Disclaimer: don't own....
A/N: So sorry it took so long. I feel horrible. Oh well, it's up now. I'd like to thank Single-Black-Rose, gamingbookworm, EverMindTheRuleOfThree, and Amethyst Moonshadow for the reviews and the encouragement.
Of Blood And Magic
Chapter 8: Blood Lust
Class the next few days was boring. Tevelle found herself taking naps in all of her classes, even Potions. Snape, of course, was very displeased by this and she attended detention practically every night. Still, for some reason, though she was no doubt the worst student in his class as far as paying attention was concerned, Harry Potter still received the majority of his ire. It was a slim difference, true, but still the majority. She had to wonder what personal vendetta they had against each other. Detention for her was not a problem; she didn't sleep much at night anyway. The real problem was the mountain of homework Snape and other professors heaped on her for sleeping in class. If Xeven were not present Tevelle would have seriously considered just forgetting about the extra work. She did not want to be there anyway so why do more work than needed? She could do most of this the vampire way anyhow. Why learn it the wizard way?
Xeven, unfortunately, was there and he would know if she shirked and would not be happy. No, not happy at all. He could not do anything about the sleeping, as he knew she was trying her hardest to stay awake for the lessons she did not already know. Still, Xeven angry was not a pretty sight and Tevelle would rather remain on his good side, even if that meant putting extra, unnecessary effort into schoolwork.
Tevelle put the finishing touches on the Potions essay Snape had assigned her, just in time too. Her next class was Potions and Snape was expecting all of her additional work to be complete or he could grade none of it.
She made her way down to the dungeons. Hopefully the monotony of the class, homework, detention, class cycle would break soon. When she arrived outside the dungeon door there was already a slight crowd of students waiting to be admitted.
She got closer and noticed that all of the Slytherins had badges resembling the S.P.E.W badge she herself wore. It only took her a moment, however, to notice the message each bore in bright red letters.
"Support Cedric Diggory- The REAL Hogwarts Champion!"
Tevelle grimaced. There was no such thing as a single real champion. Each had been chosen regardless of skill. Tevelle approached just as Harry Potter himself did.
"Like them, Potter?" Malfoy loudly taunted, "And this isn't all they do- look!" With a little pressure the red letters were replaced by a glowing green message. "Potter Stinks"
"How very mature," Tevelle said, but her sarcastic comment was lost amid the Slytherin's roaring laughter.
Apparently Hermione felt the same, "Oh, very funny," she said, "really witty."
"Want one, Granger?" said Malfoy, holding out a badge, "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it you see, don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."
That was the last straw for Harry. Tevelle had been sensing his building anger as well as his attempts to dam it up inside him for days. With that, the dam cracked and broke, spilling out his anger in a gushing torrent.
Despite the blood she had just drunk, her inner beast was irritable and this tidal wave of emotion, even if it was not hers, was nearly enough to send her on a killing spree. Her beast raged and pleaded, cajoling her to let it take control. There was so much powerful young wizard blood around. So sweet it would be. With each heartbeat of those around her, Tevelle was carried closer to the killing edge. If she fell over the side of the precipice, Tevelle would lose all control to the beast and the blood thirst that resided inside her. Her fangs elongated, making her jaw ache, and her eyes watered with the suddenly bright light. Intense thirst burned her throat with a need that water could not quench.
Distantly she was aware of Harry drawing his want and the small crowd scrambling out of the way. Several students jostled her, and for some reason, other than provoking her inner beast more, the small impact was enough to jar her back to her senses. Tevelle pulled back her rampaging beast. She had kept back from the killing edge that would have sent her into a feeding frenzy, barely.
Malfoy stood opposite Harry with his wand ready, shouting taunts. Both Malfoy and Harry remained oblivious to the fact that Tevelle still stood, unmoving between the two. If the two duelists decided to begin shooting hexes, she would be undoubtedly caught in the crossfire. Tevelle, though, could not move to safety. Her vampiric self still raged inside her, clamoring to be let out. The energy used to move needed to be devoted to containing her inner monster. If she focused on anything but her silent struggle, blood lust would take control. Hopefully, as a vampire, she would repel all of the lesser curses. If one of them tried anything fancy, however, she might be in trouble.
Whether by luck or the duelists' lack of skill, the two spells Malfoy and Harry cast bounced off of Tevelle harmlessly and off in another direction. Tevelle noticed only in passing, still focused on restraining her vampiric self. It was lucky as a more powerful spell might send her to the killing edge once again. Several people screamed as the spells ricocheted, but none of the spectators along the sides were hurt. It was different for those standing next to the two boys. Goyle and Hermione were struck by the reflected spells. Tevelle's vampire side was distracted by the amusing sight. Goyle's nose was now covered in boils; the grotesque sight was enough to make the vampire's blood lust subside and she found herself laughing at the sight. She only laughed harder, though she tried not to, when she saw Hermione's growing teeth.
