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She wanted to scream.

She wanted to let out the pain and the anger and just be free for one moment. To be at peace.

She was a calm person. She had built that resolve ever since she was made Queen. The world she belonged in was not one of petty emotions. She needed control, to have a clear head.

Unfortunately, she was not told that after becoming Queen, that her head would never be clear again. Really, it was the fact that she was a Vampire, which meant she had HER.
Valerie had to fight angry tears as she stormed through the Forbidden Forrest. She swiped at her face, getting rid of the offending drops.

This was what she was afraid of.

Malfoy had rejected her as a friend. She had tried so hard this year to keep the secret, to keep the truth from coming out. Because she knew this sort of thing would happen.

Valerie Jacobson had been a Vampire for only four years, having been Made when she was 14. She was still a baby by Community standards. She had been a Queen for three years of her new life however.

She was the youngest to be inducted into the throne, and the one who had been a Vampire the least long in the history of the Community. She did not ask for such an appointment, in fact she abhorred her position. But she knew that if it was not her on the throne, then it would be Marcus, and that was a fate far worse than just being Queen.

So she agreed to the position, and took power.

None of it would have happened if it wasn't for the previous Vampire Queen, Timira.

Timira had taken an interest in the new Made Vampire. Like most of her species, Valerie had been ostracized simply for existing.

She remembered after the attack, the fear of people's reactions. Valerie thought that people would attack her, would pick on her, and make her life hell. And they did, just not in the way she was expecting. To be honest, she could have dealt with taunts and fights. She had been that way before; making a name of herself at Salem as a witch not to be trifled with. She wasn't popular, but she was known, and she was ok with that. She had her friends and she had fun with them. She talked with them, shared secrets, had leaned on them at times even.

But after, they had ignored her. To them, when she became a Vampire, she no longer existed. All of her friends that she had made in the previous years had given her pitying looks, but never spoke with her, never associated themselves with her again. Anyone else hadn't even looked at her, but had opted for making her invisible. Teachers had even followed suit, ignoring her raised hands and questions, only giving her the assignments because they were required to.

Valerie had become angry and bitter. She learned not to rely on people, on humans, and had turned inward into a dark remnant of who she had been.

There was one girl at the school, Lauren, who had been Valerie's best friend who had only spoken with her once afterward.

"We know it's not your fault, Val, but...You have to understand. You're dangerous. You're a Vampire. We can't feel safe around you, we aren't safe around you. You're-"

"Evil?" Valerie had finished for her in a bitter tone. Lauren had given her an apologetic look, confirming Valerie's thoughts, and then had left. Valerie remembered the day she came back, sitting quietly in her chair, slouched forward, making herself small. But she didn't need to even bother. Salem paid her no mind.

In addition to the social anxieties that Valerie had, she had to learn to be a Vampire. There wasn't a handbook that went with these things, and normally a newly Made Vampire would have been taught by their Maker. But since Valerie wanted nothing to do with hers, had sworn she would kill him, she had no mentor.

Her first Samhain was nerve wrecking. She figured she was insignificant, a lowly little new Vampire. She was not worth notice. That year, Samhain had been hosted in the Amazon. Samhain was always hosted somewhere deeply natural and peaceful. She had been called to the Headmaster's office on Halloween day. The Headmaster, like the teachers, did not want to deal with her. But since she was a minor, and a student of the school he had no choice. Valerie had entered his office to see two Officials from the Council. They had taken her hand, clutched a portkey, and they were swept off to the jungles of South America.

They were silent as they escorted her through the trees. They had passed many a wild animal, and Valerie had jumped at each sound. The Officials had smiled at her behavior. The trio had gotten to the river, where Valerie saw a full-fledged party in swing. It was loud and it filled her new stronger senses, confusing her a bit. One of the Officials had left, while the other had bent down in front of her.

"Welcome to Samhain, little one." And then, he too, had left.

Valerie had just stood there, unsure of what to do. The first thought she had at that point was that she was overdressed. She saw the outfits others were wearing and had looked down at her
school uniform: skirt, dress shirt, sweater, knee high socks, and dress shoes.

She had heard a crash followed by riotous laughter, and saw two females fighting. They moved with a speed that which Valerie had not seen, but she knew she had. She was not used to her new 'gifts' and was too afraid to use them. After a time of just standing there, Valerie had become hungry and went in search of food. There was a lavish table filled with things she had never seen before, but one thing drew her attention in particular. A goblet, filled with a deep red liquid, and it smelled better than any homemade cookie, fruity perfume, or anything she had encountered.

Valerie knew what it was.
Blood.
Vampires did not need to solely live off of blood to survive. They could eat normal food as well, but any long periods of time without the red life source would eventually take its toll.

