Unexpected Visitors

[Arianna Zhefarovich]

Arianna Nightray was getting too lonely in her stay in the United States of America. Only yesterday, she had been once again rushed to the hospital because of a sudden fever that had caused her to collapse on the floor. And after she had arrived at the hospital, she had undergone quite a lot of medical tests once again. She hated how she was frail and her health so fragile. She knew that she could have been treated by magical means but they had already tried it when she was younger, and still, her health would stay the same as before and she would need potions constantly if she wanted to keep every freaking disease away, and so, her parents had decided on a muggle means of remedies despite their pureblood heritage. She was one to love and seek adventure, yet, as time passes on, she was slowly losing hope of experiencing such for she had already considered the hospital her home. Despite her wanting to have an adventure of her own, all she had known were the white walls that surrounded her and the window beside the hospital bed that she would always stay at, giving her the perfect view of the city of Rochester in Minnesota where her regular hospital was located.

But still, fifteen-year-old Ria disliked the thought of being cooped up in the hospital. She wanted freedom, and she wanted to be with her family. She had already lost her parents years ago during the twins' birthday and her brothers now resided with their aunt in England. How she missed her twin brothers for she rarely got to see the boys due to her various health conditions that she would rarely be allowed by the doctors to travel far. And so, she had also failed to attend magic school and was quite envious of the other witches and wizards who could. Whenever she would be released from the hospital, her mentor would come to the house and teach her about magic, but she knew that it was not enough. She needed, wanted to know more. Yet, fate was playing cruel tricks on her as she seemed to have been destined not to be allowed to ever enter magic school yet it was one of her wishes that she hoped would soon come true.

Thoughts were stopped for the moment as the doctor entered her room. Arianna mustered a small smile at the doctor, but he frowned before he spoke. "I'm sorry Arianna, but you'll have to stay here again for a few days." The female sighed and spoke with a soft voice. "What's wrong this time, Doctor?" Ria gave herself the courage to ask. Surely this wouldn't be the worst, right? "You have influenza. It's nothing too serious, but we have to keep check on you since you have asthma. And we also can't cross out the risk of pneumonia and bronchitis," the doctor said before explaining more things that Ria wasn't all too willing to listen anymore. It was always the same. Stay in the hospital, be released, come back and then repeat the whole cycle. The Nightray just transferred her attention to the view outside her window, wondering if this cycle would ever end.

 

[Armin Nightray]

It was that time of the month again. The time when all the Nightray siblings were to meet again. Armin Nightray, the middle child, cheered as he finally set his foot in front of the tall building that he assumed to be the place where they would find his older sister. It had been quite sometime since they last saw her. They weren't able to visit her last month, and the month before that, he wasn't even sure if they had visited her during the past six months at all. Her sister was, to say the least, really sickly. He didn't really know the full details, but according to the rumors going around the Nightray manor, one of the family's darkest and most hated secrets was that she had to undergo the muggle means of treatment as the family had given up on her. The Nightrays were elitists, and thus, it was hard to believe those rumors at all. However, now that he was standing in front of the building that looked nothing like those building meant to treat diseases that he was used to, he knew that they were true. It was his first time here though, for as far as he could remember, they had always visited the older Nightray at wherever it was that she and their distant relative was staying.

Armin skipped as he tugged at his younger brother's arm. He knew that his twin didn't like it here. He had never been one for anything that was associated with muggles at all. Rivaille was, to say the least, a real Nightray. Armin however, didn't really care that much. Sure, he found those non magical folks boring and too simple for his liking, but there are those rare times when he would found something quite interesting. He was not fond of muggles, but he hate them not either.

"Come on Riv, hurry up, we need to get back before the sun sets, remember?," he said impatiently to his twin, pulling the younger with him inside the building. He abruptly stopped when the glass doors opened automatically as soon as he neared it. He then let go of his twin, touching the glasses a few times, wondering how they moved on their own. It was curious. He had never seen anything like this before. The one structure that was close to being heavily influenced by muggles that he had entered had nothing like this. Theirs was just a boring wooden door. He stepped back a few steps, watching as the door closed again. He cheered like a kid as he repeated the process a few times, step forward, door opens, step backwards, and it closes. It was only when someone dressed in white approached them and asked where they were head to that he finally stopped.