"And what is all this noise about?" said a soft, deadly voice. Snape's entrance was not enough to quiet Tevelle's mirth. All of the energy that had been focused on her need for blood and restraining her inner beast had been channeled into her laughter. It was difficult to stop once she had committed so much to the action as she continued to laugh nearly hysterically even though it was not exactly appropriate.
"Explain," Snape ordered Malfoy.
"Potter attacked me, sir-"
"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted.
"-And he hit Goyle-look-"
Snape inspected Goyle and ordered the boy to the hospital wing.
"Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron said. "Look!"
Ron forced Hermione to show Snape her rapidly lengthening teeth.
Snape looked at her coolly then said, "I see no difference."
Hermione whimpered, turned, and ran all the way down the corridor and out of sight.
Tevelle frowned. That was no way to treat someone. Her laughter died and she glared at Snape angrily. She caught his gaze and held it until he broke eye contact. Whether it was from fear or the distraction of Ron and Harry yelling at him, Tevelle could not tell for sure.
"Let's see. Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. And Miss Nightshade," he added when she growled irritably. "Now get inside, or it'll be a weeks worth of detentions."
Tevelle stormed inside. She already had detention for Snape and odds were he would most likely schedule this new one so the detention she already had would be twice as long. She made her way irately to the front of the classroom. Snape would have to deal with her glaring a hole through his head the entire class and a vampire's direct stare could be very unnerving. Tevelle sat and pulled out her materials, not once looking at what her hands were doing but staying focused on Snape.
"Antidotes!" The professor snapped and Tevelle could taste the waver in his voice that showed his discomfort. "You should have prepared your recipes now. I want you to brew them carefully, and then, we will be selecting someone on whom to test one…" Snape's eyes drifted to the back of the classroom and, Tevelle assumed, to Harry Potter, but, alas, it was not to be.
A knock sounded on the dungeon door and a boy Tevelle recognized dimly as Colin Creevey edged into the room and walked up to Snape's desk.
"Yes?"
"Please, sir, I'm supposed to take Harry Potter up stairs."
"Potter has another hour of Potions to complete. He will come upstairs when this class is finished."
Colin explained further; it was required of all the champions by Mr. Bagman and that Harry would have to take his things with him.
Snape finally relented. "Very well! Potter- take your bag and get out of my sight."
Harry practically dashed form the room as the door closed shut behind him. Snape's gaze drifted to Tevelle. He planned to use her as a test subject since his first victim was denied him. Tevelle locked gazes. The poison will have no effect on me, Tevelle thought at him knowing he would not be able to hear, and you would call yourself a potions expert.
Tevelle got to work on her antidote. She had never really needed to brew one so she was working on her memories of her human life when these types of potions still mattered. After a lot of work, she thought she had a good recipe, but some of the ingredients she used were unorthodox. Still, the color the potion had turned when she added the mandrake was very close to what she thought ideal. After adding a few more herbs and magical ingredients, the cauldron before her was full of a simmering emerald green liquid. Snape scowled at her as he passed, but did not comment. Tevelle merely scowled back as she ladled the finished potion into a flask.
"The detention you have already tomorrow will be extended," Snape informed her.
"Why not today?" Tevelle asked, curious. True detention would be longer, but it was generous considering she did not really sleep anyway and this actually gave her more free time.
"Your father, Xeven, has informed me you have other plans tonight that would conflict with your detention." Snape bit out.
Tevelle was surprised. Usually Xeven would say that she needed to learn more control and that missing out on something fun was as good a way to learn as any. Then she began to wonder what he had planned. He certainly hadn't told her about these plans.
What could it be? Why this night? As far as she knew up until the first task, whatever that was, Tevelle's life was going to be rather boring. Now this new event that Xeven had contrived. Once again she wondered what her mentor intended.
The class ended, thankfully with no time to spare for poisoning someone. Tevelle did not want to have to explain why the poison Snape would undoubtedly give her did not affect her. Tevelle made her way, semi-anxiously, to dinner. What Xeven had planned would be after the meal and her regular goblet of blood. As she walked to her usual seat, Tevelle scanned the Staff table for any sign that her mentor was present. She wasn't disappointed.
"Xeven," she asked him silently as she sat down and reached for her goblet, "what is it you had planned for tonight?"
"How did you know about that?" Xeven responded, though outwardly he appeared to be having a very in depth conversation with Dumbledore.
