The Punishment. (Kuroshitsuji School Arc) 01

Part One: Caught.
“What do you want with my room?” Ciel smiles awkwardly, calling on his  ‘innocent first year mask’ to pull him through--even though he was caught sneaking around after hours.

It’s past hours when students are allowed out of their dorms, but there’s a small group of boys in uniform. Each has a serious expression, and holds his shoulders square.

One young man in particular has an air of offended dignity, and he wears the blue of the house. Another boy has an expression of outrage, and the trembling fingers to match. He would have it seem as distress, but Ciel recognizes it as excitement.

“My letter opener is missing!” Maurice pouts. He rubs his eyes as though he had just woken up, but his impeccable makeup suggests he hasn’t really gone to sleep at all. “It’s worth quite a lot. And who else could have taken it when you’re the only one we found lurking around after hours?” His voice is biting, and barely under a shout. He doesn’t want to wake anyone.

Ciel frowns. “I hardly need your letter-opener, “ he scoffs with a hint of arrogance, backing against the wall and folding his arms.

But Lawrence Bluer nods stiffly, granting permission to enter the dorm rooms.

Inside, a boy gives a surprised yelp. “What--what is it? Was there a fire?” McMillan gasps, poking his head out of the washroom in the hall. He tries to make his way back to their shared dorm room, but it does not quite work.

Like a pair of dogs, the students are all  on edge. Another red student whose name Ciel isn’t familiar with shakes his head firmly. But once the prefect and these others are in, they gather a small crowd.

Lawrence frowns severely.

“I’ll  do the search,” Bluer insists, holding a hand to stop Maurice at Ciel’s door.

Ciel peers into his own room, his eyes scanning for anything amiss. At first, everything seems in place. His desk is orderly, bottles of ink, the pen in its stand…but then he sees it. The book he’d been reading was on the opposite side.  Instead of being on the right side of his sewing box, it was on the left, by the pens. And when Bluer opens the top drawer, sure enough, there is a letter opener.

Ciel frowns and snaps. “That was planted! I most certainly did not  take that.” After a moment, he remembers his ‘child act.’ He pouts and pulls at his sleeves.

“Hah. But you recognize it? And everyone knows you’re against me. It’s like some kind of sport with you--”

It’s hard to be sweet when Maurice keeps being so irritating. “Don’t be absurd!” Ciel shakes his head stiffly. “In any case, how did you notice something was missing if I supposedly stole it now?

Maurice flushes. “It’s been  missing. You took it before and were out for someone else’s belongings too, for all I know.”

“Someone put it in my desk,” Ciel points out. “Things have been moved around. McMillan probably even heard whoever did it--” Ciel turns to look at McMillan, but the first year is staring wide-eyed at Ciel.

“I d-didn’t even know you left. What are you doing out at this hour?” McMillan stutters. He looks frantically from one boy to the next.

From the hallway, a shadow looms. The boys all fall quiet, and a few turn their faces toward the blocked light. Professor Michaelis stands like a quiet raven.

“I’m afraid that is  the question.” The voice is as familiar to Ciel as his own. Sebastian stands, clad in a teacher’s regalia and peering closely at the students. For a moment, he is reserved, cold and uncaring for the boys in his care. But with an adjustment to his glasses, he manages a disapproving look.

As Sebastian holds a lantern with the tips of his fingers, it sends a ghost of light across his features. “What are two Reds doing in the Blue Dormitory?”

Just as he says it, there’s a pattering of feet on the floorboards, and Edgar Redmond comes into the room. “Sir, I heard--”

“Professor!” McMillan’s eyes brighten with needy hope.

Sebastian looks around the room, taking in Maurice's aggressive body language and Ciel’s faint hint of nerves. The heady scent of a plot in execution, and Ciel is (as ever) in the center of it. “Explain the
situation, Bluer.”

Bluer nods dutifully. He looks at neither student party. “I found Phantomhive wandering the halls.”

“Sneaking back in from Red, you mean.” Maurice interjects. “I heard him--”

“Heeh. Before you said you noticed it missing,” Ciel says dryly. He has regained enough of his composure to counterattack Maurice’s defense.

“Mr. Phantomhive. Mr. Cole.” Sebastian’s tone is firm, but still rebuking. He motions for Bluer to continue, and his deep red eyes flicker closed.

“And after I found him, sir, Cole and his…companion, I’m afraid I don’t know his name, came up and told me his letter opener was missing. We came in to check.”

“And it seems that the missing knife was indeed here.” Sebastian sighs; fixing each boy with a look that recalls a sneer. “And Mr. Redmond? You came to the dorms after hours. Please explain your presence.” Sebastian steps purposefully towards the desk and picks up the letter opener. He turns it over in his hands, checking the make and the markings.

“I heard someone walking around after hours and got up to investigate. A few students were talking about Maurice…I discovered that he left the House, and so I followed, sir.” He bows slightly in apology.

“Did you hear someone as well?” Sebastian’s eyes flick from the ‘stolen property’ to Ciel, a dark look of amusement barely flickers across his features. Flickering candlelight catches his eyes so that they glow fiercely. But the light passes, and once again he looks like Professor Michaelis, concerned and disapproving as any teacher ought be.

“There was a knock on my door. When I opened it, I only barely saw someone running away.”

“That would hardly have been me,” Ciel points out, as uncomfortable and embarrassed as a first year knows how. “This is a setup,” he declares, frowning when no one meets his gaze.

“Nevertheless, I’m afraid you were breaking curfew, and you are in fact in possession of another student’s property.” The professor shakes his head. “I’m afraid there must be consequences, Mr. Phantomhive. Mr. Cole, Mr. Donner and Mr. Marlow, expect to be called to the deputy principal’s office.  Mr. Cole, the warden of the red house and myself will have words with you then, whereupon your letter opener will be returned.” Michaelis looks to Bluer and Redmond, his lips a thin line. “Prefects can expect a meeting as well. You are all dismissed.”

The students file meekly out of the room. Sebastian lights the candle by Ciel’s bed so that the boys will not be left in darkness, and turns to leave without a word. His robes flutter behind him like a black cloud.

And he steps out, with no more noise than the whisper of his cloak.

---

tbc…