The Good Old Black Lake...8 years later

Shadow leant back and thought of good times spent running around the school.

Hayley gently stepped out from behind a tree, surprised to see Natalie and Shadow. "Oh my gosh guys," she said, "Sorry if I'm interupting...." she sat down beside Natalie. "Blueberry said you might be here. I thought I'd come catch up..."
She sighed, and looked around the lake, a grin spreading slowly across her face. So many memories, she thought.
"How've you guys been?" she asked.

Natalie jumped when Hayley popped out all off a sudden, and her eyeliner that she was working on smeared.

"HAYLEY!" Natalie cried, grinning, "Look what you made me do," she laughed.

Shadow had jumped so violently she teleported somewhere else and eventually appeared again.
"Don't EVER do that again!"

Natalie smiled slightly at Shadow.

"It ok Shad...calm down," she said soothingly.

Shadow took a deep breath, calming her mind.
"Sorry, too many close calls with humans."

Natalie grinned, remembering.

"Yes...the Yule Ball cannot have been fun for you that year..." Natalie sighed.

Shadow shruged.
"Not just that year. Seriously, even when I left Hogwarts and was proven 'basically safe unless riled', you can't really stop people trying to kill you."

"I understand," said Natalie, taking out a blood pop on cue.

Shadow smiled slightly and took a potion from she small collection of thin vials hanging from her belt. She swallowed the contents and sighed.

"Is that to...control you?" Natalie asked, frowning.

"It's complicated." Shadow said, skirting the question.

Natalie frowned at this answer, but decided not the press the matter any further.

Shadow sighed, looking up at the sky, and then cursing herself as it hurt her eyes.

Natalie looked at Shadow.

"You ok?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Shadow said. "I just spend too much time in the dark."

"Mmm..." said Natalie, frowning, and then to divert the subject, she asked, "are you still a healer?"

"No." Shadow said bitterly.

"What happened?" Natalie asked, ignoring the bitter tone of Shadow's voice.

"Patient complained he was being treated by a non human. Word got out to the rest of the patients and then to the Daily Prophet." Shadow muttered.

Natalie frowned.

"I don't read the prophet any more...to many lies...to much hate of non-humans...it was starting to make me depressed," Natalie said, frowning.

"Yeah, well, too many people still do." Shadow muttered. "St Mungo's decided they couldn't handle the bad publicity and fired me. Now the entire Wizarding community knows."

Natalie frowned.

"That's so mean...I'm gonna kick his ass," said Natalie.

Shadow shook her head.
"Don't. Don't give them a reason to hate vampires as well."

Hayley nodded, "I agree," she said, fiddling with her hair. "So other than all that stuff, what've you guys been up too?" she asked.