Fandom The Gathering of Death Eater Children

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"If it's an interesting letter, then Celeste will read it to me in her excitement." Dante replied boredly, taking the letter from him a bit harsher than he should've, before walking away.

"This brave policeman died from bleeding out due to the loss of both hands in a work-related accident at eleven o'clock this morning. If it wasn't for his comrades' mysterious inability to get him to a hospital in time, perhaps he would've been able to get artificial limbs." she joked. "His last request to his best friend in the field was to feed him the rest of his donut, which he could no longer enjoy due to the injuries."

"Damn it!" Nova fumed, turning off the television set. If only I could make suggestions for wishes...but once the grantee says that they're done there is nothing that I can do.

"Good morning, Rose." Athena smiled, putting her arm around Rosaleya's shoulders since they were in a busy hallway. "Stephan would like to see you outside, at our usual dining spot. I'm eating somewhere else this morning since I'm in the mood to bother everyone else at the Slytherin table." she jested.

"Athena said that you wanted to see me." Rosaleya said, finding Stephan punching a tree with an anxious expression. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." Stephan smiled innocently, turning to face her while secretly wringing his hands behind his back. "You see, there's something that I've been wanting to tell you for a long, long time..." he was tempted to look away, but he knew that he had to keep his gaze direct. "If you truly love Miss Fairbrook for who she is then it means you accept everything about her and her flaws." He remembered Elias's words. He couldn't back down now, especially not when there was another person after Rosaleya...and an eloquent one, at that.

"-Oh no, he's finally going to do it." Jade exclaimed at the top of his lungs. "Ladies and gentlemen, it seems that Nova's young apprentice isn't the one who has captured Lady Rose's heart! If he was, then he would've confessed this at night during dinner, and not in broad daylight! Even so, it comes as a relief to the princess, as she never felt anything more than friendship toward the young apprentice to begin with!"

"...I'm in love with you. I've been trying for a while, to find the perfect words to say it, but I can't, no matter how much I want to. So I was advised to just tell you what I'm feeling, instead of trying to make it sound perfect." I hope this works, Athena. "Do you remember, one time a long time ago in Knockturn Alley, when there was a group of delinquents with a baseball bat and a bunch of cats and-"

Two minutes later

"Yes, I do remember that day. I still have the baseball bat in my room; I was going to use it the first time that Kagetane Hiruko came to bother me." Rosaleya said. "I don't recognize you from back then though; your hair was different, and you were much younger..." And your clothing was all torn...

Five minutes later

"...and so all this time, I was thinking of you. When you first came to Hell and you were cleaning Nova's house, I was so confused by your happiness at having to do something so boring...actually, I was confused as to why you were always so happy, no matter what you were doing. At first I was annoyed because it was something I didn't understand, but later I realized that it only proved that you were still the brightest thing in my life. When you were shopping in Hell, I...

One minute later

"...so yes, I do love you, more than anything." he held her hands in both of his. "I just hope that you love me back." he looked at her with wide, hopeful eyes. "I want to marry you and live happily-ever-after."

Jade was leaning up against a tree five feet away. "At times like these, I can't help picturing him like a puppy again. His ears would be pointed upwards, and his tail would be wagging. His story is so sweet, it almost makes me want to tell him that everything is okay and that you return his love. But I can't do that, because it's not true."

Rosaleya embraced Stephan, and he was confused as to what she would say next. How do I tell him? I don't want to hurt his feelings. But if I play along and humor him then I'll be hurting my own feelings...and I can't take any more of that after growing up with Leigh. I don't want to get him angry either, but...he deserves the truth. Of course, he's going to be angry, or maybe he will get his feelings hurt, or both...but...it has to be done.

What will she say? What if this is unrequited love?! What if the other guy already confessed?! Stephan thought worriedly. "If you are meant to be, then you will be together." he heard Elias's words to him in his ears again. Yeah right. Generic advice is all I can think of right now. That guy didn't help at all.

"I love you as well," Rosaleya put her hands on either one of his shoulders, holding him at arm's length with a very direct gaze. "but as the closest friend I can imagine. Just as close as Nova." she smiled sweetly. "I don't want to stop being friends with you. But I know that it wouldn't be right to humor you." I'm so sorry for friend-zoning you.

"However, just because you love her and are willing to accept everything about her, it does not mean that she will return your feelings. On the other hand I do not discourage you to confess to her." Stephan's eyes grew wider, if possible, in shock. "Why not? Do you love someone else?" he asked. It cost him a great effort to keep his voice calm, and yet his despair showed in his eyes. "However, keep this in mind, that whatever her answer is, if she declines you, you should accept that. Accepting a no from her, is the greatest thing you can do as a man. It means that you respect and accept her for whatever choices she makes. When you show her your acceptance and respect as a man, she might perhaps change her mind about you later and come back to you." It's okay...She'll realize how terrible he is, and when she does, I'll give her some time to recover, as I help her with whatever she needs. Then, she will realize that, all along, I genuinely loved her. So, it's okay if he confesses and wins her love first.

"I'm not sure, yet." Rosaleya replied honestly.

It was the love-letter prince! Stephan thought angrily. It's okay, it's okay...I just have to play it cool and everything will be fine. Don't get angry. "That's okay." Stephan smiled. I'll become an eccedentesiast, just for her. "Like you said; we should stay friends. Don't worry about it."

He's a terrible liar...but at least this is better than what I imagined his reaction to be. "Thank you, Stephan."

Like Mr. Headmaster said...she'll come back to me if I act like a man. It's alright. "Bye!" he ran away before his act fell apart. That was so hard! What if she doesn't come back?! What if the love-letter prince steals her forever? I should be happy, if she is happy, even if it isn't with me...but... tears somehow formed in his eyes, despite his efforts.

"I'll be right back." Jade jumped away, returning a few moments later. "He's crying his eyes out." he reported.

Rosaleya sighed, glaring at the sky one last time before going inside. "I've got some free time this morning...I'll go read something." To get my mind off of this.

When no one was looking, Soren had jumped up into one of the larger trees in the grounds and placed a cushioning spell on the branches, intending to relax during his free time and enjoy a light novel that he had purchased in Japan on his last trip there. He was wearing a popular demonic invention at the moment; earphones that were wireless, weightless, invisible, and didn't fall out. They played any sort of music that the user desired, by pressing a button on the accompanying ring that was sold with each set and thinking of the music.

"Ah, hardest day ever!" Rosaleya sighed, turning to Jade.

"But now the wait is over." Jade smiled happily.

Rosaleya took a deep breath, then left the common room with a calm countenance. Jade, in sharp contrast, was skipping happily, humming a jolly tune.

"Hello." he sang to Soren. "You're so handsome!" he exclaimed in surprise when Soren turned around, swooning over-dramatically.

Soren's eyes fell on Rosaleya's ring, confirming that it was her. You're beautiful. Soren was visibly surprised, not having expected the letters to reach such a lovely princess.

You're handsome. Rosaleya thought, although she showed no visible signs of her surprise.

For a full minute, all they could do was stare at one another, unsure of what to say.

"Stop wasting time already!" Jade said impatiently. "Be blunt about it; you don't want to waste any time with an idiot, so you're basically here to interview him! Come on, start with 'what is your name', and then go into the things that you're most worried about."

"What is your name?" both Rosaleya and Soren asked at the same time.

Jade groaned. "Seriously?"

Soren laughed quietly. "My name is Soren McCunnen."

"My name is Rosaleya Macabre Fairbrook."

After a short pause, they both said "It's nice to meet you." at the same time.

This time, Rosaleya laughed quietly. "You have a nice name."

"So do you. I especially love the middle part."

Jade flicked her on her ear in his impatience. "Right. So..." she sighed "I don't want to fall in love with an idiot." she said bluntly.

"Neither do I." Soren agreed reasonably, smiling.

"So I want to ask you some questions, and-" as she talked Jade handed her two vials of demonic truth serum "-you will ask me questions as well. We won't lie to each other, because I'm tired of this world's bull_. If you expect me to be all 'princess-ey' with you, all polite and _, then you can forget it because I've already had enough of that with my Dad. Cheers." she handed him a vial, and drank hers in one go. "You go first. Ask me anything you want, and don't worry about embarrassing me. We'll take turns." Screw it if he can't talk honestly and wants a doll for a princess. I'm going to be honest with him and say whatever's on my mind. Just like Jade said, my first questions are going to be about the things that bother me the most. During her whole interaction with him, her calm persona hadn't faltered. And just because he's so handsome doesn't mean that he can't be a total _ _ on the inside, just like Touga Kiryuu.

"You're amazing." Soren smiled again before drinking his truth serum. Thankfully, she doesn't seem like a doll.

Jade whistled at Soren's handsome-ness.

"I'm so tired of shallow people that do whatever I say just because I'm attractive or rich. So, my first question is: have you ever noticed me before? Is that why you came here tonight?" He hadn't been boasting; he had tired eyes when he spoke those lines, as if he was tired of the same types of girls trying to date him for that one reason.

"No." Rosaleya replied after Jade whispered in her ear "I've only noticed you once. You were that handsome pianist at the demonic piano lounge. It was hard for me to stop looking at you. Other than that, I've never noticed you before."

"I'm in Ravenclaw, year six, so it makes sense."

"My question: are you going to try to _ me before we're married?" she looked at him with crossed arms and an expectant gaze.

"Wonderful, Rose! No beating around the bush!" Jade cheered. "Next, ask him if he will cheat on you."

"That's ridiculous." Soren replied firmly with a serious countenance. "My mother raised me with common sense. When two people start dating, they shouldn't do anything like that no matter how much they want to. After marriage, and at the right moment [not necessarily on their wedding night or honeymoon], then it should happen if they both want it to."

"Perfect." Rosaleya agreed. "Your turn."

"Are you the type of girl who acts insulted if I don't get you the right present, or accidentally forget to get you a present, for a holiday?"

"Never. My Dad was like that, and I want to be his polar opposite. I don't care if you say 'I love you, and that is my gift to you' on each one of my birthdays, on every Christmas, and on every other holiday. He made every holiday a chore, stressing about getting him the perfect gift and stuff, and reminding me about all of the work he did to get me a present in return. You're not being lazy if you don't get me one; I actually dislike gifts because I feel like the person giving them is either trying to get something from me or trying to make themselves feel better. That's why my Dad gives me gifts and I kind of have a weird feeling about gifts because of that."

Soren sighed in relief. "Don't worry. I will surprise you from time to time, if I meet your requirements, and vice-versa, that is-" he gestured to the air between them, indicating their interview "-but I won't get you any presents, I promise."

"Yeah, take me someplace fun, and spend time with me and tell me that you love me. I'll buy my own things, and so will you. And on special occasions, I'll do the same things for you. Adults are so stupid sometimes." she thought about Leigh again "Next question: I value monogamy and fidelity-" just as much as Celeste "-so I need my 'prince' to feel that anything else is unacceptable. How do you feel about those things?"

"They are the foundations of a good relationship." Soren replied, gesturing as if the answer was obvious. "If you don't have trust in a one-on-one relationship, what else is there, right? Adults can be so stupid sometimes." he laughed at their foolishness, agreeing with Rosaleya's comment by repeating it.

"Yeah." Rosaleya laughed as well.

"My turn: you've mentioned your father a few times already. Can you tell me what he's like?"

"Here we go..." Jade laughed. "...you just opened Pandora's Box."

Ten minutes later

"So no, I don't think that I should feel bad about hating him. I know that I probably sound spoilt, after all of the things that he's given me, and after he raised me and all of that." she looked away for a moment. "But for all of the bad things that he does, I can't help but want to never see him again." she faced him again "My question: what are your parents like?"

"I have the quintessential mother..."

Ten minutes later

"...and she wanted to kill my father. They dated for five years, and had _ on their honeymoon. After they had been married for three years, she thought that he was cheating on her and was going to leave her for another woman, and my mother went into Yandere mode. She's a demon, and they were human Muggles, so it wasn't illegal for her to kill them. But it turned out that it was all a misunderstanding." he laughed. "They're both alive and well, as perfect as ever. My question: are you an Otaku?"

Jade laughed, at his question, and his story, finding them both amusing.

"Yes, I am." Rosaleya replied, smiling for the first time in the conversation. She was starting to feel like perhaps she wasn't speaking to an idiot.

Thirty minutes later

"My next question: is that your real hair colour?" Rosaleya asked.

"No; I have dark golden hair and eyes like my mother, but I use colour shampoo like my sister."

"Your sister?"

"Oh...she hasn't mentioned me, yet?" clueless to the reason, he seemed a bit hurt by this.

"My question, who is your sister?" Jade asked eagerly. "Tell me!"

Rosaleya asked Jade's question calmly.

"Athena McCunnen."

"WHAT?!" Jade exclaimed. "No way! But wait, weren't you at the sorting ceremony? You should've heard them call her name, or at least seen her being sorted to know-"

"Weren't you at the sorting ceremony?"

"Yes, but I was a bit bored, so I was wearing these." he pulled his demonic earphones from his pocket.

"What are those?"

I thought for sure that she would at least know what they were, if she didn't already own a pair. He explained what they were.

"Oh, cool. Like Kagetane Hiruko." Rosaleya nodded. So he wasn't paying attention to the names or the people being sorted. I guess from his point of view it must've been pretty boring. I'll ask Athena about her alias later...why didn't she use her real name? Why hasn't she said anything about her family, yet? Is there something wrong with them?

"Kage-nevermind. It's your turn to ask a question."

"Are you real?"

"What do you mean?" Does she think that I'm one of mom's illusions or something?

"Are you someone's extension or something, or are you an illusion? You seem a bit too good to be true, getting all of the questions right and looking so handsome, and being so eloquent, and being able to play the piano. I feel like I'm being tricked or something."

"I want to say the same things about you."

Silence for ten seconds.

"Over the winter break, I would love to have you over my house so that you can meet my mother. We have the best Christmas and New Year's parties, and I'm sure that it would be better than spending time with your father, right?" Soren smiled. "Athena lives alone, but we all live in the same demonic area. She visits during holidays, so she'll be there for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and New Years as well. I really want you to see what it feels like to spend time with a happy family for once. Of course, if you don't want to, then don't worry about it." he ruffled her hair. "Oh-" he pulled his hand away quickly "-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry!"

"It's nothing that you did." Rosaleya dabbed her tears with her left sleeve, taking a deep breath. "My Dad won't let me visit with you; he made it very clear that he wants to spend winter break with me no matter what. Initially, I had planned to stay at Hogwarts during the break, but he told me to abandon my plans or else." He gets really lonely when there isn't a daughter for him to boss around or a _ for him to stick his _ in at night. "But what made me cry was the idea of spending the holidays with a family like that, in sharp contrast to what my winter holiday is actually going to be like. You make it sound so picturesque, like I've always wanted it to be. I've always wanted a mother who actually cared about me and a father who didn't try to force everything on me. I would love to visit with you." she moved to dab her tears again, but Jade handed her a tissue to use instead.

Soren embraced Rosaleya. "Listen; my mother might be able to convince him to let you visit with us. She's so beautiful; maybe she'll be able to negotiate with him if he's the type of person that I think he is, based on your description. Don't worry about getting disappointed; I think that it's very realistic that you'll be able to visit with us." Such an idiot; of course he'll agree. He obviously does all of his thinking with his _. That's why mother volunteered to use her illusions on him. Rosaleya will love it at our house. She needs a family more than anything else; I'm so lucky to have such a perfect one, but in sharp contrast, she was very unlucky.

Jade pulled Soren away from Rosaleya harshly.

Why did you do that? Rosaleya looked at him.

Right...while I'm tired of dealing with idiot girls, she's in emotional pain from dealing with idiot boys. Soren thought.

"Because you don't know him, yet, remember?" Jade said pointedly, sticking his tongue out at Soren. "We can't let our guard down, yet."

Right. Even if we used demonic truth serum...everything about him seems too good to be true. Rosaleya thought.

"It's alright; asking you to trust me right away is asking the impossible from you. I wouldn't want to do that. For now, can we have breakfast tomorrow together?" he asked.

"Yeah." Rosaleya nodded, turning to walk away. There's no way that he, or his mother, or even father, can convince Leigh to change his mind...I can't get my hopes up. But I'll admit that even if I'm being tricked...I want to see a bit more of Soren before the trick ends.

"Hey, I have one more question for you." Soren said. "If you had to identify yourself as a 'dere' type, what type would you be?"

"Dorodere, probably." Jade suggested as if it were obvious.

"Dorodere." Rosaleya replied, giving him a sideways glance instead of turning around completely.

"Wow, I never would've guessed." he smiled. "Sweet dreams."

"You, too...for now." Rosaleya said. "But the moment you do something stupid, don't think that I won't start fantasizing about gouging your eyes out with a rusty fork and feeding them to you."

She's definitely not a doll...Soren thought happily, gazing up at the stars with a contented, relieved expression. ...and she's not dating me for my money or my looks...finally, a person who just wants someone for who they are without any superficial motives.

Luna stood straight, addressing all of the students in her Cooking with Magic class in her usual serious tone. "Today we will move on from the simple meals to something a bit more difficult." Lily has been doing terribly, but I can't let her hold the rest of the class back. I'm secretly wondering if she's doing this on purpose for some reason that I cannot understand. The instructions are so precise, and the meals are so simple...I feel like even a child could understand them. "You will be making mashed potatoes, boiled corn, and baked chicken breasts. Many people have difficulty baking chicken, so as you can see on your instruction sheets, I've given you very precise instructions on the temperature and timing, and we will be wrapping it in foil with a few other vegetables so that it doesn't dry out or come out bland." There's no way that she could burn the chicken or dry it out with such detailed instructions, could she? She picked up her instructions for the students and glanced over them "The corn is easy to clean and boil for precisely forty-five minutes. The potatoes simply need to be peeled, chopped, boiled until soft, then mashed with one cup of milk and five grams of butter, with a pinch of salt and pepper. The gravy is a bit more complicated, so we will work on that during another lesson." she looked at the class once more. "You may begin." On Lily's instructions, I reminded her to add the salt a little at a time, at half-teaspoon increments at most, so that she doesn't oversalt it, and not to forget to put an 'alarm' spell on the chicken so that she doesn't neglect and burn it or dry it out. And most importantly, I reminded her to taste one of the potatoes before straining them, so that she doesn't make half-cooked mashed potatoes, and I advised her on improving her peeling spell. What can she do wrong?

 

[Hikari Chan]

....hmm mashed potatoes, boiled corns and baked chicken breasts. Well boiled corns sounds easy....Lily thought thoughtfully as she read the instructions. But what shall I start with first....the potatoes, the corn...the chicken?....eh let's start with the corns...it seems to be the easiest thing to do...

Lily cleaned the corn and put it to boil. Then, she started to peel the potatoes and tried to peel them carefully, because Luna had advised her on improving her peeling spell. This time Lily accidentally left out some tiny spots that she did not peel off because she missed to see them. She washed them before chopping them. She chopped the potatoes, but unevenly and carelessly. She did not do it on purpose, but tried her best to chop the potatoes into smaller bits. The potatoes are unevenly shaped from the beginning, so it's not much I can do about it....She thought reasonably. When she was done, she put the the potatoes to boil. She looked very satisfied, seeing the corn and potatoes boiling. This gave her more confidence and she followed the instructions for how to bake the chicken breasts, she put them with some vegetables in foil and wrapped them carefully, but she accidentally got the numbers for timing and temperature mixed and set the alarm spell without any further notice. She had forgotten for how long the corn had been boiling, but looked up at the clock on the wall and estimated that it must had boiled for at least thirty minutes. Fifteen minutes more...She thought. ....But how long should the potatoes boil? Well, I will just let it boil until all water has evaporated....

While she was waiting for everything to get ready, she prepared one cup of milk, five grams of butter, salt and pepper. For the mashed potatoes...but shouldn't I have added salt and pepper to the chicken as well or does the vegetables make up as spices?

She took out the corn and put it on a plate and noticed that some students strained the water from the potatoes. I should probably taste the potatoes as Luna instructed me. Lily thought and tasted a bit of potato. She determined that it was not soft enough and let it boil more. This seems to go very good, she thought happily. She sliced the corn into tick slices and decided to taste one slice to see how well boiled it was. The corn was tasting sweet and tender. Mmm....perfect...

She then returned to the potatoes, strained them from the water. She added the milk, butter and one pinch of salt and one pinch of pepper. Since her fingers were long and slender, the pinches of salt and pepper were so small. But it is alright, Luna advised me to add little salt. Suddenly the alarm spell went off and Lily was surprised that the baked chicken was already done. She placed the foiled chickens on another plate and returned to mash the potatoes. She mashed the potatoes until she was satisfied and poured the mashed potatoes in a bowl.

Ahh...everything turned out better than the last time...I am going to give this to Elias...and I am going to leave some for Luna as well, she will be so proud of me... Lily thought happily, her cheeks red and eyes glittering of excitement. She put one baked chicken breast with vegetables, mashed potatoes and one thick slice of corn on another plate. She gave it to Luna after she had cleaned her table magically, before leaving the classroom.

A while later, Lily knocked at the door to the headmasters' office.

"Come in.." She heard Elias' voice.

"Good evening, Eli!" Lily greeted him cheerfully upon entering his office.

"Good evening, you shouldn't be out of bed at this hour..." He teased her. His eyes fell on the tray she was holding in her hand. "Mmm....that smells good, did you cook for me?"

"Yes, it is for you!" She placed the tray in front of him and sat down on a chair. "Please tell me, if everything is to your liking?"

"Is it your first dish? What did you do during the two first lessons?"

"Eh no...actually, the other dishes did not turn out as expected from the two previous lessons so I put them out for the birds to eat..." Lily half lied yet still looked her brother into his eyes.

"Oh...I see.." Elias smiled and tried not to laugh. You really did that Lily....I know you gave the salty carrot cake, burned toasts, too hard boiled eggs and lukewarm orange juice with the cores to Flynn...he told me everything....Elias thought for himself, the corner of his mouth was twitching. He picked up the fork and knife to taste the baked chicken and vegetables. His facial expression was blank and hard to read. He then took a bit of mashed potatoes and tasted it.

"Lily...did you...did Luna taste this?"

"I gave her a plate to taste, yes! What's the matter, Eli? Doesn't it taste good?"

"Merlin's hairy beard Lily! Everything is so bloody bland, the chicken and the potatoes. Didn't you add any spices? The chicken is not even well cooked...it's still half raw...look!" He cut the chicken breast into a half to show the few parts inside that were not well cooked. "And there are tiny chunks of butter in the mashed potatoes...eww..."

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Dear Celeste," Dante began reading in a bored tone with tired eyes, as if he would fall asleep at any moment. "I am writing this letter hoping-"

"-Stop that." Celeste levitated the letter away from him to re-read it herself.

"Are you seriously having a tough time replying to that? I can help you, if you want."

Celeste spoke while laughing in disbelief. "You can?"

"Yeah, look." he took the letter back to show her "Replying to a letter is much easier than being the first one to write it. All you have to do is use his structure, and it'll practically write itself."

"How do you mean?"

"First...one, two, three, four-" he counted "-ten sentences, plus an opening and closing line at the top and bottom. Can't you think of five things to say to him, spending two sentences on each thing? I'll get a piece of paper." he levitated the letter to her and summoned a piece of paper and quill, waiting for her. "Make a list of topics, then we'll work with that." he numbered the paper, going up to five.

"Oh, I get it...so-" she counted on her fingers "-I'm looking forward to spending more time with you."

"Good. What about 'reading you letter has made me happy'?"

"Yes." She looked down at the letter. He asked me how I was doing, so I will tell him... "Something about how my illness is going to be past the contagious stage by October. And how I'm trying to compose a new song on my cello. Oh, I'm working on a new painting, for one of my wishes to Nova, but I'll tell him that it's 'to pass the time'...and how I'm sorry that you're being so rude to him, but I can understand why."

"That's six things." Dante gave her a look as if he would rather omit the last topic.

"Six things. Perfect."

"An opening line?"

She read his. Dear August...for some reason, I don't want to write that. "None of the openings that are coming to mind sound appealing."

"Skip the opening, then. You're an unusual and direct person, so it shouldn't be strange."

"Oh, I have another topic as well!"

Fifteen minutes later

"I'll read it back to you: August, my prince, reading your letter has brought me joy. There are still so many things I want to do with you, so many places I wish to show you, and so many things that I look forward to telling you. The times that we've spent together are only the beginning {I hope}, and whenever I think of you I picture us having fun. I'm working on another painting while I get better. I'm also trying my hand at composing music on my cello instead of following the music notes. I want to share my creations with you when we meet again. The diagnosis revealed that the illness will pass the contagious stage by November, so I will definitely be able to see you at the Halloween ball. Any physical signs of my illness will be regarded as a part of my costume.

I know that my brother can be difficult and rude at times, and I know that it can be tiring to deal with, but he's only protecting his heart. If we let our guard down every time I started dating another fool, we would both tire ourselves out. I'm less of an open-book, though. He's a wonderful person, and I'm sure once he sees that you are as well, then he will show you his true colours.

I know two unique students who have enrolled at Hogwarts; they're the same species as me. Rosaleya M. Fairbrook has regaled me with her stories on more than one occasion, and I am close friends with Stephan Garnett's father, Nova Garnett. {He's the man that helped me care for you at the amusement park, in case you don't remember his name.}. His son is a charming and well-behaved boy, although he wears his heart on his sleeve.

The rose is lovely; I'm keeping it in my study to remind me of you. It's such a lovely surprise; much better than a red rose.

~~ Celeste. See? You wrote a bunch of stuff; even more than ten sentences."

"You're right; it practically wrote itself." Celeste agreed. "Would you mind delivering it to him in your tiger form?"

"Why?"

"I don't want you to annoy him, and you're very quiet when you're in your tiger form."

Dante reluctantly agreed a moment later. "Fine. I'll deliver it to him tomorrow."

"Be nice to him when you deliver it."

"Oh now you're making it really difficult." Dante groaned. "Are you trying to punish me for something? Maybe the 'sick' lie?"

"Yes."

Dante was waiting in his tiger form outside of August's office just like before, with Celeste's reply attached to his paw by a black ribbon. But unlike last time, after August took the letter, Dante bowed to him, trying his best to make it obvious that he was respecting August by doing so. Then, he left as if he was in a hurry to return to his mistress.

"Good morning." Rosaleya called to Soren as she neared him. "I brought demonic truth serum again; I'm not taking any chances." she smiled.

He had been reading under a tree a little ways away from the castle, with an unreadable expression. When he saw Rosaleya, it was easy to read the joy in his eyes "Good morning." he stood to greet her. "I'll be happy to toast to our possible future."

I can't believe it! My brother is the love-letter prince! That's the only explanation for her sudden happiness towards him and her lame excuse 'Someone else asked me to have breakfast with them this morning' , and all of the free time my brother was spending writing...I thought that he was studying or something...Why is he here?! He always stays away from girls because he has bad luck with them, and he doesn't have any friends here because he isn't interested in making friends. Athena thought angrily, subconsciously accidentally shooting a spell at the grass where Rosaleya was about to step. Maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions...I have to prove that they have feelings toward each other before I do anything.

What are you reading? Is that a light novel? Rosaleya wondered, before accidentally tripping on something and falling forward.

Soren caught her and used the opportunity to check the ground. What did she trip on? I don't see any rocks, and I didn't view her as the clumsy type to trip on her own feet... "Are you alright?" he asked, holding her at arm's length while he resisted the urge to embrace her 'accidentally'. I won't force anything on her; her father has already done enough of that.

"Nice." Jade noticed Soren's efforts from the high branches of the tree that Soren had just been sitting under. He had jumped up there and taken a seat, intending to stay there during breakfast.

She took a step back. "Yeah, I'm fine. I usually don't trip unless the floor is wet, though." That's inside...this is grass. How did I fall? She sat down under the tree, with the tree to her left. "Here." she handed him his truth serum after he sat down opposite her with the tree to his right. "To our possible relationship." she held out hers.

"Cheers." Soren clinked their vials together, and they drank at the same time.

After a moment of silence, Soren spoke. "I'm reading the Violet Evergarden light novel. It was a popular Anime this year, but I wanted to enjoy the light novel first. It's not a gift-" he smiled, remembering her words from last night "-but I wanted to lend it to you after I've finished it." He showed her his bookmark; a paperclip attached to the page that he was on, demonstrating that he was a few pages away from completing it. "Do you have a favorite light novel?"

