Er, this is an oddball for me. I honestly have never tried writing a fic about this, but... I thought it was be neat. ^^
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Charlie Bone! Jenny Nimmo does! However, I do own Ritz Knightly and three upcoming characters...
WARNINGS: ... Not a MarySue story! :C
Chapter One: Walking Blizzard
"Lord, it's cold in here..." Charlie grumbled, rubbing his arms for warmth as he and Emma Tolly rushed to the Kings Room. Emma nodded in agreement, her breath practically coming out in clouds.
They arrived at the Kings Room, pushing the door open widely only to be met with Manfred's yelling.
"Can't you control anything?! My god, you're worse than Tancred!" He had finished off with this as Tancred scowled darkly, electricity flickering through his hair. Charlie looked at the victim of Manfred's shrieking.
She was a new girl, endowed of course. Her hair was raven black and feathery, hanging to her shoulders in a choppy style. Her eyes were a very odd, piercing pale lavender. Her skin was pale and smooth, like a porcelain doll.
She didn't seem to be effected by Manfred's yelling, however. She just sat there, staring at him with lazy eyes. Manfred looked up as soon as Charlie and Emma made their late appearance.
"Bone! Tolly! You're both late again! Sit your arses down." Manfred muttered, as the room got noticeably warmer. Charlie and Emma obeyed quickly, holding in a string of curses as they sat down. Charlie's eyes wondered back to the new girl.
She must have been having a horrible first day for she dropped her head in her book to sleep, only to receive a scolding from Manfred. The girl was insubordinate that was for sure.
It was too bad he was late, Charlie sighed to himself, for he missed Manfred's introductions. He could only conclude the girl was enrolled in drama due to her purple cape. She certainly was attractive enough to be an actress, Charlie frowned as he scanned her over again.
This time, he noticed that the girl's nails were unnaturally long and painted ice blue with silver sparkles on it... However, there was something odd about them. They looked... Almost like sheets of ice protruding from over her nails...
"Bone, get your nose in that book before I-"
"Sorry, sir." Charlie apologized quickly, cutting off the so-called teacher's assistant. Manfred glared at him with shining black and tired looking eyes. The rest of the time spent in said room was quiet with no real conflict...
Until the room began to grow extremely cold as the new girl began to drift off to into a silent sleep. Charlie gasped at how cold it got so quickly, his breath coming out in clouds as ice began to form on the walls.
"Knightly, wake up!" Manfred snapped angrily, but it was no use. The girl was fast asleep, her cape's hood over her head as she slept on. Manfred rolled his eyes and stood up, gathering his books and holding them over his head. Charlie looked on in horror, afraid that the hypnotist was about the crush the smaller girl in the head.
However, Manfred just dropped them on the table with a loud KA-BLAM! The girl's eyes flickered open lazily, then she lifted her head, rubbing her eye.
"Is it time to go?" She asked tiredly, arousing snickers up and down the table.
Manfred glared daggers at her, digging his nails into the table in an attempt to stay calm.
"Stay awake, this is study time, not nap time, hear? And, for god's sake, control yourself, girl! It's colder than the tundra in here!" He seethed. The girl blinked owlishly as if she didn't understand at first.
"Hm? Oh... Sorry about that... My mind wanders astray." She murmured, then closed her eyes and gave a yawn. Immediately, the room grew much warmer and cozier. Everyone gave a sigh of relief.
The bell tolled, thank god, for everyone to head off to their own ways. Charlie got up, glancing out the corner of his eye as the girl got up slowly and lazily. She certainly wasn't a hardworking girl... Nor very tall...
"What's your name?" Charlie asked at last, unable to contain his curiosity. The girl looked up and gave such a fake smile, that it made Charlie's stomach turn.
"Ritz. Ritz Knightly... You must be Charlie Bone."
"Did Manfred tell you my name?"
"Mmm, he was saying something about you being late a lot..."
"I see...."
"Quite," She replied with a sigh, "Well, if you don't mind..."
"Sorry, but can I ask you... What's your endowment, although, I already have a hunch..." Charlie paused. Ritz smirked at him, hugging her books to her chest.
"None of your business, clueless one." She responded sassily. Charlie cocked a brow. She seemed kind at first, but Charlie was beginning to wonder if she was on Manfred's side of the deep tension in the academy.
"Mm, all right then... Say, are you friends with Manfred?" He asked nosily as they walked down the hallway together. Ritz looked at him in mock surprise.
"Friends? With Manfred? Manfred has friends?" She asked, those lavender eyes seeming innocent for a mere moment of her sarcastic remark. Charlie cracked a smile.
"You get my drift." He replied. Ritz beamed at him.
"'Course I do.... And no. Not really..."
"Oh..."
"But, that doesn't say anything about whose side I'm on." Ritz added on as she stopped in the middle of the hallway. Charlie looked at her, frowning now.
"What?" He asked. Ritz's eyes flashed as she smirked and ducked her head a little as if she wanted to hide in her hood.
"I know all about your little war going on with the Bloors... And of course, your wonderful aunties... But, just because the endowed seem to have split into sides, that says nothing about me. I'm no conflict-lover. I merely observe is all."
"How much would it take to convince you to share anything you observe then?" Charlie challenged daringly. A bitter cold wind swept through the hallways as Ritz cocked her head to the side.
"Lots. I can't tell you what I want.... You have to figure that out on your own, Charlie Bone. I'm cold when it comes to bargaining chips. Literally." She added with a snicker, then fled down the hallway. She left icy blue footprints in her wake, which immediately evaporated after being placed down for a few seconds.
Charlie really couldn't tell if she was trustworthy or not... Or whether she was going to be an obstacle in his quests...
