A chance meeting.

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Rukevra Vanderzuk

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Not being able to sleep once again, Ruki tossed and turned underneath the covers. Covers that had begun to pin him closer to the bed. Preventing his movement. His escape. Ruki kicked furiously at the sheets; grabbing them with his hands as he sat up and pulled them from under the mattress. Throwing the cotton material onto the floor, Ruki sat on the edge of the bed and gripped the mattress. How could his parents cause him this much suffering.

Taking to his feet, Ruki pulled a fresh shirt from one of the drawers; and headed into the common-room. Slipping the shirt over his head, Ruki knew he was aiming to wander the castle once more. Stepping from the portrait hole, he set off along the corridor; and down the stair-case. This time he was not interrupted by a young girl on her own travels.

As he walked across the stone floors, Ruki realised he hadn't collected his shoes before leaving. The slight coldness with each step called him to turn back; but something was pulling him forward. Ruki knew his parents where back at the dorm-room.

After several minuets, Ruki had found his way to the bottom of the castle; not fully aware of his surroundings, or knowing where he could go from there. Turning to head back to the ground floor, Ruki caught sight of the entrance to the kitchens. Moving forward, he decided a cup of cocoa would be the perfect solution.
 
It wasn't the first time she had made her way to the kitchens in the dead of night. She was like a nightcrawler intent on her prey and as she munched into the steak sandwich that one of the house elves had made for her, Andromeda smiled licking her lips and wiping some crumbs from the side of her face. This was one delicious sandwich, there weren't many perks to being a werewolf but this was definitely one of them. Her insatiable appetite knew no bounds when it was close to a full moon, she often expected to see Maisie on these nightly excursions but so far had been a lone werewolf on the prowl.

For some bizarre reason she was feeling rather chipper, perhaps it was simply the raw meat she was consuming masked between two rather boring pieces of white bread. Whatever the reason, she seriously hoped she could get another sandwich perferably without the bread. She swivelled slightly on the tall stool by the trestle table in the center of the kitchen before reaching for her glass of milk, she hated the stuff but knew her bones needed it more than anything. Especially the rate she cracked and broke them. A house elf bustled by and she smiled before taking another hefty bite.
 
Opening the door-way, Ruki stepped cautiously into the kitchens. He had little idea of what he would find, but felt an elf or two would be bustling about. Little to his surprise, he was correct; which was something new in itself. Allowing the door to close behind him, Ruki glanced downwards as an elf bustled towards him. "Does sir require food?". The elf spoke in a semi-rough voice, and bowed towards Ruki. This act of courtesy caused Ruki to smile. He began to wonder if he would have ever been an elf in another life. "Maybe sir could join miss in a sandwich?". Ruki's smiled disappeared. Someone else was in the kitchen.

Allowing his eyes to follow the direction the house elf indicated, Ruki caught sight of a familiar figure. It was Andromeda. Ruki suddenly felt compelled to leave. To head back up to the dorm-room. Back to his dreams of his parents. "Sir.". The house elf re-claimed Ruki's attention. "A hot drink would be good for you?". Ruki couldn't decide if the elf was simply polite, or just pushy. Nodding, Ruki spoke. "A cup of cocoa would be wonderful. Thank-you.". Elf or not, the creature deserved the same courtesy it had shown.
 
Turning at the sound of someone else entering she saw Ruki and smiled. Taking another sip of her milk she wanted to gag but dispelled the feeling quickly, was it her imagination or did he want to leave after seeing her? Well blow a girls ego for crying out loud. She turned back to her sandwich deciding not to say anything until he did, after all he was the one who had left her godmothers house without a single word, had not even gone out of his way once to say hello or anything else to her for that matter.

It would seem that whatever world he hailed from, manners simply weren't apart.
 
Taking a deep breath, Ruki stepped closer to the table. Here he was, once more in the presence of the girl he had dis-respected. The girl he somehow couldn't talk to. The girl he owed a part of his life to. Settling into a small bench next to one of the tables, Ruki felt it best to remain at a distance for a moment. Three of the five he had left without a single word of goodbye where in-side the walls of the castle with him. Any chance of a friendship with either of them had been destroyed the moment he stepped back into the Gables' fire-place.

With his arms upon the table, his hands closed together, Ruki lowered his head and sighed. Why where his parents doing this to him. Why where they chasing something. What where they chasing. Ruki slumped lower. He felt like giving up. His lessons at this newest of schools where beyond him. He knew failure was something he was destined for. His parents had told him from the beginning. Ruki knew it now. "They're right.".

"Hot cocoa for master.". The words startled Ruki. He had forgotten his surroundings. Taking a-hold of the cup, Ruki smiled towards the elf. Maybe it wasn't all bad to be a servant. "Thank-you." Ruki muttered. The elf simply walked away shaking his head.
 