"No, I've only read one, and that was the Haruhi Suzumiya one. I've had more experience with manga and Anime." I haven't thought to wish for light novels, yet. That's a good idea, though. I'm looking forward to reading the light novel he is, even though- "I've already watched the Anime." she confessed. "I really liked it; everything was beautiful, from the pacing to the art-style and animation, and the soundtrack was perfect for each scene. I'm going to listen to the soundtrack while reading the light novel."

"That's what I was doing. I usually do that if there's already an Anime for the light novel that I'm reading." Soren's eyebrows rose, taking out his earphones "I lowered the volume because I was expecting you." he informed her. I don't want her to think that I wasn't listening to her. Her father never listens to her. "Here." he handed them to her.

Jade shot a cleaning spell at them with a wink. "They're just like new."

Rosaleya put the earphones in, and heard one of her favorite soundtracks from the Violet Evergarden Anime.

Soren explained how to use the earphones with the ring, which he handed to her after his explanation. "...I'll go get breakfast. I'll be right back." he said before leaving.

"I'll let you know if anyone is getting close to you so that you can take your earphones out to hear them." Jade informed her. Even over the music which Rosaleya had raised a bit, she heard him clearly.

Rosaleya nodded, then noticed that Soren had left his book behind. She admired the cover's artwork before picking it up. He said that I could read it, so I'm not breaking any rules by touching it now. She was surprised when a neatly folded love letter fell out; she had just enough time to see that it was addressed to her.

"Wow! What is that?!" Jade exclaimed, jumping down and opening it before Rosaleya could do anything else.

"Hey, maybe he didn't want me to read that, yet! Put it down in case-"

"But it says 'it's not a surprise, so it's okay read it now' right under your name."

He knew that I wouldn't read it because I value his privacy so he put that note on the letter?

"Okay, so...Mhhmm." Jade cleared his throat and began reading in Soren's voice as Rosaleya took off the earphones.

Claudia kissed Soren on his forehead while handing him the breakfast that she had made for him to share with Rosaleya. "Have a nice day." she smiled, holding the portal door open for him.

"Thank you." Soren replied, walking through it. I hope that she didn't do anything embarrassing to the breakfast. He looked down at the bento box in sudden paranoia, opening it up to find an adorable design, then closing it again. She didn't. Good.

"~Your prince." Jade finished.

"That was so beautiful!" Rosaleya said. "Can you go write it down so that it doesn't disappear? I think that maybe he has them on a timer."

"My identity isn't a secret anymore, so you don't have to worry about them disappearing." Soren informed her, smiling as he sat down.

"Drink this before you say anything else." she handed him another vial of truth serum. "You could've taken the antidote while you were gone."

"Sure." he drank it without hesitation, but the look in his eyes told her that he hadn't even thought of taking the antidote.

"Hey, what if that was a love potion or something?! Why did you just drink it?" Rosaleya asked. "And last night...you didn't hesitate."

"Well that's easy." he subconsciously leaned toward Rosaleya as he spoke "I'm already in love with you, so it wouldn't change much. Demonic love potion only works if you're not in love with the person that's giving it to you, and human love potions don't work on demons."

"Hey!" Jade flicked Rosaleya's ear again. "No!" He pulled Soren so that he was sitting straight.

Ouch! Right...I almost bought that. Rosaleya looked away from Soren's handsome countenance. Why does this have to be so hard?! Good thing I have Jade here, or else I could've fallen for his evil trap already...if he has an evil trap?

Oh, right...I almost forgot to put my desires on hold. I can't even embrace her, yet. I'm getting too distracted. I've fallen for her so deeply that all I want to do is embrace her and hold her hand. I was worried that when I met her, I might lose sight of my 'after marriage' rule...but my body isn't betraying me. All I want to do is be close to her...in an innocent way. But no matter what- he looked at her adorable profile -I won't pressure her! Requests are fine, but when she says no, I won't-

"What if it was poison?" Rosaleya asked reasonably, making eye contact again.

"Why would you want to poison me?" he said reasonably. "And even if it was, I would be able to tell. So it's fine. Now, do you have any poison-testing vials?" he handed her the bento box.

"I've got it covered-" Rosaleya gave Jade a sideways glance as she lifted the lid, and he began inspecting the food "-but why is there only one?"

"All clear!" Jade gave her a thumbs up. "And the pieces are all so cute!" he fawned over them.

"I wanted to share it with you." Soren gave her a hopeful look, holding up two pairs of chopsticks. "Please?"

"Nope. I'm not quite there just yet." Rosaleya replied with a smile. "But it looks like I can just summon a plate and take half. Are you cool with that?" The way she waited for his reply indicated that she wouldn't hear another word about it.

"Yes." Soren nodded. I suppose it was asking too much. I want her to be honest with me, and I also want to be honest with her, so it's a wonderful idea of hers to use these truth serums so that neither of us tries to lie.

"Cool." she smiled, taking half of everything after Jade summoned a plate for her. It was easy, since there were six or eight pieces of each 'creature'. "Mmmm...these taste so good! There are fish inside the ones that aren't holding pieces on the outside."

Her reaction is so adorable!!! "Yes; my mother is amazing."

"Your mom made these?" I really want to meet her.

"Yes; I already told you she's perfect." he joked. "Say...the professors said that we could visit Diagon and Knockturn on the weekends...would you like to go?"

"Good thing that Dad doesn't know you can visit him on weekends." Jade sighed in relief.

"No, that would actually be a huge mistake." Rosaleya replied without hesitation. "If my Dad found out that I can visit him, he won't leave me alone. Besides; I've spent too much time in Knockturn, and Diagon doesn't really interest me. If you want to go, have fun." she shrugged.

I see...it's like he's getting in the way of everything...somehow, half of our conversations lead back to him...and tears formed in her eyes last night because of him. Mother was right in guessing what sort of person he is.

Three silent minutes later

"Can we start eating breakfast together?" Rosaleya asked. "Not lunch or dinner, yet...maybe just seeing each other once a day and talking for a bit in the morning, y'know?"

"I would love that." Soren replied. She wants to see me...but she's also scared of me. Not scared like scared...just that she doesn't want to get hurt emotionally.

Fifteen minutes later

"...Crystal has always been really cool like that. But for some reason I can't remember how we passed from the 'I don't trust you' stage-" she gestured to the air between them "-to the 'let me tell you everything interesting going on with my life because we're like siblings' stage. So it's not like I can follow the path that I took last time to get to where I want to be this time."

"Where you want to be...this time?"

"There's no instruction manual that we can both follow to end up trusting each other in a short amount of time, right?" Rosaleya repeated Jade's explanation. "Or else, we would both read and follow it. But we'll start trusting each other eventually, I hope."

"This was nice." Soren smiled, holding his hand open for Rosaleya's chopsticks. "I'll get going now. I'll see you tomorrow."

Rosaleya waved to him before getting up. Tomorrow he'll lend me his light novel during breakfast. I'll read it while he goes to Knockturn and Diagon with his family.

They didn't share food like a couple, they didn't hold hands or pretend to laugh at each other's jokes once, and he didn't even get her to blush. For now, their relationship isn't serious...but by the look in Soren's eyes... Athena clenched her fist. ...He's in love with her.

"Why the HELL are you bothering her?" Athena demanded, grabbing Soren by the collar and holding him against the wall harshly. "You have plenty of time to answer my questions, and I know that she made you drink truth serum just twenty-four minutes ago.

"I'm not a monster Athena!" Soren laughed. "I've fallen in love."

"You? How?"

"Is it that difficult to believe?"

"Yes. Don't you dare hurt her."

"I'm your brother. You know me. I really don't understand why you're acting so strange. Why didn't you tell her that we were related?"

"Because-"

Luna finished informing the class that they would be making vegetarian pasta sauce with penne pasta today, and reminding them not to overcook the pasta or dry out the sauce, even though she had already written these reminders in their instruction sheets.

"That idiot." one girl whispered, loud enough for the rest of the students to hear but not loud enough to reach Luna's ears.

"What's she going to do this time?"

"Dry out the sauce?"

"Burn the onions?"

"Turn the pasta to mush?"

"Forget to put the teaspoon of salt in the pasta water so that it doesn't stick to itself?"

"Or maybe she'll put two grains of salt and pepper in the entire meal?"

"Or maybe she'll oversalt it."

"Idiot."

"Silly rich girl."

They laughed quietly at her uselessness.

"Lily, I wish to speak with you for a moment." Luna called Lily to the front of the classroom where the other students wouldn't be able to hear them. She had seen their mouths moving, and guessed at their topic of conversation based on their expressions and the direction of their gaze. "Today, you're not allowed to leave this classroom until I've tasted your food. You've been eating the food you've prepared, haven't you? Even if it's just a little taste?" she paused, waiting for a reply.

She sighed. "It's okay if you get the timing and temperature numbers mixed up; I always do. I have to read them three or four times before doing anything, to make sure that I'm not making a mistake, and then I handle one spell at a time. Sometimes, I put two alarm spells on one item; one for five minutes before the item is actually done, so that I can adjust anything that I need to, in case something is too raw or perhaps burning, and then one spell for the actual time that it is set to be done, so that I can check it again after making my adjustments. Sometimes I put alarm spells on things that don't even need it, so that I don't forget them. I'm very forgetful when I'm multi-tasking. Tasting the food as you season it is also important; adding a little, tasting, then adding some more until it tastes perfect. Remember, if you put too much, you cannot take it back out again; the spell for that is too complicated so we're not going to cover it, yet. But if you put too little, you can always add just a bit more. If you feel as if you need help, please let me know; I'm used to reversal spells by now. But if you make another unsatisfactory dish, people might doubt that I take my job seriously, and then I might not be able to help you anymore. I really enjoy these lessons." she smiled. "So good luck." she permitted her to start her lesson with a gesture.

 

[Hikari Chan]

Lily clearly heard how the other students bad mouthed her, but she did not care about what they said, because she had not been expecting herself to be a perfectionist in cooking with magic at the start of the year.

What's their problem? I did not have any knowledge in cooking with magic from the first lesson and I am here to learn....They may laugh all they want now...let's see who will laugh in the end...

"Lily, I wish to speak with you for a moment." Luna called Lily to the front of the classroom where the other students wouldn't be able to hear them.

"Yes?"

"Today, you're not allowed to leave this classroom until I've tasted your food. You've been eating the food you've prepared, haven't you? Even if it's just a little taste?" she paused, waiting for a reply.

"Eh....yes..." Lily replied quickly. "Just a little taste and then I disposed it to the birds to eat..." It was half the truth. Lily did not dare to tell Luna that she had given her two first dishes to professor Flynn Pyrites because they turned out bad, because she was worried that Luna would think she had failed her two first lessons intentionally. Lily never meant to fail on her first cooking with magic lessons. She had been doing her best following Luna's instructions. She listened to Luna's speech and made mental notes on her advices.

"Thank you," Lily said quietly and resumed her place in the classroom. I shall read the instructions at least five times and ask Luna if I do not understand. I will do my best....

Lily read the instructions sheets at least five times, making sure she understood what she need to do. I need to cook the pasta with salt and water in one pot and in another pot I shall prepare the sauce according to the instructions.

Is that another note from Dante again...August thought with a sigh as he bowed down to take the note from the tiger. He was visibly surprised when the tiger bowed for him. The tiger is much more polite and respectful than Dante...He thought after the tiger had left. He opened the letter and noticed that it was from Celeste this time. He hurried inside his office and sat down by his desk to read her letter.

August, my prince.....wait what? her prince?! August could not help but burst out in laughter. He was not laughing at Celeste or because she called him for her prince. Rather, he was laughing because of surprise since he had not been expecting her to address him that way. He continued to read her letter with a smile on his face. Celeste mentioning the Halloween ball in the letter took him by surprise as well, but this time he did not laugh because of being surprised. Halloween ball? I wonder who has planned a Halloween Ball. Halloween will be sometime at the end of October or beginning of November, so it is very soon, Shall I ask Mr. Shadowwalker if he knows anything about a Halloween ball or should I ask his father who is the minister? Or perhaps I should wait, I might receive some information about it soon. He continued to read and suddenly his smile faltered. Two unique students that are the same species as her? Miss Fairbrook and mr Garnett. I remember his father from that time at the amusement park. If they are the same species as Celeste, then it means they both are not humans yet they look like humans? But if they are the same species as her, why did they enroll at Hogwarts to learn magic while Celeste's master could have taught them? A masked student and another girl that reminds me about that Monroe woman were also enrolled together with miss Fairbrook and Mr. Garnett. I wonder if they are humans or other species...I shall ask Celeste if she knows about them as well....August thought and started to write a letter to Celeste. In case if Dante or the tiger returns, I will have my letter ready...

Dear Celeste,
I am very happy that my letter has brought you joy. I look forward to seeing you again. I would love to see the painting you are working on and hear the piece of music you are composing. I understand that your brother can be difficult to deal with, but do not worry. I am patient and I quite understand him.

I am surprised to hear about a Halloween ball. I have not received any information or invite yet. However, I think I might receive an owl about it soon. Usually when there's a ball coming, I always receive an owl one or two months ahead of the time. I feel quite curious and excited about a Halloween ball since I have never been to any before. I will surprise you with my costume.

That's interesting! I had no idea that miss Fairbrook and Mr. Garnett were of same species as you. Two other students enrolled at the same time as them, Mr. Dantes and miss Lovett. Are you perhaps familiar with them as well?

I look forward seeing you at Halloween, please take care

With regards,

August

When Lily was done with the pasta and sauce, she poured the sauce in one bowl and pasta in one plate, so that Luna could examine her work. Lily had tried her best to follow the instructions, yet she had overcooked the pasta to that extent that it almost became mushy and too salty. She had accidentally burned the onions and the sauce was watery and a bit too spicy. Both the onions and vegetables were unevenly chopped and sliced. She had been putting on several alarm spells to track on both the pasta and the sauce while cooking, checking and tasting if it was bland or too salty or spicy, but still she had failed to make it perfect.

It is my third time cooking, but we are learning something new on every lesson which makes it a bit difficult to master a special dish on just one lesson. I do not only need to practice the cooking and baking spells, but I also need to practice every step in a recipe. But it is a bit difficult to do that outside the classroom when I don't have any lessons. I can only practice during the lessons when I have access to both ingredients and all equipments. So I will be practicing on every new dish on every lesson. The other students here are being so rude talking behind my back like this. I bet they already had knowledge in cooking with magic before the start if this class while I am the only one who started without knowledge. Was I supposed to have knowledge before starting? But I have never baked or cooking before, hence I chose to take this class to learn.....well let's see what Luna has to say about this dish...Lily thought as she cleaned up the mess she had created on the table.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Luna stood with the intention to hand out her notes to the class on how they had done. Thus far, she hadn't tasted anyone's food, because she could tell how it would taste by carefully supervising them while they prepared it. Once, a female student had asked her to taste it with a confident look in her eyes, but Luna had used the excuse that she had already eaten plenty during dinner in the Great Hall.

"You may all leave the classroom, with the exception of Ms. Shadowwalker." Luna said after handing out the notes to everyone but Lily.

They all left, muttering things about Lily to each other that missed Luna's ears but reached Lily's.

Once they were alone, Luna read her notes to Lily. "...Overall, you are improving." Luna smiled. "It just so happens that we have a class of other students with experience, not with the spells, but with actual cooking. Since you don't have any experience, which I don't expect students to have when signing up for this class, it makes sense that your creations aren't perfect yet. You need to practice both cooking, and the spells, so you are actually trying to learn two tricky things at once. I saw how you used your alarm spells today, and how you read through the instructions before starting the meal. Planning it out in your mind is very important. 'I'll put this on first because it takes the longest to boil, meanwhile I'll cook this and this', and so on." she gave Lily a look that said 'I'm happy that you're taking my advice'. "There are a lot of spells involved in even a simple dish, so I really don't expect your food to taste good as soon as we've started these lessons. The point is that you're listening to me, and trying your best, isn't it?" she finished reasonably. "If you do both of those things, then you will improve. Pay no attention to the other students; I was far worse than you when I started learning."

"Oh-" she said when Lily was almost out the door "-and if you have free time during the day, you can come here while I'm teaching another class and practice a single spell in one of the free work stations. Any spell that you have problems with, as long as you don't distract the other students, which I'm sure you won't." she gave her a look that explained 'I know that you wouldn't distract others on purpose because you understand how difficult these lessons are'. In fact, it might make you happy to see how terribly some of the other students are doing. It might be easier for her to practice one spell without any pressure, instead of multitasking. True, multitasking is an important thing to learn when cooking or baking, but perhaps she can't learn it yet if she's not good at doing any of the individual tasks?

Once Lily left the classroom and Luna was certain that she was alone, she examined various aspects of Lily's work station. She sighed in relief. Good. I was worried that perhaps one of the students thought that it was funny to sabotage Lily, but her shortcomings are simply a result of her privileged upbringing.

Claudia approached the head of Ravenclaw house on Saturday morning, with the intention to take Soren to visit Diagon and Knockturn Alley.

"Good morning, Professor." she greeted in a professional tone. "I heard that students are allowed to visit..." Without using too many words, she explained, by showing his identification papers, that he was currently nineteen. As for the reason that he was in his sixth year, he simply wasn't very good with magic yet, and he had enrolled in Hogwarts two years before the Battle of Hogwarts broke out with Luna taking over. McGonagall accepted Soren into the fourth year, even if was older than the other fourth years, because he wouldn't have been able to handle being put into a higher class.

"Athena? I wanted to talk with you about something."

"What is it, Rose?" Athena smiled innocently.

They were sitting in the common room, alone since most of the students were going to visit Diagon and Knockturn Alley or spend time studying in the library or strolling in the grounds. Rosaleya was reading the Violet Evergarden light novel and listening to the soundtrack on the earphones that Soren had lent her, and Athena reading a dirty manga.

"Why didn't you tell me about your real name? Or that Soren is your brother? Is there something wrong with your family?" Her answer could help me avoid or breakup with Soren, if he's a bad person...he's probably just acting nice...even though I can't find an alternate reason for his kindness, yet. Rosaleya thought while taking out her earphones and closing her book, using Soren's paperclip to mark her page.

Athena didn't look up for a moment. "I love my family; there's nothing wrong with them. It's just that..." she closed her manga and set it beside her on one of the tables "I wanted you to like me without finding out that my family is rich, or that my brother is attractive...My brother and I have both had problems with things like that when trying to date or make friends. That's why, I guess, we both really want to get to know you better...because you don't seem like the type to care about things like that...or to use people for those reasons. I'll admit, I was watching you guys when you first had breakfast-"

"Did you trip Rosaleya accidentally?" Jade wondered.

"-and I got really nervous when I saw you two together, for two reasons. First, I was worried that maybe your opinion of me would change if you found out that I was some rich _ like Shadowwalker Girl, or that you might only want to get closer to me to know more about Soren...and second, I was worried that you wouldn't spend time with me anymore because you wanted to spend all of your time with Soren. I really like hanging out with you, so..." Athena's expression said 'You can see why I was worried, right?'

"I understand your reasons now. I was just worried that maybe your family was evil or something, and that you were the only good person there...like the opposite of a black sheep?"

She's so cute when she's trying to explain something in her own way. Athena nodded to show that she understood.

"But don't worry; I still want to spend a bunch of time with you. I'm actually trying to spend just a little time with Soren every day, because I'm worried that maybe he'll..." her expression finished her explanation for her.

"I can't tell what he'll do; he's usually very unpredictable. But although it seems like sometimes he's making impulsive decisions, he's actually planned everything from the beginning. Other than that, I can't give you any other advice. My family really is amazing, though. I wanted to move out because I needed some personal space, so I got an apartment in the same demonic town, and they let me. My parents are really nice, as long as you follow a few rules they basically let us do whatever we want. See?" she rolled up her sleeves to show her tattoos as an example. "I have them all over my arms and shoulders, and on my back I have a pair of tattoos that look like black wings. I have a few on my legs, too. And they let us dye our hair and cut it or grow it any way we want. If you ever visit, which I hope you do, my mom loves to go into details about the rules that we follow. I know that you two would get along. And my dad-"

Ten minutes later

"...so since Soren already invited you over, maybe you could think about it? I still think that you should move out and leave that jerk. I mean, you're eighteen; in Britain, you're a legal adult now. You should be able to do what you want. You know I'm heterosexual; we could share an apartment without any problems. That offer is always on the table, I promise!"

"It was disgusting, bowing to him again. Even if I was in tiger form, I was still on the floor."

"I want you to visit him soon, and be just as nice to him. I have a feeling that he's going to write me another letter."

"Fine. I'll visit him in...around two weeks." More like almost a month.

"Less than ten days?"

Dante groaned. "Yes. Fine. Less than ten days."

Luna was taking a stroll in the Hogwarts grounds, when she was approached by the students in her Cooking with Magic class. The same class that was gossiping about Lily during lessons sent her a barrage of comments, leaving her no time to reply.

"Professor Lestrange! Thank you for the wonderful lesson yesterday!"

"We wanted to say goodbye to you before we went to Diagon."

"Sorry that Ms. Shadowwalker is giving you so much trouble."

"She's so useless; but it's not her fault that she's so spoiled."

"Come on, Professor, tell us that you don't get annoyed just a little bit at her stupidity?"

"Or just a little envious of her perfect family?"

"Maybe if she didn't spend so much time on her looks then she would have more time to study for your classes."

"Or-"

"-Enough." Luna stopped them with one word and a scary look in her eyes. "You are all wonderful students. Yes, I am relieved that you are all doing to wonderfully. But I don't want you picking on or gossiping about Ms. Shadowwalker because she isn't as lucky as you to have experience with the art of making food. I am in no position to forbid you to badmouth her, because I am not a tyrant; I believe in free speech. However, I will ask you to be a bit less harsh, at least when you're in the same room as her. Imagine yourselves in her situation; she is making an effort to learn something new, and she will improve. My brother taught me to respect someone who works hard instead of allowing or making others do the work for them, so wouldn't you rather Ms. Shadowwalker make an effort instead of thinking that this is too good for her?"

"Actually, you made some good points." one student admitted.

The rest followed with similar comments, and two even apologized for their rudeness before leaving.

"You know, I have a few suggestions for you." the Masked Man addressed the group after Luna was out of sight. "After all, you are looking to be more like that professor, aren't you?"

"How did you know?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I can tell from the way that you look at her. Listen; she was bullied as a child, at this very school."

"Really?"

"No way!"

"Why?"

"Because of her bloodline, and considering who was in charge of the school at the time, it wasn't so unexpected. So, if you are looking to get on her good side, refrain from bullying Lily in any way. You should be nice to the little brat. If one of you sees her overcooking her pasta or burning her onions, make a suggestion or two, without actually doing anything for her because she has to do the work herself."

"You think that would help?"

"She'll probably turn her nose up to our advice!"

"Why would she trust us if we obviously don't like her?"

"Because you are excellent at doing the things that she wants to do. Her entire reason for wanting to learn Cooking with Magic is because she wants, more than any of you, if you can believe that, to emulate Luna. Don't start advising her right away; then Luna will think that it had something to do with her talk. For now, just refrain from bullying her. Later, you should start gradually helping her out, so that it looks, to Luna, like you're gradually warming up to that girl. It will look more natural and believable."

"Why are you giving us this advice?"

"I'm not." the Masked Man made a gesture that told them not to tell anyone that he had given them the advice. "But, if any of you should hear word of something that could possibly be important to me, or perhaps harmful, then you will return the favor, will you not?"

"Only if your advice works."

"Yeah."

"Very well, then. Good day." he tipped his hat to them and walked away.

"What a weirdo."

"I bet he looks so handsome under his mask!"

"Stop that."

"Ugh, why are you supposed to write this parchment if you're not sorry?" Jade complained about Elias's assignment from the Duelling Lesson Incident. "Oh, you're going to use the Christmas Card Method, right?"

They were in the library

Yup. Rosaleya smiled.

The Christmas Card Method is what Rosaleya called it, although the method wasn't used exclusively for Christmas cards to her father and relatives, but for every holiday or special occasion when she was supposed to make cards to go alongside gifts, and even for apology letters that Leigh demanded on occasions when she had acted out. She named it on a particular Christmas early on, when she was having such a difficult time writing cheerful phrases on her cards. So in her anger, she wrote what he was really thinking, then realized that if she reversed the sentences, they sounded perfect. For example, "I hate spending Christmases with you' turned into 'I love spending Christmases with you', and 'I never want to see you again' turned into 'I can't wait to see you again'. In this case 'They deserved it for their stupidity and I was holding back, so how is that unfair?' turned into 'They didn't deserve such ill treatment and I went too far. It was unfair of me to do those things.'. 'I would gladly do it again because I'm not sorry at all' turned into 'I regret my actions and will not repeat them'...so her assignment went quite smoothly and ended up sounding sincere.

Afterwards, Jade read it out loud in the most sarcastic tone he could muster, pausing a few times to roll his eyes or snort.

Perfect.

Jade summoned Rosaleya's demonic magazine. "Hey, didn't Soren say that his mother worked for this demonic maid service?" he asked, finding the page in Rosaleya's demonic magazine with the maid service advertisement.

If she's so beautiful, like he says, I have a hard time imagining her as a maid, but then again we haven't seen one ugly person, or even an average-looking person in all of Hell. They're all so handsome and beautiful, and lots of them have strangely coloured hair and eyes, but I suppose that's because Hair Colouring Shampoo and Demonic Colour Contacts are popular in Hell... Rosaleya thought as she stood up and walked out of the library.

"Oh, I was looking for you." Soren smiled, matching Rosaleya's pace as she walked outside into the sunlit grounds.

"It's not even lunchtime yet." Rosaleya said. "I thought that you were going to take longer."

"You were right after all; it was a total drag. After visiting so many of Hell's locations in both realms, Knockturn and Diagon had nothing to offer me. Hey, maybe we could play a game, or watch something together?" he asked with wide, hopeful eyes, taking both of her hands in his.

The moment Soren had touched Rosaleya, Jade held the Violet Evergarden light novel in between them, so that they were no longer making eye contact. "Don't get carried away." he warned. "Tell him that you want to spend the rest of the day reading."

Rosaleya pulled her hands away quickly. "I really wanted to read more of this. I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast."

"Good. Let's go." Jade picked Rosaleya up and jumped away, putting her down gently by the lake.

"Thanks, Jade." Rosaleya sighed in relief. "I was about to say yes to him."

"You're welcome." he embraced her. "Do you want me to read to you?"

"Yeah, that sounds nice." Rosaleya sat down. That was so close...I think I'm starting to feel something toward him...this isn't good...if I'm falling for his trap, I'm an idiot. Good thing Jade keeps reminding me not to do anything stupid.

Jade sat down beside her and gently pulled her so that her head was resting on his lap like a pillow, and then he put the earphones in for her and turned on the music. He ruffled her hair and smiled "No matter what, I will always be here for you."

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Ahh...alright, thank you Mrs. McCunnen," Faeryn took the identification papers. Mr. McCunnen could have given me these papers by himself. Usually, most parents never bother coming here and send everything to their children with owls. Muggle parents can not even enter Hogwarts. I don't understand why she did not send an owl to her son, or me or the headmaster right away. I guess she must be an overly sweet and caring mother that she must be present here whenever something concerns her son...

"Yes, of course, I always aim to do my best," Lily smiled, feeling very grateful by hearing Luna praising her genuinely, fairly and honestly.

"Oh-" she said when Lily was almost out the door "-and if you have free time during the day, you can come here while I'm teaching another class and practice a single spell in one of the free work stations. Any spell that you have problems with, as long as you don't distract the other students, which I'm sure you won't." she gave her a look that explained 'I know that you wouldn't distract others on purpose because you understand how difficult these lessons are'.

"Oh, thank you, I appreciate it. I will think about it and look over my schedule..."

"So," Persephone smirked and took a sip of her butterbeer. "You like my brother, don't you?"

"What?" Lily nearly coughed on her butterbeer.

It was Saturday afternoon, around five o'clock and Hogsmeade swarmed of students who were enjoying themselves after the first week of classes at Hogwarts. Lily had met up with Pegah and Persephone at the Three Broomsticks just as they had planned in beforehand and were enjoying butterbeer and gossiping. The Three Broomsticks had also a lot of customers during that hour of the day.

