A/N: Surprise! I have returned! Begone all those with hatred in their hearts who have condemned me. If I feel, then I have the liberty to write; and that is what I shall do!
CHAPTER 8: Light and Dark
"Poppy, my dear, you know what to do."
Those were the words that Laenaya Darkstrom awoke to. She knew she was in the hospital wing of Hogwarts, a separate part reserved for offering privacy to those patients who could not handle visitors, or for those whom Poppy did not want to be visited.
She could not open her eyes, or rather did not dare to. There was no way of telling whether she had been irrevocably maimed, and if she had, she did not care to see it.
"Laenaya, it's alright, open your eyes." It was the soothing voice of Albus Dumbledore who, besides being able to read minds obviously, seemed to always be there when most needed.
She reluctantly opened her eyes and to her relief found that the room was completely dark, making it easy for her eyes to become adjusted.
The first things she saw were not horrible scars or the burnt-to-crisp skin that she had expected, but instead, a small statue of a white dragon on the bedside table, and Albus' magnificent beard.
"Ah yes, a gift from Miss Lovegood!" he proclaimed joyfully. "In fact, it was Miss Lovegood who so bravely came to your rescue! Thankfully, she was near the sight of your accident and informed us of your plight right away."
"The white dragon stands for purity in wisdom." Laenaya managed to force the words out sluggishly while she pondered the meaning of this mysterious gift from Luna.
"Pretentious even now are we Miss Darkstrom?" Snape's voice bounced off the walls in an annoying echo.
'Oh great, he's here too.' This was the only thought her mind had the energy to form.
"Laenaya," Dumbledore ignored Snapes comment, as usual. "Do you remember anything of what happened?"
"Of course I remember." She blurted out, perhaps a bit too defensively. "I merely wanted to see the sun Albus, it was an accident." She paused, trying to remember her own motives. Although, at the time they may have seemed fireproof, they now seemed…silly.
"I confess, it was a foolish experiment that not many of my kind have attempted." She felt ashamed at her own inconsistency.
"Did you indulge too much in the Cannabaceae Miss Darkstrom?" Snapes question was more condescending than any wickedly placed snort could have been.
"I don't know Severus. Perhaps I did, or perhaps it's a vampires mid-life crisis, I simply do not know how to answer your incessantly irritating and pointless questions. If you're trying to torture me, it's working."
Snapes face instantly darkened and his regret, although apparent to no one but himself, stung at his chest.
'She's vulnerable.' he realised. The thought did not amuse him as much as he would have thought it would.
"Please, tell me that no one else knows about this." Laenaya realised suddenly the shame she would have to face.
"Rest assured my dear. This remains confidential to Miss Lovegood, Poppy, Severus and to myself. Minerva and Remus were very worried after you did not come to your scheduled tea-time, and upon discovering that you had been here, I took the liberty of telling them the truth to calm them down. They have left you some lollipops in the nightstand drawer, and promised to come and visit you after you have rested somewhat."
Those words calmed her significantly.
"It was really quite the lucky circumstance that Miss Lovegood was so near to you in such a crucial moment, and perhaps at the same time quite lucky that no other students seemed to be near the site." He shifted his weight and crossed his legs in a more stern manner before continuing. "Severus has been able to modify the Burn-healing paste to suit your needs."
"How long has it been?" she asked, afraid to hear the answer.
"Oh, the accident occurred late yesterday afternoon my dear and it is now tomorrow afternoon, so not quite a day yet." He smiled almost childishly at his own wit.
"You modified the paste in less than a day, and I'm already healed? How is this possible?" She sounded perhaps a bit too surprised at the possibility, but this was nothing compared to the shock she experienced upon hearing Severus' almost suspicious yet gently phrased answer.
"You were burned rather badly, I believe that even the healing properties of your blood could not have cured you quite so rapidly, and if you had been at that window any longer, it would not have done so at all. I took a sample of your blood." He proclaimed calmly. "I admit, I did not ask for permission, however, the circumstances did not provide me with the opportunity to do so."
"Of course, I understand." She smiled in an attempt to project confidence, but she could not help but wonder what he would do with a sample of her blood. Was there any left? If so, where did he keep it? Why would he keep it? She dismissed all these questions in her mind and decided that they would be left for later investigation.
