*Disclaimer, I do not own House of Anubis all of that belongs to Nickelodeon, Hans Bourlon and Gert Verhulst. I, however, own Cammie and her little storyline :P I hope you enjoy!*

Series 2, Episode 2 ~ House of Dolls

Camilla and Nina looked a little shocked as Victor came into the room. Neither girl knowing what exactly to say to the man. Thankfully the man had more than enough to shout at them, "What are you playing at?!" he demanded of the pair causing Nina to back up a little in fear, causing her to brush past a box causing it to topple to the floor. Of course, the moment they all heard something smash Victor's focus was more on the thing that smashed than Nina and Camilla. Camilla being glad about that because the new magic panel they had found just stopped glowing then and there. If Victor was like her, he could see the magic also, not that Nina knew that. "look what you've done!" Victor hissed at Nina as he pointed to the box now on the floor. Nina glanced at Camilla, but Victor seemed not to care she was in the room – maybe having Vicky as a magic teacher came with some benefits too. "Both of you, get out!" Victor instructed with a dismissive wave of his hand as he looked at the fallen box. Nina and Camilla didn't need to be told twice, the two rushing from the room until they heard an eery voice causing them both to pause at the bottom step.

"The athenaeum is the place to look, lift the wings to find the book, hidden in this book of old, water of life and tears of gold."

The moment Camilla heard the riddle it took everything in her not to scream a little. They hadn't even started school yet and she could see from the glint in Nina's curious eye they had another mystery unfolding in front of them. Of course, she was in for the ride, but why couldn't she at least have had one normal week at school? Just one. That's all she wanted.

It wasn't hard to persuade Nina into telling Fabian about what they heard, through a grumpy sleepy glare Camilla made the girl promise her she would. Camilla could do anything, but she refused to go mystery hunting without him.

The female twin's mood lightened as she sat down in her normal seat to see Jerome had made her a cup of tea and her normal breakfast if this is what being next to Jerome meant during meals she could live with it. The first cup of tea down and moving onto the second Camilla was awake enough for the shout's that came before Alfie and Amber wandered into the room.

(Amber had once again gotten a hold of Camilla's uniform and spent the evening before tailoring and tweaking it so Camilla would stand out – 'you've just got to look good Cam, I can't have ugly friends' – so this year her uniform consisted of her shorts once again with the suspenders down by her legs, matched with fishnet tights and knee-high black socks on top of them, her white shirt was matched with the normal school tie and blazer which Amber had let Camilla customised herself that was tradition. Thankfully she didn't add a jumper or anything because the blonde girl knew too well that if Camilla got cold one of the boys would be losing a jumper that day, there was no fighting that.)

"What do you mean you don't remember our arrangement?" Alfie asked the blonde.

"I don't make arrangements with less than 48 hours in advance." Amber explained to the boy, "unless it's spontaneous..." she added with a smile.

"But you promised you'd be my girlfriend last term!" Alfie countered, ignoring the identical smirks his best friends where both trying to hide behind drinks across the table from him, as he turned around to look at the table, "I have witnesses!"

"I heard it with my own ears," Jerome pipped up after a desperate look from Alfie.

"Same here Ambs..." Camilla added with a smile to her friends.

"Me too," Fabian added without looking up raising his spoon in the air for some odd reason, clearly, he was agreeing because Camilla did.

Amber let out a sigh before glancing to the girls at the opposite end of the table who had yet to say anything, "Patricia? Joy? Help me out here..."

Patricia looked at Amber with an unimpressed look, boyfriends and boy drama where something she wanted nothing to do with, Joy, however, was more than happy to chime in, "Actually Amber," Joy said with a smile, "you did say that."

Amber looked panicked as she realised everyone was agreeing with Alfie, "Yes okay! But... I thought he was dying! That's what daddy calls a loophole," she argued to them all. Alfie's face falling as Jerome and Camilla burst out laughing at Amber's argument. "Patricia? What about you?" Amber asked the girl desperate clearly for one girl to be on her side and with Patricia being the most Anti-boy in the house she was a safe bet.

"Come on judge Trixie," Alfie asked, knowing if she agreed with Amber that the blonde would run with it and he'd have no chance, but if she agreed... then he had an Amber window.

Patricia smiled and crossed her arms as she looked over the two, clearly choosing her words carefully, "Okay, no... Amber didn't quite say that," the blonde's smile widened but fell again as Patricia kept talking, "what she actually said was... 'yes, yes, yes, yes... Anything.'" This caused another round of laughter from Camilla, Jerome and Joy as Patricia looked rather proud of herself.

