Chapter 5:
–Valerie–
"Ugh! Why did I think taking the bus was a good idea?" I muttered, pinching my nose to stave off the urge to gag. The Hellsing organization was filthy rich, I could've borrowed any car I wanted. But no, I decided to take the public bus halfway across London instead because I was trying to be incognito–also I didn't know how to drive.
Normally, my decision wouldn't have been a big deal, but my enhanced senses made this bus ride a nightmare for me...
My nose was on fire. The entire bus stank so badly. I wanted to freaking murder the man sitting on the seat in front of me!
Yesterday, I was literally in a building full of rotting corpses and yet the man in front of me still smelled worse than that experience. A lot worse. I couldn't wrap my head around how that was even biologically possible!
"I can't take it anymore!" I shouted, standing up from my seat.
The bus driver slammed on the brakes. "What the hell, lady!?" he spun around and glared at me for my random outburst. "You almost made me crash!"
I ignored him, and bolted right to the front of the bus! I was getting off!
Before I stepped off, I spun around and glared at the man who had been sitting in front of me—an older guy with scars all over his face, wearing oversized robes for some reason. He didn't seem homeless so I didn't feel bad about what I said next.
"Take a goddamn shower!" I yelled at him. "Your the smelliest fucking person I've ever had the displeasure of being around, and I've been around literal rotting corpses!"
The scarred and very stinky man sputtered at me in disbelief. "Now listen here, young lady—"
I didn't let him finish. I stomped off the bus, desperate to escape his foul odor. How was everyone else on the bus not losing their freaking minds as well!? I couldn't even breathe in there!
The driver shot me a look as if I were insane before the doors slid shut, and he sped away.
London wasn't exactly famous for its fresh air, but I took a few deep breaths anyway, trying to purge my nostrils of that guy's awful stench.
No cabs were in sight, making my trip a lot less convenient. Of course, I'd gotten off the bus in a residential neighborhood, which didn't help. I scanned the area for any signs that could clue me in on where I was.
"Surrey…?" I spotted one and furrowed my brows. I think I recognized that name.
Since I wasn't native to Britain or London, Integra had arranged for private tutors as part of my training. British geography had been one of the topics, and I suspected I was still a couple of miles away from Tom's Pub, the rumored entrance to Diagon Alley—at least that's what Rowena had said.
I sighed and started walking.
Dressed as a ridiculously beautiful young woman in designer clothes and a stylish red coat—yet another gift from my new father and a perfect way to conceal my gun—I inevitably attracted attention as I strolled through this cookie-cutter neighborhood. Seriously, every house I passed looked like a mirror image of the last.
I threw some friendly waves at the curious suburbanites, who peered at me suspiciously from their front porches and through their windows. You'd think they'd have better things to do than stare out into the street all day.
I turned onto a street called Privet Drive. As I passed house number four, a tall, awkward woman who resembled a giraffe sneered at me from her front garden. She glared at me for some reason. I could barely make out her muttering something about me being a "freak" as I walked by with my enhanced hearing.
How rude…
"Fuck you too, lady!" I glared back at her, flipping her the bird. The gasp she let out, and the scandalized look on her face was priceless. I kept walking and ignored all the other derogatory remarks she yelled behind my back.
Eventually, I passed by a small park, where my obvious beauty finally caught up to me and caused me some trouble…
"Holy shite, Big D! Check out that blonde bird!" a boy–I called him a boy, but he was probably around my age–yelled loudly, pointing at me and drawing the attention of his two friends.
One of his buddies started wolf-whistling and catcalling me next. "God damn! Look at the tits on her!"
I ignored the jeers and kept walking. They weren't worth my time, and I really didn't want to have to explain to Integra why I hospitalized three stupid, horny guys. Though, to be fair, she was a beautiful woman who walked around with a sword all the time for a reason—she would probably understand.
"Whoa! Hey there, baby! Where are you going?" The third boy finally shouted, he was clearly the one called Big D. He towered over me at over six feet and probably had a hundred pounds on me.
Not that weight class mattered much in the Supernatural World. Plus, I had a literal gun under my coat…
"I'm not interested," I said, barely sparing them a glance.