XxXxXSomewhere up in Ezekiel Bloor's private room, said man was sitting at a desk, scribbling notes down as his great-grand son sat on a chair across the room.
"I see," Ezekiel muttered dryly, "So she's spoken with Charlie, eh? That's one point for him, however, I'm sure you can do better, boy."
Manfred let his black eyes drift to the old man, then back across the room at a fireplace.
"I don't think she's useful." He replied flatly.
"Silence! Of course she is! She'll be useful in our attempt to sway Charlie!"
"You've not even met her!" Manfred snapped, only to receive a very creepy glare from Ezekiel as he turned around to face him.
"Maybe not, BUT! You have..."
"And I'll bet you I didn't make a first good impression." Manfred answered dryly as he sat up in the chair, leaning on his elbow on the arm of the chair. Ezekiel scowled, then stopped, and bared his black teeth in a grin that made Manfred grimace in disgust.
"Ahhh... But you can always work on second impressions... I'm sure you will come up with something to persuade her..."
"Or not."
"Don't be so pessimistic, boy!"
"I'm being realistic..."
"Feh," Ezekiel snorted and shook his head, "Don't argue with me, boy. Watch her. Have Mr. Pike assist you."
"When doesn't he?" Manfred sighed and got to his feet tiredly, heading to the door to leave.
"Ohhh, and, Manfred?" Ezekiel called.
"What?"
"Do me a favor... Try and refrain from using those helpful eyes of yours..."
"Understood..."
XxXxXThe next day at lunch, Ritz came fluttering down the hallway, ready to eat. However, she took quick notice to a very conspicuous follower close behind her.
Pausing dramatically in the center of the hallway, she glanced around in front of her, then looked up at the ceiling.
"Anyone ever tell you that you have absolutely no talent whatsoever in stalking?" She asked aloud, turning around. Asa Pike stepped from his hiding spot, glaring at her for a short moment, then shrugging.
"Manfred wants to see you." He replied. Ritz blinked in an act of false innocence.
"Whaaat? What could have I done to upset him enough to interrupt my lunch?"
"Drop your innocent act and report to him immediately. He grows impatient."
"My, my. He's not the only one, is he?" Ritz asked, brushing past Asa who let out a very audible and real growl. Ritz went back down the hallway, easily finding Manfred's office. She looked around a bit tiredly, then Manfred made his appearance.
"Knightly, we need to talk. Sit down." Manfred commanded. Ritz gave a lazy shrug and drifted over to a chair, leaving the icy footprints behind her as she plopped down. She made a face at the fireplace across the room, then daringly lifted her eyes to meet with Manfred's.
"We got off on the wrong foot," Manfred began as he leaned on the edge of his desk, "I was hoping we could get to know each other better."
"Really?" Ritz asked, perplexed. Manfred looked at her strangely, tilting his head a tad. Was she really that gullible?
"Uh, yes," Manfred began slowly, "I misunderstood your lack of focus. I'm sure you try and control your powers-"
"I just like to sleep and I'm lazy... There's no real reason as to why I can't control them." Ritz replied quietly, her eyes flitting across the room at the fireplace every so often.
"I see... Well, why don't you explain your endowment to me more... Detailed-like?" Manfred asked, growing impatient. Ritz flashed him a toothy smile, giving a nice view of her purposely-sharpened canine teeth.
"There's nothing to explain, sir. Lack of motivation is probably the best way to explain lack of control, however, that's all I'm giving you?"
"Stubborn little-"
"Now, now! Manfred Bloor," Ritz rose to her feet with a huff, "No need to get snippy with me!"
"Sit our arse down, we're not finished here yet." Manfred hissed. Ritz smirked at him, ducking her head in a short nod.
"Apologizes, sir, but if this is about the thing Charlie explained to me, I don't think I can help you." She answered. Manfred raised an eyebrow, giving her a sharp look.
"What did he tell you?"
"As if I would tell you! I demand payment for my information, Mr. Bloor." Ritz replied sassily. Manfred tensed up in anger and Ritz took immediate notice. A harsh wind rippled within the room, blowing out the fire in the fireplace. Manfred flashed Ritz a look in the darkness of the room.
Only a small glow reflected off both figures as Ritz took a hopping step back from him.
"Sorry about that, sir. I can't stand the heat. It irritates me."
"You're more irritating than the fire, twit." Manfred retorted. Ritz faked a hurt expression.
"You don't treat ladies all that well, Manfred..." She replied.
"I don't see any lady, I see a little girl who likes to play games." Manfred responded heatedly. Ritz's eyes flickered in the darkness and suddenly; the room began to grow much colder. A window nearby cracked as ice crept up its long panes. Manfred watched with a frown, then looked back at Ritz, who was moving toward the exit.
"Fine.... Refuse my information if you wish," Ritz began as she pushed open the exit, "But that just made you one step closer to becoming a flame in my way... You don't want to end up like your poor fireplace, do you, Manfred?"
"You have detention." Was all Manfred managed to say as he looked at the fireplace with narrowed eyes. The brick fireplace was completely frozen over, small streams of icy cold steam rising off the sparkling bluish-clear ice. The flames had been put out immediately; only one single flame was still there.
Frozen in place of its wavering movements.
Manfred gritted his teeth and clenched his fists angrily.
Women!! They were all the same! Conniving little fiends set out to destroy everything in their path!!
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A/N: Sorry if some things are wrong and sorry if there is a tad bit of OOCness. This is a fic and OOCness is rather common. I haven't read the first, second book and third book since last year and I've just finished the fourth one, so... Yes. Thank you for reading! No flames, pretty please...
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