[C] --this old blue house, kamil!

[rubyhathaway]

you know that feeling of homecoming? when your heart swells and your feel your smile touch your eyes as you clasp you hands and jump around excitedly? well, ruby wished she felt that. standing in front of her old blue house, she felt her shoulders slump. the grass was as dead as it could be, long and straw-like, litter on the edges from some pedestrians. the path was getting to be overgrown with weeds, the little cobblestones barely visible. the door was as ugly as before, but the sun had faded it, the color now bleached to a tomato red-orange color. the blue was still as brassy as ever, and now some paint was even peeling. ruby took in the windows, not surprised to see all the shades pulled down. they were like that before, and she assumed that muggles didn't bother with that.

the shutters were bleached to a gray as well, and the one was still slightly crooked. a window air-conditioner was sticking out of the top left bedroom. from what ruby could hear, it wasn't on. the power bills were so long overdue, maybe they were even canceled. mom wouldn't have noticed that if she came back. she was always passed out sleeping. laying her broom on the sidewalk, ruby looked over her shoulder at kamil. "wait here." she replied in a quiet and brittle voice. straightening, she picked her way to the front steps, and shoved her key into the hole, unlocking the door and disappearing into the house. it smelled musty, and ruby almost shrieked when a small rodent scurried past her. tense as ever, she realized this was the moment of truth.

"mom? mom!" she called, looking around the dark main room. the bottles in the sink .. were they there before? what about the sheets on the couch? they might've been. ruby often slept there, in case her mother came home late at night and needed some help getting to bed. ruby felt her spine prickling uncomfortably. she took some steps further in, peering into the bathroom, and finding nothing. she looked in the laundry room, and the closet. no signs of difference that she could see. she looked in her mother's room. there was ... was that someone on the bed? she looked closer, tip-toeing into the room and feeling a sense of deja vu come over her. she approached the bed, and scanned the covers. they were not the same ... but no mom here. feeling disappointed, she made her way to the kitchen, and stood there for awhile. how long had she been in here?

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[kamilsnyder]

you know the sense that your getting into trouble and probaably into something you shouldnt? Well Kamil felt that way as he followed Ruby, he knew he had gotten himself into a mess, now he stood outside as she told him to stay behind. He didn't want to but he nodded and watched her go into the house, he could here her yells throughout the house and he frowned. He gave up waiting and stepped int othe house he looked around going from room to room, he stopped outside the bedroom seing Ruby, she looked so distraught, then she went for the kitchen and he followed her. He felt bad all the sudden, because he knew what her nightmare had been about.

he watched her in the kitchen for a few moments, but he was beginning to feel liek he should do or say something, he closed the distance putting his hand on her head and looking at her. "Ruby....whats going on?" He asked, using her real name, although he was still intimidating her by putting his hand on her head like alittle kid, but hey he wasn't giving up his pride just yet. He scanned her face for any emotion for any sigh of what was going on. He didn't know what to say or do he just stood there his hand on her head looking at her with a deep impression on his face. He looked around them seeing the kitchen deserted, accept for a ash tray. He wondered why she had come here, no one was here, and it seemed the palce had been empty for atleast a few weeks if not a month.

-OOC: I am thinking of adding a bit of..action-ish, do you mind?

[rubyhathaway]

ruby was surprised to look around and see kamil standing there. when had he come in? blinking on confusion at him for a moment, she glued her mouth shut and pretended she was thinking. her gaze would shift around, and she would totter from spot to spot, peering around as if she was looking for an actualy object. still, her attempts were half hearted, she knew mom was not here. feeling a hand on her head, she stiffened, her mind sent into a memory of when her mother did that, her condensending and drunk tone of voice blaring in ruby's ears. but instead of mom there, it was kamil, a slightly haughty but slightly-something-else look on his face. ruby, what's going on? her blue eyes widened and she dropped ehr gaze to the floor. the detective had said the same thing when he came here. he had knocked on the door, and ruby had answered it. mom was obviously gone, and ruby had yet to pay the power bill. it was overdue now, so they shut it off.