They all wore cocky smirks as if I should be impressed by them or something. It was a weekday at ten in the morning, shouldn't they all be in school or at work? Even I was technically on the job right now. What was their excuse?
"C'mon, beautiful, don't be like that!" the lankiest one reached me first, blocking my path down the sidewalk.
I let out a sigh of exasperation.
"My name's Miles. Don't you want to get to know me better?" He flashed a smile he probably thought was charming.
"No…" I said, just as the other two caught up with him. "I'm technically working right now, and you three are bothering me. Go away."
"Working? Pfft, what are you? Some kind of undercover cop?" the second boy snickered, stepping closer into my personal space. "A sexy officer like you can arrest me anytime you want..." he finished with a wink.
I shot him a deadpan stare that made it clear just how unimpressed I was with his attempt at seduction. "...I'm not a police officer, but I do have a license to shoot anyone who gets in my way," I said seriously. Of course, they didn't believe me.
The big one laughed. "Cute and funny. I like you! I'm Dudley. Dudley Dursley. Do you live around here? I figured I would've remembered a babe like you."
They just weren't letting me go, were they? 'Fucking suburbs…' I internally groaned. Why did I think taking the bus was a good idea? Obviously I couldn't have predicted the horrific smelly man, but still…
"No, I'm not from here," I said, stepping off the curb and into the street to walk around them. "Goodbye."
"Hey!"
"Where are you going?"
"Hold on! We're still talking to you, bitch!" One of the boys rudely reached out and grabbed my arm with his grubby little hands!
I quickly overpowered his grip and yanked my arm free. Words were one thing, but touching was crossing the line! A genuine hiss escaped my lips as I turned my head and glared at the trio. I heard all their heartbeats quicken as they instinctively backed away, shocked and scared. It had been pointed out to me that when I got angry, my eyes glowed bright red. I had a feeling that was what was terrifying them. Or maybe it was the killing intent I was releasing…
"Hey! Leave her alone!"
I barely registered that there was a girl running toward us from across the park. My slitted eyes remained locked on the three boys, who were slowly realizing they'd fucked up. My hand darted into my coat, behind my back. I yanked out my revolver and aimed it directly at Big D's forehead.
"Holy shit!" the girl cried out as she reached us.
I pulled back the hammer of my revolver. "Clearly, your mothers failed to teach you arrogant pricks this lesson, so I guess it falls to me! When a girl says no, it means fucking no!"
I tilted my gun into the sky and pulled the trigger!
BANG!
The three boys covered their ears in pain from the loud gunshot so close to their heads. My nose twitched as I caught a whiff of something unpleasant—the boy who had grabbed me had soiled himself.
"Get the hell out of here!" I hissed. "Or the next bullet won't be a warning shot!"
They didn't need to be told twice. All three of them bolted away in complete terror! I had trouble keeping the smirk off my lips at the sight. Although it dipped a bit when I realized I still wasn't alone.
Somewhere along the lines, a girl with short brown hair and bright green eyes had shown up. She was staring at me in shock… and a tiny hint of awe I think?
"Wow… that was wicked," she said. "I think Dudley pissed himself…"
"Actually, that was the other one, but close enough." I said to the girl. "Who are you?" Something about this girl felt slightly off to me. Her scent was different compared to the average human. It smelled more…electrifying.
–Rose Potter–
Rose Potter had experienced some pretty terrible summers in her lifetime. And with Dumbledore murdered just two weeks ago and Voldemort's forces rising, she expected this summer to be the worst yet.
She was still shocked they'd sent her back to the Dursleys. With Dumbledore and Sirius both gone, it felt like no one was really looking out for her anymore. Maybe the Weasleys would come to their senses and realize Surrey wasn't safe for her anymore. Under the circumstances, Rose thought they'd come pick her up early—at least she hoped so.
For now, though, she was sitting on a bench in the park with a muggle novel in hand, trying to savor a few last moments of normalcy before the wizarding world erupted into total chaos with herself right at the center as always. The soft rustle of pages as she read her book and the warmth of the summer sun on her skin helped her push away those annoying worries for a little while.
Dudley Dursley and his two goons hanging around the park made it harder to relax, though. Rose grimaced as she glanced at them from the corner of her eye. Even though Dudley usually left her alone after that whole dementor fiasco a few years back, his mere presence was enough to sour her mood.
