The weekend was a beautiful breeze in summer for Ruby. She spent a lot of time with her family, catching up with their lives more than hers. She and Yang went out at the surrounding forests, taking long walks as they exchanged stories, gathered herbs, and watched nature for a while before heading back home for games and the homemade food that their uncle and dad would prepare.

But two days were not enough to catch up with family. although, it was enough to remind Ruby that her family was there to stay. Yang assured her that Tai and Qrow would be fine. They were both going to Beacon. They have each other.

Ruby went home very late that Sunday evening, walking in the quiet city under the starry night sky. It was an early morning of Monday to be exact, that's why no one was out. A few trickles of people are walking or driving home but other than them, the city was tranquil.

She arrived at the mansion and snuck in silently, careful not to trigger any alarms as she headed in. Inside, it was dead silent. No soul could be seen wandering the cold halls that made the vampire shiver.

Ruby heard a groan from somewhere in the mansion. Perhaps at the upper floors but it sounded faint. Quickly, she headed upstairs as she followed a faint trail of Weiss' scent of snow and firewood.

She nervously paused in front of the doors before heading inside the room and looking around. Far past a line of shelves, a faint light was could be seen, books and scrolls sprawled open nearby it.

Ruby approached the light and wasn't surprised to see Weiss Schnee slumped over a table under piles of parchment scrolls and records, sleeping soundly.

In a few hours, dawn would be up and the day would start but Weiss was here, staying up reading olden things. Too early for studying, isn't it?

Ruby peered close on to the open papers. She read lines of the Schnee family history, the old kings and queens that had the very first lineage of snow-white hair, letters from them, and other things written by Weiss on other papers.

Powers? Ice? Old blood? Nothing made sense to Ruby except for one word. Magic.

Would Weiss have like that? Ruby broke a cold sweat from the thought.

The odd encounter of them both can be blamed on fate as she knew a story told to her long time ago about the Schnees and how Vampires should avoid them at all.

Ruby didn't believe that. Weiss is innocent and no story of the past can make her think otherwise that she was at fault of anything.

She didn't mean to pry at the old records. They were just open for reading. Ruby stopped before she could see more than she needed to. The vampire did need to wake Weiss for her to move to bed or she could bring her to bed to make her sleep. So she did. Gently and carefully, Ruby carried Weiss up in her arms then proceeded to her bedroom quietly as not to alarm the sleeping princess.

Ruby laid the heiress down on her bed gently, covering her body with her thick comforter and watched her settle into sleep properly. Not long after, she left the girl alone and went to her room.

When Weiss took her in, she was given the room across Weiss' for them to access each other easily in case something happens. Ruby often stayed in the parlor, snacked in the kitchen, or watched Weiss sleep but there were nights that she stayed in her own room, laying and resting in a bed like a normal person.

Ruby couldn't sleep. Her silver eyes looked up at the ceiling lights and the unlit chandelier that hung up high in her room. She's staying in a Schnee mansion with the heiress of the company. How can she possibly tell Weiss that vampires and the Schnees have never been good together?

Ruby followed the lace and floral lines of the wallpapers with her eyes, looking far behind the walls and back to the past. She was young and innocent but the carnage was brought to her early when her mother was killed in front by a man with snow-white hair in an elegant white suit, holding a dust crystal tipped lance. A newly born vampire watched in horror as she lost the anchor to her sanity to a Schnee.

It has been long since then and so much has happened, so many killed.

Losing her mother was not easy, her hunger got worse and worse, her emotions amok and wild, and nothing were more important but revenge by killing her mother's murderer. Ruby lost herself when she was young and it bit her back after.

Blood was an easy temptation to succumb to as well as hunger that needed to be satisfied. It is always there. But Ruby was just freed from imprisonment and being overwhelmed was the last thing she needed to be. Weiss might not be safe for her, or the other way around, but she might be a reason why she hasn't been out of control just yet.

Ruby didn't see nor notice that her eyes had drooped to sleep until she was shaken awake by Weiss. She recollected her bearings as she rubbed sleep off her eyes.

"Ruby, wake up. Get dressed. Breakfast is ready." Weiss quickly informed her, heading to open her velvet curtains. "Wash up and get dressed so we won't be late."

The heiress pulled her up from laying down and shook her awake once more. She was tossed her new uniform which she caught in her hand. "Meet me downstairs."

"Not even a thank you for taking you to bed?" Ruby queried, stretching her limbs before slipping off the bed to immediately wash up and change to her clothes.

Weiss frowned as she turned flustered in the middle of the vampire's room. She didn't mean to fall asleep in the archives and be found by Ruby. It was unlike her to be found like that but she was thankful that Ruby brought her to bed, else her back would be hurting.

"Thank you, I suppose." She smiled to herself before she headed out of the room. "See you at breakfast."

Ruby peaked her head out just in time to see Weiss' smile a second before she was gone through the door. Her housemate sure has a pretty smile. She resumed changing and headed downstairs with a sling bag of school things, her weapon at her back.

Weiss had started breakfast without her. The smell of coffee was what reeled the scythe wielder to the table. Ruby sat next to Weiss, dropping her bag by her side before she started eating. Weiss looked up at her, flustered pink by the cheeks.

Ruby met her eyes but it was the first time she stopped to look and searched for something in them. Her baby blue eyes trapped her silver orbs. She lost her breath as they held her frozen as they reminded her of the beauty of winter.

It took her a moment or two to reel herself back but Weiss' lips curled to a smile, her eyes unmoving. They were having a conversation through their expressive gazes. It made Ruby stiffen, her heart racing.

What was it that made her uneasy to have a staring contest with Weiss like this? She was just staring in her beautiful icy blue eyes yet there was something else deep inside them.

Call it magic or anything else: she saw a glimpse of it. The harsh ice that kills, robbing people and beings of their lives. It was inside there, making her hand tremble. The harsh winter and magic of creation that can take life as it can create.

"Ruby...?" The heiress called on to her, holding her hand with her own cold ones which sent a shock to Ruby.

She looked up at Weiss and she was there, looking at her worried. "Weiss?"

"Eat. We'll be late." She was reminded, returning back to reality. She looked down at her untouched plate of food and started eating but she can still see the images she saw from Weiss' eyes. What was that? What was that horrifying cold?

Weiss frowned. Ruby looked in her eyes for a second, a quick frightening second. Fear welled in her, something gripping her heart like cold chains and spikes. She should have known better than to think that way. Intentions are everything when it came to her "condition". One wrong thought and everything might go south real quick.

Breakfast went through fine. Weiss asked how was Ruby's weekend and Ruby was happy to tell her the story. Everything went well it seemed and the heiress was glad that it did. Soon, the time for stories has passed and it was time for them to hit the road to head to their first day of school.

Weiss brought her necessities and a few simple things a student should have. Lockers were promised and she had sent the school their battle clothes in advance. Books and manuals have been sent through their scrolls and the rumor of teams has been in the air for a long while.

The heiress was ready for her first day of class and so was Ruby.