Shelter and Lies ((Closed))

[Torinasu Mitsuko S4]

Rin stepped off of the platform and took a deep breath. She was going to be very happy to be home, but already she missed her friends, especially Harmony. Clutching her bag, she started to walk down the platform when she heard a familiar voice.

“For heaven sakes, you boys never have your hair combed, Torinasu will be here soon and you both look like you just woke up!”

Rin turned to see her Auntie Hogo, fixing her brother’s hair. She made a squeak and ran down the platform, yelling their names. Kuramu smiled widely catching his younger sister in his arms. Iyashii knelt down and kissed her on the head, making the small girl cry.

“Rin-chan, what’s wrong?” Kuramu asked, a concerned look on his handsome face.

“Oh, I’m sorry!!” Rin replied, laughing and wiping her eyes. “I just missed you all so much. When I did not hear back from Kuramu, I was worried I would be taking a cab home!”

“Nonsense, you silly girl, we could not forget you,” Iyashii replied, his smile almost as wide as his brother’s.

“Well enough of all of this crying, Rin,” Auntie smiled, wrapping an arm around her niece. “We must be off, very soon.”

Rin nodded, picking her bag back up and jumping onto Iyashii’s back. It was just as if they had never left. It was true that she missed them terribly. The walk to the car was indeed a short one, but Rin was still smiling. She sat in the backseat with Auntie, while Iyashii and Kuramu sat in the front. It was only a half an hour before they pulled into the driveway and Rin jumped out of the car. Running into the house, she ran up the stairs, back down, then into the kitchen, where her two brothers and Auntie were waiting. The rest of the house was empty and no one was saying anything.

She turned to look at Auntie, who gave her a nervous smile, then to Kuramu who mirrored his Aunt’s expression. She knew it in their eyes, something was wrong.

“What is it?” she demanded. She was not going to be kept in the dark any longer. “I wait for months to hear from the lot of you and you are still keeping something from me. I want to know what is going on this minute.”

Auntie, taken aback, bit her lower lip, “Rin, calm down. It’s really nothing to---“

“Forgive me Auntie, but if I hear that it’s ‘nothing’ once more, I just may scream.”

Iyashii looked into his sister’s eyes and said simply, “It’s Mother.”

“Iyashii! Keep your mouth shut! You know what Father said--!” Kuramu scolded his younger brother.

“Enough Kuramu! She’s not a child!”

Rin ignored Kuramu and went on, “What, what about Mother?”
“Rin-chan, please…” Kuramu said, covering his face. Auntie, hugged herself as if she were cold, and her shoulders began to shake.

“What is it, Iyashii?” Rin kept on.

“She is dying…” Iyashii replied, his tone cold, dead. Rin heard it in his voice…he was losing hope. “Father took her to a hospital in London, which is why he was not with us, forgive them Rin…they are too weak to tell you themselves.”

He turned his gaze to Kuramu, who looked up angrily. “Iyashii as if you are so brave! Having consideration for other’s feelings is not a weakness!”

“But lying to our sister is a strength?”

“To protect her, yes!”

“You mean to shelter her!”

Rin stood there in silence, watching her brothers argue. The a light went off in her head, they were both losing hope. “How long?”

They stopped to look at her. Kuramu asked, “What?”

“How…long…have…you known?” she said slowly.

“Rin…”

“HOW LONG?!”

Auntie put a hand on Rin’s shoulder, “A month.”

“A month and none of you said anything to me…am I that naïve? You call yourselves my family and all you do is lie to me…” she turned on her heels and stormed up the stairs, shutting the door behind her and leaning against it.

[Torinasu Mitsuko S4]

Rin’s eyes shot open and she rolled to her side. How long had she been asleep? Rubbing her eyes, she heard a rustling at the foot of her bed, and realized that someone had brought Lulu upstairs for her, and the cat was asleep in her bed. Rin looked outside and saw that it was nightfall. She sat up and looked at her clock, hm, 12:00…was it really that late? She frowned, remembering the encounter of that afternoon. Her brothers fighting…her Auntie crying…her mother…was it true? Was she really dying?

Her miserable thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her stomach rumbling. She had not had a bite to eat since the train-ride. She hoped that no one was awake right now; she did not want to see or talk to anyone. Frowning, she got to her feet slowly, wincing as the floor made a dull squeak. She blew a strand of hair out of her face and tip toed out of the room and into the hall. It was quiet for now, so she assumed everyone was asleep.

Good, she thought bitterly. She loved her family, but she hated the fact that they hid something so important from her. As if she were a stranger…how could they? She walked downstairs and into the kitchen not daring to make a peep, just in case someone was lying awake in bed. Pulling out her wand, she said softly, ”Lumos. The end of the wand glowed slowly, as Rin opened the pantry door and dug out a box of crackers. She munched on them quietly and was just about to go to the fridge for a glass of milk, when she heard a sound in the hallway.

