Chapter Six: Adrian- The One Who Calls Me James
A/N- Sorry, very sorry for the delay. High school is well, big, very big. And VERY tiring. I've never been sleepier in my life! I tried to get this out by Saturday, but it just didn't work, but now it's Sunday night and I have the urge to write after watching Charmed. I tried writing on Saturday but instead I started working on my buffy/x-men thingie which is crapitie-crap-crap. Ok here's five pages which is all I could do. Please R/R. Thanx
Monday night September second stared as one of the crappiest days I'd ever experienced. That morning, through owl post, a letter came telling me I was to go to McGonagall's class that night a six o' clock. At first I was afraid Spike had told someone about my Animagus study, but then I saw Ron and Harry had equally odd notes asking them to report to Snape's dungeons at three. Since they couldn't have possibly done something to warrant detention they puzzled over the notes, and groaned about spending extra time with Snape. I can't say I envied them.
Our first class was Divinations, while the girls went off to Arithmancy. Harry told them that now that Professor Treawlny was gone, they'd probably enjoy the class. But for reasons we couldn't figure out Hermione and Piper liked working with numbers and found Arithmancy easy. To us it just looked like random numbers jumbled together with no significance what so ever.
Cordelia (actually Professor Chase now) had moved us on to crystal balls this semester. As she taught I could see the grimace underneath her fixed smile. She knew that to her any everyone else in this room all that was in the crystal balls was gray fog. Given a choice, she'd probably have been teaching about fortune telling demons, but that wasn't in the Hogwarts curriculum. Ron pointed out Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, who looked less than happy with the professors enthusiasm level on the subject. Then we went back to staring in the fog and writing out our supposed observations.
"Having a statue fall on your head again I see." Harry commented.
"Yup." I said, resisting the urge to drop the ball on the floor. I loved Professor Chase very much, but this was pointless.
We had History of Magic next with Willow. We were back to being with our own years and houses this time, which was ok because I didn't really know anyone in any other years except for Candra and Ron's sister Ginny. The Hufflepuff Sixth Years were with us. Willow assigned another yearlong project. It wasn't as detailed or complicated as last years. We only had to keep a log of our lives from now until June, and then turn them in. She would also be assigning nightly homework on the subjects we covered in class. Goblin rebellions, giant wars, and different treaties were among those.
Like Professor Chase she obviously didn't want to be teaching to those guidelines. But, as she explained to us when we all groaned heartily during this announcement, the school was under watch from the ministry and would be having visits from various representatives from the governor's board and the department of magical education at the ministry.
She promised us though, that we could talk about current events at the end of class every day. This cheered some of us. Willow asked us to open our books, and she sat cross-legged on her desk and began to read the first exhilarating chapter on Goblin Rebellion to us. We all like Willow, but just the same, we were happy to leave her class that morning.
History was followed up by Potions. That was a total nightmare that I'm trying desperately to forget now. I was pared up with Malfoy, Snape kept giving me this look that said 'I know you were in my stores. it's just speculation and I can't prove it, but I'm watching you', and I didn't even have to set of a dungbomb and I got two detentions. Spilling some Mandrake leaves was worth one, and then Snape decided the potion was to green for his liking, and that it was all my fault. Malfoy got off on all charges of course. It was only because he was Piper's boyfriend that I didn't punch his smug smirk off his face. I figured she'd like to kiss him having his jaw aligned properly. I did have my revenge though. I threw a wet-start firework into a cauldron on our way out to lunch. Snape didn't catch me.
My afternoon schedule was lunch, study, Herbology, then my free period when I was supposed to go to the Transfiguration classroom. I hoped that Herbology would be more interesting than my classes that morning. I knew that Transfiguration and DADA would be fun I only had those four times a week this year and not on Monday.
Dad was at lunch posing as Hagrid's stray. He gave us a dog-ish grin, but didn't come over. Professor Chase was giving him constant attention, food scraps, and belly rubs. I didn't blame him. I'd have stayed over there too. Remus (Arg, Professor Lupin. See this is the problem with being on a first name basis with your teachers) looked amused over the whole scene, and leaned over to whisper something to Cordelia that made her laugh and scratch behind dads ears.
