(A/N): Hey Guys! So, I know I haven't updated in ages, but I was hella busy with NaNoWriMo, and then in the days after that, I was really busy with relaxing, school work, and the fact that I seriously couldn't write any time I thought of this story, sorry.

So, this chapter is dedicated to my friend Matt, who is now reading this story as a way to keep entertained during the holidays. Hope you've liked it so far!

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

Leo

A few hours later it was time for the group of young teens to leave again, and I wasn't exactly ecstatic about it, to say the least. After all, not only were they my best and only friends, but I knew that as soon as they left, it would be back to training. I mean, training was half a blessing, and half a curse. I brought the training on myself, and wanted to train as hard as I could not just to save my own behind, but to be able to help the others, too. Besides, I had to become an animagus or I couldn't help Remus, and there was no way I was backing out on that. On the other hand, training was hard work. It was pretty much exercising, constantly. It was repetitive, and it was killing me. Sure, I was exhausted from it, but what was really killing me was how bored it was making me. I was itching to pull a Marauders and prank someone, but the only people I could prank around here were sure to kick my butt if I did so, so that was definitely out of the question. Of course, they were going to kick my butt throughout the course of the day anyway...

"Alright son, you're almost getting it!" My father called as encouragement as Shari took me to the ground, foot planted flat against my chest as a way of keeping me down, and out of action. I wasn't almost getting it- I was getting the shit beaten out of me, and there was nothing I could do about it. After all, I had asked for this, hadn't I?

After a few seconds of having me pinned- which was probably extremely satisfying to her, seeing how annoying I had been around her lately- Shari helped me up from the ground, and she switched out with my father. "Alright, Leo!" She shouted, but I gritted my teeth, clenching my jaw tightly as my eyes narrowed, irritation welling up as frustration started to burn inside my chest. I was embarrassed, and sick of being humiliated. I had been taken down at least a dozen times since the group had left about an hour ago, and I hated it. This time though... I got my butt handed to me with force.

"Oof!" I grunted as I hit the ground shoulder first, squeezing my eyes shut for a second or two before opening them and rising to my feet, rolling my shoulder to try and remove the soreness that had befallen the area. "Again." My father looked at me as if unsure, but I nodded to him slightly, showing that I could handle it, even after such a fall.

"Shari?"

Shari stepped up to where my father had been, switching spots yet again, and she cracked her knuckles menacingly- something that would likely make a normal person flinch, but only made me smirk a little. Without a second of warning she came barreling at me, and instantly, without even a thought, I engaged Sensory Alert. Everything slowed down, and I could see exactly what she was doing. Not even glancing down, just staring at her full in the face, I saw her glance to my left side, which I had left open purposely. Her foot inched in that direction, and she was rapidly closing the distance- she was only two feet away now. As she raised her leg, ready to kick me in the stomach, I twisted to the right- and narrowly avoiding her foot, I made my way around her body until I arrived behind her, casting my let out until my foot slammed into the small of her back, sending her stumbling toward the ground.

As her palms and knees hit the ground, she knew from experience and common sense what was coming and tried to roll out of the way- but before she managed to complete the movement I had her pinned to the ground, my foot pressed into her stomach as she now lay flat on her back in the middle of the clearing we had made, her clothing dusted with dirt and pine needles. She writhed, her pride not yet letting her give up, but ultimately, she remained on the ground, pinned under the weight of my foot.

"Good job, Leo." The words sounded sincere, but by the tone he used I could readily tell that he was worried. After all, he was my father, and I had known him my whole life... well, for the last few years of it, anyway.

"What's-?" He cut me off, shaking his head and gesturing towards the house- a sign that he wanted me to shut up, and go inside. I was a little confused but I did as he said- well, gestured, technically- using vampire speed to head straight to the bathroom. I don't know why I headed there, it just seemed like a natural place for me to go. It was cooler in there, and I headed toward the bathtub, ready to sit down on the edge of it before I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.

It startled me because, after all, this was only the third time- and the first time properly- that I had seen myself in Sensory Alert. My skin was practically colorless, my eyes had turned such a dark blue they were almost black, and when I lifted a hand and curled my lips back to show my teeth, both my nails and my teeth were sharper than usual. Even without the intimidating, dominant stance I usually bore while in Sensory Alert, I was utterly terrifying, even to myself. Was this how others saw me? Was this why they were so scared? I sat down on the floor, hard, and gripped either wrist in the opposite hand as I bit my lip, blinking as I honed my hearing so I could try to hear Shari and my father's conversation.

The only problem was, they were full vampires. They could talk much quieter, and faster, and could hear much better. They were prepared, knowing that I would try to listen in on any conversation that was obviously about me, and that I couldn't hear a conversation between two full-vamps... yet. My abilities as a half-vampire were developing quickly- quicker than anyone had expected, even I knew that- and it worried me, even though I knew the cause. It was because of my veela genes, but honestly, I was mainly worried that with my abilities developing, my desire for human blood would develop right alongside them.

I sighed deeply, using vampire speed to leave the bathroom and find my way to my bed; not exactly what it was meant for, and it was probably abusing the power, but at that moment I didn't particularly care. I collapsed into my bed, burying my face in the pillow and pulling the covers up around me- and taking the opportunity presented to me to fall asleep quickly and quietly, before one of them came to fetch me for more training. It never even occurred to me that falling asleep in Sensory Alert might have unforeseen effects.

(A/N): So, what did you guys think? This chapter was supposed to be something completely different to begin with, but this turned out okay, actually.

This chapter has had minor edits made to it on 29/12/22

This chapter had had edits made to it on 13/2/24 - a whole bunch of formatting stuff to make it easier to read, plus some minor reconfiguring of sentences to make them, y'know... actually make sense.