invisible red strings

[Liam Nightray]

Liam Nightray hated being surrounded by people. Sure, having spent the majority of his life under the care of his extremely sociable aunt would mean having to attend a lot of social events and having to talk to people from various walks of life but that didn't mean that he enjoyed it. No. In fact, he rather stays in his room than force himself to breathe the same air and share the same room with stupid fleas. That being said, he still found himself in the middle of everything he hated. It was earlier that day when he found himself being dragged by his cousin. They had been attending the same school for almost three years now, but the boy never did bother to spend some time with the younger Nightray. The younger girl was too loud for his liking and though he did care a little as she was a family member and the only one in fact to not give up on trying to reach him, he didn't really like being around her. She was too talkative and Merlin did he hate having to listen to her talk. He could be a sympathetic listener to her if he wanted to, but this day was not that day. He was still suffering from a severe head ache and having to listen to the girl's endless stories would be torture. Aaren was tolerable; in fact, admit it or not, he most favored her amongst his cousins. With her, he wasn't obligated to talk as the girl was fine with just having someone to listen to her. He would never say that to her though as he was sure that he would never hear the end of it from her. But seriously, Aaren would be a better company if she knew when to stop talking.

The Slytherin would have walked away like he always did, but as the girl tugged on his sleeves and held his wrist; he knew he couldn't escape. Aaren might be smaller than him, but the girl could be really persistent when she wanted something. And besides, though he hated to admit it, the girl's eyes as she told him to spend the day with her left him with no choice. And thus, there he was, sitting opposite hers in the library, surrounded by mountains of books with pieces of parchments scattered before him. Liam wasn't judging his cousin but the library was the last place that he would expect her to drag him into. Sure, the girl did love to read, it was one of those things that they share, however, she didn't struck him as the type to enjoy spending the day in such a quiet place.

Liam tapped his quill on the table as he watched his cousin. He had been told that she needed help with some homework of hers and that she decided that there was no better person to ask for help than him. He sighed, he really should have turned around and spend the day by himself in the confines of his room. The head ache was still there and it was only worsening with the amount of information presented before him. He would normally enjoy reading of course, but at that moment, the books were not helping him at all. The Slytherin then rested his head on the table, his forehead touching the cold wooden furniture before him. A lot of things were running on his mind and he can't seem to focus on anything. He almost stood up and left the girl alone but the better part of him told him to stay and just give in to his cousin's wishes just this once. After all, the girl's talkativeness might take his mind away from the pressing issues that he still didn't want to admit was bothering him.​

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[Aaren Nightray]

Aaren Nightray never did fail to bring her lucky item for the day. Her peers thought that it was weird and that it was something that only a muggle would do but the young Nightray paid them no heed. She believed that those items would bring her luck and though her parents had scolded her a thousand times about it, she never did listen. They, however, thought that she did. Aaren didn't like lying to her parents but she really didn't want to give up on her beliefs. Her parents held too much power and control over her life already. It was only through these simple things that she could take over it. She was raised in a strict and uptight family. She had been taught how to act and talk appropriately to her parents' standards. She listened to all those lectures and had indeed learned how to act like the proper lady that she was supposed to be, yet, all those days of teachings never did change her as a person for despite all of those strict upbringings, Aaren never did adopt her parents' beliefs.

The redhead continued on scribbling down notes on the now slightly crumpled parchment before her. She had homework to work on and it was really starting to get on her nerves. And Merlin was it hard to annoy the young Nightray. Potions was probably her weakest subject and though she did love to read, she really couldn't grasp the idea behind the homework that she had to do. And thus she sought the help of her elusive cousin, Liam Nightray. She had been attending the school with the older Nightray for almost three years now and she never did got the chance to actually spend a whole day with him. Liam was, after all, not really the sociable type. She understood though, for the older boy did have a tragic past. She tried not to talk about it when she's with him for she knew that it would only stir up unpleasant memory and she knew that it wasn't really good to anger the older boy. It was actually lucky that she found him and for that she thanked her lucky item. It was hard to hunt the boy down for he wasn't really the type to go out of his room except when he had to attend his classes. Thus, it was actually a surprise when she saw him walking down the halls. What's even more surprising, however, was when he agreed to go with her. For that, she had to thank her lucky item again.