"He's so lucky." Ron said.
"Why?" Asked Hermione, her brow furrowed.
Harry and Ron blushed slightly. "Well, y'know…she's, well look at her. And Snuf…Anubis has got her all to himself."
"You two are such boys!" Piper rolled her eyes. "Do you lust after every female professor?"
"Besides she's with Angel." I said.
Ron sighed. "Adrian, how can you possibly not like her?"
"I watched Professor Chase and Angel canoodle in various corners around the Hyperion all summer. That answer your question?" I remembered various times I walked in on them making out, even though they claimed to not have anything between them but friendship. "It's like if Candra lived with Buffy and Spike for a week. Trust me, she wouldn't have a crush on him anymore either."
"Boy, nothing could make me stop liking him. He's what one considers a sex-god." Candra called out.
Piper made a disgusted face. "Okay, this discussion is stopping right now. Next thing we know, you hormone raging teens will be after McGonagall and Snape."
For me, lunch was finished after that statement. Too many unwanted mental images were floating around in my head. Harry and Ron pushed their plates far away as well. The girls continued to eat until lunch was over and we all left the Great Hall in our separate directions. Hermione and Piper had free periods and went off in the direction of the Hospital Wing. Candra had Charms and headed off there. Ron, Harry, and I had study. Study was assigned to your choice of the Common Room or the Library. We gathered our stuff and started up the path to the Library. I figured maybe I could get some more books out on Animagi.
"Hi Hayden." I said to the man at the front desk when we entered. Hayden was an official Watcher now, and his post was Hogwarts. He was also our cousin. I didn't know exactly what he did, but I assumed he stayed in the library and did Watcher-type stuff all day. Madam Pince almost certainly didn't mind as long as he didn't make any noise and kept everything he used neat. Piper had come to visit him yesterday after her top-secret trip with Hermione to the Hospital Wing.
"Hello boys." He said, stamping a book. "How's the first day?"
"Snape has it in for us." Ron said, as if that summed up the whole day in a nutshell.
Hayden snorted. "He has it in for everyone. I was a Ravenclaw and he had it in for me."
"You also almost single handedly broke the Marauders total record of detentions for pranks. Yeah, Snape had no reason not to like you." I pointed out.
"Whatever." He replied. "Anything I can do for you?"
"It's study, and the Library seemed better than the common room. We'll just find ourselves a corner and talk a bit." Said Harry.
"Madam Pince is over that way, so I'd suggest going over there by the astronomy section." Hayden pointed to the section he meant. We made our way over, and quietly talked away our ninety minute study.
Herbology was unremarkable. Not unremarkable as in amazing or astonishing, but as in completely boring and sleep rendering. Professor Sprout spent the whole lesson going over the rules for Greenhouse Five. They were the same rules that applied Greenhouses four, three, two, and one, which we'd heard all about last year.
So after this boring and seemingly horrible day I was quite ready for tomorrow. After dinner I was ready to go back to the dorm and sleep straight through next mornings breakfast, but I was reminded my Piper that I had to go to the Transfiguration room. I figured I should go see what it was about because Ron and Harry seemed less than willing to talk about their meeting with Snape, and Piper and Hermione weren't speaking about their trips to the Hospital Wing. When I told them I was to tired to go they started talking to each other in conspiratal whispers about what they'd been told. It worked, piquing my interest so that I lazily walked to the classroom and ended up getting a big surprise
*~*
There were two boys and a girl outside the class when I got there. One boy was a seventh year Gryffindor and the boy was a sixth year Slytherin. The girl was from Hufflepuff, but I didn't know here year. The lamps were lit inside the class and the door was propped open almost invitingly. I wondered why no one had stepped in. When I looked back to the other students I noticed the girl looked petrified and both boys were at least slightly scared, but held their fear from showing on their faces by masking it over with worried and glaring looks.
I stood there with out speaking for at least five minutes. The other three held their silence as well. From the room, there was the occasional crash and sometimes I swore I heard a throaty growl, like two animals fighting. When I laid my hand on the doorknob the Hufflepuff grabbed it and shook her head frantically.
