(A/N): Hey Guys! So, the next chapter is the big 100! Everyone excited?

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Leo, Elaine, Shari, Nicholai, Brooke and Mia.

Leo

Training was exhausting, as always. Shari and my father were working me hard, but I knew it was because they were worried. I didn't mind the harsh difficulty of the training though, it gave me time to escape my thoughts of other things, to focus on the task at hand. It gave me time to just breathe, to think logically instead of personally, or get hurt. I loved it.

"Are you sure you don't want to-?" I shook my head as I panted thickly, staring at the tree surrounding us.

"I don't want to take a break." I growled, determined to get this right. They had both been asking if I wanted to take a break, almost continuously, but I just kept shaking my head. I had to get this right, if I was going survive. If I was going to protect the others from all the things to come.

"Okay." Shari replied quietly, as if she didn't particularly agree, but wanted me to have my own choice. Only she knew that I was working doubly as hard, seeing as we had also been training to become animagi in our spare time. I was either training for the war, training for the transformation, or sleeping. Or hunting. I had to hunt more often than usual, seeing as how I active I had been recently was sapping my energy, which could only be replenished by blood and food.

Today, we were training on how to fight in enclosed spaces, where it was hard to manoeuvre, like the forest surrounding our house. I would take off, and one of the other two, my father or Shari, would attempt to find and attack me. So far, they had found me every time, and won every time, so I was pretty damn pissed off at them, and myself.

"Go when you're ready." I took off running into the trees at once, ducking and weaving, just like I would do when hunting, but I soon heard my father's footsteps trailing me, and I decided to try something I hadn't tried before. I turned up the juice, running at full speed now.

It was harder to dodge the trees now, but I managed, and almost groaned out loud as I heard my father speeding his own pace in order to pursue me.

I ran in a wide circle, so we wouldn't pass out of the forest, and I could feel him catching up, quickly.

When he was only about a yard behind me, I changed direction slightly, and ran straight at a tree. Or should I say, straight up a tree.

My father approached the tree, slowing down, as I ran up the trunk before pushing off, about ten feet above his head, and twirling sideways mid-leap, so I landed on the ground, facing the way I had came, rolling to absorb the impact before landing on my feet and racing away again, in the same direction I had come.

It took him a few seconds to catch up, and when he was just behind me, I turned sideways, so I was just out of his path, and lifted my arm. Just like I had planned, my arm hit him in the throat, and he was thrown to the ground with the force of his own propulsion.

Not giving him time to stand and attack, I grabbed one of his wrists in each hand, and kneeled across his thighs with one of my legs, the other pressed into the ground, giving me leverage.

"Good, good my boy!" My father, exclaimed, a wide grin on his face, but I didn't let him up yet.

"I know you could more than easily get out of this, dad." His grin turned smug, and he shrugged, despite me holding both his wrists tightly in my grasp.

"Smart boy." My father stated, before ripping one of his wrists from my hands, pushing me off of him with the palm of his now freed hand.

"I almost won this time." I muttered, just as Shari appeared, using her vampiric speed, and placed a hand on my shoulder gently.

"It's time for a break Leo." I tried to fight her, but she only gripped my shoulder tighter. "You've been up since dawn, fighting two vampires all day is quite a feat." I glanced at the sky, and realised that the sun had set while I was grappling with my father.

"Eh...alright." I sighed, defeated, and started towards the house.

"Uh, Leo?" I turned around, raising a single eyebrow at Shari.

"What?" I asked, thoroughly exhausted now that she had mentioned rest, without it being the weak option.

"You may want to shower before dinner." She gestured to my body before walking away with my father, and I glanced down, only to realise that I was covered in mud and twigs.

"Oh, that's just great."

As I entered my room, towelling off my now dripping hair, I noticed the large owl perched on my windowsill.

"Hey Lawrence," I cooed, petting him lightly with two knuckles, feeding him a treat as I realised there was a letter tied to his chicken-like legs. "How are you, buddy?" He gave me a hoot, before shuffling his feathers, and sticking his head under his wing, a clear sign that he was trying to sleep. "Okay then, I'll be quiet." I told the tired bird with a smile, tugging the letter away from him lightly and settling down at the small desk in my room.

A letter from Elaine, I could tell, by the handwriting.

Leo,

Hey. I really enjoyed seeing you the other day, because I barely get to see anyone outside Hogwarts, and because last summer I didn't get to see you at all.

Do you think, if you aren't too busy training of course, that you could come visit me again tomorrow night? I've got loads to tell you, and besides, it might be a nice break for you.

Please?

Pretty please?

Pleadingly,

Elaine

I grinned and shook my head lightly before pulling a small scrap of parchment from the drawer of the desk and dipping my quill in the ink pot I had opened to pen my short reply.

Elaine,

I'll be there.

Confirmingly,

Leo

'Confirmingly' probably wasn't a word, but Elaine and I always signed our letters with those types of things. It was like, one of our inside jokes, kind of.

I'd definitely be there though, no matter what.

(A/N): So, what did you think?

In case you haven't noticed, Leo kind of favours the others protection over his own, even if they don't think they need protecting.

Please review and/or check out my other stories!