1 Lily, the Vampire Slayer
By: Br@nw3n
Chapter Eight
God, she loved January. She was in love with the concept of the New Year, in love with the idea of New Year's Resolutions. And most of all in love with the notion of starting anew. Where the past was supposedly forgotten and the future is bright, a clean slate. Ready for one to make new decisions that would weave itself into a tapestry, a new beginning. A time to try to forget about the past.
She looked out the Common Room window, tapping her pen on the table on which she propped her elbows on whilst she did her homework, as she had promised Ernie.
She had almost finished all of the schoolwork that the tyrannical teachers had assigned over Christmas break when she had noticed that it was midnight and finally time to ring in the New Year.
She restlessly played with the necklace that Ernie had given her for Christmas. It was a gold star shaped pendant, it was supposed to symbolize her, starfish.
It was Ernie's pet name for her. A starfish. Rough on the outside, protecting itself, but very delicate. A few minutes out of the water and it dies. Untouchable beauty.
She looked around the Common Room and realized that no one was around to celebrate with.
'Guess Wizards don't take the New Year as seriously as Muggles do,' she thought.
She stared out the window, longing to jump out and start her patrol. She returned her attention to the Potions essay that the evil bitch from the dungeons had given. Well, she was half-done and she only promised to have good grades not exactly be the perfect student, so, she did the only rational thing a Slayer would do when confronted with a situation like the one she was.
She dumped all the stuff that littered the table into her bag and rushed up the stairs, unbuttoning her huge flannel shirt on the way up. She quietly opened the door to her dorm and dumped her bag on her bed. She quickly jumped out of her matching flannel pyjamas and put on a pair of jeans. She threw a jacket over her tank top and grabbed her weapons bag.
Then, she ran down the stairs and jumped off, never noticing the stake that fell from her duffel nor the hand that reached out to scoop it up from the floor and stick his head out the window, watching the red-head's retreating figure.
"What in the world…" Remus Lupin asked of no one in particular as he studied the wooden piece in his palm.
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"So, after four months, you finally show up?" she pouted at the handsome vamp. "You didn't even call!"
"Slayer, Slayer, Slayer," he tsked, giving her a feral grin.
"Dumbass, dumbass, dumbass," she raised an eyebrow seductively, trying to lure him. "So, what is your name, anyway?"
He shook his head. "You have to squeeze it out of me."
"My pleasure."
And with that she launched herself at him. He side-stepped her attack and she rolled herself to a stop and stood up. He readily attacked her by ramming his knee into her gut, causing her to double over in pain. He threw himself on top of her and his angelic features morphed into those of a demon's. He choked her with a hand and she countered by ramming her forehead into his.
He grunted and let go, pulling himself into a sitting position. She took advantage of the situation and simultaneously whipped a stake from her jacket pocket while she continuously aimed kick after kick at his face, causing his nose to spurt blood.
He grabbed her leg and anticipated her other leg, which, if he hadn't grabbed it and used both of her legs to his benefit and pulled, causing her to spin in mid-air, she would've used to snap his neck.
She landed with a thud on the ground and he positioned himself on top of her, ceasing her from rising to her feet.
"Didn't squeeze hard enough," he taunted her, as he reverted to his human face.
"Ever heard of a tic-tac, bub?" she said, breathily.
"The rumors were true then," he mused, stroking her cheek. "Slayers are unnaturally beautiful."
"Oh, pshaw!" she feigned embarrassment. "I bet you say that to all the Slayers."
Then, when he wasn't expecting it, she flung her fist into his sensitive and bloodied nose, causing him a formidable amount of pain.
He sat up and grabbed his nose. She stood up and grabbed his arm. "Like I haven't heard that stupid come-on before."
She roughly pulled him to his feet and twisted his arm behind his back pulling his head back so his eyes were locked with hers.
"Flattery'll get you nowhere with this Slayer. So just cut the crap."
She let go of his head and twirled in front of him, expertly slamming the stake into his unbeating heart.
She dislodged the stake from his convulsing form, expecting him to turn to dust, but crumble into ashes, he did not. A scarlet glow exuded from his chest and Lily watched, curious yet repulsed at the sight of his skin closing and mending itself slowly.
She could see the agony plastered over the vamp's handsome human face, pain clearly visible in his crystalline blue eyes.