"It's customary to say hello" she said aloud before actually turning to look at him. Why she felt a huge degree of animosity towards him she knew she could put down to the event at the Leaky and his stay at her home afterwards. They had shared what she had considered a poignant moment, some real 'get-to-know-you' time and all he had been able to do was get up and go before any of them had woken.

"Or then again, from the guy who can't even say goodbye I'm not really surprised"
 
Blowing on the hot liquid, Ruki took the smallest of sips; knowing it would burn his mouth otherwise. As he did so, Andromeda called out. Her voice cut through him like shards of glass. It appeared she wasn't in the best of moods.

Placing the cup upon the table, Ruki turned his head to the side; his eyes filled with deep regret. Knowing the young girl had already lost people close to her, Ruki continued to tell himself his action was the correct one. His parents had found him at the harbour, but they had no idea where he had been. Ruki knew, if they had arrived sooner; the husband and wife wouldn't have hesitated to remove him, and everyone else, from The Gables.

"Andromeda.". Ruki had no plan. He simply didn't know how to apologise.
 
She wiped her mouth after swallowing the last bite then turned to look at him, raising her hand to stop one of the elves from interfering. They had gotten used to her, some were even ridiculously protective of her and as much as she would not like to play the human 'I'm superior to you card' she had to in this instance to thwart whatever the house elf would say. Looking at Ruki she put on such a smile that would shame any actress.

"Wow look at that, you remembered my name. Shame you couldn't remember to say oh.. I don't know.. goodbye!" she looked at him with those piercing amber orbs that could almost penetrate through the toughest exterior if not used to them.
 
It took the girl all of a few seconds to have a change in attitude. Her current demeanour was a complete shift from the day the two had met. Ruki could only look back at the girl. His confidence shaken. The un-worthiness within him forced its way to the surface. He was a complete failure. Everyone was right.

Taking a deep breath, Ruki allowed his mind to be filled with the memories of his parents. Their lessons. His training. Standing up, Ruki took another breath before confronting the girl before him. "Andromeda, I do hope you can believe it was within your best interest that I left when, and how I had. Your god-mothers hospitality was greatly appreciated, but I can only apologise for meeting you in the first instance. It seems I was wrong for wanting to visit my latest home before my parents apparated over.". Ruki paused for another breath. "As you feel I have wronged you, I shall be happy to bid you fare-well now; if you so wish.".

There was little anger in Ruki's voice.
 
Andromeda turned to him and seeing one of the elves pass behind him could only roll her eyes and wink.
"Don't be daft you silly git" she told him as she drained her glass of milk,"crikey you sound just like the boys did when I first met them, it must be all that Durmstrang twaddle you're taught there. I don't need for you to leave, just like I.. we didn't want you to leave The Gables either. You seriously think that we would care who and what your parents were? We aren't prejudiced to anyone... trust me, we can't be. We'er such a mixed bloody bunch we have no right to be but you're friendship we acquired through fates intervention, it's not up to you to detract it. Fate will only find a way to throw us together until you get it into your skull that we're supposed to be friends"
another plate was passed up before her as the empty one was taken away. As a fresh jug of milk was brought to the table she placed her hand over it and shook her head at the house elf.
"Milk gives me gas" she chuckled, she merely hated the stuff but the house elves usually looked for a decent excuse from her for why she didn't take certain foods and drink.
 
The young girl once again came back with her own attitude. Taking in each of her words, Ruki contemplated his response. "Discipline is a trait one is required to work for. It is also something I feel you lack at this very moment.". Ruki would be more than happy to hold a civilised conversation. An argument however, showed lack of honour and pride.

Having caught the girls slight pause in her words, Ruki softened his gaze. It was clear the young girl felt a friendship was going to happen between them, or at least; something was going to happen. Scowling slightly, Ruki tied to remember the night at The Gables. Had he told the girl what his parents where. shaking the thought away, Ruki continued. "Who or what my parents are is something I have yet to understand. As to whether or not any of you care, that is your choice. The same as it is mine. I have reason to fear them. Do you really believe I wish to become a death eater, as is their wish.". The anger was beginning to flood through him now. What had changed during the past few weeks for the young girl to cause Ruki to hate the very sight of her.

"Fate does not justify a path. It is the people who are walking along it.". As he spoke, the dark path seemed more welcoming with every beat of his heart.
 
Andromeda smiled as if she were now indulging a little child, shaking her head at the house elves who had stepped forward.
"It's ok, I won't hurt him" she winked, the unfortunate creatures were still of the mind that she would change when angered and could not be dissuaded from this ludicrous thought. They pampered her because of it, not wanting their kitchen disshevelled in any way.
Turning to the boy once more she surveyed him closely.

