EPISODE ONE: The Vampire Who Cried Wolf

A/N: How does it feel to be the first person to review, DyingRoses? I mean, other than gratified and proud. (grins) Thanks, really, for that eloquent review and adding us on Favourites. We understand your concerns, but we hope you'll trust us, and like the way we'll be going with the story and mysterious Mr. D. So... here's Chapter Two, here's hoping that more people like it like you do. Enough to leave us comments anyway. R&R, ppl!


CHAPTER TWO

True to Dumbledore's word, Sharon's room was at the top of the South Tower. It was circular, and overlooked the great lake she'd seen earlier in the flying carriage. She stepped on the parquet, the boards creaking with every step she took, and learning one knee on the window seat, took a closer look at the view.

The water was reflecting specks of the late morning sunlight. She liked watching that happen wherever she went. It was nothing spectacular, but it was always tranquil, like the patch of sunlight was a corner of nature reserved for her only, and she could get lost in it for as long as she chose.

"That lake is rather famous, especially since it's inhabited by a giant squid," McGonagall spoke up, stirring her from her reverie.

"What? Oh..." She looked around the room, casually inspecting the four-poster bed made of strong oak and hung with velvet curtains of crimson red. And a wardrobe, a bedside table, a desk and a stool. The basic necessities of a guest room and not much else.

"Well, I hope you'll be comfortable here," McGonagall said politely, as was the way she'd been shaped by the rules of conduct to be.

"Thank you."

"We've charmed the candles for you to turn them on without lighting them manually, with matchsticks," McGonagall sniffed at the very idea and indicated the candlesticks set up around the room, "You just put your hand near and snap your fingers to turn the flames on or off."

McGonagall was irritating her. Yeah, she appreciated the polite gestures and everything, but she just wanted to be alone. She turned and gave the professor a tight-lipped smile.

"Right then. That will be all. Remus will be here any minute." McGonagall turned and left.

She was still staring out of the window when Lupin found her, still trying to get accustomed to her room, the furniture, the late morning sunlight that shone in at that particular angle at that time of day... just the feeling of being... here.

"So, you like it?"

She turned abruptly at the sound of his voice.

"Sorry..." he apologized and stepped in, "I know it might be somewhat different, but you'll get used to it in time..."

Her feelings exactly.

"... you could personalize it," he added kindly.

"I guess."

"Well then, now that that's one thing completed on our agenda, would you like to see your training room?"


She had to admit, she was impressed. The school hadobviously put a lot of effort into making her feel honored and respected. Weapons of every shape and size and from every century hung on the walls, though for what purpose, she could never fathom.

"Your own collection of ancient relics, if you like..." Lupin said, and shrugged. A balancing beam stood in the middle of the room.

"Wow..." she breathed.

He chuckled, "I knew you'd let your amazement show at this point."

So. He could tell she'd been trying to act cool.

Ignoring him, she continued to examine the weapons, stopping to run her fingers over a steel sword.

"That was from Medieval England, called the..."

"The Aria," she finished for him.

"Well... yes, right you are..." He was mildly surprised.

"Held by Sir Berndolm in 1251. Folklore tells that he even slayed an ogre with it," she continued, and noticed that he was still looking at her. "I've read my books."

"I see." The he smiled, "Well, I'd hoped you'd like it, and I can see that you do. I won't... be expecting you to train on your first day, but I would like you to patrol tonight, see if we can clear out some of those vampires."

Sharon swubg the Aria around, savoring theweight in her hands and the coarsetexture ofthe handle.

"Stay if you want, have the room to yourself a little bit. I'll,uh,meet you by the fountain in the courtyard around seven?"

She looked around the room fondly without realizing it. "I'll be there."


Lupin took her to the Hogsmeade cemetery, where the vampires were most commonly found. Just as she'd assumed, he didn't lecture her, but he did give her some pointers.

"Remember, there are times when they don't come to you. Sometimes, you have to go hunt them out, so you have to be listening. All the time."

At the first vampire, she didn't have to heed his advice at all. The vamp sprang before her, daring a fight, growling and snarling and trying to scare her, when they knew perfectly well that fear isn't on the criteria list of a Slayer. As if they'd even have a chance of winning.

She already had him pinned down after a couple of blows, and that was when she felt the power of triumph over yet another vampire too much to control, and continued to throw fists in his face, hearing his bones crack, and filling her with tantalizing delight, and all the while, Lupin just watched her expressionlessly.