At the time, Valerie was taking a simple potion. It had all the nutritional value and sustenance that Valerie needed, and if she wanted, she could live off of the fake blood potion for the remainder of her life. The Medi-witch at Salem had taken pity on the poor child, and had given her a supply of the potion.
But Valerie did not like it. It was meant for essential nutrients, nothing more. The taste itself wasn't so bad, but it had a metallic tang and would leave her breathless after taking it. Valerie had inquired about its effect on normal people to the Medi-wizard, and she had simply said that it could be used as a healing potion. It worked like a blood replenishing potion, while providing newer, stronger tissue. It had grossed Valerie out, but she took the potion regardless.

She had never tasted blood, nor did she mean to. It had been a choice she had made to be that much less of a monster.

"You have not paid you Penance, have you, child?"
Valerie had jumped and looked at who owned the voice.

A middle-aged woman stood there smiling. She was dark skinned with black hair, and she had been wearing a yellow gown that gave her a sunshiny look.

"What's Penance?" Valerie had asked.
The woman widened her eyes in surprise.

"Has your Maker not explained?"

The Queen had been surprised at the dark look that overtook the child's young face. Eyes filled with so much hate it made Timira take a step back. The child had given a stiff, "No," before turning and walking away. From then, Timira had kept an eye on the girl.

After that night, Valerie made it her mission to find out all she could on what she was. She scoured the library at Salem, reading tome after tome. When she had read all the books, she had gone to the Wizarding Public Library at the Ministry in New York, where she found out all she needed to know.

There was much lore around how Vampires began. There was one myth that a wizard had tried to bring back his dead wife, and as punishment for defiling the laws of Death, the woman had to drink the life force of others. There was another story that said a mad human, obsessed with finding the key to immortality, had drunken all the blood of a Veela, in turn killing the poor being, but creating a new specie.

There were of course the Muggle myths, but the point was that no one really knew how Vampires became of this earth.

Valerie had also learned that, in addition to her heightened basic senses and speed, she had the mental capabilities to peer into the minds of others. That had interested her, and Valerie had practiced the notion. It was easy, as no one suspected her to do anything, or they just had forgotten about her all together, but soon she was able to call up recent memories of people, and see their thoughts, instead of hearing them.

Through all of this, however, her other half had stayed silent.

Oh, Valerie knew she was there. She could feel her like a dark presence, a predator waiting in the shadows to strike. But as her other half stayed dormant, Valerie pushed her thoughts of the half out of her mind.

It was around that time that she and Felix had become friends.

She and Felix knew each other briefly. Mostly it was just jabs at each other, even though they didn't even know the other. The barbs had started in Charms class, when Valerie had kicked Felix's ass on a particular assignment. He had made it known that he was smart, and the fact that she had beaten him had irked him. This was before Valerie had become a Vampire. They had always found one thing or another to use against the other, fighting. It wasn't serious fighting, but it was fighting nonetheless.

Felix himself was known around the whole school. The fact that he was a Veela had scored him major brownie points with the school's populace. Especially the ladies.

After Valerie had become a Vampire though, she didn't really pay him much thought. He wasn't an exclusive friend, and she figured he'd just tune her out like the rest. But no. It was after a particularly harrowing Potions class; her partner had not paid her any attention, so when she warned him about the amount of worm root he was adding he ignored her. She had gotten a bad grade for that potion, and she had tuned into her partner mentally to find out that he had sabotaged the project on purpose. She was walking when someone bumped into her.

This, sadly, was not uncommon. People wanted her to believe she didn't exist, so they didn't even pay her mind when she was walking. But this time, as she fixed her bag and continued walking, the person she had bumped into had spoken.

"Wow. I would have thought with Vampire reflexes, you would have been able to move out of the way."

She stopped and turned around, ready to fight whoever it was, when she saw Felix standing there with a smirk on his face. She didn't know what to do now, and just stood there.

"Then again, Vampires aren't really the SMARTEST of beings," he stressed.

It was playful banter, like before. She realized now, that she hadn't seen him because she tried to avoid everybody in general. But this was still strange to her.

"Well," she had said, "at least I'm not a Veela." She said, turning around and rushing off.
She had missed his smirk widen.

After that, Valerie and Felix had run into each other quite often. It was still banter, but eventually that banter turned into actual conversation. Conversation took to homework study sessions (they didn't share the same hour, but had the same class), and then they were friends. Whenever Felix would talk to her when he was with other friends, he didn't act any different. His friends did not take too kindly to his hanging out with the Vampire, and even told him so.

Oh, the school knew she was there. In fact, if one paid close attention, they'd learn that she was the most talked about subject at Salem. But just because she was talked about did not mean that she was welcome. She was a creature, a Vampire, and she could not be forgiven for that.

Not everyone had hated her, or was disgusted by her. They knew that it was not her choice, and that she was in the situation because of circumstances far from her control. They viewed her with pity, rather than overlooking her completely. But they feared the reaction of the rest of the school to even talk to her.

