Muggles. A month.
Ata sighed. Dom snorted.
"This is going to be fun."
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Disclaimer Goes Here: I do not own any of J. K. Rowling's characters…the usual
Bold = someone else's thoughts
Italic=Dom's thoughtsItalic Underlined= Ata's thoughts*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 2 ~~ Enter Muggles
Watching the two children would have been funny, if you didn't have to live with them for a month. They were communicating on an unheard of level, directly into each other's minds. Madame Celeste sighed in resignation. It must be a twin thing, she thought.
Coming in the door with their bags, Alec snorted at the sight of the two of them, shaking his head.
"Honestly…" he muttered, rolling his eyes, "You'd think that we were dragons or something like that."
"Dragons don't scare us," Dom said scornfully. "Madre always says that we will be the death of her, because we aren't afraid of anything, and are always getting in trouble."
"Yes, we are utterly terrified of you," Ata said, equally scornful. Her tone changed. "So, who are you? We're going to be living with you, so, we should know that, at least."
Both Alec and his mother looked astonished.
"You mean your mother did not tell you anything?" Alec asked.
Dom shook his head.
"Nothing. Here, we'll start. I am Dominic Aaron Remaro. This is my twin sister Argenta Parenelle Remaro. We are five years old and are evil demons. According to Madre."
Ata laughed and picked up from where he left off. "We go by Dom and Ata, and have a creative streak, dangerous disposition, and are as liable to kill one another as to breathe."
"We dislike overbearing adults,"
"We know perfectly well that we are scarily advanced for five year olds, thank you very much,"
"We know that we are just terrifying sometimes,"
"Or all the time…"
"We are naturals with weapons, and can use sword, dagger, bow, staff, and hands,"
"And no matter how many screams of absolute terror that you hear, we are always fine, I guarantee."
Madame Celeste stared at them in shock. Were they serious? One look at their faces proved that they were. She smiled nervously at them, suddenly wishing that she had never agreed to have them stay with her for a month. She took a deep, calming breath.
"I am Saralin Celeste. My husband died three years ago. He was Italian, but I am French. I have two sons, Alec and Jonathon. They attend the Italian School of Magic. Jonathon is nine years old, while Alec is fifteen. I will not tolerate screaming in my house. You will behave here." She closed her eyes and rubbed her head. A headache was pounding in her forehead, and the twins were the cause of it.
"Alec, could you show them to the room that they will be staying in?"
Alec smiled. "Sure, Madre. Come on, this way." He gestured to the two children to follow him, and he picked up their bags again.
He climbed the stairs, and turned the corner that lead farther into the house. He opened a door halfway down the passage, revealing a room with a queen-sized bed. He turned back to them with a sheepish smile and shrugged.
"We aren't rich, so you'll have to share the bed. Or one of you could sleep on the floor. Depositing their bags on the bed Alec turned back to the door. "Keep in mind that Madre is not feeling well, so keep it down up here. No screams of terror. Luncheon is in an hour." He left, shutting the door behind him. The twins listened to the sound of his footsteps fading, and then going down the stairs.
Dom dropped back onto the bed, digging his way between two of the bags to make a place to sit. This accomplished, he leaned over and picked up the thin silver bag that Ata carried everywhere, and handed it to her before picking up his matching black bag.
Inside were muggle 'laptops' ones that the twins had dissected and deformed, transforming them to fit their liking. They were among the children who had an amazing amount of control over their magic, even at this age. Although, to be fair, the fact that they purchased about a thousand books on muggle laptops, computers, and other technology helped, as did the fact that their Madre had given them all the help they wanted.
Slipping her laptop out and placing it on her knees as she sat cross-legged on the bed across from Dom, Argenta opened it and passed her hand clock-wise over the keypad and mouse pad. The screen lit up, the pale light washing over her. Dom mimicked her movements, and the light of his screen joined hers.
She rested her middle finger on the mouse pad and closed her eyes. What muggles call the 'internet' popped up on both of their screens, the changes they had made still there. The Wizard International Network. W.I.N. There was everything that the muggles had, subtly changed to fit the magical world. The search engines, directories, maps, pretty much everything that you can think of. Once they let it loose, different places could add their main pages, information would be going out, and everything. Muggles were actually getting ahead of wizards, what and with all of their technology. It was time wizards caught up with muggles.
I think that we are ready to launch them.Ata thought eventually.
Are you sure? We have everything set?
We already went over this. Ten Galleons a month for the WIN, and then we will have it be about Fifty Galleons for the altered computers, with about one hundred Galleons for the laptops. Everything that we made is all set. All that needs to be done is business, school, bank, and Ministry sites to go up, along with the wiz-mail, chat boards, fan sites, and other things that individual people make. We have everything else set. Everything is already made- altered. They run on magic now, so that only a witch or wizard can work them in the first place, to take care of secrecy. We even have the name: Technomagic
I know. But this is big. We don't want to get this wrong.
I know that too. You worry too much, Dom. Relax. Everything will be fine.
Ata smiled at her brother and passed her hand counter-clock-wise over the laptop, closing it once the light went out. He grinned back at her.