Finally, she plunged the stake into his heart, and he dissolved into ashes, but the moment she moved to get up, a fist connected to her face, and she ended up on the ground again, the force of the blow nearly knocking her out.

The newcomer kicked her in the gut, and punched her in the chin again as she struggled to get back on her feet.

"It doesn't matter whether you're up or down. Use whatever you have wherever you are to attack," she heard Lupin say.

She swung her leg around and tripped up the vamp, and stabbed her stake into its heart immediately.

Panting, she picked herself up, brushing the ashes off her jacket.

"Not bad," Lupin commented. "You've got potential."

She stared at him incredulously. "That's all you have to give me?"

He checked his pocket-watch. "I think that'd be all for one night. Now, why don't I take you to the village for a drink?"

She glared at him. So that was it. All he said was that she had potential, but nothing else.

"Well, come on," he beckoned impatiently.

She groaned to herself, pocketed her stake, and followed haughtily as he led her back to the Hogsmeade lanes where people were still up and about. She didn't know what he was intending to do next. She hated it when she couldn't grasp her Watcher.It gave her the feeling that she was losing some undeclared fight for ignorant rebellion .


Lupin took her to the Three Broomsticks, where he got her something called a Butterbeer.

"For your effort," he said, meaning to be encouraging, but infuriating her more than ever, because he just looked so teasingly serene.

She took the drink sulkily and gave no response. She brought the tankard to her lips, took a sip, and found Butterbeer to be the most delicious and irresistible thing she'd ever tasted, and downed half of it while he went on watching her. She had a feeling he had something to say, but she pretended not to notice. After the drink had brought some color back to her cheeks, he went on to say it anyway.

"So..." he cleared his throat, "Does it feel strange here... when you know no one?"

She almost spat out her mouthful of Butterbeer.

"Yes, I suppose it's a bit soon for the deep questions-"

"I don't want to talk about it." It was the first time she'd said anything so abruptly since her arrival.

"I know, but you have to."

Again with the penetrating glare. She didn't care how many times she'd already done that. Anything to make her unwillingness clear.

He sighed. "Look, hear me out. I can't imagine how much pressure our demands are giving you. That's part of the reason I'm here - to soften everything for you, guide you when you're lost. That's the best we can give you now, all right? We can't change your destiny for you. So... just work with me."

She stared back at him in serious consideration, remembering her parents, the two people for whom she'd felt no surge of anger since her becoming a Slayer, the two people who'd made her realize how weak and lonely she was without them.

She felt her throat tighten as she opened her mouth to speak. "I dream about them... every night. The night they... they were..."

"The night you lost them?" he supplied gently.

She closed her eyes and remembered the vampires. They'd had her knocked out for a few seconds and started on her mother and father. It happened so fast, and she forgot the way they screamed. She put up a struggle trying to escape. It wasn't until she'd shoved one of them into a tree with a small branch jutting out when she realized that was how to kill them.

She opened her eyes, and found the sight of everything clouded with her tears.

"And you're angry, I know," Lupin continued, "And killing the long line of vampires being thrown at you won't ever be enough vengeance for what they've done to your parents. And you."

"You're smart," she scoffed, sniffling.

"Yes... I saw it in the way you were... pulverizing that first vampire," he chuckled to himself. "You want to hear my comments, no?"

She stopped sniffling and took another sip of Butterbeer, afraid to speak.

"First thing to know is, you don't get grades for this. There's no score-sheet with words like 'agility', 'speed', 'technique' and boxes beside them to be filled in. A Slayer is already given all those. You have it all. That's why I said you have the potential."

He leaned forward. "But that anger you feel? The power? It's blinding you." A beat. "Remember the second one that was preying on you? He got you in the face even before you could see him, right? Why was that?"

"I-I was busy hitting the other one?" she tried impatiently, pressing her hand on her eyes to stop her tears from flowing.

"Too busy. You forgot to listen, to use your senses. You were too worked up by your anger, and you didn't notice that second one, and so you got punched in the face."

He paused, and she just held the mug of Butterbeer tight in her hands.

"I know what you're feeling, and it's natural to feel angry... but you must always remember to control it when it fits the situation, understand?"

She said nothing, except, "You digested the Slayer's handbook before you left?"

He shrugged.

"More or less."


A/N: (in Spike's voice) Throw usa review or two o'er here, won't you, luv?