Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 9

* Pansy taught the boys the right spell and soon they were experimenting with different shades of purple on Kiara's hair. It took them a good half hour to find the right one.

After they were done, the Slytherins decided to leave. Kiara hugged them all and whispered a thank you in Pansy's ear. The other girl just smiled and left the room.*

The next week was very stressful for Kiara. She was nervous, quiet and she flinched every time someone accidentally touched her. She spent most of the week with Severus. He noticed there was something wrong with the girl and he asked what it was, but didn't push when Kiara said she didn't want to talk about it. So they brewed potions in silence. One day Kiara suddenly broke the silence.

"Spike is here," she said quietly. Severus just nodded and waited for her to continue.

"He was my mate. Well not he, my Spike was my mate. But I somehow have a bond with this one as well," she trailed of. After taking a deep breath she went on. "The bond feels almost the same and from what Draco told me, this Spike is almost the same as mine was. And he feels the bond as well. I think he wants me as a mate. I've been avoiding him since I first met him, so I can't be sure."

"He's been enquiring about you," interrupted Severus.

Kiara nodded. Draco told her as much. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him that your personal affairs are not my concern. I am merely your potions instructor."

Kiara smiled gratefully and they were silent for the rest of the evening.

When she left the classroom, Spike was waiting for her.

"We have to talk, pet."

She sighed but agreed and they went to sit on one of the windowsills in the hall. Kiara was uncomfortable, so she just waited for Spike to talk. After a few minutes of awkward silence, she sighed.

"You wanted to talk, now talk."

"Why are you avoiding me?"

The girl looked out the window. "You're not my Spike."

The blond raised an eyebrow. "Well neither are Draco or Snape, but you're not avoiding them."

Kiara just shrugged her shoulders.

Spike growled. "Look, I came to Hogwarts to visit my cousin and suddenly I'm bonded with a human. Now I don't particularly mind being bonded, but I generally like to be aware of making life altering decisions. But since we are bonded and there is nothing to be done about it, I want to get to know my mate. So stop bloody well avoiding me!"

"Hey, I didn't exactly ask to be brought to this dimension either," protested Kiara. "And we are not bonded and I am not your mate. We may have a bond of some sorts, but it is in no way equal to that I had with my Spike."

"Fine," snapped Spike. "I am not your mate and I am not your Spike. Now will you stop avoiding me?"

Kiara considered this for a few moments and then nodded and stood up.

"Let's go drag Draco from the library."

Spike smiled mischievously and away they went.

"So where's your shadow? He hasn't been around much today," Draco said innocently.

Kiara glared at him. "Not funny. He's been following me around for weeks. I don't mind his company, he's generally really nice and all… but he's getting way too possessive." She sighed. "It's not like I can really blame him. We both feel the bond."

She sighed again and lay down on the sofa with her head in Draco's lap. He automatically started playing with her hair.

"Just tell him to back off," he suggested. "He'll understand. He won't necessarily like it, but he'll understand."

"I don't want him to back off," said Kiara quietly. "Well I do, but not really. He's still Spike, even if he's not the real one…"

She stopped talking as the door opened and Spike walked in. He looked angry.

Spike walked into Kiara's room and saw her curled up in front of the fireplace with her head resting on Draco's lap. The vampire saw red.

"Draco, leave the room," he hissed. The blond Slytherin heard the threat in those words and left immediately.

Kiara stood up and looked at Spike. "What was that all about?" she asked.

"You tell me," growled the vampire. "You were looking awfully comfortable with my cousin there."

The purple haired girl was extremely annoyed. "What? We were just relaxing together. And yes, I was very comfortable around him. Friends do occasionally relax around one another."

"Don't patronize me pet," said Spike. "He doesn't get to touch you. No one does. You're mine."

'Son of a bitch!' thought Kiara. "How dare you!" she shouted. "I am not your pet. In fact, I'm not your anything. I'm Spike's mate."

"My mate," insisted the blond. "I am Spike."

"Well you're not the right one," hissed Kiara.

Spike suddenly lunged forward and pulled her close to him. "We've been through this, pet." His voice was dangerously calm. "Only one Spike here and that's me. You ask any demon out there and they'll tell you, you smell like me. My claim is on you whether you like it or not." He licked her scar and she shuddered as she always did. "And you do like it, don't you? Like having my claim. Like belonging to me."