"I don't understand what you are talking about," Lily looked confused at Persephone. Pegah was deeply engulfed in the latest issue of the Daily Prophet.

"Oh please stop pretending, I know everything. He is barely eating anything because of you feeding him with everything you cook and bake during your cooking with magic classes...hehe...you know, the way to a man's heart goes right through his stomach...but you have to do a lot better than a salty cake, burned toasts or mushy pasta with a watery sauce, if you want to win his heart-"

"Hold on!" Lily nearly exclaimed with a loud voice and then lowered her voice, when she noticed that some guests glanced at her because of her sudden outburst. "The reason I am giving him all the meals I cook is because of vengeance! I have been suffering enough of his rude remarks and the detentions he has given me the past semester. Since it is my first time cooking and baking and nothing comes out perfect, I let him be the one tasting my dishes..."

Persephone was too shocked to speak any word, but soon they both were interrupted by Pegah who pointed at the first page of Daily Prophet.

"Isn't that odd?"

There were big headlines about a recent incident. A big moving picture of Lily's father and other employees of the Ministry of Magic was on the first page.

"That's odd..." Persephone had almost forgotten the recent argument she just had had a second ago with Lily. Who could have an interest in murdering a huge number of muggles and crucify them? The late dark Lord would have pestered muggles...but he is dead...he died about twenty years ago....but that was not his first death....he died and yet survived at the same time long before that time because of using Horcruxes. Were there one forgotten Horcruxes left twenty years ago that could have revived him today? But who would help him rise to powers? I doubt his daughter would help him at all...since she despises his use of methods as a leader...

"Professor?" Pegah nudged Persephone gently.

"Oh please, I have told you to drop down the formalities whenever we are outside Hogwarts..."

"hehe...alright...by the way, are you fine? You suddenly spaced out..."

"I am fine, I just got lost in thoughts. This news was too unexpected...."

"Who do you think would have an interest in killing so many muggles?"

"A blood supremacist and follower of the late dark Lord?" Lily suggested tentatively, turning the newspaper around so she could read the news. "According to this news, only muggles with no connections to the wizarding world have been found dead and crucified...."

"So any half-blood and muggle-born are safe...?"

"It seems..." Persephone said thoughtfully. The late dark Lord would not even approve of muggle-borns. The one behind it must be someone who clearly wants to clear this world from anyone who has no magical connection...but why? Who could this powerful wizard be...?

"But, this could have been done by a muggle, couldn't it?" Avery interrupted all of sudden and taking a seat at the same table.

Persephone rolled her eyes. Ugh, not that I mind him, but why did he have to come here and share tables with us ladies...

"That must be a very smart muggle, singling out every muggle who has no connection to the wizarding world," Macnair joined them as well.

"Perhaps a mad scientist?"

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

The Masked Man was reading the Daily Prophet in the common room. Athena was reading a different dirty manga now.

"Did you do that?" she asked suddenly, not looking up from her manga.

The Masked Man gave her no answer.

"Last time, you revealed it to her bluntly. Are you going to make the same mistake this time?" She asked in a patronizing tone, as if reminding an eight-year-old not to forget to wash his hands before supper.

He stood and closed the paper, leaving it folded neatly on his armchair before leaving the room.

Idiot. I give him a second chance at getting closer to Rosaleya, and he's going to go screw it up. I can feel it. But what is he going to do past curfew? She checked the time, seeing that it was already twelve. I should get to bed. I didn't notice the time fly by while I was reading this.

"Good morning!" Claudia sang cheerfully. "Your breakfast is ready!"

"Ah, wonderful." Leigh kissed her cheek.

Claudia had set the table with scrambled eggs arranged in a flower shape, heart-shaped bacon, orange juice served out of glasses that resembled orange halves, perfectly toasted toast, and tomato and cucumber salad.

"Did you manage to pick up a copy of today's Prophet?"

"Yes, here it is."

"And the Quibbler?"

Oh no, I can't let him see that...I didn't think that he would be interested in that since it's rumored to be an unreliable source for news. "You don't really need to read such a rag, do you?" I have try my best to convince him not to read it!

"Actually, I do. I read both. I believe that there are both lies and truths mixed into both papers, but usually I can tell which is which." Leigh replied firmly. "Would you mind getting a copy for me?"

"Of course." Claudia smiled and left. The look in his eyes is leaving no room for arguments! Maybe I can trick him and get him a day-old paper and change the date at the top so that he thinks he's reading this week's paper? I can't let him see that article!

Five minutes later

"This isn't today's paper; this is yesterday's paper with the wrong date at the top." Leigh informed her. "I know because I remember this article on how Luna Lovegood's quest to find a living Crumple-Horned Snorkack was going to be continued by another scientist named- nevermind. Would you mind getting me a more up-to-date paper? You should get your money back for this one, since the seller tricked you." he smiled, with a certain look in his eyes that told her he knew she had done it on purpose. "Unless there is something that you don't want me to read in today's paper?"

Argh! And it was difficult to find that Quibbler because they'd been sold out already! I had to buy it from someone else! "No, of course not."

"I'll worry about what I'm reading; don't worry." the look in Leigh's eyes disappeared as he began reading the day's Prophet. She probably wanted to dissuade me from reading it because she's worried I'll read something untrue and worry...but the Prophet is just as capable of printing up lies.

Five minutes later

"Thank you." Leigh took the Quibbler from her. "Monday, September 10th. Perfect."

"Hey," Claudia put her hand on Leigh's knee while kissing his cheek. "instead of reading, why don't we do something else before you have to work?"

"No thank you." Leigh replied, not looking away from the page as he pushed her hand and cheek away.

Rosaleya....Soren...Athena...I'm sorry I couldn't help you out. It's like his lust has completely disappeared! There's nothing that I can do...I've already tried distracting him with other things but that didn't work, either.

"What?" Leigh spoke in a bare whisper. "What is this?!" He continued reading the article, his eyes becoming angrier with each line. When he finished, he glared at the picture of Rosaleya, with Athena clinging to her arm and kissing her cheek, walking through Hogwarts casually. "I won't allow it!" he threw the paper to the floor and stood while turning to Claudia "Did you know about this?! Is that why you brought me the wrong paper? You did it on purpose, didn't you." he was no longer asking.

"Of course not." Claudia replied with a clueless expression. "The seller was a fool. What's wrong with that paper?" she tried to get a look at the article he had been reading.

So she didn't know...alright. However, Rosaleya is clearly allowing this to happen. Leigh believed Claudia, but staring at the picture again he felt as if Rosaleya had betrayed him.

"These heart-shaped waffles are so cute." Rosaleya said, "But I want some milk with them. I'll go get some from the Great Hall."

"Why don't you have your extension summon it for you?" Soren asked curiously. I can't summon it because I'm still learning that spell.

"He fell asleep after telling me that the food wasn't poisoned." Rosaleya replied. "I'll be right back."

Coming with her would seem clingy, and I know that she's trying to only spend a bit of time with me, so I'll just wait here. I'm grateful that she trusts me enough to have breakfast with me. Soren thought.

Meanwhile

"Yeah, sure. I passed Rosaleya on the way here; she said that she was going to the Great Hall for something." Crystal replied, permitting Leigh to enter the grounds. "Let me show you where it is; this place is confusing if you don't know the layout." I wonder what he wants to talk to her about?

Meanwhile

Athena was on her way back to the Great Hall after a bathroom break, to openly grimace at the food and annoy the other students; if Rosaleya had been eating with her then she wouldn't have grimaced so openly. "Oh, hi." Athena was surprised to see Rosaleya making her way to the Great Hall, since she had expected her to follow through with her plans of eating breakfast with Soren. "Do you mind?"

"No." Rosaleya replied.

Athena clung to her arm again and leaned her head against Rosaleya's shoulder with a romantic look in her eyes. "I can't thank you enough. No one's bothered me thanks to you."

"You're really good at acting." Rosaleya replied.

As usual, Luna wasn't dining in the Great Hall, but in her office, eating a green apple while she planned tomorrow's Cooking with Magic lessons and wrote the detailed instructions for the students.

Rosaleya walked to the Slytherin table, got some milk, and turned around to see Leigh glaring at her as if she had betrayed him in the worst possible way.

After Crystal had led Leigh to the Great Hall, she had left in a hurry, muttering something about having to use the bathroom. Why didn't he just send her an owl or something? Ah, why did I suddenly have to go?

Athena saw Rosaleya freeze up and then followed her gaze, immediately letting go of her arm once she realized the problem. She stood in front of Rosaleya like a protective shield with a firm posture and countenance.

Why is he here? Is he angry about the weekend-visit thing? But no...he looks so scary right now...what else did I do that could possibly have gotten him angry? I can't think right now...I want to run away but he's standing in front of the exit...now he's coming closer...

"Move." Leigh addressed Athena with a dangerous look in his eyes, but her brave front didn't falter.

You piece of _. Don't you dare touch Rose!

That look in his eyes...that's the same look he gives me when he's going to do something really bad! "Dad, I'm right here." Rosaleya stepped in front of Athena, forcing herself to make eye contact with Leigh. "What's wrong?" she tried to keep her voice from shaking; she almost succeeded.

Leigh proceeded to blame Rosaleya, without minding his harsh tone or the volume of his voice, for the three incidents that he had read about in the Quibbler: exposing the other students' underwear and ruining their uniforms during Duelling class, violently bullying ten students during dinner when they asked for an apology, and engaging in a homosexual relationship with Athena when she knew that he had forbidden anything of the sort. He didn't give her an opportunity to reply, nor did he remember that they weren't the only two people occupying the Great Hall at the time. "...I allow you to have short hair and wear a boy's uniform and you think that you've become a man, now? Explain yourself."

"There is a reason for all of those incidents." Rosaleya replied, barely concealing her fear. "They just look bad from one point of view, I promise. The first one-"

"I don't need to hear your excuses." he spat. "You don't deserve the freedom and respect that I am giving you. From now on, I want you to act like the other students, wearing a girl's uniform and eating with everyone else, getting good grades and studying during your free time."

"But I am getting good-"

"-Silence. Don't talk back to your father." Leigh backhanded Rosaleya, causing her to lose balance, but Athena rushed forward to catch her, successful in her task.

Leigh pulled Rosaleya away, holding her at arm's length by her shoulders while continuing to make his demands for her to 'act like herself again' and 'follow his rules'. He was holding her too harshly, most likely creating more bruises on Rosaleya's shoulders.

Rosaleya had a distant look in her eyes as her body shook with fear. She was hearing Leigh's words and making eye contact, but it felt as though her body was weakened significantly; if Leigh let go she felt that she would fall to the floor.

"...so I want you to wear this pendant-" he put her old pendant on her with one hand as he spoke "-so that there are no more problems."

 

[Hikari Chan]

A sudden commotion in the Great Hall made everyone, both students and professors, forgetting about their meals and looking up with astonishment and shock. Some students were gloating and sneering at Rosaleya. Lily was feeling shocked about the situation and helplessly wondered if it was the duty of a head girl or prefect to intervene in such a situation.

Flynn was the fastest one who reacted, rushing down to the scene.

"That's enough! How dare you abuse her?!" He took hold of Rosaleya's shoulder and gently pushed her away from her father.

Leigh was soon surrounded by Elias, Mulciber, and Quinn, who had hurried down after Flynn.

"We will talk in my office," Elias spoke, with a cold tone that suggested that Leigh was not allowed to leave at the moment and that he had no other option than following the staff to the headmaster's office. "I am taking away ten points from every student who gloated and laughed at this situation." Gryffindor was the one that lost most points at the moment, loosing about hundred-twenty points followed by Slytherin that lost a hundred points, Ravenclaw which lost fifty points and Hufflepuff which lost thirty points. It was literary a warning to everyone to not dare bully miss Fairbrook because of this incident. Quinn had already put a comforting arm around Rosaleya's shoulder and led her out from the Great Hall.

"Perhaps we should introduce ourselves first," Elias suggested as soon they all had entered the headmasters' office. There was already one chair for the headmaster and two for two guests, so he had conjured three extra chairs. "I am the headmaster of this school and professor in dueling, Mr. Shadowwalker." He introduced himself as soon as he had taken his seat and expected everyone to sit down as well. "Professor Quinn is my assistant and professor in apparition." He gestured towards her. "Professor Mulciber, is professor in potions and head of Slytherin, the house in which your daughter, miss Fairbrook has been sorted into." He gestured towards Mulciber.

Rosaleya had gotten the chair between Quinn and Mulciber so they both sat beside her. The other chairs were positioned in front of them so that Leigh was sitting opposite Rosaleya with two empty chairs beside him, reserved for Luna and Crystal.

"The deputy headmistress and miss Fairbrook's guardian will be here soon..." Elias had already alerted Luna through his brooch that he expected her at the headmaster's office and also sent a message with his emerald to Crystal to come to the office. He had also sent three messages through his emerald, to Gibbon, Rockwood, and Persephone Pyrites regarding other matters.

"I am fully aware that some classes will start about half an hour and I don't know how long our talk will take, hence I have assigned substitute teachers for potions, cooking with magic and history of magic as long as you are being here. You may leave if you instead desire to teach your classes, but I would prefer professor Mulciber to remain here until the end of this meeting since he is the head of Slytherin and I also wish to speak to professor Thorne, after this meeting, since she is miss Fairbrook's second guardian. Miss Fairbrook is excused from all her classes today." Elias explained to Luna, Crystal, and Mulciber. "Now, I would like to hear an explanation from you, Mr. Fairbrook, please," Elias addressed Leigh. "Who permitted you to enter the castle and abuse your daughter in front of everyone in the Great Hall?"

"Lachlan Avery" Elias spoke through the emerald on his wand. "Bring me the latest issue of the Quibbler, please," He ordered and then turned his attention towards Leigh. "I fully understand that you are very protective-" Too overprotective that it disgusts me...
"-of your daughter and worried about her reputation. I do not forbid any parents to scold their children if they break rules, sending howlers or owls to them, but it does not give you the right to barge in here and abuse or physically hurt your daughter. Besides, miss Fairbrook is already off age according to the wizarding law. She is only obliged to follow the rules, morals, and ethics at Hogwarts, besides following the laws of the wizarding and muggle worlds, as long as she is here-"

Avery entered with the latest issue of Quibbler, gave it to Elias and quickly left for his class in Alchemy.

Elias pointed his wand at the quibbler and browsed through quickly until he found a certain article written about Rosaleya.
"...I have already punished miss Fairbrook fair and square, according to the rules, morals, and ethics of this school, for her misbehavior. As I earlier mentioned, miss Fairbrook is already off age according to the wizarding law. As long as she follows both the laws of the wizarding and muggle worlds and as long as she does not cause any harm outside or here at Hogwarts, she is free to do whatever that pleases her. If there is something you don't approve of, that's between you and her since you are her father after all, but you do not have the right to barge in here and cause such a commotion as you did today or I have to bring you to the court of the Ministry of Magic. You do not wish to end up behind the bars at Azkaban, do you?" Elias was not asking but rather threatening Leigh. From now on, all parents are not allowed to enter Hogwarts or its grounds. They may send owls, but if they need to meet their children because of urgent matters, then they have to make an appointment with me first...Elias thought.

"Today, you may stay here for a while and speak with your daughter about her misbehavior, without using violence, in professor Mulciber's office in his presence. Slytherin is her second home here at Hogwarts and as the head of the house, Mulciber is responsible for his students. He will escort you out of the castle afterward. In the future, you have to use owls if you desire to communicate with your daughter as long as she is here. If you wish to meet her in person, you have to make an appointment with me or you won't be allowed to enter here. Is that understood?"

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Rosaleya was so surprised to see people approaching to step in. She had expected Leigh to storm off any minute like he usually did after yelling at her or hurting her a bit and handing out a punishment, and then the day would progress without further incident. She had been too scared and distraught to foresee any further bullying incidents or issues that might occur; she hadn't even registered the fact that everyone's eyes had been on her.

"That's enough! How dare you abuse her?!" He took hold of Rosaleya's shoulder and gently pushed her away from her father.

Rosaleya lost her balance and Athena supported her before she fell. "It's okay, I'm right here." she whispered in her ear.

"Do you have children? Then you have no right to tell me-" Leigh nearly yelled at Flynn, enraged that Athena and Rosaleya were close again after all of his efforts, before he was surrounded by Elias, Mulciber, and Quinn, who distracted him for a moment.

Athena took the opportunity to send Soren a patronus about the incident. I couldn't do anything for her...I would've hurt him and I'm not legally allowed to do that. I know that if I called you then you would've lost it for sure; at least I managed to hold back. She finished, then sent it off.

"I'm disgusted with the lackluster job you've all been doing, especially you." Leigh addressed Elias with his hands on his hips, then turned with the intention of storming out.

"We will talk in my office," Elias spoke, with a cold tone that suggested that Leigh was not allowed to leave at the moment and that he had no other option than following the staff to the headmaster's office.

If he is the Headmaster...then this is his territory, I think. I have to do what this negligent liberal says, as long as I'm on Hogwarts grounds. Leigh's poor knowledge of the Hogwarts rules, or even the Ministry's rules, with the exception of the most basic ones, prevented him from leaving. "Very well." he replied quietly.

Now that you see someone in power you're going to act like a _ worm?! Athena thought, noticing Leigh's change of attitude from faultless and loud to submissive yet petulant.

Athena took a step back once Rosaleya had calmed down enough to support herself, and Quinn took over comforting her, leading her out of the Great Hall.

"...Miss Fairbrook is excused from all her classes today." Elias explained to Luna, Crystal, and Mulciber.

I can manage to focus on classes for today... Rosaleya tried to imagine herself performing perfectly throughout the lessons. Actually it sounds a lot harder now...but I've done worse after Dad's done something like this...But it was only a slap on the face and a little yelling...he didn't even call me any names this time...maybe I was exaggerating or imagining it to be worse than it was? Why was I shaking so much? Maybe I was taking it a bit too far, using Nova and Reign's idea for Athena and I...and maybe I should've just had Jade call the Headmaster so that he stopped the bullying before it even happened? Maybe I shouldn't have gotten carried away during the Duelling Class...what if I'm the one in the wrong here? I hate dealing with Dad...I can never really tell who's right or wrong, at least not without Jade...But he's still asleep! If I was a parent...what would I have done? Argh! I can't think straight right now!

Athena and Soren were listening to the conversation outside the door.

Who cares if someone opens it to see our ears pressed to the door? Athena thought.

I'll miss all of whatever classes I have today if it means being there for Rosaleya when she leaves this office. Soren thought.

"Now, I would like to hear an explanation from you, Mr. Fairbrook, please," Elias addressed Leigh. "Who permitted you to enter the castle and abuse your daughter in front of everyone in the Great Hall?"

"Ms. Thorne." Leigh pointed to her as if blaming her for the whole ordeal.

"I'm so sorry, Rosaleya." Crystal apologized. "Leigh didn't look angry when he told me that he wanted to see you, so I let him in...but I had to use the bathroom so I left him at the threshold of the Great Hall. I thought he was in his 'nice' mood, so I didn't expect-"

"-That doesn't really matter at all." Leigh interrupted, addressing Elias as if he was the only other person in the room. "Have you seen today's Quibbler? When I was trying to enjoy my breakfast this morning, you cannot imagine my outrage at finding out that my daughter was acting so immorally." He gave a brief explanation of the three incidents: the Duelling class, fighting against the ten students, and the homosexuality. "After all of the efforts I have put into raising her, you can imagine my chagrin at her misconduct."

I've been acting spoiled, haven't I? Ever since I started going to Hogwarts...Leigh's going to get these professors on his side, isn't he? It's not Crystal's fault; sometimes Leigh puts on such a happy face to get what he wants that you can never guess that he's not going through his 'nice' faze, but is deep into his 'scary' faze instead. I'm not in the wrong, am I? Rosaleya tried to think about the incidents, trying to judge herself from another point of view as if she was the parent and she had a child that had acted like her, but she kept failing, fingering her ring in her anguish.

"Lachlan Avery" Elias spoke through the emerald on his wand. "Bring me the latest issue of the Quibbler, please," He ordered and then turned his attention towards Leigh. "I fully understand that you are very protective of your daughter and worried about her reputation. I do not forbid any parents to scold their children if they break rules, sending howlers or owls to them, but it does not give you the right to barge in here and abuse or physically hurt your daughter."

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Leigh looked at Rosaleya, ordering her with his eyes to give only one reply.

"No, you didn't." Rosaleya looked away, down at the ring she was fingering. She had allowed herself to reminisce about Soren's description of his parents, imagining spending a dreamlike winter break with them, daydreaming in order to ease her anxiety.

Very convincing. Leigh thought angrily at Rosaleya.

Disgusting. Luna and Crystal thought about Leigh's actions.

"Someone's coming!" Athena whispered. Both Athena and Soren hid in a nearby hallway, waiting for Professor Lachlan to enter and leave the office before resuming their eavesdropping.

"Besides, miss Fairbrook is already off age according to the wizarding law. She is only obliged to follow the rules, morals, and ethics at Hogwarts, besides following the laws of the wizarding and Muggle worlds, as long as she is here-"

"I believe that the law is wrong, in that aspect. I don't think that she is old enough to make her own decisions, yet. She knows nothing at her young age; she can still make so many mistakes." Leigh mistook Elias's silence for permission to keep talking, ignoring Avery handing him the Quibbler. He kept talking while Elias was browsing the paper, spouting similar nonsense about Rosaleya's ineptitude and his efforts to raise her properly.

"...I have already punished miss Fairbrook fair and square, according to the rules, morals, and ethics of this school, for her misbehavior. As I earlier mentioned, miss Fairbrook is already off age according to the wizarding law."

This man is fine with homosexuality at this school? His liberal attitude disgusts me. Leigh thought, although he didn't voice his displeasure.

"As long as she follows both the laws of the wizarding and Muggle worlds and as long as she does not cause any harm outside or here at Hogwarts, she is free to do whatever that pleases her. If there is something you don't approve of, that's between you and her since you are her father after all, but you do not have the right to barge in here and cause such a commotion as you did today or I have to bring you to the court of the Ministry of Magic. You do not wish to end up behind the bars at Azkaban, do you?" Elias was not asking but rather threatening Leigh.

"No, I don't." Leigh was visibly submissive again.

"Today, you may stay here for a while and speak with your daughter about her misbehavior, without using violence, in professor Mulciber's office in his presence. Slytherin is her second home here at Hogwarts and as the head of the house, Mulciber is responsible for his students. He will escort you out of the castle afterward. In the future, you have to use owls if you desire to communicate with your daughter as long as she is here. If you wish to meet her in person, you have to make an appointment with me or you won't be allowed to enter here. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir." Leigh replied, bowing his head deeply. If he had needed to grovel on the floor for forgiveness, he would've. "Rosaleya?" he stood and offered his hand to help her up from her seat with a kind smile, as if nothing was wrong.

She took it, knowing all too well that if she refused his hand there would be another problem. Like a trained dog?! I do what he says, how he says it, and he is never wrong?! Whether I've become spoiled or not, or whether I'm in the right or wrong, I don't care! As long as I'm happy, then that must be the right thing to do! Besides; I'm not homosexual! After one perv boy asked Athena if she was bisexual, she kissed me on the cheek and replied that she was and forever would be homosexual. Since then, no stupid people have bothered her! Athena is an amazing friend, and if 'doing the right thing' meant letting those students bully me then _ that! And that Duelling lesson? I still remember really enjoying myself. I felt like a rebel, which felt fun for once, to break the unwritten rules without drinking or doing drugs or being promiscuous. I'm not doing any of those things! I'm doing just fine! And that look that the Headmaster gave Dad was so cool! I'm so grateful that the professors are stepping in like this. While I'm here, I won't have to worry about Dad. Oh, but what about the winter and summer breaks?

They're coming! Athena and Soren quickly got away from the door, hiding in the adjacent hallway again and intending to discreetly follow Mulciber, Rosaleya, and Leigh to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Once they were in Mulciber's office, Leigh turned to Rosaleya. "Why don't you explain yourself?"

What was the proper reply for that question again? Rosaleya tried her hardest to remember it. I can't think of it! I'll just have to go with the reply that he usually wants to hear the most. "I'm sorry."

"I don't want you to apologize." Leigh said gently, putting a comforting hand on Rosaleya's shoulder with a gentle smile. "Explain to me; what happened?"

Oh, wrong answer...okay, so he actually wants an explanation this time. Got it. Rosaleya explained the three incidents from her perspective, giving reasons and feelings to every action. How she had enjoyed the Duelling because she knew it was technically wrong even though the rules said nothing, but it had been her first taste of schadenfreude. How she had allowed Athena to feign homosexuality in order to avoid perverted or annoying boys, pausing to politely ask Mulciber if he could keep it a secret that it was actually a charade for Athena's sake. And finally how she was only acting in self-defence, and was in fact holding back when facing the ten vengeful students from the Duelling class.

Meanwhile

Crystal sat quietly in the Headmaster's office, waiting for him to speak first.

Meanwhile

"Oh, my dear, why didn't you explain this to me before?" Leigh asked, kissing her forehead. "You're so silly sometimes." he smiled.

Don't say it! Rosaleya thought angrily. Don'tsayitdon'tsayitdon'tsayit!

"Well if you had just told me from the beginning, I would've understood. Next time, you should communicate better and be open and honest with me. You can tell me anything you want, but when I have to find out like this I really don't know what to do. You're still so young and you aren't old enough to make decisions for yourself." Several sentences were spoken with the same message. Instead of walking in circles, it was like he was talking in circles, visiting the same subjects over and over again and only slightly changing the wording each time. "I'm sorry that I was a little mean to you and I overreacted, but it's only a little tap on your face, isn't it?" He referenced his backhand from earlier by gently brushing a finger over where he had touched her face. Rosaleya had flinched when she saw his hand rising, but he had only laughed softly. "Don't overreact; it's an unbecoming trait for you. The other students probably weren't even paying attention. I'm sorry I got carried away in my frustration with you." he got up and embraced her "But please talk with me next time; this whole thing could've been avoided if you had just talked to me. Have a nice day, Rosaleya." he made for the door. "Oh, and don't take your necklace off!" he reminded her with his sweetest smile yet. "Would you mind showing me out?" he turned to Mulciber. "This place is so confusing." he laughed at his own joke.

An apology that isn't an apology...Using his delusions to make his actions less serious than they were...his backhand really hurt...and it also made me sad....and he said 'a little mean'...how could he? Which one of us is remembering the situation incorrectly?! Rosaleya thought. And what does he mean, 'don't take the necklace off'?! I'm taking it off the second he leaves this place! And he seriously gave me the 'communicate better' speech?! I tried that already; the same thing happens, but without me having any fun first. Not that I've ever even done anything remotely terrible! She had subconsciously made a fist with her hand. But... her hand loosened ...what if I become a horrible person with this type of selfish thinking? What if I turn into the same type of person that adopted Stephan, over and over again, until he hated people? 'As long as I'm having fun'...is that what they were thinking when they abused Stephan?!

They're coming! Soren and Rosaleya retreated, hiding in an adjacent hallway while thinking bad thoughts about Leigh and sweet thoughts about Rosaleya.

 

[Hikari Chan]

Meanwhile, everyone else finished their breakfast in the Great Hall. It was first silent as if no one dared to speak, but soon everyone started to chatter as usual. The students who had lost points because of gloating and sneering at Rosaleya during the incident were feeling mortified for losing house points. Other students were already gossiping about the incident, adding more and more to the gossip and making a bigger story out of what happened, which spread like a wildfire among the students and those who followed Quibbler was already expecting the incident to be a first-page headline on the next issue.

