-II-

"You girl, are just crazy. Too fat, have you seen her in her bikini? It would be like kissing a skeleto- ouch," Brian screamed when Maya hit the back of his head, hard. "What was that for?"

Maya gasped for air. Did this dunderhead really ask her what that was for? "You disgust me! I won't speak with you any longer. It is just useless. You have the brain of a fly!"

"A fly has no brain," Brian said angrily, to Maya only confirming his stupidity.

"If you say so, you, just confirm my theory." With that said, Maya crossed her arms over her chest and ignore the boys. She also didn't react when Brian pulled a face in her direction and stuck his tongue out. She just sat at her seat staring, annoyed, into the distance.

After a few minutes Draco leaned over to Maya and asked, "Do you really think Melissa wants Harry as her boyfriend?"

"Really, Draco, don't start this again. Melissa has no time for a boyfriend, nor does Harry. They both have to concentrate on themselves."

She really sounded like one of the adults, so Draco decided to let the topic drop for the time being.

-II-

Once at the school, the three kids ran off to their classes as they were already late. Crying Horse waved his good-bye to Severus and Draco before driving back to the camp.

"Come on, we need to meet with the headmaster, or would you prefer to wait here?" Severus asked.

Draco shook his head, shocked. He didn't want to stay here alone, where he knew nobody. Scooting closer to Severus, he made sure he wouldn't get lost.

Severus smiled at Draco and laid his hand on his neck. Then he pointed the boy in the direction where he knew the office of the headmaster was.

"A new student, Severus?" Professor Karley asked curiously when they met him in the hall.

Draco immediately slipped behind Severus, starting to hyperventilate. It had been a bad idea to come here, Draco was sure of that. Why had he agreed at all? He had hardly left Grimmauld Place in England before he went to the camp, and was only just beginning to finally feel safe at the camp. Maybe that had made him at ease, but he realized only now as to what he had agreed. Now he felt absolutely terrified in his new surrounding with so many people he didn't know all around him. What if Severus left him alone, or what if it was all just a trick and Severus was going to leave him with the professor, making him take classes?

Professor Karley stepped backwards and held his hands up. "I'm not taking you anywhere. I just thought you were Harry and was surprised that Severus brought you here instead of having me meet him at the camp tomorrow like we planned. So I guess you are not Harry?"

Draco shook his head and tried to struggle against Severus, who had pulled him in front of him. At least he was folding his arms over Draco's chest while he pulled him against his front; that was a bit calming for Draco.

"This is Draco, my other boy. Harry is still at the camp and is eagerly awaiting your visit tomorrow. Draco here just accompanied me to my meeting with Headmaster Johnson. We want to explore the town a bit afterward." He paused shortly and then added, "Draco, this is Professor Karley."

"The vampire," Draco whispered, staring at the man in front of him. The professor had a very light tan, like Draco. He didn't look unhealthy or translucent like Draco always imagined vampires, nor could he see long fangs poking out of the professor's mouth. The man had long dark hair that he was wearing down and he was handsome looking for a man in his age - 33 or 34 maybe.

"36, and it had been that way for over 323 years now." He laughed seeing Draco realize what the vampire meant. "It always amuses me to see you European kids react to my appearance. I can walk in the sun as well, and you are in no danger of becoming my victim. I have no desire to drink your blood and turn you in a vampire like me." Karley grinned, and now Draco could see the slightly longer incisors.

Ashamed, Draco looked down. "I'm sorry, I..."

"No problem, Draco. You are not the first one to react like that. It's a shame how little you learn about vampires at your schools in Europe. That's not your fault." Professor Karley realized that he was still holding his hands up and now let them sink slowly.

"Would it be okay if I join you two for lunch at the little cafè down the street? Or do you have to be back in the camp for lunch?"

"What do you say, Draco? If you tell Harry that you met Professor Karley, Harry will want to know everything about it, and it would be a good start to find out why he ignored you this morning."

A grin appeared on Draco's face, and he nodded slowly.

"Aw, two true Slytherins I guess," Karley said, laughing with his deep voice again.

"Yes, you are right, Isaac. So we'll meet you there at twelve. Now I have to hurry; I'm already very late for my appointment with Headmaster Johnson."

"Headmaster Johnson has talked of nothing else the last two staff meetings other than getting you to join his team. You could come three hours too late, and he would still fall on his knees for you to join us."

"I heard that, Isaac," a deep voice said behind Professor Karley. "Believe me, I have tons of applications for your job on my desk, so be careful."

"I can read your mind, headmaster, don't forget that. You are too fond of me to sack me, and I'm the best. 250 years of experience."

