*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 45 ~ House of Slander

Sometimes Camilla wished she paid attention to other Non-Sibuna or Non-Protector drama because she might have been slightly more prepared for the effect of the article Mara posted on the school's website.

Okay, she wasn't that oblivious like she knew the girl was working on some huge piece because she kept phoning people and had begged Camilla for her town pass at least twice – with Abe out of town Camilla didn't use it and she was more than happy to give it to the girl if it meant not having to do her chores that night. But it wasn't like Camilla was going around making sure she knew every detail from every person in the house, boy that would get old fast and she already had so much on her plate that if it wasn't life-threatening, she made a note to just not ask too many questions.

There were two idiots in her life whom she did pay attention too, however, ignoring her phone as it beeped again – Fabian texting her once again about some news article Mara had put up on the school website she had to read for reasons – she grabbed Jerome's arm as he walked out of the boy's toilets. Ignoring his protests as he was pulled up the corridor towards the student lounge.

Camilla had just passed through there and there was one very depressed looking Alfie sat inside it and though she knew Jerome had done the right thing for them to win the tournament for the shield for his dad, he needed to deal with the situation he had just left and soon because from the way her phone was buzzing something else had just exploded and needed to be fixed.

"What do you want?!" Jerome hissed as Camilla finally let go of his arm.

"You need to fix that," Camilla argued with him quietly, pointing to Alfie who was directly throwing ping pong balls onto the stage. One he threw and it hit the corner of the stage causing it to fly back at him which he just managed to dodge.

"How do I do that? I need Amber for the shield Milly," Jerome asked, his tone softening as he took in the sight of his best friend, knowing the small girl by his side was right. He needed to do something to cheer him up.

Camilla turned to Jerome and handed him a whistle she had borrowed from inside Eddie's locker (the boy needed a better lock combination than his own birthday – talk about boring), "I think you are smart enough to figure something out," she told him before pulling out her phone, "Now excuse me... something big has happened because Fabian can't seem to stop messaging me." With that she left Jerome to deal with Alfie, finally clicking on the link her brother sent her to the article – ignoring all the capitalised messages from her brother. Stopping in the middle of the corridor as she read the title of the article.

Mara had been writing about Vera. Vera not being who she claimed she was.

This was not good, not good at all.

Camilla glanced up as she heard running to see Fabian race around the corner, he took one glance at his sister's face and the two knew what the other was thinking.

Victor wasn't going to react well to this.

Camilla had told Fabian everything she suspected about Vera and her working on Victor to see it too, but they both knew the first-person Vera would go to for 'comfort' was Victor.

"I need to..." Camilla started as Fabian reached her.

Fabian shook his head at her, "go, I'll cover for you," he insisted knowing that right now knowing Victor was still team good guys was more important to Camilla than the Sibuna meeting Nina had called.

"Thank you," Camilla whispered before she sprinted through the corridor's leaving her brother in her wake. Not caring what students she had to run into as right now she had a mission of her own.

Fabian watched his sister go with a sigh before he rushed into the student lounge to see Nina and Amber talking and Alfie looking down at a whistle happily. All of them waiting for the twins to have their unofficial Sibuna meeting that Nina had texted them all in their group chat about (Patricia had messaged back about something with Joy so couldn't come so they were just waiting for the twins, or now just Fabian).

The moment Fabian had seen the article he knew Camillaneeded to get to Victor. She believed he was good and even if the facts stated otherwise, he'd always back his sister at the end of the day. So, he was trying to believeVictor was good too. That didn't mean the man didn't worry him with his meddling in the tunnels.

Nina looked up as Fabian settled himself down and sent him a smile which he automatically returned. He knew with everything happening with their lives being in danger and the part of Camilla's life that scared him every day she updated him, he shouldn't be enjoying their Sibuna mystery's so much, but he did. Mainly because it meant he spent a lot of time with Nina, whom he knew he was utterly in love with and just wished he knew how to tell her. Part of the reasons he also enjoyed the mysteries to an extent was the time he spent with Camilla, and the growth he saw in his sister and in his friends because of the mysteries.

Outside school the twins were inseparable, mainly due to the fact they were normally the only teenagers in the sweltering heat of Egypt at some dig. Inside the school, before Sibuna they were close but the two had two very different lives. Neither twin seemed to have a solid friendship group before Sibuna, they had lots of friends but no real best friend or best friend group. They floated from person to person trying to establish themselves as individuals instead of just twins. Until Sibuna came along and changed their lives. Now Camilla had Amber; the two girls who would never have thought to be best friends honestly being almost sisters and Fabian knew that he only surpassed Amber in Camilla's protection due to him being her twin that was all. He also now had Nina, and Alfie, and Patricia and Amber and somehow, most importantly to him, he had Camilla still. They could be in school and be individuals but he had his twin by his side and he could never thank any of the gods for giving them Sibuna for that simple fact.