"We're here for Arianna Nightray, is she here?," he asked innocently to the man dressed in white. He was old and almost bald. He looked quite funny in fact. The older man ushered them inside the building, giving them a set of numbers and asking them to sign their names on a sheet of paper that looked nothing like a parchment. They were also given something which he assumed would be used for writing. They were not given anything that was close to being a ink though. He was about to ask the old man when the man disappeared to wherever it was that he was headed.

Armin stared at the long and rounded thing in his hand. He then gave his brother a look that clearly states that he was confused. This was a first. He then decided to observe his surroundings. Everything was white. The room was full of people wearing white too. After a few minutes of looking around, he noticed someone who's also holding the same thing that he was holding. He resisted the urge to ask and just watched as the person wrote down without using a bottle of ink at all. The ten year old was in awe, and thus, he hurriedly copied what the person did and wrote down his name too. As he was too absorbed and amazed by this thing that he now claimed as a wonder made by this usually boring folks, the young Nightray decided to bring it with him, carefully tucking it on his pocket before he again pulled his twin with him.

It took them a few minutes before they finally found the room bearing the combinations that was written on the note given to them by the old man from earlier. The building was too confusing, what with the doors looking exactly the same and all with the only difference being the number combination plastered on the doors. He took a few breaths and without further warning, opened the door quickly. "Ria!," he shouted his voice echoing around the room. He then run towards her, beaming brightly as soon as he reached the side of her bed. "Guess who?"​

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[Rivaille Nightray]

Rivaille Nightray disliked traveling. He was the type to prefer to stay in his room and read books. He disliked being around other people, disliked having to go out of his way to try and be sociable. He disliked talking. In fact, he disliked everything that has to do with socializing in general. Yet, being with Madame Red, it seemed that it was his fate to travel and do everything that he disliked. Their aunt was a social butterfly. She enjoyed every little thing that he disliked, yet, despite that, he couldn't bring himself to dislike the older woman. Yes, he disliked everything that she does, but he could never dislike her as a person. She, after all, was the only one who had been willing to take care of them when their parents died. The older woman might be crazy, but at least, she never did fail to take care of them. She's still quite young too, and honestly, though not as beautiful as their mother, the woman was still a sight to behold. It was quite a wonder why she had not been involved in any relationship at all. Not that the young Nightray wanted it. No. He rather not have anyone steal their aunt's attention. The woman was theirs. He wasn't going to let anyone take her away, not when she's the only one that's close to being a parent to them.

Rivaille doesn't dislike the woman, yet, as he stood in front of the hideous looking building that they had to enter, he could not help but feel a little irritated at their aunt. He didn't want to be here. He actually wanted to fake sick when he heard their aunt announce that they were to visit their sister. However, he soon realized that it would be useless. They were to visit a hospital after all. Faking sick would only bring him trouble. These stupid people might stick some weird and filthy apparatus on him should they learn that he was sick. He was already in front of a muggle hospital, the last thing that he wanted was to be treated the same way these fleas were treated.

Rivaille just stared blankly at the tall building, letting himself be pulled by his twin yet again. He really didn't want to be here, yet, he knew that he could do nothing. Armin was already too fascinated with these ridiculous things, and knowing him, he would not listen to anything else. The younger twin just sighed as he watch his brother play around again. They were garnering too much attention, and he didn't like it at all. He was about to pull the older Nightray away when another stupid looking man appeared and ask where they were headed. He just watched with a bored look as his twin acted like an innocent kid again. He knew he need not talk. The older Nightray would do all the talking for him.

The ten year old just stared with disgust at the thing that was handed to them. Was he supposed to write with this? He looked at his brother who seemed to have been thinking of the same thing. He let go of the filthy thing and decided not to use it at all. Instead, he brought out his ink and quill and used it to write his name down. He never did fail to bring his writing things with him, and it was at these times that he was thankful for it.