he had introduced himself as detective cummins, local officer. behind him was a a few police cars, and some men in the uniforms pushing media away. the news lady, whom ruby had recognized from television was shouting questions anyway, despite loosing ground. ruby had introduced herself. hello detective, i am ruby hathaway. junior that is. she tried to be cheery, but the narrowed eyes of detective cummins made her wilt a little. he asked her all sorts of questions, and ruby blocked them out. this couldn't be happening. not now- no. mom would be back. how long was she gone? she'd been gone longer before. only she hadn't. what is going on? where is your mother, ruby? those were questions she couldn't answer. blinking and snapping back to it, she nibbled her lower lip, shrugging. "what do you mean, what's going on? i can't find what my friend wants is all." she replied, faking a nonchalant tone. it would've been convincing, if not for her gazes till shifting around, unhappy and broken.

OOC- sure, that sounds fun to me! >D

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[kamilsnyder]

kamil sighed at her answer, why couldn't she just tell the truth? It wasn't that big of a a deal. He took his hand of her head and put it on her shoulder and bent down looking at her directly. "Look I know you hate my guys but atleast give me something to work with.' He said lightly. He looked around the kitchen again. Then he noticed the ash tray again, smoke, thin smoke was rising from it. It was hardly noticible in the air. He brought his arms quickly around Ruby whispering in her ear.Don't scream...someones been here." He coaxed and moved her backwards as he looked around. He backed up back into the bed room. He didn't want her panick but something was wrong, why was there smoke, why did it seem like someone was watching them now, what was going on? He felt like there were things surrounding him, he was getting paranoid already for no reason.

"Are you sure your moms not here?" He asked quietly as he was on full alert now looking from side to side and behind him. Okay so it was offical he was in this and now was not the time to be a Slytherin, he would help hr momstly because they could be in danger and he didn't like the thought of being shot or something. He shifted letting his one arm drop from around her, he found nothing to amiss and dropped his other arm still lookign around nervously. He wanted to make sure that no one could hear them, if they could see them. vHowever that was a fail because if someone was there he wasn't sure that it would work, he didn't evne know if he was just going crazy or something.

[rubyhathaway]

ruby blinked slowly at kamil, keeping her face impassive as he bent down to see eye to eye with her. she was a bad liar. but she was consistant. she shook her head stubbornly when he spoke. the truth was still hers. only hers. the only thing of hers. she formed a mental picture of herself with a small box, representing the secret. everyone else was holding many things, even each other. and then there was ruby, with her box. now someone was reaching for the box, and she tried pulling it away. it was hers! she could handle it by herself. she wasn't greedy or anything, and she wasn't distrustful. she was just fiercely independent. she could handle it. she had for months prior. she sighed. maybe coming back to the house wasn't such a good idea after all, if it brought all these emotions and memories back. but she had to see if mom was here, or had been here. and then kamil seemed to tense, and spoke again. the words made the hair on the back of ruby's neck stand up. her heart thudded, and she couldn't tell if she was scared of excited. someone's been here. instantly her blue eyes scanned the room. still no mom. and then they found an ash tray. that's funny ... mom never spoked cigarettes. she was into worse things. so why was there smoke rising from an ashtray here, if mom didn't smoke? mom wasn't here.

she stiffened, swinging her head around to stare wide-eyed at kamil. she didn't fight when kamil coaxed her to the back bedroom. once they were back there though, she shook her head. "mom didn't smoke. not cigarettes anyway." she whispered, looking around. was there a room she didn't check? could someone actually be here? of course. her room. mom never went in there, she crashed on the floor usually. ruby would take her to her bed, and sleep on the couch. because of this, ruby's room remained nearly untouched throughout her stay at the old blue house. inching forward, she untangled herself from her thoughts and peered out the doorway. she was sure no one was in the main rooms. her bedroom door was open a crack on the other end of the short hall. she always had her bedroom door shut. she shuffled backward quietly, and turned to kamil. "my bedroom door is open just a crack. i always kept it shut." she whispered plaintively. and then the thought struck her. "how did you know it was my mom?"

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[kamilsnyder]

He knew she was lying her face, her terrible face that was bad at lying kinda said it all he thought maybe that she was trying to hard, she could trust him with this, sense now he had dragged himself into by accident, then again fate would say this was meant to happen, but he still didn't like it to much.