"No Camilla?" Nina asked as Fabian quietly who shook his head, which was enough for Nina to start the Sibuna meeting, looking to Amber and Alfie, "Okay Alfie, Amber," she started causing the two to look her way hearing the serious tone of her voice, "we saw Victor in the cellar mixing chemicals." Nina paused to look to Fabian, knowing he would back Camilla in the whole Victor is good debate but even then, she knew Victor mixing chemicals in the cellar was a bad thing, the facts stated that "he's brewing up the elixir again."

"Oh..." Amber instantly spoke up looking worried, "that could be bad."

"how are the chemical riddles coming? Camilla cracked anymore?" Alfie asked Fabian.

Fabian glanced at his bag were his and Camilla's joint journal was. Anyone who saw it wouldn't understand it because at a very young age they had come up with a code that only they understood and they always wrote in that journal in that, "we are still stuck on a few... the scent of mourning?"

They all nodded their heads in thinking before Alfie jumped to his feet, "Well! Good luck with that!" he told the pair before looking to Amber and blowing his new whistle.

"Alfie... I am right here." Amber told him as she covered her ears.

"Jerome made me coach, and you've got training so... three laps around the school and squats and lunges times twenty," Alfie informed her enthusiastically, Amber looking so shocked she didn't know what to do but to comply with what he said. Alfie flowing her from the room whistling as he did causing Nina and Fabian to let out a laugh.

Running in heels had become a talent for the young protector, one she never knew she ever had to perfect but the sprint from the school to Anubis in them was one she seemed to be doing so often now that she was starting to perfect it.

Part of Camilla wished the whole news article had popped up before she had even left Anubis house with Nina and Fabian earlier but when had life ever been easy at school.

As she rushed into the entrance hall, she already knew she was too late, as she could hear voices from down in the cellar and she didn't need her magic to know it was Vera and Victor.

Knowing there was a perfectly good secret door she could use to go down to the cellar, but slightly wanting Victor and Vera to know she had been listening in because she didn't trust Vera the young protector crept to the open cellar door and listened in.

"What are you doing down here?" Vera asked, clearly, she had just come down to talk to Victor.

"Nothing..." Victor lied causing a small smile to creep onto Camilla's face, his little experiments were something he clearly was hiding, "Vera... you've been crying. What on earth is the matter?"

There was a pause and the sound of paper, Camilla could only assume Vera had printed off the article but she couldn't be sure.

"seems kind, warm-hearted, but is it just a façade to hide a nasty truth?" Victor read causing Camilla to want to laugh because boy did, she agree with Mara's article. "who is Vera?" there was a slight pause between Victor's reading and his response. It wasn't long but if you knew the man you knew to hear it. The pause was enough to tell Camilla he was putting on an act, enough to reassure her for now even if she still wanted to talk to him, "what is this?!" he demanded.

"Mara wrote it." Vera spoke in a pathetically fake upset voice. "it's all over the school website. Oh, Victor, it's just lies!" she sobbed loudly causing Camilla to roll her eyes at the noise. "Mr Sweets called me to his office to explain myself."

"it's Miss Jaffrey that needs to do the explaining!" Victor spoke up, "oh... oh dear," the noise caused Camilla to pull a face she didn't want to think why he had made that noise and backed away from the cellar, looking around for something that would give Victor an indication she had been there.

She glanced at the mirror and smiled; magic always left a trace even after the spell. Something small would be enough for Victor to know, she knew it. So she raced to the mirror and whispered, "Bora-Berto," the orange magic leaving a small burn in the wood by the mirror (what she was annoyed still so why not) but it was enough for Victor to know. Or she could only hope so.

Camilla didn't have the opportunity to talk to Victor at all for the rest of the day as Vera insisted the pair go to Mr Sweet when they came back up from the cellar (Camilla making sure to hid when they did) and from the sounds of things there was going to be a huge trial to see what the truth was. Camilla was inclined to believe in Mara but she knew Vera would find a way to make the girl look bad somehow. She wasn't sure how she knew it but in her gut, she just knew.

Camilla slid herself into her chair at the dining table the next morning, she tried not to smile at the raven's feather on her plate as she did, picking it up and twirling around in her fingers as the other's spoke around her. Victor had got her message. She just needed to find the time to talk to him – though from the looks of things it would have to be during the hearing if she could get away. Vera had been glued to his side since the article was published.

"Mara, how could you write something like this?" Fabian spoke up from next to his sister reading over the article again, ignoring Camilla as she tucked the raven feather behind his ear and letting out a soft laugh.

"write what?" Amber asked before Fabian handed over the phone.

"They've even closed down the school site because of it," Camilla added for Amber but she didn't sound as shocked as anyone else which caused Mara to send the girl a confused glance. She seemed to have a believer in Camilla of all people.