But she continued to observe his healing skin. She felt no compassion for the creature. He was a piece of vermin. The man who had been born into the body that stood before her had died ages ago.
She watched the skin heal perfectly and stood, horrified, before the now standing creature. It was grinning.
"Pitiful Slayer, aren't you?"
She screamed and aimed another blow to his face but he easily caught it.
"I thought Slayers had heightened senses. Couldn't you tell, smell it? I'm not entirely vampire, you know? And my name is Ezekiel." He brought her fist down and locked gazes with her. "I will not kill you now, for you are unprepared. We shall meet again. And to quote an overused adage, 'Same place, same time'?"
"I'll be waiting," she sneered, as she watched him disappear in a puff of smoke. "Incorrigible prick of an ass."
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"Oi," Remus silently drew the attentions of his comrades. "I think I know what Lily really is."
"An evil psychopath who just escaped from St. Mungo's and decided to join Hogwarts and make life a living heck for the unlucky chosen few, which is us, and after torturing us enough, kill us!" Sirius sighed dramatically.
"Shut it, Padfoot," James ordered, to which Sirius blew him a raspberry. James crossed his eyes at him then nodded at Remus. "Go on."
"Look at what I've found." He held out the stake.
The other Marauders stared at it for a moment.
"She has a fetish for broken wood?" Sirius spoke up after a few moments silence.
"She likes to break chairs and tables?" Peter piped up.
Remus rolled his eyes at them. "It's a stake."
"Rare or well-done?" James made a face as Sirius and Peter looked at each other in confusion.
"Stake, s-t-a-k-e, not s-t-e-a-k."
"What's that?" the three of them chorused.
"A wooden stake, ring any bells?"
"No."
"Vampires."
"How'd vampires get into this conversation?" they asked.
"Lily is a Vampire Slayer," Remus said bluntly, tired of having them guess.
"What's that?" Peter voiced the question that was on everyone's minds.
Remus rubbed his face in frustration.
"I got it!" Sirius said, triumphant. "A person who slays vampires!"
"Doy!" James cuffed the back of Sirius' head.
Remus snorted and pulled out a thick book from his bag and set it on the table. He opened it to certain page. "Look here, see."
"See what?" Peter queried.
"This."
Remus pointed at the page impatiently. When they didn't start reading, he grumbled. "Gads, I'll read it."
"The world is older than any mortal has known of. And contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as paradise. For untold eons, demons walked the earth. Made it their home- their hell.
"But in time, they lost their purchase of this reality and the way was made for mortal humans, animals and certain magicks, witches, wizards, Wiccans. What remains of the Old Ones are vestiges. Certain magicks, certain creatures…"
"Like vampires," James realized.
"Yes, vampires," Remus confirmed. "Now, the book says that the last demon that left this reality fed off a human, mixed their blood. He was in human form, though possessed-infected- by the demon's soul. And he bit another, and another…and so they walk the earth feeding. Killing some, mixing their blood with others to make more of their kind. Waiting for the animals to die out and for the Old Ones to return."
"So, that still doesn't answer our question," Peter chirped. "What's a Slayer?"
Remus scanned the page for a while then continued to read out loud. "Into every generation a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One. One born with the strength-"
A voice joined his. "-and skill to hunt the vampires; find them where they gather, stop the spread of their evil and-"
Remus stopped and turned around and came face to face with the owner of the voice.
Lily Evans.
"The swell of their numbers," she finished sneering at them. "You nimrods just couldn't mind your own business, could ya? Had to see what the new kid's deal was, right?"
They all stared at her in shock and…fear.
Sirius was the first to find his voice. "No wonder you're such a weirdo."
She grabbed his shirt and growled. "Not as much've a freak as you are."
She sniffed him and added, "Ya mangy mutt."
He was taken aback as she pushed him back into his seat. "How sure're you guys that I'm the Slayer even? All you got's a piece of wood and a theory. You're probably just blowing things all outta proportion, y'know. You should stop accusing people."
"I saw you jump out of a window," Remus stated.
"Anyone can do that," she responded, nonchalant, though deep down she was cursing herself for being caught so easily.
"Eight floors up."
"Whatever, hello! I'm a witch! Even you can do that."
They stared at her for stupidly and she smirked. "See? Dumbasses."
