A/N: I hate doing those, but I feel it's appropriate for this story to start with a bit of explanation. Feel free to skip it over of course.

This is a very old story. What I mean by this is that technically I was working on this story for a very VERY long time. Maybe a year or a bit more than that. That doesn't mean I worked on this specific version. This story started as a simple thing in which I wanted to apply "flashbacks" as I rarely did those if at all till the idea for this story blossomed in my head. Later, when I planned this story, the plan became huge and I decided that I would write it all as one big "Oneshot" - a short story not divided by chapters. I got perhaps halfway through with what I have planned before I ran out of steam. Yet I had a lot of stuff done and I decided to put it on hiatus. After a long time of me working on other stories, it came apparent that I would never pick up this story with its original intent. I had two ideas on how to solve that. The first one was to upload what I had and explain the situation, saying that I would maybe one day pick it up. The second idea was this. It was to re-write the story after reading it over with a critical eye and try to go with the original plan, a long story without chapters. This also failed, but instead of completely collapsing on itself, I simply decided to post what I already re-wrote and if people want to see more, I could perhaps feel motivated and pick it up in a more proper manner.

I'm not sure if the next parts will be as long as this one, but if people like it so far, I'll surely continue.

Weiss opened her eyes only to see the ceiling above her. It was white, just like every wall and even the floor, although at least that was covered with a dark blue carpet. She tilted her head to look at the nightstand that held only one item on top of it, her phone. She let out a soft sigh as she knew what the phone would show once she reached for it.

It was five minutes till the alarm clock would ring, by now a ritual for her to turn it off manually before it rang since she always woke up before it. Early on, when she noticed this pattern, she joked how exciting it was that each time it would show a different amount of minutes before the alarm would go off. Sometimes ten, sometimes five but never less than that. In the end, she always managed to get up before it rang.

Some would say that this was appropriate behavior for someone attending her school. Renowned school for gifted children, even if a lot of them would get mad if called that. The children part, that is. The first part? The gifted one? That was something to feel proud of. At least till the bitter realization kicked in, how the school was divided into two groups of students. The actually gifted ones and the rich ones. Money was a gift, but whoever made the school surely didn't have that in mind. Still, money made things work and it was a good fuel. A noble sacrifice for the actually talented group of students. Whatever that could mean anyway.

She got up and stretched, while not exactly the best exercise if any at all, she decided it was enough. Her friend, Yang, did pressure her about the importance of early physical activity, how it made the blood flow and everything, but she never had that issue. Her brain was always working at its top efficiency levels. She might think about actually getting some sort of gym membership at the next part of her life after she's done with this school. Maybe.

The phone vibrating against the wooden surface of the nightstand made the girl blink in surprise. The first thought was that she forgot to turn the alarm off, which didn't take more than a second to realize that she did, like always. It did three sets of vibration before going quiet again, which meant only one thing. Someone send her a message. This made her heartbeat quicken. You see, Weiss was the type of person to be always prepared, to always have a plan. Not just one plan, but several emergency plans as well, depending on how important something was. She tried to be a few steps ahead of any challenge that her life might stumble upon. This is why situations like those filled her with panic. It was always those unexpected calls, visits, and messages that threw a wrench into her perfectly balanced life.

Still, the panic was but another obstacle to overcome. Life was about being versatile. To be able to plan, but also possess the skill of improvising when such need arose. With one deep breath, she calmed herself, it was ridiculous to get so worked over a message, not even a phone call. This managed to calm her nerves as she picked the phone up. A name appeared on the screen.

"Ruby." Well, actually it said Dolt. Not much of a story behind the reason for such. One day the girl wanted to peep over her shoulder so she changed the girl's name from Ruby to Dolt. The girl getting very worked up about it, being very open about the fact that she also changed how she had Weiss in her list. Ice queen? Ice princess? Something along these lines. Weiss didn't care that much, it was Ruby's phone after all. Still, she wanted to change the name after a bit, yet never got to do it and it just stayed the way it is now. Such a silly story.

Just seeing that made her smile. Thinking of her friends, sure she didn't have a lot of them, but just two was enough. Close friends, she was always open to having more. It was just... Difficult to acquire new ones. Although that made it sound like a business deal. That smile didn't last long as she thought about how odd it was to see Ruby text her this early in the morning. Did something happen? To her? To Yang and her adventurous approach to life? She shook her head, this was stupid. With that final thought in mind, she unlocked the screen and opened the message.

Dolt: Happy birthday Weiss! I wanted to wait till later when we would call you to say it on camera and not in a text form, but I thought that it would make you smile if you knew that I woke up early enough to wish you happy birthday so you could start a day with a smile. Anyway, I hope your day will be great, We will call you this evening! Be sure to buy yourself a piece of cake cause we'll have some and we don't want you to not have any while we stuff ourselves full of some amazing pastries!

"Oh Ruby, you dummy." Weiss let out a sigh of relief, this girl will one day be the end of her. Still, it's not like it's her fault. Not exactly. Birthday huh? She glanced at the calendar app on her phone as she chuckled to herself. That day always surprised her, at least since she met Ruby and Yang. If only because they were the only ones remembering the date. As for her? It never was anything important in her house. Her parents were busy and what sort of gift would you even make for someone like her. With her grades and her family wealth she could ask for almost anything and if possible have it delivered to her. Yet it always made her feel... Nice that someone remembered. Although this time it was a bit sour, as the desire to spend this day with the two of her friends became even more burning than before. The message mentioned a video chat later, which Ruby did mention back home that would happen on the day of her birthday since neither could afford the time to visit her. Time and money as they would need to stay somewhere for at least one night. Although Weiss would gladly cover that up, she never wanted to push her selfish desires onto anyone.

How long was it since she last saw them? Seven months? She really wished to see them on the Christmas break, sadly they had to visit their uncle because of some sort of emergency. Understandable, she would never wish to monopolize anyone's time. Still, if she knew, she would just stay here instead of going home. After all, she did the same thing she would do here, stay inside a locked room with little to no interaction with people paid to be around. Although it did show her how much attached she grew to the two girls, and even months of being separated from them didn't kill that feeling inside of her. If anything? It only made it stronger.

oooOOOooo

Seven months ago

"...Remember to smile, alright? But don't grin like an idiot, just smile."