"Not you," insisted Kiara. "My Spike. The one who loved me. Who trusted me and treated me as an equal. I am not a pet and you have no right to treat me as such. I can hang out with anyone I want and it's my choice who gets to touch me and in what way." She tried to get out of his grasp, but he was too strong.

Spike's eyes flashed yellow. "You are mine and you will act accordingly."

Kiara was getting angrier by the second. "You have no claim on me. I never submitted to you and I never will."

The vampire morphed into game face "You will submit to me, girl, or you will not like the consequences. Don't question me again, pet!" he was using his Master voice and she reacted the only way she could.

Spike knew something was very wrong when she suddenly stopped moving and relaxed her entire body. Only it wasn't relaxed-relaxed, but more of a don't-panic-they-won't-attack-you-if-you-don't-move-relaxed that you see with people trying to avoid snake bites 'cause they think the snake can't see them if they're not moving.

"Kiara?" he asked in a concerned voice. She merely avoided eye contact and didn't move a muscle. Her heart was beating faster every second and she was obviously moments from hyperventilation, but he didn't know how to calm her down. He took a few steps back and she just collapsed to the ground and curled up to take as little space as possible.

"Kiara?" he tried again. "Come on, luv, you're scaring me." He kneeled next to her and tried to touch her, but she flinched from his touch. "Shhh, Kiara, it's OK. It's just me. Just Spike. Nothing to be afraid of." He kept talking in a soothing voice, until she uncurled and slowly looked up.

"Right, just Spike. Not my Spike, but a Spike," she babbled nervously. "Spike the Master vampire of the Aurelius line and the oldest member of the Malfoy family. Not one to be defied."

'Merlin, what happened to you?' thought Spike. 'And what did I just do?'

"No, luv, I was wrong to react like that." He reached to touch her again and this time she let him. He pulled her into a hug. She was tense, but didn't try to pull back, which he took as a good sign. "'m sorry, pet, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's all right Spike," Kiara said quietly. "You're a Master vampire from a strong line. A pet has no right to defy you. I should have known my place. Forgive me."

Those words were more terrifying than anything Spike has ever heard. He gently pushed her head up and tried to look into her eyes, but she refused to make eye contact.

"Kiara, listen to me," he said slowly. "I was wrong. I had no right to treat you like that and I apologize."

"No, Spike, you had every right to treat me like that." Kiara's voice was toneless and impersonal. "I was confused about the nature of our relationship. You merely corrected me. As is the Master's right."

She still wouldn't look into his eyes and that combined with the emotions he was receiving through the bond was very unsettling.

"Come on, don't be like that," he said nervously. "I am not your master. I am your mate, if you would have me."

Kiara reacted like she always did when she felt Spike's claim was questioned. "My mate is… was Spike. You're not him."

"Right." Spike let go of her and started pacing the room. "Very well." He took an unnecessary breath and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm not your mate. But I'm not your master either. I'm sorry if I acted as one. I'm just having some difficulties getting used to the bond. I'll work on it. Just please don't ever do that to me again. You have no idea how scared I was."

Slowly Kiara got up and took a few deep breaths. She seemed more collected with each one and when she spoke her voice was steady and held no signs of the fear she felt just a few minutes ago.

"You are not my mate, but you are not my master either," she said clearly. "You can't act as my mate and you can't call me pet."

"Pet is just a term of endearment, luv," said Spike. "I'm using it as a Brit not as a vampire."

"Fine. You can never use that tone on me again, though."

Spike was confused. "What tone?"

"You used your Master Tone," answered Kiara. "Don't. And stop tasting my claim mark. And don't act so damn possessive with all the hugging and making sure everyone is as far away from me as possible."

"You want me to just stop touching you?" asked the blonde. He was obviously very much against such a plan. "Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to watch everyone touching you, when I always feel the bond and at the same time know we never really bonded? Anyone could claim you and I can't stop them, 'cause the claim on you isn't even really mine."

"Do you think this is easy for me?" exclaimed Kiara. "Don't you think I feel the bond? Do you have any idea how hard it is for me not to beg you to claim me every time you come near me? But even if you are Spike, you're not the right Spike and I can't betray him like that. He's gone and I can't just replace him with you."

Spike could smell the anguish pouring from the girl and despite what she said just seconds ago, he couldn't not touch her. It was the only way he knew how to offer comfort. He laid his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, luv. I'm not trying to replace him. We'll figure this out, alright?"

She nodded and turned to hug him.