He heard her comment as they stayed in the back bedroom she didn't seem to mind his arms so he kept the one there. "That's comforting." He commented slowly realizing someone who wasn't safe was in the house, somewhere, He noticed her looking and thinking about the house, then came the comment he didn't want to hear.ahh shit really, really? He thought to himself. He let go of her and took out the want he had stowed in his jacket, he took the jacket off though and looked behind him as he went up the hall. "Stay here Ruby...' He mouthed and made his way up carefully and slowly, this was a house that didn't creak, thank god, for it had been, there would have been problems. He leaned against the wall and looked through the the crack. However the door bursted opened and he jumped/ was thrown back. He tumbled to the ground as his wand flew out of his hand. Standing there as a heavily built man who looked like he had been drinking not to long ago, the smell of smoke and achohol filled the hall as Ruby's door drifted even farther open then when the guy had swung it out. Kamil felt himself picked up by the collar and he swore.

"Put me down, now."He tried to wrench the guys hand off but as he did so the guy swung him into the wall on his bad side, where his arm was and he yelped as the bandage nearly tore open and he began to bleed again. "r-ru..ruby run!" He choked out as the guy swung him around again. He was unable to focus as the pain in his arm increased as the guy threw him back ward and into Ruby's room his arms flailing as his back smacked into something hard and he fell to the ground. He tried to move but the guy seemed to have it out for him, or he just was to drunk to care. Kamil tried to move again, but his arm was being uncooperative.

[rubyhathaway]

ruby stayed put, pursing her lips in stubbornness, though. she didn't want to. she inched forward behind kamil, so quietly she didn't want to be heard by even him. besides, this was her house. technically. she inched forward a little more, and was surprised by a loud smack. she stiffened, stunned for a moment. in an insane moment of thought, she wished she were a gryffindor. however, being a ravenclaw wasn't too bad. her mind was working fast as she heard a loud thump and kamil saying something. this guy might not be magical. a muggle ... you couldn't fight a muggle with a wand. well you could, but they'd think you were screwing around. especially if they were drunk. ruby knew drunk- her mom never took her seriously with her wand. and mom was a witch. kamil was thrown back into the room and ruby jumped, shrieking as her eyes widened. she didn't take a second, though, before spinning around and leaning on her left hip, putting on a rather convincing exasperated face. drunk people sometimes forgot who they knew and who they didn't. she'd pretend she was some woman from a bar. his type would've spoken to women galore.

"you effing asshole! i come to pay you a visit and you start throwing around my friend here? god, if you're gonna buy me a drink at the bar then don't turn around and be a jerk!" she shouted at him, jutting out her lower lip in a fake pout. her acting skills had worked so well around her mother, and she could feel the old ruby sinking back into place. a manipulative ruby, working for herself. she sauntered forward, and clenched a fist, aiming low. the man howled. "that's what you get!" she growled at him, folding her arms over her chest. she wasn't prepared, though for what happened next. bitch! he grunted at her, throwing his hand up and tossing her aside. she tripped, and fell. yeah it hurt, but luckily she didn't hit her head. okay, she needed a plan b. crawling behind the bed, she peered over at kamil. "hey, you okay?" hell, he didn't look it. she frowned and plopped down on her behind, thinking. her mind was racing and she wondered if magic would work. it'd get them in deep trouble, even if it was self defense. merely seconds passed by when ruby suddenly reached under the bed and grasped an old beer bottle. she grinned, pulling it out. this was where she stashed the spare beer bottles when visitors came. no one went in her room, and with the door shut, no one asked. jumping up, ruby hurled it at him, and ducked again. she heard a smash, but did it hit him?

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[kamilsnyder]

So okay Kamil didnt expect to have himself thrown against things today, but as he saw Ruby putting up her own front then getting hurt in the process he got pissed. She was now behind the bed and asking if he was alright. He moved over besider her and mumbled. "Just peachy." He replied sarcastically, then she tossed the bottle, the smash sounded hard, like it had hit a wall, He peeked out from behind the bed, the bottle had missed by cm's, just cm's! "This time, stay here..got that?" He said and looked at her seriously holding her arms and placing them by her sides. Kamil dove over the bed and managed to tackle the guy to the ground.