"I don't understand why you talk to that thing," one of Felix's friends had said one day in anger. "I mean, she's a Vampire, Felix. She kills people just for fun and does who knows what other atrocities."

Felix had just raised a brow at his friend. "When has she killed a person?"
"Well, it's implied. All Vampires do at one point, especially when they have to feed."
Felix rolled his eyes. "She's never killed a person. If she had, she wouldn't be here. She'd be on Alcatraz. And another thing, she doesn't even drink from people. She has potions."

It was true. Valerie had told him when he had asked how she was transitioning. Felix had taught her quite a lot about the Community, things she couldn't learn through books. Like Community politics.

"There's the General Public; anyone who isn't a politician. Then there are the Chairmen, a sort of board for every species: Veela, Vampire, Fairy, Nymph, Goblin, Mermaid (although they really keep to themselves because they can't really leave water), Acromantula, Sphinxes, and Manticores. There are seven Chairmen, people who are elected by the General Public of that specie. And within the seven Chairmen is a Monarch. A King or Queen, depending on who was elected by the Chairmen. And each Monarch makes up the Council of Creatures. The Council decides what's best for ALL magical creatures and beings, and they speak directly with the Ministries. And all of the creatures and beings make up the Community."

"What about House Elves or Dementors?" Valerie had asked.
"Well, House Elves are loyal to wizards. Believe me, there's been many a campaign to get them to be with the Community, but they seem to be happy where they are, so we moved on. If there's a House Elf of two who wants a different life, then we help, but for the most part there are none. As for Dementors, well, they are beings, they have their own thoughts, but those thoughts center on sucking out happiness and souls. They're considered a 'non-being', which just means that they're too smart to be a creature, but not smart enough to be a being. So they do their own thing."

It wasn't just politics Felix taught her; it was Vampire customs as well. He told her that around others she had to don a mask, which wasn't hard. He also taught her what Penance was.

When Felix's friends had still protested at his friendship with the Vampire, he had said, "I'm not that different from her! Are you saying you hate me too?"
They had stayed silent, and left it alone from then on. Felix even brought her to get together with the others, making them see that she was Valerie first and a Vampire second. They still didn't accept her, but they at least acknowledged her.

Valerie did not know what she would do if she didn't have Felix. The biggest thing that he had given her was his friendship, and she would always love him for that.

But then there were other things.

Perhaps the smallest was the time her room had been ransacked, and her potions destroyed. Not a problem, except that her potions took a month to make, and she had not had a potion in two weeks. She didn't like them, and she had been stupid. She should have seen this coming. The Medi-witch at Salem had panicked when she heard and started a new batch right away. Unfortunately, that type of potion had to go through certain channels, since it was such a strong healing potion or a food for Valerie. It was stupid, but that was the way it was. So Valerie was able to tough it out for two more weeks before she had just collapsed in the hallway.

Felix had found her. She had screamed at him to go away, for fear that she would attack and kill him.

He had just walked up to her slowly, knelt down, and bared his wrist to her.

"Make you a deal," he said with his usual arrogance, "I help you, and you help me. If you need blood, I'm there. And if I absolutely need intimate contact, then I'll call for you."

Valerie knew it was a one sided deal. Felix didn't have any problems with girls, and she felt that if she agreed, she would be taking advantage of him. But with his wrist bared, and her vision already hazy, she couldn't refuse. So she had nodded her head, and Felix had made a small cut on his wrist.

It was awkward. Really awkward. Valerie had seen Vampires drinking at Samhain, and none had made the mess she did. They had left no trace, but she had managed to smear most of his blood on herself, her clothes, and Felix's arm. He hadn't said anything, or made fun of her. After, he had just flicked his wand, cleaning both of them up and sat next to her. His head was woozy. He had given her more than he should have, but he was worried. Valerie had noticed how pale he was and his breathing was a little rougher than before. She had read about Vampire blood. It had some healing properties, and most Vampires had fed their feeders their blood to help replenish. So Valerie had given him her wrist in return.

She avoided him after that. Felix understood, giving her some space. He didn't plan to let her avoid him too long, but he knew the adjustment she had to make. When the new batch of potion was done for Valerie, she had gone down to the Medi-witch to retrieve them. Felix was there talking with the woman. Valerie watched as the witch gave Felix five of the vials. She looked at him.

"Just in case."

Valerie only needed the potion a couple times a month. After she had drunk from Felix though, she could go an entire month, as real blood was more potent.

It turned out that Felix having vials was a handy idea because some time after that, her stock had once again been destroyed. The ransackers had left no note, but they didn't need to. Their message was clear.
After that, she only needed the backup vials once. When Malfoy had been attacked, she knew that it would be too late by the time they got to the hospital wing. She had not thought about it, just reacted, but it had paid off.