The classes before lunch went on as usual. Persephone who was substituting for Mulciber noticed that miss Lovett was absent during the potions' class. She deducted twenty points from Slytherin and wrote an owl with a warning to miss Lovett after the class was over. Persephone also wrote an owl to Mulciber to notify him that miss Lovett had been absent from his class. Both Mulciber and Athena would receive their owls during lunch hour. Avery on the other hand who noticed that Mr. McCunnen was absent from his class, deducted ten points from Mr. McCunnen. After class, Avery also wrote an owl, to notify Mr. McCunnen about this absence and gave him double homework to next Monday: To write a three-foot-long parchment summary about today's lesson and the coming lesson next week and hand it in at the start of the class next Monday. Melody, on the other hand, deducted twenty-five points from Mr. McCunnen because he was absent from today's class. She also wrote him a warning and gave him detention via owl which he would receive at lunch hour. His detention was to write a two-foot-long parchment essay about the subject of today's class and also write at least twenty sentences explaining why he was absent from class and hand it in at the beginning of next class next Monday. McCunnen would receive his both owls during lunch hour. Rockwood who was substituting for Crystal deducted twenty points from miss Lovett who was being absent from History of Magic and sent her a warning and detention via owl, which she would receive during lunch hour. Her detention was to write a half foot long parchment to explain why she was absent from the history of magic class and hand it in today at the astronomy class that started at 15.45. Rockwood also wrote a notification about miss Lovett's absence during class and sent it via owl to Crystal who would receive it during lunch hour as well. Gibbon who was substituting for cooking with magic in the morning, Persephone, Flora Carrow, and Rockwood were already notified that Rosaleya was excused from her classes; cooking with magic and wizarding literature, magipsychology, healing and medicinal magic, and astronomy today due to an incident that happened in the morning.

After the meeting was over in the headmaster's office, Elias requested Quinn to send owls to all parents whose children were currently enrolled at Hogwarts, that if they wished to enter Hogwarts, they were obliged to make an appointment with him first and that all communications with their children should be kept via owls as long as they were at school.

"Well..." Elias began as soon as he was left alone with Crystal in his office. "...You know very well that you should not have allowed miss Fairbrook's father to enter here freely since you know him from before. But I guess you could not predict the incident happen since you do not follow Quibbler, do you? Since you are miss Fairbrook's guardian, I am holding you responsible for what happened today, so heed my warning. If you help him enter Hogwarts without my consent because he wants to see his daughter and cause another commotion like he did today, you'll lose your job as a professor. It's up to you now to speak to miss Fairbrook. If worse things happen in the future, I might give her detention, deduct points, suspend or expel her from Hogwarts, depending on how serious the matter is. He is a strict and overprotective father who will resort to violence if his daughter is being disobedient and unruly, so she has to pay attention to her behavior while being here. Even if she is off age and might do as she please according to the wizarding law, she is still under-aged in her father's eyes. We cannot do anything about that nor can we control gossips or the Quibbler, so she has to behave while being here. We can have him to face the court and the law of the wizarding world if he barges in here on his own or abuses her outside Hogwarts. That was all I wanted to say. If you don't have anything to ask or comment about this matter, you may leave for lunch..."

"Where are you going? Please resume your seat, sir, we are not done yet," Mulciber spoke coolly. "As per the rules of this school, we have to double-check that necklace," He was not going to let Leigh off the hook so easily. After how he had abused miss Fairbrook, Mulciber suspected the necklace to be dangerous. He used the emerald on his wand to call professor Travers to his office. Since she had been close, spending some excess time with Endewyne in one of the outdoor gardens inside the castle, she arrived in the dungeons quickly.

"Yes?" She was soon standing at the door of Mulciber's office, looking a bit surprised to be called to his office so suddenly.

"May you investigate an item, please?"

"Of course..." She replied as she entered the office.

"Miss, please put your necklace on the table," Mulciber ordered and gestured at the empty spot on his desk. He handed Faeryn a pair of dragon gloves, which he usually used when handling with certain ingredients and potions. However, she did not need the gloves.

"Thank you, but I think I will manage this with just my wand...." She shooted several spells at the necklace, murmuring the incantations under her breath, almost threatening to break it with the force of spells, but nothing happened to the necklace nor did she find anything dangerous about it. "It is a simple tracking charm, no more or less..." She announced. She picked up the necklace and handed it over to Rosaleya.

"I see..." Mulciber nodded. "Well, miss-" He addressed Rosaleya. "-as per request by your father, you have to wear the necklace. We cannot control gossips or what the Quibbler writes about, so as long as you wear the necklace, your father can be assured that you are not causing any troubles here and can ignore whatever the Quibbler writes about you. Thus, he won't have a reason to barge in here and cause a commotion like he did this morning. I hope you understand that I, as the head of your house, I am telling you this for your good. As an adult, you are responsible for your acts and behavior. Should you neglect your necklace and worse things happen in the future, you might face the consequences. Do you understand?"

"Very well, I will now escort you to the gates..." Mulciber addressed Leigh before telling Rosaleya that she may leave for lunch. When Mulciber returned to his office, he found a letter from Persephone.

Tsk...looks like this trouble maker likes to skip classes as soon as she gets an opportunity...He thought. He wrote a short note, that he would like to speak to miss Lovett after the potions class on Friday. The short notice would arrive at Athena during the lunch hour.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"But I guess you could not predict the incident happen since you do not follow Quibbler, do you?"

"No, I don't."

"I apologize sincerely for my mistake." Crystal said genuinely to Elias after he had finished speaking, then left his office.

"As per the rules of this school, we have to double-check that necklace."

"I wouldn't want to harm my daughter." Leigh replied innocently. "It's only a simple tracking spell to make sure that she stays safe."

"Miss, please put your necklace on the table," Mulciber ordered and gestured at the empty spot on his desk.

Rosaleya obeyed. Please tell me that I don't have to wear it?

She listened to the professor's words, nodding with an obedient countenance, but on the inside she was furious. I get it...just like before...I was so stupid to think that I could actually have fun now that I got to have some space from Leigh...but I was an idiot. He's going to control my every damn move!

"...Should you neglect your necklace and worse things happen in the future, you might face the consequences. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Rosaleya nodded seriously. I understand that no one understands. I got my hopes up when I saw them intervening.

Leigh was escorted out by Mulciber after watching Rosaleya put on her necklace. Rosaleya left the office quietly, her eyes to the floor.

As soon as she entered a hallway where there were no professors, Athena and Soren embraced her warmly, standing on either side of her.

Rosaleya didn't want to push either of them away, allowing herself, for a moment, to believe that they had no ulterior motives for supporting her emotionally. "But...didn't you guys have classes and stuff today?"

"Those don't matter right now." Athena insisted. "If the professors can't understand that you needed us more then they're-"

"-A bit short-sighted." Soren interrupted before Athena got herself into trouble by cussing openly. "We're here for you, so we just want you to take a moment to remember that we aren't choosing 'following the rules' over comforting you."

"That's right!" Jade smiled.

Where the hell were you that whole time?! Rosaleya thought angrily.

"I'm sorry that I was asleep. It appears that if you're too emotionally exhausted then I might have to sleep for a bit longer. I'll try to sleep during the night, but...I was up all night writing out your homework assignments in my best handwriting."

"Thank you so much." Rosaleya said to Soren and Athena, taking a step back. "But next time, don't get yourselves in trouble for something small like this. This was actually one of his more merciful rants. He didn't even call me any names or pull my hair or anything."

Bastard! Athena thought angrily.

'More merciful rants'?! Soren thought angrily.

"Seriously, don't do it again. I've never needed a hug afterwards before." And sometimes I've had to clean the entire house in one day or go without eating for a few days afterwards as punishment, so this is nothing. "I'm even getting the day off of classes, so after a shower, lunch, and some reading to get my mind off of it I should be feeling just fine. I'm not so fragile that I would refuse to leave my dormitory bed in a fit of tears. I'll see you guys later."

She says that she needs some time alone. I guess I'll just eat lunch in the Great Hall today. Soren and Athena thought, turning in the direction of the Great Hall with the most venomous thoughts about Leigh filling their heads.

"The hell?!" Athena was grinding her teeth, reading letter after letter during lunch. I'm going to explain to those damn cockroaches the reason that I wasn't at the classes! Especially this idiot! She looked down at Mulciber's letter.

I'm not surprised. I won't bother arguing with the professors; even if I did, I doubt that they would change their minds. Soren thought, reading his letters. I have no doubt that it was worth it, just for her. No matter how tough she acted while telling us that she didn't need her...

...I could tell that she was so happy to see us there and have our support. Athena thought. Argh this food is so damn bland! She grimaced.

I wish that I was sitting with Rosaleya right now...but she said that she needed some time alone! Both Soren and Athena thought.

Meanwhile

Rosaleya was leaning up against a wall in an abandoned hallway near the Great Hall. She figured that if Leigh checked her necklace, he would see that she was close enough and not bother her about it since he didn't know the layout very well. She could hear the tableware clinking and the chatter in the distance. Jade was ranting at the top of his lungs about Leigh while feeding Rosaleya some food from the Slytherin table; Shepherd's pie. She was tuning Jade's rants out while reading Soren's light novel with her earphones in.

"Ah, thank you for making me lunch." Leigh said after swallowing yet another overlarge bite of his grilled steak and vegetables. "I felt so stressed out when I returned." he shook his head "She was acting so foolishly and all I was trying to do was raise her to be a strong lady. And what do I get, in the middle of my breakfast when I'm trying to relax? I didn't even get to finish my breakfast in peace." he continued complaining for about twenty minutes, while Claudia listened with a sympathetic expression. He ate with the poorest table manners imaginable, as if the anger he felt by Rosaleya's 'betrayal' justified his barbarism.

"Would you like to relax now?" Claudia smiled, biting her lip suggestively. It had been difficult for her to resist grimacing at his lack of etiquette, especially now that he was in desperate need of a roll of floss.

"That would be perfect to get my mind off of this." Leigh smiled toothily.

Meanwhile

"So that's why I couldn't alert you of Fairbrook's issue." Raven apologized.

"No no, that's quite alright. If you were assisting my brother on one of his errands then that is more than understandable, considering that you were halfway around the world."

"When I returned I noticed two students skipping class, but when I read their minds I could understand why."

"Tell me?"

"Of course, mistress. Since their friend was in desperate need of comfort, they saw it fit to break the rules and-" Raven explained it from their perspective.

"I see...I'll write them letters explaining that I would like to see them both in my office for a detention this Saturday and Sunday."

"You're going to find a way to make them earn extra house points, aren't you?" Raven said knowingly.

"Whatever gave you that impression?" Luna smiled innocently. Of course I am! If even one student broke the rules to assist me when I was being bullied, I would've wanted the faculty to step in, and certainly not with a punishment!

 

[Hikari Chan]

Lily was eating her lunch slowly, trying to process what she had witnessed this morning. ...I still cannot believe what I saw... She thought, not really hearing the chatter around her on the Slytherin table. She did not even notice how miss Lovett was eating. ...he...he....slapped his own daughter.....he....hurt her, just because he believed some rumors written in the Quibbler...Merlin's beard...but why did he not send a howler if he wanted to punish her? What a weird father...I wonder what her mother is like and how she has reacted to the rumors...

Mulciber noticed that miss Fairbrook was not present during the lunch, as he eyed the Slytherin table from where he was sitting at the staff table. I have never seen parents rushing into the Great Hall like he did earlier this morning, punishing their children for things they do not approve of...perhaps he is a squib who does not know how to send a howler...but if he is not a wizard, how did her daughter make it into Slytherin? The mother might have been a witch sorted into Slytherin, which means a witch's genres could be stronger than a wizard... He thought and suddenly realized something as he remembered the conversation he had had with Alexis at the amusement park. ...Then, there could be a risk that anyone in my bloodline might get sorted into Ravenclaw in the future... He glanced sideways at Adela, who just had finished her lunch and was leaving the table. ...but if no one in the Dolohov's bloodline was sorted in that house before, how the bloody hell did she make it? She must have been begging the sorting hat...

A pair of footsteps with a low clicking could be heard at the beginning at the abandoned corridor where Rosaleya was sitting alone. The footsteps neared her and soon stopped in front of her.

"Are you alright, miss?" Professor Pyrites asked Rosaleya, looking down at her with concern. He did not expect an answer, understanding her reasons if she chose to be silent or not.

"Look.." He spoke again, as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "...you will encounter hardships in life and you will survive. Today will be something that might torment you right now, but with the time you will forget, you might not be able to forgive your father, but it will be something distant in your mind while you will be enjoying your life in the future..." He said and then quoted: "Fall seven times and stand up eight..." Before he left, he gave her a chocolate frog.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Jade froze with the fork halfway between the plate and Rosaleya's mouth when his ears registered the faint sound of heels clicking. "Rose, the pirate is coming." he alerted her, laying the fork down in the plate before pausing her music for her.

If he wants something from me then I will give him my full attention of course, but I don't want to jump to conclusions. He is a professor after all, with lots of things to do...probably. Rosaleya moved her eyes across the page, recognizing the words but not considering their meaning; she knew that she would have to re-read the words once the distraction had passed.

Jade was standing by her side with his left hand holding hers and his right hand holding the food.

"Are you alright, miss?" Flynn Pyrites asked.

I hate this question. "I'm fine." Rosaleya said with a cold yet direct gaze and a composed persona, yet she subconsciously snapped her book closed as she did so.

Jade whispered in Rosaleya's ear, deftly helping to separate her anger towards Leigh from her gratitude toward the professors.

"Thank you for stepping in when you did..." she continued, truly meaning her words despite gripping the book a bit too firmly, so that her knuckles became white. She wanted to say more but instead she trailed off as her thoughts consumed her. I was doing fine. I feel like I'm in perfect control of my emotions, until Leigh enters the conversation, or until... she recalled what happened at breakfast in a few brief flashes ...and then I lose control and find it difficult to do anything, sometimes even separating the facts from his illusions or distinguishing who I am angry with and who -

"Look..." Professor Pyrites spoke again, as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "...you will encounter hardships in life and you will survive. Today will be something that might torment you right now, but with the time you will forget, you might not be able to forgive your father, but it will be something distant in your mind while you will be enjoying your life in the future..." He said and then quoted: "Fall seven times and stand up eight..."

"She is standing for the ninety-ninth time, you fool." The Masked Man hissed from his watching place. "She's tired of getting back up again! Now you've gotten me angry with your truisms!" Of course, no one would hear him.

You're right Jade; he isn't the one that we should be angry at. We can't blame him for falling back on platitudes in this situation. "Thank you, professor." Rosaleya replied, managing a smile although her eyes revealed that it was forced.

Before he left, he gave her a chocolate frog, which Jade took, examining it closely from every angle for danger. "Delectable." he concluded, before briefly disappearing to place it with her possessions in the dormitory.

"Have a pleasant day." Rosaleya said to the professor; her voice was, despite her best efforts, disgustingly meek. That was terrible. She replayed her last line in her head. Suddenly, she felt an overwhelming desire to fall asleep. Dad drained my energy. I don't even have the desire to finish my lunch any more. Should I give in to my tiredness and fall asleep in the dorm? But I don't want to sleep right now...weak people sleep when they're not feeling well, falling asleep in their own tears. She remembered the time, or rather the many times, when Leigh had broken up with a lady and cried to Rosaleya that life was unfair, or that the world didn't contain any good people anymore, and that he wouldn't bother with relationships anymore. He loves hearing himself talk then conveniently forgetting whatever he says. It was his most common request, during these monologues, that Rosaleya rub his back and feet that were 'tired from working so much' or his scalp which was 'tired from all of the stress'. That's disgusting. He's too cheap to even go to get a massage or buy the ingredients for a potion? She had wasted so many hours in his presence as her hands and arms only grew more tired, but he wouldn't hear a single 'complaint' for 'all he did for her'.

"Coconuts!" Jade exclaimed upon his return, making her laugh. "Let's go outside! Come on!" Jade picked her up and carried her outside bridal-style with an energetic smile. "You should read outside in the sunshine."

Sometimes, when Rosaleya was especially angry with Leigh, she reflected on the time she cracked open a coconut with her bare hands, rising it above her head and imagining that it was Leigh's head, before bringing it down on the kitchen table with a force that cracked the coconut down the middle. It had only happened once, as Leigh complained that coconuts were too expensive, and forbidden Rosaleya from buying them any more. After he informed her of his decision, she realized that the reason she had been able to break such a difficult shell was because her animosity had given her temporary power. Now she realized that it must've been her demonic strength, but the word 'coconut' still made her laugh all the same, although she resisted the urge when she wasn't alone.

She took shade in a tall oak, resting her head on Jade's lap like a pillow and gazing up at the sky through the spaces in the tree branches. She enjoyed the contrast of the sky's blue and white against the tree's green and brown.

A large bag of coconuts landed two feet away from Rosaleya, who stood up in surprise trying to locate the source of this strange gift from...heaven? No, heaven doesn't work that way. Rosaleya thought, feeling foolish at her first thought. Jade was looking around as well.

"Ni hao." Reign landed in front of Rosaleya.

"Ah, I know that one!" Jade exclaimed. "That's a greeting in Chinese! I think it's 'hello'."

"I foresaw a future where you recounted your grievances to me." he handed her a scroll, and put a hand on her head, ruffling her hair "Accept my gifts without argument."

They shared a look, and Rosaleya understood that she didn't have to go through the usual verbal trivialities that her father insisted on when accepting gifts, for it seemed that she had, in one of the possible future situations, also vented about her problem with presents. His eyes conveyed the message that he understood her, in all of her anger and the unfairness of her situation, and that his gifts came without a price. She was so overwhelmed by this perfect feeling that she couldn't get enough of but couldn't name; the feeling of being understood without even having to say a word or pray that the listener had ulterior motives, just a pure feeling of understanding. It was for this reason that Rosaleya felt compelled, regardless of whether she would regret it later, to embrace Reign. "Thank you." she said quietly, her eyes brimming with joyous tears. What is this feeling? And how could he say so much with only one glance?

Looking out of the window on one of the higher floors, a few students gossiped to each other.
"What's she doing, hugging the air like that?"
"Poor girl, she's so lonely that she's invented imaginary friends for herself."
"Ooooh, so sad!" This student sniffed melodramatically, imitating Rosaleya and hugging an 'imaginary friend'.
"Argh!" they all cried in unison, gripping their suddenly uneasy stomachs. It felt as if they had swallowed a large dose of ipecac syrup. They raced to the bathroom, pushing each other out of the way at the threshold and causing one of them to miss their mark in his lateness.

"Poor children. Now you'll have to clean that mess." the Masked Man laughed quietly to himself as he watched the results of his work, conjuring a few cleaning materials next to the mess before leaving. "And they're so terrible at magic, too. The poor dears will be late for their class."

Reign said goodbye in Chinese, to which Jade exclaimed that he remembered that phrase as well. Rosaleya watched him jump away with picturesque grace, before turning to the coconuts with a smile. Jade estimated them to be around fifty before reminding her that she was holding a scroll from her extraordinary visitor. She was delighted to find a most vivid and exciting painting when she unrolled it, releasing a sigh of happiness and admiration for Reign for his good taste. "Ah, if only that painting's scene could come true!" Jade exclaimed with a yearning expression. The piece was titled Compassion. Is that what that feeling was? Rosaleya wondered. Reign's artwork portrayed Rosaleya as a stunning prince, yet with perfectly subtle feminine accents, leading Rosaleya to believe that this was how he saw her in real life. In the painting, which moved with a spectacular smoothness, Rosaleya was bludgeoning Leigh with a baseball bat; the one that she kept in her room back home. He was clearly bellowing things like 'I don't deserve this after everything I've done for you' or 'Do you think that these acts are acceptable for a daughter to carry out on her father?', but Rosaleya only paused briefly to laugh at him before continuing. He seemed to be under a marvelous enchantment that prevented his movement but ensured his prompt healing, so that this torture could go on for as long as Rosaleya wished. Meanwhile his blood stained their surroundings; Rosaleya's idea of the perfect backyard with an abundance of lush green grass and a perimeter of trees, flowers, and bushes. The Rosaleya inside of the painting decided to take a break for a few minutes. When she went inside to get something, the sprinklers turned on, washing the blood off the plants and adding more weight to Leigh's clothing. His facial muscles contorted as he finally begged for mercy when Rosaleya returned with Celeste, who was speaking fondly of a jar of acid, which she then handed to Rosaleya.

Jade let out a moan with a sadistic expression, before nudging Rosaleya. "Look at the coconuts!" he pointed.

Rosaleya tore her eyes away from the enthralling painting to see that each coconut was transforming to bare a striking resemblance to Leigh's head. She handed the painting to Jade, who proceeded to put it away as she rushed to open the bag of coconuts.

The rest of her afternoon was spent either breaking the coconuts with enough force to destroy them completely while allowing laughter to escape her lips, or watching the various torture methods that the Rosaleya in Reign's painting was using on Leigh, all of which the real Rosaleya would've loved to carry out.

"And you thought that it was a logical decision to bestow those gifts upon her, having full knowledge of her emotional state?!" Asmodeus demanded with a dangerous look in his eyes.

"Yes." Reign replied.

"Do you think that this sadistic behavior is acceptable?"

"Yes."

Asmodeus laughed heartily. "It's a wonderful idea. Nova didn't know how to make her feel better and I must admit I was at a loss as well. How long have you been preparing for this?"

"Three days."

Malice poured tea for Asmodeus, Reign, and herself. She isn't hurting anyone, and he put enchantments on the items so that it looks like she's playing make-believe to anyone else. Malice thought. What a perfect gift to give her indeed! Malice thought, taking her seat next to Asmodeus and sipping her tea.

"For such a detailed painting that means that you didn't sleep in, did you?"

Reign shook his head, then took a sip of his tea. "It was Malice's idea."

"Really?" Malice smiled. "When did I tell you about it?"

"Tomorrow."

"I probably said something like 'this would've been perfect to give her yesterday', right?"

Reign nodded.

"But why so much work for her?" Penelope muttered under her breath as she cleaned the walls. Last night's party had left her with a lot of work to do; blood stains didn't come out so easily. The cleaning might've been bearable if she had been allowed to attend.

"If you got to know her then you wouldn't ask that question. And you missed a spot on the ceiling over there." Asmodeus pointed without breaking eye contact with Reign. "By the way, have you read the news lately?"

"Nova informed me of last month's crucifixions." Reign replied.

I have to clean the ceiling again?! Penelope thought wearily. How the hell did they get blood on that high ceiling?! And what does he mean 'got to know her'?! She's a naive idiot who is so nice that it's sickening and she lets everyone push her around. Her father is probably disciplining her for some stupid things she has done.

Asmodeus continued to comment on a few events in the Human Realm, while Reign listened.

 

[Hikari Chan]

The afternoon passed as usual and everyone was too busy to notice that Adela left the castle during the afternoon lessons until a couple of hours later when it was time for dinner.

"I wonder why she skipped dinner..." Endewyne was confused.

"Perhaps she was not feeling that hungry today?" Faeryn suggested.

"I do not think so. She never skips a meal..."

They both walked over to Adela's office and Endewyne knocked several times on the door before she tried to open the door, which was locked. She even called out her friend's name but there was no response. Discovering that their friend was not in her office, both Endewyne and Faeryn assumed that Adela was with her brothers celebrating her birthday and decided to wait until she returned. They had prepared a surprise for her birthday as well and thought it would not be appropriate to disturb Adela and her brothers since they had not been invited. However, they were fully unaware that Adela had left the castle a couple of hours before dinner time. August and Andrew did not care about their sister and were occupied with work in their offices. It was only Alexis who was on his way to Adela's office, just after he had made a quick visit to his office after dinner. He arrived a couple of minutes after Endewyen and Faeryn had been trying to find Adela in her office. He knocked at her door several times, but there was no response hence he assumed that she was busy with her friends, celebrating her birthday. ...well, since I was not invited, I do not know where they might be right now....so I should probably wait until she returns... He thought, feeling disappointed.

Even if she knew that no one would be at Hogsmeade on a Monday, Adela kept her hood on, as she left Hogwarts. She said he would be at Madam Puddifoot's but not until around 6 o'clock...I am three hours too early....should I wait indoors or outdoors....perhaps he won't expect me to wait inside Madam Puddifoot's and I do not like to ruin the surprise...I better sit on the lawn here outside the Shrieking Shack and read my book while I am waiting for him...

It was not a busy day at Hogsmeade and it was a calm afternoon, however, Adela could not focus on the romantic novel she was trying to read to kill time. She was too distracted by her thoughts of Vincent, that she reread the first page of her novel about three times until she gave up. Oh well, I will try to eat something instead since I skipped dinner... She thought and went over to the Three Broomsticks. She did not have any appetite even if she was feeling hungry because she was feeling too nervous, yet she ordered a bit of food and forced herself to eat.

"I refuse!" Vincent hissed.

"Oh come on!" Aislinn sighed. "You do not know where the place is, do you? We are going to travel with smoke apparition, so it is going to be different this time...it is comfortable, trust me..."

He seemed very reluctant first but then changed his mind to her relief. "Alright, only this time..."

"See, it was comfortable, wasn't it?" Aislinn smiled as soon as they had arrived at their destination. She had used smoke apparition to travel with Vincent from the outskirts of Knockturn Alley to the outskirts of Hogsmeade.

"I still prefer my way of traveling..." Vincent replied haughtily.

Aislinn rolled her eyes but did not argue with him. "You can find your way back home, can't you?" She did not wish to stay because she did not want to be like a third wheeler. She had only walked with him to Madam Puddifoot's since it was his first time visiting Hogsmeade.

"Are you not going to wish her a happy birthday?"

"I already sent my greetings to her this morning and she is only expecting you and not both of us..."

A few guests who were enjoying tea with cookies at Madam Puddifoot's looked up as soon as Vincent entered. Some of the guests switched uncomfortably in their chairs when they noticed that it was a vampire who had recently entered the cafe. Before Vincent had entered, the guests had been chattering joyfully but ceased to almost becoming silent upon his entrance. Madam Puddifoot noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere and was surprised to see a vampire inside her cafe. Never had a vampire, not even during the Dark Lord's time, entered her café. She drew out her wand and was about to banish the vampire outside when suddenly a young witch entered and greeted the vampire with such warmth, affection, and happiness, that she nearly dropped her wand. What surprised her even more, was when the vampire approached and put ten galleons on the counter, ordering a couple of pasties for himself and a large piece of strawberry shortcake with a cup of tea for Adela. Madam Puddifoot was too astonished that she only took the payment without checking how much it was or if it was enough or not. The young witch looks familiar...she looks like the girl who used to come with her two friends here frequently. That was many years ago and one hardly sees young witches on dates with vampires. This one must be too bold to be with her date during broad daylight among other witches and wizards. But how...the sun has not set yet and this vampire was able to move outdoors during this hour? Must be sort of an ability...uh oh Merlin's beard, so gross! She is indirectly kissing him... Madam Puddifoot tried to look away as Adela lifted her fork with a piece of cake and fed Vincent. A bit of white chipped cream remained on the fork which she licked off afterward. Since she had fed him with a piece of cake because she wanted him to taste it, despite that it would still be tasteless for him since he was a vampire and had different tastebuds, he also wanted to feed her with a piece of a pasty. She took a small bite just to satisfy him, even if it would taste weird since she got the sweet taste of cake and cream in her mouth and suddenly tasted something different such as pasty. Suddenly she froze and her face turned redder as a tomato when Vincent bent forward and licked off some bread crumbs from the corner of her mouth. They were unaware of how Madam Puddifoot and more than half of the guests were glancing stealthily at them.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Hehehe." Athena laughed to herself. She had gotten to bed very early since she wanted today to be over quickly. But what she really needed was something to make her laugh, and she had found it.

After all of the other girls had gotten to bed, the lights had been turned off, and the few lines of usual chatter had been exchanged, Athena tried her best to feign unconsciousness. She did a convincing job by relaxing her facial muscles and making sure that her breathing was following a rhythm.

One girl shrieked, suddenly jumping out of bed. "Something's crawling around inside my bed! S-Someone turn the lights on! Call-call a professor!"

Rosaleya was the first one to act. It was easy to tell which bed was the girl's because she was pointing at it with a distressed look in her eyes and her back up against the opposite wall, as if the creature might jump out and attack her any moment. Jade turned the lights on while Rosaleya promptly approached the bed and fearlessly pulled the sheets off, revealing a huge cockroach stuck on its back, with all of its legs disgustingly wiggling in different directions in an effort to turn over and escape.

The girl shrieked again. "Don't kill it on the bed!" she warned when Rosaleya drew her hand high in preparation.

"Flick it near her and then 'save her'!" Jade suggested through his laughter. "Why is she so worked up about it? Hasn't she ever seen one before? Doesn't she know that they're not poisonous?"

Rosaleya sighed and deftly trapped it between her cupped hands. She laughed a bit while she made her way to the bathrooms, because it tickled her with its attempts to escape its temporary prison. A disturbing crunch was followed by a loud flush from the toilet, then the sound of Rosaleya washing her hands.