"You can't go in there!" She whispered.
I tried to peer into the room again but the propped open door only provided a sliver of spying space. A loud shattering made me back away from the door once more. "What's going on here, I got a note-"
"So did we." Said the Slytherin boy in an annoyed tone. "But we arrived here and they were in there fighting."
"Fighting," the seventh year confirmed. "But Headmaster Dumbledore passed by and said we should remain until they finished."
I'd given up an early slumber for this. "Who's fighting?" I asked with a sigh of exasperation.
The girl turned a pale shade of white, and her fingers began to tremble. "T-t-there's a…there's a vampire in there!"
"Vampire?" I asked, blinking.
"Yeah, blond hair and fangs." Said the Gryffindor. "Not that scary if you ask me, just took us by surprise."
I didn't say anything else. I reached out for the door again, and shrugged the girls hand off when she tried to stop me. Without opening the door too much, I slipped in and shut the door behind me. What greeted me was a vase, smashing about three inches above my head. I looked to the back of the room and saw that Spike had thrown it from underneath…Angel?
The door was securely closed with a chair I wedged under it. Though the vase had come my way, neither of them had seen me yet or noticed the door opening. I stalked to the back of the room all the while thinking about various ways McGonagall would think to hurt them for destroying her room like this. Not that it couldn't be put back together with a spell, but I had the feeling if the didn't stop soon even that would take to long.
Angel was in the middle of throttling Spike when I pulled him off. They'd broken a table in the processes of the fight and one of the splintered legs made a great threat to get them in separate corners. I wasn't planning on using it, and they probably knew that, but they listened anyway. Spike was the first to shift his face back to normal, and when Angel followed suit I dropped the makeshift stake on the remains of a bench. They both glared but at the same time looked like guilty kids. For their sake, I really hoped it wasn't one of their stupid and petty arguments because if it was they were going to get in trouble. Slayer trouble. Actually, they'd get in trouble even if it weren't some petty argument.
"Do I even want to know?" I asked with a sigh. They were to concerned about their glaring to answer. "What happened in here? Why are you two even in the school?"
"Supposed to be teachin' a bloody class." Spike muttered.
"You?" I smirked. Angel laughed. "I mean, er, you're teaching a class?"
"You know anyone else around here who can teach fightin'? Not Peaches the Poof, that's for sure." Spike said as he searched for a cigarette and lighter.
Angel raised an eyebrow. "Note that he's the one teaching kids and smoking."
"Good point," I said dryly. "Uh, there're three kids waiting outside you know, and by now they probably think you've sucked me dry or something." I stopped and switched my glance to Angel. It was as if I hadn't really registered his presence before then. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Don't ask him that, he'll punch you." Spike threw in.
"Buffy and Cordelia wrote me." Angel said simply, then threw another glare at Spike. "Since Sit-'n-Spin seems to think he's got a class to teach I'll go. I'll talk to you later Adrian."
When he walked out of the classroom door I heard the girl out side give a small squeak of fear, but she said nothing else. Spike, cigarette still between his lips, went to the door and told them all to come inside. There was a collective gasp from them concerning the state of the room, and the fact I was alive and looked unharmed.
"Sorry 'bout that, had visit from a friend." Spike said taking a drag. He stood at the front of the room looking very un-teacher like in his usual black ensemble starting with the duster and ending with his combat boots. The four of us sat on the only undestroyed bench kicking wood splinters at our feet.
"Are you a teacher?" Asked the Gryffindor.
"Yeah. My names Spike. I'm a vampire. If any of you got a problem with that you leave now." When no one moved he rubbed out the remains of his smoke with his boot and went on. "I'm supposed to teach you how to fight and be able to defend yourself so you can fight against Voldemort with Dumbledore when you graduate. By the end of the year you might be able to stake me."
Spike as a teacher. I wondered if the school was facing budget cuts. Or maybe Dumbledore really was going crazy.