However he was suddenly twisted and now he was under the drunk and the smell filled his nose and he gagged. He found himself pushed hard into the ground. He tried to move his legs but the damn man had him pinned. He wasn't near strong enough to move him. He felt his one arm, his bad arm wretched above his head and he clenched his teeth. He shifted to the side twisting himself around, it killed his arm but he had enough room to knee the guy in the gut. The man flinched back and Kamil scrambled out form under him. He held his arm as the bandage ripped off and fell to the ground. "Ruby get out of here." He ordered glancing behind the bed before he was backed into a wall now looking up into a grisly face. wounded arm was wretched away from him again and plastered against the wall above his head. I really don't want to know what this basterd is thinking. Kamil thought to himself nervously.

[rubyhathaway]

ruby snorted in laughter at the 'just peachy comment.' wait, she was laughing? pah, now wasn't really a time for that. this was proven when kamil held her arms at her sides, his face as serious as she had ever seen it. he told her to stay put. she jutted her chin out stubbornly. she didn't say anything- no promise. he was already moving out, though, and she peered around the bed to watch. kamil got his ass beat. like, really beat. she grimaced and her jaw dropped when the bandages fell away from his arm. well that had to hurt ... pretty bad. the beastly guy had him pinned first on the ground, and the up against the wall. ruby stood up carefully, still not moving. she raised a brow at kamil. "get out? this is my house!" she shook her head. okay, so ravenclaws needed to be quick witted, but sometimes panic got in the way of that. instinct took over. ruby scrambled onto the bed, and took a few good bounces before jumping and launching herself forward, landing on the beastly's back. she reached forward, covering his eyes to blind him. he began moving like some unsedated bull underneath her and she squeaked and held on tight.

at least no one could do anything while blinded. maneuvering her legs, she tried to pin his arms, but that was a failure. he was stronger. now she was twisted like some pilates pretzel pose and kind of ... well, stuck. okay now would be a good time to really think. she didn't want to, but maybe .. she'd just use magic. what the hell? in one swift movement, she let go, and ended up hanging upside down. jeez, she was more stuck than she thought. looking up, she noticed that beastly was holding her legs. shit. scrabbling for her wand, she pointed it at him and muttered the immobilization spell. he froze in place, unmoving with a snarl on his face. she pocketed her wand, and blinked wide blue eyes. looking around, she saw kamil, taking his injured arm in. "you look worse for wear." she told him plaintively, attempting to twist her head to see right-side up. with very little ab muscles, she was shaking as she brought herself up to move the guys hands around her ankles, and she dropped to the floor with a small thud. scrambling to her feet, she circled beastly before approaching kamil.

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[kamilsnyder]

Kamil wished she wasn't so stubborn. When she jumped onto the guy's back he just leaned against the wall in pain holding his bleeding arm. When the guy finally went imobile, he was surprised she used magic at a time like this but he didn't make a comment instead he laughed. "Yea I know I look alot better when I am not being beat to a pulp."He commented, then looked at the frozen guy on the ground."What do we do with him?" He asked tilting his head and frowning. She came around the huge man and stood near him. He looked at her and smirked, chuckling with a grin. "Your amazing." He said shaking his head over and over again. He pushed off the wall and stood just looking at her.

"Remind me never to actually piss you off, k?" He said making a comment he stood there he let go of his arms letting it limp at his side, and he looked down on her, silence filling the room for the first time. He couldn't remeber why he had hated her or whatever he did. She was a, amazing girl who had just taken down some nutso, she was going through problems he did with family, why hadn't he seen it earlier, she was one girl he now respected. His hand went up to her and pushed her hair up behind her ears that had gotten messed up from the guy nearly tossing her like a twig across the room. He took his hand away slowly still grinning slighty at her, she was definatly not something to forget about.