"So don't do what you did when we first meet?" Weiss raised a brow as she smirked at her younger friend.

"Ugh, look I'm not that good at it either, but I try to learn!" Ruby pouted and crossed her arms, yet it took but a smile from the white-haired girl before she let out a sigh. "Remember to make some friends, alright? Or try at least. You know, buddies and classmates and all that."

The Schnee rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'll remember." She perfectly knew that by now, not because Ruby started to hammer it into her since a few days ago, but simply because she understood now that it's easier to not be some sort of outcast in whatever class or group you were.

"So remember about that, oh and don't be a weirdo." Ruby said with a nod, which made the older girl frown.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She wasn't a weirdo, sure she might have been a bit outside of the entire social group… Groups, but that didn't make her a weirdo, it's not like she ate glue or something like that.

Before that specific topic could be further explored, Yang came to the rescue as she suddenly wrapped both her arms around the other two girls. "Gosh, it's almost scary how you changed my little sister here, Weiss. You're not a witch in disguise, right?"

"Let go of me!" Weiss pushed the large arm of the blonde away and fixed her attire. "You know I hate it when you do that!" The white-haired girl crossed her arms as she glared at Yang.

"I didn't change, I'm just worried!" Came Ruby's response, and for better or worse that was what Yang focused on.

"Exactly, look at you being all responsible, thoughtful and worried over Weiss. Now tell me that Dad ain't right when he says that she's a good influence on you." The blonde smirked as she eyed her sibling, to which Ruby just blushed and looked away, hating this sort of attention.

At that Weiss reached to grab both of Ruby's hands, which made the redhead look up at her. "Speaking of which, remember to keep up with your studies, alright? You're still not the top student, but at least you don't need to worry about not passing classes. It would be a shame if you squandered all that just because I'll be moving across the country."

"Weeeiss, not you too." The silver-eyed girl groaned.

"I'm just as worried about you, as you are about me. Promise me you'll keep up with your studies." Weiss didn't release the other girl's hands as she focused her gaze on her.

"Only if you promise to not be a social outcast in that other school like you were back here." Ruby replied in a stubborn voice, to which Weiss just chuckled.

"Deal." Their exchange was interrupted by an old fashioned whistle of the locomotive that would carry her to the other side of the country.

"Sounds like you should hurry, Weiss. You sure you don't need help with that giant bag?" Yang asked as she pointed at her luggage.

"No, no, thank you, Yang. You already carried it enough for me." Weiss turned around to glance at the train, only to look back at her friends. "I guess that's goodbye." A sad smile appeared on her lips.

The blonde was first to step towards her and hug her, which for once she wasn't mad at, hugging the taller girl back. She felt the strong, yet gentle grasp of the other girl. The gentle giant, if Yang was even taller, at least. It would be the last hug they would share for some time, and while she usually was one to escape them as soon as possible, only once she realized that, did that made her understand how she'll miss them.

While it lasted no more than a moment, it felt like an eternity and even so it was too short. Both of them knew that their time was running out, as the blonde took a step back, Weiss was assaulted by the silver-eyed torpedo that almost tackled her to the ground.

"R-Ruby! Be careful!" She scolded the girl, although she couldn't help but hug her tightly.

"I'll miss you so much!" The redhead hugged her face into Weiss's chest, and even her fake annoyance melted away as she brushed her fingers through the girl's hair.

"I know, I'll miss you too. Both of you." She raised her head and smiled at Yang. Their moment was once more interrupted as there was a yell from one of the conductors, and whatever it was it meant that the train was about to leave.

"You should go Weiss, or you'll be stuck here with us for another day." Yang grasped Ruby's arm and pulled her away from the Schnee. The white-haired girl gave a soft sigh and a nod, as she grabbed her baggage and started to move towards the train.

They agreed that it wouldn't turn into a wave contest, and once she entered the train both of them would just go back home. Yet, as she got placed in her seat she did glance through the window, not surprised to see a familiar pair of eyes. Silver and lilac.

And for once Weiss wasn't mad that they broke their word.

oooOOOooo

Present day...

Promises, while it was easy to make them, it was hard to keep them. Often there were moments like this in which Weiss was made even more aware of this fact than usually. Still, she liked to think of herself as someone who wouldn't break a promise easily, not without a very good reason at least. Why would she be reminded of the hardship of her own promise? The answer was quite easy. It was the same thing that repeated itself on a regular basis, her newly found routine. While she enjoyed it, the routine that is, not every part of her little groundhog day could be called fun.

"Yo, Weiss, you with us? Come on girl, stop daydreaming when we ask you something." A green-haired girl snapped her fingers in front of her face. Part of the reason why she struggled to not break the promise.

"Yes?" She blinked as she looked at the girl, meeting the pair of dark red orbs staring at her intently.

"She's just occupied with the next class, as per usual. Give her a break." The other girl said as she wasn't really that interested in… Whatever it is that was going on around Weiss. She knew those girls, to be honest, those were the only two names that she remembered in the group that she… Well, was around, or was it that the group was around her?

The names were always awkward for her, as she really could just remember those two names, Emerald and Cinder, and whenever she had to refer to some other girl that was around she had to be creative as to mask the fact she didn't know their names.

"Yes, but she could at least answer a simple question." Emerald sighed and moved to her usual spot, besides Cinder.

"Do you really expect any different answer than what she always tell you?" Cinder raised a brow at that.

"One day she'll crack, you'll see." The green-haired girl grinned at that, and only from the context Weiss knew what they were talking about.

"I don't think I'll be joining you the next Friday, I apologize." She smiled sheepishly, to which Cinder smirked and Emerald rolled her eyes.

"Told you."

"One day she'll crack."

The rest of the break before the class was spent like that, with Weiss being deep in her thoughts and whatever topic was being discussed was just white noise for her. It was always like this, but she preferred it this way, she knew what happened to people that would go against the grain or would be judged as weirdos by this group.

