Blossoming

[Epiphany Bones]

Epiphany had a compact in her hand and was doing up her hair. "You're gorg as always Epiphany." Her reflection said with the squeak of a valley girl. She loved this compact because it always complemented her. Whether it was charmed to be this way or whether it was telling her the truth she really didn't care. Epiphany smiled at her reflection and closed her compact to look around. She had set the date to show Ferb around before they got to Hogwarts which she was agreeing to come back to because of Ferb more than anything else. They where already making plans on what they would do once they came to school together and Epiphany was already planning on playing some of her more twisted games which she had to admit she had missed over the years of being alone in the Manor with only Luthor to talk to.

He was late so Epiphany started to wonder and look at the shop windows. She had her allowance on her so she could get whatever she wanted from Obsidian Harbor but it was always fun to whine anyway. Epiphany started to catalog the things she wanted from the jewelry store that she had spied. Well she didn't really want them she just wanted an excuse to annoy Eden and by extension Luthor. It was her only source of fun really though making pretty eyes at Ferb and getting him to do what she wanted was always funny to her. She wondered for a moment what she would really do once she got back into formalized school.

Epiphany sighed softly looking away from the shop window getting bored again. She was about to take her seat on the bench again when she spotted someone had taken it. A girl seeming around her age. Her guess what she went to HNZ because that was the closest. Eppy thought about it for a moment and decided that it was best of she started making friends now seeing as she needed to make the transition from home school easier. "Nice day to be out and about isn't it?" She said crossing her legs and sitting next to the girl on the bench.

 

[Arianna Zhefarovich]

Arianna had been feeling down lately and it was all thanks to the fact that Liam was being an absolute jerk towards her these days. The Gryffindor knew that it was normal for the Slytherin to act as such but he should have known better than to put that act on her like he did with everybody else. He should have understood that it was only him he could turn to these days when she could talk to no one just because she had to keep her Nightray genes a secret from the whole student population! It was certainly a good thing that no one seemed to pay any close attention to their similarities and they would just accept the fact that she had no surname and such but she was sure that she was really freaking people out! And that was the reason why she currently had next to no friends which was really making her depressed aside from the fact that Liam was treating her differently.

Seeing no actual point in staying in the castle which was only bringing her into a depressing mood, Ria had gotten out of bed and dressed herself up in jeans, a shirt and flat shoes to go along with her outfit. She was not quite in the mood to really dress up and besides, her destination was only the Obsidian Harbout so she did not see the need to dress up formally for anything. It was the weekend anyway and there would be lots of people so it was not like they were going to pay any special attention to her or anything. And Arianna was right. There was no one whom seemed to mind her wandering up and about the streets of the Harbour but she really had next to no idea on what she was to do at the place. Sure, she had enough money to buy stuff but she wasn't really in the mood to do anything and so, she had decided to sit down on one of the vacant benches for a while.

The Harbour was quite peaceful in Ria's opinion as there was no sign of any violence going on. That seemed peaceful enough though there were quite numerous people walking about the street, she didn't pay them any close attention. She was thinking about the Nightray family after all. The Gryffindor was snapped out of her trance of thoughts when suddenly, a girl had sat beside her. "Oh. Yeah. I guess," she said, not really sure on what to say. "You think so?" Arianna could not help but ask as she turned her gaze to look at the girl who was now currently sitting beside her.

 

[Epiphany Bones]

Epiphany nodded and grinned. "If it weren't I wouldn't be out myself. I can't stand gloomy days. It brings up too many dark thoughts." She said with a bright grin. She looked the girl over and noted that she looked a bit sad. There where other things she was picking up from the girl but Epiphany's expression was as pleasant as ever. "I'm Epiphany by way. If you don't mind me asking do you go to this branch of Hogwarts?" She asked as if she didn't already know. While others from other schools ended up here to see someone of student age around usually meant Hogwarts or home schooled like she was.

While she waited for the girl's replay she placed the expensive looking clutch she had with her on her lap. It was a small little bag that held little else but her wand. She was never conspicuous about those thing anymore having learned how to get along in the world without making herself a spectacle. Better fun could be had if the insects thought that one was just like them. Epiphany was already calculating how she was going to go about making a friend of the girl. Well a friend in the broadest sense. It was better than her attempts at making Luthor do what she wanted that was for sure. Epiphany had already gotten bored of that.

