Pairings: Cedric/Krista

Warnings: AU Universe. Gender switch. OC characters. Some character bashing. Mature scenes. Violence.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me


Chapter Seven: A Choice to Make

It was nearly a week since Ethan's semi-argument with Klaus, and just as long since both Nightray brothers have told Krista about her schooling options, and Ethan is already at his wits end.

"She's ignoring me, Carmella!" Ethan Nightray complained to Carmella Morgenstern one morning in Moon's Dew, using the fire-call mirrors that Nain had gifted to him and Krista as a gift when they've first made the move out to Magical Britain. The female vampire looked very amused on the surface of the mirror, much to Ethan's disgruntlement. "I swear that she is! She hasn't said a single word to me in a week apart from detailing customers' orders, and she is always locked in her room when I tried to ask her about her schooling options."

"That's your own fault." Carmella pointed out, amused. "I told you that you shouldn't have kept it from her and allowed her to make her choices." Ethan grumbled something, and Carmella sighed. "I know. I know why, Ethan."

Ethan was silent for several moments. "…I don't want her to be under that man's eye," he admitted at last. "She might be one of ours now, and even who she used to be is never known to more than a few of us, but things like this always gets out."

"You just don't want to lose your daughter." Carmella remarked, and at the wince from Ethan, she knew that she had hit the nail on the head. "You won't, Ethan. No matter how close she is to Charlus Potter and Sirius Black, and even with her friendship with Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott, you won't lose her. Krista won't abandon you. You know that."

"I do." Ethan whispered. "Seriously, I do. I just—"

"You don't want to see her pick the wizards over you." Carmella murmured with understanding. "She might not be fond of wizards—especially those of British origin with what had happened to Eve, but you do know that Krista will most likely stay neutral, don't you? Most Nightguardians do."

"She's sulking." Ethan groaned. "She has never been this mad at me before! And I didn't even know that she could sulk!"

Carmella laughed. "She's eleven! Or close to it anyway. Of course she could!" she reasoned. "Julius sulked worse when he was that age when he doesn't always get his own way!" Considering how the second-in-command of the Nightguardians is these days, it is almost difficult to imagine Julius Morgenstern as a youngling. Carmella then turned serious. "Seriously, Ethan. Trust Krista. She'll be fine. She won't abandon you. You know she won't. You both need to talk, seriously. Don't make me come down there. You won't like it if I do." She warned before her image on the fire-call mirror then ended.

Ethan sighed before ending the silencing ward that he had put up around him with a wave of his hand. He then looked over at Krista was currently speaking with Charlus Potter and Sirius Black, and he sighed again.

Right. He seriously needs to talk to Krista.

He sure doesn't want Carmella making true on her threat and shows up at his doorstep, or woe betide, having Nikolai Nightray showing up here.

His father is extremely fond of Krista and had always doted on her. Hell, he always takes Krista's side, no matter what. The time when he'd nearly pulverised some arrogant noble vampire just because he'd said something about Krista's originally human status had Lord Nightray nearly pulverising said idiot.

Hence, when Ethan and Krista have to move out here due to the whole alliance with Magical Britain, Nikolai Nightray wasn't pleased. Nain had to create those fire-call mirrors and gifted Ethan and Krista with one each before Nikolai was appeased.

Ethan then frowned before a certain scent reaches his nostrils and his red eyes shifted to a corner table where a brunette wearing shabby robes was seated, looking at the table where Sirius Black and Charlus Potter were seated at hopefully.

Lycan, Ethan's vampire instincts hissed at him. As vampires and werewolves are technically mortal enemies due to their conflicting natures, whenever one is in the vicinity of a vampire, their battle instincts will be enhanced.

Ethan frowned when he saw Krista's back tensing—clearly, she had felt the Lycan's presence too.

That lycan better don't do anything stupid in his territory, Ethan frowned even as he saw faint shadows flickering around outside in the streets of Grim Avenue through the windows. It is after all not the first time that they've thrown out people belonging to Albus Dumbledore's chicken society.

Those fools seriously still haven't learned that there is no way they could hide from a Downworlder's senses.

XXXXXX

By this point, Charlus Potter and Sirius Black were frequent regulars of Moon's Dew, and Krista knew their orders by heart by now.

The two men have often come with their friends, but for that day, they've came alone. Clearly, judging from Sirius' depictions of how he had somehow managed to upset his girlfriend who had an early visitor from women's monthly visitor, they need it.