"Chill guys," Eddie spoke up from his seat opposite Camilla, "the story was off the charts, it had to come out."

This caused both twins to give Eddie a look as they both instantly clicked on to who had pressured Mara into publishing the article. It defiantly wasn't something she'd have done of her own accord.

"Shocked face emoji!" Amber spoke up looking to Mara in shock as she handed Fabian back his phone having finished reading the article, "Mara you destroyed her."

Mara looked at them all before getting to her feet, "I stand by everything I wrote and I'm going to prove it!"

"Yeah, you go girl!" Eddie said as Mara marched from the room causing Camilla to laugh at him. Mara paused as Victor wandered into the room causing them all to quieten down. Mara turning on her heel and quickly sitting down at the table as Victor looked over the Anubis house residents who were sat.

"There is to be a hearing today," Victor spoke as he looked over them all, "to ascertain the legitimacy or otherwise of a story which has appeared on the school website. I am instructing all Anubis students to attend," with this he paused and looked to Camilla slightly before he started a walk around the table, "and hear the truth." Under the table Fabian elbowed Camilla slightly, the girl had been trying to figure out a way to grab Victor alone to talk to him about Vera and the article and what was in it and it seemed the man had just presented the girl her opportunity. Whilst everyone was at the hearing the Protector and her Guardian would finally talk.

Victor glanced over the students once again, looking away to hide his smile as he saw the raven feather, he had placed on Camilla's place setting in her brother's hair, before he stalked out the room.

"I'm sorry Mara," Amber spoke up as the man left the room, watching him go trying once again to figure out how Camilla thought he wasn't evil.

"Why a hearing?" Eddie spoke up causing Camilla to glance to Fabian who nodded his head in agreement, Camilla knowing he'd get together what needed to be got together. It was clear Eddie needed to be humbled a little as it was obvious to the twins, he had all but pressed publish.

"We are all behind you," Amber told the girl with a smile. "everything will be okay." The rest of them nodded their heads with Amber's statement as Mara got up and hurried from the room along with the rest of them, Amber pulling Camilla with her to fix the girls make up before school. The two trying to get Fabiana alone to hopefully have a moment.

Mr Sweet was taking the whole hearing thing very very seriously. Camilla was stood at the back of the hall watching as the rows and rows of seats where filled by students facing three tables and a large tv screen; one in the middle where Mr Sweet sat and two on either side where Vera and Mara were currently sat.

Fabian pushed a set of files into Camilla's hands as he, Nina and Amber rushed into the room, the girls kept walking to allow the twins to have a hushed conversation.

"Tabitha sent these over okay?" Camilla asked as she flicked through the file quickly before stuffing the files into her bag.

"Cam, its Tabitha... she was happy I didn't ask to print off something about mummies." Fabian laughed slightly as they discussed their dads secretory, "You sure you want to talk to Eddie... cos I don't mind..."

"Na, you guys are roommates. If he implodes in my face then it won't affect that." Camilla told him with a smile.

Fabian shrugged but smiled before rushing off to sit down beside Nina, knowing Camilla was hoping to slip out at the start of hearing that's why she was stood at the back of the hall watching.

The attention of the crowd turned to face the front as Mr Sweet started to bang the gavel he had acquired from somewhere (he was taking this hearing very very seriously). The last remaining stragglers took their seats and Camilla crossed her arms as she leaned against the back wall. She wasn't going to move until Victor did and he was sat at the front next to Patricia near Vera, so she knew she'd have a while to wait.

"This hearing has been called," Mr Sweet announced to the room, "to determine the accuracy of the article by Miss Jaffrey, about Vera Devenish." The man paused to look around the room, "we shall begin in a few moments."

Camilla watched Vera in suspicion as the woman looked confidently at Mara. She had read her housemate's article in full and honestly, she believed it, but even within it, there was something hidden from the truth. Of course, the lies where there and in the open but the question Camilla had was what were the lies covering and who was this Collector Vera and Jasper knew. She could only hope it wasn't anything as serious as their current ancient spirit issue because they were just barely dealing with that at the moment, they didn't have time to add some other bad guy into the mix.

Camilla's thoughts were broken when she saw all the Sibuna's get to their feet, trying not the hide her smirk as Victor looked to Mr Sweet, "Be seated!" the headteacher instantly spoke as he noticed Victor's look. "this is an official hearing." Mr Sweet told the Sibuna's who all looked dejected as they sat back down again. "Can someone please close the door?" Mr Sweet added as the Sibuna's sat down.

Camilla stood straighter as she noticed Victor get to his feet at these words, "Allow me, Mr Sweet." He said to the man, who nodded his head. Victor turned and nodded once to Camilla who knew too she had to slip out before he did shut the door, which was easily done. Camilla watching from the other side of them as Victor took a step from the room and shut the doors on the hearing just as Mr Sweet started the hearing officially.

