One, for those of you following The Game, I am still working on it. Starting this story will not mean the end of that one.
Two, this WAS a test chapter for an idea that has been skirting along the outer edges of my mine for a while now. The story is not fully developed, but I do have some ideas. Normally, I do not demand reader response, although it is always appreciated. Reviews and ideas are more than welcome at this point.
Three, You WILL see the short clip below in chapter one. I HAVE added to it, so please read the next chapter, unless my writing just completely discourages you.
Four, the idea is the only thing that is mine however. The Harry Potter series and Twilight trilogy are owned by their respective writers and various others. The fact that I have to point this out is useless.
Five, because it is a good number, I do hope you enjoy, and thanks for your patience. Oh, and don't feel like you must read the short piece below. As I have said more then one, it is repeated and completed one chapter over. I would prefer for you to read that.
'Red ribbons,' Bella thought smiling as she finally pinpointed the detail that she had been missing for the past week, the key that truly tied the threesome together. 'Of course it isn't a surprise that it took me so long, the color has changed two other times in the past three weeks. I wonder if the Cullen's have figured it out yet,' Bella mused, resting one elbow on the table and leaning over so that her hand cupped her chin. Her eyes never left the three pseudo siblings she had been studying for the past three weeks, not even to acknowledge the arrival of her boyfriend and his pseudo siblings, although her mind was not yet ready to take that leap yet.
Rather she focused on searching out the ribbons she knew the three would be wearing. The blonde's would be in her hair. It always was. 'And there it is,' Bella thought with a feeling of success as she spotted the rope of crimson that was wound through the heavy, waist length, braid as the youngest sibling turned her head to grin with the oldest of her two brothers, fraternal twins if the rumors were correct. 'His should be on his right hand,' Bella thought as she studied the threesome, not wanting to miss the chance to prove herself correct again. She already knew that the other brother had a wide red ribbon that was reminiscent of a Victorian mourning band slipped around his right forearm. She had seen it earlier that day; he had taken the worn leather jacket he was rarely without off during History this morning, as Ms. Columns had a tendency to keep the room rather warm. Bella had to fight the urge to stand and fist pump as she spotted the stands of red she had been searching for, looping around the older brother's right pointer finger and up to wind around his wrist like a forget me not thread. 'Now to figure out the importance of these ribbons,' she thought to herself, giving the siblings one last piercing look, as if their secrets would be written out for her with a glance, before turning her attention to the family that had surrounded her while she had been distracted.
"She is doing it again," Harry muttered softly to his siblings pointedly not looking at the side of the table opposite of the area Luna had claimed three weeks ago, knowing that the mousey girl would already be sitting there. He still felt dirty from the way she had stared him down during history. His fingers twitched in a nervous pattern as he followed his siblings in the lunch line, arranging silverware, cup, and plate just so. The need to arrange things was a habit left over from his youth that appeared whenever something was particularly bothering him. A quick glance from Luna, had him stilling his movements as he stopped at the cashier, paying for lunch for the three of them.
"There is nothing to worry about. The midgits would tell me if there were. For now we must bid or time. The nargles are not ready yet," Luna said with a grin, drawing a chuckle from her brothers as the three of them walked across the cafeteria to their end of the long rectangular table at the back of the room. Neville was forced to balance his tray on one hand as he reached out his other to steer Luna out of the way of stray tables, the blonde girl having closed her eyes as she lost got lost in her thoughts for a moment. "I'll give you one of my earrings when we get home this afternoon." She declared firmly, opening her eyes in time to slide into the seat at the end of the table with her back to the crowd. Neville and Harry exchanged a slightly confused look as they walked around the end of the table and slid into their own seats, back to the brick wall, and eyes scanning the crowd. A soft giggle from Luna snapped their masks back into place, and seconds later they were forcing muscles to relax. For a moment, no more words or glances were exchanged as the three cut into their slightly cooked, mostly rare steaks. A trio of sighs in unison brought another round of giggles from the three of them and they allowed themselves the chance to relax for just a moment.
"How is it that they get steaks? Nobody else here eats it and they have had it almost every single meal," Bella whined to Alice and Edward.
"I heard that they bring it from home precooked and the cooks just heat it up for them." Alice said, absently as she pushed the food around on her plate, turning one ear to hear the quick and soft spoken conversation taking place between her mate and her brother.
"Edward, what are you picking up from them? The steaks they are eating are just the cooked side of bloody today." Jasper muttered under his breath.
"Give me a minute." Edward responded, risking a quick glance at the three to help him focus, before working at reading the surface memories of the three humans that had taken to eating at the far end of the Cullen's table. "Let see, the blonde is thinking about two dust bunnies bumping into each other repeatedly as the change colors, the lighter boy is thinking about stealing his brother's steak. You right by the way, the steaks are all but raw, and the darker brother is thinking about asking me to make Bella stop stalking him. Apparently, I have some competition." Edward snorted at the last thought. He would have to think of a way to get Bella to leave the three of them alone, before one of the pranks running through the boys head came to fruition, as funny as the latter would be.
At the other end of the table the three new kids held a silent conversation of their own, seemingly oblivious to the attention the vampires were giving them.
"They wouldn't last a day in Europe," Neville said as he neatly cut a bite sized section from his steak and raised it to his mouth in a graceful motion, inspecting it for a moment before taking it into his mouth.
"True, you would think after fifty years they would no longer have to force themselves to act mortal. Such actions must become engrained on a being after a while." Harry responded, tilting his head to the side slightly as if taking a moment for some deep thought, before turning to his sister. "Luna, are you sure this is where we are supposed to be? Even the monsters are mundane here." Harry huffed slightly as if offended by the fact. "I bet they don't even sparkle." He added almost as an afterthought, causing Luna to pout slightly.
'That is wrong. Simply wrong, and Harry knows it.' Luna thought, before giving her two cents on the matter. "Unicorns must sparkle it is a matter of pride. Otherwise, how would they catch the attention of innocent young teens such as us?"
"By being dark, brooding, emo, and living in equally dark and mysterious castle?" Neville suggested, nudging Harry as he snickered.
"No, no, no, by walking through the woods on the night of a full moon calling out their lover's name. Heath…Ouch! Luna!" Harry whined as he dramatic cry was cut short by his sister's foot connecting with his knee beneath the table. "What was that for?" Harry pouted rubbing his knee and giving the blode his best innocent look.
"Eat," The blonde said poking her fork in his direction before turning back to her own plate. "We can make fun of the natives in PE." She added moments later, chuckling and patting herself on the back as Neville snorted coke up his nose.
