A/N: Okay, I'm sorry this took so long… I had it written, but it wouldn't post, so I had to save it again in a new file, and we'll see if it works this time. Music for this chapter is as follows: 'Temptation' by the Tea Party, 'Beautiful Like You' by Joy Drop and a little Marilyn Manson (ack!), 'Sweet Dreams', I think. Let's throw in some Alanis, just as an equalizer ('Still') and there you have it. Proof that I have too much time on my hands.

Thank you's to Mereschino and Meg and Sawa, as always.

Further more, I would like to add that in this chapter I warped and twisted some pretty old myths and legends to suit my purpose. Anyone who might object to that definitely has the right, but just to let you know, I AM aware that it doesn't go quite like that…

Have fun!

Chapter 7: Fury

Laelyn awoke less than five minutes later to the sound of harsh whispers. She slowly opened her eyes and found that she was still in Dumbledore's office, not standing but lying on a small couch in the outer room. Remus was standing at her head, Sirius at her side, and at her feet stood Severus Snape. They were all talking to each other in harsh whispers.

"You'll leave her alone, Severus! That's not a request!"

Snape glared angrily at Remus Lupin. "You saw her, as plainly as I did. You know what that was as well as I do."

"I don't care what it was, she needs her rest and you will not wake her!"

"It's no use, I've already been woken." Laelyn sat up and swung her legs over the side of the couch. "And haven't I made it perfectly clear that I don't need your protection? Or would you like another demonstration?"

Remus sat down beside her, as did Sirius. Laelyn stood up irritably, not in the mood to be flanked on either side by over-protective men, and started towards the window at the other side of the room. Half way there, Snape caught up to her, grabbing her arm and spinning her around to face him.

"I know what you are," He hissed angrily. Laelyn rolled her eyes.

"Of course you do. Could you let go of my arm please, you're hurting it."

He tightened his grip on her. "As if you can feel physical pain at all! I've figured you out! Everything… this whole little game you're playing… I know, Thorne." He twisted her arm slightly, and Laelyn grimaced. "You've got those two idiots fooled. They let themselves get charmed into believing you… but not me. I never, not for one second, believed you were the innocent young thing you seemed to be. And I was right!"

Laelyn jerked her arm away from his and rubbed the tender spot where his hand had bruised her flesh. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm sure you don't!" Snape glared at her, and his dark eyes seemed to pierce the very fabric of her soul. Remus started to get up.
"Leave her alone!" Laelyn held up her hand, and Remus found himself rooted to the spot.

"I am sorry Remus but you'll have to stay there." Lupin gasped and tried helplessly to move his feet. Sirius didn't even attempt to move, as he guessed it was pointless. "Laelyn, what's going on?"

"Oh, and I'm going to have to ask you to be silent as well." She glanced sorrowfully at the two men on the sofa as she waved her hand again.

"Tell them, Thorne! Tell them what I already know!" Snape started towards her again.

"If you know so much then why don't you tell them yourself?"

Snape's eyes flared with rage and he turned a rather interesting shade of red. "Fine," he snapped, turning to the two frozen men. "If you really wish me to…"

"I do."

A hint of a smile passed over Snape's face, but it was a cruel smile, not a happy one. "This woman," he said, hastily gesturing to Laelyn, "Has deceived you. She has made you believe that she is helpless and weak and innocent, in need of your protection. She has lied to you."

"I have not! You know that's not even possible, Severus!"

"You wanted me to tell them what you are!" He sneered at her. "I will tell them in my own way."

"But none of that's true!"

"Silence!" Snape turned back to Remus and Sirius. "She has spun her web of lies so carefully that not even you two could tell the difference between what she is and what she claims to be. This woman is not a nymph."

Laelyn looked at him with barely concealed shock. "I am! I thought you knew what you were talking about!"

"You're not!" Snape turned sharply and advanced on her, backing her towards the wall. "You're not a nymph! You're a Fury!"

"Of all the stupid, uneducated…" Laelyn sputtered. Snape cut her off.

"Do you mean to tell me that what I say is untrue?"

"Yes! You have told lie after blatant, disgusting lie!"

"Then you're not a Fury?" a look of satisfaction passed over Snape's face as Laelyn's confidant and contrary veneer wore thin.

"I… I cannot say that…"

"Then you have lied! To all of us! You are not some innocent Nymph! You're not a nymph at all!"

