Author's Note: Am I really starting another story when I have so many others yet to finish? Yes. Yes, I am. And yes, I'm the worst. But hey, trying to stick to my existing WIPs didn't work - I didn't get anything written for weeks. So I'm hoping this shiny new toy of mine will make my creative juices flow for my other WIPs as well... Anyway, enjoy this crazy new adventure: werepuppy Blaine :-)

Prologue: The Curse

Blaine gaped at Alexei, honestly stunned. "You… You thought we were dating?"

Alexei's eyes flashed. "You think it's just me? EVERYONE here thinks you and I are dating! We spend all our evenings and all our weekends together. We share meals and coffee breaks and study sessions, and anytime we go out, it's just you and me. You take me to the theatre, to the cinema, to the mall to go shopping. We hug. We cuddle. We hold hands while watching romantic movies on television. So yes, I thought you and I were boyfriends. That you were just… taking things really slowly. And I wanted to respect that."

Blaine realised his mouth was still hanging open, and closed it with a snap. "I… Wow! I just wanted to be a good roommate. Teach you about all things American. Make sure you had someone to talk to when you were missing home."

Alexei glared at him. "So I was your charity case? Aw, the poor exchange student from Russia must be so lonely far away from his family, so I better make friends with him so that he at least has someone. That's why you kept pursuing me? This keeps getting better and better!"

Blaine took a step back and threw his hands up in a conciliatory gesture. "I'm sorry! I never meant to hurt you, I swear. Or… Or lead you on… To my mind, we were just friends."

Alexei's scowl deepened. "Just friends? I heard that American boys were stupid, but you must be the worst of them all! Look what I just gave you! I got you chocolates. For Valentine's. Is that something you do for a friend?"

Blaine's eyes went wide. "You got those for me? I thought they were a gift from someone else and you were just sharing them with me."

Alexei's jaw worked, and his hands clenched and unclenched. "I can't tell if you're being so obtuse on purpose, or if you really are this dense. Either way, you made me waste more than a semester on you without even getting laid once for my efforts. Without even getting a kiss! You will PAY for this."

Blaine, remembering his sophomore year, moved into a defensive position, ready to block any blows that came his way. What he didn't expect was a dark chuckle and then a full-bellied laugh from Alexei.

"Did you think you'd get off with a black eye? Really? I am Alexei Mikhailovich Zakharov. Direct descendant of Andrei Nikolaevich Zakharov. Do you have any idea how powerful my family is? We could kill the whole world population if we wanted to!"

Blaine took a step backwards, his heart starting to race and his breath coming too fast in his panic.

"Oh, no, you're not running away," Alexei declared, and Blaine felt something akin to a thin rope wind itself around him, white-hot and tight.

Alexei came closer and tilted Blaine's chin up with his finger. "What shall I do with you? You're cute, but you're dumb. So dumb. Everyone could tell I was into you. Except you, it seems. You take me on date after date, dressing in your tightest pants, batting your eyes at me and smiling as if I make your day by just existing. And then when I finally make a move, you say you just want to be friends. You are such a… What do you call that here in America? Ah yes, a prick tease!"

Blaine couldn't move, couldn't speak. All he could was look at Alexei in horror, and try to regulate his breathing so that he wouldn't pass out.

"And now you're looking at me like an innocent young puppy who has no idea what he's done wrong."

Alexei tsk'ed disapprovingly, and was about to continue his rant when something occurred to him that made him cock his head to the right and taking Blaine in with a considering eye. His mouth curved into lopsided smirk.

"Yes, that's it. A puppy. That's what you are. All right. You better be grateful I still have a soft spot for you, Blaine, or else your punishment would have been a lot worse."

Alexei started chanting, and moving his hands in an intricate dance. It was mesmerising to watch, and so hypnotising it made Blaine's eyes droop.

And then Blaine felt his skin prickle and shrink. His balance was thrown off so that he landed on his hands and knees, and his jaw suddenly felt too big to fit into his mouth, and his nose was… wet? Was he bleeding?

Blaine whimpered, still rooted to the spot, and so, so scared by now. What was Alexei doing to him? And why was his roommate three times as tall as him all of a sudden?

And then the invisible rope that bound him was gone, and he found that he could move again. Could he speak, too?

He opened his mouth to ask what Alexei had done, but what came out was a wuff.

"Nice doggie," Alexei smirked, bending his knees and patting him on the head.

Blaine stiffened. No… It couldn't be! Surely… Surely his crazy roommate hadn't turned him into a DOG?

He ran to the full-length mirror on the bathroom door, and let out a long whine when he didn't see himself as a boy but as a shaggy black dog.

No, no, no, this couldn't be happening!

He heard someone laughing behind him. Alexei seemed to find his distress amusing.

"Don't worry, doggie! You're not going to be like this forever."

That made Blaine perk up his ears. He wasn't? He'd become human again?

"I made it so that this curse, whenever it kicks in, will only turn you into a dog for a week. Then you go back to normal."

Blaine felt himself sag in relief, but Alexei wasn't done talking.

"You're going to turn into a dog each time that I think of you and get angry again at how you treated me. You're never going to know when it will hit you, or how often, or for how many years. You better hope that I fall in love with someone else soon, and that I am so happy I never need to think of you again."

Alexei turned away from Blaine, opening the door to leave their room, but bumping into Trent, who had his hand raised as if about to knock.

"Hey Alex! Is Blaine here? We need to work on our project for English lit."

Alexei shrugged. "Not my problem."

Trent watched Alexei walk away and closed the door, locking it for good measure. Then he crouched down and whispered, "Blaine, where are you? I heard everything, oh my GOD!"

Blaine, who'd hidden himself under his bed, whimpered quietly, and in an instant, Trent was there, lifting the bedspread and coaxing him out of his hiding place.

"Oh, BLAINE! We need to get you to your mom's… You can't stay here like this!"

It took some more persuading from Trent before Blaine agreed to follow him to the parking lot, and was buckled into the shotgun seat of Trent's car to be taken to his mom.

Pam didn't want to believe Trent at first, telling him she had no time for his silly pranks, and why was he pulling this April Fool's stuff in the middle of February, anyway?

Then Blaine trotted to the fridge and, with some difficulty, arranged the letter magnets on it to read ITS ME BLANE.

Pam threw her hands over her mouth in shock.

It took another few minutes before she spoke. When she did, it came out faltering. "You… Blaine, is it really you?"

Blaine ran to her and wuffed a yes, nodding his head for good measure.

Pam sank into a chair, holding her heart, and then listened to Trent as he told her what he'd heard. He hadn't arrived in time to learn why Alexei had done this to Blaine, but he knew that Blaine would only be a dog for a week. And that the curse could hit him again.

"Sort of like a werewolf, I guess, only without the full moon. It can happen at any time."

Pam looked overwhelmed for a moment, but then she nodded and said to Trent, "We'll need to put our thinking caps on and make plans. If this happens again, we need to be prepared."