”Nox”. She put the crackers back quickly, and knew she had no time to backtrack up the stairs. Instead, she climbed into the pantry and shut the door silently. She heard someone come into the kitchen and flick the light switch. Another sound…this time someone was coming down the stairs and into the kitchen.

“Kenichi…? What are you doing here?” it was Auntie’s voice.
“I could not bear to stay another minute…the doctors say that there is nothing we can do for now. The fools,” her father growled. His voice was angry, but Rin could hear it was entwined with sadness as well. “My wife is a fighter, she will pull through this.”
Auntie sighed, “Iyashii is gone…”
“What? What are you talking about?” Kenichi snapped.
“He went to stay with a friend in Hogsmeade, but he’ll be back tomorrow afternoon. He and Kuramu had a fight.”
“About what?”
“Iyashii told Rin what was going on…despite Kuramu and my best efforts. He’s headstrong, you of all people should know that.”
Kenichi sighed, “And Rin? How is she?”
“As well as to be expected. We lied to her, Kenichi…that hurt her more than the news of her mother’s sickness.”
Rin held her breath, not daring to be discovered. She knew her father’s temper would flare if he knew she was eavesdropping.
“I see…” was all he said.
“How long before we know anything else?” Auntie asked.
“A few more tests, then we’ll see. Perhaps we should send Rin to stay with her grandparents…with her sisters.”
“I strongly advise against that. If you think she is angry now? Ship her off and hide her from all of this…she’ll never forgive you. She’ll stay here with Kuramu and I, and Iyashii when he returns. You should go back, just in case…there is a change. Then you can inform us right away.”

Rin heard her father move and say with a tired tone, “Very well.”
The light switch flicked off and Rin heard her Auntie retreat back upstairs and into her bedroom. The front door shut and Rin escaped from her hiding spot and back up to her room. Her brother was gone…her mother was dying…her family was falling apart before her very eyes. What was she to do?

[Torinasu Mitsuko S4]

Rin awoke to the chirping of birds outside and the sunshine over her face. She got to her feet quickly and pulled on her robe. For a moment, everything seemed like it was normal, except for the fact that the kitchen downstairs was devoid of her mother’s laughter and the smell of her famous cinnamon buns. Rin fought back the tears that were welling up in her eyes and went to the closet. She pulled out a pair of jean shorts and a pink t-shirt, this one with white cherry blossoms on the bottom. She showered quickly, brushed her hair and teeth then got dressed.

When she entered the kitchen, she saw that Kuramu and Auntie were dressed and drinking coffee, and talking quietly. They saw Rin and Kuramu smiled, while Auntie poured the girl a bowl of cereal. “Koibito*…your father was here this morning, he wants us to go to the hospital to see your mother.”
Rin looked at her Auntie, as if she were analyzing whether or not the news was good or not. She nodded to show she understood and sat down with her brother, “Where is Iyashii?”

Auntie turned her head and Kuramu replied, “He’ll meet us there.” Rin did not pursue the matter, since she already knew that Iyashii and Kuramu had had a fight the previous day. She ate her cereal quickly and silently then put her dishes in the sink. Auntie put an arm around her and led the way to the firplace. It was obvious that they were going to be traveling by Floo today, though Rin found it rather odd. Kuramu was first, and then Rin stepped into the fireplace and pinched a bit of powder.

“St. Mungo’s Hospital!” she said clearly, throwing the powder down and enveloping herself in flames. There was a rushing sound and Rin tried her hardest not to pass out. Before she knew it, it was over and she emerged in the hospital, where Kuramu caught her. They waited for Auntie and walked to the elevator. No one was saying anything, and Rin found it very uncomfortable. The ride on the elevator was a short one, and Rin was certainly not glad of it. She was scared, what would it be like? Her father was waiting for them when they exited the elevator; he looked tired and worn, and even a little scared.

“This way,” he said, leading the way down the hall. Rin held her breath, but did not cry. This was her time to show that she was mature enough to handle this, she was a big girl now, and there was no room for tears, not when she needed to be brave for them. They arrived to her mother’s rooms and instantly Rin felt like she were dreaming. Her father had arranged for the room to resemble the one they shared at home, but filled it with all of her mother’s favorite plants and flowers. Sakaeru sat on the bed and watched her family enter the room. She smiled bravely and opened her arms. Instinctively, Rin ran into her mother’s arms and hugged her tight. Sakaeru returned the hug and stroked her daughter’s hair. Kuramu knelt next to his mother and held her other hand. This moment, Rin would hold onto forever.

[glow=pink,2,300]CONTINUED... The Family Ties That Bind Us[/glow]