It was something she would rather avoid as it was quite normal for people to avoid trouble rather than jump into it, perhaps with a few exceptions. Exceptions she knew personally. Still, it didn't take much outside of being around those two and being pestered by them. How would it end up normally, she wondered. Without the promise she made to Ruby, to try and be social. While she always liked to think that meeting Ruby melted some Ice off of her heart, the same Ice was her armor in what she considered her previous life. Without this armor even she grew uncertain as to if she could stand to a group like this. She didn't agree with plenty of things they have done. Bullying and cheating on exams. Outside of school was apparently even more colorful but that was something she didn't want to indulge into. Not even learn about all the things they might or might not do. Sadly the choice was made for her, as she was approached pretty early by them and it was a yes or no situation for her. With one of the answers condemning her for however long, she would attend this school.

This always made her think if she was a coward. In the end, she did often intervene, while not directly being against bullying, she tried to find reasons to soften the blow on whoever those girls decided to strike against. Often they joked or complained about her being soft and having to grow a spine and it always filled her with a feeling of dread, as she never knew if she just crossed some sort of line and her peaceful days would be over by then. Yet so far? So far she hasn't. Or maybe the fact that she was useful was more important than bullying some girl for this or that reason.

Useful, that was the only card she could play. She was what they would consider a nerd which was factually incorrect but she wouldn't care to explain the difference. Ruby was more of a nerd than her. The only thing she did was just a good student, nothing else. She wasn't obsessed over any kind of pop culture thing. Since that what a nerd was, right?

She checked her phone to glance at the time, the small message icon reminded her of this morning which made her smile. Although she had to stop herself from releasing a deep sigh. Oh, how persistent they would be to drag her somewhere if they knew it was her birthday. That's not a celebration she would enjoy, that was something she was sure of.

Before her daydreaming was over so she could glance at the time, the bell ringing made it clear what time it was. Time for the next class. As she walked towards the room, she felt her shoulder getting tapped. Turning around she was meet with a familiar face, but not one she could attach a name to. "Weiss? Mind if I sit next to you at the next exam? You know, for a little bit of help." The girl smiled sheepishly, and another one of the nameless, as she called them in her own mind, approached them and shook her head in disbelief.

"You remember that Weiss might be smart, but she sure will end up being a doctor with her handwriting skills right?" The second girl eyed Weiss with a scolding expression as if it was her duty to offer her services to the other girls.

Weiss just played it as she always did, acting cool and adapting to her role. She shrugged and smiled. "I apologize, It's simply how I am with being left-handed." This was an excuse of course, but not one that was born specifically to counter these girls. It rooted way back in time to avoid any form of sharing notes, at least when she wanted to be left alone by everyone and everything. "As for the sitting, I don't mind. I always say that first come, first served." Luckily she never was pushed to actually decide, so that was her normal answer. She would let the natural hierarchy that was established within the group to decide who was sitting on that specific day next to her. Be it a test or other reason.

Once she got seated herself in the class, she could relax. They had perhaps five more minutes before the teacher would come, he was always late. Awful practice but so far he wasn't fired, so perhaps he was a valuable mentor, at least according to the principal. He was his employer after all. Or at least responsible for employing him.

She shook her head, it's what happened when she had too much time on her hand and nothing to occupy her mind. Instead of wondering about the hiring method of this facility, she decided to remind herself of the first time that Ruby discovered the shocking truth behind her hand-writing.

oooOOOooo

Two years ago…

"I can't read this! Weiss!" The whine of a certain redhead could be heard, which made it so much harder for the blue-eyed girl to hide her smirk.

"You can't?" She asked, once more trying to hide her true intent behind this little scheme of hers.

"I can't." Ruby repeated in a grumpy voice. "So help me decipher those." The redhead pointed at the notebooks in front of her.

"No." Came a simple answer from the Schnee girl.

"Eh? What?" Ruby blinked, as if not believing what she just heard. "But you promised!"

"No, I promised to borrow you my notes, not to help you decipher them." Weiss crossed her arms as she looked over the other girl, trying to keep herself from smiling too much. She didn't want to ruin this by making it some sort of a pride thing for either of them.

"But it would be easier if you just told me what's written in here." The redhead said stubbornly as she poked the page with her finger.

"Perhaps, but the easy is rarely the best. It seems that you'll have to actually study." That was the moment where even the Schnee couldn't help but smile triumphantly at her own plan.

"You lied to me!" Ruby's words felt like a splash of cold water on Weiss's face. Such words had great power and to use them lightly like that was dangerous, to say the least.

"Ruby, careful about the words you're using." Weiss squinted her eyes at the other girl, as she decided to calmly warn her of the potential mistake she could make. The cold tone of voice, as well as the chilling stare that was sent her way, made Ruby back off a bit, although she seemed adamant about her accusation, as even such display of the Schnee threat did not seem to change her mind about this.

"You promised you'd help me, and you knew exactly well what I asked for! Now you're just… Just being an evil lawyer that picks apart sentences just so they fit better into their own statements... Or something..." Ruby crossed her arms, and by now Weiss understood what kind of situation she got herself into, in which the unmovable object meets the unstoppable force or something along those lines. Kind of… She really needed to work on her metaphors.

It was her move to break this impasse. "You're right Ruby, I did trick you. Although I didn't lie to you, I offered you my notes just as I promised. So please, do not accuse me of things I did not. But you could say I tricked you, and to that, I admit my fault." Weiss nodded, her own expression growing soft.

Ruby noticed that, and for a brief moment her own face lighted up a bit from the previous annoyance, yet something must have clicked inside her brain, as she once more forced a stubborn attitude towards this entire situation. "Yes, well… You can help me decipher this so I won't be mad at you for tricking me."

"I won't, Ruby, I'll keep my word in regards to both of those. You'll have to study if you can't read my notes." Weiss let out a soft sigh, it was hard to say no to the girl, but it would be pointless if she continued to let the girl piggyback ride herself through the entire year.

"But it would be easier to just copy them, Weiss, come on!" The redhead whined and lowered her head onto the desk, with a soft thud indicating that she purposely hit the desk with her forehead. Something that brought a smile on Weiss's lips.

"It's true, but as I said, easier isn't always better." She reached to place a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Ruby, I'm just trying to offer you a fishing rod, instead of giving you fish every day. I want you to be able to sustain yourself on your own, not rely on others in such a manner."