Alfie triumphantly smiled and let out a shout, "thank you, your honour!" before high fiving Fabian who was trying not to laugh like his sister but the smile on his face gave away how much he was enjoying being back at the house. Dig sites in Egypt just didn't come with the same drama as Anubis house.

"Thanks a bunch!" Amber told them all with a dramatic sigh, "so much for the sisterhood," she added with a mock glare at Camilla who rolled her eyes good-naturedly at the blonde as she and Alfie sat down in their seats.

"Hurry along please," Victor's voice was heard from the hallway and in came Mara and Mick with the man himself following behind them, "I want a word with all of you. Sit down!" he instructed to Mara and Mick who took their seats in a hurry as they all turned to the Caretaker, "So, first night back and already you are up to no good!" he shouted before he started to prowl around the table dropping brightly coloured toothbrushes onto their plates, "Well, I shall not stand for your nonsense this term. Do you hear me! Well?!" he shouted looking around for a response from them all.

"Yes Victor..." they all chimed together in a monotone voice looking at their toothbrushes knowing what the task Victor intended them for.

"wait," Mick asked looking around at the 10 of them now holding toothbrushes, "does this mean all of us cleaning one toilet?"

"No, Mr Campbell, no," Victor happily spoke from the end of the table where he was using Nina's chair as a lean, "it means all of you cleaning every single toilet in the entire school!" This caused groans from them all, "Miss Rutter, a word before you head to school please," was all Victor added before turning and leaving the room. Fabian and Camilla looked to one another with a secret smile, Camilla had told Fabian all about the proposed Magic classes and promised her brother all information about what they would entail, clearly this was the start of said magic classes.

"This is a £50 manicure I'll have you know!" Amber yelled after Victor as if that would somehow get her out of the punishment.

"At least he got us all new toothbrushes..." Camilla pointed out though it wasn't exactly the best news, as Jerome frowned at the mans retreating figure.

"He has defiantly missed us." He commented aloud being rewarded with laughs from Alfie and Camilla.

As the last Anubis student left the house, Camilla turned to go to Victor's office, just in time to see the man shut the door and lock it behind him. His normal sandy coloured Caretakers coat had been replaced with his outdoor black trench coat. He paused as he saw the young girl in the hallway downstairs waiting for him. Her hair had been tied back today into a high ponytail, how the girl had managed to talk the Williamson girl into letting her get away with that he had no clue. She stood deliberately with a hand on her hip tapping one of her heeled boots rhythmically, as if nothing in the world could catch her off-guard. If it wasn't for the fact, she held his gaze with such curiosity he would have backed out then and there. He wasn't sure if he was ready to be the one to prepare the girl for what their deity was going to throw her way one day; he felt bad feeling a slight joy it wasn't him going through the destined path. Camilla was just a teenager and once she knew the truth any normality about her life would soon be gone.

"You wanted to see me?" Camilla called up to the man confused.

Victor let out a cough as if to settle his nerves, as he made his way down the stairs towards her, "Yes, I felt if I was to help you navigate your newfound powers, I could at least show you where we will be holding... eh... classes." He felt weird referring to everything in a teaching sense because that was not the job of a Guardian, they were to guide and aid, though at this stage the way to guide and aid was to help the young protector understand where she got the powers and to help bring some order to her use of them. As he reached the bottom of the stairs he approached the front door, opening it for the young teen who slipped past him with ease, her hand playing with the pendant she had been handed unofficially by the man in question as she passed, her ring plainly seen too as there was no need for her to hide it.

Camilla easily fell into step with the man as he strolled confidently through the grounds, getting glanced from last-minute stragglers as they rushed to the main school building from the houses. The odd due remained silent, Camilla had a funny feeling she had to pay attention as Victor would not be showing her the way to their destination twice.

The man didn't slow down until he reached a small clearing in the woods, Camilla could see the school's boundary wall through the trees, as she stepped out behind him she finally saw what had caused the man's face to light up into a smile though she had no idea why. Victor was looking at a rundown greenhouse... or what used to be one for sure. The roof and the wall facing them with a door was completely made of glass, though that glass hadn't been cleaned in years apparently. the wall facing them was brick of some kind, but ivy and moss had grown all over it, so it blended into the trees. There were a few steps down that lead to the doorway and the door side of the building, but ivy had grown over this too obscuring it from view unless you looked for it.