The most important thing Felix had been there for was Valerie's parents. When it was clear she was a witch, they didn't even know what to make of that. They were a little frightened of what she could do. And after Valerie had been attacked...well, they told her that she needed to give them time to adjust. So she did not go home that Christmas.

She had found a nice alcove to go and cry in and Felix had found her once again.

"Are you stalking me now?" She didn't look at him, instead keeping her gaze out the window.
He chuckled. "Nah. My superpowers entitle me to find you, though. Not that hard."
Valerie had learned to find him in the same way after that, but at the time she just smiled and continued her silent crying. Felix didn't say anything, just sat down in the alcove with her and stared out the window. Valerie eventually broke and told him what was going on with her parents, and he had listened. He brightened up.

"You could come to my house for Christmas!"
She had given him a strange look.
"Come on. My family goes to Colorado to ski the slopes during the winter. It'll be fun."

She had argued with him. She was a girl, what would his parents think.

"Psh. My parents know that I'm friends with you. They won't mind."
She was a Vampire.
"What I just said."

He wasn't taking no for an answer. She didn't need to clear it with anyone, as her parents would probably have been relieved.

So she spent that Christmas with Felix's family.

Felix got his Veela side from his father. He was a kind man, stern, but he obviously loved his son. The first time he met Valerie he had given her a hug, which surprised Valerie. Felix's mother was the female version of his father (attitude wise), and she had jumped in delight at seeing Valerie.

Felix's little sister was different. She did not inherit the Veela gene from her father, although she was a witch like her mother. She looked at Valerie in a calculating way when she met her.
Valerie was waiting for some rant about how Vampires were evil, but instead got: "How awesome do you snowboard?"
Valerie gave the eleven year old a weird look and had told her she had never snow boarded before.

The girl guffawed and drug the Vampire off to the slopes, where she learned to snow board.

For the remainder of Christmas break, it was outdoors, hot chocolate and fun. Felix's parents got Valerie a special book, written by a previous Vampire King on the society and ins and outs about being a Vampire. To anyone else, it would have been pointless, as Valerie already read every book there was, but Valerie tore into the book with a passion and it was still one of her favorites. It had read like a diary, and Valerie found herself relating to the King in several ways.

Felix's little sister had gotten her a Rubik's cube, but had charmed it so that instead of colors, there were facts of wizards and witches that Valerie had to match. Whenever she completed it, the facts would change to a different witch or wizard and to an event in some cases. It came in handy for History.

Felix had no trouble finding the perfect gift for Valerie. He had gotten her a necklace. It was a simple little four leafed clover on a chain. It was from an inside joke the two had, where Valerie said that at the point she was at she'd ask a leprechaun for help. It also changed color to fit her mood. It was simple, but Valerie loved it.

Valerie did not know what to get the family. She hadn't met them, so she did not know what they would prefer. But she had eventually decided on getting Felix's parents a pair of rings. They were amethyst, which was mythed to be the sort of official stone of a Veela. They weren't just amethyst. The rings glowed whenever the opposite was close. They thanked Valerie, and had worn them for the entire break.

Valerie had gotten Felix's little sister a Barbie. Felix had told Valerie that his little sister liked dolls, but since she didn't know that much about the Muggle world, all of her dolls were enchanted. So Valerie got the girl a regular Barbie with some accessories. It was comical, watching the girl trying to figure out how to work the doll.

For Felix, Valerie had gotten him a bracelet. It was a leather band, and it had a sentence that Valerie had said to Felix on multiple occasions whenever he was being Felix.

'Idiot.'

Well, that was the excuse Felix had given his parents.

In reality, it was the words Valerie had said when Felix had called her one of his closest friends. She told him he was stupid, and it wasn't a good idea to be friends with her.

"Well, then call me an idiot."

So she did.

After Christmas was over, Valerie and Felix went back to Salem. Of course, over time they became best friends.
It was peaceful after that. Valerie still struggled, but it was a little easier.

Until end of the year.

Veela had gone into an episode. Valerie was unexperienced with the creature. Veela was a different sort of thing to deal with, but Valerie found him comical. However, anger had gotten the best of Felix, and Veela had struck out. A boy, who was a couple years older than Valerie, had said something to Felix to make Veela come out.

To this day, Felix had not told her what the boy said, but she just remembered seeing him snap, and punching the boy in the face repeatedly. The entire thing was blown out of proportion; the boy's parents had pressed charges against Felix. There was a mild trial to be held to decide if Felix was to be expelled or not. Valerie had gone as a witness, to support Felix, and she remembered the lawyer sneering at her the whole time.

"Did Mr. Markins punch the boy or not?" He had asked.
"Well, yes, but only because-"
"Yes or no," the man demanded.
"It's more complicated than-"
The man had scoffed. "It's not that complicated. The child had obviously lost control of his other half. This should be grounds for expulsion. If he can't control himself, the boy shouldn't be allowed in public. Did Mr. Markins hit his fellow student or not? Yes or no?"