"Yeah well… I can't catch as big fishes as you can offer." She grumbled quietly, although with enough volume that Weiss had no issue hearing that.

"Perhaps, but how about we study together. This way you'll be able to have both your notes, and maybe improve your grades, get better at exams and all that." The Schnee offered with a smile.

"You're horrible, no wonder my dad lets you in each and every time." The redhead commented as she sat straight up, looking to the side and away from the other girl.

"Aw, Ruby don't be like that. Could you please try? At least for me. Let's say give it a week, and you'll notice improvement, I promise. Let's say on weeks we would study and do homework together, and on weekends we could do something fun… Something you'd like." Reward, it was a simple system that even Weiss understood at her current level of education, but she knew that this could work, to dangle a carrot in front of Ruby's face like that.

"Weekend, Saturday and Sunday?" Ruby asked, which meant that she started to crack… And was suspicious over the previous wordplay, which made the Schnee girl almost chuckle, something she had to stop herself from doing.

"Yes, Ruby, both of those days. But only if you agree AND you actually try your best. So no faking it, got it?"

"Mmmh..." The redhead eyed the notebooks in front of her for a long while, only to sigh deeply in defeat. "Fine."

That made Weiss clap her hands and smile. "Great, you won't regret it, I promise Ruby."

"I feel like I already did. It's never a good sign when you're excited about anything." The silver eyed girl glanced at her only to roll her eyes second after.

"Shush you, it's not my fault you can't enjoy a good show." Weiss nodded at the other girl's comment.

"Yes yes, let's get this over with." Ruby moved her chair a bit to the side so that Weiss could come closer, which the girl in question eagerly did.

oooOOOooo

Present day…

Weiss smiled at her memory. It was such an odd time in her life. It started like another plea for help, another lazy student that needed its grade to improve even if by a little. Yet the student in question seemed to be so resistant towards any attempts at help. To the point where Weiss created this elaborated plan that had many steps and took her plenty of effort to make happen. Perhaps that was what made that situation different from many others. It wasn't the first time where she had someone she tried to tutor to be neglectful and/or lazy. But in this case, she went out of her way to try and find a way to make it work. She even learned how to write in a very obnoxious way just for that. A skill that now proved to be somewhat useful.

But it was worth it. While Ruby wasn't a scholar type, she wasn't stupid. Maybe that was what frustrated and motivated her to try and help the younger girl. She so often did very complicated math in her head when it came to something more practical, or at least what she considered practical. Yet give this girl an elementary school quiz out of some math book and there's a high risk of her getting at least a few answers wrong.

"Before we start the class." Voice of the teacher brought Weiss back from her little day-dream as she focused her gaze on the man. "Weiss, the principal called you to his office. You're pardoned, for the time being, you don't have to worry.

Her eyes went wide as her pupils shrunk. Did she do something wrong? Sure, she was a little bit absent-minded but it didn't affect her grades, they were still on top of her class. On top of her year even. She tried to be helpful and didn't get in any fights. The only thing she remembers is when she refused the math club invitation, but would they take it as far as to report her to the principal? Was it a punishable offense? It couldn't be, right? She took a deeper breath to calm herself. Around her people started to murmur and whisper between themselves.

"Class, please, be quiet. Let us continue with the subject at hand." The teacher raised his voice to silence the class, Weiss slowly put her notebook back into her bag as she moved towards the door, not wanting to disturb the class any further with just her presence alone.

oooOOOooo

It took little time for her to find herself under the door that leads into the principal's office. It filled her with a sense of dread. The worst part was that she knew why it wasn't the first time where she was called somewhere in such an official manner. Her father is the best example.

It filled her with a sense of dread. Dread for what might be the reason for her being summoned under such mysterious circumstances. This strange fear that filled her with anxiety was due to her father. Whenever she was summoned by him, it was always seemingly out of nowhere, always followed by a request that she was forced to agree to. Each time being used to improve his image at her cost. Or rather use her to do so, as tools don't necessarily hold any costs for being used. Technically at least. Even though she understood that it still filled her with dread. She was scared of it on such a subconscious level.

That wasn't the only thing, it was those strange rumors surrounding this person they all knew as the principal of this school. With how little people knew about him, how little were his public appearances and even how rarely one could see him at all. Skinny, tall, some said a bit pale and with gray hair. Some said he was a vampire, with school grounds being the perfect feeding grounds. She shook her head at that, it was ridiculous, but still, the fact that this man was such a mystery didn't help with the feeling of dread that was inside of her. But she did what she always did in situations like this. Take a deep breath and just go into whatever caused her distress.

She knocked on the door and gently opened it, peeking inside. She was greeted with the principal's secretary, which smiled as she noticed her. "Hello, can I help you?" A calm and friendly voice greeted her. It was a young girl, obviously older than her. It was where people usually dealt with their business, this room, never directly with the principal.

"Hello, I was called by the principal." She paused for a second, understanding her small mistake. "I'm Weiss Schnee." She added quickly. That last bit made the young woman nod with her smile never leaving her lips.

The secretary picked up the telephone receiver that was on her desk and clicked one button. "Weiss Schnee is here, she said you called for her." There was some voice coming out from the other side, but the Schnee couldn't really make out what it was saying. The young woman just nodded at the words, only to put the phone down again. "The principal is expecting you, feel free to go in.

Weiss offered a fake smile of her own if only to partially mask how nervous she felt. She approached the door and once more gently knocked on it.

"Come in." Came an instant reply which made her jump a little. Did he instantly reply or was it just her taking a long time to reach for the doorknob. Maybe both? She shook her head, this was in no way time to focus on these silly thoughts.

Weiss entered and dropped a polite curtsy. "You called for me, principal sir?" She didn't want to make it sound like a question, but with everything going on right now? It was only natural for her to sound uncertain, even of the most obvious things.

"Yes, please, have a sit." The man pointed at the chair on the other side of the desk with his hand. Weiss did just that, sitting down in front of this mysterious man.

"If it's about the math club, I didn't mean to make such a big deal out of it. I am simply not interested in pursuing mathematics once I'll be able to move forward with my education and..."