As he made the final stroke of the letter Y of his surname, he felt himself being pulled again. They went through a series of stairs and random door before they finally found themselves in front of the door that they were looking for. The boy released another sigh as he watched his brother burst into the room. He had given up on him. The older Nightray seemed to like making grand entrances wherever he was. He just stayed rooted on his spot even though his brother already ran towards their sister. He disliked her too. She was a pureblood like them yet, here she was, letting herself be touched by these filthy excuses for human beings. However, as soon as he heard his brother's last statement, he knew that he was in for trouble. It was their usual routine again, a game invented by his brother. A game that takes advantage of their similar physical appearances. In a matter of seconds, the same smile that appeared on Armin's face appeared on Rivaille's too, and afterwards, he too ran towards their sister, beaming at her the way Armin did. This was a game, a game that he really dislike but had to do, after all, it was quite fun whenever someone would be flustered for not being able to differentiate who's Armin and who's Rivaille. "Guess who?" He too had asked, mimicking the same expression on his brother's face. Armin was a great actor, yet at times like these, he too was capable of being one. ​

 

[Arianna Zhefarovich]

Arianna wished that she could just stay in England, but then, that was not to be as she was practically being ignored by the whole Nightray clan. If only they weren't the one paying for her expenses, she would have thought that they disowned her long ago, but then, they still paid what she would spend even though the expenses were quite high because of the girls' multiple trips to the hospital, tonnes of medication and laboratory tests. She would have been alright with taking potions every now and then, but then again, it was hard taking in different potions for different reasons. If only there were a potion she knew of that could make her health stay right up. Heaven it would be when she would finally stop taking medicine, when other would stop treating her as a fragile doll made of china. Ria wished that her health was very good like the other teenagers so she wouldn't be cooped up all day in a room of white when all she really wanted to do was get out and finally have an adventure of her own.

The fifteen-year old had been counting days, weeks and months for many reasons. One was to know when she would finally get out of the hospital and be back to the home of a distant relative. And then the other was to know when she could get to see her family, mainly her brothers, again. It was rare for Arianna to be allowed to travel and so most of her time was spent in America and then, her brothers, Armin and Rivaille, were only allowed one day a month to visit her and then it would only be until sunset that they could stay with her. It was fairly obvious that the Nightray families much more preferred to cut all ties with her. Was she to be blamed for her health? Well, it seemed that in the family elders' eyes, she was. Ria sighed and stopped counting for she had already lost count of when she last saw her siblings. She was missing them but thinking of them just made her lonelier in the hospital room, and so, she just focused her attention on the window and the view it could offer her.

Only a few minutes had passed when suddenly, the door to her room had burst opened revealing two boys right outside her room. Arianna nearly jumped in surprise and almost knocked off the hospital dextrose connected to her hand, luckily though it didn't. She would be in trouble if she had knocked over the only thing that was keeping her hydrated since she refused to eat as it would make her feel queasy or sick at times. Thoughts like those only lingered for a few seconds in her mind before she realized what was going on. Two boys? Same appearances? Of course! Who else could they be but her little brothers! "Armin! Riv! You came to visit!" she exclaimed in surprise and glee and with as much energy she could muster. This was the first time that they had visited her in the hospital and she had least expected it to be today. She looked at the two boys, they had grown since she last saw them which she was pretty sure was half a year ago. "Okay, okay," she said, her pointer finger on her chin. She was contemplating on which boy was which. "This one's Armin," she said pointing to the one that had burst the door open. "And this one's Rivaille," she said turning her attention to the other smiling boy. Arianna really missed the two boys and only for today, she hoped that sunset would never come.

 

[Armin Nightray]

Armin Nightray pouted like the little kid that he was supposed to be when his older sister manged to guess who's who between the twins. It was rare for people to get it right, after all, the twins do look really like each other. The height, the hair, the eyes, everything was the same, it was only their personalities that differ, though both twins were capable of imitating how the other acts. It was a game of theirs after all, yet, it seemed that the older Nightray knew them too well, too well to know how to tell them apart. Armin didn't like losing in his own game, but just this ones, he would let it slide. Though he never really got to spend much time with his sister, he could say that he missed her too. Being with the older Nightray was at least a change of scenery from having to spend their days with either their aunts or the old servants back at home.