"You should've seen their faces, Rose! Half of them were petrified that you touched even touched it, let alone carried it out!" Jade was laughing uncontrollably. "What a lovely day we've had!"

"What's goin' on?" Crystal asked, entering the girls' dorm to see Rosaleya as the center of attention. "I thought that you said there was a big problem?" she turned to the first year who had alerted her of a very 'serious problem'.

"It's all been handled." the girl who had been visited by the cockroach recounted her blunder for Crystal, who barely resisted laughing and left shortly after giving Rosaleya a thumbs up.

"T-thank you for-" the girl began once everyone was back in bed "-helping me."

Rosaleya didn't answer, feigning sleep.

"You fool. If you had just handled it quietly..." Jade rolled his eyes. "But you had to go and bother everyone, didn't you? Are you afraid of cockroaches or did you never have to deal with them living in every room of your house? Although, you did give us quite a show; it was highly amusing and hence the perfect end to our day." he towered over the girl, looking to Rosaleya for permission. "Can I please?"

Don't do it. Rosaleya thought in reply. Two cockroaches would look suspicious. We're lucky that one happened to find its way over there without our involvement.

"True." Jade groaned, making his way back to Rosaleya's bed with a disappointed expression. He held her in his warm embrace and patted her head until she fell asleep, then quietly made preparations for the next day.

No one had noticed Athena leaving the dormitory to let out her laughter in the nearest bathroom. Cockroaches aren't on the contraband list, Headmaster! I knew that your contraband list had holes in it! That girl's shriek was priceless! She discreetly slipped back into her bed, and slept well.

"...and that is why the shibi on these temple rooftops were changed from Onigawara to Shachihoko. The sun glinting on the shibi and the green tea's steam, as well as the slight movements of the dango-shaped clouds, were details from my first visit. I remember it clearly." Rosaleya finished five paragraphs later. Jade had condensed it as much as possible, so when Rosaleya spoke at her excited lightning-speed voice, it only took her one minute to give her oral presentation.

I have to be patient, no matter how much it hurts. Stephan stood to give his oral presentation while displaying his finished painting. "The boy in this picture is-" ...I hope I'm not blushing in front of Rosaleya! "-madly in love, but the person that he loves doesn't know that he feels that way for her. So, in order to express his love, he will stay at this dock all day in order to catch enough fish for a feast of her favorite foods." The sun glinted off of the water's wavy surface, and it made its journey across the sky as the boy caught more and more fish. Subtle realistic details, like the boy mopping his brow during the hottest parts of the day, or eating lunch while waiting, made it even more interesting to watch the transition. "It is at this dinner that he will confess his love for her." Stephan finished, as the sun was setting in the painting and the boy was struggling to drag his large bucket filled to the brim with fish across the sand and back home. " 'Tomorrow' he will prepare the meal." Stephan finished. I hope that she understands...that I meant to paint this in her honor. But I cannot tell her that, because the Headmaster said that she will return to me if I pretend to have gotten over my feelings for her.

"How adorable!" Jade fawned. "He did look over here a few too many times while blushing, so his intentions are obvious."

"My painting-" the Masked Man dramatically pulled a white sheet off of the painting once he had brought it to the front of the classroom. "-depicts true human nature. Our instincts to procreate and experience an almost otherworldly pleasure that is undeniably addictive." He said with a sweeping gesture. He sounded as if he was smiling.

The majority of the boys in class experienced a rather familiar sensation, admiring the painting's detail while snickering or smirking, and the majority of the girls scoffed about objectifying women, misogyny, and general disgust. Jade laughed loudly and Rosaleya fingered her ring, secretly relating to the boys' point of view. His artwork is so beautiful! The movements are so flowy and the room is so detailed! She sat back in her seat and put on an uninterested mask. "The teacher is sure to give him trouble about this." Jade observed. "But I don't see anything wrong with it. The Greeks and Romans used to have nude paintings and statues and the like, and even some historical buildings today have nude murals so it's no big deal." Jade fanned the air with his hand to demonstrate his nonchalance.

"A thin white sheet covers the couple, yet their perspiration causes it to cling, leaving little to the imagination. The garter, wedding dress, and tuxedo abandoned on the floor suggest that it was their wedding night. Notice the bride's makeup smudging as euphoric tears escape her eyes, and a few chips on her French manicure as her hand grips the sheets. The groom kisses her as they reach the climax together, which is rather lucky I might add, before falling asleep in each other's arms. The red stains on the sheets here and here indicate that this is the bride's first time, but the groom's skill indicates the opposite for him. Despite the room's cluttered surfaces, it is distinguished as a hotel room by the hotel's breakfast menu resting on the chair here, and the open black suitcase here. The alluring view of the ocean and palm trees outside the tall glass window suggest a tropical climate, and those with sharper eyes will notice the yellow and purple lei hanging on the coat rack back there. Lei are only gifted to tourists exiting an airplane or airport upon arrival in Hawaii, a small archipelago to the south of North America. The next morning, the newlyweds will awaken and order breakfast from the menu, then shower together and feed each other while planning their delightful day."

"Ah, I want to take a picture of this." Jade sighed. "I'll do it when no one's looking so that we don't have to answer any questions."

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Oh...there she-" Faeryn began, but Endewyne silenced her by a quick gesture. Then she shook her head and whispered:

"It looks like she had been having a good evening. It's her birthday, after all, you dare interrogate her, it will just ruin her mood..."

They were both standing at the top of the grand staircase when Adela entered the entrance hall at ten o'clock. She was holding a bouquet with red roses and a gift box. She was deep in her thoughts, smelling the roses with a smile on her face that she did not notice her friends at the top of the staircase. Endewyne nudged Faeryn, dragged her away.

"Let's return so we can surprise her as we had planned today..." Endewyne whispered.

Lily sighed annoyingly when a girl suddenly screamed in the dorm. Seriously...just when I am trying to fall asleep, what is the matter with her...Lily sat up in her bed, feeling mad that she had been disturbed just when she was about to fall asleep. She rolled her eyes at the girl who got scared because of a cockroach. Well, I understand it is gross to find something crawling in your bed, but she is a witch, she could have taken care of that d*** thing herself without even touching it...and miss Fairbrook is so gross, touching it with her bare hands...how disgusting...I wonder if she washed her hands afterward...Lily laid down in the bed with a sigh as soon as everyone had calmed down and went to sleep.

"Oh..." Adela was speechless when she was greeted by Endewyne, Faeryn and her youngest brother, Alexis by surprise. I forgot that they would surprise me for my birthday...They must have been waiting for me...She thought nervously and hoped that none of them would ask her where she had been. Endewyne had brought a blue velvet cake with enchanted bronze-colored candles, that would burn without melting or ruining the cake until Adela would blow them out. After she had placed the cake on the table in the small staff room located in the Ravenclaw tower, she arranged bouquets in a vase. Besides two gift boxes, Alexis had brought pink roses and Faeryn had brought a bouquet with an assortment of light pastel-colored flowers. When Endewyne had arranged these two bouquets in one vase, she reached out her hands towards Adela to take the red roses and put them in another vase for her. As Endewyne took the bouquet, she noticed a small card attached to it. She tried to recall if Adela had ever told her and Faeryn the vampire's name, as she read the name at the end of the greetings. The greetings were written in usual ink and Endewyne could not trace any blood on the bouquet. She had no idea that Vincent had bought this bouquet along with the card in Diagon Alley. Perhaps he is more human than he seems...she thought, not having the slightest idea that vampires used blood instead of ink when writing. Meanwhile, Adela opened the gift she had received by Vincent. It was an assortment of both milk chocolate and dark chocolate. She closed the gift box and put it aside.

How considerate of him...it is not Valentines' day, yet he gifted me red roses and a box of chocolate...She thought with a smile.

"So, how was your evening with Vincent?" Alexis asked, seemingly being curious as usual, without thinking.

Adela nearly froze and did not know what to say. How...how...

"Are you not going to open your gifts, Adela?" Endewyne intervened, giving Alexis a murderous look. He swallowed hard and looked away. Merlin's beard. What's her problem?

Adela smiled nervously and started to open the gifts she had received by Alexis. The first box contained four vintage hairpins and one charming bracelet. The bracelet's chain was bronze colored with white pearls and a pink rose with bronze-colored leaves. The second box contained a long necklace with a silver chain and crescent moon and heart-shaped ruby.

"Please try them on," Alexis was faster than Adela, and put on the bracelet on her right wrist and then helped her with the necklace, even if she could have put it on herself. Then, he proceeded with the hairpins and since he tried to be gentle with her, he attached them loosely on her hair. She sat still and let him have his way. She refrained from sighing aloud. ...Merlin's beard, I prefer to look at accessories for a while, touch and caress them before I put them on...but he has to force everything on me right now as if he is decorating a Christmas tree...are all men like this...?

The last gift box which was very large contained a gift by Faeryn and Endewyne. It was a set of rose-scented candles, soaps, bath bombs, and one perfume. They were are packaged and placed elegantly placed upon a light pink folded bathrobe. When Adela would take out the bathrobe later, she would discover a pair of matching slippers at the bottom of the gift box.

Adela was sitting in a corner at the back of the classroom and listening as the students presented their artworks. An enchanted quill was taking notes for her. The quill and several parchments were hovering just beside her, the quill scribbling with such intensity during the time the students were having their oral presentations. She had prepared one piece of parchment for each student, so they would receive their feedback immediately after the lesson was over. She had a blank and expressionless face during the presentations. She did not even seem to be bothered by the masked student's erotic painting. She was alert enough to listen carefully to the presentations, however, she was too tired to react. She had celebrated her birthday with her friends and youngest brother last night and she did not fall asleep until past midnight. It had been awkward, especially when Faeryn had been the quietest one last night, eyeing Adela with a penetrating look, especially after Alexis' careless outburst. Adela did not know that her friends had expected her to be with her brothers while Alexis had expected her to be with her friends and that they somehow had found out that she had not been in the castle when their paths had crossed during the evening. I must be lucky that Faeryn did not freak out last night...phew...if I keep myself busy during the coming days, she might forget about it soon...Adela thought, fingering the necklace Alexis had gifted her, a long silver chain with a crescent moon and heart-shaped ruby. She had been having trouble this morning, to choose what to wear, because she wanted to wear at least one of her gifts until she finally had decided to wear her usual black formal gown which matched the necklace.

When the masked student, who was the last one, was done, Adela stood up from her seat and walked over to her desk in the front of the classroom with the quill and parchments hovering after her, and resumed her place to have the students' attention.

"Well..." She began, as the piece of parchments rolled and placed themselves on her desk. "It was very interesting to see your paintings and hear your stories. Well done, everyone..." She praised them. Everyone had received an A on their assignments for their creativity and great work, however, the masked student had received a B with the feedback where Adela actually praised him for his work, however since he was already known for drawing erotic paintings due to his pre exams in magic in art, her advice to him was that he should have challenged himself by drawing something different for the first assignment. "...you will receive your feedback at the end of this lesson. As for now, we still have some time left before the bell rings and I am going to explain the next assignment for you. You are going to paint an image of your ideal birthday celebration. It can be how you imagining celebrating your birthday, a friend's birthday, your parent's birthday or perhaps your pet's birthday. It could also be the anniversary of a nonanimated object, for instance, a special item that you have bought, like a broom to name one example. Well, as usual, I want to see your creativity....and-" Here she looked directly at the masked student: "-that you think outside the box or do something outside your comfort zone..." Then she looked at the other students before she continued: "...You will have to start on your assignment right now, however, you won't have time to finish it, so your homework is to finish your artwork with full animation and prepare for presentations to next Tuesday. Any questions so far?"

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

The class mumbled a 'no', and they began with their paintings.

How disappointing. The Masked Man thought when he reflected on Adela's reaction again. I expected a more exciting reaction. And my beloved... He looked at Rosaleya, who was deep in thought, presumably pondering what her ideal birthday celebration would be like. ...refrained from reacting outwardly. However, I know that she loves this type of artwork, but since this teacher will not allow me to continue with our favorite type- He imagined himself and Rosaleya admiring the painting together later -I will have to come up with something else. What shall I paint, if I am not allowed to draw my more preferred act in artworks? Hmm...well, I simply cannot concentrate right now because the disappointment of the Professor's dull reaction is distracting me. I must try something else to make me laugh. Only then will I be able to find inspiration. What will amuse me right now? The Masked Man looked around the classroom for an idea.

Tch. Stephan clenched his fist in his lap. She didn't even scold him?! How could she not despise that deplorable artwork?! And I could swear that I saw Rose's lip twitch upwards when he revealed the painting! Well, I know exactly what my ideal birthday would be like. However, I don't know if I can draw all of the demons in one picture without having to sacrifice any details...I will have to plan if carefully...let's see... Stephan didn't approach his easel and canvas, instead retrieving a parchment and quill from his bag.

Items in the Birthday Painting:
`Round, polished wooden table, with plain yet comfortable chairs
`Look-alikes (can't draw actual likenesses of them for privacy reasons) of the best demons singing 'Happy Birthday' and then telling jokes and interesting stories (from left to right):
-Dante&Celeste (sitting side-by-side and holding hands)
-Malice (being...Malice...and she gestures to Asmodeus a few times to praise him)
-Asmodeus (warm expression, touching his chest while singing to balance the pitch like he usually does despite producing a strange noise nonetheless)
-Rosaleya (she sets the table with my favorite foods* in her maid cosplay [with long, twin-braided hair] before sitting down to sing and converse with us, and clearing the table after the other demons have left)
-Myself (at the exact center of the picture, genuinely laughing at jokes at regular intervals and blowing out the birthday candles in two breaths [I miss four to the left on the first try])
-Nova (ecstatic expression, standing up behind me because he has too much energy, and alternating between sweeping gestures and holding my shoulders and looking fondly at me)
-Eric (Leaves six/seven times in a puff of smoke at random intervals, then returns after his tasks are complete. Every time he returns he's wearing a different outfit [Maybe overkill?])
-Diana (she gives wonderful gifts, so she's holding a large gift box and doesn't open her mouth before or after the Happy Birthday song, yet she can't resist resting her head against Reign's shoulder toward the end of the night when she starts getting tired)
-Reign (trustworthy yet cold, so these traits are reflected in his expression, and he doesn't talk at all during the whole event except at the very beginning and end where he wishes me a happy birthday)
*Foods:
-Meat pies
-Birthday cake (not my favorite thing, but a defining feature of a birthday party in pictures)
-Steamed broccoli with Cheddar cheese
-Eggs (kind= ? )
-Spring rolls (+favorite sauces)
-Sushi
-Reign's tea (three kinds: lavender, raspberry, and... )

Stephan paused to think of more of his favorite foods, even if none of them went together.

"...so you should definitely ask Athena what the rest of her family looks like. Then all of you will be doing something fun together, like the perfect family! Maybe relaxing by the poolside? You can allow yourself to dream about anything you want, remember? We'll test the ideas out in tonight's dream. Since you can't draw people, we'll just have to imagine the perfect scene with the best people and make a super-detailed background. " Jade finished. "Speaking of super-detailed backgrounds, looks like we've got another cockroach on our hands!"

Rosaleya and the Masked Man had locked eyes, and a 'light bulb' switched on inside his head before she looked away to continue planning her painting. "Ms. Fairbrook." The Masked Man stood from his seat, picking up his painting to display it proudly before her. "I can tell you are a witch of fine tastes. I made this painting just for you. Please accept my gift." He sounded as if he was smiling. Suddenly, the rest of the class's chatter disappeared, replaced by a collectively interested air. "Before you argue, I must inform you that if you reject the painting, my work would've been for nothing, and I will burn it in my agony." Although his words were laughable he delivered them seriously. She must react in an interesting way now that she's been directly confronted with it! Surely, she wouldn't want such a precious artwork to be destroyed?

"Eww! Too much cheese!" Jade cringed at the Masked Man's dialogue. "And you're disgusting, drawing the whole classroom's attention to us like this!" He bellowed in the Masked Man's ear. "What were you thinking, you darn roach! Burn it for all I care! Forget the pictures! I would only consider it if you got down on your hands and knees and begged, in which case I would still decline because I would want to see you grovel a bit more before agreeing. It would be a terrible waste of a painting, but Rosaleya could always wish for it back from Nova later, so she would get what she wants and humiliate you right now, you pig!" Jade laughed.

"Burn it." Rosaleya replied coldly. Throughout his entire speech she hadn't even made eye-contact.

"Hmm?" I misheard her! The Masked Man told himself. "Could you perhaps, speak up?"

Rosaleya looked at him with an icy gaze so piercing that it would kill a politician. "Burn it." she said, calm and clear, so that everyone in the room heard her.

The Masked Man looked away, wishing to bite his own tongue off in frustration and disappointment. A wave of laughter came from the other students, before they resumed their activities. Why won't my words reach her?! He walked away, placing his painting back in its place and looking off into the distance. In reality he was contemplating multifarious ideas on mischevious acts to do to motivate himself for the painting. Later today, I will show the male professors that enjoyed my art this painting...as well as that bearable female professor...the one that my beloved has taken a liking to...after classes...

Jade was doing a victory dance. "That was beautiful! I could feel his disappointed aura so strongly that I don't even need to see his face to enjoy it! You were perfect! Hahaha! And the fact that he took the painting back with him makes him look like even more of a fool! I'll take pictures of it later since he'll probably take it to his dorm after showing it to the professors."

I wish he would die! Stephan thought, resisting the strong urge to glare at the Masked Man. What was he trying to do, humiliate Rose?! How dare he?

"You said that you take Duelling class." Soren said, running into Rosaleya in the hallway on their way to breakfast. "I was working on these for you since the night that you told me. Please take them." He grinned, handing Rosaleya a piece of perfectly folded parchment. "Hand this to the professor in charge to ask permission first, so that you don't get in trouble." He handed her a second piece of parchment. "And if he disapproves of them, please don't bring my name into it?"

"Of course." Rosaleya nodded, reading through the first piece of parchment.

"Satin's corpse! How the hell did he fold the paper so perfectly?! It's bloody perfect! We always mess up the corners!" Jade shouted in surprise, applauding.

"Th-" Rosaleya began, looking up at Soren with a happy look in her eyes after reading the parchment's contents.

"-Please thank me with your smile if you have fun." Soren said, running off right after that calling "I love you!"

"Adorable! I can't wait to use them!" Jade jumped up and down in his excitement. "If this was a cartoon I would be bouncing off of the walls like the ball in a Pinball machine!"

Rosaleya stared at Soren's retreating figure until he was out of sight, making a sharp left turn at the end of the hallway to enter the bathrooms.

"Let's hope that this 'professor' won't get in the way of our fun this time." He glared at Elias, calling him a multitude of names which he somehow turned into a song, and using both his hands to make a universally known crude gesture, before bursting into laughter. "I'm just kidding. He kind of helped us out yesterday." When Jade saw that there was an opening in the professor's dialogue appropriate for a question, he grabbed Rosaleya's hand and raised it for her. When Elias permitted Rosaleya to speak, she used a respectful tone. "To avoid a situation like last time, I would like to ask permission for mischevious spells during this class." Jade handed Elias the second parchment Soren had given Rosaleya "Please don't read it out loud?" Rosaleya added innocently. From the look in her eyes one would've assumed that they were quite benign spells and that she truly believed in that fact. The Masked Man's extension went behind Elias's back to read the parchment as well.

Please tick the approved spells:

`Cockroach summoning spell (Harmless)
`Scolopendra summoning spell (Poisonous bites are remedied with easy healing spells/potions.)
`Chilli-eye Illusion Spell (Produces the illusion of excruciating pain in the eyes as if they've been rubbed with chilli peppers. Temporary blindness due to excess of tears.)
`Retching Spell (Causes the receiver to retch everything they've eaten in the last seven hours.)
`Nail-Tearing Illusion Spell (Causes the receiver's nails to break or fall off, creating the illusion of extreme pain to the fingers.)
`Jelly-Bone Spell (Painlessly turns the receiver's limbs to jelly, and only healed with an advanced healing spell or potion.)
`Strip Spell (Forces the receiver to dance while disrobing, with the exception of the sensitive undergarments.)
`Hair Spell (Forces the receiver to tear out their own hair until the counter-spell is cast.)
`Glass-Eye Spell (Forces the receiver to remove their own eyes without damaging them yet still causing extreme pain. Only undone with the counter-spell.)

The first piece of parchment held the instructions for the spells, as well as the incantations, which Rosaleya had managed to test before this class. They were all incredibly easy, like using a straw for the first time and not needing much instruction.



"Good day, Lord DiVilliers." Celeste spoke at the base of the steps. She was tilting her head to make eye contact with The King sitting on his throne with his legs crossed and his hand to his forehead, smoothing out any possible worry lines from furrowing his brow. "We would like to discuss something important with you, but by your posture I suppose Reign has already informed you?"

"He has." Alastair rose, noticing that she had chosen the 'strength in numbers' strategy. Dante, Damien, Mr. Natsumizaka, Reign, Diana, Eric, Asmodeus, Nova, Mr. and Mrs. McCunnen, and five single demons and three couples from their neighborhood in the Human Realm had agreed to accompany the McCunnens during Celeste's negotiations. A few others had things to do that prevented them from coming today, but Celeste would be sure to name them in her argument. "Let us converse in the garden." Alastair said as he descended the steps.

In the gardens, Celeste presented the same argument from last year, and the year before, and the year before. But this time, I haven't come alone. No matter how strong my argument was he didn't agree because he couldn't believe that the demons wouldn't abuse the change. "The law that states demons cannot kill wizards and witches. I want it changed, and so does everyone else here." she spoke with a determined countenance, and now she gestured to the demons on her side of the argument while naming the others who hadn't been able to join them today.

"We wouldn't want you to simply get rid of the law, though." Nova said. "Since your reason for creating this law was to prevent demons from overindulging on magical human souls, we simply want to change the wording to suit both of our needs. Instead of 'Demons are forbidden from killing magical humans that aren't on the Shiki Agency's Villain List', we were thinking 'Demons are forbidden from devouring the souls of magical humans that aren't on the Shiki Agency's Villain List. Ah, excuse me, I'm being summoned. Mr. Natsumizaka?" Nova gave him a look that asked him to continue the argument in his stead.

"I understand." Mr. Natsumizaka nodded.

"Good day." Nova disappeared, leaving over a billion bubbles in his place. They floated around the garden without popping, even if they touched sharp things like the rose thorns or the pointed tips of the surrounding gate.

"It is important to us," Mr. Natsumizaka continued, ignoring the bubbles "because many magical humans that aren't on the Shiki Agency's list are wrongdoers. We-" and by this he meant every branch of the Shiki Agency "-cannot list them all. It is impossible, even with Prince Nova's and Prince Reign's assistance. It is unfair that these wrongdoers cannot be punished. And by removing the reward for killing an innocent magical human, the sensible demons will not kill them; it will be a waste of time and effort. For the five evil demons who will still murder, such as Satan, we will state clearly that the old law still applies to them."

"And Nova can always return you to this specific point in time to advise yourself against the decision, if things to awry." Asmodeus added. "We've thought of everything already, I assure you."

"We can get the entire demonic race, with the exception of the five wicked ones, to vow against abusing this law." Easton McCunnen stated.

The demons that had come with the McCunnens all proudly uttered some form of agreement and promise to back Easton's statement.

"Leigh Fairbrook in particular has been bothering me, lately." Claudia McCunnen said under her breath as they spoke; no one heard her.

"We will return here this December twenty-fourth on the Human calendar, for an answer." Asmodeus said to a hesitant Alastair, putting a hand on his shoulder. "That is plenty of time to contemplate it, and we will hear no excuses then. I chose the twenty-fourth because it would be the most memorable Christmas present you could ever gift the demonic race. Good day." Asmodeus looked at everyone else, and they repeated his parting phrase before turning to leave.

"So what do you do when someone actually takes the bribe during your test?" Dante asked once they were in front of the Shiki Agency.

"Would you care to join me in my office for some tea?" Mr. Natsumizaka asked, meaning that he didn't want anyone else to know.

Dante looked to Celeste for permission, to make sure that she didn't have any other plans today.

"That would be lovely." Celeste replied with a nod.

Inside his office, Mr. Natsumizaka poured them green tea as they took their seats. Dante flipped the chair around and sat on it while fingering the details on the back, while Celeste crossed her legs.

"Nova...summon." Dante said.

"Yes?" Nova smiled.

"Mr. Natsumizaka is about to tell us something." Dante informed, remembering when Nova had asked to be present during any of the Director's interesting tales.

"Thank you very much!" Nova clapped his hands together once in excitement, declining the chair that Mr. Natsumizaka offered with a gesture and instead doing a handstand. "Well?" He asked a moment later.

"Mr. Natsumizaka..." Dante repeated his question from earlier.

"I never thought to ask that." Celeste said quietly to herself.

Mr. Natsumizaka leaned forward slightly, the edges of his lips turning upwards in a very subtle grin. "To take the bribe means to fail the test; money should never be spent on failures. One of the agents follows the failure for a few streets until their guard has dropped, and steals the money back. It would be better spent on the hard workers here."

"That is an ingenious idea." Nova commented while Celeste and Dante applauded and laughed.

"Hey, can you give us a gift today?" Nova asked, standing up straight.

"Of course. I had a feeling that you would want one after today." Mr. Natsumizaka pulled a special file out of his drawer. "Ten people."

"Ten?" Dante and Celeste asked happily.

After they finished their tea, they stood to leave, to enjoy their gift.

"Once again I ask you to please consider working here." Mr. Natsumizaka said after they exchanged parting phrases.

"We're fine receiving these gifts from you." Celeste replied.

"Besides, we don't need the money." Dante added.

"And I'm far too busy to accept another full time job, with my wish-granting."

 

[Hikari Chan]

Just before the class ended, Adela called for the masked student's attention and asked him to come to her desk.

"If you do not desire to keep your painting because of miss Fairbrook turned down your gift, may I request it?" She asked and explained: "We archive all the unwanted paintings and use them as examples in suitable art lessons."

"Yes, miss Fairbrook?"

"To avoid a situation like last time, I would like to ask permission for mischevious spells during this class. Please don't read it out loud?" Rosaleya added innocently. From the look in her eyes, one would've assumed that they were quite benign spells and that she truly believed in that fact.

Elias took the parchment and eyed it quickly. He refrained from sighing out loud, wondering why miss Fairbrook was even asking for permission for certain spells.

"Miss..." He began, giving her an annoyed look for a second before it smoothed out in a calm expression. "...You are a seventh-year student, already off age, attending a seventh year class in dueling. Only the three unforgivable curses are banned on school grounds, yet we teach dark arts here and allow all other spells, hexes, jinxes, and curses to be used in dueling classes but it does not mean it is fine to bully or humiliate your peers. Right?" He did not wait for an answer and continued: "Today, you are paired up with Mr. Dantes. You did not get the time to duel last time, so that's where we will continue." Then Elias paired up the rest of the student so that each pair consisted of students from different houses. Mr. Garnett was paired with a Hufflepuff male student. "And you," Elias put a hand on Mr. Garnett's shoulder. "Do your best, please!" He did not desire to see that Mr. Garnett would not put his best forward like the last time.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

The Masked Man neared Professor Dolohov in response to her call, without a trace of disrespect in his posture.

"If you do not desire to keep your painting because of miss Fairbrook turned down your gift, may I request it?"

"Of course."

"We archive all the unwanted paintings and use them as examples in suitable art lessons."

"I see." Of course she doesn't like it; she's keeping it for educational purposes... "May I give it to you tomorrow after I've shown it to the appropriate professors? At least I would get a good laugh out of it." And here he let his disappointment show in his tone.

When Jade saw Elias's annoyed expression, he scoffed "We're asking because of your surprise attack last time! That wasn't fair; we had no idea! You didn't even bother stopping us after the first few times!"

"...You are a seventh-year student, already off age, attending a seventh year class in dueling. Only the three unforgivable curses are banned on school grounds, yet we teach dark arts here and allow all other spells, hexes, jinxes, and curses to be used in dueling classes but it does not mean it is fine to bully or humiliate your peers. Right?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Today, you are paired up with Mr. Dantes. You did not get the time to duel last time, so that's where we will continue."

"Will you hold back this time?" The Masked Man asked Rosaleya, speaking just loud enough for her to hear him. I miss you so much; even standing in front of you hurts because you're not truly seeing me...you're just seeing another stranger before you.

"Do you want me to trip him, yes or no?"