Come on; let's unpack. Dom told her, hoping off of the bed and over to the dresser. After examining it, he sighed. How about I take the dresser and you take the closet?
Ata bit back a smile. Sure, she replied. Particularly because girls have more stuff than boys. It's a fact of life.
Why was I cursed with a sister? Dom asked to no one in particular.
You're looking at this the wrong way, Ata said primly. You should be saying 'why was my wonderful, angelic, sister cursed with a terrible, demonic brother?'
He stared at her for a long moment. Shut up.
She laughed, then leaned over to grab her bags, dumping them in front of the closet and opening the door. She examined the closet.
"Well, it isn't home, but it will do." She muttered. She grabbed a bunch of hangers and started to put them to use. Dom simply transferred his folded clothes from his two bags to the dresser, then sat back down on the bed and watched with amusement as she hung all of her clothing up.
"We are staying for a month, Ata, not a year," he drawled. "It won't be the end of the world if you wear the same thing twice."
She rolled her eyes without turning around. "Shows what you know," She retorted. "There are different times that demand different attire. We should be ready for everything."
Dom studied the set she was putting away at the moment, and then snorted. "And what 'time' do you think that you will need to be wearing what basically accounts to leather armour?" He demanded incredulously.
"It's best to be prepared for everything." She said primly.
Dom threw up his hands in exasperation and collapsed backwards.
"That's it. You are, officially, crazy."
"Hmph."
"Come on, crazy. 'Luncheon'. Do they really say that?" Dom wondered to himself as he walked out the door, followed by his sister. "Luncheon? Who says that?"
"Apparently, they do." Ata said dryly, watching the back of his head in amusement and shaking her head at the way he was acting.
Dom spun around and walked backwards down the hall, glaring at her, but still unerringly graceful. Well, they both were. It was in their training. They were graceful, balanced, strong, dangerous, and—"Stairs."
Her caution came too late, and Ata collapsed in laughter as Dom tripped backwards and fell down quite a few stairs.
He growled at her as he scrambled to his feet. "Not one word," he threatened.
She simply smiled blindingly at him. "Of course not," she purred. She slipped around him and sauntered down the stairs. She entered the kitchen silently, with Dom right behind her. They sat down meekly at the table, across from a boy with dirty blonde hair. They looked at him. He looked at them.
"Jonathon." He said, nodding to them. "You must be the twins who are staying with us for a month." The twins sighed, but nodded.
"Dom."
"Ata."
Jonathon stared at her. "Interesting…I don't think that I've ever heard that one. By the way, you may not call me Jon." At that moment, Alec and Madame Celeste came in, carrying lunch, and so they proceeded to ignore Jonathon just as thoroughly as he ignored them.
"So, Jon," Ata said brightly, singularly unaffected by the glare he gave her, "what do you do for fun? Any suggestions that you can give us as to how to spend the month?"
"You can stay away from me," he snapped. "I don't like children."
She gave him a terribly hurt face, and then stuck her tongue out at her.
"Really. We have a month here, and most of the things we normally do we most likely can't do here."
"Like explore the forest for days on end, explore the palace we call home, steal every book we can get our hands on…" Dom smiled. "The list goes on."
"I will take you on a tour of the town tomorrow," Alec said, "then Madre was going to teach you how to cook. That will take up some time. Then, well, I'm sure that we can figure some things out."
Ata and Dom looked at each other eagerly. Cooking! The house elves at home would never have thought of it, so neither did they. But when they thought about it…
"It would be cool to learn survival skills. Like how to camp, make fires in the woods, learn about what's poisonous…"
"Just in case, you know."
Alec looked at them for a long moment, then looked at his mother. They both smiled, even if Madame Celeste did it reluctantly. "I'm sure that we can get some books on the subject," she said. "And I know Alec would be delighted to show you what he knows."
Alec laughed and nodded. "I might even take the two of you camping in the mountains." He caught his mother's disapproving look and shrugged. "It's summer, Madre. We won't freeze."
As everyone finished eating lunch, (which was pizza, by the way. Got to love that Italian food) and started to clean up, Dom caught the hateful looks that Jon was giving him and his sister.
I don't think Jon likes us very much.
Ata turned around to pick up another plate from the table and snuck a look at his face. Yes, she murmured, you're right. I wonder why...
Alec! They thought together.
He's jealous of the way that Alec is treating us. Did you notice that other than your question to him, no one spoke to him at all?
You wonder why, she responded sarcastically. With his attitude? Are you serious? I'll bet that no one talks to him when they have a choice.
We are going to have to live with him, Dom responded. We have to at least attempt to make peace. No matter how difficult the prospect.
Ata eyed Jon's back as he went back up the stairs. Well, do you go after him, or shall I?
Dom rolled his eyes. I'll go. If you go, you are liable to ghost up on him and scare him into hysterics.
I'm not that bad, she protested.
YES, you are.
Ata stuck her tongue out at her twin.
Here, finish this up for me, Dom told her.
So that's why you volunteered. To get out of cleanup duty, she teased, coming up behind him. Go, I have this.