Aaren gave a frustrated sigh as she crossed out another paragraph. The parchment that she writing on looked really messy right now, with letters and words scribbled at every corner. She was starting to lose hope as she stared at her work. It had probably been hours yet she hadn't accomplished anything. Sighing, she raised her head to look at her cousin. The Slytherin was now resting his head on the table. Realizing that she was probably causing her cousin some trouble, she stood up and leaned towards the table to reach for the boy's head across the table that was separating them. She then pat the older's head softly to try to get his attention. She knew from experience not to startle the older Nightray. "Liam? Are you tired? Would you like to leave?," she started, guilt etched all over her features. "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you. I promise to make it up to you though" A small smile appeared on the red head's face as she straightened up her posture. All her luck, however, seemed to have ran out as she accidentally hit a stack of books to her left and oddly enough, slip on an innocent looking piece of parchment that seemed to have been strategically placed on the floor to trip her. In a matter of seconds, the Aaren found herself on the floor, books scattered around her with one lying open on top of her head. She could feel some eyes on her and she immediately flushed a deep shade of pink. Embarrassed, she hurriedly tried to stand up and collect the books around her, only to knock more sets of hardbound books. She gave her cousin and everyone around her a sheepish smile and mentally scolded herself. She didn't really see herself as being clumsy. Yet, it seemed that this was one of those days when she had used up all her luck and had to spend the rest of the day without it. Hopefully though, Liam would not leave her all alone by now.​

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[Killua Freecss]

Killua was most absolutely not the most charming guy right now. Not with his still bruised up face that is. It had been mere days since he had an encounter with an older boy and older girl down at the dungeons. Both were probably in a weird sort-of couple relationship as they tend to act like they were in such. Most particularly the boy, which the Slytherin knew as someone within the same house as his. A Slytherin that was associated with a seemingly Hufflepuff student. The previous assassin had at first just tried to get the girl into the infirmary because of the very high fever she had obtained after waiting for several hours for the jerk that was trying to act like her boyfriend and knight in shining armor in a sort of villainy kind of way. But after the older Slytherin interfered, things just got interesting in the eyes of Kil who had not been really used to interactions with other humans after being raised in a not so friendly environment. And so, he tried to have his fun. He teased the boy to no end and scared the girl out of her wits despite his intentions being very, very different at first. And of course, that didn't end so well with the older Slytherin punching his face quite a few times. Surely, if Kil wasn't so busy talking and scaring the hell out of the girl, he would have most certainly blocked the first punch and not remained stunned to be incapable of blocking the following ones. But alas! That was not to be as he had gotten continuous punches that day that resulted to bruises on his face that had slowly healed over time.

On this particular day though, Killua Freecss had refused to stay cooped up in his room for another day. Sure, he wasn't the most attractive guy around with the bruises on his face but still, he wasn't very eye-catching without the bruises. He had already gotten used to that treatment too. But, he really did hate it when people would stare at him and whisper like they knew everything that had occurred. Kil wasn't really very thankful for those kinds of attitudes, in fact he hated them. And that was most certainly the reason why she had tried to avoid those who were known to be ones to spread the gossips. The Slytherin quickly climbed the staircases and reached the fourth floor in no time at all. He took no time in entering the library. It was only here that people refused to talk and let their eyes wander for they were too busy having their attentions focused on the books they're reading and the studies they had to accomplish. But what was the Slytherin going to do in the Library? He let his eyes wander and he couldn't say how happy he was to see a familiar girl in one of the tables.

He was just about to approach her when out of nowhere, the girl had fell down along with a stack of books. Killua had most certainly not seen that coming. Sure, he quite knew that the girl had tendencies of being clumsy, but still. The event was surprising yet, the Slytherin took no time in being by the girl's side and trying to aid her with picking up the fallen books. He had recognized her clearly. It was Aaren, the girl who was lost in the dungeons. "You okay?" he asked as he picked up the scattered books one by one, glancing at her once in a while to see if she had hurt herself in any way.