"Well, that's a loaded question. If you're asking if Felix struck the boy then yes." The lawyer smirked turned around and started to address the Wizarding jury, but Valerie had cut him off.

"However, he only struck the boy because he was antagonized by something his fellow student had said."

The lawyer had opened his mouth to tell Valerie off, but she had merely raised a hand, silencing him.

"And by saying that Felix having no control for one moment is grounds for expulsion, is ridiculous. How many wizards have lost control and struck someone, or done something irrational? That does not mean they are unruly, and shouldn't be allowed in the school."

"That's a lovely speech, but Mr. Markins is a magical creature. He is a different case. He is more liable to become wild and I would not want to place the wizards at the school in danger."

Valerie had rolled its eyes and snorted. "You're forgetting that Felix is also a wizard."

The lawyer had glared at her and started threatening to have her removed from the court, but was stopped by the entrance of Queen Timira and Queen Ariann.

They had strolled up to the judge, and demanded to know why they weren't informed of the hearing or anything. Felix was a part of the Community, and therefore the Ministry could not punish him.

The lawyer had sputtered before Timira had waved her hand, casting a Silencing spell on the man.

Valerie had gasped, drawing Queen Timira's attention, and the woman had looked at her in surprise. She took Valerie down, away from the trial, while Ariann had dealt with the judge.

Valerie's Queen had then explained that the Ministry had no power over Felix, or his family. The lawyer that had berated Valerie was a sympathizer with a group of people who wanted to get a law passed that would force the Community's members to become Ministry property.

Valerie had gotten mad and ranted about the unfairness of it all, when Timira had questioned her about her other half. Valerie explained with confusion that her other side had not come out and become apparent. She had lain dormant.

Timira had given her a strange look before breaking out into a strange smile and asking Valerie about everything that had happened. Valerie did not want to explain to the strange woman her feelings or situations, and had made the decision to be vague. But as she talked to the woman, she found herself telling the truth and sharing everything there was.

"Sounds like your other half was being sympathetic and waiting until you were fully adjusted."
The Queen had said it with a twisted mouth, and Valerie was not sure how to take it.

Eventually the whole debacle was taken care of, and Felix was given a warning.

Things were calm again. School, homework, and life had happened, until the summer.

Valerie had gone home, where she avoided her parents at every turn. Summer passed quickly. She had crept out at night to go off and do her own things. She was walking through a park that was close to her house when she heard a scuffling. Valerie had rushed to the noise when she heard a suppressed scream and saw four boys beating a girl. On closer inspection, Valerie could tell that the girl was a Nymph and she could smell that the boys were wizards. Valerie had reacted with haste, and stunned all of the boys with her wand before rushing to the Nymph.

Turned out that the Nymph's name was Thenora. She had been walking home from work when the wizards had attacked her.

The Aurors were called, along with the Nymph King, and it was handled from there.

But that had been Valerie's first glimpse into the atrocities done to magical creatures or beings. That had spurned her to study things, and Valerie had become active in getting rights for the Community. She couldn't do much. A rally here, a rally there. She had even given a speech to some wizards at a Weird Sisters concert. It wasn't much, but Valerie felt that she was making a difference. Felix was happy that she had found something to be passionate about, and had even helped out.

The next Samhain was the turning point.

Timira was becoming old. There was a certain age that Monarchs could reach and number of years they could rule, before they needed to elect a new Monarch. The Vampires had held a meeting, talking about the new Monarch. The most popular vote was for a man named Marcus. He was vile and ruthless, and was the walking stereotype of an evil Vampire. Of course the vote for the new Monarch was also influenced by the General Public, and Timira had gone in front of the crowd.

"I would like to nominate Valerie Jacobson."

Valerie had thought she heard wrong, but the Queen had been looking right at her. Disbelief filled Valerie as she looked at the woman.

She was a nobody. She hadn't even been part of the Community that long. She didn't even know the Queen except for a few passing conversations!

Oh, Timira knew. No one had known who owned the name. But there was something in the girl that Timira saw. There were lots of Vampires more accomplished and fit for the position, but Timira had to make this girl Queen. She was different.

Somehow, along the way, Vampires always lost their sense of humanity. They turned their back on that part, ignoring that they were once human themselves. They let the other half over take them, blinding them to anything important. And in the girl, Timira saw a girl who had kept her humanity.

It was silly and ridiculous, yes. It sounded stupid, yes, but Timira could not shake it, the fact that this girl needed to be Queen.

After the girl had been nominated and made Queen, Timira had thought about what she had done. Being Queen was hard, and difficult, and Timira would often get a stab of guilt at putting the girl through it all.

