Christmas eve, the middle of the forests of the Irish Highlands. It was cold, snow bellowing in thick blankets on the wind, bathing the forest floor with the fluffy stuff. Moonlight shone through the bare, skeleton-like trees, the oaks and maples and nameless trees were hundreds of years old and they seemed unbothered by the seasonal cold except to creak in complaint.

For miles upon miles, there was not a single home or soul to be found, all for one. A tall man with black, shaggy hair breathed deeply steam from his nostrils as he gazed upon the tree-riddled horizon; blankly staring at nothing. His glazed over onyx colored eyes were deep in thought, his pale skin matched the snow below his black boot covered feet. The man needed no real warmth being partly undead, but it was nice to have...humanly touches in his wardrobe. Especially since the black peacoat covered male was a teacher for a prestigious Wizarding School.

A sigh escaped his pale lips as his eyes came into focus at last, feet shifting weight awkwardly in the scratchy black wool trousers. He hated these things, but Hermione had insisted that he wear it to impress Dioda. How in the goblin's cauldron could Hermione think that he loved a thirteen-year old?! He was twenty-six by human standards, and much younger by vampiric standards.

By the Gods above him, Lewis was going to be driven mad! He had his servant, Gwenvre already pining for the forbidden youth's love and a shape shifting dragon out for her as well. While he didn't want to admit it...At the thought of Dioda's warm embrace, it caused a warm and fuzzy feeling to enter his chest; a gesture that made a smile appear on Lewis's pale face. Nowadays, it was rare he smiled. These were dark times and dark times rarely had something to laugh or smile about.

Snow crunched behind him, causing the hairs on his nape to stand on end-momentarily did his eyes flash red at the intruder but the wind brought a friendly scent to his nose. It was his servant, Gwen. The black wolf was the size of a small pony, green eyes that looked like young spring leaves gazed as hard as steel at his master who smiled in the presence of his partner in crime.

"I'll be in shortly, Gwen. I'm just here to think." Lewis spoke softly in Gaelic, as if he didn't want to disturb the trees themselves.

For a moment, the wolf blinked, pondering if his master was telling the truth or a lie. Being his sole servant, Gwen had the task of ensuring the good health of his master and that meant even if he had to drag the higher ranking one to make sure he was safe and sound. The wolf made a 'humph' sound, annoyed almost as it sat in the snow, it's black fur shining in the moonlight like silk. Almost invisible unless one really looked, there was a small celtic cross, silver in color on the wolf's chest. The small, tender chain was hidden deep within the hands of the thick fur.

"I'll be fine." Lewis said firmly, voice no longer soft and kind but filled with authority.

The black wolf hesitated then bobbed his head, got up and walked away. Gwen watched the wolf walk away, deeper and deeper into the bowels of the dark forest; making sure that Gwen wasn't going to hide and really wait in this terrible cold for him to go back home. Unfortunately, unless Lewis made really sure; Gwen often times took advantage of this lack of attention.

Once the form of the black wolf faded beyond his vision, Lewis turned around and met a pair of ice-blue eyes.

"GAH!" He shouted, stepping back, a light pink flush on his cheeks.

The owner of the eyes laughed melodically, the silver haired girl grinned ear to ear in glee. She was only as tall as his shoulders but standing on her tippie-toes, the girl had managed to meet nose to nose with him. She wore a black skirt, a midnight blue dress coat, the hood lined with grey fur that matched her silver hair and a ribbon was tied to a stray lock of her hair.

Lewis looked down at her legs. How could she even DARE to wear a skirt on a night so cold like this?! He knew this girl well, but how could Aria do this? In fact, how could any woman bare their legs with only shoes on their feet and a barely long enough skirt in such weather? He shook his head in confound confusion.

'Wait...' Lewis thought, looking eye to eye at the girl. "Where is your brother?" He asked, getting a weird tingling feeling that Aria's twin had to be some where close by...They never were apart for long. Ever. So that meant...

"BOO!" A voice screeched behind him, causing the older male's eyes to flash red as he whipped around, punching the target as hard as he could.

The boy gasped for breath, having fallen a good few feet from the vampire's initial hit, his identical ice blue eyes were wide with terror. Like Aria, he too had silver hair but he wore black pants and brown shoes, a black cloak on his shoulders that revealed a white dress shirt under it. Aria came from behind Lewis and rubbed the older male's shoulder gently, he was still riled up and red-eyed; long white fangs shown and his lips twisted in a snarl.

"YOU SAID HE WOULDN'T HURT ME!" At last, Nyx shouted at Aria who snickered, walking to bend down and offer her hand to her twin.

"I never said he wouldn't punch you." She laughed, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes as Nyx stood, brushing the snow off of his body and Aria glomped his neck playfully.

Lewis did not look impressed. He looked annoyed. Irritated and pissed, even. If he could glare any harder than he was right now, the twins would have been 6 feet under and in a box.

"So..." The vampire began, arms crossed. "Who's idea was it to prank me?" He asked, giving his best teacher's look of; 'don't try anything funny or I'll curse you for a week.'

Now Nyx was the one who looked annoyed. "Who do you think?" He scoffed, earning an elbow to his chest by Aria who was frozen with a sickly sweet smile.

"Ignore him." She grinned again. "Now...Where's the house?" Aria asked, hands folded politely in front of her.

For some reason, Lewis really didn't put it past Aria to attempt another prank in his household. He was SURE she wouldn't resist pranking her teacher's home on Christmas Eve. By the Gods, that child with her brother were worse than how Fred and George were, and even Ginny admitted it!

((OOC: There will be more to come! ;) ))