She finally mustered up the courage to look down at her body and discovered, that everything was in place. As sore as could be expected, but in place.
"Thank you Severus." She did not pause to see if he reacted in any way at this. "Albus, I think perhaps that I had become too accustomed to the seeing the rays of the sun in the enchanted ceiling. Perhaps so much so that I had been thinking of meeting it personally once more." She sighed. "Perhaps I am becoming senile in my old age, but I guess I have always been quite dramatic." She grinned in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.
"I shall be fine, I think I should rest a while now, I can probably resume my teaching duties tomorrow."
"Speaking of which." Dumbledore was still in his stern sitting position. "I believe it may be best if we put your private lessons with Miss Lovegood on a hiatus for the moment, it may beneficial for you both to relax for a while."
Laenaya made to protest but convinced herself of the futility of such an action before she could begin.
"I'm sorry Professor. I have failed you and Luna."
"Hush now child." He joked. It was ironic how this man, so much younger than her, was infinitely older in his wisdom and in his ways. "I believe that things will become clear in time. For now, enjoy some relaxation."
Laenaya eagerly took his advice and did not have to wait long after the two men left and before the comforting arms of sleep welcomed her.
Though his conviction to ignore Laenaya Darkstrom was interrupted by the event that had befallen her, it was only strengthened again by the conversation he had later the same evening with Minerva in the staff room.
"Severus, did you really think I wouldn't notice the way you treat her?" Minerva removed the spoon from her steamy mug as she sat down in front of Severus and his pile of papers. "And after what happened to her as well." She whispered the last part to protect Laenayas dignity.
"I could not possibly begin to imagine what you could be referring to." He replied with unmasked sarcasm.
"Laenaya! The girl has done nothing wrong." Her matter-of-fact tone was infuriating.
"Oh the delicious irony." He waited for her to display her puzzlement at this statement before continuing.
"She has you all fooled. Notice how she is far older than all of us combined and therefore no longer a girl." He could not stop thinking about the vial of blood that was in his most hidden drawer and all the dangers that little vial potentially presented.
"Oh Severu-"
"Minerva, I don't trust her. You know, as well as I do, that her kind cannot be trusted."
McGonagall eyed him angrily, waiting for his elaboration.
Snape sighed in an exaggerated fashion before continuing. "Although I believe that her 'accident' is more than just suspicious, you seem to think nothing of it, so I will indulge you. However, even you saw the way she waltzed in to the Great Hall the first evening, like she was the Queen of Sheba."
McGonagall raised one eyebrow, as if she had no idea what he was talking about.
"Her arrogance. She flaunts it in style." He continued, though a little more hesitantly.
McGonagall grinned as elegantly as she always did.
"What are you talking about Severus?" she asked.
"Merlin's Beard Minerva, must I explain every detail?" he put his quill down and shoved the papers out of his way before continuing. "She came in flashing her eyes everywhere trying to catch everyone's attention! Not to mention her pathetic ploy to come across as socially proficient, which is of course a ruse to throw off all suspicion. Just take a look at how Lupin follows her like a particularly obedient puppy, and I don't even know where to begin when it comes to her attire!" By now his voice was slightly raised and other teachers were beginning to look at him.
"Severus, I do not know what you think you have observed, but I'll have you know that the occasional tea and chit-chat with a friend does by far not make of me an obedient puppy as you claim, but by all means, and I repeat, a friend. I would like to take the opportunity to remind you also, that I am a happily married man." Lupin, who was sitting close by, defended himself with dignity. Severus could not retort.
"Well Severus, I don't know what effects she has had on you, but, to be honest, I had not noticed her until she had arrived at the table; and this only because she stood there for several seconds like her head was in the clouds. She looked like a first year when first confronted with the moving staircases." Minerva paused to enjoy the look of surprise that was slowly forming in Snape's face.
She turned to face Remus. "Did you notice anything extraordinary or suspicious about Miss Darkstrom when you saw her for the first time?"
"You mean other than her obvious love of theatrics? I mean the corset and the tattoos…oh yes and the dyed hair! Really quite dramatic." Remus replied laughing. "No, not really." He said after a moment of consideration.
Snape did not say anything. For once, his sarcasm and venom were paralysed irreperably.
"Oh," Lupin began "I had hardly noticed, but someone may have mentioned something about fangs…" he said in mock fear, obviously proud of his own joke.