But in the long run, Timira knew it would pay off.

He was watching her pace back and forth, with a hand under her chin, thinking.

"You keep doing that, and you won't have any energy left for Trials."
She glared at him. "I'm more worried on YOUR survival rate than mine."
He laughed.

They were in a white room waiting for Trials.

The Monarchs on the Council weren't just appointed by vote, no. They had to go through a series of tests called the Trials. They had to deal with political and physical tests before they could officially become a Monarch. That's what they were doing now.

No one really knew where the trials were. Only the Monarchs. Those who attended, and it was usually the entire Community, were given a location for a portkey.

Timira had wasted no time with campaigning for Valerie. When Valerie had told him what had happened, Felix had laughed until he cried. And then he had noticed Valerie's expression. A week after that Samhain, there was news traveling around the entire community of Timira's vote. Of course, three-fourths of the Community thought it was a joke, and didn't believe it. But when a new Monarch was to be chosen, the entire Community participated. So when the Vampire Chairmen held a meeting about the identity of the new Vampire Monarch, Timira had brought up Valerie's name. She had forced the young Vampire to go in front of the crowd. Valerie had fought. She still thought it was still some ridiculous joke. Timira had persisted though, and now the entire Community was in chaos.

Valerie was too young to begin with, and add that to the fact that she had only been a Vampire for a year, well, most of the General Public did not act too kindly.

The Community had other events other than Samhain. There were solstice celebrations, parties hosted by Chairmen, and other things. All of which Valerie had attended, and all of which she had been berated. The General Public did not like this girl. She had shoved her way into politics when she had no business. She wasn't even out of her Transition Period.
And yet, at each function, Valerie had held her own. She threw back witty comments, downgraded those who had insulted her and called her out. To humans, she would just appear to be a bitch, but to the Community, she was growing a spine. The Community did not like weak creatures. Theirs was a world of a harsh reality. It was not a place for the frail or kindhearted. That was to say that you had to be completely heartless, but if you expected to survive, you needed to be able to fight back.

With each new function, the General Public came to see who Valerie really was. She got involved, even if they tried to push her out. There was one particular event, where the Fairy King had been talking about humans and their devastation to beautiful landmarks and disrespect for the earth. The Community was very involved in such things, as it was said that they gained their magic from the earth. There were several suggestions. From reporting behavior to the proper human authorities, or having a group that would protect several sacred places. Valerie had suggested teaming up with the wizards to place spells that would prevent that sort of behavior.

She gained ground after that, and slowly, the General Public had come to love her. And when it mattered, she gained their support. Oh, there were still a number of beings that still disliked her, but it was a small and dwindling number.

Which brought them to now. The Trials. When one was elected, they first had to pass the Trials.

"You can still back out," Felix had said softly.
Valerie sighed. "You know I can't."

Because if she did, Marcus would take in the reins, and he would rule. He was a tyrant. And Felix would like to blame the Vampire side of Marcus. To say that it was that side that made him lose all compassion, but Felix knew it wasn't just the Vampire. It was also the man. He called for war against the wizards. A claim to take back the world, not just the magical, but the Muggle. His ramblings had not been shot down however. He gave the Public the words they wanted to hear. He put on a charming smile, and glazed the words with honey. False promises.

So Valerie stuck with the nomination.

"You could always kill him," Felix suggested.
"Oh, great. A Veela acting as an advisor. Like they need another reason to hate me." she said with a dry tone.
"Well? The Community already thinks we're sleeping together."
She snorted. "In your dreams."
"Ah. Correction, Veela's dreams."
She grimaced. "That's not helping."

The door opened, and Timira stuck her head in.

"It's time."

Valerie took a deep breath and left the room.

"You'll be a great Queen," Felix called after her.
"You're an idiot," she called back.
He smirked.

Well, short story already told, Valerie became Queen. Her Trials had consisted of her scaling a wall, talking a rabid Vampire down, and something to do with an angry turtle (don't ask).

She was a great queen. She had strengthened the bonds between all of the Chairmen and Monarchs. She got the Community to think of themselves as just that, and not a separate species fighting the world on their own. She got several restrictions on magical creatures and beings annulled. She had even managed to put Marcus in his place several times along the way.

It was a nice and calm.

Felix remembered when he and Valerie just traded barbs. She interested him from the start; no one else usually matched his wit or put up with his arrogant side.

Any sort of fighting they did was good natured and done for the entertainment of the two parties. She was a strange girl, no stranger than Felix himself, and he found himself being drawn toward her. When she was attacked and had become a Vampire, he remembered watching as she withdrew into herself and became a shell of the girl he joked with. They weren't friends, hell they weren't even acquaintances, but Felix just hated the look on her face. It went from sad, to despair, and then slowly became one of bitter hate. So he bumped into her, tried to get her out of her shell.