"Miss Schnee, please, calm down." The man rose his hand to silence the girl, which she did immediately. "I assure you that the reason I called you here has nothing to do with anything bad you did. Quite the opposite actually. I called you here because of your accomplishments in the past." Corner of his lips tilted slightly up and Weiss could almost see a smile in that. Almost.

"No?" While the smile itself was an odd experience to witness, the sudden weight that was lifted from her shoulders made her almost faint.

"Of course not, you're one of our most talented students, miss Schnee." He reassured her, which made her smile. That didn't last long, as she frowned.

"What did you call me here for, principal sir." While it wasn't anything bad, it was still rare to be called in here which would not let her suspicions die that easily.

"Of course, let's get straight to the point." The older man nodded." I referred to your past accomplishments. Your documents mention your, and I quote, "incredible skill to tutor even the laziest of students" end of quote." The silence that came after made Weiss feel a bit uncomfortable. Was she supposed to say something? Explain herself? But that would make her seem as if guilty. As if this thing she was praised for was, in fact, something bad she did.

No, that wasn't the case, it couldn't be. The principal simply wanted to learn some context for this situation. "It was my friend, well she became my friend after that." She gulped at that, feeling her cheeks grow a bit red, hoping the dim lighting in the room would hide that. "I was asked by her sister if I could help improve her grades, which I did."

"Was it just this one case?" The man leaned forward, his gaze felt even heavier than before. She really started to think she was being accused of something.

"Y-Yes, but nothing like that one case. I usually helped people understand some topics they couldn't on their own. Because they were absent or simply because the time given for the topic in the class was not enough for them." She paused and took a deep breath. "But it was never helping someone from the ground up like that."

"That's good to hear, you're the perfect candidate for what I wished to ask of you." The man once more leaned back, resting more comfortably in his big chair. Just that made her feel a bit more at ease. But just slightly so. "The situation is very delicate and it would require to be left only among the involved parties. I'll understand if you want to refuse solely based on this requirement." He paused once more, but this time Weiss understood. She was left with a decision. A decision about a very odd request she wasn't even sure what it would be about. Request that was strictly confidential and while it made her afraid of what it might be, she would be lying if she said it didn't spark curiosity inside her. Was this a trick? It was clear that if she left this room, she would never know what this was about. Till the end of her days would she question what this request was about. Where it could lead her in life. Maybe two years ago she would stick to her mundane life, her routine and being terrified of any adventurous possibilities. Sadly that wasn't the case. Not anymore at least. She held a sigh, not wanting to seem impolite.

"As long as it's nothing illegal, I think I can keep a secret." She said, putting on her fake, small smile she was so used to wear around people she knew she had to show respect towards.

The man chuckled at her words. "I would never ask any of my students to do anything illegal, miss Schnee. Is that a yes?" It almost felt like a deal with a devil at this point.

"Yes, I'll keep this thing a secret, whatever the situation is." She nodded, just as her previous thought implied, she felt as if she just sold her soul.

"I'm glad to hear that. It would be difficult for me to find a replacement for you, miss Schnee." He nodded and continued. "As you can suspect, I will ask you to become a tutor for one of our students. This secrecy is something I don't usually do since it is a favor for a friend. But since this favor includes helping one of my students move back on their legs, I thought I would make an exception."

"But why the secrecy? Is the family poor and afraid that it would become apparent?" Now, this just became even odder. On the surface, it made no sense. Why all this secrecy.

"No, quite the opposite. This family is quite wealthy. Perhaps not as much as your own, but they don't have issues with money." The man explained calmly.

"Then why not hire a proper tutor?" She frowned, it was only natural for her and any other human to become suspicious of a situation they did not understand.

"Because they don't want to bring attention to this situation. If it's a fellow student it can seem as if you're simply visiting a friend. If it comes out, so be it, but they simply wish to minimize the risk." Once more he explained calmly.

She already agreed so she might as well unveil this mystery herself in a less direct manner. "Very well, I agreed to help and I will hold my word."

"That's good to hear. Of course, you won't be held responsible for anything, this isn't as serious of a matter as it seems. So please don't worry, it won't affect you attending our school." He reached towards one of his drawers and took out a piece of paper that he offered her. Weiss accepted it and glanced down at it. It was an address. "I would want for you to visit them today, I'll pardon you from any homework you won't be able to make in time in case there is any, as this is something I personally asked you it's only fair to do that this once."

"That won't be necessary, I'm already done with any tasks I had to do for this week." She folded the piece of paper and put it in her bag. She will look at it more closely once she leaves this room, she felt like staring at a piece of paper wasn't the most respectful thing to do right now.

"Of course, now there's the matter of your fellow students. I'm sure they will have plenty of questions, as such here." He paused for a moment, a frown appearing on his forehead which Weiss took for the man thinking about some solution for what he just talked about. "Tell them it was to solve the math club situation. I heard rumors and I wished to ensure that our best student was not harassed. Perhaps this will also take the math club off of your shoulders. While I have nothing but praises for their motivation to recruit the best student, I would rather for them to accept your refusal."

"Y-Yes, of course. Thank you. Is that all?" At that point she had enough, this felt like she just agreed to be part of some weird conspiracy. Sadly she was but a pawn in it, which made her feel even less sure of it all. Perhaps she was just paranoid. Hopefully.

"Yes, you're free to go. Thank you once more. If you have any issues in regards to this request, you're free to ask for help, I'll do what I can." As the man finished, Weiss sat there for a moment, just in case there was something else. Without anything more being brought up, she stood up and offered a small bow.

"I'm sure everything will be fine. Have a good day sir." With that she left the office, keeping her polite smile up till she completely left the cabinet. Once outside she let out a deep sigh, sitting down at the nearby bench. She dug out the small piece of paper and glanced at it. This address seemed familiar, but she wasn't sure why. She would just check online on how to get there.

Still, deep down she couldn't help but think about what she just got herself into.

oooOOOooo

"Happy Birthday!" Weiss grimaced slightly Two voices yelled in unison over the laptop speakers. Their enthusiasm did not translate well over the limited technology she possessed. Still, it made her smile as those voices belonged to her friends. Ruby and Yang were visible on the screen, each wearing a party hat in the opposite color of the two.

