DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Potterverse!

Finally back! This is a vampire chapter, so don't read, if you don' like blood! (Well, if you didn't', you wouldn't' be reading this, I suppose ;-)   )

THE CALL OF THE WILD

The eventful holidays have ended finally and students have come back to Hogwarts. The corridors have filled with people again but everyone must notice they are much quieter now. People are talking in hushed voices and the cheerfulness has vanished. The MOM has already taken financial care of the orphans but, of course, money isn't enough to heal so serious injuries. Dumbledore, after endless discussions with Regulus and Professor McGonagall, has signed the expulsion letters for the students who willingly have taken part in the New Year attack. These teenagers will face the Wizengamots soon. Though Dumbledore doesn't like this idea at all, he can't find a more just solution. After all, they were aware what they were going to do.

Serp's situation, though not the best he could imagine, seems to improve a lot. The ice between him and his father and sister has broken completely. Still, he can't get rid of sad and brutal memories. He's sitting on a windowsill now, gaping at the raising moon.

"Again here?" – his father's voice interrupts his musings. "What's wrong?" – he asks gently.

"I had no idea the Potion's Master can be so kind." – smiles the teenager.

"I'm like a flick-knife for the enemies, and like a helpful hand for friends, as your mother always said." – replies Snape.

"Tell me something about her."

"She was a great witch." – Snape summons a chair with a spell and sits opposite to his son. "Brave. Loyal. A wonderful example of all Gryffindor virtues. The best Cracker I've ever seen. Everyone wanted her for a partner for dangerous and difficult actions, because she never lost cold blood and never left anyone without help. Ask Professor Dumbledore to tell you how much she did to help him."

"I know she was a great fighter." – replies the boy. "But what human was she? I mean: what music she liked, what robes she wore, what books she read? Could you tell me something about her private life? You talk about her as about an assistant or a co-worker, not your wife!"

"Oh" – smiles Snape – "We aren't used to reveal private stuff, you see."

"I'm her son, not an enemy! And she's dead, anyhow!"

"She is." – smile disappears from Snape's face. "And a part of my soul died with her."

"Sorry, I didn't want to hurt you."

"Not your fault. Your curiosity is normal." – sighs Snape. "It's my problem I can't deal with her death. So many years have passed and I still miss her. It's pathetic, isn't it? I'm a Knockturner; I've seen o many deaths, witnessed so much atrocity – and hurt so many people myself that death should be only a heartbeat away for me, nothing more. Still, I hope to wake up with her at my side. I'm a fool; with my experience I should have more reason."

"Angriff came back, Severus."

"He did indeed." – Snape laughs out but his laughter is harsh and unpleasant. "So I should pay the Dark Lord a visit and ask him to bring my wife back. Serp, you're a genius, a real Merlin!"

"Don't mock at my feelings!" – shouts the boy out. "You mock even your own emotions! It's crazy!"

"You laugh or you end in the closed ward." – snaps Snape.

"Sour grapes." – murmurs Serp. "You pretend you don't care but I know you. You care like hell. You'd have died to save her. You'd ask Voldemort to bring her back if you believe you have a chance to persuade him to do it." Snape doesn't answer for a moment; he just gapes at the moon in silence.

"You wanted to talk abut Lily." – he changes the subject. "Well… We were Knockturners, remember, so most of our lives were what respectable citizens consider crime. We drank a lot, we prowled the streets at night, provoking fights, we started the brawls and so on. Our language would make a rhinoceros blush and would give Professor McGonagall a serious heart attack. We worked for people who, according to the law, should be behind the bars of Azkaban. Well, most of us should be there, according to the rules." – he sighs. "So maybe I won't tell you about this. Still, there were some beautiful moments. I remember we went for a ride once. It was winter, there was a lot of snow and we galloped through the forest at full speed. The trees were all covered with snow and the moon was full – it looked like a dream, Serp. Lily galloped into the bushes on purpose, so the snow fell under my collar. I called her a Mudblood…"

"You didn't!" – the boy leaps to his feet.

"I did." – smiles Snape. "I often called her that as a joke and she always called me a Death Eater. She was the only person who could do that without infuriating me beyond my wits. So, I called her a Mudblood and she, of course, couldn't answer me because Animagi can't talk so she jumped straight into the lake with me on her back. Oh, yes" – he laughs again – "That was a proper punishment for my rude language. It was winter, remember. We came home soaked to the skin, frozen to the bone and with tons of snow under our robes. Another time we went to a Muggle disco. Good Dumbledore never learnt about it because he'd have given us a long lecture. The war was raging and we just went to a dance. When I think about it now, our own recklessness shocks me, Serp. I wouldn't do that now or maybe I would but only with her. We never told anyone about it; Lily told Dumbledore we had work to do. That was Lily Evans, Serp: more than capable of anything."

"Like Freya."

"Kind of." – admits Snape. "But forget about Freya. Don't you remember what she said to you? She won't come back."

"She didn't have to go."

"Well, if she really had wanted to stay, she would have stayed." – says Snape slowly. "But she knew it was too late for her to start a normal life. She's one of these who are said to have war in their veins."

"What does it mean?"