When they got to know each other, he found that she was sharp around the edges, and she had cut him more than once. But it was fun, sanding those edges down until he got to the sarcastic, no-non-sense, semi-bitch she could be. She acknowledged the description and took it as a compliment. She had a great sense of humor.

When he had written a letter to his parents about his new friend, they had been surprised. Veelas and Vampires tended to have a showdown that was that of two PMSing 16 year olds fighting over a boy. Comical, if you weren't caught in the crossfire. The two species did not have a good rap sheet regarding the other. There was even a 'war' between them way back when Ancient Greece was around.

His parents, however, had supported Felix in his choice of friendship, and had not uttered protest when he invited Valerie to Christmas. His mother thought Valerie was lovely 'under that entire kill-you attitude' and his father admired her courage during her Transition Period. His sister, Chloe, absolutely adored the Vampire.

Felix had to admit, it was strange, their relationship. He was happy with it, though, and didn't plan to end it.

And then seventh grade happened.

The school was normal toward Valerie. Get promoted to Queen in any way shape or form, and you were suddenly loved by all. Valerie had given Felix a good chuckle when she announced to the whole school that they could all go fuck themselves. Her old friends' reaction to Valerie's rejection had given him a fit of giggles that lasted a week.

Valerie had said that she hated her position, but damn if she wasn't a happier person because of it. Strange how that worked. She always felt unneeded and unimportant, but the position of Queen had given her a sense of fulfillment that she had craved. She grew stronger and no longer gave a fuck what others thought.

Which was a good thing, because that year, Salem got a transfer from the Brazilian Institute of Magic.

He was in Valerie and Felix's year, and he was a brute. A savage bullying brute. He tossed around first graders and punched a kid who was defending his girlfriend. He made it his life mission to make everyone miserable. He even gained a little clique of demented bastards.

And when he found out Valerie was a Vampire, all hell broke loose.
It started with a few jinxes here, some hexes there, but Valerie ignored him. The greatest weapon you could give a bully was attention. You deprive them of that, and they'll move on.
This boy, though, persisted. It would not have been so bad, but he was rough with even the females. Well, one day he got a little to handsy with Valerie's old friend Lauren.

There was no love lost, well maybe a little, but Lauren had made her choice when Valerie had become a Vampire. Valerie didn't owe the girl anything, but the simple fact that the boy was harassing the girl set Valerie into motion. She hated it when others attacked the weak.

She had walked up to the boy, wand out and raised, and had told him to back off. She shooed Lauren away, and made to follow behind the girl. Brazilian boy had other plans, however. Valerie had not expected his friends to gang up on her, disarm her, and pin her arms back. She had relied on the fear that came with the name, and had gotten sloppy. The transfer student had walked forward all laughs, and made a degrading comment on how female Vampires were supposed to be wicked in bed. Valerie, of course, did not like that. She liked it even less when Brazil Boy had grabbed her chest.

After her attack, Valerie had taken fighting and self-defense classes. She needed to be able to fight anyway, as Vampires could get rather violent. Her training coupled with her increased strength allowed her to break free of the friends' hold and shove them away. Brazilian Boy had wasted no time and had thrown himself at her, pinning her to the wall. He tore at her clothing, and that's when Valerie's vision turned black.

Felix knew what happened next. The entire investigation had involved Valerie's memories, and the memories of the cronies being displayed for the court to see. Not just the Wizarding courts, but the Community's as well.

The court for the Community however, involved every member of all the species. The General Public acted as jury, the Chairmen and Monarchs listened. It was ultimately the Monarchs' decision, but they wanted to listen to all opinions.

The memories had been projected using Fairy magic, and they had all seen what happened.

Valerie's panicked expression had changed into one of anger and hatred. It was an abrupt change, and the expression looked foreign on Valerie. At least to Felix. Her eyes changed color, becoming more vibrant.

This was Valerie's other half. Her Vampire.

She had grabbed the boy's arm and spun him around twisting it. He cried out in rage and pain, and had spun back around, taking a swing at the Vampire with his free arm. She just moved out of the way, and shoved the boy back. He charged her, and she had used his momentum to throw him into the wall.

There was a sickening crunch and the boy slumped to the ground, motionless.

The Vampire had cocked her head, not comprehending for a moment. Realization hit a split second later, and the Vampire had stumbled back. The eye color faded, and Valerie's conscious came back.

She fell back, landing on her ass, and scrambled back away from the body. Her breathing became harder, and she started to hyperventilate. She looked at the friends, but they had flinched back, afraid.

Valerie summoned her wand without a word, and crept toward the fallen boy. She tried every spell she knew.

The boy's face was red and bloodied. His nose was squished and broken. There was a gash in his head, where blood spilled out, onto the floor.

The friends ran off, but Valerie paid them no mind. She even made a cut on her wrist and let the blood fall into the boys open wound.