Not until the duel has started. "I will not." Rosaleya's countenance was cold while Jade's was full of anticipation. She spoke at the same volume as the Masked Man so as not to interrupt the Headmaster. But this class is to help me get better at defending myself; do not show me mercy, either.

The Masked Man took off his top hat, rolled up his sleeves, and removed his cloak, giving the impression that he was preparing for an intense battle.

It's like I can't get my mind off of her. Seeing anyone else close to her instead of me is tearing my heart in two but wishing for her to fall in love with me is a disgusting way to get what I want. Stephan thought, looking at the sky to avoid his eyes wandering to Rosaleya. Suddenly, he felt the Headmaster's hand on his shoulder.

"Do your best, please!"

"Yes, Headmaster." Stephan replied, managing not to look too startled to be brought out of his thoughts so suddenly.

Stephan was accidentally distracted by Rosaleya's and the Masked Man's duel the moment he started his, causing his opponent to catch him off guard and deliver a swift 'Langlock'. Even from his hanging position he still couldn't take his eyes off of the other match...

Jade tripped the Masked Man the moment their duel started. Rosaleya cast the Jelly-Bone spell so that the Masked Man was helpless against her next attacks. She used the Chilli-Eye Illusion Spell and Nail-Tearing Illusion Spell, then finished with the cockroach summoning spell; most of them found their way into his clothing.

"Game over!" Jade announced happily, jumping up and down as if the ground was a trampoline. He made trumpet sound effects with his mouth, deeming Final Fantasy's ' Victory Fanfare' to be appropriate for their win. "The best quote from 'The Art of War' was 'Every battle is won or lost before it's ever fought'. Besides; how do we know that you weren't planning something even more sneaky?"

Rosaleya wondered if she would be paired up with someone else now, secretly enjoying the sound of the Masked Man's pained noises.

Stephan felt silly. Once Rosaleya's match had ended he realized what had happened with his, although he knew that he couldn't request a rematch.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Of course..." Adela nodded with a frown. She found it peculiar that the masked student desired to show off his painting to other professors to give himself a good laugh. Would it not be more normal to show off a painting to be praised for being skilled and talented? Unless if he is showing it off to all professors to see how they express themselves over something erotic...

"Enough!" Elias shoot red sparkles in the air, signaling the end of the dueling task, even if the class was not over yet. He liked to spend the rest of the minutes telling the students a couple of things. "I have seen a good performance today, however, a lot of you need to improve. Paying attention to your opponent and being focused during a duel is of high importance. Perhaps with those two attributes, you can finish off your opponent with only Expelliarmus. I have noticed that the majority still lack some focus, more or less. Some of you allowed yourself to be distracted today. Such a mistake as a simple distraction can cost your lives in a real duel in the outside world while here it will only cost your grades. So, your homework for the next lesson is to practice your focus. You do not need to hand in anything. Writing about focus and paying attention is useless. It is something you have to practice mentally. Remember that dueling is not allowed outside the classes. That's something you should already know about. Firing any spells outside this class or faking a letter in my name again will cost you a year of suspension from Hogwarts. You may all leave expect Mr. Garnett, whom I'd like to have a word with, in private, please. Thank you for today and see you, next class."

Elias waited until everyone had left before he turned his attention to Mr. Garnett.

"There are only a few words I would like to tell you, so this won't take long," Elias began, his expression calm and not revealing if he was disappointed or not. Rather, he had a serious tone as he spoke. "You did not do your best during the first lesson last week and today you allowed yourself to be distracted. If you do not take this class seriously, you might receive a failing grade at the end of this year. I will give you one more chance to show that you can do much better. Depending on your performance during the next class, we will decide if you may stay in this class, or if you should be moved down to the sixth year or allow you to drop off from this class for this year and take it the next year, this concern only the dueling class. You will still attend the other classes with the seventh years. I understand that you were distracted because of miss Fairbook so my advice for you is if you have true feelings for her, why do you not improve and show off what you are capable of instead of slacking during the classes? Well, you do not have to answer me now, think about this for the next class. Have a nice lunch!"

Later that afternoon, when Elias just had entered his office after the dueling class with the third-year students, there was a knock on his door. He had barely taken a few steps inside when he heard the knock behind him. He turned around and was surprised to see his sister when he opened the door. She looked quite disappointed and annoyed that he almost thought that she had come to complain about her classes in Cooking with Magic.

"Oh..hello, come in..." He gestured. He immediately took his seat and expected her to sit in front of him. He was prepared to listen to what she had to say about the Cooking with Magic classes. But to his astonishment, she did not sit down and instead said: "I just wanted to tell you that there was a cockroach in girls' seventh-year dorm last night. Are the house-elves doing their job properly?! They are supposed to clean besides cooking meals for us, aren't they?"

"Of course..." Elias bit his lower lip, suppressing his laugh. I wonder why she is learning Cooking with Magic? I can not help but feel bad if Luna is cleaning her desk after every lesson... But he did not speak his thoughts aloud but instead assured her that the house-elves were doing their job as usual. "It could be a prank..." He shrugged. "...since it is so clean, that we never have seen cockroaches here over the past years..."

"Oh right...why did I not realize that..." She said thoughtfully.

"Did you not cook something exciting today?" He was trying to distract her with something else and it worked.

"Well..." She suddenly looked nervous. "It did not turn out so well..." She did not tell him that her latest attempt in the cooking class had been a failure which she had given to professor Pyrites. It had become a habit to give all the meals she cooked to him. "But I am improving, at least...it is just a bit difficult when I have to learn a new recipe every class..." She smiled.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"I understand that you were distracted because of miss Fairbook so my advice for you is if you have true feelings for her, why do you not improve and show off what you are capable of instead of slacking during the classes? Well, you do not have to answer me now, think about this for the next class."

"I don't have to think about it." Stephan said with a direct gaze. "You're completely right." He looked away, picturing Rosaleya's smile. "I don't want to look like a fool..." He didn't need to finish his sentence for the professor to understand that he was talking about looking like a fool in front of Rosaleya. "So" He faced the professor again with renewed determination. "it won't happen. I will not fail." And I appreciate your sympathy. I was worried that you would scorn me when you told me you wished to speak with me after the lesson. And for your kindness...and Rosaleya's image of me...I will not allow myself to get anything less than the perfect marks during the next duelling class!

During lunch, the Masked Man approached Crystal first.

"Cool. You should reveal it to us in the Staff Room; that's a good place for all of us to meet." Crystal replied with a shrug, taking another big bite of her sandwich. "But I think that letters would be more mysterious." She smirked. "By now you know which guys won't give you a hard time or spoil the fun. I can't wait to see it; your entrance exam papers still make me laugh."

The Masked Man went back to the dorms to write letters to Macnair, Avery, Rockwood, Selwyn, Mulciber, Rowle and Andrew Dolohov before lunch was over, asking them to meet him in the staff room for the reveal after classes were finished for the day. He didn't bother being mysterious; he clearly explained that he had produced his first erotic artwork for Magic in Art and he was rather excited to show them because he knew that they would enjoy it. He spent the rest of his free time 'taking a nap', visiting his home in the Demon Realm.

Rosaleya sat at the very end of the Slytherin table near the staff table, with Athena to her right and Soren sitting just behind her at the Ravenclaw table so that they could talk. The Masked Man had left the Great Hall after speaking briefly to Crystal at the Professor's table, and Stephan was sitting somewhere outside.

"I'm really excited about 2019's upcoming Anime. I heard that they're going to make an Isekai with a mother and son getting transported into a game this time." Athena said. "I started reading the light novel, and the downside is that it's heavy on the ecchi."

"Is there a plot as well?" Rosaleya asked. "Ecchi is fine if there's a plot to make up for it."

"The plot isn't the strongest, but I'm still enjoying it for some reason. Try these!" Athena smiled. "I know that you'll love them. I brought an extra pair of chopsticks just for you." She picked one up with the unused pair of chopsticks, bringing it up to Rosaleya's mouth with a smile.

Rosaleya gave Jade a sideways glance; he gave her a thumbs up with an enthusiastic smile.

Huh, her extension isn't fighting back this time? What did Athena do?! Soren wondered, noticing that Rosaleya was allowing Athena to feed her through his peripheral vision and feeling a twinge of jealousy. Darn it, you tyrant. Leigh sat atop a golden throne without a backing. His belly fat shook with his disgusting laughter, rattling the multitude of golden necklaces he wore to flaunt his wealth. He wore a crooked, bejewelled crown and held a golden scepter. "Do as I say or else, darling." He warned. "This is all for your own good, I promise you. One day, when you're old enough, you'll understand that everything I've done is for your sake. It's just that you don't know what's good for you at this age, that's all." He looked down at her. It turned out that he wasn't sitting on a throne; Rosaleya was on her hands and knees, covered by a heavy golden gown with a cape, and struggling under Leigh's weight. "Also, don't trust anyone. Everyone else in this world is wicked, and only out for their own self-interests, you got that?" Soren sighed. Rosaleya and Soren sat outside together by the lake. "Rosaleya..." Soren said, opening a three-tier bento box of delicious, adorable foods. "...may I?" Rosaleya looked away, presumably toward her extension, who permitted her to enjoy the moment. "Say 'ah'!" Soren used Rosaleya's chopsticks to feed her one panda-shaped onigiri. "Mmmm!" Soren smiled at Rosaleya's adorable reaction. "My turn!" Rosaleya smiled, picking up a piece to feed to Soren. "Say ah, Soren!" Soren sighed. Someday.

"That sauce is amazing." Rosaleya said after tasting it. Ah, I want the whole plate! It's so good!

"If this was an Anime you would have 'heart eyes' right now." Jade observed.

Her reaction! "You can have up to half of my plate." Athena drew an imaginary line in the rows of sushi to illustrate. "If you let me feed them to you."

"Deal!" Jade said enthusiastically, pumping his fists.

Rosaleya nodded, chuckling at Athena's ridiculous proposal spoken so seriously.

"I heard that they're going to give 'The Promised Neverland' an Anime adaptation next year." Soren said. "The manga is wonderful, but it's still not finished. I hope they make one season and then wait for the manga to finish before making another." Please don't invent an 'original ending'.

"Kakegurui is getting a second season!" Athena exclaimed suddenly.

"I haven't even watched the first one, yet." Rosaleya replied.

"You should!" Athena laughed. "It's very suspenseful and it doesn't ignore it's source material; the manga is great, too. But, the English dub sucks, so watch it in Japanese with subs."

"Kaguya-Sama, Love is War is also getting an Anime adaptation." Soren informed.

"What's it about?" Athena asked. "I haven't gotten to it, yet."

"It explores one of the most important questions posed in modern philosophy." Soren replied. " 'If a Tsundere and a Tsundere liked each other, would they ever find out?' "

Both Athena and Rosaleya laughed, before the former asked "Is that really what it's about?"

"Yes. Apparently they believe that the first person who falls in love in a relationship is blind to the other's faults, so they try their best to deny their own feelings while getting the other to fall in love with them, that way they have the 'upper hand'. The manga isn't finished, though."

"That sounds hilarious." Rosaleya replied.

Jade was busy taking notes on all of the manga and Anime that Soren and Athena were recommending.

"Mob Psycho 100 is getting a second season." Rosaleya said.

"I know." Athena and Soren replied excitedly.

"I hope it's as good as the first one." Rosaleya said. "Attack on Titan is finally going to come out with another season."

"Have you read the manga?" Soren asked.

"No...I heard the manga is better, like the Tokyo Ghoul manga."

"Don't even get me started!" Athena scoffed at the Tokyo Ghoul Anime adaptations. "I'll lend you every volume I have; I promise it's way better! Just forget the Anime!"

"I will lend you my Attack on Titan volumes whenever you want." Soren promised seriously.

"By the way, STOP watching Kagerou Daze. The light novel is much better; it adds the character depth that the Anime didn't have time for." Athena insisted. "Okay, let's make a bet: what do you think Mr. Mask was asking Professor Thorne about?"

"How will we find out who's right?" Rosaleya asked logically.

"You can ask him. He'll answer anything for you." Athena replied with a confident flick of her wrist. "He's got a crush on you." She whispered.

"Oh." Rosaleya tightened her lips to stop herself from laughing, although they only twitched a bit instead.

"What?"

"I...used Soren's spells on him today during Duelling because I thought he was a weirdo. I didn't kno-"

Jade was laughing loudly. "And you're not sorry."

"-Oh, it's fine!" Athena laughed, putting her hand to Rosaleya's ear and whispering "He's a sadomasochist. He really didn't mind at all."

"Really?" Rosaleya was honestly puzzled. Is she messing with me?

Jade didn't look surprised at all, since he retained all of Rosaleya's memories.

"It just means that you can get him to do anything that you want. Try it. I have some suggestions if you wa-"

"I won't do anything like that." Rosaleya stopped Athena, knowing what that sort of facial expression meant. "But I'll ask him for the answer to our bet." She smiled to show that she was interested. "If the price isn't too steep." She added. Dad said never to bet for money. Seems like a good idea to bet for something else, like a small favor.

"Soren, are you in?" Athena looked over her shoulder.

"What are we betting for?" Soren raised an eyebrow. "If you're not 100% sure that you can take the losses when things go sour on a deal or bet, then you are a
₮︶(♕↥₦₲ idiot." Claudia said logically.

"We'll play a game together after classes today, in the common room. Just one game. The winner gets to pick which one." Athena said.

"Let's play Twister." Rosaleya said. Halfway through the game, Soren and Rosaleya ended up in a romantic position, then Soren leaned in a bit for a kiss. I'm such a perv. Rosaleya put her palm to her face, then smoothly moved it so that it looked as if she was merely brushing a spare eyelash from under her eye. "I'm in." Rosaleya said.

"The painting." Jade suggested coolly.

"I guess that it has something to do with the painting he was covering up after art class today." Soren said. Will she think that I'm a pervert if I tell her I took a looked at it and liked it? I didn't say anything, but that image is still clear in my mind.

"It was a beautiful painting." Rosaleya said. "But you stole my guess. What do we do now?" She looked to Athena, who seemed to be the arbiter of this game.

I'm not alone! Soren was relieved to hear Rosaleya's comment about the painting, before realizing that perhaps they weren't talking about the same painting. Maybe he made two? I can't jump to conclusions.

"If you're right, then you'll play Rock Paper Scissors for the prize. I guess that he's asking for clarification on a rule, or an item on the contraband list that has to do with a prank he's planning." Athena said.

Jade pulled out Rosaleya's pager and quickly typed a message.

Lady Rose: Did you get permission for your prank last night? Jade showed the message to Rosaleya for approval, and she nodded.

Athena raised her eyebrows when she saw that she had a message.

Touka Kirishima: How did you know?

Lady Rose: Circumstantial evidence + character knowledge = I guessed, but you didn't deny it.

Touka Kirishima: Hilarious, right?

Lady Rose:

I wonder what they're laughing so mischievously about. Soren wondered. He had somehow slept through the ruckus. I would page her about it but I don't want to intrude on a private conversation.

Rosaleya was wondering where to look for the Masked Man when she noticed him walking ahead of her, alone with his head hung.

"Excuse me?"

"Yes?" The Masked Man's posture immediately indicated excitement, yet his tone remained calm. He wasn't carrying the painting anymore; he had left it hidden in the boy's dormitory under an invisibility spell. Why is she talking to me? She has no reason to, after what I did that morning. Did Athena put her up to this? She's messing with me again, isn't she. That girl!

"Keep it down to two sentences." Jade advised. "Reason, and question."

"My friends and I made a bet about the subject of your conversation with Professor Thorne during lunch."

"You just 'friend-zoned' Soren!" Jade exclaimed.

"Would you mind telling me what the subject was?" There, two sentences.

"Of course, but in return, tell me what the prize is for the bet. You don't use money for bets." The Masked Man stated confidently, as if he'd known her all his life.

"You're going to be late for class." Jade suggested as an excuse not to answer.

"Your answer?" Rosaleya's expression indicated that she didn't want to be late for class as she nodded in the direction of a classroom.

"Of course." So painfully cold. "I was inviting her to see the painting I showed today. She suggested that I owl the few other professors who would enjoy it in order to be more mysterious. We're meeting in the staff room after classes to see it in the Staff Room. You are, of course, welcome to join us." He smoothly handed her an invitation from under his cloak. "I expect that at least one of their reactions will make you laugh."

"Thank you." Rosaleya walked past him without even looking at the invitation.

"Hahaha! That's 'thanks for the info' not 'thanks for the invitation'! His posture was priceless! His shoulders sloped and he hung his head again like a sad puppy the moment you turned around." Jade laughed.

"Oh." Athena sighed. "Well, I guess I lost. So, I'll say 123, and then you guys throw your hand."

"Okay." Rosaleya and Soren prepared themselves.

"1,2,3." Athena said in a cool commentator voice, like they were at a live sporting event. Another girl in the common room stared at Athena oddly.

Both Soren and Rosaleya chose 'scissors'. They looked to Athena.

"We'll do three games, then. 1,2,3!"

Soren threw 'paper' and Rosaleya threw 'rock'.

"Last one! 1,2,3!"

Soren threw 'rock' and Rosaleya threw 'rock' again.

"Come on, guys, now we'll have to play five. 1,2,3!"

Soren threw 'paper' and Rosaleya threw 'scissors'.

On the last round, Soren threw 'scissors' and Rosaleya threw 'paper'.

"Alright, Soren. What do you want to play?" Athena asked excitedly.

Not Twister. Rosaleya and Soren thought.

I would've chosen Battleship. Rosaleya thought.

I would've chosen the Matching Game with cards. Athena thought.

"Let's play 'Clue'?" Soren raised his eyebrows at Rosaleya.

"I'm fine with that. I've played it before, so I know the rules." Damien was surprisingly fun to play with. I still remember his eerie voice, which was funny because he looks like Undertaker.

"Are you going to use 'poison' again?" Athena asked.

The Masked Man waited outside the Staff Room. He had devoured a soul on his way there, and he didn't feel like suffering through dinner in the Great Hall this evening. His painting was set up inside so that all he had to do was remove the cloth for a dramatic reveal.

"Welcome." He said happily, opening the door for the professors as they arrived. "I would like to show it to you all at once, if you don't mind?" He asked calmly.

Crystal rushed over right when the Masked Man was wondering where she was. "Hi." She greeted the Masked Man and the other professors all at once with the casual wave of her hand, before her eyes were drawn to the covered painting.

Guessing by the crumbs at the corner of her mouth, she was delayed by her snack. She could've eaten it here. The Masked Man waved his hand, and the sheet removed itself dramatically, before folding itself in half over an unoccupied chair's back.

Crystal took a seat near the painting, admiring it quietly with her head slightly tilted. "So much detail..." she sat back in her chair "...creative censoring without compromising detail." She spoke quietly to herself, thinking out loud, so it wasn't a surprise to her if no one heard her. She suddenly became aware of the few crumbs around her mouth and brushed them off with the back of her index finger.

The Masked Man gave the same description of the painting, almost word for word from his Magic in Art class presentation. His extension was closely listening and observing everything that it could, helping him observe every detail of everyone's reaction.

"Tomorrow-" The Masked Man announced once he had modestly accepted the praise and thoroughly enjoyed everyone's reactions. "-I will be giving it to Professor Dolohov, since I have no need for it. My intended recipient rejected it, contrary to my hopes." He looked away, seemingly saddened for a moment. "I thought that I could get a good laugh out of the presentation." He sounded cheerful again.

Later, when Rosaleya and Jade returned to the dorms after the game, they were going over the list of things that Soren and Athena had recommended. "...because the Boogiepop Anime is just as good as...huh, what's what?" Jade's attention immediately turned to the items lying on Rosaleya's bed. He was at her bedside in an instant to test for danger. "They're safe." he announced.

Rosaleya excitedly admired the cover artwork on the manga volumes and light novels fanned out on her bed; the first volume of everything Athena and Soren had recommended during lunch. A piece of parchment read 'We're lending them to you!'. "Soren's handwriting." Jade observed.

"It matches the letters." Rosaleya agreed.



On top of the Tokyo Ghoul manga was a note from Athena, in her distinct handwriting.



First, she would handle most of her homework and then leave Jade to do the finishing touches. While he worked, Rosaleya would spend the remaining time until bedtime reading the Violet Evergarden light novel; she wanted to finish it before starting anything else.

 

[Hikari Chan]

Merlin's beard, they are so childish...Lily thought, rolling her eyes momentarily, before turning her attention to the recipes she was going through. I stopped playing those games when I turned eleven. I would not be surprised if those two girls still played with dolls. And that young man...I have seen him around here in the castle before. He looks older than seventeen. If it had not been for the colors of his house, I would have thought of him being a bimbo for playing such silly games. Unless if such a weirdo begged the sorting hat to sort him in Ravenclaw...

A couple of other older students who were relaxing in the Slytherin common room were sneering as they noticed three other students, particularly one who was not in their house, playing games like children.

Nott tagged along with the other professors, feeling curious about why some of his friends and colleagues had received a letter by a particular student while he had not. Macnair, on the other hand, was anticipating the erotic artwork created by the masked student, to the extent that he was already almost drooling at the thought when he tried to imagine what the art would be like. Macnair was surprised to see Crystal joining them in the staffroom. She is such a hypocrite...I only asked her for a dance on a party and she scolded me in front of everyone, blaming me for wanting certain things with a woman...yet her she is here, admiring an erotic artwork...no...no...she is just a weird woman who would even hug-zone her future husband and only enjoy looking at erotic activities on a plain canvas...

They all admired the painting, praising the masked student for his talented work. Rockwood was suddenly missing his wife, even if he had seen her during the weekend and just when he remembered that they had not done been doing that thing for a very long time, he was interrupted in his thoughts when the masked student suddenly announced something that took everyone by surprise.

"Tomorrow-" The Masked Man announced once he had modestly accepted the praise and thoroughly enjoyed everyone's reactions. "-I will be giving it to Professor Dolohov, since I have no need for it. My intended recipient rejected it, contrary to my hopes." He looked away, seemingly saddened for a moment. "I thought that I could get a good laugh out of the presentation." He sounded cheerful again.

"What?" Rowle nearly gawked. All eyes were suddenly turned at Andrew, who nearly blushed of surprise.

"Did you request the painting?" Selwyn asked. The masked student had already left with his painting, while the professors remained in the staffroom.

"Huh...erm...no..."

"Merlin's beard, he must have chosen you to be the recipient randomly..." Macnair sighed and wished that he would have been the recipient of the painting.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Wednesday

"Professor Dolohov." The Masked Man said respectfully. "As promised." He handed her the painting, which was covered by the same cloth he had been using.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Thank you" Adela nodded and took the painting. After she had taken the position as a professor in Magic in Art, she had redecorated her office and the classroom. Since then she had a special small room where she archived all the unwanted paintings by the students. That's where the erotic painting went.

Later that day, during lunch, both Macnair and Avery confronted Andrew about the painting, wondering if he had received it or not. To their surprise, he had not received any painting at all.

"Huh? But he said he would give it to you?"

"But he did not specify it was me, did he? We are four with the same last name here..."

"What's the matter with you?" Persephone asked, feeling very irritated. She was sitting between Macnair and Avery, finding them both being very annoying during the meal. "What's so special about a painting?" She rolled her eyes.

Adela was sitting farther away, at the end of the table, enjoying her lunch, yet she overheard the other male professors discussing a certain painting wildly. She was feeling confused about the situation and did not understand why they were making such a fuss after they had seen a painting by one of her students. Having a little appetite, as usual, she finished her lunch quickly and was the first one to leave the Great Hall, using the side door that was close to the staff table.

"Hey, Alex!" Avery nearly shouted over the table, annoying Persephone even more. "Did you get the painting?!"

Alexis looked up from his plate, with a confusing look. He was bewildered over the recent heated topic among some of the male professors, the topic of a certain painting by the masked student that had been giving to one of the professors. What made him even more confused, was that the receiver was a Dolohov. This made him speechless and he stared at Avery, not realizing that his mouth was half-open. Elias, who was absent during the lunch as usual despite his sister had begged him many times to have meals with them in the Great Hall, was in his office. He was not present to calm Avery down. Since both the headmaster and the deputy headmistress were absent, August sized the opportunity and coldly scolded Avery without raising his voice or screaming and demanded him to keep silent in front of everyone, much to Persephone's delight. Since August would teach two classes in the Study of Ancient Runes after class, he did not question any of the professors about the matter of the mysterious painting that had been rumored to be given away to a certain professor Dolohov. Instead, he focused on finishing his lunch, now finally in peace after he had silenced Avery, and then left to prepare for his class. He remained focused the rest of the day, not giving the rumors about the painting a single thought until he called his both brothers for a meeting in his office after the dinner, demanding an explanation about the fuss Avery had made about the certain painting over lunch today. After August had listened carefully to Andrew's tale, he logically concluded that Adela had received the painting. No one else than her taught Magic in Art.

Mr. Dantes intended to give the painting to someone else, but that person rejected his painting, hence he gave it to professor Dolohov. I did not receive any paint. Nor did Andrew or Alexis receive it. But Adela must have...Did she request it? Or did he simply decide to let her have it, just because she teaches Magic in Art...? ...I would like to see that painting...what's so special about it that both Avery and Macnair were fussing about it...August thought.

At the same time as he was thinking, both Andrew and Alexis realized that it was Adela who had received the painting. Andrew did not care at all and only envied his sister for being the lucky recipient. But Alexis, on the other hand, suddenly got nervous and could not believe that his sweet innocent sister would be interested in erotic paintings.

"Eww! Get out of my office!" August ordered Alexis. What's the matter with him, getting nosebleed all of sudden? He thought, feeling disgusted over the sight of blood. Then he turned his attention to Andrew and thanked him for the information before wishing him a good night.

At precisely eight o'clock, someone knocked on the door at Adela's office. Who could it be? Disturbing me at this hour?
She opened the door and got alarmed when saw her eldest brother standing outside. He never cared to see her or speak to her, unless if it was about to make her life a living hell.

"What do you want?" She asked dryly.

"Is this how you greet me after I have troubled myself with coming to see you this evening?

"Cut the crap and tell me what you want."

"To talk with you. May I not?" He raised his right eyebrow and looked at her with a -Don't you know how to respect me, as your older brother? Are you going to keep me standing here at the doorstep?- face.

She did not answer him. She did not even invite him to step inside her office, but kept her posture and looked sternly at him. He did not flinch at her reaction but smirked as he looked down at her. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes. She swallowed hard but managed to stay calm instead of letting herself getting panicked. Then all of sudden, before she had time to blink, he pushed her inside her office, so that she fell on the floor, and he entered by only taking a few steps and then he slammed the door behind him. Even if her heart was beating so fast because of fear, she stood up and brushed out the skirts of her dress. She tried not to show that she was feeling scared, but her shaking hands and the look in her eyes gave her away.

"How could you accept an erotic painting?" His tone was cold yet calm.

First, she looked confused at him, but soon she realized that the masked student must have told the professors that he was giving the painting to her after he had shown it to them.

"I archive all unwanted paintings by students. Since I am the one teaching Magic in Art, I know the best what to do-" When speaking the truth, Adela was naturally calm and would not stutter, however, August cut her off and did not let her continue.

"Enough! Don't give me that excuse! You are disgracing our family name by keeping an erotic painting, not even in secret, but in public! The entire faculty knows that you have that shameless painting!" It was almost a lie because no one would have realized that Adela had been the recipient because of August who had put a stop on the wild discussion during the lunch hour unless if a genius had guessed that she had received the painting since she taught Magic in Art. "And you will put this school into a bad light if-"

"But it's archived. Non-minor students will be able to see it, but the seventh-years who are taught about the Roman and Greek paintings, which actually are-"

"Don't interrupt me while I am speaking to you!" He slapped her so hard that her right cheek became red and swollen. He was about to lecture her once more when she interrupted him again not caring if she angered him or not.

"If you are having a problem with this matter, you should discuss it with the headmaster," Even if hot tears were rolling down her cheeks, she was speaking calmly. "With all my respect, even if you are my oldest brother-" She uttered the word brother with bitterness, feeling a sting of pain that she did not have the best relationship with her brothers. "-you do not have the right to lecture me about how I should perform my job as a professor here. Also, if you disturb and annoy me like this one more time, I will report you to the headmaster."