"Is this safe?" Camilla asked instantly as the man hurried forward with a bounce in his step, "it looks questionable," questionable was Camilla being polite. It looked like the whole thing was about to collapse into itself at any time or with a slight strong wind. She had been in unexplored tombs before and this still scared her more.

"The first rule of magic," Victor turned after descending the 5 steps down to reach the little passage to access the door, "looks are deceiving." With that, he pushed open the door, the creaking sound of which actually caused hairs on the back of Camilla's neck to stand up, before disappearing inside. Camilla quickly scampered down the stairs too, trying to see Victor inside from the glass either side of the door, but the dirt build-up made it almost impossible.

"Come on Rutter," Camilla tried to give herself a small pep talk, "Victor isn't going to try to kill you on the first day of class... that's too obvious," Not the best of pep talks but it was better than nothing.

Taking a deep breath Camilla pushed on the door, the same creaking sound coming from it but this time because she knew to expect it, she didn't react to it. However, the gasp she let out as she stepped into the building was one, she couldn't prevent.

The inside was not rundown and one huge safety violation like she had expected it to be. It was everything the greenhouse could have been if it had been maintained. The wall that ran in parallel with the wall of the grounds was covered with shelves that held potions bottles, trinkets, odd-smelling smells, wires and books old and new. There were plants of all kinds – probably for potion making Camilla assumed around the room. In the middle, but to one side was a fountain though it wasn't on, so it was more like a round grand pond. A seating area had been made in the far corner with the old squashy couches that were in Anubis house before the leather ones were bought by Mr Millington. Candles littered every surface, along with vintage steampunk looking lamps large and small cluttered the areas at needed light, Camilla knew when lit they would cast a warm soft glow if she ever was here at night – how they worked she had no clue but right now she didn't want to question it. It was a mix and match of things from a laboratory one side to a comfy area to read in another but altogether it was just perfect.

"Oh, I love magic..." Camilla whispered as she took in the sight of her new classroom, though she knew she probably would spend more time her outside classes too.

Victor had hung his jacket on a wooden coat stand just inside the door, and Camilla quickly pulled her blazer off and hung it on there too, placing her school bag on it. The room was warm but in an oddly perfect way. as she moved further in the room, the man on the other side of the room watching her with an amused smile as he leaned on a tall wooden table with stools around it, letting her take in the space, "Now I imagine you have many many questions. Ask away, but I promise I won't answer any of them," he informed her as she finally approached him.

"Why didn't you use this space last year for your little cult?" she asked as she sat on a stool, clearly the table had been put in there for studying.

Victor placed an old leather-bound journal in front of the girl, and looked at her for a second as if considering her words, "this place is special," he spoke carefully, "When we created the school, Sarah, Rufus and I, Sarah decided I needed a space where together we could explore my gifts, something I'm sure you and your brother have probably dabbled in over the summer," he paused to see Camilla shift uncomfortably in her seat, "Sarah's mother was the gardener so this place hadn't been touched and it just became perfect to do that." As Victor moved off over to the laboratory area, where the man started to look for a book Camilla saw a collection of framed photos. She instantly recognised Sarah and Victor as children, and she could only assume the teenagers in the other photos where the two too. They were laughing and playing. Clearly their friendship was a strong one despite the pressure Victor was under with his father. "Also, it was whipped from my memory..." Victor spoke softly, so softly Camilla almost missed it. "when Sarah left the estate and Rufus..."

"Turned on you?" Camilla added softly causing the man to scoff but nod, a large volume in his hand, the paper yellowing, as he made his way back to the girl.

"Yes... it's like we parted and the memory of it vanished from my mind," Victor informed the curious girl, "it wasn't until, I accepted my place as your Guardian, giving up 80% of my power as I passed you, your pendant that I suddenly remembered about it. I see it as a reward from our Deity. I spent the summer trying to get it back to what it was, so you could have a safe place too, I know it's not a lot..."

"No, it's perfect," Camilla reassured the man who smiled before setting down the tomb in front of her.

The smile on Camilla's face falling as she saw it was written entirely in hieroglyphics, these magic classes were going to be a lot harder than she had expected.

Camilla was seriously wondering if she could use a spell to make running in heeled boots easier as she rushed through the school hallways – being glad at least they were empty so no one could see her as she skidded around corners and almost took out two sets of lockers. Of course, if she had asked Victor that she knew she'd have been given a sharp look of disapproval. They're first magic lesion if a person could call - being given a magical tattoo of sorts behind the ear (to help her with understanding and speaking ancient texts) and a magic journal a lesson - had gone on a lot longer than Camilla had realised which meant she was extremely late for English Lit. By late she had 3 minutes until the second-period bell would ring.