"250 you say? Oh my, that means your teaching methods should be really out of date I think I may need to send you to some conferences to further education," the headmaster replied teasingly.

If Draco hadn't already wriggle out of Severus grip to stand half-hidden behind him, he would have done so now after hearing the growl that came from Professor Karley.

"First, leave the growling to Professor Spinter; he is much better in it. Second, you are scaring the students, Isaac," the headmaster said, not at all impressed by the growling vampire.

"There are no students around," Karley replied, already back to his normal cheerful self.

"What about you, young man?" Headmaster Johnson asked Draco, as if he weren't hidden behind Severus.

Damn, that forced Draco to respond on his own. Now he had to answer the headmaster, or Severus would think him a baby. Draco became even more nervous when he saw Professor Karley's eyes boring into him. Surely he was reading his mind again. "I... I'm Draco, but I don't want to go to school." The last part he had said so fast that the adults needed some time to puzzle out what he had said.

"No school? But our school is very good. We have wonderful teachers and small classes. Severus should show you around a bit; he was a student here once. Did he tell you about it?"

Draco nodded shyly and moved a tiny bit out from his hiding place. "Severus said I don't have to take classes yet." He nervously glanced at Professor Karley who was still staring at him. That's when Draco realized that the vampire had silver eyes. "And I don't have to take classes at home...ehm the camp. Only Harry... I don't... I..."

"I got the message the first time, Draco," Professor Karley said, smirking. It was a friendly smirk, like Severus did so often, not a condescending smirk. "Nobody is forcing you to take classes. The headmaster here is just a bit too fond of his school and always tries to get more students. Whenever you feel ready to go to class, or to be homeschooled you will let us know, right?"

Draco nodded. He was glad that they weren't trying to convince him.

"Okay, I'm off now. Draco, Severus, I will see you at lunch." A whooshing sound and something like a condensation trail in the air was all Draco could see after the Professor had said those words. Open-mouthed, he stared at the place where the Professor had stood only a few seconds before, eyes following the slowly fading condensation trail down the hall.

"Such a poser," Severus stated dryly.

"Yes, he never can resist it," the headmaster said, chuckling.

"Can Draco join us for the appointment, or do you still have Helena as you secretary? If so, Draco would certainly have no problems waiting with her," Severus said, smiling in amusement.

"Yes, Helena is still my secretary, and I'm sure she would be delighted to spend some time with Draco." Still chuckling, the headmaster led the two wizards to his office.

The headmaster was an old man with white hair that reached to his shoulders. His clothes were what Draco called Muggle clothes: black jeans and a white, non-buttoned formal shirt. All in all, the headmaster looked very casually dressed.

Draco didn't like that they had already decided he had to stay with the secretary, but when he saw her, he immediately was at ease. All his fear was gone in a second, and he felt a warm feeling spread in his chest.

"Hello, sweetheart," Helena said. She was a lady of maybe sixty years, but her long hair was still blond and thick, worn in a bun. Her blue eyes smiled at Draco as much as her red lips did. "What's your name, sweetie? You must be one of Severus', right?"

Draco nodded his head stupidly, staring at the old woman in fascination.

"Come over and sit down. I have a wonderful hot chocolate for you," Helena said and waved him over. Then she looked at Severus and frowned. "I would really like to have a word with you after you are finished with the headmaster, Severus." Her voice was still sweet, and Draco's heart still made little flip flops. It was as if a humming was going through his body each time the old woman spoke. She could tell him he was a very bad and ugly boy and Draco was sure it would still sound wonderful.

"I would prefer not to. Can we go and speak now, headmaster?" Severus asked, obviously nervous about a talk with Helena.

The headmaster again chuckled before Helena said, "You need to pass my desk before you leave, Severus. A hot chocolate will be waiting for you. I won't let you go before you drank it all."

Severus groaned in frustration and muttered to the headmaster, "It was a bad idea to give in to your request to teach here."

The headmaster didn't stop chuckling; he was even worse than Dumbledore in Severus' eyes. "Now it is already too late, my boy. She has you in her clutches and won't let you go before you speak with her or agree to another appointment with her. There is no reason to decline my offer of the teaching position anymore."

"I could arrange another appointment with her, decline your offer and never come back," Severus stated while stepping into the headmaster's office.

"And I would come over to the camp to talk to you there. Now that I have seen you, you won't be able to avoid me, Severus." Helena's voice called behind him.