Snape was reminded of his youth…and all the humiliation that usually followed when comments were made in the tone that Lupin had just used.
McGonagall was silently laughing at this point, though Severus could not understand what was so amusing to her. "What about her eyes then?" She asked Remus in a mock voice, obviously attempting to sound younger than her age.
"Hmm…Well they're blue as the sea obviously!" he answered, also amused.
"Don't mock me," Snape warned "they're green."
"You're the only one who noticed that Severus." Minerva said, somewhat more serious. She had meant to tease Snape by asking him about her eye colour, implying that he had been more interested in her than he had cared to admit. But the joke soon revealed itself as too inappropriate.
"Severus," Lupin began, his face growing ominous as he seemed to suddenly understand Severus' concern with Laenaya's eyes "Laen-"
"Don't say another word." Snape interrupted him rudely and firmly, but no one seemed to mind.
"I noticed her abnormally large…personality!" cackled Peeves, mercifully interrupting this asphyxiating situation as he appeared from under the table gesturing with his arms and hands in front of his chest.
"Peeves, out!" McGonagall scolded loudly and Peeves flew away, yelling obscene jokes at the students outside, all involving fruits and vegetables, such as melons and even pumpkins.
"Well I'm going to go see how she's doing." Remus said this as cheerfully as possible, attempting to mask the obvious tension in the air. He paused before continuing. "Severus, I understand what you are telling us, but it is just as you say. Some things are not what they seem…and some things change with a different perspective."
"To be honest Laenaya" Lupin started "when I first heard that a vampire was coming to teach at Hogwarts, I wasn't quite sure how to react. Although I have not seen much of my people, I know enough to know the prejudices vampires harbour against us and the names they call us…"
Laenaya frowned at the memory.
"Of course I was ecstatic about the fact that someone who is somewhat, forgive me for saying so, like me, was coming. You being a vampire, I was not sure what would happen; but then I thought well since there's nothing to lose, kindness is always the best way forward. Now I'm very glad."
Laenaya felt a pang at her chest. She was moved.
'Kindness is the best way forward' the words rang in her head.
"I'm glad too Remus." She said plainly.
"Tell me Remus, why would a Wizard so skilled in Light Magic as yourself, be teaching Muggle Studies? Why not teach Defense against the Dark Arts?"
Lupin made a noise which Luna took to be a laugh.
"If I were to claim that position, I believe that I would be suddenly found somewhere around the forbidden forest with countless silver bullets in my chest; and I give you three guesses as to who my murderer will have been."
Laenaya chuckled at this.
"No but the truth is, I think Severus makes an excellent Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, he is probably the best. He knows far more about the Dark Arts than I do, and I prefer the simple life anyway. I want to come to work and remember the good things we can look forward to, and not to constantly be reminded that I must protect my family and worry for them at all times." He paused grimly and then made the laugh noise again "I prefer telling my students about how fascinating muggles are, how they survive without magic and how peculiar yet interesting their cultures are."
Laenaya could only smile at such purity and simplicity. Such things that before would have been hilarious to her elitist nature, were now somewhat admirable.
"What about you Laenaya? Why are you here? Is Potions your great passion?" he bared his teeth in what was meant to be a wolfish grin.
Thinking about her passion made her somewhat sad.
"I do not know if you are aware Remus, but I have a military background. My talents lie within violence." She smiled sadly.
"It is interesting you know, I have noticed your swords. I consider them to be a work of art."
"I do too. You know, the ripples in the blade are compared to the ripples or waves in water, and to me each ripple tells a story. It all depends on who is wielding the sword, but mostly it is just a story of death."
He had tried to reassure her but when he realised it was not working, he tried a different approach.
"There have been great men who have compared martial arts itself to waves of water. A dance of water if you will." She looked up at his face and smiled, recognising the reference that he just made.
"Water is a very powerful element you know," he continued. "Just like the waves can come crashing down upon us and smash us in one move, water can be gentle. It is the only element that can go around all the other elements as well as smash its way through."
"That's probably true actually…" Laenaya was grateful for his kind point and had to show it before letting him finish.
"It really depends on the circumstances. And on the water itself. Light and Dark, you know as well as any other." He smiled and this time it really did reassure her.
"It all depends on perspective."