"Thank you, although this is a very strange way to spend a birthday. Also, party hats? Really? What are you two, eight?" While complaining she couldn't help but smile at this. She got a message from her sister, which was enough since she knew Winter was always extremely busy. Getting a message was enough of a gift. Then there was a call from the head of their serving staff to wish her happy birthday in the name of her parents, how typical. Finally, there was this, and this was the one thing she looked forward to the most out of all those things.

"Hey, the best we can do for you." The blonde chimed in and pulled a balloon with a face drawn on it and what seemed to be a white mop head with a blue party hat on top. "Besides its like you're wearing one with us!" Yang added with a grin.

It took her a second to understand what it was supposed to be. "That is the most stupid thing I have ever seen!" She frowned as the "fake Weiss" still floated on the screen.

"I-I told Yang that you would get mad!" Ruby said to try and save her skin from the potential danger of an angry Schnee.

"Hey, we had to get you a hat somehow, alright? It's not like we could mail you one on short notice." Yang said with a grin, although her cocky demeanor slowly melted off of her face as she pushed the balloon away. "We miss having you around for stuff like this."

"I know Yang. I wish I could be there right now to spend today in a more proper manner." She let out a sad sigh at that.

"I'm sorry we can't spend too much time with you even like this. I mean I could but you would just get mind." Ruby smiled sheepishly as she rubbed her neck.

"Ruby no, I told you that if you have to study you should do that. Besides I was asked to do something as well so either way I couldn't stay too long myself." The white-haired girl frowned as she focused her eyes on Ruby, even though it took her a moment to realize that it wouldn't have the same effect as in real life since she would need to look into the camera for that effect.

"Hey, it's just a few months till the year ends, right? And you'll be coming back here. So once you're here? We'll celebrate your birthday properly, how about that?" Ruby offered with a grin.

Yang suddenly swooped in and wrapped an arm around the other girl's neck, something the redhead tried to desperately get rid of as her older sister grinned into the camera. "Yeah, we'll make it like a "birthweek" and not just a day, if only to catch up."

"Let go of me, Yang!" Finally, the redhead pushed the girl away, who lost her balance on the chair and disappeared from the screen, although Weiss still could hear the thud sound she made as she had to hit the ground. While she did wince, since she didn't wish any harm upon the blonde, it still made her smile to see those two and their antics.

"It doesn't have to be anything special, I just wish to spend some time with you. Both of you. As such birthday related or not, a whole week with you two goofs sounds lovely." Weiss answered with a smile. Why get sad over things she had no control over? It was about looking past those moments and focus on the future. Besides, it took the two girls some level of effort to prepare this odd situation, so she might as well push that sadness aside for the time being at least.

"So did you get a cake for yourself?" Ruby asked, her eyes shining with some new energy as her desires were hard to keep under control, and perhaps to change the previous morose topic.

"Sugar freak here almost ate the piece we got on our side even before we started the call." Yang came back to the view wearing a grin.

"I did not! I was just looking at it in all its majestic beauty." The redhead responded with a nod.

"Well I got myself a piece of cheesecake, does that count?" She smiled sheepishly, she didn't really want to get a cake, if anything she didn't really want to eat anything just because it was her birthday. Still, with how persistent Ruby could be about those things, she had no choice but to play along in some manner.

"Eh, it has a cake in the name, so it does!" Ruby grinned as Yang reached for something to her left, at that Ruby's eyes shone once more as she almost tackled into the blonde. "Gimme!" She said greedily as she extended her arms towards whatever it was that Yang held.

"Whoa, easy there, down girl, down!" Yang pushed her sister away with her free hand. "Not before the candles."

"Candles?" Weiss blinked, she didn't have any candles.

"What? You can't have a birthday without a wish! And for that, you need candles, or at least one." Yang explained as she continued to fend off the silver-eyed girl from herself and the cake she was holding.

"I didn't really get any. Even if the idea would cross my mind, I mean… Just sticking a single candle into a piece of bought cheesecake is sort of disappointing. I think the wish would backfire if it was solved this way." While she didn't believe in such a thing, she quickly adapted to at least accepting those ideas as some form of a ritual, even if they held no power. Those two girls made sure to hold such in high regards and it didn't cost her anything to just play along. Too often at least. Besides, it was fun to pretend it actually meant something.

"Good thing we came prepared!" Ruby grinned as she either admitted to her defeat or the candle topic did distract her enough to make her forget about her piece of… Whatever it is they got for themselves.

Both of the girls moved a bit to the side, as they reached for something that turned out to be a wooden board with something on top of it… A clay-like substance that held the candles in one place and without falling. She counted and sure enough, it was the exact number as her current age was.

"How exactly am I to blow at those from the other side of the country?" She raised a brow, while it was a nice thing to do, it was a bit… Not thought out too well, for obvious reasons.

"Just blow into the screen! We'll help, we are your friends. I'm sure that the spirit of the birthday won't mind." Ruby nodded, to which Yang giggled and just rolled her eyes.

"Right, the spirit of birthday." Weiss cleared her throat, only for the redhead to gasp.

"Are you mocking the spirit again, remember what happened last time?!" The silver-eyed girl pointed accusingly in her direction.

"Ruby, it was an accident, it had nothing to do with any spirits or whatnot." She crossed her arms.

"Nonbeliever." Ruby retorted to which Weiss let out a sigh. She noticed that Yang was just quietly watching their exchange, highly amused. She was glad it at least entertained someone, this weird topic.

"Ruby, fine, I'll "blow" the candles if we drop the topic of spirits, be it Christmas or birthday."

"Deal!" The silver-eyed girl grinned and nodded, in the meantime, Yang reached for a lighter as she carefully lit all the candles.

"Alright, ready?" They both moved the candles near the camera, at some point, Weiss was afraid they would burn the thing or set something on fire, but as nothing like that happened, the initial fear faded away.

"This is ridiculous." She muttered with a slight frown, it had to be loud enough since the redhead reacted to her words.

"Aw you said you'd do it, Weiss, now think of a wish, and tell us when you're ready. Once you do that we'll count to three and you'll blow the candles." Ruby explained the process in a way and tone one explains quantum physics, to which Weiss once more had to roll her eyes. A wish, she let out a sigh as she allowed for her eyes to dart around her small room. What do you wish for when you have a rich family. And why was it so important? It's not like wishes came true. It's hard work and dedication that got you places, not blowing candles or… Or wishing upon falling stars and all that.