She turned back to her book, determined not to let him or anything else ruin her one moment of peace. Of course, the universe wouldn't even allow her to have that.
"Holy shite, Big D! Check out that blonde bird!"
Rose let out an exasperated sigh as she overheard Dudley's friend, Piers, start catcalling some poor girl walking down the sidewalk. Now that they had graduated from secondary school, she'd have thought they would have grown out of this kind of behavior. Not that it was ever really appropriate even when they were younger.
Curiosity got the better of her, and she glanced up to see what was happening.
She froze for a moment!
'Wow…' Rose thought, eyes widening as she spotted the blonde girl being harassed. She was absolutely stunning—possibly even more gorgeous than Fleur. Fleur! The sexy French Veela who had been responsible for Rose's "gay awakening," as Hermione liked to tease her about. This blonde girl might've just set a new standard in Rose's book.
The girl's discomfort was clear as Dudley and his friends circled her like vultures. Typical. They really needed to stop loitering around the neighborhood and get actual jobs. Rose could overhear bits of the blonde's frustrated complaints, something about the boys hindering her from doing her job. Even though Dudley had gotten slightly better since the dementor incident, he was still an arrogant git when he wanted to be.
Rose snapped her book shut, tossing it aside on the bench before jogging over. She wasn't exactly sure how she was going to help, considering she couldn't use magic outside of Hogwarts until she turned twenty—a few months away—but she'd figure something out.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" Rose called out, her voice more confident than she felt as she approached the group.
Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the blonde whip out a pistol and point it directly at Dudley's head. Rose's heart skipped a beat.
Was Dudley about to die?!
"Holy shit!" she squeaked, her mind racing.
BANG!
The gunshot rang out, far louder than Rose had ever imagined. Guns didn't seem nearly that loud on the telly. She instinctively squeezed her eyes shut, her pulse pounding in her ears.
When she dared to open them again, she half-expected to see her cousin lying dead on the pavement with a bullet hole in his skull. But no, to her relief, Dudley was still standing, though he was shaking like a leaf. The blonde had fired a warning shot into the air, and now she was threatening the three boys with such authority that they bolted like frightened rabbits.
Rose bit back a laugh, wishing she had a camera to capture the pure terror on Dudley and his mates' faces. Maybe now they'd finally get the message and stop wasting their time harassing girls who aren't interested.
"Who are you?" the blonde girl asked, up close, she was even more stunning with flawless skin and hair. And beyond those features, Rose found herself unable to look away from the blonde's striking ruby-red eyes. They were almost hypnotic… and, were they slightly slitted?
Rose gulped…
"Are you a vampire?" she blurted out, and immediately regretted it. 'Brilliant, Rose!' she mentally scolded herself. 'That's really the first thing you blurt out to a pretty girl!?' Everyone knew vampires couldn't be out during the day–all of their Defense Against the Dark Arts textbooks said so!
The girl blinked at Rose. "Um… yes?"
Rose's brain screeched to a halt. 'Wait, what? She is a vampire!?'
"Technically, I'm only a half-vampire," the blonde said, her voice smooth but edged with something darker. "The proper term is dhampir. My name is Valerie Tepes. Who are you?" She asked again, her sharp gaze narrowing on Rose. "And how do you know about vampires? Most people think they're not real."
"Oh… I'm a witch," Rose replied, a little awkwardly. "My name is Rose Potter…" she paused waiting for recognition to appear in Valerie's eyes after she introduced herself. To Rose's surprise, it never came. 'Woah! Someone from the magical world who actually doesnt know who I am?' That was a first. It was also a relief in a way because the media had not been portraying Rose kindly these past few years. She was either an insane liar, or the next Dark Lady ready to take over the world right after Voldemort. "...I learned about vampires at Hogwarts. But I've never heard of dhampirs being real. I thought that was just Muggle make-believe," Rose continued.
Valerie grimaced, her expression tightening. "We're not make-believe. There's just a reason we're not more well known."