"And how did you upset Marlene this time?" Krista asked, amused, even as she placed down bottles of their drinks onto the surface of the table. While Moon's Dew used house elves as part of their waiting and cleaning staff, there are also jobs around the bar-cum-inn that the elves couldn't do. Krista knew for one that Grim Avenue is slowly growing in popularity, and Ethan is slowly getting overwhelmed by the work involved, and is seriously considering hiring another staff member.

"I don't even know!" Sirius bemoaned, much to Charlus' amusement. "I have completely no idea what I've done to piss her off this time! Women! I can never understand them." He grumbled.

Krista raised a brow. "I'll be sure to inform Marlene of your opinions, Sirius," she said dryly, and Sirius paled.

Charlus chuckled. "Lily was particularly ferocious when she was having her time of the month." The Potter lord recalled. "I recall that James always used to schedule Auror guard duty around that time to avoid Lily. It was worse when she was pregnant, and she had all those mood swings. She will be ordering James to make her a banana split sundae with honey one day before ordering him to wake up at 2AM to get her some chocolate crepes with seaweed paste on it the next."

Sirius looked rather green at that. Why do women always crave for the most disgusting things when pregnant?

"…Krista. Ten o'clock."

Ethan's low murmur from his corner behind the bar counter reaches Krista's ears, and she frowned. To a normal human, they likely wouldn't be able to hear him, but Downworlders have enhanced senses, and could even hear someone talking even through three stone walls.

The dhampir glanced towards the direction that Ethan had mentioned and soon found herself zoning in on a certain lycan that she knew Sirius and Charlus are still pissed with.

Amongst the Downworlder society, the term lycan is the official name for someone inflicted with the wolf gene. The word werewolf is an almost derogatory name, and is never mentioned in polite company amongst Downworlder circles.

Krista frowned when she got a whiff of something from that man.

Good Morgana! Someone please tell her that this lycan isn't stupid enough to use that poison!

The invention of the Wolfsbane Potion some years ago had caused waves amongst the Downworlders. No respectable lycan will down that potion, as it basically poisons them and their wolf side, causing even more pain every month. The transformation into a wolf every month on the night of the full moon will not hurt a lycan if they fully accepted themselves, and they will even keep their minds.

The Wolfsbane Potion however is the complete opposite of that.

The Praetor Lupus is after all responsible for teaching young lycans to handle their transformations.

Hence, this is only one amongst the several reasons why the Downworlders abhor the magical society of Great Britain.

…This probably explains why nearly every single Downworlder in Moon's Dew right now is glaring daggers at the corner where the idiotic lycan is. All of them could smell the poison in his veins. And the most ironic thing is that that idiot likely doesn't even know why they are pissed and insulted.

The name Remus Lupin isn't a popular one amongst Downworlder circles.

Krista groaned to herself before she recalled her meeting with the Lupina and Lupus of the Praetor Lupus, along with Fenrir Greyback some years back when the Praetor had first sent out the call to all lycans.

"If you ever meet that pup, give him the truth as it is." The Lupus told Krista with his deep voice. "It is time we stop coddling him and treat him as the adult that he is. And if he wants to continue denying himself and his wolf side, then fine. He'll no longer be our responsibility, and we will not aid him. He will be oathbreaker to us."

Krista sighed before straightening up.

"Krista?" Charlus questioned.

"I got some business to attend to," was all that Krista said before she turned and made her way towards the table where Remus Lupin is seated.

Remus looked up at the dhampir nervously. His wolf side almost howled in submission as he met the gaze of the girl in front of him.

"Can I take your order?" Krista asked with forced politeness. Much like everyone in Grim Avenue, Krista has no love lost for those in Albus Dumbledore's chicken society. And that senile old man must think that the Downworlders are idiots if he thought that they couldn't tell who is working for him.

"Uh… Not right now." Remus Lupin murmured, glancing at Charlus and Sirius hopefully once more.

You'll have better luck than the others, I'm sure, Dumbledore had assured him when he had asked Remus to try his luck in planting a spy of some sort in Grim Avenue. You won't fail me, he had said.

What the hell was he thinking? Remus almost groaned when he met the steel gaze of the dhampir—which from what little news that he knew from Arthur Weasley who is pretty cool with him and all those associated with Dumbledore lately is also the granddaughter of one of the twelve vampire lords.

She is basically vampire royalty.

Krista frowned even as she stared down at Remus—she could do that despite her petite stature because the man is sitting down.