And with that she left, leaving three very embarrassed boys and one still scanning the book, behind.
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"That was close," she mumbled to herself as she flipped through the book Ernie had left for her. "Those dumbasses sure got things figured out."
She was looking for info on how to kill the Ezekiel guy. He couldn't be staked, but could he be burned? She didn't know.
She arduously scanned each page, searching for anything about it. When she was about to give up hope, due to the fact that she was nearing the end of the tome, she found it.
Ezekiel. Born 1725, died 1748. A Wiccan practitioner. Powerful magickal being. Powers were blinking, self-healing and levitation. Was placed under a vampire's spell and was bitten. His powers of good were corrupted, turning him into a part-warlock, part-vampire hybrid. Can not be killed through normal ways, for his self-healing prevents his true death. A cleansing and stripping spell must be cast by a Wiccan to strip him of his powers. And then, only then, Can he be defeated.
"Right. I need a Wiccan. Hope Sammy's up to it," she muttered as she closed the book and gathered her things. "Better stock up my ammunition."
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Ten o'clock, time to leave.
She threw the stake she was sharpening into her bag and placed her Athame back into its sheath which was carefully hidden in her boot. She picked up her sweatshirt and wore it and she stuffed her leather jacket into the bag. Then she carefully hid her battle-axe under the thin sweatshirt.
She pulled back the draperies from her four-poster and silently observed her giggling roommates. God, how she wished for a normal life.
'Snap outta it! You'll never be nothin' else but a Slayer so quit daydreamin' and do your job!'
"Right," she muttered to herself as she got up and shouldered her bag, heading for the door.
"And where do you think you're going?"
She turned to face Cassiopeia Ermstead who was looking at her snobbily.
"And what makes ya think it's any of your business?"
"I could call Professor McGonagall and tell her you're going off to sneak out of the school," she stood up and faced Lily.
Lily shrugged. "I don't care. Like she don't know already."
Cassiopeia squinted her eyes and shot her an evil glare. Then she turned to her friends. "Looky 'ere. The freak is going to go and pretend to fight vampires."
Her cohorts giggled boisterously.
Lily shot Cassiopeia a strained smile them leaned in to whisper. "At least I'm not dating an Animagus, y'know. Let alone a smelly stinky dog."
Cassiopeia stared at her, aghast, then hissed. "How did you- ?"
"Oh, and by the way, can't you get over the fact that I seriously dissed you? I mean, c'mon. What are you? A pretty perfect princess who everybody likes or else you'll sick your supposedly strong boyfriend at them or your really rich political daddy on me? Get over yourself."
And with that she turned around and walked out the room.
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"So, Evans, going out to hunt again?"
She turned and sneered at James Potter. "You still livin' on that?"
"Yes, we are."
"So, where are you going, Evans?" Black spoke up.
"Fuck off, ya mangy mutt."
They were standing by a window near the Gryffindor Common Room, where Lily was about to jump off to meet up with Samantha when she was intercepted by four brain-dead idiots.
"Really, now, are you a Slayer?"
"Hello, so not!"
"So where are you going? If it isn't so important?" Black countered.
"Off to a romantic rendezvous with my boyfriend," she said sarcastically. "Where else?"
"Who'd be patient enough to put up with you?"
She leaned close to him threateningly. "I thought the same thing about you. Who'd put up with your overblown ego and stupidity, but I've been proven wrong a few times before in my life and I've been proven wrong now. That Ermstead chick's a real idiotic bimbo, right? 'Cause she couldn't see through your 'I love you and I'll protect you' act to see what you're really after, could she?"
Black was dumbfounded.
"We don't mean to threaten you. We just want to help," Remus explained.
"You guys're so not a threat to me. And you can't help me anymore than you can help yourselves."
"We can get you out of the castle quickly," Peter offered.
"And all you want is to come and see where I head off to?"
"Yes," was the collective response.
"Well, your funeral," she shrugged, leading them on.
She wouldn't really let them die. Her conscience would see to that. She'd just let the vamps scare the hell out of them just enough to get them to back off.
"You guys know the quickest way outta here and into Hogsmeade?" she asked with a raised brow.
"Do we?!" came the almost enthusiastic response.
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"So, you really are a Slayer or do you just like to sneak out of the castle for fun?" Potter asked from beside her.