Epiphany fiddled with a strand of her hair absentmindedly hoping to make herself more approachable by doing so. There was nothing that could kill a conversation faster than a person catching on that there was something not quite right about Epiphany. She had observed and caught on though. Her purple eyes glittered with a life that no one could know where it really came from.

 

[Arianna Zhefarovich]

Arianna did not quite expect the turn of events that had occurred. She had pretty much thought that no one would just randomly approach a stranger and ask them about the weather. Sure, it might have been out of kindness or something but it still wasn't something that Ria was used to. Who could blame her? The first seven years of her life was being cooped up in the manor and the next eight years were being imprisoned in a muggle hospital and it was only the first year that she was experiencing a bit of freedom. Yes, it was only a bit for she knew that the Nightray elders still had their clutches on her and they plan to do with her as they wish because for Ria, there was quite a lot at stake whenever she had to make a decision with the elders. The redhead sighed inaudibly and had been snapped out of her little train of thoughts when the girl had spoken once again.

"I suppose that's true," Arianna remarked with a subtle smile on her face. The weather may have been truly nice but Ria's mood was still far from being lifted. Having nice weather didn't change the fact that her existence is being kept a secret, that she could barely speak a word to any of her relatives and brothers, and that Liam was being an absolute jerk towards her lately. She had to wonder sometimes that if she hadn't been too sickly, would everything be different? She supposed so. "Ah, yes. I just transferred a few months ago. Do you?" the Pureblood replied and asked all the while forgetting to introduce herself in the whole process. She just let her gaze remain upon the girl and watch her actions and Ria sometimes hoped that she was as healthy and bubbly as this girl quite was, but it was far from being possible.

 

[Epiphany Bones]

Epiphany sighed. "I'm home schooled for now. My mother thought I would be better off but I've gotten lonely as of late so I'm going back to Hogwarts New Zealand next year to finish off my schooling." She said with with a wide grin. She observed the girl in her own subtle way, her violet eyes glittering with a joy that only those that really knew the rotten core underneath could understand. She looked like a sickly girl, a girl that had gone through hell she signs of it still on the girl's face even though it she was still prettier than some of the girls that she had seen. Not prettier than herself but then again there where few that could match Epiphany in her own mind. Epiphany assumed that she was either a Gryffendor or a Hufflepuff because of her soft spoken manor. "Do hope I can make a few good friends. I mean the manor can get so, so, so boring." Epiphany said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry but I never caught your name." She said biting her lip. Epiphany started to consider that maybe she had misjudged the girl. She quickly sifted to trying to see what other angle she could play. This was her form of fun after all. Seeing who people functioned and deconstructing it in her head. her boyfriend, she considered Ferb her boyfriend even though he hadn't asked to be as such yet, was still a great source of enjoyment for her even if had been months since they had gotten together. She looked forward to studying the people at Hogwarts again seeing as there would be no challenge to her when it came to lessons but it was best to keep her intelligence to herself list she get judged as freak like she had in first year.

 

[Arianna Zhefarovich]

Arianna pondered upon the girl's words and couldn't help but sympathize with her. She knew the feeling of being home-schooled after all and Ria hated the very idea of it. "Good to know that you're going back to formal school. I hated being home-schooled," the Gryffindor replied with a smile that was finally true. Perhaps, it was a good thing after all that she went to the Obsidian Harbour and met the girl named Epiphany. After all, her mood was slowly picking up and she hoped that it would continue on. She wasn't exactly one to like being in an all gloomy and grumpy mood after all, yet she also hated the idea of pretending to be happy when she really wasn't. "I'm pretty sure you could make friends in Hogwarts. Besides, you used to study there right? So, maybe the ones you knew are still there. And besides, I study there too, and I still have one year to go before graduation," Arianna said with a smile in attempt to lift the girl's spirits though her own was still on the verge of being lifted to an extent wherein it won't fall again for a few hours.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to mention it," Ria remarked with an ashamed tone, she didn't mean not to introduce herself after all. She was just too caught up in conversing with the other girl that she just plainly forgot, she really had to fix her manners. And so, with a small clear of her throat she decided to introduce herself formally lest she wanted her aunts to kill her for her lack of etiquette as a Pureblood outside the manor and outside the school. "I'm Arianna. Arianna Denise Nightray. A Gryffindor Sixth Year. But you can call me Ria if you want," Ria said before smiling. Though only after a few moments of realization, her face took on a look of shock and horror realization before heading off to that sweet smile of hers once again. Thank the heavens she was a Pureblood so she knew how to mask her emotions. How could I be so stupid?! she thought inwardly to herself as she still kept a calm and smiling facade. She had introduced herself to a Nightray to someone who was going to a student of Hogwarts! That was so wrong of her. If the elders found out, she was going to lose connection with her brothers! Ria was smiling though deep down she was strongly panicking. She could only hope that the girl names Epiphany would not realize that Arianna was from a Pureblood family, else she could lose everything she had left.