Severus groaned again and was relieved when the door closed and the air was finally free of the thick magic of the Half-Veela. The woman made wonderful hot chocolate and was like a very kind grandma, but she had the ability to read one's emotions and could see episodes of a person's thoughts or dreams. That had made Severus nervous when he was around her as a teen, and it made him even more nervous now that he was an adult. For the Half-Veela, it certainly made no difference how old he was; she would force him to speak about what was troubling him until he finally blurt out all his problems to her. Severus always wondered why Light Arrow didn't employ her at his camp. She would be perfect, but maybe Light Arrow already asked her and she had refused. She really seemed to love her work at the school. The teachers always sent trouble makers or students with problems to her first. She was not only the secretary for the headmaster, but also the school counselor.

"You still haven't told me your name, sweetie," Helena said while she handed Draco a cup of hot chocolate. Isaac had sent her a message about Draco over their mental link, so she knew that the boy was completely terrified to be here and needed some calming down.

"Dr... Draco." Blushing deeply, Draco stared at the cup.

"That's a nice name. Draco, that sounds a bit mysterious. I'm sure the young ladies love that." Scars said a voice in her mind. It was Draco's strongest thoughts or feelings that Helena could hear like spoken words in her mind. Everything else was like different kind of colors or humming floating through the air to her. Emotions often escaped humans like different colored bands; thoughts were more like humming or whispering. Sometimes it could become very confusing.

Helena was lucky to be half Veela and half Maruba. Her Veela skills gave her the opportunity to influence the emotions of the people around her. She could calm them and so wasn't overwhelmed with their emotions and thoughts. The Maruba part made it possible for her to read their thought and emotions. Helena loved her gift, and she had learned to use it over the 200 years she had roamed the Earth. She could take on any age appearance she wanted. She couldn't shift her facial or body features other than to change her apparent age. The students reacted best to her when she was an older woman like she was now. So she had kept the appearance for the last 50 years.

"I don't think so," Draco said sadly, not realizing that he was speaking so openly with the old woman.

"Why not?"

"I'm no longer good looking. Girls don't like boys like me."

"Oh, I don't think that's true, sweetie. I'm sure there are a lot of girls who are able to see the real Draco under those scars, and I must say you are a very kind young man. You will try to fulfill every wish of the lucky girl. Women love to be adored by a man and you would do so. Be a bit more confident, I'm sure there is already a girl waiting for you."

Draco blushed and tried to look away, but Helena had cupped his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. "So I'm right? There already is a girl? What's her name?"

Draco gulped. The odd tickling feeling in his guts became more intense. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "Hermione."

Helena smiled. "Hermione, what a nice name. Tell me about her."

Draco had the feeling that his lips were moving on their own, but it felt good to tell Helena about Hermione - how much she had helped him and what he liked about her. In the end, he had fallen back into his depressing mood despite the calming feeling in his chest. The mood came from thinking about the torture in the dungeons and about his horrible dreams he had lately. He had never told anyone about it. When he realized, he not only had thought about the dreams, but told Helena about it, he fell to his knees, pleading with her to not tell Severus or anyone else about it.

"Shhh, Draco," Helena tried to calm the crying boy. She hoped Severus and the headmaster would be occupied for a bit longer. She didn't want to manipulate Draco's feelings too much. It was dangerous. Changing very depressed feelings in good ones wasn't a good idea, so she just tried to calm the depressing moods a bit. "Everything is okay, sweetie, I won't tell anyone what you told me, but you should. Light Arrow is a very good man. He can help you."

Again Draco panicked. No, nobody should know about the disgusting dreams. He hated them, and he knew they weren't normal. What normal person would dream about standing naked amongst thousands of people who stared at him? No, not only staring, but laughing and pointing at his lower body. Every time he dreamed that dream, Draco knew what he would see when he looked down, but each time it shocked him even more than the last time. There was nothing down there - not even hair. Just plain, smooth skin.

"Draco, breathe calmly with me, okay." Slowly Helena helped calm the hyperventilating boy. "Now listen, Draco," Helena said seriously. "You are a very handsome boy, even with your scars. What happened in the dungeons hasn't changed how manly you are. Your Hermione wouldn't think you are attractive otherwise. She has given you enough hints in her letters that she thinks you are good looking and that she finds you attractive. You know that, you told me about it just minutes ago. There is no reason to fear that you are too feminine or unmanly. Your dreams just show you what you feel and fear deep down, and those feeling won't change if you don't speak about them with somebody. Light Arrow and White Clouds have helped many children with experiences of rape. They know what to do and say to help you. Be open to them and those dreams will cease, Draco." Her voice was very serious now, but it still had the calming effect on Draco. Her words were wandering from her lips and directly into Draco's head. At least that was what it felt like to Draco. He was sobbing with big tears running down his cheeks, but he felt her words imprint in his brain.