She burst through the classroom door out of breath causing the class who were packed up and waiting to turn round to look at her. "I'm sorry Mrs," Camilla told Mrs Andrews who sent her a smile before she started to flick through a folder and pull out a worksheet, "my extra class ran over..." Camilla tried to keep it vague hoping that Victor has passed the word around about her extra classes.

Thankfully what she had hoped was true as Mrs Andrews pushed over the worksheet, "yes, I was informed you'd be missing this class," the older woman told the girl, "don't worry I printed you the handouts needed. I'm sure Fabian will help get you to speed if you're unsure of anything."

Camilla sent the woman a grateful smile taking the paper and returning the smile Fabian sent her way as she moved up towards the back of the class where Amber, Alfie and Jerome where stood. The boys looking horrified at a pink fluffy scrapbook of sorts.

"What's got you looking so scared?" Camilla asked as she reached her friends at the back. Amber instantly frowning and pulling Camilla's hair out of a ponytail, and 'fixing' the girls hair.

"Have you seen this book?" Jerome asked turning the scrapbook so Camilla could read it.

Amber finally let Camilla go, her hair now in a fashionable half up/half down doo – not perfect but the goddess only had so much to work with. Camilla picked up the book and let out a very unfeminine snort as she immediately understood what Alfie had been presented. The infamous Amber Millington Guide to dating.

"Ohhh," Camilla turned to Amber with a smile holding up the book, "it's been a while since I've seen you make one of those Ambs." The girl smiled at the boys who looked even more flabbergasted, as this wasn't unusual this clearly was just an Amber thing. Camilla pushed the book back to Alfie and made sure to add, "I'd be proud if I was you, Mick had to share the same guide as Evan when he was trying to date Amber, she made you a whole book of your own." Of course, Camilla was greeted with the sight of Jerome giving the book yet another horrific glance now with the understanding this was a thing Amber did for all her boyfriends, whereas Alfie looked down thinking.

Camilla then turned to her blonde best friend and held an arm out to her so they could walk to Art together, Amber instantly telling her about what she had missed already that morning – most of it was her suspicion that Joy was going to break up Fabiana and they couldn't let that happen as they worked too hard on getting their friends together.

Camilla was sat on the back of the common room couch Fabian was sat on, reading the thick book Victor had given her. Reading Hieroglyphics wasn't half as hard as she had expected them to be, but Victor did explain that was because she was a Protector of Isis, their deity would be giving her a guiding light plus her new tattoo would help. Camilla rubbed the back of her ear where it now was, glad at least it was hidden. That still didn't mean she understood what the book was saying – it was talking of Ma'at and Choas and the balance of the two - but she was trying to understand it. Patricia kept giving her odd looks from beside her, which was understandable when did Camilla become the nerdy reading outside homework type but she was more interested in the awkwardness of the conversation happening between Fabian, Nina and Joy to question the female twin much.

"I think you should go with that one," Joy spoke pointing to something on the laptop screen as something caught Camilla's eye. "I love you in that shot."

Jerome had just wandered into the room in an old man farmers hat and a scarf wrapped around his face. He was shutting doors and windows and peering through them as if trying not to be seen by someone.

"Nina?" a nervous Fabian asked.

"That one," Nina sighed happily, "I like the way your smiling straight at Camera. Nice eyes," This caused Camilla to realise what they were on about, they were trying to figure out what profile pic to choose on Fabian's school profile – Camilla had logged into his account when they were waiting in Cairo for their flight to a lovely photograph of herself and a Camel.

"No way," Joy disagreed instantly. "Patricia? Camilla? Tell him."

"I think he looks like a dork in all of them!" Patricia instantly said as she glanced at the computer screen.

"Well, I think he should stick with the beautiful picture of me and him that I set it too in Cairo." Camilla teased as she lifted down the book, causing Fabian too to stick his tongue out at her which she happily returned. Fabian then turned and set his picture to the one Nina choose. As the profile came up to show them it all, Patricia noticed something and pointed to the screen.

"Hey, it still says your single!"