Nothing. He was dead.

She was still breathing heavy and slid back to rest against the wall. She just looked at the fallen boy. That's how the teachers found her. Leaned back on the wall, staring.

The Aurors were called, and Valerie was taken away.

She didn't call for anyone. They had put her in a holding cell in the Ministry, but she did not move from the spot they deposited her in. The Aurors worked, gathering evidence. The parents of the boy demanded justice.

Felix didn't know what had happened until two days after the incident. He thought it strange that Valerie wasn't there, but figured that she was doing some Vampire Queen business. The entire thing was hushed, until their headmaster made the announcement that Brazil Boy was dead and Valerie was arrested.

The school held its breath. Valerie was violent. She was a Vampire. But in all the time they saw her, she never killed. The school had gotten used to her rep as a 'pure' Vampire. But hearing this news, all their doubts vanished and they went back to the Vampire hating side.

Felix leapt into action, contacting Queen Ariana. She came for Felix, and they rushed down to the Ministry. At first they were bared, until Ariana pulled the Veela charm on the head Auror, and they went to Valerie's cell.

Her hair was a mess, and her clothes were rumpled. She sat on a cot against the wall, staring across the cell. Her knees were pulled up to her chest, and she did not acknowledge the newcomers.

Ariana flew into motion. She contacted the other Monarchs, and they all came down to the Ministry. The wizards explained the situation, and the Monarchs demanded Valerie's release. She was a part of the Community, she was a Queen. They did not have precedence over her.
The Ministry argued. It was always a difficult situation when a wizard ended up dead at the hands of a magical being. Most times it was turned over to the Community, and the punishment was taken from there. But Valerie was still a minor, and she was a wizard as well. Technically, the Ministry owned half of her.

There was a trial. The minions were called to the stand, spoke of what had happened. Their memories were reviewed and they were given verituaserum. The same thing was done with Lauren. When Valerie was called, she just sat there quietly. The parents demanded blood, as did some of the magical being-hating wizards. But the Wizengamot was called. A lawyer for the boy's family verbally attacked Valerie, and she had given quiet and short sentences.

She had only looked at anyone once, and that was at the boy's parents. She had whispered, "I'm so sorry," and left the stand with tears in her eyes.

The Wizengamot had called for two days so they could decide. In those two days, Valerie had undergone the trial from the Community.

The entire thing with the Community lasted maybe six hours, and that's just because they had to review evidence. But they weren't idiots. They knew how overbearing other sides could be. IT was ruled as self-defense, and Valerie was sent back to the Ministry.

The wizards decided the same thing. There was uproar, and Valerie was persecuted as an evil monster. She had returned to Salem.

Whatever treatment she had thought was hell before, was nothing compared to that of this time. People outright attacked her, and teachers turned a blind eye. Valerie didn't put up a fight any of the times. The less she fought back, the more people attacked.

She had been roaming the halls one night when she stumbled upon Felix in a seated window. She sat down next to him.

They sat in silence.

"You look fucking awful," she told him. It came out as a rasp.

Felix knew he did. It had been a month since he had been with a girl. He defended Valerie, and in Salem's eyes, he was condemned for his friendship. He didn't care. He knew the truth, and he was going to stick up for Valerie. When he made that apparent, no one would bother with him.

Valerie looked at him and knew. She wasn't an idiot. She saw, she observed.

"I told you, you were an idiot," she grabbed his hand.
Veela purred and Felix felt himself take a deep breath, welcoming the contact.
They sat in silence before Felix finally said, "It wasn't your fault."
Her eyes blazed. "Yes it is. If I wasn't this...this THING...a boy would be living."
"It was self-defense."
"I didn't have to kill him."
"Dammit Valerie, that wasn't you. That was your other-"
"V," she said quietly.
"What?"
"She insists I refer to her as V."

She broke down crying.

Felix pulled her into a close hug and held her. They didn't talk anymore.

Then Felix pulled a dumbass move. He tilted Valerie's chin up so she was looking at him and kissed her.

It was Veela. That's what it was.

But even as he told himself that, he knew that was a lie.

Felix was more aware of Valerie in that one moment than he had ever been. He could feel an explosion of, well, her.

It was a vivid explosion, more like a vision than anything. He saw snippets of Valerie doing things and they raced by. There was insane color, and it was like a fast slideshow of art, where Valerie was the focal point. He was starting to feel what she felt, when she pulled back abruptly.
The connection was broken, and he was now just looking at her.

"Sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have-"
She waved her hand. "No. It's ok. We made a deal remember?" She gave him a small smile, but didn't look at him.

She got up and left.

Oh, the kiss wasn't what made him a dumb-ass. If there was a moment he ever wanted to repeat, it would be that moment with Valerie. No. He was a dumbass, because he didn't go after her.

He was a dumbass because he let her walk away.