"Weiss? Come on, the candles will burn out!" Ruby pressured her with a worried expression, that made her blink. A wish uh… She glanced over at the two obscured faces of her friends… Friends, perhaps that wouldn't hurt. To wish for a friend in this lonely place.

"Alright, I'm ready." With a nod, she glanced at the duo on the other side of the screen.

"Great! Alright, on three. One, two… Three!" Both Ruby and Yang almost yelled, and as the Schnee heard the last number being counted she blew some air towards the screen. On the other side, the two sisters did the same, making the fiery crown disappear. "Wooo! Happy Birthday, Weiss!" They both shout in unison, which made the birthday girl smile and giggle.

"You two are impossible." She saw the two girls offering her their own bright smiles. Truly this was perhaps the second best gift she could get for her birthday. The first would be if they could actually physically be there with her.

"Hey, anything for our best friend!" Yang called out as she once more wrapped an arm around Ruby's neck and brought her closer into a half hug that the other girl didn't seem to enjoy that much.

"Yang, the arm again! Let...Go!" Ruby seemed to find a way to quickly escape the clutches of the blonde, as she pushed the girl away which came with the same result as earlier, with Yang crushing into the ground outside of the camera view.

Ruby didn't seem to be bothered by that, as she focused her silver eyes on her. "So Weiss, did you celebrate with anyone so far? Or are you leaving that for the weekend?" The redhead's question made her forget about the possibly hurt blonde, as she blinked, her cheerful expression disappearing momentarily.

"N-no, not really. Like I said I got a phone call, a message from you and my sister and… Well, this here video chat we're having." She shrugged, trying to brush off the bad mood as she smiled lightly into the camera of her laptop.

At that point, Yang managed to collect herself off the ground, as she glared at Ruby and then grinned into the camera again. "She asked if you were having any plans to do that with your friends over there."

She had to stop herself from sighing too loud. She knew this sort of question would appear, she managed to evade the question or rather an honest answer to that for a bit. "I don't really have anyone I spend time outside of school."

"No? Weiss, are you being a loner again? I thought you promised you would try!" Disappointment, Weiss could hear disappointment echoing in Ruby's words. While it pierced her heart, it was still a very bittersweet feeling. This dolt always paid attention to the least important things… Or perhaps the most important?

"I didn't break my promise, I tried but… There's just no one I really clicked with? Friendship isn't something you can push onto anyone or demand from random people." She didn't mean to, but she couldn't help but sound a bit hurt due to Ruby's accusation. She'd never break a promise.

"Hey now, it's just the quality that we put out makes it hard to find as good friends as we are, eh?" The blonde winked at her sister as she wrapped an arm around her, this time it was shoulder so the other girl didn't seem too phased by that, she just let out a deep sigh.

"I guess you're right. But please don't think that after your initial search you should give up, alright Weiss? Always be on a lookout for people that you can call friends. Be open, or look for those that are in need for a friend, but are just too shy to ask about it, like you were!" Ruby grinned proudly at her little speech.

"H-Hey now! I wasn't shy about anything, alright?" She answered, perhaps a bit too angrily, which just made her shoulder slump a bit. "I was preoccupied."

"Ehe, well in any case Weiss, you should look for anyone who's preoccupied like you were." Yang chuckled.

"Of course, thank you, both of you, for the encouragement." She nodded to both of them with a smile, although deep down she wasn't so sure if this place would have anyone suitable to be her friend.

oooOOOooo

Not long after the call with the two sisters ended, she began to get ready for her home visit. She wasn't sure what to take with herself to seem like she knew what she was doing. If she had to be honest with anyone, she never truly knew what she was doing. It wasn't like she could just work out a specific way of dealing with each person she helped in the past. Most people required some minimal effort, sure, but each time effort was different. Ruby was the only exception but then again she actually cared to not just offer the girl a fish, but means to catch herself a fish anytime she had to. She got her notebooks and her math book even though she wouldn't really need it. Earlier she asked her math teacher for some additional tools for her assessment which he gladly provided and really there was nothing more she could do. She considered taking her laptop but she wasn't sure what for. Her overthinking routine over her own performance and her good mood from before kept her from worrying about the actual visit. At least till she got around the house on the address she received.

Once there she felt that awful feeling inside her stomach. The house was quite big, located in the better part of the city. Perhaps not the biggest around and even then the design was simple. At least to her untrained eyed. She was far from being an architect. The answer to all her questions came once she approached the gate and saw who this house belongs to. The Belladonnas household. At first, she didn't want to believe. Those Belladonnas? But then it all started to click. Ghira Belladonna was an upcoming politician of the "against establishment" sort. While he started as a local, minor political figure, his appearance and attitude quickly made him a bit of an internet meme, which he cleverly used to shot his career up. She had a very general understanding of it all since she wouldn't really care for that type of thing. She had enough internal Schnee politics to care about without adding any other kind of politics into the mix that was her life.

This explained why they wanted to keep is quiet, although she wasn't sure if this would make such a big deal. The daughter of a famous politician can't do the math, more at seven. Then again if what her own family let her believe, any weakness will be used against you. Even the most ridiculous kind. This made her realize something. If this was someone famous, there should be some sort of guard around, servant or something? But there was no booth anywhere near the gate nor did she saw any sort of man patrolling the area. Nothing. She shook her head, she most likely already looked suspicious just standing in front of the gate like that. With a deep breath, she pressed the button on the small intercom next to the gate entrance.

"Hello?"

Weiss got startled by the voice, like a deer caught in the headlights. It made her understand how ill-prepared she was for this specific situation. While thinking about everything, it didn't really come to her attention that she was going to a family that didn't know her, to someone she never met. Unlike her previous tutoring sessions that usually happened at school.

"Hello?"

Came another, less patient sound from the speaker. "H-Hello! I'm here to... I mean, I was sent by the school." Calm down, she took a deep breath. Luckily the voice on the other side was patient enough to let her do that, once they understood there was someone on the other side and it wasn't just a prank. "I was sent by my school. I'm here to... For tutoring purposes." She still wasn't sure who she was talking to, as such she wouldn't know how to call it. She felt her entire face heat up from embarrassment, with her ears burning uncomfortably. Hopefully, that would go away in the short time it would take her to walk from the gate and to the doors.