The ten year old jumped and sat on his sister's side before directing a judging but playful look to his twin. "It was all Riv's fault, you're too slow," he complained like a child, removing his shoes before pulling his legs with him so he could sit with his feet under him. He then pulled his bag with him to give his sister some sweets that he bought when they went to France a few days ago. He really didn't intend to give it to the older Nightray when he bought them, but his sister need not know that. She could always assume that he was being the sweet and gentle kid that he was acting to be when around her or other people that he wanted to gain favor from. "Howareyou?," his words were incoherent as he talked while chewing on a bar of chocolate that he pulled away from the mountain of sweets that he dropped in front of his sister. Manners and etiquette forgotten, he gestured to his younger twin, his face covered with chocolate as if he was eating it for the first time.

"Come on Riv. We don't have much time, sit, sit," he gestured, patting the bed a little, his fingers staining the white covers. Should their aunt be there, he was quite sure that he would not be hearing the end of it, the Red Nightray was a little too strict when it came to cleanliness. Perhaps, it was from her that his twin had gotten his obsession with being clean and symmetry. "Why are you always staying in such a boring room Ria? Go home with us, Grandma may not be the loveliest and prettiest old woman you'd see, but she's tolerable." He knew all too well the reason why the older Nightray never did visited their home, he had heard stories about it, but it was part of the act. He was supposed to act like a little kid, oblivious of the harshness of the world around him. Besides, it was always good to hear it from the person herself.​

 

[Rivaille Nightray]

Rivaille had been too happy to drop the childish and cheerful act that he had to wear when their sister got the answer to their question correctly. However, that didn't mean that he was happy being beaten in their own game, and the fact that Armin had tried to blame him, though quite playfully, irritated him a little. He gave his twin the smallest of galres and adjusted his shirt. They were wearing the same style of button up shirt, his twin wearing the white one, and him wearing black. He straightened his shirt and crossed his arms in front of his chest, the previous smile that he was wearing was now replaced with a frown as he stared at his older twin who was now acting a little too much like a kid as he jumped to the bed to sit with their sister. Sometimes, he couldn't really understand why Armin acts like he does. There would be times when he would act like a stupid little kid, skipping and running around while playing pranks on unsuspecting strangers, and there were those rares times when he would act scarier that the younger twin does. Armin, was, indeed, a paradox of personalities trapped in that small body of his. And though Armin knew him full too well, Rivailled couldn't say the same. He knew his twin, but there were times when he couldn't understand him.

"You didn't tell me." It was a childish reason, he knew, but it was the truth. Armin acts too fast and makes decisions on his own and though Rivaille could match him when it came to that, when he was too irritated, he gets caught unaware. "So don't put all the blame on me." His face was too serious for a kid of age ten, but of the twins, it was Rivaille who grew up too fast. Armin probably did too, he could never be too sure. The boy guarded himself better than he did. Rivaille may not show much emotions, he rarely talks, but when he does, it was in a straight forward way. He doesn't act like his twins does. And so, despite his face remaining blank most of the times, people might say that it was easier to read his than the older Nightray.

Rivaille wanted to go home and just read the mountain of books that was waiting in his room. However, as he saw the sweets on his sister's bed, he couldn't resist walking towards them too. It was his weakness, and Armin seemed to have made sure that he wouldn't be leaving. The boy was sly. He wordlessly grabbed a bar of chocolate and sat on the other side of his sister. The boy was quite particular when it comes to symmetry after all, perhaps it came with having a twin. He frowned as he looked at his twin's messy face. Being too obsessed with cleanliness, he reached for his handkerchief and wiped his twin's face. "Stupid. Eat properly." To others, they might look like a happy family, siblings enjoying the company of each other. But that was far from the ten year old's mind, for at that moment, all he focused on was the mountain of sweets in front of him.​

 

[Arianna Zhefarovich]

Arianna couldn't help but giggle at the scene before her very eyes. Her two twin brothers were making a bit of a fuss on who's fault it was that she had gotten her answers right. Of course it was quite obvious in her eyes on which of the boys was Armin and who was Rivaille. She knew them after all as her brothers, but then again she had her doubts earlier too. She only had to rely on the fact that she knew that Armin was always the more energetic type between the two. And since one was as kind enough as to make a grand entrance, she had already thought that that one was Armin and the other happy child was Rivaille. "It was all a plain guess. Lucky me, I got it right," Ria smiled at the two boys as she was grateful that they had remembered to visit her. It was rare indeed, and she cherished every moment. "I am alright as usual, though they healers here always make a fuss about me," the fifteen year old shrugged as she watched as the older twin poured a bag of sweets on her bed. The redhead smiled and grabbed a bar of chocolate.