"Do I need a lawyer to answer that?" she looked at him, unamused.
"Oh, come on!" he whined. "A straight answer for once in your life!"
"Why so-"
She was cut off by a frightened yelp and she rolled her eyes as she turned around. Pettigrew was about to be vampire food.
"Hey, ugly! Over here!" she called, dropping her duffel onto the ground.
Pettigrew turned and she groaned. "Not you! The undead thing behind you! Move!"
The vampire grabbed him by the neck. "Aw, look! The little Slayer has friends!"
"Aw, the disgusting ass can jump to conclusions," she replied calmly. "Drop the guy, vamp. But if he dies, no heartache here."
"Slayer."
"Yeah, yeah, no need to keep on remindin' me."
He considered his options, the squirming human he held in his grasp or the Slayer, the one his kind feared of, spoke of in low whispers, who was, as he could see, a slip of a girl and had no weapons in her person.
The legendary Vampire Slayer the he could and might defeat. Easy decision.
He dropped the boy and charged, swinging his arm in the air.
The Slayer quickly ducked his attack and aimed a hard blow to his spine. He keeled over but the Slayer expertly aimed a kick to his gut then continued and struck his hideous face. She grabbed his arm, twisted and flipped him over her shoulder. She bent down to his side and gave him a pitying look.
"If it were me, I would've picked the kid, y'know? Too bad," she pretended to pout then took a stake from her jacket pocket and quickly dusted him, feeling satisfied as she heard the faint sickening pop as he crumbled to dust.
She looked up at the three boys who were comforting one terrified Peter Pettigrew.
"If ya wanna go out at night, I just got two rules for ya. One," she raised a finger. "Always watch your back. And two," another finger. "Carry this around with you all the time."
She dug into her bag and retrieved four stakes and threw each of the boys one.
"So, you really are the Slayer, aren't you?" Remus asked, amazed.
"Maybe," was her snappy reply.
She shouldered her bag once again and started for the cemetery. She was looking for Samantha and, well, she had to start somewhere.
She led the Marauders to the cemetery and as she calmly climbed the little hill, she heard soft chanting, sort of like music. Very pleasant music. She quickened her pace and as she reached the other side, she saw a wide circle of differently robed people.
Her brow furrowed as she plopped down on a tombstone and sniffed the air. Nope, they weren't vamps. She listened to the chant for a while, trying to make out the words, but failing to do so as she realized that they weren't in English.
She heard the others approach but paid them no heed as one of the hooded figure's face caught the moonlight. Yep, it was Samantha.
Lily raised her hand to her forehead and did a barely distinguishable two-fingered salute.
"Who in the world are you saluting?" Black's voice came.
"Patience is a virtue."
He snorted but stayed by her side as she observed a blue- robed figure walk up to a maroon robed form, which they suspected as the head of the group, then approach them.
"Hey, Sammy," she greeted, somewhat cheerfully.
The Wizards looked at the hooded figure with curiosity and apprehension.
A delicate hand reached up and pulled the hood back, revealing the face of an angel.
"Slayer," she nodded.
"Gee, nice to see you too. Sorry if I kinda intruded your coven meeting but I really need you to do this humungous favor for me."
Samantha arched a regal brow, a sign which meant for the Slayer to continue.
"There's this vamp who was this Wiccan when he was alive and no matter how much I stake him, he won't dust, y'know? 'Cause he's got this power from his first life that kinda prevents him from dying a second death-he heals himself. So the book says that I need a Wiccan to perform a cleansing and stripping spell, whatever the hell that is. And since I'm no Wiccan, I kinda thought that you could do it for me. For the greater good of humanity or something."
Samantha stood there for a moment contemplating on which course of action to take then she decided. "All right, Slayer. I will help."
And with that she turned on her heel and led them towards the clearing where her village was located, unfastening the cincture around her waist and removing her robe.
Lily followed but noticed the lack of footfalls from behind. She turned and growled. "Hey, you guys, get your butts over here!"
They looked at her, blinking stupidly, then followed.
"Who is she?" James asked.
"My Wiccan friend."
"What's a Wiccan?" Sirius asked.
"Wandless witches and wizards," she replied. "Duh!"
"Well, she's hot!" Sirius muttered.
She rolled her eyes. "Pig."
"What?" James quickly came to his defense. "It's true!"