"Snape…." Tevelle started only to be interrupted by Xeven.
"Professor Snape. Respect your elders and address them properly, little bat."
"But I'm older than him by at least a decade!"
"That may be true when you are outside this school, but here you are human and Professor Snape is your elder."
"Fine, well anyway, he gave me double detention tonight on account that you apparently 'had something planned' for tonight."
"That is true," Xeven took a sip from his own goblet, not quite looking at Tevelle.
"Care to enlighten me, oh generous overlord of the night?"
"The flattery is appreciated, but it will get you nowhere."
"And that isn't an answer." Tevelle smirked, no doubt startling the first year next to her.
"Perhaps not, but either way the result is the same."
"How is the result the same? I don't know anything?"
"Exactly."
"Exactly! What do you mean by that?"
"One not knowing is the purpose of a surprise, is it not?"
"So it's a surprise?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn't you just say so?"
"That would have ruined all the fun then. Would it not?"
She scowled at Xeven who grinned politely in return before going back to his conversation with the Headmaster.
"Argh!" She growled at him silently, stabbing her potatoes with more zeal than she needed to.
"Is something wrong?" Malfoy asked from across the table. His infuriatingly smooth voice grated at her nerves. Tevelle's vampire side licked her lips in contemplation before she caught herself. It would not be good to encourage such thoughts. Tevelle might end up seriously considering putting them into action.
"What?" She asked him, noticing for the first time he was waiting for an answer.
"You seem angry."
"Reeeally," Tevelle responded, drawing out the word making it drip with sarcasm.
"Usually people don't mutilate their potatoes." He raised a blond eyebrow.
Tevelle briefly looked around for the vanguard that more often than not accompanied Malfoy, but neither Crabbe nor Goyle, nor any of the other brain-dead ducklings that usually followed the silver-blond haired Slytherin were present. Tevelle could only assume that they needed all the time after dinner to complete their homework so that they passed. That obviously left no time to loiter about the Great Hall.
"Maybe I wanted mashed potatoes." She quipped. Tevelle took an over exaggerated bite to make her point.
"Then it might help to finish mashing them before you eat them." Malfoy told her.
Tevelle looked down at her only partially mashed potatoes in dismay.
"Touché" She smirked before draining the rest of her goblet quickly and jumping up out of her seat.
"Wa- What? We weren't finished talking!" Malfoy said in dismay as Tevelle walked away. His voice was quiet, as if he was speaking to himself, but Tevelle, even from halfway across the hall, could hear him clearly.
"Uh, yeah we are!" She called back to him before striding out of the Great Hall. Tevelle chuckled as she felt Malfoy's disconcertment at her abrupt departure.
"What is it that amuses you so?" Xeven said into her mind.
Tevelle looked around for him and saw him at the far end of the entrance hall, waiting by the great double doors that lead out to the school grounds.
"Draco Malfoy."
"What about him?"
"His face…" Tevelle elaborated "And the fact that he thinks everything revolves around him."
"There are a few others like that I could name." Xeven remarked.
"Speaking of yourself?" Tevelle smiled at her mentor.
"Guess again."
"Weeell, I don't know… I can't think of anyone else who might fit that description."
"Try… Brown hair, short, and school age."
"That could describe a lot of people."
"Then add vampire to that list."
"Ummm," Tevelle made a big show of thinking, though she already knew whom he meant, "still don't know who you're talking about."
Xeven shook his head. He knew full well that Tevelle understood what he was saying.
"So," Tevelle said aloud, "What's this surprise you pulled me out of detention for?"
"You will see. And I believe you will like it."
"Really," Tevelle said slowly, "Well it's not like I have much choice do I?"
"No."
"Thought so."
"The correct phrase is 'I thought so'. Speak in complete sentences."
Tevelle rolled her eyes. Xeven was always correcting her speech, not that she ever paid him enough mind for the lesson in grammar to sink in.
"Yes, oh mighty overlord of the night" She teased, retrieving a low growl in return.
A blast of icy wind whipped at their clothes as Xeven pulled one of the massive doors open wide enough to let them through. Tevelle's smile widened as she took in the lovely cold, clear night before her. The waxing moon shone a bright silvery light on the dark grounds, and stars stood out like crystals against the cloudless sky. Tevelle breathed deeply, the scent of the darker places in the Forbidden Forest tantalizing her nose. Perhaps they were going to visit those parts, where the great arachnid Aragog and his family spun their webs. It had been a long time since she last saw the spider, how much he must have grown by now.
"Come," Xeven said, stepping out into the chill night and Tevelle gladly followed.
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