August clenched his fists but remained silent. After the previous argument, he had had with the headmaster, he knew that Elias would side his sister. August who did not wish to lose his job, turned on his heel and left Adela to her relief.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Friday

Jade emerged from the Hallway of Despair carrying Rosaleya. He put her down in the first boat they saw.

"Thanks." Rosaleya said as Jade started rowing. "That's the fastest I've ever been through there."

Rosaleya's intended destination was a library which she had read about in her demonic magazine. I've got plenty of time to finish my homework, and all of the light novels and manga before I have to get back to Hogwarts for breakfast. Definitely. I won't take any breaks!

Jade docked the boat in a harbor near the library and stepped out carefully, turning around to assist Rosaleya.

"I wouldn't go to the library today." Nova warned, appearing in a flash the moment Rosaleya's feet touched the ground. "Reign said that in the future you told him something unexpected distracted you from doing what you needed to do, on your way to the library. Come to my place!" He extended a hand for her. "I promise I won't distract you. You can read in any area of the gardens that you want, or pick any of the spare rooms, except for the throne room or the lowest floor, or you could even use the library."

Jade chuckled. "It sounds like Reign didn't have time to identify the nature of the distraction before Nova rushed here." His tone suggested that Nova was the distraction.

That's silly. Nova wouldn't distract me... Rosaleya looked at Nova's enthusiastically determined expression ...on purpose...

Reign landed elegantly next to Nova, addressing him while pointedly extending his hand to Rosaleya. "You have guests over today."

Nova seemed to ponder Reign's words for a moment, then burst out into laughter. He found the misunderstanding to be a most hilarious outcome of Reign's warning, even if it had been his fault for not listening to the full prediction.

"You're done with all of them already?!" Athena asked excitedly at breakfast. "Tell us, how did you like them?"

Before Rosaleya could reply, the morning mail came in a swirl of owls. Rosaleya was surprised when two items were delivered to her by a dishevelled looking tawny owl.

"They're safe." Jade announced with a scowl after promptly inspecting the items: a large letter in a cheap red envelope held shut by a piece of flimsy clear tape, and a gift that was identified as Leigh's by the amateurish wrapping job and the thin blue and pink polka dotted wrapping paper.

Soren and Athena watched Rosaleya open the envelope, hoping that it wasn't bad news.

"It looks like a Howler!" One student whispered to the other.
"Haha...looks like she's never seen one before." Another laughed.
"The sender didn't even bother with a wax seal for the envelope."
"Don't open it here!" One Slytherin tried to warn Rosaleya, but it was too late. "Go outside!"

Leigh's voice filled the Great Hall. He sounded innocently jovial as he relayed his message in an off-tune song that he had clearly invented on the spot, in his dreadful, off-key voice...

"Dear Rosaleyaaaaaa,
I've missed you soooo much since you boooooaarded the Hogwarts Express,
and began your year at Hogwarts.
I miss you soooooo much that I want to huuuuug you the moooment I see you agaaaaaainnn!
The Headmaster said something about a Howler, if I wanted to speak to you,
so I rememmmmbered his suggeeeeeestion!
I am sure that yoooooooou miss me too;
admiiiitting your feeeeeeeeeelings of hoooooooooomesickness, won't make you seem any less matuuuuuuuuuure in myyyyyyyyyyy eyes.
I proooooomiiiiiiiiiiiise."

"Are you kidding? She never wants to see you again!" Jade growled. He had been trying to snatch the envelope, or destroy it before the message finished. Nothing he tried worked; the Howler evaded each one of his attacks too skillfully.

Rosaleya sighed, fingering her ring and maintaining a blank expression, hoping that it would just end quickly.

"We've aaaaaaaaaaaaaalwayyys been together,
so I uuuuuuuunderstand,
you might want some time alone,
but we're family,
so doooooooooon't foooorget,
to viisiiiiiiiit on holidays and weeeeeeekends for some faaaaaaaaamily time!
This weekend, I've got a few surprises in store for you, so I'm really looking forward, to your visit! I hope that you enjoooy the gift I sent you!"

The gift opened itself, revealing a Hogwarts girl's uniform neatly folded. A few students at each table snickered or pointed while whispering to their neighbor.

"Be sure to enjoy it, darling!
I love you lots!
Just remeeeeeeeember that no matter what, you'll aaaaaaaaalwwwways be my liiiii-ttle girl!
You mean the world to me,
never forget that!
You can always count on me!
Hugs and kisses, my darling!
Myyyyyyyyyy flower!"

The letter self-destructed in a flame. Everyone in the Great Hall had been able to catch every word, and now Rosaleya heard the laughter that they had managed to suppress during the song erupt around her as she stared at her toast and eggs, playing with it for a moment.

"Do you-" Athena began.

"-No, thank you." Rosaleya replied curtly with a 'you know that I'm not angry with you, but Dad' expression, standing up and making for the nearest bathroom.

I know that she's not mad at me. It just angers me when that leech ruins our time together, leeching off of her happiness. You jerk! I hope that your bad karma catches up with you soon! Athena thought. "Apologize to me." Rosaleya said softly, punching Leigh in the stomach. He fell into a groveling position on the floor. "Please forgive me! I'm so sorry for what I've done!" "No you're not." Rosaleya applied weight to his head using her boot. "The thing that pisses me off the most is that you don't even know what you're sorry for! 'How can you be sorry if you don't know what you're apologizing for?', is what you always say to me. Remember that? All those times?" Rosaleya kicked him while he was down. "This is what I felt like, you dastard!"

Soren was reminded of his image of Leigh using Rosaleya as a substitute for a throne. "Oh dear, are you tired?" Leigh asked in response to Rosaleya's hastened breath and trembling under the strain. "You can take a break if you want. I know!, you can make us dinner. We'll eat together and watch my favorite film! You do love cooking, don't you?"

Rosaleya kneaded her forehead with her knuckles, steadying her breathing. She suddenly drew back her fist with her eyes on the nearest wall, but Jade got in the way. "Vent over here, not there." He indicated himself, and the wall, with his index fingers.

"What really pisses me off the most was that I always thought 'When I move out, he won't bother me anymore', so I was just waiting until I was old enough to move out." Rosaleya said in a slightly louder voice than usual as she punched and kicked Jade; she didn't want to yell. "But this is basically moving out; I'm not living at home right now. What if it's the same thing when I finally move out? Will he always visit me, and control everything whether he's there or gone, and demand visits when he's gone, and...even when he is in a good mood he's still..." she growled, punching him ten times in a row without a break. She let out a few short breaths, then leaned her head against Jade's chest, and breathed in the pleasant scent of his kimono. It smells like...petrichor....one of my favorite smells. Jade embraced her. "It feels like I'm trapped wherever I go...like he's always with me, judging me and controlling me...the moment I forget that he's watching and have a bit of fun..." Rosaleya's mind flashed to the first Duelling class, and to the bullies that night begging for forgiveness. "...Dad ruins everything. Why can't he go back to being the amazing person that he used to be? I hate the person that he is now; I can't stand it. I enjoy the idea, in my mind, of hurting him when he gets me angry...but I don't want to kill him...I want the real him back. But where did it go? Why isn't it here now? He was nice even after Mom left us...but then he gradually stopped being himself...is it because he's lonely? Is this what loneliness does to a person? Was I being selfish all this time? Am I supposed to say 'maybe if I was nicer to him...maybe if I became the person that he so wished to raise, then he will find happiness'? Did my actions push him further into his depression? When he gets angry at me, is he really hurting inside, thinking 'I couldn't have the perfect wife, why can't I have the perfect daughter either?'. From his perspective, does he really believe that he's doing the right things for me? Really, he's never done anything to harm me...he just has poor impulse control when I get him angry. And none of his advice has ever gotten me into trouble...actually, it's the opposite. I don't even remember what it felt like for him to pull my hair the night that I got it cut...or the stinging in my heart and on my face when he slapped me the other day...in public...maybe I was over-dramatizing it? And now...he's sorry, isn't he? That's why he sent me a letter, singing in such a happy voice, to assure me that he still loves me and that he still wants to try to have fun together and fix things, right? If he's been so nice lately, and the only times that he hasn't been nice were when I did something wrong...and he's just trying to handle his loneliness...then is it my fault?" Rosaleya contemplated this for a moment. "You're such a good girl. I hope that you'll always stay with me." Leigh embraced her.

A minute later she washed her face to calm down. And I still have to be present for the rest of breakfast...in this... Rosaleya glared at the girl's uniform. Merlin forbid someone takes a picture and it somehow gets into Dad's range of vision. '"Oh darling, why aren't you wearing your uniform? It looks so lovely on you. Is there something wrong with it? Are you embarrassed of your father? Is that why you're not wearing it? I can't believe it, after everything I've-" Rosaleya growled, grabbing the girl's uniform and walking into one of the stalls.

"Throw them over the door." Jade prepared to catch and fold Rosaleya's boy's uniform.

Once Rosaleya had taken her shirt off, she noticed the bruises on her shoulders, remembering the reason that she had wished to Nova not to let them fade so quickly. It's my fault? No. I refuse to believe that. I don't want to stay with him forever. I don't exist for him to not feel lonely. And he shouldn't treat me like this no matter how lonely he is. I was lonely being confined to that apartment and store, and I was supposed to be happy when he took me out to do whatever he wanted, on occasion.

When she was done changing, she threw the stall door open; the slamming noise was prevented by Jade at the last moment. The sleeves were too long, and the skirt's waist was just a bit loose, but that wasn't the problem. She stood there with a blank expression, at a loss for what to do next.

"Let me fix that." Jade shrunk the elastic band on her skirt so that she didn't need a belt. "And..." he rolled up her sleeves for her above the elbow, securing them with two safety pins that he conjured. He kissed her on the cheek. "Twenty minutes until breakfast is over. That's all. No classes today." He stated positively. "We'll do something fun riiiight after breakfast; we can go see someone in the Demon Realm."

Rosaleya nodded, and Jade steered her by the shoulders toward the Great Hall again.

Her unusual appearance caused a few of the Slytherin boys to whisper amongst themselves.
"No boy's uniform that's one size too big?"
"She's not pretending to be a boy anymore!"
"She looks so hot this way! You never would've guessed!"
"She should grow her hair out a bit."
"I seriously thought that she was flat-chested!"
"Turns out she's a B!"
"How do you know that it's not padded?"
"Psh! I can tell. Lovett's are still way better though, amIright? Come on, if it was a choice between doing Lovett or Fairbrook, it would obviously be the former. Besides those, her thighs and hips are the perfect shape as well." He shaped an imaginary hourglass with his hands to illustrate, nearly drooling as his eyelids fluttered. "You know what she's going to look like when she gets older if she looks this good now!"
"What about Shadowwalker?"
"Untouchable." One boy confirmed, waving his hand at the absolute impossibility.
"McCunnen?"
"That's a boy, mate. And a bloody Ravenclaw! Are you blind or bonkers?"
"Only when it comes to his _, then he's blind and bonkers."
"No, every time we get hot girls out age they're always unavailable. It's not fair. I tried to ask Lovett out, in a gentleman-like manner without looking anywhere but her face, and she..." He looked down at his toast, tearing it to shreds with a pensive expression.
"Come on, mate, what happened?" his friend nudged him.
"Lovett kissed Fairbrook; it turns out they're dating...they're...they're..." He couldn't seem to get over the fact that he never had a chance to begin with, and his friends didn't, either. Because he was distracted by this, he didn't realize that he hadn't specified where Athena had kissed Rosaleya, accidentally helping Athena strengthen the rumour that she was homosexual.
"Come on...then why do those boys always hang around them?"
"They're fooling themselves. They know they're never gonna get any action. You saw Lovett feeding Fairbrook yesterday morning."
"Maybe Fairbrook is bi?
"Definitely not. Two good lookers have tried to ask her out already; Garnett and Dantes...if she could turn them down so coldly but still let Lovett do those things with her, then she's definitely unthinkable."
A collective sigh from the boys.

"Professor Mulciber." Rosaleya approached him respectfully and calmly. "I would like permission to visit Knockturn Alley this weekend. I know that I'm allowed to go, but I wanted to ask permission just in case, since this rule is still new to me."

Meanwhile, Athena and Soren were reading letters from the Deputy Headmistress, summoning them to her office when they both had a free period after breakfast.

"Say 'no, you can't go' or 'no, the rule changed' or 'actually, you have detention this weekend'. Anything?" Jade pleaded to Mulciber.

"Thank you." Rosaleya replied, approaching Crystal next. "Could you please take me to Knockturn tomorrow to visit Dad?"

"Sure." Crystal replied with a sympathetic tone.

Rosaleya noticed that she had a message when she returned to the Slytherin table.

Prince Endymion: Does the idea of his death bring you joy?

Lady Rose: ...Who are you?

Prince Endymion: My question first. XD

"Everyone on the ground, now! Hands behind your heads!" The first man yelled. His brow was already covered in sweat, causing his ski mask to stick to his face uncomfortably. "If anyone tries to call the police I'll execute every mother_ one of you!"

"Don't call the police. You-" The second man, his smoky voice powered by determination, pointed his gun at the teller. He wore a pumpkin head mask with a carved smile that was equal parts edgy and happy . "-cash in the bag, now. No tricks or your _ _ is dead."

How interesting. Nova thought. I know that crime rates are high in this Muggle city, but I didn't think that I'd be lucky enough to witness a crime in the first bank I entered.

"You too, smart_!" The first man pointed his gun at Nova's head.

Nova sighed, admiring the tiny bit of black sky that was visible from the glass entrance; the tall buildings surrounding the bank blocked most of it out. "I don't want to get on the floor." He said quietly. "I'm not a masochist."

"What's that?" The first man yelled even louder. "Pay attention to me when I'm talking!" For all his visible hostility, it was clear that he had no intention of killing anyone today.

"You there-" Nova addressed the second man jovially, easily looking past the first "-the money that the teller is giving you has trackers on it! You won't achieve your goal."

"Shut up!" The first man yelled. A distinctive click informed Nova that he had turned his gun's safety off.

Why wasn't it off already? "Hang on." The second man said to the first "I want to talk to this guy for a second. I'm getting a feeling about him-"

"-Not one of your feelings again?! If you could actually feel whether people were-"

"What were you saying?" The second man asked Nova, ignoring the first man.

"-good or bad, then we wouldn't be in this mess to begin with!" The first man continued as the second talked with Nova.

Nova clicked his tongue, glaring at the high ceiling. Immediately, the alarm stopped sounding. "Muuuuuch better." He put his hands up so that he posed no visible threat. "That was giving me a headache." He chuckled. "Oh, and-" he snapped his fingers, and everyone but the second man fell asleep in their place, as if they were merely frozen still with their eyes closed. "You need money that doesn't have trackers on it." Nova replied, slowly approaching the second man while keeping his hands in the air. The calmer, more tactful one...so he's more dangerous... "May I get it for you?" ...Well, not to me.

A silence between them while the second man gave Nova a penetrating look.

I can feel his intensity even through his mask. He's very interesting indeed. "Alrighty, then." Nova chuckled, approaching the marble counter. He jumped it easily, walked through a wall, and came out a few moments later with two overstuffed bags of cash and a third, smaller bag of heavy gold bars and a few large diamonds. "Here you are." He placed them on the counter for the second man, then tipped an imaginary hat to him. "Have a nice day, Sir. Thank you for choosing Bank of America. Please come again." He gave an intentionally generic smile, comically imitating a grocery store worker.

The second man looked around. He was difficult to surprise by nature, but this was something else entirely. I'm stone-cold sober. He smiled, since there was really nothing else to do in such a situation.

"Oh, do you want me to help you carry your friend?" Nova nodded toward the first man. "You're very demanding, you know, but I suppose I must help you." He jested, jumping the counter again. He landed right beside the first man, and threw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He gave the second man an expectant look after a moment. "Well? Don't you have a super-cool get-away vehicle or something? They won't stay frozen forever, you know. But in return for all of my help you have to let me ride with you. I've never robbed a bank before; it's so very exciting. Especially since the bank is ensured, so this is all completely fine. Lucky you didn't rob a convenience store or liquor store; they work very hard for their money. But this bank has been 5(r3w!n6 people for years at unfair rates, making a living ruining the lives of the honest middle-class. Filthy bureaucrats." He laughed.

I didn't take any drugs...not since college. This guy must be a crazy one. This darn city won't give me a break, will it? "Let's go." The second man holstered his gun and picked up the bags of treasure. A crazy one...but still better than any of my relatives. God must be a sadist, giving us all a bad hand and expecting us to win the game fairly. But this man... he thought, throwing the money bags in the footrest area in the backseats of his Honda Ridgeline...is only playing with one card. The Joker. He sighed as he gingerly closed the door, praying that it would stay shut this time. Close it too firm and the window cracks again, and more paint chips off. Close it too light and the door opens on its own. What a prize this thing is. Another one of God's gifts. He heard Nova follow his example, gently clicking the trunk shut after presumably laying his brother inside it. He fell into the driver's seat and turned the key, laughing at the car's theatrical timing as it sputtered defiantly.

"Hang on!" Nova called helpfully in a sing-song voice. The car's noises smoothed out to sound like a regular car, but by now it was rather difficult to surprise the second man.

As he switched gears, he heard Nova open up the back door on the passenger's side, get in, and close the door gently all before the car had started moving. "Am I bothering you?" Nova asked once they reached the end of the street.

By now the bank's current occupants were waking up with absolutely no memory of what had just transpired, although the second man's brother remained soundly asleep, with the help of a breathing spell which ensured his good health within the trunk. The stolen inventory from the bank had replicated itself, and any finger- or foot-prints were gone.

"No. You just surprised me like nothing does these days."

"Radio?"

"Hasn't worked in fifteen months and a day."

Nova waved his hand at the radio, and the song 'Holiday' by 'Scorpions' started to play in astounding quality. I know that this song is...

My favorite song... The corner of the man's lip twitched once before he couldn't help but smile completely.

"Can I give you a nickname, if you don't want to tell me your name?"

"A nickname would be great. And while you're at it, you should give my ₫!₱5#!✚ brother one, too."

"I'll call you 'Ein', which means 'one' in German. Because you're number one. And your brother can be 'Zwei', which means-"

"-' number two', because he's a piece of 5#!✚?" 'Ein' laughed. "Since you gave us nicknames, I'll give you one, too. 'Joker'."

Nova gave an approving grin, pulling out a long string from his pocket. He played Chinese String as they conversed. "The people in the bank can't remember anything, and the bank's stolen inventory was duplicated and replaced."

"So what made you do your magic back there, Joker?"

"The mortgage payment on your house that's due this Monday...your dying wife in the hospital...your desire to have children yet the lack of time and money...your brother's gambling addiction? Your sister's drug habit that keeps her visiting your house to steal items for cash from that blasted pawn shop? The fact that your parents disowned you because you rejected their arranged marriage into wealth? Take your pick." Nova stated with a theatrically edgy voice.

"You're really something, Joker." Ein smiled, lighting a cigarette as he took a detour to avoid a red light.

"I know. You're something, too."

"How can you tell?" He humored Nova, exhaling cigarette smoke.

"Can I sleep at your place?"

"If you don't mind a stained leather couch covered in last week's laundry."

"Nope. Do you have food?"

"Hungry Man Dinners and noodles in a styrofoam container. A banquet fit for a king." He exhaled cigarette smoke.

"Indeed!" Nova's cheerful attitude didn't falter. "Where will Zwei sleep?"

"Leave him on the pavement a block away from here. He'll find his way home on his own; his feet take him there without his brain doin' the work. Either way, he'll end up back at my place in a day or two. If you wake up in the morning and I'm not there, I'm visiting my wife at the hospital and then going to work. Hey, you wouldn't mind magicking some 'get well flowers' for me, wouldya?" He took a right at the end of the street.

"Not at all." Nova made to do so, then paused, eyeing Ein.

"Sunflowers. My wife and I first consummated our marriage in a field of sunflowers." Ein reminisced, exhaling more cigarette smoke and turning right; they were in a residential area now. He took off his mask and kept driving straight.

It had to be sunflowers. "Here you go." Nova placed the picturesque bouquet in the front passenger's seat. "Here. You have to keep this. It's very important, just in case you want to see me again." He handed Ein his business card: a smooth red oblong card, with his name embossed in bold gold letters in the Jokerman font. It read:

To summon: Include the words 'Nova' and 'summon' in a sentence, and I shall appear.

"I'll have to give you a surprise visit if you forget about me. But it will hurt my feelings, so don't forget, k? I can grant any wish of yours with my magic. Wife cured? Sure! Bad family dead? Sure! Healthy children? Sure! Bank robbery? Sure! Better car? Sure! But not for free!" He warned. "Today, I helped you without you making a wish. You see..." he explained the rules "But I'm still taking a favor in return; I'm sleeping over at your house. I'm very tired today, though; I've been helping people around this city for three days without sleep. We'll talk tomorrow?"

Ein parked the car parallel to the house's narrow sidewalk. "Right." Ein nodded, opening his door, dropping his cigarette bud, and smudging it out with his shoe the moment he stepped out.

Littering. Nova thought disapprovingly, opening his car door. He approached the trunk to retrieve the unconscious Zwei, removed his ski mask, and threw him over his shoulder again as Ein unloaded the bags and carried them into the house. He had intended to switch out his licence plates when he returned from the heist, but with Nova's help he didn't think that it was necessary now.

As Nova passed by the cigarette bud, he nodded toward it discreetly, and it dissolved into air, along with any dirt in a one-inch radius. He chuckled briefly at the contrast of the singular clean patch of pavement compared to the rest of the filthy street, littered with worse garbage than a cigarette bud. Tomorrow.

He followed Ein's instructions, lying Zwei a block away on the pavement. Nearby, three homeless men were warming their hands around a flame; Nova noticed that they had used a garbage can heaped with trash as kindling. Ah, so that's where the smell was coming from. I'm so tired today. He sighed, conjuring three warm, overlarge synthetic fur coats with warm lining, and six thermoses: three of hearty soup and three of hot water, to warm their stomachs. "Here." He handed all of these items to the men. I'll help them tomorrow...I just need some sleep...

"Hey, what else have you got?" the oldest one asked desperately, pulling out a knife and holding it to Nova's stomach.

Ah, good. I would've gotten angry if he actually intended to use the knife on me. "Not tonight please." Nova said calmly, using his magic to disappear, leaving his business cards behind. The homeless men scratched their heads for a moment, then enjoyed their gifts with a shrug. Victims of circumstance must... Nova was met with the smell of stale air the moment he opened the front door to Ein's house, announcing his presence jovially despite the disastrously messy abode ...do whatever they can to survive. As long as they are not bad people, I will help them. 'Ein' didn't want to kill anyone, but he was planning to kill as many policemen as he had to to escape that bank. Turning off the alarms, putting the people to sleep...calmed him down a bit. I could tell that he was- Nova levitated the laundry cluttering the couch and surrounding floor into a conjured basket, then transformed the brown leather couch, decorated with assorted stains of various colors, into a comfortable bed -nervous.

Saturday

"My darling! I missed you so!" Leigh embraced Rosaleya with a genuinely loving expression the moment she entered the shop.

I wish this was real. Maybe this time...?

"He hasn't changed, Rosaleya, he's just in 'nice mode' today." Jade reminded. "But maybe this time he will stay like this. Maybe he will change." He said sardonically.

"You smell nice. Are you wearing perfume?" The devil's tool for seduction? Not my daughter.

"It's lotion." Rosaleya replied with a smile. "The scent is-"

"Come upstairs, I can't wait to show you your first surprise!" He gave Crystal a polite look that meant 'look after the shop'. She nodded, taking her place behind the register with a quiet sigh for Rosaleya's sake.

Point proven. Rosaleya thought irritatedly, starting up the stairs. Coconut macaroon lotion. . .

"Oh, you look so adorable in your uniform!" He beamed. "Come come!" He quickly passed her on the steps, stopping with his hands on the door.

"I made sure to sleep last night so that there's no way I'll have to leave you." Jade informed gently. "I can't always choose when I sleep, but today you're lucky."

Thank you. Rosaleya reached the top of the steps, wondering why Leigh hadn't followed his usual routine of entering first and holding the door open for her with an impatient expression.

"Now the surprise may startle you, but don't worry. I'll explain everything to you inside." Leigh informed.

"Okay." Rosaleya smiled.

"I hate the person you are now." Jade snapped.

"One, two, three!" Leigh opened the door with an excited expression. "Chance! Come here!"

"Oh no." Jade shook his head. "Not this."

A puppy came up to Rosaleya and began sniffing her all over.

"Hey, not there! Please!" Rosaleya giggled, gently pushing it away, although it only licked her hands instead.

"It's breath smells like rotted meat." Jade observed with a cringe. "How...pleasant."

"It's identifying you as either a male or female. All dogs do that." Leigh smiled. "Isn't he adorable?"

It was golden canaan with a matted coat, crooked and dull teeth, broken nails, brown eyes, and a curly tail. It barked a few times when it heard the bell ring down stairs for a customer; a loud, booming bark that didn't match its size and startled Rosaleya.

"Come, let me pour you some tea and tell you all about him."

"You piece of _ how could you do this to us again?!" Jade boomed, following Leigh into the kitchen to yell at him some more.

Rosaleya patted the puppy on the head, denying its persistent attempts to lick her face. Your eyes look so innocent, don't they? But I already know what you're going to do. Why does it have to be like this? Rosaleya joined Leigh in the kitchen a few seconds later, washing her hands since the dog's saliva smelled as dreadful as his breath. And it's so sticky.

"This tea was on sale at the grocery store last week; it's delicious and it came with these biscuits. I don't really like them, so I've been giving them to Chance like treats." Leigh said. "Would you like to try one?"

"...'Chance'?"

"Yes, I named the dog 'Chance', because I found him a few days ago rummaging for scraps in the dumpster. He would've died from his sickness and insufficient nutrients, so by adopting him I'm giving him a second chance at life. It's a symbolic name, you see. He has a few flaws here and there, but they can be fixed!" Leigh took a moment to beam at Chance, who was lying innocently by Rosaleya's feet. "His ticks are being pulled out daily before they have a chance to harm him. I also brush him every morning to get all of the extra fur off. I swear, I get enough off of him to make a fur coat once a month!"

"He's shedding?" Rosaleya asked, feigning curiosity.

"More work." Jade translated.

"That's right. I feed him three times a day; you're not supposed to see his rib-cage like that. Dog food at dinner time, and healthy foods like steaks and chicken during the day. Leftovers, too. He'll eat everything but vegetables, for some reason. And if you try to hand feed him, hehe, he'll bite you. He doesn't mean it, he just eats so fast that he might accidentally nip your fingers. See?" Leigh showed Rosaleya a few of his fingers to demonstrate. Minor marks, but they were as annoying as paper cuts, in that you felt them whenever you tried to use your hands for something. They were more irritating than painful. "His teeth will be corrected a little later; if you correct them to early it might cause more damage, if he's not fully developed, like a human's teeth. So for now he gets a bone every day; I found a grocery store that's further than our usual one that sells these at a discount because they're so expensive. Bones help dogs clean their teeth. I couldn't get him to let me brush his teeth normally; he kept mistaking the toothbrush for another bone, you see. A different grocery store even further down sells his dog food at a discount, along with collars, leashes, and beds. I set his bed up in your room, come see!" Leigh took her hand and nearly dragged her there in his excitement; he always moved quickly when he was excited or angry. "I thought that it would be nice for you to sleep with him in your room; everyone loves pets, especially-oh...well, I suppose we'll just have to fix that. Would you mind, dear?"

"Of course not." Rosaleya smiled. "He's new to all of this. I get it."

Leigh had already walked away.

"But why would this dastard dog pull apart his own bed?! It's his, fair and square!" Jade sighed, before inhaling sharply at the sight of Rosaleya's bed. "Oh dear, it seems he's used your bed as a replacement for the bathroom. I'll clean it, don't you worry!" He let out a stream of profanities as he stripped the bed and headed toward the laundry room. "At least he didn't crap on it." He added before he left. "But the mattress is soaked through. I don't know a spell for that."

"I'll ask Nova-"

"Rosaleya! Your tea is getting cold, darling! Just fix Chance's bed and get over here so that I can finish telling you about him!" Leigh called happily.

"I'll be right there! I have to use the bathroom!" Rosaleya called, taking a deep breath as she closed the door. "Nova, I'm summoning you."

"Thank you for confirming everything." Luna thanked Raven after Athena and Soren left her office.