"I am more disciplined than you could ever imagine Rukevra and you should not go around making presumptions on people. I am being very disciplined right now, almost like a pet dog in fact" she found her own analogy amusing and smiled to herself, hearing even a snigger from one of the house elves who often walked her to the cavern. The boy rambled on about his parents and feelings and Andromeda thought her head would explode. He was way too much for a late night snack. Someone needed to give him a good shakeup and tell him to loosen up a bit.

"As I never knew this is what your parents want for you then how could I possibly believe it. Rukevra grab something to eat, if only to close your mouth for a while. It's almost 2 in the morning, you waffle worse than any ministry official and merlin knows they can waffle." She pushed the plate away from her not wanting any more to eat, totally turned off food now, the thought of a decent walk to work off the last sandwich didn't sound appealing either but then a batch of chocolate chip cookies was placed before them and she winked at the house elf.

"I could simply eat you up" she laughed then seeing the horrified look on his face, grimaced, "it's a phrase, I wasn't really going to eat you".
She thanked the creature before taking one and taking a bite considered his last remark.
"I have found that no matter how hard a person tries to turn things around, no matter how they strive to be a better person if fate wants something else for them, in the end the cosmos will have its way. Now I am going to enjoy this cookie" she held it up before taking another bite, it was absolutely delicious.
 
Glaring angrily towards the girl, Ruki wanted nothing more than to watch her burn in a flash of green light. He could feel whatever hold; whatever numbness had been over him slipping away each day he spent within the newest set of walls. He was changing, and the people around him where changing. Listening to the girls comment directed towards one of the elves, Ruki smiled. If the young girl wished for a fight, he would oblige. Ruki shook his head slightly when the girl proclaimed her own sense of discipline. "A disciplined dog would sit; waiting for its masters word. It was you who initiated the anger between us tonight.".

As Ruki ran the girls words through his head again, he spoke in a calm tone. "I am sorry. I do not require you to believe that which my parents see fit for me. If fate has a hand in my future; then I shall accept the results.". Ruki knew the girls comment related to their small friendship, which had begun to hang from the thinnest of threads over the past few moments.

Sighing, Ruki turned back to the cup of chocolate. Picking it up, he headed to the opposite side of the kitchen.
 
She couldn't help but laugh at his words, shaking her head and holding her hands up looking incredulously at him.
"Rukevra I didn't initiate any anger at all. If that's what you term as anger then you've been pampered all your life. I haven't once raised my voice in anger too you or done anything agressive but if you want to stand there acting all holier than thou fire away, be my guest. Oh, no... that's right you don't like being a guest do you? You might run off again" there was no trace of anger or animosity of any sort in her voice, just heaps of sarcasm.

She watched him go to the other side of the kitchen and actually humphed at this. The boy was bordering on the ridiculous, she should be out of joint with him completely but he was the one behaving as if he had been wronged. Andromeda stood up and wiped up the crumbs she had created from the cookie and tossed them onto the small saucer the house elf passed to her. She wore a long sleeved baseball style ti-shirt with the Kenmare Kestrals logo blazoned on it and a three quarter length red cotton pyjama pants. Bare feet as usual but took no notice that the gaping bite on her ankle was visible, it was late and she hadn't been expecting anyone else down here.

Andromeda got up and walked to the end of the table.
"Thanks for the grub" she smiled at the house elves.
 
As he stood against one of the counter tops, Ruki began to feel ashamed. The only people who had given him a warm welcome; a sense of caring; people who had opened their door to him, now hated who he was. It would seem true. He had been pampered. Both of his parents had enough financial security each to close him away.

Ruki felt his heart deflate at Andromeda's comment. Knowing he shouldn't, the boy responded with a whisper. "Being a guest implies I have to leave at some point.". Shaking his head to himself, Ruki watched as the first light of hope made it's way towards the exit; inner disappointment bounced behind his eyes.
 
She turned to look at him having just caught his hushed words. Andromeda stopped and sighed.
"No Ruki, it simply means you are entitled to leave whenever you want but good manners dictates a goodye to your hosts or at the very least a ... thank you" her voice was quiet, calm in the busy kitchen. Her amber eyes bore tiredness and a weariness with the world that should not have been seen in someone so young.

"I ... " whatever else she was about to say stayed still as she simply shook her head slowly "I'm going to bed now. Goodnight".
 
Looking forward, Ruki knew he had once again failed at a simple task. He had been grateful for the kindness Essie had shown him, and he knew he would have to re-pay it some time; if only for his own sake.

Hearing the girl pause as she began her final sentence, Ruki simply smiled sofly. It was strange to think, but un-spoken words would always mean more. "Good-night Andromeda.". Ruki felt any form of friendship between them would take some time to build.
 
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