"Whatever."
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By: Br@nw3n
Chapter Eight
God, she loved January. She was in love with the concept of the New Year, in love with the idea of New Year's Resolutions. And most of all in love with the notion of starting anew. Where the past was supposedly forgotten and the future is bright, a clean slate. Ready for one to make new decisions that would weave itself into a tapestry, a new beginning. A time to try to forget about the past.
She looked out the Common Room window, tapping her pen on the table on which she propped her elbows on whilst she did her homework, as she had promised Ernie.
She had almost finished all of the schoolwork that the tyrannical teachers had assigned over Christmas break when she had noticed that it was midnight and finally time to ring in the New Year.
She restlessly played with the necklace that Ernie had given her for Christmas. It was a gold star shaped pendant, it was supposed to symbolize her, starfish.
It was Ernie's pet name for her. A starfish. Rough on the outside, protecting itself, but very delicate. A few minutes out of the water and it dies. Untouchable beauty.
She looked around the Common Room and realized that no one was around to celebrate with.
'Guess Wizards don't take the New Year as seriously as Muggles do,' she thought.
She stared out the window, longing to jump out and start her patrol. She returned her attention to the Potions essay that the evil bitch from the dungeons had given. Well, she was half-done and she only promised to have good grades not exactly be the perfect student, so, she did the only rational thing a Slayer would do when confronted with a situation like the one she was.
She dumped all the stuff that littered the table into her bag and rushed up the stairs, unbuttoning her huge flannel shirt on the way up. She quietly opened the door to her dorm and dumped her bag on her bed. She quickly jumped out of her matching flannel pyjamas and put on a pair of jeans. She threw a jacket over her tank top and grabbed her weapons bag.
Then, she ran down the stairs and jumped off, never noticing the stake that fell from her duffel nor the hand that reached out to scoop it up from the floor and stick his head out the window, watching the red-head's retreating figure.
"What in the world…" Remus Lupin asked of no one in particular as he studied the wooden piece in his palm.
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"So, after four months, you finally show up?" she pouted at the handsome vamp. "You didn't even call!"
"Slayer, Slayer, Slayer," he tsked, giving her a feral grin.
"Dumbass, dumbass, dumbass," she raised an eyebrow seductively, trying to lure him. "So, what is your name, anyway?"
He shook his head. "You have to squeeze it out of me."
"My pleasure."
And with that she launched herself at him. He side-stepped her attack and she rolled herself to a stop and stood up. He readily attacked her by ramming his knee into her gut, causing her to double over in pain. He threw himself on top of her and his angelic features morphed into those of a demon's. He choked her with a hand and she countered by ramming her forehead into his.
He grunted and let go, pulling himself into a sitting position. She took advantage of the situation and simultaneously whipped a stake from her jacket pocket while she continuously aimed kick after kick at his face, causing his nose to spurt blood.
He grabbed her leg and anticipated her other leg, which, if he hadn't grabbed it and used both of her legs to his benefit and pulled, causing her to spin in mid-air, she would've used to snap his neck.
She landed with a thud on the ground and he positioned himself on top of her, ceasing her from rising to her feet.
"Didn't squeeze hard enough," he taunted her, as he reverted to his human face.
"Ever heard of a tic-tac, bub?" she said, breathily.
"The rumors were true then," he mused, stroking her cheek. "Slayers are unnaturally beautiful."
"Oh, pshaw!" she feigned embarrassment. "I bet you say that to all the Slayers."
Then, when he wasn't expecting it, she flung her fist into his sensitive and bloodied nose, causing him a formidable amount of pain.
He sat up and grabbed his nose. She stood up and grabbed his arm. "Like I haven't heard that stupid come-on before."
She roughly pulled him to his feet and twisted his arm behind his back pulling his head back so his eyes were locked with hers.
"Flattery'll get you nowhere with this Slayer. So just cut the crap."
She let go of his head and twirled in front of him, expertly slamming the stake into his unbeating heart.
She dislodged the stake from his convulsing form, expecting him to turn to dust, but crumble into ashes, he did not. A scarlet glow exuded from his chest and Lily watched, curious yet repulsed at the sight of his skin closing and mending itself slowly.
She could see the agony plastered over the vamp's handsome human face, pain clearly visible in his crystalline blue eyes.