Dom slid out of the kitchen and up the stairs, following behind Jonathon as he stalked up the stairs and into his room. Dom leaned against the doorframe and coughed lightly. Jonathon snarled under his breath.
"Go. Away."
"No." Dom hesitated, knowing that both Ata and Alec were going to be pissed with him if Jonathon actually agreed, but…"Do you want to go camping with us?"
Jonathon hesitated, and then smiled grimly. "What would the others think of you asking me to come?" he answered.
Ata…
You are a complete and total lunatic. You want to make peace this way?!?!
He wants to come.
Fine. But remember, I'm not happy with you.
"My sister is fine with it, and I'm sure that she can bring Alec around." Dom assured Jon.
"Your sister could convince any male of anything," Jonathon muttered to himself, before speaking at a normal volume. "Whatever, kid. Now will you go away?" Dom did not move, just raised an eyebrow. "Please?"
Dom snorted, but left and headed to his room. Ata was already there, and sprawled on the bed.
That was flattering. He thinks that I could convince any male of anything? Maybe he isn't so bad.
Dom laughed and sat down beside her, poking her until she sat up.
Flattery will get you everywhere, Dom. Remember that.
He snorted. Whatever, Ata. Whatever.
All right, I'll bring him around. I'm not sure how yet, but I will.
Thanks. You aren't that mad, after all.
I did not say that. I understand, but I don't have to like it. He looks the type that stays inside all the time. Has he ever actually camped?
Probably not, but this is a learning trip.
Oh, shut up Dom.
There was a knock on the door, and a second latter Alec called "Can I come in?"
"Sure," Dom replied.
Alec sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at the twins thoughtfully. They're so quiet, but it's obvious that they communicate very well. It's like they always know what the other is thinking. They smile randomly, she smacks him for no apparent reason, and he rolls his eyes. It must be a twin thing. He thought to himself, amused. "I've cleared everything with Madre," he said aloud. "We'll leave to go camping the day after tomorrow." He paused and looked at them inquiringly when Dom nudged his sister pointedly. She shifted, and then sighed.
"We were thinking," she said with a charming smile, "That since you aren't the only one we need to get to know, your brother, Jon, could go with us. We," Which means he, obviously, "already asked him, and he said yes. Do you really mind?"
Yes, he really minded, but he also couldn't deny that smile anything. "He isn't really a camping kind of person…" he hedged.
"Well, yes, but then, Dom and I are just learning, too. It can't be that bad. Please? We already said that he could come." Her eyes went soft, and Alec melted.
"Oh, fine. It won't be that bad. I'll go tell Madre that Jon's coming, too." Alec left the room swiftly, shaking his head. He stopped dead right outside the door, seeing his brother listening through the wall. The two boys stared at one another for a long moment.
"Sorry," Jon muttered, moving towards his room. Alec was still staring at him thoughtfully when his door slammed shut. Jon hadn't made a secret for his distaste of them, so why were the twins trying to get Jon included in their camping trip. He stayed in his room all the time anyway, ever since Alec first went to the School of Magic. But none of that explained why the twins were insisting on this.
He wandered into the kitchen, where his mother was just sitting down with a cup of coffee.
"Madre," he said abruptly, sitting down across from her, "Do you have any idea why the twins are suddenly insisting that I include Jonathon in our camping trip? I can't imagine why."
"They seem to be very intelligent children. They most likely realized how you never communicate with your brother." Madame Celeste looked at her eldest son sadly. "He wants to be with you, but you never pay any attention to him. When you were panning this trip…you and the twins. You never even thought that Jonathon might want to go. That hurts him."
Alec just sat there, shocked, as his mother patted him on the shoulder and left. He had never really thought about it. Jon almost never came out of his room anymore, so maybe that was it…but if he wanted to be with Alec, why didn't he suggest things, or even just come out of his room once in a while. Was this his own fault? Why did his brother have to be so annoying?
He shook his head, heading back to his room. This is ridiculous, he thought. I'll just think about this later. When I'm less confused.
Passing by the room that the twins were in, he could distinctly hear giggling. This struck him as a very, very bad thing. It also struck him that at the moment, he did not particularly care. He thought that this could be taken as a very bad thing.
He staggered into his bedroom and collapsed backwards onto the bed. His last conscious thought that: it was only a little after noon, so why was he so damn tired?
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"Tents…"
"Check."
"Food…"
"Check."
"Clothes…"
"Check." All three boys shuddered. When Argenta had ransacked their rooms for the clothing, they had been horrified to see what she had managed to stick in the bags that Alec had approved of.
"Um…lets see…I think that's everything. Lets go!" Alec cheered.
All four of the kids (teenager) piled into the car, and Alec turned towards the mountains that you could see in the distance.
"This is going to be so much fun," Ata bubbled.
Jonathon laughed, Alec grinned, and Dom snorted.
"So they say…" Jon said.
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Sorry I haven't updated in so long, but school just started, and I don't think that I will be able to update that often. I'm trying for every two weeks, at worst, a month. REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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You know you want to….