Rose caught the flicker of pain in the girl's eyes, the kind that hinted at a very sad story. Wisely, Rose chose not to pry. Instead, she cracked a small smile. "So, what's a pretty dhampir doing in Surrey, of all places? Besides threatening my dumb cousin and his even dumber friends with a real gun, of course." Rose chuckled lightly. "Why do you even have a gun…?"
Valerie shoved the weapon back inside her coat. "It's an effective tool for killing vampires. The bullets are coated in silver and blessed with holy water."
"Huh?" Rose blinked at that. "Holy water actually works on vampires? I always thought that was made up. Our textbooks only mention fire or wooden stakes."
"Those are fine for the lowest-tier vampires," Valerie explained. "But if you want to take down a more powerful vampire, you need something with more... oomph."
"So, what are you doing in Surrey, Valerie?" Rose asked again.
Valerie's eyes flickered over Rose, as if she was sizing her up for reasons Rose couldn't quite grasp. "Look, you seem like a nice girl, but you're asking a lot of questions, and I'm on a bit of a schedule here. I really need to get to Diagon Alley..." she trailed off.
Rose blushed. She hadn't meant to be nosy, but Valerie was the most beautiful girl she'd ever seen, and that made it hard not to want to know more! The words spilled out before she could stop herself. "Do you need to get there because of your job?" And now she just asked another question…
Valerie shot her a pointed glare, clearly not amused by the relentless questions.
Realizing she'd overstepped, Rose hurried to change the subject. "You should stay away from Diagon Alley," she warned, her voice softer now. "The Death Eaters have been more active lately. I don't want you getting hurt..."
"I have a gun," Valerie pointed out bluntly.
"And they have magic," Rose countered.
"So do I."
"Wait, really?" Rose's eyes widened. "I thought wizards and witches lose their magic when they become vampires." That's what had happened to Sanguine, at least. She'd met him at one of Slughorn's strange parties last year.
Valerie shook her head. "I told you, I'm only half-vampire. And powerful vampires can still use magic. My... father... can use it just fine, even though he's a pure vampire." Her voice dropped to a murmur. "His magic is... very strange though."
Rose had always suspected the education she received at Hogwarts wasn't as top tier as advertised, but now she was starting to wonder if anything they learned about magical creatures in Defense Against the Darks Arts was even remotely correct? Vampires being able to use magic seemed like a pretty big deal! Something that wizards and witches should have known about at the very least…
"Do you want some company?" Rose offered, her heart racing a bit. "The Alley would be safer with the two of us." She didn't mention the little detail that she technically wasn't allowed to use magic yet, being only nineteen.
Valerie bit her lip, clearly torn. "I suppose it would be less conspicuous if I wasn't walking around the Alley alone... but," she hesitated, letting out a sigh. "You seem like a nice girl, Rose. So, I'd rather just be honest with you."
Rose's breath caught. Honest? About what?
"I work for a certain... organization," Valerie began, lowering her voice, "that isn't too keen on this recent Dark Lord's rise to power. He's been recruiting vampires and werewolves from all over, bringing them to London. I'm going to the Alley to scout and gather information for our future attack on the Dark Lord and his growing army."
Rose's mouth fell open. "You're doing what?"
Valerie shrugged. "You heard me."
"Um…how many people are in your organization?" Rose asked, still in disbelief. She wondered if they were similar to the Order of the Phoenix? The Order had almost 20 full time members when Dumbledore was still alive. Did Valerie also belong to a small group like that?
"We have about 400 trained soldiers," Valerie said, causing Rose to immediately sputter.
"F–Four h–hundred!?" What the fuck!? That wasn't a SMALL organization! That was a literal army! An army of trained soldiers too, not just random people Dumbledore pulled off the streets! Rose was in complete disbelief. There was an actual competent organization out there in the world that opposed Voldemort?
Where can she freaking sign up!?
…Did Voldemort even have 400 Death Eaters? Was he screwed? Was her terrible Potter Luck finally turning around for the better?
Rose had so many questions, but she didn't want to annoy Valerie with them all at once. "If you want some help taking down Snake-Face, then I'm definitely your girl!" Rose told Valerie. Yes, it was technically very dangerous for her to be wandering around Diagon Alley at this time, but she couldn't miss out on the possibility of potentially joining such an amazing organization!
Rose would save the rest of her questions until then.
XXX