"SILENCE, YOU IDIOT!" Laelyn practically roared. "Do you know nothing at all? Furies are the daughters of Gaea, Earth-Goddess, mother of the forests and the mountains. NYMPHS, Severus! Furies ARE Nymphs!"

Snape was silent for a moment before backing away. "No… I am right, I must be right…"

Laelyn shook her head and walked away from the wall, pacing in front of Remus and Sirius, who were both listening in rapt fascination. "You are not right, Severus. You have no idea what you are talking about. Thousands of years ago, before the veil that separates the Nymphean realm from all others was created, the furies and the nymphs used to be companions. Some of the male Nymphs even bred with the furies. More than a quarter of all the female Nymphs who live today are of that hybrid of nymph and fury. Like I said, you have much to learn."

"And I suppose a child like you will be the one to teach it to me?"

"CHILD?" Laelyn laughed sardonically. "Severus, you are a fool! Do you know nothing of the Nymphean realms? I may only be half-nymph, but I did, for a short time, live amongst the people of the wood. For two years, in fact." She paused. "Two of your years. Two hundred of ours."

The room was silent, the three men too shocked to react.

"Yes," Laelyn continued. "Time passes quite differently there. I spent two hundred years in that realm, beyond the heavy veil that separates this time from theirs, before I was cast out of there. In that world, I lived for two centuries. But when I returned, I was only two years older." Remus looked as if he desperately wanted to say something, as did Sirius. Laelyn turned towards them and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'd forgotten about that." She waved her hand. "You may talk now."

Both men began to talk at once.

"What the HELL is going on here?" Sirius cried.

"You never told me anything!" said Remus, rising and walking over to Laelyn.

"Why all the secrets Lae?" Sirius said, this time more quietly.

"I told you you were special!" Remus remarked quietly, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Oh, that's really sweet," Snape said sarcastically. Then he dropped the sugary tone of voice. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? SHE'S PRACTICALLY A DEMON, AND YOU'RE CALLING HER 'SPECIAL'?"

"Oh shut up," Laelyn spat. "I'm not a fucking demon and you know it. Now stop being mellow- dramatic and make yourself useful before I'm forced to put on another light show."

"You wouldn't. I saw what that took out of you… it would practically kill you to transform like that again so soon."

Laelyn stepped away from Remus' protective presence and stood right in front of Snape, looking up at him calmly. "Let me tell you something, Severus. These powers are not easy to control. It takes a great amount of self-awareness for me to keep them in check. Every time I summon my earth-powers, whether intentionally or by mistake like I did back there, I grow stronger. I may appear to be back to normal, but the power you saw is still flowing through me. You saw what I did to Remus and Sirius with a simple wave of my hand. Right now, I could punch a hole through a mountain by blinking. I would quite seriously consider thinking twice before you insult my strength again." Her tone was light, but carried a very serious undercurrent. Snape's eyes darted to each person in the room in turn.

"Dumbledore will not like this," He said to Laelyn, who had walked back to where Lupin was and now had her back to him. The Nymph looked over her shoulder as she and Remus started towards the door, following Sirius, who seemed quite anxious to leave and discuss this without Snape in the room. "I'm sure he will have something to say when I tell him," Snape added maliciously. Laelyn just smiled impishly.

"Dumbledore knows," She said before stepping out of the room and slamming the door.

*****

"Not that I think there's anything wrong with it, but I just don't understand it, that's all."

Laelyn crossed her arms and leaned back in the large armchair in Sirius' room. "What part don't you understand?"

"You're a Fury. Okay, I get that. You will… CAN only seek vengeance against your enemies, and even then you can only hurt them when they provoke you. I get that too. What I'm not understanding is how we never knew about this." He looked at Remus. "Am I right? Doesn't that seem a little off to you?"

Remus shook his head. "I never expect people to tell me everything. When was the last time you saw me walk up to someone and say, 'Hi, nice to meet you, my name's Remus and I'm a werewolf!'" Sirius scowled in reply (although Remus could tell he was fighting a smile.) Thank goodness. I've had just about enough angry Sirius to last me the rest of my life!

"I actually CAN explain that, Sirius." Laelyn looked at him guardedly, as if he would snap at her any second. Remus thought to himself that the change was remarkable. Less than two hours ago they'd left Dumbledore's office, and Laelyn had been defiant and haughty towards Severus Snape to the point where, had it not been so shocking, it would have been extremely humorous.