Fabian looked to Nina before instantly changing his profile to say he was in a relationship, Nina's look of disbelief and Joys annoyed expression to Patricia for pointing it out caused Camilla to roll her eyes. It was an online profile that no one outside their school could see... who cares if he forgot about changing the thing. Hell, if Camilla hadn't changed his profile picture Fabian probably wouldn't even have been on the profile all term.

Camilla looked round as Alfie and Amber wandered in, Alfie asking specifics about Amber's dating guide until he saw Jerome behind Camilla sneaking around, and Camilla willingly reading a book.

"I'm getting seriously worried about Jerome and Camilla," Alfie told the blonde as they approached, "Cam is willingly reading a book," this caused Camilla to throw a pillow in his direction smirks appearing on the friend's faces, "and Jerome is..."

"Really?" Amber asked as she took in Jerome pretending to be Sherlock Holmes in his outfit.

"So... could you go out with me to take my mind off it?" Alfie asked quickly causing Amber to hit him before wandering over to Camilla, who had put the magic book away into her bad and rolled over the couch so she was at on the seating area of it.

Jerome went to walk out the room causing all the Anubis house to chime in, "Bye Jerome..." in with different levels of enthusiasm before going back to whatever it was they were doing. Jerome letting out a frustrated sigh as he pulled off his hat and scarf and stalked off down the corridor.

Having not really spent much time with her boys during the day, with classes and then at lunchtime Fabian insisted on a magic class update not that Camilla had one really for him but she could show him the journal that was to become her own personal Grimoire – a place for her to write down her spells and potions and any discoveries. As Victor said, "with every Protector or Mage their spell casting is unique to unto itself, so every Protector or Mage must document their work" Which then lead to a lot of questions from her brother Camilla didn't know how to answer yet like what the hell a Mage was. Having reminded him this was her first-ever class and Victor probably didn't want to overwhelm her with knowledge and information, Fabian stopped his questions little, but Camilla was glad her brother wasn't scared of this other half of her life. Like her, he was embracing it fully and it made her happy she wasn't alone in discovering what this all meant.

So once back at the house, having finished her non-magical homework for the day and having glanced at the thick leather book Victor had given her knowing she'd rather do anything but read it at that moment, Camilla was on a hunt to see what her favourite boys were doing. Reaching their room, she let herself in causing glances from both boys who smiled happily at her before going back to their conversation. Jerome moving too one side of his bed so Camilla could sit down next to him. Shaking his head with a smile as she instantly grabbed his bright orange jumper and pulled it on; knowing part of her reasoning for wandering in was to start her jumper collection of the year.

"Do you think she'd prefer flowers or a gift certificate for a baby Vulture?" Alfie asked them both on Jerome's bed causing them both to bite their lips to stop themselves from laughing.

"if you don't know the answer to that you're going to be single forever," Jerome instantly responded causing Alfie to look at the girl in the room whose shoulders were shaking with laughter.

"Camilla?" Alfie asked looking to the girl who had joined them over the laptop he had out on his bed.

"I'd always want the vulture... But flowers are a good idea for Amber." Camilla said through her giggles causing Jerome to laugh.

There was a knock on their bedroom door causing the three to look at it, not many people knocked, Trudy popped her head in with a bright smile on her face, "Alfie, do you still want help with those cupcakes?" she asked the boy.

"Oh yeah... Coming,"

"Cupcakes?" Camilla instantly asked.

"Cupcakes?!" Jerome too inquired, the two were never going to say no to cupcakes but Alfie cupcakes caused a little bit of worry for them both. Alfie was a bit better than Jerome in the kitchen, but he tended to combine foods which never ended up well. His marshmallow Spaghetti Bolognese often popping to mind.

"let the gift shower begin! Tonight, it's raining cupcakes," Alfie excited told them, "eh, could you choose some flowers for me dude?" Alfie got to his feet and handed over the laptop to Jerome who sat on the floor with it, so Camilla lay back on his bed and stretched out, "think... big gesture, yeah?" With that Alfie left the room.

After a few moments, Jerome let out a laugh which instantly got Camilla suspicious, "Do I want to know what that laugh means?" she asked the boy not bothering to look up and see what he had bought Alfie.

"Honestly Milly, I think the less you know the safer you will be in this cause." Jerome laughed.

"Well when Amber hunts you down I will be behind her holding her bag," Camilla teased. Causing another laugh from Jerome and a smile to appear on Camilla's face. Things were back to normal in her life. Alfie was pining after Amber, Jerome was up to no good, Fabian and Nina were being adorable. Yes, everything was back to normal once again.

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