Victor looked to Camilla who was leaning against the wall, "we need to talk," he said in an extremely worried tone.

"We need to talk." Camilla agreed with the man.

The school was too risky a place to talk, and Camilla couldn't be bothered pretending she didn't know Victor had an amulet so she suggested the tunnels because she had no clue how to get past the potion task as the Sibuna's expected her too and maybe, just maybe, she could get Victor's help on it.

So that is how the two found themselves walking silently in the dusty tunnels towards the potion room. Victor holding the crate of ingredients Nina had assumed was for the elixir in his hands, "Do you want to talk about all of this?" Camilla was the first to talk, pulling the article up on her phone for the man to read.

"this," Victor gestured to the phone with a sigh, "is why I asked you to leave the subject of Vera alone."

"Oh, come on Vicky," Camilla scoffed at his words, "if you wanted me to leave her alone, you wouldn't have left the wee death list lying around the lab! That's like me leaving another stuffed bird around the house saying 'not a gift for Victor'!" this exasperated comment from the teenager couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled from Victor. Camilla smiled up at him before she got to the real point in why she wanted to talk to him so badly, "what is holding you back from believing something bad Victor?" she asked quietly.

"I don't have many people in my life I can trust," Victor spoke up after a few moments pause, "Vera slotted herself into my life with so much ease it felt natural. Unlike some who brought a whirlwind of chaos in their wake though I feel it was needed to re-awaken the 100-year-old cobwebs," This time it was Camilla's time to let out a small laugh at the words she heard.

They reached the potion room and Camilla watched as Victor placed down his wooden box, "Honestly though, why are you too scared to believe there could be something she is hiding?" Camilla asked, causing the man to look up at the tone of her voice, the fear that crept into it he'd never heard there except the time Rufus had confronted her friends in the cellar, "Victor we are hiding a whole half our lives from pretty much everyone. People are more what they hide than what they show." Those words from her caused the saddest of smiled to appear onto his face, it once again proved Camilla was wiser than her years and indeed the person fated for a life no one would ever wish upon someone, but it came with being a chosen one of a god.

"You're worried about your gang?" he spoke up as he lined up the bottles causing Camilla to let out a fake laugh.

"I'm worried about everyone," she replied honestly to him watching him. "every day there is something else, I learn something new about my powers or something I've not unlocked about my powers or my future, or we have something or someone cursing us, we have some task that seems impossible which keep getting deadlier, and that's just down here," Camilla sighed as she leaned against the pillar with Sekhmet on it, "then we have the whole drama with Jerome and his dad, the whole thing with Eddie which when that leaks god help the boy when the school knows the truth," this paused caused Victor to roll his eyes at the girl's dramatics, "now we have Vera going after Mara which won't end well which will result in something bad... we both know that. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I'm in a nightmare and I can't wake up from."

Victor watched the girl speak in silence, watched as she animatedly spoke with her hands as she paced back and forth (a bad habit both Rutter's seemed to have) her hands running through her hair at least 4 times whilst she spoke messing up the hairstyle he knew Miss Millington had painstakingly put in that morning.

"it is not your job to be everything to everyone," Victor told the girl as she stopped talking and leaned against the statue. He could see the weight of the world on her shoulders and he knew even in saying this the girl would still seek out to help her friends over helping herself. Their happiness and protection meaning more to her, he could only be grateful she had a brother and friends who would in return lookout for her wellbeing.

"it's not my job, but someone has too..." Camilla replied back with a sad smile.

"Something you will learn over the years, kiddo, Us Protectors and the gods, we will always have unfinished business." Victor stood up and looked at the goddess statue, "if you start now looking out for everyone then you will never stop..."

"I am Isis's Protector..." Camilla spoke as she pushed off the statue and stood beside the man, "I was born to look out for those I care about." She then titled her head at the task in front of them, "Okay professor Snape... let's get this done with so I can pretend to do it later in front of my friends."

Victor rolled his eyes at the tone shift in the girl's tone but stepped forward, he had placed the bottles in order of which one goes into which, writing down an order for Camilla to copy down for when she came down later to 'do it herself'.

Knowing the precision of potion-making Camilla was silent as she handed Victor glass jars, watching him with such attention so she would do something wrong later. The air was thick as the pair worked, the war goddess watching their movements almost taunting them to make a wrong move or she might have been warning them because if they had turned as they worked they'd have seen the spirit of Senkhara watching them with rage.

Eventually, the chamber with the eye of Horus on it was full and a golden mixture dripped down from it, slowly making its way along the floor to the door, where the goo around it started to glow a bright orange before the door fell backwards. The duo had done it, now they just had to set the room up to trick the Sibuna's into making them feel like they had done it, not that Camilla had gotten help from her Guardian.

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