"I only discovered my powers about two years ago," Laelyn continued. "After Gawaine's birth I began to have dreams, and then later visions, sort of like flashes that came to me at all hours of the day. Of women… great, terrible women, and of powerful, earth-bound men. The Furies and the nymphs.

"I didn't know what these visions meant, and they kept getting more intense, but I never really worried until I started recognizing the men and women in my dreams. It was almost as if these strange visitations were telling me the history of my people, for I saw many years pass in flashes. I saw the Girl-children of these kings and queens grow older. They were powerful, retaining both the mystery and beauty of their fathers and the strange, frightening vengeance of their mothers. But unlike the Furies, the half-bred offspring could control their powers and use them at will. I saw many generations spring from these folk, but I never once saw their faces until one day. It was raining, and I was holding Gawaine in my arms, when the flash came into my mind. And I saw her, this dark, mysterious woman, a frightful sight like all the others… and when I saw her face, I'm sure I must have screamed. It was my mother.

"Afterwards, when I'd recovered from the shock of seeing her like that, I went to her, and she told me the truth. She said she'd thought that the last bit of power must have been worn out through the generations, since I hadn't had the visions as a young child, but as it turns out, the power had only dwindled and came later on in my life, for which I am actually grateful. At least now, at this age, I'm able to deal with the news. But I'm sure you can see now why I was hesitant to tell anyone. I'm scared of what people will think of me. Over the past two years I've learned to control the transformations almost entirely, but sometimes I still slip up." She smiled a little sheepishly. "But then, you knew that already."

Sirius reached out and patted her knee lightly. "I understand. I'm sorry I acted the way I did. I was just… surprised… that's all."

Laelyn smiled back at him. "It's all right, I'm not even offended in the slightest. Frankly I expected you to be much more upset. It seems I've misjudged you… again. And you…" Laelyn turned to Remus, practically beaming. "What can I say? I don't think there's anyone in the entire world who thinks like you do!"

Remus shrugged. "I don't know about that… I guess I just judge people on what kind of a person they are, not on their species. And I know that you're a good person."

"Yeah, you're 'special'," Sirius said mockingly. Remus shot him a look.

"Shut up, that wasn't meant for your ears!"

There was a tense moment. Laelyn watched as the former lovers locked eyes for what seemed like a long while. Then they seemed to come to some sort of agreement, and Sirius laughed lightly.

"Something tells me it wasn't meant for Severus' ears either, but…" He broke off and began to laugh, unable to finish his sentence. "Did you see his face? Priceless!"

"'SHE'S PRACTICALLY A DEMON, AND YOU'RE CALLING HER 'SPECIAL'?'" Remus joined in the laughter.

"And then Laelyn… 'I'm not a fucking demon'… perfect, just perfect!" Laelyn laughed as Sirius tried in vain to imitate Snape's expression as she told him off, which only resulted in him laughing harder. They were still in stitches when the door swung open and Charlie Weasley walked into the room, wearing a somber expression.

"Well I can see you three are taking our current situation very seriously."

Laelyn laughed. "It's funny, because you said 'serious', and HE'S 'Sirius', but he's laughing…" she shook her head, laughing even harder. Sirius got up from his chair and crossed the room to where his lover was standing.

"Sorry Charlie. I'll behave." Charlie put on his best stern expression.

"You'd better." The group seemed to have calmed down quite a bit.

"I needed that," Remus said, looking rather relieved. "I think the school was about to explode from all the tension and angst we'd been packing it with." Charlie left Sirius' side and walked over to Laelyn, kneeling beside her chair.

"How are you?" He asked her quietly. Laelyn shrugged.

"I'm fine, I guess. I've certainly been better, but as you can see, I'm still standing, and doing a pretty good job of it, if I do say so myself."

Charlie squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "I know that maybe you thought because I'm Bill's brother that's I'd be… but I'm not. You know that, right?"

"Yes Charlie, I know that. Thank you." She smiled soberly at him.

"I'm not condoning it, though," Charlie said quickly. "But Bill's acting just as foolishly as you did, and I don't like that very much either." Laelyn's eyes darted over to Remus, who was doing his best to pay attention to Sirius' conversation while Charlie and Laelyn talked.

"Could we not discuss this now, Charlie? I'm very upset about it still…"

Charlie nodded hastily. "Of course you are. I'm sorry."

Laelyn patted his hand. "Thank you Charlie. I was hoping you'd understand."