She opened small sweet after small sweets and she was beaming brightly at her two brothers before speaking, "These sweets are delicious! I haven't had some in a while," quite in a gleeful tone too! It had always been vegetables and fruits and vitamins and medicine that she was intaking in the hospital that she was really grateful that Armin had brought the sweets. Arianna smiled sadly as her little brother opened up the topic that she knew wasn't really mentioned in the Nightray manor. It wouldn't be at all a surprise if she was a secret to the Nightrays younger than Armin and Rivaille. "I really wish I could go back with you guys, but the muggles are not letting me at all. I'm sorry," the girl said sadly thinking about every special day of the year that she was alone. Birthdays, Christmas, New Year's Eve and all. "So, what are you guys up to lately? You're going to wizard school next year, aren't you?" Arianna suddenly asked, hoping that it would lighten up the mood more than make it even gloomier.

Almost a minute after she had spoken though, there was a knock on her door before it opened, revealing one of the grumpy doctors that would always look after her. It seemed that he had caught sight of the chocolate bar residing within the frail girl's hand. "Arianna? What are these you're eating?" the doctor asked sternly before closing the hospital door and approaching the hospital beds with the three siblings situated upon it. "You're not allowed to eat sweets! You're tonsils might swell again! And who are these kids?" the doctor glared at the sweets on the bed scolded the oldest of the siblings. She knew what the sweets could do but then it was also rare to have her brothers come over so she had decided to ignore it just for one day. "I thought you never had any visitors. And they made quite a noise when they entered." the doctor inquired looking at the two kids, irritation evident as they were the reason for the sweets present in the room and eventually making they're job even harder. "They're my brothers, Doctor. And what seems to be the problem?" Arianna eventually spoke, trying to hide the irritation that was slowly etching into her. But it seems that Grumpy, the doctor, was not at all fazed. "They'll have to either get out or wear facial masks or they'll get your cold. And keep the noise down too," Grumpy spoke before heading back to the door and glaring at the sweets once again. "I'll be back later," he muttered the moment before the door closed while Ria only gave a subtle nod. "He's always that grumpy that it's annoying," Arianna nearly yelled if only she hadn't remembered that there were also patients that wanted to rest in the confines of the hospital. The young witch sighed as she looked at her two brothers and smiled gently. She really wished she could go home with them.

 

[Armin Nightray]

Armin stuck his tongue at his twin brother. It was at times like this that they do act like the ten year old kids that they were supposed to be. Though yes, Armin did act like a ten year old kid most of the time,it was rare for Rivaille to drop that adult mask that he always seem to wear. "Then you won't be lucky next time Ria. The last time I looked at the mirror, I'm still quite sure that my face is still the same as Riv's. I don't know if that should be good or not though," he said with a Cheshire-cat like grin. Armin and Rivaille did look too much alike, like mirror images of each other, with their personalities the only thing to differentiate one from the other. Though when they actually care to try, they could perfectly copy the way the other talks or acts. It shouldn't be too surprising, most of their life, they had been together after all. And that's how they come up with the game of theirs.

Before, they used to get annoyed when people mistake them for being the other twin. They would easily get irritated when someone call them by the other twin's name, they wanted to be their own person after all. It even got to the point when one would sport a shorter hairstyle than the other or even deliberately wear something that the other would not normally wear. However, they gave up soon enough. They liked almost the same thing, whether it be foods, or toys. And besides, they soon realized that they need not exert any effort in trying to make people know who's who. If they couldn't differentiate Armin from Rivaille, then so be it. They need not care. There were only a few people that they know who can actually tell them apart, their parents, and even them had been gone. Ria seemed to be learning how to differentiate them too, he wasn't sure though. And Liam of course. Nothing would ever escape that kid's observant eyes after all.

"They're called doctors, aren't they? We saw one earlier, and he looked really stupid. Are you sure that they can treat you?," he asked the older with as much childish innocence as he could muster. He didn't really hate these non magical folks, but sometimes, he did wonder why their sister had to spend her days surrounded by them.