But she continued to observe his healing skin. She felt no compassion for the creature. He was a piece of vermin. The man who had been born into the body that stood before her had died ages ago.
She watched the skin heal perfectly and stood, horrified, before the now standing creature. It was grinning.
"Pitiful Slayer, aren't you?"
She screamed and aimed another blow to his face but he easily caught it.
"I thought Slayers had heightened senses. Couldn't you tell, smell it? I'm not entirely vampire, you know? And my name is Ezekiel." He brought her fist down and locked gazes with her. "I will not kill you now, for you are unprepared. We shall meet again. And to quote an overused adage, 'Same place, same time'?"
"I'll be waiting," she sneered, as she watched him disappear in a puff of smoke. "Incorrigible prick of an ass."
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"Oi," Remus silently drew the attentions of his comrades. "I think I know what Lily really is."
"An evil psychopath who just escaped from St. Mungo's and decided to join Hogwarts and make life a living heck for the unlucky chosen few, which is us, and after torturing us enough, kill us!" Sirius sighed dramatically.
"Shut it, Padfoot," James ordered, to which Sirius blew him a raspberry. James crossed his eyes at him then nodded at Remus. "Go on."
"Look at what I've found." He held out the stake.
The other Marauders stared at it for a moment.
"She has a fetish for broken wood?" Sirius spoke up after a few moments silence.
"She likes to break chairs and tables?" Peter piped up.
Remus rolled his eyes at them. "It's a stake."
"Rare or well-done?" James made a face as Sirius and Peter looked at each other in confusion.
"Stake, s-t-a-k-e, not s-t-e-a-k."
"What's that?" the three of them chorused.
"A wooden stake, ring any bells?"
"No."
"Vampires."
"How'd vampires get into this conversation?" they asked.
"Lily is a Vampire Slayer," Remus said bluntly, tired of having them guess.
"What's that?" Peter voiced the question that was on everyone's minds.
Remus rubbed his face in frustration.
"I got it!" Sirius said, triumphant. "A person who slays vampires!"
"Doy!" James cuffed the back of Sirius' head.
Remus snorted and pulled out a thick book from his bag and set it on the table. He opened it to certain page. "Look here, see."
"See what?" Peter queried.
"This."
Remus pointed at the page impatiently. When they didn't start reading, he grumbled. "Gads, I'll read it."
"The world is older than any mortal has known of. And contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as paradise. For untold eons, demons walked the earth. Made it their home- their hell.
"But in time, they lost their purchase of this reality and the way was made for mortal humans, animals and certain magicks, witches, wizards, Wiccans. What remains of the Old Ones are vestiges. Certain magicks, certain creatures…"
"Like vampires," James realized.
"Yes, vampires," Remus confirmed. "Now, the book says that the last demon that left this reality fed off a human, mixed their blood. He was in human form, though possessed-infected- by the demon's soul. And he bit another, and another…and so they walk the earth feeding. Killing some, mixing their blood with others to make more of their kind. Waiting for the animals to die out and for the Old Ones to return."
"So, that still doesn't answer our question," Peter chirped. "What's a Slayer?"
Remus scanned the page for a while then continued to read out loud. "Into every generation a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One. One born with the strength-"
A voice joined his. "-and skill to hunt the vampires; find them where they gather, stop the spread of their evil and-"
Remus stopped and turned around and came face to face with the owner of the voice.
Lily Evans.
"The swell of their numbers," she finished sneering at them. "You nimrods just couldn't mind your own business, could ya? Had to see what the new kid's deal was, right?"
They all stared at her in shock and…fear.
Sirius was the first to find his voice. "No wonder you're such a weirdo."
She grabbed his shirt and growled. "Not as much've a freak as you are."
She sniffed him and added, "Ya mangy mutt."
He was taken aback as she pushed him back into his seat. "How sure're you guys that I'm the Slayer even? All you got's a piece of wood and a theory. You're probably just blowing things all outta proportion, y'know. You should stop accusing people."
"I saw you jump out of a window," Remus stated.
"Anyone can do that," she responded, nonchalant, though deep down she was cursing herself for being caught so easily.
"Eight floors up."
"Whatever, hello! I'm a witch! Even you can do that."
They stared at her for stupidly and she smirked. "See? Dumbasses."