[rubyhathaway]

ruby eyed beastly for a moment, shrugging at kamil's question."well .. why not leave him here? or at least until we leave. there's a window over there that i can undo the spell from." she pointed to one behind the headboard. "the guy was drunk, no one would ever believe him if he said he was fighting a couple of kids who just disappeared." she grinned, seeing no flaw in her plan. damn it was good to be a ravenclaw, she thought. belatedly, she laughed at his comment about being worse for wear. she skirted the frozen beastly and picked her way to the kitchen. she had some bandages in her cabinet somewhere ... ah. swinging open the small, wooden door she pulled out a wrap of bandages. with a flourish, she held a hand up. "sit still." she said, beginning to wrap his arm gently. he spoke again, and this time ruby's heart jumped. her blue eyes shot upward, blinking at him. slowly, she felt a smile creep onto her face and a blush to her cheeks. she looked down again and focused too intently on wrapping kamil's arm. finished, she tied it off and placed her hands on her hips, leaning to her right side. now in control of herself, she grinned at him. "there! good as ... well, as it was before." she said, flapping a hand in a gesture of 'whateverness.' it was an inside joke that she and her mother had. mom ... shaking her head to remove the thought, she smirked. "i'll be sure to." she laughed, the laugh trailing away as he reached up and tucked some hair behind her ear. her heart skipped a beat. trying to ignore that, she let her eyes drift down to her shoes. a thought that had struck her before, struck her again. "how did you know i was looking for my mom, or that this was my house?" she asked.

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[kamilsnyder]

He nodded, she was a Raven claw alright, smart smart smart. He liked that about her, he knew she was right htey could jsut leave the beast there and then just unfreeze him later, that was a great plan of course shpuld have thought of that himself, though he was a bit to much in pain to think throughly through details like that. He smiled at her watching her intently as she wrapped his arm, when she finished she looked at him, but he saw the blush on her face as he touched her and he held back a cocky grin, he just nodded, then came that same question again. "I heard you yelling mom throughout the house...and..well I kinda figured this was a house that was close you your heart." He replied and then took her hand and began walking out."Come on lets get going before we draw attention or something." He said leading her along ,he picked up his wand on the way and when they were outside he unfroze the unconcouis beast and they began walking away.

After some walking back to their brooms he let go of her hand and stood over her again and just wondered what to say. 'thank you I for letting me come with you, and for the arm." He lifted his arm looking at it, she had wrapped it better then he had and he appreciated it. He let his arm fall to his side again. "I guess we should part ways huh?"He said hesitantly not sure if he wanted to say bye quite yet, he liked her company even if she was a crow, or really a ravenclaw sutdent, now she was a friend, he guessed, or, was she more then he realized? He ackwardily shifted going for his broom and sighing. He didn't knwo what to do, he didn't want to leave her, but what else was he to DO or say to her, other then bye or something.

[rubyhathaway]

"yeah, well there's a story behind that." the shortness of ruby's reply made it clear that she wasn't ready to explain that story yet. if kamil was smart, he could guess. she was quick to fight, meaning she had to know how. she put on a good charade for beastly, showing that she had needed those acting skills before. the bottles in the sink were obvious. the mess of the house, the power out, and the absence of her mother said it all. the fact that ruby didn't live there anymore also spoke of something terrible. thinking of those muggle adoptive parents, she felt a small twang of sadness. they weren't going to ever be her parents. they were too nice, they weren't what ruby was used to. she'd never be used to that. she was born to grow up with manipulation, to learn how to defend herself and only herself.

kamil grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the house. her house. she looked over her shoulder as she went, feeling her blue eyes well up. she blinked furiously and knew, for some reason, that she'd never be back. she jangled the key on her wrist. well, she'd save it. just in case. or for sentiment. facing forward again, she watched kamil lean down and reverse the spell from outside, before turning and making his way to the sidewalk. ruby leaned down, grabbing her broom and dusting it off without looking up as he spoke. she didn't say 'you're welcome.' keeping her gaze low, she just nodded. "well thank you for just being here- and for the head." she replied, finally lifting her gaze and pointing to her bandaged forehead. she attempted a quirky smirk, but let it fall after a moment. "don't tell anyone." she said, her tone taking a sudden, urgent octave. a small, sort of relieved smile lit her face. it had been awhile since she trusted someone to know that. about mom's existance. she eyed him up, standing there and gazing at her uncertainly. it was clear he didn't want to exactly leave, but for ruby the day was called. she needed to think. to mourn. she'd never come home again. she owed him so much for just coming. leaning forward, ruby planted a sweet and soft kiss on his cheek before mounting her broom and zipping away, wondering what she just did, and why her cheeks were so red.

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