 

[Epiphany Bones]

Epiphany felt quite proud of herself for finding a point of commonality that she could exploit so soon. She usually had to talk a lot more to be able to do that. "Oh the only point of home school I hated was my tutor. The old bat was as harsh as a French accent." She said rolling her eyes. While Sunako and Eden had given her lessons that didn't allow her to slack off she could come up with three million other things that she would rather be doing. The lessons themselves where interesting but the repetition was dull. Epiphany liked to be doing things, different things and very often got bored of things, even people which there where times she did see them as things. Living, breathing and yes barely thinking but all the same. "Somehow I doubt it. I was taken out around the middle of second year so they probably don't even remember me." She said with a note of sadness in her voice.

Nightray Epiphany thought but made no sign that it meant anything to her. She had of course grown up in a house where her mind was never completely her own because of several levels of power around her. Epiphany was good at keeping her thoughts to herself. "I was a Slytherin when I was at Hogwarts but don't let that make you think any less of me." She said giving a giggle. She knew that information would come in handy later so she stored it away in her memory. "And you can call me Eppy. You know I am in need of a companion while look through the shops. Do you want to go?" She asked practically wiggling in her seat. She had never had a real girl friend before unless one counted the Hag which she clearly didn't. A shopping buddy would be absolutely wonderful to her.

 

[Arianna Zhefarovich]

Arianna couldn't help but crack a smile yet cringe at the thought of a harsh tutor. Ria didn't like harsh tutors since she mostly couldn't learn very well with them. When she was younger, she was afraid of them but when she grew older, she grew accustomed to them and sometimes have the strength to fight and snap back which usually occurs and it grows to a problematic situation which sometimes gets out of hand. "I had no problem with my tutors. I just hated the very idea of being cooped up every single day," the Gryffindor said with a hint of sadness in her words. She remembered all the years she had spent in that hospital room, just waiting for a day when someone would enter to just spend time with her instead of checking on her vitals or her academics. "They'll probably remember you when they see you again. Don't lose hope," the Pureblood said with a small smile. Besides, not losing hope was a sign that someone still wanted to live and move forward. There was no use in getting down for something that was yet to happen after all.

Arianna had managed to sigh inaudibly when Epiphany had made no indication that she knew that the Nightrays are Purebloods. The amount of trouble that the Gryffindor would go through when the elders find out that someone knew that she was a Nightray would be infinite. She'd lose Armin and Riv and Ria wasn't even sure if she could bear that. She could barely keep up with the fact that she could only see them once a month before and if the elders found out that Epiphany knew she was a Nightray, she would never be able to see the twins. It was difficult but not impossible, especially with the amount power the Nightrays held. Ria had snapped back into reality when the girl had mentioned her previous house. "I have no problems with houses, really. I have," she paused to think about how she should address Liam and Rivaille. It was a big enough problem that she spilled that she was a Nightray, she had to be cautious of how she should address her relationship with the two boys. "Friends in Slytherin, after all," she finally decided after a few seconds of constant silent debating in her head. "Nice to meet you Eppy and I'll be glad to accompany you in shopping," the Gryffindor said with glee. It was better for her to not think too much after all, since it was dangerous should Eppy pick up on things about her heritage and family connections.