"Anyone here think they know how to fight? Not you Adrian." When no one responded he grinned. "I didn't think so. Well, that's what you're here to learn, and to use one 'a these." He hefted a crossbow that lay by McGonagall's desk to his shoulder. I grinned. In L.A the only weapons I'd been allowed to touch were the swords.
"Why are we the ones here?" asked the Slytherin.
"Because your headmaster thinks you're the fighting type. And you're not the only ones; my fiancé teaches this same course during the day." Spike sat the crossbow back down and lit another fag. "The bloke that went outa here before will teach fencing. Not that he's great at it mind you, that ass-hole…" He trailed off taking a long drag. "Sorry. Don't like him much. I'm not gonna do anything with you tonight, so you can go. The room'll be clean tomorrow and we can start."
I remained on the bench as the other three left.
"Your dad said you looked dead tired at dinner. Go to bed." Spike said, when he saw I was still sitting.
"You and Angel are teaching?!"
"And Buffy. If you're going to be here, make yourself useful and start cleaning up this room before McGonagall gets back."
I started casting repair spells half -heartedly and watched as a few benches and desks started pulling back together. "So?"
"So what?"
"Oh never mind!" I scowled. "Why's Angel here? Really? And why'd he call you Sit-'n-Spin?"
"Angel's here because Buffy, Willow, and Cordy called him over for the wedding. Now that he's here Dumbledore just figured that he could teach fencing in his spar time. And Sit-'n-Spin refers to what I call the Unnamed Wheel Chair Incident. Let's just say it involved an organ, a wheel chair, and pain."
"You guys set a wedding date?" I asked. "Why wasn't I informed of this."
"'Cause we decided it this morning. It's gonna be December 27th."
"Then why is Angel here now, September 2nd?"
"He punched me when I asked him that." When I gave him a disbelieveing look he amended, "Well I also insulted his mother, but he called my sister a whore."
"Ah," I didn't want to delve into that. "So can we expect random fights in classrooms for the next three months?"
"Depends if the bugger pisses me off." Spike grunted. "I'm heading home. The giggle fest should be over."
"Huh?"
"your sis and Candra went over to visit Buffy and Dawn for awhile. Piper wanted to introduce Candra and Oz."
I nodded and started to gather my things. Spike grabbed the crossbow and walked with me to the door. Professor McGonagall was standing behind the door when I pulled it open. Spike and I looked at each other then hurriedly excused ourselves from her presence and her class room. I had reached the staircases when I heard her shrill yell,
"Adrian Black! Get back here!" 'Geeze', I thought racing up the steps. 'didn't she even see Spike?' "William!" She called out. Ah that was better. It was a good thing we didn't have Transfiguration tomorrow.
Mrs. Norris the cat stepped out of the shadows of the corridor. When she saw me she turned a ran off to the left, probably to Filch. I groaned, Filch would be there any second and he'd take me back to McGonagall. I pulled open the first door I saw and went in. I hadn't noticed that it was the door to the Hospital Wing.
Madam Morela glance up from her desk when the door slammed behind me. She cocked an eyebrow and laid down her quill, looking just like dad when he wanted to know something.
"James isn't it?" She asked in her strange voice.
Again, I waited for the customary spasms that came with the name James. They had gotten worse since the Drusilla episode. I was relieved when nothing happened, but it made me wonder even more about her. Taking a look at her in the hospital made me sure she was from my vision. The desk was the same, and in this light her hair looked the same honey brown shade. But still I could see her black roots, and her eyes held lines of blue color coming out of the brown. She was wearing contacts, or had a spell to change her eye color that was on the fritz.
"Adrian or James. Whatever." I said.
"I like James. " She winked at me. "So what can I do for you?"
"Actually I'm just waiting for Mrs. Norris to pass by." I didn't feel like inventing a story, so I stuck with the truth. "So, I'm just passing through."
Madam Morela stood and came from behind the desk. "Well that's good. Professor Dumbledore asked me to check up on your wounds from last year. To make sure they scared properly, and healed."
