growing up around so many fools."

"It's especially annoying because every few years my Dad gives me the 'how would you feel if you got a new mother' talk. And then, I get to meet his fiance...and then, he dumps her because he realizes that she wants an expensive wedding. He is, and forgive me for once again bad-mouthing him, a cheapskate. And he's disgusting about how many women he's slept with. He tries to act like he's a saint when he is so consumed by lust that I'm surprised I'm an only child." Rosaleya said angrily. "And he wants to pretend like I'm still a ten year old and I don't know what he does when he leaves the store for hours on end. I know that we don't need to 'restock on fabric' all those times, even if our store is successful."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Asmodeus said. "If you ever grow so sick of him, you're welcome to live with me. I can adopt you like I've adopted Malice."

"What's that about adoption?" Malice asked, coming out of the kitchen. "Oh, if it's about you, then I would love to have you as a sister." she smiled genuinely. "I like you; you're very interesting."

"Thank you." Rosaleya replied modestly.

"...and I think that that conversation, as well as the fact that you gave me Jade, are why I have such a great respect for you. It's hard to imagine that you're the type to make mistakes, but you learned from them and became an even better person. You're so charismatic that I realize why no one speaks negatively about you. On the contrary, when your name is mentioned, demons' eyes glow with warmth and praise you. They say things like 'charismatic' and 'wise', and I whole-heartedly agree with them. And by the way, I know that you're lying about Reign telling you to give me the box."

"Hmm? How did you know?" Asmodeus asked, genuinely surprised.

"Something was strange about the way you said it; your voice changed pitch slightly, and your eyes momentarily lost their direct and genuine feeling." Jade suggested coolly.

"Jade told me." Rosaleya replied honestly.

"My way sounded so much cooler!" Jade pouted jokingly.

"So...why haven't you wished for Ms. Lovett and Mr. Dantes to leave you alone, yet?" Asmodeus asked with a sly look in his eyes. It looked like he already knew her answer.

"...To be honest..." Rosaleya looked down at her hands, feeling a heavy embarrassment weighing her down.

"Don't tell him that!" Jade insisted. "Come up with an excuse or something! Actually, he's so understanding that he would probably not insist of you told him that you don't want to share that information with him!"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Asmodeus replied firmly. "In fact, don't bother. I have another matter that I wish to discuss with you."

"What is it?" Rosaleya asked, grateful that he was changing the subject.

"I would like to propose a theoretical question for you. Please do not take it too seriously; pretend that we are at the Theater of Game or something similar while I ask you."

"Okay." both Jade and Rosaleya replied.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"So, what do you say about it?" Aislinn asked Vincent when she had explained everything for him.

He seemed to ponder about what she had told him for a while before he finally agreed.

"Alright, I'll do it." He nodded. They had walked for a bit and already reached the outskirts of Knockturn Alley. "Now you will help me to find the perfect presents, won't you?"

"Of course," She nodded, biting her lower lip. ...Why I am getting so excited about this? Hehe...maybe because I will be breaking Mulciber's heart in the process haa! "So, when is Adela's birthday?"

"Tenth September..."

"Alright, listen carefully to what I have to tell you! You have lots of time until then. It is too early to buy gifts today and my advice for you is to buy them one or two days before. She will probably be busy at Hogwarts on her birthday since school starts at the beginning of September. But don't worry, leave it up to me and you will meet her and be able to give her the gifts in person on her birthday. Now I am just going to show you what to buy her for presents and where to buy in Diagon Alley. You will be able to buy the gifts on your own without any problem later, won't you? Do you need any galleons?"

"What? No, I have galleons. I want to buy the gifts now!"

...Merlin's beard, he is so dense....

"Why? Her birthday is about twenty-three days. You can buy gifts the eighth or ninth September."

"Then will you help me?"

"Of course, I will show you around in the shops today and you can buy the gifts later..."

"No, I want you to help me to pick out the perfect gifts on the eighth or ninth September!"

...Ugh...Merlin's beard...I thought Vincent was smart enough since he listened and understood what I had to tell him earlier, but no... he is more sluggish than ever...

"Alright, as you like..." Aislinn sighed.

Melody had enjoyed her meal and was holding a yellowish rose in hand. Discreetly, without any muggle watching, she had picked it and had removed all the thorns and was now caressing the outer rose petals.

"…Eh..." She looked up at Reign, twirling the rose under her chin. "I... soon...I mean will start work in the beginning of September!" She managed to say, feeling flustered for having speaking so much. "…So, I won't be able to see you that often..." ...I hope I did not rush my words... She thought and blushed. "Perhaps on the weekends…but this semester will be full of work..." ...We might only be able to see each other on the holidays and any ball...

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

I foresaw that you would say something along those lines. Reign thought. Realistically, it will not be long until winter break when she will most likely have more free time. "Please, do not move." Reign said calmly, discreetly summoning a scroll and a pencil in his usual way when no one was looking. "The angle is perfect."

In less than two minutes, he had managed to draw Melody in pencil from his perspective; she looked, if possible, more beautiful, even if he hadn't coloured the sketch yet.

It was this moment that she was posing so perfectly; I made sure to keep these items on hand for this. I will paint it in later, and manage to paint myself beside her. It will be beautiful. Reign thought as he showed the sketch to her, briefly explaining that he intended to add more to it and planned to show the finished product to her later. He spoke in a calm voice that was void of any boasting or useless flattery toward her, stating the fact that it would be beautiful as if it were a fact. After he had made those items disappear again, he returned to the subject at hand.

He asked her to inform him when she was able to see him again while summoning a new scroll and handing it to her. He explained that be addressing the scroll to him when she wrote a letter, it would find its way to him magically. "...Owls are of no use, for they do not reach my home." he informed her calmly with a foreboding look in his eyes, as if warning her that the owls would not survive the trip. He also informed her that patronus messages would be an insufficient way to reach him, since they would not work, either. He didn't give a reason why, and his tone asked her not to inquire for one.

I have already sent ten more scrolls to her office that look identical to this one; she will understand their purpose once she sees them sitting neatly on her desk when she returns, remembering this concise explanation.

"If we were in a parallel world..." Asmodeus began, pausing slightly. "...and in that world, I was your true father, would you be displeased? You may answer honestly." he gave her a look that said he wouldn't be displeased with any answer that she gave, and truly wanted her honest one.

"That answer couldn't be more simple. I don't even have to think about it." Jade said nonchalantly, turning to Rosaleya "It's really a no-brainer, right Rose?"