Kaname waited idly for Takuma to assist Hanari into the night dorms. The others had been told to go to class but of course they were restless as usual. They could smell her, wnother pureblood, and they were itching to know why she was here. Marie had refused to grace them all with her presence on Hanari's arrival causing Kaname to wonder vaguely if she could be used to subdue Shizuka. There was a light creaking noise like mice pattering against the floor as the lower door opened. He waited. He could hear everyone's responses below and he would judge them from there. The immediate noise that greeted the room of vampires was a sort of sputtered coughing followed by a sharp intake of breath.

"You might want to take it easy." Takuma whispered softly in Hanari's ear still helping to hold her up straight in front of the others who'd come to see her.

"I'm alright now, thank you. I can stand." She forced her back to become rigid and in place of the shrinking sickly girl Takuma now saw a pureblood. She was forcing her body to obey her mind and hold the distinct royalty and form that was expected from her. Slowly her eyes glanced over the vampires Kaname had collected here at the academy. Briefly they stopped on Ruka letting go of a small breath she looked away. She had always wanted to carry herself in that manner…her real self and not the charade she had to put on now for respect.

"You're…" Hanabusa began before she cut him with a slightly bored stare.

"Being addressed without introducing myself…it's alright though. I am Gokun, Hanari." She said nodding to him. Formally she should have given her name before he spoke and in order for him to understand that she meant serious business she would have to act the part.

"Issan's little sister." Akatsuki stated bluntly. Takuma felt Hanari become perfectly rigid. It was a terrible secret what had happened to her on the mountain that day; one which Takuma, Hanari, Issan, Kaname, and Kaname's parents had known. Years later Ichijo had included his grandfather in on the incident but without alarming the entire vampire community since they had believed Hanari to be dead.

(flashback)

Issan had been walking slightly ahead of the group watching carefully as Kuran baited Takuma and his younger sister along. He hated how Hanari looked at that boy, with such trust and admiration. She should have been looking at him like that and frankly she would have to show him respect. Some day she would have no choice in the matter; when Hanari was his bride she would have to listen and obey him. That was his right as her older brother and he'd be damned if Kaname was going to implant some sort of free will in that girl. He hated it. How openly free thinking and loving the Kuran family was. His own was rigidly formal like a pureblood family should be, respecting the old laws, and abiding by the age old traditions. His family would not be tainted by Hanari deciding she had the right to change things or alter her future path. She was his. As it stood, since their mother's untimely death, Hanari owed him. It had been her fault that their mother was executed by Kuran's father and a shame to their family name. He would resurrect their family line and Hanari would do what he wanted when he wanted it because she was the reason their mother was dead. She would pay for what she'd done. She would pay dearly. The little bitch took Takuma's hand as she slipped in the snow and Issan about lost it. He growled watching as the blonde brat righted his sister as she laughed gently looking ahead to Kaname.

"You should be more careful Hanari. The snow is slippery." He stated dryly.

"You're alright though?" Takuma asked still holding her tiny hand. Her ebony curls danced around her face in the wind as she grinned at them both.

"I'm alright. Yes." She let go of the young aristocrat's hand to run up ahead of them giggling.

"If you don't mind Kuran…I want to walk ahead with my sister." Issan snapped catching her arm gripping it firmly. He yanked her against his side causing her to stumble and fall into him making a slightly undignified squeak. She angrily shoved away from him her eyes faltering red glaring with an intensity of hatred for a little child.

"You can't tell me what to do Issan." She huffed trying to break her arm free.

"Oh but I can. Let's go." He growled pulling her harder against the strains of her little frame.

"You should ease up on how you're holding her Issan." Kaname had said narrowing his eyes.

"I didn't realize you were my boss now Kaname? You want to make me Lord Kaname?" he teased in a sing song voice smirking. Takuma moved to go ahead of Kaname but the brunette had cast his arm out stopping him.

"Let her go." He said in a firm voice. "Now. Issan." It wasn't a request. He wasn't forcing Issan to do it but the tone directly implied Kaname wasn't kidding.

"I don't think so. In fact Lord Kaname, I think…" he twisted Hanari's arm clutching her closer looking down at her cherub face. "I just might show you how much I love my dear sister."

"Issan!" Kaname began just before it had happened. There had been no way to stop him and no way to really take in what happened next. Takuma watched eyes growing wider as Issan thrust his arm forward. His hand was formed in a blade like shape as it punched a hole through the middle of Hanari's chest. She screamed choking as blood was forced up into her throat and dribbled from her lips. Her lungs had to rapidly expand with the blood still coursing through her veins. Issan grinned down at her his own face and chest splattered with his kid sisters blood. His arm still extended through her back the fingers dripped with the slimy liquid letting delicate drops mist the snow beneath their feet.

"That was for our mother Hanari. It's what she should have done to you." With a disgusting sliding noise he wrenched his arm free from her body and the new cavity he had created and with his other arm pushed her backwards into the snow. Takuma watched helplessly as her body fell plumping into the snow with a soft graceful thud her hair sprayed around her like black ice. The curls edged about her chin as she hitched in a scarping breath.

"Takuma…we need to leave…" Kaname spoke sternly taking a step back from Issan.

"But Hana…" the blonde was cut off.

"No! We can't help her. Go!" he snapped grabbing his friends arm to run. As Takuma had glanced back he remembered hearing Issan taunt Kuran standing over his sister's body grinning down at the blood around it licking his fingers coated in her essence.

"That's right Lord Kaname. Run."

(end flashback)

To her credit Hanari tried not to react to the entire situation. She calmly smiled at Akatsuki tilting her head ever so to let the curls adjust off her shoulder giving just the air of affiant innocence.

"Yes, I am his younger sister." He smiled back ever so but not really. There was something off kilter about the way she directed herself like just under the surface she wasn't right.

"Kaname is waiting upstairs for you Hanari." Takuma said standing beside her. She turned glancing at him over her shoulder nodding to him.

"Thank you. Could you…would you walk with me to show me where I am to meet him?" she asked noticing the chill to the air. It was coming from the one she'd seen with crystalline blue eyes.

"Lord Kaname is a wonderful person. You might take care to respect him." She expected him to be on edge. She had heard of the woman staying here…Maria…or she should call her by the name Shizuka. Hanari could have smelled the lying bitch from a mile away but that was not her problem. This Hanabusa was ridiculously loyal to Kaname, so she would trust him as well.

"I will take care to be respectful to Lord Kaname." She said gently walking past him as Takuma began to show her upstairs. He was amazed at how easily she was conducting herself walking freely but worried because he knew that it must have been taking a great deal out of her to act so perfectly healthy.

"She has known Kaname since I've known him Hanabusa. Be nice." He eyed the younger vampire slightly annoyed with his blatant arrogance. "You don't want Kaname to hear you speaking to a pureblood so out of turn." The chill to the air was gone almost immediately.

"Takuma." Hanari said in a softer voice touching his arm as it rested on the banister to the stairs. "Please, let's continue to Kaname's office." Her evergreen orbs met his and he knew that the arrogant act was all about over. There was a strained uneasiness within her eyes that the façade was ending and her strength to act this well was gone. She needed to make it up the stairs and into the office before she crumpled. He sighed nodding wanting to assist her but knowing that it would be damning to her if he did.

"Yes, let us continue." He smiled and followed her up the stairs.