"I bit him because it's the only way to save the others of our kind from getting killed by that group of hunters that Lyall Lupin led." Fenrir Greyback admitted in the closed room session with the Lupina and Lupus and even with Krista and Nathaniel. "The pups—those that were newly bitten and turned didn't know any better. The Praetor didn't even have the chance to get to them yet. And yet, Lyall Lupin and his group of monsters slaughtered them like they were animals!" A ferocious growl tore from Fenrir's throat, causing two of the Praetor's guards to tense up. "He called us soulless monsters. I won't stand for that. Being a lycan is not a disease! You belong to a pack—to a family. We are brothers and sisters. He has no right saying that about us and doing that!"

"So you basically bit Lyall Lupin's son because you were trying to protect your lycan brothers and sisters?" The Lupus questioned, and Fenrir nodded. "Did you ever take him in as your pup as was dictated by Praetor law?"

Fenrir shook his head. "I couldn't. His father fought me off before I had even managed to do more than bite him," he admitted. "And even after that, Lyall Lupin kept the pup from public view. I was honestly surprised that Lyall Lupin didn't abandon his son after that. But it worked. He stopped being a hunter and leading all those petitions on werewolf legislations."

Honestly, just why do the British loathes the Downworlders so much? Just what did they ever do to them?

Krista lowered her voice even as she addressed Remus Lupin, knowing that he could hear her. "…I know who you are. You can either remove yourself from our vicinity and Grim Avenue, or I'll do it for you—in pieces."

Remus paled.

"I'm not—"

"Do you think us as blind or fools?" Krista scoffed. "We can tell if someone is sent here by Dumbledore. You aren't the first person to infiltrate Grim Avenue, and you won't be the last. You can't hide your intentions from us. We can smell it if you lie. Just like how we can smell the poison in your blood." Remus looked curious at that. The dhampir said the same thing as the last werewolf whom he had contact with had said and whom he was trying to convince to take the Wolfsbane. "Whether you like it or not, you are a Lycan. The sooner you accept it, the better it is for you."

"Lycan…" Remus tested the word on his tongue. "What is that? The last werewolf pack I met in northern Europe called themselves that."

Krista resisted the urge to palm her face even as she stared at Remus incredulously. She didn't even have to turn to know that every single Downworlder in Moon's Dew is currently staring at Remus like he'd grown two new heads.

…He didn't even know what a lycan is?

Are you serious right now?

"Lycan is the official name that the Downworlders uses for those with the wolf gene." Krista answered. "We don't use the derogatory name that Magical Britain sees fit to label those carrying the gene."

Remus flinched but met Krista's steel gaze stubbornly. "Those inflicted are just cursed, nothing more," he said stubbornly, and Krista heard angry growls and hisses from the few werewolves in the bar. "It is no gift."

Krista's eye twitched, and she tightened her grip on the serving tray that she is holding to prevent herself from smashing said tray over the idiotic lycan's head.

"Repeat that again, and you won't be getting out of this place alive." Krista hissed, and Remus paled, as he suddenly remembered where he is. "I have a message from the Praetor Lupus for you, Remus Lupin, pup of Fenrir Greyback. The Lupina and the Lupus are calling for all Lycans to their side. If you see yourself as one of them, answer their call and submit to their rule and your nature as one of the Children of the Moon. Don't answer, and you'll forever be an outcast to those of Avalon. The Praetor will not hinder you. But neither will they aid you in your time of need. Downworlders are always loyal to our own first and foremost. You'll be Oathbreaker to us. And you'll also be free game to the Downworlders. So make your decision."

"I am a wizard." Remus Lupin said stubbornly, refusing to face up to the facts that have been laid bare in front of him, and what is risking him. Seems like Avalon finally had enough of his antics in tarnishing their name for all these years and had given him an ultimatum—he is either one of them or their enemy.

Krista's eye twitched. I hope you guys have a long and thick line of patience if you intend to deal with this idiot in the near future, she thought to herself, pitying the Praetor. He doesn't intend to think of himself as anything but a wizard. Fool.

"Hear this—the longer that you deny yourself and your wolf side, the longer it is going to hurt. Whether you like it or not, you're a Downworlder, and the world will see you as one." Krista said bluntly. Remus opened his mouth to argue, but shut it when he saw the dangerous look in green orbs. "The more you consort yourself with the likes of Albus Dumbledore and the rest of his chicken society, the more you will be an outcast amongst our kind. Neither Downworlder nor wizard. Not human and not lycan either. So tell me, Remus Lupin. Just what are you?"


A/N: This is going to be a pretty short chapter this time around, as it is like a filler chapter to learn more about the Shadow Society before I enter in the thick of things with the bigotry issues still plaguing Britain despite the cleansing that Rufus had been doing.

I hope that you like this chapter, and sorry for the long hiatus! Please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!