 

[Liam Nightray]

The wooden table felt cold, yet, despite hating the cold, Liam didn't make any move to make himself feel warmer. His thoughts were all mixed up and he couldn't get himself rid of them. His head had been badly aching for quite some time too and though he should have been used to it as it had been happening more frequently since he entered the castle, he was still bothered by it. His thoughts also keep coming back to that happening down the dungeons. He wasn't an emotional kid. Merlin, even his relatives say that his heart is as cold as ice, if he still had one which he thought was really stupid as he indeed, has that specific organ that they were talking about. How could he walk, breath, and live his life as he did if he didn't have a heart? He would have been rotting in his grave already if their claims were true. Though of course, he did knew that they were using it as a metaphor, but being the proud kid that he was, he would correct them harshly. That is, of course, if he felt like doing it. He wasn't one to bother with stupid fleas after all.

The slytherin closed his eyes tightly, willing himself to think of anything else but the things that would just irritate him. But it was of no use. The silence that usually calms him had betrayed him. The locked up memories of his past, coupled with the happenings a few days ago kept on replaying on his mind. He wasn't one to dwell on such useless emotions, but somehow, to his annoyance, it seemed to be pulling him in.

He was already reaching the limit of his already nonexistent patience when he felt someone pat his head gently. He need not look up to see who it was for he knew that no one would dare to get his attention, much more, touch him. It had to be his cousin. The girl was usually too enthusiastic about these things. She was usually too loud and too bubbly. He remembered the first time that she tried to get his attention while he was occupied by something. The boy didn't like surprises and the girl had learned that in a not so pleasant way. He didn't hurt her physically of course. He wasn't one to resort to such things. He didn't like unnecessary human contact, and physically hurting people would require a part of his body to touch another person's. Which reminded him again of that event at the dungeons. He didn't know what occurred to him or why he did what he did. His irritation clouded his better judgment. Sure, he was quite irritable and he most certainly doesn't hold back when it comes to showing that, but he was usually quite good in controlling himself not to throw a punch here and there. Only simple minded people do those things. Getting into physical fights wasn't really his cup of tea. Yet, he had been involved in one. Though the truth it, it was actually quite one sided on his part.

The fifteen year old was about to respond to his cousin's question when the silence that filled the library was disturbed by the sound of hard bound books meeting the floor. He quickly raised his head, and, just as he thought, his cousin was the perpetrator of that noise. Eyebrows knitting together in irritation, he pushed his chair back. He wasn't one to go out of his way just to help other people, but Aaren wasn't just some random stranger. She was his family. And as irritating as she was, he could tolerate her at least. However, before he could stand up and help, someone had already rushed to her aid. That someone wasn't just any regular stranger either, it was the person that he wanted to see the least. Or perhaps not, there was another person that tops that list. But even so, this person ranks highly in the list of people that he hated. And that was already saying a lot. Liam's list was too long after all.

He hurriedly went to his cousin's side and pushed past the said intruder. "Leave." His voice was cold. He glared at the said boy and snatched the books from his hands. This boy need not interfere with his life again. Should he insist on doing so, Liam couldn't promise that he'd wait until he graduates before he kills him. This boy had been stepping on his pride since they first met. He wouldn't let him do as he pleased again. Merlin, he'd cut off this flea's hands if he had to. This boy had to stay away from him. And more so, he had to stay away from his cousin.​

 

[Aaren Nightray]

Aaren wasn't a clumsy kid. At least, she believes she wasn't. She was quite athletic in fact. She enjoyed moving around, enjoyed playing to her mother's dismay. She loved moving her body and she was quite sure that she had perfect control of it. Yet, it seemed that with puberty finally kicking in, she was losing her control over her own body. Perhaps she had grown a bit, her legs now longer than they were before. She wasn't sure though, after all, she only has her cousin to compare her own height with. He was still a lot taller than her, and Liam wasn't really the tallest guy in the world. She wouldn't say that out loud though. Though Liam hadn't voiced it out, she highly believe that the older Nightray was quite insecure about his height and frame. Liam being a lot taller than her even until now meant that she hadn't grown at all. Or perhaps she did. But getting taller didn't really mean a lot. Should she stand next to her other cousins, she'd still look like a little kid. She wasn't really one to give special attention to how she looks. Yes, she was probably still just a kid.