"Ah! Yes, of course. Please, come in. I've been waiting." The gate buzzed, making it clear that for a brief moment Weiss could open it. Once she crossed the gate and officially entered the Belladonnas possession, she looked around. There was no house for any of the servants like back at her house, no garden or anything like that. Just some trees on the side and the only other thing that wasn't the actual house was the garage... Although it was questionable if it couldn't just be considered part of the actual house.

At least she calmed herself enough to act normally. From now on, everything will be done by the book. She will feel incredibly stupid later once she remembers this moment, where she was made a fool by an intercom. She shook her head and continued the short walk towards the door. She wasn't sure what to expect, and seeing this simply house and then learning that it belonged to some sort of an uprising politician made it feel so strange. Perhaps this wasn't their only house? That was a possibility. Image is something even more important for a public figure than it is for her Father. And it's almost astonishing how much he cares for it.

A short walk from the gate and she found herself in front of the entrance door. She couldn't even locate the button to ring the bell or try and knock, as the door slowly opened. A sight of a middle-aged woman with black, short hair greeted her eyes. The woman offered a warm smile as she took a step to the side, inviting her in. "Welcome, please come in."

"Thank you." Weiss answered with a polite smile of her own. The interior was... Nothing special. It reminded her of Ruby's house if anything. Not that the layout was identical or even close, just the atmosphere seemed to be very... Normal? Normal was an odd word considering her own household. She cleared her throat and offered a polite bow after that brief moment where she allowed herself to look around. "I'm Weiss Schnee."

"I know I know, your father's company is on everyone's lips nowadays dear." Weiss dreaded to look up at the woman. She was used to those words and what came after them. Yet as she looked up she didn't saw any of that. Just the same smile. No cynical smirks or cold stares. "I'm Kali Belladonna, I would ask you to refer to me by name, but I know you younglings often stick with formal names with grannies like myself." The woman let a short-lived giggle.

This caught Weiss off guard. "I-I would prefer to keep it, formal ma'am, n-not because of your age! You still look very young I just, I mean. I mean no offense." She felt her face heat up. There goes her plan to play it by the book.

"It's fine, it's fine, don't worry about it. I was just joking around. I'm sorry I didn't mean to embarrass you like this." Weiss couldn't shake off the feeling that there was real concern behind Kali's words. "Would you like something to drink? A snack? I could prepare something for you and Blake, although I don't think she will touch it." The older woman sent a worried glance towards what Weiss could only assume was the direction of this Blake person room.

"No, no that's alright. But thank you for the offer." Even if she would love to drink anything, considering how dry her throat became with everything that occurred here.

"Of course, I'll show you the room." Kali turned around but before she could start walking, Weiss called out after her.

"Ma'am! I'd like to ask a few questions before we do. I um, I thought it could maybe help us solve the issue of Blake's bad grades at its roots or at least prepare me better for trying to help her with the actual problem." Weiss smiled sheepishly, this was a new idea that she had. It made sense in her head, but now that she asked for permission she lost all confidence for it.

"Oh, I see that the principal wasn't lying when he told me about your dedication. Of course, I'll answer your questions as best as I can." Kali turned around to once more face Weiss.

"Thank you, of course, you can avoid telling me things that might be sensitive and such. Although I hope that nothing of that nature is related to Blake's issue." Weiss once more cleared her throat, as if that could help remove the dry feeling. "I have it on paper, black and white when her grades started to get worse but did her... Behavior change at some point? If so when did that occur?"

"That one is easy. It's when we moved here." Kali let a small sigh. "We had to, you probably know this, but my husband's career required us to move to this city, closer to the capital. She didn't like to move here and being forced I think just made it worse."

So rebellious girl that wasn't put in her place. Weiss knew a few. She would be like that, but she was smarter. She knew it would not be of much use to go against the grain. "Was math always her worst subject?"

"Yes, it was always math that she had to put actual effort into. Everything else she could easily slide by effortless and get very good grades once she actually cared. I believe that is still the case, sadly that means her math grades went down to the point where she might have serious problems if this continues." Kali shook her head in disappointment.

Weiss wasn't sure what else to ask. It was often the case that people had issues with math. It wasn't just memorizing things, it was also applying these things into actual math problems and such. Without anything else to ask, she simply nodded. "I'll most likely have a few more questions after my first session with Blake if that's not an issue?"

"Of course not, I'll do anything to help Blake improve her grades." Kali said with a smile and let a small gasp. "But I forgot about the most important part. How much will we owe you for this help?" She chuckled. "Or I guess considering your family, what's the rate per hour." She added with a smile. While Weiss believed it was supposed to be an innocent attempt at a joke, it didn't sit well with her. Still, there were plenty of things that she disliked, yet had to accept. She simply nodded and smiled before understanding what just was said.

"huh? You mean money?" The Schnee girl blinked in confusion fully realizing what the woman was asking of her. It wasn't just money talk, it was asking her how much she wanted.

"Yes, that's your time and I would hope you value it appropriately." Kali smiled.

Weiss took a deep breath. "I value my time plenty and I consider this as a challenge. Way to gain some experience I could otherwise never acquire if I just stuck to what they offered at school."

The older woman blinked, only to shake her head afterward. "I see I see, I'm sure I'll be able to offer you something sooner or later for your help. I won't insist, but if there's anything, please don't be afraid to ask."

"Of course. I doubt I'll have to, but I will." Weiss smiled and nodded.

"I'll show you the room of my daughter. This way." The woman once more turned around towards the corridor behind them, this time Weiss didn't interrupt her, but simply followed her, wondering what kind of girl will she meet.

A/N2: I decided this isn't as important to put it at the start of this story/chapter, but this was a big reason for me not releasing any monochrome, even though I enjoy it as much as I do whiterose. Whenever I felt like writing something for monochrome, I always thought it would be better to work on this, which in hindsight felt a bit like I was forcing myself to do so. Hopefully, with this released I'll be able to enjoy some other monochrome things I always wanted to make or continue.