And with that she left, leaving three very embarrassed boys and one still scanning the book, behind.
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"That was close," she mumbled to herself as she flipped through the book Ernie had left for her. "Those dumbasses sure got things figured out."
She was looking for info on how to kill the Ezekiel guy. He couldn't be staked, but could he be burned? She didn't know.
She arduously scanned each page, searching for anything about it. When she was about to give up hope, due to the fact that she was nearing the end of the tome, she found it.
Ezekiel. Born 1725, died 1748. A Wiccan practitioner. Powerful magickal being. Powers were blinking, self-healing and levitation. Was placed under a vampire's spell and was bitten. His powers of good were corrupted, turning him into a part-warlock, part-vampire hybrid. Can not be killed through normal ways, for his self-healing prevents his true death. A cleansing and stripping spell must be cast by a Wiccan to strip him of his powers. And then, only then, Can he be defeated.
"Right. I need a Wiccan. Hope Sammy's up to it," she muttered as she closed the book and gathered her things. "Better stock up my ammunition."
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Ten o'clock, time to leave.
She threw the stake she was sharpening into her bag and placed her Athame back into its sheath which was carefully hidden in her boot. She picked up her sweatshirt and wore it and she stuffed her leather jacket into the bag. Then she carefully hid her battle-axe under the thin sweatshirt.
She pulled back the draperies from her four-poster and silently observed her giggling roommates. God, how she wished for a normal life.
'Snap outta it! You'll never be nothin' else but a Slayer so quit daydreamin' and do your job!'
"Right," she muttered to herself as she got up and shouldered her bag, heading for the door.
"And where do you think you're going?"
She turned to face Cassiopeia Ermstead who was looking at her snobbily.
"And what makes ya think it's any of your business?"
"I could call Professor McGonagall and tell her you're going off to sneak out of the school," she stood up and faced Lily.
Lily shrugged. "I don't care. Like she don't know already."
Cassiopeia squinted her eyes and shot her an evil glare. Then she turned to her friends. "Looky 'ere. The freak is going to go and pretend to fight vampires."
Her cohorts giggled boisterously.
Lily shot Cassiopeia a strained smile them leaned in to whisper. "At least I'm not dating an Animagus, y'know. Let alone a smelly stinky dog."
Cassiopeia stared at her, aghast, then hissed. "How did you- ?"
"Oh, and by the way, can't you get over the fact that I seriously dissed you? I mean, c'mon. What are you? A pretty perfect princess who everybody likes or else you'll sick your supposedly strong boyfriend at them or your really rich political daddy on me? Get over yourself."
And with that she turned around and walked out the room.
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"So, Evans, going out to hunt again?"
She turned and sneered at James Potter. "You still livin' on that?"
"Yes, we are."
"So, where are you going, Evans?" Black spoke up.
"Fuck off, ya mangy mutt."
They were standing by a window near the Gryffindor Common Room, where Lily was about to jump off to meet up with Samantha when she was intercepted by four brain-dead idiots.
"Really, now, are you a Slayer?"
"Hello, so not!"
"So where are you going? If it isn't so important?" Black countered.
"Off to a romantic rendezvous with my boyfriend," she said sarcastically. "Where else?"
"Who'd be patient enough to put up with you?"
She leaned close to him threateningly. "I thought the same thing about you. Who'd put up with your overblown ego and stupidity, but I've been proven wrong a few times before in my life and I've been proven wrong now. That Ermstead chick's a real idiotic bimbo, right? 'Cause she couldn't see through your 'I love you and I'll protect you' act to see what you're really after, could she?"
Black was dumbfounded.
"We don't mean to threaten you. We just want to help," Remus explained.
"You guys're so not a threat to me. And you can't help me anymore than you can help yourselves."
"We can get you out of the castle quickly," Peter offered.
"And all you want is to come and see where I head off to?"
"Yes," was the collective response.
"Well, your funeral," she shrugged, leading them on.
She wouldn't really let them die. Her conscience would see to that. She'd just let the vamps scare the hell out of them just enough to get them to back off.
"You guys know the quickest way outta here and into Hogsmeade?" she asked with a raised brow.
"Do we?!" came the almost enthusiastic response.
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"So, you really are a Slayer or do you just like to sneak out of the castle for fun?" Potter asked from beside her.
"Do I need a lawyer to answer that?" she looked at him, unamused.