Raven's job had been to tap Luna on the shoulder when they were telling the truth, and abstain from moving if they were lying. It was in that manner that Luna managed to confirm that students were not lying to her, even if she was skilled at detecting lies already.

You can never be too careful. Luna thought.

"I'll see you later to fix this." Nova hugged Rosaleya, then disappeared.

"I reheated your tea, so please enjoy it." Leigh ruffled Rosaleya's hair the moment she opened the door. "Where was I?"

"You were talking about his bed." Rosaleya replied, walking back with Leigh to the kitchen.

As Leigh went on about the dog, she took a seat and tasted the tea gingerly; she had long since learned to be weary of any foods or drinks that Leigh praised for their taste. Argh it's so bland, but with a subtle disgusting flavor in it...what is this flavor? It's something fruity...it's an orange fruit... She looked around the kitchen for the box. Oh, it's supposed to be a 'mango' but it only tastes like watered down perfume. Gross! Well, the moment he's not looking I'll drain my cup.

"Looks like Ebeneezer finally had the washing machine fixed." Jade said in surprise as he re-entered the room. "Let's hope it doesn't turn off and lock itself mid-wash anymore, or leak eeeeeeeeeeeeverywhere." He listened to Leigh for a moment. "We can't fix the dog's problems if we don't know everything that's wrong with him so we'll have to deal with this for a few days until we can make a complete list of flaws. Don't worry, I'm taking notes." Jade added through clenched teeth. "In case we forget anything."

Leigh paused his excessive monologue and stood in front of Rosaleya, turning this way and that. "Before we continue, do you notice anything?"

"He's going to say that he lost weight again and simplify the remaining weight that he must lose before he looks good again, and that he's going to really put in an effort this time." Jade rolled his eyes. "Then he'll give up before he comes close to reaching his goal."

"Did you...lose weight?" Rosaleya asked, feigning surprise. "I didn't notice before, but seeing your right in front of me like this...you look like you're doing really well."

"Yeah." Leigh fanned his hand while feigning modesty, but not really putting in any effort. "I lost seven pounds since you left. My belly is looking much better. Soon, I'll loose another five, then another, then the last three, and then I'll be at my ideal BMI. I'm going to cut back on sweets, and fatty foods, and I'm going to exercise once a day for an hour and a half. I bought a treadmill-" Leigh nearly dragged Rosaleya to the family room to show her that the already small family room was now even smaller with the new additions "-an elliptical machine, and some free weights that go from 10 pounds to 100 pounds; they increase by ten."

Jade took the opportunity, while Leigh was away, to get rid of Rosaleya's tea.

"As soon as I get used to taking care of the dog, I'm going to work out every day. I'm going to lose this weight, you'll see! This isn't what I really look like; it's my loneliness that's turned me into this-" he pinched the fat on his belly "-but I've overcome that."

"Because of the dog?" Jade asked blandly. "So you had the money and inspiration, suddenly, to buy all of this work-out equipment, and all of the items for the dog, but never what we needed, like a new washing machine [or fix the old one], or a new fridge [or, again, maybe just having the old one fixed], or-" He left the room suddenly for something urgent, based off his expression.

"I can't wait until you see me at my best. Are you still keeping up with the exercises I told you to do?"

"Yes." Rosaleya replied. Every bloody day.

Leigh went on for a few minutes about his 'weight loss journey', shamelessly praising his own courage and determination. "Oh, I forgot about your tea again!" Leigh dragged Rosaleya back to the kitchen, to find that Chance had gotten into the garbage and torn the bags apart rummaging for food, spreading the garbage all over the floor. And he had relieved himself of his excrement in the corner. Jade had already started cleaning the mess up, hoping to get rid of it before Leigh saw it, but now he froze. "Oh, he's still getting used to the house, the poor dear! It's okay-" Leigh hugged Chance, patting his head to 'comfort him' "-you're safe now. You don't have to rummage for food anymore or tear things apart to survive! He's just insecure, that's all." He added, addressing Rosaleya. "Let's clean this up together?"

"Like hell we will." Jade glared at Leigh.

"I'll handle it." Rosaleya insisted with a smile. "I really don't mind."

Leigh insisted.

If we 'do it together' it won't end well. We can't work together! "No no, I really don't mind."

Leigh gave in after two more tries. "You don't? You're such a darling girl!" Leigh beamed.

"He never intended to help you to begin with." Jade observed. "Lazy dastard."

"Please go sit down with Chance in the family room. I'll be right there." Rosaleya insisted positively.

"...I'll see you in a minute, then." Leigh left with the puppy.

Rosaleya took a deep breath.

"I'll handle the _ and the garbage. You get rid of the tea and sanitize the counters; he licked them for crumbs." Jade ordered. "There's no way we're going to waste Nova's time with things like this."

"Perfect." Rosaleya nodded, grateful that Jade could give her firm directions right now when she wanted to tear the entire kitchen apart and force Leigh to clean it. If she had agreed to 'clean it with Leigh', then he would've given her orders while sitting down and 'comforting the dog', most likely getting angry if their methods differed or if Rosaleya wasn't fast enough or made a mistake. Three minutes later, she sat down on the family room couch beside Leigh.

"...so after he gets his shots tomorrow he should be safe from any ticks and sickness until two months from now when he has to get a few more shots. The vet also gave me pills, which I give to him in a chunk of cheese. He won't eat it any other way." Leigh laughed, patting Chance's head. He look at Chance as he spoke, as if Rosaleya's animagus was that dastardly dog. "Oh, I forgot about the other surprise I have for you!" Leigh smiled, embracing Rosaleya and suddenly proving that he remembered the different between her and the dog. "Let's go!" He dragged her to the washing room. "See, I had the-oh, it appears that you've already seen it? You didn't have to do any laundry while your here, I'll handle it." He smiled, ruffling her hair. "Alright, sweetie?"

"Strange...It felt better when a perfect stranger did it." Jade said quietly, referring to the time when Soren had ruffled her hair. "How weird."

"Alright." Rosaleya smiled back. If I tell him what happened then he won't do anything to fix it. He'll misunderstand it as a complaint, and give me a starry-eyed lecture about how Chance is still getting use to blah blah blah and needs time to deal with his insecurities from his tragic childhood and blah blah blah.

"Well, time for the next surprise!" Leigh took Rosaleya by the wrist and nearly dragged her to the front door.

"Where are we going?" Rosaleya wondered out loud.

"It's a surprise, darling!" Leigh pulled a hat off of the hanger bolted to the door; a fedora that didn't suit him at all. He held the door open for Rosaleya. "After you, sunshine!"

I love it when he calls me sunshine. He used to call me that back then, all the time..."Because without you, my life would be dark." Leigh smiled, putting a plate of pancakes in front of her. "We'll have a Pancake Race; the person who wins gets ice cream on the way home from school!" "But Daddy, you always win!" Rosaleya protested. "I'll give you a head start-" Leigh stood and made for the coat rack "-I'll put on my coat and hat for work!" Rosaleya rushed, taking full advantage of her head start by taking large bites. His mouth is bigger! I have to hurry! "I'm almost dooooooone!" Leigh sang, putting his hat on extra-slowly.

His so-called surprise was a trip to the barber. "Remember how I didn't let you get bangs before? Well I've decided that you can get them, since you've been so well-behaved lately and there's really no reason for me to deny you something that you really want. That's not fair, right? She'll take her usual length-" he addressed the barber now, illustrating his point by putting his hand halfway past Rosaleya's scapulae. "-but with straight-cut bangs." He smiled at Rosaleya. "And don't try to go past our normal price; I know your expenses haven't become that high, my friend." Leigh added with a half-joking, half-warning tone and expression. "Anyway," he addressed Rosaleya again "you can cut your hair short again during the summer so that you don't have to bother with it too much. Perfect, right?"

"And when summer comes he would've forgotten this conversation. Even hard evidence will cause him to deny that he ever said those words." Jade reminded Rosaleya not to buy into Leigh's kindness. "You won't be able to get you hair cut short again without another wish. But until we can figure out what keeps ruining our wishes, making wishes about him is a waste of time. What are we missing?"

"Long hair brings out the beauty of her face." Leigh told the barber. "Doesn't it?"

The barber nodded absent-mindedly while putting the chair cloth on Rosaleya, making sure that it wasn't too tight around her neck.

"Remember to keep your head straight, darling! If you look down or up then the barber won't be able to cut it evenly for you. Since it's the fall season, and then winter, of course," Leigh spoke as the barber started lengthening Rosaleya's hair "you'll be able to wear it down, and it will look so beautiful on you! We can go to an accessory store after this to get you some things for your hair if you want?"

"No, thank you."

"Too many childish hair accessories from you already, I'm afraid." Jade translated.

"So after this, I wanted to visit that restaurant on the street across from Diagon Alley. I'm in the mood for a taco or two. How about you?"

"But the Hogwarts rules say that I can only visit Diagon and Knockturn Alley-"

"It's fine, my dear. I'm your father, so if they have a problem with me taking you across the street from Diagon, so close, then they'll take it up with me. Besides; if you want to go, then no rules are too strict for me to give you what you want, darling."

"It's not really-"

"-Oh stop it, sweetie, I can tell that you want to go."

How can you frickin tell? Rosaleya wondered. Oh...she regarded his large belly in the mirror, noting that Jade was pointing to it while rolling his eyes ...just a coincidence. They have really good tacos there as far as I can remember, but probably nothing compared to a demonic taco...I haven't tried those yet.

"Ms. Lovett, and Mr. McCunnen." Luna addressed them both with a strict countenance from behind her desk. "Please be seated."

This is probably more crap about skipping classes that day. Athena thought in irritation. As if it wasn't hard enough to meet with Mr. Idiot yesterday. And what's with the weird energy in this room? It reeks of angel.

Did she find out about my visits to mother? Soren wondered. And is that angel professor nearby? I can sense her presence.

"Tell me what happened the day of Ms. Fairbrook's incident." Luna said.

Darn it! Athena's lips became a thin line to stop herself from speaking out of turn. I smell an angel nearby, too. Gross.

Thankfully, she doesn't know. Soren thought in relief. "We care for her very much. After what happened, we prioritized comforting her over our lessons." He spoke with a direct gaze and a calm tone. "We are prepared to take whatever punishment you can dream." It isn't like this is a surprise for us.

Luna looked to Athena. 'Do you agree with his words?' Her gaze asked.

Athena and Soren had worked out a system so that they ended up doing equal work.

"Stupid, insufferable Muggle tools." Athena said. "At least it's a cloudy day." She glared at her lawnmower.

Soren sighed, wiping sweat off of his brow with a handkerchief, then handing Athena a clean one for her brow.

"If you have any desire to win points back for your houses, then here is a list of chores for the castle; I've had one pinned to the notice board since the start of the school year but no one's put in the effort. Things that the grounds keeper would do, not the house elves. For one, the grass needs to be trimmed. If you trim all of the grass on the grounds-" Luna revealed two Muggle lawnmowers "-then I will award you sixty points each. Each chore on the paper gives a different amount of points to the participants. Just because I am a Slytherin, it does not give me the desire to only help those of my house to win points." She looked at Soren.

"Aw, I can't get over how cute your hair looks. When it's long like this it's just right!" Leigh wiped Tabasco sauce off of his mouth with four tissues.

"That's the twenty-second time you've said that." Jade said dryly. "Yes, I'm actually counting."

"How is your second taco?" Leigh noticed that she hadn't touched it for a half-minute after her initial bite.

"I was lost in thought for a moment." Rosaleya admitted, looking away from the cook, who was deftly preparing food behind the bar. It was the type of outdoor restaurant where customers sat at a bar and watched the cook prepare the food. An awning shielded them from the sun, also preventing the bearable plastic stools from heating up. She liked watching him prepare the food, since it seemed that she was watching a cooking-channel on fast-forward.

Leigh signalled for the cook. "Two more, please. Extra Tabasco sauce and extra sour cream."

The cook nodded, and wrote Leigh's order on a piece of paper and pinned it to a board; their order was going to come up after three others. The cook had almost finished the first two.

"Two more?" Jade said, realizing that Leigh fully intended to eat until he was stuffed today. "Yeah, you're really cutting back on your calories. Is it your cheat day?" He guessed. "That must be it..."

"Ah, two-for-one-day is my favorite." Leigh said thickly, then swallowed his food, regarding the large sign near the entrance that advertised the 'Buy One Get One Free Special, for Tuesdays and Weekends'. "So about the fourth surprise-" Leigh took another large bite.

"Dastard dog, laundry machine, haircut-" Jade listed.

"-I wanted to ask you if you would be adverse to-" he swallowed loudly, then guzzled his water while Rosaleya wiped a bit of ground beef off of her hand that Leigh had spat while talking "- my remarrying."

"Balderdash!" Jade sighed, moving to embrace Rosaleya from behind her chair. "This again? Have you asked her how much she wants to spend on the wedding before you get your hopes up you cheapskate?"

"Of course-" Rosaleya began with a smile.

"-Because I've been lonely ever since your mother left this world." Leigh continued, interrupting Rosaleya as if he thought she was going to object. "You understand that I've been waiting for the perfect person to come into my life again, and now that she has...you wouldn't be angry with me for accepting her love, would you? You understand that as a man I need someone to love, don't you? You wouldn't hate me for this, would you?"

"Of course n-" Rosaleya tried to say it faster this time, and with more visible enthusiasm to prove her point.

"-Because I know that, if you open your heart, you'll be able to see that she's a wonderful person. I promise, she'll be a good mother to you, and-"

"I-" Rosaleya tried again.

"-Shut up already!" Jade yelled. "We get the fudging point, let the girl speak damn you!"

"-I don't want to rush things, for your sake, so we'll take it slow, I promise. When you come home for the winter holidays, I want you to meet her. If you don't like her, I promise I'll leave her immediately; I'm not a selfish or unreasonable person-"

"-suuuure you aren't." Jade sighed.

"-and I would never want to put you into an uncomfortable situation-" Leigh put down his taco and held his hands out to Rosaleya, who had given up on trying to talk because she realized that Leigh was still in the mood to monologue "-and I just want you to remember that your happiness is the most important thing in the world to me." He held Rosaleya's hands in his, closing his eyes for a moment as if he felt some sort of paternal connection to her that he imagined her to feel as well.

"This is sickening." Jade spat. "I'm guessing that anyone you love will be as disgusting and useless of a person as you. Who knows, maybe she's even more terrible?"

"I won't tell you anything about her, that way it can be a surprise when you meet her." Leigh had a distant, dreamy look in his eyes. "If I tell you her name, then you might try to find out about her and end up disliking her if you get the wrong impression about her. I want the first meeting to be perfect; we've already planned it out."

Rosaleya nodded.

"So you really wanted Rosaleya's opinion on this. How nice." Jade said sardonically. "We will ask Nova who the 'bride' is if Leigh actually gets serious about this woman. Otherwise, it does us no good to care."

There was a long silence, during which Leigh let go of Rosaleya's hands and seemed to reminiscence as he ate with his trademark manners.

"He's like a pig with thumbs." Jade observed. "Even the noises are the same, I imagine."

Rosaleya had long since stopped looking at Leigh while he ate; it made it difficult to retain her appetite.

"But that isn't the surprise." Leigh suddenly started talking again when the cook served him his next two tacos. "The woman I'm marrying has a son as well. Last weekend, I met him here in the store. He's so well-behaved; the kindest young man I've ever met. We talked, and I just know that he's the perfect young man for you; just as smart as you, and he likes the same things that you like...those Chinese cartoons and the like..."

"-Japanese." Jade corrected tiredly; it was a mistake that Leigh commonly made...confusing every Asian ethnic group because they 'all looked and sounded the same'.

"So I'd like you to meet him today, and spend some time with him every day until you meet his mother during the winter holidays. Give him a chance; I've got a good feeling about him, I promise you. Of course, I won't force you to do anything, I'm only making a suggestion; I would never forget your will. Now if it works out, I would love to plan your wedding along with mine. We can get married in the same place on the same day and save a lot of money, and we can celebrate our anniversaries together. Ah, I can't wait for the winter holidays; this Christmas is going to be the best we've ever had together! Well, what are your thoughts on the matter? You've been so quiet this whole time. It's like I'm talking to a wall, darling. And you've forgotten to emote as well. It's okay to tell me how you're really feeling. Come now, speak up." Leigh waited with a kind gaze.

"He really believes his own bull." Jade laughed hysterically. "If we weren't friends with Nova!" He used his index finger to discreetly summon water droplets for Rosaleya's eyes, continuing to laugh. "His monologue was spoken with the intention...the warning...that he won't hear 'no' for an answer." Jade changed to a serious tone. "How dare you think of our wedding, a precious moment, as something that should be rushed for a bargain? If the word 'disgusting' needed an updated picture for the dictionary, we would send in a photograph of you." He made a crude hand gesture in Leigh's direction.

Rosaleya looked away, grabbing a tissue to dab her eyes "I'm just so happy that you finally found someone that loves you, and who you love back...now you won't be so lonely anymore." As if I would ever shed a tear for you, you pig. I feel stupid every time I start hoping that the old you might come back.

"Aww...thank you, dear." Leigh beamed. "If it works out, you will have the same thing."

Wasn't one of the reasons that I didn't want to kill you because I thought that you would never try to arrange my marriage? He speaks with the certainty that he will push us together, whoever this 'suitor' is, until I give him what he wants: the perfect marriage for his daughter. The marriage he never had. Is he living through me? Is that what this was, the whole time? Did I misunderstand his intentions? Not 'I want to do what's best for her' but 'I want to do what's best for her while living through her'? Rosaleya thought. What if the mother is a terrible person? What if-

"Anyway, my potential son-in-law will be showing up anytime soon. Do have fun, and don't be so cold to him, Rosie." Leigh smiled toothily; he had bits of cilantro stuck in his teeth and avocado caked onto his gums.

"Thank you so much, Dad." Rosaleya smiled while looking down at the last bite of her taco. How did I get chided for bad manners all those times when he eats like this? What right does he have to criticise me?

"Give him a chance." Leigh looked at her. 'Promise me' his expression said.

" But I just have one question: is it incest if you're marrying the son of your step-mother, if the son isn't related by blood?" Rosaleya asked for clarification.

"Oh look at you, so moral!" Leigh beamed. "It's not incest if your not blood-related." He confirmed. "Don't worry about that." He gave her the look again.

Jade kissed Rosaleya on the cheek. "We will wish it away if he's serious."

"Alright, I promise that I will give him a chance." Rosaleya promised. By now, thick clouds had blocked out the sun, although it was still warm. "So when will I meet him?" Is he late or something? Or will I meet him later today? Rosaleya stuffed the last bite of the taco into her mouth, leaving just enough room to chew.

Leigh laughed. "Speak of the devil. Well, enjoy yourself, sunshine."

Rosaleya wondered what he meant while Jade dramatically announced "He's here!" Before Rosaleya could turn around to look, she felt a hand grab her right wrist and pull her out of her chair, and she unintentionally fell into her suitor's embrace. This smell? Where have I-

"Hello, Ms. Fairbrook." Soren said silkily. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Rosaleya pushed him away immediately and looked at Leigh.

"Darling, your promise." Leigh reminded with a warning look thinly disguised by a gentle voice.

"Has he betrayed us? Going through father to get what he wants? And if Claudia's husband is alive, then what is she doing with Leigh?" Jade demanded from Soren. "You said that your parents were in love! From the way that Leigh spoke of Claudia, I'm almost certain that they did that...together."

Soren embraced Rosaleya again. "I'd like to take a walk with you, Ms. Fairbrook." I know that this is absolutely not the time to be thinking this, but she smells so nice...like coconuts...and her hair smells nice as well...it looks stunning long and short...I can't help but think these things! But right now, I have to focus! If I explain everything properly, then I will get to embrace her again like this, but it won't be forced.

"Don't throw him off, don't push him away." Jade instructed himself, finding it increasingly difficult to follow his words.

"Have fun, you two." Leigh waved as Soren steered Rosaleya toward the entrance.

"I have no intention of marrying you if it is Mr. Fairbrook that proposes the idea." Soren said quietly to Rosaleya as they crossed the street. "And my mother has no intention of marrying him; she loves her husband so she's only been using illusions on Mr. Fairbrook. One of her special powers is Inflicting." Soren looked to Rosaleya to make sure that she was following his words.

Rosaleya nodded twice to show that she was listening, knowing that any attempt to speak would most likely destroy her veneer of composure.

"Our family wanted to help you with your problem. Mother is earning his trust so that he drops his guard completely; I was introduced to him last weekend to help her prove that she's fit to mother you. I didn't know until this morning that he had decided to introduce me to you as a suitor; I promise that wasn't part of the plan. But mother asked me not to tell you, so that your surprise would look real." He tapped the bricks in the Leaky Cauldron.

"That makes sense so far." Rosaleya said quietly as they entered Diagon Alley together. "Why are you trying to earn his trust?"

Jade was still reminding himself not to physically harm Soren.

"So that we can adopt you. Mother drew up a contract that relinquishes his authority over you, and gives it all to her. His stupidity, what he calls 'trust and love', will prevent him from reading the contract. Also, father is writing it in a splendidly confusing verbiage, filled with rare archaic words and run-on-sentences. Mr. Fairbrook won't admit to his stupidity while mother watches him read it and pretend to understand. So..." Soren looked at her hesitantly. "...does this plan sound so terrible to you?"

"Your words scare me." Rosaleya said quietly as Jade roughly pulled Soren away. "What if your mother is even worse? Then I will be able to do nothing about it? It disgusts me that you've trapped me this way; Dad won't listen to my words. What if I can't un-wish whatever the contract says?"

"Do you feel trapped, sunshine?" Claudia asked, embracing Rosaleya from behind.

Rosaleya was shocked by the feeling that Claudia gave her, so much so that she was moved to tears. She couldn't, or rather, she didn't want to move; to roughly push Claudia away as she had done with Soren. It was the feeling she had only ever felt in her dreams. It made her absolutely certain that she could trust Claudia. It made her heart sing with warmth and pure ecstasy. It fulfilled every aching desire for a mother that she had ever had. It was perfection. Suddenly she felt herself fear the moment when Claudia would let go and take a step back, because she didn't want the feeling to go away. She couldn't help but sob, and Jade dried her tears with a look of pure compassion. She had never before cried tears of joy like these. It felt like as long as Claudia was embracing her nothing could hurt her emotionally or physically; she felt completely safe.

"Oh, it's okay." Claudia embraced her a big tighter. "It's not a trap, I promise. We can stay here all day if you want. Just tell me when you've had enough; I won't let you go before that." Aww....she's so cute! I could literally hug her all day. She's just as cute as Soren said she was. The pictures Leigh showed me didn't do her justice.

Rosaleya nodded, and Jade dried the next wave of her tears. Soren watched with an expression free of harsh judgement: he understood completely. This was what he had wanted for Rosaleya all along. 'It's okay, I won't let you go'. Those are the words that I've always wanted my mother to say to me...ever since the day that she died. I have a mother again; Soren wasn't lying to me when he said that she was perfect. I know it's silly, but I know, from this feeling, that I want her to be my mother more than anything else in the realms. It's so difficult to explain.

"By the way, Soren planned all of this." Claudia whispered. "Thank him later."

A few minutes later.

"Claudia, we planned this." Leigh said disapprovingly when he entered the alley.

"Leave! Don't interrupt this!" Jade demanded.

Rosaleya shut eyes tightly and gripped Claudia's arms so that she didn't let her go.

Oh, she's shaking. "She couldn't do it, honey." Claudia insisted gently, kissing the top of Rosaleya's head to assure her that she wouldn't let go. "She told you that she was okay for your sake; the remarriage really stressed her out. She just needed a bit of motherly love after all this time; she couldn't wait, believe me. Just like you couldn't."

They shared a look, and Leigh looked away, disappointed, but he nodded his head all the same. "Should I-"

"-I think that we need some time alone." Claudia said knowingly, nodding toward Knockturn. Go back to your rat-hole apartment, rat.

"Right." Leigh sighed, walking away muttering something about rash decisions and ignoring perfect plans.

Rosaleya lost track of how long she stood there, relishing Claudia's embrace.

"Do you feel trapped?" Claudia repeated her question in a gentle voice.

Rosaleya shook her head. Her voice would sound choked as a result of the crying.

"Are you pleased with our plans?"

Rosaleya nodded as Jade dried the last of her tears. He had been observing the embrace with the most ecstatic grin Rosaleya had ever seen him have.

"I really wanted to surprise you for Christmas, but the rat wanted to force an arranged marriage onto you and that was too unexpected. I don't want to stress you out during any of this." Even as Claudia was speaking ill of Leigh, her voice remained positive. "But for now, you have to do what your father says for our plan to work: you won't marry Soren if you don't want to, just hug him a bit and hold hands in your father's presence. Can you do that?"

Rosaleya inhaled as deeply as possible, then exhaled, repeating this process until she had managed to calm herself. Then, she spoke quietly, in a hoarse voice. "Yes. You can let go now."

Rosaleya turned around the moment Claudia released her. "You're beautiful." She breathed. She was so surprised that the otherworldly feeling accompanied an otherworldly beauty. "I'm sorry." She turned to Soren. "I thought-"

"-I know. And that's okay, as long as you understand now?"

"I do." Rosaleya nodded, yet she turned back to Claudia in disbelief. My voice sounds so hoarse...and it's difficult to speak right now, but I have to know. "Will you really-"

"-Yes. Everything that you want and need, and more. You're allowed to look forward to my promises; they're nothing like the hollow ones that you're used to." Claudia promised, leaning forward slightly so that her eyes were level with Rosaleya's. "Just look forward to Christmas; we're already halfway through September."

Rosaleya embraced her again, this time noticing the physical aspects. A silky smooth suit. A subtle, fitting perfume with a sweet smell to it. A physically fit physique. Hair that smelled of flowery shampoo. A smoky voice. Smooth skin. She backed away to look at Claudia again. No makeup. Kind eyes. Full lips. Rich, thick hair. Without a doubt: she's absolutely perfect.

"You can look forward to seeing me every weekend until then." Claudia smiled.

Her smile!!! Rosaleya and Soren thought.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Claudia asked. 'It's your choice to see me or not, I won't force you like Leigh' expression said.

"Yes."

"Mmm...perfect. Have you ever tried demonic karaoke before?"

"Yes, with Nova."

"Then you know that we're going to have fun tomorrow. You're allowed to look forward to everything I'll ever promise you." Claudia reminded. I won't let you down. Claudia looked to her right, and a portal appeared. "I will see you tomorrow, sunshine." She winked as she held Rosaleya's tracking pendant in her hand, then yanked it off suddenly. She cheap chain broke easily, and she crushed the pendant in her hand. "Oops." She chuckled. "I guess I'll have to explain this accident to Leigh, now won't I?" She laughed mischievously.

"I've got something for you, too, Prince Endymion." She summoned a bento box and handed it to Soren, kissing his forehead, then Rosaleya's. She held the portal door open for them.

She called him Prince Endymion...does that mean that he's the one who sent the text? Eh, it was probably a joke. "That was what you wanted to show me all along, wasn't it?" Rosaleya asked.

"Yes." She understands!

"Thank you." Rosaleya embraced Soren.

His eyes widened; he had never expected Rosaleya to initiate an embrace so soon. But under the present circumstances, he knew that he wasn't dreaming it.

This embrace felt so different from their last. Soren felt happiness that Rosaleya wasn't acting so coldly to him at present, and he fully enjoyed it knowing that Rosaleya hadn't been forced to accept it. Rosaleya felt Soren's warmth and strength; he had seen what was best for her, and come up with a plan to help her. Her gratitude was immeasurable. And his parents were helping him; she couldn't wait to spend time with his parents. He kept praising her... Rosaleya fondly remembered Claudia's embrace. ...and I thought that his parents sounded perfect, but also too good to be true...Claudia's presence is addictive. I wanted to see her again the moment I stepped through the portal.

"Rosaleya." Soren said softly, taking a step back. "When I look at you, I see the rest of my life in your eyes. I want to share with you every joy that I ever have and will experience. In my heart I know that even when our faces bear countless wrinkles, I will still be attracted to your character, and seek your happiness until my dying breath. I do hope, so dearly, that this devotion is not unrequited."

Rosaleya replied without hesitation. "It's not." It was clear that the thought of pairing these words with a kiss had crossed her mind, but she had pushed it away as soon as it dared to appear. Not yet...