"It's Knockturn expression. It means she's someone who seeks danger, fight and challenge and would die if she had to live a peaceful life. She joined her gang not because she was born a Dog, or because she had no other choice; she dropped school and everything to be a mercenary. She wanted to balance between life and death and now, after so many years, she isn't able anymore to return to a "normal" lifestyle. She left because she was aware of that. She needs epinephrine; she would suffocate, working in the office."

"Don't Dogs settle down, then?"

"Most don't live long enough." – replies Snape. "Some do, but they can't endure it for long and start looking for trouble. No, Serp, some thing can't be changed. It's too late. Do you think I enjoy working at school, repeating the same things over and over again? Not at all. If not the Order and my spying missions, I'd have left Hogwarts years ago."

"Will you leave the school when the war finishes?"

"Will I see the end of it, Serp?" – the Potions' Master smiles wryly. "And even if I do, the new war may start, who knows? Or maybe Nazgul Grindewald will ask me to join him again? Or maybe I'll work for the Order and for the Phoenixers the war never ends. We'll see."

Two days later

"Hi, Ron!" – smiles Serp.

"Go away, you overgrown bat!" – snarls Weasley.

"Ron, don't be a fool, I'm not dangerous to you!"

"Oh, really" – sneers Weasley. "Never trust vampires, they say. Keep away from me and my sister, is that clear? I don't want to be something like you."

It hurts more than a curse.

Well, much, much more. Pain and anger start growing in Serp's mind, slowly ensnaring his senses and poisoning the reason. He recognizes this feeling: soon the animal will take over. He can run to his father's office and take a dose of the potion but he doesn't want to. He's so furious he knows it may not be enough. The predators inside him demand to be released, to be unleashed and allowed to follow their instincts. He leaves the castle and plunges into the Forest.

He stretches his fingers, watching the claws growing. He feels how his face turns into a snout, armed with powerful set of teeth; his sensitive eyes adjust quickly to the darkness – the moonlight is enough for them. His ears cock, hearing thudding hooves and then, noise of a fight. His nostrils open and close a few times and finally, his brain puts the jigsaw together. Without much thinking, Serp follows the smell.

A more experienced Alpha would avoid that direction but Serp still doesn't posses much knowledge about animals so he's not aware of the danger. Soon he reaches the place where a wolf had just killed a deer. The animal raises his head and growls but the hungry and raging vampire ignores the warning. For a moment, two predators are standing face to face and vampire eyes are boring into wolfish ones. In the animal world, gaping into somebody's eyes means: "I'm stronger than you; leave or I'll kill you."

The wolf attacks without any warning and the fight begins. Soon Serp realizes that the wolf is a much more dangerous opponent than a deer but it's too late to escape. Vampire claws slash the animals skin, wolfish claws bury in the boy's flesh. Snow is swirling around two fighting beasts and blood melts and stains the snow. Their yelps and yells pierce the silent night air, making the animals in the Forest leap to their feet. The battle ends as fast as it has begun. The winner rises slowly from the ground, looks for a moment at the corpse of the defeated opponent and breathes in the smell of the blood gushing from the ripped throat. Then, he turns towards the moon and howls, singing a song full of savage triumph and joy.

The young Alpha has won his first battle.

Wolfish blood fills his mouths; it's so delicious that no human food can compare with it. Vampire claws rip the warm flesh, trying to get more, and more and more…

He turns rapidly around. His senses have warned him on time: there's another wolf coming. This time vampire reaction is even faster and more brutal: green light of Avada Kedavra flashes through the darkness, giving him another source of warm, tasty liquid. He rips and tears the meat, swallowing the blood. Let this moment last forever…

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" – Snape' furious yell interrupts him. "Professor McGonagall is out of her wits with fear!"

"You told me yourself it's in our nature." – snaps the boy.

"Because it is but you didn't tell anyone you were leaving! WHAT?!" – he notices dead wolves. "Did you do it yourself?"

"Sure."

"I should take a leaf out of Filch's book and whip you raw." – sigh Snape, kneeling at his side. "Good you didn't attack a lynx or a griffin or a big boar. Serp, being a predator doesn't mean you can do everything you want!"

"But I won!"

"I can see that and, as an Alpha, I'm really proud of you, but, for hell's sake, it was very dangerous! Show me your hand… A nasty bite, indeed. It seems I must explain to you that some animals are far too dangerous to be considered a dinner. You were lucky you didn't meet the whole gang. Serp, let's go back t the castle. I'll wake Madam Pomfrey up."

They walk slowly in silence. Snape can't help a smile; for the first time in his life his child's accepted what he is and seems to be satisfied with his action. Every vampire should fight a predator in their lives: reckless and dangerous as it seems, it's necessary to show the teenagers their power - and its limits. Serp is still too deep in his wild self to think what he's just done; just the glimpses of his fight fly freely through his mind and he's happy. For the first time he's allowed the vampire to show and to take over and for the first time the transformation hasn't been painful, just these nasty wounds on his arm has opened again but it doesn't' worry him at all. Snape has already explained to him that this is a scar worn by every vampire, both born and bitten; a brand marking their origin. Serp still feels the taste of the blood on his tongue. It tastes great.