On the Grounds

Jaci had finished all her work for the week and now she had plenty of free time on her hands. For the past few days, she hasn't been able to get any practice in for some of her own spells. She decides to go to the grounds where she'll get enough room to practice and very few disturbances. It was cool as usual but it was better than most of the other days. Jaci walked down to a well-sized, open area with her spells journal in her hands. She looked through her spells to see which need the most practiced on for now. Hmm.... maybe I should practice this one. Jaci picks up her wand and reads through the spell again before she started her practice.

Suddenly, there is movement on the grounds. A man was walking towards Hogwarts. He had long, shiny, silky black hair going down to mid-back, blood red eyes, red bandana & extremely pale skin. His skin was so white, it was a porcelain color. He had a black shirt with four silver buttons & black pants with two silver belts. His right hand was covered by a five fingered glove & his left hand was a hideous, golden claw. He had on strange, pointed bronze boots. He had a tattered red cloak that had a high collar, concealing the lower half of his face.All in all, he looked like a vampire. He had a black, 50 ft snake & a 20 ft Albino Basilisk by his side. he also had a black vampire bat flying around him.

Jaci stopped trying to perform her spell as she saw someone walking by. She looked over her shoulder to see who this person is. What she saw was a pale man with large snakes walking by his side. She closed her journal quicky and it looked itself up. Who is he?.... Maybe he's a new professor or something?

As the was walking he saw Jaci so he smiled a toothy smile at her, showing off some very sharp fangs.

Jaci notices his fangs as he smiled at her. Ok.... maybe he's friendly. She couldn't help but give a smile back too. She felt a little awkward that there wasn't any sort of conversation going on now. But what would she to start one? She's never seen this man before.

The man decided to be kind & walked up to her. "Hello there ma'am. My name is Professor Vincent Valentine, Count & Head of the Most Noble & Ancient House of Valentine" the man said in a slightly deep, silky voice as he bowed to her. The man seemed very well mannered apparently.

Jaci gives another quick smile as Vincent introduced himself. She bowed her head to return his bow since her hands were kinda full.

"Hello. And my name is Professor Jaci Alretz. So you're a professor here too then?"

"Of course ma'am. I am taking over as the Potions Professor. I am fully qualified as I have four masteries in Potions" he said politely as he gave her a kind smile.

Jaci's eyes widened a bit as she gave a returning smile

"Oh wow. Four masteries in potions? That's a great accomplishment you have there."

"Thank you for the compliment. I am wondering though, why didn't you run when I told you I was from the House of Valentine?" he questioned.

Jaci's eyebrow rose at his remark. Now confusion filled her face.

"I guess I've never heard of that. I've lived a pretty isolated life for a long time until after I graduated from Hogwarts. Mostly because of study and practice."

((Sorry about this but I forgot to give Vincent his accent))

"Vell, just so ve understand each other, the House of Valentine is a house that vas purely for vampiric blood" he said, his Transylvanian accent setting into his voice.

Jaci now understood why some people would run. He was a vampire, a blood sucking one. But for some reason, Jaci didn't run at all, or seemed scared. She has been taught of many things people thought was scary. However she was like her father, smart, calm and determined. This didn't really scare her a lot. Her face was relaxed again and she answered with a calm tone.

"Oh I never knew that."

"Very interesting. I think ve vill get along vine" he said as he smiled at her. He took out an orange & peeled it. He then bit into the orange with his fangs & started sucking the juice out of the orange.

Jaci shrugs keeping her locked spell journal at her side. She didn't know what else to say. So she watched Vincenet suck the juice out of his orange and looked up at his eyes which were a bright red.

"I guess we will."

"Zorry. It iz juzt that unlike mozt vampirez, I live off the juicez in fruitz inztead of blood" he explained.

Jaci gives a nod at his explaination. She was releaved that he wasn't much of a blood drinker type of vampire and he settles for juice from fruit. She felt a little impressed that he had a bit of a French accent to his vocabulary.

"That's fine. I can understand that."

"Good. I would hate for uz to be uneazy with each other. I am alzo Neutral in the Magical War" he explained.

"All I know is I'm on the good side so to speak. That's how it's been in my family for generations now."

Jaci's legs started to get tired now from standing for a while now. She walked over to a large boulder and sat on the cool stone. If it hadn't been for meeting with Vincent now, this boulder would of been rubble by now.

"Not uzed to ztanding up for zo long are you madam?" he questioned.

Jaci gave another shrug.

"I can't just stand. I'm either always moving around, or just sitting down. I don't know why that is tho."

"I zee" was all he said. "Vell, I vill introduce you to my friendz" he said. He pointed to the albino Basilisk. "Thiz iz my loyal friend Bazil" he said. The albino snake nodded at her. He then turned towards the black snake. "Thiz iz my friend Conztrictor" he said as the black snake stared, more like glared at her. He then pointed to the bat, who landed on his finger. "& thiz iz my very firzt friend Dracula, named after my father Count Dracula" he said.

Jaci watched Basil, Constrictor, and Dracula come up one by one as Vincent called for each of them. Curiousity swept her mind as she looked at each of them. A quick smile grew across her face as he finished with the inrtoductions. She gave another head bow to them.

"Well it's nice to meet your friends."

"Thank you. Your the firzt one vho didn't call them my petz" he said.

"Oh really? Well you said they were your friends, so that's what i referred to them as."

A cool breeze swept through the feild rustling the leaves and grass before them. By now, Jaci has grown immune to the coolness after being here for most of the year. It was all quite comfortable now.