"Stupid Aaren." She scolded herself, pouting as she took the book on her head. Her mother wouldn't be too pleased should she learn that her dear daughter had been acting like a little kid again. Her mother had told her a thousand times that her actions should be carefully calculated and that she should never embarrass herself in front of other people. Yet, there she was, making a complete fool out of herself. She began picking the books and arranging them neatly when someone began picking up the scattered books too. "I'm fine, but I guess I can't say the same about these poor books. Riv will be really angry should he learn how I treated his precious little things. I should really pay attention next time. But I must thank you for helping. I must have disturbed you from what you are doing and-" she wasn't able to finish her sentence however, when she finally looked up and realized who she was talking to. It was that boy again. He had helped her once before. She had been lost trying to find her cousin and he helped her find her way again. Now, here he was again, helping. "You? You really come at the weirdest times." She said with a chuckle, before she could continue though, her cousin came and began treating the said boy coldly. She was quite used to her cousin being antisocial and treating others harshly, but this treatment was especially rude even for her cousin. He only said a single word but somehow, she wasn't sure why but she was quite bothered with it.

Being pretty clueless however, and being the inquisitive girl that she was, she decided to say her thoughts out loud. "Do you two know each other?", she asked, tilted her head a little to the side, one eyebrow raised in curiosity. Liam was a slytherin, and she was pretty sure that this savior for the lack of better word of hers was a Slytherin too. But then again, her cousin wasn't really the most sociable kid so the chance of them not knowing each other is pretty high still. Something still bothered her however. She was pretty good at reading other people and the atmosphere between the two wasn't really that good in her opinion.​

 

[Killua Freecss]

Killua was not particularly ready for this meeting with the redhead. In fact, he hoped that he would have met her again at a time were in his face wasn't bruised thanks to being beaten up by a guys whose girlfriend he had randomly decided to tease. That was certainly not a good idea in his part. And therefore, he was at the Library with a not so attractive face with bruises, helping the girl he was apparently finding attractive and all and he was looking like a complete idiot in front of her. This was actually the first time he felt as such being one whom is not particularly sociable especially towards the opposite gender. He even doubted he would meet the girl if it were not for her getting lost within the deep parts of the dungeons. Not many students are found to be wandering those parts after all and that is where he most likely were to hang out if he were not with his friend Abel.

Though looking like a complete fool, he had managed to help her grab the hardbound books that had fallen to the floor. He should have known that she was clumsy and he had to think about what was up with him and clumsy people that he always managed to get to know. "You shouldn't really think of yourself as stupid," the Slytherin told her as she scolded herself. And besides, she wasn't stupid, she was just clumsy. Kil couldn't help but smirk at the thought of Aaren suddenly speaking as if not realizing that she was already talking to someone and it really seemed that that was the case. "You're welcome and no you have not disturbed me from anything," he said with a chuckle as he resumed in picking up the books that had fallen to the floor. "May I know who Riv is?" he asked randomly as he remembered that she had muttered the name in the midst of her apologizing and thanking though he really wouldn't expect her to answer of course.

Killua couldn't help but chuckle and smile at Aaren's words. "Shall I take that as a compliment then?" he said as he thought about them meeting. Did he really come at a weird time? He really had to wonder since he had nearly no sense of determining whether the timing was weird or not. Everything just seemed nearly casual to him. He didn't no why but that had always been the case. Kil's smile had dropped though when someone had suddenly pushed him out of the way. It was the boy that he had encountered in the dungeons a few days back the one who had so gracefully beaten him up. The boy took the books from him and had told him to leave with a voice so harsh and cold. Kil really wanted to beat the guy up but Aaren was around and there was also a sense of similarity between them that he knew should bother him a bit.

"And I should leave because?" the younger Slytherin asked with a raised eyebrow. He was not about to leave. Not yet anyway. Besides, who was this boy that was threatening him? He didn't own the school nor the library to tell him what to do. To transfer his attention away from the irritating boy, Kil shifted his gaze to the girl. "Is this Riv?" he asked in an innocent way. Plainly he had next to no idea what he should say at a time like this. The girl he was apparently starting to like was with the guy he hates. It was so sudden when Aaren had decided to drop the bomb of a question and Kil had decided to answer right away. "No, I just happened to come across him and his girlfriend a few days back at the dungeons." He was not lying since technically, he did not know the boy and the boy did not know him. They were in a I-hate-him-I-shall-beat-him-up-though-I-don't-know-him relationship. It did not make sense to the younger Slytherin but at least he was telling the truth. Technically anyway.