"They're fine." I said, not letting her lead me to a bed. I hated the scars on my chest and shoulders. They were long scars made slowly and painfully from rivulets of holy water. There were many of them, and they crossed in and out of each other making ugly patterns. The two scars on my back were in the shape of a cross. They were small, but they'd burned harshly. On my neck were Dru's bite marks from when she'd tried to turn me. They were barely visable now, but I knew exactly where they were. Only a few people I seen all of them, and I wasn't comfortable showing them.
I hadn't had them checked on by a professional since Madam Pomfrey had treated them. Fred had tried to get me to a doctor, but I always refused. I told her there'd be to many questions. She relented and gave me Advil whenever they started to bother me or become stiff. That didn't happen much any more, and when it did I ignored it.
"Don't worry James," she said touching my arm. "It won't hurt."
"I'm seriously fine. They're just scars."
"C'mon," the madam applied more force and directed me in the direction of a cot. When she finaly got me to sit down, she sat next to me. "You'll have to take off your shirt."
"Are you really sure about this?" I didn't look directly at her. "They're not pretty."
She moved her hair from her right shoulder and pulled up the sleeve of her robe. It revealed a jagged looking scar from her shoulder to her elbow. "Werewolf back in '75, seventh year. He killed my best friend as he changed after raping her. We all have scars."
"I'm sorry." It sounded lame, but my mouth felt sand dry. "So you're a…" I trailed off, not wanting to pry too much.
"No," she shook her head. "It's a scratch from a claw. Hagrid found me and clubbed it before it could do anything else."
I pulled off my shirt and turned to my back on the bed. Morela placed her wand on the bedside table and ran her fingers softly over the holy water scars. When she reached my shoulder she took her wand and seconds later I felt a gentle warming sensation. The muscle under my skin shifted itself into a different position and suddenly it felt looser than it had since last June.
"Fine eh?" She said massaging my shoulder until it felt normal again. "The muscle had been eaten at by the water. I assume it occasionally stiff?"
I nodded sheepishly. "A little. I took some muggle stuff."
"No one took you to a doctor?"
"Didn't want one. Fred and Angel really wanted me to go though."
"You take after your father don't you?" There was a sarcastic note in her voice now.
"You knew him?" I asked cautiously.
"Know him. Anyway, why didn't you let someone take you? That would've given you a lot of trouble in a few years." Morela said, absently rubbing her own scar.
"They're embarising." I said sighing. "I mean, I was trussed up and tourtured for two weeks. Would you like to admit that?"
"The logic of teens." She rolled her eyes. "James, they shouldn't be emebarising. None of that was your fault. It was that bitch Drusilla and the bastard Pettigrew, at least Dru's gone now. And you'll get Pettigrew one day."
I flipped to my stomach, so she could view my back. "We hope."
She traced the crosses and the few other scars on my back with care. On my neck she found the bite marks and sighed. "For some reason it always happens to the young. I'm going to lighten the cross scars okay?"
"Thanks." I felt more warmth, and when I touched my back again the scars weren't as noticeable.
"It was my pleasure." Madam Morela handed me my shirt. "From now on go to the doctor, muggle or magical. Given three years that shoulder would've frozen on you." She smiled slightly at my involuntary shudder. "Good, maybe I've scared some sense into you. I'm late though I'm afraid. Professor Snape graciously offered to teach me in some more advanced potions tonight and it wouldn't do well to be late."
"Definatly not." I muttered.
"Oh, I didn't say anything to him about your little adventure in his room. I must apologize for my attitude that day, I wasn't really pleasant to be around."
"That's fine. I was asking for trouble."
"The ingredients you collected though, they were interesting. Usually used for self transfiguration potions." She gave a small smile. "If anything happens during your little experiment please come directly here. We'll keep it between us."
"More like between me, you and Spike." I said with a slight frown.
"James, if you end up with rabbit teeth or a dogs tail just come here, okay?" she didn't wait for a response as she strolled from the room.
*~*
A/n- I'm so tired. It's 10:21. I been writng for 1hr and 21mins nonstop. I'm fized out now, so I'm gonna go curl up with a romance novel that I shouldn't be reading. G'night everyone.