"I want you to think about what we talked about, and about if you can open up to Light Arrow or White Cloud, okay?"

Draco nodded and tried to get his sobs under control. Any moment, Severus could come through the office door, and he didn't want Severus to see him like this. Realizing that he still was on his knees in front of her, he sat down back on his chair. Helena wiped the tears from his face with a handkerchief and then pressed the cup of hot chocolate back in his hand. "Drink! It will help."

"How... how did you do that?" Draco asked when he had calmed down enough.

"Do what?" Helena asked innocently.

"How did you make me speak about everything? I normally don't speak about it."

"And I'm not a normal person, Draco," Helena said mysteriously. "Nor is anyone in your camp. They all have their own dark, sad story to tell. Nobody would be shocked or think you are a freak."

"But what I went through is just too freakish," Draco whispered while leaning forward.

"Believe me, it's not. I have heard much 'freakier' stories than yours. Shall I tell you something? The 'freaks' are much more normal than those you call 'normal'. And they make the much better friends."

"Oh no, she is already giving away her words of wisdom. I told you we shouldn't have left him out here with her so long," Severus said sarcastically.

"Are you sure you want to let this cheeky brat loose on the students, headmaster?" Helena asked while winking at Draco.

"Cheeky brat." Severus snorted. "I'm thirty-five, lady."

"Oh my, don't tell me I should be impressed by that, Severus?" Helena teased one of her favorite ex-students.

"To be honest, yes, but I know it is useless to hope for that. So where is my promised cup of hot chocolate?" Severus had decided that attack was the best form of defense when it came to dealing with Helena.

"Ah, playing brave, Severus? You're making me nostalgic. This reminds me so much of our first meeting."

"Yes, and I'm sure in a second you will tell Draco that I was crying like a baby five minutes later. So, I spared you the effort to embarrass me," Severus said, slightly bitter.

"Don't be like that, Severus, or do I need to use my Veela skills on you? I've refrained from doing so until now."

"I've noticed, and I highly appreciate it. Please let it stay that way." Severus tone was casual, but Draco could see that Severus was trying to send Helena a message with his eyes.

"As you wish, my boy. Come over and drink your hot chocolate. Do you want one as well, Headmaster?"

Headmaster Johnson chuckled. Did the man do anything other than chuckle? "No, I think I will leave you three alone and pay our housekeeper a visit. It was a pleasure to meet you Draco, and I hope that one day you will decide to join our students here. Severus, we'll see you tomorrow." With that, the headmaster swept out of the room.

"I thought this was a Native American school?" Draco asked, puzzled.

"It is," Severus replied, confused.

"But the headmaster doesn't look like a Native."

"Professor Karley also isn't a Native, and does Helena look like a Native American to you?" Severus asked. "This school is mostly for the Natives in the reservation, but that doesn't mean the teachers have to all be Natives. There are classes that teach about the spiritual way of living, and they are taught by Natives who have knowledge and experience in those areas, but the other classes don't have to be taught by Natives, does they?"

Draco shrugged. "I thought that only Natives lived here. Um, other than Doc Martens, I mean."

"Little Creek, the town close by, is still on the reservation area, but around twenty percent of the population are Non-Natives. Some have married Natives, some just want to live here because they found work here. As long as you have permission from the reservation administration, you can live here regardless of whether you are a Native American or not," Helena explained. "Here at school, we have a very small amount of Non-Native students, around four- percent. Headmaster Johnson prefers to have a wide variety of teachers. He wants to show his students that sterotypes are often very wrong. Therefore, your teachers are from different kinds of Nations. We also have some Magical Creatures as teachers, though we should never let the headmaster hear that we refereed to them as that. He prefers to call them 'humans with special features'." Severus interrupted Helena's speech with a snort. "Something to say, Severus?"

"You do realize that you are one of these magical creatures as well, right?"

"Really?" Draco asked, surprised.

Helena smiled. "I already told you I'm not normal."

"That is the understatement of the year," Severus exclaimed.

Helena ignored Severus and spoke to Draco again. "If you accompany Severus again one day, you come up here to me and I will tell you much more, but right now I have to get back to work, sweetie. So, will you visit me again?"

Draco nodded without even thinking about it. Helena was like Draco had always wished his grandmother was like.

When they almost were out of the room, Helena said, "Don't forget our appointment, Severus."

"I can't remember having made one," Severus said and tried to close the door quickly - unfortunately, not quickly enough.

"Tomorrow ten o'clock. You have a free period between classes then. Until then, Severus," Helena smiled when Severus closed the door, groaning and throwing one last glare at her. She knew he would come.