The ten year old grabbed another bar of chocolate as he let his brother wipe his face. Rivaille had always been like that. He might be younger (or so Armin claimed) but he acted like an adult. Sometimes it looked funny, but sometimes, it was quite irritating too. Armin made a gesture of wiping his brother's face as well but he soon learned that he need not do it. Rivaille was a clean freak just like how their cousin was a time freak. It's actually beneficial to him sometimes, after all, it was Rivaille who always make the first move in cleaning their room. Though at times when their room became too messy, the younger twin would nag him until he too move and clean up.

"You should go back, you can escape if you wanted to. We can help. We often sneak out of the house after all. It would be really easy. Like I said, these muggles are stupid." He said with a shrug, taking another bite off his chocolate. When the older talked about attending a formal school, he stopped. Armin wasn't really that fond of studying, and attending a school would mean that they'd be entering a new environment again. He might have acclimated well to being surrounded by strangers, but he was sure that Rivaille wouldn't be too happy about that. He gave the younger boy a look which he knew he would understand, "We are. I don't want to talk about that though. You should attend it too. You've been stuck here forever!" he exclaimed like a child, stretching his hands to gesture to the whole room, not minding if he was disturbing the other patients there.

He was about to speak again when a grumpy looking man stepped into the room. He looked hideous. The ten year old frown as he listened to the man speak. He would have talked back even though he had been taught a hundred of times before to respect an adult but before he could say anything, the man left. "See? You should leave.," he said stubbornly as he glared at the door, as if the man was still there. "I'll have that flea learn his place. This would reach Madame Red.," he continued, the previous childlike innocence replaced by such authority which showed that he, indeed, was a Nightray.​

 

[Rivaille Nightray]

If there's one thing that could calm ten year old Rivaille Nightray aside from his twin brother, it would be sweets. Though technically, sweets and his twin brother were the same, after all, it was only the few minutes older Nightray who knew Rivaille's obsession with said delights. And thus, the reason why despite wanting to leave and go home, Rivaille was stuck inside a room full of everything that he disliked. He sat like a perfect gentleman on his sister's left side. He looked like a grown man trapped inside a ten year old kid's body if not for the sweets that he was currently wolfing down. The boy continued to eat. He loved sweets. It was one of his guilty pleasures, though such treats didn't really good effects on him, for should the ten year old Nightray eat too much of it, he becomes too hyper, perhaps, even more childlike than his older twin.

Rivaille threw his brother a cold look when he heard the latter comment about their looks. The last time he checked, they looked decent enough. In fact, people would often comment on how princely they looked, such compliment, however, was dismissed by him. However, though not exactly vain, he surely didn't like being mocked because of his looks. He was a Nightray, and a Nightray would always be proud. "Should i take that as a compliment, or as an insult? I'm afraid that I can't be too sure, Armin." The way that he said it had a certain edge to it. He usually wouldn't be affected that much by his brother's teasing, but it seemed that the sweets was taking their toll on him. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and refused to look at his twin. Yes. The normally calm and adult like Rivaille Nightray was beginning to act like a kid.

The ten year old sat quietly on his spot, not bothering to pay attention to anything or to anyone for that matter. He didn't even support his brother's statement of helping their older sister escape the hideous and filthy place that they were in. However, the girl's question about them attending a wizarding school soon caught his attention. She was right, soon, they'd be entering a new and unfamiliar world again. Rivaille didn't really like that though. Sure, he did like studying, he liked reading too, but going to a formal school would mean that he had to force himself to face new people, something that he seriously disliked. He already had enough of those tiresome and useless socializing that he needed to do at home, what more would it be should he attend a school full of pathetic excuses for human beings? "We won't go." He said with finality before he took a bite off another bar of chocolate.

He was in the middle of eating another set of sweets when the door opened to reveal another filthy creature which belonged to the muggle world. He frowned and gave the said muggle a cold look. Surely, should this man not leave, even the sweets would not be able to stop the ten year old from walking out of the room. The blank mask that he always wear was replaced by the same look on his brother's face. "We shall have his head. Then perhaps he will learn not to mess with a Nightray." It was at rare times like this that Rivaille speaks a full sentence or even threaten someone. Such statement wouldn't normally come from a ten year old kid, but Rivaille wasn't like any normal kid. He might be young, but he wasn't oblivious to the harshness of the world that they live in.​