"Oh, come on!" he whined. "A straight answer for once in your life!"
"Why so-"
She was cut off by a frightened yelp and she rolled her eyes as she turned around. Pettigrew was about to be vampire food.
"Hey, ugly! Over here!" she called, dropping her duffel onto the ground.
Pettigrew turned and she groaned. "Not you! The undead thing behind you! Move!"
The vampire grabbed him by the neck. "Aw, look! The little Slayer has friends!"
"Aw, the disgusting ass can jump to conclusions," she replied calmly. "Drop the guy, vamp. But if he dies, no heartache here."
"Slayer."
"Yeah, yeah, no need to keep on remindin' me."
He considered his options, the squirming human he held in his grasp or the Slayer, the one his kind feared of, spoke of in low whispers, who was, as he could see, a slip of a girl and had no weapons in her person.
The legendary Vampire Slayer the he could and might defeat. Easy decision.
He dropped the boy and charged, swinging his arm in the air.
The Slayer quickly ducked his attack and aimed a hard blow to his spine. He keeled over but the Slayer expertly aimed a kick to his gut then continued and struck his hideous face. She grabbed his arm, twisted and flipped him over her shoulder. She bent down to his side and gave him a pitying look.
"If it were me, I would've picked the kid, y'know? Too bad," she pretended to pout then took a stake from her jacket pocket and quickly dusted him, feeling satisfied as she heard the faint sickening pop as he crumbled to dust.
She looked up at the three boys who were comforting one terrified Peter Pettigrew.
"If ya wanna go out at night, I just got two rules for ya. One," she raised a finger. "Always watch your back. And two," another finger. "Carry this around with you all the time."
She dug into her bag and retrieved four stakes and threw each of the boys one.
"So, you really are the Slayer, aren't you?" Remus asked, amazed.
"Maybe," was her snappy reply.
She shouldered her bag once again and started for the cemetery. She was looking for Samantha and, well, she had to start somewhere.
She led the Marauders to the cemetery and as she calmly climbed the little hill, she heard soft chanting, sort of like music. Very pleasant music. She quickened her pace and as she reached the other side, she saw a wide circle of differently robed people.
Her brow furrowed as she plopped down on a tombstone and sniffed the air. Nope, they weren't vamps. She listened to the chant for a while, trying to make out the words, but failing to do so as she realized that they weren't in English.
She heard the others approach but paid them no heed as one of the hooded figure's face caught the moonlight. Yep, it was Samantha.
Lily raised her hand to her forehead and did a barely distinguishable two-fingered salute.
"Who in the world are you saluting?" Black's voice came.
"Patience is a virtue."
He snorted but stayed by her side as she observed a blue- robed figure walk up to a maroon robed form, which they suspected as the head of the group, then approach them.
"Hey, Sammy," she greeted, somewhat cheerfully.
The Wizards looked at the hooded figure with curiosity and apprehension.
A delicate hand reached up and pulled the hood back, revealing the face of an angel.
"Slayer," she nodded.
"Gee, nice to see you too. Sorry if I kinda intruded your coven meeting but I really need you to do this humungous favor for me."
Samantha arched a regal brow, a sign which meant for the Slayer to continue.
"There's this vamp who was this Wiccan when he was alive and no matter how much I stake him, he won't dust, y'know? 'Cause he's got this power from his first life that kinda prevents him from dying a second death-he heals himself. So the book says that I need a Wiccan to perform a cleansing and stripping spell, whatever the hell that is. And since I'm no Wiccan, I kinda thought that you could do it for me. For the greater good of humanity or something."
Samantha stood there for a moment contemplating on which course of action to take then she decided. "All right, Slayer. I will help."
And with that she turned on her heel and led them towards the clearing where her village was located, unfastening the cincture around her waist and removing her robe.
Lily followed but noticed the lack of footfalls from behind. She turned and growled. "Hey, you guys, get your butts over here!"
They looked at her, blinking stupidly, then followed.
"Who is she?" James asked.
"My Wiccan friend."
"What's a Wiccan?" Sirius asked.
"Wandless witches and wizards," she replied. "Duh!"
"Well, she's hot!" Sirius muttered.
She rolled her eyes. "Pig."
"What?" James quickly came to his defense. "It's true!"
"Whatever."
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