Vampire in Gryffindor Clothing

CHAPTER TWO

~~~~~~

Akasha awoke feeling slightly disoriented. For a moment she couldn’t figure out where she was. Then it hit her... Hogwarts... safe... Beside her, an alarm clock went off. She jumped but then recovered and hit the snooze.
“Man... I have to go to class.” She scowled, not liking her change in sleeping pattern. Akasha’s stomach growled in disagreement. “Mmm... hungry...”

~~~~~~

Her first class of the day was Defense Against the Dark Arts. As she walked into the classroom, she saw the teacher give her a sharp, weary glance and move to the other side of the room. Akasha sighed and walked toward the back of the room. The boy from last night’s fiasco- Severus- sat at the very back table, his head bent low over a piece of parchment.
“Is this seat taken?” Akasha purred. She sat down, not bothering to wait for an answer.
He looked up, startled. “N-no,” he stammered, looking her up and down. “Please.”
She smiled. “So, who’s the old guy?” She nodded to the teacher at the front.
“Oh, that’s Professor Blackthorn-”
“Hey there, Snivelly,” James said mockingly as he walked up to them. He was flanked by Remus, Peter and... Sirius- who looked haughty and bored but handsomely so.
“Akasha,” Sirius glared at Snape and then smiled warmly at Akasha, “why don’t you come sit with me?” he offered, lowering his voice an octave.
She looked back and forth between the two boys- who eyed each other with the utmost contempt.
“Mmm... how ‘bout not?”
Sirius clenched his fist. “This is all your fault,” he hissed at Snape.
Akasha put a halting hand on his chest. “Whoa there! Don’t think for a second that I can’t make my own decisions, you ass!”
“That wasn’t what I was saying! Damned woman; always twisting my words around!” he yelled.
“Well, if you’d stop insulting me, you arrogant bastard...!” she bellowed back.
“STOP CALLING ME NAMES!”
“STOP YELLING AT ME THEN!”
“I’m not YELLING!!”
“WOULD YOU TWO JUST SHUT UP!!!” James shouted over them, putting a hand between the two.
Akasha and Sirius glared at each other, but kept their mouths shut. They were both breathing heavily as if they’d just run a long race. And they looked like they wanted to kill one another. Snape looked back and forth at them delightedly.
“Yeah, shut up, Sirius,” Snape smirked.
Sirius made a move toward Snape, but Akasha quickly grabbed him by the shirt sleeve. Her strength surprised him.
“You leave him out of this,” she hissed through clenched teeth. “Don’t make me... hex you.”
Sirius’ dark eyes flashed in anger. “Fine,” he growled and turned away, finding a table at the opposite corner of the room.
James, Remus, and Peter stood speechless for a moment but then, as Professor Blackthorn cleared his throat pointedly, they followed Sirius to his table.
“You know, I really don’t like him,” Akasha thought aloud, feeling strongly attracted to him at the same time.
“I loathe him,” Snape said, staring at her fondly.
Akasha glanced at Sirius- who was staring resolutely at the teacher- and then back at Snape. “I’m beginning to think Hogwarts might not be such a drag after all...” she said thoughtfully.
Uncomprehending, Snape didn’t say anything, but he smiled back at her, hooked.
“Welcome back, class,” the professor said and the class instantly quieted. “As you all should know, I’m Professor Blackthorn and this is, of course, N.E.W.T. level Defense Against the Dark Arts.” He paused and looked around the classroom. “Our first creature of the new term is, “ he looked smugly at Akasha, “the Vampire.”
Akasha fought the urge to lunge, strike, kill. “The bastard,” she muttered angrily under her breath.
“Now, can anyone tell me about the London Decree of 1742?” the Professor asked and then pointed to Lupin.
Lupin took this in stride. “The London Decree was put into act to ban all vampires from feeding or using their powers in London and it’s nearby towns. It also kept vampires from getting decent jobs. It’s really the same prejudice toward werewolves as well. It all stems back to the belief that wizards and witches are better than half-breeds. They took away their food- the Ministry of Magic- and they took away their lives, as if-”
“-They were vermin; below human,” Akasha finished dryly, feeling akin to the boy.
Lupin glanced over at her, surprised, but she was scowling at Blackthorn.
“Ten points to Gryffindor for Mr. Lupin’s correct- if not a bit biased- answer. And five points from Gryffindor for Miss Valerois’ rude interruption of another student.” Professor Blackthorn smiled triumphantly.
Akasha’s fingers gripped the edge of the desk tightly, trying desperately to hold back her rage. I hate you, she hissed silently; you filthy, vile, disgusting, arrogant, little prick. I know what you’re doing, you evil-
Akasha looked down at her hands. Her nails, which had been digging deeply into the wood of the table, had managed to rip off the edge of her desk.
“You stupid va-girl! Look at this mess!” Blackthorn bellowed, swooping down on her. He took the desk bits from her. “Get out! GET OUT OF MY CLASSROOM THIS INSTANT!” he spat. His eyes bulged and a vein throbbed in his temple.
Akasha stared at him unflinchingly. “I would be careful, if I were you, Professor,” she said quietly, so only he could hear her. Her voice was threatening, laced with danger. “Or you might wake up with a vampire in your bed chamber.”
With that, she picked up her schoolbag and stalked lithely out of the room, head held high. Behind her, the professor was sputtering, caught between fear and anger. This time, it was she that smiled triumphantly.

~~~~~~

Akasha sat in the Gryffindor common room that afternoon during break, staring absently into the unlit fireplace.
“If you stare at it hard enough, you might actually start a fire,” Sirius said sarcastically as he sat down next to her. Looking serious, he added, “Want me to hex Blackthorn for you?”
Akasha shook her head mutely, still gazing at the fireplace.
“At least you’re not yelling at me,” he said optimistically.
He scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her waist. She smiled slightly and looked down. He cupped her chin gently, tilting her face up to his.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she said quietly.
“Tell me,” he prodded, pouting stubbornly.
She sighed. “What’s wrong are prejudiced people like Blackthorn who think they are so much better just because they have ‘purer’ blood,” she answered tiredly, like a child reciting a hated lesson.
“He really got to you,” said Sirius. “I guess I can relate.”
“How can you?!” she said angrily, pulling away from the handsome boy. “No one can! I don’t need you’re pity, Sirius. I get enough of that from everyone else. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to be late for class.”
She turned and stalked through the open portrait hole, knocking over a group of first years as she went.
“Women!” he said exasperatedly to himself.

~~~~~~

That day was a living nightmare for Akasha. She knew she would have a couple of teachers who would not accept her, but she’d never imagined that every single one of them would hate her. All except for one. Her Divination teacher, Professor Spinks; a withering, old woman with a gentle nature and understanding heart.
When Akasha had climbed into the Astronomy Tower for class, Professor Spinks had given her a warm smile and patted her on the hand.
“You keep strong, child,” she’d croaked, making Akasha slightly uncomfortable. “They may spit in your eye, but you’ll have the last laugh. Be proud of who you are! There’s nothing wrong with you, beautiful creature!”
“Um...okay...”
And then Spinks had limped off and class had begun. But even now, as she lay wide-awake in bed, she still couldn’t get the old bat’s words out of her head.
Be proud of who you are...
Akasha didn’t think that was possible. Not when she hated herself as much as everyone else did.

~~~~~~
So there you have it; the second chapter! So, you know what to do now!... review! ^_^